~ 

LIBRARY 

1 

OF  THE 

Theological  Seminary, 

PRINCETON,  N.  J. 

Case, 

. D, 

Shelf. 

Section  »  lT J5  3 

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Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 
in  2018  with  funding  from 
Princeton  Theological  Seminary  Library 


https://archive.org/details/comprehensivecom04jenk 


/  Great  Square 

2  JrecjHuflu 

1.2  feramaw  Forum  Sx.i. 

3  Acropolis  Parthenon  £c. 

/  l/ar:  Sill  i  fittfX-  _ _ 

5  Eretriacusn.  Fertwt  ; _ 

6  fwtasary*  oumn  £&l . . 

7  Cucsu/rf  i/t/fnn  dc.i  .  . 

8  Fart  IttC’  . 

9  Farr  umtfuirus . 

\10  Temple  of  Theseus 

»■■«?  t 


Anti  o  i 


<rOjuit*< 
MM  B 


VOYACES  AMD  TEA  VELS 


ex  p  x  a  Jr  a  r  i  a  .v . 

.1"?  To  and from .Kuusalom  to  Dtimasctu  tin,/  inti>.1rubi,i. 

7**  Fhjw  frrmwiim  toTarjrur  an,/  return  thr%utoh.1nfio<  A 
loJorusttlem . 

-3.  fhmi.bnt.nilem  to  .inti  itch  in  Stria  tin.  I  loyaae  tt'i’v 
prut  . intioch  imPuidia.  ami  return  throuah  .In/imb 
m  Srri.i  to  Jerusalem 

.4 .  From  Jerusalem  to  Antioch  in  Syria  ami  throuah 
Asm  Minor.  MacoJoniu .  lireece  amt  return  to  Jin, 
nt/cm  throuah  (esnrea. 

i*  from  Jerusalem  tsJnti.  u-h  in  Syria  and  thro  t'apra- 
tlocia.  Galatia .  Phryaia  Zn/u  and  thro  Marei/onta 
Bier  i  a  .aid  ream  ti'Jerujalrm  thro  Krr  and  Cetane  a 

_  Veyaae  frntn  teir.irea  to  ( 'reteMrhta  Syracuse  arul 
nhalh-  to  Bam . 


•'Ujcj 


PLAN  OF  THE  TEMPLE 


PLAN  Of  THE  TEMPLE 


Gate  ..t  = 
Haiti  nil  8 


Outer  Wall  ot  the  Court*  ot  the  Levi  ten 


1  Oil  and  Wine  House 

2  Chambers  tor  tlirGuanb*,  Simmers 
and  Priest** 

7t  Small  apartment*  round  theTeinple 
where  the  necessaries  were  kept 
4  The  Lepers  Rooms 
Pillars  suimomnc  tire  Galleries 
G  Tire  two  Pillar*  at  tnr  entrance  of 
the  Temple  called  .loss  nndJacliin 


7  Stones  on  which  the  Beasts  tvere 
killeil  for  Burnt  A- other  Offerinjrs 

B  Tl*e  North  (late  and  Porch. 

9  Wood  House  .  Here  the  wood  was 
wormed  anil  prepared. 

ID  The  Xasarites  R  ooill 

11  Hie  miter  Court 

12  Tire  Stairs  leading- to  tire  upper 
apartments 


7  Gate  of  Parhav 

8  The  Outer  Wall  of  the  Court  of  tire 
Priests 

9  Cattle  Gate 

10  live  Holy  Place 

11  live  Holy  of  Holies 

12  Solomons  Porch 


1  Muishan  Gate 

2  Parhar 

3  Apartments  of  tire  I.evites 

1  The  Stairs  Leading  to  the  Upper 
Chambers 

Cli ambers  round.  tlvr  court  of  Israel 
0  Galleries  supported  hi- Pillars 


BBAT  MJKJB  OEO '*  VT 

.BJiATTLEBORO  TYPOGPAFHlC  COMPANY, 


l 


1 


TIIE 


COMPREHENSIVE  COMMENTARY 

ON  THE 

HOLY  BIBLE; 

CONTAINING 

THE  TEXT  ACCORDING  TO  THE  AUTHORISED  VERSION  ; 

WITH  MARGINAL  REFERENCES; 

MATTHEW  HENRY’S  COMMENTARY, 

CONDENSED,  BUT  RETAINING  THE  MOST  USEFUL  THOUGHTS  ; 

THE  PRACTICAL  OBSERVATIONS  OF  REV.  THOMAS  SCOTT,  D.  D. 

#  WITH  EXTENSIVE 

EXPLANATORY,  CRITICAL,  AND  PHILOLOGICAL  NOTES, 

SELECTED  FROM 

SCOTT,  DODDRIDGE,  GTLL,  ADAM  CLARKE,  PATRICK,  POOLE,  LOWTH,  BURDER,  HARMER.  CALMET,  STUART, 
ROBINSON,  BUSH,  ROSENMUELLER,  BLOOMFIELD,  AND  MANY  OTHER  WRITERS  ON  THE  SCRIBTURES. 

THE  WHOLE  DESIGNED  TO  BE 

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» 

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FAMILY  RECORD. 


EDITED  BY 

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EMBELLISHED  WITH 

ENGRAVINGS,  ON  WOOD  AND  STEEL, 

OF  SCRIPTURE  SCENES,  AND  ILLUSTRATIVE  OF  SCRIPTURE  MANNERS,  CUSTOMS,  ANTIQUITIES,  ETC. 

ACTS  — RE  VEL  AT  I  ON. 

■  ■  -  -  ■  ■  ■  - M.  - - - 

BR  ATTLEBORO’ : 

PUBLISHED  BY  THE  BR4TTLEBORO’  TYPOGRAPHIC  COMPANY. 

(INCORPORATED  OCTOBER  26,  1836.) 

1838. 


Entered,  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1838,  by 
THE  BRATTLEBORO’  TYPOGRAPHIC  CO., 
in  the  Clerk’s  Office  of  the  District  Court  of  Vermont. 


PUBLISHERS’  ADVERTISEMENT.  In  presenting  to  subscribers  the  fifth  and  last  volume  of  the  Comprehensive  Commen¬ 
tary,  the  publishers  cannot  refrain  from  expressing  their  pride  and  pleasure  in  being  the  means  of  laying  before  the  religious  public  so 
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subscribers  who  have  continued  cheerfully  to  receive  and  pay  for  the  successive  volumes  of  the  Commentary,  and  they  trust  that  none 
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and  to  the  circumstances  of  the  people  of  the  United  States;  and  one  of  the  most  stupendous  literary  enterprises  ever  undertaken  in 
America.  No  man,  surely,  will  ever  repent  having  purchased  the  work  for  his  own  use,  or  regret  to  leave  so  rich  a  legacy,  and  so 
valuable  an  heirloom  to  his  descendants. 

The  Supplementary,  or  sixth  volume  of  the  Commentary  will  be  found  an  almost  indispensable  companion  to  the  original  work,  and 
an  invaluable  aid  to  the  Minister,  Sabbath  School  Teacher,  and  every  one  who  desires  to  study  the  Bible;  and  it  is  to  be  hoped, 
that  every  subscriber  will  make  his  set  complete  by  adding  this  valuable  volume. 

June,  1838. 


EDITOR’S  NOTICE.  Having  now,  by  the  Divine  blessing,  been  permitted  to  bring  to  a  close  this  fifth  volume,  which,  with  the  Sup¬ 
plement,  will  complete  the  work,  that,  six  years  ago,  I  entered  upon  with  trembling;  it  is  my  heart’s  desire  to  bless  and  praise  God  for  his  great 
goodness  experienced  throughout  it.  To  his  glory,  and  the  furtherance  of  his  kingdom  of  love,  righteousness,  holiness,  and  peace,  be  this  labor 
consecrated  and  devoted  ;  and  may  He  accept  and  deign  to  bless  it,  for  the  Redeemer’s  sake  ! 

No  alteration,  of  great  moment,  has  been  made  in  the  arrangements  for  conducting  this  volume ;  but  the  same  helpers  have  been  with  me,  and 
their  efficient  and  indispensable  exertions  appear  on  every  page  of  it.  To  the  sound  judgment  and  orthodox  heart  of  my  invaluable  friend,  the 
Rev.  Mr.  Hoadly,  and  to  the  assiduity,  care,  and  taste  of  my  son,  J.  W.  Jenks,  M.  A.,  the  work,  in  all  its  parts,  since  their  early  connexion  with 
it,  is  abundantly  indebted.  A  few  contributions  of  scattered  notes  have  been  made  by  others,  and  are  acknowledged  in  their  places,  excepting 
some  which  were  kindly  sent  by  my  friend,  Rev.  J.  Ward,  and  received  too  late,  and  a  dissertation  by  Rev.  Mr.  Baiistow  ;  for  both  which,  how¬ 
ever,  I  tender  my  sincere  thanks. 

Nothing  but  such  a  djligent  comparison,  as  this  work  necessarily  required,  of  the  labors  ofHENRYand  Scott,  could  haveshownhow  greatly  the 
latter  was  indebted  to  the  former,  especially  in  the  Old  Testament ;  and  the  lack  of  acknowledgment  can  be  accounted  for,  and  reconciled  with 
principle,  only  by  the  consideration,  that,  possibly,  if  it  had  been  made  in  every  case  where  it  was  due,  the  work  would  have  been  less  acceptable 
to  persons  of  the  ‘establishment,’  whom  the  writer  was  very  desirous  to  influence  favorably.  In  the  last  volume  of  the  New  Testament,  the 
originality  and  force  of  Dr.  Scott’s  mind  more  peculiarly  display  themselves  ;  and  to  this  portion  of  his  labors,  probably,  may  be  with  most 
justice  applied  the  well-known  commendations  of  the  present  bishop  of  Calcutta;  commendations  in  which  generally  I  can  join  with  great  cor¬ 
diality  ;  holding,  as  I  do,  in  most  respects,  the  same  theological  views  :  yet  I  can  by  no  means  admit,  that  he  is,  at  any  moment,  forgetful  of  his 
‘system.’  On  the  contrary,  no  occasion  is  suflered  to  escape, — and  it  maybe  satisfactorily  accounted  for, — in  which  he  does  not  evince  his 
own  peculiarities.  For  this,  however,  there  is  abundant  occasion  to  be  grateful  to  God  ;  since,  without  question,  tke  high  and  just  popularity  of 
the  excellent  and  finished  work  of  this  venerable  man,  combined  with  its  extensive  circulation,  has  tended  to  produce  more  distinct  tones  of 
evangelical  sentiment,  and  a  greater  degree  of  uniformity  in  it,  than  previously  obtained. 

The  plan  of  re-editing,  in  this  country,  Henry’s  Exposition  in  an  abridged  form,  originated  with  J.  C.  Holbrook,  Esq.,  and  was  by  him  com¬ 
municated  to  me.  It  was  soon  agreed  to  combine  this  with  Scott’s  admirable  work,  as  far  as  practicable,  and  to  add  illustrations  from  all  avail¬ 
able  sources.  To  the  accomplishment  of  this  plan,  brought  out  into  its  necessary  details  successively,  Mr.  Holbrook  has  devoted  himself  with 
unabating  industry,  talent,  and  perseverance,  and  a  resolution  to  spare  no  needful  expense,  notwithstanding  the  overwhelming  embarrassments  of 
times  unfavorable  to  literary  enterprise.  I  had  feared,  that  consequent  disappointments,  and  loss  of  property,  would  have  greatly  retarded  the 
appearance  of  the  work,  or  compelled  to  its  utter  abandonment.  But  the  formation  of  a  stock  company,  under  Mr.  II. ’s  superintendence,  has,  in 
the  good  providence  of  God,  secured  now  to  the  Christian  community  among  us  its  entire  publication.  It  leaves  the  press  with  many  prayers,  l 
trust,  for  its  usefulness;  and  the  originator  and  conductor  of  the  enterprise  is  not  to  be  forgotten  in  them. 

It  may  be  necessary  to  observe,  that,  in  the  notes,  illustrations,  and  original  remarks,  a  considerable  range  of  research  has  been  indulged  in,  without 
any  other  restriction  of  names,  or  subjects,  than  the  occasion,  and  the  necessary  limits  of  the  work,  required.  From  this  cause  one  advantage,  of 
no  small  moment,  is  anticipated, — the  creation  of  a  habit,  in  the  readers,  of  making  all  their  inquiries  and  acquisitions  concur  to  the  elucidation 
of  the  blessed  Word  of  God,  and  the  application  of  its  salutary  truths  to  the  diversified  character  and  wants  of  man,  in  his  education  to  be  useful 
here,  and  prepared  for  higher  service  and  blessedness  in  eternity.  IP]U„(, 

Boston, June  1st,  1838.  WILLIAM  JLNKh. 


LIST  OF 

ENGRAVINGS 

IN  VOL 

.  V  . 

(  Map  of  Paul's  Travels. 

Frontispiece— J  Plan  of  the  Temple  at  Jerusalem. 

(  Plan  of  ancient  Athens. 

ON  STElL. 

Vignette  Title- 

r  Christ  biasing  the  Sacramental  Bread  and 
-  x  Wine,  at  the  Lust  Supper, 
f  1  Cor.  11:23— 29. 

View  of  Alexandria  -  - 

View  of  Damascus  ... 

View  of  Antioch  - 

View  of  Athens  .... 

View  of  Cyrcne  in  Africa  - 

Classical  2,  3  and  4-horse  Chariots  - 
Classical  antique,  showing  a  heathen 
sacrifice  - 

Classical  antique  Altar  - 
Roman  Judges’  (  urule)  Chair 
Roman  Judgment-seat  (?) 
Slitine-image  of  Diana's  temple 
Plan  of  Greco-Roman  Theatre 
Common  classic  Lamp  ... 
Hinder  part  and  tackling  of  a  ship  of 
the  apostolic  age  - 
Classical  ship  ;  furling  or  loosing 
sails,  Ac.  -  -  -  - 

Ground-plan  of  the  first  (?)  Christian 

church . 

Grecian  Theatre  (after  Le  Bruyn) 
Map  of  St.  Paul’s  hay,  Ac.  at  Malta 
The  most  ancient  dungeon  in  Rome, 
where  Jugurtha  was  starved  ;  and 
Peter  and  Paul,  says  tradition, 

confined  . 

Accurate  Plan  of  Ancient  Rame, 
showing  its  former  magnificence 
and  power  - 


- 

p.  82 

- 

“  47 

- 

“  98 

. 

l<  98 

- 

“  98 

Acts  8:28, 

41 

Acts  14:13. 

77 

Acts  17:23. 

101 

Acts  18:16. 

108 

Act*  16:16. 

108 

Acts  1«:‘28. 

116 

Acts  19:29. 

116 

Acts  20:8. 

120 

Acts  28:40. 

159 

Acts  28ill. 

161 

166 

Acts  19:29. 

168 

169 

169 

174 

ON  WOOD. 

Sixteen  views  in  Syria,  Ac.  -  -  -  .  p.  166 

Fifteen  views  in  Asia  Minor,  Ac.  -  -  -  “  664 

Mythological  Zodiac  of  Demlera  ;  and  sym¬ 
bols  of  India,  Note,  Rev.  4:7.  -  -  -  .  “  682 


View  of  Corinth  in  1810  - 
Roman  Gladiators  ‘set  forth  last  *  - 
Amphitheatre  of  Pompeii 
Triclinium  of  a  Pompeian  summer¬ 
house  . 

Plan  of  the  Roman  dining-table,  and 
its  scats,  numbered  according  to 
dignity  -  - 

Plan  of  the  Grecian  Gjynnasium, 
about  1  stadium  square,  and  its  offi¬ 
ces,  promenades,  r^ce- course,  Ac. 
Plan  of  an  ancient  Grecian  house,  af¬ 
ter  L*  Bruyn  .... 
Shapeless  ‘dumb  idol,’  (‘a  stock,’ 
'a  atone,')  #f  the  Sidonians 
Classical  hospitality -pledge, and  giv¬ 
ing  fight  hand  ie  proof  of  mutual 
pledge  and  friendly  fellowship 
View  of  Ephesus,  its  site,  and  plain 
(as  now)  ..... 
Triumphal  trophy,  shewing  the  sev¬ 
eral  pieces  of  classic  armor  - 
Roman  legionary  fully  armed,  of  the 
apostolic  age  - 


1  Cor.  4:9. 

257 

270 

271 

383 

383 

£88 

1  Cor.  11:22. 

295 

1  Cor.  12:2. 

297 

Gal.  2:9. 

359 

378 

Eph.  6.*  1 1 — 17  403 
Eph.  6:11-17.  403 


Letter  from  7  Japmese  to  American  women,  re¬ 
questing  the  Gospel  of  salvation  for  their 
countrymen  - 
More’s  Diagram  of  tfie  Apocul. 
picture  of  one  of  the  Afghaun  nation 


View  of  Khonos,  on  the  site  *f  an¬ 
cient  Colosse . 

‘  Dens  and  Caves'  in  the  ‘moun¬ 
tains  ’  in  Judea  - 
Classic  clowns  given  after  victories, 
Ac.  -  - 

Ancient  ‘bits,’  ‘bridle,*  and  '  bells 
on  the  horses  *  .... 

‘Small  helms’  of  ancient  ships 
Classic  lainpstands,  from  Pompeii, 
of  the  age  of  the  apostle  John 
Joseph  MeJe’s  idea  of  the  ‘sealed 
book  *  -  - 

Classical  phial,  phiala,  patera,  com¬ 
monly  used  in  libations  - 
Ancient  Egyptian  balances 
‘Mark’  of'  animals  sacred  to  the 
Hindoo  god  Siva  .... 
Thyine  wood  (Thya-tree,  or  Thyon) 
Door  of  an  ancient  Egyptian  house, 
with  the  ‘  name  ’  of  the  owner 
‘  written  *  over  and  os  each  side  of 
it------- 


.  712 

;  arwl 

i  -  -  “ 

733 

423 

Heb.  12-38. 

&55 

Jh  (Ties  1:12. 

568 

!  im*i  3*2,  3. 

577 

James  3:4. 

577 

Rev.  1:12. 

663 

Rev.  5:1. 

633 

Rev.  5:8. 

6*4 

Rev.  6:5.  ' 

686 

Rev.  13:17. 

7 1 Q 

Rev.  18:12. 

722 

Rev.  21.12. 

729 

CAMHRIDGE:  STEREOTYPED  BY  FOLSOM,  WELLS,  AND  THURSTON, 
PRINTERS  TO  THE  UNIVERSITY. 


[2] 


AN  EXPOSITION 

OF  THE 

ACTS  OF  THE  APOSTLES, 

PRACTICAL  OBSERVATIONS  AND  NOTES. 


We  have  seen  the  foundation  of  our  holy  religion  laid  in  the  history  of  our  blessed  Savior,  its  great  Author,  as  related 
and  left  on  record  by  four  several  inspired  writers,  who  all  agree,  That  Jisus  is  the  Christ,  the  Son  of  the  living  God.  Upon 
this  Rock  the  Christian  church  is  built ;  and  how  it  began  to  be  built  thereon,  comes  here  next  to  be  related.  1.  This  history 
looks  back  to  the  preceding  Gospels ;  the  promises  there,  are  here  made  good  ;  particularly  the  great  promise  of  the  descent 
of  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  his  wonderful  operations,  both  on,  and  with  the  apostles,  making  the  Word  mighty  which  had  been 
before  comparatively  preached  in  vain.  The  commission  there  granted  to  the  apostles  we  here  find  executed,  and  the  pow¬ 
ers  there  lodged  in  them  exerted  in  miracles  wrought  on  the  bodies,  and  much  greater  miracles  on  the  minds  of  people,  in 
pursuance  of  Christ’s  purposes  and  promises,  which  we  had  in  the  Gospels.  The  proofs  of  Christ’s  resurrection,  which 
the  Gospels  closed  with,  are  here  abundantly  corroborated,  not  only  by  the  constant  and  undaunted  testimony  of  those  that 
conversed  with  Him  after  He  rose,  (who  had  all  before  deserted  Him,  and  one  of  them  denied  Him.)  but  by  the  working  of 
the  .Spirit  with  that  testimony  for  the  conversion  of  multitudes,  according  to  the  word  of  Christ,  that  his  resurrection,  the 
sign  of  the  prophet  Jonas,  which  was  reserved  to  the  last,  should  be  the  most  convincing  proof  of  his  divine  mission. 
H.  It  looks  forward  to  the  following  epistles,  introduces,  and  is  a  key  to  them,  as  the  history  of  David  is  to  David’s  Psalms. 

The  four  Gospels  showed  us  how  the  foundation  of  God’s  house  was  laid;  this  shows  us  how  the  superstructure  began  to 
be  raised.  1.  Among  the  Jews  and  Samaritans,  which  we  have  an  account  of  in  the  former  part  of  this  book.  2.  Among 
the  Gentiles,  which  we  have  an  account  of  in  the  latter  part:  from  thence,  and  downward  to  our  own  day,  we  find  the 
Christian  church  subsisting  in  a  visible  profession  of  faith  in  Christ,  as  the  Son  of  God  and  Savior  of  the  world,  made  by 
his  baptized  disciples,  incorporated  into  religious  societies,  statedly  meeting  in  religious  assemblies,  attending  on  the  apos¬ 
tles'  doctrine,  and  joining  in  prayer  and  breaking  of  bread,  under  the  conduct  and  precedency  of  men  that  gave  themselves 
to  prayer  and  the  ministry  of  the  Word,  and  in  a  spiritual  communion  with  all  in  every  place  that  do  likewise.  Such  a  body 
as  this  there  is  now  in  the  world,  which  we  belong  to  :  and  in  this  book  we  find  the  rise  and  original  of  it,  vastly  different 
from  the  Jewish  church,  and  erected  on  its  ruins  ;  but  undeniably  appearing  to  be  of  God,  and  not  of  man.  *  - 

Its  penman  was  Luke,  who,  as  Whitby  shows,  was,  very  probably,  one  of  the  70  disciples;  it  should  s&em  he  wrote  this 
history  when  with  Paul  at  Rome,  during  his  imprisonment  there,  for  the  history  concludes  with  Paul’s  pleaching  there  in 
his  owhliired  house.  Its  title  is,  The  diets  of  the  Apostles ;  of  the  holy  Apostles,  so  the  Greek  copies  generally,  llev.  18:20. 
One  copy  inscribes  it,  The  Acts  of  the  Apostles  by  Luke  the  Evangelist.  It  is  the  history  of  the  apostles  ;  yet  here  is  in  it 
the  history  of  Stephen,  Barnabas,  and  some  other  apostolical  men,  not  of  the  12.  And  of  those  that  were  apostles,  the  history 
of  Peter  and  Paul  only  is  here  recorded  ;  Peter  the  Apostle  of  the  circumcision,  and  Paul  the  Apostle  of  the  Gentiles,  Gal. 
2:7.  But  this  suffices  as  a  specimen  of  what  the  rest  did  in  other  places,  pursuant  to  their  commission,  for  they  were  none 
of  them  idle,  t  It  is  called  their  acts,  or  doings.  The  history  is  filled  with  their  sermons  and  their  sufferings  ;  yet  so  much 
did  they  labor  in  their  preaching,  and  so  voluntarily  did  they  expose  themselves  to  sufferings,  and  such  were  their  achieve¬ 
ments  by  both,  that  they  may  very  well  be  called  their  acts.  J  '*  Hf.nry. 

Luke,  undoubtedly,  intending  this  book  as  an  appendix  to  his  Gospel,  inscribes  it  likewise  to  Theophilus.  ( Pref ’.  to 
Luke.)  Indeed,  the  whole  may  be  considered  as  one  publication,  in  two  parts  :  but  the  convenience  of  having  the  four  Gos¬ 
pels  together,  seems  to  have  induced  Christians  in  early  times  to  divide  it,  by  inserting  John’s  Gospel  between  these  two 
parts.  It  was  written  (as  may  fairly  be  concluded)  within  30  or  31  years  after  our  Lord’s  crucifixion.  But  the  circumstance 
which  most  of  all  demands  our  attention,  and  should  raise  our  expectations  respecting  it,  is  this  ;  it  records  the  fulfilment  of 
the  ancient  prophecies  concerning  the  kingdom  of  the  promised  Messiah,  and  the  manner  in  which  it  should  be  established  in 
the  world  ;  and  also  of  those  predictions,  or  promises  which  our  Lord  gave  to  his  disciples,  ‘  while  He  was  yet  with  them,’ 
concerning  the  powers  to  be  bestowed  on  them,  the  success  of  their  labors,  and  their  persecutions.  ( JVotes ,  Mat.  10:16-^-23. 
24:6—3.  Lu.  10:17—20,  v.  18.  21:12—19.  Jn.  12:27—33,  tv.  31,32.  14:7—14,  vv.  12,25,26.  15:17—21  16:1—3,7—13.)  Scott. 

‘  The  Acts  comprise  a  history  of  about  30  years,  from  the  Savior's  ascension,  to  Paul’s  arrival  at  Rome  after  his  appeal  to 
Cesar  .  .  .  The  book  being  continued  to  the  2d  yr.  of  Paul’s  imprisonment,  could  not  have  been  written  befoie  A.  D.  63 ;  and  as 
his  death  in  65  is  not  mentioned,  was  probably  composed  before.  Hence  Mich.,  Lard.,  Bens.,  Ros.,  Toml.,  and  the  generality  of 
critics,  date  it  in  63 :  to  its  genuineness  and  authenticity,  the  earlier  Christian  fathers  bear  unanimous  testimony.’  Horne. 

the  pouring  oul  of  the  Holy  Spirit  on  the  day  of  Pwnteeost,  and  the  first  successes  and 
sufferings  of  the  apostles,  little  is  recorded  in  the  Scripture  concerning  must  of  them. 
Indeed  the  names  of  more  than  half  of  them  tire  never  mentioned  alter  the  first  eh.  ; 
and  most  of'the  ancient  records  and'  traditions  of  them  are  so  mingled  with  fiction,  as 
not  to  be  entitled  to  implicit  or  indiscriminate  credit.  The  events  of  several  years  of 
Paul  are  summed  up  in  2  or  3  chs.  And  though,  after  Luke  the  historian  joined  him, 
and  became  his  faithful  companion,  (shown  by  his  using *  1  tie,'  in  the  narrative,)  he 
is  somewhat  more  circumstantial  ;  yet  Paul’s  epistles  prove  his  labors,  persecutions, 
and  successes  far  greater,  and  instructions  to  his  converts  far  more  particular,  than 
a  cursory  reading  of  this  history  would  lead  us  to  suppose.  At  the  same  time,  the  re¬ 
markable  coincidence,  even  in  minute  particulars,  of  the  history  and  the  epistles,  is 
such,  as  could  never  have  taken  place,  had  not  both  buen  genuine.  See  Palty.  Sc. 

‘  Luke  does  not  write  a  complete  ecclesiastical  history  of  the  churuh  for  30  yrs.  nor 
of  Paul’s  life,  for  he  has  wholly  omitted  what  passed  among  the  Jews  after  Paul  s  con¬ 
version,  and  is  totally  silent  concerning  the  spread  of  Christianity  in  the  E.  and  in 
Egypt,  as  well  as  the  foundation  of  the  church  of  Christ  af  Rome,  Paul’s  journey  into 
Arabia,  and  other  interesting  topics  and  labors.  We  shall  perceive  the  histo.ian  had 
2  objects  in  view  : — 1.  To  relate  how  the  gifts  of  the  Iloly  Spirit  were  communicated 
at  Pentecost,  and  the  subsequent  miracles  of  the  apostles,  by  which  the  truth  of  Chris¬ 
tianity  was  confirmed.  An  authentic  account  of  this  matter  was  absolutely  necessary, 
because  Christ  bad  often  assured  his  disciples  that  they  should  receive  the  Holy  Spir¬ 
it  :  unbelievers,  therefore,  whether  Jews  or  heal  hens,  might  have  made  objections  to 
our  religion,  had  not  this  been  shown. — 2.  To  deliver  such  account?  as  proved  the 
claim  of  the  Gentiles  to  admission  into  the  church  of  Christ,— a  claim  disputed  by  the 
Jews,  especially  at  the  time  Luke  wrote  the  Acts.  Hence  the  relations,  chs.  8.  10. 
11. — 3.  Mich,  too,  thinks  it  probable,  Luke  might  design  only  to  record  the  facts  he 
had  either  seen  himself,  or  heard  from  eyewitnesses. — ‘  Ur.  Benson^  however,  thinks 
the  book  w  as  written,  to  6how  in  its  3  parts,  how  the  Gospel  was  propagated.  I.  Among 
the  Jews  only,  from  A.  D.  33  to  A.  D.  41  ;  this  first  part  including  ch.  2  to  1P:2.  II. 
Among  the  devout  Gentiles,  (proselytes  of  the  sate.)  and  further  among  the  Jews, 
A.  D.  4 i  to  44 .  Acts,  10 — 12,  III.  Among  the  idolatrous  Gentiles,  and  further  among 
the  2  preceding  classes,  A.  D.  44  to  63.  Acts,  chs.  13 — 28.’  Horne:  whom  3ee,  (with 
Hug,)  for  Chronology  of  Acts  ;  and  for  an  Analysis.  Comp,  too,  ‘Sacred  Chron.’  Ed. 

I  The  book  contains  also  a  specimen  of  true  believers,  as  illustrating  the  nature  and 
effects  of  genuine  Christianity  :  and  it  should  be  carefully  noted,  that,  rn  every  ago, 
all  those  multitudes  who  ar#  called  Christians,  yet  bear  no  resemblance  to  this  speci¬ 
men,  will  be  driven  away  ns  chaff,  at  the  great  decisive  day  :  and  that  the  more  w  e  are 
like  these  primitive  believers,  when  ‘  grevt  grace  was  upon  them  all,’  the  more  evi¬ 
dent  it  is,  that  we  shall  ‘be  numbered  with  them  in  glory  everlasting.  ’ — Some  inti¬ 
mations  are  also  given  of  the  manner,  in  which  the  piimitive  church  was  constituted 
and  governed,  its  ministers  appointed,  its  ordinances  administered  :  yet  it  can  hardly 
be  supposed,  but  that  the  eager  disputants  of  all  feed*]  must  feel  considerably  disap¬ 
pointed  in  this  respect  ;  and  secretly  regret,  that  more  particular  and  explicit  infor¬ 
mation  has  not  been  given  on  these  subjects  ;  but  this  the  Lord  for  wise  reasons  has 
seen  good  to  withhold.  Scott.  ‘  If  a  man  wishes  to  learn  how  to  prrarh  well,  he  ran 
probably  acquire  it  nowhere  else  so  readily  as  by  giving  himself  to  the  prayerful  and 
profound  6tudy  of  the  specimens  contained  in  this  book.  At  the  same  lime,  we 
nave  here  a  view  of  the  character  of  the  true  church  of  Christ.  The  simplicity  of 
this  church  must  strike  every  reader.  Religion  is  represented  hs  a  work  of  the  heart  ; 
the  pure  nnd  proper  effect  of  truth  on  the  mind.  It  is  free  from  pomp  nnd  splerr- 
dor,  and  from  costly  and  magnificent  ceremonies.  There  is  no  apparatus  to  impress 
the  senses,  no  splendor  to  dazzle,  no  external  rite  or  parade  adapted  to  draw  the  af¬ 
fections  from  the  pure  nnd  spiritual  worship  of  God.  How  unlike  the  pomp  and  pa¬ 
rade  of  Pagan  worship  !  How  unlike  the  vain  and  pompous  ceremonies  which  have 
since,  alas  !  crept  into  no  small  part  of  the  Christian  church*' 


•  It  is  fact,  that  the  religion  of  Jesus  the  Nazarene,  who  expired  on  a  cross  at  Jeru¬ 
salem,  1800  years  ago,  was  soon  very  extensively  propagated  among  the  nations; 
that  it  obtained  a  permanent  establishment,  which  it  preserves  to  this  day  ;  and  that 
the  prophets  had  foretold  that  this  would  be  the  case,  as  to  the  kingdom  of  the  Mes¬ 
siah  :  but  the  book  before  us  is  the  only  history,  which  expressly  relates  the  manner 
in  which  this  religion  was  first  promulgated. — Here  we  are  informed,  that  II  obscure 
men,  whom  Jesus  had  called  to  be  his  attendants  and  apostles,  having  continued  with 
II i m  till  his  crucifixion,  saw  and  conversed  with  Him  after  his  resurrection,  and  after¬ 
wards  beheld  Him  ascend  from  them  towards  heaven,  ‘  till  a  cloud  received  Him  owl 
ul  their  sight.’  In  a  few  days,  having  appointed  one  in  the  room  of  the  12th,  who  hud 
betrayed  bis  Lord  and  destroyed  himself,  and  being  accompanied  with  asinall  number 
of  disciples,  the  Holy  Spirit,  according  to  the  promise  of  their  Lord,  descended  upon 
them  in  a  most  extraordinary  manner,  enabling  them  to  speak  divers  languages,  and 
work  stupendous  miracles;  and  in  all  respects  qualifying  them  for  their  arduous  un¬ 
dertaking.  Accordingly,  without  further  delay,  wdthin  less  than  2  months  from  the 
time  when, Jesus  was  crucified  ;  and  at  Jerusalem,  under  the  immediate  notice  of  his 
crucifiera,  they  began  boldly  to  declare,  that  lie  was  risen  from  the  dead,  ascended  in¬ 
to  heaven,  nnd  exalted  at  the  right  hand  of  God  ;  that  He  w'as  the  promised  Messiah, 
*  the  Prince  of  Life,’  the  Savior  and  Judge  of  the  world,  and  as  such  entitled  to  all 
confidence,  obedience,  and  adoration  ;  and  openly  to  charge  the  people,  the  priests, 
and  the  rulers,  with  murdering  *  the  Lord  of  glory.’  They  were  themselves  unarm¬ 
ed,  and  unprotected,  except  by  a  divine  power;  they  possessed  neither  human 
learning,  eloquence,  nor  influence  :  yet  they  hud  all  the  wisdom  and  the  folly,  the 
Itarningand  the  ignorance,  the  religion  and  the  irveligion,  with  all  the  obstinate  a  id 
varied  prejudices,  and  corrupt  passions  and  habits  of  the  whole  world  to  encounter ;  as 
well  as  the  power  of  rulers  and  princes  to  oppose  them  :  notwithstanding  which,  they 
became  decidedly  and  permanently  triumphant.  They  employed  no  weapons,  but  sim¬ 
ple  testimony  to  the  facts  which  they  had  witnessed,  cogent  arguments,  affectionate 
persuasions,  holy,  beneficent  lives,  fervent  prayers,  and  patient  sufferings,  even  unto 
death.  —  With  the  Jews  they  reasoned  from  the  SS.  of  the  O.  T.,  and  showed  how'  ex¬ 
actly  these  had  been  fulfilled  in  Jesus  of  Nazareth  ;  and  when  they  afterwards  went 
among  the  Gentiles,  they  reasoned  with  them  from  such  principles  as  they  themselves 
acknowledged. — Proceeding  in  this  manner,  and  everywhere  attended  by  a  divine 
power,  both  manifested  in  undeniable  miracles,  and  by  inw'ardly  preparing  men’s 
hearts  to  receive  the  truth  ;  they  had  such  astonishing  success,  that  many  hundreds  of 
thousands,  if  not  millions,  not  only  from  among  the  J&ws  and  proselytes,  but  also 
from  the  grossest  nnd  most  licentious  idolaters,  became  the  avowed  di9cipl.es  of  the 
crucified  Jesus,  and  the  devoted  worshippers  arid  se- vants  of  ‘  the  one  living  and  true 
Go  I.’  Thus,  in  ‘  the  Acts  of  the  ApostIe3,’  there  is  given  ns  the  only  history  of  the 
manner,  in  which  the  most  extraordinary  revolution  that  ever  took  place  in  the  moral 
f  and  religious  state  of  the  world  was  first  begun  :  and  if  this  account  be  true,  the  Gos¬ 
pel  must  be  divine.  Jerusalem,  Cesarea,  Antioch,  and  Ephesus,  all  great  and  cele- 
b'ated  cities,  nay,  Rome  itself,  the  proud  capital  of  the  world,  were  among  the 
places,  in  which  the  miracles  are  attested  to  have  been  wrought,  and  the  success  at¬ 
tained.  in  the  full  view  of  the  vehement  and  powerful  opposers  who  never  ventured  to 
deny  the  facts,  though  they  could  not  account  for  them,  without  allowing  the  truth  of 
the  Gospel. — To  suppose,  that  such  a  religion  as  Christianity,  which  directly  opposes 
every  corruption  of  the  human  heart,  without  making  the  least  allowance,  either  to 
**  persons  in  the  highest  stations,  or  to  its  most  zealous  friends,  could  have  prevailed  in 
the  world  «s  it  has,  by  such  instruments  and  means,  and  in  the  face  of  such  powerful 
opposition,  without  the  power  of  God  succeeding  it :  is  to  assume,  without  shadow  of 
proof,  a  fact  immensely  more  incredible,  than  any  of  the  miracles  recorded  in  Scrip¬ 
ture,  or  all  of  them  combined.  Scott. 

t  We  must  not  here  expect  a  full  and  particular  history  of  the  labors  and  successes 
of  the  apostles  and  primitive  evangelists  :  a  select  specimen  alone  is  given.  After 


A.  D.  S3. 


ACTS,  I.  The  Acts  inscribed  to  Theophilus. 


CHAP.  I. 

1  Christ  preparing  his  apostles  to  the  beholding  of  his  as* 
tension,  gathered)  them  together  into  the  mount  Olivet, 
comumndeth  then)  to  expect  in  Jerusalem  the  Bending 
down  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  promised)  after  few  days  to 
•end  it :  by  virtue  whereof  they  should  be  witnesses  unto 
Him,  even  to  the  utmost  parts  of  the  earth.  9  After  his  as¬ 
cension  they  are  Warned  by  two  angels  to  depart,  and  to 
•et  their  minds  upon  his  second  coming.  12  They  ac¬ 
cordingly  return,  and,  giving  themselves  to  prayer,  choose 
Matthias  apostle  in  the  place  of  Judas. 

THE  former  treatise  a  have  I 
made,  O  Theophilus,  of  all 
that  Jesus  began  both  to  do  and 
teach, 

2  Until  b  the  day  in  which  he 
was  taken  up,  after  that  he  through 
the  Holy  Ghost  had  given  com¬ 
mandments  c  unto  the  apostles 
whom  he  had  chosen  : 

3  To  whom  also  he  shewed  him¬ 
self  alive  after  his  passion  by  many 
d  infallible  proofs,  being  seen  of 
them  forty  days,  and  speaking  of 
the  things  pertaining  to  the  king¬ 
dom  of  God  : 

4  And,  'being  assembled  togeth¬ 
er  with  them,  commanded  fthem 
that  they  should  not  depart  from 
Jerusalem,  hut  wait  for  the  prom¬ 
ise  of  the  Father,  which,  saith  he, 
ye  R  have  heard  of  me. 

a  Lu.  1:1  —  4,  &c.  16:15 — 19.  g ether • 

b  Lu.  24:51.  ver.  d  Lu  ^4:15.  Ju.  f  Lu.  24:49. 

9  I  H  3:16.  c.  20, 21.  g"Jn.  c.  14,  15,16. 

c  Mat  28:19.  Ma.  e  or,  tating  to - 

Chap.  I.  The  inspired  historian  begins 
bis  narrative  of  the  Acts  of  tire  Apostles 
with  a  brief  recapitulation  of  his  gospel,  or 
history  of  the  life  of  Christ,  inscribing  this, 
as  he  had  done  that,  to  his  friend  Theophilus. 

V.  1—5.  It  was  usual  with  the  ancients, 
both  Christian  and  heathen  writers,  thus  to 
inscribe  their  writings  to  some  particular 
persons.  But  the  directing  of  some  of  the 
books  of  the  Scripture  so,  is  an  intimation 
to  each  of  us  to  receive  them  as  if  directed 
to  us  in  particular,  to  us  by  name,  for  our 
learning.  H  is  gospel  he  here  called  the 
former  treatise,  intending  this  for  a  continu¬ 
ation  and  confirmation  of  that  :  let  not  new 
sermons  and  new  books  make  us  forget  old 
ones. 

I.  Christ  both  did  and  taught  ;  v.  2.  His 
doctrine  was  confirmed  by  his  miracles, 
which  proved  Him  a  Teacher  from  God,  John 
3:2.  Those  are  the  best  ministers,  that 
both  do  and  teach,  whose  lives  are  a  con¬ 
stant  sermon.  His  apostles  were  to  carry 
on  and  continue  what  He  began,  Heb.  2:3. 


II.  The  truth  of  Christ’s  resurrection  is 
maintained  and  evidenced,  v.  3.  That  part 
of  what  was  related  in  the  former  treatise, 
was  so  material,  that  it  was  necessary  to  be 
oil  all  occasions  repeated. 

1.  The  proofs  Were  infallible,  plain  indi¬ 
cations,  both  that  He  was  alive,  (lie  walked, 
talked,  ate,  drank  with  them,)  and  that  it 
was  He  Himself,  for  He  showed  them,  again 
and  again,  the  marks  of  the  wounds  in  his 
hands,  and  feet,  and  side  ;  the  utmost  proof 
the  thing  was  capable  of,  or  required. 

2.  They  were  many,  and  often  repeated  ; 
He  was  seen  by  them  40  days;  not  constant¬ 
ly,  but  frequently  appearing  to  them,  and 
bringing  them  by  degrees  to  be  fully  satis¬ 
fied  of  it,  so  as  to  do  away  all  their  sorrow 
for  his  departure.  Christ’s  staying  on  earth 
so  long  after  He  was  entered  on  his  state  of 
exaltation  and  glory,  to  confirm  his  disciples’ 
faith,  and  comfort  their  hearts,  was  such  an 
instance  of  condescension  and  compassion 
to  believers,  as  may  fully  assure  us,  that  we 
have  a  High  Priest  touched  with  our  infir¬ 
mities. 

III.  A  general  hint  of  the  instructions 
He  furnished  his  disciples,  now  He  was  about 
to  leave  them. 

1.  Concerning  their  work  ;  Christ’s  choice 
is  always  attended  with  his  charge.  It  was 
their  receiving  the  Holy  Ghost,  that  sealed 
their  commission,  John  20:22.  He  was  not 
taken  up  till  He  had  thus  finished  his  work. 

2.  Concerning  the  doctrine  they  were  to 
preach  ;  the  things  pertaining  to  the  kingdom 
of  God  ;  He  let  them  more  into  the  nature 
of  it,  as  a  kingdom  of  grace  in  this  world, 
and  of  glory  in  the  other  ;  and  opened  to 
them  that  covenant,  the  great  charter  by 
which  it  is  incorporated.  This  was  intend¬ 
ed  to  prepare  them  to  receive  the  Holy  Ghost, 
and  to  be  one  of  the  proofs  of  his  resurrec¬ 
tion,  so  it  comes  in  here;  the  disciples,  to 
whom  He  showed  Himself  alive,  knew  that 
it  was  He,  not  only  by  what  He  showed  them, 
but  by  what  He  said  to  them.  None  but  He 
could  speak  thus  clearly,  thus  fully,  of  the 
things  of  the.  kingdom  of  God. 

IV.  A  particular  assurance,  that  they 
should  now  shortly  receive  the  Holy  Ghost, 
with  orders  to  expect  it,  v.  4,  5.  He  being 
assembled  together  with  them,  probably  in  the 
interview  at  the  mountain  in  Galilee,  which 
He  had  appointed  before  his  death;  for 
there  is  mention  of  their  coming  together 
again,  v.  6.  to  attend  his  ascension.  Though 
ordered  to  Galilee,  yet  they  must  not  con¬ 
tinue  there,  but  return  to  Jerusalem,  anil  not 
depart  thence. 

1.  The  command  to  wait,  was  to  raise 
their  expectations  of  something  great  :  in 


1  Jerusalem  must  the  Spirit  be  first  poured  out, 
i  because  Christ  was  to  be  as  King  upon  the 
holy  hill  of  Zion;  and  because  the  Word  of 
the  Lord  must  go  forth  from  Jerusalem.  This 
favor  done  to  Jerusalem,  teaches  us  to  for¬ 
give  our  enemies  and  persecutors. 

2.  His  assurance  that  they  shall  not  wait 
in  vain.  They  had  already  been  bteathid 
upon  with  the  Holy  Ghost,  John  £0:22.  hut 
now  they  shall  have  larger  measures  of  his 
gifts,  graces,  and  comforts,  and  be  baptized 
with  them;  where  there  seems  to  he  an  allu¬ 
sion  to  those  O.  T.  promises  of  the  pouring 
out  of  the  Spirit,  Joel  2:28.  Is.  44:3. — 32 1 
15.  ‘  Yie  shall  be  cleans'd  and  purified  by 

the  Holy  Ghost,  ns  the  priests  were  baptized 
and  washed  with  water,  when  conseciated 
to  the  sacred  function.  Ye  shall  be  sancti¬ 
fied  by  the  truth,  as  the  Spirit  shall  lead  you 
more  and  more  into  it,  and  your  consciences 
i  purged  by  the  witness  of  the  Spirit,  that  ye 
may  sene  the  living  God  in  the  a  post  lesllip. 
Ye  shall  hereby  be  more  effectually  than 
ever  engaged  to  your  Master,  as  Israel  to 
Moses  in  the  cloud,  and  in  the  sea,  so  that  ye 
shall  never,  for  fear  of  any  sufferings,  for¬ 
sake  Him  again,  as  once  you  did.’ 

1st.  The  Spirit  was  given  by  promise,  at 
this  time  the  great  promise,  as  that  of  the 
Messiah  was  before,  Luke  1:72.  and  that 
of  eternal  life  is  now,  1  John  2:25.  Tem¬ 
poral  good  is  given  by  Providence,  but  the 
Spirit  and  spiritual  blessings  by  promise.  Cal. 
3:18.  not  as  the  spirit  of  men,  by  a  course 
of  nature,  Zech.  12:1.  hut  by  the  Word  of 
God.  As  Christ,  so  the  Spirit,  is  received  by 
faith. 

2d ly.  It  was  the  promise  of  the.  Father,  of 
Christ's  Father,  owning  his  mission  ;  our 
Father,  who,  if  He  give  us  the  adoption  of 
sons,  will  certainly  give  us  the  Spirit  of 
adoption,  Gal.  4:5,  6. 

3Jly.  This  promise  of  the  Father  they  had 
heard  from  Christ  innnv  a  time,  especially  ill 
the  farewell  sermon  a  little  before  He  died, 
wherein  He  assured  them,  again  and  again, 
that  the  Comforter  should  come. 

You  have  not  only  heard  it  from  Me,  but 
you  had  it  from  John  ;  when  he  turned  you 
over  to  Me,  he  said.  Mat.  3:11.  I  indeed 
baptize  you  with  water,  but  He  that  comes  af¬ 
ter  me,  shall  baptize  you  with  the  Holy  Ghost. 
A  great  honor  Christ  now  does  to  John,  to 
make  this  great  gift  of  the  Spirit,  now  at 
hand,  to  be  the  accomplishment  of  his 
words. 

Now  this  gift  of  the  Holy  Ghost  thus  prom¬ 
ised,  prophesied  of,  wailed  for,  is  what  we 
find  the  apostles  received  in  the  next  ch.,  for 
in  that  this  promise  had  its  full  accomplish¬ 
ment;  for  it  is  here  promised  to  he  given 


NOTES.  Chap.  I.  V.  1 — 3.  The  phrase,  ‘  began  both,  &c.’ simply 
means,  what  Jesus  had  done  and  taught,  [comp.  (5en.  9:20.  Mark  6:7. 
<fcc.)  from  the  beginning  to  the  close  of  his  public  ministry.— The  use  of 
the  word  *  all,’  in  this  connexion,  when  so  many  miracles  and  discours¬ 
es  of  our  Lord  are  recorded  by  the  other  evangelists,  is  a  full  demon¬ 
stration,  that  arguments  lending  toestablish  universal  conclusions,  from 
this  genera!  term,  most  be  precarious.  ( John  1:6—9  )— The  expression 
‘  bv  the  Holy  Ghost,’  may  either  refer  to  onr  Lord’s  choosing  the  apos¬ 
tles,  or  to  his  giving  them  commandments  after  his  resurrection:  but  the 
latter  seems  to  be  intended  ;  as  lie  ‘  breathed  on  them,  and  bade  them 
receive  the  Holy  Ghost;’  and  as  He  then  ‘  opened  their  understandings, 
that  they  might  understand  the  Scriptures.’  t  Luke  24:41—49.  John  20: 
19 — 23,  vv-  22,23.)  All  those  things  which  Jesus  did  and  taught,  in  re¬ 
spect  or  his  human  nature,  are  ascribed  to  rhe  Holy  Spirit ;  as  well  as 
tiie  endowments  which  He  conferred  oil  his  disciples. — It  is  also  stated, 
that  Jesus  ‘showed  Himself  alive’  to  his  apostles,  after  his  death,  by 
many  signs,  oi  evidences,  which  could  not  possibly  deceive  them.  It  is 
highly  probable,  that  a  great  deal  more  [concerning  the  kingdom  of  God] 
passed  between  our  l.ord  and  his  apostles,  in  the  course  of  the  40  days 
preceding  his  ascension,  than  is  anywhere  recorded.  Scott." 

(1 .  i  Treatise.)  ‘  Lozss  :  a  narration,  history,  or  a  book  of  a  history  ; 
so  the  best  Gr.  writers  (see  Wetstein ,  &c.)  use"  it.’  Bloom/.  Theophi- 
/««.]  See  Luke  1:3.  All.)  ‘  This  often  signifies  indefinitely,  a  large  por¬ 
tion  or  number,  or  a  great  part.  Webster.  It  is  so  used  Acts  13:10.  1 
Tim.  1:16.  Ja.  1:2.  Mat.  2  3.  3:5.  Acts  2:5.  Rom.  11:26.  Col.  1:6.’ 
Ba  nes.  It  is  a  ‘  popular  mode  ’  of  speaking,  like  the  phrase,  all-about, 
&c.  Ed. 

(2.)  Through,  Jcc.[  ‘  Whatever  was  done  alter  the  atonement  and 
resurrection  of  Jesus,  after  He  had  finished  his  great  work,  was  to  be  re¬ 
garded  as  under  the  peculiar  influence  and  direction  of  the  Holy  Ghost.’ 
Barnes.  ‘There  has  been  much  doubt  on  the  construction,  and  conse¬ 
quently  on  the  interpretation  of  this  passage.  Kuin.  follows  Bsza,  Neu¬ 
mann,  Kypke,  Mich.,  and  Rot.,  who  place  a  comma  after  “  apostoloit,” 


transposing  only  the  “  hous ,”  [whom.]  This  trajectio  [transposition]  is. 
lie  thinks,  the  easiest,  and,  (since  in  whatever  way  the  words  be  taken, 
some  trajectio  must  be  admitted,)  is,  upon  the  whole,  preferable.  This 
punctuation  is  found  in  some  MSS.,  and  is  confirmed  by  the  Syr.,  Arabic, 
nnd  Ethiop.  vers,  and  Cyril.  Nor  is  the  transposition  unusual,  as  3:24. 
John  9-.40.  Comp.  Cicero  against  Verres,  3:31.  After  nil,  however,  the 
[Eng.  vers.]  seems  most  satisfactory,  and,  as  being  supported  by  the 
ancient  Fathers,  may  deserve  the  preference.’  liLooptF. 

(3.)  Shewed  Himself.)  The  appearances  of  Christ  that  ar e  distinctly 
noted  in  the  N.  T..  are,  ‘(1.)  To  Mary  Magdalene  and  (lie  other  Mary, 
Mat.  28:1—9.  (2.)  To  the  two  near  Etonians,  Lu.  24:15.  3.  To  Simon 
Peter,  Lu.  24:34.  (4.'  To  10  apostles,  Lu.  24:36.  Jn.  20:19.  All  these 

appearances  were  on  the  day  of  his  resurrection.  (5.)  To  11  apostles, 
Jn.  20:26.  (6.  To  7  apostles  in  Galilee,  Jn.  21 :4.  (7.)  To  James,  1  Cor. 
15:7.  ;  most  probably  in  Jerusalem,  and  when  He  ordered  all  his  apos¬ 
tles  to  assemble,  us  in  Acts  1:4.’  See  Bp.  Pearce.  (8.)  When  tlie\  were 
assembled,  and  Jesus  led  them  out  ns  far  as  Bethany,  Lu.  24:50.  whence 
He  ascended  :  then  He  seems  to  have  been  seen  by  the  500,  1  Cor.  15  6. 
[Barnes  makes  out  13  appearances.]  forty.)  At  intervals  during  that 
period.  Kingdom  of  Cod.)  The  Christian  religion,  the  Christian  dis¬ 
pensation,  ‘the  church  (so Sckoettgen)  of  the  N.  T.  times,  whose  k.  is 
Christ.’  Bloomf.  Passion.)  ‘  I.  e.  svjfering  :  so  the  Gr.  is  ir.  1  Pet. 
1:11.  4:13.’  Barnes.  '  Eo. 

V.  4 — 8.  Notwithstanding  all  He  had  taught  them,  they  still  enter¬ 
tained  some  thoughts  of  a  temporal  kingdom  :  perhaps  they  supposed, 
the  pouring  out  of  the  Holy  Spirit  would  induce  the  nation,  in  general, 
to  acknowledge  Jesus  as  the  Messiah  •,  and  that  He  would  then  perform, 
what  they  supposed  to  be  the  meaning  of  the  ancient  prophets  in  thi^ 
respect.  3:19 — 21,  t>.  21.  It  is,  however,  not  only  difficult,  but  perhaps 
impossible,  to  delineate,  with  any  tolerable  precision,  the  state  of  the 
apostles’  minds  at  this  crisis ;  in  which  darkness  nnd  light,  hopes  and 
fears,  carnal  and  spiritual  views  and  expectations  were  blended  so  inti¬ 
mately,  that  almighty  power  alone  could  separate  them  And  this  was 


A.  D.  33. 


ACTS,  I. 


Christ's  ascension  to  heaven. 


5  For  John  h  truly  baptized  with 
water;  but  ye  shall  be  baptized 
with  the  Holy  1  Ghost  not  many 
days  hence. 

6  When  they  therefore  were 
come  together,  they  asked  of  him, 
saying,  Lord,  wilt  >  thou  at  this 
time  restore  k  again  the  kingdom  to 
Israel  ? 

7  And  he  said  unto  them,  It  1  is 
not  for  you  to  know  the  times  or 
the  seasons,  which  the  Father  hath 
put  in  his  own  power. 

8  But  ye  shall  receive  m  power, 
after  that  the  Holy  Ghost  is  come 
upon  you  :  and  ye  "shall  be  witness¬ 
es  unto  me  both  in  Jerusalem,  and 
in  all  Judea,  and  in  Samaria,  and 
unto  the  uttermost  part  of  the 
earth. 

9  And  when  he  had  spoken 
these  things,  while  they  beheld,  he 
was  taken  up;  and  a  cloud  received 
him  out  of  their  sight. 

10  IT  And  while  they  looked 
steadfastly  toward  heaven  as  he 
went  up,  behold,  two  0  men  stood 
by  them  in  white  apparel  ; 

11  Which  also  said,  Ye  men  ?of 
Galilee,  why  stand  ye  gazing  up 
into  heaven  ?  this  same  Jesus, 
which  is  taken  up  from  you  into 
heaven,  shall  i  so  come  in  like  man¬ 
ner  as  ye  have  seen  him  go  into 
heaven. 


h  Mat.  3:1-1. 


1  Mat.  24:36.  1  n  I.u.  24:47—49. 


i  c.  2:4.  10:45.11:  fii.’o  1,2.  '  "  Mat  28: 19." 

15.  m  or,  the  power  o  Ju.  20:12. 

1  Mki^1:3.4.  o/  the  Holy  p  c.  2:7.  13:31. 

k  Is.  l;«o.  Da.  7:  Ghost  coming  q  Jn  14:3.  1  Th. 

27. 


Ghost  coming 
upon  you . 


4:16. 


nnt  many  days  hence.  He  does  not  tell  them 
ll»w  many,  because  they  must  keep  every 
day  in  a  frame  fit  to  receive  it.  Other  Scrip¬ 
tures  speak  of  the  gift  of  the  Holy  Ghost, 
to  ordinary  believers,  this  speaks  of  that 
particular  power  which,  by  the  Holy  Ghost, 
the  first  preachers  of  the  Gospel,  and  plant¬ 
ers  of  the  church,  were  endued  with  ;  ena- 
.  bling  them  infallibly  to  relate  to  that  age, 
and  record  to  posterity, the  doctrine  of  Christ, 
and  the  proofs  of  it ;  so  that  by  virtue  of 
this  promise,  and  the  performance  of  it,  we 
receive  the  N.  T.  as  of  divine  inspiration, 
and  venture  our  souls  upon  it. 

V.  6 — 11.  Here  we  have  an  account  of 
Christ’s  ascension.  Observe, 

I.  The  question  the  disciples  asked  Him 
at  this  interview,  ‘  Surely  Thou  wilt  not  at 
all  restore  the  kingdom  to  the  present  rulers 
of  Israel.’  Or  rather,  ‘  Surely  Thou  wilt 


now  restore  it  to  the  Jewish  nation,  as  far 
as  it  will  submit  to  Thee  as  its  king  !’  Two 
things  w  ere  amiss  : 

1.  Their  expectation  of  t he  thing  itself, 
that  Christ  would  restore  [and  perfect]  the. 
kingdom  to  Israel,  i.  e.  make  the  nation  ; 
of  the  Jews  as  great  and  considerable  as  | 
it  was  in  the  days  of  David,  Solomon,  ylio,  1 
and  Jehnshaphat  ;  whereas  Christ  came  to: 
set  up  his  own  kingdom,  and  that  a  kingdom 
ot  heaven,  not  to  restore  the.  kingdom  to  Israel, 
an  earthly  kingdom.  See  how  apt  even  good  i 
men  are  to  place  the  happiness  of  the 
church  too  much  iu  external  pomp  and  pow-  , 
er  !  How  apt  we  are  to  retain  wiiat  we 
have  imbibed,  and  how  hard  it  is  to  get  over 
the  prejudices  of  education  !  The  disciples  i 
having  early  imbibed  the  notion,  that  the  I 
Messiah  was  to  be  a  temporal'  prince,  were  j 
slow  to  have  any  idea  of  his  kingdom  as! 
spiritual.  See  also  how  naturally  vve  tire  [ 
biassed  in  favor  of  our  own  people  !  They  j 
thought  God  would  have  no  kingdom  in  llie-y 
world,  unless  it  were  restored  to  Israel ; 
whereas  the  kingdoms  of  this  world  were  to 
become  bis,  in  whom  He  would  he  glorified,  i 
whether  Israel  sink  or  swim.  See  also  how  ; 
apt  we  are  to  misunderstand  Scripture,  and  ! 
to  understand  that  literally,  which  is  spoken  i 
figuratively,  and  to  expound  Scripture  by  j 
our  schemes,  whereas  we  ought  to  form  our  | 
schemes  by  the  Scriptures.  Rut  when  the 
Spirit  shall  he  poured  out  from  on  high,  our  i 
mistakes  will  lie  rectified,  as  the  apostles’  j 
soon  after  were. 

2.  Their  inquiry  concerning  the  time;  I 
they  were  inquisitive  into  what  their  Master  j 
had  never  directed  or  encouraged  them  to  j 
inquire  into,  and  were  impatient  for  the  set-  ' 
ting  up  of  that  kingdom,  in  which  they  ; 
promised  themselves  so  great  a  share,  and 
would  anticipate  the  divine  counsels.  Christ 
had  told  them,  that  they  should  sit  on  thrones, 
Luke  22:30.  and  now  nothing  w  ill  serve  but 
they  must  be  in  the  throne  immediately  ; 
whereas  he  that  helieveth,  doth  not  make  haste, 
but  is  satisfied  that  God’s  time  is  the  best 
time. 

II.  Christ’s  check  to  this  question,  as  a 
little  before  to  Peter’s  concerning  John,  v.  '■ 
7.  Christ  is  now  parting  from  them,  and  ] 
parts  in  love;  yet  He  gives  them  this  re-  [ 
bake,  which  is  intended  for  a  caution  to  his  j 
church  in  all  ages,  to  take  heed  of  splitting  ! 
on  the  rock  which  was  fatal  to  our  first  pa-  ; 
rents, — an  inordinate  desire  of  forbidden  t 
know  ledge,  and  intruding  into  things  w  hich  ! 
we  have  not  seen,  because  God  has  not 
shown.  Buxtorf  mentions  a  saying  of  the  i 
Rabbins  concerning  the  coming  of  the  Mes-  \ 
siah  ;  Perish  the  men  who  calculate  the  time  ! 

III.  He  appoints  them  their  work,  and  I 
with  authority  assures  them  of  an  ability  to 
go  on  with  it,  and  of  success  in  it,  v.  8.  ' 
If  Christ  make  us  serviceable  to  bis  honor, 
in  our  own  day  and  generation,  let  that  be 
enougli  for  us,  and  let  not  us  perplex  our- 


[  selves  about  times  and  seasons  to  come, 
I  Christ  here  tells  them, 

1.  That  their  work  should  be  honorable 
and  glorious  ;  Ye  shall  be  witnesses,  maityrs, 

j  unto  Me.  They  shall  proclaim  him  King, 

,  and  confirm  their  testimony,  not,  as  witnesses 
'  do,  with  an  oath,  but  with  the  divine  seal  of 
‘  miracles  and  supernatural  gifts. 

2.  That  their  power  for  this  work  should 
be  sufficient.  They  had  not  strength  of 
their  own  fur  it,  nor  wisdom  or  courage 
enough;  ‘But  ye  shall  receive  the  power  of 
the  Holy  Ghost  coming  upon  you,  So  it  may 
he  read,  shall  be  animated  and  actuated  by 
a  better  spirit  than  your  own;  ye  shall  have 
power  to  preach  the  Gospel,  and  to  prove 
it  out  of  the  Scriptures  of  the  O.  J’.,’  which, 
when  they  were  filled  with  the  Holy  Ghost, 
they  did  to  admiration,  oh.  18:28.  ‘and  to 
confirm  it  both  by  miracles  and  by  suffer- 
ings.’ 

3.  That  their  influence  should  he  great 
and  very  extensive;  ‘  Ye  shill  be  witnesses 
for  Christ,  and  shall  carry  his  cause,  first, 
in  Jerusalem,  and  thence  throughout  all 
Judea,  where  before  ye  have  labored  in 
vain.  Thence  ye  shall  proceed  to  Samaria , 
though  at  your  first  mission  ye  were  forbid¬ 
den  to  preach  in  any  of  the  cities  of  the  Sa¬ 
maritans.  Your  usefulness  shall  reach  to 
the  uttermost  part  of  the  earth,  and  ye  shall 
be  blessings  to  the  whole  world.’ 

IV.  Having  left  these  instructions  with 
them.  He  leaves  them,!’.  9.  so  w  e  w  etc  told, 
Luke  24:50.  and  while  they  had  their  eye 
fixed  on  Him,  receiving  his  blessing,  He  was 
gradually  taken  up,  and  a  cloud  received  Him 
nut  of  their  sight.  He  went,  not  as  Elijah, 
in  a  chariot  and  with  horses  of  fire,  but  lie 
rose  to  heaven,  as  He  rose  from  the  grave, 
purely  by  his  own  power;  his  body  being 
now,  as  the  bodies  of  the  saints  will  be  at 
the  resurrection,  a  spiritual  body,  and  raistd 
in  power  and  inconupticn. 

V.  Two  angels  appeared  to  them,  and 
delivered  them  a  seasonable  message  from 
God.  There  was  a  world  of  angels  ready 
to  rereive  our  Redeemer,  now  that  He  made 
his  public  entry  into  the  Jerusalem  above  : 
these  two,  appear  as  tiuo  men  in  white  ap¬ 
parel,  bright  and  glistering;  for  they  know, 
according  to  the  duty  of  their  place,  that 
they  are  really  serving  Christ,  when  minis¬ 
tering  to  his  servants  on  earth.  We  are  told 
what  they  said, 

1.  To  check  their  curiosity.  Why  stand 
ye  gazing,  as  men  frightened  and  perplexed, 
as  men  astonished  and  at  their  wits’  end  * 
Christ’s  disciples  should  never  stand  at  a 
gaze,  because  they  have  a  sure  rule  to  go  by, 
and  a  sure  foundation  to  build  upon. 

2.  To  confirm  their  faith  concerning 
Christ’s  second  coming:  which  their  Mas¬ 
ter  had  often  told  them  of.  When  we  stand 
gazing  and  trifling,  the  consideration  of  our 
Master’s  second  coming  should  quicken  and 
awaken  us  :  and  when  we  stand  gazing  and 


done,  at  once,  and  effectually,  in  most  things,  by  the  descent  of  the 
Holy  Spirit :  though  in  a  few  particulars,  they  were  left,  for  some  time 
looser,  under  a  degree  of  error  or  prejudice. — The  change  wrought 
in  the  minds  and  hearts  of  the  apostles,  on  the  day  of  Pentecost,  was  as 
truly  miraculous  as  the  gift  of  tongues.  They  were  no  longer  the  same 
men  ;  nay,  in  many  respects,  men  of  a  widely  different  spirit  and  char¬ 
acter;  possessing  an  enlargement  of  mind,  and  a  superiority  to  carnal 
prejudices,  hopes,  and  fears,  beyond  what  could  have  possibly  been  pre¬ 
viously  conceived.  Scott. 

(  I.)  Promise.]  ‘  Epange/ian  :  the  effects  of  divine  power,  i.  e.  the 
faculties  and  strength  necessary  to  their  otlice,  or  the  divine  power 
showing  its  efficacy  in  them,  John  14-.16,  17.’  Kiun. 

(6.)  1  At  this  time,  is  the  point  of  their  inquiry  ;  to  this  solely,  there¬ 
fore  does  Christ  answer.’  Barnes. 

(7.)  Power.]  ‘  Dunamis  :  those  high  spiritual  endowments  necessary  to 
the  discharge  of  their  apostolic  office,  including  a  perfect  knowledge  of 
Christianity,  zeal,  and  perseverance  in  the  propagation,  and  unshaken 
constancy  in  the  profession  of  it.’  Bloomf. 

(8.)  Uttermost.]  Commentators  say,  this  expression  must  not  be  too 
much  pressed  ;  but  the  Japanese  have  traditions  of  a  religion  once  made 
known  nniong  them  of  similar  character  to  the  Christian  ;  and  we  have 
no  proof  that  some,  even,  of  those  present  did  not  carry  the  Gospel  even 
to  the  furthest  comers  (then  peopled)  of  America,  Africa,  and  Oceanioa.  It 
would  he  both  Ririons  and  profitable  to  collect  the  dim  recollections,  in 
all  these  nations,  of  holy  teachers  coming  among  them  from  remote  re¬ 
gions.  The  Mexicans  and  Peruvians  have  such  traditions.  Ed. 


V.  9 — 12.  The  instructions  and  promises,  which  have  been  consider¬ 
ed,  seem  to  have  been  delivered,  as  our  Lord  was  leading  the  disciples 
forth  to  that  part  of  the  mount  of  Olives,  whence  Jle  ascended.— The 
place  belonging  to  the  village  of  lieihany,  from  which  Jesus  ascended, 
was  about  a  mile  from  Jerusalem  :  this  was  called  a  sahbath-day’s  jour¬ 
ney  ;  probably,  because  it  might  generally  be  necessary  to  go  so  far  on 
that  day,  in  order  to  attend  the  service  of  the  synagogue.  Scott. 

(11.)  In  like  manner  ]  Among  other  reasons  why  Jesus  should  thus 
return,  Barnes  gives  the  following :  ‘The  great  transactions  of  redemp¬ 
tion  have  been  public,  open,  offen  grand.  The  apostasy  was  public,  in 
the  face  of  angels  and  the  universe.  Sin  has  been  open,  public,  high¬ 
handed.  Misery  has  been  public,  and  has  rolled  its  deep  and  turbid 
waves  in  the  face  of  the  universe.  Death  has  been  public;  all  worlds 
have  se.cn  the  race  cut  down  and  moulder.  The  death  of  Jesus  was 
public;  the  angels  saw  it ;  the  heavens  were  clothed  with  mourning; 
the  eartii  shook  ;  and  the  dead  arose.  The  angels  have  desired  to  look 
into  these  things,  (1  Pet.  1:12,)  and  have  felt  an  intense  solicitude  about 
men.  Jesus  was  publicly  whipped,  cursed,  crucified  ;  and  it  is  proper 
that  He  should  publicly  triumph  ;  that  all  heaven  rejoicing,  and  all  hell 
at  length  humbled,  should  sec  his  puhlic  victory.  Hence  He  will  come 
in  the  clouds,  (emblem  of  sublimity,) — with  angels, — with  fire, — and 
will  raise  t lie  dead,  and  exhibit  to  all  the  universe  the  amazing  close  of 
the  scene  of  redemption.  .  . .  These  vs.  present  the  most  grand  and  won¬ 
derful  events  this  world  has  ever  known  ..  .  consolation  for  the  Chris¬ 
tian  .  ..  ceaseless  alarm  to  the  sinner.’  Ed. 


A.  D.  83. 


ACTS,  I. 


The  church ,  after  his  ascetisio/l. 


12  IT  Then  r  returned  they  unto 
Jerusalem  from  the  mount  called 
Olivet,  which  is  from  Jerusalem  a 
sabbath-day’s  journey. 

13  And  when  they  were  come  in, 
they  went  up  into  an  upper  room, 
where  abode  both  8  Peter,  and 
James,  and  John,  and  Andrew, 
Philip,  and  Thomas,  Bartholomew, 
and  Matthew,  James  the  son  of 
Alpheus,  and  Simon  Zelotes,  and 
Judas  the  brother  of  James. 

14  These  all  continued  with  one 
accord  in  prayer  and  supplication, 
with  the  ‘women,  and  Mary  the 
mother  of  Jesus,  and  with  his 
brethren. 

15  IT  And  in  those  days  Peter 
stood  up  in  the  midst  of  the  disci¬ 
ples,  and  said,  (the  number  of  the 
names  together  were  about  an  hun¬ 
dred  and  twenty,) 

1G  Men  and  brethren,  this  scrip¬ 
ture  must  needs  have  been  fulfilled, 
which  u  the  Holy  Ghost  by  the 
mouth  of  David  spake  before  con¬ 
cerning  Judas,  which  was  guide  vto 
them  that  took  Jesus. 

17  For  he  w  was  numbered  with 
us,  and  had  obtained  part  of  this 
ministry. 

18  Now*  this  man  purchased  a 
field  with  the  reward  y  of  iniquity  ; 
and  falling  headlong,  he  burst  asun¬ 
der  in  the  midst,  and  all  his  bowels 
gushed  out. 

19  And  it  was  known  unto  all 
the  dwellers  at  Jerusalem  ;  inso¬ 
much  as  that  field  is  called  in  their 
proper  tongue,  Aceldama,  that  is  to 
say,  The  field  of  blood. 

r  Lu.  24  52.  u  P*  41.9.  Jn.  w  Lu.  6:IG. 

s  Lu.  6:13— 16.  13:18.  x  Mat.  27:5— 10. 

t  Li i  23:49,55.  v  Mat.  26:47.  Ju.  y  2  Pet.  2:15. 

24:10.  18.3. 

trembling,  the  consideration  of  it  should 
comfort  and  encourage  us. 

V.  12 — 14.  We  are  here  told, 

1.  From  whence  Christ  ascended,  v.  12. 
from  that  part  of  the  mount  of  Olives,  where 
the  town  of  Bethany  stood,  Luke  24:50. 
There  He  began  his  sufferings,  Luke  22:39. 
therefore,  there  He  rolled  away  the  reproach 
of  them,  l>v  his  glorious  ascension,  and  tints 
showed  that  his  passion  and  his  ascension 
had  the  same  reference  and  tendency.  Tints 
would  He  enter  on  his  kingdom  in  the  sight 
of  Jerusalem,  and  of  those  undutiful,  un¬ 
grateful  citizens  of  his,  that  would  not  hove 
Him  to  rci»n  over  them.  It  was  prophesied 


of  Him,  Zech.  14:  4.  That  his  feet  shall 
stand  on  the  mount  of  Olives,  before  Jerusa¬ 
lem,  shall  stand  last  there;  and  presently  it 
follows,  The  mount  of  Olives  shall  cleave  in 
two.  This  mount,  is  here  said  to  be  near  Je¬ 
rusalem,  a  sabbath-day's  journey  from  it,  i.e. 
a  little  way;  some  reckon  it,  1000  paces  ; 
others,  2000  cubits;  some  7  furlongs  ;  oth¬ 
ers,  8.  Bethany,  indeed,  was  15  furlongs 
from  Jerusalem,  John  11:18.  but  that  part 
of  the  mount  of  Olives  next  to  Jerusalem, 
whence  Christ  began  to  ride  in  triumph, 
was  but  7  or  8.  The  dial.  par.  on  Ruth, 
1.  says.  We  are  commanded  to  keep  the  sab¬ 
baths  and  the  holy  days,  so  as  not  to  go  above 
2000  cubits;  which  they  build  on  Josh.  3:4. 
and  .thus  far  it  is  a  rule  to  us,  not  to  journey 
on  the  Sabbath,  any  more  than  in  order  to  the 
sabbath- work;  and,  as  far  as  is  necessary  to 
that,  we  are  not  only  allowed,  but  enjoined, 
2  K.  4:23. 

2.  Whither  the  disciples  returned.  They 
came  to  Jerusalem,  according  to  their  Mas¬ 
ter’s  appointment ;  there  they  went  up  into  an 
upper  room,  and  there  abode;  not  that  they  all 
lodged  and  dieted  in  one  room,  but  there 
they  assembled  every  day,  and  spent  time 
together  in  religious  exercises,  in  expecta¬ 
tion  of  the  descent  of  the  Spirit.  It  was  sard 
indeed,  by  the  same  historian,  that  they 
were  continually  in  the  temple,  Luke  24:53. 
but  that  was  in  the  courts  of  the  temple,  at  the 
hours  of  prayer,  where  they  could  not  he  hin¬ 
dered  from  attending  ;  but,  it  should  seem, 
this  upper  room  was  in  a  private  house. 

3.  Who  the  disciples  were,,  that  kept  to¬ 
gether.  The  eleven  apostles,  v.  13.  and 
Mary  the  mother  of  our  Lord,  v.  14.  It  is  the 
last  time  mention  is  made  of  her  in  the 
Scriptures.  There  were  others,  here  said  to 
be  the  brethren  of  our  Lord,  his  kinsmen  ac¬ 
cording  to  the  flesh;  and,  to  make  up  the  120, 
in  15.  we  may  suppose  all  or  most  of  the  70  dis¬ 
ciples,  were  with  them,  associates  with  the 
apostles,  and  employed  as  evangelists. 

4.  These  all  continued  with  one  accord  in 
prayer  and  supplication.  It  was  now  a  time 
of  trouble  and  danger  with  the  disciples  of 
Christ,  they  were  as  sheep  in  the  midst  of 
wolves;  and,  they  had  before  them  a  great 
work,  they  were  waiting  also  for  the  descent 
of  the.  Spirit  on  them  .  The  Spirit  descended  on 
our  Savior  when  He  was  praving,  Luke  3:21. 
Those  are  in  the  best  frame  to  receive  spir¬ 
itual  blessings,  that  tire  in  a  praying  frame. 
Christ’s  premise  now  shortly  to  send  the  Ho¬ 
ly  Ghost,  was  not  to  supersede  prayer,  but 
to  quicken  and  encourage  it.  God  will  be 
inquired  of  for  promised  mercies,  and  the 
nearer  the  performance  seems  to  he,  the 
more  earnest  we  should  he  in  prayer  for  it. 
Their  accord  intimates,  they  were  together 
in  holy  love,  and  those  who  so  keep  the  unity 
of  the  Spirit  in  the  bond  of  peace,  are  best  pre¬ 
pared  to  receive  the  comforts  of  the  Holy 
Ghost.  See  Mat.  18:  19. 

V.  15 — 26.  The  apostles  were  ordained 


12,  with  an  eye  to  the  twelve  tribes  of  Israel, 
descended  from  the  twelve  patriarchs.  Rev. 
12:1.  Mat.  19:28.  Care  was  taken,  before 
the  descent  of  the  Spirit,  to  fill  up  the  vacan¬ 
cy,  occasioned  by  Judas’  sin  and  ruin,  which 
now  we  have  an  account  of  the  doing  of;  our 
Lord  Jesus,  probably,  having  given  direc¬ 
tions  about  it,  among  oilier  things  which  He 
spake  pertaining  to  the  kingdom  oj  God. 

1.  The  house  consisted  of  about  an  hun¬ 
dred  and  twenty  names,  that  is,  persons  ; 
some  think,  men  only,  distinguished  from  the 
women.  Liglitfoot  reckons  the  11  apostles, 
the  70  disciples,  and  about  39  more,  all  ol 
Christ’s  own  kindred,  country,  and  con¬ 
course;  and  that  these  were  a  sort  of  synod, 
or  congregation  of  ministers,  a  standing 
presbytery,  ch.  4:  23.  to  whom  none  of  the  rest 
durst  join  themselves,  ch.  5:  13.  and  that  they 
continued  together,  till  the  persecution  at 
Stephen’s  dealli  dispersed  them  till  hut  the 
apostles,  ch.  8:  1.  but  he  thinks  that,  beside 
these,  many  hundreds  in  Jerusalem,  if  not 

|  thousands,  at  this  time,  believed  ;  and  we 
read  of  many  that  believed  on  Him  there,  hut 
durst  not  confess  Him;  therefore  I  cannot 
think,  a3  lie  does,  that  tfiey  were  now  form- 
I  ed  into  distinct  congregations,  for  the 
preaching  of  the  Word,  and  other  acts  ol 
1  worship  ;  nor  that  there  was  any  thing  of 
that  till  after  the  pouring  out  of  the  Spirit,  and 
the  conversions  in  the  following  ch.  Here 
!  was  the  beginning  of  the  Christian  church. 

2.  The  speaker  was  Peter,  who  had  been, 

!  and  still  was,  the  most  forward  man  ;  there¬ 
fore  notice  is  taken  of  his  forwardness  and 
zeal,  to  show  that  he  had  perfectly  recover¬ 
ed  the  ground  he  lost  by  denying  his  Master; 
and  Peter  being  designed  to  be  t he  apostle 
of  the  circumcision,  while  the  sacred  story 
stays  among  the  Jews,  he  is  still  brought  in, 
as  afterward,  when  it  comes  to  speak  of  the 
Gentiles,  it  keeps  to  tlte  story  of  Paul. 

(1.)  His  account  of  the  vacancy  made  by 
the  death  of  Judas,  is  very  particular,  and, 
as  became  one  that  Christ  had  breathed 
upon,  he  notices  the  fulfilling  of  the  Scrip¬ 
tures  in  it. 

He  lost  his  money  shamefully  enough,  r. 
18.  his  life  more  shamefully.  We  were  told. 
Mat.  27:5.  that  he  went  away  in  despair, 
and  was  suffocated  ;  so  the  word  signifies 
there,  and  no  mote;  here  it  is  added,  that, 
being  strangled,  or  choked  with  grief  and 
horror,  he  fell  headlong,  fell  on  his  face,  so 
Dr.  Hammond,  and  partly  with  the  swelling 
of  his  own  breast,  and  partly  with  the  vio¬ 
lence  of  the  fall,  he  burst  asunder  in  the  midst, 
so  that  all  his  bowels  tumbled  out.  'Pile  suf¬ 
focating  Matthew  relates,  would  make  him 
;  swell  till  he  burst,  which  Peter  relates.  He 
!  burst  asunder  with  n  great  noise,  so  Dr.  Ed- 
|  wards,  which  was  heard  by  the  neighbors, 
j  and  so,  as  it  follows,  it  came  to  be  known, 
v.  19.  His  bowels  gushed  out  ;  Luke  writes 
;  like  a  physician,  understanding  all  the  en¬ 
trails  of  the  middle  and  lower  ventricle. 


(12.)  ‘A  11  sabbath-day’s  journey”  was  2,000  cubits  or  paces,  or  71 
stadia.  Lit.  24:13.  .In.  11:18.  This  had  been  determined,  not  by  Moses 
hut  by  the  Rabbins.  See  Light/.  The  distance  of  Olivet  is  variously 
stated  at  6,  or  5  stadia  ;  either  might  he  correct,  according  to  the,  point 
in  Jerusalem,  or  in  tite  mountain,  reckoned  from.’  Bloomf. 

V.  13,  14.  Mary  is  mentioned  in  a  very  ctirsorv  manner,  as  one  of  the 
company  who  joined  in  prayer;  but  without  any  peculiar  distinction, 
or  the  least  appearance  of  her  exercising  authority  ever  the  apostles,  or 
even  of  giving  them  counsel,  or  at  all  interfering  in  their  measures. — 
Continued.]  ‘The  word  signifies,  to  go  on,  in  performing  or  enduring 
any  thing,  courageously,  and  with  a  certain  invincible  hardiness  and 
resolution  of  mind.’  Beza.  ‘  Pursued  with  great  ardor  and  intentness 
of  soul.’  Dodlridge.  Scott. 

(13.)  Upper-room.]  Note,  Jer.  22:13, 14.  ‘  Dpiphanius  says,  it  was  on 
Mi.  Sion,  and  that  a  church  was  afterwards  erected  on  the  place  where 
it  stood.’  Doddridge.  Ed. 

V.  15.  Names.]  ‘  I.  e.  persons,  men  :  .(Rev.  3:4.)  so  used  by  Polybius, 
Ovid,  Statius,  Horace.’  Bloomf.  The  Jews  required  120  lbr  a  council, 
in  any  city,  so  some  suppose  the  disciples  took  care  to  get  that  number 
together.  Id. 

V.  16 — 18.  It  is  most  reasonable  to  suppose  Peter  was  directed  by  a 
divine  admonition,  to  lake  the  lead  on  this  occasion-,  and  the  whole 
transaction  showed,  how  fully  all  concerned  were  satisfied,  that  he  was 
sincerely  and  deeply  penitent.  In  his  address,  he  called  the  disciples 
‘Men  and  brethren.’  Our  Lord  never  thus  addressed  the  people ;  and 
perhaps  it  implied  an  equality,  not  suitable  to  the  dignity  of  his  charac- 


ter :  but  the  apostles  frequently  did,  in  speaking  to  the  Jew's,  as  well  ns 
Christians,  yet  never  in  addressing  the  Gentiles  :  and  it  seems  lo  imply, 
that  they  recognised  n  two-fold  relation  to  them,  as  men  of  the  same 
nature  descended  from  Adam,  and' as  brethren  of  the  same  favored  fam¬ 
ily  descended  from  Abraham.  Scott. 

(10.)  1  White  David  [Ps.  41: 9.  10,  so  Wolf,  Kckerman,  Ac.,  69:25. 
109:8,  so  Bloomf.,  Doddr.,  Ac.]  prophesied  of  the  calamities  which 
should  beftil  his  persecutors,  it  was  revealed  to  him,  by  the  Holy  Spirit, 
that  the  enemies  and  murderers  of  the  Messiah  should  inherit  those 
corses  in  all  their  terror,  ami  yet  he  more  miserable  than  the  persons  on 
whom  they  were  more  immediately  to  fall.  This  fact  is  asserted  in  these 
words,  ns  what  was  revealed,  by  the  same  Spirit,  to  Peter.’  Dodd.  Hr.. 

18.)  Purchased.]  1 1.  e.  occasioned  the  purchase.  Comp.  Gen.  42:3?. 
1  K.  14:16.  Is.  6:10.  1  Cor.  7:16,  AcJ  Doddr.  ‘  I  rather  Incline  to  think 
it  a figurative  cataehresis,  by  which  Judas  might  he  said  to  have  bought 
the  field  with  the  wages  of  iniquity,  by  receiving  such  wages  as  would 
have  bought  it.  So  2  K.  5:26.  Possessed  by  being  buried  in  it,  seems 
too  forced  ;  and  the  fact  wants  confirmation.’  Bloomf.  ‘An  expression 
similar  to  “Ae  purchased  repentance  dearly,"  Ac.’'  Dr.  A.  C.  Kuin., 
Ros Heinrich,  Dr.  A.  C.  Ac-,  make  vs.  18, 19.  a  parenthesis  of  Lake’s, 
not  Peter’s.  Ed. 

V.  19.  This  seems  a  parenthesis,  not  of  the.  npostle,  but  of  the  histo¬ 
rian. — It  is  remarkable,  that  he  does  not  say,  in  our,^:t  their  proper 
tongue,  and  this,  I  think,  shows  that  the  writer  was  not  a  Hebrew,  but 
either  a  Hellenist,  or  a  Gentile.  Prqf.  to  Luke.  Mat.  27:  6 — 10,  v.  8. 
Some  think,  that  judas  also  was  buried  in  this  field ;  if  so,  he  bought  a 


A.  D.  33. 


ACTS,  II. 


Matthias  elected  in  the  place  of  Judas v 


20  For  it  is  written  in  the  book 
of  Psalms,  Let *  1  his  habitation  be 
desolate,  and  let  no  man  dwell 
therein  :  and  *  his  b  bishopric  let 
another  take. 

21  Wherefore  of  these  men  c 
which  have  companied  with  us  all 
the  time  that  the  Lord  Jesus  went 
in  and  out  among  us, 

22  Beginning  from  the  baptism 
of  John,  unto  that  same  day  that 
he  was  taken  up  from  us,  must  one 
be  ordained  to  be  a  witness  with  us 
of  his  resurrection. 

23  And  they  appointed  two,  Jo¬ 
seph  called  d  Barsabas,  who  was 
surnamed  Justus,  and  Matthias. 

24  And  they  prayed,  and  said, 
Thou,  Lord,  which  e  knowest  the 
hearts  of  all  men,  show  whether  of 
these  two  thou  hast  chosen, 

25  That  he  may  take  part  of 
this  ministry  and  apostleship,  from 
which  Judas  by  transgression  fell, 
that  he  might  go  to  his  own  place. 

26  And  they  gave  forth  their  lots, 
and  the  lot  fell  upon  Matthias  ;  and 
he  was  numbered  with  the  eleven 
apostles. 

CHAP.  II. 

i  The  apostles,  filled  with  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  speaking 
divers  languages,  are  admired  by  some,  and  derided  by 
oiliers.  14  Whom  Peter  disproving,  and  shewing  that 
the  apostles  spake  by  the  power  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  that 
Jesus  was  risen  from  the  dead,  ascended  into  heaven, 
had  poured  down  the  same  Holy  Ghost,  and  was  the 
Messias,  a  man  known  to  them  to  be  approved  of  God  by 
his  miracles,  wonders,  and  signs,  and  not  crucified  with¬ 
out  his  determinate  counsel,  and  foreknowledge  :  37  he 
buptizeth  a  great  number  that  were  converted.  41  Who 
afterwards  devoutly  and  charitably  converse  together: 
the  apostles  working  many  miracles,  and  God  daily  in¬ 
creasing  his  church. 

AND  when  the  day  of  Pentecost 
a  was  fully  come,  they  b  were 
all  with  one  accord  in  one  place. 

z  Ps.  69:'i5.  C  Ln.  10:1,2.  Jo.  2:23. 

a  Pa.  109:8.  15:27.  a  Le.  23:15. 

b  or,  office,  or,  d  c.  15:22.  b  c.  1:14. 

charge.  e  Je.  17:10.  Re. 

Bovvelling  is  part  of  the  punishment  of  trai¬ 
tors.  And,  perhaps  Christ  had  an  eye  to  the 
fate  of  Judas,  when  He  said  of  the  wicked 
servant,  that  He  would  cut  him  in  sunder, 
Mat.  24:  51. 


(2.)  The  public  notice  taken  of  this.  It 
was  known  to  all  the  dwrllcrs  in  Jerusalem , 
known  as  a  remarkable  judgment  of  God  on 
him  that  betrayed  his  Master,  v.  19.  known 
to  be  true,  incontestably  so,  and  every  body 
spoke  of  it  ;  one  would  think  this  should 
have  awakened  those  to  repentance,  that 
had  had  any  hand  in  the  death. of  Christ, 
when  they  saw  him  that  had  the  first  hand, 
thus  made  an  example.  But  their  hearts 
were  hardened,  and  as  to  those  of  them  tliaL 
were  to  he  softened,  it  must  he  done  by  the 
Word,  and  the  Spirit  working  with  it.  One 
proof  of  tile  notoriety  of  the  thing  mention¬ 
ed,  the  field  purchased  with  Judas’  money, 
was  called  Aceldama, — the  field  of  blood,  be¬ 
cause  it  was  bought  with  the  price  of  blood, 
which  perpetuated  Lhe  infamy,  not  only  of 
him  that  sold  that  innocent  precious  blood, 
but  of  them  that  bought  it  too.  Look  how 
they  will  answer  it,  when  God  shall  make 
inquisition  for  blood. 

(3.)  Let  none  be  surprised,  or  stumble  at 
it,  that  this  should  he  the  exit  of  one  of  the 
twelve,  for  David  had  foretold  not  only  his 
sin,  (which  Christ  had  noticed,  John  13:18. 
from  Ps.  41 :  9.)  but  also  his  punishment ,  Ps. 
69:  25.  Perhaps  Judas  had  some  habitation 
of  his  own  at  Jerusalem,  which,  upon  this, 
every  body  was  afraid  to  live  in,  and  so  it 
became  desolate,  [people  detesting  the  very 
place  where  the  suicide  lived  and  died.] 
The  substitution  of  another  in  his  room,  is 
quoted  from  Ps.  109:  8.  With  this  quota¬ 
tion,  Peter  very  aptly  introduces  the  follow¬ 
ing  proposal.  God  will  not  suffer  any  pur¬ 
pose  of  his  to  be  frustrated,  any  commission 
of  his  to  be  vacated,  or  any  word  of  his  to 
be  undone,  for  the  miscarriages  of  them  that 
are  intrusted  therewith.  Judas  is  hanged, 
hut  his  bishopric  is  not  lost,  and  Christ’s 
cause  shall  never  be  lost  for  want  of  wit¬ 
nesses. 

(4.)  The  substitute,  v.  21,  22.  must  be 
one  of  these  wen,  &  c.  the  70  disciples,  a  wit¬ 
ness  with  us  of  his  resurrection.  By  this,  it 
appears,  that  others  of  the  disciples  were 
with  the  11  when  Christ  appeared  to  them, 
else  they  could  not  have  been  witnesses  with 
them,  as  competent  witnesses  as  they  of  iiis 
resurrection.  The  great  thing  which  the 
apostles  were  to  attest  to  the  world,  was, 
Christ’s  resurrection,  for  that  was  the  great 
proof  of  his  being  the  Messiah,  and  the 
foundation  of  our  nope  in  Him.  See  what 
the  apostles  were  ordained  to,  not  to  a  sec¬ 


ular  dignity  and  dominion,  hut  to  preach 
Christ,  and  the  power  of  his  resurrection. 

The  nomination  of  the  person  to  succeed 
Judas. 

1.  Two,  who  were  known  to  have  been 
Christ’s  constant  attendants,  and  men  of 
great  integrity,  were  set  up  as  candidates 
for  the  place,  v.  23.  They  njrpoinled  two;  i.e. 
the  hundred  and  twenty  did  so,  for  to  them 
Peter  spake,  and  not  to  the  eleven.  Of 
neither  of  the  two  do  we  read  elsewhere,  ex¬ 
cept  this  Joseph  he  the  same  with  that  Jesus 
who  is  called  Justus,  whom  Paul  speaks  of, 
Col.  4:11.  and  who  is  said  to  he  of  the  cir - 
enmeision,  a  native  Jew,  as  this  was  ;  and 
who  was  a  fellow-worker  with  Paul  unto  the 
kingdom  of  God,  and  a  comfort  to  him. 
Some  think  this  Joseph,  is  he  that  is  called 
Joses,  Mark  6:  3.  the  brother  of  James  the 
less,  Mark  15:40.  and  was  called  Joses  the 
just,  as  another  person  was  culled  James  the 
just.  Some  confound  this  with  that  Jo.^es 
mentioned  Acts  4:  36.  But  that  was  of  Cy¬ 
prus,  this  of  Galilee  ;  and,  it  should  seem, 
to  distinguish  them,  that  was  called  Barna¬ 
bas, — a  son  of  consolation this  Barsabas, — 
a  son  of  the  oath.  These  two  were,  both  of 
them,  such  worthy  men,  and  so  well  qualified 
for  the  office,  that  they  could  not  tell  which 
of  them  was  fitter,  hut  all  agreed  it  must  be 
one  of  these  two.  They  appeal  to  God,  (as 
the  Searcher  of  hearts,)  by  the  lot,  v.  26. 
Matthias  was  not  ordained  by  the  imposition 
of  hands,  as  presbyters  were,  for  he  was 
chosen  by  lot,  which  was  the  act  of  God  ; 
and  therefore  as  he  must  he  baptized,  so  he 
must  be  ordained,  by  the  Holy  Ghost,  as 
they  were  all,  not  many  days  after. 

Chap.  II.  V.  1 — 4.  Between  the  prom¬ 
ise  of  the  Spirit  and  his  coining,  there  in¬ 
tervened  but  a  few  days;  during  these,  the 
apostles,  though  under  orders  to  preach, 
were  yet  silent.  We  have  here  an  account 
of  the  descent  of  the  Holy  Ghost.  Observe, 

I.  When  and  where;  which  is  particu¬ 
larly  noted  for  greater  certainty. 

1.  When  the  day  of  pentecost  was  fully 
come.  There,  seems  a  reference  to  the  man¬ 
ner  of  expression  in  the  institution  of  this 
feast,  Lev.  23:15.  Ye  shall  count  7  sabbaths 
complete,  from  the.  day  of  the  offering  of  the 
first-fruits,  the  next  but  one  after  the  pass- 
over,  the  16th  of  Abib,  which  was  the  day 
Christ  rose.  This  day  was  fully  come,  i.e. 
the  night  preceding,  with  a  part  of  the  day. 


PRACT.  OBS.  Let  us  remember,  that  nil  instruction  should  he  re¬ 
duced  to  practice;  and  that  ministers  should  begin  to  do,  and  then  to 
teach ,  that  their  example  may  illustrate,  confirm,  and  adorn  their  doc¬ 
trine.  We  do  not  indeed  expect  the  miraculous  powers  of  the  Holy 
Spirit ;  but  we  must  experience  his  purifying  baptism,  or  we  never  can 
serve  God,  or  be  made  meet  for  the  inheritance  of  heaven.  But  it  be¬ 
hooves  us  to  leave  ‘secret  things  to  the  Lord,  to  whom  they  belong 
and  to  submit  to  hjs  wisdom,  in  all  the  dispensations  of  his  providence 
and  grace.  It  is  enough,  that  He  has  engaged  to  give  his  people  strength 
adequate  to  their  trials  and  services  -.  that,  under  the  influence  of  the 
Holy  Spirit,  they  may,  in  one  way  or  other,  be  witnesses  for  Christ 
on  earth;  xvhile  in  heaven  He  manages  their  concerns  with  the  most 
perfect  wisdom,  truth,  and  love. — A  little  company,  united  in  love,  ex¬ 
emplary  in  their  conduct,  fervent  in  prayer,  and  prudently  zealous  in 

hurying-plaoe  among  strangers  for  himself,  with  1  the  wages  of  his  ini¬ 
quity.’  Num.  31:8.  2  Pet.  2:15,  16.  SCOTT. 

V.  20 — 22.  Let  his,  &e.]  (20)  This  varies  considerably  from  the 
Sept.,  and  especially  as  the  plural  pronoun  is  used  in  both.  (Ps.  69:22 
— 28,  v.  25.) — His,  Ac.]  Verbatim  from  the  LXX.  Ps.  109:8.  Id. 

(20.)  Habitation .]  ‘  Epaulis  :  like  the  Heb .  tyrh,  properly,  a  shep¬ 
herd’s  hut,  with  the  enclosed  cattle-yard,  and  also  generally  a  habitation 
of  any  kind.  See  Ilesychius.  Hence  the  Latin  aula  and  caula,  [and  the 
English  hall.]  From  the  rustic  hut,  says  Valckenaer,  the  word  was 
transferred  to  other  habitations  :  for  all  men  were  originally  rustics  and 
shepherds.  Bishopric.]  Episcope  :  in  the  Sept,  it  answers  to  the  He¬ 
brew  hqda ,  which  denotes  any  office  committed  to  one’s  administration. 
Kuin.’  Bi.oomf. 

(22.)  Ordained  to  be.]  ‘  The  Gr.  is  simply  genesthai,  &c.  be  mrulc, 
no  rite  was  used,  ami  none  is  alluded  to.’  Ur.  A.  C.  Resurrection , 
<kc.]  The  phrase  is  put  for  all  the  heads  of  Christian  doctrine.  Comp. 

1  Cx>r.  15 :1 4.  and  see  Btoomf.  Ed. 

V.  23 — 26.  As  Jesus  had  personally  appointed  the  other  apostles,  many 
expositors  have  nrgued,  that  this  prayer  was  immediately  addressed  to 
Hi  hi  ;  and  the  language  favors  the  supposition.  Matthias,  sorne  suppose 
to  have  been  the  same  with  Nathanael,  because  both  their  names  signify 
‘  the  gift  of  God  :’  but  this  is  very  uncertain.  It  is  remarkable,  that 
Matthias  is  never  mentioned  i#  Scripture,  except  on  this  occasion,  but 
Barsabas  is,  15:22 — 35,  vv.  22,  32.  The  whole  account,  when  compared 


promoting  tiie  cause  of  Christ,  by  every  mean  in  their  power,  will  gen¬ 
erally  increase  with  rapidity. — The  crimes  and  awful  end  of  some  min¬ 
isters,  who  have  been  high  in  rank  and  reputation  in  the  church,  should 
by  no  means  lead  men  to  despise  that  sacred  calling  :  but  such  instances 
loudly  require  others,  ‘  to  look  to  themselves,’  to  t heir  motives  and  in¬ 
tentions,  as  well  as  to  their  doctrine  and  moral  conduct. — But  when  mer¬ 
cenary  and  ungodly  men  are  removed  ;  we  should  beseech  the  Great 
Searcher  of  hearts,  to  fill  their  places  in  the  .church,  xvitli  such  ministers 
as  have  known  Christ,  and  are  capable  of  being  witnesses  for  Him,  and 
of  declaring  to  others  the  efiicacy  of  his  sufferings,  and  1  the  power  of 
his  resurrection.’  Indued,  in  every  thing,  when  we  have  gone  as  far  as 
xve  can,  ‘according  to  the  wisdom  given’  to  us,  we(should,  in  one  way 
or  other,  refer  the  decision  to  the  Lord.  Scott. 


with  the  surprising  hlindness  of  the  disciples  to  the  true  meaning  of 
the  prophecies,  before  the  resurrection  of  Christ,  illustrates  the  evange¬ 
list’s  words,  ‘Then  opened  He  their  understandings,  to  understand  the 
Scripture  :’  Lute  24:44—49,  v.  44:  for  there  is  a  constant  recurrence  to 
the  sacred  oracles,  and  a  clear  and  sound  interpretation  of  the  passages 
adduced. — It  is  wonderful,  that  any  person  should  have  referred  to  this 
narrative,  in  the  argument  concerning  the  choice  of  ministers  ;  when 
the  case  was  most  evidently  extraordinary,  and  one  which  could  never 
again  occur  :  and  when  the  11  apostles,  with  a  number  of  the  70  disci¬ 
ples,  probably  formed  the  far  greater  part  of  the  company  present.  Sc. 

(25.)  Place.]  See  Kuin.  and  Bloom/.,  proving  that  hell  is  meant.  Ed. 

(26.)  1  Grotius ’  account  seems  probable,  that  they  put  their  lots  into 

two  urns,  one  of  which  contained  l lie  names  of  Joseph  and-  Matthias, 
and  the  other  a  blank  and  the  word  apostle.  In  drawing  these  out,  the 
blank  came  up  with  the  name  of  Joseph,  and  tile  lot  on  which  was  writ¬ 
ten  the  word  apostle  came  up  xvilh  the  name  of  Matthias.’  Burder, 
Beza,  and  Bloom/,  think  the  decision  was  made  by  throwing  dice.  Id. 

NOTES.  Chap.  II.  V.  1.  The  word  ‘Pentecost’  implies,  that 
this  was  the  fiftieth  day  ;  i.  e.  from  the  second  day  of  unleavened 
bread,  whence  ‘  the  feast  of  the  ingathering  ’  of  the  harvest  was  com¬ 
puted. — Different  opinions  are  maintained,  concerning  the  persons  as¬ 
sembled  on  this  occasion;  whether  the  apostles  only,  or  the  whole  com¬ 
pany  of  disciples;  but  the  language  of  the  sacred  writer  obviously  im¬ 
plies  the  pouring  out  of  the  Spirit,  on  not  the  apostles  only,  but  on  all 


A.  D.  S3. 


ACTS,  II. 


Descent  of  the  Holy  Ghost  on  the  disciples. 


2  And  suddenly  there  came  a 
sound  from  heaven  as  of  a  rushing 
mighty  wind,  and  it  filled  cail  the 
house  where  they  were  sitting. 

3  And  there  appeared  unto  them 
cloven  tongues  like  as  of  fire,  and 
it  sat  upon  each  of  them. 

c  c.  4:31. 


was  fully  past.  (1.)  The  Holy  Ghost  came 
down  at  the  time  of  a  solemn  feast,  because 
there  was  then  a  great  concourse  of  people 
to  Jerusalem  from  all  parts  of  (he  country, 
and  of  |rroselytes  from  other  countries, 
which  would  make  it  the  more  public,  and 
the  fame  of  it  to  be  spread  the  sooner  and 
further,  contributing  much  to  propagate  the 
Gospel  into  all  nations.  (2.)  This  feast 
was  kept  in  remembrance  of  the  giving  of 
the  law  on  nit.  Sinai,  whence  the  incorpo¬ 
rating  of  the  Jewish  church  was  to  be  dated, 
which  Lightfuot  reckons  to  be  just  1447 
years  before.  Fitly,  therefore,  is  the  Holy 
Ghost  given  at  that  feast,  in  fire  and  in 
tongues,  for  the  promulgation  of  the  evan¬ 
gelical  law,  not  to  one  nation,  but  to  every 
creature.  (3.)  This  feast  happened  on  the 
first  day  of  the  week  ;  which  was  an  addi¬ 
tional  honor  put  on  that  day,  and  a  confir¬ 
mation  of  it  to  be  the  Christian  Sabbath,  the 
day  the  Lord  hath  made,  to  be  a  standing 
memorial  in  his  church  of  those  two  great 
blessings, — the  resurrection  of  Christ,  and 
the  pouring  out  of  the  Spirit.  This  serves 
not  only  to  justify  us  in  observing  that  day 
under  the  style  and  title  of  the  Lord's  day, 
but  to  direct  us,  in  sanctifying  it,  to  give  God 
praise,  particularly  for  those  two  great  bless¬ 
ings;  every  Lord’s  day  in  the  year,  I  think, 
there  should  be  a  full  and  particular  notice 
taken  in  our  prayers  and  praises  of  these 
two,  as  there  is  by  some  churches  of  the 
one,  once  a  year,  on  Easter-day,  and  of  the 
other,  once  a  year,  on  Whit-sunday.  Oh  ! 
that  we  may  do  it  with  suitable  affections. 

2.  It  was  when  they  were  all  with  one  ac¬ 
cord  in  one  place,  we  are  not  told,  particular¬ 
ly,  whether  in  the  temple,  Luke  24:53.  or 
in  their  own  upper  room.  But  it  was  at 
Jerusalem,  because  it  had  been  the  place 
God  chose  to  put  his  name  there  ;  the  proph¬ 
ecy  was,  that  from  hence  the  Word  of  the 
Lord  should  go  forth  to  all  nations,  Is.  2:3. 
and  it  was.  now  the  place  of  the  general 
rendezvous  of  all  devout  people;  there  God 
had  promised  to  meet  them,  and  bless  them, 
here  therefore  He  meets  them  with  this 
blessing  of  blessings.  This  teaches  us  not 
to  fall  out  with  places,  nor  conceive  preju¬ 
dices  against  them. 

Here  they  were  with  one  accord.  We  can¬ 
not  forget  how  often,  while  their  Master  was 
with  them,  there  were  strifes  among  them, 
which  should  be  the  greatest  ;  but  now  we 
hear  no  more  of  these;  what  they  had  re¬ 
ceived  already  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  when 
Christ  breathed  on  them,  had  in  a  good 
measure  rectified  the  mistakes  on  which 
those  contests  were  grounded,  and  had  dis¬ 
posed  them  to  holy  love.  They  had  prayed 


more  together  of  late  than  usual,  ch.  1:14. 
and  that  made  them  love  one  another  better. 
By  his  grace  He  tints  prepared  them  for  the 
gift  of  the  Holy  Ghost.  Would  we  have 
the  Spirit  poured  out  upon  us  from  on  high  1 
Let  us  be  all  of  one  accord,  and,  notwith¬ 
standing  variety  of  sentiments  and  interests, 
as,  no  doubt,  there  was  among  those  disci¬ 
ples,  let  us  agree  to  love  one  another;  for 
where  brethren  dwell  together  in  unity,  there 
the  Lord  commands  his  blessing. 

II.  How  the  Holy  Ghost  came. 

1.  Here  is  an  audible  summons  to  awa¬ 
ken  their  expectations,  v.  1.  a  sudden,  un¬ 
expected  sound  from  heaven,  Lev.  6:1.  the 
sound  of  a  wind,  for  the  way  of  the  Spirit 
is  like  that  of  the  wind,  John  3:8.  Ez.  37: 
9.  It  was  a  rushing,  mighty  wind ;  it  came 
not  only  with  a  great  noise,  but  with  great 
force,  as  if  it  would  bear  down  all  before  it. 
This  was  to  signify  the  powerful  influences 
and  operations  of  the  Spirit  of  God  on  the 
minds  of  men,  and  thereby  on  the  world, 
that  they  should  be  mighty  through  God  to 
the  casting  down  of  imaginations.  It  filled 
not  only  the  room,  but  all  the  house ,  where 
they  were  sitting.  Probably,  it  alarmed  the 
whole  city,  but,  to  show  that  it  was  super¬ 
natural,  presently  fixed  on  that  particular 
house  ;  as  some  think  the  wind  that  was 
sent  to  arrest  Jonah,  affected  only  the  ship 
that  he  was  in,  Jon.  1:4.  and  as  the  wise 
men’s  star  stood  over  the  house  where  the 
child  was.  Tin's  would  direct  the  people 
who  observed  it,  whither  to  go,  to  inquire 
the  meaning  of  it.  This  wind  filling  the 
house,  would  strike  an  awe  on  the  disciples, 
and  help  to  put  them  into  a  very  serious, 
reverend,  and  composed  frame,  to  receive 
the  Holy  Ghost.  Thus  the  rough  convic¬ 
tions  of  the  Spirit  make  way  for  his  gentle 
comforts. 

2.  A  visible  sign  of  the  gift  they  were  to 
receive,  cloven  tongues,  like  as  of  fire;  v.  3. 
and  it  sal,  not  they,  those  cloven  tongues,  Imt 
He,  the  Spirit, -signified  thereby,  rested  on 
each  of  them,  as  He  is  said  to  rest  on  the 
prophets  of  old.  Or,  as  Hammond  de¬ 
scribes  it,  ‘  An  appearance  of  something 
like  flaming  fire,  [a  lambent  flame,]  light¬ 
ing  on  every  one  of  them,  which  divided 
asunder,  and  so  formed  the  resemblance  of 
tongues,  with  that  part  of  them  that  was 
next  their  heads,  divided  or  cloven.’  (1.) 
The  outward  sensible  sign,  was  to  confirm 
the  fitillt  of  the  disciples  themselves,  and 
convince  others.  (2.)  The  sign  was  fire, 
that  John  Baptist’s  saying  concerning  Christ 
might  he  fulfilled.  He  shall  baptise  you  with 
the  Holy  Ghost,  and  with  fire  ;  with  the 
Holy  Ghost,  as  with  fire.  Ezekiel’s  mission 
was  confirmed  by  a  vision  of  burning  coals 
of  fire,  ch.  1:13.  and  Isaiah’s  bv  a  coal  of 
fire  touching  his  lips,  ch.  6:7.  The  Spirit, 
like  fire,  melts  the  heart,  separates  and 
burns  up  the  dross,  and  kindles  pious  and  , 
devout  affections  in  the  soul,  in  which,  as  in 
the  fire  upon  tlte  altar,  the  spiritual  sacrifi¬ 
ces  are  offered  up.  This  is  that  fire  Christ 
came  to  send  on  the  earth.  Luke  12:49.  I 
(3.)  This  lire  appeared  iu  cloven  tongues.  ' 


The  operations  of  the  Spirit  were  many; 
that  of  speaking  with  divers  tongues  was 
one,  and  was  singled  out  to  be  the  first  in¬ 
dication  of  the  gift  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  and 
to  that  this  sign  had  a  reference.  (4.)  This 
fire  sat  upon  them  for  some  time,  to  show 
the  constant  residence  of  the  Holy  Ghost 
with  them.  The  prophetic,  gifts  of  old  were 
conferred  sparingly,  and  but  at  some  times, 
but  the  disciples  of  Christ  had  the  gifts  of 
the  Spirit  always  with  them  ;  though  the 
sign,  we  may  suppose,  soon  disappeared. 

III.  The  immediate  effect. 

1.  They  were  all  filled  with  the  Holy  Ghost, 
more  plentifully  and  powerfully  than  before; 
filled  with  the  graces  of  the  Spirit,  and 
more  than  ever  under  his  sanctifying  influ¬ 
ences,  were  now  holy,  heavenly,  spiritual, 
more  weaned  from  this  world,  and  better 
acquainted  with  the  other;  were  more  filled 
with  the  comforts  of  the  Spirit  ;  rejoiced 
more  than  ever  in  the  love  of  Christ,  and  die 
hope  of  heaven,  and  in  it  all  their  griefs 
and  fears  were  swallowed  up.  Thev  were 
also,  for  the  proof  of  this,  filled  with  the 
gifts  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  which  is  especially 
meant  here;  they'  were  endued  with  mirac¬ 
ulous  powers  for  tlte  furtherance  of  the  Gos¬ 
pel.  It  seems  evident  to  me,  that  not  the 
12  apostles  only,  but  all  the  120  disciples, 
were  filled  viith  the  Holy  Ghost  alike  at  this 
time;  all  the  70  disciples,  who  were  apos¬ 
tolical  men,  and  employed  in  the  same  work, 
and  all  the  rest  too  that  were  to  preach  the 
Gospel  ;  for  it  is  said,  expressly,  Eph.  4:8, 
11.  When  Christ  ascended  on  high,  which 
refers  to  this,  v.  33.  He  gave  gifts  unto  men, 
not  only  some  apostles,  such  were  the  twelve; 
but  some  prophets,  and  some  evangelists ,  such 
were  many  of  the  70  disciples,  itinerant 
preachers,  and  some  pastors  and  teachers 
settled  in  particular  churches,  as  we  may 
suppose  some  of  these  afterward  were. 
The  all,  here,  must  refer  to  the  all  that  were 
together,  ch.  1:14,  15. — v.  I. 

2.  They  began  to  speak  with  ether  tongues, 
beside  their  native  language,  though  they 
had  never  learned  any  other.  They  spake 
not  matters  of  common  conversation,  hut 
the  Word  of  God,  and  the  praises  of  his 
name,  substantial,  weighty  sayings,  worthy 
to  he  had  in  remembrance,  so  the  Greek. 
Probably  not  only  one  was  enabled  to  speak 
one  language,  and  another  another,  but 
every  one  to  speak  (livers  languages,  as  be 
should  have  occasion.  And  they  spoke,  not 
here  and  there  a  word  of  another  tongue, 
stammeringly,  in  broken  sentences  ;  hut 
spake  it  us  readily,  properly,  and  elegantly, 
as  if  it  had  been  their  mother-tongue.  They 
spake  not  from  any  previous  thought  or 
meditation,  Imt  as  the  Spirit  gave  them  ut¬ 
terance;  He  furnished  them  with  the  matter 
as  well  as  the  language.  Now  this  was, 
(1.)  A  very  great  miracle,  it  was  a  mita- 
cle  on  the  mind,  for  in  the  mind  words  are 
framed.  They  had  not  only  never  learned 
these  languages,  hut,  for  auglvt  that  appears, 
had  never  so  much  as  heard  these  languages 
spoken,  Or  had  any  idea  of  them,  'l  imy 
were  neither  schulars  nor  travellers  ;  nor 


the  disciples,  which  would  form  n  more  exact  fulfilment  of  Joel’s  prophe¬ 
cy  (18  ;  and  it  is  plain  that  others,  besides  the  apostles,  were  ‘  filled  with 
the  Holy  Ghost,’  nt  a  very  early  period.  (6,  3,  5,  8.)  As  afterwards,  mirac¬ 
ulous  pow  ers,  and  the  gift  of  languages,  were  conferred  on  others,  by 
the  laying  on  of  the  hands  of  the  apostles;  so  without  this,  t tie  gift  of 
tongues  was  now  conferred  on  converts  in  general.  Indeed,  eilher  the 
apostles  assembled  alone,  as  if  Tor  this-special  purpose,  of  which  no  in¬ 
timation  is  given  ;  or  else  the  whole  company  partook  of  the  blessing  : 
and  this  certainly  accords  lo  the  tradition  ol  the  church  in  ancient 
times.  Scott. 

\ .  2,  3.  The  shape  of  the  mitre,  worn  by  bishops,  is  by  some  thought 
to  have  been  derived  from  the  supposed  form  of  these  divided  tongues; 
but  if  they  sat  .on  every  oi(e  present, (as  the  original  determines,!  and  oth¬ 
ers  besides  the  apostles  were  present,  the  ground  of  this  distinction  fails. 
Indeed,  it  is  more  likely,  that  there  appealed  several  divisions  in  the 
tongues,  than  merely  two;  as  the  former  xfonld  be  a  more  exact  emblem 
of  the  gift  ot  speaking  divers  languages  conferred  at  the  same  time.  Id. 

(2.)  k  Strong  wind,  loud  and  repeated  peats  of  thru. iter,  coruscations 
of  lightning,  and  lambent  flames  resting  on  those  who  were  objects  of 
the  Deity’s  regard,  are  all  employed  by  them  [the  Greeks,  Romans,  Ac.] 
to  point  out  the  mode  in  which  iheir  gods  were  reported  to  make  their 
[8] 


will  known  to  their  votaries.  Every  thirg  of  this  kind  was  probably 
borrowed  from  the  account  given  by  Moses,  or  the  appearance  on  Mount 
Sinai;  [comp,  too,  Gen.  3:24.  15:17.]  for  traditions  of  this  event  were 
carried  through  almost  every  part  of  the  habitable  world,  parllv  bv  the 
expelled  Canaanites,  partly  by  the  Greek  sages,  travelling  through  Asiat¬ 
ic  countries,  (comp.  Townstnd's  Arrang.  holes  on  Dan.l  in  quest  of  |  hi- 
losophic  truth  ;  and  partly  by  means  of  the  Gr.  vers,  of  the  Sept.,  made 
nearly  300  R.  C.’  Dr.  A.  Clarke. 

(3.)  Cloven.]  ‘  Rather,  distributed,  see  Mark/and  ;  so  the  l  utg.  ;  dis- 
perlita  Eatck.  tr.  dividing  themselves.  Ras.,  Ac.  tr.  discursilantes,  run¬ 
ning  hither  and  thither.’  Supposing  the  opinion  of  the  later  Jews,  i  see 
S>  hoettgen,)  to  have  been  entertained  by  the  earlier ,  it  is  not  unreason¬ 
able  to  suppose,  that  God  would  vouchsafe  to  use  a  symbol  accordant 
with  the  notions  of  that  age,  and  therefore  intelligible  to  all.  Storr 
urges  string  objections  to  the  manner  of  accounting  for  this  bv  some 
Germans,  as  Ruin.,  Hermann ,  Eichhorn,  Ac.  Mich.,  Ros.,  J/rze/,J‘au- 
tus.  Ruin,  refer  lo  the  electric  tluid.  IVetstein  tgge  his  citations)  ob¬ 
serves,  that  the  ancients  believed  i  lie  presence  of  the  Deitx  lo  he  indicat¬ 
ed  by  fire,  and  that  a  (lame  burning  from  the  lieu,)  WH8  accounted  a  sign 
or  symbol  of  Divine  favor  ;  and  that  a  little  longue  ef  fire,  or  a  radiated 
head,  indicated  the  sanctity  of  those  on  when:  it  was  found.  Ed. 


A.  D.  33. 

4  And  they  were  all  4  filled  with 
the  Holy  Ghost,  and  began  e  to 
speak  with  other  tongues,  as  the 
Spirit  gave  them  utterance. 

5  And  there  were  dwelling  at 
Jerusalem  Jews,  devout  men,  out 
of  every  nation  under  heaven. 

6  Now  fwhen  this  was  noised 
abroad,  the  multitude  came  togeth¬ 
er,  and  Were  6  confounded,  because 
that  every  man  heard  them  speak 
in  his  own  language. 

7  And  they  were  all  amazed  and 
marvelled,  saying  one  to  another, 
Behold,  are  not  all  these  which 
speak  h  Galileans  ? 

8  And  how  hear  we  every  man 
in  our  own  tongue,  wherein  we 
were  born  ? 

9  Parthians,  and  Medes,  and 
Elamites,  and  the  dwellers  in  Mes¬ 
opotamia,  and  in  Judea,  and  Cap¬ 
padocia,  in  Pontus,  and  Asia, 

10  Phrygia,  and  Pamphylia,  in 
Egypt,  and  in  the  parts  of  Libya 
about  Cyrene,  and  strangers  of 
Rome,  Jews  and  proselytes, 

11  Cretes  and  Arabians,  we  do 
hear  them  speak  in  our  tongues  ‘the 
wonderful  works  of  God. 

12  And  they  were  all  amazed, 
and  were  in  doubt,  saying  one  to 
another,  i  What  meaneth  this  ? 

13  Others  mocking,  said,  These 
men  are  full  of  new  wine. 

14  IT  But  Peter,  standing  up  with 
the  eleven,  lifted  up  his  voice,  and 
said  unto  them,  Ye  men  of  Judea, 
and  all  ye  that  dwell  at  Jerusalem, 
be  this  known  unto  you,  and  heark¬ 
en  to  my  words  : 

d  c.  1:5.  teas  made.  h  c.  1:1!. 

e  Ma.  16:17.  c.  g  or,  troubled  in  iT  Co.  12: 10,28." 


10:46. 
f  when  this  voice 


mind. 


J  c.  17.-20. 


had  had  any  opportunity  of  learning  lan¬ 
guages,  either  by  books  or  conversation.  (2.) 
A  very  proper,  needful,  and  serviceable 
miracle.  The  language  the  disciples  spake, 
was  Syriac,  a  dialect  of  the  Hebrew  ;  so 
that  it  was  necessary  that  they  should  be 
endued  with  the  gift,  both  for  the  under¬ 
standing  of  the  original  Hebrew  of  the  O. 
T.  in  which  it  was  written,  and  of  the 
original  Greek  of  the  N.  T.,  in  which  it 
was  to  be  written.  But  that  was  not  all; 
they  were  commissioned  to  preach  the  Gos¬ 
pel  to  every  creature,  to  disciple  all  nations. 
But  here  is  an  insuperable  difficulty  at  the 
threshold  ;  How  shall  they  master  the  seve¬ 
ral  languages  so,  as  to  speak  intelligibly  to 
all  nations  1  It  will  be  the  work  of  a  man’s 
life  to  learn  their  languages.  Therefore,  to 
prove  that  Christ  could  give  authority  to 
preach  to  the  nations,  He  gives  ability  to 


ACTS,  Ii. 

preach  to  them  in  their  own  language.  And 
it  should  seem,  that  this  was  the  accomplish¬ 
ment  of  that  promise  which  Christ  made 
to  his  disciples,  John  14:12.  Greater  works 
than  these  shall  ye  do.  For  this  may  well 
be  reckoned,  all  things  considered,  a  greater 
work  than  the  miraculous  cures  Christ 
wrought:  Christ  Himself  did  not  speak  with 
other  tongues,  nor  did  He  enable  his  dis¬ 
ciples  to  do  it,  while  He  was  with  them; 
but  it  was  the  first  effect  of  the  pouring  out 
of  the  Spirit  on  them.  And  Abp.  Tillotson 
thinks  it  probable,  that  if  the  conversion  of 
infidels  to  Christianity  were  now  sincerely 
and  vigorously  attempted,  by  men  .of  honest 
minds,  God  would  extraordinarily  counte¬ 
nance  such  an  attempt  with  all  fitting  assist¬ 
ance,  as  He  did  the  first  publication  of  the 
Gospel. 

V.  5 — 13.  We  have  here  an  account  of 
the  public;  notice  taken  of  this  extraordina¬ 
ry  gift,  with  which  the  disciples  were  all 
on  a  sudden  endued.  Observe, 

I.  The  great  concourse  of  people  now  at 
Jerusalem.  [The  religious  centre  of  the 
world,  as  London  is  the  commercial,  and 
Paris  the  literary.]  It  should  seem,  there 
were  more  than  usual  at  the  feast  of  pente- 
cost.  The  expression,  out  of  every  nation, 
is  hyperbolical,  denoting,  that  there  were 
some  from  most  of  the  then  known  parts  of 
the  world. 

1.  All  were  either  Jews  originally,  dis¬ 
persed  into  those  countries,  v.  9,  11.  or 
proselytes  to  the  Jewish  religion,  but  natives 
of  those  countries.  Whitby  observes,  that 
the  Jewish  writers  about  this  time,  as  Philo 
and  Josephus,  speak  of  the  Jews  as  dwelling 
everywhere  through  the  whole  earth  ;  and  that 
there  is  not  a  people  upon  earth  among  whom 
some  Jews  do  not  inhabit. 

2.  What  brought  -them  all  together  to 
Jerusalem  at  this  lime  was,  a  general  expec¬ 
tation  of  the  appearing  of  the  Messiah  ; 
Daniel’s  weeks  were  just  now  expired,  the 
sceptre  was  departed  from  Judah,  and  it 
was  then  generally  thought  that  the  kingdom 
of  God  should  immediately  appear,  Luke  19: 

11.  Th  is  brought  the  most  zealous  and 
devout  to  Jerusalem,  to  sojourn  there,  that 
they  might  early  share  in  the  blessings  of 
Messiah’s  kingdom. 

II.  Their  amazement  when  they  heard  the 
disciples  speak  in  their  own  tongues.  The 
Parthians  hear  one  of  them  speak  their  lan¬ 
guage,  the  Medes  hear  another  of  them 
speak  theirs  ;  and  so  of  the  rest,  v.  11. 
Probably  they  spake  of  Christ,  and  redemp¬ 
tion  by  Him,  and  the  grace  of  the  Gospel; 
these  are  indeed  the  great  things  of  God, 
which  will  be  forever  marvellous  in  our  eyes. 
It  was  strange,  and  kind  as  strange,  and 
helped  to  engage  their  affections,  as  a  plain 
indication  of  the  favor  intended  to  the 
Gentiles,  and  that  the  knowledge  and  wor¬ 
ship  of  God  should  no  longer  be  confined  to  j 
the  Jews;  and  this  is  to  us  a  plain  intima-  | 
tion  of  the  mind  and  will  of  God,  that  the 
sacred  records  of  God’s  wonderful  works 
should  be  preserved  by  all  nations  in  their 
own  tongue  ;  that  the  Scriptures  should  be 


The  people  amazed  at  the  disciples. 

read,  and  public  worship  performed,  in  the 
vulgar  languages  of  the  nations. 

III.  The  scorn  some  natives  of  Judea  and 
Jerusalem  made  of  it,  probably  the  Scribes 
and  Pharisees,  and  chief  priests,  who  al¬ 
ways  resisted  the  Holy  Ghost,  v.  13.  Not 
that  they  were  so  absurd,  as  to  think  that 
wine  would  enable  men  to  speak  languages 
they  never  learned  ;  but  these,  being  native 
Jews,  knew  not,  as  the  others  did,  that 
these  were  really  the  languages  of  other  na¬ 
tions,  and  therefore  took  what  they  said  to 
be  gibberish  and  nonsense,  such  as  drunk¬ 
ards,  those  fools  in  Israel,  sometimes  talk 
As  when  they  resolved  not  to  believe  the 
finger  of  the  Spirit  in  Christ’s  miracles,  they 
turned  it  off  with  this,  *  He  casteth  out  devils 
by  compact  with  the  prince  of  the  devils  ;’ 
so  when  they  resolved  not  to  believe'  the  voice 
of  the  Spirit  in  the  apostles’  preaching,  they 
turned  it  off  with  this,  These  men  arc  full 
of  new  wine. 

V.  14 — 36.  We  have*  here  the  first-fruits 
of  the  Spirit  in  Peter’s  sermon,  directed,  not 
to  those  of  other  nations  in  a  strange  lan¬ 
guage,  but  to  the  Jews  in  the  vulgar  lan¬ 
guage,  even  to  them  that  mocked,  for  he 
begins  with  the  notice  of  that,  v.  15.  and 
addresses  his  discourse,  v.  14.  to  the  men  of 
Judea  and  inhabitants  of  Jerusalem  but  we 
have  reason  enough  to  think,  that  the.  other 
disciples  continued  to  speak  to  those  who 
understood  them,  in  the  languages  of  their 
respective  countries,  the  wonderful  works  of 
God.  And  it  was  not  by  Peter’s  preaching 
only,  but  that  of  all,  or  most,  of  the  120,  that 
3000  souls  were  that  day  converted,  and  added 
to  the  church;  but  Peter’s  sermon  only  is  re¬ 
corded,  to  be  an  evidence  that  he  was  thor¬ 
oughly  recovered,  and  restored  to  the  Divine 
favor ;  he  that  had  sneakingly  denied  Christ, 
now  as  courageously  confesses  Him. 

I.  His  account  of  the  miraculous  effusion 
of  the  Spirit,  is  designed  to  awaken  them  all 
to  embrace  the  faith  of  Christ,  and  to  join 
themselves  to  his  church.  T\ue  things  he 
resolves  it  into, — the  fulfilling the  Scrip¬ 
ture,  and  the  fruit  of  Christ’s  resurrection 
and  ascension,  and,  consequently,  the  proof 
of  both. 

1.  It  was  the  accomplishment  of  the 
prophecies  of  the  Old  Test.,,  which  related 
to  the  kingdom  of  the  Messiah.  He  speci¬ 
fies,  Joel,  ch.  2:28.  It  is  observable,  that 
though  Peter  was  filled  with  the  Holy  Ghost, 
and  spake  with  tongues  as  the  Spirit  gave  him 
utterance,  yet  he  did  not  set  aside  the  Scrip¬ 
tures,  nor  think  himself  above  them  ;  nay, 
much  of  his  discourse  is  quotation  out  of  the 
O.  T.,  to  which  he  appeals,  and  with  which 
he  proves  what  he  says.  Observe,  (1.)  The 
text  Peter  quotes,  v.  17 — 21.  refers  to  the 
last  days,  the  times  of  the  Gospel,  therefore 
called  the  last  days,  because  the  dispensation 
of  God’s  kingdom  among  men,  which  the 
Gospel  sets  up,  is  the  last  dispensation  of 
divine  grace,  to  the  end  of  time.  Or,  in  the 
last  days,  i.  e.  a  great  while  after  the  ceas¬ 
ing  of  prophecy  in  the  O.  T.  church.  Or, 
in  the  day  immediately  preceding  the  de¬ 
struction  of  the  Jewish  nation,  in  the  last 


V.  4.  A  more  stupendous  miracle  than  this  can  scarcely  be  imagined  ; 
as  every  one  must  perceive,  who  carefully  considers  the  subject ;  and 
recollects  with  what  difficulty  an  adult  person  acquires  the  accurate 
knowledge  and  pronunciation  even  of  one  language,  so  as  to  speak  it  with 
propriety,  and  without  hesitation.— The  diversity  of  languages  intro¬ 
duced  by  the  power  of  God,  as  a  judgment  on  the  presumptuous  and 
rebellious  builders  at  Babel,  has  always  been  the  great  obstacle  to  the 
diffusion  of  useful  knowledge,  and  of  true  religion.  Scott. 

(4.)  Speak  with  tongues.]  Many  essays  have  been  written  on  this, 
see  Bloom/.,  but  the  Ed.  perceives  nothing  lit  to  overthrow  the  opinions 
of  Henry  and  Scott,  and  the  Fathers.  Ed. 

V.  5.  The  "phrase,  ‘  every  nation  under  heaven,’  is  general,  not  uni¬ 
versal,  and  the  interpretation  of  it,  which  the  subject  absolutely  re¬ 
quires,  should  render  us  cautious  of  deducing  conclusions,  and  attempting 
to  prove  doctrines,  from  single  expressions,  at  least  not  more  energetic ; 
especially  when  clear  testimonies  of  Scripture  must  be  explained,  differ¬ 
ently  than  their  obvious  meaning  implies,  to  establish  such  conclusions. 

Scott. 

(5.)  Devout.]  1  Eulabeis  :  never  used  in  the  N.  T.  for  proselytes.  It 
means  men  of  integrity,  piety,  as  Simeon,  Luke  2:25.  Every. j  Hyper¬ 
bolical  ;  as  that  of  Xen.  “he  killed  all,  and  took  a  few  alive.”  Philo, 
N.  T.  VOL.  V.  2 


too,  makes  king  Agrippa  say  to  the  Jews,  “There  is  no  nation-in  the 
world  where  a  part  of  you  is  not  to  be  found.”  ’  Bj.oomf. 

V.  6 — 11.  The  Hebrew',  or  the  Syriac,  was  generally  used.  From  the 
different  regions  afterwards  mentioned,  it  is  computed,  that  seven  or 
eight  distinct  languages,  and  many  more  different  dialects  of  the  same 
language,  must  have  been  thus  spoken,  tjiat  each  of  this  company  might 
hear  bis  native  tongue. — ‘  The  strangers  of  Rome,’  mean  native  Jews, 
and  persons  proselyted  to  their  religion,  who  generallyresided  at  Rome, 
but  then  sojourned  as  strangers  at  Jerusalem. — (9)  The  peculiar  dialect 
of  the  Galileans  no  longer  was  perceived  by  the  inhabitants  of  Judea.  8. 

(7.)  Galileans. ]  Was  the  name  thus  early  given  to  the  sect  l  Ed. 

V.  13*  New.]  ‘I.e.  sweet:  it  could  not  at  that  season  have  been 
new.'  Dr.-A.  Clarke. 

V.  14 — 21.  It  may  here  be  observed,  that  the  descent  of  the  Holy 
Spirit  on  the  day  of  Pentecost  was  no  more  than  the  beginning  of  the 
accomplishment  of  this  prophecy. — The  word  ‘  prophecy  ’  may  denote, 
not  only  the  fluency  of  the  persons  in  speaking  of  divine  things,  for  the 
instruction  of  others,  as  the  term  is  sometimes  used  ;  but  also  their  pre¬ 
dicting  future  events,  especially  those  concerning  tfie  approaching  ruin 
of  the  unbelieving  Jewish  nation. — The  quotation,  though  in  general 
made  in  the  words  of  the  Sept.,  varies  from  that  version,  and  from  Hie 


A.  D.  S3. 


ACTS,  II. 


Peter's  sermoJi  at  Jerusalem. 


15  For  these  are  not  drunken,  as 
ye  suppose,  seeing  k  it  is  but  the 
third  hour  of  the  day. 

16  But  this  is  that  which  was 
'spoken  by  the  prophet  Joel  ; 

17  And  it  shall  come  to  pass  in 
the  last  days,  saith  God,  I  will  pour 
out  mof  my  Spirit  upon  all  flesh  : 
and  your  sons  and  your  daughters 
shall  prophesy,  and  your  young 
men  shall  see  visions,  and  your  old 
men  shall  dream  dreams  : 

18  And  on  my  servants  and  on 
my  hand-maidens  I  will  pour  out 
in  those  days  of  my  Spirit ;  and 
they  "shall  prophesy  : 

19  And  1  will  shew  wonders  in 
heaven  above,  and  signs  in  the 
earth  beneath  ;  blood,  and  fire,  and 
vapor  of  smoke*: 

20  The  °sun  shall  be  turned  into 
darkness,  and  the  moon  into  blood, 
before  that  great  and  notable  day 
of  the  Lord  come  : 

21  And  it  shall  come  to  pass, 
that  whosoever  p  shall  call  on  the 
name  of  the  Lord  shall  be  saved. 

22  Ye  men  of  Israel,  hear  these 
words  ;  Jesus  of  Nazareth,  a  man 
approved  of  God  among  you,  by 

miracles  and  wonders  and  signs, 
which  God  did  by  him  in  the  midst 
of  you,  as  ye  r  yourselves  also 
know  : 

23  Him,  being  “delivered  by  the 
determinate  counsel  and  foreknowl¬ 
edge  of  God,  ye  ‘have  taken,  and 
"by  wicked  hands  have  crucified 
and  slain  : 

24  W^m  T  God  hath  raised  up, 
having  loosed  the  pains  of  death  : 
because  it  was  not  possible  w  that 
he  should  be  holden  of  it. 


k  1  Tli.  5:7. 

1  Joel  2:28—32. 
irt  Is.  44:3.  Ex. 36: 
27. 

d  c.  21:4,  9,  10.  1 
Co.  12:10. 

0  M  1.18:24.  2  Pc. 
3:7,  10. 

p  Ps  86:5.  Rn. 


10:13.  1  Co.  1: 

2.  He.  4: 16. 
q  -In  14:10,11. 

He.  2:4. 
r  Jn.  15:24. 
s  l.u.  22:22.  24: 

44.  c.3:l8. 
t  c.  5:30. 


U  M;it.  27:1. 
v  Lu  24: 1 .  c.  13: 
30,34.  1  Co.  6: 

1-1.  Ep.  1:20. 
C,  l.  2:12.  I  Tli. 
1:10.  He.  13:20. 
1  Pe.  1:21. 

\v  Jn.  10:18. 


days  of  that  people,  just  before  that  great 
and  notable  day  of  the  Lord,  spoken  of,  v. 
20.  [1.]  There  should  be  a  more  plentiful 

and  extensive  effusion  of  the  Spirit  of  grace 
from  on  high  than  had  ever  yet  been.  The 
prophets  of  the  O.  T.  had  been  filled  with  the. 
Holy  Ghost,  and  it  was  said  of  the  people 
of  Israel,  that  God  gave  them  his  good  Spirit 
to  instruct  them,  Nell.  9:20.  But  now  the. 
Spirit  shall  be  poured  out,  not  Only  on  the 
Jews,  but  on  all  flesh,  Gentiles  as  well  as 
Jews;  though  yet  Peter  himself  did  not  un¬ 
derstand  it  so,  as  appears,  ch.  11:  17.  Or, 
on  all  flush,  i.  e.  on  some  of  all  ranks  and 
conditions  of  men.  The  Jewish  doctors 
taught,  that  the  Spirit  came  only  on  wise  and 
rich  men,  and  nt'  the  seed  of  Israel  !  [2.]  The 
Spirit  should  be  in  them  a  Spirit  of  prophecy ; 
bv  the  Spirit,  they  should  bo  enabled  to  fore¬ 
tell  things  to  come,  and  to  preach  the  Gospel 
to  every  creature.  This  power  shall  be  given 
without  distinction  of  sex,  age,  or  outward 
condition,  v.  18.  or,  in  general,  men  and 
women,  whom  God  calls  his  servants  and  his 
handmaids.  The  mention  of  the  daughters , 
v.  17.  and  the  handmaidens,  v.  18.  would 
make  one  think  the  women  noticed,  ch.  1:14. 
received  the  extraordinary  gifts  of  the  Holy 
Ghost,  as  well  as  the  men,  ch.  21:9.  and 
Paul,  finding  abundance  of  the  gifts  both  of 
tongues  and  prophecy  in  the  church  of  Corinth, 
saw  it  needful  to  prohibit  women’s  use  of 
those  gifts  in  public,  1  Cor.  14:26,  34. 
[3.]  One  great  thing  they  should  prophesy 
of,  should  be  the  judgments  coming  on  the 
Jewish  nation,  the  chief  thing  that  Christ 
Himself  had  foretold.  Mat.  24.  at  his  en¬ 
trance  into  Jerusalem,  Luke  19:41.  and 
when  lie  was  going  to  die,  Luke  23:29.  and 
these  judgments  were  to  be  brought  on  them, 
to  punish  them  for  their  contempt  of  the  Gos¬ 
pel,  and  their  opposition  to  it,  though  it  came 
to  them  thus  proved.  Josephus  speaks  of 
prodigies  that  preceded  the  Jewish  wars,  ter¬ 
rible  thunders,  lightnings,  and  earthquakes; 
a  fiery  comet  hung  over  the  city  a  year,  and 
a  flaming  sword  was  seen  pointing  down 
upon  it;  a  light  shone  on  the  temple  and  the 
altar  at  midnight,  as  if  it  had  been  noon¬ 
day.  Lightfoot  gives  another  sense  of  these 
presages.  The  blood  of  the  Son  of  God,  the 
fire  of  the  Holy  Ghost  now  appearing,  the  va¬ 
por  of  the  smoke  in  yvhich  Christ  ascended, 
the  sun  darkened,  and  the  moon  made  blood,  at 
the  lime  of  Christ’s  passion,  were  all  loud 
warnings  given  to  that  unbelieving  people. 


to  prepare  for  the  judgments  coming  upon 
them.  Or,  it  may  be  applied,  and  very  fitly, 
to  the  previous  judgments  themselves,  by 
which  that  desolation  was  brought  on.  The 
blood  points  at  the  wars  of  the  Jews  with  the 
neighboring  nations,  with  the  Samaritans, 
Syrians,  and  Greeks,  in  which  abundance 
of  blood  was  shed,  as  there  was  also  in  their 
civil  wars,  and  the  struggles  of  the  seditious, 
(as  they  called  them,)  which  were  very 
bloody  ;  there  was  no  peace  to  him  that 
went  out,  or  to  him  that  came  in.  The  fire 
and  vapor  of  smoke,  here  foretold,  literally 
came  to  pass,  in  the  burning  of  their  cities, 
and  towns,  and  synagogues,  and  temple  at 
last.  And  this  turning  of  the  sun  into  dark¬ 
ness,  and  the  moon  into  blood,  speaks  the 
dissolution  of  their  government,  civil  and 
sacred,  and  the  extinguishing  of  all  their 
lights.  Lastly,  The  signal  preservation  of 
the  Lord’s  people  is  here  promised,  v.  21. 
(2.)  He  applies  this  prophecy  to  the  present 
event,  v.  16;  it  is  the  accomplishment  of  it, 
the  full  accomplishment  of  it  :  and  so  this 
Spirit  of  grace,  the  Advocate,  or  Comforter, 
that  was  given  now,  according  to  the  prom¬ 
ise,  will,  according  to  the  same  promise, 
continue  with  the  church  on  earth  to  the 
end,  and  will  work  all  its  works  in  it  and 
fur  it,  and  every  member  of  it,  ordinary  and 
extraordinary,  by  the  means  of  the  scrip¬ 
tures  and  the  ministry. 

2.  It  was  the  gift  of  Christ,  and  the  pro¬ 
duct  and  proof  of  his  resurrection  and  ascen¬ 
sion.  From  this  gift  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  he 
takes  occasion  to  preach  unto  them  Jesus  ; 
and  this  part  of  his  sermon  he  introduces 
with  another  solemn  preface,  v.  22.  See 
what  a  stress  Peter  lays  on  Christ’s  mira¬ 
cles  !  The  matter  of  fact  was  not  to  be  de¬ 
nied  ;  ‘  They  were  done  in  the  midst  of  you, 
in  the  midst  of  your  country,  your  city,  your 
solemn  assemblies  ;  I  appeal  to  yourselves. 
The  inference  from  them  cannot  be  disputed ; 
the  reasoning  is  as  strong  as  the  evidence; 
if  lie  did  those  miracles,  certainly  God  ap¬ 
proved  Him,  declared  Him  to  be,  what  He 
declared  Himself  to  be,  the  Son  of  God,  and 
the  Savior  of  the  world  l  for  the  God  of  truth 
would  never  set  his  seal  to  a  lie.’ 

They  were  witnesses  of  his  death  and  suf¬ 
ferings  also,  but  a  few  weeks  ago;  and  this 
was  the  greatest  miracle  of  all,  that  a  Man 
approved  of  God,  should  thus  seem  to  be 
abandoned  of  Him ;  and  a  Man  thus  approved 
among  the  peopAe,  and  in  the  midst  of  them. 


Heb.  text,  in  nearly  the  same  particulars.  Instead  of  ‘  afterward,’  or 
‘  after  these  things,’  we  here  read,  1  in  the  last  days the  order  of  the 
clauses  in  v.  17.  is  changed  ;  ‘  and  they  shall  prophesy,’  at  the  end  of  the 
18th,  is  added;  as  is  ‘above,’  and  ‘beneath,’  in  the  19th.  The  Sept, 
has  ‘notable,’  or  illustrious ,  instead  of  terrible,  whicii  is  here  retained. 
— The  conclusion  of  the  prophecy  is  omitted.  Scott. 

(14.)  The  eleven  stood  as  witnessing  to  Peter’s  account.  Ed. 

(15.)  Third.)  ‘I.  e.  nine  o’clock,  the  hour  of  prayer,  previous  to 
which  the  Jews  scarcely  ever  eat  or  drank.’  Dr.  A.  C.  ‘None  who 
regarded  religion  did  so.  Light/,  quotes  from  Beracbotb,  “  It  is  not 
lawful  for  a  man  to  taste  any  thing  before  he  shall  have  prayed  his 
prayer.”  So  Jos.  says,  the  Sabbath  assembly  was  not  usually  dismiss¬ 
ed  to  breakfast  till  the  sixth  hour,  i.  e.  after  the  prayers  appropriated  to 
that  hour.  Even  the  Gentiles  accounted  it  disgraceful  to  get  drunk  in 
the  day  time.  See  Plaut.,  Seneca,  ALLian.  Cicd  Bi.ooMf. 

(1G — 18.)  ‘Peter  quotes  neither  the  Heb.  nor  Sept.,  hut  from  memo¬ 
ry.’  Bloom/.  (18.)  And  on,  Ac.]  ‘  Rather,  Yea.  farther  :  i.  e.  in  other 
nations,  also,  my  servants  [in  all  nations  and  times]  shall  have  the  same 
gifts.  This  [important  promise,  thus  expressed  bv  the  peculiar  copula¬ 
tive  kai  jrel  shows,  that  the  most  inconsiderable  things  in  the  scriptures 
are  not  to  be  neglected.’  Markiand.  Ed. 

(19.)  Blood,  fire,  smoke,  &c.  denote  war,  which  causes  them  ;  and, 
perhaps,  calamitous  times  in  general,  political,  civil,  social,  and  domes¬ 
tic.  ‘It  was  an  opinion  common  to  Hebrews,  Greeks,  and  Romans, 
that,  by  prodigies  of  the  kind  here  mentioned  19,20),  were  portended 
public  calamities,  and  the  ruiu  of  estates.’  Bloom/.  Vapor  of  Smoke.) 
‘  Smoke  the  densest.’  By  fire  may  more  correctly  bq  understood,  ig¬ 
nited  meteors,  sulphurous  and  inflammable  bodies,  which  burn  and 
shine  ;  and  by  smoke,  thick  and  black  vapors,  which  ascend  from  the 
earth,  and  oftuscalc  the  light  of  the  sun  and  moon,  so  ( h'uin .)  that  they 
receive  that  rubicund  color,  (blood,)  which  is  usually  observed  to  pre¬ 
cede  earthquakes.’  Bloomf.  Dr.  A.  C.  refers  v.  20.  to  the  darkness  of 
the  sun  and  redness  of  the  moon,  during  an  eclipse  of  tile  sun ;  and  v.13. 
to  war,  devastations  with  Are,  dagger,  and  sword.  SeeVoddr.  In. 

V.  —  —2 1.  ‘  111  Scripture,  that  is  said  to  be  done  by  “  the  determinate 
conns'  1  if  God,”  which  is  done  according  to  what  Me  had  written  and 
declared  in  his  Word;  all  predictions  concerning  things  future,  being 
declarations  and  determinations  that  they  shall  come  to  pass.  (Mat. 
26:24.  Luke  22:22.)  .  ..  This  only  doth  suppose,  that  God  can  foresee 


and  foretell,  vvliat  man,  not  hindered  by  Him,  but  left  to  his  own  incli¬ 
nations,  will  do.  And  if  that  foresight  hath  any  influence  on  the  will, 
to  make  the  action  necessary,  then  ...  all  our  actions  must  be  necessa 
ry.’  li'hitby.  Did  this  learned  writer  suppose,  that,  according  to  the 
doctrine  of  Calvinists,  the  foresight ,  or  even  the  decree,  of  God  has 
any  influence  on  the  will  or  free  agency  of  mail  ?  If  either  he,  or  oth¬ 
ers,  who  have  brought  tile  same  objections,  suppose  tiiis,  they  are  very 
blameably  ignorant  of  the  doctrine  which  they  would  confute. — God 
foresees  and  foretells,  what  ‘  man  left  to  his  inclinations  will  do and 
God  determines  to  leave  him  to  his  inclinations.  The  permission  is 
enough  in  such  a  case;  but  to  determine,  by  preventing  grace,  to  make 
the  sinner  willing  to  submit,  believe,  and  obey,  requires  a  positive  inter¬ 
position  of  a  divine  and  new-creating  power-,  which  none  deserves, 
or,  left  entirely  to  himself,  desires,  and  which  God  bestows  or  withholds, 
‘according  to  the  Counsel  of  his  own  will.’ — Again,  such  texts  constrain 
both  the  above  cited  learned  writers  [Hammond  as  well  as  Whitby]  to 
allow,  that  the  event  was  certainly  foreseen,  and  could  not  but  take 
place;  though  the  persons  concerned  were  under  no  coercion,  and  acted 
according  to  the  lusis  of  their  own  hearts.  But  did  God  certain!)  fore¬ 
see  this,  as  h's  own  all-wise  determination  and  decree ;  or  as  something 
independent  on  his  decree,  which  could  neither  he  altered  nor  prevented? 
JVotes,  4  23—28,  v.  28.  Mat.  26:21—24.  Lake  22:21— 23.— ‘  The  pains  of 
death  ’  would  introduce  ‘  the  pains  of  hell,’  to  sinful  nmn.  But  the  sin¬ 
less  Savior,  as  our  Surety,  endured  the  former,  till  He  could  say,  ‘It  is 
finished  :’  and  having  done  so,  it  was  impossible  that  Me  should  tie  hold¬ 
en  under  the  power  of  the  latter;  or  that  any  of  his  believing  people 
should  be  subjected  to  them.  ’  Scott.  ' 

(23.)  Foreknowledge.]  Bloomf.  contends,  xvith  Krebs,  that  the  con¬ 
text  requires  prognosis,  tr.  foreknowledge,  to  be  tr.  decree,  counsel,  as 
in  1  Pet.  1.2.  Christ’s  sufferings  not  depending  so  much  on  any  pre¬ 
science  as  on  the  divine  decrees.  ‘  This  signification  of  prognosis  is  not 
only  confirmed  by  the  usage  of  the  Heb.,  but  the  Gr.  For  the  Hebrews 
use  ydh,  as  the  Greeks  do  gnbnai,  in  the  sense  of  (by  a  metonymy  cf 
cause  for  effect)  decree,  appoint.  So  Herod.,  7:5,  4.  I’hilo,  966  B.  See 
Elsr.er  and  Loesner.’  Bloomf.  ‘  Though  the  awful  subject  of  God’s 
foreknowledge ,  no  finite  mind  can  comprehend,  yet  it  is  possible  so  to 
understand  what  relates  to  us  in  it,  as  to  avoid  the  extremes  of  pre¬ 
sumption  or  despondency.  God's  foreknowledge  is  spoken  of  in  refer¬ 
ence  to  us,  not  to  Himself.  To  omniscience  there  can  be  neither  fore- 


A.  D.  33. 


ACTS,  II. 


Peter's  sermon  at  Jerusalem. 


25  For  David  speaketh  1  con¬ 
cerning  him,  I  foresaw  the  Lord 
always  before  my  face,  for  he  is  on 
my  right  hand,  that  I  should  not  be 
moved  : 

26  Therefore  did  my  heart  re¬ 
joice,  and  my  tongue  was  glad  ; 
moreover  also  my  ilesh  shall  rest  in 
hope  : 

27  Because  thou  wilt  not  leave 
inv  soul  in  hell,  neither  wilt  thou 
suffer  thy  Holy  One  to  see  corrup¬ 
tion. 

23  Thou  hast  made  known  to  me 
the  ways  of  life  ;  thou  shalt  make 
me  full  of  joy  with  thy  countenance. 

29  Men  and  brethren,  *  let  me 
freely  speak  unto  you  of  the  patri¬ 
arch  David,  that  he  is  both  dead 
and  buried,  and  his  sepulchre  is 
with  us  unto  this  day. 

30  Therefore  being  za  prophet, 
and  knowing  that  God  had  sworn 
a  with  an  oath  b  to  him,  that  of  the 
fruit  of  his  loins,  according  to  the 
flesh,  he  would  raise  up  Christ  to 
sit  on  his  throne  ; 

31  He  seeing  this  c  before,  spake 
of  the  resurrection  of  Christ,  that 
his  soul  was  not  left  in  hell,  neither 
his  flesh  did  see  corruption. 

32  This  d  Jesus  hath  God  raised 
up,  whereof  e  we  all  are  witnesses. 

33  f  Therefore,  being  by  the  right 
hand  of  God  exalted,  and  having 
6  received  of  the  Father  the  prom¬ 
ise  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  he  hath  shed 
forth  h  this,  which  ye  now  see  and 
hear. 

34  For  David  is  not  ascended 
into  the  heavens  :  but  he  saith  him¬ 
self,  The  Lord  1  said  unto  my  Lord, 
Sit  thou  on  my  right  hapd, 

x  Pa.  16:8—11.  b  He.  6:17.  g  Ju.  16.7,13  c. 

v  or,  Imny.  c  1  Pe.  1:11,12.  1:4. 

z  2  Sr..  23:2.  d  ver.  21.  h  c.  10:45.  E|..4:S- 

a  2  Sa.  7:12,  13.  e  Lit.  24:48.  i  Pa.  110:1.  Mot. 

Pa.  132:11.  f  c.  5:31.  Ph.  2:9.  22:44. 

should  be  thus  abandoned  by  them  too  !  But 
both  these  mysteries  are  here  explained,  v. 
23.  Neither  God’s  designing  it  from  eter¬ 
nity,  nor  his  bringing  good  out  of  it  to  eter¬ 
nity,  would  in  the  least  excuse  their  sin  ; 
for  it  was  their  voluntary  act  and  dee'd,  from 
a  principle  morally  evil ;  it  was  justly  looked 
upon  as  a  national  act,  because  done  both 
by  the  vote  of  the  great  council,  and  by  the 
voice  of  the  great  crowd,  the  majority. 

II.  Christ’s  resurrection  effectually  wiped 
away  the  reproach  of  It  is  death,  v.  24.  This 


therefore  he  insists  most  largely  on.  ].  He 
describes  his  resurrection;  God  loosed  the 
bands-  of  death, — the.  sorrows  of  death  ;  the 
word  is  used  (or  travailing  pains;  and  some 
think,  it  signifies  the  trouble  and  agony  of  his 
soul,  in  which  it  was  exceeding  sorrowful, 
even  to  the  death  ;  from  these  pains  and  sor- 
rows  of  soul,  this  travail  of  soul,  the  Father 
loosed  Him,  when  at  his  death.  He  said,  It  is 
finished.  Thus  Dr.  Goodwin  understands  it: 
Lightfoot  gives  another  sense  of  it,  alluding 
to  his  having  broken  the  power  of  death,  auti 
destroyed  its  pangs  on  In’s  own  people.  But 
most  refer  this  to  the  resurrection  of  Christ’s 
body.  And  death,  says  Mr.  Baxter,  as  a  sep¬ 
aration  between  soul  and  body,  is  by  priva¬ 
tion  a  penal  state,  though  not  dolorous  by 
positive  evil.  But  Hammond  shows,  that 
the  Sept.,  and  from  them  the  apostle  here, 
use  the  word  for  cords  and  bands,  as  Ps.  IS: 
4.  to  which  the  metaphor  of  loosing  and  be¬ 
ing  held  best  agrees.  2.  He  attests  the  truth 
of  his  resurrection,  v.  32.  3.  Because  the 

Scripture  hail  said,  that  lie  must  rise  again, 
before  He  saw  corruption,  therefore  it  was  im¬ 
possible  that  He  should  be  holdcn  by  death  and 
the  grave  ;  for  David  speaks  of  his  being 
raised,  so  it  comes  in,  v.  25.  The  Scripture 
he  refers  to,  is  Ps.  16:  8 — 11.  which,  though 
in  part  applicable  to  David  as  a  saint,  yet 
refers  chiefly  to  Christ,  of  w  hom  David  was 
a  type,  and  shows  us, 

(1.)  The  constant  regard  our  Lord  Jesus 
had  to  his  Father,  in  his  w  hole  undertaking. 
I foresaw  the  Lord  before  Me  continually,  John 
13:31,32.  17:4,5.  (2.)  The  assurance 

He  had  of  his  Father’s  presence  and  power 
going  along  witli  Him.  He  is  on  my  right 
hand  :  this  was  an  article  of  the  covenant 
of  redemption,  Ps.  89:21.  (3.)  The  cheer¬ 
fulness  with  which  our  Lord  Jesus  went  on 
i:i  his  work,  notwithstanding  the  sorrows  He 
was  to  pass  through.  ‘Being  satisfied  that 
the  good  pleasure,  of  the  Lord  shall  prosper 
in  my  hand,  therefore  doth  my  heart  rejoice, 
and  my  tongue  is  glad,  and  the  thought  ol  my 
sorrow  is  as  nothing  to  Me.’  (4.)  The  pleas¬ 
ing  prospect  He  had  of  the  happy  issue  of  his 
death  and  sufferings  ;  He  was  putting  off  the 
body,  but  my Jlesh  shall  rest;  the  grave  shall 
be  to  the  body,  while  there,  a  bed  of  sweet 
repose  ;  it  shall  rest  in  hope,  that  Thou  will 
not  leave  my  soul  in  hill;  what  follows  is  the 
matter  of  his  hope,  or  assurance  rather  : 
that  the  soul  shall  not  continue  in  a  state 
of  separation  from  the  body;  for  that  would 
be  the  continuance  of  death’s  triumph  over 
Him  w  ho  was,  in  truth,  a  Conqueror  over 
death  :  that  the  body  shall  lie  but  a  little 
while  in  the  grave  ;  not  to  see  corruption  ; 
therefore  it  must  return  to  life,  on,  or  before, 
the  third  day  after  death.  This  was  typified 
by  the  law  concerning  the  sacrifices,  that  no 
part  of  the  flesh  of  the  sacrifices  which  was  to 
be  eaten,  should  be  kept  till  the  third  day,  for 
fear  it  should  see  corruption,  and  begin  to  pu-  \ 
trefly,  Lev.  7:  15 — 18.  That  his  death  and 


sufferings  should  be,  not  to  Him  only,  hut  to 
all  his,  an  inlet  to  the  blessed  immortality. 
‘  Thou  hast  made  known  to  Me  the  ways  if 
life,  and  by  Me  made  them  known  to  the  world , 
and  laid  them  open.’  That  all  his  sorrows 
and  sufferings  should  end  in  perfect  and  per¬ 
petual  felicity.  Thou  shalt  make  Me  full  of 
joy  with  thy  countenance.  The  reward  set 
before  Him,  was,  joy,  a  fulness  of  joy;  and 
the  smiles  witli  which  the  Father  received 
Him,  when, at  his  ascension,  He  was  brought 
to  the  Ancient  of  days,  filled  llitn  with  joy  un¬ 
speakable  :  and  that  is  the  joy  of  our  L'ftd, 
into  which  all  his  shall  enter,  and  in  which 
they  shall  be  for  ever  happy. 

HI.  Here  is  Peter’s  comment  on  this 
text,  especially  so  much  of  it  as  relates  to  the 
resurrection  of  Christ,  v.  29.  David  is  here 
called  a  patriarch,  because  he  was  the  father 
of  the  royal  family,  and  a  man  of  great  note 
in  his  generation,  and  whose  name  and  mem¬ 
ory  were  justly  very  precious.  Now  we 
must  consider,  that,  as  he  could  not  say  of 
himself,  (for  he  died,  and  was  buried,  and  his 
sepulchre  remained  when  Peter  spake,  his  bones 
and  ashes  in  it,  nobody  ever  pretending  lie 
I  had  risen,)  that  he  should  not  see  corruption  ; 

|  it  was  plain  he  did  see  corruption.  Paul  urges 
this,  ch.  13:  35—37.  Comp.  1  K.  2:2. 
Therefore  certainly  lie  spake  it  as  a  prophet, 
with  an  eye  to  the  Messiah,  whose  sufferings 
the  prophets  -testified  beforehand,  and  with 
them  the  glory  that  should  follow  ;  so  did 
David  in  that  Ps.,  as  Peter  here  plainly 
shows. 

1.  David  knew  that  the  Messiah  should  de¬ 
scend  from  his  loins,  v.  SO.  that  God  had 
sworn  to  him.  He  promised  him  a  son,  the 
throne  of  whose  kingdom  should  be  established 
for  ever,  2  S.  7:  12.  And  it  is  said,  Ps.  132: 
11.  God  swore  it  in  truth  unto  David.  When 
Jesus  was  born,  it  was  promised,  that  the 
Lord  God  would  give  Him  the  throne  of  his 
father  David,  Luke  1:32.  And  all  Israel 
knew  that  the  Messiah  was  to  Le  the  Son  of 
David,  i.  e.  that,  according  to  the  flesh,  He 
should  be  so  by  his  human  nature  ;  for  ac¬ 
cording  to  the  Spirit,  and  by  his  divine  nature, 
He  was  to  be  David’s  Lord.  This  David 
kept  in  view',  in  penning  iiis  Psalms. 

2.  Christ  being  the  Fruit  of  his  loins,  and, 
consequently,  in  his  loins  when  he  penned 
that  Ps.,  if  what  he  says,  as  in  his  own  per¬ 
son,  be  not  applicable  to  himself,  (as  plainly 
it  is  not,)  we  must  conclude  it  points  to  that 
Son  of  his  that  was  then  in  his  loins,  in  whom 
his  family  and  kingdom  were  to  have  their 
perfection  and  perpetuity;  therefore,  when 
he  says,  that  his  soul  should  not  be.  left  in  its 
separate  state,  nor  his  flesh  see  corruption, 
without  doubt  he  must  be  understood  to 
speak  of  the  resurrection  of  Christ,  v.  31. 
And  as  Christ  died,  so  lie  rose  again,  ac¬ 
cording  to  the  Scriptures;  and  that  He  did  so, 
we  are  witnesses.  Further,  as  David  did  not 
rise  from  the  dead,  so  neither  did  he  ascend 
into  the  heavens,  bodily ,  as  Christ  did,  v.  34. 


knowledge  nor  after  -knowledge  nothing  can  be  future  to  Cod,  lie 
lives  in  all  we  call  futurity  ;  nothing  past,  because  He  equally  exists  in 
all  past  time  ;  past,  present,  and  future  can  have  no  relation  to  God,  who 
exists  in  an  infinite,  indivisible,  and  eternal  now.  ..  Because  Cod  can 
dr  all  things ,  it  does  not  follow  that  iiemust ;  because  lie  can  know  all 
tilings ,  that  lie  must.  What  God  has  ordained  as  absolutely  certain, 
He  knows  as  absolutely  certain;  what  He  has  ordained  as  contingent, 
(i.  e.  sach  tilings  as  his  infinite  wi.sdpm  has  thought  proper  to  poise  on 
the  possibility  of  being,  or  not  being,  leaving  it  to  the  will  of  intelli¬ 
gent  beings  to  turn  the  scale,)  that  lie  knoWs  of  foreknows  as  contin¬ 
gent.  To  deny  this,  would  involve  the  most  palpable  contradictions, 
the  most  monstrous  absurdities,  making  every  act,  good  or.  evil,  God’s 
own  act,  confounding  all  distinctions  of  right  and  wrong,  virtue  and 
vice,  guilt  and  innocence  !’  Dr.  A.  C.,  whom  see.  ’  Ed. 

(24.)  Pains.]  Odines  :  lit.  chains,  bonds,  equivalent  to  the  Ileb.  cliebe- 
lyrn,  originally  ropes,  bonds,  and,  by  a  figure,  pains.  Is.  13:8.  Jer.  49:24. 
Comp,  the  metaphors,  1  Tiles.  5:4.  1’s.  119:61.  18:5.  116:3.  2  S.  22:6.  Ps. 
91:3.  (where  Death  is  a  fowler);  and  the  note  and  cut,  Ps.  13:5.  Ed. 

V.  25.  r  foresaw.]  The  word  seems  to  refer  to  place,  not  time.  In 
hell.]  Keber,  the  Hebrew  word  for  grace,  is  never  rendered  hades,  (in 
the  I.XX).  ‘  Sheol,  on  the  contrary,  is  never  rendered  a  tomb ,  or  grave, 
nor  construed  with...  .to  bury,  a  thing  almost  inevitable,  in  words  so 
frequently  recurring,  if  it  had  ever  properly  signified  a  grave.’  Campbell, 
in  Scott.  (25.  See  on  the  double  sense  of  prophecy,  p.  310,  Vol.  III.  Ed. 

V.  26.  Heart.]  The  IJeb. has  kebod,  ‘glory,’  equivalent,  it  would  seem 
from  the  parallelism,  Gen. 49:6.  to  animus,  mind,  heart.  Sec  n/oomf.  Id. 


V.  27.  Hell.]  Gr.  Hades  :  Tartarus  to  the  wicked,  Elysium  to  the 
good.  Corruption,  < ffC.]  ‘  Unto  dust  shalt  thou  return  was  man’s  sen¬ 
tence  after  the  fall,  therefore  it  could  be  executed  on  none  but  the  fallen. 
The  immortality  of  Jesus’  human  nature  was  a  necessary  consequence 
of  its  being  pure  from  transgression.’  Dr.  A.C.  ‘Hades  answers  the 
Heb.  Sheol,  orcus,  the  subterraneous  seat  of  the  impious  spirits.’ 

Bloomfield. 


V.  29.  With  us.]  ‘  Only  the  royal  family  could  be  buried  within  the 
city.’  Iiuin.  See  the  mosque  noxv  over  David’s  tomb,  in  the  vignetle, 
title,  Vol.  III.,  mid  .comp,  note  there,  on  the  back  of  the  title  page.  Ed. 

V.  30.  ‘The  [superfluous]  words  “according  to  the  flesll,  He  would 
raise  up  Christ,”  are  omitted  in  the  A.  C.  D.,  **  Barb.  1.,  Ed.  Syr., 
Erp.,  Copt.,  2Eth.,  Arm.,  Vulg.,  A2th.,  Cyr.,  Iren.,  Victoria.,  Fills-,  and 
in  other  books,  we  have  after  “his  throne,”  “  to  raise  up  Christ  accord¬ 
ing  to  the  flesli.”  The  common  reading  is  defended  by  De  Dieu,  Wolf, 
TIeuman,  and  others  :  but  has  been,  with  reason,  rejected  by  Bengel, 
Mill,  Schott,  Griesbach,  [Schoettgen,  Pr.  White,  Bp.  Pearce,  Dr.  A.  C.,] 
and  others;  since  the  very  variety  of  reading  betrays  a  gloss.  4 no 
words  are  not  to  be  found  in  Ps.  132.  nor  ill  the  par-  pass.  25.  7:12.  Ps. 
89:5.  and  by  omitting  the  words  the  reading  is  rendered  more  difp.cull  ; 
which  points  to  the  real  origin  of  the  common  reading.  On  omitting 
them,  we  must  subaud  tina  [one]  at  “  to  sit,”  i.  e.,  a  successor  to  the 
kingdom,  namely,  Christ.  Kuin.  David  indeed  spoke  of  himself,  but  he 
spoke  just  as  if  he  had  foreseen  what  had  now  happened.  'PeC'C 

V.  33—36.  The  scope  of  Peter’s  argument  was,  to  show  that  the  erm 


A.  D.  S3. 


ACTS,  II. 


The  effect  of  Peter’s  discourse. 


35  Until  I  make  thy  foes  thy  foot¬ 
stool. 

36  Therefore  let  all  the  house  >  of 
Israel  know  assuredly,  that  k  God 
hath  made  that  same  Jesus,  whom 
ye  have  crucified,  both  1  Lord  and 
m  Christ. 

37  IT  Now  when  they  heard  this, 
they  were  pricked  n  in  their  heart, 
and  said  unto  Peter  and  to  the  rest 
oLthe  apostles,  Men  and  brethren, 
what  0  shall  we  do  ? 

33  Then  Peter  said  unto  them, 
f  Repent,  and  be  baptized  every 
one  of  you  in  the  name  of  Jesus 
Christ,  for  the  remission  of  sins, 
and  ye  shall  receive  the  gift  of  the 
Holy  Ghost. 

39  For  the  promise  i  is  unto  you, 
and  to  your  children, 'and  rto  all 
that  are  afar  oft’,  even  as  many  as 
the  Lord  our  God  shall  call. 

40  And  with  many  other  words 
did  he  testify  and  exhort,  saying, 
Save  yourselves  from  this  untoward 
generation. 

I  Zee.  13:1.  n  Eze.  7:16.  Zee.  19. 

Icc.  5:31.  12:10.  q  Joel  2:28. 

1  Ju.  3:3-5.  o  c.  9:6.  16:30.  r  Ep.  2:13,17. 

m  I’s.  2:2,6— 8.  p  Lit.  24:47.  c.  3: 


And,  to  prove  that  when  lie  spake  of  the  res¬ 
urrection,  he  meant  it  of  Christ,  he  observes, 
that  when  in  another  Ps.  he  speaks  of  the 
next  step  of  his  exaltation,  he  plainly  shows 
that  he  spake  of  another  person,  and  such 
another  as  was  his  Lord,  Ps.  110;  1.  The 
Lord  said  unto  my  Lord,  when  He  had 
raised  Him  from  the  dead,'  Sit  Thou  at  my 
right  hand,  in  the  highest  dignity  and  do¬ 
minion  there  ;  be  thou  intrusted  with  the 
administration  of  the  kingdom,  both  of 
providence  and  grace;  sit  there  as  King,  un¬ 
til  I  make  thy  foes  either  thy  friends  or  thy 
footstool,’  v.  85. 

IV.  We  now  come  to  the  application  of 
this  discourse  concerning  the  death,  resur¬ 
rection,  and  ascension  of  Christ. 

1.  This  explains  the  meaning  of  the  pres¬ 
ent  wonderful  effusion  of  the  Spirit  in  those 
extraordinary  gifts,  as  some  bad  asked, 
v.  12.  What  meaneth  it  ?  This  Jesus  being  ex¬ 
alted  to  the  right  h  ind  of  God  ;  so  some,  to 
sit  there  ;  by  the  right  hand,  we  read  it,  by 
God’s  power  and  authority;  it  comes  all  to 
one  ;  and  having  received  of  the  Father,  to 
whom  He  is  ascended,  the  promise  of  the  Holy 
Ghost,  He  hath  given  what  He  received,  Ps, 
6S:  18.  and  hath  shed  forth  this  which  you  now 
see  and  hear  ;  for  the  Holy  Ghost  was  to  be 
given  when  Jesus  was  glorified,  and  not  be¬ 
fore,  John  7:  89.  Now  this  which  you  see 
and  hear  is  from  the  Holy  Ghost,  whose  com¬ 
ing  is  an  evidence  that  Jesus  is  exalted,  and 
that  He  has  received  this  gift  from  the  Father, 
to  confer  it  on  the  church,  which  plainly 


speaks  Him  to  be  the  Mediator,  or  middle 
Person  between  God  and  the  church.  The 
gift  of  the  Holy  Ghost  was  a  performance  of 
divine  promises  already  made,  here  called 
the  promise  of  the  Holy  Ghost;  also,  a  pledge 
of  all  Divine  favors  further  intended;  what 
you  now  see  and  hear,  is  but  an  earnest  of 
greater  tilings. 

2.  This  proves,  what  you  are  all  bound  to 
believe,  that  Christ  Jesus  is  the  true  Messiah 
and  Savior  of  the  world  ;  this  lie  closes  his 
sermon  with,  as  the  conclusion  of  the  whole 
matter,  v.  -£6.  Therefore  let  all  the  house  of 
Israel  know  assuredly,  that  this  truth  lias  now 
received  its  full  confirmation,  and  we  our  full 
commission  to  publish  it  ;  for  they  were 
charged  to  tell  no  man  that  He  was  Jesus  the 
Christ,  till  after  his  resurrection.  Mat.  16:20. 
17:9.  Tills  is  the  great  truth  of  the  Gospel  | 
which  we  are  to  believe,  that  that  same  Je¬ 
sus,  the  very  same  that  was  crucified  at  Jeru¬ 
salem,  is  He  to  whom  we  owe  allegiance, 
and  from  whom  we  are  to  expect  protection, 
as  Lord  and  Christ. 

V.  37 — 41.  We  have  seen  the  wonderful 
effect  of  the  pouring  out  of  the  Spirit,  in  its 
influence  on  the  preachers  of  the  Gospel. 
We  are  now  to  see  another  blessed  fruit  of 
it,  in  its  influence  on  the  hearers  of  the 
Gospel.  Let  us  see  the  method  of  it. 

I.  They  were  startled,  and  convinced,  and 
put  upon  a  serious  inquiry,  v.  37.  Having 
patiently  heard  Peter  out,  they  were  pricked 
to  the  heart,  or  in  the  heart,  and,  under  a  deep 
concern  and  perplexity,  applied  themselves 
to  the  preacher  with  this  question.  What 
shall  we  do  ?  It  was  very  strange  such  im¬ 
pressions  should  he  made  on  such  hard 
hearts  all  of  a  sudden  !  Yet,  when  they  heard 
this  plain  scriptural  sermon,  they  were  much 
affected  with  it.  1.  It  put  them  in  pain  ; 
Peter,  charging  the  death  of  Christ  upon 
them,  as  accessaries,  awakened  their  con¬ 
sciences,  and  t  lie  reflection  they  now  made 
upon  it,  pierced  them,  as  they  "had  pierced 
Christ.  Those  that  are  truly  sorry  for  their 
sins,  and  ashamed  of  them,  and  afraid  of 
the  consequences  of  them,  are  pricked  to  the 
heart.  2.  It  put  them  on  inquiry.  Minis¬ 
ters  are  spiritual  physicians,  they  should  be 
advised  with,  as  here,  by  those  whose  con¬ 
sciences  are  wounded  ;  and  it  is  good  for 
people  to  be  free  and  familiar  with  those 
ministers,  as  men  and  their  brethren,  who  | 
deal  for  their  souls  as^  for  their  own.  Those  j 
that  are  convinced  of  sin,  would  gladly  know-  j 
the  wav  to  peace  and  pardon,  ch.  9:  6.  16:30. 

II.  Peter  and  the  apostles  direct  them 

vvliat  they  must  do,  and  what  in  so  doing 
they  might  expect,  v.  33,  39.  1.  Repent  ;  j 

this  was  the  same  duty  Juhn  the  Baptist  and 
Christ  had  preached,  and  now  the  Spirit  is  | 
poured  out,  it  is  still  insisted  on;  ‘  Repent, 
repent.’  2.  Be  baptized,  every  one  of  you,  in  the 
nameqf  Jesus  Christ ,’  i.e.  ‘  firmly  believe  the  j 
doctrine  of  Christ,  and  submit. to  his  grace  1 
and  government;  and  make  an  open,  solemn  j 
profession  of  this,  and  come  under  an  en¬ 
gagement  to  abide  by  it,  by  submitting  to 


the  ordinance  of  baptism;  be  proselyted  to 
Christ  and  to  bis  holy  religion,  and  renounce 
your  infidelity.’  They  must  be  baptized  in 
the  name  of  Jesus  Christ.  They  believed  in 
the  Father  and  the  Holy  Ghost,  speaking  by 
the  prophets  ;  but  they  must  also  believe  in 
Jesus,  that  He  is  the  Christ,  the  Messias, 
promised  to  the  fathers  ;  ‘  Take  Jesus  for 
your  King,  and  by  baptism  swear  allegiance 
to  Him  ;  take  Him  for  your  Prophet,  and 
hear  Him  ;  take  Him  for  your  Priest,  to 
make  atonement  for  you;  ’  which  seems  pe¬ 
culiarly  intended  here  ;  for  they  must  be 
baptized  in  his  name  for  the  remission  of  sins, 
on  the  score  of  his  righteousness.  3.  This 
is  pressed  on  each  particular  person  ;  there 
is  grace  enough  in  Christ,  be  ye  ever  so 
many,  and  grace  suited  to  the  case  of  every 
one.  Israel  of  old  were  baptized  unto  Mo¬ 
ses  in  the  camp,  the  whole  body  together, 
when  they  passed  through  the  cloud  and  sea, 
I  Cor.  1(5:1,  2.  for  the  covenant  of  pecu¬ 
liarity  was  national  ;  but  now  every  one  of 
you,  distinctly,  must  be  baptized  in  the  name 
of  the  Lord  Jesus,  and  transact  for  himself 
in  this  great  affair.  See  Col.  1 :  28. 

2.  He  encourages  them  to  take  that  course: 
(1.)  ‘It  shall  be  for  the  remission  of  sins. 
Repent,  and  be  baptized  into  the  faith  of 
Christ,  and  in  truth  you  shall  be  justified, 
which  you  could  never  be  by  the  law  of 
Moses.’  (2.)  ‘  You  shall  receive  the  gift  of 
the  Holy  Ghost  as  well  as  we  ;  for  it  is  de¬ 
signed  for  a  general  blessing  :  some  shall 
receive  these  external  gifts,  and  each,  if 
sincere  in  your  faith  and  repentance,  his 
internal  graces  and  comforts ;  shall  be  scaled 
with  the  Holy  Spirit  of  promise.’  (3.)  ‘  Yonr 
children  shall  still  have,  as  they  have  had, 
an  interest  in  the  covenant,  and  a  title  to 
the  external  seal  of  it.’  v.  39.  The  promise 
was  very  express.  Is.  44:3.  59:21.  Gen. 
17:7.  Now  it  is  proper  for  an  Israelite, 
when  he  is  by  baptism  to  come  into  a  new 
dispensation  of  this  covenant,  to  ask, 
‘  What  must  be  done  with  my  children  1 
Must  they  be  thrown  out,  or  taken  in  with 
me  1  ’  1  Taken  in,’  says  Peter,  ‘  by  all 

means;  for  the  promise,  that  great  promise, 
of  God’s  being  to  you  a  God,  is  as  much  to 
yon  and  to  your  children  now  as  ever.’  (4.) 
‘  Though  the  promise  is  still  extended  to 
your  children  as  it  has  been,  yet  it  is  not, 
as  it  has  been,  confined  to  you  and  them, 
but  the  benefit  of  it  is  designed  for  all  that 
are  afar  off,’  we  may  add,  and  their  children, 
for  the  blessing  of  Abraham  comes  on  the 
Gentiles,  through  Jesus  Christ,  Gal.  3:  14. 
Rom.  9:  4.  even  on  as  many  particular  per¬ 
sons  in  each  nation,  as  God  shall  call  effec¬ 
tually  into  the  fellowship  of  Jesus  Christ. 

III.  These  directions  are  followed  with  a 
needful  caution,  v.  40.  The  unbelieving 
Jews  were  an  untoward  generation,  per¬ 
verse  and  obstinate,  they  walked  contrary  to 
God  and  man,  1.  Thess.  2:  15.  wedded  to 
sin  and  marked  for  ruin.  Now  as  to  them. 
Save,  i.  e.  separate  yourselves,  distinguish 
yourselves,  from  this  untoward  generation. 


cified  Jesus  was  indeed  the  promised  Messiah, and  that  lie  was  actually 
risen,  ascended,  and  glorified.  When  the  Jews  were  convinced  of  this, 
and  induced  to  believe  on  Him  in  that  character;  they  would  readily 
learn  from  Scripture,  and  from  further  instructions,  the  spiritual  nature 
of  his  kingdom  and  salvation,  the  intent  of  his  sufferings  and  death,  and 
the  various  doctrines  of  his  religion.  Scott. 

(35.)  Foes  thy  footstool.]  An  expression  derived  from  the  ancient 
custom  towards  the  vanquished,  Josh.  10:24.  Ps.  60:11.  Sec  Ovid, 
Virg.,  Prudentius,  Jos.,  and  cuts,  2  K.  17:6.  Ps.  110:1.  and  in.  at  the  end 
of  Jeremiah.  Er>. 

V.  37 — 10.  The  apostle’s  arguments  were  invincibly  conclusive,  and 
his  application  most  highly  interesting;  though  in  other  respects  his 
discourse  was  peculiarly  plain  and  simple.  11m  if  we  duly  consider  the 
complicated  evidence  of  our  Lord’s  doctrine  and  miracles,  and  the  ob¬ 
stinate  unbelief  of  the  Jews  notwithstanding;  we  shall  perceive,  that 
neither  Peter’s  words,  nor  yet  the  miracles  which  the  people  witnessed, 
would  have  produced  those  effects  which  followed,  had  not  the  Holy 
Spirit  also  been  communicated,  to  remove  the  veil  of  pride,  prejudice, 
and  sinful  affections  from  their  minds.  ‘The  Comforter  being  come, 
He  convinced  them  of  sin,  of  righteousness,  and  of  judgment.’  John 
16:8 — 11.  For  ‘  the  promise,’  both  the  general  promise  respecting  the 
Messiah,  and  the  blessings  of  his  kingdom,  as  made  to  Abraham  their 
father,  Gen.  12:1 — 3.  17:7,  8.  and  the  particular  promise  of  the  Spirit 
quoted  from  Joel,  16 — 21.  was  made,  or  proposed,  ‘to  them  and  to  their 
[12] 


children  ;’  ami  not  to  those  present  only,  but  to  all,  however  dispersed, 
whom  God  should  call  by  his  Gospel.  The  promise,  as  made  to  Abral 
ham,  included  also  his  posterity ;  and  that  of  the  new  covenant  did  the 
same  to  those  who  should  he  interested  in  it ;  and  the  language  here  ac¬ 
cords  with  this.  Jer.  32:39—41.  Horn.  11:11 — 21.  1  Cor.  7:10—14.  The 
male  descendants  of  Abraham  were  circumcised,  as  included  in  the 
promise,  and  as  a  part  of  the  visible  church  ;  and  this  passage  may  in¬ 
timate,  that  the  infant-offspring  of  Christians,  being  also  included  iti  the 
promise,  and  in  the  covenant  of  their  parents,  and  being  a  part  of  the 
visible  church,  should  be  admitted  to  baptism,  which  is  the  outward  sign 
of  the  same  spiritual  blessings,  as  circumcision  was.  Gen.  17:9 — 12.  S. 

(33.)  Gift,  &c.)  ‘Comp.  v.  17.  i.  e.,  the  effects  of  d  ivine  grace,  a 
full  and  accurate  knowledge  of  divine  things,  a  fervent  and  constant 
striving  after  holiness,  a  most  ardent  desire  to  profess  and  propagate 
the  doctrine  of  Christ.’  Kuin. 

(39.)  All  afar  off.]  ‘  Peter  seems  to  have  understood  Gentiles,  [so 
(Ecum.,  Uloomf.,  £c.]  but  (comp.  Acts  10.)  not  till  they  had  passed  over 
to  the  Jewish  religion.’  Kuin.  ‘  The  Spirit  of  God,  by  which  he  spoke, 
had  doubtless  the  calling  of  the  Gentiles,  in  view.’  l)r.  A.  C.,  Henry, 
Scott.  Since  Peter  knew  not  of  this  calling  of  the  Gentiles,  he  could 
only  mean  the  dispersed  of  Israel :  but  the  Spirit  of  God  might  have  a 
further  view.’  Doddr.  ‘  The  phrase  is  equally  applicable  to  those  who 
have  been  afar  off  from  God,  by  their  sins,  and  their  evil  affections.' 
names.  Ed. 


A.  D.  33. 


ACTS,  II. 


41  H  Then  they  that  gladly  re¬ 
ceived  his  word  were  baptized:  and 
the  same  day  there  were  added  un¬ 
to  them  about  three  thousand  souls. 

42  And  *  they  continued  stead¬ 
fastly  in  the  apostles’  doctrine  and 
fellowship,  and  in  breaking  of 
bread,  and  in  prayers. 

43  And  fear  came  upon  every 
soul  :  and  many  1  wonders  and  signs 
were  done  by  the  apostles. 

44  And  all  that  believed  were 
together,  and  “had  all  things  com¬ 
mon  ; 

45  And  sold  their  possessions  and 
goods,  and  v  parted  them  to  all  men , 
as  every  man  had  need. 

s  1C').  11:2.  He.  t  Ma.  16:17.  v  Is.  58:7.  2  Co. 

10:25.  u  c.  4:31,34.  9.1,9.  1  Jn. 3:17. 


State  of  the  primitive  church. 


ing  them,  the  whole  form  Christ  prescribed 
was  used  in  the  name  of  the  Father ,  the  Son, 
and  the  Holy  Ghost.  Those  that  receive  (lie 
Christian  covenant,  ought  to  receive  the 
Christian  baptism.  4.  Hereby  there  were 
added  to  the  disciples  about  3000  souls  that 
same  day.  The  conversion  of  these  3000 
with  these  words,  was  a  greater  work  than 
the  feeding  of  4000  or  5000  with  a  few 
loaves.  They  who  are  joined  to  Christ, 
are  added  to  the  disciples  of  Christ.  When 
we  take  God  for  our  God,  we  must  take  his 
people  to  be  ours. 

V.  42  —  47.  In  these  vs.  we  have  the  his¬ 
tory  of  the  truly  primiliue  church,  of  tile  first 
days  of  it,  its  state  of  infancy  indeed,  but, 
like  that,  the  state  of  its  greatest  innocence. 

I.  They  kept  close  to  holy  ordinan¬ 
ces,  and  abounded  in  all  instances  of  piety 
and  devotion  ;  for  Christianity,  admitted  in 
the  power  of  it,  will  dispose  the  soul  to 
communion  with  God,  in  all  those  ways 
wherein  He  has  appointed  us  to  meet  Him, 
and  promised  to  meet  us.  1.  They  were 
diligent  and  constant  in  their  attendance  on 
the  preaching  of  the  W'ord  :  continued  in  the 
apostles’  doctrine  ;  or,  as  it  may  be  read, 
continued  constant  to  the.  apostles’  teaching  or 
instructions.  2.  They  kept  up  the  communion 
of  saints,  v.  42,  46;  not  only  had  a  mutual  af¬ 
fection,  but  a  great  deal  of  mutual  conversa¬ 
tion  ;  they  were  much  together.  They  were 
concerned  for  one  another,  sympathized  with 
one  another,  and  heartily  espoused  one  an¬ 
other’s  interests.  They  had  fellowship  with 
one  another  in  religious  worship  ;  the  tem¬ 
ple  was  their  place  of  rendezvous  :  and 
though  they  met  with  tire  Jews  in  the  courts 
of  the  temple,  yet  the  Christians  kept  to¬ 
gether  by  themselves,  and  were  unanimous 
in  their  separate  devotions.  3.  They  fre¬ 
quently  joined  in  the  ordinance  of  the  Lord’s 
supper  ;  they  kept  up  this  memorial  of  the 
death  of  Christ,  because  it  was  an  institu¬ 
tion  of  Christ,  to  be  transmitted  to  the  suc¬ 
ceeding  ages  of  the  church.  They  broke 
bread  from  house  to  house, — house  by  house  ; 
not  in  the  temple,  for  the  eucharist  was  pe¬ 
culiar  to  the  Christian  institutes,  and  there¬ 
fore  they  administered  that  ordinance  in 
private  houses, -choosing  such  houses  of  the 
converted  Christians  as  were  convenient,  to 
which  the  neighbors  resorted.  4.  They 
continued  in  prayer,  after  the  Spirit  was 


poured  out,  as  well  as  before,  for  prayer 
will  never  be  superseded  till  it  comes  to  be 
!  swallowed  up  in  everlasting  praise.  Break 
|  ing  of  bread  comes  in  between  the  H  erd  and 
1  prayer,  for  it  lias  reference  to  both,  and  is 
a  help  to  both.  The  Lord’s  popper  is  a  ser¬ 
mon  to  the  eye,  and  a  confirmation  of  God’s 
Word  to  us;  and  it  is  an  encouragement  to 
our  prayers,  and  a  solemn  expression  of  the 
ascent  of  our  souls  to  God.  5.  They 
abounded  in  thanksgiving ;  were  continually 
praising  God,  v.  47.  They  that  have  re¬ 
ceived  the  gift  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  will  be 
much  in  praise. 

II.  They  were  loving  one  to  another, 
and  very  kind  ;  their  charity  was  as  eminent 
as  their  piety,  and  their  joining  in  holy  ordi¬ 
nances  knit  their  hearts,  and  very  much  en¬ 
deared  them  to  one  another. 

1.  They  had  frequent  meetings  for  Chris¬ 
tian  converse,  v.  44.  All  that  believed,  were 
together ;  not  all  those  thousands  in  one 
place;  but,  as  Lightfoot  explains  it,  differ¬ 
ent  companies  or  congregations,  according 
to  their  languages,  nations,  or  other  refer¬ 
ences.  They  thus  expressed  and  increased 
their  mutual  love.  2.  They  had  all  things 
common  :  perhaps  common  tables,  or,  there 
was  such  a  concern  for  one  another,  and 
such  a  readiness  to  help  one  another,  as 
there  was  occasion,  that  it  might  be  said, 
They  had  all  things  common,  according  to 
the  law  of  friendship;  one  wanted  not  what 
another  had,  for  he  might  have  it  for  the 
asking.  3.  They  were  very  cheerful,  and 
•very  generous  in  the  use  of  what  they  had  ; 
a  great  deal  of  religion  appeared  in  their 
common  meals  ;  they  did  eat  their  meat  with 
gladness  and  singleness  of  heart.  None  have 
such  cause  to  be  cheerful  as  good  Christians 
have  ;  it  is  pity,  but  that  they  should  al¬ 
ways  have  hearts  to  be  so.  It  made  them 
very  liberal  to  their  poor  brethren,  and  en¬ 
larged  their  hearts  in  charity.  They  did 
eat  their  meat  with  singleness  of  heart, — with 
liberality  of  heart  ;  so  some  ;  they  bid  the 
poor  welcome  to  their  table,  not  grudgingly, 
but  with  all  the  hearty  freedom  imaginable. 
It  becomes  Christians  to  lie  open-hearted 
and  open-handed,  and  in  every  good  work 
to  sow  plentifully,  as  those  on  whom  God 
hath  sowed  plentifully,  and  who  hope  to 
reap  so.  4.  They  raised  a  fund  for  chari¬ 
ty,  v.  45.  This  was  to  destroy,  not  property. 


Be  not  rebellious  like  this  rebellious  house  J 
partake  not  their  sins,  that  you  share  not 
their  plagues.’  To  separate  from  wicked 
people,  is  the  only  way  to  save  ourselves 
from  them ;  we  may  thereby  expose  our¬ 
selves  to  their  rage  and  enmity,  but  it  is 
belter  to  have  the  trouble  of  swimming 
against  their  stream  than  the  danger  of  being 
carried  down  it.  Those  that  repent,  and 
give  themselves  to  Jesus,  must  evidence 
their  sincerity  by  breaking  off  all  intimate 
society  with  wicked  people. 

IV.  The  happy  success  and  issue,  v.  41. 

The  Spirit  wrought  with  the  Word,  and 
did  wonders  by  it.  These,  that  had  many 
of  them  been  eyewitnesses  of  the  death  of 
Christ,’  and  the  attendant  prodigies,  un¬ 
wrought  upon,  were  yet  wrought  upon  by 
the  preaching  of  the  Word,  for  that  is  the 
power  of  God  unto  salvation. 

1.  They  received  the  Word  ;  admitted 
its  conviction,  accepted  its  offers.  2.  They 
gladly  received  it;  though  humbling  to  them, 
and  likely  to  expose  them  to  the  enmity  of 
their  countrymen.  3.  They  were  baptized  ; 
believing  with  the  heart,  they  made  confes¬ 
sion  with  the  mouth,  and  enrolled  them¬ 
selves  among  the  disciples  of  Christ  by  that 
sacred  rite  and  ceremony  which  He  had  in¬ 
stituted.  And  though  Peter  had  said,  ‘  Be 
baptized  in  the  name  of  the  Lord  Jesus,’ 
yet  we  have  reason  to  think  that,  in  buptiz- 

V.  41.  As  it  is  highly  improbable,  that  there  should  have  been  none 
of  John’s  disciples  in  this  large  company;  we  may  fairly  infer,  that 
Christ’s  baptism  was  not  precisely  tire  same  institution  with  John’s; 
and  that  from  this  time,  at  least,  John’s  disciples  were  baptized,  when 
they  were  admitted  into  the  Christian  Church,  according  to  the  form 
appointed  by  our  Lord  after  his  resurrection.  19:5,  6.  Mat.  3:5,  6.  28:19, 
20.  John  3:22 — 24.  As  so  great  a  number  were  baptized  on  this  occa¬ 
sion,  and  as  they  were  not  by  the  river  Jordan  ‘  where  was  much  water,’ 
or  near  to  any  other  river;  but  in  the  midst  of  a  populous  city,  crowded 
also  with  strangers,  it  is  at  least  Highly  probable,  that  they  were  not 
baptized  by  immersion  :  especially  seeing  the  baptism  of  the  Holy  Ghost, 
represented  by  it,  is  constantly,  and  in  several  places  of  the  chapter, 
spoken  of,  as  ‘  poured  out ’  upon  them.  (See  on  33.)  Scott.  Received.] 

‘  The  Gr.  apodcchesthai,  as  applied  to  things,  denotes  to  receive,  assent 
to,  approve,  admit,  follow  the  authority  of,  die.  So  Xen.,  Eurip.  See 
Kypke,  <fcc.  Baptized.]  In  the  earlier  ages  of  Christianity,  those  who 
acknowledged  Jesus  to  be  the  Messiah  were  received,  by  this  solemn 
rite,  into  the  Christian  Church  ;  so  that  a  fuller  instruction  did  not  pre¬ 
cede,  but  follow  baptism.’  BLoomf.  ‘  Lightf.  has  well  remarked,  that 
the  (.entiles  who  received  the  Christian  doctrine,  were  baptized  in  the 
name  of  the  Father,  Son,  and  Holy  Ghost ;  the  Jewish  converts  only  in 
the  name  of  the  Lord  Jesus.’  Dr.  A.  C.  ‘  [This]  was  the  true  model  of 
n  revival  of  re'igion,  and  a  perpetual  demonstration,  that  such  scenes  as 
have  characterized  oyr  own  age  and  nation  especially,  are  strictly  in 
accordance  with  the  spirit  of  the  N.  T. — And  it  was  especially  proper 
there  should  he  given,  by  an  inspired  man,  a  record  of  a  true  revival  of 
religion.  The  human  mind,  as  all  experience  shows,  is  prone  to  en¬ 
thusiasm  and  fanaticism  ;  and  men  might  be  disposed  to  pervert  the  Gos¬ 
pel  to  scenes  of  wild-fire,  disorder,  and  tumult.  That  the  Gospel  would 
produce  excitement,  was  well  known  to  its  Author.  It  was  well,  there¬ 
fore,  that  there  should  be  some  record  to  which  the  church  might  always 
appeal,  as  an  infallible  account  of  the  proper  effects  of  the  Gospel ;  some 
inspired  standard,  to  which  might  be  brought  ail  excitements  on  the 
subject  of  religion.  If  they  are  in  accordance  with  the  first  triumphs 
of  the  Gospel,  they  are  genuine  ;  if  not,  they  are  false.’  Barnes. 

V.  42,  43.  The  conversion  of  this  great  multitude  was  sudden  ;  yet 
their  profession  was  not  transient  or  wavering.  Scott. 

(42.)  Breaking  of  Bread.]  Breaking  of  bread  xvas  ‘  that  act  which 
preceded  a  feast  or  meal :  and  which  was  performed  by  the  master  of 
the  house  when  he  pronounced  the  blessing :  what  we  would  call  grace 
before  meat.’  Sec  on  Mat.  26:26.  Dr.  A.  C.  ‘The  Gr.  phrases  tr. 


break  bread  and  breaking  of  bread,  in  the  N.  T.  are  not  only  used  to 
denote  breaking  of  bread,  breaking  it  to  pieces  and  giving  it  to  others, 
(see  Is.  58:7.  Jer.  1C-.6.  Luke  24:30,  35.  Mat.  14:19.)  but  are  likewise  so 
used  as  to  denote  the  meal  itself,  and  the  common  partaking  of  the 
food.  Hence,  also,  “to  break  bread”  is  used  of  the  Lord’s  supper  in 
1  Cor.  10:16.  Er.,  Schmid,  Beza,  <fcc.,  understand,  a  common  meal-, 
but  this  is  proved  false  by  the  words,  “ doctrine ”  and  “ prayer ,”  asso¬ 
ciated  ;  and  thus  are  enumerated  rather  the  parts  of  divine  worship  in 
the  assembly  of  Jerusalem.  The  Syr.  tr.  the  Lord’s  supper,  and  artns 
(bread]  elsewhere  r.  lama,  (as  in  Acts  20:7,)  be  has  here  expressed  by 
EuchariM.  So  some  Fathers,  and  many  recent  interpreters,  as  Hen¬ 
man,  Lightf.,  Suicer,  Schoettgen,  and  Wolf.  But  in  v.  45,  the  subject 
treated  of  is  plainly  common  meals,  nor  is  there  any  sufficient  reason 
why  the  words,  “breaking  bread  ”  should  there  be  taken  ill  any  other 
sense  than  the  “breaking  of  bread”  in  this  passage.  I  therefore  do  not 
hesitate  to  assent  to  Limborch,  Mosheim,  Barkey,  JIansen,  and  others, 
who  take  the  expression  here,  and  at  Acts  20:7.  to  denote  common 
sacred  meals,  called  agapee  [love-feasts,]  to  which  the  richer  Christians 
contributed,  for  the  use  and  relief  of  the  poorer  brethren,  and  which 
used  to  precede  the  celebration  of  the  Lord’s  supper.  See  1  Cor.  11:16. 
•ks.’  Kuin.  So  Bloamf.,  ‘  Doddr.,  Casaubon,  Grot.,  and  Wolf,  think  a 
common  meal  is  meant.’  En. 

V.  44 — 47.  The  same  disposition  [i.  e.,  of  liberality  and  charity] 
ought  always  to  prevail :  yet  it  is  evident,  that  the  same  way  of  ex¬ 
pressing  it  is  not  required,  nor  would  it  be  in  general  expedient.  The 
minds  of  the  new  converts  were  occupied  almost  entirely  with  the  im¬ 
portant  concerns  of  eternnl  salvation:  ami  as  numbers  of  them  were 
far  from  home,  and  probably  had  not  many  secular  affairs  to  attend  on; 
they  daily  continued,  in  the  most  harmonious  manner,  to  meet  together 
in  the  courts  of  the  temple  for  the  worship  of  God,  and  in  the  houses 
of  believers,  one  after  another,  as  they  had  opportunity;  xvhere  they 
hospitably  entertained  each  other,  as  well  as  joined  in  sacred  ordinan¬ 
ces.  What  a  lovely  exhibition  of  the  effects  of  genuine  Christianity, 
when  applied  and  blessed  by  the  Spirit  of  God  !  What  excellent  and 
xvhat  happy  characters  does  it  form  !  Scott. 

(44,  45.)  ‘I  incline  to  Whitby,  Wolf,  Heuman,  Kuin.,  Heinrich,  <Src., 
that  the  words  here  are  not  to  be  too  much  pressed,  not  to  be  interpre¬ 
ted  of  an  absolute  community  of  goods  ;  since  it  does  not  follow  because 
the  richer  Christians,  for  the  purpose  of  relieving  the  necessities  of  their 
poorer  brethren,  sold  part  of  their  goods,  that  they  gave  up  all,  and  had 
no  property  in  their  own  hands,  and  could  not  afterwards  sell  it  That 


A.  D.  S3. 


ACTS,  HI. 


40  And  they,  continuing  daily 
with  one  accord  in  the  temple,  and 
breaking  bread  w  from  house  to 
house,  did  eat  their  meat  with  glad¬ 
ness  and  singleness  of  heart, 

47  Praising  God,  and  having 
x  favor  with  all  the  people.  And 
y  the  Lord  added  to  the  church  daily 
such  as  should  be  saved. 

CHAP.  III. 

I  Peter,  pre.ichinif  to  the  people  that  came  to  see  a  lame 
man  restored  to  his  feet,  12  professeth  the  care  not  to 
have  been  wrought  by  his  or  John’s  own  power,  or  huli- 
but  by  God,  and  his  Son  Jesua,  ami  through  faith 
in  his  name  :  13  withal  repreltendiug  them  tor  crucifying 
Jcstis.  1/  Which  because  they  did  through  ignorance, 
and  that  thereby  were  fulfilled  God’s  determinate  coun¬ 
sel,  and  the  scriptures  .  19  he  exhorteth  them  by  repent¬ 
ance  and  faith  to  seek  remission  of  their  sins,  and  salva- 
"tiou  in  the  same  Jesus. 

■JVTOW  Peter  and  John  went  up 
together  into  the  temple  at 
a  the  hour  of  prayer,  being  the  ninth 
hour. 

2  And  a  certain  man,  lame  from 
hi.s  mother’s  womb,  was  carried, 
whom  tiiey  laid  daily  at  the  gate 
b  of  the  temple  which  is  called 
Beautiful,  to  ask  alms  of  them  that 
entered  into  the  temple  ; 

w  or ,  at  home.  j  c.  5:14.  11:24.  G:1J. 

3;  l.n.  2:52.  Ro.  a  Ps.  55:17.  Da,  b  Jo.  S.8. 

14:18. 


ns  Mr.  Baxter  says,  but  selfishness.  Here¬ 
in,  probably,  they  had  an  eye  to  the  com¬ 
mand  Christ  gave  to  the  rich  man,  as  a  test 
of  his  sincerity,  Sell  that  thou  hast,  and,  give 
to  the  poor.  Not  that  this  was  intended  fur 
an  example,  to  be  a  constant  binding  rule, 
as  it  all  Christians  in  all  places  and  ages 
were  bound  to  sell  their  estates,  and  give 
away  the  money  in  charity.  For  Paul,  after 
this,  often  spake  of  the  distinction  of  rich 
and  poor,  and  Christ  hath  said,  that  the 
poor  xve  have  always  with  us,  and  shall  have, 
and  t he  rich  must  be  always  doing  them 
goo  1  out  of  the  issues  of  their  estates, 
which  they  disable  themselves  to  do,  if  they 
sell  them,  and  give  all  away  at  once.  But 
here  the  case  was  extraordinary.  (1.) 
Th  ay  were  under  no  obligation  of  a  divine 
command  to  do  this,  as  appears  by  what 


The  lame  man  at  the  gate  called  Bctuiiful. 


Peter  said  to  Ananias,  ch.  5:  4.  Was  it  not 
in  thine  own  power  ?  But  it  was  a  very  com¬ 
mendable  instance  of  their  rnisedness  above 
the  world,  their  contempt  of  it,  their  assur¬ 
ance  of  another  world,  their  love  to  their 
brethren,  their  compassion  to  the  poor,  and 
their  great  zeal  for  encouraging  Christianity, 
and  nursing  it  in  its  infancy.  Our  rule  is, 
to  give  according  as  Cod  hath  blessed  us; 
yet  in  such  an  extraordinary  case  as  this, 
those  are  to  be  praised,  who  give  beyond  their 
power,  2.  Cor.  8:3.  (2.)  They  were  Jews 
that  did  this,  and  they  who  believed  Christ, 
must  believe  that  the  Jewish  nation  should 
shortly  be  destroyed,  and  an  end  put  to  the 
possession  of  estates  and  goods  in  it,  and, 
in  the  belief  of  that,  they  sold  them  for  the 
present  service  of  Christ  and  his  church.* 

I'll.  Cod  turned  them,  and  gave  them 
signal  tokens  of  his  presence  with  them,  v. 
43.  Many  wonders  and  signs  were  done  by 
the  apostles,  of  divers  sorts,  which  confirmed 
their  doctrine,  and  iacoatesfabiy  proved  that 
it  was  from  God.  And  more  yet,  the  Lord 
added  to  the  thw.lt  daily.  It  is  Cod’s  work 
to  add  souls  to  the  church  ;  and  a  great 
comfort  both  to  ministers  and  Christians. 

IV.  The  people  were  influenced  by  it;  the 
standees  by,  spectators.  1.  They  feared 
fAfni,aml  had  a  veneration  [mixed  with  ad¬ 
miration]  for  them,  43.  every  soul,  i.  e., 
very  many  who  saw  the  wonders  and  signs 
done  by  the  apostles,  and  were  afraid,  lest 
their  not  being,  respected,  as  they  should  be, 
would  bring  desolation  on  their  nation. 
The  common  people  stood  in  awe  of  them, 
as  Herod  feared  John.  Fear  came  upon 
every  soul ;  the  souls  of  people  were  strange¬ 
ly  influenced  by  their  awful  preaching  and 
living.  2.  Far  the  greater  part  of  the  com¬ 
mon  people  favored  thexn,  though  there  were 
those  that  despised  and  hated  them,  surely 
the  Pharisees  and  chief  priests  did.  Undis¬ 
sembled  piety  and  charity  will  command 
respect  ;  and  cheerfulness  in  serving  God 
will  recommend  religion  to  those  that  are 
without.  Some  read  it.  They  had  charity 
to  all  the.  people.  ;  they  did  not  confine  their 
charity  to  those  of  their  own  community, 

*  Doddr.  acids,  many  sojourners  would  now  justly  de¬ 
sire  to  continue  at  Jerusalem  much  longer  than  they  had 
intended,  to  get  a  thorough  knowledge  of  the  Gospel.  See 
the  sensible  ncHe  of  this  judicious  and  pious  commentator. 

Ed. 


but  it  was  catholic  and  exteiisire  J  and  this 
recommended  them  very  much.  3.  They 
fell  over  to  them.  Some  or  other  daily, 
though  not  so  many  as  the  first  day  ;  and 
they  were  such  as  should  be  saved.  Those 
that  God  has  designed  for  eternal  salvation, 
shall  one  time  or  other  be  effectually  brought 
to  Christ  ;  and  those  that  are  brought  to 
Christ,  arc  added  to  the  church  in  a  holy 
covenant  by’  baptism,  and  in  holy  commu¬ 
nion  by  other  ordinances. 

Chap.  III.  In  this  eh.  we  have  a  mira¬ 
cle,  (but  one,  of  the  many,  2:43.)  and  a 
sermon:  the  miracle  wrought  to  make  way 
for  the  sermon,  and  the  sermon  to  explain 
the  miracle,  and  to  sow  the  ground  which 
by  it  was  broken  up.  The  former  part  of 
the  discourse  opens  the  wound,  the  latter 
applies  the  remedy. 

V.  1 — 11.  Peter  and  John,  [whose  diverse 
<|tialilies  made  them  the  complement  of 
each  other,  and  so  lielps-meet,]  seem  to  have 
had  a  peculiar  intimacy  after  Christ’s  re¬ 
surrection  more  than  before.,  John  20:2. 
The  reason  of  w  hich,  (if  I  may  conjecture,) 
might  be,  that  John  was  more  compassion¬ 
ate  to  Peter  on  his  Fa  1 1  and  repentance,  than 
any  other  of  the  apostles  were,  and  mote 
solicitous  to  restore  him  in  the  spirit  of  meek¬ 
ness  ;  which  made  him  very  dear  to  Peter 
ever  after  :  and  it  was  a  good  evidence  of 
Peter’s  acceptance  with  God,  on  his  repent¬ 
ance,  that  Christ’s  favorite  was  made  his 
bosom-friend. 

Their  miracle  was  in  the  temple,  whither 
Peter  and  John  went  up  together,  because  it 
was  the  place  of  concourse  ;  and  we  may 
suppose  it  within  the  compass  of  the  days 
of  the ‘pentecost.  However,  it  was  at  the 
hour  of  prayer,  one  of  the  hours  of  public 
worship ;  these,  among  the  Jews,  were  three, 
the  ninth  hour,  i.  e.,  3  o’clock  in  the  after¬ 
noon;  also  at  9  o’clock  in  the  morning,  and 
12  at  noon,  other  two.  SeePs.  55:17.  Dan. 
6:  10.  It  is  of  use  for  private  Christians  so 
far  to  have  their  hours  of  prayer  as  may  serve, 
though  not  to  bind,  yet.  to  remind,  con¬ 
science  ;  every  tiling  is  beautiful  in  its 
season. 

The  patient  was  a  poor  lame  beggar  (prob¬ 
ably  paralytic,  v.  7.)  at  the  temple-gate. 
He  would  not  have  been  laid  daily  there,  if 


PR\CT.  OBS.  Delays  as  to  the  performance  of  God’s  promises,  till 
the  appointed  time  is  1  fully  come,’  are  peculiarly  advantageous  to  those, 
who  wail  on  Him  in  patient  faith,  and  fervent,  persevering  prayer.  When 
a  company  of  believers  are  ‘of  one  heart,’  thus  to  seek  and  hope  for 
‘  the  pouring  out  of  his  Holy  Spirit,’  a  revival  of  true  religion  may 
reasonably,  nay  confidently,  be  expected:  for  the  promise  stands  sure, 
that  ‘  our  heavenly  Father  will  give  his  Holy  Spirit  to  them  that  ask 
Him.’  (Jer.  32:39 — 41.  Luke  11:5 — 13,  v.  13.)  We  cannot  explain  the 
manner  of  his  operation;  but  we  may  perceive,  that  with  invincible 
power  He  bears  down  all  the  opposition  of  pride  and  worldly  lusts  and 
prejudices,  as  ‘with  a  rushing  mighty  wind;’  and  changes  t  Ho  heart 
like  a  vehement  fire.  We  do  not  expect  such  miraculous  powers,  as 
were  communicated  to  the  apostles  on  the  day  of  Pentecost ;  yet  we 
share  the  benefit  of  them;  both  In  the  demonstrative  evidence  tints  giv¬ 
en  to  the  truth  of  the  Gospel,  and  in  the  infallible  declaration,  which 
.they  have  authenticated  and  transmitted  to  us,  concerning  the  way  in 
which  xve  may  be  saved. — The  remarkable  pouring  out  of  the  Spirit, 
even  in  his  ordinary  influences'  and  operations,  will  always  produce  a 

tiiis  power  of  sale  was  left  them,  and  was  voluntary,  is  clear  from  the 
story  of  Ananias  anti  Sapphire,  5:4.  Thus  also,  the  words  of  4:32.  plainly 
indicate,  that  only  the  use  of  the  possessions  was  common,  not  the  pos¬ 
sessions  themselves.  “  It  clearly  appears,  (says  lxuin.,)  that  there  were 
those  among  the  Christians  that  had  property  and  kept  it.  Thus  12: 
12.  one  Mary  had  houses  of  her  own  at  Jerusalem.  Nor  do  we  find  in 
the  Epistles  any  vestige  of  there  having  been  a  community  of  property 
in  the  rest  of  the  Christian  societies.  Nay,  we  find  that  there  xvere  rich 
and  poor.  By  the  admonition  of  the  apostles,  money,  indeed,  was  col¬ 
lected  fin  the  use  of  the  poor,  (1  Cor.  16:1.)  and  contributed  on  the  Lord's 
day.  They  therefore  had  retained  their  possessions.  Moreover,  in  1 
Thess.  ■!  11.  the  apostle  exhorts  the  Christians  to  provide  for  their  sup¬ 
port  by  the  labor  of  their  hands;  and  in  2  Thess.  3.7,  and  12.  he  urges 
this  by  his  own  example.  See  also  1  Eph.  4:23.  Acts  9:36.  11:29.  Thus 
the  words,  ‘ami  they  hail  all  things  common ,’  are  to  he  taken  in  a  pop¬ 
ular  sense,  and  nearly  as  the  old  adage  ‘  all  things  are  common  among 
(Wends.1  ”  Kuin.'  Bloomf.  The  Ed.,  howexTer,  thinks  that  a  common 
reader  of  this  passage,  (44,  45,  and  it  seems  to  be  properly  tr.)  would 
understand,  and  correctly,  a  community  of  goods,  in  the  broadest  sense. 
So  have  some  of  our  missionaries  practised.  Ed. 

(47.)  Church .1  See  iu  Mat.  16:18.  ‘  Ekklesia  :  to  tho  assembly  of 

the  followers  of  Christ.  The  word  church  [in  the  Gr.[  properly  means 
those  who  are  called  out,  and  is  applied  to  Christians  ns  being  called  out, 
or  ge  inraled  front  the  world.  It  is  used  but  3  times  in  the  gospels,  Mat. 

[1>J 


measure  of  the  same  effects,  as  this  extraordinary  communication  did. 
To  suppose  that,  now  Christianity  is  publicly  professed  among  us,  and 
we  have  no  longer  need  of  the  miraculous  gifts  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  xve 
therefore  do  not  want  His  sanctifying  operations  :  is  as  unreasonable,  as 
it  would  be  to  argue  from  the  present  improved  state  of  agriculture, 
that  the  influences  of  the  sun  ami  rain  are  become  unnecessary  :  and  the 
state  of  those  congregations,  where  such  notions  are  maintained,  too 
plainly  show  the  real  tendency  of  them.  If  Peter  and  Paul  should 
come  again  on  earth  to  preach  the  Gospel,  and  to  confirm  their  doctrine 
with  the  most  undeniable  miracles  ;  no  saving  effects  would  follow,  ex¬ 
cept  the  Holy  Spirit  were  given  to  render  the  Word  successful.  It 
should  also  be  noticed,  as  the  evident  doctrine  of  the  sacred  oracles,  that 
when  God  so  remarkably  pours  out  his  Spirit,  in  abundance  of  spiritual 
gifts  and  graces,  on  numbers  of  every  rank  and  station,  as  to  effect  a 
gr;  at  revival  of  true  religion ;  it  may  also  be  expected,  that  He  will  re¬ 
markably  punish  those,  who  persist  in  neglecting  and  despising  his  groat 
salvation.  Scott. 


16:18.  18:17.  It  occurs  frequently  in  other  parts  of  the  N.  T.,  and  usu¬ 
ally  as  applied  to  the  followers  of  Christ.  Comp.  Acts  5:11.  7:38.  8:1,3. 
9:31.  11:22,  26.  12:1,  5.  <&c.  It  is  used,  in  classic  writers,  to  denote  an 
assembly  of  any  kind,  and  is  twice  thus  used  in  the  N.  T.  Acts  19:39,  41. 
where  it  is  tr.  assembly.’  Barnes.  Such  as  should  be  saved.]  ‘  So- 
zomcnous  :  rather  the  saved,  those  who  are  being  sat  ed,  those  who  are 
placed  in  a  state  of  salvation,  by  having  rejected  the  Jewish  super¬ 
stitions,  and  embracing  the  Christian  religion.  See  Maltby  on  Mat. 
1:21.  So  Mark/and,  Whitby.'  Bloomf.  '  Luke  speaks,  as  an  historian, 
of  a  thing  which  fell  under  his  view,  of  a  fact  relating  to  the  Jews, 
not  to  the  hidden  counsels  of  God.’  Wetstein. 

NOTES.  Ciiap.  III.  V.  1  — 11.  The  events  in  this  ch..  and  that 
which  follows,  seem  to  have  occurred  soon  after  those  which  have  been 
considered.  The  apostles  and  primitive  believers  generally  attended  lbs 
temple-worship  at  the  hours  of  prayer ;  of  which  the  Sd  and  9th,  or 
9  o'clock  in  the  morning  and  3  in  the  afternoon,  when  tiie  morning  and 
evening  sacrifices  were  offered  with  burning  of  incense,  xvere  the 
chief.  The  two  apostles  Peter  and  John  seem,  however,  on  this  occa¬ 
sion  to  have  gone  up  to  the  temple  apart  from  (lie  others  ;  perhaps  to 
seek  an  opportunity  of  preaehing  to  the  people,  as  well  as  to  offer  their 
supplications  before  God.  The  Beautiful  gale  of  the  temple  was  erected 
by  Herod  the  Great:1  it  was  above  15  yards  high,  and  about  8  yards 
wide,  being  formed  of  Corinthian  brass,  with  the  most  exquisite  work¬ 
manship.  [50  cubits  high,  its  doors  10  c.,  adorned  more  than  the  other 


A.  D.  33. 


ACTS,  III. 


The  lame  man  is  healed. 


3  Who  seeing  Peter  and  John 
about  to  go  into  the  temple,  asked 
an  alms. 

4  And  Peter,  fastening  his  eyes 
upon  him,  with  John,  said,  Look 
on  us. 

5  And  he  gave  heed  unto  them, 
expecting  to  receive  something  of 
them. 

t>  Then  Peter  said,  Silver  and 
gold  have  1  none  ;  but  such  as  I 
have  give  I  thee  :  In  c  the  name  of 
Jesus  Christ  of  Nazareth  rise  up 
and  walk. 

7  And  he  took  him  by  the  right 
hand,  and  lifted  him  up  :  and  im¬ 
mediately  his  feet  and  ankle  bones 
received  strength. 

8  And  he,  leaping  d  up,  stood,  and 
walked,  and  entered  with  them  into 
the  temple,  walking,  and  leaping, 
and  praising  God. 

9  And  all  the  people  saw  him 
walking,  and  praising  God  : 

10  And  they  knew  that  it  was  he 
which  sat  for  alms  at  the  Beautiful 
gate  of  the  temple  :  and  they  were 
filled  with  wonder  and  amazement 
at  that  which  had  happened  unto 
him. 

11  And  as  the  lame  man  which 
was  healed  held  Peter  and  John,  all 
the  people  ran  together  unto  them 
in  the  porch  e  that  is  called  Solo¬ 
mon’s,  greatly  wondering. 

12  IT  And  when  Peter  saw  it,  he 
answered  unto  the  people,  Ye  men 
of  Israel,  why  marvel  ye  at  this  ? 
or  why  look  ye  so  earnestly  on  us, 
as  though  by  our  own  f  power  or 
holiness  we  had  made  this  man  to 
walk  ? 

c  c.  4:10.  e  Jr.  10:23.  c.  5:  f  2  Co.  3:5. 

d  Is.  35:0.  12. 

lie  had  not  been  used  to  meet  with  daily  sup¬ 
plies  there.  Our  prayers  and  our  alms 
should  go  together  ;  Cornelius’  did,  ch.  10: 
4.  Objects  of  charity  should  be  in  a  par¬ 
ticular  manner  welcome  to  us,  when  we  go 
up  to  the  temple  to  pray. 

Peter,  instead  of  turning  from  him,  as 
many  do  from  objects  of  charity,  turned  to 
him,  nay,  fastened  his  eyes  upon  him,  v.  4. 
John  did  so  too.  The  man  justly  thought 
this  gave  him  cause  to  expect  he  should  re¬ 
ceive  somethin g  from  them,  v.  5.  But  Peter 
said.  Silver  and  gold  have  I.  none.  The 
apostles  were  very  poor,  had  but  just  enough 
for  themselves,  and  no  overplus.  Peter  and 
John  had  abundance  of  money  laid  at  their 
feet,  but  that  was  appropriated  to  the  main¬ 
tenance  of  the  poor  of  the  church,  and  they 
would  not  convert  any  of  it  to  their  own  use, 
nor  dispose  of  it  otherwise  than  according 
to  tlie  intention  of  the  donors.  Public  trusts 
ought  to  be  strictly  and  faithfully  observed. 


Yet  Peter  goes  far  beyond  bis  highest  ex¬ 
pectations.  Those  who  are  poor  in  the 
world,  may  yet  be  rich,  very  rich,  in  spirit¬ 
ual  gifts,  graces,  and  comforts  ;  certainly 
there  is  that  which  we  are  capable  of  te- 
ceiving,  which  is  infinitely  better  than  silver 
and  gold  ;  the  merchandise  and  gain  of  it 
better,  Job  28  :  12,  &c.  l'rov.  S  :  14,  &c. 
The  cure  of  his  disease  would  enable  him  to 
work  for  his  living,  so  that  he  should  not 
need  to  beg  any  more  ;  nay,  lie  would  have 
to  give  to  them  that  needed ,  and  it  is  more 
blessed  to  give  than  to  receive.  Those  may 
he,  and  ought  to  he,  otherwise  charitable  and 
helpful  to  the  poor,  w  ho  have  not  wherewith¬ 
al  to  give  in  charity.  A.s  every  one  has  re¬ 
ceived  the  gift,  so  let  him  minister  it. 

Let  us  now  see  how  the  cure  was  wrought. 

Peter  bids  him  rise  up  and  walk  ;  which 
would  have  been  a  banter,  if  he  had  not  pre¬ 
mised,  in  the  name  of  Jesus  of  Nazareth,  lie 
bids  the  cripple  rise  up  and  walk ;  which 
does  not  prove  that  he  had  power  in  himself 
to  do  it,  but  proves  (if  he  attempt  to  rise  and 
walk,  and,  in  a  sense  of  bis  own  impotency, 
depend  on  a  divine  power  to  enable  him  to 
do  it)  that  lie  shall  he  enabled  ;  and  by  rising 
and  walking  lie  must  evidence,  that  that 
power  has  wrought  upon  him;  and  then  let 
him  take  t lie  comfort,  and  let  God  have,  the 
praise.  Thus  it  is  in  the  healing  of  our 
souls,  that  are  spiritually  impotent.  If  we 
set  ourselves  to  do  what  we  can,  God  has 
promised  his  grace  to  enable  us  to  do  what 
we  cannot  :  and  by  that  promise  we  parta/ce 
of  a  new  nature  ;  and  that  grace  shall  not  be 
in  vain;  it  was  not  here;  his  feet  and  ankle  - 
bones  received  strength  ;  which  they  had  not 
done,  if  lie  had  not  attempted  to  rise,  and 
been  helped  up;  be  does  bis  part, and  Peter 
does  his,  and  yet  it  is  Christ  that  does  all. 

He  leaped  up  ;  did  not  steal  up,  w  ith  fear 
and  trembling,  as  weak  people  do  when  they 
begin  to  recover  strength  ;  but  started  up  ; 
as  one  refreshed  with  sleep,  boldly,  and 
with  great  agility,  and  as  one  that  questioned 
not  his  own  strength.  He  held  Peter  and 
John,  v.  11.  We  need  not  ask  why.  I  be¬ 
lieve  he  scarcely  knew  himself:  but  it  was 
in  a  transport  of  grateful  joy ;  he  would  have 
them  stay  with  him,  while  he  published  to  all 
about  him  what  God  had  done  for  him  by 
them.  Those  whom  God  hath  healed,  love 
his  instruments,  and  see  the  need  of  their' 
further  help.  He  went  into  the  temple,  not 
only  to  offer  up  his  praises  and  thanksgivings 
to  God,  hut  to  hear  more  from  the  apostles 
of  that  Jesus  in  whose  name  he  had  been 
healed.  Those  that  have  experienced  the 
power  of  Christ,  should  earnestly  desire  to 
grow  in  their  acquaintance  with  Christ. 
Here  was  that  Scripture  fulfilled.  Is.  35  : 6. 
rPhen  shall  the  lame  man  leap  as  a  hea  t.  IST  ow 
that  this  man  was  newly  cured,  he  was  in 
this  excess  of  joy  and  thankfulness.  All 
true  converts  walk,  and  praise  God  ;  but 
perhaps  young  converts  leap  more  in  his 
praises. 

See  how  the.  people ,  that  were  eyewitnesses 
of  this  miracle,  were  influenced  by  it. 

1.  They  were  entirely  satisfied  in  the 
truth  of  the  miracle,  and  had  nothing  to  ob¬ 
ject  against  it,  v.  10.  They  all  knew  the 


'  man  ;  and  for  that  reason  he  was  chosen  to 
lie  the  vessel  of  this  mercy.  Now  they  were 
not  so  perverse  as  to  make  any  doubt  u bother 
he  was  the  same  man,  as  the  Pharisees  had 
questioned  concerning  the  blind  man  that 
Christ  cured,  John  0:11.  They  now  saw 
him  walking  and  prai.ing  God,  v.9.  perhaps 
noticed  a  change  in  his  mind:  for  he  was 
now  as  loud  in  praising  God,  as  he  used  to 
he  in  begging.  The  best  evidence  that  it 
was  a  complete  cure,  was,  that  he  praised 
God  for  it.  Mercies  are  then  petfccied, 
when  they  are  sanctified.  2.  They  were 
filed  with  wonder  and  amazement,  *r.  10. 
gr> ally  wondering,  v.  11.  in  an  ecstasy. 
There  seems  to  be  this  effect  of  the  pouring 
out  of  the  Spit  it,  that  the  people,  at  least 
those  in  Jerusalem,  were  more  affected  with 
the  miracles  the  apostles  wrought  than  with 
tiiose  of  Christ  Himself ;  and  this  was  in 
order  to  the  miracles  answering  their  end. 
3.  They  gathered  about  Peter  and  John; 
some,  only  to  gratify  their  curiosity  with  the 
sight  of  men  that  had  such  power  ;  others, 
with  a  desire  to  hear  them  preach,  con¬ 
cluding  that  their  doctrine  must  needs  be  of 
divine  original,  which  thus  had  a  divine 
ratification.  They  fioc.ked  to  them  in  Sol¬ 
omon’s  porch,  a  part  of  the  court  of  the  Gen¬ 
tiles,  w  here  Solomon  had  built  the  outer 
porch  of  the  temple.  Or,  it  was  some  clois¬ 
ters  or  piazzas,  Herod  had  erected  on  the 
same  foundation  on  which  Solomon  had 
built  that  stately  porch  [or  propyluii "!]  that 
bore  his  name.  Here  the  people  met,  to 
see  this  great  sight. 

V.  12 — 26.  We  have  here  the  sermon 
Peter  preached  after  lie  had  cured  the  lame 
man. 

I.  He  humbly  disclaims  the  honor  of  the 
miracle,  as  not  due  to  them ,  who  were  only 
the  ministers  of  Christ,  or  instruments  in  his 
hand.  Christ  had  done  such  things  many  a 
time,  and  they  had  not  duly  regarded  it,  or 
been  affected  with  it;  why  marvel  now;  and 
give  so  much  of  the  praise  to  them  1  Why 
look  so  earnestly  on  us  ?  Useful  men  must 
sec  to  if,  that  they  he  very  humble. 

II.  He  preaches  Christ  to  them;  that  was 
his  business,  that  he  might  lead  them  into 
obedience  to  Christ. 

1.  He  preaches  Christ,  as  the  true  Messiah, 
promised  to  the  fathers,  v.  13.  for,  He  is  Jesus 
the  Son  of  God  ;  they  had  lately  condemned 
Christ  as  a  blasphemer,  for  saying,  He  was 
the  Son  of  God,  yet  Peter  avows  it  ;  He  is 
his  Son  Jesus  ;  to  Him,  dear  as  a  Son;  to 
us,  Jesus  a  Savior.  God  hath  glorified  Him, 
in  raising  Him  up  to  be  King,  Priest,  and 
Prophet,  of  his  church  ;  lie  hath  glorified 
Him  as  the  God  of  our  fathers,  whom  he 
names  with  respect,  for  they  were  great 
names  with  the  men  of  Israel,  and  justly,  the 
God  of  Abraham,  of  Isaac,  and  of  Jacob. 
God  sent  Him  into  the  world,  pursuant  to 
the  promises  to  those  patriarchs,  that  in 
their  seed  the  families  of  the  earth  should  be 
blessed,  and  the  covenant  with  them,  that  God 
would  be  a  God  to  them,  and  their  seed.  The 
apostles  call  the  patriarchs  their  fathers,  and 
God  the  God  of  those  putriurchs,  from  whom 
the  Jews  were  descended;  to  intimate  to 
them,  that  they  had  no  evil  design  on  the 


8,  with  richer  and  thicker  plates  of  silver  and  gold.  Jo  s  ,  in  Ur.  A.  C.] 
It  is  supposed  to  have  separated  the  court  of  the  Gentiles  from  the  in¬ 
ner  court.  [The  text  of  Jos.  is  by  no  means  clear.  Dr.  A.  C-l  The 
purpose  of  the  apostles  to  work  a  miracle  in  this  man’s  behalf,  seems 
to  have  arisen  from  nil  immediate  divine  suggestion  to  their  mind.  The 
circumstances  attending  this  miracle  need  no  comment.  There  is  not 
the  least  probability  in  the  tradition  of  the  Jews,  tiiat  this  very  portico 
was  built  by  Solomon,  and  was  spared  by  the  Chaldeans,  when  they 
burnt  the  rest  of  the  temple.  Scott.  ‘  A  portico  400  c.  Ions,  built  by 
Solomon,  on  the  E.  side  of  the  outer  court,  was  left  standing  by  Herod.’ 
See  Jos.  Ed. 

(1  )  Together.]  ‘  Rather,  about  that  time.’  Grot.,  Doddr.,  Dr.  A.  C .’ 
9 th  hour.]  1  Tile  Jews  divided  the  time  between  sunrise  and  sunset  into 
12  hours.’  Doddr.  Some  of  the  Rabbins  make  sunrise,  noon,  and  sun¬ 
set  to  be  the  three  seasons  for  prayer :  a  division  natural,  beautiful,  and 
exceedingly  appropriate,  Ps.  55:17.  Id. 

(4.)  Look  on  us.]  ‘Said,  to  fix  his  attention  to  them  distinctly,  and 
to  the  act,  and  that  he  might  perceive  that  the  healing  came  from 
them.’  Barnes. 


(5.)  Expecting,  &c.]  ‘ For  it  was  a  constant  custom  for  all  who 

entered  the  temple,  to  carry  money  with  them  for  the  treasury,  or  poor, 
or  both. ’  In  many  parts  of  the  E.  no  superior  is  approached  without  a 
gift,  comp.  Ex.  23:15.  and  in  ‘  Catholic  ’  and  Oriental  countries  the  doors 
of  houses  of  worship  are  still  places  of  alms.  Martial  mentions  the 
custom,  too,  among  the  Gentiles.  Ed. 

V.  12 — 16  Holiness.  (12)  ‘Here  is  a  plain  evidence  of  the  varia 
lion  of  the  Roman  doctrine  from  that  of  the  apostles,  assisted  by  the 
Holy  Ghost :  for  the  apostles  here  plainly  disclaim  any  excellency  or 
piety  in  them,  which  might  make  them  worthy  to  be  God’s  instruments, 
above  any  others,  in  working  such  miracles;  but  the  catechism  of  the 
council  of  Trent  plainly  declares,  that  God  confers  on  us  many  benefits 
by  the  merits  of  the  saints  ■,  and  Lorinus,  on  the  place,  declares,  that 
innumerable  histories,  and  the  practice  of  the  church,  show  that  the 
merits  of  the  saints  are  prevalent  for  the  working  of  miracles.’  Whitby. 
— Through  faith,  &c.)  Some  expositors  interpret  this  of  the  faith 
which  the  lame  man  exercised  in  the  name  of  Jesus ;  and  the  proba¬ 
bility  that  he  had  heard  and  seen  Christ  Himself,  as  well  as  the  piety 
which  apparently  accompanied  his  gratitude  to  Peter  and  John  for  his 


A.  D.  S3. 


ACTS,  III. 


Peter’s  discourse  after  the  cure. 


13  The  Gorl  &of  Abraham  and  of 
Isaac,  and  of  Jacob,  the  God  of  our 
h  fatherSj  hath  glorified  ‘  his  Son 
Jesus  •'■whom  ye  delivered  up,  and 
denied  >  him  in  the  presence  of  Pi¬ 
late,  when  he  k  was  determined  to 
let  him  go. 


14  But  ye  denied  the  Hoty  'One 
and  the  m. Just,  and  desired  a  mur¬ 
derer  to  be  granted  unto  you  ; 

15  And  killed  the  n  Prince  of  life, 
whom  God  hath  raised  “from  the 
dead  ;  whereof  p  we  are  witnesses. 

16  And  his  name,  through  faith 
in  his  name,  hath  made  this  man 
strong,  whom  ye  see  and  know : 
yea,  the  faith  which  is  by  him  hath 
given  him  this  perfect  soundness  in 
the  presence  of  you  all. 

17  And  n  ow,  brethren,  I  wot  that 
through  ignorance  qye  did  it,  as  did 
also  your  rulers. 

13  But  those  r things,  which  God 
before  had  shewed  by  the  mouth  of 
all  his  prophets,  that  Christ  should 
suffer,  he  hath  so  fulfilled. 

19  Repent  ye  'therefore,  and  be 
‘converted,  that  your  sins  may  be 
"blotted  out,  when  the  times  of 
refreshing  ’shall  come  from  the 
presence  of  the  Lord  ; 

V.35. 

m  c.  7:52.  22:14. 
n  or,  author.  Jti. 

1:4.  1  Jn.  5:11. 

o  Mat.  28:2—5. 

Bp.  1:20; 
p  c.  2:32. 
q  Lu  23:34.  Jn. 

16:3.  I  Co.  2:8. 


e  M*U  22:32. 
h  c.  5:30.31. 
i  Jn  17:1.  Ep.l: 
20 --22.  Pi.  2: 
9,11.  He.  2:9. 
lie.  1:5,13. 

)  Jn- 19:15. 
k  Mat.  *7:17—25. 

Lu.  23:16—23. 

1  Ps  16:10.  Lu. 


r  Lu. 24:44.  c.  26; 

22,23. 
s  c.  2:38. 
t  Is.  1:16—20. 

Joel  2:13. 
u  Is.  43:25. 
v  Je.  31:23—25. 
Zep.  3:14—20. 
Re.  21:4. 


Jewish  nation,  bat  were  well-wishers  to  it; 
and  the  Gospel  they  preached,  was  the  reve- 
lation  of  the  mind  and  ivill  of  the  God  of 
Abraham.  See  ch.  26:  7, 22.  Luke  1 :  72,  73. 

2.  He  charges  them  flat  and  plain  with 
the  murder  of  this  Jesus,  as  he  had  done  be¬ 
fore,  mentioning  the  circumstances  of  the 
case,  and  aggravating  their  guilt,  v.  13 — 15. 
Particularly,  the  holiness  and  justice  of  the 
Lord  Jesus,  which  are  something  more  than 
his  innoceiicv,  were  a  great  aggravation  of 
the  sin.  Observe,  also,  the  antithesis  : 
‘  \  ou  preserved  a  murderer,  a  destroyer  of 
life  ;  and  destroyed  the  Savior,  the  Author 
of  life.’ 

3.  lie  attests  his  resurrection  as  before, 
ch.  2:  32.  and  ascribes  the  cure  to  the  power 
of  Cljrist,  v.  16.  He  repeats  it  again,  The 
faith  which  is  by  Him  hath  given  him  this 
soundness.  Here,  he  appeals  to  themselves 
concerning  the  truth  of  the  miracle  ;  the 
man  was  not  acquainted  with  Peter  and 
John  before,  and  they  knew  him  to  be  a 


cripple  from  a  child.  The  miracle  was 
wrought  publicly,  and  they  had  liberty  to 
examine  it  immediately,  and  may  yet.  The 
cure  was  complete,  perfect  soundness.  It 
was  done  by  the  name  of  Christ,  not  merely 
by  naming  it  as  a  spell  or  charm,  hut  by  us 
as  professors  and  preachers  of  his  name,  by 
virtue  of  a  Commission  and  instructions  re¬ 
ceived  from  Him,  and  a  power  He  has  in¬ 
vested  us  with:  a  power  of  Christ  is  fetched 
in,  through  faith  in  his  name,  a  confidence  in 
Him,  a  dependence  on  Him,  a  believing  ap¬ 
plication  to  Him,  and  expectation  from  Him, 
even  that  faith  which  is  by  Him,  which  is  of 
his  working,  not  of  ourselves,  but  the  gift  of 
Christ,  and  for  his  sake,  that  He  may  have 
the  glory  of  it  ;  for  lie  is  both  the  Author 
and  Finisher  of  our  faith.  Lightfoot  suggests, 
that  faith  is  twice  named  in  this  v.,  because 
of  the  apostles’  faith  in  doing  this  miracle, 
and  tile  cripple’s  faith  in  receiving  it;  but  I 
suppose  it  relates  chiefly,  if  not  only,  to  the 
former.  By  this  true  and  just  account  of 
the  miracle,  Peter  both  confirmed  the  great 
gospel-truth  they  were  to  preach  to  the 
world, — that  Jesus  Christ  is  the  Fountain  of 
all  power  and  grace,  and  the  great  Healer 
and  Sav  ior  ;  and  recommended  the  great 
gospel-duty  of  faith  in  Him,  as  the  only 
way  of  benefit  by  Him.  It  explains,  like¬ 
wise,  the  great  gospel-mystery  of  our  salva¬ 
tion  by  Christ  ;  it  is  his  name  that  justifies 
us,  that  glorious  name  of  his.  The  Lord,  our 
Righteousness ;  but  wc,  in  particular,  are 
justified  by  that  name  through  faithin  it,  ap¬ 
plying  it  to  ourselves.  Thus  does  Peter 
faithfully  preach  unto  them  Jesus,  and  Him 
crucified. 

III.  lied  oes  all  he  can  to  convince  them, 
yet  is  careful  not  to  drive  them  to  despair. 
The  guilt  was  very  great,  but,  t 

1.  He  mollifies  their  crime,  by  a  candid 
imputation  of  it  to  their  ignorance,  and  by 
calling  them  brethren,  v.  17.  This  was  the 
language  of  Peter’s  charity,  and  teaches  us 
to  make  the  best  of  those  whom  we  desire 
to  make  better.  Perhaps  some  of  the  rulers, 
and  people,  did  therein  rebel  against  the 
light  and  convictions  of  their  own  conscien¬ 
ces,  and  did  it  through  malice;  but  the  gen¬ 
erality  went  down  the  stream,  and  did  it 
through  ignorance;  as  Paul  persecuted  the 
church,  1  Tim.  1 :  13. 

2.  He  mollifies  the  effect  of  their  crime, — 
the  death  of  the  Prince  of  life  ;  this  sounds 
very  dreadful,  but  it  was  according  to  the 
Scriptures,  v.  IS.  whose  predictions,  though 
they  did  not  necessitate  their  sin,  yet  did 
necessitate  his  sufferings  ;  so  He  Himself 
saith,  Thus  it  is  written,  and  thus  it  behooved 
Christ  to  suffer.  You  did  it  through  igno¬ 
rance,  may  he  taken  in  this  sense,  ‘  You 
fulfilled  the  Scripture,  and  did  not  know  it. 
God  was  fulfilling  the  Scripture,  when  you 
were  gratify  ing  your  own  passions.’  It  was 
not  only  deter  mined  in  the  secret  counsel  of 
God,  but  declared  to  the  world  many  ages 


before,  by  the  mouth  and  pen  of  the  prophets, 
that  Christ  should  suffer,  in  order  to  the  ac¬ 
complishment  of  his  undertaking  ;  and  it 
was  God  Himself  that  showed  it  by  them, 
who  will  see  that  his  words  he  made  good. 
Now,  though  this  is  no  extenuation  at  all  of 
their  sin,  in  hating  and  persecuting  Christ 
tq  the  death,  yet  it  was  an  encouragement 
to  them  to  repent,  and  hope  for  mercy  on 
their  repentance;  not  only  because  in  gene¬ 
ral  God’s  gracious  designs  were  carried  on 
by  it,  hut  because  in  particular  the  death 
and  sufferings  of  Christ  were  for  the  remis¬ 
sion  of  sins,  and  the  ground  of  that  display 
of  mercy  which  he  now  encouraged  them  to 
hope  for. 

IV.  To  apply  his  sermon,  he  exhorts  them 
all  to  turn  Christians,  and  assures  them  it 
would  be  unspeakably  for  their  advantage 
for  ever. 

1.  They  must  believe.  (1.)  That  Jesus 
Christ  is  the  promised  Seed,  that  Seed  of 
Abraham  according  to  the  flesh,  in  which, 
God  had  told  Abraham,  all  the  kindreds  of 
the  earth  should  be  blessed,  v.  25.  Gen.  12:  3. 
and  not  the  families  of  Israel  only;  all  have 
some  benefits  by  Him,  and  some  have  afl 
benefits.  (2.)  That  Jesus  Christ  is  a  Prophet, 
that  Prophet  like  unto  Moses,  which  God  had 
promised  to  raise  up  to  them  from  among  their 
brethren,  v.  22.  This  refers  to  Deut.  18. 
Christ  is  a  Prophet;  in  Him  all  divine  rev¬ 
elation  centres  ;  He  is  a  Prophet,  like  unto 
Moses,  a  Favorite  of  Heaven,  more  inti¬ 
mately  acquainted  with  the  divine  counsel, 
and  more  familiarly  conversed  with,  than 
any  other  prophets.  He  was  a  Deliverer  of 
his  people,  and  their  Guide,  a  Prince  and  a 
Lawgiver,  the  Builder  of  the  true  tabernacle, 
as  Moses  was  of  the  typical  one.  [Christ, 
like  Moses,  was  the  introducer  of  a  new 
dispensation.]  Moses  was  murmured  against 
by  Israel,  defied  by  Pharaoh,  yet  God  owned 
him,  and  ratified  his  commission.  Moses 
was  a  pattern  of  meekness  and  patience,  so 
is  Christ.  Moses  died  by  the  Word  of  the 
Lord,  so  did  Christ.  There  was  no  prophet 
like  unto  Moses,  Num.  12  :  6,  7.  Deut-  34  : 
10.  hut  a  greater  than  Moses  is  here  where 
Christ  is.  He  is  a  Prophet  of  God’s  raising 
up;  He  took  not  this  honor  of  Himself,  hut 
was  called  of  God  to  it.  He  was  raised  up 
unto  Israel  in  the  first  place  ;  He  executed 
this  office  in  his  own  person,  among  them 
only;  they  had  the  first  offer  of  divine 
grace  ;  therefore.  He  was  raised  up  from 
among  them  ;  of  them,  as  concerning  the  flesh, 
Christ  came;  which,  as  it  was  a  great  honor 
done  to  them,  so  it  was  both  an  obligation 
on  them,  and  an  encouragement  to  them,  to 
embrace  Him.  The  O.  T.  church  was 
blessed  with  many  prophets,  a  constant  suc¬ 
cession  of  prophets  for  many  ages,  which  is 
here  noticed,  v.  24.  hut  those  servants  being 
abused,  last  of  all  God  sent  lltetn  bis  Son 
who  lmd  been  in  his  bosom.  (3.)  That 
times  of  refreshing  will  come  from  the  presence 


cure,  fiivors  the  opinion  that  he  was  a  believer.  Yet  it  does  not  appear 
that  lie  previously  expected  a  cure;  and  the  texts  referred  to,  will,  I 
think,  convince  the  attentive  reader,  that  the  faith  of  the  apostles  was 
intended.  (Mat.  21:21,22.  Mark  11:20 — 26  )  [Faith  always  receives, 
never  gives.  l)r.  A.  C.]  This  was  designed  to  show,  that  Jesus  was 
risen  ;  that  He  was  indeed  the  Messiah,  and  as  such  honored  by  the  God 
of  Abraham  :  and  that  the  apostles  were  his  servants  and  witnesses. — 
Every  reflecting  person  must  observe  the  very  great  difference,  which 
there  was  in  the  manner  of  our  Lord’s  working  his  miracles, and  that  of  his 
apostles.  His  language  was  that  of  omnipotence  and  sovereignty,  ‘  I  will, 
be  thou  clean  ‘  Peace,  lie  still ‘  Damsel,  arise.’  Nor  did  lie  ever,  except 
in  the  case  of  Lazarus,  which  has  been  considered,  even  appeal  by  prayer 
to  his  Father,  or  give  the  least  intimation  of  any  power  exerted, 
except  what  was  inherent  in  Himself.  He  never  hesitated  to  receive 
the  greatest  honor,  which  xvas  rendered  on  these  occasions ;  He 
never  cautioned  any  man  against  supposing  that  lie  wrought  miracles 
by  ‘  his  own  power,  and  to  manifest  his  own  glory.’  (John  2:6 — 11,  v. 
11.)  But  the  apostles  wrought  their  miracles  expressly  ‘in  his  name,’ 
and  by  faith  in  Him  :  they  were  afraid  of  receiving  any  honor  to  them¬ 
selves,  except  as  the  undeserving  instruments  in  the  hands  of  Jesus: 
they  referred  all  the  honor  to  their  Lord  :  and  they  never  mentioned  the 
Father  ;  except  to  show,  that  the  God  of  Abraham  was  fulfilling  in  ‘  his 
Son  Jesus,’  the  promises  made  to  the  patriarchs,  and  was  determined 
to  glorify  in  every  way  that  Person,  whom  the  Jews  had  treated  with 
contempt  and  indignity.  No  satisfactory  reason  ever  was,  or  ever  can 
be,  given  of  this  manifest  difference;  but  by  allowing  that  Jesus  knew 
[16] 


Himself  to  be  ‘One  with  the  Father’  and  co-equal  to  Him  ;  ami  that 
the  apostles  were  conscious,  that  they  were  weak  and  sinful  men,  who 
depended  on  Jesus  alone  for  every  tiling. — His  name,  fee  ]  His  power 
accompanying  the  use  of ‘his  name,'  with  ‘faith  in  his  name:’  even 
‘  the  faith  that  is  by  Him,’  effected  the  cure.  Scott. 

(16.)  '•And  it  is  by  faith  in  his  name  that  He  hath  strengthened  this 
poor  man ,  whom  you  see  here  before  you,  and  know  to  have  been  una¬ 
ble  from  his  birth  to  walk:  [Kta,]  1  repeat  it,  It  is  his  name,  and  the 
faith  which  is  centred  in  IJim ,  nnd  which  derives  its  efficacy  from  his 
power,  that  has  given,’  Ac.  Doddr.,  adopting  the  pointing  of  Hein- 
sius.  Ed. 

V.  17.  Wo/.]  ‘From  the  Anglo-Saxon  uitan,  to  know.’  Ur.  A.  C. 

V.  19 — 21.  The  xvords  [The  times  of  refreshing,  Ac.]  may  be  ren¬ 
dered,  perhaps  more  clearly,  ‘  That  seasons  of  refreshment  may  come 
[so  Tertullian,  Heinsius,  Lightf.,  De  Dieu,  Raphelius,  Doddr.,  Ur.  A.  C., 
Ac.,]  from  the  presence  ef  the  Lord :  and  that  He  may  send  Jesus  Christ, 
xvho  hath  been  before  preached  unto  you,  Ac.’ — ‘  Divine  refreshment 
would  no  doubt  immediately  mingle  itself  witli  the  sense  of  pardon,  and 
eternal  happiness  would  at  length  certainly  succeed.  But  the  following 
clause  seems  to  intimate,  that  Peter  apprehended,  that  the  conversion 
of  the  Jews  as  a  people,  would  be  attended  with  some  extraordinary 
scene  of  prosperity  and  joy,  and  open  a  speedy  way  to  Christ’s  descent 
from  heaven,  in  order  to  “  the  restitution  of  all  things.”  Vitringa  agrees 
in  this  interpretation.’  Doddr.  The  prophets  in  general  predicted,  not 
only  glorious  times  to  the  church,  under  the  reign  of  the  Messiah,  but  to 
the  nation  of  Israel  when  converted  to  Him.  (Marg  Ref.  y.)  That 


A.  D.  33. 


ACTS,  III. 


Peter’s  discourse  after  the  cure. 


20  And  he  w  shall  send  Jesus 
Christ,  which  before  was  preached 
unto  you  : 

21  Whom  the  heaven  must  re¬ 
ceive  until  the  times  xof  restitution 
of  all  things,  which  God  hath  spok¬ 
en  7  by  the  mouth  of  all  his  holy 
prophets  since  the  world  began. 

22  For  Moses  truly  said  unto  the 
fathers,  A  'prophet  shall  the  Lord 
your  God  raise  up  unto  you  of  your 
brethren,  like  unto  me  ;  him  shall 
ye  hear  in  all  things  whatsoever  he 
shall  say  unto  you. 

23  And  it  shall  come  to  pass,  that 
every  soul,  which  will  not  hear  that 
prophet,  shall  be  destroyed  from 
among  the  people. 

w  c.  1:11.  He.  9:  x  Mat.  17:11.  i  De.  18:15—19. 

28.  y  Lu.  1:70. 

of  the  Lord,v.  19.  and  that  they  will  be  the 
times  of  the  restitution  of  all  things,  v.  21. 
There  is  a  future  state,  another  life  after 
this;  those  times  will  come  from  the  presence 
of  the  Lord,  from  his  glorious  appearance  at 
that  day,  his  coming  at  the  end  of  time.  The 
absence  of  the  Lord  occasions  many  of  the 
securities  of  sinners,  and  the  distrusts  of 
saints  ;  but  his  presence  is  hastening  on, 
which  will  for  ever  silence  both.  Some  un¬ 
derstand  this  of  a  state  on  this  side  the  end 
of  time  ;  but  it  is  rather  to  be  understood 
of  that  end  of  all  things,  xohich  God  hath 
spoken  of  by  the  mouth  of  all  his  holy  prophets 
since  the  world  began  ;  for  this  is  that  which 
Enoch,  the  seventh  from  Adam,  prophesied  of, 
Jude  14.  and  the  temporal  judgments,  which 
the  other  prophets  foretold,  were  typical  of 
that  which  the  apostle  calls  the  eternal  judg¬ 
ment.  This  is  more  clearly  and  plainly  re¬ 
vealed  in  the  N.  T.  than  it  had  been  before, 
and  all  that  receive  the  Gospel  have  an  ex-, 
pectation  of  it.  With  this  will  come  the 


times  of  refreshing,  v.  19.  of  consolation  to 
the  Lord’s  people,  like  a  cool  shade  to  those 
that  have  borne  the  burden  and  heat  of  the  day. 
All  Christians  look  for  a  rest  that  remains 
for  the  people  of  God,  after  the  toils  of  their 
present  state,  and,  with  the  prospect  of  that, 
they  are  borne  up  under  their  present  suffer¬ 
ings,  and  carried  oil  in  their  present  ser¬ 
vices. 

2.  He  tells  them  they  must,  (1.)  Repent, 
bethink  themselves  of'what  they  have  done 
amiss,  return  to  their  right  mind,  admit  a 
second  thought,  and  submit  to  the  convic¬ 
tions  of  it;  they  must  begin  anew.  (2.)  Be 
converted,  face  about,  return  to  the  Lord  their 
God,  from  whom  they  had  revolted.  It  is 
not  enough  to  repent  of  sin,  but  we  must  be 
converted  from  it,  and  not  return  to  it  again. 
They  must  not  only  exchange  the  profession 
of  Judaism  for  that  of  Christianity,  but  the 
power  and  dominion  of  a  carnal,  worldly, 
sensual  mind,  for  that  of  holy,  heavenlv, 
and  divine  principles  ancLaffection^.  (3.) 
Hear  Christ,  the  great  Prophet  j  attend  his 
dictates,  receive  his  doctrine,  submit  to  his 
government.  Hear  Him  with  a  divine  faith, 
as  prophets  should  be  heard,  that  come  with 
a  divine  commission:  in  all  things  ;  ‘  let  his 
laws  govern  all  your  actions,  and  his  coun¬ 
sels  determine  all  your  submissions.’ 

A  good  reason  is  here  given,  why  we 
should  be  observant,  of,  and  obedient  to,  the 
Word  of  Christ;  for  it  is  at  our  peril  if  we 
turn  a  deaf  ear  to  his  call,  and  a  stiff  n^ck 
to  his  yoke,  v.  23.  The  destruction  of  the 
city  and  nation,  by  war  and  famine,  was 
threatened  for  slighting  the  prophets  of  the 
O.  T.  ;  but  the  destruction  of  the  soul,  a 
spiritual  and  eternal  destruction,  is  threat¬ 
ened  for  slighting  Christ,  this  great  Prophet. 

3.  He  tells  them  what  they  might  expect. 
(1.)  Pardon  of  their  sins  ;  this  is  always 
spoken  of  as  the  great  privilege  of  all  those 
that  embrace  the  Gospel,  v.  19.  This  inti¬ 
mates,  that  when  God  forgives  sin.  He  re¬ 
members  it  no  more  against  the  sinner  ;  it  is 
forgotten,  as  that  which  is  blotted  out  ;  all 


nation  had  long  been  harassed  and  oppressed  in  various  ways,  and  was 
at  the  time,  when  Peter  spoke,  under  the  Roman  yoke,  which  was  ex¬ 
tremely  galling :  and  the  wickedness  of  the  rulers  and  people,  in  cruci¬ 
fying  the  Messiah,  might  seem  to  have  tilled  up  the  measure  of  their  na¬ 
tional  guilt,  and  ripened  them  for  destruction.  Rut  as  Jesus,  after  his  re¬ 
surrection,  had  directed  his  apostles  to  ‘  preach  repentance  and  remission 
of  sins  in  his  name  to  all  nations,  beginning  at  Jerusalem  Luke  24:44 — 
49,  v.  47.)  and  as  the  success  of  their  first  attempt  had  been  so  signal, 
and  they  had  hitherto  met  with  no  opposition;  it  is  probable,  they  ex¬ 
pected  that  Christ  would  soon  ‘restore  the  kingdom  to  Israel,’  having 
first  brought  the  nation  in  general  to  repent  and  believe  in  Him  ;  (1:4 — 8.) 
and  would  afterwards,  by  their  means,  bring  the  other  nations  to  em¬ 
brace  the  religion  of  Israel,  and  so,  as  proselytes,  to  seek  admission  into 
the  kingdom  of  the  Messiah.  Then,  perhaps,  they  expected  that  Jesus 
would  return  again  from  heaven,  set  up  a  triumphant  kingdom  on  earth  ; 
and,  destroying  all  obstinate  enemies,  would  introduce  those  glorious 
days,  which  all  the  prophets  had  foretold. — It  is  undeniable,  that  the 
apostles,  for  a  considerable  time  after  the  day  of  Pentecost,  did  not 
clearly  understand  many  things,  relating  to  the  calling  of  the  Gentiles, 
the  rejection  of  the  .Pews,  and  the  fulfilment  of  the  prophecies.  (2:14 — 
21.  10:9—16,  44—48.  11:1—18.  15:1—21.  Mat.  24:3.)  Their  minds  were 
enlightened,  and  their  prejudices  dissipated;  rapidly  indeed,  yet  gradu¬ 
ally,  and  as  their  present  circumstances  and  duties  required.  Thus  the 
ancient  prophets  were  inspired  to  foretel  as  much,  as  it  was  proper 
should  at  the  time  be  known;  yet  they  did  not  immediately,  or  cer¬ 
tainly,  know  the  meaning  of  their  own  predictions;  (1  Pet.  1:10 — 12.) 
and  the  apostles  and  primitive  Christians  after  the  event  understood  them 
far  more  clearly,  than  the  prophets  themselves  had  done.  In  like  man¬ 
ner,  after  the  conversion  of  Cornelius,  and  the  council  at  Jerusalem, 
Christians  in  general  would  understand  Peter’s  words,  concerning  Ihe 
1  pouring  out  of  the  Spirit  on  all  flesh,’  more  distinctly  than  he  did  when 
he  uttered  them;  and  alter  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem,  and  the  abol¬ 
ishing  of  the  Mosaic  dispensation,  the  surviving  Christians  would  more 
exactly  perceive  the  meaning  of  the  words  before  us,  than  Peter  him¬ 
self  did  nt  the  time.  Our  Lord  had  told  the  apostles:  ‘  It  is  not  for 
you  to  know  the  times  and  the  seasons,  which  the  Father  had  put  in  his 
own  power,’  (1:7.)  and  there  is  ground  to  believe,  that  this,  in  many 
respects,  was  not  clearly  revealed  to  them,  but  left  to  be  discovered  by 
the  event.  (2.14 — 21.)  "Had  the  nation  of  Israel,  as  a  body,  embraced 
the  Gospel,  ‘  the  times  of  refreshment  would  have  come  from  the  pres¬ 
ence  of  the  Lord  :’  nnd  when  the  nation  shall  thus  turn  to  their  long  re¬ 
jected  Messiah,  those  times  will  come.  But  the  prophets  who  foretold 
these  events,  predicted  also  a  national  rejection  of  the  Messiah,  and 
dreadful  desolations  to  the  people,  xvith  long-continued  dispersions. 
It  was  not,  however,  necessary,  that  the  Holy  Spirit  should,  on  this  oc¬ 
casion,  make  known  ‘tile  times  and  seasons’  of  these  dispensations; 
and,  without  such  an  immediate  revelation,  the  apostle  might  expect 
that  these  happy  limes  for  his  nation  were  at  hand.  Even  to  the  end  of 
the  X.  T.,  such  an  obscurity  is  left  on  these  subjects,  that  diverse  opin¬ 
ions  still  prevail,  in  respect  of  the  reign  of  Christ  during  the  millenni¬ 
um,  whether  it  is  to  be  personal  or  spiritual ;  (Rev.  20:4 — 6.)  and  his 
N.  T.  VOL.  V.  3 


the  bitter  things  written  against  the  sinner,  Job 
13  :  26.  are  wiped  out,  as  it  were  with  a 
sponge  ;  it  is  the  cancelling  of  a  bond,  the 
vacating  of  a  judgment  :  but  if  no  repent¬ 
ance,  no  remission.  The  most  comfortable 
fruit  of  the  forgiveness  of  our  sins  will  be 
when  the  times  of  refreshing  shall  come  ;  the 
comfort  will  be  complete,  when  the  pardon 
shall  be  allowed  in  open  court,  and  our  jus¬ 
tification  published  before  angels  and  men  ; 
when,  whim  He  justified,  them  He  glorifies, 
Rom.  8:  30.  During  these  times  of  toil  and 
conflict,  we  cannot  have  that  full  satisfac¬ 
tion  of  our  pardon,  and  in  it,  that  we  shall 
have  when  the  refreshing  times  come,  which 
shall  wipe  away  all  tears.  (2.)  The  comfort 
of  Christ’s  coining,  v.  20,  21.  ‘  He  shall 
send  Jesus  Christ,  the  same  Jesus,  the  very 
same  which  before  was  preached  unto  you;  for 
you  must  not  expect  another  dispensation, 
another  Gospel,  but  the  continuance  and 
completion  of  this;  some  way  or  other  Jesus 
shall  be  seen  to  you.’  It  is  agreeable  to  a 
state  of  trial  and  probation,  that  the  glori¬ 
fied  Redeemer  should  be  out  of  sight,  be¬ 
cause  we  must  live  by  that  faith  in  Him, 
which  is  the  evidence  of  things  not  seen  :  be¬ 
cause  He  must  be  believed  on  in  the  world. 
He  must  be  received  up  into  glory.  Ham¬ 
mond  reads  it.  Who  must  receive  the  heavens, 
that  is,  who  must  receive  the  glory  and  power 
of  the  upper  world  ;  He  must  reign  till  all  be 
made  subject  to  Him,  1  Cor.  15:25.  Ps.  75: 
2.  Yet  it  is  promised,  that  He  shall  be  sent 
to  all  that  repent,  and  are  converted,  v.  20. 
‘  He  shall  send.  Jesus  Christ,  who  was  preached 
to  you,  both  before  and  since  his  resurrec¬ 
tion,  and  you  shall  have  his  spiritual  pres¬ 
ence,  the  comfort  of  his  being  sent.  He 
shall  send  Him  to  destroy  Jerusalem,  and 
the  nation  of  unbelieving  Jews,  and  to  de¬ 
liver  his  ministers  and  people  from  them, 
and  that  shall  be  a  time  of  refreshing,  which 
you  shall  share  in.’  Then  had  the  churches 
rest  ;  so  Hammond.  He  shall  send  Him  to 
judge  the  world,  at  the  end  of  time,  and  then 
you  shall  lift  up  your  heads  xvith  joy ,  knowing 

coming  to  set  up  his  kingdom  all  over  the  earth,  has  been  very  generally, 
even  by  diligent  expositors  and  other  learned  writers,  confounded  with 
his  coming  to  judge  the  world  :  and  in  various  other  particulars  this 
obscurity  and  inaccuracy  is  found.  Now,  that  which  was  to  be  obscure¬ 
ly  foretold,  a  prophet  or  apostle  might  but  obscurely  foresee  :  and  the 
historian  merely  records  the  apostle’s  discourse.  Scott. 

(19.)  -  Repent ,  be  converted.]  ‘  Metanoesate  indicates  a  change  of 
mind  and  purpose ;  epistrepsate,  a  change  of  conduct.’  Blotted  out.]  The 
ancients  marked  on  wax  tablets,  [with  a  metal  pointed  at  one  end  and  flat 
at  the  other], and  erased  by  closing  up  the  marks  with  the  flat  part ;  this  is 
the  proper  meaning  of  the  Gr.,  here.  The  metaphor  is  in  Is.  43:23.  2 
Mac.  43:23.  is  from  creditors  crossing  out  their  debtors’  accounts  when 
discharged,  Col.  2,  &c.  It  is  an  image  frequent  in  the  Rabbins;  so 
Valok.,  Ruin.  But  the  primary  sense  is  to  wipe  off,  for  as  aleipho,  menus 
to  besmear  with  oil,  exaleiphb  means  the  contrary,  to  wipe  off  the  oil. 
<fec.  There  is  the  same  metaphor  in  the  Latin  delet  e  and  Heb.  mchh .’ 
Bloomf.  Dr.  A.  C  .  thinks  the  phrase  may  refer  to  Num.  5:23.  Most 
of  the  ink  used  in  the  E.  is  made  without  a  mordant,  and  so  is  wiped 
off  the  pasteboard,  parchment,  board,  leaf,  or  ivory,  with  a  sponge.  See 
Horne,  and  note,  end  of  Ez.  The  climate  of  Judea  is  said  to  be  too  hot 
for  the  use  of  wax.  Ed.  Refreshing.]  ‘  Anapsyche  ;  properly,  cool¬ 
ing  after  being  healed  ;  metaphorically,  refreshment,  rest,  and  this,  to  an 
Oriental,  [who,  as  a  traveller  remarks,  thinks  it  very  strange  one  should 
move  when  he  can  remain  still,]  is  an  image  of  felicity,  and  is  perpetu¬ 
ally  so  used  in  the  SS.  The  days  of  the  Messiah,  then,  from  the  presence, 
i.  e.,  caused  by  the  will,  direction,  of  God,  are  meant  here.’  Bloomf. 

(20.)  Preached.]  ‘  Rather  designed,  appointed  :  so  the  2  Syr.,  all  the 
Arab.,  the  Arm.,  Chrysost.,  and  54  MSS.’  Dr.  A.  C.  ‘So  Hammond, 
Mill,  Valck.,  Vitr.,  and  most  commentators,  Beng.,  Griesb.,  Matthaji., 
&c.’  Bloomf.  Ed. 

(21.)  Restitution,  <fcc.]  ‘  I.  e.,  the  reign  of  grace ;  individual,  as  restor¬ 
ing  each  soul  to  God’s  image,  and  universal,  as  the  Scriptures  seem  to 
intimate  it  will  one  day  be.  All  his  prophets.]  Several  Gr.  MSS.  with  a 
Syr.,  the  Copt.,  .45th.,  Arm.,  and  Vulg.,  read  simply,  the  prophets,  and 
Griesbach ,  omits  11  all."’  Dr.  A.  C.  All.]  See  I’ ref.  to  Proph.  Books, 
pp.  309,  310.  Vol.  III.,  and  Hengstenberg's  ‘  Christologv.’  Ed.  Heaven.] 

‘  They  thought  Messiah  was  to  reign  perpetually  on  earth.’  Bloomf. 

V.  22,  23.  (7:37 — 43.) — ‘One  cannot  imagine  a  more  masterly  address 
than  this  ;  to  warn  the  Jews  of  the  dreadful  consequence  of  their  infi¬ 
delity,  in  the  very  words  of  Moses,  their  favorite  prophet ;  out  of  a  pre¬ 
tended  zeal  for  whom  they  were  ready  to  reject  Christianity,  and  to 
attempt  its  destruction.’  Doddr.  ( John  5:45 — 17.)  The  genera!  mean¬ 
ing  of  the  passage  is  here  compendiously  given  :  but  it  is  not  a  quota¬ 
tion,  properly  speaking,  either  from  the  Sept.,  or  the  Heb. ;  between 
which  there  is  no  material  difference.  Scott. 

(22.)  ‘  Peter  evidently  gives  them  to  understand,  that  Christ  was  a 
legislator,  giving  a  new  law,  the  Gospel,  to  supersede  the  old.’  Dt.  A.  C. 
No  Rabbin,  it  is  said,  refers  Moses’  prophecy  to  the  Messiah,  ana 
Ktiin.,  Ros.,  Dnthe,  &c.,  would  prove  that  Mnsesdid  not  mean  it  of  Hun, 
but  the  Ed.,  with  Snhoettgen,  & c„  &c.,  prefers  Peters  opinion,  here 
unequivocally  expressed.  See  Hengslenberg  Ed. 


A.  D.  S3. 


ACTS,  IV. 


The  ■priests  imprison  Peter  and  John. 


24  Yea,  and  all  the  prophets  from 
Samuel,  and  those  that  follow  after, 
as  many  as  have  spoken,  have  like¬ 
wise  foretold  of  these  days. 

25  Ye  \are  the  children  of  the 
prophets,  and  of  the  covenant 
which  God  made  with  our  fathers, 
saying  unto  Abraham,  And  bin  thy 
seed  shall  all  the  kindreds  of  the 
earth  be  blessed. 

26  Unto  cyou  first,  God,  having 
raised  up  his  Son  Jesus,  sent  him 
to  bless  you,  in  turning  away  d every 
one  of  you  from  his  iniquities. 

CHAP.  IV. 

1  The  rulers  of  the  Jews,  offended  with  Peter’s  sermon,  4 
(though  thousands  of  the  people  were  converted  that 
heard  the  Word,)  imprison  him  and  John.  5  After,  upon 
examination,  Peter  boldly  avouching  the  lame  man  to  be 
healed  by  the  name  of  Jesus,  and  that  by  the  same  Jesus 
only  we  must  be  eternally  savctl,  10  they  command  him 
and  John  to  preach  no  more  in  that  name,  adding  also 
threatening,  23  whereupon  the  church  fleeth  to  prayer. 
31  And  God,  by  moving  the  place  where  they  were  as¬ 
sembled,  testified  that  He  heard  their  prayer :  confirming 
the  church  with  the  gift  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  with  mu¬ 
tual  love  and  charity. 

AND  as  they  spake  unto  the 
people,  the  priests,  and  the 
a  captain  of  the  temple,  and  the 
bSadducees,  came  upon  them, 

2  Being  grieved  that  they  taught 
the  people,  and  preached  through 
Jesus  the  resurrection  from  the 
dead. 

3  And  they  laid  hands  on  them, 
and  put  them  in  hold  unto  the  next 
day  :  for  it  was  now  even-tide. 

a  Ro.  9:4.  15:8.  d  Is.  59:20.  Mat.  a  or,  ruler. 

b  Ge.  22:18.  1:21.  Tit.  2:11  b  Mat.  22:23. 

c  Mat.  10:5.  Lu.  —14.  c.  23:8. 

24:47. 

that  your  redemption  draws  nigh.  It  seems 
to  refer  to  this,  for  till  then  the  heavens  must 
receive  Him,  v.  21.  As  God’s  counsels  from 
eternity,  so  li is  predictions  from  the  begin¬ 
ning  of  time,  had  a  reference  to  the  transac¬ 
tions  of  the  last  day,  when  the  mystery  of 
God  shall  be  finished,  as  He  had  declared  to 
his  servants  the  prophets.  Rev.  10:  7. 

4.  He  tells  them  what  ground  they  had  to 
expect  these  things,  if  they  were  converted 


to  Christ.  They,  as  Israelites,  were,  above 
any  other,  God’s  favorite  nation,  and  the 
favors  God  bestowed  on  them  were  such  as 
had  a  reference  to  the  Messiah,  and  his  king¬ 
dom  ;  Ye  are  the  children  of  the  prophets,  and 
of  the  covenant.  A  double  privilege  !  They 
were  the  children,  that  is,  the  disciples,  of 
the  prophets,  as  children  at  school  ;  of  that 
people,  from  among  whom  the  prophets  were 
raised  up,  and  to  whom  all  prophets  were  sent, 
Amos,  2:11.  All  the  inspired  writers,  both 
of  the  Old  and  N.  2’.  were  of  the  seed  of 
Abraham  ;  and  to  them  ivere  committed  the 
oracles  of  God,  Rom.  3  :  2.  Their  govern¬ 
ment  was  constituted  by  prophecy,  i.  e.  by 
divine  revelation  ;  and  by  it  their  affairs 
were  for  many  ages  very  much  managed, 
Hos.  12  :  13.  Those  of  the  latter  ages  of 
the  church,  when  prophecy  had  ceased, might 
yet  he  fitly  called  the  children  of  the  prophets, 
because  they  heard,  though  they  did  not  know, 
the  voices  of  the  prophets,  which  were  read  in 
their  synagogues  every  sabbath-day,  Acts  13: 
27.  Now  this  should  quicken  them  to  em¬ 
brace  Christ,  and  they  might  hope  to  he  ac¬ 
cepted  of  Him  ;  for  their  own  prophets  had 
foretold,  that  this  grace  should  be  brought  unto 
them  at  the  revelation  of  Jesus  Christ,  1  Pet. 

1  :  13.  and  therefore  ought  not  to  be  neg¬ 
lected  by  them,  nor  should  he  denied  to 
them.  We  may  apply  it  particularly  to 
ministers’  children,  who,  if  they  plead  that 
effectually  with  themselves,  as  an  induce¬ 
ment  to  be  faithful  and  forward  in  religion, 
may  comfortably  plead  it  with  God,  and 
hope  that  the  children  of  God's  servants  shall 
continue.  They  were  the  children,  i.  e.  the 
heirs,  of  the  covenant  which  God  made  with 
our  fathers,  as  children  in  (he  family.  All 
the  kindreds  of  the  earth  were  blessed  in  having 
a  church  for  Christ  among  them  and  those 
that  were  the  seed  of  Abraham,  according  to 
the  flesh,  stood  fairest  for  this  privilege. 
They  had  the  first  offer  of  the  grace  of  the 
N.T.  an  encouragement  to  hope,  that,  if  they 
did  repent,  and  were  converted.  He  should  ha 
yet  further  sent  for  their  comfort,  v.  20.  He 
shall  send  Jesus  Christ,  for  to  you  first  He 
hath  sent  Him,  v.  26.  The  personal  ministry 
of  Christ,  as  that  of  the  prophets,  was  con¬ 
fined  to  the  Jews  ;  He  was  not  then  sent,  but 
to  the  lost  sheep  of  the  house  of  Israel,  and  He 
forbade  tile  disciples  He  then  sent  forth,  to  | 


go  any  further.  After  his  resurrection,  lie 
was  to  he  preached  indeed  to  all  nations,  but 
they  must  begin  at  Jerusalem,  Luke  24  :  47. 
And  when  they  went  to  other  nations,  they 
first  preached  to  the  Jews  they  found  there¬ 
in.  ‘  Therefore,  do  your  part  ;  repent,  and 
be  converted,  because  Christ  is  ready  to  do 
his,  in  turning  you  from  your  iniquities,  and 
so  blessing  you.’ 

Chap.  IV.  V.  1 — 4.  Surely  the  Scribe3 
and  Pharisees,  and  chief  priests,  were  so 
confounded  at  first  with  the  pouring  out  of 
i  the  Spirit,  that  they  were  for  a  time  struck 
dumb!  But  their  forces  rally  again,  and 
here  wef  have  an  encounter  between  them 
and  the  apostles;  for  from  the  beginning  the 
Gospel  met  with  opposition.  Let  Christ’s 
servants  he  ever  so  resolute,  Satan’s  agents 
will  he  spiteful  ;  and  therefore,  let  Satan’s 
agents  be  ever  so  spiteful,  Christ’s  servants 
ought  to  be  resolute. 

I.  Peter  and  John  went  on  in  their  work, 
and  not  in  vain.  They  spake  to  all  with¬ 
in  hearing,i).  1.  What  they  said,  concerned 
all,  and  they  spake  it  openly  and  publicly. 
This  doctrine  of  the  resurrection  of  the  dead, 
was  verified  in  Jesus  ;  this  they  proved, 
they  preached  it  as  their  warrant  for  what 
they  did.  It  is  secured  also  by  Christ  to  all 
believers.  The  resurrection  of  the  dead  in¬ 
cludes  all  the  happiness  of  the  future  state  ; 
this  they  preached  through  Jesus  Christ,  at¬ 
tainable  through  Him,  Phil.  3:10,  11.  and 
Him  only.  They  meddled  not  with  matters 
of  state,  but  preached  to  people  heaven 
as  their  end,  and  Christ  as  their  Way.  See 
ch.  17:  18. 

The  hearers  cheerfully  received  it,  v.  4. 
not  all,  perhaps  not  the  most,  yet  many,  to 
the  number  of  about  5000,  over  and  above 
3000  we  read  of  before.  Though  the  preach¬ 
ers  were  persecuted,  the  Word  prevailed  ; 
for  sometimes  the  church’s  suffering  days 
have  been  her  growing  days  ;  the  days  of 
her  infancy  were  so. 

II.  The  chief  priests  and  their  party, 
(always  sworn  enemies  to.  Christ  and  his 
Gospel,  as  jealous  for  their  priesthood  as 
Caesar  for  his  monarchy,)  now  made  head 
against  them,  and  did  what  they  could  to 
crush  them  ;  but  their  hearts  were  not 
changed.  The  captain  of  the  temple,  is  sup- 


PRACT.  OBS.  ‘Happy  are  those  whose  souls  are  so  formed  for  de¬ 
votion,  that  the  proper  returning  seasons  of  it,  whether  public  or  private, 
are  always  welcome  !  Doubly  delightful  that  friendship,  which,  like  this 
of  Peter  and  John,  is  endeared,  not  only  by  taking  sweet  counsel  togeth¬ 
er,  but  by  going  to  the  bouse  of  God  in  company.’  Ps.  55:14.  Doddk. 

The  stated  seasons  of  communion  with  God,  and  opportunities  of 
doing  good,  will  be  welcomed  with  alacrity,  proportioned  to  the  degree 
in  which  we  are  ‘spiritually  minded for  the  carnal  mind  alone  com¬ 
plains  of  the  tediousness  and  too  frequent  returns  of  these  sacred  ser¬ 
vices  ;  as  sickly  persons  even  loathe  the  sight  of  the  food,  which  the 
healthy  relish  and  enjoy.  Poverty  and  simplicity,  and  contempt  of 
filthy  lucre,  in  the  ministers  of  Christ,  are  far  better  proofs  of  integrity, 
than  affluence,  splendor,  and  luxury  :  and,  while  the  Lord  employs  oth¬ 
ers  as  his  stewards,  in  dispensing  wealth  to  relieve  the  necessities  of 
their  brethren ;  it  should  not  grieve  the  ‘steward  of  the  mysteries  of 
God,’  if  he  he  constrained  to  say  to  the  expecting  poor,  ‘  Silver  and 
gold  1  have  none,  but  such  as  I  have  I  give  unto  thee.’  If  we  would  at¬ 
tempt  to  good  purpose  the  healing  of  men’s  souls,  we  must  go  forth  in 
the  name  and  power  of  Jesus  Christ;  calling  on  helpless  sinners  to 
arise,  and  walk  in  the  way  of  holiness,  by  faith  in  Him.  Scott. 

‘Happy  the  minister  whose  heart  is  thus  intent  upon  all  opportunities 
of  doing  good,  as  these  holy  apostles  were  !  Happy  that  faithful  servant, 
who,  like  them,  arrogates  nothing  to  himself,  but  centers  the  praise  of 

V.  21 — 26.  It  is  not  necessary  to  prove,  that  predictions  concerning 
Christ  are  found  in  the  writings  of  every  one  of  the  prophets,  for  the 
words  imply  a  general,  not  a  universal,  proposition  :  yet  Jonah  and  Na¬ 
hum  alone  appear  to  be  exceptions;  for  Obndiah  certainly  is  not.  The 
nook  of  Jonah  is  n  history,  not  a  prophecy ;  and  he  was  a  remarkable 
type  of  Christ.  That  of  Nahum,  is  ‘the  burden  of  Nineveh,’  and  re¬ 
lates  expressly  as  a  prophecy  to  no  other  subject.  This  ch.  furnishes 
additional  and  very  striking  views  of  the  admirable  spirit,  which  actua¬ 
ted  and  fully  possessed  the  apostles,  after  the  day  of  Pentecost.  Be¬ 
hold  their  moderation  and  their  piety,  still  gladly  taking  part  in  the 
Jewish  worship  (1);  their  simplicity ,  perfectly  willing  to  be  and  to  pass 
for  poor  men  (6);  their  tenderness  to  the  afflicted  ;  (6,  7.)  their  indiffer¬ 
ence  to  themselves, and  zeal  for  their  Divine  Master;  (12,  13,  <tc.)  their 
boldness  ;  (13 — 15.)  yet,  withal,  their  candor  (17);  and  their  affection¬ 
ate  compassion  for  souls.  (19,  25,  26.) — What  do  we  want,  as  Christians 
or  as  ministers,  but  to  be  formed  to  such  blessed  tempers 'as  these,  thus 
happily  blended  together  ?  And  by  what  means  xvere  the  npostles 
formed  to  them,  but  by  the  influence  of  that  same  Spirit,  who  is  so  Hrm- 
lv  promised,  and  even  urgently  offered,  to  ‘every  one’  that  asks  his 


all  in  Him  who  is  the  great  Source  from  whom  every  good  and  perfect 
gift  proceeds  !  Happy  the  man  who  is  himself  willing  to  be  forgotten 
and  overlooked,  that  God  may  be  remembered  and  owned  ! 

‘  May  [“  this  Jesus  of  Nazareth  ”]  strengthen  the  feeble  power  of  fallen 
nature,  while  we  are  attempting  to  raise  men  up  ;  and  may  spiritual 
health  and  vigor,  when  restored,  be  improved  in  God’s  service  and  thank¬ 
ful  acknowledgments. — We  are  not  to  wonder,  that,  as  the  name  of  Je¬ 
sus,  their  great  Deliverer,  is  incomparably  precious  to  all  that  truly  be¬ 
lieve,  such  have  also  some  peculiarly  tender  friendships  for  the  persons 
by  whose  means  He  has  wrought  this  good  work  upon  them.  May  many 
such  friendships  be  formed  now,  and  be  perfected  in  glory  !  ’  Doddr. 

Let  not  sinners  imagine,  that  religion  calls  them  to  be  uneasy  and 
unhappy ;  but  rather  that  it  kindly  offers  to  guide  them  to  true  telicity. 
I.et  none  suppose  that  they  can  be  happy,  by  continuing  in  sin  ;  when 
God  declares,  that  the  blessing  consists  in  being  ‘  turned  from  their  ini¬ 
quities.’  Let  none  think  that  they  understand  and  believe  the  Gospel, 
who  seek  deliverance  only  from  the  punishment  of  sin,  hut  do  not  ex¬ 
pect  happiness  by  salvation  from  sin  itself:  and  let  none  expect,  to  be 
turned  effectually  from  their  constitutional  or  customary  iniquities,  ex¬ 
cept  by  believing  in  Christ  the  .Son  of  God,  being  ‘found  in  Him,’  ‘  who 
of  God  is  made  to’  all  believers,  ‘Wisdom,  and  Righteousness,  and 
Sanctification,  and  Redemption.’  Scott. 


presence  ? — This  also  repels  the  suspicion  of  enthusiasm.  Where  is  ihe 
waywardness  or  self-sufliciency  of  an  enthusiast  ?  On  the  contrary, 
moderation,  candor,  and  modesty,  are  united  with  most  decided  courage, 
and  most  fervent  zeal,  in  the  conduct  of  the  apostles.  Scott. 

(24.)  ‘  The  Jews  called  prophets  and  teachers  fathers.'  Bloomf. 

(25.)  (  You  have  peculiar  obligations  to  regard  and  improve  these  our 
declarations,  as  you  are  the  children,  <fec.’  Doddridge. 

(26.1  To  bless ,  &c.]  ‘  Blessing  you,  in  each  one  turning  axvay  from  his 
wickednesses.’  Each,  who  did  this  at  that  time,  or  does  it  at  any  time, 
is  blessed  by  Christ;  but  none  else.  This  seems  the  purport  of  the 
words.  Scott.  ‘  The  Covenant  salvation  is  from  sin,  not  from  the 
Romans.'*  Dr.  A.  Clarke. 

NOTES.  Chap.  IV.  V.  1.  Captain .]  The  prefect  of  those  priests 
and  Levites  xvho  kept  guard  in  the  temple.  It  was  his  duty  to  see  there 
was  no  tumult  in  it.  Mat.  26:47.  Luke  22:4.  So  Deyling,  Sch/eus., 
Campb.,  Kuin.,  Scott,  <fcc.  Ed. 

V.  3.  Eventide.]  ‘  Hespera  :  afternoon,  it  is  used  like  the  Heb.  nreb 
of  all  the  afternoon  hours.  The  Hebrews  had  two  Hesperai,  the  first 
[about]  three,  the  last  about  six  o’clock.’  Kvix. 


A.  D.  33. 


ACTS,  IV.  'Peter  and  John  examined  by  the  Sanhedrim. 


4  Howbeit,  many  cof  them  which 
heard  the  word  believed  ;  and  the 
number  of  the  men  was  about  five 
thousand. 

5  TT  And  it  came  to  pass  on  the 
morrow,  that  their  rulers,  and  el¬ 
ders,  and  scribes, 

6  And  Annas  dthe  high  priest, 
and  Caiaphas,  and  John,  and  Alex¬ 
ander,  and  as  many  as  were  of  the 
kindred  of  the  high  priest,  were 
gathered  together  at  Jerusalem. 

7  And  when  they  had  set  them 
in  the  midst,  they  asked,  By  e  what 
power,  or  by  what  name,  have  ye 
done  this  ? 

8  Then  Peter,  filled  f  with  the 
Holy  Ghost,  said  unto  them,  Ye 
rulers  of  the  people,  and  elders  of 
Israel, 

9  If  we  this  day  be  examined  of 
the  good  deed  done  to  the  impotent 
man,  by  what  means  he  is  made 
whole  ; 

10  Be  it  "known  unto  you  all,  and 
to  all  the  people  of  Israel,  that  s  by 
the- name  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Naz¬ 
areth,  whom  ye  crucified,  whom 
God  raised  from  the  dead,  even  by 
him  doth  this  man  stand  here  be¬ 
fore  you  whole. 

c  c.  28:24.  e  Mat.  81:83.  g  c.  3.6,15. 

d  Jn.  18:13.  f  c.  7:55. 


posed  to  be  a  Roman  officer,  governor  of 
tile  garrison  placed  in  the  tower  of  Antonia, 
for  the  guard  of  the  temple  :  so  that  still  here 
were  both  Jews  and  Gentiles  confederate 
against  Christ.  The  Saddxicees  also  were 
zealous  against  them,  who  denied  the  being 
of  spirits,  and  the  future  state.  ‘  One  would 
wonder  (saith  Mr.Baxter)  what  should  make 
such  krutists,  as  the  Sadducees  were,  such 
furious  silencers  and  persecutors.  If  there 
is  no  life  to  come,  what  harm  can  other 
men’s  hopes  of  it  do  them  1  But  in  deprav¬ 
ed  souls  all  faculties  are  vitiated.  A  blind 
mind  lids  a  malignant  heart  and  a  cruel 
hand,  to  this  day.’ 

It  grieved  these,  both  that  the  gospel-doc¬ 
trine  was  preached,  and  so  publicly,  so  bold¬ 
ly,  and  that  the  people  were  so  ready  to  hear 
it  :  for  they  thought,  when  they  had  put 
Christ  to  such  an  ignominious  drafA,his  dis¬ 
ciples  would  ever  after  be  ashamed  and 
afraid  to  own  Him,  and  the  people  would 
have  invincible  prejudices  against  his  doc¬ 
trine,  Ps.  112: 10.  It  grieved  them  that  the 
apostles  preached  through  Jesus  the  resurrec¬ 
tion  from  the  dead.  The.  Sadducees  opposed 
that  doctrine,  and  could  not  bear  to  hear  of 
a  future  state,  to  hear  it  so  well  attested. 
The  chief  priests,  though  they  professed  to 
believe  the  resurrection  of  the  dead  against 


the  Sadducees,  yet  they  would  rather  give 
up  that  important  article  than  have  it 
preached  and  proved  to  be  through  Jesus. 

They,  i.  e.  their  servants  and  officers,  laid 
hands  on  them,  and  put  them  in  hold,  com¬ 
mitted  them  to  the  custody  of  the  proper 
officer  until  the  next  day  ;  they  could  not  ex¬ 
amine  them  now,  for  it  was  even-tide,  and 
yet  would  defer  it  no  longer  than  till  next 
day.  See  how  God  trains  up  his  servants 
for  sufferings  by  degrees,  and  by  less  trials 
prepares  them  for  greater  ;  now  they  re¬ 
sist  unto  bonds  only,  but  afterwards  to  blond. 

V.  5 — 14.  We  ha-ve  here  the  trial  of  Pe¬ 
ter  and  John.  Preaching  Jesus  Christ,  and 
working  a  miracle  in  his  name,  this  is 
charged  upon  them  as  a  crime. 

I.  Here  is  the  court  set  ;  an  extraordi¬ 
nary  court,  it  should  seem,  called  on  purpose 
on  this  occasion.  The  judges  were  the  rulers, 
elders,  and  Scribes,  v.  5.  The  Scribes  were 
men  of  learning,  who  came  to  dispute,  and 
hoped  to  confound  them.  The  rulers  and  elders 
were  men  in  power,  who,  if  they  could  not 
answer,  thought  they  could  silence  them. 
The  names  of  some  of  the  most  considera¬ 
ble  ;  Annas,  president  of  the  Sanhedrim, 
and  Caiaphas,  the  high  priest,  (though  An¬ 
nas  is  here  called  so,)  and  father  of  the  house 
of  judgment.  It  should  seem,  that  Annas 
and  Caiaphas  executed  the  high  priest’s 
office  alternately,  year  for  year  ;  they  two 
were  most  active  against  Christ  ;  then  Ca¬ 
iaphas  was  high  priest,  now  Annas  was. 
John  is  supposed  to  he  the  son  of  Annas  ; 
and  Alexander  is  mentioned  by  Josephus, 
as  a  man  that  made  a  figure  at  that  time. 
There  were  others  likewise  that  were  of  the 
kindred  of  the  high  priest,  who,  having  de¬ 
pendence  on  him,  and  expectations  from 
him,  would  be  sure  to  say  as  he  said,  and 
vote  with  him  against  the  apostles.  Great 
relations,  and  not  good,  have  been  a  snare  to 
many. 

II.  The  prisoners  are  arraigned,  v.  7. 

1.  They  are  brought  to  the  bar;  set  in  the 
midst,  for  the  Sanhedrim  sat  in  a  circle,  and 
they  who  had  anything  to  do  in  the  court, 
stood  or  sat  in  the  midst  of  them,  Luke  2:46. 
so  Lightfoot.  Thus  the  Scripture  was  ful¬ 
filled,  Ps.  22:  16.  Ps.  118:12.  They  were 
seated  on  every  side. 

2.  The  question  they  asked  them,  was  the 
same  they  had  asked  their  Master,  Mat.  21: 
23.  ‘  Who  Commissioned  you  to  preach  such 
a  doctrine  as  this,  and  empowered  you  to 
work  such  a  miracle  as  this  1  You  have  no 
warrant  or  license  from  us,  and  therefore 
are  accountable  to  us  whence  you  have  your 
warrant.’  Some  think  this  question  was 
grounded  on  a  fond  conceit,  that  the  very 
naming  of  some  names  might  do  wonders, 
as  ch.  ID:  13.  The  Jewish  exorcists  used 
the  name  of  Jesus.  Now  they  would  know 
what  name  they  used  in  their  cure  ;  they 
knew  very  well,  v.  2.  yet  they  ask  them,  to 
tease  them,  and  try  if  they  could  get  any¬ 
thing  out  of  them  that  looked  criminal. 

III.  Their  plea,  not  so  much  to  clear  and  | 


secure  themselves,  as  to  advance  the  name 
and  honor  of  their  Master.  The  apostles, 
with  a  holy  negligence  of  their  own  preser¬ 
vation,  set  themselves  to  preach  Christ,  as 
He  had  directed  them  to  do  in  such  a  case, 
and  then  Christ  made  good  to  them  his 
promise,  that  the  Holy  Ghost  should  give 
them  in  that  same  hour  whot  they  should  speak. 
Christ’s  faithful  advocates  shall  never  want 
instructions,  Mark  13:11.  The  plea  is  a 
solemn  declaration, 

1.  That  what  they  did  was  in  the  name  of 
Jesus  Christ,  which  was  a  direct  answer  to 
the  question  the  court  asked  them,  v.  9,  10. 
‘  Now  if  we  he  reckoned  with  for  this  good 
deed,  we  have  no  reason  to  he  ashamed,  1 
Pet.  2:20.  ch.  4:14,  16.  Let  them  be 
ashamed,  who  bring  us  into  trouble  for  it.’ 
Me  transfers  all  the  praise  and  glory  of  that 
good  deed  to  Jesus  Christ,  lie  charges  it  on 
the  judges  themselves,  that  they  had  been 
the  murderers  of  this  Jesus.  Peter  will 
miss  no  occasion  to  convince  them  of  sin. 
lie  attests  the  resurrection  of  Christ  ns  the 
strongest  testimony  for  Him,  and  against 
his  persecutors.  He  tells  them,  that  God 
raised  Him  from  the  dead,  and  they  could  not 
for  shame  answer  him  with  that  foolish  sug¬ 
gestion,  that  they  palmed  on  the  people, 
that  his  disciples  came  by  night  and  stole  Him 
away.  He  commands  ail  manner  of  persons, 
from  the  highest  to  the  lowest,  to  notice  it 
at  their  peril  ;  ‘  Be  it  kntrwn  to  you  all,  all 
here  present,  all  the  people  of  Israel,  wherever 
dispersed  ;  as  the  Lord  God  of  gods  knows, 
so  Israel  shall  know,  all  Israel,  that  wonders 
are  wrought  in  the  name  of  Jesus,  not  by 
repeating  it  as  a  charm,  but  believing  in  it 
as  a  divine  revelation  of  grace  and  good¬ 
will  to  men.’ 

2.  That  the  name  of  this  Jesus,  by  the 
authority  of  which  they  acted,  is  that  name 
alone  by  which  men  can  be  saved.  He  passes 
from  this  particular  instance  to  show,  that  it 
is  not  a  particular  sect,  a  party,  that  is  de¬ 
signed  to  he  set  up  by  the  doctrine  they 
preached,  and  the  miracle  they  wrought,  as 
the  sects  of  the  philosophers,  and  those 
among  the  Jew?  ;  hut  it  is  a  sacred  and  di¬ 
vine  institution  that  is  hereby  ratified  and 
confirmed,  and  w  hich  all  people  are  highly 
concerned  to  submit  to,  and  come  into  the 
measures  of.  It  is  not  an  indifferent  thing, 
but.  of  an  absolute  necessity,  that  people  be¬ 
lieve  in  this  name,  and  call  upon  it;  we  are 
obliged  to  it,  in  duty  to  God,  and  in  compli¬ 
ance  with  his  designs,  v.  11.  Probably, 
Peter  chose  to  use  this  quotation,  because 
Christ  had  Himself  used  it  in  answer  to  the 
demand  of  the  chief  priests  and  the  elders 
concerning  his  authority,  not  long  before. 
Mat.  21:42.  Scripture  is  a  tried  weapon 
in  our  spiritual  conflicts  ;  let  us  therefore 
stick  to  it.  V/e  are  undone  if  we  do  uot 
take  shelter  in  this  name  ;  for  we  cannot  be 
saved  but  by  Jesus  Christ,  and  if  we  be  not 
eternally  saved,  Wc  are  eternally  undone,  v. 
12.  Neither  is  there  salvation  in  any  other. 
There  is  no  other  religion  in  the  world,  no, 


V.  t.  Some  think,  that  5000  were  converted  on  this  occasion;  hat  it 
rather  seems,  that  this  number  was  then  completed ;  for  it  is  not  likely, 
that  any  one  day  should  be  honored  with  greater  success,  than  that  on 
which  the  Holy  Spirit  first  descended:  nor  do  the  words  convey" that 
idea  to  the  mind,  but  rather  that  1  the  number  became  about  5000  yet 
they  imply,  that  the  women  and  children  were  not  included.  Scott. — 
'  Hut  ondrun  [tr.  men]  may  mean  either  virorum,or  hominum.'  Blonmf, 
who,  with  Camerarius,  Pise.,  Doddr.,  Ros.,  and  Ruin.,  Includes  the 
S000.  Eo. 

V.  5 — 12.  Caiaphas  seems  to  have  performed  the  ordinary  functions 
of  the  high  priesthood,  nnd  Annas  to  have  had  the  greater  influence  and 
authority  in  the  council.  [‘It  seems  most  probable,  that  Annas  was  the 
vicar  or  deputy  of  Caiaphas  the  high  priest,  and  \yas  also,  by  courtesy, 
styled  high  priest.’  B/oomf.]  ‘The  kindred  of  the  high  priest,’  must 
have  been  different  persons  from  the  beads  of  the  24  courses;  as  many 
of  these  were  no  more  his  kindred,  than  all  the  other  priests  were  ;  i.  e., 
they  were  descended  from  Aaron,  either  by  Eieazar,  or  Ithamnr. — 
Some  learned  men  have  labored  to  prove,  that  healing ,  or  t he  cure  of 
bodily  disorders,  is  meant  in  the  concluding  v. ;  and  not  eternal  salva¬ 
tion;  because  the  same  qriginal  word  in  some  instances  signifies  heal¬ 
ing.  In  fact,  it  denotes  deliverance ,  whether  from  disease,  slavery,  death, 
or  damnation  ;  nnd  the  context  must  fix  the  meaning.  But  in  this  place, 
the  miracle  of  the  man  who  had  been  healed,  was  merely  adduced  as  a 
proof  that  Jesus  was  risen  from  the  dead,  and  was  consequently  the 


Messiah,  the  Son  of  God,  ami  the  only  Savior  for  sinners.  The  aposlles, 
the  rulers,  and  audience,  did  not  want  miraculous  cures  of  bodily  diseas¬ 
es;  but  iliey  all  needed  a  Savior  and  salvation:  the  name  of  Jesus  is 
given  to  men  of  every  age  and  nation,  as  that  by  which  alone  believers 
are  saved  from  the  wrath  to  come,  and  ‘-with  mi  everlasting  salvation  ;’ 
not  from  bodily  sickness  and  temporal  death.  [See,  too,  Doddr.]  Indeed, 
every  reader  must  perceive,  what  energy  there  was  in  the  address  to  the 
consciences  of  these  persecutors,  according  to  the  obvious  interpreta¬ 
tion  of  it;  and  how  this  vain  criticism  enervates  it,  and  causes  all  its 
spirit  and  vigor  to  evaporate. — The  insertion  of  you,  in  quoting  the 
prophecy  (11)  was  very  pointed.  It  was  saying  to  each  of  them,  ‘Thou 
art  tile  man.' — (11)  This  is  the  stone,  &c.]  Nearly  from  the  Sept., 
which  agrees  with  the  Ileb.  Ps.  118:22.  Scott. 

(6.)  ‘  John  might  be  (as  IJghtf.  thinks)  the  celebrated  Rabbi,  Jocha- 

nan  Ben  Zaccai,  of  the  Talmud,  a  scholar  ofJJillel.’  Doddr.  '‘Alexander 
is  thought  by  Pearson,  Krebs,  Doddr.,  and  Mangey,  to  have  been  brotli- 
erto  the  celebrates  I’hilo  Judtens,  frequently  mentioned  by  Jos.'  Bloom/. 
Kindred,  &r..]  ‘  Luke  mentions  this  to  shov*  how  powerful  were  their 
enemies.’  Ros.,  Kuin.  ,  , 

(7.1  Name,  &c.)  . . . *nA 


‘The  Jewish  exorcists 'then  cast  out  devils,  and 
healed  dangerous  disorders,  not  merely  by  the  use  of  medicaments,  but 
bv  employing  various  formulas  of  Incantation,  as,  for  instance,  the  name 
of  Solomon,  Abraham,  Isaac,  Jacob,  or  God.’  kuin. 


(10.)  Stand  here.]  ’  ‘  They  had,  it  seems,  sent  for  the  man.’ 


[19] 


A.  D.  33. 


ACTS,  IV. 


Answer  of  Peter  and  John  to  the  Council. 

% 


1 1  This  is  the  stone  h  which  was 
set  at  nought  of  you  builders,  which 
is  become  the  head  of  the  corner. 

12  Neither- is  their  salvation  in 
any  other  :  for  1  there  is  none  other 
i  name  under  heaven  given  among 
men,  whereby  we  must  be  saved. 

13  If  Now  when  they  saw  the 
boldness  of  Peter  and  *John,  and 
perceived  that  they  were  k  unlearn¬ 
ed  and  ignorant  men,  they  marvel¬ 
led  ;  and  they  took  knowledge  of 
them,  that  they  had  been  with  Jesus. 

14  And  beholding  the  man  which 
was  healed  standing  with  them, 
they  could  say  nothing  'against  it. 

15  But  when  they  had  command¬ 
ed  them  to  go  aside  out  of  the  coun¬ 
cil,  they  conferred  among  them¬ 
selves, 

16  Saying,  m  What  shall  we  do 
to  these  men  ?  for  that  indeed  a 
notable  miracle  hath  been  done  by 
them  is  manifest  to  all  them  that 
dwell  in  Jerusalem  ;  and  we  cannot 
deny  it. 

17  But  that  it  spread  no  farther 
among  the  people,  let  us  straitly 
threaten  them,  that  n  they  speak 
henceforth  to  no  man  in  this  name. 

18  And  they  called  them,  and 
commanded  them  not  to  speak  at 
all  nor  teach  in  the  name  of  Jesus. 

19  But  Peter  and  John  answered 
and  said  unto  them,  Whether  it  be 
right  in  the  sight  of  God  to  0  heark¬ 
en  unto  you  more  than  unto  God, 
judge  ye. 

20  For  p  we  cannot  but  speak  the 
things  which  ’  we  have  seen  and 


heard. 

21  So  when  they  had  further 
threatened  them,  they  let  them  go, 
finding  nothing  how  they  might 
punish  them,  because  r  of  the  peo¬ 
ple 

that  which  was  done. 


for  all  men  glorified  God  for 


h  Ps.  118:22.  Is. 
28:16.  Mat.21: 

42. 

i  c.  10:43.  1  Ti. 
2:5,6. 

1  Ps,  45:17. 


k  Mat.  11:25. 

1  Co.  1:27. 

1  c.  19:36 
m  Jn.  11:47. 
n  c.  5:40. 
o  c.  5:29. 


p  Je.  20:9. 
q  c.  2*2:15.1  Jn.l: 
1,3. 

r  Mat.  21:26.  c. 
5:26. 


not  that  delivered  by  Moses,  by  which  sal¬ 
vation  can  be  had  for  those  that  do  not  now 
come  into  this,  at  the  preaching  of  it.  So 
Dr.  Hammond.  Observe  here,  Our  salva¬ 
tion  is  our  chief  concern,  and  that  is  not  in 
ourselves,  nor  can  be  obtained  by  any  merit 
or  strength  of  our  own  ;  we  can  destroy 
ourselves,  but  we  cannot  save  ourselves. 
H  ow  far  those  who  have  not  the  knowledge 
of  Christ,  nor  any  actual  faith  in  Him,  yet 
live  up  to  the  light  they  have,  may  find 
favor  with  God,  it  is  not  our  business  to  de¬ 
termine.  But  this  we  know,  that,  what¬ 
ever  saving  favor  such  may  receive,  it  is  on 
the  account  of  Christ,  and  for  his  sake  only; 
so  that  still  there  is  no  salvation  in  any  other. 


I  have  surnamed  thee,  though  thou  hast  not 
known  Me.  Is.  45:4. 

IV.  The  stand  the  court  was  put  to,  v. 
13,  14.  Now  was  fulfilled  that  promise 
Christ  made,  that  He  would  give  them  a 
mouth  and,  wisdom,  such  as  all  their  adversa¬ 
ries  should  not  be  able  to  gainsay  or  resist. 

1.  They  could  not  deny  the  cure  of  the 
lame  man  to  be  both  a  good  deed  and  a  mira¬ 
cle  J  he  w'as  there,  standing  with  Peter  and 
John,  ready  to  attest  the  cure,  if  there  was 
occasion,  and  they  had  nothing  to  say  against 
it,  v.  14.  either  to  disprove  or  disparage  it. 

2.  They  could  not,  with  all  their  pomp 
and  power,  face  down  Feterand  John;  this 
was  a  miracle  not  inferior  to  the  cure  of  the 
lame  man,  considering  both  what  cruel, 
bloody  enemies  these  priests  had  been  to  the 
name  of  Christ,  and  considering  what  cow¬ 
ardly,  faint-hearted  advocates  those  disciples 
had  lately  been  for  Him,  Peter  particularly; 
yet  now  they  see  the  boldness  of  Peter  and 
John,  v.  13.  Probably,  there  was  something 
extraordinary  and  very  surprising  in  their 
looks,  something  majestic  in  their  foreheads, 
sparkling  in  their  eyes,  and  commanding,  if 
not  terrifying,  in  their  voice.  They  set  their 
faces  like  a  flint,  as  the  prophet,  Is.  50:7.  Ez. 
3:  8.  The  courage  of  Christ’s  faithful  con¬ 
fessors  has  often  been  the  confusion  of  their 
cruel  persecutors.  Now, 

(1.)  We  are  here  told  what  increased 
their  wonder;  They  perceived  that  they  were 
unlearned  and  ignorant  men  :  they  inquired 
either  of  themselves  or  others,  and  found 
that  they  w'ere  of  mean  extraction,  born  in 
Galilee,  bred  fishermen,  and  not  at  the  feet 
of  any  of  the  Rabbins,  nay,  perhaps,  talk  to 
them  on  any  point  in  natural  philosophy, 
mathematics,  or  politics,  and  you  will  find 
they  know  nothing  of  the  matter  ;  and  yet 
speak  to  them  of  the  Messiah  and  his  king¬ 
dom,  and  they  speak  with  so  much  clear¬ 
ness,  evidence,  and  assurance,  so  pertinent¬ 
ly,  and  so  fluently,  and  are  so  ready  in  the 
Scriptures  of  the  O.  T.  relating  to  it,  that  the 
most  learned  judge  on  the  bench  is  notable 
to  answer  them,  or  to  enter  the  lists  with 
them.  They  were  ignorant  men, — private 
men,  (so,  perhaps,  the  Gr.)  that  had  not 
any  public  character  or  employment;  there¬ 
fore  they  wondered  they  should  have  such 
high  pretensions. 

(2.)  We  are  told  what  made  their  won- 
der  in  a  great  measure  to  cease  ;  they  took 
knovjledge  of  them  that  they  had  been  with  Je¬ 
sus  ;  they  themselves  had  seen  them  with 
Hi  in  in  the  temple,  and  now  recollected  it, 
or  some  informed  them  of  it.  And  now  they 
knew  what  to  impute  their  boldness  to;  nay", 
their  boldness  in  divine  things  was  enough 
to  show  with  whom  they  had  had  their  ed¬ 
ucation.  Those  that  have  been  with  Jesus,  in 
converse  and  communion,  have  been  attend¬ 
ing  on  bis  Word,  praying  in  his  name,  and 
celebrating  the  memorials  of  his  death  and 
resurrection,  should  conduct  themselves,  in 
every  thing,  so  that  those  who  converse  with 
them  may  take  knowledge  -of  them,  that  they 
have  been  with  Jesus.  And  that  makes  them 
so  holy,  and  heavenly,  and  spiritual,  and 
cheerful  ;  that  has  raised  them  so  much 
above  this  world,  and  filled  them  with 
another.  One  may  know  that  they  have 
been  in  the  mount,  by  the  shining  of  their 
faces. 


V.  15 — 22.  We  have  here  the  Issue  of  the 
trial. 

I.  The  consultation  and  resolution  of  the 
court,  and  their  proceeding  thereupon. 

1.  The  prisoners  were  ordered  to  with¬ 
draw,  v.  15.  the  court  were  willing  enough 
to  get  clear  of  them,  and  not  willing  they 
should  hear  the  acknowledgments  extorted 
from  them. 

2.  A  debate  arose  ;  they  conferred  among 
thimsclves.  The  question  was,  What  shall 
we  do  to  these  men,  v.  16.  When  men  will 
not  be  persuaded  to  do  what  they  should  do, 
no  marvel  they  are  ever  and  anon  at  a  loss 
what  to  do.  The  truths  of  Christ,  if  men 
would  but  entertain  them  as  they  should, 
would  give  them  no  manner  of  trouble  or 
uneasiness ;  but  if  they  hold  them,  or  imprison 
them,  in  unrighteousness,  Rom.  1:18.  they 
will  find  them  a  burdensome  stone,  that  they 
will  not  know  what  to  do  with,  Zech.  12:3. 

3.  They  came  at  last  to  a  resolution,  in 
two  things.  (1.)  That  it  was  not  safe  to 
punish  the  apostl.es  for  what  they  had  done; 
they  stood  now  in  as  much  awe  as  they  hnd 
formerly,  when  they  durst  not  lay  hands  on 
Christ  for  fear  of  the  people  ;  for  it  was  a 
notable,  miracle,  a  known  miracle,  known  to 
have  been  done  in  Christ's  name,  and  in 
proof  of  his  doctrine;  this  was  an  opinion 
universally  received,  and  (he  miracle  being 
wrought  at  the  gate  of  the  temple,  universal 
notice  was  taken  of  it;  and  they  themselves, 
with  all  the  craft  and  all  the  front  they  had, 
could  not  deny  it  to  be  a  true  miracle;  every 
body  would  have  hooted -at  them  if  they  had. 
They  could  easily  deny  it  to  their  own  con¬ 
sciences,  but  not  to  the  world.  The  proofs 
of  the  Gospel  were  undeniable.  Even  those 
that  were  not  persuaded  by  it  to  believe  in 
Christ,  were  yet  so  affected  with  it  as  a  mer¬ 
cy  to  a  poor  man,  and  an  honor  to  their 
country,  that  they  could  not  hut  praise  God 
for  it;  even  natural  religion  taught  them  to 
do  that.  And  if  the  priests  had  punished 
Peter  and  John,  for  that  for  which  all  men 
glorified  God,  they  would  have  lost  all  their 
interest  in  the  people,  and  been  abandoned 
as  enemies  both  to  God  and  man.  Thus, 
therefore,  their  wrath  shall  be  made  to  praise 
God,  and  the  remainder  thereof  shall  be  re¬ 
strained..  (2.)  That  it  is  necessary  to  silence 
them  for  the  future,  v.  17,  18.  God  will 
have  the  knowledge  of  Christ  spread  all  the 
world  over,  but  the  chief  priests  would  have 
it  spread  no  further,  which  He  that  sits  in 
heaven  laughs  at.  There  is  not  a  greater 
service  done  to  the  devil’s  kingdom,  than  the 
silencing  of  faithful  ministers,  and  the  put¬ 
ting  them  under  a  bushel  that  are  the  lights 
of  the  world.  Christ  had  not  only  charged 
them  to  preach  the  Gospel  to  every  creature, 
but  had  promised  to  bear  tlfem  out  in  it,  and 
reward  them  for  it.  Now  these  priests  not 
only  forbid  them  to  preach  the  Gospel,  but 
threaten  to  punish  it  as  a  heinous  crime  ; 
but  those  who  know  how  to  put  a  just  value 
on  Christ’s  promises,  know  how  to  put  a 
just  contempt  on  the  world’s  threatenings, 
though  they  be  of  slaughter,  ch.  9:1. 

II.  The  courageous  resolution  of  the  pris¬ 
oners  to  go  on  in  their  work,  notwithstand¬ 
ing,  v.  19,  20.  Peter  and  John  needed  not 
confer  together ,  to  know  one  another’s  minds, 
(for  they  were  both  actuated  by  one  and  the 
same  Spirit,)  but  agree  presently  in  the 


(11.)  The  head  of  the  corner,  ‘  to  which  the  whole  building  owes  its 
strength,  Us  union,  and  its  beauty.’  Doddridge. 

V.  13 — 22.  Ignorant .]  ‘  IdiOtai :  opposed  to  the  learned,  it  means  il¬ 
literate;  to  persons  of  rank,  the  low  ;  to  persons  in  olilce,  private  and 
plebeian  persons,  us  here.’  Bloomf.  But  it  is  true,  that  the  apostles  were, 
before  this  body,  idiotai  in  all  these  senses.  Eo.—  Unlearned  and  igno¬ 
rant.]  1  This,  for  three  cenniries,  was  the  objection  agninst  the  profess¬ 
ors  of  Christianity  :  ..  .  yet  it  is  a  great  confirmation  of  the  Christian 
faith  ;  and  shows,  as  Justin  Martyr  well  observes,  that  it  was  not  of  hu¬ 
man,  but  divine  original ;  and  that  being  witli  Jesus  was  sufilcient  to 
make  the  ignorant  and  unlearned  wise.’  Whitby. — The  instantaneous 
recovery  of  one  born  a  cripple,  and  now  more  than  40  years  old,  was  a 
most  astonishing  effect  of  divine  power  ! — ‘  Not  onlv  the  energetic  and 
conclusive  discourses  of  the  apostles  are  admirable  ;  but  the  “  meekness 
of  wisdom,”  united  with  firmness,  which  distinguish  all  their  replies  ; — 
[20] 


replies  often  made  to  persons,  whose  presence  must  have  been  suited  to 
daunt  men  of  their  station  and  their  habits.  They  never  shrink,  and 
they  are  never  disrespectful.  They  refuse  to  comply  with  the  injunc¬ 
tions  of  their  hostile  superiors  no  further,  than  they  feel  themselves 
compelled  to  it  by  the  imperious  sense  of  duty.  Their  coolness,  and 
self-possession,  in  the  presence  of  persecutors,  is  not  that  affected  and 
ostentatious,  and  of  course  irritating  coolness,  which  some  have  display¬ 
ed  ;  whose  conduct  seemed  to  say,  “  See  how  indifferent  we  are  to  you! 
how  much  we  arc  your  superiors  !  In  fact,  how  much  we  despise  you  !  ” 
This  invites  persecution;  whereas  the  apostles  always  declined  and 
avoided  it,  if  they  could.— This  smiling,  self-complacent  coolness  may  be 
as  very  a  working  of  corrupt  nature,  as  fleeing  from  the  cross  ;  and  not  a 
much  more  difficult  working,  in  certain  circumstances.  It  lives  upon  its 
own  admiration,  and  the  admiration  which  it  expects  from  by-standers  ; 
food  which  will  support  nothing  that  “  belongs  to  the  Spirit.”  ’—It  should 


A.  D.  S3. 


ACTS,  IV. 


Prayer  is  offered  to  God  for  his  aid. 


22  For  the  man  was  above  forty 
years  old,  on  whom  this  miracle  of 
healing  \yas  shewed. 

23  IF 'And  being  let  go,  they  went 
•to  their  own  company,  and  report¬ 
ed  all  that  the  chief  priests  and  el¬ 
ders  had  said  unto  them. 

24  And  when  they  heard  that, 
tl^ey  lifted  up  their  voice  to  God 
with  one  accord,  and  said,  Lord, 

1  thou  art  God,  which  hast  made 
heaven,  and  earth,  and  the  sea,  and 
all  that  in  them  is  : 

25  Who  by  the  mouth  of  thy  ser¬ 
vant  David  hast  said,  Why  “did  the 
heathen  rage,  and  the  people  im¬ 
agine  vain  things  ? 

26  The  kings  of  the  earth  stood 
up,  anil  the  rulers  were  gathered 
together  against  the  Lord,  and 
against  his  Christ. 

_  27  For  of  a  truth,  against  thy 
holy  child  Jesus,  whom  thou  hast 
anointed,  both  v  Herod,  and  Pontius 
Pilate,  with  the  Gentiles,  and  the 
people  of  Israel,  were  gathered  to¬ 
gether, 

23  For  w  to  do  whatsoever  thy 
hand  and  thy  counsel  determined 
1  before  to  be  done. 

.29  And  now,  Lord,  behold  their 
threatetiiogs  :  and  grant  unto  thy 
servants,  that  with  all  ?  boldness 
they  may  speak  thy  word, 

8  c.2:44 — 46.  w  c.  3:18.  y  ver.  13,31.  c.14: 

t  2  K.  19:15.  x  Pr.  21:30.  Ia.  3.  28:31.  £p. 

u  Pa.  2:1,2.  46:10.  53:10.  6  19. 

v  Lu.  23:1 — 8,&c. 

same  sentiments,  and  jointly  put  in  the  an¬ 
swer;  and  justify  themselves  in  still  preach¬ 
ing  on  with  two  things. 

1.  The  command  of  God  ;  Here  they  ap¬ 
peal  to  a  settled  and  ackfiowl edged  maxim  in 
the  law  of  nature,  that  if  men’s  commands 
and  God’s  interfere,  God’s  commands  must 
take  place.  It  is  a  rule  in  the  common  law 
of  England,  that  if  any  statute  be  made  con¬ 
trary  to  the  law  of  God,  it  is  null  and  void. 
Nothing. can  be  more  absurd  than  to  hearken 
unto  weak  and  fallible  men,  that  are  fellow- 
creatures  and  fellow-subjects,  more  than  unto 
a  God  that  is  infinitely  wise  and  holy,  our 
Creator  and  sovereign  Lord,  and  the  Judge 
to  whom  we  are  all  accountable. 

2.  The  convictions  of  their  consciences ;  they 
could  not  but  speak,  and  speak  publicly,  those 
things  which  they  had  seen  and  heard.  Like 
Eiihu,  they  were  full  of  this  matter,  and  the 
Spirit  within  them  constrained  them,  they  must 


speak,  that  they  might  be  refreshed,  Job  32: 
18,  20.  They  felt  the  influence  of  it  on  them¬ 
selves  ;  and  those  speak  the  doctrine  of 
Christ  best,  that  have  felt  the  power  of  it, 
and  tasted  the  sweetness  of  it,  and  have 
themselves  been  deeply  affected  with  it  ;  it 
is  as  a  fire  in  their  bones,  Jer.  20:  9.  They 
know  the  importance  of  it  to  others  ;  they 
look  with  concern  on  perishing  souls,  and 
know  they  cannot  escape  eternal  ruin  but  by 
Jesus  Christ,  therefore  they  will  be  faithful 
to  them,  warning  them  and  showing  them 
the  right  way.  They  are  things  which  we 
have  seen  and  heard,  and,  therefore,  are  fully 
assured  of  ourselves  ;  and  things  which  we 
only  have  seen  and  heard  :  and,  therefore, 
if  we  do  not  publish  them,  who  will  1  Who 
can  I  Knowing  the  favor,  as  well  as  the  ter¬ 
ror  of  the  Lord,  we  persuade  men;  for  the  love 
of  Christ,  and  the  love  of  souls  constrain  us, 
2  Cor.  5:  11,  14. 

III.  The  discharge  of  the  prisoners,  v.  21. 
They  further  threatened  them,  and  thought  that 
they  frightened  them,  as  they  often  did  oth¬ 
ers,  John  9:  22.  and  then  let  them  go. 

V.  23 — 31.  I.  Peter  and  John’s  return  to 
their  brethren,  the  apostles  and  ministers, 
and,  perhaps  some  private  Christians,  v.  23. 
met  together,  and  praying  for  them,  as  ch. 
12:  12.  Though  God  had  highly  honored 
them,  in  calling  them  out  to  be  his  witnesses, 
and  enabling  them  to  acquit  themselves  so 
well,  yet  they  were  not  puffed  up  thereby  ; 
and  no  advancement,  in  gifts  or  usefulness, 
should  make  us  think  ourselves  above  either 
the  duties  or  the  privileges  of  the  communion 
of  saints.  Though  their  enemies  had  severe¬ 
ly  threatened  them,  yet  they  went  to  their  own 
company,  and  feared  not  the  wrath  of  their 
rulers.  They  were  men  in  a  public  station, 
and  must  seek  not  so  much  thqir  own  per¬ 
sonal  satisfaction,  as  the  public  good. 

II.  They  related  ajl  that  had  passed  to 
them,  1.  That  they  might  know  what  to  ex¬ 
pect  both  from  men  and  from  God,  in  the 
progress  of  their  work  ;  from  men,  they 
might  expect  every  thing  terrifying,  but  from 
God  every  thing  encouraging  ;  thus  the 
brethren  in  the  Lord  would  wax  confident 
through  their  bonds,  and  their  experiences,  as 
Phil.  1:14.  2.  That  they  might  have  it  re¬ 

corded  in  the  history  of  the  church,  for  the 
benefit  of  posterity,  particularly  for  the  con¬ 
firmation  of  our  faith,  touching  the  resurrec¬ 
tion  of  Christ.  These  apostles  told  the  chief 
priests,  to  their  faces,  that  God  had  raised 
up  Jesus  from  the  dead,  and  though  they 
W'ere  a  body  of  thent  together,  they  had  not 
the  confidence  to  deny  it,  but,  in  the  silliest 
and  most  sneaking  manner  imaginable,  bid 
the  apostles  not  tell  any  body  of  it.  3.  That 
they  might  now1  join  them  in  prayers  and 
praises.  We  should  therefore  communicate 
to  our  brethren  the  providences  of  God  that 
relate  to  us,  and  our  experience  of  his  pres¬ 


ence  with  us,  that  they  ujay  assist  us  in  our 
acknowledgment  of  God  therein. 

III.  Their  address  to  God  on  this  occa¬ 
sion  with  one  accord ,  v,  24.  Not  that  they  all 
said  the  same  w'ords  at  the  same  time,  but 
one  in  the  name  of  the  rest  lifted  up  his  voice 
to  God,  and  the  rest  joined  with  him,  with 
one  mind,  so  the  word  signifies;  their  hearts 
went  along  with  him,  and  so  though  but  one 
spake,  they  all  prayed  ;  for  thoughts  are 
words  to  God.  Moses  cried  unto  God,  when 
we  find  not  a  word  said.  Now,  in  this  sol¬ 
emn  address,  we  have, 

1.  Their  adoration  of  God  as  the  Creator 
of  the  world,  _v.  24.  It  is  very  proper  to  be¬ 
gin  our  prayers,  as  well  as  our  creed,  with 
the  acknowledgment  of  this,  that  God  is  the 
Father  almighty,  Maker  of  heaven  and  earth, 
and  of  all  things  visible  and  invisible.  Though 
the  apostles  were  at  this  time  full  of  the 
mystery  of  the  world’s  redemption,  yet  they 
do  not  forget  or  overlook  the  history  of  the 
world’s  creation;  for  the  Christian  religion 
was  intended  to  confirm  and  improve,  not  to 
eclipse  or  justle  out,  the  truths  and  dictates 
of  natural  religion. 

2.  Their  reconciling  themselves  to  the 
present  dispensations  of  Providence,  by  re¬ 
flecting  on  those  Scriptures  in  the  O.  T. 
which  foretold,  that  the  kingdom  of  the  Mes¬ 
siah  would  meet  with  such  opposition  as 
this  at  its  first  setting  up  in  tile  world,  v.  25, 

26.  What  is  done  against  Christ,  God  takes 
as  done  against  Himself.  Christianity  was 
not  only  destitute  of  the  advantages  of  the 
support  of  kings  and  rulers,  but  was  opposed 
and  fought  against  by  them,  yet  it  made  its 
way. 

3.  What  was  foretold  we  see  fulfilled,  v. 

27,  28.  Herod  and  Pilate,  the  two  Roman 
governors,  with  the  Gentiles,  the  Roman 
soldiers  under  their  command,  and  with  the 
people  of  Israel,  the  rulers  of  the  Jews  and 
the  mob  under  their  inlluence,  were  gath¬ 
ered.  together  in  a  confederacy  against  the  Ho¬ 
ly  Child  Jesus,  whom  Thou  hast  anointed.  But 
herein  they  do  that  which  thy  hand  and  thy 
counsel  determined  before  to  be  done.  In  the 
height  of  his  glory  He  is  the  Lamb  of  God, 
and  the  Child  Jesus.  The  word  -signifies 
both  a  son  and  a  servant.  He  was  the  Son 
of  God  ;  yet  in  the  work  of  redemption  lie 
acted  as  his  Father’s  Servant,  Is.  42: 1.  It 
was  "He  whom  God  anointed,  and  thence  lie 
was  called  the  Lord’s  Christ,  v.  26.  And 
this  conies  in  as  a  reason  why  they  set  them¬ 
selves  against  Him,  because  God  had  anoint¬ 
ed  Him,  and  they  were  resolved  not  to  resign, 
much  less  to  submit  to  Him.  David  was 
envied  by  Saul,  because  lip  was  the  Lord’s 
anointed.  Now  the  God  that  anointed 
Christ,  determined  what  should  be  done  to 
Him,  pursuant  to  that  anointing  ;  lie  was 
anointed  to  be  a  Savior,  therefore  it  was  de¬ 
termined  He  should  be  a  Sacrifice,  to  make 


be  remembered,  that  this  was  the  first  time  the  apostles  were  called  to 
encounter  opponents  armed  with  power. — (13)  Took  knowledge .]  If 
John  was  ‘the  disciple  known  to  the  high  priest;’  this  language  con¬ 
cerning  him,  as  well  as  Peter,  would  scarcely  have  been  used.  Scott. 

V.  23 — 23.  It  is  generally  supposed,  that  the  company,  to  which  the 
apostles  returned,  consisted  of  the  120  persons  before  mentioned,  who 
probably  were  assembled  to  pray  in  their  behalf. — The  language,  used  in 
applying  this  prophecy  to  Jesus,  may  refer  to  his  immaculate  conception 
by  the  Holy  Spirit.  Thus  lie  received  his  human  nature  perfectly  holy: 
and  the  unction  of  the  same  Spirit  preserved  that  holiness,  in  full  perfec¬ 
tion,  through  all  the  temptations  and  trials  of  his  life  and  death. — ‘  The 
truth  is  clear,  that  God  decreed  that  these  things  should  be  done ;  al¬ 
though  He  decreed  not  that  the  Jews  should  do  them  ;  but  only  per¬ 
mitted  them  to  do  what  He  foresaw  they  would,  if  they  were  thus 
permitted.’  Hammond  It  is  then  clear,  that  God,  foreseeing  this,  de¬ 
creed  to  permit  them. — ‘  As  Peter  and  Paul,  by  calling  the  Jews  to  re¬ 
pentance  for  this  sin,  in  crucifying  the  Lord  of  life,  do  evidence,  that 
their  sin  was  not  the  less,  because  they  did  by  it  fulfil  the  counsel  of 
God’s  holy  will,  and  kind  intentions  to  mankind;  so  they  consequently 
evidence,  that  God’s  foreknowledge  and  determination  of  a  thing  future, 
does  not  impair  the  liberty  of  men’s  wills  in  the  accomplishment  of  it ; 
as  all  the  ancient  fathers  have  declared  in  this  particular.’  Whitby. — 
[Comp,  on  2:23.]  1  We  must  not  consider  their  work,  who  were  wick¬ 

ed  murderers,  and  profane  enemies  of  the  truth;  but  the  work  of  God, 
which  they  fulfilled,  without  thinking  of  any  such  thing.  This  distinc¬ 
tion,  rightly  observed,  will  satisfy  all  moderate  men,  that  they  should 
never  separate  the  counsel  and  decree  of  God,  from  his  decreeing  fore¬ 
knowledge;  and  yet  that  they  should  fix  all  the  blame  of  crimes  on 
second  causes,  on  the  devil,  for  instance,  and  man.  Thus  God  hard¬ 


ened  Pharaoh  :  thus  the  king  of  Assyria  was  a  saw,  which  God  used  -. 
thus  God  gave  to  Absalom  his  father’s  wives  :  tints  God  called  t lie 
revolt  of  the  ten  tribes  his  work  :  thus  the  wicked,  by  whom  David 
was  troubled,  were  the  hands  of  God  :  thus  Caiaphas  prophesied  : 
thus,  finally,  “God  worketh  all  things  according  to  t lie  counsel  of  his 
own  will.”’’  Ueza. — (25,  26.)  Why  did,  &c.]  Verbatim  from  the  LXX., 
which  exactly  accord  with  the  Ileb.  Ps.  2:1,2. — Determined  before.] 
‘Predestined,’  or  ‘  predestinated.’  Rom.  8:29,  30.  1  Cor.  2:7.  F.ph.  1:5, 
11.  See  on  2:23.  Rom.  8:28 — 31.  Eph.  1:3 — 12.  Scott. 

(25.)  ‘All  the  Rabbins,  and  most  eminent  theologians,  interpret  this 
Ps.  of  the  Messiah.  Why,  &c.]  The  sense  is,  Why  do  they  rebel  against 
the  Messiah,  why  endeavor  to  shake  off  his  rule.’  Bloomfield. 

(27.)  ‘After  “together,”  many  MSS.,  and  several  Fathers  and  Ver¬ 
sions,  add  in  this  city,  which  was  approved  hv  I.ightfoot  and  Hammond, 
and  has  been  received  into  the  text  by  Ileza,  Beng.,  Griesb.,  Ros.,  Kuin. 
The  words  are  thought  to  be  supported  by  Ps.  2:6.,  to  which  they  seem 
to  refer.  But  how  then  are  we  to  account  for  their  omission?  They 
appear  to  be  derived  from  the  margin  ;  and  so,  I  suspect,  Welst.’  In. 

(28.)  Thy  hand  and  counsel.]  ‘  I.  e.  Thy  all-powerful  will.  Kuin.,  (Ecu- 
menius.  But  this  appears  harsh  and  unauthorized.  I  prefer,  with  most 
Gr.  and  Lat.  Fathers,  Vat.  Camerar.,  <tc.,  taking  it  to  denote  the  provi¬ 
dential  ordering  of  God.  For,  as  Whitby  justly  observes,  the  hand  of 
God,  in  the  O.  T.,  relates,  not  so  much  to  his  power,  as  to  his  wisdom 
and  providential  designations.  So  Job  27:11.  See  Whitby.’  Id. 

V.  29 — 31.  The  disciples  were  fully  persuaded,  that  the  rage  of  their 
persecutors  would  be  restrained,  and  overruled  for  good  :  and  they  did 
not  pray  to  be  protected  ;  though  they  had  been  greatly  injured,  and  se¬ 
verely  threatened  ;  and  could  not  but  know,  that  those  who  had  cruci¬ 
fied  their  Lord,  sought  to  destroy  them  also  ;  they  yet  prayed,  that  God 

[21] 


A.  D.  33. 


ACTS,  IV. 


The  prosperity  of  the  church. 


SO  By  stretching  forth  thine  hand 
to  heal;  and  that  1  signs  and  won¬ 
ders  may  be  done  by  the  name  of 
thy  holy  child  Jesus. 

31  IT  And  when  they  had  prayed, 
"the  place  was  shaken  where  they 
were  assembled  together  ;  and  they 
were  all  filled  with  the  Holy  Ghost, 
and  b  they  spake  the  word  of  God 
with  boldness. 

32  And  the  multitude  of  them 
that  believed  were  of  one  c  heart 
and  of  one  soul  :  neither  said  any 
of  them  that  ought  of  the  things 
which  he  possessed  was  his  own  ; 
but  dthey  had  all  things  common. 

33  And  with  great  power 'gave 
the  apostles  witness  fof  the  resur¬ 
rection  of  the  Lord  Jesus  :  and 
great  grace  g  was  upon  them  all. 

34  Neither  was  there  any  among 
them  that  lacked  :  for  as  many  as 
were  possessors  of  lands  or  houses 
sold  them,  and  brought  the  prices 
of  the  things  that  were  sold, 

I  c.  2:43.  5:12  Co.  13:11.  Ph.  f  Lu.  1:48.49.  c. 

8.  c.  2:2,4.  16:26.  2:2.  1  Pe.  3:8.  1:22. 

b  ver.  29.  d  c.  2:44.  g  Jn.  1:16. 

c  Ro.  15:5,  6.  2  e  c.  1:8. 

atonement  for  sin;  He  must  die,  therefore, 
lie  must  he  slain,  yet  not  by  his  own  hands; 
therefore,  God  wisely  determined  before  by 
what  hands  it  should  be  done;  it  must  be  by 
the  hands  of  those  who  will  treat  Him  as  a 
criminal  and  malefactor,  therefore  not  by  the 
hands  either  of  angels  or  good  men,  but  of 
sinners,  as  Job,  ch.  16:  11.  Hammond  makes 
this  phrase,  of  God’s  hand  determining  it,  to 
lie  an  allusion  to  the  high  priest’s  casting 
lots  upon  the  two  goats  on  the  day  of  atone¬ 
ment,  Lev.  16:8.  Prov.  16:33.  Or,  if  I 
may  offer  a  conjecture,  it  may  be  meant,  not 
of  God’s  acting  hand,  but  his  writing  hand, 
as  Job,  13:26.  Dan.  10:31.  Ps.  40:  7. 
And  God’s  serving  his  oum  purposes  by  what 
they  did,  was  no  excuse  for  their  malice  and 
wickedness,  any  more  than  God’s  making 
the  blood  of  the  martyrs  the  seed  of  the 
church,  extenuated  the  guilt  of  their  bloody 
persecutors.  Sin  is  not  the  less  evil  for 
God’s  bringing  good  out  of  it,  but  He  is  by 
that  the  more  glorified,  and  will  be  so,  when 
the  mystery  of  God  shall  be  finished. 

4.  Their  petition  with  reference  to  the 
case  at  this  time.  (1.)  Tha  t  God  would 
now  take  cognizance  of  the  malice  of  iheir 
enemies,  v.  29.  There  is  an  emphasis  on  the 
now,  to  intimate,  that  then  is  God’s  time  to 
appear  for  his  people,  when  the  power  of 
their  enemies  is  most  daring  and  threatening. 
They  refer  themselves  to  God,  like  Hezekiah, 
Is.  37:17.  (2.)  That  God,  by  his  grace, 

would  keep  up  their  spirits,  and  animate 
them  to  go  on  cheerfully  with  their  work.  In 
threatening  times,  our  care  should  not  bn  so 
much,  that  troubles  may  be  prevented,  as  that 


we  may  be  enabled  to  go  on  with  cheerful-  ' 
ness  aud  resolution  in  our  work  and  duty, 
whatever  troubles  we  may  meet  with.  Ob¬ 
serve,  Those  that  are  sent  on  God’s  errands, 
ought  to  deliver  their  message  with  boldness, 
with  all  boldness,  with  all  liberty  of  speech. 
God  is  to  he  sought  unto,  and  may  he  de¬ 
pended  upon,  for  this  ability.  And  are  they 
daring,  that  fight  against  Christ  1  For 
shame,  let  not  us  he  sneaking,  that  are  for 
H  im.  (3.)  That  God  would  still  give  them  ; 
power  to  work  miracles  for  the  confirmation 
of  the  doctrine  they  preached.  Nothing  im- 
boldens  faithful  ministers  more  in  their  work, 
than  the  tokens  of  God’s  presence  with  them, 
and  a  divine  power  going  along  with  them.  J 
They  pray,  that  God  would  stretch  forth  his  j 
hand  to  heal,  both  the  bodies  and  souls  of 
men  ;  that  signs  and  wonders  might  be  done 
by  the  name  of  the  holy  Child  Jesus,  which  j 
would  be  convincing  to  the  people,  and  con-  | 
founding  to  the  enemies.  Christ  had  prom-  j 
ised  them  a  power  to  work  miracles,  for  the  | 
proof  of  their  commission,  Mark  16: 17,  18.  I 
yet  they  must  pray  for  it;  and,  though  they 
had  it,  must  pray  for  its  continuance.  Christ 
Himself  must  ask,  and  it  shall  be  given  Him. 
Observe,  It  is  the  honor  of  Christ  they  aim 
at  in  this  request. 

IV.  God’s  gracious  answer, — not  in  word, 
but  in  power  :  there  was  a  strong,  mighty 
wind,  such  as  that  when  the  Spirit  was 
poured  out  upon  them,  ch.  2:  1,  2.  which 
shook  the  hou  e,  which  was  now  their  house 
of  prayer.  This  was  to  show  them  what 
reason  they  had  to  fear  God  more,  and  then 
they  would  fear  man  less.  God  gave  them 
greater  degrees  of  his  Spirit,  which  was  the 
thing  they  prayed  for.  Those  that  were  en¬ 
dued  habitually  with  the  powers  of  the  Holy 
Ghost,  had  yet  occasion  for  fresh  supplies 
of  the  Spirit,  according  as  the  various  oc¬ 
currences  of  their  service  were  ;  at  the  bar, 
i).  3.  and  now  in  the  pulpit ;  which  teaches  us 
to  live  in  an  actual  dependence  on  the  grace  of 
God,  according  as  the  duty  of  every  day  re¬ 
quires.  As  in  the  providence  of  God,  so  in 
the  grace  of  God,  we  not  only  in  general 
live,  and  have  our  being,  but  more  ill  every 
particular  action,  ch.  17:28.  We  have  here 
an  instance  of  the  performance  of  that 
promise,  that  God  will  give  the  Holy  Spirit 
to  them  that  ask  Him,  Luke  11: 13.  and  also 
of  the  improvement  of  that  gift,  which  is 
required  of  all  on  whom  it  is  bestowed  ; 
have  it  and  use  it,  use  it,  and  have  more. 
Talents  must  be  traded  with,  not  buried. 
When  they  find  the  Lord  God  help  them  by 
his  Spirit,  they  know  they  shall  not  be  con¬ 
founded,  Is.  50:  7. 

V.  32 — 87.  We  have  a  general  idea,  and 
a  very  beautiful  one,  of  the  spirit  and  state 
of  this  truly  primitive  church  ;  it  is  a  view 
of  that  age  of  infancy  a nvj  innocence. 

I.  The  disciples  loved  one  another  dearly,  ' 
r.  32.  and  there  was  no  such  thing  as  dis¬ 
cord  or  division  among  them.  Observe  here,  j 

1.  Multitudes  believed,  even  in  Jerusalem, 
8000  on  one  day,  and  5000  on  another,  be¬ 
side  those  added  daily  ;  and,  no  doubt,  all 


were  baptized,  and  made  profession  of  the 
faith  ;  for  (he  same  Spirit  that  endued  the 
apostles  with  courage  to  preach  the  faith  of 
Christ,  endued  them  with  courage  to  confess 
it.  The  increase  of  the  church  is  its  glory. 

2.  All  were  of  one  heart,  and  of  one  soul. 
Though  of  different  ages,  tempers,  and  con¬ 
ditions,  before  they  believed,  and  perfect 
strangers  to  one  another,  yet,  when  they 
met  in  Christ,  they  were  intimately  ac¬ 
quainted.  This  was  the  blessed  fruit  of 
Christ’s  dying  precept  to  bis  disciples,  to 
love  one  another,  and  his  dying  prayer  for 
them,  that  they  all  might  be  one.  We  have 
reason  to  think  they  divided  themselves  into 
several  congregations,  or  worshipping  as¬ 
semblies,  according  as  their  dwellings  were, 
under  their  respective  ministers  ;  and  yet 
that  occasioned  no  jealousy  or  uneasiness  ; 
for  they  were  all  of  one  heart,  and  one  soul, 
notwithstanding  ;  and  loved  those  of  other 
congregations,  as  truly  as  those  of  their 
own.  Thus  it  was  then,  and  we  may  not 
despair  of  seeing  it  so  again,  when  the  Spirit 
shall  be  poured  out  upon  us  from  on  high. 

II.  The  ministers  went  on  in  their  work 
with  great  vigor  and  success,  v.  33.  The 
doctrine  they  preached,  was,  the  resurrection 
of  Christ:  a  matter  of  fact,  which  served  not 
only  for  the  confirmation  of  the  truth  of 
Christ’s  holy  religion,  but,  being  duly  ex¬ 
plained  and  illustrated,  with  the  proper  in¬ 
ferences  from  it,  served  for  a  summary  of  all 
the  duties,  privileges,  and  comforts,  of  Chris¬ 
tians.  The  resurrection  of  Christ,  rightly 
understood  and  improved,  will  let  us  into  the 
great  mysteries  of  religion. 

By  the  great  poiver,  wherewith  the  apostles 
attested  the  resurrection,  may  be  meant,  1. 
The  great  vigor,  spirit,  and  courage,  with 
which  they  published  and  avowed  this  doc¬ 
trine ;  Or,  2.  The  miracles  they  wrought  to 
confirm  their  doctrine. 

III.  The  beauty  of  the  Lord  our  God 
shone  upon  them,  and  all  their  performances; 
Great  grace  upon  all  the  apostles,  on  all  the 
believers;  grace  that  had  something  great  in 
in  it,  magnificent  and  very  extraordinary. 
Some  think  it  includes  the  favor  they  were 
in  with  the  people. 

IV.  They  were  very  liberal  to  the  poor, 
and  dead  to  this  world.  This  was  as  great 
an  evidence  of  the  grace  of  God  in  them  as 
any  other,  and  recommended  them  as  much 
to  the  esteem  of  the  people. 

1.  They  insisted  not  on  property,  which 
even  children  seem  to  have  a  sense  of,  and 
a  jealousy  for,  and  which  worldly  people 
triumph  in,  as  Laban,  Gen.  31:  43.  and  Na- 
bal,  1  S.  25: 11.  These  believers  were  so 
taken  tip  with  the  hopes  of  an  inheritance  in 
the  other  world,  that  this  was  as  nothing  to 
them,  v.  32.  They  did  not.  take  away  prop¬ 
erty,  but  were  indifferent  to  it.  They  did 
not  call  what  they  had,  their  own,  in  a  way 
of  boasting  of  it,  or  trusting  in  it;  they  bad, 
in  affection,  forsaken  all  for  Christ,  and  were 
continually  expecting  to  be  stripped  of  all  for 
their  adherence  to  Him.  A To  man  said  what 
he  had  was  his  own, — his  peculiar;  for  he  was 


‘would  stretch  forth  his  ham),’  not  to  perform  miracles  of  vengeance, 
ns  many  wrought  by  Moses  were  ;  nor  yet  to  defend  them  ;  but  to  ‘  heal:’ 
for  love  to  the  bodies  and  souls  of  men  had  supplanted  their  selfish  pas¬ 
sions,  and  meliorated  their  zeal,  since  the  time  when  they  desired  per¬ 
mission  to  call  down  fire  from  heaven  on  the  Samaritans. — Some  expos¬ 
itors  have  thought,  that  this  prayer  was  immediately  addressed  to  the 
Holy  Spirit ;  but  tliis  is  not  evident ;  and,  indeed,  there  are  few  passa¬ 
ges  of  Scripture,  in  which  the  Holy  Spirit  is  expressly  prayed  to,  person¬ 
ally,  separately,  and  distinctly  :  perhaps,  as  prayer  is  presented  both 
by  and  for  the  Holy  Spirit,  it  may  be  the  less  proper  to  address  it  to 
Him,  except  as  one  with  the  Father  and  xvith  the  Son,  in  the  unity  of 
the  Godhead.  Scott. 

(31.)  Doddr.  thinks  some  visible  symbol  of  the  Spirit’s  descent  was 
seen,  and  Benson,  that  the  cloven  tongues  fell  on  them  again  -, — this 
(Bloom/,  judiciously  remarks)  ‘  is  being  wise  above  what  is  written,  and 
such  temerity  [seldom,  indeed,  chargeable  to  Doddr.]  is  carefully  to  bo 
avoided,  since  it  may  lead,  according  to  the  temper  of  mind  it  meets 
with,  as  well  to  superstition  as  to  skepticism.’  Ed. 

V.  32 — 35.  ‘  And  great  grace  was  upon  them  all.’  Some  interpret 
this  of  the  great  favor  shown  the  Christians,  by  the  people  in  general  •, 
hut  the  phrase  is  different  from  that  before  used.  The  special  favor  of 
God  manifested  to  them;  and  the  powerful  effects  of  his  sanctifying 
grace,  in  forming  them  to  be  such  holy,  lovely  and  happy  characters. 
[22] 


seem  to  be  especially  intended. — The  language  used,  concerning  the  lib¬ 
eral  communication  of  all  the  property  of  the  more  affluent,  with  their 
poor  brethren,  who  were  thus  exempted  from  nil  want ;  and  of  their 
confidence  in  the  disinterested  faithfulness  of  the  apostles,  is  suited,  as 
by  a  specimen,  to  show,  what  Christianity  would  effect,  in  meliorating 
the  condition  of  mankind,  if  universally  and  cordially  embraced.  [See 
1  Mammon,’  by  Harris.]  Scott. 

(33.)  Grace.]  ‘Rather:  nnd  they  were  in  great  favor  with  the  peo¬ 
ple;  gained  bv  their  mutual  love,  harmony,  and  liberality  to  the  poor.’ 
Bloom/.,  as  Kuin.,  Grot.,  Casaubon,  Pearce,  Ros.,  P.rza,  I’ri casus,  Hen¬ 
man,  Whitby,  aud  Doddr.  understand  favor  of  God;  Bengef,  the  favor  of 
God  and  man.  Ed. 

(34.)  As  many.]  ‘Not  all,  as  many, — as  in  5:36.  Mat.  7:12,  13,  44, 
and  the  adj.  osoi  [as  many]  is  elsewhere  put  indefinitely,  9:36.  So  Cal¬ 
vin  and  Henman  rightly  remark,  that  it  cannot  be  here  inferred,  that  all 
nnd  every  one  of  those  who  had  farms  or  houses,  sold  part  of  the  pos¬ 
sessions.  This  view  is  strongly  confirmed  by  5:4,  and  see  on  2:44.’ 
Bloom/.,  after  Kuin.,  who  remarks,  that  to  place  at  the  feet  denotes,  to 
commit  (reverentially,  says  CEcumenius)  to  the  care  of;  see  fVetstcin's 
examples.  ‘  A  present  or  offering  to  a  priest,  spiritual  guide,  or  distin¬ 
guished  scholar,  [in  the  E.]  is  not  given  into  his  hands  by  the  offerer, 
but  laid  at  his  feet ;  it  is  called  the  patha-kanaki,  i.  e.  feet-ofTering.’ 

Roberts. 


A.  D.  33 


ACTS,  V. 


The  sin  of  Ananias  and  Sapphira. 


35  And  h  laid  them  down  at  the 
apostles’  feet  :  and  1  distribution 
was  made  unto  every  man  accord¬ 
ing  as  he  had  need. 

36  And  Joses,  who  by  the  apos¬ 
tles  was  surnamed  Barnabas, 
(which  is,  being  interpreted,  The 
son  of  consolation,)  a  Levite,  and 
of  the  country  of  Cyprus, 

37  Having  land,  sold  it,  and 
brought  the  money,  and  laid  it  at 
the  apostles’  feet. 

CHAP.  Y. 

1  After  that  Ananins  and  Sauphira  hia  wife,  for  their  hypoc¬ 
risy  at  Peter’s  rebuke,  had  fallen  down  dead,  12  and  that 
the  rest  of  the  apostles  had  wrought  many  miracles,  14 
to  the  increase  of  the  faith  :  17  the  apostles  are  again 
imprisoned,  19  but  delivered  by  an  angel  bidding  them  to 
preach  openly  to  all :  21  when,  after  their  teaching  ac¬ 
cordingly  in  the  temple,  29  and  before  the  council,  33 
they  are  in  danger  to  he  killed,  through  the  advice  of  Ga¬ 
maliel,  a  great  counsellor  among  the  Jews,  they  are  kept 
alive,  40  and  are  but  beaten  :  for  which  they  glorify  God, 
and  cease  no  day  from  preaching. 

BUT  a  certain  man  named  Ana¬ 
nias,  with  Sapphira  his  wife, 
sold  a  possession, 

2  And  kept  back  part  of  the  price, 
his  wife  also  being  privy  to  it,  and 
*  brought  a  certain  part,  and  laid  it 
at  the  apostles’  feet. 

hver.  37.  c.  5:2.  i  c.  2:45.  6:1.  a  c.  4:34,37. 

ready  to  distribute,  willing  to  communicate  ; 
what  he  had  to  spare  from  himself  and  fam¬ 
ily,  his  poor  neighbors  were  welcome  to. 
They  that  had  estates,  were  not  solicitous  to 
lay  up,  but  very  willing  to  lay  out,  and  would 
straiten  themselves  to  help  their  brethren. 
No  marvel  that  they  were  of  one  heart  and 
soul,  when  they  sat  so  loose  to  the  wealth  of 
this  world;  for  mine  and  thine  are  the  great 
make-baits.  Men’s  holding  their  own,  and 
grasping  at  more  than  their  own,  are  the  rise 
of  wars  and  fightings. 

2.  They  abounded  in  charity,  so  that,  in 
effect,  they  had  all  things  common  ;  for,  v. 
34.  there  was  not  any  among  them  that  lacked, 
but  care  was  taken  for  their  supply.  The 
Gospel  hath  laid  all  things  common,  not  so 
that  the  poor  are  allowed  to  rob  the  rich, 
but  so  that  the  rich  are  appointed  to  relieve 
the  poor. 

3.  They  did  many  of  them  sell  their  es¬ 
tates,  to  raise  a  fund  for  charity,  v.  34. 
Lightfoot  computes,  that  this  was  the  year  of 
jubilee  \n  the  Jewish  nation,  the  50th  year,  the 
28th  since  they  settled  in  Canaan,  1400 years 


ago,  so  that  what  was  sold  that  year  being  | 
not  to  return  till  the  next  jubilee,  lands  then  ! 
took  a  good  price,  and  so  the  sale  of  those 
lands  would  raise  the  more  money. 

(1.)  The  money  so  raised  was  not  hoarded 
up,  but  distribution  made,  by  proper  persons, 
to  every  man  according  as  he  had  need.  Great 
care  ought  to  be  taken  in  the  distribution 
of  public  charity,  that  it  be  given  to  such  as 
have  need,  and  above  all,  those  that  are  re¬ 
duced  to  want  for  well  doing,  and  for  the  tes¬ 
timony  of  a  good  conscience  ;  and  that  it  be 
given  to  every  man,  for  whom  it  is  intended, 
according  as  he  had  need,  without  partiality 
or  respect  of  persons.  It  is  a  rule,  in  dis¬ 
pensing  charity,  as  well  as  in  administering 
justice,  that  those  who  are  equally  needing  and 
equally  deserving,  should  be  equally  helped. 

(2.)  One  particular  person  is  mentioned, 
remarkable  for  this  generous  charity,  Bar¬ 
nabas,  afterward  Paul’s  colleague.  His 
name  was  Joses,  of  the  tribe  of  Levi,  born  in 
Cyprus,  a  great  way  off  from  Jerusalem. 
Notice  is  taken  of  the  apostles’  changing  his 
name  after  he  associated  with  them.  Prob¬ 
ably  he  was  one  of  the  70  disciples,  and,  as 
he  increased  in  gifts  and  graces,  grew  emi¬ 
nent,  and  was  respected  by  the  apostles,  who, 
in  token  of  their  value  for  him,  gave  him  a 
name,  Barnabas, — the  son  of  prophecy,  so  it 
properly  signifies  ;  a  son  of  exhortation,  so 
some  ;  one  that  had  an  excellent  faculty  of 
healing  and  persuading;  vve  have  an  instance 
of  it,  ch.  11:  22,  24.  A  son  of  consolation,  so 
we  read  it  ;  one  that  did  himself  walk  very 
much  in  the  comforts  of  the  Holy  Ghost;  a 
cheerful  Christian,  one  that  was  eminent  for 
comforting  the  Lord's  people,  and  speaking 
peace  to  wounded,  troubled  consciences. 
There  were  two  among  the  apostles  that  were 
called  Boanerges, — Sons  of  thunder,  Mark  3: 
17.  but  here  was  a  son  of  consolation  with 
them.  Each  had  his  several  gift,  neither 
must  censure  the  other,  but  both  ease  one 
another  ;  let  the  one  search  the  wound,  and 
then  let  the  other  heal  it  and  bind  it  up. 

Here  is  an  account  of  his  charity,  and 
great  generosity  to  the  public  fund  ;  partic¬ 
ularly  noticed,  because  of  the  eminency  of 
his  services  afterward,  especially  in  carrying  ! 
the  Gospel  to  the  Gentiles  :  that  this  might 
not  appear  to  come  from  any  ill-will  to  his  [ 
own  nation,  vve  have  here  his  benevolence 
to  the  Jewish  converts  ;  or,  perhaps  this  is 
mentioned,  as  an  example  to  others;  he  hav-  \ 
ingland,  whether  in  Cyprus,  or  in  Judea, 
or  elsewhere,  sold  it,  and  laid  the  price  at 
the  apostles'  feet,  to  be  given  in  charity. 


Thus,  as  one  that  was  designed  to  be  a 
preacher  of  the  Gospel,  he  disentangled  him¬ 
self  from  the  affairs  of  this  life;  and  for  the 
respect  he  showed  to  the  apostles  as  apostles, 
he  had  an  apostle's  reward,  13:  2. 


Chap.  V.  V.  1 — 11.  It  was  the  praise 
of  the  disciples,  that  they  came  up  to  that 
perfection  which  Christ  recommended  to  the 
rich  young  man, — they  sold  what  they  had, 
and  gave  to  the  poor  ;  but  even  that  proved 
a  cloak  and  cover  of  hypocrisy,  which  was 
thought  the  greatest  proof  and  evidence  of 
sincerity.  The  signs  and  wonders  the  apos¬ 
tles  wrought,  were  hitherto  miracles  of  mer¬ 
cy  ;  but  now  comes  in  a  miracle  of  judgment, 
an  instance  of  severity,  following  the  in¬ 
stances  of  goodness,  that  God  may  be  both 
loved  and  feared.  Observe, 

1.  The  sin  of  Ananias,  and  Sapphira  his 
wife.  l.They  were  ambitious  of  being  thought 
eminent  disciples,  when  really  they  were  not 
true  disciplej  ;  they  sold  a  possession,  and 
brought  the  money  (as  Barnabas  did)  to  the 
apostles'  feet,  that  they  might  not  seem  to  be 
behind  the  very  chief  of  believers,  but  might  be 
applauded  and  cried  up,  and  stand  so  much 
the  fairer  for  preferment  in  the  chinch, 
which  perhaps  they  thought  would  shortly 
shine  in  secular  pomp  and  grandeur.  Hyp¬ 
ocrites  may  deny  themselves  in  one  thing,  to 
serve  themselves  in  another  ;  may  forego 
their  secular  advantage  in  one  instance,  w  ith 
a  prospect  of  finding  their  account  in  some¬ 
thing  else.  Ananias  and  Sapphira  would 
take  on  them  a  profession  of  Christianity, 
and  make  a  fair  show  in  the  flesh  with  it,  and 
so  mock  God,  and  deceive  others,  when  they 
knew  they  could  not  go  through  with  the 
Christian  profession.  It  is  often  of  fatal 
consequence  for  people  to  go  a  greater  length 
in  profession,  limn  their  inward  principle 
will  admit  of. 

2.  They  were  covetous  of  the  wealth  of 
the  world,  and  distrustful  of  God,  and  his 
providence  ;  they  sold  the  land,  and,  per¬ 
haps,  then,  in  a  pang  of  zeal,  designed  no 
other  than  to  dedicate  the  whole  of  the  pur¬ 
chase-money  to  pious  uses,  and  made  a  vow, 
or  at  least  conceived  a  full  purpose,  to  do  so; 
but  when  the  money  was  received,  their 
heart  failed  them,  and  they  kept  back  part  of 
the  price,  v.  2.  because  they  loved  the  money, 
and  thought  it  was  too  much  to  part  with  at 
once,  and  to  trust  in  the  apostles’  hands,  and 
because  they  knew  nut  but  they  might  want 
it  themselves  ;  and  though  now  all  things 
were  common,  yet  it  would  not  be  so  long  ; 


PRACT.  OBS.  The  zeal  of  avowed  infidels  to  make  proselytes,  and 
their  unwillingness  that  others  should  believe  a  future  state  oi'  retribu¬ 
tions,  seem  at  first  sight  unaccountable  :  for  if  this  be  a  delusion,  it  can 
do  men  no  harm  ;  if  their  sentiments  be  true,  they  can  do  no  good.  But 
the  honor  of  being  thought  wiser  than  others,  and  qualified  to  undeceive 
a  deluded  multitude,  has  abundant  charms  for  the  vain-glorious  mind. 
Moreover,  infidels  have  their  misgivings,  and  firmly  believe  their  own 
reasonings  only  in  proportion  as  others  seem  convinced  by  them  :  when 
therefore  contrary  doctrines  are  taught  with  confidence  and  success; 
they  are  secretly  alarmed,  lest  after  all  they  should  find  themselves  mis¬ 
taken. — The  harmless  and  useful  servants  of  God  have  often  been  indict¬ 
ed  as  criminals,  for  ‘their  work  and  labor  of  love,’*  when  profligates 
[gamblers,  duellists,  and  other  murderers]  have  escaped  with  impunity  ; 
and  ungodly  priests  and  elders,  and  their  connexions,  have  commonly 
been  most  forward  in  these  prosecutions.  Nay,  to  this  day,  instances 
•  Oh  that  our  country,  our  whole  country,  were  free  from  any  stain  like  this  !  Ed. 


are  not  wanting,  in  which  reading  the  Scriptures,  social  prayer,  and  re¬ 
ligious  conversation  meet  with  frowns  and  checks;  when  indolent,  and 
dissipated,  profligate,  heretical,  if  not  openly  infidel  churchmen  escape 
uncertsured,  or  are  distinguished  by  preferments  !  If  however,  vve  ob¬ 
serve  the  instructions  and  obey  the  precepts  of  Christ,  He  will  bear 
us  out;  and  the  teaching  of  his  Spirit  will  rentier  the  most  timid  hold 
in  his  cause.  —  Believers  may,  in  various  ways,  be  confined  among 
those  who  fear  not  God  ;  but,  ‘being  let  go,  they  will  return  to  their 
own  company.’  —  Whatever  trials  vve  meet  with,  fervent  prayer  is 
our  never-failing  resource;  and  the  more  we  unite  in  it,  as  ‘with  one 
heart,’  the  more  signal  answers  may  be  expected.  Our  prayers  should 
especially  be  presented  in  love,  even  for  our  bitterest  persecutors :  vve 
should  request  that  tile  Lord’s  ‘hand  may  be  stretched  out  to  heal,’  and 
to  save,  not  to  avenge  and  destroy.  Thus  we  may  expect  to  be  effectu¬ 
ally  answered,  and  to  be  filled  with  inward  confidence  and  comfort. 

Scott. 


V.  36.  Barnabas.]  ‘  Son  of  doctrine,  i.  e.  doctor.’  Kuin. 

V.  37.  He  could  not  have  sold  his  Levite  patrimony,  but  this  land 
might  have  been  in  Cyprus,  or  a  legacy  or  purchase,  in  Judea,  to  which 
he  had  a  title  till  the  next  jubilee.  See  Doddr.  The  tribe  had  no  inherit¬ 
ance  with  the  others,  Num.  18:20.  23:21.  but  this  did  not  hinder  any 
Levite  from  holding  lands  in  Judea,  either  by  purchase,  gift,  or  in  right 
of  his  wife.  Josephus ,  a  Levite,  and  a  priest  too,  speaks  of  his  lands 
about  Jerusalem.  See  Pearce.  Ed. 

NOTES.  Chap.  V.  V.  1 — 11.  This  apparent  severity,  on  two 
detected  hypocrites,  was  real  mercy  to  numbers :  and  a  Divine  attesta¬ 
tion  to  the  apostles’  integrity  and  veracity,  fully  intelligible  by  their  en¬ 
emies.  God  would  never  have  inflicted  such  a  judgment,  at  their  word, 
on  inferior  dissemblers ,  if  their  testimony  to  the  resurrection  of  Jesus 
had  been  a  deception  :  and  it  showed  that  they  [above  being  influenced 
by  motives  of  gain  themselves]  would  not  connive  at  iniquity  in  those 
of  their  own  party,  or  for  the  sake  of  their  private  interest,  or  that  of 
the  society. — Many  expositors  suppose,  that  Ananias  had  made  a  vow, 
(either  publicly  or  secretly,)  to  give  his  estate  for  the  support  of  the 
Christian  cause ;  and  that  sacrilege  was  the  crime,  for  which  he  was 
visited  :  hut  the  history  never  mentions  this.  He  had,  from  corrupt  mo¬ 


tives,  attempted  to  impose  on  the  apostles  and  on  the  Iiolv  Spirit;  and 
his  wife  had  joined  him,  in  this  impious  and  hypocritical  attempt.— The 
papists  adduce  this  passage,  as  a  proof  that  the  successors  of  Peter  (i.  e., 
the  pope  and  the  ecclesiastics  devoted  to  him,)  are  invested  with  the  sec¬ 
ular  as  well  as  spiritual  sword.  Let  them,  therefore,  use  the  weapons 
of  Peter,  whenever  they  will,  hut  none  else;  and  let  them  see  whether 
the  same  effects  will  follow. — (9.)  Tempt,  <fcc.]  ‘As  often  as  anything 
is  done  with  an  evil  conscience;  so  often  men  bring  this  sentence  on 
themselves,  and  as  much  as  lieth  in  them' provoke  God  to  wrath;  as  if 
they  purposely  aimed  to  make  trial,  whether  He  he  just  and  almighty 
or  not.’  Beza.  The  case,  however,  of  Ananias  and  Sapphira  was  very 
peculiar,  and  their  guilt  exceedingly  atrocious. — This  single  example  of 
severity  was  made,  not  on  avowed  enemies  and  persecutors,  but  on 
false  friends.  [Showing  that  the  church  has  more  to  fear  from  internal 
corruption,  than  external  enemies.]  Thus  Judas,  not  Caiaphas,  was 
marked  out  by  his  awful  end,  as  the  first  object  of  Divine  vengeance  on 
the  murderers  of  Christ.  [See  Amos  3:2.]  Scott. 

(1.  &c.)  ‘  No  wickedness  is  more  capital  than  that  of  those  who,  when 
most  deceiving,  thus  pass  themselves  ofTforgood.’  Cic.  ‘  It  is  not  neces¬ 
sary  to  notice  the  conjectures  of  Mich.,  Ros.,  and  Heinrichs,  so  destitute 


A.  D.  83. 


ACTS,  V. 


The  awful  punishment  of  their  sin. 


S  But  Peter  said,  Ananias,  why 
hath  Satan  b  filled  thine  heart c  to  lie 
to  d  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  to  keep 
'  back  part  of  the  price  of  the  land? 

4  Whiles  it  remained,  was  it  not 
thine  own  ?  and  after  it  was  sold, 
was  it  not  in  thine  own  power  ? 
why  hast  thou  conceived  this  thing 
in  thine  heart  ?  thou  hast  not  lied 
unto  men,  hut  funto  God. 

5  And  Ananias  hearing  these 
words  sfel!  down,  and  gave  up  the 
ghost  :  and  great  hfear  came  on  all 
them  that  heard  these  things. 

6  And  the  young  men  arose, 
wound  'him  up,  and  carried  him 
out,  and  buried  him. 

7  And  it  was  about  the  space  of 
three  hours  after,  when  his  wife,  not 
knowing  what  was  done,  came  in. 

8  And  Peter  answered  unto  her, 
Tell  me  whether  ye  sold  the  land 
for  so  much  ?  And  she  said,  Yea, 
for  so  much. 

b  Lu.  22:3.  e  Nu.  30*2.  De.  c  ver.  10,11. 

c  or,  to  deceive.  23:21.  Ec.  5:4.  h  Gs.  64:9. 
d  ver.  9.  f  Ps.  139:4.  i  Jn.  19:40. 

and  what  should  they  do  in  a  time  of  need, 
if  they  should  leave  themselves  nothing  to 
take  to"?  They  could  not  take  God’s  Word, 
that  they  should  be  provided  for,  hut  thought 
they  would  play  a  wiser  part  than  the  rest 
had  done,  and  lay  up  for  a  rainy  day.  Thus 
thev  thought  to  serve  both  God  and  mammon, 
—  God,  by  bringing  part  of  the  money  to  the 
apostles’  feet, — and  mammon,  by  keeping  the 
other  part  in  their  own  pockets;  as  if  there 
were  not  an  all-sufficiency  in  God  to  make 
up  the  whole  to  them,  except  they  retained 
some  in  their  own  hands,  by  way  of  caution- 
money.  Their  hearts  were  divided,  so  were 
they  found  faulty,  Hos.  10:  2.  They  halted 
between  two ;  if  they  had  been  thorough 
worldlings,  they  would  not  have  sold  their 
possession  ;  if  thorough  Christians,  they 
would  not  have  detained  part  of  the  price. 

3.  They  thought  to  deceive  the  apostles, 
and  came  with  as  good  an  assurance,  and  as 
great  a  show  of  piety  and  devotion,  as  any, 
and  laid  the  money  at  the  apostles’  feet,  as  if  it 
were  their  all.  They  dissembled  with  God 
and  his  Spirit,  with  Christ  and  his  church 
and  ministers;  and  this  was  their  sin. 

II.  The  indictment  of  Ananias,  which 
proved  both  his  condemnation  and  execution 
for  this  sin.  When  he  brought  the  money, 
and  expected  to  be  commended  and  en¬ 
couraged,  as  others  were,  Peter,  without  any 
inquiry  or  examination  of  witnesses,  charges 
him  peremptorily  with  the  crime,  aggravates 
it,  and  loads  him  for  it,  showing  it  him  in 
its  own  color,  v.  3,  4.  The  Spirit  of  God  in 
Peter,  not  only  discovered  the  fact  without 
any  information,  but  likewise  discerned  the 
principle  of  reigning  infidelity  in  the  heart  of 
Ananias,  at  the  bottom  of  it,  and  therefore 
proceeded  against  him  so  suddenly.  Had  it 
been  a  sin  of  infirmity,  through  the  surprise 
of  a  temptation,  Peter  would  have  taken  An¬ 
anias  aside,  and  have  bid  him  go  home,  and 
fetch  the  rest  of  the  money,  and  repent  of  his 
folly  in  attempting  to  cheat  them  ;  but  he 


knew  liis  heart  was  fully  set  in  him  to  do  this 
evil,  and,  therefore,  allowed  him  not  space  to 
repent.  He  here  showed  him, 

1.  The  origin  of  the  sin.  Satan  filled  his 
heart;  not  only  suggested  it  to  him,  and  put 
it  into  his  head,  but  hurried  him  on  to  do  it. 
Whatever  is  contrary  to  the  good  Spirit,  pro¬ 
ceeds  from  the  evil  spirit;  and  those  hearts  are 
filled  by  Satan,  in  which  worldliness  reigns, 
and  has  the  ascendant. 

2.  The  sin  itself.  He  lied  to  the  Holy 
Ghost  ;  a  sin  of  such  a  heinous  nature,  that 
he  could  not  have  been  guilty  of  it,  if  Satan 
had  not  fdled  his  heart.  The  phrase  we  render 
lying  to  the  Holy  Ghost,  some  read,  to  belie 
the  Holy  Ghrst;  which  may  be  taken  two 
ways  :  (1.)  That  he.  belied  the  Holy  Ghost  in 
himself ;  so  Lightfoot;  and  he  supposes  An¬ 
anias  was  not  an  ordinary  believer,  but  a 
minister,  and  one  that  had  received  the  gift 
of  the  Holy  Ghost  with  the  120  ;  (for  men¬ 
tion  is  made  of  him  immediately  after  Bar¬ 
nabas;)  yet  he  durst  thus,  by  dissembling, 
belie  and  shame  that  gift.  Or,  thus.  They 
who  Imd  sold  their  estates,  and  laid  the  money 
at  the  apostles’  feet,  did  it  by  the  special  im¬ 
pulse  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  enabling  them  to 
do  an  act  so  very  great  and  generous  ;  and 
Ananias  pretended  he  was  moved  by  the 
Holy  Ghost  to  do  what  he  did,  as  others 
were  ;  whereas,  it  appeared  by  his  base¬ 
ness,  that  he  was  not  under  the  influence 
of  the  good  Spirit  at  all  ;  for  had  it  been  his 
work,  it  would  have  been  perfect.  (2.)  That 
he  belied  the  Holy  Ghost  in  the.  apostles,  to 
whom  he  brought  the  money,  either  by  a  sus¬ 
picion  that  they  would  not  faithfully  distrib¬ 
ute  what  they  were  intrusted  with,  or  by  an 
assurance  that  they  could  not  discover  the 
fraud  ;  [which  would  have  proved  them  liars, 
when  they  said  they  were  endued  with  the 
Holy  Spirit;  and  thus  their  influence  would 
have  been  destroyed].  He  belied  the  Holy 
Ghost,  when  by  what  he  did  he  would  have 
it  thought,  that  those  who  are  endued  with 
the  gifts  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  might  as  easily 
be  imposed  on  as  other  men,  2  K.  5:  26. 
Thus  Ananias  thought  the.  apostles  were  alto¬ 
gether  such  as  himself,  and  this  was  belying 
the  Holy  Ghost  in  them,  as  if  He  were  not 
in  them  a  Discerner  of  spirits,  whereas  they 
had  all  the  gifts  of  the  Spirit  in  them,  which 
to  others  were  divided  severally.  See  1  Cor. 
12:  8,  10. 

But  we  read  it,  to  lie  unto  the  Holy  Ghost; 
which  reading  is  countenanced  by  v.  4. 
Thou  hast  not  lied  unto  men,  but  unto  God. 
He  told  a  deliberate  lie,  or  expressed  him¬ 
self  in  words  capable  of  a  double  meaning; 
or  perhaps  he  said  nothing  ;  but  it  was  all 
one,  he  did  as  the  rest  did,  who  brought  the 
whole  price,  and  would  be  thought  to  do  so, 
and  expected  the  praise  of  it,  with  the  priv¬ 
ilege  of  access  to  the  common  stock  as  they 
had  ;  therefore  it  was  an  implicit  protesta¬ 
tion,  that  he  brought  the  whole  price,  as  they 
did;  and  this  was  a  lie,  for  he  kept  back  part. 
Many  are  brought  to  gross  lying,  by  reign¬ 
ing  pride,  and  affectation  of  the  applause 
of  men  ;  particularly  in  works  of  charity 
to  the  poor.  He  told  this  lie  to  the  Holy 
Ghost.  It  was  not  so  much  to  the.  apostles, 
as  to  the  Holy  Ghost  in  them,  that  the  money 
was  brought,  and  that  was  said,  which  was 
said,  v.  4.  Thou  hast  not  lied  unto  men,  not 
to  men  only,  not  to  men  chiefly,  though  the 


apostles  be  but  men  ;  but  thou  hast  lied  unto 
God.  From  hence  it  is  justly  inferred,  that 
the  Holy  Ghost  is  God  ;  for  he  that  lieth  to 
the  Holy  Ghost,  lieth  to  God.  ‘  They  that 
lied  to  the  apostles,  acted  and  acting  by  the 
Spirit  of  God,  are  said  to  lie  to  God,  because 
the  apostles  acted  by  the  power  and  authority 
of  God.  From  whence  it  follows,  (as  Dr. 
Whitby  well  observes,)  that  the  power  and 
authority  of  the  Spirit  must  be  the  power 
and  authority  of  God.’  And,  as  he  further 
argues,  ‘  Ananias  is  said  to  lie  to  God,  be¬ 
cause  he  lied  to  that  Spirit  in  the  apostles, 
which  enabled  them  to  discern  the  secrets  of 
men’s  hearts  and  actions,  which,  being  the 
property  of  God  alone,  he  that  lies  to  Him, 
must  therefore  lie  to  God,  because  he  lies  to 
one  who  has  the  incommunicable  property  of 
God,  and  consequently  the  divine  essence.’ 

3.  The  aggravations  of  the  sin,  v.  4. 
While  it  remained,  was  it  not  thine  own  ?  And 
after  it  was  sold,  was  it  not  in  thine,  own  pow¬ 
er?  Which  may  be  understood  two  ways  : 
(1.)  ‘Thou  wast  under  no  temptation  to 
keep  back  the  price,  this  property  was  unin¬ 
cumbered,  thou  hadsl  no  debts  to  pay,  per¬ 
haps  no  children  to  provide  for;’  Or,  (2.) 

1  Thou  wast  under  no  necessity  of  selling 
thy  land  at  all,  or  bringing  any  of  the  money 
to  the  apostles’  feet.  Thou  imghtest  have 
kept  the  money,  and  the  land  too,  and  never 
have  pretended  to  this  piece  of  perfection.’ 
This  rule  of  charity  the  apostle  gives,  that 
it  be  not  urged  as  of  necessity,  because  God 
loves  a  cheerful  giver,  2  Cor.  9:  7.  and  Phile¬ 
mon  must  do  a  good  work,  not  as  it  were  of 
necessity,  but  willingly,  Phil.  14.  It  is  better 
not  to  vow,  than  to  vow  and  not  to  pay.  In  giv¬ 
ing  our  hearts  to  God,  we  are  not  admitted 
to  divide  them  :  God  will  have  all  or  none. 

4.  All  this  guilt,  thus  aggravated,  is 
charged  upon  him.  Though  Satan  filled  his 
heart  to  do  it,  yet  he  is  said  to  have  conceived 
it  in  his  own  heart  ;  which  shows  that  we 
cannot  extenuate  our  sins,  by  laying  the  fault 
of  them  on  the  devil  ;  the  evil  thing,  what¬ 
ever  it  is,  that  is  said  or  done,  the  sinner  has 
conceived  it  in  his  own  heart.  The  close  of 
the  charge  is  very  high,  but  very  just;  Thou 
hast  not  lied  unto  men,  but  unto  God.  What 
emphasis  does  the  prophet  lay  on  that  of 
Ahaz,  Is.  7 :  13.  and  Moses  on  that  of  Israel, 
Ex.  16:8.  So  here.  If  we  think  to  cheat 
God,  we  shall  prove  in  the  end  to  have  fa¬ 
tally  cheated  our  own  souls. 

III.  The  death  and  burial  of  Ananias, 
v.  5, 6. 

1.  He  died  on  the  spot.  It  does  not  ap¬ 
pear  whether  Peter  designed  and  expected 
that  this  would  follow  on  what  he  said  to 
him;  but  probably  he  did;  for  to  Sapphira, 
his  wife,  Peter  particularly  spake  death,  v.  9. 
Some  think,  an  angel  struck  him,  that  he 
died,  as  Herod,  ch.  12:  23.  Or,  his  own 
conscience  smote  him  with  such  horror  and 
amazement  at  the  sense  of  his  guilt,  that  he 
sunk  and  died  away  under  the  load  of  it. 
See  the  power  of  the  Word  of  God  in  the 
mouth  of  the  apostles  !  As  it  was  to  some 
a  savor  of  life  unto  life,  so  it  was  to  others  a 
savor  of  death  unto  death. 

This  punishment  may  seem  severe,  but  we 
are  sure  it  was  just.  (1.)  It  was  designed 
to  maintain  the  honor  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  as 
now  lately  poured  out  on  the  apostles,  in  order 
to  the  setting  up  of  the  gospel-kingdom.  It 


of  proof  and  little  probable.  As  to  those  who  endeavor  to  account  for 
all  upon  natural  principles ,  their  hypothesis,  (no  novelty,  for  it  was 
broached  by  Origen,)  involves  more  difficulties  than  it  removes ;  so 
that,  if  we  had  not  so  many  proots  of  the  credulous  incredulity  of  skep¬ 
tics,  or  nt  least  latitudinarians,  we  should  be  surprised  at  seeing  them 
seriously  maintain  such  a  position-  Though  instances  of  death  by 
fright  are  on  record;  yet  that  any  two  given  persons  dwelling  together 
shall  die  of  fright,  is  too  improbable  even  to  think  of.  For  Peter  to 
threaten  death,  would  have  given  the  magistracy  that  handle  against  the 
apostles  they  desired.  Possession.]  KtSma:  it  must  mean  land  here, 
for  it  is  interchanged  v.  3.  with  chdrion,  [country.]  Bloomf.’  Ed. 

(3.)  Filled,  &c.l  ‘The  Hebrew’s  thus  express  a  person’s  being  em¬ 
boldened  [impelled,  invited]  to  a  thing.  Esth.  7:5.  Eccl.  8:11.  Lie.] 
Bos  has  abundantly  shown,  that  the  Gr.  signifies  to  lie,  or  impose  upon  , 
[so  Kuin.  ;]  but  l  cannot  recollect  that  it  ever  signifies  to  belie  a  person, 
as  Benson  translates.’  Doddbidgk. 


(1.)  Thine  own.]  So  none  were  compelled  by  law  or  institution,  to 
it.  Unto  God.]  The  direct  workings  of  the  Divinity  being  so  evident 
in  the  apostles,  &c.,  and  in  late  events  connected  with  this  case.  See 
also,  Whitby,  for  the  nature  and  extent  of  this  crime.  Ed.  ‘  The  Gr. 
is  to  thed  ;  where  [as  here]  theos  is  thus  used  with  the  article,  it  always 
means  God  the  Father.  Now  Ananias  and  his  wife  did  not  deceive  or¬ 
dinary  men,  but  the  apostles,  who  were  filled  with  the  Spirit  of  God,  and 
Christ,  and  therefore  they  insulted  both  the  Spirit,  Christ,  and  God  the 
Father.  Of  the  Holy  Spirit  we  have  express  mention  in  this  v.,  also  in 
v.  3,  9 ;  of  Christ,  in  v.  1 ;  of  the  Father  in  this  and  v.  32.  1  Cor.  6:19. 
3:16.  1  Thess.  4:8.  Ex.  16:8.  Is.  7:13.’  VVetstein 

(5.)  ‘The  ancient  commentators  agree  that  this  was  sacrilege,  the 
punishment  of  which  (says  CEcumenius)  was  death.  It  was  here  ag¬ 
gravated  by  hypocrisy,  vain-glory,  avarice, &c.’  Bloomf.  Some  Jews, 
and  Porphyry ,  charge  Peter  with  cruelty  !  But  if  they  acknowledge  he 
actually  did  it,  they  acknowledge  it  was  by  God,  and  so  was  God’s  act. 


A.  D.  S3. 


ACTS,  V. 


Flourishing  stale  of  the  church. 


9  Then  Peter  said  unto  her,  How 
is  it  that  ye  have  agreed  >  together 
to  tempt  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord  ? 
behold,  the  feet  of  them  which  have 
buried  thy  husband  are  at  the  door, 
and  shall  carry  thee  out. 

10  Then  k  fell  she  down  straight¬ 
way  at  his  feet,  and  yielded  up  the 
ghost  :  and  the  young  men  came  in, 
and  found  her  dead,  and,  carrying 
her  forth,  buried  her  by  her  hus¬ 
band. 

1 1  And  1  great  fear  came  upon  all 
the  church,  and  upon  as  many  as 
heard  these  things. 

12  IF  And  by  the  hands  of  the 
apostles  were  m  many  signs  and 
wonders  wrought  among  the  peo¬ 
ple  ;  (and  they  were  all  with  one 
accord  in  Solomon’s  porch  : 

13  And  “  of  the  rest  durst  no 
man  join  himself  to  them  :  but  0  the 
people  magnified  them. 

14  And  believers  were  the  more 
added  to  the  Lord,  multitudes  p  both 
of  men  and  women  ;) 

15  Insomuch  that  they  brought 
forth  the  sick  s  into  the  streets,  and 
laid  them  on  beds  and  couches,  that 
at  the  least  the  shadow  of  Peter 
passing  by  might  overshadow  some 
of  them. 

16  There  came  also  a  multitude 
out  of  the  cities  round  about  unto 
Jerusalem,  bringing  rsick  folks,  and 
them  which  were  vexed  "with  un¬ 
clean  spirits  :  and  'they  were  heal¬ 
ed  every  one. 


j  Ps  50:18.  ver.3. 
k  ver.  5. 

1  c.  2:43. 
m  c.  4:30.  Ro.15: 
19.  He.  2:4. 


n  Jn.  12:42. 
o  c.  4:21. 
p  c.  2:47. 
q  or,  in  every 


street. 

t  Ma.  18:17,  18. 

Jn.  14:12. 
s  Ja.  5:16. 


was  a  great  affront  Ananias  put  on  the  Holy 
Ghost,  as  if  He  could  be  imposed  on :  and  it 
had  a  direct  tendency  to  invalidate  the  apos¬ 
tles’  testimony;  for  if  they  could  not  by  the 
Spirit  discover  this  fraud,  how  could  they  by 
the  Spirit  discover  the  deep  things  of  God, 
which  they  were  to  reveal  to  the  children  of 
men  ?  It  was  therefore  necessary,  that  the 
credit'of  the  apostles’  gifts  and  powers  be 
supported,  though  at  this  expense.  (2.)  It 
was  designed  to  deter  others  from  the  like 
presumptions,  now  at  the  beginning  of  this 
dispensation.  Simon  Magus  afterward  was 
not  thus  punished,  nor  Elytnas;  but  Ananias 
was  made  an  example  now  at  first,  that 
with  the  sensible  proofs  given  what  a  com¬ 
fortable  thing  it  is  to  receive  the  Spirit,  there 
might  be  also  sensible  proofs  given  what  a 
dangerous  thing  it  is  to  resist  the  Spirit,  and 
do  despite  to  Him.  IIow  severely  was  the 
worshipping  of  the  golden  calf  punished,  and 
the  gathering  of  the  sticks  on  the  sabbath-day , 
when  the  laws  of  the  second  and  fourth 
commandment  were  now  newly  given  !  So 
was  the  offering  of  strange  fire  by  Nadab  and 


Abihu,  and  the  mutiny  of  Korah  and  his  com¬ 
pany,  when  the  fire  from  heaven  was  now' 
newly  given,  and  the  authority  of  Moses  and 
Aaron  now  newly  established. 

2.  He  was  buried  immediately,  for  that 
was  the  manner  of  the  Jews,  v.  6.  The 
young  men,  who,  it  is  probable,  were  ap¬ 
pointed  to  the  office  of  burying  the  dead,  as 
among  the  Romans  the  libitinarii  and  pollinc- 
tores ;  or  the  young  men  that  attended  the 
apostles,  they  wound  up  the  dead  body  in 
grave-clothes,  (John  11 :  44.  note,)  carried  it 
out  of  the  city,  and  buried  it  decently,  though 
he  died  in  sin,  and  by  an  immediate  stroke 
of  divine  vengeance. 

IV.  The  reckoning  with  Sapphira,  found 
guilty  of  sharing  with  her  husband  in  his 
sin,  by  a  question  that  Peter  asked  her,  v.  8. 
Ananias  and  his  wife  agreed  to  tell  the  same 
story,  and,  the  bargain  being  private,  and 
by  consent  kept  to  themselves,  nobody  could 
disprove  them ;  therefore,  they  thought  they 
might  safely  stand  in  the  lie,  and  should  gain 
credit  to  it.  How  sad,  to  see  those*relations 
who  should  quicken  one  another  to  that 
which  is  good,  harden  one  another  in  that 
which  is  evil. 

Before  he  passes  sentence,  he  shows  her 
the  evil  of  her  sin.  They  both  tempted  the 
Spirit  of  the  Lord;  as  Israel  tempted  God  in 
the  desert,  when  they  said,  Is  the  Lord  among 
us  ?  Or  is  He  not  ?  ‘  Can  the  Spirit  in  the 
apostles  discover  this  fraud  1  Can  they  dis¬ 
cern  that  this  is  but  a  part  of  the  price,  when 
we  tell  them  it  is  the  whole  ?’  They  saw  they 
had  the  gift  of  tongues  ;  but  had  they  the 
gift  of  discerning  spirits  '!  Those  that  pre¬ 
sume  on  security  and  impunity  in  sin,  tempt 
the  Spirit  of  God ;  they  tempt  God,  as  if  He 
were  altogether  such  an  one  as  themselves. 
Then  fell  she  down  straightway  !  With  some 
sinners  God  makes  quick  work,  while  with 
others  He  bears  long  ;  for  which  difference, 
doubtless,  there  are  good  reasons;  but  He  is 
not  accountable  to  us  for  tliem.  Many  sud¬ 
den  deaths  there  are,  which  are  not  to  be 
looked  upon  as  the  punishment  of  some 
gross  sin,  like  this;  but  here  it  is  plainly  in 
judgment.  Some  put  the  question  concern¬ 
ing  the  eternal  state  of  Ananias  and  Sapphi¬ 
ra  ;  but  secret  things  belong  not  to  us.  Some 
ask,  whether  the  apostles  kept  this  money  1 
I  think  they  did;  they  had  not  the  supersti¬ 
tion  of  those  who  said,  It  is  not  lawful  for  us 
to  put  it  into  the  treasury :  for  unto  the  pure  all 
things  are  pure.  What  they  brought,  was  not 
polluted  to  them  they  brought  it  to  ;  but 
what  they  kept  back,  was  to  them  that  kept 
it  back.  Use  was  made  of  the  censers  of 
Korah’s  mutineers. 

V.  The  impression  this  made  on  cite  peof 
pie;  notice  is  taken  of  this  in  the  midst  of 
the  story,  v.  5.  for,  no  doubt,  it  was  all  the 
talk  of  the  city.  And  again,  a.  11.  1.  They 
that  had  joined  themselves  to  the  church,  were 
hereby  struck  with  an  awe  of  God,  and  of 
his  judgments,  and  with  a  greater  veneration 
of  this  dispensation  of  the  Spirit  which  they 
were  now  under.  It  was  not  a  damp  or 
check  to  their  holy  joy,  but  it  taught  them  to 
be  serious  in  it,  and  to  rejoice  with  trem¬ 
bling.  All  that  laid  their  money  at  the 
apostles’  feet  after  this,  were  afraid  of  keep¬ 
ing  back  any  part  of  the  price.  2.  All  that 


heard  it,  were  put  into  a  consternation  by  it, 
and  were  ready  to  say,  Who  is  able  to  stand 
before  this  holy  Ijord  God,  and  his  Spirit  in 
the  apostles  1  As  1  Sam.  6:  20. 

V.  12 — 16.  Here  is  an  account  of  the 
progress  of  the  Gospel. 

1.  Of  the  miracles  the  apostles  wrought, 
v.  12.  many  miracles  of  mercy  for  one  of 
judgment.  The  miracles  they  wrought 
proved  their  divine  mission  ;  they  were  not 
a  few,  but  many,  of  divers  kinds  and  often 
repeated ;  they  were  signs  and  wonders,  such 
wonders  as  were  confessedly  signs  of  a  di¬ 
vine  presence  and  power  ;  they  were  not 
done  in  a  corner,  but  among  the  people,  who 
were  at  liberty  to  inquire  into  them,  and,  if 
there  had  been  fraud  or  collusion,  would 
have  discovered  it. 

II.  The  effects  of  these  miracles.  1.  The 
church  was  hereby  kept  together,  and  con¬ 
firmed  in  its  adherence  both  to  the  apostles, 
and  to  one  another  ;  They  of  the  church 
were  all  with  one  accord  in  Solomon's  porch. 
It  was  strange  the  rulers  of  the  temple  suf¬ 
fered  them  to  keep  their  meeting  there.  But 
God  inclined  their  hearts  to  tolerate  them 
there  a  while,  for  the  more  convenient 
spreading  of  the  Gospel  ;  and  thus  early 
was  the  institution  of  public-worship  ob¬ 
served  in  the  church,  which  must  by  no 
means  be  forsaken,  for  in  that  a  profession 
of  religion  is  kept  up.  Their  being  united, 
shows  also  that  there  was  no  discontent  or 
murmuring  at  them  about  the  death  of  Ana¬ 
nias  and  Sapphira,  as  there  was  against 
Moses  and  Aaron,  about  the  death  of  Korah 
and  his  company,  Num.  16:  41.  The  sepa¬ 
ration  of  hypocrites,  by  distinguishing  judg¬ 
ments,  should  make  the  sincere  cleave  so 
much  the  closer  to  each  other,  and  to  the 
gospel-ministry. 

2.  It  gained  the  apostles  very  great  respect. 
(1.)  The  other  ministers  kept  their  distance ; 
Of  the  rest  of  their  company,  though  endued 
with  the  Holy  Ghost,  durst  no  man  join  him¬ 
self  to  them,  as  their  equal  dr  associate  ;  for 
none  of  them  at  this  time  did  such  signs  and 
wonders  as  the  apostles  did  :  and  therefore 
they  acknowledged  their  superiority,  and  in 
every  thing  yielded  to  them.  (2.)  All  the 
people  magnified  them,  and  had  them  in  great 
veneration  ;  spake  of  them  with  respect, 
and  represented  them  as  the  favorites  of 
Heaven,  and  unspeakable  blessings  to  this 
earth.  Observe,  The  apostles  were  far  from 
magnifying  themselves,  they  transmitted  the 
glory  of  all  they  did,  very  carefully  and  faith¬ 
fully,  to  Christ,  and  yet  the  people  magnified 
them;  for  they  that  humble  themselves  shall 
be  exalted,  and  those  honored,  that  honor 
God  only. 

3.  The  church  increased  in  number,!).  14. 
So  far  from  being  deterred  by  the  example 
made  of  Ananias  and  Sapphira,  they  were 
rather  invited  by  it  into  a  society  that  kept 
such  a  strict  discipline.  Notice  is  taken 
of  the  conversion  of  women  as  well  as  men, 
more  notice  than  generally  was  in  the  Jew¬ 
ish  church  ;  as  among  those  that  followed 
Christ  while  He  was  on  earth,  so  among 
those  that  believed  on  Him  after  He  went 
to  heaven,  great  notice  was  taken  of  the 
good  women. 

4.  The  apostles  had  abundance  of  patients, 


Had  the  rich  or  the  lazy  attempted  thus  to  live  on  the  common  fund 
contributed  by  others’  labor,  it  would  have  been  the  inevitable  ruin  of 
the  church,  from  the  first,’  &c.  See  Wetstein,  in  Bloomf.  Ed. 

(9.)  7'empt.]  1  So  to  act,  as  to  seem  to  doubt  of  the  omnipotence, 
veracity,  or  any  other  of  the  attributes  of  God.’  Beza.  Ros. 

(10.)  Ghost.]  I.  e.,  spirit,  Anglo-Saxon,  gust,  innate,  spirit ;  the  Gr. 
here  is  exepsyxe,  breathed  out,  expired.  Ed. 

V.  12 — 16.  (13.)  Join  himself,  &c.]  ‘  As  if  he  had  been  a  believer,  and 
by  way  of  putting  a  cheat  on  the  apostles.  Such  unbelievers  as  were 
displeased  with  the  apostles,  and  hated  the  cause,  would  have  been  glad 
to  put  any  trick  on  them,  that  they  might  thereby  lessen  their  esteem 
among  the  people,  yet  durst  not:  seeing  it  might  prove  no  less  than  fa¬ 
tal  for  any  to  go  about  to  deceive  them.’ — As  Peter  was  the  readiest 
speaker,  and  stood  foremost  in  every  transaction,  and  as  he  was  one 
of  the  first  who  experienced  persecution  ;  it  seems  he  was  more  no¬ 
ticed  by  the  people,  than  any  of  the  other  apostles,  in  these  miracles. 
(19-12.)  Scott. 

N.  T.  VOL.  V. 


(11 _ 15.)  ‘These  things:  and  believers  were  the  more  added  to  the 

Lord,  multitudes  both  of  men  and  women :  and  they  [the  new  converts, 
perhaps,  Bloomf]  were  all  with  one  accord  in  Solomon’s  porch.  And 
of  the  rest  [i.  e.,  those,  perhaps,  who  were  not  converts,  but  thought 
and  spoke  well  of  them  ;  Bloomf.]  durst  no  man  join  himself  to  them.- 
but  the  people  magnified  them.  And  by  the  hands  of  the  apostles  were 
many  signs  and  wonders  wrought.  Insomuch  that,  Ac.,  Sherlock.  Bed.] 
Kline :  a  couch,  or  bed  of  richer  persons.  Couch.]  Krabbaton,  a  mean 
and  low  couch,  or  bed  for  a  poorer  person.  So  the  rich  and  poor  both 
applied.  Shadow.]  Ros.  thinks  this  is  only  mentioned,  not  approved,  and 
it  was  but  an  ineffectual  superstition.  But  the  context  clearly  suggests 
they  were  healed.’  Bloomf. 

(13.)  ‘  And  none  of  the  rest,  who  were  not  really  converted  to 

Christianity,  presumed  to  join  himself  to  them ,  as  some  mean-spirited 
creatures  might  possibly  otherwise  have  done,  for  a  while,  in  a  low  view 
of  some  transient  advantages,  by  a  share  in  the  distributions  that  were 
made.’  Doddr.  The  rest.]  ‘  I.  e.,  of  the  different  Jewish  sects.  Calm. 


4 


A.  D.  33. 


A  C  I  S,  V. 


Imprisonment  and  release  of  the  apostles. 


17  IT  Then  the  high  priest  rose 
up,  and  all  they  that  were  with  him, 
(which  is  the  sect  of  the  *  Saddu- 
cees,)  and  were  filled  with  “indig¬ 
nation, 

18  And  laid  their  hands  on  the- 
apostles,  and  put  them  in  the  com¬ 
mon  v  prison. 

19  But  the  angel  of  the  Lord  by 
night  opened  the  prison  doors,  and 
brought  them  forth,  and  said, 

20  Go,  stand  and  speak  in  the 
temple  to  the  people  all  w  the  words 
x  of  this  life. 

21  And  when  they  heard  that, 
they  entered  into  the  temple  early 
in  the  morning,  and  taught.  But 
y  the  high  priest  came,  and  they  that 
were  with  him,  and  called  the 
council  together,  and  all  the  senate 
of  the  children  of  Israel,  and  sent 
to  the  prison  to  have  them  brought. 

22  But  when  the  officers  came, 
and  found  them  not  in  the  prison, 
they  returned,  and  told, 

23  Saying,  The  prison  truly  found 
we  shut  with  all  safety,  and  the 
keepers  standing  without  before 
the  doors  :  but  when  we  had  open¬ 
ed,  we  found  no  man  within. 

24  Now  when  the  high  priest 
and  z  the  captain  of  the  temple  and 
the  chief  priests  heard  these  things, 
they  doubted  of  them  whereunto 
this  would  grow. 

t  c.  4:1,2.  23—27.  17:8. 

u  or,  envy.  w  Ex.  24:3.  y  c.  4:5,6. 

v  c.  12:5— 7.  16:  x  Jn.  6:63,63.  zc.4:l. 


and  gained  abundance  of  reputation  both  to 
them  and  their  doctrine,  by  the  cure  of  them 
all,  v.  15,  16.  It  should  seem,  even  the 
shadow  of ^Peter  had  the  desired  effect,  as 
the  woman’s  touch  of  the  hem  of  Christ’s 
garment  had  ;  and  in  this,  among  other 
things,  that  word  of  Christ  was  fulfilled, 
Greater  works  than  these  shall  ye  do.  A  n:l  if 
such  miracles  were  wrought  by  Peter’s 
shadow,  we  have  reason  to  think  they  were 
so  by  the  other  apostles,  as  by  the  handker¬ 
chiefs  from  Paul’s  body,  ch.  19  : 12.  no 
doubt,  both  being  with  an  actual  intention 
in  the  minds  of  the  apostles  thus  to  heal ;  so 
that  it  is  absurd  hence  to  infer  a  healing 
virtue  in  the  relics  of  saints  that  are  dead 
and  gone;  we  read  not  of  any  cured  by  the 
relics  of  Christ  Himself,  after  He  was  gone, 
as  certainly  we  should,  if  there  had  been 
any  such  thing. 

V.  17 — 25.  In  these  vs.  we  have  the 
malice  of  hell  and  the  grace  of  heaven 
struggling  about  the  apostles  ;  the  one  to 
drive  them  off  from  their  good  work,  the 
other  to  animate  them  in  it. 

I.  Their  enemies  were,  the  high  priest, 
as  ringleader,  Annas  or  Caiaphas,  who  saw 
their  wealth  and  dignity,  their  power  and 
tyranny,  their  all  inevitably  lost,  if  the  spir¬ 
itual  and  heavenly  doctrine  of  Christ  pre¬ 
vailed;  and  tire  sect  of  the  Sadducees,  who 
had  a  particular  enmity  to  the  Gospel  of 
Christ,  because  it  confirmed  and  established 
the  doctrine  of  the  invisible  world,  the  res¬ 
urrection  of  the  dead,  and  the  future  state, 
which  they  denied.  These  were  exaspe¬ 
rated  to  the  last  degree,  when  they  heard 
and  saw  what  flocking  there  was  to  the 
apostles,  and  how  considerable  they  were 
become,  they  rose  up  in  a  passion,  as  men 
that  could  no  longer  bear  it,  being  filled  with 


indignation  at  the  apostles,  for  preaching  the 
doctrine  of  Christ,  and  curing  the  sick  ;  at 
the  people  for  hearing  them,  and  bringing 
the  sick  to  them  to  be  cured  ;  and  at  them¬ 
selves  and  their  own  party,  for  suffering  this 
matter  to  go  so  far,  and  not  knocking  it  on 
the  head  at  first.  Thus  are  the  enemies  of 
Christ  and  his  Gospel  a  torment  to  them¬ 
selves. 

They  laid  their  hands  on  them ,  perhaps 
their  own  hands,  (so  low  did  their  malice 
make  them  stoop,)  or,  rather,  the  hands  of 
their  officers,  and  put  them  in  the  common 
prison,  among  tiie  worst  of  malefactors  ; 
hereby  designing  to  restrain,  terrify,  and  to 
disgrace  them.  They  could  lay  nothing 
criminal  to  their  charge,  yet,  while  they  had 
them  in  prison,  they  kept  them  from  going 
on  in  their  work.  Satan  has  carried  on  his 
design  against  the  Gospel,  very  much,  by 
making  the  preachers  and  professors  of  it 
despicable. 

II.  Gpd  sent  his  angel  to  release  them,  and 
to  renew  their  commission  to  preach  the  Gos¬ 
pel;  for  the  Lord  will  never  desert  his  wit¬ 
nesses,  his  advocates  !  This  deliverance  is 
not  so  particularly  related  as  that  of  Peter, 
ch.  12  :  7,  fyc.  but  the  miracle  here  was  the 
very  same.  When  miraculously  set  at  lib¬ 
erty,  they  must  not  think  it  was,  that  they 
might  save  their  lives  by  making  their  es¬ 
cape  from  their  enemies.  No;  it  was,  that 
they  might  go  on  with  their  work  with  so 
much  the  more  boldness.  Recoveries  from 
sickness,  releases  out  of  trouble,  are  grant¬ 
ed  us,  not.  that  we  may  enjoy  the  comforts 
of  our  life,  but  that  God  may  be  honored 
with  the  services  of  our  life.  Let  my  sold 
live,  and  it  shall  praise  Thee,  Ps.  119:175. 
Bring  my  sold  out  of  prison,  as  the  apostles 
here,  that  I  may  praise  thy  name,JP s.  142:7. 
See  Is.  88:  22. 

Now  in  the  charge  given  them,  observe, 
1.  They  must  preach  in  the  temple.  One 
would  think  it  had  been  prudent  in  a  more 
private  place  ;  but,  no  ;  ‘  Speak  in  the  tem¬ 
ple,  for  that  is  the  place  of  concourse,  that 
is  your  Father’s  house.’  It  is  not  for  tire 
preachers  of  Christ’s  Gospel  to  retire  into 
corners,  as  long  as  they  can  have  any  oppor¬ 
tunity  of  preaching  in  the  great  congrega¬ 
tion.  2.  They  must  preach  to  the  people  ; 
not  to  the  princes  and  rulers,  fa-  they  will 
not  hearken  ;  but  to  the  people,  who  are 
willing  and  desirous  to  be  taught,  and  whose 
souls  are  as  precious  to  Christ,  as  the  souls 
of  the  greatest.  3.  How;  Go,  stand,  and 
speak  :  which  intimates,  not  only  that  they 
must  speak  publicly,  but  boldly,  resolutely, 
i.  e.  ‘  Speak  it  as  persons  resolved  to  stand 
to  it,  to  live  and  die  by  it.’  4.  What;  all  the 
words  of  this  life.  This  life  which  you  have 
been  speaking  of  among  yourselves.  Or,  ‘  of 
this  life  which  the  Sadducees  deny.’  Or,£of 
this  life  emphatically  ;  this  heavenly,  divine 
life,  in  comparison  with  which  the  present 
earthly  life  does  not  deserve  the  name.’  Or, 

‘  these  words  of  life,  the  very  same  you  have 
preached,  these  words  which  the  Holy 
Ghost  puts  into  your  mouth.’  The  words 
of  the  Gospel  are  the  words  of  life;  quick¬ 
ening  words  ;  they  are  spirit,  and  they  are 
life ;  words  whereby  we  may  be  saved;  that  is 
the  same  with  this  here,  ch.  11 : 14. 

III.  They  went  on  with  their  work,  v.  21. 
when  they  heard  that  it  was  the  will  of  God, 
v.  12.  Perhaps,  they  began  to  question 
whether  they  should  preach  as  publicly  in 
the  temple  as  they  had  done,  because  they 
had  been  bid,  when  persecuted  in  one  city,  to 
flee  to  another.  But  now  that  the  angel  or¬ 
dered  them  to  go  preach  in  the  temple,  their 
way  was  plain,  and  they  ventured  without 
any  difficulty,  and  feared  not  the  lace  of 
man,  but  set  themselves  immediately  to  tbeir 


duty'.  They  entered  into  the  temple  early  in 
the  morning,  as  soon  as  the  people  began  to 
come  together  there,  and  taught  them  the 
Gospel  of  the  kingdom.  The  case,  here,  was 
extraordinary;  [the  command  express  on  this 
particular  point;]  the  whole  treasure  of  the 
Gospel  is  lodged  in  their  hands  ;  if  they  be 
silent  now,  the  whole  work  falls  to  the 
ground  ;  which  is  not  the  case  of  ordinary 
ministers,  who,  therefore,  are  not,  by  this 
example,  bound  to  throw  themselves  into 
the  mouth  of  danger  ;  and  yet,  when  God 
gives  opportunity  of  doing  good,  though  we 
be  under  the  restraint  and  terror  of  human 
powers,  we  should  venture  far,  rather  than 
let  go  such  an  opportunity. 

IV'.  The  high  priest  and  his  party  went 
on  with  their  prosecution,  v.  21.  They 
called  the  council  together,  a  great  and  extra¬ 
ordinary  council,  all  the  senate  of  the  children 
of  Israel. 

Before,  they  had  convened  only  a  commit¬ 
tee  of  the  kindred  of  the  high  priest,  who  were 
obliged  to  act  cautiously;  but  now  they  call 
together  all  the  eldership,  i.  e.  says  Light- 
Foot,  all  the  three  courts  or  benches  of 
judges,  not  only  the  Sanhedrim,  consisting 
of  70  elders,  but  the  other  two  judicatories, 
erected,  one  in  the  outer  court-gate  of  the 
temple,  the  other  in  the  inner  or  beautiful 
gate,  consisting  of  23  judges  each.  So  that, 
if  there  were  a  full  appearance,  here  were 
116  judges.  Thus  God  ordered  it,  that  the 
confusion  of  the  enemies  might  be  more 
•public,  and  the  apostles’  testimony  against 
them;  and  that  those  might  hear  the  Gospel, 
who  would  not  hear  it  otherwise  than  from 
the  bar.  Ilowbeit,  the  high  priest  meant 
not  so,  but  it  was  in  his  heart  to  cut  the  apos¬ 
tles  all  off  at  once. 

We  may  suppose  the  high  priest  makes  a 
solemn  speech  to  them,  setting  forth  the  oc¬ 
casion  of  their  coming  together;  that  a  very 
dangerous  faction  was  now  lately  raised,  by 
the  preaching  of  the  doctrine  of  Jesus,  which 
it  was  needful,  for  the  preservation  of  their 
church,  speedily  and  effectually  to  suppress; 
that  it  was  now  in  their  power  to  do  jt,  for 
he  had  the  ringleaders  of  the  faction  now 
in  prison,  to  be  proceeded  against,  if  they 
would  but  agree  to  it,  with  the  utmost  se¬ 
verity.  An  officer  is  despatched  immediate¬ 
ly  to  fetch  the  prisoners  to  the  bar.  But  see 
hoyv  they  are  baffled,  disappointed,  and 
shamed. 

1.  The  report  the  officers  make,  is,  ‘The 
prison-doors  truly  found  we  shut  with  all  safe¬ 
ty  ;’  nothing  had  been  done  to  weaken 
them  ;  ‘  the  keepers  had  not  been  wanting  to 
their  duty  ;  we  found  them  standing  without 
before,  the  doors,  and  knowing  nothing  to  the 
contrary,  hut  that  the  prisoners  were  all 
safe;  but  when  we  went  in,  we  found  no 
man  therein,  none  of  the  men  we  were  sent 
to  fetch.’  Probably  they  found  the  common 
prisoners  there.  Which  way  the  angel 
fetched  them,  whether  by  some,  back  way, 
or  opening  the  door,  and  fastening  it  close 
again,  (the  keepers  till  the  while  asleep,)  we 
are  not  told  ;  however  it  was,  they  were 
gone. 

Now  think  how  blank  the  court  looked, 
v.  24.  They  were  extremely  perplexed,  were 
at  their  wits’-end,  having  never  been  so  dis¬ 
appointed  of  a  thing  they  were  so  sure  of. 
It  occasioned  various  speculations ;  some  sug¬ 
gesting,  that  they  were  conjured  out  of  the 
prison ;  others,  that  the  keepers  had  played 
tricks  witli  them,  not  knowing  how  many 
friends  these  prisoners  had,  that  were  so 
much  the  darlings  of  the  people.  Some 
feared  that,  having  made  such  a  wonderful 
escape,  they  would  be  the  more  followed  ; 
others,  that  though  perhaps  they  had  fright¬ 
ened  them  from  Jerusalem,  they  should  hear 


v.  17.  Sect.]  ‘  Hairesis  [whence  heresy]  :  a  choosing,  election  ;  a 
taking  up  an  opinion;  anti,  lastiy,  I  lie  persons,  or  part  v,  who  maintain 
them.’  '  Bi.ooms. 

V.  19.  ‘  Thicss,  Eckermann,  Heinrichs,  Eiclihorn,  &c.  by  endeavoring 
to  account  for  this  liberation,  independently  of  Divine  agency,  create  (as 


usual)  more  difficulties  than  they  remove.  Their  vain  speculations  have 
been  overturned  by  Storr.'  Ulcomk. 

V.  21.  Senate.]  ‘  Gerousian  :  elderhood.  So  the  Lacedemonians 
called  their  senate.  Vausanias.'  Id. 

V.  2-1.  Chief  priests.]  ‘  The  chiefs  of  the  24  classes  of  priests.’  Kutrt. 


A.  D.  S3. 


ACTS,  V.  The  apostles  arraigned  before  ike  Sanhedrim. 


25  Then  came  one  and  told  them, 
saying,  Behold,  the  men  whom  ye 
put  in  prison  are  standing  in  the 
temple,  and  teaching  the  people. 

26  Then  went  the  captain  with 
the  officers,  and  brought  them  with¬ 
out  violence  :  for  1  they  feared  the 
people,  lest  they  should  have  been 
stoned. 

27  And  when  they  had  brought 
them,  they  set  them  before  the 
council  :  and  the  high  priest  asked 
them, 

28  Saying,  Did  not  we  bstraitly 
command  you  that  ye  should  not 
teach  in .  this  name  ?  and,  behold, 
ye  have  filled  Jerusalem  with  your 
doctrine,  and  intend  to  bring  this 
man’s  blood  c  upon  us. 

29  IF  Then  Peter  and  the  other 
apostles  answered  and  said.  We 
d  ought  to  obey  God  rather  than 
men. 

80  The  God  of  our  fathers  raised 
up  Jesus,  whom  ye  slew  and  hang¬ 
ed  e  on  a  tree. 

31  Him  hath  God  exalted  fwith 
his  right  hand  to  be  a  E  Prince  and 
a  h  Savior,  for  to  give  repentance 
to  Israel,  and  forgiveness  of  sins. 

32  And  we  are  his  witnesses  ‘of 
these  things  ;  and  so  is  also  the 
j  Holy  Ghost,  whom  God  hath  given 
to  them  that  obey  him. 

33  IF  When  they  heard  that,  they 
b  were  cut  to  the  heart ,  and  took 
counsel  to  slay  them. 

«.  Mot.  51.26.  a  c.  4:19.  h  Mat.  1:51. 

h  0.4:18.  e  Ga.  3:13.  1  Pe.  i  Lu.  24:47. 

e  Mat.  57:55.  c.  2:54.  j  e.2:4. 

2:23,  36.  3:15.  f  Ph.  2:9.  it  c.  7:51. 

7:52.  g  Is.  9:6. 

of  them  again  in  some  part  or  other  of  the 
country,  where  they  would  do  yet  more  mis¬ 
chief,  and  it  would  be  yet  more  out  of  their 
power  to  stop  the  spreading  of  the  infec¬ 
tion  ;  and  now  they  began  to  fear,  that  in¬ 
stead  of  curing  the  ill,  they  have  made  it 
worse.  .  Those  distress  and  embarrass  them¬ 
selves,  that  , think  to  distress  and  embarrass 
the  cause  of  Christ. 

2.  Their  doubt  is,  in  part,  determined  ; 
and  yet  their  vexation  is  increased  by  an¬ 
other  messenger,  who  brings  them  word  that 
their  prisoners  are  preaching  in  the  temple, 
v.  25.  Prisoners,  that  have  broken  prison, 
abscond,  for  fear  of  being  retaken:  but  these 
prisoners,  that  here  made  their  escape,  dare 
to  show  their  faces  even  there  where  their 
persecutors  have  the  greatest  influence.  Now 
this  confounded  them  more  than  anything. 

V .  £6 — 12.  I.  The  seizing  of  the  apostles 


a  second  time.  We  may  think,  if  God  de-  [ 
signed  this,  ‘  Why  were  they  rescued  from 
their  first  imprisonment  T  But  that  was  de-  j 
signed  to  humble  the  pride,  and  check  the  ! 
fury,  of  their  persecutors  ;  and  now  God 
would  show  that  they  were  discharged;  not 
because  they  feared  a  trial,  for  they  were 
ready  to  surrender  themselves,  and  appear 
before  the  greatest  of  their  enemies.  They 
brought  them  with  all  respect..  One  would 
think  they  had  reason  to  do  so,  in  reverence 
to  the  temple,  that  holy  place,  and  for  fear 
of  the  apostles,  lest  they  should  strike  them, 
as  they  did  Ananias,  or  call  for  fire  from 
heaven  on  them,  as  Elias  did  ;  but  all  that 
restrained  their  violence,  was,  their  fear  of 
the  people,  who  had  such  a  veneration  for  the 
apostles,  that  they  would  stone  them  if  they 
ottered  [such  good  men]  any  abuse. 

II.  Their  examination  ;  being  brought 
before  this  august  assembly,  the  high  priest, 
as  the  mouth  of  the  court,  told  them  what 
it  was  they  had  to  lay  to  their  charge,  v.  28. 
1.  They  who  make  void  the  command¬ 
ments  of  God,  are  commonly  very  strict  in 
binding  on  their  own  commandments.  2. 
Besides  this  disobedience,  they  spread  false 
doctrine  among  the  people,  or  at  least  a  sin¬ 
gular  doctrine,  which  was  not  allowed  by 
the  Jewish  church,  nor  agreed  with  what 
was  delivered  from  Moses’  chair  ;  Ye  have 
filled  Jerusalem  with  your  doctrine.  Some 
take  this  for  a  haughty,  scornful  word  ;  de¬ 
spising  their  doctrine  as  silly,  they  are  an¬ 
gry  that  men,  whom  they  looked  upon  as 
despicable,  should  make  themselves  thus 
considerable.  The  third  charge  is,  they  had 
a  malicious  design  against  the  government,  and 
aimed  to  stir  up  the  people  against  it,  by 
representing  it  as  wicked  and  tyrannical, 
and  that  had  made  itself  justly  odious  both 
to  God  and  man  ;  ‘  Ye  intend  to  bring  this 
man's  blood,  the  guilt  of  it  before  God,  the 
shame  of  it, before  men,  upon  us.'  See  here 
how  those  that  with  a  great  deal  of  presump¬ 
tion  will  do  an  evil  thing,  yet  cannot  bear  to 
hear  of  it  afterward,  or  to  have  it  charged 
on  them.  When  they  were  in  the  heat  of 
the  persecution,  they  could  cry,  daringly 
enough,  ‘  His  blood  be  on  us,  and  on  our  chil¬ 
dren ;  lot  us  bear  the  blame  for  ever.’  But 
now  that  they  have  time  for  a  cooler  thought, 
they  take  it  as  a  heinous  affront  to  have  his 
blood  laid  at  their  door. 

III.  Their  answer  ;  Peter  and  the  ether 
apostles  all  spake  to  the  same  purport, 
(whether  severally  examined,  or  answering 
jointly,)  depending  on  the  promise,  that, 
when  brought  before  councils,  it  should  l>e 
given  thorn  in  that  same  hour  v>hal  they  should 
speak,  and  courage  to  speak  it. 

1.  They  justified  themselves  in  their  disobe¬ 
dience  to  tlie  commands  of  the  Sanhedrim, 
v.  29.  They  do  not  plead  the  power  they 
had  to  work  miracles,  but  simply  appeal  to  a 
maxim  universally  owned,  which  even  nat¬ 
ural  conscience  subscribes  to,  and  which 
comes  home  to  their  case. 


2.  They  justify  themselves  in  doing  what 
they  could  to  fill  Jerusalem  with  t lie  doc¬ 
trine  of  Christ;  ‘  Now,’  say  they,  ‘  we  will 
tell  you  who  this  Christ  is,  and  what  his 
Gospel  is,  and  then  do  you  judge  whether 
we  ought  not  to  preach  it  ;  nay,  and  we 
shall  take  this  opportunity  to  preach  it  to 
you,  whether  you  will  hear,  or  whether  you  will 
I  forbear.'  People’s  being  unwilling  to  hear 
:  of  their  faults,  is  no  good  reason  why  they 
should  not  he  faithfully  told  of  them.  It  is 
a  common  excuse  made  for  not  reproving 
sin,  that  the  times  will  not  bear  it.  But  they 
whose  office  it  is  to  reprove,  must  not  ho 
awed  by  that;  the  times  must  bear  it,  and 
shall  bear  it;  Cry  aloud,  and  spare  not ;  cry 
aloud  and  fear  not. 

They  are  told  also  what  honors  God  put 
upon  this  Jesus,  afid  then  let  them  judge  who 
was  in  the  right,  the  persecutors  of  his  doc¬ 
trine,  or  the  preachers  of  it.  He  calls  God 
the  God  of  our  fathers,  not  only  ours,  but 
yours,  to  show  that,  in  preaching  Christ,  they 
did  not  preach  a  new  god,  nor  entice  people 
to  come  and  worship  other  gods,  nor  set  up  an 
institution  contrary  to  that  of  Moses  and  the 
prophets,  hut  adhered  to  the  God  of  the  Jew¬ 
ish  fathers,  and  that  that  name  of  Christ 
which  they  preached,  answered  the  promises 
made  to  the  fathers,  and  the  covenant  God 
entered  into  with  I  hem,  and  the  types  and 
j  figures  of  tlie  law  lie  gave  them.  The  God 
of  Abraham,  Isaac,  and  Jacob,  is  the  God  and 
Father  of  cur  Lord  Jesus  Christ  ;  see  what 
honor  He  did  Him.  (1.)  He  raised  Him  up; 
i.  e.  qualified  Him  for,  and  called  Him  to, 
his  great  undertaking.  It  seems  to  refer  to 
the  promise  God  made  by  Muses,  A  Prophet 
shedl  the  Lord  your  God  raise  up  unto  you. 
Or,  it  may  be  meant  of  his  raising  Him  up 
from  the  grave.  (2.)  He  exalted  Him  with 
his  right  hand  ;  hath  lifted  Him  up.  ‘  You 
loaded  Him  with  disgrace,  but  God  has 
crowned  Him  with  honor ;  and  ought  we  not 
to  honor  Him  whom  God  honors  1  ’  God  has 
exalted  Him, — ivith  his  right  hand,  i.  e.  by 
his  power  put  forth  ;  Christ  is  said  to  live  by 
the  power  of  God.  Or,  to  his  right  hand,  to 
sit  there,  to  rest  there,  to  rule  there.  (3.) 
‘  He  has  appointed  Him  to  he  a  Prince  and 
a  Savior,  therefore  we  ought  to  preach  in 
his  name,  and  to  publish  the  laws  of  his  gov¬ 
ernment,  ns  He  is  a  Prince  ;  and  the  offers 
of  his  grace,  as  He  is  a  Savior.’  Observe 
there  is  no  having  Christ  to  be  our  Savior, 
unless  we  be  willing  to  take  Him  for  our 
Prince.  (4.)  He  is  appointed,  as  a  Prince 
and  a  Savior,  to  give  repentance  to  Israel  and 
remission  of  sins.  Therefore  they  must  preach 
in  his  name  to  the  people  of  Israel,  for  his 
favors  were  designed,  primarily  and  princi¬ 
pally,  for  them  ;  and  none  that  truly  loved 
their  country,  could  be  against  that.  Had 
lie  been  exalted  to  give  deliverance  to  Israel 
from  the  Roman  yoke,  and  dominion  over 
the  neighboring  nations,  the  chief  priests 
would  have  welcomed  Him  with  all  their 
hearts.  But  repentance  and  remission  of 


V.  26.  ‘  Tyrants,  not  fearing  God,  are  constrained  to  fear  their  own 

suhjects. ’  Beza.  Perhaps  the  expectation  of  a  temporal  kingdom  was 
revived  by  the  miracles  of  the  apostles,  among  the  bulk  of  the  common 
people:  so  that,  while  they  neither  understood  nor  embraced  the  Gos¬ 
pel,  they  favored  the  cause,  and  excited  the  fears  of  their  persecuting 
rulers.  Scott. 

V.  28.  Name.]  ‘  I.  e.,  person  ;  so  Pearce,  Ros.,  Kuin.,  “respecting 
this  person.”  This.]  The  Gr.  phraseology,  here,  denotes  contempt,  so 
Pricaeus;  and  see  Schoettgen.’  Bloo.hf. 

V.  SO.  Tree.]  ‘  Xulon  :  timber,  and  “  tree,”  once  meant  the  same.’ 

Id. 

V.  31.  It  is  the  evident  doctrine  of  Scripture,  that  true  repentance 
is  ‘  tlie  gift  of  God and  to  exclude  this  most  obvious  meaning  of  the 
words,  as  many  expositors  do,  is,  in  fact,  an  attempt  to  improve  the 
language  of  Scripture,  and  to  obscure  one  evidence  of  our  Savior’s  Dei¬ 
ty,  and  of  all  salvation  coming  wholly  from  his  fulness  of  grace.  ‘  Re¬ 
pentance  was  not  indeed  actually  wrought  in  Israel,  by  his  efficacious 
grace  i.  e.,  not  in  all  Israel ;  for  it  certainly  was  in  great  numbers: 
but  if  any  who  heard  the  apostles  were  convinced  that  they  must  re¬ 
pent  or  perish,  yet  found  their  hearts  still  hard  and  their  wills  rebellious ; 
was  it  not  a  most  important  and  seasonable  instruction,  to  be  assured, 
that  Jesus  was  exalted  ‘to  give  repentance,’  as  well  as  pardon  to  the 
penitent  ?  that,  as  one  with  tears  cried  to  Him,  ‘  Help  my  unbelief;’  they 
might  cry  to  Him,  ‘Turn  Thou  me,  that  I  may  be  turned  :’  ‘Pour  on 
me  the  Spirit  of  grace  and  supplications,  that  I  may  look  unto  Thee, 


whom  I  have  pierced,  and  mourn’  with  ‘that  godly  sorrow,  which 
worketh  repentance  unto  salvation.’  Repentance.]  '•Mctanoia:  when 
ii  signifies  the  awakening  and  change  of  the  mind  for  the  better,  is  the 
gift  of  God,  of  his  mere  grace.’  Beza.  Scott. 

V.  32.  ‘  The  testimony,  arising  from  this  miraculous  communication 

of  the  Spirit  to  Christians,  at  that  time,  entirely  removes  the  objection 
from  Christ’s  not  appearing  in  public,  nfter  his  resurrection.  Forbad 
there  been  any  imposture,  it  bad  been  easier,  of  the  two,  to  have  per¬ 
suaded  the  people  at  a  distance,  that  He  had  so  appeared  to  the  Jewish 
rulers,  or  even  to  the  multitude,  and  yet  had  been  rejected  ;  than  that 
He  had  given  his  servants  such  extraordinary  powers.  Since,  had  this 
assertion  been  false,  every  one  might  have  been  a  witness  to  the  false¬ 
hood  of  such  a  pretence,  without  the  trouble  and  expense  of  a  journey 
to  Jerusalem,  or  any  other  distant  place.’  Doddr.  Obey. j  See  on  29. 
‘There  is  no  true  obedience,  without  faitb,  or  true  faith  without  obedi¬ 
ence.’  Beza.  Scott.  If  man  could  and  would  obey  every  law  of  the 
mixed  constitution  God  has  given  him,  how  much  more  accessible  to 
spiritual  influences  might  he  become  !  What  now  unknown  develop¬ 
ments  of  his  higher  nature  might  he  not  expect  !  E.D- 

V.  33—39.  ‘  Origen,  who  had  read  Jos.,  and  declares  that  he  examined 
things  relating  to  the  Scripture,. .  .  out  of  a  love  to  truth ,  speaks  thus  -. 
“  We  say  there  was  one  Theudas  before  the  birth  of  Christ,  who  among 
the  Jews  declared  himself  to  be  somebody.”  And  again,  ‘  that  Judas 
Galileus,  and  Theudas  who  was  before  him ,  being  not  ol  God,  perished. 
And  a  third  time,  “  Because  they  gathered  from  the  scriptures,  that  tlie 


A.  D.  33. 


ACTS,  V.  Gamaliel's  speech  to  the  Sanhedrim. 


34  Then  stood  there  up  one  in 
the  council,  a  Pharisee,  named 
1  Gamaliel,  a  doctor  of  the  law, 
had  in  reputation  among  all  the 
people,  and  commanded  to  put  the 
apostles  forth  a  little  space  ; 

35  And  said  unto  them,  Ye  men 
of  Israel,  take  heed  to  yourselves 
what  ye  intend  to  do  as  touching 
these  men. 

36  For  before  these  days  m  rose 
up  Theudas,  boasting  himself  to  be 
somebody;  to  whom  a  number  of 
men,  about  four  hundred,  joined 
themselves  :  who  was  slain  ;  and 
all,  as  many  as  n  obeyed  him,  were 
scattered,  and  brought  to  nought. 

37  After  this  man  rose  up  Judas 
of  Galilee  in  the  days  of  the  taxing, 
and  drew  away  much  people  after 
him:  he  "also  perished;  and  all, 
even  as  many  as  obeyed  him,  were 
dispersed. 

38  And  now  I  say  unto  you,  Re¬ 
frain  from  these  men,  and  let  them 
alone  :  p  for  if  this  counsel  or  this 
work  be  of  men,  it  will  come  to 
nought  : 

39  But  if  q  it  be  of  God,  ye  can¬ 
not  overthrow  it ;  lest  haply  ye  be 
found  even  to  fight  r  against  God. 

1  c.  22:3.  A.D.  8:10.JVlat.l5:13. 

m  In  the  3 d  year  n  or,  believed.  q  Job  34:29.  ICo. 
before  the  ac -  o  Lu.  13:1,2.  1:25. 

count  called  p  Pr.  21:30.  Is.  r  c.  9:5.  23:9. 

sins  are  blessings  they  neither  value,  nor 
see  their  need  of,  therefore,  they  can  by  no 
means  admit  his  doctrine.  Observe,  wher¬ 
ever  repentance  is  wrought,  remission  is 
without  fail  granted,  and  on  the  other  hand, 
there  is  no  remission  without  repentance. 
It  is  also  Jesus  Christ  that  gives,  and  is  au¬ 
thorized  to  give  both.  (5.)  All  this  is  well 
attested ;  the  apostles  themselves  are  ready  to 
testify  on  oath,  if  required,  that  they  saw 
Him  alive  after  his  resurrection,  and  saw 
Him  ascend  into  heaven;  and,  also,  that  they 
experienced  the  power  of  his  grace  on  their 
hearts,  raising  them  up  to  that  which  was 
far  above  their  natural  capacities.  But  that 
is  not  all,  the  Holy  Ghost  is  witness,  a  wit¬ 
ness  from  heaven  ;  for  God  hath  given  his 
gifts  and  graces  to  them  that  obey  Christ. 
Therefore  we  must  preach  in  his  name,  be¬ 
cause  for  this  end  the  Holy  Ghost  is  given 
us,  whose  operations  we  cannot  stifle. 

Note,  The  giving  of  the  Holy  Ghost  to 
obedient  believers,  not  only  to  bring  them  to 


the  obedience  of  faith,  but  to  make  them  em¬ 
inently  useful  therein,  is  a  very  strong  proof 
of  the  truth  of  Christianity.  God  gave  the 
Holy  Ghost  by  his  Son  and  in  his  name, 
John  14:  26.  and  in  answer  to  his  prayer, 
John  14:  16.  nay,  Christ  sent  Him  from  the 
Father,  John  15:26.  16: 17.  and  this  proves 
the  glory  to  which  the  Father  has  exalted 
Him.  The  great  work  of  the  Spirit  being 
not  only  to  justify  Christ,  1  Tim.  3:  16.  but 
to  glonly  Him,  and  all  his  gifts  having  a  di¬ 
rect  tendency  to  exalt  his  name,  proves  that 
his  doctrine  is  divine,  else  it  would  not  be 
carried  on  thus  by  a  divine  power.  And, 
lastly,  the  giving  of  the  Holy  Ghost  to  them 
that  obey  Christ,  both  for  their  assistance  in 
their  obedience,  and  as  a  present  recom¬ 
pense  for  their  obedience,  is  a  plain  evi¬ 
dence  that  it  is  the  will  of  God  that  Christ 
should  be  obeyed ;  ‘  and  then  judge  whether 
we  ought  to  obey  you  in  opposition  to  Him.’ 

IV.  The  impression  the  apostles’  defence 
of  themselves  made  on  the  court;  instead  of 
yielding  to  it,  they  raged  against  it,  and 
were  filled, 

1.  With  indignation;  they  were  cut  to  the 
heart,  not,  as  the  people,  in  remorse  and  god¬ 
ly  sorrow,  ch.  2 :  37.  but  with  rage  and  indig¬ 
nation.  Thus  the  same  Gospel  is  to  some  a 
savor  of  life  unto  life,  to  others  of  death  unto 
death. 

2.  With  malice;  since  they  see  they  can¬ 
not  stop  their  mouths  any  other  way  than  by 
stopping  their  breath,  they  take  counsel  to 
slay  them,  hoping  that  so  they  should  cause 
the  work  to  cease.  While  the  apostles  went 
on  in  the  service  of  Christ,  with  a  holy  se¬ 
curity  and  serenity  of  mind,  perfectly  com¬ 
posed,  and  in  a  sweet  enjoyment  of  them¬ 
selves,  their  persecutors  went  on  in  their 
opposition  to  Christ,  with  a  continual  per¬ 
plexity  and  perturbation  of  mind,  and  vexa¬ 
tion  to  themselves. 

V.  The  grave  advice  of  Gamaliel,  a  lead¬ 
ing  man  in  the  council,  on  this  occasion,  the 
scope  of  which  was  to  moderate  the  fury  of 
these  bigots,  and  check  the  violence  of  the 
prosecution.  Gamaliel  is  here  said  to  be  a 
Pharisee  by  profession  and  sect,  by  office  a 
doctor  of  the  law,  one  that  studied  the  scrip¬ 
tures  of  the  O.  T.,  read  lectures  on  the  sa¬ 
cred  authors,  and  trained  up  pupils  in  the 
knowledge  of  them ;  Paul  was  brought  up  at 
his  feet,  ch.  22 :  3.  and  tradition  says,  Ste¬ 
phen  and  Barnabas.  Some  say  he  was  the 
son  of  that  Simeon  that  took  Christ  in  his  I 
arms,  when  presented  in  the  temple  ;  and 
grandson  of  the  famous  Hillel.  He  is  here 
said  to  be  in  reputation  among  all  the  people 
for  his  wisdom  and  conduct  ;  it  appearing 
by  this  passage  that  he  was  a  moderate  man, 
and  not  apt  to  go  in  with  furious  measures. 
Men  of  temper  and  charity  are  justly  had  in 


reputation,  for  checking  the  incendiaries 
that  otherwise  would  set  the  earth  on  fire. 
Observe, 

].  His  necessary  caution  ;  putting  the 
apostles  forth  a  little  while  ;  he  might  speak 
the  more  freely,  and  be  the  more  freely  an¬ 
swered,  and  then  he  reminds  the  house  of 
the  importance  of  this  matter,  which  in  their 
heat  they  were  not  capable  of  considering  as 
they  ought,  v.  35.  ‘  You  are  men,  that 

should  be  governed  by  reason  ;  men  of  Is¬ 
rael,  that  should  be  governed  by  revelation. 
Have  regard  then  to  God  and  his  Word. 
Take  heed  to  yourselves,  now  you  are  angry, 
lest  you  meddle  to  your  own  hurt.'  The  per¬ 
secutors  of  God’s  people  had  best  look  to 
themselves,  lest  they  fall  into  the  pit  they  dig. 
We  have  need  to  be  cautious  whom  we 
trouble,  lest  we  be  found  making  the  hearts 
of  the  righteous  sad. 

2.  To  pave  the  way  to  his  opinion  ;  he 
cites  two  instances  of  factious,  seditious  men, 
such  as  they  would  have  the  apostles  thought, 
whose  attempts  came  to  nothing  of  them¬ 
selves;  whence  he  infers,  that  if  these  men 
were  indeed  such  as  they  represented  them, 
their  cause  would  sink  with  its  own  weight, 
and  Providence  would  infatuate  and  defeat 
them,  and  then  they  needed  not  persecute 
them. 

3.  His  opinion,  (1.)  That  they  should  not 
persecute  the  apostles,  v.  38.  As  the  mat¬ 
ter  now  stands,  my  advice  is,  *  Refrain  from 
these  men  ;  neither  punish  them  for  what 
they  have  done,  nor  restrain  them  for  the 
future.  Connive  at  them.’  It  is  uncertain 
whether  he  spake  this  out  of  policy,  for  fear 
of  offending  either  the  people  or  the  Ro¬ 
mans,  and  making  further  mischief ;  or, 
whether  he  was  under  some  present  convic¬ 
tions,  at  least  of  the  probability  of  the  truth 
of  the  Christian  doctrine,  and  thought  it  de¬ 
served  better  treatment,  at  least  a  fair  trial; 
or,  whether  it  was  only  the  language  of  a 
mild,  quiet  spirit,  that  was  against  persecu¬ 
tion  for  conscience-sake  ;  or,  whether  God 
put  this  word  into  his  mouth  beyond  his  own 
intention,  for  the  deliverance  of  the  apostles 
at  this  time;  we  are  sure  there  was  an  over¬ 
ruling  Providence  in  it,  that  the  servants  of 
Christ  might  not  only  come  off,  but  honora¬ 
bly.  (2.)  That  they  should  refer  this  mat¬ 
ter  to  Providence.  That  which  is  appa¬ 
rently  wicked  and  immoral,  must  be  sup¬ 
pressed,  else  the  magistrate  bears  the  sword 
in  vain;  but  that  which  has  a  show  of  good, 
and  it  is  doubtful  whether  it  be  of  God  or 
men,  it  is  best  not  to  use  any  external  force 
to  suppress.  Christ  rules  by  the  power  of 
truth,  not  of  the  sword.  But,  ‘  If  this  coun¬ 
sel,  this  work,  this  forming  of  a  society,  and 
incorporating  it  in  the  name  of  Jesus,  be  of 
men,  it  will  come  to  nothing.  If  it  be  the 


time  of  the  Messiah  was  come ;  first  Theudas,  and  after  him  Judas,  tu- 
rnultuated,  in  the  time  of  the  taxing.”  Hence  do  the  fathers  unanimous¬ 
ly  say,  that  those  words  of  Christ,  “All  that  came  before  Me  were 
thieves  and  robbers,”  relate  to  these  two,  Theudas,  and  Judas  of  Gali¬ 
lee  ;  which  shows  their  belief,  that  both  of  them  were  before  the  time 
of  Christ’s  preaching.  So  that  it  is  extremely  evident,  that  the  ancient 
fathers  agreed  in  this,  that  there  was  a  Theudas  pretending  to  great 
things,  even  before  the  coming  of  our  Lord  ;  though  Jos.  has  taken  no 
notice  of  him.’  Whitby,  in  Scott.  Lightfoot  supposes,  that  the  Theu¬ 
das,  mentioned  by  Josephus,  was  the  son  of  this  Theudas  ;  and  that  he 
took  his  name,  as  engaging  in  the  same  enthusiastic  attempts.  Luke  2:2. 
Luke  merely  records  Gamaliel’s  speech  ;  and  it  indisputable,  that  he 
spake  of  facts  well  known  to  his  hearers.  As  to  Josephus,  his  mistakes 
and  omissions  are  so  numerous  and  palpable,  that  his  authority  ought 
not  to  be  opposed  to  other  authentic  histories  ;  or  to  facts,  which,  at  the 
time,  were  known  and  allowed  to  have  occurred.  According  to  this 
opinion,  [Gamaliel’s,]  which  was  the  verdict  of  common  sense,  and  sup¬ 
ported  by  the  most  conclusive  arguments,  the  continuance  of  Christian¬ 
ity  to  this  day,  a  religion,  neither  supported  by  human  authority,  nor 
paying  court  to  any  man’s  corrupt  passions;  nay,  opposed  by  all  the 
power,  wealth,  philosophy,  learning,  superstition,  idolatry,  open  pro- 
fhneness,  false  religion,  vices,  and  popular  prejudices,  of  the  whole 
world  ;  and  declaring  exterminating*  war  against  all  the  corrupt  propen¬ 
sities  of  the  human  heart,  without  favoring  one  more  than  another  ;  and 
also  the  ruin  of  the  Jewish  church  and  nation,  and  other  persecuting 
powers,  are  irrefragable  demonstrations,  that  it  ‘  was  no  work  or  coun¬ 
sel  of  men,’  but  indeed  a  revelation  from  God ;  and,  that  those  who  op¬ 
posed  it  actually  fought  against  Him,  and  incurred  his  righteous  displea- 


•  Ttot  object  of  moral  cultuie  is  to  regulate,  not  exterminate  the  native  propensities 
the  human  constitution  :  to  harmonize  ami  properly  subordinate  the  propensities,  sen 
nicnts,  and  intellectual  faculties  :  not  to  destroy  any  one  of  them.  Ed. 


sure  for  so  doing. — How  different  the  introduction  of  Christianity  in  the 
world,  and  its  preservation  and  continuance  to  this  day,  from  those  of 
Paganism  and  Mohammedism  !  Scott. 

(36,37.)  Theudas.]  ‘A  common  name.  It  seems  most  probable  (and 
so  Origen,  Seal.,  Beza.,  Cain.,  Lighif.,  Dru.,  Casaubnn,  Grot.,  Ham., 
Iiasnage,  Heum.,  Krebs,  Limborch,  Whitby,  Doddr.,  Lardner,  Morus, 
Ros.,  aud  Kuin.)  there  were  two  :  Jos.  mentions  one  more  recent,  Ga¬ 
maliel  another,  who  (so  Casaubon  and  Krebs)  lived  about  the  time  of 
Christ’s  birth.  Beza  and  Kuin., however,  think  in  the  time  when  (as  Jos., 
Ant.  17,  24.)  innumerable  seditions,  which  Varus  could  hardly  suppress, 
reigned  in  Judea.  For  those  events  (as  they  observe)  which  happened 
at  the  lime  in  which,  after  the  death  of  Herod  the  Great,  there  was  an 
interregnum  in  Judea,  while  Arehelaus  had  gone  to  Rome,  to  obtain  the 
confirmation  of  his  father’s  will,  and  when  Jesus  was  yet  in  Egypt, 
Jos.  has  passed  over  in  silence,  as  he  has  done  this  insurrection  of  Theu¬ 
das,  which  .probably  occurred  at  that  time  ;  not  to  mention  many  other 
events,  of  which,  nevertheless,  the  truth  is  unquestionable.  The  second 
Theudas  they  suppose  to  have  been  a  son  or  grandson  of  the  first,  and 
who  again  brought  together  his  scattered  followers;  similar  instances 
of  which  may  be  remarked  in  long-buried  and  almost  forgotten  sects, 
which  sometimes  revive.  But  this  second  may  have  simply  adopted  a 
name  already  popular.'  Bloomf.  Judas  of  Galilee.]  ‘  Schoeltgen, 
from  the  Rabbins,  finds  that  this  Judas  “  began  a  third  sect,  besides  the 
Pharisees  and  Sadducees,  the  Essenes.  Judas  Galilteus  was  the  founder 
of  the  Nasireeans,  called  also,  Essenes.  They  stirred  rebellion  against 
the  Romans,  holding  that  no  man  ought  to  command  other  men,  nor  be 
called  Lord,  save  God  only.”  Juchasin.  .  Toxin er.)  Apographs :  a 
census,  of  property  as  well  as  persons,  Luke  2:1.  This  census  was  not 
that  of  Herod’s  reign,  by  Augustus’  order,  but  that  by  Quirinus,  after  Ar- 
chelaus,  the  son  of  Herod,  had  been  exiled  by  Augustus  to  Vienna,  and  his 
kingdom  reduced  to  the  form  of  a  Roman  province.  See  Deyling.'  Kuin. 


A.  D.  S3. 


ACTS,  VI. 


The  apostles  are  bealen  and  dismissed. 


40  Ami  to  him  they  agreed  :  anil 
when  they  hail  called  the  apostles, 
and  "beaten  them,  they  commanded 
'  that  they  should  not  speak  in  the 
name  of  Jesus,  and  let  them  go. 

41  IT  And  they  departed  from  the 
presence  of  the  council,  rejoicing 
u  that  they  were  counted  worthy  to 
suffer  shame  for  his  name. 

42  And  daily  Tin  the  temple,  and 
in  every  house,  they  ceased  not  to 
teach  and  preach  Jesus  Christ. 

CHAP.  VI. 

1  The  apostles,  desirous  to  have  the  poor  regarded  for  their 
bodily  sustenance,  as  also  careful  themstlves  to  dispense 
the  Word  of  God,  the  food  of  the  soul,  3  appoint  the 
oflice  of  deaconship  to  seven  chosen  men.  5  Of  whom 
Stephen,  a  man  full  of  faith,  and  of  the  Holy  Ghost ,  is 
one.  12  Who  is  taken  of  those,  whom  he  confounded  in 
disputing,  13  and  afterward  falsely  accused  of  blasphemy 
against  the  law  and  the  temple. 

AND  in  those  days,  when  the 
number  of  the  disciples  was 
multiplied,  there  arose  a  murmur¬ 
ing  of  the  Grecians  "against  the 
Hebrews,  because  their  widows 
were  neglected  in  b  the  daily  minis¬ 
tration. 

»  Mai  10:17.  12:10.  Pli.  1:29.  v  2Ti.4:2. 

t  c.  4:  IS  Ja  1:2.  IPs.  4:  a  c.  9:29.  11:20. 

u  Mat.5:12. 2  Co.  13—16.  b  c.  4:35. 


counsel  and  work  of  foolish  men,  that  know 
not  what  (hey  do,  they  will  run  themselves 
out,  and  they  will  make  themselves  ridicu¬ 
lous.  If  it  be  the  counsel  and  work  of  po¬ 
litic  and  designing  men,  who,  under  color 
of  religion,  are  setting  up  a  secular  interest, 
let  them  alone  a  while,  and  they  will  throw 
off  the  mask,  and  make  themselves  odious  ; 
Providence  will  never  countenance  it,  and 
your  persecuting  and  opposing  it  is  very 
needless  ;  there  is  no  occasion  for  giving 
yourselves  so  much  trouble,  and  bringing 
such  an  odium  on  yourselves,  to  kill  that, 
which,  if  you  give  it  a  little  time,  will  die 
of  itself.  The  unnecessary  use  of  power  is 
an  abuse  of  it.  On  the  other  hand,  ‘  If  it 
shotdd  prove,  that  these  preachers  have  their 
commissions  and  instructions  from  God,  that 
they  are  as  truly  his  messengers  to  the  world 
as  the  O.  T.  prophets  were  ;  then  what 
do  you  thiuk  of  persecuting  them,  of  this  at¬ 
tempt  of  your’s,  v.  33.  to  slay  them  ?  It  must 
be  fruitless;  if  it  be  of  God,  you  cannot  over¬ 
throw  it;  and  it  may  be  dangerous.  Pray  let 
it  alone,  lest  haply  ye  be  found  even  to  fight 
against  God  ;  I  need  not  tell  you  who  will 
come  off  by  the  worst  in  that  contest." 

Such  was  the  advice  of  Gamaliel  ;  we 
wish  it  were  duly  considered  by  those  that 
persecute  for  conscience-sake,  for  it  was  a 
good  thought,  and  natural  enough,  though  we 
are  uncertain  what  he  was.  The  tradition 
of  the  Jewish  writers  is,  that,  for  all  this,  he 
lived  and  died  an  inveterate  enemy  to  Christ 
and  his  Gospel  ;  and  though  now  he  was  not 


for  persecuting  the  followers  of  Christ,  yet 
he  was  the  man  who  composed  that  prayer 
which  the  Jews  use  to  this  day,  for  the  ex¬ 
tirpating  of  Christians  and  Christianity.  On 
the  contrary,  the  traditions  of  the  Papists  is, 
that  he  turned  Christian,  and  became  an  em¬ 
inent  patron  of  Christianity,  and  a  follower 
of  Paul,  who  had  sat  ut  his  feet.  If  that  had 
been  so,  it  is  very  probable  we  should  have 
heard  of  him  somewhere  in  the  Acts  or 
Epistles. 

VI.  The  determination  of  the  council,  u.40. 

1.  Thus  far  they  agreed  with  Gamaliel, 
that  they  let  fall  the  design  of  putting  the 
apostles  to  death 

2.  Yet  they  could  not  forbear  giving  some 
vent  to  their  rage.  Therefore  theyficat  them, 
scourged  them  as  malefactors,  stripped  them, 
and  whipped  them,  as  they  used  to  do  in  the 
synagogues,  notice  of  the  ignominy  of  which 
is  taken,  v.  41.  Thus  they  thought  to  make 
them  ashamed  of  preaching,  and  the  people 
ashamed  of  hearing  them. 

VII.  The  wonderful  courage  and  constancy 
of  the  apostles,  in  the  midst  of  all  these  in¬ 
juries  and  indignities;  when  dismissed,  they 
departed  from  the  council,  and  we  do  not  find 
one  word  they  said  by  way  of  reflection  on 
the  court,  and  their-  unjust  treatment  ;  all 
their  business  wgs,  to  preserve  the  possession 
of  their  own  souls,  and  to  make  full  proof  of 
their  ministry,  notwithstanding  the  opposi¬ 
tion  ;  and  both  these  they  did  to  admiration. 

1.  They  bore  their  sufferings  with  an  in¬ 
vincible  cheerfulness,  v.  41.  When  they  went 
out,  perhaps,  with  the  marks  of  the  lashes 
appearing,  hissed  at  by  the  servants  and  rab¬ 
ble,  it  may  be,  or  public  notice  given  of  the 
infamous  punishment  they  had  undergone, 
instead  of  being  ashamed  of  Christ,  and 
their  relation  to  Him,  they  rejoiced  that  they 
were  counted  worthy  to  suffer  shame  for  his 
name.  [They  had  not  been  hardened  by  sin, 
but  were  of  delicate  sensibility,]  yet  they 
reckoned  it  an  honor,  to  suffer  this  shame, — 
were  honored,  to  be  dishonored  for  Christ.  They 
rejoiced,  not  only  though  they  suffered  shame, 
but  that  they  suffered  shame  J  their  troubles 
increased  their  joy. 

2.  They  went  on  in  their  work  with  inde¬ 
fatigable  diligence,  v.  42.  They  were  pun¬ 
ished  for  preaching,  and  commanded  not  to 
preach,  and  yet  they  ceased  not  to  teach  and 
preach;  they  omitted  no  opportunity,  nor 
abated  anything  of  their  zeal  or  forward¬ 
ness.  They  preached  daily  ;  not  only  on 
sabbath-days,  or  on  Lord’s  days,  but  every 
day,  not  fearing  they  should  either  kill  them¬ 
selves,  or  cloy  their  hearers.  They  preached 
both  publicly  in  the  temple,  and  privately  in 
every  house  ;  in  promiscuous  assemblies,  to 
which  all  resorted;  and  in  the  select  assem¬ 
blies  of  Christians  for  special  ordinances. 
They  visited  the  families,  and  gave  partic¬ 
ular  instructions  to  them,  according  as  their 
case  required  ;  even  to  the  children  and  ser¬ 
vants.  And  the  subject  matter  of  their 
preaching  was  Jesus  Christ;  not  themselves, 


but  Christ,  making  it  their  business  to  ad¬ 
vance  his  interest.  This  was  the  preaching 
that  gave  most  offence  to  the  priests  ;  who 
were  willing  they  should  preach  anything  but 
Christ  ;  hut  they  would  not  alter  their  sub¬ 
ject  to  please  them.  It  ought  to  be  the  con¬ 
stant  business  of  gospel-ministers  to  preach 
Christ  ;  Christ,  and  Him  crucified  ;  Christ, 
and  Him  glorified  ;  nothing  beside  this,  but 
what  is  reducible  to  it. 


Chap.  VI.  V.  1 — 7.  Hitherto  the  disci¬ 
ples,  (for  so  Christians  were  at  first  called, 
learners  of  Christ,)  were  all  with  one  accord  ; 
this  had  been  often  noticed  to  their  honor; 
hut  now  that  they  were  multiplied,  there  arose 
[as  is  usual]  a  murmuring ,  not  an  open  Hill¬ 
ing  out,  but  a  secret  heart-burning. 

1.  The  Grecians,  or  Hellenists,  were  Jews 
scattered  in  Greece,  and  other  parts,  who  or¬ 
dinarily  spake  Greek,  and  read  the  O.T.  in 
the  Greek  version,  and  not  the  original  He¬ 
brew.  The  Hebrews  were  native  Jews, 
that  used  the  original  Heb.  of  the  O.  T.  It 
seems  their  joint  embracing  of  the  faith  of 
Christ  did  not  prevail,  as  it  ought,  to  extin¬ 
guish  their  little  jealousies  before  conver¬ 
sion  ;  not  understanding,  or  not  remember¬ 
ing,  that  in  Christ  there  is  neither  Greek  nor 
Jew,  no  distinction  of  Hebrew  and  Hellenist, 
but  all  are  alike  welcome  to  Christ,  and 
should  be,  for  his  sake,  dear  to  one  another. 

2.  The  complaint  was,  that  their  widows 
were  neglected  in  the  daily  administration,  i.e. 
in  the  distribution  of  the  public  charity,  and 
the  Hebrew  widows  had  more  care.  Ob¬ 
serve,  the  first  contention  in  the  Christian 
church  was  about  a  money-matter  ;  pity  the 
little  things  of  this  world  should  be  make-baits 
among  those  that  profess  to  be  taken  up  with 
the  great  things  of  another  world.  A  great 
deal  of  money  was  gathered  for  the  relief  of 
the  poor,  hut,  as  often  happens  in  such  cases, 
it  was  impossible  to  please  every  body  in  the 
laying  of  it  out.  The  apostles,  at  whose  feet 
it  was  laid,  did  their  best  to  dispose  of  it,  so 
as  to  answer  the  intentions  of  the  donors, and, 
no  doubt,  were  far  from  respecting  the  He¬ 
brews  more  than  the  Grecians ;  yet  here  they 
are  complained  to,  and  implicitly  complained 
of.  Perhaps  this  complaint  was  groundless 
and  unjust  ;  those  who,  on  any  account,  lie 
under  disadvantages,  (as  the  Grecian  Jews 
did,  in  comparison  with  them  that  were  He¬ 
brews  of  the  Hebrews,)  are  apt  to  be  jealous 
that  they  are  slighted,  when  really  they  are 
not  so  ;  envy  and  covetousness  are  to  be 
found  among  the  poor  as  well  as  among  the 
rich,  notwithstanding  the  humbling  provi¬ 
dences  they  are  under,  and  should  accommo¬ 
date  themselves  to.  Some  suggest,  that 
though  their  other  poor  were  well  provided 
for,  yet  their  widows  were  neglected,  because 
the  managers  governed  themselves  by  an 
ancient  rule  which  the  Hebrews  observed,  that 
a  widow  was  to  be  maintained  by  her  husband's 
children.  See  1  Tim.  5:4.  But,  I  take  it, 
the  widows  are  here  put  for  all  the  poor. 


TRACT.  OBS.  No  state  of  the  church  has  yet  occurred  entirely  free 
from  hypocrites,  and  other  evils  resulting  from  human  depravity  and  the 
subtlety  of  Satan  :  nor  is  there  anything  so  excellent,  which  artful  men 
will  not  counterfeit,  to  gratify  their  avarice,  or  their  love  of  applause 
and  honor  from  men. — And  does  not  the  narrative,  with  which  this  ch. 
opens,  most  solemnly  warn  us,  to  watch  against,  and  subjugate  all  our 
passions,  not  only  the  violent  and  disgraceful,  but  the  plausible  likewise, 
the  love  of  money  and  of  reputation,  the  ambition,  not  only  of  honor 
from  worldly  men,  but  also  of  consequence  in  the  church  ? — Deceit  and 
lies  are,  in  all  things,  hateful  to  the  God  of  truth  ;  but  most  of  all,  when 
introduced  into  the  immediate  concerns  of  religion.  If  any  of  us  are 
conscious  of  having  committed  so  enormous  a  crime,  let  us  be  thankful, 
that  the  doom  of  Ananias  has  not  been  ours;  and  let  us  show  our  deep 
repentance,  by  keeping  at  the  utmost  distance  from  a  repetition  of  the 
atrocious  provocation. — On  special  occasions,  the  Lord  interposes,  in  an 
extraordinary  manner,  to  detect  such  offenders,  as  are  about  to  become 

V.  41,  42.  The  apostles  went  away  rejoicing;  ‘rightly  judging,  that 
a  punishment  of  this  kind,  though  generally  shameful,  became  a  glory 
to  them,  when  borne  in  so  excellent  a  cause,  and  for  the  sake  of  Hint, 
xvho  . .  .  had  submitted  not  only  to  stripes,  but  to  death,  for  them.’ 
[Alas  I  how  seldom  is  true  glory  associated  with  the  huzzas  of  men  ; 
yea,  though  the  happiness  of  the  race  so  much  depends  on  the  exertions 
of  kindred  spirits  with  the  apostles,  and  its  misery  has  been  so  much  in¬ 
creased  by  the  glorified  ones  of  the  earth  !]  Doddr.  Scott. 


a  snare  to  some,  and  a  scandal  to  others. — Whatever  conduces  to  the 
purity  and  reputation  of  the  church,  eventually  promotes  its  enlarge¬ 
ment.  When  unsound  professors  of  the  Gospel  are  excluded  or  detected, 
the  surest  method  is  taken  to  bring  in  an  increase  of  true  believers  :  and, 
if  the  apparent  severity  of  reproof  or  censure,  which  ministers  must  at 
some  times  necessarily  exercise,  be  connected  with  manifest  and  en¬ 
larged  benevolence,  that  unfavorable  impression,  which  might  other¬ 
wise  be  made  on  the  minds  of  men,  will  be  prevented  ;  and  they  will 
notwithstanding  possess  confidence  and  affection.  But  how  wretched 
must  they  be,  whose  vexation  is  increased  by  the  success  of  the  Gos¬ 
pel  !  For  God  will  surely  destroy  all  those,  who  ‘will  not  have  Him  to 
reign  over  them:’  this  every  man  will  perceive,  in  proportion  as  he  re¬ 
gards  the  testimony  of  his  apostles ;  and  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  whom 
God  has  always  given  as  the  Teacher,  Sanctifier,  and  Comforter  of  those 
who  obey  his  beloved  Son.  Scott. 


NOTES.  Chap.  VI.  V.  1.  Grecians.']  ‘  Foreign  Jews,  who  spoke 
Greek.  Erasmus,  Drusius,  Heinsius,  Seal.,  Light?.,  Ham.,  Le  Clerc, 
Schoettg.,  Beng.,  Itos.,  &c.  Proselytes  were  in  origin  and  religion  Gen¬ 
tiles,  but  afterwards  made  Jews,  by  circumcision,  and  now  finally  con¬ 
verted  to  Christianity.  Camerar.,  Beza,  Salmasius,  Wolf,  Zeigler,  <fcc. 
Foreign  Jewish  proselytes,  who  spoke  Greek.  Wetstein,  Heum.,  Pau- 
lus,  Kuin.,  Heinrichs.’  Bloomf. 

[29] 


A.  D.  33. 


ACTS,  VI.  Discontent  about  the  public  charity. 


2  Then  the  twelve  called  the 
multitude  of  the  disciples  unto  them , 
and  said,  It  cis  not  reason  that  we 
should  leave  the  word  of  God,  and 
serve  tables. 

3  Wherefore,  brethren,  look  d  ye 
out  among  you  seven  men  of e  hon¬ 
est  report,  full  of  the  Holy  Ghost 
and  wisdom,  whom  we  may  appoint 
over  this  business. 

4  But  we  will  fgive  ourselves 
continually  to  prayer,  and  to  the 
ministry  of  the  word. 

c  Ex.  13:17— iS.  e  c.  16:2.  1  Ti.3:  f  1  Ti.  4:15. 

<1  Ue.  1:13.  7,8,10. 

Those  that  administer  public  justice  or  char¬ 
ity,  ought  in  a  particular  manner  to  protect 
widows,  Is.  1:  17.  Luke  18:3.  See  1  Tim. 
5:  3.  And,  observe,  the  widows  here,  ami  the 
other  poor,  had  a  daily  ministration  }  they 
lived  from  hand  to  mouth.  Perhaps  those 
that  disposed  of  the  money,  considered  there 
was  more  brought  into  the  fund  by  the  rich 
Hub  revvs,  than  by  the  rich  Grecians,  who 
had  not  estates  to  sell,  as  the  Hebrews  had, 
and  therefore  the  poor  Grecians  should  have 
less  out  of  the  fund;  this,  though  there  was 
some  tolerable  reason  for  it,  they  thought 
hard  and  unfair.  Note,  In  the  best  ordered 
church  in  the  world,  there  will  be  something 
amiss,  some  mal-adininistration  or  other, 
some  grievances,  or,  at  least,  some  com¬ 
plaints  ;  they  are  the  best,  that  have  the 
least  and  fewest. 

3.  The  apostles  had  hitherto  the  directing 
of  the  matter  ;  applications  were  made  to 
them,  and  appeals,  in  case  of  grievances; 
they  were  obliged  to  employ  persons  under 
them,  who  did  not  take  all  the  care  they 
might,  nor  were  so  well  fortified  against 
temptations  to  partiality  ;  therefore  some 
persons  must  be  chosen  to  manage  this  mat¬ 


ter,  who  have  more  leisure  than  the  apostles 
had,  and  were  better  qualified  for  the  trust 
than  those  they  employed.  But  the  apostles 
themselves  would  not  determine  anything 
without  the  multitude  of  the  disciples,  the 
heads  of  the  congregations  of  Christians  in 
Jerusalem;  in  a  concern  of  this  nature  they 
might  be  best  able  to  advise,  who  were  more 
conversant  in  affairs  than  the  apostles.  Re¬ 
ceiving  and  paying  money  was  serving  tables, 
too  like  the  tables  of  the  money-changers  in  the 
temple  ;  it  was  foreign  to  the  business  they 
were  called  to;  they  were  to  preach  the  Word, 
of  God  ;  and,  though  they  had  not  such  oc¬ 
casion  to  study  for  what  they  preached,  as 
we  have,  it  being  given  in  that  same  hour 
what  they  should  speak,  vet  they  thought  that 
was  work  enough  for  a  whole  man,  and  to 
employ  all  their  thoughts,  cares,  and  time, 
though  one  of'them  was  more  than  ten  of  us, 
than  ten  thousand.  If  they  served  tables,  they 
could  not  attend  their  preaching  work  so 
closely  as  they  ought.  These  minds  of  ours 
admit  not  of  two  distinct,  anxious  employments. 
It  is  not  reason,  it  is  not  fit  or  commendable, 
that  we  should  neglect  the  business  of  feed¬ 
ing  souls  with  the  bread  of  life,  to  attend  the 
business  of  relieving  the  bodies  of  the  poor. 
Note,  preaching  the  Gospel  is  the  best,  the 
most  proper  and  needful  work  a  minister  can 
be  employed  in,  and  that  which  he  must  give 
himself  wholly  to,  1  Tim.  4:15.  which,  that 
he  may  do,  he  must  not  entangle  himself  in 
the  ' affairs  of  this  life,  2  Tim.  2:  4.  no,  not  in 
the  outward  business  of  the  house  of  God,  Nell. 
11:16.  They  therefore  desire  that  7  men 
might  be  chosen,  well  qualified  for  the  pur¬ 
pose,  whose  business  it  should  be  to  serve  ta¬ 
bles,  to  be  deacons  to  the  tables,  v.  2.  They 
might  be  occasionally  employed  in  the  Word, 
and  prayer,  but  were  not  so  entirely  devoted 
to  it  as  the  apostles  were  ;  these  must  take 
care  of  the  church’s  stock,  must  review,  and 
pay,  and  keep  accounts  ;  must  buy  those 
things  which  they  had  need  of  against  the  feast, 


John  13:29.  and  attend  to  all  those  things 
which  are  necessary,  in  order  to  spiritual  ex¬ 
ercises,  that  everything  might  be  done  decently 
and  in  order,  and  no  person  or  thing  neg¬ 
lected.  The  people  are  to  choose,  and  the 
apostles  to  ordain  ;  but  the  men  must  be  fit 
for  the  office;  Look  out  seven  men  :  so  many 
they  thought  sufficient  for  the  present,  more 
might  be  added  afterward  if  there  were  oc¬ 
casion  ;  these  must  be,  1st.  Of  honest  report, 
free  from  scandal,  men  of  integrity,  and 
faithful,  well  attested,  as  men  that  might  be 
trusted  ;  not  under  a  blemish  for  any  vice, 
but,  on  the  contrary,  well  spoken  of  for  every 
thing  that  is  virtuous  and  praiseworthy ;  men 
that  can  produce  good  testimonials  concerning 
their  conversation.  Note,  Those  that  are 
employed  in  any  office  in  the  church,  ought 
to  be  men  of  a  blameless,  nay,  of  a  beautiful 
character.  2dly.  They  must  be  full  of  the 
Holy  Ghost,  those  gifts  and  graces  of  the 
Holy  Ghost,  necessary  to  the  t  ight  manage¬ 
ment  of  this  trust  ;  not  only  be  honest,  but 
men  of  parts  and  of  courage  ;  such  as  were 
to  be  made  judges  in  Israel,  Ex.  18:21.  able 
men,  fearing  God  :  men  of  truth,  and  hating 
covetousness  ;  and  hereby  appearing  to  be 
full  of  the  Holy  Ghost.  3dly.  They  must  be 
full  of  wisdom.  It  was  not  enough  that  they 
were  honest,  good  men,  but  they  must  be 
discreet,  judicious  men,  that  could  not  be 
imposed  on,  and  would  order  tilings  for  the 
best,  and  with  consideration  :  full  of  the  Holy 
Ghost,  and  ivisdom,  i.  e.  of  the  Holy  Ghost  as 
a  Spirit  of  wisdom.  1  Cor.  12:8.  Ill  many 
editions  of  our  English  Bibles,  there  has  been 
an  error  of  the  press  here,  for  they  have  read 
it,  whom  ye  may  appoint  ;  as  if  the  power 
were  in  the  people;  whereas  it  was  certainly 
in  the  apostles;  whom  we  may  appoint. 

(4.)  The  apostles  engage  to  addict  them¬ 
selves  wholly  to  their  work,  as  ministers, 
v.  4.  The  two  great  gospel-ordinances, — the 
Word,  and  prayer ;  by  these  two,  communion 
between  God  and  bis  people  is  kept  up  and 


V.  2 — G.  We  read  nothing  more  concerning  any  of  the  seven,  [the 
seven  deacons.]  except  Stephen  and  Philip;  unless  Nicolas  (‘a  prose¬ 
lyte,’  as  distinguished  from  those  who  were  of  Jewish  extraction)  were 
the  founder  of  the  heretical  sect,  called  Nicolaitans,  which  is  not  at  all 
probable.  It  is  evident,  that  they  were  appointed  to  take  care  of  the 
property  of  the  church,  and  not  to  the  pastoral  office  ;  and  the  argu¬ 
ment  hence  deduced  to  prove  that  every  congregation  ought  to  choose 
its  own  spiritual  pastors,  or  for  popular  elections  of  ministers  in  any 
way,  proves  nothing.  Men  are  generally  careful  enough,  to  entrust  their 
property  in  the  hands  of  suitable  persons  ;  but  their  souls  are  seldom 
more  in  danger,  than  when  they  follow  ‘  teachers  after  their  own  hearts.’ 
Beza  indeed  seems  to  think,  that  if  the  apostles  would  not  appoint  dea¬ 
cons,  except  by  the  choice  of  the  church,  much  less  would  they  ordain 
ministers,  or  spiritual  pastors:  but  this  only  proves,  that  scriptural 
ground  for  tlmt  plan  which  he  zealously  supported,  was  not  easily 
found,  and  that  arguments  were  scarce. — Whatever  may  be  said  about 
the  expediency  or  inexpediency  of  these  arrangements;  the  divine  au¬ 
thority  of  them  should  be  considered  as  another  question.  It  must, 
however,  be  allowed,  that  matters  are  far  removed  from  what  is  reason¬ 
able,  scriptural,  or  profitable,  respecting  the  general  management  of 
these  most  important  concerns,  in  almost  every  part  of  the  visible 
church;  and  that  pastors  should  not  be  forced  on  congregations,  *  against 
whom  they  can  bring  just  and  reasonable  objections,  whether  in  res¬ 
pect  of  doctrine  or  character. — It  has  been  generally  taken  for  granted, 
that  these  seven  persons  were  ordained,  or  appointed,  to  the  office  of 
‘deacons;’  yet  they  are  not  so  called,  either  in  this  chapter,  or  else¬ 
where:  and  as  the  word  rendered  ‘deacon’  is  often  translated  servant, 
or  minister,  and  used  concerning  Christ  Himself,  (Rom.  1.5:8.  Gr.lsome 
have  questioned  whether  there  were  such  a  distinct  order  in  the  church, 
during  the  times  of  the  apostles.  Nothing,  however,  can  be  more  evi¬ 
dent,  than  that  such  an  order  existed,  and  was  well  known,  when  Paul 
wrote  his  epistle  to  the  Philippians,  and  his  first  epistle  to  Timothy. 
Phil.  1:1.  1  Tim..  3:8 — 13.  ‘  Now  if  they  ’  (the  deacons,)  ‘were  not  insti¬ 
tuted  here  by  the  apostles,  I  desire  to  know  when,  where,  and  by  whom, 
they  were  instituted,  and  what  other  record  we  have  left  us  of  such  an 
institution  of  them.’  Whitby.  If,  then,  the  office  of  deacons  was  insti¬ 
tuted  on  this  occasion ;  it  seems  undeniable,  that  they  were  appointed 
solely  to  take  care  of  the  temporal  concerns  of  the  church ;  and  not,  as 
deacons,  to  preach,  or  to  administer  sacred  ordinances,  except  by  assist¬ 
ing  the  elders,  presbyters,  or  bishops,  as  some  think  they  did,  in  distrib¬ 
uting  tlie  bread  and  wine  at  the  Lord’s  supper _ ‘This  is  ns  true  of  the 

deacons,  mentioned  by  Pan!,  1  Tim.  3. :  there  is  not  a  word  said  of  their 
ministering  at  the  altar.’  Whitby.  lie  might  have  added,  ‘  or  of  their 
preaching.’  Yet  it  is  plain,  that  Stephen  did  preach,  and  that  Philip 
both  preached  and  baptized  ;  and  he  is  even  called  ‘the  evangelist.’  (21: 
8.)  It  therefore  occurs  to  inquire,  whether  they  were  preachers  of  the 
Gospel,  before  their  appointment  as  deacons,  or  became  preachers  after¬ 
wards.  The  following  remarks  are  of  some  importance  in  this  question. 
‘  The  choice  was  committed  to  them ;’  (the  laity ;)  ‘  yet  this  was  done, 
1st.  by  the  particular  appointment  of  the  apostles,  for  “  the  twelve  called 
the  multitude,”  and  said  unto  them,  “  Look  ye  out  seven  men.”  2dly. 
They  specify  the  number,  and  the  qualifications,  of  the  persons  to  be 
*  See  Honktr’t  Survey,  &c.  Ed. 

ISO] 


chosen  to  this  office.  Sdly.  They  reserve  to  themselves  the  appoint¬ 
ment  of  them  to  this  work :  saj  ing,  “Look  ye  out  seven  men,  whom 
we  may  appoint  over  this  business.”  And,  lastly,  “  they  only  laid  their 
hands  on  them.”. .  .  It  seems  very  unlikely,  that  ihe  nposties  would  have 
made  this  one  requisite  of  the  persons  to  he  chosen,  that  they  should  be 
“  full  of  the  ”  extraordinary  gifts  of  the  “  Iloly  Ghost . .  if  their  office 
had  confined  them  to  the  ministry  of  the  widows  at  Jerusalem,  [though 
to  be  strictly  just  and  honest  in  money-matters  reeds  more  of  grace  than 
falls  to  the  lot  of  more  than  a  very  few.] ...  Being  “men  full  of  the 
Holy  Ghost;”  and  of  that  wisdom  which  enabled  them  to  teach  Olliers; 
we  cannot  reasonably  conceive,  that  they  were  disabled,  by  their  ordina¬ 
tion  to  this  office,  from  doing  that  work  for  which  they  were  fitted,  and 
ns  it  were  appointed,  by  these  gifts  of  the  Spirit  conferred  on  them.  . . 
This  distribution,  therefore,  must  he  made  by  them.  ..Now  surely, that 
work  which  the  nposties  personally  performed  for  a  season,  must  be  con¬ 
sistent  with  their  commission  to  “  teach  and  baptize  all  nations.”  ’ 
Whitby.  This  statement  does  not  prove,  what  the  learned  author  seems 
to  have  intended,  that  the  deacons,  as  such ,  were  appointed  to  preach 
and  baptize  :  hut,  to  me,  at  least,  it  renders  it  Highly  probable,  that  some 
of  the  seven  were  previously  ministers,  or  evangelists;  and  that  they 
spared- time  from  the  ministry  of  the  Word,  for  this  service,  as  the 
apostles  had  done  before  tlie  appointment  of  these  assistants.  In  the 
abundance  of  spiritual  and  miraculous  gifts,  communicated  at  this  fa¬ 
vored  season,  it  is  highly  probable,  that  many  were  thus  qualified  for 
important  services,  who  had  not  at  present  a  call  or  opening  to  perform 
them.  The  apostles,  in  counselling  the  church,  make  no  distinction  be¬ 
tween  such  as  had  been  employed  in  tlie  ministry,  and  others  :  and  prob¬ 
ably  some  of  each  were  chosen.  Stephen  and  Philip,  we  may  suppose, 
were  of  the  former,  and  when  Stephen  was  martyred,  and  Philip  fully 
engaged  at  a  distance,  others  might  he  chosen  as  deacons.  And  it  ap¬ 
pears  to  me  very  likely,  that,  both  at  this  and  future  periods,  many,  who 
were  appointed  deacons  in  the  first  instance,  afterwards  became  evan¬ 
gelists  or  pastors;  and  when  they  were  fully  employed,  other  deacons 
were  appointed.  1  Tim.  3:8 — 13.  Scott. 

(2.)  To  serve  tables.']  ‘  Diahonein  trapezais  .-  “  attend,  see  to  tlie 
providing  for  the  tables  of  the  poor.”  Toddr.  Later  commentators, 
“superintend  the  collection  and  distribution  of  the  alms  to  be  expended 
on  the  poor.”  See  Krebs.  Trapeza  is  sometimes  a  banquet  in  tlie  N. 
T.,  as  Luke  19:23.  and  since  (ns  Krebs )  diakonein  is,  in  2  Cor.  8:4,  19. 
to  minister  alms,  and  diakonia,  the  alms  themselves,  in  Acts  11:29.  it 
seems  best  from  the  context  so  to  explnin  here.  But  the  words  seem 
to  require  both  meanings,  and  so  CEcum.’  Bloomf. 

13.)  ‘  These  seven  Kuin.  (after  Moshrim)  thinks  were  all  Hellenists,  and 
added  to  other  Hebrews,  already  acting  ns  almoners.  It  appears  tlie 
diaconal  office  was  adopted  from  the  Jewish  Synagogue,  which  had  three 
almoners,  or  treasurers  of  the  poor’s  chest,  called  Shepherds,  who  took 
care  of  the  poor, especially  strangers,  and  distributed  money  every  7th  day. 
Muimon.  On  the  office  here, see  Hughes,  Whit.,  Hamm.,  Ac.  Full,  <fcc.] 
The  earlier  commentators  understand  the  faculty  of  miracles;  the  recent 
ones  no  more  titan  ardor,  enthusiasm,  and  a  desire  for  the  propagation 
of  the  Gospel :  a  middle  opinion  seems  most  judicious.  Wisdom.]  I.  e. 
prudence,  judgment,  knowledge  of  the  world  and  acquaintance  with  busi¬ 
ness.  May.]  Will:  so  the  best  MSS.  and  Vcrss.,  and  Griesb.'  In. 


A.  D.  33. 


ACTS,  VI. 


The  seven  deacons  appointed. 


5  If  And  the  saying  pleased  the 
whole  multitude:  and  they  chose 
Stephen,  a  man  full  sof  faith  and  of 
the  Holy  Ghost,  and  h  Philip,  and 
Prochorus,-  and  Nicanor,  and  Ti- 
mon,  and  Parmenas,  and  ‘  Nicolas 
a  prosetyte  of  Antioch  : 

6  Whom  they  set  before  the 
apostles  :  and  when  >  they  had  pray¬ 
ed,  they  k  laid  their  hands  on  them. 

7  If  And  ‘the  word  of  God  in¬ 
creased;  and  the  number  of  the 
disciples  multiplied  in  Jerusalem 
greatly  ;  and  a  great  company  of 
the  priests  m  were  obedient  to  the 
faith. 

8  IT  And  Stephen,  full  of  faith 
and  power,  did  great  wonders  and 
miracles  among  the  people. 

%  c.  11:24.  k  c.  9:17.  13:3.  1  24.  19:20. 

h  c.  8:5.28.  21:8.  Ti  4:14.  5:22.  m  Ps.  132  :  9,  IS. 

1  Re.  2:6,15.  2  Tl.  1:6.  Jn.  12:42. 

]  c.  1:24.  1  Is.  55:11.  c,12. 

maintained  ;  by  these  two  the  kingdom  of 
Christ  must  be  advanced,  and  additions 
made  to  it;  by  the  Word  and  prayer  other  or¬ 
dinances  are  sanctified  to  us,  and  sacraments 
have  their  efficacy.  The  great  business  of 
gospel-ministers  is,  to  give  themselves  con¬ 
tinually  to  prayer,  and  to  the  ministry  of  the 
Word  ;  they  must  still  be  either  fitting  and 
furnishing  themselves  for  those  services,  or 
employing  themselves  in  them  ;  either  pub¬ 
licly  or  privately  ;  in  the  stated  times,  or 
out  of  them. 

5.  How  this  proposal  of  the  apostles  was 
agreed  to,  and  presently  executed,  by  the 
disciples;  it  was  not  imposed  on  them  by  an 
absolute  power,  though  they  might  have 
been  bold  in  Christ  to  do  that,  Philem.  8. 
but  proposed,  as  what  was  highly  convenient, 
and  then  the  saying  pleased  the  whole  multi¬ 
tude,  v.  5.  It  pleased  them  to  see  the  apos¬ 
tles  so  willing  to  discharge  themselves  from 
intermeddling  in  secular  affairs,  and  so  to 
transmit  them  to  others  ;  it  pleased  them  to 
hear,  that  they  would  give  themselves  to  the 
Word  and  prayer;  therefore  they  neither  dis¬ 
puted  the  matter,  nor  deferred  the  execu¬ 
tion  of  it  :  the  majority  of  votes  fell  on  the 
persons  here  named;  and  the  rest  acquiesc¬ 
ed,  as  the  members  of  societies  in  such  cases 
ought.  We  may  conjecture,  that  they  were 
such  as  had  sold  their  estates,  and  brought 
the  money  into  the  common  stock  ;  and  all 
of  the  Grecian  or  Hellenist  Jews,  for  they 
have  all  Greek  names,  and  this  would  be 
most  likely  to  silence  the  murmurings  of  the 
Grecians.  Nicolas,  it  is  plain,  was  one  of 
them,  for  he  was  a  proselyte  of  Antioch;  and 
some  think,  that  the  manner  of  expression 
intimates,  that  they  were  all  proselytes  of  Je¬ 
rusalem,  as  he  was  of  Antioch. 

The  first  named  is  Stephen,  the  glory  of 
them  all ;  a  man  full  of faith  and  of  the  Holy 


Ghost  ;  lie  had  a  strong  faith  in  the  doctrine 
of  Christ,  and  was  full  cf  it,  above  most; 
full  of  fidelity,  full  of  courage,  so  some  ;  for 
he  was  full  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  cf  his  gifts  and 
graces  ;  he  was  an  extraordinary  man,  and 
excelled  in  everything  that  was  good  ;  his 
name  signifies  a  crown.  Philip  is  next,  be¬ 
cause  he,  having  used  this  office  of  a  deacon 
well,  thereby  obtained  a  good  degree,  and  was 
afterward  ordained  to  the  office  of  an  evange¬ 
list,  a  companion  and  assistant  to  the  apos¬ 
tles,  for  so  he  is  expressly  called,  ch.  21 : 8. 
Comp.  Epli.  4: 11.  And  his  preaching  and 
baptizing,  which  we  read  of,  ch.  8: 12.  were 
certainly  not  as  a  deacon,  for  it  is  plain  that 
that  office  was  serving  tables,  in  opposition 
to  the  ministry  of  thcWord,  but  as  an  evange¬ 
list  ;  and  when  he  was  preferred  to  that  of¬ 
fice,  we  have  reason  to  think  he  quitted  this, 
as  incompatible.  As  for  Stephen,  nothing  w'e 
find  done  by  him,  proves  him  to  be  a  preacher 
of  the  Gospel  ;  for  he  only  disputes  in  the 
schools,  and  pleads  for  his  life  at  the  bar, 
v.  9.  and  ch.  7:2. 

The  last  named  is  Nicolas,  who,  some  say, 
afterward  degenerated,  and  was  the  founder 
of  the  sect  of  the  Nicolaitans,  Rev.  2:  6,  15. 
But  some  of  the  ancients  clear  him  from  that 
charge,  and  tell  ns,  that  though  that  vile,  im¬ 
pure  sect  denominated  themselves  from  him, 
yet  it  was  unjustly,  and  because  he  only  in¬ 
sisted  much  on  it,  that  they  that  had  wives, 
should  be  as  though  they  had  none;  thence  they 
wickedly  inferred,  that  they  that  had  wives, 
should  have  them  in  common;  which  therefore 
Tertuilian,  when  he  speaks  of  the  community 
of  goods,  particularly  excepts,  all  things  arc 
common  among  us,  ex  Apt  our  wives,  Apol. 
cap.  S9. 

The  apostles,  (1.)  Prayed  with  them,  and 
for  them,  that  God  would  give  them  more 
and  more  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  of  wisdom. 
All  that  are  employed  in  the  service  of  the 
church,  ought  to  be  committed  to  the  con¬ 
duct  of  the  Divine  grace  by  the  prayers  of 
the  church.  (2.)  Laid  their  hands  on  them, 
that  is,  blessed  them  in  the  name  of  the  Lord, 
for  laying  on  hands  was  used  in  blessing  ; 
so  Jacob  blessed  both  the  sons  of  Joseph;  and, 
without  controversy,  the  less  is  blessed  of  the 
greater,  Heb.  7:  7.  the  deacons,  by  the  apos¬ 
tles,  and  the  overseers  of  the  poor  by  the  pas¬ 
tors  of  the  congregation.  Having  by  prayer 
implored  a  blessing  on  them,  they  did  by  the 
laying  on  of  hands  assure  them  that  the  bless¬ 
ing  was  conferred  in  answer  to  the  prayer  ; 
and  this  was  giving  them  authority  to  exe¬ 
cute  that  office,  and  laying  an  obligation  on 
the  people  to  be  observant  of  them  therein. 

6.  The  advancement  of  the  church  here¬ 
upon,  v.  7.  (1.)  The  Word  of  God  increased; 
now  that  the  apostles  resolved  to  stick  more 
closely  than  ever  to  their  preaching,  it  spread 
the  Gospel  further,  and  brought  it  home  with 
the  more  power.  Ministers,  disentangling 
themselves  from  secular  employments,  and 
addicting  themselves  entirely  and  vigorously 
to  their  work,  will  contribute  very  much,  as 


a  mean,  to  the  success  of  the  Gospel.  (2.) 
The  number  of  the  disciples  multiplied  in  Je¬ 
rusalem  greatly.  When  Christ  was  upon 
earth,  his  ministry  had  least  success  in  Je¬ 
rusalem  ;  yet  now  that  city  affords  most  con¬ 
verts.  God  has  his  remnant  even  in  the 
worst  of  places.  (3.)  A  great  company  of 
the  priests  were  obedient  to  the  faith.  Then  is 
the  word  and  grace  of  God  greatly  magni¬ 
fied,  when  those  are  wrought  upon  by  it,  that 
were  least  likely,  as  the  priests  here,  who 
either  had  opposed  it,  or  at  least  were  linked 
in  with  those  that  had.  But  they  evidenced 
the  sincerity  of  their  believing  the  Gospel  of 
Christ,  by  a  cheerful  compliance  with  all  its 
rules  and  precepts. 

V.  8 — 15.  Stephen,  no  doubt,  was  dili¬ 
gent  and  faithful  in  bis  office,  and  though  it 
appears  here  that  he  was  a  man  of  uncom¬ 
mon  gifts,  and  fitted  for  a  higher  station,  yet, 
being  called  to  that  office,  lie  did  not  think 
it  below  him  to  do  its  duty.  And  being 
faithful  in  a  little,  he  was  intrusted  with 
more;  and  though  we  do  not  find  him  prop¬ 
agating  the  Gospel  by  preaching  and  bap¬ 
tizing,  yet  we  find  him  here  called  out  to 
very  honorable  services,  and  owned  in  them. 

I.  He  proved  the  truth  of  the  Gospel,  by 
working  miracles  in  Christ’s  name,  v.  8. 

1.  He  was  full  of  faith  and  power,  i.  e.  of 
a  strong  faith,  by  which  he  was  enabled  to 
do  great  tilings.  By  faith  we  are  emptied 
of  self,  and  so  are  filled  with  Christ,  who  is 
the  wisdom  of  God,  and  the  power  of  God. 

2.  Being  so,  he  did  great  wonders  and 
miracles  among  the  people,  openly,  and  in  the 
sight  of  all  ;  for  Christ’s  miracles  feared 
not  the  strictest  scrutiny.  It  is  not  strange 
that  Stephen,  though  not  a  preacher  by  of¬ 
fice,  did  these  great  wonders,  for  we  find  that 
these  were  distinct  gifts  of  the  Spirit,  and 
divided  severally,  1  Cor.  12  :  10,  11.  And 
those  signs  followed  not  only  them  that 
preached,  hut  them  that  believed,  Mark 
16:  17. 

II.  He  pleaded  the  cause  of  Christianity 
against  those  that  opposed  it,  and  argued 
against  it,  v.  9,  10. 

1.  His  opponents,  v.  9.  Hellenist  Jews, 
who  seem  to  have  been  more  zealous  for 
their  religion  than  the  native  Jews  ;  they 
were  of  the  synagogue  of  the  Libertines  ;  the 
Romans  called  those  Liberti  or  Libertini, 
who,  either  being  foreigners,  were  natural¬ 
ized,  or,  being  slaves  by  birth,  were  manu- 
mised,  or  made  freemen.  Some  think  that 
these  Libertines  were  such  of  the  Jews  as 
had  obtained  the  Roman  freedom,  as  Paul 
had,  ch.  22  :  27,  28.  and  probably  lie  was 
the  most  forward  man  of  this  synagogue  of 
the  Libertines  in  disputing  with  Stephen, 
and  engaged  others  in  the  dispute  ;  for  we 
find  him  busy  in  the  stoning  of  Stephen,  and 
consenting  to  his  death.  There  were  others 
that  belonged  to  the- synagogue  of  the  Cyre- 
nians  and  Alexandrians,  of  which  syna¬ 
gogue  the  Jewish  writers  speak  ;  and  others 
that  belonged  to  tlieir  synagogue,  who  were 


(5.)  ‘  Mosh.,  Mich.,  Morus,  Heinr.,  as  Camer.,  and  Grot,  think  the 
seven  were  all  Hellenists,  and  only  had  charge  of  the  Hellenistic  widows  : 
see  on  v.  S.  Mosh.  and  Kuin.,  think  (but  precariously)  the  whole  mul¬ 
titude,  v.  2.  of  the  Jerusalemite  Christians  was  divided  into  seven  par 
ties  or  families,  for  which  there  were  as  many  places  of  public  worship. 
Ttie  number  seven  was  chosen  as  a  favorite  with  the  Jews;  and  so 
Heinr.'  Bloomf. 

V.  7.  ‘A  happy  event  of  a  time  of  trial.’  Beza.  Indeed,  the  triumph 
of  the  Gospel,  without  this,  would  in  some  respects  have  been  incom¬ 
plete.  It  seems  probable,  that  some  of  these  converted  priests  became 
ministers  of  the  Gospel :  yet  no  intimation  is  given  in  the  N.  T.,  of  any 
priest,  of  the  family  of  Aaron,  being  employed  as  a  Christian  minister. 
John  the  Baptist  was  a  priest ;  Barnabas  was  a  Levite  :  but  nothing  else, 
in  this  respect,  is  said  either  of  priests  or  Levites.  It  may,  then,  be  a 
matter  of  inquiry,  whether  this  circumstance  were  not  intentionally  or¬ 
dered,  to  mark,  not  a  gradual  transition,  but  an  immediate  and  entire 
change,  in  the  external  administration  of  the  church.  Scott. 

V.  8.  ‘It  appears  plainly,  from  the  foregoing  history,  that  it  was  not 
as  a  deacon  that  he  ’  (Stephen)  ‘  preached  :  but  the  extraordinary  gifts  of 
the  Spirit  he  received  eminently  qualified  him  for  that  work.  And  no 
doubt  many  Christians,  not  statedly  devoted  to  the  ministry,  and  whose 
furniture  was  far  inferior  to  his,  would  be  capable  of  declaring  Christ 
anil  his  Gospel  to  strangers,  in  an  edifying  and  useful  manner,  and  would 
not  fail  accordingly  to  do  it,  as  Providence  gnve  them  a  call  and  an  op- 
port  unity .’  Doddr .,  in  Scott. — ‘  He  that  will  plead  a  commission  from 


God  to  preach  the  Gospel,  without  an  ordinary  mission,  must  show  the 
like  extraordinary  gifts  or  miraculous  assistances  :  God  never  sending 
any  person  to  do  his  work,  without  some  testimony  from  Himself,  or  from 
persons  commissioned  by  Hint.’  Whitby,  in  Scott. — It  is  most  likely 
Stephen  was  previously  a  preacher  :  but  if  not,  it  can  hardly  be  suppo¬ 
sed  he  would  undertake  that  important  office,  however  qualified,  at  Je¬ 
rusalem,  and  amidst  the  apostles,  without  their  sanction  ;  or  that  others, 
in  such  circumstances,  would  do  this.  At  the  same  time,  it  must  fairly 
be  allowed,  that  extraordinary  cases  may  arise,  which  would  justify  the 
dispensing  with  ordinary  rules ;  and  remarkable  persons  may  be  raised 
up,  though  not  endued  witii  miraculous  powers,  who  may  be  fully  war¬ 
ranted  to  teach  the  ignorant,  not  only  privately,  but  in  the  most  public 
manner;  though  not  expressly  appointed  to  the  ministry.  John  the 
Baptist  wrought  no  miracles  •.  yet  his  ministry,  as  entirely  distinct  from 
the  priesthood,  was  from  God,  without  any  human  appointment :  and  it 
is  far  from  clear,  that  all  the  prophets  wrought  miracles ;  indeed  it  is  re¬ 
corded  of  only  a  few  of  them  that  they  did;  and  they  were  not  sanc¬ 
tioned,  but  opposed,  by  the  stated  ministers  of  religion  :  yet  their  call¬ 
ing  was  divine.  This  appeared  by'  the  agreement  of  their  instructions 
with  the  Scripture,  and  by  the  effects  of  their  labors.  General  rules, 
however,  though  they  admit  of  some  exceptions,  form  the  measure  of 
our  conduct  in  all  ordinary  cases  :  and  it  is  extremely  dangerous  to  give 
n  kind  of  unlimited  sanction  to  all  who  suppose  themselves,  or  are  sup¬ 
posed  by  their  favorers,  to  be  qualified  for  the  public  ministry,  to  engage 
in  it,  xvilhout  any  appointment  from  the  church  and  its  ministers.  Sc- 


A.  D.  S3. 


ACTS,  VI, 


Particular  account  of  Stephen. 


9  Then  there  arose  certain  of  the 
synagogue,  which  is  called  the  syn¬ 
agogue  of  the  Libertines,  and  Cy- 
renians,  and  Alexandrians,  and  of 
them  of  Cilicia  and  of  Asia,  disput¬ 
ing  with  Stephen. 

10  And  they  were  not  able  "to 
resist  the  wisdom  and  the  spirit  by 
which  he  spake. 

11  Then  they  suborned  0  men, 
which  said,  We  have  heard  him 
speak  blasphemous  words  against 
Moses,  and  against  God. 

12  And  they  stirred  up  the  peo¬ 
ple,  and  the  elders,  and  the  scribes, 
and  came  upon  him,  and  caught 
him,  and  brought  Aim  to  the  council, 

13  And  set  up  false  witnesses, 
which  said,  This  man  ceaseth  not 
to  speak  blasphemous  words  against 
this  holy  place,  and  the  law: 

14  For  f  we  have  heard  him  say, 
that  this  Jesus  of  Nazareth  shall 
*>  destroy  this  place,  and  shall  change 
the  "customs  which  Moses  deliver¬ 
ed  us. 

15  And  all  that  sat  in  the  council, 
looking  steadfastly  on  him,  saw  his 
■  face  as  it  had  been  the  face  of  an 
angel. 

n  Lu.  21:15.  p  c.  25:8.  r  or,  rites. 

o  2  K.  21:10,  13.  q  Da.  9:25.  s  Ex.  31:30,35. 

Mat.  26:59,60. 

of  Cilicia  and  Asia  ;  and  if  Paul,  as  a  free¬ 
man  of  Rome,  did  not  belong  to  the  syna¬ 
gogue  of  the  Libertines,  he  belonged  to  this, 
as  a  native  of  Tarsus,  a  city  of  Cilicia;  it 
is  probable  that  he  might  be  a  member  of 
both.  The  Jews  that  were  born  in  other 
countries,  and  had  concerns  in  them,  had 
frequent  occasion,  not  only  to  resort  to,  but 
to  reside  in,  Jerusalem.  Each  nation  had  its 
synagogue,  as  in  London  there  are  French, 
and  Dutch,  and  Danish  churches:  and  those 
synagogues  were  the  schools,  to  which  the 
Jews  of  those  nations  sent  their  youth  to  be 
educated  in  the  Jewish  learning.  Now 
those  that  were  tutors  and  professors  in 
these  synagogues,  seeing  the  Gospel  grow, 
and  the  rulers  conniving  at  the  growth  of  it, 
and  fearing  what  would  be  the  consequence 
of  it  to  the  Jewish  religion,  which  they  were 
jealous  for,  being  confident  of  the  goodness 
of  their  cause,  and  their  own  sufficiency  to 
manage  it,  would  undertake  to  run  down 
Christianity  by  force  of  argument;  it  was  a 
fair  and  rational  way  of  dealing  with  it, 
and  what  religion  is  always  ready  to  admit. 
But  why  did  they  dispute  with  Stephen,  and 
not  with  the  apostles  themselves'!  (l.)Some 
think,  because  they  despised  the  apostles  as 
unlearned  and  ignorant  men,  but  Stephen  was 


bred  a  scholar,  and  they  thought  it  their 
honor  to  meddle  with  their  match.  (2.) 
Others  think,  it  was  because  they  stood  in 
awe  of  the  apostles,  and  could  not  be  so 
free  and  familiar  with  them,  as  they  could 
be  with  Stephen,  who  was  in  an  inferior 
office.  (3-)  Perhaps,  they  having  given  a 
public  challenge,  Stephen  was  chosen  and 
appointed  by  the  disciples  to  be  their  cham¬ 
pion  ;  for  it  was  not  meet  that  the  apostles 
should  leave  the  preaching  of  the  Word  of 
God,  to  engage  in  controversy.  (4.)  Some 
historians  say,  that  Stephen  had  been  bred 
up  at  the  feet  of  Gamaliel,  and  that  Saul  and 
the  rest  of  them  set  on  him  as  a  deserter, 
and  with  a  particular  fury  made  him  their 
mark.  (5.)  Probably  they  disputed  with 
Stephen,  because  he  was  zealous  to  argue 
with  them,  and  convince  them.  And  this 
was  the  service  God  had  called  him  to. 

2.  We  are  here  told  how  he  carried  the 
point  in  this  dispute,  v.  10.  They  could 
neither  support  their  own  arguments,  nor 
answer  his:  though  not  convinced,  yet  they 
were  confounded.  It  is  not  said,  They  were 
not  able  to  resist  him,  but,  They  were  not 
able  to  resist  the  wisdom  and  the  Spirit  bp 
which  he  spake,  that  Spirit  of  wisdom  which 
spake  by  him.  Now  was  fulfilled  that 
promise,  Luke  21:  15. 

III.  At  length,  he  sealed  it  with  his  blood ; 
so  we  shall  find  in  the  next  ch.,  here  we 
have  some  steps  taken  by  his  enemies  to¬ 
wards  it.  When  they  could  not  answer  his 
arguments  as  a  disputant,  they  prosecuted 
him  as  a  criminal,  and  suborned  witnesses 
against  him,  to  swear  blasphemy  on  him. 
‘  On  such  terms,’  saith  Baxter  here,  ‘do we 
dispute  with  malignant  men.  And  it  is  next 
to  a  miracle  of  Providence,  that  no  greater 
number  of  religious  persons  have  been  mur¬ 
dered  in  the  world,  by  the  way  of  perjury 
and  pretence  of  law,  when  so  many  thou¬ 
sands  hate  them,  who  make  no  conscience 
of  false  oaths.’  They  suborned  men,  in¬ 
structed  them  what  to  say,  and  then  hired 
them  to  swear  it.  Observe, 

1.  How,  with  all  possible  art  and  indus¬ 
try,  they  incensed  both  the  government  and 
the  mob  against  him,  that,  if  they  could  not 
prevail  by  the  one,  they  might  by  the  other, 
v.  12.  They  stirred  up  the  people,  that,  if  the 
Sanhedrim  should  still  think  fit  to  let  him 
alone,  yet  they  might  run  him  down  by  a 
popular  tumult;  they  also  find  means  to  stir 
up  the  elders  and  the  scribes  against  him, 
that,  if  the  people  should  countenance  and 
protect  him,  they  might  prevail  by  authority. 

2.  How  they  got  him  to  the  bar  ;  They 
came  upon  him  in  a  body,  and  flew  upon  him 
as  a  lion  on  his  prey;  so  the  word  signifies. 
Having  caught  him  alone,  they  brought  him 
triumphantly,  and,  as  it  should  seem,  so 
hastily,  that  he  had  none  of  his  friends  with 
him. 

3.  How  they  were  prepared  with  evi¬ 
dence  ready  to  produce  against  him,  resolved 


not  to  be  run  aground,  as  they  were  when 
they  brought  our  Savior  on  his  trial,  and 
then  were  to  seek  for  witnesses.  These 
were  got  ready  beforehand,  and  were  in¬ 
structed  to  make  oath,  that  they  had  heard 
him  speak  blasphemous  words  against  Moses, 
and  against  God,  v.  11,  13,  l4.  Probably 
Ire  had  said  something  to  that  purport;  and 
yet  they  who  swore  it  against  him  are  called 
false  witnesses,  because,  though  there  was 
something  of  truth  in  their  testimony,  yet 
they  put  a  wrong  and  malicious  construc¬ 
tion  on  what  he  had  said,  and  perverted  it. 
Christ,  and  the  preachers  of  his  Gospel, 
never  said  anything  that  looked  like  blas¬ 
pheming  Moses  ;  they  always  quoted  his 
writings  with  respect,  appealed  to  them,  and 
said  no  other  things  than  what  Moses  said 
should  come.  But, 

Let  us  see  how  this  charge  is  supported 
and  made  out  ;  why,  truly,  when  the  thing 
was  to  be  proved,  all  they  can  charge  him 
with,  is,  that  he  hath  spoken  blasphemous 
words  against  the  holy  place  and  the  law;  and 
this  must  be  deemed  and  taken  as  blas¬ 
phemy  against  Moses,  and  against  God  Him¬ 
self.  This  holy  place,  some  understand  of 
the  city  of  Jerusalem,  which  was  the  holy 
city,  but  it  is  rather  meant  of  the  temple, 
that  holy  house.  He  is  charged,  also,  with 
blaspheming  the  law  ;  of  which  they  made 
their  boast,  and  in  which  they  put  their  trust, 
then  when  through  breaking  of  the  law  they 
dishonored  God,  Rom.  2:  23. 

Well,  but  how  can  they  make  this  out  1 
Why,  here  the  charge  dwindles  again  ;  for 
all  they  can  accuse  him  of,  is,  that  they  had 
themselves  heard  him  say,  that  this  Jesus  of 
Nazareth,  who  was  so  much  talked  of,  shall 
destroy  this  place,  and  change  the  customs 
which  Moses  delivered  us.  He  could  not  be 
charged  with  having  said  anything  to  the 
disparagement  either  of  the  temple  or  of  the 
law.  He  had  said,  Jesus  of  Nazareth  shall 
destroy  this  place  ;  destroy  the  temple,  de¬ 
stroy  Jerusalem;  probably  he  might  say  so; 
and  what  blasphemy  in  that;  or  in  this,  that 
the  just  and  holy  God  would  not  continue 
the  privileges  of  his  sanctuary  to  those  that 
abuse  them!  Had  not  the  prophets  given  the 
same  warning  to  their  fathers,  of  the  de¬ 
struction  of  that  holy  place  by  the  Chalde¬ 
ans  !  Nay,  when  the  temple  was  first  built, 
had  not  God  Himself  given  the  same  warn¬ 
ing,  2  Chr.  7:  21.  He  had  said,  This  Jesus 
shall  change  the  customs  Moses  delivered  us. 
And  it  was  expected  the  Messiah  should 
change  them,  and  that  the  shadows  should 
be  done  away  when  the  substance  was  come ; 
et  this  was  no  essential  change  of  the  law, 
ut  the  perfecting  of  it  ;  and  if  the  Jewish 
church  had  not  obstinately  adhered  to  the 
ceremonial  law,  for  aught  I  know,  their 
place  had  not  been  destroyed  ;  so  that  for 
putting  them  into  a  certain  way  to  prevent 
Hbpir  destruction,  and  for  giving  them  cer¬ 
tain  notice  of  their  destruction  if  they  did 


PRACT.  OBS.  Unless  partial  and  carnal  self-love  could  be  wholly 
destroyed  out  of  every  heart;  envies,  murmurs,  jealousies,  and  discon¬ 
tents  will  creep  in,  and,  in  some  degree,  disturb  every  community  on 
earth,  however  collected  and  governed.  We  should,  however,  repress 
the  first  risings  of  selfish  passions  in  our  own  hearts ;  and  endeavor  to 
prevent  them  in  others,  or  to  remove  all  occasions  of  them  from  others, 
as  far  as  we  can :  and,  if  they  begin  to  appear,  such  concessions  and 
regulations  should  be  made,  without  delay,  as  may  disappoint  that  ene¬ 
my,  who  thus  seeks  to  divide  the  house  and  kingdom  against  itself.  In 
general,  the  ministers  of  Christ  should  leave  to  other  men,  as  far  as  they 
can,  the  management  of  secular  concerns,  even  such  as  belong  to  the 
church,  or  to  charitable  institutions ;  that  they  may  keep  clear  of  all 
suspicion  of  partiality  or  injustice,  and  be  more  at  leisure,  and  unin¬ 
cumbered  in  attending  to  their  proper  office.  But,  if  it  be  unreasonable 

V.  9 — 14.  No  doubt  Stephen  foretold,  that  Jesus  would  destroy  the 
city  and  temple,  in  case  the  nation  of  the  Jews  persisted  in  opposition 
to  Him :  but  the  apostles  did  not  understand,  till  long  after,  that  the  Mo¬ 
saic  law  was  to  be  abrogated ;  so  that  this  was  their  inference  from  his 
doctrine  :  and  as  the  temple  and  city  had  before  been  destroyed,  and  yet 
the  ritual  law  of  Moses  had  not  been  altered  ;  this  inference  was  preca¬ 
rious,  and  their  testimony  false. —  (14.)  The  customs.)  ‘The  rites.’ 
The  traditions  of  the  elders,  or  what  was  called  the  oral  law,  as  well  as 
the  written  institutions  of  Moses,  seem  to  have  been  meant.  Scott. 

(9.)  Libertines.)  ‘  Of  I.ibertina,  a  town  or  district  (which  afterwards 
had  an  Episcopal  See)  of  Lybia.  Pearce.  But  if  a  people,  the  phrase 

[32] 


and  sinful  for  them  ‘  to  leave  the  Word  of  God,’  even  to  superintend  the 
care  of  the  poor,  and  those  secular  concerns  which  have  an  intimate  con¬ 
nexion  with  piety  and  charity  :  how  inexcusable  must  they  he,  wholeave 
the  public  ministry,  and  even  the  care  of  the  poor  and  sick,  to  others,  and 
waste  their  time  in  dissipated  pleasures,  luxurious  indulgence,  ambi¬ 
tious  and  covetous  pursuits,  or  such  studies  as  are  foreign  to  the  cleri¬ 
cal  profession  !  or  who  spend  their  time,  abilities,  and  zeal,  in  political 
[or  sectarian]  disputes  1 — How  irrational  a  creature  is  man  I  To  assert, 
that  an  intelligent  being  is  capable  of  deliberately  supporting  a  system 
of  religion,  by  subornation,  perjury,  lying  testimony,  and  murder,  might 
have  been  deemed  a  libel  on  human  nature,  and  on  reason  itself,  had  it 
not  been  done  in  numberless  instances.  But  the  blame  rests  not  on  the 
understanding,  so  much  as  on  the  ‘  desperately  wicked  ’  heart. 

Scott. 


“  called  ”  would  not  be  used.  Most,  from  Chrysostom’s  time,  think  they 
were,  as  is  most  probable,  Jews,  who,  taken  by  the  Homans  in  war,  anil 
carried  to  Rome,  were  afterwards  freed  :  at  whose  expense  this  syna¬ 
gogue  was  built.  See  Facciolati’s  Lexicon.  Alexandrians.)  ‘Jews  of 
Alexandrian  origin.  These  had  two-filths  of  Alexandria,  and,  so  Philo, 
were  very  numerous  there,  having  the  freedom  of  the  city,  and  their 
own  prefect.’  Jos.  Bloomf. 

(11.)  Blasphemous.)  ‘  Impious,  abusive,  and  contumelious.  This 
constituted  a  capital  offence,  since  it  involved  contempt  of  the  Temple 
and  Religion  ( Dealing ),  which  implied  contempt  of  the  Deity,  who 
gave  the  Law,  and  was  believed  to  be  present  in  the  Temple.’  Id. 


ALEXANDRIA,  Egypt.  Acts  6 :  9,  18  :  24,  27  : 


A.  D.  S3. 


ACTS,  VII. 


Stephen's  defence  before  the  council. 


CHAP.  VII. 

1  Stephen,  permitted  to  answer  to  the  accusation  of  blas¬ 
phemy,  2  sheweth  that  Abraham  worshipped  God  right¬ 
ly,  and  how  God  chose  the  fathers,  20  before  Moses  was 
born,  and  before  the  tabernacle  and  temple  were  built  : 
37  that  Moses  himself  witnessed  of  Christ  :  44  and  that 
all  outward  ceremonies  were  ordained  according  to  the 
heavenly  pattern,  to  Inst  but  for  a  time :  51  reprehending 
their  rebellion,  and  murdering  of  Christ,  the  Just  One, 
who  the  prophets  foretold  should  come  into  the  world. 
54  Whereupon  they  stone  him  to  death,  who  commeudeth 
his  soul  to  Jesus,  and  humbly  prayeth  for  them. 

THEN  said  the  high  priest,  Are 
these  things  so  ? 

2  And  he  said,  1  Men,  brethren, 
and  fathers,  hearken  ;  The  God  of 
glory  appeared  unto  our  father 
Abraham,  when  he  was  in  Mesopo¬ 
tamia,  before  he  dwelt  in  Charran, 
3  And  said  b  unto  him,  Get  thee 
out  of  thy  country,  and  from  thy 
kindred,  and  come  into  the  land 
which  I  shall  shew  thee. 

4  Then  Ccatne  he  out  of  the  land 
of  the  Chaldeans,  and  dwelt  in 
Charran  :  and  from  thence,  when 
his  father  was  dead,  he  removed 
him  into  this  land,  wherein  ye  now 
dwell. 

5  And  he  gave  him  none  inherit¬ 
ance  in  it,  no,  not  so  much  as  to 
set  his  foot  on  :  yet  he  promised 
d  that  he  would  give  it  to  him  for  a 
possession,  and  to  his  seed  after 
him,  when  as  yet  he  had  no  child. 

6  And  God  spake  on  this  wise, 
That  'his  seed  should  sojourn  in  a 
strange  land  ;  and  that  they  should 
bring  them  into  bondage,  and  en¬ 
treat  them  evil  four  f  hundred  years. 

7  And  the  nation  to  whom  they 
shall  be  in  bondage  will  I  judge, 
said  God  :  and  after  that  shall  they 
come  forth,  and  serve  s  me  in  this 
place. 

8  And  h  he  gave  him  the  cove¬ 
nant  of  circumcision  :  and  so  1  Abra¬ 
ham  begat  Isaac,  and  circumcised 
him  the  eighth  day  ;  and  Isaac 
j  begat  Jacob  ;  and  Jacob  k  begat 
the  twelve  patriarchs. 

a  e.  22:1.  e  Ge.  15:13,16.  iGe.  21:1— 4. 

b  Ge.  12:1.  f  Ex.  12:40,41.  I  Ge.  25:26. 

c  Ge.  12:5.  g  Ex.  3:12.  k  Ge.  29:32,  Ac. 

d  Ge.  13:15.  h  Ge.  17:9—11. 

not  take  that  way,  he  is  accused  as  a  blas¬ 
phemer  ! 

Lastly,  We  are  here  told  how  God  owned 
him  when  brought  before  the  council,  v.  15. 
All  that  sat  in  the  council,  the  priests,  scribes, 
and  elders,  looking  steadfastly  on  him,  being 
a  stranger  they  had  not  yet  had  before  them, 
they  saw  his  face  as  if  it  had  been  the  face  of  an 
angel.  It  is  usual  for  judges  to  observe  the 
countenance  of  the  prisoner,  which  some¬ 
times  is  an  indication  either  of  guilt  or  in¬ 
nocence.  Now  Stephen  appeared  at  the 
bar  with  the  countenance  as  of  an  angel, 
never  better  pleased  in  his  life  than  now, 
when  called  out  to  bear  his  testimony  to  the 
Gospel  thus  publicly,  and  stand  fair  for  the 
crown  of  martyrdom.  Such  an  undisturbed 
serenity,  such  an  undaunted  courage,  and 


such  an  unaccountable  mixture  of  mildness 
and  majesty,  there  was  in  his  countenance, 
that  everyone  said,  he  looked  like  an  angel. 
It  should  seem  there  was  a  miraculous  splen¬ 
dor  and  brightness  on  his  countenance,  like 
that  of  our  Savior,  when  transfigured  ;  or 
of  Moses,  when  he  came  down  from  the 
mount.;  God  designing  thereby  to  honor  his 
faithful  witness,  and  confound  his  persecu¬ 
tors  and  judges,  whose  sin  would  be  highly 
aggravated,  and  would  be  indeed  a  rebellion 
against  the  light,  if,  notwithstanding  this, 
they  proceeded  against  him.  Wisdom  and 
holiness  make  a  man’s  face  to  shine,  yet 
these  will  not  secure  men  from  the  greatest 
indignities;  and  no  wonder,  when  the  shin¬ 
ing  of  Stephen’s  face  would  not  be  his  pro¬ 
tection  ;  though  it  had  been  easy  to  prove, 
that,  if  he  had  been  guilty  of  putting  any 
dishonor  on  Moses,  God  would  not  thus  have 
put  Moses’  honor  on  him. 


Chap.  VII.  In  this  cb.  we  have  the  mar¬ 
tyrdom  of  Stephen,  the  first  martyr  of  the 
Christian  church,  who  led  the  van  in  that 
noble  army.  Therefore  his  sufferings  and 
death  are  more  largely  related  than  any 
other’s,  for  direction  and  encouragement  to 
all  who  are  called  out  to  resist  unto  blood. 
Here  is,  1.  Ilis  defence  of  himself  before 
the  council,  in  answer  to  the  matters  and 
things  he  stood  charged  with,  the  scope  of 
which  is  to  show,  that  it  was  no  blasphemy 
against  God,  nor  any  injury  at  all  to  the 
glory  of  his  name,  to  say,  that  the  temple 
should  he  destroyed,  and  the  customs  of  the 
ceremonial  law  changed.  This  he  shows  by 
going  over  the  history  of  the  O.T.,  and  ob¬ 
serving,  that  God  never  intended  to  confine 
his  favors  to  that  place,  or  that  ceremonial 
law;  and  that  they  had  no  reason  to  expect 
He  should;  for  the  Jews  had  always  been  a 
provoking  people,  and  had  forfeited  the  priv¬ 
ileges  of  (heir  peculiarity  ;  nay,  that  that 
holy  place  and  that  law  were  but  figures  of 
good  things  to  coine,  and  it  was  no  dispar¬ 
agement  at  all  to  them  to  say,  that  they  must 
give  place  to  better  things.  He  then  ap¬ 
plies  this  to  them  that  prosecuted  him,  and 
sat  in  judgment  on  him,  sharply  reproving 
them  for  their  wickedness,  by  which  they  had 
brought  on  themselves  the  ruin  of  their  place 
and  nation,  and  then  could  not  bear  to  hear 
of  it.  2.  Ilis  death  by  stoning,  and  his 
patient,  cheerful,  pious  submission  to  it. 

V.  1 — 16.  I.  The  high  priest  calls  on 
Stephen  to  answer  for  himself,  v.  1.  Guilty 
or  not  guilty  ?  This  carried  a  show  of  fair¬ 
ness,  yet  seems  to  have  been  spoken  with 
haughtiness ;  and  thus  far  he  seems  to  have 
prejudged  the  cause,  that,  if  it  were  so,  that 
he  had  spoken  such  and  such  words,  he  shall 
certainly  be  adjudged  a  blasphemer,  what¬ 
ever  he  may  offer  in  justification  or  explana¬ 
tion. 

II.  He  begins  his  defence, and  it  is  long; 
but  it  seems  by  his  breaking  off  abruptly, 
just  when  he  came  to  the  main  point,  v.  50. 
it  would  have  been  much  longer,  had  his 
enemies  given  him  leave  to  say  all  he  had 
to  say.  In  general,  1.  In  this  discourse  he 
appears  to  be  a  man  ready  and  mighty  in 
the  Scriptures,  and  thereby  thoroughly  fur¬ 
nished  for  every  good  word  and  work.  They 
that  are  full  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  will  be  full 
of  the  Scripture.  2.  lie  quotes  the  Scrip¬ 


tures,  according  to  the  Sept.,  by  which  it  ap¬ 
pears  he  was  one  of  the  Hellenist  Jews,  who 
used  that  version  in  their  synagogues.  His 
following  that,  occasions  divers  variations 
from  the  Ileb.  original,  in  this  discourse, 
which  the  judges  of  the  court  did  not  correct, 
because  they  knew  how  he  was  led  into 
them  ;  nor  is  it  any  derogation  to  the  author¬ 
ity  of  that  Spirit  by  which  he  spake,  for 
the  variations  are  not  material.  These  vs. 
carry  on  this  his  compendium  of  church- 
history  to  the  end  of  Gen.  Let  us  see  what 
this  is  to  Stephen’s  case. 

(1.)  They  had  charged  him  as  a  blas¬ 
phemer  of  God,  and  an  apostate  from  the 
church  ;  therefore  he  shows  he  is  a  son  of 
Abraham,  and  values  himself  on  being  a 
faithful  worshipper  of  the  God  of  Abraham, 
whom,  therefore,  he  here  calls  the  God  of 
glory.  He  also  shows  that  he  owns  divine 
revelation,  and  that  particularly  by  which 
the  Jewish  church  was  founded  and  incor¬ 
porated.  (2.)  They  were  proud  of  their 
being  circumcised;  therefore  he  shows  that 
Abraham  was  taken  under  God’s  conduct, 
and  into  communion  with  Him,  before  he 
was  circumcised,  v.  8.  With  this  argu¬ 
ment  Paul  proves,  that  Abraham  was  justi¬ 
fied  by  faith,  because  he  was  justified  when 
he  was  in  uncircumcision  :  and  so  here. 
(3.)  They  had  a  mighty  jealousy  for  this 
holy  place :  the  whole  land  of  Canaan  ; 
called  the  holy  land,  Immanuel’s  land-;  the 
destruction  of  the  holy  house,  inferred  that 
of  the  holy  land.  ‘  Now,’  says  Stephen,  ‘  you 
need  not  be  so  proud  of  it ;  for  you  came 
originally  out  of  Ur  of  the  Chaldees,  where 
your  fathers  served  other  gods,  Josh.  24:  2. 
and  you  were  not  the  first  planters  of  this 
country.  Further,  God  appeared  in  his 
glory  to  Abraham  a  great  way  oft'  in  Meso¬ 
potamia,  before  he  came  near  Canaan,  nay, 
before  he  dwelt  in  Charran ;  so  that  you  must 
not  think  God’s  visits  are  to  this  land  :  no  ; 
He  that  brought  the  seed  of  the  church  from 
a  country  so  far  east,  can,  if  He  pleases, 
carry  the  fruit  of  it  to  another  country  as  far 
west.  Neither  did  God  make  haste  to  bring 
him  into  this  land,  but  let  him  linger  some 
years  by  the  way,  and  his  children  400 
years  :  which  shows  that  God  has  not  his 
heart  so  much  on  this  land  as  you  have, 
neither  is  his  honor,  nor  the  happiness  of 
his  people,  bound  up  in  it.  It  is  therefore 
neither  blasphemy  nor  treason  to  say,  It 
shall  he  destroyed.’ 

But  how  does  this  serve  Stephen’s  pur¬ 
pose.  [1]  s  ince  things  are  thus  as  to  the 
Jewish  nation,  what  need  is  there  of  so 
much  ado,  as  if  their  ruin,  when  they  bring 
it  on  themselves  by  sin,  must  be  the  ruin  of 
the  world,  and  of  all  God’s  interest  in  it  1 
No  ;  He  that  brought  them  out  of  Egypt, 
can  bring  them  into  it  again,  as  He  threat¬ 
ened,  Deut.  28: 6S.  and  yet  be  no  loser, 
while  He  can,  out  of  stones,  raise  up  children 
unto  Abraham.  Besides,  [2.]  The  slow 
steps  by  which  the  promise  made  to  Abra¬ 
ham  advanced  toward  the  performance,  and 
the  many  seeming  contradictions  here  taken 
notice  of,  plainly  show  that  it  had  a  spiritual 
meaning,  and  that  the  land  principally  in¬ 
tended  to  be  conveyed  and  secured  by  it,  was, 
the  better  country,  i.  e.  the  heavenly  :  as  the 
apostle  shows  from  this  very  argument,  Ileb. 
11:9,10.  It  was  therefore  no  blasphemy 


NOTES.  Chap.  VII.  V.  2.  God  of  glory.]  ‘  I.  e.  most  worthy 
of  glory  and  honor;  it  is  meant  to  refute  the  crimination  of  blasphemy 
against  God.  Stephen  here  follows  the  tradition  of  the  Jews,  that  God 
appeared  twice  to  Abraham ;  once  when  lie  was  in  Chaldea,  and  again 
at  Charran.  So  Philo.’  Bloomf. 

V.  4,  5.  Both  ‘Ur  of  the  Chaldees,’  and  Charran,  or  Ilaran,  were, 
properly  speaking,  in  Mesopotamia;  though  Ilaran  was  much  nearer  to 
the  promised  land  than  Ur  was.  Not  so  much,  <tc.]  When  Sarah  died, 
Abraham  had  no  land  for  a  burying-place,  till  he  bought  it.  Scott. 

(4.)  After.]  ‘I  think  with  Mich.,  Krauser,  Moms,  Ros.,  Arc.  that 
Stephen  here  also  followed  the  Jewish  tradition,  that  Abraharn,  after 
the  death  (i.  e.  the  moral  and  allegorical  death)  of  his  father,  migrated 
into  Canaan.  So  Philo.  For  the  Jews  maintain,  that  Moses  relates 
Terah’s  death  by  anticipation,  because,  from  being  a  worshipper  of  God, 
he  now  became  an  idolater,  and  thus  might  be  accounted  dead  (as  the 
apostle  says  sinners  are  dead  while  they  live),  see  Josh.  24:2.  Judith  5:6, 
N.  T.  VOL.  V.  5 


7.  Kuin.  Bp.  Lloyd,  however,  thinks  the  seventy  yrs.,  at  Gen.  11:26. 
relates  only  to  the  birth  of  Ilaran;  and  that  Terah  was  130  when  he 
begat  Abraham,  and  that,  if  so,  A.  was  seventy-five,  and  T.  (who  died  at 
205)  might  have  been  dead  when  A.  left  Charran.  Bp.  Pearce.’  Bn. 

V.  6.  Four  hundred.]  ‘  I.  e.  in  round  numbers  ;  430  actually,  as  Jos., 
who  in  another  place  speaks  [roundly]  of  400.  The  Israelites  abode 
243  yrs.  (as  Koppe  proves)  in  Egypt.’  (So  111.)  r  Kuin. 

V.  7.  ‘  These  words  are  not  found  in  Gen.  15:13,  &c.  Krebs  and  others 

observe,  that  we  have  them  in  substance,  in  Gen.  15:18.  but  some, 
justly,  in  Ex.  3:12.  For  it  was  a  custom  with  the  Jewish  doctors  (fol¬ 
lowed  by  the  writers  of  the  N.  T.,  and  Stephen  here)  when  they  cited 
any  oracle  of  the  O.  T.,  to  add  some  words  elsewhere  employed  on  tne 
same  subject,  and  those  sometimes  a  little  changed,  and  this,  in  order  to 
amplify  the  thing.  See  Surenhusius.  Besides,  Stephen  does  not  say 
(he  words  were  spoken  to  Abraham,  but,  [simply,]  ‘God  thus  spoke. 
[See  Woods’s  Lect.  on  Quotations.]  r  QQ1 


A.  D.  S3. 


ACTS,  VII. 


9  IT  And  the  patriarchs,  moved 
with  1  envy,  sold  Joseph  into  Egypt : 
but  m  God  was  with  him, 

10  And  delivered  him  out  of  all 
his  afflictions,  and  gave  him  favor 
and  wisdom  in  the  sight  of  Pharaoh 
king  of  Egypt  ;  and  he  "made  him 
governor  over  Egypt  and  all  his 
house. 

11  Now  "there  came  a  dearth 
over  all  the  land  of  Egypt  and  Cha- 
naan,  and  great  affliction  :  and  our 
fathers  found  no  sustenance. 

12  But  p  when  Jacob  heard  that 
there  was  corn  in  Egypt,  he  sent 
out  our  fathers  first. 

13  And  at  the  second  time  Joseph 
q  was  made  known  to  his  brethren  ; 
and  Joseph’s  kindred  was  made 
known  unto  Pharaoh. 

14  Then  sent  Joseph,  and  called 
his  father  Jacob  to  him,  and  all 
rhis  kindred,  threescore  and  fifteen 
souls. 

15  So  Jacob  went  down  into 
Egypt,  and  died,  he,  and  our  fath¬ 
ers, 

16  And  8  were  carried  over  into 
Sychem,  and  laid  in  the  sepulchre 
that  Abraham  bought  for  a  sum  of 
money  of  the  sons  of  Emmor  the 
father  of  Sychem. 

17  IT  But  when  the  time  of  the 
promise  drew  nigh,  which  God  had 

1  Cie  37:28.  Ps.  o  Ge.  41:54.  r  Ge.  46:27.  De. 

105:17.  p  Ge.  42:1,2.  10:22. 

mGe.  39:2,21.  q  Ge.  45:4,16.  s  Jos.  24:32. 

n  Ge.  41:40. 

to  say,  Jesus  shall  destroy  this  place,  when 
at  the  same  time  we  say,  ‘  He  shall  lead  us 
to  the  heavenly  Canaan',  and  put  us  in  pos¬ 
session  of  that,  of  which  the  earthly  Canaan 
was  but  a  type  and  figure.’  [3.]  The  build¬ 
ing  up  of  Abraham’s  family,  with  the  entail 


of  divine  grace  upon  it,  and  the  disposals 
of  Divine  Providence  concerning  it,  which 
take  up  the  book  of  Genesis. 

1st.  God  engaged  to  be  a  God  to  Abra¬ 
ham  and  to  his  seed;  and,  in  token  of  that, 
appointed  that  he  and  his  male  seed  should 
be  circumcised,  Gen.  17  :  9,  10.  by  which 
he  was  both  obliged  by  the  divine  law,  and 
interested  in  the  divine  promise ;  for  circum¬ 
cision  had  reference  to  both.  2dly.  Joseph, 
the  darling  and  blessing  of  bis  father’s  house, 
was  abused  by  his  brethren  ;  thus  early  did 
the  children  of  Israel  begin  to  grudge  those 
among  them  that  were  eminent  and  outshone 
others  ;  of  which,  their  enmity  to  Christ, 
who,  like  Joseph,  was  a  Nazarite  among  his 
brethren,  was  a  great  instance.  3dly.  God 
owned  Joseph  in  his  troubles,  and  was  with 
him,  Gen.  39:  2,  21.  by  the  influence  of  his 
Spirit,  both  on  his  mind,  giving  him  comfort, 
and  on  the  minds  of  those  he  was  concerned 
with,  giving  him  favor  in  their  eyes.  And 
thus  he  not  only  arrived  at  great  preferment 
among  the  Egyptians,  but  became  the  shep¬ 
herd  and  stone  of  Israel,  Gen.  49:  24.  4th ly. 
Jacob  was  compelled  to  go  into  Egypt,  by  a 
famine  forcing  him  out  of  Canaan,  a  dearth, 
a  great  affliction,  to  that  degree,  that  our 
fathers  found  no  sustenance,  even  in  Canaan, 
v.  11 — 14.  They  are  said  to  be  70  souls, 
Gen.  46:27.  But  the  Sept,  there  makes 
them  75,  and  Stephen  or  Luke  follow's  that, 
as  Luke  3  :  36.  where  Cainan  is  inserted, 
that  is  not  in  the  Heb.  text,  but  in  the  Sept. 
Some,  by  excluding  Joseph  and  his  sons, 
who  were  in  Egypt  before,  which  reduces 
the  number  to  64,  and  adding  the  sons  of  the 
11  patriarchs,  make  the  number  75.  5thly. 
Jacob  and  his  sons  died  in  Egypt,  v.  16. 
but  were  carried  over  to  be  buried  in  Canaan, 
v.  17.  A  very  considerable  difficulty  occurs 
here:  it  is  said,  They  were  carried  over  into 
Sychem,  whereas  Jacob  w'as  buried  not  in 
Sychem,  but  near  Hebron,  in  the  cave  of 
Machpelah,  where  Abraham  and  Isaac  were 
buried,  Gen.  50: 13.  Joseph’s  bones,  indeed, 
were  buried  in  Sychem,  Josh.  24:  32.  and  it 
seems  by  this,  (though  it  is  not  mentioned  in 
the  story,)  that  the  bones  of  all  the  other 


V.  9 — 13.  The  argument  of  this  passage  seems  to  be,  that,  as  the  pa¬ 
triarchs  must  have  perished,  if  Joseph,  whom  they  had  envied  and  in¬ 
jured,  had  not  been  advanced  to  authority,  and  thus  enabled  to  preserve 
them  ;  so  must  the  Jews  and  their  rulers  perish,  unless  Jesus,  whom  they 
had  despised  and  crucified,  but  whom  God  had  highly  exalted,  should 
graciously  save  them.  As  therefore  Joseph’s  brethren  at  length  submit¬ 
ted  to  him*  and  were  forgiven;  so  ought  they  to  submit,  and  seek  for¬ 
giveness  from  the  glorified  Messiah.  (10)  Favor.]  Many  understand 
this  of  the  courteous  and  graceful  deportment  of  Joseph,  as  conciliating 
the  favor  of  all  men,  in  connexion  with  his  wisdom.  Scott. 

(10.)  Gave,  Ac.]  ‘Gave  him  favor  in  the.  sight  of  Pharaoh  by  his 
wisdom.’  Grot.,  Ros.,  Kuin.,  Bloomf.,  Ac.  Ei>. 

V.  14.  Seventy  persons,  including  Jacob  and  Joseph,  and  Joseph’s 
two  sons,  are  reckoned  up  by  Moses  ;  among  whom  were  some  grand¬ 
children  of  Benjamin,  who  was  not  above  twenty-five  years  of  age, 
when  Jacob  went  down  into  Egypt.  And  several  grand-children  of  Jo¬ 
seph  arc  named  in  Chr.,  who  are  not  mentioned  in  Gen.  (1  Chr.  7:16, 
20.)  It  is  undeniable,  that  some  of  the  grand-children  of  Jacob’s  sons, 
who  afterwards  became  heads  of  families  in  their  tribes,  were  included 
in  the  number  stated  by  Moses:  and  is  it  not  the  most  obvious  way  of 
settbng  the  difficulty,  between  his  account,  and  that  of  Stephen  from 
(he  Sept.,  to  include  five  grand-children  of  Joseph  ?  Some  learned  men 
indeed  would  make  up  the  number,  by  the  w  ives  of  the  patriarchs  :  but 
it  must  have  been  very  extraordinary  at  least  that,  with  so  many  sons 
and  grandsons,  there  should  have  been  no  more  than  five  women  !  and, 
if  there  were  many  more,  why  should  five  only  be  here  added  to  the 
number  ?  Only  two  females  (Dinah,  and  Serah,  a  descendant  of  Gad) 
are  mentioned  in  Gen.  :  and  (he  Sept.,  which  Stephen  seems  to  have 
referred  to,  may  be  thus  tr. :  ‘All  the  souls  which  came  with  Jacob  into 
Egypt,  who  came  out  of  his  loins,  apart  from  the  wives  of  Jacob’s  sons, 
all  the  souls  were  sixty-six.  But  the  sons  of  Joseph,  who  were  born  to 
.him  in  the  land  of  Egypt,  were  nine.  All  the  souls  of  the  house  of  Ja¬ 
cob,  who  went  down  with  Jncob  into  Egypt,  were  seventy-five  souls.’ 
Joseph,  and  his  two  sons,  and  Jacob  himself,  complete  the  seventy  of 
our  version  :  and  though  the  Sept,  is  not  very  accurate  or  perspicuous 
in  this  statement,  three  things  are  sufficiently  clear:  1.  That  the  addi¬ 
tional  five  mentioned  in  it  were  not  women.  In  fact,  with  what  pro¬ 
priety  could  the  wives  of  Jacob’s  sons  be  said  to  mine  out  of  his  loins  ? 
2.  That  they  were  sons;  or  male  descendants  of  Joseph.  And,  3.  That 
the  family  of  Jacob,  containing  some  born  in  Egypt,  and  Joseph  who 
was  carried  thither  long  before,  as  well  as  Jacob, and  those  who  went 
down  with  him,  are  included. — ‘Reckoning  some  of  the  children  born 
in  Egypt,  together  with  Joseph  and  his  sons,  and  his  sons’  sons,  made 
up  seventy-five  persons.’  Hammond.  Scott.  ‘  The  most  probable 
[reconciliation  of  Acts  with  Gcn.J  says  Fain.,  is  that  adopted  by  Ham¬ 
mond,  Cappellus,  VVetst.,  Mich.,  hreuse,  Ros.,  Ac.  who  remark,  that  the 
Sept,  numbered  among  the  posterity  of  Jacob  the  five  sops  of  Manosseh 
and  Ephraim,  born  in  Egypt  [who  in  scripture-style  might  be  said  to  be 


Stephen's  defence  before  the  council. 

patriarchs  were  carried  with  his,  each  of 
them  giving  the  same  commandment  con¬ 
cerning  them  that  he  had  done  ;  and  of 
them  this  must  be  understood,  not  of  Jacob 
himself.  But  then  the  sepulchre  in  Sychem 
was  bought  by  Jacob,  Gen.  33:  19.  and  by 
that  it  is  described.  Josh.  24  :  22.  How 
then  is  it  here  said  to  be  bought  by  Abra¬ 
ham  1  Dr.  Whitby’s  solution  of  this  is  very 
sufficient.  Jacob  went  down  into  Egypt  and 
died,  he  and  our  fathers  ;  and  ( our  fathers') 
were  carried  over  into  Sychem  ;  and  he,  i.  e, 
Jacob,  was  laid  in  the  sepulchre  that  Abraham 
bought  for  a  sum  of  money,  Gen.  23.  (Or, 
they  were  laid  there,  i.  e.  Abraham,  Isaac, 
and  Jacob.)  And  they,  namely,  the  other 
patriarchs,  were  buried  in  the  sepulchre 
bought  of  the  sons  of  Emmor,  the  father  of 
Sychem. 

Let  us  now  see  what  this  is  to  Stephen’s 
purpose. 

1.  He  still  reminds  them  of  the  mean  be¬ 
ginning  of  the  Jewish  nation,  as  a  check  to 
their  priding  themselves  in  its  glories  ;  hut 
if  they  answer  not  the  intention  of  their  be¬ 
ing  so  raised,  they  can  expect  no  other  than 
to  be  destroyed.  The  prophets  frequently 
put  them  in  mind  of  the  bringing  of  them 
out  of  Egypt,  as  an  aggravation  of  their 
contempt  of  the  law  of  God;  and  here  it  is 
urged  on  them  as  an  aggravation  of  their 
contempt  of  the  Gospel  of  Christ.  2.  He 
reminds  them  likewise  of  the  wickedness  of 
those  that  were  the  patriarchs  of  their  tribes, 
in  envying  their  brother  Joseph,  and  selling 
him  into  Egypt  ;  and  the  same  spirit  was 
still  working  in  them  toward  Christ  and  his 
ministers.  3.  Their  holy  land,  which  they 
doted  so  much  upon,  their  fathers  were  long 
kept  out  of  the  possession  of,  and  met  with 
dearth  and  great  affliction  in  it  ;  therefore  let 
them  not  think  it  strange,  if,  after  it  has 
been  so  long  polluted  with  sin,  it  be  at  length 
destroyed.  4.  The  faith  of  the  patriarchs, 
in  desiring  to  he  buried  in  the  land  of  Ca¬ 
naan,  plainly  showed  that  they  had  an  eye 
to  the  heavenly  country,  which  it  was  the 
design  of  this  Jesus  to  lead  them  to. 

V.  17 — 29.  I.  Stephen  here  goes  on  to 

in  his  loins,  and  are  by  a  figure  said  to  have  gone  down  with  him,  the 
greater  part,  too,  here  denominating  the  whole.  Ed.]  and  that  these  five 
were  omitted  by  Moses,  because  they  were  born  after  Jacob’s  departure, 
but  by  the  Sept,  at  Gen.  46:20.  are  expressly  added  from  1  Clir.  7:14. 
[Ac.]  That  there  were  in  Stephen’s  time  various  calculations  of  this 
number  (and  so  no  inaccuracy  to  be  supposed  in  the  SS.)  is  evident  from 
Philo.,  who,  touching  on  this  matter  in  an  allegory,  mentions  both  num¬ 
bers.’  Kuin.  The  very  perplexed  and  dubious  question,  as  Bloomf. 
(whom  see)  remarks,  is,  like  most  such,  of  little  importance.  Ed. 

V.  15,  16.  It  appears  from  this  passage,  and  it  is  indeed  highly  proba- 
hje  in  itself,  and  confirmed  by  ancient  tradition,  that  the  bodies  of  all 
Jacob’s  sons  were  embalmed,  and  carried  up  by  their  descendants,  to  be 
interred  in  Canaan.  Jacob  was  buried  in  the  cave  of  the  field  of  Mnch- 
pelah,  with  his  fathers,  Abraham  and  Isaac.  This  Abraham  bought  of 
Epliron  the  Hittite.  But  Joseph,  and  probably  his  brethren,  were  buried 
at  Sychem,  or  Shechem,  in  the  piece  of  ground  which  Jacob  bought  of 
the  sons  of  Emmor,  or  Ilamor,  the  father  of  Shechem  ;  and  which  he  lef  t 
as  an  inheritance  to  the  descendants  of  Joseph.  ‘Jacob  died,  he  and 
our  fathers,  and  they  ’  (our  fathers)  ‘were  carried  over  to  Sychem  and 
buried,  he  ’  (that  is  Jacob)  ‘in  the  sepulchre  which  Abraham  bought  for 
a  sum  of  money;  and  they  ’  (the  other  patriarchs)  ‘in  that  of  the  sons 
of  Einmor,  the  father  of  Sychem.’  This  rendering  has  been  proposed  by- 
several  eminent  men,  to  remove  the  obvious  difficulty  of  reconciling  the 
passage  with  the  history  in  Gen.  33:19.  Gen.  48:22.  Josh.  24:29 — 32, 
v.  32.  But  it  is  rather  a  paraphrase  than  a  tr.  ;  and  not  a  fair  paraphrase 
of  the  present  text.  Scott. 

(16.)  ‘The  difficulties  here  may  be  satisfactorily  solved,  if  “  carried 
over”  and  “laid”  be  referred  only  to  the  words  “our  fathers,”  and 
“  Abraham  ”  be  cancelled  ns  spurious.  Then  tr.  thus  :  “  they  were  re¬ 
moved  to  Sychem,  and  were  buried  in  a  sepulchre  which  had  been 
bought  fora  sum  of  money  from  the  sons  of  Emmor,  father  of  Sychem.” 
Now  it  was  a  common  tradition  of  the  Jews,  not  only  that  the  bones  of 
Joseph,  but  also  of  his  eleven  brethren,  were  buried  at  Sychem  ;  as  ap¬ 
pears  by  the  rabbinical  passages  in  Lightf.  and  Wetst.  And  so  Jer. 
But  Jos.  says,  the  patriarchs  were  buried  at  Hebron.  The  tradition 
therefore  was  two-fold  and  different.  And  since  we  learn  from  Scrip¬ 
ture,  that  at  Hebron  were  buried  Abraham,  and  Sarah,  Isaac,  and  Jacob, 
and  (according  to  report)  Adam  and  Eie  ;  especially  loo,  as  nothing  is  said 
in  the  SS.  of  the  burial-place  of  the  brethren,  so  arose  the  tradition  that 
the  brethren  also  of  Joseph  were  buried  there. — At  “bought,”  Beza, 
Boch.,  and  Pierce,  subaud  “Jncob,”  from  the  context  (comp.  v.  15'; 
and  they  think  that  “  Abraham”  was  foisted  in.  So  also  Baver.  Was- 
senburg,  Valckn.,  and  Tittinan,  who  refer  the  xvord  (with  great  proba¬ 
bility)  to  the  glosses.  It  is  unquestionable,  that  sometimes  all  the  MSS. 
unite  in  a  false  reading  (see  [my]  note  on  Mark  15:25);  and  the  intro¬ 
duction  of  the  present  one  may  be  easily  accounted  for.’  Bloomf. 

V.  17—29.  The  words  here  rendered,  ‘exceeding  fair,’  some  have 
rendered,  ‘  Beloved  by  God ;’  but  this  is  not  a  just  tr.  Neither  is  there 


A.  D.  33. 


ACTS,  VII. 


Stephen's  defence  before  the  council. 


gworn  to  Abraham,  the  people  * 
grew  and  multiplied  in  Egypt, 

18  Till  another  king  arose,  which 
knew  not  Joseph. 

19  The  same  dealt  subtly  with 
our  kindred,  and  evil  entreated  our 
fathers,  so  “that  they  cast  out  their 
young  children,  to  the  end  they 
might  not  live. 

•  20  In  which  time  Moses  v  was 
born,  and  was  w  exceeding  fair,  and 
nourished  up  in  his  father’s  house 
three  mouths  : 

21  And  when  he  was  cast  out, 
Pharaoh’s  daughter  took  him  up, 
and  x  nourished  him  for  her  own 
son. 

22  And  Moses  was  learned  in  all 
the  wisdom  of  the  Egyptians,  and 
y  was  mighty  in  words  and  in  deeds. 

23  And  1  when  he  was  full  forty 
years  old,  it  came  into  his  heart  to 
visit  his  brethren  the  children  of 
Israel. 

24  And  seeing  one  of  them  suffer 
wrong,  he  defended  him,  and  aveng¬ 
ed  him  that  was  oppressed,  and 
smote  the  Egyptian : 

25  a  For  he  supposed  his  brethren 
would  have  understood  how  that 
God  by  his  hand  would  deliver 
them:  but  they  understood  not. 

26  And  the  next  day  he  shewed 
himself  unto  them  as  they  strove, 
and  would  have  set  them  at  one 
again,  saying,  Sirs,  ye  are  brethren; 
why  do  ye  wrong  one  to  another  ? 

27  But  he  that  did  his  neighbor 
wrong  thrust  him  awaj^,  saying, 
Who  made  thee  a  ruler  and  a  judge 
over  us  ? 

28  Wilt  thou  kill  me,  as  thou 
didst  the  Egyptian  yesterday  ? 

t  Ex.  1:7 — 9.  w  or ,  fair  to  God.  z  Ex.  2:11,  &c. 

ii  Ex.  1:22.  x  Ex.  2:10.  a  or,  Now. 

v  Ex.  2:2,  &c.  y  Lu.  24:19. 


relate,  the  wonderful  increase  of  the  people 
of  Israel  in  Egypt,  in  a  little  time,  from  a 
family  into  a  nation,  v.  17;  and  the  extreme 
hardships  they  underwent  there,  v.  18,  19. 


Now  he  seems  to  observe  this  to  them,  not 
only  that  they  might  further  see  how  mean 
their  beginnings  were,  Ezek.  16  :  4.  and 
how  much  they  were  indebted  to  God  for  his 
care  of  them,  which  they  had  forfeited,  and 
made  themselves  unworthy  of;  but  also  that 
they  might  consider,  that  what  they  were 
now  doing  against  the  Christian  church  in 
its  infancy,  was  as  impious  and  unjust,  and 
would  be  in  the  issue  as  fruitless,  as  that  the 
Egyptians  did  against  the  Jewish  church  in 
its  infancy. 

II.  Stephen  was  charged  with  having 
spoken  blasphemous  words  against  Moses;  in 
answer  to  which  charge,  he  here  speaks 
very  honorably  of  him. 

1.  Moses  was  born  when  the  persecution 
of  Israel  was  at  the  hottest,  v.  20.  and  was 
himself  in  danger,  as  soon  as  he  came  into 
the  world,  as  our  Savior  also  was  at  Beth¬ 
lehem,  of  falling  a  sacrifice  to  that  bloody 
edict.  God  is  preparing  for  his  people’s  de¬ 
liverance,  then  when  their  day  is  darkest, 
and  their  distress  deepest.  2.  He  was  ex¬ 
ceeding  fair ;  he  was  sanctified  from  the 
womb,  which  made  him  beautiful  in  God’s 
eyes.  3.  He  was  wonderfully  preserved  in 
his  infancy,  first,  by  the  care  of  his  tender 
parents,  and  then  by  a  favorable  providence, 
that  threw  him  into  the  arms  of  Pharaoh's 
daughter,  v.  21.  Whom  God  designs  to  make 
special  use  of,  lie  will  take  special  care  of. 
And  did  He  thus  protect  the  child  Moses  ? 
Much  more  will  He  secure  the  interests  of 
his  holy  Child  Jesus,  ch.  4:  27.  from  the  ene¬ 
mies  gathered  against  Him.  4.  He  was 
learned  in  all  the  wisdom  of  the  Egyptians, 
v.  22.  then  famed  for  all  manner  of  polite 
literature,  particularly  philosophy,  astrono¬ 
my,  and  (which  perhaps  helped  to  lead 
them  to  idolatry)  hieroglyphics.  Moses, 
having  his  education  at  court,  had  opportu¬ 
nity  of  improving  himself  by  the  best  books, 
tutors,  and  conversation,  in  all  the  arts  and 
sciences,  and  had  a  genius  for  them.  Only 
we  have  reason  to  think  he  had  not  so  far 
forgotten  the  God  of  his  fathers,  as  to  acquaint 
himself  with  the  unlawful  studies  and  prac¬ 
tices  of  the  magicians  of  Egypt,  any  further 
than  was  necessary  to  confute  them.  5.  He 
became  a  prime  minister  of  state  in  Egypt; 
that  seems  to  be  meant  by  his  being  mighty 
in  words  and  deeds.  And  in  business  none 
went  on  w'ith  such  courage,  and  conduct, 
and  success.  Thus  was  he  prepared,  by 
human  helps,  for  those  services,  which,  af¬ 
ter  all,  he  could  not  be  thoroughly  furnished 


for  without  divine  illumination.  Now,  by 
all  this,  Stephen  will  make  it  appear,  that 
notwithstanding  the  malicious  insinuations 
of  his  persecutors,  he  had  as  high  and  hon¬ 
orable  thoughts  of  Moses  as  they  had. 

III.  Stephen  notes  the  attempts  Moses 
made  to  deliver  Israel,  which  they  spurned. 
This  he  insists  much  on,  and  it  serves  for  a 
key  to  this  story.  Ex.  2  :  11 — 15.  as  does 
also  that  other  construction  of  the  apostle’s, 
Heb.  11:24 — 26.  There  it  is  represented 
as  an  act  of  holy  self-denial,  here  as  a  de¬ 
signed  entrance  on  the  public  service  he  was 
to  be  called  out  to,  v.  23.  When  he  was  full 
40  years  old,  in  the  prime  of  his  time  for 
preferment  in  the  court  of  Egypt,  it  came  in¬ 
to  his  heart  (for  God  put  it  there)  to  visit  his 
brethren  the  children  of  Israel,  and  to  see 
which  way  he  might  do  them  any  service  ; 
and  he  showed  himself  as  a  public  person, 
with  a  public  character  : 

1.  As  Jsrael’s  savior,  v.  24.  which,  if  he 
had  been  only  a  private  person, he  could  not 
lawfully  have  done  ;  but  he  knew  his  com¬ 
mission  from  heaven  would  bear  him  out  ; 
and  he  supposed  that  his  brethren  (who  could 
not  but  have  some  knowledge  of  the  promise 
made  to  Abraham,  that  the  nation  that  should 
oppress  them,  God  would  judge)  would  have 
understood  that  God  by  his  hand  would  deliver 
them ;  for  he  could  not  have  had,  eitlier 
presence  of  mind,  or  strength  of  body,  to  do 
what  he  did,  if  he  had  not  been  clothed  with 
such  a  divine  power  as  evidenced  a  divine 
authority.  2.  As  Israel’s  judge  ;  offering 
to  accommodate  matters  between  two  con¬ 
tending  Hebrews,  wherein  he  plainly  assum¬ 
ed  a  public  character,  v.  26.  He  showed 
himself  to  them  as  they  strove,  and,  putting  on 
an  air  of  majesty  and  authority,  he  would 
have  set  them  at  one  again,  and  as  their  prince 
have  determined  the  controversy  between 
them,  saying.  Sirs,  ye  are  brethren,  by  birth 
and  profession  of  religion ;  why  do  ye  wrong 
one  to  another?  He  gave  them  excellent  laws 
and  statutes,  and  determined  on  their  com¬ 
plaints  and  appeals  made  to  him.  Ex.  18: 16. 

But  the  contending  Israelite,  that  was 
most  in  the  wrong,  thrust  him  away,  v.  27. 
would  not  bear  the  reproof,  though  a  just  and 
gentle  one,  for  proud  and  litigious  spirits  are 
impatient  of  check  and  control,  but  was  so 
enraged,  that  he  upbraided  Moses  with  the 
service  he  had  done  to  their  nation,  in  killing 
the  Egyptian,  which,  if  they  had  pleased, 
would  have  been  the  earnest  of  further  and 
greater  service,  v.  28.  Charging  that  upon 


any  ground  to  conclude,  either  that  Moses  prophesied,  as  some  have  sup¬ 
posed,  or  indeed  had  true  faith  and  grace,  till  a  short  time  before  he  vis¬ 
ited  his  brethren.  The  clause  ‘  fair  to  God,’  seems  to  refer  to  the  Lord’s 
purposes  concerning  Moses,  which  induced  Him  to  preserve  him,  when 
other  children  were  destroyed  ;  and  by  means  of  his  extraordinary 
beauty  to  accomplish  this.  Moses  might  be  ‘  mighty  in  words,’  as  ca¬ 
pable  of  calm,  forcible,  and  conclusive  reasoning;  and  yet  be  slow  of 
speech,  and  destitute  of  the  graces  of  elocution,  as  he  modestly  pleaded 
concerning  himself.  He  had  received  some  general  intimation,  that  he 
should  deliver  his  people  ;  but  it  does  not  appear,  that  he  was  expressly- 
commissioned  to  attempt  their  deliverance  at  this  time.  From  some 
general  computation,  it  is  probable  he  supposed  the  appointea  time  was 
at  hand  ;  but  forty  years  more  must  elapse,  before  that  event  actually 
took  place.  He  also  concluded,  that  when  so  distinguished  a  person,  as 
he  had  been  in  Pharaoh’s  court,  renounced  all  his  prospects,  to  join  in¬ 
terests  with  his  enslaved  people,  as  the  deliverer  whom  God  had  raised 
up;  they  too,  remembering  the  prediction  and  promise  to  Abraham, 
would  readily  attach  themselves  to  him :  but  in  this  he  found  himself 
mistaken.  ‘The  speech  of  this  single  person  is  represented  (35),  as  ex¬ 
pressing  the  sentiments  of  the  whole  body  of  the  people:  as  their  slow¬ 
ness  afterwards  to  believe  the  mission  of  Moses,  when  attested  by  mira¬ 
cles,  seems  evidently  to  show  that  it  was.’  Doddr.  Scott. 

(18.)  Another  king,  «fcc.)  Of  another  family  or  dynasty;  as  we 
learn  from  Jos.  Bloomf. — who  understands  knew  not,  to  mean  cared 
not.  But  comp.  Wiseman’s  Lects.  and  Notes,  end  of  Gen.,  Ex.  1:8.  Ps. 
10.5:23—25.  Ed. 

(19.)  ‘  To  egyptyze,  came  to  be  used  for  to  act  cunningly',  use  wicked 
devices.’  Hr.  A.  C.  Pricceus  best  paraphrases,  ‘  By  oblique  arts  and 
crafty  counsel  he  plotted  our  destruction,  by  imposing  upon  us  heavier 
burdens  than  we  were  able  to  bear,  that  we  might,  without  open  force,  be 
reduced  to  extinction.’  So  an  expression  in  Ezechiel  the  Tragedian,  and 
Philo,  on  this  very  subject :  and  not  only  by  imposing  severe  labors, 
that  they  should  be  thereby  deterred  from  matrimony,  or  abandon  their 
children  (as  some  savages  do)  and  [but]  be  themselves  worn  out  by  ex¬ 
cessive  fatigues.  [Comp,  note,  Ps.  81:6.]  The  words  “cast  out,”  <fcc. 
refer  to  the  Israelites  exposing  their  own  children.’  Bloomf. 

(20.)  Exceeding  fair.  Mar .,fair  to  God.]  ‘  The  Hebrews,  inasmuch 
as  the  excellence  of  the  God  of  nature  and  of  all  virtue  is  considered  as 


Supreme,  [comp,  note  Ex.  22:28.]  used,  in  order  to  express  the  magni¬ 
tude  or  preeminence  of  anything,  to  adjoin  to  the  positive,  names  of  God, 
and  even  of  the  angels,  which  thus  had  the  force  of  adjectives.  So  Ps.  36: 
7.  80:4.  Cant.  8:6,7.  Uev.  21:11.  Wisd.  16:20.  (See  Glass  and  Nold.)  In 
the  Greek  writers  we  have  not  the  name  of  God,  but  the  adjective  thei- 
os,  daimonios,  ouranios.  [God-ish,  deity-like,  heavenly',  sometimes  serv¬ 
ing  a  similar  purpose,  and  denoting  personal  beauty,  as  theoides,  and 
theoeikclos  [god-like.]  See  Eisner  and  Abresch.  The  Hebrews,  too,  are 
accustomed  to  indicate  the  excellence  or  complete  perfection  of  any¬ 
thing,  by  prefixing  to  the  name  of  God  the  particle  L  (to),  so  that  let- 
chym  [leelohym]  or  lyhvh  [to  Gods,  to  Jehovah]  may  be  equivalent  to 
Ipny  or  Idyny,  before,  in  the  sight  of  God,  i.  e.  judicc  Deo.  Thus  Jon. 
3:11.  Gen.  10:9.  See  on  Luke  1:6.  And  Jos.  calls  Moses  paida  morphs 
Theion,  [divinely  beautiful.  Bloomf.]'  Kuin. 

(22.)  Wisdom  of  Egypt.]  Astrology,  (including  astronomy,)  the  in¬ 
terpretation  of  dreams,  physic,  magic  (so  called,  the  innocent  part), 
medicine,  mathematics,  &c.  (Bloomf) ;  the  arts,  mechanical,  chemical, 
ornamental ;  the  science  of  government,  military  tactics,  Ac.  See  their 
remaining  monuments,  and  Rosellini,  Wilkinson,  Champollion,  Ac- 
Note,  end  of  Jer.  ch.  43.  Himerius  calls  Egypt  ‘the  mother  of  wise 
words’ ;  Athen.  says,  Helen  derived  much  learning  from  the  ‘  wise  men 
of  Egypt;’  Aristides  and  Herod,  call  the  Egyptians  ‘the  wisest  of  all 
men  ’ ;  Macrob.,  calls  Egypt  ‘  the  mother  of  the  arts.’  See  also  Lucian, 
Val.,  Max.,  Diog.  Laert.,  Strabo,  Appian,  Jos.,  Ac.,  and  an  immense 
number  of  citations  in  Wctst.  Comp.  1  K.  4:30.  Bloomf.  In  words.] 
Though,  as  to  utterance,  stammering,  yet  in  Pharaoh’s  court  eloquent, 
able,  persuasive,  solid,  powerful,  and  wise  in  his  oratory.  See  Krebs, 
Hamm.,  Boddr.,  Newc.,  Ac.  In  deeds.]  Jos.  relates,  that  Moses  mnde 
a  successful  campaign  against  the  Ethiopians,  and  the  Ed.  sees  no  im¬ 
probability  in  the  tradition,  though,  as  Bloomf.  remarks,  it  is  very  un¬ 
certain  if  this  is  alluded  to  here.  Ed. 

*  (24.)  Oppressed .]  ‘  Properly,  worn  down,  or  out,  [see  on  v.  19.]  with 
labor,  affliction,  ill-treatment,  [sickness.]  It  cannot  be  proved  that  Mo¬ 
ses  meant  to  slay  the  Egyptian;  his  act  was  justifiable  as  living  under  a 
tyrant  who  afforded  them  no  legal  protection  ;  they  had  thereby  returned 
to  a  state  of  nature,  nnd  were  at  liberty  to  use  its  rights,  which  Grot. 
says,  gave  [the  power  of  death]  to  an  innocent  person,  and  his  defender. 
The  rentateuch  neither  praises  nor  blames  the  action.’  Bloomf. 


A.  D.  33. 


ACTS,  VI L 


Stephen's  defence  before  the  council. 


29  Then  fled  Moses  at  this  say¬ 
ing,  and  was  a  stranger  in  the  land 
of  Madian,  where  he  begat  two 
sons. 

30  And  b  when  forty  years  were 
expired,  there  appeared  to  him  in 
the  wilderness  of  mount  Sina  an 
angel  of  the  Lord  in  a  flame  of  fire 
in  a  bush. 

31  When  Moses  saw  it,  he  won¬ 
dered  at  the  sight :  and  as  he  drew 
near  to  behold  it,  the  voice  of  the 
Lord  came  unto  him, 

32  Saying,  I  am  the  c  God  of  thy 
fathers,  the  God  of  Abraham,  and 
the  God  of  Isaac,  and  the  God  of 
Jacob.  Then  Moses  trembled,  and 
durst  not  behold. 

33  Then  said  the  Lord  to  him, 
Put  11  off-  thy  shoes  from  thy  feet  : 
for  the  place  where  thou  standest  is 
holy  ground. 

34  I  have  seen,  I  have  seen  the 
affliction  of  my  people  which  is  in 
Egypt,  and  I  have  heard  their 
groaning,  and  am  come  down  to 
deliver  them.  And  now  come,  I 
will  send  thee  into  Egypt. 

35  This  Moses  whom  they  refus¬ 
ed,  saying,  Who  made  thee  a  ruler 
and  a  judge  ?  the  same  did  God 
send  to  be  a  ruler  and  a  deliverer, 
by  the  hand  of  the' 'angel  which 
appeared  to  him  in  the  bush. 

36  He  brought  them  out,  after 
Ghat  he  had  shewed  wonders  and 
signs  in  the  land  of  Egypt,  and  in 
the  Red  Sea,  and  in  the  wilderness, 
forty  s  years. 

37  IT  This  is  that  Moses,  which 
said  h  unto  the  children  of  Israel,  A 
prophet  shall  the  Lord  your  God 
raise  up  unto  you  of  your  brethren, 

‘  like  unto  me  ;  him  >  shall  ye  hear. 

33  This  k  is  he,  that  was  in  the 
church  in  the  wilderness,  with  the 
angel  1  which  spake  to  him  min  the 
Mount  Sina,  and  with  our  fathers  ; 
who  "received  "the  lively  oracles 
to  give  unto  us  : 

h  Ex.  3:2.  &e.  f  Ex.  c.  7,8,9,10,  k  He.  2:2. 

c  Mut.  22:32.  He.  11,14.  1  Is  03:9.  Ga. 

11:16.  a  Ex.  16:35.  3:19. 

il  Jos.  5:15.  Eo.  h  De.  18:15,18.  c.  m  Ex.  19:3,17. 

5:1.  3:22.  n  De.  5:27,31.  Jn. 

e  Ex.  14:19.  No.  i  or,  as  mi/self.  1:17. 

520:16.  j  Mat,  17:6.  .  o  Ho.  3:2. 

liim  as  his  crime,  and  threatening  to  accuse 
him  for  it,  which  was  the  hanging  out  of 
the  flag  of  defiance  to  the  Egyptians,  and 


the  banner  of  love  and  deliverance  to  Israel: 
hereupon  Moses  fled  into  the  land  of  Million , 
and  made  no  more  attempt  to  deliver  Israel 
till  40  years  after  ;  he  settled  as  a  stranger 
in  Midian,  married,  and  had  two  sons,  by 
Jethro’s  daughter,  v.  29. 

Now  let  us  see  how  this  serves  Stephen’s 
purpose.  (1.)  They  charged  him  with  blas¬ 
pheming  Moses,  in  answer  to  which  he  retorts 
on  them  the  indignities  their  fathers  did  to 
Moses,  which  they  ought  to  be  ashamed  of, 
and  humbled  for,  instead  of  picking  quar¬ 
rels  thus,  under  pretence  of  zeal  for  the 
honor  of  Moses,  with  one  that  had  so  great 
a  veneration  for  him.  (2.)  They  persecuted 
him  for  disputing  in  defence  of  Christ,  and 
his  Gospel;  ‘  but,’  saitli  he,  ‘  you  had  best 
take  heed,’  [1.]  ‘Lest  you  hereby  do  as 
your  fathers  did,  refuse  and  reject  one  whom 
God  has  raised  tip  to  be  to  you  a  Prince,  and  a 
Savior;  you  may  understand,  if  you  will  not 
wilfully  shut  your  eyes  against  the  light,  that 
God  will,  by  this  Jesus,  deliver  you  out  of  a 
worse  slavery  than  that  in  Egypt  ;  take 
heed  then  of  thrusting  Him  away,  hut  re¬ 
ceive  Him  as  a  Ruler  and  a  Judge  over  youJ 
[2.]  ‘  Lest  you  hereby  fare  as  your  fathers 
fared,  who,  for  this,  were  justly  left  to  die 
in  their  slavery,  for  the  deliverance  came 
not  till  forty  years  after.’  Mat.  23:  3S,  39. 

V.  39 — 41.  Stephen  here  proceeds  in  his 
story  of  Moses;  and  let  any  one  judge,  if 
anything  could  be  spoken  more  honorably  of 
him.  Here  is, 

I.  His  vision  of  the  glory  of  God  at  the 
bush,  v.  SO.  Stephen  notices  this,  and  its 
being  called  holy  ground,  v.  33.  as  a  check 
to  those  who  prided  themselves  in  the  temple, 
that  holy  place,  as  if  there  were  no  commu¬ 
nion  to  be  had  with  God  but  there;  whereas 
God  met  Moses,  and  manifested  Himself  to 
him,  in  a  remote,  obscure  place  in  the  ivilder- 
ness  of  Sinai.  Moses  wondered  at  a  sight  all 
his  Egyptian  learning  could  not  solve.  He 
had  the  curiosity  at  first  to  pry  into  it  ;  but 
the  nearer  he  drew,  the  more  he  was  struck 
with  amazement.  He  trembled,  and  durst  not 
look  wistly  upon  it;  for  he  was  soon  aware 
that  it  was  not  a  fiery  meteor,  but  no  other 
than  the  Angel  of  the  covenant,  the  Son  of 
God  Himself.  Stephen  was  accused  for 
blaspheming  Moses,  ch.  6:  11.  as  if  Moses 
had  been  Divine  ;  but  by  this  it  appears, 
that  he  was  a  man  subject  to  like  passions  as 
we  arc  ;  and  particularly  that  of  fear,  on 
any  appearance  of  the  Divine  Majesty  and 
glory. 

II.  The  declaration  he  heard  of  the  cov¬ 
enant  of  God,  ii.  32.  the  covenant  God  made 
with  Abraham  some  ages  Ttgo,  I  will  be  to 
thee  a  God,  a  God  all-sufficient.  ‘  Now,’ 
saith  God,  ‘  that  covenant  is  still  in  full 
force ;  and  now  I  will  make  it  to  appear  so ;  ’ 
for  all  the  favors,  all  (he  honors  God  put 
upon  Israel,  were  founded  upon  this  cove¬ 
nant  with  Abraham,  and  flowed  from  it.  If 
the  covenant  be  good,  then  G«d  will  be  a 


God  to  their  souls,  and  is  so  now  they  are 
separated  from  their  bodies.  Our  Savior, 
by  this,  proves  the  future  state,  Mat.  22:  31. 
Those  therefore  who  stood  up  in  defence  of 
the  Gospel,  and  endeavored  to  propagate 
that,  so  far  from  blaspheming  Moses,  did  the 
greatest  honor  imaginable  to  Moses,  and 
that  glorious  discovery  God  made  of  Him¬ 
self  to  him  at  the  bush. 

God,  in  declaring  Himself  tints  Me  God  of 
their  fathers,  intimated  his  kindness  also  to 
their  seed,  that  they  should  he  loved  for  the 
fathers'  sakes,  Rom.  11:28.  Deut.  7:8. 
Now  the  preachers  of  the  Gospel  preached 
up  this  covenant,  the  promise  made  of  God 
unto  the.  fathers;  unto  which  promise,  those  of 
the.  12  tribes,  that  did  continue  serving  God , 
hoped  to  come,  ch.  26:  6,  7.  And  shall  they, 
under  color  of  supporting  the  holy  place,  and 
the  law,  oppose  the  covenant  which  was 
made  with  Abraham  and  his  seed,  his  spiritual 
seed,  before  the.  law  was  given,  and  long  be¬ 
fore  the.  holy  place  was  built?  Since  God’s 
glory  must  be  for  ever  advanced,  and  our 
glorying  for  ever  silenced,  God  will  have 
our  salvation  to  be  by  promise,  and  not  by  Me 
law;  the  Jews,  therefore,  who  persecuted  the 
Christians,  under  pretence  that  they  blas¬ 
phemed  the  law,  did  themselves  blaspheme 
the  promise,  and  forsook  all  their  own  mer¬ 
cies  that  were  contained  in  it. 

III.  The  commission  God  gave  him  to 
deliver  Israel  out  of  Egypt.  The  Jews  set 
tip  Pdoses  in  competition  with  Christ,  and 
accused  Stephen  as  a  blasphemer,  because 
he  did  not  do  so  too.  But  Stephen  here 
shows  that  Moses  was  an  eminent  type  of 
Christ,  as  he  was  Israel’s  deliverer.  It 
should  seem,  though  God  is  present  in  all 
places,  yet  the  expression,  coming  down  to 
deliver  them,  is  used,  because  that  deliverance 
was  typical  of  what  Christ  did,  when,  for  us 
men,  and  for  'our  salvation,  He  came  down 
from  heaven. 

IV.  II  is  acting  in  pursuance  of  this  com¬ 
mission,  wherein  he  was  a  figure  of  the 
Messiah.  And  Stephen  notices  here  again 
the  slights  they  had  put  upon  him,  the  af¬ 
fronts  they  had  given  him,  and  their  refusal 
to  have  him  to  reign  over  them,  as  tending 
very  much  to  magnify  his  agency  in  their 
deliverance.  Now,  by  this  example,  Ste¬ 
phen  would  intimate  to  the  council,  that  this 
Jesus  whom  they  now  refused,  as  their  fathers 
did  Moses,  even  this  same  has  God  advanced 
to  be  a  Prince  and  a  Savior,  a  Ruler  and  a 
Deliverer  ;  as  the  apostles  had  told  them  a 
while  ago,  ch.  5:  39.  that  the  Stone  which  the 
builders  refused,  was  become  the  head-stone  in 
the  corner,  ch.  4:  11.  For  it  does  not  at  all 
derogate  from  Moses’  just  honor  to  say,  that 
lie  was  but  an  instrument,  and  that  be  is 
outshone  by  this  Jesus,  whom  he  encourages 
these  Jews  yet  to  close  with,  and  to  come 
into  his  interest,  not  fearing  but  that  then 
they  should  be  received  into  his  favor,  and 
receive  benefit  by  Him,  as  the  people  of  Israel 


V.  29,  SO.  1  Pharaoh,  as  soon  as  lie  knew  that  Moses  [so  distinguished 
a  person]  acted  the  patron  and  advocate  of  the  Israelites,  sought  him  out 
for  p'unishment ;  and  Moses  fled,  perceiving  the  time  for  their  deliverance 
was  not  yet  come.’  Kuin.  Madian .]  Gr.  Madiam  :  note,  end  of  ch. 
Sinai.]  Comp.  Ex.  3:1.  ‘Iloreb’i  they  were  two  peaks  of  the  same 
mountain  :  note,  end  of  ch.  Ed. 

V.  SO — -36.  Some  mnkc  die  expression,  that  ‘  God  sent  Moses,  by  the 
hand  of  the  nngel,’  an  objection  to  the  conclusion,  that  this  was  not  a 
created  angel,  but  the  ‘Angel  Jehovah,’  the  Angel  or  Messenger  of  the 
covenant,  the  Word  and  Son  of  God,  by  whom  He  has  always  been  de¬ 
clared  unto  men.  Mai.  3:1 — 4,  v.  1.  John  1:18.  But  it  only  implies 
the  distinct  personality  of  the  Father  and  the  Son;  and  that  the  Son, 
*  having  undertaken  to  becomo  incarnate,  always  was  the  medium  of 
communication  between  the  invisible  God  and  sinful  man  :  and  though 
lie  often  appeared  in  human  form,  yet  was  He  •  the  God  of  Abraham, 
and  of  Isaac,  and  of  Jacob;’  being  One  with  and  equal  to  the  Father. 
‘It  would  be  too  frigid  an  Interpretation  to  say,  that  the  Lord  called 
M oses  by  the  ministration  of  an  angel;  when,  (unless  I  am  deceived,) 
this  also  is  signified,  that  Mo*es  was  armed  by  his  hand  and  power, 
seeing  that  Angel,  namely  Christ,  (as  the  apostle  explains  it,  1  Cor.  10: 
9.)  was  the  true  Deliverer  and  Lender,  whose  servant  Moses  was.’  Tteza. 
(34)  t  have  seen,  Jfcc.]  This  varies  considerably  from  the  Sept.,  Ex.  3:7. 
tind  also  from  the  Hab.  [for  Stephen,  of  course,  quotes  from  memory.] 
But  it  gives  the  general  meaning  very  clearly.  Scott. 

(33.)  ‘  In  nil  ages,  and  among  nil  nations,  cleanliness  [note,  Ex.  29: 

4.]  in  the  celebration  of  sacred  rites  has  been  thought  especially  reqtii- 

[36] 


site;  so  it  was  usual  to  direct  the  shoes  or  sandals  of  the  worshipper  to 
be  taken  oft',  previous  to  his  entrance  into  a  sacred  edifice.’  Bloomf. 

V.  38.  Lively  oracles.]  Logia  zonta  :  ‘  As  the  subject  is  plainly  the 
promulgation  of  the  Law,  by  logia  lou  Theou  (answering  to  the  Heb. 
arnrolh  rbay  in  Ts.  139:38  and  58.  Num.  24:4.)  are  meant  any  divine  or¬ 
acles.  See  the  examples  in  Raphel.  Now  this,  in  respect  of  the  con- 
text,  is  to  lie  understood  of  promises  and  divine  precepts.  They  are 
moreover  said  to  he  zbnla,  which  Fisc.,  Alb.,  and  Ileum.,  explain  deliv¬ 
ered  vivci  voce.  But  this  signification  is  unauthorized.  Others,  as  Hein¬ 
richs,  explain  zonta,  valid ,  strong,  efficacious,  quoting  Heb.  4:2.  where 
the  apostle  speaks  of  divine  threatenings  which  will  assuredly  have 
their  event,  and  in  Soph.,  where  panteia  zunla  means  oracles  of  certain 
fulfilment.  Now  zSn  is,  not  unfrequently,  used  metaphorically  of 
what  flourishes,  exerts  its  force,  &c.,  and  Moms  would  explain  zOnta, 
“  efficacious  for  procuring  rewards  and  blessings.”  But  there  is  no  need 
to  resort  to  any  such  ambages.  ZSn  is  often,  in  the  Sept,  and  N.  T., 
equivalent  to  zoopoiein  ;  [life-causing;]  ns  in  6:51.  Heb.  10:20.  where 
odos  zosa  is  explained  by  Theoph  "act,  zoopoiousa ,  [file-making,]  eis  ztn 
agousa,  [leading  to  life.]  And  in  Deut.  32:47.  the  Law  is  said  to  be  zbt, 
salvation.  Therefore  logia  zonta,  are  most  salutary  precepts.  Kuin. 
In  this  last  mode  of  interpretation  1  must  acquiesce.  It  had  been  long 
ago  brought  forward  by  Drusius,  Beza,  Vntablus,  and  Grot.,  (confirmed 
by  the  Vulg.  “  vivifica") ;  as  also  by  Pearce,  Valckn.,  and  Schleusner. 
Now  logion  denotes  an  oracular  response,  delivered  in  prose  ;  chrtsmos, 
one  in  verse.  So  Thucyd.  The  name  logia  came  at  length  to  denote 
the  Scriptures.  So  Procop.,  who  mentions  ta  Christianbn  logia.'  Id. 


A.  D.  S3. 


ACTS,  VII. 


Stephen’s  defence  before  the  council. 


39  To  whom  our  fathers  would 
not  obey,  but  thrust  him  from  them, 
and  in  their  hearts  turned  back 
again  into  Egypt, 

40  Saying  p  unto  Aaron,  Make  us 
gods  to  go  before  us  :  for  as  for  this 
Moses,  which  brought  us  out  of  the 
land  of  Egypt,  we  wot  not  what  is 
become  of  him. 

41  And  they  made  a  calf'i  in  those 
days,  and  offered  sacrifice  unto  the 
idol,  and  rejoiced  in  the  works  of 
their  own  hands. 

42  Then  God  turned,  and  gave 
rthem  up  to  worship  the  8  host  of 
heaven  :  as  it  is  written  1  in  the 
book  of  the  prophets,  O  ye  house 
of  Israel,  have  ye  offered  to  me 
slain  beasts,  and  sacrifices,  by  the 
space  of  forty  years  in  the  wilder¬ 
ness  ? 


43  Yea,  ye  took  up  the  taberna¬ 
cle  of  Moloch,  and  the  star  of  your 
god  Remphan,  figures  which  ye 
made,  to  worship  them  :  and  I  will 
carry  you  away  beyond  Babylon. 

44  IT  Our  fathers  had  the  taber¬ 
nacle  of  witness  in  the  wilderness, 
as  he  had  appointed,  "speaking  un¬ 
to  Moses,  that  T  he  should  make  it 
according  to  the  fashion  that  he 
had  seen. 

45  Which  w  also  our  fathers  1  that 
came  after,  brought  in  with  Jesus 
into  the  possession  of  the  Gentiles, 
whom  y  God  drave  out  before  the 
face  of  our  fathers,  unto  the  days 
of  David  ; 

4tJ  Who  found  favor z  before  God, 
and  desired  ato  find  a  tabernacle  for 
the  God  of  Jacob. 

47  But  Solomon  b  built  him  an 
house. 


p  Ex.  32:1. 
q  De.  9: 16. 

103:19,20. 
r  Pe.  81:12. 
e  De.  4:19. 

17:16.  Je.l9:l3. 
t  Ain.  5:25:26. 


Ps. 


2  K. 


u  or,  who  spake. 
v  Ex.  25:10.  26: 

30.  Ha.  8:5. 
w  Jos.  3:14. 
x  or,  having  re¬ 
ceived. 


y  Ne.  9:24.  Ps. 

44:2.  73:55. 
z  1  Sa.  16:1. 
a  l  Ch.  22:7. 
b  1  K.  6:1,  &c. 
8:20. 


were  delivered  by  Moses,  though  they  had 
once  refused  him. 

Yr.  llis  prophecy  of  Christ  and  his  grace, 
r.  37.  This  is  spoken  of,  as  one  of  the 
greatest  honors  God  put  upon  Moses,  that  by 
him  He  gave  notice  to  the  children  of  Israel 
of  the  great  Prophet  that  should  come  into  the 
world ,  raised  their  expectation  of  Him,  and 
obliged  them  to  receive  Him.  When  his 
bringing  of  them  out  of  Egypt  is  spoken  of, 
it  is  with  an  emphasis  of  honor,  this  is  that 
Moses  !  Ex.  6:  26.  And  so  it  is  here,  this  is 
that  Moses!  Now  this  is  very  full  to  Ste¬ 
phen’s  purpose  ;  in  asserting  [insinuating, 
|ierhaps  1]  that  Jesus  should  change  the  cus¬ 


toms  of  the  ceremonial  law,  he  was  so  far 
from  blaspheming  Moses,  that  really  he  did 
him  the  greatest  honor  imaginable,  bv  show¬ 
ing  how  tile  prophecy  of  closes  was  accom¬ 
plished,  which  was  so  clear,  that,  as  Christ 
told  them  Himself,  if  they  had  believed  Moses, 
they  would  have  believed  Him,  John  5:46. 

He  charged  them,  therefore,  to  hear  that 
Prophet,  to  receive  his  dictates,  to  admit 
ihechangeHo  would  make  in  their  customs, 
and  to  submit  to  Him  in  everything,  as  the 
greatest  honor  they  can  do  to  Moses  and  to 
his  law,  who  said,  hear  ye  Him  ;  and  came 
to  be  a  witness  to  the  repetition  of  this 
charge  by  a  voice  from  heaven,  at  the  transfig¬ 
uration  of  Christ,  and,  by  his  silence,  gave 
consent  to  it,  Mat.  17:5. 

VI.  The  eminent  services  Moses  continued 
to  do  to  the  people  of  Israel,  after  he  had 
been  instrumental  to  bring  them  out  of 
Egypt,  v.  3S.  And  herein,  also,  he  ^as  a 
type  of  Christ,  who  yet  so  far  exceeds  him, 
that  it  is  no  blasphemy  to  say,  ‘  He  has  au¬ 
thority  to  change  the  customs  that  Moses 
delivered.’  1.  Christ  is  the  President  and 
Guide  of  a  more  excellent  and  glorious 
church  than  that  in  the  w  ilderness  was,  and 
is  more  in  it,  as  the  life  and  soul  of  it,  than 
Moses  could  be  in  that.  2.  Moses  was  im¬ 
mediately  conversant  with  God,  but  never 
lay  in  his  bosom  as  Christ  did  from  eternity. 
Or,  these  words,  v.  3S.  may  be  taken  thus ; 
Moses  was  in  the  church  in  the  wilderness ,  but 
it  was  with  the  angel  that  spake  to  him  in 
mount  Sinai,  that  is,  at  the  burning  bush  ; 
for  that  was  said  to  be  at  mount  Sinai,  v.  30. 
that  angel  went  before  him,  and  was  guide 
to  him,  else  he  could  not  have  been  a  guide 
to  Israel ;  of  this,  God  speaks,  Ex.  23:  20, 
and  33:2.  And  see  Num.  20: 16.  He  was 
in  the  church  with  the  angel,  without  whom 
he  could  have  done  no  service  to  the  church ; 
but  Christ  is  Himself  that  Angel,  which  was 
with  the  church  in  the  wilderness,  and  therefore 
lias  an  authority  above  Moses.  3.  Moses 
received  the  lively  oracles  from  God,  and  de¬ 
livered  nothing  as  an  oracle  to  the  people, 
but  what  he  had  first  received  from  God.  It 
was  the  principal  privilege  of  the  Jews,  that 
to  them  were  committed  the  oracles  of  God  : 
and  it  was  by  the  hand  of  Moses  that  they 
were  committed.  As  Moses  gave  them  not 
that  bread,  so  neither  did  he  give  them  that 
law  from  heaven,  John  6:32.  but  God  gave 
it  them  ;  and  He  that  gave  them  those  cus¬ 
toms  by  his  servant  Moses,  might,  no  doubt, 
when  He  pleased,  change  the  customs  by  bis 
Son  Jesus,  who  has  received  more  lively 
oracles  to  give  unto  us,  than  Moses. 

VII.  The  contempt  that  was,  after  this, 
and  notwithstanding  this,  put  on  him  by  their 
own  ancestors,  v.  35.  They  murmured,  mu¬ 
tinied,  refused  to  obey  bis  orders,  and, 
sometimes  W'ere  ready  to  stone  him.  They 
made  a  calf,  as  if  that  w'ere  as  capable  of 
going  before  them  as  he  was.  Observe,  their 
secret  disaffection  to  Moses,  and  inclination 

•to  Egyptianism,  (if  I  may  so  call  it,)  were, 
in  effect,  turning  back  to  Egypt,  it  was  doing 
it  in  heart  ;  many  that  pretend  to  be  going 
toward  Canaan,  by  keeping  up  a  show  of 


religion,  are  in  their  hearts  turning  back  to 
Egypt,  like  Lot’s  wife  to  Sodom;  and  will 
be  dealt  with  as  deserters,  for  it  is  the  heart 
God  looks  at.  Now  if  the  customs  Moses 
delivered  to  them,  could  not  prevail  to  change 
them,  wonder  not  that  Christ  comes  to 
change  the  customs,  and  to  introduce  a  more 
spiritual  way  of  worship. 

V.  42 — 50.  Two  things  we  have  in  these 
verses. 

I.  Stephen  upbraids  them  with  the  idol¬ 
atry  of  their  fathers,  which  God  gave  them 
up  to,  as  a  punishment  for  their  early  forsak¬ 
ing  Him,  in  worshipping  the  golden  calf. 
Comp.  Deut.  4:  19.  with  Jer.  8:2. 

For  this  he  quotes  a  passage  out  of  Amos 
5:  25,  as  less  invidious.  Some  think  Rem¬ 
phan  signifies  the  moon,  as  Moloch  does  the 
sun ;  others,  take  it  for  Saturn,  for  that 
planet  is  called  Remphan,  in  the  Syriac  and 
Persian  languages.  The  Sept,  puts  it  for 
Chiun,  as  being  a  name  more  commonly 
known.  They  had  images  representing  the 
star,  like  the  silver  shrines  for  Diana,  here 
called  the  figures  which  they  made  to  worship. 
Lightfoot  thinks  they  had  figures  represent¬ 
ing  the  whole  starry  firmament,  with  all  the 
constellations,  and  the  planets,  and  these  are 
called  Remphan,  ‘  the  high  representation, * 
like  the  celestial  globe. 

Now  for  this  it  is  threatened,  I  will  carry 
you  away  beyond  Babylon.  In  Amos  it  is  be¬ 
yond  Damascus,  meaning  to  Babylon,  the  land 
of  the  north.  But  Stephen  changes  it,  with 
an  eye  to  the  captivity  of  the  ten  tribes,  who 
were  carried  away  beyond  Babylon,  by  the 
river  of  Gozan,  and  in  the  cities  of  the  Medes, 
2  K.  17 :  6.  Let  it  not  therefore  seem  strange 
to  them,  to  hear  of  the  destruction  of  this 
place,  for  they  had  heard  of  it  many  a  time 
from  the  prophets  of  the  O.  T.  who  were  not 
therefore  accused  as  blasphemers  by  any  but 
the  wicked  rulers.  It  was  observed,  in  the 
debate  on  Jeremiah’s  case,  that  Micah  was 
not  called  to  an  account,  though  he  proph¬ 
esied,  saying,  Zion  shall  be  ploughed  as  a 
field,  Jer.  26:  18,  19. 

II.  He  gives  an  answer  particularly  to  the 
charge  exhibited  against  him  relating  to  the 
temple, that  he  spake  blasphemous  words  against 
that  holy  place,  v.  44 — 50.  He  was  accused 
for  saying,  that  Jesus  would  destroy  this  holy 
place  ;  ‘  And  what  if  I  did  say  so  1  ’  saith 
Stephen;  ‘  the  glory  of  the  holy  God  is  not 
bound  up  in  the  glory  of  this  holy  place,  Out 
that  may  he  preserved  untouched,  thougu 
this  be  laid  in  the  dust;’  for, 

1.  It  was  not  till  our  fathers  came  into  the 
wilderness,  in  their  way  to  Canaan,  that  they 
had  any  fixed  place  of  worship  ;  and  then 
at  first  it  was  hut  a  tabernacle,  mean  and 
movable,  speaking  itself  to  be  short-lived, 
and  not  designed  to  continue  always,  a  tab¬ 
ernacle  of  witness  only,  or  of  testimony,  a 
figure  for  the  time  then  present,  lleb.  9:  9.  8:2. 
framed  just  as  Uod  appointed,  and  according 
to  the  fashion  Moses  saw  in  the  mount;  which 
plainly  intimates,  that  ithad  reference  to  good 
things  to  come  ;  its  rise  being  heavenly,  its 
meaning  and  tendency  were  so  ;  therefore, 
since  the  case  was  such  as  to  the  temple,  and 


V.  40.  To  go  before.]  ‘It  seems  to  have  been  the  custom  of  the 
Oriental  nations  of  antiquity,  to  bear  the  images  of  the  gods  [cuts  Is. 
46:1,2.  Am.  5:26.]  before  the  people  in  journeys  or  military  expeditions, 
or  in  going  out  to  battle ;  since  thus,  they  imagined,  they  should  more 
effectually  enjoy  their  guidance,  protection,  and  support.  Num.  10:33. 
Ueut.  31:8,  15.  4:3,  25.  3:21.’  Bl,OO.VtF. 

V.  41.  Calf.]  Thinking  (so  Le  Clerc )  they  were  left  to  make  their 
own  laws,  Ex.  33:1.  the  Israelites,  after  an  Egyptian  fashion,  of  symboliz¬ 
ing  their  divinities,  [note,  Jer.  43.  end.]  made  this  symbol  of  the  true  God. 
‘  Under  the  figure  of  Apis,  who  was  a  bullock,  [note,  and  cut,  1  K.  12:28.] 
the  Egyptians  worshipped  Osiris,  who  formerly  was  an  Egyptian  king, 
and  was  supposed  to  have  invented  or  introduced  agriculture,  horticul¬ 
ture,  &c.  That  the  ox,  which  among  the  ancients  was  a  symbol  of  ag¬ 
ricultural  labor,  was  to  the  Egyptians  a  symbol  of  Osiris,  we  learn  from 
Plutarch.’  Kuin. 

V.  43.  Tabernacle,  &c.]  Cut  and  note,  Am.  5:26.  ‘Moloch  was  a 
hollow  image,  (of  brass,  Jarchi ,)  with  the  face  of  a  calf  and  the  hands 
outstretched.  Drusius,  Witsitts.  Grot.,  Drusius,  Mich.,  Gabler,  &c.,  un¬ 
derstand  Saturn  ;  Spencer,  Deyling,  Braun,  Wits.,  Kraus,  Morus,  Bos., 
Heinr.,  &c.,  after  Theophylact,  make  Moloch  to  be  the  sun.  For  the 
Egyptians  worshipped  the  sun,  and  believed  that  the  soul  of  Osiris  [see 
on  v.  41.]  had  migrated  into  it.  (Euseb.)  See  Spencer.  Hence  Moloch, 


as  the  Mexican  idols  (Humboldt),  had  the  head  of  an  ox.  See  Munlhe.' 
Bloomf.  Ed. 

V.  44 — 50.  The  language  of  their  prophets,  as  well  as  the  Bab.  cap¬ 
tivity,  should  have  taught  the  Jews  to  expect,  that  the  temple  would  be 
destroyed,  whenever  their  presumption  and  rebellion  provoked  God  to 
be  their  enemy.  1  K.  8:27.  9:3 — 9.  Is.  66:1,  2.  Jer.  7:1 — 15.  The  chosen 
race,  Abraham  and  his  seed,  had  served  God  above  400  years,  before  the 
law  of  Moses  was  promulgated,  or  the  tabernacle  erected  ;  and  Solo¬ 
mon’s  temple  was  not  built  till  480  years  afterwards.  So  that  nearly 
half  the  time,  from  the  calling  of  Abraham  till  the  coming  of  the  Messiah, 
the  true,  worshippers  had  served  God,  without  the  temple  :  and  could 
those  things  be  essential  to  true  religion,  which  had  not  existed  during 
so  many  ages  ?  (49,  50)  Heaven,  <tc.]  The  quotation  is  not  made  exact¬ 
ly  ffom  the  LXX  ;  (Is.  66:1,  2.)  and  it  varies  both  from  that  and  the  Heb., 
by  putting  the  last  clause  as  a  question  :  ‘  Hath  not  ?’  ‘  As  Stephen  had 
been  accused  of  blaspheming  the  temple  ;  he,  with  great  propriety,  takes 
occasion  to  speak  of  their  sacred  places  with  due  reverence,  as  raised 
by  special  direction  fYom  God  ;  and  yet  corrects  that  extravagant  regard 
to  them,  and  confidence  in  them,  which  the  Jews  were  ready  to  entertain. 
Doddr.  ,  Scott. 

(44.)  Of  witness.]  ‘Marturion  also  means  teaching'  Hammon.. 
v  J  1  Kuin. 

[37] 


A.  D.  S3. 


ACTS,  VII. 


The  rage  of  Stephen's  persecutors. 


48  Howbeit, c  the  Most  High 
dvvelleth  not  in  temples  made  with 
hands  ;  as  saith  the  prophet, 

49  Heaven  d  is  my  throne,  and 
earth  is  my  footstool  :  what  house 
will  ye  build  me  ?  saith  the  Lord  : 
or  what  is  the  place  of  my  rest  ? 

50  Hath  not  my  hand  made  all 
these  things  ? 

51  Ye  e  stiff-necked,  and  f  uncir¬ 
cumcised  in  heart  and  ears,  ye  do 
always  resist  the  Holy  -Ghost:  as 
your  fathers  did,  so  do  ye. 

52  Which  g  of  the  prophets  have 
not  your  fathers  persecuted  ?  And 
they  have  slain  them  which  shewed 
before  of  the  coming  of  the  h  Just 
One,  of  whom  ye  have  been  now 
the  betrayers  and  murderers  : 

53  Who  have  received  the  law 
by  ‘  the  disposition  of  angels,  and 
have  not  kept  it. 

54  IT  When  they  heard  these 
■>  things,  they  were  cut  to  the  heart, 
and  they  gnashed  on  him  with  their 
teeth. 

55  But  he,  being  k  full  of  the  Holy 
Ghost,  looked  up  stedfastly  into 
heaven,  and  saw  the  glory  of  God, 
and  Jesus  standing  on  the  right 


hand  of  God, 

c  1  K.  8:27.  f  Le.  26:41.  Je. 

c.  17:24.  9:26.  Ho.  2:28, 

<1  Is.  66:1,2.  29. 

e  Ex.  32:9.  g  2  Ch.  36:16.  1 
Is.  48:4.  Th.  2:15. 


h  c.  3:14. 
i  Ga.  3:19. 
j  c.  5:33. 
k  c.  6:5. 


the  patriarchs  worshipped  acceptably  in  the 
open  air,  it  was  no  diminution  at  all  to  its 
glory,  to  say,  that  this  temple  made  with  hands 
should  be  destroyed,  in  order  to  the  building 
of  another  made  without  hands  ;  which  was 
Christ’s  crime,  Mark  14:  58.  and  Stephen’s. 

2.  That  tabernacle  was  pitched  first  in 
the  wilderness  ;  it  was  not  a  native  of  this 
land  of  yours,  but  was  brought  in,  in  the  next 
age,  by  our  fathers,  who  came  after  those 
who  first  erected  it,  into  the  possession  of 
the  Gentiles,  into  the  land  of  Canaan,  whom 
God  drove  out  before  the  face  of  our  fathers  ; 
and  why  may  not  God  set  up  his  spiritual 
temple,  as  He  did  the  material  tabernacle, 
in  countries  now  the  possession  of  the  Gen¬ 
tiles  ?  That  tabernacle  was  brought  in  by 
those  who  carne  t oith  Jesus,  that  is,  Joshua, 
as,  for  distinction-sake,  and  to  prevent  mis¬ 
takes,  it  ought  to  be  read,  both  here  and 
Heb.  4:  8.  Joshua  being  named  here,  which, 
in  Greek,  is  Jesus,  by  way  of  tacit  intima¬ 
tion,  that  as  the  O.  T.  Joshua  brought  in 
that  typical  tabernacle,  so  the  N.  T.  Joshua 
should  bring  in  the  true  tabernacle  into  the 
possession  of  the  Gentiles. 

3.  That  tabernacle  continued  even  to  the 
days  of  David,  above  400  years,  before  there 
was  any  thought  of  building  a  temple,!).  45. 
God  had  his  heart  so  little  on  a  temple,  or, 
such  a  holy  place  as  they  were  so  jealous  for, 
that,  when  David  desired  to  build  one,  he 
was  forbidden  to  do  it;  God  was  in  no  haste 
for  one,  as  He  told  David,  2  S.  7:  7.  there¬ 
fore  it  was  not  he,  but  his  son  Solomon, 
some  years  after,  that  built  Him  a  house. 
David  had  all  that  sweet  communion  with 


God  in  public  worship,  which  we  read  of  in  , 
his  Psalms, before  there  was  any  temple  built. 

4.  God  often  declared,  that  temples,  made 
with  hands,  were  not  his  delight,  nor  could  | 
add  anything  to  the  perfection  of  his  rest 
and  joy.  And  as  the  world  is  God’s  temple,  ! 
wherein  He  is  manifested,  Rom.  1 :  20.  so  it 
is  God’s  temple  in  which  He  will  be  wor-  j 
shipped.  It  was  therefore  no  reflection  at 
all  on  this  holy  place,  however  they  might ' 
take  it,  to  say  that  Jesus  shall  destroy  this 
temple, and  set  up  another,  into  which  all  na¬ 
tions  shall  be  admitted,  ch.  15: 16,  17.  And 
it  would  not  seem  strange  to  them  who  con¬ 
sidered  that  scripture  Stephen  quotes.  Is. 
66:  1 — 3.  which,  as  it  spake  God’s  compar¬ 
ative  contempt  of  the  external  part  of  his 
service,  so  it  plainly  foretold  the  rejection 
of  the  unbelieving  Jews,  and  the  welcome 
of  the  Gentiles  into  the  church,  that  were 
of  a  contrite  spirit. 

V.  51 — 53.  Stephen  was  going  on  in  his 
discourse,  (as  it  should  seem  by  the  thread 
of  it,)  to  show  that,  as  the  temple,  so  the 
temple-service  must  come  to  an  end,  and  it 
would  be  the  glory  of  both  to  give  way  to 
that  worship  of  the  Father  in  spirit  and  in  truth, 
which  was  to  be  established  in  the  kingdom 
of  the  Messiah,  stripped  of  the  pompous  cer¬ 
emonies  of  the  old  law;  and  so  he  was  go¬ 
ing  to  apply  all  he  had  said,  more  closely  to 
his  present  purpose;  but  he  perceived  they 
could  not  bear  it.  If  he  tell  them  their  power 
and  tyranny  must  come  down,  and  the  church 
must  be  governed  by  a  spirit  of  holiness  and 
love,  and  heavenly-mindedness,  they  will  not 
so  much  as  give  him  the  hearing.  Probably 
he  perceived  they  were  going  to  silence  him; 
therefore  he  breaks  off  abruptly,  and  by  that 
spirit  of  wisdom,  courage,  and  power, 
wherewith  he  was  filled,  he  sharply  rebukes 
his  persecutors  ;  for  if  they  will  not  admit 
the  testimony  of  ^he  Gospel  to  them,  it  shall 
become  a  testimony  against  them. 

I.  They,  like  their  fathers,  were  stubborn 
and  wilful,  and  would  not  be  wrought  upon 
by  the  various  methods  God  took  to  reclaim 
and  reform  them:  but  were  enraged  and  in¬ 
censed  against  them  ;  Ye  do  always  resist 
the  Holy  Ghost. 

1.  They  resisted  the  Holy  Ghost  speak¬ 
ing  to  them  by  the  prophets,  whom  they  con¬ 
tradicted,  hated,  and  ridiculed  ;  this  seems 
especially  meant  here,  by  the  following  ex¬ 
plication,  Which  of  the  prophets  have  not  your 
fathers  persecuted  ?  Their  fathers  resisted 
the  Holy  Ghost  in  the  prophets  that  God 
raised  up  to  them,  and  so  did  they  in  Christ’s 
apostles  and  ministers,  who  spake  by  the 
same  Spirit,  and  had  greater  measures  of 
his  gifts  than  the  prophets  of  the  O.  T.  had, 
and  yet  were  more  resisted. 

2.  They  resisted  the  Holy  Ghost  striving 
with  them  by  their  own  consciences,  ana 
would  not  comply  with  their  convictions  and 
dictates.  There  is  that  in  our  sinful  hearts, 
that  always  resists  the  Holy  Ghost  ;  a  flesh 
that  lusts  against  the  Spirit,  and  wars 
against  his  motions  ;  but  in  the  hearts  of 
God’s  elect,  when  the  fulness  of  time  comes, 
this  resistance  is  overpowered,  the  throne  of 
Christ  set  up  in  the  soul,  and  every  thought 
that  had  exalted  itself  against  it,  brought  into 
captivity  to  it,  2  Cor.  10:  4,  5.  That  grace, 
therefore,  which  effects  this  change,  might 
more  fitly  be  called  victorious  grace,  than 
irresistible. 


V.  51 — 53.  The  supposition  [that  he  here  broke  off,  as  suggested  in 
Henry]  is  the  more  probable,  as  Stephen  began  his  defence  in  the  most 
calm  and  respectful  language,  and  touched  on  such  topics,  as  were  suit¬ 
ed  to  conciliate  and  gain  the  attention  of  the  audience  :  but  nothing  can 
well  exceed  the  marked  severity  of  his  conclusion.  Had  it  not  been  ex¬ 
pressly  stated,  that  he  was  ‘full  of  the  Holy  Ghost,’  when  he  spake  it, 
many  would  have  been  ready  to  censure  him  :  but  probably  he  was  sen¬ 
sible,  that  the  council  were  determined  on  his  death,  out  of  desperate 
enmity  to  his  Lord  ;  and  he  was  moved  to  bear  this  awful  testimony 
against  them,  and  thus  to  warn  them  against  that  destruction,  which 
they  were  about  to  bring  on  themselves  ;  without  further  respect  to 
their  rank,  or  fear  of  their  vengeance  ;  but  not  without  tender  compas¬ 
sion  for  their  souls,  as  his  dying  prayer  evinced.  1  Stephen,  fired  with  a 
divine  zeal,  af  length  judges  those  who  sat  in  judgment  on  him.’  Bcza. 

[38] 


II.  They,  like  their  fathers,  persecuted 
and  slew  those  whom  God  sent  unto  them  to 
call  them  to  duty,  and  make  them  offers  of 
mercy.  1.  What  aggravated  the  sin  of  their 
fathers,  was,  that  the  business  of  the  proph¬ 
ets  they  were  so  spiteful  at,  was,  to  show  be¬ 
fore  of  the  coming  of  the  Just  One  ;  to  give 
notice  of  God’s  kind  intentions  toward  that 
people,  to  send  the  Messiah  among  them  in 
the  fulness  of  time.  2.  They,  however, 
had  been  the  betrayers  and  murderers  of  the 
Just  One  Himself,  as  Peter  had  told  them, 
ch.  3:  24.  5:  30.  They  had  hired  Judas  to 
betray  Him,  and  had,  in  a  manner,  forced 
Pilate  to  condemn  Him  ;  therefore,  it  is 
charged  upon  them,  that  they  were  his  be¬ 
trayers  and  murderers.  Thus  they  were  the 
genuine  seed  of  those  who  slew  them  that 
foretold  his  coming,  which,  by  slay  ing  Him, 
they  showed  they  would  have  done  if  they 
had  lived  then;  and  thus,  as  our  Savior  had 
told  them,  they  brought  on  themselves  the 
guilt  of  the  blood  of  all  the  prophets. 

III.  They,  like  their  fathers,  put  con¬ 
tempt  on  divine  revelation,  and  would  not 
be  guided  and  governed  by  it;  and  this  was 
the  aggravation  of  their  sin,  that  God  had 
given,  as  to  their  fathers  his  Law,  so  to  them 
his  Gospel,  in  vain.  1.  The  law  is  said,  v. 
53.  to  be  received  by  the  disposition  of  angels, 
because  angels  were  employed  in  the  solem¬ 
nity  of  giving  it  ;  in  the  thundcrings  and 
lightnings,  and  the  sound  of  the  trumpet, 
Gal.  3  : 19.  Deut.  33  :  2.  Heb.  2  :  2.  This 
put  an  honor  both  on  the  law  and  the  Law¬ 
giver,  and  should  increase  our  veneration  for 
both.  2.  They  received  the  Gospel  now, 
by  the  disposition,  not  of  angels,  but  of  the 
Holy  Ghost;  not  with  the  sound  of  a  trum¬ 
pet,  but,  which  was  more  strange,  in  the 
gift  of  tongues,  and  yet  they  did  not  em¬ 
brace  it. 

Stephen,  probably,  had  much  more  to  say, 
and  would  have  said  it,  if  they  would  have 
suffered  him  ;  but  they  were  wicked  and 
unreasonable  men  with  whom  he  had  to  do, 
that  could  no  more  hear,  than  speak,  reason. 

V.  54 — 60.  We  have  here  the  dealh  of 
the  first  martyr  of  the  Christian  church ;  and 
there  is,  in  this  story,  a  lively  instance  of 
the  outrage  and  fury  of  the  persecutors,  and 
of  the  courage  and  comfort  of  the  persecuted. 
Here  is  hell  in  its  fire  and  darkness,  and 
heaven  in  its  light  and  brightness ;  and  these 
here  serve  as  foils  to  set  off  each  other.  It 
is  not  here  said,  that  the  votes  of  the  coun¬ 
cil  were  taken  on  his  case,  and  that  by  the 
majority  he  was  found  guilty,  and  then  con¬ 
demned  and  ordered  to  be  stoned,  according 
to  the  law,  as  a  blasphemer;  but,  it  is  likely, 
so  it  was,  and  that  it  was  not  by  the  violence 
of  the  people,  without  order  of  the  council, 
that  he  was  put  to  death  ;  for  here  is  the 
usual  ceremony  of  regular  executions, — he 
was  cast  out  of  the  city,  and  the  hands  of  the 
witnesses  were  first  upon  him. 

Let  us  observe,  here,  the  wonderful  dis¬ 
composure  of  the  spirits  of  his  enemies  and 
persecutors,  and  the  wonderful  composure 
of  his  spirit. 

I.  See  the  strength  of  corruption  in  the 
persecutors  of  Stephen  ;  malice  in  perfec¬ 
tion,  hell  itself  broken  loose,  men  become 
incarnate  devils,  and  the  serpent’s  seed  spit¬ 
ting  their  venom  ! 

1.  When  they  heard  these  things,  they  were 
cut  to  the  heart,  v.  54.  the  same  word  used 

The  crucifixion  of  Christ  was  the  most  flagrant  violation  of  the  sixth 
commandment,  which  ever  was  committed  :  and  if  David,  having  shed 
blood  in  war,  or  even  having  shed  the  blood  of  Uriah,  must  not  build 
the  temple ;  could  it  be  supposed  that  the  temple  would  be  continued  to 
those,  who  had  shed  the  blood  of  the  prophets,  and  filled  up  the  meas¬ 
ure  of  their  crimes  by  ‘  crucifying  the  Lord  of  glory  ?  ’  Scott. 

(53.)  Angels.]  ‘  The  ancient  Jews  believed  that  God,  on  all  solemn 
occasions  when  He  declares  his  special  presence,  was  thus  accom¬ 
panied.’  Kuin. 

V.  55.  Standing,  <kc.]  ‘  This  does  not  (like  the  phrase  sit  at  the  right 
hand  of  God)  denote  the  royal  dignity  and  majesty  of  God,  but  (as  is  re¬ 
marked  by  CEcumen.,  from  Chrys.,  and  other  Fathers)  the  present  and 
perpetual  assistance  of  God.  So  Grot.,  Taylor,  Doddr.,  Eos.,  Knappe, 
Kuin.’  Bloomf. 


A.  D.  83.  ACTS,  VII.  The  stoning  of  Sttpheil, 


56  And  said,  Behold,  I  see  the 
1  heavens  opened,  and  10  the  Son  of 
man  standing  on  the  right  hand  of 
God. 

57  Then  they  cried  out  with  a 
loud  voice,  and  stopped  their  ears, 
and  ran  upon  him  with  one  accord, 

58  And  cast  n  him  out  of  the  city, 
and  stoned  him  :  and  the  witnesses 
0  laid  down  their  clothes  at  a  young 
man’s  feet,  whose  name  was  p  Saul. 

59  And  they  stoned  Stephen, 
calling  upon  God,  and  saying,  Lord 
Jesus,  receive  my  spirit  ! 

1  Eze.  1:1.  13:12,13.  q  Pe.  31:5.  Lu. 

m  Da.  7:13.  o  c.  6:13.  23:16. 

n  Lu.  4:29.  He.  p  c.  8:1,3.  22,20. 


Heb.  11:37.  and  translated,  they  were  sawn 
asunder.  They  were  put  to  as  much  torture 
in  their  minds,  as  ever  the  martyrs  were  put 
to  in  their  bodies.  They  were  filled  with 
indignation  at  the  unanswerable  arguments 
Stephen  urged  for  their  conviction,  and  that 
they  could  find  nothing  to  say  against  them. 
They  were  not  pricked  to  the  heart  with  sor¬ 
row,  as  those  were  ch.  2:37.  but  cut  to  the 
heart  with  rage  and  fury,  as  ch.  5:  33.  Note, 
Rejecters  of  the  Gospel,  and  opposers  of  it, 
are  really  tormentors  to  themselves.  Enmity 
to  God  is  a  heart-cutting  thing  ;  faith  and 
love  are  heart-healing.  Gnashing  with  the 
teeth  is  often  used  to  express  the  horror  and 
torments  of  the  damned.  Those  that  have 
the  malice  of  hell,  cannot  but  have  with  it 
some  of  the  pains  of  hell.  They  cried  out 
with  aloud  voice,  v.  50.  to  irritate  and  excite 
one  another,  and  to  drown  the  noise  of  the 
clamors  of  their  own  and  one  another’s  con¬ 
sciences:  when  he  said,  I  see  heaven  opened, 
they  cried  with  a  loud  voice,  that  he  might 
not  be  heard  to  speak.  It  is  very  common 
for  a  righteous  cause,  particularly  the  right¬ 
eous  cause  of  Christ’s  religion,  to  be  en¬ 
deavored  to  be  run  down,  by  noise  and 
clamor;  what  is  wanting  in  reason  is  made 
up  in  tumult,  and  the  cry  of  him  that  ruleth 
among  fools,  while  the  words  of  the  wise  are 
heard  in  quiet.  They  stopped  their  ears,  under 
pretence,  perhaps,  tliat  they  could  not  bear 
to  hear  his  blasphemies  ;  Mat.  26:  64,65. 
a  manifest  specimen  of  their  wilful  obstina¬ 
cy,  and  a  fatal  omen  of  that  judicial  hard¬ 
ness  to  which  God  would  give  them  up. 
Make  the  heart  of  this  people  fat,  and  their  ears 
heavy  ;  thus  was  Stephen’s  character  of 
them  answered,  Ye  uncircumcised  in  heart 
and  ears.  2.  They  ran  upon  him  with  one 
accord  ;  the  people,  and  the  elders  of  the 
people,  judges,  prosecutors,  witnesses,  and 
spectators,  they  all  flew  upon  him,  as  beasts 
on  their  prey  ;  violent,  in  haste,  unani¬ 
mous,  one  and  all,  envying  him  his  compo¬ 
sure  and  comfort  in  soul,  with  which  he 
wonderfully  enjoyed  himself  in  the  midst  of 
this  fury.  They  cast  him  out  of  the  city,  and 
stoned  him;  as  if  he  were  not  worthy  to  live 
in  Jerusalem,  nay,  in  the  world  ;  pretend¬ 
ing,  herein,  to  execute  the  law  of  Moses, 
Lev.  24:  16.  Thus  they  had  put  Christ  to 


death,  when  this  same  court  had  found  Him 
guilty  of  blasphemy, but  that,forhis  greater 
ignominy,  they  were  desirous  that  He  should 
be  crucified,  and  God  overruled  it  for  the 
fulfilling  of  the  Scripture.  The  witnesses 
against  him  were  the  leaders  in  the  execu¬ 
tion,  according  to  the  law,  Dent.  17:  7.  and 
particularly  in  the  case  of  blasphemy,  Lev. 
24  :  14.  Dent.  13  :  9.  Thus  they  were  to 
confirm  their  testimony.  Now  the  stoning 
being  laborious,  the  witnesses  put  off  their 
upper  garments,  and  laid  them  at  a  young 
man’s  feet,  whose  name  was  Saul,  now  a 
pleased  spectator  of  this  tragedy  ;  it  is  the 
first  time  we  find  mention  of  his  name  ;  we 
shall  know  it  and  love  it  better  when  we 
find  it  changed  to  Paul,  and  hiuj  from  a  per¬ 
secutor  to  a  preacher,  ch.  22:  20. 

II.  See  the  strength  of  grace  in  Stephen, 
and  the  wonderful  instances  of  God’s  favor 
to  him,  and  working  in  him.  As  his  perse¬ 
cutors  were  full  of  Satan,  so  was  he  full  of 
the  Holy  Ghost,  fuller  than  ordinary,  anoint¬ 
ed  with  fresh  oil  for  the  combat,  that  as  the 
day,  so  might  the  strength  be.  Now  here  we 
have  a  remarkable  communion  between  this 
blessed  martyr  and  the  blessed  Jesus,  in  this 
critical  moment.  Observe,  1.  Christ’s  gra¬ 
cious  manifestation  of  Himself  to  Stephen, 
both  lor  his  comfort  and  for  his  honor,  in  the 
midst  of  his  sufferings  ;  when  they  were  cut 
to  the  heart,  and  gnashed  on  him  with  their 
teeth,  then  he  had  a  view  of  the  glory  of 
Christ,  sufficient  to  fill  him  with  joy  un¬ 
speakable;  which  was  intended  not  only  for 
his  encouragement,  but  for  the  support  and 
comfort  of  all  God’s  suffering  servants,  in  all 
ages.  Lifting  up  his  soul  with  his  eyes  to 
God  in  die  heavens,  in  pious  ejaculations, 
calling  on  God  for  wisdom  and  grace  to  car¬ 
ry  him  through  this  trial  in  a  right  manner; 
some  think  his  sight  was  so  raised  above  its 
natural  pitch,  by  a  supernatural  power,  that 
he  saw  into  the  third  heavens,  as  Moses’ 
sight  was  enlarged  to  see  the  whole  land  of 
Canaan.  Others  think  it  was  a  representa¬ 
tion  of  the  glory  of  God  set  before  his  eyes, 
as  before  Isaiah  and  Ezekiel;  the  heavens 
were  opened,  to  give  him  a  view  of  the  hap¬ 
piness  he  was  going  to,  that  he  might,  in 
prospect  of  that,  go  cheerfully  through  so 
great  a  death. 

He  saw  Jesus  standing  on  the  right  hand  of 
God,  v.  55.  the  Son  of  man,  so  it  is,  v.  56. 
Jesus  having  taken  our  nature  with  Him  to 
heaven,  and  being  there  clothed  with  a  body, 
might  be  seen  with  bodily  eyes,  and  so  Ste¬ 
phen  saw  Him.  When  the  O.  T.  prophets 
saw  the  glory  of  God,  it  was  attended  with 
angels  ;  in  Isaiah’s  vision,  with  seraphim  ; 
in  Ezekiel’s,  with  cherubim  ;  both  signify¬ 
ing  the  angels,  the  ministers  of  God’s  prov¬ 
idence.  But  here  no  mention  is  made  of 
the  angels  ;  instead  of  them,  Stephen  sees 
Jesus  at  the  right  hand  of  God,  the  great 
Mediator  of  God’s  grace,  from  whom  more 
glory  redounds  to  God  than  from  all  the 
ministration  of  the  holy  angels.  The  glory 
of  God  shines  brightest  in  the  face  of  Jesus 
Christ  ;  for  there  shines  the  glory  of  his 
grace,  which  is  the  most  illustrious  instance 
of  his  glory.  Here  is  a  proof  of  the  exal¬ 


tation  of  Christ  to  the  Father’s  right  hand ; 
the  apostles  saw  Him  ascend,  but  Stephen 
saw  Him  there,  and  was  abundantly  satis¬ 
fied  with  the  sight.  He  is  usually  said  to 
sit  there  ;  but  Stephen  sees  Him  standing 
there,  as  one  more  than  ordinarily  concerned 
at  present  for  his  suffering  servant  ;  He 
stands  ready  to  receive  him  and  crown  him, 
and  in  the  mean  time  to  give  him  a  pros¬ 
pect  of  the  joy  set  before  him.  Nothing  so 
comfortable  to  dying  saints,  nor  so  animating 
to  suffering  saints,  as  to  see  Jesus  at  the 
right  hand  of  God;  and,  blessed  be  God,  by 
faith  we  may  see  Him  there.  What  was  a 
cordial  to  him,  ought  to  have  been  a  Convi'c-' 
tion  to  them,  and  a  caution  to  take  heed  of 
proceeding  against  one  on  whom  heaven  thus 
smiled  ;  therefore,  what  he  saw  he  declared, 
v.  56.  If  some  were  exasperated  by  it,  others 
perhaps  might  be  wrought  upon  to  consider 
this  Jesus  whom  they  persecuted,  and  to 
believe  in  Him. 

2.  His  pious  addresses  to  Jesus  Christ, 
v.  59.  It  is  good  to  die  praying  ;  then  we 
need  help, — strength  we  never  had,  to  do  a 
work  we  never  did  ;  and  how  must  we  fetch 
in  that  help  and  strength,  but  by  prayer  ? 
Two  short  prayers  Stephen  offered  up  to 
God,  in  his  dying  moments,  and  in  them  as 
it  were  breathed  out  his  soul.  (1.)  For 
himself  ;  Lord  Jesus  receive  my  spirit.  We 
are  here  taught  to  resign  our  spirit  into  the 
hands  of  Christ,  as  Mediator,  by  Him  to  be 
recommended  to  the  Father.  It  is  necessa¬ 
ry  that  wc  have  an  eye  to  Christ  when  we 
come  to  die,  for  there  is  no  venturing  into 
another  world  but  under  his  conduct  ;  no 
living  comforts  in  dying  moments,  but  what 
are  (etched  from  Him.  We  ought  to  be  in 
care  about  this  while  we  live,  that  Christ 
may  receive  our  spirits  when  we  die;  for  if 
He  reject  and  disown  them,  whither  will 
they  betake  themselves  1 

(2.)  For  his  persecutors,  v.  60  ;  herein 
following  the  example  of  his  dying  Master. 
Prayer  may  preach  ;  this  did  so  to  those 
who  stoned  Stephen;  and  therefore  he  kneel¬ 
ed  down,  that  they  might  take  notice  he 
was  going  to  pray,  and  cried  with  a  loud 
voice,  that  they  might  take  notice  of  what 
he  said,  and  might  learn,  that  what  they  did 
was  a  sin,  a  great  sin,  which,  if  divine  mer¬ 
cy  and  grace  did  not  prevent,  would  be  laid 
to  their  charge,  to  their  everlasting  confu¬ 
sion  ;  and  yet,  that,  notwithstanding  then- 
malice  and  fury  against  him,  he  was  in 
charity  with  them,  and  was  so  far  from  de¬ 
siring  that  God  would  avenge  his  death  on 
them,  that  it  was  his  hearty  prayer  to  God, 
that  it  might  not,  in  any  degree,  be  laid  to 
their  charge:  it  might  teach  them,  too,  that, 
though  the  sin  was  very  heinous,  yet  they 
must  not  despair  of  pardon,  on  repentance. 
‘  Do  you  think,’  saith  Austin,  ‘  that  Paul 
heard  Stephen  pray  thus  1  It  is  ljkely  he 
did,’  saith  he,  ‘  and  ridiculed  it,  then,  but 
afterward  he  had  the  benefit  of  it.’ 

3.  His  expiring  with  this  ;  observe,  He 
fell  asleep  when  praying  for  his  persecutors; 
it  is  expressed  as  if  he  thought  he  could  not 
die  in  peace  till  he  had  done  that.  It  con¬ 
tributes  very  much  to  our  dying  comfortably, 


V.  59.  The  prayer  of  Stephen  was  a  most  direct  act  of  divine  wor¬ 
ship  rendered  lo  Jesus,  appearing  in  human  nature,  as  the  Son  of  man, 
and  attended  by  a  vision  of  the  glory  of  God.  The  word  God  does  not 
occur  in  the  original.  To  receive  a  departing  soul  to  glory,  and  to  par¬ 
don  the  guilt  of  most  aggravated  murder,  are  acts  of  divine  power  and 
authority;  and  it  would  be  evidently  most  unreasonable,  as  well  ns  un- 
scriptural,  to  make  such  requests  to  any  mere  creature,  whether  pres¬ 
ent,  or  absent.  (Mat.  9:2 — 8.)  Indeed  the  Socinians  are  most  grievous¬ 
ly  perplexed  by  this  undeniable  fact  :  after  many  other  attempts  to 
evade  our  inference  from  it,  in  which  they  have  been  evidently  baffled 
in  the  argument ;  some  very  learned  men  have  lately  ventured  to  say, 
‘  that  the  example  of  a  man,  in  an  ecstasy  of  devotion,  and  in  the  ago¬ 
nies  of  death,  is  not  proper  to  be  imitated  by  the  whole  church  of  God.’ 
As  if  modern  reasoners  could  better  direct  our  faith  and  practice,  than 
this  apostolical  Protomartyr,  when  ‘  full  of  the  Holy  Ghost,’  when  im¬ 
mediately  favored  ‘  with  the  visions  of  God,’  and  when  replete  with  the 
very  light,  joy,  and  temper  of  heaven  itself! — And  let  it  here  be  observ¬ 
ed,  that  we  bring  a  very  large  number  of  positive  evidences,  to  support 
the  truth  of  this  doctrine.  If  then  objectors  make  very  feeble  efforts  to 
invalidate  the  testimony  of  each  of  litem,  considered  as  detached  from 


the  rest,  so  that  each  still  evinces  the  point  in  question  ;  how  very  pow¬ 
erful  must  be  the  combined  proof  of  the  whole  I  For  if  twenty,  or 
forty,  or  more,  such  texts  were  expunged  out  of  the  llible,  we  should 
not  want  sufficient,  yea,  unanswerable  evidence  of  the  Deity  of  Christ. 
It  is  here  also  inquired,  By  what  authority  did  the  Jewish  council  put 
Stephen  to  death?  In  the  case  of  Jesus,  they  allowed,  that  they  had 
no  such  authority  :  and  it  is  probable  that  their  situation  was  still  the 
same.  (John  18:28—32.)  Had  they  proceeded  to  pass  a  legal  sentence 
on  Stephen,  they  would  perhaps  have  obtained  permission  from  I’ilate 
to  execute  it  :  but  they  stoned  him  in  a  popular  fury,  without  any  regu¬ 
lar  sentence,  and  the  governor  might  choose  to  connive  at  it,  as  he  did 
at  some  of  their  subsequent  persecutions.  (8:1 — 4.  9:1,2.)  ‘  The  Jews 

were  more  than  once  ready  to  Rtone  Christ,  not  only  when  by  their  own 
confession  they  had  not  power  to  put  any  one  to  death  ;  but  when  noth¬ 
ing  had  passed  which  had  the  shadow  of  a  legal  trial.  ( John  8:59.  10:31. 
18:31.)’  Doftdr. — When  the  Jews  would  afterwards  have  put  I  alii  to 
death,  the  chief  captain  and  the  governor  hindered  them  ;  and  yet,  if 
he  had  been  killed,  it  is  not  unlikely  that  the  irregularity  would  have 
been  connived  at,  had  it  not  been  discovered  that  he  was  a  Roman  citi- 
’  Scott. 


A.  D.  S3 


ACTS,  VIII. 


The  church  is  persecuted. 


60  And  he  kneeled  down,  and 
cried  with  a  loud  voice,  Lord,  r  lay 
not  this  sin  to  their  charge  !  And 
when  he  had  said  this,  he  fell  asleep. 

CHAP.  VIII. 

1  By  occasion  of  the  persecution  in  Jerusalem,  the  church 
being  planted  in  Samaria,  5  by  Philip  the  deacon,  who 
preached,  did  miracles,  and  baptized  many,  among  the 
rest  Simon  the  sorcerer,  a  great  seducer  of  the  people  :  14 
Peter  and  John  come  to  confirm  and  enlarge  the  church  : 
where,  by  prayer  and  imposition  of  bands  giving  the  Holy 
Ghost,  18  when  Simon  would  have  bought  the  like  power 
of  them,  2U  Peter  sharply  reproving  his  hypocrisy  ami 
covetousness,  and  exhorting  him  to  repentance,  together 
with  John  preaching  the  Word  of  the  Lord,  return  to  Je¬ 
rusalem.  26  But  the  angel  sendeth  Philip  to  teach  and 
baptize  the  Ethiopian  eunuch. 

AND  *  Saul  was  consenting  unto 
his  death.  And  at  that  time 
there  was  a  great  persecution 
against  the  church  which  was  at 
Jerusalem  ;  and  they  were  all  scat¬ 
tered  b abroad  throughout  the  re¬ 
gions  of  Judea  and  Samaria,  except 
the  apostles. 

r  Mat.  5:44.  Lu.  23:34.  a  c.  7:58.  b  c.  11:19. 

to  die  in  charity  with  all  men;  we  are  then 
found  of  Christ  in  peace.  He  fell  asleep  ; 
the  vulgar  Latin  adds,  in  the  Lord  ;  in  the 
embraces  of  his  love. 

Chap.  VIII.  In  this  eh.  we  have  an  ac¬ 
count  of  the  persecutions  of  the  Christians, 
and  the  propagating  of  Christianity  thereby. 
It  was  strange,  but  very  true,  that  the  dis¬ 
ciples  of  Christ,  the  more  they  were  afflicted 
the  more  they  multiplied.  Thus  in  different 
ways  and  methods  the  Gospel  was  dispersed 


among  the  nations,  and,  one  way  or  other, 
Have  they  not  all  heard  d 

V.  1 — 3.  I.  Christ  had  told  his  disciples, 
when  parting  with  them,  John  16  :  20.  Ye 
shall  weep  and  lament,  but  the  world  shall  re¬ 
joice.  Accordingly  here  is, 

1.  Stephen’s  death  rejoiced  in  by  many, 
no  doubt,  but  by  one  in  particular,  and  that 
Saul,  afterward  called  Paul  ;  he  was  con¬ 
senting  to  his  death,  consented  with  delight  ; 
so  tiie  word  signifies;  hoping  it  would  stop 
the  growth  of  Christianity.  We  have  rea¬ 
son  to  think  Paul  ordered  Luke  to  insert 
this,  for  shame  to  himself,  and  glory  to  free 
grace.  Thus  he  owns  himself  guilty  of  the 
blood  of  Stephen,  and  aggravates  it. 

2.  Stephen’s  death  bewailed  by  others, 
v.  2.  Devout  men,  which  some  understand  of 
those  that  were  properly  so  called,  proselytes, 
one  of  whom  Stephen  himself,  probably, 
was.  Or,  it  may  be  taken  more  largely  ; 
some  of  the  church  more  devout  and  zealous 
than  the  rest,  went,  and  gathered  up  the 
poor,  crushed  remains,  to  which  they  gave  a 
decent  interment  ;  probably  in  the  field  of 
blood,  which  was  bought  some  time  ago  to 
bury  strangers  in.  They  buried  him  sol¬ 
emnly,  and  made  great  lamentation  over 
him.  Though  his  death  was  of  great  advan¬ 
tage  to  himself,  and  great  service  to  the 
church,  yet  they  bewailed  it  as  a  general 
loss,  so  well  qualified  _was  he  to  be  useful, 
both  as  a  deacon  and  as  a  disputant.  It  is 
an  ill  symptom,  if,  when  such  men  are  taken 
away,  it  is  not  laid  to  heart. 

II.  An  account  of  this  persecution  of  the 
church,  which  begins  on  the  martyrdom  of 
Stephen.  When  the  fury  of  the  Jews  ran 


with  such  violence,  and  to  such  a  height, 
against  Stephen,  it  could  not  quickly  either 
stop  itself,  or  spend  itself.  The  bloody  are 
often  in  Scripture  called  blood-thirsty  ;  for 
when  they  have  tasted  blood  they  thirst  for 
more.  One  would  have  thought  Stephen’s 
dying  prayers  and  dying  comforts  should 
have  overcome  them,  and  melted  them  into 
a  better  opinion  of  Christians  and  Chris¬ 
tianity.  1.  As  Christ  often  intimated,  that 
tribulation  and  persecution  would  arise  be¬ 
cause  of  the  Word;  and  particularly  that  per¬ 
secuting  Jerusalem  would  soon  he  made  too 
hot  for  his  followers,  Mat.  23:37.  so  here  it 
begins,  and  many  were  put  to  death,  for 
Paul  owns  that  at  this  time  he  persecuted 
this  way  unto  the  death,  ch.  22:  4.  and  eh. 
26  :  10.  that  when  they  were  put  to  death  he 
gave  his  voice  against  them.  2.  None  was 
so  zealous,  so  busy  in  it,  as  Saul,  a  young 
Pharisee,  v.  3.  He  made  havoc  of  the 
church,  did  all  he  could  to  lay  it  waste  and 
ruin  it  ;  aimed  at  no  less  than  the  cutting 
off  of  the  Gospel-Israel,  Ps.  S3:  4.  He  was 
the  fittest  tool  the  chief  priests  could  find  to 
serve  their  purposes  ;  he  was  informer- 
general  against  the  disciples,  a  messenger 
of  the  great  council,  to  be  employed  in 
searching  for  meetings,  and  seizing  all  that 
were  suspected.  Bred  a  scholar,  a  gentle¬ 
man,  yet  he  did  not  think  it  below  him  to 
be  employed  in  the  vilest  work  of  that  kind: 
entering  into  every  house  where  they  used  to 
keep  their  meetings, or  every  house  that  had 
any  Christians  in  it,  or  was  thought  to  have. 
No  man  could  be  secure  in  his  own  house, 
though  it  is  his  castle.  Both  men  and 
women  he  dragged  along  the  streets,  without 


TRACT.  OBS.  We  should  be  ready  to  ‘give  a  reason  of  the  hope 
that  is  in  us,’  to  inquirers  of  every  description  :  this  ought  indeed  to  be 
done  in  meekness,  and  with  cautious  fear  of  disgracing  a  cause,  which 
should  be  dearer  to  us  than  our  lives ;  but  we  may  confidently  rely  on 
the  Lord  to  ‘give  us  in  the  same  hour  what  we  should  speak,’  if  called 
to  answer  for  ourselves  before  the  enemies  of  his  truth.  In  all  addresses 
to  those  who  allow  the  truth  of  the  Scriptures,  we  should  call  their  at¬ 
tention  to  them,  lodge  our  appeal  with  them,  and  thence  deduce  our  ar¬ 
guments. — It  is  very  lawful  and  expedient  to  express  approbation  of 
men’s  opinions,  as  far  as  consistent  with  truth,  and  even  to  avoid  the 
mention  of  their  more  harmless  prejudices  ;  ill  order  that  we  may  rea¬ 
son  with  them  from  their  own  principles,  and  so  oppose  their  erroneous 

V.  60.  The  early  loss  of  so  eminent  a  minister  of  Christ,  in  this  man¬ 
ner,  must  indeed  have  been  a  heavy  affliction  to  the  church  :  but  how 
animated  was  his  end  !  how  suited  to  confirm  the  faith  of  the  disciples  ! 
What  an  example  also  were  his  boldness  and  tenderness,  even  for  his 
murderers  !  The  instruction  and  encouragement  of  this  single  scene 
might  produce  the  most  beneficial  effects  on  multitudes,  and  that  per¬ 
manently  ;  even  far  greater,  than  the  long-continued  labors  of  many 
eminent  ministers.  Such  in  general  has  been  the  event  of  bloody  per¬ 
secution  ;  and  ‘  the  noble  army  of  martyrs  ’  have  done  more,  perhaps, 
towards  the  success  of  the  Gospel,  by  their  sharp  but  transient  suffer¬ 
ings,  than  the  whole  company  of  those  who  have  professed  and  preach¬ 
ed  the  truth,  in  quiet  times;  and  without  being  called  forth,  thus  to 
show,  in  the  fiery  trial,  the  energy  of  their  principles,  and  the  power  of 
divine  grace,  to  the  confusion  of  their  enemies,  and  the  encouragement 
of  their  brethren.  Scott.  Lay.]  1  StSsZs,  from  istemi,  which,  like  the  Heb. 
shql,  signifies  to  try  weight  by  the  balance.  The  Jews  (so  Eisner)  used 
to  say,  that  the  virtues  and  vices  of  all  men  would,  at  the  last  day,  be 
cast  into  the  scales  of  two  balances,  and  they  would  bo  everlastingly 
happy  or  eternally  miserable,  as  those  or  these  preponderated.  A  dog¬ 
ma  adopted  into  the  Mahometan  system.  [Comp.  Job  31:6.  Ps.  90:8.  and 
note  and  cut,  Dan.  5:27.]’  Bloo.wf. 

Concluding  Note.  Madian ,  v.  29.  .  Wilderness.  .  .Stria,  &c.  v.  30.]  Part  of  this 
region  is  thus  described  by  Laborde  and  Burckh.,  whom  see.  ‘The  route  I  followed, 
[from  Sinai.  E.  then  N.  W.  up  Wady  Sahal,  then  S.  E.  down  Wady  Cheick  and 
Wady  Zuckal  to  Dahab,  on  the  Gulf  of  Akaba,  E.  of  Mt.  Sinai,  then  back  through 
Wady  Zackal  into  Wady  Cheick,  then  N.  E.  through  Wady  Safian  to  Akaba,]  passed 
through  a  series  of  long  ravines,  [Wadys,]  running  in  different  directions.  .  .  Jn  Wady 
Cheick,  in  the  middle  of  the  valley,  at  the  place  called  El  Boueb,  is  an  isolated  rock, 
7  ft.  high.  It  is  at  an  angle  made  by  two  turnings  of  this  narrow  and  gigantic  defile  of 
perpendicular  timestone,  chalk,  and  granite  rocks,  at  the  point  where  its  seclusion  pro¬ 
tects  it  from  the  rays  of  the  sun,  and  the  voice  of  man  and  the  cry  of  the  came!  are  re¬ 
flected  back  in  sonorous  echoes.  Our  Arabs  dismounted  silently  from  their  camels,  and , 
approaching  the  rock,  passed  the  right  hand  over  its  surface,  smooth  by  the  frequency 
of  these  touches,  and  then  drew  it  back  again  to  the  forehead,  crying  out  “El 
Fatha,’’  the  usual  invocation  during  journeys  and  dangers  of  any  description.  Tra¬ 
dition  relates,  that  Moses  rested  on  this  stone  while  yet  a  shepherd,  meditating  his 
projects  of  delivering  Israel.  Another  version  of  the'story  makes  it  Mahomet’s  rest¬ 
ing-place,  while  a  camel  driver ;  and  here  he  is  said  to  have  composed  some  verses 
of  his  Koran  .  . .  On  quitting  this  passage,  the  traveller  perceives  Mt.  Sinai ,  whose 
prominent  point  is  overhung  by  Mt.  St.  Catharine,  [the  Hortb  of  the  SS.  and  a  peak  of 
Sinai,]  which  is  more  rounded  in  its  form  ;  [so  that  the  burning  bush,  if  in  the  top  of 
Sinai,  would  ever  appear  also  as  on  Horeb.]  They  were  both  then  capped  with  snow. 
Crossing  an  intersecting  ridge,  we  descended  into  Wady  Zackal,  a  valley,  which  con- 
tinuee  on  to  the  gulf.  Our  road  was  the  most  singular  that  the  imagination  can 
picture.  The  valley  shut  in  within  a  width  of  about  50  paces,  by  masses  of  granite, 
1000  to  1200  ft.  high,  often  perpendicular  to  their  very  tops,  looked  like  a  Cyclopean 
street,  from  which,  on  each  side,  seemed  to  be  adjoining  streets,  all  belonging  to  some 
ancient  and  abandoned  town.  The  extraordinary  shapes  and  immensity  of  the  masses 
accumulated  on  the  right  and  left,  were  calculated  to  terrify  [Dcut.  1:19]  and  almost 
to  overwhelm  the  mind  ;  an  effect  not  a  little  augmented  by  the  enormous  fissures 
here  and  there,  presenting  huge  fragments,  tumbled  from  the  mountain-lops.  The 
silence  around  was  that  of  the  grave  :  the  wind  was  unheard,  amidst  these  almost 
subterraneous  passages,  the  sun  touched  with  its  golden  hue  only  the  most  elevated 
points,  every  step  and  sound  of  our  voice  was  reechoed.  This  curious  passage  leads 

[40] 


conclusions  and  evil  practices. — It  is  also  profitable  to  recur  to  the  first 
rise  of  those  usages  or  sentiments,  which  have  been  warped  or  perverted. 
Would  we  know  the  nature  and  effects  of  justifying  faith,  we  should  study 
the  character  of  4  the  father  of  the  faithful.’  Jesus  is  the  great  4  Angel  of 
the  covenant,’  who  brings  his  people  from  bondage,  through  the  wilder¬ 
ness  to  their  promised  rest*,  and  all  the  scenes  exhibited  in  Egypt,  at 
the  Red  Sea,  at  Sinai,  and  in  Canaan,  shadowed  forth  his  excellences 
and  his  glorious  salvation.  But  any  kind  of  false  religion,  or  irreligion, 
however  absurd,  by  which  men  rejoice  in  their  own  works  and  imagina¬ 
tions,  is  more  suitable  to  the  carnal  mind,  than  the  spiritual  truth  and 
worship  set  before  us  in  the  sacred  Scriptures !  Scott. 


gently  down  to  the  sea-coast,  to  the  palm  trees  of  Duhab,  which,  without  any  assis¬ 
tance  from  cultivation,  are  constantly  increasing  in  number,  at  a  point  where  the 
sand  and  the  rocks,  driven  down  through  the  valley  by  the  winter  torrents,  form  a 
boundary  to  the  sea.  This  place,  now  inhabited  only  by  4  poor  Arabs,  and  visited  by 
wretched  caravans,  for  its  well,  I  take  to  be  the  Midi  an  of  Jethro.’  Laborde.  ‘To 
the  N.  of  Dahab  (which  is  properly  the  Dizahab,  Dent.  1:1.)  is  a  bay,  with  good 
anchorage,  except  in  N.  winds.  The  plantations  of  date-trees  (close  to  the  shore  of 
the  low  promontory)  are  inclosed  by  low  walls,  and  have  many  wells  of  indifferent 
water,  but  are  25  ft.  deep  ;  and,  50  yds.  from  the  3ea,  had  the  best  water  on  any  part 
of  this  coast.  2  miles  S.  of  the  date-groves,  in  shallow  ponds,  filled  at  high  tide,  salt 
is  made,  which  supplies  all  the  peninsula,  as  well  as  the  fishermen,  for  curing  their 
fish.  Dahab  is  a  favorite  resort  of  the  fishermen.*  Burckh.  Ed. 

NOTES.  Chap.  VIII.  V.  1.  The  whole  subsequent  history  shows, 
that  a  great  number  of  believers  continued  at  Jerusalem  :  though  it  is 
probable,  that  the  most  of  those,  who  commonly  resided  in  other  coun¬ 
tries,  returned  home  at  that  time :  and  many  others  doubtless  fled  from 
the  storm. — ‘It  is  a  very  ancient  tradition,  that  our  Lord  assigned  12 
years  after  his  ascension,  for  the  conversion  of  the  unbelieving  Jews  in 
Judea,  saying  to  his  apostles,  Go  ye  out  into  the  world  after  12  years. 
It  shows  the  reason,  why  the  apostles  continued  at  Jerusalem,  while 
the  rest  of  the  disciples  were  scattered  abroad.’  Whitby.  As  the  Scrip¬ 
ture  says  nothing  of  this,  it  is  far  more  probable,  especially  aller  the 
command  before  given,  (5:20.)  that  the  apostles,  considering  the  impor¬ 
tance  of  Iheir  station  at  this  crisis,  and  the  necessity  of  showing  both 
friends  and  enemies,  that  they  were  not  to  be  intimidated  ;  and,  depend¬ 
ing  on  special  protection,  acted  as  Daniel  did  on  a  similar  occasion,  and 
left  the  event  to  God.  (Dan.  6:) — As  the  disciples  had  before  lived  in 
much  harmony  and  comfort  together,  they  would  not  perhaps  have 
thought  of  separating  so  soon,  if  this  storm  had  not  arisen  :  thus  the 
efforts  of  Satan  aud  his  servants  were  overruled  for  the  promulgation 
of  the  Gospel ;  while  the  apostles  were  competent  for  nil  the  work 
which  was  to  be  done  in  Jerusalem,  and  the  persecution  would  not  pre¬ 
vent,  but  forward  their  success.  Scott.  ‘  There  now  commences  a  new 
period  of  Christian  history,  in  the  first  epoch  of  which  (narrated  ch.  1 — 
7.)  the  Christian  society  consisted  of  Jews  only,  who  had  hitherto  re¬ 
mained  in  Jerusalem.  For  although  many  of  those  who,  on  the  day  of 
Pentecost,  had  come  hither  from  various  regions,  seem,  after  their  return 
home,  to  have  communicated  to  their  countrymen  some  idea,  however 
imperfect,  of  Christian  doctrine ;  yet  the  apostles  had  hitherto  continu¬ 
ed  within  Jerusalem,  nor  had  they  yet  taught  in  any  other  country.  The 
congregation,  therefore,  at  Jerusalem,  was  tolerably  numerous  ;  but  it 
had  not  yet  entirely  separated  itself  from  the  Jewish  communion  ;  since 
we  read  that,  during  the  whole  of  this  first  period,  the  apostles  and  all 
other  Christians  yielded  obedience  to  the  Jewish  Sanhedrim,  frequented 
the  temple  at  the  stated  hour  of  prayer,  and  taught  in  it.  In  one  re¬ 
spect  only,  was  there  seen  any  vestige  of  a  private  society,  namely,  that 
the  Christians  had  their  funds  for  the  relief  of  the  poor,  ihe  administra¬ 
tion  of  which  they  committed  to  the  care  of  seven  persons,  whom  they 
called  Deacons.  Now  follows  Luke’s  narration  of  the  further  propaga¬ 
tion  and  the  fortunes  of  the  Christian  religion.’  Ros. 


A.  D.  33. 


ACTS,  VIII. 


The  spreading  of  the  church . 


2  Ami  devout  men  carried  Ste¬ 
phen  to  his  burial,  and  made  great 
lamentation  over  him. 

3  As  for  Saul,  he  c  made  havoc 
of  the  church,  entering  into  every 
house;  and  halin'*  men  and  women, 
committed  them  to  prison. 

4  Therefore  they  that  were  scat¬ 
tered  abroad,  went  every  where 
preaching  the  word. 

5  Then  Philip  d  went  down  to 
the  city  of  Samaria,  and  preached 
Christ  unto  them. 

6  And  the  people  with  one  ac¬ 
cord  egave  heed  unto  those  things 
which  Philip  spake,  1  hearing,  and 
seeing  the  miracles  which  he  did. 

7  For  *  unclean  spirits,  crying 
with  loud  voice,  came  out  of  many 
that  were  possessed  with  them  :  and 
many  taken  with  h  palsies,  and  that 
were  'lame,  were  healed. 

c  c.  26:10,11.  Ga.  e2Ch.  30:12.  h  Ma.  2:3-11.  c. 

1:13.  f  Jn.  4:41,42-  9:33,34. 

<1  c.  6:5.  g  Ma.  16:17.  1  Mat.  11:5. 

any  regard  to  the  tenderness  of  the  weaker 
sex,  so  extremely  bigoted  was  lie ;  he  com¬ 
mitted  them  to  prison,  in  order  to  their  be¬ 
ing  tried  and  put  to  death,  unless  they  would 
renounce  Christ  ;  and  some,  we  find,  were 
compelled  by  him  to  blaspheme,  ch.  26:  11. 
3.  The  effect  of  this  persecution.  They 
were  all  scattered  abroad ,  v.  1.  not  all  the 
believers,  but  all  the  preachers,*  they  being 
principally  struck  at,  and  remembering  our 
Master’s  rule,  When  they  persecute  you  in  one 
city,  flee  to  another  ;  they  looked  upon  it  as 
an  intimation  of  Providence  to  them  to  scat¬ 
ter  ;  their  Master  had  told  them  that  they 
must  be  his  witnesses  in  Jerusalem  first,  and 
then  in  all  Judea  and  in  Samaria,  and  then 
to  the  uttermost  parts  of  the  earth,  ch.  1 :  8. 
The  preachers  were  all  scattered  except  the 
apostles,  who,  probably,  were  directed  by  the 
Spirit  to  continue  at  Jerusalem  yet  for  some 
time,  they  being,  by  the  special  providence 

*  Was  not  every  believer,  v.  4.  required  to  be,  more  or 
less,  a  preacher,  and  witness  i  See  Note,  Lu. 24:36 — 48.  Ed. 


of  God,  screened  from  the  storm,  and  by 
special  grace  enabled  to  face  it.  They  tar¬ 
ried,  that  they  might  be  ready  to  go  where 
their  assistance  was  most  needed  by  the  other 
preachers,  sent  to  break  llie  ice  ;  as  Christ 
ordered  his  disciples  to  go  to  those  places 
where  He  Himself  designed  to  come,  Luke 
10:1.  They  continued  longer  at  Jerusalem 
than  one  would  have  thought,  considering 
the  command,  and  commission,  to  go  into  all 
the  world,  and  to  disciple  all  nations  ;  see  ch. 
15:6.  Gal.  1:17.  But  what  was  done  by 
the  evangelists  whom  they  sent  forth,  was 
reckoned  as  done  by  them. 

V.  4 — 13.  The  persecution  designed  to 
extirpate  the  church,  was,  by  overruling 
Providence,  made  an  occasion  of  its  en¬ 
largement. 

I.  A  general  account  of  what  was  done 
by  them  all,  v.  4.  They  went  every  where, 
preaching  the  Word.  They  did  not  go  to 
hide  themselves  for  fear  of  suffering;  no,  nor 
to  show  themselves  as  proud  of  their  suffer¬ 
ings;  but  to  scatter  the  knowledgeof  Christ 
in  every  place  where  they  were  scattered, 
into  the  way  of  the  Gentiles,  and  the  cities 
of  the  Samaritans,  which  before  they  were 
forbidden  to  go  into,  ch.  10:  5.  Christ  and 
his  disciples  had  conversed  much  in  Judea  ; 
so  they  had  a  foundation  laid  there  for  them 
to  build  on;  and  it  would  be  requisite  to  let 
the  people  there  know,  what  that  doctrine 
Jesus  had  preached  there  some  time  ago  was 
come  to. 

II.  A  particular  account  of  what  was  done 
by  Philip,  the  deacon,  now  advanced  to  the 
degree  of  an  evangelist,  which  when  he  en¬ 
tered  upon,  being  obliged  by  it  to  give  him¬ 
self  to  the  Word  and  prayer,  he  was,  no 
doubt,  discharged  from  the  office  of  a  dea¬ 
con;  for  how  could  he  serve  tables  at  Jeru¬ 
salem,  (as  by  that  office  he -was  obliged  to 
do,)  when  preaching  in  Samaria  1  Now 
observe, 

1.  Philip’s  success.  He  came  to  Samaria, 
the  head  city  of  the^  country  Samaria  ;  it 
stood  where  the  city  of  Samaria  was  built, 

I  K.  16:24.  now  called  Scbaste,  the  same,  i 
so  some,  with  Sycliem  or  Sychar,  where  j 
Christ  was,  John  4:5.  The  doctrine  he  I 
preached,  was,  Christ;  he  proclaimed  Christ 
to  them,  so  the  word  signifies  ;  as  a  king,  | 


when  he  comes  to  the  crown,  is  proclaimed 
throughout  his  dominions.  The  Samaritans 
had  an  expectation  of  the  Messiah’s  coming, 
as  appears  by  John  4:  25.  Now  Philip  tells 
them  He  is  come,  and  they  are  welcome  to 
Him.  Ministers’  business  is  to  preach 
Christ;  Christ,  and  Him  crucified ;  Christ, 
and  Him  glorified.  The  proofs  he  produced 
in  confirmation  of  his  doctrine,  were,  mir¬ 
acles,  v.  6.  They  were  undeniable,  such  as 
suited  the  intention  of  his  commission,  and 
gave  light  and  lustre  to  it. 

He  was  sent  to  break  the  power  of  Satan; 
and,  in  token  of  that,  unclean  spirits,  being 
charged  in  the  name  of  the  Lord  Jesus  to 
remove,  came  out  of  many,  v.  7.  God  has 
called  us  from  uncleanness  to  holiness,  1 
Thess.  4:  7.  This  was  signified  by  the  cast¬ 
ing  out  of  these  unclean  spirits,  who,  it  is 
here  said,  came  out  crying  with  a  loud  mice, 
i.  e.  sore  against  their  wills,  and  only  as 
overcome  by  a  superior  power,  Mark  1 :  26. 
3:11.  9:26.  Those  distempers  are  speci¬ 
fied,  that  were  most  difficult  to  be  cured  by 
the  course  of  nature,  (that  the  miraculous 
cure  might  be  the  more  illustrious,)  and  those 
that  were  most  expressive  of  the  disease  of 
sin,  and  that  moral  impotency  which  the 
souls  of  men  labor  under  as  to  the  service 
of  God.  The  grace  of  God,  in  the  Gospel, 
is  designed  for  the  healing  of  those  that  are 
spiritually  lame  and  paralytic,  and  cannot 
help  themselves,  Rom.  5:  6. 

Philip’s  doctrine  proved  acceptable  in  Sa¬ 
maria,  v.  6.  and  there  begins  to  be  some 
hope  of  people,  when  they  begin  to  give  heed 
to  the  Word  of  God,  as  those  that  are  de¬ 
sirous  to  understand  and  remember  it,  and 
that  look  upon  themselves  as  concerned  in 
it  :  this  the  common  people  did,  a  multitude 
of  them,  not  here  and  there  one,  but  all,  with 
one  accord.  They  found  satisfaction  in  at¬ 
tending  on  it,  and  Philip’s  preaching  had 
success  with  many,  v.S,  12.  Observe,  Philip 
preached  the  things  concerning  the  kingdom  of 
God,  its  constitution,  laws,  ordinances,  lib¬ 
erties,  and  privileges,  and  the  obligations  we 
are  all  under  to  be  its  loyal  subjects  ;  he 
preached  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ,  as  King 
of  that  kingdom,  and  they  not  only  gave  heed 
to  what  he  said,  but,  at  length  believed  it  ; 
were  fully  convinced  it  was  of  God,  not  of 


V.  2.  Thus  honorably  and  publicly  to  bury  one  stoned  by  thecouncil,  as  a 
blasphemer,  and  as  such  accursed,  was  a  very  courageous  display  of  faith, 
zeal,  and  confidence  in  God.  It  must  also  have  greatly  offended  the  perse¬ 
cutors;  and,  perhaps,  served  as  a  pretence  for  their  subsequent  violence.  S. 

V.  3.  ‘It  was  the  Sanhedrim’s  duty,  to  take  care  that  no  false  doc¬ 
trines  should  be  promulgated,  and  to  make  inquisition  after  those  who 
were  introducing  innovations  into  the  church.’  Kuin. 

V.  4.  They  that  were  scattered,  <fcc.]  ‘  Not  the  whole  church  of  Je¬ 
rusalem,  or  the  body  of  the  laity  ;.  .for  what  authority  had  they  to  preach 
tile  Word?  but  the  hundred  and  eight  that  were  “  full  of  the  Holy 
Ghost.”  ’  Whitby. — The  whole  company,  after  our"  Lord’s  ascension, 
was  about  one  hundred  and  twenty,  that  is,  one  hundred  and  eight  be¬ 
sides  the  twelve  apostles  :  but  it  clearly  appears  from  the  history,  that 
the  women  formed  a  part  of  this  number.  After  so  great  an  increase  of 
the  church,  as  had  since  that  time  taken  place,  it  may  well  be  supposed, 
that  many  had  been  set  apart  for  the  ministry  before  the  martyrdom  of 
Stephen.  Ho  that,  even  allowing  that  none  were  scattered,  except  the 
ministers,  (which  is  extremely  improbable,)  it  is  incongruous  to  limit 
the  number  in  this  manner. — ‘  There  is  no  room  to  inquire  where  these 
poor  refugees  had  their  orders.  They  were  endued  with  miraculous 
gifts  ;  and  if  they  had  not  been  so,  the  extraordinary  call  they  had  to 
spread  the  knowledge  of  Christ,  wherever  they  came,  among  those  who 
were  ignorant  of  Him,  would  abundantly  justify  them  in  what  they  did.’ 
Doddr. — Were  then  all  the  Christians  endued  with  miraculous  powers  ? 
or  might  none,  who  were  not,  declare,  what  they  had  seen  and  heard  ? 
— ‘  Some  difference  may  perhaps  be  here  observed  between  euaggelizes- 
thai  [pron.  evangelizesthai]  and  kerussein,  not  in  respect  of  the  matter 
of  their  preaching,  but  of  the  manner  of  it.  The  latter  doth  generally 
signify  a  public,  solemn  proclaiming  of  Christ,  as  when  a  herald  or  crier 
doth  by  way  of  office  proclaim  anything:  but  the  former  imports  no 
more,  than  the  telling  it,  making  it  known  ;  as  good  news  is  published, 
without  the  voice  of  a  herald  or  crier,  by  all  that  have  heard  it,  to  all 
they  meet  with.  Not  that  euaggelizesthai  is  never  used  of  that  public, 
authoritative  proclaiming;  for  it  is  sometimes  used  of  the  apostles: 
and  the  word  Evangelist  is  the  name  of  an  office  in  the  apostles’  times. 
But,  I  say,  that  sometimes,  and  particularly  in  this  place,  it  may  belong 
to  whatsoever  publishing  the  Gospel  of  Christ,  and  by  whomsoever,  i.e. 
by  those  who  have  no  calling  to  it.  For  when  the  doctrine  of  Christ 
was  first  preached  by  the  apostles,  and  a  multitude  of  Jews  and  prose¬ 
lytes  received  the  faith,  and  for  doing  so  professedly,  were  presently 
persecuted  and  driven  out  of  Jerusalem  ;  it  is  not  to  be  imagined,  hut 
that  all,  wheresoever  they  came,  both  men  and  women,  published  what 
they  knew,  both  of  the  doctrine,  alld  the  miracles  by  which  it  was  con¬ 
firmed,  and  of  their  own  sufferings  for  it.  When  of  Philip,  who  was  a 
it.  T.  VOL.  V.  6 


deacon,  it  is  related,  that  “  he  preached  Christ,”  it  follows  that  he  bap¬ 
tized  also. — But  of  these  other  disciples,  there  is  no  more  said,  but  that 
they  passed  along  publishing  this  good  news,  the  Gospel  which  they 
had  received  ;  hut  no  mention  of  gathering  disciples,  or  baptizing.  Ac¬ 
cordingly  when  there  is  mention  of  these  very  men,  that,  being  scattered 
by  tlie  persecution,  they  spake  the  Word,  or  published  the  Gospel,  the 
phrase  used  is  observable:  (11:19.  Gr.)  the  word  lalein  being  known  to 
belong  to  any  way  of  reporting,  or  relating,  by  talk  or  discourse.  And 
upon  the  success  of  this,  through  God’s  prospering  hand,  and  many  re¬ 
ceiving  the  faith,  it  follows,  that  the  church  of  Jerusalem  sent  Barnabas 
to  visit  and  confirm  them.  Thus  Apollos  (18:25)  spake  and  taught  ex¬ 
actly  the  things  concerning  the  Lord,  knowing  only  the  baptism  of  John.’ 
Hammond. — It  appears  to  me,  that  the  remarks  contained  in  this  quo¬ 
tation,  are  suited  to  throw  much  light  on  a  difficult  and  disputed  sub¬ 
ject.  Whether  the  learned  author’s  criticism  on  the  original  words  be 
exact,  or  not ;  the  difference  between  statedly  and  authoritatively,  as  a 
herald,  and  by  office  and  authority,  preaching  to  regularly  convened  con¬ 
gregations;  and  simply  declaring  what  a  man  knows  of  Christ  and  sal¬ 
vation,  among  relations,  juniors,  ignorant  neighbors,  or  ignorant  persons 
of  any  sort,  without  assuming  any  authority,*  seems  of  great  importance. 
No  doubt,  in  this  way,  a  man’s  sphere  will  often  gradually  enlarge,  till 
he  appears  something  like  an  authoritative  preacher  :  but  would  it  not 
then  be  proper,  that  pastors  and  rulers  should  send  some  Barnabas,  to 
confirm  what  has  been  done,  and  to  confer  the  due  authority  ?  and 
would  it  not  be  right,  in  this  case,  for  the  person  himself  to  seek,  from 
the  pastors  and  teachers  of  the  church,  their  regular  sanction  to  his 
labors,  now  become  more  public,  than  he  at  first  either  expected  or  in¬ 
tended  ? — To  authorize  all  who  choose,  without  any  human  appoint¬ 
ment,  and  in  ordinary  cases,  to  become  authoritative  preachers,  seems 
a  dangerous  extreme  :  and  to  suppose  that  no  man,  in  an  ignorant  fami¬ 
ly,  or  among  poor  children,  or  illiterate,  neglected  persons,  may  expound 
a  chapter  of  sacred  Scripture,  or  talk  to  them  about  their  souls,  except 
previously  ordained  to  the  ministry  ;  appears  suited  to  destroy  all  zeal 
in  the  laity  for  the  success  of  the  Gospel,  and  to  prevent  all  communi¬ 
cation  of  knowledge  to  a  deluded  and  perishing  world  ;  except  by  those, 
who  are  so  fully  employed  in  their  own  several  charges,  as  to  have  little 
opportunity  of  attempting  anything  further;  and  who  are  often  restrict¬ 
ed,  by  peculiar  circumstances,  from  every  exertion  out  of  their  own  line 
and  department.  Scott. 

V.  5 — 8.  It  is  evident,  that  Philip  the  apostle  was  not  here  meant, 
for  he  continued  at  Jerusalem  ;  and  the  mission  of  Peter  and  John  to 
Samaria  evinces  the  same  :  (14 — 17.)  and  as  Philip,  one  of  the  seven, 
was  the  only  person  of  that  name,  whom  the  historian  had  mentioned, 

•  See  Rev.  22:17,  2(1  cl.  fld- 

[41] 


A.  D.  33. 


ACTS,  VIII. 


Simon,  the  sorcerer,  described. 


8  And  there  was  great  joy  in  that 
city. 

9  IT  But  there  was  a  certain  man 
called  Simon,  which  beforetime  in 
the  same  city  used  J  sorcery,  and 
bewitched  the  people  of  Samaria, 
giving  out  k  that  himself  was  some 
great  one: 

10  To  whom  1  they  all  gave  heed, 
from  the  least  to  the  greatest,  say¬ 
ing,  This  man  is  the  great  power 
of  God. 

11  And  to  him  they  had  regard, 
because  that  of  long  time  he  had 
bewitched  m  them  with  sorceries. 

12  But  when  they  believed  "  Phil¬ 
ip  preaching  the  things  “concern¬ 
ing  the  kingdom  of  God,  and  the 
name  of  Jesus  Christ,  they  were 
baptized,  both  men  and  women. 

IS  Then  Simon  himself  believed 
also  :  and  when  he  was  baptized, 
he  continued  with  Philip,  and  won¬ 
dered,  beholding  the  p  miracles  and 
signs  which  were  done. 

14  IT  Now  when  the  apostles 
which  were  at  Jerusalem  heard 
that  Samaria  had  received  the  word 
of  God,  they  sent  unto  them  Peter 
and  John  : 

]  c.  13:6.  Re.  12  Co.  11:19.  o  c.  1:3. 

22:15.  mGa.  3:1.  p  signs  and  great 

k  c.  5:36.  2  Ti,  n  ver.  37.  c.  2:41.  miracles. 

3:2,5. 

men,  and  gave  up  themselves  to  the  conduct 
and  government  of  it  :  without  scruple 
(though  Samaritans)  ;  and,  without  delay 
they  were  baptized,  openly  professed  the  Chris¬ 
tian  faith,  and  were  solemnly  admitted  into 
the  communion  of  the  Christian  church,  and 
owned  as  brethren  by  the  disciples.  Men 
only  were  capable  of  being  admitted  into  the 
Jewish  church  by  circumcision  ;  but  in 
Jesus  Christ  there  is  neither  male  nor  female, 
Gal.  3:  28.  lienee  it  is  easily  gathered,  that 
women  are  to  be  admitted  to  the  Lord’s  sup¬ 
per,  though  it  does  not  appear  that  there 
were  any  among  those  to  whom  it  was  first 
administered.  All  this  occasioned  great  joy. 
The  spreading  of  the  Gospel  in  the  world,  is 
often  prophesied  of  in  the  O.  T.  as  the  dif¬ 
fusing  of  joy  among  the  nations,  Ps.  67:  4.  1 


Thess.  1:  6.  The  Gospel  of  Christ  does  not 
make  men  melancholy,  but  fills  them  with 
joy,  if  it  be  received  as  it  should  be  ;  for  it 
is  glad  tidings  of  great  joy  to  all  people,  Luke 
2:  10. 

2.  What  in  particular  at  Samaria  made 
the  success  of  the  Gospel  there  more  than 
ordinarily  wonderful.  (1.)  Simon  Magus 
had  been  busy  there,  and  gained  great  in¬ 
terest  among  the  people.  He  had  been  a 
long  time  in  this  city,  using  sorceries ;  he  had 
no  design  to  reform  their  lives,  or  improve 
their  worship  and  devotion,  but  only  to 
make  them  believe  he  was  some  divine  per¬ 
son,  some  great  one.  Justin  Martyr  says,  he 
would  be  worshipped  as  the  chief  God.  He 
gave  out  himself  to  be  the  Son  of  God,  the 
Messiah,  so  some  ;  or,  to  be  an  angel,  or  a 
prophet  ;  perhaps  uncertain  what  title  of 
honor  to  pretend  to ;  but  he  would  be  thought 
some  great  one.  Pride,  ambition,  and  an 
affectation  of  grandeur,  have  always  been  the 
cause  of  abundance  of  mischief,  both  to  the 
world  and  to  the  church.  What  he  thus  as¬ 
sumed,  the  people  all  ascribed  to  him,  from 
the  least  to  the  greatest  ;  and  to  him  they  had 
regard,  v.  10,11.  perhaps  the  more,  because 
the  time  fixed  for  the  coming  of  the  Messiah 
was  now  expired;  which  had  raised  a  gen¬ 
eral  expectation  of  the  appearing  of  some 
great  one  about  this  time.  They  said  of 
him,  this  man  is  the  great  power  of  God  ;  the 
power  of  God,  that  great  power,  so  it  might  be 
read  ;  that  power  which  made  the  world. 
See  how  ignorant,  inconsiderate  people  mis¬ 
take  what  is  done  by  the  power  of  Satan,  as 
if  it  were  done  by  the  power  of  God  !  Thus, 
in  the  Gentile  world,  devils  pass  for  deities; 
and  in  the  antichristian  kingdom  all  the  world 
wonders  after  a  beast,  to  whom  the  dragon 
gives  his  power,  and  who  opens  his  mouth  in 
blasphemy  against  God,  Rev.  13:  2,  3.  They 
were  brought  to  it  by  his  sorceries  J  he  be¬ 
witched  the  people  of  Samaria,  v.  9.  with  sor¬ 
ceries,  v.  11.  i.  e.  by  magic  arts  doing  many 
signs  and  lying  wonders,  which  seemed  mir¬ 
acles,  but  were  not  so  ;  ike  those  of  the 
magicians  of  Egypt,  and  of  the  man  of  sin,  2 
Thess.  2:9.  When  acquainted  however 
with  Philip’s  miracles,  they  saw  plainly, 
that  the  one  was  real  and  the  other  a  sham, 
and  that  there  was  as  much  difference  as 
between  Aaron’s  rod  and  those  of  the 
magicians. 

Thus,  notwithstanding  Simon’s  influence, 
and  the  lothness  there  generally  is  in  people 
to  own  themselves  in  an  error,  and  to  retract 


it,  yet  they  gave  heed  no  longer  to  Simon, 
but  to  Philip  :  and  thus  you  see  how  strong 
the  power  of  Divine  grace  is,  by  which  they 
were  brought  to  Christ,  who  is  Truth  itself, 
and  was,  as  I  may  say,  the  great  Unde¬ 
ceiver.  Let  us  not  despair  of  the  worst, 
when  even  those  whom  Simon  Magus  had 
bewitched  were  brought  to  believe. 

(2.)  What  is  yet  more  wonderful,  Simon 
Magus  himself  became  a  convert,  in  show 
and  profession,  for  a  time,  v.  13.  He  was 
convinced  that  Philip  preached  a  true  doc¬ 
trine,  because  he  saw  it  confirmed  by  real 
miracles,  which  he  was  the  better  able  to 
judge  of,  as  conscious  of  the  trick  of  his  own 
pretended  ones.  The  present  conviction 
went  so  far,  that,  [L]  He  was  baptized,  ad¬ 
mitted,  as  other  believers,  into  the  church, 
by  baptism;  and  vve  have  no  reason  to  think 
that  Philip  did  amiss  in  baptizing  him  ;  no, 
nor  in  baptizing  him  quickly.  For,  as  great 
wickedness,  before  conversion,  excludes  not 
true  penitents  front  the  benefit  of  God’s 
grace,  so  neither  should  it  keep  professing 
ones  from  church-fellowship.  Nay,  though 
he  was  now  but  a  hypocrite,  and  really  in  the 
gall  of  bitterness  and  bond  of  iniquity  all  this 
while,  and  would  soon  have  been  found  to  be 
so,  if  he  had  been  tried  a  while,  yet  Philip 
baptized  him;  for  it  is  God’s  prerogative  to 
know  the  heart  :  the  church  and  its  minis¬ 
ters  must  go  by  a  judgment  of  charity,  as  far 
as  there  is  room  for  it.  It  is  a  maxim  in  the 
discipline  of  the  church, —  The  secrets  of  the 
heart  God  only  judges.  [2.]  It  lasted  so 
long,  that  he  continued  with  Philip,  courted 
his  acquaintance;  and  he  that  had  given  out 
himself  to  be  some  great  one,  is  content  to  sit 
at  the  feet  of  a  preacher  of  the  Gospel.  Even 
bad  men,  very  bad,  may  sometimes  be  in  a 
good  frame,  very  good  ;  and  they  whose 
hearts  still  go  after  their  covetousness,  may 
possibly  not  only  come  before  God  as  his 
people  come,  but  continue  with  them.  [3.] 
The  present  conviction  was  wrought  and 
kept  up  by  the  miracles;  he  wondered  to  see 
himself  so  far  outdone  in  signs  and  miracles. 
Many  wonder  at  the  proofs  of  divine  truths, 
who  never  experience  their  power. 

V.  14 — 25.  God  had  wonderfully  owned 
Philip  in  his  work  as  an  evangelist  at  Sa¬ 
maria,  but  he  could  do  no  more  than  an 
evangelist  ;  there  were  some  peculiar  pow¬ 
ers  reserved  to  the  apostles,  and  here  we 
have  an  account  of  what  was  done  by  two 
of  them  here, — Peter  and  John.  If  Peter  had 
been,  as  some  say  he  was,  the  prince  of  the 


he  was  doubtless  here  spoken  of.  (6:2 — 6,  v.  5.) — As  Jesus  had  stayed 
two  days  among  the  Samaritans,  and  had  mentioned  them  among  those, 
to  whom  the  apostles  were  to  preach;  (1:4 — 8.  John  4:39 — 42.)  the 
apostles  do  not  seem  to  have  hesitated  about  the  admission  of  the  Sa¬ 
maritans  into  the  church,  notwithstanding  the  bigoted  enmity  of  the 
Jews  against  them.  Scott. 

V.  9 — 13.  It  is  evident  that  Simon  actually  used  sorcery,  and  produc¬ 
ed  many  extraordinary  effects  by  satanical  influence,  and  not  merely  by 
human  imposture. — Ecclesiastical  historians  have  given  us  strange  ac¬ 
counts  of  the  horrid  blasphemies,  which  this  man  propagated  ;  but  these 
seem  to  have  been  subsequent  to  the  events  here  recorded. — Perhaps 
Philip  exposed  the  nature  and  tendency  of  Simon’s  magical  arts;  or 
Simon  deemed  Philip  a  magician  of  superior  skill  and  attainments,  and 
hoped  to  get  acquainted  with  the  secret  of  his  art,  by  which  he  produced 
effects,  far  exceeding  all  that  he  himself  had  been  able  to  perform. — 
*  “  Simon  believed,  also,”  that  this  Jesus,  who  enabled  Philip  to  do  these 
things,  was  some  power  superior  to  any  he  conversed  with.’  Whitby.  Id. 

(9.)  Sorcery  ..  bewitched.]  ‘  Mageubn  . .  exist 5n  :  had  [practised 
magism]  exercised  the  magic  art,  and  had  thrown  into  amazement. 
Mageuein  is  rare,  but  is  found  in  Plutarch  and  Hippocrates.  It  comes 
from  Magoi,  the  Magi,  Mat.  2:1.  In  process  of  time  the  name  was  as¬ 
sumed  by  many  who  had  little  pretension  to  anything  more  than  a  sim¬ 
ilarity  of  studies,  and  (as  Kuin.  observes)  the  appellation  was  often  given 
even  to  strolling  quacks,  who  had  some  knowledge  of  natural  philosophy 
and  astrology,  and  abused  it  to  the  deception  of  the  people  [see  Brew¬ 
ster's  Natural  Magic,  pretended]  to  predict  future  events  from  the  stars, 
to  cure  disorders  by  the  recitation  of  certain  formulas,  and  even  by  mut¬ 
tering  certain  incantations,  to  bring  up  departed  spirits,  and  compel 
them  to  reveal  secrets ;  as  also  by  the  repetition  of  certain  verses,  and 
the  use  of  particular  herbs,  to  terrify  and  drive -away  demons.’  Be. 

V.  14 — 17.  The  apostles  acted  in  concert,  as  a  collective  body;  no 
one  arrogating  authority  over  the  others,  but  every  one  paying  a  great 
regard  to  the  determination  of  the  whole  company. — ‘  Without  doubt, 
Peter  and  John  were  sent  by  the  other  apostles,  partly  that  they  might 
conlirm  the  doctrine  of  Philip  the  deacon;  and  partly  that  they  might 
establish  a  church  iu  that  city  by  apostolical  authority.’  Bcza.  It  is 
probable,  that  many  received  the  gift  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  by  the  laying 
on  of  the  apostles’  hands,  and  that,  from  among  these  persons,  the  inin- 

[42] 


isters  were  generally  selected,  by  those  who  were  entrusted  with  that 
important  concern.  (13:1 — 3.  14:21 — 23.  19:1 — 7.  2  7Ym.2:l,2.  Tit.  1: 
S — 9.) — It  may  be  supposed,  that  Peter  and  John  ordained  ministers  in 
this  city  of  the  Samaritans.  But  it  does  not  appear,  that  their  laying  of 
hands  on  some,  1  that  they  might  receive  the  Holy  Spirit,’  after  having 
prayed  for  the  company  in  general  that  they  might  partake  of  these 
benefits,  implied  previous  ordination. — The  right  of  confirmation,  as 
practised  by  many  Christian  churches,  has  often  been  and  still  is,  spoken 
of,  us  a  continuation  of  this  apostolical  imposition  of  hands,  for  the  con¬ 
firmation  of  new  converts,  by  the  Holy  Spirit  thus  given  to  them.  But 
it  is  far  from  evident,  that  this  was  done  universally  by  the  apostles,  or 
by  those  who  immediately  succeeded  them.  As,  however,  miraculous 
pouters ,  rather  than  sanctifying  grace ,  were  thus  conferred ;  unless 
miraculous  powers  were  now  connected  with  that  rite,  the  parallel  must 
wholly  fail.  IIow  far  something  of  this  kind,  properly  regulated  and 
conducted,  may  he  rendered  subservient  to  the  edification  of  young  per¬ 
sons,  descended  from  Christian  parents,  and  baptized  when  infants,  is 
another  question  :  hut  to  advance  this  observance  into  a  sacrament,  and 
even  above  a  6acramcnt,  (as  it  certainly  is  advanced,  when  the  Holy 
Spirit  is  supposed  to  be  conferred  by  imposition  of  hands,  and  by  using 
words  in  prayer  like  those  of  Peter  and  John,)  puts  the  subject  in  a  very 
different  light.  Doubtless  it  was  at  first  thus  magnified,  in  order  to  ex¬ 
alt  the  episcopal  order,  to  whom  the  administration  of  it  was  confined, 
as  if  they  were  entrusted  with  apostolical  authority  :  hut  as  miracles  are 
out  of  the  question,  so  to  follow  the  apostles  in  faith,  humility,  diligence, 
in  ‘  preaching  in  season,  out  of  season,’  in  piety,  and  self-denial,  is  the 
only  scriptural  or  adequate  method  of  magnifying  either  the  episcopal 
or  the  clerical  ollice.  Assuredly,  as  this  matter  is  very  often  conducted, 
it  must  be  allowed  to  he  an  evil ;  and  it  ought  either  to  he  attended  to  in 
another  manner,  or  not  at  all.— It  appears  indisputable,  that  Philip  was, 
before  these  transactions,  a  regularly  ordained  minister,  or  evangelist. 
(Note,  6:2 — 6.)  Scott. 

(14.)  ‘The  apostles  seem  to  have  laid  down  a  rule,  that,  after  being 
baptized  and  catechized,  the  proselytes  should  have  the  imposition  of 
hands,  accompanied  with  prayer,  in  order  to  their  receiving  the  gifts  ot 
the  Holy  Spirit.  Hence  in  Ileb.  6:2.  \ye  find  mention  made  first  of  bap¬ 
tism,  then  of  instruction,  and  finally  of  imposition  of  hands,  the  lust  in 
the  primitive  ages  only,  being  done  by  the  apostles;  in  process  of  time, 


A.  D.  S3. 


ACTS,  VIII. 


Simon,  the  sorcerer,  rebuked  by  Peter. 


15  Who,  when  they  were  come 
down,  prayed  for  them,  that  they 
might  receive  the  Holy  Ghost  : 

16  (For  as  yet  he  was  fallen 
upon  none  of  them  ;  only  they 
were  r  baptized  in  the  name  of  the 
Lord  Jesus  :  ) 

17  Then  laid  ’they  their  hands 
on  them,  and  they  received  the 
Holy  Ghost. 

IS  IF  And  when  Simon  saw,  that 
through  laying  on  of  the  apostles’ 
hands  the  Holy  Ghost  was  given, 
he  offered  them  *  money, 

19  Saying,  Give  me  also  this 
power,  that  on  whomsoever  I  lay 
hands,  he  may  receive  the  Holy 
Ghost. 

20  But  Peter  said  unto  him,  Thy 
money  perish  with  thee,  because 
0  thou  hast  thought  that  the  gift  T  of 
God  may  be  purchased  with  money. 

21  Thou  hast  neither  part  w  nor 
lot  in  this  matter  :  for  x  thy  heart  is 
not  right  in  the  sight  of  God. 

22  Repent  therefore  of  this  thy 
wickedness  ;  and  pray  God,  if  r  per¬ 
haps  the  thought  of  thine  heart  may 
be  forgiven  thee  : 

23  For  I  perceive  that  thou  art 
in  the  gall  of  z bitterness,  and  in 
the  bond  aof  iniquity. 

q  c.  19:3.  n  2  K.  5:15,16.  y  Da.  4:27.  2  Ti. 

r  c.  2:38.  10:48.  Mat.  10:8.  2:25. 

19:5,6.  1  Co.  I:  v  c.  10:45.  11:17.  a  Je.  4:18.  He. 

13.  wJoi.  2*2:25.  12:15. 

t»  c.  6:6.  lie.  6:2.  x  Ps.  78:36,37.  a  Pp.  116:15.  Pr. 

I  1  Ti.  6:5.  Eze.  14:3.  5:22.  Is.  28:22. 

apostles,  he  would  have  sent  some  of  them, 
or,  if  he  had  seen  cause,  would  have  gone 
himself,  of  his  own  accord;  but,  so  far  from 
that,  he  submitted  to  go  as  a  servant  to  the 
body,  whither  they  sent  him.  Two  apostles 
were  sent  to  encourage  Philip,  and  carry  on 
the  good  work  that  was  begun.  Now  ob¬ 
serve, 

I.  How  they  advanced  and  improved  those 
of  them  that  were  sincere.  It  is  said,  v.  16. 
The  Holy  Ghost  was  as  yet  fallen  upon  none 
of  them,  in  those  extraordinary  powers  which 
were  conveyed  by  the  descent  of  the  Spirit  on 
the  day  of  pentecost ;  they  were  none  of  them 
endued  with  the  gift  of  tongues,  which  seems 
then  to  have  been  the  most  usual,  immediate 
effect  of  the  pouring  out  of  the  Spirit.  See 
ch.  10  :  45,  46.  This  was  both  an  eminent 
sign  to  them  which  believed  not,  and  of  ex¬ 
cellent  service  to  them  that  did.  This,  and 


other  such  gifts,  they  had  not,  only  they  were 
baptized  in  the  name  of  the  Lord  Jesus,  and  so 
engaged  to  Him,  and  interested  in  Him, 
which  was  necessary  to  salvation,  and  in 
that  they  nad  joy  and  satisfaction,  v.  8. 
though  they  could  not  speak  with  tongues. 
The  apostles  conferred  the  Holy  Ghost  on 
some,  not  all  that  were  baptized,  and  it 
should  seem,  on  such  as  were  designed  for 
some  office  in  the  church,  or  at  least  to  lie 
eminent,  active  members  of  it;  and  on  some 
of  them,  one  gift  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  on 
others,  another.  See  1  Cor.  12:4,  8.  14:26. 
Now,  in  order  to  this, 

1.  The  apostles  prayed  for  them,  r.  15.  The 
Spirit  is  given,  not  to  ourselves  only,  Luke 
11:13.  but  to  others  also,  in  answer  to 
prayer,  Ez.  36:27,  37.  We  may  take  en¬ 
couragement  from  this  example,  in  praying 
to  God  to  give  the  renewing  graces  of  the  Holy 
Ghost  to  them  whose  spiritual  welfare  we  are 
concerned  for  ;  for  our  children,  for  our 
friends,  for  our  ministers  ;  we  should  pray, 
and  pray  earnestly,  that  they  may  receive  the 
Holy  Ghost ;  for  that  includes  all  blessings. 

2.  They  laid  their  hands  on  them,  to  sig¬ 
nify  that  their  prayers  were  answered,  and 
that  the  gift  of  the  Holy  Ghost  was  conferred 
supon  them  ;  for,  upon  the  use  of  this  sign, 
they  received  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  spake  with 
tongues.  The  laying  on  of  hands  was  an¬ 
ciently  used  in  blessing,  by  those  who  blessed 
with  authority. 

II.  How  they  discovered  and  discarded 
Simon  Magus,  as  a  hypocrite,  for  they  knew 
how  to  separate  between  the  precious  and  the 
vile.  Now  observe  here, 

1.  The  wicked  proposal  Simon  made,  by 
which  his  hypocrisy  was  discovered,  v.  18, 
19.  He  does  not  desire  them  to  lay  their 
hands  on  him,  that  he  might  receive  the 
Holy  Ghost  himself,  but  that  they  would 
convey  to  him  a  power  to  bestow  the  gift  on 
others.  He  was  ambitious  to  have  the  honor 
of  an  apostle,  but  not  at  all  solicitous  to  have 
the  spirit  and  disposition  of  a  Christian. 
He  was  more  desirous  to  gain  honor  than  to 
do  good.  Nov/,  in  making  this  motion,  (1.) 
He  put  a  great  affront  on  the  apostles,  as  if 
they  were  mercenary  men,  would  do  any¬ 
thing  for  money,  and  loved  it  as  well  as  he 
did  ;  whereas  they  had  left  what  they  had, 
for  Christ,  so  far  were  they  from  aiming  to 
make  it  more  !  (2.)  He  put  a  great  affront 
on  Christianity,  as  if  (he  miracles  wrought 
for  the  proof  of  it,  were  done  by  magic  art, 
only  of  a  different  nature  from  what  he  him¬ 
self  had  practised  formerly.  (3.)  He  showed 
that,  like  Balaam,  he  aimed  at  the  rewards 
of  divination  ;  for  he  would  not  have  bid 
money  for  this  power,  if  lie  had  not  hoped 
to  get  money  by  it.  (4.)  He  showed  that 


he  had  a  very  high  conceit  of  himself,  and 
that  he  had  never  his  heart  truly  humbled. 
Such  a  wretch  as  he  had  been  before  his 
baptism,  should  have  asked,  like  the  prod¬ 
igal,  to  be  made  as  one  of  the  hired  servants. 
But  as  soon  as  he  is  admitted  into  the  fam¬ 
ily,  no  less  a  place  w  ill  serve  him  than  to  be 
one  of  the  stewards  of  the  household,  and  to 
be  intrusted  with  a  power  which  Philip 
himself  had  not,  but  the  apostles  only.  2. 
The  just  rejection  of  his  proposal,  and  the 
cutting  reproof  Peter  gave  him  for  it,  v.  20 
— 23.  (1.)  Peter  shows  him  his  crime,  v. 

20.  He  had  overvalued  the  wealth  of  this 
world,  and  undervalued  the  gift  of  the  Holy 
Ghost,  lie  thought  the  power  of  an  apostle 
might  as  well  be  had  for  a  good  fee,  as  the 
advice  of  a  physician  or  a  lawyer  ;  which 
was  the  greatest  despite  that  could  be  done  to 
the  Spirit  of  grace.  (2.)  He  shows  him  his 
character,  which  is  inferred  from  his  crime. 
This  was  such  a  fundamental  error,  as  could 
by  no  means  consist  with  a  state  of  grace  ; 
it  w'as  an  incontestable  evidence  that  he  was 
yet  under  the  power  of  a  worldly  and  carnal 
mind.  Therefore,  Peter  tells  him  plainly,  his 
heart  was  not  right  in  the  sight  of  God ,  v.  21. 
We  are  as  our  hearts  are  ;  our  hearts  are 
that  which  they  are  in  the  sight  of  God,  who 
cannot  be  deceived ;  and  if  they  be  not  right 
in  his  sight,  whatever  our  pretensions  be, 
our  religion  is  vain,  and  will  stand  us  in  no 
stead.  Some  refer  this  particularly  to  the 
proposal  he  made;  what  he  asked  is  denied 
him,  because  bis  heart  is  not  right  in  the  sight 
of  God  in  asking  it;  he  does  not  aim  at  the 
glory  of  God  or  the  honor  of  Christ  in  it, 
but  to  make  a  hand  of  it  for  himself ;  he 
asks,  and  has  not,  because  he  asks  amiss,  that 
he  may  consume  it  upon  his  lusts,  and  be  still 
thought  some  great  one.  He  is  in  the  gall  of 
bitterness,  and  in  the  bond  of  iniquity  ;  I  per¬ 
ceive  that  thou  art  so,  says  Peter,  v.  23.  This 
is  plain  dealing,  and  plain  dealing  is  best 
when  we  are  dealing  about  souls  and  eter¬ 
nity.  Note,  It  is  possible  for  a  man  to  con¬ 
tinue  under  the  power  of  sin,  and  yet  to  put 
on  a  form  of  godliness.  I  perceive  it,  saith 
Peler.  It  was  not  so  much  by  the  spirit  of 
discerning,  with  which  Peter  was  endued, 
that  he  perceived  this,  as  by  Simon’s  dis¬ 
covery  of  it  in  the  proposal  he  made.  The 
disguises  of  hypocrites  many  times  are  soon 
seen  through.  Now  the  character  here  given 
of  Simon  is  really  the  character  of  all  wicked 
people.  They  are  in  the  gait  of  bitterness  ; 
odious  to  God,  as  that  which  is  bitter  as  gall 
is  to  us  ;  they  are  vicious  in  their  own  na¬ 
ture,  Deut.  29: 18.  The  faculties  are  cor¬ 
rupted,  and  the  mind  imbittered  against  all 
good,  Heb.  12: 15.  It  speaks  likewise  the 
pernicious  consequences  of  sin  ;  the  end  is 


other  teachers  obtained  this  power.’  Kuix.  ‘The  several  uses  of  impo¬ 
sition  of  hands  are  fully  detailed  in  [my]  note  on  1  Tim.  4:  f.  Three  in 
the  O.  T.,  1,  as  a  ceremony  in  prayer ;  2,  in  paternal  benediction ;  3,  in 
creating  officers.  And  proportionable  to  them  many  more  in  the  New: 
1,  for  curing  diseases ;  2,  for  absolution  of  penitents  ;  3,  for  blessing  of 
infants,  or  those  that  arc  to  be  baptized,  to  prepare  them  for  it ;  4,  in 
confirmation  -,  5,  in  ordination  of  officers  for  the  church.  The  three  for¬ 
mer  cannot,  the  fourth  appears  to  be  here  meant.’  Hammond. 

V.  18 — 24.  Many  teachers,  and  probably  private  Christians,  wrought 
miracles,  and  spake  with  tongues,  ‘as  the  Spirit  gave  them  utterance:  ’ 
but  the  honor  of  communicating  those  gifts,  by  imposition  of  hands  and 
prayer,  was,  generally  at  least,  restricted  to  the  apostles.  Simon  aspir¬ 
ed,  with  horrible  pride  and  ambition,  at  equality  with  the  apostles  in 
power  and  authority  ;  while  he  meant  to  prostitute  the  sacred  operations 
of  tiie  Holy  Spirit,  to  gratify  his  love  of  filthy  lucre,  and  of  human  ap¬ 
plause  ;  and  attempted  to  seduce  the  apostles  to  concur  in  the  detestable 
sacrilege  ! — Whatever  miraculous  power  of  discerning  men’s  spirits 
i’eter  might  possess,  and  on  some  occasions  exercise,  lie  had  no  need  of 
it  in  this  case  :  but,  perceiving  the  extreme  wickedness  and  hypocrisy 
of  Simon,  he  expressed  his  abhorrence  of  his  money,  and  of  his  crime,  in 
the  most  decided  manner.  This  was  not  a  wisli  that  Simon  might  perish ; 
but  an  awful  warning,  that  he  was  in  most  extreme  danger  of  perdition, 
which  he  could  not  escape  if  he  proceeded  further  in  his  present  course. 
If  he  would  then  escape  perdition,  let  him  deeply  repent  of  this  most 
horrid  wickedness,  and  pray  earnestly  to  God,  that  this  blasphemous 
thought  of  his  depraved  heart  might  he  pardoned.  For  though  ‘  all 
manner  of  sin  and  blasphemy  shall  be  forgiven’  to  the  true  penitent; 
yet  Simon’s  crime  came  at  least  so  near  to  that  against  the  Holy  Spirit, 
which  never  can  be  pardoned,  that  it  was  a  very  doubtful  case,  whether 
God  would  ever  give  him  true  repentance. — Nothing  can  be  more  evi¬ 
dent,  than  that  the  apostle  here  exhorted  an  unconverted  sinner  to  re¬ 
pentance  and  prayqr ,  yea,  one  who  he  leaned  had  committed  the  unpar¬ 


donable  sin,  though  lie  did  not  look  upon  his  case  as  absolutely  hopeless. 
— Credible  historians  inform  us,  that  he  retained  a  sort  of  profession  of 
Christianity,  which  he  distorted  by  the  most  horrible  and  seuseless  blas¬ 
phemies  ;  and  thus  lie  became  the  founder  of  a  most  multifarious  sect  of 
heretics,  who  were  long  the  trial  and  the  scandal  of  the  church. — From 
his  infamous  attempt,  to  bargain  for  the  power  of  conferring  the  Holy 
Spirit,  all  mercenary  contracts  for  church  benefices,  and  other  methods 
of  turning  the  concerns  of  religion  into  n  lucrative  trade,  are  called 
Simony  ;  of  which  there  have  been,  and  are,  a  great  variety  of  species  ; 
and  will  be,  so  long  as  men  continue  covetous  and  ambitious,  and  verily 
suppose  that  ‘gain  is  godliness.’  It  is,  therefore,  much  easier  to  expose 
and  declaim  against  such  impious  practices,  than  to  find  an  effectual 
remedy  for  them. — Alas,  Simon  Magus  has  left  far  more  indisputable 
successors,  than  Simon  Peter  has  done :  especially  in  that  church  which 
grounds  its  claims  on  succeeding  to  St.  Peter’s  authority  ;  but  not  in 
that  church  alone. — ‘  It  ’  (the  sin  of  Simon)  ‘  struck  at  the  very  founda¬ 
tion  of  the  Christian  faith  ;  supposing  that  the  apostles,  and  other  Chris¬ 
tians,  did  their  miracles,  by  some  higher  art  of  magic,  than  that  which 
he  had  learned ;  and  so  they  by  the  same  art  could  teach  others  to  do 
the  same  works  for  any  other  end.’  Whitby.  (Ex.  7:13,22,23.) — ‘They 
who  buy  and  sell  sacred  things  are  the  successors,  not  of  Simon  Peter, 
but  of  Simon  Magus.’  Heza.  Scott. 

(20.)  ‘There  is  no  imprecation  here ;  the  sense  may  be,  Keep  your 
money  to  yourself  for  your  own  ruin,  not  mine.’  Bl. 

(21,  22.)  See  Doddridge  for  a  judicious  view  of  the  expressions 
here.  Ed. 

(23.)  Gail  o  f  bitterness.]  ‘  Put  for  bitter  gall,  comp.  Deut.  29-18.  Heb. 
12:15.  Transferring  the  Ileb.  metaphor,  the  sense  will  be,  “1  see  that 
thou  art  a  most  pernicious  person,  like  to  a  bitter,  poisonous  plant,  a 
pest  to  the  Christian  society,  and  so  disposed  as  to  be  calculated  to  ruin 
and  corrupt  many.”’  Be.  Bond.]  Cuts  and  notes,  Pref.  to  Lam., 
2  K.  17:6.  Is.  58:6'.  Ps.  18:5. 


A.  D.  33. 


ACTS,  VIII. 


Account  of  Philip  and  Ike  eunuik. 


24  Then  answered  Simon,  and 
said,  Pray  bye  to  the  Lord  for  me, 
that  none  of  these  things  which  ye 
have  spoken  come  upon  me. 

25  And  they,  when  they  had  tes¬ 
tified  and  preached  the  word  of  the 
Lord,  returned  to  Jerusalem,  and 
preached  the  gospel  in  many  villa¬ 
ges  of  the  Samaritans. 

26  IF  And  the  angel  of  the  Lord 
spake  unto  Philip,  saying,  Arise, 
and  go  toward  the  south  unto  the 
way  that  goeth  down  from  Jerusa¬ 
lem  unto  c  Gaza,  which  is  desert. 

27  And  he  arose  and  went  :  and, 
behold,  a  man  of  d  Ethiopia,  an 
'eunuch  of  great  authority  under 
Candace  queen  of  the  Ethiopians, 
who  had  the  charge  of  all  her  trea¬ 
sure,  and  had  come  fto  Jerusalem 
for  to  worship, 

28  Was  returning;  and,  sitting 
in  his  chariot,  read  Esaias  the 
prophet. 

29  Then  e  the  Spirit  said  unto 
Philip,  Go  near,  and  join  thyself  to 
this  chariot. 

b  Ex.  8:8.  Nu.  c  Jos.  15:47.  f  2  Ch.  6:32,33. 

21:7.  1  K.  13:  d  Zep.  3:10.  g  Is.  65:24.  Ilo. 

6.  Job  42:8.  Ja.  e  Is.  55:3—5.  6:3. 

5:16. 


bitter  as  wormwood.  They  are,  too,  in  the 
bond  of  iniquity;  bound  over  to  the  judgment 
of  God  by  the  guilt  of  sin,  and  bound  under 
the  dominion  of  Satan  by  the  power  of  sin. 
(3  )  He  reads  him  his  doom  in  two  things  : 
lie  shall  sink  with  his  worldly  wealth  which 
he  overvalued  ;  Thy  money  perish  with  thee. 
Hereby  Peter  rejects  his  offer  with  the  ut¬ 
most  disdain  and  indignation,  and  warns  him 
of  his  danger  of  utter  destruction  if  he  con¬ 
tinued  in  this  mind.  He  shall  come  short 
of  the  spiritual  blessings  he  undervalued, 
v.  21.  Thou  hast  nothing  to  do  with  the 
gifts  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  thou  dost  not  under¬ 
stand  them;  thou  canst  not  receive  the  Holy 
Ghost  thyself,  nor  power  to  confer  the  Holy 
Ghost  on  others,  for  thy  heart  is  not  right  in 
the  sight  of  God,  if  thou  thinkest  that  Chris¬ 
tianity  is  a  trade  to  live  by  in  this  world; 
therefore  thou  hast  no  part  nor  lot  in  the  eter¬ 
nal  life  in  the  other  world  which  the  Gospel 
offers.  Many  who  profess  the  Christian  re¬ 
ligion,  have  no  part  in  Christ,  John  13:8. 
no  lot  in  the  heavenly  Canaan.  (4.)  He  gives 
him  good  counsel,  notwithstanding,  v.  22. 
Those  that  have  said  and  done  amiss,  must, 
as  far  as  they  can,  unsay  it  and  undo  it  again 


by  repentance.  He  must  pray  to  God,  must 
pray  that  God  would  give  him  repentance, 
and  pardon  on  repentance.  Penitents  must 
pray,  which  implies  a  desire  toward  God, 
and  a  confidence  in  Christ.  He  encourages 
him  ;  if  perhaps  the  thought  of  thy  heart,  this 
wicked  thought,  may  be  forgiven  thee.  There 
may  be  great  wickedness  in  the  thought  of 
the  heart,  its  false  notions,  corrupt  affections, 
wicked  projects,  which  must  be  repented  of, 
or  we  are  undone.  The  thought  of  the 
heart,  though  ever  so  wicked,  shall  be  for¬ 
given,  on  our  repentance,  and  not  laid  to  our 
charge.  When  Peter  here  puts  a  perhaps 
upon  it,  the  doubt  is  of  the  sincerity  of  his 
repentance,  not  of  his  pardon,  if  his  repen¬ 
tance  be  sincere.  If  indeed  the  thought  of 
thy  heart  may  be  forgiven,  so  it  may  be  read. 
Or,  it  intimates,  that  the  greatness  of  his 
sin  might  justly  make  the  pardon  doubtful, 
though  the  promise  of  the  Gospel  had  put 
the  matter  out  of  doubt,  in  case  he  did  truly 
repent;  like  that,  Lam.  3:29.  If  so  be  there 
may  be  hope.  Simon  was  startled,  and  begged 
the  prayers  of  the  apostles  for  him,  v.  24. 
wishing  to  have  an  interest  in  them,  who,  he 
believed,  had  a  good  interest  in  heaven. 
Yet  while  he  begged  of  them  to  pray  for 
him,  he  did  not  pray  for  himself  ;  and,  in 
desiring  them  to  pray  for  him,  his  concern 
is  more,  that  the  judgments  he  had  made 
himself  liable  to  might  be  prevented,  than 
that  his  corruptions  might  be  mortified,  and 
his  heart,  by  divine  grace,  be  made  right  in 
the  sight  of  God.  See  Ex.  8:8.  10:  17. 
Some  think,  Peter  had  denounced  some  par¬ 
ticular  judgments  against  him,  as  against 
Ananias  and  Sapphira,  which,  on  his  sub¬ 
mission,  at  the  apostle’s  intercession,  were 
prevented  :  or,  from  what  is  related,  he 
might  infer,  that  some  token  of  God’s 
wrath  would  fall  upon  him,  which  he  thus 
dreaded  and  deprecated. 

Lastly,  The  apostles  return  to  Jerusalem, 
when  they  had  finished  the  business  they 
came  about  ;  for  as  yet  they  were  not  to 
disperse  :  but  though  they  came  hither  to 
do  that  work  which  was  peculiar  to  them  as 
apostles,  yet,  opportunity  offering  itself, 
they  applied  themselves  to  that  which  was 
common  to  all  gospel-ministers,  preaching 
on  their  way,  as  they  passed  through  many 
villages  of  the  Samaritans.  Though  the  con¬ 
gregations  were  inconsiderable,  yet  their 
souls  were  precious,  and  the  apostles  did  not 
think  it  below  them  to  preach  the  Gospel 
to  them. 

V.  26 — 40.  Here  is  the  story  of  the  con¬ 
version  of  an  Ethiopian  eunuch  to  the  faith 
of  Christ  ;  by  whom,  we  have  reason  to 
think,  the  knowledge  of  Christ  was  sent 
into  that  country  where  he  lived,  and  that 
scripture  fulfilled,  Ethiopia  shall  soon  stretch 


out  her  hands,  one  of  the  first  of  the  nations, 
unto  God,  Ps.  68:  31. 

I.  Philip,  the  evangelist,  is  directed  by  an 
angel,  where  he  would  meet  this  Ethiopian, 
v.  26.  We  cannot  now  expect  such  guides 
in  our  way;  but  doubtless  there  is  a  special 
providence  of  God  about  the  removes  and 
settlements  of  ministers.  He  must  go  S.,  to 
the  way  that  leads  from  Jerusalem  to  Gaza, 
through  the  desert  or  wilderness  of  Judah. 
Philip  would  never  have  thought  of  going 
thither;  yet  thither  he  is  sent,  according  to 
our  Savior’s  parable,  foretelling  the  call  of 
the  Gentiles,  Go  ye  into  the  highways,  and 
the  hedges,  Mat.  22  :  9.  Sometimes  God 
opens  a  door  of  opportunity  to  his  ministers 
in  places  very  unlikely. 

II.  An  account  of  this  eunuch,  v.  27. 
1.  He  was  a  black,  a  foreigner, of  Ethiopia } 
there  were  two  Ethiopias,  one  in  Arabia, 
but  that  lay  E.  front  Canaan  ;  it  should 
seem,  this  was  in  Africa,  which  lay  S.  W., 
beyond  Egypt,  a  great  way  off  from  Jerusa¬ 
lem.  2.  He  was  a  person  of  quality,  a 
great  man  in  his  own  country,  an  eunuch  ; 
not  in  body,  but  in  office;  lord  chamberlain 
or  steward  of  the  household  ;  and,  either  by 
the  dignity  of  his  place,  or  by  his  personal 
character,  of  great  authority,  under  Candace, 
queen  of  the  Ethiopians,  probably  successor 
to  the  queen  of  Sheba,  who  is  called  the 
queen  of  the  S.;  that  country  being  governed 
by  queens,  to  whom  Candace  was  a  common 
name,  [so  Pliny,]  as  Pharaoh  to  the  kings 
of  Egypt  ;  he  had  the  charge  of  all  her  treas¬ 
ure  ;  so  great  a  trust  did  she  repose  in  him  ! 
Not  many  mighty,  not  many  noble ?  are  called; 
but  some  are.  3.  He  was  a  proselyte  to 
the  Jewish  religion,  for  he  came  to  Jerusalem 
for  to  worship.  Some  think  he  was  a  pros¬ 
elyte  of  righteousness,  who  was  circumcised, 
and  kept  the  feasts  ;  others,  that  he  was 
only  a  proselyte  of  the  gate,  a  Gentile,  hut 
who  had  renounced  idolatry,  and  worship¬ 
ped  the  God  of  Israel  occasionally,  in  the 
court  of  the  Gentiles:  but,  if  so,  then  Peter 
was  not  the  first  that  preached  the  Gospel  to 
the  Gentiles,  as  he  says;  he  was.  Some  think 
there  were  remains  of  the  knowledge  of  the 
true  God  in  this  country,  ever  since  the 
queen  of  Sheba’s  time  ;  and  probably  the 
ancestor  of  this  eunuch  was  one  of  her 
attendants,  who  transmitted  to  his  posterity 
what  he  learned  at  Jerusalem. 

III.  Philip  and  the  eunuch  are  brought 
together  into  a  close  conversation ;  and  now 
Philip  shall  know  the  meaning  of  his  being 
sent  into  a  desert,  for  there  he  meets  with  a 
chariot,  that  shall  serve  fora  synagogue,  and 
one  man,  the  conversion  of  whom  shall  be 
in  effect,  for  aught  he  knows,  the  conversion 
of  a  whole  nation. 

1.  Philip  is  ordered  to  fall  into  company 


V.  25.  John  was  one  of  those,  who  formerly  asked  leave  to  call  for 
fire  from  heaven,  to  consume  certain  of  that  nation  ;  but  his  Lord  had 
now  taught  him  better  things.  Scott. 

V.  26 — 31.  Philip  seems  to  have  continued  some  time  among  the  Sa¬ 
maritans,  after  the  return  of  the  apostles.  He  [the  eunuch]  had  been  to 
worship  at  Jerusalem  ;  but  it  cannot  be  supposed,  he  had  heard  anything 
favorable  concerning  Jesus,  from  the  priests,  scribes,  and  rulers. — (26) 
Which  is  desert.]  This  may  be  understood  either  of  Gaza,  or  of  the  road  : 
hut  the  latter  is  the  more  obvious  interpretation,  as  more  immediately 
connected  with  the  context.  (30)  Unde.rstandest,  &c.]  ‘  Dost  thou  in¬ 
deed  understand,  &c.’ — Gen.  26:9.  Sept. — The  passage  of  Scripture  was 
a  difficult  prophecy;  and  the  question  seems  to  imply  surprise,  that  he 
should  understand  it,  or  select  it.  In. 

(26.)  Desert.]  ‘  I  incline  with  some,  to  regard  the  words  as  a  remark 
of  Luke,  and  refer  them  to  the  desolated  city,  whether  new  or  old  Oa7.a. 
not  to  the  road .’  Ittoomf.  whom  see.  En. 

(27.)  Eunuch.]  ‘Not  necessarily  one  mutilated  :  the  word  is  from 
eunS ,  a  bed,  or  cotich,  and  echein,  to  keep ,  guard.  In  the  courts-of  Ori¬ 
ental  monarch*  these  were  generally  mutilated,  hence  eunuch  came  to 
mean  such.’  Btoomf.  This  abuse  is  not  near  so  common  in  the  E.  as  is 
generally  thought,  see  Niebuhr.  »  Id. 

(28.)  ‘Schoeltgen  thus  cites  from  the  Rabbinical  writings:  “R. 
Joshua  said,  whoever  was  going  on  a  journey,  and  had  no  companion, 
should  siudv  the  Law.”  That  Jewish  students  used  to  read  aloud ,  ap¬ 
pears  from  his  other  citations.  It  is  not  improbable,  that  the  eunuch  had 
heard  of  Jesus,  and  was  now  revolving  the  prophecy,  and  comparing  it.’ 
Kuin.  Chariot.]  Harma :  ‘  Those  of  princes  and  heroes  were  not  only 
contrived  for  service  but  ornament, being  richly  embossed  with  gold  and 
other  metals.’  Potter.  The  Romans  of  the  times  of  the  apostles  had 
manv  kinds  of  carriages  among  them;  Adam  speaks  of  one  ‘with  two 
wheels,  for  travelling  expeditiously,  (called  cisium,)  drawn  usually  by 
three  mules;  its  body  of  basket-work  :’  also  of  ‘  a  larger  carriage  with 


four  wheels,  called  rheda,  sometimes  adorned  with  silver:’  also  ‘an 
open  carriage  with  four  wheels,  for  persons  of  inferior  rank,  ns  some 
think.’  ‘  In  the  war-chariots  of  the  ancients,  there  were  usually  two 
persons,  one  who  fought,  and  another  who  directed  the  horses.’  ‘The 
driver  commonly  sat  behind  the  pole,  sometimes  dressed  in  red  or  scar¬ 
let,  sometimes  he  walked.’  ‘  The  Roman  magistrates,  consuls,  pne- 
tors,  censors,  and  chief  ediles,  used  the  currus,  (two  wheels,)  and  the 
seat  (made  to  fold  up)  on  which  these  magistrates  sat  in  the  senate- 
house,  the  rostra,  or  tribunal  of  justice,  was  called  curu/is,  because 


fl-om  Pompeii,  or  Herculaneum,  of  a  1  biga'  ;  also  a  ‘  triza,'  and  ‘  quad¬ 
riga,'  of  those  times.  En. 


t 


A.  D.  S3. 


ACTS,  VIII. 


30  And  Philip  ran  thither  to  him, 
and  heard  him  read  the  prophet 
Esaias,  and  said,  Understandest 
h  thou  what  thou  readest  ? 

31  And  he  said,  How  'can  I,  ex¬ 
cept  some  man  should  I  guide  me  ? 
And  he  desired  Philip  that  he  would 
come  up  and  sit  with  him. 

32  The  place  of  the  scripture 
which  he  read  was  k  this,  He  was 
led  as  a  sheep  to  the  slaughter  ; 
and  like  a  lamb  dumb  before  his 
shearer,  so  opened  he  not  his 
mouth  : 

33  In  his  humiliation  his  judg¬ 
ment  was  taken  away  :  and  who 
shall  declare  his  generation  ?  for 
his  life  is  taken  from  the  earth. 

34  And  the  eunuch  answered 
Philip,  and  said,  I  pray  thee,  of 
whom  speaketh  the  prophet  this  ? 
of  himself,  or  of  some  other  man  ? 

h  Mat.  13.23,51.  i  Ro.  10:14.  k  Is.  53:7,8. 

'  Ep.  5:17.  j  Ps.  25:9. 

with  this  traveller,  that  is  going  home  from 
Jerusalem  toward  Gaza,  thinking  he  has 
done  all  the  business  of  his  journey,  when 
the  great  business  which  the  overruling 
providence  of  God  designed  in  it,  was  yet 
undone.  He  had  been  at  Jerusalem,  where 
the  apostles  were  preaching  the  Christian 
faith,  and  multitudes  professing  it, yet  there 
he  had  taken  no  notice  of  it,  and  made  no 
inquiries  after  it;  nay,  it  should  seem,  had 
slighted  it,  and  turned  his  back  upon  it;  yet 
the  grace  of  God  pursues  him,  overtakes 
him  in  the  desert,  and  there  overcomes  him. 
Thus  God  is  often  found  of  those  that  sought 
Him  not.  Is.  65  :  1.  Philip  has  this  order, 
not  by  an  angel,  as  before,  but  by  the  Spirit 
whispering  it  in  his  ear,  v.  29.  ‘  Go  near, 
and  join  thyself  to  this  chariot  ;  go  so  near 
as  that  the  gentleman  may  notice  thee.’  We 
should  study  to  do  good  to  those  we  light  in 
company  with  on  the  road  :  thus  the  lips  of 
the  righteous  may  feed  many.  We  should  not 
be  so  shy  of  all  strangers  as  some  affect  to 
be.  Those  of  whom  we  know  nothing  else, 
we  know  this  of,  that  they  have  souls. 

2.  He  finds  him  reading  his  Bible,  as  he 
sat  in  his  chariot,  v.  28.  he  read  aloud,  for 
the  benefit  of  those  with  him,  v.  30.  Per¬ 
haps  the  eunuchv  was  now  reading  over 
again  those  portions  of  Scripture  which  he 


had  heard  read  and  expounded  at  Jerusa¬ 
lem,  that  be  might  recollect  what  he  had 
heard.  Note,  It  is  the  duty  of  every  one  to 
converse  much  with  the  Holy  Scriptures, 
persons  of  quality  and  men  of  business  ; 
time  is  [the  most  precious  of  God’s  gifts,] 
and  it  is  the  best  husbandry  in  the  world  to 
gather  up  the  fragments  of  time,  that  none  he 
lost,  to  fill  up  every  minute  with  something 
that  will  turn  to  a  good  account.  When  re¬ 
turning  from  public  worship,  we  should  use 
means  in  private  to  keep  up  the  good  affec¬ 
tions  there  kindled,  and  preserve  the  good 
impressions  there  made,  1  Chr.  29  :  18. 
Those  that  arc  diligent  in  searching  the 
Scriptures,  are  in  a  fair  way  to  improve  in 
knowledge  ;  for  to  him  that  hath  shall  be 
given. 

3.  He  questions  him ;  Understandest  thou 
what  thou  readest?  Not  in  reproach,  but  with 
design  to  offer  him  his  service.  We  should 
often  ask  ourselves,  when  we  read  the  Scrip¬ 
ture,  whether  we  understand  it  or  no  1  Mat. 
13:  51.  We  cannot  profit  by  (he  Scriptures 
unless  we  do  in  some  measure  understand 
them,  1  Cor.  14:  16,  17.  And,  blessed -be 
God,  what  is  necessary  to  salvation,  is  easy 
to  be  understood. 

4.  He,  in  a  sense  of  his  need  of  assist¬ 
ance,  desires  Philip’s  company,  v.  31.  He 
speaks  as  one  that  had  very  low  thoughts  of 
himself  and  his  own  capacity  and  attain¬ 
ments.  He  takes  the  question  k indly,  and 
makes  a  very  modest  reply,  How  can  1  ?  We 
have  reason  to  think  he  was  an  intelligent 
man,  and  as  well  acquainted  with  the  mean¬ 
ing  of  Scripture  as  most  were,  yet  he  mo*d- 
estly  confesses  his  weakness.  Those  that 
would  learn,  must  see  their  need  to  be 
taught,  Zech.  4: 13.  He  speaks  as  one  very 
desirous  to  have  some  one  to  guide  him.  Ob¬ 
serve,  He  read  the  Scripture,  though  there 
were  many  things  in  it  which  he  did  not 
understand  ;  though  there  are  many  things 
in  the  Scriptures,  which  are  dark  and  hard 
to  be  understood,  nay,  often  misunderstood, 
yet  we  must  not  therefore  throw  them  by, 
but  study  them  for  the  sake  of  those  things 
that  are  easy,  which  is  the  likeliest  way  to 
come  by  degrees  to  the  understanding  of 
those  things  that  are  difficult  ;  for  knowl¬ 
edge  and  grace  grow  gradually.  In  order 
to  our  right  understanding  of  the  Scripture, 
it  is  requisite  we  should  have  some  one  to 
guide  us;  some  good  books,  and  some  good 
men,  but  above  all,  the  Spirit  of  grace,  to 
lead  us  into  all  truth. 

IV.  The  portion  of  Scripture  the  eunuch 


Account  of  Philip  and  the  eunuch. 

recited,  with  some  bints  of  Philip’s  dis¬ 
course  upon  it. 

1.  The  ch.  he  was  reading,  was,  Is.  53. 
two  verses  of  which  are  here  quoted,  v.  32, 
33.  part  of  vs.  7,  8. ;  they  are  set  down  ac¬ 
cording  to  the  Sept.,  which  in  some  things 
differs  from  the  original  Heb.  Grotius  thinks 
the  eunuch  read  it  in  the  Heb.,  but  Luke 
takes  the  Sept.,  as  readier  to  the  language 
in  which  he  wrote  ;  and  he  supposes  the 
eunuch  had  learned  from  the  many  Jews  in 
Ethiopia,  both  their  religion  and  language. 
But,  considering  the  Sept,  was  made  in 
Egypt,  the  next  country  adjoining  to  Ethi¬ 
opia,  and  betwixt  them  and  Jerusalem,  I 
rather  think  that  translation  was  most  fa¬ 
miliar  to  him.  It  appears  by  Is.  20  :  4. 
that  there  was  much  communication  between 
those  two  nations, — Egypt  and  Ethiopia. 
The  greatest  variation  from  the  Heb.  is, 
that  what  in  the  original  is,  He  was  taken 
from  prison  and  from  judgment,  is  here  read. 
In  his  humiliation  his  judgment  [i.  e.  chance 
of  justice]  was  taken  away  ;  so  the  sense  is 
much  the  same  with  that  of  the  Heb.  So 
that  these  vs.  foretold  of  the  Messiah.  (1.) 
That  He  should  die  ;  should  be  led  to  the 
slaughter,  as  sheep  offered  in  sacrifice;  with 
what  little  reason  then  was  the  death  of 
Christ  a  stumbling-block  to  the  unbelieving 
Jews,  when  it  was  so  plainly  foretold  by 
their  own  prophets,  and  was  so  necessary 
to  the  accomplishment  of  his  undertaking  ! 
Then  is  the  offence  of  the  cross  ceased. 
(2.)  That  He  should  die  wrongfully;  by  vi¬ 
olence,  should  be  hurried  out  of  his  life,  and 
his  judgment  shall  be  taken  away;  no  justice 
done  Him  ;  for  He  must  be  cut  off,  but  not 
for  Himself.  (3.)  That  He  should  die  pa¬ 
tiently  ;  like  a  lamb  dumb  before  the  shearer, 
nay,  before  the  butcher  too,  so  He  opened  not 
his  mouth  ;  never  was  such  an  example  of 
patience  as  our  Lord  Jesus  was  in  his  suf¬ 
ferings  ;  when  accused,  when  abused,  He 
was  silent,  reviled  not  again,  threatened  not. 
(4.)  That  yet  Heshould  live  for  ever,  to  ages 
which  cannot  be  numbered  ;  for  so  I  under¬ 
stand  those  words,  Who  shall  declare  his 
generation  ?  The  Heb.  word  properly  signi¬ 
fies,  the  duration  of  one  life,  Eccl.  1:4.  N  ow 
who  can  conceive  or  express  how  long  He 
shall  continue,  notwithstanding  this;  for  his 
life  is  only  taken  from  the  earth  ?  in  heaven 
He  shall  live  to  endless  ages,  as  it  follows 
in  Is.  53: 10. 

2.  The  eunuch’s  sensible  question  on  this, 
v.  34.  He  does  not  desire  Philip  to  give 
critical  remarks  on  the  words  and  phrases. 


V.  32 — 35.  The  Gr.  tr.  of  the  O.  T.  was  first  begun  at  least  in  Egypt ; 
thence  it  had  found  its  way  into  Ethiopia.  Greek  was  understood  by 
superior  persons  there;  and  from  this  tr.,  it  is  highly  probable,  that, 
without  any  other  teacher,  this  Ethiopian  obtained  the  knowledge  of 
the  true  God  ;  and  thus  became  first  a  proselyte  to  Judaism,  and  then  a 
convert  to  Christianity  :  what  an  abundant  encouragement  to  transla¬ 
ting,  and  dispersing  translations  of  the  sacred  oracles  !  We  may  sup¬ 
pose,  that  [Philip]  showed  him  the  circumstantial  and  exact  accomplish¬ 
ment  of  the  prediction,  in  the  Person,  doctrine,  conduct,  sufferings, 
death,  resurrection,  and  ascension  of  the  I.ord  Jesus  ;  concerning  whom 
it  is  most  likely,  that  he  had  heard  many  disadvantageous  reports,  whilst 
at  Jerusalem  :  and  also  the  necessity  and  nature,  the  benefit  and  effica- 
cy  of  faith  in  Him,  as  the  Savior  of  the  lost.  1  It  is  probable,  that  it  was 
in  the  familiar  way  of  dialogue,. .  .  that  Philip  continued  to  instruct  this 
stranger  in  the  doctrine  of  Christ.’  Campbell,  {dote,  4.)  *  Who  can 
lie  named  either  of  kings  or  prophets,  to  whom  these  things  agree  ?  No 
one  truly.’  Grotius  de  Verilate.  Yet  in  his  notes  on  the  ch.,  this  learn¬ 
ed  writer  endeavors  to  interpret  the  words  concerning  the  prophet  Jere¬ 
miah  ! — (32,  33.)  He.  was  led,  <fcc.]  From  the  I.XX  :  the  Variations  from 
the  Heb.  do  not  materially  alter  the  meaning.  Lowth  tr.  the  Ileb.  of 
the  clause  here  rendered  ‘in  his  humiliation  his  judgment  was  taken 
away,’  ‘  bv  an  oppressive  judgment  He  was  taken  oir.’ — Man’s  oppres¬ 
sive  judgment  was,  in  our  Lord’s  ‘humiliation,’  suffered  to  take  effect, 
and  God  did  not  interpose  to  hinder  it.  [See  on  Zech.  6: 12,  &c.  Ed.]  Who 
shall  declare  the  age  of  Him,  (33)  ‘  whose  goings  forth  have  been  from  of 
old,  from  everlasting.?’  Mic.  5:1 .  His  race,  who  is  the  Father  of  the  age, 
or  world  to  come?  Is.  9:6.  His  eternal  generation  ?  Scott. 

(32.)  S  'C  Hengstenbcrg  on  this  of  Is.  and  his  tr.  at  Zech.  6:12,  &c.  Ed. 
‘Prophets, divine  legates,  and  kings,  were,  by  way  of  eminence,  named 
worshippers  and  ministers  of  Jehovah.  I!y  this  appellation,  therefore, 
Isaiah  ch.  53)  might,  with  propriety,  distinguish  the  Messiah,  who,  we 
may  observe,  is  here  also  described  as  a  King  (comp.  53:121:  and  thus  the 
oracle  of  Is.  (who  lived  at  the  Bab.  captivitv)  teaches  the  same  as  the  oth¬ 
er  prophets  had  taught.  Now  by  David,  and  other  meritorious  leaders  and 
deliverers  of  the  state,  much  was  to  be  endured,  and  a  great  conflict  to 
lie  maintained,  ill  order  to  remove  all  impediments  thrown  in  their  way 
by  their  enemies.  Of  the  prophets,  aud  divine  legates,  many  had  been 


persecuted  by  the  hatred  of  the  corrupt  populace;  nay,  not  a  few  had 
beenpii?  to  death.  (Mat.  23:34.)  In  a  later  age,  however,  the  Jews  repre¬ 
sented  the  Messiah  to  themselves  as  a  King,  Prophet,  High  Priest.  (See 
1  Mac.  14:41,  47.  comp,  with  18  [?]  :15.  They  regarded  their  ./evils  and 
misfortunes  as  punishments  inflicted  by  the  angry  Deity.  (See  Job  9:1.) 
They  believed  also  that  an  innocent  person  would  suffer  punishment  in 
the  place  of  the  guilty,  and  thus  reconcile  them  to  the  favor  of  God. 
See  Jos.  de  Mac.  1:17.  Now  the  wiser  Jews  who  were  living  in  captiv¬ 
ity  were  aware,  that  they  had  brought  this  calamity  upon  themselves  by 
their  own  wickedness.  Peculiar  sacrifices  had  been  offered  up  by  them  ; 
and  at  that  time  they  anxiously  longed  for  some  expiator,  and  represen¬ 
ted  the  Messiah  to  themselves  as  the  author  of  every  kind  of  felicity; 
from  Him  especially  expecting  the  restoration  of  true  piety  and  religion  ; 
and  therefore  hoped  also  that  he  would  expiate  the.  sins  of  the  people, 
&c.  See  Schoettg.  Thus  there  is  no  reason  to  be  surprised  that  the  au¬ 
thor  of  this  passage,  together  with  the  other  wiser  Jews,  should  have  come 
to  the  opinion  that  the.  Messiah  would  die,  in  order  to  expiate  the  sins 
of  tile  people,  (See  on  Luke  23:42.  John  1:29.)  and  would,  for  their  sins, 
suffer  heavy  afflictions ;  all  which  must  take  place  till  his  kingdom  were 
established  :  but  that  He  would  finally  overcome  these  various  calam¬ 
ities,  reign  gloriously,  and  that  all  the  citizens  of  his  kingdom  would  be 
most  studious  of  piety  and  virtue.  Comp.  Joel  3.  ( Kuin .)  1  assent  to 
most  of  these  positions,  yet  cannot  but  except  to  the  fundamental  prin¬ 
ciple,  which  seems  to  refer  the  language  of  the  prophet  to  the  ideas 
and  notions  of  the  Jews  of  his  time,  but  which  is  inconsistent  with  the 
full  inspiration  we  are  accustomed  to  attribute  to  this  most  distinguished 
of  the  prophets.’  Bloomf. 

(33.)  ‘Ileb.  from  straits  and  trial  (put  by  hendiadis  for  strnits  of 
trial,  oppression,  Ps.  107:59.  i.  e.  severe,  violent  judgment)  He  is  led 
away.  The  Sept,  seem  to  have  read  (the  Heb.  a  little  differently  from 
our  copies],  and  Mich.,  Heusler,  and  Thiess,  on  the  authority  of  the 
Syr.  tr.  the  Sept,  thus,  “  He  opened  not  his  mouth,  since  great  was  his 
misery.”  Thiess  tr.  also,  “  his  judgment  was  taken  away  ;  He  was  con¬ 
demned.”  I  would  however  tr.  thus:  “  in  his  humility,  when  his  con¬ 
dition  was  exceedingly  miserable,  was  his  judgment,  (i.e.  He  was  con¬ 
demned,)  He  was  taken  off]  destroyed.”  ’  Kuin.  ‘  Doddr.  says,  to  take  a 
person’s  judgment  is  a  known  proverb  for  oppressing  him.  He  also  re- 


4 


A.  D.  33. 

35  Then  Philip  opened  his  mouth, 
and  began  1  at  the  same  scripture, 
m  and  preached  unto  him  Jesus. 

36  And  as  they  went  on  their 
way,  they  came  unto  a  certain  wa¬ 
ter  :  and  the  eunuch  said,  See,  here 
is  water  ;  what  doth  n  hinder  me  to 
be  baptized  ? 

37  And  Philip  said,  If  °  thou  be- 
lievest  with  all  thine  heart,  thou 
mayest.  And,,  hp  answered  and 
said,  I  p  believe  that  Jesus  Christ  is 
the  Son  of  God. 

33  And  he  commanded  the  char¬ 
iot  to  stand  still  :  and  they  went 
down  both  into  the  water,  both 
Philip  and  the  eunuch  •  and  he 
baptized  him. 

39  And  when  they  were  come  up 
out  of  the  water,  the  spirit  of  the 
i  Lord  caught  away  Philip,  that  the 
eunuch  saw  him  no  more  :  and  he 
went  on  his  way  r  rejoicing. 

40  But  Philip  was  found  at 
Azotus  :  and  passing  through,  he 
preached  in  all  the  cities,  till  he 
came  to  Cesarea. 

1  Lu.  24:27.  o  Ma.  16:16.  ver.  12.  q  1  K.  18:12. 
me.  18:28.  p  Jn.  11:27.  1  Co.  Eze.  3:12,14. 

nc.  10:47.  12:3.  1  Jn.4:15.  r  Ps.  119:14.  111. 


and  the  idioms  of  the  language,  but  to 
acquaint  him  with  the  general  scope  and 
design  of  the  prophecy,  to  furnish  him 
with  a  key,  in  the  use  of  which  he  might, 
by  comparing  one  thing  with  another,  be 
let  into  the  meaning  of  the  particular  passa¬ 
ges.  Prophecies  had  usually  in  them  some¬ 
thing  of  obscurity,  till  explained  by  the  ac¬ 
complishment  of  them,  as  this  now  was. 
Though  the  modern  Jews  will  not  allow  it 
to  be  spoken  of  the  Messiah,  yet  their  an- 


ACTS,  VIII. 

cient  doctors  did  so  interpret  it  ;  and  per¬ 
haps  the  eunuch  knew  it,  and  did  partly  un¬ 
derstand  it  so  himself,  only  he  proposed  this 
question,  to  draw  on  discourse  with  Philip. 

3.  Philip  takes  occasion  to  open  to  him 
the  great  mystery  of  the  Gospel,  concerning 
Jesus  Christ  and  Him  crucified.  He  began  at 
this  scripture ,  took  that  for  his  text,  and 
preached  unto  him  Jesus,  v.  35.  That  is  all 
the  account  given  us  of  Philip’s  sermon,  be¬ 
cause  it  was  the  same  in  effect  with  Peter’s 
sermons,  which  we  have  had  before.  The 
business  of  gospel-ministers  is  to  preach 
Jesus,  and  that  is  the  preaching  likely  to  do 
good.  Here  is  an  instance  of  speaking  of 
the  things  of  God,  and  to  good  purpose,  not 
only  as  we  sit  in  the  house,  but  as  we  walk  by 
the  way.  Dent.  6:  7. 

V.  The  eunuch  is  baptized  in  the  name 
of  Christ,  v.  36 — 38.  Probably  he  had 
heard  at  Jerusalem  of  the  doctrine  of  Christ, 
so  that  it  was  not  altogether  new  to  him. 
But,  if  he  had,  what  could  that  do  toward 
this  speedy  conquest  of  his  heart  for  Christ  1 
It  was  a  powerful  working  of  the  Spirit, 
with  and  by  Philip’s  preaching,  that  gained 
the  point.  Now  here  we  have, 

1.  The  modest  proposal  the  eunuch  made 
of  himself  to  baptism,  v.  36.  Ms  they  went 
on  their  way,  discoursing  of  Christ,  the 
eunuch  asking  more  questions,  and  Philip 
answering  them  to  his  satisfaction,  they 
came  unto  a  certain  water,  a  well,  river,  or 
pond,  the  sight  of  which  made  the  eunuch 
think  of  being  baptized.  The  eunuch  knew 
not  how  little  a  while  Philip  might  be  with 
him,  nor  where  he  might  afterwards  inquire 
for  him  ;  he  could  not  expect  his  travelling 
with  him  to  his  next  stage  ;  therefore,  if 
Philip  think  fit,  he  will  take  the  present 
convenience  which  offers  itself,  of  being 
baptized.  Observe,  (1.)  He  does  not  de¬ 
mand  baptism,  for  if  Philip  have  anything 
to  offer  to  the  contrary,  he  is  willing  to 
waive  it  for  the  present.  The  most  forward 
zeal  must  submit  to  order  and  rule.  But, 


Account  of  Philip  and  the  eunuch. 

'  (2.)  He  does  desireix,  and  unless  Philip  can 
|  show  cause  why  not,  he  desires  it  now,  and 
i  is  not  willing  to  defer  it.  In  the  solemn 
'  dedicating  and  devoting  of  ourselves  to  God, 
it  is  good  to  make  haste,  and  not  to  delay  J 
for  the  present  time  is  the  best  time,  Ps. 
119  :  60.  They  who  have  received  the 
thing  signified  by  baptism,  should  not  put 
off  receiving  the  sign. 

2.  The  fair  declaration  Philip  made  him 
of  the  terms  on  which  he  might  have  the 
privilege  of  baptism,  v.  37.  If  thou  bclievest 
ivith  all  thine  heart,  thou  mayest;  i.  e.  ‘  If 
thou  believest  this  doctrine  I  have  preached 
to  thee  concerning  Jesus,  if  thou  receives! 
the  record  God  has  given  concerning  Him, 
and  set  to  thy  seal  that  it  is  true.’  He  must 
believe  with  all  his  heart,  not  with  the  head 
only,  but  with  the  heart,  by  a  consent  of  the 
will  to  gospel-terms.  ‘  If  thou  do  indeed 
believe  with  all  thy  heart,  thou  art  by  that 
united  to  Christ,  and  if  thou  give  evidences 
that  thou  dost  so,  thou  mayest  by  baptism 
be  joined  to  the  church.’ 

3.  The  confession  of  faith  the  eunuch 
made,  in  order  to  his  being  baptized,  very 
short,  but  comprehensive,  much  to  the  pur¬ 
pose,  and  what  was  sufficient;  I  believe  that 
Jesus  Christ  is  the  Son  of  God.  He  was  be¬ 
fore  a  worshipper  of  the  true  God,  so  that 
all  he  had  to  do  now,  was,  to  receive  Christ 
Jesus  the  Lord.  (1.)  He  believes  Jesus  is 
the  Christ,  the  true  Messiah  promised,  the 
Anointed  One.  (2.)  That  Christ  is  Jesus, — 
a  Savior,  the  only  Savior  of  his  people  from 
their  sins.  And,  (3.)  That  this  Jesus  Christ 
is  the  Son  of  God,  that  He  has  a  divine  na¬ 
ture,  as  the  Son  is  of  the  same  nature  with 
the  Father;  and  that,  being  the  Son  of  God, 
He  is  the  Heir  of  all  things.  This  is  the 
principal,  peculiar  doctrine  of  Christianity, 
and  whosoever  believe  this  with  all  their 
heart,  and  confess  it,  they  and  their  seed  are 
to  be  baptized. 

4.  The  baptizing  of  him  hereupon.  The 
eunuch  ordered  his  coachman  to  stop,  and 


PItACT.  OBS.  The  Lord  does  not  want  the  services  of  the  most  em¬ 
inent  men  :  if  lie  permit  them  to  be  cut  oif,  when  they  seem  scarcely  to 
have  begun  their  .work,  or  if  persecution  ‘make  havoc  in  the  church;’ 
Be  can  overrule  these  events  to  the  glory  of  his  name,  and  the  more 
extensive  promulgation  of  his  Gospel,  The  glory  of  his  grace  often 
shines  forth  with  peculiar  lustre  in  our  view,  when  we  are  informed  of 
the  manner,  in  which  his  most  honored  servants  spent  the  years  preced¬ 
ing  their  conversion.  Wherever  the  true  believer  is  driven,  he  carries 
with  him  his  knowledge  of  the  Gospel,  as  an  inestimable  treasure,  not 
only  for  his  own  benefit,  but  to  make  others  also  truly  rich  ;  and  in  one 
way  or  other  he  will  make  known  the  preciousness  of  Christ  in  every 
place  :  for  when  a  simple  desire  of  doing  good  influences  the  heart,  it 
will  be  found  impossible  to  exclude  a  man  from  all  opportunity  of  use¬ 
fulness. — Facts  authenticate  the  truth  of  the  Gospel,  when  it  is  faithfully 
preached  :  and  though  miracles  are  no  longer  wrought,  yet  sinners  ate 
converted  ;  and  unclean  spirits  reluctantly  quit  possession  of  those,  over 
whom  they  have  long  reigned  with  uncontrolled  sway  :  and  the  Gospel 
brings  with  it  substantial  and  permanent  jov  to  every  heart,  house,  vil¬ 
lage,  city,  or  country,  in  which  it  is  cordially  received.  But,  whoever 
compares  the  juggles  and  ambiguous  pretences  to  miracle,  or  extraordi¬ 
nary  operation,  that  shrink  from  investigation,  which  every  age  produ¬ 
ces  and  fosters,  and  then  detects  and  despises  ;  with  the  open,  benefi¬ 
cent,  incontestable,  and  disinterested  miracles  of  Christ  and  his  apostles, 
will  easily  discern  the  most  manifest  difference,  or  rather  the  most  en¬ 
tire  contrariety.  The  one  can  only  subserve  the  credit  or  interest  of 
designing  men,  and  abet  delusion,  hypocrisy,  or  immorality;  the  other 
evidently  tended  to  promote  the  best  of  all  causes,  even  that  of  truth 
and  holiness. — The  abundant  unction  of  the  Holy  Spirit  divests  men  of 
their  narrow  and  selfish  prejudices,  and  teaches  them  to  own  all  as 
brethren,  who  receive  the  Word  of  God,  and  to  impart  to  them  some 

marks,  that  this  is  one  of  the  many  passages  of  the  O.  T.  in  which  it  is 
not  so  difficult  to  find  a  sense  fairly  applicable  to  Christ,  as  to  know  which 
to  prefer.  His  paraphrase  of  the  next  clause,  differing  little  from  Ham. 
and  Kuin.,  is  :  “  Who  can  describe  the  obstinate  infidelity  and  barbarous 
injustice  of  that  generation  of  men  among  whom  He  appeared,  and  from 
whom  He  suffered  such  things.”  ’  Bloowf. 

V.  36—40.  The  discourse  of  Philip,  no  doubt  comprising  abundant 
instruction,  with  animated  exhortations  and  persuasions  ;  and  the 
prophecy  as  shown  to  coincide  with  its  accomplishment  in  so  wonder¬ 
ful  a  manner ;  fully  convinced  the  eunuch,  through  the  concurrent  teach¬ 
ing  and  illumination  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  that  Jesus  was  the  promised 
Messiah  :  and  he  was  enabled  to  understand  the  nature  of  his  kingdom 
and  salvation.  Accordingly,  he  desired  to  be  numbered  among  his  dis¬ 
ciples.  Doubtless  Philip  had  shown  him  the  nature  of  baptism,  as  the 
initiatory  ordinance  of  Christianity.  Men  will  form  their  conjectures, 
concerning  the  mode  in  which  Philip  baptized  him,  according  to  their 
different  sentiments  on  that  subject.  History  informs  tts,  that  this  eu¬ 
nuch  became  a  preacher  of  the  Gospel,  in  Ethiopia  and  the  adjacent  re¬ 
gions;  and  there  founded  a  flourishing  church,  which  continued  for  sev¬ 
eral  ages  afterwards  ;  and  it  is  supposed,  on  very  probable  grounds,  that 

[46] 


spiritual  good  as  they  have  opportunity  and  ability  :  for  in  these  things, 
there  is  no  room  for  competition,  as  no  man  is  impoverished  by  others 
being  enriched.  Though  simouiacal  practices  are  everywhere  exclaim¬ 
ed  against,  they  almost  universally  insinuate  themselves  into  all  things 
relative  to  religion ! — Commonly  those  who  aspire  to  be  the  chief,  have 
‘  neither  part  nor  lot  in  the  matter ;’  for  a  proud  and  covetous  heart  can¬ 
not  be  ‘  right  in  the  sight  of  God.’  But  when  we  most  plainly  perceive, 
that  men  are  ‘  in  the  gall  of  bitterness  and  in  the  bond  of  iniquity ;’  and 
when  we  most  solemnly  warn  them  of  their  guilt  and  danger ;  we  should 
still  exhort  them  to  repent  of  their  wickedness,  and  to  pray  to  God,  if 
peradventure  it  may  be  forgiven. — Men  often  imagine  that  their  thoughts 
are  free,  and  have  no  sin  in  them  ;  yet  ‘  the  thought  of  the  heart  ’  may 
possibly  be  so  atrocious,  as  to  exclude  a  man  from  repentance  and  for¬ 
giveness.  We  ought  not  to  be  discouraged,  when  called  to  minister  in 
obscure  places,  or  to  few  hearers  :  seldom  was  more  effectual  and  ex¬ 
tensive  good  done  in  the  most  numerous  assembly,  than  followed  Philip’s 
preaching  to  one  stranger  in  a  desert :  and  implicit  obedience  and  sub¬ 
mission  become  the  servants  of  God.  Those  who  seek  the  truth  will 
improve  their  leisure  time  in  searching  the  Scripture  ;  even  when  they 
have  but  small  advantages  for  understanding  it.  But  alas  !  how  few  of 
our  nobles,  and  ministers  of  state,  study  that  sacred  volume,  as  they 
ride  in  their  chariots  !  or  willingly  take  long  journeys  to  inquire  after 
God,  or  worship  Him  !  Surely  this  Ethiopian  will  rise  up  in  judgment 
against  them,  and  condemn  them  ! — When  God,  by  means  of  the  Bible 
alone,  excites  serious  inquiries  after  the  truth  ;  He  will  send  an  exposi¬ 
tor  to  obviate  difficulties  and  perplexities:  thus  xvhile  one  society  dis¬ 
perses  the  sacred  Scriptures,  another  sends  missionaries  :  both  are  need¬ 
ful,  and  there  should  be  no  competition  between  them,  but  most  cordial 
concurrence  in  their  most  excellent  designs.  Scott. 


he  was  endued  with  the  miraculous  power  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  to  qualify 
him  for  that  service.  Scott. 

(37.)  ‘  This  v.  is  wanting  in  A.  C.  G.  and  very  many  other  MSS.,  ns 
also  in  the  Syr.,  Arab.,  Copt.,  Sahidic,  and  AUth. ;  and  in  others  there  is 
much  of  variation  and  transposition.  It  has  been,  therefore,  rightly 
thrown  out  by  Griesb.  and  Matth.’  Kuin.  But  Uloomf.  would  only  in¬ 
clude  it  in  brackets.  See  Dr.  A.  C.  Ed. 

(38.)  ‘It  would  be  very  unnatural  to  suppose  they  went  down  to  the 
water,  merely  that  Philip  might  take  a  little  up  in  his  hand  to  pour  on 
the  eunuch.’  Doddr.  But,  though  frequent  bathing  be  a  custom  of  reli¬ 
gion  in  hot  climates,  and  immersion  be  an  old  form  of  baptism,  we  know 
not  if  the  ‘  water’  was  a  pool,  stream,  tank,  well,  or  fountain,  or  deep 
enough  for  immersion.  And  see  Henry,  with  Is.  52:15.  Id. 

(39.)  ‘  The  most  enlightened  commentators  are  now  agreed  that  Sr- 
pase  [tr.  “  caught  away  ”]  may  very  well  be  understood  of  the  imperative 
suggestions  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  which  Philip  doubtless  well  knew  how 
to  distinguish  front  ordinary  thoughts.  Comp.  1  K.  18:12.  Ilerodot. 
4, 13.’  Bloomf. 

(40.)  Ce.tarea.j  ‘  This  was  Cesarea  in  Palestine,  formerly  called 
Strato's  Tower ,  built  by  llerod  the  Great,  in  honor  of  Augustus.  Thero 


DAMASCUS 


A.  D.  35. 


ACTS,  IX. 


Account  of  PauPs  conversion. 


CHAP.  IX. 

1  Saul,  going  towards  Damascus,  4  is  stricken  down  to  the 
earth,  10  is  culled  to  the  apostlesbip,  IS  and  is  baptized 
by  Ananias.  20  He  preacneth  Christ  boldly.  23  The 
Jews  lay  wait  to  kill  him  :  29  so  do  the  Grecians,  but  lie 
escapeth  both.  31  The  church  having  rest,  Peter  healelh 
Eneas  of  the  palsy,  36  and  restoreth  Tabitha  to  life. 

AND  Saul,  yet  1  breathing  out 
threatenings  and  slaughter 
against  the  disciples  of  the  Lord, 
went  unto  the  high  priest, 

2  And  desired  of  him  letters  to 
Damascus  to  the  synagogues,  that, 
if  he  found  any  of b  this  way,  wheth¬ 
er  they  were  men  or  women,  he 
might  bring  them  bound  unto  Jeru¬ 
salem. 

3  And  cas  he  journeyed,  he  came 
near  Damascus;  and  suddenly  there 
shined  round  about  him  a  light  from 
heaven  : 

4  And  he  fell  to  the  earth,  and 
heard  a  voice  saying  unto  him,  Saul, 
Saul,  why  persecutest  thou  d  me  ? 

5  And  he  said.  Who  art  thou, 
Lord  ?  And  the  Lord  said,  I  am 
Jesus,  whom  thou  persecutest  :  it 
is  hard  for  thee  to  kick  e  against 
the  pricks. 

ft  c.  8:3.  Ga.  1:13.  c  1  Co.  15:8.  e  c.  5:39. 

b  the  way.  d  Mat  25:40,45. 

they  went  down  both  into  the  water,  fur  they  had 
no  convenient  vessels  with  them,  being  on  a 
journey,  wherewith  to  take  up  water,  and 
must  therefore  go  down  into  it  ;  not  that 
they  stripped  off  their  clothes,  and  went 
naked  into  the  water,  but,  going  barefoot, 
according  to  the  custom,  they  went,  perhaps, 
up  to  the  ancles  or  mid-leg  into  the  water, 
and  Philip  sprinkled  water  upon  him,  ac¬ 
cording  to  the  prophecy  which  this  eunuch 
had  probably  but  just  now  read,  for  it  was 
but  a  few  vs.  before  those  which  Philip 
found  him  on,  and  was  very  apposite  to  his 
case.  Is.  52  : 15.  Observe,  Though  Philip 
had  very  lately  been  deceived  in  Simon  Ma¬ 
gus,  and  had  admitted  him  to  baptism, 
though  he  afterward  appeared  to  be  no  true 
convert,  yet  lie  did  not,  therefore,  scruple  to 
baptize  the  eunuch  on  his  profession  of  faith 
immediately,  without  putting  him  on  a 
longer  trial  than  usual.  If  some  hypocrites 
crowd  into  the  church,  that  afterward  prove 
a  grief  and  scandal  to  us,  yet  we  must  not, 
therefore,  make  the  door  of  admission  any 
straiter  than  Christ  has  ;  they  shall  answer 
for  their  apostasy,  and  not  we. 

VI.  Philip  and  the  eunuch  are  unexpect¬ 
edly  parted,  presently ;  as  soon  as  they  were 
come  up  out  of  the  water,  before  the  eunuch 
went  into  his  chariot  again,  the  Spirit  of  the 
Lord  caught  away  Philip,  v.  39.  and  did  not 
give  him  time  for  an  exhortation,  as  is  usual 
after  baptism ;  but  his  sudden  departure  was 
sufficient  to  make  up  the  want  of  that,  for  it 
seems  to  have  been  miraculous,  and  that  he 
was  caught  up  in  the  air,  in  the  eunuch’s 
sight,  and  so  carried  out  of  his  sight  ;  and 
the  working  of  this  miracle  on  Philip,  was 
a  confirmation  of  his  doctrine,  as  much  as 
the  working  of  a  miracle  by  him  would  have 
been.  He  was  caught  away, and  the  eunuch 


saw  him  no  more,  but,  having  lost  his  minis¬ 
ter,  returned  to  the  use  of  his  Bible  again. 

1.  The  eunuch  went  on  his  way  rejoicing  ; 
business  called  him  home,  and  he  must  hasten 
to  it  ;  for  it  was  no  way  inconsistent  with 
his  Christianity,  which  places  no  sanctity  or 
perfection  in  men’s  being  hermits  orrecluses, 
but  is  a  religion  which  men  may  and  ought 
to  carry  about  with  them  into  the  affairs  of 
this  life.  He  rejoiced  that  he  himself  was 
joined  to  Christ,  and  had  an  interest  in  Him  ; 
and  that  he  had  these  good  tidings  to  bring 
to  his  countrymen,  for  he  returned,  not  only 
a  Christian,  but  a  minister.  Some  copies 
read  :  And  when  they  were  come  up  out  of  the 
water rthe  Holy  Spirit  fell  upon  the  eunuch, 
(without  the  ceremony  of  the  apostle’s  im¬ 
position  of  hands,)  but  the  angel  of  the  Lord 
caught  away  Philip. 

2.  Philip,  r.  40.  was  found  at  Azotus  or 
Ashdod,  formerly  a  city  of  the  Philistines  ; 
there  the  angel  or  Spirit  of  the  Lord  drop¬ 
ped  him,  which  was  above  30  miles  from 
Gaza,  whither  the  eunuch  was  going,  and 
where  Lightfoot  thinks  he  took  ship,  and 
went  by  sea  into  his  own  country.  But 
Philip,  wherever  he  was,  would  not  be  idle; 
passing  through,  he  preached  in  all  the  cities 
till  he  came  to  Cesarea  :  there  he  settled  ; 
and,  for  aught  that  appears,  had  his  prin¬ 
cipal  residence  ever  after  ;  for  at  Cesarea 
we  find  him  in  a  house  of  his  own,  ch.  21 :  8. 


Chap.  IX.  V.  1 — 9.  Mention  was  made 
of  Saul  twice  or  thrice  in  the  story  of  Ste¬ 
phen  ;  and  now,  not  quite  taking  leave  of 
Peter,  henceforward  the  sacred  penman  is 
mostly  taken  up  with  Paul,  the  apostle  of  the 
Gentiles.  His  name  in  Heb.  was  Saul , — 
desired;  his  Roman  name  was  Paul, — little. 
He  was  born  in  Tarsus,  a  city  of  Cilicia,  a 
free  city  of  the  Romans,  and  himself  a  free¬ 
man  of  that  city.  His  father  and  mother 
were  both  native  Jews,  therefore  he  calls 
himself  a  Hebrew  of  the  Hebrews  ;  he  was  of 
the  tribe  of  Benjamin,  which  adhered  to 
Judah.  His  education  was  in  the  schools  of 
Tarsus  first,  a  little  Athens  for  learning  ; 
there  he  acquainted  himself  with  the  philos¬ 
ophy  and  poetry  of  the  Greeks.  Thence  he 
was  sent  to  Jerusalem,  to  study  divinity  and 
the  Jewish  law;  his  tutor  was  Gamaliel,  an 
eminent  Pharisee ;  he  had  extraordinary  nat¬ 
ural  parts, and  improved  mightily  in  learning; 
he  had  likewise  a  handicraft  trade,  was  bred 
to  tent-making  ;  which  was  common  with 
those  among  the  Jews  that  were  bred 
scholars,  so  Lightfoot,  for  the  earning  of  their 
maintenance,  and  the  avoiding  of  idleness. 

This  is  the  young  man  on  whom  the  grace 
of  God  wrought  this  mighty  change,  about 
a  year  after  the  ascension  of  Christ,  or  little 
more.  We  are  told, 

I.  How  bad  he  was,  how  very  bad, before 
his  conversion  ;  not  that  he  was  a  man  of 
ill  morals:  as  touching  the  law  he  was  blame¬ 
less  ;  but  he  was  an  inveterate  enemy  to 
Christianity,  a  blasphemer  of  Christ,  a  per¬ 
secutor  of  Christians,  and  injurious  to  both, 
1  Tim.  1:  13.  And  so  ill  informed  was  his 
conscience,  that  he  thought  he  ought  to  do 
what  he  did  against  the  name  of  Christ,  ch. 
26:9.  and  that  he  did  God  service  in  it,  as 
was  foretold,  John  16  :  2.  His  breathing 
out  threatenings  and  slaughter  intimates, 


that  it  was  natural  to  him,  and  his  constant 
business,  that  he  still  persisted  in  it;  though 
it  intimates,  also,  that  he  shall  shortly  be  of 
another  mind.  To  Damascus  was  the  Gos¬ 
pel  now  lately  carried,  by  those  that  fled  from 
the  persecution  at  Stephen’s  death,  who 
thought  to  be  safe  and  quiet  there,  and  were 
connived  at  by  those  in  power  there  :  but 
Saul  cannot  be  easy  if  he  knows  a  Chris¬ 
tian  is  quiet;  so  resolves  to  give  them  dis¬ 
turbance,  and  applies  himself  to  the  high 
priest  for  a  commission,  v.  1.  to  go  to  Da¬ 
mascus,  v.  2.  The  high  priest  was  forward 
enough  to  do  it;  but  it  seems  the  young  per¬ 
secutor  drove  more  furiously  than  the  old 
one.  Leaders  in  sin  are  the  worst  of  sin¬ 
ners:  and  the  proselytes  which  the  Scribes 
and  Pharisees  make,  often  prove  seven 
times  more  the  children  of  hell  than  them¬ 
selves.  He  saith,  ch.  22:  5.  that  this  com¬ 
mission  was  had  from  the  whole  estate  of 
the  elders  :  and  proud  enough  this  furious 
iiigot  was,  to  have  a  commission  to  him  di¬ 
rected,  with  the  seal  of  the  great  Sanhe¬ 
drim  affixed. 

Now  the  commission  was,  to  empower 
him  to  inquire  among  the  synagogues,  or 
congregations,  of  the  Jews  at  Damascus, 
whether  any  that  belonged  to  them  inclined 
to  favor  this  new  sect  or  heresy,  that  believed 
in  Christ;  and  if  he  found  any  such,  whether 
men  or  women,  to  bring  them  up  prisoners 
to  Jerusalem,  to  be  proceeded  against  ac¬ 
cording  to  law,  by  the  great  council  there. 
The  high  priest  and  Sanhedrim  claimed  a 
power  over  the  Jews  in  all  countries,  and 
had  a  deference  paid  to  their  authority  in 
matters  of  religion,  by  all  their  synagogues, 
even  those  that  were  not  of  the  jurisdiction 
of  the  civil  government  of  the  Jewish  na¬ 
tion. — And  such  a  sovereignty  the  Roman 
pontiff  now  claims,  as  the  Jewish  pontiff 
then  did,  though  he  has  not  so  much  to 
show  for  it.  By  this  commission,  all  that 
worshipped  God  in  the  way  they  called 
heresy,  though  agreeing  exactly  with  the 
original  institutes,  even  of  the  Jewish 
church,  whether  men  or  women,  were  to  be 
persecuted.  Thus  was  Saul  employed  when 
the  grace  of  God  wrought  that  great  change 
in  him.  Let  not  us  then  despair  of  renew¬ 
ing  grace  for  the  conversion  of  the  greatest 
sinners,  nor  let  such  despair  of  the  pardon¬ 
ing  mercy  of  God  for  the  greatest  sin  ;  for 
Paul  himself  obtained  mercy,  that  he  might 
be  a  monument,  1  Tim.  1:13. 

II.  How  suddenly  and  strangely  a  blessed 
change  was  wrought  in  him,  not  in  the  use 
of  any  ordinary  means,  but  by  miracles. 
The  conversion  of  Paul  is  one  of  the  won¬ 
ders  of  the  church. 

1.  He  was  near  Damascus,  almost  at  his 
journey’s  end,  ready  to  enter  the  city,  the 
chief  city  of  Syria.  Damascus  had  been 
infamous  for  persecuting  God’s  people  for¬ 
merly,  Amos  1:  3.  and  now  it  was  likely  to 
be  so  again.  The  cruel  edict  and  decree  he 
had  with  him  drew  near  to  Ire  put  in  execu¬ 
tion  ;  and  now  it  was  happily  prevented. 
Christ  has  many  ways  of  delivering  the 
godly  out  of  temptation,  and  sometimes  does 
it.  by  a  change  wrought  in  their  persecutors, 
either  restraining  their  wrathful  spirits,  Ps. 
76:  10.  and  mollifying  them  for  a  time,  as 
the  O.T.  Saul,  who  relented  toward  David 


was  an  excellent  harbor  here,  made  by  Herod  ;  and  after  the  destruction 
of  Jerusalem  it  became  the  capital  of  the  whole  lund  of  Judea.  It  must 
be  always  distinguished  from  Cesarea  Philippi,  which  was  an  inland 
town  not  far  from  the  springs  of  the  Jordan.  Whenever  the  word  Ces¬ 
area  occurs,  without  Philippi,  the  former  is  intended.  As  Philip  preach¬ 
ed  in  all  the  cities  of  Palestine  till  lie  came  to  Cesarea,  he  must  have 
preached  in  the  different  cities  of  the  Philistine  country,  Ashdod,  Akka- 
ren,  and  Jamnia,  and  also  in  the  principal  parts  of  Samaria ;  as  these 
lay  in  his  way  from  Gaza  to  Cesarea.'  Dr.  A.  Clarke. 

NOTES.  Chap.  IX.  V.  1,  2.  It  is  not  certainly  known,  in  what 
year  Saul  was  converted  :  perhaps  it  might  be  two  or  three  years  after 
(fur  Lord’s  ascension.  7:58.  Philem.  9.  It  does  not  clearly  appear  under 
whose  authority  Damascus  was  at  this  time;  but  probably  the  ruling 
powers  were  disposed  to  concur  in  the  execution  of  the  commission, 
granted  by  the  high  priest  and  council  of  the  Jews.  Scott.  High 
Priest.]  This  was  ‘  Theophilus,  son  of  Anan,  whom  Vitellius  [the  Ro¬ 
man  emperor]  had  in  A.  D.  37,  appointed,  having  removed  his  brother 


Jonathan,  on  whom  he  had  conferred  the  office  at  the  Passover  of  that 
same  year.’  Bloomfield. 

(2.)  ‘  Tiie  Romans  had  granted  the  Sanhedrim  the  power  of  trial  and 
condemnation  in  all  religious  matters :  and  Aretas  k.  of  Arabia,  then  ru¬ 
ling  in  Damascus,  was  well  affected  to  the  Jews,  and  some  think  a  Jew¬ 
ish  proselyte  ;  as  he  had  married  his  daughter  to  Herod  Antipas.’  Id. 

V.  3,  &c.  The  hypotheses  which  would  explain  these  vs.  without 
reference  to  supernatural  causes,  require  more  ‘belief,’  and  ‘produce 
more  difficulties  than  they  remove.’  See  Bloomf.  ‘  Neither  phtis  [“light”] 
nor  periastraptein  [shined  round]  are  applied  to  lightning.’  Ed. 

V.  5.  Kick,  & c.]  ‘  A  proverbial  form,  common  to  the  Heb.,  Gr.,  and 

Latin.’  Bloomf.  From  “  it  is  hard,”  to  “  unto  him,”  inclusive,  making 
twenty  words'  in  the  original,  and  thirty  in  our  version,  are  not  in  any 
Greek  MS.  yet  discovered,  nor  in  the  Itala,  Erpen’s  Arabic,  Syr.,  Copt., 
Sahidic :  and  most  of  the  Sclavonian,  the  Complutensian,  Benge),  and 
Griesbach  omit  them.  The  ASth.,  Armenian,  one  Arabic,  and  Vulg.,  have 
them.’  Ur.  A.  Clarke. 

[47] 


A.  D.  35. 


ACTS,  IX. 


Account  of  Paul's  conversion. 


G  And  he  trembling  and  astonish¬ 
ed,  said,  Lord,  what 1  wilt  thou  have 
me  to  do  ?  And  the  Lord  said  unto 
him,  Arise,  and  go  into  the  city, 
and  it  shall  be  told  thee  what  thou 
must  do. 

7  And  the  men  which  journeyed 
with  him  stood  speechless,  hearing 
a  voice,  6  but  seeing  no  man. 

8  And  Saul  arose  from  the  earth; 
and  when  his  eyes  were  opened,  he 
saw  no  man  :  but  they  led  him  by 
the  hand,  and  brought  him  into 
D  atnascus. 

9  And  he  was  three  days  without 
sight,  and  neither  did  eat  nor  drink. 

f  c.  16:30.  g  Da.  10:7. 

more  than  once,  1  S.  24  :  16.  26:21.  or, 
renewing  their  spirits,  and  fixing  on  them 
durable  impressions,  as  on  the  1^  T.  Saul, 
here.  It  was  also  a  very  great  mercy  to 
Saul  himself,  to  be  hindered  from  executing 
his  wicked  design,  in  which,  if  he  had  now 
proceeded,  perhaps  it  had  been  the  filling  up 
of  the  measure  of  his  iniquity.  It  is  to  be 
valued  as  a  signal  token  of  the  divine  favor, 
if  God,  either  by  the  inward  operations  of 
his  grace,  or  the  outward  occurrences  of  his 
providence,  prevent  us  from  prosecuting  and 
executing  a  sinful  purpose,  1  S.  25:  32. 

2.  The  appearance  of  Christ  to  him,  in  his 
glory;  here  it  is  only  said,  that  there  shined 
round  about  him  a  light  from  heaven  ;  but  it 
appears  by  what  follows,  v.  17.  that  the 
Lord  Jesus  was  in  this  light,  and  appeared 
to  him  by  the  way.  lie  saw  that  Just  One, 
ch.  22:14.  and  see  ch.  26:13.  It  is  not 
inconsistent  with  what  is  said  of  the  heavens’ 
receiving  Christ  till  the  end  of  time,  ch.  3: 
21.  to  suppose  that  He  did,  on  such  an  ex¬ 
traordinary  occasion  as  this,  make  a  personal 
visit,  but  a  very  short  one,  to  this  lower 
world;  it  was  necessary  to  Paul’s  being  an 
apostle,  that  he  should  have  seen  the  Lord, 
and  so  he  did,  1  Cor.  9: 1.  15:8.  This  light 
shined  on  him  suddenly,  when  Paul  never 
thought  of  any  such  thing,  and  without  any 
previous  warning.  It  shone  round  about 
him,  on  every  side  ;  and  this  was  designed 
not  only  to  startle  him,  and  awaken  his  at¬ 
tention,  for  well  may  he  expect  to  hear, 
when  he  is  thus  made  to  see  something  very 
extraordinary,  but  to  signify  the  enlightening 
of  his  understanding  with  the  knowledge  of 
Christ.  The  first  thing  in  this  new  creation, 
as  in  that  of  the  world,  is,  light,  2  Cor.  4:  6. 
Hence  all  Christians  are  said  to  be  children 
of  the  light  and  of  the  day,  Eph.  5:  8. 

3.  The  arresting  of  Saul,  and  his  detach¬ 
ment;  He  fell  to  the  earth,  v.  4.  Some  think 
he  was  on  foot,  and  that  this  light,  which 
perhaps  was  accompanied  with  a  thunder 
clap,  so  terrified  him,  that  he  fell  on  his  face, 
usually  a  posture  of  adoration,  but  here  of 
astonishment;  but  probably  he  was  mounted, 
for  he  was  now  in  a  public  post,  in  haste, 
and  the  journey  was  long,  so  it  is  not  likely 
he  should  travel  on  foot.  Being  by  the  fall 
taken  into  custody,  and  as  it  were  set  to  the 
bar,  he  heard  a  voice,  (distinguishing  to  him 


only,  for  those  with  him  heard  a  sound,  v.  7. 
yet  knew  not  the  words,)  ch.  22:  9.  the  voice 
of  Christ,  ch.  22:  14.  Then  the  Word  we 
hear  is  likely  to  profit  us,  when  we  hear  it 
as  the  voice  of  Christ,  1  Thess.  2:13.  No 
voice  but  his  can  reach  the  heart.  He  was 
called  twice  by  his  name,  which  brought  the 
conviction  home  to  Ns  conscience,  and  put 
it  past  dispute  to  whom  the  voice  spake  this. 
Some  think,  allusion  is  had  to  Saul,  Da¬ 
vid’s  persecutor.  Calling  him  by  name, 
intimates  Christ’s  particular  regard  to  him, 
Is.  45:4.  Ez.  33: 12,  also  Saul’s  deep  sleep 
in  sin.  It  is  like  Martha,  Martha,  Luke  10: 
41.  or  Simon,  Simon,  Luke  22:31.  or  0  Je¬ 
rusalem.,  Jerusalem,  Mat.  23:  37.  He  speaks 
to  him  as  to  one  in  imminent  danger,  at  the 
pit’s  brink,  and  just  ready  to  drop  in,  ‘Saul, 
Saul,  dost  thou  know  whither  thou  are  go¬ 
ing,  and  what  thou  art  doing  1  ’ 

4.  The  charge  against  him,  is,  Why  perse- 
cutest  thou  Me  ?  Observe  here,  Before  Saul 
was  made  a  saint,  he  is  made  to  see  himself 
a  sinner,  a  great  sinner,  a  sinner  against 
Christ.  A  humbling  conviction  of  sin  is  the 
first  step  towards  a  saving  conversion  from 
sin.  He  is  convinced  of  one  particular  sin, 
persecution,  which  he  was  most  notoriously 
guilty  of,  and  had  justified  himself  in,  and 
thereby  way  is  made  for  his  conviction  of  all 
the  rest.  It  is  a  very  affectionate  expostu¬ 
lation,  enough  to  melt  a  heart  of  stone.  Ob¬ 
serve,  1st.  The  person  sinning;  ‘  It  is  thou ; 
not  one  of  the  ignorant,  rude,  unthinking 
crowd,  but  thou,  that  hast  a  learned  educa¬ 
tion,  and  the  knowledge  of  the  Scriptures, 
which,  if  duly  considered,  would  show  thee 
the  folly  of  it.  It  is  worse  in  thee  than  in 
another.’  2d ly.  The  person  sinned  against; 

‘  It  is  I,  who  never  did  thee  any  harm,  who 
came  from  heaven  to  earth  to  do  thee  good ; 
who  was  not  long  since  crucified  for  thee  ; 
and  was  not  that  enough,  but  must  I  afresh 
be  crucified  by  thee  1  ’  3dly.  The  kind  and 
continuance  of  the  sin.  It  was  persecution, 
and  he  was  at  this  time  engaged  in  it;  *  Not 
only  thou  hast  persecuted,  but  thou  perse- 
cutest,  thou  persistest  in  it.’  They  that  are 
designing  mischief,  are,  in  God’s  account, 
doing  mischief.  4thly.  The  question  put  tp 
him  on  it  ;  ‘  Wily  dost  thou  do  it  1  ’  It  is 
complaining  language.  ‘  Why  dealest  thou 
unjustly,  thus  unkindly,  with  my  disciples'?’ 
Christ  never  complained  so  much  of  those 
who  persecuted  Him  in  his  own  person,  as 
here  of  those  who  persecuted  Him  in  his  fol¬ 
lowers.  It  is  convincing  language,  *  Canst 
thou  give  any  good  reason  for  it  1  ’  Why 
persccutest  thou  Me?  He  thought  he  was  per¬ 
secuting  only  a  company  of  poor,  weak,  silly 
people,  that  were  an  offence  and  eye-sore  to 
the  Pharisees,  little  imagining  that  it  was 
One  in  heaven  that  he  was  all  this  while  in¬ 
sulting  ;  for  surely  if  he  had  known,  he 
would  not  have  persecuted  the  Lord  of  glory. 
Those  who  persecute  the  saints,  persecute 
Christ  Himself,  and  He  takes  what  is  done 
against  them  as  done  against  Himself,  and 
accordingly  will  be  the  judgment  in  the  great 
day,  Mat.  25:  45. 

5.  Saul’s  question  on  his  indictment,  and 
the  reply  to  it,  v.  5.  The  name  of  Jesus  he 
knew,  but  little  did  he  think  to  hear  it  from 


heaven,  or  from  the  midst  of  such  a  glory  as 
now  shone  round  about  him.  Christ  brings 
souls  into  fellowship  with  Himself,  by  man¬ 
ifesting  Himself  to  them.  He  said,  I  am 
Jesus,  a  Savior,  I  am  Jesus  of  Nazareth,  so 
it  is,  ch.  22:8.  Saul  used  to  call  Him  so 
when  he  blasphemed  Him  ;  ‘  I  am  that  very 
Jesus  whom  thou  usedst  to  call  in  scorn  Jesus 
of  Nazareth  :  ’  that  Jesus  whom  thou  perse- 
cutest,  and  therefore  it  is  at  thy  peril  if  thou 
persist  in  this  wicked  course.’  There  is 
nothing  more  effectual  to  awaken  and  hum¬ 
ble  the  soul  than  to  see  sin  to  be  against 
Christ,  an  affront  to  Him,  and  a  contradic¬ 
tion  to  his  designs.  Observe,  how  gentle  his 
reproof;  It  is  hard  for  thee  to  kick  against  the 
pricks,  or  goads;  to  spurn  at  the  spur.  Those 
kick  at  the  goad,  that  stifle  and  smother  the 
convictions  of  conscience,  that  rebel  against 
God’s  truths  and  laws,  that  quarrel  with  his 
providences,  and  that  persecute  and  oppose 
his  ministers,  because  they  reprove  them, 
and  their  words  are  as  goads  and  as  nails. 

6.  His  surrender  of  himself  to  the  Lord 
Jesus,  at  length,  v.  6.  See  here,  (1.)  The 
frame  and  temper  he  was  in.  He  trembled- 
as  one  in  a  great  fright.  Strong  convictions- 
set  home  by  the  blessed  Spirit^  will  make 
an  awakened  soul  tremble.  How  can  those 
but  tremble,  that  are  made  to  see  the  eter¬ 
nal  God  provoked  against  them,  the  whole 
creation  at  war  with  them,  and  their  own 
souls  on  the  brink  of  ruin  !  He  was  aston¬ 
ished,  filled  with  amazement,  as  one  brought 
into  a  new  world,  that  knew  not  where  he 
was.  The  convincing,  converting  work  of 
Christ,  is  astonishing  to  the  awakened  soul, 
and  fills  it  with  admiration.  ‘  What  is  this 
that  God  has  done  with  me,  and  what  will 
He  do  1’  (2.)  His  address  to  Jesus  Christ, 
in  this  frame ;  Lord,  what  wilt  Thou  have  me 
to  do  ?  Which  may  be  taken,  [1.]  As  a  se¬ 
rious  request  for  Christ’s  teachings.  A 
serious  desire  to  be  instructed  by  Christ  in 
the  way  of  salvation,  is  an  evidence  of  a  good 
work  begun  in  the  soul.  Or,  [2.]  As  a  sin¬ 
cere  resignation  of  himself  to  the  conduct 
and  government  of  the  Lord  Jesus.  This 
was  the  first  word  that  grace  spake  in  Paul, 
and  with  this  began  a  spiritual  life.  Note, 
The  great  change  in  conversion  is  wrought 
on  the  will,  and  consists  in  the  resignation 
of  that  to  the  will  of  Christ.  (3.)  The  gen¬ 
eral  direction  Christ  gave  him,  in  answer  to 
this  ;  Arise,  go  into  the  city  of  Damascus, 
which  thou  art  now  near  to,  and  it  shall  be 
told  thee  what  thou  must  do.  It  is  encour¬ 
agement  enough  to  have  further  instruction 
promised  him.  Christ  manifests  Himself  to 
his  people  by  degrees  ;  and  both  what  He 
does,  and  would  have  them  to  do,  though 
they  know  not  now, they  shall  know  hereafter. 

7.  H  is  fellow-travellers  fell  to  the  earth, 
as  he  did,  but  rose  without  being  bidden, 
which  he  did' not,  for  he  lay  under  a  heavier 
load  ;  but  when  up,  (1.)  They  stood  speech¬ 
less,  as  men  in  confusion,  and  that  was  all, 
v.  7.  They  were  going  on  the  same  wicked 
errand  he  was,  and,  perhaps,  to  the  best  of 
their  power,  were  as  spiteful  as  he  ;  yet 
we  do  not  find  that  any  of  them  were  con¬ 
verted,  though  they  saw  the  light,  and  were 
struck  down,  and  dumb,  by  it.  No  external 


V.  7.  We  find  from  the  account  [Paul]  afterwards  repeatedly  gave 
of  this  transaction,  that  much  more  passed  between  the  Lord  and  him, 
than  is  here  recorded.  22:14 — 16.  26:16 — 18.  1  Cor.  15:3 — 11.  Scott. 

V.  8,  9.  This  effect  [blindness]  proved  the  whole  transaction  to  have 
been  a  reality,  and  not  merely  an  illusion  of  the  imagination.  It  is  im¬ 
possible  to  describe  what  Saul  thought,  felt,  and  experienced,  during  this 
awful  and  important  interval  [of  3  days.]  There  is,  however,  abundant 
reason  to  conclude,  that  the  Holy  Spirit  enlightened  his  mind,  at  this 
time,  with  a  just  view  of  the  divine  law,  in  its  spirituality  and  excel¬ 
lency  ;  and  thus  showed  him  the  worthlessness  of  his  Pharisaical  right¬ 
eousness  ;  and  his  exceedingly  heinous  guilt,  not  only  in  persecuting  the 
Messiah,  in  his  followers,  but  also  in  his  whole  conduct,  and  the  slate  of 
his  heart.  This  seems  to  be  intimated  in  some  parts  of  his  epistles ;  and 
indeed  was  essentially  necessary  to  a  right  understanding  of  that  Gos¬ 
pel,  which  he  was  to  spend  the  rest  of  his  life  in  preaching.  Rom.  7:9 — 
12.  Gal.  1:11 — 24.  2:17 — 21. — With  this  narrative  in  view,  can  we  won¬ 
der,  that  one,  thus  ‘saved  by  grace,’  and  made  an  apostle,  at  the  very 
moment  when  he  might  most  justly  have  been  sent  down  ‘  quick  into 
hell,’  should  especially  delight  in  expatiating  on  the  divine  sovereignty, 

[43] 


and  on  the  riches  and  freeness  of  1  the  grace  of  our  God  and  Savior,’  in 
saving  his  chosen  people  ?  The  same  doctrines  may  be  distinctly  traced 
in  the  o.ther  parts  of  Scripture,  and  abundantly  proved  from  them  :  but 
this  apostle,  snatched  as  a  brand  from  the  burning,  and  rejoicing  xvith  most 
grateful  exultation  in  his  stupendous  deliverance  and  astonishing  felicity, 
with  a  noble,  but  highly  rational  enthusiasm,  delights  in  recurring  to  the 
source  of  all  his  hopes  and  joys,  and  in  calling  on  his  brethren,  to  ascribe 
unreservedly  all  the  glory  of  their  salvation  to  God  alone.  Were  our 
humiliation  equally  deep,  and  our  views  of  the  way  in  which  we  have 
been  ‘called  out  of  darkness  into  mnrvellous  light,’  as  distinct  ns  his 
were;  few  objections  to  these  doctrines, or  difficulties  concerning  them, 
would  trouble  our  minds  :  and  we  should  soon  perceive  the  holy  tenden¬ 
cy  and  efficacy  of  them.  (8)  They  led  him  by  the  hand.]  This  seems 
to  imply,  they  were  on  foot,  and  not  riding,  as  generally  pictured.  Sc. 

(8.)  ‘  This  blindness  seems  to  have  been  inflicted,  to  typify  to  Paul  the 
ignorance  of  his  former  state,  and  by  withdrawing  his  attention  from 
external  objects,  and  turning  his  thoughts  inward,  to  favor  self-examina¬ 
tion  and  promote  repentance.  We  may  suppose,  too,  that  the  scat/ s,  v. 
18.  were  to  make  his  blindness  more  manifest  to  others.’  Bloomk. 


A.  D.  35. 


ACTS,  IX. 


Paul  is  baptized,  by  Ananias. 


10  IT  And  there  was  a  certain  disci¬ 
ple  at  Damascus,  named  h  Ananias; 
and  to  him  said  the  Lord  in  a  vision, 
Ananias.  And  he  said,  Behold,  I 
am  here,  Lord. 

11  And  the  Lord  said  unto  him, 
Arise,  and  go  into  the  street  which 
js  called  Straight,  and  inquire  in 
the  house  of  Judas  for  one  called 
Saul  of  Tarsus  :  for  behold,  he 
prayeth, 

12  And  hath  seen  in  a  vision  a 
man  named  Ananias  coming  in, 
and  putting  his  hand  on  him,  that 
he  might  receive  his  sight. 

13  Then  Ananias  answered,  Lord, 
I  have  heard  by  many  of  this  ‘  man, 
how  much  evil  he  hath  done  to  thy 
saints  at  Jerusalem  : 

14  And  here  he  J  hath  authority 
from  the  chief  priests  to  bind  all 
that  call  k  on  thy  name. 

15  But  the  Lord  said  unto  him, 
Go  thy  way :  for  1  he  is  a  chosen 
vessel  unto  me,  to  bear  my  name 
before  m  the  Gentiles,  and  "  kings, 
and  the  “children  of  Israel. 

16  Fori  will  shew  him  how  great 
things  he  must  suffer  p  for  my 
name’s  sake. 

17  And  Ananias  went  his  way, 
and  entered  into  the  house  ;  and 
putting  *1  his  hands  on  him,  said, 
Brother  Saul,  the  Lord,  even  Jesus, 
that  appeared  unto  thee  in  the  way 
as  thou  earnest,  hath  sent  me,  that 
thou  mightest  receive  thy  sight,  and 
r  be  filled  with  the  Holy  Ghost. 

18  And  immediately  there  fell 
from  his  eyes  as  it  had  been  scales; 
and  he  received  sight  forthwith,  and 
arose,  and  was  baptized  : 

h  c.  22:12.  1  Co.  15:10.  Ga.  p  c.  20:23.  2.  Co. 

i  I  Ti.  1:13.  1:15.  Ep.  3:7,8.  11:23— 27.  3  Ti. 

j  ver.  21.  m  Ro.  11:13.  Ga.  1:11,12. 

k  1  Co.  1:2.  2  TI.  2:7,8.  q  c.  8:17. 

'2:22.  n  c.  25:23,  &c.  r  c.  2:4. 

1  c.  13:2  Ro.  1:1.  o  c.  28:17,  &c. 

means  will,  of  themselves,  change  the  soul, 
without  tlie  Spirit  and  grace  of  God,  which 
distinguishes  between  some  and  others : 
among  these  that  journeyed  together,  one  is 
taken,  and  the  others  left.  They  stood  speech¬ 
less,  but  none  of  God’s  children  are  born 
dumb.  (2.)  They  heard  a  voice,  but  saw  no 
man  ;  they  heard  Paul  speak,  but  saw  not 
Him  to  whom  he  spake,  nor  heard  distinctly 
what  was  said  to  him  ;  which  reconciles  it 


with  ch.  22:  9.  They  saw  the  light,  and  were 
afraid;  which  they  might  do,  and  yet  see  no 
man  in  the  light,  as  Paul  did  ;  and  they  heard 
not  the  voice  of  Him  that  spake  to  Paul,  so  as 
to  understand  what  lie  said,  though  they  did 
hear  a  confused  noise.  Thus  they  who  came 
hither  to  be  the  instruments  of  Paul’s  rage 
against  the  church,  serve  for  witnesses  of  the 
power  of  God  over  him. 

8.  Saul’s  condition  after  this,  v.  8,  9.  (1.) 
He  arose  from  the  earth,  when  Christ  bid  him, 
but,  probably,  not  without  help,  the  vision 
had  made  him  so  faint  and  weak  ;  like  Dan¬ 
iel, when,  on  the  sight  ofa  vision,  no  strength 
remained  in  him,  Dan.  10:16,  17.  (2.) 

When  his  eyes  were  opened,  he  found  that  his 
sight  was  gone,  and  he  saw  no  man,  none  of 
the  men  that  were  with  him,  and  began  now 
to  be  busy  about  him.  It  was  not  so  much 
this  glaring  light,  that,  by  dazzling  his  eyes, 
had  dimmed  them  ;  for  then  those  with  him 
would  have  lost  their  sight  too  ;  but  it  was 
a  sight  of  Christ.  Thus  a  believing  sight  of 
the  glory  of  God,  in  the  face  of  Christ,  daz¬ 
zles  the  eyes  to  all  things 'here  below.  (3.) 
They  led  him  by  the  hand  into  Damascus  ; 
thus  he  who  thought  to  have  led  the  disci¬ 
ples  of  Christ  prisoners  and  captives  to  Je¬ 
rusalem,  was  himself  led  a  prisoner  and  a 
captive  to  Christ  into  Damascus.  f4.)  He 
lay  without  sight,  and  without  food,  neither 
did  eat  nor  drink  for  three  days,  v.  9.  I  do 
not  think,  as  some  do,  that  now  he  had  his 
rapture  into  the  third  heavens,  which  he 
speaks  of,  2  Cor.  12.  So  far  from  that,  we 
have  reason  to  think  he  was,  all  this  time, 
rather  in  the  belly  of  hell,  suffering  God’s 
terrors  for  his  sins,  which  were  now  set  in 
order  before  him  :  he  was  in  the  dark,  con¬ 
cerning  his  own  spiritual  state,  and  so 
wounded  in  spirit  for  sin,  that  he  could  rel¬ 
ish  neither  meat  nor  drink. 

V.  10 — 22.  Christ  here  takes  care  of  the 
work  of  his  own  hands  ;  He  that  hath  torn, 
will  heal;  that  hath  smitten,  will  bind  up  ; 
that  hath  convinced,  will  comfort. 

I.  Ananias  is  here  ordered  to  go  and  look 
after  Saul,  to  heal  and  help  him.  Ananias 
was  a  native  of  Damascus;  for  it  is  said,  ch. 
22:  12.  he  had  a  good  report  of  all  the  Jews 
which  dwelt  there,  as  a  devout  man  according 
to  the  law;  he  had  lately  embraced  the  Gos¬ 
pel,  and,  as  it  should  seem,  officiated  as  a 
minister,  at  least,  on  this  occasion,  though  it 
does  not  appear  he  was  apostolically  or¬ 
dained.  He  is  directed  to  go  and  inquire  at 
such  a  house,  probably  an  inn,  for  one  Saul 
of  Tarsus.  Two  reasons  are  given  him  why: 
1.  Because  this  stranger  prays,  and  his  com¬ 
ing  to  him  must  answer  his  prayer.  There 
is  no  question,  saith  Christ,  but  he  is  a  true 
convert,  for  behold,  he  prayeth.  Behold,  notes 
the  certainty  of  it;  *  Assure  thyself  it  is  so; 
go,  and  see.’  It  notes  also  the  strangeness 


of  it.  Saul  was  a  Pharisee,  and  we  have 
reason  to  think  he  did,  as  the  rest  of  them 
did,  make  long  prayers  in  the  synagogues, 
and  in  the  corners  of  the  streets  1  But  now 
he  began  to  pray  after  another  manner;  then 
he  said  his  prayers,  now  he  prayed  them. 
Regenerating  grace  evermore  sets  people  on 
praying;  you  may  as  well  find  a  living  man 
without  breath,  as  a  living  Christian  with¬ 
out  prayer;  if  breathless,  lifeless ;  and  so  if 
prayerless,  graceless.  Ananias  must  go  to 
him  with  all  speed  ;  it  is  no  time  to  linger, 
for  behold,  he  prayeth  ;  if  the  child  cry,  the 
tender  nurse  hastens  to  it.  ‘  Oh  !  go  to  him 
quickly,  and  tell  him  he  is  a  dear  son,  a 
pleasant  child,  and  since  I  spake  against  him, 
for  persecuting  Me,  I  do  earnestly  remember 
him  still,'  Jer.  31: 18 — 20.  The  setting  of 
sin  in  order  before  us  should  drive  us  to 
prayer.  He  was  blind  and  sick  ;  and,  Is 
any  afflicted  ?  Let  him  pray.  Christ  had 
promised  him,  it  should  be  further  told  him 
what  to  do,  v.  6.  and  he  prays  that  one  may¬ 
be  sent  to  instruct  him.  What  God  has 
promised,  we  must  pray  for  ;  He  will  for 
this  be  inquired  of,  and  particularly  for  di¬ 
vine  instruction.  2.  Because  Ananias’  com¬ 
ing  to  him  must  answer  his  dream,  for  it 
was  of  God,  v.  12.  He  had,  in  prayer, 
spread  the  misery  of  his  own  case  before 
God;  and  God  presently  manifests  Himself, 
and  the  intentions  of  his  grace  to  him; 
and  it  is  very  encouraging  to  know  God’s 
thoughts  to  us  ward.  He  would  readily  wel¬ 
come  Ananias  as  a  messenger  from  God, 
when  told  beforehand,  in  vision,  that  one  of 
that  name  would  come  to  him.  See  what  a 
great  thing  it  is  to  bring  a  spiritual  physi¬ 
cian  and  his  patient  together;  here  are  two 
visions  in  order  to  it  ! 

II.  Ananias  objects  against  going,  and 
the  Lord  answers  the  objection.  See,  v.  15, 
16.  how  condescendingly  the  Lord  admits 
his  servant  to  reason  with  Him.  So,  1.  An¬ 
anias  delivered  his  message  to  Saul,  v.  17. 
It  was  promised,  as  one  of  the  signs  that 
shall  follow  them  that  believe,  that  they 
should  lay  hands  on  the  sick,  and  they  should 
recover,  Mark  16  : 18.  and  it  was  for  that 
intent  that  he  put  his  hands  on  him.  He 
called  him  brother,  because  he  was  made  a 
partaker  of  the  grace  of  God,  though  not  yet 
baptized.  He  produces  his  commission  from 
the  same  hand  that  had  laid  hold  on  him  by 
the  way,  and  now  had  him  in  custody.  An¬ 
anias  might  deliver  his  message  to  Saul 
very  appositely  in  the  prophet’s  words,  IIos. 
6:  1,  2.  He  assures  him,  he  shall  not  only 
have  his  sight,  but  be  filled  with  the  Holy 
Ghost :  he  must  himself  be  an  apostle, 
and  in  nothing  come  behind  the  chief  of  the 
apostles,  and,  therefore,  must  receive  the 
Holy  Ghost  immediately,  and  not,  as  others 
did,  by  the  interposition  of  the  apostles  ; 


V.  10 — 14.  Ananias  had  previously  been  a  ‘devout’  person,  according 
to  the  law  of  Moses  ;  . .  .  though  it  is  not  likely  he  was  one  of  the  seven¬ 
ty  disciples.  (22:6 — 16.  vv.  12 — 16.)  ‘To  call  on  the  name  of  Jesus,’ 
is  here  used  as  the  distinguished  characteristic  of  a  believer. — ‘  The 
unbelieving  Jews  say  of  him,  preaching  Christ  in  their  synagogues,  “  Is 
not  this  he  who  wasted  those,  who  called  on  that  name  in  Jerusalem  ?” 
(21 .)  Thus  Paul  writes  to  saints,  . .  .  under  the  title  of  “  all  that  call 
upon  the  name  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  in  every  place ;”  (1  Cor •  1:2.) 
and  then,  in  the  very  next  v.,  he  himself  prays,  that  “grace  and  peace 
may  be  derived  on  them  from  God  the  Father,  and  from  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ.”..  .And  he  bids  Christians  “  follow  aft6r  peace  with  all  those 
that  call  upon  the  Lord  with  a  pure  heart;”  i.  e.,  with  all  believers;  it 
being  the  same  thing  to  believe  in,  and  to  call  upon,  the  name  of 
the  Lord  Jesus.  Hence,  St.  Paul  saith,  “  He  that  believeth  in  Him 
shall  not  be  ashamed,  because  it  is  written,  Whosoever  shall  call 
on  the  name  of  the  Lord  shall  be  saved.”  ( Joel  2:32.)  And  hence  we 
learn,  who  that  Lord  is,  whom  Ananias  bids  Paul  invoke,  when  he  saith, 
“  Arise  and  be  baptized,  calling  upon  the  name  of  the  Lord,”  even  the 
Lord  Jesus  who  appeared  to  him;  (22:16.). ..  and  what  is  meant  by 
that  phrase,  namely,  “Profess  thy  faith,  by  being  baptized  in,  and  by 
calling  on  his  name.”  This  was  a  thing  so  continually  practised  by  the 
first  Christians,  that  Pliny  mentions  it  in  his  epistle  to  Trajan,,  telling 
him,  that  it  was  the  custom  of  the  Christians  to  sing  a  hymn  to  Christ, 
as  God.  For,  Paul,  in  his  first  thirteen  epistles,  prays  for  “grace  and 
peace  from  God  the  Father,  and  from  our  Lord  Jesus  ;”  and  John,  in  his 
second  epistle,  v.  3.  doth  the  same.’  Whitby.  Some  indeed  would  ren¬ 
der  the  clause,  ‘  are  called  by  thy  name  :’  but  the  direct  meaning  of  the 
original,  the  repetition  of  the  same  language  in  different  connexions, 
and  the  remarks  contained  in  the  quotation  just  made,  arc  sufficient  to 
show,  that  this  tr.  is  absolutely  inadmissible.  Scott. 

n.  t.  vor..  v.  7 


(10,  &c.)  ‘Many  German  commentators,  as  Eichhn.,  Ileinr.,  Kuin., 
make  a  desperate  attempt  to  imagine  how  the  event,  here,  might  have 
happened,  (or  in  fact  did  happen .,)  in  the  regular  course  of  ordinary  life ; 
and,  what  is  more,  they  endeavor  to  reconcile  and  intermix  this  view 
of  the  subject  with  the  extraordinary  and  preternatural  method  recorded 
by  Luke.  But  surely  never  was  there  anything  more  hypothetical,  con¬ 
tort,  and  far-fetched  ;  so  totally  dissimilar  to  the  plain  and  obvious  sense 
of  the  passage,  as  it  would  appear  to  any  man  of  plain,  good  sense,  read¬ 
ing  it  for  the  first  time,  and  without  any  preconceived  opinions.’  Bl. 

(12.)  A  man  named  Ananias  .-]  ‘put  instead  of  11  thee,'’  after  the 
Heb.  manner  of  putting  proper  names  for  pronouns.  Job.  4:1.  Luke  3:19. 
Gen.  4:23.  Kuin.  Indeed,  it  is  a  characteristic  of  the  primitive  style 
in  general.’  ID- 

V.  15,  16.  It  should  be  noted,  that  this  precedes  in  the  history  the  ad¬ 
mission  of  any  uncircumcised  Gentiles  into  the  church.  Rom.  9:22,23. 
2  Cor.  4:7.  2  Tim.  2:20 — 22.  Some  think  a  distinct  representation  was 
made  in  a  vision  to  Saul’s  mind  of  all  the  various  persecutions  he  after¬ 
wards  underwent :  at  least,  he  had  such  a  discovery  made  of  them,  as 
rendered  his  subsequent  ministry  a  lively  copy  of  Christ’s  own  example, 
who  foresaw  everything  that  He  was  to  endure,  trom  the  very  first.  He 
did  not,  however,  fullv  know  the  particulars,  as  many  subsequent  pass¬ 
ages  prove.  Scott. 

V.  17—22.  ‘  Ananias,  who  at  most  is  only  supposed  to  have  been  one 

of  the  seventy  disciples,  only  laid  his  hands  on  him,  “  that  he  might  re¬ 
ceive  his  sight;”  and.,  .he  was  replenished  with  the  Holy  Ghost  by  tlie 
immediate  gift  of  Christ ;  he  being  an  “  apostle  not  of  man,  nor  by  man, 
but  by  Christ  alone.”  Gat.  1:1.’  Whitby,  in  Scott.  This  “PPe"™  ° 
have  been  the  case;  especially  as  the  conferring  of  the  Holy  P ’  j 
his  miraculous  gifts,  seems  in  all  cases  previoustothat  of  Corn  mi  us 
and  his  friends,  to  have  taken  place  after  baptism.  (10:44—18.)  it  ignore 


A.  D.  35. 


ACTS,  IX. 


Paul  persecuted  by  the  Jews. 


19  And  when  lie  had  received 
meat,  he  was  strengthened.  Then 
was  Saul  certain  days  with  the  dis¬ 
ciples  which  were  at  “Damascus. 

20  And  straightway  he  preached 
Christ  in  the  synagogues,  that  he  is 
the  Son  of  God. 

21  But  all  that  heard  him  *  were 
amazed,  and  said,  Is  not  this  he 
®  that  destroyed  them  which  called 
on  this  name  in  Jerusalem,  and 
came  hither  for  that  intent,  that  he 
mi^ht  brins:  them  bound  unto  the 
chief  priests  ? 

22  But  Saul  increased  the  more 
in  strength,  vand  confounded  the 
w  Jews  which  dwelt  at  Damascus, 
proving  that  this  is  very  Christ. 

23  IT  And  after  that  many  days 
were  fulfilled,  the  Jews  took  coun¬ 
sel  1  to  kill  him. 

laying  await  was 
And  they  watched 
and  night,  to  kill 


24  But  their 
known  of  Saul, 
jates  day 


y  the 
him. 

25  Then  the  disciples  took  him 
by  night,  and  let  T  him  down  by  the 
wall,  in  a  basket. 

26  IT  And  when  Saul  was  come 
to  1  Jerusalem,  he  assayed  to  join 
himself  to  the  disciples  :  but  they 
were  all  afraid  of  him,  and  believed 
not  that  he  was  a  disciple. 

27  But  b  Barnabas  took  him,  and 
brought  him  to  the  apostles,  and 
declared  unto  them  how  he  had 
seen  the  Lord  in  the  way,  and  that 
he  had  spoken  to  him,  and  how  he 
had  preached  boldly  c  at  Damascus 
in  the  name  of  Jesus. 

23  And  he  was  with  them  coming 
in  and  going  out  at  Jerusalem. 

29  And  he  spake  boldly  in  the 
name  of  the  Lord  Jesus,  and  dis¬ 
puted  against  the  Grecians  :  but 
they  d  went  about  to  slay  him. 

30  •  Which  when  the  brethren 
knew,  they  brought  him  down  to 
Cesarea,  and  sent  him  forth  to 
Tarsus. 


s  c.  26:20.  Ga. 
1:17. 

t  Ga  1:13,23. 
a  c.  8:3. 
v  Ps.  84:7. 


w  c.  18:28. 
x  c.  23:12.  25:3. 

y  2  Co.  11:26,  &c. 
Ps.  21:11,37.  32. 
33. 


z  Jos.  2:15. 
a  Ga.  1:18. 
b  c.  4:36.  • 
c.  ver.  20:22. 
d  ver.  23. 


and  Ananias’  putting  his  hands  on  him  be¬ 
fore  lie  was  baptized,  was  for  the  conferring 
of  the  Holy  Ghost. 

2.  Ananias  saw  the  good  issue  of  his 
mission,  (1.)  In  Christ’s  favor  to  Saul.  At 
the  word  of  Ananias,  Saul  receives  sight. 
He  is  delivered  from  the  spirit  of  bondage, 
(comp.  Is.  61  :  1.  with  Luke  4  :  18.)  by  his 
receiving  sight,  v.  18.  signified  by  the  falling 
of  scales  from  his  eyes  ;  and  this  immedi¬ 
ately,  and  forthwith  :  the  cure  was  sudden, 
to  show  that  it  was  miraculous.  The  cloud 
was  scattered,  and  the  Sun  of  righteousness 


rose  on  his  soul,  with  healing  under  his  [ 
wings.  (2.)  In  Saul’s  subjection  to  Christ ; 
he  was  baptized,  and  thereby  submitted  I 
himself  to  the  government  of  Christ,  and 
cast  himself  on  the  grace  of  Christ  :  de¬ 
voting  himself  entirely  to  his  service  and 
honor. 

III.  The  good  work  begun  in  Saul,  is  car¬ 
ried  on  wonderfully  ,  this  new-born  Chris¬ 
tian,  though  he  seemed  as  one  born  out  of  due 
time,  yet  presently  comes  to  maturity.  1.  He 
received  his  bodily  strength,  v.  19.  his  three 
days’  fasting,  with  the  mighty  weight  all  that 
time  on  his  spirits,  having  made  him  very 
weak.  2.  He  associated  with  the  disciples 
at  Damascus,  went  to  their  meetings,  and 
joined  in  communion  with  them.  Now  the 
wolf  dvielts  with  the  lamb,  and  the  leopard  lies 
down  with  the  kid.  Is.  11  :  6.  Those  that 
take  God  for  their  God,  take  his  people  for 
their  people.  3.  He  preached  Christ  in  the 
synagogues,  v.  20.  To  this  he  had  an  extra¬ 
ordinary  call,  and  for  it  an  extraordinary 
qualification,  God  having  immediately  re¬ 
vealed  his  Son  to  him  and  in  him,  that  he 
might  preach  Him,  Gal.  1 :  15,  16.  He  was 
so  full  of  Christ  himself,  that  the  Spirit  with¬ 
in  him  constrained  him  to  preach  Him  to  oth¬ 
ers,  and,  like  Elihti,  to  speak,,  that  he  might 
be  refreshed,  Job.  32:  20.  The  Jews;  they 
were  to  have  the  first  offer  ;  the  synagogues 
were  their  places  of  concourse,  and  there  he 
would  face  the  enemies  of  Christ,  where  they 
were  most  daring ;  and  openly  profess  Chris¬ 
tianity  where  he  had  most  opposed  it.  He 
preached  Christ,  nothing  but  Christ,  and  Him 
crucified.  He  preached  concerning  Christ, 
that  He  is  the  Son  of  God,  his  beloved  Son,  in 
whom  He  is  well  pleased,  and  with  us  in  Him, 
and  not  otherwise.  Doubtless  this  was 
looked  upon  by  many,  v.  21.  as  a  great  con¬ 
firmation  of  the  truth  of  Christianity,  that 
such  a  notorious  persecutor  of  it,  came,  on 
a  sudden,  to  be  such  an  intelligent,  strenu¬ 
ous,  and  capacious  preacher  of  it.  This 
miracle  on  the  mind  of  such  a  man,  outshone 
the  miracles  on  men’s  bodies;  and  giving  a 
man  such  another  heart,  was  more  than  giv¬ 
ing  men  to  speak  With  other  tongues.  4.  He 
confuted  and  confounded  those  that.opposed 
the  doctrine  of  Christ,  v.  22.  He  signal¬ 
ized  himself,  not  only  in  the  pulpit,  but  in 
the  schools,  and  showed  himself  supernatu- 
rally  enabled,  not  only  to  preach  the  truth, 
but  to  maintain  and  defend  it  when  he  had 
preached  it.  Instead  of  being  discouraged 
by  the  various  remarks  made  on  his  conver¬ 
sion,  he  was  thereby  so  much  the  more  im- 
boldened,  finding  he  had  enough  at  hand 
wherewith  to  answer  the  worst  they  could 
say  of  him.  In  all  his  discourses  with 
the  Jews,  he  was  still  proving  that  this  Jesus 
is  very  Christ,  is  the  Christ,  the  Anointed  of 
God,  the  true  Messiah  promised  to  the  fathers. 
He  was  proving  it,  affirming  it  and  confirm- 
ins,  it;  teaching  with  persuasion.  And  we 
have  reason  to  think  he  converted  many. 

V.  23 — 31.  Luke  here  makes  no  mention 
of  Paul’s  journey  into  Arabia,  which  he 
tells  us  himself  was  immediately  after  his 
conversion,  Gal.  1  :  16,  17.  And  what  is 
recorded  here,  took  place  three  years  after 
his  conversion,  on  his  return  to  Damascus. 
Here  are, 

1.  Difficulties  at  Damascus,  and  a  narrow 


escape  of  being  killed.  Observe,  1.  Ilia 
danger,  v.  23.  The  Jews  took  counsel  to  kill 
him,  being  more  enraged  at  him  than  at  any 
other  preachers  of  the  Gospel;  not  only  be¬ 
cause  of  his  zeal  and  success,  but  because  he 
had  been  such  a  remarkable  deserter,  and  his 
being  a  Christian  was  a  testimony  against 
them.  Saul  was  no  sooner  a  Christian  than 
a  preacher ;  no  sooner  a  preacher  than  a  suf¬ 
ferer  ;  so  quick  did  he  rise  to  the  top  of  his 
preferment !  Where  God  gives  great  grace. 
He  commonly  exercises  it  with  great  trials. 

2.  How  he  was  delivered.  The  design 
against  him  was  discovered  by  some  intelli¬ 
gence,  whether  from  heaven  or  from  men, 
we  are  not  told.  The  disciples  contrived  to 
help  him  away,  hid  him,  it  is  likely,  by  day, 
and  in  the  night  the  gates  being  watched,  that 
he  could  not  get  away  through  them,  they  let 
him  down  by  the  wall,  in  a  basket,  as  he  him¬ 
self  relates  it,  2  Cor.  11  :  33.  This  story, 
as  it  shows  us  that  when  we  enter  into  the 
way  of  God  we  must  look  for  temptation, 
and  prepare  accordingly;  so  it  shows,  that 
the  Lord  knows  how  to  deliver  the  godly  out  of 
temptatio7i,  and  will,  with  the  temptation,  also 
make  a  way  to  escape,  that  we  may  not  he  by 
it  deterred  or  driven  from  the  way  of  God. 

II.  Difficulties  at  Jerusalem,  the  first  time 
he  went  thither,  v.  26.  He  came  to  Jerusa¬ 
lem.  This  is  thought  to  be  that  journey  to 
Jerusalem  which  he  himself  speaks  of, 
Gal.  1:  18.  But  I  ratherincline  to  think  it 
was  a  journey  before  that,  because  his  com¬ 
ing  in  and  going  out,  his  preaching  and  dis¬ 
puting,  v.  28,  29.  seem  to  be  more  than 
would  consist  with  his  15  days’  stay  ;  and 
besides,  now  he  came  a  stranger,  hut  then  he 
came,  to  confer  with  Peter,  as  one  he  was  in¬ 
timate  with  ;  however,  it  might  possibly  be 
the  same.  Now  observe, 

1.  How  shy  his-  friends  were  of  him,  v. 
26.  they  were  afraid  of  him.  Now  might 
Paul  be  tempted  to  think  himself  in  an  ill 
case,  when  the  Jews  had  abandoned  and 
persecuted  him,  and  the  Christians  would  not 
receive  and  entertaiu  him.  They  thought 
him  only  a  spy,  and  not  a  disciple.  They 
knew  what  a  bitter  persecutor  he  had  been, 
and  had  heard  nothing  of  him  since,  to  the 
contrary.  The  disciples  of  Christ  need  to 
be  cautious  whom  they  admit  into  commun¬ 
ion  with  them.  Believe  not  every  spirit  :  yet 
methinks  it  is  safer  to  err  on  the  charitable 
side,  because  it  is  an  adjudged  case,  that  it 
is  better  the  tares  should  be  among  the  wheat, 
than  that  the  wheat  should  any  of  it  be  root¬ 
ed  up,  and  thrown  out  of  the  field.  This  jeal¬ 
ousy  was  removed,  v.  27.  by  Barnabas'  taking 
him  to  the  apostles  themselves,  who  were  not 
so  scrupulous  -as  the  inferior  disciples,  to 
whom  he  first  assayed  to  join  himself;  and  he 
declared  to  them  how  Christ  had  showed  Him¬ 
self  to  him  in  the  way,  and  spoken  to  him;  and 
what  He  said;  also,  what  he  had  since  done 
for  Christ.  How  Barnabas  came  to  know 
this,  more  than  the  rest  of  them,  we  are  not 
told  ;  Paul  having  brought  no  testimonials 
from  the  disciples  at  Damascus,  thinking  he 
needed  not,  as  some  others,  epistles  of  com¬ 
mendation,  2  Cor.  3  :  1.  The  introducing 
of  a  young  convert  into  the  communion  of 
the  faithful,  is  a  very  good  work,  and  which, 
is  we  have  opportunity,  we  should  be  ready 


to. 


probable,  that  Ananias  did  not  lay  hands  on  him  a  second  time;  as  we 
do  not  elsewhere  find,  that  any  but  the  apostles  had  the  power  of  con¬ 
ferring  the  Holy  Spirit.’  Doddr.,  in  Scott.  From  his  own  account,  it 
appears,  that  he  received  his  complete  knowledge  of  the  Gospel,  im¬ 
mediately  by  revelation  from  Jesus  Christ.  1:11 — 14.  Proving.)  16:10. 
1  Cor.  2:lfi.  Eph.  4:16.  Col.  2:2,  19.  SumbibazOn  :  taken  from  me¬ 
chanics. —  Proving  by  quotations  from  Scripture,  skilfully  arranged,  and 
compared  together,  and  connected  with  each  other.  17.1 — 4.  Scott. 

(20.)  Son  of  God.)  ‘I.  c.  the  Messiah  of  the  O.  T.  prophets.  For 
“  Christ,"  many  ancient  MSS.  and  Verss.  read  “Jesus,"  which  is  ap¬ 
proved  by  Grot.,  Mill,  Bengel,  Mich.,  Morns,  Ros.,  Vnlck.,  &c.,  and 
rightly  received  in  the  text  by  Griesb.  For  that  Christ  was  the  Sou  of 
God,  Paul  had  never  denied  ,  nor  did  the  Jews  deny  that.  They  only 
denied  that  Jesus  was  the  Son  of  God.  Christon  doubtless  crept  into 
the  text  from  the  marg.’  •  Kctx. 

V.  23—30.  It  seems  that  Aretas,  an  Arabian  king,  had  got  possession 

[50] 


of  Damascus  at  this  time;  and  that  the  governor  appointed  hy  him  fa¬ 
vored  and  abetted  the  designs  ngainst  Saul.  2.  Cor.  11:32,33.  Damascus 
was  not  much  above  150  miles  from  Jerusalem ;  hut  modern  conveni¬ 
ences  for  a  regular  correspondence  hetween  distant  places  were  then  un¬ 
known  ;  and  some  wars  in  the  neighborhood  are  supposed  to  have 
greatly  obstructed  the  communication.  Saul  had  spent  a  considerable 
part  of  his  lime  in  Arabia,  in  an  obscure  situation  ;  and  the  former  per¬ 
ils,  alarms,  and  sufferings,  which  the  disciples  had  experienced  from  him, 
had  rendered  them  unreasonably  suspicious.  It  is  supposed,  that  the 
apostle  went  hy  land  to  Tarsus,  and  that  Cesarea  Philippi  is  meant  in 
v.  30.  Gal .  1:21.  Mat.  16:13 — 16.  He  preached  in  Tarsus,  his  native  city, 
and  the  adjacent  places,  for  some  time,  till  at  length,  Barnabas  went  and 
brought  him  to  Antioch.  Note,  11:25,  26.  Scott. 

(2-i.)  Watched  the  gates.)  Note,  2  Cor.  11.32.  En. 

(27.)  Took.)  ‘Literally,  taking  him  by  the  hand.’  Bloo.mf. 


A.  D.  38. 


ACTS,  IX. 


Eneas  recovered  to  health. 


31  Then  e  had  the  churches  rest 
'throughout  all  Judea  and  Galilee 
and  Samaria,  and  were  K  edified  ; 
and  walking  11  in  the  fear  of  the 
Lord,  and  in  the  'comfort  of  the 
Holy  Ghost,  were  1  multiplied. 

32  IT  And  it  came  to  pass,  as 
Peter  passed  throughout  all  quar¬ 
ters,  he  came  down  also  to  the 
saints  which  dwelt  at  Lydda. 

S3  And  there  he  found  a  certain 
man  named  Eneas,  which  had  kept 
his  bed  eight  years,  and  was  sick  of 
the  palsy. 

34  And  Peter  said  unto  him, 
Eneas,  Jesus  Christ  maketh  kthee 
whole ;  arise,  and  make  thy  bed. 
And  he  arose  immediately. 

35  And  all  that  dwelt  in  Lydda 
and  1  Saron  saw  him,  and  turned 
m  to  the  Lord. 

36  If  Now  there  was  at  Joppa  a 
certain  disciple  named  Tabitha, 
which  by  interpretation  is  called 
n  Dorcas  :  this  woman  was  full  0  of 
good  works  and  alms-deeds  which 
she  did. 

37  And  it  came  to  pass  in  those 
days,  that  she  was  sick,  and  died  : 
whom  when  they  had  washed,  they 
laid  her  in  an  upper  chamber. 

S3  And  forasmuch  as  Lydda  was 
nigh  to  Joppa,  and  the  disciples  had 
heard  that  Peter  was  there,  they 
sent  unto  him  two  men,  desiring 
him  that  he  would  not  p  delay  to 
come  to  them. 

€  Zee.  9;1.  c.  8:  i  Jn.  14:16,17.  n  or,  Doe ,  or, 

1.  J  Zee.  8:20— 22.  Roe. 

f  l*i».  94:13.  k  c.  3:6,16.  4:10.  o  1  Ti.  2:10.  Tit. 

a  R0.  14:19.  1  l  Ch.  5:16.  2:7,14. 

ti  Ps.  8S:11.  Col.  me.  11:21.  2  Co.  p  or,  be  grieved. 
1:10.  3:16. 

2.  How  sharp  his  enemies  were  upon  him. 
It  vexed  the  unbelieving  Jews,  to  see  Saul  a 
trophy  of  Christ’s  victory,  and  a  captive  to 
his  grace,  who  had  been  such  a  champion 
for  their  cause  ;  to  see  him  coming  in,  and 
going  out,  with  the  apostles,  v.  28.  and  to  hear 
them  glorying  in  him,  or  rather  glorifying 
Cod  in  him.  He  appeared  vigorous  in  the 
■cause  of  Christ,  and  this  was  yet  more  pro¬ 
voking  to  them,  v.  29.  The  Grecians,  or 
Hellenist  Jews,  were  most  offended  at  him, 
because  he  had  been  one  of  them ;  and  they 
drew  him  into  a  dispute,  in  which,  no  doubt, 
lie  was  too  hard  for  them,  as  he  had  been 
for  the  Jews  at  Damascus.  For  that  same 
natural  quickness  [force]  and  fervor  of  spirit, 
which,  while  he  was  in  ignorance  and  un¬ 
belief,  made  him  a  furious,  bigoted  perse¬ 
cutor  of  the  faith,  made  him  a  most  zealous, 
courageous  defender  of  the  faith. 

This  brought  him  into  peril  of  his  life, 
with  which  he  narrowly  escaped.  That  is 
a  bad  cause,  that  has  recourse  to  persecu¬ 
tion  for  its  last  argument.  But  notice  was 
given  of  this  conspiracy  too,  and  effectual 
care  taken  to  secure  this  young  champion. 


v.  30.  Yet  it  was  also  by  direction  from 
heaven  that  he  left  Jerusalem  at  this  time, 
as  he  lell3  us  himself,  ch.  22:  17,  IS.  that 
Christ  now  appeared  to  him,  and  ordered 
him  to  go  quickly  out  of  Jerusalem,  for  he 
must  be  sent  to  the  Gentiles,  v.  21. 

III.  The  churches  had  now  a  comfortable 
gleam  of  liberty  and  peace,  v.  31.  Then, 
wlien  Saul  was  converted,  so  some ;  or,  then, 
when  lie  was. gone  from  Jerusalem,  the  fury 
of  the  Grecian  Jews  was  a  little  abated,  and 
they  were  the  more  willing  to  bear  with  the 
other  preachers,  now  Saul  was  gone  out  of 
the  way.  Observe,  1.  The  churches  had  rest. 
The  churches  that  were  already  planted, 
were  mostly  in  Judea,  Galilee,  and  Samaria, 
within  (lie  limits  of  the  Holy  Land.  There 
were  the  first  Christian  clmrclies,  where 
Christ  had  Himself  laid  the  foundation. 
2.  Instead  of  growing  secure,  they  abounded 
more  in  their  duty,  and  made  a  good  use  of 
their  tranquillity;  they  were  more  exempla¬ 
ry,  and  lived  so  as  that  all  who  conversed 
with  them  might  say,  Surely  the  fear  of  God 
reigns  in  those  people.  They  were  not  only 
faithful,  but  cheerful  in  religion.  Observe 
the  connexion  of  these  two  ;  when  they 
walked  in  the  fear  of  the  Lord,  then  they 
walked  in  the  comfort  of  the  Holy  Ghost. 
Those  are  most  likely  to  walk  cheerfully, 
that  walk  circumspectly.  3.  God  blessed  it 
to  them  for  their  increase  in  number.  Some¬ 
times  the  church  multiplies  the  more  for  its 
being  afflicted,  as  Israel  in  Egypt  ;  yet  at 
other  times  its  rest  contributes  to  its  growth, 
as  it  enlarges  tile  opportunity  of  ministers, 
and  invites  those  in,  who  at  first  are  afraid 
of  suffering.  Or,  then,  when  they  walked  in 
the  fear  of  God  and  his  comforts,  then  they 
were  midtiplied.  Thus  they  that  will  not  he 
won  by  the  Word,  may  be  won  by  the  con¬ 
versation  of  professors. 

V.  32 — 35.  Here  we  have, 

I.  The  visit  Peter  made  to  the  churches 
newly  planted  by  the  dispersed  preachers, 
v.  32.  as  an  apostle,  to  confirm  the  doctrine 
of  inferior  preachers,  to  confer  the  Holy 
Ghost  on  them  that  believed,  and  to  ordain 
ministers.  Reference  is  had,  in  the  word  all, 
to  the  churches  of  Judea,  Galilee,  and  Sa¬ 
maria,  mentioned  in  the  foregoing  ch.  He 
came  to  the  saints  at  Lydda  ;  this  seems  the 
same  with  Lod,  a  city  in  Benjamin,  men¬ 
tioned  1  Chr.  8  :  12.  Ezra  2  :  33.  The 
Christians  are  called  saints,  not  only  some 
particular  eminent  ones,  as  Peter  and  Paul, 
but  every  sincere  professor  of  the  faith  of 
Christ.  These  are  the  saints  on  the  earth, 
Ps.  16:  3. 

II.  The  cure  Peter  wrought  on  Eneas, 
a  man  that  had  been  bedrid  eight  years,  v.  33. 
and  we  may  suppose  lie  and  all  about  him 
despaired  of  relief  for  him.  Christ  chose 
such  patients,  whose  diseases  were  incurable 
in  a  course  of  nature,  to  show  how  desperate 
the  case  of  fallen  mankind  was,  when  He 
undertook  their  cure.  When  we  were  with¬ 
out  strength,  as  this  poor  man,  He  sent  his 
Word  to  heal  us.  2.  His  cure  was  very  ad¬ 
mirable,  v.  34.  (1.)  Peter  does  not  pretend 
to  do  it  himself,  by  any  power  of  his  own, 
but  declares  it  to  be  Christ’s  cure,  immediate 
and  entire.  He  does  not  express  himself  by 
way  of  prayer  to  Christ,  that  He  would  make 


him  whole,  but  as  one  having  authority  from 
Christ,  and  that  knew  his  mind,  he  declares 
him  made  whole.  ‘  Arise  and  make  thy  bed, 
that  all  may  see  thou  art  thoroughly  cured.’ 
Let  none  say,  that  because  Christ,  by  the 
power  of  his  grace,  works  all  our  works  in 
us,  therefore  we  have  no  work,  no  duty,  to  do. 

111.  The  good  influence  this  had  upon 
many,  v.  35.  We  can  scarcely  think  every 
individual  in  those  countries,  took  cogni¬ 
zance  of  the  miracle,  and  was  wrought  upon 
by  it,  but  [the  phrase  all  is,  after  a  common 
figure,  meaning]  many,  the  generality  of  the 
people.  1.  They  all  made  inquiry  into  the 
truth  of  the  miracle,  saw  him  that  was  heal¬ 
ed,  and  saw  that  it  was  a  miraculous  cure 
that  was  wrought  upon  him  by  the  power  of 
Christ,  in  his  name,  and  with  a  design  to 
confirm  and  ratify  that  doctrine  of  Christ 
now  preached  to  the  world.  2.  They  all  sub¬ 
mitted  to  the  convincing  proof  and  evidence 
there  was  in  this  of  the  divine  original  of 
the  Christian  doctrine,  and  turned  to  the 
Lord,  to  the  Lord  Jesus  ;  from  Judaism  to 
Christianity  ;  embraced  the  doctrine  of 
Christ,  and  submitted  to  his  ordinances  ; 
and  turned  themselves  over  to  Him,  to  be 
ruled  and  taught  and  saved  by  Him. 

V.  36 — 43.  Here  we  have  a  greater  mir¬ 
acle  wrought  by  Peter,  to  confirm  the  Gos¬ 
pel, — the  raising  of  Tabitha  to  life,  when 
she  had  been  for  some  time  dead.  Here  is, 

1.  The  life,  death,  and  character  of  Ta¬ 
bitha,  on  whom  this  miracle  was  wrought, 
v.  36,  37.  Tabitha,  in  Heb.,  in  Greek,  is 
Dorcas  ;  both  signify  a  doe,  or  hind,  or  deer, 
a  pleasant  creature :  the  wife,  to  the  kind 
and  tender  husband,  is  as  the  loving  hind , 
and  as  the  pleasant  roe,  Prov.  5: 19.  She 
was  one  that  had  embraced  the  faith  of 
Christ  and  was  baptized  ;  and  not  only  so, 
but  was  eminent  above  many  for  works  of 
charity.  Observe,  she  is  praised  not  only  for 
the  alms  which  she  gave,  blit  for  the  alms- 
deeds  which  she  did.  Those  that  have  not 
estates  wherewith  to  give  in  charity,  may 
yet  be  able  to  do  in  chanty,  ivorking  with  their 
hands,  or  walking  with  their  feet,  for  the 
benefit  of  the  poor.  And  they  who  will  not 
do  a  charitable  deed,  whatever  they  may  pre¬ 
tend,  if  they  were  rich  would  not  bestow  a 
charitable  gift.  She  was  full  of  alms-deeds; 
there  is  an  emphasis  on  her  doing  them,  be¬ 
cause  what  her  hand  found  to  do  of  this  kind 
she  did  with  all  her  might,  and  persevered  in. 
2  Cor.  8:11.  9:7.  This  is  the  life  and 
character  of  a  certain  disciple,  and  should 
agree  to  all  the  disciples  of  Christ  ;  for  if 
thus  we  bear  much  fruit ,  then  are  we  his  disci¬ 
ples  indeed,  John  15:8.  She  was  removed 
in  the  midst  of  her  usefulness,  v.  37.  It  is 
promised  to  those  who  consider  the  poor, 
not  that  they  shall  never  be  sick,  but  that  the 
Lord  will  strengthen  them  upon  the  bed  of  lan¬ 
guishing,  at  least  with  strength  in  their  soul, 
and  so  will  make  all  their  bed  in  their  sickness, 
will  make  it  easy,  Ps.  41: 1,  3.  They  can¬ 
not  hope  that  they  shall  never  die,  but  they 
may  hope  they  shall  find  mercy  of  the  Lord  in 
that  day,  2  Tim.  1:  18.  Her  friends  and 
those  about  her  did  not  presently  bury  her,, 
as  usual,  because  they  were  in  hopes  Peter 
would  come  and  raise  her  to  life  again;  but 
they  washed  the  dead  body,  according  to  the 


V.  31.  When  Saul,  the  grand  instrument  of  persecution,  was  become 
a  zealous  preacher,  other  causes  likewise  concurring,  the  persecution 
was  suspended,  and  the  churches  were  left  in  peaGe.  The  conversion  of 
Haul,  from  a  furious  and  most  active  persecutor,  to  a  zealous,  unweari 
cd,  and  self-denying  preacher  of  the  Gospel,  and  his  subsequent  labors 
and  sufferings  in  the  cause,  for  a  long  course  of  years,  is  an  undoubted 
fact,  which  ought  to  be  accounted  for  by  all,  who  have  the  least  doubt 
of  the  divine  original  of  Christianity.  If  his  own  narrative  be  admitted, 
Christianity  is  without  doubt  divine,  and  the  only  true  religion;  and 
those  who  hesitate  to  admit  his  testimony  in  its  full  latitude,  are  re¬ 
quired,  in  support  of  their  cause,  to  give  some  other  rational  and  prob¬ 
able  account  of  so  unparalleled  an  event.  Scott. 

V.  34.  ‘  In  comparing  this  with  the  manner  of  Christ’s  miracles,  “  The 
different  characters  of  the  servant  and  the  Son ,  the  creature  and  the 
God ,  are  everywhere  apparent.”’  ‘  The  beds  [at  Aleppo,  <fcc.]  consist  of  a 
ntattrass,  laid  on  the  floor,  and  over  this  a  sheet,  (in  winter  a  carpet,  or 
some  such  woollen  covering,)  the  other  sheet  being  sewed  to  the  quilt. 
A  divan  cusltion  ollen  serves  for  a  pillow  and  bolster.  The  maltrasses 


are  rolled  up,  carried  away,  and  placed  in  cupboards  at  night.’  See  Bush's 
Illustrations.  Ed. 

V.  35.  Lydda,  a  town  near  the  shore  of  the  Mediterranean.  Saron  is 
supposed  to  have  been  a  plain  or  valley,  extending  from  Cesarea  to  Jop¬ 
pa. — The  success  of  the  Gospel,  on  this  occasion,  seems  to  have  been 
very  great ;  for  it  is  supposed,  that  the  neighborhood  was  populous. — 
Philip  preached  in  the  cities,  from  Azotus  (or  Asiidod)  to  Cesarea; 
and  Lydda  and  Saron  doubtless  were  among  them.  (8:40.)  It  is  highly 
probable,  that  the  Gospel  was  introduced  at  Lydda  by  liis  ministry  :  and 
that  Eneas  was  made  known  to  Peter,  as  an  afflicted  person  favorable 
to  the  Gospel.  Scott. 

V.  36 — 43.  1  The  reason  why  Luke  gives  this  interpretation  seems  to 

he  this,  that  she  being  a  graeeizing  Jewess,  was  called  Tabitha  by  the 
Jews,  and  Dorcas  among  the  Greeks.’  Whitby.  In  performing  this  mira¬ 
cle  Peter  was  doubtless  assured,  that  this  request  was  granted,  before 
he  addressed  Dorcas.  His  words  were  not,  ‘I  say  unto  thee.  Arise,’  in 
the  language  of  authority,  but  simply,  ‘  Tabitha,  arise,’  as  an  intimation 
that  Jesus  had  restored  her  life  :  and  it  should  also  be  remembered,  that 


A.  D.  30. 


ACTS,  IX. 


Tabllha  is  restored  to  life. 


39  Then  Peter  arose,  and  went 
with  them.  When  he  was  come, 
they  brought  him  into  the  upper 
chamber  :  and  all  the  widows  stood 
by  him  weeping,  and  shewing  the 
coats  and  garments  which  Dorcas 
made  while  she  was  with  them. 

40  But  Peter  put  r  them  all  forth, 
and  kneeled  down,  and  prayed  : 
and  turning  him  to  the  body,  said, 
8  Tabitha,  arise.  And  she  opened 
her  eyes  :  and  when  she  saw  Peter, 
she  sat  up. 

41  And  he  gave  her  his  hand, 
and  lifted  her  up:  and  when  he  had 
called  the  saints  and  widows,  he 
*  presented  her  alive. 

42  And  it  was  known  throughout 
all  Joppa  ;  and  u  many  believed  in 
the  Lord. 

43  And  it  came  to  pass,  that  he 
tarried  many  days  in  Joppa,  with 
one  Simon  a  tanner. 

n  Ec.  9:10.  s  Ma.5:41,42.  t  1  K.  17:23. 

»•  Mat.  9:25.  Jn.  11:43.  u  Ju.  12:11. 

custom,  which,  they  say,  was  with  warm 
water,  which,  if  there  were  any  life  remain¬ 
ing  in  the  body,  would  recover  it  ;  so  that 
this  was  done  to  show  that  she  was  really 
and  truly  dead  ;  they  tried  all  the  usual 
methods  to  bring  her  to  life,  and  could  not, 
— the  last  cry  was  uttered.  They  laid  her  out 
in  her  grave-clothes,  in  an  upper  chamber  ; 
probably,  so  Lightfoot,  the  public  meeting- 
room  for  the  believers  of  that  town,  that 
Peter,  if  he  would  come,  might  raise  her  to 
life  the  more  solemnly  in  that  place. 

2.  The  request  her  Christian  friends  sent 
to  Peter,  to  come  to«them  with  all  speed,  not 
to  attend  the  funeral,  but,  if  it  might  be,  to 
prevent  it,  v.  38.  Lydda,  where  Peter  now 
was,  was  nigh  to  Joppa,  and  the  disciples  at 
Joppa  had  heard  that  Peter  was  there,  and 
that  he  had  raised  Eneas  from  a  bed  of  lan¬ 
guishing;  therefore,  they  sent  to  him  two  men, 
to  make  the  message  the  more  solemn  and 
respectful. 

3.  The  posture  in  which  he  found  the  sur¬ 
viving,  when  he  came  to  them,  v.  39.  They 
did  not  tell  him  what  they  wanted  him  for, 
yet  he  was  willing  to  go  with  them,  believ¬ 


ing  it  was  on  some  good  account  he  was  sent 
for.  Let  not  faithful  ministers  grudge  to  be 
at  every  body’s  beck,  as  far  as  they  have 
ability,  when  the  great  apostle  made  himself 
the  servant  of  all,  1  Cor.  9:  19.  He  found  the 
corpse  in  the  upper  chamber,  and  attended 
by  widows,  (probably  of  the  church,  poor 
widows,)  (1.)  Commending  the  deceased; 
a  good  work,  when  there  was  that  in  them 
which  was  truly  commendable,  and  recom- 
inendable  to  imitation,  and  it  is  done  mod¬ 
estly  and  soberly,  and  without  flattery  of  the 
survivors,or  any  sinister  intention,  but  purely 
for  the  glory  of  God,  and  the  exciting  of 
others  to  that  which  is  virtuous  and  praise¬ 
worthy.  The  commendation  of  Tabitha  was 
like  her  own  virtues,  not  in  word,  but  in 
deed.  Here  were  no  encomiums  of  her  in 
orations,  or  poems  inscribed  to  her  memory; 
but  the  widows  showed  the  coats  and  garments 
which  she  made  for  them,  and  bestowed  on 
them  while  she  was  with  them,  Job  31 :20.  And 
it  is  much  more  honorable  to  clothe  a  corn- 
pan)’ of  decrepit  widows,  with  needful  cloth¬ 
ing  for  night  and  day,  who  will  pray  for  their 
benefactors  when  they  do  not  see  them,  than 
to  clothe  a  company  of  lazy  footmen  with 
rich  liveries,  who,  perhaps,  behind  their 
backs,  will  curse  them  that  clothe  them,  Eccl. 
7:21.  and  it  is  what  all  that  are  wise  and 
good  w'ill  take  a  greater  pleasure  in  ;  for 
goodness  is  true  greatness,  and  will  pass  bet¬ 
ter  in  the  account  shortly.  They  showed  the 
coats.  Those  are  horribly  ungrateful,  indeed, 
who  have  kindness  shown  them,  and  will 
not  make  at  least  an  acknowledgment  of  it, 
by  showing  it.  Those  who  receive  alms, are 
not  obliged  so  industriously  to  conceal  it,  as 
those  are  who  give  alms.  When  the  poor 
reflect  on  the  rich,  as  uncharitable  and  un¬ 
merciful,  they  ought  to  reflect  on  themselves, 
and  consider  whether  they  are  not  unthank¬ 
ful  and  ungrateful.  Their  showing,  tended 
to  the  praise  not  only  of  her  charity,  but  of 
her  industry,  according  to  the  character  of 
the  virtuous  woman,  Prov.  31: 19 — 22.  (2.) 
They  were  here  lamenting  the  loss  of  her; 
the  widows  stood  by  Peter,  weeping.  Ob¬ 
serve,  they  notice  the  good  Dorcas  did  while 
she  was  with  them;  those  that  are  charitable 
will  find  that  the  poor  they  have  ahvays  with 
them  ;  but  it  is  well  if  those  that  are  poor, 
find  that  the  charitable  they  have  always 
with  them.  It  should  seem,  the  widows  wept 
before  Peter,  as  an  inducement  to  him,  if  he 


could  do  anything,  to  have  compassion  on 
them  and  help  them,  and  restore  one  to  them 
that  used  to  have  compassion  on  them. 

4.  She  was  raised  to  life,  (1.)  Privately; 
it  should  seem,  there  was  great  crowding 
about  the  dead  body,  in  the  upper  room,  in 
expectation  of  what  would  be  done ;  but  Pe¬ 
ter  put  them  all  forth,  all  the  weeping  widows, 
all  but  some  few  relations  of  the  family,  or 
perhaps  the  heads  of  the  church,  to  join  with 
him  in  prayer  ;  as  Christ  did,  Mat.  .9:  25. 
'I'lnis  Peter  declined  everything  that  looked 
like  vainglory  and  ostentation  ;  and  might 
with  the  more  freedom  pour  out  his  soul  be¬ 
fore  God  in  prayer  upon  this  occasion,  and 
not  be  disturbed  with  the  [usual]  noisy  and 
clamorous  lamentations.  (2.)  By  prayer  ; 
in  his  healing  Eneas  there  was  an  implicit 
prayer;  but  in  this  greater  work  he  address¬ 
ed  himself  to  God,  by  solemn  prayer,  as 
Christ,  when  He  raised  Lazarus.  (3.)  By 
the  word,  a  quickening  word,  a  word  which 
is  spirit  and  life  ;  he  turned  to  the  body,  (in¬ 
timating  that  when  he  prayed  he  turned  from 
it,  lest  the  sight  of  it  should  discourage  his 
faith,)  and  spake  in  his  Master’s  name,  and 
according  to  his  example,  ‘  Tabitha,  arise  ; 
return  to  life  again.’  Power  went  with  this 
W'ord,  and  she  came  to  life,  opened  her  eyes 
which  death  had  closed ;  he  gave  her  his  hand 
and  lifted  her  up;  thus  as  it  were  welcoming 
her  to  life  again.  And  lastly,  he  called  the 
saints  and  widows,  who  were  all  in  sorrow 
for  her  death,  and  presented  her  alive  to  them, 
to  their  great  comfort,  particularly  of  the 
widows,  who  laid  her  death  much  to  heart, 
v.  41. 

5.  The  good  effect  of  this  miracle.  (1.) 
Many  were  by  it  convinced  of  the  truth  of  the 
Gospel,  that  it  was from  heaven, and  not  of  men, 
and  believed  in  the  Lord,  v.  42.  The  thing  was 
known  throughout  all  Joppa  ;  it  would  be  in 
every  body’s  mouth,  quickly,  and  it  being  a 
town  of  seafaring  men,  [the  port  of  Jerusa¬ 
lem,  through  which  Palestine  traded  with 
Europe,]  the  notice  of  it  would  be  the  sooner 
carried  from  thence  to  other  countries;  and 
though  some  never  minded  it,  many  were 
wrought  upon  by  it.  This  was  the  end  of 
miracles,  to  confirm  a  divine  revelation. 
(2.)  Peter  was  hereby  induced  to  continue 
some  time  in  this  city,  v.  43.  Not  in  the 
house  of  Tabitha,  though  she  was  rich,  lest 
he  should  seem  to  seek  his  own  glory  ;  but 
he  took  up  his  lodgings  with  one  Simon  : 


PRA.CT.  OBS.  The  power  of  doing  evil  has  seldom  been  adequate 
to  the  inclination,  even  in  those  who  have  been  most  successful  perse¬ 
cutors  and  destroyers  in  the  church,  or  in  the  world  ;  for  could  scourges 
of  God  execute  their  threatenings,  as  readily  as  they  utter  them,  their 
very  breath  would  be  fatal  to  mankind,  and  especially  to  the  disciples 
of  the  Lord. — Even  when  sinners  are  most  eager  to  execute  their  rebel¬ 
lious  purposes,  the  Lord  sometimes  discovers  his  designs  of  mercy  to¬ 
wards  them  :  and  thus  the  extremity  of  their  wickedness  illustrates  the 
infinite  riches  and  power  of  his  grace. — The  manifested  light  and  glory 
of  the  divine  justice,  holiness,  and  power,  would  sink  the  stoutest  rebel 
on  earth  to  despair  at  once,  if  it  were  not  accompanied  with  some  indi¬ 
cations  of  mercy  and  grace  :  but  the  Lord  sends  convictions  and  terrors 
to  abase  men  in  the  dust,  that  their  hearts  may  be  prepared  for  ‘  peace 
and  joy  in  believing.’  When  a  sinner  is  brought  to  a  proper  sense  of 
his  own  state,  character,  and  conduct,  be  will  submit,  without  reserve  ; 
allowing  that  he  might  justly  be  left  to  perish  ;  casting  himself  wholly 
on  the  mercy  of  the  divine  Savior,  and  inquiring  what  He  would  have 
him  to  do.  This  will  thenceforth  be  the  language  of  his  heart  and  pray¬ 
ers  continually. — Under  great  remorse  of  conscience,  and  when  the  soul 
is  deeply  engaged  about  eternal  things,  a  man  loses  his  desire  after  ani¬ 
mal  recreation  :  so  that  fasting  in  such  circumstances  is  often  a  matter 
of  course,  rather  than  an  imposed  duty.  Hut  happy  are  they,  who  thus 
sow  in  tears,  that  they  may  reap  in  joy  !  1  Behold  he,’  the  proud  Phar¬ 
isee,  or  the  prouder  infidel,  1  prayeth  in  that  manner  which  the  Savior 
notices  with  cordial  approbation  !  Behold  the  licentious  profligate,  the 
iniquitous  publican,  the  unmerciful  oppressor,  or  the  daring  blasphemer, 
‘  prayeth  !’  What  happy  tidings  are  these,  when  well  authenticated,  to 
such  as  understand  the  nature  and  efficacy  of  prayer;  of  such  prayer,  as 
the  humbled  sinner  presents  before  a  merciful  God,  for  the  blessings  of 
eternal  salvation  ! — Converting  grace  renders  believers  the  children  of 
the  same  Father,  abolishes  their  former  distinctions,  and  termi¬ 
nates  their  enmities :  and,  xvhen  the  bitterest  foe,  or  the  vilest  male¬ 
factor,  becomes  a  real  disciple,  we  are  required  to  own  and  to  love  him 
as  a  ‘brother,’  without  any  upbraiding*,  prejudice,  or  resentment;  and 


there  was  no  witness  to  the  transaction.  It  is  remarkable,  that  there  is 
no  instance  in  Scripture  of  n  prophet,  or  eminent  minister  of  religion, 
being  raised  front  the  dead  ;  (for  it  does  not  appear,  that  Paul  was  en¬ 
tirely  dead,  when  he  had  been  stoned  at  Lystra,  14:19,  20.)  and  but  few 
of  their  miraculous  recoveries  from  sickness  :  though  we  should  perhaps 


we  should  rejoice  to  be  useful  to  him,  either  in  his  temporal  or  spiritual 
concerns. — The  efficacious  teaching  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  causes  ‘the 
scales  ’  of  ignorance,  prejudice,  and  pride  to  fall  from  the  eyes  of  the 
understanding,  which  before  excluded  the  clear  light  of  the  Gospel  :  then 
the  sinner  receives  his  sight,  and  professes  the  faith  which  once  he  de¬ 
spised  :  then  he  passes  from  the  kingdom  of  Satan  to  that  of  God ; 
(Notes,  Eph.  1:15 — 23,  vv.  15 — 13.  Co/.  1:9 — 14.)  and,  being  a  new 
creature,  he  lives  in  a  new  element,  and  joins  himself  to  new  compan¬ 
ions  .  (Note,  1  Sam.  10:10 — 13.)  and,  as  he  has  opportunity  and  ability, 
he  endeavors  to  recommend  Jesus,  the  anointed  Savior  and  the  Son  of 
God,  to  the  attention  of  his  former  associates  in  iniquity  or  infidelity  : 
and  this  is  often  done  with  an  energy  of  argument  and  persuasion, 
which  confounds  those,  who  are  the  most  hardened  against  the  truth  : 
but  while  many,  who  witness  the  effects  of  the  Gospel,  are  amazed, 
only  a  few  in  comparison  are  effectually  convinced  by  them.  Even 
Saul’s  conversion,  though  it  is,  at  this  day,  a  real  demonstration  of  the 
truth  of  Christianity,  a  fact  that  can  neither  be  doubted,  nor  accounted 
for  on  any  other  principle ;  even  when  U  first  took  place,  and  when  it 
concurred  with  his  convincing  arguments,  and  most  stupendous  mira¬ 
cles,  could  not  of  itself  effect  the  conversion  of  one  enemy  to  the  Gos¬ 
pel  :  for  nothing  can  produce  true  faith,  but  that  power  which  new  cre¬ 
ates  the  heart.— When  believers  walk  conscientiously,  ‘  in  the  fear  of 
the  Lord,  and  in  the  comfort  of  the  Holy  Spirit,’  they  appear  to  be  an 
excellent  and  happy  people,  and  are  generally  multiplied  :  and  it  be¬ 
hooves  us  to  watch  against  dejection  or  melancholy,  as  much  as  against 
known  sin  ;  for  it  prejudices  the  minds  of  unbelievers  against  the  truth, 
and  renders  them  afraid  of  it,  as  only  productive  of  dejection  and  dis¬ 
comfort. — How  mean  is  the  grovelling  ambition  of  those  numerous  fe¬ 
males,  who  aspire  to  no  higher  distinction,  than  that  of  external  person¬ 
al  decoration  and  accomplishment,  and  who  waste  their  lives  in  trifling 
pursuits  ;  when  multiplied  charities,  and  labors  of  love,  might  have  ren¬ 
dered  them,  at  less  expense  of  time  and  treasure,  a  blessing  to  multi¬ 
tudes,  and  an  ornament  to  Christianity  !  Scott. 


have  thought,  that  these  were  the  most  proper  cases  for  a  divine  inter¬ 
position.  Scott. 

(41.)  IVulows.  1  Dr.  A.  C.  thinks,  that  ‘  in  the  primitive  times  the 
widows  formed  a  distinct  part  of  the  Christian  church.’  Where  polygamy 
prevailed,  widows  would  be  numerous ;  and  where,  as  in  the  E.,  women 


A.  D.  41. 


ACTS,  X. 


Account  of  Cornelius. 


CHAP.  X. 

1  Cornelius,  a  devout  man,  5  being  commanded  by  an  an¬ 
gel,  sendeth  for  Peter  :  II  who  by  a  vision  15,  20  is  taught 
not  to  despise  the  Gentiles.  34  As  he  preacheth  Christ 
to  Cornelius  and  his  company,  44  the  Holy  Ghost  falleth 
on  them,  48  and  they  ate  baptized. 

THERE  was  a  certain  man  in 
Cesarea,  called  Cornelius,  a 
centurion  of  the  band  called  the 
Italian  band , 

2  A  *  devout  man,  and  one  that 
b  feared  God  with  all  c  his  house, 
which  gave  much  alms  to  dthe  peo¬ 
ple,  and  prayed  eto  God  alway. 

a  c.  8:2.  22:12.  101:2— 7.  c.  18:8.  e  Cs.  119:2.  Pr. 

b  Ec.  7:18.  d  Pa.  41:1.  2:3—5. 

c  Ge.  18:19.  Pa. 

and  though  Peter  might  seem  to  be  buried 
in  obscurity,  here  in  the  house  of  a  poor 
tanner,  fa  trade  stigmatized  by  the  Jews, 
Schoettg.]  by  tire  sea-side,  yet  hence  God 
fetched  him  to  a  noble  piece  of  service  in  the 
next  ch.  ;  for  those  that  humble  themselves 
shall  be  exalted. 


Chap.  X.  V.  1 — 8.  The  story  of  this  ch. 
gives  to  the  Acts  a  turn  very  new  and  re¬ 
markable  ;  hitherto,  both  at  Jerusalem  and 
everywhere  else,  where  the  ministers  of 
Christ  came,  they  preached  the  Gospel  only 
to  the  Jews,  or  Greeks  circumcised  and 
proselyted  to  the  Jews’  religion  ;  but  now, 
Lo,  we  turn  to  the  Gentiles  ;  and  to  them 


the  door  of  faith  is  here  opened  :  good  news 
indeed  to  us  sinners  of  the  Gentiles.  .  Peter 
is  the  first  man  employed  to  admit  uncir-  ! 
cumcised  Gentiles  into  the  Christian  church ; 
and  Cornelius,  a  Roman  centurion  or  colonel, 
is  the  first  that,  with  his  family  and  friends,  | 
is  so  admitted.  It  is  not  unlikely  some  Gen¬ 
tiles  might,  before  now,  have  stepped  into  a 
synagogue  of  the  Jews,  and  heard  the  Gos- 
pel  preached ;  but  the  Gospel  was  never  yet  I 
designedly  preached  to  the  Gentiles,  nor  any  j 
of  them  till  now  baptized.  And  here  we  have,  1 

I.  An  account  of  Cornelius  ;  he  was  a  , 
great  man  and  a  good  man ;  two  characters 
that  seldom  meet  ;  and  where  they  do,  they 
put  a  lustre  on  each  oilier;  goodness  makes 
greatness  truly  valuable,  and  greatness  makes 
goodness  much  more  serviceable. 

1.  He  was  an  officer  of  the  army,  v.  1. ; 
at  present  quartered  in  Cesarea,  a  strong 
city,  lately  re-edified  and  fortified  by  Herod 
the  Great,  and  called  Cesarea,  in  honor  of 
Augustus  Cesar.  It  lay  on  the  sea-shore, 
very  convenient  for  correspondence  between 
Rome  and  its  conquests  in  those  parts.  The 
Roman  governor,  or  proconsul,  ordinarily 
resided  here,  ch.  23 :  23,  24.  25:6.  [Note, 
8:  40.]  Here  was  a  band,  or  cohort,  or  reg¬ 
iment,  of  the  Roman  army,  which  probably 
was  the  governor’s  life-guard,  and  is  here 
called  the  Italian  band  ;  because,  that  they 
might  be  the  more  sure  of  their  fidelity,  they 
were  all  native  Romans,  or  Italians.  The 
name,  Cornelius,  was  much  used  among  the 


Romans,  among  some  of  the  most  ancient 
and  noble  families.  He  was  an  officer  of 
considerable  rank  and  figurej  a  centurion. 
Mat.  8:  10.  When  a  Gentile  must  be  pitched 
upon  to  receive  the  Gospel  first,  it  is  not  a 
Gentile  philosopher,  much  less  a  Gentile 
priest,  (who  are  bigoted  to  their  notions  and 
worship,  and  prejudiced  against  the  Gospel 
of  Christ,)  but  a  Gentile  soldier,  who  is  a 
man  of  more  free  thought;  and  he  that  truly 
is  so,  when  the  Christian  doctrine  is  fairly 
set  before  him,  cannot  but  bid  it  welcome. 
Fishermen,  unlearned  and  ignorant  men,* 
were  the  first  of  the  Jewish  converts,  but 
not  so  of  the  Gentiles  ;  for  the  world  shall 
know,  that  the  Gospel  has  that  in  it  which 
may  recommend  it  to  men  of  polite  learning 
and  a  liberal  education,  as  we  have  reason  to 
think  this  centurion  was.  Let  not  soldiers 
and  officers  of  the  army  plead,  that  their 
employment  frees  them  from  the  restraints 
some  others  are  under,  and,  giving  them 
an  opportunity  of  living  more  at  large, 
may  excuse  them  if  they  be  not  religious  ; 
for  here  was  an  officer  of  the  army  that  em¬ 
braced  Christianity,  and  yet  was  neither 
turned  out  of  his  place,  nor  turned  himself 
out.  And  lastly,  it  was  a  mortification  to  the 
Jews,  that  not  only  the  Gentiles  were  taken 
into  the  church,  but,  that  the  first  who  was 
taken  in,  was  an  officer  of  the  Roman  army, 

*  Yet  l!iis  class  are  said  to  have  had  considerable  intelli¬ 
gence,  capital,  consideration,  and  intercourse  with  nations 
and  foreigners,  by  extensive  trade.  Ed. 


are  hot  taught  to  read  and  write,  they  would  peculiarly  need  protection. 
And  such  a  state  of  society,  as  is  well  known,  more  exposes  them  to 
temptation.  Ed. 

NOTES.  Chap.  X.  V.  1,  2.  It  may  be  supposed,  that  Cornelius,  if 
a  native  of  Italy,  would  think  it  a  trial,  to  be  sent  so  tar  from  his  coun¬ 
try  and  all  his  connexions ;  for  the  Cornelii  were  an  illustrious  family  at 
Home.  Yet  in  Jndea,  he  became  acquainted  with  the  true  God  ;  and, 
renouncing  idolatry,  he  worshipped  Him  with  reverence  and  obedient 
attention. — Many  writers  are  very  full  and  exact,  about  two  sorts  of 
proselytes  to  the  Jewish  religion;  and  others  argue  against  that  dis¬ 
tinction  ;  but  the  nature  of  the  case,  and  the  facts  recorded  in  Scripture 
render  it  evident,  that  some  of  the  Gentiles  were  circumcised,  professed 
obedience  to  the  whole  Mosaic  law,  and  were  completely  incorporated 
among  the  native  Jews;  and  that  others  became  worshippers  of  the 
true  God,  and  professed  obedience  to  the  moral  precepts,  who  were  not 
circumcised,  nor  observant  of  the  ceremonial  law.  Of  this  latter  de¬ 
scription  Cornelius  was  ;  and  therefore  considered  entirely  as  a  Gentile, 
though  of  good  report  among  the  Jews. — ‘  The  Jews  accounted  them 
unclean,  as  well  as  the  other  Gentiles  : .  . .  yet  . . .  they  deemed  the  alms 
they  gave  to  the  Jews  clean;  .  ..  and  because  Cornelius  was  free  in  giv¬ 
ing  to  the  Jews  of  Cesarea,  he  was  a  man  of  good  report  among  them  ail. 
(22)’  Whitby.  There  was  evidently  a  preparation  in  the  heart  of  Corne¬ 
lius,  for  the  reception  of  the  Gospel ;  he  had  doubtless  a  true  faith  in  the 
Word  of  God,  as  far  as  he  understood  it,  though  he  had  not  an  explicit 
faith  in  Christ.  (8:26 — 31.)  This  preparation  and  faith  were  the  fruits  of 
the  regenerating  Spirit  of  God,  who  was  given  to  him  through  the  media¬ 
tion  of  Jesus,  even  before  he  knew  Him  ;  and  this  indeed  is  the  case  with 
every  man,  when  1  God,  who  is  rich  in  mercy,  for  his  great  love  wherewith 
He  loved  him, even  when  dead  in  sin,’  at  first  ‘quickens  him  together 
with  Christ.’  Eph.  2:4—10,  vv.  4, 5.  Had  it  been  possible  for  Cornelius,  in 
this  state  of  mind,  to  have  refused  the  salvation  of  Christ  when  propos¬ 
ed  to  him  ;  he  would  not  have  been  saved  by  his  works  ;  but  this  could 
not  be,  for  God  had  prepared  and  inclined  him  to  welcome  the  Gospel, 
because  He  intended  to  call  him  to  believe  it ;  so  that  he  could  neither 
be  saved  without  faith  in  Christ,  nor  could  he  perish  through  want  of  it. 
It  is  mere  trilling  to  inquire,  as  many  have  done,  what  his  estate  would 
have  been,  had  he  died  after  his  prayers  were  heard,  and  before  he  had 
believed  in  Christ  ;  for  it  goes  on  the  absurd  supposition  of  the  Lord’s 
beginning  a  work,  and  not  bringing  it  to  the  intended  completion.  It  is 
a  universal  rule,  that  whatever  is  from  God,  of  a  spiritual  and  holy  na¬ 
ture,  will  for  Christ’s  sake  be  accepted  by  Him;  but  it  may  be  doubted 
whether  He  ever  communicates  regenerating  grace  to  an  adult  person, 
where  He  has  not  given,  or  does  not  mean  to  send,  some  measure  of  the 
light  of  his  Word ;  though  it  does  not  behoove  us  to  limit  his  mercy ; 
nor  can  we  tell  how  small  a  portion  of  divine  truth  may  be  the  seed  or 
the  food  of  divine  life  in  the  soul.  This  we  may  know  certainly,  that 
no  regenerate  man  will  finally  reject  the  Gospel,  when  proposed  to  him. 
— Many  objections  and  reasonings,  and  much  perplexity  on  this  subject, 
among  persons  of  contrary  systems,  seem  to  arise  from  inattention  to 
this  truth  ;  that  nothing  spiritually  good,  or  acceptable  to  God,  can  be 
produced  from  the  heart  of  fallen  man ,  except  by  the  regenerating 
Spirit  of  Christ  :  where  that  is  communicated,  all  tilings  necessary  to 
salvation  will  in  due  time  follow  ;  yet  when,  or  in  what  order,  cannot 
be  previously  ascertained.  John  1:10 — 13,  vv.  12,  13.  3:3 — 8.  But  many 
things  good,  in  the  estimation  of  man,  and  many  specious  appearances 
of  evangelical  religion,  are  as  distinct  from  spirituality  and  holiness,  or 
the  choice  and  love  of  the  holy  excellency  of  God  and  heavenly  things, 
as  polished  brass,  in  its  highest  perfection,  is  different  from  pure  gold. 
Luke  16:14,  15.  Perhaps  these  observations  may  assist  the  reader,  in 
understanding  this  interesting  ch. ;  which  cannot  easily  be  made  to  ac¬ 
cord  with  the  exactness  of  systematical  writers  of  different  creeds,  on 
these  subjects.— (1.)  The  Italian  band.]  1  Many,  with  Grotius,  have  ex¬ 
plained  this,  as  if  the  meaning  were,  that  Cornelius  was  a  centurion  of 
one  of  the  cohorts  belonging  to  the  Italjan  legion.  .  . .  But  I  refer  the 
reader  to  the  many  learned  and  judicious  things  which  Mr.  Biscoe  has 
said,  ( Boyle's  Lectures,)  to  show  that  the  Italian  legion  did  not  exist  at 


this  time.  ...  I  think  it  exceedingly  probable,  for  the  reasons  which  lie 
urges,  that  this  was  a  cohort  different  from  any  of  the  legionary  ones ; 
(the  life-guard  of  the  governor,  perhaps;)  and  consequently  that  Duke 
has  here  expressed  himself  with  liis  usual  accuracy  ;  and  that  the  mis¬ 
take  lies,  as  it  generally  does,  in  those  who  think  they  have  learning 
enough  to  correct  him.  It  is  probable,  that  this  was  called  the  Italian 
cohort,  because  most  of  the  soldiers  belonging  to  it  were  Italians.’ 
Doddr.  Instead  of  generally ,  always  would  have  been  more  proper.  S. 

(1.)  Cesarea .]  Note,  8:40.  Band.]  ‘  Speira :  cohort.  This  con¬ 
sisted  sometimes  of  555  infantry  and  66  cavalry  ;  but  the  cohors  prima , 
or  first  cohort,  of  1105  infantry,  and  132  cavalry,  in  the  time  of  Vegetius. 
But  the  horse  are  to  be  considered,  not  as  a  part  of  it,  but  as  a  company 
joined  to  it.  A  Roman  legion  had  10  cohorts  ;  the  lirst  was  most  hon¬ 
ored.’  Ur.  A.  C.  In  Gruter's  inscriptions  (found  in  the  Forum  Senipro- 
nii ),  a  volunteer  cohort  of  Italian  soldiers  in  Syria  is  mentioned.  Jos. 
relates,  that  most  of  the  recruits  were  derived  from  Syria,  for  the  legions 
serving  there.  But  this  was  of  Romans,  the  others  being  provincials. 
Arrian  mentions  an  Italian  cohort ;  Tacitus  and  others,  an  Italian  legion. 
See  Bl.  ‘  We  learn,  from  the  Roman  historians,  that  the  5th,  10th,  and 
15th  legions  were  stationed  in  Judea;  and  the  3d,  4th,  6th,  and  12th,  in 
Syria.’  Dr.  A-  C.  Ed. 

(2.)  Feared  God.]  1. 1  Phoboumenos  ton  Theon  :  “  a  name  given  to 
proselytes  of  the  gate,  see  13:16.  26:43.  For  proselytes  of  justice,  i.  e. 
Gentiles,  who  had  embraced  the  Jewish  faith  and  undergone  circumcis¬ 
ion,  were  considered  as  having  become  part  of  the  Jewish  people,  and 
were  called  Jews.  2.  Cornelius  offered  up  his  prayers  at  the  hours 
usual  among  the  Jews,  (see  3:30.)  and  had  read  the  O.  T.,  for  Peter  ap¬ 
peals  to  it  as  known  to  him.  He  had,  too,  conferred  many  benefits  on 
the  people,  (v.  2.)  not  only  Gentiles,  but  Jews.  3.  Although  the  Jews 
did  not  refuse  to  mix  with  the  proselytes  of  the  gate,  (as  we  learn  from 
Jos.,  War,  6,  3,  3.)  yet  the  more  rigid  ones  despised  them,  since  they 
had  not  undergone  circumcision,  nor  used  to  observe  the  precepts  of  the 
Mosaic  law  concerning  clean  and  unclean  meats.”  But  the  above  rea¬ 
sons  (adduced  by  Fecht,  Hamm.,  Wolf,  Benson,  Maschius,  Ernesli,  Zie¬ 
gler,  &c.)  seem,  says  Kuin.,  not  very  convincing.  For,  (1.)  The  words 
phoboumenos,  or  sebome.nos  ton  Tfoeon,  or  eulabeis,  are  also  used  of 
any  persons  studious  of  piety,  and  filled  with  reverence  towards  God. 
See  Acts  18:11.  19:27.  22:12.  Luke  1:50.  2:25.  2  Pet.  2:9.  Rev- 11:18. 
(2.)  Cornelius  is  called  by  Peter,  allophulos,  [tr.  of  another  nation,] 
with  whom  it  was  not  lawful  for  Jews  to  associate,  10:28.  But  there 
was  nothing  in  the  whole  law  which  forbade  the  holding  society 
with  proselytes  of  the  gate.  Nay,  the  Law  of  Moses  permitted  to  for¬ 
eigners  a  perpetual  abode  among  Jews,  on  condition  that  they  should 
renounce  idolatry,  and  abstain  from  whatever  had  reference  thereto  ;  as 
meats  offered  up  to  idols,  food  formed  from  blood.  See  Lev.  17:10. 11:13. 
The  Law  had  moreover  enjoined  the  Israelites  to  treat  such  proselytes  as 
fellow-countrymen,  and  love  them  as  themselves,  Lev.  19:33,  34.  See 
Mich,  and  Nitch.  Hence  also  to  such  was  permitted  free  access  to  the 
synagogues  (Acts  14:1 .)  and  familiar  intercourse  with  the  Jews.  (Luke 
7:3.  note,  Mat,  8:5.)  Besides,  had  Cornelius  been  a  proselyte  of  the  gate, 
the  news  of  his  conversion  would  not  have  occasioned  such  astonish¬ 
ment  to  the  apostles  and  others,  11:1,  <fcc.  (3.)  Cornelius  is,  in  11:1. 
expressly  numbered  with  Gentiles.  See  also  10:34,  35.  Now  what  is 
predicted  of  Cornelius  is  transferred  to  the  Gentiles  ;  and  in  the  coun¬ 
cil  of  Jerusalem  Peter  claims  io  himself  the  glory  of  first  preaching  the 
Gospel  to  the  Gentiles,  15:7.  On  all  which  accounts  it  seems  far  more 
probable  that  Cornelius  was  a  Gentile.”  Kuin.’  Bl. — One  that  feared 
God.]  ‘  It  is  a  very  unwarrantable  liberty,  in  the  vers,  of  1727,  to  tr.  this 
clause  a  proselyte.  . .  There  is  no  sufficient  authority  for  the  distinction, 
so  generally  admitted  by  learned  men,  between  proselytes  of  right¬ 
eousness,  who  by  circumcision  became  debtors  to  the  whole  law,  and 
proselytes  of  the  gate,  who,  worshipping  the  true  God,  renouncing  idol 
atry,  and  submitting  themselves  to  the  observation  of  the  7  (supposed) 
precepts  of  Noah,  were  allowed,  though  uncircumcised,  to  live  among 
the  Jews,  and  converse  familiarly  with  them.’  Doddr. — See  on  chapter 


a.  r>.  41. 


ACTS,  X. 


3  Ho  saw  in  a  vision  evidently, 
about  the  ninth  hour  of  the  day,  an 
angel  fof  God  coming  in  to  him, 
and  saying  unto  him,  Cornelius. 

4  And  when  he  looked  on  him, 
he  was  afraid,  and  said,  What  is  it, 
Lord  ?  And  he  said  unto  him,  Thy 
prayers  and  thine  alms  are  come  up 
for  a  memorial  e  before  God. 

5  And  now  send  men  to  Joppa, 
and  call  for  one  Simon,  whose  sur¬ 
name  is  Peter. 

6  He  lodgeth  with  one  Simon  ha 
tanner,  whose  house  is  by  the  sea¬ 
side  :  he  shall  tell  thee  1  what  thou 
oughtest  to  do. 

7  And  when  the  angel  which 
spake  unto  Cornelius  was  departed, 
he  called  two  of  his  household  ser¬ 
vants,  and  a  devout  soldier  of  them 
that  waited  on  him  continually  : 

8  And  when  he  had  declared  all 
these  things  unto  them,  he  sent 
them  to  Joppa. 

9  IT  On  the  morrow,  as  they  went 
on  their  journey,  and  drew  nigh 
unto  the  city,  Peter  went j  up  upon 
the  house-top  to  pray,  about  the 
sixth  hour  : 

f  He.  1:14.  I.  c.  9:43.  J  c.  11:5,  &c. 

g  Is.  45:19.  i  c.  11:14. 

which  was  to  them  the  abomination  of 
desolation. 

2.  He  was,  according  to  the  measure  of 
the  light  he  had,  a  religious  man  ;  a  very 
good  character  is  given  of  him,  v.  2.  He 
was  no  idolater,  nor  allowed  himself  in  any 
of  those  immoralities  the  greater  part  of  the 
Gentile  world  were  given  up  to,  to  punish 
them  for  their  idolatry.  (1.)  He  possessed  a 
principle  of  regard  to  the  true  and  living 
God,  was  devout,  and  feared  God  ;  he  be¬ 
lieved  in  one  God,  the  Creator  of  heaven 
and  earth,  revered  his  glory  and  authority, 
and  dreaded  offending  Him  by  sin  ;  and 
though  a  soldier,  it  was  no  diminution  to  the 
credit  of  his  valor  to  tremble  before  God. 
(2.)  He  kept  up  religion  in  his  family  ;  he 
feared  God,  with  all  his  house.  He  would  not 
admit  any  idolaters  under  his  roof ;  but  took 
care  that  not  himself  only,  but  all  his,  should 
serve  the  Lord.  (3.)  He  was  a  very  char¬ 
itable  man ;  he  gave  much  alms  to  the  people, 
the  people  of  the  Jews,  notwithstanding  the 
singularities  of  their  religion.  Though  a 
Gentile,  he  was  willing  to  contribute  to  the 
relief  of  one  that  was  a  real  object  of  charity, 
without  asking  what  religion  he  was  of.  (4.) 
He  was  much  in  prayer  ;  he  prayed  to  God 
always.  He  kept  up  stated  times  for  prayer, 
and  was  constant  to  them.  Wherever  the 
fear  of  God  rules  in  the  heart,  it  will  appear 
both  in  works  of  charity  and  of  piety,  and 
neither  will  excuse  us  from  the  other. 


II.  The  orders  given  him  from  heaven. 

1.  He  had  a  vision,  about  3  of  tiie  clock  in 
the  afternoon,  with  us  an  hour  of  business 
and  Conversation  ;  but  then,  because  it  was 
in  the  temple  the  time  of  the  offering  of  the 
evening  sacrifice,  it  was  made  by  devout 
people  an  hour  of  prayer,  to  intimate  that  all 
our  prayers  are  to  be  offered  up  in  the  virtue 
of  the  great  Sacrifice.  Cornelius  was  now  at 
prayer,  v.  30.  and  saw  an  angel,  evidently 
with  his  bodily  eyes,  not  in  a  dream,  pre¬ 
sented  to  his  imagination,  but  in  a  vision, 
presented  to  his  sight.  He  called  him  by  his 
name,  Cornelius,  to  intimate  the  particular 
notice  God  took  of  him.  This  put  Cornelius 
for  the  present  into  some  confusion,  v.  4. 
Therefore  Cornelius  cries,  *  What  is  it.  Lord? 
What  is  the  matter  1  ’  This  he  speaks  as  one 
afraid  of  something  amiss,  and  longing  to  be 
eased  of  that  fear,  by  knowing  the  truth  ; 
or  as  one  desirous  to  know  the  mind  of  God, 
and  ready  to  comply  with  it. 

2.  The  message.  (1.)  He  is  assured  God 
accepts  of  him  in  walking  according  to  the 
light  he  had,  v.  4.  Observe,  prayers  and 
alms  must  go  together.  Cornelius  prayed, 
and  gave  alms,  not  as  the  Pharisees,  to  be 
seen  of  men,  but  in  sincerity,  as  unto  God  ; 
and  he  is  here  told,  that  they  were  come  up 
for  a  memorial  before  God.  The  sacrifices 
under  the  law  are  said  to  be  for  a  memorial. 
See  Lev.  2:  9,  16.  5: 12.  6: 15.  And  prayers 
and  aims  are  our  spiritual  offerings,  which 
God  is  pleased  to  take  cognizance  of,  and 
have  regard  to.  The  divine  revelation  com¬ 
municated  to  the  Jews,  as  far  as  the  Gen¬ 
tiles  were  concerned  in  it,  not  only  as  it 
directed  and  improved  the  light  and  law  of 
nature,  but  as  it  promised  a  Messiah  to 
come,  Cornelius  believed  and  submitted  to; 
what  he  did,  he  did  jn  that  faith,  and  was 
accepted  of  God  in  it  ;  for  the  Gentiles,  to 
whom  the  law  of  Moses  came,  were  not 
obliged  to  become  circumcised  Jews,  as  those 
to  whom  the  Gospel  of  Christ  comes,  are  to 
become  baptized  Christians.  (2.)  He  is  ap¬ 
pointed  to  inquire  after  a  further  discovery 
of  divine  grace,  now  lately  made  to  the 
world,  v.  5,  6.  Cornelius  prays  and  gives 
alms  in  the  fear  of  God  ;  is  religious  him¬ 
self,  and  keeps  up  religion  in  his  family,  and 
all  this  so  as  to  be  accepted  of  God  in  it  ; 
yet  there  is  something  further,  that  he  ought 
to  do  ;  it  is  indispensably  necessary  that  he 
embrace  the  Christian  religion,  now  that  God 
has  established  it  among  men.  He  that  be¬ 
lieved  the  promise  of  the  Messiah,  must  now 
believe  the  performance  of  that  promise. 
Now  that  God  had  given  a  further  record 
concerning  his  Son  than  what  had  been  given 
in  the  O.  T.  prophecies,  He  requires  that 
we  receive  that,  when  it  is  brought  to  us. 
And  now,  neither  our  prayers  nor  our  alms 
come  up  for  a  memorial  before  God  unless  we 
believe  in  Jesus  Christ;  for  it  is  that  further 
which  we  ought  to  do.  This  is  his  command¬ 
ment,  that  we  believe  ;  prayers  and  alms  are 
accepted  from  those  that  believe  that  the 
Lord  is  God,  and  have  not  opportunity  of 


V.  3 — 8.  Philip,  the  evangelist,  seems  to’ have  been  at  Cesarea  at 
this  time ;  yet  it  did  not  please  God  to  employ  him  in  the  case  of  Cor¬ 
nelius,  as  he  had  done  in  that  of  the  Ethiopian  treasurer.  It  does  not 
appear,  that  Cornelius  had  the  least  acquaintance  with  the  Christians  at 
or  near  Cesarea. — His  intercourse  with  the  unbelieving  Jews  was  suited 
rather  to  increase  than  remove  his  prejudices ;  and,  as  far  as  it  can  now 
be  judged,  the  reading  of  the  Greek  translation  of  the  Scriptures  was 
the  principal  and  almost  sole  means,  by  which  effects  so  beneficial  and 
excellent  had  been  produced.  Scott. 

(3.)  Evidently .]  ‘  PhanerOs  :  added,  to  show  that  Cornelius  was 

awake.'  Lightf. — He  saw,  Ac.]  ‘The  text  is  as  plain  as  it  can  be,  that 
an  angel  of  God  did  appear  to  Cornelius.  It  was  something  similar  to 
the  angelic  appearance  made  to  Daniel,  ch.  9:20 — 23.  and  that  especially 
to  Zachariah,  the  father  of  John  the  Baptist.  Luke  1:11.,  &c.'  Dr.  A.  C. 

(6.)  By  the  sea.]  ‘  The  ancients  had  their  tanners’  houses  and  work¬ 
shops  apart  (50  cubits  at  least,  so  the  Jewish  Mischna)  from  towns,  (on 
account  of  the  fetid  odor,)  and  near  rivers,  for  convenience  of  water, 
necessary  in  preparing  the  skins.  Simon  was  not  a  currier,  but  a  tan¬ 
ner.’  Kuin.  Perhaps,  then,  Peter  chose  this  house,  partly  for  its  retire¬ 
ment.  Ed. — What  thou  oughtest  to  do.]  1  From  this  it  appears,  that  mat¬ 
ters  of  great  moment  had  occupied  the  mind  of  Cornelius.  He  was  not 
satisfied  with  the  state  of  his  own  soul,  nor  with  the  degree  he  possess¬ 
ed  of  religious  knowledge.  . .  .  Perhaps  he  had  heard  of  Jesus,  and  had 
been  perplexed  with  the  different  opinions  that  prevailed  concerning 


Cornelius  directed  to  send  for  Peter. 

knowing  more.  But  from  those  to  whom  it 
is  preached,  that  Jesus  is  Christ,  it  is  neces¬ 
sary  to  the  acceptance  of  their  persons, 
prayers,  and  alms,  that  they  believe  that, 
and  rest  on  Him  alone  for  acceptance.  Cor¬ 
nelius  has  now  an  angel  from  heaven  talking 
to  him,  yet  he  must  not  receive  the  Gospel 
from  him,  nor  be  told  by  him  what  he  ought 
to  do  ;  but  all  that  the  angel  has  to  say,  is, 
‘  Send  for  Peter,  and  he  shall  tell  thee.'  As 
the  former  observation  puts  a  mighty  honor 
on  the  Gospel,  so  does  this  on  the  gospel- 
ministry.  And  as  it  was  an  honor  to  the 
apostle,  that  he  must  preach  what  an  angel 
might  not,  so  it  was  a  further  honor,  that  an 
angel  was  despatched  on  purpose  from  heaven 
to  order  him  to  be  sent  for.  To  bring  a 
faithful  minister  and  a  willing  people  togeth¬ 
er,  is  a  work  worthy  of  an  angel,  and  what 
therefore  the  greatest  of  men  should  be  glad 
to  be  employed  in. 

III.  H  is  immediate  obedience,  v.  7,  8. 
Having  a  family,  and  kinsmen,  and  friends, 
v.  24.  a  little  congregation  of  them,  that 
could  not  go  with  him  to  Joppa,  he  sends  for 
Peter  ;  and  that  as  soon  as  ever  the  angel 
was  departed.  Where  souls  are  concerned, 
no  time  is  to  be  lost.  He  sent  two  of  his  house¬ 
hold  servants,  who  all  feared  God,  and  a 
devout  soldier,  one  of  them  that  waited  on  him 
continually.  A  devout  centurion  had  devout 
soldiers;  officers  in  an  army,  that  have  such 
a  great  power  over  the  soldiers  as  we  find 
the  centurion  had,  Mat.  8:9.  have  a  great 
opportunity  of  promoting  religion,  at  least 
of  restraining  vice  and  profaneness,  in  those 
under  their  command,  if  they  would  but  im¬ 
prove  it.  When  this  centurion  was  to  choose 
some  of  his  soldiers  to  attend  his  person,  and 
to  be  always  about  him,  he  pitched  on  such 
of  them  as  were  devout  ;  they  shall  be  pre¬ 
ferred  and  countenanced,  to  encourage  others 
to  be  so;  he  went  by  David’s  rule,  Ps.  101: 
6.  As  Peter’s  coming  was  a  thing  in  which 
they  were  all  concerned,  for  they  had  souls 
to  save  as  well  as  he,t>.  8.  he  does  not  only 
tell  them  where  to  find  Peter,  but  on  what 
errand  he  was  to  come,  that  they  might  im¬ 
portune  him. 

V.  9 — 18.  Here  Peter,  to  remove  his  dif¬ 
ficulty  about  going  to  Cornelius,  because 
Cornelius  was  a  Gentile,  and  to  prepare  him 
to  go,  has  a  vision,  as  Ananias  had  to  pre¬ 
pare  him  to  go  to  Paul.  The  Scriptures  of 
the  O.T.  had  spoken  plainly  of  the  bringing 
in  of  the  Gentiles  into  the  church  ;  Christ 
had  given  plain  intimations  of  it,  when  He 
ordered  them  to  teach  all  nations  ;  yet  even 
Peter  himself,  who  knew  so  much  of  his 
Master’s  mind,  cannot  understand  it,  till  it 
is  here  revealed  by  vision,  that  the  Gentiles 
should  be  fellow  heirs,  Eph.  3:  6. 

I.  The  circumstances  of  this  vision.  God 
is  pleased  often  to  bring  things  to  the  minds 
of  his  ministers,  which  they  had  not  thought 
of,  just  then  when  they  have  occasion  to  use 
them.  It  was  when  Peter,  who  was  much  in 
prayer,  went  up  to  pray,  after  David’s  exam¬ 
ple,  Ps.  55:17.  about  noon.  From  morning 

Him  ;  and  now  prayed  to  God  that  he  might  know  what  part  to  take.’ 

Dr.  A.  Clarke. 

(8.)  House-top.]  ‘That  the  Jews  were  accustomed  to  ofTer  their 
prayers  on  the  roofs  of  their  houses,  is  plain  from  2  K.  23:12.  Jer.  19:13. 
32:15.  Zeph.  1:5.  Neh.  8:16.  Job.  3:11, 17.  Dan.  6:10.  [where,  see  note  and 
cut.]  Ps.  55:17.  So  also  Taanith,  (cited  by  Wetst .)  “Let  us  go  up  to 
the  roof,  and  implore  mercy, — they  went  upon  the  roof,  and  he  stood  in 
one  corner,  and  she  stood  in  the  other,  &c.”  ’  Bl. 

V.  9 — 16.  ‘Peter,  after  he  had  received  the  Holy  Spirit,  needed  to 
make  daily  proficiency  in  the  knowledge  of  the  benefit  of  Christ.’  Be- 
za,  in  Scott. — While  his  senses  were  closed  to  external  objects,  invisi¬ 
ble  things  were  presented  to  his  mind,  as  if  he  saw  them  with  his  eyes. 
— (15)  Call  not  thou  common.]  ‘  Do  not  thou  pollute.’  Gr.  ‘  It  was  the 
priests’  office,  in  case  of  leprosy,  and  other  matters  of  a  like  nature,  to 
pronounce  the  thing  or  person  under  examination,  clean  or  unclean.  In 
the  Heb.  it  is  thus  expressed,  “  The  priest  shall  cleanse,”  “  The  priest 
shall  pollute  him.”  What  God  hath  cleansed,  i.  e.  by  this  vision  and 
command  declared  to  be  clean,  do  not  thou  pollute,  i.  e.  pronounce  un¬ 
clean.’  Whitby.  To  inform  a  Jew,  that  God  had  cleansed  those  ani¬ 
mals,  which  before  had  been  declared  unclean,  and  that  they  were  no 
longer  to  be  deemed  common,  or  rejected  as  such,  was,  in  fact,  to  an¬ 
nounce  the  abrogation  of  the  Mosaic  law,  and  the  introduction  of  an¬ 
other  and  more  enlarged  dispensation  :  and  it  plainly  intimated,  that 
uncireumcised  Gentiles,  whom  God  cleansed  by  faith  and  grace,  were  to 


A.  D.  41. 


ACTS,  X. 


The  vision  sent  to  prepare  Peter. 


10  And  he  became  very  hungry, 
and  would  have  eaten  :  but  while 
they  made  ready,  he  fell  into  a 
trance, 

11  And  saw  k  heaven  opened,  and 
a  certain  vessel  descending  unto 
him,  as  it  had  been  a  great  sheet, 
knit  at  the  four  corners,  and  let 
down  to  the  earth  ; 

12  Wherein  were  all  manner  of 
four-footed  beasts  of  the  earth,  and 
wild  beasts,  and  creeping  things, 
and  fowls  of  the  air. 

13  And  there  came  a  voice  to 
him,  Rise,  Peter  ;  kill,  and  eat. 

14  But  Peter  said,  Not  so,  Lord; 
for  I  have  never  eaten  any  thing 
that  is  1  common  or  unclean. 

15  And  the  voice  spake  unto  him 
again  the  second  time,  What  God 
hath  m cleansed,  that  call  not  thou 
common. 


1 6  This  was  done  thrice :  and 
the  vessel  was  received  up  again 
into  heaven. 

17  IT  Now  while  Peter  doubted  in 
himself  what  this  vision  which  he 
had  seen  should  mean,  behold,  the 
men  which  were  sent  from  Corne¬ 
lius  had  made  inquiry  D  for  Simon’s 
house,  and  stood  before  the  gate, 

18  And  called,  and  asked  wheth¬ 
er  Simon,  which  was  surnamed 
Peter,  were  lodged  there. 

19  Whije  Peter  thought  on  the 
vision,  the  Spirit  “said  unto  him, 
Behold,  three  men  seek  thee. 


k  c.  7:56.  Ue.  19: 
11. 

1  Le.  11:2, &c.  20: 
25.  De.M:3,  &c. 


E/.e.  4:14.  1  Ti.  4:4. 

m  Mat.  15: 11.  ver.  n  c.  9:43. 

28.  Ro.  14:14,  o  c.  11:12. 

&c.  1  Co.  10:25, 


to  night  we  should  think  too .  long  to  be 
without  meat;  yet  who  thinks  it  too  long  to 
be  without  prayer1?  He  prayed  upon  the  house- 
top,  [Note  and  cut,  Dan.  6:  10.]  where  he 
could  neither  hear  nor  be  heard,  and  so 
might  avoid  both  distraction  and  ostentation. 
He  had  this  vision  immediately  after  he  had 
prayed,  as  an  answer  to  his  prayer  for  the 
spreading  of  the  Gospel  ;  and  because  the 
ascent  of  the  heart  to  God  in  prayer  is  an 
excellent  preparative  to  receive  the  discov¬ 
eries  of  the  divine  grace  and  favor.  He  had 
it  when  very  hungry ,  waiting  for  his  dinner, 
v.  10.  probably,  he  had  not  eaten  before  that 
day,  though  doubtless  he  had  prayed  before; 


and  now  he  would  have  eaten,  lit.  have  tasted, 
which  intimates  his  great  moderation  and 
temperance  in  eating.  Now,  this  hunger 
was  a  proper  inlet  to  the  vision  about  meats, 
as  Christ’s  hunger  in  the  wilderness  was  to 
Satan’s  temptation  to  turn  stones  into  bread. 

11.  The  vision  ;  not  so  plain  as  that  to 
Cornelius,  but  more  figurative  and  enigmat¬ 
ical,  to  make  the  deeper  impression. 

1.  He  fell  into  a  trance  or  ecstasy,  not  of 
terror,  but  of  contemplation,  which  was  so 
great  that  he  quite  lost  himself  to  this  world, 
and  so  had  his  mind  entirely  free  for  con¬ 
verse  with  divine  things;  as  Adam  in  inno- 
cency,  when  the  deep  sleep  fell  upon  him. 

2.  He  saw  heaven  opened  ;  that  he  might 
be  sure  that  his  authority  to  go  to  Cornelius 
was  indeed  from  heaven;  that  it  was  a  divine 
light  which  altered  his  sentiments,  and  a  di¬ 
vine  power  which  gave  him  his  commission. 

3.  He  saw  a  great  sheet  full  of  all  manner 
of  living  creatures,  let  down  to  him,  to  the  roof 
of  the  house.  Some  make  this  sheet,  thus 
filled,  to  represent  the  church  of  Christ.  All 
the  benefit  we  have  from  the  inferior  crea¬ 
tures,  comes  down  to  us  from  heaven  ;  it  is 
the  gift  of  God,  Ps.  8:  4 — 8.  How  should 
it  double  our  comfort  in  the  creatures,  and 
our  obligations  to  serve  God  in  the  use  of 
them  ! 

4.  Peter  was  ordered,  by  a  voice  from 
heaven,  to  use  this  plenty  and  variety,  v.  13. 
The  distinction  of  meats  which  the  law 
made,  was  intended  to  put  a  difference  be¬ 
tween  Jew  and  Gentile,  that  it  might  be  dif¬ 
ficult  to  them  to  dine  and  sup  with  a  Gentile, 
because  they  would  have  that  set  before 
them,  which  they  u'ere  not  allowed  to  eat  ; 
and  now,  the  taking  off  cf  that  prohibition 
was  a  plain  allowance  to  converse  with  the 
Gentiles,  and  to  be  free  and  familiar  with 
them. 

5.  Peter  stuck  to  his  principles,  though 
hungry,  v.  14.  not  knowing  at  first  but  that 
kill,  and  eat,  was  a  command  of  trial, whether 
he  would  adhere  to  the  more  sure  Word,  the 
written  law;  and  if  so,  his  answer  had  been 
very  good,  Not  so,  Lord.  Temptations  to 
eat  forbidden  fruit  must  not  be  parleyed  with, 
but  peremptorily  rejected :  and  if  God,  by  his 
grace,  has  preserved  us  from  gross  sin  unto 
this  day,  we  should,  like  Peter,  use  that  as 
an  argument  with  ourselves,  to  abstain  from 
all  appearance  of  evil.  So  strict  were  the 
pious  Jews  in  this  matter,  that  the  seven 
brethren,  those  glorious  martyrs  under  An- 
tioclms,  chose  rather  to  be  tortured  to  death 
in  the  most  cruel  manner,  than  to  eat  swine’s 
flesh. 

6.  God,  by  a  second  voice  from  heaven, 
proclaimed  the  repeal  of  the  law  in  this  case, 
v.  16.  He  that  made  the  law’,  might  alter 


it  when  He  pleased,  and  reduce  the  matter  to 
its  first  state.  God  had,  for  reasons  suited 
to  the  O.  T.  dispensation,  restrained  the 
Jews  from  eating  such  and  such  meats, 
which,  while  that  dispensation  lasted,  they 
w’ere  obliged  in  conscience  to  submit  to  ; 
but  He  has  now,  for  reasons  suited  to  the 
N.  T.  dispensation,  taken  off  that  restraint, 
and  set  the  matter  at  large,  and  we  ought  to 
make  use  of,  and  stand  fast  in,  the  liberty 
■wherewith  Christ  has  made  us  free,  and  not 
call  that  common  or  unclean,  which  God  has 
now  declared  clean  :  welcoming  it  as  a 
great  mercy,  that  we  are  freed  from  the  dis¬ 
tinction  of  meats,  which  was  made  by  the 
law  ol  Moses,  and  that  now  every  creature  of 
God  is  good,  and  nothing  to  be  refused;  chiefly 
because  conscience  is  hereby  freed  from  a 
yoke,  in  things  of  this  nature,  that  we  might 
serve  God  without  fear.  Though  the  Gospel 
has  made  duties  which  were  not  so  by  the 
law  of  nature,  yet  it  has  not,  like  the  law  of 
Moses,  made  sins  that  were  not  so.  Those 
who  command  to  abstain  from  some  kinds 
of  meat,  at  some  times  of  the  year,  and  place 
religion  in  it,  call  that  common  which  God 
hath  cleansed ;  and,  in  that  error,  more  than 
in  any  truth,  are  the  successors  of  Peter. 

7.  This  was  done  thrice,  v.  16;  but,  wheth¬ 
er  Peter’s  refusal  was  repeated  the  second 
and  third  time,  is  not  certain  ;  surely  not, 
when  his  objection  had  the  first  time  received 
such  a  satisfactory  answer.  The  doubling 
of  Pharaoh’s  dream,  and  so  the  trebling  of 
Peter’s  vision,  were  to  show  that  the  thing 
was  certain,  and  engage  him  so  much  the 
more  to  notice  it.  But  at  last  the  vessel  was 
received  up  into  heaven.  Those  who  make 
this  vessel  to  represent  the  church,  including 
both  Jews  and  Gentiles,  as  this  did  both 
clean  and  unclean  creatures,  make  this  very 
aptly  to  signify  the  admission  of  the  believ¬ 
ing  Gentiles  into  the  church,  and  into  heaven 
too,  into  the  Jerusalem  above. 

III.  The  providence  which  very  oppor¬ 
tunely  explained  this  vision  to  Peter,  v.  17, 
18.  1.  Peter  had  no  reason  to  doubt  the 

truth  of  it,  as  a  heavenly  vision ;  all  his  doubt 
was  concerning  the  meaning.  2.  Yet  he  was 
made  to  know  presently,  for  the  men  sent 
from  Cornelius  were  just  now  come  to  the 
house.  God  knows  what  services  are  before 
us,  and  therefore  how  to  prepare  us  ;  and 
we  then  better  know  the  meaning  of  what  He 
has  taught  us,  when  we  find  what  occasion 
we  have  to  use  it. 

V.  19 — 33.  We  have  here  the  meeting 
between  Peter  and  Cornelius.  Paul  was  de¬ 
signed  to  be  the  apostle  of  the  Gentiles,  and 
to  gather  in  the  harvest  among  them,  and 
Peter  to  be  the  apostle  of  the  circumcision ;  yet 
it  is  ordered,  that  Peter  shall  reap  the  first- 


be  received  into  the  church,  without  regard  to  the  ceremonial  law,  or 
to  their  unclennness  according  to  it.  Scott. 

(9,10.)  Eighth.]  ‘A  usual  time  for  prayer  among  the  Jews.  So 
Schabboth  (cited  by  IVetst.)  All  operatives  eat  at  the  5th  hour,  but  the 
disciples  of  the  wise,  at  the  6th.  Eaten.]  The  Gr.  is  perpetually  used 
of  taking  a  meal,  without  reference  to  any  precise  quantity ;  of  which 
examples  in  abundance  are  in  Limb.,  Elsn.,  Raph.,  and  Valc.k.  Made 
ready.]  The  Gr.  is  perpetually  used,  (as  here,)  to  denote  cooking. 
Trance.]  Ekstasis  :  properly,  a  removal  of  anything  from  any  former 
state :  but  it  is  especially  applied  to  that  alienation,  or  (as  we  call  it) 
absence,  of  mind,  by  which,  even  though  awake,  our  senses  are  so  far 
from  conveying  to  us  the  impression  of  external  objects,  that  the  mind 
seems,  as  it  were,  to  have  retired  from  the  body,  ami  to  be  wholly  ab¬ 
sorbed  in  the  contemplation  of  internal  and  spiritual  images  or  objects. 
So  Doddr.,  who  observes,  that  the  word  properly  signifies  such  a  rapture 
of  mind,  as  gives  the  person  who  falls  into  it  a  look  of  astonishment,  and 
renders  him  insensible  of  the  external  objects  round  him,  while  in  the 
mean  time  his  imagination  is  agitated  in  an  extraordinary  manner  with 
some  striking  scenes  which  pass  before  it,  and  take  up  the  attention. 
See  some  extraordinary  instances,  mentioned  by  Guallperius  ;  [and  by 
the  2d  commission  of  the  French  Academy,  appointed  to  report  on  “An¬ 
imal  Magnetism.”  Ed.] — T.ightf.  observes,  that  there  were  7  ways  in 
which  God  formerly  revealed  himself  to  men;  1.  by  dreams  :  2.  by  ap¬ 
paritions  while  they  were  awake :  3.  by  visions  while  they  slept :  4.  by 
a  voice  from  heaven  :  5.  by  Urim  :  6.  by  inspiration,  or  auricular  reve¬ 
lation:  7.  by  a  sort  of  rapture  or  ecstasis ;  of  all  the  other  modes  the 
most  excellent,  by  which  n  man  was  snatched  into  heaven,  (2  Cor.  12: 
2.)  and  was  in  the  Spirit:  (Rev.  1:10.)  and  which  is  the  one  here  meant, 
as  in  Gen.  2:21.’  Bl. 

(9.)  ‘From  Joppa  to  Cesarea  was  about  12  or  15  leagues;  the  mes¬ 
sengers  could  not  have  left  the  house  of  Cornelius  till  about  2  hours  be¬ 
fore  sunset ;  therefore  they  must  have  travelled  pint  of  the  night,  in 


order  to  arrive  at  Joppa  next  day  towards  noon.’  Calmet,  in  Dr.  A.  C. 
‘Joppa  was  9  [Germ.]  miles  [above  40  Eng.]  from  Cesarea.  On  the 
day  that  the  angel  had  appeared  to  Cornelius,  when  fasting  and  praying, 
he  sent  messengers  to  Peter  (3 — 7.)  The  messengers  on  the  2d  day  are 
received  with  hospitality  (v.  23.)  ;  and  on  the  3d  day  they  return  with 
Peter  to  Cesarea.  On  the  4th  day  they  approach  to  Cesarea,  v.  24, 
50.’  •  Kuin. 

(10.)  Hungry.]  ‘  It  appears  they  were  making  ready  for  the  family. 
— The  dinner,  among  the  ancients,  was  a  very  slight  meal ;  and  they  had 
no  breakfast ;  their  supper  was  their  principal  meal  :  and  in  very  an¬ 
cient  times  they  ate  only  once  in  the  day.  The  supper  was  the  meal  at 
which  they  saw  their  friends,  their  daily  business  being  finished.’  Dr.  A.  C. 

(12.)  ‘The  apostles,  while  they  thought  that  the  distinction  of  clean 
and  unclean  animals  and  meats  was  to  continue,  and  the  Gentiles  were 
unclean,  had  forgotten,  or  never  understood,  the  contrary  declaration  of 
Christ,  in  Mat.  15:17,  18.  Nay,  even  our  Lord’s  precept,  “Go,  proselyte 
all  nations,  baptizing  them,”  <fcc.  (Mat.  28:19.)  they  had  misunderstood, 
thinking  the  command  applied  only  to  those  who  had  previously  em¬ 
braced  the  Jewish  religion  :  for  which  reason  they  had  hitherto  avoided 
the  society  of  Gentiles,  and  had  not  communicated  to  them  the  doc¬ 
trines  of  Christ.  [So  we  see  how  necessary  it  was,  that  this  intention 
of  God  should  be  manifested  more  strongly  than  language  could  do  it,  by 
a  most  impressive  exhibition  of  the  thing  itself,  which  could  not  be  mis¬ 
taken.  Ed.]  The  removal  of  the  distinction  of  meats  need  not  have 
seemed  strange  to  the  apostles,  since  we  find  from  the  Rabbinical  writ¬ 
ings,  that  the  Jewish  masters  maintained,  that  this  would  take  place  in 
the  time  of  the  Messiah.  See  the  citations  in  IVetst.’  Bl. 

V.  17 — 23.  Peter  did  not  readily  understand  the  import  of  this  vis¬ 
ion  ;  though  he  knew  that  it  contained  some  weighty  instruction,  which 
he  diligently  applied  his  mind  to  discover.  (Marg.Ref.  n.)  Whilst  he 
was  thus  engaged  in  deep  reflection,  the  messengers  of  Cornelius  arrived 
and  inquired  for  him  ;  but  to  satisfy  his  mind  more  fully,  in  a  case  that 

[55] 


A.  D.  41. 


ACTS,  X. 


Peter,  as  directed,  goes  to  Jerusalem. 


20  Arise  *  therefore,  and  get  thee 
down,  and  go  with  them,  doubting 
nothing:  for  I  have  sent  them. 

21  Then  Peter  went  down  to  the 
men  which  were  sent  unto  him 
from  Cornelius  ;  and  said,  Behold, 
1  am  he  whom  ye  seek  :  what  is  the 
cause  wherefore  ye  are  come  ? 

22  And  they  said,  Cornelius  ‘’the 
centurion,  a  just  man,  and  one  that 
feareth  God,  and  of  good  report 
r  among  all  the  nation  of  the  Jews, 
was  warned  from^God  by  an  holy 
angel,  to  send  for  thee  into  his 
house,  and  to  hear  words  of  thee. 

23  Then  called  he  them  in,  and 
lodged  them.  And  on  the  morrow 
Peter  went  away  with  them,  and 
certain  *  brethren  from  Joppa  ac¬ 
companied  him. 

24  And  the  morrow  after  they 
entered  into  Cesarea.  And  Corne¬ 
lius  waited  for  them,  and  had  call¬ 
ed  together  his  kinsmen  and  near 
friends. 

-25  IF  And  as  Peter  was  coming 
in,  Cornelius  met  him,  and  fell 
down  at  his  feet,  and  worshipped 
him. 

26  But  Peter  took  him  up,  say¬ 
ing,  Stand  ‘  up  ;  I  myself  also  am 
a  man. 

27  And  as  he  talked  with  him, 
he  went  in,  and  found  many  that 
were  come  together. 

23  And  he  said  unto  them,  Ye 
know  how  that  it  is  an  unlawful 
thing  “for  a  man  that  is  a  Jew  to 
keep  company,  or  come  unto  one 
of  another  nation  ;  but  God  hath 
shewed  me  T  that  I  should  not  call 
any  man  common  or  unclean. 

29  Therefore  came  I  unto  you 
without  gainsaying,  as  soon  as  I 
was  sent  for.  I  ask,  therefore,  for 
what  intent  ye  have  sent  for  me  ? 


c.  15:7. 
ver.  1,  &c. 
c.  22:12.  He. 
11:2. 


s  ver.  45.  u  Jn.  4:9. 

t  c.  14:14,15.  Re.  v  c.  15:8,9.  Ep. 
19:10.  22:9.  3:6. 


fruits  of  the  Gentiles  ;  that  the  believing 
Jews,  who  retained  too  much  of  the  old 
leaven  of  ill-will  to  the  Gentiles,  might  be 
the  better  reconciled  to  their  admission  into 
the  church,  when  they  were  first  brought  in 
by  their  own  apostle,  which  Peter  urgelh 
against  those  that  would  have  imposed  cir¬ 
cumcision  on  the  Gentile  converts,  ch.  15:7. 

1.  Peter  is  directed  by  the  Spirit  to  go 
with  Cornelius’  messengers,  v.  19,  20.  and 
now  the  riddle  is  unriddled.  So  far  from 
being  shy  of  them,  he  went  to  ihem  himself, 
and  told  ihem  he  was  the  person  they  were  in¬ 
quiring  for  !  And,  with  abundance  of  open¬ 
ness  and  condescension  he  asks,  what  their 
business  is,  and  they  frankly  tell  him  their 
errand,  r.22.  how  that  Cornelius,  an  officer  of 
the  Roman  army,  a  very  honest  gentleman, 
and  one  who,  though  not  a  Jew  himself,  is 
of  good  report  among  all  the  people,  of  the  Jews, 
as  a  conscientious,  sober,  charitable  man, 
so  that  it  will  be  no  discredit  to  thee  to  be 
seen  in  his  company ;  he  was  warned ,  lit.  had 
an  oracle  from  God,  sent  him  by  an  angel, 
by  which  he  was  ordered  to  send  for  thee  to 
his  house,  (where  he  is  expecting  thee,  and 
ready  to  bid  thee  welcome,)  and  to  hear  words 
of  thee  :  they  know  not  what  words,  but  they 
are  such  as  he  may  hear  from  thee,  and  not 
from  any  one  else  so  well.  Faith  comes  by 
hearing.  When  Peter  repeats  this,  he  tells 
us  more  fully,  they  are  words  whereby  thou 
and  all  thy  house  shall  be  saved,  ch.  11:  14. 
He  kindly  entertained  the  messengers,  v.  23. 
as  it  becomes  Christians  and  ministers  to  be 
hospitable. 

2.  He  went  with  them  to  Cornelius,  ac¬ 
companied  by  certain  brethren  from  Joppa, 
v.  23.  six,  as  we  find,  ch.  11:  12.  This  was 
one  way  in  which  the  primitive  Christians 
very  much  showed  their  respect  to  their  min¬ 
isters,  they  accompanied  them  in  their  jour¬ 
neys,  to  keep  them  in  countenance,  to  be 
their  guard,  and,  as  there  was  occasion,  to 
minister  to  them  ;  with  a  further  prospect, 
not  only  of  doing  them  service,  but  of  being 
edified  by  their  converse.  It  seems  it  was 
above  a  day’s  journey,  near  two,  from  Jop¬ 
pa  to  Cesarea  ;  for  it  was  the  day  after  they 
set  out  that  they  entered  into  Cesarea,  v.  24. 
and  the  afternoon  of  that  day,  v.  30.  Prob¬ 
ably  they  travelled  on  foot  ;  the  apostles 
generally  did  so.  When  they  came,  Peter 
found  Cornelius  waiting  for  them,  and  that  he 
was  expected  by  many.  As  Peter  brought 
some  with  him,  so  Cornelius  had  called  to¬ 
gether,  not  only  his  own  family,  but  his  kins  - 


implied  in  its  consequences  the  abolition  of  the  ritual  law,  which  God 
Himself  had  given  to  Israel,  this  fact  was  immediately  revealed  to  him; 
and  he  was  ordered  to  go  with  the  messengers  without  scruple  or  hesi¬ 
tation.— God  had  directed  Cornelius,  by  the  angel,  to  send  these  messen¬ 
gers,  yet  ‘the  Spirit  said  to  Peter,  I  have  sent  them:’  this  is  the  lan¬ 
guage  of  Deity  and  personality.  20.  Peter  took  with  him  [in  a  mat¬ 
ter  so  weighty,  note,  v.  9—16.  lat.  part.]  some  of  the  believers,  who 
dwelt  at  Joppa,  that  they  might  witness,  and  be  ready  to  attest,  the 
whole  of  what  passed  on  this  unprecedented  occasion.  Scott. 

(23.)  ‘  It  was  reckoned  15  hours  from  Cesarea  to  Joppa.’  I3l _ ‘In 

the  E.  has  a  man  from  a  distant  village  some  business  with  you.  he  comes 
not  alone,  but  brings  a  large  company  of  his  neighbors  and  friends.  Ask 
why  they  came,  the  answer  is  “because  he  did.”  People  are  often 
thus  seen  far  from  their  homes,  with  no  other  reason  than  “we  came 
with  him.”  See  the  man  going  to  a  court  of  justice,  he  is  accompanied 
by  a  large  band  of  his  acquaintances,  who  canvass  all  the  probabilities 
of  the  case,  and  have  a  salvo  for  every  exigency.  Perhaps  a  love  of 
show  is  one  motive ;  but  the  desire  to  have  witnesses  of  what  is  said 
or  done,  or  to  have  help  at  hand  in  case  of  any  emergency,  are  other 
reasons  for  their  love  of  company.  The  Oriental  is  like  the  granivorous 
animals  of  his  native  deserts,  who  are  all  more  or  less  gregarious  in  their 
habits ;  and  as  it  is,  so  it  was  in  the  most  remote  antiquity.  Comp.  Ps. 
84:7.  Prov.  27:17.  and  many  other  scriptures.’  Rob. 

V.  25,  26.  ‘  If  Cornelius  had  desired  to  kiss  Peter’s  toe,  would  Peter 
have  allowed  him  ?  Yet  truly  it  is  Peter’s  vicegerent,  who  requires  kings 
to  kiss  his  slipper  !’  Beza.  Scott. 

(25.)  Worshipped.]  ‘  Proskunein  denotes,  a  total  and  reverential 
prostration  of  the  body  to  the  earth  :  a  mark  of  profound  respect,  which 
the  Jews  and  other  Orientals  rendered,  not  to  kings  only,  but  also  to 
persons  of  high  dignity.  Hut  the  Romans  yielded  this  homage  to  the 
Deity  only ;  and  therefore  Peter  declines  it,  by  saving,  I  myself  also  am 
a  man.  Yet  it  does  not  follow  that  Cornelius  meant  to  have  transferred 
the  honor  due  to  the  Deity,  to  Peter ;  for  he  was  devout  and  fearing 
God,  (v.  2.)  but,  struck  with  reverential  awe  at  the  sight  of  a  divine  le¬ 
gate,  he  could  not  preserve  the  due  distinction  between  the  honor  to  be 
rendered  to  the  ambassador  and  the  Principal.  Kuin.  So  Chrysostom. 
There  is  no  reason  to  suppose,  (with  Grot.)  that  Cornelius  took  Peter  for 
an  angel,  whatever  the  Lystrians  might  do,  14:11, 13.  Moreover,  if  Pe- 


men  and  near  friends,  which  would  give  Pe¬ 
ter  a  larger  opportunity  of  doing  good.  It 
ought  to  be  both  given  and  taken  as  a  kind¬ 
ness  and  respect  to  our  kindred  and  friends, 
to  invite  them  to  join  us  in  religious  exer¬ 
cises,  to  go  with  us  to  hear  a  good  sermon. 

3.  At  the  first  interview,  Cornelius,  in¬ 
stead  of  embracing  Peter  as  a  friend,  which 
would  have  been  very’  acceptable,  fell  at  his 
feet,  and  worshipped  him  J  some  think,  as  a 
prince,  and  a  great  man,  according  to  the 
usage  of  the  eastern  countries;  [cut,  Is.  49: 
23.]  ;  others,  as  an  incarnate  deity,  or  as  if 
he  took  him  to  be  the  Messiah  Himself.  His 
worshipping  a  man  was  indeed  culpable  ; 
but,  considering  his  present  ignorance,  it 
was  excusable,  nay,  an  evidence  of  some¬ 
thing  in  him  very  commendable, — a  great 
veneration  for  divine  and  heavenly  things  : 
no  wonder  if,  till  he  was  better  informed,  he 
took  him  to  be  the  Messiah,  and  therefore 
worshipped  him,  whom  he  was  ordered  to 
send  for  by  an  angel  from  heaven.  But  the 
worshipping  of  his  pretended  successor,  who 
is  not  only  a  man,  but  a  sinful  man,  the  man 
of  sin  himself,  is  altogether  inexcusable,  and 
such  an  absurdity  as  would  be  incredible,  if 
we  were  not  told  before,  that  all  the  world 
would  worship  the  beast.  Rev.  13  :  4.  But 
Peter  shrunk  [with  horror]  from  this  wor¬ 
ship;  as  did  the  angel,  Rev.  19:  10.  22:9. 
And  how  careful  was  PaultAat  no  man  should 
think  of  him  above,  what  he  saw  in  him  !  2  Cor. 
12:  6.  Christ’s  faithful  servants  could  better 
bear  to  be  vilified  than  deified. 

4.  The  account  Peter  and  Cornelius  give 
to  each  other,  and  to  the  company,  of  the 
hand  of  heaven  in  bringing  them  together, 
v.  27.  Peter  went  in,  talking  familiarly  with 
Cornelius;  endeavoring,  by  the  freedom  e.f 
his  converse,  to  takeoff  that  dread  he  seemed 
to  have  of  him.  Those  Gentiles,  v.  2S,  29. 
knew  it  had  never  been  allowed  by  the  Jews, 
but  always  looked  upon  as  unlawful,  fi  r  a 
native  Jew,  to  keep  company,  or  ccme  unto 
one  of  another  nation,  a  stranger,  an  uncir¬ 
cumcised  Gentile.  It  was  not  made  so  by 
the  law  of  God,  but  by  the  decree  of  their 
wise  men,  which  they  looked  upon  to  be  no 
less  obliging.  They  did  not  forbid  them  to 
converse  or  traffic  with  Gentiles,  but  to  eat 
with  them,  Gen.  43:  32.  Dan.  1:8.  They 
might  not  come  into  the  house  of  a  Gentile, 
for  they  looked  upon  it  to  be  ceremonially 
polluted.  Thus  scornfully  did  the  Jews 
look  upon  the  Gentiles,  who  were  not  be¬ 
hindhand  in  contempt,  as  appears  by  many 

ter  was  justified  in  declining  this  mark  of  profound  respect,  knowing 
that  among  the  Romans  it  was  reserved  for  divinities  only,  yet  the  centu¬ 
rion  may  be  held  in  some  degree  excused  for  offering  it ;  knowing,  as  he 
did,  that  the  custom  of  the  E.  allowed  of  such  reverential  homage  from 
man  to  man ;  though  Peter,  most  judiciously,  discourages  it,  as  leading 
to  evil.’  Bl. — ‘  The  Codex  Bezce,  and  the  latter  Syriac,  in  the  margin, 
read  this  very  differently  from  all  other  MSS.  and  vers.;  thus,  But 
as  Peter  drew  nigh  to  Cesarea,  one  of  the  servants  ran  before ,  and  told 
that  he  was  come  :  then  Cornelius  leaped  up,  and  met  him,  and  falling 
at  his  feet  he  worshipped  him.'  Dr.  A.  Clarke. 

V.  28.  1  Schoettgen  and  Mich,  observe,  that  there  is  no  command  in 
the  Law  of  Moses,  forbidding  familiar  intercourse  with  the  Gentiles, 
[comp,  on  v.  2.]  but  that  this  was  an  interdict  of  the  Jewish  Doctors, 
who  had  burdened  the  Mosaic  Law  with  many  added  injunctions.  Bp. 
Pearce,  here,  cites  Jos.  “  those  strangers  who  came  to  us  on  any  other 
account  but  that  of  religion,  he  (Moses)  permitted  not  to  be  mixed  with 
us  in  any  familiarities.”  And  so  elsewhere  in  .Jos.  Tacitus  says,  the 
Jews  entertained  “  Apud  ipsos  tides  obstinata,  misericordia  in  promptu, 
adversus  omnes  alios  hostile  odium.”  [Among  one  another  obstinate 
faith,  ready  mercy  ;  towards  all  others  hostility  and  hate.] — Schoettgen 
remarks,  that  even  the  Jews  acknowledged,  that  God  would  not  wholly 
reject  the  Gentiles;  citing  Schemoth  Rabba,  on  Job  31:32.  (The  stran¬ 
ger  did  not  lodge  in  the  street.)  “  For  God  doth  not  account  any  one 
profane,  but  receiveth  all.  The  gates  are  open  at  all  hours,  (comp.  Acts 
14:27.)  and  he  that  will,  may  enter.” — Now  (says  Schoett.)  considering 
that  the  above  tradition  was  not  unknown  among  the  Jews,  it  may  just¬ 
ly  be  thought  strange,  that  Peter  should  have  been  censured,  11:3.  But, 
the  truth  in  question,  though,  beyond  all  doubt; ’known  to  the  more  an¬ 
cient  Jews,  was  afterwards  choaked  by  the  arrogance  of  the  Pharisees,  of 
which  our  Lord  often  complains.  This  pernicious  prejudice,  therefore, 
the  Jewish  converts  having  first  contracted  from  the  Pharisees,  still 
retained.”’  Bl. 

V.  29.  ‘  Peter  asks,  “  for  what,  <fcc.”  because  (and  so  Chrysostom) 
he  wished  them  to  make  confession,  and  become  engaged  to  the  faith. 
Kuin.,  too,  observes,  it  was  done  to  inform  his  companions.  And  so 
Doddr.,  who  with  his  accustomed  good  taste  observes,  that  the  repeti¬ 
tion  of  the  circumstance  gives  a  dignity  and  spirit  to  Peter’s  succeeding 
discourse,  beyond  what  we  could  otherwise  so  sensibly  receive.  Id. 


A.  D.  41. 


ACTS,  X. 


Interview  of  Peter  and  Cornelius. 


30  And  Cornelius  said,  Tour 
days  ago  I  was  fasting  until  this 
hour  ;  and  at  the  ninth  hour  I  pray¬ 
ed  in  my  house  ;  and,  behold,  a 
man  stood  before  me  w  in  bright 
clothing, 

31  And  said,  Cornelius,  thy  x 
praye-  is  heard,  and  thine  alms  are 
had  m  remembrance  in  the  sight 
of  God. 

32  Send  therefore  to  Joppa,  and 
call  hither  Simon,  whose  surname 
is  Peter  :  he  is  lodged  in  the  house 
of  one  Simon  a  tanner,  by  the  sea¬ 
side  ;  who,  when  he  cometh,  shall 
speak  unto  thee. 

33  Immediately  therefore  I  sent 
to  thee  :  and  thou  hast  well  done 
that  thou  art  come.  Now  *  there¬ 
fore  are  we  all  here  present  before 
God,  to  hear  all  things  that  are 
commanded  thee  of  God. 

34  IT  Then  Peter  opened  his 
mouth,  and  said,  Of  a  truth  I  per¬ 
ceive  that  God  zis  no  respecter  of 
persons  : 

35  But  in  1  every  nation  he  that 
feareth  him,  and  worketh  righte¬ 
ousness,  is  accepted  with  him. 

36  The  word  which  God  sent 
unto  the  children  of  Israel,  preach¬ 
ing  peace  b  by  Jesus  Christ ;  (he  is 
c  Lord  of  all ;) 


w  Mat. 28:3.  c.  1: 
10. 

x  ver.  4,  &c.  Da. 

10:12.  He.  6:10. 
y  De.  5:27. 
t  De.  10:17.  2Ch. 
19:7.  Job  34:19. 


Ro.  2:11.  Ga.  2: 
6.  1  Pe.  1:17. 

a  Ro.  2:13,27.  3: 
22,29.  10:12,13. 
Ep.  2:13—18. 
bis.  57:19.  Col. 
1:20. 


c  Ps.  24:7—10. 
Mat.  28:18.  Ro. 
14:9.  1  Co.  15: 

27«  Ep.  1.  20— 
22.  1  Pe.  3:22. 

Re.  17:14. 


passages  in  the  Latin  poets.  Ceremonial 
characters  were  abolished,  that  more  re¬ 
gard  might  be  had  to  moral  ones.  Peter 
thought  it  necessary  to  let  them  know,  how 
he  came  to  change  his  mind  in  this  matter, 
by  a  divine  revelation,  lest  he  should  be  up¬ 
braided  with  lightness.  God  having  thus 
taken  down  the  partition-wall,  he  assures 
them  of  his  readiness  to  do  them  all  the 
good  offices  he  can,  and  inquires  wherein  he 


may  be  serviceable  to  them.  Cornelius,  on 
the  other  hand,  declares,  it  was  purely  in 
obedience  to  God’s  directions  that  he  had 
sent  for  him  :  directions  received  while  he 
was  fasting,  by  which  it  appears,  that  reli¬ 
giousfasting,  in  order  to  the  greater  serious¬ 
ness  and  solemnity  of  praying,  was  used  by 
devout  people  that  were  not  Jews  ;  as  at 
Jonah  3:  5.  He  describes  the  messenger, 
(Comp.  1: 10.  Luke  24:  4.)  and  repeats  the 
message  that  was  sent  him,  v.  31,  32.  just  as 
we  had  it,  v.  4 — 6.  Only  here  it  is  said. 
Thy  prayer  is  heard.  We  are  not  told  what 
his  prayer  was,  but  we  may  suppose,  that, 
finding  the  deficiency  of  natural  light,  it  was 
that  God  would  make  some  further  discove¬ 
ries  of  Himself  to  him,  and  of  the  way  of 
salvation.  ‘Peter  shall  give  thee  such  a  dis¬ 
covery.’  He  declares  his  own  and  his 
friends’  readiness  to  receive  the  message  he 
had  to  deliver,  v.  33.  Observe,  The  reli¬ 
gious,  serious  state  of  their  minds,  their  rev¬ 
erent  respect,  and  their  docility,  v.  33.  The 
truths  of  Christ  were  not  communicated  to 
the  apostles  to  be  published  or  stifled  as  they 
thought  fit,  [nor  are  they  to  us,]  but  intrust¬ 
ed  with  them  [and  us]  to  be  published  to  the 
world.  [Note,  Luke  24:  36 — 48.] 

V.  34 — 43.  We  have  here  an  abstract  or 
summary  of  Peter’s  sermon  to  Cornelius  and 
his  friends.  It  is  admirably  suited  to  the  cir¬ 
cumstances  of  those  to  whom  he  preached  it. 

I.  Because  they  were  Gentiles:  he  shows 
that,  notwithstanding,  they  were  interested 
in  the  Gospel  of  Christ,  which  he  had  to 
preach,  and  entitled  to  the  benefit  of  it,  on 
an  equal  foot  with  the  Jews.  It  was  neces¬ 
sary  that  this  should  be  cleared,  or  else  with 
what  comfort  could  either  he  preach  or  they 
hear  1  He  therefore  lays  down  this  a3  an 
undoubted  principle,  that  God  is  no  respecter 
of  persons;  doth  not  know  favor  in  judgment, 
as  the  Heb.  phrase  is  ;  which  magistrates 
are  forbidden  to  do,  Deut.  1:17.  16:19. 
Prov.  24:  23.  and  are  blamed  for  doing,  Ps. 
82:2.  And  it  is  often  said  of  God,tAat  He 
doth  not  respect  persons,  Deut.  10:  17.  2  Chr. 
19  :  7.  Job  34  : 19.  Rom.  2:11.  Col.  3  :  25. 
1  Pet.  1:  17.  He  doth  not  give  judgment 
in  favor  of  a  man,  for  the  sake  of  any  ex¬ 
ternal  advantage  foreign  to  the  merits  of  the 
cause.  God,  as  a  Benefactor,  gives  favors 
arbitrarily  and  by  sovereignty,  Deut.  7:  7,  8. 
9:  5,  6.  Mat.  20  :  10.  but  not,  as  a  Judge  ; 


but  in  every  nation,  and  under  every  denomi¬ 
nation,  he  that  fears  God,  and  works  right¬ 
eousness,  is  accepted  of  Him,  v.  35. 

The  case  is  plainly  thus.  Though  God 
has  favored  the  Jews,  above  other  nations, 
yet  He  will  not  therefore  accept  any  partic¬ 
ular  persons,  if  they  allow  themselves  in  im¬ 
moralities  contradictory  to  their  profession; 
and  particularly  in  persecution,  which  was 
now,  more  than  any  other,  the  national  sin 
of  the  Jews.  He  never  did,  nor  ever  will, 
reject  or  refuse  an  honest  Gentile,  who, 
though  he  has  not  the  privileges  and  advan¬ 
tages  the  Jews  have,  yet,  like  Cornelius, 
fears  God,  and  worships  Him,  and  works 
righteousness,  is  just  and  charitable  towards 
all  men,  who  lives  up  to  the  light  he  has, 
both  in  a  sincere  devotion,  and  in  a  regular 
conversation,  whatever  nation  he  is  of, 
though  ever  so  far  remote  from  kindred  to 
the  seed  of  Abraham  ;  though  ever  so  des¬ 
picable,  nay,  though  in  ever  so  ill  a  name, 
that  shall  be  no  prejudice  to  him.  God 
judges  of  men  by  their  hearts,  not  by  their 
country  or  parentage ;  and  wherever  He  finds 
an  upright  man,  He  will  be  found  an  upright 
God,  Ps.  18  :  25.  Observe,  Fearing  God, 
and  working  righteousness,  must  go  together ; 
for  as  righteousness  toward  men  is  a  branch 
of  true  religion,  so  religion  toward  God  is  a 
branch  of  universal  righteousness.  Not  that 
any  man,  since  the  fall,  can  obtain  the  favor 
of  God,  otherwise  than  through  the  media¬ 
tion  of  Jesus  Christ,  and  by  the  grace  of 
God  in  Him  ;  but  those  that  have  not  the 
knowledge  of  Him,  and  therefore  cannot 
have  an  explicit  regard  to  Him,  may  yet  re¬ 
ceive  grace  from  God  for  his  sake,  to  fear 
God,  and  to  work  righteousness  ;  and  wher¬ 
ever  God  gives  grace  to  do  so,  as  He  did  to 
Cornelius,  He  will,  through  Christ,  accept 
the  work  of  his  own  hands. 

Now,  1.  This  was  always  a  truth,  before 
Peter  perceived  it  ;  it  was  the  fixed  rule  of 
judgment  from  the  beginning,  Gen.  4  :  7. 
God  will  not  ask,  in  the  great  day,  what 
country  men  were  of,  but  what  they  were, 
what  they  did,  and  how  they  stood  affected 
toward  Him  and  toward  their  neighbors. 
2.  Yet  now  it  was  made  more  dear  than  it 
had  been ;  this  great  truth  had  been  darkened 
by  the  covenant  of  peculiarity  made  with 
Israel ;  the  ceremonial  law  was  a  wall  of  par¬ 
tition  between  them  and  other  nations ;  in  it. 


V.  31.  Thy  prayer  is  heard.]  ‘  Cornelius  prayed  and  fasted  and  gave 
alms.  It  was  in  this  way  he  looked  for  salvation  ;  not  to  purchase  it : 
a  thought  of  this  kind  does  not  appear  to  have  entered  into  his  mind  ; 
but  these  were  the  means  he  used  to  get  his  soul  brought  to  the  knowl¬ 
edge  of  the  truth.’  Dr.  A.  Clarke. 

V.  33.  The  circumstances,  preceding  Peter’s  coming  to  Cornelius  and 
his  friends,  rendered  an  implicit  faith  in  his  words  most  reasonable  and 
proper,  even  previous  to  a  comparison  of  them  with  the  sacred  oracles, 
the  standard  and  test  of  truth;  Scott. 

V.  34,  35.  ‘  To  respect  persons,’  is  entirely  different  from  discrimi¬ 
nating  characters,  or  conferring  unmerited  favors  on  one  man,  and 
not  on  another.  A  judge  respects  persons,  if  he  condemns  one  and  ac¬ 
quits  another,  or  decides  in  favor  of  the  injurious  party,  from  partiality 
to  his  friend,  or  to  one  of  his  own  nation,  sect,  or  party  :  yet  in  private 
life,  he  may  send  a  present  to  what  friend  he  pleases,  or  dispense  his 
alms  to  what  poor  persons  he  chooses,  without  giving  others  a  ground 
for  charging  him  with  ‘ respect  of  persons'  Mat.  20:1 — 16,  v.  15.  [So 
the  Creator,  who  maketh  men,  and  maketh  them  to  differ  from  each  oth¬ 
er,  from  brutes,  trees,  or  angels,  may  make  them  to  differ  in  privileges.]  If 
God  had  accepted  a  man’s  worship  because  he  was  a  Jew,  and  rejected 
that  of  another  man,  of  exactly  the  same  dispositions  and  character, 
because  he  was  a  Gentile ;  there  would  have  been  some  reason  to  assert, 
that  He  was  1  a  respecter  of  persons ;’  or  if  He  had  favored  a  proud,  wick¬ 
ed,  or  hypocritical  Jew,  merely  on  account  of  his  circumcision,  or  rela¬ 
tion  to  Abraham  ;  and  rejected  a  humble,  pious,  believing,  sincere  wor¬ 
shipper,  because  of  his  uncircumcision,  or  his  Gentile  extraction ;  there 
would  have  been  an  evident  ground  for  the  charge.  Yet  the  Jews  in 
general  carried  their  ideas  of  God’s  special  favor  to  their  nation  so  far, 
as  fully  to  involve  these  consequences.  It  does  not,  however,  follow, 
that  God  will  accept  from  any  man  that  service,  which  is  destitute  of 
sviritual  good  ;  or  that  any  man  will  do  what  is  spiritually  good,  with¬ 
out  ‘  regenerating  grace  ;’  or  that  God  is  bound  in  justice  to  give  his 
special  grace  to  an  unconverted  man,  because  of  his  external  decency 
of  character,  or  formal  services ;  or  that  He  may  not  confer  this  unmer¬ 
ited  favor  on  any  one,  as  He  sees  good,  without  ‘  respecting  persons  ;’  or 
that  the  fruits  of  grace  can  claim,  or  meet  acceptance,  on  any  other 
ground,  than  that  of  the  covenant  of  mercy,  through  the  righteousness 
and  atonement  of  our  Divine  Surety.  In  short,  where  the  essence  of  true 
religion  is  found,  God  graciously  accepts  it  without  regarding  names, 
forms,  or  sects. — ‘  I  think  this  text  proves,  that  God  would  sooner  send 
an  angel  to  direct  pious  and  upright  persons  to  the  knowledge  of  the 
Gospel,  than  suffer  them  to  perish  by  ignorance  of  it.  But  so  far  from 
N.  T.  VOL.  V.  8 


intimating,  that  such  persons  may  be  found  among  those  that  reject 
Christianity,  ...  it  determines  nothing  as  to  their  existence  in  every 
nation.’  Doddr.  Rom.  2:7—16.  Does  universal  history,  ancient  and  mod¬ 
ern,  bring  to  our  knowledge  one  person,  who,  without  revelation,  in  some 
way  or  degree,  was  a  humble  penitent,  a  spiritual  worshipper  of  God,  a 
conscientious  worker  of  righteousness,  in  his  habitual  conduct  ;  in  one 
word,  a  Cornelius  ?  If  it  do  not,  all  advanced  from  this  passage  about 
virtuous  heathens  is  wholly  foreign  to  the  purpose.  Their  virtue  was 
not  and  is  not  good  1  before  God.’  Scott. 

(35.)  ‘Let  it  be  observed,  that  no  man  can  be  accepted  with  God, 
who  does  not  live  up  to  the  advantages  of  that  state  in  ivhich  Provi¬ 
dence  has  placed  him.  . .  .  Many  irreligious  men,  in  order  to  get  rid  of 
the  duties  and  obligations  of  Christianity,  quote  this  v.  in  their  favor, 
while  they  reject  all  the  Gospel  besides,  and  roundly  assert,  as  they  think 
on  the  authority  of  this  text,  that  they  need  neither  believe  in  Jesus  Christ, 
attend  to  his  Gospel,  nor  use  his  ordinances  ;  for  if  they  fear  God  and 
work  righteousness,  they  shall  infallibly  be  accepted  of  Him.  Let  such 
know  ...  that,  as  they  are  born  and  live  under  the  Gospel  of  Jesus  Christ, 
God,  the  Judge,  will  require  that  they  fear  Him,  and  ivork  righteous¬ 
ness,  according  to  the  light  afforded  by  that  very  Gostel..  .  .  In  the 
face  of  such  a  requisition  as  this,  how  will  the  poor  heathen  virtue  of 
one  horn  in  the  pale  of  Christianity  appear  ?  ’  Dr.  A.  Clarke. 

V.  36 — 43.  The  apostle  next  proceeded  to  state  the  substance  of  the 
instruction,  he  was  sent  to  communicate.  This  indeed  would  scarcely 
have  been  necessary,  if  Cornelius  had  been  so ‘accepted’  for  his  good 
works,  as  not  to  need  the  righteousness  and  atonement  of  Christ ;  or  if, 
as  numbers  argue,  every  man  might  be  saved  by  his  own  religion,  if 
sincere  in  it. — This  should  be  considered  as  only  an  abstract  of  Peter’s 
discourse;  and  as  he  was  interrupted  in  it,  by  the  descent  of  the  Holy 
Spirit,  we  need  not  wonder,  that  various  points  of  Christian  doctrine 
are  not  explicitly  stated  in  it ;  for  they  were  left  to  be  communicated 
afterwards,  and  by  degrees. — (41)  Chosen  before .]  Here  only.  Our  Lord 
‘called  whom  He  would  .  ..  and  He  ordained  twelve.’  Mark  3:13,  14. 
Thus  thev  were  ‘  chosen  of  God  for  says  Jesus,  ‘  I  and  the  Father  are 
One.’  Scott. 

(36,  37.)  ‘Passing  over  rash  emendations,  I  accede  to  Lrasmus, 
(adopted  by  the  Eng.  vers.,  Schmid,  Heumann,  Bolten,  Beck,  Ileinr.,  and 
Kuin.,)  and  tr.  “  The  doctrine  which  God  caused  to  be  delivered  to  the 
Israelites,  announcing  salvation  by  Jesus  Christ,  (He  is  the  Lor  o  a  ,} 
you  yourselves  know;  the  doctrine,  I  say,  which  was  promulgated 
through  all  Judea,”  icc.—Pord  of  all.]  And  so  intends  the  salvation  of 
all.- Know.]  OUlate  .-  here,  not  full  and  accurate  knowledge,  but,  in  a 

[57  J 


A.  D.  41. 


ACTS,  X. 


Peter’s  discourse  in  the  house  of  Cornelius . 


37  That  word,  I  say,  ye  know, 
which  was  published  throughout 
all  Judea,  and  began  from  Gali¬ 
lee,  after  the  baptism  which  John 
preached  : 

38  How  God  anointed  d  Jesus  of 
Nazareth  with  the  Holy  Ghost  and 
with  power  ;  who  e  went  about  do¬ 
ing  good,  and  healing  all  that  were 
oppressed  *  of  the  devil  :  s  for  God 
was  with  him. 

39  And  h  we  are  witnesses  of  all 
things  which  he  did,  both  in  the 
land  of  the  Jews  and  in  Jerusalem; 
whom  they  slew  and  hanged  on  a 
tree. 

40  Him  God  raised  up  1  the  third 
day,  and  shewed  him  openly  ; 

41  Not  J  to  all  the  people,  but 
unto  witnesses  chosen  before  k  of 
God,  even  to  us,  who  did  eat  and 
drink  with  him  after  he  rosfe  from 
the  dead. 

42  And  he  commanded  us  'to 
preach  unto  the  people,  and  to  tes¬ 
tify  that  mit  is  he  which  was  or¬ 
dained  of  God  to  be  the  Judge  of 
quick  and  dead. 

43  To  him  n  give  all  the  prophets 
witness,  that,  through  his  name, 
0  whosoever  believeth  in  him  shall 
receive  remission  of  sins. 


d  Lu.  4:18.  He. 
1:9. 

e  Mat.  12:15. 
f  1  Jn.  3:8. 
g  Jn.  3:2. 
h  Lu.  24:48. 


c.  2:32. 

1  Mat.  28:1,2. 
i  '  Jn.  14:22.20*21. 
k  Jn.  15:16. 

1  Mat.  28:19,20. 
m  Jn.  5:2*2,27.  c. 


17:31.  2  Co.  5: 

10.  I  Pe.  4:5. 
n  Lu.  24:27,44. 

Jn.  5:39. 
o  Jn.  3:14—17. 
Ro.  10:11. 


it  was  true,  God  favored  that  nation,  Rom. 
3: 1,2.  9:  4.  and  from  thence  particular  per¬ 
sons  among  them  were  ready  to  infer,  that 
they  were  sure  of  God’s  acceptance,  though 
they  lived  as  they  listed  ;  and  that  no  Gen¬ 
tile  could  possib/y  be  accepted  of  God.  God 
had  said  a  great  deal  by  the  prophets  to 
prevent  and  rectify  this  mistake,  but  now  at 
length  He  doth  it  effectually,  by  abolishing 
the  covenant  of  peculiarity,  and  repealing 
the  ceremonial  law,  and  so  setting  the  mat¬ 
ter  at  large,  and  both  Jew  and  Gentile  on 
the  same  level  before  God  ;  and  Peter  is 
here  made  to  perceive  it,  by  comparing  the 
vision  which  he  had  with  that  Cornelius 
had.  Now  in  Christ  Jesus ,  it  is  plain, 
neither  circumcision  availeth  anything,  nor 
uncircumcision.  Gal.  5:  6.  Col.  3:11. 

II.  Because  they  were  Gentiles,  inhabit¬ 
ing  a  place  within  the  confines  of  the  land 
of  Israel,  he  refers  them  to  what  they  them¬ 
selves  could  not  but  know  concerning  the 
life  and  doctrine,  the  preaching  and  miracles, 
the  death  and  sufferings  of  our  Lord  Jesus; 
for  these  were  things,  the  report  of  which 
spread  into  every  corner  of  the  nation, 
v.  37,  &c. 


1.  They  knew  in  general  the  Word,  i.  e. 
the  Gospel,  which  God  sent  to  the  children  of 
Israel,  v.  37.  Though  the  Gentiles  were  not 
admitted  to  hear  it,  yet  they  could  not  but 
hear  of  it,  it  was  ail  the  talk,  both  of  city 
and  country.  We  are  olten  told  in  the 
gospels,  how  the  fame  of  Christ  went  into  all 
parts  of  Canaan,  when  He  was  on  earth,  as 
afterward  the  fame,  of  his  Gospel  went  into  all 
parts  of  the  world,  Rom.  10  :  IS.  That 
Word,  that  Divine  Word,  that  Word  of 
power  and  grace,  you  know,  what  the  pur¬ 
port  of  this  Word  was,  peace  by  Jesus  Christ ; 
reconciling  the  world  to  Himself:  and  to  whom 
it  was  sent,  to  the  children  of  Israel,  in  the 
first  place:  this  all  their  neighbors  heard  of, 
Ps.  126:  3. 

2.  They  knew  the  several  matters  of  fact 
relating  to  this  Word  of  the  Gospel  sent  to 
Israel.  (1.)  The  "baptism  of  repentance, 
which  John  preached  by  way  of  introduction 
to  it,  Mark  1:  1.  What  an  extraordinary 
man  John  was,  and  what  a  direct  tendency 
his  preaching  had  to  prepare  the  way  of  the 
Lord.  (2.)  That  immediately  after  John’s 
baptising  the  Gospel  of  Christ,  that  word  of 
peace,  was  published  throughout  all  Judea,  and 
that  it  took  rise  from  Galilee.  (3.)  That 
Jesus  of  Nazareth,  when  here  on  earth,  went 
about  doing  good,  both  to  the  souls  and  the 
bodies  of  men,  and  never  did  hurt  to  any. 
(4.)  More  particularly,  that  he  healed  all  that 
were  oppressed  of  the  devil;  by  this  it  appear¬ 
ed,  not  only  that  He  was  sent  of  God,  as  it 
was  a  kindness  to  men  ;  but  that  He  was 
sent  to  destroy  the  works  of  the  devil;  for  thus 
He  obtained  many  a  victory  over  him.  (5.) 
They  knew  the  Jews  put  Him  to  death  ; 
slew  Him,  by  hanging  Him  on  a  tree. 

All  this  they  knew  ;  but  lest  they  should 
think  it  was  only  a  report,  and  magnified,  as 
reports  usually  are  ;  Peter,  for  himself  and 
the  rest  of  the  apostles,  attests  it,  v.  39. 
We  are  witnesses,  eyewitnesses,  and  par- 
witnesses  of  the  doctrine  He  preached. 

3.  They  did  know,  or  might  know,  by  all 
this,  that  He  had  a  commission  from  heaven 
to  preach  and  act  as  He  did.  This  he  still 
takes  occasion  to  hint  to  them.  Let  them 
know,  (1.)  That  this  Jesus  is  Lord  of  all; 
it  comes  in  in  a  parenthesis,  but  is  the  prin¬ 
cipal  proposition  intended  to  be  proved,  that 
Jesus  Christ,  by  whom  peace  is  made  be¬ 
tween  God  and  man,  is  Lord  of  all  ;  not 
only  as  God  over  all  blessed  for  evermore,  but 
as  Mediator,  all  power  both  in  heaven  and  in 
earth  is  put  into  his  hand,  and  all  judgment 
committed  to  Him.  He  is  Lord  of  angels, 
Lord  of  the  powers  of  darkness,  for  He 
hath  triumphed  over  them.  He  is  King 
of  nations,  has  a  power  over  all  flesh  ;  He 
is  King  of  saints,  all  the  children  of  God  are 
his  scholars,  his  subjects,  his  soldiers.  (2.) 
That  God  anointed  Him  with  the  Holy  Ghost 
and  with  power.  He  was  both  authorized  and 
enabled  to  do  what  He  did  by  a  divine 
anointing;  whence  He  was  called  Christ, — 
i.  e.  the  Messiah, — i.  e.  the  Anointed  One. 
The  Holy  Ghost  descended  on  Him,  at  his 
baptism,  and  He  was  full  of  power,  both  in 


popular  way,  “  hear  and  know as  in  2:22.  5:7.  9:13.  and  so  Kuin. 
Philip  had  preached  nt  Cesarea,  8:42.’  Cl. 

(37.)  That  word.]  ‘  The  report  concerning  Jesus  they  had  heard.1 
Doddr.  Hut,  says  Bi„,  rema  is  here  put  for  logos,  doctrine  ;  as  in  Korn. 
10:8.  Eph.  5:26.  Heb.  6:5.  John  3:34.  Ed. 

(38.)  Anointed.]  ‘  Echrisen  :  chriein  properly  signifies  to  sprinkle, 
anoint  with  oil,  or  unguents  :  and  since  anointing  formed  a  solemn  rite 
of  inaugurating  and  appointing  kings ,  so  it  came  to  denote  genera/ty, 
create,  appoint,  &c. :  and  ns  unction  was  supposed  to  confer  certain 
powers,  so  the  word  catne  to  mean,  as  here,  invest ,  endue  with  power. 
In  the  phrase,  “with  the  Ilolv  Ghost  and  with  power,”  we  have  an 
hendiadis  for  “  the  powers  and  endowments  of  the  Holy  Spirit.”’  Br.. 

(41.)  Not  to  all.]  Compelled  belief  loses  its  moral  value,  and  ceases 
to  be  an  index  of  the  character :  the  state  of  the  heart,  the  will,  has 
much  to  do  with  belief.  Now  the  tendency  to  believe  spiritual  truth, 
on  sufficient  evidence,  indicates  a  preparedness  to  profit  by  it,  and  to  di¬ 
gest  and  assimilate  it,  till  it  becomes  a  part  of  the  immortal  nature  :  not 
so,  when  truth  is  thrust  upon  the  unwilling;  then  the  greatest  miracles 
only  harden,  excite  opposition,  shut  out  truth,  in  fact  :  the  whole  N.  T. 
is  full  of  instances.  Besides,  if  each  one  then  living  had  a  right  to  de¬ 
mand  occular,  logical,  or  mathematical  demonstration,  instead  of  moral, 
then  ea”1.  person  now  has  a  right  to  demand,  horrid  thought  !  that  Christ 
should  .ic  again  crucified  before  his  eyes,  and  that  he  should,  with  those 

[5°j 


preaching  and  working  miracles,  which  was 
the  seal  of  a  divine  mission,  (3.)  That 
God  was  with  Him,  v.  3S.  His  works  were 
wrought  in  God  ;  God  not  only  sent  Him, 
but  was  present  with  Him  all  along,  owned 
Him,  stood  by  Him,  and  carried  Him  on  in 
all  his  services  and  sufferings.  Those  whom 
God  anoints  He  will  accompany  ;  He  will 
Himself  be  with  those  to  whom  He  has 
given  his  Spirit. 

III.  Because  they  had  heard  no  more  for 
certain  concerning  this  Jesus,  Peter  declares 
to  them  his  resurrection  front  the  dead,  and 
the  proofs  of  it.  Probably,  they  had  heard 
at  Cesarea  some  talk  of  this  ;  but  it  was 
soon  silenced  by  that  vile  suggestion  of  the 
Jews,  that  his  disciples  came  by  night  and 
stole  Him  away.  Therefore  Peter  insists  on 
this,  as  the  main  support  of  that  Word 
which  preacheth  peace  by  Jesus  Christ. 

1.  The  power  by  which  He  rose  is  incon¬ 
testably  divine,  v.  40.  Him  God  raised  up 
the  third  day  ;  which  not  only  disproved  ail 
the  calumnies  and  accusations  He  was  laid 
under  by  men,  but  effectually  proved  God’s 
acceptance  of  the  satisfaction  He  made  for 
the  sin  of  man  by  the  blood  of  his  cross. 

2.  The  proofs  of  his  resurrection  were 
incontestably  clear  ;  for  God  showed  Him 
openly.  He  gave  Him  to  be  made  manifest, 
to  be  visible,  evidently  so  ;  so  He  appears, 
as  that  it  appears  beyond  contradiction  to  be 
He,  and  not  another.  It  was  such  a  show¬ 
ing  of  Him,  as  amounted  to  a  demonstration 
of  the  truth  of  his  resurrection.  He  showed 
Him  not  publicly,  indeed,  (it  was  not  open 
in  that  sense,)  but  evidently  ;  not  to  all  the 
people,  who  had  been  the  witnesses  of  his 
death;  but  a  sufficient  number  saw  Him,  to 
attest  the  truth  of  his  resurrection;  the  tes¬ 
tator’s  declaring  his  last  will  and  testament 
need  not  be  before  all  the  people,  it  is  enough 
that  it  be  before  a  competent  number  of  cred¬ 
ible  witnesses;  so  the  resurrection  of  Christ 
was  proved  before  sufficient  witnesses. 
(1.)  They  were  not  so  by  chance,  but  were 
chosen  before  of  God  to  be  witnesses  of  it,  and, 
in  order  to  that,  had  intimate  converse  with 
Him;  that,  having  known  Him  so  intimate¬ 
ly  before,  they  might  the  better  be  assured  it 
was  He.  (2.)  They  had  not  a  sudden  and 
transient  view  of  Him,  but  a  great  deal  of 
free  conversation  with  Him  ;  they  did  eat 
and  drink  with  Him,  after  He  rose  from  the 
dead  ;  they  saw  Him  without  any  terror  or 
consternation,  which  might  have  rendered 
them  incompetent  witnesses,  for  they  saw 
Him  so  frequently,  and  He  conversed  with 
them  so  familiarly,  that  they  did  eat  and 
drink  with  Him.  It  is  brought  as  a  proof  of 
the  clear  view  the  nobles  of  Israel  had  of 
the  glory  of  God,  Ex.  24:  11.  that  they  saw 
God,  and  did  eat  and  drink. 

IV.  He  concludes  with  an  inference  from 
all  this,  that  therefore  that  which  they  all 
ought  to  do,  was,  to  believe  in  this  Jesus. 
Observe, 

1.  Why  ;  faith  has  reference  to  a  testi¬ 
mony,  and  the  Christian  faith  is  built  on  the 
foundation  of  us  the  apostles,  and  the  prophets, 

same  eyes,  see  Him  ascend  to  heaven  !  Ed.— Not  to  all  the  people.] 
‘  Many  valuable  writers  (see  Ditton,  Burnet,  Sykes,  Fleming,  Blackvvall, 
Atterbury,  ,fec.) have  vindicated  the  wisdom  and  righteousness.  ..  which 
ordered,  that  Christ  should  not  appear  publicly  after  his  resurrection. 
...  I  shall  only  observe,  in  one  word,  that  as  God  was  by  no  means 
obliged  to  give  that  perverse  people,  the  Jews,  the  highest  and  most 
striking  degree  of  evidence  that  could  be  imagined  ;  so  it  is  certain,  that 
the  evidence  He  gave  of  this  fact  [the  resurrection  of  Christ]  by  the 
miraculous  gifts  conferred  on  chosen  witnesses  of  it,  was  of  a  nature 
capable  of  being  conveyed  to  the  world  in  general,  in  a  much  more  con¬ 
vincing  manner,  than  Christ’s  appearance  in  the  temple,  for  several  suc¬ 
ceeding  days,  could  have  been.’  Poddh. 

V.  41 — 48.  (11:4 — 17.)  It  does  not  appear  that  the  descent  of  the 
Holy  Spirit,  on  this  occasion,  was  accompanied  by  the  same  circum¬ 
stances,  as  on  the  day  of  l’entecost ;  but  the  effects  were  evident,  and 
similar  to  those  then  produced. — (47)  Forbid  water,  &c.]  ‘  These  words 
contain  a  plain  and  convincing  demonstration  of  the  falsehood  of  the 
(luaker’s  doctrine,  that  water-baptism  is  unnecessary  to  them,  who  have 
received  the  inward  baptism  of  the  Spirit :  since  the  apostle  here  not 
only  declares,  that  water-baptism  ought  therefore  to  be  administered  to 
these  persons,  beenuse  they  had  already  been  baptized  with  the  Holy 
Ghost ;  but  also  commands  them  to  be  baptized  on  that  account.’  Whit¬ 
by.—  It  was  not  necessary  for  the  sacred  historian,  on  such  occasions,  to 


A.  D.  41. 


ACTS,  X. 


The  happy  result  of  the  interview. 


44  IT  While  Peter  yet  spake  these 
words,  the  Holy  Ghost  rfell  on  all 
them  which  heard  the  word. 

45  And  i  they  of  the  circumcision 
which  believed  were  astonished,  as 
many  as  came  with  Peter,  because 
that  on  the  Gentiles  also  was  pour¬ 
ed  out  the  gift  of  the  Holy  Ghost  : 

46  For  they  heard  them  r  speak 
with  tongues,  and  magnify  God. 
Then  answered  Peter, 

47  Can  *  any  man  forbid  water, 
that  these  should  not  be  baptized, 
which  have  received  the  Holy 
Ghost  as  well  as  we  ? 

43  And  he  commanded  them  to 
be  baptized  in  the  name  of  the 
Lord.  Then  prayed  they  him  to 
tarry  certain  days. 

11  c.  4:31,  q  ver.  23.  r  0.2:4.  *  c.  8:12. 

to  whose  writings  we  have  reason  to  think 
Cornelius  and  his  friends  were  no  strangers. 

2.  What  they  must  believe  concerning 
H  ini.  (1.)  That  we  are  all  accountable  to 
Christ  as  our  Judge;  this  the  apostles  were 
commanded  to  testify  to  the  world ;  that  this 
Jesus  is  ordained  of  God  to  be  the  Judge  of 
the  quick  and  dead,  v.  42.  He  hath  assured 
us  of  this,  in  that  He  hath  raised  Him  from 
the  dead,  ch.  17:31.  so  that  it  is  the  great 
concern  of  every  one  of  ns,  in  the  belief  of 
this,  to  seek  his  favor,  and  to  make  Him 
our  Friend.  (2.)  That  if  we  believe  in  Him, 
we  shall  all  be  justified  by  Him  as  our  Right¬ 
eousness,  v.  43.  The  prophets,  when  they 
spake  of  the  death  of  Christ,  did  witness 
this,  that  through  his  name,  for  his  sake,  and 
on  the  account  of  his  merit,  whosoever  believeth 
in  Him,  Jew  or  Gentile,  shall  receive  remis¬ 
sion  of  sins.  That  is  the  great  thing  we  need, 
without  which  we  are  undone,  and  which  the 
convinced  conscience  is  most  inquisitive  af¬ 
ter,  which  the  carnal  Jews  promised  them¬ 
selves  from  their  ceremonial  sacrifices  and 


purifications,  yea,  and  the  heathen,  too,  [did 
and  do,]  from  their  atonements,  but  all  in 
vain  ;  it  is  to  be  had  only  through  the  name 
of  Christ,  and  only  by  those  that  believe  in  his 
name;  and  they  that  do  so,  may  be  assured 
of  it;  their  sins  shall  be  pardoned,  and  there 
shall  be  no  condemnation  to  them.  And  the 
remission  of  sins  lays  a  foundation  for  all 
other  favors  and  blessings,  by  taking  that 
out  of  the  way,  that  hinders  them. 

V.  44 — 48.  Here  is  the  issue  of  Peter’s 
sermon. 

I.  God’s  owning  Peter’s  word,  by  con¬ 
ferring  the  Holy  Ghost  on  the  hearers,  im¬ 
mediately  on  their  hearing  it,  v.  44.  while 
Peter  was  yet  speaking,  even  as  on  the  apos¬ 
tles  at  first  ;  so  Peter  saith,  ch.  11:15. 
Therefore,  some  think,  it  was  with  a  rushing 
mighty  wind,  and  in  cloven  tongues,  as  that 
was.  Observe, 

1.  When  the  Holy  Ghost  fell  on  them  ; 
while  Peter  was  preaching.  Thus  were  the 
signs  of  an  apostle  wrought  a  mong  them,  2  Cor. 
12:  12.  Though  Peter  could  not  give  the 
Holy  Ghost,  yet  the  Holy  Ghost  being  given 
along  with  the  word  of  Peter,  by  that  it  ap¬ 
peared  he  was  sent  of  God.  The  Holy  Ghost 
fell  on  others  after  they  were  baptized,  for 
their  confirmation  ;  but  on  these  Gentiles 
before  they  were  baptized  :  to  show  that 
God  is  not  tied  to  a  method,  nor  confines 
Himself  to  external  signs.  The  Holy  Ghost 
fell  on  those  that  were  neither  circumcised 
nor  baptized  ;  for  it  is  the  Spirit  that  quick- 
eneth,  the  flesh  profit eth  nothing. 

2.  How  it  appeared  that  the  Holy  Ghost 
was  fallen  upon  them,  v.  46.  They  spake 
with  tongues  which  they  never  learned;  per¬ 
haps  it  intimated  that  they  were  all  designed 
for  ministers,  and  by  this  first  descent  of  the 
Spirit  on  them  were  qualified  (both  to  read 
the  O.  T.  and)  to  preach  the  Gospel.  But 
observe,  when  they  spake  with  tongues,  they 
magnified  God,  they  spake  of  Christ  and  the 
benefits  of  redemption,  which  Peter  had  been 
preaching  of,  to  the  glory  of  God.  Thus  did 
they  on  whom  the  Holy  Ghost  first  descended, 
ch.  2: 11.  With  whatever  gift  we  are  endued. 


we  ought  to  honor  God,  and  particularly 
with  the  gift  of  speaking,  and  all  the  improve¬ 
ments  of  it. 

3.  What  impression  it  made  on  the  be 
lieving  Jews  that  were  present,  v.  45.  those 
six  that  came  with  Peter;  it  surprised  them 
exceedingly,  perhaps  gave  them  some  unea¬ 
siness,  because  that  upon  the  Gentiles  also  was 
poured  out  the  gift  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  which 
they  thought  had  been  appropriated  to  their 
own  nation.  Had  they  understood  the  Scrip¬ 
tures  of  the  O.  T.,  which  pointed  at  this,  it 
would  not  have  been  such  an  astonishment  to 
them ;  but  by  our  mistaken  notions  of  things, 
we  create  difficulties  to  ourselves  in  the 
methods  of  divine  providence  and  grace. 

II.  Peter’s  owning  God’s  work,  in  bapti¬ 
zing  those  on  whom  die  Holy  Ghost  fell. 
Observe, 

1.  Though  they  had  received  the  Holy 
Ghost,  yet  it  was  requisite  they  should  be 
baptized ;  though  God  is  not  tied  to  instituted 
ordinances,  we  are  ;  and  no  extraordinary 
gifts  set  U3  above  them,  but  rather  oblige  us 
so  much  the  more  to  conform  to  them .  Some 
in  our  days  would  have  argued,  ‘  These  are 
baptized  with  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  therefore 
what  need  have  they  to  be  baptized  with 
water  ?  It  is  below  them.’  No  ;  it  is  not 
below  them,  while  water-baptism  is  an  ordi¬ 
nance  of  Christ,  and  the  door  of  admission 
into  the  visible  church,  and  a  seal  of  the 
new  covenant. 

2.  Though  Gentiles,  yet,  having  received 
the  Holy  Ghost,  they  might  be  admitted  to 
baptism,  v.  47.  The  argument  is  conclusive ; 
can  we  deny  the  sign  to  those  who  have  re¬ 
ceived  the  thing  signified  1  Surely,  they  that 
have  received  the  Spirit  as  well  as  we,  ought  to 
receive  baptism  as  well  as  we ;  for  it  becomes 
us  to  take  those  into  communion  with  us, 
whom  God  hath  taken  into  communion  with 
Himself.  Now  it  appears,  why  the  Spirit  was 
given  them  before  they  were  baptized, — be¬ 
cause  otherwise  Peter  could  not  have  per¬ 
suaded  himself  to  baptize  them,  any  more 
than  to  have  preached  to  them,  if  he  had  not 
been  ordered  to  do  it  by  a  vision  ;  at  least. 


PRACT.  OBS.  What  will  become  of  those  who,  without  on£  tenth 
of  the  external  appearance  of  Cornelius’  piety  and  charity,  presume 
that  they  shall  go  to  heaven  on  the  score  of  their  good  works,  and  re¬ 
ject  the  way  of  salvation,  by  faith  in  Jesus  Christ  ? — The  sublime  sub¬ 
jects,  which  pertain  to  redemption  through  the  blood  of  the  Son  of  God, 
seem  more  proper  for  the  tongues  of  angels  to  proclaim,  than  for  us 
poor  worms  of  the  earth.  Doubtless  in  many  respects,  they  could 
preach  them  unspeakably  better :  yet  our  humiliating  and  thankful  expe¬ 
rience  may  balance  something  on  the  other  side.  In  that  case,  however, 
it  would  not  be  so  evident,  that  ‘  the  excellency  of  the  power,’  which 
makes  the  Word  successful,  is  xvholly  ‘  of  God  :’  nor  would  their  presence 
and  language  be  so  suited  to  man’s  weakness,  or  so  conducive  to  his 
comfort. — When  pious  persons  conscientiously  deny  themselves,  in 
obedience  to  what  they  deem  the  command  of  God,  without  self-right¬ 
eousness  or  spiritual  pride;  their  conduct  may  evidence  their  sincerity, 
and  exhibit  to  others  a  very  useful  example ;  even  should  it  appear  that 
they  were  mistaken  in  their  scruples ;  and  in  this  view,  the  apostle’s 
readiness  to  endure  hunger  rather  than  eat  forbidden  food,  and  his  scru¬ 
pulous  exactness  in  this  respect,  during  his  whole  past,  life,  convey  to 
us  important  and  humiliating  instructions. — The  company  of  those,  who 
are  collected  together  into  the  church  of  God,  being  truly  converted, 
will  become  all  of  ‘one  mind  and  judgment,’  in  the  grand  concerns  of 
religion ;  they  have  the  same  faith,  hope,  and  love,  and  the  same  mo¬ 
tives  and  distinguishing  principles ;  and  their  several  natural  disposi¬ 
tions,  being  corrected,  regulated,  and  moderated  by  sanctifying  grace, 


repent  th  e  appointed  form  [if  there  was  any,  Ed.]  of  Christian  baptism  ; 
and  therefore  the  special  confession  of  Jesus,  as  the  Messiah,  the  Son  of 
God,  is  alone  noticed.  But  there  seems  no  ground  to  doubt,  that  the 
form  also  was  adhered  to.  It  is  rather  taken  for  granted,  that  the  apos¬ 
tles,  and  primitive  teachers,  adhered  to  the  instruction  of  their  Lord  just 
before  his  ascension ;  and  it  was  therefore  needless  to  mention  that  cir¬ 
cumstance  in  the  narrative. — It  is  not  said,  that  the  brethren  who  ac¬ 
companied  Peter  were  pastors  ;  but  it  is  probable,  that  some  of  them 
were.  There  had  been  Christians  at  Joppa  for  a  considerable  time : 
and  either  those  xvho  first  collected  a  church  in  that  city,  appointed  pas¬ 
tors  ;  or,  Peter,  when  he  went  thither,  ‘set  in  order  this  which  was 
wanting.’  Tit.  1:5 — 9.  Now  it  is  most  natural  to  suppose,  that  on  so 
interesting  an  occasion,  Peter  would  take  with  him,  as  witnesses,  some 
of  the  pastors  of  the  church,  and  not  exclusively  private  Christians. 
Ananias  is  not  said  to  have  been  a  minister,  or  pastor  ;  yet  it  can  scarce¬ 
ly  be  doubted  that  he  was. — (48)  To  tarry ,  &c.]  It  cannot  be  supposed, 
but  that  Peter  lived  with  these  converted  Gentiles,  according  to  their 
usual  habits,  as  to  eating,  and  other  things  of  that  nature,  after  all 
which  had  preceded  his  going  among  them,  without  any  special  regard 
to  the  ceremonial  law.  This  may  be  of  use,  if  recollected,  in  forming 
our  judgment  on  some  other  portions  of  this  history.  Scott. 

(44 — 46.)  ‘Peter  must  be  understood  as  meaning,  that  they  had  re¬ 


render  them  more  qualified  in  different  ways  to  serve  the  common  cause 
of  the  Gospel.  Let  us  then  learn  ‘not  to  call  those  common’  whom 
God  has  cleansed,  or  to  despise  those  whom  He  has  received  ;  and  not 
to  neglect  or  despair  of  those,  whom  He  may  yet  call  to  the  knowledge 
of  Himself. — But  how  strong  must  prejudice  be,  when  so  many  divine 
monitions  were  requisite,  to  induce  an  apostle  to  attend  on  a  man  of 
fair  character  and  good  report,  who  by  the  warning  of  an  angel  had 
sent  for  him,  that  he  might  receive  the  instructions  of  life  from  his  lips  ! 
— This  inward  baptism  of  the  Spirit  is  especially  to  be  valued  ;  yet  out- 
xvard  ordinances  should  not  be  neglected  ;  and  those  who  conclude  that 
they  have  no  occasion  for  the  external  signs,  because  they  have  receiv¬ 
ed  the  internal  grace  of  the  covenant,  speak  and  act  in  a  very  unscrip- 
tural  manner,  and  give  reason  for  suspecting  that  they  deceive  them¬ 
selves  :  yet  if  we  have  both  the  ‘  outward  sign  and  the  inward  and 
spiritual  grace,’  it  is  not  of  much  importance,  in  what  order  we  have 
received  them. — But  surely,  we  sinners  of  the  Gentiles  should  read  this 
ch.  with  peculiar  gratitude  and  admiring  praise  :  thus  the  partition- 
wall  was  broken  down,  the  law  of  ordinances  that  was  against  us  was 
abolished,  the  door  of  mercy  was  opened  to  us  ;  that  we  might  become 
fellow-heirs  with  the  ancient  people  of  God,  in  all  the  blessings  of  his 
covenant  and  salvation.  May  the  Lord  speedily  recal  the  Jews  into  the 
church,  and  bring  in  the  ‘fulness  of  the  Gentiles;’  that  ‘  his  name  may¬ 
be  hallowed,’  his  kingdom  established,  and  ‘  his  will  done,’  throughout 
the  whole  earth,  as  it  is  by  all  the  angels  and  saints  in  heaven  ! 

Scott. 


ceived  the  miraculous  effusion  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  as  he  himself  had, 
and  the  rest  of  the  apostles.’  Ed. 

(45.)  They  of  the  circumcision , — were  astonished.]  ‘  The  Jews  had 
long  ago  a  proverb  among  them,  “  That  the  Holy  Spirit  never  rests  on 
a  heathen.”  This  astonishment,  shows,  that  notion  prevailed  even  in 
these  Christians,  whether  the  proverb  was  so  old  or  not.’  Doddr. 

(47.)  Can  any  man  forbid  water,  &c.]  ‘  It  seems  most  natural  to  un¬ 
derstand  this  as  Dr.  Whitby  does,  “who  can  forbid  that  water  should 
be  brought  ?”  In  xvhich  view  of  the  clause,  one  would  naturally  con¬ 
clude,  they  were  baptized  by  pouring  water  upon  them,  rather  than  by 
plunging  them  into  it.’  Id. — This  is  in  Doddridge’s  usual  style  of  modest 
courtesy  ;  but  the  case  in  our  day  justifies  and  even  requires  a  more  de¬ 
cided  and  positive  manner.  Not  only  is  Whitby’s  understanding  of  the 
passage  ‘most  natural,’  but  there  is  no  propriety  in  supposing  it  can  be 
consistently  understood  in  any  other  sense;  and  sprinkling  may  as 
.‘naturally’  be  supposed  as  pouring  :  in  no  sense  is  plunging  ever  to 
be  thought  of  as  having  been  the  method ;  the  application  of  the  ele¬ 
ment  to  the  subject ,  and  not  the  subject  to  the  element,  is  necessarily 
and  plainly  implied.  A*0- 

(48.)  ‘Peter  chooses  his  brethren  should  baptize,  that  thus  the  ex¬ 
pression  of  their  consent  might  be  the  more  explicit.’  Doddr. 

[59] 


A.  D.  41. 


ACTS,  XL 


Peter's  vindication  of  himself. 


CHAP.  XI. 

]  Peter,  hein?  accused  for  going  in  to  the  Gentiles,  5  ma- 
keth  his  defence,  18  which  is  accepted.  19  The  Gospel 
being  spread  into  Phenice,  and  Cyprus,  and  Antioch, 
Barnabas  is  sent  to  confirm  them.  26  The  disciples  there 
are  first  called  Christians.  27  They  send  relief  to  the 
brethren  in  Judea  in  time  of  famine. 

AND  the  apostles  and  brethren, 
that  were  in  Judea,  heard  that 
the  Gentiles  had  also  received  the 
word  of  God. 

2  And  when  Peter  was  come  up 
to  Jerusalem,  they  “that  were  of 
the  circumcision  contended  with 
him, 

3  Saying,  Thou  wen  test  in  to 
men  uncircumcised,  and  didst  eat 
with  them. 

4  But  Peter  rehearsed  the  matter 
from  the  beginning,  and  expounded 
it  by  order  unto  them,  saying, 

5  I  was  in  the  city  of  Joppa, 
praying  :  and  in  a  trance  I  saw  a 
vision,  A  certain  vessel  descend,  as 
it  had  been  a  great  sheet  let  down 
from  heaven  by  four  corners  ;  and 
it  came  even  to  me  : 

6  Upon  the  which  when  I  had 
fastened  mine  eyes,  I  considered, 
and  saw  four-footed  beasts  of  the 
earth,  and  wild  beasts,  and  creeping 
things,  and  fowls  of  the  air. 

7  And  I  heard  a  voice  saying 
unto  me,  Arise,  Peter  ;  slay,  and 
eat. 

8  But  I  said,  Not  so,  Lord  :  for 
nothing  common  or  unclean  hath  at 
any  time  entered  into  my  mouth. 

9  But  the  voice  answered  me 
again  from  heaven,  What  God 
hath  cleansed,  that  call  not  thou 
common. 

10  And  this  was  done  three  times: 
and  all  were  drawn  up  again  into 
heaven. 

11  And,  behold,  immediately 
there  were  three  men  already  come 
unto  the  house  where  I  was,  sent 
from  Cesarea  unto  me. 

12  And  the  Spirit  b  bade  me  go 
with  them,  nothing  doubting.  More¬ 
over,  these  six  brethren  accompa¬ 
nied  me  ;  and  we  entered  into  the 
man’s  house  : 

13  And  he  shewed  us  how  he 
had  seen  an  angel  in  his  house, 
which  stood  and  said  unto  him, 
Send  men  to  Joppa,  and  call  for 
Simon,  whose  surname  is  Peter  ; 

14  Mrho  shall  tell  thee  'words, 
whereby  thou  and  all  thy  house 
shall  be  saved. 

15  And  as  I  began  to  speak,  the 
Holy  Ghost  fell  on  them,  as  d  on  us 
at  the  beginning. 

16  Then  remembered  I  the  word 
of  the  Lord,  how  that  he  said,  John 
*  indeed  baptized  with  water  ;  but 
fye  shall  be  baptized  with  the  Holy 
Ghost. 

17  Forasmuch  then  as  God  sgave 
them  the  like  gift  as  he  did  unto  us 


who  believed  on  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ,  what  h  was  I,  that  I  could 
withstand  God  ? 

a  c.  10:23,28.  Ga.  6:63,68.  f  I».  44:3.  Joel 

2:12.  c.  10:9, See.  (1  c.  2:4.  2:28. 

b  Jn.  16:13.  e  Mat.  3:11.  Jn.  g  c.  15:8,9. 

c  Ps.l9:7— 11.  J».  1:26,33.  c.t:5.  h  Ro.  9:21— 26. 

he  could  not  have  avoided  the  censure  of 
those  of  the  circumcision  that  believed.  Thus 
is  there  one  unusual  step  of  divine  grace 
taken  after  another  to  bring  the  Gentiles  into 
the  church.  How  well  is  it  for  us,  that  the 
grace  of  God  is  so  much  more  extensive  than 
the  charity  even  of  good  men  ! 

3.  Peter  did  not  baptize  them  himself,  but 
commanded  them  to  be  baptized ,  v.  48.  Prob¬ 
ably  some  of  the  brethren,  who  came  with 
him,  did  it  by  his  order,  and  he  declined  it 
for  the  same  reason  Paul  did, — lest  those 
baptized  by  him  should  think  the  better  of 
themselves  for  it;  or  he  should  seem  to  have 
baptized  in  his  own  name,  1  Cor.  1 :  15.  The 
business  ofbaptizing  was  ordinarily  devolved 
on  the  inferior  ministers ;  these  acted  by  the 
orders  of  the  apostles,  who  might  therefore 
be  said  to  do  it. 

Lastly,  Their  owning  both  Peter’s  w’ord 
and  God’s  work  in  their  desire  of  further 
advantage  by  Peter’s  ministry.  They  prayed 
him  to  tarry  certain  days.  Note,  1.  Those 
who  have  some  acquaintance  with  Christ, 
cannot  but  covet  more.  2.  Even  those  that 
have  received  the  Holy  Ghost,  must  see  their 
need  of  the  ministry  of  the  Word. 

Chap.  XI.  V.  1—18.  I.  Intelligence  of 
the  preaching  of  the  Gospel  to  the  Gentiles, 
was  presently  brought  to  the  church  in  Jeru¬ 
salem,  and  thereabouts.  Some  for  good¬ 
will,  and  some  for  ill-will,  would  spread  the 
report;  so  that  before  Peter  was  returned  to 
Jerusalem,  the  apostles  and  the  brethren  there, 
and  in  Judea,  heard  that  the  Gentiles  also  had 
received  the  Word  of  God,  i.  e.  the  Gospel 
of  Christ;  which  is  not  only  a  word  of  God, 
but  the  Word  of  God  ;  for  it  is  the  summary 
and  centre  of  all  divine  revelation.  They 
received  Christ  ;  for  his  name  is  called,  the 
Word  of  God,  Rev.  19: 13.  Not  only  that 
dispersed  Jews  and  proselyted  Gentiles,  but 
Gentiles  themselves,  with  whom  [Jewish 
bigotry]  had  hitherto  thought  it  unlawful  to 
hold  common  conversation,  were  taken  into 
church  communion,  had  received  the  Word  of 
God.  It  is  likely  they  had  got  a  notion,  that 
if  the  Gospel  were  preached  to  the  Gentiles, 
it  would  be  to  no  purpose,  because  the  proofs 
of  the  Gospel  were  fetched  so  much  out  of 
the  O.T.  which  the  Gentiles  did  not  receive; 
they  looked  upon  them  as  not  inclined  to  re¬ 
ligion,  nor  likely  to  receive  the  impressions 
of  it  ;  and  therefore  were  surprised  to  hear 
that  they  had.  We  are  too  apt  to  despair  of 
doing  good  to  those  w'ho  yet,  when  [properly] 
tried,  prove  very  tractable. 

II.  Offence  was  taken  at  it  by  the  believ¬ 
ing  Jews,  v.  2,  3.  They  of  the  circumcision, 
Jewish  converts  that  still  retained  a  vener¬ 
ation  for  circumcision,  contended  with  Peter, 
charged  it  on  him  as  a  crime,  that  he  went 
in  to  men  uncircumcised,  and  did  eat  with  them; 
so  far  were  they  from  looking  upon  him  as 
infallible,  or  as  the  supreme  head  of  the 
church  that  all  were  accountable  to,  and  he 
to  none.  See  here,  1.  How  much  it  is  the 
bane  and  damage  of  the  church,  to  monop¬ 
olize  it,  and  to  exclude  those  from  it,  and 
from  the  benefit  of  the  means  of  grace,  that 
are  not  in  everything  as  we  are.  These  men 
were  of  Jonah’s  mind,  who,  in  a  jealousy  for 
his  people,  was  angry  that  the  Ninevites  re¬ 


ceived  the  Word  of  God,  and  justified  himself 
in  it.  2.  Christ’s  ministers  must  not  think 
it  strange,  if  they  be  censured  and  quarrelled 
with,  not  only  by  their  professed  enemies, 
but  by  their  professing  friends;  nnd  not  only 
for  their  follies  and  infirmities,  but  for  their 
good  actions,  seasonably  and  well  done;  but 
if  we  have  proved  our  own  work,  we  may 
have  rejoicing  in  ourselves,  as  Peter  had, 
whatever  reflections  we  may  have  from  our 
brethren.  Those  that  are  zealous  and  cour¬ 
ageous  in  the  service  of  Christ,  must  expect 
to  be  censured  by  those  who,  under  pretence 
of  being  cautious,  are  cold  and  indifferent. 
Those  who  are  of  catholic,  generous,  char¬ 
itable  principles,  must  expect  to  be  censured 
by  such  as  are  conceited  and  strait-laced  ; 
who  say,  Stand  by  thyself,  I  am  holier  than 
thou. 

III.  Peter  gave  such  a  full  and  fair  ac¬ 
count  of  the  matter  of  fact,  as  was  sufficient, 
without  any  further  argument  or  apology, 
both  to  justify  him,  and  to  satisfy  them,  v.  4. 
for  it  appeared  all  along  God’s  own  work, 
and  not  his.  It  is  a  good  reason  why  we 
should  be  moderate  in  our  censures,  and  spar¬ 
ing  of  them,  because  if  we  rightly  under¬ 
stood  that  which  we  are  so  forward  to  run 
down,  perhaps  we  should  see  cause  to  run  in 
with  it.  And  when  we  see  others  do  that 
which  looks  suspicious,  instead  of  contend¬ 
ing,  we  should  inquire  of  them  what  ground 
they  went  upon  ;  and  if  we  have  not  an  op¬ 
portunity  to  do  that,  should  ourselves  put  the 
best  construction  on  it  that  it  will  bear,  and 
judge  nothing  before  the  time.  But  it  is  a  debt 
we  owe  both  to  ourselves  and  to  our  breth¬ 
ren,  to  set  those  actions  of  ours  in  a  true 
light,  which  at  first  looked  ill,  and  gave 
offence  ;  that  w'e  may  remove  stumbling- 
blocks  out  of  our  brethren’s  way. 

Peter  pleads,  1.  That  he  was  instructed 
by  a  vision  no  longer  to  keep  up  the  ceremo¬ 
nial  distinctions;  he  relates  the  vision,  vs. 5, 
6,  13,  See.  as  we  had  it  before,  ch.  10:  9,  &c. 
That  which  put  the  matter  past  all  dispute, 
was,  the  descent  of  the  Holy  Ghost  on  the 
Gentile  hearers  ;  this  completed  the  evi¬ 
dence,  that  it  was  the  will  of  God  that  he 
should  take  the  Gentiles  into  communion. 
As  the  apostle  argues,  Gal.  3:2. 

2.  By  the  descent  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  Peter 
was  put  in  mind  of  a  saying  of  his  Master’s, 
when  leaving  them,  ch.  1:  5.  John  baptized 
with  water  ;  but  ye  shall  be  baptized  unth  the 
Holy  Ghost,  v.  16.  This  plainly  intimated, 
that  the  Holy  Ghost  was  the  gift  of  Christ, 
the  product  and  performance  of  that  great 
promise  He  left  them  when  He  went  to 
lteaven,  and  the  gift  of  it  a  kind  of  baptism, 
more  excellent  than  that  of  even  the  Baptist 
himself.  Comparing  that  promise,  so  word¬ 
ed,  with  this  gift  just  now’  conferred,  when 
the  question  was  started,  whether  these  per¬ 
sons  should  be  baptized  or  no,  he  concluded, 
that  the  question  was  determined  by  Christ 
Himself,  v.  17.  ‘  Forasmuch  then  as  God 

gave  them  the  like  gift  as  He  did  to  us  ;  gave 
it  to  us  as  believing  in  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ, 
and  to  them  on  their  believing  in  Him,  What 
was  I,  that  I  could  withstand  God  ?  ’  Those 
who  hinder  the  conversion  of  souls,  with¬ 
stand  God  ;  and  those  take  too  much  upon 
them,  who  contrive  how  to  exclude  those 
from  their  communion,  whom  God  has  taken 
into  communion  with  Himself. 

IV.  This  account  not  only  satisfied  them, 
but  turned  their  censures  into  praises  to  God, 
for  what  He  had  done  by  and  with  Peter’s 
ministry  ;  Then  hath  God  also  to  the  Gentiles 
granted  repentance  unto  life  !  Note,  1.  Re- 


NOTES.  Chai*.  XI.  V.  ] — 3.  If  the  believers  from  among  the  Jews 
were  so  alarmed  and  offended  at  Peter,  for  eating,  on  such  an  occasion, 
with  persons  of  so  good  a  report  as  Cornelius  and  his  friends ;  what 
must  have  been  the  thoughts  of  the  Jews  in  general,  Concerning  the 
state  of  the  idolatrous  and  licentious  Gentiles.''  (10:34,35.)— It  is  not 
said,  that  ‘  the  apostles  contended  ’  with  Peter  on  this  account :  yet,  if 
the  general  opinion  had  not  been  unfavorable  to  his  conduct,  none  would 
hnye  publicly  called  him  to  an  account,  or  have  warmly  contested  the 
point  with  him. — This  fact  is  likewise  an  unanswerable  proof,  that  the 
[60] 


primitive  church  had  no  idea  of  Peter’s  supremacy  and  infallibility  :  in¬ 
deed,  the  persons  concerned  by  no  means  rendered  due  respect  to  his 
apostolical  authority.  Scott. 

V.  14.  Thou,  &c.]  This  is  far  more  full  and  explicit  than  the  narra¬ 
tive  in  the  preceding  ch.  Cornelius  must  himself  be  saved,  not  by  his 
prayers  and  alms,  his  piety  and  equity,  and  charity  ;  but  by  the  words 
which  Peter  would  speak  to  him,  ami  by  faith  in  those  words  ;  and 
thus  also  salvation  would  come  to  his  family.  Id. 


A.  D.  41. 


ACTS,  XL 


The  good  success  of  the  Gospel. 


18  When  they  heard  these  things, 
they  held  their  peace,  and  glorified 
God,  saying,  Then  hath  God  also 
to  the  Gentiles  'granted  repentance 
unto  life. 

19  TT  Now  they  j  which  were 
scattered  abroad,  upon  the  persecu¬ 
tion  that  arose  about  Stephen,  trav¬ 
elled  as  far  as  Phenice,  and  Cyprus, 
and  Antioch,  preaching  the  word 
to  none  but  k  unto  the  Jews  only. 

20  And  some  of  them  were  men 
of  Cyprus  and  Cyrene,  which, 
when  they  were  come  to  Antioch, 
spake  unto  the  '  Grecians,  preach¬ 
ing  the  Lord  Jesus. 

21  And  the  ro  hand  of  the  Lord 
was  with  them  :  and  a  great  num¬ 
ber  believed,  and  turned  n  unto  the 
Lord. 

22  IT  Then  tidings  of  these  things 
came  unto  the  ears  of  the  church 
which  was  in  Jerusalem  :  and  they 
sent  forth  0  Barnabas,  that  he  should 
go  as  far  as  Antioch. 

i  Ro.  10:12,13.  k  Mat.  10:6.  n  c.  15:19.  1  Th. 

15:9,15.  1  c.  6:1.  9:29.  1:9. 

)  c.  8:1.  mLu.  1:66.  o  c.  9:27. 

pentance,  if  true,  is  unto  life,  spiritual  life; 
all  that  truly  repent  of  their  sins,  evidence  it 
by  living  a  new  life,  a  holy,  heavenly,  and 
divine  life.  2.  Repentance  is  God’s  gift  ; 
it  is  not  only  his  free  grace  that  accepts  it, 
but  his  mighty  grace  that  works  it  in  us  ; 
that  takes  away  the  heart  of  stone,  and  gives 
ns  a  heart  of  flesh.  The  sacrifice  of  God  is  a 
broken  spirit;  it  is  He  that  provides  Himself 
that  Lamb.  3.  Wherever  God  designs  to 
give  life,  He  gives  repentance;  for  that  is  a 
necessary  preparative  for  the  comforts  of  a 
sealed  pardon  and  a  settled  peace  in  this 
world,  and  for  the  seeing  and  enjoying  of 
God  in  the  other  world.  4.  It  is  [infinite] 
comfort  to  us,  that  God  hath  exalted  his  Son 
Jesus,  not  only  to  give  repentance  to  Israel, 


and  the  remission  of  sins,  ch.  5:31.  but  to  the 
Gentiles  also. 

V.  19 — 26.  We  have  here  an  account  of 
the  planting  and  watering  of  a  church  at 
Antioch,  the  chief  city  of  Syria,  reckoned 
afterward  the  third  city  of  the  empire,  only 
Rome  and  Alexandria  being  preferred  before 
it;  next  to  whose  patriarch  that  of  Antioch 
took  place.  It  stood  where  Hamath  or  Rib- 
lah  did,  which  we  read  of  in  the  O.  T.  It 
is  suggested  that  Luke,  the  penman  of  this 
history,  and  Theophilus,  to  whom  he  ded¬ 
icates  it,  were  of  Antioch ;  which  might  be 
the  reason  why  he  takes  more  notice  of  the 
success  of  the  Gospel  at  Antioch  ;  as  also 
because  there  it  was  Paul  began  to  be 
famous,  toward  the  story  of  whom  he  is 
hastening. 

Now  concerning  the  church  at  Antioch, 
observe, 

1.  The  first  preachers  of  the  Gospel  there, 
were  such  as  were  dispersed  from  Jerusalem 
by  persecution,  that  persecution  which  arose 
five  or  six  years  ago,  as  some  compute,  at 
the  time  of  Stephen’s  death,  u.  19.  1.  They 
travelled,  preaching ,  as  far  as  Phenice.  When 
they  had  preached  successfully  in  Judea,  Sa¬ 
maria,  and  Galilee,  they  got  out  of  Canaan, 
and  travelled  into  Phenicia,  into  the  island 
of  Cyprus,  and  into  Syria  ;  though  the  fur¬ 
ther  they  travelled,  the  more  they  exposed 
themselves.  Therefore  God  suffered  them  to 
be  persecuted,  that  thereby  they  might  be 
dispersed  in  the  world.  Those  that  fled 
from  persecution, did  not  flee  from  their  work  ; 
nay,  they  threw  themselves  into  a  larger  field 
of  opportunity  than  before.  They  carried 
their  religion  along  with  them,  not  only  that 
they  might  take  the  comfort  of  it  themselves, 
hut  that  they  might  communicate  it  to  others. 
Thus  the  wrath  of  man  is  made  to  praise 
God. 

2.  They  preached  the  Word  to  none  but  the 
Jews  only,  who  were  dispersed  in  all  those 
parts,  and  had  synagogues  of  their  own ;  they 
did  not  yet  understand  that  the  Gentiles  were 
to  be  fellow-heirs,  but  left  them  either  to 
turn  Jews,  and  so  come  into  the  church,  or 
else  remain  as  they  wrnre. 


V.  18.  It  may  hence  he  inferred,  that  even  the  disciples  did  not  be¬ 
fore  consider  the  professed  repentance  of  a  Gentile,  however  attended 
with  ‘  works  meet  for  repentance,’  to  be  acceptable  with  God,  unless  it 
led  him  unreservedly  to  embrace  the  religion  of  the  Jews.  This  proves, 
(hat  many  things,  which  learned  men  have  stated  concerning  the  prose¬ 
lytes  of  the  gate,  and  their  privileges,  rather  show  what  ought  to  have 
been  the  case,  than  what  it  really  was. — Whitby  has  here  a  long  note, 
to  evince,  that  the  language  of  this  v.  and  of  similar  passages,  which 
slate,  that  repentance  and  faith  are  the  gift  of  God,  does  not  imply  thkt 
they  are  not  conditional ,  and  that  they  give  encouragement  to  those 
alone,  who  perform  the  conditions ;  in  which  important  truths  are  con¬ 
tained,  but  blended,  as  it  appears  to  me,  with  much  error. — That  repent¬ 
ance  and  faith,  and  every  kind  of  obedience,  are  the  duties  of  every  man ; 
that  means  should  be  used,  by  such  as  desire  to  perform  these  duties ; 
and  that  none  receive  the  gift  and  grant  of  God,  who  live  and  die  in  the 
neglect  of  the  appointed  means  of  grace ;  are  propositions  not  in  the 
least  to  be  contested.  Hut  this  learned  divine,  and  many  others,  seem 
to  forget,  that  ‘  the  heart  of  stone,’  ‘  the  uncircumcised  heart,’  ‘  the  car¬ 
nal  mind  which  is  enmity  against  God,’  effectually  prevents  every  man 
from  doing  these  duties,  or  properly  using  those  means,  or  even  heartily 
desirins  spiritual  blessings,  till  it  be  removed  by  regeneration.  7:51 — 53. 
Deut.  30:1—10.  Jer.  4:3,4.  Ez.  11:17—20.  36:25—27.  Rom.  8.5—9.  Eph. 
2:4 — 10.  Phil.  2:12,  13.  Hence  it  is  ‘God,  who  worketh  in  us  to  will,’ 
as  well  as  to  do.  ‘  We  have  no  power  to  do  good  works,  pleasant  and 
acceptable  to  God,  without  the  grace  of  God  by  Christ  preventing  us, 
that  we  may  have  a  good  will,  and  working  with  us  when  we  have  that 
good  will.’  Art.  x. — ‘  He  has  not  only  made  them  the  overtures  of  it ; 
but  has  graciously  wrought  it  in  some  of  their  hearts.’  Doddr.,  in  Scott. 
The  inseparable  connexion  of  repentance  and  eternal  life  should  not  pass 
unnoticed,  in  this  place.  Scott. 

V.  19 — 21.  The  words  here  tr.  ‘preaching,’  do  not  necessarily  imply 
a  public  and  authoritative  proclamation.  8:4,32 — 35.  ‘Speaking  the 
Word  to  none,  but  unto  the  Jews  only.’  ‘  They  spake  unto  the  Grecians, 
declaring  the  glad  tidings  concerning  the  Lord  Jesus.’ — ‘  As  in  this  place 
the  Hellenists  are  opposed  to  the  Jews;  nnd  as  the  church  of  Antioch 
was,  as  it  were,  a  new  Jerusalem  for  the  Gentiles ;  it  appears,  that  under 
this  term,  those  were  included  who  had  so  far  profited  by  their  acquaint¬ 
ance  with  the  dispersed  Jews,  that,  condemning  idolatry,  they  acknowl¬ 
edged  God,  who  had  spoken  by  Moses  and  the  prophets,  though  they 
remained  uncircumcised  ;  of  which  description  Cornelius  was,  as  it  is 
evident  from  the  preceding  history.’  Deza. — ‘  Instead  of  HellVnistas, 
Hellenists,  the  Alexandrian  manuscript,  which  is  favored  by  the  Syriac 
and  some  other  ancient  versions,  reads  HellSnas,  Greeks ;  which  com¬ 
mon  sense  would  require  us  to  adopt,  even  if  it  were  not  supported  by 
the  authority  of  any  manuscript  at  all.  For  as  the  Hellenists  were 
Jews,  there  would,  on  the  received  reading,  be  no  opposition  between 
the  conduct  of  these  preaahcrs,  and  those  mentioned  in  the  preceding 
verse.  Here  undoubtedly  we  have  the  first  account  of  preaching  the 


3.  They  particularly  applied  themselves  to 
the  Hellenist  Jews,  here  called  the  Grecians, 
that  were  at  Antioch.  Many  of  the  preachers 
were  natives  of  Judea  and  Jerusalem ;  some 
of  them,  by  birth,  of  Cyprus  and  Cyrene, 
as  Barnabas  himself,  ch.  4:36.  and  Simon, 
Mark  15:  21.  but  they  had  had  their  educa¬ 
tion  in  Jerusalem  ;  and  these,  being  them¬ 
selves  Grecian  Jews,  had  a  particular  con¬ 
cern  for  those  of  their  own  denomination, 
and  applied  themselves  closely  to  them  at 
Antioch.  Lightfoot  says,  they  were  there 
called  Hellenists,  or  Grecians,  because  they 
were  Jews  of  the  corporation  or  enfranchise¬ 
ment  of  the  city  ;  for  Antioch  was  a  Syro- 
grecian  city.  To  them,  they  preached  the 
Lord  Jesus.  That  was  the  constant  subject 
of  their  preaching  ;  what  else  should  (lie 
ministers  of  Christ  preach,  but  Christ,  Christ 
and  Him  crucified  ;  Christ,  and  Him  glo¬ 
rified  l 

4.  They  had  wonderful  success,  v.  21 .  (1.) 
The  hand  of  the  Lord  was  with  them;  which 
some  understand  of  power  to  work  miracles 
to  confirm  their  doctrine,  Mark  16:  20.  Heb. 
2:4.;  but  I,  rather,  of  the  power  of  divine 
grace  w  orking  on  the  hearts  of  the  hearers, 
and  opening  them,  as  Lydia’s  heart  was 
opened,  because  many  saw  the  miracles  who 
were  not  converted  ;  but  when  by  the  Spirit 
the  understanding  was  enlightened,  and  the 
will  bowed  to  the  Gospel  of  Christ,  that  was 
a  day  of  power,  in  which  volunteers  were 
enlisted  under  the  banner  of  the  Lord  Jesus, 
Ps.  110:3.  These  were  not  apostles,  but 
ordinary  ministers,  yet  they  had  the  hand  of 
the  Lord  with  them,  and  did  wondeis.  (2.) 
Abundance  of  good  was  done;  A  great  num¬ 
ber  believed,  and.  turned  unto  the  Lord;  many 
more  than  could  have  been  expected  ;  some 
of  all  sorts.  Observe,  what  the  change  was. 
They  believed  ;  they  were  convinced  of  the 
truth  of  the  Gospel,  and  subscribed  to  the 
record  God  had  given  in  it  concerning  his 
Son.  The  effect  and  evidence  of  this  was, 
that  they  turned  unto  the  Lord  ;  they  could 
not  be  said  to  turn  from  the  service  of  idols, 
for  they  were  Jews,  worshippers  of  the  true 
God  only;  but  they  turned  from  a  confidence 

Gospel  to  the  idolatrous  Gentiles  :  for  it  is  certain,  there  is  nothing  in 
the  word  Greeks,  to  limit  it  to  such  as  were  worshippers  of  the  true 
God..  .As  the  Greeks  were  the  most  celebrated  of  the  Gentile  nations 
near  Judea,  the  Jews  called  all  the  Gentiles  by  that  general  name.  Rom. 
10:12.  Gal.  3:23.  Col.  3:11.’  Doddr.— It  would,  in  my  mind,  be  far  pre¬ 
ferable  to  leave  the  point  undecided,  or  even  to  adopt  Beza’s  exposition  ; 
than  to  alter  the  text,  ‘without  the  authority  of  any  manuscript:’  for 
who  can  say,  how  far  men  may  proceed  in  altering  the  Scriptures  by 
conjectural  criticisms,  pleading  at  the  same  time,  that  ‘  common  sense 
requires  it  ?  ’  This,  however,  is  not  here  the  case,  for  there  is  good 
ground  to  conclude  that  Greeks  is  the  genuine  reading.  [So  Grot.,  Beng., 
Eos.,  Ileinr.,  Kuin.,  &c.[  The  distance  of  Antioch  and  Cyprus  from  Je¬ 
rusalem,  renders  it  probable,  that  no  worshippers  of  God,  according  to 
the  law,  except  ‘Grecians,’  or  Jews  using  the  Greek  and  not  the  Heb. 
or  Syr.  language,  and  reading  the  Greek  translation  of  the  Scriptures  in 
their  synagogues,  resided  in  those  parts ;  ( Note ,  6:1.)  and  if  there  were 
synagogues  of  Jews,  who  used  the  Heb.  or  Syr.,  no  good  reason  can  be 
assigned,  why  the  Word  of  God  should  be  spoken  to  them  only,  and  not 
to  their  brethren,  who  differed  from  them  in  nothing  but  language.  It 
is,  therefore,  highly  probable,  that  the  persons  spoken  of  addressed,  for 
a  considerable  time,  none  but  Jews  and  circumcised  proselytes  :  but 
that  at  length,  the  report  of  Cornelius’  conversion  having  reached  An¬ 
tioch,  which  cannot  be  shown  to  have  been  even  improbable;  some  of 
them  were  encouraged  to  preach  to  uncircumcised  persons  also  :  and 
their  great  success,  by  the  immediate  power  of  the  I.ord,  accompanying 
the  Word,  gave  a  divine  sanction  to  their  proceedings.  Upon  the  whole 
it  is  most  likely,  that  at  Antioch,  and  about  this  time,  the  Gospel  was 
first  preached  to  idolatrous  Gentiles. — Was  not  the  extraordinary  suc¬ 
cess  of  the  Word,  and  the  holy  effects  which  followed  by  ‘  the  hand  of 
the  Lord,’  as  real  a  sanction,  both  to  the  mission  of  the  preachers,  and 
to  their  conduct  in  preaching  to  the  Gentiles,  as  outward  miracles  would 
have  been  ?  Scott. 

(20.)  ‘  Grot.,  Beng.,  Ros.,  Heinr.,  Sec.,  maintain,  that  Helenas,  (Greeks,) 
which  is  found  in  some  very  ancient  MSS.  Verss.  and  Fathers,  is  to  be 
adopted,  [instead  of  HellEnistas ,]  as  being  confirmed  by  the  whole  con¬ 
text;  since  Luke,  after  having  narrated  the  conversion  of  Cornelius, 
(v.  19,  &.C.)  goes  on  to  say  that,  from  this  time,  the  Christian  doctrine 
was  more  widely  propagated  among  the  Gentiles,  and  first  at  Antioch. 
Thither,  after  the  martyrdom  of  Stephen,  certain  Jerusalemite  Christians 
had  come,  8:1.  but  preached  the  doctrine  of  Christ  to  Jews  only.  After 
wards,  however,  when  the  conversion  of  Cornelius  had  been  noised 
abroad,  some  Cyprians  and  Cyreneans,  converted  to  Christianity  by 
these  Jerusalemite  Christians,  came  to  Antioch,  and,  as  being  Hellenists, 
dwelling  among  Gentiles,  and  thus  so  much  the  more  disposed  to  toler- 
ate  and  admit  pagans,  they  communicated  the  doctrine  of  Christ  to  the 
Gentiles  dwelling  at  Antioch.’  Bloomf. 

V.  22.  ‘  The  apostles  do  not  rashly  condemn  the  extraordinary  voca¬ 

tion,  but  judge  of  it  by  its  effects.’  Jteza. 


A.  D.  41. 


ACTS,  XI. 


The  disciples  first  called  Christians. 


23  Who,  when  he  came,  and 
had  seen  the  grace  of  God,  was 
pglad,  and  exhorted  8  them  all,  that 
with  purpose r  of  ’heart  they  would 
cleave  unto  the  Lord. 

24  For  he  was  a  good  man,  and 
full  *  of  the  Holy  Ghost  and  of 
faith  :  and  u  much  people  was  add¬ 
ed  unto  the  Lord. 

25  Then  v  departed  Barnabas  to 
Tarsus,  for  to  seek  Saul  : 

26  And  when  he  had  found  him, 
he  brought  him  unto  Antioch.  And 
it  came  to  pass,  that  a  whole  year 
they  assembled  themselves  w  with 
the  church,  and  taught  *  much 
people.  And  the  disciples  were 
called  Christians  first  in  Antioch. 

p  3  Jn.  4.  s  Pr.  23:15,26.  v  c.  9:27,30. 

q  c.  13:43.  14:22.  t  c.  6:5.  w  or,  in. 

r  Ps.  17:3.  2  Co.  u  ver.  21.  x  Mat.  28:19. 

1:17.  - 

in  the  righteousness  of  the  law,  to  rely  only 
on  the  righteousness  of  Christ ;  the  righteous¬ 
ness  which  is  by  faith  :  they  turned  from  a 
loose,  careless,  carnal  way  of  living,  to  live 
a  holy,  heavenly,  spiritual,  and  divine  life; 
they  turned  from  worshipping  God  in  show 
and  ceremony,  to  worship  Him  in  the  spirit, 
and  in  truth.  They  turned  to  the  Lord  Je¬ 
sus,  and  He  became  all  in  all  with  them. 

II.  The  good  work  thus  begun  at  Antioch, 
was  carried  on  to  a  great  perfection  ;  and 
this  church,  thus  founded,  grewto  be  a  flour¬ 
ishing  one,  by  the  ministry  of  Barnabas  and 
Saul;  who  built  on  the  foundation  the  other 
preachers  had  laid,  and  entered  into  their 
labors,  John  4:  37,  38. 

1.  The  church  at  Jerusalem  sent  Barnabas 
thither,  to  strengthen  the  hands  both  of 
preachers  and  people,  and  put  a  reputation 
on  the  cause  of  Christ  there.  (1.)  The  apos¬ 
tles  there  were  inquisitive  how  the  work 
went  on,  in  the  countries  about  ;  and,  it  is 
likely,  kept  up  a  correspondence  with  all 
parts  where  preachers  were,  so  that  the 
good  tidings  of  these  things,  of  the  great  num¬ 
bers  that  were  converted  at  Antioch,  soon 
came  to  the  ears  of  the  church  that  was  in  Je¬ 
rusalem,  v.  22.  Those  that  are  in  the  most 
eminent  stations  in  the  church,  ought  to  con¬ 
cern  themselves  for  those  in  a  lower  sphere. 
(2.)  They  despatched  Barnabas  to  them  with 
all  speed ;  they  desired  him  to  go,  and  assist 
and  encourage  these  hopeful  beginnings. 
They  sent  him  forth,  as  a  representative  of 
their  body,  to  congratulate  them  on  the  suc¬ 
cess  of  the  Gospel  among  them,  as  matter  of 
rejoicing  both  to  preachers  and  hearers,  and 
with  both  they  rejoiced.  It  was  a  great 
way,  but,  far  as  it  was,  he  was  willing  to 
undertake  the  journey  for  a  public  service. 
It  is  probable  Barnabas  had  a  particular  ge¬ 
nius  for  work  of  this  kind,  was  active  and 
conversable,  and  loved  to  be  in  motion,  de¬ 


lighted  in  doing  good  abroad,  as  much  as 
others  in  doing  good  at  home,  was  as  much 
of  Zebulun’s  spirit,  who  rejoiced  in  his  going 
out,  as  others  are  of  Issachar’s,  who  rejoiced 
in  his  tent;  and  his  talent  lying  this  way,  he 
was  fittest  to  be  employed  in  this  work.  God 
gives  various  gifts  for  various  services.  (3.) 
Barnabas  was  wonderfully  pleased  to  find 
that  the  Gospel  got  ground,  and  that  some 
of  his  countrymen,  men  of  Cyprus,  of  which 
country  he  was,  ch.  4:  36.  were  instrumental 
in  it,  v.  23.  We  must  be  glad  to  see  the 
grace  of  God  in  others,  and  the  more,  when 
we  see  it  there  where  we  did  not  expect  it. 
(4.)  He  did  what  he  could  to  fix  them  ;  to 
confirm  them  in  the  faith,  who  were  converted 
to  the  faith.  He  exhorted  them.  It  is  the 
same  word  with  that  by  which  the  name  of 
Barnabas  is  interpreted,  ch.  4:  36.  a  son  of 
exhortation  ;  his  talent  lay  that  way,  and  let 
him  that  exhorteth,  attend  to  exhortation,  Rom. 
12:  8.  Or,  being  a  son  of  consolation,  (for  so 
we  render  the  word,)  he  comforted,  or  en¬ 
couraged  them  with  purpose  of  heart  to  cleave 
to  the  Lord.  To  cleave  to  the  Lord  Jesus,  is 
to  live  a  life  of  dependence  on  Him,  and  de¬ 
votedness  to  Him  ;  not  only  to  hold  Him 
fast,  but  to  hold  fast  by  Him,  to  be  strong  in 
the  Lord,  and  in  the  power  of  his  might.  (5.) 
Herein  he  gave  a  proof  of  his  good  character, 
v.  24.  He  showed  himself  to  be  a  good  man, 
a  good-tempered  man,  of  a  very  sweet,  affa¬ 
ble,  courteous  disposition,  that  had  himself, 
and  could  teach  others,  the  art  of  obliging. 
Ministers  that  are  so,  recommend  themselves 
and  their  doctrine  very  much  to  those  that 
are  without.  He  was  a  good  man,  i.e.  char¬ 
itable  ;  so  he  had  approved  himself,  ch.  4: 
37.  By  this  it  appeared,  that  he  was  richly 
endued  with  the  gifts  and  graces  of  the  Spirit. 
The  goodness  of  his  natural  disposition, 
would  not  have  qualified  him  for  this  ser¬ 
vice,  if  he  had  not  been  full  of  the  Holy  Ghost, 
and  so  full  of  power,  by  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord. 
He  was  full  of  faith,  of  the  Christian  faith, 
of  the  grace  of  faith,  and  the  fruits  of  that 
faith  that  works  by  love ;  sound  in  the  faith, 
and  therefore  pressed  others  to  be  so.  (6.) 
He  was  instrumental  to  do  good,  by  bringing 
in  those  that  were  without,  as  well  as  by 
building  up  those  that  were  within  ;  much 
people  u tere  added. 

2.  The  last  news  we  heard  of  Saul,  was, 
that  when  his  life  was  sought  at  Jerusalem, 
he  was  sent  away  to  Tarsus,  the  city  where 
he  was  born;  and,  it  should  seem,  he  con¬ 
tinued  there  ever  since,  doing  good,  no 
doubt.  But  now  Barnabas  takes  a  journey 
on  purpose  to  Tarsus,  to  see  what  was  be¬ 
come  of  him;  to  tell  him  what  a  door  of 
opportunity  was  opened  at  Antioch,  and  to 
desire  him  to  come  and  spend  some  time 
with  him  there,  v.  25,  26.  And  here  also  it 
appears,  that  Barnabas  was  a  good  sort  of  a 
man,  in  that  he  would  take  so  much  pains  to 
bring  an  active,  useful  man  out  of  obscurity; 
and,  who,  being  a  chief  speaker,  ch.  14:  12. 


and,  probably,  a  mor  a  popular  preacher ,  would 
be  likely  to  eclipse  him  there ;  but  Barnabas 
is  very  willing  to  be  so  when  it  is  for  the 
public  service.  If  God  by  his  grace  enables 
us  to  do  what  good  we  can,  according  to  the 
ability  we  have,  we  ought  to  seek  the  things 
of  Christ  more  than  our  own  things,  and  re¬ 
joice  if  others,  that  have  also  larger  capaci¬ 
ties,  have  larger  opportunities,  and  do  more 
good  than  we  can. 

Now  here  we  are  further  told, 

(1.)  What  service  was  now  done  to  the 
church  at  Antioch.  Paul  and  Barnabas  con¬ 
tinued  a  whole  year,  presiding  in  their  reli¬ 
gious  assemblies,  and  preaching  the  Gospel, 
v.  26.  Observe,  the  church  frequently  assem¬ 
bled.  Ministers  were  the  masters  of  those 
assemblies,  and  teaching  the  people  is  one  part 
of  the  work  of  ministers,  when  they  preside 
in  religious  assemblies.  They  are  not  only 
to  be  the  people’s  mouth  to  God  in  prayer 
and  praise,  but  God’s  mouth  to  the  people  in 
opening  the  Scriptures,  and  teaching  out  of 
them  the  good  knowledge  of  the  Lord.  It  is 
a  great  encouragement  to  ministers,  when 
they  have  opportunity  of  teaching  much  peo¬ 
ple  ;  for  preaching  is  not  only  for  the  con¬ 
viction  and  conversion  of  those  that  are 
without,  but  for  the  instruction  and  edifica¬ 
tion  of  those  that  are  within.  A  constituted 
church  must  have  its  teachers. 

(2.)  What  honor  was  now  put  on  the 
church  at  Antioch;  there  the  disciples  were  first 
called  Christians.  Probably  they  called  them¬ 
selves  so,  incorporated  themselves  by  that 
title;  whether  by  some  solemn  act  of  the 
church,  or  ministers,  or  whether  this  name 
insensibly  obtained  there  by  its  being  fre¬ 
quently  used  in  their  praying  and  preacning, 
we  are  not  told;  but  it  should  seem  that  two 
such  great  men  as  Paul  and  Barnabas,  con¬ 
tinuing  there  so  long,  being  exceedingly  fol¬ 
lowed,  and  meeting  with  no  opposition, 
Christian  assemblies  made  a  greater  figure 
there  than  anywhere,  and  became  more  con¬ 
siderable,  which  was  the  reason  of  their  be¬ 
ing  called  Christians,  first,  there;  which,  if 
there  were  to  be  a  mother-church  to  rule  over 
all  other  churches,  would  give  Antioch  a 
better  title  to  the  honor  than  Rome  can  pre¬ 
tend  to.  Hitherto,  they  who  gave  up  their 
names  to  Christ,  were  called  disciples,  learn¬ 
ers,  scholars,  trained  up  under  Him,  in  order 
to  their  being  employed  by  Him  ;  but  now 
henceforward  they  were  called  Christians. 
1st.  Thus  the  reproachful  names,  their  ene¬ 
mies  had  hitherto  branded  them  with,  would, 
perhaps,  be  wiped  away,  and  disused.  They 
called  them  Nazarenes,  ch.  24:  5.  the  men  of 
that  way,  that  by-way,  which  had  no  name; 
and  thus  they  prejudiced  people  against 
them ;  to  remove  which  prejudices  they  gave 
themselves  a  name,  which  their  enemies 
could  not  but  say  was  proper.  2dly.  Thus 
they,  who  before  their  conversion  had  been 
distinguished  by  the  names  of  Jews  and  Gen¬ 
tiles,  might  after  their  conversion  be  called 


V.  24.  Good.]  ‘  Agathos  •  integrity,  benignity,  and  gentleness,  united.' 

Bloomf. 

V.  25,  26.  Nothing  is  recorded  of  [Paul’s]  success  at  Tarsus.  Mat. 
13:54 — 58.  There  were,  however,  churches  in  Cilicia.  (15:36 — 41.) — 
(26)  Were  called  Christians.]  ‘  It  came  to  pas^,  that  they’  (Paul  and 
Barnabas)  ‘  called  the  disciples  Christians.’  This  is  indisputably  the  nat¬ 
ural  construction  of  the  v. — But  the  word  [tr.  ‘  called  ’]  implies,  that  this 
was  done  by  divine  revelation  :  for  it  has  generally  this  signification  in  the 
N.  T.,  and  is  tr.  ‘  warned  from  God,’  or  ‘  warned  of  God  ’  even  when  there 
is  no  word  for  God  in  the  Gr.  ‘  The  believing  Jews  and  Gentiles,  being 
made  one  church,  that  the  name  of  Jew  and  heathen  might  no  more  con¬ 
tinue  the  distance  that  was  betwixt  them,  this  new  name  was  given  to 
them  both  ;  as  some  conceive,  according  to  the  prophecy  mentioned,  Is. 
65:15.’  Whitby ,  in  Scott.  Their  enemies  had  hitherto  called  them  Naza¬ 
renes, or  Galileans  ;  and  the  disciples  had  called  each  other 1  brethren,’  ‘  be¬ 
lievers,’  and  ‘  saints ;’  which  names  were  not  sufficiently  distinguishing : 
but  the  word  Christian,  aptly  denoted  their  reliance  on  that  anointed 
Prince  and  Savior,  who  was  generally  rejected  with  disdain  by  Jews  and 
Gentiles  :  it  also  implied,  that  they  were  partakers  of  an  unction  by 
the  Holy  Spirit,  [Temples  of  that  Spirit.]  Doubtless  it  was  afterwards 
used  as  a  term  of  reproach  by  their  persecutors,  though  it  was  so  hon¬ 
orable  in  its  meaning  and  original.  At  present  it  is  applied  promiscu¬ 
ously  to  so  vast  and  heterogeneous  a  multitude,  that  it  scarcely  implies 
cither  honor  or  reproach  :  and  those  who  seriously  profess  to  believe 
and  obey  Christ  are  generally  distinguished  by  other  names,  whether 
they  are  spoken  of  with  respect,  cr  in  derision.  Scott. 


(26.)  Christians.]  ‘  Was  this  name  given  by  themselves  or  others  ? 
That  they  first  applied  it  to  them  elves,  is  not  only  devoid  of  authority, 
but  may  be  disproved  by  many  weighty  arguments.  For,  1.  They  would 
thereby  have  excited  a  greater  enmity  against  themselves.  2.  Luke, 
had  the  Antioch  Christians  done  so,  in  recording  the  origin  of  the  name, 
would  undoubtedly  in  the  rest  of  his  work  have  so  employed  it ;  which 
he  has  not  done.  On  the  contrary,  he  calls  them  the  believers,  the  dis¬ 
ciples,  the  brethren,  &c. ;  the  very  same  names  by  which  he  had,  in  the 
former  part  of  his  book,  designated  them.  Furthermore,  if  at  the  time 
when  Paul  was  teaching  at  Antioch,  Christ’s  followers  had  voluntarily 
taken  this  name,  he  would  have  used  it  in  his  Epistles  ;  whereas  he  al¬ 
ways  employs  other  terms.  Finally,  whenever  in  the  N.  T.  the  term 
Christians  occurs,  it  is  applied  by  persons  not  professing  the  Religion  ; 
as  Acts.  26:28.  1  Pet.  4:14,16.  which  see.  The  name  seems  meant,  there¬ 
fore,  for  a  reproach.  Was  it  then  given  by  the  Jews?  Certainly  not. 
By  them  they  were  called  Nazarenes,  Acts  24:51.  and,  indeed,  they 
would  have  called  them  by  any  name,  rather  than  that  which  would 
seem  to  admit  the  pretensions  of  Jesus  to  the  Messiahship. — Beyond 
all  controversy  the  name  was  given  them  by  Gentiles ,  and,  very  proba¬ 
bly,  the  Romans  dwelling  at  Antioch  ;  as  indeed  the  very  Latin  form  of 
it  suggests  :  for  by  that  were  characterized  the  partizans  of  any  great 
man  ;  as  Cesariani,  Pompeiani,  Ac.  Now  by  the  Antiochians  (who,  as  we 
learn  from  Zosimus,  and  Amm.  Marcel.,  and  others  cited  by  Wetst.,  were 
not  a  little  prone  to  scoffs  and  coarse  jokes)  they  were  called  Christiani , 
in  derision  of  the  pretensions  of  Jesus  to  bg  King  of  the  Jews.  Tacitus 
says  :  “  Nero  punished  with  refined  cruelty  those,  hated  for  their  crimes, 


A.  D.  41. 


ACTS,  XI. 


Prophecy  of  a  general  dearth. 


the  Scripture  was  fulfilled,  for  so  it  was  writ¬ 
ten,  Is.  62:  2.  concerning  the  gospel-church, 
Thou  shall  he  called  by  a  new  name ,  which  the 
mouth  of  the  Lord  shall  name.  And,  Is.  65: 
15.  it  is  said  to  the  corrupt  and  degenerate 
church  of  the  Jews,  the  Lord  God  shall  slay 
thee,  and  call  his  servants  by  another  name. 

V.  27 — 30.  I.  A  visit  some  prophets  made 
to  Antioch,  v.  27.  In  these  days,  during  that 
year  that  Barnabas  and  Saul  lived  at  Anti¬ 
och,  there  came  prophets  from  Jerusalem  to 
Antioch;  we  are  not  told  how  many,  nor  is  it 
certain  tvhether  these  were  any  of  those 
prophets  that  we  afterward  find  in  the  church 
at  Antioch,  ch.  13:  1.  Barnabas  came  to 
exhort  them,  and  they,  having  received  the 
exhortation  well,  now  have  prophets,  (a 
great  confirmation  to  Christianity,)  sent 
them  to  show  them  things  to  come,  as  Christ 
had  promised,  John  16:  13.  The  faithful 
in  little,  shall  be  intrusted  with  more. 

II.  A  particular  prediction  of  a  famine 
approaching,  by  one  of  these  prophets,  his 
name  Agabus;  we  read  of  him  again,  proph¬ 
esying  Paul’s  imprisonment,  ch.  21:  10. 
Here  he  stood  up,  probably  in  one  of  their 
public  assemblies,  and  prophesied,  v.  28. 
Observe,  1.  Whence  he  had  his  prophecy  : 
by  the  Spirit,  the  Spirit  of  prophecy  ;  as  Jo¬ 
seph,  by  the  Spirit  enabling  him,  understood 
Pharaoh’s  dreams,  foretold  the  famine  in 
Egypt  ;  and  Elijah-the  famine  in  Israel  in 
Ahab’s  time.  Thus  God  revealed  his  secrets 
to  his  servants  the  prophets.  2.  The  proph¬ 
ecy  :  There  should  be  great  dearth,  not  in  one 
particular  country,  but  through  all  the  world, 
all  the  Roman  empire,  which  they  in  their  1 
pride,  like  [the  Persians,  and]  Alexander  | 
before  them,  [and  Jenghiz  Khan  and  Tam¬ 
erlane  since,]  called  the  world.  3.  Its  accom¬ 
plishment  ;  in  the  days  of  Claudius  Cesar  ;  ’ 
it  began  in  the  second  year  of  his  reign,  and  ! 
continued  to  the  fourth,  if  not  longer  ;  sev-  I 
eral  of  the  Roman  historians  make  mention  j 
of  it,  as  does  also  Josephus.  God  sent  them  \ 
the  Bread  of  life,  and  they  rejected  it,  there¬ 
fore  God  justly  broke  the  staff  of  bread,  and 
punished  them  with  famine;  and  herein  He 
was  righteous. 

III.  Their  good  use  of  this  prediction. 
When  told  of  a  famine  at  hand,  they  did  not, 
as  the  Egyptians,  hoard  up  corn  for  them¬ 
selves  ;  but,  as  became  Christians,  every 
man,  according  to  his  ability,  laid  by  for 
charity  to  relieve  others,  which  is  the  best 
preparative  for  our  own  sufferings  and  want. 
It  is  promised  to  those  that  consider  the  poor , 
that  God  will  preserve  them,  and  keep  them 
alive,  and  they  shall  be  blessed  upon  the  earth, 
Ps.  41:1,2.  Many  give  it  for  a  reason 
why  they  should  be  sparing,  but  the  Scrip¬ 
ture  gives  it  as  a  reason  why  we  should  be 
liberal,  to  seven,  and  also  to  eight,  because 


we  know  not  what  evil  shall  be  upon  the  earth, 
Eccl.  11:2.  Observe,  1.  The  persons  rec¬ 
ommended  to  them  as  objects  of  charity, 
were,  the  brethren  that  dwelt  in  Judea,  v.  29. 
Though  we  must,  as  we  have  opportunity, 
do  good  to  all  men,  yet  we  must  have  a  spe¬ 
cial  regard  to  the  household  of  faith.  Gal.  6: 
10.  The  care  which  every  particular  church 
ought  to  take  of  their  own  poor,  we  w'ere 
taught  by  the  early  instance  of  that  in  the 
church  at  Jerusalem,  where  the  ministration 
was  so  constant,  that  none  lacked,  ch.  4:  34. 
But  the  communion  of  saints,  in  that  in¬ 
stance,  is  here  extended  farther,  and  provis¬ 
ion  is  made  by  the  church  at  Antioch  for  the 
relief  of  the  poor  in  Judea,  whom  they  call 
their  brethren.  It  seems  it  was  the  custom 
of  the  Jews  of  the  dispersion,  to  send  money 
to  those  Jews  which  dwelt  in  Judea,  for  the 
relief  of  tltqpoor  that  were  among  them,  and 
to  make  collections  for  that  purpose.  Tully 
speaks  of  such  a  thing  in  his  time,  Orat.pro 
Flacco,  which  supposes  there  were  many 
poor  in  Judea,  more  than  in  other  coun¬ 
tries,  so  that  the  rich  among  them  were 
not  able  to  bear  the  charge  of  keeping  them 
from  starving  ;  either,  because  their  land 
was  grown  barren,  though  it  had  been  a 
fruitful  land,  for  the  iniquity  of  them  that  dwelt 
therein,  [which  prevented  their  developing 
the  resources  of  the  country,]  or  because 
they  had  no  traffic  with  other  nations.  Now 
we  may  suppose  that  the  greatest  part  of 
those  who  turned  Christians,  in  that  country, 
were,  the  poor ,  Mat.  11:5.  and  it  were  easy  to 
foresee,  that  if  there  came  a  famine,  it  would 
go  very  hard  with  them ;  and  if  any  of  them 
should  perish  for  want,  it  would  be  a  great 
reproach  to  the  Christian  profession  ;  and 
therefore  this  early  care  was  taken,  on  no¬ 
tice  of  this  famine  coining,  to  semi  them  a 
stock  beforehand,  lest,  if  deferred  till  the 
famine  came,  it  should  be  too  late.  2.  The 
agreement  among  the  disciples  about  it;  that 
every  man  should  contribute,  according  to  his 
ability.  The  Jews,  in  other  countries,  grew 
rich  by  trade,  anti  many  rich  Jews  became 
Christians,  whose  abundance  ought  to  suj/ply 
the  want  of  their  poor  brethren  at  a  great  dis¬ 
tance  ;  for  the  case  of  such  ought  to  be  con¬ 
sidered,  and  not  only  theirs  that  live  among 
us.  What  may  be  said  to  be  according  to 
our  ability,  we  must  judge  for  ourselves,  but 
must  be  careful  that  we  judge  righteous  judg¬ 
ment. 

They  not  only  talked  of  this,  but  did  as 
they  determined,  v.  30.  The  collection  was 
made,  and  was  so  considerable,  that  they 
thought  it  worth  w  hile  to  send  Barnabas  and 
Saul  to  Jerusalem,  to  carry  it  to  the  elders 
there,  though  they  should  want  their  labors 
in  the  mean  time  at  Antioch.  Josephus  tells 
us,  that  at  this  time  King  Izates  sent  his 


27  IT  And  in  these  days  came 
1  prophets  from  Jerusalem  unto 
Antioch. 

23  And  there  stood  up  one  of 
them,  named  z  Agabus,  and  signi¬ 
fied  by  the  Spirit  that  there  should 
be  great  dearth  throughout  all  the 
world  :  which  came  to  pass  in  the 
days  of  Claudius  Cesar. 

29  Then  the  disciples,  every  man 
according  to  his  ability,  determined 
to  send  *  relief  unto  the  brethren 
which  dwelt  in  Judea  : 

y  c.  2:17.  13:1.  i  c.  21:10.  1  Co.  16:1.  2 

Ep.  4:11.  a  Ro.  15:26.  Co.  9:1,2. 

by  one  and  the  same  name  ;  which  would 
help  them  to  forget  their  former  dividing 
names,  and  prevent  their  bringing  their 
former  marks  of  distinction,  and  with  them 
the  seeds  of  contention,  into  the  church. 

3dly.  Thus  they  studied  to  do  honor  to  their 
Master,  and  showed  that  they  were  not 
ashamed  to  own  their  relation  to  Him,  but 
gloried  in  it;  as  the  scholars  of  Plato  called 
themselves  Platonists,  and  so  the  scholars  of 
other  great  men.  They  took  tlieir  denomi¬ 
nation,  not  from  the  name  of  his  person,. Te- 
sus,  but  of  his  office,  Christ, — Anointed;  so 
putting  their  creed  into  their  name,  that  Jesus 
is  the  Christ  ;  and  they  are  willing  all  the 
W'orld  should  know  that  this  is  the  truth  they 
will  live  and  die  by.  4thly.  Thus  they  now 
owned  their  dependence  on  Christ,  and  their 
receivings  from  Him  ;  not  only  that  they  be¬ 
lieved  in  Him  who  is  the  Anointed,  but  that 
through  Him  they  themselves  had  the  anoint¬ 
ing,  i  John  2:  20,  27.  And  God  is  said  to 
have  anointed  us  in  Christ,  2  Cor.  1:21. 

5thly.  Thus  they  laid  on  themselves,  and  all 
that  should  ever  profess  that  name,  a  strong 
and  lasting  obligation  to  submit  to  the  laws 
of  Christ,  to  follow  the  example  of  Christ, 
and  to  devote  themselves  entirely  to  the  honor 
of  Christ  ;  to  be  to  Him  for  a  name,  and  a 
praise.  Are  we  Christians  I  Then  we  ought 
to  think,  and  speak,  and  act,  in  everything, 
as  becomes  Christians,  and  to  do  nothing  to 
the  reproach  of  that  worthy  name  by  which 
we  are  called ;  that  that  may  not  be  said  to 
us,  which  Alexander  said  to  a  soldier  of  his 
own  name,  that  was  noted  for  a  coward, — 

Either  change  thy  name,  or  mend  thy  man¬ 
ners.  And  as  we  must  look  upon  ourselves 
as  Christians,  and  carry  ourselves  accord¬ 
ingly,  so  we  must  look  upon  others  as  Chris¬ 
tians,  and  carry  ourselves  toward  them 
accordingly.  A  Christian,  though  not  in 
everything  of  our  mind,  should  be  loved  and 
respected  for  his  sake  whose  name  he  bears, 
because  he  belongs  to  Christ.  6thly.  Thus 

whom  the  vulgar  called  Christiani.  The  author  of  this  name,  Christ, 
(i.  e.  they  got  their  name  from  the  name  of  their  Leader,)  was  punished 
by  the  procurator  Pontius  Pilate,  while  Tiberius  was  emperor.  The 
Christians,  however,  felt  no  aversion  to  the  name,  but  rather  reckoned  it 
an  honor  and  retained  it.’  Kuin.,  Wetst.  ‘  In  this  view  of  the  subject, 
I  must,  upon  the  whole,  acquiesce.  The  common  opinion,  however,  is, 
that  they  applied  the  name  to  themselves,  or  had  it  given  them  by  Bar¬ 
nabas,  or  Saul,  or  Euodius,  the  first  bishop  of  Antioch.  But  this  is  des- 
titute  of  authority.  I  must  not  omit  to  notice  a  strange  mistake  into 
which  Doildr.  has  fallen,  misled  by  Benson,  who  explains  chrematisai 
[tr.  were  called]  “  was  done  by  divine  direction [so  does  Dr.  A.  C.] 
Into  such  errors  do  those  commentators  run,  who,  without  attending  to 
lit eusus  loquendi,  [the  current  meaning,]  dwell  on  some  fancied  etymo¬ 
logical  sense.’  Rloornf.  1  How  very  few  of  those  who  profess  this  re¬ 
ligion  are  satisfied  with  this  title  !  When  all  return  to  the  spirit  of  the 
Gospel,  they  will  probably  resume  the  appellative  of  Christians.’ 

Dr.  A.  Clarke. 

V.  27 — 30.  These  prophets  were  evidently  endowed  by  the  Holy 
Spirit,  with  the  power  of  foretelling  future  events  ;  and  were  a  superior 
order  of  extraordinary  ministers,  however  the  word  may  sometimes  be 
used.  The  scarcity,  predicted  by  Agabus,  was  to  extend  ‘  throughout  all 
the  world,’  as  the  Roman  empire  was  ostentatiously  called.  Some, 
indeed,  would  explain  it  of  the  land  of  Judea  and  Galilee;  but  the  ex¬ 
pression  is  incapable  of  that  meaning  :  and  the  famine  might  be  very 
general,  and  severely  felt  in  the  various  provinces  of  the  empire ;  though 
some  places  might  be  less  straitened  than  others. — ‘  Eusebius  saith  of 
this  fnmine,  that  it  oppressed  almost  the  whole  empire ;  and  that  it  was 
recorded  by  historians  most  averse  to  our  religion  ;  viz.  by  Suetonius, 
in  the  Life  of  Claudius,  who  saith,  it  happened  Ipb  assiduas  steri/itates ) 
through  a  long  barrenness.  Josephus  saith,  that  it  rnged  so  much  in  Ju¬ 
dea,  . .  that  many  perished  for  want  of  victuals  :  and  Dion  Cassius, 


that  it  was  a  very  great  famine.’  Whitby. — This  is  the  first  time  ‘  elders  ’ 
are  mentioned  in  the  church  of  Christ ;  but  we  shall  have  more  favor¬ 
able  opportunities  of  considering  several  questions  relative  to  their 
office,  20:17.  Without  doubt  they  were  pastors  of  the  Christian  church  ; 
and  as  both  Peter  and  John  call  themselves  Elders,  1  Pet.  5:1,2.  2  John 
1.  it  is  not  clear  that  the  apostles  were  not  included.  (30)  The  Elders .] 
Tous  Presbyterous  :  14:23.  15:2.  20:17.  Presbyteros,  whence  comes 
presbyter ,  and  by  contraction  preester  :  hence  the  English  word  priest ; 
which  by  no  means  signifies  a  sacrificer,  as  many  suppose.  Scott. 

(27.)  Prophets.]  ‘Commentators  agree  not  on  its  exact  sense.  It 
seems  to  denote  teachers,  who,  with  more  or  less  of  the  afflatus  Divi- 
nus,  applied  themselves  to  botii  public  preaching  and  teaching,  and  ap¬ 
pear  to  have  occasionally  foretold  future  events.  In  dignity  inferior  to 
the  apostles,  but  superior  to  other  teachers.  Eph.  2:20.  3:5.’  Bloomf. 

(28.)  World.]  ‘I.  e.  land  :  Judea  alone  is  meant,  (so  most  modern 
commentators,)  as  in  Luke  2:1.  note.  From  v.  39,  40,  (so  Bp.  Pearce,) 
it  appears,  the  dearth  was  not  expected  in  Syria  where  Antioch  was :  be¬ 
sides,  when  Jos.  speaks  of  this  dearth  in  Claudius’  reign,  as  having  hap¬ 
pened  in  Judea,  he  not  only  says  nothing  of  it  elsewhere,  but  tells  us, 
large  quantities  of  corn  [grain]  were  sent  up  to  Jerusalem  from  other 
countries ;  for  the  feast  of  unleavened  bread.  See  Lardn.  and  Doddr. 
Kuin.,  to  prove  the  words  must  be  meant  of  Palestine  only,  describes, 
from  the  original  historians,  four  famines  of  the  reign  of  Claudius.  1. 
At  Rome,  in  his  1st  and  2d  yr.  See  Dio  Cassius,  and  Aurel.  Viet.  Its 
principal  cause  was  the  difficulty  of  importing  provisions  to  Rome  by 
sea,  during  the  winter  (see  Dio) ;  which  induced  Claudius  to  form,  at 
a  great  expense,  the  port  of  Ostia.  2.  Towards  the«end  of  his  4th  yr. 
It  especially  afflicted  Judea ;  and  was  alleviated  by  Helena,  queen 
of  Adiabene,  who  had  embraced  Jexvism.  (See  Seal,  on  Euseb.,  and 
Wesseling.)  Of  this,  mention  is  made  in  Jos.  3.  In  Greece,  in  his  9th 
yr.  So  Euseb.  4.  At  Rome,  in  his  11th  yr.  So  Sueton.  and  Tac.’  Id. 


A.  D.  44, 


Acts,  xii. 


Peter  imprisoned  by  Herod. 


80  Which  also  they  did,  and 
b  sent  it  to  the  eiders  by  the  hands 
of  Barnabas  and  Saul. 

CHAP.  XII. 

I  King  Herod  persecnteth  the  Christians,  killeth  James, 
and  imprisoneth  Peter  :  whom  an  angel  delivereth  upon 
the  prayer  s  of  the  church.  20  In  Iris  pride,  taking  to  him¬ 
self  the  honor  due  to  God,  he  is  stricken  hy  an  angel*  and 
dietli  miserably.  24  After  his  death,  the  Word  of  God 
proSpereth. 

NOW  about  that  time,  Herod 
the  king  “stretched  forth  his 
hands,  to  vex  certain  of  the  church. 

2  And  he  killed  James  b  the  broth¬ 
er  of  John  with  the  sword. 

3  And  because  he  saw  it  pleased 
c  the  Jews,  he  proceeded  further  to 
take  Peter  d  also.  (Then  were  the 
days  'of  unleavened  bread.) 

b  c.  12:25.  b  M;U.  4:21.  20:23.  d  Jr..  21:18. 
a  or,  began.  c  c.  24:27.  e  Ex.  12:14,15. 

charity  to  the  chief  men  of  Jerusalem,  for 
the  poor  of  that  country  ;  and  Helena, 
queen  of  the  Adiabeni,  being  now  at  Jerusa¬ 
lem,  and  hearing  of  many  that  died  of  fam¬ 
ine  there,  and  in  the  country  about,  sent  for 
provisions  from  Cyprus  and  Alexandria,  and 
distributed  them  among  the  people  ;  so  says 
Lightfoot,  who  also  computes,  by  the  date 
of  Paul’s  rapture,  *  14  years  before  he  wrote 
the  second  Epistle  to  the  Corinthians,’  2 
Cor.  12: 1,  2.  that  it  was  in  this  journey  of 
his  to  Jerusalem,  with  these  alms  and  offerings, 
that  he  had  his  trance  in  the  temple,  which 
be  speaks  of,  ch.  22: 17.  and  in  that  trance 
was  rapt  up  into  the  third  heaven;  and  then  it 
was,  that  Christ  told  him  He  would  send 
him  from  thence  unto  the  Gentiles;  which  ac¬ 
cordingly  He  did,  as  soon  as  ever  he  came 
back  to  Antioch.  It  is  no  disparagement, 
in  an  extraordinary  case,  for  ministers  of 
the  Gospel  to  be  messengers  of  the  church’s 
charity  ;  though,  to  undertake  the  constant 
care  of  that  matter,  would  ordinarily  be  too 
great  a  diversion  from  more  needful  work,  to 
those  who  have  given  themselves  to  prayer,  and 
the  ministry  of  the  Word. 

Chap.  XII.  V.  1 — 4.  Ever  since  the 
conversion  of  Paul,  we  have  heard  no  more 
of  the  agency  of  the  priests  in  persecuting 
the  saints  at  Jerusalem,  and  here  the  storm 
arises  from  another  point  ;  the  civil  power, 


not  now,  as  usual,  stirred  up  by  the  ecclesi¬ 
astics,  acts  by  itself  in  the  persecution. 
Herod,  though  originally  of  an  Edomite 
family,  yet  seems  to  have  been  a  proselyte 
to  the  Jewish  religion  ;  for  Josephus  says, 
he  was  zealous  for  the  Mosaic  rites,  a  bigot 
for  the  ceremonies.  He  was  not  only  (as 
Herod  Antipas  was)  tetrarch  of  Galilee, 
but  had  also  the  government  of  Judea  com¬ 
mitted  to  him  by  Claudius  the  emperor,  and 
resided  most  at  Jerusalem,  where  he  was  at 
this  lime.  Three  things  he  did: 

I.  He  stretched  forth  his  hands  to  vex  cer¬ 
tain  of  the  church,  v.  1.  laid  hands  upon  some 
of  the  church  to  afflict  them,  so  some  read  it. 
He  began  with  some  of  the  members  of  the 
church,  certain  of  them  that  were  of  less  note 
and  figure;  but  afterward  flew  at  the  apostles 
themselves.  His  spite  was  at  the  church,  and 
with  regard  to  those  he  gave  trouble  to,  it 
was  not  on  any  other  account,  but  because 
they  belonged  to  the  church,  and  so  belonged 
to  Christ.  He  began  with  vexing  them  only, 
or  afflicting  them,  imprisoning  them,  fining 
them,  spoiling  their  houses  and  goods,  and 
other  ways  molesting  them  ;  but  afterward 
lie  proceeded  to  greater  instances  of  cruelty. 
Christ’s  suffering  servants  are  thus  trained 
up  by  less  troubles  for  greater,  that  tribula¬ 
tion  may  work  patience,  and  patience  experi¬ 
ence. 

II.  He  killed  James  the  brother  of  John  ; 
so  called,  to  distinguish  him  from  the  other 
James,  the  brother  of  Joses.  This  was 
called,  James  the  greater;  that,  the  less.  This 
was  one  of  the  first  three  of  Christ’s  disci¬ 
ples,  one  of  those  that  were  the  witnesses  of 
his  transfiguration  and  agony,  one  of  those 
whom  Christ  called  Boanerges, — Sons  of 
thunder ;  one  of  those  sons  of  Zebedee, 
whom  Christ  told,  that  they  should  drink  of 
the  cup  that  He  was  to  drink  of,  and  be  bap¬ 
tized  with  the  baptism  that  He  was  to  be  bap¬ 
tized  with.  Mat.  20  :  23.  And  now  those 
words  of  Christ  were  made  good  in  him  ; 
but  it  was  in  order  to  his  sitting  at  Christ’s 
right  hand  ;  for,  if  we  suffer  with  Him,  we 
shall  reign  with  Him.  But  why  would  God 
permit  it  1  Perhaps  hereby  to  awaken  the 
rest  of  the  apostles  to  disperse  themselves 
among  the  nations,  and  not  to  nestle  any 
longer  at  Jerusalem  ;  and  to  show  them  what 
they  must  expect,  that  they  might  prepare 
accordingly.  The  Romish  tradition,  that  this 
James  had  been  before  this  in  Spain,  and 


had  planted  the  Gospel  there,  is  altogether 
groundless.  His  head  was  cut  off  with  a 
sword,  which  was  looked  upon  by  the  Ro¬ 
mans  to  be  a  more  disgraceful  way  of  being 
beheaded  than  with  an  axe  ;  so  Lorinus. 
Beheading  was  not  ordinarily  used  among 
the  Jews  ;  but  when  kings  gave  verbal  or¬ 
ders  for  private  and  sudden  executions,  this 
manner  of  death  was  used,  as  most  expedi- 
tious  ;  and  it  is  probable  this  Herod  killed 
James,  as  the  other  Herod  killed  John  Bap¬ 
tist,  privately  in  the  prison.  Thus  this  mar¬ 
tyr  sealed  to  us  the  truth  with  his  blood. 

III.  He  imprisoned  Peter,  also,  for  blood 
to  the  blood-thirsty  does  but  make  them 
more  so;  and  the  way  of  persecution,  as  of 
other  sins,  is  downhill  ;  they  that  take  one 
bold  step  in  a  sinful  way  [strengthen  the 
erring  propensity,  and]  give  Satan  advan¬ 
tage  against  them  to  tempt  them  to  take  an¬ 
other  step,  and  provoke  God  to  leave  them 
to  themselves,  to  go  from  bad  to  worse.  It 
is  therefore  our  wisdom,  to  take  heed  of  the 
beginnings  of  sin. 

1.  He  did  this,  because  he  saiv  it  pleased 
the  Jews.  Observe,  The  Jews  made  them¬ 
selves  guilty  of  the  blood  of  James  by  show¬ 
ing  themselves  well  pleased  with  it  after¬ 
ward,  though  they  had  not  excited  Herod  to 
it;  they  will  be  reckoned  with  as  persecu¬ 
tors,  who  take  pleasure  in  others’  persecu¬ 
ting,  for  they  thus  encourage  persecutors, 
ana  harden  their  own  hearts.  Herod,  though 
he  had  no  reason  to  fear  displeasing  the 
Jews,  yet  he  hoped  to  please  them  by  doing 
as  he  did,  and  so  to  make  amends  for  dis¬ 
pleasing  them  in  something  else.  Those 
make  themselves  an  easy  prey  to  Satan, 
who  make  it  their  business  to  please  men. 

2.  Notice  is  taken  of  the  time  ;  the  days 
of  unleavened  bread,  the  feast  of  the  passover, 
when  their  celebrating  the  memorial  of  their 
typical  deliverance  should  have  led  them  to 
the  acceptance  of  their  spiritual  deliverance ; 
instead  of  that,  they,  under  pretence  of  zeal 
for  the  law,  were  most  violently  fighting 
against  it,  and,  in  the  days  of  unleavened 
bread,  were  most  soured  and  embittered, 
with  the  old  leaven  of  malice  and  wickedness. 
At  the  passover,  when  the  Jews  came  from  all 
parts  to  Jerusalem  to  keep  the  feast,  they  irri¬ 
tated  one  another  against  the  Christians  and 
Christianity,  and  were  then  more  violent 
than  at  other  times. 

3.  Here  is  an  account  of  Peter’s  impris- 


PRACT.  OB8.  The  imperfection  of  human  nature,  even  in  its  best 
estate,  appears,  when  pious  persons  are  offended  and  grieved  at  those 
tilings,  which  should  excite  in  them  the  most  lively  joy  and  gratitude. 
Sometimes  true,  believers  are  displeased  to  hear,  even  of  the  Word  of 
God  being  preached  and  received,  because  the  peculiarities  of  their  own 
church,  sect,  or  system,  have  not  been  adhered  to  :  and  they  are  ready 
to  find  fault  with  the  Lord’s  plan  of  bringing  sinners  to  repentance,  anil 
faith  in  Christ,  and  with  those  who  execute  it ;  because  their  own  plan 
and  prejudices  have  been  broken  in  upon.  Jon.  4:1 — 4.  Mark  9:38 — 40. 
Luke  9:46 — 50,  v.  50.  Hence  it  is,  that  the  zealous  servant  of  God  may 
expect  to  be  censured,  on  account  of  those  very  things,  in  xvhic.h  his 
Master  has  peculiarly  prospered  him,  and  by  those  whom  he  most  es¬ 
teems  and  loves  !  We  should,  however,  meekly  bear  with  the  infirmi¬ 
ties  of  our  brethren  :  and.  instead  of  taking  offence,  or  answering  with 
warmth,  we  ought  candidly  to  explain  our  motives,  and  show  the  na¬ 
ture  of  our  proceedings,  in  order  to  satisfy  and  conciliate  their  minds. 


When  the  Lord  Jesus  is  preached  in  simplicity,  and  according  to  the 
Scripture  ;  his  power  will  attend  the  Word  to  give  it  success  :  and  when 
sinners  are  brought  ‘to  believe,  and  turn  unto  the  Lord;’  ‘good  men,’ 
who  are  ‘  full  of  faith  and  of  the  Holy  Ghost,’  will  discern,  admire,  and 
rejoice  in  the  grace  of  God  bestowed  on  them  ;  and  exhort  all,  who  pro¬ 
fess  the  Gospel,  ‘  to  cleave  to  the  Lord  ’  Jesus,  ‘  with  purpose  of  heart,’ 
knowing  how  many  efforts  Satan  and  his  servants  will  employ  to  draw 
them  aside.  We,  at  this  day,  are  called  by  the  name  given  to  these  an¬ 
cient  disciples  :  may  we  be  anointed  with  the  same  Spirit,  and  walk  in 
their  steps  !  Such  Christians  will  sympathize  with  their  brethren  in  ail 
their  afflictions  :  the  various  dispensations  of  Providence  will  give 
them  opportunity  of  showing  their  love,  by  distributing,  according  to 
their  ability,  to  ‘  the  necessity  of  the  saints thus  God  will  be  glorified, 
the  harmony  among  believers  promoted,  the  faith  and  hope  of  the  poor 
encouraged,  their  prayers  and  praises  excited ;  and  fruit  brought  forth, 
which  will  abound  to  the  account  of  those  by  whom  it  is  produced.  Sc. 


(30.)  Elders.]  ‘  Presbyterous  here  first  mentioned  in  the  Christian 
Church,  which  was  (as  Vitringa  and  Casaubon  observe)  formed  almost 
wholly  on  the  model  of  the  Synagogue.  Hammond  has  here  a  profound¬ 
ly  learned,  curious,  and  instructive  annotation,  on  the  origin  and  various 
uses  of  this  important  word,  in  which  he  proves,  that  these  elders  were 
the  same  in  office  with  those  called  episcopoi :  [tr.  bishops  and  he 
thinks  there  is  no  certain  evidence  from  Scripture,  that  the  name  of 
elders  or  presbyters  was  given  so  easily  [early]  to  another  order  be¬ 
tween  them  and  deacons.’  Bloomf. 

NOTES.  Chap.  XII.  V.  1 — 4.  This  Herod,  surnamed  Agrippa, 
[also  Major]  was  grandson  to  Herod  the  Great,  by  Aristobulus ;  [slain 
by  his  own  father ;]  nephew  to  Herod  Antipas,  who  slew  John  the  Bap¬ 
tist  ;  brother  to  Herodias,  his  incestuous  paramour  ;  and  father  to  king 
Agrippa,  of  whom  we  shall  read  hereafter.  25:13 — 27.  26:  Mat.  14:1 — 5. 
The  emperor  Caligula  made  him  tetrarch  of  Galilee;  and  Claudius  after¬ 
wards  made  him  king  of  Judea,  because  he  had  been  serviceable  to  him 
in  obtaining  the  empire.  [,  He  was  made  king  by  Caligula,  and  put  in 
possession  of  all  the  territories  formerly  held  by  his  uncle  Philip,  and 
by  I.ysanias ;  vi*.  Iturea,  Trachonitis,  Abilene,  with  Ganlonitis,  Ba- 
tanea,  and  Patieas.  To  these,  Claudius  atterward  added  Judea  and  Sama¬ 
ria,  which  were  nearly  all  the  dominions  possessed  by  his  grandfather 
Herod  the  Great.’  Dr.  A.  C.]  Judea  had  been  before,  and  was  again,  soon 
after,  under  the  dominion  of  a  Roman  governor.  Herod  being  invested 

[64] 


witli  his  new  dignity,  endeavored  by  all  means  to  ingratiate  himself 
with  the  Jews  :  and  this  probably  combined  with  his  hereditary  enmity 
to  the  Gospel,  in  exciting  him  to  persecute  the  church.  Even  if  Easter 
were  observed  at  that  time,  in  the  Christian  church,  of  which  nothing 
is  mentioned  in  the  sacred  records ;  Herod  would  certainly  pay  no  re¬ 
gard  to  it;  it  is  therefore  surprising,  that  the  venerable  translators  of 
the  Bible  should  have  used  that  word,  instead  of  ‘  the  passover,’  in  this 
connexion  ! — This  Herod  ‘was  a  great  zealot  for  the  Mosaic  law,  dwelt 
much  at  Jerusalem,  and  was  fond  of  all  opportunities  of  obliging  the 
Jews.  This  early  execution  of  one  of  the  apostles,  would  illustrate  the 
courage  of  the  rest  in  going  on  with  their  ministry  ;  as  it  would  evident¬ 
ly  show,  that  all  their  miraculous  powers  did  not  secure  them  from  dy¬ 
ing  by  the  sword  of  their  enemies.’  Doddr.  Scott. 

(2.)  Killed.]  ‘  Ancile  :  i.  e.  “  beheaded  him.”  For  he  had  the  power  of 
life  and  death,  as  had  the  Roman  procurators  before  him.  Jf'etst.  here 
cites  Sanhedrim  52,  2.  Beheading  was  considered  among  the  Jews  the 
most  ignominious  kind  of  death.  “The  accuracy  of  the  sacred  writer, 
(says  Paley,)  in  the  expressions  he  uses,  is,  in  this  instance,  remarkable. 
There  was  no  portion  of  time  for  thirty  years  before,  or  ever  afterwards, 
in  which  there  was  a  king  at  Jerusalem,  a  person  exercising  that  author¬ 
ity  in  Judea,  or  to  whom  that  title  could  be  applied,  except  the  three 
last  years  of  this  Herod’s  life,  within  which  period  the  transaction  here 
recorded  took  place.”  See  also  Watch.'  Bloomf.  Dr.  A.  C.,  also,  at  10:1. 


A..  D.  44. 


ACTS,  XII. 


4  And  when  he  had  apprehended 
him,  he  put  him  in  prison,  and  de¬ 
livered  him  to  four  quaternions  of 
soldiers,  to  keep  him  ;  intending 
after  Easter  to  bring  him  forth  to 
the  people. 

5  Peter  therefore  was  kept  in 

prison  ;  hut  f  prayer  was  made 
without  ceasing  of  the  church  unto 
God  for  him.  * 

6  And  when  Herod  would  have 
brought  him  forth,  the  same  night 
Peter  was  sleeping  between  two 
soldiers,  bound  with  two  chains  •> 
and  the  keepers  before  the  door 
kept  the  prison. 

7  And,  behold,  the  angel  *of  the 
Lord  came  upon  him,  and  a  light 
shined  in  the  prison  :  and  he  smote 
Peter  on  the  side,  and  raised  him 
up,  saying,  Arise  up  quickly.  And 
h  his  chains  fell  off  from  his  hands. 

8  And  the  angel  said  unto  him, 
Gird  thyself,  and  bind  on  thy  san¬ 
dals  :  and  so  he  did.  And  he  saith 
unto  him,  Cast  thy  garment  about 
thee,  and  follow  me. 

9  And  he  went  out,  and  followed 
him  ;  and  wist  not  ‘that  it  was  true 
which  was  done  by  the  angel ;  but 
thought  he  saw  a  3  vision. 

10  When  they  were  past  the  first 
and  the  second  ward,  they  came 
unto  the  iron  gate  that  leadeth  unto 
the  city,  which  opened  to  them  of 
his  own  accord  ;  and  they  went  out, 
and  passed  on  through  one  street  ; 
and  forthwith  the  angel  departed 
from  him. 

(  or,  instant  and  6:18,  19.  I  Th.  h  c.  16:26. 

tamest  prayer  '5:17.  Ja.  5:16.  i  Pg.  126:1. 

Iras  wade.  2  g  Hs.  37:32,33.  c.  J  c.  10:3,17. 

Co.  1:11.  Ep.  5:19. 

raiment,  v.  4.  some  say,  in  the  same  prison 
into  which  lie  and  the  other  apostles  were 
cast  some  years  before,  eh.  5:18.  lie  was 
delivered  to  four  quaternions  of  soldiers,  i.  e. 
to  16,  who  were  to  guard  him,  4  at  a  time, 
that  he  should  not  escape,  or  be  rescued. 
Thus  they  thought  they  had  him  fast. 

4.  Herod’s  design  was,  after  Easter,  to 
bring  him  forth  unto  the  people.  Probably,  he 
had  put  James  to  death  privately;  which 
(lie  people  had  complained  of,  not  because  it 
was  unjust  to  put  a  man  to  death,  without  a 
public  hearing,  but  because  it  deprived  them 
of  ihe  satisfaction  of  seeing  him  executed  ; 
therefore  Herod,  now  that  he  knows  their 
minds,  will  gratify  them  with  the  sight  of 
Peter  in  bonds,  of  Peter  on  the  block,  that 
they  might  feed  their  eyes  with  such  a 
pleasing  spectacle.  And  very  ambitious 
surely  he  was  to  please  the  people,  who  was 
willing  thus  to  please  them  !  He  would  do 
this  after  Easter,  pascha,  the  passover,  cer¬ 


tainly  so  it  ought  to  be  rend,  for  it  is  the 
same  word  that  is  always  so  rendered ;  and 
to  insinuate  the  introducing  of  a  gospel- 
feast,  instead  of  the  passover,  when  we  have 
nothing  in  the  N.  T.  of  such  a  thing,  is 
to  mingle  Judaism  with  our  Christianity. 
Herod  would  not  condemn  him  till  the  pass- 
over  was  over,  some  think,  for  fear  lest  he 
should  have  such  an  interest  among  the  peo¬ 
ple,  that  they  should  demand  the  release  of 
him,  according  to  the  custom  of  the  feast  : 
or,  after  the  hurry  of  the  feast  was  over, 
and  the  town  was  empty,  he  would  entertain 
them  with  Peter’s  public  trial  and  execution. 
Thus  was  the  plot  laid,  and  both  Herod  and 
the  people  long  to  have  the  feast  over,  that 
they  may  gratify  themselves  with  this  bar¬ 
barous  entertainment. 

V.  5 — 19.  We  have  here  an  account  of 
Peter’s  deliverance,  by  which  Herod’s  de¬ 
sign  against  him  was  defeated,  and  his  life 
preserved  for  further  service,  and  a  stop 
-given  to  this  bloody  torrent. 

I.  What  magnified  his  deliverance,  was, 

1.  It  was  a  signal  answer  to  prayer, v.  5. 
Prayers  and  tears  are  the  church’s  arms  ; 
therewith  she  fights,  not  only  against  her 
enemies,  but  for  her  friends  :  and  to  those 
means  they  have  recourse.  (1.)  Delay  gave 
time  for  prayer.  Probably  James  was  hur¬ 
ried  off,  so  suddenly,  so  privately,  they  had 
not  time  to  pray  for  him;  but  Peter  must  be 
continued  to  them,  and  therefore  prayer  for 
him  is  stirred  up,  and  time  is  given  them  for 
it,  by  Herod’s  [apparently  casual]  putting 
off  of  the  prosecution.  (2.)  They  were 
very  particular  and  fervent  in  their  prayers 
for  him  ;  the  death  of  James  alarmed  them 
to  a  greater  fervency  in  their  prayers  for 
Peter  ;  they  fear  the  enemy  will  make  a  full 
end.  Prayer  was  made  without  ceasing  ;  it 
was  fervent  prayer;  it  is  the  word  used  con¬ 
cerning  Christ’s  praying  in  his  agony  more 
earnestly;  it  is  the.  fervent  prayer  of  the  right¬ 
eous  man  that  is  effectual,  and  availeth  much. 
Some  think,  it  denotes  the  constancy  and 
continuance  of  their  prayers  ;  so  we  take 
it  ;  they  prayed  without  ceasing  :  it  W'as  an 
extended  prayer  ;  they  prayed  in  public, 
then  in  their  families,  then  in  their  closets, 
and  so  without  ceasing :  or  first  one  knot  of 
them,  and  then  another,  and  then  a  third, 
kept  a  day  of  prayer,  or  rather  a  night  of 
prayer,  for  him,  r.  12.  Times  of  public 
distress  and  danger  should  be  praying  times 
with  the. church;  we  must  pray  always,  but 
then  especially. 

2.  That  when  the  king's  commandment  and 
decree  drew  near  to  be  put  in  execution,  then 
his  deliverance  was  wrought,  as  Estli.  9:1, 
2.;  the  very  night,  before  Herod  designed  to 
bring  him  forth.  God’s  time  to  help  is,  when 
things  are  brought  to  the  last  extremity, 
when  there  is  none  shut  up  or  left.  Dent. 
32:36.  Further,  it  was  when  lie  was  fast 
bound  with  two  chains,  between  two  soldiers  ; 
so  that  if  he  offer  to  stir,  he  wakes  them  ; 
and  besides  this,  though  the  prison  doors,  no 
doubt,  were  locked  and  bolted,  yet,  to  make 
sure  work,  the.  keepers  before  the  door  kept  the 
prison,  that  no  one  might  so  much  as  attempt 


Jlti  angel  releases  Pclcr. 

to  rescue  him.  Never  could  the  art  of  man 
do  more  to  secure  a  prisoner  !  It  was,  too, 
w  hen  he  w'as  sleeping  between  the  soldiers  ; 
fast  asleep  ;  not  terrified  with  his  danger, 
though  very  imminent,  and  there  was  no  vis¬ 
ible  way  of  escape  ;  not  expecting  deliver¬ 
ance.  Thus  the  church,  Ps.  126:  1.  We 
were  like  them  that  dream. 

3.  That  an  angel  was  sent  from  heaven  on 
purpose  to  rescue  him  ;  which  made  his 
escape  both  practicable  and  warrantable. 
(1.)  The  angel  of  the  Lord  came  upon  him, 
lit.  stood  over  him  ;  he  seemed  as  one  aban¬ 
doned  by  men,  yet  not  forgotten  of  bis 
God.  Gates  and  guards  keep  all  bis  friends 
from  him,  but  cannot  keep  the  angels  of  God 
from  him,  who  invisibly  encamp  round  about 
them  that  fear  God,  to  deliver  them,  Ps.  34:  7. 
Wherever  the  people  of  God  are,  and  how¬ 
ever  surrounded,  they  have  a  way  open 
heavenward,  nor  can  anything  intercept  their 
intercourse  with  God.  (2.)  A  light  shirred 
in  the  prison  ;  Peter  shall  see  his  W'ay  clear. 
The  soldiers,  to  whom  Peter  was  chained, 
were  either  struck  into  a  deep  sleep  for  the 
present,  (as  Saul  and  his  soldiers  were  when 
David  carried  off  his  spear  and  cruse  of  wa¬ 
ter,)  or  struck  with  consternation,  as  the 
guard  set  on  Christ’s  sepulchre.  (3.)  The 
angel  awaked  Peter,  by  a  blow  on  his  side, 
a  gentle  touch,  enough  to  rouse  him,  though 
the  light  that  shone  on  him  did  not  awake 
him.  The  language  of  this  stroke,  was. 
Arise  up  quickly;  not  as  if  the  angel  feared 
coining  short  by  bis  delay,  but  Peter  must 
not  be  indulged  in  it.  (4.)  His  chains  fell 
from  his  hands  :  for  it  seems  they  had 
handcuffed  him,  to  make  him  sure.  Tradi¬ 
tion  tells  a  formal  story  about  these  chains, 
that  one  of  the  soldiers  kept  them  for  a  sa¬ 
cred  relic,  and  they  were  long  after  present¬ 
ed  to  Eudoxia  the  empress,  and  I  know  not 
w  hat  miracles  are  said  to  be  wrought  by 
them  ;  and  the  Romish  church  keep  a  feast 
on  the  first  of  August,  yearly,  in  remem¬ 
brance  of  Peter’s  chains, — The  feast  of  Pe¬ 
ter’s  chains  ;  whereas  this  was  at  the  pass- 
over.  Surely  they  are  thus  fond  of  Peter’s 
chains,  in  hopes  with  them  to  enslave  the 
world  1  (5.)  He  was  ordered  to  dress  him¬ 
self  presently,  and  follow  the  angel ;  and  he 
did  so,  v.  8,  9. 

It  is  said,  when  Peter  went  out  after  the 
angel,  he  wist  not  that  what  was  done  by  the 
angel,  was  really  matter  of  fact,  but  thought 
he  saw  a  vision  ;  by  this  it  appears  that  a 
heavenly  vision  was  so  plain,  and  carried  so 
much  of  its  own  evidence  along  with  it,  that 
it  was  hard,  to  distinguish  between  w  hat  was 
done  in  fact,  and  what  was  done  in  vision. 
Ps.  126: 1.  Peter  thought  the  news  was  too 
good  to  be  true.  (6.)  lie  was  led  safe  by 
the  angel  out  of  danger,  v.  10.  Guards  were 
kept  at  one  pass  and  at  another,  but  Peter 
and  the  angel  made  their  wav  through  with¬ 
out  opposition  ;  nay,  for  aught  that  appears, 
without  any  discovery;  so  it  was,  they  safely 
passed  the  first  and  second  ward.  But  still 
there  is  an  iron  gate,  after  all,  that  will  stop 
them,  no,  it  opened  to  them;  they  did  not  so 
much  as  put  a  hand  to  it,  but  it  opened  of 


remarks,  1  Wherever  he  sees  it  necessary,  Luke  carefully  gives  dates  and 
facts,  to  which  any  might  have  recourse  who  might  lie  disposed  to 
doubt  his  statements.’  Ed. 

V.  4,  5.  1  Herod  had  his  own  soldiers  in  the  city  (see  Jos.),  and  they 
guarded  Peter  in  the  mode  usual  with  the  Romans,  whose  customs  (ex¬ 
cept  in  matters  of  religion)  Agrippa,  who  had  been  educated  at  Rome, 
studiously  imitated.  See  Jos.  Among  the  Romans,  the  night  watch 
was  distributed  among  quaternions,  or  detachments  of  four  soldiers, 
each  of  whom  watched  three  hours  ;  and  since  Herod  chose  that  Peter 
should  he  watched  by  four  soldiers,  of  whom  two  should  be  in  the  pris¬ 
on,  and  two  be  stationed  at  the  gates,  four  quaternions  were  necessary. 
See  Veget.  A  quaternion  was  the  regular  number  for  a  guard,  as  a  file 
is  with  us.  So  Polyb.  Philo.’  Blooxif. 

(4.)  Easter.]  ‘A  Saxon  goddess,  whose  festival  was  in  April  ;  how 
improper  and  absurd  then  is  this  translation  !’  Dr.  A.  C.  Similar  is  the 
objection  made  to  the  use  of  the  idol  names  of  the  months  and  days  of 
the  week.  Ed. 

V.  6.  ‘  It  was  the  Roman  custom,  to  fasten  the  prisoner  with  a  small 
and  light  chain  to  some  soldier,  who  was  appointed  to  guard  him  ;  one 
end  of  which  chain  was  fastened  to  the  right  hand  of  the  prisoner,  and 
the  oilier  end  of  it  to  the  left  hand  of  the  soldier.  Seneca,  Pliny,  mid 
N.  T.  VOL.  V.  9 


Lucian,  allude  to  the  custom.  Two  chains  connected  to  two  soldiers 
were  used  for  the  better  securing  Peter.’  Pearce.  Bloomf. 

V.  7.  1  tlezel  thinks  the  light  here  mentioned  was  lightning,  which 
melted  Peter’s  chains,  and  caused  the  doors  to  open,  &c.  ! !  Wolf  con¬ 
jectures  the  prison  had  an  outer  iron  gale,  v.  10.  and  was  in  the  city, 
near  the  judgment-hall.  Dc  Dieu  and  Fcsscl  (from  Adrichomius),  sup¬ 
pose  it  was  Herod’s  private  prison,  in  his  palace  court:  and  from  this 
area  and  prison.  (F.  thinks,)  extended  a  street,  through  which  was  the 
outlet  from  the  palace  to  the  city,  closed  by  an  iron  gate.  Walch  ob¬ 
serves,  from  Jewish  writers,  that  Jerusalem  had  three  walls,  the  interior 
and  most  ancient  having  sixty,  the  outer  ninety  towers,  and  the  middle 
fourteen  ;  in  one  of  which,  with  an  iron  entrance-gate,  Peter  was  con¬ 
fined.  Tliis,  Kuin.  thinks  not  improbable,  as  jails  were  formerly  in 
towers.  On  the  side.]  The  usual  method  of  waking  one,  see  examples 
in  PriccBUS  and  Wetst.’  ^D- 

V.  8.  Sandals,  See..]  Cuts,  end  of  Jer.  ‘  Thus  the  angel  reassures 
him,  hinting  his  deliverance  is  certain,  and  cannot  be  hindered  during  his 
55  Ed. 


preparation.’ 


I  vptll  U1  IOII*  ,  ■  ,  j  | 

V.  10.  The  wards  or  watches  here  mentioned,  seem  to  have  included 
the  stated  guard  of  the  prison,  as  well  as  the  soldiers  especially  appoint¬ 
ed  to  keep  Peter.  .  C  OTT. 

[65] 


A.  D.  44. 


ACTS,  XII. 


Christians  slotv  to  believe  God's  mercy. 


11  And  when  Peter  was  come  to 
himself,  he  said,  Now  I  know  of  a 
surety  that  the  Lord  hath  sent  khis 
angel,  and  hath  1  delivered  me  out 
of  the  hand  of  Herod,  and  from  all 
the  expectation  of  the  people  of 
the  Jews. 

12  And  when  he  had  considered 
the  thing,  he  came  to  the  house  of 
Mary  the  mother  of  John,  whose 
surname  was  Mark  ;  where  many 
m  were  gathered  together,  praying. 

13  And  as  Peter  knocked  at  the 
door  of  the  gate,  a  damsel  came  n  to 
hearken,  named  Rhoda. 

14  And  when  she  knew  Peter’s 
voice,  she  opened  not  the  gate  for 
gladness,  but  ran  in,  and  told  how 
Peter  stood  before  the  gate. 

15  And  they  said  unto  her,  Thou 
art  mad.  But  she  constantly  af¬ 
firmed  that  it  was  even  so.  Then 
said  they,  It  is  his  0  angel. 

16  But  Peter  continued  knock¬ 
ing  :  and  when  they  had  opened 
the  door,  and  saw  him,  they  were 
astonished. 

17  But  he  beckoning  p  unto 
them  with  the  hand,  to  hold  their 
peace,  q  declared  unto  them  how 
the  Lord  had  brought  him  out  of 
the  prison.  And  he  said,  Go,  shew 
these  things  unto  James,  and  to 
the  brethren.  And  he  departed, 
and  went  into  another  place. 


<  2  Ch.  16:9.  Ps. 
34:7.  Da.  3:28. 
6:22.  He.  1:14. 
Ps.  33  :  18, 19. 


97:10.  2  Co.  1:  teas  there. 

10.  2Pe.  2:9.  o  Mat.  18:10. 
m  ver.  5.  p  c.  13:16. 

n  or,  to  as/f  who  q  Ps.  66:16. 


its  own  accord,  by  an  invisible  power  ;  and, 
probably,  shut  again  of  itself,  that  none  of 
the  guards  might  pursue  Peter.  When  God 
will  work  salvation  for  his  people,  no  diffi¬ 
culties  are  insuperable.  (7.)  When  this  was 
done,  the  angel  departed  from  him,  and  left 
him  to  himself ;  for  he  was  out  of  danger, 
knew  where  he  was,  and  how  to  find  out  his 
friends.  Miracles  are  not  to  be  expected, 
when  ordinary  means  are  to  be  used. 

II.  Having  seen  how  his  deliverance  was 
magnified,  we  are  next  to  see  how  it  was 
manifested  both  to  himself  and  others. 

1.  So  many  strange  and  surprising  things 
coming  together  upon  a  man,  just  waked  out 
of  sleep,  put  him  for  the  present  into  some 
confusion  ;  so  that  he  knew  not  where  he 
was,  what  he  did,  nor  whether  it  was  fancy 
or  fact;  but,  at  length,  Peter  came  to  himself, 
was  thoroughly  awake,  and  found  that  it  was 
not  a  dream,  but  a  real  tiling.  Thus  souls 
who  are  delivered  out  of  a  spiritual  bondage, 
are  not  at  first  aware  what  God  has  wrought 
in  them  ;  many  have  the  truth  of  grace,  that 
want  the  evidence  of  it.  But  when  the  Com¬ 
forter  comes,  whom  the  Father  will  send,  sooner 
or  later,  He  will  let  them  know  of  a  surety 
what  a  blessed  change  is  wrought  in  them, 
and  what  a  happy  state  they  are  brought  into. 

2.  Peter  came  to  his  friends,  and  told 
them  the  particular  account  of  this,  and  it 
is  very  entertaining. 

(1.)  He  considered  the  thing,  v.  12.  how 
imminent  his  danger  was,  how  great  his  de¬ 


liverance;  and  now  what  has  he  to  do,  what 
improvement  must  he  make  of  this  deliver¬ 
ance  I  What  must  he  do  next!  God’s  provi¬ 
dence  leaves  room  for  the  use  of  our  prudence. 

(2.)  He  went  directly  to  a  friend’s  house, 
which,  it  is  likely,  was  near  the  house  of 
Mary,  a  sister  of  Barnabas,  and  mother  of 
John  Mark,  whose  house,  it  should  seem, 
was  frequently  used  for  the  private  meeting 
of  the  disciples. 

(3.)  There  he  found  many  gathered  together 
praying,  at  the  dead  of  night,  praying  for 
Peter’s  deliverance.  Observe,  [1.]  They 
continued  in  prayer,  in  token  of  their  impor¬ 
tunity  ;  as  long  as  we  are  kept  waiting  for 
a  mercy,  we  must  continue  praying  for  it. 
[2.]  It  should  seem  that  now,  when  the  affair 
came  near  to  a  crisis,  and  the  very  next  day 
was  to  determine  the  event,  they  were  more 
fervent  in  prayer  than  before;  and  it  was  a 
good  sign  that  God  intended  to  deliver  Pe¬ 
ter,  when  He  thus  stirred  up  a  spirit  of 
prayer  for  his  deliverance,  for  He  never  said 
to  the  seed  of  Jacob,  seek  ye  my  face  in  vain. 
[3.]  They  gathered  together  for  prayer  on 
this  occasion ;  though  that  would  make  them 
obnoxious  to  the  government  if  discovered, 
yet  they  know  what  an  encouragement 
Christ  gave  to  joint  prayer,  Mat  18: 19,  20. 
And  it  was  always  the  practice  of  God’s 
praying  people,  to  unite  their  forces  in  pray¬ 
er,  as  Esth.  4: 16,  2.  Chr.  20:4.  [4.]  They 
were  many,  as  many  perhaps  as  the  room 
would  hold  ;  and  first  one  prayed,  and  then 
another.  It  was  in  the  night,  when  others 
were  asleep,  which  was  an  instance  both  of 
their  prudence  and  of  their  zeal.  It  is  good 
for  Christians  to  have  private  meetings  for 
prayer,  especially  in  times  of  distress,  and 
not  to  let  fall  or  forsake  such  assemblies. 
[5.]  Peter  came  to  them  when  thus  employ¬ 
ed  :  which  was  an  immediate,  present  an¬ 
swer  to  their  prayer.  It  was  as  if  God 
should  say,  ‘  You  are  praying  that  Peter  may 
be  restored  to  you  ;  now  here  lie  is.’  Is.  65: 
24.  Thus  the  angel  was  sent  to  Daniel,  Dan. 
9:  20,  21.  Ask,  and  it  shall  be  given. 

(4.)  He  knocked  at  tile  gate,  and  had 
much  ado  to  get  them  to  let  him  in.  v.  13 — 
16.  He  knocked,  designing  by  it  to  awaken 
them  out  of  their  sleep,  and,  for  aught  that 
appears,  not  knowing  that  he  disturbed  them 
in  their  devotions.  Now  when  he  knocked 
there,  [1.]  A  damsel  came  to  hearken  ;  not 
to  open  tile  door  till  she  knew  who  was 
there,  a  friend  or  a  foe,  and  what  their  bus¬ 
iness  was,  fearing  informers ;  it  should  seem 
by  her  being  named,  that  she  was  of  note 
among  the  Christians,  and  more  zealously 
affected  to  the  better  part  than  most  of  her 
age.  [2.]  She  knew  Peter’s  voice,  having 
often  heard  him  pray,  and  preach,  and  dis¬ 
course,  with  a  great  deal  of  pleasure.  But 
instead  of  letting  him  in  immediately,  out  of 
the  cold,  she  opened  not  the  gate  for  gladness. 
Thus  sometimes,  in  a  transport,  of  affection 
to  our  friends,  we  do  that  which  is  unkind. 
In  an  ecstasy  of  joy  she  forgets  herself,  and 
opened  not  the  gate.  [3.]  She  ran  in,  and 
probably  went  up  to  an  upper  room,  where 
they  were  together,  and  told  them  that  Peter 
was  certainly  at  the  gate.  But  when  she 
spake  of  Peter’s  being  there,  they  said, 
‘  Thou  art  mad;  it  is  impossible  it  should  he 
lie,  for  he  is  in  prison.’  Sometimes  that 
which  we  most  earnestly  wish  for,  we  are 
most  backward  to  believe,  because  we  are 
afraid  of  imposing  on  ourselves;  as  the  dis¬ 
ciples,  who,  when  Christ  was  risen,  believed 


V.  12 — 17.  The  other  apostles  seem  to  have  been  absent  from  Jeru¬ 
salem:  but  James,  the  son  of  Alplieus,  who  wrote  the  epistle,  was  in 
some  place  of  concealment  in  the  neighborhood. — *  It  is  utterly  incredi¬ 
ble,  that  he  [Peter]  now  went  to  Home,  and  made  an  abode  of  twenty- 
live  years,  which  the  popish  writers  pretend.’  Dodlr.,  in  Scott.  It 
would  be  easy  to  multiply  similar  instances,  in  which  the  legends  of 
the  Romish  church  as  much  contradict  the  sacred  history,  as  ils  tradi¬ 
tions  make  void  botli  the  commandments  and  testimonies  of  God.  Sc. 

(12.)  Mark.]  ‘That  this  was  Mark  the  evangelist,  is  a  general  and 
highly  probable  opinion  of  the  commentators.’  Hloomf. 

(IS.)  Angel.]  Note,  Mat.  18:10.  ‘  The  Jews  believed  tutelary  angels 
were  appointed  to  all  men ;  so  did  the  Gentiles,  for  Censorinus  savs, 
[66] 


not  for  joy.  However,  she  stood  to  it,  that 
it  was  he.  Then  said  they.  It  is  his  angel, 
v.  15.  ‘  A  messenger  from  him,  that  makes 

use  ofliis  name,’  so  some,  as  Dr.  Hammond  ; 
his  guardian  angel,  or  some  other  angel,  that 
has  assumed  his  shape  and  voice,  and  stands 
at  the  gate  in  his  resemblance,  so  some,  sup¬ 
posing  his  angel  to  appear  as  a  presage  of 
his  death  approaching;  and  this  agrees  with 
a  notion  winch  the  vulgar  have,  that  some¬ 
times  before  persons  have  died,  their  ward 
has  been  seen,  i.  e.  some  spirit  exactly  in 
their  likeness  for  conntenanee  and  diess, 
when  they  themselves  have  been  at  the  same 
time  in  some  other  place  ;  they  call  it  their 
ward,  that  is,  their  angel,  who  is  their  guard. 
If  so,  they  concluded  this  an  ill  omen,  that 
their  prayers  were  denied,  and  that  the  lan¬ 
guage  of  the  apparition  was,  ‘  Let  it  suffice 
you,  Peter  must  die,  say  no  more  of  that 
matter.’  And  if  we  understand  it  so,  it  only 
proves  that  they  had  then  such  an  opinion  of 
a  man’s  ward  being  seen  a  little  before  his 
death,  but  does  not  prove  that  there  is  stu  h 
a  thing.  Others  think,  they  took  this  to.be 
an  angel  from  heaven,  sent  to  bring  them  a 
grant  to  their  prayers.  But  why  should  they 
imagine  that  angel  to  assume  the  voice  and 
shape  of  Peter,  when  we  find  not  anything 
like  it  in  the  appearance  of  angels  1  Per¬ 
haps,  they  herein  spake  the  language  of  the 
Jews,  who  had  a  fond  conceit,  that  every 
good  man  has  a  particular  tutelar  angel,  that 
has  the  charge  of  him,  and  sometimes  per¬ 
sonates  him.  The  heathen  called  it  a  good 
genius  that  attended  a  man  ;  but  since  no 
other  scripture  speaks  of  such  a  thing,  thin- 
alone  is  too  weak  to  bear  the  weight  of  such 
a  doctrine.  We  are  sure,  that  the  angels  are 
ministering  spirits  for  the  good  of  the  heirs  rf 
salvation;  that  they  have  a  charge  concerning 
them,  and  pitch  their  tents  round  about  them; 
and  we  need  not  be  solicitous  that  every  par¬ 
ticular  saint  should  have  his  guardian  angrl, 
when  we  are  assured  he  has  a  guard  of 
angels. 

(5.)  He  continued  knocking  ;  though  they 
delayed  to  open  to  him,  yet  at  length  they 
let  him  in,  v.  16.  But  when  they  saw  him, 
they  were  astonished.  It  was  both  surprising 
and  pleasing  to  them,  in  the  highest  degree. 

(6.)  The  company,  that  came  together 
with  so  much  zeal  to  pray  for  him,  gathered 
about  him  with  no  less  zeal  to  congratulate 
him  on  his  deliverance;  and  herein  they 
were  so  noisy,  that  when  Peter  himself 
begged  them  to  consider  what  peril  he  was 
yet  in,  if  they  should  be  overheard,  he  could 
not  make  them  hear  him,  but  was  forced  to 
beckon  to  them  with  the  hand  to  hold  their  peace, 
and  had  much  ado  thereby  to  command  si¬ 
lence,  while  he  declared  unto  them  how  the 
Lord  Jesus  had  by  an  angel  brought  him  out 
of  prison;  and,  it  is  very  likely,  having  found 
them  praying  for  his  deliverance,  he  did  not 
part  with  them,  till  he  and  they  had  together 
solemnly  given  thanks  to  God  for  his  enlarge¬ 
ment  ;  or  if  he  cotdd  not  stay  to  do  it,  it  is 
likely,  they  stayed  together  to  do  it  ;  for 
what  is  won  by  prayer  must  be  worn  with 
praise;  and  God  mast  always  have  the  glory 
of  that  which  we  have  the  comfort  of.  Ps. 
66:  16,  20. 

(7.)  Peter  sent  the  account  to  others  of 
his  friends  ;  Go,  show  these  things  to  James, 
and  to  the  brethren  with  him  ;  who,  perhaps, 
were  met  together  in  another  place  at  li  e 
same  time,  on  the  same  errand  to  the  throne 
of  grace  ;  which  is  one  way  of  keeping  up 

“  the  Genius  is  a  god,  in  whose  protection  so  far  as  each  one  is,  he  lives  : 
it  is  appointed  so  assiduous  an  observer  of  us,  that  it  is  never  absent 
longer  than  an  instant ;  but  accompanies  us  from  birth  to  the  last  day  <  f 
life.”  And  Marti  anus  says,  “Genius — the  guardian  and  most  faithful 
brother  keeps  the  hearts  and  minds  of  all.”  See  also  Macrob.  The 
Gentiles  thought,  moreover,  (continues  Kuin.,)  that  the  gods  assumed  the 
figures  of  this  or  that  man,  and  his  voice.  So  IJomer.  And  the  Jews 
(see  Debbani  Rabbit,  and  Midras  Coheleth)  had  the  same  persuasion  re¬ 
specting  angels.’  B/oomf.  Ed. 

(16.)  Beckoned.]  ‘  Rutaseisas  :  waved  down;  a  motion  usual  for 
enjoining  silence  ;  see  the  classics,  quoted  by  Wetst.'  Bi.oo.mf. 


Herod’s  ostentatious  magnificence. 


A.  D.  44. 


ACTS,  XII. 


18  Now  as  soon  as  it  was  day, 
there  was  no  small  stir  among  the 
soldiers,  what  was  become  of  Peter. 

19  And  when  Herod  had  sought 
for  him,  and  found  him  not,  he  ex¬ 
amined  the  keepers,  and  command¬ 
ed  that  they  should  be  put  to  death. 
And  he  went  down  from  Judea  to 
Cesarea,  and  there  abode. 

20  H  And  Herod  r  was  highly 
displeased  with  them  of  Tyre  and 
Sidon  :  but  they  came  with  one 
accord  to  him,  and,  having  made 
Blastus  '  the  king’s  chamberlain 
their  friend,  desired  peace ;  be¬ 
cause  their  ‘country  was  nourished 
by  the  king’s  country. 

21  And  upon  a  set  day,  Herod, 
arrayed  in  royal  apparel,  sat  upon 
his  throne,  and  made  an  oration 
unto  them. 

22  And  the  people  gave  a  shout, 
saying,  It  is  u  the  voice  of  a  god, 
and  not  of  a  man. 

r  or,  bare  a  hos-  s  That  was  over  t  Eze.  27:17. 
li/e  mind ,  in-  Vie  king's  bed-  u  Jude  16. 
tending  war.  **  chamber. 


the  communion  of  saints,  acting  in  concert, 
though  at  a  distance;  like  Esther  and  Mor- 
decai.  He  would  have  James  and  his  com¬ 
pany  to  know  of  his  deliverance,  not  only 
that  they  might  be  eased  of  their  painful  fears 
concerning  Peter,  but  might  return  thanks 
to  God  with  and  for  him. 

(S.)  Peter  had  nothing  more  to  do  for  the 
present  than  to  shift  for  his  own  safety,  which 
lie  did  accordingly  ;  he  departed,  and  went 
into  another  place  more  obscure,  and  therefore 
more  safe.  He  knew  the  town  very  well, 
and  knew  where  to  find  a  place  that  would 
shelter  him.  Even  the  Christian  law  of  self- 
denial  and  suffering  for  Christ,  has  not  ab¬ 
rogated  and  repealed  the  natural  law  of  self- 
preservation,  and  care  for  our  own  safety,  as 
far  as  God  gives  an  opportunity  of  providing 
for  it  by  lawful  means^ 

III.  Having  seen  the  triumph  of  Peter’s 
friends  in  his  deliverance,  let  us  next  observe 
the  confusion  of  his  enemies  thereupon  ; 
which  was  so  much  the  greater,  because  peo¬ 
ple’s  expectation  was  so  much  raised  of  the 
putting  of  him  to  death. 

1.  The  guards  were  in  the  utmost  conster¬ 
nation  upon  it,  for  they  knew  how  highly 
penal  it  was  to  them  to  let  a  prisoner  escape, 
v.  18.  Thus  have  the  persecutors  of  the 
Gospel  of  Christ  been  often  filled  with  vex¬ 
ation,  to  see  its  cause  conquering,  notwith¬ 
standing  their  opposition. 

2.  Houses  were  searched  in  vain  for  the 
rescued  prisoner,  v.  19.  Who  can  find  whom 
God  hath  hidden  1  Jer.  36:  26.  In  times  of 
public  danger,  all  believers  have  God  for 
their  Hiding-place  ;  which  is  such  a  secret, 
that  there  the  ignorant  world  cannot  find 
them  ;  such  a  strength,  that  the  impotent 
world  cannot  reach  them. 

3.  The  keepers  were  reckoned  with  for  a 
permissive  escape ;  Herod  examined  the  keep¬ 
ers,  and,  finding  that  they  eould  give  no  sat¬ 
isfactory  account  how  Peter  got  away,  he 
commanded  that  they  should  be  put  to  death, 
according  to  the  Roman  law,  and  that,  1  K. 
20 : 39.  Probably  these  keepers  had  been 
more  severe  with  Peter  than  they  needed  to 
be,  as  the  jailor,  ch.  16:  24.  and  with  others 


that  had  been  their  prisoners  on  the  like  ac¬ 
count  ;  and  now  justly  are  they  put  to  death 
for  that  which  was  not  their  fault,  and  by 
hi  in  too  that  had  set  them  to  work  to  vex  the 
church.  Or,  if  they  had  not  thus  made  them¬ 
selves  obnoxious  to  the  justice  of  God,  and 
it  he  thought  hard*  that  innocent  men  should 
suffer  thus  for  what  was  purely  the  act  of 
God ;  we  may  easily  admit  the  conjecture  of 
some,  that  though  they  were  commanded  to 
be  put  to  death,  to  please  the  Jews,  who  were 
sadly  disappointed  by  Peter’s  escape,  yet 
they  were  not  executed  ;  but  Herod’s  death, 
immediately  after,  prevented  it. 

4.  Herod  himself  retired  upon  it;  he  went 
down  from  Judea  to  Cesarea,  and  there  abode. 
He  was  vexed  to  the  heart,  as  a  lion  disap¬ 
pointed  of  bis  prey  ;  and  the  more  because 
be  had  so  much  raised  the  expectation  of  the 
people  of  the  Jews  concerning  Peter,  how  he 
would  very  shortly  gratify  them  with  the  sight 
of  Peter’s  head ;  it  is  such  a  mortification  to 
his  proud  spirit,  that  he  cannot  bear  to  stay 
in  Judea,  but  away  he  goes  to  Cesarea. 
Josephus  mentions  his  coming  to  Cesarea,  at 
the  end  of  the  third  year  of  his  reign  over 
all  Judea,  Antiq.  19:  7.  and  says,  he  came 
thither  to  solemnize  the  plays  that  were  kept 
there,  by  a  vast  concourse  of  the  nobility  and 
gentry  of  the  kingdom,  for  the  health  of  Ce¬ 
sar,  and  in  honor  of  him. 

V.  20 — 25.  In  these  verses,  we  have, 

I.  The  death  of  Herod.  God  reckoned 
with  him,  not  only  for  patting  James  to 
death,  hut  for  designing  and  endeavoring 
Peter’s  death  ;  lor  sinners  will  be  called  to 
an  account,  not  only  for  the  wickedness  of 
their  deeds,  but  of  their  endeavors,  Ps.  28:4. 
Some  sinners,  God  makes  quick  work  with, 
Observe, 

1.  How  the  measure  of  liis  iniquity  was 
filled  up;  it  was  pride  that  did  it;  that  is  it 
that  commonly  goes  more  immediately  before 
destruction,  and  a  haughty  spirit  before  a  fall, 
as  with  Nebuchadnezzar.  Dan.  4:30,  31. 
It  is  the  glory  of  God  to  look  on  every  one 
that  is  proud,  and  bring  him  low,  Job  40: 11. 
The  instance  of  it  here  is  very  remarkable, 
and  shows  how  God  resists  the  proud. 

(1.)  Tyre  and  Sidon  had,  it  seems,  of¬ 
fended  Herod ;  those  cities  were  now  under 
the  Roman  yoke,  and  some  misdemeanors 
they  had  been  guilty  of,  which  Herod  highly- 
resented,  and  was  resolved  they  should  feel 
his  resentment. 

(2.)  The  offenders  truckled,  being  con¬ 
vinced,  if  not  that  they  had  done  amiss,  yet 
that  it  was  in  vain  to  contend  with  such  a 
potent  adversary,  who,  right'  or  wrong, 
would  be  too  hard  for  them ;  they  submitted, 
and  were  willing  on  any  terms  to  makepeace 
with  him.  Observe,  [1]  T  lie  reason  why 
they  were  desirous  to  have  the  matter  accom¬ 
modated  ;  because  their  country  was  nourished 
by  the  king’s  country.  Tyre  and  Sidon  were 
trading  cities,  and  were  always  Supplied  with 
corn  from  Canaan,  Ez.  27:  17.  Now  if 
Herod  should  prohibit  the  exportation  of 
corn  to  Tyre  and  Sidon,  their  country  would 
be  undone  ;  so  that  it  was  their  interest  to 
keep  in  with  him.  [2.]  The  method  they 
took  to  prevent  a  rupture ;  They  made  Blas¬ 
tus,  the  king’s  chamberlain,  their  friend;  it  is 
very  likely,  with  bribes  and  good  presents  ; 
that  is  usually  the  way  for  men  to  make 

•  Every  mortal’s  life  is  at  each  moment  forfeit  to  God, 
Rom.  5:12.  besides  being  in  his  hands  as  its  Author,  for  the 
creature  has  no  rights  with  the  Creator.  Life  can  be  taken 
when  and  how  He  pleases,  without  wrong,  or  the  Bhndow  of 
injustice  :  and  He  has  an  eternity,  also,  in  which  to  be  just, 
were  He  to  seem  -unjust  in  Time.  Ed. 


V.  18,  19.  The  astonishment  of  the  soldiers,  and  their  dread  of 
Herod’s  vindictive  rage,  may  easily  be  conceived.  Indeed  they  had 
cause  to  tremble :  for  that  tyrant,  exasperated  at  liis  disappointment, 
and  unwilling  it  should  be  thought  that  Peter  had  been  miraculous¬ 
ly  delivered,  ordered  them  to  immediate  execution  ;  alleging,  no  doubt, 
that  Peter’s  escape  was  owing  to  their  negligence  and  sleeping  on  guard. 
Yet,  it  is  highly  probable,  he  himself  perceived  that  Peter  had  been  res¬ 
cued  in  a  supernatural  manner,  as  all  the  apostles  had  before  been  ;  5: 
17 — 25.  and  we  may  suppose,  that  this  intimidated  him,  and  induced 
him  to  suspend  the  persecution  :  [though  it  so  aggravated  his  criminal¬ 
ity  as  to  render  signal  punishment  the  more  necessary.]  Scott. 


courtiers  their  friends.  [See  the  accounts 
of  every  traveller  in  those  regions  now.  Ed.~[ 
And  it  is  the  hard  fate  of  princes,  that  they 
must  have  not  only  their  affairs,  but  their 
affections  too,  governed  by  such  mercenary 
tools  :  yet  such  men  as  Herod,  that  will  not 
be  governed  by  reason,  had  better  be  so 
governed,  than  by  pride  and  passion.  Blas¬ 
tus  had  Herod’s  ear,  and  has  the  art  of  mol¬ 
lifying  bis  resentments;  and  a  lime  is  fixed 
for  the  ambassadors  of  Tyre  and  Sidon,  to 
coine  and  make  a  public  submission,  to  beg 
his  majesty’s  pardon,  throw  themselves  on 
bis  clemency,  and  promise  never  again  to 
offend  in  the  like  kind;  and  that  which  will 
thus  feed  his  pride,  shall  serve  to  cool  bis 
passion. 

(3.)  Herod  appeared  in  all  the  pomp  and 
grandeur  be  bad,  v.  21.  Josephus  (Antiq. 
lib.  19.  cap. 7.)  says,  Herod  at  this  time  wore 
a  robe  of  cloth  of  silver,  so  richly  woven, 
and  framed  with  such  art,  that  when  the  sun 
shone,  it  reflected  the  light  with  such  a  lus¬ 
tre  as  dazzled  the  eyes  of  the  spectators,  and 
struck  an  awe  upon  them.  Foolish  people 
value  men  by  their  outward  appearance  ; 
and  no  better  are  they  who  value  themselves 
by  the  esteem  of  such  ;  who  court  it,  and 
recommend  themselves  to  it,  as  Herod  did, 
who  thought  to  make  up  the  want  of  a  royal 
heart,  with  his  royal  apparel  ;  and  sat  upon 
his  throne,  as  if  privileged  to  trample  on  all 
about  him  as  liis  footstool. 

(4.)  He  made  a  speech  to  the  men  of 
Tyre  and  Sidon,  a  fine  oration,  in  which, 
probably,  after  he  had  aggravated  their  fault, 
and  commended  their  submission,  lie  con¬ 
cluded  with  an  assurance  that  he  would  pass 
by  their  offence,  and  receive  them  into  liis 
favor  again ;  having,  probably,  kept  them  in 
suspense  as  to  their  doom,  till  he  made  this 
oration  to  them,  that  the  act  of  grace  might 
come  to  them  with  the  more  pleasing  sur¬ 
prise. 

(5.)  The  people  applauded  him,  the  peo¬ 
ple  that  had  a  dependence  on  him,  and  had 
benefit  by  liis  favor,  they  gave  a  shout  ;  and 
this  was  it  they  shouted,  It  is  the  voice  of  a 
god,  and  not  of  a  man,  v.  22.  It  may  be,  it  was 
not  from  any  real  good  thoughts  they  had  of 
him  ;  but  how  meanly  soever  they  thought 
of  him,  they  were  resolved  thus  to  curry 
favor,  and  strengthen  the  new-made  peace 
between  him  and  them.  Thus  great  men  are 
made  an  easy  prey  to  flatterers,  if  they  lend 
an  ear  to  them,  and  encourage  them.  Gro- 
tius,  here,  observes,  that  though  magistrates 
are  called  gods,  Ps.  82:  1.  yet  kings  or  mon- 
archs,  i.  e.  single  persons,  are  not,  lest  coun¬ 
tenance  should  thereby  be  given  to  the  Gentiles, 
who  give  divine  honors  to  their  kings,  alive  and 
dead,  as  here  ;  but  they  are  a  college  of  sena¬ 
tors,  or  a  bench  of  judges,  that  are  called  gods. 
Those  that  live  by  sense,  vilify  God,  as  if 
He  were  altogether  such  an  one  as  themselves; 
and  deify  men,  as  if  "they  were  gods;  having 
their  persons  in  admiration,  because  of  advan¬ 
tage.  This  is  not  only  a  great  affront  to  God, 
giving  that  glory  to  others,  which  is  due  to 
Him  alone,  hut  a  great  injury  to  those  who 
are  thus  flattered,  as  it  makes  them  forget 
themselves,  and  so  puffs  them  up  with  pride, 
that  they  are  in  the  utmost  danger  possible 
of  falling  into  the  condemnation  of  the  devil. 

(6.)  These  undue  praises  he  took  to  him¬ 
self,  pleased  himself  with  them,  and  prided 
himself  in  them  ;  and  that  was  his  sin  :  he 
did  not  rebuke  their  flattery,  nor  disown  the 
title  they  had  given  him,  nor  give  God  the 
glory,  v.  23.  but  took  it  to  himself,  was  very 

V.  20—23.  It  is  remarkable  that  the  sacred  historian  does  not  repre¬ 

sent  the  awful  death  of  Herod,  as  a  judgment  on  him  for  persecuting  the 
church,  though  he  had  so  inviting  and  so  just  an  occasion  of  doing  it; 
but  assigns  another  cause  of  that  event.  This  is  a  striking  contrast  to 
the  usual  practice  of  enthusiasts ;  who  generally,  without  any  adequate 
reason,  take  pleasure  in  representing  all  the  calamities  which  befal  those 
who  even  in  a  slight  degree  oppose  them,  as  divine  judgments  on  them 
for  so  doing.  Scott. 

(20.)  Some  suggest,  thnt  this  trouble  was  occasioned  by  commercial 
jealousies  between  the  new  and  doubtless  privileged  port  of  Cesarea, 
(note,  8:40.)  and  Tyre,  Sidon,  &e.,  with  whose  interests  it  interfered.  Co. 


A.  D.  45. 


ACTS,  XIII. 


llis  death.  God’s  Word  thrives. 


23  And  immediately  the  angel  of 
the  Lord  smote  him,  because  he 
gave  not  God  the  glory :  and  he 
was  eaten  of  worms,  and  gave  up 
the  ghost. 

24  IT  But  the  word  of  God  grew 
v  and  multiplied. 

25  IT  And  Barnabas  and  Saul  re¬ 
turned  from  Jerusalem,  when  they 
had  fulfilled  their  w  ministry,  and 
took  with  them  John,  whose  sur¬ 
name  was  Mark. 

CHAP.  XIII. 

1  Paul  anil  Barnabas  are  chosen  to  go  to  the  Gentiles.  7 
Of  Sergius  Paulus,  and  Elyraas  the  sorcerer.  14  Paul 
preaeheth  at  Antioch,  that  Jesus  is  Christ.  42  The  Gen¬ 
tiles  believe  :  45  but  the  Jews  gainsay  and  blaspheme  : 
46  whereupon  they  turn  to  the  Gentiles.  48  As  many  as 
were  ordained  to  life  believed. 

TYTOW  there  were  in  the  church 
-L  *  that  was  at  Antioch,  certain 
prophets  and  teachers  ;  as  Barna¬ 
bas,  and  Simeon  that  was  called 
Niger,  and  Lucius  of  Cyrene,  and 
Manaen,  a  which  had  been  brought 
up  with  Herod  the  tetrarch,  and 
Saul. 

V  Col.  1:6.  11:29,30. 

w  or,  charge,  c.  a  or  ^Herod's  foster-brother. 

willing  it  should  terminate  in  himself,  and 
that  he  should  be  thought  a  god,  and  have 
divine  honors  paid  him.  Si populus  vult  de- 
cipi,  decipiatur. — If  the  people  will  be  deceived, 
let  them.  And  it  was  worse  in  him  who  was 
a  Jew,  and  professed  to  believe  one  God 
only,  than  it  was  in  the  heathen  emperors, 
who  had  gods  many  and  lords  many. 

2.  Observe,  IIow  his  iniquity  was  punish¬ 
ed  ;  Immediately ,  v .  23.  He  was  reckoned 
with  now  for  vexing  the  church  of  Christ, 
killing  James,  imprisoning  Peter,  and  all 
the  other  mischiefs  he  had  done.  Observe 
in  the  destruction  of  Herod, 

(1.)  It  was  no  less  than  an  angel  that 
was  the  agent  ;  the  angel  of  the  Lord,  that 
angel  that  was  ordered  and  commissioned  to 
do  it,  or  that  angel  that  used  to  be  employed 
in  works  of  this  nature,  the  destroying  an¬ 
gel  :  or  the  angel,  i.  e.,  that  angel  that  de¬ 
livered  Feter  in  the  former  part  of  the 
chapter, — that  angel  smote  Herod.  For,  those 
ministering  spirits  are  the  ministers  either 
of  divine  justice  or  of  divine  mercy, as  God 
is  pleased  to  employ  them.  The  angel  smote 
him  with  a  sore  disease,  just  at  that  instant 
when  lie  was  strutting  at  the  applauses  of 
the  people,  and  adoring  his  own  shadow. 
As  tile  king  of  Tyre,  Ez.  28:  2,  9.  so  Herod 
here.  The  angel  smote  him,  because  he  gave 
not  the  glory  to  God  ;  angels  are  jealous  for 
God’s  honor,  and  as  soon  as  ever  tliev  have 
commission,  are  ready  to  smite  those  that 
usurp  his  prerogatives,  and  rob  God  of  his 
honor. 

(2.)  It  was  no  more  than  a  worm  that 
was  the  instrument  of  Herod’s  destruction; 
lie  was  eaten  of  worms, — he  became,  worm- 
eaten,  so  it  must  be  read.  The  body  in  the 
grave  is  destroyed  by  worms  ;  but  Herod’s 


body  putrefied  while  lie  was  yet  alive,  and 
bred  the  worms  that  began  to  feed  on  it  be¬ 
times  ;  so  Antioelms,  that  great  persecutor, 
died.  See  here,  what  vile  bodies  those  are 
which  vve  carry  about  with  us  ;  what  weak 
and  contemptible  creatures  God  can  make 
the  instruments  of  his  justice,  when  He 
pleases, — and  how  God  delights  not  only  to 
bring  down  proud  men,  but  to  bring  them 
down  in  such  a  way  as  is  most  mortifying, 
and  pours  most  contempt  upon  them. 

This  story  of  the  death  of  Herod  is  par¬ 
ticularly  related  by  Josephus,  a  Jew,  Antiq. 
lib.  19.  cap.  7.  thus  :  That  Herod  came 
down  to  Cesarea,  to  celebrate  a  festival  in 
honor  of  Cesar  ;  that  the  second  day  of 
the  festival,  he  went  in  the  morning  to  the 
theatre,  clothed  with  that  splendid  robe  men¬ 
tioned  before  ;  that  his  flatterers  saluted 
him  as  a  god,  begged  that  he  would  be  pro¬ 
pitious  to  them  ;  that  hitherto  they  had  rev¬ 
erenced  him  as  a  man,  but  now  they  would 
confess  to  he  in  him  something  more  ex¬ 
cellent  than  a  mortal  nature.  That  he 
did  not  refuse  or  correct  this  impious  flat¬ 
tery  ;  (so  the  historian  expresses  it  ;)  but, 
presently  after,  looking  up,  he  saw  an  owl 
perched  over  his  head,  and  was  at  the  same 
instant  seized  with  a  most  violent  pain  in 
his  bowels,  and  gripes  in  his  belly,  which 
were  exquisite  from  the  very  first  ;  that  he 
turned  his  eyes  on  his  friends,  and  said  to 
this  purpose  ;  Now  I,  whom  you  called_a 
god,  and  therefore  immortal,  must  he  proved 
a  man,  and  mortal.  That  his  torture  con¬ 
tinued  without  intermission,  or  the  least 
abatement,  and  then  he  died,  in  the  54th 
year  of  his  age,  when  he  had  been  king  seven 
years. 

II.  The  progress  of  the  Gospel  after  this. 

1 .  The  Word  of  God  grew  and  multiplied  ; 
wherever  preached,  multitudes  embraced  it, 
and  were  added  to  the  church  by  it,  v.  24. 
When  such  a  persecutor  was  taken  off  by  a 
dreadful  judgment,  many  were  thereby  con¬ 
vinced,  that  the  cause  of  Christianity  was 
doubtless  the  cause  of  Christ,  and  therefore 
embraced  it. 

2.  Barnabas  and  Saul  returned  to  Anti¬ 
och,  as  soon  as  they  had  despatched  the  busi¬ 
ness  they  were  sent  upon  ;  When  they  had 
fulfilled  their  ministry,  had  paid  in  their  mo¬ 
ney  to  the  proper  persons,  and  taken  care 
about  the  due  distribution  of  it  to  those  for 
whom  it  was  collected,  they  returned  from 
Jerusalem.  They  had  a  great  many  friends 
there,  yet  at  present  their  work  lay  at  Anti¬ 
och  ;  and  where  our  business  is,  there  we 
should  he;  and  no  longer  from  it  than  is  re¬ 
quisite.  When  a  minister  is  called  abroad  on 
any  service,  when  he  has  fulfilled  that  min¬ 
istry,  he  ought  to  remember  that  he  has 
work  to  do  at  home,  which  wants  him  there, 
and  calls  him  thither.  Barnabas  and 
Saul,  wlren  they  went  to  Antioch,  took  with 
them  John,  whose  surname  was  Mark,  at 
whose  mother’s  house  they  had  that  meot- 
ing  for  prayer  which  we  read  of  v.  12.  She 
was  sister  to  Barnabas.  It  is  probable  Bar¬ 
nabas  lodged  there,  and  perhaps  Paul  with 
him,  while  at  Jerusalem,  and  that  occasioned 
the  meeting  there  at  that  time  ;  and  their 


intimacy  in  that  family,  while  at  Jerusalem, 
occasioned  their  taking  a  son  of  that  family 
with  them  when  they  returned,  to  be  trained 
up  under  them,  and  employed  by  them,  in 
the  service  of  the  Gospel.  Educating  young 
men  for  the  ministry,  and  entering  them  into 
it,  is  a  very  good  work  for  elder  ministers 
to  take  care  of,  and  of  good  service  to  the 
rising  generation. 

Chap.  XIII.  We  have  not  yet  met  with 
anything  concerning  the  spreading  of  the 
Gospel  to  the  Gentiles,  which  bears  any  pro¬ 
portion  to  the  largeness  of  that  commission. 
Go,  and  disciple  all  nations.  The  door  was 
opened  in  the  baptizing  of  Cornelius  and  his 
friends;  but  since  t,hen  we  had  the  Gospel 
preached  to  the  Jews  only,  ch.  11:19.  It 
should  seem  as  if  the  light,  which  began  tr> 
shine  on  the  Gentile  world,  had  withdrawn 
itself.  But  here  in  this  ch.  that  great,  good 
work  is  revived  in  the  midst  of  the  years  ; 
and  though  the  Jews  shall  still  have  the-first 
offer  of  the  Gospel,  yet,  on  their  refusal, 
the  Gentiles  shall  have  their  offer  of  it  :  so 
the  design  of  this  ch.  is,  to  show  how  cau¬ 
tiously,  how  gradually,  and  with  what  good 
reason,  the  apostles  carried  the  Gospel  into 
the  Gentile  world,  and  admitted  the  Gentiles 
into  the  church,  which  was  so  great  an  of¬ 
fence  to  the  Jews,  and  which  Paul  is  so  in¬ 
dustrious  lo  justify  in  his  epistles. 

V.  1 — 3.  I.  The  present  state  of  the 
church  at  Antioch. 

1.  How  well  furnished  it  was  with  good 
ministers,!).  1.  men  eminent  forgifts,  graces, 
and  usefulness.  Agabus  seems  to  have  been 
a  prophet,  and  not  a  teacher  ;  and  many 
were  teachers,  who  were  not  prophets  ;  hut 
those  were  at  times  divinely  inspired,  and 
had  instructions  immediately  from  heaven 
on  special  occasions,  which  gave  them  the 
title  of  prophets;  and  withal  they  were  sta¬ 
ted  teachers  of  the  church  in  their  religious 
assemblies,  expounded  the  Scriptures,  and 
opened  the  doctrine  of  Christ  with  suitable 
applications.  These  were  the  prophets,  and 
scribes,  or  teachers,  which  Christ  promised 
to  send.  Mat.  23:34.  such  as  were  every 
way  qualified  for  the  service  of  the  Christian 
church.  Antioch  was  a  great  city,  and  the 
Christians  there  were  many,  so  that  they 
could  not  all  meet  in  one  place;  it  was  there¬ 
fore  requisite  they  should  have  many  teach¬ 
ers,  to  preside  in  their  respective  assemblies, 
and  to  deliver  God’s  mind  to  them.  Barna¬ 
bas  is  first  named,  probably  because  the 
eldest,  and  Saul  last,  probably  because  the 
youngest  ;  but  afterward  the  last  became 
first,  and  Saul  more  eminent  in  the  chinch. 

Three  others  are  mentioned.  (1.)  Simeon, 
or  Simon,  who  for  distinction-sake  was  call¬ 
ed  Niger,  or  Black,  from  the  color  of  his 
hair;  like  him  that  with  us  was  surnamed 
the  Black  Prince.  (2.)  Lucius  of  Cyrene, 
who,  some  think,  (and  Dr.  Lightfoot  inclines 
to  it,)  W'as  the  same  with  this  Luke  that 
wrote  the  Acts;  originally  a  Cyrenian,  and 
educated  in  the  Cyrenian  college  or  syna¬ 
gogue  at  Jerusalem,  and  there  first  receiv¬ 
ing  the  Gospel.  (3.)  Manaen,  a  person  v  f 
some  quality,  as  it  should  seem,  for  he  was 


PR  ACT.  OBS.  Tile  lives  of  eminent  saints  are  more  desired  by  their 
brethren,  than  by  themselves.  A  peaceful  conscience,  a  lively  hope,  and 
the  consolations  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  produce  the  nmst  entire  composure 
in  tlie  immediate  prospect  of  death,  even  in  those  very  persons,  who 
have  at  other  times  been  the  most  distracted  with  terrors  on  that  account. 
The  instruments  of  persecution  are  exposed  to  the  most  imminent  dan¬ 
ger;  and  those  who  thus  ‘  light  against  Got!,’  ripen  apace  for  more  sig¬ 
nal  vengeance;  while  they  are  buoyed  up,  with  success  and  flattery,  in¬ 
to  the  most  extravagant  pride  and  arrogance. — We  may,  however,  learn 

(23.)  ‘The  historical  faith  of  Luke  is  exceedingly  confirmed  by  his 
making  no  mention  of  this  fable,  [of  tips  owl,  see  Jos.  in  Henry  ']  huin. 
Jos.  relates  the  secondary,  l.ttke  the  primary  cause.  As  to  the  manner 
of  the  angel’s  agency,  as  we  cannot  comprehend  the  mode  of  existence 
of  natures  superior  to  our  own,  we  cannot  say  how  lie  might  produce 
the  disease,  or  whether  visibly  or  invisibly,  though  we  can  imagine 
many  ways  of  depositing  the  seeds  of  disease,  unseen  and  unknown. 
The  narrative  appeals  to  faith  not  experience.  Jos.  makes  no  mention 
of  worms,  but  seems  to  refer  all  to  dysentery,  w  illing  perhaps  to  con¬ 
ceal  the  odious  truth,  out  of  regard  to  Herod  and  his  familv.  Bn. 


wisdom  from  the  policy  of  the  Tyrians  and  Zidonians :  for  we  have 
justly  offended  the  almighty  Lord,  with  our  sins;  we  entirely  depend 
on  Him  for  1  life,  and  breath,  and  all  things  it  surely,  then,  behooves 
ns  to  humble  ourselves  before  Him,  that,  through  the  appointed  Media¬ 
tor,  who  is  ever  ready  to  befriend  us,  we  may  be  reconciled  to  Him,  be¬ 
fore  ‘  wrath  come  upon  us  to  the  uttermost ;’  as  it  did  upon  proud 
Herod,  who,  while  others  trembled  at  his  impotent  rage,  would  not  fear 
the  almighty  God  !  Scott. 


NOTES.  Chap.  XIU.  V.  1 — 3.  The  surname  of  Niger,  or  1  Black,’ 
by  which  Simeon  was  known,  seems  to  have  been  given  him  on  account 
of  his  complexion  ;  perhaps  lie  was  a  negro.  Some  have  conjectured 
that  this  was  Simon  t lie  Cyrenian,  who  was  compelled  to  bear  the  cross 
after  Jesus ;  and  if  so,  Lucius  was  of  the  same  country. — (2)  Separate, 
&c.)  This  language  evidently  implies  the  personality  *  and  Deity  of  the 

*  If  this  term,  personality,  and  perrons,  (used  by  theologians,)  does  not  mean  separate 
identities,  why  use  it  ?  Persona  indicates  i /lentitij,  and  is  a  term  not  applied  in  the  Bible, 
to  Christ,  the  Spirit,  or  the  Father  :  if  those  who  make  creeds  do  not  intend  to  teach  three 
identities,  three  gods,  in  the  blessed  Godhead,  why  employ  it  f  11:1 . 


A.  D.  45. 


ACTS,  XIII. 


Ordination  of  Barnabas  and  Saul. 


2  As  they  ministered  to  the  Lord, 
and  fasted,  the  Holy  Ghost  said, 
Separate  b  me  Barnabas  and  Saul 
for  the  work  c  whereunto  I  have 
called  them. 

3  And  when  they  had  fasted  and 
prayed,  and  laid  their  hands  on 
them,  they  sent  them  away. 

4  So  they,  being  sent  forth  by 
the  Holy  Ghost,  departed  unto 
Seleucia  ;  and  from  thence  they 
sailed  tp  Cyprus. 

5  And  when  they  were  at  Sala- 
mis,  they  preached  the  word  of  God 
in  the  synagogues  of  the  Jews  : 
and  they  had  also  John  to  their 
minister. 

6  IT  And  when  they  had  gone 
through  the  isle  unto  Paphos,  they 
found  a  certain  sorcerer,  a  false 
prophet,  a  Jew,  whose  name  was 
Bar-jesus  : 

b  Ga.  1:15.  c  1  Ti.  9:7. 


brought  up  with  Herod  the  tetrarch,  which  gave 
him  a  fair  prospect  of  preferment  at  court, 
and  yet  for  Christ’s  sake  lie  quitted  all  the 
hopes  of  it,  like  Moses  ;  but  better  to  be 
fellow-sufferer  with  a  saint,  than  fellow-per¬ 
secutor  with  a  tetrarch. 

2.  How  well  employed  they  were,  v.  2. 
Diligent,  faithful  teachers  do  truly  minister 
unto  the  Lord.  They  that  minister  to  the 
church  in  praying  and  preaching,  both  which 
are  included  here,  minister  unto  the  Lord  ; 
ministering  unto  the  Lord,  in  one  way  or 
other,  ought  to  be  the  stated  business  of 
churches  and  their  teachers ;  religious  fast¬ 
ing,  too,  is  of  use  in  our  ministering  to  the 
Lord,  both  as  a  sign  of  our  humiliation,  and 
a  mean  of  our  mortification. 

II.  The  orders  given  by  the  Holy  Ghost 
for  the  setting  apart  of  Barnabas  and  Saul;, 
the  ministers  of  the  several  congregations  in 
the  city  joining  in  one  public,  solemn  fast  or 
day  of  prayer,  the  Holy  Ghost  said,  either 
by  a  voice  from  heaven,  or  by  a  strong  im¬ 
pulse  on  the  minds  of  those  that  were  proph¬ 
ets,  Separate  Me  Barnabas  and  Saul  for  the 
work  whereunto  I  have  called  them.  He  does 
not  specify  the  work,  but  refers  to  a  former 
call  they  knew  the  meaning  of;  as  for  Saul, 
he  was  particularly  told,  he  must  bear  Christ’s 
name  to  the  Gentiles,  ch.  9:  15.  must  be  sent 
to  the  Gentiles,  ch.  22:  21.  the  matter  was 
settled  between  them  at  Jerusalem  before 
this,  that  as  Peter,  James,  and  John,  laid 
out  themselves  among  them  of  the  circumci¬ 
sion,  so  Paul  and  Barnabas  should  go  to  the 
he  1 1 hen.  Gal.  2:7 — 9.  Barnabas,  it  is  like¬ 
ly,  knew  himself  designed  for  that  service 


as  well  as  Paul.  Yet  they  would  not  thrust  I 
themselves  into  this  harvest,  till  they  re¬ 
ceived  their  orders  from  the  Lord  of  the 
harvest.  Observe,  1.  Christ  by  his  Spirit 
has  the  nomination  of  his  ministers  ;  for  it 
is  by  the  Spirit  of  Christ  that  they  are  both 
qualified  in  some  measure  for  his  service, 
inclined  to  it,  and  taken  off  from  other  cares 
inconsistent  with  it.  The  Holy  Ghost  has 
separated  some  for  the  service  of  Christ,  as 
men  that  are  offered,  and  that  willingly  offer 
themselves  to  the  temple-service  ;  and  con¬ 
cerning  them,  directions  are  given  to  those 
who  are  competent  judges  of  the  sufficiency 
of  their  abilities,  and  the  sincerity  of  their 
inclination,  to  separate  them.  2.  Christ’s 
ministers  are  separated  to  Him  and  to  the 
Holy  Ghost  ;  Separate  them  to  Me.  ;  they  are  I 
to  be  employed  in  Christ’s  work,  and  under 
the  Spirit’s  guidance,  to  the  glory  of  God  j 
the  Father.  3.  All  that  are  separated  to  I 
Christ  as  his  ministers,  are  separated  to  j 
work  ;  Christ  keeps  no  servants  to  be  idle. 
If  any  man  desires  the  office  of  a  bishop,  he 
desires  a  good  work  ;  that  is  it  which  he  is 
separated  to,  to  labor  in  theWord  and  doctrine. 
They  are  separated  to  take  pains,  not  to 
take  state.  4.  The  work  of  Christ’s  min¬ 
isters,  to  which  they  are  to  lie  separated,  is 
work  already  settled,  which  all  Christ’s 
ministers  hitherto  have  been  called  to,  and 
which  they  themselves  have  first  been,  by 
an  external  call,  directed  to,  and  have  cho¬ 


sen. 


III.  Their  ordination,  pursuant  to  these 
orders  ;  not  to  the  ministry  in  general,  but 
to  a  particular  service  which  had  something 
peculiar  in  it,  and  required  a  fresh  commis¬ 
sion;  which  commission  God  saw  fit  at  this 
time  to  transmit  by  the  hands  of  these  proph¬ 
ets  and  teachers,  for  the  giving  of  this  direc¬ 
tion  to  the  church,  that  teachers  should  or¬ 
dain  teachers,  (for  prophets  we  are  not  now 
any  longer  to  expect,)  and  that  those  who 
have  the  dispensing  of  the  oracles  of  Christ 
committed  to  them,  should,  for  the  benefit 
of  posterity,  commit  the  same  to  faithful  men, 
who  shall  be  able  also  to  teach  others,  2  Tim. 
2:2.  So  here,  Simeon,  and  Lucius,  and 
Manaen,  faithful  teachers  at  this  time  in  the 
church  of  Antioch,  when  they  had  fasted  and 
prayed,  laid  their  hands  on  Barnabas  and  Saul, 
and  sent  them  away,  v.  3.  according  to  the 
directions  received.  Observe, 

1.  They  prayed  for  them.  When  good 
men  are  going  forth  about  good  work,  they 
ought  to  be  solemnly  and  particularly  prayed 
for,  especially  by  their  brethren  that  are 
their  fellow-laborers. 

2.  They  joined  fasting  with  their  prayers, 
as  they  did  in  their  other  ministrations,  v.  3. 
Christ  has  taught  us  this  by  his  abstaining 
from  sleep,  a  night-fast,  if  I  may  so  call  it, 
the  night  before  He  sent  forth  his  apostles, 
that  He  might  spend  it  in  prayer. 


3.  They  laid  their  hands  on  them.  Hereby 
they  gave  them  their  manumission,  or  dis¬ 
charge,  from  their  present  service  in  the 
church  of  Antioch;  acknowledging  not  onlv 
that  they  went  off  with  consent,  but  honor¬ 
ably  and  with  a  good  report :  and  thus  they 
implored  a  blessing  on  them  in  their  present 
undertaking  ;  and  in  order  to  this,  that  they 
might  be  filled  with  the  Holy  Ghost  in  their 
work.  This  is  explained,  ch.  14:26.  where 
it  is  said,  concerning  Paid  and  Barnabas, 
that  from  Antioch  they  had  been  recommended 
to  the  grace  of  God,  for  the  work  which  they 
fulfilled. 

V.  4 — 13.  In  these  vs.  we  have, 

I.  A  general  account  of  Barnabas  and 
Saul  coming  to  Cyprus,  perhaps  because 
Barnabas  was  a  native  of  that  island,  ch. 
4:36.  and  he  was  willing  they  should  have 
the  first  fruits  of  his  labors,  pursuant  to  his 
new  commission.  [Besides,  it  seems  to  have 
been,  like  Rhodes,  a  stepping-stone,  as  it 
were,  from  the  E.  to  the  European  world. 
Ed.]  Observe,  1.  If  the  Holy  Ghost  send 
them  forth,  then  they  fear  no  colors,  but  can 
cheerfully  venture  on  a  stormy  sea  from  An¬ 
tioch,  now  to  them  a  quiet  harbor.  2. 
They  came  to  Seleucia,  the  sea-port  oppo¬ 
site  to  Cyprus,  from  thence  crossed  the  sea 
to  Cyprus  ;  and  in  that  island  the  first  city 
they  came  to,  was  Salamis,  on  the  E.  side 
of  the  island,  v.  5.  and  when  they  had  sown 
good  seed  there,  thence  they  went  onward 
through  the  isle,  v.  6.  till  they  came  to  Pa¬ 
phos,  which  lay  on  the  western  coast.  3. 
They  preached  the  Word  of  God,  wherever 
they  came,  in  the  synagogues  of  the.  Jews  ; 
so  far  were  they  from  excluding  them,  that 
they  gave  them  the  preference,  and  so  left 
them,  who  believed  not,  inexcusable  ;  they 
would  have  gathered  them,  but  they  would  not. 

4.  They  had  John  to  their  minister  ;  not  their 
servant  in  common  things,  but  their  assist¬ 
ant  in  the  things  of  God  ;  either  to  prepare 
their  way  in  places  where  they  designed  to 
come,  or  to  carry  on  their  work  in  places 
where  they  had  begun  it,  or  to  converse  fa¬ 
miliarly  with  those  to  whom  they  preached 
publicly,  and  explain  things  to  them  ;  and 
such  an  one  might  be  many  ways  of  use  to 
them,  especially  in  a  strange  country. 

II.  A  particular  account  of  their  encoun¬ 
ter  with  Elymas  the  sorcerer,  whom  they  met 
with  at  Paphos,  where  the  governor  resided; 
a  place  famous  for  a  temple  built  to  Venus 
there,  thence  called  Paphia  Venus ;  and 
therefore  there  was  more  than  ordinary  need 
that  the  Son  of  God  should  be  manifested,  to 
destroy  the  works  of  the  devil. 

1.  There  the  deputy,  a  Gentile,  Sergius 
Paidus  by  name,  encouraged  the  apostles, 
and  was  willing  to  hear  their  message.  He 
was  governor  of  the  country,  under  the  Ro¬ 
man  emperor  ;  proconsul  or  propraetor,  and 
had  the  character  of  a  prudent,  intelligent. 


Holy  Spirit.  10:17—23.  John  14:15—17.  16:7—13.  1  Cor.  12:4—11.— 
Tiie  prophets  and  teachers,  in  laying  their  hands  on  them,  with  fasting 
and  prayer,  acted  by  immediate  order  from  the  Holy  Spirit ;  thus  giving 
a  public  testimony  to  their  assured  confidence,  that  they  were  divinely 
appointed  to  that  service,  and  expressing  fervent  desires  for  their  suc¬ 
cess  in  it.  Accordingly  they  are  said  to  have  been  ‘sent  forth  by  the 
Holy  Ghost.’  (4) — Barnabas  and  Saul  had,  for  a  considerable  lime,  been 
ministers  of  the  Word  ;  so  that  this  imposition  of  hands  could  not  be 
fir  the  purpose  of  ordaining  them  ;  nor  does  it  appear,  that  any  spirit¬ 
ual  gift,  or  new  authority,  was  conferred  by  it.  8:14 — 17. — Paul  was 
‘an  apostle,  not  by  man  :’  Gal.  1:1,  2.  his  apostolical  office  could  not 
then  be  conferred  at  this  time  ;  but  liiif  appointment  by  the  I.ord  Jesus 
Himself,  as  the  apostle  of  the  Gentiles,  might  thus  be  publicly  acknowl¬ 
edged,  in  the  principal  church  of  Gentile  converts.  Barnabas  also  is  af¬ 
terwards  spoken  of  as  an  apostle.  14:4,14.  Perhaps  he  was  appointed 
bv  the  Holy  Spirit  to  that  office,  on  this  occasion  ;  with  some  reference 
to  the  martyrdom  of  James,  by  which  the  number  of  the  apostles  was 
diminished.  11:24—28. — IVhich  had  been  brought  up  with  Herod.] 

‘  Herod’s  foster-brother.’  Marg.  Scott. 

(1.)  ‘  l’rom  this  chap,  to  the  end  of  the  book,  Luke  narrates  Paul’s 

journeys  among  the  Gentiles.  Prophets.]  Note,  11:27.  Teachers.] 
Diiaskaloi  :  persons,  who,  for  their  wisdom  and  eloquence,  were  ap¬ 
pointed  [by  whom  ?]  to  the  office  of  teaching  in  the  church:  [did  they 
not  rather  undertake  it  of  themselves  ?]  They  are  also  mentioned  1  Cor. 
12:20.  Eph.  4:11.  The  tetrarch.]  Antipas,  notAgrippa;  see  Watch, 
llrought  up  with.]  Suntrophos  ••  it  denotes,  1.  foster-brother;  2.  table- 
fellow;  3.  school-fellow.  The  term  was  especially  applied  to  children 
who  were  brought  up  as  companions  to  kings,  princes,  &c.,  and  shared 
their  food  and  education.  See  [Xen.  and]  I)iod.  Sic.,  also  Mac.  9:29. 


Erasmus,  Grot.,  dec.  refer  Manaen  to  the  2d  of  these  classes ;  Ileumaiin 
and  Walch,  with  more  probability,  to  the  1st.’  Bl. 

(2.)  ‘  Before  Cornelius’  conversion,  the  apostles  (10:1.)  had  received 
only  circumcised  proselytes  into  the  Christian  society  ;  nor  had  ihey 
preached  the  Gospel  to  the  Gentiles.  But  when  Cornelius,  a  Gentile, 
was,  by  God’s  providence,  received  into  that  society,  and  thus  the  Jeru¬ 
salemite  church  had  acknowledged  that  the  instruction  of  the  Gentiles 
was  agreeable  to  the  will  of  God,  some  Cyprians  and  Cyrenians  had 
communicated  the  doctrine  of  Christ  to  Gentiles  of  Antioch  (11:20), 
and  the  church  at  Jerusalem  had  sent  Barnabas  and  Saul  thither,  to  for¬ 
ward  the  work  so  happily  begun,  (11:22  and  25.)  And  these,  sojourning 
there  a  year,  taught  both  Jews  and  Gentiles  promiscuously.  But  now 
the  Christians  were  anxious  that  the  Gospel  should  be  more  widely 
propagated  among  the  Gentiles;  so  that  from  the  congregation  at  Anti¬ 
och  other  congregations  might  lie  generated,  as  from  a  common  pa¬ 
rent.  Therefore  the  chief  teachers  of  the  church  met  together,  to  choose, 
from  among  them,  some  who  should  sustain  the  weighty  office  of  pro¬ 
mulgating  the  Christian  doctrine  among  the  Gentiles.’  In. 

V.  4,  5.  If  the  sentence  of  excommunication,  which  had  been  pub¬ 
lished  against  those  who  confessed  Jesus  to  be  the  Christ,  was  still  in 
force  :  (John  11:57.)  it  is  evident,  that  it  was  little  noticed  at  a  distance 
from  Jerusalem  :  for  the  apostles  were  constantly  allowed  to  preach  in 
tile  synagogues. — John  Mark  accompanied  Paul  and  Barnabas,  to  per¬ 
form  such  services  by  their  direction,  as  he  was  capable  of ;  with  a  view, 
no  doubt,  of  his  being  employed  more  and  more,  as  a  preacher  ot  the 
Gospel.  Scott. 

V.  6 — 12.  Bar-jesus  was  also  called  ‘  Elvmas,’  from  an  Arabic  word 
signifying  a  sorcerer. — Some  think  he  [Sergius  Panins]  was  the  first 
idolatrous  Gentile,  who  was  converted  to  Christ ;  but  it  is  not  probable, 


A.  D.  45. 


ACTS,  XIII. 


They  preach  the  Gospel  in  Cyprus. 


7  Which  was  with  the  deputy  of 
the  country,  Sergius  Paulus,  a  pru¬ 
dent  man  ;  who  called  for  Barna¬ 
bas  and  Saul,  and  desired  to  hear 
the  word  of  God. 

8  But  Elyinas  the  sorcerer  (for 
so  is  his  name  by  interpretation) 
d  withstood  them,  seeking  to  turn 
•away  the  deputy  from  the  faith. 

9  Then  Saul  (who  also  is  called 
Paul),  filled  with  the  Holy  Ghost, 
set  his  eyes  on  him, 

10  And  said,  O  full  of  all  subtlety 
and  all  mischief,  thou  child  of  the 
devil,  thou  enemy  of  all  righteous¬ 
ness,  wilt  thou  not  cease  to  pervert 
the  right  ways  of  the  Lord  r 

11  And  now,  behold ,  the  hand  of 
the  Lord  is  upon  thee,  and  thou 
shalt  be  blind,  not  seeing  the  sun 
for  a  season.  And  immediately 
there  fell  on  him  a  mist  and  a  dark¬ 
ness  ;  and  he  went  about,  seeking 
some  to  lead  him  by  the  hand. 

12  Then  the  deputy,  when  he 
saw  what  was  done,  believed,  being 
astonished  at  the  doctrine  of  the 
Lord. 

d  2  Ti.  3:8.  - 

considerate  man  ;  which  appeared  by  this, 
that,  having  a  character  oi'  Barnabas  and 
Saul,  he  sent  for  them,  and  desired  to  hear 
the  Word  of  God.  Those  are  wise,  how¬ 
ever  they  may  be  ranked  among  the  fool¬ 
ish  of  this  world,  who  are  inquisitive  after 
the  mind  and  will  of  God. 

2.  There  Elymas,  a  Jew,  a  sorcerer,  op¬ 
posed  them  all  he  could.  This  justified  the 
apostles  in  turning  to  the  Gentiles,  that  this 
Jew  was  so  malignant  against  them.  (1.) 
This  Elymas  was  a  pretender  to  the  gift  of 
prophecy,  a  sorcerer,  a  f alse-prophct  ;  one 
that  would  be  taken  for  a  divine,  because 
skilled  in  the  arts  of  divination  ;  a  conjur¬ 
er,  who  took  on  him  to  tell  people  their  for¬ 
tune,  and  to  discover  things  lost,  and  prob¬ 
ably  was  in  league  with  the  devil  for  that  pur¬ 
pose  ;  his  name  was  Bar-jesus, — the  son  of 
Joshua  signifies  the  son  of  salvation  ;  but  the 
Syriac  calls  him  Bar-shoma,  the  son  of  pride,— 
the  son  of  inflammation.  (2.)  He  was  hanging 
on  at  court,  was  with  the  deputy  of  the  coun¬ 
try  ;  it  does  not  appear  that  the  deputy  call¬ 
ed  for  him,  as  he  did  for  Barnabas  and  Saul ; 
but  he  thrust  himself  on  him,  aiming,  no 
doubt,  to  make  a  hand  of  him,  and  get 
money  by  him.  (3.)  He  made  it  his  business 
to  withstand  Barnabas  and  Saul,  as  the  ma¬ 
gicians  in  Pharaoh’s  court  withstood  Moses 
and  Aaron,  2  Tim.  3:8.  thus  he  sought  to 
keep  the  deputy  from  receiving  the  Gospel, 
v.  8.  which  he  saw  him  inclined  to  do.  Sa¬ 
tan  is  in  a  special  maimer  busy  with  great 
men,  and  men  in  power,  to  keep  them  from 
being  religious  ;  because  he  knows  that  their 
example,  whether  good  or  bad,  will  have  an 


influence  on  many.  And  those  who  are  any 
way  instrumental  to  prejudice  people  against 
the  truths  and  ways  of  Christ,  are  doing  the 
devil’s  work.  (4.)  Saul,  who  is  here  for  the 
first  time  called  Paul,  and  never  after  Saul, 
fell  on  him  for  this,  with  a  holy  indignation. 
Saul  is  called  Paul,  v.  9.  his  Roman  name, 
now  when  he  is  sent  forth  among  the  Gen¬ 
tiles,  to  put  reputation  on  him  in  the  Roman 
cities  ;  Paulus  being  a  very  common  name 
among  them.  But,  some  think,  he  was 
never  called  Paul  till  now  that  he  was  in¬ 
strumental  in  the  conversion  of  Sergius 
Paulus  to  the  faith  of  Christ,  and  that  he 
took  that  name  Paulus,  as  a  memorial  of 
that  victory  obtained  by  the  Gospel  of 
Christ ;  as,  among  the  Romans,  he  that  had 
conquered  a  country,  took  his  denomination 
from  it,  as  Germanicus,  Britannicus,  Africa- 
nus  j  or  rather,  Sergius  Paulus  himself 
gave  him  the  name  Paulus,  in  token  of  his 
favor  and  respect  to  him,  as  Vespasian  gave 
his  name  Flavius  to  Josephus  the  Jew.  [1.] 
Paul  was  filled  with  the  Holy  Ghost  on  this 
occasion,  with  the  holy  zeal  against  a  pro¬ 
fessed  enemy  of  Christ,  which  was  one  of 
the  graces  of  the  Holy  Ghost  ;  a  spirit,  of 
burning;  filled  with  power  to  denounce  the 
wrath  of  God  against  him,  which  was  one 
of  the  gifts  of  the  Holy  Ghost  ;  a  spirit  of 
judgment.  He  felt  a  more  Ilian  ordinary  fer¬ 
vor  in  his  mind,  as  the  prophet  did  when 
full  of  power  by  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord,  Mic. 
3:8.  and  another  prophet,  when  his  facewas 
made  harder  than  flint,  Ez.  3:  9.  and  anoth¬ 
er,  when  his  mouth  was  made  like  a  sharp 
sword,  Is.  49:2.  What  Paul  said,  did  not 
come  from  any  personal  resentment,  but 
from  the  strong  impressions  the  Holy  Ghost 
made  on  his  spirit.  [2.]  He  set  his  eyes  on 
him,  to  face  him  down,  and  to  show  a  holy 
boldness,  in  opposition  to  his  wicked  impu¬ 
dence.  He  set  liis  eyes  on  him,  as  an  indica¬ 
tion  that  the  eye  of  the  heart-searching  God 
was  on  him,  and  saw  through  him  ;  nay,  that 
the  face  of  the  Lord  was  against  him,  Ps.  34: 
16.  He  fixed  his  eyes  on  him,  to  see  if  he 
could  discern  in  his  countenance  any  marks 
of  remorse  for  what  he  had  done  ;  which, 
if  he  could  have  discerned  the  least  sign  of, 
it  had  prevented  the  ensuing  doom.  [3.]  He 
gave  him  his  true  character,  not  in  passion, 
but  by  the  Holy  Ghost,  who  knows  men  bet¬ 
ter  than  they  know  themselves,  v.  10.  He 
describes  him  to  be  an  agent  for  hell ;  and 
such  there  have  been  on  earth,  ever  since 
Cain,  who  was  of  that  wicked  one  :  he  was 
really  a  child  of  the  devil,  bore  his  image, 
did  his  lusts,  and  served  his  interests,  John 
8:44.  two  things  resembling  him,  as  a  child 
his  father.  In  craft,  Gen.  3: 1.  though  void 
of  all  wisdom,  he  was  full  of  subtlety,  ex¬ 
pert  in  all  the  arts  of  deceiving  men,  and 
imposing  on  them.  In  malice  ;  he  was  full 
of  all  mischief ;  a  spiteful,  ill-conditioned 
man,  a  sworn,  implacable  enemy  to  God  and 
goodness.  A  fulness  of  subtlety  and  mis¬ 
chief  together,  make  a  man  indeed  a  child 
of  the  devil  :  and  as  it  follows,  of  course,  | 
an  enemy  to  all  righteousness,  for  the  devil  is  | 
so.  [4.]  He  charged  on  him  his  present  | 


crime,  and  expostulated  with  him  on  it  ; 
‘  Wilt  thou  not  cease  to  pervert  the  right  ways 
of  the  Lord,  to  misrepresent  them,  to  put 
false  colors  on  them,  and  so  to  discourage 
people  from  entering  into  them,  and  walking 
in  them  V  [5.]  He  denounced  the  judg¬ 
ment  of  God  on  him,  in  a  present  blindness, 
v.  11.  This  was  designed  both  for  the  proof 
of  his  crime,  as  it  was  a  miracle  wrought  to 
confirm  the  right  ways  of  the  Lord,  and  con¬ 
sequently  to  show  the  wickedness  of  him 
who  would  not  cease  to  pervert  them  ;  as 
also  for  the  punishment  of  his  crime.  It  was 
a  suitable  punishment  ;  he  shut  the  eyes  of 
his  mind  against  the  light  of  the  Gospel, 
therefore  justly  were  the  eyes  of  his  body 
shut  against  the  light  of  the  sun  ;  he  sought 
to  blind  the  deputy,  as  an  agent  for  the  god 
of  this  world,  2  Cor.  4:4.  therefore  is  him¬ 
self  struck  blind  :  yet  it  was  a  moderate 
punishment,  he  was  only  struck  blind,  when 
he  might  most  justly  have  been  struck  dead  ; 
and  it  was  only  for  a  season  ;  if  he  will  re¬ 
pent,  and  give  glory  to  God,  by  making  con¬ 
fession,  his  sight  shall  be  restored  ;  nay,  it 
should  seem,  though  he  do  not,  yet  his  sight 
shall  be  restored,  to  try  if  he  will  be  led  to 
repentance,  either  by  the  judgments  of  God 
or  by  his  mercies.  [6.]  This  judgment  was 
immediately  executed  ;  there  fell  on  him  a 
mist  and  a  darkness  ;  this  silenced  him  pre¬ 
sently,  filled  him  with  confusion,  and  was 
an  effectual  confutation  of  all  he  said  against 
the  doctrine  of  Christ.  It  was  also  an  ear¬ 
nest  to  him  of  a  much  sorer  punishment  if  he 
repent  not.  El)  mas  did  himself  proclaim  the 
truth  of  the  miracle,  when  he  went  about 
seeking  some  to  lead  him  by  the  hand ;  and 
where  now  is  all  his  skill  in  sorcery,  on 
which  he  had  so  much  valued  himself,  when 
he  can  neither  find  his  way  himself,  nor  find 
a  friend  that  will  be  so  kind  as  to  lead  him  ! 

3.  Notwithstanding  all  the  endeavors  of 
Elymas  to  turn  away  the  deputy  from  the 
faith,  he  was  brought  to  believe,  and  this 
miracle,  wrought  on  the  magician  himself, 
(like  the  boils  of  Egypt,)  Ex.  9  :  11.  con¬ 
tributed  to  it.  The  deputy  was  a  very  sen¬ 
sible  man,  and  observed  something  uncom¬ 
mon,  and  which  spake  its  divine  original, 
(1.)  In  Paul’s  preaching;  he  was  astonished 
at  the  doctrine  of  the  Lord,  the  Lord  Christ, 
the  doctrine  from  Him,  the  discoveries  He 
has  made  of  the  Father  ;  the  doctrine  con¬ 
cerning  Him,  his  Person,  natures,  offices, 
undertaking.  (2.)  In  this  miracle  ;  when 
he  saw  what  was  done,  and  how  much  Paul’s 
power  transcended  that  of  the  magician,  he 
believed.  It  is  not  said  that  he  was  baptized, 
and  so  made  a  complete  convert,  but  proba¬ 
bly  he  was.  The  tradition  of  the  Roman 
church,  which  has  taken  care  to  find  bish¬ 
oprics  for  all  the  eminent  converts  we  read 
of  in  the  Acts,  has  made  this  Sergius  Paulus 
bishop  of  Narbon  in  France,  left  there  by 
Paul  in  his  journey  to  Spain. 

III.  Their  departure  from  Cyprus.  Prob¬ 
ably  they  did  a  great  deal  more  there  than 
is  recorded,  where  an  account  is  given  only 
of  that  which  was  extraordinary, — the  con¬ 
version  of  the  deputy.  When  they  had  done 


that  all  the  Gentile  converts  at  Antioch  had  previously  been  proselyted 
from  idolatry  ;  or  that  Saul  and  Barnabas  had  made  no  converts  from 
idolatry  in  their  progress  through  Cyprus. — Dr.  Lardner  has,  with  great 
learning,  vindicated  the  accuracy  of  Luke,  in  calling  the  governor  t\  pro- 
consul ;  and  shown,  that  those  who  governed  the  provinces  by  the  ap¬ 
pointment  of  the  Senate,  were  called  proconsuls,  though  they  had  never 
been  consuls  ;  and  that  Cyprus  was  at  this  time  a  province  of  that  de¬ 
scription.  Scott. 

(6,7.1  Sorcerer.]  Magos  :  note,  8:9.  Prudent.]  1 1.  e.  clever,  capa¬ 
ble,  intelligent :  so  Tliucyd.  uses  the  Gr.  word.  This  corresponds  to 
what  Galen  (see  fVetst.)  says  of  this  proconsul;  ta  panta  proleuonlos 
ergois  te  kai  logois  lots  en  philosophia  ;  and,  cn  Phlabios , — espeukbs  de 
peri  tin  Aristotelous  philosophian.  From  which  it  appears,  that  he  was 
well  versed  in  natural  philosophy ;  and  probably  for  that  reason  (espe¬ 
cially  as  he  must  have  seen  the  folly  of  polytheism)  was  cultivating  the 
society  of  Bar-jesus,  who,  besides  communicating  information  on  the 
principles  of  natural  philosophy,  could  instruct  him  in  the  knowledge 
of  one  true  God,  as  contained  in  the  Jewish  religion.  His  sending  for 
Paul  and  Barnabas,  the  preachers  of  a  religion  which  professed  to  he  an 
improvement  upon  Judaism,  was  what  we  might  expect  from  so  curious 
an  investigator  of  truth.’  Bl. 

(8.)  ‘  Elymas  (from  Arab.  Aliman,  wise )  signifies  magus.  And  this 

[70J 


(as  Kuin.  observes)  was  the  name  given  to  the  magi  in  Arabia,’  (Bl.) 
because  from  Elam,  where  they  were  the  sacerdotal  and  learned  class, 
called  also  Chaldeans,  Dan.  2:2  ?  Notes,  Is.  41:  end.  Ed. 

(9.)  lKuin.  (as  Doddr.)  adopts  the  hypothesis  of  Beza  and  Grotitis, 
that,  having  conversed  hitherto  chiefly  with  Jews  and  Syrians,  to 
whom  the  name  of  Saul  was  familiar,  and  now  coming  among  Romans 
and  Greeks,  they  las  the  Heb.sft,  in  Shaul,  would  be  unpronounceable  to 
them]  would  naturally  pronounce  his  name  Paul ;  as  one  whose  Hebrew 
name  was  Jochanan,  would  be  called  by  the  Greeks  and  Latins,  Johan¬ 
nes  ;  by  the  French,  Jean;  by  the  Dutch,  Hans,  and  by  the  pnglish, 
John.  Perhaps  Paul  resolved  to  use  it  now,  on  this  solemn,  systematic 
mission,  seeing  the  inconveniences  of  his  former  name.’  Bl. 

(10.)  Subtlety  ...  mischief.]  Pretence,  cunning,  deceit ;  and  light- 
fingered,  expert  at  slight  of  hand,  though  the  Greek  often  means  an  aban¬ 
doned  and  accomplished  villain.  Dr.  A.  C.  and  Bl.  Ed. 

(11.)  Mist  and  darkness.]  ‘  Dimness  and  blindness.’  Bl.,  who  well 
remarks  ‘  many  German  writers  suspect,  (why  they  do  not  tell  us,) 
that  the  man’s  eyes  were  already  dim,  and  disposed  to  blindness;  nnd 
that  this  came  on  suddenly  from  the  fright  occasioned  by  Paul’s  threat  [!] 
It  is  unnecessary  for  me  to  notice  the  glaring  absurdities  of  this  hypoth - 
esis,  which,  like  most  such,  has  a  tendency  to  degrade  the  character  of 
the  apostle  almost  to  that  of  Bar-jesus  himself!  ’  Bl. 


A.  D.  45. 


ACTS,  XIII. 


Paul’s  discourse  to  the  Jews  at  Antioch. 


13  IF  Now  when  Paul  and  his 
company  loosed  from  Paphos,  they 
came  to  Perga  in  Pamphylia  ;  and 
John,  departing  '  from  them,  re¬ 
turned  to  Jerusalem. 

14  But  when  they  departed  from 
Perga,  they  came  to  Antioch  in 
Pisidia,  and  went  into  the  syna¬ 
gogue  fon  the  sabbath-day,  and  sat 
down. 

15  And  after  the  reading  s  of  the 
law  and  the  prophets,  the  rulers  of 
the  synagogue  sent  unto  them,  say¬ 
ing,  Ye  men  and  brethren,  if  ye 
have  any  word  h  of  exhortation  for 
the  people,  say  on. 

16  Then  Paul  stood  up,  and 
beckoning  with  his  hand,  said,  Men 
of  Israel,  and  ye  that  fear  God, 
give  audience. 

17  The  God  of  this  people  of 
Israel  chose  ’  our  fathers,  and  exalt¬ 
ed  the  people  when  they  dwelt j  as 
strangers  in  the  land  of  Egypt,  and 
with  an  k  high  arm  brought  he  them 
out  of  it. 

18  And  about  the  time  of  forty 
1  years  “suffered  he  their  manners 
in  the  wilderness. 

19  And  when  he  had  destroyed 
“seven  nations  in  the  land  of  Cha- 
naan,  he  “divided  their  land  to  them 
by  lot. 


e  o.  15:38. 
f  c.  18:4. 
g  ver.  27. 
h  He.  13:22. 
i  De.  7:6,7. 
j  Pe.  105:23. 
k  Ex.  13:14,16. 


1  Ex.  16:35. 
m  (Jr.  etropophor- 
eseri,  perhaps 
for  etrophophor- 
esen,  bore ,  or, 
fed  them,  a.s  a 
nurse  bcarelht 


or,  fecdeth  her 
child.  De.  1:31. 
according  to  the 
LXX  :  and  so 
Chrysostom, 
n  De.  7:1. 
o  Jos.  14,  &c. 


what  they  had  to  do,  1.  They  quitted  the 
country,  and  went  to  Perga.  Those  that 
went,  were  Paul,  and  his  company,  which 
probably  was  increased  in  Cyprus,  many 
being  desirous  to  accompany  him.  They 
that  were  about  Paul,  loosed  from  Paphos  ; 
which  supposes  that  lie  went  too  ;  but  such 
an  affection  had  his  new  friends  for  him, 
that  they  were  always  about  him,  and  by 
their  good-will  would  be  never  from  him. 
2.  Then  John  Mark  quitted  them,  and  re¬ 
turned  to  Jerusalem,  without  the  consent  of 
Paul  and  Barnabas  ;  either  he  did  not 
like  the  work,  or  he  wanted  to  go  see  his 
mother.  It  was  his  fault,  and  we  shall  hear 
of  it  again. 

V.  14 — 41.  Paul’s  sermon  to  them  of  An¬ 
tioch,  in  these  vs.  is,  it  is  likely,  the  sub¬ 
stance  of  what  was  preached  by  the  apostles 
generally  to  the  Jews  in  all  places  ;  for  in 
dealing  with  them,  the  proper  way  was,  to 
show  them  how  the  N.  T.,  which  they 
would  have  them  to  receive,  exactly  agreed 
with  the  O.  T.  which  they  not  only  received, 
but  were  zealous  for.  \Ve  have  here, 

I.  Paul  and  Barnabas’  appearance  in  a 
religious  assembly  of  the  Jews,  v.  14. 
Though  lately  successful  with  a  Roman  dep¬ 
uty,  yet,  when  they  came  to  Antioch,  they  did 
not  inquire  for  the  chief  magistrate,  or  make 
their  court  to  him,  but  applied  themselves  to 


the  Jews  ;  a  further  proof  of  their  good  af¬ 
fection  to  them,  and  desire  of  their  welfare. 

1.  They  observed  their  time  of  worship. 
The  first  day  of  the  week  they  observed 
among  themselves  as  a  Christian  Sabbath  ; 
but  if  they  will  meet  the  Jews,  it  must  be 
on  the  seventh-day  Sabbath;  which,  therefore, 
on  such  occasions,  they  did  as  yet  sometimes 
observe.  For  though  by  the  death  of  Christ 
the  ceremonial  law  died,  and  the  morality 
of  the  fourth  commandment  was  entirely 
transferred  to  the  Christian  Sabbath,  yet  it 
was  not  incongruous  to  join  the  Jews  in 
their  sabbath-sanctification. 

2.  They  met  them  in  their  place  of  wor¬ 
ship,  in  the  synagogue.  Sabbath-days-should 
be  kept  holy  in  solemn  assemblies;  they  are 
instituted  chiefly  for  public  worship  ;  the 
sabbath-day  is  a  holy  convocation,  and  for  that 
reason  no  servile  work  must  be  done  therein. 
Paul  and  Barnabas  were  strangers  ;  but 
wherever  we  come,  we  must  inquire  out 
God’s  faithful  worshippers,  and  join  them, 
as  those  that  desire  to  keep  up  a  communion 
with  all  saints;  though  strangers,  they  were 
admitted  into  the  synagogue,  and  to  sit  down 
there.  Care  should  be  taken,  in  places  of 
public  worship,  that  strangers  be  accommo¬ 
dated,  even  the  poorest  ;  for  of  those  of 
whom  we  know  nothing  else,  we  know  this, 
that  they  have  precious  souls. 

II.  Their  invitation  to  preach.  1.  The 
usual  service  of  the  synagogue  was  perform¬ 
ed,  v.  15.  When  we  come  together  to  wor¬ 
ship  God,  we  must  do  it  not  only  by  prayer 
and  praise,  but  by  the  reading  and  hearing 
of  the  Word  of  God  ;  hereby  we  give  Him 
the  glory  due -to  his  name,  as  our  Lord  and 
Lawgiver.  2.  Then  they  were  asked,  by 
the  rulers  of  the  synagogue,  to  give  them  a 
sermon,  v.  15.  Probably  the  rulers  had 
been  in  private  conversation  with  them  be¬ 
fore;  and  if  they  had  not  an  affection  to  the 
Gospel,  yet  had  at  least  the  curiosity  to  hear 
Paul  preach;  and  therefore  they  begged  the 
favor  of  a  word  of  exhortation  to  the  people. 
Note,  the  bare  reading  of  the  Scriptures  in 
public  assemblies  is  not  sufficient,  but  they 
should  be  expounded,  and  the  people  exhort¬ 
ed  out  of  them.  Those  that  preside,  and 
have  power,  in  public  assemblies,  should 
provide  for  a  word  of  exhortation,  whenever 
they  come  together.  Sometimes  a  word 
from  a  strange  minister  may  be  of  great  use. 

III.  Paul’s  sermon.  He  stood  up,  as  one 
prepared  and  determined  to  speak,  and 
beckoned  with  his  hand,  (o  excite  and  pre¬ 
pare  them  to  hear;  he  waved  his  hand  as  an 
orator,  not  only  desiring  silence  and  atten¬ 
tion,  but  endeavoring  to  move  affection,  and 
show  himself  in  earnest.  Perhaps,  there 
were  those  in  the  synagogue,  ready  to  op¬ 
pose  the  toleration  of  Paul’s  preaching,  and 
that  occasioned  some  tumultand  commotion, 
which  Paul  endeavored  to  quiet  by  that  de¬ 
cent  and  usual  motion  of  his  hand  ;  as  also 
by  his  modest  desire  of  a  patient,  impartial 
hearing  ;  ‘  Men  of  Israel,  that  are  Jews  by 
birth,  and  ye  that  fear  God,  that  are  prose¬ 
lyted  to  the  Jewish  religion,  give  audience  ; 
let  me  beg  your  attention  a  little,  for  I  have 
something  to  say  to  you,  which  concerns 
your  everlasting  peace,  and  would  not  say  it 
in  vain.’ 

Now  this  sermon  is  recorded,  to  show  that 


those  who  preached  the  Gospel  to  the  Gen¬ 
tiles,  did  it  not  till  they  had  first  used  their 
utmost  endeavor  with  the  Jews,  to  persuade 
them  to  come  in,  and  take  the  benefit  of  it; 
and  everything  is  touched  in  this  sermon, 
that  might  be  proper,  either  to  influence  the 
judgment,  or  affections  of  the  Jews,  to  em¬ 
brace  Christ  as  the  promised  Messiah. 

1.  Probably,  the  Jews  of  the  dispersion, 
being  more  in  danger  of  mingling  with  the 
nations,  were  more  jealous  of  their  peculi¬ 
arity  than  those  that  lived  in  their  own  land 
were;  therefore  Paul  is  here  very  careful  to 
notice  it,  to  their  honor.  But  they  ought  to 
remember  their  primitive  condition,  and 
God’s  free  love,  and  infer  hence,  that  God 
was  no  debtor  to  them,  and  did  them  no 
wrong,  if  He  at  length  plucked  up  the  hedge 
of  their  peculiarity.  But  they  were  debtors 
to  Him,  and  obliged  to  receive  such  further 
discoveries  as  He  should  make  of  his  will, 
and  to  admit  such  further  additions  as  He 
should  make  to  his  church.  For  He  had, 
with  a  high  hand  brought  them  out  of  Egypt; 
He  had  suffered  their  manners  forty  years  in 
the  wilderness,  v.  18.  Some  think  it  should 
be  read,  he  educated  them,  because  that  is  the 
w'ord  the  Sept,  use  concerning  God’s  fath¬ 
erly  care  of  them,  Deut.  1  :  31.  Both  may 
be  included  ;  for  God  both  made  great  pro¬ 
vision  for  them  for  forty  years  in  the  wilder¬ 
ness,  and  exercised  great  patience  with  them 
also.  So  many  years  as  we  have  each  of  us 
lived  in  this  world,  we  must  own  that  God 
has  thus  been  as  a  tender  Father  to  us,  has 
supplied  our  wants,  and  not  been  extreme  to 
mark  what  we  have  done  amiss  ;  we  have 
tried  his  patience,  and  yet  not  tired  it.  Let 
not  the  Jews  insist  too  much  on  the  privi¬ 
leges  of  their  peculiarity,  for  they  had  for¬ 
feited  them  a  thousand  times. 

Further,  He  had  put  them  in  possession 
of  the  land  of  Canaan,  v.  19.  a  great  honor, 
he  would  not  in  the  least  derogate  from. 
He  had  raised  up  men,  spirited  from  heaven, 
to  deliver  them,  after  their  settlement,  v.  20, 
21.  The  critics  find  some  difficulty  in  com¬ 
puting  these  450  years.  From  the  deliverance 
out  of  Egypt,  to  David’s  expulsion  of  the 
Jebusites  from  the  strong-hold  of  Zion,  which 
completed  the  casting  out  of  the  heathen 
nations,  was  450  years  ;  and  most  of  that 
time  they  were  under  judges.  Others  thus; 
The  government  of  the  judges,  from  the 
death  of  Joshua  to  the  death  of  Eli,  was  just 
339  years,  but  it  is  said  to  be  as  it  were  450 
years  ;  because  the  years  of  their  servitude 
to  the  several  nations  that  oppressed  them, 
though  really  included  in  the  years  of  the 
judges,  are  yet  mentioned  in  the  history  as 
if  distinct.  Now  these,  all  put  together, 
make  111  years,  and  those  added  to  the  339, 
make  them  450  ;  as  so  many,  though  not 
really  so  many.  He  governed  them  by  a 
prophet,  Samuel,  a  man  divinely  inspired  to 
preside  in  their  affairs.  He  afterward,  at 
their  request,  set  a  king  over  them,v.  21. 
Samuel’s  government  and  his  lasted  forty 
■years  ;  which  was  a  kind  of  transition  from 
the  theocracy  to  the  kingly  government.  At 
last,  He  made  David  their  king,  v.  22.  Then, 
when  He  had  removed  one  king,  He  soon 
raised  up  another  ;  raised  him  up  from  a 
mean  and  low  estate,  raised  him  up  on  high, 
2  S.  23  :  1.  He  quotes  the  testimony  God 


V.  14,  15.  Sat  down.]  1  Etcathisan  :  i.  e.  (as  Wolf  and  Kuin.)  “  occu¬ 
pied  life  seats  of  the  doctors  and  lawyers  thus  indicating  that  they 
entered  the  synagogue  with  a  disposition  to  teach.  The  Pentateuch 
was  so  distributed,  as  to  allow  of  being  read  through  in  the  year  ;  and 
to  each  passage  was  adjoined  a  portion,  having  some  affinity  with  it, 
from  the  prophets.  [See  Tables.]  The  reader,  or  another,  then  explain¬ 
ed.  Vitrinza,  de  Synag.  Bengel  thinks,  Deut.  1.  and  Is.  1.  were  the 
lesson,  since  these  chs.  are  even  yet  read  on  one  Sabbath,  and  Paul,  at 
v.  18.  refers  to  Deut.  1:31.  Rulers.]  Governors,  in  doctrine  and  dis¬ 
cipline,  appointing  readers,  and  having  power  of  corporal  punishment, 
and  excommunication.  These  now  sent  the  hyperetes  (or  clerk)  to 
Paul,  &.C.’  Bloomf.  • 

V.  15.  If  ye  have  any,  &c.]  Lit.  ‘  If  any  word  of  exhortation  be  in 
you.’  ‘There  is  some  emphasis  in  this  Hebraism,  by  which  it  is  under¬ 
stood,  that  whatever  there  is  in  us  of  divine  grace,  is  derived  to  us  from 
God,  that  we  may  carry  it  about  as  a  treasure  .shut  up  in  earthen  ves¬ 
sels.’  Beta.  Scott. 


V.  16 — 19.  Some  explain  the  expression,  ‘Ye  that  fear  God,’  of  the 
religious  proselytes  (43) :  but  it  is  plain,  that  there  were  Gentiles,  as 
well  as  proselytes,  in  the  synagogue  (42) ;  perhaps  some  place  was  al¬ 
lotted  to  them,  in  hopes  that  they  would  soon  embrace  the  Jewish  reli¬ 
gion,  as  others  already  had  done.  Scott. 

(17.)  Exalted.]  ‘  Honored  them  through  Joseph,  and  during  his  influ¬ 
ence;  multiplied  them,  as  Is.  1:1.  Gen.  48:19.  comp.  Deut  1:10.  Acts  7: 
17;  raised  them  from  their  calamitous  state;  and  worked  illustrious 
miracles  in  their  behalf.’  Buxt.,  Wolf,  Kypke ,  <fcc.  Bl. 

(18.)  Bear  with  manners.]  ‘  The  usage  of  the  word  in  the  received 
text,  etropophorcsen,  is  defended  and  illustrated  from  Cic.,  Terence, 
Aristoph.  The  other  reading  is  found  in  some  excellent  MSS.,  mid  the 
Syr.,  Arab.,  Copt.,  Mlh.,  Sclavonic;  is  recognised  by  Athanasius,  Cy¬ 
ril,  Macarius.  Hesychius,  and  Const.  Apostol. ;  is  defended  by  Pfaffi, 
Casauli.,  Hamm.,  Mill,  Beng.,  Mat.,  Ern.,  Pearce,  Morus,  Ros.,  Kuin., 
and  Valck. ;  and  has  been  received  into  the  text  by  Gnesb.  Bl.  who, 
however,  prefers  the  former ;  see  his  note.  Eo. 


A.  D.  45. 


ACTS,  XIII. 


Paul's  discourse  at  Antioch. 


20  And  after  that,  he  gave  unto 
them  judges,  f  about  the  space  of 
four  hundred  and  fifty  years,  until 
Samuel  the  prophet. 

21  And  afterward  they  q  desired 
a  king  :  and  God  gave  unto  them 
Saul  r  the  son  of  Cis,  a  man  of  the 
tribe  of  Benjamin,  by  the  space  of 
forty  years. 

22  And  when  5  he  had  removed 
him,  he  raised  up  unto  them  David 
1  to  he  their  king  ;  to  whom  also  he 
gave  testimony,  and  said,  I  have 
found  David  the  son  of  Jesse,  a 
man  “after  mine  own  heart,  which 
shall  fulfil  all  my  will. 

23  Of  this  man’s  seed  hath  God, 
according  to  his  promise,  v  raised 
unto  w  Israel  a  Savior,  Jesus  : 

24  When  John  xhad  first  preach-, 
ed,  before  his  coming,  the  baptism 
of  repentance  to  all  the  people  of 
Israel. 

p  Ju.  2:16.  s  1  Sa.  31:6.  v  Ps.  132:11. 

q  13a.  8:5.  t  3  Sa.  5:3.  w  Mat.  1:21. 

r  1  Sa.  10:1.  u  1  Sa.  13:14.  x  Mai.  3:1—11. 


gave  of  him,  a  man  after  my  own  heart;  such 
an  one  as  I  would  have.  This  character  was 
given  of  him  before  he  was  first  anointed, 
IS.  13  :  14.  He  shall  fulfil  all  my  will. 
[Note,  end  of  1  K.] 

Now  all  this  seems  to  show  not  only  the 
special  favor  of  God  to  Israel,  but  the  fur¬ 
ther  favors,  of  another  nature,  He  designed 
them,  and  which  were  now,  by  the  preach¬ 
ing  of  the  Gospel,  offered  to  them ;  therefore 
they  needed  not  conceive  any  jealousy  at  all 
of  the  preaching  of  the  Gospel,  as  if  it 
tended  in  the  least  to  damage  the  true 
excellences  of  the  Jewish  church. 

2.  He  gives  them  a  full  account  of  our 
Lord  Jesus,  passing  from  David  to  the  Son 
of  David,  and  shows,  that  this  Jesus  is  his 
promised  seed,  v.  23.  How  welcome  should 
the  preaching  of  the  Gospel  of  Christ  be  to 
the  Jews,  and  how  should  they  embrace,  it, 


as  well  worthy  of  all  acceptation,  when  it 
brought  them  the  tiding.-?  of  a  Savior,  to 
deliver  them  out  of  the  hands  of  their  enemies, 
to  save  them  from  their  sins,  even  their  worst 
enemies:  a  Savior  of  God’s  raising  up,  that 
has  his  commission  from  heaven  ;  raised  up 
to  be  a  Savior  unto  Israel,  to  them  in  the  first 
place  ;  raised  up  of  the  seed  of  David,  that 
ancient,  royal  family,  which  the  people  of 
Israel  gloried  so  much  in  ;  raised  up  ac¬ 
cording  to  his  promise,  the  promise  to  David, 
Ps.  132  :  11.  the  promise  to  the  O.  T. 
church,  in  the  latter  times  of  it,  Jet1.  23  : 5. 
This  promise  was  it  to  ivhich  the  twelve  tribes 
hoped  to  come,  ch.  26:  7.  w  hy  then  should  they 
entertain  it  so  coldly,  now  it  was  brought  to 
them!  Concerning  this  Jesus,  he  tells  them, 
(1.)  That  John  the  Baptist  was  his  har¬ 
binger  and  forerunner  ;  that  great  man, 
whom  all  acknowledge  to  be  a  prophet,  v.  24. 
1st.  He  made  way  for  his  entrance,  by 
preaching  the  baptism  of  repentance,  not  to  a 
few  select  disciples,  but  to  all  the  people  of 
Israel;  to  whom  Christ’s  grace  would  be  ac¬ 
ceptable,  when  they  were  thus  brought  to 
know  themselves.  2dly.  He  gave  notice  of 
his  approach,  v.  25.  As  he  fulfilled  his 
course,  when  he  was  going  on  vigorously  in 


he  to  those  that  attended  his  ministry,*  Who  ' 
think  ye  that  I  am  ?  What  notions  have  you 
of  me,  what  expectations  from  me  !  You 
may  be  thinking  that  I  am  the  Messiah, 
whom  you  expect  ;  but  you  are  mistaken, 

I  am  not  He:  (see  John  1 :  28.)  but  He  is  at 
the  door  ;  behold,  there  cometh  One ,  immedi¬ 
ately  after  me,  who  will  so  far  exceed  me  on 
all  accounts,  that  I  am  not  worthy  to  be  em¬ 
ployed  in  the  meanest  office  about  Him  ;  no, 
not  to  help  Him  on  and  off  with  his  shoes; 
and  you  may  guess  who  that  must  be.’ 

(2.)  That  the  rulers  and  people  of  the 
Jews,  who  should  have  welcomed  Him,  and 
been  his  willing,  forward,  faithful  subjects, 
were  his  persecutors  and  murderers  !  Paul 
cannot  charge  this  on  his  hearers,  as  Peter 
did,  ch.  2:  23.  but  he  charges  it  on  the  Jews 
at  Jerusalem,  and  the  rulers,  to  show  what  I 
little  reason  those  Jews  of  the  dispersion  I 


had  to  be  so  jealous  as  they  were,  for  the 
honor  of  their  nation,  when  it  had  brought 
on  itself  such  a  load  and  stain  of  guilt  as  this, 
and  how  justly  they  might  have  been  cut  oft’ 
from  all  benefit  by  the  Messiah,  and  yet  were 
not.  But,  indeed,  1st.  They  knew  Him  not, 
v.  27.  knew  not  who  He  was,  nor  his  errand 
into  the  world  ;  for  if  they  had  known,  they 
would  not  have  crucified  the  Tord  of  glory. 
Christ  owned  this  in  extenuation  of  their 
crime,  and  so  did  Peter,  ch.  3:  17.  It  was 
also  because  they  knew  not  the  voice  of  the 
prophets  ;  they  did  not  understand  nor  con¬ 
sider,  that  it  was  foretold  that  the  Messiah 
should  suffer.  Many  that  read  the  prophets, 
do  not  understand  the  meaning  of  them  ;  they 
have  the  sound  of  the  Gospel  in  their  ears, 
but  not  the  sense  of  it  in  their  heads,  or  sa¬ 
vor  of  it  in  their  hearts.  And  therefore  men  do 
not  know  Christ,  nor  know  how  to  carry  it 
toward  Him,  because  they  do  not  know  the 
voice  of  the  prophets,  who  testified  beforehand 
concerning  Christ.  2dly.  God  overruled  them 
for  the  accomplishment  of  the  prophecies  of 
the  O.  T.  Because  they  knew  not  the  voice  of 
the  prophets,  which  warned  them  not  to  touch 
God’s  Anointed,  they  fulfilled  them  in  con- 
i  dtmning  Him  ;  for  so  it  was  written,  that 
Messiah  the  Prince  shall  be  cut  off;  but  not  for 
Himself.  Men  may  be  fulfilling  scripture- 
prophecies,  even  when  breaking  scripture- 
precepts;  particularly  in  the  persecution  of 
the  church,  as  of  Christ.  And  this  justifies 
the  reason  sometimes  given  for  the  obscurity 
of  scripture-prophecies,  that  if  too  plain  and 
obvious,  their  accomplishment  would  thereby 
be  prevented.  So  Paul  saith  here,  because 
they  knew  not  the  voice  of  the  prophets,  there¬ 
fore  they  have  fulfilled  them,  which  implies 
they  would  not,  if  they  had  understood  them. 
3dly.  All  that  was  foretold  concerning  the 
sufferings  of  the  Messiah,  was  fulfilled  in 
Christ,  v.  29.  and  circumstances  are  noticed 
here,  that  made  his  resurrection  the  more 
illustrious.  They  laid  Him  in  a  sepulchre, 
and  thought  they  had  Him  fast. 

(3.)  That  He  rose  again  from  the  dead, 
and  saw  no  corruption  ;  this  was  the  great 
truth  to  be  preached;  for  it  is  the  main  pil¬ 
lar  by  which  the  whole  fabric  of  the  Gospel 


V.  20.  This  v.  has  peculiar  clilllcul ties  connected  with  it.  The  time, 
which  elapsed  from  the  departure  of  Israel  out  of  Egypt,  to  the  building 
of  Solomon’s  temple,  was  no  more  than  480  years.  (Note,  1  Kings  6: 
1.)  But,  on  the  lowest  computation,  57  years  elapsed,  from  the  passage 
of  the  Red  Sea  to  the  death  of  Joshua  ;  and  84  years,  during  the  days  of 
Samuel,  Saul,  and  David,  and  till  the  4lh  year  of  Solomon;  and  this 
leaves  only  339  years,  from  the  death  of  Joshua  to  the  times  of  Samuel. 
So  that,  without  adverting  to  the  difficulties  of  computing  the  years 
during  the  Judges,  Judg.  3:11.  11:25,  26.  it  is  evident  that  this  general 
calculation  cannot  possibly  allow  450  years  for  that  part  of  the  history, 
even  continuing  it  to  20  years  after  the  death  of  Eli.  Some  alteration, 
therefore,  seems  unavoidably  needfid  either  in  this  narrative,  or  in  the 
general  statement  in  Kings.  On  this  ground  some  think  that  350  years, 
should  be  read,  in  this  place,  instead  of  450 ;  and  it  is  evident,  that  the 
error  might  easily  be  made  by  a  transcriber.  This  would  bring  the 
computation  within  about  10  or  11  years;  and,  as  the  historian  says, 
‘  about  tne  space,  &c.’  it  might  be  improper  to  expect  greater  accuracy. 
There  is,  however,  no  authority,  which  warrants  such  a  change  in  the 
text. — ‘Josephus  saith,  that  Solomon  began  to  build  the  temple  .  ..  592 
years  after  the  children  of  Israel's  departure  out  of  Egypt.  Now  if 
you  make  the  time  of  the  Judges  450  years,  the  computation  is  exactly 
591  years.  lie’  (Paul)  1  therefore  here,  .  . .  accords  with  the  computa¬ 
tion  of  his  nation,  at  that  time,  that  so  they  might  not  except  against 
his  words.  Wilderness  40,  Joshua  17,  Judges  450,  Samuel  and  Saul  40, 
David  40,  Solomon  4: — 591.  ...  Luke  continually  follows  exactly  the 
computation  of  the  Sept,  and  of  the  Jews,  ns  we  learn  from  his  inserting 
Cainan  ;  (Luke  3:30.)  his  making  Saul  to  reign  40  years  (21);  and  from 
this  v.,  where  he  accords  exactly  with  Josephus.’  IVhitby,  in  Scott. — 
Perhaps  this  learned  writer  did  not  recollect,  that  this  computation  of 
Josephus  alters  the  whole  system  of  Biblical  chronology.  For  the 
chronology  of  the  Ileb.  Scripture  to  the  Exodus,  and  from  the  bnilding 
of  the  temple  till  the  coming  of  Christ,  is  founded  on  grounds  sufficient¬ 
ly  firm  ;  but  if  112  years  more  than  the  general  computation,  passed 
between  the  Exodus  and  the  building  of  the  temple;  then  the  birth  of 
Christ  took  place,  in  the  year  of  the  world  4115,  instead  of  4004.  It  is 
well  known,  or  at  least  generally  acknowledged,  that  the  chronology, 
both  of  the  Sept,  and  of  Josephus,  is  erroneous  and  perplexed,  in  no  or¬ 
dinary  degree ;  [note,  end  of  Gen. ;]  but  how  far  the  apostle,  and  Luke, 
in  recording  his  discourse,  took  these  unimportant  mntters,  as  they  found 
them,  is  another  question;  and  if  they  did  so,  the  circumstance  of  learn¬ 
ed  men  in  their  studies  having  discovered  that  those  generally  admitted 
calculations  were  inaccurate,  has,  in  my  view,  nothing  to  do  with  the 
divine  inspiration,  of  either  the  preacher  or  the  historian.  For  they 
were  inspired,  to  deliver  divine  truth  to  mankind,  unsophisticated  and 
unmutilated  ;  not  to  correct  genealogies,  or  give  chronological  calcula¬ 
tions.  Even  on  the  supposition,  that  the  apostle  was  aware  of  the  in¬ 
accuracy  ;  it  would  have  obstructed  his  grand  object,  to  advance  any 

[72]  ’ 


new  opinion,  or  to  go  out  of  his  way  to  correct  the  current  one. — *  Gro- 
tius  and  Usher  note  here,  that  other  copies  read  thus ;  “  He  divided  to 
them  their  land  about  450  years,  and  after  that  He  gave  them  judges 
and  they  begin  the  time  of  this  computation  from  the  birth  of  Isaac,  and 
to  the  end  of  7  years,  (in  Canaan,)  when  the  land  was  divided  to  them, 
was  about  450  years.’  IVhitby.  I  agree  with  this  writer,  that  this  is  not 
the  natural  or  obvious  construction  of  the  passage ;  but  could  it  stand 
without  any  alteration  of  the  text,  it  might  be  admitted. — ‘And  after 
these  things,  which  took  up  about  450  years,  He  gave  them  judges,  &c.’ 
This  would  require  no  change  in  the  text :  but  I  doubt  whether  it  be  not 
wholly  inadmissible;  and  if  so,  we  must  recur  to  the  solution  above 
given.  Scott. 

(20.)  ‘  As  this  passage  cannot  be  reconciled  with  it,  Kuiu.  (whom  see) 
suspects  1  K.  6:1.  to  be  corrupt.’  Ed. 

V.  21.  ‘  David  was  but  30  years  of  age,  when  he  began  to  reign  over 
Judah,  which  was  not  till  after  Saul  was  slain  ;  (2  Sam.  5:4.)  and  Samuel 
did  only  anoint  him,  (at  which  time  we  cannot  suppose  David  to  have 
been  less  than  15  years  old,)  but  lived  a  considerable  time  after.  The 
authority  of  Josephus  is  urged;  ...  for  he  says,  that  Saul  reigned  13 
years  during  Samuel’s  life,  and  22  years  after  his  death  ;  but  this  is  ut¬ 
terly  incredible;  for  then  David  could  not  be  8  years  old  when  Samuel 
anointed  him.’  Doddr. — Indeed,  as  many  subsequent  events,  which  must 
have  occupied  several  years,  took  place,  between  the  anointing  of  David 
and  the  death  of  Samuel;  1  S.  16:  25:1.  it  is  certain,  according  to  the 
scriptural  history,  that  Saul  survived  Samuel  but  a  short  time;  and  eve¬ 
ry  circumstance  combines  to  prove,  that  all  the  years  during  which  Sam¬ 
uel  judged  Israel,  and  Saul  reigned,  are  here  intended.  ‘  I  suppose,  that 
the  years  of  Samuel  also  are  added  to  the  reign  of  the  king,  by  Paul  ; 
Sulpitius  Severus ;  as  doubtless  they  were,  they  making  together  just  49 
years.’  IVhitby.  Scott. 

V.  22.  My  will.]  ‘The wills.’  Implying  the  several  particulars,  in 
which  David,  a  prophet,  a  king,  and  a  type  of  Christ,  accomplished  the 
commands  and  purposes  of  God.  Id. 

(22.)  ‘  There  is  no  passage  of  the  O.  T.  which  contains  precisely  these 
words;  which  seem  to  be  confounded  from  Ps.  89:21.  1  S.  13:14.  with 
some  slight  alteration  and  amplification  ;  on  which  mode  of  citing  from 
the  O.  T.,  see  note,  7:7.’  Kuin. 

V.  24 — 37.  The  Jews,  who  were  present,  had  doubtless  heard  of 
John’s  ministry;  and  of  his  declaration  that  he  was  not  the  Messiah,  but 
his  forerunner ;  and  probably  some  report  had  reached  them  of  his  tes¬ 
timony  to  Jesus.  The  passage  here  quoted  shows,  that  the  Messiah  was 
‘  the  Son  of  God  ’  in  a  peculiar  sense ;  and  the  decree  there  mentioned 
was  confirmed,  when  He  was  ‘declared  to  be  the  Son  of  God  with  pow¬ 
er,  by  his  resurrection  from  the  dead.’  Horn.  I -A — 4.  The  several  quo¬ 
tations  are  nearly  in  the  words  of  the  Sept.,  which  accord  with  the  Heb. 
— (33)  The  second  Psalm-]  The  Psalms  xvere  arranged  in  the  same  or¬ 
der  as  they  are  at  present. — His  own  generation  by  the  will  of  God. \ 


A.  D.  43. 


Paul’s  discourse  at  Antioch. 


ACTS,  XIII. 


as-  John  fulfilled 
said,  Whom  think 
1  am  not  he 
cometh  one 
feet 


his 

ye 

:  but,  be- 
after  me, 


I 


am  not 


25  And 
course,  he 
that  I  am  ? 
hold,  there 
whose  shoes  of  his 
worthy  to  loose. 

26  Men  and  brethren,  children 
of  the  stock  of  Abraham,  and  who¬ 
soever  among  you  feareth  God,  to 
you  *  is  the  word  of  this  salvation 
sent. 

27  For  they  that  dwell  at  Jeru¬ 
salem,  and  their  rulers,  because 
they  knew  him  not,  nor  yet  the 
voices  of  the  prophets  which  are 
read  every  sabbath-day,  zthev  have 
fulfilled  them  in  condemning  him. 

28  And  though  they  found  no 
cause  of  death  in  him,  yet  desired 
they  Pilate  that  he  should  be  slain. 

29  And  when  they  had  fulfilled 
all  that  was  written  of  him,  they 
took  him  down  from  the  tree,  and 
laid  him  in  a  sepulchre. 

30  But  God  raised  him  from  the 
dead  : 

31  And  he  was  seen  “many  days 
of  them  which  came  up  with  him 
from  Galilee  to  Jerusalem,  who  are 
his  witnesses  unto  the  people. 

32  And  we  declare  unto  you  glad 
tidings,  how  that  the  promise  b 
which  was  made  unto  the  fathers, 

33  God  hath  fulfilled  the  same 
unto  us  their  children,  in  that  he 
hath  raised  up  Jesus  again  ;  as  it  is 
also  written  in  the  second  psalm, 
Thou  0  art  my  Son,  this  day  have 
I  begotten  thee. 

34  And  as  concerning  that  he 
raised  him  up  from  the  dead,  now 
no  more  to  return  to  corruption,  he 
said  on  this  wise,  I  will  give  you 
the  sure  d  mercies  of  David. 

35  Wherefore  he  saith  also,  in 
e  another  psalm ,  Thou  shalt  not 
suffer  thine  Holy  One  to  see  cor¬ 
ruption. 

36  For  David,  f  after  he  had 
served  his  own  generation  by  the 
will  of  God,  s  fell  on  sleep,  and 
was  laid  unto  his  fathers,  and  saw 
corruption  : 

37  But  he,  whom  God  h  raised 
again,  saw  no  corruption. 

e  Ps.  16:10. 


y  Mat.  10:6. 
z  Lu.  24:20,44. 
a  c.  1:3. 
b  Ro.  4:13. 
c  Ps.  2:7. 
d  Gr.ta  osi&, holy, 
or,  just  things; 
which  word  the 


LXX,  both  in 
the  place  of  Is. 
55  :  3,  and  in 
many  others, 
use  for  that 
which  is  in  the 
Hebrew  mer¬ 
cies . 


f  or,  after  he  had 
in  his  own  age 
served  the  will 
of  God. 
g  1  K.  2:10. 
h  c.  2:24. 


is  supported,  therefore  he  insists  largely  on 
this,  and  shows,  1st.  That  He  rose  by  con¬ 
sent,  v.  30.  God  raised  Him;  sent  an  angel 
on  purpose  to  roll  away  the  stone  from  the 
prison  door,  returned  Him  the  spirit  which 
at  his  death  He  had  committed  into  the 
hands  of  his  Father,  and  quickened  Him  by 
the  Holy  Ghost.  2dly.  That  there  was  suf¬ 
ficient  proof  of  his  being  risen,  v.  31.  Paul 
says  nothing  of  his  own  seeing  Him,  which 
he  mentions,  1  Cor.  15:  8.  because  it  was  in 


a  vision,  which  was  more  convincing  to 
himself,  than  it  could  be  when  produced  to 
others  ;  [but  he  uses  we  in  v.  32.J  3dly. 
That  so  far  are  we  from  designing  to  put  any 
slur  on  you,  that  the  doctrine  we  preach,  if 
you  receive  it  aright,  and  understand  it, 
brings  you  the  greatest  honor  and  satisfac¬ 
tion  imaginable,  v.  32,  33. ;  for  it  is  in  the 
resurrection  of  Christ,  that  the  promise  which 
was  made  to  your  fathers ,  the  patriarchs,  & c. 
is  fulfilled  to  you.  God  raised  up  Jesus  to  be 
a  Prophet,  at  his  baptism  ;  to  be  a  Priest 
to  make  atonement,  at  his  death;  and  to  be 
a  King  to  rule  over  all,  at  his  ascension  ; 
and  his  raising  Him  up  again  from  the  dead, 
was  the  confirmation  and  ratification  of  all 
these  commissions,  and  proved  Him  raised 
of  God  to  these  offices.  This  is  the  fulfilling 
of  the  promises  made  to  the  fathers,  the 
promise  of  sending  the  Messiah,  and  of  all 
those  benefits  and  blessings  which  were  to  be 
had  with  Him  and  by  Him.  Paul  puts  him¬ 
self  into  the  number  of  the  Jews,  to  whom 
the  promise  was  fulfilled,  to  us  their  children. 
Now  if  they  who  preached  the  Gospel, 
brought  them  these  glad  tidings,  instead  of 
looking  upon  them  as  enemies,  they  ought  to 
caress  them  as  their  best  friends,  and  em¬ 
brace  their  doctrine  ;  for  if  they  valued  the 
promise  so  much,  and  themselves  by  it,  much 
more  the  performance.  And  the  preaching 
of  the  Gospel  to  the  Gentiles,  the  great  thing 
the  Jews  found  themselves  aggrieved  at,  was 
so  far  from  infringing  the  promise  made  to 
them,  that  the  promise  itself,  that  all  the  fam¬ 
ilies  of  the  earth  should  be  blessed  in  the  Mes¬ 
siah,  could  not  otherwise  be  accomplished. 
4thly.  That  the  resurrection  of  Christ  was 
the  great  proof  of  his  being  the  Son  of  God; 
and  confirms  what  was  written  in  the  second 
Ps.  Thou  art  my  Son,  this  day  have  I  be¬ 
gotten  Thee..  That  the  resurrection  of  Christ 
from  the  dead,  was  designed  to  evidence 
and  evince  this,  is  plain  from  that  of  the 
apostle,  Rom.  1:4.  Abundance  of  truth 
there  is  couched  in  those  words  ;  that  this 
Jesus  was  begotten  of  the  Father  before  all 
worlds  ;  was  the  Brightness  of  his  glory,  and 
the  express  image  of  his  Person,  as  the  son  is 
of  the  father’s  :  that  He  was  the  Logos,  the 
eternal  Thought  of  the  eternal  Mind;  that  He 
was  conceived  by  the  power  of  the  Holy 
Ghost,  in  the  womb  of  the  virgin  ;  for  on 
that  account  also,  that  Holy  Thing  was  called 
the  Son  of  God,  Luke  1 :  35.  that  He  was 
God’s  Agent  in  creating  and  governing  the 
world,  and  in  redeeming  it  and  reconciling 
it  to  Himself,  and  faithful  as  a  Son  in  his  own 
house;  and  as  such  was  Heir  of  all  things.  Now 
all  this  which  was  declared  at  Christ’s  bap¬ 
tism,  and  again  at  his  transfiguration,  was 
undeniably  proved  by  his  resurrection.  When 
his  eternal  generation  is  spoken  of,  it  is  not 
improper  to  say ,  This  day  have  I  begotten  Thee; 
for  from  everlasting  to  everlasting,  is  with  God 
as  it  were  one  and  the  same  eternal  [pres¬ 
ent].  Yet  it  may  also  be  accommodated  to 
his  resurrection,  in  a  subordinate  sense, 

‘  This  day  have  I  made  it  to  appear  that  I 
have  begotten  Thee  ;  and  this  day  have  I 
begotten  all  that  are  given  to  Thee  :  ’  for  it 
is  said,  1  Pet.  1 :  3.  that  the  God  and  Father 
of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  as  our  God  and 
Father,  hath  begotten  us  again  to  a  lively  hope, 
by  the  resurrection  of  Jesus  Christ  from  the 
dead.  5thly.  That  his  being  raised  the  third 
day,  so  as  not  to  see  corruption,  and  to  a 
heavenly  life,  so  as  no  more  to  return  to  cor¬ 
ruption,  to  the  state  of  the  dead,  as  others 
did  who  were  raised  to  life,  further  confirms 
his  being  the  Messiah  promised.  He  rose  to 


die  no  more  ;  so  it  is  expressed  Rom.  6:  9. 
Now  this  was  the  fulfilling  of  that  scripture, 
Is.  55:  3.  for  in  the  promise  made  to  David, 
and  in  him  to  Christ,  great  stress  is  laid 
upon  the  faithfulness  of  God,  Ps.  89:  1,  2, 
5,  24,  33.  and  upon  the  oath  God  had  sworn 
by  his  holiness,  v.  35.  Now  this  makes  them 
sure  mercies, indeed,  that  He  who  is  intrusted 
with  the  dispensing  of  them,  is  risen,  to  die 
no  more  ;  so  that  He  ever  lives  to  see  his 
own  will  executed,  and  the  blessings  He  hath 
purchased  for  us,  given  out  to  us.  He  rose 
so  soon  after  He  was  dead,  that  his  body  did 
not  see  corruption;  for  it  is  not  till  the  third 
day  that  the  body  begins  to  change.  Now 
this  was  promised  to  David,  it  was  one  of 
the  sure  mercies  of  David;  for  it  was  said  to 
him  in  Ps.  16:  10.  Neither  wilt  Thou  suffer 
thy  Holy  One  to  see  corruption,  v.  35.  God 
had  promised  to  David,  that  He  would  raise 
up  the  fllessiah  of  his  seed,  who  should 
therefore  be  a  Man,  but  should  not  like  other 
men  see  corruption.  This  promise  could  not 
be  and  was  not  accomplished  in  David,  v.  36. 
but  loooked  forward  to  and  was  accomplish¬ 
ed  in  Christ,  v.  37. 

3.  Having  given  them  this  account  of  the 
Lord  Jesus,  and  already,  in  the  midst  of  his 
discourse,  v.  26.  tenderly  and  respectfully 
told  them  their  intimate  and  common  con¬ 
cern  in  it,  he  comes,  in  closing,  to  apply  it  to 
his  hearers.  And  let  all  that  hear  the  Gos¬ 
pel  of  Christ,  know  : 

(1.)  That  it  is  an  act  of  indemnity  grant¬ 
ed  by  the  King  of  kings  to  the  children  of 
men,  who  stand  attainted  at  his  bar  of  trea¬ 
son  against  his  crown  and  dignity  ;  and  it 
is  for  and  in  consideration  of  the  mediation 
of  Christ  between  God  and  man,  that  this 
act  of  grace  is  passed  and  proclaimed,  v.  38. 
Through  this  Man,  who  died  and  rose  again, 
is  preached  unto  you  the  forgiveness  of  sins. 
VVe  are  to  tell  you,  in  God’s  name,  that  your 
sins,  though  many  and  great,  may  be  for¬ 
given,  and  how  it  is  come  about  that  they 
may  be  so,  without  any  injury  to  God’s  hon¬ 
or  ;  and  how  you  may  obtain  their  forgive¬ 
ness. 

(2.)  That  it  does  that  for  us,  which  the 
law  of  Moses  could  not  do.  The  Jews  were 
jealous  for  the  law,  and  because  it  prescribed 
expiatory  and  pacificatory  sacrifices,  and  a 
great  variety  of  purifications,  fancied  they 
might  be  justified  by  it  before  God.  ‘  No,’ 
saith  Paul,  *  be  it  known  to  you,  that  it  is  by 
Christ  only  that  they  who  believe  in  Him,  and 
none  else,  are  justified  from  all  things,  from 
all  the  guilt  and  stain  of  sin,  from  which  ye 
could  not  be  justified  by  the  law  of  Moses,’ 
v.  39.  therefore  embrace  the  Gospel,  and 
adhere  not  to  the  Law,  because  the  Gospel  is 
perfective,  not  destructive,  of  the  law.  Note, 
[1.]  The  great  concern  of  sinners,  is,  to  be 
justified,  to  be  acquitted  from  guilt,  and  ac¬ 
cepted  as  righteous  in  God’s  sight.  [2.] 
Those  who  are  truly  justified  are  acquitted 
from  all  their  guilt;  for  if  any  be  left  charged 
on  the  sinner,  he  is  undone.  [3.]  It  was 
impossible  for  a  sinner  to  be  justified  by  the 
law  of  Moses ;  not  by  his  moral  law,  for  we 
have  all  broken  it,  and  transgress  it  daily, 
so  that  instead  of  justifying  us,  it  condemns 
us  :  not  by  his  remedial  law,  for  it  was  not 
possible  that  the  blood  of  bulls  and  goats 
should  take  away  sin,  should  satisfy  God’s 
offended  justice,  or  pacify  the  sinner’s 
wounded  conscience.  'It  was  but  a  ritual  and 
typical  institution.  See  Heb.  9:9.  10:1,4. 
[4.]  By  Jesus  Christ  we  obtain  a  complete 
justification;  for  by  Him  a  complete  atone¬ 
ment  was  made  for  sin.  [5.]  All  that  believe 


As  there  is  no  preposition  to  either  clause,  the  words  may  be  rendered, 
1  Having  served,’  or  ‘  ministered  unto  the  will,’  or  counsel,  ‘  of  God,  iu 
his  own  generation,  he  fell  asleep,  Sec.'  And  this  seems  the  more  ex¬ 
act  view  of  the  subject.  ‘  The  counsel  of  God,’  to  which  David  minis¬ 
tered,  related  to  many  generations  ;  but  he  fulfilled  his  service  during  his 
life;  whereas  Christ  fulfils  a  most  important  part  of  his  ofiice,  subse¬ 
quent  to  his  death,  as  risen,  and  nscended,  and  glorified.  Scott. 

(25.)  Course .]  A  metaphor  from  racing;  note,  1  Cor.  9:24.  En. 

(33.)  Second.]  1  Or,  first,  as  the  Codex  Cant.,  and  some  Fathers  read, 
N.  T.  VOL.  V.  10 


which,  as  the  more  difficult  reading,  most  critics  receive.  The  Ps.  in  our 
editions, 2d,  was  once  reckoned  the  1st.  Ps.  1.  being  considered  but  apre- 
face.’  Bl.  Kuin.  thinks  the  kings  of  Israel,  as  vicegerents  of  the  Su¬ 
preme  King,  were  styled  sons  of  God,  Ps.  89:27.  2  S.  7:14. :  hence  the 
Messiah  was  so  called,  and  gives  the  sense  of  the  ch.,  Thou  art  a  King  ap¬ 
pointed  by  Me.  Wetst.  quotes  the  expression,  1  this  day,’  &c.  as  used 
by  classic  writers,  of  sudden  deliverance  from  a  perilous  crisis  ;  and  as  a 
mode  of  expressing  peculiar  tenderness.  See  Bl.  and  Kuin.  Ed 

(34.)  Corruption.]  ‘ Experience  putrefaction.’  Bloomf. 


A.  D.  46. 


ACTS,  XIII. 


The  Gospel  preached  to  the  Gentiles. 


38  Be  it  known  unto  you  there¬ 
fore,  men  and  brethren, that  through 

this  man  is  preached  unto  you  the 
forgiveness  of  sins  : 

39  And  by  >  him,  all  that  believe 
are  justified  from  all  things,  from 
which  ye  could  not  be  justified  by 
the  law  of  Moses. 

40  Beware  therefore,  lest  that 
come  upon  you  which  is  spoken  of 
in  k  the  prophets  ; 

41  Behold,  ye  despisers,  and 
wonder,  and  perish  :  for  I  work  a 
work  in  your  days,  a  work  which 
ye  shall  in  nowise  believe,  though 
a  man  declare  it  unto  you. 

42  IT  And  when  the  Jews  were 
gone  out  of  the  synagogue,  the 
Gentiles  besought  that  these  words 
might  be  preached  to  them  1  the 
next  sabbath. 

43  Now  when  the  congregation 
was  broken  up,  many  of  the  Jews 
and  religious  proselytes  followed 
Paul  and  Barnabas  :  who  speaking 
to  them,  persuaded  them  to  con¬ 
tinue  “in  the  grace  of  God. 

44  1[  And  the  next  sabbath-day 
came  almost  the  whole  city  togeth¬ 
er,  to  hear  the  word  of  God. 

45  But  when  the  Jews  saw  the 
multitudes,  they  were  filled  with 
envy,  and  spake  against  those 
things  which  were  spoken  by  Paul, 
"contradicting  and  blaspheming. 

i  Da.  9:24.  L«.  k  Is.  29:14.  Ha.  Sabbath  between. 

24:47.  I  Jn. 2: 12.  1:5.  m  c.  14:22.  He 

j  Is.  53:11.  Ha.2:  1  in  the  week  be*  6:11,12.  12:15. 

4.  Ro.3:28.  8:1.  tween ,  or,  in  the  n  c.  J8:6. 

in  Christ,  that  rely  on  Him,  and  give  up 
themselves  to  be  ruled  by  Him,  are  justified 
by  Him,  and  none  but  they.  [6.]  What  the 
Law  could  not  do  for  us,  in  that  it  was  weak , 
that  the  Gospel  of  Christ  does ;  therefore  it 
was  folly,  out  of  a  jealousy  for  the  law  of 
Moses,  and  the  honor  of  that  institution,  to 
conceive  a  jealousy  of  the  Gospel  of  Christ, 
and  the  designs  of  that  more  perfect  insti¬ 
tution. 

(3.)  It  is  at  their  utmost  pen)  if  they  re¬ 
ject  the  Gospel  of  Christ,  and  turn  their 
backs  on  the  offer  now  made  them,  v.  40, 41. 
Those  to  whom  the  Gospel  is  preached,  must 
see  themselves  on  trial,  and  are  concerned 
to  beware  lest  they  be  found  refusers  of  the 
grace  offered.  The  threatenings  are  warn¬ 
ings  to  ns.  Now  the  prophecy  referred  to', 
we  have,  Hab.  1 :  5.  where  the  destruction  of 
the  Jewish  nation  by  the  Chaldeans,  is  fore¬ 
told  as  an  incredible,  unparalleled  destruc¬ 
tion  ;  and  that  is  here  applied  to  the  destruc¬ 


tion  that  was  coming  on  that  nation  by  the 
Romans,  for  their  rejecting  of  the  Gospel  ol 
Christ.  The  apostle  follows  the  Sept.  tr. ; 
which  l  eads,  Behold,  ye  despisers  :  (for,  Be¬ 
hold, ye  among  the  heathen;)  because  [while] 
it  made  the  text  more  apposite  to  his  pur¬ 
pose  ;  [his  audience  betler  knew  the  Sept, 
than  the  Heb.]  Note,  it  is  the  ruin  of  many, 
that  they  despise  religion,  they  look  upon  it 
as  a  thing  below  them,  and  are  not  willing  to 
stoop  to  it.  But  they  that  will  not  wonder 
and  be  saved,  shall  wonder  and  perish.  Let 
the  unbelieving  Jews  expect,  that  God  will 
work  a  v>orh  in  their  da ys,  U’hich  you  shall  in 
no  wise  believe,  though  a  man.  declare  it  unto 
you.  This  may  be  understood  as  a  predic¬ 
tion,  either,  [1.]  Of  their  sin  ;  that  they 
should  be  incredulous,  that  that  great  work 
of  God,  the  redemption  of  the  world  by 
Christ,  though  it  should  be  in  the  most  sol¬ 
emn  manner  declared  unto  them,  yet  they 
would  in  no  wise  believe  it,  Is.  53: 1 .  Or,  [2.] 
Of  their  destruction  ;  the  dissolving  of  the 
Jewish  polity,  the  taking  of  the  kingdom  of 
God  from  them,  and  giving  it  to  the  Gen¬ 
tiles,  the  destruction  of  their  holy  house  and 
city,  and  the  dispersion  of  their  people, 
Mat.  24:21.  Thus  is  there  a  strange  pun¬ 
ishment  to  the  workers  of  iniquity,  especially 
to  the  despisers  of  Christ,  Job  31:  3. 

V.  42 — 52.  The  design  of  this  story  be¬ 
ing  to  vindicate  the  apostles,  especially  Paul, 
as  be  doth  himself  at  large,  Rom.  11.  from 
the  reflections  of  the  Jews  on  him  for 
preaching  the  Gospel  to  the  Gentiles,  it  is 
here  observed,  that  he  proceeded  therein 
with  all  the  caution  imaginable,  and  on  due 
consideration,  of  which  here  is  an  instance. 

I.  Some  of  the  Jews  were  so  incensed 
against  the  preaching  of  the  Gospel,  not  to 
the  Gentiles,  but  to  themselves,  that  they 
would  not  hear  to  hear  it,  but  resolved  they 
would  not  be  convinced,  and  went  out  of  the 
synagogue  while  Paul  was  preaching,  v.  42. 
in  contempt  of  him  and  his  doctrine,  and  to 
the  disturbance  of  the  congregation.  Now 
this  spoke  an  open,  obstinate  infidelity. 
Justly  therefore  was  the  Gospel  taken  from 
them,  when  they  first  took  themselves  from 
it.  God  never  leaves  any  till  they  first  leave 
Him. 

II.  The  Gentiles  were  as  willing  to  hear 
the  Gospel,  as  those  rude  and  ill-conditioned 
Jews  were  to  get  out  of  the  hearing  of  it  ; 
They  besought  that  these  words,  or  words  to 
this  effect,  might  be  preached  to  them  the  next 
Sabbath;  in  the  week  between,  so  some  take 
it  ;  on  the  second  and  fifth  day  of  tiie  week, 
which  in  some  synagogues  were  their  lec¬ 
ture-days.  But  it  appears,  v.  44.  that  it 
was  the  next  sabbath-day  that  they  came  to¬ 
gether.  This  justifies  Paul  in  his  preach¬ 
ing  to  them,  that  he  was  invited  to  it,  as 
Peter  was  sent  for  to  Cornelius.  Who  could 
refuse  to  break  the  brpad  of  life  to  those  who 
begged  so  hard  for  it  ;  and  to  give  that  to 


the  poor  at  the  door,  which  the  children  at 
the  table  threw  under  their  feet  1  They  had 
heard  the  doctrine  of  Christ,  but  did  not  un¬ 
derstand  it  at  the  first  hearing,  nor  could 
fhey  remember  all  that  they  had  heard, 
therefore  they  begged  it  might  he  preached 
to  them  again.  It  is  good  to  have  the  Word 
of  Christ  repeated  to  us.  To  hear  the  same 
things  should  not  he  grievous,  because  it  is 
safe,  Phil.  3:1. 

III.  There  were  some,  nay,  many  of  the 
Jews  and  religious  proselytes  wrought  upon, 
who  foliinced  Paul  and.  Barnabas,  and  re¬ 
ceived  further  instructions  and  encourage¬ 
ment  from  them  :  submitted  to  the  grace  of 
God,  and  were  admitted  to  the  benefit  and 
comfort  of  it  ;  that  is  implied  in  their  be¬ 
ing  exhorted  to  continue  in  it.  Paul  and 
Barnabas ,  speaking  to  them  with  all  the  free¬ 
dom  and  friendship  imaginable,  persuaded 
them  to  continue  in  the.  grace  of  God  ;  to  hold 
fast  what  they  had  received  ;  to  continue 
in  their  belief  of  the  Gospel  of  grace  ;  to 
continue  in  their  dependence  on  the  Spirit 
of  grace,  and  attendance  on  the  means  of 
grace.  And  the  grace  of  God  shall  not  be 
wanting  to  those  who  thus  continue  in  it. 

IV.  There  was  a  cheerful  attendance  upon 
the  preachingof  the  Gospel  the  next  sabbath- 
day  ;  (v.  44.)  proving  the  fields  were  white 
to  the  harvest,  and  so  justifying  Paul.  Almost 
the  whole  city  (the  generality  of  which  were 
Gentiles)  came  together  to  hear  the  Word  of 
God.  Probably  Paul  and  Barnabas  were 
not  idle  in  the  week-days,  but  took  all  op¬ 
portunities  in  the  week  between,  (as  some 
think  the  Gentiles  desired,)  to  bring  them  ac¬ 
quainted  with  Christ,  and  to  raise  their  ex¬ 
pectations  from  Him.  They  did  a  great  deal 
in  private  discourse  and  conversation,  as 
well  as  in  their  public  sermons.  Some  of 
this  vast  concourse  came  out  of  curiosity, 
the  thing  being  new  ;  others,  longing  to  see 
what  the  Jews  would  do  on  the  second  ten¬ 
der  of  the  Gospel  to  them  ;  and  many  who 
had  heard  something  of  the  Word  of  God, 
came  to  hear  more  ;  and  to  hear  it,  not  as 
the  word  of  men,  but  as  the  Word  of  God 
by  which  we  must  be  ruled  and  judged. 

V.  When  the  Jews  saw  the  multitudes,  and 
considered  what  an  encouragement  it  was  to 
Paul  to  go  on  in  his  work  ;  when  they  saw 
people  thus  flying  like  doves  to  their  win¬ 
dows,  and  what  probability  there  was,  that, 
among  these  multitudes,  some  would  be, 
without  doubt,  wrought  upon,  and,  it  is  like¬ 
ly,  the  greater  part,  to  embrace  Christ, — this 
filled  them  with  indignation  and  envy,  v.  45. 
This  was  the  same  spirit  that  worked  in  the 
Pharisees  toward  Christ,  they  were  cut  to 
the  heart,  when  they  saw  the  whole  world  go 
after  Him.  When  the  kingdom  of  heaven 
was  opened,  they  not  only  would  not  go  in 
themselves,  but  were  angry  with  them  that 
did.  They  opposed  the  doctrine  the  apos¬ 
tles  preached  ;  cavilled  at  those  things,  start- 


V.  38 — 41.  The  apostle  here  applied  the  doctrine,  which  he  had  stat¬ 
ed  and  proved. — There  were  several  crimes,  for  which  no  sacrilicea  were 
appointed,  but  to  which  the  sentence  of  death  was  annexed,  by  that 
law.  Ps.  51:16. — This  discourse,  and  the  subsequent  vs.,  are  worthy  of 
particular  consideration;  especially  for  the  representation  which  it 
gives  of  the  apostle’s  message  ;  and  as  it  enters  so  explicitly,  in  the  way 
of  the  epistles,  into  the  doctrine  of  justification  by  Christ.  Rom.  3:19 — 
26.  4:1 — 8.  5:1,2.  SCOTT. 

(SO.)  ‘The  Law  appointed  Bin-offerings  to  expiate  smaller  offences, 
so  far  as  that  the  offender  who  offered  them  should  he  free  from  all  fur¬ 
ther  prosecution  on  account  of  them.  But  this  very  view  of  them 
shows,  liow  absolutely  necessary  to  the  being  of  society  it  was,  that  they 
should  not  be  admitted  in  cases  of  murder,  adultery,  &c.  These  crimes, 
therefore,  wrere  made  capital;  nor  was  the  dying  criminal,  however  pen¬ 
itent,  allowed  to  offer  them  ;  which  would  have  been  quite  inconsistent 
with  the  temporal  pardon  connected  with  them.  But  the  expiatory  sa¬ 
crifice  of  Christ  takes  away  the  guilt  of  all  sins;  and  though  it  by  no 
means  affects  the  manner  in  which  offenders  would  stand  in  human 
courts,  (which  the  Mosaic  sacrifice  did,)  it  delivers  from  the  condemna¬ 
tion  of  God  in  the  invisible  world,  with  respect  to  which  the  others  could 
have  no  efficacy  at  all ;  as  it  was  a  very  supposable  case,  that  an  impen¬ 
itent  sinner  might  present  them  in  all  their  exactest  forms.  Comp.  Rom. 
8:3.  Gal.  2:16.  Heb.  10:4.’  l)ODDR. 

V.  42 — 48.  ‘As  many  as  were  ordained  to  eternal  life.’ — Some  inter¬ 
pret  the  word  here  used,  of  the  internal  disposition  of  the  heart  of  the 
hearers;  those  who  were  in  earnest  to  obtain  eternal  life  at  all  adven¬ 
tures,  believed  the  Gospel.  This  indeed  does  not  seem  the  meaning  of 

[74] 


the  wTord  :  yet  as  such  a  disposition  is  the  effect  of  preventing  grace,  it 
still  lends  us  back  to  that  humiliating  [humbling]  doctrine,  which  so 
much  labor  is  employed  in  vain  to  obscure  or  exclude.  Phil.  2:12,  13. 
Jam.  1:6 — 18.  See  Art.  x.  of  the  Church  of  England.  ‘O  God,  from 
whom  all  holy  desires,  all  good  counsels,  and  ail  just  works  do  proceed, 
Ac.’  Col.  ‘  The  translators  of  the  English  Testament  give  many  words 
a  predestinari'an  sense,  which  there  is  no  reason  for.’  Gilpin.  The  jus¬ 
tice  of  this  remark  may  fairly  be  disputed  :  but  it  shows,  at  least,  what 
even  an  opponent  allows  to  have  been  the  creed  of  the  translators ;  for 
men  do  not  generally,  in  translating  or  commenting,  give  words  a  mean¬ 
ing  contrary  to  their  own  decided  opinions,  without  very  strong  reasons 
for  so  doing. — It  is  indeed  useless,  and  Highly  improper,  and  quite  unne¬ 
cessary,  to  rest  the  argument  on  a  word,  which  may  perhaps  admit  of 
some  other  meaning;  but  the  labored  discussions  of  those,  who  are 
greatly  afraid  lest  the  doctrine  of  gratuitous  personal  election  to  eternal 
life  should  be  collected  from  it,  leave  this  impression  on  my  mind,  that 
these  writers  would  themselves  have  carefully  avoided  a  term,  which 
needs  so  much  guarding  against  misconstruction. — (47)  /  have  set,  &c.] 
Nearly,  not  exactly  from  the  LXX,  who  well  tr.  the  Heb.  Is.  49:5,6.  Sc. 

(42.)  The  words  ‘  the  Jews,'  and  ‘  the  Gentiles ,’  seem  to  Bl.  to  have 
been  brought  in  from  the  marg.,  where  some  glossograplier  put  them  as 
explanatory.  See  his  satisfactory  note.  Ed.  Are.r/.1  ‘  Seal.,  Grot.,  Ca- 
saub.,  Beza,  Tindal,  Schmid,  Pearce,  Schoettgen,  (wi. o  proves  the  Jews 
had  week-day  meetings  for  worship,)  and  some  recent  Germans,  take  it 
to  signify,  after  the  Sabbath ,  i.  e.  some  intermediate  week  day.  But 
Erasmus,  Glass,  Kypke,  Krebs,  Morus,  Heinr.,  Kuin.,  also  Syr.,  Vulg., 
Arab.,  Ailh.,  coincide  with  our  Eng.  vers. ;  confirmed  l  y  v.  44.’  Bl. 


A.  D.  46. 


ACTS,  XIII. 


The  Gospel  preached  to  the  Gentiles. 


46  Then  Paul  and  Barnabas  wax¬ 
ed  bold,  and  said,  It  was  necessary 
that  the  word  of  God  should  first 
°  have  been  spoken  to  you  :  but 
seeing  ye  put  it  from  you,  and 
judge  yourselves  unworthy  of  ever¬ 
lasting  life,  lo,  we  p  turn  to  the 
Gentiles. 

47  For  so  hath  the  Lord  com¬ 
manded  us,  saying ,  i  I  have  set 
thee  to  be  a  light  of  the  Gentiles, 
that  thou  shouldest  be  for  salvation 
unto  the  ends  of  the  earth. 

43  And  when  the  Gentiles  heard 
this,  they  were  glad,  and  glorified 
the  word  of  the  Lord  :  and  r  as 
many  as  were  ordained  to  eternal 
life,  believed. 

49  And  the  word  of  the  Lord 
was  published  throughout  all  the 
region. 

50  IT  But  the  Jews  stirred  up  the 
devout  and  honorable  women,  and 
the  chief  men  of  the  city,  and  ■  rais¬ 
ed  persecution  against  Paul  and 
Barnabas,  and  expelled  them  out 
of  their  coasts. 

51  But  they  shook  ‘  off  the  dust 
of  their  feet  against  them,  and 
came  unto  Iconium. 

o  Mat.  10:6.  Lu.  21:43.  Ro. 10:19.  s  2  Ti.  3:11. 

24:47.  Ro.  1:16.  q  Is.  49:6.  t  Ma.  6:11.  I,u. 

p  De. 32:21.  Mat.  r  c.2:47.  Ro.8:30.  9:5.  c.  18:6. 

ed  objections  against  them,  finding  some 
fault  or  other  with  everything  he  said,  con¬ 
tradicting  and  blaspheming.  Literally,  contra¬ 
dicting,  they  contradicted.  They  did  it  with 
the  utmost  spite  and  rage  imaginable  ;  they 
persisted  in  their  contradiction,  and  nothing 
would  silence  them.  Commonly  those  who 
begin  with  [thus]  contradicting,  end  with 
blaspheming. 

VI.  The  apostles  hereupon  solemnly  and 
openly  declare  themselves  discharged  from 
their  obligation  to  the  Jews,  and  at  liberty 
to  bring  the  word  of  salvation  to  the  Gen¬ 
tiles,  even  by  the  implicit  consent  of  the 
Jews  themselves.  In  declaring  this,  it  is 
said,  v.  46.  Paul  and  Barnabas  waxed  bold, 
more  bold  than  they  had  been,  while  shy  of 
looking  favorably  on  the  Gentiles,  for  fear 
of  giving  offence  to  the  Jews,  and  laying  a 
stumbling-block  in  their  way.  There  is  a  time 
for  the  preachers  of  the  Gospel  to  show  as 
much  of  the  boldness  of  the  lion,  as  of  the 
wisdom  of  the  serpent,  and  the  harmlessness 
of  the  dove.  When  the  adversaries  of  Christ’s 
cause  begin  to  be  daring,  it  is  not  for  its  ad¬ 
vocates  to  be  retired  and  cowardly.  Paul 
and  Barnabas  own,  that  the  Jews  were  enti¬ 
tled  to  the  first  offer,  v.  46.  Luke  24 :47.  Mark 
7:  27.  but  charge  them  with  the  refusal  of  it; 
herein  ye  judge  yourselves  unworthy  of  ever¬ 
lasting  life.  In  one  sense,  we  must  all  judge 
ourselves  unworthy  of  everlasting  life,  for 
there  in  nothing  in  us,  or  done  by  us,  by 
which  we  can  pretend  to  merit  it,  and  we 
must  be  made  sensible  of  this;  but  here  the 
meaning  is,  ‘Ye  discover,  or  make  it  to 
appear,  that  ye  are  not  meet  for  eternal  life; 
ye  throw  away  all  your  claims  and  hopes, 
and  give  up  your  pretensions  to  it  ;  since 
ye  will  not  take  it  from  his  hands,  into 
whose  hand  the  Father  has  given  it,  ye  do,  in 
effect,  pass  this  judgment  on  yourselves,  and 
out  of  your  own  mouth  ye  shall  be  judged  ; 
ye  will  not  have  it  by  Christ,  by  whom  alone 
it  is  to  be  had,  and  so  shall  your  doom  be, 


ye  shall  not  have  it  at  all.’  Upon  this  they 
ground  their  preaching  of  the  Gospel  to  the 
uncircumcised  ;  justify  themselves  in  it  by  a 
divine  warrant,  v.  47.  ‘  The  Lord  Jesus  gave 
us  directions  to  witness  to  Him  in  Jerusa¬ 
lem  and  Judea,  first,  and  after  that,  to  the 
utmost  part  of  the  earth,  to  preach  the  Gos¬ 
pel  to  etery  creature,  to  disciple  all  nations.’ 
This  is  according  to  what  was  foretold  in 
the  O.  T.  When  the  Messiah,  in  the  pros¬ 
pect  of  the  Jews’  infidelity,  was  ready  to 
say,  I  have  labored  in  vain,  He  was  told,  to 
his  satisfaction,  that  though  Israel  was  not 
gathered  yet  He  should  be  glorious  ;  that  his 
blood  should  not  be  shed  in  vain,  nor  his 
purchase  made  in  vain,  nor  his  doctrine 
preached  in  vain,  nor  his  Spirit  sent  in  vain; 

‘  For  I  have  set  Thee,  not  only  raised  Thee  up, 
but  established  Thee,  to  be  a  Light  of  the 
Gentiles,  not  only  a  shining  Light  fora  time, 
but  a  standing  Light,  set  thee  for  a  Light, 
that  Thou  shouldest  be  for  salvation  unto  the 
ends  of  the  earth.’  Those  of  any  nation 
should  be  welcome  to  Him,  some  of  every 
nation  have  heard  of  Him,  Rom.  10:18. 
and  all  nations  shall  at  length  become  his 
kingdom. 

VII,  The  Gentiles  cheerfully  embraced 
that  which  the  Jews  scornfully  rejected, 
v.  48,  49.  so  the  apostle  shows  at  large, 
Rom.  11: 11,  12,  15,  17,  19. 

1.  They  took  the  comfort  of  it;  were  glad. 
Our  being  put  into  a  condition  favorable  to 
salvation,  ought  to  be  the  matter  of  our  re¬ 
joicing;  when  the  Gentiles  did  but  hear  that 
the  offers  of  grace  should  be  made  them, 
they  were  glad.  Many  grieve  under  doubts, 
whether  they  have  an  interest  in  Christ  or  no, 
when  they  should  be  rejoicing  that  they  may. 

2.  They  gave  God  the  praise  of  it  ;  They 
glorified  the  Word  of  the  Lord  ;  i.  e.  Christ, 
so  some,  the  essential  Word  ;  they  conceived 
a  mighty  veneration  for  Him,  and  expressed 
the  high  thoughts  they  had  of  Him.  Or 
rather,  the  Gospel;  the  more  they  knew  of 
it,  the  more  they  admired  it.  Oh  !  what  a 
light,  what  a  power,  what  a  treasure,  does 
this  Gospel  bring  along  with  it !  How  ex¬ 
cellent  are  its  truths,  its  precepts,  its  prom¬ 
ises  !  How  far  transcending  all  other  in¬ 
stitutions  !  How  plainly  divine  and  heavenly 
is  its  original  !  Thus  they  glorified  the  Word 
of  the  Lord,  and  that  is  it  which  He  has 
Himself  magnified  above  all  his  name,  Ps. 
138:2.  and  will  magnify  and  make  honor¬ 
able,  Is.  42:21.  Those  speak  best  of  the 
honor  of  the  Word  of  the  Lord,  that  speak 
experimentally,  that  have  themselves  been 
captivated  by  its  power,  and  comforted  by 
its  sweetness. 

3.  Many  of  them  became,  not  only  pro¬ 
fessors  of  the  Christian  faith,  but  sincerely 
obedient  to  the  faith  :  As  many  as  were  or¬ 
dained  to  eternal  life,  believed.  God  by  his 
Spirit  wrought  true  faith  in  them  for  whom 
He  had  in  his  counsels  from  everlasting  de¬ 
signed  a  happiness  to  everlasting.  (1.) 
Those  believed,  to  whom  God  gave  grace  to 
believe  ;  whom,  by  a  secret  but  mighty  ope¬ 
ration,  He  brought  into  subjection  to  the  Gos¬ 
pel  of  Christ,  and  made  willing  in  the  day  of 
his  power.  Those  came  to  Christ,  whom  the 
Father  drew,  and  to  whom  the  Spirit  made 
the  gospel-call  effectual.  It  is  called  the 
faith  of  the  operation  of  God,  Col.  2: 12.  and 
is  said  to  be  wrought  by  the  same  power 
that  raised  up  Christ,  Eph.  1:19,20.  (2.) 
God  gave  this  grace  to  believe,  to  all  those 
among  them,  who  were  ordained,  to  eternal 
life  ;  for  whom  He  had  predestinated,  them 
He  also  called,  Rom.  8:30.  or,  as  many  as 
were  disposed  to  eternal  life,  as  many  as  bad 
a  concern  about  their  eternal  state,  and  aimed 


lo  make  sure  of  eternal  life,  believed  in 
Christ,  in  whom  God  hath  treasured  up  tliut 
life,  1  John  5: 11.  and  who  is  the  only  Way 
to  it  ;  and  it  was  the  grace  of  God  that 
wrought  it  in  them.  Those  will  be  brought 
to  believe  in  Christ,  that  by  his  grace  are 
well  disposed  to  eternal  life,  and  make  that 
their  aim. 

4.  When  they  believed,  they  did  what  they 
could  to  spread  the  knowledge  of  Christ 
and  his  Gospel  among  their  neighbors, 
v.  49.  And  the  Word  of  the  Lord  was  pub¬ 
lished  throughout  all  the  region  ;  when  it  was 
received  with  so  much  satisfaction  in  the 
chief  city,  it  soon  spread  itself  into  all  parts 
of  the  country.  Those  that  have  got  ac¬ 
quaintance  with  Christ  themselves,  will  do 
what  they  can  to  bring  others  acquainted 
with  Him. 

VIII.  Paul  and  Barnabas,  having  sowed 
the  seeds  of  a  Christian  church  there,  quilted 
the  place  and  went  to  do  the  like  elsewhere. 
We  read, 

1.  How  the  unbelieving  Jews  expelled  the 
apostles  out  of  that  country.  They  first 
turned  their  back  on  them,  and  then  lifted 
up  the  heel  against  them,  v .  50.  Satan  and 
his  agents  are  most  exasperated  against 
the  preachers  of  the  Gospel,  when  they  see 
them  go  on  successfully,  and  therefore  then 
will  be  sure  to  raise  persecution  against 
them.  Thus  it  lias  been  the  common  lot  of 
the  best  men  in  the  world,  to  suffer  ill  for 
doing  well.  They  stirred  up  the  devout  and 
honorable  women  against  them ;  some  ladies 
of  quality  in  the  city,  that  were  well  affect¬ 
ed  to  the  Jewish  religion,  and  were  prose¬ 
lytes  of  the  gate,  therefore  called  devout  wo¬ 
men.  These,  according  to  the  genius  of 
their  sex,  were  zealous,  and  bigoted  ;  and  it 

'  vvtis  easy,  by  false  stories  and  misrepresenta¬ 
tions,  to  incense  them  against  the  Gospel  of 
Christ,  as  if  it  had  been  destructive  of  all 
religion,  of  which  really  it  is  perfective.  It 
is  good  to  see  honorable  women  devout,  and 
well  affected  to  religious  worship  ;  but  it  is 
sad,  when,  under  color  of  devotion  to  God, 
they  conceive  an  enmity  to  Christ,  as  those 
here  did.  By  these  devout  and  honorable 
women,  they  stirred  up  likewise  the  chief  men 
of  the  city,  the  magistrates  and  rulers, who  had 
power  in  their  hands,  and  set  them  against 
the  apostles,  and  who  had  so  little  con¬ 
sideration  as  to  suffer  themselves  to  be  made 
the  tools  of  this  ill-natured  party,  who  neith¬ 
er  would  go  into  the  kingdom  of  heaven  them¬ 
selves,  nor  suffer  those,  that  were  entering,  to  go 
in.  They  carried  it  so  far,  that  they  expelled 
them  out  of  their  coasts  ;  by  downright  vio¬ 
lence,  that  they  were  driven  out.”  This  was 
one  method  which  the  overruling  providence 
oT  God  took,  to  keep  the  first  planters  of 
the  church  from  staying  too  long  at  a  place; 
as.  Mat.  10:23.  This  was  likewise  a  meth¬ 
od  God  took,  to  make  those  that  were  well 
disposed  the  more  warmly  affected  toward 
the  apostles  ;  for  it  is  natural  to  us  to  pity 
those  that  are  persecuted,  and  to  think  the 
better  of  those  that  suffer,  when  we  know  they 
suffer  unjustly,  and  to  be  the  more  ready  to 
help  them. 

2.  How  the  apostles  abandoned  and  re¬ 
jected  the  unbelieving  Jews,  v.  51.  When 
they  went  out  of  the  city,  they  used  this 
ceremony  in  the  sight  of  them  that  sat  in  the 
gate  ;  or  when  they  went  out  of  the  borders 
of  their  country,  in  the  sight  of  them  that 
were  sent  to  see  the  country  rid  of  them. 
Hereby  they  declared  they  would  have  no 
more  to  do  with  them,  would  take  nothing 
that  was  their’s,  for  they  sought  not  their’s, 

•  It  waa  the  custom  to  semi  an  officer  with  such,  to  see 
them  fairly  beyond  the  frontier.  Sec  T/tuci/d.  Ed. 


(48.)  Ordained.]  Well  disposed  for.  Hamm.,  Whitby  :  disposed  or 
determined  for.  Thaleman,  Bl. ;  put  themselves  in  rank  for,  Doddr.  ; 
were  destined  unto,  (without  philosophical  or  metaphysical  refinement 
on  the  term,  but  in  a  popular  sense,)  Ros.,  Morus,  Schoett.,  Kuin.  ‘  That 
it  is  a  popular  mode  of  expression,  is  proved  by  Rabbinical  citations  of 
Lightf.  and  Wetst.,  who  give  [a  score  of  examples]  of  the  phrase  or¬ 
dained  to  the  future  life ;  to  punishment ;  to  life;  to  hell.’  Bl.  It  would 


seem  we  must  look  elsewhere  for  the  doctrine  of  absolute  election.  Ed. 

V.  50.  ‘These  “women  of  figure”  (Doddr.)  were  fired  with  the 
characteristic  zeal  of  new  converts,  and  acted  from  the  ardent  tempera¬ 
ment  of  their  sex.’  Bloomf.  How  much  may  the  social  progress  expect 
from  the  female  character,  uncompromisingly  directed  to  the  assertion 
of  pure  principle,  when  woman  shall  hold  the  station  for  which  (lod 
designed  her  !  I®- 

[75] 


A.  D.  46. 


ACTS,  XIV.  The  Gospel  preached  m  Iconiurn. 


52  And  the  disciples  were  filled 
with  u  joy,  and  with  the  Holy  Ghost. 

CHAP.  XIV. 

2  Paul  and  Barnabas  are  persecuted  from  Iconiurn.  8  At 
Lystra  Paul  healeth  a  cripple,  whereupon  they  are 
reputed  as  gods.  19  Paul  is  stoned.  21  They  pass 
through  divers  churches,  confirming  the  disciples  in  faith 
and  patience.  26  Returning  to  Antioch,  they  report  what 
God  had  done  with  them. 

AND  it  came  to  pass  in  Iconiurn, 
that  they  went  both  together 
into  the  synagogue  of  the  Jews, 
and  so  spake,  that  a  great  multi¬ 
tude,  both  of  the  Jews  and  also  of 
the  Greeks,  believed. 

2  But  the  unbelieving  Jews  stir¬ 
red  up  the  Gentiles,  and  made 
their  minds  evil-affected  against 
the  brethren. 

8  Long  time  therefore  abode  they 
speaking  boldly  in  the  Lord,  which 
’gave  testimony  unto  the  word  of 
his  grace,  and  granted  signs  and 
wonders  to  be  done  by  their  hands. 

4  But  the  multitude  of  the  city 
was  divided  :  and  b  part  held  with 
the  Jews,  and  part  with  the  apos¬ 
tles. 

5  And  when  there  was  an  assault 
made,  both  of  the  Gentiles  and  also 
of  the  Jews,  with  their  rulers,  to 
use  them  despitefully,  and  to  stone 
them, 

u  Mat.  5:12.  a  Ma.  16:20.  He.  b  c.  28:24. 

1  Th.  1:6.  2:4. 


but  them  ;  they  expressed  their  detestation 
of  their  infidelity,  and  that,  though  Jews  by 
birth,  yet,  having  rejected  the  Gospel  of 
Christ,  they  were  in  their  eyes  no  better 
than  heathen  and  profane.  Thus  they  set 
them  at  defiance,  and  expressed  their  con¬ 
tempt  of  them  and  their  malice,  which  they 
looked  on  as  impotent.  Thus  they  left  a 
testimony  behind  them,  that  they  had  had  a 
fair  offer  made  them  of  the  grace  of  the 
Gospel,  which  shall  be  proved  against  them 
in  the  day  of  judgment.  This  dust  will  prove 
that  the  preachers  of  the  Gospel  had  been 
among  them,  but  were  expelied  by  them. 
Thus  Christ  had  ordered  them  to  do,  and 
for  this  reason,  Mat.  10:14.  Luke  9:5. 
When  they  left .  them,  they  came  to  Iconiurn, 
not  so  much  for  safety,  as  for  work. 

3.  What  frame  they  left  the  new  converts 
in  at  Antioch,  v.  52.  The  disciples,  when 
they  saw  with  what  courage  and  cheerful¬ 
ness  Paul  and  Barnabas  not  only  bore  the 
indignities  done  them,  but  went  on  with 
their  work,  notwithstanding,  were  in  like 
manner  spirited.  (1.)  They  were  very 
cheerful  ;  one  would  have  expected,  when 
Paul  and  Barnabas  were  expelled,  and  per¬ 
haps  forbidden  to  return,  on  pain  of  death, 
the  disciples  should  have  been  full  of  grief 
and  full  of  fear,  looking  for  no  other  than 
that  it  would  be  their  own  turn  next  ;  no. 


they  were  filled  with  joy  in  Christ,  had  such 
a  satisfactory  assurance  of  Christ’s  carrying 
on  and  perfecting  his  own  work  in  them, 
and  among  them,  and  that  either  lie  would 
screen  them  from  trouble,  or  bear  them  up 
under  it,  that  all  their  fears  were  swallowed 
up  in  their  believing  joys.  (2.)  They  were 
very  courageous  ;  wonderfully  animated 
with  a  holy  resolution  to  cleave  to  Christ, 
whatever  difficulties  they  met  with  ;  that 
seems  especially  to  be  meant  by  their  being 
filled  with  the  Holy  Ghost  ;  for  that  is  used 
of  Peter’s  boldness,  ch.  4:8.  and  Stephen’s, 
ch.  7:55.  and  Paul’s  ch.  13:9.  The  more 
we  relish  the  comforts  and  encouragements 
we  meet  with  in  the  power  of  godliness, 
and  the  fuller  our  hearts  are  of  them,  the 
better  prepared  we  are  to  face  the  difficul¬ 
ties  we  meet  with  in  the  profession  of  godli¬ 
ness. 


Chap.  XIV.  We  have  in  this  ch.,  a 
further  account  of  the  progress  of  the  Gos¬ 
pel,  by  the  ministry  of  Paul  and  Barnabas 
among  the  Gentiles  ;  it  goes  on  yet  with  op¬ 
position,  as  before,  among  the  unbelieving 
Jews. 

V.  1 — 7.  I.  The  preaching  of  the  Gospel  in 
Iconiurn,  whither  the  apostles  were  forced 
to  retire  from  Antioch.  Observe,  They  made 
the  first  offer  of  the  Gospel  to  the  Jews,  in 
their  synagogues  ;  the  Jews  at  Antioch  had 
used  them  barbarously,  yet  they  did  not 
therefore  decline  preaching  the  Gospel  to 
the  Jews  at  Iconiurn,  who  perhaps  might  be 
better  disposed.  Let  not  those  of  any  de¬ 
nomination  be  condemned  in  the  gross,  nor 
some  suffer  for  others’  faults  ;  but  let  us  do 
good  to  those  who  have  done  evil  to  us. 
Though  the  blood-thirsty  hate  the  upright,  yet 
the  just  seek  their  soul,  Prov.  29:  10.  the  sal¬ 
vation  of  it.  They  went  both  together  into 
the  synagogue,  to  testify  their  unanimity  and 
mutual  affection  ;  that  people  might  sav, 
See  how  they  love  one  another,  and  might  think 
the  better  of  Christianity,  and  that  they 
might  strengthen  one  another’s  hands,  and 
confirm  one  another’s  testimony,  and  out  of 
the  mouth  of  two  witnesses  every  word  might 
be  established. 

II.  Their  success  ;  a  great  multitude 
( Jews  and  Greeks,  i.  e.  Gentiles)  believed. 
Observe, 

1.  In  the  close  of  the  foregoing  ch.  the 
Gospel  was  preached  first  to  the  Jews,  and 
some  of  them  believed,  then  to  the  Gentiles, 
and  some  of  them  believed  ;  but  here,  to 
both  together  on  the  same  level,  both  are  rec¬ 
onciled  to  God  in  one  body,  Eph.  2  :  16.  to¬ 
gether  admitted  into  the  church,  without 
distinction. 

2.  There  seems  to  have  been  something 
remarkable  in  the  manner  of  the  apostles’ 
preaching  here,  which  contributed  to  their 
success  ;  They  so  spake,  so  plainly,  so  con¬ 
vincingly,  with  such  an  evidence  and  demon¬ 
stration  of  the  Spirit,  and  with  such  power ;  so 
warmly,  so  affectionately,  and  with  such  a 
manifest  concern  for  the  souls  of  men;  they 
spake  so  from  the  heart,  so  earnestly  and  se¬ 


riously,  so  boldly  and  courageously,  that  they 
who  heard  them  coidd  not  but  say,  God  was 
with  them  of  a  truth.  Yet  the  success  was 
not  to  be  attributed  to  the  manner  of  their 
preaching,  but  to  the  Spirit  of  God,  who 
made  use  of  these  means. 

III.  The  opposition  and  trouble  created 
them,  lest  they  should  be  puffed  up. 

1.  Unbelieving  Jews  were  the  first  spring 
of  it,  here,  as  elsewhere,  v.  2.  they  stirred 
up  the  Gentiles.  The  influence  the  Gospel 
had  on  many  of  the  Gentiles,  and  their  em¬ 
bracing  of  it,  as  it  provoked  some  of  the  Jews 
to  a  holy  jealousy,  and  stirred  them  up  to 
receive  the  Gospel  too,  Rom.  11:  14.  so  it 
provoked  others  of  them  to  a  wicked  jeal¬ 
ousy,  and  exasperated  them  against  the 
Gospel. 

2.  Disaffected  Gentiles,  irritated  by  the 
unbelieving  Jews,  were  likely  to  be  the  in¬ 
struments  of  their  trouble  ;  the  Jews,  by 
false  suggestions,  which  they  were  continu¬ 
ally  buzzing  in  the  ears  of  the  Gentiles, 
made  their  minds  evil  affected  against  the 
brethren,  whom  of  themselves  they  were  in¬ 
clined  to  think  favorably  of.  Thus  they 
soured  and  imbittered  their  spirits  against 
both  the  converters  and  the  converted.  It 
is  no  wonder,  if  those,  who  are  ill  affected 
toward  good  people,  wish  ill  to  them,  speak 
ill  of  them,  and  contrive  ill  against  them  ; 
it  is  all  owing  to  ill-will.  They  molested 
and  vexed  the  minds  of  the  Gentiles  ;  so 
some  ;  they  were  continually  teasing  them 
with  their  impertinent  solicitations.  The 
tools  of  persecutors  have  a  dog’s  life,  set 
on  continually. 

IV.  Their  continuance  in  their  work 
there,  notwithstanding  this  opposition,  and 
God’s  owning  them  in  it,u.  3.  Because  the 
minds  of  the  Gentiles  were  evil  affected 
against  them,  one  would  think  they  should 
have  withdrawn  and  hastened  out  of  the 
way,  or,  if  they  had  preached,  should  have 
preached  cautiously  ;  no,  on  the  contrary, 
therefore  they  abode  there  a  long  time,  speak¬ 
ing  boldly  in  the  Lord.  The  more  they 
perceived  the  spite  and  rancor  of  the  town 
against  the  new  converts,  the  more  they 
were  animated  to  go  on  in  their  work,  and 
the  more  needful  they  saw  it  to  continue 
among  them,  to  confirm  them  in  the  faith, 
and  to  comfort  them.  They  spake  boldly, 
not  afraid  of  giving  offence  to  the  unbeliev¬ 
ing  Jews;  boldly  in  the  Lord,  in  his  strength, 
and  trusting  in  Hint  to  bear  them  out  ;  and 
Christ  is  working  with  the  apostles,  accor¬ 
ding  to  his  promise,  Lo,  I  am  with  you  al¬ 
ways.  When  they  went  on  in  his  name  and 
strength.  He  failed  not  to  give  testimony  to 
the  word  of  his  grace,  Mark  16:  20. 

V.  The  division  this  occasioned  in  the 
city,  v.  4.  among  the  rulers  and  persons  of 
rank,  and  among  the  common  people,  some 
holding  with  the  unbelieving  Jews,  and 
others,  with  the  apostles.  Barnabas  is  here 
reckoned  an  apostle,  though  not  one  of  the 
twelve,  nor  called  in  the  extraordinary  man¬ 
ner  Paul  was,  because  set  apart  by  special 
designation  of  the  Holy  Ghost  to  the  service 


PRACT  ORS.  The  Lord  raises  up  instruments  for  his  work,  and 
brings  them  forth  from  various  places  and  situations  in  life;  and  that 
zeal  for  his  glory,  with  which  He  inspires  their  hearts,  induces  them  to 
renounce  the  most  pleasing  connexions,  and  flattering  prospects,  that 
they  may  be  employed  in  promoting  his  cause. —  It  does  not  behoove  us, 
who  have  no  miraculous  powers,  or  infallible  guidance  of  the  Holy  Spir¬ 
it,  to  use  such  decided  language,  in  reproving  opposers  and  deceivers,  as 
Paul  did  to  ‘Elymas  the  sorcerer:’  yet  we  may  plainly  expose  the  hy¬ 
pocrisy,  disingenuity,  malice,  and  enmity,  of  those  children  and  servants 
of  ‘  the  wicked  one,’  who  show  themselves  to  be  ‘enemies  to  all  right¬ 
eousness,’  by  deliberately  1  perverting  the  right  ways  of  the  Lord,’  and 
the  evident  truths  of  the  Gospel,  to  promote  their  own  credit  and  inter¬ 
est. — Those  ‘  who  put  their  hands  to  the  plough,  and  look  back,  are  not 
fit  for  the  kingdom  of  God.’  Yet  some,  who  at  first  disappointed  the 
expectations  of  senior  ministers,  have  afterwards  been  recovered  and 
made  useful. — The  reading  of  the  Scriptures,  in  the  public  assemblies  of 
God’s  people,  is  an  ancient  and  excellent  usage  ;  and  they,  who  are  called 
to  preach  the  Gospel,  will  find  a  peculiar  advantage,  in  laying  their  cre¬ 


dentials  and  instructions  in  this  manner  before  the  people.  Yet,  alas  ! 
many  both  hear  and  read  the  Word  of  God,  who  do  not  understand  or 
believe  it. — The  Gospel  should  be  ‘preached  to  every  creature;’  yet 
with  an  especial  address  to  those  ‘who  fear  God,’  and  inquire  after  the 
way  in  which  his  favor  may  be  obtained. — Every  transient  view  of  the 
dealings  of  God  with  his  church  reminds  us  of  his  mercy  and  long-suf¬ 
fering,  and  of  man’s  ingratitude  and  perverseness  ;  but  when  He  grants 
our  inordinate  desires,  we  may  expect  a  scourge  instead  of  a  comfort. — 
As  many  as  are  ‘  ordained  to  eternal  life  ’  will  believe ;  but  we  know 
not  previously  who  these  are  ;•'•  we  should  therefore  declare,  that  ‘  Jesus 
is  placed  for  a  Light  of  the  Gentiles,  and  for  salvation  to  the  ends  of  the 
earth  ;’  and  we  should  publish  his  truth  as  extensively  as  we  can  ;  and 
bear  our  testimony  against  those  who  oppose  and  reject  it,  however 
honorable  or  devout  they  may  appear.  Thus  the  Word  of  God  will  be 
glorified  in  the  midst  of  persecution  ;  and  Jesus  will  fill  his  disciples 
with  grace,  peace,  and  ‘joy  in  the  Holy  Ghost.’  Scott. 

*  So  the  doctrine  of  ‘  predestination  ’  is,  practically ,  of  little  consequence.  Ed. 


NOTES.  Clive  XIV.  V.  1.  Oreeks.]  John  12:20.  Greeks,  or  Gen-  V.  2.  Unbelieving.]  17:5.  19:9.  John  3:36.  Rom.  2:8.  10:21.  11:30, 
tiles.  Some  of  these  were,  perhaps,  before  favorable  to  the  religion  of  31.  15:31.  Ueb.  3:18.  11:31.  1  Pet.  2:7,  8.  3:1,  20.  4:17.  It  is  often  ren- 
the  Jews,  and  frequented  the  synagogue;  13:16 — 19.  but  probably  olh-  dered  disobey.  26:19.  Stirred  up.]  13:50.  Not  elsewhere.  Made  — 
ers  were  idolaters,  who,  on  that  occasion,  were  induced  to  attend.  Sc.  evil-affected.]  7:6,19.  12:1.  18:10.  1  Pet.  3:13.  Scott. 

[76] 


A.  D.  46. 


ACTS,  XIV. 


The  lame  mail  healed  at  Lysira. 


6  They  were  ware  of  it,  and 
c  fled  unto  Lystra,  and  Derbe,  cities 
of  Lycaonia,  and  unto  the  region 
that  lieth  round  about  : 

7  And  there  they  preached  the 
gospel. 

8  And  there  sat  a  certain  man 
at  Lystra,  impotent  in  his  feet, 
being  a  11  cripple  from  bis  mother’s 
womb,  who  never  had  walked  : 

9  The  same  heard  Paul  speak  : 
who  steadfastly  beholding  him,  and 
perceiving  that  he  had  faith  eto  be 
healed, 

10  Said  with  a  loud  voice,  Stand 
upright  on  thy  feet.  And  he  leaped 
f  and  walked. 

11  And  when  the  people  saw 
what  Paul  had  done,  they  lifted  up 
their  voices,  saying  in  the  speech 
of  Lycaonia,  The  r  gods  are  come 
down  to  us,  in  the  likeness  of  men. 

12  And  they  called  Barnabas, 
Jupiter;  and  Paul,  Mercurius,  be¬ 
cause  he  was  the  chief  speaker. 

13  Then  the  priest  of  Jupiter, 
which  was  before  their  city,  brought 
oxen  and  garlands  unto  tln^  gates, 
and  h  would  have  done  sacrifice 
with  the  people. 

e  Mat.  10:23.  e  Mat.  9:28,29.  g  c.  28:6. 

d  c.  3:2.  f  Is.  35:6.  h  Da.  2:46. 


of  the  Gentiles.  1.  We  may  here  see  the 
meaning  of  Christ’s  prediction,  that  He 
came  not  to  send  peace  upon  earth ,  but  rather 
division,  Luke  12:51 — 53.  If  all  had  given 
in  unanimously  into  his  measures,  there  had 
been  universal  concord  ;  hut  disagreeing 
here,  the  breach  was  wide  as  the  sea.  Yet 
the  apostles  must  not  be  blamed  for  coming 
to  Iconium,  because  before  the  city  was  uni¬ 
ted,  but  now  is  divided;  for  it  is  better  that 
part  go  to  heaven  than  all  to  hell.  2.  We 
may  here  take  the  measures  of  our  expecta¬ 
tions  ;  let  us  not  think  it  strange,  if  the 
preaching  of  the  Gospel  occasion  division, 
nor  be  offended  at  it  ;  it  is  better  to  be  re¬ 
proached  and  persecuted  as  dividers  for 
swimming  against  the  stream,  than  yield 
ourselves  to  be  carried  down  the  stream  that 
leads  to  destruction.  Let  us  hold  with  the 


apostles,  and  not  fear  them  that  hold  with 
the  Jews. 

VI.  The  attempt  made  on  the  apostles  by 
their  enemies,  v.  5.  Observe,  1.  The  plot¬ 
ters  ;  the  Gentiles,  and  the  Jews,  with  their 
rulers  ;  Gentiles  and  Jews  at  enmity  with 
one  another,  yet  united  against  Christians, 
like  Herod  and  Pilate,  Sadducees  and  Phar¬ 
isees,  against  Christ  ;  and  like  Gebal,  and 
Ammon ,  and  Amale/c,  of  old,  against  Israel. 
2.  The  plot  ;  to  use  the  apostles  despitefully, 
expose  them  to  disgrace,  and  then  stone 
them  to  death;  and  thus  they  hoped  to  sink 
their  cause. 

VII.  They,  v.  6,  7.  got  away  on  notice 
given  them  of  the  design,  or  the  beginning 
of  the  attempt  on  them,  which  they  were 
soon  aware  of,  and  made  an  honorable  re¬ 
treat,  not  an  inglorious  flight,  to  Lystra  and 
Derbe,  there  to  find  work.  In  times  of  per¬ 
secution,  ministers  may  see  cause  to  quit 
the  spot,  when  yet  they  do  not  quit  the  work. 

V.  8 — 18.  In  these  vs.  we  have, 

I.  A  miraculous  cure  wrought  by  Paul  at 
Lystra  on  a  cripple  that  had  been  lame  from 
his  birth,  such  an  one  as  was  miraculously 
cured  by  Peter  and  John,  ch.  3  :  2.  That 
introduced  the  Gospel  among  the  Jews, 
this  among  the  Gentiles  ;  both  were  de¬ 
signed  to  represent  the  impotency  of  all  the 
children  of  men  in  spiritual  things  ;  for  it 
was  when  we  were  yet  without  strength,  that 
Christ  died  for  the  ungodly,  Rom.  5:  6.  This 
poor  cripple  heard  Paul  preach,  and,  it  is 
likely,  was  much  affected ;  believed  the  mes¬ 
sage  was  from  heaven,  and  that  the  messen¬ 
gers,  having  their  commission  thence,  had  a 
divine  power  going  along  with  them,  and 
were  therefore  able  to  cure  him  of  his  lame¬ 
ness.  This,  Paul  was  aware  of,  by  the 
spirit  of  discerning  he  had,  and  perhaps  the 
show  of  his  countenance  did  in  part  witness 
for  him  ;  Paul  perceived  that  he  had  faith  to 
be  healed  ;  desired  it,  hoped  for  it,  had  such 
a  thing  in  his  thoughts  ;  which  it  does  not 
appear  the  lame  man  Peter  healed,  had,  for 
he  expected  no  more  than  an  alms.  Now 
God  will  not  disappoint  the  desires  of  his 
own  kindling,  nor  the  hopes  of  his  own 
raising.  Paul  spake  to  him  with  a  loud 
voice,  either  because  he  was  at  some  distance, 
or  to  show  that  the  true  miracles,  by  Christ, 
were  far  unlike  the  lying  wonders  by  de¬ 
ceivers,  that  peeped,  and  muttered,  and  whis¬ 
pered,  Is.  8: 19.  He  spake  with  a  loud  voice, 
that  the  people  about  might  notice,  and 
have  their  expectations  raised  of  the  effect. 


Some  copies  read  it,  I  say  unto  thee,  in  the 
name  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  Stand  upright 
on  thy  feet.  It  is  certain  that  is  implied, 
and,  very  probably,  urns  expressed,  by  Paul, 
and  power  went  along  with  this  word ;  for 
presently,  he  leaped  and  walked.  Herein  the 
Scripture  was  fulfilled,  that,  when  the  wilder¬ 
ness  of  the  Gentile  world  is  made  to  blossom 
as  the  rose,  then  shall  the  lame  man  leap  as  a 
hart.  Is.  35:  1,  6. 

II.  The  impression  this  cure  made  on  the 
people  ;  they  were  amazed  at  it,  had  never 
seen  or  heard  the  like,  and  fell  into  an  ec¬ 
stasy  of  wonder.  Paul  and  Barnabas  were 
strangers,  exiles,  refugees,  in  their  country; 
everything  concurred  to  make  them  mean 
and  despicable;  yet  the  working  of  this  one 
miracle  was  enough  to  make  them  in  the 
eyes  of  this  people  truly  great  and  honorable, 
though  the  multitude  of  Christ’s  miracles 
could  not  screen  Him  from  the  utmost  con¬ 
tempt  among  the  Jews.  We  find  here, 

1.  The  people  take  them  for  gods,  v.  11. 
in  agreement  with  the  pagan  theology,  and 
the  fabulous  account  they  had  of  the  visits 
their  gods  made  to  this  lower  world.  They 
carried  this  notion  so  far  here,  that  they  pre¬ 
tended  to  tell  which  of  their  gods  they  were, 
according  to  the  ideas  their  poets  had  given 
them  of  the  gods,  v.  12.  They  called  Bar¬ 
nabas,  Jupiter  :  probably  he  was  the  senior, 
and  the  more  portly,  comely  man,  that  had 
something  of  majesty  in  his  countenance. 
And  Paul  they  called  Mercury,  who  was  the 
messenger  of  the  gods,  that  was  sent  on  their 
errands,  and  also  the  god  of  oratory  ;  for 
Paul,  though  he  had  not  the  presence  that 
Barnabas  had,  was  the  chief  speaker,  and 
had  a  greater  command  of  language,  and 
more  agility  and  vivacity.  Note,  Jupiter 
used  to  take  Mercury  along  with  him,  they 
said,  and  if  he  make  a  visit  to  their  city, 
they  will  suppose  he  does  so  now. 

2.  The  priest  thereupon  prepares  to  do 
sacrifice  to  them,  v.  13.  The  temple  of  Ju¬ 
piter  was,  it  seems,  before  the  gate  of  their 
city,  as  its  protector  and  guardian;  and  the 
priest  of  that  idol  and  temple,  hearing  the 
people  cry  out  thus,  took  the  hint  presently, 
and  thought  it  was  time  for  him  to  bestir  him¬ 
self  to  do  bis  duty  :  many  a  costly  sacrifice 
he  had  offered  to  the  image  of  Jupiter,  but 
if  Jupiter  be  among  them  himself,  it  con¬ 
cerns  him  to  do  him  the  utmost  honors  im¬ 
aginable  ;  and  the  people  are  ready  to  join 
with  him  in  it.  See  how  easily  vain  minds 
are  carried  away  with  a  popular  outcry  ! 


V.  8 — 10.  Probably  Paul  knew,  by  a  divine  suggestion,  that  the  man 
expected  a  cure  from  the  power  of  the  Lord  Jesus,  and  that  it  was  a 
proper  occasion  for  him  to  perform  a  miracle.  Scott. 

V.  11 — 18.  This  was  very  bold  amj  decided  language  to  zealous  idola¬ 
ters,  with  their  priests  at  the  head  of  them,  in  such  a  critical  juncture; 
and  may  be  very  properly  contrasted  with  the  temporizing  conduct  of 
heathen  philosophers,  who,  being  convinced  of  the  folly  and  falsehood  of 
the  vulgar  superstitions,  not  only  conformed  to  them,  but  instructed 
their  disciples  to  do  the  same,  as  a  part  of  their  duty  to  the  republic. — 
Let  the  intelligent  reader  compare  this  conduct  and  declaration  of  the 
apostles  towards  the  worshippers  of  Jupiter,  with  some  modern  admir¬ 
ed  effusions  of  expanded  candor,  in  which  the  worship  of  God,  whether 
men  call  him  Jehovah,  Jove,  Lord,  or  by  any  other  name,  is  supposed 
to  be  equally  acceptable  to  Him.  Is  it  then  of  no  consequence  whether 
Jehovah,  or  Jupiter,  or  ISaal,  be  God  ?  Surely  either  the  prophets  and 
apostles  were  bigots,  or  these  men  have  renounced  Christianity,  (1  K. 
18:11-  P.  O.  17:29.) — (15)  Like  passions.]  ‘The  pagans  never  denied, 
that  their  gods  were  beings  of  like  passions  with  themselves ;  but  they 
attributed  to  them  a  total  exemption  from  mortality  and  disease.  .  .. 
Indeed  this  was  not  only  the  principal,  but,  I  may  almost  say,  the  sole 
distinction  they  made  between  gods  and  men.  ..  .  We  are  your  fellow- 
mortals,  as  liable  as  you  to  disease  and  death.’  Campbell.  This  appears 
the  direct  import  of  the  apostle’s  words;  yet  liability  to  other  infirmi¬ 
ties  and  passions  of  human  nature,  needs  not  to  be  excluded  ;  but  cer¬ 
tainly  they  pervert  the  expression,  who  explain  it  of  th e  prevalence  of 
sinful  passions.  {Jam.  5:16 — 18.)  Id. 

(11.)  Speech  of  Lycaonia.]  ‘  JPetst.  thinks  this  mentioned  to  show, 
that  Paul  did  not  understand  what  was  said,  or  he  would  not  have  let 
the  preparation  go  so  far.’  Bn.  1  The  Greek  language  was  indeed  used  in 
the  regions  of  Asia;  but  the  ancient  vernacular  tongue  was  retained, 
and  especially  spoken  by  the  common  people.  What  precise  language 
the  Lycaonian  was,  cannot  be  determined.  Grot,  (on  the  authority  of  the 
ancients)  supposes  it  the  same  as  the  Cappadocian ;  [note,  Job:  end;] 
Jablonski,  a  dialect  of  the  Greek,  but  much  assimilated  to  the  Assyri¬ 
an,  and  indeed  derived  from  thence.  Guiding  contends,  that  the  Lycao¬ 
nian  was  of  [Pelasgic]  Greek  origin,  but  by  migration  and  coalition  with 
the  languages  of  other  nations,  by  distance  of  time,  carelessness  of 
speakers,  and  various  other  causes,  bad  been  changed  from  its  original 


root,  and  become  in  a  manner  lost.’  Kdin. — ‘  The  gods  have  come  down, 
Ac.]  ‘It  appears,  from  numberless  passages  in  the  heathen  writers,  that 
they  suppose  this  often  to  have  happened  ; .  . .  and  Eisner  has  shown,  that 
this  notion  particularly  prevailed  with  respect  to  Jupiter  and  Mercury. 
...  Mr.  Harrington  well  observes,  that  this  persuasion  might  gain  the 
more  easily  on  the  minds  of  the  Lycaonians,  on  account  of  the  well-known 
fable  of  Jupiter  and  Mercury,  who  were  said  (see  Ovid)  to  have  de¬ 
scended  from  heaven  in  human  shape,  (to  see  and  reform  the  degeneracy 
of  man,)  and  to  have  been  entertained  by  Lycaon,  from  whom  the  Lyca¬ 
onians  received  their  names.’  Doddr. — ‘  The  ungels  visiting  Abraham, 
Jacob,  Ac.  [comp,  too,  Gen.  11:5,  7.  18:21.]  might  have  been  the  foun¬ 
dation  on  which  most  of  those  heathen  fictions  were  built.’  Dr.  A.  C. 

(12.)  ‘  It  was  a  very  common  story,  (see  Ovid,)  and,  no  doubt,  famil¬ 

iar  to  the  I.ystrians,  that  Mercury  formerly  traversed  the  neighboring 
country  of  Phrygia,  and  was  received  by  Philemon  and  Baucis. — Mer¬ 
cury  is  called,  in  Jamblichus,  by  precisely  the  phrase  Luke  uses,  namely, 
logon  hegemon ,  a  leader  in  discourse.’  Jupiter ,  Mercury.]  Zeus ,  Her¬ 
mes.  Bloomf. 

(13.)  Oxen-]  Lit.  bulls.  Garlands,  sacrifice.]  The  carefully  selected 

animals  to  be  sacrificed  (with 
the  Romans  and  Greeks)  ‘were 
adorned  with  fillets,  ribands, 
and  crowns;  and  their  horns 
gilt.’  The  cut.  is  a  classic  rel¬ 
ic,  showing  a  sacrifice:  for  the 
manner  of  it,  see  Potter  and 
Adam.  Ed.  ‘  When  the  gods 
[in  India]  are  taken  out  in  pro¬ 
cession,  their  necks  are  adorn¬ 
ed  with  garlands ;  the  priests 
also  wear  them  at  the  same 
time.  On  all  festive  occasions, 
the  men  and  women  [as  did 
the  ancient  Egyptians]  have  on 
their  sweet-scented  garlands. 
Garlands  are  also  oflered  in  token  of  respect.’  Rob.  Pee  Bush's  Ulus. — 
‘There  is  a  meaning  here,  which  ordinary  readers  will  not  readily  ap- 
pr.ehend.  Many  cities  were  put  under  the  protection  of  a  particular 


A.  D.  46. 


ACTS,  XIV. 


Paul  and  Barnahas  reject  divine  honors. 


14  Which  when  the  apostles, 
Barnabas  and  Paul,  heard  of,  they 
*  rent  their  clothes,  and  ran  in 
among  the  people,  crying  out, 

15  And  saying,  Sirs,  why  do  ye 
these  things?  We  j  also  are  men 
of  like  passions  with  you,  and 
preach  unto  you,  that  ye  should 
turn  from  these  vanities  k  unto  1  the 
living  God,  which  made  “heaven 
and  earth,  and  the  sea,  and  all 
things  that  are  therein  : 

16  Who  "in  times  past  suffered 
all  nations  to  walk  in  their  own 
ways. 

17  0  Nevertheless,  he  left  not 
himself  without  witness,  in  that  he 
did  good,  and  gave  us  rain  p  from 
heaven,  and  fruitful  seasons,  filling 
our  hearts  with  food  and  gladness. 

18  And  with  these  sayings,  scarce 
restrained  they  the  people,  that  they 
had  not  done  sacrifice  unto  them. 

19  IT  And  there  came  thither  cer¬ 
tain  Jews  from  Antioch  and  Iconi- 
um,  who  persuaded  the  people,  and 
having  i  stoned  Paul,  drew  him  out 
of  the  city,  supposing  he  had  been 
dead. 

i  Mat.  26:65.  1  Co.  8:4.  17:30. 

j  c  10:26.  Ja.  5:  1  1  Th.  1:9.  o  Ro.  1:20. 

17.  Re.  19:10.  mGe,  1:1.  Ps.33:  p  Job  5:10.  Ps. 

k  1  Sa.  12:21.  I  6.  116:6.  Re.  147:8.  Mat.  5: 

K.  16:13.  Je.  14:7.  45. 

14:22.  Jo.  2:8.  n  Ps.  81:12.  c.  q  2  Co.  11:25. 

When  Christ,  the  Son  of  God,  came  down, 
and  appeared  in  the  likeness  of  men,  and  did 
many,  very  many  miracles,  yet  they  were  so 
far  from  doing  sacrifice  to  Him,  that  they 
made  Him  a  sacrifice  to  their  pride  and 
malice  ;  He  was  in  the  world,  and  the  world 
knew  Him  not  ;  He  came  to  his  own,  and  his 
own  received  Him  not ;  but  Paul  and  Barna¬ 
bas,  on  their  working  of  one  miracle,  are 
deified  presently.  The  same  power  of  the 
god  of  this  world,  which  prejudices  the 
carnal  mind  against  truth,  makes  errors  and 
mistakes  to  find  easy  admission  ;  and  both 
ways  his  turn  is  served.  They  brought  oxen, 
to  be  sacrificed  to  them,  and  garlands,  with 
which  to  crown  the  sacrifices.  [Also,  the 
gods  themselves,  the  priests,  and  the  gates 
of  the  temple.]  These  garlands  were  made 
up  of  flowers  and  ribbons;  and  they  gilded 
the  horns  of  the  oxen  they  sacrificed. 

III.  Paul  and  Barnabas  protest  [with  the 
utmost  horror]  against  this  undue  respect 
paid  them,  and  with  much  ado  prevent 
it.  Many  of  the  heathen  emperors  called 
themselves  gods,  and  took  a  pride  in  having 
divine  honors  paid  them  ;  but  Christ’s  min¬ 
isters,  though  real  benefactors  to  mankind, 
while  they  only  pretended  to  be  so,  refused 
those  honors  when  rendered.  Whose  suc¬ 
cessor  therefore  he  is,  who  sits  in  the  temple 
of  God,  and  shows  that  he  is  god,  2  Thess. 
2,  4.  and  who  is  adored  as  our  lord  god  the 
pope,  it  is  easy  to  say.  Observe, 

1.  The  holy  indignation  Paul  and  Barna¬ 
bas  conceived  at  this;  they  rent  their  clothes. 
We  do  not  find  that  they  rent  their  clothes 
when  the  people  vilified  them,  and  spake 
of  stoning  them;  they  could  bear  that  with¬ 
out  disturbance;  but  when  they  deified  them, 
and  spake  of  worshipping  them,  they  could 
not  bear  it,  but  rent  their  clothes,  as  being 
more  concerned  for  God’s  honor  than  their 
own. 


2.  The  pains  they  took  to  prevent  it. 
They  did  not  connive  at  it,  much  less  sug¬ 
gest  to  one  another,  that  it  might  contribute 
both  to  the  safety  of  their  persons  and  the 
success  of  their  ministry,  if  they  suffered  the 
people  to  continue  in  this  mistake,  and  so 
they  might  make  a  good  hand  of  an  ill  thing. 
No,  God’s  truth  [never]  needs  the  service 
of  man’s  lie  ;  Christ  had  put  honor  enough 
on  them  in  making  them  apostles,  they 
needed  not  assume  either  the  honor  of  prin¬ 
ces,  or  the  honor  of  gods  ;  they  appeared 
with  much  more  magnificent  titles  when 
called  the  ambassadors  of  Christ,  and  the 
stewards  of  the  mysteries  of  God,  than  when 
called  Jupiter  and  Mercury. 

When  th«y  preached  to  the  Jews,  who 
hated  idolatry,  the  apostles  had  nothing  to  do 
but  to  preach  the  grace  of  God  in  Christ, 
and  needed  not,  as  the  prophets  in  dealing 
with  their  fathers,  to  preach  against  idola¬ 
try;  but  when  they  had  to  do  with  the  Gen¬ 
tiles,  they  must,  as  here,  rectify  their  mis¬ 
takes  in  natural  religion,  and  bring  them  off 
from  the  gross  corruption  of  that. 

‘We  call  you  to  worship  the  God  that  made 
you  and  all  the  world;  worship  the  true  God, 
and  cheat  not  yourselves  with  pretenders  ; 
worship  the  sovereign  Lord  of  all,  and  dis¬ 
parage  not  yourselves  in  bowing  down  to  his 
creatures  and  subjects,’  v.  16.  In  times  past, 
for  many  ages,  unto  this  day.  He  suffered  all 
nations  to  walkin  their  own  ways;  they  might 
think,  ‘  Have  we  not  served  these  gods  hith¬ 
erto,  and  our  fathers  before  us,  time  out  of 
mind  ;  and  why  not  still  1  ’ — No,  it  was  a 
trial  of  God’s  patience,  and  a  miracle  of 
mercy  you  were  not  cut  off  for  it.  But  all 
the  nations  that  had  not  the  benefit  of  divine 
revelation,  i.  e.  all  but  the  Jews,  H e  suffered 
to  walk  in  their  own  ways,  for  they  had  noth¬ 
ing  to  check  them,  or  control  them,  but  their 
own  consciences,  their  own  thoughts,  Rom. 
2:  15.  no  scriptures,  no  prophets  ;  and  then 
they  were  the  more  excusable  if  they  mis¬ 
took  their  way:  but  now  that  God  has  sent 
a  revelation  into  the  world,  which  is  to  be 
published  to  all  nations,  the  case  is  altered. 
We  may  understand  it  as  a  judgment  on  all 
nations^  that  God  suffered  them  to  tvalk  in 
their  own  ways,  gave  them  up  to  their  own 
hearts ’  lusts;  but  now  the  time  is  come  when 
the  veil  of  the  covering  spread  over  all  nations 
should  be  taken  off,  Is.  25:  7.  and  you  will  no 
longer  be  excused. 

Their  having  no  scriptures  did  in  part  ex¬ 
cuse  them,  (therefore  God  did  not  destroy 
them  for  their  idolatry,  as  He  did  the  Jew¬ 
ish  nation,)  but  not  wholly  ;  they  were 
highly  criminal,,  and  deeply  guilty,  before 
God ;  for  there  were  other  witnesses  for  God, 
sufficient  to  inform  them  that  He,  and  He 
only,  is  to  be  worshipped. 

1.  The  bounties  of  common  providence 
witness  to  us,  that  there  is  a  God,  for  they 
are  all  dispensed  wisely  and  with  design. 
All  the  powers  of  nature  witness  to  us  a  sov¬ 
ereign  power  in  the  God  of  nature,  from 
whom  they  are  derived,  and  on  whom  they 
depend. 

2.  The  benefits  we  have  by  these  bounties, 
witness  to  us,  that  we  ought  to  make  our 
acknowledgments  not  to  the  creatures  who 
are  made  serviceable  to  us,  but  to  the  Cre¬ 
ator  who  makes  them  so.  He  left  not  Him¬ 
self  without  witness,  in  that  He  did  good. 
God  seems  to  reckon  the  instances  of  his 
goodness  to  be  more  pregnant,  cogent  proofs 
of  his  title  to  our  homage  and  adoration, 
than  the  evidences  of  his  greatness  ;  for  his 
goodness  is  his  glory.  Because  the  most  sen¬ 
sible  instance  of  the  goodness  of  Providence 


to  each  of  us  in  particular,  is  that  of  the 
daily  provision  made  by  it  of  meat  and  drink 
for  us,  the  apostle  chooses  to  insist  on  that. 
Of  all  the  common  operations  of  Providence, 
the  heathen  chose  to  form  their  notion  of  the 
supreme  God  by  that  which  speaks  terror, 
but  the  apostle  here,  to  engage  us  to  worship 
God,  sets  before  us  his  beneficence,  that  we 
may  have  good  thoughts  of  Him  in  every¬ 
thing  wherein  we  have  to  do  with  Him, 
Eccl.  2:24.  Even  those  nations  that  had 
lost  the  knowledge  of  Him,  and  worshipped 
other  gods,  yet  He  filled  their  houses,  filled 
their  mouths.  Job  22:18.  Ps.  17:14.  The 
Gentiles  that  lived  without  God  in  the  world, 
yet  lived  upon  God  ;  which  Christ  urges  as 
a  reason  wdiy  we  should  do  good  to  those  that 
hate  us,  Mat.  5:  44,45.  Those  heathen  had 
their  hearts  filled  with  food,  that  was  their  fe¬ 
licity  and  satisfaction,  they  desired  no  more; 
but  these  things  will  not  fill  the  soul,  Ez.  7 :19. 
nor  will  those  that  know  how  to  value  their 
own  souls,  be  satisfied  with  them  ;  but  the 
apostles  put  themselves  in  as  sharers  in  the 
divine  beneficence  ;  we  must  all  own  that 
God  fills  our  hearts  with  food  and  gladness; 
not  only  food,  that  we  may  live,  but  glad¬ 
ness,  that  we  may  live  cheerfully  ;  to  Him 
we  owe  it,  that  we  do  not  all  our  days  eat 
in  sorrow. 

Lastly,  The  success  of  this  prohibition 
which  the  apostles  gave  to  the  people,  v.  18.  By 
these  sayings,  with  much  ado,  they  restrained 
the  people  from  doing  sacrifice  to  them ;  so 
stronglv  were  idolaters  set  upon  their  idola¬ 
try!  It  was  not  enough  for  the  apostles  tore- 
fuse  to  be  deified,  but  they  resent  it,  they  show 
them  the  evil  of  it,  and  all  little  enough,  for 
they  scarce  restrained  them  from  it;  and  some 
of  them  were  ready  to  blame  the  priest,  that  he 
did  not  go  on  with  his  business,  notwithstand¬ 
ing.  We  may  see  here,  what  gave  rise  to 
the  pagan  idolatry  ;  it  was,  terminating 
those  regards  in  the  instruments  of  our  com¬ 
fort,  which  should  have  passed  through  them 
to  the  Author,  instead  of  glorifying  God  for 
giving  them  such  power;  which  should  make 
us  very  cautious,  that  we  do  not  either  give 
that  honor  to  another,  or  take  it  to  ourselves, 
which  is  due  to  God  only. 

V.  19 — 28.  I.  We  have  here  a  further 
account  of  the  services  and  sufferings  of 
Paul  and  Barnabas. 

1.  H  ow  Paul  was  stoned  and  left  for  dead, 
but  miraculously  came  to  himself  again, 
v.  19,  20.  They  fell  upon  Paul,  rather  than 
Barnabas,  because  Paul,  being  the  chief 
speaker,  galled  and  vexed  them  more.  See 
how  restless  the  rage  of  the  Jews  was  against 
the  Gospel  of  Christ  ;  they  could  not  bear 
that  it  should  have  footing  anywhere.  They 
irritated  the  people  to  that  degree,  that  the 
mob  rose  and  stoned  Paul,  in  a  popular  tu¬ 
mult  ;  they  knocked  him  down,  and  then 
drew  him  out  of  the  city,  as  one  not  fit  to  live 
in  it,  or  drew  him  out  on  a  sledge,  or  in  a 
cart,  to  bury  him,  supposing  he  had  been  dead. 
See  how  fickle  the  minds  of  carnul,  worldly 
people  are,  that  do  not  know  and  consider 
things  !  Those  that,  but  the  other  day,  would 
have  treated  the  apostles  as  more  than  men, 
now  treat  them  as  worse  than  brutes.  To¬ 
day,  Hosanna,  to-morrow,  Crucify  ;  to-day 
sacrificed  to,  to-morrow  sacrificed.  We 
have  an  instance  of  a  change  the  other  way, 
ch.  23.  This  man  is  a  murderer,  v.  4  ;  no 
doubt,  he  is  a  god,  v.  6.  Popular  breath  turns 
like  the  wind.  If  Paul  would  have  been  Mer¬ 
cury,  he  might  have  been  enthroned,  nay,  en¬ 
shrined;  but  if  he  will  be  a  faithful  minister 
of  Christ,  he  shall  be  stoned,  and  thrown 
out  of  the  city.  Thus  they  who  easily  sub¬ 


deity  :  and  the  image  of  that  deity  placed  at  the  entrance,  to  signify  God,  and,  which  is  very  remarkable,  not  as  coming  from  the  gods  ;  and 

that  he  was  the  guardian  and  protector.  To  this,  Luke,  everywhere  as  this  he  thinks  a  remnant  of  patriarchal  piety,  in  a  form  of  speech,  older 
accurate  as  he  is  circumstantial,  refers.’  Dr.  A.  Clarke.  than  the  first  idolatry.’  Doddr. 

(15.)  Of  like  passions.]  ‘  Obnoxious  to  the  same  common  inflrmi-  V.  19.  Supposing  he  was  dead.]  ‘  So  most  probably  he  was.’  Dr.  A. 
ties.  This  is  also  the  meaning,  James  5:17.  and  nothing  could  be  more  C. ;  who  supposes  the  miracle  extended,  not  only  to  the  healing  of  the 
absurd,  or  injurious  to  the  character  of  these  holy  men,  than  to  imagine  apostle’s  wounds,  but  to  the  restoration  of  life.  Doddr.  suggests,  that 
that  it  refers,  in  either  of  the  places,  to  anything  of  ungoverned  passion.’  there  may  have  been  an  extraordinary  appearance  of  the  body,  which 

Doddr.  led  them  to  suppose  he  was  dead,  while  he  was  not  actually  so.’  Ed. 
(17.)  ‘Raphelius  shows,  that  the  pagans  spoke  of  rain  as  given  by 


A.  D.  4?. 


ACTS,  XIV. 


Perseverance  in  discharging  duty. 


20  Howbeit,  as  the  disciples  stood 
round  about  him,  he  rose  up,  and 
came  into  the  city  :  and  the  next 
day  he  departed  with  Barnabas  to 
Derbe. 

21  IT  And  when  they  had  preach¬ 
ed  the  gospel  to  that  city,  and  rhad 
taught  many,  they  returned  again 
to  Lystra,  and  to  Iconium,  and 
Antioch, 

22  Continuing  the  souls  of  the 
disciples,  and  exhorting  them  to 
continue  8 in  the  faith,  and  that  'we 
must  through  much  tribulation  en¬ 
ter  into  the  kingdom  of  God. 

23  And  when  they  had  ordained 
them  elders  in  every  church,  and 
had  prayed  with  fasting,  they  com¬ 
mended  them  to  the  Lord,  on  whom 
they  believed. 

r  had  made  many  s  c.  13:43. 
disciples.  t  Ro.  8:17.  2  Ti.  3:12. 

mil  to  strong  delusions,  hate  to  receive  the 
truth  in  the  love  of  it. 

2.  How  he  was  delivered  by  the  power  of 
God,  v.  20.  Some,  it  seems,  at  Lystra,  found 
the  mean  between  deifying  the  apostles  and 
rejecting  them  ;  and  even  these  new  con¬ 
verts  had  courage  to  own  Paul,  when  thus 
run  down,  though  they  had  reason  enough  to 
fear,  lest  they  who  stoned  him  would  stone 
them  for  owning  him.  They  stood  round 
about  him,  as  a  guard ;  stood  to  see  whether 
he  were  alive  or  dead  ;  and  all  of  a  sudden 
he  ruse  up  ;  though  not  dead,  yet  he  was  ill 
crushed  and  bruised,  no  doubt,  and  fainted 
away;  he  was  in  a  dtliquium,  so  that  it  was 
not  without  a  miracle  that  he  came  so  sooh 
to  himself,  and  was  so  well  as  to  be  able  to 
go  into  the  city.  God’s  faithful  servants, 
though  cast  down  are  not  destroyed,  2  Cor.  4:9. 

II.  How  th  y  went  on  with  their  work, 
notwithstanding.  However,  their  being  per¬ 
secuted  here,  is  a  known  indication  to  them 
to  seek  for  opportunities  of  usefulness  else¬ 
where;  therefore  for  the  present  they  quit 
Lystra. 

And,  1.  They  went  the  next  day  to  Derbe, 
a  city  not  far  oft';  there  they  preached,  and 
taught  many,  v.  21.  It  should  seem  Tim¬ 
othy  was  of  that  city;  and  one  of  the  disci¬ 
ples  that  now  attended  Paul,  had  met  him 


at  Antioch,  and  accompanied  him  in  all  this 
circuit  ;  for,  with  reference  to  this  story, 
Paul  tells  him  how  fully  he  had  known  the  af¬ 
flictions  he  endured  at  Antioch,  Iconium,  and 
Lystra,  2  Tim.  3:  10,  11.  Nothing  is  re¬ 
corded  that  happened  at  Derbe. 

2.  They  returned,  and  went  over  their 
work  again,  watering  what  they  had  sown; 
and  having  stayed  as  long  as  they  thought  fit 
at  Derbe,  they  came  back  to  Lystra,  to  Ico¬ 
nium,  and  Antioch,  the  cities  where  they 
had  preached,  v.  21.  Now,  as  we  have  had 
a  very  instructive  account  of  the  methods 
they  took  in  laying  the  foundation,  and  be¬ 
ginning  the  good  work,  so  here  we  have  the 
like'of  their  building  on  that  foundation,  and 
carrying  on  that  good  work.  Let  us  see 
what  they  did. 

(1.)  They  confirmed  the  souls'  of  the  disci¬ 
ples;  inculcated  what  was  proper  to  confirm 
them,  v.  22.  Young  converts  are  apt  to  wa¬ 
ver,  a  little  thing  shocks  them,  old  acquain¬ 
tance  beg  they  will  not  leave  them  ;  those 
they  look  upon  to  be  wiser  than  they,  set  be¬ 
fore  them  the  absurdity,  indecencv,  and  dan¬ 
ger,  of  a  change  ;  they  are  allured,  by  the 
prospect  of  preferment,  to  stick  to  the  tra¬ 
ditions  of  their  fathers;  they  are  frightened 
with  the  danger  of  swimming  against  the 
stream.  But  the  apostles  come  and  tell  them 
that  this  is  the  true  grace  of  God  wherein  they 
stand,  and  this  fortifies  their  pious  resolutions 
in  the  strength  of  Christ,  to  adhere  to  Christ, 
whatever  it  cost  them:  it  is  the  grace  of  God, 
and  nothing  less,  that  can  effectually  confirm 
the  souls  of  the  disciples,  and  prevent  their 
apostasy. 

(2.)  They  exhorted  them  to  continue  in  the 
faith;  or,  as  it  may  be  read,  they  encouraged 
them.  They  told  them  it  was  both  their  duty 
and  interest  to  persevere  ;  to  abide  in  the 
belief  of  Christ’s  being  the  Son  of  God,  and 
the  Savior  of  the  world.  Note,  They  that 
are  continually  surrounded  with  temptations 
to  apostasy,  have  need  to  be  continually 
attended  with  pressing  exhortations  to 
perseverance. 

(3.)  What  they  insisted  most  on,  was, 
that  we  must  through  much  tribulation  enter 
into  the  kingdom  of  God.  Not  only  they  must, 
but  we;  all  that  will  go  to  heaven,  must  ex¬ 
pect  tribulation  and  persecution  in  their  way 
thither.  But  is  this  the  way  to  confirm  the 
souls  of  the  disciples,  and  to  engage  them  to 
continue  in  the  faith  ?  One  would  think  it 
should  rather  shock  them,  and  make  them 


weary.  No,  as  the  matter  is  fairly  stated 
and  taken  entire,  it  would  help  to  confirm 
them,  and  fix  them  for  Christ.  It  is  true, 
they  will  meet  with  tribulation,  with  much 
tribulation.  It  is  so  appointed,  the  matter 
is  fixed,  and  cannot  be  altered  :  all  that  will 
be  Christ’s  disciples  must  take  iip  the  cross  ; 
when  we  gave  up  our  names  to  Jesus  Christ, 
it  was  what  we  agreed  to  ;  when  we  sat 
down  and  counted  the  cost,  if  we  reckoned 
right,  it  was  what  we  counted  upon.  It  is 
the  lot  of  the  leaders  in  Christ’s  army  ns 
well  as  of  the  soldiers ;  not  oidy  you,  but  we; 
therefore  as  your  own  sufferings  must  not  be 
a  stumbling-block  to  you,  so  neither  must 
ours;  see  1  Thess.  3:3.  As  Christ  did  not 
put  the  apostles  on  any  harder  service  than 
what  He  underwent  before  them,  so  neither 
did  the  apostles  put  the  ordinary  Christians. 

(4.)  They  ordained  them  elders,  or  pres¬ 
byters,  in  every  church.  Now,  at  this  second 
visit,  they  settled  them  in  some  order,  formed 
them  into  religious  societies,  under  the  con¬ 
duct  of  a  settled  ministry,  and  settled  that 
distinction,  between  them  that  are  taught  in 
the  Word,  and  them  that  teach.  Every  church 
had  its  governors  or  presidents,  whose  office 
it  was  to  pray  with  the  members  of  the  church, 
and  to  preach  to  them  in  their  solemn  as¬ 
semblies,  to  administer  all  gospel-ordinances 
to  them,  and  to  take  the  oversight  of  them, 
to  instruct  the  ignorant,  warn  the  unruly,  com¬ 
fort  the  feeble-minded,  and  to  convince  gain- 
sayers.  Those  governors  were  then  elders, 
that  had  in  their  qualification  the  wisdom 
and  gravity  of  seniors,  and  in  their  commis¬ 
sion  the  authority  and  command  of  seniors  : 
not  to  make  new  laws,  but  to  see  to  the 
observance  and  execution  of  the  laws  Christ 
has  made;  and  so  far  they  are  to  be  obeyed 
and  submitted  to.  These  elders  were  or¬ 
dained.  The  qualifications  of  such  as  were 
proposed,  or  proposed  themselves,  were 
judged  of  by  the  apostles,  as  most  fit  to 
judge  ;  and  they  themselves,  having  devoted 
themselves,  were  solemnly  set  apart  to  the 
work  of  the  ministry,  and  bound  to  it.  These 
elders  were  ordained  to  them,  to  the  disci¬ 
ples,  to  their  service,  for  their  good.  Those 
that  are  in  the  faith  have  need  to  be  built  up 
in  it,  and  have  need  of  the  elders’  help  there¬ 
in  ;  the  pastors-  and  teachers,  who  are  to  edify 
the  body  of  Christ. 

(5.)  By  prayer,  joined  with  fasting,  they 
commended  them  to  the  Lord,  to  the  Lord  Je¬ 
sus,  on  whom  they  believed.  When  persons 


V.  20.  He  rose  up,  <fcc.)  ‘  This  must  certainly  be  the  effect  of  a  mi¬ 
raculous  cure,  approaching  near  as  one  can  conceive,  to  a  resurrection 
from  the  dead.  This  is  the  more  illustrated  by  his  going  the  next  day 
to  Derbe;  whereas,  in  a  course  of  nature,  he  would  then  have  felt  his 
bruises  much  more  than  at  first,  and  probably,  after  the  best  care  that 
could  have  been  taken  of  him,  would  hardly  have  been  able  to  turn  him¬ 
self  in  his  bed.’  Doddr. — Come  into  the  city.]  ‘  So  that  his  persecutors 
might  see  the  mighty  power  of  God  in  his  restoration,  and  the  faith  of 
the  young  converts  be  confirmed  in  the  truth  and  goodness  of  God.’  Dr. 
A.  C. — Doddr.  suggests,  here,  in  addition  to  what  Henry  says  of  Timo¬ 
thy,  ‘  that,  though  it  was  not  till  Paul’s  next  journey  to  Derbe,  that  he 
formed  his  intimate  acquaintance  with  Timothy,  ch.  1G-.1,  2.  yet  since 
he  speaks  of  Timothy  as  having  been  a  ivitness  of  his  sufferings  here, 
and  in  the  neighborhood,  2  Tim.  3:10,  11.  whereas  we  read  nothing  of 
any  remarkable  sufferings  in  that  second  progress.  Acts  16:4.  it  seems, 
he  begun  his  acquaintance  now  witli  that  hopeful  youth,  whose  pious 
mother,  Eunice,  and  grandmother,  Lois,  2  Tim.  1:5.  seem  now  to  have 
been  entered  into  the  Christian  church,  though  he  was  not  admitted  till 
afterwards.’  Ed. 

V.  21 — 23.  These  elders  were  their  stated  pastors.  In  respect  of  the 
manner  in  which  they  were  selected,  it  cannot  be  supposed,  that  the 
apostles,  in  their  present  circumstances,  would  appoint  any  to  the  sa¬ 
cred  ministry,  who  were  not  acceptable  to  the  people  ;  or  that  they  would 
ordain  any,  without  their  own  full  satisfaction  that  they  were  proper 
persons,  whatever  the  people  might  be  inclined  to.  There  seems  to  have 
been  the  most  perfect  harmony  in  the  management  of  this  important 
concern ;  yet  it  can  scarcely  be  doubted,  that  both  the  apostles,  and 
those  to  whom,  in  some  sense,  they  afterwards  delegated  this  part  of 
their  authority,  interfered,  with  their  judgment  and  influence,  in  the 
nomination  of  proper  persons  to  the  ministerial  office ;  as  well  as  set 
them  apart  by  imposition  of  hands  and  prayer.  In  all  such  questions, 
the  middle,  between  the  extreme  points  contended  for  by  the  zealots  of 
opposite  parties,  seems  to  be  the  nearest  to  the  true  state  of  the  case. — 
As  the  churches  increased,  deacons  were  doubtless  chosen,  under  the 
superintendence  of  the  elders  ;  but  it  does  not  appear  that  the  apostles 
appointed  any  at  this  lime. — It  is  probable  the  apostles,  and  those  em¬ 
ployed  by  them,  selected  the  presbyters,  or  pastors,  from  such  as  were 
more  signally  made  partakers  of  miraculous  gifts,  by  the  Holy  Spirit; 
yet,  as  these  endowments  might  be  possessed  by  those  who  had  not  true 
faith  and  grace ;  and,  as  eminent  and  intelligent  believers  do  not  seem 


always  to  have  been  endowed  with  them  ;  it  appears  unscriptural  to 
suppose  that  all  such  were  appointed  to  the  pastoral  office,  and  none 
else. — No  impartial  person  can,  as  it  appears  to  me,  read  this  passage, 
without  being  convinced,  that  stated  resident  pastors  of  each  church, 
and  not  preachers  of  the  Gospel  at  large,  are  here  intended ;  but  wheth¬ 
er  these  stated  resident  pastors  were,  as  some  argue,  ‘  bishops,’  accord¬ 
ing  to  the  modern  acceptation  of  the  word,  is  a  subject  which  will  here¬ 
after  come  under  our  consideration.  20:17.  Phil-  1:1.  1  Tim.  3.1. — (23) 
When  they  had  ordained.]  2  Cor.  8:19.  ‘They ’(Paul  and  Barnabas) 
‘  ordained  them  ’  (the  Christians)  ‘  elders,  &c.’ — If  an  election  by  hold¬ 
ing  up  hands  be  intended,  Paul  and  Barnabas  were  the  sole  electors.  It 
may  then  be  fairly  asked,  whether  this  is  the  only  scriptural  authority, 
for  the  people  choosing  their  own  spiritual  pastors  ?  or  whether  any 
other  can  be  adduced  ?  If  no  other,  then  surely,  whatever  may  be  said 
on  the  ground  of  expediency,  th e  divine  authority  of  this  method  stands 
on  a  very  slender  foundation  !  Scott. 

(23.)  Ordained  them  elders.]  1 Elder  seems  to  be  here  the  name  of 
an  office.'  These  were  all  young  or  new  converts,  and  yet  among  them 
the  apostles  constituted  elders. — The  word  ordain,  we  use  in  an  ecclesi¬ 
astical  sense,  to  signify  the  appointment  of  a  person  to  an  office  in  the 
church,  by  the  imposition  of  the  hands  of  those  who  are  rulers  in  that 
church.  But  cheirotonia  signifies  the  holding  up,  or  stretching  out  the 
hand,  as  approving  of  the  choice  of  any  person  to  a  particular  work ; 
whereas  cheirothesia  signifies  the  imposition  of  hands.  I  believe  the 
simple  truth  to  be,  that  in  ancient  times  the  people  chose  by  the  cheiro¬ 
tonia  (lifting  up  of  hands)  their  spiritual  pastor;  and  the  rulers  of  the 
church,  whether  apostles  or  others,  appointed  that  person  to  his  office  by 
the  cheirothesia,  or  imposition  of  hands ;  and  perhaps  each  of  these 
was  thought  to  be  equally  necessary  ;  the  church  agreeing  in  the  elec¬ 
tion  of  the  person  ;  and  the  rulers  of  the  church  appointing,  by  the  im¬ 
position  of  hands,  the  person  thus  elected.’  Dr.  A.  C.  ‘  Mr.  Harrington 
(in  Doddr.]  renders  the  words,  ordained  them  elders  by  the  votes  of  the 
people,  urging  the  authority  of  Suidas,  who  explains  cheirotonia  by 
“  the  election  of  magistrates,  or  ratification  of  laws  by  many,  signified 
by  holding  up,  or  stretching  out  the  hand.”  Comp.  2  Cor.  8:1 9.  Raphe- 
lius  has  confirmed  the  same  interpretation  :  and  the  old  English  Bible  tr. 
when  they  had  ordained  them  elders  by  election.'  Doddr.  himself  ren¬ 
ders,  ‘  constituted  presbyters  for  them  in  every  church.'  He  says,  ‘  I 
have  not  rendered  it  ordained,  because  custom  has,  among  us  especially, 
affixed  to  that  word,  in  such  a  connexion,  the  idea  of  laying  on  hands  in 


A.  D.  49. 


ACTS,  XV. 


Paul  and  Barnabas  return  to  Antioch. 


24  And  after  they  had  passed 
throughout  Pisidia,  they  came  to 
Pamphylia. 

25  And  when  they  had  preached 
the  word  in  Perga,  they  went  down 
into  Attalia  : 

26  And  thence  sailed  to  Antioch, 
u  from  whence  they  had  been  re¬ 
commended  T  to  the  grace  of  God, 
for  the  work  which  they  fulfilled. 

27  And  when  they  were  come, 
and  had  gathered  the  church  to¬ 
gether,  they  rehearsed  w  all  that 
God  had  done  with  them,  and  how 
he  had  opened  x  the  door  of  faith 
unto  the  Gentiles. 

28  And  there  they  abode  long 
time  with  the  disciples. 

CPIAP.  XV. 

I  Great  dissension  ariseth  touching  circumcision.  6  The 
apostles  consult  about  it,  2*2  and  send  their  determination 
by  letters  to  the  churches.  36  Paul  and  Barnabas,  think¬ 
ing  to  visit  the  brethren  together,  fall  at  strife,  and  depart 
asunder. 

\  ND  1  certain  men  which  came 
d  V  down  from  Judea,  taught  the 
brethren,  and  said ,  Except  bye  be 
circumcised  c  after  the  manner  of 
Moses,  ye  cannot  be  saved. 

u  c.  13:1,3.  xl  Co.  16:3.  2  aGa.2:12. 

v  c.  15:40.  Co.  2:12.  Re.  b  Jn.  7:22. 

wc.  15:4.  3:8.  c  Lc.  12:3. 

are  brought  to  believe,  and  that  sincerely, 
there  is  still  that  lacking  in  their  faith,  which 
needs  to  be.  perfected.  The  ministers  that 
take  most  care  of  them,  must  after  all  com¬ 
mend  them  to  the  Lord  by  prayer;  as  Christ 
in  his  prayer,  John  17.  commended  his  dis¬ 
ciples  to  his  Father.  Thine  they  were,  and 
Thou  gavest  them  Me.  Father,  keep  them.  In 
doing  this,  it  is  a  great  encouragement  to  us, 
that  we  can  say,  ‘  It  is  He  in  whom  they  be¬ 
lieved,  we  commit  them  to  Him,  and  know 
He  is  able  to  keep  what  they  and  we  have  com¬ 
mitted  to  Him  against  that  day,’  2  Tim.  1 : 12. 
It  is  good  to  join  fasting  with  prayer,  in  to¬ 
ken  of  our  humiliation  for  sin,  and  in  order 
to  add  vigor  to  our  prayers.  When  parting 
with  our  friends,  the  best  farewell  is  to  com¬ 
mend  them  to  the  Lord,  and  to  leave  them 
with  Him. 

3.  They  went  on  preaching  the  Gospel  in 
other  places  where  they  had  been,  but,  as  it 
should  seem,  had  not  made  so  many  converts 
as  now  to  form  churches  ;  therefore  thither 
they  came  to  pursue  and  carry  on  conversion 


work.  From  Antioch  they  passed  through 
Pisidia,  the  province  in  which  that  Antioch 
stood,  thence  they  came  into  the  province 
of  Pamphylia,  the  head  city  of  which  was 
Perga,  where  they  had  been  before,  ch.  13: 
13.  and  came  thither  again  to  preach  the 
Word,  v.  25.  making  a  second  offer.  What 
success  they  had,  we  are  not  told,  but  that, 
from  thence,  they  went  down  to  Attalia,  a  city 
of  Pamphylia,  on  the  sea-coast.  They  staid 
not  long  at  a  place,  but  wherever  they  came 
endeavored  to  lay  a  foundation,  which  might 
afterward  be  built  upon,  and  to  sow  the  seeds 
which  would,  in  time,  produce  a  great 
increase. 

III.  How  they  at  length  came  back  to 
Antioch  in  Syria,  whence  they  were  sent 
forth. 

1.  Why  they  came  thither;  because  from 
thence  they  had  been  recommended  to  the  grace 
of  God,  and  such  a  value  did  they  put  on  a 
solemn  recommendation  to  the  grace  of  God, 
though  they  had  themselves  a  great  interest 
in  heaven,  that  they  never  thought  they  could 
show  respect  enough  to  those  who  had  so 
recommended  them. 

2.  What  account  they  gave  them  of  their 
negotiation,  v.  27.  They  gathered  the  church 
together.  Probably  the  Christians  at  Antioch 
were  more  than  ordinarily  met,  or  could 
meet,  in  one  place,  but  on  this  occasion  they 
called  together  the  leading  men  of  them;  or, 
some  met  at  one  time,  or  in  one  place,  and 
others  at  another.  But  when  they  had  them 
together,  they  gave  them  an  account  of  two 
things  :  (1.)  Of  the  tokens  they  had  had  of 
the  divine  presence  with  them  in  their  labors. 
They  rehearsed  all  that  God  had  done  with 
them.  They  did  not  tell  what  they  had  done, 
(that  would  have  savored  of  vain-glory,)  but 
of  what  God  had  done  with  them  and  by 
them.  God’s  grace  can  do  anything  with¬ 
out  ministers’  preaching  :  but  ministers’ 
preaching,  even  Paul’s,  can  do  nothing  with¬ 
out  God’s  grace;  and  the  operations  of  that 
grace  must  be  acknowledged  in  the  efficacy 
of  the  Word.  (2.)  Of  the  fruit  of  their  la¬ 
bors  among  the  heathen.  They  told  how  God 
had  opened  the  door  of  faith  unto  the  Gentiles; 
had  not  only  ordered  them  to  be  invited  to 
the  gospel-feast,  but  had  inclined  the  hearts 
of  many  of  them  to  accept  the  invitation. 

3.  How  they  disposed  of  themselves  for 
the  present,  v.  28.  longer  than  perhaps  at 
first  they  intended  ;  not  because  they  feared 
their  enemies,  but  because  they  loved  their 
friends,  and  were  loath  to  part  from  them. 

Chap.  XV.  Hitherto  we  have,  with  great 
pleasure,  attended  the  apostles  in  their  glo¬ 


rious  travels  to  propagate  the  Gospel  in  for¬ 
eign  parts  ;  have  seen  the  bounds  of  the 
churcli  enlarged,  by  the  accession  both  of 
Jews  and  Gentiles  to  it  ;  and  thanks  he  to 
that  God  who  always  caused  them  to 
triumph  !  We  left  them,  in  the  close  of  the 
foregoing  ch.,  reposing  themselves  at  An¬ 
tioch,  and  edifying  the  church  there,  with  the 
rehearsal  of  their  experiences,  and  it  is  pity 
they  should  ever  be  otherwise  employed  ; 
but  in  this  ch.  vve  find  other  work,  not  so 
pleasant,  cut  out  for  them.  The  Christians 
and  ministers  are  engaged  in  controversy, 
and  they  that  should  have  been  now  busied 
in  enlarging  the  dominions  of  the  church, 
have  as  much  as  they  can  do  to  compose  the 
divisions  of  it;  when  they  should  have  been 
making  war  on  the  devil’s  kingdom,  they 
have  much  ado  to  keep  the  peace  in  Christ’s 
kingdom.  Yet  that  occurrence,  and  the  re¬ 
cord  of  it,  are  of  great  use  to  the  church,  both 
for  warning  to  us  to  expect  such  unhappy 
discords  among  Christians,  and  direction  to 
us  what  method  to  take  to  accommodate 
them. 

V.  1 — 5.  I.  A  new  doctrine  started  in 
the  church  at  Antioch,  which  occasioned  this 
division,  v.  1. 

1.  The  persons  that  urged  it;  certain  which 
came  down  from  Judea;  some  think,  such  as 
had  been  of  the  Pharisees,  v.  5.  or  perhaps 
of  those  priests  obedient  to  the  faith,  ch.  6,  7. 
They  came  from  Judea,  pretending,  perhaps, 
to  be  sent  by  the  aposlies  at  Jerusalem,  or  to 
be  countenanced  by  them.  Having  a  design 
to  spread  their  notions,  they  came  to  Antioch, 
the  head-quarters  of  thosd  that  preached  to 
the  Gentiles,  and  the  rendezvous  of  the  Gen¬ 
tile  converts;  and  if  they  could  but  make  an 
interest  there,  this  leaven  would  soon  be  dif¬ 
fused  to  all  the  churches  of  the  Gentiles. 
They  insinuated  themselves  into  an  acquain¬ 
tance  with  the  brethren,  pretending  to  be 
very  glad  they  had  embraced  the  Christian 
faith,  and  congratulated  them  on  their  con¬ 
version  ;  but  tell  them,  that  yet  one  thing  they 
lack,  they  must  be  circumcised.  Those  that 
are  ever  so  well  taught,  have  need  to  stand 
on  their  guard,  that  they  be  not  untaught 
again,  or  ill  taught. 

2.  The  position  they  laid  down  was  this, 
that  except  the  Gentiles,  who  turned  Chris¬ 
tians,  were  circumcised  after  the  manner  of 
Moses,  and  thereby  obliged  themselves  to  all 
the  observances  of  the  ceremonial  law,  they 
could  not  be  saved.  It  did  not  suffice  them, 
that  they  were  herein  indulged  themselves, 
they  must  have  tlfe  Gentile  converts  brought 
under  the  same.  Note,  There  is  a  strange 
proneness  in  us  to  make  our  own  opinion 


PRACT.  OBS.  Perseverance  in  doing  good,  amidst  dangers,  hard¬ 
ships,  ingratitude,  and  persecution,  is  a  blessed  evidence  of  grace,  an 
expression  of  ‘  the  mind  which  was  in  Christ,’  and  a  distinguishing  mark 
of  his  faithful  ministers. — In  all  cities,  towns,  and  villages,  where  the 
Gospel  is  effectually  preached,  a  division  takes  place  among  the  people; 
some  decidedly  favoring,  and  others  earnestly  opposing  the  persons  em¬ 
ployed  ;  and  generally  some  unconverted  persons,  for  a  time,  take  part 
with  the  preachers  and  professors  of  the  truth,  by  means  of  whom  the 
Lord  restrains  the  fury  of  his  enemies,  till  his  oxvn  purposes  are  affect¬ 
ed. — The  servants  of  God  might  often  obtain  undue  honor  to  themselves, 
if  they  would  connive  at  men’s  errors  and  vices;  but  they  dread  and 
detest  atl  such  sacrilegious  homage,  more  than  any  reproaches  or  injuries 

prayer ,  to  invest  a  person  with,  or  mark  him  for  the  ministerial  office  : 
and  this,  which  I  doubt  not  xvas  here  done,  seems  to  be  intimated  in  the 
following  clause.  It  seemed  to  me,  that  the  word  constitute  would 
properly  express  the  apostles  presiding  in  that  previous  choice,  which 
probably  the  people  signified  by  cheirotonia,  the  stretching  out  their 
hand  .-  and  this  interpretation  appears  most  naturally  to  suit  the  circum¬ 
stances  of  things,  as  well  as  the  import  of  the  original  words  made 
use  of.’ — Bl.  says,  ‘  There  is  no  point  on  which  learned  men,  for  the  last 
century,  have  been  more  agreed  than  on  this,  that  cheirotonein  here, 
simply  denotes,  to  appoint,  constitute ,  or  ordain.  And  so  the  ancient 
version.’  Ed. 

V.  24 — 28.  The  13th  and  14th  chs.  contain  the  first  history  of  a  mis¬ 
sion  among  the  Gentiles.  The  missionaries  were  prepared  and  selected 
by  the  Holy  Spirit ;  they  were  ‘  recommended  to  the  grace  of  God,’  and 
helped  forward  by  their  brethren  ;  leaving  country,  friends,  and  comforts, 
to  face  dangers  and  endure  hardships,  from  love  to  Christ,  and  to  the 
souls  of  their  unknown,  perishing  fellow-sinners ;  they  suffered  much 
tribulation,  but  were  supported,  comforted,  and  preserved ;  and  they 
prospered  greatly  in  their  1  work  and  labor  of  love ;’  and  returning  to 
gladden  the  hearts  of  their  brethren,  and  to  rejoice  with  them,  they  as¬ 
cribed  all  the  glory  to  God,  who  had  granted  the  prayers  offered  in  their 
behalf,  mid  had  wrought  by  them  aud  with  them.  Scott. 

[80] 


whatever. — We  should  show  the  greatest  affection  to  the  persons  of 
men,  and  bear  with  many  of  their  mistakes  and  prejudices,  in  a  candid 
spirit ;  but  we  must  not  spare  decidedly  to  protest  against  their  delu¬ 
sions  and  superstitions,  which  are  as  ruinous  to  the  soul  as  the  grossest 
immoralities. — The  Lord  saw  good  for  a  long  time  to  1  sutler  all  nations 
to  walk  in  their  own  ways  ;’  and  He  still  is  pleased  to  leave  innumerable 
multitudes  to  follow  lying  vanities  ;  this  should  lead  us  to  thankfulness 
for  our  peculiar  advantages,  and  to  adore  the  depth  of  his  unsearchable 
wisdom  and  justice ;  but  it  should  not  induce  us  to  palliate  the  idolatries 
or  impieties  of  our  apostate  race ;  or  to  neglect  doing  all  that  we  can  to 
communicate  ‘  the  Light  of  life  ’  unto  them.  Scott. 


(28.)  1  How  long  the  apostles  tarried  here  we  cannot  tell  ;  but  we 
hear  no  more  of  them  till  the  council  of  Jerusalem,  mentioned  in  the 
following  ch. ;  which  is  generally  supposed  to  have  been  held  in  A.  1). 
51  :  and  if  the  transactions  of  this  ch.  took  place  in  A.  D.  46,  as  chro- 
nologers  think,  then  there  are  5  whole  years  of  Paul’s  ministry,  and  that 
of  other  apostles,  which  Luke  passes  by  in  perfect  silence.  It  is  very 
likely  Paul  and  Barnabas  were  ail  this  time  extending  the  work  of  God 
through  the  different  provinces  contiguous  to  Antioch,  for  Paul  himself 
tells  us  he  preached  the  Gospel  as  far  as  Illyria,  Rom.  15:19.  on  the  side 
of  the  Adriatic  gulf.  Many  of  the  tribulations  and  perils  through  which 
he  passed,  are  not  mentioned  by  Luke,  particularly  those  of  which  ho 
himself  speaks,  2  Cor.  11:23 — 27.  Probably  most  of  these  happened  in 
the  five  years  which  elapsed  between  the  apostle’s  return  to  Antioch, 
and  the  council  of  Jerusalem.’  Dr.  A.  Clarke. 

NOTES.  Chap.  XV.  V.  1 — 6.  The  events  recorded  in  this  ch.  took 
place  probably  about  seventeen  years  after  Paul’s  conversion  ;  bufsome 
expositors  date  them  three  years  earlier.  Gal.  2:1 — 5.  The  apos¬ 
tle  informs  us,  that  ‘he  went  up,  by  revelation;’  the  Lord  having  made 
it  known  to  him,  or  to  some  of  the  prophets  residing  there,  that  He 
would  have  him  do  so.  As  there  was  not  an  entire  agreement  on  the 
subject,  it  was  judged  expedient  for  the  apostles,  elders,  and  others  of 
the  church  [at  Jerusalem]  to  meet  together, and  to  give  the  important  sub- 


% 


A.  D.  52. 


ACTS,  XV. 


Controversy  at  Jlnlioch.  A  council. 


2  When  therefore  Paul  and  Bar¬ 
nabas  had  no  small  dissension  and 
disputation  with  them,  they  deter¬ 
mined  that  d  Paul  and  Barnabas, 
and  certain  other  of  them,  should 
go  up  to  Jerusalem,  unto  the  apos¬ 
tles  and  elders,  about  this  question. 

3  And  being  '  brought  on  then- 
way  by  the  church,  they  passed 
through  Phenice  and  Samaria,  de¬ 
claring  the  'conversion  of  the  Gen¬ 
tiles  :  and  they  caused  great  6  joy 
unto  all  the  brethren. 

4  And  when  they  were  come  to 
Jerusalem,  they  were  received  of 
the  church,  and  of  the  apostles  and 
elders  ;  and  they  h  declared  all 
things  that  God  had  done  with 
them. 

5  IT  But  there  1  rose  up  certain  of 
the  sect  of  the  Pharisees  which 
believed,  saying,  J  That  it  was 
needful  to  circumcise  them,  and  to 
command  them  to  keep  the  law  of 
Moses. 

6  And  the  apostles  and  elders 
came  k  together,  for  to  consider  of 
this  matter. 

7  IT  And  when  there  had  been 
much  disputing,  Peter  rose  up  and 
said  unto  them,  Men  and  brethren, 
.ye  know  'how  that  a  good  while 
ago  God  made  choice  among  us, 
that  the  Gentiles  by  my  mouth 
should  hear  the  word  of  the  gospel, 
and  believe. 

<5  Gil.  2:1.  g  La.  15:7,10.  1  ver.  1. 

e  Ro. 15-24.  1  Co.  h  c.  21:19.  k  Mai.  18:20. 

16.6,11  3  J ii.6.  i  or,  rose  up, said  1  Mat.  16:18  19. 

f  c.  14:27.  the/,  certain.  c.  10:20. 

and  practice  a  rule  and  a  law  to  every  body 
else ;  to  judge  of  all  about  us  by  our  standard, 
and  to  conclude,  that,  because  we  do  well, 
all  do  wrong,  that  do  not  just  as  we  do. 
Those  Jews  hear  that  Christ’s  doctrine  is  re¬ 
ceived  among  the  Gentiles,  and  his  kingdom 
begins  to  be  set  up  in  the  midst  of  them; 

‘  Therefore  by  all  means  let  the  brethren  be 
pressed  to  be  circumcised,  and  keep  the  law  ; 
and  then,  with  our  religion,  our  dominion  will 
be  extended, and  we  shall  in  a  little  time  be 
able  to  shake  off  the  Roman  yoke  ;  and  not 
only  so,  but  to  put  it  on  the  necks  of  our 
neighbors,  and  so  shall  have  such  a  kingdom 
of  the  Messiah  as  we  promised  ourselves.’ 
It  is  no  wonder,  if  those  who  have  wrong  no¬ 
tions  of  the  kingdom  of  Christ,  take  wrong 
measures  for  its  advancement,  such  as  really 
tend  to  its  destruction,  as  these  do. 

The  controversy  about  the  circumcising 
of  the  Gentile  proselytes,  had  been  on  foot 
among  the  Jews  long  before  this.  This  is 
observed  by  Whitby,  out  of  Josephus,  Antiq. 

I.  20.  c.  2.  ‘  That  when  Izates,  the  son  of 


Helen,  queen  of  Adiabene,  embraced  the 
Jews’  religion,  Ananias  declared  he  might 
do  it  without  circumcision  ;  but  Eleazar 
maintained,  that  it  was  a  great  impiety  to 
remain  uncircumcised.’  And  when  two  em¬ 
inent  Gentiles  fled  to  Josephus,  (as  he  relates 
in  the  history  of  his  own  life,)  ‘  the  zealots 
among  the  Jews  were  urgent  for  their  cir¬ 
cumcision  ;  but  Josephus  dissuaded  them 
from  insisting  on  it.’  Such  has  been  the 
difference  in  all  ages  between  bigotry  and 
moderation. 

It  is  observable  what  a  mighty  stress  they 
laid  upon  it  ;  they  do  not  only  say,  ‘  You 
ought  to  be  circumcised,’  but,  ‘  Except  you  be 
circumcised,  you  cannot  be  saved.  It  is  com¬ 
mon  for  proud  imposers  to  enforce  their  own 
inventions,  under  pain  of  damnation  ;  and 
to  tell  people,  unless  they  believe  just  as  they 
would  have  them  believe,  and  do  just  as  they 
would  have  them  do,  they  cannot  be  saved, 
it  is  impossible  they  should;  not  only  their 
case  is  hazardous,  but  desperate.  None  are 
in  Christ,  but  they  that  are  within  their  pale. 
We  ought  to  see  ourselves  well  warranted 
by  the  Word  of  God,  before  we  say,  *  Except 
you  do  so  and  so,  you  cannot  be  saved.’ 

II.  The  opposition  Paul  and  Barnabas 
gave  to  this  schismaticai  notion,  v.  2.  1.  As 
faithful  servants  of  Christ,  they  would  not 
see  his  truths  betrayed;  they  knew  Christ 
came  to  free  us  from  the  yoke  of  the  cere¬ 
monial  law,  and  unite  both  Jews  and  Gen¬ 
tiles  in  Himself  ;  and  therefore  cannot  bear 
to  hear  of  circumcising  the  Gentile  converts, 
when  their  instructions  were  only  to  baptize 
them.  2.  As  spiritual  fathers  to  the  Gentile 
converts,  they  would  not  see  their  liberties 
encroached  upon  ;  they  had  told  them,  that 
if  they  believed  in  Jesus  Christ,  they  should 
be  saved;  and  now  to  be  told,  that  that  was 
not  enough  to  save  them,  except  they  were 
circumcised,  and  kept  the  law  of  Moses, — 
thi£  was  such  a  discouragement,  and  would 
be  such  a  stumbling-block,  as  might  almost 
tempt  them  to  turn  back  into  Egypt  again  ; 
therefore  they  set  themselves  against  it. 

III.  The  expedient  pitched  upon  to  pre¬ 
vent  the  mischief  of  this  dangerous  notion, 
silence  those  that  vented  it,  and  quiet  the 
minds  of  the  people  with  reference  to  it. 
They  determined  that  Paul  and  Barnabas, 
and  some  others  of  their  number,  should  go 
to  Jerusalem,  to  the  apostles  and  elders,  con¬ 
cerning  it.  1.  Because  those  who  taught 
this  doctrine  came  from  Jerusalem,  and  pre¬ 
tended  to  have  directions  from  the  apostles 
there.  2.  Because  those  who  were  taught  this 
doctrine,  would  be  the  better  confirmed  in 
their  opposition  to  it,  and  in  the  less  danger 
of  being  shocked  and  disturbed  by  it,  if  they 
were  sure  that  the  apostles  and  elders  at  Jeru¬ 
salem,  (which  was  that  Christian  church  that 
of  all  other  retained  the  most  affection  to  the 
law  of  Moses,)  were  against  it.  3.  Because 
the  apostles  at  Jerusalem  were  fittest  to  be 
consulted  in  a  point  vet  not  fully  settled  ;  and 
being  most  eminent  for  an  infallible  Spirit, 
peculiar  to  them  as  apostles,  their  decision 
would  be  likely  to  end  the  controversy.  It 


was  owing  to  the  subtlety  and  malice  of  the 
great  enemy  of  the  church’s  peace,  (as  it  ap¬ 
pears  by  Paul’s  frequent  complaints  of  these 
judaizin.g  teachers,  these  false  apostles,  these 
deceitful  workers,  these  enemies  of  the  cross  of 
Christ,)  that  it  had  not  that  effect. 

IV.  Their  journey,  v.  3.  Where  we  find, 

1.  That  they  were  honored  at  parting; 

brought  on  their  way  by  the  church  ;  which 
was  then  much  used  as  a  token  of  respect  to 
useful  men,  and  is  directed  to  be  done  after 
a  godly  sort,  3  John  6.  2.  That  they  did 

good  as  they  went  along ;  they  were  men  that 
would  not  lose  time,  and  therefore  visited  the 
churches  by  the  way  ;  they  passed  through 
Phenice  and  Satnaria,  and  as  they  went  de¬ 
clared  the  conversion  of  the  Gentiles;  and  what 
wonderful  success  the  Gospel  had  had  among 
them;  which  caused  great  joy  to  all  the  breth¬ 
ren.  The  progress  of  the  Gospel  is  and  ought 
to  be  a  matter  of  great  joy. 

V.  Their  hearty  welcome  at  Jerusalem, 

v.  4.  1.  They  were  received  of  the  church, 

and  of  the  apostles  and  elders  ;  with  all  pos¬ 
sible  expressions  of  love  and  friendship. 

2.  They  declared  all  that  God  had  done  with 
them  ;  the  success  of  their  ministry  among 
the  Gentiles ;  as  they  went  they  had  planted, 
as  they  came  back  they  had  watered  ;  but  in 
both  they  were  ready  to  own  it  was  God 
gave  the  increase. 

VI.  The  opposition  they  met  with  from 
the  same  party  at  Jerusalem,  v.  5.  When 
Barnabas  and  Paul  gave  an  account  of  the 
multitude  of  the  Gentiles,  and  of  the  great 
harvest  of  souls  gathered  in  to  Christ  there, 
and  all  about  them  congratulated  them  upon 
it,  there  rose  up  certain  of  the  sect  of  the  Phar¬ 
isees,  who  received  the  tidings  very  coldly, 
and,  though  they  believed  in  Christ,  yet  were 
not  satisfied  in  the  admission  of  those  con¬ 
verts,  but  thought  it  was  needful  to  circum¬ 
cise  them.  Observe  here,  That  those  who 
have  been  most  prejudiced  against  the  Gos¬ 
pel,  yet  have  been  captivated  by  it;  so  mighty 
has  it  been  through  God  to  the  pulling  down 
of  strong  holds ;  but  it  is  very  hard  for  men 
suddenly  to  get  clear  of  their  prejudices. 

V.  6 — 21.  We  have  here  a  council  called, 
not  by  writ,  but  by  consent,  on  this  occasion, 
v.  6.  They  did  not  give  their  judgment  sep¬ 
arately,  but  came  together  to  do  it,  did  not 
give  it  rashly,  but  considered  of  the  matter. 
Though  clear  in  their  own  minds,  yet  they 
would  consider,  and  hear  what  was  to  be 
said  by  the  adverse  party.  Nor  did  the 
apostles  give  their  judgment  concerning  it 
without  tile  elders,  the  inferior  ministers,  to 
whom  they  thus  condescended,  and  whom 
thev  thus  honored.  Here  is  a  direction  to 
pastors  of  churches,  when  difficulties  arise, 
to  come  together  in  solemn  meetings  for  mu¬ 
tual  advice  and  encouragement,  that  they 
may  know  one  another’s  mind,  and  strength¬ 
en  one  another’s  hand,  and  act  in  concert. 

Now  here  we  have, 

I.  Peter’s  speech  in  this  synod.  He  did 
not  in  the  least  pretend  to  any  primacy  or 
headship  ;  he  was  not  master  of  this  assem¬ 
bly,  nor  so  much  as  chairman,  or  moderator; 


ject  a  full  discussion,  in  order  that  it  might  be  finally  determined,  to  the 
satisfaction  of  all  concerned  in  it.  This  has  commonly  been  called  ‘The 
first  general  council;’  and  it  seems  to  have  also  been  the  last  where  it 
could  properly  be  said,  ‘It  seemed  good  to  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  to  us, 
&c.’  (28.)  Scott. 

(2.)  Should  go  up.]  ‘It  is  generally  allowed  that  this  is  the  journey 
to  which  Paul  refers,  Gal.  2:1,  2.  when  he  says,  he  went  up  by  revela¬ 
tion  :  which  is  very  consistent  with  this.’  Doddr.  ‘If  this  is  the  jour¬ 
ney  Paul  refers  to,  Gal.  2:1 — 5.  then  he  had  Titus  with  him.  This  jour¬ 
ney  was  fourteen  years  after  Paul’s  conversion.’  Dr.  A.  C.  Elders  at 
Jerusalem .]  ‘By  what  authority  these  have  been  concluded  to  be  some 
of  the  120,  mentioned  Acts  1:15.  I  am  yet  to  learn,  notwithstanding 
what  is  suggested  by  Dr.  Whitby  and  Dr.  Benson.  It  seems  to  me,  that 
any  officers  of  the  church,  to  whom  the  stated  inspection  of  it  was 
committed,  might  properly  be  called  elders ,  an  elder,  whether  they  were, 
or  were  not,  of  that  number.’  Doddr.  ‘  They  who  were  officers  in  the 
church  under  the  apostles.  ’  Dr.  A.  C.  They.]  ‘I.  e.  the  brethren,  the 
united  members  of  the  church;  not  the  Prmpositi  Ecclesi®,  [men  set 
over  the  church,]  as  Hamm,  supposes;  still  less  those  Jerusalemite 
teachers,  as  Beza.  In  forming  this  determination,  they  seem,  as  usual, 
to  have  been  guided  by  the  custom  which  had  prevailed  in  the  Jewish 
church ;  viz.  (and  so  Grot.)  when  any  question  arose  among  the  Jews, 
which  gave  occasion  for  schism,  of  appealing  to  the  Sanhedrim  to  decide 
N.  T.  VOL.  V.  II 


the  controversy.  For  Jerusalem  then  was,  what  Rome  afterwards  be¬ 
came,  the  resort  of  learned  persons,  both  residents  and  sojourners,  who 
repaired  thither  from  all  quarters  of  the  world  ;  so  that  the  Roman  sy¬ 
nod  (which  was  often  consulted  by  the  bishops  of  other  countries)  was 
nearly  equivalent  to  a  general  council. — Beza  well  remarks,  that  some 
others  of  the  brethren  were  added,  lest  Paul  and  Barnabas  should  seem 
to  make  it  their  own  cause,  or  to  dissent  from  the  Antiochian  council.’ 

Bi.oomf. 

(3.)  ‘It  was  customary  both  among  Greeks  and  Romans,  (see  Xen. 
Cic.,  <fec.)  as  well  as  Jews,  to  show  respect  to  parting  guests,  by  going 
part  of  the  way  forward  with  them.’  In. 

(4.)  And  when  they  were  come,  <&c.]  ‘  This  was  Paul’s  third  jour¬ 

ney  to  Jerusalem,  after  his  conversion.  See  an  account  of  his  first,  ch. 
9:36.  and  of  his  second,  ch.  11:30.’  Dr.  A.  Clarke. 

(5.)  ‘  That  this  assembly,  [note  v.  12.]  though  it  may  be  called  a 
council  in  one  sense,  yet  was  very  different  from  those  held  after  the  2d. 
cent.,  composed  of  the  governors  of  the  church ,  and  properly  called 
councils,  has  been  shown  at  large  by  Mosheim  and  Neumann.  Bl. 

V.  7 — 11.  It  is  not  certain  that  any  of  the  apostles  were  present, 
except  Peter,  James,  and  John:  perhaps  the  rest  were  employed  m 
preaching  the  Gospel  at  a  distance.  Gal.  2:6— 10,  v.  .0.  Those  present, 
however,  chose  rather  to  hear  the  arguments  of  their  brethren,  and 
to  show  the  ground  on  which  their  own  conclusions  rested,  than  to 

l81J 


A.  D.  52. 


ACTS,  XV. 


The  council  held  at  Jerusalem. 


8  And  God,  which  m  knoweth  the 
hearts,  bare  them  witness,  giving 
them  the  Holy  Ghost,  even  as  he 
did  unto  us  ; 

9  And  put  no  difference  between 
us  and  them,  purifying  n  their  hearts 
by  faith. 

10  Now  therefore  why  tempt  ye 
God,  to  put  a  yoke  0  upon  the  neck 
of  the  disciples,  which  neither  our 
fathers  nor  we  were  able  to  bear  ? 

11  But  we  believe,  that  through 
pthe  grace  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ 
we  shall  be  saved,  even  as  they. 

12  IF  Then  all  the  multitude  kept 
silence,  and  gave  audience  to  Bar¬ 
nabas  and  Paul,  declaring  what 
miracles  and  wonders  God  had 
wrought  among  the  Gentiles  by 
them. 

m  c.  1:24.  o  Ga.  5:1.  2:8.  Tit.  3:4,5. 

n  He.  9:13,  14.  n  Ro.  3:24.  Ep.  q  c.  14:27. 

1  Pe.  1:22. 


lie  neither  spake  first,  to  open  the  synod, 
(there  having  been  much  disputing  before  he 
rose  up,)  nor  last,  to  sum  up  the  cause  and 
collect  the  suffrages;  but  he  was  a  faithful, 
prudent,  zealous  member  of  this  assembly, 
and  offered  what  was  very  much  to  the  pur¬ 
pose,  and  would  come  better  from  him  than 
from  another,  because  he  had  himself  been 
the  first  that  preached  the  Gospel  to  the  Gen¬ 
tiles.  When  both  sides  had  been  heard, 
Peter  rose  up,  and  addressed  himself  to  the 
assembly,  Men  and  brethren,  as  did  James 
afterward,  v.  13.  And  here, 

1.  He  put  them  in  mind  of  the  call  and 
commission  he  had  some  time  ago  to  preach 
the  Gospel  to  the  Gentiles;  he  wondered  there 
should  be  any  difficulty  made  of  a  matter  al¬ 
ready  settled,  v.  7.  Ye  know  I  was  ques¬ 
tioned  about  it,  and  cleared  myself  to  uni¬ 
versal  satisfaction  ;  everybody  rejoiced  that 
God  had  granted  to  the  Gentiles  repentance 
unto  life,  and  nobody  said  a  word  of  circum¬ 
cising  them,  nor  was  there  any  thought  of 
such  a  thing.  See  ch.  1  1 : 18. 

2.  He  puts  them  in  mind  how  remarkably 
God  owned  him  in  preaching  to  the  Gen¬ 
tiles,  and  gave  testimony  to  their  sincerity 
in  embracing  the  Christian  faith,  v.  8.  See 
ch.  11: 15— 17. 

God  had  bid  the  Gentiles  welcome  to  the 
privilege  of  communion  with  Him,  without 
requiring  them  to  be  circumcised,  and  to 
keep  the  law  ;  therefore  shall  not  we  admit 


them  into  communion  with  us  but  upon  those 
terms  1  v.  9.  God  has  put  no  difference  be¬ 
tween  us  and  them  :  they,  though  Gentiles, 
are  as  welcome  to  the  grace  of  Christ  and 
the  throne  of  grace  as  we  Jews  are ;  why  then 
should  we  set  them  at  a  distance,  as  if  we 
were  holier  than  they  ?  Is.  65:  5.  Now  the 
Gentiles  were  fitted  for  communion  with 
God,  in  having  their  hearts  purified  by  faith, 
and  that  faith,  God’s  own  work  in  them  ; 
why  should  we  think  them  unfit  for  commu¬ 
nion  with  us,  unless  they  submit  to  the  cere¬ 
monial  purifying  enjoined  by  the  law  to  us  1 

3.  He  sharply  reproves  those,  some  of 
whom,  it  is  likely,  were  present,  who  went 
about  to  bring  the  Gentiles  under  the  obliga¬ 
tion  of  the  law  of  Moses,  v.  10.  The  thing 
is  so  plain,  that  he  cannot  forbear  speaking 
of  it  with  some  warmth.  Here  he  shows  that 
in  this  attempt,  (1.)  They  offered  a  very 
great  affront  to  God,  v.  10.  Those  tempt 
[try  experiments  with]  God,  who  prescribe 
to  Him,  and  say  that  people  cannot  be  saved, 
but  on  such  and  such  terms,  which  God  nev¬ 
er  appointed  ;  as  if  the  God  of  salvation 
must  come  into  their  measures.  (2.)  They 
offered  a  very  great  wrong  to  the  disciples 
Christ  came  to  proclaim  liberty  to  the  captives, 
and  they  go  about  to  enslave  those  whom  He 
has  made  free.  SeeNeh.5:S.  Now  for  these 
teachers  to  go  about  to  lay  that  yoke  on  the 
neck  of  the  Gentiles,  which  He  came  to  free 
even  the  Jews  from,  was  the  greatest  injury 
imaginable  to  them. 

4.  Whereas  the  Jewish  teachers  had  urged 
that  circumcision  was  necessary  to  salvation, 
Peter  shows  it  was  so  far  from  being  so,  that 
both  Jews  and  Gentiles  were  to  be  saved 
purely  through  the  grace  of  our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ,  and  no  other  way,  v.  11.  There  is 
not  one  way  of  salvation  lor  the  Jew's,  and 
another  for  the  Gentiles;  neither  circumcision 
avails  anything ,  nor  uncircumcision ,  but  faith 
which  works  by  love,  Gal.  5:  6. 

II.  What  Barnabas  and  Paul  said  in  this 
synod,  did  not  need  to  be  related,  for  they 
only  gave  in  a  narrative  of  what  was  recorded 
in  the  foregoing  chs.  the  miracles  and  wonders 
God  had  wrought  among  the  Gentiles  by  them, 
v.  12.  This  they  had  given  in  to  the  church 
at  Antioch,  ch.  14:27.  to  their  brethren  by  the 
way,  ch.  35:  3.  and  now  again  to  the  synod; 
and  it  was  very  proper  to  be  given  in  here  : 
that  which  was  contended  for,  was,  that  the 
Gentiles  ought  to  submit  to  the  law  of  Moses; 
now,  in  opposition  to  this,  Paul  and  Barna¬ 
bas  undertake  to  show,  by  a  plain  relation 
of  matters  of  fact,  that  God  owned  the 
preaching  of  the  pure  Gospel  to  them  with¬ 
out  the  law,  and  therefore  to  press  the  law 


decide  the  question  merely  by  apostolical  authority.  ‘The  heart  ’  (9) 
may  here  signify  the  soul,  with  all  its  faculties  and  powers;  and  the  ex¬ 
pression  may  refer,  not  only  to  the  sanctification  of  the  soul  by  the  Holy 
Spirit,  but  also  to  the  purifying  of  the  conscience  tli  rough  the  blood  of 
Christ  from  the  guilt  of  sin. — This  did  not  relate  merely  to  circumcision, 
but  to  the  whole  ceremonial  law  ;  which,  though  proper  and  useful  for 
the  time,  required  so  many  distinctions,  burdensome  purifications,  ex¬ 
pensive  sacrifices,  long  journeys,  and  other  things  of  a  similar  nature  ; 
that  it  was  a  very  uneasy  yoke,  in  every  age,  even  to  the  inhabitants  of 
the  promised  land,  and  still  more  to  those  Jews  who  resided  in  other 
countries  :  and,  while  it  served  to  prevent  idolatry  from  being  universal, 
it  also  tended  exceedingly  to  prevent  the  general  diffusion  of  true  re¬ 
ligion. — ‘Though  these  words  are  by  most  interpreters  applied  to  the 
numerous  ritual  precepts,  the  costly  sacrifices,  and  the  frequent  tedious 
journeys  up  to  Jerusalem,  required  by  the  law,  which  made  the  obser¬ 
vance  of  it  difficult  and  irksome,  I  would  rather  refer  them  to  that  de¬ 
fect,  that  the  apostle  hath  observed  in  it,  that  it  could  “  not  purge  the 
conscience  from  the  guilt  of  sin  (Ileb.  9:9.  10:1.)  that  it  “could  not 
give  life,”  (Gal.  3:21.)  that  it  was  a  killing  letter,  leaving  them  under 
condemnation;  (2  Cor.  3:6 — 9.)  and  so  making  it  necessary  for  them  to 
believe  in  Christ,  that  they  might  be  justified,  (Gal.  2:16.)  and  redeemed 
from  the  curse  of  the  law ;  (Gal.  3:13.)  according  to  those  words  of  the 
apostle,  13:38,  39.  . . .  For  to  this  sense  the  following  words  incline  ;  “  we 
could  not  bear  this  yoke;  for  we  believe  that  by  the  grace  of  our  Lord 
Jesus  Christ  we  shall  be  saved.”’  Whitby. — There  was,  however,  no  oc¬ 
casion  to  impose  this  yoke  on  the  Gentiles,  as  even  the  Jewish  converts 
did  not  expect  to  be  saved,  in  any  degree,  by  observing  the  Mosaic  law, 
but  merely  by  faith  in  Christ,  exactly  in  the  same  manner  with  their 
Gentile  brethren;  though  they  deemed  it  a  part  of  their  present  duty  to 
observe  it.  (7)  A  good  white  ago.]  15:21.  21:16.  2  Cor.  5:17.  2  Pet. 
2:5.  Rev.  12:9. — Pa.  79:8.  89:49.  Sept.  As  a  short  time  only  had  passed 
since  the  conversion  of  Cornelius;  may  not  this  remarkable  language 
■  crate  rather  to  the  antecedent  purpose  of  God,  than  to  the  fulfilment  of 
it  by  Peter  (18)  ?  Scott. 

(7.)  When  there  had  been  much  disputation,  &c.]  ‘  The  debate  which 


on  them  now,  was  to  undo  what  God  had 
done.  Observe, 

1.  They  declared,  or  opened  in  order,  and 
with  all  the  magnifying  and  affecting  circum¬ 
stances,  vvliat  confirmation  He  had  given  to 
their  preaching,  by  miracles  wrought  in  the 
kingdom  of  nature,  and  what  success,  by 
miracles  wrought  in  the  kingdom  of  grace. 
The  conversion  of  the  Gentiles,  was  itself  a 
wonder,  all  things  considered,  no  less  than  a 
miracle.  Now  if  they  received  the  Holy  Ghost 
by  the  hearing  of  faith,  why  should  they  he 
embarrassed  with  the  works  of  the  law  1  See 
Gal.  3:2. 

2.  What  attention  was  given  to  them;  it 
should  seem,  all  took  more  notice  of  their 
narrative  than  of  all  the  arguments  offered. 
As  in  natural  philosophy  and  medicine, 
nothing  is  so  satisfactory  as  experiments, 
and  in  law,  as  cases  adjudged,  so  in  the  things 
of  God,  the  best  explication  of  the  Word  of 
grace,  is,  the  accounts  given  of  the  operations 
of  the  Spirit  of  grace;  these  the  multitude  will 
with  silence  give  audience  to. 

III.  The  speech  Janies  made  to  the  synod. 
He  let  Paul  and  Barnabas  saywhat  they  had 
to  say,  and  then  he  made  the  application  of 
it.  The  hearing  of  variety  of  ministers  may 
be  of  use,  when  one  truth  does  not  drive  out, 
but  clench,  another.  He  addresses  himself 
respectfully  to  those  present  ;  ‘  Men  and 
brethren,  hearken  unto  me.  We  are  all  breth¬ 
ren,  and  equally  concerned  in  this  cause,  that 
nothing  be  done  to  the  dishonor  of  Christ, 
and  the  uneasiness  of  Christians.’  He  refers 
himself  to  what  Peter  had  said  concerning 
the  conversion  of  the  Gentiles,  v.  14.  and  ob¬ 
serves  here,  That  the  grace  of  God  was  the 
rise  of  it  ;  it  was  God  that  visited  the  Gen¬ 
tiles,  and  redeemed  those  that  were  not  a 
people.  That  the  glory  of  God  was  the  end 
of  it  ;  it  was  to  take  out  of  them  a  people  for 
his  name,  who  should  glorify  Him,  and  in 
whom  He  would  be  glorified.  Let  all  the 
people  of  God  remember,  that  therefore  they 
are  thus  dignified  in  God,  that  God  may  be 
glorified  in  them. 

He  confirms  this  with  a  quotation  out  of 
the  O.  T. ;  he  could  not  prove  the  calling 
of  the  Gentiles  by  a  vision,  as  Peter  could, 
or  by  mirpcles  wrought  by  his  hand,  as  Paul 
and  Barnabas  could,  but  lie  would  prove 
that  it  was  foretold  in  the  O.  T.  therefore  it 
must  be  fulfilled,  v.  15.  To  this  agree  the 
words  of  the  prophets ;  most  of  the  O.  T. 
prophets  spake  more  or  less  of  the  calling  in 
of  the  Gentiles,  even  Moses  himself,  Rom 
10:  19.  It  was  the  general  expectation  of 
the  pious  Jews,  that  the  Messiah  should  be  a 
Jjight  to  lighten  the  Gentiles,  Luke  2:  32.  but 

arose  in  this  assembly  cannot,  as  many  have  supposed,  afford  any  just 
argument  against  their  inspiration ;  for  this  dispute  does  not  appear  to 
have  been  among  the  apostles  themselves  ;  and  if  they  really  had  debated 
the  case  awhile,  their  decision  at  last  might  have  been  under  ail  unerr¬ 
ing  direction  .  and  I  know  not  any  reason  to  conclude,  that  their  inspi¬ 
ration  was  always  so  instantaneous  and  express,  as  to  supersede  any 
deliberation  in  their  own  minds,  or  any  consultation  with  each  other.’ 
Doddr.  Made  choice  among  us.]  ‘  I.  e.  simply,  chosen  us,  an  Hebra¬ 
ism  ;  comp.  Neh.  9:7.  1  Chr.  28:4,5.  and  so  Grot.,  Vorst.,  Heinr.,  Kuin.’ 

Bloomf. 

(10.)  Tempt.]  ‘They  are  said  to  tempt  God  (so  Ros.),  who  act  as  if 
they  wished  to  see  what  God  can  and  will  do,  who  require  new  proofs 
of  his  divine  will  and  power;  when  the  most  unexceptionable  ones  al¬ 
ready  exist.  Who  call  in  question  (Kuin.)  his  attributes,  and  require 
further  proofs  of  them  ;  thus  resisting  God.  And  so  Schl.,  who  comp. 
Ex.  17:2,7.  Ts.  78:46.  Jud.  8:12.  1  Cor.  10:9.  Ileb.  5:9.  Could  bear: 
i.  e.  well  bear  :  for  (so  Grot.)  men  are  said  not  to  be  able  to  do  what  is 
only  difficult.'’  In. 

V.  12.  (4)  It  is  expressly  said,  that  ‘  the  apostles  and  elders  came  to¬ 
gether  for  to  consider  of  this  matter’  (6);  and  on  another  occasion  the 
apostles  and  elders  are  distinguished  from  the  company  of  believers. 
(21:17—26.)  ‘All  the  multitude,’  must  therefore  here  be  restricted  to 
the  whole  of  the  assembly  convened  for  this  special  purpose,  (perhaps 
including  select  persons  who  were  not  elders,)  the  determination  of 
which  assembly  was  afterwards  made  known  to  the  churcli  at  large,  who 
concurred  in  it.  22 — 29.  Scott. 

(12.)  Multitude.)  From  this  word,  it  is  supposed  by  some  that  the 
people  were  admitted,  but  the  Gr.  plSthos,  is  ‘a  term  of  middle  signifi¬ 
cation,  and  often  denotes  an  assembly ,  without  reference  to  number;  as 
seems  to  be  the  case  here  so  Bloomf.,  who  adds,  ‘  it  is  unquestionable, 
from  v.  22,  23.  but  that  some,  and  that  not  a  few,  were  called  in  besides 
the  apostles  and  presbyters.  I  assent  to  Mosh.  and  Kuin.,  that  as  no 
building  could  contain  all  the  Christians,  some  select  individuals  of  the 
laity,  (perhaps  delegated  from  the  whole  body,)  of  most  knowledge,  in¬ 
fluence,  and  credit,  are  meant.’  The  Ed.  of  course,  cannot  be  expected 


A.  D.  54. 


A.CTS,  XV. 


Speech  of  James  in  the  council. 


13  IT  And  after  they  had  held 
their  peace,  James  answered,  say¬ 
ing,  Men  and  brethren,  hearken 
unto  me  ; 

14  Simeon  hath  declared  r  how 
God  at  the  first  did  visit  the  Gen¬ 
tiles,  to  take  out  of  them  a  people 
for  his  name. 

15  And  to  this  agree  the  words 
of  the  prophets  ;  as  it  is  s  written, 

16  After  this  I  will  return,  and 
will  build  again  the  tabernacle  of 
David,  which  is  fallen  down  ;  and 
I  will  build  again  the  ruins  thereof, 
and  1  will  set  it  up  : 

17  That  the  residue  of  men  might 
seek  after  the  Lord,  and  all  the 
Gentiles,  upon  whom  my  name  is 
called,  saith  the  Lord,  who  doeth 
all  these  things. 

1.8  Known  *  unto  God  are  all  his 
works,  from  the  beginning  of  the 
world. 

19  Wherefore  my  sentence  is, 
that  we  trouble  not  them,  which 
from  among  the  Gentiles  are  turned 
u  to  God  : 

r  Lu.  2:31,32.  t  Nu.  83:19.  Ia.  u  1  Th.  1:9. 

6  Am.  9:11,12.  46:10. 

James  waives  tiie  more  illustrious  prophecies 
of  this,  and  pitches  on  one  that  seemed  more 
obscure ;  It  is  written ,  Amos  9 : 11, 12.  where 
is  foretold,  1.  The  setting  up  of  the  king¬ 
dom  of  the  Messiah,  v.  16.  The  house  and 
family  of  David  are  here  called  his  taberna¬ 
cle ,  because  David  in  his  beginning  was  a 
shepherd, and  dwelt  in  tents,  and  his  house, 
that  had  been  as  a  stately  palace,  was  be¬ 
come  a  mean  and  despicable  tabernacle ; 
there  had  not  been  for  many  ages  a  king  of 
the  house  of  David  ;  the  sceptre  was  departed 
from  Judah,  the  royal  family  sunk  in  obscu¬ 


rity,  and  as  it  should  seem,  not  inquired  af¬ 
ter  ;  but  God  will  return,  and  will  build  it 
again,  raise  it  out  of  its  ruins;  and  this  was 
now  lately  fulfilled,  when  our  Lord  Jesus 
was  raised  out  of  that  family,  had  the  throne 
of  his  father  David  given  Him,  with  a  prom¬ 
ise,  that  He  should  reign  over  the  house  of  Ja¬ 
cob  for  ever,  Luke  1 :  32,  33.  And  w  hen  the 
tabernacle  of  David  was  thus  rebuilt  in 
Christ,  all  the  rest  of  it  was,  not  many  years 
after,  wholly  cut  off,  as  was  also  the  nation 
of  the  Jews  itself,  and  all  their  genealogies 
lost.  2.  The  bringing  in  of  the  Gentiles, 
as  the  effect  and  consequence  of  this,  v.  17. 
the  residue  of  men,  such  as  had  hitherto  been 
left  out  of  the  pale  of  the  visible  church, 
they  must  now,  on  this  re-edifying  of  the 
tabernacle  of  David,  be  brought  to  seek  after 
the  Lord,  and  to  inquire  how  they  mav  ob¬ 
tain  his  favor,  Hos.  3  :  5.  Jer.  30  :  9.  Then 
Israel  shall  possess  the  remnant  of  Edom  ;  so 
it  is  in  the  Heb. ;  for  the  Jews  called  all  the 
Gentiles  Edomites,  therefore  the  Sept,  there 
leave  out  the  particular  mention  of  Edom, 
and  read  it  just' as  it  is  here,  that  the  residue 
of  men  might  seek,  (James  here  adds,  after 
the  Lord,)  and  all  the  Gentiles,  or  heathen, 
upon  whom  my  najnc  is  called.  This  prom¬ 
ise  we  may  depend  on  the  fulfilling  of  in  its 
season;  and  now  it  begins  to  be  fulfilled,  for 
it  is  added,  saith  the  Lord,  who  doeth  this  ; 
who  doeth  all  these  things;  so  the  LXX.  there, 
and  the  apostle  here.  The  uniting  of  Jews 
and  Gentiles  in  one  body,  and  all  these  things 
that  were  done  in  order  to  it,  which  were 
here  foretold,  were  the  Lord's  doing,  and 
what  God  delighted  in,  and  was  well  pleas¬ 
ed  with  ;  for  He  is  the  God  of  the  Gentiles,  as 
well  as  the  Jews,  and  it  is  his  honor  to  be  rich 
in  mercy  to  all  that  call  upon  Him. 

He  resolves  it  into  the  purpose  and  coun¬ 
sel  of  God,  v.  18.  He  not  only  foretold  the 
calling  of  the  Gentiles  many  ages  ago,  by  the 
prophets,  but  He  foresaw  and  foreordained 
it  in  his  eternal  counsels,  which  are  unques¬ 
tionably  wise,  and  unalterably  firm.  It  is 
an  excellent  maxim  here  laid  down  concern- 


to  go  at  large  into  this,  or  any' of  the  mooted  questions  of  church  gov¬ 
ernment  and  discipline;  and  must,  once  for  all,  refer  the  reader  to  such 
works  as  are  expressly  written  on  these  subjects.  Ed. 

V.  13.  James  answered.]  ‘  It  seems  plain  from  hence  that  the  mat¬ 
ter  was  not  determined  by  any  authority  in  Peter.’  Doddr.  ‘  James  was 
evidently  president  of  the  council ;  the  rest  argued  on  the  subject ; 
James  alone  pronounced  due.  definitive,  sentence.  Had  Peter  been  prince 
and  head  of  the  apostles,  and  of  the  church,  he  would  have  appeared 
here  in  the  character  of  Judge,  not  of  mere  councillor  or  disputant 
l)r.  A.  C. — ‘  They  who  have  interpreted  this,  as  an  instance  of  the  au¬ 
thoritative  proceedings  of  a  bijiop  in  his  own  diocese ,  have  not  suf¬ 
ficiently  considered  the  difference  between  the  apostolical  and  episco¬ 
pal  office,  nor  how  little  any  supposed  episcopal  power  of  James  at  Je¬ 
rusalem  could  give  him,  to  dictate  to  Peter  and  his  other  brethren ,  in 
deciding  a  cause  in  which  the  whole  Christian  world,  and  not  only  his 
own  supposed  diocese,  was  concerned.’  Doddr. — ‘  Popish  writers  say, 
that  “James  presided,  because  the  council  was  held  in  his  own  church.” 
These  forget,  that  there  was  not  then  what  they  term  a  church  on  the 
face  of  the  earth, — that  believers  then  met  in  private  houses,  and  that 
there  was  no  building  for  the  exclusive  purpose  of  Christian  worship  till 
long  after.  They  also  forget,  that  the  pope  pretends  to  be  the  head  of  the 
catholic  or  universal  church ;  and  consequently  no  man  can  preside, 
when  he  is  present,  but  himself.  Peter  did  not  preside,  here,  nor  did  the 
other  apostles  invite  him  to  it,  which  they  would  have  done,  had  they 
thought  that  Jesus  Christ  constituted  him  head  of  the  church.  Hence 
the  most  demonstrative  evidence,  that  Peter  was  not  pope  ;  and  the 
right  of  his  pretended  successor  is  a  nonentity.'  Dr.  A.  C.  ‘  James’ 
discourse  consists  of  three  parts;  Exordium,  in  a  form  of  expression 
calculated  to  conciliate  the  good-will  of  his  auditors,  v.  13 ;  Narration, 
with  its  confirmation  from  the  prophets,  v.  16,  17.  and  in  v.  10.  the  rea¬ 
son  ;  Proposition ,  which  is,  The  Gentiles  are  not  to  be  compelled  to  Ju¬ 
daism,  but  are  only  to  abstain  from  certain  things,  v.  19.  since  Judaism 
cannot  be  entirely  abolished  all  at  once,  v.  20.’  Sohoettg. 

V.  14.  Simeon.]  ‘Simon  Peter;  Symeon  here,  is  the  Gr.  usual  for 
Smdon,  Gen.  29-33.  but  the  Greeks  generally  used  instead,  Simon,  as 
Sir.  5:1.  Luke  follows  the  Heb.  inflexion,  as  lias  Peter,  in  1  Ep.  1:1. 
Luke  2:25.’  Bloomf. 

V.  16,  17.  After  this ,  &c.]  The  quotation  varies  from  the  LXX.,  and 
still  more  from  the  Heb.  The  grand  outline,  however,  of  the  prediction 
is  in  all  the  same.  (See  on  Am.  9:11, 12.)  Scott. 

(16.)  Tabernacle.]  ‘  SkcnS  :  Ileb.  qrh,  properly  a  hut  or  booth , 
(from  Ang.  Sax.  bogen,  to  bend,  i.  e.  a  hut  of  bent  twigs  or  boughs,) 
formed  of  boughs  of  trees  and  reeds,  such  as  were  in  use  among  shep¬ 
herds.  [David  was  long  a  shepherd.  Rich  thus  describes  the  booth, 
John  4:5.  which  forms  the  Koordish  ‘ordinary  accommodation  during 
the  hot  months,  called  a  tchardak  ;  a  tchardak  is  30  by  15  ft.,  with  three 
ranges  of  four  seven-foot  posts,  whose  forked  tops  are  connected  by 
long  spars  with  rafters  over  them.  On  this  are  heaped  three  feet  of 
boughs  and  leaves,  with  a  few  bricks  to  keep  them  steady.  The  floor  is 
of  mud,  covered  with  a  plaster  of  clay,  mixed  in  with  chopped  straw. 


ing  all  God’s  works,  both  of  providence  and 
grace,  in  the  natural  and  spiritual  kingdom, 
that  they  were  all  known  unto  Him  from  the 
beginning  of  the  world,  from  the  time  He  first 
began  to  work,  which  supposes  his  knowing 
them,  as  other  scriptures  speak,  from  before 
the  foundation  of  the  world,  and  therefore 
from  all  eternity. 

He  gives  his  advice,  v.  19.  I  give  it  as  my 
opinion,  (so  the  Gr.)  or  judgment  ;  not  as 
having  authority  over  the  rest,  but  as  being 
an  adviser  vvitli  them.  1.  That  circum¬ 
cision  and  the  observance  of  the  ceremonial 
law  be  by  no  means  imposed  on  the  Gentile 
converts;  no,  not  so  much  as  recommended 
or  mentioned  to  them.  Great  care  must  be 
taken,  not  to  discourage  or  disquiet  young 
converts  with  matters  of  doubtful  disputation. 
Let  the  essentials  of  religion,  which  an 
awakened  conscience  u  ill  readily  receive,  be 
first  impressed  deeply  on  them,  and  those 
will  satisfy  them,  and  make  them  easy;  and 
let  not  things  foreign  and  circumstantial  be 
urged  on  them,  which  will  but  trouble  them. 
2.  That  yet  it  would  do  well  that  in  some 
things,  which  gave  most  offence  to  the  Jews, 
the  Gentiles  should  comply  with  them  :  be¬ 
cause  they  must  not  humor  them  so  far  as  to 
be  circumcised,  and  keep  the  whole  law,  it 
does  not  therefore  follow  that  they  must  act 
in  a  continual  contradiction  to  them,  and 
study  how  to  provoke  them.  It  will  please 
the  Jews  (and  if  a  little  thing  will  oblige 
them,  better  do  so  than  cross  them)  if  the 
Gentile  converts  abstain,  [1.]  From  pollu¬ 
tions  of  idols  and  from  fornication;  which  are 
two  had  tilings,  and  always  to  he  abstained 
from  ;  but  writing  to  them  particularly  and 
expressly  to  abstain  from  them,  (because  in 
these  things  the  Jews  were  jealous  of  the  Gen¬ 
tile  converts,  lest  they  should  transgress,) 
would  very  much  gratify  the  Jews  ;  not  hut 
that  the  apostles,  both  in  preaching  and  writ¬ 
ing  to  the  Gentiles  that  embraced  Christiani¬ 
ty,  were  careful  to  warn  against  these  things. 
See  1  Cor.  10:14,  &c.  2  Cor.  6:14,  &c.  How 
large,  how  pressing,  is  Paul  in  his  cautions 

They  spread  their  beds  on  the  top,  at  night,  and  screen  themselves  from 
view  by  an  open  reed  mat.  The  largest  tchardaks  have  a  tank,  with 
sometimes  a  jet  d'eau  in  the  centre.’]  The  [Heb.  and  Gr.  also  denote] 
any  habitation,  Luke  16:9.  here,  house  family.  It  is,  too,  a  figura¬ 
tive  expression  for  David’s  kingdom  ;  as  elsewhere,  nit.  Zion,  where 
was  David’s  palace,  was  put  for  the  Jewish  State.’  Kuin.,  in  Bl.  Ed. 

V.  18.  ‘  The  whole  of  this  v.  is  very  dubious  :  the  principal  part  of  it  is 
omitted  by  the  most  ancient  MSS.,  and  Griesb.  has  left  “  known  from  the 
beginning,”  doubtful,  and  has  thrown  the  rest  out  of  the  text.  While 
says,  of  the  former  clause,  probably  it  should  he  blotted  out ;  of  the  rest, 
most  assuredly  so.  Some,  as  Sch/.  contend  (supposing  all  genuine),  that 
gnOsta  [tr.  known]  here,  has  a  sense  like  the  Heb.  ydd  in  many  parts  of 
the  O.  T.,  meaning  not  only  to  know,  but,  approve ,  love,  &c.  They 
would  tr.  “  All  the  works  of  God  are  ever  dear  unto  Him.”  And  if  so, 
we  might  naturally  expect  Him  to  be  merciful  to  the  Gentiles,  as  well 
as  to  the  Jews  ;  and  tile  evidence  now  afforded,  of  the  conversion  of 
the  Gentiles,  is  an  additional  proof,  that  all  God’s  works  are  equally  dear 
to  Him.’  Dr.  A.  C.  ‘  So  Thaleman  ;  but  any  proof  that  ginosko,  primi¬ 
tive  of  gnosta,  ha3  the  sense  of  dear,  &c.  will  not  be  valid  as  to  its 
derivative.  Besides,  as  Kuin.  remarks,  the  subject  is  not  the  creatures, 
but  the  illustrious  works  of  God  in  the  propagation  of  religion.  He  gives 
the  sense  “  God  is  immutable,”  &c.’  Bloomf.  ‘  This  text  must  remain 
an  unanswerable  proof,  among  a  thousand  more  from  the  Word  of  God, 
that  lie  certainly  foreknows  future  contingencies.’  Doddr.  Note,  2:23. 

Ed. 

V.  19 — 21.  This  [fornication]  was  by  no  means  held  in  such  abhor¬ 
rence  among  the  Gentiles,  as  it  ought  to  have  been  ;  nay,  it  was  general¬ 
ly  considered  as  a  trivial  matter  :  and  as  it  was  very  closely  connected 
with  their  idolatrous  feasts,  the  new  converts  might  be  in  peculiar  dan¬ 
ger  of  being  seduced  into  it ;  to  the  dishonor  of  their  profession,  the  injury, 
of  their  own  souls,  and  the  great  detriment  of  domestic  comfort,  and 
union  in  the  worship  of  God.  This  was  no  doubt  a  moral  injunction, 
independent  of  the  ceremonial  law.  So  was  likewise  the  prohibition  to  eat 
of  things  sacrificed  to  idols,  as  connected  with  its  consequences;  being 
in  reality  communion  with  idolaters  in  idolatry  -.  and  no  doubt  it  is  in 
force  at  this  day,  as  a  command  of  the  moral  law ;  and  must  be  charged 
on  the  consciences  of  all  such  as  live  among  idolaters. — The  subsequent 
injunctions  are  of  another  nature,  and  enforced  by  other  reasons.  This 
prohibition,  eating  of  blood,  was  given  from  reverence  to  the  blood  of 
the  sacrifices,  which,  being  (he  life  of  the  animal,  was  the  essence  of  the 
atonement,  as  typical  of  that  of  Christ.  It  would  then  have  needlessly 
grieved  and  stumbled  the  Jewish  converts,  and  prevented  their  friendly 
intercourse  with  their  brethren,  and  further  prejudiced  the  unconverted 
Jews  against  the  Gospel ;  if  the  Gentile  converts  had  shown  so  open 
a  disregard  to  the  solemn  sacrifices,  which  were  still  offered  at  the 
temple.  This  seems  to  have  been  the  reason  of  this  restriction.  As  long 
as  the  sacrifices  continued  to  be  offered,  we  may  suppose  that  it  was  ob¬ 
served  :  but  ‘as  every  creature  of  God  is  good,  and  nothing  to  be  re¬ 
fused  ;’  as  (here  is  no  intimation  to  this  effect  in  the  apostolical  epistles  ; 
and  as  the  reason  of  it,  which  is  here  annexed,  has  long  since  ceased ; 


A.  D.  52. 


ACTS,  XV. 


Res  ult  of  Ike  consultation. 


20  But  that  we  write  unto  them, 
that  they  abstain  from  pollutions  of 
’'idols,  and  from  "fornication,  and 
from  things  strangled,  and  from 
x  blood. 

21  For  Moses  of  old  time  hath 
in  every  city  them  that  preach  him, 
being  ?  read  in  the  synagogues  every 


sabbath-day. 

22  IT  Then  pleased  it  the  apostles 
and  elders,  with  the  whole  church, 
to  send  chosen  men  of  their  own 
company  to  Antioch,  with  Paul  and 
Barnabas;  namely ,  Judas  surnain- 
ed  z  Barsabas,  and  Silas,  chief  men 
among  the  brethren  : 

23  And  they  wrote  letters  by  them 
after  this  manner ;  The  apostlek 
and  elders,  and  brethren,  send 
greeting  unto  the  brethren  which 
are  of  the  Gentiles  in  Antioch,  and 
Syria,  and  Cilicia  : 

24  Forasmuch  as  we  have  heard, 
that  certain  a  which  went  out  from 
us  have  troubled  byou  with  words, 
'subverting  your  souls,  saying,  Ye 
■must  be  circumcised,  and  keep  the 

such 


no 


law  :  to  whom  a  we 
commandment  : 

v  Kx.  20:4,5.  1  Cul.  3:5.  I  Th.  z  c.  t:23. 

Co.  8:1,  &c.  10:  4:3.  a  ver.  1. 

‘28.  Re.  2  :  14,  x  Le  17:  14.  De.  bGa.5:12. 
20.  9:20.  12:16,23.  c  Ga.  5:4. 

w  I  Co.  6  :  9,  18.  y  c.  13:15,27.  <1  Ga.  2:4. 


against  fornication  and  all  uncleanness  ! 
1  Cor.  6  :  9,  15.  Eph.  5  :  3,  &c.  But  the 
Jews,  willing  to  think  the  worst  of  those 
they  did  not  like,  suggested,  that  the  Gen¬ 
tiles,  even  after  conversion,  allowed  them¬ 
selves  in  these  things,  and  the  apostles  of  the 
Gentiles  connived  at  it.  Now,  to  obviate 
this  suggestion,  and  to  leave  no  room  for 
this  calumny,  James  advises,  that,  beside 
private  admonitions,  they  should  be  publicly 
warned  to  abstain  from  pollutions  of  idols,  and 
from  fornications  that  herein  they  should  be 


very  circumspect,  and  should  avoid  all  ap¬ 
pearances  of  those  two  evils,  which  would  be 
in  so  particular  a  manner  oflensive  to  the 
Jews.  [2.]  From  things  strangled,  and  from 
blood ;  which,  though  not  evil  in  themselves, 
as  the  other  two,  had  been  forbidden  by  the 
precepts  of  Noah,  Gen.  9:  4.  before  the  giving 
of  the  laioof  Moses ;  and  the  Jews  had  a  great 
dislike  to  them,  and  to  all  those  that  took  a 
liberty  to  use  them;  and,  therefore,  to  avoid 
giving  offence,  let  the  Gentile  converts 
abridge  themselves  of  their  liberty  herein, 
1  Cor.  8:  9,  18.  Thus  we  must  become  all 
things  to  all  men. 

He  gives  a  reason  for  his  advice, — That 
great  respect  ought  to  be  showed  to  the 
Jews,  for  they  have  been  so  long  accustomed 
to  the  solemn  injunctions  of  the  ceremonial 
law,  that  they  must  he  borne  with  a  little, 
v.  21.  ‘  You  cannot  blame  them,  if  they 

have  a  great  veneration  for  the  law  of  Mo¬ 
ses  ;  for,  besides  that  they  are  very  sure 
God  spake  by  Moses,’  ‘  Rioses  is  continu¬ 
ally  preached  to  them,  and  they  are  called 
upon  to  remember  the  law  of  Moses,’  Mai.  4:4. 
‘  His  writings  are  read  in  a  solemn,  religious 
manner,  in  their  synagogues ,  and  on  the  sab- 
bath-day,  in  their  meetings  for  the  worship 
of  God  ;  so  that  from  their  childhood  they 
have  been  trained  up  in  a  regard  to  the  law 
of  Moses;  the  observance  of  it  is  a  part  of 
their  religion.’  ‘  This  has  been  done  of  old 
time ;  they  have  antiquity  for  it  ;  in  every 
city,  so  that  none  of  them  can  be  ignorant 
what  stress  that  law  laid  on  these  things  ; 
and  therefore,  though  the  Gospel  has  set  us 
free  from  them,  yet  they  cannot  of  a  sudden 
be  persuaded  to  look  upon  them  as  needless 
and  indifferent,  and  they  must  be  borne  with 
a  while,  and  we  must  comply  with  them,  as 
far  as  we  can  without  betraying  our  gospel- 
liberty.’  Thus  does  this  apostle  show  the 
spirit  of  a  moderator,  i.  c.  a  spirit  of  mod¬ 
eration,  being  careful  to  give  no  offence 
either  to  Jew  or  Gentile,  and  contriving, as 
much  as  may  be,  to  please  both  sides,  and 
provoke  neither.  We  are  not  to  think  it 
strange,  if  people  be  wedded  to  customs 
which  they  have  had  transmitted  to  them 
from  their  fathers,  and  which  they  had  been 


educated  in  an  opinion  of  as  sacred  ;  and 
therefore  allowances  must  be  made  in  such 
cases,  and  not  rigor  used. 

V.  22 — 35.  We  have  here  the  result  of 
the  consultation  :  the  advice  James  gave, 
was  approved  and  agreed  to  unanimously. 

I.  The  choice  of  the  delegates  to  he  sent 
with  Paul  and  Barnabas,  to  show  their  re¬ 
spect  to  the  church  at  Antioch,  as  a  sister- 
church,  on  the  same  level  with  them,  as  also 
that  they  were  desirous  further  to  know  their 
state  ;  to  put  a  reputation  on  the  letters  they 
carried,  that  it  might  appear  a  solemn  em¬ 
bassy,  and  so  much  the  more  regard  might 
be  had  to  the  message,  which  was  likely  to 
meet  with  opposition  from  some.  Also,  to 
keep  up  the  communion  of  saints,  and  culti¬ 
vate  an  acquaintance  between  churches  and 
ministers  at  a  distance  from  each  other,  and 
to  show,  that  though  many,  yet  they  were  one. 

Those  they  sent  were  chosen  men,  and 
chief  men  among  the  brethren,  men  of  eminent 
gifts,  graces,  and  usefulness  ;  for  those  are 
the  things  which  denominate  men  chief  among 
the  brethren,  and  qualify  them  to  be  the  mes¬ 
sengers  of  the  churches.  They  are  here  named, 
Judas,  who  was  called  Barsabas,  piobabli 
the  brother  of  that  Joseph  who  was  called 
Barsabas,  that  was  a  candidate  for  the  apos- 
tleship,cA.  1 :  23.  The  character  these  men 
had  in  the  church  at  Jerusalem,  would  have 
some  influence  on  them  that  came  from 
Judea,  as  those  false  teachers  did,  and  en¬ 
gage  them  to  pay  the  more  deference  to  the 
message. 

II.  The  drawing  up  of  the  letters,  to  be 
sent  to  the  churches,  to  notify  the  sense  of 
the  synod. 

1.  A  very  condescending,  obliging  pream¬ 
ble  to  this  decree,  v.  23.  nothing  haughty  or 
assuming,  but,  (1.)  What  speaks  the  humil¬ 
ity  of  the  apostles,  that  they  join  the  elders 
and  brethren  in  commission  with  them,  the 
ministers,  the  ordinary  Christians,  whom 
they  had  advised  with  in  this  case,  as  they 
used  to  do  in  other  cases.  Though  never 
men  were  so  qualified  as  they  were  for  a 
monarchal  power  and  conduct  in  the  church, 
nor  had  such  a  commission  as  they  had,  yet 
their  decrees  run  not,  ‘  We,  the  apostles. 


so  we  must  conclude  that  we  are  left  as  free  in  this,  as  in  other  similar 
matters.  1  Tim.  4:1 — 5.  The  permission  given  to  the  Israelites,  to  sell 
the  bodies  of  animals  which  died  of  themselves  to  their  heathen  neigh¬ 
bors,  shows,  that  the  restriction  of  eating  blood  was  ceremonial not 
moral.  They  would  not  have  been  allowed  to  tempt  the  Gentiles  to 
immorality.  Lev.  17:10 — 16.  Dent.  14:21. — It  has  been  observed  by  sev¬ 
eral  persons,  that  if  Peter,  instead  of  .lames,  had  said,  ‘My  sentence  is,’ 
it  would  have  given  a  more  plausible  argument  for  Peter’s  supremacy, 
than  nny  which  the  Papists  can  adduce.  Fornication.  1  29.  1  Cor.  7:2. 
It  seems  used  as  a  general  word  for  all  sins  of  that  kind.  Scott. 

(19.)  My  sentence  ?«.]  1  /  cannot  but  determine  in  my.  own  mind. 

This  the  word  may  naturally  express,  and  betaken  to  imply,  judging 
in  our  own  mind,  without  pretending  to  impose  that  judgment  on  oth¬ 
ers’  Doddr.  This  is  my  sentence.]  ‘ Sentence ,  formerly  meant  the 
same  as  sentiment ;  and  the  best  interpreters,  ancient  and  modern,  agree 
that  the  Gr.  here,  krin.5,  has  merely  the  force  of  the  Latin  censeo,  “  my 
opinion  or  sentiment  is.”  Ita  censeo,  thus  I  think,  was  generally  (so 
Grot.)  tlie  concluding  phrase  witli  the  Latin  orators.  See  Cic.  Philippi. 
So  Thucyd.  hOs  ego  krinb.  In  this  sense  the  word  often  recurs  in  Xen.’ 

Bloomf. 

(20.)  Pollutions.]  ‘  Tlie  Gentiles,  after  the  sacrifices  were  concluded, 
ami  a  portion  of  the  consecrated  victim  (the  thing  here  intended)  had 
been  assigned  to  the  priests,  used  to  hold  a  sacrificial  feast  in  honor 
of  the  god,  either  in  the  temple  or  at  private  houses,  and  then  ate  tlie 
residue  of  the  flesh  (so  Herod.,  Ovid,  Horn.,  Virg.,  Plaut.,  Gellius. 
Judg.  9:23.  2  Mac.  4-.16.):  or  even  from  avarice,  or  poverty,  salted  and 
laid  up  the  remnant  for  future  use  (see  Theophr.),  or  even  gave  it  to  the 
butchers  to  sell  in  the  shambles.’  See  Schoettg.  ‘  The  drinking  or  other 
use  of  blood,  obtained  ill  the  sacrifices  of  the  ancients,  in  treaties,  cove¬ 
nants,  and  magical  rites ;  they  used  io  drink  it,  in  order  thus  to  bind  them¬ 
selves  by  a  closer  covenant  to  their  gods.  The  Zabians  (so  Maim.) 
thought  blood  a  demon,  ami  supposed  that  he  who  ate  it  had  communion 
and  might  hold  familiar  intercourse  withdemons.  So  thought  the  Gen¬ 
tiles.  See  Cudworl h,  on  the  Lord’s  supper.  Strangled .]  Pnikta:  np- 
pliod  to  all  animals,  entrapped  game,  *fcc  ,  put  to  death  without  effusion 
of  Idood.  The  Gentiles  used  to  eat  tlie  blood  with  the  llesh,  or  let  it 
out  carefully,  and  convert  it  to  nourishment,  either  by  mixing  it  up  with 
flour  and  oatmeal,  and  drinking  it  in  a  liquid  state,  or  by  mixing  it  with 
other  food,  as  we  do  now  in  black  puddings.  See  Paul.  jEgin.  This  Horn, 
speaks  of,  Oil.  18:25.  sloe  Ter  toll.  Apoj.  So  Apicius  gives  a  receipt  for 
gihlet  pie.’  Bloomf.  *  Were  we  in  like  circumstances  again,  Christian 
charily  would  surely  require  us  to  lay  ourselves  under  the  same  re¬ 
straints.’  Doddr.  But  see  Delany.  ‘The  Gentiles  accounted  fornica¬ 
tion,  or  whoredom,  as  a  tiling  lawful  or  indifferent,  so  Terence.  They 
committed  it  in  their  temples,  at  their  festivals,  &c.  Notorious  are 
their  Bacchanalia,  Lupercaiia,  tlie  rights  of  the  Boua  Uea,  in  which 

[84] 


the  Gentiles  indulged  with  impunity,  to  the  honor  of  Bacchus,  the  Bonn 
Dea,  &e.  Comp.  Num.  25:1.  &c.,  Wisd.  14:16.  Sir.  6:42.  &c.,  2  Mac.  6:4. 
1  Pet.  4:3.  As  to  mixing  moral  with  positive  precepts,  (as  here  in  a 
popular,  not  scholastic  method,)  we  find  the  same  thing  in  the  Deca¬ 
logue.  See  Marsh,  as  Mich.  1,454.’  Bloomf.  Blood.]  ‘By .blood  we 
are  to  understand,  not  only  the  thing  itself,  but  also  all  cruelty,  man¬ 
slaughter,  murder,  &c..,  as  some  of  the  ancient  fathers  understood  it.’ 
Dr.  A.  C.  ;  whom  see  (at  15:  end),  on  the  unhealthiness  of  eating  blood. 

En. 

(21.1  1  Wetst.  thinks  this  introduced,  thus,  “  there  is  no  innovation  in¬ 
tended,  no  abolition  of  the  Law,  let  Jew's  born  read  and  obey  it,  <fcc.”  and 
Grolius  supposes  a  tacit  meeting  of  an  objection  to  conciliate  Jewish 
Christians.  Synagogues.]  '■Here,  tlie  Christian  assemblies,  which  still 
retained  tlie  name  appropriated  to  religious  meetings  in  the  Jewish 
church,  from  which  they  had  not  yet  departed,  since  they  still  continued 
in  communion  with  it.  Grot,  shows,  that  both  the  Sabbath  and  the 
Lord’s  day  wore  observed  by  Christians.  (See  Clem.  Const.  7:24.  8:33 
and  67.)  And  this  was  in  after  ages  approved  of  by  many  fathers,  as 
Astei ins,  Gregor.  Nyssen.,  and  Balsamon.  Thus  Constantine  extended 
the  prohibition  of  law-proceedings  equally  to  both  days;  and  for  a  long 
time  afterwards  equal  marks  of  respect  were  shown  to  both  days. — 
Reail.]  Aloud,  and  publicly,  so  the  Gr.  kSrvssein  [to  proclaim,  ns  a  her¬ 
ald],  Grot,  has  shown,  that  this  reading  of  the  hooks  of  Moses  was  con¬ 
tinued  in  the  Christian  churches  up  to  the  council  of  Laodicea,  when,  by 
the  19th  canon,  it  was  ordered  that  the  Gospels  should  be  also  read.’ 

Bloomf. 

V.  22 — 29.  Many  suppose,  thnt  the  determination  of  God,  in  the  case 
of  Cornelius,  was  exclusively  referred  to;  but  it  can  .hardly  be  supposed, 
that  the  apostles  and  council  were  left  without  a  satisfactory  conscious¬ 
ness,  in  a  matter  of  such  peculiar  importance,  that  they  were  guided  in 
the  decision,  by  the  immediate  inspiration  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  We  may 
suppose  [that  more  was  said  and  done  than  is  recorded,  but]  from  Use 
harmonious  conclusion  of  the  business,  that  those  who  at  first  were  of 
another  opinion  were  at  length  convinced  ;  and  made  no  further  oppo¬ 
sition  to  the  general  determination  of  this  question.  16:4,  5. — Subvert¬ 
ing]  Rendering  their  souls  unfit  for  their  work  and  warfare  ;  as  an  army 
would  be,  if  deprived  of  its  baggage.  Scott. 

(22.)  Chosen  men.]  ‘  Rather,  leading  men.  So  in  Thucyd.’  Bl. — 
Si/as.]  ‘Elsewhere  called  Sylvanus,  2  Cor.  1:19.  1  Tiles.  1:1.2  Tiles.  1: 
1.  1  I’et.5:12-  a  most  intimate  friend  and  beloved  companion  of  Paul ; 
also,  ns  it  seems,  a  citizen  of  Rome ,  Acts  16:37.’  Doddh. 

(23.)  Brethren.]  ‘■The  apostles  and  elders,  and  other  brethren.  1 
conclude,  with  L’Enfant,  thnt  these  brethren  were  private  Christians, 
whom  the  apostles  joined  with  them  on  this  occasion,  as  well  knowing, 
that  their  declared  concurrence  would  strengthen  their  obligation  not 
only  to  acquiesce  in  this  decree,  but  to  support  it.’  In. 


ACTS,  XV. 


Letter  to  the  church  at  Antioch. 


A.  D.  5 1. 


25  It  seemed  good  unto  us,  being 
assembled  with  one  accord,  to  send 
chosen  men  unto  you,  with  our  be¬ 
loved  Barnabas  and  Paul, 

26  Men  that  have  hazarded  'their 
lives  for  the  name  of  our  Lord 
Jesus  Christ. 

27  We  have  sent  therefore  Judas 
and  Silas,  who  shall  also  tell  you 
the  same  things  by  f  mouth. 

28  For  it  seemed  good  to  the 
Holy  Ghost,  and  to  us,  to  lay  upon 
you  no  greater  burden  «than  these 
necessary  things  ; 

29  That  ye  abstain  h  from  meats 
offered  to  idols,  and  from  blood, 
and  from  things  strangled,  and  from 
fornication  :  from  which  if  ye  keep 
‘yourselves,  ye  shall  do  well.  Fare 
ye  well. 

30  So  when  they  were  dismissed, 
they  came  to  Antioch  :  and  when 
they  had  gathered  the  multitude 
together,  they  delivered  the  epistle: 

31  Which  when  they  had  read, 
they  rejoiced  for  the  J  Consolation. 

32  And  Judas  and  Silas,  being 
prophets  also  themselves,  exhorted 
the  brethren  with  many  words,  and 
confirmed  k  them. 

S3  And  after  they  had  tarried 
Jhere  a  space,  they  were  let  go  1  in 
peace  from  the  brethren  unto  the 
apostles. 

e  c.  13:50.  14:19.  i  2  Co.  11:9.  Ja.  It  c.  14:22. 
f  word.  1:27.  I  Ju.  5:21.  1  1  Co.  16:11. 

K  He.  2:24.  Jude  20:21.  2  Jn.  10. 

h  ver.  20.  j  or,  exhortation. 

Christ’s  vicars  on  earth,  and  pastors  of  all 
the  pastors  of  the  churches,’  as  the  pope 
styles  himself,  ‘  and  sole  judges  in  all  mat¬ 
ters  of  faith  ;  ’  but  the  apostles,  and  elders, 
and  brethren,  agree  in  their  orders  ;  herein 
they  remembered  the  instructions  their  Mas¬ 
ter  gave  them,  Mat.  23  :  8.  Be  not  ye  called 
Rabbi  ;  for  all  ye  are  brethren.  (2.)  What 
speaks  their  respect  to  the  churches  they 
wrote  to  ;  they  send  them  greeting,  wish 
them  health  and  happiness,  and  joy ,  and  call 
them  brethren  of  the  Gentiles  ;  thereby  own¬ 
ing  their  admission  into  the  church,  and  giv¬ 
ing  them  the  right  hand  of  fellowship. 

2.  A  just  and  severe  rebuke  to  the  juda- 
izing  teachers,  v.  24.  ‘  We  have  heard,  that 
certain  which  went  out  from  us,  have  troubled  you 
with  words,  and  we  are  very  much  concerned 


to  hear  it  ;  now  this  is  to  let  them  know, 
that  those  who  preached  this  doctrine  were 
false  teachers,  both  as  they  produced  a  false 
commission,  and  as  they  taught  a  false  doc¬ 
trine.’  It  is  no  new  thing  for  apostolical 
authority  to  be  pleaded  in  defence  of  those 
doctrines  and  practices,  which  yet  the  apos¬ 
tles  gave  neither  command  nor  encourage¬ 
ment  for.  How  has  the  church  been  troubled 
with  words,  by  the  pride  of  men  that  loved 
to  hear  themselves  talk  !  They  took  them 
off  from  pursuing  pure  Christianity,  and 
minding  the  business  of  that,  by  filling  their 
heads  with  the  necessity  of  circumcision,  and 
the  law  of  Moses,  which  were  "nothing  to  the 
purpose. 

3.  An  honorable  testimony  to  their  mes¬ 
sengers.  (1.)  To  Paul  and  Barnabas, 
whom  these  judaizing  teachers  had  opposed 
and  censured,  as  having  done  their  work  by 
the  halves,  because  they  had  brought  the 
Gentile  converts  to  Christianity  only,  and  not 
to  Judaism.  Sometimes  it  is  good  for  those 
that  are  of  eminency,  to  express  their  es¬ 
teem,  not  only  for  the  despised  truth  of 
Christ,  but  for  the  despised  preachers  and 
defenders  of  that  truth,  to  encourage  them, 
and  weaken  the  hands  of  their  opposers. 
‘  They  are  men  that  have  signalized  them¬ 
selves  in  the  service  of  Christ,  and  therefore 
have  deserved  well  of  all  the  churches,  v.  26. 
are  worthy  of  double  honor,  and  cannot  be 
suspected  of  having  sought  any  secular  ad¬ 
vantage  to  themselves  ;  for  they  have  ven¬ 
tured  their  all  for  Christ,  have  engaged  in 
the  most  dangerous  services,  as  good  sol¬ 
diers  of  Christ,  and  not  only  in  laborious 
services.’  (2.)  To  Judas  and  Silas ;  ‘They 
are  chosen  men,  v.  25.  men  that  have  heard 
our  debates,  and  are  perfectly  apprized  of 
the  matter,  and  will  tell  you  the  same  things 
by  mouth,'  v.  27.  What  is  of  use  to  us,  it 
is  good  to  have  both  in  writing  and  by  word 
of  mouth. 

4.  The  direction  what  to  require  from  the 
Gentile  converts;  they  should  never  eat  any¬ 
thing  they  knew  had  been  offered  in  sacrifice  to 
an  idol,  but  look  upon  it  as,  though  clean  in 
itself,  y et  thereby  polluted  to  them.  This  pro¬ 
hibition  was  afterward  in  part  taken  off, 
for  they  were  allowed  to  eat  whatever  was  sold 
in  the  shambles,  or  set  before  them  at  their 
friend's  table,  though  it  had  been  offered  to 
idols,  except  when  there  was  danger  of  giv- 
ing  offence  by  it,  i.  e.  of  giving  occasion 
eitlter  to  a  weak  Christian  to  think  the  worse 
of  our  Christianity,  or  to  a  wicked  heathen 
to  think  the  better  of  his  idolatry  ;  and  in 
those  cases  it  is  good  to  forbear,  1  Cor.  10  : 
25,  &c.  This,  to  us,  is  an  antiquated  case. 
That  they  shoidd  not  eat  blood,  or  drink  it  ; 


but  avoid  everything  that  looked  cruel  and 
barbarous  in  that  ceremony  which  had  been 
of  so  long  standing.  That  they  should  not 
eat  anything  that  was  strangled,  or  died  of 
itself,  or  had  not  the  blood  let  out.  That 
they  should  be  very  strict  in  censuring  those 
that  were  guilty  of  fornication,  or  marrying 
within  the  degrees  prohibited  by  the  Levit- 
icallaw;  which,  some  think,  is  principally 
intended  here.  See  1  Cor.  5:  1.  ‘These 
things  are  in  a  particular  manner  offensive 
to  the  Jews,  and  therefore  do  not  disoblige 
them  herein  for  the  present;  in  a  little  time 
the  Jews  will  incorporate  with  the  Gentiles, 
and  then  the  danger  is  over.’ 

They  express  themselves  with  abundance 
of  tenderness  and  fatherly  concern,  but  w  ith 
something  of  authority,  to  secure  respect 
and  deference  ;  It  seemed  good  to  the  Holy 
Ghost,  and  to  us,  i .  e.  to  us  under  the  con¬ 
duct  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  as  apostles,  and 
others  endued  with  spiritual  gifts  extraordi¬ 
nary  :  they  knew  more  of  the  mind  of  God 
than  any  since  those  gifts  ceased  can  pre¬ 
tend  to  ;  their  infallibility  gave  an  incon¬ 
testable  authority  to  their  decrees.  Or,  it 
refers  to  what  the  Holy  Ghost  had  deter¬ 
mined  in  this  matter  formerly,  when  He  de¬ 
scended  on  the  apostles  with  the  gift  of 
tongues,  in  order  to  their  preaching  the  Gos¬ 
pel  to  the  Gentiles  ;  which  was  a  plain  indi¬ 
cation  of  God’s  purpose  to  call  them  in. 
When  the  Holy  Ghost  descended  on  Cor¬ 
nelius  and  his  friends,  on  Peter’s  preaching, 
it  was  plain  that  Christ  designed  the  taking 
down  of  the  Jewish  pale,  within  which 
they  fancied  the  Spirit  had  been  inclosed. 

Church  rulers  should,  as  here,  impose  on¬ 
ly  necessary  things,  that  Christ  has  made  our 
duty,  and  that  have  a  real  tendency  to  the 
edification  of  the,  church ,  and,  as  tlrese  here, 
to  the  uniting  of  good  Christians.  They 
have  authority  only  to  see  that  the  laws  of 
Christ  be  duly  executed. 

They  enforce  their  order  with  a  commen¬ 
dation  of  those  that  shall  comply  with  it, 
rather  than  with  the  condemnation  of  those 
that  shall  transgress  it  ;  they  do  not  con¬ 
clude,  ‘From  which  if  you  do  not  keep 
yourselves,  ye  shall  be  an  anathema,  ye  shall 
be  cast  out  of  the  church,  and  accursed,’ 
according  to  the  style  of  after-councils,  and 
particularly  that  of  Trent ;  but,  ‘From  which 
if  you  keep  yourselves,  as  we  do  not  question 
but  ye  will,  ye  shall  do  well  ;  it  will  be  for 
the  glory  of  God,  the  furtherance  of  the 
Gospel,  the  strengthening  of  the  hands  of 
your  brethren,  ani\  your  own  credit  and  com¬ 
fort.’  It  is  all  sweetness  and  love,  and  good- 
humor,  such  as  became  the  followers  of  Him 
who,  when  He  ctilled  us  to  take  his  yoke  upon 


(27.)  ‘It  was  not  unusual  among  the  ancients  to  send  letters  by  such 
persons  as  were  able,  and  had  authority,  to  give  further  details  of  any  bus¬ 
iness,  mid  communicate  circumstances  beyond  what  were  adverted  to 
in  the  letter.  So  Thucyd.  7,10.  Comp.  Arrian.  Ex.  A I.  2, 14,  6.’  Bl. 

(23.)  Harden.]  It  was  an  oriental  idiom  to  call  all  laws,  orders,  and 
injunctions,  heavy  or  light,  by  the  term  here,  baros,  zugos,  [yoke,]  &c. 
Rev.  2:4.  Mat.  23:4.  Ed. — Necessary  things.]  ‘  They  were  all  undoubt¬ 
edly  necessary,  in  order  to  promote  a  free  converse  between  the  Jewish 
and  Oeutile  Christians,  and  especially  to  secure  communion  at  the  table 
of  the  Lord.’  Doddr. 

(20.)  Fare  ye  well.]  ‘  An  old  English  form  of  expressing  good  wish¬ 
es  and  good-will  .  . .  like  to  that  other  form  of  sound  words,  God  be  with 
yon  !  corrupted  now,  into  good  bye  to  ye!  and  of  the  same  meaning 
with,  adieu  !  d  Dieu,  to  God ;  i.  e.  /  commend  you  to  God.  All  these 
terms  savor,  not  only  of  good-will ,  or  benevolence,  but  of  piety.  Our 
ancestors  believed  that  nothing  was  sale,  nothing  protected,  nothing 
prosperous,  over  which  the  shield  of  God  was  not  extended;  and  there¬ 
fore  in  their  familiar  good  wishes,  they  gave  each  other  to  God.  The 
Gr.  word  here  has  nearly  the  same  signification  :  be  strong,  courageous, 
active ,  he  in  health,  and  be  prosperous.  What  a  pity  that  such  benev¬ 
olent  and  pious  wishes  should  degenerate  into  cool  formalities,  or  un¬ 
meaning  compliments  /’  I)r.  A.  Clarke. 

V.  .40-— 3.5.  Silas,  having  formed  an  intimate  friendship  with  Paul, 
and  being  delightfully  employed,  did  not  choose  to  return  with  Judas ; 
having  a  prospect  of  greater  usefulness  at  Antioch,  and  perhaps  hav¬ 
ing  an  eye  to  that  service,  which  he  afterwards  performed. — (32)  Be¬ 
ing  prophets,  <kc.]  ‘  That  is,  saith  Dr.  Hammond,  being  two  bishops  of 
Judea;  but  if  so,  why  “  pleased  it  Silas  to  abide  there  still;”  “rather 
than  go  back  to  his  charge  ?”  Yea,  why,  after  so  long  a  stay  at  Antioch, 
doth  he  go  along  with  Paul  in  his  travels,  through  Syria  and  Cilicia, 
“  confirming  the  churches  ?  ”  (41.)  Why  do  we  find  him  still  with  Paul; 
(1G:  17:  18:)  and  preaching  at  Thessalouica,  Corinth,  and  other  places  ; 
but  not  at  all  returning  to  his  see  ?’  Whitby.  Scott. 

(32.)  Prophets.]  See  on  11:27.  ‘  Prophetes  is  undoubtedly  oiten  used 


in  the  SS.  for  one  who,  by  divine  assistance,  declares  things  which  are  to 
happen  at  some  future  time:  but  the  word  has  other  significations, 
likewise,  both  in  the  O.  and  N.  T.  The  things  such  a  prophetes  speaks, 
chiefly  relate  to  religion,  or  divine  commands.  So  “  prophesies  ” 
seem  used  in  the  Eng.  vers.,  Prov.  30:1.  31:1.  though  only  religious 
and  moral  reflections,  and  rules  for  life,  are  there  found:  and  thus  the 
praising  God  by  spiritual  songs,  is  called  a  ]>rophesying,  in  1  S.  10:5.  1 
Chr.  25:1.  and  so  when  Paul  in  1  Cor.  11:4,  5.  says ,  praying  or  prophe¬ 
sying,  he  means  preaching  or  teaching  divine  truths ;  agreeably  to  which 
we  find  God  saying  to  Abraham,  Gen.  20:7.  “  he  (Abraham)  is  a  proph¬ 
et,  and  shall  pray  for  thee,  and  thou  shalt  live  ;”  i.  e.  he  is  a  teacher  of  my 
will,  and  therefore  his  prayers  shall  prevail  for  thee.  Prophetes  is  used 
likewise  for  him  who  speaks  instead  of  another,  and  is,  therefore,  said  to 
be  to  him,  instead  of  a  mouth ,  Ex.  4:16.  as  Aaron  to  Moses,  7:1.  where 
thy  prophet,  is  explained,  v.  2.  thus,  “  Thou  shalt  speak  (Sept,  to  hint) 
all  that  I  command  thee,  and  Aaron,  thy  brother,  shall  speak  unto  Pha¬ 
raoh,”  &c.  Now  if  he,  who  spoke  instead  of  one  only,  may  be  call¬ 
ed  a  prophet,  well  may  he  or  they  be  called  so,  who  speak  in  the  name 
of  many,  as  teachers  do  in  religious  assemblies.  Jos.  too,  has  “  what 
Moses  has  taught  (  prophiteutheisi)  them  ,(tl'e  Jews)  concerning  God.” 
Luke  1 :67.  24:44.  Nor  are  instances  wanting  of  the  same  use  of  pr ophi¬ 
tes,  and  its  derivations  in  heathen  authors  ;  thus  Diod.  calls  history,  “  the 
prophetes  (teacher  or  declarer)  of  truth.”  Aristotle  represents  philoso¬ 
phy  as  comprehending  divine  things  by  means  of  the  divine  eye  of  the 
soul,  arid  teaching  ( prophiteuousa )  them  to  mankind.  Plato,  still  more 
explicitly  (in  Tim.)  distinguishes  between  the  prophets,  manteis,  prophf- 
tai  manteuomenon,  and  the  expounders  of  prophecies,  who,  he  says,  may 
most  correctly  be  called,  prophetai  manteuomenon.  i.  e.  interpreters, 
pronouncers  of  vaticinations.  In  the  same  sense  of  teaching,  and  not 
of  prophesying,  Ovid  gives  tile  word  vaticinor,  Mat.  15: 17.  And,  to  quote 
no  more  instances,  though  Epimenides  is  styled  a  prophet  in  Titus  1:12. 
yet  Aristotle,  in  Rhet.  3:17.  says,  “he  did  not  teach  I emanteuto)  con¬ 
cerning  future  things,  but  concerning  things  past  and  obscure.”  ’ 

Bp.  Pearce. 

[85] 


A.  D.  53. 


ACTS,  XV.  Disagreement  of  Paul  and  Barnabas. 


34  Notwithstanding,  it  pleased 
Silas  to  abide  there  still. 

35  Paul  also  and  Barnabas  con¬ 
tinued  in  Antioch,  teaching  and 
preaching  the  word  of  the  Lord, 
with  many  others  also. 

36  If  And  some  days  after,  Paul 
said  unto  Barnabas,  Let  us  go  again 
and  visit  our  brethren  in  m  every 
city  where  we  have  preached  the 
word  of  the  Lord,  and  see  how  they 
do. 

37  And  Barnabas  determined  to 
take  with  them  John,  "whose  sur¬ 
name  was  Mark. 

3S  But  Paul  thought  not  good  to 
take  him  with  them,  who  departed 
"from  them  from  Pamphylia,  and 
went  not  with  them  to  the  work. 

39  And  the  contention  was  so 
sharp  between  them,  that  they  de¬ 
parted  asunder  one  from  the  other: 
and  so  Barnabas  took  Mark,  and 
sailed  unto  Cyprus  : 

me.  13:4,  &c.  n  c.  12:12,25.  Col.  4:10.  o  c.  13:13. 

us,  assured  us  we  should  find  Him  meek  and 
lowly  in  heart.  The  difference  of  the  style 
of  the  true  apostles  from  that  of  the  false  is 
very  observable.  They  that  were  for  impo¬ 
sing  the  ceremonial  law,  were  positive  and 
imperious  ;  Except  ye  keep  it,  ye  cannot  be 
saved,  v.  1.  ye  are  excommunicated  at  once, 
and  delivered  to  Satan.  The  apostles  of 
Christ,  who  only  recommend  necessary 
things,  are  mild  and  gentle;  ‘From  whichr 
if  ye  keep  yourselves,  ye  shall  do  well,  ami  as 
becomes  you.  Fare  ye  well;  we  are  hearty 
well-wishers  to  your  honor  and  peace.’ 

III.  The  delivering  of  the  letters.  The 
people  were  wonderfully  pleased,  v.  31.  and 
a  great  consolation  it  was  to  the  multitude  : 
they  were  confirmed  in  their  freedom  from 
the  yoke  of  the  ceremonial  law;  those  who 
troubled  their  minds  with  an  attempt  to  force 
circumcision  on  them,  were  hereby  for  the 
present  silenced  and  put  to  confusion,  the 
fraud  of  their  pretensions  to  an  apostolical 
warrant  being  now  discovered;  the  Gen¬ 
tiles  were  hereby  encouraged  to  receive  the 
Gospel,  and  those  that  had  received  it  to  ad¬ 
here  to  it;  and  the  peace  of  the  church  was 
hereby  restored,  and  that  removed,  which 
threatened  a  division.  All  this  was  conso¬ 
lation  which  they  rejoiced  in,  and  blessed 
God  for. 

The  Jerusalem  ministers,  v.  33.  when 
they  had  spent  some  time  among  them,  so  it 
might  be  read, — having  made  some  stay ,  and 
having  made  it  to  good  purpose,  they  were 
let  go  in  peace  from  the  brethren  at  Anti¬ 
och,  to  the  apostles  at  Jerusalem,  with  all 
possible  expressions  of  kindness  and  respect ; 
they  thanked  them  for  their  coming  and 


pains,  and  the  good  service  they  had  done, 
wished  them  their  health  and  a  good  jour¬ 
ney  home;  and  committed  them  to  the  cus¬ 
tody  of  the  peace  of  God. 

Silas  chose  rather  to  abide  still  at  Antioch, 
v.  34.  I  am  apt  to  think  the  congregations 
at  Antioch  were  both  more  large  and  more 
lively  than  those  at  Jerusalem,  and  that 
tempted  him  to  stay  there,  and  he  did  well: 
so  did  Judas;  who,  notwithstanding  this, 
returned  to  his  post  of  service  at  Jerusalem. 
Paul  and  Barnabas,  though  their  work  lay 
chiefly  among  the  Gentiles,  yet  continued 
for  some  time  in  Antioch,  being  pleased 
with  the  society  of  the  ministers  and  people 
there,  which,  it  should  seem  by  divers  pas¬ 
sages,  was  more  than  ordinarily  inviting. 
They  continued  there,  not  to  take  their 
pleasure,  but  teaching  and  preaching  the 
Word  of  God.  Antioch  being  the  chief  city 
of  Syria,  it  is  likely  there  was  a  great  resort 
of  Gentiles  thither  from  all  parts,  on  one 
account  or  other,  as  there  was  of  Jews  to 
Jerusalem;  so  that,  in  preaching  there,  they 
did  in  effect  preach  to  many  nations;  for 
they  preached  to  those  who  would  carry  the 
report  of  what  they  preached  to  many  na¬ 
tions,  and  thereby  prepare  them  for  the 
apostles’ coming  in  person  to  preach  to  them. 
There  were  many  others  also  there,  laboring 
at  the  same  oar.  The  multitude  of  work¬ 
men  in  Christ’s  vineyard  does  not  give  us  a 
writ  of  ease.  Even  there  where  there  are 
many  others  laboring  in  the  Word  and  doc¬ 
trine,  yet  there  may  be  opportunity  for  us; 
the  zeal  and  usefulness  of  others  should  ex¬ 
cite  us,  not  lay  us  asleep. 

V.  36 — 41.  We  have  seen  one  unhappy 
difference  among  the  brethren,  of  a  public 
nature,  brought  to  a  good  issue;  but  here 
we  have  a  private  quarrel  between  two  min¬ 
isters,  no  less  men  than  Paul  and  Barnabas, 
not  compromised  indeed,  yet  ending  wel[. 

I.  Here  is  a  good  motion  Paul  made  to 
Barnabas,  to  go  and  review  their  work 
among  the  Gentiles,  and  renew  it;  Antioch 
was  now  a  safe  and  quiet  harbor  for  them, 
but  Paul  remembered  they  only  put  in  there 
to  refit  and  refresh  themselves,  and  there¬ 
fore  begins  now  to  think  of  putting  to  sea 
again;  and  having  been  in  winter-quarters 
long  enough,  he  is  for  taking  the  field  again, 
and  making  another  campaign,  in  a  vigor¬ 
ous  prosecution  of  this  holy  war  against  Sa¬ 
tan’s  kingdom.  Barnabas  was  his  old  friend 
and  fellow-laborer ;  two  are  better  than  one, 
and  every  soldier  has  his  comrade.  Note, 
Those  that  have  preached  the  Gospel,  should 
visit  those  to  whom  they  have  preached  it. 
As  we  must  look  after  our  praying,  and 
hear  what  answer  God  gives  to  that;  so  we 
must  look  after  our  preaching,  and  see 
what  success  that  has.  Faithful  ministers 
cannot  but  have  a  particular,  tender  concern, 
for  those  to  whom  they  have  preached  the 
Gospel,  that  they  may  not  bestow  on  them 
labor  in  vain.  See  1  Thess.  3:  5,  6. 

He  intended  in  this  visit  to  see  how  they 


did.  lie  would  see  how  they  do,  i.  e.  1. 
What  spirit  they  are  of,  how  they  stand  af¬ 
fected,  and  how  they  behave  themselves;  it 
is  probable  that  they  frequently  heard  from 
them.  2.  What  state  they  are  in;  whether 
the  churches  have  rest  and  liberty  ;  or 
whether  they  are  not  in  trouble  or  distress, 
‘  that  we  may  rejoice  with  them  if  they  rejoice, 
and  caution  them  against  security ;  and  may 
weep  with  them  if  they  weep,  and  comfort 
them  under  the  cross,  and  may  know  the 
better  how  to  pray  for  them .’ 

IT.  The  disagreement  between  Paul  and 
Barnabas  about  an  assistant;  it  was  con¬ 
venient  to  have  a  young  man  with  them,  that 
should  attend  on  them,  and  be  a  witness  of 
their  doctrine,  manner  of  life,  and  patience; 
and  that  should  be  fitted  and  trained  up  for 
further  service,  by  being  occasionally  em¬ 
ployed  in  the  present  service.  Now, 

1.  Barnabas  would  have  his  nephew  John, 
whose  surname  was  Mark,  to  go  along  with 
them,  v.  37.  He  determined  to  take  him, 
because  he  was  his  relation,  and,  it  is  like¬ 
ly,  was  brought  up  under  him.  We  should 
suspect  ourselves  of  partiality,  and  guard 
against  it  in  preferring  our  relations. 

2.  Paul  opposed  it,  v.  38.  He  thought 
not  good  to  take  him  with  them, — he  did  not 
think  him  worthy  of  the  honor,  nor  fit  for  the 
service,  who  had  departed  from  them,  clan¬ 
destinely,  as  it  should  seem,  or  wilfully,  from 
Pamphylia,  ch.  13  :  13.  and  went  not  with 
them  to  the  work,  either  because  he  was  lazy, 
and  would  not  take  the  pains  that  must  be 
taken ;  or  cowardly,  and  would  not  run  the 
hazard.  If  a  man  deceive  me  once,  it  is 
his  fault;  but  if  twice,  it  is  my  own,  for 
trusting  him.  Solomon  saith,  Confidence  in 
an  unfaithful  man,  in  time  of  trouble,  is  like  a 
broken  tooth,  and  a  foot  out  of  joint,  which 
will  hardly  be  used  again,  Prov.  25:  19. 

III.  The  issue  of  this  disagreement;  it 
came  to  such  a  height,  that  they  parted  upon 
it.  The  contention,  the  paroxysm,  so  the 
word  is,  the  fit  of  passion  which  this  threw 
them  both  into,  was  so  sharp,  that  they  de¬ 
parted  asunder  one  from  the  other.  Now 
here  is  that  which  is  very  humbling,  and 
just  matter  of  lamentation,  and  yet  very  in¬ 
structive.  For  we  see, 

1.  That  the  best  of  men  are  but  men.  I 
doubt  there  was,  as  usually  there  is  in  such 
contentions,  a  fault  on  both  sides  ;  perhaps 
Paul  was  too  severe  on  the  young  man,  and 
did  not  allow  his  fault  the  extenuation  it 
was  capable  of,  did  not  consider  what  a 
useful  woman  his  mother  was  in  Jerusalem, 
ch.  12  :  12.  nor  make  the  allowances  he 
might  have  made  to  Barnabas’  natural 
affection.  But  it  was  Barnabas’  fault  that 
he  took  that  into  consideration,  in  a  case 
wherein  the  interest  of  Christ’s  kingdom 
was  concerned,  and  indulged  it  too  much. 
And  they  were  certainly  both  in  fault,  to  be 
so  hot  as  to  let  the  contention  be  so  sharp, 
as  also  to  be  so  stiff,  as  each  to  stick  so 
resolutely  to  his  opinion,  and  neither  to 


(34.)  1  This  v.  is  wanting  in  AB  E  G.,  a  great  number  besides,  with  the 
Syr.,  Ar.,  Copt.,  Slav.,Vulg.,  and  some  Fathers;  it  seems  not  to  have  been 
originally  in  the  text.’  Dr.  A.  C.  ‘  In  others,  “  but  Judas  alone  went,” 
is  added,  it  would  seem,  to  remove  a  fancied  contradiction  to  v.  33.  But 
Silas  might  either  have  remained  at  Antioch,  and  there  had  been  chosen 
by  Paul  as  a  companion ;  or  he  might  have  departed  to  Jerusalem,  [and 
there  would  be  time  for  him  to  have  come  back  again  to  Antioch,  be¬ 
fore  Paul  left  A.,]  and  have  been  sent  for  back  to  A.  by  Paul.  [The 
text  does  not  permit  us  to  suppose  otherwise  than  that  he  went  to  J. 
Bl.]  Such  minute  circumstances  are  usually  omitted  by  Luke.  The  v. 
is  therefore  deservedly  expunged  by  Mill,  Griesb.,  Mat.’  Kuin. 

(35.)  Continued  at  Antioch.]  ‘It  is  generally  thought,  that  during 
this  time  Peter  caine  to  Antioch,  and,  after  having  for  some  time  con¬ 
versed  freely  with  the  Gentile  Christians,  changed  his  behavior  towards 
them,  on  the  arrival  of  Jewish  zealots  from  Jerusalem,  according  to 
the  account  we  have,  Gal.  2:11.  and  seq.,  which,  if  v.  1.  of  that  ch.  re¬ 
fer  to  the  journey  to  the  council,  described  above,  seems,  indeed,  to 
have  been  the  case.  Nor  do  I  think,  that  visit  can  be  referred  to  Paul's 
second  journey  to  Jerusalem  after  his  conversion,  Acts  11:30.  though 
Barnabas  also  attended  him  then,  because  it  was  not  till  after  that  jour¬ 
ney,  that  the  Gospel  of  the  circumcision  was  so  solemnly  committed  to 
him,  Acts  1  S:2,  3.  which  the  apostles  at  Jerusalem  acknowledged  it  to 
have  been  at  the  time  spoken  of,  Gal.  2:7 — 9.  If  it  be  asked,  why  Paul, 
in  his  rebuke  to  Peter,  did  not  cut  short  all  further  arguments,  by  refer- 
ing  roundly  to  the  Jerusalem  decree ,  if  then  made  ?  I  answer,  he  might 

[96] 


perhaps  do  it,  though  not  in  that  part  of  his  speech,  which  he  mentions 
in  Gal. ;  yet  even  there  he  refers  to  what  Peter  himself  had  laid  down 
as  the  foundation  of  that  decree  :  Comp.  Gal  2J6 — 18.  with  Acts  15:11. 
And  it  likewise  seems  to  be  intimated,  that  Peter  had  gone  farther  in 
his  condescensions,  than  the  Jerusalem  decree  extended  its  decision,  not 
only  in  receiving  the  Gentiles  to  church  communion,  or  admitting  them  to 
converse  with  hint,  but  living  after  their  manner,  as  if  he  had  beenhim- 
self  without  the  law  ;  (as  Paul  himself  in  proper  circumstances  used  to 
do,  1  Cor.  9:19 — 21.  ;)  yet  afterwards  dissembling  his  conduct,  as  being 
solicitous  to  make  a  secret  of  it ;  whereas  Paul,  though  just  at  the  crisis 
of  the  Jerusalem  decree  he  had  thought  it  his  duty  to  keep  in  the  re¬ 
serve,  and  waive  a  declaration  of  his  sentiments  on  this  head,  lest  unne¬ 
cessary  debates,  as  to  the  obligation  on  believing  Jews  to  observe  the 
law,  should  have  diverted  the  council  from  the  business  then  in  hand, 
and  have  frustrated  the  purpose  of  that  journey,  Gal.  2:2. ;  yet,  when 
that  point  was  carried,  and  he  had  quitted  Jerusalem,  he  used  great 
freedom  in  declaring  his  opinion,  which  was,  “  not  that  the  Mosaic  cer¬ 
emonies  were  in  conscience  to  be  avoided,  but  that  even  to  the  Jews 
themselves  they  were  indifferent,  any  further  than  as  the  peace  and  ed¬ 
ification  of  others  were  concerned.”  ’  Doddk. 

V.  36—41.  It  has  indeed  been  maintained,  that,  though  both  [Barna¬ 
bas  and  Paul]  were  angry,  neither  of  them  sinned ;  but  if  the  one  was 
angry  without  cause,  or  above  cause,  or  expressed  his  anger  unduly, 
he  sinned  ;  and  if  the  other  gave  him  just  cause,  he  doubtless  sinned. 
Certainly  this  never  could  have  occurred,  if  both  had  been  perfect. — 


A.  D.  53. 


ACTS,  XVI. 


Paul's  acquaintance  with  Timothy. 


.  40  And  Paul  chose  Silas,  and 
departed,  being  recommended  ^by 
the  brethren  unto  the  grace  of  God. 

41  And  he  went  through  Syria 
and  Cilicia,  confirming  ’’the  church- 

63* 

CHAP.  XVI. 

1  Paul  having  circumcised  Timothy,  7  and  being  called  by 
the  Spirit  from  one  country  to  another,  14  convertetli 
Lydia,  16  casteth  out  a  spirit  of  divination.  19  For  which 
cause  he  and  Silas  are  whipped  and  imprisoned.  26 
The  prison  doors  are  opened.  31  The  jailer  is  converted, 
37  and  they  are  delivered. 

THEN  came  he  to  *  Derbe  and 
Lystra  :  and  behold,  a  certain 
disciph  was  there,  named ’’Timo- 
theus,  the  son  of c  a  certain  woman, 
which  was  a  Jewess,  and  believed; 
but  his  father  was  a  Greek  :  • 

2  Which  was  well  d  reported  of 
by  the  brethren  that  were  at  Lystra 
and  Iconium.. 

p  c.  14:26.  20:32.  b  c.  19:22.  Ro.  d  c.  6:3.  1  Ti.  5: 
q  c.  16:5.  16:21.  ICo. 4:17.  10.  He.  11:2. 

a  c.  14:6.  c  2  Ti.  1:5. 

yield.  We  must  own  it  was  their  infirmity, 
and  is  recorded  for  our  admonition ;  not  that 
we  must  make  use  of  it  to  excuse  our  own 
intemperate  heats  and  passions,  or  to  rebate 
the  edge  of  our  sorrow  and  shame  for  them : 
No  ;  but  it  must  check  our  censures  of 
others,  and  moderate  them.  If  good  men 
are  soon  put  into  a  passion,  we  must  make 
the  best  of  it;  it  was  the  infirmity  once  of 
two  of  the  best  men  that  ever  the  world 
had  !  Repentance  teaches  us  to  be  severe  in 
reflections  on  ourselves;  but  charity  teaches 
us  to  be  candid  in  our  reflections  on  others. 
It  is  only  Christ’s  example  that  is  a  copy 
without  a  blot. 

2.  Paul  and  Barnabas,  that  were  not  sep¬ 
arated  by  the  persecutions  of  the  unbeliev¬ 
ing  Jews,  nor  the  impositions  of  the  believ¬ 
ing  Jews,  were  yet  separated  by  an  unhappy 
disagreement  between  themselves.- Oh,  tiie 
mischief  that  even  the  poor  and  weak  re¬ 
mainders  of  pride  and  passion,  that  are 
found  even  in  good  men,  do  in  the  world, 
do  in  the  church  !  No  wonder  the  conse¬ 
quences  are  so  fatal  where  ihey  reign  ! 

IV.  The  good  that  was  brought  out  of 
this  evil.  It  was  strange  that  even  the  suf¬ 
ferings  of  the  apostles,  as  Phil.  1:  12.  but 
much  more  strange  that  even  their  quarrels 
should  tend  to  the  furtherance  of  the  Gospel 
of  Christ ;  yet  so  it  proved  here. 


1.  More  places  are  hereby  visited.  Bar¬ 
nabas  went  one  way  ;  he  sailed  to  Cyprus, 
v.  39.  that  faiiious  island  where  they  began 
their  work,  ch.  13:  4.  and  which  was  his 
own  country,  ch.  4:  36.  Paul  went  another 
way,  into  Cilicia,  which  was  his  own  coun¬ 
try,  ch.  21  :  39.  They  seem  to  be  influ¬ 
enced  by  their  affection  to  their  native  soil, 
as  usual;  and  yet  God  served  his  own  pur¬ 
poses  by  it,  to  diffuse  gospel-light.  • 

2.  More  hands  arc  hereby  employed  in 
the  ministry  of  the  Gospel  among  the  Gen¬ 
tiles;  for,  (1.)  John  Mark,  who  had  been  an 
unfaithful  hand,  is  not  rejected,  but  is  again 
made  use  of,  against  Paul’s  mind,  and,  for 
aught  we  know,  proves  very  useful  and  suc¬ 
cessful ;  though  many  think  it  was  not  the 
same  with  that  Mark  that  wrote  the  Gospel, 
and  founded  the  church  at  Alexandria,  he 
w  hom  Peter  calls  his  son,  1  Pet.  5  :  13. 
(2.)  Silas,  a  new  hand,  never  yet  employed 
in  that  work,  nor  designed  to  be,  but  to 
return  to  the  service  of  the  church  at  Jeru¬ 
salem,  had  not  God  changed  his  mind,  v.  33, 
34.  he  is  brought  in,  and  engaged  in  that 
noble  work.  We  may  further  observe, 

[l.J  That  the  church  at  Antioch  seemed 
to  countenance  Paul  in  what  he  did.  Bar¬ 
nabas  sailed  with  his  nephew  to  Cyprus, 
and  no  notice  was  taken  of  him,  nor  a  rec¬ 
ommendation  given  him.  Those  that  in  their 
service  of  the  church  are  swayed  by  private 
affections  and  regards,  forfeit  public  honors 
and  respect.  But  when  Paul  departed,  he 
was  recommended  by  the  brethren  to  the  grace 
of  God.  They  thought  he  was  in  the  right. 
Those  are  happy  at  all  times,  and  especially 
in  times  of  disagreement  and  contention, 
who  are  enabled  so  to  carry  themselves  as 
not  to  forfeit  their  interest  in  the  love  and 
prayers  of  good  people. 

[2.]  That  yet  Paul  afterward  had,  though 
not  on  second  thoughts,  yet,  on  further  trial, 
a  better  opinion  of  John  Mark  ;  for  he 
writes  to  Timothy,  2  Tim.  4  :  11.  Take 
Mark  and  bring  him  with  thee,  for  he.  is  profit¬ 
able  to  me  for  the  ministry;  and  he  writes  to 
the  Colossians  concerning  Marcus,  sister’s 
son  to  Barnabas,  that  if  he  came  to  them 
they  should  receive  him,  hid  him  w'elcome, 
and  employ  him,  Col,  4:  10.  Which  teaches 
us,  1st.  That  even  those  whom  we  justly 
condemn,  we  should  condemn  moderately, 
because  we  know  not  but  afterward  we  may 
see  cause  to  think  better  of  them,  and  both 
to  make  use  of  them  and  make  friendship 
with  them;  and  we  should  so  regulate  our 


resentments,  that  if  it  should  prove  so  we, 
may  not  afterward  be  ashamed  of  them. 
2dly.  That  even  those  whom  we  have  justly 
condemned,  if  afterward  they  prove  more 
faithful,  we  should  cheerfully  receive,  for¬ 
give,  and  forget,  and  put  a  confidence  in ; 
and,  as  there  is  occasion,  give  a  good  word 
to. 

[3.]  That  Paul,  though  he  wanted  his  old 
friend  and  companion,  yet  went  on  cheer¬ 
fully  in  his  work,  v.  41.  through  Syria  and 
Cilicia,  countries  next  to  Antioch,  confirm¬ 
ing  the  churches.  And  observe,  Ministers 
are  well  employed,  and  ought  to  think  them¬ 
selves  so,  and  be  satisfied,  when  used  to 
confirm  those  that  believe,  as  well  as  con¬ 
vert  those  that  believe  not. 


Chap.  XVI.  It  is  some  rebuke  to  Bar¬ 
nabas,  that  after  he  left  Paul  we  hear  no 
more  of  him,  of  what  he  did  or  suffered  for 
Christ.  But  Paul,  as  he  was  recommended 
by  the  brethren  to  the  grace  of  God,  so  his 
services  for  Christ  after  this  are  largely  re¬ 
corded;  we  are  to  attend  him  in  this  ch. 
from  place  to  place,  wherever  he  came,  do¬ 
ing  good,  either  watering  or  planting,  be¬ 
ginning  new  work,  or  improving  what  was 
done. 

V.  1 — 5.  I.  Paul,  as  a  spiritual  father,  here 
adopts  Timothy,  and  takes  care  of  the  edu¬ 
cation  of  many  others,  who  had  been  begot¬ 
ten  to  Christ  by  bis  ministry  :  and  in  all  he 
appears  to  have  been  a  wise  and  tender 
father. 

1.  Timothy  is  taken  into  his  acquaintance, 
and  under  his  tuition.  He  was  a  disciple, 
one  that  belonged  to  Christ,  baptized,  prob¬ 
ably  in  infancy,  when  his  mother  became  a 
believer,  as  Lydia’s  household  was  baptized 
on  her  believing,  v.  15.  His  mother  was  a 
Jewess,  originally,  but  believed  in  Christ  ; 
named  Eunice;  his  grandmother’s  name  was 
Lois.  Pant  speaks  of  them  both  with  great 
respect,  as  women  of  eminent  virtue  and 
piety,  and  commends  them  especially  for 
their  unfeigned  faith,  2  Tint.  1  :  5.  their 
sincere  embracing  of,  and  adhering  to,  the 
doctrine  of  Christ.  His  father  was  a  Greek, 
a  Gentile;  the  marriage  of  a  Jewish  woman 
by  a  Gentile  husband  (though  some  would 
make  a  difference)  was  prohibited  as  much 
as  the  marriage  of  a  Jewish  man  to  a  Gen¬ 
tile  wife,  Deut.  7:  3.  yet  that  seems  to  have 
been  limited  to  the  nations  that  lived  among 
them  in  Canaan,  whom  they  were  most  in 
danger  of  infection  from.  Now  because  his 


PRACT.  OB8.  The  great  enemy  of  God  and  man  is  continually  de¬ 
vising  measures  for  obstructing  the  success  of  the  Gospel.  For  this  pur¬ 
pose,  he  endeavors  to  make  divisions  among  those  who  preach  and  pro¬ 
fess  it ;  and  to  corrupt  its  purity,  and  obscure  the  glory  of  divine  grace 
in  it,  but  plausibly  substituting  another  foundation;  or  by  introducing 
such  alterations  or  appendages,  as  are  calculated  to  mislead  or  discour¬ 
age  unestablished  inquirers.  In  these  attempts  he  avails  himself  of  the 
errors,  bigotry,  and  prejudices  of  well-meaning  persons,  and  of  the  am¬ 
bition  and  selfishness  of  false  brethren. — When  fair  argument  and  scrip¬ 
tural  evidence  fail  to  convince  gainsayers  ;  we  must  be  careful,  that  we 
be  not  seduced  to  use  improper  means  of  conducting  the  disputation  : 
and  if  any  method  of  preserving  peace  and  truth  can  be  suggested,  we 
should  submit  to  very  great  personal  inconvenience,  or  apparent  degra¬ 
dation,  to  accomplish  so  desirable  an  end.  Sometimes  the  opinion  of 
those,  ‘  who  seem  to  he  pillars,’  will  go  furfher  than  arguments  :  and 
we  may  fairly,  in  such  circumstances,  appeal  to  their  judgment,  in  order 
to  ‘slop  the  mouths’  of  those,  who  profess  to  speak  their  sentiments  ; 
and  to  satisfy  such  as  have  imbibed  prejudices,  which  close  their  minds 
to  the  most  conclusive  reasoning.  But  we  ought  never  to  be  so  enga¬ 
ged  about  any  single  question,  as  to  neglect  opportunities  of  declaring 
what  God  has  done  for  or  by  us,  or  of  being  helpers  to  the  joy  of  our  breth- 

Thus  these  two  fellow-laborers  parted,  probably  to  meet  no  more  on 
eartli :  neither  of  them,  however,  remitted  anything  of  his  zeal  and 
diligence,  on  account  of  this  disagreement ;  or  said  anything,  that  we 
know  of,  to  disparage  the  other.  Doubtless  Barnabas  labored  and  pros¬ 
pered  to  the  end  of  life  ;  but  the  rest  of  this  book  relates  primarily  to 
the  ministry  and  sufferings  of  Paul  and  his  companions. — (41)  And  Ci¬ 
licia.]  This  and  v.  23.  contain  the  only  intimation  of  any  church  being 
found  in  Cilicia,  the  native  country  of  Paul.  11:25,26.  Scott. 

(39.)  They  separated ,  Ac.]  The  Gr.  does  not  imply  any  sinfulness  in 
this  difference,  see  Dr.  A.  C.,  Ac. ;  and  it  appears,  not  only  that  Paul 
and  Barnabas  were  afterwards  thoroughly  reconciled  ;  (comp.  1  Cor. 
9:6.  Gal.  2:9.)  but  also  that  John  was  taken  into  Paul’s  favor  again,  and 
admitted  by  him  as  a  companion  in  his  labors,  (comp.  Col.  4:10.  Phil, 
v.  24.  2  Tim.  4:11.)  ‘  It  is  probable,  (he  exhortations  of  Barnabas  might 
concur,  witli  these  resentments  of  Paul,  to  recover  him  from  his  former 
indolent  and  timorous  disposition.’  Doddr.  Ed. — Contention .]  ‘  Parox- 


ren  in  every  place. — It  may  be  useful  for  the  ministers  and  disciples  of 
Christ  to  meet  together,  to  consider  any  controverted  subject,  in  order 
that  they  may  form  the  more  accurate  and  decided  judgment  upon  it : 
yet  great  humility,  prudence,  temper,  candor,  and  integrity  are  requi¬ 
site,  to  prevent  such  conventions  from  degenerating  into  party-cabals, 
or  scenes  of  contention  and  confusion,  [as  those  who  speak  are  usually 
unaccustomed  to  contradiction  in  their  pulpits,  and  so  hear  it  worse.] 
This  has  brought  ecclesiastical  councils  and  synods  into  general  disre¬ 
pute  :  and  indeed  little  good  can  be  expected  from  them,  when  they  are 
very  numerous ;  or  when  they  are  so  constituted,  as  to  give  an  opening 
for  political  contests,  or  party  interests.  Yet  select  companies,  meet¬ 
ing  in  the  fear  of  God,  and  in  the  spirit  of  humble  prayer  for  divine 
teaching,  may  help  each  other  to  investigate  truth,  and  to  decide 
difficult  and  important  questions.  We  should,  however,  remember  that 
the  apostles  themselves  assigned  the  reasons  of  their  determinations ; 
and  did  not  require  the  elders  and  churches  to  submit  to  their  authority, 
without  knowing  the  grounds  on  which  they  went :  and  in  such  discus¬ 
sions,  we  shall  generally,  if  not  always,  find,  that  by  examining  the 
source  of  the  subject  in  question,  it  will  appear  to  have  been  already  de¬ 
cided  by  the  Lord  Himself,  and  that  it  xvould  be  1  tempting  ’  Him  to  de¬ 
bate  the  matter  any  further.  Scott. 

usmos  :  a  whetting,  excitement,  irritation,  and  its  consequent  indigna¬ 
tion,  disagreement,  contention.’  Bloomf.  ‘  The  verb  is  often  used  in  a 
good  sense,  for  stirred  up,  see  Isocr.  and  Demosth. :  so  the  very  xvord 
here,  at  Heb.  10:24.’  Dr.  A.  C.  ‘  Paul  sought  what  was  just ;  Barnabas 
what  was  philanthropic.’  Chrys.  ‘  Mark  profited  by  this,  and  was  for 
the  future  more  zealous  and  courageous.’  Bloomf. 

NOTES.  Chap.  XVI.  V.  1 — 3.  Grotius  observes,  that  this  was 
probably  the  beginning  of  Luke’s  acquaintance  with  Timothy,  ‘  though 
Paul  knew  him  long  before.’ — The  apostle’s  manner,  in  speaking  of  the 
persecutions  which  he  endured  ‘at  Antioch,  Iconium,  and  Lystra,  Ac.;’ 
though,  before  he  wrote  it,  he  had  gone  through  very  many  others  ;  im¬ 
plies  that  Timothy  had  witnessed  his  sufferings  in  that  neighborhood, 
and  would  be  peculiarly  affected  by  recollecting  them.  2  Tim.  S:10 — 12. 

Scott. 

(2.)  Which  was,  Ac.l  ‘  Words  said  of  Timothy ,  not  of  his  father. 

v  ’  J  Dr.  A.  Clarke. 

[87] 


\.  D.  53. 


ACTS,  XVI.  The  churches  grow  in  faith  and  numbers. 


3  Him  would  Paul  have  to  go 
forth  with  him  ;  and  took  and  cir¬ 
cumcised  '  him,  because  of  the  Jews 
f  which  were  in  those  quarters  :  for 
they  knew  all  that  his  father  was  a 
Greek. 

4  And  as  they  went  through  the 
cities,  they  delivered  them  the  de¬ 
crees  for  to  keep,  that  were  ordain¬ 
ed  sof  the  apostles  and  elders  which 
were  at  Jerusalem. 

5  And  so  were  the  churches  h  es¬ 
tablished  in  the  faith,  and  increased 
in  number  daily. 

6  Now  when  they  had  gone 
throughout  Phrygia  and  the  region 
of  '  Galatia,  and  were  forbidden  of 
j  the  Holy  Ghost  to  preach  the  word 
in  k  Asia, 

7  After  they  were  come  to  Mysia, 
they  assayed  to  go  into  Bithynia  : 
but  the  Spirit  suffered  them  not. 

8  And  they,  passing  by  Mysia, 
came  down  to  1  Troas. 

e  Ga.  2:3 — 3.  h  c.  15:41.  k  Re  .  1:4,11. 

5:1—3.  i  Ga.  1:2.  IPe.l:!.  1  2  Co.  2:12. 

f  1  Co.  9:20.  j  Am.  8:11,12.  1  2  Ti.  4:13. 

g  0.  15:28,29.  Co.  12:11. 


father  was  a  Greek,  he  was  not  circumcis¬ 
ed;  for  the  entail  of  the  covenant  and  the 
seal  of  it,  as  of  other  entails  in  that  nation, 
went  by  the  father,  not  by  the  mother  ;  so 
that  his  father  being  no  Jew,  he  was  not 
obliged  to  circumcision,  nor  entitled  to  it, 
unless  when  he  grew  up  he  did  himself  desire 
it.  But  observe,  though  his  mother  could 
not  prevail  to  have  him  circumcised  in  his 
infancy,  yet  she  educated  him  in  the  fear  of 
God;  that  though  he  wanted  the  sign  of  the 
covenant,  he  might  not  want  the  thing  sig¬ 
nified. 

2.  He  had  gained  a  very  good  character 
among  the  Christians;  he  was  well  reported 
of  by  brethren  at  Lystra  and  Iconium  ;  had 
not  only  an  unblemished  but  a  bright  repu¬ 
tation,  and  great  encomiums  were  given  of 
him,  as  an  extraordinary  young  man,  from 
whom  great  things  were  expected.  Not 
only  tnose  in  the  place  where  he  was  born, 
but  those  in  the  neighboring  cities,  admired 
him,  and  spake  honorably  of  him.  He  had 
a  name  for  good  things  with  good  people. 

3.  Paul  would  have  him  to  go  forth  with 
him,  attend  on  him,  receive  instruction  from 
him,  and  join  him  in  the  work  of  the  Gos¬ 
pel  ;  to  preach  for  him  when  there  was 
occasion,  and  to  be  left  behind  in  places 
where  he  had  planted  churches.  Paul  took 
a  great  love  to  him,  not  only  because  he  was 
an  ingenious  young  man,  and  one  of  great 
parts,  but  because  he  was  a  serious  young 
man,  and  one  of  devout  affections  :  for  Paul 
was  always  mindful  of  his  tears,  2  Tim.  1 :  4. 

4.  Paul  had  him  circumcised.  Strange  ! 
Had  not  Paul  opposed  those  with  all  his 
might  that  were  for  imposing  circumcision 
on  the  Gentile  converts  1  Had  he  not  at  this 
time  the  decrees  of  the  council  at  Jerusalem 
with  him,  which  witnessed  against  it  1  He 
had,  and  yet  circumcised  Timothy,  not,  as 
those  teachers  designed  in  imposing  circum¬ 
cision,  to  oblige  him  to  keep  the  ceremonial 
law,  but  only  [in  a  matter  otherwise  indif¬ 
ferent]  to  render  his  conversation  and  min¬ 
istry  passable,  and,  if  it  might  be,  acceptable 


among  the  Jews  that  abounded  in  those 
quarters.  He  knew  Timothy  was  a  man 
likely  to  do  great  good  with  them,  being  ad¬ 
mirably  qualified  for  the  ministry,  if  they 
were  not  invincibly  prejudiced  against  him; 
therefore,  that  they  might  not  shun  him  as 
one  unclean,  because  uncircumcised,  he  took 
him  and  circumcised  him.  He  was  against 
those  who  made  circumcision  necessary  to 
salvation,  but  himself  used  it  when  condu¬ 
cive  to  edification;  nor  was  he  rigid  in  op¬ 
posing,  as  they  were  in  imposing  it.  Thus, 
though  he  went  not  in  this  instance  according 
to  the  letter  of  the  decree,  he  went  according 
to  its  spirit;  which  was  a  spirit  of  tender¬ 
ness  toward  the  Jews,  and  willingness  to 
bring  them  off  gradually  from  their  preju¬ 
dices.  Probably  it  was  at  this  time  Paul 
laid  his  hands  on  Timothy,  conferring  the 
gift  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  2  Tim.  1:6. 

II.  Here  is  Paul’s  confirming  the  churches 
he  had  planted,  v.  4,  5.  He  went  through  the 
cities  where  he  had  preached  the  Word  of  the 
Lord,  as  he  intended,  ch.  15:  36.  to  inquire 
into  their  state. 

1.  They  delivered  them  copies  of  the  de¬ 
crees  of  the  Jerusalem  synod,  to  direct  them, 
that  they  might  have  wherewith  to  answer 
the  judaizing  teachers,  and  to  justify  them¬ 
selves  in  adhering  to  the  liberty  with  which 
Christ  had  made  them  free.  Though  Paul 
had,  for  a  particular  reason,  circumcised 
Timothy,  yet  he  would  not  have  that  drawn 
into  a  precedent;  therefore  he  delivered  the 
decrees  to  the  churches,  to  be  religiously  ob¬ 
served. 

2.  This  was  of  very  good  service,  for  (1.) 
The  churches  were  hereby  established  in  the 
faith,  v.  5.  particularly  in  their  opinion 
against  imposing  the  ceremonial  law  on  the 
Gentiles;  when  they  saw  the  testimony,  not 
only  of  the  apostles  and  elders,  but  of  the 
Holy  Ghost  in  them,  against  it,  they  did  no 
longer  waver  about  it.  Nay,  the  design  of 
this  decree  being  to  set  aside  the  ceremonial 
law,  and  its  carnal  ordinances,  they  were  by 
it  established  in  the  Christian  faith  in  gen¬ 
eral,  and  were  the  more  firmly  assured  that 
it  was  of  God,  because  it  set  up  a  spiritual 
way  of  serving  God,  as  more  suited  to  the 
nature  both  of  God  and  man ;  and  besides, 
that  spirit  of  tenderness  and  condescension 
which  appeared  in  these  letters,  plainly 
showed,  that  the  apostles  and  elders  were 
herein  under  the  guidance  of  Him  who  is 
Love  itself.  (2.)  They  increased  in  number 
daily.  If  they  had  been  disposed  to  turn 
Jews,  they  could  have  done  that  long  since, 
before  the  apostles  came  among  them  :  but 
now  that  they  find  there  is  no  danger  of  their 
being  enslaved  by  the  yoke  of  the  law,  they 
are  ready  to  embrace  Christianity,  and  join 
the  church  :  not  a  day  passed  but  some  or 
other  gave  up  their  names  to  Christ. 

V.  6 — 15.  In  these  verses,  we  have, 

I.  Paul’s  motions  up  and  down  to  do  good. 

1.  He  and  Silas  went  throughout  Phrygia 
and  Galatia,  where,  it  should  seein,  the  Gos¬ 
pel  was  already  planted,  whether  by  Paul’s 
hand  or  no,  is  not  mentioned;  it  is  likely  it 
was,  for  in  his  epistle  to  the  Galatians,  he 
speaks  of  his  preaching  the  Gospel  to  them  at 
the  first,  and  how  very  acceptable  he  was 
among  them,  Gal.  4:  13 — 15.  And  it  ap¬ 
pears  by  that  epistle,  that  the  judaizing 
teachers  had  then  done  great  mischief  to 
these  churches  of  Galatia,  had  prejudiced 
them  against  Paul,  and  drawn  them  from  the 
Gospel  of  Christ,  for  which  he  there  severely 


reproves  them.  But,  probably,  that  was  a 
great  while  after  this. 

2.  They  were  forbidden  at  this  time  to 
preach  the  Gospel  in  Asia,  (that  country 
properly  so  called,)  either  because  other 
hands  were  at  work  there,  or  because  they 
were  not  yet  prepared  to  receive  it,  as  they 
were  afterwards,  ch.  19:  10.  when  all  they 
that  dwelt  in  Asia  heard  the  Word  of  the 
Lord;  or,  as  Dr.  Lightfoot  suggests,  because 
at  this  time  Christ  would  employ  Paul  in  a 
new  work,  which  was,  to  preach  the  Gospel 
to  a  Roman  colony  at  Philippi,  for  hitherto 
the  Gentiles  he  had  preached  to  were  Greeks. 
The  Romans  were  more  particularly  hated 
by  the  Jews  than  other  Gentiles,  therefore 
there  is  this,  among  other  things,  extraordi¬ 
nary  in  his  call  thither,  that  he  is  forbidden 
to  preach  the  Gospel  in  Asia,  and  other 
places, in  order  to  his  preaching  it  there.  It 
was  the  Holy  Ghost  that  forbade  them,  either 
by  secret  whispers,  or  by  some  prophets  who 
spake  to  them  from  the  Spirit.  The  ie- 
moves  of  [faithful]  ministers,  and  the  dis¬ 
pensing  of  the  means  of  grace  by  them,  are 
in  a  particular  manner  under  a  divine  con¬ 
duct  and  direction. 

3.  They  would  have  gone  into  Bithynia, 
but  were  not  permitted,  v.  7.  They  came 
to  Mysia,  and,  as  it  should  seem,  preached 
the  Gospel  there;  for  though  it  was  a  very- 
mean,  contemptible  country,  even  to  a  prov¬ 
erb,  Mysorum  ultimus,  in  Cicero,  is  a  most 
despicable  man  ;  yet  the  apostles  disdained 
not  to  visit  it,  owning  themselves  debtors 
both  to  the  wise  and  to  the  unwise,  Rom.  1 : 
14.  In  Bithynia  was  the  city  of  Nice,  where 
the  first  general  council  was  held  against  the 
Arians;  into  these  countries  Peter  sent  his 
epistle,  1  Pet.  1:  1.  And  there  were  flour¬ 
ishing  churches  here  ;  for  though  they  had 
not  the  Gospel  sent  them  now,  they  had  it  in 
their  turn,  not  long  after.  Observe,  Though 
their  judgment  and  inclination  were  to  go 
into  Bithynia,  yet,  having  then  extraordi¬ 
nary  ways  of  knowing  the  mind  of  God,  they 
were  overruled  by  them,  contrary  to  their 
own  mind.  We  most  now  follow  Providence, 
and  what  we  assay  to  do,  if  that  suffer  us 
not,  we  ought  to  acquiesce,  and  believe  it  for 
the  best.  The  Spirit  of  Jesus  suffered  them 
not  ;  so  many  ancient  copies  read  it.  The 
servantsof  the  Lord  Jesus  ought  to  be  always 
under  the  check  and  conduct  of  the  Spirit  of  the 
LordJesus, by  whom  He  governs  men’s  minds. 

4.  They  passed  by  Mysia,  or  passed  through 
it,  so  some;  and  came  down  to  Troas.  Here 
a  church  was  planted;  for  here  we  find  one 
in  being,  ch.  20:  6,  7.  and  probably  planted 
at  this  time,  and  in  a  little  time.  It  should 
seem,  Luke  joined  the  company  here ;  for 
from  henceforw-ard,  for  the  most  part,  when 
he  speaks  of  Paul’s  journeys,  he  includes 
himself,  we  went,  v.  10. 

II.  Paul’s  particular  call  to  Macedonia, 
i.  e.  to  Philippi,  the  chief  city,  inhabited 
mostly  by  Romans,  as  appears,  v.  21.  Paid 
had  many  visions,  sometimes  to  encourage, 
sometimes,  as  here,  to  direct  him  in  his 
work.  An  angel  now  appeared  to  him,  to 
intimate  to  him  that  it  was  the  will  of  Christ 
he  should  go  to  Macedonia. 

1.  He  saw  a  man  of  Macedonia,  who  t:v 
his  habit  or  dialect  seemed  so  to  Paul,  or 
who  told  him  he  was  so.  The  angel,  some 
think,  assumed  the  shape  of  such  a  man  ;  or, 
as  others  think,  impressed  on  Paul’s  fancy 
the  image  of  such  a  man.  Christ  would 
have  Paul  directed  to  Macedonia,  not  as  the 


(3.)  To  go  forth  with  him.]  1 1.  e.  as  an  Evangelist,  (2.  Tim.  4:5.) 
a  name,  in  the  apostles’  age,  given  to  their  assistants  in  propagating 
Christianity,  and  in  establishing  and  regulating  the  churches  ;  who  took 
care  that,  proper  persons  should  be  set  over  them,  and  in  various  other 
ways  watched  over  their  welfare.  See  Suicer.'  Bloomf. 

V.  4.  JVere  ordained.]  See  on  15:19.  ‘The  apostles  and  elders’ 
alone  are  mentioned,  a9  ordaining  the  decree.  15:12,22 — 29.  Scott. 

(4.)  Decrees.]  ‘  Dogmata  :  it  always  signifies  something  temporary 
and  ceremonial,  and  not  laws  of  perpetual  and  universal  obligation, 
comp.  Eph.  2:15.  Col.  2:14.  L'Enfant.'  Doddr.  But  comp.  Delariy,  at 
end  of  ch.  15.  in  Dr.  A.  C.  En. 

V.  6.  ‘Since  all  the  other  regions  here  mentioned  were  in 

[89] 


Asia  Minor,  by  Asia  must  undoubtedly  be  understood  Ionia;  as  in  2:9. 
20:16.’  Bloom f.  Asia.]  ‘That  called  Proconsular  Asia.  As  all  the 
places  mentioned  in  the  former  verses  lay  in  Asia  Minor,  it  is  evident 
the  word  Asia  must  be  thus  explained.’  Doddr.  ‘It  included  only  Ionia, 
JEolia,  and  Lydia.  It  was  in  Proconsular  Asia  that  the  seven  churches 
were  situated.’  Dr.  A.  Clarke. 

V.  7.  The  Spirit.]  ‘  Instead  of  the  Spirit  merely,  the  Spirit  of  Jesus 
is  the  reading  of  A  B  C  D  E,  several  others,  with  both  the  Syr.,  the 
Copt.,  JEth.,  Arm.,  Vulg.,  Itala,  and  several  of  the  fathers.  This  read¬ 
ing  is  undoubtedly  genuine,  and  should  be  immediately  restored  to  the 
text.’  Dr.  A.  Clarke.  Doddr.,  also,  thinks  himself  ‘  obliged  to  insert  it.’ 

Ed. 


i 


A.  D.  54. 


ACTS,  XVI. 


Paul's  vision,  inviting  to  Macedonia. 


9  IT  And  a  vision  appeared  to 
Paul  in  the  night;  There  stood  a 
man  of  Macedonia,  and  prayed 
him,  saying,  Come  over  into  Mac¬ 
edonia,  and  help  us. 

10  And  after  he  had  seen  the 
vision,  immediately  we  endeavored 
to  go  "  into  Macedonia,  assuredly 
gathering  that  the  Lord  had  called  us 
for  to  preach  the  gospel  unto  them. 

1 1  Therefore  loosing  from  Troas, 
we  came  with  a  straight  course  to 
Samothracia,  and  the  next  day  to 
Neapolis  ; 

12  And  from  thence  to  “Philippi, 
which  is  p  the  chief  city  of  that  part 
of  Macedonia,  and  a  colony.  And 
we  were  in  that  city  abiding  certain 
days. 

13  And  on  the  ’sabbath  we  went 
out  of  the  city  by  a  river-side,  where 
r  prayer  was  wont  to  be  made  :  and 
we  sat  down,  and  spake  Unto  the 
women  which  resorted  thither. 

m  c.  10:30.  o  Phi.  1:1.  q  Sa'jbath  day. 

n  2  Co.  2:13.  p  or,  the  Jirst.  r  c.  21:5. 

apostles  were  at  other  times,  by  a  messenger 
from  heaven,  but  by  a  messenger  from  thence, 
because  he  would  afterward  ordinarily  di¬ 
rect  the  motions  of  his  ministers,  by  inclin¬ 
ing  the  hearts  of  those  who  need  them  to 
invite  them.  Soiqe  make  this  man  to  be  the 
tutelar  angel  of  Macedonia  ;  supposing  an¬ 
gels  to  have  charge  of  particular  places  as 
well  as  persons,  and  that  so  much  is  inti¬ 
mated,  Dan.  10:20.  But  there  is  no  cer¬ 
tainty  of  that.  There  was  presented  either 
to  Paul’s  eyes,  or  to  his  mind,  a  man  of 
Macedonia,  not  a  magistrate  of  the  country, 
much  less  a  priest,  but  an  ordinary  inhabi¬ 
tant,  a  plain  man,  that  carried  in  his  counte¬ 
nance  marks  of  probity  and  seriousness,  that 
came  with  all  earnestness  to  importune 
Paul’s  assistance. 

2.  This  honest  Macedonian  prayed  him, 
saying.  Come  over  into  Macedonia,  and  help 
us;  i.  e.  ‘Come  and  preach  the  Gospel  to  us; 
let  us  have  the  benefit  of  thy  labors.’  ‘  Thou 
hast  helped  many;  it  is  thy  business,  thy  de¬ 
light,  to  help  poor  souls;  we  have  weed  of  thy 
help,  in  Macedonia  ;  are  as  ignorant,  care¬ 
less,  idolatrous,  and  vicious,  nay,  as  inge¬ 
nious  and  industrious  to  ruin  ourselves  as 
any  ;  therefore,  O  come,  come  with  all 
speed  among  us.’  People  have  great  need 
of  help  for  their  souls,  and  it  is  their  duty  to 
look  out  for  it,  and  invite  those  among  them 
that  can  help  them. 


From  this  vision,  v.  10.  they  gathered  as¬ 
suredly,  that  the  Lord  ‘had  called  them  to 
preach  the  Gospel  there ;  and  they  were  ready 
to  go  wherever  God  directed.  We  may 
sometimes  infer  a  call  of  God  from  a  call  of 
man.  Ministers  may  go  on  with  great  cheer¬ 
fulness  and  courage  in  their  work,  when 
they  perceive  Christ  calling  them,  not  only 
to  preach  the  Gospel,  but  to  preach  it  at  this 
time,  in  this  place,  to  this  people. 

III.  Paul’s  voyage  to  Macedonia  here¬ 
upon*  they  set  sail  by  the  first  shipping,  and 
with  the  first  fair  wind  from  Troas,  by  a  pros¬ 
perous  voyage,  to  Samothracia;  the  next  day 
to  Neapolis,  a  city  on  the  confines  of  Thrace 
and  Macedonia;  and  at  last  they  landed  at 
Philippi,  a  city  so  called  from  Philip  king 
of  Macedon,  father  of  Alexander  the  Great, 
said,  v.  12.  to  be  The  chief  city  of  that  part  of 
Macedonia  ;  or,  as  some  read  it,  the  first 
city,  the  first  they  came  to  when  they  came 
from  Troas;  and  a  colony;  the  Romans  not 
only  had  a  garrison,  but  the  inhabitants  of  the 
city  were  Romans,  the  magistrates  at  least, 
and  the  governing  part. 

IV.  Their  cold  entertainment  at  Philippi. 
One  would  have  expected,  on  such  a  partic¬ 
ular  call  from  God,  they  should  have  had  a 
joyful  welcome  there,  as  Peter  bad  with 
Cornelius  when  the  angel  sent  him.  But,  no. 

1.  It  is  a  good  while  before  any  notice  at 
all  is  taken  of  them;'  We  were  in  that  city 
abiding  certain  days,  probably  at  a  public 
house,  and  at  their  own  charge.  But  so  it 
was  ordeied  for  their  trial.  Let  not  minis¬ 
ters  think  it  strange,  if  they  be  first  strongly 
invited  to  a  place,  and  yet  looked  shyly  upon 
when  they  come. 

2.  When  they  have  an  opportunity  of 
preaching,  it  is  in  an  obscure  place,  and  to 
a  mean  [poor*]  and  small  auditory,  v.  13. 
There  was  no  synagogue  of  the  Jews  there, 
and  they  never  went  to  the  idol  temples  of 
the  Gentiles,  to  preach  to  the  auditories 
there;  but  here,  on  inquiry,  they  found  out 
a  little  meeting  of  good  women,  that  were 
proselytes  of  the  gate,  who  w'illbe  thankful  to 
the*m  if  they  will  give  them  a  sermon.  The 
place  of  this  meeting  is  out  of  the  city,  there 
connived  at,  but  not  suffered  within  the 
walls;  a  place  where  prayer  was  wont  to  be 
made;  proseuchc, — where  an  oratory  house 
of  prayer  was,  so  some  ;  a  chapel,  or  less 
synagogue.  I  rather  take  it  as  we  read  it, 
where  prayer  was  appointed,  or  accustomed 
to  be  They  that  worshipped  the  true  God, 
and  would  not  worship  idols,  met  there  to 
pray  together,  and,  according  to  the  descrip¬ 
tion  of  the  most  ancient  and  universal  devo¬ 
tion,  to  call  upon  the  name  of  the  Lord.  Each 

*  So  the  word  was  here  improperly  used,  and  the  error 
which  occasioned  it  is  not  yet  banished,  even  from  the 
church.  "  Ed. 


I  prayed  apart  every  day,  that  was  always  the 
practice  of  them  that  worshipped  God;  but 
beside  that,  they  came  together  on  the  sabbath- 
I  day  ;  though  but  a  few,  discountenanced  by 
the  town,  though  their  meeting  was  at  some 
distance,  though,  for  aught  that  appears, 
none  but  women,  yet  a  solemn  assembly  the 
worshippers  of  God  must  have,  if  by  any 
means  it  be  possible,  on  the  sabbath-day  ; 
and  when  we  cannot  do  as  we  would,  we 
must  do  as  we  can;  if  we  have  not  syna¬ 
gogues,  we  must  be  thankful  for  more  private 
places,  and  resort  to  them;  not  forsaking  the 
assembling  of  ourselves  together,  according  as 
our  opportunities  arc.  This  place  is  said 
to  be  by  a  river  side,  perhaps  chosen,  as  be¬ 
friending  contemplation.  Ez.  1:1.  Dan. 
10:  4.  Thither  Paul  and  Silas,  and  Luke, 
went,  and  sat  down,  to  instruct  the  congre¬ 
gation,  that  they  might  the  better  pray  with 
them ;  they  spake  unto  the  women  which  resort¬ 
ed  thither,  encouraged  them  in  practising  ac¬ 
cording  to  the  light  they  had,  and  led  them 
on  further  to  the  knowledge  of  Christ. 

V.  The  conversion  of  Lydia,  probably  the 
first  wrought  upon  there  to  believe  in  Christ. 

1.  It  is  an  honor  to  her  to  have  her  name 
recorded  here,  so  that  wherever  the  Scrip¬ 
tures  are  read,  there  shall  this  be  told  concern- 

I  ing  her.  We  cannot  have  our  names  re¬ 
corded  in  the  Bible,  but,  if  God  open  our 
hearts,  we.  shall  find  them  written  in  the  book 
of  life,  and  that  is  better,  Phil.  4:3.  and 
more  to  be  rejoiced  in,  Luke  10:  20 

2.  Her  calling;  she  was  a  seller  of  purple •; 
either  of  purple  dye,  or  of  purple  cloth  or  silk. 
Observe,  She  had  an  honest  calling,  which 
the  historian  notices  to  her  praise;  she  was 
none  of  those  women  that  the  apostle  speaks 
of,  1  Tim.  5:  13.  who  learn  to  be  idle,  and 
not  only  idle,  8pc.  Those  employed  in  honest 
callings,  if  they  be  honest  in  the  management 
of  them,  need  not  to  be  ashamed  of  them, 
[for  it  is  not  the  employment,  be  it  hand¬ 
work  or  head-work,  which  makes  true  honor, 
but  the  character.]  She  found  time  to  im¬ 
prove  advantages  for  her  soul.  The  business 
of  our  particular  callings  [should  be  religion 
in  practice,  and]  may  be  made  to  consist  very 
welLwith  the  external  business  of  religion, 
and  therefore  will  not  excuse  us  from  reli¬ 
gious  exercises  alone,  and  in  our  families, 
or  in  solemn  assemblies.  Everything  in  its 
time  and  place. 

3.  Thyatira  was  a  great  way  from  Phi¬ 
lippi;  there  she  was  born  and  bred,  but 
either  married  at  Philippi,  or  brought  by  her 
trade  to  settle  there.  The  providence  of 
God,  as  it  always  appoints,  so  it  often  re¬ 
moves,  the  bounds  of  our  habitation ;  and 
sometimes  makes  the  change  of  our  outward 
condition,  or  place  of  our  abode,  wonderfully 
subservient  to  the  designs  of  his  grace  con- 


(10.)  We.']  ‘  Luke  here  first  intimates  his  own  attending  on  the 

apostles;  and  it  is  very  remarkable  that  he  does  it  obliquely  ;  nor  does 
he  indeed,  throughout  the  whole  history,  once  mention  his  own  name, 
or  relate  any  one  thing  which  he  said  or  did  for  the  service  of  Christi¬ 
anity,  though  Paul  speaks  of  him  in  the  most  honorable  terms,  Col.  4: 
14.  2  Tim.  4:11.  and  probably,  2  Cor.  8:18.  as  the  brother  whose  praise 
in  the  Gospel  went  through  all  the  churches.  The  same  remark  may  be 
made  on  the  rest  of  the  sacred  historians,  who  every  one  of  them  show 
the  like  amiable  modesty.’  Doddr. 

V.  12.  Colony .]  ‘  The  critics  were  long  puzzled  to  find  any  mention 

of  Philippi,  as  a  Roman  colony  :  but  some  coins  (dug  up,  I  think,  with¬ 
in  the  last  century)  show,  that  a  colony  was  planted  there  by  Julius 
Cesar,  and  afterwards  much  augmented  by  Augustus.’  Doddr.  Scott. 

(12.)  Chief.]  ‘  I.  e.  a  principal,  most  important  city,  see  Bloomfo  Ed. 
A  Colony.]  1  Dio  Cassius  states,  that  Julius  Cesar  planted  a'colony  here. 
See  Spanh.  So  also  Digest.  Leg.  has,  “  In  the  province  of  Macedonia, 
the  Dyrracheni,  Cassendrenses,  and  Philippians  enjoy  the  jus  Italicum. 
Now  these  were  colonies  with  different  species  of  civil  rights.  Some 
were  called  Romance,  which  had  not  the  complete  jus  civitatis,  but  only 
the  private  rights  of  Quirites,  without  the  privilege  of  suffrage,  or  of 
bearing  offices  in  the  state.  Others  were  styled  Latinos,  which  had  not 
the  rights  of  Quirites,  but  the  jus  Latii.  Now  those  who  enjoyed  it 
might  bear  suffrage  at  the  popular  assemblies  for  legislation,  if  summon¬ 
ed  thereto  by  the  Roman  magistracy ;  and  when  they  had  held  magis¬ 
tracy  in  a  Latin  city,  they  thereby  obtained  the  Roman  citizenship. 
Others  again  (as  were  most  of  those  out  of  Italy)  were  juris  Italic i ;  a 
privilege  inferior  to  the  Latinitas ,  and  consisting  in  immunity  from  tri¬ 
bute,  whether  land  or  capitation  tax.”  See  Spanh.'  Kuin.  Chief  city.] 
1  Though  Amphipolis  was  made  the  chief  city  of  that  one  of  the  four 
parts  of  Macedonia,  conquered  by  Panlus  Emilius,  yet  Philippi  might 
have  been  the  chief  city  in  the  days  of  Paul,  220  yrs.  after  the  division 
N.  T.  VOL.  V.  12. 


by  Paulus  Emilius.  Besides,  as  it  was  at  this  place  that  Augustus  gained 
that  victory  which  put  him  in  possession  of  the  whole  Roman  empire, 
might  not  he  have  given  to  it,  what  was  before  enjoyed  by  Amphipolis  ? 
This  is  the  most  rational  way  of  understanding  the  passage.’  Dr.  A.  C. 

V.  13 — 15.  This  is  the  first  account,  transmitted  to  us,  of  the  Gospel 
being  preached  in  Europe  :  though  the  church  at  Rome,  it  is  probable, 
was  planted  considerably  before  this  time.  Pref.  to  Rom.  (14)  The 
Lord  opened  her  heart.]  This  implies,  that  pride,'  prejudice,  the  love  of 
sin,  the  love  of  the  world,  [&c.]  close  the  heart  against  the  truths  of 
God,  till  his  grace  makes  wuy  for  admission  of  them  into  the  under¬ 
standing  and  affections.  The  adult  part  of  her  household  no  doubt  were 
instructed  in  Christianity,  along  with  her.  There  is  no  proof  that  there 
were  any  children  in  her  family,  though  it  is  probable  there  were :  the 
Syr.  indeed  renders  it,  1  the  children  of  her  house  ;’  but  this  only  shows 
the  sentiments  of  those,  who  made  that  early  tr.  :  and  the  language 
here  used  seems  not  capable  of  being  consistently  used  in  the  narratives 
of  those,  who  reject  infant  baptism.  29 — 34.  Lydia’s  beseeching  the 
apostle  and  his  company,  if  they  really  considered  her  to  be  a  true  be¬ 
liever,  to  lodge  in  her  house,  implies  that  she  was  a  person  rather  in  af¬ 
fluent  circumstances. — Many  others  seem,  about  this  time,  or  soon  af¬ 
terwards,  to  have  been  converted.  (Pref  to  Phil.) — (14)  Opened.]  ‘  By 
the  grace  of  God  she  received  the  faith.’  Hammond. — ‘  To  open  the  car, 
or  the  heart,  is  a  phrase  used  to  signify  the  rendering  any  person  willing 
or  inclined  to  do  anything.  Ps.  40:7.’  Whitby.  {Phil.  2:12,  13.)  Scott. 

(13.)  City.]  ‘  Rather  gate,  and  so  many  MSS.  Where  prayer,  &c.] 
Rather,  by  a  river-side,  where  it  was  the  custom  for  a  proseucha  or 
prayer-meeting  to  be  held,  i.  e.  in  a  grove,  not  a  building.  The  most 
ancient  critics  and  commentators  have  been  long  agreed,  that  the  Gr. 
here, proseuchS  means  an  oratory  ;  such  places  were  in  use,  and  have  that 
name  in  Jos.,  Juvenal,  and  Philo.  Eisner  cites  a  decree  of  the  Halicar- 
nassians,  allowing  the  Jews  to  make  proseucha:  near  the  sea-side,  ac- 


A.  D.  54. 


ACTS,  XVI. 


The  conversion  of  Lydia. 


no  occasion  to  complain  of  the  expenses  of 
their  religion :  but  Lydia  would  have  no  nay, 
she  will  not  believe  that  they  take  her  to  be 
a  sincere  Christian,  unless  they  will  oblige 
her  herein  ;  like  Abraham  inviting  the  an¬ 
gels,  Gen.  18:3.  Those  that  know  some¬ 
thing  of  Christ,  cannot  but  desire  to  know 
more,  and  seek  opportunities  of  increasing 
their  acquaintance  with  his  Gospel. 

V.  16 — 24.  Paul  and  his  companions, 
though  for  some  time  buried  in  obscurity  at 
Philippi,  yet  now  begin  to  be  taken  notice  of. 

I .  A  damsel  that  had  a  spirit  of  divination, 
made  them  to  be  taken  notice  of,  by  proclaim¬ 
ing  them  to  be  the  servants  of  God.  Observe, 

1.  The  account  given  of  this  damsel;  she 
was  pythonissa ,  possessed  with  such  a  spirit  of 
divination  as  that  damsel  was,  by  whom  tl’.e 
oracles  of  Apollo  at  Deiphos  were  deliv¬ 
ered  ;  she  was  acted  by  an  evil  spirit,  that 
dictated  ambiguous  answers  to  those  who 
consulted  her,  which  served  to  gratify  their 
vain  desire  of  knowing  things  to  come,  but 
often  deceived  them.  Many  came  to  consult 
this  witch  for  the  discovery  of  robberies,  the 
finding  of  things  lost,  and  especially  to  be 
told  their  fortune  ;  and  none  came  but  with 
the  rewards  in  their  hands,  according  to  the 
quality  of  the  person,  and  the  importance  of 
the  case. 

2.  The  testimony  this  damsel  gave  to 
Paul  and  his  companions  ;  she  met  them  in 
the  street,  as  they  were  going  to  the  house  of 
prayer,  or  rather  to  the  work  of  prayer  there, 
v.  16.  They  went  thither  publicly,  every 
body  knew  whither  they  were  going,  and 
what  they  were  going  to  do.  If  what  she 
did  was  likely  to  distract  them,  or  hinder 
their  work,  it  is  observable  how  subtle  Satan 
is,  that  great  tempter,  to  ruffle  us,  and  to  pat 
us  out  of  temper  then,  when  we  need  to  be 
most  composed.  When  she  met  with  them, 
she  followed  them,  crying,  ‘  These  men,  how 
contemptible  soever  they  look  and  are  looked 
upon,  are  great  men,  for  they  are  the  servants 
of  the  most  high  God,  and  men  that  should  be 
very  welcome  to  us,  for  they  show  unto  us  the 
way  of  salvation,  both  the  salvation  that  will 
be  our  happiness,  and  the  way  to  it,  that  will 
be  our  holiness.  This  witness  is  true;  it  is 
a  comprehensive  encomium  on  the  faithful 
preachers  of  the  Gospel,  and  makes  their 
feet  beautiful,  Rom.  10: 15.  Even  the  hea¬ 
then  had  some  notion  of  the  miserable,  de¬ 
plorable  state  of  mankind,  and  their  need 
of  salvation,  and  it  was  what  they  made 
some  inquiries  after.  But  how  came  this 
testimony  from  the  mouth  of  one  that  had  a 
spirit  of  divination'?  Is  Satan  divided  against 
himself?  We  may  take  it  either,  (1.)  As  ex¬ 
torted  for  the  honor  of  the  Gospel  by  the 
power  of  God  ;  as  the  devil  was  forced  to 


cording  to  their  national  custom,  which  illustraies  and  confirms  the 
words,  by  a  river-side.  “  The  proseuchce  of  this  kind,  in  which  the  sa¬ 
cred  books  were  read,  the  Jews  had  outside  of  those  towns  where  there 
were  no  synagogues,  either  from  the  fewness  of  the  Jews,  or  because  the 
laws,  or  their  administrators,  would  not  permit  any  (which  was  proba¬ 
bly  the  case  in  Roman  cities  or  colonies,  since  Juv.  speaks  at  Rome  of 
proseuchce,  not  synagogues,  Bloom/.')  These  proseuchce  were  not  al¬ 
ways  edifices  (though  sometimes,  see  Jos.,  they  had  such,  and  very  large, 
so  that,  as  Vilr.  tells  us,  the  name  was  occasionally  applied  to  a  syna¬ 
gogue.  Bloom/.)  but,  for  the  most  part,  places  in  the  open  air,  in  a  grove, 
in  shrubberies,  nnd  even  under  a  tree ;  though  nlways  fas  we  may  suppose) 
near  to  some  water,  for  the  convenience  of  those  ablutions,  which  (also 
with  the  Pagans,  nay  even,  as  wa  find  from  Eisner,  the  early  Christians, 
Bloom/.)  always  preceded  prayer.”  Kuin.'  llloomf.  Did  the  sexes, 
(Bloom/,  suggests)  in  those  tabernacles,  booths,  or  groves/  where  it  would 
be  impracticable  to  separate  them  as  in  the  synagogues,)  attend  at  the 
proseuchce  ?  Sal.]  As  was  usual  in  teaching.  Ed  Spake  unto  the 
women,  Ac.]  ‘Probably  this  was  before  the  time  of  their  public  wor¬ 
ship;  and  while  they  were  waiting  for  the  assembling  of  the  people  in 
general.’  Dr.  A.  Clarke. 

(1  1.)  Seller  of  purple.]  ‘Not  of  the  purple  dye,  but  of  purple  vests, 
for  the  dyeing  of  which  tiie  I.ydians  were  famous ;  (so  Val.  Flacc.,  yEti- 
nn,  claudi  m,  Plin.,  Ovid  ;)  and  that  this  art  was  especially  exercised  by 
the  Tyrians,  we  find  from  an  inscription  dug  up  at  Tyre,  and  to  be  found 
in  Spon's  collection.’  Bloome. 

V'.  1G — 13.  This  transaction  demonstrates,  beyond  all  controversy,  that 
such  pretensions  are  not  always  human  impostures,  hut  are  sometimes 
real  satanical  operations.  Had  this  damsel’s  divination  been  a  mere  jug¬ 
gle  between  her  and  her  masters,  the  command  of  the  apostle  could  not 
have  detected  it,  or  prevented  them  from  carrying  on  the  deception  : 
nor  could  he  at  once,  or  indeed  at  all,  have  convinced  the  whole  multi¬ 
tude,  and  the  city  in  general,  that  it  was  a  mere  imposture,  for  men  are 

[90] 


by  no  means  easily  undeceived  in  matters  of  this  nature.  And  if  mere 
jugglers  had  been  convinced,  that  Paul  and  his  friends  were  indeed  ‘  the 
servants  of  the  true  God,’  and  teachers  of  the  way  of  salvation;  they 
would  never  have  ventured  to  address  them  in  this  manner. — But,  as 
the  woman  was  really  instigated,  and  in  a  sense  inspired,  by  nn  evil 
spirit,  and  as,  in  the  paroxysms  of  her  distraction,  and  amidst  strange 
and  wild  actions  and  gestures,  she  actually  uttered  such  things  ns  were 
apparent  prophecies  and  wonderful  discoveries;  such  as  Satan  could  at 
any  time  make,  by  his  foresight,  and  conjectural  knowledge,  if  God 
would  permit  him  ;  T)eut.  13:1 — 5.  the  change  was  manifest,  when  the 
dispossession  took  place.  Scott. 

(16.)  Of  divination.}  ‘ Puthonos  :  a  word  which  probably  came 
from  the  Eastern  languages  (perhaps  the  Sanscrit; :  hut  the  origin  and 
circumstances,  which  led  to  Apollo’s  being  called  Puthios ,  front  ho 
Put/ion,  arc  Inst  in  tile  gray  mists  of  antiquity.  Even  in  Cicero’s  age 
it  was  as  much  unknown  as  now.  Puthvn  is  a  generic  name  applied 
to  those  who  were  formerly  termed  eggastrimuthoi.'  llloomf .,  whom 
see.  Masters.}  ‘  IValch  shows  that  this  common  possession  of  a  slave  was 
not  unfrequenl  :  and  he  traces  the  cause  of  this  to  the  property  itself, 
which  often  remained  common  to  several  heirs,  as  also  to  the  high  price 
of  any  skive  from  whom  any  great  gain  was  to  be  expected.’  Bloom  f. 
Ed.  A  certain  damsel.]  ‘  As  Plutarch  tells  us,  that  persons  inspired 
with  this  spirit  spake  as  seeming  to  send  the  voice  from  their  bellies, 
anil  Galen  mentions  the  same  fact,  some  writers  have  supposed  the 
whole  pretence  to  such  inspiration  to  have  been  founded  on  the  art  of 
throwing  out  the  voice  [ventriloquism]  in  some  extraordinary  manner, 
and  that  all  the  cure  wrought  by  the  apostle  was  only  discovering  the 

cheat,  and  disabling  her  front  playing  this  trick  any  more . Hut  the 

manner  in  which  I.uke  relates  the  story  plainly  implies,  that  he  thought 
it  a  real  possession ,  and  that  Paul  took  it  himself  in  that  view.  Nor  can 
I  apprehend  that  her  behavior,  or  his,  or  that  of  her  masters  aiterwards, 
can  be  otherwise  accounted  for.’  Doddr. — ‘  Every  circumstunce  of  this 


14  IF  And  a  certain  woman  nam¬ 
ed  Lydia,  a  seller  of  purple,  of  the 
city  of  Thyatira,  which  worshipped 
God,  heard  us  :  whose  heart  s  the 
Lord  opened,  that  she  attended  un¬ 
to  the  things  which  were  spoken  of 
Paul. 

15  And  when  she  was  baptized, 
and  her  household,  she  besought 
‘ms,  saying,  If  ye  have  judged  me 
to  be  faithful  to  the  Lord,  come 
into  my  house,  and  abide  there. 
And  she  constrained  us. 

16  IT  And  it  came  to  pass,  as  we 
went  to  prayer,  a  certain  damsel 
possessed  "with  a  spirit  of  T  divina¬ 
tion  met  us,  which  brought  her 
masters  much  gain  w  by  soothsaying: 

17  The  same  followed  Paul  and 
us,  and  cried,  saying,  These  men 
are  the  servants  of  the  most  high 
*  God,  which  shew  unto  us  the  way 
of y  salvation. 

s  La.  24:45.  v  or,  Python.  v  c.  13:25. 

t  He  13:2.  we.  19:24  '  He.  1U:20. 

u  1  Si.  28:7.  x  Ge.  14:18,22. 

cerning  our  salvation.  Providence  brings 
Lydia  to  Philippi,  to  be  under  Paul’s  minis¬ 
try,  and  there,  where  she  met  with  it,  she 
made  a  good  use  of  it;  so  should  we  improve 
opportunities. 

4.  Her  religion  before  the  Lord  opened  her 
heart.  She  worshipped  God  according  to 
the  knowledge  she  had;  she  was  one  of  the 
devout  women.  But  it  is  not  enough  to  be 
worshippers  of  God,  we  must  be  believers  in 
Jesus  Christ,  for  there  is  no  coming  to  God 
as  a  Father,  but  by  him  as  Mediator.  But 
those  who  worsiiipped  God  according  to  the 
light  they  had,  stood  fair  for  the  discoveries 
of  Christ  and  his  grace  to  them;  for  to  him 
that  has,  shall  be  given. 

5.  The  work  wrought  on  her  heart.  Ob¬ 
serve,  (1.)  The  Author  of  it,  the  Lard,  the 
Lord  Christ,  to  whom  this  judgment  is  com¬ 
mitted  ;  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord,  who  is  the 
Sanctifier.  Note,  Conversion-work  is  God’s 
work  ;  it  is  He  that  works  in  us  both  to  will  and 
to  do  ;  not  as  if  we  had  nothing  to  do;  but  of 
ourselves,  without  God’s  grace,  we  can  do 
nothing  ;  nor  as  if  God  were  in  the  least 
chargeable  with  the  ruin  of  them  that  perish ; 
but  the  salvation  of  them  that  are  saved  must 
be  wholly  ascribed  to  Him.  (2.)  The  seat  of 
it,  the  heart;  it  is  to  the  heart  that  this  bless¬ 
ed  turn  is  given  :  conversion-work  is  heart- 
work  ;  it  is  a  renewing  of  the  heart,  the  inward 
■man,  the  spirit  of  the  mind.  (3.)  The  nature 


of  the  work  ;  she  had  not  only  her  heart 
touched,  but  opened.  An  unconverted  soul  is 
shut  up,  fortified  against  Christ.  Christ,  in 
dealing  with  the  soul,  knocks  at  the  door  that 
is  shut  again:  t  Him,  Rev.  3:  20.  and  when  a 
sinner  is  effectually  persuaded  to  embrace 
Christ,  then  the  heart  is  opened  for  the  King 
of  glory  to  come  in;  the  understanding  is 
opened  to  receive  the  divine  light,  the  will, 
to  receive  the  divine  law,  and  the  affections,  I 
to  receive  the  divine  love  ;  [universal  sym¬ 
pathy  or  philanthropy  finds  place.]  •When 
the  heart  is  thus  opened  to  Christ,  the  ear  is 
opened  to  his  Word,  the  lips  in  prayer,  the 
hand  in  charity,  and  the  steps  enlarged  in  all 
manner  of  gospel-obedience. 

6.  The  effects  of  thi3  work  on  her  heart. 
(1.)  She  took  great  notice  of  the  Word  of 
God ;  she  attended  unto,  applied  to  herself,  so 
some,  the  things  spoken  of  Paul;  and  then  only 
the  Word  does  us  good,  and  makes  an  abiding 
impression  on  us,  when  we  apply  it  to  our¬ 
selves  :  wherever  the  heart  is  opened  by  the 
grace  of  God,  it  will  appear  by  a  diligent 
attendance  on,  and  attention  to,  the  Word  of 
God.  (2.)  She  gave  up  her  name  to  Jesus 
Christ,  and  took  on  her  the  profession  of  his 
holy  religion  ;  she  was  baptized,  and  by  that 
solemn  rite  admitted  to  the  Church  of  Christ ; 
and  with  her  her  household  also  was  baptized, 
those  that  were  infants,  in  her  right,  for  if 
the  root  be  holy,  so  are  the  branches,  and  the 
grown  up,  by  her  influence  and  authority. 
She  and  her  household  were  baptized,  by  the 
same  rule  that  Abraham  and  his  were  cir¬ 
cumcised,  because  the  seal  of  the  covenant  be¬ 
longs  to  the  covenanters  and  their  seed.*  (3.) 
She  was  very  kind  to  the  ministers,  and 
very  desirous  to  be  further  instructed  by 
them  in  the  things  pertaining  to  the  kingdom 
of  God  ;  She  besought  us,  saying,  ‘  If  ye 
have  judged  me  to  be  faithful  to  the  Lord,  if  ye 
take  me  to  be  a  sincere  Christian,  manifest 
you.r  confidence  in  me  by  this,  come  into  my 
house  and  abide  there.’  Thus  she  desired  ail 
opportunity  to  testify  her  gratitude.  When 
her  heart  was  open  to  Christ,  her  house^was 
open  to  his  ministers,  for  his  sake.  Nay, 
she  is  extremely  pressing  and  importunate 
with  them  ;  she  constrained  us  ;  which  inti¬ 
mates  that  Paul  was  very  backward  to  go, 
because  he  was  afraid  of  being  burdensome 
to  the  families  of  the  young  converts,  and 
would  study  to  make  the  Gospel  of  Christ  with¬ 
out  charge,  1  Cor.  9:  18.  Acts  20:  34.  that 
those  that  were  without  might  have  no  occa¬ 
sion  given  them  to  reproach  the  preachers  of 
the.  Gospel  as  designing,  self-seeking  men, 
and  that  those  that  were  within  might  have 

*  Tt  seems  she  only  is  spoken  of  as  faithful  or  believing: 
If  ye  have  judged  me  faithful ;  so  (hat  her  household  were 
baptized  on  the  ground  of  her  faith.  Ed. 


A,  D.  54. 


ACTS,  XVI. 


Paul  and  Silas  imprisoned. 


18  And  this  did  she  many  days. 
But  Paul,  being  grieved,  turned  and 
said  zto  the  spirit,  I  command  thee 
in  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ,  to  come 
out  of  her.  And  *  he  came  out  the 
same  hour. 

19  IT  And  when  her  masters  saw 
that  the  hope  of  their  gains  b  was 
gone,  they  caught  Paul  and  Silas, 
and  drew  them  into  the  c  market¬ 
place,  unto  d  the  rulers, 

20  And  brought  them  to  the  mag¬ 
istrates,  saying,  These  men,  being 
Jews,  do  exceedingly  trouble  eour 
city, 

21  And  teach  customs  which  are 
not  lawful  for  us  to  receive,  neither 
to  observe* being  Romans. 

22  And  the  multitude  rose  up  to¬ 
gether  against  them  :  and  the  mag¬ 
istrates  rent  oft'  their  clothes,  and 
commanded  to  beat  them. 

23  And  when  they  had  laid  frnany 
stripes  upon  them,  they  cast  them 
into  prison,  charging  the  jailer  to 
keep  them  safely  : 

7.  Ma.  1:25.34.  c  or,  court.  c.  17:6. 

*  Ma.  16:17.  d  Mat.  10:18.  f  2  Co.  6:5.  11: 

b  c.  19:24—27.  e  1  K.  18.17.  2 S,25.  1  Th.%2. 

say  of  Christ,  Mark  1:  24.  I  know  Thee  who 
Thou  art,  the  Holy  One  of  God.  Or,  (2.) 
As  designed  by  the  evil  spirit,  that  subtle 
serpent,  lo  dishonor  the  Gospel  ;  some  think 
she  designed  to  gain  credit  to  herself  and  her 
prophecies,  and  so  to  increase  her  master’s 
profit,  by  pretending  to  be  in  the  interest  of 
the  apostles,  who,  she  thought,  had  a  grow¬ 
ing  reputation,  or,  to  speak  Paul  fair,  not  to 
part  between  her  and  iter  familiar.  Others 
think,  Satan  designed  hereby  to  disgrace 
the  apostles;  as  if  these  divines  were  of  the 
same  fraternity  with  their  diviners,  because 
they  were  witnessed  to  by  them  ;  and  then 
the  people  might  as  well  adhere  to  those 
they  had  been  used  to.  Those  that  were 
most  likely  to  receive  the  apostles’  doctrine, 
were  such  as  were  prejudiced  against  these 
spirits  of  divination,  and  therefore  would, 
by  this  testimony,  be  prejudiced  against  the 
Gospel;  and  as  for  those  who  regarded  these 
diviners,  the  devil  thought  himself  sure  of 
them. 

II.  Christ  made  them  to  be  taken  notice 


of,  by  giving  them  power  to  cast  the  devil 
out.  She  continued  many  days  clamoring 
thus,  v.  18.  and,  it  should  seem,  Paul  took 
no  notice  of  her,  not  knowing  but  it  might 
1)q  ordered  of  God  for  the  service  of  his 
cause;  but,  finding  perhaps  that  it  did  them 
a  prejudice,  rather  than  any  service,  he  soon 
silenced  her,  by  casting  the  devil  out. 

1.  lie  was  grieved,  to  see  her  made  an  in¬ 
strument  of  Satan,  to  deceive  people,  and  to 
see  the  people  imposed  on  by  her  divinations. 
It  disturbed  him  to  hear  a  sacred  truth  so 
profaned,  and  good  words  come  out  of  such 
an  ill  mouth,  with  such  an  ill  design.  Per¬ 
haps  she  spoke  in  an  ironical,  bantering 
way,  as  ridiculing  the  apostles’  pretensions; 
as  when  Christ’s  persecutors  complimented 
H  im  with  Hail,  King  of  the  Jews;  and  then 
justly  might  Paul  be  grieved,  as  any  good 
man’s  heart  would  be,  to  hear  any  good 
truth  of  God  bawled  out  in  the  streets,  in  a 
canting,  jeering  way. 

2.  He  commanded  the  evil  spirit  to  come  out 
of  her  ;  and  by  this  he  will  show  that  those 
men  are  the  servants  of  the  living  God,  and 
are  able  to  prove  themselves  so,  without  her 
testimony;  her  silence  shall  demonstrate  it, 
more  than  her  speaking  could.  Thus  Paul 
shows  the  way  of  salvation  indeed,  that  it  is 
by  breaking  the  power  of  Satan,  and  chaining 
him  up,  that  he  may  not  deceive  the  world,  Rev. 
20:3.  and  that  this  salvation  is  to  be  ob¬ 
tained  in  the  name,  of  Jesus  Christ  only,  as  in 
his  name  the  devil  was  now  cast  out,  and  by 
no  other;  for  he  came  out  the  same  hour. 

Ill.  The  masters  of  the  damsel,  made 
them  to  be  noticed,  by  bringing  them  be¬ 
fore  the  magistrates  for  it,  as  a  crime. 
Observe  here, 

1.  What  provoked  them,  was,  that,  the 
damsel  being  restored  to  herself,  her  masters 
saw  that  the  hope  of  their  gain  was  gone,  v.  19. 
See  here  what  evil  the  love  of  money  is  the 
root  of !  If  the  preaching  of  the  Gospel  ruin 
the  craft  of  the  silver-smiths,  ch.  19:24.  much 
more  the  craft  of  the  soothsayers  ;  therefore 
herg  is  a  mighty  outcry  raised,  when  Satan’s 
power  to  deceive  is  broken  ;  and  therefore 
the  priests  hated  the  Gospel,  because  it 
turned  men  from  the  blind  service  of  dumb 
idols,  and  so  the  hope  of  their  gains  was 
gone.  The  power  and  goodness  of  Christ, 
which  appeared  in  dispossessing  the  woman, 
made  no  impression,  when  they  apprehended 
they  should  lose  money  by  it. 

2.  The  course  they  took,  was,  to  incense 
the  higher  powers  against  them,  as  men  fit 
to  be  punished.  They  caught  them  as  they 


went  along,  and  with  the  utmost  fury  and 
violence  dragged  them  into  the  market-place, 
where  public  justice  was  administered.  They 
brought  them  to  the  rulers,  their  justices  of 
peace,  to  do  by  them  as  men  taken  into  the 
hands  of  the  law,  the  duumviri.  From  them 
they  hurried  them  to  the  magistrates,  the  prae¬ 
tors  or  governors  of  the  city, — the  officers  of 
the  army,  so  die  word  signifies  ;  but  it  is 
taken  in  general  for  the  judges,  or  chief  ru¬ 
lers  ;  to  them  they  brought  their  complaint. 

3.  They  take  it  for  granted  they  were 
Jews,  a  nation,  at  this  time,  as  much  an 
abomination  to  the.  Romans,  as,  long  ago,  to 
the  Egyptians.  Piteous  was  the  case  of  the 
apostles,  when  it  was  turned  to  their  reproach 
that  they  were  Jews,  and  yet  the  Jews  were 
their  most  violent  persecutors!  (1.)  The 
general  charge  against  them,  is,  that  they 
troubled  the  city,  sowed  discord,  and  disturb¬ 
ed  the  public  peace,  than  which  nothing 
could  be  more  false  and  unjust,  as  was 
Ahab’s  character  of  Elijah,  1  K.  18: 17.  If 
they  troubled  the  city,  it  was  but  like  the  an¬ 
gel’s  troubling  the  water  of  Bcthesda’s  pool,  in 
order  to  healing  ;  shaking,  in  order  to  a 
happy  settlement.  (2.)  Their  proof  of  their 
charge,  is,  their  teaching  customs  not  proper 
to  he  admitted  by  a  Roman  colony,  v.  21. 
The  Romans  were  always  very  jealous  of 
innovations  in  religion  ;  right  or  wrong,  they 
would  adhere  to  that,  how  vain  soever,  which 
they  had  received  by  tradition  from  their  fathers  ; 
the  gods  of  their  country  must  be  their  gods, 
true  or  false.  It  was  one  of  the  laws  of  the 
twelve  tables.  Hath  a  nation  changed  their 
gods?  This  incensed  them  against  the  apos¬ 
tles,  that  they  taught  a  religion,  destructive 
of  polytheism  and  idolatry,  and  preached  to 
them  to  turn  from  those  vanities.  This  the 
Romans  could  not  bear  ;  ‘  If  this  grow  on 
us,  in  a  little  while  we  shall  lose  our  religion.’ 

IV.  The  magistrates,  by  their  proceedings 
against  them,  made  them  to  be  taken  notice 
of. 

1.  By  countenancing  the  persecution,  they 
raised  the  mob  upon  them,  v.  22.  The  mul¬ 
titude  rose  up  together  against  them,  and  were 
ready  to  pull  them  to  pieces.  It  has  been 
the  artifice  of  Satan,  to  make  God’s  minis¬ 
ters  and  people  odious,  by  representing  them 
as  dangerous,  when  really  there  has  been  no 
ground  for  such  an  imputation. 

2.  By  going  on  to  an  execution,  they  fur¬ 
ther  represented  them  as  the  vilest  of  male¬ 
factors.  They  rent  off  their  clothes,  with  rage 
and  fury,  not  having  patience  till  they  were 
taken  off,  in  order  to  their  being  scourged. 


proves  it  to  have  been  a  real  possession.  Luke  speaks  of  the  spirit  and 
the  damsel  as  distinct  persons.  The  damsel  had  a  spirit  of  divination. 
Paul  turned  to  the  spirit,  and  said,  I  command  thee  to  come  out  of  her; 
and  he.  came  out  in  the  same  hour.’  Dr.  A.  Clarke. 

V.  19 — 24.  Had  the  apostle  satisfactorily  detected  an  artful  imposter, 
they  who  had  been  convinced  of  the  cheat,  would  have  been  enraged  at 
those  who  had  duped  them  of  their  money,  and  not  at  him  who  had  un¬ 
deceived  them. — It  does  not  appear,  that  the  Jews  were  forbidden  to 
exercise  their  religion  at  Philippi,  or  in  other  cities  of  the  Roman  em¬ 
pire,  at  this  time ;  so  that  the  accusation  was  altogether  malicious  and 
groundless.  (20)  Being  Jews.]  The  Christians  were  here  confounded 
with  the  unconverted  Jews,  as  both  protested  against  the  Pagan  wor¬ 
ship.  Rut  had  the  worship  of  Jehovah  been  contrary  to  any  Roman 
law,  then  in  force,  and  actually  carried  into  execution,  no  Jews  could 
have  remained  in  any  of  the  cities  where  colonies  were  planted.  It  ap¬ 
pears,  that  some  statutes  to  this  effect  had  been  enacted  ;  but  doubtless 
it  was  generally  found  impracticable  to  execute  them  ;  and  so  they  be¬ 
came  obsolete,  except  when  an  occasion  was  sought  of  gratifying  malice 
and  cruelty  by  persecution.  Scott. 

(19,20.)  ‘The  rulers  (archontes)  are  in  v.  20.  called  slratSgoi  (ma¬ 
gistrates).  The  former  seems  to  have  been  the  general  appellation  given 
to  all  magistrates  of  the  Philippians,  (i.  e.  krital,  [judges,])  and  strategoi, 
a  more  special  definition  of  the  persons.  The  senators  in  the  muni- 
cipia  and  colonice  [note  v.  12.],  were  styled  decuriones.  (Cic. )  Now  of 
those  who  discharged  in  them  the  office  of  chief  magistrates,  the  name 
varied  with  the  number  of  persons  to  whom  that  function  was  commit¬ 
ted.  In  some  it  was  committed  to  2,  in  others  to  4,  or  sometimes  to 
6 ;  hence  called  either  duumviri ,  quatuorviri,  or  seviri.  So  Sigonius. 
StratSgos  properly  signifies  a  commander  of  troops.  But  as  stratos 
was  also  used  of  the  great  body  of  the  people  (see  Soph,  and  Spanh.),  so 
strategos  was  modified,  and  thus  the  word  came  to  denote  a  civil  magis¬ 
trate.  Even  among  the  Romans  there  were  praetors,  both  military  and 
civil,  which  latter  used  to  hear  and  decide  causes.  Now  these ,  by  the 
Homans  styled  preetorcs  urbani,  were  by  the  Greeks  styled  strategoi. 
So  I)iod.  uses  the  word.  This  title  of  rraetor,  the  municipal  and  colonial 
duumviri  used  especially  to  take  to  themselves,  (perhaps  first  si  veil  by 
courtesy,  Bl.)  since  the  colonire  and  municipia  used  studiously  to  imi¬ 


tate  the  form  of  the  Roman  republic.  So  Cic.  Hence  these  Duumviri 
were,  in  Gr.,  called  stratZgoi,  and  to  the  class  of  such  Duumvirs  be¬ 
longed  those  whom  Luke  has  here  called  strategoi.  See  Spanh.,  Ilein- 
sius,  Krebs,  Walch,  and  Munthe.’  Kuin.  '■Wetst.  remarks,  that  the 
appellation  still  subsists  at  Messina,  where  the  mayor  of  the  city  is 
called  the  Stradigo Bloomf. 

(20.)  ‘As  th«  laws  made  no  provision  to  repair  their  loss,  the  girl’s 
employers  cunningly  drop  any  seeming  personal  object,  and  pretend  the 
public  good.  Kuin.  remarks,  that  it  was  not  allowed  among  the  Ro¬ 
mans,  to  worship  any  god,  or  recommend  the  worship  of  any,  but  such 
as  were  ordained  by  public  authority,  (so  Serv.,  Jul.  Paulus,  Suet.,  Val. 
Max.,  Livy) :  and  though,  indeed,  (as  Walch  observes,)  they  permitted 
foreigners  to  worship  their  own  gods  in  the  city,  yet  it  was  only  to  be 
done  in  private,  secretly,  and,  as  it  were,  by  stealth,  and  in  such  a  man¬ 
ner  as  should  not  interfere  with,  or  be  any  hindrance  to,  the  rites  of  the 
established  religion,  or  give  any  occasion  to  civil  dissensions.  “  It  was, 
therefore,  not  lawful  (continues  he)  among  ihe  Romans,  to  recommend  a 
new  religion  to  the  citizens,  or  even  attempt  to  detach  them  from  that 
which  had  been  established  by  public  authority.  Now,  taking  all  these 
things  into  due  consideration,  together  with  the  hatred  of  the  Romans 
towards  the  Jews  and  their  religion,  and  bearing  in  mind  that  it  was  the 
primary  duty  of  the  provincial,  colonial,  and  municipal  magistrates  lo 
punish  severely  all  seditious  persons,  or  those  who  in  any  way  stirred  up 
the  minds  of  the  people,  and  to  extinguish,  by  whatever  means,  rising 
sedition  or  tumult,  we  shall  easily  see  the  reason  why  the  accusers  re¬ 
sort  to  the  charge  of  turbulence  and  sedition,  and  why  they  add  the  cir¬ 
cumstance,  ‘  being  Jews,’  which  suggests  an  aggravation  of  the  oflence, 
as  having  been  committed  by  those  who  were  bound  to  show  a  very  dif¬ 
ferent  conduct.  Moreover,  we  shall  see  why  they  insinuate,  v.  21.  an 
attempt  to  proselyte  Romans ,  who  were  not  to  admit  any  foreign  reli¬ 
gion.  They  craftily,  too,  omit  ail  mention  of  their  loss,  lest  their  im¬ 
partiality  might  be  suspected,  and  their  accusation  be  ascribed  to 

malice.”  Walch.'  , 

(22.)  Rent.]  ‘  The  Roman  magistrates  used  to  order  the  hetors  to 
rend  open  the  clothes  of  the  criminal.  No  care  was  taken  of  the  gar¬ 
ments  :  but  they  were  suddenly  and  violently  rent  open.  Burdcr  te, 

end  of  chapter.  ^  j  j 


A.  D.  54. 


ACTS,  XVI 


The  malice  of  their  persecutors  baffled. 


24  Who  having  received  such  a 
charge,  thrust  them  into  the  inner 
prison,  and  made  their  feet  fast  in 
the  stocks. 

25  IF  And  at  midnight  Paul  and 
Silas  s  prayed,  and  h  sang  praises 
unto  God  :  and  the  prisoners  heard 
them. 

26  And  suddenly  there  was  a 
great  earthquake,  so  'that  the  foun¬ 
dations  of  the  prison  were  shaken  : 
and  immediately  j  all  the  doors  were 
opened,  and  every  one’s  bands  were 
loosed. 

27  And  the  keeper  of  the  prison 
awaking  out  of  his  sleep,  and  see¬ 
ing  the  prison  doors  open,  he  drew 
out  his  sword,  and  would  have  kill¬ 
ed  himself,  supposing  that  the  pris¬ 
oners  had  been  fled. 

23  But  k  Paul  cried  with  a  loud 
voice,  saying,  Do  thyself  1  no  harm; 
for  we  are  all  here. 

29  Then  he  called  for  a  light, 
and  sprang  in,  and  came  m  trem¬ 
bling,  and  fell  down  before  Paul 
and  Silas  : 

g  Ja.  5:13.  J  ]s.  42:7.  c.5:19.  1  Th.  5:15. 

h  Pf.  34:1.  12:7,10.  1  Ec.  7:15—17. 

i  c.  4:3i.  k  Pr.  24:11,12.  m  Je.  5:22. 

This  the  apostle  refers  to,  when  he  speaks 
of  their  being  shamefully  entreated  at  Philippi, 

1  Tliess.  2:2.  They  commanded  that  they 
should  be  whipped  as  vagabonds,  by  the  lie- 
tors  or  beadles  who  attended  the  praitors, 
and  carried  rods  with  them  for  that  purpose; 
this  was  one  of  those  three  times  that  Paul 
was  beaten  with  rods,  according  to  the  Roman 
usage,  which  was  not  under  the  compas¬ 
sionate  limitation  of  the  number  of  stripes  not 
to  exceed  forty,  which  was  provided  by  the 
Jewish  law.  It  is  here  said,  that  they  laid 
many  stripes  on  them,  v.  23.  without  counting 
how  many,  because  they  seemed  vile  unto 
them,  Deut.  25:  3. 

Now,  one  woujd  think,  this  might  have 
satiated  their  cruelty  ;  but  no,  they  are  im¬ 
prisoned,  and,  it  is  probable,  their  present 
purpose  was  to  try  them  for  their  lives,  and 
put  them  to  death  ;  else  why  should  there  be 
such  care  taken  to  prevent  their  escape  I 
The  judges  made  their  commitment  very 
strict  ;  as  if  they  were  dangerous  men. 

Thus  they  endeavored  to  render  them  odious, 
that  they  might  justify  their  base  usage.  The 
jailer  was  sensible  that  the  magistrates  had 
a  great  indignation  against  these  men,  and 
were  inclined  to  be  severe  with  them,  there¬ 
fore  he  thought  to  ingratiate  himself  with 
them,  by  exerting  his  power  likewise  against 
them  to  the  uttermost.  When  magistrates 
are  cruel,  it  is  no  wonder  that  the  officers 
under  them  are  so  too.  He  put  them  into  the 
inner  prison,  the  dungeon,  and,  as  if  that  were 
not  enough,  he  made  their  feet  fast  in  the  stocks. 

Perhaps,  having  heard  a  report  of  the  escape 
of  the  preachers  of  the  Gospel  out  of  prison, 

(24.)  Made  their  feet  fast  in  the  .stocks.)  ‘It  is  generally  supposed 
that  these  were  the  cippi,  or  large  pieces  of  wood,  used  among  the  Ho¬ 
mans,  which  not  only  loaded  the  legs  of  the  prisoners,  but  sometimes 
distended  them  in  a  very  painful  manner.  .  . .  Beza  explains  it  of  the  nu- 
mellte,  in  which  both  the  feet  and  the  neck  were  fastened  in  the  most 
uneasy  posture  that  can  be  well  imagined.  The  distressing  situation  of 
Paul  and  Silas,  thus  in  the  stocks,  [in  a  damp,  muddy  pit,)  and  so  lately 
scourged,  renders  their  joyful  frame,  expressed  by  songs  of  praise,  so 
much  the  more  remarkable.’  '  Doddr. 

V.  27.  ‘  Self-murder  prevailed  much  among  the  Romans,  especially 
about  that  time,  and  had,  in  the  memory  of  some  then  living,  been,  as  it 
were,  dignified  at  Philippi  by  the  example  of  those  great  men,  Brutus 
and  Cassius,  among  others,  who  felt  on  their  own  swords  there.’ 

In. 

V.  28,  29.  Paul  cried,  <fec.)  ‘As  they  were  all  in  the  dark,  it  is  not 
easy  to  say,  how  Paul  knew  of  the  jailer's  purpose,  unless  it  were  by 
hearing  some  desperate  words  that  declared  it,  or  by  some  immediate 
suggestion  from  God,  which,  amidst  such  a  scene  of  wonders,  is  by  no 
means  incredible.’  In. 

V.  29 — S4.  By  being  ‘  saved,’  the  jailer  doubtless  meant  deliverance 
IVom  present  death,  and  from  future  condemnation _ This  faith  implied 


2.  God  heartened  them  wonderfully  by  his 
signal  appearances  for  them,  v.  26.  (1.) 

There  was  immediately  a  great  earthquake, 
such  a  violent  shock,  that  the  very  foundations 
of  the  prison  were  shaken.  While  the  pris¬ 
oners  were  hearkening  to  Paul  and  Silas, 
and  perhaps  making  a  jest  of  them,  this 
earthquake  would  strike  a  terror  on  them, 
and  convince  them  that  those  men  were  the 
favorites  of  heaven,  and  such  as  God  owned. 
We  had  the  house  of  prayer  shaken,  in  answer 
to  prayer,  and  as  a  token  of  God’s  accep¬ 
tance  of  it,  ch.  4:  31.  Here  the  prison  shaken. 
The  Lord  was  in  these  earthquakes,  to  show 
his  resentment  of  the  indignities  done  to  his 
servants,  to  testify  to  those  whose  confidence 
is  in  the  earth,  the  weakness  and  instability 
of  that  which  they  confide  in,  and  to  teach 
his  people,  that  though  the  earth  be  moved,  yet 
they  need  not  fear.  (2.)  The  prison-doors 
were  thrown  open,  and  the  prisoners’  fetters 
knocked  off,  every  man’s  bands  were  loosed. 
Perhaps  the  prisoners,  when  they  heard  Paul 
and  Silas  pray,  and  sing  psalms,  admired 
them,  and  spake  honorably  of  them;  and  to 
recompense  them  for,  and  confirm  them  in, 
their  good  opinion  of  them,  they  share  in  the 
miracle,  and  have  their  bands  loosed.  God 
hereby  signified  to  these  prisoners,  as  Gro- 
tius  observes,  that  the  apostles,  in  preaching 
the  Gospel,  were  public  blessings  to  man¬ 
kind,  as  they  proclaimed  liberty  to  the  captives, 
and  the  opening  of  the  prison-doors  to  them  that 
were  bound.  Is.  61:  1. 

II.  The  persecutors  designed  to  stop  the 
progress  of  the  Gospel,  but  here  we  find,  in 
the  prison, trophies  of  the  Gospel’s  victories, 
and  the.  jailer,  their  own  servant,  become  a 
servant  of  Christ.  Probably,  some  of  the 
prisoners,  if  not  all,  were  converted  ;  see 
Job  36:  8,  9,  10.  Ps.  107: 14,  15.  But  only 
the  conversion  of  the  jailer  is  recorded. 

1.  lie  is  afraid  for  his  life,  and  Paul 
makes  him  easy  as  to  that  care,  v.  27,  28. 
He  awoke  ;  this  signified  the  awakening  of 
his  conscience  out  of  its  spiritual  slumber, 
Eph.  5:  14.  Jonah  1:  6.  Seeing  the  prison- 
doors  open,  he  supposed  the  prisoners  were 
fled ;  and  then  what  would  become  of  him  1 
He  knew  the  Roman  law  in  that  case,  as 
executed  not  long  ago  on  the  keepers  out  of 
whose  hands  Peter  escaped,  ch.  12: 19.  It 
was  according  to  that  of  the  prophet,  IK. 
20:  39,  42.  The  Roman  lawyers,  after  this, 
in  their  readings  on  the  law,  Of  the  custody 
of  criminals,  take  care  to  except  an  escape 
by  miracle.  In  his  fright,  he  was  going  to 
kill  himself,  to  prevent  a  more  terrible  death, 
an  expected,  pompous,  ignominious  death, 
which  he  knew  he  w'as  liable  to  for  letting 
his  prisoners  escape;  and  the  extraordinary 
strict  charge  the  magistrates  gave  him  con¬ 
cerning  Paul  and  Silas,  made  him  conclude 
they  would  be  very  severe  on  him  if  they 
were  gone.  The  philosophers  generally  al¬ 
lowed  self-murder,  as  the  last  remedy  those 
in  distress  may  have  recourse  to.  The 
Stoics,  notwithstanding  their  pretended  con¬ 
quest  of  the  passions,  yielded  thus  far  to 
them.  And  the  Epicureans,  who  indulged 
the  pleasures  of  sense,  to  avoid  its  pains 

a  belief  of  their  testimony  concerning  Jesus,  as  the  promised  Messiah, 
and  concerning  his  Person,  character,  sufferings,  death,  resurrection,  and 
ascension  ;  and  a  reliance  on  Him  for  all  things  pertaining  to  salvation. 
— They  also  included  his  household  in  this  assurance;  not  that  his  faith 
could  save  them  ;  but  his  example  might  lead  them  to  believe  in  Christ 
also;  and  with  him  they  would  become  a  part  of  the  visible  church,  ami 
have  the  benefit  of  the  means  of  grace  for  their  salvation.  2:37 — 40.  11: 
4—17,  v.  14.  Gen.  17:7,  8.  Jer.  32:39—41.  Luke  19:1—10,  t>.  9.— When 
a  Oentile  householder  was  converted  to  the  Jewish  religion,  all  the 
males  in  his  family,  including  infants,  were  circumcised  with  him,  unless 
any  of  the  adults,  alter  instruction,  refused  to  be  so ;  it  is  therefore  ob¬ 
vious  to  suppose,  that  the  same  rule  was  observed,  in  the  baptism  of 
those  households,  of  which  we  read  in  the  N.  T.;  for  it  has  already  been 
shown,  that  the  covenant  sealed  to  Abraham,  was  the  same  as  the  Chris 
tian  covenant ;  and  that  circumcision  was  the  sign  of  the  same  blessings 
of  which  baptism  now  is.  Gen.  17:9 — 12.  And  the  language,  concern¬ 
ing  the  baptism  of  believers  and  their  households,  so  much  accords  to 
that  concerning  the  circumcision  of  Abraham  and  his  household  ;  that, 
in  connexion  with  other  scriptures;  with  the  general  and  early  use  of 
infant-baptism  in  the  primitive  church;  and  with  the  consideration  that 
we  do^iot  read  in  the  N.  T.  of  one  single  instance,  in  which  the  chU- 


when  the  doors  were  fast  barred,  ch.  5:19.  12 :9. 
he  thought  he  would  be  wiser  than  other 
jailers  had  been,  and  therefore  would  effec¬ 
tually  secure  them  by  fastening  them  in  the 
stocks ;  and  they  were  not  the  first  of  God^s 
messengers  thus  served,  Jer.  20:  2.  Ps.  10a: 
18.  Oh  what  hard  usage  have  God’s  ser¬ 
vants  met  with,  as  in  the  former  days,  so  in 
the  latter  times  !  * 

V.  25 — 34.  We  have  here  the  designs  of 
the  persecutors  of  Paul  and  Silas  baffled  and 
broken. 

I.  The  persecutors  designed  to  dishearten 
and  discourage  the  preachers  of  the  Gospel ; 
but  here, 

1.  Never  were  poor  prisoners  so  truly 
cheerful,  nor  so  far  from  laying  their  hard 
usage  to  heart.  They  had  felt  the  smart  of 
the  preetors’  rods,  were  very  sore,  and  they 
had  reason  to  fear  thp  axes  next,  as  their 
Master,  first  scourged,  then  crucified.  In  the 
mean  time  they  were  in  the  inner  prison,  their 
feet  in  the  stocks,  which,  some  think,  not  only 
held  them,  but  hurt  them  ;  and  yet,  at  mid¬ 
night,  when  they  should  have  been  trying,  if 
possible,  to  gel  a  little  rest,  they  prayed,  and 
sang  praises  to  God.  No  place,  no  time, 
amiss  for  prayer,  if  the  heart  be  lifted  up  to 
God.  No  trouble,  how  grievous  soever, 
should  indispose,  but  rather  dispose  us  for 
prayer  ;  and  in  everything  we  must  give 
thanks.  We  never  want  matter  for  praise, 
if  we  do  not  want  a  heart.  And  what  should 
put  the  heart  of  a  child  of  God  out  of  tune 
for  that  duty,  if  a  dungeon  and  a  pair  of 
stocks  will  not  do  it!  They  praised  God  that 
they  were  counted  worthy  to  suffer  shame  for 
his  name.  They  sang  praises  to  Him,  in  some 
psalm,  or  hymn,  or  spiritual  song  ;  either 
one  of  David’s,  or  one  of  their  own,  as  the 
Spirit  gave  them  utterance.  This  proves  that 
singing  of  psalms  is  a  gospel-ordinance,  and 
ought  to  be  used  by  all  good  Christians ;  and 
that  it  is  instituted,  not  only  to  express  their 
joys  in  a  day  of  triumph,  but  to  balance  and 
relieve  their  sorrows  in  a  day  of  trouble. 
Notice  is  taken  of  one  circumstance,  thatt/ie 
prisoners  heard  them.  It  intimates,  how  hearty 
they  were  in  singing  praises  to  God,  in  that 
they  were  heard  all  the  prison  over.  We 
should  sing  psalms  with  all  our  heart.  The 
saints  are  called  upon  to  sing  aloud  upon  their 
beds,  Ps.  149:  5.  They  knew  the  prisoners 
would  hear  them,  yet  they  sang  aloud,  as  not 
ashamed  of  their  Master  or  of  his  service. 
The  prisoners  were  made  to  hear  the  prison- 
songs  of  Paul  and  Silas,  that  they  might  be 
prepared  for  the  miraculous  favor  showed  to 
them,  all  for  the  sake  of  Paul  and  Silas, 
when  the  prison-doors  were  thrown  open.  By 
this  extraordinary  comfort  which  they  were 
filled  with,  it  was  published,  that  He  whom 
they  preached  was  the  Consolation  of  Israel. 
Let  the  prisoners  that  mean  to  oppose  Him, 
hear  rflid  tremble  before  Him  J  let  those  that 
are  faithful  to  Him,  hear  and  triumph,  and 
take  of  the  comfort  that  is  spoken  to  the 
prisoners  of  hopje,  Zecli.  9:  12. 

*  The  best  men,  reformers,  have  ever  been  the  martyrs 
of  their  age,  in  body  uud  estate,  generally;  in  mint!  and 
heart,  always.  Ed. 


A.  D.  54. 


ACTS,  XVI. 


The  conversion  of  their  jailer. 


SO  And  brought  them  out,  and 
said,  Sirs,  what  "must  I  do  to  be 
saved  ? 

31  And  they  said,  Believe  0  on 
the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and  thou 
shalt  be  saved,  and  thy  ■’house. 

32  And  they  spake  unto  him  the 
word  of  the  Lord,  and  to  all  '■that 
were  in  his  house. 

33  And  he  took  them  the  same 
hour  of  the  night,  and  washed  their 
stripes  ;  and  was  baptized,  he  and 
all  his,  straightway. 

34  And  when  he  had  brought 
them  into  his  house,  he  set  meat 
r before  them,  and  ’rejoiced,  believ¬ 
ing  in  God  with  all  his  house. 

n  c.  2:37.  9:6  13:39  r  Lu.  5  29. 

o  Huh.  2:4.  Jn.  3:  pc  2:39.  s  Ro.  5:11. 

16,  36.  6:47.  c.  q  Ro.  1.14,16. 

chose  rather  to  put  an  end  to  it.  This 
jailer  thought  there  was  no  harm  in  antici¬ 
pating  his  own  death  ;  but  Christianity  by 
this  proves  itself  to  be  of  God,  that  it  keeps 
us  to  the  law  of  our  creation, — revives,  en¬ 
forces,  and  establishes  that;  obliges  us  to  be 
just  to  our  own  lives,  and  teaches  us  cheer¬ 
fully  to  resign  them  to  our  graces,  but  cour¬ 
ageously  to  hold  them  out  against  our  cor¬ 
ruptions.  Paul  eagerly  stopped  him  from 
his  proceeding  against  himself,  v.  28.  All 
the  cautions  of  the  Word  of  God  against  sin, 
and  all  appearances  of  it,  and  approaches  to 
it,  have  tiiis  tendency,  ‘  Do  thyself  no  harm.' 
The  jailer  needs  not  fear  being  called  to  an 
account  for  the  escape  of  his  prisoners,  for 
they  are  all  here.  It  was  strange  some  of 
them  did  not  slip  away,  when  the  prison- 
doors  were  opened,  and  they  were  loosed  from 
their  bands  ;  but  their  amazement  held  them 
fast,  and,  being  sensible  it  was  by  the  prayers 
of  Paul  and  Silas  they  were  loosed,  they 
would  not  stir,  unless  they  stirred;  and  God 
showed  his  power  in  binding  their  spirits,  as 
much  as  in  loosing  their/cet. 

2.  lie  is  afraid  he  shall  lose  his  soul,  and 
Paul  makes  him  easy  as  to  that  care  too. 
One  concern  leads  him  to  the  other,  and  a 
much  greater  ;  and  being  hindered  from 
hastening  himself  out  of  this  world,  he  be¬ 
gins  to  think,  if  he  had  pursued  his  inten¬ 
tion,  whither  death  would  have  brought  him, 
and  what  would  have  become  of  him  on  the 
other  side  death, — a  very  proper  thought 


for  such  as  have  been  snatched  as  a  brand 
out  of  the  fire,  when  there  was  but  a  step  be¬ 
tween  them  and  death.  Perhaps}  the  hein¬ 
ousness  of  the  sin  he  was  running  into, 
helped  to  alarm  him.  The  Spirit  of  God, 
that  was  sent  to  convince,  in  order  to  his 
being  a  Comforter,  struck  a  terror  on  him, 
and  startled  him ;  but  he  called  for  a  light,  with 
all  speed,  and  sjjrang  in  to  the  inner  prison, 
and  came,  trembling  to  Paul  and  Silas  for 
relief.  Observe, 

(1.)  How  reverent  and  respectful  his  ad¬ 
dress  to  them  is  ;  he  fell  down  before  them, 
as  one  ready  to  sink  under  the  load  of  his 
terror;  as  one  that  had  on  his  spirit  an  awe 
of  them,  of  the  image  of  God  on  them,  and 
of  their  commission  from  God.  Probably  he 
had  heard  what  the  damsel  said  of  them, 
that  they  were  the  servants  of  the  living  God, 
which  showed  to  them  the  way  of  salvation,  and 
as  such  he  thus  expressed  his  veneration  for 
them.  lie  gave  them  a  title  of  respect, 
Sirs,  masters  ;  it  was  but  now,  Rogues  and  j 
villains,  and  he  was  their  master;  but  now,  I 
Sirs,  lords,  and  they  are  his  masters.  Con¬ 
verting  grace  changes  people’s  language,  of 
and  to  gooil  people  and  good  ministers;  and 
to  persons  who  are  thoroughly  convinced  of 
sin,  the  very  feet  of  those  are  beautiful,  that 
bring  tidings  of  Christ  ;  yea,  though  dis¬ 
gracefully  fastened  in  the  stocks. 

(2.)  How  serious  his  inquiry  is  ;  What 
must  I  do  to  be  saved  ?  His  salvation  is  now 
his  greatest  concern,  which  before  was  the 
furthest  thing  from  his  thoughts.  It  is  his 
own  precious  soul  that  he  is  in  care  about  ; 
convinced  something  must  be  done,  and  by 
him,  too,  in  order  to  his  salvation  ;  that  it 
is  not  a  thing  of  course, a  thing  that  will  do 
itself,  but  a  thing  about  which  we  must 
strive,  wrestle,  and  take  pains.  He  is  wil¬ 
ling  to  do  anything.  Those  who  are  thor¬ 
oughly  convinced  of  sin,  and  truly  concerned 
about  their  salvation,  will  surrender  at  dis¬ 
cretion  to  Jesus  Christ,  will  be  glad  to  have 
Christ  on  his  own  terms,  on  any  terras.  God 
has  appointed  his  ministers  to  assist  us  in 
consulting  the  Scriptures,  and  has  promised 
to  give  his  Holy  Spirit  to  them  that  ask  Him, 
to  be  their  Guide  in  the  way  of  salvation. 

(3.)  They  very  readily  directed  him  what 
he  must  do,n.  31.  They  were  always  ready 
to  answer  such  inquiries  ;  though  cold,  sore, 
and  sleepy,  they  do  not  adjourn  to  a  more 
convenient  time  and  place,  but  take  him  now, 
lest  the  conviction  should  wear  off ;  now 
that  God  begins  to  work,  it  is  time  for  them 


to  set  in  as  workers  together  with  God.  They 
do  not  upbraid  him  with  his  rude  and  ill 
carriage  toward  them  ;  all  this  is  forgiven 
and  forgotten,  and  they  are  as  glad  to  show 
him  the  way  to  heaven,  as  the  best  friend 
they  have.  They  did  not  triumph  over  him. 
No,  all  is  overlooked  and  easily  passed  by, 
if  he  will  but  believe  in  Christ.  This  is  an 
example  to  ministers,  to  encourage  penitents, 
to  meet  those  that  are  coming  to  Christ,  and 
take  them  by  the  hand  ;  not  to  be  hard  on 
any  for  unkindness  done  to  them  ;  but  to 
seek  Christ’s  honor  more  than  their  own. 
Here  is  the  sum  of  the  whole  Gospel,  the 
covenant  of  grace  in  a  few  words  ;  Believe 
in  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and  thou  shalt  be 
saved,  and  thy  house,  Luke  19:9.  Those  of 
thy  house  that  are  infants,  shall  be  admitted 
into  the  visible  church  with  thee,  and  there¬ 
by  put  into  a  fair  way  for  salvation  ;  those 
that  are  grown  up,  shall  have  the  means  of 
salvation  brought  to  them,  and,  be  they  ever 
so  many,  let  them  believe  in  Jesus  Christ, 
and  (hey  shall  be  saved  ;  they  are  all  wel¬ 
come  to  Christ  on  the  same  terms.’ 

(4.)  They  proceeded  to  instruct  him  and 
his  family  in  the  doctrine  of  Christ,  v.  32. 
They  spake  unto  him  the  Word  of  the  Lord. 
He  was,  for  aught  that  appears,  an  utter 
stranger  to  Christ,  therefore  it  is  requisite 
he  should  be  told  who  this  Jesus  is,  that  he 
may  believe  in  Him,  John  9  :  36.  And  the 
substance  of  the  matter  lying  in  a  little  com¬ 
pass,  they  soon  told  him  enough  to  make  his 
being  baptized  a  reasonable  service.  They 
spake  the  Word  not  only  to  him,  but  to  all 
that  were  in  his  house.  Masters  of  families 
should  take  care  that  all  under  their  charge 
partake  of  the  means  of  knowledge  and 
grace,  and  that  the  Word  of  the  Lord  be 
spoken  to  them  ;  for  the  souls  of  the  poorest 
servants  are  as  precious  as  those  of  tht  r 
masters,  and  are  bought  with  the  same  price. 

(5.)  The  jailer  and  his  family  were  im¬ 
mediately  baptized,  and  thereby  took  on 
them  the  profession  of  Christianity,  submit¬ 
ted  to  its  laws,  and  were  admitted  to  its 
privileges,  on  their  declaring  solemnly,  as 
the  eunuch  did,  that  they  believed  that  Jesu  ; 
Christ  is  the  Son  of  God  j  he  was  baptized, 
he,  and  all  his,  straightway.  Neither  he  nor 
any  of  his  family  desired  time  to  consider 
whether  they  should  come  into  baptismal 
bonds  or  no  ;  nor  did  Paul  and  Silas  desire 
time  to  try  their  sincerity,  and  to  consider 
whether  they  should  baptize  them  or  no. 
But  the  spirit  of  grace  worked  such  a  strong 


dren  of  Christian  parents  were  baptized  adult;  it  must  be  allowed 
strongly  to  countenance  the  sentiments  and  practice  of  pasdo-baptists  ; 
though  we  suppose,  that  the  change  of  the  initiatory  ordinance,  as  far  as 
infants  were  concerned,  was  silently  and  gradually  ;  like  that  respecting 
the  Sabbath  ;  the  Jewish  converts  still  circumcising  their  male  children, 
to  avoid  giving  needless  offence  to  the  unconverted  Jews.  1:3. — It  seems 
also  most  probable,  to  me,  at  least,  that  Paul  and  Silas,  in  their  painful 
condition,  and  in  the  jailer’s  house,  did  not  baptize  him  and  his  family  by 
immersion. — (34)  Rejoiced,  believing  in  God  with  all  his  house.]  ‘He 
rejoiced  through  all  his  house,  having  believed  in  God.’  The  participle 
jn  Greek,  rendered  having  believed,  is  in  the  singular  number,  it  denot¬ 
ing  the  jailer  alone.  Scott. 

(30.)  IVhat  must,  &c.]  1  Grotius  thinks  this  inquiry  went  on  the  nat¬ 
ural  principles  of  the  immortality  of  the  soul ;  IVhitby,  with  much  great¬ 
er  propriety,  that  it  refers  to  the  testimony  of  the  Pythoness,  v.  17.  I 
apprehend  the  sense  to  be  very  extensive.  Probably  a  vast  multitude  of 
ideas  rushed  on  his  mind  at  once ;  the  power  and  displeasure  of  God,  man¬ 
ifested  in  the  earthquake,  the  sweetness  and  joy  of  Paul  and  Silas  in  their 
bonds,  their  willing  continuance  in  prison,  when  they  might  have  escap¬ 
ed,  and  their  generous  solicitude  for  one  who  had  used  them  so  ill, — per¬ 
haps  some  kind,  pious  words ,  Paul  and  Silas  might  have  uttered  when  he 
was  fastening  their  feet  in  the  stocks  ;  and  no  doubt  the  Spirit  of  God 
added  conviction  and  energy  to  all.’  Doddr. — ‘  The  only  interpretation  of 
the  jailer’s  cry,  (as  Kuin.  and  Ueinr.  acknowledge,)  at  all  agreeable  to  the 
context,  is  the  common  one,  “  how  shall  I  attain  eternal  salvation :”  for 
lie  would  not  fear  punishment,  for  the  effects  of  the  earthquake;  besides, 
the  prisoners  were  all  there  ;  nor  of  his  gods,  for  confining  innocent  per¬ 
sons,  for  that  was  the  magistrate’s  act.  I  am  surprised  any  competent 
judge  of  phraseology  should  have  thought  his  words  jof  uncertain  sense.’ 

Bloomf. 

(31.)  Thou  shalt  be  saved  and  thine  house.  1  ‘  The  meaning  cannot 
be,  that  the  eternal  salvation  of  his  family  could  be  secured  by  his  faith, 
but  that  his  believing  in  Christ  would  be  the  best  security  of  his  family 
from  present  danger,  and  that,  if  they  also  themselves  believed,  they 
would  he  entitled  to  the  same  spiritual  and  everlasting  blessings  with 
himself.’  Doddr. 

(33.)  ‘  Washed  their  stripes,  which  still  remained  unhealed.  I  men¬ 
tion  the  circumstance,  a»  it  serves  to  show,  (and  it  is  of  great  importance 


to  remember  it,)  that  the  apostles  had  not  a  power  of  working  miracu¬ 
lous  cures  when  they  pleased ;  no,  not  even  on  their  own  bodies,  or 
those  of  their  dearest  friends.  Had  they  possessed  such  a  power,  it 
would  have  been  their  duty  to  use  it,  unless  they  had,  (as  Christ  with 
such  a  power  in  fact  had,)  a  discovery  of  the  divine  ivill,  that  in  such 
or  such  instances  the  use.  of  it  should  be  waived.  On  the  other  hand, 
the  continual  use  of  such  a  power  would  have  frustrated  many  of  the 
noble  purposes  in  providence,  which  their  sufferings  answered,  and  would 
have  introduced  many  inconveniences,  which  an  intelligent  reader  will 
easily  apprehend  from  this  general  hint.’  Doddr. — And  was  baptized, 
•fee.]  ‘His  being  thus  baptized  with  his  household  seems  to  be  the  only 
reason  which  the  Greek  commentators  had  to  think  this  jailer's  name  was 
Stephanos,  and  that  he  is  the  person  referred  to,  1  Cor.  1:16.  16:15, 17. 
But  it  is  much  more  probable  that  Stephanos  was  a  Corinthian,  from  all 
the  places  here  cited.’  Id. — Baptized  straightway .]  ‘Immediately,  in¬ 
stantly,  at  the  very  time,  while  the  thing  was  doing ;  and  if  so,  it  is  by 
no  means  likely  there  was  tiny  immersion  in  the  case ;  indeed  all  the 
circumstances  of  the  case,  the  dead  of  the  night,  the  general  agitation, 
the  necessity  of  despatch,  and  the  words  of  the  text  disp-"ve  it.  The 
apostles,  therefore,  had  another  method  of  administering  baptism  be¬ 
sides  immersion.  .  . .  Moreover],  as  the  Jews  were  accustomed  to  re¬ 
ceive  whole  families  of  heathens,  young  and  old,  as  proselytes,  by  bap¬ 
tism  :  so  here  the  npostles  receive  whole  families,  those  of  Lydia  and 
the  jailer,  by  the  same  rite.  It  is,  therefore,  pretty  evident,  that  we 
have  in  this  chap,  very  presumptive  proofs,  1.  That  baptism  was  admin¬ 
istered  without  immersion,  as  in  the  case  of  the  jailer  and  his  family  ; 
and,  2.  That  children  were  also  received  into  the  church  in  this  way; 
for  we  can  scarcely  suppose  that  the  whole  families  of  Lydia  and  the 
jailer  had  no  children  in  them  :  and  if  they  had,  it  is  not  likely  that  they 
should  be  omitted  ;  for  the  Jewish  method  was  invariably  to  receive  the 
heathen  children  with  their  proselyted  parents.’  Dr.  A.  C  — ‘  Grotius 
supposes,’  from  the  peculiar  phraseology,  that  *  the  jailer  took  them  to  a 
bath  within  the  precincts  of  the  prison,  and  bathed  them.  Certainly  if 
the  distinction  laid  down  by  Campb.  were  invariably  true,  that  niptb  al¬ 
ways  signifies  to  dip,  and  loub  always  to  bathe,  there  could  be  no  doubt 
as  to  this  interpretation  [of  e/ousen  here],  which  after  all  may  be  the 
true  one.  Most  commentators,  however,  with  the  Vulg.,  tr.  “washed.” 
Same-1  At  that  yery  hour,  unseasonable  as  it  was.’  Bi-oomf. 

[93] 


A.  D.  54. 


ACTS,  XVI.  . 


Paul  and  Silas  honorably  discharged. 


So  IT  And  when  it  was  day,  the 
magistrates  sent  the  serjcants,  say¬ 
ing,  Let  those  men  go. 

3G  And  the  keeper  of  the  prison 
told  this  saying,  to  Paid,  The  mag¬ 
istrates  have  sent  to  let  you  go  : 
now  therefore  depart,  and  go  in 
peace. 

37  But  Paul  said  unto  them, 
They  have  beaten  us  openly  1  un¬ 
condemned,  being  Romans,  and 
have  chst  us  into  prison  ;  and  now 
do  they  thrust  us  out  privily  ?  Nay, 
verily  ;  but  let  them  come  "  them¬ 
selves,  and  fetch  us  out. 

33  And  the  serjeants  told  these 
words  unto  the  magistrates  :  and 
they  feared,  when  they  heard  that 
they  were  Romans. 

39  And  they  came  and  besought 
v  them,  and  brought  (hem  out,  and 
desired  w  them  to  depart  out  of  the 
city. 

t  c.  22:25.  Mat.  10:13.  3:9. 

u  Dh.  6  :  18,  19.  v  Ex.  11:8.  Re.  w  Mat.  8:3). 

f.iitli  in  them,  all  on  a  sudden,  as  superseded 
further  debate;  and  Paul  and  Silas  knew  by 
the  Spirit,  that  it  was  a  work  of  God  that 
was  wrought  in  them:  so  that  there  was  no 
occasion  for  demur.  This,  therefore,  will 
not  justify  such  precipitation  in  ordinary 
cases. 

(6.)  The  jailer  was  hereupon  very  re¬ 
spectful  to  Paul  and  Silas,  as  one  that  knew 
not  how  to  make  amends  for  the  injury  he 
had  done  to  them,  much  less  for  the  kind¬ 
ness  he  had  received  from  them  ;  he  took 
them  the  same  hour  of  the  night,  would  not  let 
them  lie  a  minute  longer  in  the  inner  prison  ; 
but  washed  their  stripes,  to  cool  them,  and 
abate  the  smart  of  them ;  probably  he  bathed 
them  with  some  healing  liquor;  as  the  good 
Samaritan  helped  the  wounded  man,  by 
pouring  in  oil  and  wine.  He  brought  them  in¬ 
to  his  house,  bid  them  welcome  to  the  best 
room  he  had,  and  prepared  his  best  bed  for 
them.  He  set  meat  before  them,  such  as  his 
house  would  afford,  and  they  were  welcome 
to  it  ;  by  which  he  expressed  the  welcome 
which  his  soul  gave  to  the  Gospel.  What 
have  we  houses  and  tables  for,  but,  as  we 
have  opportunity,  to  serve  God  and  his 
people  with  them  1 

(7.)  The  voice  of  rejoicing,  with  that  of 
salvation,  was  heard  in  the  jailer’s  house  ; 
never  was  such  a  truly  merry  night  kept  there 
before ;  he  rejoiced,  believing  in  God,  with  all 
his  house  :  none  in  his  house  refused  to  be 
baptized,  and  so  make  a  jar  in  the  harmony ; 
but  they  were  unanimous  in  embracing  the 
Gospel,  which  added  much  to  the  joy.  Ob¬ 
serve,  His  believing  in  Christ  is  called  be¬ 
lieving  in  God;  which  intimates,  that  Christ 
is  God.  Believing  in  Christ  is  rejoicing  in 
Christ.  Out  of  the  abundance  of  the  joy  in 
his  heart,  his  mouth  spake  to  the  glory  of 
God,  and  their  encouragement  who  believed 
in  God  too.  One  cheerful  Christian  should 
make  many. 

V.  35 — 40.  I.  Orders  are  sent  for  the 
discharge  of  Paul  and  Silas,  v.  35,  36. 

1.  The  magistrates  that  had  so  basely 
abused  them  the  day  before,  gave  the  orders 
early,  as  soon  as  it  was  day,  which  intimates, 
that  either  they  were  sensible  the  earthquake 
was  intended  to  plead  the  cause  of  their 
prisoners,  or  their  consciences  had  made 


them  very  uneasy.  [Two  ancient  MSS. 
add,  they  were  terrified  by  it.]  They  sent 
serjeants,  those  that  had  the  rods,  the  vergers, 
the  tipstaves,  the  beadles,  those  that  had 
been  employed  in  beating  them,  that  they 
might  go  and  ask  them  forgiveness.  The 
order  was,  Let  those  men  go.  God  turned 
their  hearts,  Ps.  76:  10. 

2.  The  jailer  brought  them  the  news, 
v.  36.  Some  think  the  jailer  had  betimes 
transmitted  an  account  to  the  magistrates  of 
what  had  passed  in  his  house  that  night,  and 
so  had  obtained  this  order.  God  could,  by 
his  grace,  as  easily  have  converted  the  mag¬ 
istrates,  as  the  jailer  ;  but  God  hath  chosen 
the  poor  of  this  world,  James  2:  5. 

II.  Paul’s  insisting  on  the  breach  of  priv¬ 
ilege  the  magistrates  had  been  guilty  of, 
v.  37.  It  is  probable  the  magistrates  had 
some  intimation  they  were  Romans,  and 
were  made  sensible  their  fury  had  carried 
them  further  than  the  law  could  bear  them 
out  ;  and  that  was  the  reason  they  ordered 
their  discharge.  Now. 

1.  Paul  did  not  plead  this  before  he  was 
beaten,  though  it  is  probable  it  might  have 
prevented  it,  lest  he  should  seem  to  be  afraid 
of  suffering  for  the  truth  which  he  had 
preached.  Tally  tells  of  one  Ganius,  who 
was  ordered  by  Verres  to  be  beaten  in 
Sicily,  that  all  the  while  he  was  under  the 
lash  lie  cried  out  nothing,  but  I  am  a  citizen 
of  Rome;  Paul  had  nobler  tilings  to  comfort 
himself  with. 

2.  He  did  plead  it  afterward,  to  honorhis 
sufferings,  and  the  cause  he  suffered  for  ; 
likewise  to  molify  the  magistrates  toward 
the  Christians  at  Philippi,  and  to  beget  in 
the  people  a  better  opinion  of  the  Christian 
religion,  when  they  saw  that  Paul  had  a  fair 
advantage  against  their  magistrates,  and 
might  have  called  them  to  an  account  for 
what  they  had  done,  and  yet  did  not;  which 
was  very  much  to  the  honor  of  that  worth i) 
name  by  which  he  was  c'alled.  Now  here, 

(1.)  Paul  lets  them  know  how  many 
ways  they  had  run  themselves  into  a  praemu¬ 
nire,  and  that  he  had  law  enough  to  know  it. 
[1.]  They  had  beaten  them  that  were  Ro¬ 
mans;  some  think,  Silas  was  a  Roman  cit¬ 
izen  as  well  as  Paul  ;  others,  that  that  does 
not  necessarily  follow.  Paul  was  a  citizen, 
and  Silas  his  companion.  Now  both  the 
lex  Porcia  and  the  lex  Semprania  did  express¬ 
ly  forbid  the  free  body  of  a  Roman  citizen  to 
be  beaten  with  rods  or  otherwise.  Roman  his¬ 
torians  give  instances  of  cities  that  had  their 
charters  taken  from  them  for  indignities 
done  to  Roman  citizens;  we  shall  afterward 
find  Paul  making  use  of  this  plea,  ch.  22: 
25,  26.  To  tell  them  they  had  beaten  the 
messengers  of  Christ,  and  the  favorites  of 
heaven,  would  have  had  no  influence  on 
them  ;  but  to  tell  them  they  have  abused 
Roman  citizens,  will  put  them  into  a  fright; 
so  common  is  it  for  people  to  be  more  afraid 
of  Cesar’s  wrath  than  of  Christ’s,  though 
He  has  warned  us  of  the  danger  of  offending 
his  little  ones.  [2.]  They  had  beaten  them 
uncondemned,  without  a  fair  hearing,  bad  not 
calmly  examined  what  was  said  against 
them,  much  less  inquired  what  they  had  to 
say  for  themselves.  It  is  a  universal  rule 
of  justice,  Many  may  be  acquitted  in  conse¬ 
quence  of  having  had  a  hearing  ;  while  with¬ 
out  a  hearing  no  one  can  be  condemned. 
Christ’s  servants  would  not  have  been  abused 
as  they  have  been,  if  they  and  their  cause 
might  but  have  had  an  impartial  trial.  [3.] 
It  was  an  aggravation  of  this,  that  they  had 
done  it  openly,  which,  as  it  was  so  much  the 


greater  disgrace  to  the  sufferers,  so  it  was 
the  bolder  defiance  to  justice  and  the  law. 
[4.]  They  had  cast  them  into  prison,  without 
showing  any  cause  of  their  commitment,  and 
in  an  arbitrary  manner,  by  a  verbal  order. 
[5.]  They  now  thrust  them  out  privily ;  they 
bad  not,  indeed,  the  impudence  to  stand  by 
what  they  had  done,  but  yet  had  not  the 
honesty  to  own  themselves  in  a  fault. 

(2.)  He  insists  on  it,  that  they  should 
make  them  an  acknowledgment  of  their  er¬ 
ror,  and  give  them  a  public  discharge,  to 
make  that  the  more  honorable,  as  they  bad 
done  them  a  public  disgrace,  which  made 
that  the  more  disgraceful  ;  ‘  Let  them  come 
themselves  and  fetch  us  out,  and  give  a  testi¬ 
mony  to  our  innocency,  and  that  we  have 
done  nothing  worthy  of  stripes  or  of  bonds.’ 
It  was  not  a  point  of  honor  that  Paul  stood 
thus  stiffly  upon,  but  a  point  of  justice,  and 
not  to  himself,  so  much  as  to  his  cause  ; 
*  Let  them  come  and  stop  the  clamors  of  the 
people,  by  confessing  that  we  are  not  the 
tremblers  of  the  city.’ 

III.  The  magistrates’  submission,  and 
reversing  of  their  judgment,  v.  38,  39. 

1.  The  magistrates  were  frightened,  when 
they  were  told  that  Paul  was  a  Roman ;  lest 
some  of  his  friends  should  inform  the  gov¬ 
ernment  of  what  they  had  done,  and  they 
should  fare  the  worse  for  it.  The  proceed¬ 
ings  of  persecutors  have  often  been  illegal, 
even  by  the  law  of  nations,  and  often  inhu¬ 
man,  against  the  law  of  nature,  but  always 
sinful,  and  against  God’s  law.  2.  They 
came,  and  besought  them  not  to  take  the  ad¬ 
vantage  of  the  law'  against  them,  but  to 
overlook  the  illegality  of  what  they  had 
done,  and  say  no  more  of  it  ;  they  brought 
them  out  of  the  prison,  owning  they  were 
wrongfully  put  into  it,  and  desired  they 
would  peaceably  and  quietly  depart  out  of  the 
city,  as  Pharaoh  and  his  servants  to  Moses, 
Ex.  11  :  8.  God  can  make  the  enemies  of 
his  people  ashamed  of  their  envy  and  enmity 
to  them,  Is.  26  :  11.  Jerusalem  is  some¬ 
times  made  a  burdensome  stone  to  them  that 
heave  at  it,  which  they  would  gladly  get 
clear  of,  Zech.  12:3.  Yet  if  the  repent¬ 
ance  of  these,  magistrates  had  been  sincere, 
they  would  have  desired  them  not  to  depart, 
but  to  stay  and  continue  in  their  city,  to  show 
them  the  way  of  salvation.  But  many  are 
convinced  Christianity  is  not  to  be  persecu¬ 
ted,  who  yet  are  not  convinced  it  ought  to 
be  embraced,  or  at  least  are  not  persuaded 
to  embrace  it.  They  are  compelled  to  honor 
Christ  and  his  servants,  to  worship  before  their 
feet,  and  to  know  that  He  has  loved  them. 
Rev.  3:9.  and  yet  do  not  go  so  far  as  to 
have  benefit  by  Christ,  or  to  come  in  for  a 
share  in  his  love. 

IV.  The  departure  of  Paul  and  Silas, 
v.  40.  They  left  the  prison  when  legally 
discharged,  and  not  till  then,  though  illegal¬ 
ly  committed,  and  then,  1.  They  took  leave 
of  their  friends  ;  they  went  to  the  house  of 
Lydia,  where,  probably,  the  disciples  bad 
met  to  pray  for  them,  and  there  they  saw  the 
brethren,  or  visited  them  at  their  respective 
habitations  ;  (which  was  soon  done,  they 
were  so  few  ;  )  and  they  comforted  them,  by 
telling  them  (saith  an  ancient  Greek  com¬ 
mentary)  what  God  had  done  for  them,  and 
how  he  had  owned  them  in  the  prison,  &c. 

2.  They  quittejl  the  town.  I  wonder  they 
should  do  so  ;  for,  after  such  an  honorable 
discharge,  surely  they  might  have  gone  on  at 
least  for  some  time  in  their  work  without 
danger  ;  but  I  suppose  they  went  away  on 
their  Master’s  principle,  Mark  1:38.  Paul 


V.  37.  ‘It  was  strictly  forbidden  by  the  Roman  law  (indeed  by  the 
common  law  of  all  nations)  for  any  citizen  to  be  punished  or  condemn¬ 
ed  unheard.  Cic.  Tacit.  See  Grot.,  Wetst.’  Bloomf.  Being  Romans.] 
Note,  end  of  ch.  It  appears  from  this  that  Silas  was  also  a  Roman  cit¬ 
izen,  how  does  not  appear.  See  Bl.  ‘  It  was  only  afterwards  that  prison¬ 
ers  were  put  in  public  prisons  before  confession  or  conviction  ;  prison¬ 
ers  were  held  in  custodia  libera ,  either  by  the  magistrate,  in  his  private 
house,  or  others,  to  whom  lie  committed  them.’  Prisoners,  at  least  in 
the  E.,  were  quite  at  the  mercy  of  their  keeper,  who  was  only  bound  to 
produce  them  when  called  for.  Ed. 

[91] 


V.  39.  Besought  them.]  1  Comforted  them,  so  our  tr.  render  the  ori¬ 
ginal  word  in  next  v.,  as  well  as  in  many  other  places.  Comp.  Acts  20: 
12.  Rom.  1:12.  2  Cor  1:4.  7:6.  in  all  which  texts,  and  many  others,  it 
can  have  no  other  signification,  though  in  several  others  it  must  signify 
exhorted,  as  it  is  justly  rendered,  Acts  11:21.  1  Thess.  2:11.  Ileb.  3:13. 
and  elsewhere.  There  are  other  instances  in  which  it  signifies  entreat, 
1  Cor.  4:13.  1  Tim.  5:1.  But  I  prefer  the  first  sense  here,  as  the  latter 
is  expressed  in  the  following  clause ,  and  as  it  gives  us  an  idea  of  a  more 
respectful  treatment,  as  De  Dieu  also  has  hinted.’  Poddr. 


A.  D.  54. 


ACTS,  XVII. 


Paul  preaches  in  Thcssalonica. 


40  And  they  went  out  of  thq 
prison,  and  entered  into  the  house 
of  x  Lydia  :  and  when  they  had 
seen  the  brethren,  they  Comforted 
them,  and  departed. 

CHAP.  XVII. 

1  Pju»  preacheth  at  Thessalonica,  4  where  some  believe, 
ftud  others  persecute  him,  10  He  is  sent  to  Berea,  and 
preacheth  there.  13  Being  persecuted  at  Thessalonica, 
15  he  cometh  to  Athens,  and  disputeth,  and  preacheth 
the  living  God,  to  them  unknown,  34  whereby  many  are 
converted  unto  Christ. 

NOW  when  they  had  passed 
through  Amphipolis  and  Apol- 
lonia,  they  came  to  Thessalonica, 
where  was  a  synagogue  of  the  Jews: 

2  And  Paul,  as  his  manner  was, 
*  went  in  unto  them,  and  three  sab- 
bath-days  reasoned  with  them  out 
of  the  Scriptures, 

x  vcr.  14.  a  Lu.  4:16.  c.  9:20.  13:6,14. 

and  Silas  had  an  extraordinary  call  to  Phil¬ 
ippi  ;  and  yet  when  coine  thither,  they  see 
little  of  the  fruit  of  their  labors,  and  are 
soon  driven  thence  ;  yet  they  did  not  come 
in  vain,  though  the  beginnings  here  were 
small,  the  latter  end  greatly  increased  ;  now 
they  laid  the  foundation  of  a  church  at  Phil¬ 
ippi,  which  became  very  eminent,  more  gen¬ 
erous  to  Paul  than  any  other,  as  appears 
from  Phil.,  ch.  1:1.  4: 15.  Let  not  minis¬ 
ters  be  discouraged,  though  they  see  not  the 
fruit  of  their  labors  presently  ;  the  seed 
sown  seems  to  be  lost  under  the  clods,  hut 
it  shall  come  up  again  in  a  plentiful  harvest 
in  due  time. 


Chap.  XVII.  V.  1— 9.  I.  Here  is  Paul’s 
coming  to  Thessalonica,  the  chief  city  of 
this  country,  called  at  this  day  Salonech,  in 
the  Turkish  dominions.  The  opposition 
and  persecution  he  met  with,  made  him  the 
more  resolute.  He  did  but  pass  through 


Amphipolis  and  Apollonia,  the  former  a  city 
near  Philippi,  the  latter  near  Thessalonica; 
doubtless,  he  was  under  divine  direction 
what  places  to  pass  through,  and  what  to  rest 
in.  Apollonia  was  a  city  of  IHyricum, 
which,  some  think,  illustrates  that  of  Paul, 
that  he  had  preached  the  Gospel  from  Jeru¬ 
salem,  and  round  about  unto  Illyricum,  llnm. 
15  :  9.  i.  e.  to  the  borders  of  Illyricum, 
where  he  now  was  :  and  we  may  suppose, 
though  he  he  said  only  to  pass  through  these 
cities,  yet  that  he  staid  so  long  in  them  as 
to  publish  the  Gospel  there,  and  to  prepare 
the  way  for  the  entrance  of  other  ministers 
whom  lie  would  afterward  send. 

II.  His  preaching  to  the  Jews  first,  in 
their  synagogue,  v.  1.  which  intimates,  that 
one  reason  why  he  passed  through  those 
other  cities  mentioned,  and  did  not  continue 
long  in  them,  was,  because  there  were  no 
synagogues  in  them;  finding  one  in  Thessa¬ 
lonica,  by  it  he  made  his  entry.  It  was  al¬ 
ways  his  manner  to  begin  with  the  Jews, 
and  not  to  turn  to  the  Gentiles  till  they  had 
refused  it,  that  their  mouths  might  he  stop¬ 
ped  from  clamoring  agaiustjiim  because  he 
preached  to  the  Gentiles ;  for  if  they  received 
the  Gospel,  they  would  cheerfully  embrace 
the  new  converts  ;  if  they  refused  it,  they 
might  thank  themselves  if  the  apostles  car¬ 
ried  it  to  those  that  would  bid  it  welcome. 
1.  He  met  them  in  their  synagogue  on  the 
sabbath-day  ;  thus  he  would  respect  both 
their  place  and  their  time  of  meeting.  Sab¬ 
baths  and  solemn  assemblies  are  always  very 
precious  to  those  to  whom  Christ  is  precious, 
Ps.  84  :  10.  It  is  good  being  in  the  house 
of  the  Lord  on  his  day.  2.  lie  reasoned 
with  them  out  of  the  Scriptures.  They  agreed 
with  him  so  far  as  to  receive  the  scriptures 
of  the  O.  'I'.;  hut,  therefore,  thought  they 
had  reason  to  reject  Christ  ;  Paul  received 
the  Scripture,  and,  therefore,  saw  great 
reason  to  embrace  Christ.  It  was  requisite, 
than,  in  order  to  their  conviction,  that  he 


should,  by  reasoning  with  them,  the  Spirit 
setting  in  with  him,  convince  them  that  his 
inferences  from  Scripture  were  right,  and 
their’s  \\,rong.  The  preaching  of  the  Gospel 
should  he  both  scriptural  and  rational ;  such 
Paul’s  was,  for  he  reasoned  out  of  the  Scrip¬ 
tures.  Reason  must  not  be  set  up  in  compe¬ 
tition  with  the  Scripture,  but  it  must  be 
made  use  of  in  explaining  and  applying  the 
Scripture.  3.  He  continued  to  do  this  three 
sabbath-days  successively  ;  for  precept  must 
be  upon  precept,  and  line  upon  line.  All  the 
laborers  come  not  into  the  vineyard  at  the 
first  hour,  nor  at  the  first  call  ;  nor  are 
wrought  on  so  suddenly  as  the  jailer.  4.  The 
drift  and  scope  of  his  preaching  and  arguing 
was,  to  prove  that  Jesus  is  the  Christ,  v.  3. 
Paul  had  an  admirable  method  of  discourse; 
and  showed  he  was  himself  both  well  ap¬ 
prized  of  the  doctrine  lie  preached,  and 
thoroughly  understood  it,  and  that  he  was 
fully  assured  of  the  truth  of  it;  therefore, lie 
opened  it  like  one  that  knew  it,  and  alleged 
it  like  one  that  believed  it.  lie  showed  them, 
(1.)  That  it  was  necessary  the  Messiah 
should  suffer,  and  die,  and  rise  again  ;  the 
O.  T.  prophecies  made  it  necessary.  The 
great  objection  the  Jews  made  against  Jesus 
being  the  Messiah,  was,  his  ignominious 
death  and  sufferings;  the  cross  was  to  them  a 
stumbling-block,  by  no  means  agreed  with 
their  idea  of  the  Messiah  ;  but  Paul  here  al¬ 
leges,  and  makes  it  out  undeniably,  not  only 
that  it  was  possible  He  might  be  the  Messiah, 
though  He  suffered,  but  that,  being  the  Mes¬ 
siah,  it  was  necessary  He  should  suffer  ;  lie 
could  not  be  made  perfect  but  by  sufferings  ; 
for  if  lie  had  not  died,  He  could  nut  have 
risen  again  from  the  dead.  This  was  what 
Christ  Himself  insisted  on,  Luke  24:  26.  and 
again,  v.  46.  He  must  needs  have  suffered  for 
us,  because  He  could  not  otherwise  purchase 
our  redemption  for  us;  and  He  must  needs 
have  risen  again,  because  He  could  not  other¬ 
wise  apply  the  redemption  to  us. 


PRACT.  OBS.  ‘The  wisdom  that  is  from  above’  is  peculiarly  re¬ 
quisite,  that  we  may  know  when,  and  how  far,  we  may  boar  with  men’s 
prejudices,  in  order  to  their  edification  ;  and  when  we  must  resolutely 
protest  against  them. — The  greatest  precaution  should  be  used,  that  the 
ministers  of  Christ  be  men  of  good  report  :  lest  prejudices  against  indi¬ 
viduals  should  be  added  to  the  carnal  enmity  of  the  human  heart  against 
the  Gospel,  to  prevent  their  success ;  and  that  such  as  ‘  arc  of  the  con¬ 
trary  part,  may  have  no  evil  tiling  to  say  of  them.’  Scriptural  regula¬ 
tions,  therefore,  in  this  and  similar  concerns,  tend  exceedingly  to  the 
establishment  of  believers  in  the  faith,  and  to  the  increase  of  i lie  church 
in  numbers.  (1  Tim.  3:7.  Tit.  2:7,  8.) — We  have  no  ground  to  expect  to 
be  directed  by  immediate  revelation,  in  the  various  actions  of  our  lives; 
hut,  while  we  act  according  to  the  best  of  our  judgment,  in  obedience  to 
the  Word,  and  dependence  on  the  Spirit  of  God  ;  we  shall  find  circum¬ 
stances,  apparently  casual,  operate  as  prohibitions  and  directions,  sub¬ 
verting  our  plans,  and  substituting  others  in  their  stead. — When  we  are, 
by  any  means,  satisfied  of  the  Lord’s  will  respecting  us  ;  we  should  pre¬ 
pare  for  obedience,  to  whatever  hardship,  labor,  and  peril  it  may  expose 
us  :  and  those  who  go  ill  simplicity,  faithfulness,  and  affection,  to  preach 
tile  Gospel  among  ignorant  or  careless  sinners,  do  the  most  tor  their 
help  and  benefit  that  man  can  do  :  though  it  seldom  happens,  that  per¬ 
sons  of  this  character  are  forward  to  invite  them.  The  deplorable  con¬ 
dition,  however,  of  our  fellow-creatures,  in  very  many  parts  of  the 
world,  and  even  their  insensibility  to  their  own  danger  ami  misery,  ought 
to  stimulate  our  exertions,  to  carry  or  send  them  effectual  help ;  and  to 
aid,  by  our  labors,  contributions,  and  prayers,  every  scriptural  attempt 
for  that  purpose.  [Happily,  at  length,  this  subject  receives  and  rewards 
attention,  in  several  cities.]  Satan,  the  father  of  lies,  can  declare  the  most 
important  truths,  when  it  subserves  his  purpose  of  deception  and  mur¬ 
der:  and,ifhe  were  permitted,  he  could  do  more  mischief  by  ingeniously 
connecting  the  doctrines  of  the  Gospel  with  pernicious  errors  and  iin- 

V.  40.  Departed.]  ‘  They  wisely  complied  with  the  request  of  the  ma¬ 
gistrates,  that  they  might  not  seem,  (ns  Itrennius  well  observes,)  to  ex¬ 
press  any  degree  of  obstinacy  or  revenge,  or  give  suspicion  of  any  design 
to  stir  up  any  kind  of  sedition.’  Dodds.  - 

NOTES.  Chap.  XVII.  V.  I — 4.  From  the  epistles  to  the  Thessa- 
lonians,  it  is  evident,  that  the  apostle  was  remarkably  successful  among 
the  idolatrous  Gentiles  also ;  and  that  he  continued  here  a  considerable 
time  :  but  after  the  first  three  sabbaths,  it  is  probable  lie  left  the  Jews, 
and  preached  chiefly  to  the  Gentiles. — As  the  historian  says  they,  not 
we,  it  is  conjectured,  that  Luke  stayed  behind  at  Philippi,  and  did  not 
join  the  company  till  some  time  after. — ‘  Upon  inspecting  the  history,  I 
see  nothing  in  it  which  negatives  the  supposition,  that  Paul  pursued  the 
same  plan  at  Thessalonica,  which  he  adopted  in  other  places  ;  and  that, 
though  he  resorted  to  the  synagogue  only  three  sabbath-days ;  yet  he  re¬ 
mained  in  the  city,  and  in  the  exercise  ofhis  ministry  among  the  Gentile 
citizens,  much  longer;  and  until  the  success  of  his  preaching  had  provo¬ 
ked  the  Jews  to  excite  the  tumult  nnd  insurrection,  hv  which  he  was 
driven  away.  The  Alexandrian  and  Cambridge  manuscripts  read  “of 
tile  worshippers,  and  of  the  Greeks  «  grout  multitude.”  ’  ‘ ...  If  we  be 
not  allowed  to  change  the  present  reading,  ..  .  may  not  the  pussage..  . 


moral  practices,  than  by  any  species  of  superstition,  persecution,  and 
infidelity.  Much  he  actually  effects  in  this  way,  by  means  of  antino- 
mian,  euthusiastical,  and  scandalous  preachers  ;  xvho,  being  confounded 
with  the  real  servants  of  Christ,  bring  them  also  into  contempt  and  ab¬ 
horrence,  with  thousands,  nay  millions  of  superficial  observers.  But 
we  must  strenuously  disclaim  such  coalitions:  and  commendations, 
from  had  and  suspicious  characters,  should  more  excite  our  grief  and  in¬ 
dignation,  than  all  their  calumnies  and  reproaches. — Too  often  indeed 
the  laws  of  the  state  interfere  with  those  of  God,  and  the  customs  of  the 
world  contradict  the  wisdom  and  holiness  of  his  service :  yet,  interested 
opposers  frequently  make  these  things  a  mere  pretence  for  persecution, 
while  they  are  actuated  by  avarice,  ambition,  or  revenge  alone.  The 
vilest  of  malefactors  may,  therefore,  expect  more  favorable  treatment 
than  zealous  ministers,  who  will  not  let  sinners  go  on  unmolested  in  the 
ways  of  destruction.  lint  the  servants  of  Christ  should  suffer  persecu¬ 
tion  peaceably,  and  forgive  injuries  readily  :  yet  there  may  be  cases,  in 
which  it  will  be  proper  for  them  to  claim  the  protection  of  the  laws, 
and  to  protest  against  the  flagrant  injustice  of  oppressive  magistrates; 
especially  when  they  violate  the  laws  of  their  country  xvhich  they  are 
commissioned  to  execute,  in  vehement  zeal  against  the  objects  of  their 
contempt  and  aversion.  This  (which  is  far  different  from  resisting  the 
execution  of  the  law  itself,  when  deemed  unreasonable,)  may  conduce 
to  public  justice,  the  peace  of  the  church  and  of  the  community,  and 
tlie  credit  of  their  profession.  But  when  proper  concessions  are  made 
by  those  xvho  have  acted  illegally,  Christians  should  never  express  per¬ 
sonal  resentment,  or  insist  strictly  on  reparation;  but  manifest  a  disin¬ 
terested  public  spirit  in  everything.  Thus  their  enemies  will  be  ashamed, 
silenced,  or  conciliated ;  the  Lord  will  make  them  ‘  more  than  conquer¬ 
ors  ’  in  every  conflict ;  and,  instead  of  being  cast  down  by  their  suffer¬ 
ings,  they  shall  even  become  the  comforters  of  their  brethren,  who  have 
been  exempted  from  so  large  a  share  of  tribulation.  Scott. 

be  considered  as  describing  tile  success  of  Paul’s  discourses,  during  tile 
three  sabbath-days,  in  xvhich  he  preached  in  the  synagogue  ?  and. .  .that 
his  application  to  the  Gentiles  at  large,  and  his  success  among  them,  was 
posterior  to  this  ?’  Paley.—  It  appears  from  the  epistles  to  the  Thessalo- 
nians,  that  the  church  at  Thessalonica  was  chiefly  formed  of  converted 
idolaters ;  and  that  Paul  and  his  companions  entered  very  particularly 
into  the  several  parts  of  Christian  doctrine  and  duty,  in  their  practical 
instructions  of  the  new  converts,  before  they  left  the  city:  and  in  xvri- 
ting  to  the  Phiiippians,  the  apostle  observes,  that  they  had  sent  twice  to 
supply  his  wants,  xvlien  at  Thessalonica.  Phil.  4:14 — 20.  1  These.  1:9, 
10.  4:1 — 5.  These  things  show,  that  he  labored  in  this  city  much  longer 
than  the  three  sabbath-days  here  mentioned.  Alleging.]  ‘Placing  it 
before  their  eyes  ;  i.  e.,  so  manifestly  expounding  it,  that  we  perceive 
the  things  which  are  proposed  to  be  seen.’  Beza.  Scott. 

(1.)  Amphipolis.]  ‘The  metropolis  of  the  first  division  of  Macedo¬ 
nia,  as  made  by  Paulus  ASiniliua  sec  on  ch.  10:10.  Cimon,  the  Atheni¬ 
an  general,  sent  10,000  thither  as  a  colony.  It  stood  on  an  island  in  the 
river  Strymon,  nnd  had  its  name  Amphipolis,  because  included  between 
the  two  grand  branches  of  timt  river,  where  tiiey  empty  themselves  into 
the  sea.’  Doddr.  Thessalonica.]  Inhabited  by  Greeks  and  Romans, 

[95] 


A.  D.  55, 


ACTS,  XVlI.  Paul  persecuted  at  Thessalonica . 


3  Opening  and  alleging,  that 
Christ  must  b  needs  have  suffered, 
ami  risen  again  from  the  dead;  and 
that  this  Jesus,  c  whom  I  preach 
unto  you,  is  Christ. 

4  And  some  d  of  them  believed, 
and  e  consorted  with  Paul  and 
Silas  ;  and  of  the  devout  Greeks  a 
great  multitude,  and  of  the  chief 
women  not  a  few.  \ 

5  IF  But  the  Jews  which  believed 
not,  moved  with  envy,  took  unto 
them  certain,  lewd  fellows  of  the 
baser  sort,  and  gathered  a  compa¬ 
ny,  and  set  all  the  city  on  an  up¬ 
roar,  and  assaulted  the  house  of 
f  Jason,  and  sought  to  bring  them 
out  to  the  people. 

6  And  when  they  found  them  not, 
they  drew  Jason  and  certain  breth¬ 
ren  unto  the  rulers  of  the  city,  cry¬ 
ing,  e  These  that  have  turned  the 
world  upside  down,  are  come  hith¬ 
er  also  ; 

7  Whom  Jason  hath  received  : 
and  these  all  do  contrary  h  to  the 
decrees  of  Cesar,  saying  that  there 
is  another  king,  one  Jesus. 

b  l.n.  24:56,45.  c.  d  c.  28:24.  g  Lu.  23:5.  c.  16: 

18:28.  Ga.  3:1.  e  2  Cu  8:5.  1  Th.  50. 
c  or,  whom ,  suirl  1:5,8.  b  Lu.  23:2.  Jn. 

he,  I  preach.  (  Ro,  16:21.  19:12. 

(2.)  That  Jesus  is  the  Messiah  ;  *  This 
Jesus  whom  I  preach  unto  you ,  and  call  on 
you  to  believe  in,  is  Christ,  the  Christ,  the 
Anointed  of  the  Lord,  He  lliat  should  come, 
and  you  are  to  look  for  no  other ;  for  God  has, 
both  by  the  Scriptures  and  by  miracles,  and 
the  gift  of  (he  Spirit,  to  make  both  effectual, 
borne  witness  to  Him.’  Note,  Gospel-min¬ 
isters  should  preach  Jesus;  He  must  be  their 
principal  subject  ;  their  business  is  to  bring 
people  acquainted  with  Him.  What  we  are 
to  preach  concerning  Jesus,  is,  that  He  is 
Christ  ;  and  therefore  we  may  hope  to  be 
saved,  and  are  bound  to  be  ruled  by  Him. 

III.  The  success  of  his  preaching  there, 

v.  4. 

1.  Some  of  the  Jews  believed,  notwith¬ 
standing  their  rooted  prejudices,  and  they 
not  only  associated  with  Paul  and  Silas,  as 
friends  and  companions,  but  gave  up  them¬ 
selves  to  their  direction,  as  their  spiritual 
guides  ;  they  put  themselves  into  their  pos¬ 
session,  as  an  inheritance  into  the  possession 
of  the  right  owner,  so  the  word  signifies, 
2  Cor.  8:  5.  They  clave  to  Paul  and  Silas, 
and  attended  them  wherever  they  went. 
They  that  believe  in  Jesus  Christ,  come  into 
communion  with  his  faithful  ministers,  and 
fconsort  with  them. 

2.  Many  more  of  the  devout  Greeks,  and  of 
the  chief  women,  embraced  the  Gospel.  These 


were  proselytes  of  the  gate ;  the  godly  among 
the  Gentiles,  so  the  Jews  called  them  ;  such 
as,  though  they  did  not  submit  to  the  law  of 
Moses,  \et  renounced  idolatry  and  immo¬ 
rality,  worshipped  the  true  God  only', and  did 
no  man  any  wrong.  These  were  the  hoi  sebo- 
menoi  Hellenes,  the  ivorshipping  Gentiles ; 
as  in  America  they  call  those  of  the  natives 
that  are  converted  to  the  faith  of  Christ,  the 
praying  Indians ;  these  were  admitted  to 
join  with  the  Jews  in  their  synagogue-wor¬ 
ship.  Of  these  a  great  multitude  believed, 
more  of  them  than  of  the  thorough-paced 
Jews,  that  were  wedded  to  the  ceremonial 
law.  And  not  a  few  of  the  chief  women  of 
the  city,  that  were  devout,  and  had  a  sense 
of  religion,  embraced  Christianity.  Partic¬ 
ular  notice  is  taken  of  this,  for  an  example 
to  the  ladies,  the  chief  women,  and  an  en¬ 
couragement  to  them  to  employ  themselves 
in  the  exercises  of  devotion,  and  to  submit 
themselves  to  the  commanding  power  of 
Christ’s  holy  religion,  in  all  the  instances  of 
it  ;  for  this  intimates  how  acceptable  it  will 
be  to  God,  what  an  honor  to  Christ,  and 
what  great  influence  it  may  have  on  many, 
beside  the  advantages  of  it  to  their  own  souls. 

No  mention  is  here  made  of  their  preach¬ 
ing  the  Gospel  to  the  Gentile  idolaters  at 
Thessalonica,  yet  it  is  certain  they  did,  and 
that  great  numbers  were  converted  ;  nay,  it 
should  seem,  that  church  was  chiefly  com¬ 
posed  of  the  Gentile  converts,  though  notice 
is  not  taken  of  them  here  ;  for  Paul  writes 
to  the  Christians  there,  as  having  turned  to 
God  from  idols,  1  Thess.  1 :  9.  and  that  at  the 
first  entering  of  the  apostles  among  them. 

IV.  The  trouble  given  Paul  and  Silas  at 
Thessalonica;  wherever  they  preached,  they 
w'ere  sure  to  be  persecuted  ;  bonds  and  af¬ 
flictions  did  abide  them  in  every  city. 

1.  The  authors  of  it  ;  the  Jews  which  be¬ 
lieved  not,  that  were  moved  with  envy,  v.  5. 
The  Jews  were  in  all  places  the  most  invet¬ 
erate  enemies  to  the  Christians,  especially 
to  those  Jews  that  turned  Christians,  whom 
they  had  a  particular  spleen  against,  as  de¬ 
serters.  Paul,  in  his  epistle  to  this  church, 
notices  the  rage  and  enmity  of  the  Jews 
against  the  preachers  of  the  Gospel,  as  their 
measure-filling  sin.  1  Thess.  2:  15,  16. 

2.  The  instruments  ;  the  Jew's  made  use 
of  certain  lewd  persons  of  the  baser  sort.  All 
wise  and  sober  people  looked  upon  the  apos¬ 
tles  with  respect,  and  valued  them,  and  none 
w'ould  appear  against  them  but  a  company 
of  vile  men,  given  to  all  manner  of  wicked- 
ness.  Tertullian  pleads  this  with  those  that 
opposed  Christianity,  that  the  enemies  of  it 
were  generally  the  worst  of  men.  Apologia, 
cap.  5.  It  is  the  honor  of  religion,  that 
those  wdio  hate  it,  are  generally  the  lewd  fel¬ 
lows  of  the  baser  sort,  that  are  lost  to  all  sense 
of  justice  and  virtue. 

3.  In  what  method  they  proceeded.  (1.) 
They  set  the  city  in  an  uproar  ;  began  a  riot, 
and  then  the  mob  was  up  presently.  See 


who  are  the  troublers  of  Israel, — not  the 
faithful  preachers  of  the  Gospel,  but  the  en¬ 
emies  of  it.  See  how'  the  devil  carries  on 
his  designs  ;  he  sets  cities  in  an  uproar, 
sets  souls  in  ati^pproar,  and  then  fishes  in 
troubled  waters.  (2.)  They  assaulted  the 
house  of  Jason ,  wdiere  the  apostles  lodged, 
with  a  design  to  bring  them  out  to  the  people, 
whom  they  had  incensed  and  enraged  against 
them,  and  by  whom  they  hoped  to  see  them 
pulled  to  pieces.  The  proceedings  here  were 
altogether  illegal  ;  if  Jason’s  house  must  be 
searched,  it  ought  to  be  done  by  the  proper 
officers,  and  not  without  a  warrant.  What 
outrages  men  are  carried  to,  by  a  spirit  <4 
persecution !  [conscienceless,  headless, heart¬ 
less,  irresponsible,  unrepenting.]  If  men 
have  offended,  magistrates  are  appointed  to 
inquire  into  the  offence,  and  to  judge  of  it  ; 
but  to  make  the  rabble  judges,  and  execu¬ 
tioners  too,  as  these  here  designed  to  do, 
was  to  make  truth  fall  in  the  street ;  to  depose 
equity,  and  enthrone  fury.  (3.)  When  they 
could  not  get  the  apostles  into  their  hands, 
then  they  fall  on  an  honest  citizen  of  their 
own,  who  entertained  the  apostles  at  his 
house,  a  converted  Jew,  and  drew  him  out 
with  some  other  of  the  brethren,  to  the 
rulers  of  the  city.  The  apostles  were  ad¬ 
vised  to  withdraw,  for  they  were  more  ob¬ 
noxious, — Retire  before  the  torrent.  But  their 
friends  were  willing  to  expose  themselves, 
being  better  able  to  weather  this  storm.  For 
a  good  man,  for  such  good  men  as  the  apos¬ 
tles,  some  would  even  dare  to  die.  (4.)  They 
accused  them  to  the  rulers,  and  represented 
them  as  dangerous  persons,  not  fit  to  be  tol¬ 
erated  ;  the  crime  charged  on  Jason,  is, 
receiving  and  harboring  them,  v.  7.  counte¬ 
nancing  them,  aud  promoting  their  interest. 
And  what  was  the  apostles’  crime,  that  it 
should  be  no  less  than  misprision  of  treason 
to  give  them  lodging  1  Two  very  black 
characters  are  here  given  them,  enough,  if 
just,  to  make  them  odious  to  the  people,  and 
obnoxious  to  the  magistrates. 

[1.]  That  they  were  enemies  to  the  public 
peace,  and  threw  everything  into  disorder, 
wherever  they  came.  In  one  sense  it  is 
true,  that  wherever  the  Gospel  comes  in  its 
power  to  any  place,  to  any  soul,  it  works 
such  a  change  there,  that  it  may  be  said  to 
turn  the  world  upside  down  in  that  place,  in 
that  soul.  But  in  the  sense  they  meant  it, 
it  is  utterly  false :  they  would  have  it  thought, 
that  the  preachers  of  the  Gospel  were  in¬ 
cendiaries  and  mischief-makers  wherever 
they  came  ;  that  they  sowed  discord  among 
relations,  set  neighbors  together  by  the  ears, 
obstructed  commerce,  and  inverted  all  or¬ 
der  and  regularity.  Because  they  persuaded 
people  to  turn  from  vice  to  virtue;  from  idols 
to  the  living  and  true  God  ;  from  malice  and 
envy  to  love  and  peace  ;  they  are  charged 
with  turning  the  world  upside  down,  when  it 
was  only  the  kingdom  of  the  devil  in  the  world 
that  they  thus  overturned.  Their  enemies 


chiefly,  and  many  Jews,  so  Plin.  ‘Situated  on  what  was  called  the 
Thermaic  gulf,  embellished  and  enlarged,  according  to  Stephanus  By- 
zantinus ,  by  Philip  king  of  Macedon,  who  called  it  Thessalonica,  on  ac¬ 
count  ol  the  victory  he  obtained  there  over  the  Thessalians  ;  hut  prior 
to  this  called  Thermae.  Strabo,  Tzetzes,  and  Zonaras  say,  it  was  called 
Thessalonica ,  from  Thessalonica,  wife  of  Cassander,  and  daughter,  of 
Philip.'  Ur.  A.  C.  It  seems  to  have  been  (as  now  in  a  degree)  a  great 
centre  of  commerce  and  intercourse,  between  Asia  and  Europe.  It  now 
has  60.000  inhabitants.  Ed. 

V.  5 — 9.  Jason  seems  to  have  been  a  relation  of  Paul,  and  a  Jew, 
Rom.  16:21.  Lewd  fellows.]  ‘Wicked  men.’ — Of  the  baser  sort.] — Here 
only,  in  this  sense  [graphically  describing  every  mob].  The  persons  who 
performed  the  lowest  offices  in  the  markets.  Scott. 

(5.)  Of  the  baser  sort.]  ‘  Agoraios  denotes  what  is  connected  with 
a  market-place  or  a  forum ;  and  carries  various  significations,  in  refe¬ 
rence  to  file  different  kinds  of  business  accustomed  to  be  done  there. 
Thus  iu  19:38.  agoraiai  hlmerai  are  “days  on  which  business  is  done  in 
the  forum.”  As  applied  to  persons ,  it  denotes  those  who  keep  the  mar¬ 
ket.  IP i etst.  has  illustrated  the  various  uses  of  the  word,  by  a  vast  num¬ 
ber  of  passages  from  the  classical  writers;  e.  g.  Herod,  and  Xen.  where 
it  means  market-people.  But  it  also  denoted  not  merely  buyers  and  sel¬ 
lers  iu  a  market,  but  those  idlers  who  (like  the  lazzaroni  at  Naples)  al¬ 
most  lived  in  the  market,  and  even  slept  by  night  under  the  porticoes 
and  other  places  of  shelter.  Of  such,  it  would  seem,  Horace  speaks,  as 
innati  triviis  ac  pene  forenses,  born  in  the  streets,  and  almost  forum- 
dwellers.  [vulg.  loafers.]  Cic.  calls  them,  subrostrani  [under-stallers] ; 


Plautus,  subbasilicani  Lunder-porchers] ;  Cic.  again,  the  feex  and  senti- 
n a  [dregs  and  cess-pool]  of  the  city.  Hence  agoraioi  came  to  denote 
persons  of  the  lowest  and  basest  sort,  the  very  dregs  of  society,  a  sense 
very  frequent  in  the  classical  writers;  and  most  of  Wetst.’s  "examples 
tend  to  illustrate  this  last  signification,  which  is  noticed  by  Suid.,  Ile- 
sych.,  Sec.  Valckn.  observes,  that  this  use  of  the  word  is  to  be  traced  to 
the  abhorrence  in  which  the  market  rabble  were  held  by  the  respectable 
citizens,  and  the  notoriously  lying  and  fraudulent  character  of  the  petty, 
huckstering  traders;  as  also  to  the  market-place  [especially  in  such  a 
commercial  thoroughfare  as  Thessalonica]  being  the  usual  resort  of  those 
scum e  in  the  Grecian  cities,  who  spent  the  day  in  utter  idleness.  Gath¬ 
ering  a  company .[  Lit.  raising  a  mob  :  [blind  leaders  of  the  blind,  as  all 
mobs  and  mobbers  are.]  To  the  people.]  Demos  iB  not  here  the  peo¬ 
ple,  or  the  mob  (as  Doddr.),  but  the  popular  assembly  in  the  forum,  or 
elsewhere.  So  19:30.’  Bloomf.  Lewd  fellows  of  the  baser  sort.]  ‘Proba¬ 
bly  a  low  kind  of  lawyers,  (having  a  certain  juridical  credit,  and  so  set  on 
to  accuse  the  apostles  of  sedition ,)  what  we  would  call  pettifoggers,  or 
attorneys  without  principle,  who  gave  advice  fora  trifle,  always  attended 
forensic  litigations,  and  fomented  disputes  and  lawsuits  among  the  peo¬ 
ple, — wicked  men  of  the  forensic  tribe.'  Dr.  A.  Clarke. 

(6,7.)  Crying.]  ‘  Lit.  shouting,  bawling,  vociferating.  See  8:7.  21: 
34.  This  verb  is  often  used  in  Thucyd.,  as  hero,  of  the  shouts  and  clam¬ 
ors  of  the  populace.  These  accusers  v.  7.  take  advantage  of  the  ambi¬ 
guity  in  the  sense  of  Kurios,  [Lord,]  the  name  given  by  the  Christians  to 
Christ,  [and  so  Doddr.,]  which  was  also  that  applied  to  kings  and  em¬ 
perors  ’  Bloomf. 


A.  D.  55. 


ACTS,  XVII. 


Commendation  of  the  Bereans. 


8  And  they  troubled  '  the  people, 
and  the  rulers  of  the  city,  when 
they  heard  these  things. 

9  And  when  they  had  taken  se¬ 
curity  of  Jason,  and  of  the  other, 
they  let  them  go. 

10  V  And  the  brethren  immedi¬ 
ately  sent  away  J  Paul  and  Silas  by 
night  unto  Berea  :  who  coming 
thither ,  went  into  the  synagogue  of 
the  Jews. 

1 1  These  were  more  k  noble  than 
those  in  Thessalonica,  in  that  .they 
received  the  word  with  all  readiness 
’of  mind,  and  searched  the  Scrip¬ 
tures  m  daily,  whether  those  things 
were  so. 

12  Therefore  many  of  them  be¬ 
lieved  :  also  of  honorable  women 
which  were  Greeks,  and  of  men, 
not  a  few. 

i  Mat.  2:3.  Jn.  k  Ps.  119:99,100.  m  1«.  34:16.  Lu. 

11:48.  1  Ja.  1:21.  1  Pe.  16:29.  24:44. 

j  «.  9:25.  ver.  14.  2:2.  Jn.  5:39. 

set  the  city  in  an  uproar,  and  then  laid  the 
blame  on  them  *  ;  a3  Nero  set  Rome  on  fire, 
and  then  charged  it  on  the  Christians.  If 
Christ’s  faithful  ministers,  even  those  that 
are  most  quiet  in  the  land,  be  thus  invidiously 
misrepresented  and  miscalled,  let  them  not 
think  it  strange,  or  beexasperated  by  it ;  we 
are  not  better  than  Paul  and  Silas,  who 
were  thus  abused.  The  accusers  cry  out, 
‘  They  are  come  hither  also  ;  they  have  been 
doing  all  the  mischief  they  could  in  other 
places,  and  now’  they  have  brought  the  infec¬ 
tion  hither  ;  it  is  therefore  time  for  us  to 
bestir  ourselves,  and  make  head  against 
them.’ 

[2.]  That  they  were  enemies  to  the  es¬ 
tablished  government,  and  disaffected  to 
that,  and  their  principles  and  practices  de¬ 
structive  to  monarchy,  and  inconsistent  witli 
the  constitution  of  the  state,  v.  7.  They  all 
do  contrary  to  the  decrees  of  Cesar  ;  not  to 
any  particular  decree,  for  there  was  as  yet 
no  law  of  the  empire  against  Christianity  ; 
but  contrary  to  Cesar’s  power,  in  general, 
to  make  decrees  ;  for  they  say.  There  is 
another  King,  one  Jesus  ;  not  only  a  King 
of  the  Jews,  as  our  Savior  was  Himself 
charged  before  Pilate,  but  Lord  of  all  ;  so 
Peter  called  Him,  in  the  first  sermon  he 
preached  to  the  Gentiles,  ck.  10:36.  It  is 
true,  the  Roman  government,  both  while  it 
was  a  commonwealth,  and  after  it  came  into 
the  Cesars’  hands,  was  very  jealous  of  any 
governor  under  their  dominion  taking  on 
him  the  title  of  king,  and  there  was  an  ex¬ 
press  law  against  it.  But  Christ’s  kingdom 
was  not  of  this  world.  His  followers  said  in¬ 
deed,  Jesus  is  a  King,  but  not  an  earthly 
king,  not  a  rival  with  Cesar,  nor  his  or¬ 
dinances  interfering  with  the  decrees  of  Ce¬ 
sar,  but  who  had  made  it  a  law  of  his  king¬ 
dom,  to  render  unto  Cesar  the  things  that  are 
Cesar’s.  There  was  nothing  in  the  doctrine 
of  Christ  that  tended  to  the  dethroning  of 

•  How  exactly  will  this  apply  to  the  mob*  in  the  U.S.  Ed. 


princes,  or  the  depriving  them  of  any  of  their 
prerogatives  ;  and  they  knew  it  very  well, 
and  it  was  against  their  conscience  that  they 
laid  this  to  their  charge.  And  of  all  people 
it  ill  became  the  Jews  to  do  it,  who  hated 
Cesar  and  his  government,  and  sought  the 
ruin  of  him  and  it,  and  who  expected  a  Mes¬ 
siah  that  should  be  a  temporal  prince,  and 
overturn  the  thrones  of  kingdoms,  and 
were  therefore  opposing  our  Lord  Jesus,  be¬ 
cause  He  did  not  appear  under  that  character. 
Thus  they  have  been  most  spiteful  in  repre¬ 
senting  God’s  faithful  people  as  enemies  to 
Cesar,  and  hurtful  to  kings  and  provinces, 
who  have  been  themselves  setting  up  a  king¬ 
dom  within  a  kingdom,  a  power  not  only  in 
competition  with  Cesar’s,  but  superior  to  it, 
that  of  the  papal  supremacy. 

4.  The  great  uneasiness  this  gave  the 
city,  v .  8.  They  had  no  ill  opinion  of  the 
apostles  or  their  doctrine,  could  not  appre¬ 
hend  any  danger  to  the  state  from  them,  and 
therefore  were  willing  to  connive  at  them  ; 
but  if  they  be  represented  to  them  by  the 
prosecutors  as  enemies  to  Cesar,  they  will  be 
obliged  to  take  cognizance  of  them,  and  to 
suppress  them,  for  fear  of  the  government; 
and  tin’s  troubled  them.  Claudius,  the  pres¬ 
ent  emperor,  is  represented  by  Suetonius,  as 
a  man  very  jealous  of  the  least  commotion, and 
timorous  to  the  last  degree,  which  obliged 
the  rulers  under  him  to  be  watchful  against 
everything  that  looked  dangerous,  or  gave 
the  least  cause  of  suspicion  ;  therefore  it 
troubled  them  to  be  brought  under  a  neces¬ 
sity  of  disturbing  good  men. 

5.  The  issue  of  this  troublesome  affair  ; 
the  magistrates  had  no  mind  to  prosecute  the 
Christians  ;  care  was  taken  to  secure  the 
apostles,  they  absconded,  and  fled,  and  kept 
out  of  tljeir  hands  ;  so  that  nothing  was  to  be 
done  but  to  discharge  Jason  and  his  friends, 
on  bail,  v.  9.  The  magistrates  here  were 
not  so  easily  incensed  against  the  apostles  as 
the  magistrates  at  Philippi,  but  were  more 
considerate,  and  of  better  temper  ;  so  they 
took  security  of  Jason  and  the  other,  bound 
them  to  their  good  behavior  ;  and  perhaps 
they  gave  bond  for  Paul  and  Silas,  that  they 
should  be  forth-coming  when  they  were 
called  for,  if  anything  should  afterward  ap¬ 
pear  against  them. 

Among  the  persecutors  of  Christianity,  as 
there  have  been  instances  of  the  madness 
and  rage  of  brutes,  so  there  have  been  like¬ 
wise  of  the  prudence  and  temper  of  men. 

V.  10 — 15.  In  these  vs.  we  have, 

I.  Paul  and  .Silas  removing  to  Berea,  and 
preaching  the  Gospel  there,  v.  10.  That 
command  of  Christ  to  his  disciples,  When 
they  persecute  you  in  one  city,  flee  to  another, 
intends  their  flight  to  be  not  so  much  for  their 
own  safety,  as  for  the  carrying  on  of  their 
work,  as  appears  by  the  reason  given,  Mat. 
10:23.  Thus  the  devil  was  outshot  in  his 
own  bow.  See  here, 

1.  The  care  the  brethren  took  of  Paul  and 
Silas,  when  they  perceived  how  the  plot  was 
laid  against  them  ;  they  immediately  sent 
them  aivay  by  night,  incognito,  to  Berea. 
This  could  be  no  surprise  to  the  young  con¬ 
verts,  Paul  at  first  told  them  it  would  be  so, 

1  Thess.  3:4.  It  should  seem  Paul  and  Si¬ 


las  would  willingly  have  stayed,  and  faced 
the  storm,  if  the  brethren  would  have  let 
them  ;  but  they  would  rather  want  their 
help  than  expose  their  lives,  which,  it  should 
seem,  were  dearer  to  their  friends  than  to 
themselves. 

2.  The  constancy  of  Paul  and  Silas  in 
their  work  ;  when  they  came  to  Berea,  they 
went  into  the  synagogue  of  the  Jews,  and  made 
their  public  appearance  there.  Though  the 
Jews  at  Thessalonica  had  been  their  spite¬ 
ful  enemies,  and,  for  aught  they  knew,  the 
Jews  at  Berea  would  be  so  too,  yet  they  aid 
not  therefore  decline  paying  their  respect  to 
the  Jews,  either  in  revenge,  or  fear.  If 
others  will  not  do  their  duty  to  us,  yet  we 
ought  to  do  ours  to  them. 

II.  The  good  character  of  the  Jews  in 
Berea,  v.  11.  They  were  better  disposed  to 
receive  the  Gospel  than  the  Jews  at  Thes¬ 
salonica,  were  not  so  bigoted  and  prejudiced 
against  it,  not  so  peevish  and  ill-natured, 
they  were  more  noble, — better  bred  ;  1.  They 
had  a  freer  thought,  lay  more  open  to  con¬ 
viction,  were  willing  to  hear  reason,  and 
admit  the  force  of  it,  and  to  subscribe  to 
what  appeared  to  be  truth,  though  contrary 
to  their  former  sentiments  ;  this  was  more 
noble.  2.  They  had  a  better  temper,  were 
not  so  sour  and  morose,  and  ill-conditioned 
towards  all  that  W'ere  not  of  their  mind.  As 
they  were  ready  to  come  into  a  unity  with 
those  that  by  the  power  of  truth  they  were 
brought  to  concur  with,  so  they  continued 
in  charity  with  those  that  they  saw  cause 
to  differ  from  ;  this  was  more  noble.  3. 
They  neither  prejudged  the  cause,  nor  were 
moved  with  envy  at  the  managers  of  it,  but 
very  generously  gave  both  it  and  them  a 
fair  hearing,  without  passion  or  partiality  ; 
for, 

(1.)  They  received  theWord  with  all  readi¬ 
ness  of  mind;  were  very  willing  to  hear  it, 
presently  apprehended  the  meaning  of  it, 
and  did  not  shut  their  eyes  against  the  light, 
did  not  quarrel  with  theWord,  nor  find  fault, 
nor  seek  occasion  against  the  preachers  of 
it  ;  but  bid  it  welcome,  and  put  a  candid 
construction  on  everything  said  ;  herein 
they  were  more  noble  than  the  Jews  in  Thessa¬ 
lonica,  but  walked  in  the  same  spirit,  and  in 
the  same  steps,  with  the  Gentiles  there,  of 
whom  it  is  said,  that  they  received  the  Word 
with  joy  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  turned  to 
God  from  idols,  1  Thess.  1:  6,  9.  This  was 
true  nobility  ;  and  these  were  the  most  no¬ 
ble,  if  I  may  so  say,  the  most  gentleman¬ 
like  men.  Virtue  and  piety  are  true  nobility, 
true  honor  :  and^ithout  that,  What  are. pedi¬ 
grees  and  pompous  titles  worth  ? 

(2.)  They  searched  the  Scriptures  daily 
whether  these  things  were  so.  Their  readiness 
of  mind  to  receive  the  Word,  was  not  such, 
as  that  they  took  things  on  trust,  on  an  im¬ 
plicit  faith  :  no  ;  but  since  Paul  reasoned 
out  of  the  Scriptures,  and  referred  to  the 
O.  T.,  they  had  recourse  to  their  Bibles, 
turned  to  the  places  he  referred  to,  read  the 
context,  considered  the  scope  and  drift,  com¬ 
pared  other  places,  examined  whether  Paul’s 
inferences  from  them  were  natural  and  gen¬ 
uine,  and  his  arguments  on  them  cogent, 
and  determined  accordingly.  Observe,  The 


V.  10 — 15.  It  does  not  appear,  that  Silas  came  to  Paul,  while  at  Ath¬ 
ens  :  and  Timothy,  when  he  arrived,  was  sent  from  Athens  back  to 
Thessalonica,  as  we  learn  from  1  Thess. :  and  both  he  and  Silas  again 
joined  the  apostle  at  Corinth.  .  Scott. 

(11.)  More  noble.]  ‘Were  of  a  better  race,  extraction,  or  birth; 
but  the  word  refers  more  to  their  conduct,  as  a  proof  of  their  better  dis¬ 
position,  than  to  their  birth,  or  any  peculiar  lineal  nobility.’  Ur.  A.  C. 
‘The  Gr.  here,  eugenSs,  and  the  Lat. ingenuus,  have  a  metaphorical  sense, 
applied  to  the  mind,  and  denote  iugenuous,  liberal,  of  good  disposition 
and  manners.  So  the  classics.’  Bloom/.  ‘  The  expression,  as  IVhitby  has 
observed,  has  in  it  a  peculiar  spirit  and  propriety,  as  the  Jews  boasted 
that  they  were  free,  and  noble,  by  virtue  of  their  descent  from  Abra¬ 
ham  and  the  other  patriarchs.  These  Bereans,  imitating  the  rational 
faith  of  their  great  progenitor,  were  his  more  genuine  offspring.'  Doddr. 
Searching.]  ‘Lit.  diligently  examining,  scrutinizing  with  judgment. 
Beza  paraphrases  thus  :  diligently  and  with  judgment  weighing  every¬ 
thing,  abandoning  all  prejudices,  and  yet  not  catching  up  anything  light¬ 
ly  and  inconsiderately.’  Bloom f.  It  is  easier  to  form  a  creed,  and  then  go 
to  the  Bible  and  look  up  proof-texts  of  it,  than  to  take  the  pains  the  Be- 
N.  T.  VOL.  V.  13 


reans  did.  Doddr.  remarks,  ‘Not  that  Christianity  cannot  be  proved 
otherwise  than  from  the  prophecies  of  the  O.  T.  It  might  be  demon¬ 
strated  from  various  topics  of  external  and  internal  evidence  to  those 
who  never  heard  of  any  former  revelation.  Another  very  important 
additional  argument  does  indeed  arise  from  the  accomplishment  of  proph¬ 
ecies  ;  and  when  it  has  been  asserted  (as  we  know  it  has),  by  the  author¬ 
ized  teachers  of  the  Gospel,  not  only  that  Christ  is  a  divine  messenger, 
but  also  that  his  appearance  was  foretold  to  the  Jews,  then  it  is  impos¬ 
sible  to  vindicate  Christ’s  mission  without  showing  that  it  was  so.  But 
in  examining  the  particular  texts  in  question,  we  are  not  only  to  inquire 
whether  the  sense  given  by  the  apostles  be,  in  itself  considered,  most 
easy  and  natural,  which  is  generally  the  case ;  but  (especially  on  account 
of  the  obscurity  which  must  of  course  attend  prophecy)  we  are  to  con¬ 
sider  whether  the  improbability  of  the  sense  they  give  in  nny  particular 
instance,  or  in  all  instances,  be  sufficient  to  balance  the  other  proots 
they  produced  of  being  under  divine  guidance,  before  we  can  draw  any 
conclusion  to  the  prejudice  of  their  plenary  inspiration ;  so  far  snouid 
we  be  from  concluding,  without  such  an  overbalance,  that _  Christianity 
is  false,  which  has  generally  been  the  way  of  indolent  half-thinkers^  Ed. 


A.  D.  55, 


ACTS,  XVII. 


Paul  is  conducted  to  Athens. 


13  IT  But  when  the  Jews  of 
Thessalonica  had  knowledge  that 
the  word  of  God  was  preached  of 
Paul  at  Berea,  they  came  thither 
also,  and  stirred  up  “the  people. 

14  And  then  immediately  the 
brethren  sent  away  0  Paul,  to  go  as 
it  were  to  the  sea  :  but  Silas  and 
Timotheus  abode  there  still. 

15  And  they  that  conducted  Paul 
brought  him  unto  Athens  :  and  re¬ 
ceiving  a  commandment  unto  Silas 
and  Timotheus,  pfor  to  come  to 
him  with  all  speed,  they  departed. 

16  IT  Now  while  Paul  waited  for 
-hem  at  Athens,  n  his  spirit  was  stir¬ 
red  in  him,  when  he  saw  the  city 
r  wholly  given  to  idolatry. 

17  Therefore  disputed  he  in  the 
synagogue  with  the  Jews,  and  with 
the  devout  s  persons,  and  in  the 
market  daily  with  them  that  met 
with  him. 


n  Lu.  12:51. 
o  Mat.  10:23. 
p  c.  18:5. 


q  Ps.  119:136. 
2  Pe.  2.8. 


r  or,  full  of  idols , 
s  c.  8:2. 


doctrine  of  Christ  does  not  fear  a  scrutiny  ; 
advocates  for  his  cause  desire  no  more,  than 
that  people  will  not  say,  These  things  are  not 
so,  till  they  have  first,  without  prejudice  and 
partiality,  examined  whether  they  be  so  or  no. 
The  N.  T.  is  to  be  examined  by  the  Old. 
The  Jews  received  the  O.  T.,and  those  that 
did  so,  if  they  considered  things  aright, 
could  not  but  see  cause  sufficient  to  receive 
the  New,  because  in  it  they  see  all  the 
prophecies  and  promises  of  the  Old  fully 
and  exactly  accomplished.  Those  that  read 
and  receive  the.  Scriptures,  must  search  them, 
John  5:  39.  study  them,  consider  them,  both 
that  they  may  find  out  the  truth,  and  not 
mistake  the  sense,  and  so  run  into  error,  or 
remain  in  it  ;  and  that  they  may  find  out 
the  whole  truth  contained  in  them,  and  have 
an  intimate  acquaintance  with  the  mind  of 
God  revealed  in  them.  Searching  the  Scrip¬ 
tures  must  be  our  daily  work  ;  they  that 
heard  the  Word  in  the  synagogue  on  the  sab- 
bath-day,  did  not  think  that  enough,  but 
were  searching  it  every  day  in  the  week, 
that  they  might  improve  what  they  had  heard 
the  Sabbath  before, and  prepare  for  what  they 
were  to  hear  the  Sabbath  after.  Those  are 
truly  noble,  and  in  a  fair  way  to  be  more 
and  more  so,  that  make  thofiScriptures  their 
oracle,  touchstone,  [and  standard,]  and  con¬ 
sult  them  accordingly ;  they  have  their  minds 
filled  with  noble  thoughts,  fixed  to  noble 
principles,  and  formed  for  noble  aims  and 
designs.  These  are  more  noble. 

Ilf.  The  preaching  of  the  Gospel  at  Be¬ 
rea  had  the  desired  success  ;  the  people’s 
hearts  being  prepared,  much  work  was  done 
suddenly,  v.  12.  1.  Of  the.  Jews  many  be¬ 

lieved  ;  at  Thessalonica,  only  some,  v.  4.  but 
at  Berea,  where  they  heard  with  unpreju¬ 
diced  minds,  many  believed ;  many  more 


Jews  than  at  Thessalonica.  God  gives 
grace  to  those  whom  He  first  inclines  to 
make  a  diligent  use  of  the  means  of  grace, 
and  particularly  to  search  the  Scriptures. 
2.  Of  the  Greeks  likewise,  the  Gentiles, 
many  believed,  both  of  the  honorable  women,  the 
ladies  of  quality,  and  of  men  not  a  few,  men 
of  the  first  rank,  as  should  seem  by  their  be¬ 
ing  mentioned  with  the  honorable  women. 
The  wives  [perhaps  Jewesses,  whose  mar¬ 
riage  with  Gentiles,  often  served  for  pros- 
elyting]  first  embraced  the  Gospel,  and  then 
they  persuaded  their  husbands  to  embrace  it. 
Tor  what  knowest  thou,  O  wife,  but  thc/u  shall 
save  thy  husband?  1  Cor.  7:16. 

IV.  The  persecution  raised  against  Paul 
and  Silas  at  Berea,  which  forced  Paul 
thence. 

1.  The  Jews  at  Thessalonica  were  the 
mischief-makers  at  Berea  ;  as  if  they  had  a 
commission  from  the  prince  of  darkness  to 
go  from  place  to  place  to  oppose  the  Gospel, 
as  the  apostles  had  to  preach  it.  Thus  we 
read  before,  that  the  Jews  at  Antioch  and 
Iconium  came  to  Lystra,  on  purpose  to  in¬ 
cense  the  people  against  the  apostles,  ch.  14: 
19.  See  how  restless  Satan’s  agents  are  in 
their  opposition  to  the  Gospel  of  Christ,  and 
the  salvation  of  souls  !  We  must  not  think  it 
strange,  if' persecutors  at  home  extend  their 
rage  to  stir  up  persecution  abroad. 

2.  This  occasioned  Paul’s  remove  to 
Athens.  The  Berean  brethren  showed  them¬ 
selves  sensible,  active  men,  by  the  care  they 
took  of  Paul,  v.  14.  Aware  of  the  coming 
of  the  persecuting  Jews  from  Thessalonica; 
and  fearing  what  it  would  come  to,  they  lost 
no  time,  but  immediately  sent  Paul,  against 
whom  they  were  most  prejudiced,  and  en¬ 
raged,  away,  hoping  that  would  pacify  them, 
while  they  retained  Silas  and  Timothy,  who, 
now  Paul  had  broken  the  ice,  might  be  suf¬ 
ficient  to  carry  on  the  work  without  exposing 
him.  They  sent  Paul  to  go  even  to  the  sea, 
so  some  ;  to  go  as  it  were  to  the  sea,  so  we 
read  it.  He  went  out  from  Berea,  in  that 
road  which  went  to  the  sea,  that  the  Jews, 
if  they  inquired  after  him,  might  think 
he  was  gone  to  a  great  distance  ;  but  he 
went  by  land  to  Athens,  in  which  there  was 
no  culpable  dissimulation  at  all.  They  that 
conducted  Paul,  (as  his  guides  and  guards, 
he  being  both  a  stranger  in  the  country, and 
one  that  had  many  enemies,)  brought  him  to 
Athens.  The  Spirit  of  God  directed  him 
to  that  famous  city  ;  famous  of  old  for  its 
power  and  dominion,  when  the  Athenian 
commonwealth  coped  with  the  Spartan  ; 
famous  afterward  for  learning,  it  was  the 
rendezvous  of  scholars  ;  those  that  wanted 
learning,  went  thither  to  get  it,  because  those 
that  had  learning  went  thither  to  show  it. 
It  was  it  great  university,  much  resorted  to 
from  all  parts,  and  therefore,  for  the  better 
diffusing  of  gospel-light,  Paul  is  sent  thither, 
and  is  not  ashamed  or  afraid  to  show  his 
face  among  the  philosophers  there,  and  there 
to  preach  Chiist  crucified,  though  he  knew  it 
would  be  as  much  foolishness  to  the  Greeks, 
as  it  was  to  the  Jews  a  stumbling-block . 

3.  He  ordered  Silas  and  Timothy  to  come 


(13.)  Stirred  up  the  people .]  ‘  Raising  a  storm  among  the  populace. 
Blackwall  has  rightly  observed,  that  this  is  the  exact  import  of  the 
original  word  here,  which  expresses  a  violent  agitation  of  the.  sea,  and 
admirably  illustrates  the  rage  and  fury  of  a  seditious  multitude.’  1)oddr. 

(14.)  As  it  ivere.]  ‘  Hos  :  sometimes,  especially  with  epi,  and  a  verb 
of  motion,  expressed  or  understood,  it  signifies,  usque  ad,  hebs,  right  to. 
See  many  examples  in  Wetst.,  &c.  It  is  very  frequent  in  Thucyd.  The 
sense  seems  to  be  to-wards.  To  the  sen.]  Pydna  (35  miles  off)  was 
doubtless  the  place  where  Paul  took  ship  for  Athens :  for  Alorus,  though 
near,  seems  not  to  have  been  a  port ;  and  as  to  Diurn,  it  is  much  further 
off  than  Pydna.’  Bloomf. — To  go  as  it  were  to  the  sea.]  ‘This  passage 
is  generally  understood  to  mean,  that  the  disciples  took  Paul  towards 
the  sea,  as  if  he  hail  intended  to  embark,  and  return  to  Troas,  but  witli 
the  real  design  to  go  to  Athens.  Hut  it  is  more  likely  his  conductors, 
in  order  to  his  greater  safety,  left  the  public,  or  more  frequented  road, 
and  look  him  coastwise  to  Athens.  ...  As  the  text  does  not  necessarily 
point  out  any  sleights  or  feints,  so  we  need  not  have  recourse  to  any.’ 

Dr.  \.  Clarke. 

V.  16,  17.  It  is  probable,  that  the  apostle  did  not  at  first  intend  to 
enter  on  his  ministry  at  Athens,  till  Silas  and  Timothy  joined  him; 
perhaps,  he  had  not  determined  whether  he  should  attempt  to  publish 
the  Gospel  there,  or  pass  over  into  Asia.  The  Athenians  always  import- 


to  him  to  Athens,  when  lie  found  there  was 
a  prospect  of  doing  good  there  ;  or,  because 
there  being  none  there  that  he  knew,  he  was 
solitary  and  melancholy  without  them.  Yet, 
it  should  seem,  that,  great  as  was  the  haste 
he  was  in  fin-  them,  he  ordered  Timothy  to  go 
about  by  Thessalonica,  to  establish,  and  bring 
him  an  account  of  that  church,  1  Thess.  3: 
1,2. 

V.  16 — 21.  A  mere  scholar,  where  Paul 
now  was,  would  have  had  a  great  many  cu¬ 
rious  questions  to  ask  ;  but  Paul,  though 
bred  a  scholar,  and  an  ingenious,  active  man, 
minds  other  work  ;  it  is  not  the  improving 
of  himself  in  their  philosophy  that  lie  aim# 
at,  he  has  learned  to  call  it  a  vain  tiling, 
and  is  above  it,  Col.  2:8.  his  business  is,  in 
God’s  name,  to  correct  their  disorders  in 
religion,  and  to  turn  them  from  the  service  of 
idols ,  and  of  Satan  in  them,  to  the  service  of 
the  true  and  living  God  in  Christ. 

I.  Here  is  the  impression  the  abominable 
ignorance  and  superstition  of  the  Athenians 
made  on  Paul’s  spirit,  v.  16. 

1.  The  city  was  wholly  given  to  idolatry. 
This  agrees  with  the  account  the  heathen 
writers  give  of  it,  that  there  were  more  idols 
in  Athens,  than  in  all  Greece  besides  ;  and 
that  they  had  twice  as  many  sacred  feasts 
as  others  had.  Whatever  strange  gods  were 
recommended,  they  admitted  them,  and  al¬ 
lowed  them  a  temple,  and  an  altar,  so  that 
they  had  almost  as  many  gods  as  men.  And 
this  city,  after  the  empire  became  Christian, 
continued  incurably  addicted  to  idolatry; 
and  all  the  pious  edicts  of  the  Christian  em¬ 
perors  could  not  root  it  out,  till,  by  the  ir¬ 
ruption  of  the  Goths,  that  city  was  in  so 
particular  a  manner  laid  waste,  that  there 
are  now  scarcely  any  remains  of  it.  It  is 
observable,  that  there,  where  human  learn¬ 
ing  most  flourished,  idolatry  most  abounded, 
and  the  most  absurd  and  ridiculous  idolatry; 
which  confirms  that  of  the  apostle,  that 
when  they  professed  themselves  to  be  wise,  they 
became  fools,  Rom.  1:  22.  and,  in  the  business 
of  religion,  were  of  all  other  the  most  vain 
in  their  imaginations.  The  world  by  wisdom 
knew  not  God,  1  Cor.  1:21.  They  might 
have  reasoned  against  polytheism  and  idol¬ 
atry  [and  how  did  the  religion  of  reason  first 
break  forth  in  Socrates  and  Plato!],  but,  it 
seems,  the  greatest  pretenders  to  reason  were 
the  greatest  slaves  to  idols  ;  so  necessary 
was  it  to  the  re-establishing,  even  cf  natural 
religion,  that  there  should  be  a  divine  rev¬ 
elation,  and  that  centering  in  Christ. 

2.  The  disturbance  the  sight  of  this  gave 
to  Paul  ;  Paul  was  not  willing  to  appear 
publicly,  till  Silas  and  Timothy  came  to  him, 
that  out  of  the  mouth  of  two  or  three  witnesses 
the  Word  might  be  established  ;  but  in  the 
mean  time  his  spirit  was  stirred  within  him  ; 
he  was  filled  with  concern  for  the  glory  of 
God,  which  he  saw  given  to  idols,  and  with 
compassion  to  the  souls  of  men,  which  he 
saw  thus  enslaved  to  Satan,  and  led  captive 
by  him  at  his  will.  He  had  a  holy  indigna¬ 
tion  at  the  heathen  priests ;  that  led  the  peo¬ 
ple  such  an  endless  trace  of  idolatry ;  and  at 
their  philosophers,  that  knew  better,  and  yet 

ed  the  deities  and  superstitions  of  every  nation,  along  xvitli  their  arts 
and  learning ;  so  that  a  salirist  [Petronius]  ludicrously  observed,  ‘  It  was 
easier  to  find  a  god,  than  a  man,  in  that  city.’  This  fact  most  complete¬ 
ly  demonstrates  the  insufficiency  of  science  and  philosophy  to  guide  men 
in  matters  of  religion.  The  barbarous  Scythians,  the  wild  Indians,  nay, 
the  stupid  Hottentots,  have  never  deviated  further  from  truth,  or  sunk 
into  grosser  darkness,  in  respect  of  God  and  religion,  than  the  ingenious 
and  philosophical  Athenians  did  ! — The  apostle,  however,  was  tints  ex 
cited  to  begin  his  labors  without  delay,  first  in  the  synagogue  with  the 
Jews  and  proselytes;  but  he  does  not  appear  to  have  had  great  success 
among  them.  This  was  probably  on  the  sabbath-day.  Scott. 

(16.)  Wholly  given  to  idolatry.]  ‘  What  need  have  xve,  in  ihe  most 
improved  state  of  human  reason,  of  being  taught  by  a  divine  revela¬ 
tion  .”  BODDIt. 

(17.)  Devout  persons.]  ‘  It  appears  plainly  from  this  text,  and  per¬ 
haps  also  from  v.  4.  1  think  beyond  any  other,  that  the  character  of  se- 
bomenoi,  or  devout,  is  at  least  sometimes  given  by  Luke  to  persons  who 
used  to  worship  Ike  true  God,  and  yet  were  not  circumcised,  which  if 
they  had  been,  I  think  they  would  not  have  been  distinguished  from 
Jews.  But  that  the  title  was  appropriated  to  such,  and  especially  that 
such  could  properly  be  called  proselytes  of  the  gate,  in  the  technical 
sense  in  which  Maimonides,  and  almost  all  our  modern  writers  from 


Segf-jp 

f  ._JC  ._ 

~  iWl*  *~y*f*‘'~** 

MB •  xrrT, 

Mil  m  mSa 

*S«r  i 

ANTIOCH. 


CYRENE,  Africa,  Acts  2 ;  10,  13:1. 


A.  D.  55. 


ACTS,  XVII. 


Curiosily,  at  Athens,  to  hear  Paul. 


IB  Then  certain  philosophers  'of 
the  Epicureans,  and  of  the  Stoics, 
encountered  him.  And  some  said, 
What  will  this  u  babbler  say?  Other 
some,  He  seemeth  to  be  a  setter 
forth  of  strange  gods  :  because  he 
preached  unto  them  Jesus,  and  the 
resurrection. 

19  And  they  took  him, and  brought 
him  unto  T  Areopagus,  saying,  May 
we  know  what  this  new  w  doctrine, 
whereof  thou  speakest,  is? 

t  Co!.  2:8.  *  It  was  the  high-  wJn.  13:34.  1  Jn. 

u  or,  base  fellow .  est  court  iu  2:7,8. 

v  or,  Mars'  hill.  Athens. 

never  said  a  word  against  it,  but  themselves 
went  down  the  stream. 

II.  The  testimony  he  bore  against  their 
idolatry,  and  his  endeavors  to  bring  them  to 
the  knowledge  of  the  truth.  He  did  not,  [fa¬ 
natic-like,]  as  Witsius  observes,  in  the  heat 
of  his  zeal,  break,  into  the  temples,  pull  down 
their  images,  demolish  their  altars,  or  fly  in 
the  face  of  their  priests  ;  [for  such  demon¬ 
strations  would  have  excited  the  same  lower 
propensities  in  others ;  ]  nor  did  he  run  about 
the  streets  crying,  ‘Yon  are  all  the  bond- 
slaves  of  the  devil,’  though  it  was  too  true  ; 
but  he  observed  decorum,  doing  that  only 
which  became  a  prudent  man. 

1.  lie  went  to  the  synagogue  of  the  Jews, 
who,  though  enemies  to  Christianity,  were 
free  from  idolatry,  and  joined  with  them  in 
that  among  them  which  was  good,  and  took 
the  opportunity  given  him  there  of  disputing 
for  Christ,  v.  17.  He  discoursed  with  the 
Jews,  reasoned  fairly  with  them,  and  put  it 


to  them,  what  reason  they  could  give,  why, 
since  they  expected  the  Messiah,  they  would 
not  receive  Jesus.  There  he  met  with  the 
devout  persons,  that  had  forsaken  the  idol- 
temples,  but  rested  in  the  Jews'  synagogue, 
and  he  talked  with  these,  to  lead  them  on  to 
the  Christian  church,  to  which  the  Jews’ 
synagogue  was  but  as  a  porch. 

2.  He  entered  into  conversation  with  all 
that  came  in  his  way  about  matters  of  reli¬ 
gion.  In  the  market,  agora,  forum;  i.  e.  the 
exchange,  or  place  of  commerce,  he  disputed 
daily,  as  he  had  occasion,  with  them  that  met 
with  him,  or  that  he  happened  to  fall  into 
company  with,  that  were  heathen,  and  never 
came  to  the  Jews'  synagogue.  The  zealous 
advocates  for  the  cause  of  Christ  will  be 
ready  to  plead  it  in  all  companies,  as  occa¬ 
sion  offers.  The  ministers  of  Christ  must 
not  think  it  enough  to  speak  a  good  word 
for  Christ  once  a  week,  but  should  be  daily 
speaking  honorably  of  Him  to  such  as  meet 
with  them. 

III.  The  inquiries  some  of  the  philoso¬ 
phers  made  concerning  Paul’s  doctrine. 

1.  Some  of  the  philosophers  thought  him 
worth  making  remarks  upon,  and  they  were 
those  whose  principles  were  most  directly 
contrary  to  Christianity.  (1.)  The  Epicu¬ 
reans,  who  thought  God  altogether  such  an  one 
as  themselves,  an  idle,  inactive  Being,  that 
minded  nothing,  nor  put  any  difference  be¬ 
tween  good  and  evil  ;  they  would  not  own, 
either  that  God  made  the  world,  or  that  He 
governs  it;  nor  that  man  needs  to  make  any 
conscience  of  what  he  says  or  does,  having 
no  punishment  to  fear,  or  rewards  to  hope 
for  ;  all  which  loose,  atheistical  notions, 
Christianity  is  levelled  against.  The  Epi¬ 


cureans,  [unlike  their  founder,]  indulged 
themselves  in  all  the  pleasures  of  sense,  and 
placed  their  happiness  in  them,  in  what 
Christ  has  taught  us  in  the  first  place  to  deny 
ourselves.  (2.)  The  Stoics,  who  thought 
themselves  altogether  as  good  as  God,  and 
indulged  themselves  as  much  in  the  pride  of 
life  as  the  Epicureans  did  in  the  lusts  of  the 
flesh  and  of  the  eye ;  they  made  their  virtuous 
man  to  be  no  way  inferior  to  God  Himself, 
nay,  to  be  superior.  There  is  that  in  which  a 
wise  man  excels  God,  so  Seneca  :  to  which 
Christianity  is  directly  opposite,  as  it  teaches 
us  to  deny  ourselves,  and  abase  ourselves, 
and  to  come  off  from  all  confidence  in  our¬ 
selves,  that  Christ  may  be  all  in  all. 

2.  Their  different  sentiments  of  him,  v.  IS. 
(1.)  Some  called  him  a  bahbler,  and  thought 
he  spoke,  without  any  design,  whatever 
came  uppermost,  as  men  of  crazed  imagina¬ 
tions  do;  What  will  this  babbler  say  ?  this 
scatterer  of  words,  that  goes  about,  throwing 
here  one  idle  word  or  story,  and  there 
another,  without  any  intendment  or  signifi¬ 
cation  ;  or,  this  picker  up  of  seeds.  Such  a 
pitiful,  contemptible  animal, they  took  Paul  to 
be,  or  supposed  he  went  from  place  to  place, 
venting  his  notions  to  get  money,  a  penny 
here,  and  another  there,  as  a  little,  worthless 
sort  of  bird,  that  hops  here  and  there,  and 
picks  up  here  and  there  a  grain.  They 
looked  upon  him  as  an  idle  fellow,  and  re¬ 
garded  him,  as  we  say,  no  more  than  a 
ballad-singer.  (2.)  Others  called  him  a  setter 
forth  of  strange  gods,  and  thought  he  spoke 
with  design  to  make  himself  considerable  by 
that  method.  And  if  he  had  strange  gods  to 
set  forth,  he  could  not  bring  them  to  a  better 
market  than  to  Athens.  He  did  not,  as 


him,  explain  the  word,  will  by  no  means  follow.’  Doddr. — Market.] 

‘  Agora  :  of  the  market-places  at  Athens,  of  which  there  were  many, 
the  most  celebrated  were  the  Old  and  New  Forum.  The  former  was  in 
the  Ceratnicus,  a  very  ample  space,  part  within  and  part  without  the 
city.  See  Meurs.  and  Potter.  The  latter  was  outside  of  the  Cerami- 
cus,  in  a  place  called  Eretria.  See  Meurs.  ^\nd  this  seems  to  be  the 
one  here  meant.  For  no  forum,  except  the  Ceramicus  and  the  Eretri- 
acum,  was  called,  absolutely,  agora ,  but  had  a  name  to  denote  which  was 
meant,  as  Areopagiticum,  Hippodamium,  Pirajum,  &c.  In  process  of 
time,  and  at  this  period  when  Paul  was  at  Athens,  the  forum  was  trans¬ 
ferred  from  the  Ceramicus  into  the  Eretria ;  a  change  which,  indeed,  had 
been  introduced  in  the  time  of  Augustus  ;  and  that  this  was  the  most  fre¬ 
quented  part  of  the  city,  we  learn  from  Strnbo.  Besides,  the  Eretriac 
forum  was  situated  before  the  stoa,  or  portico,  in  which  the  Stoics,  v. 
18.  used  to  hold  their  discourses.  It  was  moreover  called  kuklos ,  from 
its  round  form.’  With  them.]  ‘  With  any  whom  he  met  with.  It  is  well 
observed,  by  Harm.,  that  though,  with  us,  t lie  carrying  on  religious  dis¬ 
putations  in  the  markets,  would  be  thought  improper,  and  the  effect  of 
intemperate  zeal ;  yet  it  would,  even  now,  not  be  strange  in  Arabia,  and 
other  parts  of  the  E.,  where  people  meet  in  such  places  for  conversa¬ 
tion.  And,  what  is  most  to  the  purpose,  this  was  common  at  Athens, 
v.  21.  See  also  Dio,  Themist.,  Diog.  Laert.,  &c.’  Bloomf. 

V.  18.  In  the  forum,  the  apostle  was  encountered  by  certain  philoso¬ 
phers,  of  different  sects.  The  Epicureans  were  gay  and  superficial  in¬ 
fidels,  who  amused  themselves  and  others  with  various  curious  specula¬ 
tions.  They  ascribed  the  original  of  all  things  to  chance;  they  professed 
to  allow  the  existence  of  the  gods,  yet  contended,  that  they  did  not  in¬ 
terfere  in  the  creation  or  government  of  the  world,  but  indolently  satis¬ 
fied  themselves  with  their  own  undisturbed  felicity ;  they  deemed  the 
enjoyment  of  this  present  world  the  supreme  good,  and  denied  a  future 
state  of  rewards  and  punishments.  The  Stoics  allowed  the  existence  of 
the  gods,  hut  supposed  them  to  be  bound  by  eternal  and  irresistible  fatali¬ 
ty  ;  they  affected  almost  to  extinguish  their  own  feelings  and  passions ; 
they  were  most  extravagantly  proud  and  obstinate ;  they  judged  a  virtu¬ 
ous  man,  according  to  their  notions  of  virtue,  to  be  independent  of  their 
deities,  and  in  some  respects  superior  to  them ;  and  spoke  as  if  he  might 
defy  fate  itself;  they  maintained,  that  virtue  was  its  own  reward,  and 
expressed  themselves  very  obscurely  about  a  future  state  of  retributions. 
{Note,  end  of  ch.] — These  two  sects  of  philosophers,  being  alike  oppo¬ 
site  iu  their  tenets  to  the  doctrines  of  the  Gospel,  and  being  full  of  the 
pride  of  superior  learning,  encountered  Paul,  and  thought  of  silencing 
him  in  the  argument ;  and  some  of  them  despised  him.  Gods.]  ‘  Dai- 
moniiin  :  the  Gentiles  used  it  for  the  objects  of  their  worship  in  a  good 
sense,  not  as  we  Christians  use  it  at  present,  invariably  in  a  bad  sense.’ 
Campb.  Ought  Christians  to  use  a  word  in  a  good  sense,  which,  in  its 
best  meaning,  signifies  the  objects  of  abominable  idolatries  ?  Holy  an¬ 
gels  are  never  called  demons  in  Scripture  ;  but  either  evil  spirits,  or  the 
supposed  invisible  objects  of  idolatrous  worship ;  and  this,  with  every 
object  of  it,  is  especially  ‘  an  abomination  to  the  Lord.’  Scott. 

(18.)  Epicureans.]  1  The  followers  of  Epicurus,  who  was  born  at 
Athens,  about  A.  M.  3603,  B.  C.  341.’ — Stoics.]  ‘The  followers  of  Zeno, 
who  was  born  in  the  isle  of  Cyprus,  about  30  years  B.  C.  His  disciples 
were  called  Stoics,  from  Stoa,  a  famous  portieo  at  Athens,  where  they 
studied.’  Dr.  A.  C.  — ‘The  attentive  reader  will  easily  see,  how  opposite 
the  genius  of  each  of  these  sects  was,  to  the  pure  and  humble  spirit  of 
Christianity,  and  how  happily  the  apostle  levels  his  incomparable  dis¬ 
course  at  some  of  the  most  distinguishing  and  important  errors  of  each , 
while,  without  expressly  attacking  either,  he  seems  intent  on  giving  a 
plain  summary  of  his  own  religious  principles,  in  which  he  appears  a 
moat  charming  model  of  the  true  way  of  teaching  and  reforming  man¬ 


kind.’  Bahbler.]  ‘  Spermologos  :  it  admirably  expresses  the  contempt 
they  had  of  an  unknown  foreigner,  that  pretended  to  teach  all  the  sev¬ 
eral  professors  of  their  learned  and  illustrious  body  of  philosophers.' 
Doddr. — ‘  Spermologos  was  the  deadliest  term  that  Demosthenes  there 
(300  years  before)  bestowed  on  the  most  eager  and  decided  of  his  rivals 
and  antagonists,  JSschines.’  Scott.  Properly  used,  of  those  little  insig¬ 
nificant  birds,  which  support  a  precarious  existence  by  picking  up  seeds 
scattered  by  the  sower,  or  left  above  ground  after  the  soil  has  been  har¬ 
rowed.  See  Max.  Tyr.,  Aristoph.,  <fcc.  It  was  metaphorically  applied 
also  to  paupers, who  prowled  about  the  market-place,  and  lived  by  picking 
up  anything  which  might  be  dropped  by  buyers  and  sellers ;  and  like¬ 
wise  to  persons  who  gleaned  in  the  cornfields.  See  Eustath.  on  Horn. 
Od.  Hence,  it  was  at  length  applied  to  all  persons  of  mean  condition, 
who,  as  we  say,  “  live  on  their  wits.”  Thus  it  is  explained  by  Harpocr., 
enteles,  mean  and  contemptible  ;  and  so  Philo.  See  Kypke.  Finally, 
it  xvas  applied  to  parasites,  who,  by  flattery  and  buffoonery,  contrived 
to  pick  up  a  living  from  the  provisions  of  other  men’s  tables.  Further¬ 
more,  as  sparrows,  and  other  such  minute  birds  as  live  by  gathering  up 
seeds,  are  especially  noisy  and  garrulous,  so  the  term  xvas  applied  to  in¬ 
significant  praters  and  chatterers.  Kuin.,  Schl.,  Kypke.  The  Greek 
philosophers  brought  everything  to  the  test  of  reason,  and  thought  i lie 
greatest  excellence  of  reasoning,  consisted  in  conciseness  of  thought  and 
brevity  of  diction.  ( Quin  till.,  Walck.)  But  as  Paul’s  oratory  was  not  in 
persuasive  words  of  man's  xvisdom  (1  Cor.  2:4.),  but  consisted  chiefly  in 
the  ubertas  et  copiosa  dicendi  vis,  [a  fertile  and  copious  diction,]  his  dis- 
puters  thought  him  loquacious,  so  Kuin.  thinks.  The  resurrection.] 
Not  only  of  Christ,  but  of  all  the  dead,  by  Christ.’  Bloomf.  ‘  Those 
philosophers  thought,  doubtless,  that  some  such  a  hero,  or  inferior  god, 
[as  they  expressed  by  daimbnes,  or  daimbnia,  sometimes  distinguished, 
as  the  dii  minores,]  xvas  preached  by  Paul,  when  they  heard  him  teaching 
that  Jesus  was  the  Son  of  God,  the  Savior  of  men,  who  had  been  a  mighty 
benefactor  to  the  human  race,  and  after  death  had  been  received  up  into 
heaven.’  Kuin.  How  like  to  this  description  are  some  modern  (not 
heathen)  ideas  of  Christ  !  Ed. 

V.  19 — 21.  (19)  New  doctrine.]  The  word  signifies  newer  :  the  new 
imagination,  or  system,  of  the  preceding  year,  month,  or  week,  soon  be¬ 
came  like  an  almauae  out  of  date  :  it  was  the  taste  of  the  age  and  place, 
to  discard  and  antiquale  every  hypothesis',  as  soon  as  it  became  vulgar  ; 
and  to  substitute  some  newer  scheme  in  its  place;  and  lively,  ingenious 
students,  especially  in  metaphysics,  commonly  run  into  this  humor.  If 
Paul,  therefore,  could  start  some  newer  speculation,  than  the  newest 
fashion  of  philosophy  among  them,  his  doctrine  would  at  least  gratify 
and  amuse  them. — Areopagus.]  Some  learned  men  think  the  word  Areo¬ 
pagus  is  not  properly  translated  ‘Mars’  hill,’  or  the  hill  of  Mars,  as  it 
does  not  appear  that  a  temple  xvas  built  to  Mars,  in  the  place  where 
the  Areopagus  convened.  They  argue,  that  the  name  xvas  derived  from 
the  trial  of  murderers  by  the  court  there  held.  See  on  Mat.  5:44.  The 
nature  and  functions  of  this  court,  or  senate,  which  xvas  highly  cel¬ 
ebrated  in  those  age3  and  countries,  must  be  learned  from  the  Greek  an¬ 
tiquaries  ;  being  far  too  complicated  a  subject  for  this  publication. — The 
contemptuous  neglect,  and  the  interruption,  which  the  apostle’s  admira¬ 
ble  address  met  with  from  it,  constrains  the  impartial  inquirer  to  ques¬ 
tion,  how  far  such  a  court,  or  council,  deserved  the  encomiums  so  lav¬ 
ishly  bestowed  upon  it.  Scott. 

(19.)  Brought  him.]  ‘  Conducted  him.  Beza,  Hammond,  and  some 
other  critics,  have  thought  Paul  was  brought  to  a  formal  trial  before 
the  judges ;  but  It  evidently  appears  to  be  a  mistake,  not  only  from 
the  title  by  which  Paul  addresses  them,  (so  Limborch,)  but  from  the 
whole  tenor  of  the  story,  and  particularly  as  the  persons  bringing  him  are 
represented,  not  as  accusing  him,  but  only  desiring  to  be  informed. 


A.  D.  55. 


ACTS,  XVII. 


Paul’s  sermon  at  Athens. 


20  For  thou  bringest  certain 
1  strange  things  to  our  ears  :  we 
would  know  therefore  what  these 
things  mean. 

21  (For  all  the  Athenians,  and 
strangers  which  were  there,  spent 
their  time  in  nothing  else,  but  either 
to  tell  or  to  hear  some  new  thing.) 

22  IT  Then  Paul  stood  in  the 
midst  of  7  Mars’  Hill,  and  said,  Ye 
men  of  Athens,  I  perceive  that  in 
all  things  ye  are  too  2  superstitious. 

X  Ho.8:12. 

j  or,  the  court  of  the  Aixopagites.  z  Je.  50:38. 

many  did,  directly  set  forth  new  gods,  nor 
avowedly  ;  but  they  thought  he  seemed,  to  do 
so,  because  he  preached  unto  them  Jesus,  and 
the  resurrections  from  his  first  coming  among 
them,  he  ever  and  anon  harped  upon  these 
two  strings,  which  are,  indeed,  the  principal 
doctrines  of  Christianity, — Christ,  and  a  fu¬ 
ture  state;  Christ  our  Way,  arid  heaven  our 
end  ;  and  though  he  did  not  call  these  gods, 
yet  they  thought  he  meant  to  make  them  so. 
‘  Jesus  they  took  for  a  new  god,  and  anasta- 
sis,  the  resurrection,  for  a  new  goddess.’ 
Thus  they  lost  the  benefit  of  the  Christian 
doctrine,  by  dressing  it  up  in  a  pagan  dialect. 

3.  Their  proposal  to  give  him  a  free,  full, 
fair,  public  hearing,!'.  19,20.  (1.)  They 

look  upon  it  as  strange  and  surprising.  By 
this  it  should  seem,  that  among  all  the  learned 
books  they  had,  they  either  had  not,  or 
heeded  not,  the  books  of  Moses  and  the  proph¬ 
ets,  else  the  doctrine  of  Christ  would  not 
have  been  so  perfectly  new  and  strange  to 
them.  There  was  but  one  book  in  tire  world 
that  was  of  divine  inspiration,  and  that  was 
the  only  book  they  were  strangers  to  ; 
which,  if  they  would  have  given  a  due  re¬ 
gard  to  it,  would,  in  its  very  first  page,  have 
determined  that  great  controversy  among 
them,  about  the  origin  of  the  universe.  (2.) 
They  desire  to  know  more  of  it,  only  be¬ 
cause  it  was  new  and  strange;  ‘  May  we  know 
what  this  new  doctrine  is?  Or,  is  it,  like  the 
mysteries  of  the  gods,  to  be  kept  as  a  pro¬ 
found  secret  1  If  it  may  be,  we  would  gladly 
know,  and  desire  thee  to  tell  us,  what  these 
things  mean,  that  we  may  be  able  to  pass  a 
fair  judgment  on  them.’  (3.)  The  place  they 
brought  him  to,  in  order  to  this  public  de¬ 
claration  of  his  doctrine;  it  was  to  Areopa¬ 
gus,  the  same  word  that  is  translated,  v.  22. 
Mars-hill  ;  ii  was  the  town-house,  or  guild¬ 
hall  of  their  city,  where  the  magistrates  met 
on  public  business,  and  the  courts  ofjustice 
were  kept;  and  it  was  as  the  theatre  in  the 
university,  or  the  schools,  where  learned 
men  met  to  communicate  their  notions.  The 
court  of  justice  which  sat  Ivere,  was  famous 
for  its  equity,  which  drew  appeals  to  it  from 
all  parts;  if  any  denied  a  god,  he  was  liable 
to  the  censure  of  this  court  ;  Diagoras  was 


by  them  put  to  death,  as  a  contemner  of  the 
gods  ;  nor  might  any  new  god  be  admitted, 
without  their  approbation  ;  hither  they 
brought  Paul  to  be  tried,  not  as  a  criminal, 
but  as  a  candidate. 

4.  The  general  character  of  the  people  of 
that  city  given  on  this  occasion,  v.  21.  All 
the  Athenians,  i.  e.  natives  of  the  place,  and 
strangers,  which  sojourned  there  for  their 
improvement,  spent  their  time  in  nothing  else, 
but  either  to  tell  or  to  hear  some  new  thing  ; 
which  comes  in  as  the  reason  why  they  were 
inquisitive  concerning.  Paul’s  doctrine,  not 
because  it  was  good,  but  because  it  was  new. 
It  is  a  very  sorry  character  here  given  of 
these  people,  yet  many  transcribe  it.  (1.) 
They  were  all  for  conversation.  Paul  exhorts 
his  pupil  to  give  attendance  to  reading  and 
meditation,  1  Tim.  4: 13,  15.  but  these  peo¬ 
ple  despised  those  old-fashioned  ways  of 
getting  knowledge,  and  preferred  that  of 
telling  and  hearing.  It  is  true,  that  good 
company  is  of  great  use  to  a  man,  and  will 
polish  one  that  has  laid  a  good  foundation 
in  study  ;  but  that  knowledge  will  be  very 
flashy  and  superficial,  which  is  got  by  con¬ 
versation  only.  (2.)  They  affected  novelty; 
they  were  for  telling  and  hearing  some  new 
thing  ;  they  were  for  new  schemes  and  new 
notions  in  philosophy;  new  forms  and  plans 
of  government  in  politics  ;  and  in  religion, 
for  new  gods  that  came  newly  up,  Dent.  32: 
17.  new  demons,  new-fashioned  images,  and 
altars,  2  R.  16:  10.  they  were  given  to 
change.  Demosthenes,  an  orator  of  their 
own,  had  charged  this  on  them,  long  before, 
in  one  of  his  philippics,  that  their  common 
question  in  the  markets,  or  wherever  they 
met,  was,  if  there  ivas  any  neivs.  (3.)  They 
meddled  in  other  people’s  business,  and  were 
inquisitive  concerning  that,  and  never  mind¬ 
ed  their  own.  Tattlers  are  always  busy  bod¬ 
ies,  1  Tim.  5:13.  (4.)  They  spent  their  time 
in  nothing  else,  and  a  very  uncomfortable  ac¬ 
count  they  must  needs  have  to  make  of  their 
time,  who  thus  spend  it.  Time  is  precious, 
and  we  are  concerned  to  be  good  husbands 
of  it,  because  eternity  depends  on  it,  and  it 
is  hastening  apace  into  eternity,  but  abun¬ 
dance  of  it  i3  wasted  in  unprofitable  con¬ 
verse.  To  tell  and  hear  the  new  occurrences 
of  providence  concerning  the  public,  in  our 
own  or  other  nations,  and  concerning  our 
neighbors  and  friends,  is  of  good  use,  now 
and  then  ;  but  to  set  up  for  news-mongers, 
and  to  spend  our  time  in  nothing  else,  is  to  lose 
that  which  is  very  precious  for  the  gain  of 
that  which  is  worth  little. 

V.  22 — 31.  We  have  here  Paul’s  sermon 
at  Athens,  a  sermon  to  heathens,  that  wor¬ 
shipped  false  gods,  and  were  without  the  true 
God;  the  object  of  which  is,  to  lead  his 
hearers,  by  the  common  works  of  Provi¬ 
dence,  to  the  knowledge  and  worship  of  the 
Creator.  One  discourse  of  this  kind  we  had 
before,  to  the  rude  idolaters  of  Lystra,  that 


deified  the  apostles,  ch.  14: 15.  this  recorded 
here,  is  to  the  more  polite  and  refined  idol¬ 
aters  at  Athens,  an  admirable  discourse, 
every  wav  suited  to  his  auditory,  and  the 
design  he  had  upon  them. 

I,  He  lays  down  this  as  the  scope  of  his 
discourse,  that  he  aimed  to  bring  them  to 
the  knowledge  of  the  one  only  living  and  true 
God,  ns  the  sole  and  proper  Object  of  their 
adoration  ;  when  he  preached  against  the 
gods  they  worshipped,  he  had  no  design  to 
draw  them  to  atheism,  but  to  the  service  of 
the  true  Deity.  Socrates,  who  had  exposed 
the  pagan  idolatry,  was  indicted  in  this  very 
court,  and  condemned,  not  only  because  he 
did  not  esteem  those  to  be  gods  whom  the 
city  esteemed  to  be  so,  but  because  be  in¬ 
troduced  new  demons  ;  and  this  was  the 
charge  against  Paul.  Now  he  tacitly  owns 
the  former  part  of  the  charge,  but  guards 
against  tlie  latter,  by  declaring  that  he  does 
not  introduce  any  new  gods,  but  reduces  them 
to  the  knowledge  of  one  God,  the  Ancient  of 
days. 

1.  He  shows  them  that  they  needed  to  be 
instructed  herein  ;  for  they  had  lost  the 
knowledge  of  the  true  God  that  made  them, 
in  the  worship  of  false  gods  that  they  made. 
The  crime  he  charges  on  them,  is,  giving 
that  glory  to  others  which  is  due  to  God  only  ; 
that  they  feared  and  worshipped  demons, 
spirits  that  they  supposed  inhabited  the  im¬ 
ages  to  which  they  directed  their  worship. 
‘  You  are  in  all  things  too  superstitious  ;  you 
easily  admit  everything  that  comes  unde? 
show  of  religion,  but  it  is  that  which  cor¬ 
rupts  it  more  and  more  ;  I  bring  you  that 
which  will  reform  it.’  Their  neighbors 
praised  them  for  this  as  a  pious  people,  but 
Paul  condemns  them  for  it.  Yet  it  is  ob¬ 
servable,  how  he  mollifies  the  charge,  does 
not  aggravate  it,  to  provoke  them  ;  he  uses 
a  word  which  among  them  was  taken  in  a 
mod  sense ;  You  are  every  way  more  than  or¬ 
dinary  religious,  so  some  ;  you  are  very  de¬ 
vout  in  your  way  :  or,  if  it  be  taken  in  an 
ill  sense,  it  is  mitigated  ;  ‘You  are,  as  it 
were, more  superstitious  than  you  need  be;’ 
and  he  says  no  more  than  what  he  himself 
perceived;  I  see  it,  I  observed.  They  charged 
Paul  with  setting  forth  new  demons;  ‘  Nay/ 
says  he,  ‘  you  have  abundance  already,  I  will 
not  add  to  them.’ 

2.  He  shows  them  that  they  themselves 
had  given  a  fair  occasion  for  the  declaring 
of  this  one  true  God  to  them,  by  setting  up 
an  altar.  To  the  unknown  God;  which  inti¬ 
mated,  an  acknowledgment  that  there  was  a 
God,  which  was  yet  to  them  an  unknown 
God;  and  it  is  sad  to  think,  that  at  Athens, 
a  place  which  was  supposed  to  have  the  mo¬ 
nopoly  of  wisdom,  the  true  God  was  an  un¬ 
known  God,  the  only  God  that  was  unknown. 
There,  where  we  are  sensible  we  are  de¬ 
fective  and  conte  short,  just  there,  the  Gos¬ 
pel  takes  us  up,  and  carries  ns  on.  Various 


Doildr . — May.]  ‘•This  helps  to  prove,  that  those  of'  the  Areopugists  who 
were  there,  were  so,  simply  as  philosophers,  and  that  this  place,  the  Areo¬ 
pagus,  on  Mars’  hill,  W.  of  the  Acropolis,  was  chosen  for  convenience. 
It  was  called  Mars’  hill,  as  consecrated  to  him, or  as  the  fabled  place  where, 
when  he  had  slain  the  son  of  Neptune,  Mars  first  pleaded  a  capital  cause 
before'  the  12  gods.  The  whole  seems  to  be  an  affair  with  philosophers, 
and  not  judges.'  Bi,oomf. 

(20.)  The  3  classes  of  Athens  were,  the  politai,  metoikoi,  (both  inch 
here  under  the  term  Athenians,)  and  ihexenoi,  here  called  epidSmountes 
xenoi,  tr.  ‘strangers  which  were  there,’ and  including  all  who  had  not 
citizenship,  though  they  had  a  fixed  habitation,  and  were  not  mere  so¬ 
journers.  Such  seems  to  be  Kypke's  view;  whom  see,  and  also  Pricteus, 
who  difters.  Ed.  ‘  The  reason  for  the  immense  concourse  of  strangers, 
from  every  part  of  the  world,  arose  (says  HI.),  from  the  boundless  liber¬ 
ality  (see  Thucyd.  2.-39,  37.)  of  the  Athenian  government  towards  them.’ 
Paris  alone,  in  modern  civilization,  gives  to  lire  world  this  free  use  of 
knowledge,  which  made  Athens  ‘  the  university  of  the  Roman  empire  and 
of  the  world.’  \V  hen  will  nations  learn,  that  the  advancement  in  civil¬ 
ization  of  any  nation  is  a  blessing  to  each  and  all  others,  not  a  matter 
for  jealousy,  ‘protective  systems,’  and  wars  ?  See  fray-land's  Political 
Economy.  jjd> 

(21.)  On  the  loquacity,  and  rage  for  noveltv,  of  the  Athenians,  and  of 
their  busy  and  prying  curiosity,  into  both  public  and  private  affairs,  in 
which  the  inquirer  could  have  no  concent,  ail  ancient  writers  coincide 
with  Luke.  See  abundant  examples  in  ffetst.,  Sec.  Their  love  of  gos- 
sipping  and  news,  is  evident  from  ihe  fact,  that  there  were  at  Athens 
places  called  leschai,  i.  e.  gossipping-houses,  (corresponding  to  our  cof¬ 


fee-houses  [rather  to  the  French  cafes],)  devoted  to  the  reception  of 
persons  who  met  together  to  bear  and  tell  news.  Of  these  Meurs.  tells 
ns  there  were  360.  The  more- respectable  inhabitants  used  to  resort  to 
tire  shops  of  the  surgeons  (hiatreia)  and  koureia  (shops  of  the  barbers 

Bloomf. 

V.  22.  Too  superstitious.]  Exceedingly  addicted  ‘  to  the  fear  of  de¬ 
mons,’  or  the  worship  of  invisible  beings.  The  word  is  ambiguous,  and 
might  be  understood  either  as  a  commendation  or  a  censure  ;  and  doubt¬ 
less  he  chose  it  for  that  reason,  to  convey  the  implied  censure  in  the- 
most  inoffensive  manner.  Xenophon  uses  the  word,  when  commending 
one  as  a  religious  man.  Scott. 

(22.)  ‘  The  plan  of  Paul’s  discourse  [“  so  eminently  characterized  by 
depth  of  thought,  solidity  of  sentiment,  and  energy  of  diction,”]  is  this  : 
Exordium,  relating  what  led  to  his  address,  viz.  their  religiousness,  and 
worship  of  an  unknown  god,  r.  22,  23. ;  Proposition  :  1  announce  who 
that  unknown  god  is,  v.  23.  ;  Confirmation,  containing,  1st.  an  annuncia¬ 
tion  of  the  true  doctrine,  v.  24 — 28.,  2dly.  an  indirect  exhortation  to  his 
hearers,  to  regulate  their  lives  according  to  its  precepts,  v.  29,  30.  with 
the  reason  added,  v.  31.’  Schoettg. — Too  superstitious.]  Deisidaimon- 
esterous.  1  Exceedingly  addicted  to  the  worship  of  the  invisible  pow¬ 
ers.  This  English  phrase,  which  is  very  agreeable  to  the  etymology  of 
the  original  word,  has,  what  I  think  a  translation  of  Scripture  should 
always,  if  possible,  have,  the  ambiguity  of  the  original ;  whereas  neither 
superstitious  nor  religious  have  that  ambiguity.’  Doddr.  Bloomf.  con¬ 
tends,  (after  the  ‘  best  critics  of  the  last  two  cent.’)  that  the  good  sense 
is  alone  intended  here,  and  refers  to  Hammond's  ‘  masterly  dissertation  * 
on  this  wurd.  Ed. 


A.  D.  55, 


ACTS,  XVII. 


Paul’s  sermon  at  Athens. 


23  For  as  I  passed  by,  and  beheld 
your  ‘devotions,  I  found  an  altar 
with  this  inscription,  TO  THE 
UNKNOWN  GOD.  Whom 
therefore  ye  ignorantly  worship, 
him  declare  I  unto  you. 

24  b  God  that  made  the  world,  and 
all  things  therein,  seeing  that  lie  is 
'  Lord  of  heaven  and  earth,  dvvelleth 
d  not  in  temples  made  with  hands  ; 

25  Neither  is  worshipped  with 
men’s  hands,  as  though  'he  needed 
any  thing  ;  seeing  he  f  giveth  to  all 
life,  and  breath,  and  s  all  things  ; 

26  And  hath  made  of  one  h  blood 
all  nations  of  men,  for  to  dwell  on 
all  the  face  of  the  earth  ;  and  hath 
determined  the  1  times  before  ap¬ 
pointed,  and  the  bounds  J  of  their 
habitation  ; 


h  or,  gods  that  ys 
worship.  lia. 
4:8. 

b  c.  14:13. 

C  Mat.  11:23. 


d  c.  7:48. 
e  Ps.  50:8. 
f  Job  12:10.  Zee. 
I2tl. 


g  Ro.  11:36. 
h  Ma).  2:10. 
i  Ps.  31:15. 
j  Is.  45:21. 


conjectures  the  learned  have  concerning  this 
altar  dedicated  to  the  unknown  God. 

(1.)  Some  think  the  meaning  is,  To  the 
God  whose  honor  it  is  to  be  unknown,  and  that 
they  intended  the  God  of  the  Jews,  whose 
name  is  ineffable,  and  whose  nature  is  un¬ 
searchable.  It  is  probable  they  had  heard 
from  the  Jews,  and  from  the  writings  of  the 
O.  T.,  of  the  God  of  Israel,  who  had  proved 
Himself  to  be  above  all  gods,  but  was  a  God 
haling  Himself,  Is.  45  :  15.  The  heathen 
called  the  Jews’  God  an  uncertain  God,  the 
uncertain  Deity  of  Moses,  and  the  God  with¬ 
out  name.  Now  this  God,  says  Paul,  this 
God,  who  cannot  by  searching  be  found  out  to 
perfection,  I  now  declare  unto  you. 

(2.)  Others  think  the  meaning  is,  To  the 
God  whom  it  is  our  unhappiness  not  to  know  ; 
which  intimates,  that  they  would  think  it 
their  happiness  to  know  Him.  Some  tell  us, 
that  on  occasion  of  a  plague  that  raged  at 
Athens,  when  they  had  sacrificed'to  all  their 
gods,  one  after  another,  for  the  staying  of  the 
plague,  they  were  advised  to  let  some  sheep 
go  where  they  pleased,  and  where  they  lay 
down,  to  build  an  altar,  to  the  proper  God,  or 
the  God  to  whom  that  affair  of  staying  the 
pestilence  did  belong;  and,  because  they  knew 
not  how  to  call  Him,  they  inscribed  it,  To  the 
unknown  God.  Others,  from  some  of  the 
best  historians  of  Athens,  tell  us,  they  had 
many  altars  inscribed.  To  the  gods  of  Asia, 
Europe,  and  Africa  ;  To  the  unknown  God  : 
and  some  of  the  neighboring  countries  used 
to  swear  by  the  God  that  xvas  unknown  at 
Athens  ;  so  Lucian. 

Now  observe,  how  modestly  Paul  mentions 
this;  that  he  might  not  be  thought  a  spy, or 
one  that  had  intruded  himself,  more  than 
became  a  stranger,  into  the  knowledge  of 
their  mysteries  ;  he  tells  them  he  observed 
it,  as  he  passed  by,  and  saw  their  devotions,  or 
their  sacred  things  ;  it  was  public,  aud  he 
could  not  forbear  seeing  it,  and  it  urns  prop¬ 
er  enough  to  make  his  remarks  on  the  reli¬ 


gion  of  the  place ;  and  observe  how  prudent¬ 
ly  and  ingeniously  he  takes  rise  from  this  to 
bring  in  his  discourse  of  the.  true  God  ; 
[1.]  He  tells  them,  that  the  God  he  preached 
to  them,  was  one  that  they  did  already  wor¬ 
ship,  and  therefore  he  was  not  a  setterforlh 
of  new  or  strange  gods.  [2.]  He  was  one 
whom  they  ignorantly  worshipped,  which  was 
a  reproach  to  them  who  were  famous  all  the 
world  over  for  their  knowledge.  ‘  I  come 
to  take  away  that  reproach,  and  it  cannot  but 
be  acceptable,  to  have  your  blind  devotion 
turned  into  a  reasonable  service.’ 

II.  He  confirms  his  doctrine  of  one  living 
and  true  God,  by  his  works  of  creation  and 
providence  ;  ‘  The  God  whom  I  declare 

unto  you  to  be  the  sole  Object  of  your  devo¬ 
tion,  and  call  you  to  worship,  isfAe  God  that 
made  the  world,  and  governs  it  ;  and  by  the 
visible  proofs  of  these,  you  may  be  led  to 
this  invisible  Being,  and  be  convinced  of  his 
eternal  power  and  Godhead.’  The  Gentiles 
in  general,  and  the  Athenians  particularly, 
in  their  devotions,  w’ere  governed,  not  by 
their  philosophers,  many  of  whom  spake 
clearly  and  excellently  well  of  one  supreme 
Numen,  and  of  his  infinite  perfections,  and 
universal  agency  and  dominion  ;  (witness 
Plato,  and  long  after,  Cicero;)  but  by  their 
poets  and  their  idle  fictions.  Homer’s 
works  [with  Hesiod’s]  were  the  Bible  of 
the  pagan  theology,  or  demonology  rather  ; 
and  the  philosophers  tamely  submitted  to  this, 
rested  in  their  speculations,  disputed  them 
among  themselves,  and  taught  them  their 
scholars,  but  never  made  the  use  they  ought 
to  have  made  of  them  in  opposition  to  idol¬ 
atry  ;  so  little  certainty  were  they  at  con¬ 
cerning  them,  and  so  little  impression  did 
they  make  on  them  !  Nay,  they  ran  them¬ 
selves  into  the  superstition  of  their  country, 
and  thought  they  ought  to  do  so. 

Now  Paul  here  sets  himself,  in  the  first 
place,  to  reform  the  philosophy  of  the  Athe¬ 
nians,  and  to  give  them  right  notions  of 
the  one  only  living  and  true  God,  and  then  to 
carry  tlte  matter  further  than  they  ever  at¬ 
tempted,  to  reform  their  worship,  and  to 
bring  them  off  from  their  polytheism  and 
idolatry.  Observe  what  glorious  things 
Paul  here  says  of  that  God  whom  he  served, 
and  would  have  them  to  serve  : 

1.  He  is  the  God  that  made  the  world,  and 
all  things  therein  ;  the  Father  almighty,  the 
Creator  of  heaven  and  earth.  This  was  ad¬ 
mitted  by  many  of  the  philosophers  ;  but 
those  of  Aristotle’s  school  denied  it,  and 
maintained,  ‘  that  the  world  was  from  eter¬ 
nity,  and  everything  always  was  what  now 
it  is.’  Those  of  the  school  of  Epicurus 
fancied,  ‘  that  the  world  was  made  by  a  for¬ 
tuitous  concourse  of  atoms,  which,  having 
been  in  a  perpetual  motion,  at  length  acci¬ 
dentally  jumped  into  this  frame.’  Against 
both  these,  Paul  here  maintains,  that  God,  by 
the.  operations  of  an  infinite  power,  according 
to  the  contrivance  of  an  infinite  wisdom,  in  the 
beginning  of  time  made  the  world  and  all 
things  therein;  the  rise  of  which  was  owing, 
not  as  they  fancied,  to  an  eternal  matter,  but 
to  an  eternal  mind. 

2.  He  is  therefore  Lord  of  heaven  and 


earth,  i.  e.  rightful  Owner,  Proprietor,  and 
Possessor,  of  all  the  beings,  powers,  and 
riches  of  the  upper  and  lower  world,  mate¬ 
rial  aud  immaterial,  visible  and  invisible. 
This  follows  from  his  making  of  heaven  and 
earth.  If  He  created  all,  without  doubt  He 
has  the  disposing  of  all ;  and  where  He  gives 
being,  has  an  indisputable  right  to  give  law. 

3.  He  is,  in  a  particular  manner,  the  Cre¬ 
ator  of  men,  of  all  men,  v.  26.  He  made  of 
one  blood  all  nations  of  men  ;  He  made  the 
first  man,  He  makes  every  man,  is  the  Form¬ 
er  of  every  man’s  body,  and  the  Father  of 
every  man’s  spirit ;  He  has  made  the  nations 
of  men,  all  nations  in  their  political  capaci¬ 
ty  ;  He  made  all  of  one  blood,  of  one  and  the 
same  nature,  He  fashions  their  hearts  alike  : 
descended  from  one  and  the  same  common 
ancestor,  in  Adam  they  are  all  akin,  so  they 
are  in  Noah,  that  hereby  they  might  be  en¬ 
gaged  in  mutual  affection  and  assistance,  as 
fellow-creatures  and  brethren,  Mai.  2:10. 
He  hath  made  them  for  to  dwell  on  all  the  face 
of  the  earth,  not  to  live  in  one  place,  but  to 
be  dispersed  overall  the  earth  ;  one  nation, 
therefore,  ought  not  to  look  with  contempt, 
[or  jealousy,]  on  another,*  as  the  Greeks 

•SoWaylaiul,  in  another  view.  ‘The  most  favorable 
commerce  to  any  one  country,  is  that,  by  which  the  riches 
of  both  countries  are  the  most  rapidly  increased.  A  mer¬ 
chant,  whose  gains  were  all  derived  from  the  impoverish¬ 
ment  of  his  customers,  would  very  soon  have  none  but  pau¬ 
pers  for  neighbors.  A  nation,  whose  traffic  caused  the 
impoverishment  of  another  nation,  would  very  soon  be 
obliged  to  discontinue  commerce.  The  only  traffic  of  this 
sort  is  the  African  slave-trade,  and  the  result  has  been  the 
almost  entire  depopulation  of  the  slave  coast.  And  thus  we 
see  in  political  economy,  as  in  morals,  every  benefit  is  mu¬ 
tual  :  and  we  cannot, in  the  one  case,  any  more  than  in  the 
other,  really  do  goon  to  ourselves,  without  doing  good  to 
others  :  nor  do  good  to  others,  without  doing  good  to  our¬ 
selves.’ 

‘  A  good  harvest  in  one  country,  is  a  benefit  to  every 
other  country  ;  because  the  favored  country  desires  a  larger 
nmonnt  of  the  productions  of  her  neighbors,  and  has  a 
larger  fund  wherewith  to  pay  them.  On  the  contrary,  a 
famine,  or  a  war,  or  any  other  calamity  happening  to  one 
country,  is  a  calamity  to  every  other  country,  because  the 
unfortunate  country  wants  less  of  the  productions  of  its 
neighbors  ;  since  it  has  less  wherewith  to  pay  for  them. 
Hence  that  merchant  is  short-sighted,  as  well  os  morally 
thoughtless,  who  expects  to  grow  rich  by  shurt  crops,  civil 
dissensions,  calamity,  or  war,  in  the  country  with  which 
he  traffics.  A  wiser  and  farther-sighted  reflection  would 
teach  him,  that  it  is  very  difficult  to  grew  rich  by  tradings 
with  beggars,  and  that  the  benefit  of  one,  is  the  benefit  of 
all.  What  would  be  the  amount  of  exchanges  effected  by 
the  inhabitants  of  Great  Britain,  France,  and  the  United 
States,  either  among  themselves  or  with  each  other,  if  the 
productiveness  of  these  several  countries,  were  no  greater 
than  it  was  in  the  time  of  Julius  Ctesar  ?  ’ 

Again:  ‘where  virtue,  frugality,  and  respect  for  right 
exist,  riches  will,  by  natural  consequence,  accumulate  ; 
and  intellectual  cultivation  will,  of  necessity,  succeed.  So 
that  all  true  benevolence  may  be  defended,  no  less  upon 
principles  of  political  economy,  than  of  philanthropy.  The 
circulation  of  the  Scriptures,  the  inculcation  of  moral  and 
religious  truth  upon  the  mind  of  man,  by  means  of  Sabbath 
schools,  and  the  preaching  of  the  Gospel,  are  of  the  very 
greatest  importance  to  the  productive  energies  of  a  coun¬ 
try.  .  .  Intelligence,  virtue,  and  equitable  laws,  will  render 
men  industrious,  frugal,  and  consequently  rich,  and  raise 
them  from  a  savage  to  a  civilized  state.  Just  in  proportion 
as  a  nation  is  thus  transformed,  are  its  products  increased; 
the  riches  of  the  whole  world  are  augmented  ;  the  portion 
of  wealth  which  falls  to  the  share  of  each  man  is  rendered 
greater  :  and  the  ratio  of  capital  to  labor  is  higher.  Just 
as  a  nation  becomes  intelligent  8nd  rich,  its  wauls  are  mul¬ 
tiplied,  and  the  means  of  supplying  them  are  provided. 
Hence,  it  becomes  a  better  customer  to  other  nations  ;  it 
gives  an  additional  impulse  to  their  industry;  and  it  repays 
them  for  their  products,  with  whatever  God  has  bestowal 
upon  it,  which  will  add  to  the  happiness  of  others  .  .  .  How 
much  greater  benefits  does  North  America  confer  upon  the 
world,  than  it  would  if  it  weie  peopled  by  its  aboriginal 
inhabitants  ?  How  great  a  stimulus  would  be  given  to  the 
industry  of  the  world,  at  this  time  ;  and  how  greatly  would 
the  comforts  and  luxuries  of  men  he  increased,  if  Africa 
were  peopled  by  civilized  and  Christianized  men  ?  .  .  .  Civ¬ 
ilized  nations,  then,  could  in  no  way  so  successfully  pro¬ 
mote  their  own  interests,  as  by  the  universal  dissemination 
of  the  principles  of  religion,  and  the  means  of  education  and 
religion.’  Elts.  Polit.  Economy. 


V.  23.  Altar.]  The  cut,  a  classic 
relic,  shows  the  form  of  some  of 
these,  with  inscriptions.  Their  forms 
varied  with  the  taste  of  the  worship¬ 
pers.  To  the  unknown  God.]  Note, 
end  of  chapter.  Ed. 

(23.)  There  were  several  altars 
(in  Athens.  &c.)  inscribed  to  ‘  the  un¬ 
known  gods (erected,  so  some,  be¬ 
fore  sculpture  was  used,  to  deities  for¬ 
gotten  in  the  lapse  of  time’'';)  but  we 
read  not  elsewhere  of  the  one  in 
Athens,  4  to  the  unknown  God,’  of 
which  Paul  here  speaks.  See  Bloom/. 
but  Dr.  A.  Clarke  also.  Id. 

V.  25.  Wetst.  here  remarks,  that 
Paul,  with  consummate  art,  so  tem¬ 
pers  his  discourse,  that  at  one  lime  he 
contests  on  the  side  of  the  vulgar, 
against  the  philosophers  :  at  another 
time  with  the  philosophers,  against 


the  vulgar;  and  sometimes  against  both.  “Now  the  Stoics  believed  in 

the  existence  of  one  God ,  but  the  vulgar,  thinking  that  all  things  could  not 
be  governed  by  one  Being,  divided  the  governance  among  many.  The  Sto¬ 
ics  ascribed  the  origin  of  the  human  race  to  God.  The  common  people 
of  Athens  thought  that  their  nation  bad  existed  from  all  eternity  :  while 
the  Epicureans  ascribed  the  origin  of  men  to  fortuitous  chance.  The 
Stoics  believed  those  only  to  be  virtuous  who  had  attained  perfection. 
Paul  teaches  them  that  a  conversion,  or  change  for  the  better,  is  necessa¬ 
ry  for  them  also.  The  Stoics ,  moreover,  taught  that  all  things  are  bound 
by  a  fatalis  necessitas  :  Paul,  on  the  contrary,  maintains,  that  the  ac¬ 
tions  of  men  are  to  be  imputed  to  themselves ;  so  that  they  may  be  re¬ 
warded  or  punished  for  having  done  those  things  which  it  was  in  their 
power  not  to  have  done.  Wetst .’ 

V.  26.  Hath  made  of  one  blood.]  Note,  end  of  ch.  Ed.  in  A.  u., 
some  others,  with  the  Copt.,  iEth.,  Vulg.,  Itala,  Clement,  and  Bede, 
the  word  blood  is  omitted;  but  blood  is  often  used  by  the  best  writers, 
for  race ,  stock ,  kindred.  See  many  examples  in  hypke.  Dr*  A*  '*'•  J 
this  expression  the  apostle  showed  them,  in  the  most  unaffected  manner, 
that,  though  a  Jew,  he  was  not  enslaved  to  any  narrow  views,  but  look 
ed  on  all  mankind  as  his  brethren Doddr--'  Determ 
and  certain  boundaries  of  the  regions  which  they  should  inhabit.  Id^ 


A.  D.  55. 


Paul's  sermon  at  Alliens. 


27  That  they  should  seek  the 
Lord,  if  haply  they  might  feel  after 
him,  and  find  him,  though  k  he  be 
not  far  from  every  one  of  us  : 

28  For  in  1  him  we  live,  and 
move,  and  have  our  being ;  as 
m  certain  also  of  your  own  poets 
have  said,  For  we  are  also  his  off¬ 
spring. 

29  Forasmuch  then  as  we  are 
the  offspring  of  God,  we  ought  not 
n  to  think  that  the  Godhead  is  like 
unto  gold,  or  silver,  or  stone,  grav¬ 
en  by  art  and  man’s  device. 

k  c.  14:17.  1  Col.  1:17.  m  Til.  1:12.  n  Is.  40:18,  &c. 

did  on  all  other  nations  ;  for  those  on  all  the 
face  of  the  earth  are  of  the  same  blood.  The 
Athenians  boasted  that  they  sprung  out  of 
their  own  earth,  were  aborigines,  and  noth¬ 
ing  akin  by  blood  to  any  other  nation  ; 
which  proud  conceit  of  themselves  the  apos¬ 
tle  here  takes  down. 

4.  That  He  is  the  great  Benefactor  of  the 
whole  creation,  v.  25.  He  givethto  all  life,  and 
breath,  and  all  things  ;  He  not  only  breathed 
into  the  first  man  the  breath  of  life,  but  still 
breathes  it  into  every  man  ;  He  gave  us 
these  souls;  He  formed  the  spirit  of  man 
within  him  ;  He  not  only  gave  us  our  life 
and  breath,  when  He  brought  us  into  being, 
but  He  is  continually  giving  it  us;  his  prov¬ 
idence  is  a  continued  creation  ;  H e  holds  our 
souls  in  life  ;  every  moment  our  breath  goes 
forth,  but  He  graciously  gives  it  us  again 
the  next  moment  ;  it  is  not  only  his  air  that 
we  breathe,  in,  but  it  is  in  his  hand  that  our 
breath  is,  Dan.  5:  23.  He  gives  to  all  the 
children  of  men  their  life  and  breath  ;  for  as 
the  meanest  of  the  children  of  men  live  on 
Him,  and  receive  from  Him,  so  the  greatest, 
the  wisest  philosophers,  and  mightiest  pot¬ 
entates,  cannot  live  without  Him;  He  gives 
to  all,  not  only  to  all  the  children  of  men, 
but  to  the  inferior  creatures,  to  all  animals, 
everything  wherein  is  the  breath  of  life,  Gen. 
6:  17.  they  have  their  life  and  breath  from 
Him;  and  where  He  gives  life  and  breath. 
He  gives  all  things,  all  other  things  needful 
for  the  support  of  life.  The  earth  is  full  of 
his  goodness,  Ps.  104:24,  27. 

5.  That  He  is  the  sovereign  Disposer  of 

all  the  affairs  of  the  children  of  men,  accord¬ 
ing  to  the  counsel  of  his  will,  v.  26.  See 
here,  (1.)  The  sovereignty  of  God’s  dis¬ 
posal  concerning  us  ;  He  hath  determined 
every  event,  the  matter  is  fixed  ;  the  dispo¬ 
sals  of  Providence  are  incontestable,  un¬ 
changeable,  [Note,  2:23.]  (2.)  The  wis¬ 

dom  of  his  disposals  ;  He  hath  determined 
what  was  before  appointed  ;  the  determina¬ 
tions  of  the  Eternal  Mind  are  not  sudden 
resolves,  but  the  counterparts  of  an  eternal 
counsel,  the  copies  of  divine  decrees,  Job 
23  :  14.  Whatever  comes  forth  from  God, 
was  before  all  worlds  hid  in  God.  (3.)  The 
things  about  which  his  providence  is  conver¬ 
sant  ;  these  are  time  and  place  :  the  times 
and  places  of  our  living  in  this  world,  are 
determined  and  appointed  by  the  God  that 
made  us.  [1.]  He  has  determined  the  times 
that  are  concerning  us  ;  times  to  us  seem 
changeable,  but  God  has  fixed  them.  Our 
times  are  in  his  hands,  to  lengthen  or  shorten, 
imbilter  or  sweeten,  as  He  pleases.  He  has 
appointed  and  determined  our  time  to  be  born, 
and  our  time  to  die,  Eccl.  3  :  1,  2.  and  all 
that  little  that  lies  between  them  ;  the  time 


ACTS,  XVII. 

of  all  our  concernments  in  this  world, 
whether  prosperous  times,  or  calamitous,  He 
has  determined  them;  and  on  Him  we  must 
depend,  with  reference  to  the  times  yet  be¬ 
fore  us.  [2.]  He  has  also  determined  and 
appointed  the  bounds  of  our  habitation  ;  He  that 
appointed  the  earth  to  be  a  habitation  for  the 
children  of  men,  has  appointed  to  the  chil¬ 
dren  of  men  a  distinction  of  habitations  on 
the  earth;  has  instituted  such  a  tiling  as 
property,  to  which  He  has  set  hounds,  to  keep 
us  from  trespassing  one  on  another.  The 
particular  habitations  in  which  our  lot  is  cast, 
the  place  of  our  nativity  and  of  our  settle¬ 
ment,  are  of  God’s  determining  and  ap¬ 
pointing;  which  is  a  reason  why  we  should 
accommodate  ourselves  to  the  habitations  we 
are  in,  and  make  the  best  of  that  which  is. 

6.  That  He  is  not  far  from  every  one  of  us, 
v.  27.  He  is  everywhere  present,  not  only 
is  at  our  right  hand,  but.  has  possessed  our 
reins,  Ps.  139  :  13.  has  his  eye  on  us  at  all 
times,  and  knows  us  better  than  we  know 
ourselves.  Idolaters  made  images  of  God, 
that  they  might  have  Him  with  them  in 
those  images,  which  the  apostle  here  shows 
the  absurdity  of  ;  for  He  is  an  infinite  Spirit, 
that  is  not  far  from  any  of  us,  and  never  the 
nearer,  but  in  one  sense  the  further  off  from 
us,  for  our  pretending  to  realize  or  presen- 
tiate  H  im  to  ourselves  by  any  image.  He 
is  nigh  unto  us,  both  to  receive  the  homage 
we  render  Him,  and  to  give  the  mercies  we 
ask  of  Him,  wherever  we  are;  though  near 
no  altar,  image,  or  temple.  The  Lord  of  all, 
as  He  is  rich,  Rom.  10  :  12.  so  He  is  nigh, 
Deut  4:  7.  to  all  that  call  upon  Him.  He 
that  wills  us  to  pray  everywhere,  assures  us, 
that  He  is  nowhere  far  from  us  ;  whatever 
country,  nation,  or  profession,  we  are  of, 
whatever  our  rank  and  condition  in  the 
world  are,  be  we  in  a  palace  or  in  a  cottage, 
in  a  crowd  or  in  a  corner,  in  u  city  or  in  a 
desert,  in  the  depths  of  the  sea  or  afar  off 
on  the  sea,  this  is  certain,  God  is  not  far 
from  every  one  of  us. 

•7.  That  in  Him  we  live,  and  move,  and 
have  our  being,  v.  28.  We  have  a  necessary 
and  constant  dependence  on  his  providence, 
as  the  streams  on  the  spring,  and  the  beams 
on  the  sun.  (1.)  In  Him  w'e  live ;  i.  e.  the 
continuance  of  our  lives  is  owing  to  Him 
and  the  constant  influence  of  his  providence ; 
He  is  our  Life,  and  the  length  of  our  days  ; 
if  He  suspend  [his  influence,  or]  the  positive 
acts  of  his  goodness,  we  die  of  ourselves. 
(2.)  In  Him  we  move  ;  it  is  by  the  uninter¬ 
rupted  concourse  of  his  providence,  that  our 
souls  move  themselves  in  their  outgoings  and 
operations,  that  our  thoughts  run  to  and  fro 
about  a  thousand  subjects,  and  our  affections 
run  out  toward  their  proper  objects.  It  is 
likewise  by  Him  that  out;  souls  move  our 
bodies;  we  cannot  stir  a  band,  or  a  foot,  or 
a  tongue,  but  by  Him,  who,  as  He  is  the 
first  Cause,  so  He  is  the  first  Mover.  (3.)  In 
Him  ive  have  our  being  ;  not  only  from  Him 
we  had  it  at  first,  hut  in  Him  we  have  it 
still ;  to  his  continued  care  and  goodness  we 
owe  it,  not  only  that  we  have  a  being,  and 
are  not  sunk  into  nonentity,  but  that  we. 
have  our  being,  have  this  bring,  were  and 
still  are  of  such  a  noble  rank  of  beings,  ca¬ 
pable  of  knowing  and  enjoying  God  ;  and 
are  not  thrust  into  the  meanness  of  brutes, 
or  the  misery  of  devils. 

8.  That,  upon  the  whole  matter,  we  are 
God's  offspring  ;  He  is  our  Father  that  begat 
us,  Deut.  32:  6,  18.  and  He  hath  nourished 
and  brought  us  up  as  children.  Is.  1 :  2.  The 


V.  28.  In  Him ,  <fcc.]  1 1.  e.  by.'  Bloomf.  Ill  speculating  on  this  text, 
we  must  avoid  Spinosism,  Soofeism,  &c.  the  offspring  of  reasoning  pride. 
Note,  Dan.  3:5.  Ed. — For  in  Him  we  live, and  move,  and  have  our  being. \ 
1  Live  and  are  moved,  and  do  exist.  No  words  can  better  express  that 
continual  and  necessary  dependence  of  all  derived  things,  in  their  ex¬ 
istence  and  all  their  operations,  oil  their  first  and  almighty  Cause,  which 
the  truest  philosophy,  as  well  as  theology,  teaches.  The  thought,  in 
words  just  like  these,  is  found  in  an  old  Greek  poet ;  hut  Paul  does  not 
mention  it  as  a  quotation;  so  that  l  rather  think,  with  Le  Clerc,  that  the 
poet  borrowed  it  from  hence,  though  to  be  sure,  many  of  the  ancients 
had  before  expressed  themselves  much  to  the  same  purpose.’  Poddr. 


confession  of  an  adversary,  in  such  a  case,  is 
always  looked  upon  to  be  of  use,  therefore 
the  apostle  here  quotes  a  saying  of  one  of 
the  Greek  poets,  Aratus,  a  native  of  Cilicia, 
Paul’s  countryman,  who,  in  his  Phuen’oniena, 
in  the  beginning  of  his  book,  speaking  of 
the  heathen  Jupiter,  i.  e.  in  the  poetical  di¬ 
alect,  the  supreme  God,  says  this  of  Him, 
‘for  we  are  also  his  offspring.'  And  he  might 
have  quoted  other  poets  to  the  purpose  of 
what  he  was  speaking,  that  in  God  we  live 
and  move,  Virgil,  Ovid,  Lucan.  But  he 
chooses  this  of  Aratus,  as  having  much  in  a 
little.  By  this  it  appears,  not  only  that  Paul 
was  himself  a  scholar,  but  that  human  learn¬ 
ing  is  both  ornamental  and  serviceable  to  a 
gospel-minister,  especially  for  the  convincing 
of  those  that  are  without  ;  for  it  enables 
them  to  beat  them  at  their  own  weapons, 
and  to  cut  off  Goliath’s  head  with  bis  own 
sword.  How  can  the  adversaries  of  truth 
be  beaten  out  of  their  strong-holds  by  those 
that  do  not  know  them  1  It  may  likewise 
shame  God’s  professing  people,  who  forget 
their  relation  to  God,  and  walk  contrary  to 
it,  that  a  heathen  poet  could  say  of  God, 
We  are  his  offspring,  formed  by  Him,  formed 
for  Him,  more  the  care  of  his  providence 
than  ever  any  children  were  the  care  of  their 
parents  ;  and  therefore  are  obliged  to  obey 
his  commands,  and  acquiesce  in  his  dispo¬ 
sals,  and  to  be  unto  Him  for  a  name  and  a 
praise;  since  in  Him  and  upon  Him  we  live, 
we  ought  to  live  to  Him  ;  since  in  Him  we 
move,  we  ought  to  move  toward  Him  ;  and 
since  in  Him  we  have  our  being,  and  from 
Him  we  receive  all  the  supports  and  com¬ 
forts  of  our  being,  we  ought  to  consecrate 
our  being  to  Him,  and  to  apply  ourselves  to 
Him  for  a  new  being,  a  better  being,  an 
eternal  well-being. 

III.  F  rom  all  these  great  truths  concern¬ 
ing  God,  be  infers  the  absurdity  of  their 
idolatry,  as  the  prophets  of  old  had  done. 
If  this  be  so, 

1.  Then  God  cannot  be  represented  by  an 
image.  If  we  are  the  offspring  of  God,  as  we 
are  spirits  in  flesh,  then  certainly  He  who 
is  the  Father  of  our  spirits,  is  Himself  a 
Spirit,  and  we  ought  not  to  think  that  the 
Godhead  is  like  unto  gold,  or  silver,  or  stone, 
grai'en  by  art  and  man's  device,  v.  29.  We 
wrong  God,  and  put  an  affront  on  Him,  if 
we  think  so.  God  honored  man  in  making 
his  soul  after  his  likeness;  hut  man  dishon¬ 
ors  God,  if  he  makes  Him  after  the  likeness 
of  his  body.  Th?  Godhead  is  spiritual, 
infinite,  immaterial,  and  incomprehensible, 
therefore  it  is  a  very  false  and  unjust  con¬ 
ception  which  an  image  gives  us  of  God,  be 
the  matter  ever  so  rich,  gold  or  silver  ;  be 
the  shape  ever  so  curious,  and  be  it  ever  so 
well  graven  by  art  and  man's  device,  its 
countenance,  posture,  or  dress,  ever  so  sig¬ 
nificant,  it  is  a  teacher  of  lies. 

2.  Then  He  dwells  not  in  temples  made  with 
hands,  v.  24.  He  is  not  invited  to  any  tem¬ 
ple  men  can  build  for  Him,  nor  confined  to 
any.  A  temple  is  convenient  for  us  to  come 
together  in  to  worship  God;  but  God  needs 
not  any  place  of  rest  or  residence,  or  the 
magnificence  and  splendor  of  any  structure, 
to  add  to  the  glory  of  his  appearance.  A 
pious,  upright  heart,  a  temple  not  made  with 
hands,  but  by  the  Spirit  of  God,  is  that  which 
lie  dwells  in,  and  delights  to  dwell  in.  See 
IK.  8:27.  Is.  66:1,2. 

3.  Theu  He  is  not  worshipped,  He  is  not 
served,  or  ministered  unto,  with  men's  hands, 
as  though  He  needed  anything,  v.  25.  He  that 

V.  29.  Forasmuch  then,  6c c.,  ive  ought,  &c.]  ‘Every  man  in  the 
Areopagus  must  have  felt  the  power  of  this  conclusion.’  Dr.  A.  C.  Are 
the  offspring  of  God.]  ‘These  words  are  well  known  to  be  found  in 
Aratus,  a  poet  of  Cilicia,  Paul’s  own  country,  who  lived  almost  300 
years  before  this  time.  I  wonder  so  few  writers  should  have  added,  that 
they  are,  with  the  alteration  of  one  only,  to  be  found  in  the  Hymn  of 
Cleanthes  to  Jupiter,  or  the  Supreme  God,  which  I  willingly  mention  as 
beyond  comparison,  the  purest  and  finest  piece  of  natural  religion,  of 
its  length,  which  I  know  in  the  xvorld  of  Pagan  antiquity  :  and  which, 
so  fur  as  I  can  recollect,  contains  nothing  unworthy  of  a  Christian,  or, 
I  had  almost  said,  of  an  inspired  pen.'  Doddu. 


A.  D.  55. 


ACTS,  XVI I. 


Paul's  sermon  al  Athens * 


30  And  the  times  of  this  igno¬ 
rance  God  winked  0  at,  but  now 
p  commandeth  all  men  every  where 
to  repent  : 

31  Because  he  hath  appointed  i  a 
day,  in  the  which  he  will  judge  the 
world  in  righteousness,  by  that  man 
whom  he  hath  ordained  j  lohereof 
he  hath  r  given  assurance  unto  all 
men,  in  that  he  hath  raised  him 
from  the  dead. 

n  Ro.  3:25.  ‘2:11,12.  r  or  ^offered  faith, 

p  Lu.  24:47.  Tit.  q  Ro.  2:18. 

made  all,  and  maintains  all,  cannot  be  ben¬ 
efited  by  any  of  our  services,  nor  needs  them. 
What  need  can  God  have  of  our  services,  or 
what  benefit  can  He  have  by  them,  when  He 
has  all  perfection  in  Himself,  and  we  have 
nothing  that  is  good  but  what  we  have  from 
H  im  1  The  philosophers,  indeed,  were  sen¬ 
sible  of  this  truth,  that  God  has  no  need  of 
us  or  our  services  ;  but  the  vulgar  heathen 
built  temples,  and  offered  sacrifices  to  their 
gods,  with  an  opinion  that  they  needed  [and 
were  obliged  to  them  for]  houses  and  food. 
See  Job  35:  5 — 8.  Ps.  50:  8,  &c. 

4.  Then  it  concerns  us  all  to  inquire  after 
God,  v.  27.  That  they  should  seek  the  Lord, 

i.  e.  fear  and  worship  Him  in  a  right  man¬ 
ner.  Therefore  God  has  kept  the  children 
of  men  in  a  constant  dependence  on  Him  for 
life,  and  all  the  comforts  of  life,  that  He 
might  keep  them  under  constant. obligations 
to  Him.  Nothing,  one  would  think,  should 
be  more  powerful  with  us,  to  convince  us 
that  there  is  a  God,  and  to  engage  us  to  seek 
his  honor  and  glory  in  our  services,  and  to 
seek  our  happiness  in  his  favor  and  love, 
than  the  consideration  of  our  own  nature, 
especially  the  noble  powers  and  faculties  of 
our  own  souls.  If  we  reflect  on  those,  and 
contemplate  these,  we  may  perceive  both 
our  relation  and  obligation  to  a  God  above 
us.  Yet,  [as  our  natures  have  degenerated 
from  the  Adamic  perfection  of.form  and  har¬ 
mony,]  so  dark  is  this  discovery,  in  compar¬ 
ison  with  that  by  divine  revelation,  and  so 
unapt  are  we  to  receive  it,  that  they  who 
have  no  other,  could  but  haply  feel  after  God, 
and  find  Him.  It  was  very  uncertain  wheth¬ 
er  they  could  by  this  searching  find  out  God; 
it  is  but  a  peradventure,  if  haply  they  might. 
If  they  did  find  out  something  of  God,  yet  it 
was  but  some  confused  notions  of  Him ;  they 
did  but  feel  after  Him,  as  men  in  the  dark, 
or  blind  men,  who  lay  hold  on  a  thing  that 
comes  in  their  way,  but  know  not  whether 
it  be  that  which  they  are  in  quest  of  or  no. 


It  is  a  very  confused  notion  which  this  poet  ] 
of  thelr’s  has  of  the  relation  between  God 
and  man,  and  very  general,  that  we  are  his 
offspring  :  as  was  also  that  of  their  philoso¬ 
phers.  Pythagoras  said,  Mai  have  a  sort  of 
a  divine  nature.  And  Heraclitus  being  asked, 
What  men  are  ?  answered.  Mortal  gods  ; 
and.  What  are  the  gods  ?  answered,  Immor¬ 
tal  men.  And  Pindar  saith,  God  and  man 
are  near  akin .  It  is  true,  that  by  the  knowl¬ 
edge  of  ourselves,  we  may  be  led  to  the 
knowledge  of  God,  but  it  is  a  very  confused 
knowledge.  This  is  but  feeling  after  Him. 
We  have  therefore  reason  to  be  thankful,  that 
by  [and  in]  Christ,  we  have  notices  given  us 
of  God,  much  clearer  than  we  could  have  by 
the  light  of  nature  ;  vve  do  not  now  feel  after 
Him,  but  with  open  face  behold,  as  in  a  glass, 
the  glory  of  God. 

IV.  He  proceeds  to  call  them  all  to  repent 
of  their  idolatries,  and  to  turn  from  them, 
v.  30,  31.  This  is  the  practical  part  of 
Paul’s  sermon  before  the  university;  having 
declared  God  to  them,  v.  23.  from  thence  he 
properly  presses  on  them  repentance  toward 
God;  and  would  have  taught  them  also  faith 
towards  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  if  they  would 
have  had  the  patience  to  hear  him.  Having 
showed  them  the  absurdity  of  their  worship¬ 
ping  other  gods,  he  persuades  them  to  go  on 
no  longer  in  that  foolish  way  of  worship, 
but  to  return  from  it  to  the  living  and  true 
God.  Observe, 

1.  The  conduct  of  God  toward  the  Gen¬ 
tile  world,  before  the  Gospel  came  among 
them;  The  times  of  this  ignorance  God  winked 
at.  (I.)  They  were  times  of  great  igno¬ 
rance;  human  learning  flourished  more  than 
ever  in  the  Gentile  world,  just  before  Christ’s 
time  ;  but  in  the  things  of  God  they  were 
grossly  ignorant.  (2.)  These  times  of  igno¬ 
rance  God  winked  at.  Understand  it,  [I.] 
As  an  act  of  divine  justice.  God  despised  or 
neglected  these  times  of  ignorance,  and  did 
net  send  them  his  Gospel,  as  now  He  does. 
Or  rather,  [2.]  As  an  act  of  divine  patience 
and  forbearance;  He  winked  at  these  times; 
He  did  not  restrain  them  from  these  idola¬ 
tries  by  sending  prophets  to  them,  as  He  did 
to  Israel  ;  He  did  not  punish  them  in  their 
idolatries,  as  He  did  Israel;  but  gave  them 
the  gifts  of  his  providence,  ch.  14:16,  17. 
Ps.  50:  21.  He  did  not  give  them  such  calls 
and  motives  to  repentance  as  He  does  now ; 
He  let  them  alone;  because  they  did  not  im¬ 
prove  the  light  they  had,  but  were  willingly 
ignorant,  He  did  not  send  them  greater 
lights.  Or,  He  was  not  quick  and  severe  with 
them,  but  was  long-suffering  toward  them, 
because  they  did  it  ignorantly,  1  Tim.  1: 13. 


2.  The  charge  God  gave  the  Gentile  world 
by  the  Gospel,  which  He  now  sent  among 
them  ;  He  now  commandeth  all  men  every¬ 
where  to  repent  ;  to  change  their  mind  and 
their  way;  to  be  ashamed  of  their  folly,  and 
to  act  more  wisely;  to  break  off  the  worship 
of  idols,  [and  every  abuse  of  their  propensi¬ 
ties,]  and  bind  themselves  to  the  worship 
[and  obedience]  of  the  true  God.  Nay,  it 
is  to  turn  with  sorrow  and  shame  from  every 
sin,  and  with  cheerfulness  and  resolution  to 
every  duty.  This  is  God’s  command  ;  it 
had  been  a  great  favor  if  He  had  only  told 
us  that  there  was  room  left  for  repentance, 
and  we  might  be  admitted  to  it;  but  He  goes 
farther,  He  interposes  his  own  authority  for 
our  good,  and  has  made  that  our  duty  which 
is  our  privilege.  It  is  his  command  to  all 
men,  everywhere  ;  all  have  made  work  for 
repentance,  and  have  cause  enough  to  repenr, 
are  invited  to  repent,  and  shall  have  the  ben¬ 
efit  of  it.  Now  in  gospel-times  it  is  more 
earnestly  commanded,  because  more  encour¬ 
aged  than  it  had  been  formerly  ;  now  the 
way  of  remission  is  more  opened  than  it  had 
been,  and  the  promise  more  fully  confirmed ; 
therefore  now,  before  it  is  too  late,  He  ex¬ 
pects  we  should  all  repent. 

3.  The  great  reason  to  enforce  this  com¬ 
mand,  taken  from  the  judgment  to  come, 
v.  31.  because  God  has  now, under  the  Gospel, 
made  a  clearer  discovery  of  a  state  of  retri¬ 
bution  in  the  other  world  than  ever  before. 
(1.)  The  God  that  made  the  world,  that  now 
governs  the  world,  will  .judge  it  ;  that  gave 
the  children  of  men  their  being  and  faculties, 
will  call  them  to  an  account  for  the  use  they 
have  made  of  them,  and  recompense  them 
accordingly;  and  every  man  shall  receive  ac¬ 
cording  to  the  things  done  in  the  body,  2  Cor. 
5:  10.  (2.)  There  is  a  day  appointed  for  this 
general  review  of  all  that  men  have  done  in 
time,  and  a  final  determination  of  their  state 
for  eternity.  The  day  is  fixed  in  the  counsel 
of  God,  and  cannot  be  altered;  a  day  of  de¬ 
cision,  a  day  of  recompense  ;  a  day  that  will 
put  a  final  period  to  all  the  days  of  time. 
(3.)  The  world  will  be  judged  in  righteous¬ 
ness;  for  God  is  not  unrighteous,  who  taketh 
vengeance,  far  be.  it  from  Him  that  He  should 
do  iniquity.  His  knowledge  of  all  men’s  char¬ 
acters  and  actions  is  infallibly  true,  therefore 
his  sentence  on  them  incontestably  just,  [for 
He  has  no  motive  to  injustice.]  And  as 
there  will  be  no  appeal  from  it,  so  there  will 
be  no  exception  against  it.  (4.)  God  will 
judge  the  world  by  that  man  whom  He  hath 
ordained,  wha  can  be  no  other  than  the  Lord 
Jesus,  to  whom  all  judgment  is  committed. 
By  Him  God  made  the  world,  by  Him  He 


V.  30,  31.  God  liad  indeed  long  borne  with  men’s  apostasy,  ignorance, 
and  idolatry  :  but  ‘the  times  of  this  ignorance’  were  expiring;  and  by 
his  servants  lie  now  ‘commanded  all  men,  everywhere,  to  repent’  of 
their  idolatry  and  all  other  sins,  and  not  to  attempt  any  excuse  or  vindi¬ 
cation  of  their  conduct. — This  was  a  most  bold  demand  on  the  self-wise 
and  self-admiring  Stoics  ;  and  as  opposite  to  their  notions  of  virtue  and 
of  fatality,  as  to  the  Epicurean  sentiments  of  chance  and  pleasure. — Thus 
far  the  apostle  was  permitted  to  proceed  in  introducing  his  subject ;  for 
much  more  he  certainly  intended  to  say,  had  not  the  levity  and  petu¬ 
lance  of  his  audience  constrained  him  to  desist. — 1  Contrast  this  ad¬ 
dress  with  the  speculations  of  the  Greek  philosophers  ;  with  those 
of  the  Epicureans  and  the  Stoics  in  particular.  In  this  contrast,  it  ap¬ 
pears  dignified,  rational,  sublime.  It  asserts  the  Being  and  Unity  of 
God;  that  He  created  the  world,  and  all  things  in  it;  his  universal 
providence;  the  intimate  relation  of  men,  all  over  the  world,  to  each 
other;  (though  his  hearers,  the  Greeks ,  had  been  accustomed  to  call  the 
rest  of  mankind  barbarians ;)  the  palpable  folly  of  idolatry,  and  its 
criminality,  with  calls  to  repentance:  and  it  sets  before  them  a  future 
judgment,  and  a  life  beyond  the  grave  :  all  this,  in  the  compass  of  a  few 
verses,  in  which  not  a  word  seems  redundant,  yet  nothing  is  defective  ! 
Whoever  reflects  on  the  endless  mazes,  in  which  these  wise  philosophers 
of  Athens,  and  indeed  all  those  of  the  ancient  world,  were  wandering, 
on  ab  these  subjects,  so  awfully  interesting  ;  and  compares  the  solid  ra¬ 
tionality  of  the  sentiments,  here  so  simply  proposed,  with  their  vain 
but  ostentatious  wisdom,  must  be  very  much  struck  indeed. — Then  with 
regard  to  evidence.  They  had  nothing  to  offer,  but  abstruse  and  bewil¬ 
dering  reasonings,  which  were  perfectly  incomprehensible  by  the  mass 
of  mankind,  and  which  brought  home  no  effectual  conviction  to  the 
mind  of  any  one.  All  was  among  them  without  certainty,  and  without 
authority.  But  the  apostle  was  able  to  confirm  his  doctrine,  by  argu¬ 
ments  intelligible  to  all;  the  conclusivenes3  of  which  human  nature 
feels,  and  cannot  but  feel.  He  would  have  appealed  to  miracles,  (par¬ 
ticularly  the  resurrection  of  Christ,)  and  to  various  other  proofs  ;  but 
bis  tired  audience  refused  to  hear  him  out.’ — The  manner  of  the  apostle, 
likewise,  in  addressing  these  idolaters  and  philosophers,  who  were 


strangers  to  the  ancient  Scriptures,  and  his  reasoning  with  them  on  such 
principles  as  they  allowed,  or  could  notvleny,  should  be  compared  with 
his  addresses  to  the  Jews,  who  professed  to  believe  the  Scriptures,  and 
with  whom  he  argued  on  the  ground  of  that  profession.  Christianity 
might  indeed  be  established  by  proofs,  wholly  independent  of  the  O.  T. ; 
yet  it  called  men  to  believe  nothing,  as  actually  accomplished,  but  wliat 
had  been  predicted,  typified,  or  promised.  Of  this  the  inspired  preachers 
never  failed  to  avail  themselves,  in  addressing  the  Jews  ;  both  as  a  most 
conclusive  proof  that  their  doctrine  was  from  God,  in  addition  to  all 
miracles,  and  other  interna!  and  external  evidences;  and  also,  as  pecu¬ 
liarly  interesting  to  those  who  possessed,  and  professed  to  reverence,  the 
sacred  oracles.  But  to  have  brought  proofs,  from  Scripture,  to  idola¬ 
trous  or  philosophizing  Gentiles,  would  have  been  highly  irrational ;  and 
Paul’s  example,  especially  in  this  particular,  cannot  be  too  carefully 
studied  and  copied  by  all,  who  are  called  to  address  infidels,  or  idolaters, 
or  persons  totally  ignorant  and  careless  in  the  concerns  of  religion. 

Scott. 

(30.)  God  winked  at.]  ‘  The  beams  of  his  eye  did  in  a  manner  shoot 
over  them.’  Mr.  Howe,  in  Doddr. — But  now  commandeth,  &c.j  ‘  There 
is  a  dignity  in  this  latter  expression,  becoming  one  who  was  conscious 
that  he  was  indeed  an  ambassador  from  the  King  of  heaven,  who  could 
(to  allude  to  Livy’s  remarkable  story)  draw  a  circle  about  the  greatest 
monarch,  and  demand  a  decisive  answer  before  he  stirred  out  of  it.’ 

Doddr. 

(31.  Whereof  He  hath  given  assurance.]  ‘  The  sense  of  the  argument 
is  this  :  Jesus  Christ,  whom  we  preach  as  the  Savior  of  men,  has  repeat¬ 
edly  told  his  followers  that  He  would  judge  the  world  ;  and  has  described 
to  us,  at  large,  the  whole  of  the  proceedings  of  that  awful  time,  Mat.  25: 
31.  &c.  John  5:25.  Though  He  was  put  to  death  by  the  Jews,  and  thus 
became  a  victim  for  sin,  yet  God  raised  Him  from  the  dead.  By  raising 
Him  from  the  dead,  God  has  set  his  seal  to  the  doctrines  He  has  taught: 
one  of  these  doctrines  is,  that  He  shall  judge  the  world  ;  his  resurrection, 
established  by  the  most  incontrovertible  evidence,  is  therefore  proof,  an 
incontestable  proof,  that  He  [will]  judge  the  world,  according  to  his 
own  declaration.’  Dr.  A.  Clarke. 


A.  D.  55. 


ACTS,  XVII. 


The  success  of  Paul's  discourse. 


32  IT  And  when  they  heard  of  the 
resurrection  of  the  *  dead,  some 
mocked  :  and  others  said,  We  will 
hear  thee  again  *  of  this  matter. 

33  So  Paul  departed  from  among 
them. 

34  Howbeit  certain  men  clave 
unto  him,  and  believed  :  among  the 
which  was  Dionysius  the  Areopa- 
gite,  and  a  woman  named  Damaris, 
and  others  with  them. 

5  c.  26:8.  t  Lu.  14:18.  c.  24:25. 


redeemed  it,  by  Him  He  governs  it,  and  by 
H  ini  He  will  judge  it.  (5.)  God’s  raising 
Christ  from  the  dead,  is  the  great  proof  of 
his  being  appointed  and  ordained  the  Judge 
of  quick  and  dead.  His  doing  Him  that 
honor,  evidenced  his  designing  Him  this 
honor.  God  hath  given  assurance  unto  all 
men,  sufficient  ground  for  their  faith  to  build 
on,  both  that  there  is  a  judgment  to  come, 
and  that  Christ  will  be  their  Judge  ;  the 
matter  is  not  left  doubtful,  but  is  of  unques¬ 
tionable  certainty.  (6.)  The  consideration 
of  the  judgment  to  come,  and  of  the  great 
hand  Christ  will  have  in  that  judgment, 
should  engage  us  all  to  repent  of  our  sins, 
and  turn  from  them  to  God.  This  is  the  only 
way  to  make  the  Judge  our  Friend  in  that 
day,  which  will  be  a  terrible  day  to  all  that 
live  and  die  impenitent  ;  but  true  penitents 
will  then  lift  up  their  heads  with  joy ,  knowing 
that  their  redemption  draws  nighs. 

V.  32 — 34.  Here  is  a  short  account  of  the 
issue  of  Paul’s  preaching  at  Athens. 

I.  Few  were  the  better  :  the  Gospel  had 
as  little  success  there,  as  anywhere  ;  for  the 
pride  of  the  philosophers  there,  as  of  the 
Pharisees  at  Jerusalem,  prejudiced  them 
against  it. 


1.  Some  ridiculed  Paul  and  his  preach¬ 
ing  ;  they  heard  him  patiently  till  he  came 
to  speak  of  the  resurrection  of  the  dead,  v.  32. 
and  then  some  began  to  hiss  him,  they  mocked ; 
what  he  had  said  before,  was  somewhat  like 
what  they  had  sometimes  heard  in  tlieir  own 
schools  ;  and  some  notion  they  had  of  a 
resurrection,  as  it  signifies  a  future  state  ;  but 
if  he  speak  of  a  resurrection  of  the  dead, 
though  it  be  of  Christ  Himself,  it  is  ajtogether 
incredible  to  them,  and  they  cannot  so  much 
as  hear  it,  as  being  contrary  to  a  princi¬ 
ple  of  their  philosophy, —  Life,  when  once 
lost,  is  irrecoverable.  They  had  deified  their 
heroes  after  their  death  ;  but  they  never 
thought  of  their  being  raised  from  the  dead, 
therefore  they  could  by  no  means  reconcile 
themselves  to  this  doctrine  of  Christ’s  being 
raised  from  the  dead.  We  are  not  to  think 
it  strange,  if  sacred  truths,  of  the  greatest 
certainty  and  importance,  are  made  the  scorn 
of  profane  wits. 

2.  Others  were  willing  to  take  time  to  con¬ 
sider  of  it  ;  they7  would  not  at  present  com¬ 
ply  with  what  Paul  said,  or  oppose  it  ;  but 
we  will  hear  thee  again  of  this  matter  of  the  res¬ 
urrection  from  the  dead.  It  should  seem,  they 
overlooked  what  was  plain,  and  shifted  off 
the  application  and  the  improvement  of  that, 
by  starting  objections  against  what  would 
admit  a  debate.  Thus  many  lose  the  benefit 
of  the  practical  doctrines  of  Christianity,  by 
wading  beyond  their  depth  into  controversy; 
or  rather,  by  objecting  against  that  which 
has  some  difficulty  in  it  ;  whereas,  if  any 
man  were  disposed  and  determined  to  do  the 
will  of  God,  as  far  as  it  is  discovered  to  him, 
[and  did  it,]  he  should  [constantly  advance  in 
the  discovery  of  God’s  will,  should,  in  par¬ 
ticular,]  know  of  the  doctrine  of  Christ,  that 
it  is  of  God,  and  not  of  man,  John  7:  17. 
Those  that  would  not  yield  to  the  present 
convictions  of  the  Word,  thought  to  get  clear 


of  them,  as  Felix  did,  by  putting  them  off 
to  another  opportunity  ;  they  will  hear  of 
it  again  some  time  or  other,  but  they  know 
not  when  ;  and  thus  the  devil  cozens  them 
of  all  their  time,  by  cozening  them  of  the 
present  time. 

3.  Paul  thereupon  left  them,  for  the  pres¬ 
ent,  to  consider  of  it,  v.  33.  He  departed 
from  among  them,  as  seeing  little  likeli¬ 
hood  of  doing  any  good  with  them  at  this 
time  ;  but,  it  is  likely,  with  a  promise  to 
those  that  were  willing  to  hear  him  again, 
that  he  would  meet  them  whenever  they 
pleased. 

II.  Yet  some  were  wrought  upon,  v.  34: 
1.  There  were  certain  men  that  clave  to  him , 
and  believed  ;  w'hen  he  departed  from  among 
them,  they  would  not  part  with  him  so  ; 
wherever  he  went,  they  would  follow  him, 
with  a  resolution  to  adhere  to  the  doctrine 
he  preached,  which  they  believed.  2.  Two 
are  particularly  named  ;  one  was  an  eminent 
man,  Dionysius  the  Areopagite  ;  one  of  that 
high  court,  or  great  council,  that  sat  in  Areo¬ 
pagus,  or  Mars-hill.  The  accounts  the  an¬ 
cients  give  of  him  is,  that  he  was  bred  at  Ath¬ 
ens,  had  studied  astrology  in  Egypt,  where  he 
took  notice  of  the  miraculous  eclipse  at  our 
Savior’s  passion,  that,  returning  to  Athens, 
he  became  a  senator  ;  disputed  with  Paul, 
and  was  by  him  converted  from  his  error 
and  idolatry  ;  and,  being  by  him  thoroughly 
instructed,  was  made  the  first  bishop  of 
Athens.  So  Eusebius,  lib.  5.  cap.  4,  lib.  -1. 
cap.  22.  The  woman,  named  Damaris,  was, 
as  some  think,  the  wife  of  Dionysius  ;  but 
rather,  some  other  person  of  quality  ;  and 
though  there  was  not  so  great  a  harvest 
gathered  in  at  Athens  as  there  was  at  some 
other  places,  yet  these  few  being  wrought 
upon  there,  Paul  had  no  reason  to  say  he 
had  labored  in  vain,  [for  how  shall  we  esti¬ 
mate  the  worth  of  but  a  single  soul  !] 


PRACT.  OBS.  It  is  most  evident,  from  this  history,  that  the  zealous 
servants  of  Christ  must  be  despised  and  hated,  by  all  kinds  of  uncon¬ 
verted  persons,  for  his  sake.  Nothing,  however,  shall  in  any  wise  hurt 
them;  and  nothing  should  dismay  them,  or  deter  them  from  publishing 
the  glad  tidings  of  salvation. — But  how  strange  is  it,  that  men  should 
grudge  and  envy  others  those  privileges,  of  which  they  will  not  them¬ 
selves  accept !  and  that  zeal  for  religious  creeds  or  systems  should  in¬ 
duce  them  ‘  to  take  to  themselves  wicked  men  of  the  baser  sort,’  to  set 
cities  in  an  uproar,  to  assault  and  destroy  men’s  houses,  and  to  lay  wait 
for  their  lives  !  Such  proceedings  disgrace  and  betray  every  cause  they 
are  brought  to  support;  and  the  friends  of  truth  and  piety  must  mourn 
and  lament,  if  any  of  their  professed  associates,  take  weapons  of  this 
kind  from  the  enemies  of  God  and  his  people,  and  use  them  to  their  an¬ 
noyance.  Mobs  are  always  incompetent  judges  of  liberty  and  privileg¬ 
es;  and  how  egregiously  absurd  it  is,  for  them  and  their  leaders,  to 
exclaim  against  others,  as  disturbers  of  the  peace  and  order  of  the  com¬ 
munity  ! — But  the  kingdom  of  Christ  is  not  of  this  world  ;  and  his  most 
faithful  servants  will  be  the  most  peaceable  subjects  to  that  authority, 
which  Providence  places  over  them  ;  they  will  be  ready  to  obey  the  de¬ 
crees  of  Cesar,  unless  he  command  them  to  break  the  laws  of  their  oth¬ 
er  and  more  exalted  ‘King,’ evjn  ‘  Jesus,’  ‘  the  Prince  of  the  kings  of 
the  earth  and  then  they  will  meekly  endure  persecution  for  conscience’ 
sake. — True  dignity  and  nobleness  of  spirit  greatly  consist  in  an  enlarg¬ 
ed  and  unprejudiced  mind,  open  to  conviction,  willing  to  investigate  the 
truth,  to  examine  the  evidence  adduced  in  support  of  men’s  opinions, 
and  to  treat  religious  inquirers  with  candor,  seriousness,  and  diligence. 
— Nothing  can  be  more  ignoble  and  base,  than  bigotry  and  persecution : 
and  many,  who  appear  devout  in  their  way,  have,  in  every  age  and  place, 
been  most  inveterate  against  the  truth,  and  most  active  in  stirring  up 
others  to  oppose  it. — The  spiritual  mind,  however  ingenious  or  culti¬ 
vated,  can  take  little  delight  in  contemplating  the  most  admired  produc¬ 
tions  of  science  and  genius,  while  it  observes,  that  the  persons  concern- 

V.  32.  Given  assurance.]  ‘  Pistin  paraschdn  :  Raphel,  Krebs,  Loes- 

ner,  and  Fischer,  have  learnedly  illustrated  this  formula,  and  satisfacto¬ 
rily  proved  that  it  has  no  reference  to  what  theologians  call  the  “ sav¬ 
ing  word,"  by  which  God  operates  faith  in  those  who  obey  it,  but 
merely  signifies,  “  produce  faith,”  by  bringing  forward  arguments  suffi¬ 
cient  for  the  proof  of  anything;  and  thus  confirm  and  establish  its  truth. 
So  Polyb.,  Jos.  The  above  critics  have,  moreover,  shown,  that  pistis 
often  signifies  the  arguments  serving  to  establish  any  truth.  See  Appian, 
Thucyd.,  Strabo,  &c.’  Bloomf. 

V.  34.  Dionysius.]  ‘  Humanly  speaking,  his  conversion  must  have 
been  an  acquisition  of  considerable  importance  to  the  Christian  religion ; 
for  no  person  was  a  judge  in  the  Areopagus,  who  had  not  borne  the  of¬ 
fice  of  archon,  or  chief  governor  of  the  city,  and  was  not  of  the  highest 
r eputation  among  the  people,  for  his  intelligence  and  exemplary  con¬ 
duct.  Tlte  stories  of  the  popish  writers,  about  Dionysius  being  raised 
to  the  dignity  of  first  bishop  of  Athens,  by  Paul  himself,  the  judicious 
Calmet  says,  “  have  little  foundation.”  ’  Dr.  A.  Clarke. 

Concluding  Notes. • —  On  the  Philosophies  of  Greece,  v.  18. 

Epicureans  and  Stoics,  v.  18.  —  There  were  then  two  other  sects  at  Athens,  vis.  the 
Academic  (or  Platonic)  and  the  Peripatetic.  But  of  these  there  is  no  mention  ;  either 
because  the  Platonic  dogmas  seemed,  for  the  most  part,  to  make  nearer  approaches  to 
Christianity,  insomuch  that  those  of  that  sect,  (as  Valck.  thinks,)  would  probably  listen 

[104] 


ed  are  wholly  enslaved  to  sin,  or  given  up  to  impiety  and  infidelity. — 
None  are  more  childish  in  their  superstitions,  more  impious  in  their 
speculations,  or  more  credulous  of  absurd  impostures,  than  some  most 
eminent  for  genius  and  learning  have  been  and  are.  The  truths  of  the 
Gospel  are,  in  some  respects,  as  old  as  the  fall  of  man ;  yet  they  are  of¬ 
ten  ‘strange  things  ’  in  the  ears  even  of  the  learned;  and  they,  whose 
lives  have  been  almost  entirely  spent  in  studying,  hearing,  or  tell¬ 
ing  ‘some  new  thing,’  are  frequently  totally  unacquainted  with  ‘the 
good  old  way  ’  to  heaven  ;  and  talk  about  it  in  the  most  obscure  and 
perplexed  manner. — In  addressing  mankind  about  their  souls,  and  eternal 
salvation,  or  its  awful  reverse,  we  should  study  their  peculiar  disposi¬ 
tions  and  opinions  ;  and  inquire  what  truths  they  admit,  and  what  errors 
they  maintain.  Thus  we  may  be  able  to  combat  them,  from  their  own 
principles,  and  gradually  point  out  the  absurdity  of  their  tenets,  and  the 
inconsistency  of  their  conduct ;  and  we  may  often  graft  the  truth  on 
such  sentiments  as  they  allow. — Sometimes  we  may  produce  the  testi¬ 
mony  of  poets  and  prophets  of  their  own,  in  confirmation  of  our  senti¬ 
ments  ;  and  if  a  man  have  acquired  classical  learning  and  general  knowl¬ 
edge,  he  may  thus  make  a  good  use  of  them  ;  yet  it  is  scarcely  advisable 
for  those,  who  are  intended  for  the  ministry,  to  spend  any  very  great 
proportion  of  their  valuable  time,  about  these  iadecent  fables  and  cor¬ 
rupt  principles  and  practices,  which  must  engross  much  attention,  from 
those  who  aspire  to  proficiency  in  this  kind  of  learning.* — Notwith¬ 
standing  all  the  renown  of  Athens,  and  of  ancient  Greece,  God  deemed 
those  ‘  the  times  ’  and  places  ‘  of  ignorance  and  He  commanded  them, 
yea,  He  commands  us,  and  ‘  all  men  everywhere  to  repent;’  nor  will  any 
proud  pretensions  to  virtue,  or  vain  reasonings  about  necessity  or  con- 
tingence,  or  any  philosophical  or  theological  system,  excuse  men  in  neg¬ 
lecting  this  call.  Scott. 

•  They  should  certainly  be  left  out  of  the  hands  of  youth  In  the  forming  state  of  their 
minds,  principles,  and  manners.  Ed. 


to  Paul  with  some  interest,  when  he  discoursed,  us  was  his  custom,  on  the  immortality 
of  the  soul,  while  the  Peripatetics  were,  in  that  age,  of  far  less  celebrity;  or,  be¬ 
cause  they  did  not  attend  Paul’s  discourse  ;  which,  indeed,  is  not  improbable,  since 
their  placesof  philosophical  discussion,  the  Academia  and  Peripatus,  were  out  of  the 
city,  and  far  removed  from  the  Eretriac  forum,  [note  v.  17.] 

The  Epicureans  were,  in  fact,  Atheists ,  maintaining  that  the  world  w’ns  not  created 
by  God,  nor  had  any  care  been  bestowed  on  it  by  Him.  They  accounted  pleasu  e  us 
the  summum  bonum  ;  and  therefore  they  directed,  that  virtue  was  to  be  cultivated  f-r 
the  sake  of  the  pleasure,  but  not  for  itself.  They  maintained,  that  the  soul  would, 
after  its  departure  from  the  body,  perish  together  with  it,  and  that  thus  there  was 
nothing  to  be  hoped  or  feared  after  death.  See  Cic.,  Seneca,  Plut.,  Diog.  Laert., 
Lucret.,  Clem.  Alex.,  Brucker,  and  Borner. 

The  Stoics  were  of  opinion,  that  the  nature  of  God  was  fiery,  and  that  it  was  dif¬ 
fused  throughout  all  parts  of  the  wmrld.  See  Stob.,  Plut.,  Cic.,  Sen.  They  acknowl¬ 
edged  that  the  world  was  created  by  God,  but  maintained  that  all  things  were  bound 
by  a  kind  of  fatal  necessity ,  to  which  they  imagined  even  the  Deity  Himself  to  be 
subject.  See  Plut.,  Gellius,  Sen.  They  denied  that  the  wise  man  yielded  in  any 
respect  to  Jupiter.  So  Sen.  Epistles  53  and  73.  They  denied  the  immortality  of 
souls ;  though  on  the  condition  of  souls  after  death,  they  varied  in  opinion.  Clean- 
thes  maintained  the  existence  ofall  souls  until  the  burning  of  the  world.  See  Laert., 
Cic.  Chrysippus,  however,  limited  this  to  the  souls  of  the  good  and  wise.  See  Plut. 
and  Laert.  Others  maintained,  that  the  soul,  when  releused  from  the  bonds  and 
imprisonment  of  the  body,  immediately  returned  to  the  celestial  fire,  namely,  to  God 
Himself.  No  wonder,  then,  Paul’s  doctrines,  opposite  as  possible  to  these,  seemed  to 
them  so  unaccountable  and  unacceptable.  Kuin. 

To  the  above  accurate  account  of  these  two  sects,  a  few  particulars  may  be  added 
from  our  own  theologians.  *  The  Epicurean  notions  (snys  Doddr.)  came  near  to  those 


A.  D.  56. 


ACTS,  XVIII 


Paul  comes  to  Corinth 


CHAP.  XVIII. 

8  Paul  laborelh  with  his  hands,  and  preacheth  at  Corinth 
to  the  Gentiles.  9  The  Lord  encourageth  him  in  u  vision. 
12  He  is  accused  before  Gallic  the  deputy,  but  is  dis- 
missed.  18  Afterwards  passing  from  city  to  city,  he 
strengtheneth  the  disciples.  24  A  polios,  being  more  per* 
fectly  instructed  by  Aquila  aud  rriscilla,  28  preacheth 
Christ  with  great  efficacy. 

AFTER  these  things,  Paul  de¬ 
parted  from  Athens,  and  came 
to  Corinth  : 

2  And  found  a  certain  Jew  nam¬ 
ed  1  Aquila,  born  in  Pontus,  lately 
come  from  Italy,  with  his  wife  Pris¬ 
cilla  ;  (because  that  Claudius  had 
commanded  all  Jews  to  depart  from 
Rome  ;)  and  came  unto  them. 

3  And  because  he  was  of  the 
same  craft,  he  abode  with  them, 
and  b  wrought  :  for  by  their  occu¬ 
pation  they  were  tent-makers. 

K  Ro.  16:3.  b  c.  20:34. 


Chap.  XVIII.  V.  1 — 6.  Paul  was  not 
persecuted  at  Athens,  but,  having  little  pros¬ 
pect  of  doing  good  there,  he  departed,  leaving 
the  care  of  those  there  who  believed,  with 
Dionysius  ;  and  from  thence  he  came  to 
Corinth,  where  he  was  now  instrumental  in 
planting  a  church  that  became,  on  many  ac¬ 
counts,  considerable.  Corinth  was  the  chief 
city  of  Acliaia,  now  a  province  of  the 


empire,  [and  the  seat  of  government  of 
Greece,]  a  rich  and  splendid  city.  Now 
here  we  have, 

1.  Paul  working  for  his  living,  v.  2,  3. 

1.  Though  bred  a  scholar,  yet  he  was 
master  of  a  handicraft  trade.  He  wag  a 
tent-maker,  an  upholsterer  ;  he  made  tents 
for  the  use  of  soldiers  and  shepherds,  of 
cloth  or  stuff,  or  (as  some  say,  tents  were 
then  generally  made)  of  leather  or  skins, 
as  the  outer  covering  of  the  tabernacle. 
Hence  to  live  in  tents  was  to  live  under  skins. 
Dr.  Lightfoot  shows,  that  it  was  the  [lauda¬ 
ble]  custom  of  the  Jews,  [still  prevalent  in 
the  E.,]  to  bring  up  their  children  to  some 
trade,  yea,  though  they  gave  them  learning 
or  estates.  Rabbi  Judah  says,  ‘  He  that 
teaches  not  his  son  a  trade,  is  as  if  he  taught 
him  to  be  a  thief.’  And  another  saith,  *  He 
that  has  a  trade  in  his  hand,  is  as  a  vineyard 
that  is  fenced.’  2.  Though  entitled  to  a 
maintenance  from  the  churches,  yet  he 
worked  to  get  bread  ;  which  is  more  to  his 
praise,  who  did  notask  for  supplies,  than  to 
their’s,  who  did  not  supply  him  unasked, 
knowing  what  straits  he  was  reduced  to. 
See  how  humble  Paul  was  ;  but  he  had 
learned  of  his  Master,  who  came  not  to  be 
ministered  to,  but  to  minister.  See  how 
industrious  he  was  ;  even  those  that  are  re¬ 
deemed  from  the  curse  of  the  law,  are  not  ex¬ 
empt  from  that  sentence,  In  the  sweat  of  thy 
face  thou  shalt  eat  bread.  See  how  careful 


Paul  was  to  recommend  his  ministry  ;  he 
therefore  maintained  himself  with  his  own 
labor,  that  he  might  not  make  the  Gospel 
of  Christ  burdensome,  2  Cor.  11:7,  &c.  2 
Thess.  3:  8,  9.  3.  W  e  may  suppose  he  was 

master  of  his  trade,  yet  he  wrought  with 
Aquila  and  Priscilla,  who  were  of  that  call¬ 
ing;  so  that  he  got  no  more  than  day-wages. 
Poor  tradesmen  must  tie  thankful  if  their 
callings  bring  them  in  a  maintenance  for 
themselves,  and  their  families,  though  they 
cannot  do  as  the  rich  merchants  that  raise 
estates  by  their  callings.  4.  Though  him¬ 
self  a  great  apostle,  yet  he  chose  to  work 
with  Aquila  and  Priscilla,  because  he  found 
them  intelligent  in  the  tilings  of  God,  as 
appears  afterward,  v.  26.  and  he  owns  they 
had  been  his  helpers  in  Christ  Jesus,  Rom. 
16:  3.  This  is  an  example  to  those  who  go 
to  service,  to  seek  for  those  services  in  which 
they  may  have  the  best  help  for  their  souls. 

Concerning  this  Aquila  we  are  here  told, 
he  was  a  Jew,  born  in  Pontus,  v.  2.  Many 
Jews  of  the  dispersion  were  seated  in  that 
country,  as  appears,  1  Pet.  1:  1.  He  was 
lately  come  from  Italy  to  Corinth,  because  by 
a  late  edict  of  the  emperor  Claudius  Cesar, 
all  Jews  were  banished  from  Rome  ;  for  the 
Jews  were  generally  hated;  every  occasion 
was  taken  to  put  hardship  and  disgrace  on 
them  ;  God’s  heritage  was  as  a  speckled  bird, 
the  birds  round  about  were  against  her,  Jer. 
12:  9.  The  Gentiles  had  such  confused  no- 


of  our  gay  world;  and  as  to  the  Stoics,  though  different  writers,  according  to  their 
fondness  for,  or  prejudices  against,  the  philosophy  of  the  pagans,  and  of  this  sect  in 
particular,  have  represented  their  doctrines  in  a  very  different  view;  and,  indeed, 
the  notorious  inconsistency  between  some  of  their  own  writers  and  some  of  the  an¬ 
cients  in  their  accounts  of  them,  has  greatly  perplexed  the  matter  :  yet  I  think  Dr. 
Benson  has  expressed  himself,  on  the  whole,  in  a  very  impartial  and  judicious  man¬ 
ner.  “Some  of  them  exempted  the  human  will  from  fatality  ;  and  maintained,  that 
virtue  was  its  own  sufficient  reward,  and  vice  its  own  sufficient  punishment.  As  to 
their  belief  of  future  rewards  and  punishments,  they  exceedingly  fluctuated  ;  though 
they  had  some  expectations  of  a  future  state  of  existence,  as  well  ns  of  the  conflagra¬ 
tion  and  renovation  of  the  world  ;  with  relation  to  which,  several  of  them  seem  to 
have  expected  a  continual  revolution  of  exactly  similar  events,  at  equally  distant 
periods  of  time.”  Doddr 

Bp.  Pearce  has,  with  equal  brevity,  spirit,  and  truth,  observed:  ‘The  Epicureans 
acknowledged  no  gods,  except  in  name  only  ;  and  they  absolutely  denied  that  they 
exercised  any  providence  over  the  world  :  and  while  the  Stoics  professed  to  believe 
both  the  existence  of  the  gods,  and  their  providence  in  the  world,  they  attributed  all 
human  actions  to  fate  ;  and  so  destroyed  the  foundation  of  all  religion,  as  much  as 
the  atheistical  Epicureans  did.'  Bloom/. 

On  the  Unity  of  the  Human  Race ,  v.  26. 

Some  having  disputed  that  men  are  all  of  one  blood ,  i.  e.  race,  the  physiological 
proofs,  in  part,  were  (in  Vol.  I.)  promised.  The  Ed.  finds  nothing  more  to  the  pur¬ 
pose  than  Wiseman's  Lects.  1  —  4,  (to  which  the  reader  is  referred,)  whose  object  is 
to  show  ‘  how  the  very  sciences  whence  objections  have  been  drawn  against  [revealed] 
religion,  have  themselves  [being  more  deeply  studied]  in  their  progress  entirely  re¬ 
moved  them.' 

‘Blutnenbach  distinguishes  the  inhabitants  of  the  earth,  by  the  width  of  the  skull, 
into  3  varieties,  Mongul  (olive  or  yellow),  Caucasian  (white),  Negro  (black),  and 
2  intermediate  classes,  the  Malay  (between  the  Caucasian  and  Negro),  and  the 
American  (between  the  Caucasian  and  Mongul)  ;  the  Malay  being  tawny,  and  the 
American  red,  or  copper-colored.  In  every  race,  there  is  occasionally  a  morbid  vari¬ 
ety,  called  albino.  The  Caucasian  comprehends  all  the  nations  of  Europe,  excepting 
the  Laplanders,  Finlanders,  and  Hungarians;  the  inhabitants  of  W.  Asia,  including 
Arabia,  Persia,  and  upwards  as  far  as  the  river  Oby,  the  Caspian  Sea,  and  the  Gan- 

fes  ;  and  those  of  N.  Africa.  The  Negro  race  comprises  all  the  rest  of  Africa.  The 
longul  embraces  all  Asia,  but  the  Caucasian  and  Malayan,  the  Hungarian,  Fin¬ 
lander,  Laplander,  and  Esquimaux.  The  Malayan  embraces  the  natives  of  Malacca 
and  the  Papuans,  i.  e.  the  Australians  and  Polynesians.  The  American  includes  all 
the  aborigines  of  the  new  world,  except  the  Esquimaux. 

‘  The  great  problem  to  be  solved  is,  how  could  such  varieties  as  we  have  seen,  have 
taken  their  rise  in  the  human  species?  Was  it  by  a  sudden  change,  which  altered 
some  portion  of  one  great  family  into  another  ;  or  are  we  to  suppose  a  gradual  degra¬ 
dation, ,  as  naturalists  call  it,  whereby  some  nations  or  families  passed  gradually 
through  successive  shades,  from  one  extreme  to  the  other  ?  And,  in  either  case,  what 
is  to  be  considered  the  original  stock  ?  It  must  be  owned,  that  the  present  state  of 
this  science  does  not  warrant  us  in  expressly  deciding  in  favor  of  either  hypothesis  ; 
nor,  consequently,  in  even  discussing  the  last  consequence.  But,  independently  of 
this,  it  has  arrived  so  far,  as  to  leave  no  reasonable  room  to  doubt  the  common  origin 
of  every  race.  For,  I  think  we  may  say,  after  looking  through  all  that  has  been  done 
in  this  yet  infant  science,  that  the  following  points,  embracing  all  the  elements  of 
the  problem,  have  been  satisfactorily  solved  : 

4  (1.)  Accidental,  or,  as  they  are  called,  sporadic  varieties,  may  arise  in  one  race, 
tending  to  produce  in  it  the  characteristics  of  another.  A  close  analogy  exists,  of 
course,  between  man  and  other  animals  :  now,  the  skull  of  the  wild  boar  (so  Blumenb.) 
differs  not  less  from  the  tame  swine,  its  undoubted  descendant,  than  do  the  skulls  of 
any  two  human  races  from  one  another.  The  mastiffs  and  greyhound’s  skulls  differ 
far  more.  So  of  all  domestic  cattle.  Changes  in  the  hair  are  no  les3  ordinary  and 
remarkable.  Fowls  and  dogs  in  Guinea  are  as  black  as  the  inhabitants.  Swine  and 
sheep  in  Italy  are  mostly  black,  in  England  white.  Sheep  in  the  West  Indies  and 
other  hot  climates  entirely  lose  their  wool,  and  become  covered  with  hair.  Around 
Angora,  almost  every  animal,  sheep,  goats,  rabbits,  and  cats,  have  beautiful  long 
silken  hair  ;  dogs  and  horses  carried  into  the  hills,  from  Indiq,  are  soon  covered  with 
wool,  like  the  shawl-goats  of  that  climate.  Contrast  the  slow,  massive,  long-horned 
ox  of  Rome,  with  the  small-headed,  clean-limbed  breed  an  English  farmer  most 
prizes.  On  the  Gold  Coast,  dogs  strangely  degenerate  ;  their  ears  grow  long  and 
stiff,  and  their  color  reddish,  like  the  fox,  their  barking  in  3  or  4  broods  turns  to  a  howl 
or  yelp.  Comp,  the  one  and  two  humped  camel,  the  bunch  of  the  zebu,  the  tail  of  the 
Syrian  sheep,  and  the  formation  on  the  loins  of  the  Bosjman  Hottentots. 

*4  (2.)  These  varieties  may  be  perpetuated.  Witness  the  number  of  albino  animals, 
ns  white  rabbits,  or  cream-colored  horses,  which  probably  arose  originally  from  dis¬ 
ease.  A  sheep,  deformed  by  the  accident  of  being  born  with  very  short  legs,  trans¬ 
mitted  this  to  its  posterity,  which  are  the  valued  ancon  or  otter  breed,  in  England. 
Why  may  not  the  same  causes  have  similarly  operated  in  the  human  race  ?  Buck¬ 
ingham  relates  a  case,  on  the  E.  of  Jordan,  of  a  family  of  unmixed  Arab  descent,  who, 
except  the  father,  had  negro  features,  a  deep  black  color,  and  crisped  hair  Red  hair 
is  occasionally  noticed,  not  only  in  the  Caucasian,  but  among  the  Esquimaux,  Papu¬ 
ans,  Tahitians,  and  negroes.  Indeed,  all  the  Arabs  of  the  Jordan  valley,  have  flatter 
features,  darker  skins,  and  coarser  hair  than  any  other  ttjbes.  The  peculiarity  of  6 
Angers,  runs  in  some  families.  See.  The  most  remarkable  case  of  transmission  of  vari¬ 
eties,  is  that  in  the  family  of  Lambert,  (called  the  porcupine  man ,)  who,  with  his  chil¬ 
dren  and  grandchildren,  were  covered  except  the  soles,  palms,  and  face,  with  “  warts 
ns  thick  as  packthread,  and  half  an  inch  lonsr,”  or  44  a  series  of  horny  excrescences 
(shed  once  a  year)  of  a  reddish  brown,  hard,  elastic,”  of  that  length,  which  rustled 
against  one  another  when  rubbed  by  t;je  hand.  “  Past  all  doubt,  then,  a  race  may  be 

N.  T.  VOL.  V.  14 


propagated  by  this  man,  with  this  same  rugged  coat,  und  if  the  accidental  origin 
should  be  forgotten,  it  is  not  impossible  they  might  be  deemed  a  different  species  of 
mankind.”  Might  not  the  different  races  owe  their  origin  to  some  similar  ancestral 
accident  ?  It  has  been  proved  by  Le  Cat,  Camper,  and  Lawrence,  that  the  skin  of  the 
fairest  European,  may,  under  certain  circumstances,  become  as  black  as  a  negro’s, 
over  the  whole  or  a  great  part  of  the  body  ;  so  may  we  suppose,  that  the  principle 
which  causes  the  change,  and  which  is  evidently  inherent  in  the  white,  may,  under 
the  influence  of  peculiar  climate,  be  brought  into  activity,  and  rendered  perpetual  by 
descent.  .  .  . 

‘  (3.)  Climate,  food,  civilization,  &c.,  may  strongly  influence  the  production  of  va¬ 
rieties,  or,  at  least,  render  them  fixed,  characteristic,  and  perpetual.  Some  changes 
from  climate,  &e.,  are  above  noted  :  generally  speaking,  the  whitest  nations  are 
nearer  the  pole,  and  the  darkest  more  under  the  influence  of  tropical  heat  ;  but  we 
know  not  the  principles  on  which  color  depends  ;  for  the  negro  child  of  ten  days,  how¬ 
ever  sheltered  from  the  sun,  turns  black,  as  well  as  the  European  exposed  to  a  tropical 
sun  ;  Bcarce  a  shade  of  difference  can  be  discovered  in  the  color  of  the  aborigines  from 
one  extremity  of  America  to  the  other.  But  that  climate  gives  color,  though  by  laws 
not  fully  known,  is  evident,  for  the  features  of  the  Caucasian  race  are  found  perfectly 
black  in  Abyssinia;  Burckhardt  notes  Turks  and  Arabs  by  origin,  becoming  black  in 
Africa  ;  the  Portuguese,  in  300  years  residence  in  India,  have  become  black  as  Caffres  ; 
a  negro  brought  to  Europe,  was  known  to  have  got  quite  a  light  complexion  ;  not 
only  on  the  coast,  but  in  the  very  heart  of  Central  Africa,  are  many  nations  of  various 
races  and  physiognomy,  some  without  a  sign  of  negro  features,  who  yet  are  perfectly 
of  a  glossy  black.  The  Mogul  children  and  women  are  remarkably  white  ;  smoke  and 
exposure  to  the  sun  give  the  men  their  yellow  tint.  Cuvier  has  noticed  that  domesti¬ 
cation  makes  the’ greatest  changes  in  animals;  civilization  comes  nearest  to  this 
agent  in  man,  and  adds  moral  influences.  House  slaves  improve  physically,  while 
field  slaves  remain  the  same,  in  the  U.  S.  Wandering  Arabs  are  spare,  thin-bearded, 
small  ;  sedentary  ones,  6foui,  thick-bearded,  large.  So  the  well-fed  chiefs  are  taller 
and  stouter  than*  their  half-starved  subjects.  In  some  nations,  probably  from  the  use 
of  food  requiring  great  mastication,  the  incisor  teeth  become  blunt  and  rounded,  and 
the  canine  teeth  are  undistinguishable  from  the  grinders.  This  is  the  case  with  many, 
perhaps  most,  Egyptian  mummies,  and  with  the  Greenlanders  and  Esquimaux,  who 
eat  their  meat  uncooked,  with  most  extraordinary  contortions  of  jaw.  .  .  .' 

After  showing  that  races,  proved  to  be  the  same  by  language,  have  run  into  and  be¬ 
come  identified  with  races  quite  different  in  color  and  physical  characteristics,  and 
learnedly  following  out  the  above  propositions  more  fully,  Dr.  Wisetnan  thus  sums  up 
the  results  :  — 

‘  Imperfect  as  the  study  yet  remains,  we  have  seen  it  established  :  1.  Among  ani¬ 

mals  acknowledged  to  be  of  one  species,  there  have  arisen  varieties  similar  to  those  in 
the  human  race,  and  not  less  diverse  from  one  another.  2.  Nature  tends,  in  the  hu¬ 
man  species,  to  produce  varieties  in  one  race  approaching  to  the  characteristics  of  the 
others.  3.  Sporadic  varieties,  of  the  most  extraordinary  sort,  may  be  propagated  by 
descent.  4.  We  can  find  sufficient  proofs  in  the  languages  and  in  the  characteristics 
of  larger  bodies,  or  entire  nations  compared,  of  their  transition  from  one  race  to 
another.  5.  Though  the  origin  of  the  black  race  is  yet  involved  in  mystery,  yet  are 
there  sufficient  facts  collected  to  prove  the  possibility  of  its  having  arisen  from  anoth¬ 
er;  particularly  if,  in  addition  to  the  action  of  heat,  we  admit  that  of  moral  causes 
acting  upon  the  physical  organization.’  Wiseman. 

The  Ed.  thinks  the  most  conclusive  argumentof  the  unity  of  origin  contended  for,  is 
derived  from  the  complete  uniformity  throughout  the  human  race  in  the  number  of 
the  primitive  faculties  (with  their  organs)  of  every  individual,  as  shown  by  the  science 
of  phrenology,  Ed> 


NOTES.  Chap.  XVIIT.  V.  2.  ‘There  had  been  a  congregation  of 
Christians  at  Rome,  from  the  earliest  periods  of  the  Gospel,  which  ori¬ 
ginated  (as  some  think)  with  certain  of  those  who  had  been  present  at 
the  feast  of  Pentecost,  when  t he  Holy  Spirit  was  imparted;  and  wras 
doubtless  fostered  and  promoted  by  those  Jewish  Christians  who  had 
occasion  to  repair  to  that  city  on  commercial  or  other  business.  Pon¬ 
tus.]  Many  Jews  were  settled  in  this  province,  probably  on  account  of 
the  considerable  commerce  which  was  carried  on  thence  with  most  parts 
of  the  civilized  wTorId.  Priscilla.]  Diminutive  of  Prisca,  as  she  is  call¬ 
ed,  2  Tim.  4.19.  Anciently,  names  of  persons,  especially  of  females, 
were  sometimes  pronounced  in  the  simple,  and  sometimes  in  the  dimin¬ 
utive  form  ;  as  Terentilla,  Catullus,  &c.’  Bloomf — Command  all  Jewsy 
&c.]  ‘  1  pretend  not  certainly  to  determine,  whether  that  Chrestus, 
whom  Suetonius  mentions  as  the  occasion  of  those  tumults  among-  the 
Jetvs,  for  w’hich  they  wrere  expelled  from  Rome,  were,  as  Usher  and 
Vandale  suppose,  a  seditious  Jew ,  or  whether,  as  it  is  generally  thought, 
the  name  be  a  corruption  of  Christus  :  yet  I  think  the  latter  much  more 
probable,  and  that  the  spread  of  Christianity,  which  was  looked  upon 
as  a  sect  of  the  Jews ,  and  which  we  know  prevailed  at  Rome  about 
this  time,  gave  that  jealous  and  wretched  emperor  an  unnecessary  alarm* 
the  occasion  of  which  Suet .,  not  thoroughly  understanding  it,  has  mis¬ 
represented.  And  if  this  were  the  case,  it  might  be,  as  Lardner  well  ob¬ 
serves,  an  additional  reason  why  Jos.,  who  is  always  cautious  on  ns 
head,  has  passed  over  it  without  notice.’  1  0(PP^* 

L1UoJ 


A.  D.  56.  ACTS,  XVIII.  Paul  molested  by  the  Jews. 


4  And  he  reasoned  in  the  c  syna¬ 
gogue  every  sabbath,  and  persuaded 
the  Jews  and  the  Greeks. 

5  And  when  d  Silas  and  Timo- 
theus  were  come  from  Macedonia, 
Paul  was  pressed  in  spirit,  and  tes¬ 
tified  to  the  Jews  that  Jesus  ewas 
Christ. 

6  And  when  they  opposed  f  them¬ 
selves,  and  blasphemed,  he  shook 
s  his  raiment,  and  said  unto  them, 
Your  h  blood  be  upon  your  own 
heads  ;  I  am  clean  :  from  hence¬ 
forth  I  will  go  unto  the  Gentiles. 

7  And  he  departed  thence,  and 
entered  into  a  certain  man''s  house, 
named  Justus,  one  that  worshipped 
God,  whose  house  joined  hard  to 
the  synagogue. 

3  And  '  Crispus,  the  chief  ruler 
of  the  synagogue,  believed  on  the 
Lord,  with  all  his  house  :  and  many 
of  the  Corinthians  hearing,  believ¬ 
ed,  and  were  baptized. 

9  IT  Then  spake  the  Lord  to 
Paul  in  the  night  by  a  vision,  Be 
not  afraid,  but  speak,  and  hold  not 
thy  peace  : 


c  c.  17:2. 

(1  c  17:14,15. 
e  or, is  the  Christ. 


f  2  Ti.  2:25. 
g  Ne.  5:13. 


h  Eze.  33:4. 
i  1  Co.  1:14. 


tions,  they  could  not  distinguish  between  a 
Jew  and  a  Christian.  Suetonius,  in  the 
Life  of  Claudius,  speaks  of  this  decree  in 
the  ninth  year  of  his  reign,  and  says,  The 
reason  was,  because  the  Jews  were  a  tur¬ 
bulent  people, — assiduo  tumultuantes ;  and  that 
it  was  impulsore  Christo, — upon  the  account  of 
Christ  ;  some  zealous  for  Him.,  others  bitter 
against  Him,  which  occasioned  great  heats, 
such  as  gave  umbrage  to  the  government, 
and  provoked  the  emperor,  who  was  a  tim¬ 
orous,  jealous  man,  to  order  them  all  to  be 
gone.  If  Jews  persecute  Christians,  it  is 
not  strange  if  heathens  persecute  both. 

II.  Paul  preaching  to  the  Jews,  both  the 
native  Jews  and  the  Greeks,  i.  e.  those  that 
were  more  or  less  proselyted  to  the  Jewish 
religion,  and  frequented  their  meetings. 

1.  He  reasoned  with  them  in  the  synagogue 
publicly  every  Sabbath.  See  in  what  way  the 
apostles  propagated  the  Gospel,  by  fair  ar¬ 
guing  ;  God  invites  U3  to  come  and  reason 
with  Him,  Is.  1:18.  41:21.  Paul  was  a 
rational  as  well  as  scriptural  preacher. 

2.  He  persuaded  them  ;  it  denotes,  either 
the  urgency  of  his  preaching  ;  he  followed 
his  arguments  with  affectionate  persuasions: 
or,  its  good  effect  ;  he  persuaded  them,  i.  e. 
prevailed  with  them  ;  so  some.  He  brought 
them  over  to  his  own  opinion.  Some  were 
convinced  by  his  reasonings,  and  yielded  to 
Christ. 


3.  He  was  yet  more  earnest  in  this  mat¬ 
ter  when  his  fellow-laborers  came,  v.  5.  and 
brought  him  good  tidings  from  the  churches  in 
Macedonia,  and  were  ready  to  assist  him,  and 
strengthened  his  hands,  then  Paul  was  more 
than  before  pressed  in  spirit,  which  made 
him  more  than  ever  pressing  in  his  preach¬ 
ing.  He  was  grieved  for  the  obstinacy  and 
infidelity  of  his  countrymen  the  Jews,  was 
more  intent  than  ever  on  their  conversion, 
and  the  love  of  Christ  constrained  him  to  it, 
2  Cor.  5:  14.  it  is  the  word  used  here,  it 
pressed  him  in  spirit  to  it.  And  being  thus 
pressed,  he  testified  to  the  Jews,  with  all  pos¬ 
sible  solemnity  and  seriousness,  as  that 
which  he  was  perfectly  well  assured  of  him¬ 
self,  and  attested  to  them  as  a  faithful  say¬ 
ing,  and  worthy  of  all  acceptation,  that  Jesus 
is  the  Christ,  the  Messiah  promised  to  the 
fathers,  and  expected  by  them. 

III.  He  abandons  the  unbelieving  Jews, 
v.  6. 

1.  Many,  indeed  most  of  them,  persisted 
in  their  contradiction  ;  opposed  and  blas¬ 
phemed  ;  they  set  themselves  in  battle  array, 
so  the  word  signifies,  against  the  Gospel. 
They  resolved  they  would  not  believe  it 
themselves,  and  would  do  all  they  could  to 
keep  others  from  believing  it  ;  they  could 
not  argue  against  it,  but  what  was  wanting 
in  reason  they  made  up  in  ill  language  ;  they 
blasphemed,  spake  reproachfully  of  Christ, 
and  in  Him  ofGod  Himself,  as  Rev.  13:  5,  6. 
To  justify  their  infidelity,  they  broke  out 
into  downright  blasphemy. 

2.  Paul,  that  was  pressed  in  spirit  to  tes¬ 
tify  to  them,  v.  5.  when  they  opposed  that 
testimony,  and  persisted  in  their  opposition, 
was  pressed  in  spirit  to  testify  against  them, 
v.  3.  and  his  zeal  herein  also  he  showed  by 
a  sign,  he  shook  his  raiment,  shaking  oft  the 
dust  of  it,  as  before  they  shook  off  the  dust 
of  their  feet,  ch.  13:16.  for  a  testimony 
against  them.  He  had  done  his  part,  and 
was  clean  from  the  blood  of  their  souls  ;  it  is 
very  comfortable  to  a  minister  to  have  the 
testimony  of  his  conscience  for  him,  that  he 
has  faithfully  discharged  his  trust  by  warn¬ 
ing  sinners.  They  would  certainly  perish 
if  they  persisted  in  their  unbelief,  and  the 
blame  would  lie  wholly  on  themselves  ;  if 
anything  would  frighten  them  at  last  into  a 
a  compliance  with  the  Gospel,  surely  this 
would. 

3.  Having  given  them  over,  yet  he  does 
not  give  over  his  work  ;  From  henceforth  I 
will  go  unto  the  Gentiles  ;  and  the  Jews  can¬ 
not  complain.  The  guests  that  were  first 
invited  will  not  come,  and  the  provision 
must  not  be  lost,  guests  must  be  had  there¬ 
fore  from  the  highways  and  the  hedges.  Thus 
the  fall  and  diminishing  of  the  Jews  were  the 
riches  of  the  Gentiles  ;  and  Paul  said  this 
to  their  faces,  not  only  as  what  he  could  jus¬ 
tify,  but  to  provoke  them  to  jealousy,  Rom. 
11:12,  14. 

V.  7 — 11.  Here  we  are  told, 

I.  That  Paul  changed  his  quarters,  v.  7. 


V.  1—6.  Some  think  ttie  preaching  about  this  time  at  Rome,  that  Jesus 
was  the  promised  Messiah,  and  ‘  the  King  of  Israel,’  gave  occasion  to 
this  severity;  hut  this  is  very  uncertain,  l’aul,  however,  being  acquaint¬ 
ed  with  the  character  of  these  two  excellent  persons,  went  to  lodge  with 
them;  and  having  in  his  youth  learned  their  trade  of  making  tents, 
which  were  much  used  in  those  warm  climates,  he  wrought  at  it  for  his 
livelihood. — Whatever  assistance  Paul  received  from  the  churches  at  An¬ 
tioch,  or  Philippi,  or  other  cities,  he  was  often  reduced  to  great  necessity, 
by  the  expenses  of  his  journeys;  and  we  learn  from  many  intimations  in 
his  writings,  that  he  frequently  wrought  with  his  own  hands  for  his  sub¬ 
sistence,  lest  he  should  be  chargeable  to  his  converts. — On  the  sabbath- 
days,  however,  as  usual,  1  he  reasoned  ’  with  the  Jews  at  Corinth  in  the 
synagogue,  concerning  the  kingdom  and  salvation  of  Christ,  and  en¬ 
deavored  to  ‘  persuade’  both  them,  and  the  Gentiles,  who  joined  in  their 
worship,  to  believe  in  Jesus  as  the  Messiah. — (5.)  Pressed  in  Spirit.]  It  is 
not  to  be  supposed,  that  the  apostle  was  excited,  or  constrained,  by  a  vehe¬ 
mence  of  natural  temper,  to  act  improperly  on  this  occasion  ;  and  if  the 
ardor  of  his  own  spirit  was  holy,  no  doubt  it  was  excited  by  the  Holy 
Spirit.  On  the  other  hand,  how  can  it  be  supposed,  that  the.  Holy  Spirit 
urged  and  constrained  him,  except  by  exciting  and  invigorating  holy  af¬ 
fections  in  his  heart  ?  Scott. 

(5.)  1  Pressed  in  spirit .]  Rather,  now,  when  his  help  was  come, 
instabat  verbo,  (Vulg.)  he  applied  himself  closely  to  the  work  of  teach¬ 
ing.  So  Kuin. ;  and  most  commentators  of  the  last  century  prefer  the 
reading  logd  (of  MSS.  and  Verss.),  i.  e.  word,  &c.,  instead  of  pneumati, 


It  should  seem,  not  to  lodge,  for  he  continu¬ 
ed  with  Aquila  and  Priscilla,  but  to  preach; 
it  was  not  the  first  time  God’s  ark  had  taken 
up  its  lodging  in  a  private  house.  The  man 
was  one  that  worshipped  God  :  not  an  idola¬ 
ter,  though  a  Gentile,  but  a  worshipper  of 
the  God  of  Israel,  and  Him  only,  as  Cor¬ 
nelius  :  that  Paul  might  give  the  less  offence 
to  the  Jews,  though  he  had  abandoned  them, 
he  set  up  his  meeting  [in  some  large  room, 
comp.  19:  9.  in]  that  man’s  house,  which  was 
next  door  to  the  synagogue  ;  not  chosen-  to 
draw  people  from  the  synagogue  to  the  meet¬ 
ing;  but  I  rather  think  in  charity, to  show  that 
he  was  ready  to  return  to  them  if  they  were  but 
willing  to  receive  his  message,  and  would  not 
contradict  and  blaspheme  as  they  had  done. 

II.  That  Paul  saw  the  good  fruit  of  his 
labors  presently,  both  among  Jews  and  Gen¬ 
tiles. 

1.  Crispus  a  Jew,  an  eminent  one,  believed 
on  the  Lord  Jesus,  with  all  his  house,  v.  8.  It 
was  for  the  honor  of  the  Gospel,  that  there 
were  some  rulers,  and  persons  of  the  first 
rank  both  in  church  and  state,  that  em¬ 
braced  it.  This  would  leave  the  Jew3  in¬ 
excusable,  that  the  ruler  of  their  synagogue, 
who  may  be  supposed  to  have  excelled  the 
rest  in  knowledge  of  the  Scriptures,  and  zeal 
for  their  religion,  believed  the  Gospel,  and 
yet  they  opposed  and  blasphemed  it.  Not 
only  he,  but  his  house,  believed,  and,  proba¬ 
bly,  were  baptized  with  him  by  Paul.  1  Cor. 
1:14. 

2.  Many  of  the  Corinthians,  who  were 
Gentiles,  and  some  of  them  of  an  ill  charac¬ 
ter,  as  appears,  1  Cor.  6:11.  hearing,  be¬ 
lieved,  and  were  baptized :  probably  most 
came  only  for  curiosity,  but  hearing,  they 
believed,  by  the  power  of  God  working  on 
them  ;  and  believing,  they  were  baptized,  and 
so  fixed  for  Christ. 

III.  That  Paul  was  encouraged  by  a  vision 
to  go  on  with  his  work  at  Corinth,  v.  9. 
when  musing  on  his  work,  communing  with 
his  own  heart  upon  his  bed,  and  considering 
whether  he  should  continue  here  or  no, 
what  method  he  should  take  here,  and  what 
probability  there  was  of  doing  good,  then 
Christ  appeared  very  seasonably  to  him,  and 
in  the  multitude  of  his  thoughts  within  him  de¬ 
lighted  his  soul  with  divine  consolations. 

1.  He  renewed  his  commission  and  charge 
to  preach  the  Gospel,  ‘  Be  not  afraid  of  the 
Jews,  though  very  outrageous,  (and  perhaps 
the  more  enraged  by  the  conversion  of  the 
chief  ruler  of  their  synagogue,)  or  of  the 
magistrates  of  the  city,  for  they  have  no 
power  against  thee  but  what  is  given  them  from 
above.  It  is  the  cause  of  heaven  thou  art 
pleading,  do  it  boldly  ;  speak  out,  use  all 
the  liberty  of  spirit  that  becomes  an  ambas- 
dor  for  Christ.’ 

2.  He  assured  him  of  his  presence  with 
him,  which  was  sufficient  to  put  life  and 
spirit  into  him  ;  I  am  with  thee,  to  protect 
thee,  bear  thee  out,  and  deliver  thee  from  all 
thy  fears.  The  same  promise  ratified  the 

spirit.  Our  English  critics  have  contended  for  it  with  ability.’  Bloomf., 
whom  see.  Ed! 

(6.)  Blood,  &C.]  The  phrase  is  thought  to  have  had  origin  in  ‘the 
custom  of  the  Hebrews,  Egyptians,  <fcc.,  to  put  their  hands  on  the  heads 
of  victims,  imprecating  on  them  the  evils  which  hung  over  the  sacrificer 
or  the  people.’  The  Turks,  dec.,  still  have  a  custom  of  swearing  1  upon 
their  head,’  placing  the  hand  there.  Id. 

V.  8.  ‘  Several  persons  bore  office  in  a  Jewish  synagogue  (like  the 
Ruling  Elders  in  the  Scottish  church):  the  chief  was  called  simplv,  the 
Arcliisynagogus  (synagogue-ruler).  See  1315.  Mat.  9:18.’  Bloomf. 

V-  9 — 11-  The  apostle,  at  this  time,  seems  to  have  been  greatly 
discouraged  in  respect  of  his  ministry,  by  the  virulent  enmity  of  the 
Jews,  and  the  dissolute  character  of  the  Gentiles;  and  especially  by 
a  consciousness  of  his  own  insufficiency,  and  manifold  infirmities.  1 
Cor.  2:3—5.  2  Cor.  10:7—11.  12:7—10.  Gal.  4:12—16.  (10.)  In  this 
he  evidently  spake  of  those,  xvho  were  his  by  election,  the  gift  of 
the  Father,  and  the  purchase  of  his  atonement,  though  at  that  time 

in  an  unconverted  state.  John  6:36 — 40.  10:14 — 18.  11:49—53 _ 

People,  Arc.]  1  So  they  are  called,  who  are  still  heathens,  not  because 
of  any  absolute  decree  of  their  election  to  eternal  life;  but  because 
Christ  saw  that  they  were  disposed  to  believe,  and  by  faith  become 
his  people;  ns  elsewhere,  (John  10:16.)  he  calls  those  his  sheep  who 
should  hereafter  believe  in  Him.’  Whitby.  Thus,  in  opposing  the  doc¬ 
trine  of  God’s  decrees,  and  predestination,  the  original  depravity  and 
carnal  enmity  of  the  human  heart,  and  the  necessity  of  regeneration 


V.  D.  56. 


ACTS,  XVIII. 


He  is  encouraged  by  a  vision. 


10  For  I  i  am  with  thee,  and  no 
man  shall  set  on  thee,  to  hurt  thee: 
for  I  have  much  people  in  this  city. 

11  And  he  k  continued  there  a 
year  and  six  months,  teaching  the 
word  of  God  among  them. 

12  IT  And  when  Gallio  was  the 
deputy  of  Achaia,  the  Jews  made 
insurrection  with  one  accord  against 
Paul,  and  brought  him  to  the  'judg¬ 
ment-seat, 

13  Saying,  This  fellow  persuad- 
eth  men  to  worship  God  contrary 
to  the  law. 

14  And  when  Paul  was  now 
about  to  open  his  mouth,  Gallio 
said  unto  the  Jews,  If  it  were  a 
matter  of  wrong,  or  wicked  lewd¬ 
ness,  O  ye  Jews,  m  reason  would 
that  I  should  bear  with  you  ; 

J  Mat.  28:20.  k  sat  (here.  1  J a.  2:6.  m  Ro.  13:3, 

general  commission,  Mat.  28:  19,20.  They 
that  have  Christ  with  them,  need  not  to  fear, 
and  ought  not  to  shrink. 

3.  He  gave  him  a  warrant  of  protection 
to  save  him  harmless  ;  ‘  No  man  shall  sec  on 
thee  to  hurt  thee .’  He  does  not  promise,  that 
no  man  should  set  on  him,  for  the  next  news 
we  hear,  is,  that  he  is  set  upon,  and  brought 
*o.  the  judgment-seat ,  v.  12.  but  ‘No  man  shall 
set  oi }  thee  to  hurt  thee  ;  the  remainder  of  their 
wrath  shall  be  restrained  ;  thou  shalt  n.ot  be 
beaten  and  imprisoned  here,  as  thou  wast  at 
Philippi.’  Or,  we  may  take  it  more  gen¬ 
erally,  No  man  shall  set  on  thee,  to  do  evil  to 
thee  ;  whatever  trouble  they  may  give  thee, 
there  is  no  real  evil  in  it.  They  may  kill 
thee,  but  they  cannot  hurt  thee  ;  for  I  am  with 
thee,  Ps.  23:  4.  Is.  41:  10. 

4.  He  gave  him  a  prospect  of  success  ; 
‘  For  I  have  much  people  in  this  city.’  The 
Lord  knows  them  that  are,  yea,  and  that 
shall  be  his  :  for  it  is  by  his  work  on  them 
that  they  become  his,  and  known  unto  Him 
are  all  his  works.  I  have  them,  though  they 
yet  know  Me  not  ;  for  the  Father  has  given 
them  Me  ;  I  have  them  written  in  the  book 
of  life  ;  and  of  all  that  were  given  Me  I  will 
lose  none  ;  I  have  them,  for  1  am  sure  to 
have  them  ;  whom  He  did  predestinate,  them 
He  called.  In  this  city,  though  a  very  pro¬ 
fane,  wicked  city,  full  of  impurity,  and  the 
more  so,  for  a  temple  of  Venus  there,  to 
which  there  was  a  great  resort  ;  yet  in  this 
heap,  that  seems  to  be  all  chaff,  there  is 


wheat  ;  in  this  ore,  that  seems  to  be  all  , 
dross,  there  is  gold.  Let  us  not  despair  con¬ 
cerning  any  place,  when  even  in  Corinth, 
Christ  had  much  people. 

IV.  That  upon  this  encouragement  he 
made  a  long  stay  there,  v.  11.  of  a  year  and 
six  months,  not  to  take  his  ease,  hut  to  fol¬ 
low  his  work,  teaching  the  Word  of  God 
among  them  ;  and  it  being  a  city  flocked  to 
from  all  parts,  he  had  an  opportunity  there 
[as  at  Jerusalem  and  Antioch]  of  preaching 
the  Gospel  to  strangers,  and  sending  notice 
of  it  thence  to  other  countries.  The  people 
Christ  has  at  Corinth  must  be  called  in  by 
degrees,  some  by  one  sermon,  others  by  an¬ 
other.  Those  that  are  converted,  too,  have 
particular  need  at  Corinth  to  be  taught  by 
Paul  himself :  for  no  sooner  was  the  good 
seed  sown,  than  the  enemy  came  and  sowed 
tares,  the  false  apostles,  those  deceitful  workers, 
whom  Paul,  in  his  epistles  to  the  Corinthians 
complains  so  much  of,  judaizing  preachers, 
who, under  color  of  the  Christian  name, under¬ 
mined  the  very  foundations  of  Christianity. 
Soon  after  Paul  came  to  Corinth,  it  is  sup¬ 
posed,  he  wrote  1  Thess,,  which,  in  order 
of  time,  was  the  first  of  all  the  epistles  he 
wrote  by  divine  inspiration;  and  the  second 
epistle  to  the  same  church  was  written  not 
long  after.  Ministers  may  be  promoting  the 
great  ends  of  their  ministry,  by  good  letters, 
as  well  as  by  good  sermons. 

V.  12 — 17.  VVe  have  here  an  account  of 
some  disturbance  given  to  Paul  and  his 
friends  at  Corinth,  but  no  great  harm  done, 
nor  much  hinderance  given  to  the  work  of 
Christ  there. 

I.  Paul  is  accused  by  the  Jews  before  the 
Roman  governor,  v.  12,  13.  Gallio,  deputy 
of  Achaia,  i.  e.  pro-consul;  for  Achaia  was 
a  consular  province  of  the  empire.  This 
Gallio  was  elder  brother  to  the  famous  Sen¬ 
eca  ;  in  his  youth  he  was  called  Novatus, 
but  took  the  name  of  Gallio  on  his  being 
adopted  into  the  family  of  Julius  Gallio ;  he 
is  described  by  Seneca,  his  brother,  to  be  a 
man  of  great  ingenuity  and  great  probity, 
and  a  man  of  a  wonderful  good  temper;  he 
was  called  Dulcis  Gallio, — Sweet  Gallio,  for 
his  sweet  disposition  ;  and  is  said  to  have 
been  universally  beloved. 

1.  The  Jews,  ringleaders  in  every  mis¬ 
chievous  confederacy  against  Paul,  with  one 
accord  catne  upon  him,  with  violence  and 
fury,  to  the  disturbance  of  the  public  peace, 
and  hurried  him  away  to  the  judgment-seat, 
and,  for  aught  that  appears,  allowed  him  no 
time  to  prepare  for  his  trial. 

2.  Paul  is  falsely  accused  before  Gallio,  I 


j  v.  13.  They  could  not  charge  him  with 
persuading  men  not  to  worship  God  at  all, 
or  to  worship  other  gods,  Deut.  13  :  2.  but 
only  to  worship  God  in  a  way  contrary  to  the 
law.  The  Romans  allowed  the  Jews  in  their 
provinces  the  observance  of  their  own  law; 
what  then  1  Does  their  toleration  include  a 
power  of  imposition  1  But  the  charge  was 
unjust;  for  their  own  law  had  in  it  a  prom¬ 
ise  of  a  Prophet,  whom  God  would  raise  up  to 
them,  and  Him  they  should  hear.  Now  Paul 
persuaded  them  to  believe  in  this  Prophet, 
who  was  come,  and  to  hear  Him,  which  was 
according  to  the  law ;  for  He  came  not  to  de¬ 
stroy  the  law ,  but  to  fulfil  it.  The  law  rela¬ 
ting  to  the  temple-service  those  Jews  at 
Corinth  could  not  observe,  because  of  their 
distance  from  Jerusalem,  and  there  was 
no  part  of  their  synagogue-worship  which 
Paul  contradicted.  Thus  when  people  are 
taught  to  worship  God  in  Christ,  and  to  wor¬ 
ship  Him  in  the  Spirit,  they  are  ready  to 
quarrel,  as  if  they  were  taught  to  worship  Him 
contrary  to  the  law  ;  whereas  this  is  indeed 
perfective  of  the  law. 

II.  Gallio,  on  the  first  hearing,  or  rather 
without  any  hearing  at  all,  dismisses  the 
cause,  and  will  not  take  any  cognizance  of 
it,  v.  14,  15.  1.  He  shows  himself  very 

ready  to  do  the  part  of  a  judge,  in  any  mat¬ 
ter  proper  for  him  to  take  cognizance  of. 
‘If  you  could  charge  the  prisoner  with  theft 
or  fraud,  with  murder  or  rapine,  or  any  act 
of  immorality,  I  should  think  myself  bound 
to  bear  with  you  in  your  complaints,  though 
they  were  clamorous  and  noisy.’  But,  2.  He 
will  by  no  means  allow  them  to  make  a 
complaint  to  him  of  a  thing  that  was  not 
within  his  jurisdiction,  v.  15.  therefore, 
when  they  were  urgent,  and  pressing  to  be 
heard ,  he  drove  them  from  the  judgment-seat ,  v. 
16.  and  ordered  another  cause  to  be  called. 

Now,  (1.)  Here  was  something  right  in 
Gallio’s  conduct,  and  praise-worthy, — that 
he  would  not  pretend  to  judge  of  things  he 
did  not  understand  ;  or  himself  be  the  tool 
of  the  Jews’  malice,  to  give  judgment 
against  Paul  :  he  looked  upon  the  matter  to 
be  not  within  his  jurisdiction,  and  therefore 
would  not  meddle  with  it.  But,  (2.)  It  was 
certainly  wrong  to  speak  so  slightly  of  a  law 
and  religion  which  he  might  have  known  to 
be  of  God,  and  which  he  ought  to  have  ac¬ 
quainted  himself  with.  In  what  way  God 
is  to  be  worshipped,  whether  Jesus  be  the 
Messiah,  whether  the  Gospel  be  a  divine 
revelation,  were  not  questions  of  words  and 
names,  as  he  scornfully  and  profanely  called 
them  ;  they  are  questions  of  vast  impor- 


are  virtually  denied,  or  at  best,  totally  lost  sight  of.  ‘  Except  a  man  be 
horn  again,  he  cannot  see  the  kingdom  of  God.’ — ‘  God,  who  is  rich  in 
mercy,  for  liis  great  love,  wherewith  He  loved  us,  even  when  we  were 
dead  in  sins,  hath  quickened  us  together  with  Christ ;  by  grace  are  ye 
saved.’  13:42 — 48,  V.  48.  John  3:3 — 8.  Eph.  2:4 — 10.  Tit.  3:3 — 7. — Were 
such  persons  as  the  idolatrous,  licentious  Corinthians  disposed  of  them¬ 
selves,  independently  of  divine  grace  ‘  preventing  them,’  to  embrace  the 
humbling,  pure  Gospel  of  Christ;  and  to  change  their  jovial  and  sensual 
rites,  for  the  spiritual  worship  of  the  heart-searching,  holy  God?  Sc. 

(10.)  I  have  much  people  in  this  city.]  Comp.  John  10:16.  ‘Many 
who  have  not  resisted  my  Spirit,  and  consequently  are  now  under  its 
teachings,  and  are  ready  [ very  soon,  so  the  use  of  the  present  tense  inti¬ 
mates,  BZ.j  to  embrace  my  Gospel  as  soon  as  thou  shalt  declare  it.’  Dr. 
A.  C. — ‘The  expression  takes  in  all  who  should,  according  to  the  gra¬ 
cious  purpose  of  Christ,  be  converted  to  Christianity,  whatever  their 
tempers  then  were,  even  not  excepting  those  very  vicious,  ill-disposed, 
corrupt  persons,  whose  character  in  their  unregenerate  state  is  describ¬ 
ed  in  such  strong  terms,  1  Cor.  6:9,  10,  11.  where  the  apostle  speaks  of 
what  they  were  before  they  were  converted.’  Doddr. 

V.  12 — 17.  (17)  Sosthenes.]  Some  think  he  was  the  same  person  as 

Crispus,  before  mentioned  (8) ;  others,  that  he  succeeded  him  as  chief 
ruler  of  the  synagogue,  when  Crispus  embraced  Christianity.  Some 
think  he  was  the  leading  person  in  the  prosecution  of  Paul,  and  that  he 
was  contemptuously  and  cruelly  treated  by  those  Greeks,  who  favored 
the  apostle:  others  conjecture,  he  was  a  Christian,  and  that  the  Jews 
excited  the  Greeks  to  abuse  him,  when  they  could  not  prevail  to  wreak 
their  malice  on  Paul.  We  afterwards  read  of  Sosthenes,  among  the 
apostle’s  chief  friends  :  (1  Cor.  1:1.)  if  this  was  the  same  person,  as  it 
is  probable  from  the  manner  in  which  Luke  mentions  him  ;  the  latter 
opinion  is  favored  by  it ;  for  the  conversion  of  a  leading  persecutor 
would  scarcely  have  been  passed  over  in  silence. — The  Alexandrian 
manuscripts  and  some  ancient  versions  read  Jews,  instead  of  Greeks  ; 
and  it  has  been  conjectured  that  (they  all)  was  the  original  reading,  and 
that  some  transcribers  took  the  liberty  of  inserting  Greeks,  and  others 
Jews,  in  the  copies  which  they  wrote.  This  indeed  would  remove 
the  difficulty,  and  clearly  show  that  Sosthenes  was  a  Christian ;  but 


the  authority  for  the  alteration,  is  scarcely  sufficient  to  warrant  the 
conclusion.  See  Paley’s  Harm  Paulines. — Gallio  probably  deemed 
both  Jews  and  Christians  to  be  ignorant  and  deluded  fanatics ;  and 
concluded  that  it  was  of  no  consequence  who  was  right  or  wrong,  in 
disputes  of  this  nature.  A  mixture  of  philosophical  skepticism,  and  po¬ 
litical  contempt  of  religious  concerns,  compared  with  affairs  of  state, 
seems  to  have  influenced  his  conduct. — (12)  Was  the  deputy.]  Here 
only. — See  on  13:7. — ‘  Dr.  Lardner  justly  observes,  that  this  is  another 
instance  of  the  exact  propriety  with  which  Luke  expresses  himself. 
For  though  the  province  of  Achaia,  which  comprehended  all  tlt-e  rest  of 
Greece,  had  a  more  various  fortune  than  that  of  Cyprus,  and  frequently 
changed  its  form  of  government ;  yet,  A.  D.  44,  (which  is  generally  sup¬ 
posed  to  have  been  about  8  years  before  this  event,)  it  was  restored  to 
the  senate,  and  so  became  proconsular.’  Doddr.  Scott. 

(12.)  When,  <fcc.]  ‘  Rather,  on  Gallio’s  entering  on  the  proconsulship, 
Kuin.,  Beza,  Pise.  The  Jews,  it  seems,  waited  for  the  arrival  of  a  new 
proconsul,  to  make  their  request,  as  thinking  they  should  then  be  less 
likely  to  meet  a  refusal.’  Bloomf. — Achaia.]  ‘All  that  part  of  Greece 
which  lay  between  Thessaly  and  the  southernmost  coasts  of  Pelopon¬ 
nesus.’  Dr.  A.  C.  ‘After  conquering  Greece,  the  Romans  divided  it  into 
2  provinces,  Macedonia  (comprehending  Illyricum,  Macedonia  proper, 
Epirus,  Thessaly)  and  Achaia,  i.  e.  all  Greece  proper .’  Bloomf. 

(13.)  Contrary  to  the  law.]  ‘  Jewish  worship  was  allowed  by  law, 
and  Roman  was  established  by  law.  The  Jews  probably  intended  to 
accuse  Paul  of  acting  contrary  to  both  laws.  “  He  is  not  a  Jew,  for  he 
does  not  admit  of  circumcision ;  he  is  not  a  Gentile,  for  he  preaches 
against  the  worship  of  the  gods.  He  is  settingup  a  ivorship  of  his  own, 
in  opposition  to  all  laws  ;  and  persuading  many  people  to  join  him  ;  he 
is,  therefore,  a  most  dangerous  man,  and  should  be  put  to  death.’  In. 

(14.)  Wrong  . .  Wicked  lewdness.]  ‘  Adiklma  ■  ■  hradiourgSma  :  the 
former  (so  some)  means  violation  of  the  law  of  the  city;  the  latter, 
crime.  But  there  seems  a  climax,  from  the  greater  to  the  less,  thus, 
“felony  or  misdemeanor .”  Our  word  rogue  is  doubtless  from  this  lat¬ 
ter  word,  and  roguery  (perhaps  in  ridiculing  their  ceremonies,  by  tricks. 
Sec.)  being  a  term  of  equally  extensive  signification,  xvould  be  no  bad 
translation.’  *?•, 


A.  D.  57. 


ACTS,  XVIII. 


Paul’s  departure  from  Corinth. 


15  But  if  it  he  a  question  of 
words  and  names,  and  of  your 
”  law,  look  ye  to  it ;  for  I  will  be 
no  judge  of  sucli  matters. 

16  And  he  drave  them  from  the 
judgment-seat. 

17  Then  all  the  Greeks  took 
0  Sosthenes,  the  chief  ruler  of  the 
synagogue,  and  beat  him  before 
the  judgment  -  seat.  And  Gallio 
cared  for  none  of  those  things. 

18  IF  And  Paul  after  this  tarried 
there  yet  a  good  while,  and  then 
took  his  leave  of  the  brethren,  and 
sailed  thence  into  Syria,  and  with 
him  Priscilla  and  Aquila  ;  having 
shorn  p  his  head  in  ‘i  Cenchrea:  for 
he  had  a  vow. 

19  And  he  came  to  Ephesus,  and 
left  them  there  :  but  he  himself 
entered  into  the  synagogue,  and 
reasoned  r  with  the  Jews. 

20  When  they  desired  him  to 
tarry  longer  time  with  them,  he 
consented  not ; 

n  Jn.  18:31.  c.  o  1  Co.  1:1.  q  Ro  16:1. 

i!3:29.  25:11,19.  p  Nu.  6:18.  c.  21:24.  r  c.  17:2. 

tance,  and  in  which,  if  he  had  understood 
them  himself  aright,  he  would  have  seen 
himself  nearly  concerned.  He  speaks  as  if 
he  boasted  of  his  ignorance  of  the  Scrip¬ 
tures,  and  took  a  pride  in  it  ;  as  if  it  were 
below  him  to  notice  the  law  of  God,  or 
make  any  inquiries  concerning  it. 

III.  The  abuse  done  to  Sosthenes,  and 
Gallio’s  unconcernedness  in  it,  v.  17. 

1.  The  parties  put  a  great  contempt  on 
the  court,  when  they  took  Sosthenes  and  beat 
him.  before  the  judgment-seat.  It  is  uncertain 
who  this  Sosthenes  was,  and  who  the 
Greeks  were,  that  abused  him.  Most  prob¬ 
ably  he  was  a  Christian,  and  Paul’s  particu¬ 
lar  friend,  that  appeared  for  him,  and  con¬ 
veyed  him  away,  when  Gallio  dismissed  the 
cause  :  so  that,  when  they  could  not  light  on 
Paul,  they  fell  foul  on  him  who  protected 
him.  It  is  certain  there  was  one  Sosthenes, 
a  friend  of  Paul,  and  well  known  at  Corinth ; 
it  is  likely  he  was  a  minister,  for  Paul  calls 
him  his  brother,  and  joins  him  with  himself 
in  his  first  epistle  to  the  church  at  Corinth, 

1  Cor.  1  .  1.  as  he  does  Timothy  in  his  sec¬ 


ond,  and  it  is  probable  that  this  was  he;  he 
is  said  to  be  a  ruler  of  the  synagogue,  either 
joint  ruler  with  Crispus,  v.  8.  or  a  ruler  of  one 
synagogue,  as  Crispus  was  of  another.  As 
for  the  Greeks  that  abused  him,  very  proba¬ 
bly  they  were  either  Hellenist  Jews,  or  Jew¬ 
ish  Greeks,  those  that  joined  with  the  Jews 
in  opposing  the  Gospel,  v.  4,6.  and  that  the 
native  Jews  put  them  on  to  do  it,  thinking 
it  would  in  them  be  less  offensive.  They 
•were  so  enraged  against  Paul,  that  they  beat 
Sosthenes  ;  and  so  enraged  against  Gallio, 
because  he  would  not  countenance  the  pros¬ 
ecution,  that  they  beat  him  before  the  judg¬ 
ment-seat,  whereby  they  did,  in  effect,  tell 
Gallio,  that  they  cared  not  for  him  ;  if  he 
would  not  be  their  executioner,  they  would 
be  their  own  judges. 

2.  The  court  put  no  less  a  contempt  on  the 
cause,  and  the  persons  too;  Gallio  cared  for 
none  of  these  things.  If  by  this  be  meant 
that  he  cared  not  for  the  affronts  of  bad  men, 
it  was  commendable  ;  while  he  steadily  ad¬ 
hered  to  the  laws  and  rules  of  equity,  he 
might  despise  their  contempts  ;  but  if  it  be 
meant,  (as  I  think  it  is,)  that  he  concerned 
not  himself  for  the  abuses  done  to  good  men, 
it  carries  his  indifference  too  far,  and  gives 
us  but  an  ill  character  of  him.  Here  is 
wickedness  done  in  the  place  of  judgment, 
(which  Solomon  complains  of,  Eccl.  3:  16.) 
and  nothing  done  to  discountenance  and 
suppress  it.)  Gallio,  as  a  judge,  ought  to 
have  protected  Sosthenes,  and  restrained  and 
punished  the  Greeks  that  assaulted  him;  for 
a  man  to  be  mobbed  in  the  street  or  in  the 
market,  perhaps,  may  not  be  easily  helped  ; 
but  to  be  so  in  his  court,  the  judgment-seat, 
the  court  sitting  and  not  concerned  at  it,  is 
an  evidence  that  truth  is  fallen  in  the  street, 
and  equity  cannot  enter. 

V.  18 — 23.  1.  Paul’s  departure  from 

Corinth,  v.  18.  not  till  some  time  after  the 
trouble  he  met  with  there  ;  from  other  pla¬ 
ces  lie  had  departed  when  the  storm  rose, 
but  not  from  Corinth,  because  there  it  was 
no  sooner  risen  than  it  fell  again.  Some 
tell  us  Gallio  privately  countenanced  him, 
and  that  this  occasioned  a  correspondence 
between  Paul  and  Seneca,  which  some  of 
the  ancients  speak  of.  After  this  he  tarried 
there  yet  a  good  while,  some  think,  beyond 
the  year  and  half,  mentioned  v.  11. 

1.  When  he  went,  he  took  leave  of  the 
brethren,  solemnly,  and  with  much  affection, 
with  suitable  comforts  and  counsels,  and 


prayers,  commending  what  was  good,  re¬ 
proving  what  was  otherwise,  and  giving 
them  necessary  cautions  against  the  wiles  of 
the  false  apostles  ;  and  his  farewell  sermon 
would  leave  impressions  on  them. 

2.  He  took  with  him  Priscilla  and  Aquila, 
because,  being  strongly  attached,  they  had  a 
mind  to  accompany  him;  or  they  seemed  not 
inclined  to  stay  long  at  a  place  ;  a  disposi¬ 
tion  which  may  come  from  a  good  principle, 
and  have  good  effects,  and  therefore  ought 
not  to  be  condemned  in  others,  though  it 
ought  to  be  suspected  in  ourselves. 

3.  At  Cenchrea,  hard  by  Corinth,  the 
port  where  those  that  went  to  sea  from  Cor¬ 
inth  took  ship,  either  Paul  or  Aquila  (for 
the  original  does  not  determine  which)  had 
his  head  shaved,  to  discharge  himself  from 
the.  vow  of  a  Nazarite.  Those  that  lived  in 
Judea  were,  in  such  a  case,  bound  to  do  it 
at  the  temple  ;  but  those  who  lived  in  other 
countries  might  do  it  in  other  places.  Some 
throw  it  on  Aquila,  who  was  a  Jew,  v.  2. 
and  retained,  perhaps,  more  of  his  Judaism 
than  was  convenient  ;  but  I  see  no  harm  in 
admitting  it  of  Paul,  of  whom  we  must  ad¬ 
mit  the  same  thing,  ch.  21:  24,  26.  not  only 
in  compliance  for  a  time  with  the  Jews, 
1  Cor.  9  :  20.  but  because  the  vow  of  the 
Nazarites,  though  ceremonial,  and  as  such 
ready  to  vanish  away,  had  yet  a  moral  and 
very  pious  significance,  and  therefore  was 
fit  to  die  the  last  of  all  the  Jewish  ceremo¬ 
nies.  The  Nazarites  are  joined  with  the 
prophets,  Amos  2:11.  and  were  very  much 
the  glory  of  Israel,  Lam.  4:  7.  and  therefore 
it  is  not  strange  if  Paul  bound  himself  for 
some  time  with  the  vow  of  a  Nazarite  from 
wine  and  strong  drink,  and  from  being  trim¬ 
med,  to  recommend  himself  to  the  Jews  ; 
and  from  this  he  now  discharged  himself. 

II.  Paul’s  calling  at  Ephesus,  the  metrop¬ 
olis  of  Asia  the  Less,  and  a  sea-port. 

1.  There  he  left  Aquila  and  Priscilla,  in¬ 
tending  shortly  to  settle  there  for  some  time; 
Aquila  and  Priscilla  might,  by  private  con¬ 
versation,  being  very  intelligent,  judicious 
Christians,  dispose  the  minds  of  many  to 
give  Paul,  when  he  should  come  among 
them,  a  favorable  reception,  and  to  under¬ 
stand  his  preaching  ;  therefore  he  calls 
them  his  helpers  in  Christ  Jesus,  Rom.  16:  3. 

2.  There  he  preached  to  the  Jews  in  their 
synagogue  ;  though  he  did  but  call  there  in 
his  journey*  yet  he  would  not  go  without 
giving  them  a  sermon.  We  must  not  con- 


(16.)  Drave.]  ‘The  word  so  tr.  does  not  signify  here  an  act.  of  vio¬ 
lence,  but  simply  an  authoritative  dismission.'  Dr.  A.  C. — Judgment- 
seat.]  ‘  The  Roman  magistrates,  consuls,  praetors,  censors,  and  chief 
ediles,  used  in  the  senate-house,  rostra,  or  tribunal  of  justice  . .  a  stool 

or  seat,  (cut  a,  of  one  found  in 
Herculaneum.]  without  a  back, 
with  four  crooked  feet,  fixed  to 
the  extremities  of  cross-pieces 
of  wood,  joined  by  a  common 
axis,  like  the  letter  X,  and  cov¬ 
ered  with  leather ;  so  that  it 
might  be  occasionally  folded  to¬ 
gether  for  the  convenience  of 
carriage,  to  set  down  wherever 
the  magistrate  .chose  to  use  it, 
adorned  with  ivory.  It  was  first 
used  by  the  kings,  borrowed 


from  the  Tuscans,  in  later  times  adorned  with  engravings.’  Adam.  Cut 
(ft)  represents  a  curule  chair,  (with  its  footstool ,)  of  the  consuls;  in 
which  they  seem  to  have  sat  on  occasions  of  special  state ;  it  is  from  a 
painting  in  Pompeii.  Ed. 

(17.)  Heat.]  ‘  This  the  Gentiles  did,  (with  thumps,)  to  make  the  im¬ 
portunate  Jews  go  away  the  faster.  Things.]  The  accusation,  and  the 
cuffs,  to  neither  of  which  the  [good-natured)  proconsul  paid  much  at¬ 
tention  ;  and  this,  from  disgust  at  the  litigious  conduct  of  the  Jews ;  as 
also  from  the  custom  (mentioned  by  Pricteus)  of  the  Roman  governors 
to  pass  by  any  conduct  which  did  not  directly  tend  to  degrade  the  dignity 
of  the  Roman  name,  or  weaken  its  influence,  in  order  that  the  yoke  might 

[103] 


be  as  easy  as  possible  to  the  provincials.’  B/oomf. — Before  the  judgment- 
seat.]  ‘  One  cannot  imagine  Gallio  so  little  understood  the  dignity  of  his 
office,  as  to  suffer  a  person,  uncondemned,  to  be  scourged,  or  beaten 
with  rods,  in  his  immediate  presence.  I  apprehend,  therefore,  the  real 
case  was,  that  just  as  Sosthenes  came  out  of  the  court,  the  mob  laid 
hold  of  him,  in  a  riotous  manner,  and  beat  him,  probably  with  theirjfst.?  ; 
and  though  some  flying  report  of  their  assault  might  reach  Gallio,  he 
did  not  seem  to  take  any  notice  of  it,  perceiving  no  great  mischief  was 
likely  to  follow,  and  willing  to  leave  so  troublesome  a  plaintiff  as  Sos¬ 
thenes  to  feel  some  of  the  consequences  of  that  confusion  which  his  own 
bigotry  and  ill-nature  had  occasioned.’  Doddr. 

V.  18 — 23.  Before  he  embarked,  he  cut  off  his  hair  at  Cenchrea,  on 
account  of  a  vow  he  had  taken,  respecting  some  of  his  multiplied  deliv¬ 
erances.  Perhaps  some  casual  defilement  made  it  necessary  for  the 
apostle  to  cut  off  his  hair,  and  begin  again  the  appointed  term ;  and  be¬ 
ing  at  so  great  a  distance  [from  Jerusalem]  it  might  be  judged  allowable 
to  do  this  at  Cenchrea;  and  to  offer  the  required  sacrifices  when  he 
came  to  the  temple.  It  is  not  indeed  recorded,  that  he  did  offer  them  ; 
but  this  by  no  means  proves  that  he  did  not. — The  voyage  and  circuit 
here  briefly  stated  must  have  taken  up  a  long  time ;  yet  they  are  relat¬ 
ed  in  very  few  words ;  which  shows,  that  the  design  of  the  narrative 
is  not  so  much  to  gratify  curiosity,  as  to  give  an  instructive  specimen  of 
the  manner,  in  which  Christianity  was  at  first  propagated.  The  travels, 
labors,  and  success  of  the  apostle,  also,  were  far  greater  than  a  superfi¬ 
cial  reader  would  suppose  ;  for  the  events  of  yenrs,  and  the  conversion 
of  thousands,  are  sometimes  recorded  in  a  few  verses.  Scott. 

(18.)  Vow.]  ‘The  obligation  of  a  Nazarite’s  vow  could  only  be  ful¬ 
filled  in  Jerusalem,  nor  is  it  probable  Paul  would  have  bound  himself  by 
any  ritual  ceremony.  The  vow,  Acts  21:23.  was  not  voluntary,  but  at 
the  apostle’s  instigation  :  so  this  should  rather  seem  a  civil  vow,  so 
Salmasius,  who  observes,  that  such  were  often  undertaken  by  the  Jews  ; 
as,  for  instance,  when  travelling,  not  to  shave  their  heads  before  they  ar¬ 
rived  nt  a  certain  place;  not  to  take  food  or  drink  till  they  had  effected 
something  purposed.  See  Acts  23:14. ;  also  after  recovering  from  a  dis¬ 
order,  or  escaping  any  other  peril  or  calamity.  Sec  Jos.  So  the  Gentiles 
used  to  consecrate  their  hair  to  the  gods  who  had  preserved  them.  See 
Juv.,  <&c.  Wetst.  But  such  a  civil  vow,  savors  too  much  of  Jewish  and 
Gentile  manners,  to  have  been  adopted  by  Paul.  I  prefer  to  follow 
the  Vulg.  and  Chrysostom ;  and,  removing  the  stop  after  “Aquila,”  refer 


A.  D.  57. 


ACTS,  XVIII. 


Improvement  and  usefulness  of  Jlpollos. 


21  But  bade  them  farewell,  say¬ 
ing,  1  must  by  all  means  keep  this 
feast  that  cometh  in  ’Jerusalem  : 
but  I  will  return  again  unto  you,  if 
'  God  will.  And  he  sailed  from 
Ephesus. 

22  And  when  he  had  landed  at 
Cesarea,  and  gone  up,  and  saluted 
the  church,  he  went  down  to  An¬ 
tioch. 

23  And  after  he  had  spent  some 
time  there ,  he  departed,  and  went 
over  all  the  country  of  “  Galatia 
and  Phrygia  in  order,  strengthening 
v  all  the  disciples. 

24  IT  And  a  certain  Jew  named 
w  Apollos,  born  at  Alexandria,  an 
eloquent  man,  and  mighty  in  the 
Scriptures,  came  to  Ephesus. 

25  This  man  was  instructed  in 
the  way  of  the  Lord  ;  and  being 
fervent  xin  the  spirit,  he  spake  and 
taught  diligently  the  things  of  the 
Lord,  knowing  *  only  the  baptism 
of  John. 

«  e.  19:21  20:16.  v  c.  14:22.  15:32,  x  Ho.  12:11.  Ja. 
t  1  Co.  4:19.  Ja.  41.  5:16. 

4:15.  w  1  Co.  1:12.  3:  y  c.  19:3. 

u  Ga.  1:2.  5,6.  Tit.  3:13. 

demn  a  whole  body  or  denomination  of  men, 
for  the  sake  of  some  that  conduct  them¬ 
selves  ill  ;  for, 

3.  The  Jews  at  Ephesus,  so  far  from  driv¬ 
ing  Paul  away,  courted  his  stay  with  them, 
v.  20.  to  instruct  them  in  the  Gospel,  being 
more  noble,  and  better  bred  than  those  Jews 
at  Corinth,  and  other  places  ;  and  it  was  a 
sign  God  had  not  quite  cast  away  his  peo¬ 
ple,  but  had  a  remnant  among  them. 

4.  Paul  would  not  stay  with  them  now  ;  he 
had  further  to  go ;  he  i nust  by  all  means  keep 
this  feast  at  Jerusalem  ;  not  that  he  thought 
himself  bound  in  duty  to  it,  he  knew  the 
laws  of  the  feasts  were  no  longer  binding, 
but  he  had  business  at  Jerusalem,  which 
would  be  best  done  at  the  time  of  the  feast; 
which  of  the  feasts  it  was,  we  are  not  told, 
probably  the  passover,  the  most  eminent. 

5.  He  intimated  his  purpose,  after  this 
journey,  to  come  and  spend  some  time  at 
Ephesus  ;  being  encouraged  by  their  kind 
invitation  to  hope  he  should  do  good  among 
them  ;  it  is  good  to  have  opportunities  in 
reserve,  when  one  good  work  is  over,  to 
have  another  to  apply  ourselves  to  ;  but  he 
inserts  that  necessary  proviso,  if  God,  will. 
Our  times  are  in  God’s  hand  ;  we  purpose, 
but  He  disposes  ;  therefore  we  must  make 
all  our  promises  with  submission  to  the  will 
of  God,  ch.  16:  7.  {Jam.  4:13 — 15.] 

III.  Paul’s  visit  to  Jerusalem  ;  a  short 
visit,  but  it  served  as  a  token  of  respect  to 
that  truly  mother-church. 

1.  He  came  by  sea  to  that  port  that  lay 
next  to  Jerusalem,  v.  21,  22.  He  chose  to 
go  by  sea,  for  expedition  and  safety.  Joppa 
iiad  been  the  port  for  Jerusalem,  but  Herod 


having  improved  Cesarea,  and  the  port  at 
Joppa  being  dangerous,  that  was  generally 
made  use  of. 

2.  He  went  up,  and  saluted  the  church;  I 
think  plainly  the  church  at  Jerusalem,  em¬ 
phatically  called  The  Church,  because  there 
the  Christian  church  began,  ch.  15:  4.  Paul 
thought  it  requisite  to  show  himself  among 
them,  that  they  might  not  think  his  success 
among  the  Gentiles  had  estranged  him  from 
them  ;  or  that  the  honor  God  had  put  on 
him,  made  him  unmindful  of  the  honor  he 
owed  to  them.  The  ministers  at  Jerusalem 
were  constant  residents,  Paul  a  constant 
itinerant  ;  but  he  took  care  to  keep  up  a 
good  correspondence  with  them,  that  they 
might  rejoice  with  him  in  his  going  out,  and 
he  with  them  in  their  tents,  and  they  might 
both  congratulate  and  wish  well  to  one 
another’s  comfort  and  success.  God’s  peo¬ 
ple  are  the  salt  of  the  earth,  dispersed  and 
scattered  ;  yet  it  is  good  to  see  one  another 
sometimes,  that  we  may  confirm  mutual  love, 
may  the  better  keep  up  our  spiritual  commu¬ 
nion,  and  long  the  more  for  that  heavenly 
Jerusalem,  in  which  we  hope  to  be  together 
for  ever. 

IV.  His  return. 

1.  He  spent  some  time  in  Antioch,  among 
his  old  friends  there,  ch.  13:  1.  ;  to  refresh 
himself  with  the  sight  and  conversation  of 
the  ministers  there  ;  and  a  very  good  re¬ 
freshment  it  is  to  a  faithful  minister,  to  have 
for  a  while  the  society  of  his  brethren  ;  for 
as  iron  sharpeneth  iron,  so  doth  a  man  the 
countenance  of  his  friend.  Paul’s  coming  to 
Antioch  would  bring  to  remembrance  the 
former  days,  which  would  furnish  him  with 
matter  for  fresh  thanksgiving. 

2.  Thence  he  went  over  the  country  of  Ga¬ 
latia  and  Phrygia  in  order,  where  he  had 
preached  the  Gospel,  and  planted  churches; 
which,  though  very  briefly  mentioned,  ch. 
16:  6.  was  yet  a  glorious  work,  as  appears 
by  Gal.  4: 14,  15.  where  Paul  speaks  of  his 
preaching  of  the  Gospel  to  die  Galatians  at 
the  first,  and  their  receiving  him  as  an  angel 
of  God.  These  country-churches,  for  such 
they  were,  Gal.  1:2.  and  we  read  not  of 
any  city  in  Galatia  where  a  church  was, 
Paul  visited  in  order  as  they  lay,  watering 
what  he  had  been  instrumental  to  plant,  and 
strengthening  all  the  disciples.  His  very  com¬ 
ing  among  them,  and  owning  them,  were  a 
great  strengthening  to  them  and  their  minis¬ 
ters.  Disciples  need  to  be  strengthened,  for 
they  are  compassed  about  with  infirmity  ; 
ministers  must  do  what  they  can  to  strength¬ 
en  them,  to  strengthen  them  all,  by  directing 
them  to  Christ,  and  bringing  them  to  live  on 
H  im,  whose  strength  is  perfected  in  their  ! 
weakness,  and  who  is  Himself  their  Strength 
and  Song. 

V.  24 — 28.  The  sacred  history  leaves 
Paul  on  his  travels,  and  meets  Apollos  at 
Ephesus,  to  give  us  some  account  of  him, 
which  was  necessary  to  our  understanding 
some  passages  in  Paul’s  epistles. 

I.  H  is  character. 

1.  He  was  born  at  Alexandria,  in  Egypt, 
of  Jewish  parents ;  for  there  were  abundance 


of  Jews  in  that  city,  since  the  dispersion,  as 
it  was  foretold,  Deut.  28:  68.  Apollos,  some 
think  the  same  with  Apelles,  Rom.  16: 10. 

2.  He  was  a  man  of  excellent  good  parts, 
and  well  fitted  for  public  service,  an  eloquent 
man,  and  mighty  in  the  Scriptures  of  the  O.T. 
in  the  knowledge  of  which  he  was,  as  a  J  ew, 
brought  up.  (1.)  He  had  a  great  command 
of  language,  was  an  eloquent  man,  a  prudent 
man,  so  some;  a  learned  man,  so  others;  a 
good  historian,  an  excellent  qualification  for 
the  ministry  :  one  that  could  speak  well,  so 
it  properly  signifies  ;  he  was  famous  for 
speaking  pertinently  and  closely,  fully  and 
fluently,  on  any  subject.  (2.)  He  had  a 
great  command  of  scripture-language,  which 
was  the  eloquence  he  was  remarkable  for  ; 
he  came  to  Ephesus,  being  mighty  in  the 
Scriptures,  so  the  words  are  placed ;  having 
an  excellent  faculty  of  expounding  scrip¬ 
tures,  he  came  to  Ephesus,  a  public  place, 
to  trade  with  that  talent,  for  the  honor  of 
God  and  the  good  of  many.  He  was  mighty 
in  the  Scriptures;  understood  their  sense  and 
meaning,  knew  how  to  apply  them,  how  to 
reason  out  of  them,  and  strongly ;  a  convinc¬ 
ing,  commanding,  confirming  power  w'ent 
along  with  all  his  expositions  and  applica¬ 
tions  of  the  Scripture. 

3.  He  t vas  instructed  in  the  way  of  the 
Lord;  i.  e.  had  some  acquaintance  with  the 
doctrine  of  Christ,  some  general  notions  of 
the  Gospel,  and  the  principles  of  Christian¬ 
ity,  that  Jesus  is  the  Christ,  and  that  Prophet 
that  should  come  into  the  world;  the  first  no¬ 
tice  of  this  would  be  readily  embraced  by 
one  so  mighty  in  the  Scriptures  as  Apollos 
was,  and  therefore  understood  the  signs  of 
the  times.  He  was  instructed,  catechised,  so 
the  word  is,  either  by  his  parents  or  by 
ministers  ;  he  was  taught  something"  of 
Christ,  and  the  way  of  salvation  by  Him. 

4.  Yet  he  knew  only  the  baptism  of  John  ; 
the  preparing  of  the  way  of  the  Lord,  by  that 
voice  crying  in  the  wilderness,  rather  than  the 
way  of  the  Lord  itself.  We  cannot  but  think 
he  had  heard  of  Christ’s  death  and  resurrec¬ 
tion,  but  he  was  not  let  into  the  mystery  of 
them,  had  not  had  opportunity  of  conversing 
with  any  of  the  apostles,  since  the  pouring 
out  of  the  Spirit;  or  he  had  himself  been  bap¬ 
tized  only  with  the  baptism  of  John,  but  not 
with  the  Holy  Ghost,  as  the  disciples  were  at 
the  day  of  Pentecost. 

II.  The  employment  and  improvement  of 
his  gifts  at  Ephesus  ;  seeking  opportunities 
of  doing  and  getting  good,  he  found  both. 

1.  Though  he  had  not  the  miraculous  gifts 
of  the  Spirit,  as  the  apostles  had,  he  made 
a  very  good  use  of  the  gifts  he  had  ;  for  the 
dispensation  of  the  Spirit,  whatever  the  mea¬ 
sure  of  it  is,  is  given  to  every  man  to  profit 
withal.  And  our  Savior,  by  a  parable,  de¬ 
signed  to  teach  his  ministers,  that  though 
they  had  but  one  talent  they  must  not  bury 
that. 

We  have  seen  how  Apollos  was  qualified 
with  a  good  head  and  a  good  tongue  ;  he 
had  a  good  stock  of  useful  knowledge,  and 
an  excellent  faculty  of  communicating  it. 
Let  us  now  see  what  he  had  further  to  re- 


the  words,  “ having  shaved,"  &c.  to  Aquila  [so  Valck.]:  which  mode 

is  favored  by  the  construction,  and  removes  all  difficulties.  We  are  not, 
however,  with  Grot.,  Hanun.,  Schl.,  &c.,  to  understand  avow  of  Naza- 
riteship,  but  (as  Alb.,  Ileum.,  and  Heinr.)  a  civil  vow,  because  of  deliv¬ 
erance,  or  some  good  event.’  Ruin. 

(21.)  Must  by  all  means,  &c.J  ‘  because  he  desired  to  seize  that  op¬ 
portunity  of  meeting  a  great  number  of  his  countrymen  at  Jerusalem, 
to  whom  he  might  preach  the  Gospel,  or  whom,  if  already  converted, 
he  might  further  instruct,  or  might  remove  the  prejudices  that  were 
groundlessly  imbibed  against  him.’  Doddr. 

(22.)  Go  up.  1  ‘The  phrase  is  often  used  absolutely  in  the  SS.  of  go¬ 
ing  up  to  Jerusalem:  Xen.  uses  the  Gr.,  in  the  very  same  sense,  of  persons 
going  from  Greece  to  the  capital  of  Persia.’  Bloomf.—Went  down  to  An¬ 
tioch.]  ‘I.  e.  Antioch  in  Syria,  as  the  word  is  generailv  to  be  understood 
■when  without  addition.'  Dr.  A.  Clarke. 

(23.)  Over  all  the  country,  &c.]  ‘  As  this  would  take  him  up  a  great 

deal  of  time,  most  commentators,  very  reasonably,  allow  4  years  for 
this  journey,  including  his  stay  at  Ephesus:  i.  e.  from  the  year  54  to 
58.’  Doddr. — Went  over  ...  in  order .]  1  If  Paul  went  up  to  Jerusalem 
at  this  time,  which  we  are  left  to  infer ,  for  Luke  has  not  expressed  it,  v. 
22.  it  was  his  fourth  journey  thither  :  and  this  is  generally  supposed  to 
have  been  the  21st  year  after  his  conversion.  His  first  journey  is  men¬ 


tioned,  ch.  9:26.,  his  second,  ch.  11:30.,  his  third,  ch.  15:4.,  and  his  fourth, 
ch  18:22.  above.’  Hr.  A.  Clarke. 

V.  24.  Apollos.']  ‘  Contracted  for  Apollonios  (read  in  Cod.  Cant.) : 
as  Artemas  for  Artemonius,  <fcc.’  Kuin. 

V.  25 — 27.  It  does  not  appear  that  Apollos  had  ever  been  among  the 
Christians  ;  nor  is  it  known  when,  arid  by  whom,  he  received  Christian 
baptism.  (27.)  Believed  through  grace.]  ‘  I.  e.  through  the  Gospel, 
says  Dr.  Ilammond,  or  through  the  favor  of  God  in  vouchsafing  them 
the  knowledge  of  it.’  Whitby.  (9 — 11-  John  1:10 — 13.  Eph.  2:4 — 10. 
Tit.  3:4 — 7.) — 1  The  best  comment  on  these  words  is  what  we  are  told 
elsewhere  :  “  Paul  planted,  Apollos  watered  ;  but  God  gave  the  in¬ 
crease.”  ’  Doddr.  (1  Cor.  3:4—9.)  Scott. 

(25.)  Knowing  only  the  baptism  of  John.]  ‘It  is  generally  sup 
posed  he  had  been  in  Judea  when  John  was  baptizing,  and  having  been 
baptized  by  him  into  the  faith  of  a  Messiah  shortly  to  appear ,  on  hear¬ 
ing  something  more  of  the  Gospel,  he  believed  in  Christ,  under  that 
character,  but  had  not  yet  been  baptized  in  the  name  of  Christ,  nor  re¬ 
ceived  the  gifts  of  the  Spirit,  which  were  then  often  miraculously  com¬ 
municated  in  that  ordinance.  If  this  was  indeed  the  case,  as  John  the 
Baptist  was  beheaded  more  than  20  years  before,  Apollos  could  not  now 
be,  as  is  generally  supposed,  though  I  think  nowhere  asserted,  a  young 
man ;  and  consequently  his  condescension  in  submitting  to  t.ie  instruc- 


A.  D.  57. 


ACTS,  XVIII. 


Improvement  and  usefulness  of  Apollo s. 


26  Anri  he  began  to  speak  boldly 
in  the  synagogue  :  whom  when 
Aquila  and  Priscilla  had  heard, 
they  took  him  unto  them,  and  ex¬ 
pounded  unto  him  the  way  of  God 
more  1  perfectly. 

27  And  when  he  was  disposed 
to  pass  into  Achaia,  the  brethren 
wrote,  exhorting  the  disciples  to 
receive  him  :  who,  when  he  was 
come,  3  helped  them  much  which 
had  believed  b  through  grace  : 

28  For  he  mightily  convinced 
the  Jews,  and  that  publicly,  shew¬ 
ing  by  c  the  Scriptures  that  Jesus 
d  was  Christ. 

l  He.  6:1.  2  Pe.  a  I  Co.  3:6.  cJn.5:39. 

3:18.  b  Ep.  2:8.  d  or,is  the  Christ,  ver.5. 

commend  him  as  a  preacher;  and  his  exam¬ 
ple  is  recommended  to  all  such:  (1.)  He  was 
a  lively,  affectionate  preacher , fervent  in  spir¬ 
it;  had  in  him  a  great  deal  of  divine  fire  as 
well  as  divine  light  ;  was  burning,  as  well 
as  shining.  He  was  full  of  zeal  for  the  glory 
of  God,  and  the  salvation  of  precious  souls. 
This  appeared  both  in  his  forwardness  to 
preach,  when  called  to  it  by  the.  rulers  of  the 
synagogue,  and  in  his  fervency  in  preaching; 
he  preached  as  one  in  earnest,  and  that  had 
his  heart  in  his  work.  What  a  happy  com¬ 
position  was  here  !  Many  are  fervent  in 
spirit,  but  weak  in  knowledge,  in  scripture- 
knowledge,  and  far  to  seek  for  proper  words, 
and  full  of  improper  ones;  and,  on  the  other 
hand,  many  are  eloquent  enough,  and  mighty 
in  the  Scriptures,  and  learned,  and  judicious, 
but  they  have  no  life  or  fervency.  Here  was 
a  complete  man  of  God,  thoroughly  furnished 
for  his  work  ;  both  eloquent  and  fervent,  full 
both  of  divine  knowledge  and  of  divine  af¬ 
fections.  (2.)  He  was  an  industrious,  la¬ 
borious  preacher  ;  he  spake  and  thought  dil¬ 
igently  ;  he  took  pains,  what  he  delivered 
was  elaborate  ;  and  he  did  not  offer  that  to 
God,  or  to  the  synagogue,  that  cost  him  noth¬ 
ing  ;  he  first  worked  it  on  his  own  heart, 
and  then  labored  to  impress  it  on  those  he 
preached  it  to  ;  he  taught  diligently,  accu¬ 
rately,  exactly;  everything  he  said  was  well 
weighed.  (3.)  He  was  an  evangelical 
preacher;  though  he  knew  only  the  baptism 
of  John,  yet  that  was  the  beginning  of  the 
Gospel  of  Christ,  and  to  that  he  kept  close ; 
for  he  taught  not  the  ceremonial  law  or  Gen¬ 
tile  philosophy,  but  the  things  of  the  Lord, 
of  the  Lord  Christ,  that  tended  to  make  way 
for  Him,  and  to  set  Him  up.  (4.)  He  was 
a  courageous  preacher  ;  he  began  to  speak 
boldly  in  the  synagogue,  as  one  who,  having 
confidence  in  God,  did  not  fear  the  face  of 


man  ;  he  spake  as  one  that  knew  the  truth 
of  what  he  said,  and  had  no  doubt  of  it;  the 
worth  of  what  he  said,  and  was  not  afraid 
to  suffer  for  it  ;  in  the  synagogue,  where  the 
Jews  not  only  were  present,  but  had  power, 
there  he  preached  the  things  of  God,  which 
he  knew  they  were  prejudiced  against. 

2.  He  there  made  a  good  increase  of  his 
gifts  in  private,  not  so  much  in  study,  as 
in  conversation  with  Aquila  and  Priscilla. 
(1.)  Aquila  and  Prjscilla  heard  him  preach 
in  the  synagogue.  Though  in  knowledge 
he  was  much  inferior  to  them,  yet,  having 
excellent  gifts  for  public  service,  they  en¬ 
couraged  his  ministry,  by  a  diligent  and 
constant  attendance  on  it.  Thus  young 
ministers,  that  are  hopeful,  should  be  coun¬ 
tenanced  by  grown  Christians,  for  it  be¬ 
comes  them  to  fulfil  all  righteousness.  (2.) 
Finding  him  defective  in  his  knowledge  of 
Christianity,  they  took  him  to  them,  to  lodge 
in  the  same  house  with  them,  and  expounded 
to  him  the  way  of  God,  the  way  of  salvation 
by  Jesus  Christ,  more  perfectly.  They  did 
not  take  occasion  from  what  they  observed 
of  his  deficiency,  either  to  despise  him 
themselves,  or  to  disparage  him  to  others  ; 
did  not  call  him  a  young,  raw  preacher,  not 
fit  to  come  into  a  pulpit,  but  considered  the 
disadvantages  he  had  labored  under,  as 
knowing  only  the  baptism  of  John  ;  and 
having  themselves  got  great  knowledge  in 
the  truths  of  the  Gospel,  by  their  long  and 
intimate  conversation  with  Paul,  they  com¬ 
municated  what  they  knew  to  him,  and  gave 
him  a  clear,  distinct,  and  methodical  ac¬ 
count  of  those  things,  which,  before,  he  had 
but  confused  notions  of.  PI  See  here  an 
instance  of  what  Christ  has  promised,  that 
to  him  that  haih,  shall  be  given  ;  he  that  has, 
and  uses  what  he  has,  shall  have  more.  He 
that  diligently  traded  with  the  talent  he  had, 
doubled  it  quickly.  [2.]  See  an  instance 
of  truly  Christian  charity  in  Aquila  and 
Priscilla  ;  they  did  good  according  to  their 
ability.  Aquila,  though  a  man  of  great 
knowledge,  yet  did  not  undertake  to  speak 
in  the  synagogue,  because  he  had  not  such 
gifts  for  public  work  as  Apollos  had;  but  he 
furnished  Apollos  with  matter,  and  then  left 
him  to  clothe  it  with  acceptable  words.  In¬ 
structing  young  Christians  and  young  minis¬ 
ters  privately  in  conversation,  who  mean 
well,  and  perform  well,  as  far  as  they  go,  is 
a  piece  of  very  good  service,  both  to  them 
and  to  the  church.  [3.]  See  an  instance  of 
great  humility  in  Apollos  ;  he  was  a  very 
bright  young  man,  of  great  parts  and  learn¬ 
ing,  newly  come  from  the  university,  a  pop¬ 
ular  preacher,  and  one  mightily  cried  up 
and  followed  ;  and  yet,  finding  that  Aquila 
and  Priscilla  were  judicious,  serious  Chris¬ 
tians,  that  could  speak  intelligently  and  ex¬ 


perimentally  of  the  things  of  God,  though 
they  were  but  mechanics,  poor  tent-makers, 
he  was  glad  to  receive  instruction  from  them, 
to  be  showed  by  them  his  defects  and  mis¬ 
takes,  and  to  have  his  mistakes  rectified  by 
them, and  his  deficiencies  made  up.  Young 
schr.  a rs  may  gain  a  great  deal  by  converse 
with  old  Christians,  as  young  students  in 
the  law  may  by  old  practitioners.  Apollos, 
though  he  was  instructed  in  the  way  of  the 
Lord,  did  not  rest  in  the  knowledge  he  had 
attained,  nor  thought  he  understood  Chris¬ 
tianity  as  well  as  any  man,  which  proud, 
conceited  young  men  are  apt  to  do,  but  was 
willing  to  have  it  expounded  to  him  more  per¬ 
fectly  .  They  that  know  much,  should  covet 
to  know  more,  and  what  they  know,  to 
know  it  better,  pressing  forward  toward 
perfection.  [4.]  Here  is  an  instance  of  a 
good  woman,  though  not  permitted  to  speak 
in  the  church  or  in  the  synagogue,  yet  doing 
good  with  the  knowledge  God  had"~given 
her,  in  private  converse.  Paul  will  have 
the  aged  women  to  be  teachers  of  good  things, 
Titus  2:3,  4. 

III.  Here  is  his  preferment  to  the  service 
of  the  church  of  Corinth,  which  was  a  larger 
sphere  of  usefulness  than  Ephesus  at  pres¬ 
ent  was.  Here  we  have, 

1.  His  call.  He  himself  inclined  to  go, 
v.  27.  and  his  friends  encouraged  him,  and, 
he  being  a  stranger  there,  they  gave  him  let¬ 
ters  of  recommendation.  In  this  way,  among 
others,  the  communion  of  churches  is  kept 
up,  by  the  recommending  of  members  and 
ministers  to  each  other,  when  ministers,  as 
Apollos  here,  are  disposed  to  remove. 

2.  H  is  success.  (1.)  Believers  were 
greatly  edified,  and  they  that  had  received 
the  Gospel  were  very  much  confirmed  ;  he 
helped  them  much,  who  had  believed  through 
grace.  Note,  It  is  through  grace  that  we 
believe  ;  it  is  God's  gift.  Those  who, 
through  grace,  do  believe, yet  still  need  help; 
and  it  is  the  business  of  faithful  ministers  to 
help  them,  much  ;  which,  when  a  divine 
power  goes  along  with  them,  they  will  be 
able  to  do.  (2.)  Unbelievers  were  greatly 
mortified,  their  objections  fully  answered, 
the  folly  and  sophistry  of  their  arguments 
discovered,  so  that  they  had  nothing  to  say 
in  defence  of  the  opposition  they  made  to 
the  Gospel,  v.  28.  He  mightily  convinced  the 
Jeivs,  and  that  publicly,  before  the  people  ; 
he  did  it  earnestly,  and  with  great  vehe¬ 
mence  ;  he  took  pains  to  do  it  ;  his  heart 
was  upon  it  ;  he  did  it  effectually,  and  to 
universal  satisfaction.  Now  what  he  aimed 
to  convince  them  of,  was,  that  Jesus  is  the 
Christ,  the  Messiah  promised  to  the  fathers,  who 
should  come,  and  they  were  to  look  for  no 
other.  If  the  Jews  were  but  convinced  of 
this, — that  Jesus  is  Christ,  even  their  own 


PR  ACT.  OBS.  While  the  zealous  ministers  of  Christ  carefully  shun 
whatever  may  entangle  them  in  the  affairs  of  this  life  ;  they  will  submit 
to  any  hardship  or  labor,  which  may  be  rendered  subservient  to  their 
usefulness,  or  remove  obstacles  out  of  their  way  :  and  to  work  at  a  trade, 
for  daily  bread,  in  order  to  preach  the  Gospel  without  charge,  differs  ex¬ 
ceedingly  from  carrying  on  lucrative  business,  in  order  to  grow  rich,  and 
live  in  abundance,  in  connexion  with  the  office  of  an  evangelical  preach¬ 
er. — The  knowledge  of  anything,  by  which  an  honest  living  can  be 
earned,  is  a  very  valuable  acquisition  :  it  never  can  prove  injurious  to 
any  man ;  it  cannot  be  taken  from  him  ;  and  it  may,  on  one  occasion  or 
other,  be  peculiarly  useful  to  him.* — Even  among  affluent  persons,  the 
ministers  of  Christ  are  more  likely  to  do  good,  by  showing  an  entire  in¬ 
difference  to  all  those  things  which  wealth  can  purchase ;  than  by  affect¬ 
ing  a  style  of  living,  which  emulates  that  of  the  very  persons,  from 

•  And  here  the  Ed.  desires  heartily  to  commend  the  present  honorable  practice  of 
some  students  iu  theology,  who  contribute  to  their  own  support  by  muscular  labor,  to 
general  imitation  ;  for  while  it  leads  to  a  moral  independence,  which  enables  them  more 
conscientiously  to  seek,  adopt,  and  promulgate  truth,  it  preserves  that  health  which  is 
generally  lost  by  7  years  of  sedentary  pursuits,  often  attended  with  too  much  mental  and 
moral  excitement.  Besides,  it  is  but  just:  what  other  profession  or  class  asks  eleemosy¬ 
nary  support  ?  The  pursuits  of  horticulture,  herbiculture,  and  agriculture,  present 
themselves  as  peculiarly  beneficial.  The  knowledge  thus  acquired,  may  be  helpful  also  to 
their  charge,  thus  increasing  the  teacher’s  moral  influence  in  domestic  ministrations. 
The  idea  that  hand-work  is  less  honorable  than  head-work  is  an  exploded  vulgarism.  Ed. 


whose  liberality  it  requires  and  almost  demands  support. — The  love  of 
Christ  is  the  best  bond  of  friendship  ;  and  the  communion  of  the  saints 
sweetens  labor,  contempt,  and  even  persecution. — Whatever  be  their 
motives,  such  magistrates  as  take  care  to  prevent,  or  impartially  to  pun¬ 
ish,  those  crimes  which  are  injurious  to  the  welfare  of  the  community  ; 
and  who  refuse  to  use  their  authority,  [by  putting  down  the  free  discus¬ 
sion  of  truth,]  in  persecuting  one  religious  sect  at  the  instance  of  another, 
or  in  imposing  doctrines,  forms,  and  modes  of  worship  on  men’s  con¬ 
sciences ;  certainly  best  understand  and  perform  the  duties  of  their 
office.  Yet,  indifference  to  all  religion,  and  to  the  infinitely  momentous 
interests  of  eternity,  is  no  necessary  concomitant  of  toleration,  but 
rather  a  disgrace  to  it;  as  it  shows  that  rulers,  of  this  description,  are 
actuated  merely  by  indolence  and  worldly  policy,  and  not  by  a  regard  to 
the  rights  of  conscience,  or  by  a  sense  of  their  duty  to  God  :  and  their 
toleration  or  protection  of  his  worshippers,  will  often  be  partial  and 
contemptuous,  and  attended  by  improper  connivance  at  those  who  vio¬ 
late  the  peace  of  society  ;  as  well  as  a  total  and  systematical  neglect  of 
the  due  improvement  of  the  talents  entrusted  to  them.  We  should, 
however,  be  thankful  for  security,  thus  continued  to  us,  in  Providence 
[making  every  effort  and  sacrifice  necessary  to  preserve  it,  and  transmit 
it  unimpaired!  ;  and  we  must  not  forget  to  pray  for  those  who  seem 
more  to  regard  the  liberties  of  mankind,  than  the  salvation  of  their  own 
souls.  Scott. 


tions  of  these  private  Christians  is  the  more  remarkable,  and  the  more  him  at  the  head  of  a  party,  and  to  make  invidious  and  foolish  compari- 
amiable.’  Doddr.  sons  between  him  and  the  apostle,  who  had  been  their  father  in  Christ, 

(27.)  Through  grace. ]  ‘These  words  may  either  refer  to  Apollos  and  who,  though  he  might  have  less  volubility  of  speech,  was  on  the 
or  to  the  people  at  Corinth.’  Dr.  A.  C.  ‘  Through  grace,  qualifies  help-  most  important  accounts  far  superior  to  this  eloquent  and  zealous 
ed ;  so  all  the  best  commentators.’  Bloomf.  teacher.  See  1  Cor.  1:12.  3:4 — 8,21,22.4:6.  Yet  this  occasioned  no 

V.  28.  ‘  It  appears  from  passages  in  1  Cor.  that  several  of  the  Chris-  breach  between  Paul  and  Apollos.’  Doddr. 

tians  there,  charmed  with  the  eloquence  of  Apollos,  were  readv  to  set 

[110] 


A.  D.  58. 


ACTS,  XIX. 


Paul’s  labors  at  Ephesus. 


CHAP.  XIX. 

6  The  Holy  Ghost  is  given  by  Paul’s  hands.  9  The  Jews 
blaspheme  his  doctrine,  which  is  confirmed  by  miracles. 
13  The  Jewish  exorcists  16  are  beaten  by  the  devil.  19 
Conjuring  books  are  burnt.  24  Demetrius,  for  love  of 
gain,  raise th  an  uproar  against  Paul,  35  which  is  ap¬ 
peased  by  the  town  clerk. 

AND  it  came  to  pass,  that  while 
Apollos  1  was  at  Corinth,  Paul 
having  passed  through  the  upper 
coasts,  came  to  Ephesus  ;  and  find¬ 
ing  certain  disciples, 

2  He  said  unto  them,  Have  ye 
received  the  Holy  Ghost  since  ye 
believed  ?  And  they  said  unto  him, 
We  have  not  bso  much  as  heard 
whether  there  be  any  Holy  Ghost. 

3  And  he  said  unto  them,  Unto 
what  then  were  ye  baptized  ?  And 
they  said,  Unto  'John’s  baptism. 

4  Then  said  Paul,  John  d  verily 
baptized  with  the  baptism  of  re¬ 
pentance,  'saying  unto  the  people, 
that  they  should  believe  on  him 
which  should  come  after  him,  that 
is,  on  Christ  Jesus. 

5  When  they  heard  this,  they 
were  baptized  in  the  name  rof  the 
Lord  Jesus. 

a  1  Co.  3:5,6.  cc.  18:25.  f  c.  8:16.  1  Co. 

b  c.  8:16.  1  Sa.  d  Mat.  3:11.  1:13. 

3:7.  e  Jn.  1:15,  27,  30. 

law  would  teach  them  to  hear  Him.  Min¬ 
isters’  business  is  to  preach  Christ,  not  them¬ 
selves.  The  way  he  took  to  convince  them, 
was,  by  the  Scriptures  ;  for  the  Jews  owned 
the  Scriptures  to  be  of  divine  authority  ; 
and  it  was  easy  for  him,  who  was  mighty  in 
them,  to  show  that  Jesus  is  the  Christ.  Note, 
Ministers  must  be  able  not  only  to  preach 
the  truth,  but  to  prove  it  and  defend  it,  and 
to  convince  gainsayers  with  meekness,  and 
yet  with  power,  instructing  those  that  op¬ 
pose  themselvea  ;  and  this  is  real  service  to 
the  church. 


Chap.  XIX.  We  left  Paul  in  his  circuit 
visiting  the  churches,  ch.  18:  23.  but  vve  have 
not  forgotten,  nor  has  he,  his  promise  to  his 
friends  sit  Ephesus,  to  return  to  them,  and 
make  some  stay  there  ;  now  this  ch.  shows 
us  his  performance  of  that  promise,  his 
coming  to  Ephesus,  and  his  continuance 
there  two  years. 

V.  1 — 7.  To  Ephesus,  that  city  of  great 
note,  Paul  came  to  preach  the  Gospel,  while 
Apollos  was  at  Corinth,  v.  1.  and  grudged 
not  that  Apollos  entered  into  his  labors 
there,  though  there  were  those  that  made 
him  the  head  of  a  party  against  Paul, 
1  Cor.  1  :  12.  yet  Paul  had  no  jealousy  of 
him,  nor  any  way  disliked  the  affection  the 
people  had  for  him.  He  passed  through  the 
upper  coasts,  Ponttis  and  Bitbynia,  that  lay 
N.  At  his  first  coming,  he  met  with  some 
disciples  there,  who  professed  faith  in  Christ 
as  the  true  Messiah,  but  were  much  of  the 
standing  Apollos  was  of  when  he  came  to 
Ephesus,  ch.  18:  25.  Observe, 

I.  How  Paul  catechised  them. 

1.  They  did  believe  in  the  Son  of  God  ; 
but  Paul  inquires,  w  hether  they  believed  in 
the  Spirit,  whose  operations  on  the  minds  of 
men,  for  conviction,  conversion,  and  com¬ 
fort,  were  revealed  some  time  after  the  doc¬ 
trine  of  Jesus  being  the  Christ.  That  was 
not  all  ;  extraordinary  gifts  of  the  Holy 
Ghost  were  conferred  on  the  apostles  and 
others  presently  after  Christ’s  ascension, 
which  was  frequently  repeated  on  occasion; 
had  they  participated  of  these  gifts  1  We 
are  not  now  to  expect  any  such  extraordina¬ 
ry  gifts  as  they  had  then.  The  canon  of 
the  N.  T.  being  long  since  completed  and 
ratified,  we  depend  on  that  as  the  most 
sure  Word  of  prophecy.  But  graces  of  the 
Spirit  are  given  to  all  believers,  which  are 
as  earnests  to  them,  2  Cor.  1  :  22.  5  :  5. 
Eph.  1  :  13.  Luke  11  :  13.  Now  it  con¬ 
cerns  us  all  who  profess  the  Christian  faith, 
seriously  to  inquire,  whether  we  have  re¬ 
ceived  the  Holy  Ghost  or  not.  The  tree 
will  be  known  by  its  fruits.  Do  we  bring 
forth  the  fruits  of  the  Spirit  1  Are  we  led 


by  the  Spirit  1  Do  we  walk  in  the  Spirit  1 
Are  we  under  the  government  of  the  Spirit  1 

2.  They  owned  their  ignorance  in  this 
matter;  that  there  is  a  promise  of  the  Holy 
Ghost  we  know  from  the  O.  T.,  and  that 
that  promise  will  be  fulfilled  in  its  season, 
we  doubt  not  ;  but  we  have  not  heard 
whether  the  Holy  Ghost  be  indeed  yet  given 
ns  a  Spirit  of  prophecy.  They  knew,  as 
Dr.  Lightfoot  observes,  that,  according  to 
the  tradition  of  their  nation,  after  the  death 
of  Ezra,  Haggai,  Zecharialr,  and  Malachi, 
the  Holy  Ghost  departed  from  Israel,  and  went 
up ;  and  they  professed  they  had  never 
heard  of  his  return.  They  spake  as  if  they 
expected  it,  and  wondered  they  did  not  hear 
of  it,  and  were  ready  to  welcome  the  notice 
of  it.  The  gospel-light  shone  more  and  more, 
gradually  ;  not  only  clearer  and  clearer,  in 
the  discovery  of  truths  not  before  heard  of, 
but  further  and  further,  in  the  discovery  of 
them  to  persons  that  had  not  before  heard 
of  them. 

3.  Paul  inquired,  how  they  came  to  be 
baptized,  if  they  knew  nothing  of  the  Holy 
Ghost  ;  for  if  they  were  baptized  by  any  of 
Christ’s  ministers,  they  were  instructed  con¬ 
cerning  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  were  baptized 
in  his  name.  ‘  Surely  your  baptism  was  a 
nullity,  if  you  know  nothing  of  the  Holy 
Ghost.  Ignorance  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  is  as 
inconsistent  with  a  sincere  profession  of 
Christianity,  as  ignorance  of  Christ  is.’  Ap¬ 
plying  it  to  ourselves,  those  are  baptized  to 
no  purpose,  that  do  not  receive  and  submit 
to  the  Holy  Ghost.  Let  us  often  consider, 
unto  what  we  were  baptized,  that  we  may  live 
up  to  our  baptism. 

4.  They  own,  they  were  baptized  unto 
John’s  baptism  ;  i.  e.  as  I  take  it,  in  the 
name  of  John,  not  by  John  himself,  but  bv 
some  weak,  well-meaning  disciple  of  his, 
that  ignorantly  kept  up  his  name,  as  the 
head  of  a  party,  retaining  the  spirit  and  no¬ 
tion  of  those  disciples  of  his  that  were  jeal¬ 
ous  of  the  grow  th  of  Christ’s  interest,  and 
complained  to  him  of  it,  John  3:  26.  Some 
of  these,  not  thinking  that  the  kingdom  of 


NOTES.  Chap.  XIX.  V.  1 — 4.  4  We  have  not  so  much  as  heard 

whether  there  be  any  Holy  Ghost they  must  have  meant,  that  they 
had  never  been  led  to  expect  his  miraculous  powers,  or  been  informed 
of  anything  respecting  the  extraordinary  communication  of  them  to 
believers,  at  that  time ;  or  about  the  Gospel  being  especially  ‘  the  min¬ 
istration  of  the  Spirit.’  (John  7:57 — 39.  2  Cor.  3:7 — 11.)  ‘As  Apollos 
had  left  Jerusalem,  and  gone  to  Alexandria,  before  the  miraculous  effu¬ 
sion  of  the  Holy  Ghost  on  the  apostles,  at  the  day  of  Pentecost ;  so  had 
they  also  done,  and  had  been  travelling  into  Other  parts  of  the  world, 
where  the  Gospel  had  not  yet  been  planted.’  Whitby.  This  is  not  im¬ 
probable  :  and  perhaps,  like  Apollos,  they  endeavored  to  communicate 
to  the  Jews  in  different  places  what  they  had  'learned  from  John  the 
Baptist,  concerning  Jesus,  the  Messiah,  ‘the  Lamb  of  God,’  ‘the  Son  of 
God,’  and  ‘  the  Bridegroom  ’  of  the  church ;  and,  having  just  before  arriv¬ 
ed  at  Ephesus,  they  had  not  become  acquainted  with  Aquila  and  Priscilla. 
But  hearing  of  Paul,  it  is  probable  they  introduced  themselves  to  him,  as 
persons  who  believed  in  Jesus  as  the  promised  Messiah :  and,  perhaps, 
being  regarded  as  teachers  of  this  doctrine,  the  apostle  might  suppose 
that  they  had  received  the.Holy  Spirit,  at  the  day  of  Pentecost,  or  by  the 
laying  on  of  the  ltands  of  the  apostles;  till  their  answer  showed  that 
they  had  very  imperfect  views  of  the  Christian  doctrine.  Scott. 

(1,  2.)  Upper.]  ‘  I.  e.  inland,  to  wit,  Galatia  and  Phrygia  ;  so  called  in 
reference  to  the  maritime  situation  of  Ephesus,  which  was  Katu ,  be¬ 
low.’  Kuin.  Certain  disciples.]  ‘Pious  Jews,  who  having  watted  for 
the  kingdom  of  God,  and  being  many  years  before  baptized  by  John,  or 
some  of  his  disciples,  had,  on  receiving  some  evidences  of  Christiani¬ 
ty,  believed  in  Jesus ;  but...  had  not  enjoyed  an  opportunity,  before, 
of  being  instructed  in  anything  relating  to  the  Holy  Spirit ,  more  than 
might  be  learned  from  the  O.  T.’  Doddr.  Not  so  much  as  heard,  &c.] 
‘  They  could  not  mean  they  had  not  heard  of  the  Holy  Spirit ;  for  John, 
in  his  baptism,  announced  Christ  as  about  to  baptize  with  the  Holy 
Ghost,  Mat.  3:11.,  but  they  simply  meant,  that  they  had  not  heard  that 
this  Spirit  in  his  gifts  had  been  given  to,  or  received  by  any  one.’  Dr.  A.  C. 
‘Paul,  hearing  these  were  separatists,  probably,  and  suspecting  they 
were  John’s  disciples,  went  to  give  them  more  correct  notions,  and 
seems  to  have  said  more  than  is  recorded,  and  Kuin.  is  persuaded  he 
appealed  to  Joel,  3:1.  That  he  had  asked  them  if  they  were  baptized, 
may  be  collected  from  v.  3.  [Luke  often  leaves  out  minor  circumstances 
in  a  narrative.]  And  when  they  answered  they  had  been,  he,  to  know  if 
they  were  votaries  of  the  same  Messiah  with  himself,  further  asked, 
“  have  ye  experienced  the  effects  of  the  Holy  Spirit?”  John  and  his 
disciples  baptized  none  but  Jews,  and  as  these  were  so,  the  Heb.  phrase 
ruch  hqdsh  [Holy  Spirit]  could  not  but  be  familiar  to  them  ;  and  bv  this 
they  believed  the  prophets  were  inspired.  See  Ez.  11:5.  These  Ephe¬ 
sian  Jews  then  seem  to  have  meant,  that  they  had  never  heard  the 
Messiah  was  come,  and  who  He  was;  that  they  had  not  known  that  the 
period  spoken  of  by  Joel  3:1  (note,  Acts  2:171,  had  arrived,  when  the 
Spirit  was  to  be  poured  out  upon  all  men,  still  less  had  they  been  imbued 
with  it.  Kuin.’  Bloomf. 


(3,4.)  Unto.]  ‘  Eis  :  Some,  as  Kuin.  take  the  eis  to  denote  the 
final  cause. :  q.  d.  “  To  what  purpose,  then,  were  ye  baptized  ?  what 
doctrine  did  ye  profess  on  baptism  ?  ”  And  they  determine  the  answer 
to  be,  “  Namely,  that  we  should  profess  the  doctrine  which  John  an¬ 
nounced,  to  which  we  were  bound  by  his  baptism.”  And  thus  “  the 
baptism  of  John”  will  signify  John’s  doctrine  and  baptism.  This  mode 
of  interpretation,  however,  seems  to  need  confirmation.  The  ‘‘baptism 
of  repentance,”  (5)  signifies  the  baptism  by  which  those  who  receive  it 
are  bound  to  reformation  of  life.  See  on  Mark  1 : 4.’  Bloomf. 

V.  5,  6.  Several  learned  critics,  of  different  sentiments  concerning 
baptism,  have  argued,  that  these  are  the  words  of  Paul,  showing  the 
disciples,  that  when  John  baptized  those  who  heard  his  doctrine,  he  vir¬ 
tually  baptized  them  in  the  name  of  Jesus;  and  not  the  words  of  the 
historian,  relating  to  the  baptism  of  these  persons,  subsequent  to  the 
apostle’s  instruction  of  them.  Some  of  those,  who  first  contended  for 
this  interpretation,  did  it  out  of  zeal  against  such  as  they  called  Rebap- 
tizers ,  lest  they  should  adduce  this  example  in  support  of  their  practice. 
Yet,  by  maintaining  the  baptism  of  John,  and  the  baptism  of  Christ,  to 
be  entirely  the  same,  they  have  furnished  their  opponents  with  a  far 
more  plausible  argument,  than  that  which  they  wanted  to  wrest  from 
them.  But,  however  that  tnay  be,  I  cannot  think,  that  any  impartial 
man,  who  never  heard  of  these  controversies,  would,  either  from  rending 
the  original,  or  our  version,  put  this  construction  on  the  words.  If  John 
could,  in  any  sense,  be  said  to  ‘baptize  his  disciples  in  the  name  of  the 
Lord  Jesus;’  Jesus  Himself  must  have  been  baptized  virtually  in  his 
own  name.  John  3:22 — 24.  Even  Paul’s  question,  ‘Unto  what  then 
were  ye  baptized  ?  ’  implies  a  distinction  between  different  kinds  of  bap¬ 
tism  ;  and  denotes,  that,  while  he  understood  they  had  been  baptized,  he 
also  concluded  that  they  had  not  received  Christian  baptism,  having 
never  heard  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  in  whose  name  Christians  were  baptized. 
Mat.  28:19,  20,  v.  19. — ‘This  is  visible  even  in  the  words  of  Paul  here: 
John  said  to  those  that  came  to  his  baptism  (4‘,  not  that  they  did,  but 
that  “  they  should,  believe  in  Him  that  was  coming  after  him;”  now  they 
were  not  to  be  baptized  in  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ,  till  they  did  actu¬ 
ally  believe  in  Him,  which  they  who  had  received  John’s  baptism  were 
so  far  from  doing,  thnl  they  “  were  musing  whether  John  himself  were 
not  the  Christ.”  ’  Whitby.  After  Christ’s  ascension,  no  inquiry  was 
made,  that  we  read  of,  whether  the  converts  had  been  baptized  by  John, 
or  not :  and  if  hut  one  of  the  3000,  who  were  baptized  on  the  day  of 
Pentecost,  had  been  John’s  disciple,  (and  probably  numbers  were  such.) 
the  baptism  of  John,  and  that  of  Jesus,  must  have  been  distinct  ordi¬ 
nances.  (2:41.)  The  difference  between  that  introductory  institution 
to  the  Christian  dispensation,  and  the  initiatory  external  seal  of  that 
dispensation,  has  been  already  considered.  Mat.  3:5,  6. —  Some  have  in¬ 
deed  said,  that  if  John’s  baptism  and  Christ’s  were  different,  our  Lord 
had  no  communion  with  the  N.  T.  church  in  baptism,  as  He  had  with 
the  O.  T.  church  in  circumcision.  But  ‘lie  was  made  under  the  law,’ 
to  fulfil  its  righteousness,  as  our  Surety;  and  must,  therefore,  both  on 
that  account,  and  as  our  example,  obey  every  command,  and  attend  on 


A.  D.  59. 


ACTS,  XIX. 


He  preaches  in  the  synagogue. 


G  And  when  Paul  had  laid  *  his 
hands  upon  them,  the  Holy  Ghost 
came  on  them  ;  and  h  they  spake 
with  tongues,  and  ‘prophesied. 

7  And  all  the  men  were  about 
twelve. 

8  IT  And  he  went  into  the  syna¬ 
gogue,  and  spake  boldly  for  the 
space  of  three  months,  i  disputing, 
and  k  persuading  the  things  con¬ 
cerning  the  kingdom  of  God. 

9  But  when  divers  were  1  harden¬ 
ed,  and  believed  not,  but  spake 
evil  Mof  that  "way  before  the  mul¬ 
titude,  he  0  departed  from  them, 
and  separated  the  disciples,  disput¬ 
ing  daily  in  the  school  of  one  Ty- 
rannus. 


E  c.  8:17. 

Ii  c.  ‘.1:4.  10:46. 

i  l  Co.  14:1,  &c. 
j  c.  18:19. 


k  c.  28:23.  2:2.  Jude  10. 

1  Ro.  11:7.  He.  n  ver.  23. 

3:13.  o  l  Ti.  6:5. 

m2  Ti.  1:15.  2  Pe. 


heaven,  which  John  spake  of  as  at  ha.nd, 
was  so  very  near  as  it  proved,  rested  in  what 
they  had ,  and  thought  they  could  not  do  bet¬ 
ter  than  to  persuade  others  to  do  so  too  ; 
and  so,  ignorantly,  in  a  blind  zeal  for  John’s 
doctrine,  they  baptized  here  and  there  one 
in  John’s  name,  or,  as  it  is  here  expressed, 
unto  John's  baptism,  looking  no  further 
themselves,  nor  directing  those  that  they 
baptized  any  further. 

5.  Paul  explains  to  them  the  true  intent 
and  meaning  of  John’s  baptism,  as  princi¬ 
pally  referring  to  Jesus  Christ,  and  so  recti¬ 
fies  the  mistake.  He  owns  John’s  baptism 
was  a  very  good  thing,  as  far  as  it  went  ; 
John  verily  baptized  with  the.  baptism  of  repen¬ 
tance.  But  John’s  baptism  had  a  further 
reference,  and  he  never  designed  that  those 
he  baptized  should  rest  there,  but  told  them, 
that  they  should  believe  on  Him  who  should 
come  after  him,  i.e.  on  Christ  Jesus  ;  that 
his  baptism  of  repentance  was  designed  only 
to  prepare  the  way  of  the  Lord,  and  to  dis- 
|iose  them  to  receive  and  entertain  Christ, 
whom  he  left  them  big  with  expectations  of; 
nay,  whom  he  directed  them  to;  Behold  the 
Ijomb  of  God. 

6.  When  they  were  thus  showed  the  error 


they  were  led  into,  they  thankfully  accepted 
the  discovery,  and  were  baptized  in  the  name 
of  the  Lord  Jesus,  v.  5.  As  for  Apollos,  of 
whom  it  was  said,  ch.  18:25.  that  he  knew 
the  baptism  of  John,  that  he  rightly  under¬ 
stood  the  meaning  of  it  when  he  was  bap¬ 
tized  with  it,  though  he  knew  that  only ; 
yet,  when  he  understood  the  way  of  God  more 
perfectly,  he  was  not  again  baptized,  any 
more  than  Christ’s  first  disciples  that  had 
been  baptized  with  John’s  baptism, and  knew 
it  referred  to  the  Messiah  at  the  door,  and 
with  an  eye  to  that,  submitted  to  it,  were 
baptized  again.  But  to  these  here,  who  re¬ 
ceived  it  only  with  an  eye  to  John,  and 
looked  no  further,  as  if  he  were  their  savior, 
it  was  such  a  fundamental  error  as  was  as  fa¬ 
tal  to  it,  as  it  would  have  been  for  any  to  be 
baptized  in  the  name  of  Paul,  1  Cor.  1:13. 
therefore  when  they  came  to  understand  them¬ 
selves  better,  they  desired  to  be  baptized  in 
the  name  of  the  Lord  Jesus,  and  were  so. 
Not  by  Paul  himself,  as  we  have  reason  to 
think,  but  by  some  of  those  who  attended 
him.  It  does  not  therefore  follow  hence, 
that  there  was  not  an  agreement  betw’een 
John’s  baptism  and  Christ’s  ;  or  that  they 
were  not  for  substance  the  same  ;  much  less 
does  it  follow  that  those  who  have  been  once 
baptized  in  the  name  of  the  Father,  Son,  and 
Holy  Ghost,  which  is  the  appointed  form 
of  Christ’s  baptism,  may  be  again  baptized 
in  the  same  name  ;  for  those  that  were  here 
baptized  in  the  name  of  the  Lord  Jesus,  had 
never  been  so  baptized  before. 

II.  Paul  solemnly  prayed  to  God  to  give 
them  the  extraordinary  gifts  of  the  Holy 
Ghost,  signified  by  his  laying  his  hands  on 
them,  which  was  a  gesture  used  in  blessing, 
by  the  patriarchs,  especially  in  conveying 
the  great  trust  of  the  promise,  as  Gen.  48: 
14.  The  Spirit  being  the  great  promise  of 
the  N.  T.  the  apostles  conveyed  it  by  the 
imposition  of  hands.  Is.  44:  3.  The  prayer 
wTas  granted  ;  The  Holy  Ghost  came  on 
them,  in  a  surprising,  overpowering  manner, 
and  they  spake  with  tongues  and  prophesied, 
as  the  apostles  did,  and  the  first  Gentile  con¬ 
verts,  ch.  10:  44.  This  was  intended  to  in¬ 
troduce  the  Gospel  at  Ephesus,  [called  by 
Jos.  the  foremost  city  in  Asia,  i.e.  Asia  proper, 
v.  10.,]  and  to  awaken  in  the  minds  of  men 
an  expectation  of  some  great  things  from  it; 


and  some  think  it  was  further  designed  to 
qualify  these  twelve  men  for  the  work  of  the 
ministry,  and  that  they  were  the  elders  of 
Ephesus,  to  whom  Paul  committed  the  care 
and  conduct  of  that  church.  They  had  the 
Spirit  of  prophesy,  that  they  might  under¬ 
stand  the  mysteries  of  the  kingdom  of  God 
themselves,  and  the  gift  of  tongues,  that  they 
might  preach  them  to  every  nation  and  lan¬ 
guage.  Oh  !  what  a  wonderful  change  was 
here  made  on  a  sudden  in  these  men  ;  they 
that  but  just  now  had  not  so  much  as  heard 
that  there  was  any  Holy  Ghost,  are  now 
themselves  filled  with  the  Holy  Ghost  ;  for 
the  Spirit,  like  the  wind,  blows  where  and 
when  He  listeth. 

V.  8 — 12.  Paul  is  here  very  busy  at  Eph¬ 
esus  to  do  good. 

I.  He  begins,  as  usual,  with  the  Jews. 

1.  He  preached  to  them  in  their  syna¬ 
gogue,  v.  8.  as  Christ  used  to  do.  Thus  he 
would  bear  his  testimony  to  public  worship  on 
sabbath-days.  Where  there  were  no  Chris¬ 
tian  assemblies  yet  formed,  he  frequented 
the  Jewish  assemblies,  while  the  Jews  were 
not  as  yet  wholly  cast  off.  Paul  went  into 
the  synagogue,  because  there  he  had  them 
together,  and  had  them,  it  might  be  hoped, 
in  a  good  frame. 

2.  What  he  preached  to  them  ;  the  things 
concerning  the  kingdom  of  God  among  men, 
the  great  things  which  concerned  God’s  do¬ 
minion  over  all  men,  and  favor  to  them,  and 
men’s  subjection  to  God,  and  happiness  in 
God.  Or,  more  particularly,  the  things  con¬ 
cerning  the  kingdom  of  the  Messiah,  which 
the  Jews  were  in  expectation  of,  and  prom¬ 
ised  themselves  great  matters  from  ;  he 
opened  the  Scriptures  which  spake  of  this, 
gave  them  a  right  notion  of  this  kingdom, 
and  showed  them  their  mistakes  about  it. 

3.  H  ow  he  preached  to  them.  (1.)  Ar¬ 
gumentatively  ;  he  disputed  ;  gave  reasons, 
scripture-reasons  ;  and  answered  objections. 
He  preached  dialogue-unse  J  he  put  questions 
to  them,  and  received  their  answers  ;  gave 
them  leave  to  put  questions  to  him,  and  an¬ 
swered  them.  (2.)  Affectionately  ;  he  per¬ 
suaded  ;  he  used  not  only  logical  arguments, 
but  rhetorical  motives  ;  showing  them,  that 
the  things  he  preached  concerning  the  king¬ 
dom  of  God,  were  things  concerning  them¬ 
selves,  which  they  were  nearly  concerned  in, 


every  institution  of  God,  then  in  force :  whereas,  there  was  not  the 
same  reason  for  his  joining  in  the  ordinances  of  the  Gospel,  which  He 
appointed  merely  as  our  Lord  and  King.  Doubtless  He  ate  the  passover 
with  his  disciples,  yet  it  does  not  appear  that  He  partook  of  the  eucharist: 
Mat.  26:26 — 29.  Luke  22:14 — 18.  it  is  not  probable  that  He  did  ;  neither 
can  it  be  supposed,  that  He  was  ‘  baptized  into  the  name  of  the  Father, 
of  the  Son,  and  of  the  Holy  Ghost,’  which  is  essential  to  Christian  bap¬ 
tism.  I  apprehend  therefore,  that  these  persons,  having  been  further 
instructed  by  Paul,  were  admitted  into  the  church  by  baptism,  previ¬ 
ously  to  the  communication  of  the  Holy  Spirit  to  them,  by  the  imposition 
of  the  apostle’s  hands,  in  his  miraculous  powers  and  gifts.  (8:14 — 17. 
10:44 — 48.)  Scott. 

(5.)  When  they  heard  this.]  ‘I  think  it  evident,  beyond  all  dispute, 
that  the  baptism  of  John  and  of  Christ  were  in  their  own  nature  quite 
dfferent,  and  that  it  is  plain  in  fact,  that,  when  persons  were  converted 
to  Christianity,  they  were  baptized  of  course,  without  inquiring  wheth¬ 
er  they  had  or  had  not,  received  the  baptism  of  John ,  which  we  know 
vast  numbers  did,  Mat.  3:5,  6.  who  probably  afterwards  received  Chris¬ 
tian  baptism.  Comp.  Acts  2:38 — 11.  4:4.  6:7.’  Doddr.  ‘As  there  is  no 
evidence  in  the  N.  T.  of  persons  being  rebaptized,  unless  this  be  one, 
many  criticisms  have  been  hazarded,  to  prove  that  these  persons  were 
not  rebaptized.  I  see  no  need  of  this.  To  be  a  Christian,  a  man  must 
be  baptized  in  the  Christian  faith  ;  these  persons  had  not  been  baptized 
into  that  faith,  and  therefore  were  not  Christians;  they  felt  this,  and 
were  immediately  baptized  into  the  name  of  the  Lord  Jesus.  This  is  a 
plain  case;  but  let  one  instance  be  produced  of  a  person  being  rebap- 
tizod,  who  had  before  been  baptized  in  the  name  of  the  Holy  Trinity, 
or  even  in  the  name  of  Jesus  alone.  In  my  view,  it  is  an  awful  thing  to 
iterate  baptism,  when  it  has  been  before  '•'•essentially  performed;”  I  mean 
administered  by  sprinkling,  washing,  or  plunging,  by  or  in  water,  in  the 
name  of  the  Father,  Son,  and  Spirit,  [that]  being  invoked  at  the  time:  and 
it  matters  not  at  what  period  of  his  life  a  person  has  had  it.’  Dr.  A.  C. 
See  Kuin.  against  Anabaptists,  whose  note  is  omitted  for  want  of  room: 
his  arguments  are  mostly  contained  in  what  is  here  given,  from  Henry, 
Scott,  &c.  See  Bl.  Ed.  ‘Those  who  were  baptized  by  John,  were  bound 
to  the  metanoia  [repentance  and  change]  to  which  he  exhorted  them,  and 
were  prepared  for  the  kingdom  of  the  Messiah  that  was  to  come.  The 
apostles,  while  Jesus  was  on  earth,  baptized  those  who  applied  for  bap¬ 
tism  ;  (Jn.  3:5,  note,  and  26.  4:1,  2.)  thus  binding  them  to  Jesus,  and  his 
doctrine,  and  instituting  the  new  economy,  soon  to  be  established  by  the 
Messiah.  So  Jn.  4:1.  “  He  makes  disciples  and  baptizes,”  comp,  with  v.  2. 
That  Jesus  was  the  Messiah  the  apostles  were  not  at  that  time  assured, 
(see  on  Mat.  16:20.  10:7.)  and  so  they  did  not  baptize  them  to  Jesus  the 
[112] 


Messiah.  Those  who  had  undergone  John’s  baptism,  and  had  been  taught 
by  Jesus  Himself,  and  admitted  his  doctrine,  were  not  rebaptized  by  the 
apostles.  See  Jn.  3:26.  Nor  were  the  apostles  again  baptized  by  Jesus  ;  for 
they  were  nursed  up  under  his  instruction,  and  in  due  time  taught  his  Mes- 
siahship,  and  were  baptized  with  the  Holy  Spirit.  But  when,  after  Christ’s 
departure  to  heaven,  a  church  had,  by  his  direction,  been  established  by 
the  apostles,  whose  foundation  He  Himself  had  laid,  and  into  which  they 
who  should  account  Jesus  as  the  Messiah,  and  profess  his  doctrine,  were 
to  be  received  ;  then  also  those  who  had  been  baptized  by  John,  or  after 
his  death,  by  his  disciples,  and  who  had  not  enrolled  themselves  in  the 
number  of  Jesus’  followers,  while  He  was  on  earth,  nor  accounted  Him 
as  Messiah  (see  Acts  2:37.  and  41.):  were  by  the  apostles  again  baptized; 
as  were  by  Paul  these  12  here.  At  Acts  2.  it  is  not  indeed  expressly 
said,  that  any  of  John’s  disciples  were  among  the  baptized,  but  from  the 
silence  of  Luke  nothing  can  be  proved.  Of  Apollos  (Acts  18.)  it  is  no¬ 
where  said  he  was  not  rebaptized,  but  (and  so  Ernesti)  the  thing  is 
passed  by,  as  well  known  and  usual.’  Kuin. 

(6.)  Spake,  &c.J  ‘  I  can  by  no  means  accede  to  the  harsh  interpreta¬ 
tions  of  these  words  propounded  by  the  foreign  commentators.  The  plain 
and  simple  sense  is,  “  they  spake  with  other,  and  to  them,  strange  and 
foreign  tongues,  and  sustained  the  character  of  prophets  and  inspired 
teachers.”  See  CEcumenius  and  Chrysostom.’  Bloomf. 

V.  8 — 12.  The  handkerchiefs  and  aprons  (probably  such  as  both  men 
and  women,  at  their  work,  wore  to  save  their  other  clothes)  could  not 
convey  any  virtue  from  the  apostle,  but  were  mere  tokens  of  the  Lord’s 
omnipotent  operation,  as  the  waving  of  the  rod  of  Moses  had  been. 
‘  These  cures  wrought  on  absent  persons,  some  of  them  a  considerable 
distance  from  Ephesus,  might  conduce  greatly  to  the  success  of  the 
Gospel  among  those,  whose  faces  Paul  himself  had  not  seen.’  Doddr. 
‘Asia,  throughout  the  Acts  of  the  Apostles,  and  the  Epistles  of  Paul, 
does  not  mean  the  whole  of  Asia  Minor,  or  Anatolia,  nor  even  the 
whole  of  the  proconsular  Asia,  but  a  district  in  the  anterior  part  of  that 
country,  called  Lydian  Asia,  divided  from  the  rest,  much  as  Portugal  is 
from  Spain,  and  of  which  district  Ephesus  was  the  capital.’  Paley. — 
[The  most  extensive  and  flourishing  district  W.  of  Mt.  Taurus  and  the 
river  Halys,  was  dignified  by  the  Romans  with  the  exclusive  title  of  Asia. 
See  note,  end  of  Acts.]  (10.)  Two  years.]  The  apostle,  in  his  address 
to  the  elders  of  Ephesus,  mentions  3  years,  20:31.  and  most  commenta¬ 
tors  date  the  beginning  of  these  3  years  from  his  first  coming  to  Ephesus. 
(18:19 — 21.)  Nine  months,  however,  seem  far  too  short  a  time  for  his 
voyage  and  journey  to  Jerusalem,  and  his  circuit,  by  Antioch,  and  through 
Galatia  and  Phrygia,  and  the  upper  regions  of  Asia.  The  circuit  itself 
could  not  be  made,  xvithout  travelling  perhaps  1000  miles,  probably  on 


A.  D.  60. 

10  And  this  continued  by  the 
space  p  of  two  years  ;  so  that  all 
they  which  dwelt  in  Asia  heard 
the  word  of  the  Lord  Jesus,  both 
Jews  and  Greeks. 

11  And  God  wrought  special 
r  miracles  by  the  hands  of  Paul  : 

12  So  that  from  his  body  were 
brought  unto  the  sick  '  handker¬ 
chiefs  or  aprons,  and  the  diseases 
departed  from  them,  and  the  evil 
spirits  went  out  of  them. 

13  IT  Then  certain  of  the  vaga¬ 
bond  Jews,  exorcists,  took  upon 
them  ’  to  call  over  them  which  had 
evil  spirits  the  name  of  the  Lord 
Jesus,  saying,  We  adjure  "you  by 
Jesus,  whoip  Paul  preacheth. 


ACTS,  XIX. 


The  success  of  Paul's  preaching 


I>  e.  :0:31. 
q  c.  ‘iO:I8. 


Mr.  16:20. 
c.  5:15. 


t  Ma.  9  33. 
u  Jos.  6:‘*6^ 


Lti.  9:49. 


themselves 
a  moving 


and  therefore  ought  to  concern 
about,  2  Cor.  5:11.  Paul  was 
preacher,  master  of  the  art  of  persuasion. 
(3.)  Undauntedly,  and  with  a  holy  resolu¬ 
tion  ;  boldly,  as  one  that  had  not  the  least 
doubt  of  the  things  he  spake  of,  nor  the  least 
distrust  of  Him  he  spake  from,  or  the  least 
dread  of  them  he  spake  to. 

4.  How  long  he  preached  to  them  ;  for 
the  space  of  three  months,  a  competent  time 
for  them  to  consider  ;  in  that  time  those 
among  them  that  belonged  to  the  election  of 
grace  were  called  in,  and  the  rest  were  left 
inexcusable.  Thus  long  Paul  preached  the 
Gospel  with,  much  contention,  1  Thess.  2:  2. 
yet  he  did  not  fail,  nor  was  discouraged. 

5.  His  success.  (1.)  Some  were  persuaded 
to  believe  in  Christ  ;  intimated,  some  think, 
in  the  word  persuading  ;  he  prevailed  with 
them.  But,  (2.)  Divers  continued  in  infi¬ 
delity,  and  were  confirmed  in  their  prejudices 
against  Christianity.  When  Paul  called  on 
them  before,  and  preached  only  some  gen¬ 
eral  things  to  them,  they  courted  his  stay 
among  them, ch.  18: 20.  but  now  that  he  settled 
among  them,  and  his  word  came  more  close¬ 
ly  to  their  consciences,  they  were  soon  weary 
of  him.  They  had  an  invincible  aversion  to 
the  Gospel,  were  resolved  they  would  not 
believe,  and  did  their  utmost  to  raise  and 
keep  up  in  others  an  aversion  to  it,  spake 
evil  of  that  way  before  the  multitude,  to  preju¬ 
dice  them  against  it.  Though  they  could  not 
show  any  manner  of  evil  in  it,  yet  they  said 
all  manner  of  evil  concerning  it. 

II.  When  he  had  carried  the  matter  as 
far  as  it  would  go  in  the  synagogue,  and 
found  that  their  opposition  grew  more  obsti¬ 
nate,  he  left  the  synagogue  ;  they  hated  to 
be  reformed,  hated  to  be  instructed,  and 
therefore  he  departed  from  them.  Here  we  are 
sure  there  was  a  separation,  and  no  schism  ; 
for  there  was  a  just  cause  for  it,  and  a  clear 
call  to  it.  Now  observe, 

1.  When  Paul  departed  from  the  Jews, 


Christian  church,  now  that  there  were  a  !  recorded  none,  for  he  tells  them,  2  Cor.  12: 
competent  number  to  be  incorporated,  that  12.  the  signs  of  his  apostleship  were  among 
others  might  attend  with  them  on  the  preach-  !  them,  in  wonders  and  mighty  deeds. 
ing  of  the  Gospel,  and  might,  on  their  be-  |  But  here  at  Ephesus  they  were  special 
lieving,  be  added  to  them.  j  [extraordinary]  miracles,  either  such  things 

2.  When  Paul  separated  from  the  syna-  j  were  done,  as  cotdd  by  no  means  be  ascribed 
gogue,  he  set  up  a  meeting  of  his  own,  in  the  \  to  second  causes  ;  or,  as  all  miracles  are  of 
school  of  one  Tyrannies  ;  he  left  the  syna¬ 


gogue,  that  he  might  go  on  with  more  free 
dom  ;  and  he  had  by  this  separation  a  double 
advantage,  (1.)  Now  his  opportunities  were 
more  frequent.  In  the  synagogue,  he  could 
only  preach  every  sabbath-day,  ch.  13:42. 
but  now  he  set  up  a  lecture  every  day,  and 
those  whose  business  would  not  permit  them 
to  conic  one  day,  might  come  another  day  ; 
(2.)  Now  they  were  more  open.  To  the 
synagogue  of  the  Jews  none  might  come,  or 
could  come,  but  Jews  or  proselytes  ;  Gen¬ 
tiles  were  excluded  ;  but  when  he  set  up  a 
meeting  in  the  school  of  Tyrannus,  both 
Jews  and  Greeks  attended  his  ministry, 
v.  10.  Thus,  as  he  describes  his  gate  of  op¬ 
portunity  at  Ephesus,  1  Cor.  16:  8,  9.  a  wide 
door,  and  an  effectual  was  opened  to  him, 
though  there  were  many  adversaries.  Some 
think  this  school  of  Tyrannus  was  a  divinity- 
school  of  the  Jews  ;  if  so,  it  shows  that 
though  Paul  left  the  synagogue,  he  still  kept 
as  near  it  as  he  could,  as  he  had  done,  ch. 
18:  7.  But  others  think  it  was  a  philosophy- 
school  of  the  Gentiles,  belonging  to  one 
Tyrannus,  or  a  retiring  place,  for  so  the 
word  sometimes  signifies,  belonging  to  a 
principal  man  or  governor  of  the  city  ;  some 
convenient  place  it  was,  which  Paul  and 
the  disciples  had  the  use  of,  either  for  love 
or  money. 

3.  Here  he  continued  his  labors  for  2 
years,  from  the  end  of  the  3  months  he  spent 
in  the  synagogue,  v.  8.  and  after  they  were 
ended,  lie  continued  for  some  time  in  the 
country  about,  preaching,  therefore  he  might, 
justlv  reckon  it  in  all  3  years,  as  he  does, 
ch.  20:31. 


this  character,  these  were  even  uncommon 
miracles,  such  miracles  as  had  not  been 
w  rought  by  the  hands  of  any  other  of  the 
apostles.  As  God’s  instrument,  he  not  only 
cured  the  sick  that  were  brought  to  him,  or 
that  he  was  brought  to;  but  they  got  Paul’3 
handkerchiefs,  or  the  aprons,  (so  some,)  he 
wore  when  he  worked  at  his  trade,  and  the 
applying  of  them  to  the  sick,  cured  them 
immediately.  Or,  they  brought  the  sick 
people’s  handkerchiefs,  or  their  girdles,  or 
caps,  or  head-dresses,  and  laid  them  for  a 
while  to  Paul’s  body,  and  then  took  them  to 
tlie  sick.  The  former  is  more  probable 
Now  was  fulfilled  that  word  of  Christ  to  his 
disciples,  Greater  works  than  these  shall  ye  do. 
We  read  of  one  that  was  cured  by  the  touch 
of  Christ’s  garment,  when  it  was  on  Him  ; 
but  here  were  people  cured  by  Paul’s  gar¬ 
ments  when  taken  from  him.  Christ  gave 
his  apostles  power  against  unclean  spirits  and 
all  manner  of  sickness.  Mat.  10:1.  Accord¬ 
ingly  those  to  whom  Paul  sent  relief,  had  it 
in  both  these  cases  ;  the  diseases  departed 
from  them,  and  the  evil  spirits  went  out  of 
them;  both  significant  of  the  great  design  and 
blessed  effect  of  the  Gospel,  to  heal  spiritual 
diseases,  and  to  free  souls  from  Satan. 

V.  13- — 20.  To  show  how  many  ways 
Christ  triumphed  over  Satan,  we  have  here 
two  remarkable  instances  of  it,  in  those  that 
were  not  only  violently  possessed  by  him, 
but  voluntarily  devoted  to  him. 

I.  The  confusion  of  some  of  Satan’s  ser¬ 
vants,  vagabond  Jews,  that  were  exorcists, 
who  used  Christ’s  name  profanely,  in  their 
diabolical  enchantments.  Observe, 

1.  Their  general  character ;  they  were  of 


4.  The  Gospel  hereby  spread  far  and  j  the  Jewish  nation  and  religion,  hut  vaga- 
near,  v.  10. ;  not  only  all  that  dwelt  in  1  bonds;  went  about  from  town  to  town,  to  get 
Ephesus,  but  all  that  dwelt  in  that  large  j  money  by  conjuring;  to  tell  people  their  for¬ 
tunes,  and  pretended  by  spells  and  charms 
to  cure  diseases,  and  bring  people  to  them¬ 
selves,  that  were  melancholy  or  distracted. 
They  called  themselves  exorcists,  because  in 
doing  their  tricks  they  used  forms  of  adjura¬ 
tion,  by  such  and  such  commanding  names. 
The  superstitious  Jews,  to  put  a  reputation 
on  these  magic  arts,  wickedly  attributed  the 
invention  of  them  to  Solomon.  Josephus, 
Antiq.  lib.  S.  cap.  2.  And  Christ  seems  to 
refer  to  this,  Mat.  12:  27.  By  whom  do 
your  children  cast  them  out  ? 

2.  At  Ephesus  were  some,  seven  sons  of 
one  Sceva,  a  Jew,  and  chief  of  the  priests,  v.  14. 
head  of  one  of  the  24  courses  of  priests.  One 
would  think  the  temple  would  find  both 
emplovinent  and  encouragement  enough  for 
the  sons  of  a  chief  priest,  if  they  had  been 
twice  as  many.  But,  probably,  it  was  a 
vain,  rambling,  rakish  humor  that  took  them 
all  to  turn  mountebanks,  and  stroll  all  the 
world  over  to  cure  mad  folks. 

3.  Their  profaneness ;  they  took  upon  them, 


province  called  Asia,  which  Ephesus  was  the 
head  city  of;  Asia  the  Less,  so  called.  There 
was  great  resort  to  Ephesus  from  all  parts 
of  the  country,  for  law,  traffic,  religion,  or 
education;  which  gave  Paul  opportunity  of 
sending  the  Gospel  to  all  that  country  :  all 
heard  the  Word  of  the  Lord  Jesus.  The 
Gospel  is  Christ’s  Word,  a  word  concerning 
Christ.  This  they  heard,  or  at  least  heard 
of  it;  some  of  all  sects,  some  out  of  all  parts, 
both  in  city  and  country  ;  and  by  them  it 
was  communicated  to  others  ;  so  they  all 
heard  the  Word  of  the  Lord  Jesus,  or  might 
have  heard  it.  Probably,  Paul  sometimes 
made  excursions  himself  into  the  country,  to 
preach  the  Gospel,  or  sent  his  assistants, 
and  thus  the  Word  of  the  Lord  was  heard 
throughout  that  region. 

III.  God  confirmed  Paul’s  doctrine  by 
miracles,  which  awakened  people’s  inquiries 


after  it,  fixed  their  affection  to  it,  and  en- 
he  tefok  the  disciples  with  him,  and  separated  gaged  their  belief  of  it,  v.  1 1,  12.  I  wonder 
them,  to  save  them  from  that  untoward  genera-  we  have  not  read  of  any  miracle  wrought  by 

lion ;  according  to  the  charge  Peter  gave  to  liis  Paul,  since  the  casting  of  the  evil  spirit  out  I  to  call  over  evil  spirits  the  name  of  the  Lord 

new  converts,  ch.  2:  40.  he  separated  them  of  the  damsel  at  Philippi  ;  it  is  certain  lie  Jesus  ;  not  as  those  who  venerated  Christ, 

which  believed,  to  be  the  foundation  of  a  wrought  many  at  Corinth,  though  Luke  has  I  and  confided  in  Him,  as  we  read  of  some  who 


loot,  besides  the  voyage  from  Ephesus  to  Cesarea  ;  and  the  stay  in  each 
place,  in  order  to  answer  the  intended  purposes,  must  have  been  consid¬ 
erable.  Neither  does  it  appear,  how  he  could  say,  ‘Remember,  that  by 
the  space  of  3  years,  I  ceased  not  to  warn  every  one  of  you  night  and 
day  with  tears,’  if  he  had  been  absent  from  them  9  months  of  the  time. 
It  is  therefore  most  natural  to  conclude,  that  after  he  had  preached  2 


A.  C.  says  Jews,  besides  the  rabbins,  kept  schools ;]  if  the  latter,  a  con¬ 
verted  Gentile.’  Bloomf. 

(10.)  All,  &c.]  ‘  Infinite  was  the  number  of  persons  who  resorted  to 

this  capital  and  emporium  of  Asia  Minor,  on  all  kinds  of  business,  reli¬ 
gious,  political,  and  commercial.’  Grot.  Kuin. 

(12.)  Handkerchiefs.]  Soudaria:  sweat-wipers.  Aprons. J  Simikin- 


vears  in  the  school  of  Tyrannus,  he  continued  at  Ephesus  some  months  thia:  lit.  half  girdles,  pinafores,  aprons  (contr.  for  afore  one).  See  Bl.  En. 

■  "  .  ~  V.  13 — 20.  Hum.  22:5.  It  was  common  in  those  days  for  persons  to 

exorcise  such  as  were  possessed  with  evil  spirits,  especially  among  the 
Jews ;  and,  whatever  methods  they  employed,  they  seem  to  have,  in  one 
way  or  other,  expressed  a  dependence  on  God,  and  at  some  times,  at 
least,  to  have  succeeded.  Mat.  12:27,23.  Jesus  I  know,  and  Paul  I 
know,  &c.l  The  xvords  are  ambiguous  ;  and  might  imply  a  confederacy 
with  Jesus  and  Paul,  in  consequence  of  which  the  evil  spirit  would  have 
gone  out,  had  Paul  thus  spoken  to  him  :  and  Satan  might  intend  to  I bri  i g 
the  Gospel  into  suspicion  by  the  insinuation.  Mat.  12  2*  JO.  ) 

may  signify,  that  the  evil  spirit  knew  the  power  and  authority  ot  •lesus, 
and  Ihe  efficacy  of  the  apostle’s  faith,  to  engage  that  power  by  lnsw  orcL 


longer,  before  he  went  into  Macedonia.  Scott. 

(9.)  Departed,  .separated.]  ‘  Aposlas.  .aphurise  :  the  words  evident¬ 
ly  denote  separating  from  church  communion.  [Tyrannus  :  tyrant, 
or  king.]  A  not  very  unfrequent  name,  we  are  told,  like  King  among 
us.  Commentators  are  not  quite  agreed  what  sort  of  a  school  this  Ty¬ 
rannus  taught.  Lightf.,  Vitr.,  Ilamm.,  Doddr.,  and  Schoettg.  think  it  was 
a  kind  of  Beth  Midrasch,  or  Divinity  Hall,  designed  for  reading  theolog¬ 
ical  lectures.  Others,  as  Pearce,  Ros.,  nnd  Kuin.  think  it  was  a  philo- 
Bophical-lecture-room,  (for  the  Gr.,  see  Wetst.,  is  applied  to  them  as  well 
as  to  boys’  schools,)  and  that  Tyrannus  was  a  rhetorician  or  sophist.  If 
the  former  conjecture  be  true,  he  was  probably  a  converted  Jew  ;  [Dr. 

N.  T.  VOL.  V.  15 


A.  D.  GO. 


ACTS,  XIX. 


The  success  of  Paul’s  preaching. 


14  And  there  were  seven  sons  of 
one  Sceva,  a  Jew,  and  chief  of  the 
priests,  which  did  so. 

15  And  the  evil  spirit  answered 
and  said,  Jesus  I  know,  and  Paul  I 
know  ;  but  who  are  ye  ? 

16  And  the  man  in  whom  the 
evil  spirit  was,  leaped  v  on  them, 
and  overcame  them,  and  prevailed 
against  them,  so  that  they  fled  out 
of  that  house  naked  and  wounded. 

17  And  this  was  known  to  all  the 
Jews  and  Greeks  also  dwelling  at 
Ephesus  ;  and  fear  w  fell  on  them 
all,  and  the  name  of  the  Lord  Jesus 
was  magnified, 

18  And  many  that  believed 
came,  and  2  confessed,  and  shewed 
their  deeds. 

19  Many  of  them  also  which 
used  curious  arts,  brought  their 
books  together,  and  burned  them 
before  all  men  :  and  they  counted 
the  price  of  them,  and  found  it  fifty 
thousand  pieces  of  silver. 

20  So  mightily  grew  ?  the  word 
of  God,  and  prevailed. 

[Practical  Observations .] 

21  IT  After  2  these  things  were 

y  Lu.  8:29.  c.  2:43.  5:5,11.  y  c.  12:24. 

wLu.  1:65.  x  Mat.  3:6.  Ro. 10:10.  t  Ga,  2:1. 

cast  out  devils  in  Christ’s  name,  and  yet  did 
not  follow  with  liis  disciples,  Luke  9:49. 
whom  He  would  not  have  to  be  discouraged  ; 
but  as  those  who  were  willing  to  try  all 
methods  to  carry  on  their  wicked  trade,  and, 
it  should  seem,  had  this  design  ;  if  the  evil 
spirits  should  yield  to  an  adjuration  in  the 
name  of  Jesus,  by  those  that  did  not  believe 
in  Him,  they  would  say,  it  was  no  confirma¬ 
tion  of  his  doctrine  to  those  that  did  ;  for  it 
was  all  one,  whether  they  believed  it  or  no. 
If  they  should  not  yield  to  it,  they  ivould 
say,  the  name  of  Christ  was  not  so  powerful 
as  the  other  names  they  used,  which  the 
devils  had  often  by  collusion  yielded  to. 
They  said,  We  adjure  you  by  Jesus,  (not, 
whom  we  believe  in,  or  depend  on,  or  have 
any  authority  from,  but)  whom  Paul  preaches ; 
as  if  they  had  said,  ‘  We  will  try  wlmt  that 
name  will  do.’  Exorcists  in  the  Romish 
church,*  who  pretend  to  cast  the  devil  out 
of  melancholy  people,  by  spells  and  charms 
which  they  understand  not,  and  which,  not 
having  any  divine  warrant,  cannot  be  used 

*  And  all  other  churches.  Ed. 


in  faith,  are  the  followers  of  these  vagabond 
Jews. 

4.  The  confusion  they  were  put  to  ;  let 
them  not  be  deceived,  God  is  not  mocked, 
nor  shall  the  glorious  name  of  Jesus  be 
prostituted  to  such  a  vile  purpose  as  this; 
what  communion  hath  Christ  with  Belial?  (1.) 
The  evil  spirit  gave  them  a  sharp  reply, 
v.  15.  ‘  I  know  Jesus  has  conqaered  princi¬ 
palities  and  powers,  and  Paul  has  authority 
in  his  name  to  cast  out  devils ;  but  what  pow¬ 
er  have  you  to  conjpiand  us  in  his  name,  or 
who  gave  you  any  such  power,  seeing  you 
hate  his  instructions?  ’  Ps.50:16,  17.  This 
was  extorted  out  of  the  mouth  of  the  evil 
spirit  by  the  power  of  God,  to  gain  honor  to 
the  Gospel,  and  to  put  those  to  shame,  that 
made  an  ill  use  of  Christ’s  name.  (2.)  The 
man  in  whom  the  evil  spirit  was,  gave  them  a 
warm  reception,  leaped  upon  them,  in  the 
height  of  his  frenzy  and  rage,  overcame  them, 
and  all  their  enchantments,  prevailed  against 
them,  and  was  every  way  too  hard  for  them  ; 
so  that  they  fled  out  of  the  house,  not  only 
naked,  their  clothes  pulled  off  their  backs, 
but  wounded.  This  is  written  for  a  warning 
to  all  those  who  name  the  name  of  Christ, 
but  do  not  depart  from  iniquity.  The  same 
enemy  that  overcomes  them  with  his  tempta¬ 
tions,  will  overcome  them  with  his  terrors; 
and  their  adjuring  him  in  Christ’s  name  to 
let  them  alone,  will  be  no  security.  If  we 
resist  the  devil,  by  a  true  and  lively  faith  in 
Christ,  he  will  flee  from  us;  but  if  we  think 
to  resist  him  by  the  bare  using  of  Christ’s 
name,  or  any  part  of  his  Word,  as  a  spell  or 
charm,  he  will  prevail  against  us. 

5.  The  general  notice  taken  of  this,  and 
the  good  impression  it  made  on  many,  v.  17. 
(1.)  Men  were  terrified  ;  fear  fell  on  them 
all.  In  this  instance,  they  saw  the  malice 
of  the  devil,  whom  they  served,  and  the 

ower  of  Christ,  whom  they  opposed  ;  and 

oth  were  awful  considerations.  (2.)  God 
was  glorified  ;  the  name  ofl  the  Lord  Jesus, 
by  which  his  faithful  servants  cast  out  dev¬ 
ils,  and  cured  diseases,  without  any  resis¬ 
tance,  was  the  more  magnified  ;  for  now  it 
appeared  to  be  a  name  above  every  name. 

II.  Here  is  the  conversion  of  others  of 
Satan’s  servants,  and  the  evidences  of  their 
conversion. 

1.  Those  that  had  been  guilty  of  wicked 
practices,  confessed  them,  v.  18.  ;  what  ill 
lives  they  had  led,  and  what  a  great  deal  of 
secret,  wickedness  their  own  consciences 
charged  them  with,  which  the  world  knew 
not  of;  secret  frauds  and  secret  filthinesses ; 
they  showed  their  deeds;  took  shame  to  them¬ 
selves,  and  gave  glory  to  God,  and  warning 
to  others;  confessions  not  extorted,  but  vol¬ 


untary,  to  ease  their  consciences,  which  the 
late  miracles  had  struck  a  terror  upon. 
Where  there  is  true  contrition  for  sin,  there 
will  be  an  ingenuous  confession  of  sin  to  God 
in  every  prayer,  and  to  man  whom  we  have 
offended,  when  the  case  requires  it. 

2.  Those  that  had  conversed  with  wicked 
books,  burnt  them,  v.  19.  Many  also  of 
them  which  used  curious  arts , impertinent  things, 
busy  bodies,  so  the  word  is  used,  2  Thess. 
3: 11.  1  Tim.  5: 13.  that  traded  in  the  study 
of  magic  and  divination ;  in  books  of  judicial 
astrology,  casting  of  nativities,  telling  of 
fortunes,  raising  and  laying  of  spirits,  inter¬ 
preting  of  dreams,  predicting  future  events, 
and  the  like  ;  to  which  some  think,  are  to 
be  added  plays,  romances,  love-books,  and  un¬ 
chaste  and  immodest  poems.  Stres.  These, 
having  their  Consciences  more  awakened 
than  ever,  to  see  the  evil  of  those  practices 
which  these  books  instructed  them  in,  brought 
their  books  together,  and  burned  them  before  all 
men.  Ephesus  was  notorious  for  the  use  of 
these  curious  arts;  hence  spells  and  charms 
were  called  Literoe  Ephesioe.  Here  people 
furnished  themselves  with  all  those  sorts  of 
books,  and,  probably,  had  tutors  to  instruct 
them  in  those  black  arts.  It  was  therefore 
much  for  the  honor  of  Christ  and  his  Gos¬ 
pel,  to  have  such  a  noble  testimony  borne 
against  those  curious  arts,  in  a  place  where 
they  were  so  much  in  vogue.  In  a  holy  in¬ 
dignation  at  the  sins  they  had  been  guilty  of. 
Is.  2:20.  ;  and  being  steadfastly  resolved 
never  to  use  them,  they  burnt  them.  Those 
that  truly  repent  of  sin,  will  keep  themselves 
as  far  as  possible  from  the  occasions  of  it. 
Thus,  too,  they  prevented  their  doing  mis¬ 
chief  to  others.  Thus  they  showed  a  con¬ 
tempt  of  the  wealth  of  this  world  ;  for  the 
price  of  the  books  was  found  to  be  50,000 
pieces  of  silver  ;  which  some  compute  to  be 
£1500  of  our  money  ;  probably  the  books 
were  scarce,  perhaps  prohibited,  and  there¬ 
fore  dear;  or  had  cost  so  much;  yet,  being 
the  devil’s  books,  they  did  not  think  that 
would  justify  them  in  being  so  wicked  as  to 
sell  them  again.  They  joined  together  in 
making  this  bonfire,  in  joy  [as  it  were]  of 
their  conversion,  and  made  it  before  all  men, 
that  Christ  and  his  grace  in  them  might  be 
the  more  magnified,  and  all  about  them  the 
more  edified. 

III.  A  general  account  of  the  progress 
and  success  of  the  Gospel  in  and  about  Eph¬ 
esus,  v.  20.  It  is  a  blessed  sight  to  see  the 
Word  of  God  thus  growing  and  prevailing 
mightily,  by  the  addition  of  many  to  the 
church,  and  by  the  advancement  of  those  in 
knowledge  and  grace. 

V.  21 — 41.  Paul  is  here  brought  into 


PRACT.  OBS.  V.  1 — 20.  Alas  !  many  seem  not  to  have  ‘  heard,  that 
there  is  a  Holy  Ghost  !’  and  many  regard  all  that  is  spoken  concerning 
his  graces  and  consolations,  to  be  enthusiasm  and  delusion  ! — Surely  such 
hooks  as  are  indecent  and  licentious,  scornfully  infidel,  or  heretical  in 
essential  matters,  would  be  condemned  to  the  flames,  if  1  the  Word  of 
God  grew  mightily  and  prevailed  ’  among  ns ;  not  indeed  by  the  sen¬ 
tence  of  the  inquisitor,  but  by  the  voluntary  choice  of  the  possessors. 
Were  all  such  books  destroyed  in  this  [land],  their  price  would  be  found 
immensely  more  than  ‘50,000  pieces  of  silver  !’  Will  not  then  these 

so  that  if  Paul  had  commanded,  he  must  have  yielded.  But  he  knew 
not  them,  and  would  not  obey  their  command.  A  man  must  himself  be 
‘  possessed  with  a  spirit  ’  of  incredulity,  who  can  doubt  ofthis  having  been 
a  real  possession,  and  maintain  that  this  event  was  merely  the  effect  of 
insanity.  I G:  16 — 18.  Mat.  8:28,  29.  (19.)  The  price.]  Some  reckon  it 
to  have  been  almost  £7000.  supposing  shekels  to  be  meant.  I  think  it 
evident,  that  these  books  did  not  merely  contain  an  account  of  the  tricks, 
by  which  jugglers  of  any  description  imposed  on  men’s  senses  ;  for  in 
that  case,  the  persons  concerned  might  have  used  the  books,  to  detect 
the  artifices  of  such  impostors.  They  contained  the  rules  and  forms  of 
those  abominable  incantations,  by  which  an  intercourse  with  evil  spirits 
has  continually  been  attempted,  or  conducted.  These  being  in  reality 
the  regulations  of  the  worship  of  the  devil,  the  devised  means  of  wor¬ 
shipping  him,  and  of  seeking  help  and  information  from  him,  ought  by 
all  means  to  be  destroyed,  and  forgotten,  if  possible:  though  the  attempt 
to  revive  these  practices,  by  publishing  books  on  such  subjects,  forms 
one  of  the  bad  effects  which  attend  on  the  manifold  advantages  of  the 
liberty  of  the  press  in  this  Christian  age  and  nation.  Exorcists.]  'An 
exorcist  is  one,  who  impels  another,  as  in  the  name  of  God,  to  the  con¬ 
fession  of  the  truth,  or  to  any  action.  I  adjure,  is  used  for  commanding 
anything,  interposing  the  authority  of  God.'  Mark  5:7.  1  Thess.  5:27.’— 
Leigh.  Scott. 

(13.)  Exorcists.]  ‘  The  Hebrews  called  them  idly  shm,  [lords  of  the 

[114] 


Ephesian  converts  rise  up  in  judgment  against  such  professors  of  the 
Gospel,  especially,  as  trade  in  pernicious  books  and  pamphlets  ;  and  who 
encourage  such  publications,  for  lucre’s  sake,  as  they  must  know  are 
likely  to  do  great  mischief  in  the  world  ?  And  is  it  not  a  proof,  that  the 
Word  of  God  declines  in  its  influence  and  authority,  when  books  pre¬ 
tending  to  leach,  and  persons  professing  to  exercise,  forbidden  and  mag¬ 
ical  arts,  are  publicly  advertised  among  us?  But  let  no  friend  of  the 
Gospel  countenance  any  pretensions  of  this  kind  ;  whether  they  be  hu¬ 
man  impositions,  or  diabolical  delusions.  Scott. 

name,]  i.e.  persons  who,  using  the  sacred  tetragrammation,  [  four  letters, 
viz.  yhvh,]  (which  the  Jews  called,  by  way  of  eminence,  shm,  [the 
name,]  )  thought  they  could  perform  various  kinds  of  incantation.’  Bl. 

(17.)  Name  of  the  Lord  Jesus,  & c.]  ‘The  primitive  fathers  speak 
strong  and  decisive  words  concerning  the  power  of  this  name:  and  how 
demons  were  tormented  and  expelled  by  it,  not  only  from  individuals, 
hut  from  the  temples  themselves.  Exorcists  formed  a  distinct  class  in 
the  church.’  Dr.  A.  Clarke. 

(18,19.)  That  believed.]  ‘Rather,  of  the  believers,  i.  e.  Christians, 
repenting  now  of  their  disobedience  to  Paul’s  admonitions  against  the 
prevalent  vice  at  Ephesus,  seeing  the  ill  successor  the  magic  arts,  brought 
out  and  burnt  what  books  they  had.  So  Kuin.  50,000  pieces  of  sil¬ 
ver.]  I, it  50,000  of  silver.  Drusius,  Grot.,  &c.  take  it  to  mean  the 
silver  shekel,  equal  to  four  attic  drachms.  But  (as  others  observe)  it 
is  not  probable,  that  at  Ephesus  the  reckoning  should  have  been  by 
shekels,  unless,  indeed,  these  were  foreign  Jews.  The  objection  to  reck¬ 
oning  them  mince,  is  the  largeness  of  the  sum,  but  [a  set  of]  such  books 
was  very  numerous.  See  Suet.,  Aug.  31.  However,  if  I  rightly  recol¬ 
lect,  the  Gr.  [tr.  xrVuer]  is  never  thus  used,  except  for  drachms, Lit  we 
are  not  certain  if  attic  drachms  were  used  at  Ephesus.’  [If  so,  at  9d.  (so 
Prid. )  the  value  was  £1875.  Doddr.]  Bi.oomf. 

V.  21,  22.  Thus  he  laid  the  plan  of  his  voyages  and  journeys,  back¬ 
ward  and  forward,  of  some  thousands  of  miles,  as  if  it  had  been  no  more 


A.  D.  GO. 


ACTS,  XIX. 


Paul  in  trouble  at  Ephesus. 


ended,  Paul  purposed  in  the  spirit, 
when  he  had  passed  through  Mac¬ 
edonia  and  Aehaia,  to  go  to  Jeru¬ 
salem,  saying,  After  I  have  been 
there,  I  must  also  see  4  Rome. 

22  So  he  sent  into  Macedonia 
two  of  them  that  ministered  unto 
him,  Timotheus  and  bErastus  ;  but 
lie  himself  stayed  in  Asia  for  a 
season. 

23  And  the  same  time  there  arose 
no  small  stir  c  about  that  way. 

24  For  a  certain  man  named 
Demetrius,  a  silversmith,  which 
made  silver  shrines  for  Diana, 
brought  no  small  dgain  unto  the 
craftsmen  ; 

25  Whom  he  called  '  together, 
with  the  workmen  of  like  occupa¬ 
tion,  and  said,  Sirs,  ye  know  that 
by  this  craft  we  have  our  wealth. 

a  Ro  15:23,28.  4:20.  d  c.  16:16,19. 

b  Ro. 16:23.  2  Ti.  c  2  Co.  1:8.  6:9.  e  Re.  18:11. 


some  trouble  at  Ephesus,  just  when  forecast¬ 
ing  to  go  thence.  See, 

1.  He  was  a  man  of  vast  designs  for  God, 
and  was  for  making  his  influences  as  far 
diffusive  as  might  lie.  Having  spent  above 
two  years  at  Ephesus,  (1.)  He  designed  a 
visit  to  tlie  churches  of  Macedonia  and 
Aehaia,  especially  of  Philippi  and  Corinth, 
tlie  chief  cities  of  those  provinces,  v.  21. 
I le  purposed  in  the  spirit  ;  either  in  his  own 
spirit,  not  communicating  his  purpose  as 
yet;  or  by  the  direction  of  the  Holy  Spirit, 
by  whom  he  was  led.  (2.)  Thence  he  de¬ 
signed  to  visit  the  brethren  at  Jerusalem, 
and  give  an  account  to  them  of  the  prosper¬ 
ing  of  the  good  pleasure  of  the  Lord  in  his 
hand ;  and  thence  he  intended  to  go  to  Rome, 
to  see  Rome,  &n  expression  people  commonly 
used,  that  they  would  go  see  Rome,  would 
look  about  them  there  ;  what  be  designed, 
was,  to  see  the  Christians  there,  and  to  do 
them  some  service,  Rom.  1:  11.  Lightfoot 
supposes  it  was  on  the  death  of  the  emperor 
Claudius,  who  died  the  second  year  of  Paul’s 
being  at  Ephesus,  that  Paul  thought  of  going 
to  Rome,  because  while  he  lived,  the  Jews 
were  forbidden  Rome,  ci  18:2.  (3.)  He 

sent  Timothy  and  Erastus  into  Macedonia, 
to  give  notice  of  his  intended  visit,  and  to 
get  their  collection  ready  for  the  poor  saints 
at  Jerusalem.  Soon  after,  he  wrote  the  first 
epistle  to  the  Corinthians ,  designing  to  follow 
it  himself,  as  appears  1  Cor.  4:17,  19.  For 


the  present,  he  stayed  in  Asia,  about  Ephe¬ 
sus,  founding  churches. 

2.  He  was  seconded  in  his  purpose,  and 
obliged  to  pursue  it  by  the  troubles  he  at 
length  met  with  at  Ephesus.  Strange,  he  had 
been  quiet  there  so  long;  yet  it  should  seem 
he  had  met  with  trouble  there,  not  recorded 
in  this  story  ;  for  in  his  epistle,  written  at 
this  time,  he  speaks  of  his  having  fought  with 
beasts,  at  Ephesus,  1  Cor.  15:32.  which  seems 
to  be  meant  of  fighting  with  wild  beasts  in 
the  theatre,  according  to  the  barbarous  treat¬ 
ment  they  sometimes  gave  the  Christians. 
And  he  speaks  of  the  trouble  which  came  to 
them  in  Asia,  near  Ephesus,  when  he  de¬ 
spaired,  of  life,  and  received  a  sentence  of  death 
within  himself,  2  Cor.  1:8,  9. 

As  to  the  trouble  here  related,  in  general, 
there  arose  no  small  stir  about  that  way,  v.  23. 
Some  historians  say,  that  famous  impostor 
Apollonius  Tyanseus,  who  set  up  for  a  rival 
with  Christ,  and  gave  out  himself,  as  Simon 
Magus,  to  be  some  great  one,  was  at  Ephesus 
about  this  time.  But  it  seems  the  opposition 
he  gave  to  the  Gospel  was  so  insignificant, 
that  Luke  did  not  think  it  worth  noticing. 

I.  A  great  complaint  against  Paul  and 
the  other  preachers  of  the  Gospel,  for  draw¬ 
ing  people  off  from  tlie  worship  of  Diana, 
and  so  spoiling  the  trade  of  the  silversmiths 
that  worked  for  Diana’s  temple. 

1.  The  complainant  is  Demetrius,  a  sil¬ 
versmith,  a  principal  man,  it  is  likely,  of 
the  trade,  and  one  that  would  be  thought  to 
understand  and  consult  the  interests  of  it, 
more  than  others  of  the  company.  The  most 
advantageous  branch  of  his  trade,  was, 
making  silver  shrines  for  Diana,  v .  24.  Some 
think,  these  were  medals,  stamped  with  the 
effigies  of  Diana,  or  her  temple,  or  both; 
others  think,  they  were  representations  of 
the  temple,  with  the  image  of  Diana  in  it,  in 
miniature;  so  small,  that  people  might  carry 
them  about  with  them,  as  the  papists  do  their 
crucifixes.  Those  that  came  from  far,  when 
they  went  home,  bought  these  little  temples 
or  shrines,  to  carry  home  with  them,  to 
gratify  the  curiosity  of  their  friends,  and  to 
preserve,  in  their  own  minds,  the  idea  of  that 
stately  edifice.  See  how  craftsmen,  and 
crafty  men  too,  above  the  rank  of  silver¬ 
smiths,  make  an  advantage  to  themselves  of 
people’s  superstition,  and  serve  their  worldly 
ends  by  it. 

2.  The  persons  he  appeals  to,  are  not  the 
magistrates,  but  the  mob,  the  craftsmen,  a 
company  of  mechanics,  who  had  no  sense 
of  anything  but  their  worldly  interest,  who 
would  be  actuated  as  little  by  reason,  and  as 
much  by  fury,  as  he  could  desire. 


3.  His  complaint  and  representation  are 
very  full.  (1.)  He  lays  it  down  for  a  prin¬ 
ciple,  that  the  art  and  mystery  of  making  sil¬ 
ver  shrines  for  the  ivorshippers  of  Diana,  was 
very  necessary  to  be  supported  and  kept  up, 
v.  2*3.  It  is  natural  for  men  to  be  jealous  for 
that,  whether  right  or  wrong,  by  which  they 
get  their  wealth  :  and  many  have,  for  this 
reason  alone,  set  themselves  against  the  Gos¬ 
pel  of  Christ,  because  it  calls  men  oft'  from 
those  crafts  which  are  unlawful,  how  much 
wealth  soever  is  to  be  gotten  by  them.  (2.) 
He  charges  it  on  Paul,  that  he  had  dissuaded 
men  from  worshipping  idols.  The  words, 
as  laid  in  the  indictment,  are,  that  he  had 
asserted.  They  are  no  gods  which  are  made 
with  hands,  v.  26.  Could  any  truth  be  more 
plain  and  self-evident  than  this,  or  any  rea¬ 
soning  more  cogent  and  convincing  than 
those  of  the  prophets,  The  worltman  made  it, 
therefore  it  is  not  God  ?  Yet  this  must  he 
looked  upon  as  a  heretical  and  atheistical 
notion,  and  Paul  as  a  criminal  for  maintain¬ 
ing  it;  not  that  they  could  advance  anything 
against,  it,  but  that  the  consequence  of  it  was, 
that  not  only  at  Ephesus,  the  chief  city,  but 
almost  throughout  all  Asia,  among  the  coun¬ 
try  people,  who  were  their  best  customers, 
and  whom  they  thought  they  were  surest  of, 
he  had  persuaded  and  turned  away  much  peo¬ 
ple  from  the  worship  of  Diana ;  so  that  there 
was  not  now  such  a  demand  for  the  silver 
shrines  as  had  been,  nor  such  good  rates 
given  for  them.  There  are  those  who  will 
stickle  for  that  which  is  most  grossly  absurd 
and  unreasonable,  and  which  carries  along 
with  it  its  own  conviction  of  falsehood,  as 
this  does,  that  those  are  gods  which  are  made 
with  hands ,  if  it  have  but  human  laws,  and 
worldly  interest  and  prescription,  on  its 
side.  (3.)  He  reminds  them  of  the  danger 
their  trade  was  in  of  going  to  decay.  What¬ 
ever  touches  that,  touches  them  in  a  tender 
part.  This  our  part,  so  the  word  is,  ‘  our 
interest  or  share  of  trade  and  commerce,  will 
not  only  come  into  danger  of  being  lost,  but 
will  bring  us  into  danger,  and  we  shall  be¬ 
come  not  only  beggars,  but  malefactors.’ 
(4.)  He  pretends  a  mighty  zeal  for  Diana, 
and  a  jealousy  for  her  honor  ;  Not  only  this 
craft;  if  that  were  all, he  would  not  have  spok¬ 
en  with  so  much  warmth,  but  the  temple  of 
the  great  goddess  Diana,  and  her  magnificence ; 
we  would  not,  for  the  world,  see  the  dimi¬ 
nution  of  the  honor  of  that  goddess,  whom  all 
Asia  and  the  world  worship.  See  what  the 
worship  of  Diana  had  to  plead  in  its  behalf, 
— pomp  and  numbers.  The  magnificence  of 
the  temple  was  the  thing  that  charmed  them; 
they  could  not  bear  tire  thoughts  of  anything 


than  a  progress  through  a  single  province  !  (21.)  Purposed  in  the  Spirit.] 
20:22.  It  floes  not  appear,  that  pneuma  with  the  article  as  here,  and 
without  the  possessive  pronoun,  or  something  to  fix  the  application  of 
it,  is  used  in  the  N.  T.,  except  for  the  Holy  Spirit.  (20:22 — 24.)  Scott. 

(21.)  These  things,  &c.]  1  Many  events  referred  to  in  the  Epistles 

happened  during  this  period.  Philemon,  probably,  (Phil.  19.)  and  Epa- 
phras,  afterwards  ministers  at  Colosse,  were  converted  about  this 
time  :  Col.  1:4,  78.  2:1.  4:12,  13.  The  apostle  was  also  visited  by  seve¬ 
ral  Christians  from  neighboring  parts,  during  his  abode  here,  particularly 
by  Sosthenes  and  Apollos  from  Corinth,  and  by  some  of  the  family  of 
Chloe,  a  woman,  as  it  seems,  of  some  figure  there,  (1  Cor.  1:1,  11.)  as 
also  by  Stephanus,  Fortunatus,  and  Achaicus,  all  from  the  same  place ; 
(1  Cor.  16:17.)  and  Onesiphorus,  who  afterwards  so  affectionately  visited 
him  at  Rome,  xvas,  as  Timothy  had  frequent  opportunities  of  observing, 
very  serviceable  to  the  apostle  here;  2  Tim.  1:16 — 18.  And  there  is 
great  reason  to  believe  he  wrote  1  Cor.  from  hence,  (1  Cor.  16:18.)  and 
about  this  time;  for  it  is  plain  that  Aquila  and  Priscilla  were  then  with 
him  in  Asia,  1  Cor.  16:19.  as  they  now  were,  Acts  18:18,  19,  26.  that 
it  was  after  Apollos  had  visited  Corinth,  had  watered  Paul’s  plantation 
there,  and  was  returned  to  Ephesus  again,  1  Cor.  3:6.  16:8,  12.  and  that 
it  was  when  Paul  himself,  having  lately  given  a  charge  to  the  Galatian 
churches  on  that  head,  (comp.  1  Cor.  16:1,  2.  with  Acts  18:23.)  intended 
a  journey  from  Asia  to  the  Macedonian  and  Corinthian  churches,  and 
was  sending  Timothy  to  prepare  his  way,  1  Cor.  4:17,  19. 16:5, 10.  comp, 
with  our  v.  and  the  next.’  Doddr. 

V.  23 — 31.  (26.)  No  gods,  &c.]  ‘  This  plainly  shows  that  the  contra¬ 

ry  opinion  generally  prevailed,  namely,  that  there  was  a  kind  of  divinity 
in  the  images  of  their  supposed  deities  [note,  Dan.  3:5.]  ..  .  though 
some  of  them. . .  learned  to  speak  of  them  just  as  papists  now  do  ;  who 
indeed  may  seem  to  have  borrowed  some  of  their ‘apologies  from  the 
heathens.’  Doddr.  [See  Bl.]  The  vulgar,  both  among  pagans  and  papists, 
Always  have  supposed,  that  there  is  some  kind  of  divinity  in  the  image: 
but  the  more  learned  and  philosophical  palliate  the  absurdity,  by  consid¬ 
ering  the  image  as  the  visible  representation  of  the  invisible  deity  or 
saint.  It  might  also  be  easily  shown,  that  the  processions,  and  very 


many  other  observances  of  the  papists,  are  copied  from  pagan  customs; 
and  far  more  clear  illustrations  of  these  pompous  ceremonies  may  be 
made  from  Virgil,  Horace,  Ovid,  Juvenal,  and  other  classical  writers, 
than  from  the  Holy  Scriptures,  or  even  the  Apocrypha.  Scott. 

(24.)  Shrines.]  Naoses:  called  also  by  classic  writers,  naidia,  i,  e.  tem¬ 
ple-shapes.  Comp,  note  and  cut,  Is.  3:18 — 23,  v.  20.  ‘  These  little  silver 
models  of  the  temple  were  bought  by  strangers  forcuriosity  or  devotion, 
as  are  the  models  of  the  Santa  Casa  [holy  house]  at  Loretto,  in  Italy, 
by  the  pilgrims.  Even  Diana's  effigy  was  worshipped  with  singular  fer¬ 
vency  by  even  the  most  remote  and  barbarous  nations,  and  they  dedicated 
temples  to  her:  for  she  presided  not  only  over  hunting,  but  the  com¬ 
pounding  of  poison  or  drugs,  (lit.  pharmacy,)  and  was  therefore  wor¬ 
shipped  by  those  who  cultivated  the  magic  arts.  She  was  regarded  as 
the  author  and  distributer  of  health  and  sickness,  and  was  especially  in¬ 
voked  by  women  in  travail.  It  was  an  early  custom  for  worshippers  of 
idols  to  carry  these  portable  chapels,  (made  of  wood  or  metal,  in  which 
were  enclosed  images  of  the  gods  or  goddesses,)  in  journeys  for  a  safe¬ 
guard  ;  and  sometimes  they  sent  them,  by  way  of  expiating  an  offence, 
to  other  towns,  to  be  placed  in  the  temples  there.’  Comp,  cuts,  2  S.  6: 
17.  Jer.  10:5.  and  the  standard  A,  at  end  of  Jer.  The  Gr.  for  silver¬ 
smith,  may  also  mean,  a  silver  founder ,  and  coiner.  See  Hamm.,  Wetst., 
Kuin.,  Bl.  Of  Diana.]  *  Artemidos:  The  most  rational  derivation  of 
this  name  is  from  Artemiis,  either  from  the  goddess’s  incorrupt  virgi¬ 
nity,  or  as  presiding  over  health.  So  Liban.  See  Kuin .’  Bloomf. 
‘  The  temple  of  Diana  was  raised  at  the  expense  of  all  Asia  Minor, 
and  was  220  years  in  building.  The  whole  is  in  Aristoph.  called 
golden.  It  was  425  ft.  by  220,  and  beautified  by  127  columns,  60  ft.  high, 
(of  which  36  were  carved,)  made  at  the  expense  of  so  many  kings.  Eros- 
trates  burnt  it  the  night  Alexander  the  Great  was  bom.  But  as  only 
part  was  consumed,  it  was  soon  repaired,  and  brought  to  a  higher  degree 
of  magnificence  than  ever.  So  Strabo.  But  Nero  plundered  it.  Its  orna¬ 
ments  and  symbols  have  been  accurately  described  by  Muselius.  See 
Gronov.  It  remains  almost  entire,  and  is  now  a  Turkish  mosque. 
[Arundell,  hoxvever,  thinks  its  remains  uncertain-  See  note,  end  of 
Acta.]  Dr.  A.  C.’  Kuin.  En* 

[D5] 


A.  D.  60. 


ACTS,  XIX. 


The  popular  tumult  there. 


26  Moreovex-,  ye  see  and  hear, 
that  not  alone  at  Ephesus,  but  al¬ 
most  throughout  all  Asia,  this  Paul 
hath  persuaded  and  turned  away 
much  people,  saying  1  that  they 
be  no  gods  which  are  made  with 
hands : 

27  So  that  not  only  this  our  craft 
is  in  danger  to  be  set  at  nought; 
but  also  that  the  temple  of  the  great 
goddess  Diana  should  be®  despised, 
and  her  magnificence  should  be  de¬ 
stroyed,  whom  all  Asia,  and  the 
world  h  worshippeth. 

28  And  when  they  heard  these 
sayings,  they  were  full  of 'wrath, 
and  cried  out,  saying,  Gi'eat  is 
Diana  of  the  Ephesians  ! 

29  And  the  whole  city  was  filled 
with  confusion  :  and  having  caught 
j  Gains  and  k  Aristarchus,  men  of 
Macedonia,  Paul’s  companions  in 
travel,  they  rushed  with  one  accord 
into  the  theatre. 

f  Pa.  115:4.  Is.  h  1  Ju.  5:19.  Re.  ]  Ro.  10:23.  1  Co. 

44:10—20.  13:8.  1:14. 

g  Zep.  2:11.  i  Je.  50:38.  k  Col.  4:10. 

that  tended  to  the  diminution,  much  less  to 
the  destruction,  of  that.  And  numbers;  All 
Asia  and  the  world  worship  it  ;  therefore  it 
must  needs  be  right,  let  Paul  say  what  he 
will.  Thus,  because  all  the  world  wonders 
after  the  beast;  the  dragon,  the  devil,  the  god 
of  this  world  gives  him  his  power,  and  his  seat., 
and  great  authority.  Rev.  13:  2,  3. 

II.  The  popular  resentment. 

1.  A  great  displeasure  against  the  Gospel 
and  its  preachers,  v.  28.  full  of  fury  and 
indignation,  so  the  word  signifies.  The 
craftsmen  went  stark  mad,  when  they  were 
told  that  their  trade  and  their  idol  were  both 
in  danger. 

2.  A  great  jealousy  for  the  honor  of  their 
goddess;  They  cried  out,  ‘  Let  Paul  say  ever 
so  much  to  prove  that  those  are  no  gods 
which  are  made  with  hands,  we  will  abide  by' 
it  that,  whatever  comes  of  other  gods  and 
goddesses.  Great  is  Diana  of  the  Ephesians. 
We  must  and  will  stand  up  for  the  religion 


of  our  country,  which  we  have  received  by 
tradition  from  our  fathers.'  Much  more 
should  the  servants  of  the  true  God  do  so, 
who  can  say,  This  God  is  our  God  for  ever 
and  ever. 

3.  A  great  disorder  among  themselves, 
v.  29.  The  whole  city  was  full  of  confusion, — 
the  common,  and  natural  effect  of  an  intem¬ 
perate  zeal  for  a  false  religion  ;  it  throws 
all  into  confusion,  dethrones  reason,  and 
inthrones  passion  ;  and  men  run  together, 
not  only  not  knowing  one  another’s  minds, 
but  not  knowing  their  own. 

III.  The  proceedings  of  the  mob  under 
the  power  of  these  resentments. 

1.  They  laid  hands  on  some  of  Paul's 
companions,  and  hurried  them  into  the  theatre, 
v.  29.  Some  think,  with  design  there  to 
make  them  fight  with  beasts,  as  Paul  had;  or 
perhaps  they  intended  only  to  abuse  them, 
and  to  make  them  a  spectacle  to  the  crowd. 
We  read  of  both  Gaius  and  Aristarchus 
elsewhere  ;  Gaius  ivas  of  Derbe,  ch.  20:  4. 
Aristarchus  is  also  there  spoken  of,  and 
Col.  4  :  10.  They  came  with  Paul  from 
Macedonia,  and  their  only  crime  was,  they 
were  Paul's  companions  in  travel,  both  in 
services  and  sufferings. 

2.  Paul,  who  had  escaped  being  seized 
by  them,  when  he  perceived  his  friends  in 
distress  for  his  sake,  would  have  entered  in 
unto  the  people,  to  [appease  them,  and]  sac¬ 
rifice  himself,  if  there  were  no  other  remedy, 
rather  than  his  friends  should  suffer  on  his 
account  ;  it  evidenced  a  generous  spirit, 
and  that  he  loved  his  neighbor  as  himself. 

3.  He  was  dissuaded  from  it  by  the  kind¬ 
ness  of  his  friends,  that  overruled  him. 
They  had  reason  to  say  to  Taul,  as  David’s 
servants  did  to  him,  when  exposing  himself 
in  a  piece  of  public  service,  Thou  art  worth 
ten  thousand  of  us,  2  Sam.  18  :  3.  They 
would  treat  him  much  worse  than  Gaius  and 
Aristarchus,  looking  on  him  as  the  ring¬ 
leader  of  the  party  ;  therefore,  better  let 
them  bear  the  brunt  of  the  storm  than  that 
he  should  venture  into  it,  v.  31.  They  were 
certain  of  the  chief  of  Asia,  the  princes  of  Asia. 
The  critics  tell  us,  they  were  the  chief  of 
their  priests ;  or,  as  others,  the  chief  of  their 
players.  Whether  they  were  converts,  or 
only  well-wishers  to  Paul,  vve  are  not  told  ; 
they  were  Paid's  friends.  Lightfoot  sug¬ 


gests,  they  kept  up  a  respect  and  kindness 
for  him  ever  since  he  fought  with  beasts  in  their 
theatre,  and  were  afraid  he  should  be  abused 
so  again.  It  is  a  friendly  part  to  take  more 
care  of  the  lives  and  comforts  of  good  men, 
than  they  do  themselves.  It  would  be  very 
hazardous  for  Paul  to  go  into  the  theatre  ;  a 
thousand  to  one  it  would  cost  him  his  life  ; 
therefore  Paul  was  overruled  by  his  friends 
to  obey  the  law  of  self-preservation  ;  and 
has  taught  us  to  keep  out  of  the  way  of 
danger  as  long  as  we  can,  without  going  out 
of  the  way  of  duty.  We  may  be  called  to 
lay  down  our  lives,  but  not  to  throw  away 
our  lives.  It  would  better  become  Paul  to 
venture  into  a  synagogue  than  into  a  theatre. 

4.  The  mob  was  in  a  perfect  confusion, 
v.  32.  Some  cried  one  thing,  and  some  an¬ 
other  ;  some,  Down  with  the  Jews  ;  others, 
Down  with  Paul;  but  the  assembly  was  con¬ 
fused,  as  not  understanding  one  another’s 
minds  ;  the  truth  was,  they  did  not  under¬ 
stand  their  own  ;  the  greater  part  knew  not 
wherefore  they  were  come  together;  they  knew 
not  what  began  the  riot,  nor  who  ;  much 
less  what  business  they  had  there;  but,  as  on 
such  occasions,  the  greatest  part  come  only 
to  inquire  what  the  matter  was:  they  follow 
the  erv,  follow  the  crowd,  increasing  like  a 
snow-  ball. 

5.  The  Jews  would  have  interested  them¬ 
selves  in  this  tumult;  for  it  had  been  strange 
if  a  persecution  were  carried  on  against  the 
Christians,  and  there  were  not  Jews  at  one 
end  or  the  other  of  it;  but  they  had  not  in¬ 
terest  enough  to  raise  the  mob  ;  yet,  when 
it  was  raised,  they  had  ill-will  enough  to  set 
in  with  it,  v.  33.  They  drew  Alexander  out 
of  the  multitude,  called  him  out  to  speak  on 
the  behalf  of  the  Jews  against  Paul  and  his 
companions.  This  they  looked  upon  as  ne¬ 
cessary  in  their  own  defence  ;  therefore, 
what  he  designed  to  say  is  called  his  apolo¬ 
gizing  to  the  people,  not  for  himself  in  partic¬ 
ular,  but  for  the  Jews  in  general,  whom  the 
worshippers  of  Diana  looked  upon  to  be  as 
much  their  enemies  as  Paul  ;  now  they 
would  have  them  know',  that  they  were  as 
much  Paul’s  enemies  as  themselves  were  ; 
and  they  who  are  thus  careful  to  distin- 

i  guish  themselves  from  the  servants  of  Christ 

I  now',  and  are  afraid  of  being  taken  for  them, 

I  shall  have  their  doom  accordingly  in  the 


(26.)  ‘  I  certainly  do  not  remember  any  Doctor  of  the  Romish  church 
who  has  so  learnedly,  eloquently,  and  copiously  pleaded  the  cause  of 
image- worship  as  either  Maximus  Tyr.  [a  heathen]  or  Julian  [“  the  apos¬ 
tate,”]  and  yet  how  forcibly  and  zealously  did  the  tirst  Christian  teachers 
oppose  those  opinions ;  nor  is  there  any  doubt  but  that  the  very  error 
which  in  the  pagans  they  had  so  powerfully  and  successfully  opposed, 
they  would  have  as  strenuously  resisted,  had  they  lived  to  see  it  intro¬ 
duced  into  the  Christian  Church!'  See  Bloomf.  Ed.  ‘Pint,  and 
Soph,  account  all  the  makers  of  images  as  most  audacious,  and 
sharply  rebuke  them ;  and  hold  all  image-worship  in  detestation. 
Pint,  ascribes  similar  opinions  also  to  the  Pythagoreans  and  first  Ro¬ 
mans.  On  [similar]  sentiments  of  the  Persian  magi,  see  Ding.,  Laert. ; — 
of  the  Seres  [Chinese]  and  Indians,  Bardesanes,  in  Euseb.  That  Moses 
forbade  the  use  of  images,  is  even  mentioned  by  Strabo.’  Eisner. 
Shall  the  people  of  the  U.  S.  be  more  senseless  than  these  heathen  ?  Ed. 
1  From  the  mouth  of  this  heathen,  we  have,  in  one  sentence,  a  most 
pleasing  account  of  the  success  with  which  Cod  had  blessed  the  labors 
of  the  apostles.’  Dr.  A.  C.  Kuin. 

(27.)  ‘  From  a  number  of  representations  of  the  Ephesian  goddess 
Diana  which  still  remain,  [cut,]  vve  find  that  she  was  widely  different  fi'om 
Diana  the  huntress.  She  was  the  representation  of  universal  nature,  the 
nourisher  and  supporter  of  all  things.  [Notes,  Lev.  26:1.  1  K.  12:26 — 29.] 
It  is  evident  this  Diana  was  a  composition  of  several  deities.’  Dr.  A.  C. 
See  her  image  (multiform,  of  animals  and  woman)  in  Tayl.  Calm.  Ed. 

(28.)  The  cut  (from  a  classic 
relic)  shows  the  front  of  the  tem¬ 
ple  of  Ephesus,  and  the  statue  of 
Diana,  clothed :  also  tfie  very 
words  of  the  text,  Ephesion,  ne- 
dkorOn.  See  other  images  in  Tay¬ 
lor's  Calmet.  Ed. 

(29.)  Theatre.]  ‘  The  cut  shows 
the  form  of  the  Roman.  They 
were  roofed,  open,  or  covered 
with  awnings.  The  benches  or 
seats  [often  cut  in  the  side  of  a 
hill,  or  rock]  rose  above  one 
another,  [comp,  engravings  of 
Ephesus  and  Petra,)  and  were  dis¬ 
tributed  to  the  different  orders,  in 
the  same  manner  ns  in  the  am¬ 
phitheatre,  [note  and  cut,  1  Cor. 

4  :  end.]  The  foremost  rows, 

[116] 


next  the  stage  called  orchestra,  were  assigned  to  the  senators  and  am¬ 
bassadors  of  foreign  states;  14  rows  behind  them  to  the  equites,  and 
the  rest  to  the  people.  The  scena ,  scene,  was  adorned  with  columns, 
statues,  pictures,  according  to  the  plays  exhibited  ;  its  ornaments  were 
sometimes  inconceivably  magnificent;  and  it  was  concealed,  when  the 
play  was  acting,  by  a  curtain.  The  actors  dressed  in  the  postscenium, 
and  appeared  in  the  proscenium  :  recited  their  parts  on  the  pulpitum. 


and  danced  in  the  orchestra,  5  feet  lower.’  Adam.  They  generally  re¬ 
hearsed  in  the  porticoes.  See  Adam,  Edinburgh  ed.  1835.  Theatres  con¬ 
tained,  some  40,000,  and  one  80,000  persons.  ‘With  the  Greeks  and 
states  of  Grecian  origin,  the  theatre  [cut,  Acts,  end]  was  a  place  of  as¬ 
sembly  for  public  business  of  every  kind,  and  served  for  senate-house, 
town-hall,  forum,  <tc. ;  and  harangues  to  the  people  were  there  deliv¬ 
ered.  See  on  12:21.  Indeed,  all  important  political  affairs  were  there 
transacted;  war  declared,  peace  proclaimed,  and  criminals  execut¬ 
ed.’  Kuin.  ‘  Wetst.  well  observes,  that  the  very  situation  of  the  place, 
would,  not  a  little,  promote  and  increase  the  tumult,  since,  as  we  find 
from  the  accounts  of  travellers,  the  temple  was  in  view  of  the  theatre, 
[and  it  would  seem  any  clamor,  too,  could  be  heard  from  one  at  the 
other.]  The  Gains  here  was  not  the  same  with  that  Rom.  16:23.  who 
was  a  Corinthian.'  Bloomf.  Ed 


A.  D.  60. 


ACTS,  XIX. 


Speech  of  the  town-clerk  of  Ephesus. 


30  And  when  Paul  would  have 
entered  in  unto  the  people,  the 
disciples  suffered  him  not. 

SI  And  certain  of  the  chief  of 
Asia,  which  were  his  friends,  sent 
unto  him,  desiring  1  him  that  he 
would  not  adventure  himself  into 
the  theatre. 

[Practical  Observations.] 

32  Some  m  therefore  cried  one 
thing,  and  some  another;  for  the 
assembly  was  confused  :  and  the 
more  part  knew  not  wherefore  they 
were  come  together. 

S3  And  they  drew  Alexander  out 
of  the  multitude,  the  Jews  put¬ 
ting  him  forward.  And  Alexander 
n  beckoned  with  the  hand,  and 
would  have  made  his  defence  unto 
the  people. 

34  But  when  they  knew  that  he 
was  a  Jew,  all  with  one  voice, 
about  the  space  of  two  hours,  cried 
out,  Great  is  Diana  of  the  Ephe¬ 
sians  ! 

35  And  when  the  town-clerk  had 
appeased  the  people,  he  said,  Ye 
men  0  of  Ephesus,  what  man  is 
there  that  knoweth  not  how  that 
the  city  of  the  Ephesians  is  pa  wor¬ 
shipper  of  the  great  goddess  Diana, 
and  of  the  image  which  fell  down 
from  Jupiter  ? 

1  c.  21:12.  4:14.  p  the  temple¬ 
ts  c..  21:34.  o  Ep.  2:12.  keeper. 

n  1  Ti.l:20.  2  Ti. 


great  day.  Alexander  beckoned  with  the  hand, 
desiring  to  be  heard  against  Paul.  Some 
think  he  had  been  a  Christian,  but  had 
apostatized  to  Judaism,  and  therefore  was 
drawn  out  as  a  proper  person  to  accuse  Paul ; 
and  that  he  was  that  Alexander  the  copper¬ 


smith  that  did  Paul  so  much  evil,  2  Tim.  4  : 
14.  and  whom  he  had  delivered  unto  Satan, 
1  Tim.  1:20. 

6.  This  occasioned  the  prosecutors  to 
drop  the  prosecution  of  Paul’s  friends,  and 
to  turn  it  iitto  acclamations  in  honor  of  their 
goddess,  v.  34.  When  they  knew  that  he  was 
a  Jew,  and,  as  such,  an  enemy  to  the  wor¬ 
ship  of  Diana,  (for  the  Jews  had  now  an 
implacable  hatred  to  idols  and  idolatry,) 
whatever  he  had  to  say  for  Paul  or  against 
him,  they  were  resolved  not  to  hear  him, 
and  therefore  set  the  mob  a  shouting,  ‘  Great 
is  Diana  of  the  Ephesians;  whoever  runs  her 
down,  be  he  Jew  or  Christian,  we  are  re¬ 
solved  to  cry  her  up  ;  she  is  Diana  of  the 
Ephesians,  our  Diana  ;  and  it  is  our  honor 
and  happiness  to  have  her  temple  with  us  ; 
and  she  is  great,  a  famous  goddess,  and  uni¬ 
versally  adored  ;  there  are  other  Dianas, 
but  Diana  of  the  Ephesians  is  beyond  them 
all,  because  her  temple  is  more  rich  and 
magnificent  than  any  of  their’s.’  This  was 
all  the  cry  for  two  hours  together  ;  and  it 
was  thought  a  sufficient  confutation  of  Paul’s 
doctrine,  that  they  are  not  gods  which  are 
made  with  hands.  Thus  the  most  sacred 
truths  are  often  run  down  with  nothing  else 
but  noise,  and  clamor,  and  popular  fury  *  ! 
They  were  mad  upon  their  idols.  Diana  made 
the  Ephesians  great,  for  the  town  was  en¬ 
riched  by  the  vast  concourse  of  people  from 
all  parts  to  Diana’s  temple  there ;  therefore, 
they  are  concerned  by  all  means  possible  to 
keep  up  her  sinking  reputation  with,  Great 
is  Diana  of  the  Ephesians. 

IV.  The  suppression  and  dispersion  of 
these  rioters,  by  the  prudence  and  vigilance 
of  the  town -clerk  ;  he  is  called,  the  scribe,  or 
secretary,  or  recorder  ;  ‘  the  governor  of  the 
city,’  so  some  ;  ‘the  registrar  of  their  games,’ 
the  Olympic  games,  so  some ;  whose  business 
it  was  to  preserve  the  names  of  the  victors, 
and  the  prizes  they  won.  With  much  ado, 
he,  at  length,  stilled  the  noise,  so  as  to  be 
heard,  and  then  made  a  pacific  speech  to 

*  And  what  else  can  ever  be  expected  of  eveu  the  most 
‘  respectable  ’  mob  ?  Ed, 


them,  and  gave  us  an  instance  of  that  of 
Solomon,  The  words  of  wise  men  are  heard 
in  quiet,  more  than  the  cry  of  him  that  rules 
among  fools,  as  Demetrius  did,  Ec.  9:  17. 

1.  He  humors  them  with  an  acknowl¬ 
edgment,  that  Diana  was  the  celebrated  god¬ 
dess  of  the  Ephesians,  v.  35.  They  needed 
not  to  be  so  loud  and  strenuous  in  asserting 
a  truth  which  nobody  denied,  or  could  be 
ignorant  of  ;  every  one  knows  the  city  of  the 
Ephesians  is  a  worshipper  of  the  great  god¬ 
dess  Diana  ;  is ,  neokoros  ;  not  only  that  the 
inhabitants  were  worshippers  of  this  goddess, 
but  the  city,  as  a  corporation,  was,  by  its 
charter,  intrusted  with  the  worship  of  Diana, 
to  take  care  of  her  temple,  and  to  accommo¬ 
date  those  who  came  thitherto  do  her  hom¬ 
age.  Ephesus  is  the  ceditua,  (they  say  that 
is  the  most  proper  word,)  or  the  sacrist,  of 
the  great  goddess  Diana.  Such  care  did- 
idolaters  take  to  keep  up  the  worship  of 
gods  made  with  hands,  while  the  worship 
of  the  true  and  living  God  is  neglected,  and 
few  nations  or  cities  glory  in  patronizing 
and  protecting  that  !  The  temple  of  Diana 
at  Ephesus  was  a  very  rich  and  sumptuous 
structure,  but,  it  should  seem,  her  image  in 
the  temple,  because  they  thought  it  sancti¬ 
fied  the  temple,  was  had  in  greater  venera¬ 
tion  than  the  temple,  for  they  persuaded  the 
people  that  it  fell  down  from  Jupiter,  and 
therefore  was  none  of  the  gods  that  were  made 
with  men's  hands.  See  how  easily  the  cre¬ 
dulity  of  superstitious  people  is  imposed  on 
by  the  fraud  of  designing  men  !  Because 
this  image  of  Diana  had  been  set  up  time 
out  of  mind,  and  nobody  could  tell  who 
made  it,  they  made  the  people  believe  it  fell 
down  from  Jupiter. 

‘  Now  these  things,’  says  the  town-clerk, 
very  gravely,  (but  whether  seriously  or  no, 
and  as  one  that  did  himself  believe  them, 
may  be  questioned,)  ‘  cannot  be  spoken 
against  ;  they  have  obtained  such  universal 
credit,  that  you  need  not  fear  contradiction, 
it  can  do  you  no  prejudice.’  Some  take  it 
thus  ;  ‘  Seeing  the  image  of  Diana  fell 

down  from  Jupiter,  as  we  all  believe,  then 


PR  ACT.  OB8.  V.  21 — 31.  The  enterprising  spirit  and  unwearied 
diligence  of  conquerors,  navigators,  and  others,  are  generally  admired  : 
but  the  same  endowments,  when  directed  by  love  to  Christ,  and  to  the 
souls  of  men,  commonly  meet  with  neglect,  if  not  ridicule  and  con¬ 
tempt  ;  [How  many  call  the  risking  of  life  in  commercial  pursuits,  (or 
selfish  ends,  ‘  enterprise;’  while  ridiculing  the  missionary  who  puts  his 
life  in  his  hand  for  the  best  good  of  others  !]  The  distinct  principles  of 
avarice  and  superstition  naturally  coalesce  :  nor  would  idolatry,  delu¬ 
sion,  or  vice,  though  congenial  to  the  human  heart,  meet  with  so  firm 
and  general  a  support,  did  they  not  conduce  to  the  temporal  advantage 
of  numbers,  who  grow  rich  by  them.  The  immense  encouragement 
which  popery  has  always  given  to  painting,  sculpture,  music,  architec¬ 
ture,  and  other  ingenious  arts,  attaches  great  multitudes  to  its  splendid 
forms  ;  and  greatly  impedes  all  attempts  for  reformation.  The  devotees 
of  mammon  and  superstition  not  only  impose  on  others,  but  on  them¬ 
selves;  and  imagine  that  they  really  love  their  religion,  while  they  only 
value  the  affluence,  and  splendor,  and  honor,  derived  from  it !  Their 
selfishness  increases  their  bigotry;  and  their  interested  opposition  to  the 


Gospel  clokes  its  malignity  under  zeal  for  some  forms  or  observances  : 
their  indignation  and  resentment,  and  envy,  are  expressed  in  furious  zeal 
for  the  honor  of  their  idol ;  and  the  servants  of  God  are  hated  and  per¬ 
secuted,  because  they  draw  men  off  from  those  sins  by  which  lucrative 
trades  are  supported.  Such  persons  would  ‘  eat  up  the  sin  of  the  peo¬ 
ple,  and  set  their  hearts  upon  their  iniquities;’  whilst  they  vehemently 
contend  ‘for  the  vain  conversation  delivered  by  tradition  from  their 
fathers.’  Ecclesiastical  history  continually  furnishes  the  student  with 
instances  of  these  combinations :  and  we  can  scarcely  look  around  us 
in  the  world,  but  we  see  the  part  of  Demetrius,  and  the  workmen,  acted 
over  and  over  again,  even  to  the  filling  of  cities  with  tumult  and  confu¬ 
sion.  It  is  as  safe  to  contend  with  wild  beasts,  as  with  men  who  are 
thus  enraged  by  bigotry  and  disappointed  avarice;  or  who  think  that 
all  arguments  are  answered,  when  they  have  shown  that  they  grow  rich 
by  those  measures  which  the  ministers  of  truth,  and  the  friends  of  gen¬ 
uine  reformation  oppose  :  and  whatever  side  in  religious  controversies, 
or  whatever  name  this  spirit  assumes;  it  is  antichristian,  and  should  be 
strenuously  discountenanced  by  all  the  friends  of  truth  and  piety.  Sc. 


(31.)  Chief  of  Asia.]  1  Asiarchon  :  these  Asiarchre,  who  derived 
their  appellation  from  the  name  of  the  province  over  which  they  pre¬ 
sided  (as  Syriarclue,  Cypriarchte,  <kc.)  were,  in  proconsular  Asia  (of 
which  Ephesus  was  the  metropolis),  the  chief  presidents  of  the  religious 
rites,  whose  office  it  also  was  to  exhibit,  in  honor  of  the  gods,  and  the 
Roman  emperor,  every  year,  solemn  games  in  the  theatre,  at  their  own 
expense  (like  the  Roman  tediles) ;  whence  none  but  the  more  opulent 
could  bear  this  office,  though  it  only  lasted  a  year.  They  were  thus 
chosen  : — At  the  beginning  of  every  year  (i.  e.  about  the  autumnal  equi¬ 
nox  each  of  the  cities  of  Asia  held  an  assembly,  in  which  they  elected 
some  one  of  their  citizens  to  be  put  in  nomination  for  this  office.  Then 
each  town  sent  one  ambassador  to  some  certain  city  of  importance  in 
proconsular  Asia,  such  as  Ephesus,  Smyrna,  Sardis ;  and  others  to  the 
to  koinon,  or  common  council  of  the  nation,  in  order  to  announce 
publicly  the  name  of  him  whom  they  had  elected  to  be  put  in  nomina¬ 
tion,  as  Asiarch.  Of  those  whom  each  of  the  cities  of  Asia  had  thus 
recommended,  the  common  council  created  ten  only  as  Asiarchs,  and 
out  of  that  number  the  Roman  proconsul  chose  the  president  of  the 
sacred  rites,  sometimes  called  the  Archiereus.  Commentators  are  not 
agreed  if  all  ten  performed  this  function  together ,  or  whether  only  one 
was  elected  Asiarch.  In  my  opinion,  one  elected  by  the  proconsuls  was, 
by  way  of  eminence,  styled  ho  AsiarchZs,  “  the  Asiarch,”  and  the  rest 
were  his  assessors,  [sitters  with  him,]  aud  themselves  also  styled  Asi¬ 
archs.  Strabo  indeed  mentions  many  Asiarchs ;  but  in  Euseb.  Poly- 
carp  is  said  to  have  suffered  martyrdom  when  “  Philip  was  Asiarch,  and 
Statius  duadratus  proconsul  of  Asia.”  Moreover,  the  Asiarchs  (us  we 
find  from  the  Gr.  authors)  did  not  (as  some  have  supposed)  always  re¬ 
side  at  Ephesus,  but  also  in  other  cities  to  which  the  sacred  rites  of 
Asia  were  common  ;  rs  Smyrna,  Cyzicus,  &c.  See  Spanh.  At  the  time 
when  Paul  abode  at  Ephesus,  the  Asiarch,  with  his  colleagues,  was,  it 


seems,  then  in  residence,  and  games  were  probably  then  in  exhibition  ; 
from  whence,  however,  it.  does  not  follow  that  the  events  here  narrated 
took  place  at  the  solemn  games.  The  Ephesian  games  are  not  men¬ 
tioned  at  all.— It  must  be  observed,  too,  that  even  those  who  had  dis¬ 
charged  the  office  of  Asiarch,  used  lo  have  the  title  still  bestowed  on 
them  by  courtesy  (as  was  the  case  among  the  Jews  with  those  who  had 
filled  the  office  of  high  priest)  :  so  that  the  Asiarchs  here  mentioned, 
may  have  been  either  those  then  in  office,  or  who  had  been  so.’  Kuin. 

V.  32 — 41.  Deputies.]  Anthupaloi.  See  on  13:7.  1 8:12.  The  office 
of  proconsul  of  Asia  was  at  this  time  divided  between  two  magistrates, 
commonly  called  procurators,  but  xvlio  might  properly  be  called  pro- 
consuls.  Scott. 

(32.)  Assembly.]  ‘  Ekklesia  ■■  the  same  word  which  we  tr.  church  ; 
and  thus  we  find  it  signifies  any  assembly  good  or  bad,  lawful  or  unlaw¬ 
ful;  and  that  only  the  circumstances  of  tile  case  can  determine  the 
precise  nature  of  the  assembly,  to  which  this  word  is  applied.’ 

Dr.  A.  Clarke. 

(35.)  Town  Clerk.]  ‘  Grammateus  :  it  now  seems  pretty  well 
agreed,  that  the  word  signifies  some,  chief  magistrate  ;  though  it  is  not 
easy  to  express  this  more  specially  by  any  term  of  modern  languages. 
This  officer  was  president  of  the  senate,  and  united  the  offices  of  Re¬ 
corder,  Chancellor,  and  Secretary  of  State.  Among  other  of  his  dit¬ 
ties,  was  that  of  publicly  reading  aloud  letters  and  state  papers.  All 
these  functions  JFetst.  illustrates  by  classical  citations.  So  also  the 
Syriac,  primarius  civitatis,  i.  e.,  head-man.  From  Malela,  Apollonius, 
and  the  coins,  it  appears  to  have  been  an  office  of  the  highest  dignity  ; 
so  having  little  like  the  “  grammateus  ”  among  the  Athenians,  (a  not 
very  honorable  office,  perhaps  like  our  town-clerk,}  except  the  name. 
Ilis  speech  evinces  considerable  judgment,  prudence,  and  not  a  little 
tact.’  Bloomf.  Is  a  worshipper.]  1  Is  devoted,  Sec.  It  properly  signi- 


A.  D.  60. 


ACTS,  XIX.  Speech  of  the  Ephesian  magistrate. 


86  Seeing  then  that  these  things 
cannot  be  spoken  against,  ye  ought 
to  be  quiet,  and  to  do  ’  nothing 
rashly. 

37  For  ye  have  brought  hither 
these  men,  which  are  neither  r  rob¬ 
bers  of  churches,  nor  yet  blasphe¬ 
mers  of  your  goddess. 

38  Wherefore  if  Demetrius,  and 
the  craftsmen  which  are  with  him, 
have  a  matter  against  any  man, ' 
the  law  is  open,  and  there  are 
deputies  :  let  them  implead  one 
another. 

39  But  if  ye  inquire  any  thing 
concerning*  other  matters,  it  shall 
be  determined  in  a  *  lawful  assem¬ 
bly. 

40  For  we  are  in  danger  to  be 
called  in  question  for  this  day’s 
uproar,  there  being  no  cause  where¬ 
by  we  may  give  an  account  of  this 
concourse. 

41  And  when  he  had  thus  spok¬ 
en,  he  dismissed  the  “assembly. 

q  Pr.  14:29,  s  or,  the  court  t  or,  ordinary. 

r  c.  25.8.  days  are  kept,  u  2  Co.  1:8 — 10. 


what  is  said  against  gods  made  with  hands, 
does  not  at  all  affect  us.’ 

2.  He  cautions  them  against  all  violent 
and  tumultuous  proceedings,  which  their  re¬ 
ligion  did  not  need,  nor  could  receive  any 
real  advantage  from,  v.  36.  A  very  good 
rule  to  be  observed  at  all  times,  both  in 
private  and  public  affairs  ;  not  to  be  hasty 
and  precipitate  in  our  motions,  but  to  delib¬ 
erate,  and  take  time  to  consider;  not  to  put 
ourselves  or  others  into  a  heat,  but  to  be 
calm  and  composed,  and  always  keep  rea¬ 
son  in  the  throne,  and  passion  under  check. 
This  word  should  be  ready  to  us,  to  com¬ 
mand  the  peace  with,  when  ourselves  or 
those  about  us  are  growing  disorderly;  We 
ought  to  be  quiet,  and  to  do  nothing  rashly ; 
to  do  nothing  in  haste,  which  we  may  re¬ 
pent  of  at  leisure. 


3.  He  wipes  off  the  odium  that  had  been 
cast  on  Paul  and  his  associates,  and  tells 
them,  they  were  not  the  men  they  were  rep¬ 
resented  to  them  to  be,  v.  37.  *  Ye  have 
brought  hither  these  men,  and  are  read}’  to 
pull  them  to  pieces ;  but  have  }4Tt  considered 
what  is  their  offence?  What  can  you  prove 
on  them'?  you  cannot  charge  their,  with  sac¬ 
rilege,  nor  have  they  given  any  opprobrious 
language  to  the  worshippers  of  Diana,  nor 
spoken  scurrilously  of  her  or  her  temple. 
Why  should  you  prosecute  them  with  all  this 
violence,  who,  though  not  of  your  mind,  yet 
do  not  inveigh  with  any  bitterness  against 
you  ?  Since  they  are  calm,  why  should  you 
be  hot  ?’  It  was  the  idol  in  the  heart 
they  levelled  all  their  force  against,  by 
reason  and  argument  ;  if  they  can  but  get 
that  down,  the  idol  in  the  temple  will  fall 
of  course.  Those  that  preach  against  idol¬ 
atrous  churches,  have  truth  on  their  side, 
and  ought  vigorously  to  maintain  it,  and 
press  it  on  men’s  consciences  ;  but  let  them 
not  be  robbers  of  those  churches;  on  the  prey 
laid  they  not  their  hand,  Esth.  9:  15,  16.  nor 
blasphemers  of  those  worships  ;  with  meek¬ 
ness  instructing ,  not  with  passion  and  foul 
language  reproaching,  those  that  oppose 
themselves;  for  God’s  truth,  as  it  needs  not 
man’s  lie,  so  it  needs  not  man’s  intemperate 
heat.  The  wrath  of  man  workelh  not  the 
righteousness  of  God. 

4.  He  turns  them  over  to  the  regular 
methods  of  the  law,  which  ought  always 
to  supersede  popular  tumults,  and  in  civil¬ 
ized,  well-governed  nations,  will  do  so.  A 
great  mercy  it  is  to  live  in  a  country  where 
provision  is  made  for  the  keeping  of  the 
peace,  and  the  administration  of  public  jus¬ 
tice,  and  the  appointing  a  remedy  for  every 
wrong  ;  and  herein  we  of  this  nation  are  as 
happy  as  any  people. 

(1.)  If  the  complaint  was  of  a  private 
injury,  let  them  have  recourse  to  the  judges 
and  courts  of  justice,  which  were  kept  pub¬ 
licly  at  stated  times.  There  is  a  proconsul 
and  his  delegate,  whose  business  it  is  to  hear 
both  sides,  and  to  determine  according  to 
equity  ;  and  in  their  determination  all  par¬ 
ties  must  acquiesce,  and  not  be  their  own 
judges,  nor  appeal  to  the  people.  The  law 


is  good  if  a  man  use  it  lawfully,  as  the  last 
remedy,  both  for  the  discovery  of  a  right 
disputed,  and  the  recovery  of  a  right  denied. 

(2.)  If  the  complaint  was  of  a  public 
grievance,  relating  to  the  constitution,  it 
must  be  redressed,  not  by  a  confused  rabble, 
but  by  a  convention  of  the  states,  v.  39.  If 
ye  inquire  anything  concerning  other  matters, 
that  are  of  a  common  concern,  it  shall  be  de¬ 
termined  in  a  lawful  assembly  of  the  aider- 
men  and  common-council, called  together  in 
a  regular  way  by  those  in  authority.  Pri¬ 
vate  persons  should  not  intermeddle  in  pub¬ 
lic  matters,  so  as  to  anticipate  the  counsels 
of  those  whose  business  it  is  to  take  cogni¬ 
zance  of  them  ;  we  have  enough  to  do  to 
mind  our  own  business. 

5.  He  makes  them  sensible  of  the  danger 
they  were  in,  and  of  the  praemunire  they  had 
run  themselves  into  by  this  riot,  v.  40.  ‘  It 
is  well  if  we  be  not  called  in  question  for  this 
day's  uproar,  if  we  be  not  complained  of  at 
the  emperor’s  court,  as  a  factious  and  sedi¬ 
tious  city,  and  our  charter  taken  away;  for 
we  have  nothing  to  say  in  excuse  of  this 
concourse  ;  we  cannot  justify  ourselves  in 
breaking  the  peace,  by  saying,  that  others 
broke  it  first,  and  we  only  acted  defensively  ; 
we  have  no  color  for  any  such  plea  ;  and 
therefore  let  the  matter  go  no  further,  for  it 
has  gone  too  far  already.’  Note,  Most  peo¬ 
ple  stand  more  in  awe  of  men’s  judgment, 
than  of  the  judgment  of  God.  How  well 
were  it,  if  we  would  thus  still  the  tumult  of 
our  disorderly  appetites  and  passions,  and 
check  the  violence  of  them,  with  the  consid¬ 
eration  of  the  account  we  must  shortly  give 
to  the  Judge  of  heaven  and  earth  for  all 
these  disorders  !  Eccl.  11  •  9. 

6.  When  he  had  thus  showed  them  the 
absurdity  of  their  riotous  meeting,  and  the 
ill  consequences  that  might  follow  from  it, 
he  advised  them  to  separate  with  all  speed, 
v.  41.  See  here,  the  overruling  providence 
of  God,  how  it  preserves  the  public  peace, 
by  an  unaccountable  power  over  the  spirits 
of  men!  Considering  what  an  impetuous,  fu¬ 
rious  thing,  what  an  ungovernable,  untame- 
able  wild  beast  the  mob  is,  when  it  is  up,  we 
shall  see  reason  to  acknowledge  God’s  good¬ 
ness,  if  we  are  not  under  the  tyranny  of  it, 


PRACT.  OBS.  V.  32 — 41.  A  mob  can  never  effect  anything,  but 
mischief  and  madness.  Like  a  wild  beast,  it  sometimes  turns  against 
and  destroys  those,  who  meant  to  govern  its  operations,  or  to  derive  ad¬ 
vantage  from  them  :  and  generally  the  greater  part  of-Viotous  multi¬ 
tudes  know  not  for  what  purposes  they  are  come  together.  (2  Cor.  1:8 — 
11.)  It  is  well,  when  their  fury  evaporates  in  senseless  clamor;  for  it  is 
commonly  most  cruel  and  destructive.  Yet  He  who  ‘  ruleth  the  waves 
of  the  sea,’  can  also  ‘still  the  madness  of  the  people-.’  and  in  Him  we 
should  trust  ourselves,  and  all  belonging  to  us,  when  perils  alarm  us. — 
Worldly  policy  and  sagacity  often  abound,  where  piety  is  utterly  want¬ 
ing  :  and  prudent  worldly  men,  by  cajoling  the  deluded  multitudes  in 

fies  a  priest,  or  priestess,  devoted  to  some  particular  deity,  whose  busi¬ 
ness  it  is  to  look  after  the  temple. .  .The  chancellor ,  with  great  strength 
and  beauty  of  language,  to  express  the  unanimity  and  zeal  of  the  whole 
city  in  the  service  of  Diana,  speaks  of  it  as  one  such  attendant  devotee 
in  the  temple ;  and  as  nedkoros  is  compounded  of  a  word  which  signi¬ 
fies  to  sweep,  it  imports  the  humility  with  which  they  were  ready  to 
stoop  to  the  lowest  office  of  service  there.’  Doddr.  ‘But  this  is,  as 
usual,  pressing  too  much  on  the  etymological  sense,  for  the  term  was 
by  no  means  confined  to  Ephesus,  but  extended  to  many  other  cities  of 
Greece  and  Asia  Minor;  nay,  sometimes  the  same  city  was  called  neO- 
koros  to  three  or  four  deities,  see  coins.  The  nedkoros  was  an  officer 
chosen  annually  by  the  Ephesians;  some  medals,  struck  on  the  public 
shows,  have  inscribed  that  such  an  one  was  then  nedkoros,  i.  e.,  guardian 
or  warden  of  the  temple.  What  was  properly  applied  only  to  a  person 
came,  by  common  figures,  to  be  applied  to  a  city,  and  to  signify  devoted, 
consecrated  to,  and  was  used  towards  tutelary  deities  of  a  city.’  Bloomf. 
Image.)  ‘  The  temple  was  used  as  the  sacred  treasury,  or  bank  of  most 
of  the  civilized  world.  ( Dio  Chrys.  and  Arist.)  As  was  the  temple  of 
Delos  to  Greece.  ( Thucyd .)  Generally  speaking,  indeed,  the  temples 
were  the  banks,  and  only  secure  deposits  of  the  ancient  world.  By  the 
time  of  Gallienus  it  was  despoiled  and  burnt.  [By  barbarians,  see  Gib¬ 
bon.)  From  Artemid.  it  appears,  that  no  woman  ( married  woman  ?)  w'as 
permitted  to  enter  it.  There  was  (Thucyd.)  an  annual  festival  there  to 
which  the  lonians  generally  resorted.  The  temple  ( Xen .)  was  close  by 
the  river  Sellinus.  The  image  ( Plin .)  was  of  eben  (or  as  some  r.  vine) 
wood.  Vitr.  says,  cedar.  All  agree  it  had  not  been  changed.’  Bloomf. 
Fell  down  from  Jupiter.)  So  it  was  fabled  of  several  other  idols  ;  and 
among  the  first  idols  we  read  of  are  the  black  stones,  which,  falling  from 
heaven  (aerolites),  were  naturally  venerated,  and  supposed  to  have  in¬ 
herent  divinity ;  note,  Dan.  3:5.  Perhaps  (so  Bloomf.)  some  had  a  rude 
likeness  to  an  image.  In  countries  where  such  falsehoods  are  likely  to 
be  believed,  (not,  at  present,  in  others,)  parts,  at  least,  of  the  Romish 
church  show  pictures  of  the  Virgin,  which  they  tell  the  people  came 
[118] 


their  follies  and  absurdities,  prevail  far  more  with  them,  than  the  most 
eminent  servants  of  God  possibly  could  by  truth  and  argument.— What 
senseless  fables  have  they  implicitly  credited,  who  would  not  believe  the 
report  of  the  Gospel  !  And  how  ridiculous  have  they  often  been,  in 
their  religious  opinions  and  worship,  who  have  discovered  the  most  con¬ 
summate  good  sense  on  every  other  subject  !  For  ‘  the  god  of  this  world 
blinds  the  minds  ’  of  unbelievers. — Let  us  be  thankful  for  prudent  magis¬ 
trates,  who  can  keep  the  peace,  and  afford  us  protection,  while  we 
quietly  worship  God  according  to  our  consciences,  and  endeavor  to  pro¬ 
mote  the  knowledge  of  his  great  salvation.  Scott. 


down  from  heaven  !  Ed. 

(37.)  Robbers  of  churches.)  ‘  Hierosuloi  ••  guilty  of  laying  hands  on 
anything  sacred,  whether  to  steal  or  to  destroy.’  Bloomf. 

(38.)  Proconsuls.)  As  there  was  but  one  of  these,  Markl.,  Heinr., 
Kuin.,  Bloomf.,  <fec.,  rightly  take  it  for  a  popular  use  of  the  plural  by 
hypallage  — as  if,  ‘It  is  for  laws  and  proconsuls  to  decide  such  mat¬ 
ters.’  Doddr.  (after  Biscoe)  paraphrases  thus: — If,  ice.,  ‘have  suffered 
in  their  property,  and  have  a  charge  of  any  private  injury  to  offer 
against  any  one,  the  civil  courts  are  held  in  which  they  may  have  jus¬ 
tice  done  them;  or  if  they  have  any  crime  relating  to  the  state  to  allege 
against  any,  the  law  directs  them  how  they  should  proceed,  and  there 
are  the  Roman  proconsuls  to  whom  they  may  apply,  who  are  the  prop¬ 
er  judges  of  such  cases:  Let  them  then  bring  their  action,  and  im¬ 
plead  one  another,  and  traverse  their  suit  in  a  legal  manner  in  either  of 
these  judicatories,  till  it  is  brought  to  a  fair  determination.  But  if  the 
cause  be  not  properly  civil  or  criminal,  and  you  are  inquiring  anything 
concerning  other  matters,  relating  to  our  common  utility,  or  to  religion, 
which  may  seem  of  a  special  nature,  there  is  no  room  to  doubt  but  it 
shall  be  determined  to  the  general  satisfaction,  in  a  lawful  assembly  of 
the  Asiatic  States,  who  will  inquire  into  it  impartially,  and  with  a  dili 
gence  proportionable  to  its  importance.’  ‘  The  regular  periods  of  as¬ 
sembly  (called  kuria,  from  their  regularity)  in  those  Greek  cities  which 
exercised,  under  the  Roman  empire,  a  qualified  self-government,  were 
three  or  four  times  a  month;  though  there  were  extraordinary  ones.’ 
Grot.,  JYetst. ,  Bloomf.  Ed. 

(40.)  Raising  a  riot,  was  capitally  punished  by  Roman  law.  Id. 

(41.)  It  is  unjustly  cavilled,  that  Paul  acquiesced  in  this  idol-acknowl 
edging  speech,  but  what  had  Paul  to  do  with  it  ?  He  was  not  even 
present  !  Nor,  if  there,  could  lie  have  then  replied,  (what  more  un¬ 
profitable  and  unseasonable  !)  after  the  assembly  xvas  officially  dis 
missed,  without  a  silly  and  wicked  suicide.  Paul’s  life,  whole  example, 
and  sufferings,  are  a  sufficient  refutation  of  such  often  answered  slurs. 
See  Doddr.  Id. 


A.  ft.  60. 


ACTS,  XX. 


The  travels  of  Paul. 


CHAP.  XX. 

1  Paul  goeth  to  Macedonia.  7  He  celebrateth  the  Lord's 
supper,  and  preaclieth.  9.  Eutychus  having  fallen  down 
dead,  10  is  raised  to  life.  17  At  Miletum  he  callelh  the 
elders  together,  lelleth  them  what  shall  befall  to  himself, 
28  cominiiteih  God’s  flock  to  them,  29  warneth  them  of 
false  teachers,  32  commendeth  them  to  God,  SC  prayeth 
with  them,  and  goeth  hiB  way. 

AND  after  the  uproar  *  was  ceas¬ 
ed,  Paul  called  unto  him  the 
disciples,  and  embraced  them,  and 
departed,  for  to  go  h  into  Mace¬ 
donia. 

2  And  when  he  had  gone  over 
those  parts,  and  had  given  them 
much  c  exhortation,  he  came  into 
Greece, 

3  And  there  abode  three  months. 
And  when  the  Jews  laid  wait  dfor 
him,  as  he  was  about  to  sail  into 
Syria, he  purposed  to  return  through 
Macedonia. 

4  And  there  accompanied  him 
into  Asia,  Sopater  of  Berea;  and 
of  the  Thessalonians,  'Aristarchus 
and  Secundus  ;  and  Gaius  of  Der- 
be,  and  f  Timotheus  ;  and  of  Asia, 
B  Tychicus  and  h  Trophimus. 

5  These  going  before, Carried  for 
us  at  Troas. 

6  And  we  sailed  away  from  Phi¬ 
lippi  after  the  days  ‘  of  unleavened 
bread,  and  came  unto  them  to 
j  Troas  in  five  days  ;  where  we 
abode  seven  days. 

7  IT  And  upon  the  first  k  day  of 


a  c.  19:40. 
b  1  Co.  16:5.  1 

Ti.  1:3. 
c  l  Tfc.  2:3,11. 
d  c.  23:12.  25:3. 

2  Co.  11:26. 


c  c.  19:29. 
f  c.  16:1. 
g  E|).  6:21.  Col. 
4:7.  2  Ti.  4:12. 
Tit.  3:12. 
h  c.  21:  29.  2  Ti. 


4:20. 

i  Ex.  23:15. 
i  2  Ti.  4:13. 
k  1  Co.  16:2.  Re. 
1:10. 


Ps.  65:  7.  See  how  many  ways  God  has  of 
protecting  his  people  !  Perhaps  this  town- 
clerk  was  no  friend  at  all  to  Paul,  or  the 
Gospel  he  preached,  yet  his  human  prudence 
is  made  to  serve  the  divine  purpose.  Many 
are  the  troubles  of  the  righteous,  but  the  Lord 
delivereth  them  out  of  them  all. 


Chap.  XX.  V.  1 — 6.  Of  these  travels 
of  Paul,  we  have  here  only  some  general 
hints  of  occurrences,  which  therefore  ought 
to  be  the  more  precious. 


I.  His  "departure  from  Ephesus  ;  he  had 
tarried  there  longer  than  at  any  one  place 
since  he  was  ordained  ;  and  now  it  was 
time  to  think  of  removing,  for  he  must 
preach  in' other  cities  also  ;  but  after  this,  to 
the  end  of  the  scripture-history  of  his  life, 
which  is  all  we  can  depend  upon,  we  never 
find  him  breaking  up  fresh  ground  again,  nor 
preaching  the  Gospel  where  Christ  had  not 
been  named,  as  hitherto  he  had  done,  Rom. 
15  :  20.  for  in  the  close  of  the  next  cli.  we 
find  him  made  a  prisoner,  and  so  continued, 
and  so  left,  at  the  end  of  this  book.  He 
did  not  leave  them  abruptly,  and  in  a  fright, 
but  solemnly  ;  He  called  unto  him  the  prin¬ 
cipal  persons  of  the  congregation,  and  em¬ 
braced  them,  took  leave  of  them,  saith  the 
Syriac,  with  the  kiss  of  love,  according  to  the 
usage  of  the  primitive  church.  Loving 
friends  know  not  how  well  they  love  one 
another  till  they  come  to  part. 

II.  His  visitation  of  the  Greek  churches, 
which  he  had  planted,  and  more  than  once 
watered,  and  which  appear  to  have  laid 
very  near  his  heart.  He  enforced  his  ex¬ 
hortation  with  a  great  variety  of  motives 
and  arguments.  He  stayed  three  months  in 
Greece,  v.  2,  3.  i.  e.  in  Achaia,  as  some 
think,  for  thither  also  he  purposed  to  go,  to 
Corinth,  and  thereabout,  ch.  19  :  21. 

III.  The  altering  of  his  measures.  1. 
Paul  was  about  to  sail  into  Syria,  to  Antioch, 
whence  he  was  first  sent  out  into  the  ser¬ 
vice  of  the  Gentiles,  and  which,  therefore, 
in  his  journeys,  he  generally  contrived  to 
take  in  his  way  ;  but  he  changed  his  mind, 
and  resolved  to  return  through  Macedonia, 
the  same  way  he  came.  2.  The  reason  was, 
the  Jews,  expecting  he  would  steer  that 
course,  as  usual,  had  way-laid  him,  design¬ 
ing  his  death  ;  some  think,  it  was  to  rob 
him  of  the  money  he  was  carrying  to  Jeru¬ 
salem  for  the  relief  of  the  poor  saints  there; 
but  considering  how  very  spiteful  the  Jews 
were  against  him,  I  suppose  they  thirsted 
for  his  blood,  more  than  for  his  money. 

IV.  His  companions  into  Asia  are  here 
named,  v.  4.  some  ministers,  whether  all  or 
no,  i9  not  certain  ;  Sopater  of  Berea,  it  is 
likely,  is  the  same  with  Sosipater,  Rom.  16: 
21.  Timothy  is  reckoned  among  them,  for 
though  Paul,  when  he  departed  from  Ephe¬ 
sus,  v.  1.  left  Timothy  there,  and  afterward 
wrote  his  first  epistle  to  him  thither,  to  di¬ 
rect  him  as  an  evangelist  how  to^ttle  the 
church  there,  and  in  what  hands  to  leave 


it,  1  Tim.  1:3.  3:  14,  15.  yet  he  soon  fol¬ 
lowed  him,  and  accompanied  him,  with  oth¬ 
ers  here  named. 

One  would  think,  this  was  no  good  hus¬ 
bandry,  to  have  all  these  worthy  men  accom¬ 
panying  Paul,  for  there  was  more  need  of 
them  where  Paul  was  not,  than  where  he 
was;  but,  1.  They  might  assist  him  in  in¬ 
structing  such  as  by  his  preaching  were 
awakened  and  startled  ;  wherever  Paul 
came,  the  waters  were  stirred,  and  then  there 
was  need  of  many  hands  to  help  the  cripples 
in.  It  was  time  to  strike  when  the  iron 
was  hot.  2.  They  might  be  trained  up  by 
him,  and  fitted  for  future  service  ;  might 
fully  know  his  doctrine,  and  manner  of  life, 
2  Tim.  3  :  10.  Paul’s  bodily  presence  was 
weak  and  despicable,  and,  therefore,  these 
friends  of  his  accompanied  him,  to  put  a 
reputation  on  him,  and  to  intimate  to  stran¬ 
gers,  who  would  be  apt  to  judge  by  the  sight 
of  the  eye,  that  he  had  a  great  deal  in  him 
truly  valuable,  which  was  not  discovered  on 
the  outward  appearance. 

V.  His  coming  to  Troas,  where  he  had  ap¬ 
pointed  a  general  rendezvous  of  his  friends. 
They  went  before,  and  stayed  for  him  at 
Troas,  v.  5.  designing  to  go  along  with  him 
to  Jerusalem,  as  Trophimus  particularly  did, 
ch.  21:  29.  it  should  seem  Luke  was  now  in 
company  with  him  ;  for  he  says.  We  sailed 
from  Philippi,  v.  6.  and  the  first  time  we 
find  him  in  his  company,  was  here,  at  Troas, 
ch.  16  :  11.  The  days  of  unleavened  bread 
are  mentioned  only  to  describe  the  time,  not 
to  intimate  that  Paul  kept  the  passover  after 
the  manner  of  the  Jews;  for  just  about  this 
time  he  had  written  in  his  first  epistle  to 
the  church  of  Corinth,  and  taught,  that 
Christ  is  our  Passover,  and  a  Christian  life 
our  feast  of  unleavened  bread,  1  Cor.  5:  7,  8. 
and  when  the  substance  was  come,  the  shadow 
was  done.  away.  He  came  to  them  to  Troas, 
by  sea,  in  five  days,  and  when  he  was  there 
stayed  but  seven  days.  A  great  deal  of 
time  will  unavoidably  be  lost,  in  travelling 
to  and  fro,  by  those  who  go  about  doing  good, 
yet  it  shall  not  be  put  on  the  score  of  lost 
time.  Paul  thought  it  worth  while  to  be¬ 
stow  five  days  in  going  to  Troas,  though  but 
for  an  opportunity  of  seven  days'  stay  there; 
but  he  knew',  and  so  should  we,  how  to  re¬ 
deem  even  journeying  time,  and  make  it 
turn  to  some  good  account. 

V.  7 — 12.  VVe  have  here  what  passed  at 
Troas  the  last  of  the  7  days  Paul  stayed  there. 


NOTES.  Chap.  XX.  V.  1 — 6.  The  apostle  probably  concluded, 
it  would  be  imprudent  forhim  to  continue  at  Ephesus;  he  therefore,  not 
long  after,  set  out  to  travel  into  Macedonia.  lie  went  through  Troas, 
but  not  meeting  Titus,  whom  he  expected  from  Corinth,  he  was  so  de¬ 
sirous  of  visiting  that  city,  that  he  proceeded  on  his  journey  without 
further  delay.  2  Cor.  2:12,  13.  The  2d  Cor.  seems  to  have  been  written 
when  he  was  in  Macedonia,  on  his  progress  to  Achaia,  which  probably 
took  up  more  time  than  he  had  expected. — Timothy  had  gone  before  the 
apostle  into  Macedonia;  we  find  him  here  attending  on  him,  and  he  was 
with  him  when  he  wrote  2  Cor.  :  2  Cor.  1:1 — 7,  v.  1.  yet  elsewhere  he 
says  he  desired  him  to  tarry  at  Ephesus,  when  he  went  into  Macedonia. 
1  Tim.  1:3,  4.  It  is  probable,  that  1  Tim.  was  written,  when  the  apos¬ 
tle  was  in  Macedonia,  soon  after  he  left  Ephesus :  so  that  we  must  con¬ 
clude  that  Timothy  returned  to  Ephesus  before  Paul  came  away;  and 
that  he  staid  there  only  a  short  time,  before  he,  on  some  account,  came 
to  Paul  in  Macedonia.  Put  he  might  return  thither,  and  take  up  his 
stated  residence  there  afterwards,  lor  some  time,  according  to  the  state¬ 
ment  of  ecclesiastical  writers.  Scott. 

(2.)  ‘In  Macedonia  after  great  anxiety  in  his  mind,  Paul  at  length  met 
with  Titus,  who  brought  him  a  comfortable  account  of  the  state  of  affairs 
at  Corinth,  2  Cor.  7:5-7.  and  in  particular,  what  hesaiil  of  their  liberal  dis¬ 
pose  ion,  gave  Paul  reason  to  glory  in  them,  and  to  excite  the  Macedonians 
to  imitate  their  generosity,  in  assisting  the  contribution  he  was  now  rais¬ 
ing  for  the  poor  Christians  in  Judea,  which  was  one  great  part  of  his  busi¬ 
ness  on  this  journey,  2  Cor.  9:2.  8:1-14.  The  2  Cor.  was,  therefore, written 
from  Macedonia  at  this  time,  (2  Cor.  9:2.  8:1 — 14.)  and  was  sent  by  Ti¬ 
tus,  who,  on  this  occasion,  returned  to  gel  the  collection  in  still  greater 
forwardness  This  tour  through  Philippi,  Amphipolis,  Apollonia,  Thes- 
salonica,  and  Berea,  would,  of  course,  take  up  several  months,  and  no 
doubt  many  circumstances  would  occur  at  most  of  these  places,  which 
made  Paul’s  presence  with  them  for  a  while  highly  expedient.  It  seems 
probable  that  Paul  wrote  l  Tim.  from  thence,  expecting  to  return  to 
Ephesus  again,  and  then  designing  that  Timothy  should  continue  there 
till  he  came  (t  Tim.  3:14,  15.  4:13.),  though  Providence  ordered  the  mat¬ 
ter  otherwise.’  Greece.]  ‘Thence  he  probably  wrote  Rom.;  for  it 
plainly  appears,  that  epistle  was  written  before,  his  imprisonment  at 
Rome,  and  in  it  he  speaks  of  a  collection  made  by  the  churches  of  Ma¬ 
cedonia  and  Achaia,  Rom.  15:25 — 27.  a  circumstance  which  fixes  it  to 
this  time.’  Doddr. 

(4,  5.)  ‘The  several  persons  mentioned  in  v.  4.  are  thought  [and  so 


Scott]  to  have  been  joined  with  Paul,  as  messengers  of  the  churches,  in 
carrying  their  contributions  to  the  poor  brethren  at  Jerusalem,  comp.  1 
Cor.  16  3,  4.  2  Cor.  8.19— 23.  We  know  but  few  particulars  of  most 

of  them. — Sopater,  in  some  ancient  MSS.  called  son  of  Pyrrhus,  is  gene¬ 
rally  thought  to  be  Sosipater,  Paul’s  kinsman,  Rom.  16:21. — Aristarchus 
of  Thessalonica,  mentioned  before  as  a  Macedonian,  Acts  19:29.  he  at¬ 
tended  Paul  in  his  voyage  to  Rome,  Acts  28:2.  and  was  his  fellow-labor¬ 
er,  Phil.  24.  and  fellow-prisoner,  Col.  4:10,  11. — Secundus  is  not  else¬ 
where  mentioned. — Gaius  of  Derbe,  if  not  another  of  the  same  name,  is 
elsewhere  mentioned  as  of  Macedonia,  Acts.  19:29.  of  which,  as  some 
suppose,  he  wTas  a  native,  but  descended  of  a  Derbe  family  :  he  was  bap¬ 
tized  by  Paul,  at  Corinth,  1  Cor.  1:14.  and  entertained  him  as  his  host 
while  he  abode  there,  Rom.  16:23.  and,  afterwards,  John  directs  his  3d 
Ep.  to  him. — Timothy  was  a  native  of  Lystra,  Acts  16:1.  whom  Paul 
particularly  honored  with  his  friendship,  and  distinguished  by  2  Eps.  to 
him,  as  well  as  by  joining  his  name  with  his  own  in  the  title  of  several 
other  Eps.  :  2  Cor.,  Philip.,  Col.,  1  and  2  Thess.,  Philemon.  He  fre¬ 
quently  attended  Paul  in  his  travels,  and  labored  with  him  in  the  ser¬ 
vice  of  the  Gospel,  in  which  he  was  so  diligent  and  zealous,  that  it  is 
no  wonder  he  was  imprisoned  for  it,  Heb.  13:23. — Tychicus  was  often 
sent  on  messages  by  Paul,  2  Tim.  4:12.  Tit.  3:12.  and  more  than  once 
xvas  recommended  by  him  to  the  churches  as  a  beloved  brother,  and 
faithful  minister,  and  fellow-servant  in  the  Lord,  whom  he  employed  not 
only  to  acquaint  them  with  his  own  affairs,  but  also  to  know  their  state, 
and  comfort  their  hearts,  Eph.  6:21,  22.  Col.  4:7,  8. — Trophimus,  who 
was  of  Ephesus,  appears  to  have  been  a  Gentile  convert,  whom  we  find 
afterwards  with  Paul  at  Jerusalem,  Acts  21:29.  and  attending  him  in 
other  journeys  till  he  left  him  at  Miletum,  sick,  2  Tim.  4:20.  Those  two 
last  are  called  Asiatics,  and  being  here  distinguished  from  Gaius  and 
Timothy,  who  were  of  Derbe  and  Lystra,  both  in  Asia  Minor,  it  is  plain 
they  are  so  called  as  natives  of  proconsular  Asia. — It  seems,  from  the 
construction  of  the  original,  that  only  Tychicus  and  Trophimus  went 
before  to  Troas.’  Doddr. 

(6.)  ‘  The  argument  which  some  zealous  papists  have  drawn  from 

this  text,  for  denying  the  cup  in  the  sacrament  to  the  laity,  was  so  sol¬ 
emnly  given  up  in  the  council  of  Trent,  that  it  is  astonishing,  any  who 
profess  to  believe  the  divine  authority  of  that  council,  should  ever  have 
presumed  to  plead  it  again.’  , lD- 

V.  7—12.  It  is  not  said,  that  the  disciples  were  called  together,  as 
on  a  special  occasion  ;  but  that  they  came  together,  as  it  seems,  accoril- 

[11JJ 


A.  D.  61. 


ACTS,  XX. 


Eutychus  restored  to  life. 


the  week,  when  the  disciples  came 
together  to  break  1  bread,  Paul 
preached  unto  them,  ready  to  de¬ 
part  on  the  morrow  ;  and  continu¬ 
ed  his  speech  until  midnight. 

8  And  there  were  many  lights  in 
the  upper  "chamber,  where  they 
were  gathered  together. 

9  And  there  sat  in  a  window  a 
certain  young  man  named  Euty- 
chus,  being  fallen  into  a  deep  sleep : 
and  as  Paul  was  long  preaching, 
he  sunk  down  with  sleep,  and  fell 
down  from  the  third  loft,  and  was 
taken  up  dead. 

10  And  Paul  went  down,  and  fell 
n  on  him,  and  embracing  him ,  said, 
°  Trouble  not  yourselves  ;  for  his 
life  is  in  him. 

11  When  he  therefore  was  come 
up  again,  and  had  broken  bread, 
and  eaten,  and  talked  a  long  while, 
even  till  break  of  day,  so  he  de¬ 
parted. 

12  And  they  brought  the  young 
man  alive,  and  were  not  a  little 
comforted. 

[Practical  Observations.] 

1  c.  2:42,46.  1  Co.  m  c.  1:13.  2  K.  4:34. 

10:16.  11:20—34.  n  1  K.  17:21.  o  Mat.  9:24. 


I.  There  was  a  solemn  religious  assembly 
of  the  Christians  there,  according  to  their 
constant  custom,  and  the  custom  of  all  the 
churches,  v.  7.  Though  they  read,  and  medi¬ 
tated,  and  prayed,  and  sung  psalms,  apart, 
yet  they  must  come  together  to  worship  God  in 
concert.  There  ought  to  be  stated  times  for 
the  disciples  of  Christ  to  come  together, 
though  they  all  cannot,  yet  as  many  as  can. 

It  was  on  the  first  day  of  the  week,  called 
the  Lord’s  day.  Rev.  1:  10.  the  Christian 
Sabbath,  celebrated  to  the  honor  of  Christ 
and  the  Holy  Spirit,  in  remembrance  of  the 
resurrection  of  Christ,  and  the  pouring  out 
of  the  Spirit,  both  on  the  first  day  of  the  week. 
This  is  here  said  to  be  the  day  when  the  dis¬ 
ciples  came  together,  i.  e.  when  it  was  their 
practice  to  come  together  in  all  the  churches. 
Note,  The  first  day  of  the  week  is  to  be  re¬ 
ligiously  observed  by  all  the  disciples  of 


Christ  ;  and  it  is  a  sign  between  Christ  and 
them,  for  by  this  is  known  that  they  are  his 
disciples. 

They  had  no  temple  or  synagogue  to  meet 
in,  no  capacious,  stately  chapel,  but  met  in 
a  private  house,  v.  8.  As  they  were  few, 
and  did  not  need,  so  they  were  poor,  and 
could  not  build,  a  large  meeting-place;  yet 
they  came  together  in  [a  third  loft]  an  incon¬ 
venient  place.  It  will  be  no  excuse  for 
absenting  ourselves  from  religious  assem¬ 
blies,  that  the  place  of  them  is  not  so  decent 
or  so  commodious  as  we  would  have  it. 

Breaking  bread  here  is  to  be  understood  of 
the  Lord’s  supper  ;  that  one  instituted  sign 
of  breaking  the  bread,  being  put  for  all  the 
rest,  1  Cor.  10: 16.  In  this,  not  only  the 
breaking  of  Christ’s  body  for  us,  to  be  a 
sacrifice  for  our  sins,  is  commemorated,  but 
the  breaking  of  Christ’s  body  to  us,  to  be 
food  and  a  feast  for  our  souls,  is  signified. 
In  the  primitive  times,  it  was  the  custom  of 
many  churches  to  receive  the  Lord’s  supper 
every  Lord’s  day,*  celebrating  the  memo¬ 
rial  of  Christ’s  death  in  the  former,  with 
that  of  his  resurrection  in  the  latter  ;  and 
both  in  concert,  in  a  solemn  assembly,  to 
testify  their  joint  concurrence  in  the  same 
faith  and  worship. 

II.  In  this  assembly  Paul  gave  them  a 
sermon,  a  long,  a  farewell  sermon,  v.  7.  The 
preaching  of  the  Gospel  ought  to  Accompany 
the  sacraments.  What  does  the  seal  signify 
without  a  writing!  He  had  a  great  deal  to 
say,  and  knew  not  he  should  ever  have 
another  opportunity  of  preaching  to  them. 
We  know  some  that  would  have  reproached 
Paul  for  this,  as  a  long-winded  preacher,  that 
tired  his  hearers  ;  but  they  were  willing  to 
hear,  he  saw  them  so,  and  therefore  con¬ 
tinued  his  speech,  even  till  midnight  ;  per¬ 
haps  they  met  in  the  evening,  for  privacy, 
or  in  conformity  to  the  example  of  the  disci¬ 
ples,  who  came  together  on  the  first  Christian 
Sabbath  in  the  evening.  It  is  probable  he 
had  preached  to  them  in  the  morning,  and 
yet  thus  lengthened  out  his  evening  sermon, 
even  till  midnight  ;  we  wish  we  had  the 
heads  of  this  long  sermon,  but  we  may  sup¬ 
pose  it  was  for  substance  the  same  with  his 
epistles.  The  meeting  being  continued  till  mid¬ 
night,  there  were  candles  set  up,  many  lights, 
v.  8.  that  the  hearers  might  turn  to  the 
Scriptures  Paul  quoted,  and  see  whether  these 
things  w$ge  so  ;  and  that  this  might  prevent 

*  And  so  did  the  Plymouth  Pilgrims.  Ed. 


the  reproach  of  their  enemies,  who  said  they 
met  in  the  night  for  works  of  darkness. 

III.  A  young  man  in  the  congregation, 
that  slept  at  sermon,  was  killed  by  a  fall 
out  of  the  window,  but  raised  to  life  again  ;  his 
name  signifies  one  that  had  good  fortune, 
Eutychus  ;  and  he  answered  his  name.  The 
peculiar  notice  taken  of  his  sleeping,  makes 
us  willing  to  hope  none  of  the  rest  slept, 
though  it  was  sleeping  time,  and  after  sup¬ 
per  ;  but  this  youth  fell  fast  asleep,  he  was 
carried  aivay  with  it  ;  so  the  word  is  ;  which 
intimates,  that  he  strove  against  it,  but  was 
overpowered  by  it,  and  at  last  sunk  down 
with  sleep.  We  must  look  upon  it  as  an 
evil  thing,  be  afraid  of  it,  do  what  we  can 
to  prevent  our  being  sleepy,  not  compose 
ourselves  to  sleep,  but  get  our  hearts  affect¬ 
ed  with  the  word  we  hear,  to  such  a  degree 
as  may  drive  sleep  far  enough  ;  let  Us  watch 
and  pray,  that  we  enter  net  into  this  tempta¬ 
tion,  and  by  it  into  worse. f  The  miraculous 
mercy  showed  him  in  his  recovery  to  life 
again,  v.  10.  gave  a  present  distraction,  and 
interruption,  but  proved  an  occasion  of  a 
great  confirmation  to  his  preaching,  and 
helped  to  make  it  effectual. 

(1.)  Paul,  so  far  from  saying,  ‘He  was 
well  enough  served  for  minding  so  little 
vvhat  I  said  f  fell  on  the  dead  body  and  em¬ 
braced  it,  thereby  expressing  a  great  com¬ 
passion  to,  and  an  affectionate  concern  for, 
this  young  man.  Such  tender  spirits  are 
much  affected  with  sad  accidents  of  this 
kind,  and  are  far  from  judging  and  censur¬ 
ing  those  that  fall  under  them,  as  if  those  on 
whom  the  tower  of  Siloam  fell,  were  sinners 
above  all  that  dwelt  at  Jerusalem  ;  I  tell  you, 
nay.  But  this  was  not  all  ;  his  falling  on 
him,  and  embracing  him,  were  in  imitation 
of  Elijah,  IK.  17:  21.  and  Elisha,  2  K.  4: 
34.  in  order  to  the  raising  of  him  to  life 
again  ;  not  that  this  could,  as  a  mean,  con¬ 
tribute  anything  to  it,  but,  as  a  sign,  it  rep¬ 
resented  the  descent  of  that  divine  power  on 
the  dead  body,  for  the  putting  of  life  into  it 
again,  which  at  the  same  time  he  inwardly, 
earnestly,  and  in  faith,  prayed  for. 

(2.)  He  assured  them  he  was  returned  to 

f  Muscles  laboriously  exercised  for  six  days,  assert,  by 
God's  physiological  law,  doqiinion  over  the  mind,  when 
the  laboring  man  sits  down'  quietly  awhile  ;  especially 
when,  as  in  the  once  breathed  air  of  afternoon  meetings, 
the  invigorating  oxygen  of  the  air  to  be  breathed,  is  partly 
consumed.  *  Lights  f  too,  v.  8.,  destroy  this.  Leaving 
off  work,  mental  or  bodily,  at  noon  on  Saturday,  more  in¬ 
tellectuality  and  spirituality,  ventilation,  and  spare  Sab¬ 
bath  meals,  would  aid  pulpit  exhortations  against  the  bad 
habit  noticed  here.  Ed. 


I  RACT.  OBs>.  V.  1 — 12.  Tumults  and  opposition  may  constrain  a 
Christian  or  minister  to  remove  from  his  station,  or  to  alter  his  purpose  : 
hut  his  employment  and  pleasure  will  be  the  same  wherever  ixe  goes. — 
It  shows  a  carnal  state  of  mind,  when  people  are  soon  wearied  in  the 
worship  of  God,  and  are  in  haste  to  close  it,  for  the  sake  of  animal  re¬ 
creation,  or  vain  conversation.  Doubtless  it  is  inexpedient,  on  ordinary 
occasions,  to  lengthen  out  religious  ordinances  much  beyond  the  usual 
t  ime :  yet  surely  Paul  would  be  displeased,  surprised,  or  grieved,  to  hear 
the  professors  of  his  doctrine  complain  of  an  instructive  sermon,  be¬ 
cause  it  was  an  hour  long ;  or  of  the  length  of  the  service,  when  it 
scarcely  exceeded  two  hours  ! — If  we  cannot  wholly  excuse  Eutychus, 

ing  to  their  general  practice.  Hence  it  is  evident,  that  Christians  were 

accustomed  to  assemble  for  religious  worship,  ‘on  the  first  day  of  the 
week;  but  the  change  from  the  seventh  to  the  first,  appears  to  have 
been  gradually  and  silently  introduced,  by  example  rather  than  by  ex¬ 
press  precept.  John  20:19 — 23. — ‘  Breaking  of  bread,’  or  commemora¬ 
ting  the  death  of  Christ  in  the  eucharist,  was  one  chief  end  of  their  assem¬ 
bling.  It  may  lie  gathered  from  the  narrative,  that  the  apostle  staid  on 
purpose  to  spend  one  Lord’s  day  with  them. — As  the  room  was,  most 
likely,  very  much  crowded,  the  windows  seem  to  have  been  open  to  ad¬ 
mit  the  air. — It  is  probable  that  Eutychus  had  been  dead  :  but  the  apos¬ 
tle  was  assured  of  his  restoration  to  life,  which  perhaps  took  place  at 
the  moment  when  he  spoke ;  and  he  afterwairds  gradually  recovered 
henlth  and  strength.  Accordingly,  the  company  returned  to  their  sa¬ 
cred  services  :  and,  after  the  Lord’s  supper  had  been  celebrated,  and  the 
company  had  taken  some  refreshment ;  the  apostle,  instead  of  apologi¬ 
zing  for  the  length  of  his  discourse,  resumed  the  subject,  and  continued 
to  converse  with  them  till  the  day  dawned,  and  it  was  time  for  him  and 
his  friends  to  set  out  on  their  journey. — We  may  easily  conceive  how 
many  things  would  be  said  at  Troas,  about  a  night  spent  altogether  in 
preaching,  religious  conversation,  and  devotion  :  and  had  Eutychus  lost 
his  life,  it  would  have  given  the  enemies  of  the  Gospel  some  plausible 
ground  for  exclaiming  against  unseasonable  hours,  long  sermons ,  and 
enthusiastical  irregularities.  Scott.  People  who  would  make  as  long 
sermons,  Ac.,  as  Paul  here,  to  the  general  benefit  of  a  promiscuous  con¬ 
gregation,  on  occasions  similar  to  this  unique  case  of  Paul’s,  must  bo 
such  preachers  as  Paul  was,  and  come  as  well  prepared.  In  a  Christian 
community,  the  cases  where  sucli  a  protracted  meeting  is  necessary  will 
be  very  few.  Ed 

[120] 


for  yielding  to  sleep  at  midnight,  during  the  apostle’s  copious  exhorta¬ 
tions  ;  how  inexcusable  are  they,  who,  in  the  middle  of  the  day,  and  dur¬ 
ing  a  service  of  a  moderate  length,  make  a  practice  of  sleeping,  as  if 
best  pleased  when  most  composed  to  rest !  Infirmity  or  weariness,  in¬ 
deed,  requires  tenderness :  but  such  an  indulged  habit  of  contempt 
should  be  treated  with  decided  severity.  They  who  thus  offend  have 
cause  to  tremble,  lest  some  sudden  judgment  should  cut  them  off  in 
their  sin,  and  leave  them  to  perish  without  remedy  :  and  such  as  desire 
to  get  the  better  of  this  temptation  should  join  earnest  prayers  with  all 
other  methods  of  keeping  themselves  awake;  for  when  this  is  neglect¬ 
ed,  they  need  not  wonder  that  they  are  unsuccessful.  Scott. 

(8.)  Lights.]  These,  as  classic  rel¬ 
ics  show',  were  of  forms,  beautifully 
and  splendidly  diversified  ;  the  cut 
shows  one  of  the  common  lamps. 
‘  The  wick  was  merely  a  few  twisted 
threads,  drawn  through  a  hole  in  the 
upper  part  of  the  oil-vessel,’  and  there 
was  no  glass  to  give  steadiness  to  ihe 
flame  :  such  are  still  in  use  around 
the  Mediterranean.  En. 

(8,  9.)  The  child’s  or  youth’s  pun 
ishment  (by  falling)  was  simply  for 
disobedience  to  God’s  natural  laws  : 
compare,  Lu.  13:4.  Bloomf.  remarks, 
that  the  words  ‘  there  were  many 
lights,’  is  a  circumstance  thrown  in, 
like  John  6:10.  ‘  Such  are  the  re¬ 
marks  of  eyewitnesses.’  Id. 

(9.)  IVindow.]  These  were  made, 
probably,  as  now  in  the  E.,  extended 
down  to  the  floor.  Perhaps  it  was  a 
square  projection,  latticed  on  three 
sides,  with  a  cushioned  floor  some 
feet  higher  than  the  floor  of  the  room  ;  such  are  still  seen  in  the  E.  Ed. 
'  The  Gr.  plainly  signifies  an  open  window,  which  had  a  sort  of  wooden 
casement,  or  little  door,  [hence  is  derived  window,  provincial  windore, 
i.  e.  wind-door.  B/..,]  which  was  set  open,  that  the  room  might  not  l.o 
overheated  with  so  much  company,  and  so  many  lamps.  It  is  well 


A.  D.  61. 

13  T  And  we  went  before  to  ship, 
and  sailed  unto  Assos,  there  intend¬ 
ing  to  take  in  Paul  :  for  so  had  he 
appointed,  minding  himself  to  go 
afoot. 

14  And  when  he  met  with  us  at 
Assos,  we  took  him  in,  and  came  to 
Mitylene. 

15  And  we  sailed  thence,  and 
came  the  next  day  over  against 
Chios  ;  and  the  next  day  we  arriv¬ 
ed  at  Samos,  and  tarried  at  Trogyl- 
lium  ;  and  the  next  day  we  came 
to  Miletus. 

16  For  Paul  had  determined  to 
sail  by  Ephesus,  because  he  would 
not  spend  the  time  in  Asia  ;  for  he 
hasted,  if  it  were  possible  for  him, 
to  be  p  at  Jerusalem  the  day  of 
q  Pentecost. 

17  IT  And  from  Miletus  he  sent 
to  Ephesus,  and  called  the  elders 
of  the  church. 

18  And  when  they  were  come  to 
him,  he  said  unto  them,  Ye  know, 
from  the  first  day  r  that  I  came  into 
Asia,  after  what  manner  1  have 
been  with  you  at  all  seasons, 

p  c.  18:21.  21:17.  q  c.  2:1.  1  Co.  16:8.  r  c.  19:1,10. 

life,  and  it  would  appear  presently.  Various 
speculations,  we  may  suppose,  this  ill  acci¬ 
dent  had  occasioned  in  the  congregation, 
but  Paul  puts  an  end  to  them  ;  ‘  Trouble  not 
yourselves,  be  not  in  any  disorder  about  it, 
let  it  not  pul  you  into  any  hurry,  for  his  life  is 
in  him  ;  he  is  not  dead,  but  sleepeth  ;  lay  him 
a  while  on  a  bed,  and  he  will  come  to  him¬ 
self,  for  he  is  now  alive.’  Thus,  when  Christ 
raised  Lazarus,  he  said.  Father,  I  thank 
Thee  that  Thou  hast  heard  Me. 

(3.)  He  returned  to  his  work  immediate¬ 
ly  after  this  interruption,  v.  11.  and  they 
talked  a  long  while,  even  till  break  of  day. 
Paul  did  not  now  go  on  in  a  continued  dis¬ 
course,  as  before,  but  he  and  his  friends  fell 
into  a  free  conversation,  the  subject  of  which, 
no  doubt,  was  good,  and  to  the  use  of  edifying. 
Christian  conference  is  an  excellent  mean 


ACTS,  XX.  1 

of  promoting  holiness,  comfort,  and  Chris¬ 
tian  love. 

(4.)  Before  they  parted,  they  brought  in 
the  young  man  alive,  every  one  congratulating 
him,  and  they  were  not  a  little  comforted,  v. 
12.  not  only  the  relations  of  the  young  man, 
but  the  whole  society,  [from  sympathy,  and] 
as  it  not  only  prevented  the  reproach  that 
would  otherwise  have  been  cast  on  them,  but 
contributed  very  much  to  the  credit  of  the 
Gospel. 

V.  13 — 16.  Paul  is  hastening  towards  Je¬ 
rusalem,  no  doubt  endeavoring  to  make  every 
place  he  came  to  the  better  for  him,  as  every 
good  man  should  do. 

I.  He  sent  his  companions  by  sea  to  Assos, 
but  he  himself  was  minded  to  go  afoot,  v.  13. 
and  if  the  land-way  was  the  shorter,  yet  the 
ancients  notice  it  as  a  rough  way  ;  (Homer, 
Iliad,  6.  and  Eustathius  upon  him,  say,  it 
was  enough  to  kill  one  to  go  on  foot  to  Assos, 
Lorin.  in  locum  ;)  yet  that  way  Paul  would 
take  ;  1.  That  he  might  call  on  his  friends 
by  the  way,  and  do  good  among  them,  either 
converting  sinners  or  edifying  saints  ;  Or, 

2.  That  he  might  inure  himself  to  hardship, 
and  not  seem  to  indulge  his  ease  ;  that  he 
might  make  his  sufferings  for  Christ,  when 
called  out  to  them,  the  more  easy,  2  Tim.  2: 

3.  We  should  use  ourselves  to  self-denial. 

II.  At  Assos  he  went  on  board  with  his 
friends,  and  made  the  best  of  his  way  to  Je¬ 
rusalem  ;  passed  by  Chios,  v.  15.  touched  at 
Samos ;  places  of  note  among  the  Greek 
writers,  both  poets  and  historians  ;  tarried  a 
while  at  Trogyllium,  the  sea-port  next  to 
Samos  ;  and  the  next  day  came  to  Miletus, 
the  sea-port  that  lay  next  to  Ephesus  ;  for 
v.  16.  he  had  determined  not  to  go  to  Ephesus 
at  this  time,  because  he  was  resolved  not  to 
stay,  and  would  not  put  himself  into  a  temp¬ 
tation  to  stay.  He  had  been  at  Jerusalem, 
about  four  or  live  years  ago,  ch.  18:  21,  22. 
and  now  would  again  pay  his  continued 
respects  to  that  church,  that  he  might  not 
be  thought  alienated  by  his  commission  to 
preach  among  the  Gentiles.  The  feast  of  pen- 
tecost  was  a  time  of  concourse,  which  would 
give  him  an  opportunity  of  propagating  the 
Gospel  among  the  Jews  and  proselytes,  who 
came  from  all  parts  to  worship  at  the  feast  : 
and  that  feast  had  been  particularly  made 
famous  among  the  Christians,  by  the  pouring 
out  of  the  Spirit.  Men  of  business  must  fit 


aul  sends  for  the  elders  at  Ephesus. 

themselves,  and  it  will  contribute  to  the  ex¬ 
pediting  of  it,  to  set  time,  with  submission 
to  Providence,  and  strive  to  keep  it  ;  con¬ 
triving  to  do  that  first  which  we  judge  to  be 
most  needful,  and  not  suffering  ourselves  to  be 
diverted  from  it.  It  is  a  pleasure  to  us  to 
be  withour friends, it  diverts  us, nothing  more  ; 
but  we  must  not  be  diverted  by  it  from  out¬ 
work.  This  is  not  the  world  we  are  to  be 
together  in  ;  we  hope  to  be  so  in  the  other. 

V.  17 — 35.  Those  elders,  or  presbyters 
[here],  some  think,  were  those  twelve  who 
received  the  Holy  Ghost  by  Paid’s  hands, 
ch.  19:  6.  But  beside  those,  probably  Tim¬ 
othy  had  ordained  other  elders  there  for  the 
service  of  that  church,  and  the  country  about; 
these  Paul  sent  for,  that  he  might  instruct 
and  encourage  them  to  go  on  in  the  work  to 
which  they  had  laid  their  hands,  a  very  pa¬ 
thetic  and  practical  discourse,  which  has  in  it 
much  of  the  excellent  spirit  of  this  good  man. 

I.  He  appeals  to  them  concerning  both 
his  life  and  doctrine,  all  the  time  he  had 
been  in  and  about  Ephesus,  v.  18.  He  men¬ 
tions  this,  (1.)  As  a  confirmation  of  his  com¬ 
mission,  and  consequently  of  the  doctrine 
he  had  preached  among  them  ;  and  that  lie 
was  no  designing,  self-seeking  man.  The 
temper  of  his  mind,  and  the  tenor  both  of  his 
preaching  and  conversation,  plainly  spoke 
that  God  was  with  him  of  a  truth,  and  that 
he  was  actuated  and  animated  by  a  better 
spirit  than  his  own.  (2.)  As  an  instruc¬ 
tion  to  them  in  whose  hands  the  work  was 
now  left,  to  follow  his  example  ;  ‘  Ye  know 
after  what  manner  I  have  been  with  you, 
how  I  have  conducted  myself  as  a  minister; 
in  like  manner  be  you  with  those  that  are 
committed  to  your  charge  when  I  am  gone,’ 
Phil.  4:9. 

1.  His  spirit  and  conversation  were  ex¬ 
cellent  and  exemplary  ;  they  knew  after  what 
manner  he  had  been  among  them,  and  how  he 
had  had  his  conversation  toward  them,  in 
simplicity,  and  godly  sincerity,  2  Cor.  1:12. 
How  holily,  justly,  and  unblamably  he  be¬ 
haved  himself,  and  how  gentle  he  was  toward 
them,  1  Thess.  2:  7,  10.  (1.)  He  had  con¬ 

ducted  himself  well,  all  along,  from  the  very 
first  day  he  came  into  Asia  ;  at  all  seasons  ; 
his  entering  in  among  them  was  such  as  no¬ 
body  could  find  fault  with.  He  was  a  man 
that  was  consistent  with  himself,  and  all  of  a 
piece,  uniform,  like  a  die,  which,  throw 


known,  the  ancients  had  not  yet  glass  in  their  windows,  though  the 
manner  of  making  it  was  invented  long  before.’  Doddr.  Continued  his 
speech.]  ‘  At  what  time  he  began  we  cannot  tell,  but  we  hear  when  he 
concluded,  v.  11.  though  about  midnight  his  discourse  was  interrupted 
by  the  fall  of  Eutychus.  As  it  was  about  the  time  of  the  Pentecost,  and 
we  may  suppose  about  the  beginning  of  May,  as  Troas  was  about  forty 
degrees  of  north  latitude,  the  sun  set  there  at  7  P.  M.,  and  rose  at  5 
A.  M.,  so  that  the  night  was  about  eight  hours  long ;  and  taking  all  the  in¬ 
terruptions  together,  and  they  could  not  have  amounted  to  more  than 
two  hours;  and  taking  no  account  of  the  preceding  day's  work,  Paul 
must  have  preached  a  sermon  not  less  than  six  hours  long.  But  it  is 
likely  good  part  of  this  time  was  employed  in  hearing  and  asking  ques¬ 
tions,  for  so  the  original  words  may  be  understood  to  imply.’  Dr.  A.  C. 

V.  13 — 16.  Assos,  Trogyllium,  and  Miletus  were  cities  of  Asia,  on  the 
sea-coast :  Mitylene  was  a  city  in  the  Isle  of  Lesbos,  which,  with  Chios 
and  Samos,  was  situated  near  the  Coast  of  Asia,  in  what  is  now  called 
the  Archipelago.  Miletus,  a  city  about  thirty  miles  further  to  the  south 
from  Ephesus. — The  apostle  seems  to  have  had  the  direction  of  the  ves¬ 
sel,  which  he  could  not  have  had,  if  merely  a  passenger  :  it  is  therefore 
probable  that  it  belonged  to  some  of  his  friends. — The  historian  contin¬ 
ues  to  speak  in  language  which  shows  that  he  was  one  of  the  company. 

Scott. 

(13.)  On  foot.]  ‘  Pezeuein  :  go  by  land,  so  the  best  writers.  This 
was  to  enjoy  his  Troas  friends  a  little  longer;  and  to  avoid  the  danger¬ 
ous  navigation  of  the  promontory  of  Lectrum ;  and  from  Troas  to  Assos 
Is  one  third  shorter  by  land  than  by  sea.’  Bl.,  whom  see.  Ed. 

(16, 17.)  .  See  Bl. ,  proving  that  Paul,  <fcc.,  did  not  hire  a  whole  ship, 
but  took  advantage  of  such  coasters  as  they  met  with,  21:2.  Id. 

V.  17.  The  same  persons  are  in  this  chapter  called  1  elders  ’  or  pres¬ 
byters,  and  ‘  overseers  ’  or  bishops  ;  ( episcopoi ,  28.)  it  must  therefore  be 
allowed,  that  these  were  not  distinct  orders  of  ministers  in  the  church 
at  that  time.  Probably,  when  the  apostles  founded  a  church  they  ap¬ 
pointed  pastors  over  it ;  according  to  the  numbers  to  he  superintend¬ 
ed,  or  the  field  of  usefulness  which  was  opened  in  the  neighborhood  : 
these  were  at  first  called  either  ‘  elders,’  or  ‘  overseers,’  i.  e.  presbyters, 
or  bishops ,  indifferently  ;  and  no  one  had  any  direct  authority  over  the 
rest.  By  degrees  the  number  of  converts  would  increase,  other  church¬ 
es  would  be  planted  in  the  neighborhood,  and  more  pastors  chosen.  In 
the  mean  time  the  senior  ministers,  and  such  ns  were  most  eminent  for 
wisdom,  ability,  piety,  or  usefulness,  would  acquire  a  measure  of  influ¬ 
ence  and  authority  :  and  their  juniors,  both  in  their  own  church,  and  in 
others  which  had  been  planted  from  it,  would  naturally  look  up  to  them. 

N.  T.  VOL.  V.  16 


Thus  they  would  be  expected  to  take  the  lead  in  every  business  :  espe¬ 
cially  in  the  ordination  of  ministers,  in  directing  their  labors,  and  in  an¬ 
imadverting  on  such  as  turned  aside  to  heretical  doctrines,  or  immoral 
practices.  Hence  the  name  of  1  Bishop,’  or  Overseer,  or  Inspector, 
seems  gradually  to  have  been  appropriated  to  one  principal  minister,  to 
whom  a  measure  of  authority  and  distinction  was  insensibly  annexed ; 
and  the  title  and  rank  of  1  Presbyters’  were  continued  to  the  rest.  11:27 
— 30.  It  is  evident  that  episcopacy  prevailed,  generally  and  early,  in 
the  primitive  church;  and  it  seems  to  have  been  gradually  intro¬ 
duced.  There  were  many  elders  in  the  church  at  Ephesus  at  this  time  ; 
yet  Christ  afterwards  addressed  his  epistle  ‘  to  the  angel  of  the  church 
at  Ephesus  ;’  which  seems  to  mean  the  superintending  pastor,  who  was 
an  inspector  over  the  elders.  Rev.  2:1.  It  appears,  to  me  at  least,  that 
neither  episcopacy,  nor  any  other  species  of  church-government,  can  be 
proved  from  Scripture,  to  be  exclusively  of  divine  authority.  But  a 
moderate  episcopacy  has  many  and  great  advantages  to  recommend  it : 
and  the  high  claims  and  excessive  authority,  which  soon  began  to  be  ad¬ 
vanced  and  exercised  by  bishops  and  lordly  prelates,  of  different  titles  ; 
and  all  the  abuses  of  antichristian  tyranny,  supply  the  best  arguments 
to  those,  who  would  entirely  exclude  that  order  from  the  church.  In 
this,  however,  as  well  as  in  other  things,  very  much  remains  to  be  reme¬ 
died  and  rectified,  among  every  description  of  Christians,  before  matters 
can  he  reduced  to  the  scriptural  standard. — Every  impartial  man  must 
allow,  that  if  Timothy  had  been  at  this  time  bishop  of  Ephesus,  in  that 
sense  for  which  some  contend ;  the  apostle  would  have  given  these 
elders  some  exhortation,  to  pay  a  proper  deference  to  his  episcopal 
authority. — To  assert,  as  some  have  done,  (Hamm,  especially,)  that 
these  elders  of  Ephesus  were  indeed  the  diocesan  bishops  of  all  the  Asi¬ 
atic  churches,  only  exposes  the  cause  which  it  is  meant  to  support :  for, 
besides  the  inexcusable  liberty  taken  with  the  words  of  Scripture;  how 
could  these  bishops  have  been  got  together,  at  so  short  a  notice  ?  Unless 
it  be  supposed,  that  they  all  resided  at  Ephesus,  and  left  the  charge  of 
their  dioceses  to  others,  according  to  the  too  common  custom  of  later 
times  !  The  statement  would  also  show,  that  there  were  no  presbyters  ; 
and  consequently,  aparity  of  ministers,  in  the  primitive  church,  directly 
^contrary  to  the  sentiments  of  those  who  make  it.  Phil.  1:1.  1  3: 

1.  5:19,  20.  Scott.  See  note,  end  of  ch.  and  1  Pet.  5:1,2.  Ed. 

V.  18.  Ye  know,  &c.]  ‘  Prom  these  words  (Comp.  v.  12.)  and  those 

of  v.  25.  it  is  quite  evident,  that  besides  the  presbyters  of  Ephesus,  oth¬ 
ers  also  of  Asia,  (i.  e.  Ionia,)  were  present  (AT uin.) ;  few  of  whom 
would  have  more  than  a  day’s  journey  to  travel.  Bloomf.,  whom  see. 

Id. 

[121] 


A.  D.  61. 


ACTS,  XX. 


His  address  to  them. 


19  Serving  the  Lord  with  all 
"humility  of  mind,  and  with  many 
1  tears,  and  “temptations,  which  be¬ 
fell  me  by  vthe  lying  in  wait  of  the 
Jews  : 

20  And  how  w  I  kept  back  no¬ 
thing  that  was  profitable  unto  you, 
but  have  shewed  you,  and  have 
taught  you  publicly,  1  and  from 
house  to  house, 

21  Testifying  both  to  the  Jews, 
and  also  to  the  Greeks,  repentance 
y  toward  God,  and  faith  toward  our 
Lord  Jesus  Christ. 

22  And  now,  behold,  I  go  z  bound 
in  the  spirit  unto  Jerusalem,  not 
a  knowing  the  things  that  shall  be¬ 
fall  me  there  : 

23  Save  that  the  Holy  Ghost 
witnesseth  in  every  city,  saying, 
b  that  bonds  and  afflictions  c  abide 


But  none  d  of  these  things 
me,  neither  count  I  my  life 


me. 

24 
move 

dear  unto  myself,  so  that  I  might 
“finish  my  course  with  joy,  and  the 
ministry,  f  which  I  have  received 
eof  the  Lord  Jesus,  to  f&stify  the 
gospel  of  the  grace  of  God. 

Lu. 


s  1  Co.  15:9,10. 
t  Phi.  3:18. 
u  2  Co.  4:7— 11. 
v  ver.  3. 

\v  ver.  27. 
x  2  Ti.  4:2. 


y  Mn.  1:15. 

24:47. 
z  c.  19:21. 
a  Ja.  4:11. 
be.  9:16.  21:11. 
c  or,  i cait  for  me. 


d  c.  21:13. 
35,  37. 
4:16. 

e  2  Ti.  4:7. 
f  2  Co.  4:1. 
g  Ga.  1:1. 


Ro.  8: 
2  Co. 


it  which  way  you  will,  lights  on  a  square 
side.  (2.)  He  had  made  it  his  business  to 
serve  the  Lord;  to  promote  the  interest  of 
Christ  and  his  kingdom  among  them  ;  he 
never  served  himself,  nor  was  a  time-server. 

In  his  ministry,  in  his  whole  conversation, 
he  proved  himself  what  he  wrote  himself, 

Paul  a  servant  of  Jesus  Christ,  Rom.  1:  1. 

(3.)  He  had  done  his  work  with  all  humility 
of  mind,  i.  e.  in  all  woPks  of  condescension, 
modesty,  and  self-abasement.  Though  one 
that  God  had  put  great  honor  on,  and  done 
great  good  by,  yet  he  never  took  state  on 
him,  nor  kept  people  at  a  distance,  but  con¬ 
versed  freely  and  familiarly  with  all  for  their 
good.  Those  that  would  in  any  office  serve 
the  Lord,  acceptably  to  Him  and  profitably 
to  others,  must  do  it  with  all  humility  of 
mind,  Matt.  20:  26,  27.  (4.)  He  had  al¬ 

ways  been  very  tender,  affectionate,  and 
compassionate  among  them  ;  he  was  herein 
like  his  Master,  often  in  tears  ;  in  his  pray¬ 
ing,  he  wept  and  made  supplication,  Hos.  12: 

4.  In  his  preaching,  what  he  had  told  them 
before,  he  told  them  again,  even  weeping, 

Phil.  ,3  :  18.  In  his  concern  for  them, 
though  his  acquaintance  with  them  was  but 
of  a  late  standing,  yet  so  near  did  they  lie  to 
Ids  heart,  that  he  wept  with  them  that  wept, 
and  mingled  his  tears  with  their’s  on  every 
occasion,  which  was  very  endearing.  (5.) 

He  had  struggled  with  many  difficulties 
among  them  ;  he  went  on  with  his  work  in 
the  face  of  much  opposition,  many  tempta¬ 
tions,  trials  of  his  patience  and  courage, 
such  discouragements  as  perhaps  were  some¬ 
times  temptations  to  him  (as  to  Jeremiah  in 
a  like  case)  to  say,  I  will  not  speak  any  more 
in  the  name  of  the  Lord,  Jer.  20 :  8,  9.  These 
befell  him  by  the  lying  in  wait  of  the  Jews, 
who  still  were  plotting  some  mischief  or 
other  against  him.  Note,  Those  are  the 
faithful  servants  of  the  Lord,  that  continue 

to  serve  Him  in  the  midst  of  troubles  and  God’s  great  command,  ch.  17:  30.  which  we 

V.  21.  This  repentance  and  faith,  when  considered  in  connexion  with 
man’s  need  of  them,  the  source  from  which  they  spring,  and  the  invari¬ 
able  effects  of  them,  on  the  heart  and  life  of  him  uTho  continually  ex¬ 
ercises  them  ;  may  be  considered  as  the  substance  of  Christianity,  the 
religion  of  a  sinner  under  a  dispensation  of  mercy  and  grace.  Scott. 

V.  22.  Bound  in  the  Spirit .)  Perhaps  the  bonds  and  imprison¬ 
ment,  xvhich  the  Holy  Spirit,  by  the  prophets,  constantly  predicted,  as 
[122] 


perils  ;  that  care  not  what  enemies  they 
make,  so  that  they  can  but  approve  them¬ 
selves  to  their  Master,  and  make  Him  their 
„  Friend.  Paul’s  tears  were  owing  to  his 
temptations  ;  his  afflictions  helped  to  excite 
his  good  affections. 

2.  His  preaching  was  likewise  such  as  it 
should  be,  v.  20,  21.  (1.)  Plain;  he  de¬ 

livered  his  message  so  as  to  be  understood  ; 
this  is  intimated  in  two  words,  l  have  showed 
you,  and  have  taught  you  ;  he  did  not  amuse 
them  with  nice  speculations,  nor  lead  them 
into,-  and  then  lose  them  in,  the  clouds  of 
lofty  notions  and  expressions  ;  but  he  showed 
them  the  plain  truths  of  the  Gospel,  which 
were  ofgreatest  consequence  and  importance, 
and  taught  them  as  children  are  taught. 

(2.)  Powerful;  intimated  in  his  testify¬ 
ing  to  them  ;  he  preached  as  one  on  oath, 
that  was  himself  fully  assured  of  the  truth 
of  what  he  preached,  and  desirous  to  con¬ 
vince  them  of  it,  and  to  influence  and  govern 
them  by  it.  He  preached  the  Gospel,  not  as 
a  hawker  proclaims  news  in  the  street,  (it 
is  all  one  to  him  whether  it  be  true  or  false,) 
hut  as  a  conscientious  witness  gives  in  his 
evidence  at  the  bar,  with  the  utmost  serious¬ 
ness  and  concern. 

(3.)  Profitable;  in  till  his  preaching  he 
aimed,  not  at  pleasing,  but  at  doing  good  to 
those  he  preached  to  ;  he  studied  what  had 
a  tendency  to  make  them  wise  and  good, 
wiser  and  better  ;  to  inform  their  judg¬ 
ments,  and  reform  their  hearts  and  lives. 
Those  teach  for  God,  that  teach  people  to 
profit,  Is.  4S:  17. 

(4.)  Pains-taking ;  he  was  very  indus¬ 
trious  arid  indefatigable  in  his  work  ;  he 
preached  publicly,  and  from  house  to  house  ; 
and  did  not  think  that  the  one  manner  would 
excuse  him  from  the  other.  Ministers  should 
in  their  private  visits,  and  as  they  go  from 
house  to  house,  discourse  of  those  things 
which  they  have  taught  publicly,  repeat  them, 
inculcate  them,  and  explain  them,  if  it  be 
needful,  asking,  Have  you  understood  all  these 
things  ?  And  especially,  they  should  help 
persons  to  apply  it  to  themselves  and  their 
own  case. 

(5.)  Faithful;  he  not  only  preached  what 
was  profitable,  but  everything  he  thought 
might  he  profitable,  he  kept  bark  nothing  ; 
he  declined  not  preaching  whatever  he 
thought  might  be  profitable,  though  not  fash¬ 
ionable,  nor  to  some  acceptable.  He  did  not 
keep  back  reproofs  when  necessary,  for  fear 
of  offending  ;  nor  keep  back  the  preaching 
of  the  cross,  though  he  knew  it  was  to  the 
Jews  a  stumbling-block,  and  to  the  Greeks, 
foolishness,  as  the  Roman  missionaries  in 
China  lately  did. 

(6.)  Catholic;  he  testified  both  to  the  Jews, 
and  also  to  the  Greeks.  Though  born  and 
bred  a  Jew,  yet  he  did  not  therefore  confine 
himself  to  the  Jews,  and  avoid  the  Gentiles; 
hut  preached  as  readily  to  them  as  to  the 
Jews.  And, on  the  other  hand,  though  called 
to  be  the  apostle  of  the  Gentiles,  and  the 
Jews  had  an  implacable  enmity  against  him 
on  that  score,  yet  he  did  not  therefore  aban¬ 
don  them  as  reprobates,  but  continued  to 
deal  with  them  for  their  good.  Ministers 
must  preach  the  Gospel  with  impartiality  ; 
for  they  are  ministers  of  Christ  for  the  uni¬ 
versal  church. 

Finally,  he  was  a  truly  Christian ,  evan¬ 
gelical  preacher,  he  did  not  preach  philo¬ 
sophical  notions,  or  matters  of  doubtful  dis¬ 
putation,  nor  [party]  politics,  but  faith  and 
repentance,  the  two  great  gospel-graces,  the 
nature  and  necessity  of  them  ;  these  he  urged 
on  all  occasions.  He  preached  repentance  as 
God’s  great  command,  ch 


must  obey, — that  men  should  repent,  and  turn 
to  God,  and  do  works  meet  for  repentance,  so 
lie  explains  it,  ch.  26:20.  and  he  preached 
it  as  Christ’s  gift,  in  order  to  the  remission 
of  sin3,  ch.  5:  31.  and  directed  people  to 
look  up  to  Him  for  it. 

He  preached  faith  toward  our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ,  as  our  Way  to  God.  Sin  must  by 
repentance  be  abandoned  and  forsaken,  and 
then  Christ  must  by  faith  he  relied  on  for 
the  pardon  of  sin.  Our  repentance  toward 
God  is  not  sufficient,  we  must  have  a  true 
faith  in  Christ  as  our  Redeemer  and  Savior, 
consenting  to  Him  as  our  Lord  and  our  God. 
For  there  is  no  coming  to  God,  as  penitent 
prodigals  to  a  Father,  but  in  the  strength 
and  righteousness  of  Jesus  Christ  as  Me¬ 
diator.  Such  a  preacher,  they  all  knew  Paul 
had  been  ;  and  if  they  will  carry  on  the 
same  work,  they  must  walk  in  the  same 
spirit,  in  the  same  steps. 

II.  He  declares  his  expectation  of  suffer¬ 
ings  and  afilictions  in  his  present  journey  to 
Jerusalem,  v.  22 — 24.  ;  therefore  let  them 
not  think  he  quitted  Asia  now,  for  fear  of 
persecution.  Now  behold,  I  go  bound  in  the 
Spirit  to  Jerusalem;  which  may  be  understood 
either,  of  the  certain  foresight  he  had  of 
trouble  before  him;  or  of  the  strong  impulse 
he  was  under  from  the  Spirit  of  God  work¬ 
ing  on  his  spirit  to  go  this  journey. 

1.  He  does  not  know  particularly  the 
things  that  shall  befall  him  at  Jerusalem  ;  it 
is  good  for  us  to  be  kept  in  the  dark  concern¬ 
ing  future  events,  that  we  may  be  always 
waiting  on  God,  and  waiting  for  Him. 
When  we  go  abroad,  it  should  be  with  this 
thought,  we  know  not  the  things  that  shall  be¬ 
fall  us,  nor  what  a  day,  or  a  night,  or  an 
hour,  may  bring  forth ;  and  therefore  must 
refer  ourselves  to  God,  let  Him  do  with  us 
as  seemeth  good  in  his  eyes,  and  study  to 

STAND  COMPLETE  IN  HIS  WHOLE  WILL. 

2.  Yet  he  does  know,  in  general,  that 
there  is  a  storm  before  him;  for  the  prophets 
in  every  city  he  passed  through,  told  him,  by 
the  Holy  Ghost,  that  bonds  and  afflictions  did 
abide  him.  Beside  the  common  notice  given 
to  all  Christians  and  ministers  to  expect  and 
prepare  for  sufferings,  [and  his  own  past 
experience,]  Paul  had  particular  intimations 
of  an  extraordinary  trouble,  greater  and 
longer  than  any  he  had  yet  met  with,  that 
was  now  before  him. 

3.  He  fixes  a  brave  and  heroic  resolution 

to  go  on  with  his  work,  notwithstanding, 
lie  was  flesh  and  blood,  as  Well  as  other 
men ;  and  yet,  by  the  grace  of  God,  he  was 
enabled  to  go  on  with  his  work,  and  to  look 
with  a  gracious  and  generous  contempt  on  all 
the  difficulties  and  discouragements  he  met 
with  in  it.  Let  us  take  it  from  his  own 
mouth  here,  v.  24.  where  he  speaks  not  with 
obstinacy  or  ostentation,  but  with  a  holy, 
humble  resolution  ;  ‘  None  of  these  things 

move  me,  all  my  care  is  to  proceed  and  to 
persevere  in  the  way  of  my  duty,  and  to  fin¬ 
ish  well.’  Paul  is  here  an  example,  (i.) 
Of  holy  courage  and  resolution  in  our  work, 
notwithstanding  difficulties  and  oppositions ; 
he  saw  them  before  him,  but  says,  I  make  no 
account  of  them.  He  did  not  lay  these  things 
to  heart,  Christ  and  heaven  lay  there.  None 
of  these  things  drove  him  off  from  his  work, 
nor  deprived  him  of  his  comfort,  nor  made 
him  drive  on  heavily  in  his  work  ;  in  the 
midst  of  troubles  he  was  as  one  unconcerned. 
Those  that  have  their  conversation  in  heaven, 
can  look  down,  not  only  on  the  common 
troubles  of  this  earth,  but  on  the  threatening 
rage  and  malice  of  hell  itself,  and  say,  that 
none  of  these  things  move  them,  as  knowing 
that  none  of  these  things  can  hurt  them.  (2.) 


awaiting  the  apostle,  were  intended  by  this  expression.  (23.  Note,  19: 
21,  22.)— ‘This  resembles  the  expression  used  in  ch.  18:5.  and  in  both 
I  understand  to  pneuma,  not  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  but  of  the  spirit  and 
mind  of  Paul.’  Bp.  Midil/rton.  See  on  18:5.  Scott. 

(22.)  Bound ,  Arc.)  ‘  Either  the  strong  influence  of  the  Divine  Spirit 
on  his  mind,  or  the  strong  propensity  in  his  own  will,  wish,  and  desire 
to  visit  Jerusalem.’  Dr.  A.  Clarke. 


A.  D.  61. 


ACTS,  XX.  Paul's  address  to  the  Ephesian  elders. 


25  And  now,  behold,  I  know  that 
ye  all,  among  whom  I  have  gone 
preaching  the  kingdom  of  God, 
shall  see  my  face  no  more. 

26  Wherefore  I  take  you  to  re¬ 
cord  this  day,  that  I  am  hpure  from 
the  blood  of  all  men. 

27  For  I  have  not  shunned  to 
declare  unto  you  all  the  counsel 
'  of  God. 

25  Take  heed  J  therefore  unto 
yourselves,  and  to  all  the  flock, 
over  the  which  the  Holy  Ghost 
hath  made  you  k  overseers,  to  feed 
1  the  church  of  God,  which  he  hath 
purchased  m  with  his  own  blood. 

h2Co.7:2.  k  He.  13:17.  m  Ep.  1:11.  Col. 

i  K|>.  1:11.  1  Pr.  10:21.  Je.  3:  1:14.  He.  9:12, 

}  Col.  4:17.  1  Ti.  15.  .In.  21.15-  14.  1  Pe.  1:18, 
4:16.  17.  1  Pe.  5:2,3.  19,  Re.  5:9. 


Of  a  holy  contempt  of  life,  and  the  continu¬ 
ance  and  comforts  of  it;  Neither  count  I  my 
life  dear  to  myself.  Life  is  sweet,  and  nat¬ 
urally  dear  to  us,  all  that  a  man  kas  will  he 
give  for  his  life;  but  all  that  a  man  has,  and 
life  too,  will  he  give,  who  understands  him¬ 
self  aright  and  his  own  interest,  rather  than 
lose  the  favor  of  God,  and  hazard  eternal 
life.  This  explains  Luke  14:26.  where  we 
are  required  to  hate  our  own  lives,  not  in  a 
hasty  passion,  as  Job  and  Jeremiah,  but  in 
a  holy  submission  to  the  will  of  God,  and  a 
resolution  to  die  for  Christ,  rather  than  to 
deny  Him.  (3.)  Of  a  holy  concern  to  go 
through  with  the  work  of  life,  which  should 
be  much  more  our  care,  than  to  secure  either 
the  outward  comforts  or  the  continuance  of 
it.  Blessed  Paul  counts  not  his  life  dear,  in 
comparison  with  this,  and  resolves  in  the 
strength  of  Christ,  that  he  never  will,  to  save 
his  life,  lose  the  ends  of  living.  Two  things 
if  this  great  and  good  man  gain,  it  is  no 
matter  to  him  what  comes  of  life  : 

[L]  That  he  may  he  found  faithful  to  the 
trust  reposed  in  him;  make  fidl  proof  of  his 
ministry ;  go  through  the  business  of  it,  and 
others  reap  the  advantage  of  it,  to  the  utmost 
lhat  was  designed.  Observe,  The  apostle- 
ship  was  a  ministry  both  to  Christ  and  to  the 
souls  of  men  ;  and  they  that  were  called  to 
it,  considered  more  the  ministry  [i.  e.  serv¬ 
ing]  than  the  dignity  or  dominion  of  it ;  and 
if  the  apostles  did  so,  much  more  ought  the 
pastors  and  teachers  to  do  so,  and  to  be  in 
the  church  as  those  that  serve.  This  ministry 
was  received  from  the  Lord  Jesus  ;  for  Him 
they  do  their  work,  in  his  name,  in  his 
strength,  and  to  Him  they  must  give  up  their 
account.  The  work  of  this  ministry  was,  to 
testify  the  Gospel  of  the  grace  of  God,  to  pub- 
lish  it  to  the  world,  to  prove  it,  and  to  rec¬ 
ommend  it  ;  and  being  the  Gospel  of  the 
grace  of  God,  it  has  enough  in  it  to  recom¬ 
mend  itself ;  it  is  a  proof  of  God’s  good-will 
to  us,  and  a  mean  of  his  good  work  in  us. 
Paul  made  it  the  business  of  his  life  to  tes¬ 
tify  this,  and  desired  not  to  live  a  day  longer 
than  he  might  be  instrumental  to  spread  the 


knowledge,  and  savor,  and  power  of  this 
Gospel. 

[2.]  That  he  may  finish  well  ;  he  cares 
not  when  the  period  of  his  life  comes,  nor 
how,  be  it  ever  so  soon,  ever  so  sudden,  ever 
so  sad,  as  to  outward  circumstances,  so  that 
he  may  but  finish  his  course,  his  race,  so  the 
word  is,  with  joy,  Heb.  12:  1.  This  inti¬ 
mates,  that  we  have  our  labors  appointed  us, 
for  we  were  not  sent  into  the  world  to  be 
idle  ;  and  our  limits  appointed  us,  for  we 
were  not  sent  into  the  world  to  be  here 
always;  but  to  pass  through  the  world,  nay, 
to  run  through  it;  and  it  is  soon  run  through. 
He  speaks  of  the  finishing  of  his  course,  as 
sure  and  near,  and  that  upon  which  he  had 
his  thoughts  continually.  The  business  of 
our  life  is,  to  provide  for  a  joyful  death. 

III.  Counting  on  it,  that  this  was  the  last 
time  they  should  see  him,  he  appeals  to  their 
consciences  concerning  his  integrity,  and 
demands  of  them  a  testimony  to  it. 

1.  When  any  of  us  part  with  our  friends, 
we  may  say,  and  should  say, 1  We  know  not 
we  shall  ever  see  one  another  again,  in  this 
world.’  But  Paul  here  speaks  it  with  assu¬ 
rance,  by  the  Spirit  of  prophecy  ;  and  we 
cannot  think  he  who  spake  so  doubtfully  of 
that  which  he  was  not  sure  of,  v.  22.  would 
speak  this  with  so  much  confidence,  unless 
he  had  had  a  special  warrant  from  the  Spirit 
to  say  it ;  to  whom  l  think  they  do  wrong, 
who  suppose  that,  notwithstanding  this,  Paul 
did  afterward  come  to  Ephesus,  and  see  them 
again.  We  ought  often  to  think  of  it,  that 
those  who  now  are  preaching  to  us  the  king¬ 
dom  of  God,  will  shortly  be  removed,  and  we 
shall  see  their  faces  no  more  ;  it  concerns  us 
therefore  to  improve  their  ministry  while  we 
have  it,  that  when  we  shall  see  their  faces  no 
more  on  earth,  yet  we  may  hope  to  look  them 
in  the  face  with  comfort  in  the  great  day. 

2.  He  challenges  them  to  prove  him  un¬ 
faithful,  or  to  have  said  or  done  anything  by 
which  he  had  made  himself  accessary  to  the 
ruin  of  any  precious  soul  ;  I  am  pure  from 
the  blood  of  all  men,  the  blood  of  souls.  This 
plainly  refers  to  that  of  the  prophet,  Ez.  33: 
6.  If  a  minister  has  approved  himself  faith¬ 
ful,  he  may  have  this  rejoicing  in  himself. 
He  therefore  leaves  the  blood  of  them  that 
perish,  on  their  own  heads,  because  they  had 
fair  warning  given  them,  but  they  would  not 
take  it.  He  charges  these  ministers  to  look 
to  it,  that  they  took  care  and  pains,  as  he  had 
done ;  *  I  am  pure  from  the  blood  of  all  men, 
see  that  you  keep  yourselves  so  too.  I  take 
you  to  record  this  day;  I  call  this  day  to  wit¬ 
ness  to  you,  so  Streso.  As  sometimes  the 
heavens  and  earth  are  appealed  to,  so  here 
this  day  shall  be  a  witness ;  this  parting  day. 

3.  He  proves  his  own  fidelity  with  this, 
v.  27.  He  had  preached  to  them  nothing  but 
the  counsel  of  God,  and  not  added  any  in¬ 
ventions  of  his  own.  He  had  preached  to 
them  the  whole  counsel  of  God ;  gone  over  a 
body  of  divinity  among  them,  that,  having 
the  truths  of  the  Gospel  opened  to  them  me¬ 
thodically,  from  first  to  last,  in  order,  they 
might  the  better  understand  them,  by  seeing 
them  in  their  several  connexions  with,  and 


dependences  on,  one  another.  He  had  not 
shunned  to  do  it,  to  save  his  own  pains,  nor 
credit;  he  had  not  shunned  preaching  those 
doctrines,  which  lie  knew  would  he  provok¬ 
ing  to  the  watchful  enemies  of  Christianity, 
or  displeasing  to  the  careless  professors  of 
it,  but  faithfully  took  his  work  before  him, 
whether  they  would  hear  or  forbear.  And  thus 
it  was  that  he  kept  himself  pure  from  the  blood 
of  all  men. 

IV.  He  charges  them,  as  ministers,  to  be 
diligent  and  faithful  in  their  work. 

1.  He  commits  the  care  of  the  church  at 
Ephesus,  i.  e.  the  Christians  there  and 
thereabouts,  Eph.  1:1.  to  them.;  who,  though 
doubtless  so  numerous  they  could  not  all 
meet  in  one  place,  but  worshipped  God  in 
several  congregations,  under  the  conduct  of 
several  ministers,  are  yet  called  here  one 
flock,  because  they  not  only  agreed  in  one 
faith,  as  they  did  with  all  Christian  churches, 
but  in  many  instances  they  kept  up  commu¬ 
nion  one  with  another.  To  these  elders  or 
presbyters  the  apostle  here,  on  the  actual 
foresight  of  his  own  final  leaving  them,  com¬ 
mits  the  government  of  this  church,  and  tells 
them  that  not  he,  but  the  Holy  Ghost,  had 
made  them  overseers,  bishops  of  the  flock.  They 
took  not  this  honor  to  themselves,  but  the 
Holy  Ghost  in  them  qualified  them  for,  and 
enriched  them  to,  this  great  undertaking,  the 
Holy  Ghost  fell  upon  them,  eh.  19:  6. 

2.  He  commanded  them  to  mind  the  work 
they  were  called  to;  dignity  calls  for  duty; 
(1.)  They  must  take  heed  to  themselves  in  the 
first  place,  must  have  a  very  jealous  eye  on 
all  the  motions  of  their  own  souls,  and  on  all 
they  said  and  did.  Those  are  not  likely  to 
be  skilful  or  faithful  keepers  of  the  vineyards 
of  others,  that  do  not  keep  their  own.  (2.) 
‘  Take  heed  to  the  flock,  to  all  the  flock ,  see  that 
no  part  be  neglected.  Ministers  must  have  a 
constant  regard  to  the  souls  of  their  charge, 
as  shepherds  to  their  sheep,  that  they  re¬ 
ceive  no  damage.  (3.)  They  must  feed  the 
church  of  God,  do  all  the  parts  of  the  shep¬ 
herd’s  office  ;  heal  the  distempered,  feed 
them  with  wholesome  doctrine,  with  a  ten¬ 
der,  evangelical  discipline,  and  see  that  noth¬ 
ing  is  wanting  that  is  necessary  to  their 
being  nourished  up  to  eternal  life.  There  is 
need  of  pastors,  not  only  to  gather  the  church 
of  God,  by  the  bringing  in  of  those  that  are 
without,  but  to  feed  it  by  building  up  those 
that  are  within.  (4.)  They  must  watch,  v.  31. 
as  shepherds  keep  watch  over  their  flocks  by 
night ;  must  be  awake  and  watchful  ;  must 
not  give  way  to  spiritual  sloth  and  slumber, 
but  must  stir  up  themselves  to  their  business, 
and  closely  attend  it.  Watch  thou  in  all 
things,  2  Tim.  4:  5.  watch  against  everything 
hurtful,  and  to  everything  that  will  be  ad¬ 
vantageous  to  the  flock  ;  improve  every 
opportunity  of  doing  it  a  kindness. 

3.  He  gives  them  several  good  reasons  for 
tltis.  Let  them  consider, 

(1.)  The  interest  of  their  Master,  and  his 
concern  for  the  flock,  committed  to  their 
charge,  v.  28.  ‘  It  is  the  church  which  He  has 
purchased  with  his  own  blood.  And  if  it  be  the 
church  of  God,  He  expects  you  would  show 


V.  25 — 27.  An  immediate  revelation  seems  to  have  been,  about  tli is 
time,  made  to  the  apostle,  that  h^  should  no  more  revisit  Ephesus,  or 
see  any  of  these  elders,  or  those  in  that  neighborhood  to  whom  he  had 
preached,  any  more  on  earth. — It  is  probable,  that  the  apostle  went, 
after  this,  into  the  neighborhood  of  Ephesus:  2  Tim.  4:9 — 13,  v.  12. 
Philem.  22 — 25.  and,  on  this  ground,  some  learned  men  think,  that  in 
saying,  ‘  I  know  lhat  ye  all . .  .  shall  see  my  face  no  more he  only 
meant  to  draw  this  conclusion  from  the  predictions,  which  were  given 
of  the  sufferings  that  awaited  him.  The  elders,  however,  understood 
him,  as  speaking  with  certainty  of  what  he  knew  by  revelation  :  nor 
did  he  attempt  to  undecejve  them,  though  he  saw  them  overwhelmed 
with  grief.  36 — 38.  Pref.  to  1  Tim.  [‘lie  may  have  had,’  says  Dr.  A. 
Clarke ,  1  a  divine  intimation,  that  the  persons  now  present  should  not 
be  alive  when  he  came  again  that  way.  Or,  it  may  refer  only  to  Ephesus 
and  Miletus. . .  which,  probably,  he  did  not  revisit,’  though  it  seems  he 
was  again  in  their  neighborhood  ;  see,  in  add.  to  the  texts  above,  ‘Phil. 
1:25—27.2:24.  Ileb.  13:19,  23.’  Ed.]  (27)  Shunned.]  See  on  20.  ‘A 
military  word  from  soldiers  who  recoil,  and  leave  their  standing.’  Leigh. 
‘  Its  proper  import  in  such  a  connexion,’  (as  used  by  Demosth.  and  Lu¬ 
cian,)  ‘  is,  to  disguise  any  important  truth,  and  at  least  to  decline  its 
open  publication,  for  fear  of  displeasing.’  Doddr.  Scott. 

(25.)  Bl.  complains  of  the  expedients,  to  reconcile  this  v.  with  Paul’s 


actual  return  to  Asia  and  Ephesus,  as  ‘far-fetched,  evidently  made  for 

the  nonce,  and  only  meriting  contempt and  finds  ‘  the  true  key  at 
v.  22;  the  words  of  which,  as  I  have  proved,’  says  he,  ‘were  spoken 
with  an  avowed  ignorance  of  the  future,  so  were  not  divinely  propheti¬ 
cal ,  but  only  those  of  one  under  the  influence  of  his  human  spirit, — 
not  knowing  (as  in  Acts  19:28.  Horn.  15:24.  2  Cor.  1:15).  For  the  phrase 
egO  nid'  hoti,  [l  know  that,]  is  a  formula,  frequently  used  in  the  most 
elegant  xvriters,  but  denotes  something  far  less  than  certain  knowledge 
(even  with  the  addition  of  eu  [well]  before  oida  [know]),  namely,  opin¬ 
ion  only  and  present  persuasion.  Comp.  Thucyd.  1.  6,  34  fin.  Xen.,  Cyr., 
3,  3,  32.  See  many  other  examples  in  Sturz.  So  Acts  3:17.’  Bl.  Ed. 

V.  28.  The  most  able  critics  have  shown,  that  the  present  is  the  gen¬ 
uine  reading  of  the  v. ;  though  a  few  copies  have  ‘the  church  of  the 
Lord,’  a  phrase  not  used  in  the  N.  T.  The  passage  is  a  most  decisive 
testimony  to  the  Deity  of  Christ.  The  atonement  and  ransom  of  our 
souls  is  the  blood  of  Jesus,  who  is  as  truly  God,  as  man:  and  thus  in 
his  mysterious  Person,  as  God  and  man,  He  ‘  purchased  the  church  with 
his  own  blood.’  This  gave  the  infinite  value  to  his  sacrifice ;  and  it  sug- 
gestaato  his  ministers  the  most  powerful  motives  to  faithfulness,  dili- 
genc^ patience,  and  fortitude  in  their  work. —  The  personality  and  Deity, 
and  sovereignty  likewise,  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  are  clearly  shown,  in  the 
words,  ‘  Over  which  the  Holy  Ghost  hath  made  you  overseers.  Scott. 

[1 


A.  D.  61. 


ACTS,  XX. 


Paul’s  address  lo  the  Ephesian  elders. 


29  For  I  know  this,  that  after 
my  departing  shall  grievous  wolves 
n  enter  in  among  you,  not  sparing 
0  the  flock. 

30  Also  of  p  your  own*selves  shall 
men  arise,  speaking  perverse  things, 
to  draw  away  disciples  after  them. 

31  Therefore  q  watch,  and  re¬ 
member,  that  by  the  space  of  three 
years  I  ceased  not  to  warn  r  every 
one  night  and  day  with  tears. 

32  And  now,  brethren,  i  com¬ 
mend  you  to  God,  and  to  the  word 
of  his  grace,  which  9  is  able  to  build 
you  up,  and  to  give  you  an  inher¬ 
itance  1  among  all  them  which  are 
sanctified. 

33  I  "  have  coveted  no  man’s 
silver,  or  gold,  or  apparel. 

ii  Mm.  7:15.  2  Pe.  4,  &c.  1:12.  He.  9:15. 

2:1.  q  2  K.  4:5.  1  Pe.  1:4. 

o  Je.  13:20.  23:1.  r  Col.  1:28.  u  1  Sa.  12:3.  1 

F./.e.  34:2,3.  s  Jn.  17:17.  Co.  9:12.  2  Co. 

Zee.  11:17.  t  c.  26:18.  Col.  7:2. 

p  1  Jn.  2:19.  Jude 

your  love  to  Him,  by  feeding  his  sheep  and 
lambs.’  He  has  purchased  it  ;  therefore  it 
ought  to  be  dear  to  us,  for  it  was  dear  to 
H  im,  because  it  cost  Him  dear,  and  we  can¬ 
not  better  show  it,  than  by  feeding  his  sheep 
and  his  lambs.  He  purchased  it;  not  as  Is¬ 
rael,  of  old,  when  He  gave  men  for  them,  and 
people  for  their  life.  Is.  43:  3,  4.  but  with  his 
own  blood.  This  proves,  that  Christ  is  God, 
for  He  is  called  so  here,  where  yet  He  is  said 
to  purchase  the  church  with  his  own  blood;  the 
blood  was  his  as  Man,  here  called  the  blood 
of  God,  for  it  was  the  blood  of  Him  who  is 
God,  and  his  being  so,  put  such  dignity  and 
worth  into  it,  as  made  it  both  a  valuable 
ransom  of  us  from  all  evil,  and  a  valuable 
purchase  for  us  of  all  good,  nay,  a  purchase 
of  us  to  Christ,  to  be  to  Him  a  peculiar  peo¬ 
ple  ;  Thine  they  were,  and  Thou  gavest  them 
Me;  in  consideration  of  this,  therefore,  feed 
the  church  of  God ,  because  it  is  purchased  at 
so  dear  a  rate. 

(2.)  The  danger  the  dock  was  in  of  being 
made  a  prey  to  its  adversaries,  v.  29,  30. 
Some  understand  grievous  wolves  of  persecu¬ 
tors,  that  will  inform  against  the  Christians, 
and  incense  the  magistrates  against  them, 
and  will  have  no  compassion  on  the  flock. 
Ministers  must  take  a  more  than  ordinary 
care  of  the  flock,  in  times  of  persecution. 
But  it  is  rather  to  be  understood  of  seducers 
and  false  teachers ;  probably,  lie  has  an  eye 
to  those  of  the  circumcision,  that  preached 
up  the  ceremonial  law,  and  did  all  they  could 
to  blemish  and  defame  those  that  adhered  to 
the  pure  Gospel  of  Christ,  Gal.  5: 15.  Phil. 
3:  2.  While  Paul  was  at  Ephesus,  they  kept 
away,  for  they  durst  not  face  him ;  but  when 
he  was  gone,  then  they  entered  in  among 
mem,  and  sowed  their  tares  where  he  had 
sown  the  good  seed.  Take  heed  also,  v.  30. 
of  your  own  selves,  among  the  members,  nay, 


perhaps,  among  the  ministers  of  your  own 
church,  among  you  that  I  am  now  speaking 
to,  shall  men  arise  speaking  perverse  things, 
things  contrary  to  the  right  rule  of  the  Gos¬ 
pel,  and  destructive  of  the  great  intentions 
of  it.  Nay,  they  will  pervert  some  sayings 
of  the  Gospel,  and  wrest  them  to  make  them 
patronize  their  errors,  2  Pet.  3:  1C.  it  is  to 
draw  away  disciples  after  them,  to  make  a 
party  for  themselves,  that  shall  admire  them, 
and  be  led  by  them.  Some  read  it,  to  draw 
away  the  disciples  after  them  ;  those  that  are 
already  disciples  of  Christ,  draw  them  from 
Him  to  follow  them.  This  was  there  ful¬ 
filled  in  Phygellus  and  Hermogenes,  who 
turned  away  from  Paul  and  the  doctrine  he 
had  preached,  2  Tim.  1:  15.  and  in  Hyme- 
neus  and  Philetus,  who  concerning  the  truth 
erred,  and  overthrew  the  faith  of  some,  2  Tim. 
2:  18.  which  explains  this  here.  But  though 
there  were  some  such  seducers  in  the  church 
of  Ephesus,  yet  it  should  seem  by  Paul’s 
Epistle  to  that  church,  that  that  church  was 
not  so  much  infested  with  false  teachers,  or 
at  least  with  their  false  doctrine,  as  some 
oilier  churches  were  ;  but  its  peace  and  pu¬ 
rity  were  preserved,  by  the  blessing  of  God 
on  the  pains  and  vigilance  of  these  presby¬ 
ters,  to  whom  the  apostle,  in  the  actual  fore¬ 
sight  and  consideration  of  the  rise  of  heresies 
and  schisms,  as  well  as  of  his  own  death, 
committed  the  government  of  this  church. 

(3.)  The  great  pains  Paul  had  taken  in 
planting  this  church,  v.  31.  Paul,  like  a 
faithful  watchman,  had  warned  them,  and  by 
his  warnings  of  the  danger  of  continuing  in 
judaism  and  heathenism,  he  prevailed  with 
men  to  embrace  Christianity.  He  warned 
every  one ;  beside  the  public  warnings  he 
gave  in  his  preaching,  he  applied  himself  to 
particular  persons,  according  as  he  saw  their 
case  called  for  it,  which  he  had  something 
to  say  peculiar  to.  He  was  constant  in  giv¬ 
ing  warning  ;  night  and  day,  his  time  was 
filled  up  with  iiis  work  ;  in  the  night,  when 
lie  should  have  been  reposing  himself,  he  was 
dealing  with  those  he  could  not  get  to  speak 
with  in  the  day  about  their  souls.  He  was 
indefatigable  in  it,  he  ceased  not  to  warn  ; 
though  they  were  ever  so  obstinate,  yet  he 
did  not  cease,  not  knowing  but  at  length 
they  might,  by  the  grace  of  God,  be  over¬ 
come;  though  they  were  ever  so  pliable,  yet 
be  did  not  think  that  a  sufficient  excuse  for 
him  to  desist,  but  still  he  warned  them  that 
were  righteous,  not  to  turn  from  their  right¬ 
eousness,  as  he  had  warned  them  when  they 
Mere  wicked,  to  turn  from  their  wickedness, 
Ez.  3:  IS — 21.  He  spake  to  them  about 
their  souls  with  great  affection  and  concern, 
with  tears.  As  he  had  served  the  Lord,  so  he 
had  served  th em,wilh  many  tears,  v.  19.  He 
had  begun  the  good  work  at  Ephesus,  thus 
free  had  he  been  of  his  pains  ;  why  then 
should  they  be  sparing  of  their  pains  in 
carrying  it  on  1 

V.  He  recommends  them  to  a  divine  con¬ 
duct  and  influence,  v.  32.  They  were  in 
care  what  would  become  of  them,  how  they 


1  should  go  on  in  their  work,  break  through 
their  difficulties,  and  what  provision  would 
be  made  for  them  and  their  families.  In 
answer  to  all  these  perplexities,  Paul  directs 
them  to  look  up  to  God  with  an  eye  of  faith, 
and  beseeches  God  to  look  down  on  them 
with  an  eye  of  favor. 

1.  He  commends  them,  (1.)  To  God,  i.e. 

to  his  providence,  and  to  its  protection  and 
care.  It  is  enough,  that,  whomsoever  we 
are  separated  from,  still  we  have  God  nigh 
unto  us,  1  Pet.  4  :  19.  (2.)  To  the  Word 

of  his  grace,  by  which  some  understand 
Christ,  John  1:1.  1  John  1:1.  He  puts 
them  into  his  hand,  as  being  bis  servants, 
whom  He  would  in  a  particular  manner  take 
care  of.  It  comes  much  to  one,  if,  by  the 
Word  of  his  grace,  we  understand  the  Gos¬ 
pel  of  Christ,  for  it  is  Christ.in  the  Word 
that  is  nigh  unto  us  for  our  support  and  en¬ 
couragement,  and  his  Word  is  spirit  and  life. 
He  commends  them  to  the  Word  of  God’s 
grace,  not  only  as  the  foundation  of  their 
hope,  and  the  fountain  of  their  joy,  but  as 
the  rule  of  their  walking  ;  ‘  observe  the 
precepts  of  this  Word,  and  then  live  upon 
its  promises.’ 

2.  He  commends  them  to  the  Word  of 
God’s  grace,  not  so  much  for  a  protection 
from  their  enemies,  or  a  provision  for  their 
families,  as  for  the  spiritual  blessings  they 
most  needed,  and  ought  most  to  value. 
(1.)  For  their  edification  ;  ‘  It  is  able  (the 

.Spirit  with  it  and  by  it)  to  build  you  up  : 
there  is  that  in  it  which  you  need  to  be 
better  acquainted  with,  and  more  affected 
with.’  Ministers,  in  preaching  the  Word 
of  grace,  must  aim  at  their  own  edification, 
as  well  as  at  the  edification  of  others.  The 
most  advanced  Christians,  while  in  this 
world,  are  capable  of  growing,  and  will  find 
the  Word  of  grace  to  have  still  more  and 
more  in  it  to  contribute  to  their  growth. 
(2.)  For  their  glorification ;  It  is  able  lo  give 
you  an  inheritance  among  all  them  which  are 
sanctified.  The  Word  of  God’s  grace  gives 
it,  not  only  as  it  gives  the  knowdedge  of  it, 
but  as  it  gives  the  promise  of  it;  and  by  the 
Word,  as  the  ordinary  vehicle, the  Spirit  of 
grace  is  given,  ch.  10:  44.  thus  it  is  the  Word 
of  God's  grace  that  gives  us  the  inheritance. 
Those  that  would  make  out  a  title  to  heaven, 
must  make  it  sure  they  are  among  the  sanc¬ 
tified,  incorporated  with  them,  and  partake 
of  the  same  image  and  nature. 

VI.  He  recommends  himself  to  them  as 
an  example  of  indifference  to  this  world, and 
to  everything  in  it  :  which,  if  they  would 
walk  in  the  same  Spirit,  and  in  the  same 
steps,  they  would  find  to  contribute  greatly 
to  their  easy  and  comfortable  passage  through 
it.  He  here  tells  them, 

1.  That  he  uever  aimed  at  worldly 
wealth,  v.  33.  There  were  many  in  Ephe¬ 
sus,  and  many  of  those  that  had  embraced 
the  Christian  faith,  who  were  rich,  had  a 
great  deal  of  money,  and  plate,  and  rich 
furniture,  and  wore  very  good  clothes,  and 
made  a  very  good  appearance.  Now,  (1.) 


(28.)  ‘  The  reading  Theou  (of  God),  is  admitted  by  Ueza,  Hamm., 
Mill.,  Whitby,  Wolf,  Veil.,  Em.,  Mich.,  Valck.  ;  kuriou  (of  the  Lord),  by 
Grot.,  I.e  Glerc,  and  all  (says  Kuin.,  but  certainly  Ven.,  Ern.,  Mich.,  and 
Valck.,  are  exceptions)  the  most  eminent  critics  of  the  age ;  and  is  un¬ 
doubtedly  the  true  reading.’  Kuin.  Hut,  says  HI.,  ‘  after  a  careful  exami¬ 
nation  of  what  has  been  written  on  it,  by  Wetst.,  Griesb.,  Kuin.,  &c.,  I 
must  avow  that  I  see  no  reason  to  desert  the  common  reading.  If  (so 
.  dich.)  Luke  wrote  Theou,  we  cannot  [can  ?]  easily  account  for  the  read¬ 
ings  Kuriou,  or  Christo  a  :  but  if  Kuriou,_\\  hut  could  possibly  induce 
any  one  to  change  it  to  Theou,  making  an  uncommon  expression  ?  Since 

then  there  has  been  wilful  alteration,  to  whom  are  we  to  charge  it  ?’ _ See 

Ins  learned  note.  The  text  cannot,  we  see,  be  a  decisive  one.  Ed. 
Purchased.]  1 PeriepoiCsato  :  “justissimus  modus  acquirendi.”  Grot. 
By  this  the  apostle  meant  to  suggest  the  obligations  under  which  we  lie, 
to  acknowledge  Jesus  as  Lord,  and  render  qnto  Him  due  honor  and  obe¬ 
dience.  Thus  in  1  Pet.  2:0.  Christians  are  said  to  be  a  people  eis  peripoi- 
esin,  and  in  Tit.  2:14.  a  people  periousios.  And  the  Jewish  people  is, 
in  Ex.  10:5.  Deut.  7:C.  and  elsewhere,  called  dm  sglh.  The  student  will 
observe,  the  middle  form  in  pcnpoicisthai,  “  to  acquire  anything  for  one's 
own  use.”  See  Dresig,  and  Wetst.  It  was  often  used  of  gaining  a  town 
bv  capture,  or,  what  is  to  our  present  purpose,  acquiring  the  rijj/it  to 
any  one’s  services  as  n  slave,  by  sparing  his  life,  or  otherwise  preserving 
his  life  in  war  (whence  the  origin  of  serous,  a  slave).  So  Herod.  1,  110. 
Wetst.  ref.  to  Gen.  12:12.  Ex.  1:1G.  32:14.  and  also  cites  Appian,  n.  397 
[124] 


In  the  active  it  often  signifies  to  save,  preserve,  as  in  Thucyd.  2,  25.  3, 
102.  6,  104.’  Bloomf.  Purchased  with  his  own  blood.]  ‘I  cannot  but 
apprehend,  that  it  was  the  special  direction  of  the  Holy  Spirit  that  so 
remarkable  an  expression  was  used.’  Doddr. — ‘  The  reading  of  the  great 
majority  of  MSS.  is  uof  the  Lord  and  of  God;”  though  the  most  an¬ 
cient  are  for  “  of  the  Lord  on  this  ground,  Griesb.  has  admitted  this 
reading  into  the  text,  and  put  “  of  the  Lord  and  of  God  ”  in  the  margin, 
Wakefield,  a  Unitarian,  decides  for  “  of  God,”  as  the  true  reading ;  but 
understands  “  blood  ”  to  mean  son,  and  tr.  “  by  his  own  Son  hut  as 
the  redemption  of  man  is,  throughout  the  N.  T.,  attributed  to  the  sacri- 
Jicial  death  of  Christ,  it  is  not  likely  that  this  very  unusual  meaning 
should  apply  here.’  Dr.  A.  Clarki;. 

V.  31.  Night  and  day.]  ‘1.  e.  assiduously :  Luke  2:37.  1  Thess.  2:9, 
3;10.  And  so  Artemid.  2,70.’  IlLOOMF. 

V.  32 — 35.  With  this  example,  instruction,  and  admonition  to  labor, 
disinterestedness,  and  liberality,  the  apostle  closed  his  address  to  these 
elders ;  and  his  words  could  not  but  make  a  deep  and  durable  impres¬ 
sion  on  their  pious  minds.  Scott. 

(32.)  ‘  From  the  certainty  with  which  a  Jew’s  inheritance  [lot]  was 
secured  to  the  heirs  and  occupiers,  it  became  an  image  not  only  of  un¬ 
disturbed  possession,  but  of  certain  acquirement.’  Bloomf. 

(33.)  ‘  Ephesus  was  famous  (see  Wetst.)  for  costly  and  splendid  gar¬ 
ments,  which  are,  apparently,  denoted  by  the  original  word,  and  by  tho 
Hebrews  reckoned  part  of  one’s  wealth.  See  Mat.  6- 19.’  Id. 


t 


A.  D.  61. 


ACTS,  XX.  The  parting  of  Paul  and  the  elders. 


34  Yea,  ye  yourselves  v  know, 
that  these  hands  have  ministered 
unto  my  necessities,  and  to  them 
that  were  with  me. 

35  I  have  shewed  you  all  things, 
how  that  so  laboring  ye  ought  to 
"  support  the  weak  ;  and  to  remem¬ 
ber  the  words  of  the  Lord  Jesus, 
how  he  said,  It  xis  more  blessed  to 
give  than  to  receive. 

36  IT  And  when  he  had  thus 
spoken,  he  kneeled  *  down,  and 
prayed  with  them  all. 

37  And  they  all  wept  sore,  and 
*  fell  on  Paul’s  neck,  and  kissed 
him  ; 

38  Sorrowing  most  of  all  for  the 
a  words  which  he  spake,  that  they 
should  see  his  face  no  more.  And 
they  accompanied  him  unto  the 
ship. 

v  c.  1S;3.  1  Co.  w  Ro.  15:1.  Ep.  y  c.  21:5. 

4:12.  1  Th.  2;9.  4:28.  1  Th.5:14.  z  Ge.  46:29. 

2  Th.  3:8.  x  La.  14:12 — 14.  a  ver.  25. 


Paul  was  not  ambitious  to  live  like  them  ; 
we  may  take  it  in  that  sense.  The  false 
apostles  desired  to  make  a  fair  show  in  the 
flesh.  Gal.  6  :  12.  to  make  a  figure  in  the 
world  ;  but  Paul  did  not  ;  be  knew  how  to 
want,  and  how  to  be  abased.  (2.)  He  was  not 
greedy  to  receive  from  them  either  silver,  or 
gold,  or  apparel  ;  so  far  from  being  always 
craving,  that  he  was  not  so  much  as  coveting, 
nor  desired  them  to  allow  him  so  and  so  for 
his  pains  among  them,  but  was  content  with 
such  things  as  he  had;  he  never  made  a  gain 
of  them,  2  Cor.  12  :  14.  He  could  not  only 
say  with  Moses,  Num.  16:15.  and  with 
Samuel,  1  S.  12 :3,  5.  Whose  ox  have  I  taken  ? 
Or  whom  have  I  defrauded  ?  But,  ‘  Whose 
kindness  have  I  coveted,  or  asked  1  Or  to 
whom  have  1  been  burdensome  V  He  pro¬ 
tests  against  desiring  a  gift,  Phil.  4:  17. 

2.  That  he  had  worked  for  his  living,  and 
taken  a  deal  of  pains  to  get  bread,  v.  34. 
Observe,  (1.)  Paul  was  sometimes  reduced 
to  necessities,  and  the  want  of  the  common 
supports  of  life,  though  so  great  a  favorite 
of  heaven,  and  so  great  a  blessing  to  this 
earth.  What  an  unthinking,  unkind,  and 
ungrateful  world  is  this,  that  could  let  such  a 
man  as  Paul  be  poor  in  it !  (2.)  He  desired 
no  more  than  to  have  his  necessities  supplied ; 
he  did  not  work  at  his  calling  to  enrich  him¬ 


self,  but  to  maintain  himself  with  food  end  rai¬ 
ment.  (3.)  When  he  was  to  earn  his  bread,  he 
did  it  by  a  manual  occupation.  Paul  had  a 
head  arid  tongue  that  he  might  have  got  money 
by,  but  they  were  these  hands,  saith  he,  that 
ministered  to  my  necessities.  Paul  puts  these 
presbyters  (and  others  in  them)  in  mind  of 
this,  that  tlicv  may  not  think  it  strange  if 
they  be  thus  neglected,  and  yet  to  go  on  in 
their  work,  and  make  the  best  shift  they  can 
to  live  ;  the  less  encouragement  they  have 
from  men,  the  more  they  shall  have  from 
God.  (4.)  He  worked  not  only  for  himself, 
but  for  ihe  support  of  them  also  that  were 
with  him  ;  that  was  hard  indeed  !  It  had 
better  become  them  to  have  worked  for  him, 
to  maintain  him  as  their  tutor;  but  so  it  is; 
those  that  are  willing  to  take  the  laboring 
oar,  will  find  those  about  them  willing  they 
should  have  it. 

3.  That  even  then  when  he  worked  for 
the  supply  of  his  own  necessities,  yet  he 
spared  something  out  of  what  he  got,  for  the. 
relief  of  others  ;  for  this  he  here  obliges 
them  to  do,  v.  35.  Some  understand  it  of 
their  supporting  the  faith  of  weak  believers, 
by  removing  the  prejudices  which  some  con¬ 
ceived  against  Christianity,  as  if  the  preach¬ 
ers  of  it  made  a  gainful  trade  of  their 
preaching,  and  the  Gospel  was  only  a  trick 
to  get  money  by,  and  pick  people’s  pockets  ; 
but  I  rather  understand  it,  of  their  helping 
to  support  the  sick  and  the  poor,  and  those  that 
could  not  labor,  because  it  agrees  with  Paul’s 
exhortation,  Eph.  4:  28.  We  must  labor  in 
an  honest  employment,  not  only  that  we  may 
be  able  to  live,  hut  that  we  may  be  able  to  give. 

This  might  seem  a  hard  saying,  and, 
therefore,  Paul  backs  it  with  a  saying  of 
our  Master’s,  which  he  would  have  them  al¬ 
ways  to  remember;  words  which  our  Lord, 
it  should  seem,  oflen  used  to  his  disciples, 
Mat.  10  :  8,  9.  which,  though  nowhere  re¬ 
corded  by  the  evangelists,  yet  Paul  had,  by 
word  of  mouth  from  Peter,  or  some  other 
of  the  disciples;  and  an  excellent  saying  it 
is,  and  has  something  of  a  paradox  in  it  ; 
It  is  more  blessed  to  give  than  to  receive.  ‘  It 
is,’  (saith  Dr.  Tillotson,)  ‘  a  particular  en¬ 
dearment  of  this  admirable  saying  of  our 
Savior’s  to  us,  that,  being  omitted  by  the 
evangelists,  and  in  danger  of  being  lost  and 
forgotten,  it  was  thus  happily  retrieved  by 
Paul,  and  recorded  by  Luke.’  The  senti¬ 
ment  of  the  children  of  this  world  is  con¬ 
trary  ;  they  are  afraid  of  giving  ;  ‘  This 
giving,’  they  say,  ‘  undoes  us  all  ;’  but  they 
are  in  hope  of  getting,  every  one  for  his  gain 


from  his  quarter.  Is.  56:  11.  Clear  gain  is 
with  them  the  most  blessed  thing  that  can 
he  ;  hut  Christ  tells  us,  It  is  more  blessed, 
more  excellent  in  itself,  an  evidence  of  a 
more  excellent  disposition  of  mind,  and  the 
way  to  a  better  blessedness  at  last,  to  give, 
than  to  receive.  It  makes  us  more  like  to 
God,  who  gives  to  all,  and  receives  from 
none ;  and  to  the  Lord  Jesus,  who  went  about 
doing  good.  It  is  more  blessed  to  give  our 
pains  than  to  receive  pay  for  it,  and  what  we 
should  delight  to  do.  It  is  more  pleasant  to 
do  good  to  the  grateful,  but  it  is  more  hon¬ 
orable  to  do  good  to  the  ungrateful,*  for 
[God  commands  it,  and]  then  we  have  God 
to  be  our  paymaster. 

V.  36 — 38.  After  Paul’s  parting  sermon 
to  the  elders  of  Ephesus,  which  was  very 
affecting,  we  have  here  the  parting  prayer 
and  tears,  yet  more  so  ;  we  can  scarcely 
read  the  account,  and  meditate  on  them, 
with  dry  eves. 

I.  They  parted  with  prayer,  v.  36.  A  joint 
prayer;  he  not  only  prayed  for  them, but  with 
them,  with  them  all.  It  is  good  for  friends, 
when  they  part,  to  part  with  prayer ;  that  by 
praying  together,  just  at  parting,  they  may  be 
enabled  to  pray  liie  more  feelingly  one  for  an¬ 
other  when  parted,  which  is  one  part  of  our 
Christian  duty,  and  an  improvement  of  the 
communion  of  saints.  The  Lord  watch  be¬ 
tween  us,  and  watch  over  us  both,  when  we  are 
absent  one  from  the  other,  is  a  good  parting 
prayer,  Gen.  31  :  49.  as  also  that  our  next 
meeting  may  be  either  nearer  heaven,  or  in 
heaven.  Paul  here  followed  the  example  of 
Christ,  John  17:1. 

II.  They  parted  with  tears,  abundance  of 
tears,  and  most  affectionate  embraces,  it.  37, 
38.  Those  that  are  most  loving,  are  com¬ 
monly  best  beloved.  Paul,  who  was  a  most 
affectionate  friend  himself,  had  very  affec¬ 
tionate  friends.  These  tears  at  parting  with 
Paul  were  a  grateful  return  for  all  he  had 
shed  in  preaching  to,  and  praying  with  them. 
He  that  water eth,  shall  be  watered  also  himself. 

What  cut  them  to  the  heart  thus,  was, 
that  word  Paid  spake,  that  they  should  see  his 
face  no  more:  it  makes  the  farewell  just  like 
a  funeral.  There  were  other  things  ror 
which  they  sorrowed, — that  they  should  want 
the  benefit  of  his  public  performances,  his 
personal  counsels  and  comforts  ;  but  this 
gave  the  most  sensible  accent  to  their  grief. 
If  our  friends  died  in  Christ,  and  we  live  to 
Him,  though  we  shall  see  their  faces  no  more 
in  this  world,  we  hope  to  see  them  again  in 

*  And  even  injurious.  See  It ayland'e  Mor.  Sci.  Ed. 


PRACT.  OBS.  V.  13 — 38.  No  Christian  can  be  comfortable  or  pros¬ 
perous  without  retirement.  Popular  ministers  may  preach,  converse, 
or  pray  in  company,  to  the  edifying  of  others  :  and  yet  decline  in  their 
own  souls,  for  want  of  self-examination,  humiliation,  and  secret  prayer, 
suited  immediately  to  their  own  case  :  their  friends  should  consider  this, 
and  not  too  much  intrude  on  the  regularand  needful  hours  for  retirement 
of  those  persons  in  whose  company  they  most  delight. — All  who  are  em¬ 
ployed  in  the  sacred  pastoral  service, whether  favored  with  living  mon¬ 
itors,  in  some  degree  resembling  Paul,  or  not,  should  consider  this  charge 
of  the  apostle  as  addressed  to  them,  even  ns  really  as  to  the  Ephesian 
ciders  ;  and  as  thus  setting  before  them  the  proper  conduct,  spirit,  and 
principles  of  a  true  minister  of  Christ  Except  we  are  ourselves  deep¬ 
ly  affected  with  the  subjects  on  which  we  treat,  how  can  we  expect 
to  affect  others  ?  and  how  can  we  convince  them,  that  we  indeed 
mean  anything  by  onr  exhortations,  unless  we  persevere  in  our  labors 
amidst  temptations  and  opposition  ? — Alas  !  few  who  claim  the  honor 
of  being  ‘the  successors  of  the  apostles,’  in  office  and  authority,  are 
disposed  to  afreet  an  equality  with  them  in  self-denial,  and  a  willing- 

(34.)  ‘  I  question  whether  in  the  whole  range  of  ancient  oratory,  there 
is  to  be  found  a  sentence  of  more  deinotbs,  and  in  which  energy  and  pa¬ 
thos  are  more  happily  combined.’  B/oomf.  IVeak.']  ‘The  needy  and  in¬ 
firm,  who  are  not  able  to  maintain  themselves.’  Doddr. 

(35.)  All  things.}  Rather ,  completely.  B/oomf.  It  is  more  blessed,  &c.] 
‘  This  is  a  true  and  precious  monument  of  apostolical  tradition.’  Doddr. 
Were  the  whole  world  to  feel  and  practice  upon  this  sentiment,  the  work 
of  religion  would  be  more  than  half  done ;  for  selfishness  is  the  great 
antagonist  principle  of  the  Gospel.  See  IFayland's  Elts.  Mor.  Sci.  Ed. 
K-Where  or  on  what  occasion  ottr  Lord  spake  these  words,  we  do  not 
know;  but  the  sentiment  is  worthy  of  Christ.  A  truly  generous  mind, 
m  affluence,  rejoices  in  opportunities  to  do  good  ;  and  feels  happy  in 
having  such  opportunities.  A  man  of  an  independent  spirit,  when  re¬ 
duced  to  poverty,  finds  it  a  severe  trial  to  be  obliged  to  live  on  the 
bounty  of  another;  and  feels  pain  in  receiving  what  the  other  feels  a 
happiness  in  communicating.  Let,  therefore,  the  man  who  is  able  to 
give,  feel  himself  the  obliged  person  and  think  how  much  pain  the 
feeling  heart  of  the  supplicant  must  endure,  in  being  obliged  to  forego 


ness  to  labor  night  and  day  without  emolument,  and  in  circum¬ 
stances  of  comparative  poverty !  It  is  indeed  probable,  that  their 
authority,  as  successors  to  the  apostles,  would  be  far  less  questioned,  if 
this  were  their  conduct  and  spirit.  The  zealous  and  prudent  minister  of 
Christ,  however,  who  is  ‘  wise  to  win  souls,’  will  not  tenaciously  de¬ 
mand  even  his  due  maintenance,  when  it  would  interfere  with  his  use¬ 
fulness;  but  will  ‘sutler  ail  things,  rather  than  hinder  the  Gospel  of 
Christ.’  Should  peculiar  circumstances  require  or  admit  of  it,  his  own 
hands  would  minister  to  his  necessities,  and  those  of  his  family  or 
friends:  that  he  might  show  the  people  all  his  princi’  cs  reduced  to 
practice ;  and  teach  even  the  poor  of  the  flock  thus  to  labor,  that  they 
might  lie  able  to  assist  in  supporting  the  weak ;  and  that  every  one 
might  learn  to  inquire,  not  what  gain  he  shall  make,  but  what  good  lie 
can  do ;  according  to  the  words  of  onr  gracious  Lord,  who  has  taught 
us,  that  ‘It  is  more  blessed  to  give  titan  to  receive:’  a  sentence,  that 
should  be  written  on  every  heart,  especially  on  that  of  every  minister 
of  the  Gospel.  ‘  This  mind  was  in  Christ  Jesus  ;’  may  it  be  in  us  also . 
Amen,  and  Amen.  Scott. 

its  native  independence,  in  soliciting  and  receiving  the  bounty  of  anoth¬ 
er.  I  am  not  speaking  of  common  beggars  ;  these  have  got  their  minds 
already  depraved ,  and  their  native  independence  reduced,  by  sin  and 
idleness,  to  servility.'  Dr.  A.  Clarke. 

V.  3G — 38.  ‘  This,  which  is  Luke’s  own  explication,  leaves  no  room 

for  ambiguity,  whiclt  might  he  imagined  in  the  expression  used  before. 
(25).’  Doddr. — It  does  not  appear  that  there  was  a  church  at  Miletus; 
for  none  are  spoken  of,  but  the  elders  of  Ephesus  and  Pnul’s  companions. 
It  is  probable,  that  Timothy  went  to  Ephesus  with  these  elders,  and 
resided  there  for  some  time;  as  we  do  not  find  that  he  accompanied  the 
apostle  to  Jerusalem,  or  was  with  him  before  he  arrived  at  Rome.  Prrf. 
1  Tim.  Scott. 

(37.)  Fell,  <fcc.]  ‘  Still  in  the  E.  relatives  and  friends,  on  meeting  or 
parting,  embrace  each  other,  and  kiss  each  others’  hands,  face,  or  shoulder. 
With  the  Greeks  and  Romans  it  was  not  unusual  to  kiss  the  head.’  Ed. 

Concluding  Note.  Ouereeere.v.  28.]  'Episcopal  [corrupted  in  bishop]  is  a  name 
generally  applied  to  those  who  preside  over  anything,  or  to  whose  care  its  adm:n- 
istnttion  is  committed.  So  the  Hebrews  used  y-yd  for  ruler,  tr.  at  Num.  31:14.  J '  id  '■ 

L125] 


A.  D.  61. 


ACTS,  XXL  Paul  sails  from  Miletus  to  Tyre. 


CHAP.  XXI. 

1  Paul  will  not  by  any  means  be  dissuaded  from  going  to 
Jerusalem.  9  Philip’s  daughters  prophetesses.  17  Paul 
cometh  to  Jerusalem  :  27  where  lie  is  apprehended,  and 
in  great  danger,  31  but  by  the  chief  captain  is  rescued, 
and  permitted  to  speak  to  the  people. 

A  ND  it  came  to  pass,  that  after 
we  were  gotten  from  them, 
and  had  launched,  we  came  with  a 
straight  course  unto  Coos,  and  the 
day  following  unto  Rhodes,  and 
from  thence  unto  Patara  : 

2  And  finding  a  ship  sailing  over 
unto  Phenicia,  we  went  aboard, 
and  set  forth. 

3  Now  when  we  had  discovered 
Cyprus,  we  left  it  on  the  left  hand, 
and  sailed  into  Syria,  and  landed  at 
Tyre  :  for  there  the  ship  was  to 
unlade  her  burden. 

4  And  finding  disciples,  we  tar¬ 
ried  there  seven  days  :  who  said 
ato  Paul  through  the  Spirit,  that  he 
should  not  go  up  to  Jerusalem. 

a  ver.  12.  - 

a  better,  and  to  be  there  together  for  ever, 
and  with  the  Lord. 

Lastly ,  They  accompanied  him  unto  the 
ship;  partly  to  show  respect,  they  would 
bring  him  on  his  way  as  far  as  they  could  ; 
and  partly  to  have  a  little  more  of  his  com¬ 
pany  and  conversation  ;  if  it  must  be  the  last 
interview,  they  will  have  as  much  from  him 
as  they  can  :  loath  to  part  bids  oft  farewell. 
But  this  was  a  comfort  to  both  sides,  and 
soon  turned  this  tide  of  passion,  that  the 
presence  of  Christ  both  went  with  him,  and 
stayed  with  them. 

Chap.  XXI.  We  have,  with  a  great 
deal  of  pleasure,  attended  the  apostle  in  his 
travels  throughout  the  Gentile  nations  to 
preach  the  Gospel,  and  have  seen  a  great 
harvest  of  souls  gathered  in  to  Christ;  there 
we  have  seen  likewise  what  persecutions  he 
endured  ;  yet  still  out  of  them  all  the  Lord 
presently  delivered  him,  2  Tim.  3:  11.  But 
now  we  are  to  attend  him  to  Jerusalem,  and 
there  into  lasting  bonds  ;  the  days  of  his 
service  now  seem  to  be  over,  and  nothing  to 


remain  but  days  of  suffering,  days  of  dark¬ 
ness,  for  they  are  many.  It  seems  a  thou¬ 
sand  pities  such  a  workman  should  be  laid 
aside  ;  yet  we  must  not  only  acquiesce,  as 
his  friends  then  did,  saying,  The  will  of  the 
Lord  be  done  ;  but  we  must  believe,  and 
shall  find  reason  to  do  so,  that  Paul  in  the  { 
prison,  and  at  the  bar,  is  as  truly  glorifying  j 
God,  and  serving  Christ’s  interest,  as  Paul  '■ 
in  the  pulpit  was. 

V.  1 — 7.  We  may  observe  here, 

I.  How  much  ado  Paul  had  to  get  clear 
from  [Miletus],  intimated  in  the  first  words 
of  the  ch.  after  we  were  gotten  from  them, 
i.  c.  were  drawn  from  them  as  by  violence. 
It  was  a  force  put  on  both  sides. 

II.  Their  prosperous  voyage  thence  ; 
without  any  difficulty,  they  came,  by  direct 
sailing,  to  Coos,  a  famous  Grecian  island  ; 
the  next  day  to  Rhodes,  talked  of  for  the 
Colossus  there  ;  thence  to  Patara,  a  famous 
port,  the  metropolis  of  Lycia,  v.  1.  there 
they  very  happily  found  a  ship  sailing  over 
unto  Phenicia,  the  very  course  they  were 
steering,  v.  2.  Providence  must  be  ac¬ 
knowledged  when  things  happen  thus  op¬ 
portunely,  and  we  are  favored  by  some  little 
circumstances  that  contribute  to  the  expe¬ 
diting  of  our  affairs;  and  we  must  say,  It  is 
God  that  maketh  our  way  perfect.  This  ship 
that  was  bound  for  Phenicia,  i.  e.  Tyre, 
they  took  the  convenience  of,  went  on  board, 
and  set  sail  for  Tyre.  In  that  voyage  they 
discovered  Cyprus,  the  island  Barnabas  was 
of,  and  which  he  took  care  of,  and  therefore 
Paul  did  not  visit  it,,  but  we  left  it  on  the  left 
hand,  v.  3.  sailed  on  the  coasts  of  Syria,  and 
at  length  landed  at  Tyre,  that  celebrated 
mart  of  the  nations,  [Ez.  27:  end,]  so  it  had 
been,  but  was  now  reduced  ;  yet  something 
of  a  trade  it  had  still,  for  there  the  ship  was 
to  unlade  her  burden,  and  did  so. 

III.  Paul’s  halt  at  Tyre;  finding  lie 
could  compass  the  remainder  of  his  journey 
within  the  time  he  had  fixed. 

1.  At  Tyre  he  found  disciples,  some  that 
had  embraced  the  Gospel,  and  professed  the 
Christian  faith.  Observe,  Wherever  Paul 
came,  he  inquired  what  disciples  were  there, 
found  them  out,  and  associated  with  them  ; 
for  we  know  what  is  the  usage  of  birds  of 
a  feather.  When  Christ  was  upon  earth, 


|  though  He  went  sometimes  into  the  coasts  cf 
Tyre,  yet  He  never  went  thither  to  preach 
the  Gospel  there ;  nor  did  lie  think  fit  to  af¬ 
ford  to  Tyre  and  Sidon  the  advantages  which 
Chorazin  and  Brthsaida  had,  though  lie  knew 
that  if  they  had  had  them,  they  would  have 
made  a  better  improvement  of  them,  Luke 
10:  13,  14.  But,  after  the  enlarging  of  the 
gospel-commission,  Christ  was  preached  at 
Tyre,  and  had  disciples  there;  and  to  this, 
some  think,  that  prophecy  concerning  Tyre 
had  reference,  Is.  23:  18.  That  her  merchan¬ 
dise,  and  hire,  should  be  holiness  to  the  Lord. 

2.  Paul  finding  these ,  tarried  7  days,  they 
urging  him  to  stay  as  long  as  he  cotdd.  lie 
stayed  as  at  Troas,  ch.  20  :  6.  that  he  might 
be  sure  to  spend  one  Lord’s  day  with  them, 
and  so  have  an  opportunity  of  preaching 
publicly;  good  men  desire  to  do  good  wher¬ 
ever  they  come  ;  and  where  we  find  disci¬ 
ples  we  may  either  benefit  them,  or  be  ben¬ 
efited  by  them. 

3.  The  disciples  at  Tyre  were  endowed 
with  such  gifts,  that  they  could  by  the  Spirit 
foretell  the  troubles  Paul  would  meet  with  at 
Jerusalem,  ch.  20:  23.  It  being  a  thing  that 
would  be  so  much  talked  of  when  it  came  to 
pass,  God  saw  fit  to  have  it  much  prophe¬ 
sied  of  before,  that  people’s  faith,  instead 
of  being  offended,  might  be  confirmed.  And 
withal  they  were  endowed  with  such  graces, 
that,  foreseeing  his  troubles,  out  of  love  to 
him,  and  concern  for  the  church,  especially 
the  churches  of  the  Gentiles,  that  could  ill 
spare  him,  they  begged  of  him  that  he  would 
not  go  up  to  Jerusalem,  for  they  hoped  the 
decree  was  conditional  ;  If  he  go  up,  he  will 
come  into  trouble  there  ;  as  the  prediction  to 
David,  that  the  men  of  Keilah  will  deliver 
him  up;  i.  e.  if  he  venture  himself  with  them ; 
therefore  they  said  to  him,  by  the  Spirit,  that 
he  should  not  go  up,  because  they  concluded 
it  would  be  most  for  the  glory  of  God,  that 
heshould  continue  at  liberty;  and  it  was  not 
at  all  their  fault  to  think  so  ;  and  conse¬ 
quently  to  dissuade  him  ;  but  it  was  their 
mistake;  for  his  trial  would  be  for  the  glory 
of  God,  and  the  furtherance  of  the  Gospel, 
and  he  knew  it  ;  and  the  importunity  used 
with  him,  to  dissuade  him  from  it,  renders 
his  pious  and  truly  heroic  resolution  the 
more  illustrious. 


9:2 8.  episcopos,  fin  the  Sept.]  Hence  the  term  was  applied  to  those  ecclesiastical 
rulers,  whose  duty  it  was  to  take  care  for  each  individual  member,  and  provide  for  the 
welfare  of  the  whole  body.  They  are  also  called  poimenes  in  Eph.  4:11.  a  term  figu¬ 
ratively  denoting  a  care-taker ,  and  one  who  provides  for  the  safety  of  others  ;  which 
involves  an  idea  of  governing ,  ruling.  Thus  poimainein  also  denotes  to  rule.  See  on 
Mat.  2:6.  Jn.  10:12.  1  Pet.  5:2.  Those,  moreover,  who,  in  the  N.  T.,  are  called  epis- 
copoi  and  poimenes ,  are  also  culled  presbuteroi.  Some  indeed  have  fancied  a  dis¬ 
tinction  between  episcopoi  and  presbuteroi  in  the  primitive  church  ;  but  the  distinc¬ 
tion  is  utterly  unfounded.  For  those  whom  Paul  here  addresses  as  episcopoi,  are  just' 
befoie,  (v.  17.)  called  presbuteroi.  See  Ti.  1:5,  7.  Passages,  also,  in  the  N.  T.,  men¬ 
tion  Bishops  and  Deacons  only,  to  the  omission  of  Presbyters,  who,  nevertheless, 
>.  could  not  have  been  passed  by,  if  the  ofiice  of  Bishops  had  then  differed  from  that  of 
Presbyters.  See  Phil.  1:1.  *1  Tim.  3:1—10.  Indeed,  there  is  not  found  in  the  N.  T. 
any  vestige  of  that  material  difference  which,  in  a  later  age,  subsisted  between  Bish¬ 
ops  and  Presbyters.  The  Christians  in  the  age  of  the  apostles  followed  the  model  of 
the  Jewish  church  in  the  sacred  rites,  and  thus  the  episcopoi,  or  presbuteroi,  corres¬ 
ponded  to  the  Archisynagogi  [ synagogue  rulers]  of*the  Jews,  who  were  also  in  like 
manner  termed  zqnym ,  presbuteroi,  and  whom  Philo  1,  399,  styles  hicrophantas. 
These  zqnym ,  or  presbuteroi ,  of  the  Jews,  were  also  termed  prusym ,  i.  e.  prefects , 
preeposili  (see  Vitr., ,  so  that  they  had  the  care,  superintendence,  and  governance  of 
whatever  belonged  to  public  worship. 

‘  These  were  persons  skilled  in  the  Mosaic  Law'.  See  Yitr.  and  Seld.  Thus  also  the 
Christian  Bishops  or  Presbyters ,  who  succeeded  to  the  place  of  these  Archisynagogi 
and  Zqnym,  were  set  over  each  Christian  society,  in  order  to  overlook  and  superin¬ 
tend  the  purity  of  morals,  and  rectitude  of  doctrine,  of  those  committed  to  their  charge, 
so  as  to  prevent  any  injury  arising  to  Christianity  from  failure  in  the  one,  or  error  in 
the  other.  Now  this  is  plain  from  abundance  of  passages  in  the  N.  T.  For  those  who 
in  v.  17.  are  called  presbuteroi,  are  at  v.  28.  exhorted  poimainein  ten  ckklcsian,  prosc- 
cheinlo  poimnio.  And  in  1  Tim.  5:11.  mention  is  made  of  proestoLes ,  presbuteroi.  and 
episcopoi.  Paul,  in  1  Tim.  5:11.  directs  Timothy,  epimeleisthai  tes  ekk/esias  tou  Theou. 
See  also  l  Pet.  5:1,  2.  At  Ilebr.  13:7.  and  7:24.  they  are  said  to  be  hegoumcnoi. 

*  Now  it  has  been  a  question,  whether  or  no  the  Presbyters,  or  Bishops,  were  ap¬ 
pointed  to  teach  the  precepts  of  the  Christian  religion  1  Many  have  maintained,  that 
the  whole  of  the  episcopal  office  consisted  in  the  regulation  of  the  sacred  worship  of 
the  Christians,  by  taking  care  that  all  things  in  the  cnurch  were  done  rightly  and  suit¬ 
ably  to  common  usage  ;  and  admonishing,  reproving,  and  subjecting  to  ecclesiastical 
censures,  those  who  acted  contrary:  and  that  these  Presbyters  or  Bishops  taught,  if 
they  were  able  and  willing,  but  were  not  chosen  and  appointed  for  the  purpose  of 
teaching  the  truths  of  Christianity.  So  Dodieell ,  &c.  ;  and  Vitr .,  who  thinks  that, 
owing  to  the  lowly  condition  of  the  primitive  church,  and  contrary  to  the  intentions 
of  the  apostles,  not  all  the  persons  elected  as  Presbyters  by  the  Christian  congrega¬ 
tions  were  qualified  to  teach.  Thus  Boehmer  maintains  ;  also  Mich,  and  Farbiger. 
The  contrary,  namely,  that  Presbyters,  in  the  age  of  the  apostles,  were  appointed  to 
teach  the  people,  as  well  as  to  govern  the  church ,  and  were,  from  the  very  inst  itutes  of 
the  apostles,  with  reference  to  the  nature  of  the  office,  confined  to  teaching,  has,  after 
Danov .,  recently  found  a  learned  and  zealous  defender  in  Gabler.  Indeed,  it  may, 
from  various  passages  of  the  N.  T.,  be  proved,  that  Presbyters  were  also  appointed  to 
teach  ;  for  in  Tim.  and  Ti.,  Paul  especially  ur^es  this ,  that  those  only  should  be  chos¬ 
en  Presbyters  in  the  churches,  who,  besides  the  other  virtues  there  mentioned,  were 
not  deficient  in  the  faculty  of  teaching  those  committed  to  their  care,  in  refuting  ad¬ 
versaries  ;  thusTi.  1:9.  1  Tim.  3:2.  Moreover,  in  1  Cor.  12:25, 29.  where  there  are  enu¬ 
merated  the  ecclesiastical  offices,  the  episcopoi  or  presbuteroi  are  omitted,  (though  the 
apostle  could  not  mean  to  do  so.)  and  in  their  place  are  mentioned  didaskaloi  [teach¬ 
ers.]  ..  Therefore  (as  Oablsr ,  rightly)  the  Bishops  or  Presbyters  were  the  ordinary  teach¬ 
ers  of  the  primitive  church,  just  as  the  npostles  and  prophets,  mentioned  before  them, 

[126] 


held  the  rank  of  extraordinary  teachers.  Also,  in  Eph.  4:11.  mention  is  made  of  poime¬ 
nes  (i.  e.  Presbyters  or  Bishops)  kai  didaskaloi ,  i.  e.  Prebyters,  who  were  also  teachers. 
That  by  the  poimenes  and  didaskaloi  the  same  are  meant,  is  plain  from  the  particle  kai 
[and].  Forsurely,  if  the  poimenes  had  been  persons  different  from  the  didaskaloi,  the 
apostle  would  have  written,  lous  de  poimenas,  tous  de didaskalous  :  since,  by  this  mode 
of  constructing  the  sentences,  he  has  distinguished  the  rest  of  the  ministers  of  doctrine 
and  of  the  church.  In  I  Thess.  5:12.  are  conjoined  proislamenoi ,  ( prcefecti ,  Bishops,) 
and  nouthetountes ,  exhorters ,  teachers  ;  and  they  are  pronounced  to  be  the  same.  The 
terms,  too  ,  proislamenoi  and  nouthetountes  are  meant  to  explain  the  general  one,  ko- 
piontes ,  [tr.  those  who  labor,]  (see  Koppe.)  And  so  Heb.  13:7.  where  the  “  hegou- 
menoi  [tr.  those  who  have  rule]  who  have  spoken,”  &c.  are  the  proislamenoi  in  I 
Thess.  5:12.  At  Jerusalem,  also,  as  appears  from  Acts  11:30.  and  at  15:2.  there  were 
Presbyters.  But  (as  Gabler  well  remarks)  the  presence  of  the  apostles,  inasmuch  as 
they  were  not  confined  to  the  church  at  Jerusalem,  could  not  supersede  the  necessity 
of  Presbyters  filling  the  office  of  ordinary  teachers  and  rulers  of  the  church.  For  to 
the  Christian  congregations  at  Jerusalem,  the  instruction  of  the  apostles  would  surely 
not  be  sufficient,  since  they  travelled  up  and  down,  and  were  occupied  with  innumer¬ 
able  other  labors  and  avocations.  .  .  Finally,  at  1  Tim.  5:17.  we  read,  that  whosoever 
rightly  discharges  the  office  of  Presbyter,  to  them  is  due  a  liberal  stipend  or  reward, 
especially  if  they  not  merely  teach,  but  perform  the  office  zealously  and  laboriously, 
i.  e.  be  kopiontes  en  logo  kai  didaxkalia.  For  proistasthai  [to  rule]  pertains  to  all  the 
parts  of  the  office,  even  to  the  being  didaktikos  [apt  to  teach].  Comp.  1  Tim.  3:2. 
and  see  Gabler.  Therefore,  when  poimainein  is  used  of  the  governors  of  the  church¬ 
es,  it  is  to  be  referred  both  to  the  doctrine  and  discipline  of  the  church.  Comp.  1  Tim. 
3:2.  and  Acts  20:30,  31.’  Kuin. 

NOTES.  •  Chap.  XXI.  V.  1 — 6.  Torn  from  them ,  &c.]  So  the 
first  clause  may  be  lit.  r. :  and  the  language  was  evidently  intended  to 
convey  the  idea  of  that  powerful  reciprocal  affection,  which  cemented 
together  the  hearts  of  these  Christian  friends,  and  rendered  their  final 
separation  at  the  call  of  duty  exceedingly  painful,  and  the  effect  of  a 
very  violent  effort.  Perhaps  the  ship,  in  which  Paul  and  his  friends  had 
sailed  thus  far,  was  bound  to  Patara.  Should  a  company  of  believers, 
in  this  Christian  country,  and  in  the  environs  of  one  of  our  great  com¬ 
mercial  cities,  imitate  this  example  (5) ;  they  would  doubtless  be  derid¬ 
ed,  as  a  fanatical  or  hypocritical  set  of  people.— It  is  most  evident, 
from  this  circumstance,  that  kneeling  was  the  general  posture  for  pub¬ 
lic  and  social  prayer,  in  the  primitive  church  ;  otherwise  this  company 
would  scarcely  have  used  it  in  so  inconvenient  a  situation.  Scott.  It 
is  but  just,  however,  to  recollect,  that  the  fervent  genius  of  the  E.  dis¬ 
plays  itselfin  manners  quite  different  from  ours  :  and  this  scene  was  prob¬ 
ably  not  at  all  strange  there.  A  son  of  the  Ed.  saw  a  mussulman  pray¬ 
ing  at  noon  on  the  sands,  amid  a  crowd  of  Christian  Sunday  travellers ; 
and  it  is  well  known  devotions  in  the  E.  are  very  public.  They  are  not 
so  much  ashamed  to  own  God,  as  some  of  a  colder  clime.  ‘Grot,  has 
proved,  that  the  Jews  offered  up  prayer  everywhere,  even  on  the  sea¬ 
shore .’  (4.)  ‘  It  is  plain  Paul  understood  them  popularly,  (ns  warning 
him  not  to  go  if  he  valued  his  life,  Ac.,)  for  if  he  had  regarded  himself  as 
forbidden  by  the  Spirit,  we  may  be  sure  he  would  not  have  gone  up.* 
See  Bloomf  Ed. 


A.  D.  61. 


ACTS,  XXI. 


He  proceeds  thence  to  Cesarea 


5  And  when  we  had  accomplish¬ 
ed  those  days,  we  departed  and 
went  our  way:  and  they  all  brought 
us  on  our  way  with  wives  and  chil¬ 
dren,  till  we  were  out  of  the  city  : 
and  we  kneeled b down  on  the  shore, 
and  prayed. 

6  And  when  we  had  taken  our 
leave  one  of  another,  we  topic  ship; 
and  they  returned  home  again. 

7  And  when  we  had  finished  our 
course  from  Tyre,  we  came  to 
Ptolemais,  and  saluted  the  breth¬ 
ren,  and  abode  with  them  one  day. 

8  And  the  next  day,  we  that 
were  of  Paul’s  company  departed, 
and  came  unto  Cesarea  :  and  we 
entered  into  the  house  of  Philip 
c  the  evangelist,  d  which  was  one  of 
the  'seven  ;  and  abode  with  him. 

9  And  the  same  man  had  four 
daughters,  virgins,  which  f  did 
prophesy. 

10  IT  And  as  we  tarried  there 
many  days,  there  came  down  from 
Judea  a  certain  prophet,  named 
6  Agabus. 

11  And  when  he  was  come  unto 
us,  he  took  Paul’s  girdle,  and  bound 
his  own  hands  and  feet,  and  said, 
Thus  saith  the  Holy  Ghost,  So 
h  shall  the  Jews  at  Jerusalem  bind 
the  man  that  owneth  this  girdle, 
and  shall  deliver  him  into  the  hands 
of  the  Gentiles. 

b  c.  20:36.  4:5.  c.  2:17. 

c  c.  8:26—40.  e  c.  6:5.  g  c.  11:28. 

d  Ep.  4:11.  2  Ti.  f  Joel  2:28.  h  ver.  33.  c.  20:23. 

4.  The  disciples  at  Tyre,  though  none  of 
Paul’s  converts,  yet  showed  a  very  great  re¬ 
spect  to  Paul,  whose  usefulness  in  the  church 
they  had  heard  so  much  of  ;  when  he  de¬ 
parted  from  Tyre,  though  they  had  had  but 
seven  days’  acquaintance  with  him,  yet,  as  if 
he  had  been  some  great  man,  they  all  came 
together,  with  their  wives  and  children,  sol¬ 
emnly  to  take  leave  of  him,  to  beg  his  bles¬ 
sing,  and  to  bring  him  as  far  on  his  way  as 
the  sea  would  permit  them.  Note,  We 
should  pay  respect,  not  only  to  our  own  min¬ 
isters  that  are  over  us  in  the  Lord,  but,  in  a 
particular  manner,  honor  those  whom  God 
hath  singularly  honored,  by  making  them 
eminently  useful  in  their  generation.  It  is 
good  to  train  up  children  in  a  respect  to 
good  people  and  good  ministers.  This  was 
particularly  remarkable  at  Tyre,  which  we 
have  not  met  with  anywhere  else,  that  they 
brought  their  wives  and  children  to  attend  Paul, 
to  do  him  the  more  honor,  and  to  receive 
benefit  by  his  instructions  and  prayers;  and, 
as  angry  notice  was  taken  of  the  children 
of  the  idolaters  of  Bethel,  that  mocked  a 
prophet,  so,  no  doubt,  gracious  notice  was 
taken  of  the  children  of  the  disciples,  at  Tyre, 
that  honored  an  apostle,  as  Christ  accepted 
the  hosannas  of  the  little  children.  We  should 
make  the  utmost  we  can  of  our  opportunities 
for  the  good  of  our  souls.  They  brought 
Paul  on  his  way,  that  they  might  have  so 
much  the  more  of  his  company,  and  his 


prayers.  Some  refer  us  to  Ps.  45  : 12.  as  a 
prediction  of  this.  The  daughter  of  Tyre 
shall  be  there  with  a  gift  J  for,  it  is  probable 
that  they  made  some  presents  to  Paul  at 
parting,  as  usual  to  our  friends  that  are 
going  to  sea,  ch.  28: 10. 

5.  They  parted  with  prayer,  as  Paul  and 
the  Ephesian  elders  had  done,  ch.  20: 36. 
Thus  Paul  has  taught  us  by  example,  as  well 
as  rule,  to  pray  always,  to  pray  ivithout  ceas¬ 
ing,  and  everywhere.  Their  last  farewell  on 
the  shore  was  sanctified  and  sweetened  with 
prayer.  Those  that  are  going  to  sea  should, 
when  they  quit  the  shore,  commit  themselves 
to  God  by  prayer,  and  put  themselves  under 
his  protection,  as  those  that  hope,  even  when 
they  leave  the  terra  jirma,  to  find  firm  foot¬ 
ing  for  their  faith  in  the  providence  and 
protection  of  God. 

6.  They  parted  at  last,  v.  6.  When  we  had 
taken  our  leave  one  of  another,  with  the  most 
affectionate  embraces,  and  expressions  of 
love  and  grief,  we  took  ship  to  be  gone,  and 
they  returned  home  again,  each  complaining 
that  this  is  a  parting  world.  Observe  how 
they  disposed  of  themselves  ;  we,  that  had 
a  journey  before  us,  took  ship,  thankful  that 
we  had  a  ship  to  carry  us  ;  and  they,  that 
had  no  occasion  to  call  them  abroad, returned 
home  again,  thankful  that  they  had  a  home  to 
go  to.  Rejoice  Zebulon,  in  thy  going  out, 
and  Issachar  in  thy  tents. 

IV.  Their  arrival  at’ Ptolemais,  not  far 
from  Tyre,  v.  7.  some  think  it  the  same  with 
Accho,  in  the  tribe  of  Asher,  Judg.  1:31. 
Paui  begged  leave  to  go  ashore  there,  to  sa¬ 
lute  the  brethren,  to  inquire  of  their  state,  and 
testify  his  good-u'ili  ;  though  he  could  not 
stay  long  with  them,  yet  he  would  not  pass 
without  paying  his  respects,  and  he  abode 
with  them  one  day,  perhaps  a  Lord’s  day  ; 
better  a  short  stay  than  no  visit. 

V.  8 — 14.  I.  Paul  and  his  company  ar¬ 
rive  at  length  at  Cesarea,  where  he  designed 
to  make  some  stay,  it  being  a  place  where 
the  Gospel  was  first  preached  to  the  Gentiles, 
and  the  Holy  Ghost  fell  on  them,  ch.  10:  1,  44. 
Paul  seldom  had  occasion  to  go  to  a  public 
house,  but,  wherever  he  came,  some  friend 
or  other  took  him  in,  and  bid  him  welcome. 

1.  They  were  entertained  by  Philip  the  evan¬ 
gelist,  whom  we  left  at  Cesarea  many  years 
ago,  after  he  had  baptized  the  eunuch,  ch.  8: 
40.  and  there  we  now  find  him  again.  He 
was  originally  a  deacon,  {one  of  the  seven, 
chosen  to  serve  tables,  ch.  6:5.)  but  was  now, 
and  had  been  long,  an  evangelist,  one  that 
went  about  to  plant  and  water  churches,  as 
the  apostles  did,  and  gave  himself,  as  they 
did,  to  the  Word  and  prayer  ;  thus,  having 
used  the  office  of  a  deacon  well,  he  purchased 
to  himself  a  good  degree  ;  and  having  been 
faithful  in  a  few,  was  made  ruler  over  many 
things.  It  thus  becomes  Christians  and  min¬ 
isters,  according  as  their  ability  is,  to  use 
hospitality  one  to  another  without  grudging, 
1  Pet.  4:9.  2.  This  Philip  had  four  maiden 
daughters,  which  did  prophesy,  v.  9.  i.  e.  of 
Paul’s  troubles  at  Jerusalem,  as  others  ;  or, 
perhaps,  for  his  comfort  and  encouragement, 
in  reference  to  the  difficulties  before  him. 
Here  was  a  further  accomplishment  of  Joel 
2:28. 

II.  A  plain  and  full  prediction  of  Paul’s 
sufferings,  by  a  noted  prophet,  v.  10, 11. 

1.  Paul  and  his  company  tarried  many  days ; 
What  cause  he  saw  to  tarry  so  long  there, 


and  to  make  so  little  haste  at  the  latter  end 
of  his  journey  to  Jerusalem,  when  he  seemed 
so  much  in  haste  at  the  beginning  of  it,  we 
cannot  tell  ;  but  we  are  sure  he  did  not  stay, 
either  there,  or  anywhere  else,  to  be  idle  ; 
he  measured  his  time  by  days,  and  numbered 
them. 

2.  Agabus  is  he  that  came  from  Jerusalem 
to  Antioch,  to  foretell  a  general  famine,  ch. 
11:27,  28.  See  how  God  dispensetli  his 
gifts  variously  !  To  Paul  was  given  the  word 
of  wisdom  and  knowledge,  as  an  apostle,  by 
the.  Spirit,  and  the  gifts  of  healing  ;  to  Agabus, 
and  to  Philip’s  daughters,  were  given  proph¬ 
esy,  by  the  same  Spirit, — the  foretelling  of 
things  to  come,  which  came  to  pass  accord¬ 
ing  to  the  prediction,  See  1  Cor.  12:  8, 10. 
So  that  that  which  was  the  most  eminent 
gift  of  the  Spirit  under  the  O.  T.,  the  fore¬ 
telling  of  things  to  come,  was  under  the  N.  T. 
quite  outshone  by  other  gifts,  and  bestowed 
on  those  of  less  note,  in  the  church.  It  should 
seem  as  if  Agabus  came  on  purpose  to  Cesarea, 
to  meet  Paul  with  this  prophetic  intelligence. 

3.  He  foretold  Paul’s  bonds  at  Jerusa¬ 
lem,  (1.)  By  a  sign,  as  the  prophets  of  old 
did,  Is.  20:  3.  Jer.  13:  1.  17:  2.  Eze,  4: 1. 
12:3.  and  many  others.  Agabus’  taking 
Paul’s  girdle,  was  designed  both  to  confirm 
the  prophesy,  and  to  affect  those  about  him 
with  it,  because  that  which  we  see  usually 
makes  a  greater  impression  on  us  than  that 
which  we  only  hear  of.  (2.)  By  an  expli¬ 
cation  of  the  sign  ;  Thus  saith  the  Poly 
Ghost,  the  Spirit  of  prophecy,  So  shall  the 
Jews,  &c.  Paul  had  this  express  warning 
given  him  of  his  troubles,  that  he  might  pre¬ 
pare  for  them,  and,  when  they  came,  they 
might  be  no  surprise  or  terror  to  him  ; 
the  general  notice  given  us,  that  through 
much  tribulation  we  must  enter  into  the  kingdom 
of  God,  should  be  of  the  same  use  to  us. 

III.  The  great  importunity  his  friends 
used  with  him,  to  dissuade  him  from  going 
forward  to  Jerusalem,  v.  12.  Not  only  they 
of  that  place,  but  we  that  were  of  Paul’s  com¬ 
pany,  and  among  the  rest  Luke  himself,  who 
had  heard  this  often  before,  and  seen  Paul’s 
resolution  notwithstanding,  besought  him, 
with  tears,  that  he  would  not  go  up  to  Jerusa¬ 
lem.  Now,  1.  Here  appeared  a  commen¬ 
dable  affection  to  Paul,  and  a  value  for  him, 
on  the  account  of  his  great  usefulness  in  the 
church.  Good  men  that  are  very  active, 
sometimes  need  to  be  dissuaded  from  over¬ 
working  themselves  ;  and  good  men  that  are 
very  bold,  need  to  be  dissuaded  from  ex¬ 
posing  themselves  too  far.  The  Lord  is  for 
the  body,  and  so  must  we  be.  2.  Yet  there 
was  a  mixture  of  infirmity,  especially  in 
those  of  Paul’s  company,  who  knew  he  un¬ 
dertook  this  journey  by  divine  direction, 
and  had  seen  with  what  resolution  he  had 
before  broken  through  the  like  opposition  ; 
but  the  infirmity  is  incident  to  us  all  ; 
when  we  see  trouble  at  a  distance,  and  have 
only  a  general  notice  of  it,  we  can  make 
light  of  it  ;  but  when  it  comes  near,  we  be¬ 
gin  to  shrink,  and  draw  back.  Now  that  it 
toucheth  thee,  thou  art  troubled,  Job  4:  5. 

IV.  The  holy  bravery  and  intrepidity  with 
which  Paul  persisted  in  his  resolution,  v.  13. 

1.  He  reproves  them  for  dissuading  him  ; 
here  is  a  quarrel  of  love  on  both  sides,  and 
very  sincere  and  strong  affections  clashing 
with  each  other  ;  they  love  him  dearly,  and 
therefore  oppose  his  resolution  ;  he  loves 


V.  7 — 14.  Ptolemais.)  A  city  on  the  sea-coast  of  Galilee,^o  called, 
because  rebuilt  by  Ptolemy,  k.  of  Egypt.  Agabus  came  down  from  Ju¬ 
dea,  properly  so  called  ;  for  Cesarea  lay  in  that  part  of  the  land  which 
belonged  to  the  kings  of  Israel,  not  in  that  belonging  to  the  kings  of  Ju¬ 
dah.  Paul  considered  himself  bound  in  duty,  to  accomplish  the  service 
with  which  he  had  been  entrusted,  of  conveying  the  oblations  of  the 
Gentile  converts  to  the  church  at  Jerusalem  ;  and,  on  this  and  other  ac¬ 
counts,  he  was  steadfastly  purposed  to  proceed,  whatever  persecutions 
might  await  him.  (8.)  Evangelist.)  ‘This  word  occurs  only  thrice  in 
the  New  Testament.  Acts  21:8.  secondly  in  Eph.,  where  evangelists 
are  mentioned  after  apostles  and  prophets,  as  one  of  the  offices  which 
our  Lord,  after  his  ascension,  had  appointed  for  the  conversion  of  in¬ 
fidels,  and  the  establishment  of  order  in  his  church;  Eph.  4:11.  and 
lastly,  2  Tim.  4:5.  . .  .  This  word  has  also  obtained  another  signification, 


which,  though  not  scriptural,  is  very  ancient.’  Campbell.  Scott. 

(7.)  And  when,  & c.]  ‘I.  e.  thus  finishing  the  sailing  part  of  our 

journey.’  Bloomf. 

(8.)  ‘  These  Evangelists  in  the  age  of  the  apostles  were  not  settled 
pastors  of  any  one  Christian  congregation,  or  resident  at  any  stated  place, 
hut  were  itinerant  Presbyters,  sent  by  the  apostles  to  various  cities,  to 
inculcate  the  elements  of  the  Christian  religion,  and  following  up  the 
instruction  of  the  apostles,  thus  building  on  their  foundation.  BeeEuscb. 
Hist.  Eccl.,  Acts  8:5.  and  Koppe,  on  Eph.  4:11.’ 

(10 — 12.)  ‘Neither  in  20:22.  nor  in  v.  4.  are  we  told  that  the  Holy 
Ghost  had  given  any  command  to  Paul  about  his  going,  or  not  going,  to 
Jerusalem.  If  He  had,  Paul  would  no  doubt  have  said  so  here,  v.  13. 
Comp.  v.  14.  where  his  friends  evidently  knew  not  what  God’s  will  was 
in  the  case.’  9P-  Pearce. 

[127] 


A.  D.  61. 


ACTS,  XXI. 


His  arrival  at  Jerusalem. 


12  And  when  we  heard  these 
things,  both  we,  and  they  of  that 
place,  1  besought  him  not  to  go  up 
to  Jerusalem. 

13  Then  Paul  answered,  What 
mean  ye  to  weep  and  to  break  mine 
heart?  for  I  am  ready  3  not  to  be 
bound  only,  but  also  to  die  at  Jeru¬ 
salem,  for  the  name  of  the  Lord 
J  esus. 

14  And  when  he  would  not  be 
persuaded,  we  ceased,  saying,  The 
k  will  of  the  Lord  be  done. 

15  And  after  those  days  we  took 
up  our  carriages,  and  went  up  to 
Jerusalem. 

16  There  went  with  us  also  cer¬ 
tain  of  the  disciples  of  Cesarea,  and 
brought  with  them  one  Mnason  of 
Cyprus,  an  old  1  disciple,  with  whom 
we  should  lodge. 

17  IF  And  when  we  were  come 
to  Jerusalem,  the  brethren  received 
m  us  gladly. 

13  And  the  day  following  Paul 
went  in  with  us  unto  "James  ;  and 
all  the  elders  were  present. 

19  And  when  he  had  saluted 
them,  lie  declared  particularly 
0  what  things  God  had  wrought 
among  the  Gentiles  by  p  his  min¬ 
istry. 

i  Mat,  16:22,23.  1  Pr.  16:31.  o  Ro.  13:18,19. 

j  2  Ti.  4:6 .  me.  15:4.  p  c.  20:24.  2  Co. 

k  Mat.  6:10.  26:  n  c.  15:13,  &c.  12:12. 

42.  Ga.  1:19. 

them  dearly,  and  therefore  chides  them  for 
opposing  it  ;  What  mean  ye  to  weep  and  to 
break  [break  down,  weaken]  my  heart  ?  It 
was  a  temptation  to  him,  it  shocked  him,  it 
began  to  weaken  and  slacken  his  resolution, 
and  made  him  to  entertain  thoughts  of  tack¬ 
ing  about  ;  ‘  What  do  you  mean,  to  do  thus? 
Has  not  our  Master  bid  us  take  up  our  cross  ? 
And  would  you  have  me  to  avoid  mine?’ 
It  was  a  trouble  to  him  ;  Paul  was  of  a  very 
tender  spirit  ;  and  now  it  breaks  his  heart, 
when  he  is  under  the  necessity  of  denying 
the  request  of  his  weeping  friends.  When 
our  friends  are  called  out  to  sufferings,  we 
shall  show  our  love,  rather  by  comforting 
them  than  by  sorrowing  for  them.  But  ob¬ 
serve,  When  Paul  was  made  a  prisoner  at 
Jerusalem,  lie  was  presently  sent  to  Cesarea, 
the  very  place  where  he  now  was,  ch.  23:  33. 
and  there  he  continued  at  least  two  years, 
ch.  24:  27.  a  prisoner  at  large,  as  appears 
ch.  24:  23.  so  that  the  church  at  Cesarea  had 
much  more  of  Paul’s  company  and  help  when 
he  was  imprisoned,  than  they  could  have 
had  if  he  had  been  at  liberty.  That  which 
we  oppose,  as  thinking  it  to  make  much 
against  us,  may  be  overruled,  by  the  provi¬ 
dence  of  God,  to  work  for  us,  which  is  a 
reason  why  we  should  follow  Providence, 
and  not  fear  it. 

2.  He  repeats  his  resolution  to  go  forward, 
notwithstanding  ;  ‘  What  mean  y'e  to  weep 
thus  ?  I  am  ready  to  suffer  whatever  is  ap¬ 
pointed  me.  I  expect  trouble,  I  count  upon 
it,  it  will  be  no  surprise  to  me.  I  was  told 
at  first  what  great  things  I  must  suffer ,’  ch. 
9:  16.  ‘  I  am  prepared  for  it,  by  a  clear  con¬ 
science,  a  firm  confidence  in  God,  a  holy 
contempt  of  the  world  and  the  body,  a  lively 
faith  in  Christ,  and  a  joyful  hope  of  eternal 
life.  I  can  bid  it  welcome,  as  we  do  a  friend 
that  we  look  for,  and  have  made  preparation 


for.  I  can,  through  grace,  not  only  bear  it, 
but  rejoice  in  it.’  All  that  a  man  lias  will 
lie  give  for  his  life  ;  but  life  itself  will  Paul 
give  for  the  service  and  honor  of  the  name 
of  Christ. 

V.  Their  patient  acquiescence,  v.  14. 

1.  They  submitted  to  the  wisdom  of  a 
good  man  ;  they  had  carried  the  matter  as 
far  as  they  could  with  decency  ;  but  when 
he  would  not  be  persuaded,  we  ceased  our  im¬ 
portunity.  Paul  knows  best  bis  own  mind, 
and  what  he  has  to  do  ;  and  it  becomes  us 
to  leave  it  to  himself,  and  not  to  censure  him 
for  what,  he  does,  or  to  say  he  is  rash,  and  wil¬ 
ful,  and  humorsome,  and  has  a  spirit  of  con¬ 
tradiction,  as  some  people  are  apt  to  judge 
of  those  that  will  not  do  just  as  they  would 
have  them.  No  doubt,  Paul  has  a  good 
reason  for  his  resolution,  though  he  sees 
cause  to  keep  it  to  himself,  and  God  has 
gracious  ends  to  serve  in  confirming  him  in 
if.  It  is  good  manners,  not  to  over-press 
those  in  their  own  affairs,  that  will  not  be 
persuaded. 

2.  They  submitted  to  the  will  of  a  good 
God.  They  did  not  resolve  his  resolution 
into  his  stubbornness,  but  into  his  willing¬ 
ness  to  suffer,  and  God’s  ivill  that  he  should. 
In  the  turning  of  the  hearts  of  our  friends,  or 
ministers,  this  way  or  that  way,  we  should 
eye  the  hand  of  God,  and  submit  to  that  ; 
when  we  see  trouble  coming,  and  particu¬ 
larly  that  of  our  ministers,  being  silenced,  or 
removed  from  us,  it  becomes  us  to  say,  The 
will  of  the  Lord  be  done.  God  is  wise,  and 
knows  how  to  make  all  work  for  good,  and 
therefore  welcome  his  holy  will.  When  a 
trouble  is  come,  this  must  allay  our  griefs, 
that  the  will  of  the  Lord  is  done.  ;  when  we 
see  it  coining,  this  must  silence  our  fears, 
that  the  will  of  the  Lord  shall  be  done,  to 
which  we  must  say.  Amen,  let  it  be  done. 

V.  15 — 26.  In  these  vs.  we  have, 

I.  Paul’s  journey  to  Jerusalem  from  Ces¬ 
area,  and  the  company  that  went  along 
with  him, 

1.  They  took  [or  packed]  up  their  car¬ 
riages,  [i.  e.  things  they  carried,  bundles,] 
their  bag  and  baggage  ;  it  should  seem,  like 
poor  travellers  or  soldiers,  they  were  their 
own  porters  ;  so  little  had  they  of  change 
of  raiment.  Some  think  they  had  with  them 
the  money  they  collected  in  the  churches  of 
Macedonia  and  Achaia,  for  the  poor  saints 
at  Jerusalem.  Their  resolution  to  cleave  to 
Paul,  was  like  that  of  Thomas,  in  a  like 
case,  to  Christ,  John  11: 16.  or  of  Ittai  to 
David,  2  S.  15:  21.  Thus  Paul’s  boldness 
imboldened  them. 

2.  Certain  of  the  disciples  of  Cesarea 
went  along  with  them  ;  whether  of  previous 
design,  therefore,  or  on  purpose  to  do  Paul 
service,  and  if  possible  prevent  bis  trouble, 
or  at  least  minister  to  him  in  it,  does  not 
appear.  Elisha  kept  close  to  Elijah,  when 
he  knew  the  time  was  at  hand  that  he  should 
be  taken  up. 

3.  They  brought  with  them  an  honest  old 
gentleman,  that  had  a  house  of  his  own  at  Je¬ 
rusalem,  in  which  he  would  gladly  entertain 
Paul  and  his  company,  one  Mnason  of  Cy¬ 
prus,  it.  16.  Such  a  great  concourse  of  people 
there  was  to  the  feast,  that  it  was  a  hard 
matter  to  get  lodgings,  and  those  that  had 
private  houses  must  freely  accommodate 
strangers.  Every  one  then  would  choose  his 
friends  to  be  his  guests,  and  Mnason  took 
Paul  and  his  company  to  be  his  lodgers  ; 
though  he  had  heard  what  trouble  Paul  was 
likely  to  come  into,  which  might  bring  those 
that  entertained  him  into  trouble  too,  yet  be 
shall  be  welcome  to  him,  whatever  comes  of 
it.  This  Mnason  is  called  an  old  disciple  ; 


a  disciple  from  the  beginning  ;  some  think, 
one.  of  the  70,  or  one  of  the  first  converts 
after  the  pouring  out  of  the  Spirit,  or  one  of 
the  first  converted  by  the  preaching  of  the 
Gospel  in  Cyprus,  ch.  13:  4.  However,  it 
is  an  honorable  thing  to  be  an  old  disciple  of 
Jesus  Christ,  to  have  been  enabled  by  the 
grace  of  God  to  continue  long  in  a  course 
of  duty,  steadfast  in  the  faith,  and  growing 
more  and  more  prudent  and  experienced,  to 
a  good  old  age.  And  with  these  old  disci¬ 
ples  one  would  choose  to  lodge  ;  for  the  mul¬ 
titude  of  their  years  shall  leach  wisdom, 

II.  Paul’s  welcome  at  Jerusalem. 

1.  Many  of  the  brethren  there  received  him 
gladly,  v.  17.  Streso  observes,  the  word 
here  used  of  the  welcome  they  gave  the  apos¬ 
tles,  is  -used  of  the  welcome  of  the  apostles’ 
doctrine,  ch.  2:  41.  They  gladly  received  his 
word.  We  think,  if  we  had  Paul  among  us, 
we  would  gladly  receive  him  ;  but  it  is  a 
question  whether  we  would  or  no,  if,  having 
his  doctrine,  we  do  not  gladly  receive  that. 

2.  They  made  a  visit  to  James  and  the 
elders  of  the  church,  at  a  church-meeting, 
v.  18.  The  day  following ,  Paul  went  in  unto 
James,  and  took  us  with  hint,  that  were  his 
companions,  to  introduce  us  into  acquain¬ 
tance  with  the  church  tit  Jerusalem.  It 
should  seem,  James  was  now  the  only  apos¬ 
tle  resident  at  Jerusalem  ;  the  rest  had  dis¬ 
persed,  to  preach  the  Gospel  in  other  places. 
But  still  they  forecasted  to  have  an  apostle 
at  Jerusalem,  perhaps  sometimes  one,  and 
sometimes  anotlier,  because  there  was  a 
great  resort  thither  from  all  parts.  James 
was  now  on  the  spot,  and  all  the  elders  or 
presbyters,  the  ordinary  pastors  of  the  church, 
were  present.  Paul  saluted  them  all,  paid 
his  respects  to  them,  inquired  of  their  wel¬ 
fare,  and  gave  them,  the  right  hand  of  fellow¬ 
ship.  The  proper  signification  of  salutation, 
is,  wishing  salvation  to  you  ;  salve,  like 
peace  be  unto  you.  And  such  mutual  saluta¬ 
tions,  or  good  wishes,  very  well  become 
Christians,  in  token  of  their  love  to  each 
oilier,  and  joint  regard  to  God. 

III.  The  account  they  had  from  him  of  his 
ministry  among  the  Gentiles,  and  their  sat¬ 
isfaction  in  it.  Paul  ascribed  it  all  to  God, 
v.  19.  and  to  God  they  gave  the  praise  of  it, 
v.  20.  The  conversion  of  sinners  ought  to 
be  the  matter  of  our  joy  and  praise,  as  it  is 
of  the  angels.  And  they  could  not  do  more 
to  encourage  Paul  to  go  on  cheerfully  in  his 
work,  than  to  glorify  God  for  his  success  in 
it  ;  for,  if  God  be  praised,  Paul  is  pleased. 

IV.  The  request  of  James  and  the  elders 
of  the  church  at  Jerusalem  to  Paul,  or  their 
advice  rather,  that  he  would  gratify  the  be¬ 
lieving  Jews,  by  showing  some  compliance 
with  the  ceremonial  law,  and  appearing 
publicly  in  the  temple  to  offer  sacrifice  ; 
which  was  not  a  thing  in  itself  sinful ;  for 
the  ceremonial  law,  though  by  no  means  to 
be  imposed  on  the  Gentile  converts,  yet  was 
not  become  unlawful  as  yet  to  those  that  had 
been  bred  up  in  its  observance,  but  were  far 
from  expecting  justification  by  it.  And  be¬ 
ing  not  sinful,  they  thought  it  prudence  in 
Paul  to  conform  thus  far.  Observe, 

1.  They  desired  him  to  notice  the  great 
numbers  there  of  Jewish  converts.  They 
call  him  brother,  for  though  they  were  of  the 
circumcision,  and  he  the  apostle  of  the  Gen¬ 
tiles,  though  they  were  conformists,  and  he  a 
non-confortnist  ;  yet  they  were  brethren,  and 
owned  the  relation.  Thou  hast  been  in  some 
I  of  our  assemblies,  and  seest  how  numerous 
j  they  are  ;  myriads.  The  word  signifies 
i  not  thousands,  but  ten  thousands.  And  this 
|  account  of  the  success  of  the  Gospel  among 
I  the  Jews,  no  doubt,  was  as  grateful  to  Paul 


V.  16.  1  Grot.,  Knatchbull,  Homberg,  Pearce,  Doddr.,  Ros.,  Heinr., 

Kuin.  understand,  “Leading  us  to  a  certain  Mnason,  with  whom  we 
should  put  up.”  ’  See  Bl.  En. 

V.  18 — 21.  That  thou  teachest,  &c.]  In  this  they  had  been  misin¬ 
formed  :  for,  though  the  apostle  had  shown,  that  none  were  bound  to 
observe  the  ceremonial  law,  and  that  they  must  by  no  means  place  any 
dependence  on  such  obedience  for  justification;  he  had  never  forbidden 
[128] 


the  Jewish  converts  to  observe  it,  as  a  matter  of  expediency,  when 
their  communion  with  their  Gentile  brethren  would  admit  of  it. — 
(18.)  Elders.]  All  the  bishops  of  Judea,  ‘  saith  Dr.  Hammond,  without 
one  word  to  prove  it.’  Whitby ,  in  Scott.  That  learned  writer’s  zeal  for 
episcopacy,  leads  him  frequently  to  express  himself  in  a  manner,  which 
seems  to  imply  that  there  were  no  presbyters  in  the  primitive  church  : 
perhaps  he  was  not  aware,  that  this  supposition  would  reduce  all  rain- 


A.  D.  61. 


ACTS,  XXI. 


His  reception  there. 


20  And  when  they  heard  it,  they 
glorified  the  Lord  ;  and  said  unto 
him,  Thou  seest,  brother,  how 
many  thousands  of  Jews  there  are 
which  believe ;  and  they  are  all 
zealous  q  of  the  law  : 

21  And  the}'  are  informed  of  thee, 
that  thou  teachest  all  the  Jews 
which  are  among  the  Gentiles  to 
forsake  Moses,  saying  that  they 
ought  not  to  circumcise  r  their  child¬ 
ren,  neither  to  walk  after  the  cus¬ 
toms. 

2-2  What  is  it  therefore  ?  The 
multitude  must  needs  come  "togeth¬ 
er  ;  for  they  will  hear  that  thou  art 
come. 

23  Do  therefore  this  that  we  say 
to  thee  :  We  have  four  men  which 
have  a  vow  on  them  ; 

24  Them  take,  and  purify  thyself 
with  them,  and  be  at  charges  with 
them,  that  they  may  shave  1  their 
heads  :  and  all  may  know,  that 
those  things,  whereof  they  were 
informed  concerning  thee,  are  no¬ 
thing,  but  that  thou  thyself  also 
walkest  orderly,  and  keepest  the 
law. 

q  c.  22:3.  Ro.  r  Ga.  5:3.  t  Nu.  6:2,  13,  18. 

10:2.  s  c.  19:32.  c.  18:18. 

ss  die  account  he  gave  them  of  the  conver¬ 
sion  of  the  Gentiles  was  to  them  ;  for  his 
heart’s  desire  and  prayer  to  God  for  the 
Jews,  was,  that  they  might  be  saved. 

2.  They  inform  him  of  a  prevailing  infirm¬ 
ity  these  believing  Jews  labored  under,  which 
they  could  not  yet  be  cured  of;  They  are  all 
zealous  of  the  law.  They  believe  in  Christ 
ns  the  true  Messiah,  rest  on  his  righteous¬ 
ness,  and  submit  to  his  government  ;  but 
they  know  the  law  of  Moses  was  of  God, 
they  have  found  spiritual  benefit  in  their  at¬ 
tendance  on  the  institutions  of  it,  and  there¬ 
fore  they  can  by  no  means  think  of  parting 
with  it,  no,  nor  of  growing  cold  to  it;  and 
perhaps,  they  urged  Christ’s  being  made  un¬ 
der  the  law,  and  observing  it,  as  a  reason  for 
their  continuance  under  it.  This  was  a  great 
weakness  and  mistake,  to  be  so  fond  of  the 


shadows  when  the  substance  was  come  ;  to 
keep  their  necks  under  a  yoke  of  bondage, 
when  Christ  was  come  to  make  them  free. 
But  see  the  power  of  education  and  long 
usage,  and  especially  of  a  ceremonial  law  ; 
and  the  charitable  allowance  that  must  be 
made  in  consideration  of  tliesq.  These  Jews 
that  believed,  were  not  therefore  disowned 
and  rejected,  as  no  Christians,  because  they 
were  for  the  law,  while  it  was  only  in  their 
own  practice,  and  they  did  not  impose  it  on 
others.  Their  being  zealous  of  the  law,  was 
capable  of  a  good  construction,  which  char¬ 
ity  would  put  upon  it  ;  and  of  a  good  ex¬ 
cuse,  considering  what  they  were  brought  up 
in,  and  whom  they  lived  among. 

3.  They  gave  him  to  understand  that  these 
Jews,  who  were  so  zealous  of  the  law,  were 
ill-affected  to  him,  v.  21.  Now,  (1.)  It  was 
true,  Paul  preached  the  abrogation  of  the  law 
of  Moses,  and  that  it  wag  impossible  to  be 
justified  by  it,  and  therefore  we  are  not 
bound  any  longer  to  observe  it.  But,  (2.) 
It  was  false,  that  he  taught  them  to  forsake 
Moses  ;  for  the  religion  he  preached  tended 
not  to  destroy  the  laiv,  but  to  'fulfil  it.  He 
preached  Christ,  the  End  of  ihe  law  for 
righteousness,  and  repentance  and  faith,  in 
the  exercise  of  which  we  are  to  make  great 
use  of  the  law.  The  Jews  among  the  Gen¬ 
tiles,  whom  Paul  taught,  were  so  far  from 
forsaking  Moses,  that  they  never  understood 
him  better,  nor  ever  embraced  him  so  hear¬ 
tily,  as  now  when  they  were  taught  to  make 
use  of  him  as  a  schoolmaster  to  bring  them  to 
Christ.  But  even  the  believing  Jews,  having 
got  this  notion  of  Paul,  fhat  he  was  an  en¬ 
emy  to  Moses,  and  perhaps  giving  too  much 
regard  to  the  unbelieving  Jews,  too',  were 
much  exasperated  against  him.  Their  min¬ 
isters,  the  ciders  here  present,  loved  and  hon¬ 
ored  him,  and  approved  of  what  he  did,  and 
called  him  brother ,  but  the  people  could  hard¬ 
ly  be  got,  to  entertain  a  favorable  thought  of 
him;  for  it  is  certain,  the  least  judi¬ 
cious  ARE  THE  MOST  CENSORIOUS  ; 
THE  WEAK-HEADED  ARE  THE  HOT¬ 
HEADED. 

4.  They  therefore  desire  Paul  would,  by 
some  public  act,  now  that  he  was  come  to 
Jerusalem,  make  it  to  appear  that  the  charge 
against  him  was  false.  (1.)  They  conclude 
something  of  this  kind  must  be  done, — For 
Paul’s  sake,  that  his  reputation  may  be 
cleared,  and  that  so  good  a  man  may  not  lie 


under  any  blemish,  nor  so  useful  a  man  la¬ 
bor  under  any  disadvantage,  which  may  ob¬ 
struct  his  usefulness, — for  the  people’s  sake, 
that  they  may  not  continue  prejudiced  against 
so  good  a  man,  nor  lose  the  benefit  of  his 
ministry  by  those  prejudices, — for  their  own 
sake,  that  since  they  knew  it  was  their  duty 
to  own  Paul,  their  doing  it  might  not  be 
turned  to  their  reproach,  among  those  that 
were  under  their  charge.  (2.)  They  pro¬ 
duce  a  fair  opportunity  which  Paul  might 
take  to  clear  himself  ;  We  have  four  men, 
Jews,  which  believe,  of  our  own  churches, 
and  they  have  a  vow  on  them,  a  vow  of  Naz- 
ariteship  for  a  certain  time  ;  their  time  is 
now  expired,  v.  23.  and  they  are  to  offer 
their  offering  according  to  the  law,  when 
they  shave  the  head  of  their  separation,  a  he- 
lamb  for  a  burnt-offering,  an  eive-lamb  for  a 
sin-offering ,  and  a  ram  for  a  peace-offering , 
with  other  offerings,  appurtenant  to  them, 
Num.  6: 13 — 20.  Many  used  to  do  this  to¬ 
gether,  when  their  vow  expired  about  the 
same  time,  either  for  the  greater  expedition, 
or  for  the  greater  solemnity.  Now  Paul  hav¬ 
ing  so  far  of  late  complied  with  the  law,  as  to 
take  on  him  the  vow  of  a  Nazarite,  and  to 
signify  the  expiration  of  it,  by  shaving  his 
head  at  Cenchrea,  eh.  18:18.  according  to 
the  custom  of  those  who  lived  at  a  distance 
from  the  temple,  they  desire  him  but  to  go  a 
little  further,  and  to  join  with  these  four,  in 
offering  the  sacrifices  of  a  Nazarite  ;  ‘  Pu¬ 
rify  thyself  with  them  according  to  the  law  ; 
and  be  willing  not  only  to  take  that  trouble, 
but  to  be  at  charges  with  them,  in  buying  sac¬ 
rifices  for  this  solemn  occasion,  and  to  join 
with  them  in  the  sacrifice.’  This,  they  think, 
will  effectually  stop  the  mouth  of  calumny, 
and  every  one  will  be  convinced  that  the  re¬ 
port  was  false,  that  Paul  was  not  the  man  he 
was  represented  to  be,  did  not  teach  the 
Jews  to  forsake  Moses,  but,  that  he  himself, 
being  originally  a  Jew,  walked  orderly,  and 
kept  the  law;  and  then  all  would  be  well. 

5.  They  enter  a  protestation,  that  this  shall 
be  no  infringement  at  all  of  the  decree  lately 
made  in  favor  of  the  Gentile  converts,  nor 
do  they  intend  by  this,  in  the  least,  to  dero¬ 
gate  from  the  liberty  allowed  them,  v.  25. 
for  they  knew  how  jealous  Paul  was  for 
preserving  the  liberty  of  the  converted 
Gentiles. 

V.  Paul’s  compliance.  He  was  willing  to 
gratify  them  in  this  matter.  Though  he 


isters,  above  deacons,  to  an  entire  parity  of  order,  as  effectually  as  either 
tlie  Presbyterian  or  the  Independent  plan  could  do.  (20)  How  many 
thousands.]  Or,  ‘How  many  tens  of  thousands.’  Gr ■  This  can  hardly 
mean  less  than  forty  or  fifty  thousand  :  and,  though  a  considerable  part 
of  this  large  number  might  come  from  other  places  to  keep  the  feast ; 
yet  it  can  scarcely  be  doubted,  but  that  there  were  so  many  Christians, 
statedly  residing  at  Jerusalem,  as  to  form  several  distinct  congregations  ; 
yet  the  whole  is  spoken  of  as  one  church.  Scott. 

(20.)  Thousands.]  ‘  The  word  may  only  in  general  denote  a  great 
number  ;  but  it  is  certain  the  greater  part  were  not  stated  inhabitants 
of  Jerusalem,  but  only  visited  it  on  occasion  of  this  great  festival;  so 
that  no  certain  argument  can  be  hence  deduced  as  to  the  plurality  of 
congregations  supposed  to  have  been  now  under  the  care  of  the  bishop 
of  Jerusalem,  if  there  were  indeed  any  Christian  officer  who  had  that 
title  so  early,  and  it  does  not  appear  from  Scripture  that  there  was.’ 
Doddr.  Zealous  of  the  law.]  ‘  Nor  was  it  to  be  wondered  at  :  for  the 
decree  of  the  apostles  had  respect  only  to  those  called  from  among  the 
Gentiles,  and  not  to  those  who  were  native  Jews.  Neither  had  Paul 
there  begun  to  teach  converts  from  among  the  Jews  anything  on  that 
subject,  though  he  did  a  little  later  :  out  of  Judea  indeed.’  Ros.  ‘  It  is 
not  to  be  wondered  at,  that  men  who  had  imbibed  such  opinions  of 
their  laws  from  infancy,  [those  laws  which  lifted  them  in  pride  above 
other  nations,]  that  they  derived  them  from  God,  and  knew  no  revela¬ 
tion  made  by  Him,  that  they  were  to  cease  after  the  death  of  their  Mes¬ 
siah,  should  be  still  zealous  for  them;  or  that  they  who  thought  they 
could  not  be  removed,  or  that  any  better  laws  could  be  given,  should 
think  them  fit  to  be  observed  ;  or  that  they  who  feared  such  dreadful 
evils  if  they  forsook  them,  and  expected  so  great  blessings  from  being 
faithful  to  them  to  the  death,  should  be  averse  from  any  doctrine  which 
taught  them  to  apostatize  from,  or  to  forsake  the  Law  of  Moses  ;  and 
yet  it  pleased  God,  as  yet,  not  to  convince  them  of  this  error  by  any  rev¬ 
elation,  or  any  afflatus  of  that  spirit  which  many  of  them  had  received  ; 
partly  because  He  saw  that  this  might  have  obstructed  the  faith  even  of 
the  little  remnant  which  belonged  to  the  Election  of  Grace  ;  partly  be¬ 
cause  He  knew  the  time  would  shortly  come,  when  the  destruction  of 
their  temple,  and  the  exclusion  from  their  own  land,  would  render  it 
impossible  for  them  to  observe  this  Law,  and  the  severity  of  divine 
judgments  on  them  would  convince  them,  as  it  did  some,  that  God  had 
utterly  cast  off  the  nation  from  being  any  more  his  people.’  Bl. 

V.  22 — 26.  (24.)  All  may  know  that  thou  thyself,  &.C.]  This  conclu¬ 

sion  seems  to  have  been  rather  stronger  than  the  real  case  would  admit  of. 

N.  T.  VOL.  V.  17 


The  apostle  had  before  performed  a  vow  of  a  similar  nature ;  and  ho 
doubtless  paid  some  regard  to  the  Mosaic  law,  as  a  matter  of  expedien¬ 
cy  :  but  he  does  not  appear  to  have  habitually  observed  it,  as  it  may  bo 
inferred  from  his  own  words,  1  Cor.  9:19 — 23.  Gal.  2:11 — 16.  4:12 — 16. 
They  probably  meant,  that  he  attended  to  the  legal  ceremonies,  as  far  as 
his  intimate  communion  with  uncircumcised  persons  would  permit  him  ; 
but  it  may  be  questioned,  whether  this,  if  it  had  been  fully  explained, 
would  have  satisfied  the  persons  concerned.  It  should  be  remembered, 
that,  though  the  apostles  were  infallibly  preserved  from  mistaking,  cor¬ 
rupting,  or  mutilating  the  doctrine,  which  they  were  entrusted  to  com¬ 
municate  to  the  church;  yet  they  were  not  rendered  infallible  in  their 
personal  conduct :  in  many  things,  they  acknowledged,  and  it  is  evident, 
they  all  offended,  and  were  to  be  blamed.  Gal.  2:6 — 10.  Perhaps  it 
would  be  found  very  difficult  wholly  to  defend  the  apostle  from  the 
charge  of  temporizing,  accommodating,  or  refining  too  much  in  this 
matter.  His  deference  to  the  judgment  of  his  brethren,  his  desire  of  ‘  be¬ 
coming  all  things  to  all  men,’  and  his  willingness  to  conciliate  the  Jew¬ 
ish  believers,  seem  to  have  carried  him  rather  too  far  :  and  he  was  led 
to  hold  out  a  greater  degree  of  regard  to  the  Mosaic  law,  than  he  show¬ 
ed  in  his  general  conduct.  The  concession,  however,  by  no  means  an¬ 
swered  the  intended  purpose  ;  on  the  contrary,  it  was  the  immediate 
occasion  of  his  predicted  sufferings. — ‘To  be  “at  charges”  with  Naza- 
rites  was  both  a  common  and  a  very  popular  thing  among  the  Jews. . .  • 
Maimonides..  .  asserts,  that  a  person  who  was  not  himself  a  Nazarite, 
might  bind  himself  by  a  vow  to  take  part  with  one  in  his  sacrifice.’ 
Doddr. — This,  however,  not  being  mentioned  in  the  law,  was  rather 
complying  with  custom  and  tradition,  than  showing  a  regard  for  the 
ceremonies  of  Moses. — ‘James  and  the  brethren  thought  it  was  most 
regular  and  convenient,  that  the  Jewish  ritual  should  still  be  observed, 
by  those  of  the  circumcision  who  believed  in  Christ.  And,  considering 
what  tribulation  the  church  at  Jerusalem  must  otherwise  have  been  ex¬ 
posed  to  by  the  Sanhedrim,  who  no  doubt  would  have  prosecuted  them 
to  the  utmost,  as  apostates  ;  and  also  how  soon  Providence  intended  to 
render  the  practice  of  it  impossible  ;. .  .it  was  certainly  the  most  order¬ 
ly  and  prudent  conduct  to  conform  to  it ;  though  it  were  looked  upon 
by  those,  that  understood  the  matter  fully,  (which  it  was  n®ces^^ 
that  all  should,)  as  antiquated  and  ready  to  vanish  away.’  Ibid.—  I me 
Jewish  Christians  at  Jerusalem,  and  in  Judea,  might  comply  with  the 
law  far  more  easily  and  exactly,  than  their  brethren  could  in  other 
countries,  who  were  joined  in  the  same  churches  with  the  Gentile  con¬ 
verts. —  Hoes  not  the  epistle  to  the  Hebrews,  probably  written  by  the 

[129] 


A.  D.  61. 


ACTS,  XXI. 


Paul  seized  by  Jews  in  the  temple. 


25  As  touching  the  Gentiles  which 
believe,  we  “have  written  and  con¬ 
cluded,  that  they  observe  no  such 
thing,  save  only  that  they  keep 
themselves  from  things  offered  to 
idols,  and  from  blood,  and  from 
strangled,  and  from  fornication. 

26  Then  Paul  took  v  the  men  ; 
and  the  next  day  purifying  himself 
with  them,  entered  winto  the  tem¬ 
ple,  to  signify  the  accomplishment 
1  of  the  days  of  purification,  until 
that  an  offering  should  be  offered 
for  every  one  of  them. 

27  IT  And  when  the  seven  days 
were  almost  ended,  the  Jews  y  which 
were  of  Asia,  when  they  saw  him 
in  the  temple,  stirred  up  all  the 
people,  and  laid  1  hands  on  him, 

23  Crying  out,  Men  of  Israel, 
help  :  this  is  the  man  that  a  teach- 
eth  all  men  everywhere  against  the 
people,  and  the  law,  and  this  place; 
and  further,  brought  Greeks  also 
into  the  temple,  and  hath  polluted 
this  holy  place. 

29  (For  they  had  seen  before 
with  him,  in  the  city,  Trophimus 
b  an  Ephesian,  whom  they  suppos¬ 
ed  that  Paul  had  brought  into  the 
temple.) 

30  And  all  the  city  was  moved, 
and  the  people  ran  together  :  and 
they  took  Paul,  and  drew  him  out 
of  the  temple  :  and  forthwith  the 
doors  were  shut. 

31  And  as  they  went  about  c  to 

kill  him,  tidings  came  unto  the  chief 
captain  of  the  band,  that  all  Jeru¬ 
salem  was  in  an  uproar  : 

u  c.  15:20,  29.  x  Nu.  6:13  a  c. 6:13, 14. 24:5, 6. 

v  1  Co.  9:20.  y  c.  24:18.  b  c.  20:4. 

w  c.  24:18.  z  c.  26:21.  c  1  Co.  11:23,  &c. 

would  not  be  persuaded  not  to  go  to  Jerusa¬ 
lem,  yet,  when  he  was  there,  he  was  per¬ 
suaded  to  do  as  they  there  did,  v.  26.  Then 
Paul  took  the  men,  as  they  advised,  and  the 
very  next  day,  purifying  himself  with  them, 
and  not  with  multitude  or  tumult,  as  he  him¬ 
self- pleads,  ch.  24:  18.  he  entered  into  the  tem¬ 
ple,  as  other  devout  Jews  that  came  on  such 
errands  did,  to  signify  the  accomplishment  of 
the  days  of  purification  to  the  priests;  desir¬ 
ing  the  priest  would  appoint  a  time  when 
the  offering  should  be  offered  for  every  one  of 
them,  one  for  each.  Paul  contributed  what 
he  vowed  to  the  offerings  of  these  Nazarites ; 
and,  some  think,  bound  himself  to  the  law 
of  the  Nazariteship,  and  to  an  attendance  at 
the  temple,  with  fastings  and  prayers  for 
seven  days,  not  designing  that  the  offering 
should  be  offered  till  then  ;  which  was  that 
lie  signified  to  the  priest. 

Now  it  has  been  questioned,  whether 
James  and  the  elders  did  well  to  give  Paul 
this  advice,  and  whether  he  did  well  to  take 
it. 

1.  Some  have  blamed  this  occasional  con¬ 
formity  of  Paul’s,  as  indulging  the  Jews  too 
much  in  their  adherence  to  the  ceremonial 


law,  and  a  discouragement  of  those  who 
stood  fast  in  the  liberty  wherewith  Christ  had 
made  them  free. 

2.  Others  think  the  advice  was  prudent 
and  good,  and  Paul’s  following  it  was  justi¬ 
fiable  enough,  as  the  case  stood.  It  was 
Paul’s  avowed  principle.  To  the  Jews  became 
I  as  a  Jew,  that  I  might  gain  the  Jews,  1  Cor. 
9:20.  He  had  circumcised  Timothy,  to 
please  the  Jews  ;  though  he  would  not  con¬ 
stantly  observe  the  ceremonial  law,  yet,  to 
gain  an  opportunity  of  doing  good,  and  to 
show  how  far  he  could  comply,  he  would  oc¬ 
casionally  go  to  the  temple  and  join  in  the 
sacrifices  there.  Those  that  arc  weak  in  the 
faith  are  to  lie  borne  with,  when  those  that 
undermine  the  faith  must  be  opposed.  It  is 
true,  this  compliance  of  Paul’s  sped  ill  to 
him;  for  this  very  thing,  by  which  he  hoped 
to  pacify  the  Jews,  did  but  provoke  them, 
and  bring  him  into  trouble,  yet  that  is  not  a 
sufficient  ground  to  go  on  in  condemning  it; 
Paul  might  do  well,  and  yet  suffer  for  it,  but 
perhaps  the  wise  God  overruled  both  their 
advice  and  Paul’s  compliance  with  it,  to 
serve  a  better  purpose  than  was  intended  ; 
for  we  have  reason  to  think,  that  when  the 
believing  Jews,  who  had  endeavored  by'  their 
zeal  for  the  law  to  recommend  themselves  to 
the  good  opinion  of  those  who  believed  not, 
saw  how  barbarously  they  used  Paul,  (who 
endeavored  to  oblige  them,)  they  were  by  this 
more  alienated  from  the  ceremonial  law,  than 
they  could  have  been  by  the  most  argumen¬ 
tative  or  affecting  discourses.  They  saw  it 
was  in  vain  to  think  of  pleasing  men  that 
would  be  pleased  with  nothing  else  but  the 
rooting  out  of  Christianity.  Integrity  and 
uprightness  will  be  more  likely  to  preserve 
us,  than  sneaking  compliances.  And  when 
we  consider  what  a  great  trouble  it  must 
needs  be  to  James  and  the  presbyters  in  the 
reflection  upon  it,  that  they  had  by  their 
advice  brought  Paul  into  trouble,  it  should 
be  a  warning  to  us,  not  to  press  men  to 
oblige  us  by  doing  anything  contrary  to  their 
own  mind. 

V.  27 — 40.  We  have  here  Paul  brought 
into  a  captivity,  which  we  are  not  likely  to 
see  the  end  of :  for,  after  this,  he  is  either 
hurried  from  one  bar  to  another,  or  lies  neg¬ 
lected,  first  in  one  prison,  and  then  in  an¬ 
other,  and  can  neither  be  tried  nor  bailed. 
When  we  see  the  beginning  of  a  trouble,  we 
know  not  either  how  long  it  will  last,  or 
how  it  will  issue. 

I.  Paul  seized, 

1.  He  was  seized  in  the  temple ;  it  was 
not  till  the  seven  days  were  almost  ended,  that 
he  was  noticed  by  those  that  had  an  evil  eye 
toward  him,  so  great  a  stranger  was  he 
there.  But,  in  the  temple,  where  he  should 
have  been  protected  as  in  a  sanctuary,  he 
was  most  violently  set  upon  by  those  who 
did  what  they  could  to  have  mingled  his  blood 
with  his  sacrifices  ;  in  the  temple,  where  he 
should  have  been  welcomed  as  one  of  the 
greatest  ornaments  it  ever  had,  since  the 
Lord  of  the  temple  left  it.  The  temple  which 
they  themselves  pretended  such  a  mighty 
zeal  for,  yet  did  they  themselves  thus  pro¬ 
fane.  Thus  is  the  church  polluted  by  none 
more  than  by  popish  persecutors,  under  the 
color  of  the  church’s  name  and  interest. 

2.  The  informers  against  him  were  Jews 
of  Asia,  not  of  Jerusalem,  Jews  of  the  dis¬ 
persion,  who  knew  him  best,  and  were  most 


exasperated  against  him.  Those  who  sel¬ 
dom  came  up  to  Jerusalem  themselves,  but 
contentedly  lived  at  a  distance,  in  pursuit  of 
their  private  advantages,  yet  appeared  most 
zealous  for  the  temple,  as  if  thereby  they 
would  atone  for  their  habitual  neglect  of  it. 

3.  The  method  they  took,  was,  to  raise  the 
mob,  and  to  incense  them  against  him.  They 
did  not  go  to  the  high  priest,  or  the  magis¬ 
trates  of  the  city,  with  their  charge,  but  they 
stirred  up  all  the  people,  who  were  at  this  time 
more  than  ever  disposed  to  anything  tumul¬ 
tuous  and  seditious.  Those  are  fittest  to  be 
employed  against  Christ  and  Christianity, 
that  arc  governed  least  by  reason,  and  most 
by  passion  ;  therefore  Paul  described  the 
Jewish  persecutors  to  be  not  only  wicked, 
but  absurd,  unreasonable  men. 

4.  The  arguments  wherewith  they  exas¬ 
perated  the  people  against  him  were  popular, 
but  very  false  and  unjust.  ‘  Men  of  Israel, 
help.  If  ye  are  true-born  Jews,  that  have 
a  concern  for  your  church  and  your  country, 
now  is  your  time  to  show  it,  by  helping  to 
seize  an  enemy  to  both.’  The  enemies  of 
Christianity,  since  they  could  never  prove  it 
to  be  an  ill  thing,  have  been  always  very 
industrious,  right  or  wrong,  to  put  it  into  an 
ill  name,  and  so  run  it  down  by  outrage  and 
outcry.  This  was  like,  Stop  thief,  Job  30:  5. 
or  Athaliah’s  cry,  Treason,  treason ;  what  is 
wanting  in  right,  is  made  up  in  noise. 

5.  They  charge  on  him  both  ill  doctrine 

and  ill  practice,  and  both  against  the  Mosaic 
ritual.  (1.)  Ill  doctrine  not  only  that  he 
holds  corrupt  opinions  himself,  but  that  he 
vents  and  publishes  them,  though  not  here  at 
Jerusalem,  yet  in  other  places,  nay,  in  all 
places,  he  teaches  all  men,  everywhere  ;  so 
artfully  is  the  crime  aggravated,  as  if,  because 
he  was  an  itinerant,  he  was  an  ubiquitary. 
[1.]  Against  the  people  of  the  Jews.  He  had 
taught  that  Jews  and  Gentiles  stand  on  the 
same  level  before  God,  and  neither  circumci¬ 
sion  avails  anything,  nor  uncircumcision;  nay', 
he  had  taught  against  the  unbelieving  Jews, 
that  they  were  rejected,  and  this  is  interpreted 
to  be  speaking  against  the  whole  nation,  as 
if  no  doubt  but  they  were  the  people,  and  wis¬ 
dom  must  die  with  them,  Job  12:  2.  whereas 
God,  though  He  had  cast  them  off,  yet  had 
not  cast  away  his  people,  Rom.  11:1.  Those 
commonly  seem  most  jealous  for  the  church’s 
name,  that  belong  to  it  in  name  only.  [2.] 
Against  the  law.  His  teaching  men  to  be¬ 
lieve  the  Gospel  as  the  end  of  the  law,  and 
the  perfection  of  it,  was  interpreted  his 
preaching  against  the  law  ;  whereas  it  was 
so  far  from  making  void  the  law  that  it  es¬ 
tablished  it,  Rom.  3:  31.  [3.]  Against  this 

place,  the  temple.  Because  he  taught  men  to 
pray  everywhere,  he  was  reproached  as  an 
enemy  to  the  temple,  and  perhaps  because 
he  sometimes  mentioned  the  destruction  of 
Jerusalem  and  the  temple,  and  of  the  Jewish 
nation,  which  his  Master  had  foretold. 

(2.)  Ill  practices.  To  confirm  their  charge 
against  him,  as  teaching  people  against  this 
holy  place,  they  charge  it  on  him,  that  he  had 
himself  polluted  it,  and  by  an  overtact  showed 
his  contempt  of  it,  and  a  design  to  make  it 
common.  He  has  brought  Gentiles  also  into 
the  temple  ;  into  the  inner  court,  into  which 
none  uncircumcised  were  admitted,  under 
any  pretence;  there  was  written  on  the  wall 
that  inclosed  this  inner  court,  in  Greek  and 
Latin,  It  is  a  capital  crime  for  strangers  to 


apostle  when  a  prisoner  at  Rome,  show,  that  he  thought  it  of  great  im¬ 
portance,  even  to  the  Christians  in  Judea,  to  understand  that  the  Mosaic 
law  had  no  longer  any  validity  ;  and  that  he  considered  their  attachment 
to  it,  ns  exceedingly  unfavorable  to  their  proficiency  in  true  religion  ? 
Pref.  to  Heb.  '  Scott. 

(24.)  Purify.]  ‘Abstain  from  wine,  and  other  things  forbidden  to 
Nazarites.’  Uos. 

(26.)  ‘Paul,  it  seems,  so  fixed  the  period  (Nuni.  6:5.)  of  his  vow, 
that  it  should  cease  at  the  same  time  with  that  of  these  4  men.’  lit.  See 
Grot,  and  Kuin.  on  this  v.  ‘On  the  following  day,  Paul  began  to  ob¬ 
serve  the  religious  rites  which  they  did  who  were  bound  to  a  vow, 
giving  notice  to  the  priests  at  the  temple,  that  he  takes  upon  himself  an 
obligation  to  abstinence,  prayer,  Arc.  for  7  days.’  So  /?/.,  whom  see.  Ed. 

V.  27—30.  As  the  apostle  could  not  enter  on  his  purification,  till  the 

[130] 


3d  day  after  his  arrival  at  Jerusalem,  17.  18,  26.  and  as  he  made  his  de¬ 
fence  before  Felix,  (which  seems  to  have  been  7  or  3  days  after  he  was 
apprehended  in  the  temple,)  only  12  days  after  he  came  to  Jerusalem  ; 
{Note,  24:10 — 21.)  the  first  clause  should  certainly  be  rendered,  ‘  when 
the  7  days  were  about  to  be  accomplished  ;  ’  i.  e.  the  7  days  which  had 
been  fixed  on,  and  mentioned  to  the  priests,  as  the  term  at  the  end  of 
which  the  sacrifices  would  be  offered,  and  the  vow  performed.  Scott. 

(28.)  Jgainst.]  The  Jews  conceived  themselves  injured,  because 
others  were  admitted  to  the  benefits  of  Messiah’s  kingdom.  How  much 
of  this  satanical  envy  is  still  seen  in  nations  and  in  individuals  !  Ed. 

(29.)  Supposed,  <fccj  ‘  This  should  seem  to  have  been  merely  the 
fancy  of  the  vulgar.  The  more  intelligent  would  (I  think)  understand 
the  reprflach  in  a  figurative  sense.’  Bloomf. 

V.  31—36.  It  has  been  asserted,  that  the  Jews  claimed  the  liberty  of 


A.  D.  61. 


ACT 


XXI. 


He  is  rescued  from  the  Jews. 


32  Who  d  immediately  took  sol¬ 
diers  and  centurions,  and  ran  down 
unto  them  :  and  when  they  saw  the 
chief  captain  and  the  soldiers,  they 
left  beating  of  Paul. 

S3  Then  the  chief  captain  came 
near,  and  took  him,  and  command¬ 
ed  him  to  be  bound  *  with  two 
chains ;  and  demanded  who  he 
was,  and  what  he  had  done. 

34  And  some  cried  one  thing, 
some  another,  among  the  multi¬ 
tude  :  and  when  he  could  not  know 
the  certainty  for  the  tumult,  he 
commanded  him  to  be  carried  into 
the  f  castle. 

35  And  when  he  came  upon  the 
stairs,  so  it  was,  that  he  was  borne 
of  the  soldiers,  for  the  violence  6  of 
the  people. 

36  For  the  multitude  of  the  peo¬ 
ple  followed  after,  crying,  Away 
fa  with  him  1 

37  IF  And  as  Paul  was  to  be  led 
into  the  castle,  he  said  unto  the 
chief  captain,  May  I  speak  unto 
thee  ?  Who  said,  Canst  thou  speak 
Greek  ? 

38  Art  not  thou  that  '  Egyptian, 
which  before  these  days  madest  an 
uproar,  and  leddest  out  into  the 
wilderness  four  thousand  men  that 
were  murderers  ? 

d  c  23:17.  24:7.  g  Ps.  55:9.  Hab.  1  Co.  4:13. 

e  ver.  11.  c.20:23.  1:3.  i  This  Egyptian 

E|>.  6:*<0.  h  Lu.  23:18.  Jn.  rose  A.  D.  55. 

f  c.  23:10,16.  19:15.  c.  22:22.  c.  5.36. 

rnter,  Jos.  Antiq.  lib.  15.  cap.  14.  Paul  was 
himself  a  Jew,  and  had  a  right  to  enter;  and 
they,  seeing  some  with  him  there,  concluded 
Trophimus  an  Ephesian,  who  was  a  Gentile, 
was  one.  Why  1  Did  they  see  him  there  1 
Truly  no;  but  they  had  seen  him  with  Paul 
in  the  streets  of  the  city,  therefore  they  af¬ 
firm  he  was  with  him  in  the  inner  court  of 
the  temple.  See  here,  Innocency  is  no  fence 
against  calumny  and  false  accusation.  Evil 
men  dig  up  mischief,  and  go  far  to  seek  proofs 
of  their  false  accusations,  as  tliey  did  here, 
who,  because  they  saw  a  Gentile  with  Paul 
in  the  city,  will  thence  infer,  that  he  was 
with  him  in  the  temple !  It  is  common  for 
malicious  people  to  improve  that  against 
those  that  are  wise  and  good,  with  which 
they  thought  to  have  obliged  them,  and  in¬ 
gratiated  themselves  with  them.  Paul  thought 
to  recommend  himself  to  their  good  opinion 
by  going  into  the  temple,  and  thence  they  take 
occasion  to  accuse  him.  If  he  had  kept  fur¬ 
ther  off  them,  he  had  not  been  so  maligned 
by  them.  This  is  the  genius  of  ill-nature  ; 


for  my  love,  they  are  my  adversaries,  Ps.  109: 
4.  69:10. 

II.  Paul  in  danger  of  being  pulled  in  pieces 
by  the  rabble.  They  will  not  be  at  the  pains 
to  have  him  before  the  high  priest,  or  the 
Sanhedrim;  that  is  a  round-about  way,  the 
execution  shall  be  of  a  piece  with  the  pros¬ 
ecution,  all  unjust  and  irregular.  They  have 
not  patience  to  proceed  against  him  by  a  due 
course  of  law,  though  they  were  ever  so  sure 
to  gain  their  point  ;  therefore,  as  those  who 
neither  feared  God  nor  regarded  man,  they 
resolved  to  knock  him  on  the  head  imme¬ 
diately. 

1.  All  the  city  was  in  an  uproar,  v.  30. 
Just  such  a  zeal  the  Jews  here  show  for 
God’s  temple,  as  the  Ephesians  did  for  Di¬ 
ana’s,  when  Paul  was  informed  against  as 
an  enemy  to  that,  ch.  19:  29.  But  God  does 
not  reckon  Himself  at  all  honored  by  those 
whose  zeal  for  Him  transports  them  to  such 
irregularities,  and  who,  while  they  pretend 
to  act  for  Him,  act  in  such  a  brutish,  bar¬ 
barous  manner. 

2.  They  drew  Paul  out  of  the  temple,  and 
shut  the  doors  between*  the  outer  and  inner 
court,  or,  perhaps,  of  tile  outer  court.  See 
bow  absurd  these  were  ;  they  condemned 
Paul  for  drawing  people  from  the  temple, 
and  yet  when  he  himself  was  verv  devoutly 
worshipping  in  the  temple,  they  drew  him 
out  of  it.  They  that  made  no  conscience  of 
doing  so  ill  a  thing,  as  the  murdering  of  a 
good  man  for  well  doing,  yet  would  be 
thought  to  scruple  doing  it  in  a  holy  place, 
or  at  a  holy  time  ;  not  in  the  temple,  as,  not 
on  the  feast  day. 

3.  They  went  about  to  kill  him,  v.  31.  for 
they  fell  a  beating  him,v.  32.  resolving  to 
beat  him  to  death  :  a  punishment  which  the 
Jewish  doctors  allowed  of  in  some  cases,* 
(not  at  all  to  the  credit  of  their  nation,)  and 
called,  the  beating  of  the  rebels. 

III.  Paul  rescued  from  his  Jewish  ene¬ 
mies  by  a  Roman  enemy. 

1.  Tidings  were  brought  of  the  tumult, 
and  mob,  to  the  chief  captain  of  the.  band,  the 
governor  of  the  castle,  or,  •whoever  he  was, 
the  now  commander-in-chief  of  the  Roman 
forces,  quartered  in  Jerusalem  ;  and  he  is 
the  man  that  must  be  instrumental  to  save 
Paul’s  life,  when  never  a  friend  he  had  was 
capable  of  doing  him  any  service. 

2.  The  tribune,  or  chief  captain,  got  his 
forces  together  with  all  possible  expedition, 
and  went  to  suppress  the  mob.  Now  at  the 
feast,  as  at  other  such  solemn  times,  the 
guards  were  up,  and  the  militia  more  within 
call  than  at  other  times,  and  so  he  had  tlrem 
near  at  hand,  and  he  ran  down  unto  the  mul¬ 
titude  ;  for  at  such  times,  delays  are  danger¬ 
ous.  Sedition  must  be  crushed  at  first,  lest 
it  grow  headstrong. 

3.  The  very  sight  of  the  Roman  general 
frightened  them  from  beating  Paul  ;  they 

*  As  of  profaning  the  temple.  LigHf.  Ed. 


were  deterred  from  that  by  the  power  of  the 
Romans,  from  which  tliey  ought  to  have  been 
restrained  by  the  justice  of  God  and  the 
dread  of  bis  wrath.  Note,  God  often  makes 
(Rev.  12: 16.)  those  to  be  a  protection  to  his 
people,  who  yet  have  no  affection  for  them; 
they  have  only  a  compassion  for  sufferers, 
and  are  zealous  for  the  public  peace. 

4.  The  governor  takes  him  into  custody; 
he  rescued  him,  not  out  of  a  concern  for  him, 
but  because  be  knew  how  dangerous  the  con¬ 
sequence  to  the  Roman  government,  if  such 
tumultuous  proceedings  were  not  timely  sup¬ 
pressed  ;  nor  what  such  an  outrageous  peo¬ 
ple  might  do,  if  once  they  knew  their  own 
strength;  he  therefore  takes  Paul  out  of  the 
hands  of  the  mob,  into  the  hands  of  the  law, 
v.  33.  This  violent  taking  of  him  out  of  the 
hands  of  the  multitude,  though  there  were  all 
the  reason  in  the  world  for  it,  yet  they  laid 
to  the  charge  of  the  chief  captain  as  his  crime, 
ch.  24:  7.  which  refers  to  this  rescue,  as  ap¬ 
pears  by  comparing  ch.  23:27,  28.  where 
the  chief  captain  gives  an  account  of  it  toFelix. 

IV.  The  provision  the  chief  captain  made, 
with  much  ado,  to  bring  Paul  to  speak  for 
himself ;  one  had  almost  as  good  enter  into 
a  struggle  with  the  w'iuds  and  the  waves,  as 
with  such  a  mob  as  was  here  got  together  ; 
yet  Paul  made  a  shift  to  get  liberty  of  speech 
among  them. 

1.  There  was  no  knowing  the  sense  of  the 
people  ;  for  when  the  chief  captain  inquired 
concerning  Paul,  having  perhaps  never  heard 
of  his  name  before,  some  cried  one  thing,  and 
some  another,  so  that  it  was  impossible  for 
the  chief  captain  to  know  their  mind,  when 
really  they  knew  not  either  one  another’s 
mina  or  their  own,  when  every  one  pretended 
to  give  the  sense  of  the  whole  body.  Those 
that  will  hearken  to  the  clamors  of  the  mul¬ 
titude,  will  know  nothing  for  a  certainty. 

2.  There  was  no  quelling  their  rage  and 
fury  ;  for  when  the  chief  captain  commanded 
that  Paul  should  be  carried  into  the  castle,  the 
tower  of  Antonia,  where  the  Roman  soldiers 
kept  garrison,  near  the  temple,  the  soldiers 
themselves  had  much  ado  to  get  him  safe 
thither  out  of  the  noise;  the  people  were  so 
violent,  v.  35.  the  soldiers  were  forced  to  take 
him  up  in  their  arms,  and  carry  him,  to 
keep  him  from  the  people,  -who  would  have 
pulled  him  limb  from  limb,  if  they  could. 
When  they  could  not  reach  him  with  their 
cruel  hands,  they  followed  him  with  their  sharp 
arrows,  even  bitter  words J  they  followed,  cry¬ 
ing,  Away  with  him,  v.  36.  See  how  the 
most  excellent  persons  and  things  are  often 
run  down  by  a  popular  clamor  !  Christ 
Himself  was  so,  with,  Crucify  Him,  Crucify 
Him  ;  though  they  could  not  say  what  evil 
He  had  done. 

3.  Paul  at  length  begged  leave  of  the  chief 
captain  to  speak  to  him,  v.  37.  With  great 
calmness,  composedness,  mildness,  and  def¬ 
erence,  he  said  unto  the  chief  captain,  ‘  May  1 


putting  to  death,  without  any  legal  process,  such  uncircumcised  persons 
as  entered  the  inner  courts  of  the  temple  yet  even  this  could  not  be 
applicable  to  Paul.  Scott. 

(34.)  Castle.]  1  ParembolSn:  lit.  pitching  place,  hence  generally  it 
means  a  camp:  and  many,  as  Schl.,  understand  the  soldiers'  barracks 
{./os.  speaks  of)  in  rhe  castle  of  Antonia,  commanded  by  the  tribune. 
Hut  Beza,  De  Dieit,  <fcc.,  Ileum.,  Ruin.  take  it  for  the  castle  itself:  which, 
says  Jos.  “  had  4  towers,  one  of  which  overlooked  the  whole  temple, 
and  was  joined  to  its  porticoes,  and  had  a  double  pair  of  stairs  from  it, 
by  which  the  soldiers  of  the  garrison  in  the  castle  were  nsed  to  come 
■down  with  their  arms  on  the  festival  days,  and  keep  the  people  in  quiet. 
As  the  temple  was  a  guard  to  the  city,  so  was  this  castle  to  the  temple.” 
lint  as  the  principal  entrance,  (which,  as  the  tower  was  40  cubits  high, 
would  also  have  steps,)  would  not  be  through  the  temple,  and  as  the 
priests  and  Leviles  probably  would  not  have  permitted  this  violence  in 
any  part  of  the  temple,  the  steps  of  that  principal  entrance  seem  meant. 
The  S.  E.  angle  of  the  citadel  joined  the  N.  W..  angle  of  the  temple, 
just  so  as  to  allow  2  approaches  to  the  court  of  the  Gentiles,  from  the 
citadel,  by  2  flights  of  steps,  one  leading  to  the  N.  E.  portico  of  the 
temple,  the  other  to  the  S.  W.  one.  The  whole  citadel  occupied  not 
much  less  space  than  the  temple.’  Bloomf. 

V.  37 — 40.  (38)  Four  thousand,  Ac.]  Josephus  mentions  30,000  men, 

whom  this  Egyptian,  (whose  name  is  not  known,)  had  collected  togeth¬ 
er  :  but  it  is  probable,  that  lie  ‘  led  forth  ’  only  4000,  and  that  the  rest 
came  to  him  in  the  wilderness ;  or  only  4000  of  the  company  were 
murderers.  [The  captain’s  assertion,  as  to  their  number  and  char¬ 
acter,  is  to  be  understood  popularly,  not  exactly.  Ed.]  (40)  In  the 


Hebrew  tongue.]  22:2.  See  on  2:6. — It  is  decidedly  agreed  among  the 
learned,  that  the  Syr.  or  Clinl.  dialect  is  meant.  No  doubt  many  Clial. 
words  and  phrases  came  into  use  among  the  Jews,  who  returned  from 
the  Babylonish  captivity.  Yet  those  parts  of  the  O.  T.  which  were 
written  after  that  event,  are  in  Heb.,  except  a  few  passages  in  Ezra, 
which  are  dial.,  for  special  reasons.  This  creates  a  difficulty,  as  to  the 
current  opinion,  taken  in  its  full  extent.  Nordoes  the  language  ofthe  N.T. 
favor  it :  and  several  of  the  arguments  used  in  support  of  it,  are  incon¬ 
clusive.  Ez.  4:7—9.  7:11,  12.  Nell.  8:8.  Jer.  10:11.  Dan.  2:4.  Scott. 

(37.)  Canst,  Ac.]  Dost  tlwu  know  Greek  ?  ‘  It  is  a  Latin  mode  of 

expression.  The  Greek  was  then  used  by  all  liberally  educated  men  :  nor 
evidently  was  it  unknown  to  the  people  of  Jerusalem  [nor  in  Egypt]  : 
but  the  Jews  preferred  the  Heb.  i.  e.  the  Syriac  dialect-’  Ros. 

(38.)  Four  thousand.]  ‘  We  are  not  bound  to  prove  that  a  slight 
expression,  thrown  out  hastily  by  a  soldier,  is  to  be  tried  by  the  rules  of 
historical  accuracy  :  still  less,  that  Luke  is  to  be  held  accountable  for 
any  error  that  may  exist.’  But  see  Bl.  Murderers.]  ‘ Sikarion :  cut¬ 
throats  ;  the  xvord  was  derived  from  sika  [comp,  sikeen,  Gaelic,  ana 
Arabic],  a  short  falchion,  or  cutlass,  (as  I  suspeet  of  Oriental  origin,  and 
like  the  kriesh  of  the  Bormans,  Siamese,  Chinese,  and  Japanese,)  which 
was  convenient  for  being  concealed  hupo  males,  under  the  tbign,  the 
sheath  of  the  weapon  closely  bound  against  the  flesh,  and  inflicted  a 
much  more  severe  xvound  than  a  sword  or  dagger.  These  sicant 
were  at  first  private  assassins  (and  not  very  different  from  those 
from  whom  the  name  is  derived,) ;  afterwards  they,  by  impunity,  rose 
to  such  a  pitch  [of  insolence]  as  to  insult  the  government,  and  band 
together  in  large  companies :  so  that  at  length  the  name  was  applied 


A.  D.  61. 


ACTS,  XXII. 


Paul’s  address  to  the  people. 


39  But  Paul  said,  I  iam  a  man 
which  am  a  Jevv  of  Tarsus,  a  city 
in  Cilicia,  a  k  citizen  of  no  mean 
city  ;  and  I  beseech  thee,  suffer  me 
to  speak  unto  the  people. 

40  And  when  he  had  given  him 
license,  Paul  stood  on  the  stairs, 
and  1  beckoned  with  the  hand  unto 
the  people  :  and  when  there  was 
made  a  great  silence,  he  spake  unto 
them  in  the  Hebrew  tongue,  saying, 


CHAP.  XXII. 

1  Paul  declareth  at  large,  how  he  was  converted  to  the 
faith,  17  and  called  to  his  apostleship.  22  At  the  very 
mentioning  of  the  Gentiles,  the  people  exclaim  on  him. 
24  He  should  have  been  scoargedr  25  but  claiming  the 
privilege  of  a  Roman,  he  escapeth. 

MEN,  *  brethren,  and  fathers, 
bear  ye  my  defence,  b  which  I 
make  now  unto  you. 

2  (And  when  they  heard  that  he 
spake  in  the  Hebrew  tongue  to 
them,  they  kept  the  more  silence  : 
and  he  saith,) 

3  I  am  0  verily  a  man  which  am 
a  Jew,  born  in  Tarsus,  a  citxj  in 
Cilicia,  yet  brought  up  in  this  city, 
at  the  feet  of d  Gamaliel,  and  taught 
“according  to  the  perfect  manner 
of  the  law  of  the  fathers,  and  1  was 
zealous  towards  God,  as  ye  s  all  are 
this  day. 

i 


c.  9:11.  22:3. 
c.  22:25. 

1  c.  12:17. 
a  c.  7:2. 


b  1  Pe.  3:15. 
c  c.  21:39.  2  Co. 

1H22.  Phi.  3:5. 
d  c.  5:34. 


e  c.  25:5. 
f  Ga.  1:14. 
g  c.  21:20.  Ro. 
10:2. 


speak  unto  thee  ?  What  a  humble,  modest 
question  !  Paul  knew  how  to  speak  to  the 
greatest  of  men,  yet  will  not  speak  till  he 
has  obtained  leave;  May  I  speak  unto  thee  ? 

4.  The  chief  captain  tells  him  what  notion 
he  had  of  him  ;  Const  thou  speak  Greek  ? 
I  am  surprised  to  hear  thee  speak  a  learned 
language;  for.  Art  not  thou  thTit  Egyptian 
which  madest  an  uproar  ?  Probably  some  of 
the  Jews  whispered  this  in  the  ear  of  the 
chief  captain.  See  what  false,  mistaken  no¬ 
tions  of  good  people,  and  good  ministers, 
many  run  away  with,  and  will  not  be  at  the 
pains  to  have  the  mistake  rectified  ! 

It  seems,  there  had  lately  been  an  insur¬ 
rection  somewhere  in  that  country,  headed 
by  an  Egyptian ,  who  took  on  him  to  be  a 
prophet  ;  Jos.  mentions  this  story  :  ‘  That 
an  Egyptian  raised  a  seditious  party,  prom¬ 
ised  to  show  them  the  fall  of  the  walls  of  Je¬ 


rusalem  from  the  mount  of  Olives,  and  that 
they  should  enter  the  city  upon  the  ruins.’ 
The  captain  here  says,  that  he  led  out  into 
the  wilderness  4,000  murderers ,  desperadoes, 
banditti,  raparees,  cut-throats.  What  a  de¬ 
generacy  in  the  Jewish  nation,  when  so 
many  of  such  a  character,  were  found,  and 
could  be  drawn  into  such  an  attempt  on  the 
public  peace  l  But  Jos.  says,  *  That  Felix, 
the  Roman  president,  went  out  against  them, 
killed  400,  and  took  200  prisoners,  and  the 
rest  were  dispersed.’  Antiq.  20:  6.  DeBell. 
Jud.  2  :  12.  And  Eusebius  speaks  of  it, 
Hist.  2  :  20.  It  happened  in  the  13th  year 
of  Claudius,  a  little  before  those  days,  about 
3  years.  The  ringleader  of  this  rebellion, 
it  seems,  had  made  his  escape,  and  tliec/nef 
captain  concluded,  that  one  who  lay  under  so 
great  an  odium,  as  Paul  seemed  to  lie  under, 
and  against  whom  there  was  so  great  an 
outcry,  could  not  be  a  criminal  of  less  figure 
than  this  Egyptian.  See  how  good  men  are 
exposed  to  ill-will  by  mistake  ! 

5.  Paul  rectifies  his  mistake  concerning 
him,  by  informing  him  particularly  what  he 
was;  not  such  a  vagabond,  scoundrel,  rake, 
as  that  Egyptian,  who  could  give  no  good 
account  of  himself,  v.  39. 

6.  Be  humbly  desired  permission  from 
the  chief  captain,  whose  prisoner  he  now  was, 
to  speak  to  the  people.  The  chief  captain  res¬ 
cued  him  with  no  other  design  than  to  give 
him  a  fair  hearing  ;  now,  to  show  that  his 
cause  needs  no  art  to  give  it-a  plausible  color, 
be  desires  he  may  have  leave  immediately  to 
defend  himself ;  for  it  needed  no  more  than 
to  be  set  in  a  true  light  ;  nor  did  be  depend 
only  on  the  goodness  of  his  cause,  but  on 
the  goodness  and  fidelity  of  his  Patron,  and 
his  promise  to  all  his  advocates, that  it  should 
be  given  them  in  that  same  hour  what  to  speak. 

Lastly,  This  license  being  obtained,  the 
people  were  attentive  ;  Paul  stood  on  the 
stairs,  which  gave  a  little  man  some  advan¬ 
tage  ;  he  made  signs  to  them  to  be  quiet,  and 
to  have  a  little  patience,  for  he  had  some¬ 
thing  to  say  to  them  ;  and  so  far  he  gained  j 
his  point,  every  -one  cried  hush  to  his  neigh-  j 
bor;  probably  the  chief  captain  also  charged 
all  to  keep  silence  ;  if  the  people  were  not 
required  to  give  audience,  it  was  to  no  pur- 
pose  Paul  ivas  allowed  to  speak.  When  the 
cause  of  Christ  and  his  Gospel  is  to  be 
pleaded,  there  ought  to  be  a  great  silence,  \ 
that  we  may  give  the  more  earnest  heed  ;  and 
all  little  enough.  Paul  spake  in  Hebrew,  ' 
i.  e.  in  tlie  language  of  their  country,  to 
which  he  hereby  owned  not  only  an  abiding 
relation,  but  an  abiding  respect. 


Chap.  XXII.  In  the  close  of  the  fore¬ 
going  ch.  we  had  Paul  bound,  according  to 
Agabus’  prophecy, yet  he  had  his  tongue  set 
at  liberty,  by  the  chief  captain's  permission; 
and  so  intent  he  is  on  using  that  liberty,  to 
the  honor  of  Christ  and  the  service  of  his 
interest,  that  he  forgets  the  bonds  he  is  in, 
not  mentioning  them,  but  speaks  of  the 
great  tilings  Christ  bad  done  for  him,  with 
as  much  ease  and  cheerfulness  as  if  nothing 
bad  happened  to  ruffle  him. 

V.  1,  2.  Never  was  poor  man  set  upon  in 
a  more  tumultuous  manner,  nor  with  more 
rage  and  fury ;  yet, 

I.  There  appears  no  fright,  but  his  mind 
is  sedate,  and  admirably  composed  !  Thus 
lie  makes  his  own  words  good.  None  of  these 
things  move  me;  and  David’s,  Ps.  3:6. 
2.  There  appears  no  passion,  no  angry  ex¬ 
pressions  ;  though  the  suggestions  against 
him  were  all  frivolous  and  unjust,  though  it 
would  have  vexed  any  man  alive,  to  be 
charged  with  profaning  the  temple,  just  then 
when  he  was  contriving  and  designing  to 
show  his  respect  to  it,  yet  he  is  led  as  a  lamb 
to  the  slaughter.  3.  What  respectful  titles 
he  gives  even  to  those  who  thus  abused  him, 
and  how  humbly  he  craves  their  attention, 
v.  1.  Thus  he  lets  them  know  he  was  one  of 
them,  and  had  not  renounced  his  relation  to 
the  Jewish  nation,  but  still  had  a  kindness 
and  concern  for  it.  Though  we  must  not 
give  flattering  titles  to  any,  yet  we  ought  to 
give  their  titles  of  due  respect  to  all  ;  and 
those  we  would  do  good  to,  we  should  en¬ 
deavor  not  to  provoke.  Observe,  he  does 
not  recriminate,  but  makes  a  just  and  rea¬ 
sonable  request  ;  for  no  man  'has  justice 
done  him  if  his  answer  to  an  accusation  be 
not  patiently  and  impartially  heard.  4.  He 
spake  in  Heb.,  i.  e.  the  vulgar  language  of  the 
Jews,  at  this  time,  not  the  pure  O.  T.  Heb., 
but  the  Syriac,  a  dialect  of  the  Heb.,  or  rather 
a  corruption  of  it,  as  the  Italian  of  the  Latin: 
though  he  had  conversed  so  much  with  the 
Gentiles,  yet  he  still  retained  the  Jews’  lan¬ 
guage,  and  could  talk  it  with  ease  ;  by  this  it 
appears  he  is  a  Jew.  Besides,  that  was  the 
language  every  body  spake,  and  to  speak  in 
it  was  indeed  to  appeal  to  the  people,  by 
which  he  might  have  somewhat  to  insinuate 
into  their  affections;  then  they  kept  the  more 
silence. 

V.  3 — 21.  Paul  here  gives  them  to  under¬ 
stand, 

I.  His  extraction  and  education  ; 

1.  He  was  of  their  own  nation  ;  not  of 
any  obscure  family,  or  a  renegado  of  some 
other  nation ;  but  verily  a  Jew,  a  Jewish  man , 


PR  ACT.  OBS.  Wherever  zealous  Christians  travel,  they  will  in¬ 
quire  after  their  brethren  in  the  Lord,  and  get  acquainted  with  them  -, 
fervent,  social  prayer,  abates  the  poignancy  of  our  sorrow,  when  con¬ 
strained  to  separate  from  those  whom  we  lover  and  this  is  peculiarly 
seasonable,  when  sharp  afflictions  or  important  services  lie  before  us. 
Our  children  too  should  be  admitted  to  such  scenes  of  affection  and  de¬ 
votion  :  that  their  tender  minds  may  he  early  impressed  with  a  sense  of 
the  excellence  and  importance  of  religion.  Thus  we  may  hope,  that 
when  they  grow  up,  they  will  be  evidently  partakers  of  the  blessing, 
and  endued  with  spiritual  gifts,  for  the  edification  of  others  also  ;  which 
should  be  considered  ns  the  greatest  favor  God  can  bestow  on  us,  witlt 
respect  to  our  offspring.— The  path  of  duty  will  eventually  be  that  of 
safety  :  yet  it  often  leads  into  many  apparent,  or  temporary  dangers 
and  difficulties.  It  is,  however,  an  extraordinary  attainment,  for  the 
same  man  to  be  so  firm  and  indexible,  in  following  the  dictates  of  his 
own  conscience,  as  to  be  habitually  ready  to  endure  bonds,  or  face  death 
for  tlie  Lord’s  sake  ;  and  yet  so  full  of  tenderness  and  sympathy,  as  to 
he  more  affected  by  tlie  sorrows  of  his  friends,  than  by  the  prospect  of 
his  own  perils  and  sufferings.  What  a  striking  proof  is  it  of  the  xveak- 
ness  and  depravity  of  human  nature,  that  so  large  a  proportion  of  the 
disciples  of  Christ,  even  in  the  days  of  the  apostles,  were  exceedingly 
disaffected  to  the  most  eminent  minister,  probably,  who  ever  lived  !  . .  . 
because  he  would  not  render  that  respect  to  the  antiquated  Mosaic  cer¬ 
emonial,  with  which  they  had  been  used  to  regard  it !  How  watchful 
should  we  be  against  prejudices  of  every  kind  ;  and  against  those  mis- 

to  all  rebels,  and  even  robbers .’  Bloom f.  Ed. 

(40.)  ‘  Addressing  a  crowd,  an  Oriental  would  not  bawl  out  “  si¬ 

lence  !  ”  to  affront  them,  hut  lifts  up  his  hand  to  its  extreme  height,  and 
moves  it  backward  and  forward,  and  they  say  to  each  other pasathe,  be 
silent.’  Note,  12.17.  improperly  (16.)  Rob. 

NOTES.  Chap.  XXII.  V.  1.  Defence']  Or.  apologia :  apology.  Tlie 
sacred  writers  never  use  this  word,  or  the  correspondent  verb,  except 
xvhen  the  person  spoken  of  defended  himself  from  some  charge  brought 
against  him.  They  never  in  one  instance  call  the  authoritative  preaching 
of  the  Gospel  an  apology.  And,  whatever  may  be  urged  in  favor  of  the 

[132] 


representations  of  men’s  principles  and  conduct,  from  which  prejudices 
commonly  originate  !  And  how  patient  should  we  be,  if  called  to  have 
fellowship  with  the  great  apostle  of  us  Gentries  in  this  affliction;  and 
to  endure  the  suspicions,  and  coldness,  of  those  whom  we  most  esteem 
and  love  !  We  ought  indeed  to  use  all  proper  methods  of  rectifying  the 
judgments  and  conciliating  the  affections  of  our  brethren,  as  far  as  their 
misapprehension  can  interfere  with  our  usefulness  :  yet  we  should  watch 
against  the  temptation  of  conniving  at  those  errors  or  evils,  which  are 
the  general  source  of  prejudices,  and  which  cannot  consistently  be  coun¬ 
tenanced.  When  accommodation  is  allowed  to  infringe  on  our  ‘  sim¬ 
plicity  and  godly  sincerity,’  it  will  seldom  produce  any  good  effect.  Our 
brethren  will  not  be  satisfied,  unless  we  go  the  full  length  of  their  sen¬ 
timents;  others  will  begin  to  suspect  our  integrity,  and  to  hesitate  con¬ 
cerning  us;  and  it  is  in  vain  to  attempt  conciliating  the-favor  of  graceless 
bigots,  and  furious  zealots  of  any  party,  from  whom  we  shall  commonly 
do  well  to  keep  at  a  distance.  Butmuch  wisdom,  integrity,  and  humility 
are  requisite,  to  guide  us  in  the  middle  way,  between  an  uncomplying  in¬ 
flexibility  in  things  of  small  consequence,  and  a  temporizing  spirit  in 
respect  of  important  truth.  Professed  attachments  to  this  or  the  other 
party  or  church,  among  Christians,  will  readily  give  energy  to  the  clam¬ 
or,  ‘  Men  of  Israel,  help,  <fec.’  The  church  is  in  danger  !  Our  religious 
liberties  are  in  danger  !  And  the  groundless  outcry  may  affect  even  the 
lives  or  characters,  even  of  the  most  prudent,  benevolent,  and  pious 
servants  of  our  God  !  Scott. 


word,  in  this  age  of  apologies,  it  indisputably  conveys  the  idea  of  a  cau¬ 
tious,  defensive  war  against  impiety  and  infidelity,  rather  than  of  that 
boldness  and  decision,  with  which  the  cause  of  God  and  truth  ought  to 
be  supported. — 25:16.  1  Cor.  9:3.  2  Cor.  7:11.  Phil.  1:7,  17.  2  Tim  4: 

16.  1  Pet.  3:15.  See  on  Luke  12:11.  It  does  not  appear,  that  the  Clas¬ 
sics  use  the  term  in  any  other  sense.  Plato ,  in  Phado,  7  Sect,  thus 
employs  it.  Scott. 

V.  3.  ‘  According  to  the  mode  of  arrangement  in  the  Jewish  schools, 
all  the  pupils  sat  at  the  feet  of  their  master,  i.  e.  considerably  lower. 
See  IVctst.  The  expression  here  is  like  our  phrase,  “educated  under  >» 


A.  D.  61. 


ACTS,  XXII. 


His  account  of  himself. 


4  And  I  persecuted  h  this  way 
unto  the  death,  binding  and  deliv¬ 
ering  into  prisons  both  men  and 
women. 

5  As  also  the  high  priest  doth 
bear  me  witness,  and  all  the  estate 
of  the  elders  :  from  whom  also  1 
received  letters  unto  the  brethren, 
and  went  to  '  Damascus,  to  bring 
them  which  were  there,  bound  un¬ 
to  Jerusalem,  for  to  be  punished. 

6  And  it  came  to  pass,  that  as  I 
made  my  journey,  and  was  come 
nigh  unto  Damascus  about  noon, 
suddenly  there  shone  from  heaven 
a  great  light  round  about  me. 

7  And  1  fell  unto  the  ground,  and 
heard  a  voice  saying  unto  me,  Saul, 
Saul,  why  persecutest  thou  me  ? 

8  And  I  answered,  Who  art  thou, 
Lord  ?  And  he  said  unto  me,  I  am 
Jesus  of  Nazareth,  whom  thou 
persecutest. 

9  And  they  that  were  with  me 
j  saw  indeed  the  light,  and  were 
afraid  ;  but  they  heard  not  the 
voice  of  him  that  spake  to  me. 

10  And  I  said,  What  shall  I  do, 
Lord  ?  And  the  Lord  said  unto 
me,  Arise,  and  go  into  Damascus  ; 
and  there  it  shall  be  told  thee  of 
all  things  which  are  appointed  for 
thee  to  do. 

11  And  when  I  could  not  see  for 
the  glory  of  that  light,  being  led  by 
the  hand  of  them  that  were  with 
me,  I  catne  into  Damascus. 

12  And  one  k  Ananias,  a  devout 
man  according  to  the  law,  having 
a  good  1  report  of  all  the  Jews 
which  dwelt  there, 

b  c.  8:3.  26:9—13.  i  c.  9:2,  4c.  1  c.  10:22.  1  Ti. 

Phi.  3:6.  1  Ti.  j  Du.  10:7.  3:7.  flc.  11:2. 

1:13.  k  c.  9:17. 


and  therefore  not  likely  to  derogate  from  the 
national  honor. 

2.  He  was  born  in  a  creditable,  reputable 
place,  in  Tarsus,  a  city  of  Cilicia;  and  not  in 
servitude,  as  some  of  the  Jews  of  the  disper¬ 
sion,  it  is  likely,  were  ;  but  a  freeman,  a 
gentleman,  and  perhaps  could  produce  his 
certificate  of  his  freedom  in  that  ancient  and 
honorable  city  :  a  small  matter  indeed  to 
boast  of,  yet  needful  to  be  mentioned  at  this 
time  to  those  who  insolently  trampled  on 
him,  as  if  he  were  to  be  ranked  with  the  chil¬ 
dren  of  fools,  yea,  of  base  men.  Job  30:  8. 

3.  That  he  had  a  learned  and  liberal  ed¬ 
ucation;  was  not  only  a  Jew,  and  a  gentle¬ 
man,  but  a  scholar  ;  brought  up  in  Jerusa¬ 
lem,  the  principal  seat  of  the  Jewish  learn¬ 
ing,  and  at  the  feet  of  Gamaliel,  whom  they 
nil  knew  to  be  an  eminent  doctor  of  the 
Jewish  law,  of  which  Paul  was  designed  to 
be  himself  a  teacher  ;  therefore,  he  could 
not  l>e  ignorant  of  their  law,  nor  be  thought 
to  slight  it  because  he  did  not  know  it  ;  his 
parents  had  brought  him  very  young  to  this 
city,  designing  him  for  a  Pharisee  ;  and 
some  think  his  being  brought  up  at  the  feet 
of  Gamaliel,  intimates,  not  only  that  he  was 
one  of  his  pupils,  but  that  he  was,  above 
any  other,  diligent  and  constant  in  attending 
his  lecture's,  observant  of  him,  and  obse¬ 


quious  to  him,  in  all  he  said,  as  Mary,  that 
sat  at  Jesus  feet,  and  heard  his  word. 

4.  That  he  was,  in  his  early  days,  a  very 
forward  and  eminent  professor  of  the  Jews’ 
religion,  his  studies  and  learning  were  all 
directed  that  way.  So  far  was  lie  from  be¬ 
ing  principled  in  his  youth  with  any  disaffec¬ 
tion  to  the  religious  usages  of  the  Jews,  there 
was  not  a  young  man  among  them  had  a 
greater  or  more  entire  veneration  for  them 
than  he  had,  was  more  strict  in  observing 
them  himself,  nor  more  hot  in  enforcing  them 
on  others.  What  departures  he  had  made 
from  the  law,  were  not  owing  to  any  con¬ 
fused  or  mistaken  notions  of  it,  for  he  un¬ 
derstood  it  to  a  nicety, — according  to  the 
most  accurate  and  exact  method;  and,  to 
make  it  more  strict  than  it  was,  added  to  it 
the  traditions  of  the  elders,  the  law  of  the 
fathers,  the  law  given  to  them,  and  so  hand¬ 
ed  down  to  us.  Paul  had  as  great  a  value 
for  antiquity  and  tradition,  as  any  of  them 
had.  And  he  was  as  much  a  zealot  as  any 
Rabbin;  he  was  zealous  against  everything 
the  law  prohibited,  and  for  everything  the 
law  enjoined ;  and  this  was  zeal  toward  God, 
because  he  thought  it  was  for  the  honor  of 
God,  and  the  service  of  his  interests  ;  and 
here  he  compliments  his  hearers  with  a  can¬ 
did  and  charitable  opinion  of  them,  that  they 
all  were  this  day  zealous  toward  God;  he  bears 
them  record,  Rom.  10:  2. 

II.  What  a  fiery,  furious  persecutor  he 
had  been  of  the  Christian  religion,  in  the  be¬ 
ginning  of  his  time,  v.  4,  5.  He  mentions 
this,  to  make  it  the  more  plainly  and  evi¬ 
dently  to  appear,  that  the  change  wrought  on 
him,  when  he  was  converted,  was  purely  the 
effect  of  a  divine  power  ;  for  he  was  so  far 
from  having  any  previous  inclinations  to  it, 
or  favorable  opinions  of  it,  that  immediate¬ 
ly  before  that  sudden  change  in  him,  he  had 
the  utmost  antipathy  imaginable  to  Christi¬ 
anity,  and  was  filled  with  rage  against  it,  to 
the  last  degree  !  Perhaps  he  mentions  it, 
to  justify  God  in  his  present  trouble,  who 
permitted  it,  for  time  was  when  he  was  a 
persecutor  ;  and  he  may  have  a  further  view 
in  it,  to  invite  and  encourage  those  people  to 
repent,  for  he  himself  yet  obtained  mercy. 

Let  us  view  Paul’s  picture  of  himself 
when  a  persecutor.  1.  He  hated  Christi¬ 
anity  with  a  mortal  enmity  ;  I  persecuted  this 
way  unto  the  death,  those  that  walked  in  this 
way,  9:1.  26  :  10.  nay,  the  way  itself, 
Christianity,  which  was  branded  as  a  by¬ 
way,  a  sect:  he  persecuted  it  to  the  death,  i.  e. 
he  could  have  been  willing  himself  to  die  in 
his  opposition  to  Christianity,  so  some  ;  he 
would  contentedly  have  lost  his  life;  think¬ 
ing  it  well  laid  out,  in  defence  of  the  laws 
and  traditions  of  the  fathers.  2.  He  did  all 
he  could  to  frighten  people  from  this  way, 
and  out  of  it,  by  binding  and  delivering  them 
into  prisons  ;  now  he  himself  was  bound,  he 
lays  a  particular  stress  on  this  part  of  his 
charge  against  himself  ;  he  likewise  reflects, 
with  a  special  regret,  that  he  had  imprisoned , 
not  only  the  men,  but  the  weaker  sex,  who 
ought  to  be  treated  with  particular  tender¬ 
ness  and  compassion.  3.  He  was  employed 
by  the  great  Sanhedrim,  the  high  priest,  and 
all  the  estate  of  the  elders,  as  an  agent  for 
them,  in  suppressing  this  new  sect;  so  much 
had  he  already  signalized  himself  for  his 
zeal  against  it  !  v.  5.  ‘  Such  an  one,’  says 

Paul,  ‘  I  was  at  first,  just  such  as  you  now 
are.  I  know  the  heart  of  a  persecutor,  and 
therefore  pity  you,  and  pray  that  you  may 
know  the  heart  of  a  convert,  as  God  soon 
made  me  to  do.’ 


III.  The  manner  of  his  conversion  ;  it 
was  not  from  any  natural  or  external  causes; 
nor  from  discontent  in  the  Jewish  church, 
much  less  from  covetousness,  or  ambition,  or 
any  hope  of  mending  his  fortune,  for  it  was 
to  expose  himself  to  all  manner  of  disgrace 
and  trouble  ;  nor  had  he  any  conversation 
with  the  apostles  or  any  other  Christians,  by 
whose  subtlety  and  sophistry  he  might  be 
thought  to  have  been  wheedled  into  this 
change  ;  no,  it  was  the  Lord’s  doing,  and 
the  circumstances  of  the  doing  of  it  were 
enough  to  justify  him  in  the  change,  to  all 
those  who  believe  there  is  a  supernatural 
power  ;  and  none  can  condemn  him  for  it, 
without  reflecting  on  that  divine  energy  by 
which  he  was  herein  overruled.  More 
particularly, 

1.  He  was  as  fully  bent  on  persecuting  the 
Christians  just  before  Christ  arrested  him, 
as  ever,  u.  6.  and  had  no  other  thought  than 
to  execute  the  cruel  design  he  was  sent  up¬ 
on.  2.  A  light  from  heaven  first  startled 
him.  Had  it  shone  in  upon  him  into  some 
private  room,  there  might  have  been  a  cheat 
in  it,  but  it  shone  upon  him  in  the  open  road, 
at  high  noon,  and  so  strongly,  that  it  struck 
him  to  the  ground,  v.  7.  and  all  that  were  with 
him,  ch.  26:  14.  They  could  not  deny  but 
that  surely  the  Lord  was  in  this  light.  3.  A 
voice  from  heaven  first  begat  in  him  awful 
thoughts  of  Jesus  Christ,  whom  before  he  had 
had  nothing  but  hateful,  spitefid  thoughts  of. 
By  which  it  appeared,  that  this  Jesus  of 
Nazareth,  whom  they  also  were  now  perse¬ 
cuting,  was  one  that.spake  from  heaven,  and 
they  knew  it  was  dangerous  resisting  one 
that  did  so,  Heb.  12:  25.  4.  Lest  it  should 

be  objected, 1  How  came  this  light  and  voice 
to  work  such  a  change  on  him,  and  not  on 
those  that  journeyed  ivilh  him  ?’  He  obsen  es, 
that  his  fellow-travellers  saw  indeed  the  light, 
and  were  afraid  that  they  should  be  con¬ 
sumed  i nith  fire  from  heaven,  but  did  not  dis¬ 
tinctly  hear  the  words  ;  now  faith  comes  by 
hearing,  and  therefore  that  change  was  now 
presently  wrought  on  him  that  heard  the 
words,  and  heard  them  directed  to  himself, 
which  was  not  wrought  on  them  who  only 
saw  the  light;  and  yet  it  might  afterward  be 
wrought  on  them  too.  5.  He  assures  them, 
that  when  thus  startled,  he  referred  himself 
entirely  to  a  divine  guidance;  ‘  What  shall  I 
do,  Lord  ?  Let  the  same  voice  from  heaven, 
that  has  stopped  me  in  the  wrong  way, 
guide  me  into  the  right,’  v.  10.  And  imme¬ 
diately  he  had  directions  to  go  to  Damascus, 
and  there  he  should  hear  further  from  Him 
that  spake  to  him  ;  ‘  No  more  needs  to  be 
said  from  heaven,  there  it  shall  be  told  thee, 
by  a  man  like  thyself,  in  the  name  of  Him 
that  now  speaks  to  thee,  all  things  which  are 
appointed  for  thee  to  do.’  The  extraordinary 
ways  of  divine  revelation,  by  visions,  and 
voices,  and  the  appearance  of  angels,  were 
designed,  both  in  the  O.  T.  and  in  the  New, 
only  to  introduce  and  establish  the  ordinary 
method  by  the  Scriptures,  and  a  standing 
ministry,  and  therefore  were  generally  su¬ 
perseded  when  those  were  settled.  See  the 
story  of  Cornelius.  6.  As  a  demonstration 
of  the  greatness  of  that  light  which  fastened 
on  him,  he  tells  them  of  the  immediate  effect 
it  had  on  his  eyesight,  v.  11.  Those  that 
were  with  Paul,  had  not  the  light  so  directly 
darted  into  their  faces, as  Paul  had  into  his, 
therefore  were  not  blinded,  as  he.  Now 
Paul  was  thus  struck  with  bodily  blindness, 
to  make  him  sensible  of  his  spiritual  blind¬ 
ness,  and  his  mistake  concerning  himself, 
when  he  was  alive  without  the  law,  Rom.  7:9. 


Hud  evidently  to  be  taken  figuratively,  however.’  Bloomf.  So  in  the 
E.  it  is  said,  1  He  had  his  holiness  at  the  feet  of  the  gooroo,  or  his  learning 
at  the  feet  of  the  philosopher.’  It  is  only,  used  of  great  saints  or  teach¬ 
ers.  So  Rob.  At  first,  disciples  seem  to  have  sat  on  the  ground  before 
their  teachers,  who  were  in  a  seat  or  chair.  Afterwards,  the  eldest  sat 
on  pulpits,  or  arm-chairs,  the  next  in  dignity  on  chairs  or  stools,  the  novi¬ 
tiates  or  youngest  on  mats  upon  the  ground.  Vitr.  says,  disciples  stood 
before  their  teachers.  See  IVetst.  Ed. 

V.  G — 13.  It  is  evident,  the  apostle  considered  his  extraordinary  con¬ 


version,  as  a  most  complete  demonstration  of  the  truth  of  Christianity  : 
and  when  all  the  particulars  of  his  case  are  properly  considered  ;  it  must 
convince  every  candid  and  impartial  person,  that  no  rational  account 
can  be  given  of  this  change,  except  that  which  he  himself  assigns ;  and 
if  that  be  true,  Christianity  is  divine.  Scott. 

(12.)  Ananias.]  1  A  pious  man,  according  to  the  law,  whose  acceptance 
of  the  Gospel  had  by  no  means  destroyed  his  regard  to  the  Mosaic  insti¬ 
tutions,  and  who  on  that  account  had  an  honorable  character  among  all 
the  Jews  who  dwelt  at  Damascus.’ 


A.  D.  61. 


ACTS,  XXII. 


Paul’s  account  of  himself. 


13  Came  unto  me,  and  stood,  and 
said  unto  me,  Brother  Saul,  receive 
thy  sight.  And  the  same  hour  I 
looked  up  upon  him. 

14  And  he  said,  The  m  God  of  our 
fathers  hath  chosen  n  thee,  that  thou 
shouldest  know  hisvwill,  and  see 
°that  p  Just  One,  and  shouldest  hear 
the  voice  **  of  his  mouth. 

15  For  thou  r  shalt  be  his  witness 
unto  all  men,  of  what  thou  hast  seen 
and  heard. 

16  And  now,  why  tarriest  thou  ? 
arise,  and  be  baptized,  and  wash 
8  away  thy  sins,  calling  'on  the 
name  of  the  Lord. 

17  And  it  came  to  pass,  that  when 
I  was  come  again  to  Jerusalem, 
even  while  I  prayed  in  the  temple, 
I  was  in  a  u  trance  ; 

18  And  saw  v  him  saying  unto 
me,  Make  haste,  and  get  thee 
quickly  out  of  Jerusalem  :  for  they 
will  not  receive  thy  testimony  con¬ 
cerning  me. 

19  And  I  said,  Lord,  they  wknow 
that  I  imprisoned  and  beat  in  every 
synagogue  them  that  believed  on 
thee  : 

20  And  when  the  blood  of  thy 
martyr  Stephen  was  shed,  I  x  also 
was  standing  by,  and  consenting 
y  unto  his  death,  and  kept  the  rai¬ 
ment  of  them  that  slew  him. 

21  And  he  said  unto  me,  Depart: 
for  ZI  will  send  thee  far  hence, 
unto  the  Gentiles, 


n»  c.  3:13.  5:30. 
n  i  .9:15.  Ga.l:15. 
o  v »*r .  13.  I  Co. 

9:1.  15:3 

pc.  3:14  7:52. 

q  l  Co.  11:23.  Ga. 
1:12. 

r  c.  '23:11.  26:18. 


&c. 

s  He.  10:22.  1  Pe. 
3:21. 

t  Ro.  10:13.  1 

Co.  1:2. 
u  2  Co.  12:2. 
v  ver.  14. 
w  ver.  4. 


$  c.  7:58. 
y  c.  8:1. 

z  c.  13:  2,47.  Ro. 
1:5.  11:13.  15: 
16.  Ga.  2:7,  8. 
Ep.  3:7,8.  1  Ti. 
2:7. 


IV.  How  lie  was  confirmed,  and  further 
directed.  Observe, 

1.  The  character  here  given  of  Ananias  ; 
he  was  not  prejudiced  against  the  Jewish  na¬ 
tion  or  religion,  but  if  not  a  Jew  by  birth, 
jet  had  been  proselyted  to  the  Jewish  re¬ 
ligion,  therefore  is  called  devout,  and  thence 
advanced  further  to  the  faith  of  Christ  ;  he 
conducted  himself  so  well,  that  he  had  a 
good  report  of  all  the  Jews  at  Damascus  ;  this 
was  the  first  Christian  Paul  had  any  friendly 
communication  with,  and  it  was  not  likely 
be  should  instil  into  him  any  such  notions  as 
they  suspected  him  to  have  espoused,  in¬ 
jurious  to  the  law,  or  to  this  holy  place. 

2.  The  cure  immediately  wrought  by  him 
on  Paul’s  eyes  ;  which  miracle  was  to  con¬ 
firm  Ananias’  mission  to  Paul,  and  to  ratify 
all  that  he  should  afterwards  say  to  him, 
r.  13.  and  to  assure  him  that  he  came  to 
him  from  Christ. 

3.  The  declaration  Ananias  makes  to  him 
of  the  peculiar  favor  the  Lord  Jesus  design¬ 


ed  him  above  any  other.  (1.)  In  the  present 
manifestation  of  Himself  to  him,  v.  14.  An¬ 
anias’  saying,  the  God  of  our  fathers,  inti¬ 
mates,  he  was  himself  a  Jew  by  birth,  and 
wily  be  said  Brother  Sard.  Know  his  will, 
the  will  of  his  precept  to  be  done  by  thee, 
the  will  of  iiis  providence  to  be  done  con¬ 
cerning  thee.  He  hath  chosen  thee  imme¬ 
diately  by  the  revelation  of  Christ,  Gal.  1 :  1, 
12.  Those  whom  God  hath  chosen,  He  hath 
chosen  to  know  his  will,  and  to  do  it.  That 
thou  shouldest  see  that  Just  One,  and  shouldest 
hear  the  voice  of  his  mouth,  and  so  shouldest 
know  his  will  immediately  from  Himself,  in 
a  particular  manner,  above  others  ;  Christ 
is  here  called  that  Just  One  ;  for  He  is  Jesus 
Christ  the  righteous,  and  suffered  wrongfully. 
(2.)  In  the  after  manifestation  of  Himself 
by  him  to  others,  v.  15.  ‘  Thou  shall  be  his 
witness,  not  only  a  monument  of  bis  grace, 
as  a  pillar  may  be,  but  a  witness  by  word  of 
mouth  ;  thou  shalt  publish  his  Gospel,  as 
that  which  thou  hast  experienced  the  (lower 
of,  and  been  delivered  into  the  mould  of ; 
thou  shalt  be  his  witness  unto  all  men,  Gen¬ 
tiles  as  well  as  Jews,  of  what  thou  hast  seen 
and  heard,  now  at  the  very  first.’  And  find¬ 
ing  Paul  so  particularly  relating  the  manner 
of  bis  conversion  in  bis  apologies  for  him¬ 
self,  here,  and  ch.  26.  we  have  reason  to 
think  he  frequently  made  the  same  narrative 
in  his  preaching  for  the  conversion  of  others ; 
he  told  them  what  God  had  done  for  his  soul, 
to  encourage  them  to  hope  that  He  would  do 
something  for  theirs. 

4.  The  counsel  and  encouragement  he 
gave  him  to  join  himself  to  the  Lord  Jesus 
by  baptism,  v.  16.  He  bad  in  bis  circumcision 
been  given  up  to  God,  but  be  must  now  by 
baptism  be  given  up  to  God  in  Christ  ;  must 
embrace  the  Christian  religion  and  the  privi¬ 
leges  of  it,  in  submission  to  the  precepts  of 
it.  This  must  now  be  done  immediately  on 
bis  conversion,  and  so  was  added  to  bis  cir¬ 
cumcision  ;  but  to  the  seed  of  the  faithful  it 
comes  in  the  room  of  it  ;  for  it  is,  as  that 
was  to  Abraham  and  his  believing  seed,  a 
seal  of  the  righteousness  which  is  by  faith. 
The  great  gospel-privilege,  which  by  bap¬ 
tism  we  have  sealed  to  us,  is  the  remission 
of  sins  ;  and  the  great  gospel-duty  we  are 
bound  to  by  it,  is,  to  call  on  the  name  of  the 
Lord,  the  Lord  Jesus  ;  to  acknowledge  Him 
to  be  our  Lord  and  our  God,  and  to  apply 
ourselves  to  11  im  accordingly.  To  call  on 
the  name  of  Jesus  Christ  our  Lord,  is  the 
periphrasis  of  a  Christian,  1  Cor.  1:2.  We 
must  wash  away  our  sins,  calling  on  the  name 
of  the.  Lord;  i.  e.  we  must  seek  for  the  pardon 
of  our  sins  in  Christ’s  name,  and  in  de¬ 
pendence  on  Him  and  his  righteousness. 
VVe  must  do  this  quickly.  Why  tarriest 
thou  ?  The  case  is  so  plain,  it  is  needless 
to  deliberate;  the  hazard  so  great,  it  is  folly 
to  delay. 

V.  How  he  was  commissioned  to  go  and 
preach  the  Gospel  to  the  Gentiles.  This 
was  the  great  thing  they  were  so  angry  at 
him  for,  therefore  it  was  requisite  he  should 
for  this,  in  a  special  manner,  produce  a  di¬ 
vine  warrant  ;  and  here  he  does  it.  This  ] 
commission  he  did  not  receive  presently  on  j 
his  conversion,  for  this  was  at  Jerusalem,  | 


whither  he  did  not  go  till  three  years  after,  or 
more,  Gal.  1: 18.  and  whether  it  was  then, 
or  afterward,  that  he  had  this  vision  here 
spoken  of,  we  are  not  certain.  But,  to 
reconcile  them,  if  possible,  to  his  preaching 
the  Gospel  among  the  Gentiles,  be  tells  them, 

1.  That  be  received  his  orders  to  do  it 
when  at  prayer,  and  (a  circumstance  that 
would  have  some  weight  with  those  he  was 
now  speaking  to)  at  prayer  in  the  temple, 
which  was  an  evidence,  contrary  to  their 
malicious  suggestion,  that  he  had  a  venera¬ 
tion  for  the  temple,  though  he  did  not  make 
an  idol  of  it,  as  they  did  ;  as  also  that  the 
sending  him  to  the  Gentiles  would  be  no 
prejudice  to  the  temple,  unless  the  Jews  by 
their  infidelity  made  it  so. 

2.  He  received  it  in  a  vision,  lie  fell 
into  a  trance,  v.  17.  his  external  senses,  for 
the  present,  locked  up.  In  this  trance  lie 
saw  Jesus  Christ,  not  with  the  eyes  of  his 
body,  as  at  his  conversion,  but  represented 
to  the  eyes  of  his  mind,  v.  18.  Our  eye 
must  be  on  Christ,  when  receiving  the  law 
from  his  mouth  ;  and  we  must  not  only  hear 
Him  speaking,  but  see  Him  speaking  to  us. 

3.  Before  Christ  gave  him  a  commission 
to  go  to  the  Gentiles,  He  told  him,  it  was  to 
no  purpose  for  him  to  think  of  doing  any 
good  at  Jerusalem.  As  God  knows  before 
who  will  receive  the  Gospel,  so  He  knows 
who  will  reject  it. 

4.  Paul,  notwithstanding  this,  renews  his 
petition  that  he  might  be  employed  at  Jeru¬ 
salem,  because  they  knew,  better  than  any 
did,  what  lie  had  been  before  bis  conversion, 
and  therefore  must  ascribe  so  great  a  change 
in  him  to  the  power  of  almighty  grace,  and, 
consequently,  give  the  greater  regard  to  his 
testimony  ;  thus  lie  reasoned,  both  with 
himself,  and  with  the  Lord,  and  thought  lie 
reasoned  right,  v.  19,  20.  for  they  will  not 
impute  my  preaching  Christ  to  education,  or 
any  prepossession  in  his  favor,  but  will  the 
more  readily  regard  vvliat  I  say,  because 
they  know  I  have  myself  been  one  of  them  : 
particularly  in  Stephen’s  case.  ‘  No,’  says 
Christ  to  him,  ‘they  will  not  ;  but  will  be 
more  exasperated  against  tliee  as  a  deserter 
from,  than  against  others  whom  they  look 
upon  only  as  strangers  to,  their  constitution.’ 

5.  Paul’s  petition  is  overruled,  and  he 
has  peremptory  orders  to  go  among  the  Gen¬ 
tiles,  v.  21.  God  often  gives  gracious  an¬ 
swers  to  the  prayers  of  his  people,  not  in 
the  thing  itself  that  they  pray  for,  but  in 
something  Letter.  Abraham  prays.  Oh  that 
Ishmael  may  live  before  thee  :  and  God  hears 
him  for  Isaac.  It  is  God  that  appoints  his 
laborers  both  their  day  and  their  place,  and 
it  is  fit  they  should  acquiesce  in  his  appoint¬ 
ment  ;  though  it  may  cross  their  own  incli¬ 
nations.  So  often  does  Providence  contrive 
better  for  us  than  we  for  ourselves  ;  to  the 
guidance  of  that  we  must  therefore  refer  our¬ 
selves.  And  it  might  be  a  mitigation  of  the 
offence  of  this  to  the  Jews,  that  be  did  not 
set  up  a  Gentile  church  in  the  neighboring 

j  nations  ;  but  was  sent  a  vast  way  off. 

Now  if  they  would  lay  all  this  together, 

I  surely  they  would  see  they  had  no  reason  to 
I  be  angry  with  Paul  for  preaching  among  the 
I  Gentiles,  or  construe  it  an  act  of  ill-will  to 


V.  14 — 16.  ‘  Calling  on  the  name  of  the  Lord,'  even  (lie  l.onl  Jesus, 
as  the  expression  generally  means,  seems  to  have  been  one  principal 
part  of  the  required  profession  of  faith  in  his  name.  2:14 — 21.  Joel  2: 
23 — 32.  1  Cor.  1:1,  2. — ‘The  inference  of  Chrysostom  from  this  place 
(16)  is  this,  that  by  these  words,  he  shows  that  Christ  was  God  ;  because 
it  is  not  lawful  to  invoke  any  but  God.’  Whitby.  The  invocation  of 
saints  and  angels  had  not,  it  seems,  at  that  time,  (near  the  end  of  the 
fourth  century,)  received  the  sanction  of  the  most  eminent  Christian 
ministers. — 1  Washing  aivay  thy  sins,'  is  rather  connected  with  ‘  having 
called  on  the  name,  &c.’  than  with  ‘  be  baptized.’  Ram.  10:12 — 17,  vv. 
12 — 14.  See  on  9:14.  Scott. 

(16.)  ‘Do  thy  part  to  be  baptized,  (by  applying  for  baptism,)  and,  as 
much  as  in  thee  lies,  wash  away  thy  sins.  “  Calling  on  the  name  of  the 
Lord,”  seems  a  form  of  solemn  engagement,  by  which  the  applicant  for 
baptism  invoked  the  name  of  the  Lord  to  bear  witness  to  his  engage¬ 
ments  to  forsake  sin,  and  have  faith.  “  Baptism  in  the  adult,  excepting 
our  Lord’s  peculiar  case,  was  a  token  of  confession  and  humiliation 
for  sin,  (hence  called  of  repentance,  Mat.  3:11.  Mark  1:4.  Luke  3:3. 
Acts  13:24.  19:4.)and  of  a  desire  to  be  cleansed  from  it,  as  the  body  was 

[134] 


by  water  cleansed  from  its  pollution  ;  and  being  administered  to  such  pro¬ 
fessed  penitents,  by  divine  appointment.,  as  a  token  of  favorable  regard 
to  them,  it  was  a  seal  of  pardon  :  nor  did  God  ordinarily  give  any  par¬ 
ticular  person  any  public  and  visible  token  of  pardon  till  he  had  submit¬ 
ted  to  baptism ;  and  this  may  explain  in  what  sense  baptism  may  lie 
said  to  wash  away  sins,  and  elsewhere  to  save.  Comp.  1  Pet.  3:21.  See 
Acts  2:38.  and  note.”  Doddr.  See  an  admirable  passage  on  this  subject 
in  Calvin's  Inst.  L.  IV.  xv.  §  14.’  Bloom f. 

V.  17 — 21.  Doubtless  many  who  heard  the  apostle,  on  this  occasion, 
could  well  remember  the  facts  to  which  he  referred,  and  attest  them  to 
others.  He  therefore  hoped  to  convince  the  multitude,  that  his  labors 
among  the  Gentiles  were  not  the  result  of  his  own  choice,  as  he  earnest¬ 
ly  desired  to  have  been  useful  to  his  countrymen  ;  but  at  the  same  time 
this  mission  intimated  the  approaching  rejection  of  the  Jewish  nation, 
as  well  as  the  calling  of  the  Gentiles  into  the  church. — Death.]  See  on 
8:1.  ‘Murder.’  ‘Rightly;  for  Stephen  was  6lain,  without  any  prece¬ 
dent  sentence  of  law,  by  manifest  violence,  as  by  robbers ;  when  it  was 
not  allowed  to  the  Jews  capitally  to  condemn  any  one,  even  according  to 
the  laws.’  Beza.  Scott. 


A.  D.  61. 


ACTS,  XXII. 


4 


The  Jews  enraged  against  Paul. 


22  IT  And  they  gave  him  audi¬ 
ence  unto  this  word,  and  then  lift¬ 
ed  up  their  voices,  and  said,  Away 
with  such  a  fellow  from  the  earth  : 
for  ait  is  not  fit  that  he  should  live. 

23  And  as  they  cried  out,  and 
cast  off  their  clothes,  and  threw 
dust  into  the  air, 

24  The  chief  captain  commanded 
him  to  be  brought  into  the  castle, 
and  bade  that  he  should  be  exam¬ 
ined  by  scourging ;  that  he  might 
know  wherefore  they  cried  so 
against  him. 

25  IT  And  as  they  bound  him 
with  thongs,  Paul  said  unto  the 
centurion  that  stood  by,  Is  it  lawful 
for  you  to  scourge  a  man  that  is  a 
b  Roman,  and  uncondemned  ? 

26  When  the  centurion  heard 
that,  he  went  and  told  the  chief 
captain,  saying,  Take  heed  what 
thou  doest  :  for  this  man  is  a 
Roman. 

27  Then  the  chief  captain  came, 
and  said  'unto  him,  Tell  me,  art 
thou  a  Roman  ?  He  said,  Yea. 

28  And  the  chief  captain  answer¬ 
ed,  With  a  great  sum  obtained  I 
this  freedom.  And  Paul  said,  But 
I  was  free  born. 

29  Then  straightway  they  de¬ 
parted  from  him  which  should  have 
*  examined  him  :  and  the  chief  cap¬ 
tain  also  was  afraid,  after  he  knew 
that  he  was  a  Roman,  and  because 
he  had  bound  him. 

ft  c.  25: 24.  b  c.  16:37.  25:16.  c  or,  tortured  him, 

his  own  nation,  for  lie  was  compelled  to  it, 
contrary  to  his  own  mind,  by  an  overruling 
command  from  heaven. 

V.  22 — 30.  Paul  was  going  on,  we  may 
suppose,  to  show  how  he  was  afterward,  by 
a  special  direction  of  the  Holy  Ghost  at 
Antioch,  separated  to  this  service,  how  ten¬ 
der  he  was  of  the  Jews,  how  respectful  to 
them,  and  how  careful  to  give  them  the 
precedency  in  all  places  whither  he  came, 
and  to  unite  Jews  and  Gentiles  in  one  body; 
and  then  to  show  how  wonderfully  God  had 
owned  him,  and  what  good  service  had 
been  done  to  the  interest  of  God’s  kingdom 
among  men  in  general,  without  damage  to 
any  of  the  true  interests  of  the  Jewish 
church  in  particular.  But  when  he  speaks 
of  being  sent  to  the  Gentiles,  they  cannot 
bear  it,  not  so  much  as  to  hear  the  Gentiles 
named,  such  an  enmity  had  they  to  them, 
ami  such  a  jealousy  of  them. 

1.  They  interrupted  him,  by  lifting  up  their 
voice,  to  put  him  into  confusion,  and  that 
nobody  might  hear  a  word  he  said.  Galled 
consciences  kick  at  the  least  touch  ;  and 
those  who  are  resolved  not  to  be  ruled  by 
reason,  commonly  resolve  not  to  hear  it,  if 
they  can  help  it.  And  the  spirit  of  enmity 
against  the  Gospel  of  Christ  commonly 
shows  itself  in  silencing  the  ministers  of 


Christ,  ns  the  Jews  did  Paul  here.  See  Is. 
30:  10.  2  Chr.  25:  16. 

2.  Thev  clamored  against  him  as  one  un¬ 
worthy  of  life,  much  more  of  liberty  ;  ‘Away 
with  such  a  fellow  as  this_/rom  the  earth,  who 
pretends  to  have  a  commission  to  preach 
to  the  Gentiles  ;  why,  it  is  not  fit  that  he 
should  live .’  Thus  the  men  that  have  been 
the  greatest  blessings  of  their  age,  have  been 
represented  not  only  as  the  burdens  of  the 
earth,  but  the  plague  of  their  generation. 
See  what  different  sentiments  God  and  men 
have  of  good  men,  and  yet  they  both  agree 
in  this,  that  they  are  not  likely  to  live  long 
in  this  world.  Heb.  11:38.  Rev.  11:10. 

3.  They  went  stark  mad  against  Paul, 
and  against  the  chief  captain  for  not  killing 
him  immediately,  at  their  request,  v.  23. 
they  cried  out  like  roaring  lions  or  raging 
bears,  howled  like  the  evening  wolves;  they 
cast  off  their  clothes  with  fury  and  violence, 
as  much  as  to  say,  that  thus  they  would  tear 
him  if  they  could  but  come  at  him.  Or 
rather,  they  thus  showed  how  ready  they 
were  to  stone  him  ;  they  that  stoned  Stephen, 
threw  off  their  clothes,  v.  20.  Or,  they  rent 
their  clothes,  as  if  he  had  spoken  blasphemy; 
and  threw  dust  into  the  air,  in  detestation  of 
it.  What  they  intended,  was,  to  make  the 
chief  captain  sensible  how  much  they  were 
enraged  and  exasperated  at  Paul,  so  that 
he  could  not  do  anything  to  gratify  them 
more  than  to  let  them  have  their  will  against 
him. 

4.  The  chief  captain  took  care  for  his  safe¬ 
ty,  by  ordering  him  to  be  brought  into  the 
castle,  v.  24.  A  prison  sometimes  has  been 
a  protection  to  good  men  from  popular 
rage.*  God  raised  up  one  that  took  care 
of  Paul,  when  none  of  his  friends  durst  ap¬ 
pear  on  his  behalf.  Grant  not,  O  Lord,  the 
desire  of  the  tricked. 

5.  He  ordered  him  the  torture,  bade  that 
he  should  be  examined  by  scourging,  (as  now 
[to  their  disgrace]  in  some  countries,  by  the 
rack,)  that  he  might  know  wherefore  they  cried 
so  against  him.  Herein  he  did  not  proceed 
fairly  ;  he  should  have  singled  out  some  of 
the  clamorous,  tumultuous  complainants,  and 
have  examined  them,  [never  however  by 
torture,  which  takes  the  prisoner’s  crime  for 
granted,]  what  they  had  to  lay  to  the  charge 
of  a  man  that  could  give  so  good  an  account 
of  himself^and  did  not  appear  to  have  done 
anything  worthy  of  death  or  of  bonds.  It 
was  proper  to  ask  them,  but  not  at  all  proper 
to  ask  Paul,  wherefore  they  cried  so  against 
him.  No  man  is  [in  law]  bound  to  accuse 
himself,  though  guilty,  much  less,  when  in¬ 
nocent.  Surely  the  chief  captain  did  not 
know  the  Jewish  nation,  when  he  concluded, 
he  must  needs  have  done  something  very  ill, 
whom  they  cried  out  against.  Had  they  not 
just  thus  cried  against  our  Lord  Jesus,  Cru¬ 
cify  Him,  crucify  Him,  when  they  had  not  one 
word  to  say  in  answer  to  the  judge’s  ques¬ 
tion,  Why ,  what  evil  has  He  done  ?  Is  this  a 
fair  or  just  occasion  to  scourge  Paul,  that  a 
rude  tumultuous  mob  cry  out  against  him, 
but  cannot  tell  why  or  wherefore,  and  there¬ 
fore  he  must  be  forced  to  tell  1 

6.  Paul  pleaded  his  privilege  as  a  Roman 
citizen,  by  which  he  was  exempted  from  all 

•  It  is  singular,  that  the  free  United  States  should,  of 
late,  exemplify  this  !  Ed. 


trials  and  punishments  of  this  nature,  v.  25. 
As  they  bound  him  with  thongs,  or  leather 
bands,  to  the  whipping-post,  he  made  no 
outcry  against  the  injustice  of  their  proceed¬ 
ings,  but  very  mildly  let  them  understand 
the  illegality  of  them  against  him  as  a  citi¬ 
zen  of  Rome  ;  he  had  done  this  once  before 
at  Philippi,  after  he  had  been  scourged, 
ch.  16:  37.  but  here  he  makes  use  of  it  for 
prevention.  The  manner  of  his  speaking, 
plainly  speaks  what  a  holy  security  and  se¬ 
renity  of  mind  this  good  man  enjoyed,  not 
disturbed  with  anger  or  fear  in  the  midst 
of  all  the  indignities  done  him,  and  the  dan¬ 
ger  he  was  in.  The  Romans  had  a  law', 
lex  Sempronia,  that  if  any  magistrate  did 
chastise  or  condemn  a  freeman  of  Rome, 
without  hearing  him  speak  for  himself,  and  de¬ 
liberating  on  the  whole  of  his  case,  he  should 
be  liable  to  the  sentence  of  the  people,  w  ho 
were  very  jealous  of  their  liberties.  It  i3 
indeed  the  privilege  of  every  man  not  to 
have  wrong  done  him,  except  it  l>e  proved 
he  has  done  wrong  ;  as  it  is  of  every  Eng¬ 
lishman,  by  Magna  Charta,  not  to  be  dis¬ 
seized  of  his  life  or  freehold,  but  by  a  verdict 
of  12  men  of  his  peers. 

7.  The  chief  captain  was  surprised  at 
this,  and  put  into  a  fright  ;  he  had  taken 
Paul  to  be  a  vagabond  Egyptian,  and  won¬ 
dered  he  could  speak  Greek,  ch.  21:37. 
but  is  much  more  surprised,  now  he  finds  he 
is  as  good  a  gentleman  as  himself.  How 
many  men  of  great  worth  and  merit  are 
despised  because  they  are  not  known  !  It  is 
a  crime,  says  Cic.,  fo  bind  a  Roman  citizen, 
but  an  unpardonable  one  to  beat  him.  Now, 
(1.)  The  chief  captain  would  be  satisfied  of 
the  truth  of  this  from  his  own  mouth,  v.  27. 
perhaps  he  produced  some  instrument  which 
proved  it  ;  otherwise,  they  would  scarcely 
have  taken  his  word  ;  [but  the  pretending 
it  was  a  capital  crime  bv  Roman  law,  and 
so  not  likely  to  happen.]  (2.)  The  chief 
captain  very  freely  compares  notes  with 
him  on  this  matter,  and  it  appears,  that  the 
privilege  Paul  had  as  a  Roman  citizen,  was 
of  the  tw'o  more  honorable  than  the  colonel’s 
[tribune’s] ;  for  the  colonel  owns  his  was 
purchased  ;  while  ‘  says  Paul,  *  was  free¬ 
born.'  Some  think  he  became  entitled  to 
this  freedom  by  the  place  of  his  birth  ;  others 
rather,  by  his  father  or  grandfather,  for  some 
signal  piece  of  service  in  the  war  between 
Cesar  and  Antony,  rewarded  with  a  free¬ 
dom  of  the  city  ;  and  so  Paul  came  to  be 
free-born.  (3.)  This  put  an  immediate  stop 
to  Paul’s  trouble,  v.  29.  Many  are  restrain¬ 
ed  from  evil  practices  by  the  fear  of  man, 
who  would  not  be  by  the  fear  of  God.  See 
here  the  benefit  of  human  laws  and  magis¬ 
tracy,  and  what  reason  we  have  to  be  thank¬ 
ful  to  God  for  them  ;  therefore  this  service 
we  owe  to  all  in  authority, — to  pray  for  them, 
because  this  benefit  we  have  reason  to  expect 
from  them,  whether  we  have  it  or  no,  as 
long  as  we  are  quiet  and  peaceable, — to  live 
quiet  and  peaceable  lives  in  all  godliness  and 
honesty,  1  Tim.  2:  1,2.  (4.)  The  governor, 
the  next  day,  brought  Paul  before  the  San¬ 
hedrim,  v.  30.  for  he  found  it  to  be  a  matter 
of  religion,  and  therefore  looked  upon  them 
to  he  the  most  proper  judges  of  it.  What 
he  is  here  said  to  aim  at,  is,  the  gratifying 
of  his  own  curiosity.  He  would  have  known 


V.  22.  ‘  They  thought,  if  the  Gentiles  were  ever  admitted  to  the  ben 

e!!ts  of  the  Messiah’s  kingdom,  it  would  only  be  by  previously  becoming 
Jews.’  Kuin. 

V.  23.  So  in  Persia  aggrieved  peasants  carry  their  complaints  of  their 
governors  (in  companies  of  several  hundreds  or  a  thousand)  to  their 
prince’s  gate,  where  they  set  themselves  to  make  the  most  horrid  cries, 
tearing  their  garments,  and  throwing  dust  in  the  air ,  [intimating,  per¬ 
haps,  that  the  obnoxious  person  ought  to  be  prostrated  and  buried  ?]  at 
the  same  time  demanding  justice.  See  Bush's  Ill.  Ed. 

V.  24.  ‘The  tribune,’  says  Bloomf.,  ‘ignorant  of  Ilshrcw,  and  there¬ 
fore  not  acquainted  w  ith  the  purport  of  Paul’s  speech,  thinks,  by  the 
rabid  fury  of  the  multitude,  that  he  had  committed  some  heinous  of¬ 
fence,’  «tc.  Id. 

V.  25.  He  had  before  mentioned  his  being  a  citizen  of  Tarsus,  yet  the 
tribune  had  not  thence  inferred,  that  he  was  entitled  to  the  privilege  of  a 
Roman  citizen  :  so  that  it  is  probable,  all  the  citizens  of  the  Roman  col¬ 
onies  had  not  this  privilege;  or  that  Tarsus  was  not  a  colony.  Scott. 


(25.)  That  stood  by.]  ‘This  alludes  to  the  custom  of  the  Romans,  to 
appoint  n  centurion  to  superintend  the  execution  of  any  punishment.’  Bl. 

V.  28.  Free  born.]  Doddr.  thinks  Lardner’s  arguments  unanswer¬ 
able  against  Tarsus  having  been  a  colony,  or  what  the  Romans  called  a 
municipium,  i.  e.  a  place  where  all  the  natives  were  free  by  birth  ;  and 
that,  therefore,  ‘  it  is  much  more  probable,’  that  Paul  was  born  free  by 
virtue  of  his  father’s,  or  some  ■'of  his  ancestors’  having  been  rewarded 
with  the  honor  of  Roman  citizenship,  for  some  military  service  :  and 
Ros.  hence  infers,  that  Paul  ‘  was  of  a  wealthy  family.’  Note,  16:37.  Sec 
Bloomfield.  Ea- 

V.  29.  tVas  afraid.]  Bloomf.  (whom  see)  thinks  Paul’s  right  of  Ro¬ 
man  citizenship  was  not  of  the  first  class,  but  the  Jus  Latii  or  Jus  Colo¬ 
nies,  for  he  is  put  in  bonds  or  irons,  v.  30.  is  constantly  spoken  of  as  the 
bound  [tr.  prisoner],  and  at  27:42.  the  centurion,  it  appears,  had  the  power 
of  death  over  him  :  all  which  are  inconsistent  with  the  highest  order  of 
Roman  citizenship.  The  centurion,  he  supposes,  was  afraid  because  he 
had  strapped  Paul  to  the  whipping-post,  v.  25.  In. 


A.  D.  61. 


ACTS,  XXIII. 


Paul  protests  his  integrity. 


-  80  IT  On  the  morrow,  because 
d  he  would  have  known  the  certain¬ 
ty  wherefore  he  was  accused  of  the 
Jews,  he  loosed  him  from  his  bands, 
and  commanded  the  chief  priests 
and  all  their  council  to  "appear,  and 
brought  Paul  down,  and  set  him 
before  them. 

CHAP.  XXIII. 

1  As  Paul  pleadeth  his  cause,  2  Ananias  commandeth  them 
to  smite  him.  7  Dissension  among  his  accusers.  11  God 
encourageth  him.  14  The  Jews’  laying  wait  for  Paul 
20  is  declared  unto  the  chief  captain.  27  He  sendeth  him 
to  Felix  the  governor. 

AND  Paul,  earnestly  beholding 
the  council,  said,  Men  and 
brethren,  1  I  have  lived  in  all  good 
conscience  before  God  until  this 
day. 

2  And  the  high  priest  Ananias 
commanded  them  that  stood  by  him 
to  smite  him  b  on  the  mouth. 

dc.  23:28.  a  c.  24:16.  2  Co.  1:12.  He. 13:18.  b  Jn.  18:22. 

the  certainty  whereof  he  was  accused  of  the 
Jews.  Had  he  sent  for  Paul  to  his  own 
chamber,  and  talked  freely  with  him,  he 
might  soon  have  learned  that,  and  more;  but 
it  is  too  common  for  great  men  to  affect  to 
set  that  at  a  distance  from  them,  which 
might  awaken  their  consciences,  and  to  de¬ 
sire  to  have  no  more  of  the  knowledge  of  God's 
ways  than  may  serve  them  to  talk  of. 

Chap.  XXIII.  V.  1 — 5.  The  close  of 
the  foregoing  ch.  left  Paul  in  the  high 
priest’s  court,  into  which  the  chief  captain 


had  removed  his  cause  from  the  mob  ;  and 
if  his  enemies  act  there  against  him  with  less 
noise,  yet  it  is  with  more  subtlety.  Perhaps 
Paul,  when  brought  before  heathen  magis¬ 
trates,  thought,  if  he  were  Itefore  the  Sanhe¬ 
drim,  he  should  be  able  to  deal  with  them  to 
some  good  purpose,  yet  we  do  not  find  that 
he  works  at  all  upon  them.  Here  we  have, 

I.  Paul’s  protestation  ofhis  own  integrity; 
he  appeared  here, 

1.  With  a  good  courage  ;  when  Stephen 
was  brought  before  them,  they  thought  to 
have  faced  him  down,  ch.  6:15.  but  could 
not,  such  was  his  holy  confidence;  and  now 
that  Paul  was  brought  before  them,  he  thought 
to  have  faced  them  down,  but  could  not,  such 
was  their  wicked  impudence.  However,  noy 
was  fulfilled  in  him  what  God  promised  to 
Ezekiel,  ch.  3:8,  9. 

2.  With  a  good  conscience,  and  that  gave 
him  a  good  courage.  Be  this  thy  brazen  bul¬ 
wark  of  defence.  He  had  always  been  a  man 
inclined  to  religion ;  never  lived  at  large,  but, 
even  in  his  unregenerate  state,  was,  as  touch¬ 
ing  the  righteousness  in  the  law,  blameless. 
Even  when  he  persecuted  the  church  of  God, 
he  thought  he  ought  to  do  it,  and  that  he  did 
God  service  in  it.  Though  his  conscience 
was  misinformed,  yet  he  acted  according  to  its 
dictates.  Seech.  26:9.  But  he  seems  rather 
to  speak  of  the  time  since  his  conversion  ; 
he  does  not  say,  From  my  beginning  until 
this  day  ;  but,  ‘  All  the  time  in  which  you 
have  looked  upon  me  as  a  deserter,  an  apos¬ 
tate,  and  an  enemy  to  your  church,  even  to 
this  day,  I  have  lived  in  all  good  conscience 
before  God;  whatever  you  may  think,’  Heb. 
13:  18.  In  all  he  had  done  toward  the  set¬ 
ting  up  of  the  kingdom  of  Christ,  and  the 


setting  of  it  up  among  the  Gentiles,  he  had 
acted  conscientiously.  See  here  the  char¬ 
acter  of  an  honest  man ;  He  sets  God  before 
him,  he  makes  conscience  of  what  he  says  and 
does,  and  though  he  may  be  under  some 
mistakes,  yet,  according  to  the  best  of  his 
knowledge,  he  abstains  from  that  which  is 
evil,  and  cleaves  to  that  which  is  good.  He 
is  universally  conscientious  ;  and  they  that 
are  not  so,  are  not  at  all  truly  conscientious: 
whatever  changes  pass  over  him,  he  is  still 
the  same,  strictly  conscientious.  And  those 
who  thus  live  in  all  good  conscience  before  God, 
may,  like  Paul  here,  lift  up  their  face  without 
spot;  and  if  their  hearts  condemn  them  not, 
may  have  confidence  both  toward  God  and 
man,  as  Job  had  when  he  still  held  fast  his 
integrity,  and  Paul  himself,  whose  rejoicing 
was  this,  the  testimony  ofhis  conscience. 

II.  The  outrage  Ananias  the  high  priest 
was  guilty  of  ;  he  commanded  the  beadles 
that  attended  the  court,  v.  2.  to  give  him  a 
dash  on  the  teeth,  with  a  hand,  or  with  a 
rod.  Our  Lord  Jesus  was  thus  despitefully 
used  in  this  court,  by  one  of  the  servants, 
John  18:22.  as  was  foretold,  Mic.  5:1.  1. 

The  high  priest  was  highly  offended  at 
Paul  ;  some  think,  because  he  looked  so 
boldly  and  earnestly  at  the  council,  as  if  he 
would  face  them  down  ;  others,  because  he 
did  not  address  himself  particularly  to  him 
as  president,  with  some  title  of  honor  and 
respect,  but  spake  freely  and  familiarly  to 
them  all,  as  men  and  brethren.  His  protes¬ 
tation  of  his  integrity  was  provocation 
enough  to  one  who  was  resolved  to  run  him 
down,  and  make  him  odious.  When  he  could 
charge  him  with  no  crime,  he  thought  it 
crime  enough  that  he  asserted  his  own  inno- 


PRACT.  OBS.  The  honor  of  the  Gospel  requires  its  advocates  to 
speak  with  temper,  benevolence,  and  respect  to  their  superiors;  as  well 
as  with  boldness  and  constancy,  in  the  midst  of  all  the  ill  usage,  to 
which  they  may  be  exposed. — A  simple  narration  of  the  Lord’s  dealings 
with  us,  in  bringing  us  from  opposing,  to  profess  and  promote  his  Gos¬ 
pel,  when  it  is  delivered  with  modesty  and  caution,  will  generally  make 
more  impression  on  the  minds  of  men,  than  labored  arguments  or  rhet¬ 
orical  declamations. — Natural  abilities,  the  advantages  of  education, 
proficiency  in  learning,  exactness  in  a  system,  and  a  fervent,  religious 
zeal  according  to  that  system,  may  be  either  valuable  or  mischievous  ; 
as  they  are  directed,  under  the  influence  of  divine  grace,  in  support  of 
the  truth,  or  as  employed  by  men’s  selfish  passions  in  defence  of  error. 
Zeal,  especially,  is  an  ambiguous  attainment ;  it  may  be  a  violent,  cruel, 
and  dreadful  flame,  kindled  from  beneath,  and  destroying  all  around  it 
with  fatal  vehemence ;  or  it  may  be  a  gentle,  active,  kind,  and  heavenly 
principle,  powerfully  influencing  the  possessor  to  everything  excellent 
and  beneficial,  in  the  persevering  use  of  the  most  unexceptionable  means 
of  obtaining  the  most  important  ends.  Jam.  3:13 — 16. — Many,  who  fora 
time  have  devoted  their  talents  to  the  service  of  delusion  and  error,  have 
afterwards  been  induced  to  consecrate  them  to  the  cause  of  Christ.  When 
a  man  is  thus  admitted  among  the  servants  of  Christ,  he  is  often  employed 
in  such  services,  as  disconcert  all  his  own  plans  and  purposes.  Not  be¬ 
ing  wholly  weaned  from  ‘  leaning  to  his  own  understanding,’  he  is  some¬ 
times  reluctant  to  renounce  his  favorite  plan,  even  after  he  has  been 

NOTES.  Chap.  XXIII.  V.  1 — 5.  When  the  apostle  was  placed 
before  the  Sanhedrim,  he  steadfastly  viewed  it,  to  observe  of  what  per¬ 
sons  it  now  consisted. — The  council  would  have  given  him  credit  for 
that  [the  first]  part  of  his  life :  his  object  therefore,  evidently  was,  to 
show  that  he  had  acted  conscientiously,  and  on  good  grounds,  in  those 
things  which  they  deemed  deserving  of  death.  ‘  Ananias  carried  it  very 
plausibly  towards  the  citizens,  and  stood  high  in  their  favor  :  yet  he  im¬ 
piously  and  cruelly  defrauded  the  inferior  priests  of  their  legal  subsist¬ 
ence,  so  that  some  of  them  even  perished  for  want.  And  God  did  re¬ 
markably  smite  him  :  for  after  his  own  house  had  been  reduced  to  ashes, 
in  a  tumult  begun  by  his  own  son,  he  was  besieged  and  taken  in  the 
royal  palace;  where,  having  in  vain  attempted  to  hide  himself  in 
an  old  aqueduct,  he  was  dragged  out  and  slain.’  Doddridge. — But 
though  the  answer  of  Paul  contained  a  just  rebuke,  and  an  evident  pre¬ 
diction  ;  yet  he  seems  to  have  been  too  much  carried  away  by  indigna¬ 
tion  at  the  base  usage  he  had  experienced  : . .  and  it  seems  probable,  that 
the  apostle  meant  to  allow,  that,  in  the  warmth  of  his  spirit,  he  had  not 
adverted  to  the  person  who  had  given  the  orders,  or  was  not  aware 
that  he  was  the  high  priest-  Perhaps  the  high  priest  in  the  Sanhedrim 
was  not  always  to  be  known  by  his  seat,  or  his  garments  ;  and  Ananias 
did  not  fill  that  office,  when  Paul  had  been  more  intimately  conversant 
with  that  assembly.  But  it  is  not  very  clear,  whether  the  apostle  in¬ 
tended  by  this  concession  to  waive  the  question  concerning  his  speaking 
by  1  the  Spirit  of  prophecy,’  as  not  choosing  to  insist  on  it ;  or  whether 
he  allowed  that  he  had  spoken  too  sharply,  and  could  not  justify  the 
whole  of  his  answer,  or  propose  it  to  the  imitation  of  others.  Scott. 

(1.)  ‘Paul  intimates,  that  as  he  left  not  the  religion  of  the  Jews  out 
of  any  hardship  which  it  required,  or  any  prejudice  against  its  precepts, 
he  became  and  continued  a  Christian,  also,  out  of  a  full  conviction  that 
he  was  bound  in  conscience  so  to  be,  and  to  act,  and  that  he  still  served 
God  from  a  pure  conscience.’  Whitby ,  in  Bloomf who  ‘  cannot  consent 
to  [ Doddr.'s ]  limitation,  which  seems  abhorrent  from  simplicity,  and 
(in  truth)  has  something  jesuitical_ about  it.’  I  have  lived,  .fee.]  ‘Paul 
could  not  intend,  by  this,  to  intimate,  that  he  thought  himself  free  from 
guilt  while  persecuting  the  Christians,  since  he  so  expressly  declares 

[136] 


praying  for  direction  respecting  the  will  of  God  !  A  person  in  these 
circumstances  oftep  imagines,  that  the  opposition  of  unbelievers  to  reli¬ 
gion  arises  mainly  from  misinformation  ;  and  that  if  the  truth  were  fair¬ 
ly  set  before  them,  they  could  not  resist  the  evidence  of  it.  Thus  he 
may  practically  forget,  that  nothing  can  reconcile  the  heart  of  fallen 
man  to  the  Gospel,  except  the  special  grace  of  God  ;  that  ‘  a  prophet  is 
not  without  honor  save  in  his  own  country  ;’  and  that  a  servant  of 
Christ  may  expect  a  more  favorable  hearing  from  entire  strangers,  than 
from  prejudiced  neighbors,  relatives,  and  acquaintance  ;  who  commonly 
treat  his  attempts  to  convince  them,  as  a  usurpation  of  authority  to 
which  he  is  not  entitled. — Bigotry  and  spiritual  pride  are  commonly 
connected  with  furious  wrath  and  intolerant  malice ;  and  it  is  well  for 
mankind,  that  the  power  of  persecutors  is  often  inadequate  to  their  rage ; 
otherwise  they  would  drive  all  the  servants  of  Christ  out  of  the  earth, 
as  unfit  to  live  upon  it.  But  the  Lord  mercifully  restrains  their  mad¬ 
ness,  by  subjecting  them  to  more  moderate  men.  For,  though  many  in¬ 
iquities  have  been  practised  by  magistrates,  not  professing  any  great 
regard  to  religion,  even  in  civilized  nations  ;  yet  their  severity  is  com¬ 
monly  tender  mercy,  compared  with  the  cruelty  of  enraged  bigots,  when 
advanced  to  authority  ;  and  their  haste  in  punishing  is  deliberation  and 
caution,  compared  with  the  fury  of  a  licentious  mob,  when  excited  by 
frantic  persecutors.  But  how  great  a  privilege  is  it  to  be  governed  ac¬ 
cording  to  a  written  law  !  Scott. 


the  contrary  elsewhere.  See  1  Cor.  15:9.  Ga.  1:13.  1  Tim.  1:13.  He 
was  only  examined  with  respect  to  his  conduct  as  a  Christian  :  there¬ 
fore  it  would  not  have  been  pertinent  to  have  referred  to  his  conduct 
while  a  persecuting  Jew,  though  it  were  indeed  true,  that  he  did  not  then 
act  against  his  conscience.  ..  .  The  plain  sense  of  the  passage  is,  that  his 
conscience,  when  examined  as  in  the  sight  of  God  with  respect  to  what  they 
alleged  against  him,  did  not  charge  him  with  any  known  and  deliberate 
contradictions  to  its  dictates.’  Doddr.  But  in  the  texts  cited  above,  Paul 
does  not  accuse  himself  of  criminal  intention,  (which  gives  character  to 
act,)  nay,  he  expressly  says  he  acted  ignorantly,  indeed,  conscientiously. 
The  phrase  here  seems  certainly  to  speak  of  his  whole  life  as  entirely 
conscientious.  Ed. 

(2.)  Ananias.]  ‘Undoubtedly,  Ananias  son  of  Nebidteus,  [and  so 
Doddr.]  (see  Jos.  Ant.  20,  5,  3.)  who  had  discharged  the  pontifical  of¬ 
fice  under  the  procuratorship  of  Quadratus,  predecessor  of  Felix.  By 
Quadratushe  was  sent  a  prisoner  to  Rome,  together  with  Ananus,  prefect 
of  the  temple,  to  give  an  account  of  his  high  priesthood  to  Claudius 
Cesar.  (Ant.  20,  6, 2  )  [Of  his  behavior  in  the  quarrel  between  the  Jews 
and  Samaritans,  during  Cumanus’govt.  of  Judea.  Doddr.]  But,  by  the  in¬ 
tercession  of  Agrippa,  Junior,  they  were  acquitted,  and  returned  to  Jeru¬ 
salem.  Ananias,  however,  was  not  reinstated  in  the  pontifical  office. 
For,  during  the  procuratorship  of  Felix,  it  was  discharged  by  Jonathan, 
who  (Ant.  20,  10.)  was  successor  to  Ananias.  This  Jonathan  was,  aller- 
terwards,  by  the  connivance,  at  least,  of  Felix,  assassinated  in  the  tem¬ 
ple,  by  some  sicarii  ■■  Ant.  20,  8,  5.  and  note,  Acts  22:4.  The  office  then 
remained  unoccupied,  until  k.  Agrippa  filled  it  by  appointing  Ishmael, 
son  of  Phabeus.  (Ant.  20,  8,  8.)  Therefore  what  is  now  related  happen¬ 
ed  while  it  was  vacant.  So  that  Ananias  did  not,  at  that  time,  hold  the 
office  of  high  priest,  but  was  usurping  the  dignity.  Kuin.  from  Krebs, 
who  has  treated  the  question  with  no  little  learning  and  research.  See 
also  Benson,  and  Biscob.'  Bloomf.  Smite,  <fcc.]  Comp,  on  Mic.  5:1. 
Is.  50:6.  Thus  the  k.  of  Persia,  wishing  to  extort  money,  commanded 
his  ferashes  to  ‘beat  these  rogues  till  they  die  :’  and,  on  the  victims  at¬ 
tempting  to  say  anything  in  their  own  defence,  they  smote  them  on  the. 
mouth  with  a  shoe,  the  heel  of  which  was  shod  with  iron.  ( Morier .) 


A.  D.  61. 


ACTS,  XXIII. 


Paul’s  prudence  and  ingenuity . 


3  Then  said  Paul  unto  him, 
God  shall  smite  thee,  lliou  whited 
wall  :  for  sittest  thou  to  judge  me 
after  the  law,  and  commandest  me 
to  be  smitten  'contrary  to  the  law? 

4  And  they  that  stood  by  said, 
Revilest  thou  God’s  high  priest  ? 

5  Then  said  Paul,  I  wist  not, 
brethren,  that  he  was  the  high 
priest:  for  it  is  d  written,  Thou 
shalt  not  speak  evil  of  the  ruler  of 
thy  people. 

6  H  But  when  Paul  perceived 
that  the  one  part  were  Sadducees, 
and  the  other  Pharisees,  he  cried 
out  in  the  council,  Men  and  breth¬ 
ren,  I  e  am  a  Pharisee,  the  son  of  a 
Pharisee  :  of  fthe  hope  and  resur¬ 
rection  of  the  dead  I  am  called  in 
question. 

cLe.  19:35.  De.  10:20.  2  Te.2:10.  f  c.  21:15,21.  26: 

25:1,2.  Jn.7:51.  Jude  8.  6.  -8:20. 

d  Ex.  22:28.  Ec.  e  c.  26:5.  Phi. 3:5. 

cenoy.  2.  In  his  rage  he  ordered  him  to  lie 
smitten,  so  to  disgrace  him,  and  to  be  smit¬ 
ten  on  the  mouth,  as  having  offended  with  his 
lips,  and  in  token  of  enjoining  him  silence. 
Thus  Zedekiah  smote  Micaiah,  1  K.  22:24. 
and  Pashur,  Jeremiah,  Jer.  20:  2.  when  they 
spake  in  the  name  of  the  Lord ;  if,  therefore, 
we  see  such  indignities  done  to  good  men  ; 
nay,  if  they  be  done  to  us  for  well  doing  and 
well  saying,  we  must  not  think  it  strange; 
Christ  will  give  those  the  kisses  of  his  mouth, 
Cant.  1:2.  who  for  his  sake  receive  blows 
on  the  mouth. 

III.  The  denunciation  of  the  wrath  of 
God  against  the  high  priest  for  this  wicked¬ 
ness  in  the  place  of  judgment,  Eccl.  3:  16.  it 
agrees  with  what  follows  there,  v.  17.  with 
which  Solomon  comforted  himself,  I  said  in 
mine  heart,  God  shall  judge  the  righteous  and 
the  wicked  ;  God  shall  smite  thee,  thou  whited 
wall,  v.  3.  Paul  did  not  speak  this  in  any 
sinful  heat  or  passion,  but  in  a  holy  zeal 
against  the  high  priest’s  abuse  of  his  power, 
and  with  something  of  a  prophetic  spirit, 
not  at  all  with  a  spirit  of  revenge.  1.  He 
gives  him  his  due  character  ;  Thou  whited 
wall;  thou  hypocrite ;  a  mud-wall,  trash  and 
dirt,  and  rubbish,  underneath,  but  plastered 
over,  or  white-washed, — the  same  compar¬ 
ison  in  effect  with  that  of  Christ,  when  He 
compares  the  Pharisees  to  whited  sepul¬ 
chres,  Mat.  23:  27.  2.  His  just  doom  ;  ‘  God 
shall  smite  thee,  shall  bring  on  thee  his  sore 
judgments,  especially  spiritual  judgments ;  ’ 
Grot ius  thinks  this  was  soon  fulfilled,  in  his 
removal  from  office,  either  by  death  or  de¬ 
privation,  for  he  finds  another  in  office  a  lit¬ 
tle  while  after;  probably,  he  was  smitten  by 
some  sudden  stroke  of  divine  vengeance. 
Jeroboam’s  hand  was  withered  when  stretch¬ 
ed  out  against  a  prophet.  3.  He  assigns  a 
good  reason  for  that  doom ;  ‘For  sittest  thou 
there  as  president  in  the  supreme  judicature 
of  the  church,  pretending  to  judge  me  after 
the  law,  to  convict  and  condemn  me  by  the 


law,  and  vet  commandest  me  to  be  smitten  be¬ 
fore  any  crime  is  proved  upon  me,  which  is 
contrary  to  the  law?  Deut.  25:  2.  It  is 
against  all  law,  human  and  divine,  natural 
and  positive,  to  hinder  a  man  from  making 
his  defence,  and  to  condemn  him  unheard. 
When  beaten  by  the  rabble,  Paul  could  say, 
Father,  forgive  them,  they  know  not  what  they 
do  ;  but  it  is  inexcusable  in  a  high  priest, 
that  is  appointed  to  judge  according  to  the  law. 

IV.  The  offence  taken  at  this  bold  word 
of  Paul’s,  v.  4.  It  is  a  probable  conjecture, 
that  those  who  blamed  Paul  for  what  he 
said,  were  believing  Jews,  who  were  zealous 
for  the  law,  and  consequently  for  the  honor 
of  the  high  priest,  and  therefore  took  it  ill 
that  Paul  should  thus  reflect  on  him,  and 
checked  him  for  it.  See  here,  then,  1.  What 
a  hard  game  Paul  had  to  play,  when  his 
enemies  were  abusive  to  him,  and  his  friends, 
so  far  from  standing  by  him,  and  appearing 
for  him,  were  ready  to  find  fault  with  his 
management.  2.  How  apt  even  the  disci¬ 
ples  of  Christ,  themselves,  are,  to  overvalue 
outward  pomp  and  power.  As,  because  the 
temple  had  been  God’s  temple,  anil  a  mag¬ 
nificent  structure,  there  were  those  who  fol¬ 
lowed  Christ,  that  could  not  bear  to  have 
anything  said  that  threatened  the  destruc¬ 
tion  of  it  ;  so,  because  the  high  priest  had 
been  God’s  high  priest,  and  was  a  man  that 
made  a  figure,  though  an  inveterate  enemy 
to  Christianity,  yet  these  were  disgusted  at 
Paul,  for  giving  him  his  due. 

V.  The  excuse  Paul  made  for  what  he 
had  said,  because  he  found  it  was  a  stum¬ 
bling-block  to  his  weak  brethren,  and  might 
prejudice  them  against  him  in  other  things. 
These  Jewish  Christians,  though  weak,  yet 
were  brethren.,  so  he  calls  them  here,  and,  in 
consideration  of  that,  is  almost  ready  to  re¬ 
call  his  words;  for  Who  is  offended,  said  he, 
and  I  burn  not  ?  2  Cor.  11:29.  His  fixed 
resolution  was,  rather  to  abridge  himself  in 
the  use  of  his  Christian  liberty,  than  give 
offence  to  a  weak  brother  ;  rather  than  do 
it,  he  will  eat  no  flesh  while  the  world  stands, 
1  Cor.  8:13.  And  so  here,  though  he  had 
taken  the  liberty  to  tell  the  high  priest  his 
own,  yet  when  he  found  it  gave  offence,  he 
wished  he  had  not  done  it  ;  and  though  he 
did  not  beg  the  high  priest’s  pardon,  nor 
excuse  it  to  him,  yet  he  begs  their  pardon, 
who  took  offence  at  it,  because  this  was  not 
a  time  to  inform  ihem  better,  nor  to  say 
what  he  could  say  to  justify  himself. 

1.  He  excuses  it  with  this,  that  he  did  not 
consider,  when  he  said  it,  whom  he  spake  to, 
v.  5.  ‘  I  did  not  just  then  think  of  the  dig¬ 

nity  of  his  place,  or  else  I  would  have  spoken 
more  respectfully  to  him.’  I  see  not  how  we 
can  with  any  probability  think  Paul  did  not 
know  him  to  be  the  high  priest,  for  Paul 
had  been  seven  days  in  the  temple,  at  the 
time  of  the  feast,  where  he  could  not  miss  of 
seeing  the  high  priest  ;  and  his  telling  him 
that  he  sat  to  judge  him  after  the  law,  shows 
that  he  knew  who  he  was  ;  but,  says  he,  I 
did  not  consider  it.  Dr.  Whitby  puts  this 
sense  on  it  :  that  the  prophetic  impulse  that 
was  on  him,  and  inwardly  moved  him  to  say 


what  he  did,  did  not  permit  him  to  advert 
that  it  was  the  high  priest,  lest  this  law 
might  have  restrained  him  from  complying 
with  that  impulse  ;  but  the  Jews  acknowl¬ 
edged,  that  prophets  might  use  a  liberty  in 
speaking  of  rulers  which  others  might  not, 
as  Is.  1 : 10,  23.  Or,  (as  he  quotes  the  sense 
of  Grot,  and  Lightf.,)  Paul  does  not  go  about 
to  excuse  what  he  had  said,  in  the  least,  but 
rather  to  justify  it;  *  I  own  that  God’s  high 
priest  is  not  to  be  reviled,  but  I  do  not  own 
this  Ananias  to  be  high  priest;  he  is  a  usur¬ 
per,  he  came  to  the  office  by  bribery  and 
corruption  ;  and  the  Jewish  rabbins  say, 
that  he  who  does  so,  is  neither  a  judge,  nor 
to  be  honored  as  such.’  Yet, 

2.  He  takes  care  that  what  he  had  said 
should  not  be  drawn  into  a  precedent,  v.  5. 
to  the  weakening  of  the  obligation  of  that 
law  in  the  least  ;  it  is  for  the  public  good, 
that  the  honor  of  magistracy  should  be  sup¬ 
ported,  and  not  suffer  for  the  miscarriages 
of  those  intrusted  with  it ;  and,  therefore, 
that  decorum  be  observed  in  speaking  both 
of  and  to  princes  and  judges,  Job  34  :  IS. 
Even  when  we  do  well,  and  suffer  for  it,  we 
must  take  it  patiently,  1  Pet.  2  :  20.  Not  as 
if  great  men  may  not  hear  of  their  faults, 
and  public  grievances  be  complained  of  by 
proper  persons,  and  in  a  decent  manner ;  but 
there  must  be  a  particular  tenderness  fur  the 
honor  and  reputation  of  those  in  authority, 
more  than  of  other  people,  because  the  law 
of  God  requires  a  particular  reverence  to  be 
paid  to  them,  as  God’s  vicegerents;  and  it 
is  of  dangerous  consequence  to  have  those 
any  way  countenanced,  who  despise  domin¬ 
ions,  and  speak  evil  of  dignities,  Jude  S. 
Eccl.  10:  20. 

Y.  6 — 11.  Many  are  the  troubles  of  the 
righteous,  but,  some  way  or  other,  the  Lord 
delivereth  them  out  of  them  all.  Paul  owned 
he  had  experienced  the  truth  of  this,  in  the 
persecutions  he  had  undergone  among  tire 
Gentiles,  2  Tim.  3  :  11.  And  now  he  finds 
that  He  who  has  delivered,  does  and  w  ill 
deliver. 

I.  His  own  prudence  and  ingenuity  stand 
him  in  some  stead,  and  contribute  much  to 
his  escape.  His  being  a  citizen  of  Rome 
saved  him  in  the  foregoing  ch.  from  being 
whipped  by  the  chief  captain  as  a  vagabond, 
and  here,  his  being  a  Pharisee  saved  him 
from  being  condemned  by  the  Sanhedrim, as 
an  apostate  from  the  faith  and  worship  of 
the  God  of  Israel.  It  will  consist  very  well 
with  our  willingness  to  suffer  for  Christ,  to 
use  all  lawful  methods,  nay,  and  arts  too, 
both  to  prevent  suffering,  and  to  extricate 
ourselves  out  of  it.  Paul’s  honest  policy 
was,  to  divide  his  judges,  and,  by  incensing 
one  part  of  them  more  against  him,  to  engage 
the  contrary  part  for  him. 

1.  The  great  council  was  made  up  of 
Sadducees  and  Pharisees,  and  Paul  per¬ 
ceived  it;  he  knew  the  characters  of  many 
of  them  ever  since  he  had  lived  among  them, 
and  saw  those  among  them  whom  he  knew 
to  be  Sadducees,  and  others  whom  he  knew 
to  be  Pharisees,  v.  6.  perhaps  nearly  an 
equal  part.  Now  these  differed  very  much 


To  be  smitten  with  a  shoe  is  the  last  ignominy.  Burd.  See  Bush’s  HI. 
Ed.  ‘  This  proud  [Ananias]  took  umbrage,  it  seems,  at  Paul’s  undaunt¬ 
ed  look,  and  unqualified  assertions  of  innocence,  which  gave  the  lie  to 
all  the  accusations  of  the  priests ;  as  also,  perhaps,  at  his  addressing 
them  with  Brethren,  not  Fathers  (as  in  22.  and  7:2.)  or  rulers  of  the  peo¬ 
ple,  and  elders  of  Israel ;  as  in  4:8.  lie  must  too  have  felt  vexation  at 
Paul’s  having  been  liberated  by  Roman  soldiers;  and  having  thrown 
himself  on  their  protection  as  a  Roman  citizen.’  Bloomf. 

(3.)  ‘  At  this  [aggravated]  insult  Paul  inveighs  with  no  little  acrimo¬ 
ny,  [and]  Dr.  Graves  remarks,  that  it  is  the  only  instance  in  which  he 
forgot  decorum  and  propriety.  Many,  as  Erasmus,  Beza,  Pearce,  and 
Doddr.,  [with  Scott,]  take  the  words  to  be  a  prediction,  or  prophecy  (as 
Doddr.  thinks,  uttered  by  the  impulse  of  the  Spirit) :  and  Grot,  main¬ 
tains,  that  Paul  uses  the  right  of  a  prophet.  But  this  seems  scarcely 
satisfactory ;  nay,  almost  absurd.  I  rather  assent  to  Cam.,  Zeger, 
Wetst.,  Limb.,  Heum.,  and,  indeed,  most  recent  commentators,  that  it  is 
a  formula  mali  precantis.  (Wetst.  quotes  a  similar  imprecation  from 
SchtBvuos.)  And  this  is  apparent  from  the  words  of  the  apparitor,  at 
v.  4.  and  of  Paul,  at  v.  5.  It  is  (as  Kuin.  observes)  admitted  by  Jer.  and 
Augustin,  that  this  sudden  insult  provoked  the  apostle  to  express  him¬ 
self  with  more  bitterness  than  he  should  have  done,  and  that,  on  this 
N.  T.  VOL.  V.  13 


occasion,  he  did  not  display  the  same  patience  under  injuries  that  his 
Divine  Master  had  done.’  Bloomf. 

(4.)  ‘Limb.,  Beng.,  Wetst., Pearce,  Valck.,  Bp.  Mann,Morus,  Schoett., 
[Bp.  Sanderson.  Bl.,]  &c.,  think,  that  Paul  meant  to  excuse  his  lapse; 
and  they  tr. :  “  I  did  not  consider,  or  reflect,  that  it  was  the  high  priest.” 
Now  this  signification  of  eido  [tr.  “wist”]  often  occurs,  as  Eph.  6:8. 
Col.  3:24.  <&c.  Hence,  in  Acts  7:18.  for  edei  [knew],  some  MSS.  have 
(by  a  gloss)  emnlsthe  [recollected].  And  this  seems  the  best  tr.’  Kuin. 
Whom  see,  for  four  other  views,  sustained  by  eminent  men.  Ed. 

(5.)  twist  not,  <fcc.]  1 1  was  not  aware  that  it  was  the  high  priest. 
This  is  a  natural  rendering  of  the  original,  which  cannot  fairly  be  tr.,  / 
do  not  acknowledge  him  to  be  the  high  priest ;  nor  can  it  be  imagined, 
that  Paul  would  enter  on  so  curious  and  so  dangerous  a  question  as  the 
justice  of  his  accession  to  that  office.  Paul’s  answer  plainly  shows  ho 
knew  the  person  speaking,  whoever  he  was,  to  be  a  judge.  [And,  so  Ill., 
the  character  Paul  gives  him  exactly  suits  and  must  be  meant  for  Ann- 
nias.l  The  candor  both  of  the  historian  and  of  the  apostle  is  well  worthy 
of  remark.’  Doddr.  But  see  on  v.  2.  Cameranus,  Calvin,  Marnix, 


Pricieus,  nnd  Ros.,  think  it  irony. 


Id. 


V.  6—10.  The  apostle  showed  a  most  consummate  sagacity,  and  a  deep 
acquaintance  with  the  human  heart,  and  [with]  that  universal  disposi- 

[lbi  J 


A.  D.  61. 


•  ACTS,  XXIII. 


The  Jewish  sectarians  divided. 


7  And  when  he  had  so  said,  there 
arose  a  dissension  between  the 
Pharisees  and  the  Sadducees  :  and 
the  multitude  was  divided. 

S  For  the  Sadducees  s  say  that 
there  is  no  resurrection,  neither  an¬ 
gel  nor  spirit  :  but  the  Pharisees 
confess  both. 

9  And  there  arose  a  great  cry  : 
and  the  scribes  that  were  of  the 
Pharisees’  part  arose,  and  strove, 
saying,  We  find  h  no  evil  .in  this 
man  :  but  if  a ‘spirit  or  an  angel 
hath  spoken  to  him,  let  us  not  >  fight 
against  God. 

10  IT  And  when  there  arose  a 
great  dissension,  the  chief  captain, 
fearing  lest  Paul  should  have  been 
pulled  in  pieces  of  them,  command¬ 
ed  the  soldiers  to  go  down,  and  to 
take  him  by  force  from  among 
them,  and  to  bring  him  into  the 
castle. 

e  Mat.  22:23.  20:27.  ic.  22:17,  13. 

Ala.  12: 18.  La.  h  c.  ‘<.'5.25.  28:31.  j  c.  5:39. 

from  one  another,  yet  ordinarily  agreed  well 
enough  to  do  the  business  of  the  council  to¬ 
gether.  (1.)  The  Pharisees  were  bigots  ; 
zealous  for  the  ceremonies,  not  only  those 
God  had  appointed,  but  those  enjoined  by 
the  tradition  of  the  elders  ;  great  sticklers 
for  the  authority  of  the  church,  and  enforc¬ 
ing  obedience  to  its  injunctions,  which  occa¬ 
sioned  many  quarrels  between  them  and  our 
Lord  Jesus;  but  at  the  same  time  very  or¬ 
thodox  in  the  faith  of  the  Jewish  church 
concerning  the  world  of  spirits,  the  resurrec¬ 
tion  of  the  dead,  and  the  life  of  the  world  to 
come.  (2.)  The  Sadducees  were  deists  ; 
no  friends  to  the  Scripture,  or  divine  reve¬ 
lation.  The  books  of  Moses  they  admitted, 
but  had  little  regard  to  the  other  books  of 
the  O.  T.;  see  Mat.  22  :  23.  These  Sad¬ 
ducees,  [1.]  Deny  the  resurrection;  they  had 
neither  hope  of  eternal  happiness,  dread  of 
eternal  misery,  nor  expectation  of  anything 
on  the  other  side  death  ;  on  these  princi¬ 
ples,  they  [perhaps]  said,  It  is  vain  to  serve 
God,  and  [they]  call  the  proud  happy,  Mai. 
S:  14,  15.  [2.]  They  denied  the  existence 
of  angels  and  spirits,  and  allowed  of  no  be¬ 
ing  but  matter.  They  thought  God  Him¬ 
self  was  corporeal,  and  had  parts  and  mem¬ 
bers,  as  we  have.  The  angels,  they  supposed 
to  be  messengers  God  made  and  sent  on  his 
errands  as  there  was  occasion  ;  or  impres¬ 
sions  on  the  fancies  of  those  they  were  sent 
to,  and  no  real  existences;  this,  or  that,  or 
anything,  rather  than  what  they  were.  And 
as  fut  .he  souls  of  men,  they  looked  upon 
them  to  be  nothing  else  but  the  temperament 
of  the  humors  of  the  body,  or  the  animal 
spirits;  but  denied  their  existence  in  a  state 
of  separation  from  the  body,  and  any  differ¬ 
ence  between  the  soul  of  a  man  and  of  a 
beast.  These,  no  doubt,  pretended  to  be  free¬ 
thinkers,  but  really  thought  as  meanly,  ab¬ 
surdly,  and  slavishly  as  possible.  It  is 
strange  how  men  of  such  corrupt  and  wicked 
principles  could  come  into  offioe,  an  i  have  a 
place  in  the  great  Sanhedrim  ;  but  many 
of  them  were  of  quality  and  estate,  and  they 
complied  with  the  public  establishment,  and 
so  got  in,  and  kept  in.  Hut  they  were  gen¬ 
erally  stigmatized  as  heretics,  were  ranked 
with  the  Epicureans,  and  prayed  against, 
and  excluded  from  eternal  life.  The  prayer 
the  modern  Jews  use  against  Christians, 
Witsius  thinks,  was  designed  by  Gamaliel, 


who  made  it,  against  the  Sadducees  ;  and 
that  they  meant  them  in  their  usual  impreca¬ 
tion,  Let  the  name  of  the  wicked  rot.  But 
how  degenerate  was  the  character,  and  how 
miserable  the  state  of  the  Jewish  church, 
when  such  profane  men  as  these  were  among 
their  rulers  ! 

2.  In  this  their  difference,  Paul  openly 
declared  himself  to  be  on  the  Pharisees’  side, 
v.  6.  He  cried  out,  so  as  to  be  heard  by  all, 

‘  lam  a  Pharisee,  so  bred,  nay,  born,  in  ef¬ 
fect,  the  son  of  a  Pharisee,  and  thus  far  still 
a  Pharisee,  that  I  hope  for  the  resurrection  of 
the  dead,  and,  I  may  truly  say,  if  rightly 
understood,  this  is  it  for  which  I  am  now 
called  in  question.’  When  Christ  was  on 
earth,  the  Pharisees  set  themselves  most 
against  Him,  because  lie  witnessed  against 
their  traditions,  and  corrupt  glosses, on  the 
law;  but  after  his  ascension,  the  Sadducees 
set  themselves  most  again.-t  his  apostles,  be¬ 
cause  they  preached  through  Jesus  the  resur¬ 
rection  of  the  dead,  ch.  4  :  1,  2.  And  it  is 
said,  ch.  5:17.  that  they'  were  the  sect  of  the 
Sadducees  that  were  filed  with  indignation  at 
them,  because  they  preached  that  life  and 
immortality  which  is  brought  to  light  by  the 
Gospel.  As  Pharisaism  was  opposed  to 
Christianity,  Paul  set  himself  against  it,  yet, 
as  it  was  opposed  to  Sadducism,  he  adhered 
to  it.  We  must  never  think  the  worse  of 
any  truth  of  God,  nor  be  more  shy  of  own¬ 
ing  it,  for  its  being  held  by  men  otherwise 
corrupt.  Paul  might  truly  say,  that,  being 
persecuted,  as  a  Christian,  this  was  the 
thing  he  was  called  in  question  for;  perhaps 
he  knew  the  Sadducees,  though  they  had  not 
such  an  interest  in  the  common  people  as 
the  Pharisees  had,  yet  had  underhand  in¬ 
censed  the  mob  against  him,  under  pretence 
of  his  having  preached  to  the  Gentiles,  but 
really  because  he  had  preached  [to  them  and 
others]  the  hope  of  the  resurrection.  How¬ 
ever,  being  called  in  question,  for  his  being 
a  Christian,  he  might  truly  say,  he  was 
called  in  question  for  the  hope  of  the  resurrec¬ 
tion  of  the  dead,  as  he  afterward  pleaded, 
ch.  24:  15.  and  ch.  26:  6,  7.  Though  Paul 
preached  against  the  traditions  of  the  elders, 
(as  his  Master  had  done,)  and  therein  op¬ 
posed  the  Pharisees,  yet  he  valued  himself 
more  on  his  preaching  for  the  resurrection 
of  the  dead,  and  a  future  state,  in  which  he 
concurred  with  the  Pharisees. 

3.  This  occasioned  a  division  in  the 
council ;  probably  the  high  priest  sided  with 
the  Sadducees,  as  he  had  done,  ch.  5  :  17. 
anti  made  it  to  appear  by  his  rage  at  Paul, 
v.  2.  which  alarmed  the  Pharisees  so  much 
the  more  ;  but  so  it  was,  there  arose  a  dis¬ 
sension  between  the  Pharisees  and  the  Saddu¬ 
cees,  v.  7.  for  this  word  of  Paul’s  made  the 
Sadducees  more  warm,  and  the  Pharisees 
more  cool,  in  the  prosecution  of  him;  so  that 
there  was  a  schism,  a  quarrel  among  them, 
and  the  edge  of  their  zeal  began  to  turn  from 
Paul  against  one  another;  nor  could  they  go 
on  to  act  against  him,  when  they  could  not 
agree  among  themselves,  or  prosecute  him  for 
breaking  the  unity  of  the  clmrch,  when  there 
was  so  little  among  them  of  the  unity  of  the 
Spirit.  All  the  cry  had  been  against  Paul, 
but  now  there  arose  a  great  cry  against  one 
another,  v.  9. 

4.  The  Pharisees  hereupon  (would  one 
think  it!)  took  Paul’s  part,  v.  9.  they  strove, 
they  fought,  saying.  We  find  no  evil  in  this 
man.  He  had  conducted  himself  decently 
and  reverently  in  the  temple,  and  had  attend¬ 
ed  the  service  of  the  church;  and  though  it 
w;is  but  occasionally,  yet  it  showed  that  he 
was  not  such  an  enemy  to  it  as  he  was  said 
to  be  ;  he  had  spoken  very  handsomely  in 


his  own  defence,  and  given  a  good  account 
of  himself,  and  had  now  declared  himself 
orthodox  in  the  great  principles  of  religion, 
as  well  as  regular  and  conscientious  in  his 
conversation  ;  therefore,  they  cannot  see 
that  he  has  done  anything  worthy  of  death,  or 
of  bonds.  Nay,  they  go  further,  ‘  If  a  spirit 
or  an  angel  hath  spoken  to  him  concerning 
Jesus,  and  put  him  on  preaching  as  he  does, 
though  we  mav  not  be  so  far  satisfied  its  to 
give  credit  to  him, yet  we  ought  to  becaution- 
ed  not  to  oppose  him,  lest  we  be  found  fighting 
against  God;’  as  Gamaliel,  himself  a  Phar¬ 
isee,  had  argued,  ch.  5:  89.  Now  here, 

(1.)  We  may  observe  it,  to  the  honor  of 
the  Gospel,  that  it  was  witnessed  to  even  by 
its  adversaries,  and  confessions,  not  only  of 
its  innocency,  but  of  its  excellency,  were 
extorted  sometimes  by  the  power  of  truth, 
even  from  those  that  persecuted  it.  Pilate 
found  no  fault  in  Christ,  though  he  put  Him 
to  death  ;  nor  Festus  in  Paid,  though  he 
continued  him  in  bonds  ;  and  the  Pharisees 
here  supposed  it  possible,  that  Paul  jniglit 
have  a  commission  sent  him  from  heaven  by 
an  angel  to  do  what  be  did  ;  and  yet,  it 
should  seem,  as  elders,  they  after  ibis  joined 
the  high  priest  in  prosecuting  him,  ch.  24  :  1 . 
They  sinned  against  the  knowledge  which 
they  not  only  had,  but  sometimes  owned,  as 
Christ  had  said  of  them,  They  have  both 
seen  and  hated  both  Me  and  my  Father,  John 
15:  24. 

Yet,  (2.)  We  will  hope  some  of  them  did, 
from  henceforward,  conceive  a  better  opinion 
of  Paul,  and  then  it  must  be  observed,  to 
their  honor,  that  their  zeal  for  the  traditions 
of  the  elders,  which  Paul  bad  departed  from, 
was  so  far  swallowed  up  in  a  zeal  for  the 
great  and  fundamental  doctrines  of  religion, 
to  which  Paul  still  adhered,  that  if  he  will 
heartily  join  them  against  the  Sadducees, 
and  adhere  to  the  hope  of  the  resurrection  of 
the  dead,  they  will  not  think  li is  shaking  r/ff 
the  ceremonial  law  to  be  any  evil  in  him,  but 
charitably  hope  he  walks  according  to  the 
light  God  has  given  him  by  some  angel  or 
spirit,  and  are  so  far  from  persecuting  him, 
that  they  are  ready  to  patronize,  and  pro¬ 
tect  him.  The  persecuting  Pharisees  of  die 
church  of  Rome  are  not  of  this  spirit  ;  for, 
let  a  man  he  ever  so  sincere  and  zealous  for 
all  the  articles  of  the  Christian  faith,  yet,  if 
he  lay  not  his  neck  under  the  yoke  of  their 
church’s  authority,  they  find  evil  enough  in 
him  to  persecute  him  unto  the  death. 

II.  The  chief  captain’s  care  and  conduct 
stand  him  in  more  stead  ;  for  when  he  had 
thrown  this  bone  of  contention  between  the 
Pharisees  and  Sadducees,  be  is  never  the 
nearer,  but  is  in  danger  of  being  pulled  in 
pieces  by  them;  the  Pharisees  pulling  to  have 
him  set  at  liberty,  and  the  Sadducees  to 
have  him  put  to  death,  or  thrown  to  the 
people,  like  Daniel  into  the  den  of  lions;  so 
that  the  chief  captain  was  forced  to  come 
with  his  soldiers,  and  rescue  him,  as  he  ltad 
done,  ch.  21  :  32.  and  ch.  22  :  24.  He  or¬ 
dered  his  soldiers  to  go  down  from  the  upper 
wards,  and  to  take  him  by  force,  out  of  that 
apartment  in  the  temple,  where  he  had  order¬ 
ed  the  council  to  meet,  and  to  bring  him  into 
the  castle,  or  tower  of  Antonia  ;  for  he  saw 
he  could  make  nothing  of  them,  toward  the 
understanding  of  the  merits  of  his  cause. 

III.  Di  vine  consolations  stood  him  in 
most  stead  of  all  ;  the  castle  was  indeed  a 
protection,  but  withal  it  was  a  confinement ; 
and  as  it  was  now  his  preservation  from  so 
great  a  death,  it  might  be  bis  reservation  fir 
a  greater.  We  do  not  find  that  any  of  the 
apostles  or  elders  at  Jerusalem  came  to  him  ; 
either  they  had  not  courage,  or  had  not  ad- 


tion,  which  continually  manifests  itself,  of  favoring  those  who  take  our 
part  iu  anv  contested  point.  ‘  Grant  me  discernment,  I  allow  it  you.’ 
Cowper.  What  must  this  heathen  Lysias  have  thought  of  the  worship¬ 
pers  of  Jehovah,  when  he  saw  this  assembly  of  cliiaf  priests,  learned 
scribes,  and  rulers  of  Israel,  forgetful  of  what  became  their  rank,  profes¬ 
sion,  and  sacred  character;  and  carried  away  by  an  unbridled  rage,  in 
their  religious  contests,  to  those  oxccsscs,  which  the  Roman  senators 

[133] 


and  magistrates,  or  principal  persons,  would  have  been  ashamed  of,  even 
in  their  eager  competition  for  preeminence  and  dominion  ?  Scott. 

(G.)  1  Paul’s  excuse,  unaccompanied  by  retraction,  the  Sanhedrim,  it 
seems,  did  not  accept,  and,  perceiving  that  his  judges  were  too  much 
under  the  dominion  of  anger,  hatred,  and  prejudice  to  decide  his  case 
fairly,  Paul  bethought  himself  of  a  justifiable  stratagem,  to  which  Orobio 
lias  unreasonably  objected.  [See  Limb.  Am.  Coll-]  ’  Bloomf. 


A.  D.  61. 

11  And  the  night  following,  the 
Lord  stood  k  by  him,  and  said,  Be 
of  good  cheer,  Paul  :  for  as  thou 
hast  testified  of  me  in  Jerusalem, 
so  must  thou  bear  witness  also  at 
1  Koine. 

12  IT  And  when  it  was  day,  “cer¬ 
tain  of  the  Jews  banded  together, 
and  bound  themselves  “  under  a 
curse,  saying,  that  they  would 
neither  eat  nor  drink  0  till  they  had 
killed  Paul. 

13  And  they  were  more  than 
forty  which  had  made  this  con¬ 
spiracy. 

14  And  they  came  to  the  chief 
p  priests  and  elders,  and  said,  We 
have  bound  ourselves  under  a  great 
curse,  that  we  will  eat  nothing  until 
we  have  slain  Paul. 

15  Now  therefore  ye,  with  the 
council,  signify  to  the  chief  captain 
that  he  bring  him  down  unto  you 
tomorrow,  as  though  ye  woukl 
inquire  something  more  perfectly 
concerning  him:  and  we,  or  ever 
he  come  near,  are  ready  i  to  kill 
him. 

16  And  when  Paul’s  sister’s  son 
heard  of  their  lying  in  wait,  he 
r  went  and  entered  into  the  castle, 
and  told  Paul. 

17  Then  *  Paul  called  one  of  the 
centurions  unto  him,  and  said,  Bring 
this  young  man  unto  the  chief  cap¬ 
tain  ;  for  he  hath  a  certain  thing  to 
tell  him. 

13  So  he  took  him,  and  brought 
him  to  the  chief  captain,  and  said, 
Paul  the  prisoner  '  called  me  unto 
him,  and  prayed  me  to  bring  this 
young  man  unto  thee,  who  hath 
something  to  say  unto  thee. 

19  Then  the  chief  captain  took 
hitn  by  the  hand,  and  went  with 
him  aside  privately,  and  asked 
him,  What  is  that  thou  hast  to  tell 
me  ? 

k  Ps.  46:1,  7.  c.  n  or,  with  an  oath  r  2  Sa.  17:17. 

18.9.  27:23,24.  of  execration.  s  Pr.  22:3.  Alat. 

1  c.  28:30,31.  Ro.  o  Ps.  31:13.  10:16. 

1:15.  p  Flo.  4:9.  tc.  28:17.  Ep. 

m  ▼er.  21:30.  q  Ps.  21:11.  37:  3:1.  4:1.  Phil.  9. 

c.  25:3.  32,  33. 


mission.  But  now  the  Lord  Jesus  makes 
him  a  kind  visit,  and,  though  at  midnight, 
yet  a  very  seasonable  one,  v.  11.  Whoever 
is  against  us,  we  need  not  fear,  if  the  Lord 
stand  by  us.  The  Lord  is  with  those  that  uphold 
my  soul,  and  then  nothing  can  come  amiss. 

1.  Christ  bids  him  not  be  discouraged, 
saddened,  or  frightened.  Note,  Christ  will 
have  his  servants,  who  are  faithful,  always 
cheerful.  Perhaps  Paul  began  to  be  jeal¬ 
ous,  whether  he  had  done  well  in  what  he 
had  said  to  the  council  the  day  before  ; 
but  Christ  satisfies  him  that  God  approved 
his  conduct.  Or,  perhaps,  it  troubled  him, 
that  his  friends  did  not  come  to  him  ;  but 
Christ’s  visit  did  itself  speak,  though  he 
had  not  said.  Be  of  good  cheer,  Paul. 

2.  It  is  a  strange  argument  he  uses,  to 


ACTS,  XXIII. 

encourage  him  ;  As  thou  hast  testified  of  Me  in 
Jerusalem,  &e.  One  would  think  this  but 
cold  comfort  ;  yet  this  was  designed  to 
hearten  him  ;  for  hereby  he  is  given  to  un¬ 
derstand  he  had  been  serving  Christ,  as  a 
witness  for  Him,  in  what  he  had  hitherto  en¬ 
dured,  that  he  had  not  yet  finished  his  testi¬ 
mony,  nor  was,  hy  his  imprisonment,  laid 
aside  as  useless,  but  was  only  reserved  for 
further  service:  nay.  he  seems  to  have  had  a 
particular  fancy,  and  an  innocent  one,  to  go 
to  Rome,  to  preach  the  Gospel  there,  though 
it  was  already  preached,  and  a  church  plant¬ 
ed  there  ;  yet,  being  a  citizen  of  Rome,  he 
longed  for  a  journey  thither,  and  had  de¬ 
signed  it,  ch.  19:21.  And  he  had  written 
to  the  Romans  some  time  ago,  that  he  longed 
to  see  them,  Rom.  1 :  11.  Now  lie  was  ready 
to  conclude,  this  had  broken  his  measures, 
and  he  should  never  see  Rome  ;  but  even  in 
that  Christ  tells  him  he  should  be  gratified, 
since  he  desired  it  for  the  honor  of  Christ, 
and  to  do  good. 

V.  12 — 35.  Here  is  the  story  of  a  plot 
against  Paul’s  life  ;  how  it  was  laid,  how 
discovered,  and  how  defeated. 

I.  They  found  they  could  gain  nothing  by 
popular  tumult,  or  legal  process,  and  there¬ 
fore  have  recourse  to  the  barbarous  method 
of  assassination  J  so  restless  is  their  malice 
against  this  good  man.  Observe, 

1.  Who  formed  this  conspiracy  ;  certain 
Jews  that  had  the  utmost  degree  of  indigna¬ 
tion  against  him,  because  lie  was  the  apostle 
of  the  Gentiles,  v.  12.  more  than  forty  in  the 
design,  v.  13.  Lord,  how  are  they  increased 
that  trouble  me  1 

2.  When  ;  as  soon  as  it  was  day,  an¬ 
swering  to  the  account  the  prophet  gives  of 
some  who  work  evil  on  their  beds,  and  when 
the  morning  is  light  they  practice  it,  and  are 
laid  under  a  woe  for  it,  31ic.  2:1.  In  the 
night  Christ  appeared  to  Paul  to  protect  him, 
and  when  it  was  day,  here  were  forty  men  ap¬ 
pearing  against  him  to  destroy  him  ;  they 
were  not  up  so  soon,  but  Christ  was  up  be¬ 
fore  them.  God  shall  help  her,  and  that  right 
early,  Ps.  46 :  5. 

3.  By  a  league, perhaps  they  called  it  a  holy 
league,  they  engaged  to  stand  by  one  anoth¬ 
er,  and  every  one,  to  his  power,  to  be  aiding 
and  assisting  to  murder  Paul.  Strange,  so 
many  could  so  soon  be  got  together,  and  that 
in  Jerusalem,  too,  who  were  so  perfectly 
lost  to  all  sense  of  humanity  and  honor. 
Comp.  Is.  1:21.  What  laws  of  truth  and 
justice  so  sacred,  so  strong,  which  malice 
and  bigotry  will  not  break  through 

4.  How  firm  they  made  it,  as  they  thought, 
that  none  might  fly  off,  on  conscience  of  the 
horror  of  the  fact,  at  second  thoughts  ; 
they  bound  themselves  under  an  anathema, 
imprecating  the  heaviest  curses  on  them¬ 
selves,  their  souls,  bodies,  families,  if  they 
did  not  kill  Paul,  and  so  quickly,  that  they  ' 
would  not  eat  or  drink  till  they  had  done.  it.  j 
What  a  complication  of  wickedness  is  here! 
It  showed  a  great  contempt  of  the  provi-  { 
dence  of  God,  and  a  presumption  on  it,  in  : 
that  they  bound  themselves  to  do  such  a  thing 
within  so  short  a  time  as  they  could  continue  : 
fasting,  without  any  proviso  or  reserve  for  | 
the  disposal  of  an  overruling  Providence;  ! 
nay,  a  great  contempt  of  their  own  souls 
and  bodies;  of  their  souls,  in  imprecating  a  ■ 
curse  on  them  if  they  did  not  proceed.  (God 
certainly  meets  them  with  his  curse  if  they 
do  go  on  in  it,  and  they  desire  lie  would  if 
they  do  not ! )  of  their  bodies,  in  tying 


The  Jews  conspire  to  kill  Paul. 

themselves  out  from  the  necessary  supports 
of  life  till  they  had  accomplished  a  thing 
which  they  could  never  lawfully  do,  and 
perhaps  not  possibly  do.  Such  language  of 
hell  they  speak,  that  wish  God  to  damn 
them,  and  the  devil  to  take  them,  if  they  do 
not  so  and  so.  As  they  love  cursing,  so  shall 
it  come  unto  them.  Some  think,  the  mean¬ 
ing  is,  they  would  either  kill  Paul,  as  an 
Achan,  an  accursed  thing,  a  troubler  of  the 
camp  ;  or,  if  not,  would  make  themselves 
accursed  before  God  in  his  stead.  Job  31  : 
31.  Persecutors  are  said  to  eat  up  God's 
people  as  they  eat  bread  ;  it  is  as  much  a 
gratification  to  them,  as  meat  to  one  that  is 
hungry,  Ps.  14:  4. 

5.  What  method  they  took  to  bring  it 
about.  Paul  is  under  the  particular  protec¬ 
tion  of  the  government,  imprisoned,  not,  as 
others,  lest  he  should  do  harm,  but  lest  he 
should  have  harm  done  him  ;  therefore  the 
contrivance  is,  that  the  chief  priests  and  el¬ 
ders  desire  the  governor  to  let  Paul  come 
to  them  to  the  council-chamber,  to  be  fur¬ 
ther  examined,  and  then,  in  his  passage, 
they  would  put  an  end  to  all  disputes  about 
Paul,  by  killing  him  ;  thus  the  plot  was 
laid,  v.  14, 15.  Towards  evening  they  come 
to  the  principal  members  of  the  great  San¬ 
hedrim,  and,  though  they  might  have  con¬ 
cealed  their  main  design,  and  yet  might 
have  moved  them  on  some  other  pretence  to 
send  for  Paul,  they  are  so  confident  of  their 
approbation  of  this  villany,  that  they  are  not 
ashamed  or  afraid  to  own  to  them,  that  they 
design  to  breakfast  the  next  morning  on  his 
blood  ;  they  doubt  not  but  the  chief  priests 
will  not  only  countenance  them,  but  lend 
them  a  helping  hand,  be  their  tools  to  get 
them  an  opportunity  of  killing  Paul  ;  nay, 
tell  a  lie  for  them,  too,  pretending  to  the 
chief  captain,  that  they  would  inquire  some¬ 
thing  more  perfectly  concerning  him,  when  they 
meant  no  such  thing.  What  a  mean,  what 
an  ill  opinion  had  they  of  their  priests,  when 
they  could  apply  to  them  on  such  an  errand 
as  this  !  Yet,  vile  as  the  proposal  was,  for 
aught  that  appears,  the  priests  and  elders  con¬ 
sented,  and,  at  the  first  word,  promised  to 
gratify  them. 

II.  IIow  the  plot  was  discovered.  1. 
There  was  a  youth  related  to  Paul,  whose 
mother,  probably,  lived  in  Jerusalem,  and 
some  how  or  other,  we  are  not  told  how,  he 
heard  of  their  lying  in  wait,  and  went  into  the 
castle,  probably,  as  he  used  to  do,  to  attend 
on  his  uncle,  and  bring  him  what  he  wanted, 
which  gave  him  a  free  access  to  him,  and  he 
told  Paid  what  he  heard.  God  has  many 
ways  of  bringing  to  light  the  hidden  works  of 
darkness  ;  though  the  contrivers  of  them  dig 
deep  to  hide  them  from  the  Lord,  He  can  make 
a  bird  of  the  air  to  carry  the  voice,  Eccl.  10 :  20. 
or  the  conspirators’  own  tongues  to  betray 
themselves. 

2.  How  it  was  discovered  to  the  chief  cap¬ 
tain.  This  is  related  very  particularly,  per¬ 
haps  because  the  penman  was  an  eyewitness 
of  the  prudent  and  successful  management 
of  this  affair,  and  remembered  it  with  a  deal 
of  pleasure.  (1.)  Paul  had  got  a  good  in¬ 
terest  in  the  officers  "that  attended,  by  his 
prudent,  peaceable  deportment  ;  lie  could 
call  one  of  the  centurions  to  him,  though  a 
centurion,  and  used  to  call,  not  to  be  called  to, 
v.  17.  and  he  desired  he  would  introduce  this 
youfig  man  to  the  chief  captain,  to  give  in  an 
information  of  something  that  concerned  the 
honor  of  government.  (2.)  The  centurion 


V.  11.  Must  bear,  <tc.]  ‘Here  is  an  instance  of  a  divine  appoint¬ 
ment,  without  any  necessity  laid  on  the  will  of  Paul.’  Whitby.  This  er¬ 
roneously  supposes,  that  they,  with  whom  this  learned  writer  meant  to 
contend,  held  that  the  divine  decrees  laid  a  necessity  on  the  human  will ! 
2:22 — 24,  v.  23.  4:23 — 28,  v.  28.  In  fact,  the  instance  proves,  beyond  all 
controversy,  that  an  event  may  he  certainly  determined  by  almighty 
God,  and  infallibly  come  to  pass  ;  though  all  parties  concerned  exer¬ 
cise  the  utmost  free  agency,  of  which  the  rational  nature  is  capable. 
Some  argue  from  this  vision,  that  the  Lord  approved  of  the  apostle’s 
conduct :  but,  though  this  is  undoubtedly  true  as  to  the  grnnd  outline, 
yet  the  vision  no  more  proves  that  the  conduct  of  the  apostle  was  free 
from  all  mixture  of  infirmity,  than  the  vision,  with  which  Jacob  was  fa¬ 


vored  at  Bethel,  proves  that  he  had  not  sinned  in  fraudulently  obtaining 
the  blessing,  Gen.  27:6 — 14.  28:16, 17.  The  actions  of  men  must  be 
judged  of  by  the  law  of  God  ;  and  not  by  the  event,  or  by  any  special 
instances  of  the  Lord’s  unmerited  kindness  to  them.  Scott. 

V.  12 — 22.  The  Jews,  perceiving  that  Lysias  was  resolved  to  pro¬ 
tect  Paul,  unless  legally  convicted  of  some  crime,  began  to  fear  that 
their  malice  would  be  disappointed.  [Hence  their  conspiracy.]  Such 
execrable  voxvs  as  these  were  not  unusual  among  the  Jews,  wh o 
challenged  to  themselves  a  right  of  punishing  those,  without  any  legal 
process,  whom  they  considered  as  transgressors  of  the  law ;  and  in 
some  cases  thought,  that  they  were  justified  in  killing  them.  .  .It  is  no 
wonder,  therefore,  that  these  Jews  should  make  no  scruple  of  acquamt- 

[139] 


A.  D.  61. 


ACTS,  XXIII. 


The  chief  captain's  care  for  Paul. 


20  And  ho  said,  The  Jews  "have 
agreed  to  desire  thee  that  thou 
wouldest  bring  down  Paul  tomor¬ 
row  into  the  council,  as  though 
they  would  inquire  somewhat  of 
him  more  perfectly. 

21  But  do  not  thou  yield  vunto 
them  :  for  there  lie  in  wait  for  him 
of  them  more  than  forty  men,  which 
have  bound  themselves  with  an 
oath,  that  they  will  neither  eat  nor 
drink  till  they  have  killed  him  : 
and  now  are  they  ready,  looking  for 
a  promise  from  thee. 

22  So  the  chief  captain  then  let 
the  young  man  depart,  and  charged 
him,  See  thou  tell  no  man  that  thou 
hast  shewed  these  things  to  me. 

23  If  And  he  called  unto  him  two 
centurions,  saying,  Make  ready  two 
hundred  soldiers  to  go  to  Cesarea, 
and  horsemen  threescore  and  ten, 
and  spearmen  two  hundred,  at  the 
third  hour  of  the  night  : 

24  And  provide  them  beasts,  that 
they  may  set  Paul  on,  and  bring 
him  safe  unto  Felix  the  governor. 

25  And  he  wrote  a  letter  after 
this  manner  : 

26  Claudius  Lysias  unto  the  most 
excellent  governor  Felix  sendeth 
greeting. 

27  This  w  man  was  taken  of  the 
Jews,  and  should  have  been  killed 
of  them  :  then  came  I  with  an 
army,  and  rescued  him,  having  un¬ 
derstood  that  he  was  a  Roman. 

28  And  *  when  I  would  have 
known  the  cause  wherefore  they 
accused  him,  I  brought  him  forth 
into  their  council  r 

a  Ter.  12.  v  Ex.  23:2.  wc.  21:33.  21:7.  x  c.  22:30. 

very  readily  gratified  him,  v.  IS.  did  not 
send  a  common  soldier  with  him,  but  went 
himself  to  countenance  the  young  man,  to 
recommend  his  errand  to  the  chief  captain, 
and  to  show  his  respect  to  Paul.  Note,  It 
is  tine  charity  to  poor  prisoners,  to  act  for 
them  as  well  as  to  give  them.  ‘  I  was  sick, 
and  in  prison,  and  you  went  on  an  errand  for 
me,’  will  pass  as  well  in  the  account  as,  *  I 
was  sick,  and  in  prison,  and  you  came  unto  me, 
to  visit  me,  or  sent  me  a  token.’  Those 
that  have  acquaintance  and  interest,  should 
use  them  to  assist  persons  in  distress.  This 
centurion  helped  to  save  Paul’s  life  by  his 
civility,  which  should  engage  us  to  do  the 
like  on  occasion.  Open  thy  mouth  for  the 
dumb,  Prov.  31 :  8.  Those  that  cannot  give  a 
good  gift,  may  yet  speak  a  good  word.  (3.) 
The.  chief  captain  received  the  information 
with  great  condescension  and  tenderness, 
v.  19.  He  took  the  young  man  by  the.  hand, 
as  a  friend  or  father,  to  encourage  him,  that 
he  might  not  be  dashed  out  of  countenance, 
but  might  be  assured  of  a  favorable  audience. 
The  notice  taken  of  this  circumstance,  should 


encourage  great  men  to  make  themselves 
easy  of  access  to  the  meanest,  on  any  errand 
which  may  give  them  an  opportunity  of  do¬ 
ing  good  ;  to  condescend  to  them  of  low  estate. 
This  familiarity  of  this  Roman  tribune  is 
here  on  record  to  his  honor.  Let  no  man 
think  he  disparages  himself  by  his  humility 
or  charity.  It  is  probable  the  chief  captain 
was  the  more  obliging  in  this  case,  because 
of  having  bound  Paul,  against  his  privilege 
as  a  Roman  citizen,  which  be  was  willing 
now  to  atone  for.  (4.)  The  young  man  de¬ 
livered  his  errand  very  readily  and  hand¬ 
somely,  v.  20,  21.  ‘  The  Jews,’  he  does  not 
say  who,  lest  he  should  invidiously  reflect 
on  the  chief  priests  and  the  elders,  and  his 
business  was  to  save  his  uncle’s  life,  not 
to  accuse  his  enemies  ;  ‘  have  agreed,  &c. 
Lastly,  The  captain  dismissed  the.  young  man 
with  a  charge  of  secresy,  v.  22.  The  favors 
of  great  men  are  not  always  to  be  boasted 
of ;  and  those  that  cannot  keep  counsel,  are 
not  fit  to  be  employed  in  business.  If  it 
should  be  known  that  the  chief  captain  bad 
this  information  brought  him,  perhaps  they 
would  compass  and  imagine  the  death  of 
Paul  some  other  way. 

III.  How  the  plot  was  defeated  ;  The 
chief  captain,  finding  how  implacable  and  in¬ 
veterate  the  malice  of  the  Jews  was  against 
Paul,  and  how  near  he  was  to  become  him¬ 
self  accessary  to  it  as  a  minister,  resolves  to 
send  him  away  with  all  speed  out  of  their 
reach.  What  a  melancholy  observation  is 
it,  that  the  Jewish  chief  priests,  when  they 
knew  of  this  assassination-plot,  should  coun¬ 
tenance  it,  and  assist  in  it,  while  a  Roman 
chief  captain,  purely  from  a  natural  sense  of 
justice  and  humanity,  when  he  knows  it, 
sets  himself  to  baffle  it,  and  puts  himself  to 
a  deal  of  trouble  to  do  it  effectually  ! 

1.  He  orders  a  considerable  detachment 
of  the  Roman  forces  under  his  command  to 
get  ready  to  go  to  Cesarea,  with  all  expedi¬ 
tion,  and  to  bring  Paul  thither  to  Felix  the 
governor,  where  he  might  sooner  expect  to 
have  justice  done  him  than  by  the  great  San¬ 
hedrim  at  Jerusalem.  I  see  not  but  the  chief 
captain  might,  without  any  unfaithfulness  to 
the  duty  of  his  place,  have  set  Paul  at  liber¬ 
ty,  and  given  him  leave  to  shift  for  his  own 
safety,  for  he  was  never  legally  committed 
to  his  custody  as  a  criminal,  he  himself  owns, 
that  nothing  was  laid  to  his  charge  worthy  of 
bonds,  v.  29.  and  he  ought  to  have  the  same 
tenderness  for  his  liberty  that  lie  had  for  his 
life  ;  hut  he  feared  [his  death,  perhaps,  or 
that  it]  would  have  incensed  the  Jews  too 
much  against  him.  [In  fact,  he  was  now 
accountable  for  Paul’s  life,  both  to  God 
and  Rome.]  Two  centurions,  or  captains 
of  the  hundreds,  must  get  ready  200  foot  sol¬ 
diers,  probably  those  under  their  own  com¬ 
mand,  with  70  horse,  and  200  spearmen  be¬ 
side,  which  some  think  were  the  chief  cap¬ 
tain's  guards  ;  whether  horse  or  foot  is  not 
certain,  most  probably  foot,  as  pikemen  for 
the  protection  of  the  horse.  [So  large  a  force 
would  render  a  rescue  for  any  purpose,  hope¬ 
less,  and  a  smaller  might  have  led  to  blood¬ 
shed,  which  this  prompt  and  soldierly  Roman 
determined  to  prevent.]  See  how  justly  God 
brought  the  Jewish  nation  under  the  Roman 
yoke,  when  such  a  party  of  the  Roman  army 
was  necessary  to  restrain  them  from  the 


most  execrable  villatiies !  There  needed 
not  all  this  force,  not  any  of  it,  to  keep  Pan! 
from  being  rescued  by  bis  friends  ;  ten 
times  this  force  would  not  have  kept  him 
from  being  rescued  by  an  angel,  if  it  had 
pleased  God  to  work  his  deliverance  that 
way,  as  He  had  sometimes  done  ;  but,  (1.) 
The  chief  captain  designed  hereby  to  expose 
the  Jews,  as  a  headstrong,  tumultuous  peo¬ 
ple  ;  and  hearing  how  many  were  in  the 
conspiracy,  he  thought  less  would  not  serve 
to  defeat  their  attempt.  (2.)  God  designed 
hereby  to  encourage  Paul  ;  for  being  thus 
attended,  he  was  not  only  kept  safe  in  the 
hands  of  his  friends,  but  out  of  the  hands  of 
his  enemies.  Paul  was  by  this  made  con¬ 
siderable  ;  thus  his  bonds  in  Christ  were 
made  manifest  all  the  country  over  ;  Phil. 
1 : 13.  and  so  great  an  honor  having  been  put 
on  them  before  by  the  prediction  of  them,  it 
was  agreeable  enough  that  they  should  be 
thus  honorably  attended,  that  the  brethren  in 
the  Lord  might  wax  the  more  confident  by  his 
bonds,  when  they  saw  him  rather  guarded 
as  the  patriot  of  his  country,  than- guarded 
against  as  the  pest  of  his  country  ;  and  so 
great  a  preacher  made  so  great  a  prisoner. 

When  his  enemies  hate  him,  and  I  doubt 
his  friends  neglect  him,  then  does  a  Roman 
tribune  patronize  him,  and  carefully  provide, 
[L]  For  his  ease  ;  the  chief  captain  treats 
him  like  a  gentleman, and  orders  him  a  good 
horse  to  ride  upon.  Nay,  beasts,  either  a  led 
horse,  or  more  ;  or,  as  some,  for  his  friends 
and  companions,  as  many  as  pleased  [ac¬ 
cording  to  the  custom  in  the  E.,  note,  10: 
23.]  to  go  along  with  him,  to  divert  him  in 
his  journey,  and  to  minister  to  him,  [2.] 
For  his  security  ;  they  have  a  strict  charge 
to  bring  him  safe  to  Felix  the  governor,  to 
whom  he  is  consigned,  and  who  was  supreme 
in  all  civil  affairs  among  the  Jews,  as  the 
chief  captain  was  in  military  affairs.  The 
Roman  historians  speak  much  of  this  Felix, 
ns  a  man  of  mean  extraction,  but  that  raised 
himself  by  his  shifts  to  be  governor  of  Judea; 
in  the  execution  of  which  office,  Tacitus, 
Hist.  5.  says.  He  used  royal  power  with  a  ser¬ 
vile.  genius,  and  in  connexion  with  all  the  va¬ 
rieties  of  cruelty  and  lust.  To  the  judgment 
of  such  a  man  as  this  is  poor  Paul  turned 
over  ;  and  yet  better  so  than  in  the  hands  of 
Ananias  the  high  priest  !  Now  a  prisoner, 
thus  on  his  deliverance  by  course  of  law, 
ought  to  be  protected  as  well  as  a  prince. 

The  chief  captain  orders,  for  greater  secu¬ 
rity,  that  Paul  be  taken  away  at  the  3d  hour 
of  the  night,  which  some  understand  of  3 
hours  after  sunset,  that,  it  being  now  soon 
after  the  feast  of  pentecost,  (i.  e.  midsummer,) 
they  might  have  the  cool  of  the  night  to 
march  in.  Others  understand  it  of  3  hours 
after  midnight,  in  the  3d  watch,  about  3  in  the 
morning,  that  they  might  have  the  day  before 
them,  and  get  out  of  Jerusalem  before  Paul’s 
enemies  were  stirring,  and  so  prevent  any 
popular  tumult,  leaving  them  to  roar,  when 
they  rose,  like  a  lion  disappointed  of  his  prey. 

2.  He  writes  a  letter  to  Felix,  the  governor 
of  this  province,  by  which  he  discharges 
himself  from  any  further  care  about  Paul,  and 
leaves  the  whole  matter  with  Felix.  This 
letter  is  here  inserted,  v.  25.  Probably 
Luke  had  a  copy  of  it,  having  attended  Paul 
in  this  remove.  Observe,  after  the  proper 


ing  the  chief  priests  and  elders  with  their  conspiracy  against  the  life  of 
l’aul ;  who  were  so  far  from  blaming  them  for  it,  that  not  long  after  they 
renewed  the  same  design  themselves.  (25:2,  3.)...  I)r.  Lightfoot  has 
shown  from  the  Talmud,  that  if  they  were  prevented  from  accomplish¬ 
ing  such  vows  as  these,  it  was  an  easy  matter  to  obtain  an  absolution 
from  their  Unbbies  ’  Doddr.  Scott. 

\  .  21.  ‘  1  he  cavnlry  used  often  to  take  each  a  led  horse  ;  by  which 

means  they  travelled  long  distances  without  stopping.’  Bloomf. 

V.  25 — 30.  This  epistle  is  a  good  specimen  of  the  Roman  method  of 
writing  letters,  and  a  model  of  brevity,  simplicity,  and  perspicuity. 
The  customary  title  of  respect  to  a  superior,  and  expression  of  good- 
w  ill,  are  once  only  made  use  of:  and  in  this  it  differs  exceedingly  from 
modern  epistles,  to  persons  of  high  rank  and  authority  ;  which  are  gen¬ 
erally  encumbered  with  multiplied  compliments,  and  ascriptions  of  hon¬ 
or. — As  we  suppose  this  to  have  been  an  exact  copy  of  the  letter,  it 
appears,  Lysias  was  willing  Felix  should  conclude,  that  his  interposi¬ 
tion  in  Paul’s  favor  arose  from  a  previous  knowledge  that  he  was  a  Ro¬ 

[140] 


man  citizen ;  though  it  is  evident  this  was  not  the  case.  21:31 — 40.  22; 
22 — 30.  In  other  respects,  the  account  was  fair  and  candid.  Scott. 

(27.)  Having  understood,  &c.j  Bl.  sensibly  remarks,  ‘  Hois  and  Doddr. 
think  Lysias  only  confounds,  inadvertently,  the  times  of  delivery  ;  since 
he  delivered  Paul  twice.  But  this  confusion  could  scarcely  be  accidental 
[yet  Paul’s  being  a  Roman,  was  a  reason  for  a  good  deed  that  the  tribune 
did.] .  .Lysias  ventured,  it  seems,  to  take  a  little  more  credit  for  zeal  in 
behalf  of  his  fellow  citizens,  than,  in  strictness,  he  merited.  As,  how¬ 
ever,  his  conduct  was,  throughout  the  rest  of  this  business,  so  humane, 
judicious,  and  every  way  worthy  of  a  public  functionary,  we  must  not 
visit  the  lapse  too  severely  on  his  head.  As  to  his  concealment  of  the 
fact,  that  he  had  caused  Paul  to  be  strapped  to  the  whipping-post,  no  one 
can  justly  blame  him  for  that ;  though,  if  this  had  come  to  the  ears  of 
Felix,  it  would  have  destroyed  the  only  excuse  that  Lysias  could  have 
advanced  ;  namely,  that  he  had  not  known  Paul  to  be  a  Roman  citizen. 
So  dangerous  is  it  to  deviate  ever  so  little  ff-om  the  path  of  truth,  to 
gratify  any'  petty  vanity,  or  serve  any  temporary  purpose.’  Ep. 


A.  D.  61. 


ACTS,  XXIV. 


Paul  is  conducted  to  Ccsarea. 


29  Whom  I  perceived  to  he  ac¬ 
cused  of  questions  *  of  their  law, 
but  to  have  nothing  '-laid  to  his 
charge  worthy  of  death  or  of  bonds. 

30  And  when  a  it  was  told  me, 
how  that  the  Jews  laid  wait  for  the 
man,  I  sent  straightway  to  thee, 
and  gave  b  commandment  to  his 
accusers  also,  to  say  before  thee 
what  they  had  against  him.  Fare¬ 
well. 

31  Then  the  soldiers,  as  it  was 
commanded  them,  took  Paul,  and 
brought  him  by  night  to  Antipatris. 

32  On  the  morrow  they  left  the 
horsemen  to  go  with  him,  and  re¬ 
turned  to  the  castle  : 

33  Who,  when  they  came  to 
Cesarea,  and  delivered  the  epistle 
cto  the  governor,  presented  Paul 
also  before  him. 

34  And  when  the  governor  had 
read  the  letter,  he  asked  of  what 
province  he  was.  And  when  he 
understood  that  he  teas  of  d  Cilicia  ; 

35  I  will  hear  thee,  said  he,  when 
thine  accusers  e  are  also  come. 
And  he  commanded  him  to  be  kept 
in  f  Herod’s  judgment-hall. 

CHAP.  XXIV. 

I  Paul,  beiti?  accused  by  Tertullus  the  orator,  10  nnswereth 
for  his  life  and  doctrine.  24  He  preachelh  Christ  to  the 
governor  and  hi3  wife.  26  The  governor  hopeth  for  a 
bribe,  but  in  vain.  27  At  last,  going  out  of  his  office,  he 
leaveth  Paul  in  prison. 

AND  after  five  days,  Ananias 
1  the  high  priest  descended 
with  the  elders,  and  with  a  certain 
orator  named  Tertullus,  who  in¬ 
formed  bthe  governor  against  Paul. 

y  c.  18:15.  25:19.  c  ver.  25—30.  f  Mai.  27:27. 
zc.  26:31.  lie.  21:39.  a  c.  23:2.  25:2. 

a  ver.  20,  21.  e  c.  24:1,  &c.  b  Ps.  11:2. 

be.  24:8.  25:6  .  25:16. 

title  given,  and  good  wishes  expressed,  (1.) 
The  just  and  fair  account  he  gives  him 
of  Paul’s  case  :  [1.]  That  he  was  one  the 
Jews  had  a  pique  against,  had  taken,  and 
would  have  killed  ;  and  perhaps  Felix  knew 
the  temper  of  the  Jews  so  well,  he  did  not 


think  much  the  worse  of  him  for  that,  v.  27. 
[2.]  That  lie  had  protected  him  because  he 
was  a  Roman  ;  which  action  for  a  citizen  of 
Rome  would  recommend  him  to  the  Roman 
governor.  [3.]  That  he  could  not  under¬ 
stand  the  merits  of  his  cause,  nor  what  made 
him  so  odious  to  the  Jews.  He  took  the 
proper  method  to  know,  brought  him  forth  into 
their  council,  v.  2S.  to  be  examined  there  ; 
hoping  that,  either  from  their  complaints,  or 
his  own  confessions,  he  should  learn  some¬ 
thing  of  the  ground  of  all  this  clamor,  but 
lie  found  he  was  accused  of  questions  of  their 
law,  v.  29.  about  the  hope  of  the  resurrection 
of  the  dead,v.  6.  This  chief  captain  was  a 
man  of  sense  and  honor,  and  had  good  prin¬ 
ciples  in  him  of  justice  and  humanity  ;  and 
yet  see  how  slightly  he  speaks  of  another 
world,  and  the  great  things  of  that  world,  as  if 
that  were  a  question,  which  is  of  undoubted 
certainty,  and  which  both  sides  agreed  in, 
except  the  Sadducees  ;  and  as  if  that  were 
a  question  only  of  their  law,  which  is  of  the 
utmost  concern  to  all  mankind  !  *  Or,  per¬ 
haps,  he  refers  rather  to  the  question  about 
their  rituals  than  about  their  doctrinals,  and 
the  quarrel  he  perceived  they  had  with  him, 
was  for  lessening  the  credit  and  obligation 
of  their  ceremonial  law,  which  he  looked 
upon  as  a  thing  not  worth  speaking  of.  The 
Romans  allowed  the  nations  they  conquered 
the  exercise  of  their  own  religion,  and  never 
offered  to  impose  their’s  on  them  ;  yet,  as 
conservators  of  the  public  peace,  they  would 
not  suffer  them,  under  color  of  their  religion, 
to  abuse  their  neighbors.  [4.]  That  thus 
far  he  understood  that  there  was  nothing 
laid  to  his  charge  worthy  of  death  or  of  bonds, 
much  less  proved  or  made  out  against  him. 
(2.)  His  referring  Paul’s  case,  his  life  being 
there  in  danger,  to  Felix,  v.  SO.  as  the  most 
proper  person  to  judge  the  cause,  and  ‘  let  his 
accusers  go  after  him,  if  they  please,  and  say 
before  thee  what  they  have  against  him,  for, 
being  bred  a  soldier,  I  will  never  pretend  to 
be  a  judge,  and  so  farewell.’’ 

3  Paul  is  accordingly  conducted  to  Cesa¬ 
rea  ;  the  soldiers  got  him  safe  out  of  Jeru¬ 
salem  by  night,  and  if  any  of  the  conspirators 
did  starve  themselves  to  death,  in  conscience 
of  their  oath,  and  vexation  at  their  disap¬ 
pointment,  they  fell  unpitied.  Paul  was  con¬ 
ducted  to  Antipatris,  17  miles  from  Jerusa- 

*  Thai  he  distinctly  understood  what  Paul  had  said,  is 
hardly  probable.  Ed.  ■ 


lem,f  and  about  the  midway  to  Cesarea,  v.  31. 
Having  brought  Paul  thus  far  out  of  danger, 
there  needed  hot  so  strong  a  guard,  hut  the 
horsemen  might  serve  to  bring /urn  to  Cesarea, 
and  would  do  it  with  more  expedition,  so 
the  rest  returned;  this  they  did,  not  only  to 
save  their  own  labor,  but  their  master’s 
charge  ;  and  it  is  an  example  to  servants, 
not  only  to  act  obediently,  according  to  their 
masters’  orders,  hut  to  act  prudently,  so  as 
may  be  most  for  their  masters’  interest. 

4.  The  officers  presented  the  letter,  and  Paul 
with  it,  to  Felix,  and  so  discharged  themselves 
of  their  trust,  v.  33.  Paul  had  never  affected 
acquaintance  or  society  with  great  men,  but 
with  the  disciples,  wherever  he  came  ;  yet 
Providence  overrules  his  sufferings,  so  as  by 
them  to  give  him  an  opportunity  of  witness¬ 
ing  to  Christ  before  great  men  ;  and  so 
Christ  had  foretold  concerning  his  discip  es, 
that  they  should  be  brought  before  rulers  and 
kings  for  his  sake,  Mark  13:9.  The  governor 
inquired  of  what  province  of  the  empire  the 
prisoner  originally  was,  and  was  told ,that  he 
was  a  native  of  Cilicia,  v.  34.  and  promises 
him  a  speedy  trial,  v.  35.  ordering  him  into 
[honorable]  custody,  in  some  apartment  be¬ 
longing  to  the  palace,  denominated  from 
Herod  the  Great,  who  built  it.  There  he  had 
opportunity  of  acquainting  himself  with  the 
great  men  that  attended  the  governor’s  court, 
and,  no  doubt,  improved  it  to  the  best  pur¬ 
poses. 

Chap.  XXIV.  In  this  ch.,  we  have 
Paul’s  arraignment  and  trial  before  Felix, 
the  governor,  at  Cesarea. 

V.  1 — 9.  I.  Their  busy  malice  (so  intent 
are  bad  men  to  do  evil)  is  ready  in  5  days; 
which  some  reckon  from  Paul’s  being  first 
seized,  and  with  most  probability,  for  he 
says  here,  v.  11.  it  was  but  12  days  since  he 
came  up  to  Jerusalem,  and  he  had  spent  7  in 
his  purifying  in  the  temple,  so  that  these  5 
must  he  reckoned  front  the  last  of  those. 
Those  that  had  been  his  judges,  appear  here 
as  his  prosecutors.  Ananias  himself,  the  high 
priest  ;  one  would  wonder,  he  should  thus 
disparage  himself,  and  forget  the  dignity  of 
his  place  !  If  men  of  the  first  rank  have  a 
malice  against  any,  they  think  it  policy  to 
employ  others  against  them,  and  to  play  least 
in  sight  themselves,  because  of  the  odium 
that  commonly  attends  it  ;  hut  Ananias  is 

t  But  see  note,  .below.  Ed. 


PRACT.  OBS.  To  rejoice  in  the  testimony  of  a  good  conscience  be¬ 
fore  God,  amidst  calumnies  and  persecutions,  is  an  invaluable  blessing  : 
but  this  cannot  be  habitually  possessed,  except  by  the  constant  exercise 
of  faith  in  Christ,  and  an  upright  obedience  to  his  commandments. — The 
best  of  men  are  liable,  when  greatly  injured  and  insulted,  to  be  put  off 
their  guard  :  and  it  is  in  general  advisable  to  decline  a  strenuous  justifi¬ 
cation  of  ourselves,  and  to  admit  that  our  conduct  was  iu  some  respects 
unfit  for  imitation  :  and  in  no  ordinary  circumstances  should  we  by  any 
means  ‘speak  evil’  of  our  rulers;  whatever  their  characters  maybe, 
or  however  they  may  have  injured  us;  for  the  Christian’s  maxims  are, 
to  honor  thbse  in  authority, and  ‘  to  overcome  evil  with  good.’  Rom.  13: 
1—5.  Tit.  3:1,  2.  1  Pet.  2:13—17.  2  Pet.  2:10,  11.  Jude  9,  10.— It  is  use¬ 
less  to  urge  the  most  conclusive  arguments,  when  we  know  that  our 
cause  is  already  prejudged. — Among  those  who  oppose  spiritual  religion, 
some  come  nearer  to  the  truth  than  others:  and  though  self-righteous 
Pharisees  are  to  be  warned  and  shunned  ;  yet  Sadducees  and  infidels, 
who  deny  all  the  doctrines  of  revealed  religion,  should  be  still  more 

V.  31.  By  Night.]  ‘I.  e.  principally:  to  Neopolis  was  22  miles, 
to  Lydda  Jor  Piospolis)  10,  to  Antipatris  10,  to  Cesarea  16.  See 
Reland.’  Bloomf.  Antipatris.]  ‘  Very  different  accounts  are  given  of 
the  situation  of  Antipatris,  which  must,  however,  have  been  N.  W. 
from  Jerusalem.  Its  ancient  name  was  Capharsaiama,  or  Chabarzaba ; 
but  Herod  the  Great  rebuilt  it,  and  gave  it  the  name  of  Antipatris,  in 
honor  of  his  father,  Antipater.  Some  have  supposed  it  but  18  or  20  m. 
from  Jerusalem  ;  but  Mr.  Biscoe  has  shown  it  was  something  more  than 
38  of  our  miles,  which  must  have  been  too  far  for  one  night’s  march  ; 
he  therefore  very  well  observes,  it  is  not  necessary  to  conclude  Paul 
was  carried  there  in  one  night,  or  that  the  soldiers  returned  in  one  day. 
..It  appears  from  Jos.  that  from  Jerusalem  to  Cesa'ea  was  600  fur¬ 
longs,  or  near  70  miles.’  Doddr, 

V.  35  Judgment-hall.]  ‘  PraitSriO  ■■  now  the  prmurium  was  the 
habitation  of  the  provincial  governors.  Thus  Cic.  calls  Verres’  (prastor 
of  Sicily’s)  house.  Finally,  the  term  was  applied,  as  here,  to  any  magni¬ 
ficent  edifice.’  Bloomf. 

NOTES.  Chap.  XXIV.  V.  1 — 9.  (2)  Worthy  deeds.]  We  read  of 

no  benefit  whatever,  resulting  from  Felix’s  oppressive  government,  ex¬ 
cept  that  he  freed  the  country  from  some  daring  gangs  of  robbers. — 1  As 
for  Judea,  its  state  under  Felix  was  so  far  from  being  what  Tertullus  here 
represents,  that  Josephus  declares,  that  the  Jews  accused  him  before 


strenuously  opposed. — Man  is  a  vain-glorious  creature,  who  courts  flat¬ 
tery,  and  would  have  his  own  opinion  considered  as  the  standard  of  truth  ! 
A  practical  uniform  attention  to  this  characteristic  of  our  fallen  nature 
seems  the  grand  device  for  managing  mankind  ;  whether  among  the  gid¬ 
dy  multitude,  or  in  the  great  councils  of  nations,  or  in  ecclesiastical 
conventions.  But  it  is  a  delicate  operation,  which  requires  great  skill 
and  caution,  and  there  is  imminent  danger  of  deviating  from  strict  ‘  sim¬ 
plicity,  and  godly  sincerity,’  into  carnal  policy,  whenever  we  have  re¬ 
course  to  it  •  though  we  may  avail  ourselves  of  it  on  some  great  emer¬ 
gency  ;  and  when  it  may  evidently  be  done,  without  at  all  receding 
from  our  principles,  and  to  the  advantage  of  the  truth. — But  what  a 
scandal  is  it,  when  the  professors  and  ministers  of  true  religion  are  so 
furious  in  their  contests,  that  idolatrous  and  ungodly  men  cry  shame  of 
their  violence,  and  are  constrained  to  interpose  authority,  or  military- 
force,  to  quell  the  riot,  and  prevent  more  fatal  consequences  !  or  when 
national  and  ecclesiastical  assemblies  more  resemble  a  meeting  of  furi¬ 
ous  assassins,  than  a  convention  of  legislators,  or  servants  of  God  !  Sc. 

Nero,  of  insufferable  oppressions;  and  had  certainly  ruined  h.11,  if  his 
brother  Pallas  had  not  interposed  in  his  favor.’  Doddr. — The  high  priest, 
the  chief  magistrate  of  the  Jews,  was  known  to  be  one  of  Paul’s  accu¬ 
sers  :  yet  the  tribune,  a  subordinate  officer  under  the  Roman  governor, 
commanded  these  accusers  to  go  to  Cesarea.  This  shows  to  what  en¬ 
tire  subjection  the  Jews  were  at  this  time  reduced.  And  was  not  then 
‘the  sceptre  departed  from  Judah,’  because  Shiloh  was  come?  Gen. 
49:10. — The  disciples  long  before  had  been  named  Christians :  yet  Ter¬ 
tullus  still  calls  them  Nazarenes;  which  shows  that  the  disciples  were 
not  first  called  Christians  by  [all]  their  enemies.  11:25,  26,  v.  26.  Sc. 

(1.)  Orator.]  ‘ Rhetor .  The  Jews  being  subjected  to  the  Roman  em¬ 
pire,  were  obliged  to  transact  their  law  affairs  after  the  Roman  manner : 
but,  being  iittle  conversant  with  the  Roman  laws,  and  the  forms  of  the 
Jurists,  it  was  necessary  for  them,  in  pleading  a  cause  before  a  Roman 
magistrate,  to  employ  the  assistance  of  some  Roman  lawyer  and  advo¬ 
cate  (as  this  Tertullus),  who  was  well  versed  in  Greek  and  Latin.  See 
Ottius.  Rhetor,  indeed,  signifies  properly,  an  orator  or  speaker,  but  it 
also  denotes  a  pleader  ;  as  here,  in  JFAian,  Msch.,  Cic.,  Juv.  In  all  the 
Roman  provinces  these  rhetores  were  found,  who  devoted  their  time 
and  labor,  for  iiire,  to  the  pleading  of  causes,  and  transacting  other  busi¬ 
ness  before  the  provincial  courts.  So  Lamprid.  And  from  Cic.  it  ap¬ 
pears,  that  many  Roman  youths,  who  had  devoted  themselves  to  forensic 


Paul  arraigned  before  Felix. 


A.  D.  61. 


ACTS,  XXIV. 


i  And  when  he  was  called  forth, 
Tertullus  began  to  accuse  him, 
saying,  Seeing  that  by  thee  we  en¬ 
joy  great  quietness,  and  that  very 
worthy  deeds  c  are  done  unto  this 
nation  by  thy  providence, 

3  We  accept  it  always,  and  in 
all  places,  most  noble  Felix,  with 
all  thankfulness. 

4  Notwithstanding,  that  I  be  not 
further  tedious  unto  thee,  I  pray 
thee  that  thou  wouldest  hear  us  of 
thy  clemency  a  few  words. 

5  For  we  have  found  this  man 
a  pestilent  fellow,  and  d  a  mover 
of  sedition  among  all  the  Jews 
thioughout  the  world,  and  a  ring¬ 
leader  of  the  sect  of  the  Nazarenes: 

6  Who  also  hath  gone  about  to 
profane  e  the  temple  :  whom  we 
took,  and  would  have  judged  fac- 
cording  to  our  law. 

7  But  the  chief  s captain  Lysias 
came  upon  us,  and  with  great  vio¬ 
lence  took  him  away  out  of  our 
hands, 

8  Commanding  his  accusers11  to 
come  unto  thee  :  by  examining  of 
whom,  thyself  mayest  take  knowl¬ 
edge  of  all  these  things  whereof  we 
accuse  him. 


c  Ps.  12:2. 
d  Lu.  23:2.  c.  6: 
13.  1G:20.  17:6. 


21:28.  1  Pe.  f  Jn.  18:31. 

2:1-2,  19.  g  c.  21:33. 

e  c.  19:37.  21:28.  h  c.  23:30. 


not  ashamed  to  own  himself  a  sworn  enemy 
to  Paul.  The  elders  attended  him,  to  signify 
their  concurrence,  and  to  invigorate  the 
prosecution  ;  attorneys  or  solicitors  could 
not  be  found  to  follow  it  with  sufficient  vio¬ 
lence.  The  pains  evil  men  take  in  an  evil 
matter,  should  shame  our  coldness  and  back- 
wardness,  and  indifference  in  what  is  good. 

II.  The  prosecutors  brought  with  them  a 
certain  orator  named  Tertullus,  a  Roman, 
skilled  in  the  Roman  law  and  language,  and 
therefore  fittest  to  be  employed  in  a  cause 
before  the  Roman  governor,  and  most  likely 
to  gain  favor.  His  business  is,  on  the  behalf 
of  the  prosecutors,  to  open  the  information 
against  Paul,  and  he  is  a  man  that  will  say 
anything  for  his  fee;  mercenary  tongues  will 
do  so.  No  cause  so  unjust,  but  can  find  ad¬ 
vocates  to  plead  it  ;  yet  we  hope  many  ad¬ 
vocates  so  just,  as  not  knowingly  to  patronize 
an  unrighteous  cause  ;  but  Tertullus  was 
none  of  those,  his  speech,  or  at  least  an  ab- 

.ct  of  it,  is  here  reported  ;  and  it  is  made 
up  of  flattery  and  falsehood  ;  it  calls  evil 
good,  and  good  evil. 

1.  One  of  the  worst  of  men  is  here  ap¬ 
plauded,  as  one  of  the  best  of  benefactors, 
only  because  he  was  the  judge.  Felix  is 
represented,  by  historians,  as  a  very  bad 
man,  who,  depending  on  his  interest  in  the 
court,  allowed  himself  in  all  manner  of  wick¬ 
edness,  was  a  great  oppressor,  very  cruel, 
and  very  covetous,  patronizing  and  protect¬ 
ing  assassins,  Jos.  Ant.  1.  20.  c.  6.  And  yet 
Tertullus  here,  in  the  name  of  the  high  priest 
and  elders,  compliments  him,  as  if  he  were 
so  good  a  magistrate  as  never  was  the  like: 
and  this  comes  the  worse  from  the  high  priest 
and  the  elders,  because  he  had  given  a  late 
instance  of  his  enmity  to  their  order  ;  for 
Jonathan  the  high  priest,  or  one  of  the  chief 
priests,  having  offended  him,  by  too  free  an 
invective  against  the  tyranny  of  his  govern¬ 


ment,  he  got  him  murdered  by  some  villains 
whom  he  hired  for  that  purpose,  and  who 
afterward  did  the  like  for  others,  as  they 
were  hired  :  and  that  even  in  the  temple  itself. 

(1.)  To  give  hint  his  due,  he  had  been  in¬ 
strumental  to  suppress  the  insurrection  of 
that  Egyptian  whom  the  chief  captain  spake  of  , 
ch.  21 :  33.  but  will  the  praise  of  that  screen 
him  from  the  just  reproach  of  his  tyranny 
and  oppression  afterward  1  See  here,  [1.] 
The  unhappiness  of  grent  men,  and  a  great 
unhappiness  it  is,  to  have  their  services  mag¬ 
nified  beyond  measure,  and  never  to  be  faith¬ 
fully  told  of  their  faults ;  and  hereby  they  are 
hardened  and  encouraged  in  evil.  [2.]  The 
policy  of  bad  men,  by  flattering  princes  in 
what  they  do  amiss,  to  draw  them  in  to  do 
worse.  The  bishops  of  Rome  got  to  be  con¬ 
firmed  in  their  exorbitant  church  power, 
and  have  been  assisted  in  persecuting  the 
servants  of  Christ,  by  flattering  and  caressing 
usurpers  and  tyrants,  and  so  making  them  the 
tools  of  their  malice,  as  the  high  priest,  by  his 
compliments,  designed  to  make  Felix  here. 

(2.)  They  promise  to  retain  a  grateful 
sense  of  it,  v.  3.  ‘  TVe  accept  it  always,  and 
in  all  places,  everywhere  and  at  all  times, 
we  embrace  it,  we  admire  it,  most  noble  Fe¬ 
lix,  with  all  thankfulness.  Had  this  been  true, 
it  had  been  just  ;  the  benefits  we  enjoy  by 
government,  especially  by  wise  and  good  gov¬ 
ernors,  are  what  we  ought  to  be  thankful  for, 
both  to  God  and  man. 

(3.)  They  therefore  expect  his  favor  in 
this  cause,  v.  4.  They  pretend  a  great  care 
not  to  entrench  on  his  time  ;  ‘  We  will  not 
be  further  tedious  to  thee,’  and  yet  to  be  very 
confident  of  his  patience,  *  hear  us  of  thy  clem¬ 
ency  a  few  words.’  All  this  address  is  only 
to  induce  him  to  give  countenance  to  their  cause; 
and  they  were  so  conscious  it  would  soon 
appear  to  have  more  malice  than  matter  in 
it,  they  found  it  necessary  thus  to  insinuate 
themselves  into  his  favor.  Everybody  knew 
the  high  priest  and  the  elders  were  enemies 
to  the  Roman  government  ;  and  yet,  to  gain 
their  ends  against  Paul,  they,  by  their  coun¬ 
sel,  show  him  all  this  respect  ;  as  they  did 
to  Pilate  and  Cesar,  when  persecuting  our 
Savior.  Princes  cannot  always  judge  of  the 
affections  of  their  people  by  their  applauses; 
flattery  is  one  thing,  true  loyalty  another. 

2.  One  of  the  best  of  men  is  here  accused 
as  one  of  the  worst  of  malefactors,  only  be¬ 
cause  he  was  the  prisoner.  After  a  flourish 
of  flattery,  in  which  you  cannot  see  matter  for 
words,  he  comes  to  his  business,  and  it  is,  to 
inform  his  excellency  concerning  the  pris¬ 
oner  at  the  bar  ;  and  this  part  of  his  dis¬ 
course  is  as  nauseous  for  its  raillery,  as  the 
former  for  its  flattery.  I  pity  the  man, and 
believe  he  has  no  malice  against  Paul,  nor 
does  he  think  as  he  speaks  in  calumniating 
him,  any  more  than  he  did  in  courting  Fe¬ 
lix  ;  but  as  I  cannot  but  be  sorry  that  a  man 
of  wit  and  sense  should  have  such  a  saleable 
tongue,  as  one  calls  it,  so  I  cannot  but  be 
angry  at  those  dignified  men,  that  had  such 
malicious  hearts  as  to  put  such  words  into 
his  mouth.  Tertullus  complains, 

(1.)  That  the  peace  of  the  nation  was 
disturbed  by  Paul.  Innocence,  nay  excel¬ 
lence  and  usefulness,  are  no  fence  against 
calumny,  no,  nor  against  the  impressions  of 
calumny  on  the  minds  both  of  magistrates 
and  multitudes,  to  excite  their  fury  and 
jealousy  ;  for  be  the  representation  ever  so 
unjust,  when  enforced,  as  here,  with  gravity 
and  pretence  of  sanctity,  and  with  assurance 
and  noise,  something  will  stick.  The  old 
charge  against  God’s  prophets,  was,  that 
they  were  the  troublers  of  the  land,  and  against 


1  -jsiness,  used  to  repair  to  the  provinces  with  the  consuls  and  praetors, 

i.i  order,  by  managing  the  causes  of  the  provincials,  to  fit  themselves  for 
more  important  ones  at  Rome.’  Kuin. 

(2.)  ‘  Almost  every  word  of  this  oration  is  false ;  the  accusation  of 
Paul,  the  encomium  of  the  government  of  Felix,  and  the  declaration  of 
a  lawful  intention  in  what  they  had  done  and  attempted.’  l)onDn. 

(5.)  Nazarenes .]  ‘  So  in  Judea  were  called  the  Christians  who  lived 
out  of  Judea;  as  also  are  Christians  in  general  at  the  present  day,  by 
Jews  and  Mohammedans.’  Rosenm. 


God’s  Jerusalem,  that  it  was  a  rebellious 
city,  hurtful  to  kings  and  provinces,  Ezra  4: 
15,  1.9.  and  against  our  Lord  Jesus,  that  He 
perverted  the  nation,  and  forbade  to  give  tribute 
to  Cesar  ;  it  is  the  very  same  against  Paul 
here  ;  and,  though  utterly  false,  is  averred 
with  all  the  confidence  imaginable.  They 
do  not  say,  ‘  W e  suspect  him  ;  ’  but,  as  if  the 
thing  were  past  dispute,  ‘  We  have  found 
him,  often  and  long  found  him ,  a  pestilent  fel¬ 
low  ;’  as  if  he  were  a  traitor  and  rebel  al¬ 
ready  convict.  [1.]  Paul  was  a  useful  man, 
and  a  great  blessing  to  his  country,  a  man 
of  exemplary  candor  and  goodness,  obliging 
to  all,  and  provoking  to  none  ;  yet  lie  is  here 
called  a  pestilent  fellow,  v.  5.  the  plague  of 
the  nation,  a  walking  pestilence  ;  which 
supposes  hint  to  be  a  turbulent  man,  ma¬ 
licious  and  ill-natured,  that  threw  all  things 
in  disorder  wherever  he  came.  Many  a  good 
sermon  he  had  preached,  and  many  a  good 
work  he  had  done,  and  for  those  he  is  called 
a  pestilent  fellow.  [2.]  Paul  was  a  peace¬ 
maker,  a  preacher  of  that  Gospel  which  has 
a  direct  tendency  to  slay  all  enmities,  and  to 
establish  true  and  lasting  peace  ;  he  lived 
peaceably  and  quietly  himself,  and  taught 
others  to  do  so  too,  and  yet  is  here  repre¬ 
sented  as  a  mover  of  sedition  among  all  the 
Jews  throughout  the  world.  The  Jews  were 
disaffected  to  the  Roman  government,  the 
most  bigoted,  most  so.  This  Felix  knew, 
and  had  therefore  a  watchful  eye  on  them  ; 
now  they  would  fain  make  him  believe  that 
this  Paul  was  the  man  that  made  them  so, 
whereas  they  themselves  sowed  the  seeds  of 
faction  and  sedition :  and  they  knew  it;  and 
the  reason  why  they  hated  Christ  and  his  re¬ 
ligion,  was,  because  He  did  not  go  about  to 
head  them  in  an  opposition  to  the  Romans. 
The  Jews  were  everywhere  much  set  against 
Paul,  and  stirred  up  the  people  to  clamor 
against  him  ;  they  moved  sedition  in  all 
places  where  he  came,  and  then  [like  all 
mobs  and  mobbers]  cast  the  blame  unjustly 
on  him,  as  if  he  had  been  the  mover  of  the 
sedition  ;  as  Nero  not  long  after  set  Rome 
on  fire,  and  said  that  the  Christians  did  it. 
[3.]  Paul  was  a  man  of  catholic  charity, 
who  did  not  affect  to  be  singular,  but  made 
himself  the  servant  of  all  for  their  good  ;  and 
yet  he  is  here  charged  to  be  a  ringleader,  lit. 
standard-bearer,  of  the  sect  of  the  Nazarenes. 
Now  it  was  true,  Paul  was  an  active,  leading 
man  in  propagating  Christianity.  But,  1st. 
It  was  utterly  false  that  that  was  a  sect;  he 
did  not  draw  people  to  a  party  or  private 
opinion,  nor  did  he  make  his  own  opinions 
their  rule.  True  Christianity  establishes 
that  which  is  of  common  concern  to  all  man¬ 
kind,  publishes  good-will  to  men,  and  shows 
us  God  in  Christ  reconciling  the  world  to 
Himself,  and  therefore  cannot  be  thought  to 
take  its  rise  from  such  narrow  opinions  and 
private  interests  as  sects  owe  their  original 
to.  True  Christianity  has  a  direct  “tendency 
to  the  uniting  of  men,  and  the  gathering  of 
them  together  in  one  ;  and,  as  far  as  it  ob¬ 
tains  its  just  power  and  influence  on  the 
minds  of  men,  will  make  them  meek  and 
quiet,  and  peaceable  and  loving,  and  every 
way  easy,  acceptable,  and  profitable  one  to 
another,  and  therefore  is  far  from  being  a 
sect,  which  is  supposed  to  lead  to  division, 
and  to  sow  discord.  True  Christianity  aims 
at  no  worldly  benefit  or  advantage,  and 
therefore  must  by  no  means  be  called  a  sect 
Those  that  espouse  a  sect,  are  governed  in 
it  by  their  secular  interests,  they  aim  at 
wealth  and  honor  ;  but  the  professors  of 
Christianity  are  so  far  from  this,  that  they 
expose  themselves  thereby  to  the  loss  and 

(6.)  ‘  It  had  been  granted  by  the  Romans  to  the  Jews,  that  they  should 
remain  in  undisturbed  observance  of  all  the  rights  and  ceremonies  of 
their  religion,  and,  in  such  criminations  as  had  reference  thereto,  the 
power  of  inflicting  capital  punishment  had  been  left  ns  their  right.  Eve¬ 
ry  sentence,  however,  had  to  be  confirmed  by  the  Praetor.  See  on  Mat. 
26:66.  John  19:7.  Acts  21:28.  and  Jos.  Ant.  20,  4.  who  there  records  the 
execution  of  a  Roman  soldier  for  profane  derision  of  the  Mosaic  Law  ’ 

Bloomf. 

(8.)  Whom.]  ‘  I.  e.  Lysias  (comp.  v.  22.)  the  Gr.  is  singular.’  Bl.  Kuix. 


A.  D.  61. 


ACTS,  XXIV. 


Paul’s  defence. 


9  And  the  Jews  also  assented, 
saying  that  these  things  were  so. 

10  IF  Then  Paul,  after  that  the 
‘governor  had  beckoned  unto  him 
to  speak,  answered,  Forasmuch  as 
I  know  that  thou  hast  been  of  many 
years  a  judge  unto  this  nation,  I  do 
the  more  cheerfully  1  answer  for 
myself : 

11  Because  that  thou  mayest  un¬ 
derstand,  that  there  are  yet  but 
twelve  days  since  1  went  up  to 
k  Jerusalem  for  to  worship. 

12  And  they  neither  'found  me 
in  the  temple  disputing  with  any 
man,  neither  raising  up  the  people, 
neither  in  the  synagogues,  nor  in 
the  city  : 

13  Neither  can  they  prove  m  the 
things  whereof  they  now  accuse 
me. 

14  But  this  I  confess  unto  thee, 
that  after  the  way  which  they  call 
heresy,  so  n  worship  I  the  God  of 
°  my  fathers,  believing  all  things 
which  are  p  written  in  the  law  and 
q  the  prophets  ; 

15  And  have  hope  ‘toward  God, 
which  they  themselves  also  allow, 
that  there  shall  be  a  resurrection  3  of 
the  dead,  both  of  the  just  and  unjust. 

i  Felix ,  made  n  Mi.  4:5.  3:21. 

Procurator  over  o  2  Ti.  1:3.  r  c.  23:6,  &c.  25: 

Judea,  A.  D.53.  p  Lu.  24:27.  c. 26:  6,7.  28:20,  &c. 
j  1  Pe.  3:15.  22.  28:23.  s  Da.  12:2.  Jn. 

k  c.  21:15.  q  Mat.  22:40.  Lu.  5:28,29.  1  Co. 

I  c.  25:8  28:17.  16:16.  Jn.  1:45.  15:12—27.  Ro. 

m  1  Pe.  3:16.  c.  13:15.  Ro.  20:5,13. 

ruin  of  all  that  is  dear  to  them  in  this  world. 
2dly.  It  is  invidiously  called  the  sect  of  the 
Nazarenes,  by  which  Christ  was  represented 
as  of  Nazareth,  whence  no  good  thing  was 
expected  to  arise;  whereas  lie  was  of  Beth¬ 
lehem.  3dly.  It  was  false,  that  Paul  was 
the  author  or  standard-bearer  of  this  sect  ; 
for  he  did  not  draw  people  to  himself,  but 
to  Christ  ;  did  not  preach  himself,  but 
Christ  Jesus.  [4.]  Paul  had  a  veneration 
for  the  temple,  as  it  had  been  the  place  God 
chose,  to  put  his  name  there,  and  had  lately 
himself  with  reverence  attended  the  temple- 
service  ;  yet  it  is  here  charged  on  him,  that 
he  went  about  to  profane  the  temple,  and  that 
he  designedly  put  contempt  on  it,  ifnd  vio¬ 
lated  the  laws  of  it,  v.  6.  Their  proof  of 
this  failed  ;  for  the  matter  of  fact  they  al¬ 
leged  was  utterly  false,  and  they  knew  it. 
ch.  21:29. 

(2.)  That  the  course  of  justice  against  Paul 
was  obstructed  by  the  chief  captain.  [1.] 
They  pleaded,  that  they  took  him,  and  would 
have  judged  him  according  to  their  law.  This 
was  false  ;  they  did  not  go  about  to  judge 
him  according  to  their  law,  but,  contrary  to 
all  law  and  equity,  went  about  to  heat  him  to 
death,  or  to  pull  him  to  pieces,  without  hear¬ 
ing  what  he  had  to  say  for  himself ;  went 
about,  under  pretence  of  having  him  into 


their  court,  to  throw  him  into  the  hands  of 
ruffians,  that  lay  in  wait  to  destroy  him. 
[2.]  They  reflected  on  the  chief  captain,  as 
having  done  them  an  injury  in  rescuing  Paul ; 
whereas  he  therein  not  only  did  him  justice, 
but  them  the  greatest  kindness  that  could 
be,  in  preventing  the  guilt  they  were  bring¬ 
ing  on  themselves.  When  David  in  a  heat 
of  passion  was  going  on  a  bloody  enterprise, 
he  thanked  Abigail  for  stopping  him,  and 
God  for  sending  her  to  do  it,  so  soon  did  he 
correct  and  recover  himself ;  not  so  these 
cruel  men.  [3.]  They  referred  themselves 
to  Felix  and  his  judgment,  yet  seeming  un¬ 
easy  at  the  necessity,  ‘  the  chief  captain, 
v.  S.  having  forced  us  to  give  your  excellen¬ 
cy  this  trouble,  and  ourselves  too.’ 

III.  The  Jews’  assent  to  this  charge,  v.  9. 

1.  Some  think,  this  speaks  the  proof  of  their 
charge  by  witnesses  on  oath,  that  were  ex¬ 
amined  as  to  the  particulars,  and  attested 
them.  And  no  wonder,  if,  when  they  had 
found  an  orator  that  would  say  it,  they  found 
witnesses  that  would  swear  it,  for  money. 

2.  It  rather  seems  to  intimate,  the  approba¬ 
tion  the  high  priest  and  elders  gave  to  what 
Tertullus  said  ;  so  they  made  themselves 
guilty  of  all  the  falsehood  in  his  speech. 
Many  that  have  not  learning  enough  to  plead, 
yet  have  wickedness  enough  to  vote  for  Baal. 

V.  10 — 21.  Here  is  Paul’s  defence,  and 
there  appears  in  it  a  great  deal  of  the  spirit  of 
wisdom  and  holiness,  and  an  accomplishment 
of  Christ’s  promise,  that  when  before  gover¬ 
nors  and  kings,  for  his  sake,  it  should  be  given 
his  followers  in  that  same  hour  what  to  speak. 
He  did  not  presently  fly  out  into  passionate 
exclamations  against  the  iniquity  of  the 
times  and  the  men,  but  waited  for  a  permis¬ 
sion  from  the  judge  to  speak  in  his  turn  ; 
v.  10.  He  made  no  reflections  on  Tertullus  ; 
he  knew  he  spake  for  his  fee,  and  therefore 
despised  what  he  said,  and  levelled  his  de¬ 
fence  against  his  employers.  And  here, 

I.  He  addresses  himself  very  vespectfully 
to  the  governor.  He  was  very  cheerful  when 
he  had  an  indifferent  person  to  be  his  judge ; 
nay,  when  he  considers  who  his  judge'is, 
he  ansivers  the  more  cheerfully  ;  and  why  sol 
he  does  not  say,  ‘  Because  I  know  thee  to 
be  a  judge  of  inflexible  justice  and  integrity, 
that  hatest  bribes,  and  in  giving  judgment 
fearest  God,  and  regardest  not  man  j’  but,  I 
know  thou  hast  been  many  years  a  judge  to 
this  nation  ;  and  that  was  very  true.  And 
beingso,  1.  He  could  say,  of  his  own  knowl¬ 
edge,  that  there  had  not  formerly  been  any 
complaints  against  Paul  ;  therefore  he  was 
not.  an  old  offender,  nor  so  dangerous  a  crimi¬ 
nal  as  represented.  2.  He  was  well  ac¬ 
quainted  with  the  Jewish  [laws  and]  nation, 
and  with  its  temper  and  spirit;  he  knew  how 
bigoted  they  were  to  their  own  way,  what  fu¬ 
rious  zealots  they  were  against  all  that  did  not 
comply  with  them,  how  peevish  and  perverse 
they  generally  were  ;  and  therefore  would 
make  allowances  for  that  in  their  accusation 
of  him,  and  not  regard  what  he  had  reason 
to  think  came  so  much  from  party-malice. 

II.  He  denies  the  facts  he  was  charged 
with,  Moving  sedition,  and  profaning  the  tem¬ 
ple  ;  crimes  [the  latter  of  which]  they  knew 


the  Roman  governors  were  not  accustomed 
to  inquire  into,  and  therefore  they  hoped  the 
governor  would  return  him  back  to  them  to 
be  judged  by  their  law,  and  that  was  all  they 
wished  for.  But  Paul  desires,  that  though  lie 
would  not  inquire  into  the  crimes,  he  would 
protect  one  that  was  unjustly  charged  with 
them,  from  those  whom  he  knew  to  be  spite¬ 
ful  and  ill-natured  enough.  Now  he  would 
have  him  to  understand,  1.  That  he  came 
up  to  Jerusalem  on  purpose  to  worship  God 
in  peace  and  holiness,  so  far  was  he  from 
any  design  to  move  sedition,  or  profane  the 
temple.  He  came  to  keep  up  his  communion 
with  tile  Jews,  not  to  affront  them.  2.  That 
it  was  but  12  days  since  he  came  up,  and  he 
had  been  6  days  a  prisoner  ;  he  was  alone, 
and  it  could  not  be  supposed  that  in  so  short 
a  time  he  could  do  the  mischief  they  charged 
on  him.  And  as  for  what  he  had  done  in 
other  countries,  they  knew  nothing  of  it  but 
by  uncertain  report,  by  which  the  matter 
was  very  unfairly  represented.  3.  If  he  was 
a  mover  of  sedition  among  all  the  Jews,  surely  he 
would  have  been  industrious  to  make  a  party 
at  Jerusalem  :  but  he  did  not.  He  was  in 
the  temple,  attending  the  public  service 
there;  in  the  synagogues,  where  the  law  was 
read  and  opened  ;  he  went  about  in  the  city 
among  his  relations  and  friends,  and  con¬ 
versed  freely  in  the  places  of  concourse,  and 
he  was  a  man  of  a  great  genius  and  an  active 
spirit  ;  and  yet  they  could  not  charge  him 
with  offering  anything  either  against  the 
faith,  or  against  the  peace  of  the  Jeudsh 
church.  (1.)  He  had  nothing  in  him  of  a 
contradicting  spirit,  as  the  movers  of  sedi¬ 
tion  have  ;  they  never  found  him  disputing 
with  any  man,  either  affronting  the  learned 
with  captious  cavils,  or  perplexing  the  weak 
and  simple  with  curious  subtleties  ;  he  was 
ready,  if  asked,  to  give  a  reason  of  his  own 
hope,  and  to  give  instruction  to  others,  but 
he  never  picked  a  quarrel  with  any  man 
about  his  religion,  nor  made  that  the  subject 
of  debate  and  controversy,  and  perverse  dis¬ 
pute,  which  ought  always  to  be  treated  of  with 
humility  and  reverence,  with  meekness  and 
love.  (2.)  He  had  nothing  in  him  of  a  tur¬ 
bulent  spirit ;  raising  up  the  people,  incensing 
them  against  their  governors  in  church  or 
state,  or  suggesting  fears  and  jealousies  con¬ 
cerning  public  affairs,  or  setting  them  at  va¬ 
riance  one  with  another,  or  sowing  discord 
among  them  ;  he  behaved  as  became  a 
Christian  and  minister,  with  love  and  quiet¬ 
ness,  and  due  subjection  to  lawful  authority ; 
though  he  could  have  made,  perhaps,  as 
strong  a  party  among  the  common  people  as 
his  adversaries,  yet  he  never  attempted  it. 
4.  As  to  moving  sedition  in  other  countries, 
he  was  wholly  innocent,  and  they  could  not 
make  good  the  charge,  v.  13.  He  thus  shows 
the  iniquity  of  his  prosecutors ,  who  said  what 
they  knew  they  could  not  prove,  and  thereby 
did  him  wrong  in  his  name,  liberty,  and 
life,  and  did  the  judge  wrong  too,  in  im¬ 
posing  on  him,  and  doing  what  in  them  lay 
to  pervert  his  judgment.  He  appeals  to  the 
equity  of  hisyudge,  and  awakens  him  to  luok 
about  him,  that  he  might  not  be  drawn  into 
a  snare  by  the  violence  of  the  prosecution. 


V.  10.  Many  years.]  ‘6  years,  or  (as  Tac.)  much  longer,  at  least 
over  Samaria,  of  which  Felix  was  procurator,  while  Cumanus  governed 
the  rest  of  Palestine.  Biscoe  thinks  7,  considerably  longer  than  any  of 
his  3  predecessors.  Judge.]  The  procurator  united  the  judicial  power 
to  the  civil  and  military.’  Bloomf. 

V.  11 — 17.  (11)  Mayest  understand.]  As  knowing,  that  the  feast  of 

Pentecost  was  observed  at  that  time. — (H)  God  of  my  fathers.]  Had 
Paul  worshipped  some  other  god,  than  the  God  of  Israel,  lie  would  not 
have  been  entitled  to  protection  by  the  Roman  laws,  made  in  favor  of 
the  .lews. — (15)  Just  and  unjust.]  1  The  doctrine  of  the  Pharisees,  ac¬ 
cording  to  Josephus,  restrained  the  resurrection  to  the  just,  condemn¬ 
ing  the  unjust  to  perpetual  torments  without  any  resurrection.’  Whitby. 
Mat.  22:23— -33. — (17)  Alms,  Arc.]  This  purpose,  of  Paul’s  journev  io 
Rome,  is  not  before  mentioned  in  the  history  ;  but  it  appears  evidently 
in  his  epistles  ;  and  this  shows  how  little  the  historian  aimed  to  enhance 
the  credit  of  his  principal  character.  Rom.  15:22—23. — The  apostle’s 
answer  refers  distinctly  to  the  3  charges  brought  against  him,  namely, 
sedition ,  heresy,  and  profanation  of  the  tempie.  Scott. 

(11.)  Twelve.]  ‘On  the  1st  day,  Paul  arrives  at  Jerusalem  ;  2d,  at¬ 
tends  the  meeting  of  the  Presbyters  ;  3d,  commences  his  week  of  active 


abstinence,  which  he  continues  on  the  4th.  5th,  6th,  7th,  and  8th,  (for 
so  21:27.  seems  to  require.)  On  the  same  8th  day  he  is  attacked  by  the 
Jews,  and  committed  to  the  castle  ;  on  the  Dili,  lie  is  brought  before  the 
Sanhedrim;  the  10th  he  spends  in  the  castle,  during  which  the  plot  is 
formed  ;  on  the  night  of  the  10th,  he  is  removed  to  Antipatris,  where  he 
arrives  early  on  the  11th  ;  and  on  the  12th  day  arrives  at  Cesarea.  The 
days  spent  at  Cesarea  are  not  numbered,  since  in  them  he  could  excite 
no  tumult.’  Bloom?. 

(14.)  Heresy.]  1 1  cannot  but  think  this  a  place  where  the  word  ren¬ 
dered  heresy ,  which  1  own  to  be  often  indifferent,  is  used  in  a  bad  sense; 
for  Paul  intimates,  that  Christianity  did  not  deserve  the  name  they  gave 
it.  Vet  while  it  was  not  the  national  religion,  but  iis  professors  were 
distinguished  from  most  of  their  countrymen  by  their  adherence  to 
Christ,  as  the  Leader  they  chose  to  follow,  they  might  properly  be  call- 
ed  a  sect,  or  party  of  men,  unless  tile  very  word  sect  or  party  be  taken 
always  in  a  bad  signification,  which  none  well  acquainted  willi  the 
Greek  language  can  imagine.’  [Note,  1  Cor.  11:18,19.]  Doddr. 

(15.)  They  allow. ]  ‘  The  later  doctrine  of  the  1  harisees,  that  the 

just  only  should  rise,  in  the  times  now  in  question  was  not  the  general 
one.  Mat.  25:31.  John  5:29.’  >  “»• 


A.  D.  61. 


ACTS.  XXIV. 


Paul’s  defence- 


16  And  .herein  do  I  exercise  my¬ 
self,  to  have  ‘always  a  conscience 
void  of  offence  toward  God  and 
toward  men. 

17  Now  after  many  years,  I  came 
“to  bring  alms  to  my  nation,  and 
offerings. 

18  Whereupon  certain  Jews 
from  Asia  found  me  purified  in 
the  temple,  neither  with  multitude, 
nor  with  tumult : 

19  Who  ought  to  have  been  here 
v  before  thee,  and  object,  if  they 
had  aught  against  me. 

20  Or  else  let  these  same  here 
say,  if  they  have  found  any  evil- 
doing  in  me,  while  I  stood  before 
the  council  ; 

21  Except  it  be  for  this  one 
voice,  that  1  cried  standing  among 
them,  Touching  the  resurrection  of 
the  dead,  I  am  called  in  question 
by  you  this  day. 

22  11  And  when  Felix  heard  these 
things,  having  more  perfect  knowl¬ 
edge  of  that  way,  he  deferred  them, 
and  said,  When  Lysias  wthe  chief 
captain  shall  come  down,  I  will 
know  the  uttermost  of  your  matter. 

t  c.  23:1.  16.  110.15:25.  w  ver.  7. 

u  c.  11:29.30.  20:  v  c.  25:16. 

III.  He  gives  a  fair  and  just  account  of 
himself,  which  at  once  botli  clears  him  from 
crime,  and  likewise  intimates  the  true  reason 
of  their  violence. 

1.  He  acknowledges  himself  to  be  one 
whom  they  looked  upon  as  a  heretic,  and 
that  was  the  reason  of  their  spleen.  The 
chief  captain  had  observed,  and  the  gover¬ 
nor  now  cannot  but  observe,  an  uncommon 
violence  and  fury  in  his  prosecutors,  which 
they  know  not  what  to  make  of,  but,  guess¬ 
ing  at  the  crime  by  the  cry,  conclude  he  must 
needs  have  been  a  very  bad  man  :  now  Paul 
here  unriddles  the  matter  ;  I  confess,  that 
in  the  way  they  call  heresy,  or  a  sect,  so  wor¬ 
ship  I.  The  controversy  is  in  a  matter  of 
religion,  and  such  controversies  are  com¬ 
monly  managed  with  most  fury  and  violence. 
It  is  no  new  thing  for  the  right  way  of  wor¬ 
shipping  God  to  be  called  heresy  ;  and  for 
the  best  of  God’s  servants  to  be  stigmatized 
and  run  down  as  sectaries.  The  reformed 
churches  are  called  heretical  ones  by  those 
who  themselves  hate  to  be  reformed,  and  are 
themselves  heretics.  Let  us  therefore  never 
be  driven  off  from  any  good  U'ay  by  its  be¬ 
ing  put  into  an  ill  name  ;  for  true  and  pure 
Christianity  is  never  the  worse,  nor  to  be 
the  worse  thought  of  for  its  being  called  here¬ 
sy  ;  no,  not  though  it  be  called  so  by  the 
high  priest  and  the  elders. 

2.  He  vindicates  himself  from  this  impu¬ 
tation  :  he  is  not  a  heretic  ;  for, 

(1.)  He  worships  the  God  of  his  fathers, 
and  therefore  is  right  in  the  Object  of  his 
worship.  If  lie  had  said,  Let  us  go  after 
gods  we  have  not  known,  Deut.  13:  2.  they 
might  justly  call  his  way  heresy,  a  drawing 
of  them  aside  into  a  by-path,  and  a  dangerous 
one  ;  but  he  worships  the  God  of  Abraham, 
Isaac,  and  Jacob,  not  only  the  God  whom 
they  worshipped,  but  the  God  who  took 
them  into  covenant  with  Himself,  and  was, 
and  would  be,  called  their  God.  Paul  ad¬ 


heres  to  that  covenant,  and  sets  up  no  other 
in  opposition  to  it.  The  promise  made  unto 
the  fathers,  Paul  preached  as  fulfilled  to  the 
children,  ch.  13:  32,33.  and  so  directed  both 
his  own  devotions,  and  those  of  others,  to 
God,  as  the  God  of  their  fathers.  He  also 
refers  to  the  practice  of  all  his  pious  ances¬ 
tors  ;  his  religion  gloried  in  its  antiquity, 
and  in  an  uninterrupted  succession  of  its  pro¬ 
fessors.  It  is  very  comfortable  in  our  wor¬ 
shipping  God,  to  have  an  eye  to  Him,  as 
the  God  of  our  fathers  ;  what  an  emphasis 
is  laid  on  that,  Ex.  15:2. 

(2.)  He  believes  all  things  written  in  the 
law  and  the  prophets,  and  therefore  is  right 
in  the  rule  of  his  worship  ;  his  religion 
is  grounded  on,  and  governed  by,  the  Holy 
Scriptures  ;  they  are  his  oracle  and  touch¬ 
stone,  and  he  speaks  and  acts  according  to 
them.  He  receives  them  entire,  and  believes 
all  things  there  written  ;  and  he  receives 
them  pure,  for  he  says  no  other  things  than 
what  are  contained  in  them  ;  as  he  explains 
himself,  ch.  26:22.  He  sets  not  up  any 
other  rule  of  faith  or  practice  but  the  Scrip¬ 
tures, — not  tradition,  nor  the  authority  of 
the  church,  or  the  infallibility  of  any  man 
or  company  of  men  on  earth,  nor  the  light 
within,  or  human  reason  ;  but  divine  revela¬ 
tion,  as  it  is  in  the  Scripture,  is  that  which 
he  resolves  to  live  and  die  by,  therefore  he 
is  not  a  heretic. 

(3.)  He  has  his  eye  on  a  future  state,  and 
is  a  believing  expectant  of  that,  therefore  is 
right  in  the  end  of  his  worship.  [].]  There 
shall  be  a  resurrection  of  the  dead,  the  dead 
bodies  of  men,  of  all  men  from  the  beginning 
to  the  end  of  time  ;  it  is  certain,  not  only 
that  the  soul  does  not  die  with  the  body,  but 
that  the  body  itself*  shall  live  again  ;  we 
have  not  only  another  life  to  live  when  our 
present  life  is  at  an  end,  but  there  is  to  be 
another  world,  which  shall  commence  when 
this  world  is  at  an  end,  into  which  all  men 
must  enter  at  once  by  a  resurrection  from  the 
dead,  as  they  entered  into  this,  one  after 
another,  by  their  birth.  [2.]  It  shall  be  a 
resurrection  both  of  the  just  and  of  the  unjust, 
John  5 •  29.  See  Dan.  12:2.  This  implies, 
that  it  will  be  a  resurrection  to  a  final  judg¬ 
ment,  by  which  ali  men  will  be  determined 
to  everlasting  happiness  or  misery  in  a 
world  of  retribution,  according  to  what  they 
were,  and  what  they  did,  in  this  state  of 
probation  and  preparation.  The  just  shall 
rise,  by  virtue  of  their  union  with  Christ  as 
their  Head  ;  the  unjust,  by  virtue  of  Christ’s 
dominion  over  them  as  their  Judge.  [3.J 
God  is  to  be  depended  on  for  the  resurrec¬ 
tion  of  the  dead  ;  I  have  hope  toward  God, 
and  in  God,  that  there  shall  be  a  resurrec¬ 
tion  ;  it  shall  be  effected  by  the  almighty 
power  of  God,  in  performance  of  the  word 
God  hath  spoken  ;  so  that  they  who  doubt 
of  it,  betray  their  ignorance,  both  of  the 
Scriptures,  and  of  the  power  of  God,  Mat. 
22:  29.  [4.]  The  resurrection  of  the  dead 

is  a  fundamental  article  of  our  creed,  as  it 
was  also  [of]  that  of  the  Jewish  church ;  it  is 
what  they  themselves  also  allow  ;  nay,  it  was 
the  expectation  of  the  ancient  patriarchs, 
witness  Job’s  confession  of  his  faith  ;  but  it 
is  more  clearly  revealed  and  more  fully  con¬ 
firmed  by  the  Gospel,  therefore,  they  who 
believe  it,  should  have  been  thankful  to  the 
preachers  of  the  Gospel  for  their  explica¬ 
tions  and  proofs  of  it,  instead  of  opposing  j 
them.  [5.J  In  all  our  religion  we  ought  to  | 

*  It  is  certainly  not  necessary  to  believe  this.  1  Cor.  I 
15:50.  Ed.  \ 


I  have  an  eye  to  the  other  world,  and  to  serve 
j  God,  in  all  instances,  with  a  confidence  in 
Him,  that  there  will  be  a  resurrection  of  the 
dead,  doing  all  in  preparation  for  that. 

(4.)  His  conversation  is  of  a  piece  with 
his  devotion,  v.  16.  Prophets  and  their  doc¬ 
trine  were  to  be  tried  by  their  fruits.  Paul 
was  far  from  having  made  shipwreck  of  a 
good  conscience,  and  therefore  it  is  not  likely 
he  has  made  shipwreck  of  the  faith,  the  mys¬ 
tery  of  which  is  best  held  in  a  pure  conscience. 
This  protestation  of  Paul,  is  to  the  same 
purport  with  that  which  he  made  before  the 
high  priest,  ch.  23: 1. 

IV.  Having  made  confession  of  his  faith, 
he  gives  a  plain  and  faithful  account  of  his 
case,  and  of  the  wrong  done  him  by  his  per¬ 
secutors.  Twice  he  had  been  rescued  by 
the  chief  captain  out  of  the  hand  of  the 
Jews,  when  they  were  ready  to  pull  him  to 
pieces,  and  he  challenges  them  to  prove  him 
guilty  of  any  crime  either  time. 

1.  In  the  temple.  It  was  very  hard  to 

accuse  him  as  an  enemy  to  their  nation,  when 
after  long  absence  from  Jerusalem  he  came 
to  bring  alms  to  his  nation,  money  which, 
though  he  had  need  enough  himself  of,  jet 
he  had  collected  among  his  friends,  for  the 
relief  of  the  poor  at  Jerusalem.  It  was 
very  hard  to  accuse  him  of  having  profaned 
the  temple,  when  he  brought  offerings  to  the 
temple,  and  was  himself  at  charges  therein, 
ch.  2l :  24.  and  was  found  purifying  himself 
in  the  temple,  according  to  the  law,  v.  18.  and 
that  in  a  very  quiet,  decent  manner,  neither 
with  multitude  nor  with  tumult  ;  though  he 
was  a  man  so  much  talked  of,  he  was  far 
from  coveting  to  show  himself,  when  he 
came  to  Jerusalem,  or  of  being  crowded  af¬ 
ter,  but  went  to  the  temple,  as  much  as  was 
possible,  incognito  ;  they  were  Jews  from 
Asia,  his  enemies,  that  made  him  to  be  taken 
notice  of  ;  they  had  no  pretence  to  make  a 
tumult  and  raise  a  multitude  against  him,  for 
he  had  neither  multitude  nor  tumult  for  him. 
And  as  for  what  was  perhaps  suggested  to 
Felix,  that  he  had  brought  Greeks  into  the 
temple,  contrary  to  their  law,  and  the  gov¬ 
ernor  ought  to  reckon  with  him  for  that,  the 
Romans  having  stipulated  with  the  nations 
that  submitted  to  them,  to  preserve  them  in 
their  religion,  he  challenges  them  to  prove 
it,  v.  19.  ‘  Those  Jews  of  Asia  ought  to 

have  been  here  before  thee,  that  they  might 
have  been  examined,  whether  they  had  aught 
against  me,  that  they  would  stand  by  and 
swear  to  J  ’  for  some  that  will  not  scruple  to 
tell  a  lie,  have  such  hearings  of  conscience, 
that  they  scruple  confirming  it  with  an  oath. 

2.  In  the  council  ;  ‘  Since  the  Jews  of 
Asia  are  not  here,  to  prove  anything  on  me 
done  amiss  in  the  temple,  let  these  same  that 
are  here,  the  high  priest  and  the  elders,  say, 
whether  they  have  found  any  evil  doing  in 
me,  or  if  I  were  guilty  of  any  misdemeanor 
when  I  stood  before  the  council,  when  also  they 
were  ready  to  pull  me  in  pieces,  v.  20. 
When  I  was  there,  they  could  not  take  of¬ 
fence  at  anything  I  said  ;  for  all  I  said 
was,  Touching  the  resurrection  of  the  dead ,  I 
am  called  in  question  by  you  this  day,  v.  21. 
which  gave  no  offence  to  any  but  the  Sad- 
ducees.  This,  I  hope,  was  no  crime,  that  I 
stuck  to  that  which  is  the  faith  of  the  whole 
Jewish  church,  excepting  those  whom  they 
themselves  call  heretics.’ 

V.  22 — 27.  I.  Felix  adjourned  the  cause, 
and  took  time  to  consider  of  it,  v.  22.  He 
had  a  more  perfect  knowledge  of  that  way 
called  heresy,  than  the  high  priest  and  the 


V.  20.  ‘A  rjelicate  irony.  “  Except  for  one  speech,  if  they  can  make 

a  crime  of  that.”  Paul  not  unfrequently  uses  irony,  as  in  2  Cor.  12:13. 
&c.’  Beza.  '  Bloomf. 

V.  22.  Having  more  perfect  knowledge,  <fcc]  ‘  The  words  in  the 
original  are  very  ambiguous,  and  might  be  rendered,  “  That  Felix,  when 
he  had  heard  these  tilings,  having  been  more  accurately  informed  con¬ 
cerning  this  way  of  Christianity,  and  knowing  it  not  to  be  so  mischiev¬ 
ous  a  thing  as  these  accusers  suggested,  put  them  off But  I  rather 
think  [contrary  to  Scott  and  Whitby]  with  Beza,  Grotius,  and  others, 
that  they  are  all  the  words  of  Felix,  and  take  the  meaning  to  be,  “that 
he  would  take  an  opportunity  of  being  more  particularly  informed  of 
[144] 


this  sect,  and  of  its  aspect  on  the  public  tranquillity,  and  when  Lysias 
should  come,  and  give  him  an  account  of  what  he  had  observed  con¬ 
cerning  it,  as  well  as  of  the  circumstances  attending  Paul’s  apprehen¬ 
sion,  &c.,  he  would  determine  the  affair.”  Which  answer  was  the 
more  proper,  as  Paul  did  not  deny,  that  he  xvas  indeed  a  leading  person 
among  the  Christians,  which  made  a  part  of  their  accusation  ;  and  we 
soon  after  find,  that  Felix  sent  for  Paul  to  give  him  an  account  of  his 
religion,  v.  24.  and  endeavored  by  this,  as  well  as  other  means,  to  inform 
himself  in  it.’  Doddr.  ‘  He  saw  that  the  case  involved,  in  part,  a  question 
of  law,  and  in  part,  a  question  of  fact ;  the  former,  whether  this  sect 
of  the  Nazarenes  was  opposed  to  the  law  of  the  Jews  ;  and  the  latter, 


A.  D.  61. 


ACTS,  XXIV. 


Paul's  trial  adjourned. 


23  And  he  commanded  a  centu¬ 
rion  to  keep  Paul,  and  to  let  him 
have  *  liberty,  and  that  he  should 
forbid  none  of  his  acquaintance  to 
minister  or  to  come  unto  him. 

24  IT  And  after  certain  days, 
when  Felix  came  with  his  wife 
Drusilla,  which  was  a  Jewess,  he 
sent  for  Paul,  and  heard  him  con¬ 
cerning  the  faith  in  Christ. 

25  And  as  he  reasoned  of  y  right¬ 
eousness,  temperance,  zand  judg¬ 
ment  *  to  come,  Felix  b  trembled, 
and  answered,  Go  c  thy  way  for 
this  time  ;  when  I  have  a  conve¬ 
nient  season,  I  will  call  for  thee. 

26  IT  He  hoped  also  that  money 
d  should  have  been  given  him  of 
Paul,  that  he  might  loose  him  : 
wherefore  he  sent  for  him  the 
oftener,  and  communed  with  him. 

x  c  27:3.  28:16.  5.  1  Pe.  4:4.  It.  Ha.  3:16. 

v  Pr.  16:12.  Je.  ft  Ps.  50:3,4.  Da.  He.  4:1,12. 

22:15—17.  Da.  12:2.  Mat.  25:  c  Pr.  1:24,  3. 

4:27.  Jn.  16:8.  31—46.  2  Co.  Mat.  22:52. 

I  Pr.  31:4,5.  Da.  5:10.  Re.  20:12.  25:1—10. 

5:1—4.  Ho.  7:  b  Ps.  99:1.  Is.32:  d  Ex.  23:8. 


elders  thought;  he  understood  something  of 
the  Christian  religion  ;  for,  living  at  Cesa- 
rea,  where  Cornelius,  a  Roman  centurion, 
was,  who  was  a  Christian,  from  him  and 
others  lie  had  got  a  notion  of  Christianity, 
that  it  was  not  such  an  evil  thing  as  repre¬ 
sented;  he  himself  knew  some  of  that  way 
to  be  honest,  good  men,  and  very  conscien¬ 
tious;  and,  therefore,  he  put  off  the  prose¬ 
cutors  with  an  excuse.  Now,  1.  It  was  a 
disappointment  to  the  high  priest  and  the 
elders.  But  thus,  sometimes,  God  restrains 
tlie  wrath  of  his  people’s  enemies  by  the 
agency,  not  of  their  friends,  but  of  strangers. 
2.  It  was  an  injury  to  Paul,  that  he  was  not 
released ;  Felix  ought  to  have  released  him, 
when  he  so  plainly  saw  there  was  nothing 
but  malice  in  the  prosecution,  Ps.  82  :  4. 
But  what  good  could  be  expected  from  such 
a  judge  1 

II.  He  continued  the  prisoner  in  custody, 
v.  23.  did  not  commit  him  to  the  common 
jail,  but  took  care  he  should  be  a  prisoner  at 
large  ;  his  keeper  must  let  him  have  liberty , 
not  bind  him,  or  lock  him  up,  but  make  his 
confinement  as  easy  to  him  as  possible;  the 
high  priest  and  the  elders  grudged  him  his 
life,  but  Felix  generously  allows  him  a  sort 
of  liberty  ;  for  he  had  not  their  prejudices 
against  him  and  his  way  ;  he  also  gave  or¬ 
ders,  that  none  of  his  friends  should  be  hin¬ 
dered  from  coming  and  ministering  to  him; 
and  a  man’s  prison  is,  as  it  were,  his  own 
house,  if  he  has  but  his  friends  about  him. 

III.  He  had  frequent  conversation  with 
him  afterward  in  private,  once  particularly, 
not  long  after  his  public  trial,  v.  24,  25. 
Observe, 

1.  Felix’s  design  in  this;  he  had  a  mind 
to  talk  with  Paul  more  freely  than  he  could 
in  open  court,  where  he  observed  Paul  on' 
his  guard,  concerning  the  faith  of  Christ,  the 
Christian  religion  ;  and  this  only  to  satisfy 
his  curiosity,  or  rather  the  curiosity  of  his 
wife  Drusilla,  which  was  a  Jewess,  daughter 
of  Herod  Agrippa,  that  was  eaten  of  worms ; 
being  educated  in  the  Jewish  religion,  she 
was  more  inquisitive  concerning  the  Chris¬ 
tian  religion,  which  pretended  to  be  the  per¬ 


fection  of  that,  and  desired  to  hear  Paul 
discourse  of  it.  But  it  was  no  great  matter 
what  religion  she  was  of ;  for,  whatever  it 
was,  she  was  a  reproach  and  scandal  to  it  ; 
a  Jewess,  but  an  adulteress  ;  she  was  an¬ 
other  man’s  wife  when  Felix  took  her  to  be 
his  wife,  and  she  lived  with  him  in  whore¬ 
dom,  and  was  noted  for  an  impudent  woman, 
yet  she  desires  to  hear  concerning  the  faith  of 
Christ.  Many  are  fond  of  new  notions  and 
speculations  in  religion,  who  yet  bate  to  come 
under  the  power  and  influence  of  religiou. 

2.  The  account  Paul  gave  him  of  the 
Christian  religion  ;  by  the  idea  he  had  of  it, 
he  expected  to  be  amused  with  a  mystical 
divinity,  but  as  Paul  represents  it  to  him,  he 
is  alarmed  with  a  practical  divinity.  It  is 
probable,  Paul  mentioned  to  him  the  peculiar 
doctrines  of  Christianity,  concerning  the 
death  and  resurrection  of  the  Lord  Jesus, 
and  his  being  the  Mediator  between  God  and 
man;  but  he  hastened  to  his  application,  in 
which  he  designed  to  come  home  to  the  con¬ 
sciences  of  his  hearers,  and  he  discoursed, 
with  clearness  and  warmth,  of  righteousness, 
temperance,  and  judgment  to  come:  and  there 
he  showed,  (1.)  That  the  faith  in  Christ  is 
designed  to  enforce  on  men  the  great  laws 
of  justice  and  temperance,  Tit.  2:  12.  These 
were  celebrated  virtues  among  the  heathen 
moralists  ;  if  the  doctrine  Paul  preaches, 
which  Felix  has  heard  of  as  proclaiming  lib¬ 
erty,  will  but  free  him  from  an  obligation  to 
these,  he  will  readily  embrace  it  ;  ‘  No,’ 
says  Paul,  *  so  far  from  doing  so,  it  strength¬ 
ens  the  obligations  of  those  sacred  laws  ; 
it  binds  all  under  the  highest  penalties  to  be 
honest  in  all  their  dealings,  and  to  render  to  all 
their  due;  to  deny  themselves,  and  to  keep  un¬ 
der  the  body,  and  bring  it  into  subjection .’ 
Paul  reasoned  of  righteousness  and  temperance, 
to  convince  Felix  of  his  unrighteousness  and 
intemperance,  which  he  had  been  notoriously 
guilty  of ;  that,  seeing  the  odiousness  of 
them,  and  his  obnoxiousness  to  the  wrath  of 
God  for  them,  Eph.  5  :  6.  he  might  inquire 
concerning  the  faith  of  Christ,  with  a  resolu¬ 
tion  to  embrace  it.  (2.)  That  by  the  doc¬ 
trine  of  Christ  i3  discovered  the  judgment  to 
come,  by  the  sentence  of  which  the  everlast¬ 
ing  state  of  all  men  will  be  finally  and  irre¬ 
versibly  determined.  Paul  reasoned  con¬ 
cerning  this  ;  he  showed  what  reason  we 
have  to  believe  that  there  is  a  judgment  to 
come,  and  what  reason  we  have,  in  consid¬ 
eration  thereof,  to  be  religious. 

Now,  from  this  account  of  the  heads  of 
Paul’s  discourse,  we  may  gather,  [1.]  That 
Paul,  in  his  preaching,  had  no  respect  of 
persons,  as  the  Word  of  God  has  not  :  he 
urges  the  same  convictions  and  instructions 
on  the  Roman  governor,  that  he  did  on  other 
people.  [2.]  That  he  aimed  at  the  con¬ 
sciences  of  men,  and  came  close  to  them  ; 
sought  not  to  please  their  fancy,  or  gratify 
their  curiosity,  but  led  them  to  a  sight  of 
their  sins,  and  a  sense  of  their  duty  and  in¬ 
terest.  [3.J  That  he  preferred  the  serving 
of  Christ,  and  the  saving  of  souls,  before  his 
own  safety.  He  lay  at  the  mercy  of  Felix, 
to  deliver  him  back  to  the  Jews,  or  to  re¬ 
lease  him.  Yet,  while  he  has  a  fair  opportu¬ 
nity  of  ingratiating  himself  with  him,  and, 
on  the  contrary,  if  he  disoblige  him,  he  may 
do  himself  a  great  diskindness  by  it,  he  is 
wholly  negligent  of  these  considerations,  and 
is  intent  on  doing  good,  at  least  discharging 
his  duty.  [4.]  That  he  was  willing  to  take 
pains,  and  run  hazards,  in  his  work,  even 


there  where  there  was  little  probability  of 
doing  good.  Such  hardened  sinners,  as  Felix 
and  Drusilla,  were  not  at  all  likely  to  be 
brought  to  repentance  by  Paul’s  preaching, 
especially  under  such  disadvantages  ;  yet 
Paul  did  not  despair. 

3.  What  impressions  Paul’s  discourse 
made  on  this  great,  but  bad  man  ;  Felix 
trembled,  being  put  into  a  fright,  or  made  a 
terror  to  himself,  a  magor-missabib,  as  Pashur, 
Jer.  20:3,4.  Paul  never  trembled  before 
him,  but  he  was  made  to  tremble  before  Paul. 
We  do  not  find  that  Drusilla  trembled, 
though  she  was  equally  guilty,  for  she  was  a 
Jewess,  and  depended  on  the  ceremonial  law, 
which  she  adhered  to  the  observance  of,  to 
justify  her;  but  Felix  for  the  present  could 
fasten  on  nothing  to  pacify  his  conscience, 
and  therefore  trembled. 

4.  How  Felix  struggled  to  get  clear  of 
these  impressions,  and  to  shake  off  the  terror 
of.  his  convictions,  v.  25.  He  trembled,  and 
that  was  all.  Paul’s  trembling,  ch.  9:  6.  and 
the  jailer's,  ch.  16  :  29.  ended  in  their  con¬ 
version,  but  this  of  Felix  did  not.  Many 
are  startled  by  the  Word  of  God,  who  are  not 
effectually  changed  by  it ;  are  in  fear  of  the 
consequences  of  sin,  and  yet  continue  in 
love  and  league  with  sin.  He  did  not  fight 
against  his  convictions,  nor  fly  in  the  face 
of  the  Word,  or  of  the  preacher  of  it  ;  but 
artfully  shifted  off  his  convictions,  by  put¬ 
ting  off  the  prosecution  of  them  to  another 
time;  he  has  nothing  to  object  against  what 
Paul  had  said,  but,  like  a  sorry  debtor,  he 
begs  a  day ;  Paul  has  spent  himself,  and  has 
tired  him  and  his  lady,  and  therefore,  ‘  Go 
thy  way  for  this  time,  break  oft'  here,  business 
calls  me  away :  but  when  I  have  a  convenient 
season,  and  nothing  else  to  do,  I  will  call  for 
thee,  and  hear  what  thou  hast  further  to  say.’ 
Note,  (1.)  Many  lose  all  the  benefit  of  their 
convictions  for  want  of  striking  while  the 
iron  is  hot.  If  Felix,  now  that  he  trembled, 
had  but  asked,  as  Paul  and  the  jailer  did, 
when  they  trembled.  What  shall  I  do  ?  he 
might  have  been  brought  to  the  faith  of  Christ, 
and  have  been  a  Felix  indeed,  happy  for 
ever  ;  but  by  dropping  his  convictions  now, 
he  lost  them  forever,  and  himself  with  them. 
(2.)  In  the  affairs  of  our  souls,  delays  are 
dangerous;  nothing  is  of  more  fatal  conse¬ 
quence  than  men’s  putting  off  their  conver¬ 
sion  from  time  to  time.  The  present  season 
is,  without  doubt,  the  most  convenient  season. 
Behold,  now  is  the  accepted  time.  To-day,  ij 
ye  will  hear  his  voice. 

IV.  After  all,  he  continued  him  a  prison¬ 
er,  and  left  him  so,  when  two  years  after  he 
was  removed  from  the  government,  v.  26,  27. 
To  little  purpose  had  Paul  reasoned  with 
him  about  righteousness,  though  he  then 
trembled  at  the  thought  of  his  own  iniquity, 
who  could  thus  persist  in  such  a  palpable 
piece  of  injustice.  But  here  we  are  told 
what  principles  he  was  governed  by  herein ; 
and  they  were  such  as  make  the  matter  yet 
much  worse: 

1.  The  love  of  money.  He  would  not 
release  Paul,  because  he  hoped  that  at  length 
his  friends  would  make  a  purse  to  purchase 
his  liberty:  he  cannot  find  in  his  heart  to  do 
his  duty  as  a  judge,  unless  he  can  get  money 
by  it.  In  hopes  of  that,  he  continues  Paul 
a  prisoner,  and  sends  for  him  the  oftener,  and 
communes  with  him;  not  any  more  about  the 
faith  of  Christ,  he  had  had  enough  of  that, 
but  about  his  discharge,  or  ransom,  rather. 
He  cannot,  for  shame,  ask  Paul,  what  he 


whether  Paul  had  been  guilty  of  exciting  tumult.  Concerning  the  for¬ 
mer,  Felix  would  be  better  informed,  by  consulting  other  learned  men 
besides  Paul’s  accusers ;  and  concerning  the  latter,  by  the  testimony  of 
Lysias  himself,  when  he  should  arrive.  Wherefore  he  justly  interrupt¬ 
ed  the  proceedings.’  Rosenm. — 1  Having  become  better  acquainted  with 
Christianity,  from  the  account  just  given  by  Paul.’  D'Oyle.y  and  Mant. 
IFetsl.  tr.  ‘Having  heard  these  things,  he  amplified  them,  being  now 
somewhat,  by  a  more  accurate  cognizance,  informed,  &e.’  which  Bl. 
thinks,  is  ‘both  simple,  and  agreeable  to  the  construction,  context,  and 
what  we  know  of  the  subject.’  En. 

V.  23.  Minister.]  1  Used  sometimes  for  assistance  in  general,  where 
personal  ministration  and  attention  are  out  of  the  question;  and  as  it 
N.  T.  VOL.  V,  19 


is  here  distinguished  from,  and  prefixed  to,  coming  to  him ,  it  may  prob¬ 
ably  signify,  sending  him  food,  books,  or  other  accommodations.  Comp. 
Luke  8:3.’  Doddk. 

V.  24 — 27.  Drusilla  wns  daughter  to  that  Herod,  who  beheaded  James 
the  brother  of  John,  12:1,  2.  and  sister  to  king  Agrippa,  who  is  after¬ 
wards  mentioned.  25:13 — 27.  She  was  married  to  Azizus,  king  of  the 
Emesenes,  who  had  been  circumcised  in  order  to  obtain  her ;  but  she 
had  left  her  husband  to  cohabit  with  Felix,  being  a  very  profligate  wo 
man. — Neither  the  apostle,  nor  his  friends,  would  purchase  his  lioerty, 
by  becoming  accessary  to  the  bribery  and  extortion  of  Felix  ;  they  would 
not  ‘do  evil,  that  good  might  come.’ — ‘It  was  during  the  two  years  of 
Paul’s  imprisonment  here,  that  those  contentions  arose  between  the 

LK-'j 


A.  D.  G3. 


ACTS,  XXV.  The  Jews  inform  Festus  against  Paul. 


27  But  after  two  years,  Porcius 
Festus  came  iato  Felix’  room  :  and 
Felix,  willing  to  shew  *  the  Jews  a 
pleasure,  left  Paul  bound. 

CHAP.  XXV. 

2  The  Jews  accuse  Paul  before  Festus.  8  He  answereth 
for  himself,  11  and  appealeth  unto  Cesar.  14  Afterwards 
Festus  openeth  his  matter  to  king  Agrfppa,  23  and  he  is 
brought  forth.  25  Festus  clear eth  him  of  having  done 
any  thing  worthy  of  death. 

NOW  when  Festus  was  come 
into  the  province,  after  three 
days  he  ascended  from  Cesarea  to 
Jerusalem. 

2  Then  the  high  priest  and  the 
chief  of  the  Jews  informed  him 
against  Paul,  and  besought  him, 

3  And  desired  favor  against  him, 
that  he  would  send  for  him  to  Je¬ 
rusalem,  laying  a  wait  in  the  way  to 
kill  him. 

4  But  Festus  answered,  that 
Paul  should  be  kept  at  Cesarea, 
and  that  he  himself  would  depart 
shortly  thither. 

e  Ma.  15:15.  c.  25:9.  a  c.  23:14,15. 

will  give  him  to  release  him,  but  he  sends 
for  him,  to  feel  his  pulse,  and  give  him  an 
opportunity  to  ask  what  he  would  take  to  re¬ 
lease  him.  And  now  we  see  what  became 
of  his  promise,  both  to  Paul  and  to  himself, 
that  he  would  hear  more  of  Christ,  at  some 
other  convenient  season.  Here  were  many 
seasons  convenient  enough  to  have  talked  that 
matter  through,  but  nothing  is  done  in  it  ; 
all  his  business  now  is  to  get  money  by  Paul, 
not  to  get  the  knowledge  of  Christ  by  him.  It 
is  just  with  God,  to  say,  concerning  those 
who  trifle  with  their  convictions,  and  think 
they  can  have  the  grace  of  God  at  command 
when  they  please,  My  Spirit  shall  no  more 
strive  with  them. 

Paul  was  but  a  poor  man  himself ;  but 
Felix  knew  there  were  those  who  wished 
well  to  him,  who  were  able  to  assist  him  ; 
he  having  lately  collected  a  deal  of  money, 
to  relieve  the  poor  saints,  it  might  also  be 
expected  that  the  rich  saints  should  contrib¬ 
ute  some  to  release  him,  and  I  wonder  it 
was  not  done;  nay,  I  know  not  whether  his 
friends  can  be  justified,  in  not  doing  it.  I 
ought  not  to  bribe  a  man  to  do  an  unjust 
thing,  but  if  he  will  not  do  me  justice  with¬ 
out  a  fee,  it  is  but  doing  myself  justice  to 
give  it  lf.n;  and  if  they  might  do  it,  I  blush 
for  them,  that  they  would  let  such  an  emi¬ 
nent  and  useful  man  as  Paul  lie  in  the  jail, 
when  a  little  money  would  have  fetched  him 
out,  and  restored  him  to  his  usefulness  again. 
The  Christians  here  at  Cesarea,  where  he 
now  was,  had  parted  with  their  tears  to  pre¬ 
vent  his  going  to  the  prison,  ch.  21  :  13.  but 


[it  would  seem]  could  not  find  in  their  hearts 
to  part  with  their  money  to  help  him  out. 
Yet  there  might  be  a  providence  of  God  in 
it;  Paul’s  bonds  must  be  for  the  furtherance 
of  the  Gospel  of  Christ,  and  therefore  he 
must  continue  in  bonds.  However,  this 
will  not  excuse  Felix. 

2.  Men  pleasing.  He  was  willing  to  do 
the  Jews  a  pleasure  ;  though  he  would  not 
deliver  Paul  to  death,  to  please  them,  yet  he 
would  continue  him  a  prisoner  rather  than 
offend  them  ;  and  he  did  it  in  hope  hereby 
to  atone  for  his  many  offences  against  them. 
Thus  they  who  do  some  base  things,  are 
tempted  to  do  more,  to  screen  themselves  and 
bear  them  out.  But  it  seems  he  did  not  gain 
his  point  ;  the  Jews,  notwithstanding  this, 
accused  him  to  the  emperor,  and  some  his¬ 
torians  say  he  was  sent  bound  to  Rome  by 
Festus  ;  and  if  so,  surely  his  remembering 
how  light  he  had  made  of  Paul’s  bonds, 
would  help  to  make  his  own  heavy.  Those 
that  aim  to  please  God,  by  doing  good,  will 
have  what  they  aim  at;  but  so  will  not  they 
that  seek  to  please  men  by  doing  evil. 

Chap.  XXV.  Some  think  Felix  was 
turned  out,  and  Festus  succeeded  him, 
quickly  after  Paul’s  imprisonment;  and  that 
the  two  years,  mentioned  in  the  close  of  the 
foregoing  ch.,  are  to  be  reckoned  from  the 
beginning  of  Nero’s  reign  ;  but  it  seems 
more  natural  to  compute  it  from  Paul’s  being 
delivered  into  the  hands' of  Felix ;  however, 
we  have  here  much  the  same  management  of 
Paul’s  case,  as  we  had  in  the  foregoing  ch. 

V.  1 — 12.  Festus,  the  new  governor,  like 
Felix,  is  not  just  to  Paul,  for  he  does  rtpt 
release  him  ;  and  yet  not  so  unjust  as  the 
Jews  would  have  him,  for  he  will  not  con¬ 
demn  him  to  die,  nor  expose  him  to  their 
rage. 

I.  The  high  priests  and  other  Jews  press 
the  governor  to  send  Paul  to  Jerusalem,  in 
effect,  to  abandon  him. 

1.  See  how  restless  a  thing  malice  is  ! 
As  soon  as  ever  Festus  was  come  into  the 
province,  and  had  taken  possession  of  the 
government,  within  3  days,  as  he  went  up  to 
Jerusalem,  to  show  himself  there,  presently 
the  priests  were  upon  him  to  proceed  against 
Paul  ;  we  do  not  find  that  Paul,  in  the  3 
days  Festus  stayed  at  Cesarea,  made  any  ap¬ 
plication  to  him  to  release  him  !  Paul  more 
patiently  bears  the  lengthening  out  of  his 
imprisonment,  than  his  enemies  do  the  delay 
of  his  prosecution  even  to  the  death. 

2.  How  spiteful  their  application.  They 
informed  the  governor  against  Paul,  v.  2.  be¬ 
fore  a  fair  trial,  that  so  they  might,  if  possi¬ 
ble,  prejudge  the  cause  with  the  governor,  and 
make  him  a  party,  who  was  to  be  the  judge. 
But  this  artifice,  though  base  enough,  they 
could  not  confide  in  ;  for  the  governor  would 
be  sure  to  hear  him  himself,  and  then  all 
their  informations  against  him  would  fall  to 


the  ground  ;  therefore  they  form  another 
project  much  more  base,  and  hellish,  and  that 
is,  to  assassinate  Paul  before  he  came  on  his 
trial. — Such  is  their  malice  against  the  Gos¬ 
pel  of  Christ  ;  and  this  too  under  color  of 
zeal  for  Moses. 

3.  How  specious  the  pretence.  Now  that 
the  governor  was  himself  at  Jerusalem,  design¬ 
ing  to  waylay  Paul,  they  desired  he  would 
send  for  him  thither,  and  try  him  there,  which 
would  save  the  prosecutors  a  great  deal  of 
labor,  and  looked  most  reasonable,  because 
he  was  charged  with  having  profaned  the  tem¬ 
ple  at  Jerusalem,  and  it  is  usual  for  criminals 
to  be  tried  in  the  court  where  the  fact  was 
committed.  It  is  said,  They  desired  favor 
against  Paul.  The  business  of  prosecutors 
is,  to  demand  justice  against  one  they  sup¬ 
pose  to  be  a  criminal,  and,  if  he  be  not 
proved  so,  it  is  as  much  justice  to  acquit  him 
as  it  is  to  condemn  him  if  he  be.  But  to 
desire  favor  against  a  prisoner,  and  from  the 
judge  too,  who  ought  to  be  of  counsel  for 
him,  is  a  very  impudent  thing.  The  favor 
ought  to  be  for  the  prisoner,  to  favor  his  life, 
but  here  they  desire  it  against  him.  They 
will  take  it  as  a  favor  if  the  governor  will  but 
condemn  Paul,  though  they  can  prove  no 
crime  on  him  ! 

II.  The  governor's  resolution  that  Paul 
shall  take  his  trial  at  Cesarea,  v.  4,  5.  It 
does  not  appear  he  had  any  suspicion,  much 
less  any  certain  information,  of  their  bloody 
design,  ch.  23:  30.  but  whatever  his  reason 
for  refusing  it,  God  made  use  of  it  as  a 
mean  of  preserving  Paul  out  of  their  hands. 
Yet  he  will  do  the  prosecutors  the  justice  to 
hear  what  they  have  to  say  against  Paul,  at 
Cesarea.  ‘  Let  them  among  you  who  are  able 
in  body  and  purse,  or  in  mind  and  tongue, 
those  who  are  fit  to  be  managers  ;  or,  who 
are  competent  witnesses,  able  to  prove  any¬ 
thing  criminal  on  him,  let  them  go  down.' 

III.  Paul’s  trial  before  Festus;  since  they 
are  so  eager  in  the  prosecution,  he  is  willing 
this  cause  should  be  first  called  on  his  return, 
v.  6.  Expedition  in  administering  justice 
is  very  commendable,  provided  more  haste 
be  not  made  than  good  speed. 

1.  The  court  is  set,  and  the  prisoner  called 
to  the  bar.  Christ,  to  encourage  his  disci¬ 
ples,  and  keep  up  their  spirits  under  such 
awful  trials  of  their  courage,  as  this  was  to 
Paul,  promised  them,  that  the  day  should 
come  when  they  should  sit  on  thrones,  judging 
the  tribes  of  Israel. 

2.  The  prosecutors  exhibit  their  charge 
against  the  prisoner,  v.  7.  The  Jews  stood 
round  about,  which  intimates,  that  they  were 
many,  also  unanimous,  intent  on  the  prose¬ 
cution,  and  eager  in  clamoring  against  Paul ; 
they  stood  round  about,  if  possible,  to  frighten 
the  judge  into  a  compliance  with  their  mali¬ 
cious  design ;  however,  to  frighten  the  pris¬ 
oner,  and,  at  least,  to  put  him  out  of  counte¬ 
nance  ;  but  in  vain  ;  he  had  too  just  and 


I’RACT.  OBS.  In  how  different  a  light  will  the  characters  of  Paul 
and  Felix  appear,  at  the  day  of  judgment,  than  they  do  in  Tertullus’ 
harangue  !  Let  us  not  then  value  the  applause,  or  be  troubled  at  the 
reviiings  of  ungodly  men  ;  as  the  basest  and  most  criminal  of  the  human 
race  have  been  almost  deified  by  encomiums,  and  the  excellent  of  the 
earth  have  been  treated  as  deserving  of  universal  execration;  and  this 
by  professors  of  the  true  religion  !  by  priests,  elders,  and  persons  of 
chief  authority  in  the  visible  church  1 — But  they  have  never  rightly  un¬ 
derstood  the  doctrines  of  Paul,  who  do  not  ‘  exercise  themselves  to  have 


a  conscience  void  of  offence  towards  God  and  man.’  1  Pet.  3:13 — 16. 
In  a  continual  application  of  the  blood  of  Jesus,  and  an  habitual  de¬ 
pendence  on  his  grace,  we  should  daily  seek  to  have  our  conduct  and 
temper  more  and  more  conformed  to  his  holy  precepts,  as  the  rule  of 
our  duty.  Thus  our  actions  will  recommend  our  principles;  our  kind¬ 
ness  even  to  those  who  injure  us  will  expose  the  malignity  of  our  ac¬ 
cusers;  and  a  sober,  righteous,  and  godly  life  will  prove  the  most 
effectual  refhtation  of  all  their  calumnies.  Scott. 


Jews  and  Gentiles,  as  to  their  respective  rights  in  Cesarea,  which,  after 
many  tumults  and  slaughters  of  the  Jews,  were  inflamed,  rather  than 
appeased,  by  the  hearing  at  Rome,  and  did  a  great  deal  towards  exaspe¬ 
rating  the  Jewish  nation  to  that  war,  which  ended  in  its  utter  ruin.  ..  . 
She  (Drusilla)  was  afterwards  .  ..  consumed,  with  the  son  she  had  by 
Felix,  in  a  terrible  eruption  of  mount  Vesuvius.’  Doildr. — The  conduct 
of  the  trembling  jailer  at  Philippi,  and  that  of  Felix,  shoidd  be  carefully 
and  minutely  compared  ;  for  the  contrast  is  in  every  particular  striking 
and  instructive.  16:19 — 31 — (25)  Go  thy  v;ay.]  1.  e.  ‘  back  to  prison.’  Sc. 

(25.)  Go  thy  way,  <tc.]  ‘  How  affecting  an  instance  and  illustration 

of  the  treachery  of  the  human  heart.’  Donnn. 

(26.)  Receive,  <fcc.]  Directly  contrary  to  the  law.  Sec  Grot.  The 
thing  is  very  common  in  oriental  countries.  See  all  travellers.  Ed. 

(27.)  1  During  this  captivitv,  Paul  wrote  most  of  those  epistles  of  his 
in  which  he  speaks  of  himself,  as  in  bonds  for  the  cause  of  Christiani¬ 
ty.’  Rosenm. 

NOTES.  Chap.  XXV.  V.  1 — 5.  It  was  very  wonderful,  that  Festus 

[14GJ 


should  refuse  to  gratify  the  great  men  of  the  nation,  which  he  was  ap¬ 
pointed  to  govern,  by  sending  for  Paul  to  Jerusalem  ;  as  he  staid  in  that 
city  long  enough  to  have  heard  his  cause  there.  But  God  was  pleased 
thus  to  influence  his  mind,  in  order  to  Paul’s  preservation. — ‘  When  we 
consider,  how  much  edification  to  the  churches  depended  on  Paul’s  life, 
and  how  evidently,  under  God,  his  life  depended  on  this  resolution  of 
Festus ;  it  must  surely  lead  us  to  reflect,  by  what  invisible  springs  the 
blessed  God  governs  the  world ;  with  what  silence,  and  yet  at  the  same 
time  with  what  wisdom  and  energy  !  ’  Doddr.  [Note  *,  p.  770,  Vol.  HI.] 
(5.)  Able.)  I-  e.  able  to  substantiate  an  accusation  ;  or,  able,  without 
material  detriment,  to  take  the  journey  to  Cesarea,  for  this  purpose. 

Scott. 

(2.)  High  priest.]  ‘Ismael:  ( Jos .  Ant.  20,  8,  8.)  but  I  should  prefer 
to  read,  with  many  excellent  MSS.,  ancient  versions,  and  Fathers,  hoi 
archiereis,  [the  chief  priests,]  which  is,  with  reason,  adopted  byGriesb.’ 

Bloomf. 

(4.)  Should  be.]  1  Rather,  was.’  Id. 


A.  D.  63. 


ACTS,  XXV.  . 


Paul  replies,  and  appeals  to  Cesar 


5  Let  them  therefore,  said  he, 
which  among  you  are  able,  go  down 
with  me,  and  accuse  this  man,  if 
there  be  any  wickedness  in  him. 

6  And  when  he  had  tarried 
among  them  b  more  than  ten  days, 
he  went  down  unto  Cesarea  ;  and 
the  next  day  sitting  on  the  judg¬ 
ment-seat,  commanded  Paul  to  be 
brought. 

7  And  when  he  was  come,  the 
Jews  which  came  down  from  Je¬ 
rusalem  stood  round  about,  and 
laid  many  and  grievous  complaints 
against  Paul,  which  c  they  could 
not  prove. 

8  IT  While  he  answered  for  him¬ 
self,  Neither  against  the  law  of  the 
Jews,  neither  against  the  temple, 
nor  yet  against  Cesar,  have  I  of¬ 
fended  any  thing  at  all. 

9  But  Festus,  willing  to  do  the 
Jews  a  pleasure,  answered  Paul, 
and  said,  Wilt  thou  go  up  to  Jeru¬ 
salem,  and  there  be  judged  of  these 
things  before  me  ? 

10  Then  said  Paul,  I  stand  at 
Cesar’s  judgment- seat,  where  I 
ought  to  be  judged  :  to  the  Jews 
have  I  done  no  wrong,  as  thou  very 
well  knowest. 

11  For  if  I  be  an  offender,  or 
have  committed  any  thing  worthy 
of  death,  I  refuse  not  to  die  :  but 
if  there  be  none  of  these  things 
whereof  these  accuse  me,  no  man 
may  deliver  me  unto  them.  I  ap¬ 
peal  d  unto  Cesar. 

12  Then  Festus,  when  he  had 
conferred  with  the  council,  answer¬ 
ed,  Hast  thou  appealed  unto  Cesar? 
unto  Cesar  shalt  thou  go. 

13  IT  And  after  certain  days,  king 
Agrippa  and  Bernice  came  unto 
Cesarea,  to  salute  Festus. 

b  or,  as  some  cop-  days.  13. 

ies  read, no  more  c  Ps.  35:11.  Mat.  d  c.  26:32. 

than  eight  or  ten  5:11,12.  c.24:5, 

strong  an  assurance  to  be  dashed  by  them. 
Ps.  118:  12.  When  they  stood  round  about 
him,  they  brought  many  and  grievous  accusa¬ 
tions  against  Paul,  so  it  should  be  read ;  they 
charged  him  with  high  crimes  and  misde¬ 
meanors;  the  articles  of  impeachment  were 
many,  aud  contained  things  of  a  very  heinous 
nature ;  but  when  they  had  opened  the  cause, 
and  came  to  the  evidence,  there  they  failed ; 
they  could  not  prove  what  they  alleged  against 
him,  for  it  was  all  false,  the  complaints 
groundless  and  unjust  ;  either  the  fact  was 
not  as  they  opened  it,  or  there  was  no  fault 
in  it  ;  they  laid  to  his  charge  things  that  he 


knew  not,  nor  they  neither.  It  is  no  new 
thing  for  the  most  excellent  ones  of  the  earth 
to  have  all  manner  of  evil  said  against  them 
falsely,  not  only  in  the  song  of  the  drunkards, 
and  on  the  seat  of  the  scornful,  but  even  before 
the  judgment-seat. 

3.  The  prisoner’s  insisting  on  his  own 
vindication,  v.  8.  His  general  plea,  is,  Not 
guilty  ;  Neither  against  the  law  of  the  Jews, 
nor  against  the  temple,  nor  yet  against  Cesar, 
have  I  offended  anything  at  all.  By  this,  it 
appears,  that  now,  his  cause  being  brought 
before  the  government,  to  curry  favor  with 
the  governor,  and  seem  friends  to  Cesar,  they 
had  charged  him  with  some  instances  of  dis¬ 
affection,  which  obliged  him  to  purge  him¬ 
self,  protesting  he  was  no  enemy  to  Cesar. 

IV.  Paul’s  appeal  to  the  emperor,  and  the 
occasion  of  it  ;  this  gave  the  cause  a  new 
turn;  whether  he  had  before  designed  it,  or 
whether  it  was  a  sudden  resolve  on  the  pres¬ 
ent  provocation,  does  not  appear  ;  but  [it 
was  his  only  chance  for  his  life,  and]  God 
puts  it  into  his  heart  to  do  it,  to  bring  it 
about  that  he  bear  witness  to  Christ,  at  Rome, 
for  there  the  emperor’s  court  was,  ch.  23: 11. 
We  have  here, 

1.  The  proposal  Festus  made  to  Paul,  to 
go  and  take  his  trial  at  Jerusalem,  v.  9. 
Festus  was  inclined  to  gratify  the  prosecu¬ 
tors,  rather  than  the  prisoner,  as  far  as  he 
could  go  with  safety  against  one  that  was  a 
citizen  of  Rome  ;  he  would  not  offer  to  turn 
him  over  to  the  high  priest  and  the  Sanhedrim, 
as  the  Jews  would  have  had  him;  but.  Wilt 
thou  go  thither,  and  be  judged  of  these  things 
before  me  ?  He  might,  if  he  had  pleased, 
have  ordered  him  thither,  but  he  would  not  do 
it  without  his  consent,  which,  if  he  could 
have  wheedled  him  to  give  it,  would  have 
taken  off  the  odium  of  it.  In  suffering  times, 
the  prudence  of  the  Lord's  people  is  tried,  as 
well  as  their  patience;  being  sent  forth  there¬ 
fore  as  sheep  in  the  midst  of  wolves,  they  have 
need  to  be  wise  as  serpents. 

2.  Paul’s  refusal,  and  his  reasons.  He 
knew,  if  he  were  removed  to  Jerusalem,  not¬ 
withstanding  the  utmost  vigilance  of  the 
president,  the  Jews  would  find  some  means 
or  other  to  murder  him ;  therefore  he  pleads, 
(1.)  That,  as  a  citizen  of  Rome,  it  w  as  most 
proper  for  him  to  be  tried,  not  only  by  the 
president,  but  in  what  was  properly  his 
court,  at  Cesarea,  the  metropolis  of  the  prov¬ 
ince.  The  court  being  held  in  Cesar's  name, 
and  by  his  authority  and  commission,  before 
one  delegated  by  him,  it  might  well  be  said 
to  be  his  judgment-seat,  as  all  writs  run  in 
the  name  of  the  sovereign,  [whether  an  indi¬ 
vidual,  a  state,  or  the  people,]  in  whose 
name  all  courts  are  held.  Paul’s  owning 
that  he  ought  to  be  judged  at  Cesar's  judgment- 
seat,  plainly  proves,  that  Christ’s  ministers 
are  not  exempted  from  the  jurisdiction  of  the 
civil  powers,  but  ought  to  be  subject  to  them, 
as  far  as  they  can  with  a  good  conscience  ; 
and,  if  they  be  guilty  of  a  real  crime,  to  sub¬ 
mit  to  their  censure;  if  innocent,  yet  to  sub¬ 
mit  to  their  inquiry,  and  to  clear  themselves 
before  them.  (2.)  That,  as  a  member  of 


the  Jewish  nation,  he  had  done  nothing  to 
make  himself  obnoxious  to  them;  no  wrong, 
as  Festus  knew.  It  very  well  becomes  the 
innocent,  to  plead  their  innocency,  and  insist 
on  it;  it  is  a  debt  we  owe  to  our  own  good 
name,  not  only  not  to  bear  false  witness 
against  ourselves,  but  to  maintain  our  own 
integrity  against  those  who  bear  false  witness 
against  us.  (3.)  That  he  was  willing  to 
abide  by  the  rules  of  the  law,  and  to  let  that 
take  its  course,  v.  11.  Not  that  all  who  have 
committed  anything  worthy  of  death,  are 
obliged  to  accuse  themselves,  and  offer  them¬ 
selves  to  justice;  *  but  when  accused  and 
brought  to  justice,  they  ought  to  submit,  and 
to  say,  both  God  and  the  government  are 
righteous.  But  if  he  be  innocent,  as  he  pro¬ 
test?,  ‘  If  the  prosecution  be  malicious,  and 
they  are  resolved  to  have  my  blood,  right  or 
wrong,  no  man  may  deliver  me  unto  them,  no, 
not  the  governor  himself,  without  palpable 
injustice  ;  for  it  is  his  business  as  much  to 
protect  the  innocent,  as  to  punish  the  guilty ;  ’ 
and  he  claims  his  protection. 

3.  Since  he  is  continually  in  danger  of  the 
Jews,  and  one  attempt  is  made  after  another 
to  get  him  into  their  hands,  he  flies  to  the  last 
refuge  of  oppressed  innocency, and  takes  sanc¬ 
tuary  there,  since  he  cannot  have  justice  done 
him  in  any  other  way  ;  ‘  I  appeal  unto  Cesar, 
rather  than  be  delivered  to  the  Jews,'  which 
Festus  seems  inclined  to  consent  to.  So  Da¬ 
vid,  1  S.  27: 1.  But  it  is  a  hard  case,  that 
a  son  of  Abraham  must  appeal  to  a  Philis¬ 
tine,  to  a  Nero,  from  those  who  call  them¬ 
selves  the  seed  of  Abraham,  and  shall  be  safer 
in  Gath  or  Rome,  than  in  Jerusalem  !  How 
is  the  faithful  city  become  a  harlot  ! 

V.  The  judgment  given.  Paul  is  neither 
released  nor  condemned  ;  both  his  enemies 
and  his  friends  are  disappointed,  the  thing 
is  left  as  it  was.  It  is  an  instance  of  the 
slow  steps  Providence  [for  good  ends]  some¬ 
times  takes. 

The  president,  when  he  had  advised  with 
his  council,  determines  to  send  Paul  to 
Rome;  some  think,  Paul  meant  not  an  appeal 
to  Cesar's  person,  but  only  to  his  court,  and 
that  Festus  might  have  chosen  whether  he 
would  have  sent  him  to  Rome,  or,  at  least, 
whether  he  would  have  joined  issue  with  him 
on  the  appeal ;  but,  it  should  seem,  by  what 
Agrippa  said,  ch.  26:  32.  that,  by  the  course 
of  the  Roman  law,  a  Roman  citizen  might 
appeal  at  any  time  to  a  superior  court,  even 
to  the  .supreme  ;  as  with  us.  Festus  there- 
\  fore,  either  of  choice  or  of  course,  comes  to 
this  resolution  ;  he  found  there  was  some- 
I  thing  very  extraordinary  in  the  case,  which 
1  he  was  therefore  afraid  of  giving  judgment 
|  on,  either  one  way  or  other;  and  the  knowl¬ 
edge  of  which  he  thought  would  bean  enter- 
!  lainment  to  the  emperor,  therefore  he  trans¬ 
mitted  it  to  his  cognizance. 

V.  13 — 27.  We  have  here  the  preparation 
made  for  another  hearing  of  Paul  before  king 
Agrippa,  not  in  order  to  his  giving  judgment 
on  him,  but  to  bis  giving  advice  concerning 

•  Why  not  ?  are  they  not  obliged  to  bring  others  to 
i  .ii.ii.o  ?  Ed. 


(5.)  Able.  ‘Rather,  of  credit  and  might:  so  the  Gr.  is  used  very  fre¬ 
quently  in  the  classics,  also  in  Philo,  and  Jos.  This  tr.  is  supported  by 
the  Syr.  and  Vulg.,  and  so  Zeger,  Cam.,  Pric.,  Wets.,  Pearce,  Krebs,  Ros., 
Loesner,  and  Kuin.’  Bloomf. 

V.  8.  Against  Cesar.]  The  epistle  to  the  Romans,  in  which  sub¬ 
mission  to  the  existing  powers,  without  excepting  the  most  faulty  char¬ 
acters,  is  decidedly  enforced,  was  written  before  this  time.  Scott. 

V.  9 — 11.  This  proposal  renders  it  the  more  wonderful,  that  he  did 
not  before  send  for  him  to  Jerusalem,  at  the  request  of  the  same  per¬ 
sons.  1 — 5,  vv.  4,  5. — It  may  be  supposed,  that  Festus  was  not  aware 
of  a  conspiracy  formed  against  his  life ;  but  probably  the  apostle  was 
fully  informed  of  it ;  or  at  least  was  assured,  that  no  kind  or  degree  of 
violence  or  deceit  would  be  wanting  to  murder  him.  And,  though  as¬ 
sured  by  the  Lord  Himself,  that  he  should  ‘  bear  testimony  to  Him  at 
Rome,’  he  used  all  proper  means  for  his  own  preservation  :  so  far  was 
he  from  thinking,  that  the  divine  decrees  and  man’s  free  agency  were 
incompatible,  or  that  the  purposes  of  God,  even  when  known ,  render 
the  use  of  means  needless  or  useless.  2:22 — 24.  4:23 — 28.  23:11.  27:29 
— 32. — The  Roman  governors  were  the  emperor’s  representatives  :  the 
apostle,  therefore,  as  a  Roman  citizen,  when  standing  at  the  tribunal  of 
Festus,  was  in  the  place  where  ‘  he  ought  to  be  judged  ;  ’  but,  should  he 
be  sent  to  Jerusalem,  to  be  tried  under  the  influence  of  the  Jewish  rulers, 
he  would,  independently  of  plots  and  conspiracies,  be  deprived  of  his 


privilege.  Nero,  who  is  still  infamous,  was  at  that  time  the  Roman 
emperor.  Scott. 

(9.)  Before  me.]  ‘  I.  e.  under  my  authority,  and  subject  to  my  final 
determination;  for  a  sentence  of  the  Sanhedrim  required  the  confirmation 
of  the  president.  [Note  24:6.]’  Bloomf. 

(10.)  I  stand ,  &c.]  ‘Grot,  and  others  have  abundantly  proved,  that 
the  tribunal  of  the  Roman  procurators  in  the  provinces,  as  it  was  held 
in  Cesar’s  name,  and  by  commission  from  him,  was  looked  upon  as 
Cesar’s  tribunal.’  Doddr. 

«  V.  12.  I  appeal,  & c.]  ‘  It  is  well  known,  that  the  Roman  law  allowed 
such  an  appeal  to  every  citizen,  before  sentence  was  passed,  and  made 
it  highly  penal  for  any  governor,  after  that,  to  proceed  to  any  extremi¬ 
ties  against  the  person  making  it.’  Doddr.  Council.]  ‘  Sumboulot: 
the  assessores  of  the  president,  as  they  are  called  by  I.amprid.  Dio  Cass, 
calls  them  paredroi,  and  Suet,  consiliarii.  (Kuin.)  This  Roman  custom 
seems,  like  many  others,  to  have  been  adopted  (Vom  the  Lacedemonian 
institutions.  Thus  we  read  often,  in  Thucyd.,  of  these  sumboulot  sen 
with  generals  and  admirals,  and  sometimes  with  governors  *  *  a 

provinces  [to  prevent  abuses,  &c.]’  KVotT‘ 

V.  13.  [Except  ns  suspected  of  incest,]  Agrippa  bore  a  good  charac¬ 
ter  ;  being  equitable  in  his  administration,  of  a  generous  disposi  , 
and  paying  a  strict  attention  to  the  externals  of  religion.  c  tt. 

(13.)  King  Agrippa.]  ‘  Son  of  Herod  Agrippa,  spoken  of  cb.l.ri. 


A.  D.  63. 


ACTS,  XXV. 


✓ 


Festus  relates  to  Agrippa  the  case  of  Paul. 


14  And  when  they  had  been 
there  many  days,  Festus  declared 
Paul’s  cause  unto  the  king,  saying, 
There  is  a  certain  man  left  in  bonds 
by  Felix  : 

15  About  whom,  when  e  I  was  at 
Jerusalem,  the  chief  priests  and  the 
elders  of  the  Jews  informed  me, 
desiring  to  have  judgment  against 
him. 

16  To  whom  I  answered.  It  is 
not  the  manner  of  the  Romans  to 
deliver  any  man  to  die,  before  that 
he  which  is  accused  have  the  accu¬ 
sers  face  to  face,  and  have  license 
to  answer  for  himself  concerning 
the  crime  laid  against  him. 

17  Therefore  when  f  they  were 
come  hither,  without  any  delay,  on 
the  morrow  I  sat  on  the  judgment- 
seat,  and  commanded  the  man  to 
be  brought  forth. 

18  Against  whom,  when  the  ac¬ 
cusers  stood  up,  they  brought  none 
accusation  of  such  things  as  I  sup¬ 
posed  : 

19  But  *  had  certain  questions 
against  him  of  their  own  supersti¬ 
tion,  and  of  one  Jesus,  which  was 
dead,  whom  Paul  affirmed  to  be 
alive. 

20  And  because  h  I  doubted  of 
such  manner  of  questions,  I  asked 
him  whether  he  would  go  to  Jeru¬ 
salem,  and  there  be  judged  of  these 
matters. 

21  But  when  Paul  had  appealed 
to  be  reserved  unto  the  1  hearing  of 
Augustus,  I  commanded  him  to  be 
kept  till  I  might  send  him  to  Cesar. 

e  ver.  2:3.  h  or,  I  was  doubt-  quire  hereof . 

f  ver.  6.  ful  how  to  in-  i  or,  judgment. 

g  c.  18:15. 

him,  or  rather  to  gratify  his  curiosity. 
Here  is, 

1.  The  kind  and  friendly  visit  king  Agrip- 
pn  made  to  Festus,  now  on  his  coming  into 
the  government  in  that  province,  v.  13. ;  per¬ 
sonal  converse  is  the  most  pleasant  among 
friends. 

1.  The  visitants  were;  (1.)  King  Agrip¬ 
pa,  son  of  that  Herod,  surnamed  Agrippa, 
who  killed  James,  the  apostle,  and  was  him¬ 
self  eaten  of  worms,  and  great  grandson  of 
Herod  the  Great,  under  whom  Christ  was 
born.  Josephus  calls  this  Agrippa  the  young¬ 
er  ;  Claudius,  the  emperor,  made  him  king 
of  Chalcis,  and  tetrarch  of  Trachonitis  and 
Abylenc,  mentioned  Luke  3:1.  The  Jewish 
writers,  as  Lightfoot  tells  us,  relate  among 
other  things  this  story  of  him,  ‘  That  reading 
the  law  publicly,  in  the  latter  end  of  the  year 
of  release,  as  was  enjoined,  when  the  king 
came  to  those  words,  Deut.  17:  15.  Thou 
shall  not  set  a  stranger  king  over  thee,  which  is 
not  of  thy  brethren,  the  tettrs  ran  down  his 
cheeks,  for  he  was  not  of  the  seed  of  Israel, 
which  the  congregation  observing,  cried  out, 
lie  of  good  comfort,  king  Agrippa,  thou  art  our 


brother;  for  he  was  of  their  religion,  though 
not  of  their  blood.’  (2.)  Bernice  came  with 
him,  she  was  his  own  sister,  now  the  widow 
of  his  uncle  Herod,  king  of  Chalcis,  after 
whose  death  she  lived  with  this  brother  of 
hers,  who  was  suspected  to  be  too  familiar 
with  her,  and  after  she  was  a  second  time 
married  to  Polemon,  king  of  Cilicia,  she  got 
divorced  from  him,  and  returned  to  her 
brother,  king  Agrippa.  Juvenal,  Sat.  6. 
speaks  of  a  diamond  ring,  Agrippa  gave  to 
Bernice,  his  incestuous  sister  ;  and  both 
Tacitus  and  Suetonius  speak  of  a  criminal 
intimacy  afterward,  between  her  and  Titus 
Vespasian.  Drusilla,  the  wife  of  Felix,  was 
another  sister.  Such  lewd  people,  were  the 
great  people  generally  in  those  times  !  Say 
not  that  the  former  days  were  better. 

2.  Their  design  was,  to  salute  Festus,  to 
compliment  him  on  his  accession  to  the  gov¬ 
ernment,  and  to  keep  up  a  good  correspon¬ 
dence  with  him,  that  Agrippa,  who  had  the 
government  of  Galilee,  might  act  in  concert 
with  Festus,  who  had  the  government  of 
Judea  ;  but,  probably,  as  much  to  divert 
themselves,  as  to  show  respect  to  him,  and  to 
share  in  the  entertainments  of  his  court,  and 
to  show  their  fine  clothes,  which  would  do 
vain  people  no  good,  if  they  did  not  go 
abroad. 

II.  The  account  Festus  gave  king  Agrippa 
of  Paul,  and  his  case.  1.  To  entertain  him; 
and  truly  it  was  a  very  remarkable  story, 
and  worth  any  man’s  hearing,  not  only  as 
surprising  and  entertaining,  but,  if  truly  and 
fully  told,  very  instructive  and  edifying ;  and 
it  would  be  particularly  acceptable  to  Agrip¬ 
pa,  not  only  because  he  was  a  judge,  and 
there  were  some  points  of  law  and  practice 
in  it,  well  worth  his  notice,  but  much  more 
as  he  was  a  Jew,  and  there  were  some  points 
of  religion  in  it,  much  more  deserving  his 
cognizance.  2.  To  have  his  advice.  Festus 
was  but  newly  come  to  be  a  judge,  at  least, 
to  be  a  judge  in  these  parts,  therefore  is  dif¬ 
fident  of  his  own  ability,  and  willing  to  have 
the  counsel  of  older  and  more  experienced 
persons,  especially  in  a  matter  of  so  much 
difficulty  as  Paul’s  case  seemed  to  have,  and 
therefore  he  declared  it  to  the  king.  Let  us 
now  see  his  particular  account  of  Paul, 
v.  14—21. 

1.  He  found  him  a  prisoner  when  he  came 
into  office  ;  therefore  could  not  of  his  own 
knowledge,  give  an  account  of  his  cause  from 
the  beginning,  and  if  there  were  anything 
amiss  in  the  first  taking  of  him  into  custody, 
Festus  is  not  to  answer  for  that.  When 
Felix  left  Paul  bound,  he  knew  not  what  he 
did,  knew  not  but  he  might  have  fallen  into 
worse  hands  than  he  did,  though  they  were 
none  of  the  best. 

2.  That  the  Jewish  Sanhedrim  were  ex¬ 
tremely  set  against  him  ;  ‘  The  chief  priests 
and  the  elders  informed  me  against  him,  as  a 
dangerous  man,  and  desired  he  might  there¬ 
fore  be  condemned  to  die.’  These  being 
great  pretenders  to  religion,  and  therefore  to 
be  supposed  men  of  honor  and  honesty,  Fes¬ 
tus  thinks  he  ought  to  credit  them  ;  but 
Agrippa  knows  them  better  than  he,  and 
therefore  he  desires  his  advice. 

3.  That  he  had  insisted  on  the  Roman  law 
in  favor  of  the  prisoner,  and  would  not  con¬ 
demn  him  unheard,  v.  16.  He  seems  to 
upbraid  them,  as  if  they  reflected  on  the 


Romans,  and  their  government,  in  asking 
such  a  tiling,  or  expecting  they  would  con¬ 
demn  a  man  without  trying  him ;  ‘  No,’  says 
he,  ‘  The  Romans  allow  not  of  such  a  piece 
of  injustice  among  them.’  Hear  the  other 
side,  was  become  a  proverb  among  them. 
This  rule  we  ought  to  be  governed  by  in  our 
private  censures,  in  common  conversation. 
See  John  7:  51. 

4.  That  he  had  brought  him  on  his  trial, 
according  to  the  duty  of  his  place,  v.  17. 
had  been  expeditious  in  it,  and  had  likewise 
tried  him  in  the  most  solemn  manner,  on  the 
judgment-scat,  as  they  used  to  do  in  weigh¬ 
tier  causes,  while  those  of  small  moment, 
they  judged  on  even  ground.  He  called  a 
great  court,  on  purpose  for  the  trial  of  Paul, 
that  the  sentence  might  be  definitive,  and 
the  cause  ended. 

5.  That  he  was  extremely  disappointed  in 
the  charge  they  brought  against  him,  v.  18, 
19.  He  supposed,  by  the  eagerness  »f  their 
prosecution,  and  their  urging  it  thus  on  the 
Roman  governors,  one  after  another,  that 
they  had  something  to  accuse  him  of  that 
W'as,  (1.)  Dangerous  either  to  private  prop¬ 
erty  or  the  public  peace  ;  they  would  prove 
him  a  robber,  or  a  murderer,  or  a  rebel 
against  the  Romam  power.  Such  were  the 
outcries  against  the  primitive  Christians,  so 
loud,  so  fierce,  that  the  standers-by,  who 
judged  of  them  by  those  outcries,  could  not 
but  conclude  them  the  worst  of  men ;  and  to 
represent  them  so  was  the  design  of  that 
clamor,  as  it  was  against  our  Savior.  (2.) 
Cognizable  in  the  Roman  courts. — But,  to 
his  great  surprise,  he  finds  the  matter  is 
neither  so,  nor  so:  they  had  certain  questions , 
instead  of  proofs  and  evidences  against  hirn  ; 
questions  fitter  for  the  schools  than  for  the 
judgment-seat  ;  questions  of  their  own  super¬ 
stition,  so  he  calls  their  religion,  or  rather, 
that  part  of  it  which  Paul  was  charged  with 
doing  damage  to.  The  Romans  protected 
their  religion  according  to  their  law,  but  not 
their  superstition,  nor  the  tradition  of  their 
elders.  But  the  great  question,  it  seems, 
was  concerning  one  Jesus  that  was  dead,  whom 
Paul  affirmed  to  be  alive.  Some  think,  the 
superstition  he  speaks  of,  was  the  Christian 
religion,  which  Paul  preached,  and  that  he 
had  the  same  notion  of  it  that  the  Athenians 
had,  that  it  wras  the  introducing  of  a  new 
daemon,  even  Jesus.  See  how  slightly  this 
Roman  speaks  of  Christ;  of  the  great  con¬ 
troversy  between  the  Jews  and  the  Chris¬ 
tians, whether  He  were  the  Messiah  promised 
or  no;  and  the  great  proof  of  his  being  the 
Messiah,  his  resurrection  from  the  dead,  as 
if  it  were  no  more  than  this.  There  was  one 
Jesus  that  was  dead,  eindPaul  affirmed  He  was 
alive.  Whereas  this  Jesus,  whom  he  prides 
himself  in  being  thus' ignorant  of,  as  if  He 
were  below  his  notice,  is  He  that  teas  dead, 
and  is  alive,  and  lives  for  evermore,  and  has  the 
keys  of  hell  and  of  death,  Rev.  1 :  18.  What 
Paul  affirmed  concerning  Jesus,  that  He  is 
alive,  is  a  truth  of  such  importance,  that  if 
it  lie  not  true  we  are  all  undone  ! 

6.  That  therefore  he  had  moved  it  to  Paul, 
that  the  cause  might  be  adjourned  to  the  Jew¬ 
ish  courts,  as  best  able  to  take  cognizance 
of  an  affair  of  this  nature,  v.  20.  that  he 
might  not  have  his  conscience  burdened  with 
a  cause  of  such  a  kind. 

7.  That  Paul  had  chosen  rather  to  remove 


and  grandson  of  Aristobulus,  son  of  Herod  the  Great.  As  lie  was  hut 
17  years  of  age  when  his  father  died,  the  emperor  Claudius  did  not  think 
proper  to  appoint  him  k.  of  Judea  in  the  room  of  his  father,  but  made 
it  a  Roman  province  :  however,  on  the  death  of  his  uncle  Herod,  he 
made  him  k.  of  Chalcis,  which,  after  he  had  governed  it  four  years,  he 
exchanged  for  a  greater  kingdom,  and  gave  him  the  tetrarchies  of  Philip 
and  I.ysanias,  to  which  Nero  afterwards  added  part  of  Galilee,  with 
several  towns  in  Perea.’  Doddr.  Bernice.]  ‘A  Macedonian  name,  for 
the  Macedonians  change  Ph  into  B.  So  Burgas  for  Phurgas.'  Ros. 
This  was  also  the  person  whom  Titus  Vespasian  so  passionately  loved, 
nnd  whom  he  would  have  made  empress,  had  not  the  clamors  of  the 
Romans  prevented  it.’  DoDTin. 

V.  15.  Judgment.]  *  Sentence  of  condemnation.’  Kuin.  ‘The  judg¬ 
ment  they  demanded  against  Paul,  was  not  a  trial ,  but  a  sentence  upon 
a  previous  conviction ,  which  they  falsely  and  wickedly  pretended:  and, 
probably,  it  was  the  knowledge  that  Festus  had  of  Paul’s  being  a  Ro- 

[1 43] 


man  citizen,  that  engaged  him  to  determine  to  try  the  cause  himself.’ 
Doddr.  Scott. 

V.  17 — 19.  (19)  Superstition.]  As  Festus  entertained  Agrippa  with 
great  respect ;  so  it  cannot  be  supposed,  that  he  would  have  used  the 
word  here  tr.  superstition,  if  it  had  implied  any  harsh  censure  of  his 
religion:  we  must  therefore  conclude  that  it  was  of  a  doubtful  signifi¬ 
cation  ;  to  be  understood  in  a  good  or  evil  sense,  according  to  its  appli¬ 
cation.  [So  Doddr.  and  flos.)  17:22—25. — Festus  seems  to  have  re¬ 
garded  Paul  as  a  credulous  visionary,  in  affirming  that  Jesus  was  alive  : 
but  he  thought  his  opponents  far  more  criminal,  in  persecuting  him  so 
virulently  on  that  account;  for  the  matter  in  contest  was  in  his  judg¬ 
ment  of  no  importance  !  Scott. 

V.  21.  Augustus.]  1  Sebastos:  this  surname  [contrary  to  Doddr.’s 
remark  here]  was  borne  by  all  the  emperors,  from  Cesar  Octavianus, 
who  first  assumed  it.’  "  Bloomf. 


A.  D.  63. 


ACTS,  XXVI. 


22  Then  Agrippa  said  unto  Fes¬ 
tus,  I  would  also  hear  the  man  my¬ 
self.  To-morrow,  said  he,  thou 
shalt  hear  him. 

23  IT  And  on  the  morrow,  when 
Agrippa  was  come,  and  Bernice, 
with  great  J  pomp,  and  was  entered 
into  the  place  of  hearing,  with  the 
chief  captains,  and  principal  men 
of  the  city,  at  Festus’  command¬ 
ment  Paul  k  was  brought  forth. 

24  And  Festus  said,  King  Agrip¬ 
pa,  and  all  men  which  are  here 
present  with  us,  ye  see.  this  man, 
about  whom  all  1  the  multitude  of 
the  Jews  have  dealt  with  me,  both 
at  Jerusalem,  and  also  here,  crying 
“  that  he  ought  not  to  live  any 
longer. 

25  But  when  I  found  that  he 
had  committed  nothing  n  worthy  of 
death,  and  that  he  himself  hath  ap¬ 
pealed  °to  Augustus,  I  have  deter¬ 
mined  to  send  him. 

26  Of  whom  I  have  no  certain 
thing  to  write  unto  my  lord.  Where¬ 
fore  I  have  brought  him  forth  before 
you,  and  specially  before  thee,  O 
king  Agrippa,  that,  after  examina¬ 
tion  had,  1  might  have  somewhat 
to  write. 

27  For  Pit  seemeth  to  me  unrea¬ 
sonable,  to  send  a  prisoner,  and  not 
withal  to  signify  the  crimes  laid 
against  him. 

CHAP.  XXVI. 

2  Paul,  in  the  presence  of  Agrippa,  declareth  his  life  from 
his  childhood,  12  and  how  miraculously  he  was  converted, 
and  called  to  his  apostleship.  24  Festus  chargeth  him  to 
be  mad,  whereunto  he  nnswereth  modestly.  28  Agrippa 
is  almost  persuaded  to  be  a  Christian.  '31  The  whole 
company  prouounce  him  innocent. 

THEN  Agrippa  said  unto  Paul, 
Thou  art  permitted  to  speak 

I  Ex.  7:24.  me.  22:22.  o  ver.  11:12. 

k  c .  9:15.  II  c.  23:9,29.  p  Pr.  18:13.  Jn. 

1  ver.  3:7.  26:31.  7:51. 

his  cause  to  Rome,  ns  expecting  fairer  play 
from  the  emperor  than  from  the  priests,  v.  21. 
having  no  other  way  to  stop  proceedings  here 
in  this  inferior  court;  therefore  I  have  com¬ 
manded  him  to  be  kept  a  close  prisoner  till  I 
might  send  him  to  Cesar  ;  for  I  did  not  see 
cause  to  refuse  his  appeal,  but  rather  was 
pleased  with  it. 

III.  The  bringing  of  him  before  Agrippa. 

1.  Agrippa  desires  it,  v.  22.  knowing  more 
of  this  matter  than  Festus  does  ;  he  has 
heard  of  Paul,  and  knows  of  what  vast  con¬ 


cern  this  question  is,  which  Festus  makes 
such  a  jest  of,  whether  Jesus  be  alive  or  no. 
He  would  not  for  all  the  world  have  gone  to 
hear  Paul  preach,  any  more  than  Herod  to 
hear  Jesus  ■  yet  both  are  glad  to  have  them 
brought  before  them,  only  to  satisfy  their 
curiosity.  Perhaps  Agrippa  desired  to  hear 
him  himself,  that  he  might  be  in  a  capacity 
to  do  him  a  kindness,  and  yet  did  him  none, 
only  put  some  credit  on  him. 

2.  Festus  granted  it;  To-morrow  thou  shalt 
hear  him.  There  was  a  good  providence  in 
this,  to  encourage  Paul,  who  seemed  buried 
alive  in  his  imprisonment,  and  deprived  of 
all  opportunities  of  doing  good  ;  we  know 
not  [i.  e.  certainly;  comp,  on  24:  27.]  of  any 
of  his  epistles,  that  bore  date  from  his  prison 
at  Cesarea  ;  what  opportunity  he  had  of  do¬ 
ing  good  to  his  friends  that  visited  him,  and 
perhaps  to  a  little  congregation  that  might 
come  every  Lord’s  day,  was  but  a  low  and 
narrow  sphere  of  usefulness  ;  but  this  gives 
him  an  opportunity  of  preaching  Christ  to  a 
great  congregation,  and,  which  is  more,  to  a 
congregation  of  great  ones.  And  we  have 
reason  to  think  his  sermon  in  the  next  ch., 
though  not  so  instrumental  as  some  other,  for 
the  conversion  of  souls,  redounded  as  much 
to  the  honor  of  Christ  and  Christianity,  as 
any  he  ever  preached. 

3.  Great  preparation  was  made  for  it, 
v.  23.  The  next  day  there  was  a  great  ap¬ 
pearance  in  the  place  of  hearing,  Paul  and  his 
cause  being  much  talked  of,  and  the  more  for 
their  being  much  talked  against.  (1.)  Agrip¬ 
pa  and  Bernice  took  this  opportunity  to  show 
themselves  in  state,  and  to  make  a  figure,  and 
perhaps  for  that  end  desired  the  occasion, 
that  they  might  see  and  be  seen  ;  for  they 
came  with  great  pomp,  richly  dressed  with 
gold  and  pearls,  and  costly  array  ;  with  a 
great  retinue  of  footmen,  in  rich  liveries, 
which  made  a  splendid  show,  and  dazzled 
the  eyes  of  the  gazing  crowd.  They  came 
with  great  [phantasia]  fancy ,  so  the  word  is. 
Great  pomp  is  hut  great  fancy  ;  it  neither 
adds  any  real  excellency,  nor  gains  any  real 
respect,  but  feeds  a  vain  humor,  which  wise 
men  would  rather  mortify  than  gratify.  It 
is  but  a  show,  a  dream,  a  fantastical  thing, 
so  the  word  signifies  ;  superficial,  and  it 
passeth  away.  And  the  pomp  of  this  appear¬ 
ance,  would  put  one  for  ever  out  of  conceit 
with  pomp,  when  thus  stained  by  their  lewd 
characters  (for  all  virtuous  people  could  not 
hut  contemn  them  in  the  midst  of  all,  as  vile, 
Ps.  15:4.)  ;  and  thus  outshone  by  the  real 
glory  of  the  poor  prisoner  at  (he  bar.  What 
was  the  honor  of  their  fine  clothes,  compared 
with  that  of  his  wisdom,  and  grace,  and  ho¬ 
liness;  his  courage  and  constancy  in  suffer¬ 
ing  for  Christ !  His  bonds  in  so  good  a  cause 
were  more  glorious  than  their  chains  of  gold; 
and  his  guards,  than  their  equipage.  Who 
would  be  fond  of  worldly  pomp,  that  here 


Agrippa  desires  to  hear  Paul. 

sees  so  had  a  woman  loaded  with  it,  and  so 
good  a  man  loaded  with  the  reverse  1  (2.) 
The  chief  captain  and  principal  men  of  the  city 
took  this  opportunity  to  pay  their  respects  to 
Festus,  and  to  his  guests  ;  it  answered  the 
end  of  a  ball,  at  court;  it  brought  the  fine 
folks  together,  in  their  fine  clothes,  and 
served  for  an  entertainment.  I  am  apt  to 
think,  (hat  they  who  were  to  appear  in  pomp, 
perplexed  themselves  more  with  care  about 
their  clothes,  than  Paul,  who  was  to  appear  as 
a  prisoner,  did  with  care  about  his  cause  ; 
for  lie  knew  whom  he  had  believed,  and  who 
stood  by  him. 

IV.  Festus  introduced  the  cause  ;  in  a 
speech  of  much  to  the  same  purport  with  his 
account,  to  Agrippa.  1.  He  addresses  him¬ 
self  respectfully  to  the  company.  2.  He 
represents  the  prisoner,  as  one  the  Jews  had 
a  very  great  spite  against  ;  not  only  the  ru¬ 
lers,  hut  the  multitude  of  them,  both  at  Jeru¬ 
salem,  and  here  at  Cesarea  ;  they  could  not 
charge  him  with  any  capital  crime,  but  they 
want  to  have  him  out  of  the  way.  3.  He 
confessed  the  prisoner’s  innocency  ;  much 
for  Paul’s  honor,  v.  25.  on  a  full  hearing  of 
the  cause,  it  appeared,  that  there  was  no 
evidence  at  all  to  support  the  indictment; 
therefore  though  inclinable  enough  to  favor 
the  prosecutors,  yet  his  own  conscience 
brought  in  Paul  not  guilty.  And  why  not 
discharge  him  then!  Why  truly,  because  he 
was  so  much  clamored  against,  and  he  feared 
the  clamor  would  turn  on  himself  ifhe  should. 
It  is  pity  hut  every  man  that  has  a  con¬ 
science,  should  have  courage  to  act  accord¬ 
ing  to  it.  Or,  perhaps,  because  there  was  so 
much  smoke,  he  concluded  there  could  not 
but  be  some  fire,  which  would  appear  at  last, 
and  he  would  continue  him  a  prisoner,  in 
expectation  of  it.  4.  He  acquaints  them 
with  the  present  state  of  the  case  ;  that  the 
prisoner  had  appealed  to  the  emperor  himself; 
and  that  he  had  admitted  his  appeal.  And 
thus  the  cause  now  stood.  5.  He  desires 
their  assistance  in  examining  the  matter, 
calmly  and  impartially,  now  that  there  was 
no  danger  of  their  being*  interrupted,  as  he 
had  been,  with  the  noisiness  and  outrage  of 
the  prosecutors;  that  he  might  have  at  least 
such  an  insight  into  t he  cause,  as  was  neces¬ 
sary  to  his  stating  it  to  the  emperor,  v.  26, 
27.  ;  who  is  supposed  to  be  a  man  of  great 
business,  and  therefore  every  affair  must  be 
laid  before  him,  in  as  little  compass  as  pos¬ 
sible.  He  could  not  as  yet  write  anything 
certain  concerning  Paul  ;  so  confused  were 
the  informations  given  in  against  him,  and 
so  inconsistent.  He  therefore  degired  he 
might  be  thus  publicly  examined,  that  ho 
might  he  advised  by  them  what  to  write. 

Chap.  XXVI.  We  left  Paul  at  the  bar, 
and  Festus,  and  Agrippa  and  Bernice,  and 
all  the  great  men  of  the  city  of  Cesarea,  on 


PRACT.  OBS.  The  malignant  enmity  of  hardened  persecutors  can¬ 
not  be  worn  out  by  length  of  time,  or  satisfied  with  any  sufferings  of 
those  against  whom  they  are  enraged,  unless  terminating  in  their  violent 
death.  They  deem  it  a  peculiar  favor,  when  rulers  will  gratify  their 
malice ;  and  they  have  no  scruples  about  conspiracies,  assassinations, 
or  massacres,  when  legal  forms  fail  of  effecting  their  purposes.  We  can¬ 
not,  therefore,  too  much  watch  against  the  feeblest  risings  of  that  prin¬ 
ciple,  which  may  be  matured  into  such  dire  excesses.  The  most  impor¬ 
tant  questions,  which  relate  to  the  worship  of  God,  lhe  way  of  eternal 
salvation,  and  the  grand  truths  of  the  Gospel,  appear  dubious  and  unin¬ 
teresting  to  the  politicians  and  wise  men  of  the  world.  They  can  see, 
however,  and  condemn  the  mismanagement,  into  which  men  are  betrayed 
by  an  indiscreet  or  furious  zeal ;  and  this  confirms  them  in  their  skepti¬ 
cal  disregard  of  religion  in  genernl.  Yet  the  day  is  at  hand,  when  Festus 
and  the  whole  world  will  know,  that  all  the  temporal  concerns  of  the 
immense  Roman  Empire  were  frivolous,  as  the  toys  and  sports  of  chil¬ 
dren,  compared  with  the  single  question,  whether  Jesus  the  crucified 

V.  22.  Would  also  hear  myself .]  1  No  doubt,  but  Agrippa  had  learned 
from  his  father,  by  whom,  it  is  to  be  remembered,  James  had  been  put  to 
death,  and  Peter  imprisoned,  ch.  12:2,  3.  and  fl-om  many  others,  some¬ 
thing  of  the  history  and  pretensions  of  Christianity  :  so  that  he  would 
naturally  have  a  curiosity  to  see  and  discourse  with  so  eminent  a  Chris¬ 
tian  teacher  as  Paul  was;  who,  on  account  of  what  he  had  been  in  his 
unconverted  state,  was,  to  be  sure,  more  regarded  apd  talked  of  among 
the  Jews,  than  any  other  of  the  apostles.’  Doddu. 

V.  23,  &c  ‘  Festus,  thinking  of  no  such  thing,  exposes  the  wicked¬ 
ness  of  the  Jews,  and  shows  the  innocence  of  Paul,  even  in  the  presence 
of  kings ;  and  thus  marvellously  assists  the  church  of  God.’  Beta.  Per- 


was  risen  from  the  dead,  according  to  the  doctrine  of  the  npostle,  or  was 
not  risen.  Then  those  who  have  had  the  means  of  instruction,  and 
have  <3espised  them,  will  be  most  awfully  convinced  of  their  sin  ard 
folly.  But  alas  !  many,  who  seem  to  desire  information  on  such  ques¬ 
tions,  only  want  to  gratify  a  vain  curiosity,  and  not  to  learn  the  way  to 
heaven  :  and  ‘  the  great  pomp,’  with  which  some  of  the  rich  and  hon¬ 
orable  of  this  world,  attend  at  ‘  the  places  of  hearing  the  Word  of  God,’ 
nay,  at  the  Lord’s  table,  show,  that  they  are  actuated  by  the  same  mo¬ 
tives  as  Paul’s  splendid  auditory  was,  though  in  a  far  more  aggravated 
manner. — Ministers,  indeed,  do  not  commonly  now  stand  in  fetters,  as 
prisoners,  to  make  their  defence  before  their  hearers ;  yet  numbers  affect 
rather  to  sit  in  judgment  on  them,  as  ‘offenders  for  a  word,’ than  to 
learn  from  them  the  truth  anil  will  of  God,  for  the  salvation  of  their  own 
souls  :  and  alas,  too  many  preachers  seem  far  more  anxious  to  collect 
together,  and  to  please,  iheir  genteel  and  splendid  congregations,  than  to 
‘declare  the  whole  counsel  of  God,’  and  to  keep  themselves  pure  from 
the  blood  of  all  men.’  Scott. 

haps  this  was  as  magnificent  an  assembly,  as  ever  was  brought  together 
to  hear  the  truths  of  the  Gospel.  Scott. 

V.  26.  My  lord.]  ‘Rather  the  lord,  i.  e.  the  supreme  lord.  The 
earlier  emperors,  Augustus  and  Tiberius,  had  rejected  'his  title,  ns  too 
magnificient  and  invidious.  Yet  it  was  readily  admitted  by  succeeding 
emperors,  and  in  the  time  of  Pliny  the  younger,  it  seems  to  have  become 
the  regular  title  of  the  sovereign.  It  occurs  perpetually  in  his  Epistles 
and  Panegyrics.  Our  idiom  will  not  better  express  it  than  by  the  phrase, 
our  sovereign  lord.’  See  Bl. 

NOTES.'  CHAr.  XXVI.  V.  1.  Stretched  forth  his  hand.]  ‘Some 
of  the  most  illustrious  Greek  orators  of  the  earlier  ages,  such  as  Peri- 

[149] 


A.  D.  63. 


ACTS,  XXVI. 


Paul’s  defence  before  Jlgrippa. 


for  thyself.  Then  Paul  stretched 
forth  the  hand,  and  answered  for 
himself  ^ 

2  I  think  myself 
Agrippa,  because  I 
for  myself  this  day 


touching  all  the 


things 


happy,  king 
shall  answer 
before  thee, 


whereof  I 


am  accused  of  the  Jews  ; 

3  Especially,  because  I  know 
thee  to  be  *  expert  in  all  customs 
and  questions  which  are  among 
the  Jews  :  wherefore  I  beseech 
thee  to  hear  b  me  patiently. 

4  My  manner  c  of  life  from  my 
youth,  which  was  at  the  first  among 
mine  own  nation  at  Jerusalem, 
know  all  the  Jews  : 

5  Which  knew  me  from  the  be¬ 
ginning,  if  they  would  testify,  that 
after  the  most  straitest  sect  of  our 
religion,  I  lived  a  d  Pharisee. 

6  And  now  e  I  stand  and  am  judg¬ 
ed  for  the  hope  of  the  promise 
f  made  of  God  unto  our  fathers  : 

7  Unto  which  promise  our  twelve 
tribes,  instantly  serving  «  God  h  day 
and  night,  hope  to  come.  For 
which  hope’s  sake,  king  Agrippa, 
I  am  accused  of  the  Jews. 

8  Why  1  should  it  be  thought  a 
thing  incredible  with  you,  that  God 
should  raise  the  dead  ? 


a  De.  17:18. 
b  c.  24:4. 
g  2  Ti.  3:10. 

<1  c.  22:3.  Phi. 3:5. 
e  c.  23:6 

f  Ge.  3.15.  22:18. 
49:10.  De.  18: 


15.  2  Sa.  7:12. 
Ps.  132:11.  Is. 
4:2.  7:14.  9:6,7. 
Je.  23:5.  33:14 
—  16.  Eze.  34: 
23.  Da.  9:24. 
Mi.  7:20.  Zee. 


13:1-7.  Mai. 
3  :  1.  c.  13  :  32. 
Ga.  4:4. 

g  Du.  2:37.  1  Th. 
3:10. 

h  night  and  day. 
i  ICo.  15:12,20. 


the  bench,  or  about  it,  waiting  to  hear  what 
he  had  to  say  for  himself. 

V.  1—11.  A  grippa  was  the  most  honora¬ 
ble,  having  the  title  of  king,  though  other¬ 
wise  having  only  the  power  of  the  other 
governors  under  the  emperor  ;  and  though 
not  here  superior,  yet  senior  to  Festus,  and 
therefore  Festus  having  opened  the  cause, 
Agrippa,  as  the  mouth  of  the  court,  intimates 
to  Paul  a  license  given  him  to  speak  for  him¬ 
self,  v.  1. 

I.  Paul  addresses  himself  with  a  very  par¬ 
ticular  respect  to  Agrippa,  v.  2,  3.  He  is 
glad  he  has  an  opportunity  of  clearing  him¬ 
self  ;  though  an  apostle,  he  is  not  exempt 
from  the  jurisdiction  of  the  civil  powers  ; 
as  we  all  have  benefit  by  magistracy,  so  we 
all  must  be  subject  to  it.  He  is  glad  it  is 
before  king  Agrippa,  who,  being  himself  a 
proselyte  to  the  Jewish  religion,  understood 
all  matters  relating  to  that,  tetter  than  the 
other  Roman  governors  did.  It  seems,  Agrip¬ 
pa  was  a  scholar, particularly  in  Jewish  learn¬ 
ing  ;  he  was  well  versed  in  the  O.  T.,  and 
therefore  cou.  j  make  a  better  judgment  than 


another  on  the  controversy  between  him  and 
the  Jews,  concerning  Jesus  being  the  Mes¬ 
siah.  Paul  designed  a  long  discourse,  and 
begs  he  would  not  be  weary  ;  he  designs  a 
plain  discourse,  and  begs  he  would  hear  him 
with  mildness,  and  not  be  angry.  Paul  had 
some  reason  to  fear,  that  Agrippa,  though 
the  more  competent  judge,  might  be  soured 
in  some  measure  with  the  Jewish  leaven, 
and  therefore  prejudiced  against  him  as  the 
apostle  of  the  Gentiles  ;  therefore  says,  to 
sweeten  him,  I  beseech  thee,  hear  me  patiently. 

II.  He  professes,  that  though  hated  and 
branded  as  an  apostate,  yet  he  still  adhered 
to  all  that  good  which  he  was  first  educated 
and  trained  up  in  ;  his  religion  was  always 
built  on  the  promise  of  God  made  unto  the 
fathers  ;  and  this  he  still  built  upon. 

1.  See  here  what  his  religion  was  in  his 
youth  ;  his  manner  of  life  was  well  known, 
v.  4,  5.  His  education  was  neither  foreign 
nor  obscure,  it  was  among  his  own  nation  at 
Jerusalem,  where  religion  and  learning  flour¬ 
ished  ;  and  this,  all  that  could  remember  so 
long,  and  knew  him  from  the  beginning ,  could 
testify  for  him,  that  he  was  not  only  of  the 
Jewish  religion,  but  that  he  was  of  the  most 
strict  sect  of  that  religion,  not  only  called  a 
Pharisee,  but  lived  a  Pharisee  ;  nay,  of  the 
better  sort  of  Pharisees,  brought  up  at  the 
feet  of  Gamaliel,  an  eminent  rabbin  of  the 
school  or  house  of  Hillel,  which  was  in  much 
greater  reputation  for  religion,  than  the 
school  or  house  of  Samai. 

Now  if  Paul  was  a  Pharisee,  and  lived  a 
Pharisee,  (1.)  Then  he  was  a  scholar,  a 
.  man  of  learning  ;  the  Pharisees  were  well 
versed  in  the  law, and  in  the  traditional  ex¬ 
positions  of  it.  The  other  apostles  were 
bred  fishermen,  ch.  4:  13.  therefore,  that  the 
unbelieving  Jews  might  be  left  without  ex¬ 
cuse,  here  is  an  apostle  raised  up,  that  had 
sat  at  the  feet  of  their  most  eminent  doctors. 
(2.)  Then  he  was  a  moralist,  a  man  of  vir¬ 
tue,  and  not  a  rake,  or  a  loose,  debauched 
young  man,  no  drunkard  or  fornicator  ;  and 
being  a  young  Pharisee,  we  may  hope  no 
extortioner,  nor  had  yet  learned  the  arts  of 
the  crafty,  covetous,  old  Pharisees,  of  devour¬ 
ing  widows’  houses,  but  he  was,  as  touch¬ 
ing  .he  righteousness  which  is  in  the  lav>,  blame¬ 
less  ;  therefore,  us  he  could  not  be  thought 
to  have  deserted  his  religion  because  he  did 
not  know  it,  for  he  was  a  learned  man  ;  so 
he  could  not  be  thought  to  have  deserted  it 
because  he  did  not  love  it,  or  was  disaffect¬ 
ed  to  the  obligations  of  it,  for  he  was  a  vir¬ 
tuous  man,  and  not  inclined  to  any  immoral¬ 
ity.  (3.)  Then  he  was  orthodox,  sound  in 
the  faith,  and  not  a  deist  or  skeptic,  or  a 
man  of  corrupt  principles  that  led  to  infidel¬ 
ity  ;  he  was  a  Pharisee,  in  opposition  to  a 
Sadducee  ;  he  received  those  books  of  the 
O.  T.  which  the  Sadducees  rejected,  be¬ 
lieved  a  world  of  spirits,  the  immortality  of 
the  soul,  the  resurrection  of  the  body,  and 
the  rewards  and  punishments  of  the  future 
state,  all  which  the  Sadducees  denied.  They 


could  not  say,  He  quitted  his  religion  for  • 
want  of  a  principle,  or  for  want  of  a  due  re¬ 
gard  to  divine  revelation  ;  no,  he  always 
had  a  veneration  for  the  ancient  promise 
made  of  God  unto  the  fathers,  and  built  his 
hope  on  it. 

Now,  though  Paul  knew  very  well  that 
all  this  would  not  justify  him  before  God, 
yet  he  knew  it  was  for  his  reputation 
among  the  Jews,  and  an  argument  such  as 
Agrippa  would  feel,  that  he  was  not  such  a 
man  as  they  represented  him  to  be.  He 
knew  very  well,  that  all  this  while  he  was  a 
stranger  to  the  spiritual  nature  of  the  divine 
law,  to  heart-religion,  and  that,  except  his 
righteousness  exceeded  this,  he  should  never 
go  to  heaven  ;  yet  he  reflects  on  it  with  some 
satisfaction,  that  he  had  not  been  before  his 
conversion  an  atheistical,  profane,  vicious 
man,  but,  according  to  the  light  he  had,  had 
lived  in  all  good  conscience  before  God. 

2.  See  here  what  his  religion  is  ;  he  has 
not  indeed  such  a  zeal  for  the  ceremonial  law 
as  he  had  in  his  youth  ;  the  sacrifices  and 
offerings  appointed  by  that,  he  thinks,  are 
superseded  by  the  great  Sacrifice  which  they 
typified  ;  ceremonial  pollutions  and  purifi¬ 
cations  from  them  he  makes  no  conscience 
of,  and  thinks  the  Levitical  priesthood  is 
honorably  swallowed  up  in  the  priesthood  of 
Christ  ;  but,  for  the  main  principles  of  his 
religion,  he  is  as  zealous  for  them  as  ever, 
and  more  so,  and  resolves  to  live  and  die 
by  them. 

(1.)  His  religion  is  built  on  the  promise 
made  of  God  unto  the  fathers  ;  built  on  divine, 
revelation,  which  he  receives  and  believes, 
and  ventures  his  soul  upon  ;  that  promise 
which  was  more  ancient  than  the  ceremo¬ 
nial  law,  Gal.  3: 17.  it  may  look  back  as  far 
as  the  promise  made  to  father  Adam,  con¬ 
cerning  the  Seed  of  the  woman,  and  those 
discoveries  of  a  future  state  which  the  first 
patriarchs  acted  faith  upon,  and  were  saved 
by  that  faith  ;  but  it  respects  chiefly  the 
promise  made  to  father  Abraham,  that  in  his 
seed  all  the  families  of  the  earth  should  be 
blessed, and,  that  God  would  be  a  God  to  him, 
and  to  his  seed  after  him.  The  former  mean¬ 
ing  Christ,  the  latter  heaven  ;  for  if  God 
had  not  prepared  for  them  a  city.  He  would 
have  been  ashamed  to  have  called  Himself 
their  God,  Heb.  11:  16. 

(2.)  His  religion  consists  in  the  hopes  of 
this  promise  ;  he  places  it  not,  as  they  did,  in 
meats  and  drinks,  and  the  observation  of  car¬ 
nal  ordinances  ;  but  in  a  believing  depend¬ 
ence  on  God’s  grace  in  the  covenant,  and  on 
the  promise,  which  was  the  great  charter  by 
which  the  church  was  first  incorporated. 
He  had  hope  in  Christ  as  the  promised  Seed  ; 
he  had  hopes  of  heaven  J  this  is  expressly 
meant,  as  appears  by  comp.  ch.  24:  15. 
That  there  shall  be  a  resurrection  of  the  dead. 
Paul  had  no  confidence  in  the  flesh,  but  in 
Christ  ;  no  expectation  of  great  things  in 
this  world,  but  of  greater  things  in  the  other. 

(3.)  Herein  he  concurred  with  all  the 


cles,  Themistocles,  and  Aristides,  thought  it  a  point  of  modesty  to  avoid 
it.  But  this  was  the  effect  of  a  false  taste;  and  it  is  plain,  the  eloquent 
Demosthenes  often  used  the  same  gesture  with  Paul  here.’  Doddr. 

v.  2.  ‘  Agrippa,  by  the  emperor’s  permission,  had  the  management 
ot  the  sacred  treasure,  the  government  of  the  temple,  and  the  right  of 
nominating  the  high  priest.’  Bloomf. 

V.  4 — 8.  ‘  Paul,  dividing  the  narrative  of  his  life  into  two  parts,  cites 

his  adversaries  themselves  as  witnesses  of  the  former  part,  and  the 
fathers  and  prophets  to  attest  the  latter  part.’  Beza. —  Some  com¬ 
mentators  suppose  the  apostle  to  mean,  almost  exclusively,  that  the 
resurrection  to  eternal  life,  was  1  the  promise  made  unto  the  fathers 
but  it  is  manifest,  beyond  all  doubt,  that  the  promise  of  a  Savior  was 
the  most  prominent  part  of  the  revelation  made  to  Abraham,  Isaac,  and 
Jacob,  and  the  grand  subject  of  prophecy;  Luke  24:44 — 49.  John  5:39 — 
44.  Heb.  11:39,  40.  1  Pet.  1:10—12.  Rev.  19:9,  10.  while  the  doctrine 
of  the  resurrection  was  not  so  fully  and  plainly  revealed  in  the  O.  T.  as 
it  is  in  the  New.  2  Tim.  1:10.  Paul  says,  elsewhere,  1  We  declare  unto 
you  glad  tidings,  how  that  the  promise  witich  was  made  unto  the  fathers, 
God  hath  fulfilled  the  same  unto  us  their  children  ;  in  that  He  hath  raised 
up  Jesus  again.’  13:24 — 37.  Rom.  1:1 — 4,  »>.  4.  Thus  the  resurrection  of 
Jesus  demonstrated,  that  He  was  the  promised  Messiah,  against  all 
the  unbelieving  Jews  ;  and  the  doctrine  of  the  resurrection,  against 
the  Sadducees.  The  latter  were  instigated  to  persecute  the  apostles, 
‘for  preaching,  through  Jesus,  the  resurrection  of  the  dead  4:1 — 3.  23: 
6 — 10.  the  former,  for  preaching  the  very  person  whom  they  had  cruci- 

[150] 


fled,  as  the  Messiah,  and  as  risen  and  ‘  exalted  to  be  a  Prince  and  a  Sa¬ 
vior.’  Yet  the  whole  nation  expected  a  Messiah  ;  and  all,  except  the 
Sadducees,  professed  to  believe  the  doctrine  of  the  resurrection.  And, 
as  the  resurrection  of  Jesus  was  proved,  by  most  unexceptionable  and 
abundant  testimony,  and  might  be  shown  to  be-  the  fulfilment  of  an¬ 
cient  prophecies ;  what  reason  could  be  given,  why  it  should  not  be 
credited  ? — Thus  the  apostle  makes  a  natural  and  easy  transition,  from 
the  hope  of  their  fathers,  anil  the  doctrine  of  the  resurrection,  to  that 
which  was  his  principal  subject;  namely,  the  proof,  he  intended  to  ad¬ 
duce,  that  Jesus  was  indeed  risen,  and  was  the  promised  Messiah.  — 
Some  render  v.  8.  thus,  ‘  What !  Is  it  a  thing  incredible  with  you,  if  God 
raises  the  dead  ?’  and  this  indeed  gives  a  peculiar  animation  to  the  ques¬ 
tion.  Scott. 

(4.)  From  my  youth.]  ‘Probably,  so  Dr.  Wells, he  had  in  his  child¬ 
hood  been  brought  up  in  the  schools  of  Tarsus,  (to  which  all  Asia  flock¬ 
ed,]  and  there  formed  an  acquaintance  with  the  politest  of  the  Greek 
and  Roman  authors,  till  he  entered  on  a  kind  of  academical  course  un¬ 
der  the  celebrated  Gamaliel,  about  the  15th  or  16th  year  of  his  age,  when 
he  came  to  Jerusalem,  and  was  there  educated  from  the  beginning  of 
his  youth.’  Doddr. 

(5.)  Most  straightest  sect.]  ‘  *0  Jos.  calls  the  sect  of  the  Phari¬ 
sees,  almost  in  the  very  words  the  apostle  here  uses,  and  in  a  variety  of 
other  passages  collected  by  Biscoe.  And  Whitby  has  shown,  that  it 
was  in  many  respects  stricter,  both  as  to  doctrine  and  life,  than  that  of 
the  Essenes.’  Id. 


A.  D.  63. 


ACTS,  XXVI. 


Paul's  defence  before  Agrtppa, 


9  I  i  verily  thought  with  myself, 
that  I  ought  to  do  many  things  con¬ 
trary  to  the  name  of  Jesus  of  Naz¬ 
areth. 

10  Which  thing  I  also  did  in 
k  Jerusalem  :  and  many  of  the 
saints  did  I  shut  up  in  prison,  hav¬ 
ing  received  authority  1  from  the 
chief  priests  ;  and  when  they  were 
put  to  death,  I  gave  my  voice 
against  them. 

11  And  I  punished  them  oft  in 
m  every  synagogue,  and  compelled 
them  to  blaspheme  ;  and  being  ex¬ 
ceedingly  mad  against  them,  I  per¬ 
secuted  them  even  unto  strange 
cities. 

12  Whereupon  as  I  went  ”  to 
Damascus,  with  authority  and  com¬ 
mission  from  the  chief  priests, 

13  At  mid-day,  O  king,  I  saw  in 
the  way  a  light  from  heaven,  above 
the  brightness  of  the  sun,  shining 
round  about  me  and  them  which 
journeyed  with  me. 

14  And  when  we  were  all  fallen 
to  the  earth,  I  heard  it  voice  speak¬ 
ing  unto  me,  and  saying  in  the  He¬ 
brew  tongue,  Saul,  Saul,  why  per¬ 
secutes!  thou  me  ?  it  is  hard  for 
thee  to  kick  against  the  pricks. 

15  And  I  said,  Who  art  thou, 
Lord  ?  And  he  said,  I  am  Jesus 
whom  thou  persecutest. 

16  But  rise,  and  stand  upon  thy 
feet  :  for  I  have  appeared  unto 
thee  for  this  purpose,  to  make  thee 
a  0  minister  and  a  p  witness  both  of 
these  things  which  thou  hast  seen, 
and  of  those  things  in  the  which  I 
will  appear  unto  thee  ; 

j  l  Ti.  1:13.  ni  c.  22:19.  1:23,  23. 

k  c  8:3.  Ga.  1:13.  n  c.  9:3.  p  c.  22:15. 

I  c.  9:14.  o  Ep.  3:7.  Col. 

pious  Jews  ;  4 Our  twelve  tribes,  the  body  of 
the  Jewish  church,  all  the  Israelites,  profess 
to  believe  in  this  promise,  both  of  Christ 
anil  heaven,  and  hope  to  come  to  the  benefits 
of  them.  They  all  hope  for  a  Messiah  to 
come,  and  we  that  are  Christians,  hope  m  a 
Messiah  already  come  ;  so  that  we  ali  agree 
to  build  on  the  same  promise.  They  look 
for  the  resurrection  of  the  dead,  and  the  life  of 
the  world  to  come,  and  that  is  what  I  look 
for.  Why  should  I  be  looked  upon  as  ad¬ 
vancing  something  dangerous  and  heteredox, 
or  as  an  apostate  from  the  faith  and  wor¬ 
ship  of  the  Jewish  church,  when  I  agree 
with  them  in  this  fundamental  article!’ 

Nay,  the  Jewish  church  not  only  hoped  to 
come  to  this  promise,  but,  in  the  hope  of  it, 
they  instantly  served  God  day  and  night. 
The  temple-service,  morning  and  evening, 
day  and  night,  from  the  beginning  of  the 
year  to  the  end  of  it,  was  kept  up  by  the 
priests  and  Levites,  and  the  stationary  men, 
as  they  called  them,  continually  attended 
there  to  lay  their  hands  on  the  public  sacri¬ 
fices,  as  the  representatives  of  all  the  twelve 
tribes  ;  this  service  was  kept  up  in  the  pro¬ 
fession  of  faith  in  the  promise  of  eternal 
life,  and,  in  expectation  of  it,  Paul  instantly 
serves  God  day  and  night,  in  the  Gospel  of 
his  Son  ;  the  twelve  tribes  by  their  represen¬ 
tatives  do  so  in  the  law  of  Moses,  but  he  and 
they  do  it  in  hope  of  the  same  promise.  Much 
more  should  Christians,  who  hope  in  the 
same  Jesus  for  the  same  heaven,  though  dif¬ 
fering  in  the  modes  and  ceremonies  of  wor¬ 
ship,  hope  the  best  one  of  another,  and  live 


together  in  holy  love.  Or  it  may  be  meant 
of  particular  persons  who  continued  in  the 
communion  of  the  Jewish  church,  and  were 
very  devout  in  their  way,  serving  God  with 
great  intenseness,  and  a  close  application  of 
mind,  and  constant  in  it,  night  and  day,  as 
Anna,  Luke  2:  37. 

(4.)  This  was  it  he  was  now  suffering 
for;  for  preaching  that  d  ictrine  which  they 
themselves,  if  they  did  but  understand  them¬ 
selves  aright,  must  own ;  l  am  judged  for  the 
hope  of  the  promise  made  unto  the  fathers.  He 
stuck  to  the  promise,  against  the  ceremonial 
law,  while  his  persecutors  stuck  to  the  cere¬ 
monial  law,  against  the  promise.  It  is  com¬ 
mon  for  men  to  hate  and  persecute  the  power 
of  that  religion  in  others,  which  yet  they 
pride  themselves  in  the  form  of. 

This  was  it  he  would  persuade  all,  that 
heard  him,  cordially  to  embrace,  v.  S.  Why 
should  it  be  thought  a  thing  incredible  with 
you,  that  God  should  raise  the  dead  ?  This 
seems  to  come  in  somewhat  abruptly  ;  but, 
probably,  Paul  said  much  more  than  is  here 
recorded,  and  explained  the  promise  made  to 
the  fathers,  to  be  the  promise  of  the  resur¬ 
rection  and  eternal  life  ;  and  proved  that  he 
was  in  the  right  way  of  pursuing  his  hope 
of  that  happiness,  because  he  believed  in 
Christ  who  was  risen  from  the  dead,  which 
was  a  pledge  and  earnest  of  that  resurrec¬ 
tion  which  the  fathers  hoped  for.  Now 
many  of  his  hearers  were  Gentiles,  most  of 
them  perhaps,  Festus  particularly,  and  we 
may  suppose,  when  they  heard  him  speak  so 
much  of  Christ’s  resurrection,  and  of  the  res¬ 
urrection  from  the  dead,  which  the  tribes 
hoped  for,  that  they  mocked,  as  the  Atheni¬ 
ans  did,  began  to  smile  at  it,  and  whispered 
to  one  another  what  an  absurd  thing  it  was; 
which  occasioned  Paul  thus  to  reason  with 
them,  What  !  is  it  thought  incredible  with  you, 
that  God  should  raise  the  dead  ?  So  it  may 
be  read.  We  are  not  required  to  believe 
anything  that  is  incredible,  that  implies  a 
contradiction,  Zech.  8  : 6.  There  are  mo¬ 
tives  of  credibility  sufficient  to  carry  us 
through  all  the  doctrines  of  the  Christian 
religion,  and  this  particularly  of  the  res¬ 
urrection  of  the  dead.  Has  not  God  an 
infinite,  almighty  power  ! 

III.  He  acknowledges,  that  while  he 
continued  a  Pharisee,  he  was  a  bitter  enemy 
to  Christians  and  Christianity,  and  thought 
he  ought  to  be  so,  and  continued  so  to  the 
moment  that  Christ  wrought  that  wonderful 
change  in  him.  This  he  mentions, 

1.  To  show,  that  his  becoming  a  Christian 
and  a  preacher,  was  not  the  product  and  re¬ 
sult  of  any  previous  disposition  or  inclina¬ 
tion  that  way,  or  any  gradual  advance  of 
thought  in  favor  of  the  Christian  doctrine  ; 
he  did  not  reason  himself  into  Christianity 
by  a  chain  of  arguments,  but  was  brought  in¬ 
to  the  highest  degree  of  an  assurance  of  it, 
immediately  from  the  highest  degree  of 
prejudice  against  it  :  by  which  it  appeared, 
that  he  was  made  a  Christian  and  a  preach¬ 
er  by  a  supernatural  power;  so  that  his  con¬ 
version,  in  such  a  miraculous  way,  was  not 
only  to  himself,  but  to  others,  also,  a  con¬ 
vincing  proof  of  the  truth  of  Christianity. 

2.  Perhaps  he  designs  it  for  such  an  ex¬ 
cuse  of  his  persecutors  as  Christ  made  for 
his,  when  He  said,  They  know  not  what  they 
do.  It  is  possible  for  those  to  be  confident 
they  are  in  the  right,  who  yet  are  evidently 
in  the  wrong  ;  and  for  those  to  think  they 
are  doing  their  duty,  who  are  wilfully  per¬ 
sisting  in  the  greatest  sin.  There  is  not  a 
more  violent  principle  in  the  world,  than 
conscience,  misinformed,  1  Tim.  1: 13. 

Paul  filled  the  jails  with  Christians,  made 
himself  the  tool  of  the  chief  priests,  and  was 
very  officious  to  vote,  unasked,  for  the  put¬ 
ting  of  Christians  to  death,  ch.  8: 1.  and  so 
made  himself  partaker  of  the  crime.  He 


brought  them  under  punishments  of  an  infe¬ 
rior  nature,  in  the  synagogues,  where  they 
were  scourged,  as  transgressors  of  the  rules 
of  the  synagogue  ;  he  had  a  hand  in  the 
punishing  of  divers ;  nay,  it  should  seem,  the 
same  persons  were  by  his  means  often  pun¬ 
ished  ;  as  he  himself  was  five  times,  2  Cor. 
11:24.  He  not  only  punished  them  for  their 
religion,  but,  taking  a  pride  in  triumphing 
over  men’s  consciences,  he  forced  them  to 
abjure  their  religion,  by  putting  them  to  the 
torture,  compelled  them  to  blaspheme,  and  to 
say  Christ  was  a  deceiver.  His  rage  swell¬ 
ed  so,  that  Jerusalem  itself  was  too  narrow 
a  stage  for  it  to  act  upon.  He  was  mad, 
to  see  how  much  the  Christians  had  to  say 
for  themselves ;  mad,  to  see  them  multiply  the 
more  for  their  being  afflicted  ;  he  was  ex¬ 
ceedingly  mad,  mad  to  see,  that  those  in 
other  cities  were  not  so  outrageous  against 
the  Christians  as  he  was ;  therefore,  he  made 
himself  busy  there,  where  he  had  no  busi¬ 
ness,  and  persecuted  the  Christians  even  in 
strange  cities.  There  is  not  a  more  restless 
principle  than  malice,  especially  [that]  which 
pretends  conscience. 

This  was  Paul’s  character,  and  this  his 
manner  of  life  in  the  beginning  of  his  time; 
therefore  he  could  not  be  presumed  to  be  a 
Christian  by  education  or  custom,  or  that 
he  was  drawn  in  by  hope  of  preferment,  for 
all  imaginable  external  objections  lay  against 
his  being  a  Christian. 

V.  12 — 23.  All  who  believe  a  God,  and 
have  a  reverence  for  his  sovereignty,  must 
acknowledge,  that  they  who  speak  and  act 
by  direction  and  warrant  from  Him,  are  not 
to  be  opposed  ;  for  that  is  fighting  against 
God.  Now  Paul  here,  by  a  plain  and  faith¬ 
ful  narrative  of  matters  of  fact,  makes  it 
out  to  this  august  assembly,  that  he  had  an 
immediate  call  from  heaven  to  preach  the 
Gospel  of  Christ  to  the  Gentile  world, 
which  was  the  thing  that  exasperated  the 
Jews  against  him.  He  here  shows, 

I.  That  he  was  made  a  Christian  by  a  di¬ 
vine  power;  notwithstanding  all  his  prejudi¬ 
ces  against  that  way,  he  was  brought  into  it 
on  a  sudden  by  the  hand  of  heaven  ;  not 
compelled  by  outward  force,  but  by  a  divine 
and  spiritual  energy,  by  a  revelation  of 
Christ  from  above,  both  to  him  and  in  him  : 
and  this  when  in  the  full  career  of  his  sin, 
going  to  Damascus,  to  suppress  Christianity 
by  persecuting  the  Christians  there ;  as  hot 
as  ever  in  the  cause,  his  persecuting  fury  not 
in  the  least  spent  or  tired,  nor  he  tempted 
to  give  it  up  by  the  failing  of  his  friends, 
for  he  had  at  this  time  as  ample  an  authority 
and  commission  from  the  chief  priests ,  as  ever 
he  had,  to  persecute  Christianity,  when  he 
was  obliged  by  a  superior  power  to  give  up 
that,  and  accept  another  commission  to 
preach  up  Christianity. 

Paul  thought  Jesus  was  buried,  and, 
though  stolen  out  of  his  own  sepulchre, 
yet  laid  in  some  other  ;  all  the  Jews  were 
taught  to  say  so,  and,  therefore,  he  is  amazed 
to  hear  Him  speak  from  heaven,  to  see  Him 
surrounded  with  all  this  glory,  whom  he  had 
loaded  with  all  possible  igno'miny.  This 
convinced  him  the  doctrine  of  Jesus  was  di¬ 
vine  and  heavenly,  and  not  only  not  to  be  op¬ 
posed,  but  to  be  cordially  embraced  ;  that 
Jesus  is  the  Messiah,  for  He  is  not  only  risen 
from  the  dead,  but  He  has  received  from  God 
the  Father  honor  and  glory ;  and  this  is 
enough  to  make  him  a  Christian  immedi¬ 
ately. 

II.  That  he  was  made  a  minister  by  a 
divine  authority  ;  that  the  same  Jesus,  that 
appeared  to  him  in  that  glorious  light,  ordered 
him  to  go  preach  the  Gospel  to  the  Gentiles; 
he  was  not.  sent  by  men  like  himself,  but  by 
Him  whom  the  Father  sent,  John  20  :  21. 
What  is  said  of  his  being  an  apostle,  is 
here  joined  immediately  to  that  which  was 


V.  16 — 18.  It  is  evident,  this  commission  was  given  to  Paul  by  our  the  sentence,  in  which  Christ  bids  him  rise  from  his  astonishment,  Into 

Lord,  at  the  time  of  his  conversion  ;  Ihoogh  not  mentioned  in  the  com-  which  his  appearance  to  him,  in  the  way  to  Damascus,  had  thrown  him. 

'  pendious  narrative  of  that  event.  9:lo,  16. — ‘  The  words  make  a  part  of  Doddr.  ‘  To  open  their  eyes  though  their  bodily  eyes  were  open,  and 

L151l 


A/D.  63. 


ACTS,  XXVI. 


Paul’s  defence  before  Jlgrippa. 


17  Delivering  thee  from  the  peo¬ 
ple,  and  from  the  Gentiles,  unto 

*  whom  now  I  send  thee  ; 

18  To  open  r  their  eyes,  and  to 
'turn  them  from  darkness  to  light, 
and  from  the  power  1  of  Satan  unto 
God  ;  that  they  may  receive  for¬ 
giveness  u  of  sins,  and  inheritance 
v  among  them  which  are  w  sancti¬ 
fied,  by  faith  *  that  is  in  me. 

19  Whereupon,  O  king  Agrippa, 
I  was  not  disobedient  unto  the 
heavenly  vision  : 

20  But  shewed  *  first  unto  them 
of  Damascus,  and  at  Jerusalem, 
and  throughout  all  the  coasts  of 
Judea,  and  then  to  the  Gentiles, 
that  they  should  repent  and  turn  to 
God,  and  do  works  1  meet  for  re¬ 
pentance. 

21  For  these  causes  the  Jews 

*  caught  me  in  the  temple,  and  went 
about  to  kill  me. 

22  Having  therefore  obtained 
help  of  God,  I  continue  unto  this 
day,  witnessing  both  to  small  and 
great,  saying  none  other  things 
than  those  which  b  the  prophets  and 
Moses  did  say  should  come  : 

qc.  22:21.  Ro.  2:9.  1:30.  Re.  21:27. 

11:13.  u  Lu.  1:77.  Ep.  x  Ep.  2:8.  He. 

r  Is.  35:5.  42:7.  1:7.  Col.  1:14.  11:6. 

8  Lu.  1:79.  Ju.  v  Ep.  1:11.  Col.  y  c..9,  10,  &c. 

8:12.  2Co.4:6.  1:12.  I  Pe.  1:4.  z  Mat.  3:8. 

Ep.  1:18.  wJn.  17:17.  a  c.  21:30. 

t  Col.  1:13.  1  Pe.  c.  20:32.  1  Co.  b  Lu.  24:27,  46. 

said  to  him  by  the  way,  though  it  appears  by 
ch.  9  :  15.  and  22  :  15,  17,  &c.  that  it  was 
spoken  to  him  afterward  ;  but  he  puts  the 
two  together  for  brevity-sake  ;  Rise,  and 
stand  upon  thy  feet.  He  must  stand  up, 
for  Christ  has  work  for  him  to  do  ;  has  an 
errand,  a  very  great  errand,  to  send  him  on  ; 
I  have  appeared  to  thee  to  make  thee  a  minister. 
Christ  lias  the  making  of  his  own  ministers, 
both  their  qualifications  and  their  commis¬ 
sions  are  from  Him.  Paul  thanks  Christ 
Jesus  who  put  him  into  the  ministry,  1  Tim. 
1:  12.  One  way  or  other,  Christ  will  mani¬ 
fest  Himself  to  all  whom  He  makes  his  min¬ 
isters  ;  for  how  can  they  preach  Him,  who  do 
not  know  Him?  And  how  can  they  knoiv  Him, 
to  whom  He  does  not,  by  his  Spirit,  make 
Himself  known?  Observe, 

The  office  to  which  Paul  is  appointed  ; 
that  of  a  minister,  to  attend  on  Christ,  and 
act  for  Him,  as  a  witness  ;  to  give  evidence 
in  his  cause,  and  attest  the  truth  of  his  doc¬ 
trine  ;  Christ  appeared  to  him,  that  he 
might  appear  for  Christ  before  men.  Christ 
often  appeared  to  Paul,  oftener,  it  is  likely, 
than  is  recorded,  and  still  taught  him,  that 
he  might  still  teach  the  people  knowledge.  F ur- 
tlier,  he  was  taken  under  spiritual  protec¬ 
tion  while  thus  employed  ns  Christ’s  wit¬ 
ness,  v.  17.’ 

Paul  has  a  special  commission  to  go 
among  the  Gentiles,  and,  1.  Two  things 
must  be  done,  which  their  case  calls  for  :  A 
world  that  sits  in  darkness  must  be  enlight¬ 
ened,  and  a  world  that  lieth  in  wickedness, 


must  be  sanctified  and  reformed,  v.  18.  He 
is  sent  to  open  their  eyes,  and  to  turn  them 
from  darkness  to  light.  It  is  not  enough  for 
them  to  have  their  eyes  opened,  they  must 
have  their  hearts  renewed,  must  be  turned 
from  the  power  of  Satan  unto  God;  which 
will  follow  of  course  ;  for  Satan  rules  by 
the  power  of  darkness,  and  God,  by  the  con¬ 
vincing  evidence  of  light.  Sinners  are  un¬ 
der  the  power  of  Satan;  idolaters, in  a  special 
manner,  and  all  sinners  are  under  the  influ¬ 
ence  of  his  temptations  ;  converting  grace 
turns  them  from  under  his  dominion,  and 
brings  them  into  subjection  to  God;  to  con¬ 
form  to  the  rules  of  his  Word,  and  comply 
with  the  dictates  and  directions  of  his  Spirit, 
translates  them  out  of  the  kingdom  of  darkness 
into  the  kingdom  of  his  dear  Son.  When 
gracious  dispositions  are  strong  in  the  soul, 
as  corrupt  and  sinful  dispositions  had  been, 
it  is  then  turned  from  the  power  of  Satan  unto 
God. 

2.  There  is  a  great  happiness  designed 
for  the  Gentiles  by  this  work, — that  they 
may  receive  forgiveness  of  sins,  and  inherit¬ 
ance  among  them  which  are  sanctified ;  they 
are  turned  from  the  darkness  of  sin  to  the 
light  of  holiness,  from  the  slavery  of  Satan 
to  the  service  of  God;  not  that  God  may  be  a 
gainer  by  them,  but  they  gainers  by  Him, — 
be  restored  to  his  favor,  which  by  sin  they 
have  forfeited  and  thrown  themselves  out  of, 
receive  forgiveness  of  sins,  and  be  delivered 
from  the  dominion  of  sin  ;  that  they  may  be 
happy  in  the  [obedience  and]  fruition  of 
Him;  the  forgiveness  of  sins  makes  way  for 
this  inheritance,  by  taking  that  out  of  the 
way,  which  alone  hindered.  All  that  shall 
be  saved  hereafter,  are  sanctified  now ;  those 
that  have  the  heavenly  inheritance,  must  have 
it  in  this  way,  must  be  prepared  and  made 
meet  for  it  ;  none  can  be  happy,  that  are 
not  holy;  nor  shall  any  be  saints  in  heaven, 
that  are  not  first  saints  on  earth.  We  need 
no  more  to  make  us  happy,  than  to  have  our 
lot  among  them  that  are  sanctified  ;  let  us, 
therefore,  now  cast  in  our  lot  among  them,  by 
coming  into  the  communion  of  saints,  and  be 
willing  to  take  our  lot  with  them,  and  share 
with  them  in  their  afflictions,  which,  how 
grievous  soever,  our  lot  with  them  in  the.  in¬ 
heritance  will  abundantly  make  amends  for. 
We  are  sanctified  and  saved  by  faith  in 
Christ  ;  some  refer  it  to  the  word  next  be¬ 
fore,  sanctified  by  faith,  for  faith  purifies  the 
heart,  and  applies  the  promises,  and  subjects 
the  soul  to  tiie  influence  of  that  grace,  by 
which  we  partake  of  a  divine  nature ;  others 
refer  it  to  the  receiving  of  both  pardon  and  the 
inheritance;  it  is  by  faith  accepting  the  grant, 
it  comes  all  to  one;  for  it  is  by  faith  that  we 
art  justified,  sanctified,  and  glorified  ;  by  faith, 
that  faith  which  is  in  Me  ;  it  is  emphatically 
expressed;  that  faith  which  not  only  receives 
divine  revelation  in  general,  but  which,  in  a 
particular  manner,  fastens  on  Jesus  Christ, 
and  his  mediation  ;  by  which  we  rely  on 
Christ  as  the  Lord  our  Righteousness,  and 
resign  ourselves  to  Him,  as  the  Lord  our 
Ruler  ;  this  is  that  by  which  we  receive  the 
remission  of  sins,  the  gift  of  the  Holy  Ghost, 
and  eternal  life. 

III.  That  he  had  discharged  his  ministry, 
pursuant  to  his  commission,  by  divine  aid, 
and  under  divine  direction  and  protection. 


God,  who  called  him  to  be  an  apostle,  owned 
him  in  his  apostolical  work,  and  carried 
him  on  in  it  with  enlargement  and  success. 

1.  God  gave  him  a  heart  to  comply  with 
the  call,  v.  19. 

2.  He  enabled  him  to  go  through  a  grea* 
deal  of  work,  though  in  it  he  grappled  with 
a  great  deal  of  difficulty,  v.  20.  He  ap¬ 
plied  himself  to  the  preaching  of  the  Gospel 
with  all  vigor,  began  at  Damascus,  ch.  9:  20. 
came  soon  to  Jerusalem,  where  he  had  most 
furiously  set  himself  against  Christ,  ch.9 :  28. 
preached  throughout  all  the  coasts  of  Judea,  as 
Christ  had  done,  made  the  first  offer  of  the 
Gospel  to  the  Jews,  as  Christ  had  appointed, 
and  did  not  leave  them  till  they  had  wilfully 
thrust  the  Gospel  from  them;  and  then,  he 
turned  to  the  Gentiles,  and  laid  out  himself 
for  the  good  of  their  souls,  laboring  more 
abundantly  than  any  of  the  apostles,  nay, 
perhaps,  than  all  put  together. 

3.  His  preaching  was  all  practical  ;  not 
notional,  or  speculative,  or  doubtfully  dispu¬ 
tatious,  but  demonstrative  of  the  truth.  He 
taught,  that  men  must  repent  of  their  sins, 
bethink  themselves,  so  the  word  properly  sig¬ 
nifies  ;  turn  to  God,  not  only  turn  from  that 
which  is  evil,  but  turn  to  that  which  is  good  ; 
they  must  turn  to  God,  in  love  and  affection, 
in  duty  and  obedience,  and  they  must  do 
works  meet  for  repentance,  as  John  preached. 
Mat.  3:3.  Those  that  profess  repentance, 
must  practice  it,  in  everything  carry  it  as 
becomes  penitents. 

4.  The  Jews  had  no  quarrel  with  him  but 
on  this  account,  v.  21.  He  suffered  ill,  not 
only  for  doing  well  himself,  but  for  doing 
good  to  others. 

5.  He  had  no  help  but  from  heaven,  and 
by  that,  he  went  on  in  this  great  work,  v.  22. 
It  was  now  above  20  years  since  Paul  was 
converted,  and  all  that  time  he  had  been 
very  busy,  preaching  the  Gospel  in  the  midst 
of  hazards  ;  and  what  bore  him  up  1  Not 
any  strength  of  his  own  resolutions,  but 
having  obtained  help  of  God  ;  ‘/  have  stood, 
my  life  hae  been  preserved,  and  my  work 
continued  ;  I  have  stood  my  ground,  and  have 
not  been  beaten  off ;  I  have  stood  to  what  I 
said,  and  have  not  been  afraid  or  ashamed 
to  persist  in  it.’  The  work  was  so  great, 
and  he  had  so  much  opposition,  he  could  not 
otherwise  have  gone  on  in  it,  but  by  help  ob¬ 
tained  of  God.  And  Paul  mentions  it  as  an 
evidence  that  he  had  his  commission  from 
God,  that  from  Him  he  had  ability  to  exe¬ 
cute  it. 

6.  He  preached  no  doctrine  but  what 
agreed  with  the  scriptures  of  theO.  T.;  he 
witnessed  both  to  small  and  great,  to  all,  all 
being  concerned  in  it  ;  it  was  an  evidence 
of  the  condescending  grace  of  the  Gospel, 
that  the  poor  were  welcome  to  it  ;  and  of 
the  incontestable  truth  and  power  of  it,  that 
it  was  neither  afraid  nor  ashamed  to  show 
itself  to  the  greatest.  The  enemies  of  Paul 
objected  against  him,  that  he  preached 
something  more  than  that  men  should  repent, 
and  turn  to  God,  and  do  works  meet  for  re¬ 
pentance  ;  those,  indeed,  were  but  what  the 
prophets  of  the  O.  T.  had  preached  ;  but, 
besides  these,  he  had  preached  Christ,  and 
his  death,  and  his  resurrection,  and  that  was 
what  they  quarrelled  with  him  for,  as  ap¬ 
pears  by  ch.  25: 19.  that  he  affirmed  Jesus  to 


ttieir  intellectual  powers,  in  secular  matters,  might  be  very  penetrating; 
they  had,  notwithstanding,  been  hitherto  spiritually  blind,  through  the  in¬ 
fluence  of  the  devil,  and  the  depravity  of  their  carnal  minds  ;  so  that  they 
could  see  nothing  of  the  glory  of  God,  of  his  truth  and  will,  or  of  the 
way  of  acceptance  and  holiness. — The  distinction  between  ‘  opening 
their  eyes,  and  turning  them  from  darkness  to  light,’  should  be  particu¬ 
larly  noticed. — To  interpret  the  language  of  this  passage,  as  if  it  were 
exclusively  applicable  to  idolaters,  implies  an  opinion,  that  nominal 
Christians  are  of  a  better  nature  than  other  men  ;  or  that  pride,  covet¬ 
ousness,  and  all  the  other  vices,  by  which  men  are  enslaved  to  Satan, 
are  not  so  heinous  in  professed  Christians,  as  they  are  in  heathens  ! 
Gross  idolatry  indeed  has  been,  in  this  part  of  the  world,  exchanged  for 
irreligion,  infidelity,  superstition,  formality,  and  hypocrisy,  among  nom¬ 
inal  Christians ;  but  the  hearts  and  minds  of  the  unregenerate  and  un¬ 
converted  pre  as  much  blinded  by  aversion  to  spiritual  religion,  and 
by  the  love  of  the  world  and  of  sin,  as  those  of  the  ancient  Gentiles  were. 
‘  Those  who  call  themselves  Christians,  because  they  happen  to  be  born 

[  152J 


in  a  Christian  country;  but  attend  neither  to  the  doctrines,  nor  the  du¬ 
ties  of  the  Gospel,  seem  to  differ  but  littlfe,  with  respect  to  the  point 
under  consideration,  from  those  to  whom  the  Gospel  was  first  preached  ; 
the  process  in  both  must  be  nearly  the  same.’  Bp.  Tomline's  Refuta¬ 
tion  of  Calvinism. — May  it  not  be  added,  ‘  Because  they  have  been 
baptized  with  water  ?’ — (18)  By  faith,  &c.]  ‘This  maybe  referred  to 
sanctified ; .  . .  but  the  sentence  is  much  fuller,  if  we  join  it  with  the 
word  receive.'  Beza.  No  doubt  we  are  ‘  sanctified,’  as  well  as  ‘justi¬ 
fied,’  by  faith  in  Christ;  but  the  xvords  under  consideration  seem  to 
show,  that  all  the  blessings  mentioned  are  received  by  faith  in  Christ, 
and  not  one  of  them  only.  Scott. 

V.  21.  Kill.]  ‘Kill  with  their  oivn  hands.  Beza  justly  observes, 
that  this  is  the  exact  import  of  the  original,  which  was  the  more  prop¬ 
erly  used  here :  as  there  was  reason  to  apprehend,  that  Paul  would  have 
been  actually  pulled  in  pieces,  in  an  assembly,  as  it  seems,  less  nu¬ 
merous  and  less  violent  than  that  which  seized  him  in  the  temple.’ 

Dodd'b. 


A.  D.  63. 


ACTS,  XXVI. 


Festus  charges  Paul  with  madness. 


23  That  Christ  should  suffer, 
and  that  he  should  be  the  first 
c  that  should  rise  from  the  dead, 
and  should  shew  light  uuto  the 
people,  and  to  the  Gentiles. 

24  !T  And  as  he  thus  spake  for 
himself,  Festus  said  with  a  loud 
voice,  Paul,  thou  art  beside  thyself; 
much  learning  doth  make  thee 
d  mad. 

25  But  he  said,  I  am  not  mad, 
most  noble  Festus,  but  speak  forth 
the  words  of  truth  and  soberness. 

26  For  the  king  knoweth  of  these 
things,  before  whom  also  I  speak 
freely :  for  I  am  persuaded  that 
none  of  these  things  are  hidden 
from  him  ;  for  this  thing  was  not 
done  in  a  corner. 

27  King  Agrippa,  believest  thou 
the  prophets  ?  I  know  that  thou 
believest. 

28  Then  Agrippa  said  unto  Paul, 
Almost  thou  “  persuadest  me  to  be 
a  Christian. 

c  1  Co.  15:23.  d  2  K.  9:11.  e  Ja.  1:23,24. 

be  alive;  ‘And  so  I  did,’  says  Paul,  ‘  and  so 
I  do,  but  therein,  also,  I  say  no  other  than 
that  which  Moses  and  the  prophets  said  should 
come  ;  and  what  greater  honor  can  be  done 
to  them,  than  to  show,  that  what  they  fore¬ 
told  is  accomplished,  and  in  the  appointed 
season,  too  ;  that  what  they  said  should 
come,  is  come,  and  at  the  time  they  pre¬ 
fixed  1  ’ 

Three  things  they  prophesied,  and  Paul 
preached.  (1.)  That  Christ  (the  Messiah) 
should  suffer;  be  a  Sufferer;  not  only  a  Man, 
and  capable  of  suffering,  but  that,  as  Mes¬ 
siah,  He  should  be  appointed  to  sufferings  ; 
that  his  ignominious  death  should  be  not 
only  consistent  with,  but  pursuant  of,  his 
undertaking.  The  cross  of  Christ  was  a 
stumbling-block  to  the  Jews,  and  Paul’s 
preaching  that,  was  the  great  thing  that  ex¬ 
asperated  them;  but  Paul  stands  to  it,  that, 
in  preaching  that,  he  preached  the  fulfilling 
of  the  O.  T.  predictions,  and,  therefore, 
they  ought  not  only  not  to  be  offended,  but  to 
embrace  it.  (2.)  That  He  should  be  the  first 
that  should  rise  from  the  dead  ;  not  in  time, 
but  in  influence;  the  Chief  of  the  resurrection, 
the  Head,  or  principal  One,  in  the  same  sense 
that  He  is  called  the  First  begotten  from  the 
dead,  Rev.  1  :  5.  and  the  First-born  from  the 
dead,  Col.  1  :  18.  and  the  first  fruits  of  them 
that  slept,  1  Cor.  15  :  20.  for  He  sanctified 
the  harvest,  was  the  first  that  rose  from  the 
dead,  to  die  no  more  ;  and  to  show  that  the 
resurrection  of  all  believers  is  in  virtue  of 
his,  just  when  He  arose  many  dead  bodies  of 
saints  arose,  and  went  into  the  holy  city,  Mat. 
27:  53.  (3.)  That  He  should  show  light  unto 
the  people,  and  to  the  Gentiles  ;  to  the  Jews 
first,  for  He  was  to  be  the  glory  of  his  people 
Israel;  and  then  to  the  Gentiles,  by  the  min¬ 
istry  of  his  apostles,  for  He  was  to  be  a  Light 
to  lighten  them  who  sat  in  darkness.  In  this 
Paul  refers  to  his  commission,  v.  18.  He 
rose  from  the  dead,  on  purpose  that  He  might 
show  light  to  the  people,  that  He  might  give  a 
convincing  proof  of  the  truth  of  his  doctrine, 


and  might  send  it  with  so  much  the  greater 
power,  both  among  Jews  and  Gentiles.  This, 
also,  was  foretold  by  the  O.  T.  prophets, 
that  the  Gentiles  should  be  brought  to  the  knowl¬ 
edge  of  God  by  the  Messiah  ;  and  what  was 
there  in  all  this,  that  the  Jews  could  justly 
be  displeased  at  1 

V.  24 — 32.  We  have  reason  to  think  Paul 
had  a  great  deal  more  to  say  in  defence  of 
the  Gospel  he  preached;  but  there  is  no  rem¬ 
edy  ;  the  court  thinks  it  is  time  to  proceed  to 
give  in  their  judgment  on  his  case,  and  he 
must  be  interrupted. 

I.  Festus,  the  Roman  governor,  is  con¬ 
vinced  he  is  no  criminal,  nor  bad  man,  that 
should  be  punished,  but  he  takes  him  to  be 
a  lunatic,  a  distracted  man,  that  should  be 
pitied,  but  not  heeded  ;  and  thus  he  thinks 
he  has  found  "out  an  expedient  to  excuse 
himself,  both  from  condemning  Paul  as  a 
prisoner,  and  from  believing  him  as  a 
preacher  ;  for,  if  he  be  not  in  his  senses,  he 
is  not  to  be  either  condemned  or  credited. 

1.  He  said  it  with  a  loud  voice;  a  whisper 
to  those  next  him  had  been  more  excusable, 
but  (without  consulting  Agrippa,  to  whose 
judgment  he  had  seemed  to  pay  profound  def¬ 
erence,  ch.  25  :  26.)  he  said  aloud,  that  he 
might  oblige  Paul  to  break  off,  and  might 
divert  the  auditors,  ‘  Paul,  thou  art  beside 
thyself  A  he  puts  the  most  candid  construc¬ 
tion  he  can  on  his  delirium;  ‘  Much  learning 
hath  made  thee  mad,  thou  hast  cracked  thy 
brains  with  studying.’  This  he  speaks,  not 
so  much  in  anger,  as  in  scorn  and  contempt; 
what  Paul  said  was  above  his  capacity,  all 
a  riddle  to  him ;  therefore,  he  imputes  it  to 
a  heated  imagination.  lie  owns  Paul  to  be 
a  scholar,  but  even  this  is  turned  to  his  re¬ 
proach.  The  apostles  who  were  fishermen, 
were  despised  because  they  had  no  learning; 
Paul,  who  was  a  university-man,  and  bred  a 
Pharisee,  is  despised  as  having  too  much 
learning,  more  than  did  him  good  :  the  ene¬ 
mies  of  Christ’s  ministers  will  always  have 
something  to  upbraid  them  with  !  He  re¬ 
proaches  him  as  a  madman.  The  prophets 
of  the  O.  T.  were  thus  stigmatized,  to  pre¬ 
judice  people  against  them,  by  putting  them 
into  an  ill  name,  2  K.  9  :  11.  Hos.  9  :  7. 
John  Baptist  and  Christ  were  represented  as 
having  a  devil,  as  being  crazed.  Probably 
Paul  now  spake  with  more  life  and  earnest¬ 
ness  than  in  the  beginning  of  his  discourse, 
and  used  some  gestures  expressive  of  his 
zeal,  therefore  Festus  put  this  invidious 
character  on  him,  which,  perhaps,  never  a 
pne  in  the  company  but  himself  thought  of. 

2.  How  Paul  cleared  himself ;  it  should 
seem,  it  had  been  said  of  him  by  the  false 
apostles,  2  Cor.  5: 13.  but  never  charged  on 
him  before  the  Roman  governor;  therefore 
he  must  say  something  to  this.  (1.)  He 
denies  the  charge,  with  due  respect  indeed 
to  the  governor,  but  with  justice  to  himself, 
protesting  that  there  was  neither  ground  nor 
color  for  it,  v.  25.  Observe,  Though  Festus 
gave  Paul  this  base  and  contemptuous  usage, 
yet  Paul  is  so  far  from  resenting  it,  and  be¬ 
ing  provoked  by  it,  that  he  gives  him  all 
possible  respect,  compliments  him  with  his 
proper  title  of  honor,  most  noble  Festus,  to 
teach  us  not  to  render  railing  for  railing,  nor 
one  invidious  character  for  another,  but  to 
speak  civilly  to  those  who  speak  slightly  of 
us.  It  becomes  us,  on  all  occasions,  to 
speak  the  words  of  truth  and  soberness,  and 


then  we  may  despise  the  unjust  censures  of 
men.  (2.)  He  appeals  to  Agrippa  concern¬ 
ing  what  he  spake,  v.  26.  He  knew  those 
things  were  not  fancies,  but  matters  of  fact, 
knew  something  of  them,  and,  therefore, 
W'ould  be  willing  to  know  more  ;  his  own 
conversion,  and  commission  to  preach  the 
Gospel,  Agrippa  could  not  but  have  heard  of, 
having  been  so  long  conversant  among  the 
Jews  ;  all  the  country  rang  of  it  ;  and  any 
of  the  Jews  present  might  have  witnessed  for 
him,  that  they  had  heard  it  many  a  time 
from  others,  and  therefore  it  was  unreason¬ 
able  to  censure  him  as  a  distracted  man  for 
relating  it,  much  more  for  speaking  of  the 
death  and  resurrection  of  Christ,  which  was 
so  universally  spoken  of.  Peter  tells  Cor¬ 
nelius  and  his  friends,  ch.  10:37.  That  word 
you  know,  which  was  published  throughout  all 
Judea  concerning  Christ  ;  and,  therefore, 
Agrippa  could  not  be  ignorant  of  it,  and  it 
was  a  shame  for  Festus  that  he  wms  so. 

II.  Agrippa,  so  far  from  thinking  him  a 
madman,  thinks  he  never  heard  a  man  argue 
more  strongly,  nor  talk  more  to  the  purpose. 

1.  Paul  applies  himself  closely  to  Agrip- 
pa’s  conscience  :  and  because  he  had  men¬ 
tioned  Moses  and  the  prophets,  as  confirming 
the  Gospel  he  preached,  he  refers  Agrippa  to 
them,  v.  27.  Dost  thou  receive  the  scrip¬ 
tures  of  the  O,  T.  as  a  divine  revelation,  and 
admit  them  as  foretelling  good  things  to  come? 
He  does  not  stay  for  an  answer,  but,  in  com¬ 
pliment  to  Agrippa,  takes  it  for  granted  ;  I 
know  that  thou  believest  ;  for  every  one  knew 
that  Agrippa  professed  the  Jews’  religion, 
as  his  fathers  had  done,  and  therefore  both 
knew  the  writings  of  the  prophets,  and  gave 
credit  to  them. 

2.  Agrippa  owns  there  was  a  great  deal 
of  reason  in  what  Paul  said,  v.  28.  Some 
understand  this  as  spoken  ironically,  and 
read  it  thus,  Wouldest  thou  in  so  little  a  lime 
persuade  me  to  be  a  Christian  ?  But  taking  it 
so,  it  is  an  acknowledgment  that  Paul  spake 
very  much  to  the  purpose,  and  that  to  his 
mind  there  came  a  convincing  power  in 
what  he  said.  Others  take  it  as  spoken 
seriously,  and  as  a  confession  that  he  was, 
within  a  little,  convinced  that  Christ  was  the 
Messiah  ;  for  he  could  not  but  own,  and  had 
many  a  time  thought  so  within  himself,  that 
the  prophecies  of  the  O.  T.  had  had  their 
accomplishment  in  Him;  and  now  that  it  is 
urged  thus  solemnly  on  him,  he  is  ready  to 
yield  to  the  conviction,  and  is  as  near  per¬ 
suaded  to  believe  in  Christ,  as  Felix,  when 
he  trembled,  was  to  leave  his  sins  ;  he  sees 
a  great  deal  of  reason  for  Christianity,  so 
that  if  it  were  not  for  his  obligations  to  the 
ceremonial  law,  his  respect  to  the  religion  of 
his  fathers  and  of  his  country,  or  his  regard 
to  his  dignity  as  a  king,  and  to  his  secular 
interests,  [&c.  &c.]  he  would  turn  Christian 
immediately.  Many  are  almost  persuaded  to 
be  religious,  who  are  not  quite  persuaded  ; 
they  are  under  strong  convictions  of  their 
duty,  and  of  the  excellency  of  the  ways  of 
God,  but  yet  are  overruled  by  some  external 
inducements,  and  do  not  pursue  their  con¬ 
victions. 

3.  Paul,  not  being  allowed  time  to  pursue 
his  argument,  concludes  with  a  compliment, 
or  rather  a  pious  wish,  that  all  his  hearers 
we’e  Christians,  and  this  wish  turned  into 
prayer,  I  pray  to  God  for  it,  v.  29.  it  was 
his  heart's  desire  and  prayer  to  God  for  them 


V.  24 — 29.  Festus  had  never  heard  anything  before  on  these  sub¬ 
jects  ;  the  resurrection  of  Jesus,  and  the  vision  of  Paul,  appeared  to  him 
incredible,  or  visionary  in  the  highest  degree.  Probably  he  was  astonish¬ 
ed  to  hear  him  speak  of  his  doctrine, as  of  universal  concernment ;  and  aver 
that  one,  who  arose  among  the  despised  Jew's,  was  appointed  to  be  ‘  the 
I.ight  of  the  Gentiles,’  even  of  the  philosophical  Greeks  and  Romans. 
He  perhaps  had  observed,  that  the  apostle  spent  much  time  in  retire¬ 
ment,  study,  and  reading. — To  this  rude  interruption,  before  so  large  and 
splendid  an  audience,  the  apostle  calmly  and  gravely  replied,  addressing 
the  governor,  by  the  customary  title.  Scott. 

(24.)  ‘  It  has  been  the  opinion  of  the  vulgar,  in  all  ages,  that  devoted 
attention  to  mental  or  spiritual  pursuits,  tends  to  madness.  And,  in  il¬ 
lustration  of  this,  Kypke  and  Wets,  adduce  numerous  passages  from  the 
classical  writers.’  Bloomf. 

N.  T.  VOL.  V.  20 


(27.)  ‘  This  passage  may  be  thought,  in  every  quality  of  fine  writing, 
equal  to  anything  to  be  found  in  Uemosthenes,  or  any  of  the  ancient 
orators.’  Bloomf. 

(28.)  Almost  thou  persuadest.]  ‘To  interpret  this  as  an  irony,  is 
supposing  Agrippa  very  unseasonably  and  absurdly  ludicrous.  . .  and  it 
plainly  appears  from  Paul’s  answer,  and  from  the  sense  in  which  he 
there  uses  almost,  in  opposition  to  altogether,  that  he  took  him  to 
mean  seriously  that  he  was  almost  persuaded,  and  consequently  that  he 
did  indeed  mean  so.’  Doddr. — ‘Paul  was  proceeding  to  prove,  that  the 
prophets  had  pointed  out  Jesus  as  the  promised  Messiah,  when  Agrippa 
interrupted  him  by  the  words,  “  Almost,”  &c.  accompanied  (as  I  sus¬ 
pect)  with  a  motion  to  take  his  departure.’  Pearce.  Bloomf.,  who 
thinks  the  ‘almost,’  &c.  was  ‘pronounced  in  that  sort  of  complimenta¬ 
ry,  nonchalance  insincerity',  into  which  would  be  apt  to  run,  good- 

[153J 


20 


A.  D.  63. 


ACTS,  XXVII. 


Jlgrippa  pronounces  Paul  innocent. 


29  And  Paul  said,  I  would  fto 
God,  that  not  only  thou,  but  also  all 
that  hear  me  this  day,  were  both 
almost,  and  altogether  such  as  I 
am,  except  these  bonds. 

30  IT  And  when  he  had  thus 
spoken,  the  king  rose  up,  and  the 
governor,  and  Bernice,  and  they 
that  sat  with  them. 

31  And  when  they  were  gone 
aside,  they  talked  between  them¬ 
selves,  saying,  This  man  doeth 
nothing  worthy  of  death  or  of 
bonds. 

32  Then  said  Agrippa  unto  Fes- 
tus,  This  man  might  have  been  set 
at  liberty,  if  he  had  not  appealed 
unto  Cesar. 

CHAP.  XXVII. 

1  Paul,  shipping  toward  Rome,  10  foretelleth  of  the  dancer 
of  the  voyage,  11  but  is  not  believed.  14  They  are  loosed 
to  and  fro  with  tempest,  41  and  suffer  shipwreck,  *2,  34, 
44  yet  all  come  safe  to  land, 

AND  when  it  was  determined 
that  we  should  sail  into  Italy, 
they  delivered  a  Paul,  and  certain 
other  prisoners,  unto  one  named 
Julius,  a  centurion  of  Augustus’ 
band. 

flCo.  7:7.  a  c.  25:12,  25. 

all,  that  they  might  be  saved ,  Roin.  10:  1. 
Hereby,  He  professes  his  resolution  to  cleave 
to  his  religion,  as  that  which  he  was  entire¬ 
ly  satisfied  in,  and  determined  to  live  and 
die  by.  He  intimates  his  satisfaction,  not 
only  in  the  truth,  hut  in  the  benefit  and  ad¬ 
vantage  of  Christianity  ;  he  could  not  wish 
better  to  the  best  friend  he  had  in  the  world, 
than  to  wish  him  such  an  one  as  he  was,  a 
faithful,  zealous  disciple  of  Jesus  Christ  ; 
and  it  was  his  trouble  and  concern,  that 
Agrippa  went  no  further  than  being  almost 
a  Christian,  and  not  altogether  one ;  fir  he 
wishes  that  he  and  the  rest  of  them  might  be. 
not  only  almost,  (what  good  would  that  do  ’) 
but  altogether  such  as  he  icrt6',s  in  cere,  thorough¬ 
paced  Christians  :  it  was  their  concern,  and 
would  he  the  unspeakable  happiness  of  every 
one  of  them,  to  become  true  Christians ;  that 
there  is  grace  enough  in  Christ  for  all,  he 
they  ever  so  many  ;  enough  for  each,  be 
they  ever  so  craving.  He  intimates  the 


hearty  good-will  he  bore  to  them  all  ;  he 
wishes  them  as  well  as  he  wished  his  own 
soul,  nay,  better,  than  he  was  now  as  to  his 
outward  condition,  for  lie  excepts  these  bonds ; 
he  comforted  Christians,  as  he,  hut  not  per¬ 
secuted  Christians,  as  he;  they  made  light  of 
his  imprisonment,  and  were  in  no  concern 
for  him  ;  Felix  continued  him  in  bonds  to 
gratify  the  Jews  ;  now  this  would  have  tempt¬ 
ed  many  a  one  to  wish  them  all  in  his  bonds; 
but  so  far  from  this,  when  he  wished  them  in 
bonds  to  Christ,  he  desired  they  might  never 
he  in  bonds  for  Christ.  Nothing  could  be 
said  more  [strikingly,]  tenderly,  nor  with  a 
better  grace. 

HI.  They  all  agree  Paul  was  wronged. 

1.  The  court  broke  up  with  some  precip¬ 
itation,  v.  30.  When  he.  had  spoken  that 
obliging  ward,  v.  29.  afraid, if  he  were  per¬ 
mitted  to  go  on,  he  would  say  something  yet 
more  moving,  which  might  work  on  some 
of  them  to  appear  more  in  his  favor  than 
was  convenient,  and  perhaps  might  prevail 
with  them  to  turn  Christians  ;  the  king  him¬ 
self  durst  not  trust  himself  to  hear  more,  but, 
like  Felix,  dismissed  Paul  for  this  time. 
They  ought,  in  justice  to  have  asked  the 
prisoner,  whether  he  had  any  more  to  say 
for  himself. 

2.  They  all  concurred  in  an  opinion  of 
Paul’s  innocency, v.31.  and  withdrew, to  con¬ 
sult  and  know  one  another’s  minds ;  and  they 
agree,  he  is  not  a  criminal  that  deserves  to 
die ;  nay  he  doeth  nothing  worthy  of  bonds;  he 
is  not  a  dangerous  man,  whom  it  is  prudence 
to  confine.  After  this,  Nero  made  it  death 
to  profess  the  Christian  religion,  hut  as  yet 
there  was  no  larv  of  that  kind  among  the 
Romans  ;  and  this  judgment  of  their’s  is  a 
testimony  against  that  wicked  law,  that 
Paul,  the  most  active,  zealous  Christian  that 
ever  was,  was  adjudged,  even  by  those  that 
were  no  friends  to  his  way,  to  have  done 
nothing  worthy  of  death,  or  of  bonds.  Thus 
was  he  made  manifest  in  the  consciences  of 
those  who  yet  would  not  receive  his  doc¬ 
trine  ;  and  the  clamors  of  the  hot-headed 
Jews,  who  cried  out,  Away  with  him,  it  is 
nut  fit  he  should  live,  were  shamed  by  the 
moderate  counsels  of  this  court. 

3.  Agrippa  gave  his  judgment,  that  he 
might  have  been  set  at  liberty,  if  he  had  nut 
himself  ajrpecdcd  to  Cesar,  v.  32.  Some  think, 


charge  him  than  they  could  condemn  him  ; 
and  we  suppose  the  law  was  so,  if  the  pros¬ 
ecutors  joined  issue  on  the  appeal,  and  con¬ 
sented  to  it.  But  it  does  not  appear  that  in 
Paul’s  case  they  did  so  ;  lie  was  forced  to 
do  it,  to  screen  himself  from  their  fury,  when 
he  saw  the  governor  did  not  take  the  care 
he  ought  for  his  protection.  Therefore  others 
think,  that  Agrippa  and  Festus,  being  unwil¬ 
ling  to  disoblige  the  Jews  by  setting  him  at 
liberty,  made  this  serve  as  an  excuse  for  con¬ 
tinuing  him  in  custody,  when  they  them¬ 
selves  knew  they  might  have  justified  the 
discharging  of  him.  Agrippa,  who  was  but 
almost  persuaded  to  be  a  Christian,  proves 
no  better  than  if  he  had  not  been  at  all  per¬ 
suaded. 

Whether  Paul  repented  having  appealed  to 
Cesar,  as  a  rash  thing, now  he  saw  it  hindered 
his  discharge,  I  cannot  tell.  He  had  reason, 
perhaps,  to  regret  it,  and  to  charge  himself 
with  imprudence  and  impatience  in  it,  and 
some  distrust  of  the  divine  protection.  He 
had  better  have  appealed  to  God  than  to  Ce¬ 
sar.  It  confirms  what  Solomon  says,  Eccl. 
G:12.  What  we  think  is  for  our  welfare 
often  proves  to  he  a  trap;  such  short-sighted 
creatures  are  we,  and  so  ill-advised,  in  lean¬ 
ing,  as  we  do,  to  our  own  understanding . 
Or,  notwithstanding  this,  he  may  have  been 
satisfied  in  what  he  had  done;  his  appealing 
;  to  Cesar  was  lawful,  and  what  became  a 
Roman  citizen,  and  would  help  to  make  his 
|  cause  considerable;  and  forasmuch  as,  when 
he  did  it,  it  appeared  to  him,  as  the  case 
then  stood,  to  he  for  the  best,  though  after¬ 
ward  it  appeared  otherwise,  he  did  not  vex 
himself  with  any  self-reproach  in  the  matter, 
hut  believed  there  was  a  providence  in  it, 
and  it  would  issue  well  at  last.  And  be¬ 
sides,  he  was  told  in  a  vision,  that  lie  must 
!  bear  witness  to  Christ  at  Rome,  ch.  23:  11. 
And  it  is  all  one  to  him,  whether  he  goes 
|  thither  a  prisoner  or  at  his  liberty;  he  knows 
the  counsel  of  the  Lord  shall  stand,  and  says. 
Let  it  stand.  The  will  of  the  Lord  be  done  ! 


Chap.  XXVII.  This  whole  ch.  is  taken 
up  with  an  account  of  Paul’s  voyage  toward 
Rome,  when  he  was  sent  thither  a  prisoner 
;  by  Festus  the  governor,  on  his  appeal  to 
!  Cesar. 


V.  1 — 11.  It  does  not  appear  how  long 
that,  by  the  Roman  law,  this  was  true,  that,  j  after  Paul’s  conference  with  Agrippa  lie  was 
when  a  prisoner  had  appealed  to  the  supreme  !  sent  away.  But, 

court,  the  inferior  courts  could  no  more  dis-  i  I.  Paul  was  shipped  off  for  Italy  ;  a  long 


TRACT.  OBS.  When  Christian  love  abounds  in  the  heart,  it  dic¬ 
tates  a  sincere  language,  far  surpassing  ail  compliment  and  worldly  po¬ 
liteness;  and  teaches  us  to  ‘  render  honor  to  whom  honor  is  due,’  with¬ 
out  flattery  or  fear  of  man. — A  moral  conduct,  nnd  a  form  of  godliness, 
are  often  connected  with  a  bigoted  aversion  to  the  Gospel  ;  and  this 
leads  to  many  other  heinous  crimes  ;  \  et  it  is  a  mercy  to  lie  preserved, 
during  our  unconverted  years,  from  those  vices,  which  might  afterwards 
disgrace  onr  characters  among  worldly  people,  and  so  prevent  the  influ¬ 
ence  of  our  testimony  ;  and  this  is  greatly  corrnhot nted,  when  they,  who 
‘knew  our  manner  of  life  from  our  youth,’  could  testify,  that  we  then 
acted  consistently  with  our  principles,  and  according  to  what  we  thought 
right ;  for  they  may  thence  infer,  that  onr  change  of  sentiment  and 
conduct  also  originated  from  a  regard  to  duty. — Those  who  have  been 
most  strict  in  their  conduct,  previous  to  conversion,  Will  afterwards  see 
abundant  cause  for  deep  humiliation,  even  on  account  of  things,  which 
at  the  time  they  ‘verily  thought  they  ought  to  do  their  contemptuous 
or  injurious  treatment  of  the  saints,  tlteir  opposition  to  the  Gospel,  and 
endeavors  to  seduce,  reason,  or  terrify  others  into  a  neglect  of  it,  will 
often  sit  very  heavily  on  their  minds ;  and  they  will  condemn  those 
words,  as  impious  and  blasphemous,  which  they  ones  uttered,  or  excit¬ 
ed  others  to  utter,  without  remorse;  nnd  allow'  that  conduct  to  he  mad¬ 
ness,  in  which  they  once  gloried.— For  railing  on  men  to  ‘repent  and 
he  converted  ;’  and  for  ‘  witnessing  none  other  things,’  than  what  are 
evidently  contained  in  the  Holy  Scriptures ;  what  numbers  have  been 
execrated,  persecuted,  and  slain,  even  by  the  professed  worshippers  of 
God  ! — The  persons  whom  God  employs  to  protect  his  servants,  often 
despise  them  as  visionaries  or  madmen,  for  being  so  zealous  about  invis¬ 
ible  objects,  fur  believing  subjects  so  mysterious,  crediting  fiicts  of  so 

naltired,  easy  characters,  ns  was  Agrippa ;'  whom  Jos.  calls  luxurious, 
somewhat  free-thinking,  little  attentive  to  religion,  yet  good-humored, 
and  by  no  means  tyrannical.’  ‘The  grave  energy,  and  dignified  pathos 
of  the  whole  sentence,  [Paul’s  reply,]  is  inexpressible.’  Era 

(2D.)  Prisoners  (see  Toe.  nnd  Suet,  were  brought  forward  for  trial  in 
chains  ;  nnd  Paul,  doubtless,  [with  powerful  effect,]  held  his  chains  up, 
as  he  spoke.  Being  in  mililari  custotlia,  Paul  was  yet  chained,  by  his 
right  hand,  to  the  left  hand  of  the  soldier  that  guarded  him.  See  111.  In. 

V.  30 — 32.  It  does  not  appear,  that  either  Agrippa  or  Festus,  or  any 
of  those  present,  inquired  further  after  Christ  and  his  salvation  ;  and  this 

PK4] 


extraordinary  a  nature  ;  nnd  relating  their  experience  of  the  way  in 
which  the  I.ord  brought  them  to  trust  in  his  grace,  and  embrace  his  Gos¬ 
pel  ;  and  for  attesting  that  the  same  faith  nnd  diligence,  and  an  expe¬ 
rience  in  many  respects  similar,  are  indispensably  necessary  to  all  men, 
both  small  and  great,  in  order  to  their  salvation.  Indeed  few  ascribe 
the  madness  of  modern  teachers  to  deep  study,  or  much  learning;  but 
they  rather  impute  it  to  weakness  of  intellect,  or  contemptible  igno¬ 
rance  ;  whatever  evidences  they  give  of  good  sense,  enlarged  minds,  and 
extensive  knowledge  in  other  subjects.  We  should  cautiously  avoid  all 
real  enthusiasm,  and  whatever  is  ambiguous,  or  incapable  of  being  sup¬ 
ported  by  appropriate  evidence,  whilst  we  deny,  nnd  attempt  to  refute, 
the  charge  of  being  visionaries  and  fanatics. — It  is  highly  important  for 
tis  to  lead  men’s  attention,  by  clear  instructions,  conclusive  arguments, 
mu]  w'ell  authenticated  facts,  to  the  sacred  oracles,  as  the  standard  of 
truth  ;  and  w  hile  we  inquire,  whether  onr  hearers  do  indeed  believe  the 
Scriptures,  we  should,  as  much  as  may  be,  take  it  for  granted,  that  they 
do  ;  for  many  assent  to  the  troth  of  the  Bible,  and  pay  a  respect  to  the 
testimonies  from  it,  who  have  not  yet  understood  or  received  the  doc¬ 
trines  of  salvation  there  revealed . Ill  doing  this,  the  language,  of 

fervent,  disinterested  affection  is  peculiarly  becoming;  nnd  we  should 
sincerely  desire  and  prav,  that  others  may  participate  nil  onr  hopes 
and  comforts;  nnd  he  exempted  from  cur  crosses  and  trials.  Yet  even 
this  beautiful  philanthropy,  when  expressed  in  the  most  graceful  and 
coneiliatory  language,  will  fail  to  recommend  the  holy  Gospel  to  the 
carnVi)  hearts  of  worldly  men.  Alas  ;  how  many  such  persons  have 
been  ‘  almost  persuaded  to  be  Christians,’ who,  nevertheless,  at  last  per¬ 
ished  in  their  sins  I  God  grant  that  none  who  rend  these  observations 
may  be  found  in  that  unhappy  number  !  Scott. 

most  admirable  speech  of  the  apostle  seems  to  have  been  peculiarly  un- 
successfnl,  as  to  the  event  of  it  at  that  time.  Scott. 

(32.)  ‘  The  great  civilian  and  commentator,  Grotius,  tells  us,  that  by 
such  an  appeal  (as  is  here]  the  pow  er  of  the  Judge,  from  whom  it  was 
made,  had  ceased,  whether  for  acqnillal  or  condemnation;  tile  cogni¬ 
zance  of  the  whole  Business  thenceforw  ard  resting  solely  with  the  supe¬ 
rior.’  Bioomp. 

NOTES.  Ctiap.  XXVII.  V.  1,2.  As  this  centurion  belonged  to  the 
emperor's  own  cohort,  or  regiment,  it  is  probable  that  he  was  going  to 
Rome  on  other  business.  Adramyttiuin  wras  a  city  of  Mysia,  on  the 


A.  D.  63 


ACTS,  XXVII. 


Paul's  voyage  toward  Rome. 


2  And  entering  into  a  ship  of 
Adramyttiinn,  we  launched,  mean¬ 
ing  to  sail  by  the  coasts  of  Asia  ; 
one  b  Aristarchus,  a  Macedonian  of 
Thessalonica,  being  with  us. 

3  And  the  next  day  we  touched 
at  Sidon.  And  Julius  courteous¬ 
ly  'entreated  Paul,  and  gave  him 
liberty  to  go  unto  his  friends  to 
refresh  himself. 

4  And  when  we  had  launched 
from  thence,  we  sailed  under  Cy¬ 
prus,  because  the  winds  were  con¬ 
trary. 

5  And  when  we  had  sailed  over 
the  sea  of  Cilicia  and  Pamphylia, 
we  came  to  Myra,  a  city  of  Lycia. 

6  And  there  the  centurion  found 
a  ship  of  Alexandria  sailing  into 
Italy ;  and  he  put  us  therein. 

7  And  when  we  had  sailed  slow¬ 
ly  many  days,  and  scarce  were 
come  over  against  Cnidus,  the  wind 
not  suffering  us,  we  sailed  under 
4  Crete,  over  against  Salmone  ; 

8  And,  hardly  passing  it,  came 
unto  a  place  which  is  called  The 
Fair  Havens  ;  nigh  whereunto  was 
the  city  o/Lasea. 

9  Now  when  much  time  was 
spent,  and  when  sailing  was  now 
dangerous,  because  the  c  fast  was 
now  already  past,  Paul  admonished 
them , 

10  And  said  unto  them,  Sirs,  I 
perceive  fthat  this  voyage  will  be 
with  5  hurt  and  much  damage,  not 
only  of  the  lading  and  ship,  but 
also  of  our  lives. 

b  c.  19:20.  ou  the  10th  day  Da.  2:50.  Am. 

c  c.  24:23.  28:16.  of  the7thmoutb.  3;7. 
d  or,  Candid.  Le.  23:27,29.  g  or,  injury. 

c  The  Fast  was  f  2  K.  6:9,  10. 

voyage,  but  there  is  no  remedy.  He  ap¬ 
pealed  to  Cesar,  and  to  Cesar  he  must  go. 
It  was  determines!,  determined  by  (lie  counsel 
of  God,  before  it  was  by  that  of  Festus,  that 
we  should  sail  into  Italy,  for  to  Rome  they 
must  go  by  sea  ;  by  land  would  have  been 
a  vast  way  about.  Hence  when  the  Roman 
conquest  of  the  Jewish  nation  is  foretold,  it 
is  said,  Nttm.  24:  24.  Ships  shall  come  from 
Shittim,  i.  e.  Italy,  and  shall  afflict  Eber,  i.  e. 
the  Hebrews.  Now  here  we  are  told, 

1.  He  was  committed  to  the  custody  of 
one  named  Julius,  a  centurion  of  Augustus’ 
band;  as  Cornelius  was  of  the  Italian  band, 
or  legion,  ch.  10:  1.  He  had  soldiers  under 
him,  who  were  a  guard  on  Paul,  both  for 
security  and  protection. 

2.  He  embarked  in  a  ship  of  Adramyt- 


tium,  t1.  2.  a  [famous]  sea-port  of  Africa, 
whence  this  ship  brought  African  goods,  on 
a  coasting  voyage  for  Syria. 

3.  His  company  ;  some  prisoners  com¬ 
mitted  to  thp  custody  of  the  same  centurion, 
who,  probably,  had  appealed  to  Cesar  too, 
or  were  on  some  other  account  removed  to 
Rome,  to  1«  tried  there,  or  examined  as  wit¬ 
nesses  against  some  prisoners  there;  perhaps 
some  notorious  offenders,  like  Barabbas, 
who  were  therefore  ordered  to  be  brought 
before  the  emperor  himself.  It  is  no  new 
thing  for  the  innocent  to  be  numbered  among 
the  transgressors.  But  lie  had  also  some  of 
bis  friends  with  him,  Luke,  particularly,  the 
penman  of  this  book,  for  lie  puls  himself  in 
all  along,  (We  sailed,  We  launched,  v.  2.) 
also  Aristarchus  a  Thessalonian ;  Lightfoot 
thinks,  Trophimus  the  Ephesian  went  off 
with  him,  but  that  he  left  him  sick  at  Mile- 
turn,  2  Tim.  4:20.  when  he  passed  by  those 
coasts  of  Asia,  mentioned  here,  v.  2.  and 
that  there  likewise  he  left  Timothy.  It  was 
:»  comfort  to  Paul  to  have  some  of  his  friends 
in  this  tedious  voyage,  when  he  had  so  much 
loose,  profane  company  about  him.  Those 
that  go  long  voyages  at  sea,  are  commonly 
necessitated  to  sojourn,  as  it  were,  in  Mesecii 
and  Kedar,  and  have  need  of  wisdom,  that 
they  may  do  good  to  the  bad  company  they 
are  in,  making  them  better,  or  at  least  be 
made  never  the  worse  by  them. 

II.  The  course  they  steered,  and  the 
places  they  touched  at,  are  particularly  re¬ 
corded,  to  confirm  the  truth  of  the  history  to 
those  who  lived  at  that  time,  and  could  by 
their  own  knowledge  tell  of  their  being  at 
such  and  such  a  place. 

1.  They  touched  at  Sidon,  whither  they 
came  the  next  day.  And  (what  is  observa¬ 
ble)  there  Julius,  the  centurion,  was  extra¬ 
ordinarily  civil  to  Paul  ;  probably  lie  was 
one  of  the  chief  captains  or  principal  men,  that 
heard  him  plead  his  own  cause  before  Agrip- 
pa,  ch.  25:  23.  and  was  convinced  of  bis 
innocency,  and  therefore  treated  him  as  a 
friend,  as  a  scholar,  as  a  gentleman,  and  as 
a  man  that  had  an  interest  in  heaven  ;  he 
gave  him  liberty,  while  the  business  of  the 
ship  stayed  at  Sidon,  to  go  among  his  friends 
there,  to  refresh  himself ;  and  it  would  be 
a  great  refreshment  to  him.  Julius  herein 
gives  an  example  to  those  in  power,  to  be 
respectful  to  those  whom  they  find  worthy  of 
their  respect.  God  herein  encourages  those 
that  suffer  for  Hi  in,  to  trust  in  Him;  for  He 
can  put  it  into  the  hearts  of  those  to  befriend 
them,  from  whom  they  least  expect  it  ;  can 
make  them  to  be  pitied,  nay,  prized  and  val¬ 
ued,  even  in  the  eyes  of  those  that  carry  them 
captive,  Ps.  106:46.  And  it  is  likewise  an 
instance  of  Paul’s  fidelity;  being  out  on  his 
parole  of  honor,  he  faithfully  returns  to  his 
imprisonment;  if  the  centurion  be  so  civil  as 
to  take  his  word,  he  is  so  just  aud  honest  as  j 
to  keep  his  word. 

2.  They  thence  sailed  under  Cyprus,  v.  4.  1 


If  the  wind  had  been  fair,  they  had  gone  for 
ward  by  direct  sailing,  and  had  left  Cyprus 
on  the  right  hand;  hut,  the  wind  not  favor¬ 
ing,  they  were  driven  to  oblique  sailing  with  a 
side  wind,  and  so  compassed  the  island,  in  a 
manner,  and  left  it  on  the  left  hand.  Sailors 
must  do  as  they  can,  when  they  cannot  do  as 
they  would,  and  make  the  best  of  their  wind, 
whatever  point  it  is  in;  so  must  we  all,  in 
our  passage  over  the  ocean  of  this  world. 
When  the  winds  are  contrary,  yet  we  must 
be  getting  forward  as  well  as  we  can. 

3.  At  a  port  of  Myra,  they  changed  their 
ship  ;  that  they  were  in,  probably,  having 
business  no  further,  v.  5,  6.  Alexandria  was 
now  the  chief  city  of  Egypt,  and  great  tra¬ 
ding  there  was  between  that  city  and  Italy; 
from  Alexandria  they  carried  corn  to  Rome ; 
and  the  East  India  and  Persian  goods  im¬ 
ported  at  the  Red  Sea,  they  exported  again 
to  all  parts  of  the  Mediterranean,  and  es¬ 
pecially  to  Italy.  And  it  was  a  particular 
favor  showed  to  the  Alexandrian  ships,  in 
the  ports  of  Italy,  that  they  were  not  obliged 
to  strike  sail,  as  other  ships  were,  when  they 
came  into  port. 

4.  With  much  ado  they  made  the  Fair  ha¬ 
vens,  a  port  of  the  island  of  Crete,  v.  7,  8. 
They  sailed  slowly  many  days,  being  be¬ 
calmed,  or  having  the  wind  against  them. 
It  was  a  great  while  before  they  made  the 
point  of  Cnidus,  a  port  of  Caria,  and  were 
forced  to  sail  under  Crete,  as  before  under 
Cyprus  ;  much  difficulty  they  met  with  in 
passing  by  Salmone,  a  promontory  on  the 
eastern  shore  of  Crete.  Observe,  The  place 
they  came  to  was  called  the  Fair  havens. 
Travellers  say,  it  is  known  to  this  day  by  the 
same  name,  and  answers  the  name  from  the 
pleasantness  of  its  situation  and  prospec  ; 
yet  it  was  not  commodious  to  winter  in,  v.  12. 
It  had  a  fine  prospect,  but  lay  exposed  to  the 
weather. 

III.  Paul’s  advice  with  reference  to  that 
part  of  the  voyage  they  had  before  them;  to 
be  content  to  winter  where  they  were. 

1.  It  was  now  a  bad  time  for  sailing  ; 
they  had  lost  a  deal  of  time,  struggling  with 
contrary  winds.  Sailing  was  now  dange¬ 
rous,  because  the  fast  was  already  past;  i.  e. 
the  yearly  fast  of  the  Jews,  the  day  of  atone¬ 
ment,  the  10th  of  the  7th  month,  about  the 
20th  of  Sept.  That  yearly  fast  was  very  re¬ 
ligiously  observed  ;  but  (which  is  strange) 
we  never  have  any  mention  made  in  all  the 
scripture-history  of  its  observance,  unless  it 
be  meant  here,  where  it  serves  only  to  de¬ 
scribe  the  season  of  the  year. 

2.  Paul  put  them  in  mind  of  it,  and  gave 
them  notice  of  their  danger,  v.  10.  hut  they 
would  not  be  advised  by  Paul  in  this  matter, 
v.  11.  They  thought  him  impertinent,  though 
the  centurion,  to  whom  it  was  referred,  was 
himself  a  passenger,  and  had  not  been  oftener 
at  sea,  perhaps,  than  Paul,  nor  was  better 
acquainted  with  these  seas  ;  for  Paul  had 
planted  the  Gospel  in  Crete,  Tit.  1 : 5.  and 


coast  of  Asia;  this  ship,  therefore,  if  only  returning  thither,  could  con¬ 
vey  the  company  but  a  small  part  of  their  long  voyage.  Scott. 

(1.)  Augustus’. ]  ‘  SebastSs  :  from  the  time  of  Augustus  Octavian- 

us,  legions  took  the  name  Augustan.  Thus  Claudian  mentions  a  Legio 
Augusta.  Hence  many  think,  that  as  in  ail  the  other  legions,  so  in  the 
five  cohorts  stationed  at  Cesarea,  there  was  one  cohort  called  the  Au¬ 
gustan  :  or  that  the  cohort  of  this  v.  was  a  legionary  cohort  of  an  Au¬ 
gustan  legion,  stationed  in  Syria  and  Judea.  Schwartz,  however,  thinks 
the  cohort  obtained  its  name  from  Sebaste,  capital  of  Samariu.’  Kuin. 

(2.)  Adramyttium.]  ‘  A  city  of  Mysia  not  far  from  Pergamos.’  Doddr. 
Ros.  refers  to  Jer.  as  supposing  it  the  most  celebrated  maritime  city  of 
Africa  (as  Henry  above):  and  says,  the  vessel  seems  to  have  been  ‘  an 
African  merchantman  carrying  goods  from  Syria  to  Lycia.’  Ed. 

V.  3.  To  refresh  himself.]  ‘Lit.  to  receive  their  (kind)  attentions. 
The  word  generally  refers  to  care  and  watchful  attention  to  the  wants 
of  a  sick  person  :  as  Paul  at  the  commencement  of  his  voyage  would 
probably  be.  Kuin.  observes,  lie  was  attended  by  the  soldier  in  these 
visits.’  lit.  Touched  at  Sidon.]  Doddr.  observes,  here,  that  Paul  had 
not  been  able  to  visit  his  friends  at  Sidon,  in  his  way  to  Jerusalem.  In. 

V.  5.  Myra.]  ‘  Though  20  stadia  from  the  sea,  it  had  a  port  (whence 
they  generally  crossed  to  Cyprus)  called  Andriace ,  defended  (so  App.) 
by  a  chain.  Malela  and  Ilierocles  mention  Myra  as  the  metropolis  of 
Lycia.’  Bloomf. 

V.  6.  Ship  of  Alexandria.]  Scott  thinks  her  cargo  was  corn  ;  and 
Egypt  supplied  immense  quantities  to  Home.  Ros.  says,  the  vessels 
from  Alexandria  [which  sometimes  went  in  fleets  to  Dicoearchia,  and 


sometimes  singly]  were  wont  to  sail  direct  from  there  to  Italy,  but  that 
on  occasion  of  bad  weather,  and  unfavorable  winds,  they  sometimes 
passed  by  Syria  and  Cilicia,  and  Pamphylia,  through  the  Grecian  sea. 
Lucian  mentions  an  Egyptian  corn-vessel  120  cubits  long,  30  broad,  29 
deep  ;  and  Plut.  one  180  by  50.  But  IValch,  &.C.,  with  Bl.,  think  the  ves¬ 
sel  made  a  coasting  traffic  with  India  goods.  See  Bl.  Ed. 

V.  8.  Hardly  passing  it.]  ‘  Scarcely  coasting  it i.  e.  with  danger, 
as  well  as  difficulty.  1  Pet.  4:17 — 19,  v.  18.  Scott. 

V.  9.  Sailing  tons  thought  dangerous.]  In  that  imperfect  state  of 
navigation,  the  mariners  commonly  kept  within  a  moderate  distance 
from  the  shore,  ttnd  seldom  put  to  sea  during  the  winter  season. — Some 
commentators  suppose,  that  the  Michaelmas-flows,  which  are  peculiar 
to  the  Mediterranean  sea,  are  referred  to  :  but,  I  apprehend,  that  at 
present  the  Mediterranean  is  navigated  at  Michaelmas,  and  in  winter,  as 
well  as  other  seas.  Sc.  Not  unless  it  is  absolutely  necessary.  Ed. 

V.  10.  The  apostle  doubtless  had  an  intimation  from  God  of  the  ap¬ 
proaching  storm  :  though  the  particular  event  of  it  was  not  as  yet  made 
known  to  him.  20 — 26. — The  centurion,  and  all  on  board  the  ship,  must 
have  had  some  general  knowledge  of  Paul’s  character  and  principles ; 
and  the  religious  converse  and  worship  of  him  and  his  friends,  as  well 
as  their  whole  behavior,  must  have  excited  attention  :  yet  they  proba¬ 
bly  regarded  them  as  deluded  men;  entitled  indeed  to  civil  usage, 
being  very  inoffensive  and  well  meaning,  yet  not  worthy  of  notice  as 
to  their  religious  opinions.  But  it  was  the  Lord’s  purpose  to  exhibit 
Paul  among  l hem,  as  a  most  extraordinary  person  ;  that  they  might 
learn  to  inquire  after  his  principles,  and  receive  lus  instructions. 


A.  D.  63. 


ACTS,  XXVII. 


Paul  in  a  dreadful  storm . 


11  Nevertheless,  the  centurion 
"believed  the  master  and  the  owner 
of  the  ship,  more  than  those  things 
which  were  spoken  by  Paul. 

12  IF  And  because  the  haven  was 
not  commodious  to  winter  in,  the 
more  part  advised  to  depart  thence 
also,  if  by  any  means  they  might 
attain  to  Phenice,  and  there  to  win¬ 
ter  ;  which  is  an  haven  of  ’  Crete, 
and  lieth  toward  the  southwest  and 
northwest. 

13  And  when  the  south  wind 
blew  softly,  supposing  that  they 
had  obtained  their  purpose,  loosing 
i  thence,  they  sailed  close  by  Crete. 

14  But  not  long  after  there  karose 
against  it  a  tempestuous  1  wind, 
called  Euroclydon. 

15  And  when  the  ship  was 
caught,  and  could  not  bear  up  into 
the  wind,  we  let  her  drive. 

16  And  running  under  a  certain 
island  which  is  called  Clauda,  we 
had  much  work  to  come  by  the 
boat ; 

17  Which  when  they  had  taken 
up,  they  used  helps,  undergirding 
the  ship  ;  and  fearing  lest  they 
should  fall  minto  the  quicksands, 
strake  sail,  and  so  were  driven. 

13  And  being  exceedingly  "tossed 
with  a  tempest,  the  next  day  they 
lightened  the  ship  ; 

19  And  the  third  day  we  cast  out 
0  with  our  own  hands  the  tackling 
of  the  ship. 

20  And  when  neither  p  sun  nor 
stars  in  many  days  appeared,  and 
no  small  tempest  lay  on  us,  all 
hope  q  that  we  should  be  saved  was 
then  taken  away. 

21  IT  But  after  long  abstinence, 
Paul  stood  forth  in  the  midst  of 
them,  and  said,  Sirs,  ye  should 
have  hearkened  r  unto  me,  and  not 
have  loosed  s  from  Crete,  and  to 
have  gained  this  harm  and  loss. 

h  Pr.  27:12  1  Ps.  107:25.  p  Ps.  105:28. 

i  ver.  7.  m  ver.  41.  q  Eze.  37:11. 

i  ver.  2!.  n  Ps.  107:27.  r  ver.  10. 

k  or,  beat.  o  Job  2:4.  Jo. 1:5.  8  ver.  13. 

knew  the  several  parts  of  the  island,  well 
enough.  But  the  centurion  would  not  be 
governed.  Many  will  show  respect  to  good 
ministers,  that  will  not  take  their  advice, 
Ez.  33:31. 

V.  12 — 20.  In  these  verses,  we  have, 

1.  The  ship  putting  to  sea  again,  and  pur¬ 
suing  her  voyage  at  first  with  a  promising 
gale.  Yet  they  aimed  not  to  go  far,  but  only 
to  another  port  of  the  same  island,  here 


called  Phenice,  some  think,  because  tliePlic- 
nicians  frequented  it  much,  the  merchants 
of  Tyre  and  Sidon.  It  is  here  described  to 
lie  toward  the  S.  W.  and  N.  W.;  i.  e.  the 
haven  was  between  two  promontories  or  jut- 
tings  out  of  land  into  the  sea,  one  of  which 
pointed  to  the  N.  W.and  the  other  to  the  S. 
W.  by  which  it  was  guarded  against  the  E. 
winds.  Thus  hath  the  Creator  provided  for 
the  relief  and  safety  of  them  who  go  down  to 
the  sea  in  ships,  and  do  business  in  great  wa¬ 
ters.  In  vain  were  there  waters  to  sail  on, 
if  there  were  not  likewise  natural  harbors 
to  take  shelter  in. 

II.  The  ship  in  a  storm  presently,  a 
dreadful  storm.  Observe, 

1.  What  their  danger  and  distress  was, 
(1.)  A  tempestuous  wind,  not  only  contrary 
to  them,  so  that  theyvcould  not  get  forward, 
but  violent,  like  that  sent  forth  in  pursuit  of 
Jonah;  though  Paul  was  not,  as  Jonah,  run¬ 
ning  away  from  God  and  his  duty;  the  sail¬ 
ors  called  it  Euroclydon,  a  N.  £.  wind,  on 
those  seas  perhaps  particularly  dangerous  ; 
a  sort  of  a  whirlwind,  for  the  ship  is  said  to 
be  caught  by  it,  v.  15.  God  commanded  this 
wind  to  rise,  designing  to  bring  glory  to  Him¬ 
self,  and  reputation  to  Paul,  out  of  it;  stormy 
winds,  being  brought  out  of  his  treasuries,  Ps. 
135:  7.  fulfil  his  word,  Ps.  148:  8.  (2.)  The 
ship  was  exceedingly  tossed,  v.  18.  kicked 
like  a  football  from  wave  to  wave,  elegantly 
described,  Ps.  107:26,27.  and  could  not 
possibly  bear  up  into  the  wind,  i.  e.  make  her 
way  in  opposition  to  the  wind;  therefore 
they  folded  up  their  sails,  and  so  let  the  ship 
drive,  whither  it  was  impelled  by  the  impetuous 
waves.  (3.)  They  saw  neither  sun  nor  stars 
for  many  days;  this  made  the  tempest  the 
more  terrible;  and  the  use  of  the  loadstone, 
.for  the  directing  of  sailors,  not  being  then 
found  out,  made  the  case  the  more  hazardous. 
Thus  melancholy  sometimes  is  the  condition 
of  the  people  of  God  on  a  spiritual  account; 
they  walk  in  darkness,  and  have  no  light:  yet 
light  is  sown  for  them.  (4.)  They  had  abun¬ 
dance  of  winter  weather  ;  no  small  tempest, 
cold,  rain,  and  snow,  and  all  the  rigors  of 
that  season  of  the  year  ;  so  that  they  were 
ready  to  perish  for  cold,  and  all  this  many 
days  :  yet  to  get  gain  there  are  still  those 
who  make  nothing  of  all  this  ;  and  it  is  an 
instance  of  the  wisdom  of  Divine  Providence, 
that  some,  notwithstanding  the  difficulties 
that  attend  it,  keep  up  commerce  among  the 
nations,  and  the  isles  of  the  Gentiles  partic¬ 
ularly;  and  Zebulun  can  as  heartily  rejoice 
in  his  going  out,  as  Issachar  in  his  tents. 
Perhaps  Christ  therefore  chose  ministers  from 
among  sea-fat  ing  men,  because  they  had  been 
used  to  endure  hardness. 

2.  What  means  they  used  for  their  own 

relief;  all  the  poor  shifts  (for  I  can  call 
them  no  better)  that  sailors  in  distress  have 
recourse  to.  (1.)  When  they  let  the  ship 
run  adrift,  finding  it  to  no  purpose  to  ply 
either  the  oar  or  the  sail,  they  nevertheless 
did  what  they  could  to  avoid  the  present  dan¬ 
ger,  and  took  earn  to  prevent  shipwreck,  on 
a  little  island,  Clauda,  v.  16.  (2.)  When 


they  were  afraid  they  should  scarcely  save 
the  ship,  they  were  busy  to  save  the  boat, 
which  they  tlid  with  much  ado.  They  had 
much  work  to  come  by  the  boat,  v.  16.  but  at 
last  they  took  it  up,  v.  17.  That  might  be 
of  use  in  any  exigence,  and  therefore  they 
made  hard  shift  to  get  it  into  the  ship  to 
them  ;  [for  then  as  now  in  the  E.  they  towed 
their  boat  astern.]  (3.)  They  used  means, 
which  were  proper  enough  in  those  times, 
when  the  art  of  navigation  was  far  short  of 
the  perfection  it  is  now  come  to;  *  they  un¬ 
dergirded  the  ship,  v.  17.  i.  e.  bound  it  under 
the  bottom  with  strong  cables,  to  keep  it 
from  bulging  in  the  extremity  of  the  tempest. 
(4.)  For  fear  of  falling  into  the  quicksands, 
they  struck  sail,  and  then  let  the  ship  go  as 
it.  would.  It  is  strange,  how  a  ship  will  live 
at  sea  (so  they  express  it)  even  in  very 
stormy  weather,  if  it  have  but  sea-room ;  and 
when  the  sailors  cannot  make  the  shore,  it  is 
their  interest  to  keep  as  far  off  it  as  they  can. 
(5.)  The  next  day,  they  lightened  the  ship  of 
its  cargo,  threw  the  goods  and  metchandises 
overboard,  (as  Jonah,  ch.  1:5.)  being  willing 
rather  to  be  poor  without  them,  than  to  per¬ 
ish  with  them.  Any  man  will  rather  make 
shipwreck  of  his  goods  than  of  his  life;  but 
many  will  rather  make  shipwreck  of  faith  and 
a  good  conscience  than  of  their  goods.  (6.) 
The  third  day  they  cast  out  the  tacklings  of 
the  ship;  the  utensils  of  it,  armamenta,  [the 
artillery,]  (so  some,)  as  if  it  were  a  ship  of 
force ;  but  I  question  whether  it  were  not  then 
a  vulgar  error  among  seamen  thus  to  throw 
everything  into  the  sea,  even  that  which 
would  be  of  great  use  in  a  storm,  and  no 
great  weight. 

3.  The  despair  they  were  at  last  brought 
to,  v.  20.  The  storm  continued,  and  the 
means  they  had  used  were  ineffectual,  so  that 
such  was  the  consternation  this  melancholy 
prospect  put  them  into,  that  they  had  no 
heart  either  to  eat  or  drink.  They  had  pro¬ 
vision  enough  on  board,  v.  38.  but  such  bon¬ 
dage  were  they  under,  through  fear  of  death, 
that  they  could  not  admit  the  supports  of 
life.  Why  did  not  Paul,  by  the  power  of 
Christ,  and  in  his  name,  lay  this  storm  I 
Why  did  he  not  say  to  the  winds  and  waves. 
Peace,  be  still,  as  his  Master  had  done  1 
Surely  it  was  because  the  apostles  wrought 
miracles  for  the  confirmation  of  their  doc¬ 
trine,  not  for  the  serving  of  a  turn  for  them¬ 
selves  or  their  friends. 

V.  21 — 44.  We  have  here  the  issue  of  the 
distress  of  Paul  and  his  fellow-travellers  ; 
they  escaped  with  their  lives;  and  that  was 
all  ;  and  that  was  for  Paul’s  sake.  ■  Their 
number  is  here  told,  v.  37  to  make  us  the 
more  concerned  for  them  in  reading  the 
story,  that  they  were  such  a  considerable 
number,  whose  lives  were  now  in  the  utmost 
jeopardy,  and  one  Paul  among  them,  worth 
more  than  all  the  rest.  We  left  them  in  de¬ 
spair,  giving  up  themselves  for  gone.  Now 
here  we  have, 

*  Though  Anson  ( Voyages )  speaks  of  some  Spanish  men- 
of-war’s  resorting  to  this  practice  of  under  girding .  The 
ropes  are  passed  across  the  deck  and  round  under  the  keel. 

Ed. 


(10.)  Sirs.)  ‘The  common  phraseology  of  the  15th  cent.  Paul 
speaks  as  a  person  of  experience,  2  Cor.  11:25.  [and  sense.]’  Bi.. 

V.  11.  Master,  .owner.]  KubernStCs .  .nauklcros  ••  besides  these  the 
Gr.  classics  mention  the  emporos  and  the  proreus  as  officers.  They  seem 
to  have  answered  to  the  captain  (or  mate,  or  boatswain)  who  governed 
the  sailors  ;  the  pilot,  or  sailing-master,  who,  at  the  side  or  prow,  gov¬ 
erned  the  sails,  and  directed  the  course,  by  the  headlands,  &c. ;  the 
steersman  or  helmsman  ;  and  the  owner  or  supercargo.  Of  the  last 
there  seem  sometimes  to  have  been  several,  who  made  the  voyage  *  on 
shares,  and  consulted  in  common and  when  there  was  but  one,  he 
seems  to  have  had  great  influence  in  directing  the  ship’s  mancmivres,  as 
well  as  what  ports  she  should  touch  at,  <tc.  But  every  vessel  had  not  all 
these  officers.  Sec  note,  Ez.  27:5,7.  Ed. 

V.  13.  Loosing .]  ‘  Lit.  raising,  i.  e.  anchors,  masts,  yards,  or  sails ; 
for  the  word  is  applied  to  each.’  Bloomf. 

V.  14,15.  This  tempest  came  from  the  east,  as  its  name  imports  : 
yet  it  violently  and  frequently  shifted  its  direction,  and  thus  excited  so 
tremendous  an  agitation  of  the  waves,  that  the  ship  could  not  in  any 
way  be  managed,  during  the  storm.  Scott. 

( i  4.)  A  tempestuous  wind,  fr.  c.]  ‘One  of  the  furious  winds,  now 
called  Levanters,  which  are  not  confined  to  one  single  point,  but  blow 
in  all  directions  from  N.  E.  to  S.  E.’  Doddr.,  after  Ilr.  Shaw.  Ed. 

[156] 


V.  16.  Clauda.']  The  islet  is  now  called  Gozzo.  See  Bl.  Ed.  Boat.] 
SkaphUs,  skiff.  As  has  been  remarked,  the  orientals  still  tow  the  ship’s 
boat  behind,  and  do  nothoist  it  up  and  fix  it  against  the  stern  :  so  it  would 
he  very  likely  to  be  lost  in  a  storm,  by  the  parting  of  the  rope  which 
attached  it  to  the  vessel)  or  being  itself  stove  by  the  waves,  or  against 
the  vessel.  We  may  here  remark,  also,  that  the  custom  of  having  two 
or  more  anchors  astern  as  well  ns  on  the  bows,  is  still  kept  up  in  the  E. 
Note,  v.  29.  These  facts  may  silence  several  ignorant  scoffs  which  have 
been  ventured  on  this  ch.  Ed. 

V.  17.  Quicksands.]  Surtin.  Supposed  to  have  been  the  greater 
and  less  Syrtes,  [shifting  sand-banks,]  towards  the  coast  of  Africa, 
which  were  extremely  formidable  to  ancient  navigators.  Scott.  [The 
less  was  about  100  stadia  in  circumference  [Straio] ;  the  greater  5000, 
so  Eratosthenes,  others  say  4000.  See  fVetsl.]  in. 

(17.)  Strake  sail.]  Rather,  they  unstepped  and  lowered  the  masts, 
with  sails,  rigging,  yards  and  all ;  for  thus  the  ancients  constructed  their 
ships.  See  Bl.  Id. 

V.  18.  ‘They  first  cast  out  the  merchandise,  next  the  tacklings,  or 
utensils  of  the  ship,  and  last,  their  provisions,  v.  38.’  Ros. 

V.  21.  Gained,  &c.]  Lit.  should  have  been  as  much  better  off  as 
we  are  now  worse  off  for  (i.  e.  should  have  saved  ourselves,  avoided) 
this  harm,  <Lc.  See  Bl.  Ed. 


A.  D.  63. 


ACTS,  XXVII. 


He  encourages  his  ship-mates. 


22  And  now  I  '  exhort  you  to  be 
of  good  cheer  :  for  there  shall  be 
no  loss  of  any  man's  life  among 
you,  but  of  the  ship. 

23  For  there  stood  by  me  this 
night  u  the  angel  T  of  God,  whose 
”  I  am,  and  whom  x  I  serve, 

24  .Saying,  Fear  not,  Paul  ;  thou 
must  be  brought  before  Cesar  : 
and,  lo,  God  hath  given  thee  ?  all 
them  that  sail  with  thee. 

25  Wherefore,  Sirs,  be  of  good 
cheer  ;  for  1 1  believe  God,  that  it 
shall  be  even  as  it  was  told  me. 

26  Howbeit,  we  must  be  cast 
upon  a  certain  a  island. 

27  But  when  the  fourteenth  night 
was  come,  as  we  were  driven  up 
and  down  in  Adria,  about  midnight 
the  shiprnen  deemed  that  they  drew 
near  to  some  country  : 

28  And  sounded,  and  found  it 
twenty  fathoms  :  and  when  they 
had  gone  a  little  further,  they 
sounded  again,  and  found  it  fifteen 
fathoms. 

29  Then  fearing  lest  they  should 
have  fallen  upon  rocks,  they  cast 
four  anchors  out  of  the  stern,  and 
wished  b  for  the  day. 

t  Job  22:29.  Ps.  17:9,  10.  1  Co.  1:3. 

112:7.  2  Co.  4:  6:20.  1  Pe.  2:9,  y  Ge.  19:21,  29. 

8,  9.  10.  z  Lu.  1:45.  Ro. 

u  c.  23:11.  X  Ps.  116:16.  Is.  4:20,21.  2  Ti. 

v  He.  1:14.  44:21.  Da.  3:17.  1:12. 

wDe.  32:9.  Ps.  6:16.  Jn.  12:26.  a  c.  28:1. 

135:4.  Is.  44:5.  Ro.  1:9.  2  Ti.  b  Ps.  130:6. 

Mai.  3:17.  Jn. 

I.  The  encouragement  Paul  gave  them, 
by  assuring  them,  in  the  name  of  God,  that 
their  lives  should  all  be  saved,  then  when,  in 
human  appearance,  all  hope  that  they  should 
be  saved  was  taken  away.  After  long  ab¬ 
stinence,  as  if  they  were  resolved  not  to  eat, 
till  they  knew  whether  they  should  live  or 
die,  Paul  stood  forth  in  the  midst  of  them. 
During  distress  hitherto  Paul  hid  himself 
among  them,  was  one  of  the  crowd,  helped 
with  the  rest  to  throw  out  the  tackling,  v.  19. 
but  now  he  distinguished  himself,  and,  though 
a  prisoner,  undertook  to  be  their  counsellor 
ami  comforter. 

1.  He  reproves  them  for  not  taking  his 
advice,  which  was  to  stay  where  they  were, 
in  the  road  of  Lasea,  v.  8.  They  did  not 
hearken  to  Paul,  when  he  warned  them  of 
their  danger,  and  yet,  if  they  will  but  ac¬ 
knowledge  their  folly,  and  repent  of  it,  he 
will  speak  comfort  and  relief  now;  so  com¬ 
passionate  is  God  to  those  that  are  in  misery, 
though  they  bring  themselves  into  it  by  their 
own  incogitancy,  nay,  by  their  own  wilful¬ 
ness,  and  contempt  of  admonition.  Most 
people  bring  themselves  into  inconvenience, 
because  they  do  not  know  when  they  are  well 
off,  but  gain  harm  and  loss  by  aiming,  against 
advice,  to  mend  themselves. 

2.  Paul  quickens  them  to  bestir  them¬ 


selves  yet  in  working  for  their  own  safety, 
by  telling  them,  if  they  would  resume  their 
vigor,  they  should  secure  their  lives.  He 
gives  them  this  assurance  when  they  were 
brought  to  the  last  extremity,  for  now  it 
would  be  doubly  welcome  to  them  to  be  told 
that  not  a  life  should  be  lost,  when  they  were 
ready  to  conclude  they  must  inevitably  be 
all  lost.  Yet  they  must  count  on  the  loss  of 
the  ship,  which  would  be  trying  to  those  who 
were  interested  in  that  and  the  goods,  prob¬ 
ably,  those  greater  part  that  were  for  pushing 
forward  the  voyage. 

3.  He  tells  them  xvhat  ground  he  had  for 
this  assurance  ;  it  is  not  a  banter  on  them, 
to  put  them  into  humor,  nor  a  human  con¬ 
jecture,  but  he  has  a  divine  revelation  for  it, 
and  is  as  confident  of  it  as  that  God  is  true, 
being  fully  satisfied  that  he  has  his  word  for 
it,  vs.  23 — 25.  The  God  from  whom  he  had 
it  is,  He  whose  I  am,  and  whom  I  serve.  He 
looks  upon  God  as  his  rightful  Owner,  and 
sovereign  Ruler  and  Master,  who,  having  giv¬ 
en  him  being,  whose  T  am,  has  right  to  give 
him  law  ;  whom  I  serve.  It  is  Christ  Paul 
here  has  an  eye  to  ;  He  is  God,  and  the  an¬ 
gels  are  his,  and  go  on  his  errands;  Paul  of¬ 
ten  calls  himself  a  servant  of  Jesus  Christ. 
Now  this  he  tells  the  company,  that,  seeing 
their  relief  coining  from  his  God,  they  might 
thereby  be  drawn  in  to  take  Him  fort-heir 
God,  and  to  serve  Him  likewise  ;  for  the 
same  reason  Jonah  said  to  his  mariners,  1 
fear  the  Lord,  the  God  of  heaven,  who  has 
made  the  sea  and  the  dry  land,  Jonah  1 :  9. 

Paul  knows  not  where  he  is  himself,  yet 
God’s  angel  knows  where  to  find  him  out. 
The  ship  is  tossed  with  winds  and  waves, 
hurried  to  and  fro  with  the  utmost  violence, 
yet  the  angel  finds  a  way  into  it.  No 
storms  or  tempests  can  hinder  the  commu¬ 
nications  of  God’s  favor  to  his  people,  for 
He  is  a  very  present  Help,  a  Help  at  hand, 
even  when  the  sea  roars,  and  is  troubled,  Ps. 
46:1,  3.  We  may  suppose  Paul,  being  a 
prisoner,  had  not  a  cabin  of  his  own,  much 
less  a  bed  in  the  captain’s  cabin,  but  was 
put  down  into  the  hold  ;  yet  there  the  angel 
of  God  stood  by  him,  v.  23.  Meanness  and 
poverty  set  none  at  a  distance  from  God  and 
his  favor.  Jacob,  when  he  has  no  pillow 
but  a  stone,  no  curtains  but  the  clouds,  yet 
has  a  vision  of  angels.  God  chooses  rather, 
by  preserving  them  all  for  his  sake,  to  show 
what  great  blessings  good  men  are  to  the 
world,  than,  by  delivering  him  only,  to  show 
how  good  men  are  distinguished  from  the 
world.  God  has  given  thee  all  them  that  sail 
with  thee,  i.  e.  spares  them,  in  answer  to  thy 
prayers,  or  for  thy  sake.  Sometimes  good 
men  deliver  neither  sons  nor  daughters,  but 
their  own  souls  only,  Ez.  14  :  18.  But  God 
often  spares  wicked  people  for  the  sake  of 
the  godly  ;  as  Zoar  for  Lot’s  sake,  and  as 
Sodom  might  have  been,  had  there  been  ten 
righteous  persons  in  it.  There  is  no  greater 
satisfaction  to  a  good  man,  than  to  know 
that  he  is  a  public  blessing.  Paul  comforts 
them  with  the  same  comfort  wherewith  he  him- 
self  was  comforted,  v.  25.  and  gives  them  a 
sign,  telling  them  particularly  what  this 


tempestuous  voyage  would  issue  in,  v.  26. 
When  the  church  of  God,  like  this  ship,  is 
tossed  ivi'h  tempests,  and  not  comforted;  wticn 
there  is  none  to  guide  her  of  all  her  sons  ;  yet 
God  can  bring  her  safe  to  shore,  and  will 
do  it. 

II.  At  length  they  anchor  on  an  unknown 

shore,  v.  27 — 29.  1.  They  had  been  a  full 

fortnight  in  the  storm,  continually  expecting 
death,  driven  up  and  down  in  Adria,  not  in 
the  Adriatic  Gulf,  on  which  Venice  stands, 
but  in  the  Adriatic  sea,  a  part  of  the  Medi¬ 
terranean,  containing  both  the  Sicilian  and 
Ionian  seas,  and  extending  to  the  African 
shore  ;  in  this  sea  they  were  tossed,  and 
knew  not  whereabouts  they  were.  2.  About 
midnight  the  wiarmers,apprehending  they  drew 
near  to  some  shore,  sounded  ;  by  the  first  ex¬ 
periment  they  found  they  drew  20  fathom 
deep  of  water,  and  by  the  next  15  fathom  ; 
which  was  a  demonstration  that  they  were 
near  some  shore  ;  God  has  wisely  ordered 
such  a  natural  notice  to  sailors  in  the  dark, 
that  they  may  be  cautious.  3.  They  took 
the  hint,  and  fearing  rocks  near  the  shore, 
cast  anchor,  and  wished  for  the.  day.  When 
those  that  fear  God,  walk  in  darkness,  and 
have  no  light,  yet  let  them  not  say,  The  Lord 
has  forsaken  us,  or,  Our  God  has  forgotten 
us;  but  let  them  do  as  these  mariners  did, 
cast  anchor,  and  wish  for  the  day,  and  be  as¬ 
sured  that  the  day  will  dawn.  Hope  is  an 
anchor  of  the  soul,  sure  and  steadfast,  entering 
into  that  within  the  veil. 

III.  A  new  danger  is  added  to  their 
distress,  which  they  narrowly  escaped. 
Observe, 

1.  The  treacherous  design  of  the  shiprnen, 
to  leave  the  sinking  ship,  v.  30.  concluding 
no  other  than  that  when  it  run  ashore  it 
must  be  broken  all  to  pieces  ;  having  the 
command  of  the  boat,  the  base  project  was  to 
get  into  that,  and  so  save  themselves,  and 
leave  all  the  rest  to  perish.  To  cover  this 
vile  design,  they  pretended  they  would  cast 
anchors  out  of  the  fore-ship,  or  carry  them  fur¬ 
ther  off,  and  in  order  to  that  f toy  down  the 
boat,  which  they  had  taken  in,  v.  16, 17.  and 
were  going  into  it,  having  agreed  among 
themselves,  when  they  were  in,  to  make 
straight  for  the  shore.  The  treacherous 
seamen  are  like  the  treacherous  shepherd, 
who  flees  when  he  sees  the  danger  coming, 
and  there  is  most  need  of  his  help,  John 
10:  12.  Paul  had,  in  God’s  name,  assured 
them  they  should  come  safe  to  land,  but  they 
will  rather  trust  their  own  refuge  of  lies 
than  God’s  word  of  truth. 

2.  Paul’s  discovery  of  it,  and  protesta¬ 
tion  against  it,  v.  31.  It  was  indeed  not  by 
any  skill  of  their’s  that  they  were  brought  to 
land,  but  now  that  they  are  near  land,  they 
must  use  their  art  to  bring  the  ship  to  it. 
When  God  has  done  that  for  us  which  we 
could  not,  we  must  then  in  his  strength  help 
ourselves.  Paul,  therefore,  speaks  humanly, 
when  he  says,  Ye  cannot  be  saved  except  these 
abide  in  the  ship ;  and  he  does  not  at  all 
weaken  the  assurances  he  had  divinely  given, 
that  they  should  infallibly  be.  saved.  God, 
who  appointed  the  end,  that  they  should  be 


V.  23.  Stood  by  me  the  angel,  &c.]  Eich.  in  Ros.  thinks,  Paul 
‘ dreamed  that  he  and  his  companions  were  arrived  ashore,  and  that 
providentially  this  dream  came  to  pass,  as  other  dreams  sometimes  come 
to  pass.’  Dreams  of  this  kind,  i.  e.  that  seem  to  come  to  pass,  he  says, 
the  Jews  believed  were  had  by  the  aid  of  angels.  At  the  same  time,  he 
refers  to  Storr,  as  having  labored  to  prove,  that  this  vision  of  the  night 
was  ‘not  a  natural,  but  a  divine  impression,  in  which  Paul  could  not 
possibly  be  deceived.’  As  the  human  understanding  cannot  now  com¬ 
prehend  the  mode  and  constitution  of  being  in  the  invisible  world,  why 
not  confess  our  ignorance  of  the  manner  how,  and  content  ourselves 
with  simply  believing  the  assertions  of  the  text  ?  Ed. 

V.  27.  Deemed,  &c.]  Lit.  ‘  fancying  some  land  drew  near  them it 
is  spoken  by  a  figure  (hypallage)  which  describes  things  not  as  they  are, 
but  as  they  appear.  So  we  say  the  sun  rises,  <fcc.,  and,  as  here,  seamen 
speak  of  nearing  (i.  e.  bringing  near)  the  land,  fetching  a  point,  «fcc.  See 
Bloemf.  Id. 

V.  28 — 32.  Nothing  could  be  more  absolute  than  the  promise  above 
given  (24) :  yet  neither  the  centurion  nor  the  soldiers  charged  Paul  with 
inconsistency,  in  what  he  now  said  to  them.  If  the  end  was  absolutely 
decreed,  the  means  of  attaining  it  were  so  likewise  ;  and  the  case  is  the 
same,  in  concerns  of  still  higher  importance.  [Comp,  note,  2:23.] — 


‘God  hath  indeed  assured  me,  that  none  of  all  our  lives  shall  miscarry 
in  this  danger;  but  that  God,  who  hath  ordained  our  preservation,  hath 
also  ordained  the  means  thereof,  and  therefore  hath  appointed,  that 
these  mariners  shall  continue  in  the  ship,  if  we  will  hope  for  safety.’ 
Bp.  Hall.  23:12—22,  w.  16—18.  25:9—11.  S  .ott. 

(28.)  Fathoms.]  ‘  Orguiai :  (from  oregesthai,  to  stretch,)  the  distance 
a  man  can  compass  by  stretching  his  arms.  This  the  Romans  made  five 
feet,  the  Greeks  (who  had  shorter  measures)  six.  So  yard  is  from  the 
Anglo-Saxon  gered,  stretched,  i.  c.  the  length  of  a  stretched  arm  :  and 
fathom  or  j adorn  (from  the  Dutch,  vadem),  the  distance  a  man  can 
stride,  both  ways,  from  one  foot  fixed.’  Bloomf. 

(29.)  Roc  to.]  ‘  Had  they  been  sure  of  soft  ground  they  would  have 
run  ashore,  as  the  ancients  never  scrupled  to  do  in  such  cases. 
Four  anchors  out  of  the  stern.]  1  So  Cesar  speaks  of  vessels  with  four 
anchors  at  the  four  corners ;  and  Val.  Fla.  of  anchors  cast  from  the 
stern  ;  Virg.  of  anchors  cast  from  the  bows.  James  (Epist.)  says,  there 
were  in  his  time  ships  plying  between  Alexandria  and  Constantinople, 
that  carried  anchors  in  the  poops;  and  confirms  it  by  a  passage  of  Hel- 
iodorus.  Further,  Chardin  tells  us,  that  the  large  modern  Egyptian 
ships  always  carry  their  anchors  at  their  stern,  never  at  the  prow.  Rl. 
Note,  v.  16.  E?- 


A.  D.  63. 


ACTS,  XXVII. 


Paul’s  influence  on  the  company. 


30  And  as  the  shipmen  were 
about  to  flee  out  of  the  ship,  when 
they  had  let  down  the  boat  into  the 
sea,  under  color  as  though  they 
would  have  cast  anchors  out  of  the 
foreship, 

31  Paul  said  to  the  centurion  and 
to  the  soldiers,  Except  these  abide 
in  the  ship,  ye  cannot  be  saved. 

32  Then  the  soldiers  cut  off  the 
ropes  of  the  boat,  and  let  her  fall 
off. 

33  And  while  the  day  was  com¬ 
ing  on,  Paul  besought  them  all  to 
take  meat,  saying,  This  day  is  the 
fourteenth  day  that  ye  have  tarried, 
and  continued  fasting,  having  taken 
nothing. 

34  Wherefore  I  pray  you  to  take 
some  meat;  for  this  0  is  for  your 
health  :  for  there  d  shall  not  an  hair 
fall  from  the  head  of  any  of  you. 

35  And  when  he  had  thus  spok¬ 
en,  he  took  bread,  and  'gave  thanks 
to  God  in  the  presence  of  them  all: 
and  when  he  had  broken  it.  he 
began  to  eat. 

36  Then  were  they  all  of  good 
cheer,  and  they  also  took  some 
meat. 

37  And  we  were  in  all,  in  the 
ship,  two  hundred  threescore  and 
sixteen  souls. 

38  And  when  they  had  eaten 
enough,  they  lightened  the  ship, 
and  cast  out  the  wheat  into  the  sea. 

39  And  when  it  was  day,  they 
knew  not  the  land  :  but  they  dis¬ 
covered  a  certain  creek  with  a 
shore,  into  the  which  they  were 
minded,  ifit  were  possible,  to  thrust 
in  the  ship. 

c  Mat.  15:32.  10:30.  Lu.  12:7.  15:33.  Ma.8:6. 

1  Ti  5:23.  21:18.  Jn.  6:11,  23. 

d  1  K.  1:52.  Mat.  e  1  S.i.9:13.  Mat.  1  Ti.  4:3,4. . 

saved,  appointed  the  means,  that  they  should 
be  saved  by  the  help  of  these  shipmen  J  though 
if  they  had  gone  off,  no  doubt  God  would 
have  made  his  word  good,  some  other  way. 
Paul  speaks  as  a  prudent  man,  not  as  a 
prophet,  when  he  says.  These  are  necessary 
to  your  preservation.  Duty  is  ours,  events 
are  God’s  ;  and  we  do  not  trust  God,  but 
tempt  Him,  when  we  say,  ‘  We  put  ourselves 
under  his  protection,’  and  do  not  use  proper 
means,  such  as  are  within  our  power,  for 
our  own  preservation. 

3.  The  effectual  defeating  of  it  by  the 
soldiers,  v.  32.  It  was  no  time  to  stand  ar¬ 
guing  the  case  with  the  shipmen;  therefore, 
they  cut  the  ropes  of  the  boat,  and  though  it 
might  otherwise  have  done  them  service  in 
their  present  distress,  they  chose  rather  to 
let  it  fall  off,  and  lose  it,  than  suffer  it  to  do 
them  this  dis-service.  And  now  the  ship- 
men,  being  forced  to  stay,  are  forced  like¬ 
wise  to  work  for  the  safety  of  the  ship, 
because,  if  the  rest  perish,  they  must  perish 
with  them. 

IV.  The  new  life  Paul  put  into  the  com¬ 
pany,  by  his  cheerful  inviting  them  to  take 


some  refreshment,  and  the  repeated  assu¬ 
rances  given  them,  that  they  should  all  of 
them  have  their  lives  given  them  for  a  prey. 
Happy  they  who  had  such  an  one  as  Paul  in 
their  company,  who  not  only  had  correspon¬ 
dence  with  heaven,  but  was  of  a  hearty, 
lively  spirit  with  those  about  him  ;  such  a 
friend  in  distress,  is  a  friend  indeed,  Prov. 
27:  10.  The  day’s  coming  on  revived  them 
a  little,  and  then  Paul  got  them  together. 

1.  He  chid  them  for  their  neglect  of  them¬ 
selves,  that  they  had  so  far  given  way  to  fear 
and  despair,  as  to  forget  or  not  to  mind  their 
food,  v.  33.  Not  that  they  had  all,  or  any 
of  them,  continued  14  days  without  any  food, 
but  they  had  not  had  any  set  meal,  as  they 
used  to  have,  all  that  lime  ;  they  ate  very 
little,  next  to  nothing.  Or,  ‘  You  have  con¬ 
tinued  fasting,  you  have  lost  your  stomach  ; 
you  have  had  no  appetite  at  all  to  your  food, 
nor  any  relish  of  it,  through  prevailing  fear 
and  despair.’  A  very  disconsolate  state  is 
thus  expressed,  Ps.  102:4.  It  is  a  sin  to 
starve  the  body,  and  to  deny  it  its  necessary 
supports  ;  and  it  is  a  sore  evil  under  the  sun, 
to  have  a  sufficiency  of  the  good  things  of  this 
life,  and  not  to  have  power  to  use  them,  Eccl. 
6:2.  If  this  arise  from  the  sorrow  of  the 
world,  and  from  any. inordinate  fear  or  trou¬ 
ble,  it  is  so  far  from  excusing  it,  that  it  is 
another  sin,  it  is  discontent,  it  is  distrust 
of  God,  it  is  all  wrong.  What  folly  is  it,  to 
die  for  fear  of  dying  !  But  thus  the  sorrow  of 
the  world  works  death,  while  joy  in  God  is  life 
and  peace  [as  here  to  Paul],  in  the  greatest 
distresses  and  dangers. 

2.  He  courts  them  to  their  food,  v.  34. 

‘  We  have  a  hard  struggle  before  us,  must  get 
to  shore  as  well  as  we  can;  if  our  bodies  be 
weak  through  fasting,  we  shall  not  be  able 
to  help  ourselves.’  I  pray  you,  I  exhort  you, 
if  you  will  be  ruled  by  me,  take  some  nour¬ 
ishment;  though  you  have  no  appetite  to  it, 
yet  let  reason  bring  you  to  it,  for  this  is  for 
your  health  ;  or  rather,  your  preservation,  or 
safety,  at  this  time;  it  is  for  your  salvation,  you 
cannot  without  nourishment  have  strength 
to  shift  for  your  lives.  Weak  and  trembling 
Christians,  that  give  way  to  doubts  and 
fears  about  their  spiritual  state,  if  they  would 
feed  and  feast  as  they  ought,  on  the  provi¬ 
sion  Christ  has  made  for  them,  would  be 
strengthened,  and  it  would  be  for  their  souls’ 
health  and  salvation. 

3.  He  assures  them  of  their  preservation ; 
There  shall  not  a  hair  fall  from  the  head  of  any 
of  you.  It  is  a  proverbial  expression,  de¬ 
noting  a  complete  indemnity. 

4.  He  himself  spread  their  table  for  them ; 
for  none  of  them  had  any  heart  to  do  it  ; 
When  he  had  thus  spoken,  he  took  bread, 
fetched  it  from  the  ship’s  stores,  to  which 
every  one  might  safely  have  access,  when 
none  of  them  had  an  appetite.  We  have 
reason  to  be  thankful  to  God,  that  we  have 
not  only  food  to  our  appetite,  but  appetite 
to  our  food  ;  that  our  soul  abhors  not  even 
dainty  meat.  Job  33:  20.  through  sickness  or 
sorrow. 

5.  He  was  chaplain  to  the  ship  ;  he  gave 
thanks  to  God  in  presence  of  them  all.  We 
have  reason  to  think  he  had  often  and  daily 
prayed  with  Luke  and  Aristarchus,  and 
what  other  Christians  there  were  among 
them,  but  whether  before  with  the  whole 
company  promiscuously,  is  not  certain;  now 
he  gave  thanks  to  God  in  presence  of  them  all ; 
that  they  were  alive,  had  been  preserved, 


and  had  a  promise  the}’  should  be  preserved 
in  the  imminent  peril  now  before  them  ;  he 
gave  thanks  for  the  provision  they  had,  and 
begged  a  blessing  on  it.  He  gave  thanks  in 
presence  of  them  all,  not  only  to  show  that 
he  served  a  Master  he  was  not  ashamed  of, 
but  to  invite  them  into  his  service  too.  If 
we  crave  a  blessing  on  our  meat,  and  give 
thanks  for  it  in  a  right  manner,  we  shall  not 
only  keep  up  a  comfortable  communion  with 
God  ourselves,  but  credit  our  profession, 
and  recommend  it  to  the  good  opinion  of 
others. 

6.  He  set  them  a  good  example  ;  When 
he  had  given  thanks,  he.  brake  the  bread,  and 
began  to  eat  ;  whether  they  would  be  en¬ 
couraged  or  no,  he  would  ;  he  would  eat  his 
meat,  and  be  thankful.  Those  that  teach 
others,  are  inexcusable,  if  they  do  not  them¬ 
selves  as  they  teach  ;  and  the  most  effectual 
way  of  preaching  is  by  example. 

7.  It  had  a  happy  influence  on  them  all, 
v.  36.  They  then  ventured  to  believe  the 
message  God  sent  them  by  Paul,  when  they 
plainly  perceived  that  Paul  believed  it  him¬ 
self,  who  was  in  the  same  common  danger 
with  them.  Thus  God  sends  good  tidings  to 
the  perishing  world  of  mankind,  by  those 
who  are  of  themselves,  and  in  the  same  com¬ 
mon  danger  with  themselves,  who  are  sinners 
too,  and  must  be  saved,  if  ever  they  be 
saved,  in  the  same  way  in  which  they  per¬ 
suade  others  to  venture ;  and  it  is  here  on  this 
occasion  that  the  number  of  the  persons  is 
set  down,  which  we  took  notice  of  before, 
276.  See  how  many  may  be  influenced  by 
the  good  example  of  one  !  They  did  all  eat, 
nay  they  did  all  eat  enough,  v.  38.  they  made 
a  hearty  meal  ;  which  explains  the  meaning 
of  their  fasting  before  for  14  days  J  not  that 
they  did  not  eat  all  that  time,  but  they  never 
had  enough  all  that  time,  as  they  had  now. 

8.  They  once  more  lightened  the  ship,  that 
it  might  escape  the  better  in  the  shock  it 
was  now  to  have  ;  they  had  before  thrown 
the  wares  and  the  tackle  overboard,  and  now 
the  wheat,  the  victuals  and  provisions  they 
had;  better  they  should  sink  it,  than  that  it 
should  sink  them.  It  is  probable  the  ship 
was  over-loaded  with  the  multitude  of  the 
passengers,  for  this  comes  in  just  after  the 
account  of  the  number  of  them,  and  that 
obliged  them  so  often  to  lighten  the  ship. 

V.  Their  putting  to  shore,  and  the  staving 
of  the  ship  in  the  adventure.  It  was  about 
break  of  day  when  they  ate  their  meat,  and 
when  it  was  fair  day,  they  began  to  look 
about  them,  and, 

1.  Knew  not  where  they  were,  whether  in 
Europe,  Asia,  or  Africa,  for  each  had  shores 
washed  by  the  Adriatic  sea,  though  probably 
these  shipmen  had  often  sailed  this  way. 
Let  not  the  wise  glory  in  his  wisdom. 

2.  They  observed  a  creek  with  a  level  shore, 
into  which  they  hoped  to  thrust  the  ship,  v.  39. 
Though  they  knew  not  what  country  it  was, 
nor  whether  the  inhabitants  were  friends  or 
foes,  civil  or  barbarous,  they  determined  to 
cast  themselves  on  their  mercy,  for  it  was 
land.  Those  who  live  on  the  sea-coast,  have 
often  opportunity  of  succoring  those  in  dis¬ 
tress  at  sea,  and  of  saving  precious  lives,  and 
they  ought  to  do  their  utmost  in  order  to 
it,  with  all  readiness  and  cheerfulness  ;  for 
it  is  a  great  sin,  and  very  provoking  to  God, 
to  forbear  to  deliver  them  that  are  driven  unto 
death,  and  are  ready  to  be  slain  ;  and  it  will 
not  serve  for  an  excuse  to  say.  Behold,  we 


(30.)  Cast.]  Rather  carried  out ,  technically  speaking,  so  to  drop 
them  that  their  cables  might  not  get  entangled.  Ed. 

(31.)  ‘  That  God  foretold  the  deliverance  of  this  ship’s  company  as 
certain,  though  suspended  on  this  condition,  because  He  knew  it  would 
be  complied  with,  and  directed  Paul  to  urge  the  necessity  of  that  com¬ 
pliance,  ns  what  lie  knew  would  be  the  successful  means  of  securing  it, 
though  none  can  deny  but  these  sailors  had  a  natural  power  of  going 
out  of  the  ship,  or  the  soldiers  a  natural  power  of  permitting  them  to 
do  it.  The  application  of  this  remark  to  other  affairs  of  greater  mo¬ 
ment  appears  both  easy  and  important.’  Doddr. 

V.  S3.  Taken  nothing.]  ‘Not  to  he  understood  lit.,  and  implying 
only,  that  they  had  not  taken  food  during  that  time  in  the  ordinary  way, 
and  a  full  meal.’  Ros.  ‘  So  Appian  speaks  of  an  army,  which,  for  20 

[158] 


days,  took  no  food  nor  sleep  ;  by  which  he  must  mean,  they  never  made 
full  meals,  nor  slept  whole  nights  together.’  Doddr. 

V.  38.  Wheat.]  Most  recent  commentators,  and  liloomf.,  tr.  provi¬ 
sions,  as  Job  3:24.  Prov.  4:17.  for,  ‘had  their  cargo  been  wheat,  they 
would  doubtless  have  thrown  it  overboard  before,  as  there  had  already 
been  two  apobolai’  discharges,  v.  18,  19.  Ed. 

V.  39.  6'Aore.]  I.  e.  beach  to  run  upon  (so  the  Or.),  as  is  the  cus¬ 
tom  in  the  Mediterranean,  even  now,  with  smaller  vessels.  ‘  This 
inlet  on  the  N.  W.  of  Malta,  is  now  called  La  Cala  di  San  Paolo  ‘St. 
Paul's  Creek].’  Bi..  It  opens  to  the  N.  E.  with  a  sand-bank  in  its  middle, 
formed  by  a  current,  which  passes  between  the  coast  and  an  island  :  here 
two  seas  meet,  v.  41.  Recurring  to  Dr.  Anderson's  travels,  the  Ed.  finds 
this  is  the  traditional  place  of  the  shipwreck.  Cuts  and  note,  Ac.  end.  Ed. 


A.  D.  63.- 


ACTS,  XXVIII. 


They  are  shipwrecked. 


40  And  when  they  had  f  taken 
up  the  anchors,  they  committed 
themselves  unto  the  sea,  and  loosed 
the  rudder-bands,  and  hoised  up 
the  mainsail  to  the  wind,  and  made 
toward  shore. 

41  And  falling  into  a  place  where 
two  seas  met,  they  ran  the  ship 
aground  ;  and  the  forepart  stuck 
fast,  and  remained  un movable,  but 
the  hinder  part  was  broken  with 
the  violence  of  the  waves. 

42  And  the  soldiers’  counsel  g  was 
to  kill  the  prisoners,  lest  any  of 
them  should  swim  out,  and  escape. 

43  But  the  centurion,  willing  to 
save  h  Paul,  kept  them  from  their 
purpose;  and  commanded  that  they 
which  could  swim  should  cast  them¬ 
selves  first  into  the  sea,  and  get  to 
land  : 

44  And  the  rest,  some  on  boards, 
and  some  on  broken  pieces  of  the 
ship.  And  so  'it  came  to  pass,  that 
they  escaped  all  safe  to  land. 

CHAP.  XXVIII. 

1  Paul  after  his  shipwreck  is  kindly  entertained  of  the  bar¬ 
barians.  5  The  viper  on  his  hand  hurteth  him  not.  8  He 
healeth  many  diseases  in  the  island.  11  They  depart 
toward  Rome.  17  He  declareth  to  the  Jews  the  cause  of 
his  coming.  24  After  his  preaching  some  were  persuaded, 
and  some  believed  not.  30  Yet  he  prcacheth  there  two 
years. 

AND  when  they  were  escaped, 
then  they  knew  that  the  island 
a  was  called  Melita. 

f  or,  cut  the  an-  &c.  i  Ps.  107:28 — 30. 

chore,  they  left  e  Ps.  74:20.  ver.  22. 

them  in  the  sea,  n  2  Co.  11:25.  a  c.  27:\6. 

knew  it  not  ;  when  either  we  did,  or  might, 
and  should,  have  known  it,  Prov.  24:  11, 12. 
I  have  been  told  there  are  some,  and  in  our 
own  nation  too,  who,  when  from  the  sea- 
coast  they  see  a  ship  in  distress,  and  at  a  loss, 
will,  by  misguiding  fires  or  otherwise,  pur¬ 
posely  lead  them  into  danger,  that  the  lives 
may  be  lost,  and  they  may  have  the  plunder  of 
the  ship.  One  can  scarce  believe  any  of  the 
human  nature  could  possibly  be  so  wicked, 
so  barbarously  inhuman, and  should  have  so 
much  of  the  devil  in  them  ;  if  there  be,  let 
them  knoiv  of  a  truth,  that  they  shall  have 
judgment  without  mercy,  who  have  showed  no 
mercy. 

3.  They  made  straight  to  the  shore  with 
wind  and  tide,  v.  40.  They  took  up  the  an¬ 


chors,  the  four  anchors  ivhich  they  cast  out  of 
the  stern,  v.  29.  Some  think  they  took  pains 
to  weigh  them  up,  hoping  they  should  have 
use  for  them  again  at  the  shore  ;  others, 
that  they  did  it  with  such  precipitation,  that 
they  were  forced  to  cut  the  cables,  and  leave 
them  ;  the  original  will  admit  either  ;  they 
then  committed  themselves  to  the  sea,  the  wind 
standing  fair  to  carry  them  into  the  port, 
and  they  loosed  the  nidder-bands,  which  w  ere 
fastened  during  the  storm,  for  the  greater 
steadiness  of  the  ship,  but,  now  that  they 
were  putting  into  the  port,  were  loosed,  that 
the  pilot  might  steer  with  the  greater  free¬ 
dom  ;  they  then  hoisted  up  the  mainsail  to  the 
wind,  and  made  towards  shore.  The  origi¬ 
nal  words  here  used  for  the  rudder-bands, 
and  the  mainsail,  find  the  critics  a  deal  of 
work,  to  accommodate  them  to  the  modern 
terms  ;  but  they  need  not  give  us  any  diffi¬ 
culty,  who  are  content  to  know  that  when 
they  saw  the  shore,  they  hastened  to  it  as 
fast  as  they  could ;  and  perhaps  made  more 
haste  than  good  speed.  And  should  not  a 
poor  soul  that  has  long  been  struggling  will) 
winds  and  tempests  in  this  world,  long  to 
put  into  the  safe  and  quiet  haven  of  everlast¬ 
ing  rest  1  Should  it  not  get  clear  from  all 
that  which  fastens  it  to  this  earth,  and 
straitens  the  out-goings  of  its  pious  trnd  de¬ 
vout  affections  heavenward  1  And  should  it 
not  hoist  up  the  mainsail  of  faith  to  the  wind 
of  the  Spirit,  and  so  with  longing  desires 
make  to  shore. 

4.  They  made  a  shift  among  them  to  run 
the  ship  aground,  in  a  shelf,  or  bed  of  sand, 
as  it  should  seem,  or  an  isthmus,  or  neck  of 
land,  washed  with  the  sea  on  botli  sides, 
and,  therefore,  two  seas  are  said  to  meet  on 
it,  and  there  the  fore  part  stuck  fast  ;  and 
then,  when  it  had  no  liberty  to  play,  as  a 
ship  has  when  it  rides  at  anchor,  but  re¬ 
mained  immovable,  the  hinder  part  would 
soon  be  broken,  of  course,  by  the  violence  of 
the  waves.  The  ship,  that  had  strangely 
weathered  the  storm  in  the  vast  ocean, 
where  it  had  room  to  roll,  is  dashed  to  pieces 
when  it  sticks  fast.  Thus  if  the  heart  fixes 
in  the  world,  in  love  and  affection,  and  ad¬ 
herence  to  it,  it  is  los.t;  Satan’s  temptations 
beat  against  it,  and  it  is  gone  ;  but  as  long 
as  it  keeps  above  the  world,  though  it  be 
tossed  with  its  cares  and  tumults,  there  is 
hope  of  it. 

VI.  A  particular  danger  Paul  and  the  rest 
of  the  prisoners  were  in,  besides  their  share 
in  tlie  common  calamity,  and  their  deliver¬ 
ance  from  it. 

1.  In  this  critical  moment,  when  every 


man  hung  in  doubt  of  his  life,  the  soldiers 
advised  the  killing  of  the  prisoners  committed 
to  their  custody,  and  whom  they  were  to 
give  account  of,  lest  any  of  them  should  swim 
out  and  escape,  v.  42.  There  was  no  great 
danger  of  that,  for  t hey  could  not  escape  far, 
weak  and  weary  as  they  were  ;  and  under 
the  eve  of  so  many  soldiers  that  had  the 
charge  of  them,  it  was  not  likely  they 
should  attempt  it  ;  and  if  it  should  so  hap¬ 
pen,  though  they  might  be  obnoxious  to  the 
law,  for  a  permissive  escape,  yet,  in  such  a 
case  as  this,  equity  would  certainly  relieve 
them.  But  it  was  a  brutish,  barbarous  mo¬ 
tion,  and  so  much  the  worse,  that  they  were 
thus  prodigal  of  other  peoples’  lives,  when, 
without  a  miracle  of  mercy,  they  must  lose 
their  own. 

2.  The  centurion,  for  Paul’s  sake,  quashed 
this  motion  presently.  Though  he  despised 
Paul’s  advice,  v.  11.  yet  he  afterwards  saw 
great  cause  to  respect  him;  and  therefore 
being  willing  to  save  Paul,  he  kept  them  from 
their  purpose.  1 1  docs  not  appear  that  any 
were  malefactors  convicted,  but  only  sus¬ 
pected,  and  waiting  their  trial;  and  in  such 
a  case  as  this,  better  ten  guilty  escape,  than 
one  innocent  be  slain.  As  God  had  saved 
all  in  the  ship  for  Paul’s  sake,  so  here  the 
centurion  saves  all  the  prisoners  for  his 
sake;  such  a  diffusive  good  is  a  good  man  ! 

VII.  The  saving  of  the  lives  of  all  the 
persons  in  the  ship,  by  the  wonderful  prov¬ 
idence  of  God.  1.  Some  were  saved  by 
swimming  ;  The  centurion  commanded  lus 
own  soldiers,  in  the  first  place,  as  many  as 
could  swim,  to  get  to  land  first,  and  to  be 
ready  to  receive  the  prisoners,  and  prevent 
their  escape.  The  Romans  trained  up  their 
youth  to  swimming ,  which  was  often  of  ser¬ 
vice  to  them  in  their  wars:  Julius  Cesar  was 
a  famous  swimmer.  2.  The  rest  with  much 
ado  scrambled  to  (lie  shore,  some  on  boards, 
that  they  had  loose  with  them  in  the  ship, 
and  others  on  the  broken  pieces  of  the  ship ;  [or 
things  which  came  from  the  ship  ;]  so  it  came 
to  pass,  one  way  or  another,  that,  through 
the  good  providence  of  God,  they  escaped  all 
safe  to  land.  Here  was  an  instance  of  the 
performance  of  a  particular  word  of  promise 
God  gave,  that,  whatever  difficulties  lie  in 
the  way,  all  the  persons  in  this  ship  should  be 
saved  for  Paul's  sake. 

Chap.  XXVIII.  V.  1 — 10.  We  are  the 
more  concerned  to  notice' and  improve  what 
is  here  recorded  concerning  blessed  Paul, 
because,  after  tile  story  of  this  ch.,  we  hear 
no  more  of  him  in  the  sacred  history,  though 


PRACT  OBS.  The  Lord  provides  kind  friends,  and  adequate  con¬ 
solations,  for  his  faithful  servants,  in  all  their  multiplied  and  varied  tri¬ 
als  :  ami  even  such  persons,  as  might  previously  have  been  expected  to 
be  inimical  to  them,  are  sometimes  induced  to  intreat  them  courteously, 
and  to  minister  to  their  refreshment;  nor  shall  these  fail  of  receiving  a 
suitable  reward. — Zealous  and  able  ministers  cannot,  in  any  situation, 
be  wholly  excluded  from  usefulness  :  and  their  gracious  God  often  causes 
them  to  pnss  through  troubles,  to  manifest  the  power  of  his  consola¬ 
tions  in  supporting  them,  and  the  excellency  of  their  principles  and 
character;  in  order  to  excite  the  attention  of  the  careless,  the  ignorant, 
and  the  prejudiced,  to  their  example  and  instructions.  Men  in  general 
are  so  selfish,  that  they  are  ready  to  provide  for  their  own  preservation, 

V.  40.  l)e  Dieu,  Wetst.,  Pearce,  Mark!.,  Schl.,  lleinr.,  Kuin.,  B!.,  Ac., 
adopt  the  marg.  tr.,  for  the  object  was  to  lighten  the  ship.  Grot.,  Boch., 
Elsn.,  Pearce,  Scheffer,  Lips.,  and  Periz.,  prove,  that  the  ancients  in  their 
large  ships  had  two  rudders.  These 
appear  to  have  been  attached,  one 
on  each  side  of  the  stern  ;  by  bands, 
as  on  a  pivot,  so  that  the  larger 
euds  could  be  raised  out  of  the  wa¬ 
ter,  either  by  lashing  the  upper  ends 
close  down  to  the  deck,  or  sides,  or 
the  lower  ends  close  against  the 
sides  of  the  ship:  cuts,  2  S.  19:13. 

Is.  33:21.  These  rudders,  it  would 
seem,  were  unshipped  and  taken  off 
when  in  port :  here,  by  ‘  unloosing 
the  rudder-bands  ’  the  lower  or  broad 
part  of  the  rudder  was  probably  drop, 
ped  into  the  sea,  and  so  again  became 
of  use  for  steering.  See  Bloomf, 
and  comp,  the  cut  of  a  vessel  of 
this  age,  seen  pictured  at  Pompeii. 

Mainsail. ]  It  seems  rather  to  have  been  a  sail  (see  VI.)  attached  to 
the  dolon,  a  short  foremast,  perhaps  one  raised  for  the  occasion  :  this 


even  by  such  measures  as  directly  conduce  to  the  destruction  of  those, 
with  whom  they  are  most  intimately  connected  !  No  peril  or  suffer¬ 
ings  can  subdue  human  depravity  :  so  that  soldiers  and  sailors,  who  ex¬ 
perience  more  hardships,  dangers,  and  evident  deliverances  than  other 
men;  and  who,  it  might  be  thought,  would  be  more  careful  than  others 
to  he  always  prepared  for  death  and  judgment ;  are  too  commonly  pe¬ 
culiarly  regardless  of  religion  and  morality  [;  how  imperious  then  is  the 
duty  of  society,  especially  of  Christians,  towards  them  !].  It  will  at 
length  so  come  to  pass,  that,  by  one  mean  or  another,  all  [true  believers 
will]  escape  safe  to  heaven,  where  mutual  congratulations  and  admiring 
praises  and  thanksgivings,  will  succeed  their  present  trials  and  distress¬ 
es,  and  will  not  be  terminated  or  interrupted  to  all  eternity.  Scott. 

of  course  would  lift  the  vessel’s  hows,  and  so  ease  her  on  to  the  land,  and 
enable  hex  to  run  farther  in  shore  before  she  struck  :  hut  the  design  was 
frustrated  by  their  grounding  unawares  on  the  spit,  v.  41.  It  will  be 
recollected  that  the  ancients  had  no  bowsprit.  Ed. 

V.  41.  Where  two,  &c.]  A  portion  of  land,  on  a  sandbank  from  the 
shore,  ending  in  a  point,  (called  by  sailors,  a  spit ,  from  its  sharp  ending,) 
divided  the  channel  in  the  tnidst,  on  each  side  of  which  was  deep  water. 
Scott.  This  concealed  spit  of  sand  was,  says  BL,  ‘  the  elongation  of  a 
ness  plainly  to  lie  seen  on  C/uverius'  map-’  [Cut,  and  note,  Ac.  end  ]  Ed. 

V.  42 — 44.  This  [the  immediate  execution  of  the  whole  company, 
though  yet  uncondemned]  could  not  have  been  thought  of,  had  not  the 
Roman  laws  allowed  it,  or  had  it  not  been  sometimes  done.  So  that 
this  cruel  and  unfeeling  policy  disgraced  the  jurisprudence  of  the  re¬ 
nowned  Romans  !  Indeed,  the  centurion  himself  seems  not  to  have 
been  at  all  shocked  l»y  the  proposal  :  and  he  was  induced,  rather  by  a 
personal  regard  to  Paul,  than  by  general  principles,  either  of  humanity 
or  justice,  to  negative  the  counsel :  and  this  at  a  time  too,  when  his  own 
life  and  that  of  the  soldiers  xvere  in  as  much  peril,  as  the  lives  of  the 
prisoners.  It  is  highly  reasonable  to  suppose,  that  these  extraordinary 
incidents  were  overruled  to  the  conversion  and  salvation  of  many  of 
their  souls.  Scott. 

NOTES.  Chap.  XXVIII.  V.  1.  Melita.]  ‘  It  is  well  known  that 
this  island  took  its  name  from  the  abundance  of  honey  found  in  it:  it 

[159] 


A.  D.  63. 


Acts,  Xxviii. 


A  viper  fastens  on  Paul’s  hand. 


who  looked  superciliously  enough  on  all  hut 
themselves  as  barbarians,  though  otherwise 
civilized  enough,  and  perhaps  in  some  cases 
more  civil  than  they.  These  barbarous  peo¬ 
ple,  however  so  called,  were  full  of  humani¬ 
ty  ;  they  showed,  us  no  little  kindness.  Far 
from  making  a  prey  of  this  shipwreck,  as 
many,  I  fear,  called  Christian  people,  would 
have  done,  they  laid  hold  on  it  as  an  oppor¬ 
tunity  of  showing  mercy!  and  it  is  written  for 
our  imitation ,  that  we  may  hence  learn  to  be 
Compassionate,  and  to  relieve  and  succor 
those  in  distress  to  the  utmost  of  our  ability, 
as  those  that  know  we  ourselves  are  also  in  the 
body;  we  should  be  ready  to  entertain  stran¬ 
gers ,  Heb.  13:  2.  but,  especially  strangers  in 
distress.  Who  knows  but  these  barbarous 
people,  had  their  lot  cast  in  this  island  for 
such  a  time  as  this  ! 

2.  A  particular  instance  of  their  kindness ; 
They  kindled  a  fire ,  in  some  large  halj  or 
other,  and  they  received  us  every  one  ;  made 
room  for  us  about  the  fire,  and  bid  us  all  wel¬ 
come,  without  asking  either  what  country 
we  were  of,  or  what  religion.  We  must  sup¬ 
pose  they  were  sadly  wet,  of  course;  and  it 
was  cold  too;  so  they  wanted  nothing  so  much 
as  a  good  fire,  for  they  had  eaten  heartily 
just  before  on  shipboard.  It  is  sometimes 
as  much  a  piece  of  charity  to  poor  families, 
to  supply  them  with  fuel,  as  with  food  or  rai¬ 
ment.  Be  ye  warmed,  is  as  necessary  as,  Be 
ye  filled.  When,  in  the  extremities  of  bad 
weather,  we  find  ourselves  fenced  against 
the  rigors  of  the  season,  by  the  accommoda¬ 
tions  of  a  warm  house,  bed',  clothes,  and  a 
good  fire,  we  should  think  how  many  lie  ex¬ 
posed  to  the  present  rain,  and  to  the  cold,  and 
pity  them,  and  pray  for  them,  and  help  them 
if  we  can. 

II.  Paul’s  further  danger  by  a  viper’s  fasten¬ 
ing  on  his  hand,  and  the  unjust  construction 
the  people  put  on  it. 

1.  When  the  fire  was  to  be  made,  and  to 
be  made  bigger,  that  so  great  a  company 
might  all  have  the  benefit  of  it,  Paul  was  as 
busy  as  any  of  them  in  gathering  sticks,  v.  3. 
He  was  an  industrious,  active  man,  and  loved 
to  be  doing  when  anything  was  to  be  done, 
and  never  contrived  to  take  his  ease.  He 
was  a  humble,  and  self  denying-man,  and 
would  stoop  to  anything  by  which  he  might 
be  serviceable,  even  to  the  gathering  of  sticks 
to  make  afire  of.  We  should  reckon  nothing 
below  us  but  sin,  and  be  willing  to  conde¬ 
scend  to  the  meanest  offices,  if  there  be  oc¬ 
casion,  for  the  good  of  our  brethren.  The 
people  were  ready  to  help  them  ;  yet  Paul, 
wet  and  cold  as  lie  is,  will  not  throw  it  all 
on  them,  but  will  help  himself.  They  that 
receive  benefit  by  the  fire,  should  help  to 
carry  fuel  to  it. 

2.  The  sticks  being  old,  dry  rubbish,  it 
happened  there  was  a  viper  among  them,  that 
lay  as  dead  till  it  came  to  the  heat,  and  then 
revived,  or  lay  quiet  till  it  felt  the  fire,  and 
then  was  provoked,  and  flew  at  him  that 
unawares  threw  it  into  the  fire,  and  fastened 
on  his  hand,  v.  3.  Serpents,  and  such  ven¬ 
omous  creatures,  commonly  lie  among  sticks. 
Am.  5:  19.  It  was  so  common,  that  people 
were  by  it  frightened  from  tearing  hedges, 
Eccl.  10:8.  See  how  many  perils  human 
life  is  exposed  to,  and  what  danger  we  are 
in  from  inferior  creatures,  which  are  many 
of  them  become  enemies  to  men,  since  men 


becamq  rebels  to  God;  and  what  a  mercy 
it  is,  that  we  are  preserved  from  them  as  we 
are  ! 

3.  The  barbarous  people  concluded,  that 
Paul,  being  a  prisoner,  was  certainly  a  mur¬ 
derer,  who  had  appealed  to  Rome,  to  escape 
justice  in  his  own  country,  and  that  this  viper 
was  sent  by  divine  justice,  to  be  the  avenger 
of  blood.  Now  in  this  we  may  see, 

(1.)  Some  discoveries  of  natural  light  ; 
they  were  barbarous  people,  perhaps  had  no 
books  of  learning  among  them,  yet  they  knew 
naturally,  that  there  is  a  God  that  governs 
the  world,  and  a  providence  that  presides  in 
all  occurrences  ;  that  evil  pursues  sinners 
that  there  are  good  works  which  God  will 
l'eward,  and  wicked  works  which  He  will 
punish ;  they  believe  that  murder  is  a  heinous 
crime,  which  shall  not  long  go  unpunished  ; 
that  whoso  sheds  man’s  blood ,  if  his  blood  be 
not  shed  by  man,  by  the  magistrate,  as  it 
ought  to'  be,  it  shall  be  shed  by  the  righteous 
Judge  of  heaven  and  earth,  who  is  the  Aven¬ 
ger  of  wrong.  Those  that  think  they  shall 
go  unpunished  in  any  evil  way,  will  be  judged 
out  of  the  mouth  of  these  barbarians,  and  those 
who,  because  they  have  escaped  many  judg* 
meats,  are  secure,  may  learn  from  these 
illiterate  people,  that,  though  malefactors 
have  escaped  the  vengeance  of  the  sea,  yet 
there  is  no  outrunning  divine  justice  ;  ven¬ 
geance  suffers  not  to  live.  In  Job’s  time,  you 
might  ask  them  that  go  by  the  way,  ask  the 
next  body  you  met,  and  they  would  tell  you, 
that  the  wicked  is  reserved  to  the  day  of  de¬ 
struction. 

(2.)  Some  mistakes  of  natural  light, 
which  needed  to  be  rectified  by  divine  rev¬ 
elation;  in  two  things  their  knowledge  was 
defective.  [1.]  They  thought  all  wicked 
people  are  punished  in  this  life  ;  whereas  it 
is  not  so;  the  wicked,  even  murderers,  some¬ 
times  live,  become  old,  yea,  are  mighty  in 
power  ;  for  the  day  of  vengeance  is  to  come 
in  the  other  world,  the  great  day  of  wrath  ; 
and  many  are  left  unpunished,  to  prove  that 
there  is  ajudgment  to  come.  [2.]  They  thought 
all  who  were  remarkably  afflicted  in  this 
life,  were  wicked  people;  a  mistake  Job’s 
friends  went  upon,  in  their  judgment  on  his 
case;  but  divine  revelation  sets  this  matter 
in  a  true  light, — that  all  things  come  ordina¬ 
rily  alike  to  all;  that  good  men  are  oftentimes 
greatly  afflicted  in  this  life,  for  the  exercise 
and  improvement  of  their  faith  and  patience.* 

4.  When  he  shook  off  the  viper,  yet  they 
expected  divine  vengeance  would  ratify  the 
censure  they  had  passed,  and  that  he  would 
have  swollen  and  burst,  through  the  force  of 
the  poison,  or  that  he  should  have  fallen  down 
dead  suddenly.  See  how  apt  men  are,  when 
once  they  have  got  an  ill  opinion,  though 
ever  so  unjust,  to  abide  by  it,  and  to  think 
God  must  necessarily  confirm  and  ratify  their 
peevish  sentence  !  It  was  well  they  did  not 
knock  Paul  down  themselves,  when  they  saw 
he  did  not  swell  and  fall  down;  but  so  con¬ 
siderate  they  are,  as  to  let  Providence  work, 
and  to  attend  the  motions  of  it. 

III.  Paul’s  deliverance  from  the  danger, 
and  the  undue  construction  the  people  put  on 
that ;  The  viper’s  fastening  on  his  hand,,  was 
a  trial  of  his  faith  ;  and  it  was  found  to 
praise,  and  honor,  and  glory:  for, 

1.  It  does  not  appear  that  it  put  him  into 

•  But  see  note*,  Job  36:8 — 14.  34:1.  Ed. 


2  And  the  barbarous  b  people 
shewed  us  no  little  kindness  :  for 
they  kindled  a  fire,  and  received  us 
4  every  one,  because  of  the  present 
rain,  and  because  of  the  cold. 

S  IT  And  when  Paul  had  gathered 
a  bundle  of  sticks,  and  laid  them 
on  the  fire,  there  came  a  viper  out 
of  the  heat,  and  fastened  on  his 
hand. 

4  And  when  the  barbarians  saw 
the  venomous  beast  hang  on  his 
hand,  they  said  among  themselves, 

No  doubt  d  this  man  is  a  murderer, 
whom,  though  he  hath  escaped  the 
sea,  yet  vengeance  suflereth  not  to 
live. 

5  And  he  shook  off*  the  beast  into 
the  fire,  and  felt  e  no  harm. 

6  Howbeit,  they  looked  when  he 
should  have  swollen,  or  fallen  down 
dead  suddenly  ;  but  after  they  had 
looked  a  great  while,  and  saw  no 
harm  come  to  him,  they  changed 
their  minds,  and  said  fthat  he  was 
a  god. 

b  Ru.  1:14.  Col.  13:2.  10:19. 

3:11.  (11.1.7:24.  f  0.14:11. 

c  Mat.  10:42.  He.  e  Ma.  16:18.  Lu. 

we  have  a  great  deal  of  him  yet  before  us  in 
bis  epistles  ;  we  have  attended  him  through 
several  chs.,  from  one  judgment-seat  to  an¬ 
other,  and  could  at  last  have  taken  leave  of 
him  with  the  more  pleasure,  if  we  had  left 
him  at  liberty  ;  but  in  this  ch.  we  are  to  con¬ 
dole  with  him,  and  yet  congratulate  him. 

What  a  great  variety  of  places  and  circum¬ 
stances  do  we  find  Paul  in  !  He  was  a  planet, 
and  not  a  fixed  star.  Here  we  have  him  in 
an  island,  to  which,  in  all  probability,  he 
had  never  come,  if  he  had  not  been  thrown 
upon  it  by  a  storm  ;  and  yet,  it  seems,  God 
has  work  for  him  to  do  here.  This  island 
was  called  Melita,  lying  between  Sicily  and 
Africa  ;  20  miles  long,  and  12  broad  ;  it 
lies  farthest  from  the  continent  of  any  island 
in  the  Mediterranean  ;  it  is  about  60  miles 
from  Sicily.  It  has  been  famous  since,  for 
the  knights  of  Malta,  who,  when  the  Turks 
overran  that  part  of  Christendom,  made  a 
noble  stand,  and  gave  some  check  to  the 
progress  of  their  arms. 

Now  here  we  have, 

I.  The  kind  reception  the  inhabitants 
gave  to  the  distressed,  shipwrecked  stran¬ 
gers,  v.  2.  God  had  promised  there  should 
be  no  loss  of  any  man’s  life;  and  if,  when  they 
came  ashore,  they  had  perished  for  cold  or 
want,  it  had  been  all  one  ;  therefore  Provi¬ 
dence  continues  its  care  of  them,  and  what 
benefits  we  receive  by  the  hand  of  man, 
must  be  acknowledged  to  come  from  the 
hand  of  God;  for,  as,  when  He  pleases,  He 
can  make  enemies  to  be  at  peace,  so  He  can 
make  strangers  to  be  friends,  friends  in 
adversity,  and  that  is  the  time  a  brother  is 
burn  for.  Observe, 

1.  The  general  notice  taken  of  the  kind¬ 
ness  the  natives  of  Malta  showed  to  Paul  and 
his  company  ;  they  are  called  barbarous  peo¬ 
ple,  because  not,  in  language  and  customs, 
conforined  either  to  the  Greeks  or  Romans, 

also  yields  a  great  deal  of  cotton,  and  though  it  has  but  three  feet  depth 
of  earth  above  the  solid  rock,  is  very  fruitful.  Paul’s  shipwreck  here 
engaged  a  kind  of  superstitious  regard  to  it,  in  consequence  of  which  it 
was  given,  A.  D.  1530,  by  the  Emperor  Charles  V.  to  the  knights  of  St. 
John  in  Jerusalem,  when  they  had  been  expelled  from  Rhodes  by  the 
Turks.  They  [were]  1000  in  number,  of  whom  500  always  resided  on 
the  island,  and  [were]  called  Hospitallers.’  [Cuts,  Ac.  end.]  Doddr. 

V.  2.  Barbarians.)  Barbaroi :  comp,  the  terms,  shemmo,  of  the 
Egyptians  ;  touran,  of  the  Persians  ;  goiim ,  of  the  Jews,  and  ee-jin,  of 
the  Chinese,  applied  to  foreigners..  Bl.  derives  barbaroi  from  the  Punic 
berber,  a  shepherd,  a  name  especially  appropriated  to  the  indigenous 
and  pastoral  inhabitants  of  Africa,  by  their  more  civilized  neighbors  on 
the  other  side  the  Mediterranean;  so  it  came  at  last  to  mean  savage. 
The  inhabitants,  too,  of  Malta  were  of  Carthaginian  origin,  and  spoke 
Punic.  Nations  are  not  yet  rid  of  these  feelings  !  Ed. 

V.  3.  Viper,  vs.  4,  5.  Beast.)  A  fierce  animal  is  the  proper  import 

[160] 


of  the  word.  Ros.  has  well  shown,  that  the  physicians  use  it  to  express 
any  poisonous  animal,  and  Lucian  in  particular  applies  it,  as  here,  to  a 
viper:  but  to  render  it  beast  is  by  no  means  justifiable.  No  harm,  v.  5.] 
'■Eisner  observes,  that  many  of  the  heathen  thought  there  was  something 
divine  in  the  nature  of  serpents,  and  that  deities,  or  good  genii,  who 
were  made  use  of  as  the  instruments  of  delivering  and  honoring  those 
that  were  the  peculiar  favorites  of  the  gods,  often  appeared  in  that 
shape.  Hence,  idols  were  often  made  with  serpents  near  them :  and 
there  have  been  numerous  and  indeed  astonishing  instances  of  religious 
worship  paid  to  that  kind  of  animal,  absurd  as  it  may  seem.’  Doddr. 
Indeed  ophite  or  snake-worship  seems  to  have  been  almost  universal. 
Ed.  ‘  The  poisonous  vipers  of  Italy  and  Africa  do  not,  like  some  spe¬ 
cies  of  harmless  snakes  with  us,  wind  around  a  person’s  hand,  but  dart 
upon  and  bite  them  at  once,  and  keep  fast  hold.’  Bloomf. 

V.  6.  ‘The  swelling,  first  local,  then  universal,  is  a  common  symp¬ 
tom  :  and  IVaterton  says,  that  darts,  dipped  in  the  Worali  poison  (of  S. 


ACTS,  XXVIII. 


A.  D.  63. 


They  sail  again  toward  Home. 


7  V  In  the  same  quarters  were 
possessions  of  the  chief  man  of  the 
island,  whose  name  was  Publius  ; 
who  received  us,  and  lodged  us 
three  days  courteously. 

8  And  it  came  to  pass,  that  the 
father  of  Publius  lay  sick  of  a  fever, 
and  of  a  bloody  flux  :  to  whom 
*  Paul  entered  in,  and  prayed,  and 
laid  h  his  hands  on  him,  and  healed 
him. 

9  So  when  this  was  done,  others 
also,  which  had  diseases  in  the 
island,  came,  and  were  healed  : 

•  10  Who  also  honored  ’  us  with 
many  honors;  and  when  we  depart¬ 
ed,  they  laded  us  with  such  things 
j  as  were  necessary. 

11  V  And  after  three  months  we 
departed  in  a  ship  of  Alexandria, 
which  had  wintered  in  the  isle, 
whose  sign  was  Castor  and  Pollux. 

g  Ja.  5:14, 15.  11.  1  Co.  12:9,  i  Mat.  6:31—34. 

h  Mat.  9  18  Ma.  £8  10:8-10.  2  Co. 

6:5.  7:32.  16:13.  i  1  Th.  2:6.  9:5—11.  Phi. 

Lu.  4:40.  c.  19:  1  Ti.  5:17.  4:11,12. 

any  fright  or  confusion  at  all  ;  he  did  not 
shriek,  or  start,  nor,  as  it  would  be  natural 
for  us  to  do,  throw  it  off  with  terror  and 
precipitation;  for  he  suffered  it  to  hang  on 
so  long,  that  the  people  had  time  to  notice 
it,  and  make  their  remarks  upon  it.  Such 
a  wonderful  presence  of  mind  he  had,  and 
such  a  composure,  as  no  man  could  have  on 
such  a  sudden  accident,  but  by  the  special 
aids  of  divine  grace,  and  the  actual  belief 
and  consideration  of  that  word  of  Christ 
concerning  his  disciples,  Mark  16: 18.  They 
shall  take  up  serpents.  This  is  to  have  the 
heart  fixed,  trusting  in  God. 

2.  He  carelessly  shook  off  the  viper  into  the 
fire,  without  any  difficulty,  calling  for  help, 
or  any  means  used  to  loosen  its  hold  ;  and, 
probably,  it  was  consumed  in  the  fire.  Thus, 
in  the  strength  of  the  grace  of  Christ,  be¬ 
lievers  shake  off  the  temptations  of  Satan, 
that  the  wicked  one.  toucheth  them  not,  so  as  to 
fasten  on  them,  1  John  5  : 18.  When  we 
despise  the  censures  and  reproaches  of  men, 
and  look  on  them  with  a  holy  contempt,  hav¬ 
ing  the  testimony  of  conscience  for  us,  then  we 
do,  as  Paul  here,  shake  off  the  viper  into  the 
fire.  It  does  us  no  harm,  except  we  either 
fret  at  it,  or  be  deterred  by  it  from  our  duty, 
or  be  provoked  to  render  railing  for  railing. 

3.  They  looked  a  great  while,  but  saw  no 
harm  come  to  him.  God  hereby  intended  to 
make  him  remarkable  among  these  barba¬ 
rous  people,  and  so  to  make  way  for  the  en¬ 


tertainment  of  the  Gospel  among  them.  It 
is  reported,  that  after  this,  no  venomous 
creature  would  live  in  that  island,  any  more 
than  in  Ireland  ;  but  I  do  not  find  that  the 
matter  of  fact  is  confirmed,  though  the 
popish  writers  speak  of  it  witli  assurance. 

4.  They  then  magnified  him  as  much  as 
before  they  had  vilified  him  ;  They  said  he 
was  a  god  ;  an  immortal  god.  See  the  un¬ 
certainty  of  popular  opinion,  how  it  turns 
with  the  wind,  and  how  apt  it  is  to  run  into 
extremes  both  wavs. 

IV.  The  miraculous  cure  of  an  old  gen¬ 
tleman  ill  of  a  fever,  and  of  others,  other¬ 
wise  diseased,  by  Paul.  And  with  these 
confirmations  of  the  doctrine  of  Christ,  no 
doubt  there  was  a  faithful  publication  of  it. 
Observe, 

1.  The  kind  entertainment  Publius,  the 
chief  man  of  the  island,  gave  to  them,i'.  7. 
some  think,  he  was  governor.  It  is  happy 
when  God  gives  a  large  heart  to  those  to 
whom  He  has  given  a  large  estate.  It  be¬ 
came  him,  who  was  the  chief  man  of  the 
island,  to  be  most  hospitable  and  generous  ; 
[him,]  who  was  the  richest  man,  to  be  rich  in 
good  works. 

2.  The  illness  of  the  father  of  Publius; 
a  fever  and  a  bloody  flux  often  go  together, 
and,  when  they  do,  are  commonly  fatal. 
Providence  ordered  he  should  be  ill  just  at 
this  time,  that  the  cure  of  him  might  be  a 
present  recompense  to  Publius  for  his  gene¬ 
rosity,  and  the  cure  of  him  by  a  miracle,  a 
recompense  particularly  for  his  kindness  to 
Paul,  whom  he  received  in  the  name  of  a 
prophet,  and  had  this  prophet’s  reward. 

3.  His  cure;  Paul  took  cognizance  of  his 
case,  and  though  not  urged  to  it,  yet  he  en¬ 
tered  in,  not  as  a  physician,  but  as  an  apos¬ 
tle,  prayed,  and  then  laid  his  hands  on  him, 
and  he  was  perfectly  well  in  an  instant  :  he 
must  needs  be  in  years,  yet  he  recovered  his 
health,  and  the  lengthening  outrof  life  yet 
longer  would  be  a  mercy  to  him. 

4.  The  cure  of  many  others.  A  good  man 
will  endeavor  to  do  good,  wherever  the 
providence  of  God  casts  him.  Paul  reckoned 
himself  a  debtor,  not  only  to  the  Greeks,  but 
to  the  barbarians,  and  thanked  God  for  an 
opportunity  of  being  useful  among  them. 
Nay,  he  was  particularly  obliged  to  these 
inhabitants  of  Malta,  and  hereby  he  did  in 
effect  discharge  his  quarters;  which  should 
encourage  us  to  entertain  strangers,  for  some 
thereby  have  entertained  angels,  and  some 
apostles,  unawares;  God  will  not  be  behind¬ 
hand  with  any  for  kindness  shown  to  his 
people  in  distress.  We  have  reason  to  think, 
that  Paul, with  these  cures,  preached  the  Gos¬ 
pel  to  them,  and  that,  coming  thus  confirmed 
and  recommended,  it  was  generally  embraced 
among  them.  And  if  so,  never  were  any 


people  so  enriched  by  a  shipwreck  on  their 
coasts,  as  these  Maltese. 

V.  The  grateful  acknowledgment,  which 
even  these  barbarous  people  made  of  the 
kindness  Paul  had  done  them,  in  preaching 
Christ  unto  them.  They  were  civil  to  him, 
and  to  the  other  ministers  that  were  with 
him,  who,  it  is  likely,  Were  assisting  him  in 
preaching  among  them,  v.  10.  1.  They  hon¬ 
ored  us  with  many  honors  ;  showed  them  all 
possible  respect  ;  they  saw  God  honored 
them,  and  therefore  just  ly  thought  themselves 
obliged  to  honor  them;  and  thought  nothing 
too  much  by  which  they  might  testify  the  es¬ 
teem  they  had  for  them.  The  faithful  preach¬ 
ers  of  the  Gospel  are  worthy  of  a  double 
honor,  then  especially  when  they  succeed  in 
their  labors.  2.  When  we  departed,  they 
loaded  us  with  such  things  as  were  necessary ; 
or,  they  put  on  board  such  things  as  we  had 
occasion  for.  Paul  could  not  labor  with  his 
hands  here,  for  he  had  nothing  to  work  upon, 
and  therefore  accepted  the  kindness  of  the 
good  people  of  Melita,  not  as  a  fee  for  his 
cures,  (freely  he  had  received,  and  freely  he 
gave,)  but  as  the  relief  of  his  wants,  and 
theirs  that  were  with  him.  And  having 
reaped  of  their  spiritual  things,  it  was  but 
just  they  should  make  them  those  returns, 
1  Cor.  9:11. 

V.  11 — 16.  We  have  here  the  progress  of 
Paul’s  voyage  towards  Rome,  and  his  arrival 
there  at  length ;  a  rough  and  dangerous  voy¬ 
age  he  had  had  hitherto,  and  narrowly  es¬ 
caped  with  his  life,  but  the  latter  part  of  his 
voyage  was  easy  and  quiet. 

I.  Their  leaving  Malta  ;  notice  is  here 
taken, 

1.  Of  the  time  of  their  departure  ;  after 
three  months,  the  three  winter-months.  Paul 
had  warned  them  before,  but  now  they  need¬ 
ed  not  a  further  warning  :  their  learning  did 
them  good  when  they  had  paid  dear  for  it. 
Experience  is  therefore  called  the  mistress  of 
fools,  because  fools  will  not  learn,  till  expe¬ 
rience  has  taught  them. 

2.  The  ship  in  which  they  departed  was 
of  Alexandria;  so  was  that  which  was  cast 
away,  ch.  27:  6.  Two  ships,  both  of  Alex¬ 
andria,  both  bound  for  Italy,  both  thrown  on 
the  same  island,  but  one  wrecked,  the  other 
saved.  Events  are  thus  varied,  that  we  may 
learn  both  how  to  want,  and  how  to  abound. 
The  historian  notices  the  sign  of  the  ship, 
Castor  and  Pollux,  little,  foolish,  pagan  de¬ 
ities,  the  poets  made  to  preside  over  storms, 
and  to  protect  seafaring  men,  as  gods  of  the 
sea;  these  were  painted  or  graven  on  the  fore 
part  of  the  ship,  and  thence  its  name.  I 
suppose  this  is  observed  only  the  better  to 
ascertain  the  story  ;  that  ship  being  well 
known  by  that  name  and  sign,  by  all  that 
dealt  between  Egypt  and  Italy.  Lightfoot 


America),  cause  almost  immediate  death.  Pliny  says,  of  the  Scythian 
darts,  dipped  in  viper’s  blood,  “on  a  slight  touch  they  forthwith  bring 
death.”  ’  Bloomf. 

V.  7 — 10.  It  had  been  providentially  ordered,  that  the  ship  should  be 
wrecked,  near  the  house  and  estate  of  the  governor  of  the  island  ;  thus 
Paul  became  acquainted  with  the  sickness  of  the  governor’s  father.  It  is 
reasonable  to  conclude  from  this  compendious  narrative,  that  the  con¬ 
duct  and  discourses  of  Paul  and  his  friends,  and  all  the  events  of  the 
shipwreck  and  deliverance,  had  made  a  deep  impression  on  the  minds 
of  the  soldiers,  sailors,  and  passengers  ;  and  that  they  loo  had  behaved 
so  well  at  Melita,  as  to  conciliate  the  esteem  and  favor  of  the  inhabit¬ 
ants. — ‘  No  one  will  ever  repent  of  having  entertained  a  servant  of  God, 
however  wretched  and  indigent.’  Beza.  (7)  The  chief  man.]  Protos: 

‘  Grotius  has  produced  an  ancient  inscription,  by  which  it  appears,  the 
title  of  protos,  or  chief,  was  given  the  governor  of  this  island,  and  so  it  is 
used  here  by  Luke,  with  his  usual  propriety  of  expression.’  Doddr.  Sc. 

V.  11.  Castor  and  Pollux.]  ‘The  figure  used  for  these,  as  Light f. 
says,  was  that  of  two  young  men  on  horseback,  with  each  of  them  a 
javelin  in  his  hand,  &c".  But  others  have  observed,  that  it  was  the  sign 
of  a  double  cross  :  and  though  the  Greeks  took  them  for  a  sign  in  the 
7.odiac,  which  was  called  the  twins,  and  considered  as  sacred  to  these 
fictitious  deities,  it  was  not  at  first  represented  by  two  boys,  but  by  two 
beasts,  as  referring  to  the  fruitfulness  of  goats  in  producing  twin  kids 
about  the  time  the  sun  was  in  that  constellation.  The  appearance  of 
both  these  constellations  together  was  thought  favornble  to  mariners, 
and  therefore,  for  a  good  omen,  they  had  them  carved  or  painted  on  the 
head  of  the  ships,  [cut,  Is.  33:21.]  and  gave  it  name  from  thence,  which 
the  sacred  historian  does  not  scruple  to  use.’  Doddr.  Sign.]  ‘  Para- 
slmon:  the  Romans  had  the  tutela  on  the  poop,  and  the  insigne  para- 
slmon  at  the  prow  :  the  image  here  seems  to  have  been  placed  on 
both.’  Bl.  Note  and  cut,  Ez.  27:  5— 7.  The  cut,  from  a  painting  in  Pom- 
N.  T.  VOL.  V.  21 


peii,  of  that  age,  will  assist  in  explaining  the  arrangement  of  ancient 
vessels.  The  figure-head,  half  of  which  only  seems  to  be  seen,  may  be 


A.  D.  63. 


ACTS,  XXVIII. 


Paul  confers  at  Pome  with  the  Jews. 


12  And  landing  at  Syracuse,  we 
tarried  there  three  days. 

13  And  from  thence  we  fetched 
a  compass,  and  came  to  Rhegium  : 
and  after  one  day  the  south  wind 
blew,  and  we  came  the  next  day  to 
Puteoli  ; 

14  Where  we  found  brethren, 
and  were  desired  to  tarry  with  them 
seven  days  :  and  so  we  went  toward 
Rome. 

15  And  from  thence,  when  the 
brethren  heard  of  us,  they  came  k  to 
meet  us  as  far  as  Appii  Forum,  and 
the  Three  Taverns  :  whom  when 
Paul  saw,  he  thanked  God,  and 
took  1  courage. 

16  And  when  we  came  to  Rome, 
the  centurion  delivered  the  prison¬ 
ers  to  the  captain  of  the  guard  : 
but  Paul  was  suffered  to  dwell  by 
himself  “with  a  soldier  that  kept 
him. 

17  IT  And  it  came  to  pass,  that 
after  three  days  Paul  called  the 
chief  of  the  Jews  together  :  and 
when  they  were  come  together,  he 
said  unto  them,  Men  and  brethren, 
though  nI  have  committed  nothing 
against  the  people,  or  customs  of 
our  fathers,  yet  was  I  delivered 
0  prisoner  from  Jerusalem  into  the 
hands  of  the  Romans  ; 

k  c.21:5.  3Jn.6:8.  27:14.  n  c.24:12,13.  25:8. 

1  Jos.  1:6,  7,  9.  me.  24:23.  27:3.  o  c.  21:33,  &c. 

1  Sa.  S0:6.  Pa. 

thinks  Luke  mentions  it,  to  intimate  the 
men’s  superstition,  that  they  hoped  they 
should  have  better  sailing  under  this  badge 
than  before. 

II.  Their  landing,  and  journey  toward 
Rome. 

1.  At  Syracuse  in  Sicily ;  there  they  tar¬ 
ried  three  days,  probably  to  put  ashore  goods, 
or  make  some  merchandise  there  ;  for  this 
ship  seems  to  have  been  on  a  trading  voyage. 
Paul  had  now  his  curiosity  gratified,  with 
the  sight  of  places  he  had  often  heard  of, 
and  wished  to  see ;  particularly  Syracuse,  a 
place  of  great  antiquity  and  note  ;  yet,  it 
should  seem,  there  were  no  Christians  there. 

2.  From  Syracuse  they  came  to  Rhegium, 
a  city  in  Italy,  directly  opposite  to  Messina 
in  Sicily,  belonging  to  the  kingdom  of  Ca¬ 
labria  or  Naples;  there,  it  seems,  they  stay¬ 
ed  one  day.  And  a  very  formal  story  the 
Romish  legends  tell,  of  Paul’s  preaching 
here  at  this  time,  and  the  fish  coming  to  the 
shore  to  hear  him  ;  that  with  a  candle  he  set 
a  stone  pillar  on  fire,  and  by  that  miracle 
convinced  the  people  of  the  truth  of  his  doc¬ 
trine,  and  they  were  many  of  them  baptized, 
and  he  ordained  Stephen,  one  of  his  com¬ 
panions  in  this  voyage,  to  be  their  bishop  ; 
and  all  this,  they  tel  1  you,  was  done  in  this 
one  day  ;  whereas  it  does  not  appear  that 
they  did  so  much  as  go  ashore,  but  only 
came  to  an  anchor  in  the  road. 

3.  From  Rhegium,  they  came  to  Puteoli, 
a  sea-port  town  not  far  from  Naples,  now 
called  Pozzolana  [and  Pozzuoli ]  ;  the  ship 
of  Alexandria  was  bound  for  that  part,- and 
therefore  there  Paul,  and  the  rest  bound  for 
Rome,  were  put  ashore,  and  went  the  re¬ 
mainder  of  their  way  by  land.  At  Puteoli 
they  found  brethren,  Christians  ;  they  heard 


of  him,  or  he  inquired  them  out,  as  it  were, 
by  instinct.  Brethren  in  Christ  should  find 
out  one  another,  and  keep  up  communion 
with  each  other,  as  those  of  the  same  coun¬ 
try  do  in  a  foreign  land.  They  desired  Paul 
and  his  companions  to  tarry  with  them  seven 
days,  i.  e.  to  forecast  to  stay  at  least  one 
Lord's  day,  and  assist  them  in  their  public 
worship.  They  knew  not  whether  ever  they 
should  see  Paul  at  Puteoli  again;  therefore 
he  must  not  go,  but  he  must  give  them  a  ser¬ 
mon  or  two,  or  more.  And  Paul  was  wil¬ 
ling  to  allow  them  so  much  of  his  time;  and 
the  centurion,  under  whose  command  Paul 
now  was,  perhaps  having  himself  friends  or 
business  at  Puteoli,  agreed  to  stay  one  week 
there,  to  oblige  Paul. 

4.  From  Puteoli  they  went  forward  tow¬ 
ard  Rome  ;  whether  on  foot,  or  on  beasts, 
as  eh.  23:  24.  does  not  appear. 

III.  The  meeting  the  Christians  at  Rome 
gave  to  Paul  ;  probably  notice  was  sent 
them  by  the  Christians  at  Puteoli,  which 
gave  an  opportunity  for  this  interview. 
Observe, 

1.  The  great  honor  they  did  to  Paul  ; 
they  had  heard  much  of  his  fame,  and  of  his 
sufferings,  and  how  God  had  owned  him, 
therefore  they  not  only  longed  to  see  him, 
but  thought  themselves  obliged  to  show  him 
all  possible  respect,  as  a  glorious  advocate 
for  the  cause  of  Christ.  He  had  some  time 
ago  written  them  a  long  epistle,  the  epistle  to 
the  Romans,  in  which  he  had  not  only  ex¬ 
pressed  his  great  kindness  for  them,  but  had 
given  them  a  great  many  useful  instructions, 
and  in  return  for  that  they  show  him  this 
respect.  They  went  to  meet  him,  some  as  far 
as  Appii- forum,  51  miles  from  Rome ;  others, 
to  a  place  called  the  Three  taverns,  28,  some 
say  33  miles,  from  Rome.  They  are  to  be 
commended  for  it,  that,  so  far  from  being 
ashamed  of  him,  or  afraid  of  owning  him, 
because  he -was  a  prisoner,  that,  for  that  very' 
reason,  they  counted  him  worthy  of  double 
honor,  and  were  the  more  careful  to  show 
him  respect. 

2.  The  great  comfort  Paul  had  in  this  ; 
now  that  lie  was  drawing  near  to  Rome,  and 
perhaps  heard  at  Puteoli  what  a  tyrant  the 
emperor  Nero  was  now  of  late  become,  he 
began  to  have  some  melancholy  thoughts 
about  his  appeal  to  Cesar,  and  the  conse¬ 
quences  of  it;  till  he  meets  with  these  good 
people  that  came  from  Rome,  to  show  him 
respect  ;  and  tvhen  he  saw  them,  (1.)  He 
thanked  God  ;  we  may  suppose  he  thanked 
them  for  their  civility,  told  them  again  and 
again  how  kindly  he  took  it  ;  but  that  was 
not  all,  he  thanked  God.  Note,  if  our 
friends  be  kind  to  us,  it  is  God  that  makes 
them  so,  that  puts  it  into  their  hearts,  and 
into  the  power  of  their  hands,  to  be  so,  and 
we  must  give  Him  the  glory  of  it.  Paul 
had  thanked  God  for  the  Christians  at  Rome 
before  he  had  ever  seen  them,  on  the  report 
he  had  heard  concerning  them,  Rom.  1  :  8. 
But  now  that  he  saw  them,  he  thanked  God; 
perhaps  they  appeared  better  than  most 
Christians  he  had  seen.  But  that  was  not 
all  ;  (2.)  He  took  courage  ;  it  put  new  life 
into  him,  cheered  his  spirits,  and  now  he 
can  enter  Rome  a  prisoner,  as  cheerfully  as 
ever  lie  had  entered  Jerusalem  at  liberty. 
He  finds  there  are  those  there  who  love  and 
value  him,  and  whom  lie  may  both  converse 
with  and  consult  with  as  his  friends,  which 
will  take  oil  much  of  the  tediousness  of  his 
imprisonment,  and  the  terror  of  his  appear¬ 
ing  before  Nero.  Note,  It  is  an  encour¬ 
agement  to  those  who  are  travelling  toward 


heaven,  to  meet  with  their  fellow-travellers , 
who  are  their  companions  in  the  kingdom  and 
patience  of  Jesus  Christ.  And  this  is  a  good 
reason  why  respect  should  be  shown  to  good 
ministers,  especially  when  in  sufferings  and 
contempt,  that  it  encourages  them,  and  makes 
both  their  sufferings  and  their  services  more 
easy.  Yet  it  is  observable,  that  though  the 
Christians  at  Rome  were  now  so  respectful 
to  Paul,  and  he  had  promised  himself  so 
much  from  their  respect,  yet  they  failed  him 
when  he  most  needed  them,  2  Tim.  4  :  16. 
To  venture  the  displeasure  of  the  emperor, 
and  the  disobliging  of  other  great  men,  by 
appearing  in  defence  of  Paul,  and  giving 
evidence  for  him,  here  they  desired  to  be 
excused  ;  when  it  comes  to  that,  they  will 
rather  ride  as  far  out  of  town  to  miss  him, 
as  now  they  did  to  meet  him.  Which  is  ail 
intimation  to  us,  to  cease  from  man,  and  to 
encourage  ourselves  in  the  Lord  our  God.  The 
courage  we  take  from  his  promises  will 
never  fail  us,  when  we  shall  be  ashamed  of 
that  which  we  took  from  men’s  compliments. 

IV.  The  delivering  of  Paul  into  custody  at 
Rome,  v.  16.  1.  He  is  delivered,  with  other 
prisoners,  to  the  captain  of  the  guard,  and  can 
see  no  more  of  Rome  than  he  will  permit 
him.  How  many  great  men  had  made  their  en¬ 
try  into  Rome,  crowned,  and  in  triumph, who 
really  were  the  plagues  of  their  generation  ! 
But  here  a  good  man  makes  his  entry  into 
Rome,  chained,  and  triumphed  over,  as  a 
poor  captive,  who  was  really  the  greatest 
blessing  to  his  generation.  This  thought  is 
enough  to  put  one  for  ever  out  of  conceit 
with  this  world. 

2.  Yet  [as  it  is]  some  favor  is  showed  him ; 
he  is  a  prisoner,  but  not  a  close  prisoner,  not 
in  the  common  jail  ;  Paul  was  suffered  to 
dwell  by  himself,  in  some  convenient  pri¬ 
vate  lodgings  his  friends  there  provided  for 
him,  and  a  soldier  was  appointed  his  guard, 
we  hope  civil,  and  that  let  him  take  all  lib¬ 
erty  that  could  be  allowed  a  prisoner,  for  he 
must  be  very  ill-humored  indeed,  that  could 
be  so  to  such  a  courteous,  obliging  man  as 
Paul.  Paul,  being  suffered  to  dwell  by  him¬ 
self,  could  the  better  enjoy  himself,  friends, 
and  God,  than  if  lodged  with  the  other  pris¬ 
oners.  This  may  encourage  God’s  prison¬ 
ers,  that  He  can  give  them  favor,  Ps.  106: 
46.  as  Joseph  in  the  eyes  of  his  keeper, 
Gen.  39  :  21.  and  Jehoiachin  in  the  eyes 
of  the  king  of  Babylon,  2  K.  25  :  27,  28. 
When  God  does  not  deliver  his  people  pres¬ 
ently  out  of  bondage,  yet  if  He  either  make 
it  easy  to  them,  or  them  easy  under  it,  they 
have  reason  to  be  thankful. 

V.  17 — 22.  Paul,  with  great  expense  and 
hazard,  is  brought  a  prisoner  to  Rome,  and 
when  he  is  come,  nobody  appears  to  prose¬ 
cute  him,  or  lay  anything  to  his  charge;  but 
lie  must  call  bis  own  cause  ;  and  here  he 
represents  it  to  the  chief  of  the  Jews  at  Rome, 
persons  most  distinguished  as  to  estates  and 
interests.  It  was  not  long,  since,  by  an 
edict  of  Claudius,  all  the  Jews  were  ban¬ 
ished  from  Rome,  and  kept  out  till  his  death  ; 
but  in  the  five  years  since  then,  many  Jews 
were  come  thither,  for  the  advantage  of 
trade,  though  it  does  not  appear  that  they 
were  allowed  any  synagogue  there,  or  place 
of  public  worship;  Paid  called  them  together, 
being  desirous  to  stand  right  in  their  opinion, 
and  that  there  might  be  a  good  understand¬ 
ing  between  him  and  them. 

I.  His  account  of  his  case. 

1.  He  professes  his  own  innocency.  It  is 
true,  he  had  not  imposed  the  customs  of  the 
fathers  on  the  Gentiles,  for  whom  they  were 


V.  13.  Fetching  a  compass.]  ‘Rather,  coasting  about.’  Bloomf. 

V.  16.  When  the  company  arrived  at  Rome,  the  other  prisoners  were 
committed  to  the  custody  of  the  captain  of  the  imperial  guards,  to  be 
dodged  in  prison  :  but,  through  the  account  sent  by  Festus,  and  the  re¬ 
port  of  Julius,  Paul  was  exempted  from  this  hardship,  and  was  allowed 
to  dwell  in  a  lodging  apart  from  other  prisoners;  and  only  guarded  by 
a  soldier.  [ At  another  period  Paul  was  closely  conflqed.J  Scott. 

(16.)  Captain  of  the  guard.]  ‘  The  person  who  had  now  this  office, 
was  the  noted  Burrhus  Afranius  :  but  both  before  and  after  him,  it  was 
[162] 


held  by  two.  See  Tar..'  Do/ldr.  ‘  The  law  was,  that  all  prisoners  sent 
to  Rome  should  be  delivered  to  the  custody  of  the  Pradectus  Prtetorii, 
and  guarded  in  the  Prmtorian  camp.  This  Pra-fect  “permitted  Paul,” 
<5cc.,  for  (so  Ulpian)  the  proconsul  exercised  a  discretion  as  to  the  treat¬ 
ment  of  such,  whether  to  put  them  in  prison,  or  give  them  to  a  soldier’s 
charge.’  HI.  The  allowing  to  Paul  a  separate  confinement  out  of  the 
common  ‘camp  prison,’  (where  prisoners  in  ‘  free  custody  ’  were  herd¬ 
ed  together,)  was  indeed  a  great  favor.  See  Bloomf.  Ed. 

V.  17—20.  ‘Paul  everywhere  remembers  th:it  he  is  an  apostle.’ 


A.  D.  63. 


ACTS,  XXVIII. 


18  Who,  when  p  they  had  exam¬ 
ined  me,  would  have  let  me  go,  be¬ 
cause  there  was  no  cause  of  death 
in  me. 

19  But  when  the  Jews  spake 
against  it,  I  was  constrained  to  ap¬ 
peal  q  unto  Cesar  ;  not  that  I  had 
aught  to  accuse  my  nation  of. 

20  For  this  cause  therefore  have 
I  called  for  you,  to  see  you ,  and  to 
speak  with  you  :  because  that  for 
the  hope  r  of  Israel  I  am  bound 
with  this  ’  chain. 

21  And  they  said  unto  him,  We 
neither  received  letters  out  of  Ju¬ 
dea  concerning  thee,  neither  any  of 
the  brethren  that  came  shewed  or 
spake  any  harm  of  thee. 

22  But  we  desire  to  hear  of  thee 
what  thou  thiukest :  for  as  concern¬ 
ing  this  sect,  we  know  that  every 
where  1  it  is  spoken  against. 

23  TT  And  when  they  had  appoint¬ 
ed  him  a  day,  there  came  many  to 
him  into  his  u  lodging  ;  to  whom  he 
v  expounded  and  testified  the  king¬ 
dom  of  God,  persuading  them  con¬ 
cerning  Jesus,  both  ,r  out  of  the  law 
of  Moses,  and  out  of  the  prophets, 
from  morning  till  evening. 

24  And  some  x  believed  the  things 
which  were  spoken,  and  some  be¬ 
lieved  not. 

p  c.  24:10  .  26:31.  Phil.  10:13.  v  Lu.  24:27. 
qc.25:ll.  t  Lu.  2:34.  c.  24:  c.  17:3.  13:8. 

r  c.  26:6,7.  5:14.  1  Pe.2:l2.  w  c.  26:6,  22. 

s  c.  26:29.  Ep.  4:14.  x  c.  14 : 1.  17:4. 

3:1.  4:1.  6:20.  u  Phil.  2.  19:9.  lto.  3:3. 

2Ti.  1:16.  2:9. 


never  intended  ;  but  it  is  as  true,  he  never 
opposed  them  in  the  Jews;  but  did  himself, 
when  among  them,  conform  to  them.  He 
never  quarrelled  with  them  for  practising 
according  to  the  usages  of  their  own  reli¬ 
gion,  but  only  for  their  enmity  to  the  Gen¬ 
tiles,  Gal.  2  :  12.  Paul  had  the  testimony 
of  his  conscience  for  him,  that  he  had  done 
his  duty  to  the  Jews. 

2.  He  modestly  complains  of  the  hard 
usage  he  had  met  with,  v.  17.  If  he  had 
spoken  the  whole  truth  in  this  matter,  it 
would  have  looked  worse  than  it  did  on  the 
Jews,  for  they  would  have  murdered  him 
without  any  color  of  law  or  justice,  if  the 
Romans  had  not  protected  him  ;  but,  how¬ 
ever,  their  accusing  him  as  a  criminal, 
before  Felix  the  governor,  and  demanding 
judgment  against  him,  were,  in  effect,  de¬ 
livering  him  prisoner  into  the  hands  of  the 
Romans,  when  he  desired  no  more  than  a 
fair  and  impartial  trial  by  their  own  law. 

3.  He  declares  the  judgment  of  the  Ro¬ 
man  governors  concerning  him,  v.  18.  It 
was  for  Paul’s  honor,  that  those  who  most 
carefully  examined  his  case,  acquitted  him, 
and  none  condemned  him  hut  unheard,  and 
such  as  were  prejudiced  against  him. 

4.  He  pleads  the  necessity  he  was  under 
to  remove  himself  and  his  cause  to  Rome  ; 
and  that  it  was  only  in  his  own  defence, and 
not  with  any  design  to  recriminate,  or  ex¬ 
hibit* a  cross  hill  against  the  complainants, 
v.  19.  When  the  Jews  spake  against  his  dis¬ 
charge,  finding  the  governors,  one  after  an¬ 
other,  stood  so  much  in  awe  of  them,  that 


they  would  not  discharge  him,  for  fear  of 
making  them  their  enemies;  it  was  necessa¬ 
ry  for  him  to  appeal  to  the  higher  powers  : 
this  was  all  he  aimed  at,  not  to  accuse  his 
nation,  but  only  to  vindicate  himself.  Every 
man  has  a  right  to  plead  in  his  own  defence, 
who  jet  ought  not  to  find  fault  with  his 
neighbors.  It  is  an  invidious  thing  to  ac¬ 
cuse,  especially  to  accuse  a  nation,  such  a 
nation.  Paul  made  intercession  for  them, 
but  never  against  them.  The  Roman  gov¬ 
ernment  had  at  this  time  an  ill  opinion  of 
the  Jewish  nation,  as  factious,  turbulent, 
disaffected,  and  dangerous,  and  it  had  been 
easy  for  a  man  with  such  a  fluent  tongue  as 
Paid  had,  a  citizen  of  Rome,  and  so  in¬ 
jured  as  he  was,  to  have  exasperated  the 
emperor  against  the  Jewish  nation  ;  hut 
Paul  would  not,  for  ever  so  much,  do  such  a 
thing;  he  was  for  making  the  best  of  every 
body,  and  not  making  bad  worse. 

5.  He  puts  his  sufferings  on  the  true  foot, 
and  gives  them  such  an  account  of  the  reason 
of  them,  as  should  engage  them  not  only  not 
to  join  with  his  persecutors  against  him,  but 
to  concern  themselves  for  him,  and  to  do  what 
they  could  on  his  behalf,  if  they  had  any  in¬ 
terest,  to  procure  him  his  liberty,  v.  20.  He 
carried  the  mark  of  his  imprisonment  about 
with  him,  and  probably  was  [as  was  the 
custom]  chained  [at  least  at  times]  to  the 
soldier  that  kept  him;  and  it  was,  (1.)  Be¬ 
cause  he  preached  that  the  Messiah  was 
come,  who  was  the  Hope  of  Israel,  I  le  whom 
Israel  hoped  for.  (2.)  Because  he  preached, 
that  the  resurrection  of  the  dead  would  come  ; 
that  also  was  the  hope  of  Israel  ;  so  he  had 
called  it,  ch.  23:6.  24:  15.  20:6,  7.  ‘They 
would  have  you  still  expect  a  Messiah  that 
would  free  you  from  the  Roman  yoke,  and 
make  you  great  and  prosperous  on  earth  ; 
and  they  are  angry  at  me  for  directing  their 
expectations  to  the  great  things  of  another 
world,  and  persuading  them  to  embrace  a 
Messiah,  who  will  secure  those  to  them,  and 
not  external  power  and  grandeur;  I  am  for 
bringing  you  to  the  spiritual  and  eternal 
blessedness  which  our  fathers  by  faith  had 
their  eye  upon,  and  that  is  what  they  hate 
me  for;  because  I  would  take  you  oft  from 
that  which  is  the  cheat  of  Israel,  and  will  he 
its  shame  and  ruin,  the  notion  of  a  temporal 
Messiah  ;  and  lead  you  to  tiiat  which  is  the 
true  and  real  hope  of  Israel,  and  the  genuine 
sense  of  all  the  promises  made  to  the  fathers, 
a  spiritual  kingdom  of  holiness  and  love  set 
up  in  the  hearts  of  men,  to  be  the  pledge  of, 
and  preparative  for,  the  joyful  resurrection 
of  the  dead,  and  the  life  of  the  world  to  come! 

II.  Their  reply;  they  own, 

1.  That  they  had  nothing  to  say  in  partic¬ 
ular  against  him;  nor  had  any  instructions  to 
appear  as  his  prosecutors  before  the  enjpe- 
ror,  either  by  letter  or  word  of  mouth,  v.  21. 
None  had  written,  or  come  up  to  Rome,  on 
the  subject  of  his  prosecution.  This  was 
very  strange,  and  some  think  they  told  a  lie 
here,  and  had  orders  to  prosecute  him,  but 
durst  not  own  it,  lieing  themselves  obnoxious 
to  the  emperor’s  displeasure  ;  who,  (hough 
he  had  not,  like  his  predecessors,  banished 
them  all  from  Rome,  yet  he  gave  them  no 
countenance  there.  But  I  am  apt  to  think 
that  what  they  said  was  true,  and  Paul  now 
found  he  had  gained  the  point  he  aimed  at, 
in  appealing  to  Cesar,  which  was  to  remove 
his  cause  into  a  court  to  which  they  durst 
not  follow  it.  This  was  David’s  policy,  and 
it  was  his  security,  1  S.  27:  1.  and  it  proves 
so,  v.  4. 


Beza.  Jlis  address  was  the  language  of  candor,  caution,  mid  benevo¬ 
lence  ;  and  he  spake  of  his  chain  with  great  indifference,  being  willing 
to  wear  it  for  Christ’s  sake.  Scott. 

(18.)  ‘  I  appeal  to  Cesar  from  necessity  [in  self-defence],  not  out  of 
any  intent  of  accusing  my  brethren.’  Mariu-and. 

V.  22.  This  answer  shows,  that  the  Jews  in  Judea  despaired  of  suc¬ 
cess  in  following  up  their  accusations  at  Rome ;  and  that  immense 
pains  had  been  taken  to  misrepresent  the  Christians,  in  every  part  of  the 
world.  Scott. 

(22.)  Everywhere  spoken  against.]  ‘Somo  think  this  refers  to  a 
(act  mentioned  by  Justin  Martyr,  and  afterwards  by  Origen  and  Eusebi- 


PauPs  conference  with  the  Jews. 

2.  That  they  desired  to  know  more  partic¬ 
ularly  concerning  the  doctrine  he  preached, 
and  the  religion  he  took  so  much  pains  to 
propagate  in  the  face  of  so  much  opposition, 
v.  22.  ‘  what  thy  opinions  or  sentiments  arc, 
what  are  those  things  thou  art  so  wise  about, 
and  hast  such  a  relish  of,  and  zeal  for  ;  for 
though  we  know  little  else  concerning  Chris¬ 
tianity,  we  knowft  is  a  sect  everywhere  spoken 
against Those  who  said  this  scornful, 
spiteful  word  of  the  Christian  religion,  were 
Jews,  the  chief  of  the  Jews  at  Rome,  who 
boasted  of  their  knowledge,  Rom.  2:17.  and 
yet  this  was  all  they  knew  concerning  the 
Christian  religion,  that  it  was  a  sect  every¬ 
where  spoken  against.  They  give  it  an  ill 
name,  and  then  run  it  down.  They  looked 
upon  it  to  be  a  sect,  and  that  was  false. 
True  Christianity  establishes  that  which  is 
of  common  concern  to  all  mankind,  and  is 
not  built  on  such  narrow  opinions  [bigoted 
pride]  and  private  interests  as  sects  com¬ 
monly  owe  their  original  to.  It  aims  at  no 
worldly  benefit  or  advantage,  as  sects  do  ; 
hut  all  its  gains  are  spiritual  and  eternal. 
And,  besides,  it  has  a  direct,  tendency  to 
unite  the  children  of  men,  not  to  divide,  and 
set  them  at  variance,  as  sects  have.  It  is, 
and  always  has  been,  the  lot  of  Christ’s 
holy  religion,  to  be  everywhere  spoken  against: 
[which  should  teach  us,  that  public  opinion, 
even  in  ‘  the  most  enlightened  nation,’  is  not 
the  best  measure  of  right  and  wrong.] 

V.  23 — 29.  We  have  here  a  short  account 
of  a  long  conference  Paul  had  with  the  Jews 
at  Rome,  about  the  Christian  religion. 
Though  so  far  prejudiced  against  it,  yet  they 
were  willing  to  give  it  a  hearing  ;  which 
was  more  than  the  Jews  at  Jerusalem  would 
do  ;  probably,  being  men  of  [more  liberal 
views,  from]  larger  acquaintance  with  the 
world,  and  more  general  conversation,  they 
were  more  free  in  their  inquiries  than  the 
bigoted  Jews  at  Jerusalenl  were  ;  and 
would  not  answer  this  matter  before  they 
heard  it. 

I.  How  Paul  managed  this  conference. 

1.  There  were  many  got  together  to  Paul; 
though  a  prisoner,  the  confinement  he  was 
now  under,  if  duly  considered,  instead  of 
prejudicing  them  against  his  doctrine,  ought 
to  confirm  it  to  them;  for  it  was  a  sign,  not 
only  that  he  believed  it,  but  that  he  thought 
it  worth  suffering  for.  And  Paul  maderoom 
for  them  in  his  lodging,  not  fearing  giving 
offence  to  the  government,  so  that  he  might 
do  good  to  them. 

2.  He  was  very  large  and  full  in  his  dis¬ 
course  with  them  ;  seeking  their  conviction 
more  than  his  own  vindication.  (1.)  He 
expounded,  or  explained,  the  kingdom  of 
God  to  them,  showed  them  the  nature  of  it, 
how  it  is  heavenly  and  spiritual,  seated  in 
the  minds  of  men,  and  shines  not  in  exter¬ 
nal  pomp,  but  in  purity  of  heart  and  life, 
What  kept  the  Jews  in  their  unbelief,  was, 
a  misunderstanding  of  the  kingdom  of  God, 
as  if  it  came  with  observation;  let  but  that  bo 
expounded  to  them,  and  set  in  a  true  light, 
and  they  will  be  brought  into  obedience  to 
it.  (2.)  He  not  only  expounded  the  kingdom 
of  God,  but  testified  it,  plainly  declared  it, 
and  confirmed  it  by  incontestable  proofs,  that 
the  kingdom  of  God,  by  the  Messiah’s  ad¬ 
ministration,  was  come,  and  was  now  set  up 
in  the  world.  lie  attested  the  extraordina¬ 
ry  powers  by  which  it  was  set  up,  the  mira¬ 
cles  by  which  it  was  confirmed.  He  bore 
his  testimony  to  it  from  his  own  experience 
of  its  power  and  influence  on  him,  and  the 

us,  tiiat  the  Jews  at  Jerusalem  sent  chosen  men  of  the  most  distin¬ 
guished  character  all  over  the  world,  representing  the  Christians  as  an 
atheistical  sect,  and  charging  them  with  the  grossest  calumnies,  which 
the  ignorant  heathens  advanced  against  them.  The  fact  itself  is  in  ail 
respects  very  credible;  but  I  apprehend  that  the  exact  date  ol  it  can¬ 
not  be  ascertained,  nor  can  I  anywhere  find  (as  some  have  asserted; 
that  it  is  mentioned  by  Phito  Judaeus Doddr. 

V.  23— 29.  ‘As  for  the  quotation  from  Isaiah,  winch  he  applies  to 
them,  I  would  observe,  that  it  is  quoted  oftener  than  anyother  text  from 
the  O.  T.,  (i.  e.  six  times,)  in  the  New :  (here,  and  Mat.  13:14,  15.  Mark 
4:12.  Luke  8:10.  John  12:40.  Rom.  11:8.)  yet  in  such  a  variety  of  ex- 

[163] 


A.  D.  63. 


ACTS,  XXVIII.  Paul’s  conference  with  the  Jeios. 


25  And  when  they  agreed  not 
among  themselves,  they  departed, 
after  that  Paul  had  spoken  one 
word  ;  Well  spake  the  Holy  Ghost 
by  Esaias  y  the  prophet  unto  our 
fathers, 

26  Saying,  Go  unto  this  people, 
and  say,  Hearing  ye  shall  hear,  and 
shall  not  understand  ;  and  seeing 
ye. shall  see,  and  not  perceive  ; 

27  For  the  heart  of  this  people 
is  waxed  gross,  and  their  ears  are 
dull  of  hearing,  and  their  eyes  have 
they  closed  ;  lest  they  should  see 
with  their  eyes,  and  hgar  with  their 
ears,  and  understand  with  their 
heart,  and  should  be  converted, 
and  I  should  heal  them. 

28  Be  it  known  therefore  unto 
you,  that  the  salvation  of  God  is 
sent  unto  the  z  Gentiles,  and  that 
they  will  hear  it. 

29  And  when  he  had  said  these 
words,  the  Jews  departed,  and  had 
great  reasoning  among  themselves. 

30  IT  And  Paul  dwelt  two  whole 
years  in  his  own  hired  house,  and 
received  all  that  came  in  unto 
him, 

v  Ps.  81:11,12.  Is.  Mat.  13:14,  15.  c. 13:46,47.  18:6. 

6:3.  Je.  5:21.  Ro.  11:8.  22:21.26:17,18. 

Ete.  3:6,7.  12:2.  i  Mat.  21:41.  Ro.  11:11. 

manner  of  his  being  brought  into  subjection 
to  it.  (3.)  He  not  only  expounded  and  tes¬ 
tified  the  kingdom  of  God,  but  he  persuaded 
them,  urged  it  on  their  consciences,  and 
pressed  them  with  all  earnestness  to  em¬ 
brace  it,  and  submit  to  it, and  not  to  persist 
in  opposition!  He  followed  his  doctrine 
with  a  warm  and  lively  application  to  his 
hearers,  which  is  the  most  proper,  profitable 
method  of  preaching.  (4.)  He  persuaded 
them  concerning  Jesus  ;  the  design  and  ten¬ 
dency  of  his  whole  discourse  were  to  bring 
them  to  Christ,  to  convince  them  of  his  be¬ 
ing  the  Messiah,  and  to  engage  them  to  be¬ 
lieve  in  Him  as  He  is  offered  in  the  Gospel. 
He  urged  upon  them  the  things  concerning 
Jesus,  the  prophecies  of  Hitn,  which  he 
read  to  them  out  of  the  law  of  Moses  and  out 
of  the  prophets,  as  pointing  at  the  Messiah, 
and  showed  how  they  had  all  had  their  ac¬ 
complishment  in  this  Jesus. 

3.  He  was  verv  long;  it  should  seem  from 
morning  till  evening,  perhaps  8  or  10  hours; 
the  subject  was  curious,  he  was  full  of  it  ; 
it  was  of  vast  importance,  his  heart  was  up¬ 
on  it  ;  he  knew  not  when  he  should  have 
such  another  opportunity;  therefore,  without 
begging  pardon  for  tiring  their  patience,  he 
kept  them  all  day  ;  but  probably  he  spent 
some  time  in  prayer  with  them. 

II.  The  effect  of  this  discourse  ;  one 
would  have  thought  all  the  hearers  should 
have  yielded  ;  but  it  did  not  prove  so  ;  the 
child  J  esus  is  set  for  the  fall  of  some,  and 
the  rising  again  of  others,  a  Foundation 
Stone  to  some,  and  a  Stone  of  stumbling  to 
others.  1.  They  did  not  agree  among  them¬ 
selves,  v.  25.  Some  thought  Paul  was  in 
the  right,  others  would  not  admit  it.  This 
is  that  division  which  Christ  came  to  send; 
that  fire  which  He  came  to  kindle,  Luke  12: 
49,  51.  Paul  preached  with  great  plainness 
and  clearness,  yet  his  hearers  could  not 
agree  about  the  sense  and  evidence  of  what 
he  preached.  2.  Some  believed,  and  some 
believed  not,  v.  24.  Such  has  alwavs  been 


the  success  of  the  Gospel  ;  to  some  it  has 
been  a  savor  of  life  unto  life  ;  to  others,  of 
death  unto  death.  If  all  had  believed,  there 
bad  been  no  disagreement  ;  so  that  all  the 
blame  of  the  division,  lay  on  those  who 
would  not  believe. 

III.  The  awakening  word  Paul  said  to 
them  at  parting;  he  perceived,  by  what  they 
muttered,  that  many,  perhaps  the  greater 
part,  were  obstinate,  and  would  not  yield  to 
what  he  said  ;  and  they  were  getting  up  to 
be  gone,  they  had  had  enough ;  ‘  Hold,’  says 
Paul,  ‘  take. one  word  with  you  before  you 
go,  and  consider  of  it  when  you  come  home: 
what  do  you  think  will  he  the  effect  of  your 
obstinate  infidelity  1  What  will  you  do  in 
the  end  hereof  I  What  will  it  come  to  !  ’ 

1.  You  will,  by  the  righteous  judgment  of 
God  be  sealed  up  under  unbelief.  Turn  to 
that  scripture,  Is.  6:  9, 10.  and  read  it  seri¬ 
ously,  and  tremble,  lest  the  case  there  de¬ 
scribed  should  prove  to  be  your  case.’  As 
there  are  in  the  O.  T.  gospel-promise3, 
which  will  be  accomplished  in  all  that  be¬ 
lieve,  so  there  are  gospel-threatenings  of 
spiritual  judgments,  which  will  be  fulfilled 
in  them  that  believe  not  ;  and  this  is  one. 
What  was  spoken  by  JEHOVAH,  is  here 
said  to  be  spoken  by  the  Holy  Ghost,  which 
proves  that  the  Holy  Ghost  is  God.  He 
that  believes  not  shall  be  damned,  is  Gospel, 
as  well  as.  He  that  believes  shall  be  saved, 
Mark  16: 16.  Or,  this  may  be  explained  by 
that  of  our  Savior,  Mat.  15:7.  ‘  Well  did 
Esaias  prophesy  of  you.  The  Holy  Ghost  said 
to  your  fathers  that  which  would  be  fulfilled 
in  you,  Hearing  ye  shall  hear,  and  shall  not 
understand.  ’ 

(1.)  ‘  Their  great  sin  against  God,  is 
yours;  You  will  not  see ;  your  eyes  you  have 
closed ,’  v.  27.  That  speaks  an  obstinate 
infidelity,  and  a  willing  slavery  to  prejudice. 
They  would  not  prosecute  their  convictions, 
and  for  that  reason  would  not  admit  them. 
They  have  purposely  closed  their  eyes,  lest 
they  should  see  with  their  eyes  the  great  things 
which  belong  to  their  everlasting  pea,ce  ; 
should  see  the  glory  of  God,  the  aihiableness 
of  Christ,  the  deformity  of  sin,  the  beauty  of 
holiness,  the  vanity  of  this  world,  and  the 
reality  of  another;  they  will  not  lie  changed 
and  governed  by  those  truths,  and  therefore 
will  not  receive  the  evidence  of  them  ;  lest 
they  should  hear  with  their  ears  that  which 
they  are  loth  to  hear,  the  wrath  of  God  re¬ 
vealed  from  heaven  against  them,  and  the 
will  of  God  revealed  from  heaven  to  them. 
Thus  their  fathers  did,  they  would  not  hear, 
Zech.  7:11,  12.  And  what  they  are  afraid 
of  in  shutting  their  eyes  and  ears,  is,  lest 
they  should  understand  with  their  heart,  and 
should  be  converted,  and  I  should  heal  them. 
Tljpy  kept  their  mind  in  the  dark,  or  at  least 
in  a  constant  confusion  and  tumult,  lest,  if 
they  should  admit  a  considerate,  sober 
thought,  they  should , understand  with  their 
heart  how  much  it  is  both  their  duty  and  their 
interest  to  be  religious,  and  so  by  degrees 
the  truth  should  be  too  hard  for  them,  and 
they  should  he  converted  from  the  evil  ways 
which  t hey  take  pleasure  in,  to  those  exer¬ 
cises  which  they  have  now  an  aversion  to. 
Observe,  God’s  method  is,  to  bring  people 
first  to  see  and  hear,  and  so  to  understand 
with  their  hearts,  and  then  to  convert  them, 
and  bow  their  wills,  and  so  heal  them  ;  which 
is  the  regular  way  of  dealing  with  a  rational 
soul  :  and  therefore  Satan  prevents  the  con¬ 
version  of  souls  to  God,  by  blinding  the  mind, 
and  darkening  the  understanding ,  2  Cor.  4:4. 
And  the  case  is  very  sad,  when  the  sinner 
Joins  with  him  herein,  and  puls  out  his  own 
eyes.  They  plunge  into  ignorance,  that  they 


may  sin  the  more  freely,  Jer.  51:9.  This 
was  the  sin. 

(2.)  ‘God’s  great  judgment  on  them  for 
this  sin,  is,  his  judgment  on  you,  You  shall 
be  blind.  God  will  give  you  up  to  a  judicial 
infatuation  ;  because  you  will  not  give  your 
minds  to  understand,  God  will  not  give  you 
strength  and  grace  to  understand  ;  seeing,  you 
shall  see;  you  shall  have  abundance  of  mir¬ 
acles  and  signs  done  before  your  eyes,  hut  you 
shall  not  perceive  the  convincing  evidence  of 
them.  Take  heed  lest  it  be  true  of  you, 
what  Moses  said  to  your  fathers,  Deut.  29:4. 
and  what  Isaiah  said  to  1116*11160  of  his  gen¬ 
eration,  Is.  29: 10 — 12.’  How  should  they 
be  happy,  that  will  not  be  healed  of  a  disease 
that  makes  them  miserable!  And  how  should 
they  be  healed,  that  will  not  be  converted  to 
the  use  of  the  methods  of  cure  1  And  how 
should  they  be  converted,  that  will  not  he 
convinced  either  of  their  disease  or  of  their 
remedy  1  Let  all  that  hear  the  Gospel,  and 
do  not  heed  it,  tremble  at  this  doom  ;  for 
when  once  they  are  thus  given  up  to  hardness 
of  heart,  they  are  already  in  the  suburbs  of 
hell ;  for  who  shall  heal  them,  if  God  do  not! 

2.  ‘  Your  unbelief  will  ytts/t/y  God  in  send¬ 
ing  the  Gospel  to  the  Gentile  world,  which  is 
the  thing  you  look  upon  with  such  a  jealous 
eye,  v.  28.  that  salvation  which  was  of  the 
Jews  only,  John  4:22.  the  Gentiles  stand 
fairer  for  it  than  you  do  :  it  is  sent  to  them, 
and  they  will  hear  it,  and  receive  it,  and  be 
happy  in  it.’  And  if  they  thought  salvation 
of  so  small  a  value,  as  not  to  be  worth  their 
acceptance,  surely  they  could  not  grudge  it 
the  Gentiles,  as  too  good  for  them,  or  envy 
them  for  it. 

Thus  also  he  would  improve  their  displea¬ 
sure  at  the  favor  done  to  the  Gentiles,  to  their 
advantage,  bring  good  out  of  that  evil;  for 
when  he  had  spoken  of  this  very  thing  in 
Rom.,  the  benefit  the  Gentiles  had  by  the  un¬ 
belief  and  rejection  of  the  Jews,  he  says,  he 
took  notice  of  it  on  purpose  that  he  might 
provoke  his  dear  countrymen  the  Jews  to  a  holy 
emulation,  and  save  some  of  them,  Rom.  11: 
14.  And  if  it  had  not  that  effect  on  them, 
it  would  aggravate  their  condemnation,  as  it 
did  that  of  the  Scribes  and  Pharisees,  who, 
when  they  saw  the  publicans  and  harlots  sub¬ 
mit  to  John’s  baptism,  did  not  afterwards 
thereupon  repent  of  their  folly,  that  they 
might  believe  him.  Mat.  21:32. 

IV.  The  breaking  up  of  the  assembly,  as 
it  should  seem,  in  some  disorder.  1.  They 
turned  their  backs  on  Paul  ;  with  a  resolu¬ 
tion  never  to  hear  him  preach  again,  nor 
trouble  themselves  with  further  inquiries 
about  this  matter.  2.  They  set  their  faces 
one  against  another  ;  they  that  agreed  to 
depart  from  Paul,  yet  agreed  not  in  the  rea¬ 
sons  why  they  departed,  hut  had  great  reason¬ 
ing  among  themselves.  Many  have  great  rea- 

;  soning,  who  yet  do  not  reason  right ;  can  find 
fault  with  one  another’s  opinions,  and  yet 
not  yield  to  truth.  Nor  will  men’s  reasoning 
among  themselves  convince  them,  without  the 
grace  of  God  to  open  their  understandings. 

V.  SO,  31.  We  are  here  taking  our  leave 
of  the  history  of  blessed  Paul ;  and  therefore, 
since  God  saw  it  not  fit  we  should  know  anv 
more  of  him,  we  should  carefully  notice  every 
particular  of  the  circumstances  here. 

I.  It  cannot  but  be  a  trouble  to  us,  that 
we  must  leave  him  in  bonds  for  Christ,  nay, 
and  have  no  prospect  given  us  of  his  being 
set  at  liberty.  He  appealed  to  Cesar,  in  hope 
of  a  speedy  discharge,  yet  is  continued  a  pris¬ 
oner  two  whole  years.  So  little  reason  have 
we  to  trust  in  men,  especially  despised  pris¬ 
oners  in  great  men  ;  witness  Joseph’s  case, 
Gen.  40:23.  Yet  some  think  it  was  early 


pression  as  plainly  proves,  the  apostles  did  not  confine  themselves,  ex¬ 
actly,  either  to  the  words  of  (he  original  or  the  Gr.  version.’  Doddr.  Sc. 

(28.)  Salvation .]  ‘  The  original  word  here,  sStSrion,  is  used  some¬ 
times  for  the  Author  of  salvation,  as  Lit.  2:30.  and  sometimes,  as  here, 
for  the  preaching  of  the  Gospel.  Possibly,  God  might  have  given  the 
preaching  of  the  Gospel  to  the  Gentiles,  though  the  Jews  had  not  des¬ 
pised  and  rejected  it.’  Ros. 

V'.  30,  31.  Doubtless  Luke,  Aristarchus,  and  others  who  attended  on 

[164] 


the  apostle,  or  came  to  him,  being  themselves  at  liberty,  labored  dili¬ 
gently  to  make  the  Gospel  known  in  the  city  and  its  vicinity,  during  all 
the  time  of  the  apostle’s  imprisonment ;  though  the  historian,  by  a  mod¬ 
esty  almost  unprecedented,  is  wholly  silent  concerning  his  own  labors 
ami  sufferings.  Scott. 

(30.)  Two  whole  years.  1  ‘  As  Luke  concludes  his  history  with  Paul’s 
abode  at  Rome,  before  his  journey  into  Spain,  we  may  infer,  as  I)r. 
More  observes,  that  he  wrote  his  Gospel  and  the  Acts  while  the  apostle 


A.  D.  65. 


ACTS,  XXVIII. 


31  Preaching  ‘the  kingdom  of 
God,  and  teaching  those  things 
which  concern  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ,  with  all  confidence,  no  man 
forbidding  him. 

»  c.4:31.  E|).6:19.  _  ' 

in  the  first  of  these  two  years,  that  lie  was  first 
brought  before  Nero,  and  (ben  his  bonds  in 
Christ  were  manifest  in  Cesar's  court,  as  he 
says,  Phil.  1: 13.  And  at  that  first  answer 
it  was,  that  no  man  stood  by  him,  2  Tim. 4:16.. 
But  it  seems,  instead  of  being  set  at  liberty 
on  his  appeal,  as  he  expected,  he  hardly  es¬ 
caped  out  of  the  emperor’s  hands  with  his 
life;  he  calls  it  a  deliverance  out  of  the  mouth 
of  the  lion,  2  Tim.  4:  17.  and  bis  speaking 
there  of  his  first  answer,  intimates,  that 
since  that,  he  had  a  second,  in  which  he  had 
come  oft'  better,  and  yet  was  not  discharged. 
During  these  two  years’  imprisonment,  he 
wrote  his  epistle  to  the  Galatians,  then  his 
second  epistle  to  Timothy,  then  those  to  the 
Ephesians,  Philippians,  Colossians,  and  to 
Philemon,  in  which  he  mentions  several 
things,  particularly  concerning  his  imprison¬ 
ment  ;  and  lastly,  his  epistle  to  the  Hebrews, 
just  after  he  was  set  at  liberty,  as  Timothy 
also  was,  who,  coining  to  visit  him,  was  on 
some  account  or  other  made  his  fellow-pris¬ 
oner  ;  (with  him,  writes  Paul  to  the  Hebrews, 
13:  23.  if  he  come  shortly,  I  will  see  you;)  but 
bow  or  by  what  means  he  obtained  his  lib¬ 
erty,  we  are  not  told ;  only  that  two  years  he 
was  a  prisoner.  Tradition  says,  that  after 
his  discharge,  he  went  from  Italy  to  Spain, 
thence  to  Crete,  and  so  with  Timothy  into 
Judea,  and  from  thence  to  visit  the  churches 
in  Asia,  and  at  length  came  a  second  time  to 
Rome,  and  there  was  beheaded  in  the  last 
year  of  Nero.  But  Baronius  himself  owns, 
that  there  is  no  certainty  of  anything  con¬ 
cerning  him,  betwixt  his  release  from  this 
imprisonment,  and  his  martyrdom;  but  it  is 
said  by  some,  that  Nero,  having,  when  he 
began  to  play  the  tyrant,  set  himself  against 
the  Christians,  and  persecuted  them,  (and 
he  was  the  first  of  the  emperors  that  made 
a  law  against  them,  as  Tertullian  saith,  Apol. 
cap.  3.)  the  church  at  Rome  was  much 
weakened  by  that  persecution,  and  that 
brought  Paul  the  second  time  to  Rome,  to 
re-establish  the  church  there,  and  to  comfort 
the  souls  of  the  disciples  that  were  left,  and 
so  he  fell  a  second  time  into  Nero’s  hand. 
And  Chrysostom  relates,  that  a  young 
woman  that  was  one  of  Nero’s  misses,  (to 
speak  inodishly,)  being  converted, 'by  Paul’s 


preaching,  to  the  Christian  faith,  and  so 
brought  off  from  the  lewd  course  of  life  she 
had  lived,  Nero  was  incensed  against  Paul 
for  that,  and  ordered  him  first  to  be  impris¬ 
oned,- and  then  put  to. death. 

But,  to  keep  to  this  short  account  here 
given  of  it, 

1.  It  would  grieve  one  to  think  that  such 
a  useful  man,  as  Paul  was,  should  be  so  long 
in  restraint;  two  years  a  prisoner  under  Fe¬ 
lix,  ch.  24:27.  and  beside  all  the  time  be¬ 
tween  that  and  his  coming  to  Rome,  here 
two  years  more  a  prisoner  under  Nero.  How 
much  Paul  might  have  done  for  Christ,  in 
these  five  years,  (for  so  much  it  was  at  least,) 
if  he  had  been  at  liberty  !  But  God  is  wise, 
and  will  show  that  He  is  no  debtor  to  the 
most  useful  instruments  He  employs,  but  can 
and  will  carry  on  his  own  interest,  both  with¬ 
out  their  services,  and  by  their  sufferings. 
Even  Paul’s  bonds  fell  out  to  the  furtherance 
of  the  Gospel,  Phil.  1:12,  14. 

2.  Yet  even  Paul’s  imprisonment  was  in 
some  respects  a  kindness  to  him  ;  before,  he 
had  always  accustomed  himself  to  sojourn  in 
the  houses  of  others,  now  he  has  got  a  house 
of  his  own,  his  own  while  he  pays  the  rent  for 
it  ;  such  a  retirement  would  be  a  refresh¬ 
ment  to  one  who  had  been  always  on  the  re¬ 
move  ;  so  that  the  bringing  of  him  into  this 
prison,  was  like  Christ’s  call  to  his  disci¬ 
ples  to  come  into  a  desert  place,  and  rest 
awhile,  Mark  6:  31.  When  at  liberty,  he  was 
in  continual  fear  by  reason  of  the  lying  in 
wait  of  the  Jews,  ch.  20:19.  but  now  his 
prison  was  his  castle. 

II.  Yet  it  is  a  pleasure  to  us,  (for  we  are 
sure  it  was  to  him,)  that  we  leave  him  at 
work  for  Christ ;  his  mouth  is  not  stopped  ; 
he  is  bound,  but  the  Word  of  the  Lord  is  not 
bound.  Observe, 

1.  Whom  he  preached  to;  to  all  that  had 
a  mind  to  hear  him,  whether  Jews  or  Gen¬ 
tiles  ;  he  received  all  that  came  to  him,  was  not 
afraid  of  the  greatest,  nor  ashamed  of  the 
meanest  :  Note,  Ministers’  doors  should  be 
open  to  such  as  desire  to  receive  instruction 
from  them,  and  they  should  be  glad  of  an  op¬ 
portunity  to  advise  those  that  are  in  care 
about  their  souls.  When  we  cannot  do  what 
we  would  in  the  service  of  God,  we  must  do 
what  we  can.  He  was  ready  to  preach  on 
the  first  day  of  the  week  to  Christians,  on 
the  seventh  day  to  Jews,  and  to  all  who 
would  come  on  any  day  of  the  week  ;  and 
he  might  hope  the  better  to  speed,  because 
they  came  in  unto  him,  which  supposed  a  de¬ 
sire  to  be  instructed,  and  a  willingness  to 


He  preaches  two  years  at  Rome 

learn  ;  and  where  these  are,  it  is  probable 
that  some  good  may  be  done. 

2.  What  he  preached  ;  he  does  not  fill 
their  heads  with  curious  speculations,  or  with 
matters  of  state  and  politics,  but  prac/ies  the 
kingdom  of  God,  does  all  he  can  to  advance 
its  true  interests  ;  teaches  those  things  which 
concern  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ;  the  whole  his¬ 
tory  of  Christ,  his  incarnation,  doctrine, 
life,  miracles,  death,  resurrection,  ascen¬ 
sion  ;  all  that  relates  to  the  mystery  of  godli¬ 
ness.  Ministers,  when  tempted  to  divert 
from  that  which  is  their  main  business, 
should  reduce  themselves  with  this  question. 
What  does  this  concern  the.  Lord  Jesus  Christ  ? 
What  tendency  has  it  to  bring  us  to  Him, 
and  to  keep  us  walking  in  Him  1  For  we 
preach  not  ourselves,  but  Christ. 

3.  With  what  liberty  he  preached.  (1.) 
Divine  grace  gave  him  a  liberty  of  spirit  ; 
he  preached  with  all  confidence,  as  one  that 
was  himself  well  assured  of  the  truth  of  what 
he  preached,  and  of  the  worth  of  it,  that  it 
was  what  he  durst  stand  by,  and  suffer  for. 
He  was  not  ashamed  of  the  Gospel  of  Christ. 
(2.)  Divine  Providence  gave  him  a  liberty 
of  speech  ;  no  man  forbidding  him,  giving 
him  any  check  for  what  he  did,  or  laying 
any  restraint  on  him;  the  Jews,  that  used  to 
forbid  him  to  speak  to  the  Gentiles,  had  no 
authority  here;  and  the  Roman  government 
as  yet  took  no  cognizance  of  the  profession 
of  Christianity  as  a  crime.  Herein  we  must 
acknowledge  the  hand  of  God,  [1.]  Setting 
bounds  to  the  rage  of  persecutors ;  Nero  was 
a  bloody  man,  and  there  were  many,  both 
Jews  and  Gentiles,  in  Rome,  that  hated 
Christianity  ;  yet  so  it  was,  unaccountably, 
that  Paul,  though  a  prisoner,  was  connived 
at  in  preaching  the  Gospel,  and  it  was  not 
construed  a  breach  of  the  peace.  Thus  God 
makes  the  wrath  of  men  to  praise  Him,  and  re¬ 
strains  the  remainder  of  it,  Ps.  76:10.  Though 
so  many  had  it  in  their  power  to  forbid 
Paul’s  preaching,  (even  the  common  soldier 
that  kept  him  might  have  done  it,)  yet  God 
so  ordered  it,  that  no  man  did  forbid  him. 
[2.]  Providing  comfort  for  the  relief  of  the 
persecuted.  It  was  some  comfort  to  him  to 
do  a  little;  and  then  there  tvere  saints  even  in 
Cesar’s  household,  Phil.  4:  22.  When  the 
city  of  our  solemnities  is  thus  made  a  quiet 
habitation  at  any  time,  and  we  are  f«d  from 
day  to  day  with  the  bread  of  life,  no  man 
forbidding  us,  we  must  give  thanks  to  God 
for  it,  and  prepare  for  changes;  still  longing 
for  that  holy  mountain,  in  which  there  shall 
never  be  any  pricking  brier  or  grieving  thorn. 


TRACT.  OBS.  Those  who  are  despised  for  their  rude  and  unculti¬ 
vated  maimers,  are  often  more  hospitable,  and  show  more  genuine  phi¬ 
lanthropy,  than  their  more  polished  neighbors  :  and  heathens,  or  re¬ 
puted  barbarians,  will  rise  up  in  judgment  against  many  persons,  in  this 
civilized ,  Christian  nation,  who  do  not  scruple  to  embezzle  the  property, 
or  injure  the  persons,  of  such  as  are  cast  upon  our  shores. — True  digni¬ 
ty  has  no  need  of  affected  stateliness;  and  pride  or  sloth  alone  deems 
lint  beneath  any  man,  which  the  present  exigency  requires  for  personal 
or  social  advantage. — The  Lord  raises  up  friends  to  his  people,  in  every 
place  whither  He  leads  them  ;  He  rewards,  or  enables  them  to  requite, 
their  benefactors  in  a  suitable  manner ;  and  He  renders  them  a  blessing  Jo 
all  who  are  connected  with  them. — The  cure  of  diseases  is  far  more  val¬ 
uable  when  united  with  the  means  of  grace  and  salvation;  and  the 
friends,  who  are  raised  up  to  a  pious  man  by  his  good  behavior  and  use- 

was  still  living,  of  whose  actions  he  was  himself  an  eyewitness,  and 
by  whom  it  is  very  probable  this  book  was  revised,  as  the  ancients  also 
say  his  Gospel  was.’  Doddr. 

(31.)  Preaching  and  teaching .]  ‘Many  of  his  retired  hours  were 
also  employed  in  corresponding. .  •  The  2  Tim.  1  think  of  later  date.’  Id. 
‘  But  Paul  was  twice  at  Rome, -2  Tim.  4:16.  He  was  indeed  liberated 
from  his  first  captivity.  But  many  years  after  l|p  was  sent  again  to 
Rome,  that  he  might  plead  his  cause  before  Cesar.  In  this  second  cap¬ 
tivity,  as  all  the  ancient  writers  agree,  he  was  beheaded  by  order  of  Ne- 


fulness,  will  be  above  all  others  affectionate  and  liberal ;  as  far  as  this 
is  needful  and  consistent.  The  ordinary  transactions  of  travelling  are 
seldom  worth  a  recital:  but  the  comfort  of  ‘communion  with  the 
saints,’  and  the  kindness  shown  us  by  our  friends,  are  deserving  of  a 
more  particular  mention. — Should  we  be  called  to  wear  a  chain  for 
Christ’s  sake,  we  ought  not  to  be  ashamed  of  it,  but  to  glory  in  it ;  and 
though  real  Christians  are  everywhere,  and  at  all  times,  in  this  deluded, 
ungodly  world,  ‘spoken  against,’  as  a  precise,  troublesome,  or  fanati¬ 
cal  sect ;  yet  we  may  so  behave,  that  none  can  speak  any  personal 
harm  of  us. — If,  under  reproach  and  persecution,  the  true  minister  can 
obtain  leave  and  liberty  to  preach  the  Gospel,  and  is  favored  with  suc¬ 
cess,  he  will  think  his  sufferings  amply  compensated  ;  and  he  recon¬ 
ciled  to  his  own  want  of  liberty,  if  he  finds  that  ‘  the  Word  of  God  hath 
free  course  and  is  glorified.’  Scott. 

ro.’  Ros.  ‘All  ancient  writers,  I  think,  universally  agree,  he  was  be¬ 
headed  at  Aqua  Salvia,  3  miles  from  Rome  :  for  being  free  of  that  city, 
he  could  not  be  crucified,  as  Peter  was,  according  to  the  tradition  of  the 
Latin  church,  on  the  very  same  day.  It  is  said,  and  there  is  great,  rea¬ 
son  to  believe  it,  that  he  gave  his  head  to  the  filial  stroke  with  the 
greatest  cheerfulness,  and  also  that  he  was  buried  on  the  via  Ostiensis, 
two  miles  from  Rome,  where  Constantine  the  Great  erected  a  church  to 
his  memory,  A.  D.  313,  which  was  successively  repaired  and  beautified 
by  Theodosius  the  Great,  and  the  Empress  riacidia.'  Doddr. 


TOPOGRAPHICAL  AND  GEOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES, 

Illustrating  Paul’s  Life  and  Travels,  and  the  early  Progress  of  Christianity.  (See  the  Map,  and  Cuts.) 


Paul  was  born  about  six  years  B.  C.  in 

Tarsus  : 

•  t hq  capital  city  of  Cilicia;  rich,  populous,  and  containing  academies  and  school®, 
excelling  even  those  of  Alexandria  and  Athens,  in  the  various  hranches  of  literature 
and  philosophy  ;  its  inhabitants  possessed  all  the  immunities  and  privileges  of  Roman 
citizens,  which  had  been  conferred  upon  them  by  Julius  Cesar  and  Augustus,  in  return 
for  valuable  services  rendered.  To  it  imperial  Rome  itself  was  indebted  for  some  of 
the  best  and  wisest  of  its  professors,  and,  in  many  respects,  it  held  a  proud  place  even 
among  the  first  cities  of  that  day.  Now,  however,  it  is  a  place  of  no  importance  ;  for 
during  the  wars  of  the  Greek  emperors  with  the  Saracens  and  Persians,  it  was 
brought  low,  and  perhaps  the  only  trace  of  former  times  it  retains,  is,  that  Christiani¬ 


ty,  first  planted  there  by  P.,  is  not  yet  wholly  extinct,  but  still  continues  to  linger 
fondly  amidst  the  ruined  shrines  that  looked  upon  its  birth  It  is  no  sketch  ot  fancy, 
therefore,  to  suppose,  that  if  ils  existence  had  not  been  indissolubly  J.diied  v»ih  the 
name  and  memory  of  the  celebrated  apostle,  every  trace  of  it  would  Iol  j  since  *»ave 
vanished  from  the  records  of  time.’ 

It  is  now  called  Teisoos,  has  no  good  buildings,  and  is  but  ill  Jtjppt'ed  with  the 
necessaries  of  life.  In  this  province,  where  P.  passed  his  childhood,  natir  e  still  pre¬ 
sents  her  most  captivating,  secluded,  and  romantic  aspects.  P.  finished  his  education 
under  the  highest  masters,  in 

Jerusalem  : 

which  was  then  in  the  height  of  its  splendor;  which  see  described  n  t»;o  note,  a*  the 

[165] 


ACTS.  — CONCLUDING  NOTE. 


back  of  the  title-page.  Also,  the  Frontispiece,  compared  with  the  note  at  the  back  of 
the  title-page,  Vol.  III.  and  the  vignette,  Vol.  III. 

From  Jerusalem,  P.,  in  the  yea:  3d,  is  sent  as  a  persecutor,  160  miles,  to 

Damascus. 

This  most  ancient  city  [founded,  say  the  Arabs,  by  Demschah,  son  of  Canaan,  son  of 
Ham,  son  of  Noah]  was,  and  still  is,  a  great  centre  of  oriental  civilization  and  inter¬ 
course.  Lamartine  remarks,  ‘  Arab  tradition  represents  this  city,  and  its  neighbor¬ 
hood,  to  form  the  site  of  the  lost  Paradise  ;  and  certainly  I  should  think  that  no  place 
upon  earth  was  better  calculated  to  answer  one’s  ideas  of  Eden.  The  vast  and  fruit¬ 
ful  plain,  with  the  7  branches  of  the  blue  stream  which  irrigates  it;  the  majestic 
framework  of  the  mountains  ;  the  glittering  lakes  which  reflect  the  heavens  upon  the 
earth  ;  its  geographical  situation  between  the  seas  ;  the  perfection  of  its  climate  ; — 
everything,  indicates  that  Damascus  has  been  one  of  the  first  towns  that  wfere  ever 
built  by  the  children  of  men, — one  of  the  natural  halts  of  humanity  in  primeval 
times.  It  is,  in  fact,  one  of  those  sites  pointed  out  by  the  hand  of  God,  for  a  city, — 
a  site  predestined  to  sustain  a  capital,  like  Constantinople.  These  are,  perhaps,  t{ie 
only  2cities  which  could  not  possibly  have  taken  their  post  in  an  empire,  from  arbitra¬ 
ry  selection  ;  but  which  are  palpably  indicated  by  the  configuration  of  the  place.  So 
long  as  the  earth  shall  bear  empires  on  her  surface,  Damascus  will  continue  to  be  a 
great  city,  and  Stamboul  the  metropolis  of  the  world.’ 

Of  its  2  to  400,000  inhabitants,  30,000  are  Armenian  Christians,  whom  the  fanatic 
populace,  since  the  conquering  Ibruhim  equalized  in  it  the  rights  of  Mahometans  and 
Christians,  are  scarce  restrained  from  massacring. — ‘  Remembrances  of  P.,’  says  La- 
marline,  ‘  are  always  present  to  the  Christian  at  Damascus.  The  ruins  of  the  house 
are  still  visible,  from  whence  he  escaped  during  night,  let  down  in  a  basket.’  The 
principal  building,  in  the  back  ground,  now  the  chief  mosque,  was  once  the  church  of 
St.  John.  It  has  several  large  courts,  ornamented  with  ancient  Corinthian  columns  ; 
and  stands  in  the  street  called  ‘  straight,’  Acts  9:11.  which  runs  from  the  E.  to  the 
W.  gate,  and  is  lined  with  shops.  No  building  in  the  principal  streets,  but  displays 
some  taste.  Note,  1  K.  11  :  24. 

From  Damascus  P.  wanders  in  Arabia  (Gal.  1:17.),  probably  among  those  rovers 
who  have  ruled,  and  in  turn  been  ruled  by,  this  turbulent  capital,  viz.  the  Bedouins,  (as 
Damascus  pedlers  now  do,)  finding  exercise  for  his  trade,  under  the  hospitable  protec¬ 
tion  of  these  tent-dweller-:, — maturing  his  religious  views,  probably,  not  taught  of 
men, — and  spreading  the  Gospel  to  S.  Arabia,  Mesopotamia,  Edom,  and  Syria  ;  to  all 
which  countries  these  tribes  wander.  See  Burckhardt' s  Bedouins.  These  tribes,  from 
the  simplicity  of  their  manners  anil  character,  are  peculiarly  susceptible  to  a  purer 
and  simple  faith,  as  is  proved  by  the  progress  Wahabism  (the  puritanism  of  Islam)  has 
made  among  them.  In  them,  the  patriarchs  still  live.  ‘  We  have  the  authority  of  the 
Mahometans  for  saying,  that,  previous  to  Mahomet,  the  3  wandering  tribes  of  Tha- 
nouk,  Bakera,  and  Naclab,  professed  the  Christian  religion  ;  and  that  in  those  very 
plains  of  Arabia  Deserta,  where  the  famed  cities  of  Mecca  and  Medina  were  subse¬ 
quently  erected,  many  Arab  families  embraced  Christianity,  soon  after  the  Gospel 
was  first  preached  among  them.’  After  2  years’  sojourn,  P.  returns  to  Damascus,  A. 
D.  33,  (Gal.  1:18.)  and  preaches  openly  in  the  synagogue  :  but  Aretas,  k.  of  Arabia, 
being  now  at  war  with  Herod,  the  Roman  tetrare’h,  P.’s  enemies  found  means  to  per¬ 
suade  the  governor,  that  P.  (known  to  be  a  Roman  citizen)  was  sent  as  a  spy,  by  the  Ro¬ 
man  government,  so  that  he  was  obliged  to  escape  to  Jerusalem,  perhaps  favored  by  the 
Arab  friends  he  had  made,  some  of  whom  are  always  at  war  with  Damascus.  ‘  Having 
remained  15  days  at  Jerusalem,  the  same  unrelenting  persecution,  stirred  up  against 
him  at  Damascus,  began  to  show  itself  in  the  holy  city  ;  wherein  the  Hellenists  now 
sought  his  life.  With  that  fearlessness,  however,  which  formed  so  conspicuous  an  in¬ 
gredient  in  his  character,  the  apostle,  notwithstanding  the  persecution  which  raged 
against  him,  hesitated  for  a  time  to  leave  Jerusalem.  But  many  of  the  disciples  who 
had  seen  his  usefulness,  and  praised  God  that  so  efficient  an  instrument  had  been  sent 
to  do  his  work,  trembled  for  his  safety,  and,  in  the  warmth  of  their  affection,  besought 
and  urged  him  to  depart,  ami  neither  lessened  their  entreaties,  nor  ceased  their  more 
active  exertions,  till  they  had  brought  him  to 

Cesarea , 

on  the  shores  of  the  Mediterranean.  In  the  days  of  P.,  it  was  perhaps  the  most 
splendid  city,  as  it  was  undoubtedly  the  greatest  seaport,  of  Palestine.  It  was  erect¬ 
ed  by  Herod  the  Great,  upon  the  site  of  an  obscure  fortress,  called  the  Tower  of  Stra- 
to  [a  Phenician  king],  between  Dora  and  Joppa,  about  75  miles  from  Jerusalem.  It 
derived  its  name  from  Augustus  Cesar,  to  whom  it  was  dedicated  by  its  founder,  in  the 
28th  year  of  his  reign.  The  most  remarkable  feature  of  the  city  was  its  magnificent 
harbor,  and  the  perfect  shelter  it  afforded  from  every  breath  of  wind.  It  was  of  great 
extent,  fully  as  large  as  that  of  Athens,  and  cnpable  of  containing  a  royal  fleet.  The 
natural  situation  of  the  coast  did  not  admit  of  much  protection  ;  but  to  obviate  this, 
Herod  built  a  prodigious  mole,  in  a  semi-circular  form,  extending  far  into  the  sea, 
and  of  such  amazing  strength  as  to  resist  every  effort  of  the  wildest  tempest.  One 
half  of  it  was  so  formed  as  to  present  an  impenetrable  bulwark  to  the  waves,  and  on 
the  other  half  a  strong  wall,  surmounted  by  many  fortified  turrets,  wa6  erected.  In 
the  centre  a  quay,  or  landing-place,  was  built  ;  and  around  the  whole  a  pathway  was 
formed,  on  which  the  inhabitants  of  the  city  mi»ht  enjoy  the  soft  breezes  of  the  Medi¬ 
terranean.  Near  this  harbor,  the  residences  of  the  mariners  rose  upon  open  arches  ; — 
and  around  the  beach,  beyond  it,  the  proud  city,  built  in  the  shape  of  a  crescent,  as¬ 
cended  gradually  from  the  sea.  On  a  rising  ground,  at  a  short  distance  from  the  end 
of  the  quay,  a  temple  was  erected,  which  served  as  a  guide,  or  beacon,  to  mariners  ; 
and  within  its  walls  stood  two  colossal  statues,  one  of  Cesar,  and  another  of  Imperial 
Rome  personified.  All  the  private  houses  in  the  city  were  built  of  marble  ;  and  its 
many  temples  ;  its  palaces  ;  its  theatres  ;  and  forum,  of  the  fairest  and  richest  archi¬ 
tecture,  were  of  the  same  material.  The  building  of  this  magnificent  city  commenc¬ 
ed  shortly  before  the  Christian  era,  occupied  12years,  and  had  been  finished  only  about 
15  years  before  the  period  of  the  apostle’s  embarkation  from  it.  It  was,  therefore,  in 
its  glory  when  he  first  beheld  it  ;  and  although  no  external  change  had  taken  place 
during  any  of  his  subsequent  visits,  the  fairness  of  its  beauty  had  oft  en  been  soiled  by 
scenes  of  bloodshed  and  murder.  The  inhabitants  were  partly  heathens,  partly  Jews, 
and,  animated  with  a  constant  dislike  to  each  other,  they  were  invariably  engaged  in 
broils,  which  set  all  peace  and  order  at  defiance. 

‘  With  regard  to  the  Christian  church  established  at  Cesarea,  it  flourished  till  the 
7th  century,  when  the  city  was  captured  by  the  Saracens,  being  the  last  of  their  many 
exploits  during  the  Syrian  war.  But  before  this  event,  a  fame,  which  was  destined  to 
outlive  its  marble  walls,  was  conferred  upon  Cesarea.  It  was  there  that  the  prophet 
Agabus  foretold  that  P.  should  be  bound  at  Jerusalem,  and  be  delivered  into  the  hands 
of  the  Gentiles  ;  it  was  there  that  the  apostle  was  confined  for  2  years  ;  it  was  there 
that  he  was  tried  before  Felix  and  Festus  ;  it  was  there  that  Cornelius  the  centurion, 
who  was  baptized  by  Peter,  lived  ;  it  was  there  that  Philip,  the  deacon,  and  his4  daugh¬ 
ters,  distinguished  by  the  spirit  of  prophecy,  dwelt  ;  and  it  wa3  there  that  Herod,  even 
in  the  midst  of  his  own  splendid  palaces,  arrayed  in  cloth  of  silver,  and  in  cloth  of 
gold,  surrounded  by  fawning  courtiers,  and  an  applauding  multitude,  borne  up  with 
pride,  and  seated  on  his  jewelled  throne,  was  at  once  struck  dead,  and  devoured  of 
worms,  a  loathsome  and  disgusting  sjagctacle,  because  he  assumed  unto  himself  the 
glory  which  was  due  to  God. 

‘  Now,  should  we  journey  to  Palestine,  to  gaze  upon  the  fair  city  of  the  apostle’s 
day,  our  journey  would  indeed  be  vain.  The  Arabs  still  call  it  Kissary  ;  and  perhaps 
this  would  bt  one  of  the  few  associations  which  might  enable  us  to  discern  its  site. 
Its  marble  halls  and  palaces  are  gone, — its  temples. — its  theatres, — its  forum,  have 
disappeared  ;  the  dwellings  of  the  many  are  levelled  with  the  dust  ;  and  if  a  single 
trace  of  them  is  to  be  found,  it  is  in  a  shapeless  mass,  or  mound  of  blackened  eart  h.  The 
waves,  it  is  true,  still  beat  against  the  ruins  of  the  mole,  for  the  storms  and  tempests 
of  nearly  2000  years  have  not  been  able  to  effect  the  entire  demolition  of  that  stu¬ 
pendous  work.  Its  huge  remains  are  still  to  be  seen  ;  and  here  and  there  the  crum¬ 
bling  ruins  of  its  st-ongest  towers.  But  the  whole  surrounding  country  is  a  sandy  de¬ 
sert  ;  the  waste  and  silent  desolation  of  which  is  only  disturbed  by  the  ungry  howdings 
of  a  few  solitary  beasts  of  prey.’ 

Embarking  at  once,  at  this  port,  P.  reuched  his  native  city  in  safety,  and  abodo 
there  between  5  and  6  years,  continuing  to  propagate  the  Gospel  bv  making  many 
converts,  and  planting  several  churches  in  Cilicia  :  while  he  was  gladdened  by  know¬ 
ing  that  the  good  seed  prospered  in  Judea  also,  where,  in  consequence  of  an  unex¬ 
pected  persecution  of  the  Jews  themselves,  by  the  emperor  Caligula,  they  ceased,  for 
a  time,  to  persecute  the  Christians,  and  the  churches  had  rest  and  flourished  exceed¬ 
ingly.  Here  in  Cilicia,  too,  P.  had  those  visions  and  revelations,  2  C or.  12.  In  the 
course  of  time,  Barnabas  came  to  solicit  P.’s  assistance,  with  whom  he  went,  in  the 
year  42,  to  Antioch. 

‘  This  city,  the  capital  of  Syria,  was  at  that  period  adorned  with  sumptuous  palaces 
and  temples;  strongly  and  beautifully  fortified,  l»oth  by  nnture  and  by  art,  from  its  proud 
height  it  looked  down  on  the  bright  streams  of  the  O  ontes,  which  bore  the  wealth 
of  a  hundred  nations  within  its  walls.  This  place,  where  the  name  of  Christiana 
first  originated,  and  where,  for  many  ages  the  church  continued  so  famous,  was  now 
the  residence  of  the  prefect  or  governor  of  the  eastern  provinces  of  the  Roman  em¬ 
pire,  and  oft-times  honored  with  the  presence  of  the  einperor  himself,  [for  it  was 
at  one  lime  second  only  to  Rome  :  see  Gibbon .] 

'  Tt  was  formerly  called  Riblath,  (says  Arundcll ,)  and  was  not  known  under  the  name 


of  Antioch,  till  after  the  reign  of  Seleucus  Nicahor,  who  built  it,  and  called  it  Anti¬ 
och,  from  respect  to  his  father  Antiocbus,  301  B.  C.  The  kings  of  Syria,  successors 
to  Alexander  the  Great,  generally  resided  at  Antioch.— The  city  was  almost  square  ; 
had  many  gates,  and  much  of  it,  on  the  N.  side,  stood  on  a  high  mountain.  It  was 
adorned  with  galleries  [gardens]  :  and  fine  fountains.  Aram,  Marcel,  says,  it  was 
celebrated  throughout  the  world,  and  that  no  city  exceeded  it,  either  in  fertility  of 
soil,  or  richness  of  commerce.  The  emperors  V espasian  and  Titus,  and  others,  grant¬ 
ed  it  very  great  privileges  ;  but  it  has  likewise  been  exposed  to  very  great  revolu¬ 
tions.  It  was  almost  demolished  by  earthquakes  in  the  years,  A.  D.  340  ,  394  ,  396, 
458,  526,  and  528.  The  emperor  Justinian  repaired  it  in  529,  and  called  it,  says  Evag- 
rius,  Theopolis,  (city  of  God.)  Chosroes,  k.  of  Persia,  took  it,  in  548,  massacred  the 
inhabitants,  and  burnt  it.  Justinian  ordered  it  to  be  rebuilt,  552.  Chosroes  took  it 
again,  in  574,  and  destroyed  the  walls.  In  588,  it  suffered  a  dreadful  earthquake, 
whereby  60,000  perished  ;  it  was  again  rebuilt,  and  Was  again  exposed  to  new  calami¬ 
ties.  The  Saracens  took  it  637,  or  8,  in  the  reign  of  Hernclius  ;  Nicephorus  Phocas 
retook  it  966.  Cedrenus  relates,  that  in  970  an  army  of  100,000  Saracens  besieged  it 
without  success,  but  afterwards  subdued  it  :  added  new  fortifications,  and  made  it  al¬ 
most  impregnable.  Godfrey  of  Bouillon  besieged  it,  1097.  The  siege  was  long  and 
bloody  ;  the  Crusaders,  by  their  indefatigable  labors,  and  by  a  secret  correspondence 
in  the  place,  carried  it,  in  1098.  Frequently  attacked  by  Saracens,  it  was  retaken,  in 
1268,  by  the  Sultan  of  Egypt,  and  demolished.  It  has  ever  since  lost  its  reputation 
and  magnificence,  and  has  groaned  under  the  dominion  of  the  Turk.  It  was  near  An¬ 
tioch,  at  the  passage  of  Bylan  Boghaz,  that  the  Turkish  army  whs  defeated  by  the 
Egyptians  under  Ibrahim  Pasha,  and,  in  2  days  after,  it  surrendered  (1st  Aug.  1832)  to 
him. 

‘Antioch  abounded  with  great  men,  and  the  church  in  this  city  was  long  governed  by 
illustrious  prelates  ;  but  it  suffered  much  on  several  occasions,  sometimes  being  ex¬ 
posed  to  the  violence  of  heresies,  and  at  other  times  being  rent  with  violent  schisms. 
— The  Bp.  of  Antioch  has  the  title  of  patriarch,  and  constantly  has  had  a  great  share 
in  the  affairs  of  the  Eastern  church.  This  city,  itself,  formerly  so  beautiful,  so  flour¬ 
ishing,  and  so  illustrious,  is  scarcely  anything  at  present  but  a  heap  of  ruins;  the 
city  walls  are  still  standing,  but  within  the  city  there  is  nothing  but  ruins,  gardens, 
and  some  bad  houses.  The  Orontes  runs  near  it,  outside.’  See  the  engraving,  p.  62. 

In  the  year  44,  Barnabas  and  Saul  returned  to  Antioch  from  Jerusalem,  whither 
they  had  gone  with  alms,  and  in  45  departed  thence  to  preach  the  Gospel  to  the  Gea- 
tiles,  being  separated  to  that  work  by  the  solemn  anti  express  appointment  of  the 
Holy  Spirit.  They  came  first  to 

Seleucia , 

a  fortified  seaport,  a  short  way  N.  of  the  mouth  of  the  Orontes,  12  miles  below  Anti¬ 
och,  ‘and  named  from  its  founder,  Seleucus  Nicanor,  the  most  celebrated  builder  in 
the  world.  It  was  also  sometimes  called  Seleucia  ad  Mare ,  [on  the  sea,]  to  distinguish 
it  from  9  other  cities  of  the  same  name,  in  Syria,  and  is  mentioned  in  1  Mac.  as  the 
termination  of  the  conquests  of  Ptolemy  Philometor.  The  ruins  of  it  are  now  called 
Kepse,  and  lie  on  the  side  of  a  rocky  mountain,  nearly  a  mile  from  the  ocean.’ 

‘  The  apostle  and  his  companions,  did  not,  however,  remain  to  preach  here,  but  im¬ 
mediately  embarked  for  the  celebrated  island  of 

Cyprus , 

about  60  miles  W.  or  rather  S.  W.  of  Seleucia.  That  it  was  of  great  importance,  may  be 
gathered  from  the  known  fact,  that  it  contained  at  least  15  cities  of  considerable  note, 
and  was  at  one  time  divided  into  no  fewer  than  9  kingdoms.  This,  combined  with  the 
fact  of  its  being  the  native  land  of  Barnabas,  and  the  residence  of  some  Christians  who 
had  fled  from  the  Jewish  persecution,  probably  induced  P.  and  his  companions  to  com¬ 
mence  their  ministerial  office  there.  They  may  likewise  have  been  influenced  by  the 
knowledge  of  the  gross  idolatry  and  infamous  wickedness  into  which  the  blinded  inha¬ 
bitants  bad  fallen.  Venus  was  the  piincipal  deity  they  worshipped,  and,  according  to 
the  established  laws  of  the  country,  every  woman  in  it  was  obliged  to  prostitute  her¬ 
self  to  strangers,  [thus  vilely  was  foreign  trade  encouraged  !]  More  need  not  be  said, 
to  give  a  complete  idea  of  the  character  of  those  to  whom  the  apostle,  in  the  spirit 
of  brotherly  love  and  kindness,  now  went  to  preach  repentance,  and  forgiveness  of 
their  sins. — They  landed  at 

Salamis , 

afterwards  called  Constant  ia,  and  subsequently  Famagusta.  In  the  apostle’s  day  it 
was  a  famed  and  extensive  city,  on  the  E.  shores  of  Cyprus,  and  being  the  first  place 
at  which  Christianity  was  preached,  it  was,  in  primitive  times,  constituted  the  metro¬ 
politan  city  of  the  island.  Ibis  also  said,  at  a  subsequent  period,  to  have  been  the 
scene  where  Barnabas,  the  beloved  companion  and  fellow-laborei'of  the  apostle,  suf¬ 
fered  martyrdom.  At  least,  his  body  was  long  after  found  here,  buried,  with  a  copy  of 
the  Gospel  of  Matthew,  written  in  his  own  hand,  lying  on  his  breast. 

Having  finished  the  work  given  them  to  do  at  Salamis,  the  apostle  and  his  compan¬ 
ions  crossed  the  island,  preaching  at  the  various  towns  and  cities  on  their  route,  till 
they  came  to 

Paphos , 

then  a  celebrated  city  on  its  \V.  coast  ;  but  of  w  hich  24  or  30  huts  are  now  the  misera¬ 
ble  remains.  In  it  many  Romans  of  considerable  note,  as  well  as  an  immense  num¬ 
ber  of  unconverted  Jews,  resided.  But  they  were  far  outnumbered  by  the  priests  and 
worshippers  of  Venus,  who  congregated  there  in  thousands.  In  Paphos,  the  most  cele¬ 
brated  temple  of  the  goddess  was  erected,  and  so  devoted  was  the  attachment  of  her 
followers,  that  one  of  her  distinguishing  names  was  that  of  the  Paphian  and  Cyprian 
queen.  Vet  P.  had  great  success,  even  here  :  the  conversion  of  a  person  filling  so  distin¬ 
guished  a  situation  as  Sergius  Pattlus. induced  the  Cyprians  to  listen  with  much  atten¬ 
tion  to  the  doctrines  of  Paul,  and  although  it  is  historically  knowrn,  that  the  worship 
of  Venus  continued  in  the  island  for  nearly  400  years  after  this  period,  many  persons, 
followingthe  example  of  their  wise  and  prudent  leader,  embraced  the  Christian  faith. 
Indeed,  so  rapidly  did  Christianity  spread  from  Paphos,  that  although,  within  70  years 
afterwards,  no  fewer  than  240,000  of  the  Christian  inhabitants  were  murdered  by  the 
Jews,  its  progress  could  not  be  checked,  and  this  barbarity  only  led  to  the  total  extir¬ 
pation  of  the  latter  race  from  the  island.  But  religion  there  now  stands  at  a  very  low 
ebb,  and,  like  the  country  itself,  has  fallen  into  a  most  w'retched  and  desolate  condi¬ 
tion.’ 

On  leaving  Cyprus,  P.,  Barnabas,  and  John  proceeded,  in  the  year  46,  from  Paphos 
to  Pamphylia,  and  land ing  near  the  mouth  of  the  river  Caystras,  or  Cestros,  after  a 
voyage  of  about  140  miles,  they  proceeded  to 

Perga, 

the  capital  of  the  province,  situated  on  the  banks  of  the  river,  about  12  miles  from 
the  sea.  The  inhabitants  of  this  city,  famed  as  the  birth-place  of  Apollonius,  the 
geometrician,  were. worshippers  of  Diana,  and  a  celebrated  temple  was  erected  to  her 
on  an  eminence,  near  the  city,  and  in  it  solemn  festivals  were  annually  observed.  In¬ 
deed.  so  devoted  were  the  inhabitants  to  her  worship,  that  their  deity  was  often  dis¬ 
tinguished  by  the  name  of  Diana  Pergtea. 

P.  was  met  and  opposed  by  the  numerous  priests  of  Dinna  here,  and  did  not  remain 
fong  ;  but  at  a  subsequent  period,  his  preaching  appears  to  have  been  attended  with 
more  success  :  fora  Christian  church,  of  considerable  eminence,  was  established  at 
Perga,  and  flourished  till  tow’nrds  the  close  of  the  8th  century.  Now  it  has  passed 
away  ;  and  with  it,  Perga,  as  a  place  of  any  note,  may  be  said  to  have  likewise  vanish¬ 
ed  from  the  earth. 

Taking  Titus  with  them,  instead  of  John,  Paul  an  d  Barnabas  next  came  to 
Antioch  in  Pisidia , 

the  capital  of  the  small  province  of  Pisidia.  and  about  90  miles  N.  of  Perga.  This 
town,  in  which  there  were  great  numbers  of  Jews  resident,  was  also  built  by  Seleu¬ 
cus,  in  honor  of  bis  fniher ;  and,  to  distinguish  it  from  the  numerous  other  cities  of  the 
same  name  in  W.  Asia,  was  usually  d  nominated  Antiochia  Pi  tdio*.  The  remains, 
snvs  Arundell ,  ‘consist  chiefly  of  prostrate  temples,  a  theatre,  churches,  and  between 
20  and  30  arches  of  the  most  magnificently  constructed  aqueduct  I  ever  beheld. 
[See  the  engraving,  p.  167.  ]  Immense  squared  blocks  of  stones  and  sculptnred  frag¬ 
ments.  and  the  quantity  of  ancient  pottery,  ted  1  us  we  were  on  the  site  of  a  greHt  city. 
The  superb  members  of  a  temple,  which  from  the  thyrsus  on  many  of  them,  evident¬ 
ly  belonged  to  Bacchus,  was  the  first  thing  we  saw.  Passing  on,  a  long  and  immense 
building,  (160  ft.  by  80,)  constructed  with  prodigious  blocks  of  marble,  and  standing 
E.  and  W.,  exhibited  the  remains  of  a  church  of  Antioch  !  The  ground  plan,  with 
the  circular  end  for  the  bema,  all  were  there  ;  perhaps  this  was  one  of  the  very  earli- 
iest  templesconsecrated  to  the  Savior!  The  cut  (from  Arundell}  shows,  from  the  re¬ 
mains.  the  ground-p’an  of  the  church  of 
Antioch.  160  feet  long,  without  the  por¬ 
tico.  and  80  wide.’  ‘  Perhaps  we  were 
standing  on  the  very  spot  where  P.  made 
his  admirable  sermon  ;  for  it  is  very  nat¬ 
ural  to  suppose  the  oldest  church  wns 
built  on  the  site  of  the  synagogue.  N. 
are  the  arches  of  a  grand  underground 
passage,  and  the  platform,  and  the 
ground -plan  of  a  very  large  temple.  E. 
are  the  remains  of  a  theatre,  150  tt.  diam. 
Beyond  this,  ascending  still  E.,  are  vestiges  of  a  small  church.*  Arundell  also  men- 


ACTS.  — CONCLUDING  NOTE 


lions,  as  near  by,  a  curious  and  magnificent  portico,  nr  temple  of  the  god  Lunus,  and 
also  foundations  of  the  acropolis,  probably.  The  *  hole  were  on  the  little  hill,  seen 
in  the  left  front  of  the  engraving  (opposite  page).  The  village  in  the  distance  is  Va- 
labuiz.  The  view  near  the  aqueduct  wus  enchanting,  comprehending  the  modern  vil¬ 
lage  (Valabatz) ,  with  gro\  ea  of  poplar  and  weeping  w  lllows  in  the  plain  ;  beyond  rise 
the  snowy  heights  ol  Taurus,  under  which  appeared  a  lake,  prolably  of  Eyerdir.  Not 
a  Christian  now  resides  here,  except  a  single  Greek  in  the  khan  !’  Antioch  hue  usu¬ 
ally  been  placed  6  hours  N.,  ut  Akaber,  but  A.  thinks  this  was  Philomelium.  ‘This 
■was  the  first  city  in  which  the  Gospel  w  as  publicly  “preached  to  the  Gentiles  ;  and  great 
success  attended  it  also  in  the  surrounding  country.*  Driven  thence  by  the  unbeliev¬ 
ing  Jews,  they  proceeded  to 

Iconium , 

*  80  miles  E.  of  Antioch.  It  was  then  a  large  and  populous  city,  situated  on  the  banks 
of  the  lake  Trogilis,  in  the  richest  and  most  fertile  part  of  Lycaoma,  of  which  prov¬ 
ince  it  was  the  capital.  The  inhabitants  were  Jews,  Greek  proselytes,  and  idolatrous 
Gentiles.  As  at  Antioch,  so  at  Iconium,  Paul  left  many  firm  and  zealous  professors 
of  Christianity  behind  him.  These  propagated  the  true  faith  so  successfully,  that,  for 
a  period  ol  8UU  years  after  the  apostle’s  day,  the  Christian  church  continued  to  flourish 
there.  Indeed,  the  religion  so  earnestly  and  uncompromisingly  taught  by  him,  can 
scarcely  he  said  ever  to  have  totally  disappeared  fioin  the  city.  It  is  one  of  the  few 
places,  in  which  his  voice  was  heard,  that  survives  the  wreck  of  time,  and  has  not  yet 
fallen  into  ruin  and  decay.  It  is  now  known  by  the  name  of  Cogni  or  Konieh,  the 
most  remarkable  and  noted  city  of  Caramnnia  ;  and  although  no  longer,  as  once, 
the  seat  ol  empire  of  the  Turkish  kings  of  Lesser  Asia,  is  still  the  residence  of  a  con¬ 
siderable  Pasha.  It  is  surrounded  by  a  strong  wall,  several  miles  in  circumference, 
fortified  by  1U8  splendid  towers,  ut  equal  distances.  The  infidel  alone,  it  is  true,  is 
now  allowed  to  inhabit  the  city,  properly  so  called,  but  many  Armenians  and  Chris¬ 
tians  of  the  Greek  church,  with  their  archbishop,  still  reside  in  its  suburbs.’ 

On  leaving  this  place,  Paul  and  his  companions  fled  to 

Lystra , 

another  city  of  Lycaonia,  about  45  miles  IS.  from  Iconium,  and  the  birth-place  of  Tim¬ 
othy,  where  also  Lois  and  Eunice  were  converted.  The  headlong  stupidity  of  this 
ignorant  and  superstitious  people,  after  worshipping  them  as  gods,  was,  of  course, 
easily  aroused,  by  interested  misiepresentations,  to  stone  Paul  as  a  magician  ;  and  left 
him  dead,  and  contemptuously  unburied,  upon  the  highway.  Immediately  on  his  mi¬ 
raculous  restoration  to  life,  Paul  quits  Lvstra  for 

Derbe , 

about  20  miles  S.  E.  of  Lystra.  Gaius,  and  the  apostle  John,  were  born  here  ;  it  is 
not  otherwise  of  any  note. 

After  preaching  in  the  neighboring  regions  of  Phrygia  and  Galatia,  and,  as  some 
think,  establishing  the  churches  of  Colosse ,  (see  Pref.  to  Col.)  Laodicea,  (see  Pref. 
to  Rev.)  and  Hicrapolie ,  (see  on  Col.  4:13.)  (cities  of  considerable  importance  in 
Phrygia),  though  this  is  doubtful,  determining  to  revisit  and  establish  the  churches  he 
had  planted,  the  apostle  returned  from  Derbe  to  Lystra,  thence  to  Iconium,  and  then 
to  Antioch  in  Pisidia,  ‘  ordaining  elders  in  every  church.’  They  then  retraced  their 
steps  to  Perga,  where  he  tarried  to  preach,  with  what  success  we  are  not  informed. 
Leaving  it,  they  come  to 

Attalia ,  m 

another  city  of  Painphylia,  founded  by  Attalus,  k.  of  Pergamus,  whence  its  name.  It 
is  situated  on  a  fine  bay  in  the  Mediterranean,  about  30  miles  S.  W.  of  Perga. 

‘  It  is  now  known  by  the  name  of  Satalia,  or  Statalia,  and  is  still  a  place  of  some 
consequence,  having  been  preserved  from  ruin  by  the  Turks,  who  are  careful  to  keep 
its  fortifications  and  castle  in  repair,  as  a  protection  to  their  trade.’ 

Here  they  embarked  for  Antioch  in  &yria,  and  arrived  there  again,  after  a  circuit  of 
2  or  3  years.  At  Antioch  they  remained  2  full  years  (A.  D.  47,  48),  during  which  P. 
and  Barnabas  were  sent  to  the  Council  at  Jerusalem,  and,  returning,  made  some  fur¬ 
ther  stay,  probably  during  the  remainder  of  the  year  49,  teaching  and  preaching  with 
many  assistants.  About  the  beginning  of  the  year  50,  P.  proposed  to  Barnabas  to  take 
another  circuit  through  the  churches  in  Asia,  but  they  disagreeing  on  account  of 
Mark,  Barnabas  went  to  Cyprus,  and  P.  taking  Silas,  passed, .through  Syria,  and  Cili¬ 
cia,  (whose  churches  were  probably  founded  during  Paul’s  6  years’  residence  at  Tar¬ 
sus,)  to  Derbe,  and  Lystra  (where  he  took  Timothy),  through  Phrygia  and  Galatia, 
confirming  the  churches  in  those  parts,  and  ‘  delivering  to  each  a  copy  of  the  decre¬ 
tal  Epistle  ’  of  the  Council  at  Jerusalem.  Leaving  Lystra,  the  three  passed  by  Anti¬ 
och  to  the  E.,  and  through  Phrygia.  ‘  The  inhabitants  of  this  country  were  prover¬ 
bially  of  a  servile  and  stupid  temper,  “  sero  sapiunt  Phryges,”  noted  for  the  effem¬ 
inacy  and  lightness  of  their  conversation,  superstitious  to  excess,  worshippers  of 
Cybele,  and  said  to  have  been  the  inventors  of  augury,  and  other  kinds  of  divination. 
Among  these  benighted  people  they  do  not  appear  to  liuve  made  any  stay,  but  passed 
on  to  Galatia  (so  called  from  the  Gauls  settled  there,  see  Pref.  to  Gal.),  a  region 
which  contained  no  fewer  than  22  considerable  cities.  Here  the  apostle  was  received 
with  marked  veneration,  and  preached  most  successfully,  planting  many  churches. 
These  attuined  considerable  excellence,  and  remained  in  a  flourishing  condition  for 
90U  years,  after  which  they  were  reduced  by  the  Mahometans,  Saracens,  and  Turks, 
and  in  Galatia  Christianity  is  now  almost  buried  in  oblivion.’  See  Texier's  trav.  1834. 

Forbidden  to  preuch  in  Asia  proper,  (Ionia,  .®oliaf  Lydia,)  they  passed  into  Mvsia; 
here,  among  a  base  and  contemptible  race,  P.  preached,  and  some  vestiges  of  a  Chris¬ 
tian  church  have  constantly  remained  there.  lienee  they  would  have  gone  E.  to  Bi- 
thynia,  but  were  forbidden,  and  came  by  Lesser  Mysia,  which  separated  Bithynia  from 
the  region  of  Troas,  to  the  city  and  port  of 

Froas , 

its  capital,  where ’Luke  joined  them.  ‘This  city  was  built  on  the  Hellespont,  by 
Lysimachus,  one  of  Alexander’s  captains,  peopled  from  the  neighboring  places,  and 
originally  called  Alexandria,  or  Troas  Alexandri,  in  his  honor  ;  but  it  soon  lost  its 
more  distinguished  name,  and,  witli  the  surrounding  country,  retained  that  of  Troas 
merely.  Its  site  was  only  about  4  miles  from  that  of  the  famous  Troy,  and  in  the 
apostle’sday  it  was  a  noted  seaport,  where  travellers  from  the  upper  part  of  Asia 
usually  embarked  for  Europe.’ 

Invited  to  preach  in  Macedonia,  the  4  set  sail  (A.  D.  50.)  with  a  fair  wind  for  tfrmo- 
thrace ,  ‘  or  Samandrachi,  as  it  is  now  called,  an  island  about  20  miles  round,  famous 
anciently  for  the  worship  of  Ceres,  Proserpine,  Philo,  [Pluto'?]  Mercury,  Castor, 
Pollux,  Neptune,  &c.  Its  religious  mysteries  [of  the  Cabin]  were  so  celebrated,  that 
they  were  held  in  equal  estimation  wph  the  famous  Eleusiniun  mysteries,  and  foreign¬ 
ers,  of  the  highest  character,  deemed  it  an  honor  to  be  initiated  in  them.  Paul  how¬ 
ever  did  not  land  here,  but,  passing  it,  landed  at 

Neapolis, 

now  Napoli,  or  Ohristopolis,  a  seaport,  originally  belonging  to  Thrace,  but  afterwards 
taken  into  Macedonia,  and  deservedly  celebrated  as  the  first  spot  in  Europe  trodden 
by  the  great  apostle’s  feet. 

Here  they  made  no  stay,  and  do  not  even  appear  to  have  prenched,  yet  Christianity 
hns  been  more  or  less  known  and  acknowledged  by  its  inhabitants  down  to  the  present 
day.’ 

Journeying  15  miles  further,  they  came  to 

Philippi 

4  the  ancient  Datos,  but  subsequently  named  Philippi,  in  honor  of  Philip,  k.  of  Mace- 
don,  father  of  Alexander,  by  whom  the  city  was  rebuilt  and  beautified.  It  was  the 
chief  city  of  that  part  of  Macedonia,  a  Roman  colony,  and  the  first  place  belonging 
to  Romans,  at  which  P.  was  ordained  to  preach.’  As  the  Romans  were  under  many 
n  brand  of  prophecy,  and  detested  by  the  Jews,  therefore,  perhaps,  a  supernatural 
call  was  given  to  the  work  of  preaching  to  them. 

4  These  Roman  colonic#  were  of  two  sorts  ;  the  one  founded  where  no  city  had  ever 
been,  or,  if  it  had,  was  totally  destroyed.  Such  were  peopled  with  none  but  Romans. 
The  other  sort  were  colonies  in  cities  already  built  and  inhabited,  to  which  persons 
who  had  served  in  the  wars,  and  such  Romans  as  chose,  were  permitted  to  remove. 
These  associated  with  the  former  inhabitants  of  the  place,  but  at  the  same  time  they 
had  a  district  of  the  town  assigned  to  them  to  inhabit,  and  a  portion  of  the  country  to 
cultivate  and  till.  Both  kinds  of  colonies,  however,  enjoyed  the  privileges  of  Roman 
citizens,  and  were  governed  by  Roman  laws.  Philippi  belonged  to  the  latterclass, 
and  it  is  thought  that  the  honor  was  conferred  upon  it,  both  by  Julius  and  Augustus 
Cesar :  by  the  1st.  in  memory  of  the  battle  fought  on  the  adjacent  plains,  betwixt  him 
and  Pompcy  the  Great, — and  by  the  2d,  in  honor  of  the  struggle  [there]  betwixt  him 
and  Mark  Antony  on  the  one  side,  and  Brutus  and  Cassius  on  the  other.  Its  in¬ 
habitants,  therefore,  were  not  exclusively  Romans,  and  there  were  many  Jews  in  the 
city.* 

Hence,  after  much  both  endured  and  enjoyed,  Paul  proceeds  to 
Amphipolis. 

4  This  city,  now  Rmbolis,  was  built  about  500  B.  C.  by  the  famous  Athenian  Cimon. 
It  was  the  capital  of  the  1st  division  of  Macedonia,  situated  on  the  confines  of  Thrace, 
close  to  the  banks  of  the  river  Stryinon.  and  contained  about  10,000  inhabitants. 

Apolloni't , 

through  which  they  next  passed,  was  also  a  city  of  Macedonia,  betwixt  Ampblpo’is 
and  Thessalonica,  and  although  of  not  so  much  consequence  ns  the  former,  in  any 
point  of  view,  lmJ  yet  sufficient  importance  to  attract  the  apostle’s  attention,  and 


may  probably  have  been  the  residence  of  nomc  learned  men,  ns  it  is  known  that  men 
of  talents  did  at  di  lie  lent  periods  i  aside  at  ApolLinia,  and  tiiui  a  considerable  school, 
at  which  Augustus  Cesui  ucqui.ed  his  know  ledge  of  the  Greek  language,  wus  estab¬ 
lished  there.  It  would  appeal  that  P.  staid  not  long  in  these  two  cities,  nor  do  \vc 
read  of  converts  mude  or  churches  planted  at  either.  He  next  arrived  at 

Thessalonica , 

which,  both  from  the  length  of  time  lie  resided  there,  and  the  eminent  success  attend¬ 
ing  his  preaching,  deserves  moie  particular  notice. 

‘  In  ancient  days,  this  splendid  city  wus  called  Ilulis,  and  Therms;  but  Philip, 
father  of  Alexander,  subsequently  named  it  Thessalonica,  in  conunemoiaiion  pf  agaeut 
victory  obtained  over  the  Thessalians.  In  after  days,  it  fell  successively  into  the 
bands  of  the  Romans,  the  Saracens,  the  Greeks,  the  Venetians,  and  the  Ottoman 
Turks,  in  whose  possession,  under  the  name  of  Salon i ki ,  it  still  continues.  Even  now 
it  is  a  place  of  considerable  importance,  being  upwards  of  5  miles  in  circumference, 
and  containing  about  6i» ,0U0  inhabitants.  [JSee  engraving,  Pief.  to  Thess.J  The 
traces,  too,  if  the  expression  may  be  used,  of  the  apustle’s  visit  to  it,  yet  remain,  in  so 
far  ns  nbout  30  churches,  belonging  to  the  Christians  of  tire  Greek  church,  still  rear 
their  heads  in  the  midst  of  about  50  Jewish  synagogues,  and  an  equal  number  of  Ma¬ 
hometan  mosques,  or  temples.  This  however  is  but  the  picture  of  it  in  its  degenerate 
days.  In  the  apostle’s  time,  it  was  the  capital  of  all  the  countries  compiehended  in 
the  Roman  province  of  Macedonia,  the  residence  of  the  proconsul  and  quieslor,  the 
seut  of  government,  and  a  place  much  resorted  to  by  sti  angers.  Its  situation  at  the  bot¬ 
tom  of  the  [deep]  Thermaic  gulf  (now  Gulf  of  Saloniki) ,  admirably  adapted  it  for  com¬ 
merce,  and  consequently  the  trade  carried  on  by  its  inhabitants  was  most  extensive. 
A  great  number  of  Jews,  too,  resided  in  it,  and  there  was,  at  least,  one,  if  not  moie, 
synagogues  in  the  city.  All  these  circumstances  combined,  and  especially  the  con¬ 
sideration,  that  Thessalonica  was  [like  Antioch]  the  temporary  residence  of  so  many 
foreign  merchants,  w  ho,  cn  their  return  to  their  own  countries,  would  naturally  pub¬ 
lish  the  conversion  of  the  inhabitants,  and  an  account  of  the  miracles  by  which  they 
had  been  converted,  induced  the  apostle  to  take  up  his  abode  there  longer  than  usual. 

*  P.’s  great  success  here,  among  a  people  whose  minds  were  probably  enlarged  by 
their  wide  intercourse  with  mankind,  excited,  of  course,  the  inveterate  hostility  of 
the  Jews.  In  every  large  town,  particularly  of  a  mercantile  description,  there  aie 
hosts  of  idle  and  dissolute  characters  to  be  found,  lingering  about  the  market,  and  oth¬ 
er  places  of  public  resort.  To  these  the  Jew  s  applied,  and,  by  mingled  peisuasions  and 
promises,  easily  induced  them,  knowing  little,  and  caring  less  about  the  matter,  to 
adbpt  their  views.  The  train  thus  ignited,  and  the  [propensities]  of  a  promiscuous 
rabble  excited,  it  was  an  easy  matter  [by  a  few  popular  catchwords,  perhaps,]  tor  the 
designing  agitators  to  turn  the  fury  of  the  mob  in  any  direction  they  chose.  The  tu¬ 
mult  and  uproar  having  spread  to  an  enormous  extent,  they'accoidingly  seized  the 
proper  moment,  and  directed  the  popular  attention  to  the  house  of  Jason,  where  they 
knew  the  apostle  lodged,  in  the  hope,  doubtless,  of  laying  violent  bands  on  him,  ami 
inducing  the  people  at  once  to  sacrifice  him  in  their  blind  and  [hellish]  zeal.  In  this 
hope  they  were  disappointed  ;  and  P.’s  friends,  fearing  the  probable  result  of  anoth¬ 
er  attempt,  conveyed  him  and  Silas  out  of  the  city  by  night,  and  set  them  forward  on 
their  way  to 

Berea , 

another  great  and  populous  city  of  Macedonia,  near  the  Thermaic  gulf,  about  40 
miles  W.  of  Thessalonica.’  The  noble  (for  they  loved  truth ?  come  whence  it  would) 
and  candid  disposition  of  the  Bereans  received  the  Gospel  with  greater  favor,  but  his 
Thessalonian  enemies  pursuing  Paul  thither,  at  last  drove  him  from  Berea  (where, 
however,  he  leaves  Silas  and  Timothy  awhile)  to 

Athens , 

4  situated  in  a  [once]  beautiful  plain  of  Attica,  the  fairest  part  of  Greece,— on  the  gulf 
of  the  iEgean,  which  runs  up  to  the  Morea.  [See  its  plan  on  the  map.]  It  lay  about 
250  miles  to  the  S.  of  Berea,  and  35  E.  of  Corinth,  [and,  in  its  splendor,  was  22  miles 
in  circuit.]  At  the  period  of  the  apostle’s  visit,  it  maintained  its  place  as  one  of  the 
most  renow  ned  cities  in  the  world  ;  although  it  unquestionably  had  then  somewhat  ie- 
trogiaded  from  its  pristine  splendor,  in  consequence  of  the  seat  of  government  hav¬ 
ing  been  fixed  at  Corinth,  after  the  conquest  of  Greece  had  been  completed  by  the 
Romans.  It  was  still,  however,  so  celebrated,  ns  being  the  seal  of  science,  philosophy, 
and  the  arts,  and,  according  to  Cicero,  the  fountain  whence  civility,  learning,  reli¬ 
gion,  and  the  laws  flowed  to  all  other  nations,  that  it  deservedly  obtained  the  r.nme  of 
the  University  of  the  Roman  Empire  and  the  world.  It  was  flocked  to  from  all  quar¬ 
ters,  for  the  purpose  of  acquiring  knowledge  in  every  branch  of  literature,  and,  so  es¬ 
sential  was  it'to  completing  the  education  of  the  man  of  wisdom  and  manners,  to  have 
been  there,  that,  according  to  an  old  writer,  41  He  who  had  not  seen  Athens  was  ac¬ 
counted  a  block  ;  he  who  had  seen  it,  and  was  not  in  love  with  it,  a  dull,  stupid  ass ; 
and  he  who,  after  having  seen  it,  could  be  willing  to  leave  it,  fit  for  nothing  but  to 
be  a  packhorse.”  Yet,  notwithstanding  the  many  advantages  the  inhabitants  of  this 
splendid  city  enjoyed, — notwithstanding  their  eloquence, "their  learning,  their  tal¬ 
ents,  their  wit,  their  knowledge  of  the  aits  and  sciences,  and  of  all  that  might  be  pre¬ 
sumed,  in  the  eyes  of  a  misjudging  world,  to  raise  man  above  his  fellow-man,  it  remains 
as  matter  of  deep  regret  to  be  added,  that  they  W'ere  sunk  in  the  grossest  superstition 
and  idolatry.* 


What  then  must  have  been  the  benevolent,  the  truly  wise  apostle’s  tlv 
grief  of  his  keenly  sensitive  heart,  while  walking  among  the  30,000  idols  c 


thoughts,  the 
Is  of  Athens  I 

He  is  brought  before  the  court  of  Areopagus,  not  indeed  as  an  accused  person,  but 
that  his  new  doctrines,  4  if  they  met  the  approbation  of  the  Areopagites,  might  re¬ 
ceive  their  sanction,  and  be  admitted,  with  the  rest,  into  the  extensive  code  of  their 
religious  regulations.’  How  discouraging  the  prospect  of  success  for  the  simple  story 
of  the  uncompromising  Gospel,  whose  first  word  sweeps  all  other  religions  away  ! 

This  court  or  senate-house,  we  must  recollect,  ‘was  situated  upon  Mars -hilly — in  for¬ 
mer  times,  almost  in  the  centre  of  the  city,  although  now,  [see  the  plan  on  the  map, 
herewith,]  entirely  without  its  bounds.  Its  foundations,  formed  of  enormous  blocks 
of  stone,  upon  which  a  terrace  or  platform  was  raised,  still  remain  to  show  its  gieat 
extent.  In  the  centre  of  the  platform  there  was  a  tribunal  [the  pnyx,  still  to  be  seen] 
cut  from  the  solid  rock,  and  all  around  it  seats,  likewise  made  of  stone,  were  ranged 
in  a  semi-circular  form.  There  the  senate  met,  and  in  the  open  air  heard  and  deter¬ 
mined  every  cause.  The  wisdom  and  uprightness  guiding  the  decisions  of  this  con  rt, 
which,  before  the  conquest  of  Greece  by  the  Romans,  used  to  judge  in  all  causes,  both 
of  a  civil  and  religious  nature,  were  held  in  such  esteem,  that  even  after  the  Roman 
proconsuls  had  been  sent  to  rule  in  Greece,  it  was  no  uncommon  thing  for  them  to 
refer  difficult  causes  to  the  judgment  of  the  Areopagites.  But,  in  the  apostle’s  day,  their 
consequence  and  splendor  had  both  dwindled  away, — their  jurisdiction  in  civil  mat¬ 
ters  was  at  an  end, — and  although  they  still  pretended  to  judge  of  those  of  a  religious 
nature,  and  maintained  that  no  strange  worship  could  be  introduced  till  it  had  fii.-t 
receiver!  their  approbation,  their  celebrated  court-house  had,  in  fact,  become  little 
more  than  a  point  of  meeting,  or  place  of  general  rendezvous,  for  those,  who  desired 
either  to  tell  or  hear  something  new.* 

Here,  then,  P.  stood,  beneath  the  clear  sky  of  that  rlacsic  land,  in  the  midst  of  a 
countless  crowd  of  human  beings;  around  him  lay  the  plain,  studded  with  temples, 
and  palaces,  amid  groves  of  olives  and  other  trees  ;  the  marble  porticoes  ol  the  acade¬ 
my,  and  gardens  full  of  art  ;  beyond,  circled  the  blue  hills,  opening  behind  him  upon 
the  sparkling  sea  ;  in  front,  arose  the  perfect  temple  of  Theseus,  the  forum,  mid  tl  e 
populous  city  ;  stretching  to  the  right,  towered  terrace  upon  terrace,  palace,  theatre, 
and  many-columned  temple,  up  the  steep  hill  of  the  Acropolis,  crowned  with  the 
everlasting  Parthenon.  How  difficult  his  task,  to  turn  the  attention  of  6uch  an  audi¬ 
tory.  in  such  a  place,  from  the  things  of  time  to  those  of  eternity  ! 

‘Though  there  are  still  thousands  of  remains  of  antiquity  at  Athens,  the  birth¬ 
place  of  Solon,  Socrates,  Aristides,  Demosthenes,  Miltiades,  Tbemistocles,  and  hun 
d  rods  of  others  celebrated  in  philosophy,  oratory,  and  war,  is  for  ever  gone.  The  mod 
era  city,  [see  the  engraving,  at  Acts  17:]  now  made  the  capital  of  the  Kingdom  of 
Greece ,  does  not  contain  above  10,000  inhabitants  ;  but,  strange  to  say,  notwithstanding 
the  little  success  which  attended  the  preaching  of  the  apostle.  Christianity  has  main¬ 
tained  its  footing,  and  lingered  around  the  ruined  shrines  of  Athens  till  the  present 
day.  About  three  fourths  of  its  inhabitants  are  now  Christians,  and  have  a  bishop  nt 
thgir  head.’  Flourishing  schools,  also,  are  supported  and  taught  there,  bv  Christians 
of  our  own  distant  land,  which  promise,  unaer  her  present  protestant  king,  incal- 
cujable  good  to  regenerated  Greece. 

Corinth 

was  P.’s  next  station:  here  he  remained  a  yr.  and  6  mo.,  i.  e.  the  latter  part  of  A .  D.  51, 
the  whole  qf  52,  and  t  he  early  part  of  53.  4  This  city,  anciently  called  Epirus,  is  suppos¬ 
ed  in  the  tinpe  of  Solomon.  For  many  centuries  it  was  governed 


of  the  consul 


ed I  to  havebeen  founded  in  the  tinpe  t . 

by  a  race  of  king3,  and  subsequently  by  nn  aristocracy,  till  the  time  . 

Mummiua,  who  took  and  reduced  it  to  ashes,  in  revenge  of  a  gross  insult,  put  y  ,e 
inhabitants  npon  the  Roman  ambassadors.  About  a  century  after,  it  wo*  re  ui  >v 
Julius  Cesnr,  and  peopled  with  a  Roman  colony.  It  then  beenme  the  capita  ol  *ree  *  , 
and  one  of  the  fairest  cities  of  the  world.  The  citadel,  called  Acro-connt  us.  ui 

••  L - egnaMe  :  ana 


[167] 


ACTS.  — CONCLUDING  NOTE 


n^lna,  rnnbled  it,  on  the  W.  and  on  the  E.,  to  command  a  lucrative  and  increasing’ 
trail**  with  eve.y  quarter  of  the  known  world.  In  consequence,  the  inhabitants  soon  be¬ 
came  enriched,  and  when  the  apostle  arrived,  it  had  become  more  famed  for  its  extent 
and  population,  and  t lie  philosophy,  politeness,  learning,  and  wealth  of  its  inhabit¬ 
ants,  than  any  other  city  in  Greece.’ — But  how  worse  than  futile  is  intellectual  with¬ 
out  moral  education  !  ‘While  the  arts  and  sciences  flourished  in  so  fair  a  soil,  they 
brought  pride  of  heart  in  their  train,  and  the  exuberant  tiches  of  the  people  produc¬ 
ed  many  sorts  of  iniquity  and  vice.  Lasciviousness  was  a  reigningsin  among  the  Co¬ 
rinthians,  and  so  far  was  the  grossest  idolatry  recognised,  that  a  splendid  temple  was 
erected  to  the  worship  of  Venus,  in  the  vile  service  of  which  some  thousand  females 
were  employed.  The  fact,  that  the  infamous  Thais,  supposed  to  have  been  one  of 
these, demanded  10,000  drachms  for  one  night’s  lodging,  must  effectually  discloses  one 
manner  in  which  the  wealth  of  tne  inhabitants  was  squandered,  and  the  grossness  of 
the  auomination  into  which  they  had  sunk.'  No  wonder,  then,  that  here  a  fearful 
dejection  of  mind  should  have  weighed  down  even  the  firmness  of  the  apostle, 
requiring  the  immediate  interposition  of  his  Master  to  comfort  and  encourage  him. 
Acts  18:9,  10.  Thus  strengthened,  his  success  was  greut  ;  and  a  new  source  of  doing 
good,  viz.  by  writing,  seems  now  first  to  have  opened  itself  to  his  mind,  and  from  Co-, 
rinth  he,  wrote  several  of  his  epistles. 

‘The  considerable  church  Paul  labored  so  hard  to  establish  in  this  celebrated 
city,  sunk,  at  no  distant  peiiod,  into  a  wretched  and  degenerate  condition  i  false 
teachers  arose  among  the  Corinthians  ,*  disorders  and  schisms  were  the  consequences  ; 
some  of  the  disciples  pretended  to  be  followers  of  P., — some  of  Peter, — some  of  Apol- 
los, — and  some,  discarding  all  minor  teachers,  pretended  to  be  followers  of  Jesus  Christ 
alone.  Yet,  notwithstanding  this  confusion,  the  church  did  not,  as  might  have  been 
expected,  fall  to  pieces.  It  has  maintained  a  place  at  Corinth  to  the  present  day,  and 
one  half  of  the  inhabitants  are  still  Christians,  with  an  archbishop  at  their  head.  But 
Corinth  is  now  a  decayed  and  desolate  place  [see  P ref. to  1  Cor.:]  containing,  at  the 
highest,  no  more  than  2000  miserable  inhabitants.  Embarking  at 

Ccnchrea , 

(Note,  Rom.  16:1.)  Paul,  on  his  way  to  Cesarea  and  Jerusalem,  sails  250  miles,  to 

Ephesus. 

The  extent,  trade,  and  wealth  of  this  metropolis  of  proconsular  Asia,  has  already  been 
mentioned,  and  its  famous  temple  described.  It  was  ‘  beautiful  for  situation,’  being 
*  in  the  side  of  a  gently  sloping  hill,  by  the  banks  of  the  river  Cayster,  with  a  far  ex¬ 
tended  verdant  plain,  stretching  to  the  W.’  See  the  engraving,  Pref.  to  Eph.  :  also 
another,  p.  166,  which  shows  its  theatre ,  Ac.  19:29.  The  cut  herewith  is  a  plan  of  the 
Grecian  theatre,  from  Vitruvius;  it  differs  a  little  from  the  Roman;  comp. cut, Ac. 19:29. 


‘  Lost  and  degraded  as  the  Ephesians  were,  the  apostle,  during  his  short  stay 
among  them,  at  this  period,  made  a  stronger  impression  than  he  had  done  upon  the 
minds  of  many  a  more  enlightened  people.’ — Proceeding 700  miles,  to  Cesarea,  P. 
■went  thence  to  Jerusalem,  and  thence  to  Antioch  in  Syria,  where  he  made  some  stay, 
in  54,  then  through  the  remainder  of  Syria  and  Cilicia,  and  again  visited  all  the 
churches  of  Galatia  and  Phrygia,  and  came  back  to  Ephesus.  During  this  residence, 
probably  about  the  beginning  of  the  year  56,  P.  received  and  answered  a  letter  from 
Corinth.  ‘Combining  example  with  instruction  too,  he  not  only  led  a  blameless 
life,  during  the  full  two  years  he  staid  here,  but  even  with  the  world  of  employment 
he  had  upon  his  hands,  labored  for  his  own  maintenance,  that  no  aspersion  might  [in 
this  trading  community]  be  cast  upon  the  purity  of  his  motives,  nor  the  greatest  ene¬ 
my  of  the  Gospel  have  it  in  his  power  to  say,  that  he  taught  its  precepts  for  the  sake  of 
worldly  gain.  The  consequences  were  brilliant  in  the  extreme.  Ephesus  was  the  re¬ 
sort  of  many  strangers,  some  of  whom  flocked  thither  to  pay  reverence  to  their  re¬ 
nowned  goddess;  others  to  be  instructed  in  the  arts  of  sorcery  and  magic,  for  which 
the  city  stood  in  high  repute, — others  to  prefer  their  suits  and  solicitations  to  the  Ro¬ 
man  governor  of  the  province,— others  for  the  sake  of  commerce  ;  and  not  a  few  to 
lenrn  more  of  those  doctrines  and  miracles,  of  which  they  had  heard  so  much,  and 
with  their  own  ears  to  listen  to  the  instructions  the  apostle  gave.  An  innumerable 
multitude  of  these  wayfaring  people  were  converted  to  the  Christian  faith,  and  each 
returning  to  hi3  own  home,  preached  the  Gospel  to  his  benighted  kinsmen  ;  so  that, 
ere  Paul’s  stay  at  Ephesus  was  at  an  end,  the  joyful  tidings  had  not  only  been  heard 
throughout  the  whole  land,  even  from  one  end  of  Lesser  Asia  to  the  ether,  but  many 
churches  were  founded,  to  which  the  apostle  subsequently  referred,  when  he  declared 
that  “  they  had  not  seen  his  face  in  the  flesh.”  ’ 

‘  The  church,  decayed  in  the  6th  century,  was  finally  crushed  by  the  Mohammedan 
power,  and  Ephesus  is  now  levelled  in  the  dust.  Scarcely  one  stone  remains  on  the  top 
of  another  ;  [the  foundations  only  of  some  churches  may  be  traced,  and  one  is  now  a 
mosque  ;]  the  site  of  the  temple  is  unknown,  and,  with  the  exception  of  a  few  wretch¬ 
ed  and  dependent  Greek  peasants,  inhabiting  some  miserable  huts  at  Aiasaluk,  not 
a  living  being  breathes  within  its  walls.  Its  candlestick  has  indeed  “  been  removed 
out  of  its  place.”  * 

*  On  his  departure  (A.  D.  55)  from  Ephesus,’  says  Horne ,  ‘  P.  went  first  to  Trons, 
expecting  to  meet  Titus,  on  his  return  from  Corinth,  (2  Cor.  2:12,  13.)  Here  he  preach¬ 
ed  a  short  time  with  great  success,  and  then  proceeded  to  Macedonia,  where  he  re¬ 
ceived  the  contributions  for  Judea.  In  his  progress  (  in  57 )  from  Macedonia  into 
Greece,  he  is  supposed  to  have  preached  on  the  confines  of  Illyricum.  [N.  of  Macedo¬ 
nia,]  as  mentioned  in  Rom.  15:19.  [Remains  of  the  church  established  here  still 
exist.]  He  continued  three  months  in  Greece,  principally,  it  is  supposed,  at  Corinth 
(whence  he  wrote  Rom.);  and  having  received  the  contributions,  sailed  from  Philippi 
to  Troas,'  and  thence  to 

Assos, 

‘  20  miles  S.  of  Troas,  celebrated  only  for  its  quarries  of  sarcophagus  [flesh-consum¬ 
ing]  stone.’  Here  he  neither  preached  nor  remained  for  any  time,  but  set  sail  for 

Mytilene , 

about  40  miles  S.  It  was  the  principal  city  of  Lesbos,  one  of  the  largest  islands  of  the 
Archipelago,  celebrated  as  the  birth-place  of  Alcaeus,  the  poet  ;  Pittacus,  one  of  the 
7  wise  men  ;  Diaphones,  the  orator;  Theophanes.  the  historian  ;  and  Arion,  the  mu¬ 
sician.  The  whole  island  was  sometimes  called  Mytilene,  and  sometimes  Pentapo- 
lig,  from  its  5  cities,  less,  Pyrrha,  Eressos,  Arisba,  and  Mytilene.  There  was  no 
Christian  church  in  it  for  many  centuries  after  the  apostle’s  time.  At  the  present  day, 
although  not  a  place  of  any  consequence,  it  is  fortified  and  garrisoned  by  the  Turks. 

On  the  following  day,  Paul  sailed  past 

Chios , 

now  Scio,  ‘  a  considerable  island,  famed  both  in  ancient  and  modern  days  for  its  wine, 
if*  fi«rs.  and  its  marble  :  und  now  for  its  excellent  mastic.  Here,  more  than  in  all  the 
Turkish  dominions,  Christians  have  enjoyed  the  greatest  civil  and  religious  liberty, 
secured  by  treatv,  with  Mahomet  II.,  and  unvioTated  ;  but  on  the  rebellion  of  the 
Greeks,  the  Turks  perpetrated  a  general  massacre  of  its  Greek  inhabitants.’  ‘Pre¬ 
vious  tn  the  5th  cent,  when  the  first  Christian  church  was  established,  human  saevifi- 

[163] 


ces  were  common  here.  Many  Genoese  now  inhabit  iti  60  miles  S.  E.,  Paul  came  to 

Samos , 

for  many  age6  a  state  of  considerable  importance,  and  governed  as  a  commonwealth. 
But  from  the  days  of  the  apostle,  downward,  the  Persians,  Greeks,  Romans,  Saracens, 
and  Tui  Its,  have  in  turns  mastered  it.  He.e  Juno  and  Pythagoras  w  ere  born,  and  Ly- 
curgus  died.  Fear  of  the  numerous  piuites  of  those  seas,  has  caused  the  Tinka  al¬ 
most  to  deseit  it,  but  many  Christians  (lemnnntsof  the  church  established  in  the  2d 
century)  leside  the;e,  under  an  archbishop.  Stretching  a  short  way  E.,  the  vessel  next 
touched  at 

Trogyllium , 

a  promontory  and  small  town  at  tire  foot  of  Mt.  Mycale,  on  the  Asiatic  coast.  Here 
he  landed,  and  sailing  next  morning,  arrived  that  evening  at 

Miletus , 

the  capital  of  Caria  and  Ionia,  then  noted  for  its  extensive  harbors,  capable  of  con¬ 
taining  the  w  hole  Persian  fleet lor  us  neighborhood  to  the  famous  river  Meander, 
winding  through  the  surrounding  plains,— and  for  its  splendid  temple  of  Apollo.’  It 
was  founded  by  Cretans,  and  from  its  4  harbors,  extended  its  commerce  and  colonies 
to  remote  regions,  as  the  Black  Sea,  and  some  think  to  Ireland  even.  They  retained 
independence  till  they  agreed  to  pay  Croesus  tribute;  withstood  Darius,  and  Alexander, 
who  look  their  city,  but  pardoned  and  liberated  them.  They  took  the  side  of  the  Ro¬ 
mans  in  the  Antiochian  war.  ‘  The  church  established  herein  the  5th  cent,  main¬ 
tained  itsell*  400  years,  when  it  altogether  disappeai ed,  und  since  the  Suratens  rav¬ 
aged  the  surrounding  country,  the  city  has  followed  it,  and  now  only  exists  in  the  few 
miserable  huts  of  Meins.’  It  is  still  called  Palat,  or  Palatia,  ‘the  Palacee.’  The 
ruins  of  a  theatre,  of  457  ft.  marble  front,  heathen  w-alls,  pedestals,  broken  arches,  in¬ 
scriptions.  and  some  fragments  of  churches,  remain  ;  rubbish  and  thickets  oveispiead 
the  whole  site  of  the  city.  4  Here  P.  sent  for  the  church  elders  at  Ephesus,  36  miles 
off,  and  gave  them  his  affecting  farewell  charge.  On  the  day  after  he  leached 

Coos , 

island  and  town,  30  miles  S.  W.,  formerly  celebrated  for  its  stately  temples  of  Juno 
and  Apollo,  its  wines,  and  transparent  robes;  also  as  the  birth-place  of  Hippocrates  and 
Apollos.  So  early  as  Jehoshaphat,  it  was  a  separate  kingdom,  but  fell  under  the  Per¬ 
sians,  Parthians,  and  Romans,  in  turn.  Christianity  was  introduced  about  3U)yeais 
after  P.’s  visit,  but  it  never  flourished  mtich,  and  when  the  island,  now  called  Stanio- 
ra,  Lango,  or  Zia,  indifferently,  fell  under  the  Saracens,  it  was  almost  totally  lost. 
40  miles  S.  E.  he  came  to  the  famous 

Rhodes  : 

10  miles  from  the  coast,  40  long,  15  broad,  and  once  sacred  to  the  sun  ;  no  one  need  to 
be  teminded  of  its  colossus,  [‘  on  the  most  picturesque  site  in  the  world,] — of  the  ex¬ 
pertness  of  its  navigators,’ — its  romantic  scenery, — its  fertile  soil, — ‘the  exquisite 
clearness  of  its  air, — the  delicious  brightness  of  its  climate, — its  myriads  of  fragrant 
roses,  whence  some  derive  its  name, — nor  of  the  height  of  excellence  to  which  the 
study  of  eloquence  and  the  mathematics  was  carried  there.  At  this  time  it  was  part 
of  the  province  of  the  islands;  afterwards  it  fell,  in  turn,  to  the  Saracens,  G  eeks, 
Seljukian  Turks,  the  gallant  knights  of  St.  John  of  Jerusalem,  and  the  Ottomans. 
Christianity  was  introduced  about  the  middle  of  the  4th  cent.,  und  still  has  footing 
among  the  oppressed  Greeks,  now,  with  the  Spanish  Jews,  its  principal  inhabitants,’ 
who  number  about  30,000.  [Of  the  view  (cut),  from  the  heights  above  Rhodes,  an 
eyewitness  says,  ‘  Its  beauty,  unsurpassed  in  the  E.,  is  augmented  by  the  excessive 
purity  of  the  atmosphere  :  how  clearly,  almost  etherially,  distinct  is  each  distant 
bark  on  the  channel,  and  each  mountain -peak,  precipice,  an^l  forest  of  Asia  !  It  is  a 
splendid  panorama,  over  which,  at  noon,  there  is  a  pale  purple  haze,  like  a  faint 
shroud,  which,  as  the  sun  sinks  lower,  melts  away.  The  ruins  of  the  ancient  king¬ 
doms  of  Asia  Minor,  stretched  out  upon  the  opposite  capes  and  hills,  desolate  and  soli¬ 
tary,  are  almost  visible  to  fancy’s  eye  ;  at  least,  there  are  dim  forms  and  shadows  which 
resemble  them.’  How  glorious  were  the  scenes  of  peopled  Asia,  where  P.  was  born 
and  bred,  and  wandered  ;  yet  he  forgot  all  for  Christ !] 

This  important  naval  power  founded  colonies  in  Sicily,  Italy,  and  Spain  ;  its  com¬ 
mercial  laws  were  adopted  as  the  basis  of  maritime  law  on  all  the  Mediterranean 
coasts,  and  some  fragments  still  retain  their  authority.  This  island  was  the  last  bar¬ 
rier  of  Christian  chivalry  to  Ottoman  power  ;  it  was  taken  by  Solyman  II.,  after  six 
month’s  siege  in  1523.  Paul  next  came  to 

Patara , 

a  ‘  maritime  city  of  Syria,  in  Asia  Minor,  much  celebrated  for  the  excellence  of  its  har¬ 
bors,  and  the  beauty  and  magnificence  of  its  many  splendid  temples;  one  of  which  was 
dedicated  to  Apollo,  and  contained  an  oracle  noways  inferior  to  Delphi.  Christiani¬ 
ty  was  introduced  here  in  the  4th  cent.,  and  flourished  till  the  Saracens*  conquest  in 
the  9th.  Its  fair  harbor  is  now  choked  with  sand,  and  its  far-spread  mins  attest  its 
ancient  greatness.  Here  Paul  took  another  ship  for 

Tyre , 

a  strong  place,  even  in  Joshua’s  time.’  See  Ezek.  27 :  end,  and  cut,  Is.  23:1.  The  cut 
of  the  colored  page,  herewith,  shows  part  of  the  mole  now  left.  The  fate  of  the  con¬ 
tinental  city  is  what  Ezekiel  foretold  ;  and  what  Zechariah  (9:3.)  said  cf  the  insular 
city  is  also  come  to  pass  !  It  was  finally  razed  by  the  Mamelukes  of  Egypt,  to  pre¬ 
vent  its  being  a  refuge  for  the  persecuted  Christians.  After  praying  in  an  oriental 
manner,  and  fasting,  he  left  for 

Ptolemais. 

‘  30  miles  distant,  now  called  Acre.  Few  cities  have  undergone  more  reverses.  When 
given  to  the  tribe  of  Ashur,  it  was  culled  Accha  ;  Ptolemy  Philadelphia,  rebuilding 
it,  named  it  Ptolemais.  In  the  Crusades  it  suffered  much,  both  from  the  Infidels  and 
Christians  ;  in  the  middle  ages  it  was  a  place  of  great  magnificence  and  strength,  and 
called  Acra  or  Acre,  and  St.  John  D’Acre,  from  the  Knights  Hospitallers.  It  is  still  one 
of  the  most  considerable  cities  ori  the  coast,  but  is  most  distinguished  for  its  ruins. 
The  most  extensive  are  of  the  churches  of  St.  Andrew  and  Si.  John.  Hence  P.  went 
to  Cesarea,  30  miles  S.,  thence  to  Jerusalem.*  Hence  he  was  at  last  hurried  away,  a 
prisoner,  as  we  have  seen,  by  night,  40  miles,  to 

Antipntris, 

a  small  town  ‘in  a  beautiful  and  fertile  plain,  and  formerly  called  Capbarsalmn,  or 
Caphar  Saba,  but  being  beautified  and  repaired  by  Herod  the  Great,  he  called  it  An- 
tipatris,  in  honor  of  his  father.  Reposing  here  till  the  next  morning,  they  then  start¬ 
ed  for  Cesarea.’ 

After  a  long  imprisonment,  and  several  hearings,  P.,  obliged  by  Jewish  malice,  ap¬ 
peals  to  Rome,  and  accordingly  being  put  under  a  proper  guard,  he  is  shipped  from 
this  port  for  the  imperial  city.  ‘  Luke  and  Aristtirchus  accompany  him  in  Ins  adversi¬ 
ty.  The  ship  first  touches  at 

Sid  on, 

60  miles  N.,  a  city  as  old  as  the  days  of  Noah  ;  famed  in  time  for  high  mercantile 
character,  luxury,  and  w’ealth,  it  has  undergone  many  changes.  Early  p. cached  here, 
the  Gospel,  amid  all  its  reverses,  has  still  maintained  a  place  in  it  ;  and  although  i 1 3 
trade  is  long  ago  destroyed,  its  harbors  choked  up.  its  streets  sunk  in  silence  and 
gloom,  it  still  has  16.000  inhabitants,  the  great  majority  Christians  Instead  of  stretch¬ 
ing  directly  across  the  sea,  P.  and  his  companions  were  compelled,  by  contiary  winds, 
to  coast  along,  and  disembarked  at 

Myra, 

a  considerable  city  of  Lycin,  and  entered  a  large  Alexandrian  ship,  laden  with  Egyp¬ 
tian  grain,  going  to  Italy.  Variable  v  inds  drove  them  ns  far  N  as  Cape  Cnidus,  (now 
Crio,)  with  a  city  of  worshippers  of  Venus.  They  did  not  touch  here,  hut,  the  wind 
changing,  they  sailed  S.,  passed  the  promontory  of  Salmone,  (now  Salminr,)  at  the 
E.  end  of  Crete,  and,  steering  W.,  they  came  to 

Fai  rhnvens. 

This  port  (still  so  called)  is  on  the  S.  E.  pait  of  the  island,  near  Lassen,  a  considera¬ 
ble  town,  which  could  furnish  needed  supplies  ;  so  they  reposed  here  many  days. 

Crete. 

A  vailing  himself  of  this  delay,  P.  went  ashore,  and  prenched  the  Gospel  with  suc¬ 
cess  in  this  island,  one  of  the  largest  in  the  Mediterranean.  Once  it  contained  up¬ 
wards  of  100  cities,  and  is  supposed  to  have  been  originally  peopled  by  the  Philis¬ 
tines  who  fled  from  Canaan  in  the  days  of  Joshua,  [and  from  Egypt,  in  earlier  days  ?] 
Subsequently  to  the  Trojan  war,  inanv  Greeks  immigrated  to  it  .  Its  ancient  inhabit¬ 
ants  were  famous  for  [laws],  archery,  [2  S.  8:18  ]  falsehood,  debauchery,  and  piracy. 
They  long  had  kings,  then  a  commonwealth  for  many  centuries,  till  conquered  hv  the 
Romans.  Saracens,  Greeks.  Venetians,  and  Ottoman  Turks,  have  since  held  it  in 
turn  ;  and  [it  is  now  under  the  Viceroy  of  Egypt,  and]  called  Cnndia.  or  Candy  — P. 
succeeded  in  establishing  a  church  here,  and  Christianity  has  ever  since  had  n  foot¬ 
ing  in  the  island,  though  now,  like  it,  at  the  lowest  ebb.  Towards  the  end  of  Sep¬ 
tember  they  left  Fairhavens  to  winter  at 

Phenice, 

a  commodious  and  sheltered  port,  on  the  W.  side  of  Crete.  But  a  furious  X.  E.  wind 
drove  them  off,  and  thus  they  passed 

Clauda, 

(now  Gozo,)  a  small  island  S.  of  Crete,  tow  ards  the  Syrtes,  quicksands,  on  the  const  of 
A frica,  the  terror  of  nncient  marinei*  To  avoid  them  as  long  as  possible,  th^v  took 
in  sail,  and  “  scudded  under  bare  jc  cs.”  After  being  many  days  tossed  by  this  fe.*.  ful 
tempest,  having  used  every  precau'.XTi  then  known,  despair  was  changed  to  hope  by 


Syracuse. 


P.  16G. 


Antioch  in  Pisidia. 


Mar*-hili  and  Temple  of  Theseus,  Athens.  Ac.  17 : 19,  22. 


Assos. 


Miletus. 


Rhodes. 


Sidon. 


Tarsus. 


Mytilene. 


samKS 

Ephesus,  Theatre,  &c.  Ac.  19  :  29. 


ACTS. —  CONCLUDING  NOTE 


a  vision  P.  had,  and  at  last,  though  the  ship  wni  lost,  all  on  board  got  safe  to  land,  in 
a  little  creek,  scill  culled  the  buy  of  Si.  Paul,  on  the  island  of 

Malta. 

This  is  60  miles  from  Africa,  and  has  its  name  from  having  been  a  refuge  to  Tyrians, 
on  their  way  to  Spain.  It  is  about  60  miles  round,  and  formerly  was  only  u  barren 
rock,  with  1*2,000  miserable  inhabitants :  but  now,  after  having  successively  passed  un¬ 
der  the  Phocians,  Phoenicians,  Carthaginians,  Romans,  Goths,  Saracens,  Sicilians, 
Knights  of  St.  John,  the  French,  and  English,  who  now  possess  it,  it  has  become  quite 
the  reverse,  and  produces  abundance  of  tiuit,  cotton,  and  other  productions,  and  con¬ 
tains  nearly  50,000  inh.,  among  whom  a  sort  of  half-breathing  Christianity  still  exists.' 

‘  The  high  probability  that  “St.  Paul’s  bay  "  is  the  scene  of  the  events  of  Acts  27: 
(will  give  interest  to  the  following  sketch.]  The  ship  might  have  anchoied  at  a  or  b. 
The  inlet  c  has  very  much  the  appearance  of  a  creek,  and  would  lead  us  to  think  that 
the  anchorage  was  at  6  :  m  is  an  island,  and  “  two  seas  meet  '  ’  at  d,  where  the  water 
is  loo  shallow  for  6uch  a  vessel  as  P.  was  in  to  pass  through.  Whether  the  anchorage 
was  ut  a  or  at  6,  the  ship  might  “  fall  into  ”  this  place,  and  run  aground.  With  the 
Kuroclydon ,  or  N.  E.  w  ind,  (the  present  Levanter ,)  she  would  not  indeed  be  likely  to 
fall  upon  d,  if  the  mariners,  after  getting  under  way  at  b ,  steered  for  the  creek  at  c; 
but  they  might  have  managed  unskilfully,  or  more  probably  the  wind  had  changed  to 
the  S.  E.  or  S.  There  is  a  “  shore  ’  ’  or  good  Tbeach  or]  landing-place,  at  e,  and  aho  at 
g,  and  on  the  creek  c.  From  t  he  island  m  to  n  (where  the  Maltese  pretend  Publius  had 
a  countrv-house)  is  upwards  of  a  mile.  The  rock  at  the  point  s,  where  arc  salt¬ 
works,  runs  under  water,  and  some  have  supposed  the  vessel’struek  on  this  point,  and 
that  we  are  to  understand  the  phrase,  “  where  two  seas  meet,"  of  the  meeting  of 
the  waves,  on  the  opposite  sides  of  such  a  low  projection  ;  but  at  s,  it  wrou!d  now  be 
scarcely  possible,  after  a  storm,  to  effect  a^eneral  landing  on  bourds  and  pieces  of  a 
ship.’  (The  sand-bank  at  6,  (not  noted  in  Dr.  A.’s  sketch,)  being  thrown  up  by  them, 
shows  that  opposing  currents  exist,  arising  from  the  6ea-fiow  in  and  out  of  St.  Paul’s 
bay,  and  from  the  N.  through  the  gut  d  s  ,  so  it  is  likely  the  vessel  cast  anchor  S.  of 
Selmone,  under  its  shelter,  and  struct  on  the  N.  E.  point  of  the  sand-bank  b,  between 
d  and  6,  the  bank  probably  running  farther  in  that  direction  than  is  indicated.]  *  If 
the  vessel  struck  at  d,  (the  traditional  place,)  it  would  be  possible  to  land  ut  e,  espe¬ 
cially  if  the  wind  had  changed  to  the  southward,  as  the  6hore  is  near,  low,  and  sandy, 
and  the  water  shullow.  At  g  and  c  are  also  fine  landings.  The  shoie  at  p  is  precipitous, 
at  r,  rougli  and  dangerous.’  Rev.  Dr. Anderson.  *  Obss.  on  the  Peloponnesus,’  &c.:  from 
w  hich  the  lettering ,  and  view  below,  of  the  appearance  of  the  shores  and  opening  at  p, 
d,  m,  are  taken :  h,  palace  ;  i,  fort ;  j ,  n,  battery,  k,  tower  :  l,  St.  Paul’s  castle. 


After  an  Interesting  and  successful  stay  at  Malta,  of  three  months,  Paul  sails  to 

Syracuse, 

‘one  of  the  most  renowned  and  splendid  cities  of  ancient  time.  It  was  founded  700 
B*  C.  on  the  E.  of  Sicily,  commanding  a  beautiful  prospect,  both  by  sea  and  land  ; 
its  harbor  was  surrounded  with  splendid  buildings,  supported  on  walls  of  white  mar¬ 
ble.  In  its  best  days  it  contained  1,200,000  inhabitants,  was  22  miles  in  circumference, 
and  not  only  the  largest,  but  far  the  wealthiest  of  the  Greek  cities  in  any  part  of  the 
world.  Its  standing  army  was  100,000  foot,  and  10,000  horse,  and  it  had  a  navy  of  500 
vessels  in  its  capacious  harbors.  Its  4  parts,  divided  by  their  walls,  were  respectively 
famous  for  splendid  temples  of  Jupiter,  and  of  Fortune,  an  amphitheatre,  with  a 
statue  of  Apollo,  two  temples  to  Diana  and  Minerva,  and  the  fountain  of  Arethusa. 
Here  Archimedes  was  killed,  250  years  before,  when  the  Romans  took  and  almost  en¬ 
tirely  destroyed  it.  But  under  Augustus  it  recovered  part  of  its  splendor,  till  the  Sar¬ 
acens  razed  it.’  Only  one  of  these  parts,  Ortygia,  is  now  peopled  ;  its  narrow  streets 
have  u  dejected,  sickly  population,  of  15,000.  P.  remained  here  3  days,  and  then  em¬ 
barking,  landed  on  the  following  day  at 

Rhcgium , 

now  Reggio,  on  the  S.  coast  of  Italy,  where  he  tarried  a  day  ;  but  starting  again,  a 
fair  wind  brought  them,  in  24  hours,  through  the  straits  of  Messina  to 

Puleoli , 

(‘  the  little  welts,*)  now  Pozzuoli,  in  the  kingdom  of  Naples,  and  near  its  chief  city, 
about  100  miles  S.  of  Rome.  Pozzuoli  is  built  on  a  hill,  opposite  the  renowned  Baia 
of  the  Romans,  and  has,  in  its  bounds,  35  natural  hot-baths,  of  different  mineral  wa¬ 
ters.  It  abounds  in  Roman  antiquities,  and  is  still  a  bishoprick.  Here  P.  was  enter¬ 
tained  by  Christian  friend*  7  days,  after  which  he  went  to 

Appii  Forum , 

an  ancient  city  of  the  Volsci,  51  miles  from  Rome,  where  a  numerous  body  met  him  to 
honor  his  approach  :  18  miles  further  they  reached 

Tres  Tabernee, 

or  3  Taverns,  another  city  on  the  Appian  way,  where  another  party  of  brethren  met 
them,  and  so  they  entered  Rome 

the  then  capital  of  the  civilized  world.  Its  state  at  that  time  will  be  seen  by  the  plan 


on  the  map.  1  3  days  after  his  arrival,  P.  stated  his  case  to  the  Jews  of  Rome.  For 
2 years  he  dwelt  in  his  hired  house,  supported  in  part,  at  least,  by  the  affectionate 
contributions  of  the  I  hilippians.  Called  before  the  emperor  Nero,  all  lus  l'i  u*nds  de¬ 
serted  him  for  fear  ;  but,  though  dismissed  tMth  contempt  Bom  the  presence,  his  elo¬ 
quent  defence  impressed  eome  of  Nero’s  couit, — u3  Terpes,  afterwards  martyred,  of 
high  rank  in  his  household  :  also,  Nero’s  cup-bearer,  and  Poppaa  Sabina,  one’  of 
Nero's  concubines  ,  and  Onesunus.’ 

lie  gloriously  improved  this  period  of  restraint  from  his  more  active  labors,  too,  in 
writing,  for  the  unspeakable  furtherance  of  true  religion,  those  precious  epistles  to  the 
Philippians,  the  Colossians,  and  the  Ephesians.  ‘  His  first  act,  when  freed*  us  tradition 
states,  (the  Jews  not  daring  nor  able  to  accuse  him,)  *  was,  to  pioceed  on  his  Gentile 
mission,  N.  through  the  greater  part  of  Italy,  and  during  bis  journey  he  wrote  He¬ 
brews.  Crossing  the  sea  to  Spain,  he  preached  in  various  places  ;  then  turning  N.  he 
Journeyed  through  France,  and,  in  the  66th  year  of  his  age,  crossed  into 

Britain , 

then  a  Roman  colony.  From  its  wealthy,  populous,  and  flourishing  capitals,  London 
and  Verulam,  the  intercourse  with  Rome  was  mutual  and  constant.  Muny  Britons  of 
high  rank  had  been  at  Rome,  and  many  distinguished  Romans  visited  Britain.  The 
progress  of  Christianity  in  other  parts,  therefore,  was  well  known  to  the  Britons,  and 
they  received  P.  gladly.  The  blessed  light  of  the  Gospel  soon  dispelled  their  dark 
and  gloomy  superstitions.’  May  it. constantly  grow  brighter  and  broader  with  the 
growing  influence,  upon  the  world,  of  all  who  speak  the  English  language,  now,  by 
the  blessing  of  God,  the  most  active  of  the  nations  in  propagating  Christianity.  God 
grant  they  may  both  practise  and  spread  it,  in  all  its  primitive  power  and  purity  ! 

‘  After  9  months  in  Spain,  France,  and  Britain,  P.  went  to  Crete  and  preached  ; 
then  (making  Titus  Bishop  of  Crete)  he  visited  Judea,  in  her  afflicted  state,  just  be¬ 
fore  her  final  revolt  and  ruin.  From  Antioch,  first,  passing  through  the  surrounding 
country,  he  travelled  through  Cilicia,  the  greater  part  of  Galatia,  to  Colosse,  preach¬ 
ing  and  exhorting  at  all  the  various  cities  on  this  extended  route.  Thence  he 
went  to  Ephesus.  Troas,  and  Philippi,  where  he  remained  some  time.  Then  to 
Nicopolis,  a  considerable  city  on  the  Danube,  whence  he  wrote  Titus.  Remaining 
till  the  winter  was  over,  he  then  passed  S.  through  Macedonia  to  Corinth,  uhere 
he  made  a  short  stay.  Embarking  at  Cenchrea,  he  landed  once  more  at  Troas, 
whence,  after  a  short  6tay,  he  went  to  Timothy,  at  Ephesus.  Shortly,  he  again  set  his 
face  towards  Rome,  where  he  arrived  soon  after  the  commencement  of  Nero’s  first 
general  persecution.  Nero,  being  absent  in  Greece,  his  counterpart,  Iletius,  the 
governor,  imprisoned  Paul  as  a  principal  leader  of  the  obnoxious  Christian  sect.’ 


The  cut  is  of  the  Mamertine  prison,  where,  tradition  says,  Peter  and  Paul  were 
confined  by  Nero.  It  is  considered  the  oldest  monument  of  Rome,  and  attributed  to 
Ancus  Martins,  its  4th  king  ;  t lie  lower  cell,  to  Servius  Tullius.  It  is  under  a  little 
church,  behind  the  arch  o(  Severus,  on  the  declivity  of  the  Cupitoline  hill.  This  low¬ 
er  cell  is  6  1-2  feet  high,  19  long,  and  9  wide  ;  of  Cyclopean  architecture,  the  large 
stones  being  strangely  united  by  iron  cramps.  The  cell  above  it  is  27  1-2  ft.  by  19  1-2, 
and  14  high,  hewn  fiom  the  solid  rock.  By  the  circular  aperture  at  top,  prisoners  con¬ 
demned  to  be  starved  or  strangled  were  tiiruBt  down.  Here  Jugurtha  was  starved  to 
death,  and  others  of  note.  *2  Timothy  contains  several  allusions  to  Paul’s  second  and 
severe  imprisonment.  ‘  In  this  imprisonment  P.  converted  muny  poor  prisoners,  and 
even  2  of  their  centurions,  Processus  and  Martinian  ;  and  wrote  2  Tim.,  justly  called 
by  Chrys.  his  “last  testament,"  [note,  2  Tim.  1:16,  17.]  which  should,  therefore,  be 
peculiarly  precious  to  ua.  The  “  crown"  he  panted  for  in  the  last  vs.  of  that,  his  last 
letter,  he  soon  obtained.  The  evil-minded  hater  of  Christianity  returned  to  Rome. 
P.  was  taken  from  prison,  and,  with  but  little  form  of  trial,  condemned  to  die  ;  the 
only  privilege  accorded  to  him  being,  that,  as  a  Roman  citizen,  he  should  suffer  by 
the  sword.  His  usefulness  ceased  not  in  this  last  extremity  ;  he  converted  three  of  the 
guard  which  led  him  to  execution.  He  was  led,  bound,  and  in  fetters,  to  the  Salvian 
waters,  about  3  miles  from  Rome,  where,  on  the  29th  of  June,  A.  D.  66,  and  in  the  68  th 
year  of  his  age,  he  closed  his  life  of  persecution  and  trial.  His  remains  were  interied 
in  the  Via  Ostienais  [map],  and  over  them  Constantine  erected  a  splendid  church, 
afterwards  greatly  beautified  and  added  to.  All  of  it  has  since  been  burnt,  but  another 
stately  fabric  is  now  building  in  its  place.’ 

Of  the  above,  what  is  in  quotation  marks  is  mostly  from  the  ‘  Life  of  Paul.* 
Lond.  1833.  The  rest  is  from  Hornet  Arundell,  &c.  £cl. 


BIBLE  CHRONOLOGY,  after  Hales.  (Concluded  from  p.  921,  Vol.  III.) 


PERIOD  IX. — From  the  Baptist’s  birth  to  the  destruction  of 


Jerusai.em,  75 -years.  Y.  b.  C. 

Herod  the  Great . last  *2  .  .  5 

2.  Nativity  of  Jesus  Christ  (about  autumn) .  .  .  5 

2.  Archelaus  Ethnarch  of  Judea . 10  .  .  4 

Roman  Procurators.  A.  D. 


1.  Procurator  Coponius . .  . 

Christ  visits  the  temple . 

2.  Procurator  Marcus  Ambriciua . 

Tiberius  made  colleague  of  Augustus  .  .  .  . 

3.  Procurator  Annius  Rufus . 

4.  Procurator  Valerius  Gratus . .  .  . 

5.  Procurator  Pontius  Pilate . 

John’s  ministry,  about  autumn . 

Christ  baptized,  about  autumn . 

I.  Passover . . 

Christ  purges  the  Temple,  and  preaches  in  Judea 

John  is  imprisoned  by  Herod  Antipas . 

Christ  preaches  in  Galilee . 

II.  Passover,  12  Apostles  sent  forth . 

John  beheaded .  . 

III.  Passover,  70  disciples  sent  forth . 

Christ's  transfiguration . .  .  •  . 

IV.  Passover,  Christ’s  crucifixion,  &c . 

Church  of  Christ  founded  at  Pentecost  .... 

Church  increased . 

Church  multiplied . . . 

Martyrdom  of  Stephen,  about  autumn  .  .  .  . 

I.  Jewish  persecution  of  the  church  .  .  .  . 

Paul**  conversion . .  .  .  . 

6.  Procurator  Marcellus . 

7.  Procurator  Marullu* . 

Jewish  embassy  to  Caligula . 

Herod  Agiippa,  king  of  Judea . 

II.  Jewish  persecution  of  the  church  .... 

8.  Procurator  Cuspius  Fadus . 

9.  Procurator  Tiberius  Alexander . 

10.  Procurator  Ventidius  Cumanus  ...... 

I.  Council  at  Jerusalem . 


2 

4 

1 

11 

10 


J 


1 

1 

5 

3 

2 

I 

5 


6 

8 

9 

12 

13 

II 

25 

26 
27 


28 


29 

30 

31 

82 

33 

34 

35 

36 

40 

41 
44 
44 


N.  T.  VOL. 


V. 


11.  Procurator  Felix .  9  .  .  52 

Paul  imprisoned  at  Jerusalem .  .  .  59 

12.  Procurator  Porcius  Festus .  2  .  .  61 

Paul’s  first  visit  to  Rome  .  •  .  .  . .  .  .  62 

13.  Procurator  Albinus . * .  1  .  .  63 

14.  Procurator  Gessius  Florus .  1  .  .  64 

Paul’s  second  visit  to  Rome .  .  .  64 

The  Jewish  war . 6  .  .  65 

I.  Roman  persecution  of  the  church  . . —  .  .  65 

Jerusalem  destroyed.  ...  * . 75  .  .  70 


PERIOD  X.— Prophetic  History  of  the  Church. 

Compound  Image ,  4  Temporal  Kingdoms ,  575  years.  B.  C. 

I.  Golden  head.  Tne  Babylonian  . .  606 

Babylonian  captivity .  605 

II.  Silver  breast  and  arms.  The  Medo-Persian  . .  536 

Return  of  the  Jews . 536 

Jewish  church  reformed  by  Nehemiah.  2300  days,  and  70  weeks  begin  .  .  420 

HI.  Brazen  belly  and  thighs.  The  Macedo-Grecian . 331 

IV.  Iron  legs  and  feet.  The  Roman  .  168 

V.  The  Stone,  or  Christian  church . A.  D.  31 

The  Church  Militant,  1849  years. 

I.  Period,  7  seals  beginning . 31 

I.  Jewish  persecution  of  the  church . 

1.  Roman  persecution . , . 

Jewish  church  suppressed.  70  weeks  end  ............ 

II.  Period.  6  Trumpets ,  beginning  with  the  Gothic  invasions  ...... 

Three  woes,  for  a  time,  times,  and  half  a  time,  or  1260  days  begin  .  .  •  620 

Three  angels  of  Reformation, 

1.  Wickliffe  1^290  drx.va  from  J  A.  D.  70  . )  ) 

2.  Huse,  1335  days  fiom  S  . 

3.  Luther . •  ’  ’  k  *  *  j*  1517 

nr.  Period ,  Seventh  Trumpet,  containing  seven  vials,  or  last  woe,  beginning  /  1793 

with  the  French  Revolution . ' 

Last  vial  to  end  with  the  2300  days  Hnd  1260  days  .  •. . 

The  Church  Triumphant.  1000  generation*. 

IV.  Period.  The  Mountain,  or  kingdom  of  God  established  upon  ?  jooO generations. 

earth  in  the  Regeneration ,  for  1000  years  •  •  •  >  . 

V.  Period.  The  kingdom  of  God  in  Heaven . ^erntty. 

[169] 


cycy 


PREFACE 


TO  THE 

EPISTLES.* 


The  New  Testament  may  lie  very  properly  divided  into  two 
parts,  one  Historical,  the  other  Epistolary.  The  exposition  of  the 
latter  we  now  enter  upon  ;  and  shall  offer  some  thoughts  on  the 
epistolary  way  of  writing  in  general,  and  then  proceed  to  observe 
the  divine  authority  of  these  Epistles,  together  with  the  style,  mat¬ 
ter,  method,  and  design  of  them;  t  leaving  what  might  be  said 
concerning  the  several  inspired  penmen  to  the  prefaces  appertaining 
to  the  particular  Epistles. 

Epistolary  writing  has  usually  three  properties;  it  is  more  dif¬ 
ficult  to  be  understood,  but  very  profitable,  and  very  pleasant  :  these 
will  be  found  to  be  the  properties  of  these  sacred  letters.  Where 
we  cannot  so  well  discover  the  particular  occasions  on  which  they 
were  written,  or  the  questions  or  matters  of  fact  to  which  they  re¬ 
fer,  they  will  be  difficult:  but  we  shall  find  the  strongest  reasoning, 
the  most  moving  expostulations,  and  warm  and  pressing  exhorta¬ 
tions,  mixed  with  seasonable  cautions  and  reproofs,  which  are  all 
admirably  fitted  to  impress  the  mind  with  suitable  sentiments  and 
affections.  And  how  much  solid  pleasure  and  delight  must  this 
afford  to  persons  of  a  serious  and  religious  spirit,  especially  when 
they  wisely  and  faithfully  apply  to  themselves  what  they  find  to  suit 
their  case  !  And  how  then  should  we  prize  this  part  of  holy  Scrip¬ 
ture,  when  we  consider  herein  that  our  God  and  Savior  has  written 
these  letters  to  us,  in  which  we  have  the  great  things  of  his  Law  and 
Gospel,  the  things  that  belong  to  our  peace  !  By  these  means  not 
only  the  holy  apostles,  being  dead,  yet  speak,  but  the  Lord  of  the 
prophets  and  apostles  continues  to  speak  and  write  to  us  ;  and 
while  we  read  them  with  proper  affections,  and  follow  them  with 
suitable  petitions  and  thanksgiving,  a  blessed  correspondence  and 
intercourse  will  be  kept  up  between  heaven  and  us. 

But  it  is  the  divine  inspiration  and  authority  of  these  Epistles  we 
are  especially  concerned  lo  know,  and  be  fully  established  in. 
And  because  such  has  been  the  universally  received  opinion  of  all 
Christians  in  all  ages  of  the  church,  and  for  the  same  reasons  that 
lead  us  to  acknowledge  the  other  parts  of  the  Bible  to  be  the  Word 
of  God,  we  must  own  these  to  be  so  too,  1  Cor.  14:37.  If  there 
be  good  reason,  as  indeed  there  is,  to  believe  that  the  books  of 
Moses  were  written  by  inspiration  of  God,  there  is  the  same  to 
believe  that  the  writings  of  the  prophets  were  also  from  God  ;  nor 
can  any  person,  who  pretends  to  believe  the  divine  authority  of  the 
historical  part  of  the  N.  T.  containing  the  Gospels  and  the  Acts, 
with  good  reason  question  the  equal  authority  of  the  epistolary  part; 
for  the  subject-matter  of  all  these  Epistles,  as  well  as  of  the  ser¬ 
mons  of  the  apostles,  is  the  Word  of  God,  Roin.  10: 17.  1  Tliess. 
2:13.  Col.  1:25.  and  the  Gospel  of  God,  Rom.  15:16.  2  Cor. 
11:7.  and  the  Gospel  of  Christ,  2  Cor.  2:  12.  The  apostles  con¬ 
firmed  what  Christ  Himself  began  to  teach,  God  also  bearing  them 
witness,  Heb.  2:  3,  4.  and  it  was  the  will  of  our  blessed  Lord,  that 
his  apostles  should  not  only  publish  his  Gospel,  but  also,  after  his 
resurrection,  should  declare  some,,  things  more  plainly  concerning 
H  im,  than  He  thought  fit  to  do  while  on  earth;  for  which  end  He 
promised  to  send,  and  accordingly  did  send  (Acts  2:)  his  Holy 
Spirit  to  teach  them  all  things,  to  bring  all  things  to  their  remembrance 
which  He  had  spoken  unto  them,  John  14:  26.  John  16:  12,  13. 

That  in  preaching  the  Gospel,  they  were  under  the  influence  of 
the  infallible  Spirit,  is  undeniable,  from  the  miraculous  gifts  and 

*  The  continuators  and  compilers  of  Henry ,  thus  remark  :  ‘  After 
much  expectation,  and  many  inquiries,  the  last  volume  of  the  late  rev¬ 
erend  Mr.  Henry’s  Exposition  now  appears.  The  common  disadvan¬ 
tages  that  attend  posthumous  productions,  will  doubtless  be  discerned  in 
this  ;  but  we  hope,  though  there  are  diversities  of  gifts,  there  will  be 
found  to  be  the  same  spirit.  Some  of  the  relations  and  hearers  of  that 
excellent  person,  have  been  at  the  pains  of  transcribing  the  notes  they 
took  in  short-hand  of  this  part  of  the  Holy  Scripture,  when  expounded 
by  him  in  his  family',  or  in  the  congregation  ;  they  have  furnished  us 
with  very  good  materials  for  the  finishing  this  great  work ;  and  we  doubt 
not  but  that  the  ministers  who  have  been  concerned  in  it,  have  made 
the  use  of  those  assistances,  which  may  entitle  this  composure  to  the 
honor  of  Mr.  Henry’s  name ;  and  if  so,  they  can  very  willingly  con¬ 
ceal  their  own. 

‘  It  is  now  about  fourteen  years  since  the  first  part  of  this  exposition 
of  the  Bible  was  made  public  ;  in  five  years’  time  the  O.  T.  was  finished 
in  four  volumes.  The  first  of  the  N.  T.  was  longer  in  hnnd  ■,  for  though 
the  ever-meinorable  author  was  always  fully  employed  in  the  ordinary 
work  of  his  ministry,  yet  those  last  years  of  his  life,  in  which  he  drew 
up  this  exposition  on  the  historical  part  of  the  N.  T.,  were  less  at  bis  own 
command  than  any  other  had  been;  his  removal  to  Hacknev,  his  al¬ 
most  continual  preaching  from  day  to  dav,  his  journevs  to  Chester,  and 
the  necessity  of  more  frequent  visits  to  his  friends  in  and  about  Lon¬ 
don,  together  with  a  gradual,  sensible  decay  of  health,  will  more  than 
excuse  the  three  years’  lime  lint  passed  before  that  was  finished.  And 
under  such  difficulties,  none  but  a  man  of  his  holy  seal,  unwearied  in¬ 
dustry,  and  great  sagacity,  could  have  gone  through  such  a  service  in 
that  space  of  time.  He  lived  not  to  see  that  volume  published,  though 
left  by  him  ready  for  the  press.  The  church  of  God  w  as  suddenly  de¬ 
prived  of  one  of  the  most  useful  ministers  of  the  age.  We  have  now 
been  gathering  up  the  fragments  of  those  feasts  with  which  he  used  to 

[170] 


powers  they  received  for  their  work,  particularly  that  gift  of 
tongues,  so  necessary  for  the  publication  of  the  Gospel  throughout 
the  world,  to  nations  of  different  languages;  nor  must  we  omit  that 
mighty  power  that  accompanied  the  Word  preached,  bringing  mul¬ 
titudes  to  the  obedience  of  faith,  notwithstanding  all  opposition 
from  earth  and  hell,  and  the  potent  lusts  in  the  hearts  of  those  who 
were  turned  from  idols  to  serve  the  living  God,  and  to  wail  for  his  Son 
from  heaven. 

Now  that  they  were  tinder  the  same  mighty  influence  in  writing 
these  Epistles,  as  in  preaching,  cannot  he  denied,  considering  that 
these  Epistles  were  written  to  remind  them  of  those  things  that  had 
been  delivered  by  word  of  mouth,  2  Pet.  1: 15.  and  to  rectify  t ho 
mistakes  that  might  arise  about  some  expressions  that  had  been 
used  in  preaching,  2  Thess.  2:2.  and  were  to  remain  with  them, 
as  a  standing  rule  and  record  to  which  thqy  were  to  appeal,  for 
defending  the  truth  and  discovering  error,  and  a  proper  mean  to 
transmit  the  truths  of  the  Gospel  to  posterity,  even  to  the  end  of 
time. 

Besides,  the  writers  of  these  Epistles  have  declared,  that  what 
they  wrote  was  from  God  :  and  they  are  careful,  when  they  speak 
their  own  private  opinion,  or  only  under  some  common  influence, 
to  tell  the  world,  that  not  the  Lord,  hut  they,  spake  those  things, 
but  that  in  the  rest  it  was  not  they,  but  the  Lord,  1  Cor.  7:  10,  12, 
&c.  And  the  apostle  Paul  makes  the  acknowledgment  of  this,  their 
inspiration,  to  be  a  test  to  try  those  that  pretended  to  be  prophets 
or  spiritual  :  Let  them,  says  he,  acknowledge  that  the  things  1  write 
unto  you  are  the  commandments  of  the  Lord,  1  Cor.  14:37.  And 
the  apostle  Peter  gives  this  as  the  reason  of  his  writing,  that  those 
he  wrote  to  might,  after  his  decease,  have  those  things  always  in  remem¬ 
brance,  2  Pet.  1: 15.  which  afterward  he  calls  the  commandment  cf 
the  apostles  of  the  Lord,  ch.  3:1,  2.  and  so  of  the  Lord  Himself. 
And  the  apostle  John  declareth,  1  John  4:6.  We  are  of  God;  he 
that  knnweth  God  heareth  us;  he  that  is  not  of  God  heareth  not  us;  by 
this  we  know  the  Spirit  of  truth,  and  the  spirit  of  error. 

As  to  the  style  of  these  Epistles,  it  may  he  allowed,  that  the 
penmen  of  them  made  use  of  their  own  reasoning  powers  and  dif¬ 
ferent  endowments  in  their  manner  of  writing,  as  well  as  of  their 
different  sorts  of  chirography  ;  and  that  by  this  we  are  to  account 
for  that  difference  of  style,  which  has  been  observed  between  the 
writings  of  Paul,  who  was  brought  up  at  the  feet  of  Gamaliel,  and 
those  of  Peter  and  John,  who  were  fishermen.  The  like  difference 
may  be  discerned  between  the  style  of  the  prophet  Isaiah,  who  was 
educated  in  a  court,  and  that  of  Amos,  who  was  one  of  the  herds¬ 
men  of  Tekoa.  However,  we  must  believe,  that  these  holy  tnen  spake 
and  wrote  as  they  were  moved  by  the  Holy  Ghost,  that  He  put  them 
on,  and  assisted  them,  in  this  work,  and  always  infallibly  guided 
them  into  ail  truth,  both  when  they  expounded  the  Scriptures  of 
the  O.  T.,  and  when  they  gave  rules  for  our  faith  and  practice  in 
the  gospel-church  state. 

The  subject-matter  of  these  Epistles  is  entirely  conformable  to  the 
rest  of  the  Scriptures  :  in  them  we  find  frequent  reference  to  some 
passages  of  the  O.  T.,and  explanations  of  them  ;  in  the  Epistle  to 
the  Hebrews,  we  have  the  best  exposition  of  the  Levitieal  law. 
Indeed  the  N.  T.  refers  to,  and  in  a  manner  builds  upon,  the  Old, 
showing  the  accomplishment  of  all  the  ancient  promises  and  proph- 

enlertain  his  family  and  friends,  in  his  delightful  work  of  opening  the 
Scriptures. 

‘  If  anywhere  some  tilings  in  the  comment  do  not  seem  to  flow  so 
naturally  and  necessarily  from  the  text,  we  believe,  when  they  are  well 
considered  and  compared,  it  will  appear  they  come  under  t ho  analogy 
and  general  reason  of  the  subject,  and  truly  belong  to  it.  If  there  be 
any  that  think  this  exposition  too  plain  and  familiar,  that  it  wants  the 
beauties  of  oratory,  and  the  strength  of  criticism  ;  we  only  wish  they 
will  read  it  over  again  with  duo  attention,  and  we  are  pretty  confident, 
they  will  find  the  style  natural,  clear,  and  comprehensive:  and  we 
think  they  will  hardly  be  able  lo  produce  one  valuable  criticism  out  of 
the  most  learned  commentators,  but  they  will  have  it  in  this  exposition, 
though  couched  in  plain  terms,  and  not  brought  in  hs  of  a  critical  na 
ture.  No  man  was  more  happy  than  Mr.  Henry  in  that  useful  talent 
of  making  dark  tilings  plain,  while  too  many,  that  value  themselves  on 
their  criticising  faculty,  affect  rather  to  make  plain  things  dark.’ 

Ed. 

tin  the  Acts  of  the  Apostles,  a  history,  or  specimen,  is  given  of  the 
manner,  in  which  the  apostles  and  their  fellow-laborers  fulfilled  the 
former  part  of  their  risen  Lord’s  commission,  given  to  them  just  before 
his  ascension,  1  Go  ye  therefore  nnd  teach  ’  (or  make  disciples  of)  ‘all 
nations,  baptizing  them  in  the  name  of  the  Father,  and  of  the  Son,  and 
of  the  Holy  Ghost.’  In  the  epistles  is  more  fully  shown  the  particulars, 
and  the  way,  in  which  they  executed  the  latter  part  of  it;  ‘Teaching 
them  to  observe  all  things  whatsoever  I  have  commanded  you.’  Mat. 
28:19,  20.  Mark  16:11 — 10.  The  former  therefore  is  more  exactly  suit¬ 
ed  to  the  case  cf  missionaries,  nnd  persons  in  similar  circumstances  : 
the  latter  to  stationary  pastors  nnd  their  flocks,  as  far  as  they  are  true 
believers.  Both,  however,  are  essentially  requisite  to  an  accurate  atul 
comprehensive  view  of  Christianity,  ami  of  the  office  and  duties  of  its 
ministers.  '  Scott. 


PREFACE  TO  THE  EPISTLES. 


ecies  concerning  the  Messiah,  and  explains  all  the  antiquated 
types  and  shadows  of  the.  good  things  that  wire  then  to  come.  But 
beside  these  references  to  the  preceding  part  of  Holy  Writ,  in  some 
of  these  Epistles  there  are  contained  prophecies,  either  wholly  new, 
or  at  least  more  largely  and  plainly  revealed,  as  that  in  the  Revela¬ 
tion,  concerning  the  rise,  reign,  and  fall  of  Antichrist,  of  which 
great  apostasy  we  have  some  account  in  2  Thess.  2:3,  4.  and  in 
1  Tim.  4:  1 — 3.  And  in  these  Epistles  we  have  several  of  the 
great  doctrines  of  the  Gospel  more  fully  discussed  than  elsewhere, 
particularly  the  doctrine  of  original  sin,  of  the  sin  that  dwells  in 
the  regenerate,  and  of  justification  by  the  righteousness  of  Christ, 
of  the  abolishing  of  the  Jewish  rites  and  ceremonies,  of  the  true  na¬ 
ture  and  design  of  the  seals  of  the  new  covenant,  the  obligations 
they  bring  us  under,  and  their  perpetual  use  in  the  Christian 
church.* 

The  general  method  of  these  Epistles  is  such,  as  best  serves  the 
end  and  design  of  them,  which  is  indeed  the  end  of  the  whole  Scrip¬ 
ture, — practical  godliness,  out  of  a  principle  of  divine  love,  a  good 
conscience,  and  faith  unfeigned;  accordingly,  most  of  the  Epistles 
begin  with  the  great  doctrines  of  the  Gospel,  and  after  these,  prac¬ 
tical  conclusions  are  drawn  and  urged  from  them.  In  taking  this 
method,  regard  is  had  to  the  nature  anil  faculties  of  the  soul  of 
man,  where  the  understanding  is  to  lead  the  way,  the  will,  affec¬ 
tions,  and  executive  powers  to  follow  after  ;  and  to  the  nature  of 
religion  in  general,  which  is  a  reasonable  service;  that  we  are  not 
to  be  determined  by  superstitious  fancies,  nor  by  blind  passions, 
but  by  a  sound  judgment,  and  good  understanding  in  the  mind  and 
will  of  God  ;  by  this  we  are  taught  how  necessary  it  is  that  faith 
and  practice,  truth  and  holiness,  be  joined  together;  that  the  per¬ 
formance  of  moral  duties  will  never  be  acceptable  to  God,  or  avail¬ 
able  to  our  own  salvation,  without  the  belief  of  the  truth  ;  and  the 
most  solemn  profession  of  the  faith  will  never  save  those,  that  hold 
the  truth  in  unrighteousness. 

The  particular  occasions  on  which  these  Epistles  were  written, 
do  not  so  evidently  appear  in  them  all  as  in  some.  The  first  to  the 
Corinthians,  seems  to  have  taken  its  rise,  from  the  unhappy  divis¬ 
ions  that  so  early  rose  in  the  churches  of  Christ,  through  the  emu¬ 
lation  of  the  ministers,  and  personal  affections  of  the  people  ;  but 
it  does  not  confine  itself  to  that  subject.  That  to  the  Galatians, 
seems  directed  chiefly  against  those  judaizing  teachers,  that  went 
about  to  draw  the  Gentile  converts  away  from  the  simplicity  of  the 
Gospel,  in  doctrine  and  worship.  The  Epistle  to  the  Hebrews  is 
manifestly  calculated  to  wean  the  converted  Jews  from  those  Mo- 
saical  rites  and  ceremonies  they  retained  loo  great  a  fondness  for, 
and  to  reconcile  them  to  the  abolition  of  that  economy.  Those 
Epistles  that  are  directed  to  particular  persons,  more  evidently 
carry  their  design  in  them,  which  he  that  runs  may  read. 

But  this  is  certain,  none  of  these  Epistles  are  of  private  inter¬ 
pretation  ;-j-  most  of  the  Pss.  and  of  the  prophecies  of  the  O.  T., 
were  penned  or  pronounced  on  particular  occasions,  yet  they  are 
of  standing  and  universal  use,  and  very  instructive  even  to  us,  on 
whom  the  ends  of  the  w'orld  are  come.  And  so  are  those  Epistles 
that  seem  to  have  been  most  limited  in  their  rise  and  occasion. 

There  will  always  be  need  enough  to  warn  Christians  against  un¬ 
charitable  divisions,  against  corrupting  the  faith  and  worship  of 
the  Gospel  :  and  w  henever  the  case  is  the  same,  those  Epistles  are 
as  certainly  directed  to  such  churches  and  persons,  as  if  they  had 
been  inscribed  to  them.  Henry. 

The  Epistles  are  letters,  written  either  to  individuals,  to  partic¬ 
ular  churches,  or  to  several  churches ;  or  they  are  catholic  [universal] 
Epistles,  i.  e.  circular  letters  to  the  churches  in  general.  It  is  sup¬ 
posed  they  were  all  written  by  one  or  other  of  the  apostles  ;  and 
excepting  the  Epistle  to  the  Hebrews,  and  the  Epistles  ascribed  to 
John,  each  has  the  name  of  an  apostle  prefixed  to  it.  The  apostle 
Paul’s  name  is  affixed  to  13  Epistles,  and  the  Epistle  to  the  Hebrews 
has  generally  been  ascribed  to  him  :  that  of  Peter,  to  two  ;  those 
of  James  and  Jude,  to  one  each.  Now,  if  they  w'ere  actually  written 
by  the  apostles,  what  shadow  of  reason  can  there  be  in  the  opinion, 
which  numbers  maintain,  that  they  are  not  to  be  considered  as  of 
equal  authority  with  the  Gospels  1  The  Gospels,  indeed,  record  the 
words  and  actions  of  Christ  ;  but  the  human  testimony,  by  which 
these  words  and  actions  were  recorded,  might  even  be  thought 
inferior  to  that  of  the  Epistles;  for  neither  Mark  nor  Luke  were 
apostles:  and  we  have  as  full  proof,  that  the  Epistles  were  divinely 
inspired,  as  that  the  Gospels  were  :  and  where  are  we  to  look  for 
the  full  and  explicit  declarations  of  ‘the  whole  counsel  of  God,’ 
but  in  the  writings  of  those,  whom  the  Lord  Jesus  selected  as  the 
depositaries  of  his  truths;  to  whom  He  gave  ‘  the  keys  of  the  king¬ 
dom  of  heaven;  ’  to  w'hoin  He  promised  to  give  the  Holy  Spirit, 

‘  to  teach  them  all  things,  and  lead  them  into  all  truth;  ’  and  whom 

*'The  peculiar  doctrines  of  the  Gospel  are  here  more  explicitly  staled 
and  explained,  and  their  practical  tendency  more  argumentatively 
shown,  than  in  the  historical  books.  The  distinguishing  truths,  here 
laid  down,  have  been  kept  in  view  through  the  whole  of  the  preceding 
exposition  :  and  it  will  therefore  be  unnecessary  formally  to  answer 
those,  who  haye  endeavored  to  reconcile  this  part  of  the  Scripture,  with 
systems  of  a  contrary  nature  and  tendency.  It  may,  however,  be  prop¬ 
er  to  say,  that  the  author  tins  considered,  with  much  attention,  both  Ur. 
Taylor’s  key  to  the  Epistle  to  the  Homans,  and  the  eminent  Mr.  Locke’s 
comment  on  several  of  the  epistles  :  but,  deeply  convinced,  that  both 
of  these  publications  ‘darken  counsel  by  words  without  knowledge;’ 


‘  He  sent,’  to  make  known  bis  Gospel,  even  ‘  as  the  Father  had 

sent  Him  1  ’  Mat.  1G:  19.  John  14:  25,  26.  20:19 — 23.  w.  21 _ 23. 

If  the  doctrine  of  the  apostles  was  the  unadulterated  and  entire 
truth  of  God,  and  altogether  of  Divine  authority,  as  they  preached 
it;  why  should  it  not  be  so  when  they  committed  it  to  writing  ?  and 
if  it  was  not  the  unadulterated  entire  truth,  but  either  redundant  or 
defective;  then  Christianity  was  corrupted  or  mutilated,  even  from 
the  first.  It  must  also  be  observed,  that  it  is  impossible,  that  we 
can  know  what  the  apostles  preached,  except  from  what  they  them¬ 
selves  wrote,  or  what  others  wrote  concerning  them  :  and  can  we 
suppose  that  their  own  writings  are  of  less  authority,  than  the 
writings  of  others  on  the  same  subject  I  If  there  be  any  ground  for 
making  this  distinction,  between  the  Gospels  and  the  apostolical 
writings,  how  is  the  church  ‘  built  on  the  foundation  of  apostles  and 
prophets  1  ’  Eph.  2:19 — 22.  Rev.  21:9—21,  v.  14.  ‘  Hence  then 

it  follows,  that  vvliat  the  apostles  have  delivered  in  these  Epistles, 
as  necessary  to  be  believed  or  done  by  Christians,  must  be  as  nec¬ 
essary  to  be  believed  and  practised,  in  order  to  salvation,  as  what 
w'hs  peisonallv  taught  by  Christ  Himself,  and  is  contained  in  the 
Gospels.’  Whitby. 

Most  of  the  Epistles,  especially  those  of  Paul,  wrere  written  to 
those  churches,  the  planting  of  which  is  recorded  in  the  Acts  of  the 
Apostles  :  and  the  history  so  entirely  coincides  with  them,  even  in 
the  most  minute  particulars,  and  evidently  without  t lie  least  design 
or  aim  at  coincidence;  that  the  more  carefully  they  are  examined, 
and  compared  with  the  history,  the  more  evident  will  it  appear, 
that  both  are  indisputably  genuine.  This  lias  been  clearly  shown 
by  the  learned  Dr.  Paley,  in  his  Horae  Paulina:  :  and  I  an)  de¬ 
cidedly  of  opinion,  that  all  the  genius,  sagacity,  and  care  of  any 
number  of  the  most  able  men  who  ever  lived,  would  be  absolutely 
insufficient  to  forge  a  history,  and  a  number  of  Epistles,  so  mani¬ 
festly  frank,  artless,  and  often  unmethodical ;  and  yet  to  make  the 
one  so  completely  to  confirm  the  other.  If  ever  books  had  such 
internal  evidence  of  being  genuine,  that  no  reasonable  man,  after  a 
diligent  examination  of  them,  could  doubt  of  it,  these  are  the  books. 
But  if  the  Epistles  be  genuine,  they  must  be  inspired,  and  also 
prove  the  divine  original  of  Christianity. — Our  Lord  not  only 
foretold  his  own  death  and  resurrection,  and  that  before  the  de¬ 
struction  of  Jerusalem,  and  that  in  that  generation  the  Gospel  should 
be  very  extensively  preached;  but  lie  promised  to  invest  his  apos¬ 
tles  and  disciples  with  miraculous  powers,  and  especially  with  the 
gift  of  tongues,  in  order  to  accomplish  this  object. — ‘  Now  was 
anything  of  this  nature  ever  undertaken,  or  laid  as  the  foundation 
of  their  credit,  by  any  other  authors  of  any  doctrine,  religion,  sect, 
or  heresy  1  Did  they  ever  make  their  own  violent  death,  and  res¬ 
urrection,  the  foundation  of  their  veracity  1  Or  promise  the  like 
powers  and  assistances  when  they  were  risen,  to  those  who  should 
promote,  or  should  embrace  their  doctrine  1  Or  was  not  that, 
which  no  man  else  durst  undertake,  performed  by  the  holy  Jesus  so 
effectually,  as  that  his  doctrine  presently  prevailed,  and  was  re¬ 
ceived  throughout  the  world,  in  spite  of  all  the  opposition  of  men 
and  devils  made  against  it;  and  wrought  in  Christians  such  a  last¬ 
ing  faith,  as  time,  and  vice,  though  most  concerned  to  do  it,  was 
never  able  to  deface  1  ’  Whitby. — To  the  fulfilment  of  these  prom¬ 
ises,  the  apostles,  especially  Paul,  in  these  Epistles,  continually 
refer,  as  to  facts  most  certainly  known,  by  those  to  whom  they 
wrote  ;  and  which  none  could  deny  or  question.  They  appeal  to 
the  churches,  whether  they  themselves  had  not  exercised  these  mi¬ 
raculous  gifts  among  them,  nay,  conferred  them  on  others  :  they 
argue  with  them,  from  these  gifts,  as  to  the  truth  of  their  doctrine, 
when  heretics  perverted  it  ;  they  appeal  to  these  gifts,  as  deciding 
between  them  and  their  opposers;  they  lay  down  rules,  for  the  be¬ 
havior  of  the  churches  in  respect  of  them ;  and  they  sharply  reprove 
several  instances  of  misconduct  in  this  particular.  Can  it  then  be 
doubted,  that,  supposing  the  Epistles  genuine,  these  miraculous 
gifts  were  publicly  exercised  and  conferred,  and  that  all  knew 
them  to  be  so  1  And  if  this  were  the  fact,  was  not  the  promise  of 
Christ  fulfilled  1  Is  not  Christianity  from  God  1  And  can  it  be 
supposed,  that  the  writers,  who  exercised  and  conferred  these 
powers,  in  so  conspicuous  a  manner,  were  left  to  themselves,  with¬ 
out  the  inspiration  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  in  addressing  the  churches 
on  the  most  important  subjects,  and  transmitting  their  doctrine  to 
posterity  1 

The  Epistles,  in  general,  are  w'ritten  in  language,  which  shows, 
that  if  genuine,  they  must  have  been  known  by  the  churches,  to 
which  they  were  addressed,  during  the  life  of  the  writers  :  but  can 
it  be  supposed,  that  such  facts  were  spoken  of  as  undeniable,  during 
the  lives  of  the  writers  ;  and  yet,  that  no  one  of  their  opposers, 
either  heretics  or  persecutors,  (not  to  say  their  friends,)  knowing 
that  no  such  facts  had  taken  place,  should  stand  forth  publicly  to 

he  can  only  on  some  incidental  matters  deduce  instruction  from  them. 
In  general,  if  the  various  terms,  used  in  Scripture  concerning  Israel  as 
a  nation,  be  in  the  same,  or  nearly  the  same  sense  to  be  BPPl*®a  10 
Christians  under  the  N.  T.,  where  is  the  type  and  the  antitype  .  Where 
is  ‘  the  true  Israel,’  as  distinguished  from  ‘  Israel  after  the  flesh  .  Ana 
where  are  we  to  learn  either  the  character,  privileges,  or  duties  of  true 
believers  ?  Scott. 

t  Nor  has  anything  ever  yet  been  devised,  more  suited  to  render  the 
Word  of  God  of  no  effect,’  than  the  notion,  that  we  have  little  or  nothing 
to  do  with  this  and  the  other  part  of  Scripture,  and  can  conclude  nothing 
general  from  it,  because  it  was  ‘  written  on  a  particular  occasion.  Id. 


PREFACE  TO  THE  EPISTLES. 


deny  or  confute  them  *1 — It  is  also  undeniable,  that  most  of  the 
Epistles  were  known,  at  a  very  early  period,  to  other  churches,  as 
the  writings  of  the  apostles  whose  names  they  hear.  In  a  short 
time,  translations  were  made  of  them  into  other  languages,  copious 
quotations  were  taken  from  them,  and  homilies,  or  expositions, 
were  made  on  them.  The  churches,  with  one  consent,  acknowl¬ 
edged  them  as  the  Word  of  God  ;  and  neither  heretics,  schismatics, 
nor  opposers  of  the  Gospel,  denied  that  they  were  the  genuine 
writings  of  the  apostles,  and  the  standard  records  of  Christianity. 
But  had  these  Epistles,  bearing  the  name  of  this  or  the  other  apos¬ 
tle,  been  brought  forward  after  their  death,  when  no  one,  either  in 
the  church  specially  addressed,  or  in  other  churches,  had  ever  be¬ 
fore  heard  of  them;  can  it  he  conceived,  but  that  they  would  have 
been  rejected  as  spurious  1  It  is  evident  the  claim  would  have  been 
absurd,  and  the  imposture  manifest.  Had  they  not  been  known 
during  the  life  of  the  writers  ;  at  what  time,  or  in  what  manner, 
could  it  have  been  possible  to  palm  them  on  the  church,  and  obtain 
them  the  credit  of  apostolical  writings  I 

The  Epistle  to  the  Hebrews,  not  bearing  the  name  of  Paul;  that 
of  James,  which  it  seems  at  that  time,  as  well  as  in  later  ages,  was 
supposed  irreconcilable  will)  the  doctrine  of  Paul;  the  second  Epis¬ 
tle  of  Peter,  which,  probably,  was  written  just  before  bis  martyr¬ 
dom,  and  was  not  generally  known  till  after  bis  death  ;  and  the 
second  and  third  Epistles  of  John,  in  which  be  only  st\les  himself 
‘  the  elder,’  were  not  for  some  time  received  by  the  churches,  as 
genuine  ;  but  this  shows  the  scrupulous  caution  of  the  primitive 
Christians  in  this  respect  ;  and  further  inquiry,  together  with 
internal  evidence,  at  length  obtained  the  admission  of  them  into  the 
sacred  canon.  (Pref.  to  Heb.,  Ja.,  2  Pet.  and  1.  2.  8.  Jn.)  Yet 
very  many  writings,  which,  in  some  places,  and  for  a  time,  were 
admitted  as  apostolical  and  divine,  were  afterwards,  on  fuller  in¬ 
vestigation,  rejected,  and  most  of  them  have  sunk  into  oblivion. 

The  epistolary  part  of  the  N.  T.,  while  it  shows,  more  fully  than 
even  the  historical,  the  accomplishment  of  the  ancient  prophecies, 
concerning  the  establishment  of  the  Messiah’s  kingdom,  contains 


also  many  remarkable  prophecies,  several  of  which  have  already 
received  as  remarkable  an  accomplishment;  but  some  still  remain 
to  be  fulfilled.  (Rom.  11.  2  1'hess.  2:  1 — 12.  1  Tim.  4:  1 — 5. 

2  Tim.  3:  1 — 5.  2  Pet.  2:  3:)  This  also  constitutes  an  irrefrag¬ 

able  proof,  that  they  were  written  by  inspiration. 

Finally,  it  will  appear,  as  we  proceed,  that  the  writers  of  these* 
Epistles  speak  of  themselves,  and  of  each  other,  as  authoritatively 
delivering  the  truth  and  will  of  God  to  mankind.  Even  the  excep¬ 
tions,  (as  they  are  supposed  to  be,)  in  a  few  instances,  more  unde¬ 
niably  established  the  general  rule  :  for  why  should  an  apostle 
intimate,  that  he  only  gave  his  own  opinion,  and  not  a  divine  and 
authoritative  injunction,  in  a  particular  case  ;  unless  conscious,  and 
unless  demanding  his  readers  to  allow,  that  in  all  other  cases  he 
‘  spake  as  moved  by  the  Holy  Ghost  1  ’  But  if  they  advanced  these 
claims,  what  alternative  is  there,  between  admitting  them  to  the 
full  extent,  or  decidedly  rejecting  them  1  That  is,  What  alternative 
is  there,  between  receiving  the  apostolical  Epistles,  as  the  infallible 
Word  of  God,  and  the  standard  of  truth  and  duty;  and  wholly  re¬ 
jecting  them,  as  bold  impostures  1  Had  no  such  claims  been 
advanced;  it  might  have  been  allowed,  that  they  were  good  men, 
right  on  the  whole,  yet  erroneous  in  some  things  :  yet  on  this  sup¬ 
position  where  shall  we  find  a  divine  standard  of  Christianity  1  But 
as  the  case  is,  either  they  are  infallibly  right,  their  doctrine  divine, 
their  writings  the  standard  by  which  all  other  doctrines  must  be 
tried;  or  they  claim  for  themselves,  and  each  other,  what  they  had 
no  right  to  claim.  I  would  be  very  cautious,  in  venturing  on  this 
ground;  but  I  am  fully  persuaded,  and  often  feel  most  deeply 
grieved  by  the  assurance,  that  far  more  injury  is  done  to  the  cause 
of  truth,  by  a  half-hearted  allowance,  that  tile  Epistles  (or  other 
parts  of  Scripture)  are  genuine,  authentic,  and  instructive,  but 
possibly  in  some  things  erroneous,  than  by  all  the  open  attacks  of 
infidels.  For  these  plausible  statements  leave  us  no  standard  of 
truth  and  duty  ;  no  way  of  discriminating  between  true  doctrine  and 
heresy;  no  divinely  appointed  exhibition  of  the  Christian  religion, 
with  which  all  other  exhibitions  must  be  compared  and  tried.  Sc. 


NUMBER,  ORDER,  PLACES,  AND  DATES,  OF  THE  EPISTLES. 

The  21  Epistles,  or  Letters,  of  the  N  T.  are  generally  divided  into  two  classes,  viz.  Epistles.  Places.  A.  D . 

I.  Epistles  of  Paul ,  (in  number  14.)  1  Thessaloninns  .  .  Corinth  ........  52 

Among:  Die  Episl1e9  to  Churches,  that  to  the  Romans  stands  first,  because  Rome  2  Thessaloninns  .  •  Corinth  ........  52 

was  the  chief  city  of  the  Roman  empire  ;  this  is  followed  by  the  2  Epistles  io  the  Co-  Galatians  .  .  .  Corinth.  At  the  close  of  52,  or  early  in  .  .  53 

nnthians,  because  Corinth  was  a  huge,  polite,  and  renowned  city .  To  them  succeeds  1  Coiimhiaus  .  .  .  Ephesus  ........  57 

that  to  the  Galatians,  of  Galatia,  a  region  of  Asia  Minor,  with  several  churches.  Romans  ....  Corinth.  About  the  end  of  57,  or  early  in  .  58 

Next  follows  the  Epistle  to  the  Ephesians,  because  Ephesus  was  the  chief  city  of  Asia  2  Corinthians  .  .  .  Macedonia  (perhaps  Philippi)  ...  58 

Minor,  strictly  so  called.  Afterwurde  come  the  Epistles  to  the  Philippiuns,  Colossinns,  Ephesians  .  .  .  Rome  ........  61 

and  Thessaloninns  ;  for  which  or  ler  Df.  Lni  f/ner  can  assign  no  othei  probable  reason  1  hilippians  .  .  .  Rome.  Before  the  end  of  62,  or  early  in  .  63 

than  this,  viz.  that  Philippi  was  a  Roman  colony,  and.  therefore,  the  Epistle  to  the  Phi*  Colossiatis  .  .  .  Rome  ........  62 

lippiaus  was  placed  before  those  to  the  Colossians  and  Thess.ilonians,  whose  cities  were  Philemon  .  .  .  Rome.  About  the  end  of  62,  or  early  in  .  .  63 

not  distinguished  by  any  particular  circuinstAnce.  He  also  thinks  it  not  unlikely,  that  Hebrews  ....  Italy  (perhaps  Rome)  “or  .  .  .  63 

the  shortness  of  Die  two  Epistles  to  the  Thessaloninns,  especially  of  the  2d,  caused  1  Timothy  .  .  .  Macedonia . 64 

them  to  be  placed  last  among  the  letters  udjres.sed  to  churches,  though*in  point  of  Titus  ....  Macedonia  .  . 64 

time  they  are  the  earliest  of  Paul's  Epistles.  2  Timothy  .  .  .  Rome . 65 

Among-  the  Epistles  to  particular  persons,  those  to  Timothy  have  the  precedence,  j;  The  Catholic  Epistles,  (in  number  7.) 

as  he  was  a  favorite  disciple  of  Paul,  and  also  because  those  Epistles  ate  the  largest  ,  ,  .  ,  ,  _  _  .  ,  .  T  « 

and  fullest.  To  them  succeeds  that  to  Titus,  who  was  an  evangelist  ;  and  that  to  Phi-  These  contain  the  letters  of  the  apostles  James,  Peter,  John,  and  Jude.  They  are 
lemon  is  placed  last,  as  he  was  supposed  to  have  been  only  a  private  Christian.  Last  !?rme<  Catholic,  i.  e.  general  or  universal,  because  they  are  not  addressed  to  the  be- 
of  all  comes  the  Epistle  to  the  Hebrews,  because  its  authenticity  was  doubted  for  some  fevers  of  some  particular  city  or  country,  or  to  individuals,  ns  Paul  s  epistles  were, 
time  (though  without  any  foundation,  us  will  be  shown  in  a  subsequent  page.  [See  t0  Christians  in  general,  or  to  Christians  of  several  countries. 

Horne])  ;  Dr.  L.  also  thinks  it  was  the  last  written  of  all  Paul’s  Epistles.  Epistles.  Places.  A.  D. 

Some  have  proposed  to  arrange  Paul’s  Epistles  in  the  order  of  time:  but,l.  The  or-  James  ....  Judea . 61 

der  of  their  dates  has  not  yet  been  satisfactorily  or  unanimously  settled  ;  and  2.  Very  1  Peter  ....  Rome  .  .  ...  .  .  .  64 

considerable  difficulty  will  attend  the  alteration  of  that  order  which  has  been  adopted  2  Peter  ....  Rome.  About  the  beginning  of  .  •_  65 

in  all  the  editions  and  versions  of  the  N.  T.  As  it  is  the  order  of  Eusebius’ time,  the  3d  1  John  ....  Unknown  (perhaps  Ephesus)  68,  or  early  in  .  69 

cent.,  and  probably  Iremeus’,  of  the  2d  cent.,  ii  is  the  most  ancient  :  and  according  to  2  and  3  John  .  .  ,  Ephesus  ....  68,  or  early  in  .  69 

Dr.  L.  the  best.  As,  however,  the  order  of  lime  is  important  in  many  respects,  it  is  Judw  ....  Unknown . 64  or  65 

given.  For  the  dates,  see  Dr.  L.  [and  Horne.]  '  JIORNE. 


AN  EXPOSITION 


OF 


PAUL’S  EPISTLE  TO  THE  ROMANS, 


WITH 


PRACTICAL  OBSERVATIONS  AND  NOTES. 

(Flenry's  Exposition ,  completed  by  J.  Evans,  D.  D.) 


Paul’s  natural  parts,  I  doubt  not,  were  very  pregnant,  his  apprehension  quick  and  piercing,  his  expression  fluent  and 
copious,  his  affections,  wherever  lie  took,  very  warm  and  zealous,  and  his  resolutions  no  less  bold  and  daring ;  this  made 
him,  before  his  conversion,  a  very  keen  and  hitter  persecutor  ;  but,  when  converted  and  sanctified,  the  most  skilful,  zealous, 
preacher;  never  any  better  fitted  to  win  souls,  nor  more  successful.* 


*  In  all  his  writings  we  perceive  eviilent  proofs  of  a  sound  judgment, 
a  talent  for  close  reasoning,  a  lively  imagination,  and  fervent  affections  : 
sometimes,  yet  not  so  often  by  far  as  many  have  supposed,  he  induces  a 
measure  of  obscurity,  by  long  parentheses.  All  his  abilities  and  en¬ 
dowments,  however,  were  directed  and  superintended  bv  the  Spirit  of 
inspiration.  •  Scott. 

‘Ihe  form  and  character  of  Paul’s  epistles,  however  peculiar,  appear 
to  have  been  derived  from  the  circumstances  of  itis  earlv  life.  Tarsus, 
where  lie  was  horn,  and  where  his  parents  dwelt,  was,  in  that  a-re,  a 
celebrated  seat  of  learning.  Hut,  in  every  seat  of  ancient  learning  elo¬ 
quence  held  a  principal  rank;  and  each  species  of  it  was  denominated’ 
from  the  place  where  it  was  most  practiced,  or  in  the  greatest  perfection. 
Thus  we  read  ofthe  chaste  Attic  eloquence,  and  of  the  florid  Asiatic  ;  and 
Tarsus,  also,  gave  name  to  its  peculiar  mode.  The  last  is,  indeed,  the  least 
known;  because,  from  the  very  nature  of  it,  its  productions  were  not 
likely  to  remain.  The  Tarsic  eloquence  was  employed  in  sudden  and 
unpremeditated  harangues.  And  Paul,  long  accustomed  to  composi¬ 
tions  of  this  sort,  transferred  the  style  and  manner  from  speaking  to 
writing.  He  seems  to  have  written  his  epistles  with  the  force  of  a 
speaker;  not  opening  the  way  to  his  subject,  nor  advancing  gradually 
towards  it,  but  rushing  into  it.  Little  solicitous  about  method,  he  is 

r  1 7*21 


often  drawn  from  his  design  by  the  accidental  use  of  an  expression  or  a 
word  ;  and  neither  when  he  quits  his  purpose,  nor  when  he  returns  to  it 
again,  does  he  employ  the  usual  forms  of  transiiion.  Sometimes  he  as¬ 
sumes  another  person,  and  introduces  a  kind  of  dialogue :  in  which  it  is 
not  always  easy  to  distinguish  who  is  speaking,  the  objector  or  answer¬ 
er.  Lastly,  he  abounds  with  broken  sentences,  bold  figures,  and  hard, 
far-fetched  metaphors.  These  peculiarities  in  the  apostle’s  manner,  oc¬ 
casion  continual  difficulties,  and,  therefore,  could  not  escape  the  notice  of 
his  commentators;  of  whom,  the  most  rational  impute  them  to  such  a 
warm  temper,  and  a  mind  so  full  of  religious  [and  controversial]  knowl¬ 
edge,  that  his  thoughts  seem  to  strive  for  utterance,  and  his  zeal  suffers 
him  to  attend  to  nothing  but  the  great  mysteries  revealed  to  him.  Hut 
what  they  excuse  ns  the  effect  of  fervent  zeal,  and  plentiful  knowledge, 
either  necessarily  belongs  to  unprepared  discourses, or  may  be  admitted 
Into  them  without  blame,  lie  who  speaks  on  a  sudden,  cannot  make 
those  regular  approaches  to  his  principal  design,  nor  dispose  his  matter  in 
thnt  exact  order  which  we  find  in  studied  compositions.  He  may  safply 
pass  from  one  subject,  or  one  person,  to  another,  without  the  ceremonies 
which  a  reader  requires,  but  which  a  speaker  supplies  the  want  of  by  his 
countenance,  his  voice,  and  every  motion  of  his  body.  And  those  agi¬ 
tations  of  mind,  which,  in  numerous  assemblies,  are  mutually  excited  by 


PREFACE  TO  THE  EPISTLE  TO  THE  ROMANS, 


Fourteen  of  his  epistles  we  have  in  the  canon  of  Scripture;  many  more,  probably,  he  wrote,  which  might  be  profitable 
enough,  but,  not  being  given  by  inspiration  of  God,  they  were  not  received  as  canonical  Scripture,  nor  handed  down  to  us. 
Six  epistles,  said  to  be  Paul’s,  written  to  Seneca,  and  eight  of  Seneca’s  to  him,  are  spoken  of  by  some  of  the  ancients,  (Sixt, 
Senens.  Biblioth.  Sanct.  lib.  2.)  and  are  extant ;  but,  on  the  view,  they  appear  spurious  and  counterfeit. 

This  Epistle  to  the  Romans  is  placed  first,  not  because  of  the  priority  of  its  date,  but  because  of  the  superlative  excellency 
of  the  epistle,  it  being  one  of  the  longest  and  fullest  of  all,  and,  perhaps,  because  of  the  dignity  of  the  place  to  which  it 
is  written.  Chrysostom  would  have  this  epistle  read  over  to  him  twice  a  week.  It  is  gathered  from  some  passages  in  it, 
that  it  was  written  A.  D.  5(5,  from  Corinth,  while  Paul  made  a  short  stay  here,  in  his  way  to  Troas,  Acts 20:5,  (5.  He  com- 
mendeth  to  the  Romans,  Phebe,  a  servant  of  the  church  at  Cenchrea.  ch  16.  which  was  a  place  belonging  to  Corinlh.  Me 
calls  Gaius  his  host,  or  the  man  with  whom  lie  lodged,  ch.  16:23.  and  he  was  a  Corinthian,  not  the  same  with  Gaius  of  Derbe, 
mentioned  Acts  20.  Paul  was  now  going  up  to  Jerusalem,  with  the  money  given  to  the  poor  saints  there,  ch.  16.26. 

The  great  mysteries  treated  of  in  this  epistle,  must  needs  produce  in  this,  as  in  other  writings  of  Paul,  many  things  dark, 
and  hard  to  be  understood,  2  Pet.  3:16.  The  method  of  this,  as  of  several  other  of  the  epistles,  is  observable  ;  the  former 
part  of  it  doctrinal,  in  the  first  eleven  chs. ;  the  latter  part  practical,  in  the  last  five :  to  inform  the  judgment,  and  fo  reform 
the  life.  And  the  best  way  to  understand  the  truths  explained  in  the  former  part,  is  to  abide  and  abound  in  the  practice  of 
the  duties  prescribed  in  the  latter  part,  John  7:17.  I.  The  doctrinal  part  of  the  epistle  instructs  us,  1.  Concerning  the  way 
of  salvation.  (1.)  The  foundation  of  it  laid  in  justification,  and  that  not  by  the  Gentiles’  works  of  nature,  ch.  1.  nor  by  the 
Jews'  works  of  the  law,  ch.  2,  3.  for  both  Jews  and  Gentiles  were  liable  to  the  curse  :  but  only  by  faith  in  Jesus  Christ, 
ch.  3:21,  &c.  ch.  A.  through  the  whole.  (2.)  The  steps  of  this  salvation  are,  [1.]  Peace  with  God,  ch.  5.  [2.]  Sanctification, 

ch  6,  7.  [3]  Glorification,  ch.  8.  2.  Concerning  the  persons  saved,  such  as  belong  to  the  election  of  grace,  ch.  9.  Gen¬ 

tiles  and  Jews,  ch.  10,  11.  By  this,  it  appears,  that  the  subjects  he  discourses  of,  were  such  as  were  then  the  present  truths, 
as  the  apostle  speaks,  2  Pet  1:12.  Two  things  the  Jews  then  stumbled  at, — justification  by  faith  without  the  works  of  the 
law,  and  the  admission  of  the  Gentiles  into  tiie  church  ;  therefore,  both  these  he  studied  to  clear  and  vindicate.  II  The 
practical  part  follows  ;  wherein  we  find.  1.  Several  general  exhortations  proper  for  all  Christians,  ch.  12.  2.  Directions  for 

our  behavior, as  members  of  a  civil  society,  ch.  13.  3.  Rules  for  the  conduct  of  Christians  to  one  another,  as  members  of 

the  Christian  church,  ch.  14.  and  ch.  15,  to  v.  14.  III.  As  lie  draws  towards  a  conclusion,  he  apologises  for  writing  ;  ch.  15 : 
14 — 16.  gives  an  account  of  himself  and  his  affairs  ;  v  17 — 21.  promises  a  visit ;  v.  22 — 29.  begs  their  prayers  ;  v.  30 — 33. 
sends  particular  salutations  to  many  friends;  ch.  1(5: 1 — 16.  warns  against  those  who  caused  divisions  ;  v.  17 — 20.  adds  sal¬ 
utations  of  friends  with  him  ;  v.  21 — 23.  and  ends  with  a  benediction  to  them,  and  a  doxology  to  God,  24 — 27.  Hknry. 

The  Epistle  to  the  Romans  is  addressed  to  the  Christians  who  resided  in  the  capital  city  of  that  great  empire,  which  then 
lorded  it  over  the  whole  known  world  ;  [note, end  of  Acts;]  and  the  epistle  itself  is  one  of  the  longest,  and  most  compre¬ 
hensive  of  all  that  were  written  by  the  apostle.  It  is  not  known  when,  or  by  whom,  the  Gospel  was  first  preached  at 
Rome  ;  but  it  is  conjectured,  that  it  was  carried  thither  by  some  of  those  Jews  who  were  converted  at  the  day  of  Pentecost, 
Acts  2.10  t  Paul,  however,  had  not  yet  visited  that  city  ;  but,  as  ‘  the  apostle  of  the  Gentiles,’  he  deemed  it  proper  to  use 
this  method  of  establishing  the  believers  in  the  faith;  and  of  giving  them  such  a  comprehensive  view  of  the  Christian 
religion,  as  might  put  them  on  their  guard  against  false  teachers,  of  various  descriptions. 

This  epistle  [‘  forming  a  beautiful  and  sublime  summary  of  the  Christian  faith  ’]  is  the  only  part  of  the  Scripture,  in 
which  divine  truth  is  delivered  in  a  systematical  method  :  and  it  is  a  proper  model  for  any  one,  who  intends  to  compile  a 
body  of  divinity.  After  the  introduction,  [setting  forth  his  authority,]  the  apostle  opens  his  subject,  (as  it  is  reasonable  to 
begin  systematical  treatises,)  by  showing  man’s  relations  and  obligations  to  God  his  Creator,  and  his  crpostasy  from  his  wor¬ 
ship  and  service:  he  proceeds  to  prove  the  universal  sinfulness  of  both  Gentiles  and  Jews,  and  the  impossibility  of  any 
man’s  justifying  himself  before  God,  by  his  own  obedience.  Having  brought  the  whole  world  in  guilty,  deserving  of  wrath, 
and  condemnation;  he  proceeds  to  state  the  method  of  salvation  by  the  mercy  of  God,  through  the  redemption  of  his  Son, 
and  the  way  of  justification  by  faith  in  his  blood,  and  the  imputation  of  his  righteousness,  as  ‘  the  righteousness  of  God, 
which  is  unto  and  upon  all  that  believe.’  This  he  proves,  illustrates,  and  exemplifies  very  fully  :  he  next  proceeds  to  show, 
that  this  way  of  justification  is  closely  connected  with  sanctification,  [or  holiness,]  and  evangelical  obedience  :  he  then  states 
the  believer’s  experience  and  conflicts  ;  and  displays  his  character,  hopes,  and  privileges  :  and  at  length  he  leads  our  reflec¬ 
tions  back  to  the  source  of  these  blessings,  in  the  eternal  election,  and  sovereign  love  and  mercy  of  God.  Having  thus 
stated  and  proved  doctrines,  and  answered  objections  to  them,  and  discussed  several  questions  respecting  the  calling  of  the 
Gentiles,  and  the  rejection  of  the  Jews,  he  applies  the  whole  discourse  bj’-  a  variety  of  practical  exhortations,  precepts,  and 
instructions,  enforced  by  evangelical  motives  and,  having  touched  on  some  particulars,  suited  to  the  circumstances  of 
those  times,  concludes  with  affectionate  salutations,  cautions,  and  prayers;  and  ascribing  glory  to  God  our  Savior.  Scott. 


the  speaker  and  the  hearers,  excite  in  their  turn,  and,  in  the  same  meas¬ 
ure,  justify  a  bolder  and  more  vehement  kind  of  oratory. 

‘  Hut  Ptuil  did  not  learn  at  Tarsus  the  general  form  only  of  his  wri¬ 
tings.  Ho  collected  there,  also,  many  of  their  minuter  ornaments.  In 
that  city  was  one  of  the  largest  and  most  celebrated  places  of  exercise 
then  in  Asia.  And  there  is  no  matter  from  which  the  apostle  borrows 
his  words  and  images  in  greater  abundance,  than  from  the  public  exer¬ 
cises.  He  frequently  considers  the  life  of  a  Christian  as  a  race,  a  wrest¬ 
ling,  or  a  boxing  ;  the  rewards  which  good  men  expect  herenfier,  he  calls 
the  prize,  the  victor’s  crown ;  and,  when  he  exhorts  his  disciples  to  the 
practice  of  virtue,  he  does  it  usually  in  the  same  terms  in  which  he  would 
have  encouraged  the  combatants.  But  many  of  these  allusions,  which 
occur  in  every  page  of  the  original,  can  hardly  be  preserved  in  a  transl. 

1  From  the  apostle’s  country ,  we  descend  to  his  family,  and  here  we 
find  another  source  of  his  figurative  expressions.  His  parents  were  Ro¬ 
man  citizens;  and  words  or  sentiments  derived  from  the  laws  of  Rome, 
would  easily  creep  into  their  coiwersation.  No  wonder,  then,  that  their 
son,  sometimes,  uses  forms  of  speech,  peculiar  to  the  Roman  lawyers; 
and  applies  many  of  the  rules  of  adoption,  manumission,  and  testa¬ 
ments,  to  illustrate  the  counsels  of  God  in  our  redemption. 

‘  Nor  are  there  wanting  in  Paul's  style,  some  marks  of  his  occupation. 
To  a  man  employed  in  making  tents,  the  ideas  of  camps,  arms,  armor, 
warfare,  military  pay,  would  be  familiar.  And  he  introduces  them  and 
their  concomitants  so  frequently,  that  his  language  seems  to  be  such  as 
might  rather  have  been  expected  from  a  soldier,  than  from  one  who  had 
lived  in  quiet  times,  and  was  a  preacher  of  the  Gospel  of  Peace. 

‘When  we  observe  further,  that,  being  educated  in  the  school  of  Ga¬ 
maliel,  and  instructed  ill  all  the  learning  of  the  Jewish  doctors,  he  not 
ohlv  uses  the  Ileb.  idiom,  but  has  many  references  to  the  Heb.  Scriptures, 
and  their  received  interpretations;  there  will  remain  little  that  is  pecu¬ 
liar,  in  his  manner  of  writing,  of  which  the  origin  may  not  be  traced  to 
one  or  another  of  the  before-mentioned  circumstances.’  Dr.  Powell. 

t  ‘  It  is  [however]  certain,  from  the  universally  prevalent  method  of 
propagating  Christianity,  first  among  the  Jews,  and  then,  by  their  means, 
among  the  Gentiles,  that  the  Roman  church  consisted  originally  of  Jews, 
to  whom  others  of  different  extraction  were  gradually  added ;  new  branch¬ 
es,  ns  it  were,  engrafted  on  the  parent  stock.  The  probability  of  this 
statement  is  evident  from  the  vast  number  of  Jews  residing  at  Rome,  and 
enjoying  the  favor  of  the  emperors,  and  participating  in  the  societv  and 
friendship  of  the  people.  See  Jos.  Am.  18, 12.  Dio  Cass.  36.  Phil.  Leg.  hd 
Caium,  p.568.  ed.  Mang.’  Kop. — Vos. relates,  that  their  number  amounted 


to  8000  (Ant.  17:12.1,  and  Dion  Cassius  (37:17.)  informs  us,  that  they  had 
obtained  the  privilege  of  living  according  to  their  own  laws.’  Horne. 

‘When  Pompey  overran  Judea  with  a  conquering  army,  (about  63 
B.  C.)  he  caused  many  captive  Jews  to  be  sent  to  Rome.  There,  as  was 
usual  with  captives,  they  were  sold  into  slavery.  But  their  persevering 
and  unconquerable  determination  to  observe  the  Sabbath,  and  to  prac¬ 
tice  many  of  the  Levlticnl  rites  and  customs,  gave  their  Roman  masters 
so  much  trouble,  that  they  chose  to  liberate  them,  rather  than  to  keep 
them.  As  there  was  a  large  body  so  liberated,  the  government  assigned 
them  a  place  opposite  Rome,  across  the  Tiber,  where  they  built  a  town. 
Here  Philo  found  them,  just  before  Paul’s  time.  (Leg.  ad.  C.  p.  1014.  ed. 
Frankf.)  The  reader  who  wishes  for  historical  vouchers  in  respect  to  the 
number  of  Jews  at  Rome  during  the  apostolic  age,  may  consult  Jos.  Ant. 
17:14.  18:5.  ed.  Cologn.  Dio  Cass.  c.  36,  p.  37.  Suet.  Vit.  Tiberii,  c.  36. 

1  When  the  just  impressions  arising  from  the  degradation  of  captivity 
and  slavery  began  to  wear  nway,  the  Roman  citizens  seemed  to  have 
looked  at  the  Jewish  community  with  some  degree  of  respect,  or,  at 
least,  with  not  a  little  of  curiosity.  Whether  it  arose  from  the  disgust 
which  delicate  females  among  the  Romans  felt  for  the  [foolish  or]  ob¬ 
scene  rites  of  heathenism,  which  they  were  called  to  practice  or  wit¬ 
ness,  or  whether  it  sprung  from  curiosity,  the  fact  was,  that  in  Ovid’s 
time  (ob.  A.  D.  17.)  some  of  the  most  elegant  and  polished  females 
thronged  the  Jewish  assemblies.  The  poet,  therefore,  advises  the >  onng 
men  of  the  city,  if  they  wished  to  see  a  splendid  collection  of  its 
beauty,  to  go  to  the  sablmth-day  solemnities  of  the  Syrian  Jew.  It  is 
not  strange,  moreover,  that  some  of  these  should  become  sebomenai,  or 
proselvtes;  as  Jos.  relates  of  Fulvia,  a  noble  woman.  By  decrees,  the 
men,  also,  as  was  natural,  began  to  frequent  the  assemblies  of  those  once 
despised  foreigners.  Juv.  at  the  close  of  the  1st  cent,  pours  out  his  con¬ 
tempt  and  indignation  at  this,  in  the  bitter  words,  Quidam  sortiti,  &c. — 
Seneca,  also,  ( fl.  A.  D.  64.)  about  the  time  when  Paul  wrote  Rom.,  says, 
in  a  fragment  preserved  by  August.  (De  Civ.  Dei)  that  ‘‘so  many 
Romans  bad  received  the  Jewish  [he  means  by  this  the  Christian]  reli¬ 
gion,  that  now  through  all  the  earth  it  is  received  ;  the  conquered  have 
given  laws  to  their  conquerors.”  Tac.  (Ann.)  likewise  represents  the 
“  exitiabilis  superstitio,”  (Christian  religion,)  as  breaking  out  again,  alter 
being  repressed,  and  spreading,  not  only  through  Judea,  but  through  the 
city,  (Rome,)  also.’  OQ 

‘From  a  comparison  of  Acts  19:21.  20:1 — 4.  with  Rom.  lo  25  -f.  it 
follows,  of  course,  that  this  epistle  must  have  been  written  about  A.  it. 
57 ;  although  some  chrouologisls  put  it  later.’  Prof.  Stuart. 

[173J 


A.  D.  61. 


ROMANS,  I. 


The  preface  to  the  epistle. 


1.  Porta 

2.  Porta 

3.  Porta 

4.  Porta 

5.  Porta 

6.  Porta 

7.  Porta 

8.  Porta 

9.  Aqua 

10.  Aqua 

11.  Aqua 

12.  Aqua 

13.  Aqua 


Flaminia. 

Collina. 

Viminalis. 

Esquilina. 

Ntevia. 

Carmentalis. 

Capena. 

Triumphalia. 

Claudia. 

Appia. 

Marcia. 

Julia. 

Virgo. 


9  b. 


.Elian  Bridge. 

Triumphal  Bridge. 
Janiculensian  Bridge. 

Bridge  of  Cestius. 

Bridge  of  Fabricius. 

Palatine  Bridge. 

Sublician  Bridge. 

Temple  of  Jupiter  Capitolinu*. 
Capitol. 

Temple  of  Apollo. 

Temple  of  Diana. 

Forum  Boarium. 

Forum  Nerva. 

Forum  Auguati. 

Forum  Trajani. 


CHAP.  I. 

1  Paul  commendeth  hia  calling  to  the  Romans,  9  and  his 
desire  to  come  to  them.  16  What  his  Gospel  is,  and  the 
righteousness  which  it  sheweth.  18  God  is  angry  with 
all  manner  of  sin.  21  Whut  were  the  sins  of  the 
Gentiles. 

PAUL,  a  servant  of  a  Jesus 
Christ,  called  bto  be  an  apos¬ 
tle,  separated  c  unto  the  gospel  of 
God, 

2  (Which  he  had  promised  afore 
by  his  prophets  in  the  holy  scrip¬ 
tures,) 

3  Concerning  his  Son  Jesus 
Christ  our  Lord,  which  was  made 
d  of  the  seed  of  David  according  to 
the  flesh  : 


a  Ac.  27:23. 
b  Ac.  9:15.  1  Co. 


1:1. 
c  Ac. 


13:2.  Ga. 


1:15. 

d  Ps.  89:35. 


Chap.  I.  V.  1 — 7.  In  this  paragraph  we 
have, 

I.  The  person  who  writes  the  epistle,  de¬ 
scribed,  v.  1.  Paul ;  not  a  Rabbi,  but  a  ser¬ 
vant  ;  called,  to  be  an  apostle,  on  which  call, 
Acts  9:15.  lie  here  builds  his  authority; 
called  an  apostle;  as  if  this  were  the  name  he 
would  be  called  by,  though  he  acknowledges 
himself  not  meet  to  be  called  so,  1  Cur.  15: 
9.  Separated  to  the  Gospel  of  God.  The 
Pharisees  had  their  name  from  separation, 


because  they  separated  themselves  to  the  study 
of  the  law ,  and  might  be  so  called  :  such  an 
one  Paul  had  been  ;  but  now  he  had  changed 
his  studies,  was  a  Gospel  Pharisee,  separat¬ 
ed  by  the  counsel  of  God,  Gal.  1:  15.  from 
his  birth,  by  an  immediate  direction  of  the 
Spirit,  and  a  regular  ordination  according 
to  that  direction,  Acts  13:2,  3.  by  a  dedi¬ 
cation  of  himself  to  this  work  ;  entirely  de¬ 
voted  to  the  Gospel  of  God,  of  divine  and 
heavenly  original  and  extraction. 

II.  An  encomium  on  the  Gospel  of  God. 

1.  Its  antiquity  ;  it  was  promised  before, 
v.  2.  it  was  no  novel  doctrine,  but  of  ancient 
standing  in  the  promises  and  prophecies  of 
the  Old  Test.,  which  did  all  unanimously 
point  at  the  Gospel,  the  morning  beams  that 
ushered  in  the  Sun  of  righteousness:  this  not 
by  word  of  mouth  only,  but  in  the  Scriptures. 

2.  Its  subject-matter  ;  Christ,  v.  3,  4. 
Observe,  how  he  heaps  up  his  names  and 
titles,  his  Son  Jesus  Christ  our  Lord,  as  one 
that  took  a  pleasure  in  speaking  of  Him  ; 
and  having  mentioned  Him,  he  cannot  go  on 
in  his  discourse,  without  some  expression  of 
love  and  honor,  as  here,  where  in  one  person 
he  shows  us  his  two  distinct  natures.  (1.) 
H  is  human  nature  ;  made  of  the  seed  of  Da¬ 
vid,  v.  3.  i.  e.  born  of  the  virgin  Mary,  who 
was  of  the  house  of  David,  Luke  1:27.  as 
was  Joseph  his  supposed  father,  Luke  2:  4. 
David  is  here  mentioned,  because  of  the 


special  promises  made  to  him  concerning  the 
Messiah,  especially  his  kingly  office  ;  2  S. 
7:12.  Ps.  132:11.  comp,  with  Lu.  1:  32, 
33.  (2.)  His  divine  nature  ;  declared  to  be 

the  Son  of  God,  v.  4.  the  Son  of  God  by  eter¬ 
nal  generation,  or,  as  it  is  here  explained, 
according  to  the  Spirit  of  holiness,  as  He  is 
said  to  be  quickened  by  the  Spirit,  1  Pet.  3: 
18.  comp,  with  2  Cor.  13:4.  He  is  the  Son 
of  God. 

The  great  proof  or  demonstration  of  this, 

is,  his  resurrection  from  the  dead;  that  proved 

it,  effectually  and  undeniably.  The  sign  of 
the  prophet  Jonas,  Christ’s  resurrection,  was 
intended  for  the  last  conviction,  Mat.  12: 
39,  40.  Those  that  would  not  be  convinced 
by  that,  would  be  convinced  by  nothing. 

3.  Its  fruit,  obedience  to  the  faith,  v.  5.  By 
whom,  i.  e.  by  Christ  manifested  and  made 
known  in  the  Gospel,  we,  Paul  and  the  rest 
of  the  ministers,  have  received  grace  and  apos- 
tleship,  i.  e.  the  favor  to  be  made  apostles, 
Eph.  3:8.  It  involved  toil,  trouble,  and 
hazard,  yet  Paul  reckons  the  apostleship  a 
favor  :  it  was  received  for  obedience  to  the 
faith,  i.  e.  to  bring  people  to  that  obedience, 
as  Paul  was  for  this  obedience,  among  all 
nations,  for  he  was  the  apostle  of  the  Gentiles, 
ch.  11:13.  Observe  the  description  here 
given  of  the  Christian  profession,  it  is  obe¬ 
dience  to  the  faith;  not  a  notional  knowledge, 
or  a  naked  assent,  much  less  perverse  dispn- 


NOTES.  Chap.  I.  V.  1 — 4.  According  to  the  custom  of  those  times, 
the  apostle  began  this  epistle,  by  prefixing  his  name  and  distinguishing 
title.  Acts  15:22 — 29,  v.  23.  23:25 — 30,  u.  26.  [‘  Also,  to  state  the  fact 

of  the  reality  of  Ills  apostolic  mission,  because  the  authority  of  his 
epistle  depended  on  ttiis  fact.’]  The  expression,  ‘according  to  the 
Spirit  of  holiness,’  has  been  generally  interpreted  to  signify, 1  according 
to  his  divine  nature ;  ’  but  it  is  not  used  in  that  sense  in  any  other  place, 
nor  does  it  obviously  convey  that  idea.  Others,  therefore,  explain  it  of 
the  conception  of  Jesus  by  the  Holy  Spirit,  on  which  account  He  was 
called  ‘the  Son  of  God  but  this  does  nothing  more  than  state,  what 
He  was  ‘  according  to  the  flesh,’  or  in  his  human  nature ;  whereas  the 
apostle  clearly  intended  to  show  his  divine  nature,  as  the  ‘  only  begotten 
Son  of  the  Father,’  and  the  antithesis ,  as  well  as  the  context,  evidently 
requires  this.  Our  Ford  indeed  wrought  all  his  miracles  by  the  Spirit 
of  God,  which  was  ‘given  to  Him  without  measure:  ’  but  the  apostle 
plainly  speaks  of  ‘  the  Spirit  of  holiness,’  in  immediate  connexion  with 
the  demonstration  that  Jesus  was  the  Son  of  God,  which  arose  from 
his  resurrection  from  the  dead.  Now,  the  pouring  out  of  the  Holy 
Spirit  on  the  witnesses  of  his  resurrection,  and  all  the  stupendous  effects 
which  followed,  both  in  respect  of  them,  and  of  those  on  whom  they 
laid  their  hand,  were  a  divine  attestation  to  their  testimony  :  and  thus 
Jesus,  who  was  crucified  for  affirming  that  He  was  ‘the  Son  of  God,’ 
was ‘declared,’ or ‘determined  to  be  the  Son  of  God  with  power,  by 
his  resurrection,’  according  to  the  demonstration  of  that  event,  arising 
from  the  divers  powers,  signs,  and  miracles,  which  the  Spirit  of  God 
enabled  the  apostles  and  primitive  Christians  to  perform.  Heb.  2:1 — 4, 
v.  4.  It  may  also  be  observed,  that  the  Holy  Spirit  had  foretold,  by  the 
prophets,  that  the  Messiah  would  be  the  Son  of  God,  as  well  as  the  Son 
of  David  ;  and  also,  that  He  would  be  put  to  death,  and  rise  again,  and 
enter  into  his  glory.  When,  therefore,  the  Lord  Jesus,  haviug  been  put 

[174] 


to  death  as  a  deceiver  and  blasphemer,  arose  from  the  dead,  ‘ascended 
on  high,. . .  and  gave  gifts  to  men  ;  ’  especially  by  pouring  out  the  Holy 
Spirit  on  his  apostles  and  disciples,  according  to  the  predictions  of  holy 
men  from  the  beginning,  ‘  who  spake  as  they  were  moved  by  the  Holy 
Ghost;’  He,  in  both  respects,  was  ‘declared  to  be  the  Son  of  God  with 
power,  by  his  resurrection  from  the  dead,  according  to  the  Spirit  of 
holiness.’  Acts  2:22 — 36.  Eph.  4:7 — 13.  Scott. 

(1.)  Called,  also  v.  7,  called.]  ‘  Rather,  chosen.’  Fr.  Stuart.  Ser¬ 
vant .]  ‘  Doulos:  from  deb,  to  tie,  bind  [cut,  Is.  10:4.],  (i.  e.  deolos,  con¬ 
tracted  to  dou/os),  by  the  same  figure  as  that  found  in  our  adjective  bond, 
(from  bind,)  signifies  properly,  one  who  is  bound  for  life  to  the  service 
of  a  person,  as  his  property :  and,  with  allusion  to  the  entire  devoted¬ 
ness  of  the  service,  this  term  was  npplied  to  Moses,  who  is  called  obd 
yhvh,  in  Ex.  14:31.  Num.  12:7.  Josh.  1:1.  and  also  to  Joshua,  Jud.  2:8. 
Ilut  as  the  dignity  of  the  master  raises  the  credit  of  the  servant,  and  as 
the  term  servant,  or  minister,  of  a  king,  became  at  length  a  title  of 
honor,  and  especially  as  it  has  been  applied  to  the  prophets,  so  it  came 
to  be  applied  to  the  apostles.  When,  however,  Paul  takes  it  to  him¬ 
self,  as  here,  he  must  not  be  understood  as  arrogating  any  peculiar  dig¬ 
nity ;  since  in  2  Tim.  2:24.  lie  extends  it  to  any  Gospel  preacher.’  Bl. 

(2.)  Promised  a/ore.]  ‘  Rather,  formerly  declared  or  published.’  St. 
These  promises  were  not  wholly  unknown  to  the  heathen,  for  Tacitus 
says,  ‘  Pluribus  persuasio  inerat,  antiquis  sacerdotum  libris  conlineri, 
eo  ipso  tempore  fore,  ut  valesceret  Oriens,  profectique  Judeil  rerum  poti- 
rentur:  ’  and  Suetonius,  his  contemporary,  ‘  Percrcbuerat  Oriente  toto, 
veins  et  constans  opinio,  esse  in  fatisut  eo  tempore  Judei  profecti  rerum 
potirentur.’  See  St.,  «fcc.  Ed. 

(3,  4.)  ‘  Who  was  of  the  seed  of  David,  as  to  the  flesh,  (and)  was 
constituted  the  Son  of  God  with  power,  as  to  his  holy,  spiritual  nature, 
after  his  resurrection,’  &c.  ’  Prof.  Stuart. 


A.  D.  61. 


ROMANS,  I. 


The  preface  to  the  epistle. 


4  And  ‘declared  ( to  be  the  Son 
of  God  with  power,  according  to 
the  R  Spirit  of  holiness,  by  the  res¬ 
urrection  from  the  dead  : 

5  By  whom  we  have  received 
grace  and  apostleship,  h  for  1  obedi¬ 
ence  to  the  faith  among  all  nations, 
for  his  name  : 

6  Among  whom  are  ye  also  the 
called  of  Jesus  Christ  : 

7  To  all  that  be  in  Rome,  belov¬ 
ed  of  God,  called  J  to  be  saints  : 
Grace  k  to  you,  and  peace,  from 
God  our  Father,  and  the  Lord 
Jesus  Christ. 

8  First,  I  thank  my  God  through 
Jesus  Christ  for  you  all,  that  your 
faith  'is  spoken  of  throughout  the 
whole  world. 

9  For  God  is  my  witness,  whom 
m  I  serve  ”  with  my  spirit  in  the 
gospel  of  his  Son,  that  without 
ceasing  0  I  make  mention  of  you 
always  in  my  prayers  ; 

10  Making  request  (if  by  any 
means  now  at  length  I  might  have 
a  prosperous  journey,  by  p  the  will 
of  God)  to  come  unto  you. 

11  For  1 1  long  to  see  you,  that 
r  I  may  impart  unto  you  some  spir¬ 
itual  gift,  to  the  end  ye  may  be 
established  : 

I'd  That  is,  that  I  may  be  com¬ 
forted  together  ’  with  you,  by  the 
mutual  'faith  both  of  you  and  me. 


e  determined, 
f  Ac.  13:33,  34. 

Re  1:18. 
g  He.  9:14. 

Ii  or,  to  Vie  obe¬ 
dience  of  faith.. 
i  Ac. 6:7.  c. 16:26. 


j  1  Co.  1:2.  1  Th. 
4:7. 

k  1  Co.  1:3,  &c. 

2  Pe.  1:2. 

1  c.  16:19 
m  Ac.  27:23. 
n  or,  in. 


o  1  Th.  3:10. 
p  Ja  4:15. 
q  c.  15:23,  32. 
r  c.  15:29. 
s  or,  in. 
t  2  Pe.  1:1. 


tings,  blit  obedience  :  obedience  to  tbe  faith 
answers  the  law  of  faith,  mentioned  ch.  3:  27. 
The  act  of  faith,  is  the  obedience  of  the  un¬ 
derstanding  to  God  revealing,  and  the  pro¬ 
duct  of  that  is  the  obedience  of  the  will  to 
God  commanding.  To  anticipate  the  ill  use 
which  might,  bo  made  of  the  doctrine  of  jus¬ 
tification  by  faith,  without  the  works  of  the 
law,  which  he  was  to  explain  in  the  follow¬ 
ing  epistle,  he  here  speaks  of  Christianity  as 
an  obedience.  Christ  has  a  yoke. 

‘  Among  whom  are  ye,  v.  6.  Ye  Romans 
in  this  stand  on  the  same  level  with  other 
Gentile  nations  of  less  fame  and  wealth;  ye 
are  all  one  in  Christ.’  The  gospel-salvation 
is  a  common  salvation,  Jude  3.  No  respect 
of  persons  with  God. 


The  called,  of  Jesus  Christ  ;  all  those,  and 
those  only,  are  brought  to  an  obedience  of 
the  faith,  that  are  effectually  called  of  Jesus 
Christ. 

III.  The  persons  to  whom  it  is  written, 
v.  7.  alt  in  Rome,  beloved  of  God,  called  to  be 
saints ;  i.  e.  all  professing  Christians  in 
Rome,  whether  Jews  or  Gentiles  originally, 
high  or  low,  bond  or  free,  learned  or  un¬ 
learned,  rich  and  poor,  meet  together  in 
Christ  Jesus.  Here  is,  1.  The  privilege  of 
Christians  ;  they  are  beloved  of  God,  are 
members  of  that  body  which  is  beloved, 
which  is  God’s  Hephzi-bah,  his  delight.  We 
speak  of  God’s  love,  by  his  bounty  and  be¬ 
neficence,  and  so  He  hath  a  common  love  to 
all  mankind,  and  a  peculiar  love  for  true  be¬ 
lievers  ;  and  between  these  there  is  a  love 
He  hath  for  all  the  body  of  visible  Chris¬ 
tians.  2.  The  duty  of  Christians  ;  to  be 
holy,  for  hereunto  are  they  called,  called  to  be 
saints,  called  to  salvation  through  sanctifica¬ 
tion  ;  called  saints,  saints  in  profession  ;  it 
were  well  if  all  who  are  called  saints,  were 
saints  indeed  :  such  should  labor  to  answer 
to  the  name  ;  else,  the  honor  and  privilege 
will  little  avail  at  the  great  day. 

IV.  The  apostolical  benediction,  v.  7. 
Grace  to  you  and  peace,  a  token  in  every 
epistle,  having  not  only  the  affection  of  a 
good  wish,  but  the  authority  of  a  blessing  : 
the  priests  under  the  law  were  to  bless  the 
people,  and  so  are  gospel  ministers,  in  the 
name  of  the  Lord.  The  O.  T.  salutation 
was,  peace  be  to  you  ;  but  now  grace  is  pre¬ 
fixed,  grace,  i.  e.  the  favor  of  God  towards 
us,  or  the  work  of  God  in  us;  both  are  pre¬ 
viously  requisite  to  true  peace.  All  gospel- 
blessings  are  included  in  these  two,  grace 
and  peace.  Peace,  i.  e.  all  good;  peace  with 
God,  peace  in  your  own  consciences,  peace 
with  all  about  you  ;  all  these  founded  in 
grace.  The  fountain  of  those  favors  is,  God 
our  Father,  and  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  All 
good  comes  from  God,  as  a  Father,  and 
from  Christ,  as  Mediator,  lie  hath  put  Him¬ 
self’ into  the  relation  of  a  Father,  to  engage 
and  encourage  our  desires  and  expectations; 
and  Christ  in  that  of  a  Mediator,  for  the 
conveying  and  securing  of  the  blessing.  We 
have  peace  from  the  fulness  of  his  merit, 
and  from  the  fulness  of  his  Spirit,  grace. 

V.  8 — 15.  We  may  here  observe, 

I.  His  thanksgiving  for  them,  v.  8.  It  is 
good  to  begin  everything  with  blessing  God, 
and  in  all  our  thanksgivings,  eye  God  as  our 
God,  through  Jesus  Christ,  in  whom  only  all 
our  duties  and  performances  are  pleasing  to 
God;  praises  as  well  as  prayers. 

We  must  also  express  our  love  to  our 
friends,  not  only  by  praying  for  them,  but 
by  praising  God  for  them.  Many  of  these 
Romans,  Paul  had  no  personal  acquaintance 
with,  yet  he  could  heartily  rejoice  in  their 


gifts  and  graces.  When  some  met  him, 
Acts  28:  15.  he  thanked  God,  and  took  cour¬ 
age  ;  and  here  he  thanks  God  for  them  all  ; 
not  only  those  that  were  his  helpers  in  Christ, 
and  that  bestowed  much  labor  on  him,  ch.  16: 
3,  6.  but  for  them  all. 

Wherever  Paul  travelled,  he  heard  great 
commendations  of  the  Christians  at  Rome, 
which  he  mentions,  not  to  make  them  proud, 
but  to  quicken  them  to  answer  the  general 
character  people  gave  of  them,  and  the  gen¬ 
eral  expectation  people  had  from  them.  The 
greater  reputation  a  man  hath  for  religion, 
the  more  careful  he  should  be  to  preserve  it, 
because  a  little  folly  spoils  him  that  is  in  rep¬ 
utation,  Eccl.  10:1. 

The  whole  world,  here,  means  the  Roman 
empire,  into  which  the  Roman  Christians, 
upon  Claudius’  edict  to  banish  all  the  Jews 
from  Rome,*  were  scattered  abroad,  but 
were  now'  rerurned,  and,  it  seems,  left  a 
very  good  report  behind  them  ;  and  there 
was  this  good  effect  of  their  sufferings,  their 
being  persecuted  made  their  faith  famous  ; 
as  the  elders,  of  old,  obtained  a  good  report 
through  faith,  Heb.  11  :  2. 

The  faith  of  the  Roman  Christians  came 
to  be  thus  talked  of,  not  only  because  ex¬ 
celling  in  itself,  but  because  eminent  and 
observable  in  its  circumstances.  Rome  was 
a  city  on  a  hill,  every  one  noticed  what  wag 
done  there.  Thus  they  who  have  many  eyes 
on  them,  have  need  to  walk  circumspectly, 
for  what  they  do,  good  or  bad,  will  be 
spoken  of. 

The  church  of  Rome  was  then  flourishing; 
but  since,  how  is  the  gold  become  dint  !  The 
most  fine  gold  changed  !  It  is  not  what  it 
was;  then, espoused  a  chaste  virgin  to  Christ, 
but  since  degenerated,  so  that  (as  that  good 
old  book,  the  Practice  of  Piety,  makes  ap¬ 
pear  in  no  less  than  26  instances)  even  the 
Epistle  to  the  Romans,  is  now  an  epistle 
against  the  Romans  ;  little  reason  has  she 
therefore  to  boast  of  her  former  credit. 

II.  His  prayer  for  them,  v.  9;  an  instance 
of  his  love.  One  of  the  greatest  kindnesses 
we  can  do  our  friends,  and  sometimes  the 
only  kindness  in  our  power,  is,  by  prayer  to 
recommend  them  to  the  loving  kindness  of 
God.  From  Paul’s  example,  here,  we  may 
learn, 

1.  Constancy  in  prayer  ;  always,  without 
ceasing.  He  did  himself  observe  the  same 
rules  he  gave  to  others,  Eph.  6:  18.  1  Thess. 
5:17.  Not  that  Paul  did  nothing  else  but 
pray,  but  he  kept  [his  mind  always  in  a 
praying  frame,  kept]  up  stated  times  for  the 
solemn  performance  of  that  duty,  and  those 
very  frequent,  and  observed  without  fail. 

2.  Charity  in  prayer;  I  make  mention  of 
you.  lie  had  no  particular  acquaintance 

•  In  consequence  of  his  baggage  being  robbed,  as  is  said, 
by  Jews  in  Judea.  Ed. 


(4.)  Lord.]  ‘  Kurios:  a  word  of  deep  interest  to  Christians.  Applied  to 
Christ,  it  probably  denotes  Him  ns  Supreme  Ruler  or  Lord,  especially  of 
his  church.  -Matthew  and  Mark  do  not  apply  this  title  absolutely  to 
Christ,  except  after  his  resurrection,  Mat.  28:6.  Mark  16:19, 20.  But  Luke, 
John,  and  Paul,  apply  it  to  Him  everywhere  and  often.  With  Paul  the 
application  seems  to  be  in  a  manner  exclusive.  God  the  Father,  or 
God  absolutely  considered,  is  named  kurios,  about  30  times  in  the  O.  T. 
passages  which  Paul  cites  ;  but  elsewhere,  with  the  exception  of  some 
4  or  5  instances,  Paul  gives  to  Christ,  exclusively,  the  title  of  kurios 
or  ho  kurios,  in  more  than  250  instances  ;  Bib.  Repos.  I.  733,  sq.  The 
article  makes  no  difference  in  the  meaning;  inasmuch  as  the  word  is  a 
kind  of  proper  name  by  usage,  it  is  employed  in  like  manner  as  one,  and 
may  therefore  take  or  omit  the  article  at  the  pleasure  of  the  writer. 
See  the  Essay,  in  Bib.  Rep.’  Stuart. 

V.  5.  Stuart  understands,  with  Tholuck,  Castalio,  &c.,  that  ‘  obedi¬ 
ence  springing  from  Christian  faith  may  be  promoted  among  all  nations, 
so  that  Christ  may  be  glorified.’  Ed. 

V.  7.  This  apostolical  salutation  is  most  undeniably  a  prayer,  or  act 
of  worship,  in  which  Christ  is  addressed  in  union  with  Cod  the  Father. 
14:13—18,  v.  17.  Jn.  14:27,28.  1  Cor.  1:3.  Eph.  1:1,  2.  Phil.  2:5—8.  Sc. 

V.  8 — 12.  The  apostle’s  language  is,  for  substance,  n  most  solemn 
oath,  or  appeal  to  the  heart-searching  God,  for  the  truth  of  what  he 
said.  Mat.  5:33 — 37.  For  he  ardently  desired  to  see  and  converse  with 
them,  that  he  might  impart  to  them  some  of  those  spiritual  gifis,  which 
were  generally  conferred  by  imposition  of  tbe  apostles’  hands,  in  order 
to  their  establishment  in  the  faith.  Acts  8:14—17.  And  this  he  desired, 
in  order  that  he  might  share  the  comfort  bestowed  on  them,  and  re 
>oice  in  ministering  to  their  joy;  as  well  ns  in  conferring  with  them, 
concerning  the  nature,  ohject,  and  effects  of  that  faith,  which  was  held 
both  by  them  und  hint.  Paul  doubtless  meant  to  remind  the  Romans 


of  his  apostolical  character  and  authority,  as  sanctioning  his  doctrine, 
by  which  he  intended  to  guard  them  especially  against  the  judaizing 
teachers:  yet  he  aimed  to  do  this,  in  the  most  unassuming  and  atlec- 
tionate  manner  possible;  that  he  might  give  no  disgust  to  any  person, 
or  furnish  false  teachers  with  any  handle  against  him. — Some  think  the 
Christians  at  Rome  had  received  supernatural  gifts ;  (12-6.)  Yet  it  does 
not  appear  that  any  apostle  had  been  there  :  Paul,  however,  expected 
that  these  gifts  would  he  more  abundantly  imparted,  when  lie  should 
go  among  them  ;  and  that  they  would  be  thus  fortified  against  such  as 
attempted  to  pervert  them,  as  well  as  against  the  fear  of  persecution. — 
It  has  been  seen  how  his  prayers  for  ‘a  prosperous  journey  ’  to  Rome 
were  answered  by  his  being  sent  thither  as  a  prisoner  !  15:22 — 33.  Acts 
18:18—23.25—28.  Scott. 

(9.)  God  is  my  witness .]  ‘The  reason  why  he  here  makes  the  ap¬ 
peal  to  God,  seems  to  be,  that  he  being  a  stranger  in  person  to  the 
church  of  Rome,  they  might  otherwise  think  his  expressions  to  be  mere¬ 
ly  those  of  common  civility.’  Stuart. 

(10.)  ‘  Always  asking  in  my  prayers,  that  at  some  time  or  other,  if 
possible,  before  long,  I  may  (God  willing)  make  a  prosperous  journey, 
and  come  to  you.’  Id. 

(11.)  Gift.]  ‘Favor.’  St.  ‘Byennllage  for  gifts,  i.  e.  supernatural 
ones.  Nothing  would  so  much  tend  to  confirm  the  great  multitude 
(who  are  here  meant)  in  their  religion,  as  the  evidence  of  its  divine  ori¬ 
gin,  so  unquestionably  supplied  by  the  communion  of  such  gifts.  Had 
no  more  been  meant  than  Schleus.  and  other  recent  commentators  tell 
us  [viz.  spiritual  knowledge,  edification,  and  peace],  thnt  would  scarcely 
have  required  the  presence  of  the  apostle;  nav,  the  epistle  might  have 
been  expected  to  produce  nearly  the  same  effect.’  Bloomf. 

(12.)  ‘  Chrys.,  (Ecum.,  Theoph.,  Grot.,  Locke,  Kypke,  and  ltos.  here 

notice  the  exquisite  delicacy  with  which  the  apostle  softens  down  what 


A.  D.  6i. 


ROMANS,  I. 


Paul's  readiness  to  preach  at  Rome. 


13  Now  I  would  not  have  you 
Ignorant,  brethren,  that  oftentimes 
I  purposed  to  come  unto  you,  (but 
Was  let  hitherto,)  that  I  might  have 
some  fruit  among  you  also,  even 
as  among  other  Gentiles. 

14  I  am  u  debtor  both  to  the 
Greeks  and  to  the  barbarians,  both 
to  the  wise  and  to  the  unwise. 

13  So,  as  much  as  in  me  is,  I  am 
ready  to  preach  the  gospel  to  you 
that  are  at  Rome  also. 

[Practical  Observations. J 

16  For  I  am  not  ashamed  T  of  the 
gospel  of  Christ:  for  it  is  the  pow¬ 
er  w  of  God  unto  salvation,  to  every 
one  that  x  believeth  ;  to  y  the  Jew 
first,  and  also  to  the  Greek. 

u  1  Co.  9:16.  wJc.  23:29.  1  Co.  x  Mr.  16:16. 

▼  Ma.  8:38.  2  Ti.l:8.  1:18.  y  Ac.  3:26. 

with  them,  or  interest  in  them,  yet  he  prayed 
for  them,  for  them  expressly,  it  is  not  unfit 
sometimes  to  be  express  in  our  prayers  for 
particular  churches  and  places  ;  not  to  in¬ 
form  God,  but  to  affect  ourselves.  We  are 
likely  to  have  the  most  comfort  in  those 
friends  we  pray  most  for.  Concerning  this, 
lie  makes  a  solemn  appeal  to  the  Searcher 
of  hearts  ;  God  is  my  witness.  It  was  in  a 
weighty  matter,  known  only  to  God  and  his 
own  heart,  that  he  used  this  asseveration. 
It  is  very  comfortable  to  be  able  to  call  God 
to  witness  our  sincerity  and  constancy  in  the 
discharge  of  a  duty.  God  is  particularly  a 
witness  to  our  secret  prayers,  the  matter  of 
them,  the  manner  of  the  performance,  Mat. 
6:  6.  Those  that  serve  God  with  their  spirits, 
v.  9.  may,  with  a  humble  confidence,  appeal 
to  Him  ;  hypocrites  cannot,  who  rest  in 
bodily  exercise. 

His  particular  prayer,  among  many  other 
petitions,  was,  that  he  might  have  an  oppor¬ 
tunity  to  visit  them,  v.  10.  The  expressions 
used,  intimate,  that  he  was  very  desirous  of 
such  an  opportunity,  if  by  any  means  ;  that 


he  had  long  and  often  been  disappointed, 
now  at  length;  and  yet  submitted  it  to  the 
Divine  Providence.  As  in  our  purposes,  so 
in  our  desires,  we  must  still  remember  to 
insert  this,  if  the  Lord  will,  James  4:  15. 
Our  journeys  are  prosperous  and  comforta¬ 
ble,  or  otherwise,  according  to  the  will  of 
God. 

III.  His  great  desire  to  see  them,  with 
the  reasons  of  it,  v.  11 — 15.  He  had  often 
purposed  to  come,  v.  13.  but  was  hindered  by 
other  business  ;  he  was  for  doing  that  first, 
not  which  was  most  pleasant,  (then  he  would 
have  gone,)  but  which  was  most  needful;  a 
good  example  to.  ministers,  not  to  consult 
their  own  inclinations  so  much,  as  the  neces¬ 
sity  of  their  people’s  souls. 

Paul  desired  to  visit  these  Romans, 

1.  That  they  might  be  edified,  v.  11.  He 
received,  that  he  might  communicate.  A 
good  sermon  is  a  good  gift,  so  much  the 
better  for  being  a  spiritual  gift.  Having 
commended  their  flourishing,  he  expresses 
his  desire  that  they  may  be  established,  that 
as  they  grew  upward  in  the  branches,  they 
might  grow  downward  in  the  root  :  in  such 
a  shaking  world,  the  best  saints  need  he 
more  and  more  established  ;  and  for  this 
spiritual  gifts  are  of  special  use. 

2.  That  he  might  be  comforted,  v.  12. 
What  he  heard  of  their  flourishing  in  grace, 
was  so  much  a  joy  to  him,  that  it  must  needs 
be  much  more  so  to  behold  it.  Mutual  con¬ 
fidence  between  minister  and  people,  is  very 
comfortable.  Or,  it  may  mean  the  mutual 
work  of  faith,  which  is  love  ;  they  rejoiced 
in  the  expressions  of  one  another’s  love,  or 
communicating  their  faith  one  to  another. 
Their  edification  would  be  his  advantage, 
fruit  abounding  to  a  good  account,  v.  13. 
Paul  minded  his  work,  as  one  that  believed, 
the  more  good  he  did,  the  greater  would  his 
reward  be. 

3.  That  he  might  discharge  his  trust  as 
the  apostle  of  the  Gentiles,  v.  14.  His  receiv¬ 
ings  made  him  debtor  ;  the  great  gifts  and 
abilities  he  had,  made  him  so  ;  we  should 
think  of  this  when  we  covet  great  things  ; 
that  all  our  receivings  put  us  in  debt  ;  we 


are  but  stewards  of  our  Lord’s  goods.  His 
office  made  him  a  debtor ;  he  was  a  debtor  as 
an  apostle,  he  was  called  and  sent  to  work, 
and  had  engaged  to  mind  it.  Paul  had  im¬ 
proved  his  talent,  and  done  as  much  good  as 
ever  any  man  did,  yet,  in  reflection  on  it,  he 
still  writes  himself  debtor  ;  for  when  we  have 
done  all,  we  are  but  unprofitable  servants.  He 
was  debtor  both  to  the  Greeks,  and  to  the  bar¬ 
barians,  i.  e.  as  the  following  words  explain 
it,  to  the  wise  and  to  the  unwise.  The  Greeks 
fancied  they  had  ihe  monopoly  of  wisdom, 
and  looked  upon  all  the  rest  of  the  world  as 
barbarians,  comparatively  so;  not  cultivated 
with  learning  and  arts  as  they  were.  Now 
Paid  thought  himself  obliged  to  do  all  the 
good  he  could  to  both.  Accordingly,  we  find 
him  doing  so,  both  in  his  preaching  and  in 
his  writing.  Yon  may  observe  a  difference 
between  his  sermon  at  Lystra,  among  the 
plain  Lycaonians,  Acts  14: 15,  &c.  and  that 
at  Athens,  among  the  polite  philosophers, 
Acts  17:  22,  &c. 

For  these  reasons  he  was  ready,  if  he  had 
an  opportunity,  to  preach  the  Gospel  at  Rome, 
v.  15.  though  it  should  be  attended  with 
peril.  He  was  ready  to  run  the  risk  ;  the 
word  denotes  he  was  very  forward  to  it  : 
not  for  filthy  lucre,  but  of  a  ready  mind.  It 
is  an  excellent  thing  to  be  ready  to  meet 
every  opportunity  of  doing  or  getting  good. 

V.  16 — 18.  Paul  here  enters  on  a  large 
discourse  of  justification  ;  in  the  latter  part 
of  this  ch.  laying  down  his  thesis  ;  and,  in 
order  to  the  proof  of  it,  describing  the  de¬ 
plorable  condition  of  the  Gentile  world. 

His  transition  is  very  handsome,  and  like 
an  orator ;  he  was  ready  to  preach  the  Gos¬ 
pel  at  Rome,  where  it  was  run  down  by  the 
wits,  v.  16. 

There  is  a  great  deal  in  the  Gospel  which 
such  a  man  as  Paul  might  be  tempted  to  be 
ashamed  of,  especially  that  its  Author  was 
hanged  on  a  tree;  its  doctrine  had  nothing  to 
set  it  off  among  scholars,  its  professors  were 
mean  and  despised,  and  everywhere  spoken 
against ;  yet  Paul  was  not  ashamed  to  own  it. 
I  reckon  him  a  Christian  indeed,  that  is 
neither  ashamed  of  the  Gospel,  nor  a  shame 


PltACT.  OBS.  V.  1 — 15.  ‘  A  servant  of  Jesus  Christ  ’  is  the  highest 
style  of  man  ;  mid  the  Christian  slave  is  ‘  a  servant  of  Christ.’  as  truly 
as  the  apostle. — All  those  who  are  thus  distinguished,  have  been  1  called  ’ 
out  of  a  state  of  darkness  and  alienation  from  God,  and  1  separated  ’  from 
their  sinful  connexions,  by  divine  grace;  and  thus  taught  to  believe, 
love,  adorn,  and  promote  the  Gospel  of  God. — In  proportion  as  grace 
is  communicated,  peace  may  be  expected  ;  and  when  grace  shall  ripen 
into  perfect  holiness,  peace  will  become  complete  fruition.  These  then 
are  the  great  blessings,  which  we  should  seek  for  ourselves,  our  children, 
oar  friends,  and  all  around  us,  in  preference  to  all  earthly  possessions  or 
prosperity  :  and  they  must  be  sought  from  the  mercy  of  God,  our  Fa¬ 
ther,  by  faith  in  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and  by  reliance  on  his  merits  and 

might  appear  arrogant  in  the  preceding  sentence  ’  Bloomf. 

V.  13—15.  The  apostle  was  exceedingly  desirous  to  have  some  fruit 
among  the  Romans,  as  well  as  among  the  other  Gentiles  :  for,  as  he 
had  been  converted  in  a  most  extraordinary  manner,  and  entrusted  with 
a  dispensation  of  the  Gospel;  he  thought  himself  hound  to  do  every¬ 
thing  which  he  possibly  could,  to  promote  the  salvation  of  men  in  gen¬ 
eral,  especially  among  the  Gentiles.  Scott. 

(13.)  Hindered .]  ‘By  one  mean  or  another.’  Dnddr.  ‘A  proof 
that  the  minds  and  actions  of  the  apostles  were  not  continually  over¬ 
ruled  by  a  divine  afflatus  ;  but  that  their  measures  were  often  concerted 
by  human  foresight  alone,  and  of  course  subject  to  disappointment. 
Comp.  15  23,  24.  Acts  19:21.’  Slade,  in  Bloomf. 

(14.)  1 1  am  bound  by  mv  calling,  gifts,  and  spiritual  office,  as  teacher 

of  the  Gentiles,  to  evangelize  both  Greeks  and  barbarians.  Syr.  and 
Chrys.  The  Gospel  was  so  fitted  to  all  men,  that  it  despised  not  the 
stupid,  nor  ought  to  be  despised  by  inen  of  genius.  Qrot.  As  the  Gos¬ 
pel  was  committed  to  his  trust,  he  was  a  trustee ,  and  so  a  debtor,  to  dis¬ 
pense  it  freely  to  all,  as  he  should  have  opportunity.  See  1  Tim.  1:11. 
1  Thess.  2:4.  Taylor.  So  Ros.  and  Schleus.'  Bl.  Barbarians.]  ‘  Am¬ 
monias  explains  this  by  non-Greek ;  and  that  this  very  early  distinction 
continued  to  a  late  period,  and  that  the  Romans  were  also  included  in 
Barbaroi,  is  seen  in  Polyb.  After  the  Romans  had  conquered  them,  the 
Greeks  either  (as  Diod.  Sic.,  Plut.,  and  Appian)  avoided  the  use  of  the 
invidious  word,  or,  as  Dion.  Hal.,  meant  the  uncivilized,  excluding  the 
Romans,  as  of  Greek  extraction.  So  Strabo,  Herodian,  l)io  Cass.  Jos. 
rarely  uses  the  phrase,  but  takes  care  not  to  express  in  which  class  he 
reckomed  the  Romans.  lie  evidently,  however,  means  to  consider  the 
Jews  as  separate  from  both  classes, — as,  I  think,  the  apostle  does.  So 
Col.  3:11.’  Bloomf. 

V.  16.  While  Jewish  rabbies,  and  pagan  philosophers,  had  tried  in 
vain  to  reform  men’s  lives ;  the  despised  Gospel  of  Christ,  wherever  it 
had  been  preached,  had  been  rendered  extensively  successful  for  that 
purpose.  ‘  It  is  the  power  of  God  unto  salvation.’  ‘  Now  it  is  plain, 
that  it  is  not  merely  the  power  of  God  manifested  in  outward  miracles, 
that  is  there  spoken  of;  for  miracles  were  wrought  upon  and  in  the 

[176] 


mediation.  ..  .Yet  alas  !  most  of  us  must  own,  with  shame,  that  we 
are  not  so  earnest  or  particular,  even  in  our  narrow  circles,  as  Paul 
was,  in  respect  of  his  most  extensive  connexions,  and  with  all  his  urgent 
and  multiplied  engagements.  But  we  should  endeavor  to  imitate  him, 
even  as  he  imitated  Christ:  and  xve  ought  to  long  for  opportunities  of 
usefulness,  as  worldly  men  do  for  a  prosperous  trade,  or  occasions  of 
distinguishing  themselves  and  acquiring  celebrity  :  and  count  that  the 
most  successful  journey  or  undertaking,  in  which  most  good  has  been 
done  or  attempted  ;  though  it  have  exposed  us  to  hardship,  loss,  or  peril. 
Nor  ought  we  to  deem  such  services  any  great  thing;  bat  merely  our 
bounden  duty,  our  debt  of  devoted  obedience  to  God,  of  gratitude  to 
Christ,  and  of  love  to  our  neighbors  and  our  brethren.  Scott. 

presence  both  of  them  that  believed  not,  and  them  that  did  believe.  The 
power  of  God,  there  spoken  of,  is  a  power  felt  only  by  them  that  be¬ 
lieve  :  so  that  whatever  the  enemies  of  the  free  grnce  of  God  may., 
suggest;  it  cannot  be  meant  of  those  extraordinary  manifestations  of 
power  in  healing  men’s  bodies,  &c.  but  of  that  inward  teaching  and 
drawing  of  the  Father,  of  which  the  prophets  foretold,  that  it  would  be 
bestowed  in  a  large  manner  in  gospel-times.’  Mac/aurin.  Scott. 

(16.)  Ashamed.]  ‘  Chrysostom  has,  I  think,  alone  suggested  the  true 
mode  of  considering  the  expression  :  and  in  this  he  has  been  followed 
(as  usual)  by  Theoph.,  OScu  ,  and  Theod.  “Since  the  Romans  were 
great  admirers  of  riches,  pomp,  and  worldly  glory,  and  Paul  was  about 
to  preach  to  them  a  Savior  in  whom  was  the  very  reverse  of  all  this, 
and  doctrines  very  humbling  to  the  pride  of  man,  he  takes  care  to  assure 
them,  that  he  is  not  ashamed  of  the  Gospel :  and  thereby  means  to  del¬ 
icately  admonish  them  not  to  be  so.”  Koppe  observes,  that  “  this  sen¬ 
timent  was  suggested  to  the  apostle  by  the  association  of  ideas,  on 
writing  the  words,  those  in  Rome :  q.  d.  I  shall  not  he  ashamed,  no, 
not  at  Rome,  where  high  literary  endowments  are  combined  with  unre¬ 
strained  licentiousness,  and  where,  therefore,  the  doctrines  of  a  crucified 
Savior  would  he  likely  to  attract  naught  but  derision  both  to  themselves 
and  their  promulgator.  By  this  sentiment  the  apostle  glides,  tanyuam 
a/iud  agens,  to  the  subject  w'hich  he  especially  meant  to  treat ;  namely, 
to  prove,  that  it  is  only  by  Christ  Jesus  that  men  could  be  delivered 
from  those  punishments  to  which  all,  both  Jew's  and  Gentiles,  had,  by 
their  own  fault,  rendered  themselves  obnoxious.”  Power,  &c.j  The 
powerful  means  employed  by  God  for  the  salvation  of  man.  Abstract 
for  concrete.’  Bloomf. 

(16 — 18.)  ‘These  3  vs.  contain  4  propositions,  which  lie  at  the  basis 
of  all  that  may  be  appropriately  called  the  Gospel  of  Christ.  (1.)  To 
Gospel  truth  is  imparted  u  divine  energy  in  saving  the  souls  of  men. 
(2  )  Those  only  can  be  saved  by  it,  who  believe  in  it,  and  put  their  con¬ 
fidence  in  it.  (3.)  The  pardon  of  sin,  or  the  justification  which  God  will 
bestow  only  on  sinners  who  believe  in  Christ,  is  revealed  from  heaven, 
and  proposed  to  all  men  for  their  reception.  (4.)  From  the  same  source 
a  revelation  is  made,  that  the  unbelieving  and  ungodly  will  be  the  sub- 


P aul’s  discourse  of  justification. 


A.  D.  61. 


ROMANS,  I. 


17  For  therein  *is  the  righteous¬ 
ness  of  God  revealed  from  faith  to 
faith  :  as  it  is  *  written,  The  just 
shall  live  by  faith. 

18  For  the  wrath  bof  God  is  re¬ 
vealed  from  heaven  against  all  un¬ 
godliness,  and  unrighteousness  of 
men,  who  hold  the  truth  in  unright¬ 
eousness  : 

19  Because  that  which  may  be 
known  of  God  is  manifest  cin  them; 
for  d  God  hath  shewed  it  unto  them. 


t  c.  3:21:25. 
a  Hub.  2:1. 


b  Ep.  5:6. 
c  or,  to  them. 


d  Jn.  1:9. 


to  it.  The  reason  of  this  bold  profession, 
taken  from  the  nature  and  excellency  of  the 
Gospel,  introduces  his  dissertation. 

1.  The  proposition,  v.  16,  17.  The  ex¬ 
cellency  of  the  Gospel  lies  in  this,  that  it 
reveals  to  us, 

1.  The  salvation  of  believers  as  the  end; 

it  is  the  power  of  God  unto  salvation.  Paul  is 
not  ashamed  of  it  on  this  account,  that  it 
shows  us  the  way  of  salvation,  Acts  16:  17. 
and  is  the  great  charter  by  which  salvation  is 
conveyed  and  made  over  to  us.  But,  (1.)  It 
is  through  the  power  of  God  ;  without  that  it 
is  but  a  dead  letter ;  the  revelation  of  the  Gos¬ 
pel,  is  the  revelation  of  the  arm  of  the  Lord, 
Is.  53:1.  (2.)  It  is  to  those,  and  those  on¬ 

ly,  that  believe  ;  believing  interests  us  in  the 
gospel-salvation  ;  to  the  Jew  first,  to  whom 
the  offer  was  first  made,  both  by  Christ  and 
his  apostles,  Acts  3:  26.  but  on  their  refusal, 
to  the.  Gentiles,  Acts  13:  46.  Such  doctrine 
was  surprising  to  the  Jews,  who  had  hitherto 
been  the  peculiar  people,  and  looked  with 
scorn  on  the  Gentile  world  ;  but  the  long 
expected  Messiah,  proves  a  Light  to  lighten 
the  Gentiles,  as  well  as  the  Glory  of  his  people 
Israel. 

2.  The  justification  of  believers  as  the 
way,  v.  17.  For  therein,  i.  e.  in  this  Gospel, 
which  Paul  so  much  triumphs  in,  is  the  right¬ 
eousness  of  God  revealed.  The  Gospel  makes 
known  this  righteousness.  While  God  is  just 
and  holy,  and  we  are  guilty,  it  is  necessary 
we  have  a  righteousness  wherein  to  appear 
before  Him  ;  and  blessed  be  God,  there  is 
such  a  righteousness  brought  in  by  Messiah 
the  Prince,  Dan.  9:  24.  and  revealed  in  the 
Gospel;  called  here  the  righteousness  of  God, 
as  being  of  God’s  appointing,  approving, 


and  accepting;  so  called,  also,  to  cut  off  all 
pretensions  to  a  righteousness  resulting  from 
the  merit  of  our  own  works  :  said  to  be 
from  faith  to  faith;  from  the  faithfulness  of 
God  revealing,  to  the  faith  of  man  receiving, 
so  some  ;  from  the  faith  of  dependence  on 
God,  and  dealing  with  Him  immediately,  as 
Adam  before  the  fall,  to  the  faith  of  depen¬ 
dence  on  a  Mediator,  and  so  dealing  with 
God,  so  others ;  from  the  first  faith,  by  which 
we  are  pul  into  a  justified  state,  to  after  faith, 
[successive  acts  of  faith,]  by  which  we  live, 
and  are  continued  in  that  state,  both  implied 
in  the  next  words,  The  just  shall  liveby  faith, 
faith  being  all  in  all,  both  in  the  beginning 
and  progress  of  a  Christian  life. 

To  show  that  this  is  no  novel  doctrine,  he 
quotes  for  it  that  famous  scripture  in  the 
O.  T.  so  often  mentioned  in  the  New,  Hab. 
2:  4.  The  just  shall  live  by  faith.  Being  jus¬ 
tified  by  faith,  he  shall  live  by  it  both  the  life 
of  grace,  and  of  glory.  The  discovery  by  the 
prophet  was,  of  the  certainty  of  the  appear¬ 
ance  of  the  promised  Messiah,  in  the  fulness  of 
lime,  notwithstanding  seeming  delays,  there 
called  the  vision,  by  way  of  eminence,  as  else¬ 
where  the  promise ;  and  while  that  time  is 
coming,  as  well  as  when  it  is  come,  the  just 
shall  live  by  faith.  Thus  is  the  evangelical 
righteousness  from  faith  to  faith  :  from  O.  1’. 
faith  in  a  Christ  to  come,  to  N.  T.  faith  in 
a  Christ  already  come. 

II.  The  proof  of  this  proposition,  that 
both  Jews  and  Gentiles  stand  in  need  of  a 
righteousness  wherein  to  appear  before  God, 
and  that  neither  have  any  of  their  own.  Jus¬ 
tification  must  be  either  by  faith  or  works  ; 
it  cannot  be  by  works,  which  he  proves  at 
large,  by  describing  the  works  both  of  Jews 
and  Gentiles;  therefore  he  concludes  it  must 
be  by  faith,  ch.  3  :  20,  28.  Like  a  skilful 
surgeon,  before  he  applies  the  plaster,  he 
searches  the  wound;  endeavors  first  to  con¬ 
vince  of  guilt  and  wrath,  and  then  to  show  the 
way  of  salvation.  This  makes  the  Gospel  the 
more  welcome. 

Jn  general,  v.  18.  the  wrath  of  God  is  re¬ 
vealed.  The  light  of  nature,  and  the  light  of 
the  law,  reveal  the  wrath  of  God  from  sin  to 
sin.  It  is  well  for  us,  that  the  Gospel  reveals 
the  justifying  righteousness  of  God  from  faith 
to  faith.  The  antithesis  is  observable. 

1.  Here  is  the  sinfulness  of  man  described  ; 
he  reduceth  it  to  two  heads,  ungodliness 
against  the  laws  of  the  first  table,  unright¬ 
eousness  against  those  of  the  second. 


jects  of  divine  indignation  and  punishment.  [What,  some  ask,  becomes 
of  the  600,000,000  of  the  human  race  born  where  lliere  is  no  Gospel  ? 
Will  Christ’s  death  avail  the  best  of  them  nothing?  See  2:6-16.  Ed.]  The 
apostle  does  not  proceed  formally,  and  in  order,  to  illustrate  and  estab¬ 
lish  these  propositions  separately  and  successively  ;  but  now  one  part 
and  now  another  comes  in  view,  as  he  proceeds,  and  the  whole  is  fully 
developed  by  him  in  the  course  of  the  epistle.’  Stuart. 

V.  17.  In  the  Gospel,  God  had  revealed,  not  only  the  righteousness 
of  his  perfect  character  and  government,  and  the  righteousness  required 
by  his  holy  law,  but  that  also  which  He  had  appointed,  provided,  and 
introduced,  for  the  justification  of  sinners  before  Him.  This  might  be 
called  ‘  the  righteousness  of  God,’  for  other  reasons  ;  but  especially,  be¬ 
cause  it  consisted  of  the  perfect  obedience  unto  death  of  that  glorious 
Person,  who  is  ‘ God  manifested  in  the  llesh.’  ‘This  phrase,  in  Paul’s 
style,  doth  always  signify  the  righteousness  of  faith  in  Christ  Jesus  dy¬ 
ing,  or  shedding  his  blood  for  us.. .  .  This  righteousness  consisls  not  in 
our  sanctification,  but  in  our  justification,  or  absolution  from  our  sins 
past,  through  faith  in  the  blood  of  Christ,  shed  for  the  remission  of  sins.’ 
Whitby. — ‘Therein  is  the  righteousness,  which  is  of  the  free  grace  of 
God,  through  Jesus  Christ,  revealed  to  be  wholly  of  faith.’  Locke.  The 
texts  referred  to  [see  Scott’s  M.  R.  o.],  if  duly  considered,  will  prepare 
the  render  to  expect  something  still  more  appropriate,  in  this  most  re¬ 
markable  expression  ;  and  a  far  higher  privilege  to  believers,  than  these 
concessions,  which  are  of  no  small  importance,  point  out  to  us.  3:21  — 
26.  2  Cor.  .5:18—21,  v.  21.  Phil.  3:8—11,  v.  9.  2  Pet.  1:1,  2.  Scott. 

(17.)  Righteousness,  Ac.]  DikaiosunS.  ‘  Accepting  and  treating 
as  righteous.’  3:21.  St.  ‘  Most  explain,  the  doctrine  of  acceptance  with 
God  by  faith.  Called  of  God,  says  Locke,  because  a  righteousness,  a 
justification,  “  of  his  contrivance  and  bestowing.”  Koppe  understands, 
“immunity  front  the  punishment  of  sin;  and,  united  with  this,  a  sense 
of  divine  rewards.”  But  this  seems  very  vague  and  arbitrary.  Slorr  Ir. 
probitas  et  beatitas.  Schoett.  and  Syr.  benignity  ;  Ros.  favor,  beneficiunt, 
and  he  says,  there  is  a  reason  given  why  the  Christian  religion  is  to  be 
acknowledged  as  the  most  effectual  means  of  salvation.  Ammon,  Wahl, 
and  Turner  take  it  to  mean,  not  the  righteousness,  or  rather  justification, 
itself,  but  the  mode  of  justification,  which  God  has  exhibited  in  the  Gos¬ 
pel  ;  and  this  seems  correct.  From  faith,  Ac.]  Many,  as  Hamm., 
Mackm,  and  Storr,  r.  “for  the  righteousness  of  God  by  faith  (i.  e.  pro¬ 
duced  by  faith)  is  revealed  in  it  (i.  e.  the  Gospel)  in  order  to  faith  (i.  e. 
to  produce  faith  in  those  to  whom  it  is  promulgated.)  Ros.,  Doddr.,  and 
N.  T.  VOL.  V.  23 


2.  The  cause  of  that  sinfulness,  and  that 
is,  holding  the  truth  in  unrighteousness.  Some 
ideas  they  had  of  the  being  of  God,  and  of 
the  difference  of  good  and  evil ;  but  they  held 
them  in  unrighteousness ,  i.  e.  they  knew  and 
professed  them  in  a  consistency  with  their 
wicked  courses;  they  held  the  truth  as  a  cap¬ 
tive  or  prisoner,  that  it  should  not  influence 
them,  as  otherwise  it  would. 

3.  The  displeasure  of  God  against  it;  the 
wrath  of  God  is  revealed  from  heaven;  not  only 
in  the  written  Word,  the  Gentiles  had  not 
that,  but  in  the  providences  of  God,  his  judg¬ 
ments  executed  on  sinners,  which  fall  not  out 
by  chance,  but  area  revelation  from  heaven  ; 
or  wrath  from  heaven  is  revealed;  not  the  wrath 
of  a  man  like  ourselves,  but  wrath  from  heaven, 
therefore  the  more  terrible,  and  the  more 
unavoidable. 

V.  19 — 32.  In  this  last  part  of  the  ch.  he 
applies  what  he  had  said  particularly  to  the 
Gentile  world  :  in  which  we  may  observe, 
I.  The  means  and  helps  they  had  to  come 
to  the  knowledge  of  God  ;  not  such  a  knowl¬ 
edge  of  his  law  as  Jacob  and  Israel  had,  Ps. 
147 :  20.  yet  among  them  He  left  not  Himself 
without  witness,  Acts  14: 17.  v.  19,  20.  Ob¬ 
serve, 

1.  What  discoveries  they  had  ;  That  which 
may  be  known  of  God  is  manifest  in  them  ; 
some  even  among  them  were  convinced  of 
the  existence  of  one  supreme  God.  The 
philosophy  of  Pythagoras,  Plato,  and  the 
Stoics,  discovered  a  great  deal  of  the  knowl¬ 
edge  of  God,  as  appears  by  plenty  of  testi¬ 
monies.  That  which  may  be  known,  implies 
a  great  deal  may  not  be  known.  The  being 
of  God  may  be  apprehended,  but  cannot  be 
comprehended.  We  cannot  by  searching  find 
Him  out.  Job  11:7 — 9.  but,  blessed  be 
God,  there  is  enough  which  may  be  known, 
to  lead  us  to  our  chief  end,  the  glorifying  and 
enjoying  of  Him  :  and  these  things  belong 
to  us  and  to  our  children,  Deut.  29:  29. 

2.  Whence  they  had  these  discoveries  ; 
God  hath  showed  it  to  them.  Those  common 
natural  notions  they  had  of  God,  were  im¬ 
printed  on  their  hearts  by  the  God  of  nature 
Himself,  who  is  the  Father  of  lights.  This 
sense  of  a  Deity,  and  a  regard  to  that  Deity, 
is  so  connate  with  the  human  nature,  that 
some  think  we  are  to  distinguish  men  from 
brutes  by  it,  rather  than  by  reason. 

3.  By  what  way  and  means  these  discov¬ 
eries  and  notices  they  had,  were  confirmed 
and  improved, — by  the  work  of  creation, 

Schleus.  r.  “  to  those  who  have  faith.”  But  that  would  require  the  ar¬ 
ticle.’  Bl.  ‘For  the  justification  which  is  of  God,  is  revealed  by  it, 
(justification,)  by  faith,  in  order  that  we  may  believe.’  St.,  whom  see. 
‘  So  Flatt.,  Beng.,  Hamm.’  As  it.  is  written.]  ‘  I.  e.  “so  that  one  may 
here  apply  the  Scripture,”  &c.  This  is  the  admitted  meaning  of  the 
formula.  “The  just  shall  live  by  faith,”  seems,  says  Taylor,  a  Jewish 
proverb.  To  live,  means  to  be  happy.  That  this  was  a  common  Jew¬ 
ish  opinion,  appears  from  the  writings  of  the  Rabbins.’  Bloomf. 

V.  18 — 20.  ‘  In  vain  does  the  evangelical  doctrine  exhort  men  to  seek 

righteousness  and  salvation  in  Christ  alone,  apprehended  by  faith,  un¬ 
less  all  men  be  previously  convicted  as  guilty  of  unrighteousness;  which 
the  apostle  now  begins  to  prove,  concluding  at  chap.  3:24.’  Beza.  The 
apostle  here  opens  his  main  subject;  and  begins  to  show,  that  all  men 
deeply  need  the  salvation  of  the  Gospel,  because  none  can  obtain  the 
favor  of  God,  or  escape  his  wrath,  by  their  own  works.  The  ignorant 
and  deluded  indeed  might  imagine,  that  their  supposed  virtues  would 
atone  for  their  vices  ;  hut  in  fact,  ‘  the  wrath  of  God  has  been  revealed 
from  heaven,’  against  every  kind  and  degree  of  ‘  ungodliness  and  un¬ 
righteousness  of  men  :  ’  not  only  against  vice  and  immorality,  in  the 
conduct  of  men  towards  each  other;  but  every  failure  of  that  reverence, 
love,  gratitude,  and  honor,  which  are  due  [and  ever  were  due  in  the 
highest  degree,  a  perfect  obedience]  unto  God  :  even  of  ‘all  those  who 
hold  the  truth  in  unrighteousness.’  This  revelation  had  been  especially 
made  by  the  holy  law  of  God,  and  the  Old  Test,  dispensation  ;  and  had 
now  been  more  generally  published  and  fully  explained  by  the  Gospel. 
And  though  some  extenuation  might  be  admitted,  in  respect  of  those 
who  had  not  been  favored  with  ‘  the  oracles  of  God  ;  ’  yet  all  men  were 
found  guilty,  and  exposed  to  this  ‘  revealed  wrath,’  for  ‘  holding  the  truth 
in  unrighteousness,’  or  acting  in  opposition  to  their  knowledge,  and  the 
conviction  of  their  own  consciences.  [The  single  fact,  that  all  nations 
have  had  sacrifices,  shows  a  sense  in  all  of  sin  to  be  atoned  for.]  All 
xvere  [endowed  with  a  conscience,  Ac.  and]  acquainted  with  many 
leading  truths,  concerning  moral  duties  ;  but  their  depravity  imprisoned 
those  truths,  and,  so,  restrained  them  from  duly  influencing  their  con¬ 
duct.  AH  might  have  known  far  more  than  they  did,  had  they  not 
hated  the  light  through  love  of  sin.  Indeed,  to  this  day,  no  man,  or  any 
sect  or  nation,  perfectly  lives  up  to  his  own  principles  :  all,  at  some 
times,  ami  in  sotne  tilings,  do  what  they  know  to  be  wrong,  and  omit 
what  tliev  know  [by  that  perfection  of  conscience  which  would  have 
resulted  from  perfect  obedience]  to  be  their  duty.  So  that  the  plea 


A.  D.  61. 


ROMANS,  I. 


Paul’s  discourse  of  justification. 


20  For  the  invisible  things  of 
him  from  the  creation  of  the  world 
are  clearly  seen,  being  understood 
by  the  things  '  that  are  made,  even 
his  eternal  power  and  Godhead  ; 
fso  that  they  are  without  excuse  : 

21  Because  that,  when  they  knew 
God,  they  glorified  him  not  as  God, 
neither  were  thankful,  but  became 
s  vain  in  their  imaginations,  and 
their  foolish  heart  was  darkened  : 

22  Professing  themselves  to  be 
wise,  they  h  became  fools, 

23  And  changed  the  glory  of  the 
uncorruptible  God  into  an  image 
'made  like  to  corruptible  man,  and 
to  birds,  and  four-footed  beasts, 
and  creeping  things. 

ePs.  19:1, &c.  g  Je.2:5.  Ep.4:17,18.  i  Is.  40: 18,  26. 
f  or,  that  they  h  Je.  8:8,9.  Ez.  8:10. 

may  be. 

v.  20.  the  things  that  are  made;  they  could  not 
make  themselves,  nor  fall  into  such  an  exact 
order  and  harmony  by  any  casual  hits;  and 
therefore  must  have  been  produced  by  some 
first  cause  or  intelligent  agent;  which  could 
be  no  other  than  an  eternal,  powerful  God. 
SeePs.  19:1.  Is.  40:  26.  Acts  17:  24.  The 
workman  is  known  by  his  work.  The  va¬ 
riety,  multitude,  order,  beauty,  harmony, 
different  nature,  and  excellent  contrivance, 
of  the  things  made,  the  direction  of  them  to 
certain  ends,  and  the  concurrence  of  all  the 
parts  to  the  good  and  beauty  of  the  whole,  do 
abundantly  prove  a  Creator,  and  his  eternal 
power  and  Godhead.  Thus  did  the  light 
shine  in  the  darkness. 

And  this  from  the  creation  of  the  world.  Un¬ 
derstand  either  the  work  of  creation,  as  a 
topic,  and  man  in  particular,  so  some  ;  and 
so  he  is  called  creature,  Mark  16:15;  or,  the 
date  of  the  discovery;  as  old  as  the  creation 
of  the  world,  in  which  sense  the  phrase  is 
most  frequently  used  in  Scripture.  These 
notices  concerning  God,  are  not  any  modern 
discoveries,  hit  upon  of  late,  but  ancient 
truths,  which  were  from  the  beginning. 

II.  Their  gross  idolatry,  notwithstanding 
these  discoveries  that  God  made  to  them  of 
Himself;  described  here,  v.  21 — 23,  25. 
We  shall  the  less  wonder  at  the  inefficacy 
of  these  natural  discoveries,  to  prevent  the 
idolatry  of  the  Gentiles,  if  we  remember  how 


prone  even  the  Jews,  who  had  scripture- 
light  to  guide  them,  were  to  idolatry  ;  so 
miserably  are  the  degenerate  sons  of  men 
plunged  in  the  inire  of  sense  !  Observe, 

1.  The  inward  cause  of  their  idolatry, 
v.  21,  22.  They  are  therefore  without  ex¬ 
cuse,  in  that  they  did  know  God,  and  from 
that  their  duty  to  worship  Him,  and  Him 
only.  But  the  mischief  was,  they  glorified 
Him  not  as  God  ;  their  affections  toward 
Him,  and  their  awe  and  adoration  of  Him, 
did  not  keep  pace  with  their  knowledge.  To 
glorify  Him  as  God,  is  to  glorify  Him  only; 
for  there  can  be  but  one  infinite  t  but  they 
did  not  so  glorify  Him,  for  they  set  up  a 
multitude  of  other  deities.  To  glorify  Him 
as  God,  is  to  worship  Him  with  spiritual 
worship  ;  but  they  made  images  of  Him. 
Not  to  glorify  God  as  God,  is  in  effect  not 
to  glorify  Him  at  all  ;  to  respect  Him  as  a 
creature,  is  not  to  glorify  Him,  but  to  dis¬ 
honor  Him. 

Neither  were  thankful;  not  thankful  for  the 
favors  in  general  they  received  from  God  ; 
nor  in  particular  for  the  discoveries  God  was 
pleased  to  make  of  Himself  to  them.  Those 
that  do  not  improve  the  means  of  knowledge 
and  grace,  are  justly  reckoned  unthankful 
for  them. 

But  became  vain  in  their  imaginations ,  in 
their  reasonings ,  in  their  practical  inferences. 
They  had  a  great  knowledge  of  general 
truths,  v.  19.  but  no  prudence  to  apply  them 
to  particular  cases.  Or,  in  their  notions  of 
God,  and  the  creation  of  the  world,  and  the 
origination  of  mankind,  and  the  chief  good; 
in  these  things,  when  they  quitted  the  plain 
truth,  they  soon  disputed  themselves  into  a 
thousand  vain  and  foolish  fancies. 

And  their  foolish  heart  was  darkened.  The 
foolishness  and  practical  wickedness  of  the 
heart,  cloud  and  darken  the  intellectual  pow¬ 
ers  and  faculties.  Nothing  tends  more  to 
the  blinding  and  perverting  of  the  understand¬ 
ing,  than  the  corruption  and  depravedness 
of  the  will  and  affections. 

V.  22.  reflects  on  the  philosophers;  and  it 
was  the  just  punishment  of  their  pride  and 
self-conceitedness,  that  they  fell  into  the  most 
gross  and  absurd  conceits  ;  it  has  been  ob¬ 
served,  that  the  most  refined  nations,  that 
made  the  greatest  show  of  wisdom,  were  the 
arrantest  fools  in  religion.  The  barbarians 
adored  the  sun  and  moon,  the  learned  Egyp¬ 
tians,  an  ox  and  an  onion  ;  the  Grecians, 
who  excelled  in  wisdom,  adored  diseases  and 


human  passions:  the  Romans,  the  wisest  of 
all,  worshipped  the  furies  :  and  at  this  day, 
the  poor  Americans  worship  the  thunder  ; 
while  the  ingenious  Chinese  adore  the  devil. 
Thus  the  world  by  wisdom  knew  not  God, 
1  Cor.  1:21.  Hence  few  philosophers  were 
converted  to  Christianity  ;  and  Paul’s 
preaching  was  nowhere  so  laughed  at,  and 
ridiculed,  as  among  the  learned  Athenians, 
Acts  17:  18,  32.;  conceiting  themselves  to  be 
wise.  The  plain  truth  of  the  being  of  God 
would  not  content  them  ;  they  thought  them¬ 
selves  above  that,  and  so  fell  into  the  greatest 
errors. 

2.  The  outward  acts  of  their  idolatry, 
v.  23,  25.  They  owned  a  supreme  Numcn, 
but  in  effect  disowned  Him,  by  the  worship 
they  paid  the  creature  :  for  God  will  be  all 
or  none.  Or,  served  the  creature  above  the 
Creator;  paying  more  respect,  to  their  infe¬ 
rior  deities,  stars,  heroes,  demons,  thinking 
the  supreme  God  inaccessible,  or  above  their 
worship.  Worshipping  the  creature  was  the 
general  wickedness  of  the  Gentile  world,  and 
became  twisted  in  with  their  laws  and  gov¬ 
ernment  ;  in  compliance  with  which,  even 
the  wise  men  among  them,  who  knew  and 
owned  a  supreme  God,  and  were  convinced 
of  the  nonsense  and  absurdity  of  their  pol¬ 
ytheism  and  idolatry,  yet  did  as  the  rest  of 
their  neighbors  did.  Thus  Seneca  de  Super- 
stitione,  as  it  is  quoted  by  Aug.  de  Civil.  Dei, 
lib.  6.  cap.  10.  I  mention  this,  because  it 
explains  the  apostle  here,  v.  18.  who  hold  the 
truth  in  unrighteousness. 

It  is  observable,  that,  on  mention  of  the 
dishonor  done  to  God  by  the  idolatry  of  the 
Gentiles,  the  apostle,  in  the  midst  of  his  dis¬ 
course,  expresses  himself  in  an  awful  adora¬ 
tion  of  God,  Who  is  blessed  for  ever.  Amen. 
When  we  see  or  hear  of  any  contempt  cast 
on  God  or  his  name,  we  should  thence  take 
occasion  to  think  and  speak  highly  and  hon¬ 
orably  of  Him.  In  this,  as  in  other  things, 
the  worse  others  are,  the  better  we  should 
be.  Blessed  for  ever,  notwithstanding  these 
dishonors  done  to  his  name  :  though  there 
are  those  that  do  not  glorify  Him,  yet  He  is 
glorified,  and  will  be  glorified  to  eternity. 

III.  The  judgments  of  God  on  them  for  this 
idolatry  :  not  many  temporal  judgments,  but 
spiritual  judgments,  giving  them  up  to  the 
most  brutish  and  unnatural  lusts.  He  gave 
them  up  ;  it  is  thrice  repeated  here,  v.  24, 
26,  28.  Spiritual  judgments  are  the  sorest 
of  all,  and  to  be  most  dreaded.  Observe, 


of  ignorance  cannot  be  admitted,  in  its  full  latitude,  in  favor  of  any 
but  idiots;  for  all  rebel  against  that  light,  not  only  which  they  might 
have  obtained,  [and  if  there  is  but  one.  omission,  how  can  the  reward 
of  perfect  obedience  be  claimed  ?  and  how  can  any  merit  over  and  above 
a  perfect  obedience,  at  every  moment  required,  be  laid  up  to  atone  for 
one  failure  even  ?]  but  which  they  actually  possess.  (M.  R.  u.) — This 
general  principle  the  apostle  proceeded  to  illustrate,  by  the  state  of  the 
Gentile  world.  Thus,  even  idolaters  and  Gentiles  are  left  without  ex¬ 
cuse;  and  their  ungodliness  and  unrighteousness  are  proved  to  be  the 
effect  of  their  depraved  dispositions,  rather  than  of  their  want  of  in¬ 
formation,  «r  the  means  of  obtaining  it.  All  might  have  known  more  of 
God  than  they  did,  had  they  [ lived  up  to  what  knowledge  they  hadj.  (18) 
Revealed.]  [How  true  is  this  of  the  rewards  aud  penaiiies  of  God’s 
natural  laws;  how  striking  the  analogy  between  them  and  revelation  !] 
‘The  words  of  Paul  to  the  Athenians  give  light  to  these  here  to  the  Ro¬ 
mans.  Acts  17:22 — 31.’  Locke.  (20;  Being  understood ,  <tc.]  ‘Or, 
“If  they  be  minded,  they  are  seen.”  The  invisible  things  of  God  lie 
within  the  reacli  and  discovery  of  men’s  reason  aud  understanding;  but 
yet  they  must  exercise  their  faculties,  and  employ  their  minds  about 
them.’  Locke.  Scott. 

(19.)  In.]  St.  tr.  ‘to;’  Bl.  ‘among.’  Kd. 

(20.)  ‘For  although  He  Himself  cannot  be  seen  with  the  eyes,  yet  from 
the  (i.  e.  from  the  period  of  the)  very  creation  of  the  world  there  may 
be  seen  (if  we  attend  to  the  things  constituted  and  effected  by  Him)  his 
eternal  power  and  maj, >sty.’  Koppe.  Godheal.]  ‘ Everything  compre¬ 
hended  in  the  idea  of  God  ;  alt  the  divine  attributes.  “  In  this  mundane 
system  (says  Mackn  )  everything  .is  so  formed,  that  to  the  pious  among 
the  [illiterate]  God  Himself  appears  to  be  the  Aulhor  of  all  the  opera¬ 
tions  of  nature.  But  they  who  iiave  attained  a  partial  knowledge  of 
what  is  called  natural  philosophy,  have,  from  the  discovery  of  some 
second  ennses,  been  led  to  fancy,  that  the  whole  system  nmv  be  account¬ 
ed  for  without  the  intervention  of  a  Deity;  [as  if  nature  informed  and 
perfected  itself,  struggling  thron,h  matter  towards  perfection,  as  is 
blindly  set  forth  by  some  *  philosophers  ’  of  W.  Europe.  See  also  a 
book  called  ‘  Nature,’  1836.]  This  is  what  the  apostle  calls,  v.  21.  be¬ 
coming  fools  by  their  own  reasonings:  [not  content  to  confine  their  rea¬ 
son  within  the  limits  God  lias  assigned  it  by  our  constitution.]  Those, 
however,  who  have  made  the  greatest  advances  in  true  philosophy’ 
know  that  second  causes,  properly  speaking,  are  no  causes ,  because  they 


have  no  efficiency  in  themselves,  but  are  set  in  motion  [arranged  in  the 
relation  of  antecedent  and  consequent]  by  God  :  [but  are  not  (Gen.  1:1.) 
identical  wilh  God,  part  of  the  actual  existence  of  God,  part  and  parti¬ 
cle  of  God,  God  Himself,  as  some  heathen  philosophers  and  idolaters, 
and  professed  Christians  even,  and  atheists,  have  taught  and  do  teach.] 
Arid  thus,  the  most  perfect  philosophy  always  ends  where  the  natural 
sense  of  mankind  begins.”  The  subject  has  been  admirably  treated  by 
Pafeij,  in  his  Nat.  Theol.’  Bloomf. 

V.  21 — 23.  Idolatry  was  first  introduced,  and  became  general  and 
perpetual  in  the  world,  through  man’s  depraved  aversion  to  the  holy 
character,  worship,  and  service  of  the  true  God.  The  posterity  of 
Noah  had  some  knowledge  of  Jehovah  ;  but  ihey  revolted,  and  idolatry 
was  become  almost  universal  when  God  called  Abraham.  From  that 
time,  the  same  causes  produced  the  same  effects,  in  every  part  of  the 
world.  It  is  well  known,  that  many  of  the  ancients,  especially  the 
learned  Egyptians,  worshipped  dogs,  snakes,  reptiles,  nay,  even  vegeta¬ 
bles  !  Thus  mankind,  having  retained  from  original  tradition,  or  having 
acquired  by  the  exercise  of  reason,  some  general  notions  of  a  Deity  ; 
invented  numerous  species  of  idolatry,  and  universally  forsook  the  wor¬ 
ship  of  the  true  God,  in  all  places  where  revelation  was  not  actually 
vouchsafed. — Indeed,  the  fact  is  undeniably  the  same,  even  to  this  day  ; 
and  if  any  nations  seem  to  lie  sunk  into  so  entire  a  stupidity,  as  to  have 
no  notions  of  a  God  remaining  among  them,  this  still  more  clearly 
proves,  not  mail’s  want  of  rational  powers,  but  his  carnal  enmity  lo 
God  and  religion,  through  which  he  becomes  more  and  more  the  besot¬ 
ted  and  blinded  slave  of  Satan.  Cicero’s  books,  ‘On  the  nature  of  the 
gods,’  contain  many  very  striking  illustrations  of  the  apostle’s  meaning. 
[See  Tholuck,  on  the  moral  influence  of  heathenism.]  Scott. 

(21.)  ‘The  heathen  did  not  (ns  observe  Toletv  Parieus,  and  Wollius) 
recognise  God  as  the  Author  of  all  good  things,  hut  referred  them  most¬ 
ly  to  fortune,  to  the  stars,  to  their  own  prudence;  very  rarelv  ascribing 
anything  to  the  providence  of  God.  Idolatry  was  the  fruitful  mother 
of  obscenity  and  vice,  of  every  kind.’  Bloouf. 

(22.)  This  is  now  as  it  has  been  :  see  note,  v.  20.  Ed.  As  to  the 
fashionable  philosophers,  ‘  the  world  was  far  more  successful  in  cor. 
rupting  them,  than  they  in  reforming  it ;  since  it  had  many  temptations 
with  which  to  corrupt  them  ;  they  had  no  allurements  with  which  to 
entice  the  world,  and  what  is  more,  no  divine  sanctions  to  give  author¬ 
ity  to  their  precepts.’  Bl.  Id. 


A.  D.  61. 


ROMANS,  I. 


Paul’s  description  of  the  heathen. 


24  Wherefore  God  also  gave 
j  them  up  to  uncleanness  through 
the  lusts  of  their  own  hearts,  to 
dishonor  their  own  bodies  between 
themselves  : 

25  Who  changed  the  truth  of 
God  k  into  a  lie,  and  worshipped 
and  served  the  creature  1  more  than 
the  Creator,  who  is  blessed  for 
ever.  Amen. 

26  For  this  cause  God  gave  them 
up  unto  vile  m  affections  :  for  even 
their  women  did  change  the  natural 
use  into  that  which  is  against  na¬ 
ture  : 

27  And  likewise  also  the  men, 
leaving  the  natural  use  of  the  wo¬ 
men,  burned  in  their  lust  one  to¬ 
ward  another  ;  men  with  men 
working  that  which  is  unseemly, 
and  receiving  in  themselves  that 
recompense  of  their  error  which 
was  meet, 

28  And  even  as  they  did  not  like 
D  to  retain  God  in  their  knowledge, 
God  gave  them  over  to  0  a  repro¬ 
bate  mind,  to  do  those  things  which 
are  not  convenient ; 

3  Ps.  81:12.  1  or,  rather.  o  or,  a  mind  void 

2  T1j.  2:11.  m  Ep.  5:12.  Jude  10.  of  judgment. 

k  Am.  2:4.  n  or,  to  acknowledge, 

1.  By  whom  they  were  given  up.  God 
gave  them  up,  in  a  way  of  righteous  judg¬ 
ment,  as  the  just  punishment  of  their  idola¬ 
try  ;  whether  the  act  was  positive,  or  only 
rivative,  we  leave  to  the  schools  to  dispute: 
ut  this  we  are  sure  of,  that  it  is  no  new 
thing  for  God  to  give  men  up  to  their  own 


hearts’  lusts,  nay,  to  lay  stumbling-blocks 
before  them.  And  yet  God  is  not  the  author 
of  sin,  but  herein  infinitely  just  and  holy; 
for  though  the  greatest  wickednesses  follow 
on  this  giving  up,  the  fault  of  that  is  to  be  laid 
on  the  [choice  of  the]  sinner’s  wicked  heart. 

2.  To  what  they  were  given  up. 

(1.)  To  uncleanness  and  vile  affections, 
v.  24,  26,  27.  They  that  would  not  enter¬ 
tain  the  more  pure  and  refined  notices  of 
natural  light,  which  tend  to  preserve  the  hon¬ 
or  of  God,  justly  forfeited  those  more  gross 
and  palpable  sentiments,  which  preserve  the 
honor  of  human  nature,  Ps.  49:20.  Thus 
one,  by  the  divine  permission,  becomes  the 
punishment  of  another  ;  but  it  is,  as  said 
here,  through  the  lusts  of  their  own  hearts  ; 
there  all  the  fault  is  to  be  laid.  Those  who 
dishonored  God,  were  given  up  to  dishonor 
themselves.  The  particular  instances  of  their 
uncleanness  and  vile  affections,  are,  their 
unnatural  lusts;  which  many  of  the  heathen, 
even  of  those  among  them  who  passed  for 
w ise  men,  as  Solon  and  Zeno,  were  infamous 
for,  against  the  plainest  and  most  obvious 
dictates  of  natural  light.  Perhaps,  the  apos¬ 
tle  especially  refers  to  the  abominations  com¬ 
mitted  in  the  worship  of  their  idol-gods,  in 
which  the  worst  of  uncleannesses  were  pre¬ 
scribed  to  honor  their  gods. 

In  the  church  of  Rome,  where  the  pagan 
idolatries  are  revived,  images  worshipped, 
and  saints  only  substituted  in  the  room  of 
demons,  we  hear  of  these  same  abominations 
going  barefaced,  licensed  by  the  pope,  ( Fox’s 
Acts  and  Monuments,  vol.  1.  p.  808,)  and  not 
only  commonly  perpetrated,  but  justified  arid 
pleaded  for  by  some  of  their  cardinals  :  the 
same  spiritual  plagues  for  the  same  spiritual 
wickednesses. 

See  what  wickedness  there  is  in  the  na¬ 
ture  of  man  !  Haw  abominable  and  filthy  is 
man!  Lord,  what  is  man!  says  David; 


what  a  vile  creature  is  he,  when  left  to  hint- 
self  !  How  much  ait;  we  beholden  to  the  re¬ 
straining  grace  of  God,  for  the  preserving 
[of]  anything  of  the  honor  and  decency  of 
the  human  nature  ! 

(2.)  To  a  reprobate  mind  in  these  abom¬ 
inations,  v.  28.  They  did  not  like  to  retain 
God  in  their  knowledge.  The  blindness  of 
their  understandings  was  caused  by  the  wil¬ 
ful  aversion  of  their  wills  and  affections. 
They  did  not  retain  God  in  their  knowledge, 
because  they  did  not  like  it.  Many  have  God 
in  their  knowledge,  they  cannot  help  it,  the 
light  shines  so  fully  ;  but  they  do  not  retain 
Him  there;  they  say  to  the  Almighty ,  Depart , 
Job  21:  14.  and  they  therefore  do  not  retain 
God  in  their  knowledge,  because  it  thwarts 
and  contradicts  their  lusts;  they  do  not  like 
it.  There  is  a  difference,  too,  between 
knowledge  and  acknowledgment  ;  the  pagans 
knew  God,  but  did  not,  would  not,  acknowl¬ 
edge  Him.  Answerable  to  which  wilfulness 
of  theirs,  in  gainsaying  the  truth,  God  gave 
them  over  to  a  wilfulness  in  the  grossest  sins, 
here  called  a  reprobate  mind, — a  mind  void 
of  all  sense  and  judgment,  to  discern  things 
that  differ,  so  that  they  could  not  distinguish 
their  right  hand  from  their  left,  in  spiritual 
things.  This  reprobate  mind  was  a  blind, 
seared  conscience,  past  feeling,  Eph.  4:  19. 
When  the  judgment  is  once  reconciled  to 
sin,  the  man  is  in  the  suburbs  of  hell.  At 
first  Pharaoh  hardened  his  heart,  but  after¬ 
ward  God  hardened  Pharaoh’s  heart.  This 
wilful  hardness  is  justly  punished  with  judi¬ 
cial  hardness.  To  do  things  not  convenient. 
This  phrase  may  seem  to  bespeak  a  dimin¬ 
utive  evil,  but,  here,  is  expressive  of  the 
grossest  enormities;  things  not  agreeable  to 
men,  that  contradict  the  very  light  and  law 
of  nature.  And  here  he  subjoins  a  black  list 
of  those  unbecoming  things  the  Gentiles  were 
guilty  of,  being  delivered  up  to  a  reprobate 


V.  24 — 27.  Thus'they  disgraced  their  bodies,  by  using  them  to  per¬ 
petrate  with  each  other  the  most  detestable  pollutions:  even  those 
bodies,  which  the  Creator  had  formed  with  most  exquisite  contrivance 
and  good-will ;  as  might  best  render  them  accommodated  to  the  pur¬ 
poses  of  their  own  comfort  and  usefulness  to  one  another,  and  to  be  the 
instruments  of  the  soul  in  his  worship  [obedience]  and  service  :  so  they 
■were  left  to  practice  such  unnatural  iusts,  as  are  not  fit  to  be  mentioned, 
except  as  a  stigma  on  human  nature,  and  to  enhance  the  grace  of  our 
redemption.  Those  unnatural  crimes  and  vile  affections,  which  are 
most  scandalous  at  present,  and  carefully  concealed,  or  most  severely 
punished,  were  openly  avowed  among  the  Greeks  and  Romans,  even 
in  their  politest  ages  :  and  their  most  elegant  and  celebrated  poets 
have  defiled  their  compositions  by  the  mention  of  such  detestable  amours, 
withput  any  expressions  of  abhorrence,  or  even  of  disapprobation  ;  nay, 
often  in  a  way,  which  sanctions  them,  and  almost  wins  the  unwary 
reader  to  palliate,  or  even  approve  them!  Scott.  And  these  are  the 
very  books  often  put  by  parents  and  teachers  into  the  hands  of  a  child, 
at  the  very  age  when  all  such  stimulants  should  be  especially  and  most 
conscientiously  avoided  !  What  education  !  Ed. 

(24.)  Gave  them  up.]  God  has  so  constituted  man,  that  the  indul¬ 
gence  or  exercise  of  any  sentiment  or  propensity,  or  faculty,  strengthens 
it,  and  increases  its  power  and  readiness  to  act :  and  disuse  has  a  con¬ 
trary  effect.  Now  the  propensities  may  by  indulgence  become  so  strong, 
that  the  morai  powers,  weakened  and  deadened  by  disuse,  may  have 
little  or  no  power  to  restrain,  and  the  reckless  brute  dashes  on  from 
worse  to  worse.  Then  the  heart  is  1  hardened,’  and  as  this  happens  by 
God’s  laws  in  man’s  constitution,  it  is  expressed  by  God’s  hardening  or 
giving  up  to  be  hardened ;  not  interfering  by  miracle  to  stop  the  natural 
course  He  has  ordained.  Dishonor  (heir  own  bodies.]  We  read  this  with 
horror,  perhaps,  but  may  not  the  married  even,  who  are  faithful  to  one 
another  indeed,  thus  sin,  forgetting  that  their  bodies  are  temples  of  God  ? 
Physiologists  assert,  that  indulgence  strengthens  propensity,  and  that 
children  inherit  these  strengthened  and  rampant  propensities  ;  hence  we 
may  guess  at  the  occasion  of  much  of  the  abominable  licentiousness  (for 
the  modern  world  is  but  little  behind  the  ancient,  in  many  parts)  preva¬ 
lent  all  over  the  world.  Here  then  should  ‘  moral  reform  ’  begin,  calling 
on  physicians,  (who  will  attest  the  necessity  of  these  remarks,)  and  mor¬ 
alists,  to  give  a  rule  possible  in  the  present  predominance  of  the  lower 
propensities  in  our  race,  and  on  married,  as  well  as  single,  to  keep  it.  Ed. 

(25.)  Worshipped  and  served.]  ‘  The  Gr.  word  for  the  former,  means 
reverence,  worship,  adoration  by  words  and  postures  ;  that  for  the  lat¬ 
ter,  the  service  rendered  to  those  gods  by  ceremonial  observances,  es¬ 
pecially  sacrifices.  See  Steph.  More  than.]  To  the  prejudice  of.  [Neg¬ 
lect  of.  Doddr.]  To  this  clause  Paul  applies  a  doxology,  which  was 
usual  with  the  Jews  (see  Gen.  9:26.  14:20.  24:27  and  31.)  on  mentioning 
the  name  of  God  on  any  solemn  occasion,  especially  when  speaking  in 
vindication  of  his  honor.  And,  to  express  a  still  greater  veneration, 
they  used  it  (as  in  the  present  case)  even  in  the  middle  of  a  discourse, 
or  chain  of  reasoning.  See  Gal.  1:5.  2  Cor.  11:31.’  Bloomf.  ‘The  sense 
here  is,  that  greater  honor  was  paid  to  the  work  than  to  the  Workman 
Himself,  to  whom,  if  indeed  they  in  any  manner  acknowledged  Him,  as 
the  Platonists,  they  yet  appointed  no  sacrifices.  They  might  say,  as  did 
the  Pythagoreans,  Platonists,  and  Stoics,  that  they  did  not  believe  with 
the  people  :  and  did  not  follow  the  civil  theology,  or  the  poetic,  but  the 
natural ;  as  Varro  distinguishes ;  saying,  that  by  Jove,  he  understood 


ether;  by  Juno,  air;  by  Neptune,  the  sea;  by  Naiads,  fountains;  by 
Cybele,  the  surface  of  the  earth  ;  by  Pluto  and  Proserpine,  its  bowels; 
by  Ceres,  the  fruit-producing  force;  by  Dryads,  the  lives  of  trees;  by 
Vulcan,  fire  ;  by  Bacchus,  the  moisture  in  bodies.  Therefore  Paul  says, 
that  these  could  not  thus  excuse  themselves,  who  paid  the  greatest  pos¬ 
sible  honor  to  the  things  themselves,  but  to  their  Artificer,  little  or  none. 
But,  in  truth,  as  Jos.  says  of  them,  “  They  dared  not  promulgate  truth 
before  the  people.”  As  Plato  remarks,  in  effect,  it  was  impossible.  See 
Chrys.  Seneca,  treating  of  the  received  rites,  who  says,  “  All  these 
a  wise  man  will  observe  because  they  are  appointed  by  the  laws,  not  as 
if  they  were  grateful  to  the  gods.”  This  cloaking  of  a  bad  custom,  the 
Gospel  convicts  of  injustice,  as  does  also  the  apostle  here.  Add  to  this, 
the  customs  now  in  Paul’s  time  prevalent  at  Rome,  of  rendering  divine 
honors  to  the  dead  Cesars,  (see  Lucan.)  If  any  one  perjured  himself  in 
swearing  by  Cesar,  he  was  most  severely  punished,  if  by  God,  it  went 
unpunished.’  Grot. 

(26.)  Their  women  did,  &c.]  This  is  well  known  to  have  been  an 
abomination  of  the  ancients,  invented  by  the  Lesbian  women.  In  jus¬ 
tification  of  the  apostle's  censure,  see  the  proof  of  these  horrible  crimes, 
heaped  together  by  Wets.,  &c.’  Bl.  Indeed  the  other  vices  (26, 27,  <fcc.) 
are  known  to  be  still  practised,  even  the  worst  of  them:  though,  except 
as  governments  license  and  regulate  brothels,  they  are  kept  more  out 
of  sight.  Comp,  the  public  obscenities  of  Pompeii,  <fcc.  of  this  very  age, 
buried  whole,  and  preserved  for  ages,  as  if  to  convince  us  of  the  crying 
necessity,  as  well  as  truth,  of  the  Gospel.  Ed. 

(27.)  Meet  recompense .]  ‘Perhaps  the  theleia  nosos  of  Herod,  is 
meant,  viz.  a  compound  of  the  catamenia,  hemorrhoids,  impotence, 
[bodily  and  mental,]  and  those  hysteric  and  nervous  disorders  which 
often  accompany  and  terminate  such  abominations.  The  apostle,  of 
course,  does  not  accuse  each  individual  heathen  of  all  these,  but  his 
statements  are  true  of  the  great  multitude.  As  to  the  charges  of  sodo¬ 
my,  thrown  out  upon  Socrates,  Aristotle,  and  Plato,  they  rest  only  on 
scandals  to  be  found  in  such  gossiping  writers  as  Diog.  I.aert.,  and  Athe- 
nseus  (both  too  far  removed  from  the  times  to  be  of  any  anihority),  or, 
in  the  buffoon,  Lucian,  who  has  poured  much  of  the  same  filth  on  Paul 
and  the  primitive  Christians.  As  to  the  Fathers,  Terttillian,  Greg. 
Naz.,  and  Theod.,  their  accusations  are  only  faint  echoes  of  the  charges 
above  advanced.  If  we  credit  scandal,  there  was  not  one  celebrated 

character  of  antiquity  but  was  stained  with  vice  and  corruption . 

Need  enough  there  was  of  a  divine  revelation,  to  rouse  men  to  a  sense 
of  the  enormities  into  which  they  had  fallen,  to  place  religion  on  its 
true  footing,  and,  on  a  pure  and  simple  faith  to  erect  the  superstructure 
of  an  innocent  and  holy  practice  !  And  this  is  all  that  is  meant.’  Bl. 

V.  28 — 32.  Men,  in  ail  ages  and  nations,  had  shown  a  disposition  and 
decided  purpose  to  discard  from  their  minds  the  knowledge  of  the  true 
God.  This  was  an  evident  fact  ail  over  the  Gentile  world.  In  righteous 
judgment  God  gave  them  up  to  ‘a  reprobate  mind  ;’  thus  they  were  loft 
to  commit  those  crimes,  which  were  utterly  inconsistent  with  reason, 
nature,  and  their  own  and  each  other’s  welfare.  Nay,  they  proceeded  to 
such  lengths  in  wickedness,  that  their  whole  hearts  and  lives  were  tilled 
with  every  kind  of  fraud,  oppression,  extortion,  and  iniquity  :  tney  in¬ 
vented  new  species  of  cruelty,  treachery,  luxury,  impiety,  idolatry,  sen¬ 
sual  gratification,  and  magnificence.  They  cast  off  all  regard  to  parental 
authority,  and  despised,  injured,  or  even  murdered  their  aged  parents, 
as  Che  emperor  Nero  his  mother  Agrippina.  They  sinned  away  natural 

[179] 


A.  D.  61. 


ROMANS,  1. 


Paul’s  description  of  the  heathen. 


29  Being  filled  with  ail  unright¬ 
eousness,  fornication,  wickedness, 
covetousness,  maliciousness  ;  full 
of  envy,  murder,  debate,  deceit, 
malignity  :  whisperers, 

30  Backbiters,  haters  of  God,  de¬ 
spiteful  ;  proud,  boasters,  inventors 
of  evil  things,  disobedient  to  pa¬ 
rents, 

31  Without  understanding,  cov¬ 
enant-breakers,  p  without  natural 
affection,  implacable,  unmerciful  : 

32  Who,  knowing  the  judgment 
of  God,  that  they  which  commit 
such  things  are  worthy  of  death, 
not  only  do  the  same,  but  9  have 
pleasure  in  them  that  do  them. 

p  or,  unsociable.  q  or,  consent  with  them. 

mind.  No  wickedness  so  heinous,  but  a 
reprobate  mind  will  comply  with  it. 

By  the  histories  of  those  times,  especially 
the  accounts  we  have  of  the  then  prevailing 
dispositions  and  practices  of  the  Romans, 
[and  the  evidence  of  the  obscene  relics,  dug 
up  at  Herculaneum  and  Pompeii,  cities  near 
Rome,  buried  about  this  time,]  when  the 


ancient  virtue  of  that  commonwealth  was  so 
degenerated,  it  appears  that  these  sins,  here 
mentioned,  were  then  and  there  reigning, 
national  sins. 

V.  29 — 31.  Here  are  no  less  than  23  sev¬ 
eral  sorts  of  sins  and  sinners  specified.  [1.] 
Sins  against  the  first  table;  Haters  of  God. 
Could  it  be  imagined,  that  rational  creatures 
should  hate  the  c.hiefest  Good,  and  depend¬ 
ing  creatures  abhor  the  Fountain  of  their 
being  1  Yet  so  it  is.  Every  sin  has  in  it  a 
hatred  of  God  ;  but  some  sinners  are  more 
open  and  avowed  enemies  to  Him  than  oth¬ 
ers.  Zech.  1 1 ' 8.  Proud  and  boasters  cope 
with  God  Himself,  and  put  those  crowns  on 
their  own  heads,  which  must  be  cast  before 
his  throne.  [2.]  Sins  against  the  second 
table.  These  are  especially  mentioned,  be¬ 
cause  in  these  they  had  a  clearer  light.  In 
general,  a  charge  of  unrighteousness  is  put 
first,  for  every  sin  is  unrighteousness,  with¬ 
holding  that,  which  is  due,  perverting  that 
which  is  right;  it  is  especially  put  for  second- 
table  -  sins,  doing  as  we  would  not  be 
done  by.  Here,  besides  particulars  against 
the  5th,  6th,  7th,  8th,  and  9th  command¬ 
ments,  are  two  generals  not  yet  mentioned, 
inventors  of  evil  things,  and  without  under¬ 
standing  ;  wise  to  do  evil,  and  yet  having 


|  no  knowledge  to  do  good.  The  more  delib¬ 
erate  and  politic  sinners  are  in  inventing  evil 
things,  the  greater  is  their  sin  :  so  quick  of 
invention  in  sin,  and  yet  without  understand¬ 
ing,  stark  fools,  in  the  thoughts  of  God. 
Here  is  enough  to  humble  us  all,  in  the 
j  sense  of  our  original  corruptions  ;  for  every 
heart  by  nature  has  in  it  the  seed  and  spawn 
of  all  these  sins;  [the  same  elementary  pro¬ 
pensities,  to  be  used  or  abused.] 

He  closes  with  the  aggravations  of  the 
sins,  v.  32.  1st.  They  knew  the  judgment 
|  of  God,  the  law  of  God  and  the  penal¬ 
ly  ;  so  it  is  explained  here,  they  knew  that 
they  who  commit  such  things  are  worthy  of 
death,  eternal  death;  their  own  consciences 
1  could  not  but  suggest  this  to  them,  and  yet 
they  ventured  upon  it.  It  argues  the  heart 
i  much  hardened,  and  very  resolutely  set  upon 
i  sin.  2dly.  They  not  only  do  the  same,  but 
have  pleasure  in  them  that  do  them.  To  be 
f  pleased  with  other  people’s  sins,  is  to  love 
sin  for  sin’s  sake  :  our  own  sins  are  much 
aggravated  by  our  concurrence  with,  and 
.  complacency  in,  the  sins  of  others. 

Now  lay  all  this  together,  and  then  say, 
i  whether  the  Gentile  world,  lying  under  so 
j  much  guilt  and  corruption,  could  he  justified 
I  before  God  by  any  works  of  their  own. 


PIIACT.  OBS.  V.  16 — 32.  We  ought  hot  for  a  moment  to  allow  of 
that  absurd  and  hateful  shame,  which  the  enmity  and  contempt  of  the 
wicked  against  the  Gospel  often  excite  in  our  minds.  On  the  contrary, 
we  should  glory  in  the  doctrine  of  the  cross ;  and  he  ready  to  profess 
or  preach  it  in  any  place,  or  before  any  description  of  men,  according  to 
our  ability  and  our  call  in  Providence  ;  as  knowing,  that  it  is  ‘  the  pow¬ 
er  of  God  unto  salvation  to  every  one  that  believeth,’  and  that  no  sin¬ 
ner  can  be  saved  in  any  other  way.  It  is  indeed  evident,  to  this  day, 
that  learned  speculations,  and  supposed  rational  schemes,  or  the  elegan¬ 
ces  of  admired  orators,  are  not  attended  in  general  with  that  power, 
which  converts  sinners  from  impiety  and  immorality,  to  the  love  and 
service  of  God  :  but  this  effect  is  produced,  in  some  good  measure, 
wherever  the  despised  Gospel  is  preached,  even  though  it  be  in  a  home¬ 
ly  manner,  and  by  persons  of  inferior  abilities,  erudition,  and  elocution. 
For  by  the  Gospel  is  1  the  righteousness  of  God  revealed  ;  ’  his  way  of 
justification  and  sanctification  is  opened  ;  and  sinners  are  taught  to 
trust  in  Him,  and  to  come  before  Him,  by  faith  in  his  mercy,  through 
the  righteousness,  atonement,  and  intercession  of  his  beloved  Son.  He 
will  therefore  honor  this  doctrine,  because  it  honors  his  perfections,  law, 
and  government,  and  because  it  is  his  own  appointment :  and  they  who 
devise  other  schemes  may  put  forth  their  oxvn  power  to  make  them  suc¬ 
cessful,  if  tbgy  can;  hut  God  will  not  own  or  countenance  them _ 

Whatever  may  be  pleaded  to  the  contrary,  it  is  a  certain  fact,  that  athe¬ 
ism,  infidelity,  impiety,  and  idolatry  spring  from  human  depravity,  not 
from  unavoidable  ignorance  or  mistake.  Whatever  speculators  may 
assume,  of  the  sufficiency  of  man’s  reason  [in  the  present  degenerated 
state  of  his  faculties]  to  discover  divine  truth  and  moral  obligation,  or 
to  regulate  men’s  practice;  stubborn  facts  confute  the  flattering  hy¬ 
pothesis  :  and  as  far  as  God  has  in  awful  displeasure  left  men  to  them¬ 
selves,  they  have  dishonored  Hint  by  the  most  absurd  idolatries  and  su- 

affection,  and  even  exposed  their  new-born  infants,  leaving  them  to  per¬ 
ish  without  remorse  or  censure.*  They  were  implacable  in  tlteir  resent¬ 
ments,  and  unmerciful  in  their  dispositions  :  so  that  their  public  diver¬ 
sions  consisted  in  beholding  gladiators  fighting  together,  till  hundreds 
were  sometimes  massacred  before  their  eyes;  or  in  seeing  slaves  and 
criminals  fighting  with  wild  beasts,  and  often  devoured  by  them.  Nor 
did  the  principal  persons,  xvhether  men  or  women,  of  the  highest  rank, 
and  most  cultivated  manners  in  other  respects,  absent  themselves  from 
these  horrid  spectacles  !  The  history  of  the  Greeks  and  Itomans,  espe¬ 
cially  of  the  latter,  about  the  time  when  the  apostle  wrote,  abundantly 
illustrates  this  horrid  description  of  their  general  character,  from  which 
even  their  philosophers  and  moralists  were  by  no  means  excepted.  It 
might  easily  be  shown,  that  the  morals  of  idolatrous  nations,  if  judged 
according  to  the  immutable  standard  of  the  divine  law,  are  at  this  day 
not  at  all  better  titan  the  description  here  given  of  the  Gentile  world. — 
(-32)  Have  pleasure,  <fcc.l  ‘  This,  say  the  Greek  commentators,  is  much 
worse  than  the  hare  doing  of  them  :  for  a  man  may  do  them  by  the 
power  of  temptation  ;  and  by  consideration  become  sensible  of  his  fol¬ 
ly,  and  repent  of  it:  but  when  he  is  arrived  at  that  height  of  wickedness, 
tint  lie  not  only  approves,  but  delights  in  seeing  the  like  things  done  by 
others,  he,  demonstrates  such  a  strong  affection  to  (Item  as  is  incurable.’ 
IVhithy.  The  apostle,  however,  is  showing  what  need  the  Gentiles,  and 
all  men,  had  of  the  grace  of  the  Gospel;  and  not  that  they  were  incur- 
able  by  it;  and  in  fact  multitudes  who  once  had  answered  this  descrip¬ 
tion,  afterwards  embraced  Christianity,  and  became  ’a  peculiar  people, 
zealous  of  good  works.’  [*  As  now  in  China,  ic.J  Scott. 

(29,  30.)  Resisting,  disusing,  and,  so,  deadening  the  conscientious  im¬ 
pulse;  thus  taking  all  restraint  from  the  lower  impulses,  the  animal  na¬ 
ture  of  course  becomes  predominant,  injustice  of  thought  and  action  is 
followed  and  accompanied  by  impurity  more  and  more  heinous;  unre¬ 
strained  selfishness  breaks  out,  through  covetousness,  in  wrong  to  others, 
rapacity,  extortion  ;  envy  ar.d  malice,  uncurbed  in  their  proud  and  crafty 
impulses,  swell  to  violence,  cruelty,  bloody-mindedness,  and  murder 
(xvitness  the  Roman  malignity  to  slaves  r.nd  the  mob  spirit,  every  where) ; 
so  filled  are  they  with  wickedness  themselves,  that  they  cannot  think  well 
of  another,  but  unjustly  suspect  and  judge  every  person  and  action  for  the 
worse,  and  recklessly  vent  their  suspicions  and  slanders  for  truth  :  nnd 
‘not  only  practice  all  the  known  vices,  but  seek  out  and  invent  more. 
Thus  Tiberius,  like  Sardanapalus  of  old,  offered  a  reward  to  xvhoever 
would  invent  a  new  pleasure,  (i.  e.  lust.)  We  know  there  were  persons 
who  professionally  applied  themselves  to  such  discoveries.’  HI.  F.n. 
[180] 


perstitions,  nnd  degraded  themselves  by  ‘vile  affect  ions,’  and  abominable 
lusts  :  nor  is  it  generally  expedient  to  mention  enormities,  to  which 
they,  who,  ‘liking  not  to  retain  God  in  their  knowledge,’  preferring 
their  own  inventions  to  his  holy  worship,  have  been  given  up  ;  when, 
being  left  to  ‘  a  reprobate  mind,’  their  deluded  judgments,  their  per¬ 
verse  wills,  and  their  depraved  passions,  have  reciprocally  helped  to 
corrupt,  and  have  been  corrupted  by,  each  other.  A  most  horrid  view 
of  the  moral  character  of  the  Greeks  and  Romans,  even  amidst  all  their 
prosperity,  politeness,  and  erudition,  is  here  set  before  us  by  the  apos¬ 
tle  :  and  the  student  who  judges  of  characters  and  actions  by  the  law 
of  God,  will  perceive,  that  our  own  historians,  orators,  and  poets,  amidst 
all  their  flattery  and  false  coloring,  adduce  such  facts,  and  make  such 
representations,  as  fully  prove  the  apostle’s  picture  to  be  a  real  and 
striking  likeness,  and  no  caricature.  Nay,  the  most  illustrious  and  cele¬ 
brated  persons  among  them  may  be  produced,  as  most  exactly  answering 
to  this  horrid  description  !— It  must  indeed  be  thankfully  acknowledged, 
that  Christianity  has  had  considerable  effect  on  mankind  in  general,  in 
giving  them  more  just  notions  of  excellence,  and  in  humanizing  their 
manners  ;  yet,  after  all,  what  multitudes,  even  in  this  land,  seem  to  be 
the  original  of  the  picture  before  us  I — These  are  they,  who  would  discard 
revelation,  and  who  count  ‘  the  preaching  of  the  cross  foolishness.’  But 
their  conduct  demonstrates  their  need  of  it,  and  that  it  is  a  remedy 
which  they  must  avail  themselves  of,  or  perish. — Finally,  we  may  here 
observe,  that  religion  moderates  and  regulates  natural  affections,  but 
excess  of  depravity  extinguishes  them  :  that  it  is  a  proof  of  more  de¬ 
termined  impiety,  for  men  to  take  pleasure  in  the  company  of  the  ene¬ 
mies  of  God,  than  to  commit  many  crimes,  whilst  the  heart  and  con¬ 
science  protest  against  them  :  and  that  it  is  a  peculiar  cause  for  grati¬ 
tude,  if  we  have  been  restrained  from  these  enormities,  to  which  by  na¬ 
ture  we  are  [each  in  a  greater  or  less  degree]  propense.  Scott. 

(30.)  Disobedient  to  parents.]  ‘That  the  people  of  those  times 
should  have  been  so,  is  not  strange,  considering  the  horrible  depravity 
of  morals,  which  would  extinguish  all  the  natural  affections,  and  loosen 
the  nntural  connexions  too,  for  few  would  know  their  own  parents.’  Bl. 
The  filial  virtues  include  the  exercise  of  all  the  higher  impulsive  senti¬ 
ments  of  our  nature,  which,  being  overpowered  by  its  lower  impulses,  no 
longer  act  as  governors,  and  the  undutiful  child  is  thus  like  to  be  brutified, 
and  to  become  stupidly  insensible  (so  IheGr.,  for  ‘without  understanding,’ 
v.  31.  see  Bl .)  to  right,  or  virtue,  or  love.  It  becomes  a  nation,  especially 
ours,  to  listen  to  the  remarks  of  Sir  G.  H.  Rose,  note,  Eph.  6:2.  Ed. 

(31.)  Implacable,  unmerciful.]  ‘  Of  the  truth  of  this,  surely  no  one 
at  all  conversant  with  ancient  literature,  can  doubt.  The  brutality  of 
the  Romans  towards  their  slaves  (see  classical  citations  in  Grot.)  would 
of  itself  be  proof  enough  ;  and  the  gladiatorial  contests,  in  which  mul¬ 
titudes  of  poor  xvretches,  [slaves,  &c.]  were  brought  out  to  butcher 
each  other,  in  order  to  amuse  the  people,  stamp  this  odious  vice  in  in¬ 
delible  characters  :  and  indeed  I  cannot  but  think  the  apostle  had  such 
enormities  in  view.’  Bl.  What  would  Paul  have  said  to  the  instances 
of  enormous  violence,  perpetrated  unpunished  in  a  Christian  land,  in  our 
own  land  ?  Would  he  have  excused  them  on  the  score  of  their  being  (he 
necessary  consequence  of  the  institution  of  slavery  ?  Let  us  hope,  that 
violence  is  not  becoming  common  among  us,  and  pray,  that  the  baleful 
principles  of  slavery  may  be  changed  by  the  Gospel,  before  they  have 
spread  through  the  length  nnd  breadth  of  our  sinful  land.  Ed. 

(32.)  Judgment.]  Dikaioma:  it  corresponds  to  the  Heb.  hq  and 
hqh,  and  denotes  what  is  thought  good,  constituted  and  decreed  by  any 
ruler,  a  law  ;  plainly,  here,  the  natural  law  of  conscience,  xvritten  by 
God  on  Hie  hearts  of  men.  Its  application  to  all  the  ‘natural  laws,’ 
man’s  whole  constitution  in  relation  to  the  universe,  is  fertile  in  in¬ 
struction,  also.  Id. 

Concluding  Note.  On  the  phrase,  Son  o/God,Gr.  Huios  Theou,  v.  4.  'Any  ra¬ 
tional  being  may  lie  catled  huio v  Theou,  who  is  formed  in  the  image  of  God,  i.  e.  pos¬ 
sesses  by  his  gift  a  moral  and  intellectual  nature  like  his  own.  The  original  idea  of 
huios  is  that  of  derivation.  The  secondary  one  (which  is  often  employed),  is  that  of 
rescmblanre.  The  third  gradation  of  meaning  is,  that  of  being  regarded  or  treated  as 
a  son,  occupying  the  place  of  aeon,  viz,  having  distinguished  gifts,  favors,  or  bless¬ 
ings  bestowed  on  any  one.  To  one  or  the  other  of  these  classes  of  meaning  may  all  the 
instances  be  traced,  of  the  phrase  son,  or  sons  of  God,  in  the  Bible. 

*  The  phrase  is  applied  (t)  To  Adam,  as  proceeding  immediately  from  the  hand  of 
the  Creator,  Luke  3:38.  (2)  To  those  who  nre  regenerated,  or  born  of  the  Spirit  of 

God,  John  1:12,13.  Rom.  8:15,  17.  I  John  3:1.2.  and  often  elsew-here.  Connected 
w  ith  this,  is  the  usage  of  calling  all  true  worshippers  of  God.  his  eons  ;  e.  g.  Mat.  5: 
9,  to.  Luke  6:35.  20:36.  Rom.  8:14,  19.  2  Cor.  6:13.  Gal.  3:26.  Heh.  12:6.  Rev.  21)7. 


A.  D.  61. 


ROMANS,  II 


Jews  and  Genliles  charged  with  sin. 


CHAP.  ir. 

I  They  that  sin,  though  they  condemn  it  in  others,  cnnnot 
excuse  themselves,  6  ami  much  less  escape  the  judgment 
of  God,  9  whether  they  he  Jews  or  Gentiles.  14  The 
Gentiles  cannot  escape,  17  nor  yet  the  Jews,  25  whom 
their  circumcision  shall  not  profit,  if  they  keep  not  the 
law. 

THEREFORE  thou  art  inexcu¬ 
sable,  O  man,  whosoever  thou 
art  that  judgest  :  for  a  wherein  thou 
judgest  another,  thou  condemnest 
thyself;  for  thou  that  judgest  docst 
the  same  things. 

2  But  we  are  sure  that  the  judg¬ 
ment  of  God  is  according  to  truth, 
against  them  which  commit  such 
things. 

3  And  thinkest  thou  this,  O  man, 
that  judgest  them  which  do  such 
things,  and  doest  the  same,  that 
thou  shalt  escape  the  judgment  of 
God  ? 

4  Or  despisest  thou  the  riches  bof 
his  goodness,  and  c  forbearance,  and 
d  long-suffering  ;  not  knowing  that 
the  goodness  of  God  leadeth  e  thee 
to  repentance  ? 

5  But,  after  thy  hardness  and  im¬ 
penitent  heart,  treasurest  '  up  unto 
thyself  wrath  against  the  day  of 
*  wrath,  and  revelation  of  the  right¬ 
eous  judgment  of  God; 

It  2  Sa.  12:6,  7.  d  Jo.  4:2.  f  De.  32:34. 

b  c.  9:23.  e  la.  30:13.  g  Kc.  12:14. 

c  Is.  63:7,  &c. 


Chap.  II.  Both  Jews  and  Gentiles  are 
all  under  sin,  ch.  3:  9.  This  he  had  proved 
on  the  Gentiles,  ch.  1.  now  in  this  ch.  he 
proves  it  on  the  Jews,  as  appears  by  v.  17. 

V.  1 — 16.  To  prepare  his  way,  he  sets 
himself  in  this  part  of  the  ch.  to  show,  that 
God  wonld  proceed  on  equal  terms  of  justice 
with  Jews  and  Gentiles;  and  not  with  such 
a  partial  hand  as  the  Jews  were  apt  to  think 
He  would  use  in  their  favor. 

I.  lie  arraigns  them  for  their  censorious- 
ness  and  self-conceit,  v.  1.  He  expresses 
himself  in  general  terms,  but  he  intends  es¬ 
pecially  the  Jews,  and  to  them  particularly 
he  applies  this  general  charge,  v.  21. 

The  Jews  were  generally  a  proud  sort  of 
people,  that  looked  with  a  great  scorn  and 
contempt  on  the  poor  Gentiles,  as  not  wor¬ 
thy  to  be  set  with  the  dogs  of  their  (lock  ; 
while,  in  the  mean  time,  they  were  themselves 
as  bad  and  immoral  ;  though  not  idolaters, 
as  the  Gentiles,  yet  sacrilegious,  v.  22. 

Therefore  thou  art  inexcusable.  If  the  Gen¬ 
tiles,  who  had  but  the  light  of  nature,  were 
inexcusable,  ch.  1 :  20.  much  more  the  Jews, 
who  had  the  revealed  will  of  God. 

II.  He  asserts  the  invariable  justice  of  the 
divine  government,  v.  2,  3.  To  drive  home 
the  conviction,  he  here  show's  what  a  right¬ 
eous  God  that  is,  with  whom  we  have  to  do, 
and  how  just  in  his  proceedings.  It  is  usual 
with  Paul,  in  his  writings,  on  mention  of 
some  material  point,  to  make  large  digres¬ 
sions  on  it  ;  as  here  concerning  the  justice 
of  God,  v.  2. 

But  observe,  how  he  puts  it  to  the  sinner’s 
conscience,  v.  3.  The  case  is  so  plain,  that 
we  may  venture  to  appeal  to  the  sinner’s 


own  thoughts  ;  ‘  Canst  thou,  a  man,  a  ra¬ 
tional,  dependent  creature,  think  that  thou 
shall  escape  the  judgment  of  God  f  ’  Can  the 
heart-searching  God  be  imposed  on  by  for¬ 
mal  pretences,  the  righteous  Judge  of  all  so 
bribed  and  put  o(f  1 

III.  He  draws  up  a  charge  against  them, 
v.  4,  5.  consisting  of  two  blanches. 

1.  Slighting  the  goodness  of  Goil,  v.  4.  the 
riches  of  his  goodness.  This  is  especially  ap¬ 
plicable  to  the  Jews,  who  had  singular  to¬ 
kens  of  the  divine  favor.  Low  and  mean 
thoughts  of  the  divine  goodness  are  tit  the 
bottom  of  a  great  deal  of  sin  ;  every  willul 
sin  is  an  interpretative  contempt  of  the  good¬ 
ness  of  God,  spurning  particularly  at  his  pa¬ 
tience,  forbearance,  and  long-suffering,  tak¬ 
ing  occasion  thence  to  be  so  much  the  more 
bold  in  sin,  Eccl.  8:11. 

Not  knowing,  not  considering,  not  knowing 
practically,  and  with  application,  that  the 
goodness  of  God.  leadeth  thee,  the  design  of  it 
is  to  lead  thee,  to  repentance.  It  is  not 
enough  for  us  to  know  that  God’s  goodness 
leads  to  repentance,  but  we  must  know  that 
it  leads  us;  thee  in  particular. 

See  here  what  method  God  takes  to  bring 
sinners  to  repentance  ;  He  does  not  drive 
them  like  beasts,  but  leads  them  like  rational 
creatures,  allures  them,  Hos.2:  14.  and  it  is 
goodness  that  leads,  bands  of  love,  Hos.  11 :4. 
Compare  Jer.  31 :  3.  The  consideration  of 
the  goodness  of  God,  should  he  effectual  to 
bring  us  all  to  repentance  ;  and  the  reason 
i  why  so  many  continue  in  impeniteney,  is, 
because  they  do  not  know  and  consider  this. 

2.  Provoking  the  wrath  of  God,  v.  5. 
The  rise  of  his  provocation  is  a  hard  and  im- 


and  elsewhere.  (3)  The  same  appellation  is  sometimes  given  to  such  as  are  treated 
v>iih  special  kindness  ;  e.  g.  Rom.  9:26.  Ho.  1:10.  11:1.  De.  32:5,  19.  Is.  1:2.  43:6.  Je. 
31:9.  2  Cor.  6:18.  God,  as  the  common  Father  and  Benefnctor  of  all  men,  good  and 
bad,  in  reference  to  this  relation,  often  calls  Himself  a  Father ,  and  styles  them  his 
children  ;  If  I  be  a  Father,  &c.  I  have  n.  and  brought  up  children ,  but,  & c.  More¬ 
over,  as  all  mgri  are  made  in  his  image,  i.  e.  have  an  intellectual,  rational,  and 
moral  nature  like  his  own  ;  on  this  account  also  they  may  be  styled  his  children  ; 
but  more  specially  does  this  apply  to  those  who  are  regenerated ,  and  in  whom  the 
image  of  God,  that  had  been  in  part  defaced,  is  restored.  (4)  As  bearing  some  re¬ 
semblance  to  the  Supreme  Ruler  of  the  universe  in  respect  to  authority,  or  as  having 
office  by  his  special  favor,  kings  are  sometimes  named  sons  of  Gud  ;  e.  g.  Ps.  82:6.  2 
S.  7:14.  So  in  Homer ,  diogenes  basileus  [god-born  king,  note,  Rom.  13:1].  (5)  An¬ 

gels  are  called  sons  of  God,  for  the  like  reason  that  men  are,  viz.  because^Jocl  is  their 
Creator  and  Benefactor;  and  special  ly,  because  they  bear  a  high  resemblance  to  God  ; 
see  Job  1:6.  2:1.  38:7.  Dan.  3:25.  Thus  men  and  angels  may  be  so  called,  also,  for 
more  than  one  reason  :  bo  one  truly  pious,  for  each  or  any  of  these  reasons. 

‘  We  come  now  to  the  phrases,  ho  huios  ton  Theou ,  [The  Sin  of  God,  J  as  applied  to 
Christ,  (a)  It  designates  Jesus  as  produced  in  the  womb  of  the  virgin  Mary,  by  the 
miraculous  influence  of  the  II.  S.,  Luke  1:32.  (comp.  3:38.)  Perhaps  the  same  sense 
belongs  to  it  in  Mark  1:1.  The  words  of  the  centurion  in  Mat.  27:54.  and  Mark  15:39. 
6eem,  in  the  mouth  of  a  Roman,  to  have,  perhaps  not  altogether,  the  same  sense.  (6) 
It  means,  Jesus,  as  the  constituted  King  or  Messiah.  E.  g.  Mat.  16:16.  26:63.  Mark 
14:61.  Luke  22:70.  John  1:49.  11:27.  and  probably,  in  Mat.  8:29.  14:33.  Mark  3:11.  5: 
7.  Luke  4:41.  8:28.  John  1:34.  6:69.  9:35.  10:36.  Acts  9:20.  13:33.  Heb.  5:5.  In  the 
like  sense,  the  appellation,  Son,  is  given  to  Him,  in  the  way  of  anticipation,  by  the 
ancient  prophets  who  foretold  his  appearance  ;  Ps.  2:7.  89:37.  On  the  like  ground, 
kings,  see  No.  4,  are  called  sons  of  God.  ;  Ps.  82:6.  2  S.  7:14.  (c)  The  most  common 
use  of  the  phrase,  Son  of  God ,  as  applied  to  the  Messiah,  is,  to  designate  the  high 
and  mysterious  relation  which  subsisted  between  Him  and  God  the  Father,  by  vir¬ 
tue  of  which  He  was,  in  his  complex  person  as  Theanthropos  [God-man],  the  bright¬ 
ness  of  the  glory,  and  express  image  of  the  person  of  the  Father.  IJeb.  1:3.  The 
image  of  the  invisible  God,  Col.  1:15.  the  image  of  God,  2  Cor.  4:4.  In  this  respect 
ho  huios  tou  Theou  is  rather  a  name  of  nature  than  of  office,  for  it  is  predicated  upon 
the  high  and  glorious  eikon  [image],  resemblance,  similitude,  which  the  Son  exhibits 
of  the  Father,  He  being  the  radiance  (apaugasma) ,  [tr.  brightness]  of  his  glory  ;  fo 
that  what  Jesus  said  to  Philip  is  true,  viz.  “  He  that  hath  seen  Me,  hath  seen  the 
Father,”  John  14:9.  “It  hath  pleased  the  Father  that  in  Him  all  fulness  should 
dwell,”  Col.  1:19.  ;  even  “all  the  fulness  of  the  Godhead  bodily,”  Col.  2:9.  ;  and 
that  high,  yea,  divine  honor,  should  be  paid  to  Him,  Phil.  2:9— 11.  Rom.  14:1 ! .  (comp, 
v.  9  )  Rev.  5:13,  14,  John  5:23.  Heb.  1 :6.  As  Son,  Christ  is  Lord  and  Heir  of  all  things, 
Heb.  1:2,  3.  8.  In  particular,  it  would  seem  to  be  one  design  of  the  N.  T.  writers,  in 
using  the  appellation,  Son  of  God,  to  convey  the  idea  of  a  most  intimate  connexion, 
love,  and  fellowship  (so  to  speak),  between  Him  and  the  Father.  Comp.,  to  illus¬ 
trate  this  idea,  such  texts  as  Mat.  11:27.  Luke  10:22.  John  1:14,  18.  Heb.  1:5.  &c.  Mat. 
3:17.  Luke  3:22.  9:35.  Col.  1:13.  2  Pet.  1:17.  Mat.  17:5.  Mark.  1:11.  9:7.  Comp,  also 
with  these  last  texts,  the  parables  in  Mat.  21:37.  &c.  22:2.  &c.  Mark  12:6.  Luke  20:13.; 
also  John  8:35.  38.  10:36.  That  God  has  given  Christ  the  Spirit  without  measure,  that 
He  dwells  in  Him  somutikos  fbodily],  that  all  counsels  and  secrets  (so  to  speak)  of 
the  divine  nature  are  perfectly  known  to  Ilim,  (John  1:13.  Mat.  11:27.  Luke  10:22. 
John  6:46.  7:29.  8:19.  14:9,  10,  11,  20.  10:15.)  seems  to  be  suggested  by  the  appella¬ 
tion,  Son  of  God,  as  frequently  bestowed  ;  for  so  the  texts  referred  to,  and  other  like 
texts,  would  imply.  In  a  word,  similitude,  affection,  confidence,  and  most  intimate 
connexion,  seem  to  be  designated  by  the  appellation  of  Son,  ns  applied  to  Christ.  In 
this  sense  it  is  most  frequent  in  the  N.  T.  ;  although  with  Paul,  the  idea  of  Messian¬ 
ic  dignity  or  elevation  is  more  commonly  designated  by  Kurios  TLord,  note,  v.  4.] 

‘  But  while  I  am  fully  satisfied  that  the  term,  Son  qf  God,  is  oftentimes  applied  to 
Christ  as  a  name  of  nature,  as  well  as  office  ;  yet  I  am  as  fully  satisfied,  that  it  is  not  ap¬ 
plied  to  Him  considered  simply  as  divine, ox  simply  as  Logos.  It  designates  the  Thean¬ 
thropos ,  the  God-man ,  i.  e.  the  complex  person  of  the  Messiah,  in  distinction  from 
his  divine  nature ,  simply  considered,  in  his  Logos  state  or  condition.  The  exceptions 
to  this  are  only  cases  or  such  a  nature,  as  show  that  the  appellation,  Son  of  God, 
became,  by  usage,  a  kind  of  proper  name,  which  might  be  applied  cither  to  his  hu¬ 
man  nature  or  to  his  divine  one,  as  well  as  to  his  complex  person.  In  just  such  a  way 
proper  names  are  commonly  used  ;  e.  g.  Abraham  usually  and  properly  means,  the 
complex  person  of  this  individual,  consisting  of  soul  and  body.  But  when  I  say  : 
“Abraham  is  dead,”  I  mean  the  physical  part  only  of  Abraham  is  so;  and  when  I 
say  :  “  Abraham  is  .alive,”  I  mean  that  his  immortal  part  only  is  so.  So  when  I  say  : 
“  The  Son  of  God  was  crucified,”  I  mean  that  his  mortal  part  was  so  ;  when  I  say: 
‘‘God  sent  his  Son,  the  Son  came  out  from  the  Father,  He  had  glory  with  the 
Father  before  the  world  was,”  &c.,  I  mean*  that  the  divine  nature  of  the  Son  became 
incarnate,  that  He  emptied  Himself  .  .  humbled  Himself  (Phil.  2:7,  8),  taking  upon 
Him  the  likeness  of  our  nature.  But  when  1  say,  with  John,  that  “Jesus  is  the  Son 
of  God,  ’  and  that  “  Jesus  Christ  has  come  in  the  flesh,”  I  mean  to  designate  his 
complex  person,  the  theanthropos,  the  theos  en  sarki phanerotheis  (God  manifested  in 
flesh],  the  logos  sarx  genomenos  (Word  become  flesn],  and  this  is  the  case  with  most 
of  the  examples  in  the  New  Testament.*  Stuart. 


NOTES.  Chap.  II.  V.  1 — 3.  The  apostle  is  commonly  supposed 
to  have  here  passed  from  the  state  of  the  Gentiles,  to  animadvert  on 
that  of  the  Jews  :  though  some  think  that  the  heathen  philosophers  and 
moralists  were  also  included.  He,  however,  seems  to  have  expressed 
himself  in  a  general  manner,  that  he  might  include  all  those  of  every 
nation,  sentiment,  or  description,  ‘who  hold  the  truth  in  unrighteous¬ 
ness,1  or  object  to  ‘the  righteousness  of  God  by  faith,1  1:17 — 20.  and 
who  are  ready  to  judge  and  condemn  others,  though  guilty  themselves. 
Of  these,  the  Jews  were  the  most  notorious.  Yet,  while  they  would 
join  with  the  apostle  in  showing  the  inexcusable  wickedness  of  the  Gen¬ 
tiles,  they  were  equally  or  more  ‘  inexcusable  as  they  might  he  proved 
guilty  of  crimes,  the  very  same,  or  of  similar  malignity.  But  thev,  and 
all  other  persons  in  the  world  who  acted  in  this  manner,  must  be  re¬ 
minded,  that  assuredly,  ‘  the  judgment  of  God,1  according  to  the  truth 
of  his  Word,  and  the  real  character  and  conduct  of  men,  would  be  exe¬ 
cuted  on  them.  For  could  any  man  suppose,  that  when  he  had  com¬ 
mitted  the  same  crimes,  which  he  judged  deserving  of  punishment  in 
others,  he  should  himself  escape  the  judgment  of  God  ?  This  intimated 
to  the  unbelieving  Jews,  that  personal  and  national  judgments  aw  aited 
them,  unless  they  tied  for  refuge  to  the  grace  of  the  Gospel.  The  out¬ 
ward  wickedness  of  the  Jews  was  enormous  at  this  time,  as  Josephus 
has  shown*,  in  this  sense  they  copied  the  worst  crimes  (gross  idolatry 
excepted)  of  the  despised  Gentiles and  their  superior  advantages  render¬ 
ed  their  conduct  still  more  atrocious.  Scott. 

(1.)  Judgest.]  ‘Condemnest.1  ‘ Hence  it  readily  came  to  pass, 
that  they  [the  Jews]  thought  all  nations  hated  by  God,  and  at.  length  to 
be  destroyed  by  Him  ;  which  neither  the  philosophers,  nor  other  nations, 
nor  their  magistracy  did.1  Tac.  ‘Yet  that  the  Jews  did  the  same  things , 
(idolatry  excepted,)  see  the  Rabbinic  writings.1  Bl. 

V.  4 — 6.  The  Gentiles  were  without  excuse,  because  they  were  un¬ 
thankful  to  their  Creator  and  Benefactor;  1:21 — 23.  Did  the  Israelites 
then  despise  the  exuberant  riches  of  his  kindness  to  them,  whom  He 
had  so  peculiarly  favored  ?  lie  had  distinguished  them,  both  by  tempo¬ 
ral  and  spiritual  benefits,  in  every  age:  and  at  length  sent  his  Son 
among  them.  Even  after  they  had  crucified  Him,  He  had  in  infinite 
mercy  ordered  the  first  proposals  of  his  Gospel  to  he  made  to  them  ;  and 
He  still  besought  them,  by  his  apostles  and  ministers,  to  accept  of  this 
salvation  !  And  did  they  despise  all  this  as  a  small  favor  ?  Did  it  em¬ 
bolden  them  to  continue  in  sin  ?  Or  d‘d  the  Lord’s  abundant  merev  and 
patience  towards  them  lead  them  to  conclude,  that  He  would  always 
favor  them,  however  ungratefully  they  rebelled  against  Him  ?  Luke  2-f: 
44 — 49,  r.  47.  If  they  thus  despised  his  rich  goodness,  they  strangely 
mistook  its  design  and  tendency ;  as  it  ought  to  lead  and  induce  them  to 
repentance. — The  more  kindness  God  exercises,  the  greater  aggravation 
is  there  in  the  sinner’s  disobedience,  and  the  more  deeply  should  he  he 
humbled  for  his  base  ingratitude.  The  patience  of  God  gives  the  sinner 
time  and  opportunity  for  repentance,  and  the  discoveries  of  his  mercy 
furnish  him  with  motives  and  encouragements;  and  were  it  not  for 
man’s  total  depravity,  the  proposals  of  the  Gospel  must  prevail  with 
every  one  to  repent  of  his  departure  from  God,  and  to  return  to  his 
worship  and  service.  ( Luke  15:11 — 24.  2  Pet.  3:9,  14 — 16.) — If  the  Jews 
presumed  on  the  special  kindness  of  God  to  them  ;  and  continued  to  re¬ 
ject  the  Gospel,  and  to  disobey  his  commandments,  according  to  the 
‘hardness  of  their  impenitent  hearts,1  their  condemnation  would  be  pro- 
portionably  severe  ;  and  the  longer  God  had  patience  with  them,  the 
heavier  vengeance  would  be  executed  on  them.  All  others  indeed,  who 
thus  employed  the  day  of  mercy  in  committing  sin,  and  hardening  their 
hearts  in  impenitence,  because  of  the  goodness  of  God,  would  nnu  that 
they  had  accumulated  wrath  as  a  treasure  ‘  for  themselves,  which i  would 
be  secured  for  them,  tjll  the  day  of  wrath  and  final  recompense.  Scott. 

(4.)  Knowing.]  Acknowledging.  St.  Considering.  Bloomj.  Ed. 


A.  D.  61. 


ROMANS,  II. 


Jews  and  Gentiles  charged  with  sin . 


6  Who  b  will  render  to  every 
man  according  to  his  deeds  : 

7  To  them,  who,  by  patient  con¬ 
tinuance  in  well  doing,  seek  for 
glory  and  honor  and  immortality, 
eternal  life  : 

8  But  unto  them  that  are  '  con¬ 
tentious,  and  J  do  not  obey  the  truth, 
but  obey  unrighteousness ;  indig¬ 
nation  and  wrath, 

9  Tribulation  and  anguish,  upon 
every  soul  of  man  that  doeth  evil, 
of  the  Jew  tirst,  and  also  of  the 
k  Gentile  : 

10  But  ‘glory,  honor,  and  peace, 
to  every  man  that  worketh  good, 
to  the  Jew  first,  and  also  to  the 
m  Gentile  : 

11  For  "there  is  no  respect  of 
persons  with  God. 

12  For  as  many  as  have  sinned 
without  law,  shall  also  perish  with¬ 
out  law  :  and  as  many  as  have  sin¬ 
ned  in  the  law,  shall  be  judged  by 
the  law  ; 

h  Pr  2ei-2.  j  2  Th.  1:8.  n  De. 10:17.  2  Ch. 

Mat  16:27.  k  or,  Greek.  19:7.  Ga.  6:7,  8. 

Re  20:1-2.  1  1  Pe.  1:7.  1  Pe.  1:17. 

i  1  Ti.  6:3,  4.  m  or,  Greek. 

penitent  heart;  and  the  ruin  of  sinners  is  their 
walking  after  such  a  heart,  being  led  by  it. 
To  sin,  is  to  walk  in  the  ivay  of  the  heart  ; 
and  when  that  is  hard  and  impenitent,  how 
desperate  must  the  course  needs  be  !  The 
provocation  is  expressed  by  treasuring  up 
wrath. 

Those  that  go  on  in  a  course  of  sin,  are 
treasuring  up  unto  themselves  wrath.  A  trea¬ 
sure  denotes  abundance,  it  is  a  treasure 
that  will  be  spending  to  eternity,  and  yet 
never  exhausted  ;  sinners  add  to  it  as  to  a 
treasure.  Every  wilful  sin  will  inflame  the 
reckoning;  it  brings  a  branch  to  their  wrath, 
as  some  read,  Ez.  8:17.  A  treasure  de¬ 
notes  secresy  ;  but,  withal,  reservation  to 
some  further  occasion.  Job  38:  22,  23. 
Though  the  present  day  be  a  day  of  patience 
and  forbearance  toward  sinners,  yet  a  day 
of  wrath  is  coming;  wrath,  and  nothing  but 
wrath.  Indeed,  every  day  is  to  sinners  a 
day  of  wrath,  for  God  is  angry  with  the  wicked 
every  day,  Ps.  7:  11.  but  there  is  the  great 
day  of  wrath  coming.  Rev.  6:17. 

And  that  will  be  the  day  of  the  revelation 
of  the  righteous  judgment  of  God.  The  wrath 
of  God  is  not  like  our  wrath,  a  heat  and  pas¬ 
sion,  Is.  27:  4.  but  a  righteous  judgment ,  his 
will  to  punish  sin,  because  He  hates  it,  as 


contrary  to  his  nature.  This  righteous  judg¬ 
ment  of  God,  is  now  many  times  concealed, 
in  the  prosperity  and  success  of  sinners,  but 
shortly  it  will  be  manifested  before  all  the 
world,  these  seeming  disorders  set  to  rights, 
and  the  heavens  shall  declare  his  righteous¬ 
ness,  Ps.  60:  6.  Therefore  judge  nothing 
before  the  time. 

IV.  lie  describes  the  measures  by  which 
God  proceeds  in  his  judgment.  Having  men¬ 
tioned  the  righteous  judgment  of  God,  in  v.  6. 
lie  here  illustrates  it,  and  shows  what  we 
may  expect  from  God,  and  by  what  rule  He 
will  judge  the  world.  The  equity  of  distrib¬ 
utive  justice,  is  the  dispensing  of  frowns  and 
favors  with  respect  to  deserts,  and  without 
respect  of  persons. 

1.  He  will  render  to  every  man  according 
to  his  deeds,  v.  6.  a  truth  often  mentioned  in 
Scripture,  to  prove  that  the  Judge  of  all  the 
earth  doth  right.  Observe  the  objects  of  his 
favor.  By  this  we  may  try  our  interest  in 
the  divine  favor,  and  hence  be  directed  what 
course  to  take  to  obtain  it. 

(1.)  Such  as  fix  to  themselves  the  right 
end ;  that  seek  for  glory  and  honor  and  immor¬ 
tality  ;  the  glory  and  honor  which  are  im¬ 
mortal,  acceptance  with  God  here  and  for 
ever.  This  is  seeking  the  kingdom  of  God, 
looking,  in  our  desires  and  aims,  as  high  as 
heaven,  and  resolved  to  take  up  with  noth¬ 
ing  short  of  it. 

(2.)  Such  as,  having  fixed  the  right  end, 
adhere  to  the  right  way  ;  a  patient  continu¬ 
ance  in  well  doing.  It  is  not  enough  to  know 
well,  and  speak  well,  and  profess  well,  and 
promise  well,  but  we  must  do  well.  Not  for 
a  fit  and  a  start,  like  the  morning  cloud  and 
the  early  dew  ;  but  to  the  end  :  perseverance 
wins  the  crown.  Patient  continuance  re¬ 
spects  not  only  the  length  of  the  work,  but 
its  difficulties,  and  the  oppositions  and  hard¬ 
ships  we  may  meet  with  in  it.*  Those  that 
will  do  well  and  continue  in  it,  must  put  on 
a  deal  of  patience.  Heaven,  eternal  life,  is 
their  reward,  called,  v.  10.  glory,  honor,  and 
peace.  Those  that  seek  for  the  vain  glory  and 
honor  of  this  world,  often  miss  of  it,  and  are 
disappointed;  but  those  that  seek  for  im¬ 
mortal  glory  and  honor,  shall  have  it,  v.  7. 
and  not  only  glory  and  honor,  but  peace. 
Worldly  glory  and  honor  are  commonly  at¬ 
tended  with  trouble;  but  heavenly  glory  and 
honor  have  peace  with  them,  undisturbed, 
everlasting  peace. 

Observe,  now,  the  objects  of  his  frowns. 
In  general,  those  that  do  evil;  more  partic¬ 
ularly  described  to  be  such  as  are  contentious, 
and  do  not  obey  the  truth.  Every  wilful  sin 

*  A  distineuishecl  and  lamented  friend  (remarkably  con¬ 
scientious,  full  of  good  works,)  used  to  observe,  ‘  People 
talk  of  its  being  hard  to  die  ;  for  my  part,  I  have  found  it 
hard  to  live.1  «  Ed. 


is  a  quarrel  with  God,  striving  with  our  Ma¬ 
ker,  Is.  45:  9.  the  most  desperate  contention. 
The  Spirit  of  God  strives  with  sinners,  Gen. 
6:3.  and  impenitent  sinners  strive  against 
the  Spirit,  rebel  against  the  light.  Job  24: 
13.  hold  fast  deceit,  strive  to  retain  that  sin 
which  the  Spirit  strives  to  part  them  from. 
The  truths  of  religion  are  not  only  to  be 
known,  but  to  be  obeyed  ;  they  are  direct¬ 
ing,  ruling,  commanding  truths  ;  truths  re¬ 
lating  to  practice.  Disobedience  to  the  truth 
is  a  striving  against  it,  and  those  that  refuse 
to  be  the  servants  of  truth,  will  soon  be  the 
slaves  of  unrighteousness.  The  wages  of  sin 
are,  indignation  and  wrath,  the  causes;  trib¬ 
ulation  and  anguish,  the  necessary  and  una¬ 
voidable  effects.  And  this  upon  the  soul  J 
souls  are  the  vessels  of  that  wrath,  the  sub¬ 
jects  of  that  tribulation  and  anguish.  Sin 
qualifies  the  soul  for  this  wrath.  The  soul 
is  that  in,  or  of,  man,  which  alone  is  imme¬ 
diately  capable  of  this  indignation,  and  the 
impressions  or  effects  of  anguish  therefrom. 
Hell  is  eternal  tribulation  and  anguish,  the 
product  of  infinite  wrath  and  indignation. 
This  comes  of  contending  with  God,  Is.  27: 
4.  Those  that  will  not  bow  to  his  golden 
sceptre,  will  certainly  be  broken  by  his  iron 
rod. 

2.  There  is  no  respect  of  persons  with  God, 
v.  11.  i.  e.  as  to  outward  relation  or  condi-, 
tion.  Jews  and  Gentiles  stand  on  the  same 
level  before  God.  So  Peter,  Acts  10:34. 
and  it  is  explained  in  the  next  words,  that 
in  every  nation,  he  that  fears  God,  and  works 
righteousness,  is  accepted  of  Him.  God  does 
not  save  men  with  respect  to  their  external 
privileges,  or  their  barren  knowledge  and 
profession  of  the  truth,  but  according  as 
their  state  and  disposition  really  are. 

V.  He  proves  the  equity  of  his  proceed¬ 
ings  with  all,  when  He  shall  actually  come 
to  judge  them,  v.  12 — 16.  on  this  principle, 
that  that  which  is  the  rule  of  man’s  obe¬ 
dience,  is  the  rule  of  God’s  judgment. 

Three  degrees  of  light  are  revealed  to  men. 

1.  The  light  of  nature.  That  the  Gentiles 
have,  and  by  that  they  shall  be  judged;  they 
shall  not  be  reckoned  with  for  the  trans¬ 
gression  of  the  law  they  never  had,  nor  come 
under  the  aggravation  of  the  Jews’  sin 
against,  and  judgment  by,  the  written  law; 
but  they  shall  be  judged  by,  as  they  sin 
against,  the  law  of  nature,  not  only  as  it  is 
ip  their  hearts,  corrupted,  defaced,  and  im¬ 
prisoned  in  unrighteousness,  but  as  in  the 
uncorrupt  original  the  Judge  keeps  by  Him. 

Further  to  clear  this,  v.  14,  15.  in  a  pa¬ 
renthesis,  he  evinces,  that  the  light  of  nature 
was  to  the  Gentiles  instead  of  a  written  law. 
He  had  said,  v.  12.  they  had  sinned  without 
law;  but,  though  they  had  not  the  written 


(6.)  !  The  pious,  orthodox,  and  eloquent  Chrysostom,  here,  steers  the 
middle  and  only  safe  course.’  Bloomf. 

V.  7 — 11.  The  apostle  here  gradually  proceeds  to  a  more  explicit 
mention  of  the  Jews,  whom  he  especially  intended  to  ‘conclude  under 
sin.’  Gal.  3:22.  According  to  the  whole  tenor  of  Scripture,  as  well  as 
the  dictates  of  common  sense,  no  sinner  can  do  well ,  till  he  repents, 
submits  to  God,  and  seeks  mercy  from  Him.  The  Jew  who  did  this, 
must  have  respect  to  the  types  and  promises  of  a  Savior,  with  which 
the  law  of  Moses  was  replete,  as  well  as  to  the  preceptive  part  of  if, 
and  he  alone,  who  did  this,  would  perform  any  spiritual  obedience.  Ex. 
19:5.  If  then  there  was  a  man,  anywhere,  who  embraced  by  faith  the 
revelation  of  ‘glory,  honor,  and  immortality,’  through  the  promised 
Messiah,  made  in  the  Word  of  God,  and  was  earnestly  desirous  of  ob¬ 
taining  this  blessing  ;  if  he  sought  the  inheritance,  by  repenting,  ‘  ceas¬ 
ing  to  do  evil,  learning  to  do  well,’  attending  on  the  ordinances  of  God, 
obeying  his  commandments,  and  thus  waiting  patiently  for  the  comple¬ 
tion  of  his  promises  ;  and  if  he  proved  his  sincerity,  by  patience  under 
trinls,  and  perseverance  in  well  doing,  amidst  temptations  and  difficul¬ 
ties  ; — this  man  would  surely  be  made  partaker  of  eternal  life,  according 
to  the  constitution  of  the  most  gracious  covenant  of  God  in  Jesus  Christ ; 
whatever  measure  of  explicit  knowledge  he  might  be  favored  with,  or 
under  whatever  dispensation  he  might  live.  But  as  all  transgressors  of 
the  law  are  under  condemnation  ;  so  those  Jews,  or  others,  who  dispu¬ 
ted  ngainst  the  Lord’s  method  of  saving  sinners,  and  his  sovereignty  in 
dispensing  unmerited  favors ;  and  who  refused  to  obey  the  truth,  by 
embracing  the  Gospel  and  submitting  to  the  promised  Savior;  choosing 
rather  to  ‘obey  unrighteousness,’  and  continue  the  slaves  of  sin  and  Sa¬ 
tan  :  all  these  persons  would  surely  sink  under  the  indignation  and 
wrath  of  their  offended  Judge;  and  the  Jcwwill  have  the  first  and  most 
severe  lot  in  this  condemnation  ;  though  the  unbelieving  and  disobedi¬ 
ent  Gentile  will  not  be  exempted.  On  the  other  hand,  that  ‘  glory,  hon¬ 
or,  and  peace,’  which  God  confers  on  the  objects  of  his  peculiar  love, 
[182] 


will  certainly  be  given  to  ‘  every  man  that  worketh  good,’  as  one  who 
‘obeyed  the  truth.’ — It  is  evident  the  apostle  did  not  mean,  that  either 
Jew  or  Gentile  could  be  saved  by  his  own  works,  without  faith  in  Christ ; 
but  that, ‘by  obeying  the  truth,’  and  by  that  ‘patient  continuance  in 
well  doing’  which  springs  from  faith,  the  Gentile  would  obtain  eternal 
life;  and  without  this,  the  Jew  must  fall  under  wrath  and  condemna¬ 
tion.  To  suppose  he  meant,  that  any  man,  who  heard  the  Gospe’  with¬ 
out  believing  it ;  or  who  had  any  part  of  revelation  sent  to  him,  yet  re¬ 
jected  it,  could  be  saved  ;  would  absurdly  make  the  apostle  advance 
principles  subversive  of  his  own  grand  argument  throughout  the  whole 
epistle,  and  of  his  doctrine  in  all  his  epistles.  He  had  many  reasons, 
for  his  first  proposing  his  doctrine  in  this  covert  and  practical  manner. 
He  thus  avoided  giving  immediate  disgust  to  the  Jewish  reader,  previ¬ 
ous  to  the  more  explicit  declaration  of  the  Gospel,  for  which  he  was 
here  only  making  way  :  he  intimated,  that  those,  who  really  best  under¬ 
stood  and  obeyed  the  law,  vvould  most  readily  embrace  the  Gospel ;  and 
that  the  Jews  did  not  refuse  to  ‘obey  the  truth’  from  love  to  the  holi¬ 
ness  of  the  law,  but  from  ‘  obedience  to  unrighteousness.’  Scott. 

(8.)  Contentious .]  ‘A  disposition  seems  meant,  of  disputing  and 
contesting  about  what  is  commanded,  and  what  not,  rather  than  of  apply¬ 
ing  sincerely  to  fulfil  what  is  acknowledged  to  be  enjoined.’  Bloomf. 

(9.)  ‘  Here  we  have  the  first  express  mention  of  the  Jews  ;  ( Doddr .) 
and  it  is  introduced  with  admirable  address  ;  q.  d.  “  not  only  of  the  Jews 
(of  whom  I  am  now  speaking),  but  also  of  the  Gentiles.”  ’  Id. 

V.  12 — 16.  If  they  would  seek  acceptance  in  this  way,  they  must  be 
‘  doers  ’  of  the  law  :  and  if  any  thus  perfectly  performed  its  righteous 
demands,  he  might  then  indeed  claim  the  reward  of  righteousness,  but 
not  otherwise.  Luke  10:25—29.  For  even  the  Gentiles,  who  had  not 
the  written  law,  when  from  natural  principles  they  performed  any  of 
those  duties  which  the  law  required,  were,  in  this  respect  ‘  a  law  unto 
themselves:’  and  by  obeying  thus  far  their  own  rule,  came  nearer  to 
righteousness,  than  the  Jews  who  broke  their  rule.  Their  consciences 


A.  D.  61.  ROMANS,  II.  The  charge  against  the  Jews. 


13  (For  °not  the  hearers  of  the 
law  are  just  before  God,  but  the 
doers  of  the  law  shall  be  justified. 

14  For  when  the  Gentiles,  which 
have  not  the  law,  do  by  nature  the 
things  contained  in  the  law,  these, 
having  not  the  law,  are  a  law  p  unto 
themselves  : 

15  Which  shew  the  work  of  the 
law  written  in  their  hearts,  ■>  their 
conscience  also  bearing  witness, 
and  their  thoughts  r  the  mean  while 
accusing,  or  else  excusing,  one  an¬ 


other;) 

16  In  the  day  when  God  shall 
judge  the  secrets  ’of  men,  by  Jesus 
Christ,  according  to  my  'gospel. 

17  Behold,  thou  u  art  called  a 
Jew,  and  restest  in  the  law,  and 
makest  thy  boast  of  God, 

18  And  knowest  v  his  will,  and 
w  approvest  x  the  things  that  are 
more  excellent,  being  instructed  out 
of  the  law  ; 


o  Jo.  1:2-2—25. 
p  1  Co.  11:14. 
q  or,  Jhe  con¬ 
science  witness¬ 
ing  with  them. 


t  or,  between 
themselves. 
s  Lu.  8:17. 
t  c.  16:25. 
u  ver.  28. 


v  Pa.  147:19,20. 
w  or,  tries t  the 
things  that  dif- 
fur. 

x  Phi.  1:10. 


law,  Pa.  147:  20.  they  had  what  was  equiv¬ 
alent,  not  to  the  ceremonial,  but  to  the  moral 
law.  They  had  the  work  of  the  law.  He  does 
not  mean,  that  work  which  the  law  com¬ 
mands,  as  if  they  could  produce  a  perfect 
obedience  ;  hut  that  work  which  tile  law 
does;  in  directing  us  what  to  do, examining 
us  what  we  have  done.  Now, 

(1.)  They  had  that  which  directed  them 
what  to  do  by  the  light  of  nature  :  by  the 
force  and  tendency  of  their  natural  notions, 
and  dictates,  they  apprehended  a  clear  and 
vast  difference' between  good  and  evil.  They 
did,  by  nature,  the  things  contained  in  the  law. 
They  had  a  sense  of  [ought,  and  ought  not] 
justice  and  equity,  honor  and  purity,  love 
and  charity;  the  light  of  nature  taught  obe¬ 
dience  to  parents,  pity  to  the  miserable,  con¬ 
servation  of  public  peace  and  order;  forbade 
murder,  stealing,  lying,  perjury,  &c.  Thus 
they  were  a  law  unto  themselves. 

(2.)  They  had  that  which  examined  them 
what  they  had  done  ;  Their  conscience  also 
bearing  witness.  They  had  that  within  them, 
which  approved  and  commended  what  was 
well  done,  and  which  reproached  them  for 
what  was  done  amiss.  Conscience  is  a  wit¬ 
ness,  and  first,  or  last  will  bear  witness, 
though  for  a  time  it  may  be  bribed  or  brow¬ 
beaten.  It  is  instead  of  a  thousand  wit¬ 
nesses,  testifying  of  that  which  is  most  se¬ 
cret  ;  and  their  thoughts  accusing  or  excusing, 
passing  a  judgment  on  the  testimony  of  con¬ 


science,  by  applying  the  law  to  the  fact. 
Conscience  is  that  candle  of  the  Lord,  which 
was  not  quite  put  out,  no,  not  in  the  Gentile 
world.  The  heathen  (see  Hor.,  Juv.,  &c.) 
have  witnessed  to  the  comfort  of  a  good  con¬ 
science,  and  to  the  terror  of  a  bad  one. 

Their  thoughts  among  themselves,  or  one 
with  another.  The  same  light  and  law  of 
nature,  that  witnesses  against  sin  in  them, 
and  in  others,  accused  or  excused  one  another, 
or  by  turns,  so  some;  according  as  they  ob¬ 
served  or  broke  these  natural  laws  and  dic¬ 
tates,  their  consciences  did  either  acquit  or 
condemn  them.  All  which  did  evidence,  that 
they  had  what  was  to  them  instead  of  a  law, 
which  they  might  have  been  governed  by, 
and  which  will  condemn  them,  because  they 
w'ere  not  so  guided  and  governed  by  it.  So 
that  the  guilty  Gentiles  are  left  w  ithout  ex¬ 
cuse.  God  is  justified  in  condemning  them. 
They  cannot  plead  ignorance,  and  therefore 
are  like  to  perish,  if  they  have  not  something 
else  to  plead. 

2.  The  light  of  the  law  ;  that  the  Jews 
had,  and  by  that  they  shall  be  judged,  v.  12. 
They  sinned,  not  only  having  the  law,  but  in 
the  law,  in  the  midst  of  so  much  law,  in  the 
face  and  light  of  so  pure  and  clear  a  law,  the 
directions  of  which  were  so  full  and  partic¬ 
ular,  and  sanctions  of  it  so  very  cogent  and 
enforcing.  These  shall  be  judged  by  the  law; 
their  punishment  shall  be,  as  their  sin  is,  so 
much  the  greater  for  their  having  the  law. 
The  Jew  first,  v.  9.  It  shall  be  more  toler¬ 
able  for  Tyre  and  Sidon.  Thus  Moses  did 
accuse  them,  John  5:  45.  and  they  fell  under 
the  many  stripes  of  him  that  knew  his  Mas¬ 
ter’s  will,  and  did  it  not,  Luke  12:47. 

The  Jews  prided  themselves  very  much  in 
the  law  ;  but,  to  confirm  what  he  had  said, 
the  apostle  shows,  v.  13.  that  their  having, 
and  hearing,  and  knowing  the  law,  would 
not  justify  them,  but  their  doing  of  it.  The 
Jewish  doctors  bolstered  up  their  followers 
with  an  opinion,  that  all  that  were  Jews, 
how  bad  soever  they  lived,  should  have  a 
place  in  the  world  to  come.  This  the  apos¬ 
tle  here  opposes  :  it  was  a  great  privilege 
that  they  had  the  law,  but  not  a  saving  priv¬ 
ilege,  unless  they  lived  up  to  the  law  they 
had  ;  which  it  is  certain  the  Jews  did  not, 
and  therefore  they  had  need  of  a  righteous¬ 
ness  wherein  to  appear  before  God.  We 
may  apply  it  to  the  Gospel  :  it  is  not  hear¬ 
ing,  but  doing,  that  will  save  us,  John  13: 
17.  James  1 :  22. 

3.  The  light  of  the  Gospel  :  and  accord¬ 
ing  to  that,  those  that  enjoy  the  Gospel  shall 
be  judged,  v.  16.  According  to  my  Gospel; 
not  meant  of  any  fifth  Gospel,  written  by 
Paul,  as  some  conceit  ;  or  of  the  Gospel 
written  by  Luke,  as  Paul’s  amanuensis, 
(Euseb.  Hist.  lib.  3.  cap.  8.)  but  the  Gospel 
in  general,  called  Paul’s,  because  he  was  a 
preacher  of  it.  As  many  as  are  under  that 


dispensation,  shall  be  judged  according  to 
that  dispensation,  Mark  16:  16.  Some  refer 
it  to  what  he  say's  of  the  day  of  judgment  : 

‘  There  will  come  a  day  of  judgment,  as  I 
have  often  told  you  ;  and  that  will  be  the 
day  of  the  final  judgment  both  of  Jews  and 
Gentiles.’  (1.)  There  is  a  day  set  for  a  gen¬ 
eral  judgment.  The  day,  the  great  day,  his 
day  that  is  coming,  Ps.  37:13.  (2.)  The 

judgment  of  that  day  will  be  put  into  the 
hands  of  Jesus  Christ.  God  shall  judge  by 
Jesus  Christ,  Acts  17:  31.  It  will  be  part 
of  the  reward  of  his  humiliation.  Nothing 
speaks  more  terror  to  sinners,  and  more 
comfort  to  saints,  than  this,  that  Christ  shall 
be  the  Judge.  (3.)  The  secrets  of  men  shall 
then  be  judged  :  secret  services  rewarded, 
secret  sins  punished,  hidden  things  brought 
to  light. 

V.  17 — 29.  In  the  latter  part  of  the  ch. 
the  apostle  directs  his  discourse  more  closely 
to  the  Jews,  and  shows  what  sins  they  were 
guilty  of,  notwithstanding  their  profession 
and  vain  pretensions.  He  had  said,  v.  13. 
that  not  the  hearers,  but  the  doers  of  the 
law  are  justified  ;  and  he  here  applies  that 
great  truth  to  the  Jews.  Observe, 

I.  He  allows  their  profession,  v.  17 — 20. 
and  specifies  their  particular  pretensions  and 
privileges,  which  they  prided  themselves  in; 
that  they  might  see  he  did  not  condemn  them 
out  of  ignorance  of  what  they  had  to  say  for 
themselves  ;  no,  he  knew  the  best  of  their 
cause. 

1.  They  were  a  peculiar  people  ;  separated 
and  distinguished  from  all  other  by  their  hav¬ 
ing  the  written  law,  and  the  special  presence 
of  God.  Jew  was  a  very  honorable  title,  yet 
many,  so  called,  were  the  vilest  of  men. 
Many  of  the  synagogue  of  Satan  say  they  are 
Jews,  Rev.  2:  9.  and  a  generation  of  vipers 
boast  they  have  Abraham  to  their  father,  Mat. 
3:7—9. 

And  restest  in  the  law.  I.  e.  they  took  a 
pride  in  this,  that  they  had  the  law  among 
them,  had  it  in  their  books,  read  it  in  their 
synagogues.  To  rest  in  the  law,  with  a  rest 
of  complacency  and  acquiescence,  is  good  ; 
to  rest  in  it  with  a  rest  of  pride,  and  sloth- 
fulness,  and  carnal  security,  is  the  ruin  of 
souls.  They  were  mightily  puffed  up  with 
this  privilege,  Jer.  7:  4.  48:13.  Haughty 
because  of  the  holy  mountain,  Zeph.  3: 11.  It 
is  a  dangerous  thing  to  rest  in  external  priv¬ 
ileges,  and  not  to  improve  them. 

And  makest  thy  boast  of  God.  See  how  the 
best  things  may  be  perverted  and  abused!  A 
believing,  loving,  humble,  thankful  glorying 
in  God,  is  the  root  and  summary  of  all  reli¬ 
gion,  Ps.  34:2.  Is.  45:25.  1  Cor.  1:31. 
But  a  proud,  vainglorious  boasting  in  God, 
and  in  the  outward  profession  of  his  name, 
is  the  root  and  summary  of  all  hypocrisy. 
Spiritual  pride  is  of  all  kinds  of  pride  the 
most  dangerous. 


also  testified  to  the  propriety  of  this  part  of  their  conduct,  and  produ¬ 
ced  an  inward  satisfaction :  while,  at  the  same  time,  their  secret 
thoughts,  or  their  reasonings  one  with  another,  served  to  accuse,  or  ex¬ 
cuse  themselves,  or  each  other,  according  to  the  conformity  of  their  con¬ 
duct  to  their  own  sentiments  of  right  and  wrong,  or  the  contrary.  If, 
then,  the  very  Gentiles  could  not  but  condemn  themselves,  when  they 
acted  against  their  own  consciences;  how  absurd  and  presumptuous 
must  it  be  for  a  Jew,  to  expect  justification  before  God,  by  a  law  which 
he  wras  continually  transgressing  !  To  1  perish  without  law  ’  is  widely 
different  from  ‘justification  unto  life;’  of  which  the  apostle  gives  not  so 
much  as  any  intimation.  Mat.  11:20 — 24.  The  apostle’s  argument  by 
no  means  implied,  that  the  Gentiles  performed  any  spiritual  obedience; 
or  that  any  of  them  could  be  justified,  on  account  of  their  partial  and 
scanty  compliance  with  the  dictates  of  their  own  natural,  and  in  very 
many  things  erroneous  conscience.  [If  it  be  said,  why  should  they  not 
stand  as  well  us  those  who  live  no  nearer  to  their  rule  than  they,  and 
yet  through  grace  are  saved  ? — no  Christian  lives  up  to  his  light,  and 
no  heathen  does ;  why  should  one  be  saved  more  than  the  other  ?  See 
9:20.  Ed.)  As  the  apostle  plainly  says,  that  ‘as  many  as  have  sin¬ 
ned  without  law,  shall  perish  without  law  ;’  it  is  surprising,  any  exposi¬ 
tors  should  have  thought  the  case  of  Job  and  his  friends,  and  Cornelius, 
to  be  referred  to.  Probably  Job  lived  and  died  before  the  law;  and 
he  had  traditional  revelation,  as  the  patriarchs  had  :  and  Cornelius, 
though  not  observant  of  the  ceremonial  law,  had  the  scriptures  of  the 
O.  T„  and  by  the  grace  of  God  had  studied  them  to  good  purpose.  Acts 
10:1 — 8. —  It  was  indisputably  the  apostle’s  object,  to  convince  his  read¬ 
ers,  that  neither  revelation,  nor  the  light  of  reason  and  conscience, 
could  save  those  who  failed  of  obeying  them;  that  all  had  in  many 
things  failed  ;  however,  in  particular  instances,  some  had  been  obedient ; 


and  that  all  must  perish,  though  with  different  degrees  of  aggravation, 
unless  saved  by  the  Gospel. — ‘  Hell  hath  no  power  over  sinners  of  Israel, 
because  Abraham  and  Isaac  descend  thither  to  fetch  them  thence. . .  No 
circumcised  person  goes  to  hell ;  God  having  promised  to  deliver  them 
from  it,  for  the  merit  of  circumcision.  . .  All  Israelites  have  their  portion 
in  the  world  to  come;  and  that  notwithstanding  their  sins;  yea,  though 
they  were  condemned  here  for  their  wickedness.’  Extracts  from  Jew¬ 
ish  writers,  in  Whitby. — It  would  not  be  easy  to  produce  any  passage 
from  modern  writers,  in  which  proud  self-righteousness  and  rank  anli- 
nomianisnt  are  so  completely  combined  :  but  a  considerable  portion  of 
the  same  leaven,  may  often  be  discerned  both  among  papists  and  pro- 
testants.  Scott, 

(15.)  Work.)  ‘  Which  the  law  requireth.’  St.  ‘  The  effect  or  proof 
of  the  existence  of  that  law,  viz.  in  discovering  the  obligations  to  moral 
duties,  which  revelation,  by  its  precepts,  unfolds  and  enjoins.  And  so 
Taylor,  and  Mackn.’  Bloomf. 

V.  17 — 24.  In  order  to  understand  this  ch.,  it  should  constantly  be 
kept  in  mind,  that  the  apostle  is  combating  the  prejudices  and  presump¬ 
tion  of  the  Jews,  to  whom  he  expected  the  epistle  would  be  shown,  and 
whose  influence  he  knew  would  he  employed,  to  unsettle  the  minds  of 
the  believers  at  Rome.  The  Gentiles  are  therefore  introduced,  by  way 
of  illustrating  the  argument,  and  not  in  order  to  show  in  what  way  they 

may  be  justified.  12 — 16. — The  apostle  here  immediately  addressed  him¬ 
self  to  any  Jew,  who  was  willing  to  take  up  the  argument.  He  supposed 
him  to  rest  his  hope  of  acceptance  on  the  law,  and  this  with  great  quiet¬ 
ness  and  satisfaction  ;  and  to  ‘  boast  of  God,’  as  standing  in  a  covenant- 
relation  to  Him.  He  thought  himself  well  acquainted  with  the  will  of 
God  ;  and,  as  an  expert  casuist,  he  could  ‘  distinguish  things  which  dif¬ 
fered,’  and  give  the  preference  to  such  as  were  more  excellent,  having 


A.  D.  61. 


ROMANS,  II. 


The  charge  against  the  Jews. 


19  And  art  confident  that  thou 
thyself  art  a  guide  of  the  blind,  a 
light  of  them  which  are  in  dark¬ 
ness, 

20  An  instructer  of  the  foolish,  a 
teacher  of  babes,  which  hast  the 
form  y  of  knowledge  and  of  the 
truth  in  the  law  : 

21  Thou  z  therefore  which  teach- 
est  another,  teachest  thou  not  thy¬ 
self?  thou  that  preachest  a  man 
should  not  steal,  dost  thou  steal? 

22  Thou  that  sayest  a  man  should 
not  commit  adultery,  dost  thou 
commit  adultery?  thou  that  abhor- 
rest  idols,  dost  thou  commit  sacri¬ 
lege  ? 

23  Thou  that  makest  thy  boast 
of  the  law,  through  breaking  the 
law  dishonorest  thou  God  ? 

24  For  the  name  of  God  is  blas¬ 
phemed  among  the  Gentiles  through 
you,  as  it  is  1  written. 

25  For  circumcision  verily  prof- 
iteth,  if  thou  keep  the  law  :  but  bif 
thou  be  a  breaker  of  the  law,  thy 
circumcision  is  made  uncircumci¬ 
sion. 

26  Therefore  if  c  the  uncircum¬ 
cision  keep  the  righteousness  of  the 
law,  shall  not  his  uncircumcision 
be  counted  for  circumcision  ? 

27  And  shall  not  uncircumcision 
which  is  by  nature,  if  it  fulfil  the 
law,  djudge  thee,  who  by  the  letter 
and  circumcision  dost  transgress  the 
law  ? 

V  2  Ti.  1:13.  3:5.  a  Ezr.  35:20,  23.  c  Ac.  10:31,35. 
z  Mat.  23:3,  &c.  b  Ga.  5:3.  U  Mat.  12:41,  42. 

2.  They  were  a  knowing  people,  v.  IS. 
And  knowesl  his  will,  lit.  the  will.  God’s  will 
is  the  will,  the  sovereign,  absolute,  irresisti¬ 
ble  will.  The  world  will  then,  and  not  till 
then,  be  set  to  rights,  when  God’s  will  is  the 
only  will,  and  all  other  wills  are  [identified 
with  il]  melted  into  it.  It  is  possible  for  a 
hypocrite  to  have  a  great  deal  of  knowledge 
in  the  will  of  God. 

And  npprovest  the  things  that  are  more  excel¬ 
lent.  Paul  prays  for  it  for  his  friends,  as  a 
very  great  attainment,  Phil.  1:10.  Under¬ 
stand  it,  (1.)  Of  a  good  apprehension  in  the 
things  of  God,  reading  it  thus,  Thou  discern- 
est  the  things  that  differ,  knovvest  how  to  dis¬ 
tinguish  between  good  and  evil,  the  precious  and 
the  vile,  Jer.  15:  19.  the  unclean  and  the  clean, 
Lev.  11:47.  Good  and  bad  lie  sometimes 
so  near  together,  that  it  is  not  easy  to  dis¬ 
tinguish  them;  but  the  Jews,  having  the 
touchstone  of  the  law  ready  at  hand,  were, 
or  at  least  thought  they  were,  able  to  distin¬ 
guish,  to  cleave  the  hair  in  doubtful  cases. 
A  man  may  be  a  good  casuist,  and  yet  a  bad 
Christian;  accurate  in  the  notion,  but  loose 
and  careless  in  the  application.  Or  we  may, 


with  De  Dieu,  understand  controversies  by  the 
ta  diapheronta,  (tr.  things  that  are  more  excel¬ 
lent.)  A  man  may  be  well  skilled  in  the  con¬ 
troversies  of  religion,  and  yet  a  stranger  to  the 
power  of  godliness.  (2.)  Of  a  warm  affection 
to  the  things  of  God,  as  we  read  it,  Approvesl 
the  things  that  are  excellent.  There  are  excel¬ 
lencies  in  religion,  which  a  hypocrite  may  ap¬ 
prove  of  ;  there  may  be  a  consent  of  the 
practical  judgment  to  the  law,  that  it  is  good, 
and  yet  that  consent  overpowered  by  the  lusts 
of  the  flesh,  and  of  the  mind ;  ‘  I  see  the  better, 
but  pursue  the  worse;’  and  it  is  common  for 
sinners  to  make  that  approbation  an  excuse, 
which  is  really  a  very  great  aggravation  of 
a  sinful  course. 

They  got  this  acquaintance  with,  and  af¬ 
fection  to,  that  which  is  good,  by  being  in¬ 
structed  out  of  the  la  w,  kateckoumenoi, — being 
catechised.  The  word  signifies,  an  early 
instruction  from  childhood.  It  is  a  great 
privilege  and  advantage  to  be  well  catechised 
betimes.  It  urns  the  custom  of  the  Jews  to 
take  great  pains  in  teaching  their  children, 
w  hen  they  were  young,  [cut,  Fam.  Rec.  Vol. 
III.]  and  all  their  lessons  wer eout  of  thelaw; 
it  were  well,  if  Christians  were  but  as  in¬ 
dustrious  to  teach  their  children  out  of  the 
Gospel. 

Now  this  is  called,  v.  20.  The  form  of 
knowledge,  and  of  the  truth  in  the  law,  i.  e. 
the  show  and  appearance  of  it.  Those 
whose  knowledge  rests  in  an  empty  notion, 
and  does  not  make  an  impression  on  their 
hearts,  have  only  the.  form  of  it,  like  a  picture 
well  drawn  and  in  good  colors,  but  which 
wants  life.  A  form  of  knowledge,  produces 
but  a.  form  of  godliness,  2  Tim.  3:  5.  A  form 
of  knowledge  may  deceive  men,  but  cannot  im¬ 
pose  on  the  piercing  eve  of  the  heart-search¬ 
ing  God.  A  form  may  be  the  vehicle  of  the 
power  ;  but  he  that  takes  up  with  that  only, 
is  like  sounding  brass,  and  a  tinkling  cymbal. 

3.  They  were  a  teaching  people,  or  at 
least  thought  themselves  so,  v.  19,  20.  And 
art  confident  that  thou  thyself  — .  Apply  it, 

(1.)  To  the  Jews  in  general ;  they  thought 
themselves  guides  to  the  poor  blind  Gentiles 
that  sat  in  darkness,  that  whoever  would  have 
the  knowledge  of  God,  must  be  beholden  to 
them  for  it  ;  [pass  to  it  through  prosely- 
tism  to  their  Law  and  rites;]  all  other  na¬ 
tions  must  come  to  school  to  them,  to  learn 
what  is  good,  and  what  the  Lord  requires ;  for 
they  had  the  lively  oracles. 

(2.)  To  their  rabbies  and  doctors,  and 
leading  men  among  them,  who  were  espec¬ 
ially  those  that  judged  others,  v.  1.  these 
prided  themselves  much  in  the  possession 
they  had  of  Moses’  chair,  and  the  deference 
the  vulgar  paid  to  their  dictates  ;  and  the 
apostle  expresses  this  in  several  terms,  the 
better  to  set  forth  their  proud  conceit  of 
themselves,  and  contempt  of  others.  This 
was  a  string  they  loved  to  be  harping  upon, 
heaping  up  titles  of  honor  upon  themselves. 

II.  He  aggravates  their  provocations, 
v.  21 — 24.  from  two  things, 

1.  That  they  sinned  against  their  knowl¬ 
edge  and  profession,  did  that  themselves 
which  they  taught  others  to  avoid.  It  was 
the  hypocrisy  of  the  Pharisees,  That  they  did 


not  do  as  they  taught.  Mat.  23:  3.  but  pulled 
down  with  their  lives  what  they  built  up  with 
their  preaching  ;  for  who  will  believe  those 
who  do  not  believe  themselves  1  Example 
will  govern  more  than  rules.  The  greatest 
obstructors  of  the  success  of  the  Word,  are 
those  whose  bad  lives  contradict  their  good 
doctrine  ;  who  in  the  pulpit  preach  so  well, 
that  it  is  pity  they  should  ever  come  out  ; 
and  out  of  the  pulpit  live  so  ill,  that  it  is 
pity  they  should  ever  go  in.  He  specifies 
three  particular  sins  that  abounded  among 
the  Jews.  (1.)  Stealing.  This  is  charged 
on  some  that  declared  God’s  statutes,  Ps.  50: 
16,  18.  The  Pharisees  are  charged  with  de¬ 
vouring  widows’  houses,  Mat.  23: 14.  and 
that  is  the  worst  of  robberies.  (2.)  Adultery, 
v.  22.  This  is  likewise  charged  on  that  sin¬ 
ner,  Ps.  50:18.  Many  of  the  Jewish  rab¬ 
bins  are  said  to  have  been  notorious  for  this 
sin.  (3.)  Sacrilege.  Robbing  in  holy  tilings, 
which  were  then  by  special  laws  dedicated 
and  devoted  to  God.  And  this  is  charged  on 
those  that  professed  to  abhor  idols.  So  the 
Jews  did  remarkably,  after  their  captivity 
in  Babylon  ;  but  they  dealt  very  treacherously 
in  the  worship  of  God.  It  was  in  the  latter 
days  of  the  O.  T.  church,  that  they  were 
charged  with  robbing  God  in  tithes  and  offer¬ 
ings,  Mai.  3:8,9.  converting  that  to  their 
own  use,  and  to  the  service  of  their  lusts, 
which  was,  in  a  special  manner,  set  apart 
for  God. 

2.  That  they  dishonored  God  by  theft  sin, 
v.  23,  24.  While  God  and  his  law  were  an 
honor  to  them,  which  they  boasted  of,  and 
prided  themselves  in,  they  were  a  dishonor 
to  God  and  his  law,  by  giving  occasion  to 
those  that  were  without,  to  reflect  on  their 
religion,  as  if  that  did  countenance  and  allow 
of  such  things.  And  the  apostle  here  refers 
to  the  same  charge  against  their  forefathers; 
as  it  is  written,  v.  24.  He  does  not  mention 
the  place,  because  he  wrote  this  to  those  that 
were  instructed  in  the  law,  but  he  seems  to 
point  at  Is.  52:5.  Ez.  36:22,  23.  and  2  S. 
12: 14.  It  is  a  lamentation,  that  those  who 
were  made  to  be  to  God  for  a  name  and  for  a 
praise,  should  be  to  Him  a  shame  and  dis¬ 
honor.  The  great  evil  of  the  sins  of  profes¬ 
sors,  is,  the  dishonor  done  to  God  ami  re¬ 
ligion  by  their  profession.  ‘  Blasphemed 
through  you ;  you  give  the  occasion  for  it,  it 
is  through  your  folly  and  carelessness.  The 
reproaches  you  bring  on  yourselves,  reflect 
on  your  God,  and  religion  is  wounded  through 
your  sides.’  A  good  caution  to  professors 
to  walk  circumspectly.  See  1  Tim.  6:  1. 

III.  He  asserts  the  utter  insufficiency  of 
their  profession,  to  clear  them  from  the  guilt 
of  these  provocations,  v.  25 — 29  ;  obedient 
Jews  shall  not  lose  the  reward  of  their  obe¬ 
dience,  but  will  gain  this  by  their  being 
Jews,  that  they  have  a  clearer  rule  of  obe¬ 
dience  than  the  Gentiles  have.  This  must 
be  referred  to  the  state  of  the  Jews  before 
the  ceremonial  polity  was  abolished,  other¬ 
wise  circumcision,  to  one  that  professed  faith 
in  Christ,  was  forbidden,  Gal.  5:2.  But  he 
is  here  speaking  to  the  Jews,  whose  Judaism 
would  advantage  them,  if  they  would  but  live 
up  to  the  rules  and  laws  of  it  ;  but  if  not. 


from  his  youth  been  instructed  out  of  the  law.  In  this  confidence  he 
thought  himself  qualified  to  guide  and  enlighten  the  blind  and  benighted 
pagans;  and  to  instruct  such  as  became  proselytes,  whom  he  deemed 
foolish,  and  mere  babes,  compared  with  himself;  as  he  had  got  a  com¬ 
plete  knowledge  of  the  whole  law,  having  the  form  of  it  in  his  memory 
and  mind.  This,  however,  was  a  mere  semblance,  and  outside  appear¬ 
ance  of  the  spiritual  knowledge,  and  true  meaning  of  the  law,  which, 
rightly  understood,  would  lead  him  to  trust  in  the  promised  and  typified 
Redeemer,  and  not  in  the  law  itself.  In  this  form  he  rested,  without 
even  attempting  to  obey  all  the  precepts  of  the  law,  according  to  his 
own  exposition  ;  as  if  his  work  had  been  to  instruct  others,  and  not  him¬ 
self!  or  as  if  he  meant  to  insult  the  great  Lawgiver,  by  studying  his 
commandments  in  order  to  break  them  !  It  was  notorious,  that  many 
of  the  chief  priests,  scribes,  and  elders,  who  appeared  most  zealous  for 
the  law,  were  guilty  of  these  (21,  22)  and  similar  crimes  :  and  the  rest, 
who  rejected  the  Gospel,  nod  ‘  made  their  boast  in  the  law,’ would  be 
found  to  dishonor  God,  by  evidently  breaking  it. — The  terms  here  used 
(21)  concerning  the  Gentiles,  aptly  expose  the  arrogant  self-wisdom  of 
the  Jews.  (24)  Blasphemed,  Sc e.]  ‘Of  this,  Jos.  doth  frequently  ac¬ 
cuse  them,  saying,  “  What  wickedness  do  you  conceal  or  hide,  which  is 

[134] 


not  known  to  your  enemies?  You  triumph  in  your  wickedness,  strive 
daily  who  shall  he  most  vile,  making  a  show  of  yoflr  wickedness,  as  if 
it.  were  virtue.”’  Whitby.  Scott. 

(1G.)  Approvest,  <kc.]  ‘  Canst  distinguish  things  which  differ.’  St. 

(20.)  Form.]  Morphosis  :  ‘Representation.’  St.  'Morphosis  proper¬ 
ly  signifies  the  delineation  of  anything  with  chalk,  or  otherwise,  an  out¬ 
line  ;  a  tupos  [type]  is  the  delineation  of  anything  by  stamp.  Now  as 
botli  are  concerned  to  represent  the  true  form  of  anything,  so  they  are 
both  metaphorically  applied,  (the  latter  in  6:17.  the  former  here,)  to  an 
accurate  knowledge  of  a  thing.’  Bloomf. 

V.  25 — 29.  If  a  man  cleaved  to  the  law,  he  must  perfectly  obey  it,  in 
order  to  justification  ;  circumcision  made  ‘him  a  debtor  to  fulfil  the 
whole  law  ;’  and  his  transgressions  [a  single  onel  cast  him  out  of  t lie 
covenant  of  God,  as  if  he  had  never  been  circumcised.  Gal.  5:1 — 6.  On 
the  other  hand,  if  an  uncircumcised  Gentile  should  regulate  his  conduct 
according  to  the  righteousness  prescribed  hv  the  law  ;  ought  he  not  to 
he  deemed  a  true  worshipper  of  God,  notwithstanding  his  uncircumci¬ 
sion  ?  Such  Gentiles,  as  were  taught  by  divine  grace  thus  to  love  and 
serve  God,  would,  like  Cornelius,  embrace  the  Gospel  when  propo¬ 
sed  to  them  :  and  thus  in  uncircumcision,  the  external  natural  state  of 


A.  D.  61. 


ROMANS,  III. 


Paul's  discourse  of  justification. 


28  For  he  e  is  not  a  Jew,  which 
is  one  outwardly  ;  neither  is  that 
circumcision  which  is  outward  in 
the  flesh  : 

29  But  he  is  a  Jew,  which  is  one 
inwardly  ;  and  circumcision  is  that 
of  the  f  heart,  in  the  spirit,  and  not 
in  the  letter  ;  whose  praise  *  is  not 
of  men,  but  of  God. 

CHAP.  III. 

1  The  Jew*’  prerogative:  3  which  (hey  hare  not  lost:  9 
howbeit  the  law  convincelh  them  also  of  sin  :  20  therefore 
no  flesh  is  justified  by  the  law,  28  hut  all,  without  differ¬ 
ence,  by  faith  only  :  31  and  yet  the  law  is  not  abolished. 

WHAT  advantage  then  hath  the 
Jew  ?  or  what  profit  is  there 
of  circumcision  ? 

2  Much  every  way  :  chiefly,  be¬ 
cause  that  unto  them  *  were  com¬ 
mitted  the  oracles  of  God. 

3  For  what  if  bsome  did  not  be¬ 
lieve  r  Shall  their  unbelief  make 
the  faith  of  God  without  effect  ? 

4  God  forbid  :  yea,  let  God  be 
true,  but  every  man  a  liar ;  as  it  is 
e  written,  That  thou  mightest  be 
justified  in  thy  sayings,  and  mightest 
overcome  when  thou  art  judged. 

t  Mai.  3:9.  Jn.  f  De.  10:16.  30:6.  n  De.  4:  7,8. 

8:19.  c.  9:6,7.  Je.  4:4.  Phi. 3:3.  b  c,10:16.  He.4:2. 

Ga.  6:15.  Re.  Col.  2:11.  o  P..  51:4. 

2:9.  t  2  Co.  10:18. 

would  do  them  no  good.  The  uncircumcised 
are  in  Scripture  branded  as  unclean,  Is.  52: 
1.  as  out  of  the  covenant,  Eph.  2: 11, 12.  and 
wicked  Jews  will  be  dealt  with  as  such. 
See  Jer.  9:  25,  26. 

Further,  to  illustrate  this, 

1.  He  shows  that  the  uncircuntbised  Gen¬ 
tiles,  if  they  live  up  to  the  light  they  have, 
stand  on  the  same  level  with  the  Jews;  if  they 
keep  the  righteousness  of  the  law,  v.  26.  fulfil 
the  law,  v.  27.  that  is,  by  submitting  sincere¬ 
ly  to  the  conduct  of  natural  light,  perform 
the  matter  of  your  law.  Some  understand 
it,  as  putting  the  case  of  a  perfect  obedience 
to  the  law;  but  it  seems  rather  to  be  meant 
of  such  an  obedience  as  some  of  the  Gentiles 
did  attain  to.  The  case  of  Cornelius  will 
clear  it.  Doubtless,  there  were  many  such : 


and  they  were  the  uncircumcision,  that  kept  the 
righteousness  of  the  law;  and  of  sucli  he  saith, 
(1.)  That  they  were  accepted  with  God,  as  if 
they  had  been  circumcised  ;  their  uncircum¬ 
cision  was  counted  for  circumcision  :  circum¬ 
cision  was  indeed  to  the  Jews  a  commanded 
duty,  but  it  was  not  to  all  the  world  a  nec¬ 
essary  condition  of  justification  and  salva¬ 
tion.  (2.)  That  their  obedience  was  a  great 
aggravation  of  the  disobedience  of  the  Jews, 
who  had  the  letter  of  the  law,  v.  17.  Judge 
thee,  i.  e.  help  to  add  to  thy  condemnation, 
who  by  the  letter  and  circumcision  dost  trans¬ 
gress.  Observe,  To  carnal  professors,  the  law 
is  but  the  letter;  they  read  it  as  a  bare  writ¬ 
ing,  but  are  not  ruled  by  it  as  a  law.  They 
did  transgress,  not  only  notwithstanding  the 
letter  and  circumcision,  but  by  it,  they  thereby 
hardened  themselves  in  sin.  External  priv¬ 
ileges,  if  they  do  not  do  us  good,  do  us  hurt. 

The  obedience  of  those  that  enjoy  less 
means,  and  make  a  less  profession,  will  help 
to  condemn  those  that  enjoy  greater  means, 
and  make  a  greater  profession,  but  do  not 
live  up  to  it. 

2.  He  describes  the  true  circurAasion, 
v.  28,  29.  (1.)  It  is  not  that  which  is  out¬ 

ward  in  the  flesh  and  in  the  letter.  This  is  not 
to  drive  us  off  from  the  observance  of  exter¬ 
nal  institutions,  but  from  trusting  to  them. 
He  is  not  a  Jew,  i.  e.  shall  not  be  accepted 
of  God  as  the  seed  of  believing  Abraham,  nor 
owned  as  having  answered  the  intention  of 
the  law.  To  be  Abraham's  children,  is  to  do 
the  works  of  Abraham,  Jn.  8:  39:  40.  (2.)  It 
is  that  ivhich  is  inward,  of  the  heart,  and  in  the 
spirit.  It  is  the  heart,  that  God  looks  at,  the 
circumcising  of  the  heart  that  renders  us  ac¬ 
ceptable  to  Him.  See  Deut.  30:  6.  This  is 
the  circumcision  not  made  with  hands,  Col.  2: 
11,  12.  Casting  away  the  body  of  sin.  So 
it  is  in  the  spirit,  in  our  spirit  as  the  subject, 
and  wrought  by  God’s  Spirit  as  the  Author 
of  it.  (3.)  The  praise  thereof,  though  it  be 
not  of  men,  who  judge  according  to  outward 
appearance,  yet  it  is  of  God,  God  Himself 
will  own,  and  accept,  and  crown  this  sincer¬ 
ity;  (or  He  seeth  not  as  man  seeth.  This  is 
alike  true  of  Christianity.  He  is  not  a  Chris¬ 
tian,  that  is  one  outwardly ,  nor  is  that  baptism, 
which  is  outward  in  the  flesh  ;  but  he  is  a 
Christian,  that  is  one  imvardly,  and  baptism 
is  that  of  the  heart,  in  the  Spirit,  and  not  in 
the  letter  ;  whose  praise  is  not  of  men,  but  of 
God. 


Chap.  III.  V.  1 — 18.  The  apostle,  in 
this  ch.,  carries  on  his  discourse  concerning 
justification.  He  had  already  proved  the 
guilt  both  of  Gentiles  and  Jews.  Here,  to 
clear  his  way,  he  answers  several  objections, 
which  might  be  made. 

Obj.  I.  If  Jew  and  Gentile  stand  so 
much  on  the  same  level  before  God,  what 
advantage  then  hath  the  Jew  ?  Hath  not  God 
often  spoke  with  great  respect  for  the  Jews, 
as  a  nonsuch  people,  Deut.  33:29.  a  holy 
nation,  a  peculiar  treasure,  the  seed  of  Abra¬ 
ham  his  friend  ?  Now  doth  not  this  level¬ 
ling  doctrine  deny  them  all  such  preroga¬ 
tives,  and  reflect  dishonor  on  the  ordinance 
of  circumcision,  as  a  fruitless,  insignificant 
thing  1 

Ans.  The  Jews  are,  notwithstanding  this, 
a  people  greatly  privileged  and  honored, 
have  great  means  and  helps,  though  these  be 
not  infallibly  saving,  v.  2.  Much  every  way. 
The  door  is  open  to  the  Gentiles  as  well  as 
Jews,  but  the  Jew's  have  a  fairer  way  up  to 
it,  by  reason  of  their  church  -  privileges, 
which  are  not  to  be  undervalued,  though 
many  that  have  them  perish  eternally  for  not 
improving  them.  He  reckons  up  many  of 
the  Jews’  privileges,  Rom.  9:4,  5.  he  here 
mentions  but  one,  which  is  indeed  instar  om¬ 
nium, — equivalent  to  all,  that  unto  them  were 
committed  the  or acles  of  God,  i.  e.  the  scrip¬ 
tures  of  the  O.  T.,  especially  the  law  of 
Moses,  called  the  lively  oracles,  Acts  7:  3S. 
and  those  types,  promises,  and  prophecies, 
which  relate  to  Christ  and  the  Gospel.  We 
must  have  recourse  to  the  law  and  to  the 
testimony,  as  to  an  oracle.  The  Gospel  is 
called  the  oracles  of  God,  Heb.  5:  12.  1  Pet. 
4: 11. 

Now  these  were  committed  to  the  Jews; 
committed  to  them  as  trustees,  for  succeeding 
ages  and  churches.  The  O.  T.  was  written 
in  their  language,  and  deposited  in  their 
hands,  to  be  carefully  preserved  pure  and  un¬ 
corrupt,  and  so  transmitted  down  to  poster¬ 
ity  ;  and  in  preserving  the  letter  of  the 
Scripture,  they  were  very  faithful  to  their 
trust,  did  not  lose  one  iota  or  tittle.  Thus 
they  had  the  means,  but  not  the  monopoly  of 
salvation.  The  enjoyment  of  God’s  Word 
and  ordinances  is  the  chief  happiness  and 
advantage  of  a  people,  Deut.  4:8.  33:3. 
Ps.  147:20. 

Obj.  II.  Against  what  he  had  said  of  the 
advantages  the  Jews  had  in  the  lively  oracles, 


PRACT.  OBS.  The  branches  of  man’s  disobedience  are  numerous, 
yet  they  all  spring  from  the  same  root :  nor  can  any  one  judge  another 
to  be  deserving  of  divine  wrath,  without  at  the  same  time  condemning 
himself :  for,  though  he  may  not  have  committed  exactly  the  same 
crimes ;  yet  he  has  been  guilty  of  the  same  apostasy  from  God,  and  re¬ 
bellion  against  Him  ;  and  is  equally  chargeable  with  sinning  against  his 
better  judgment,  in  various  ways.  We  are  very  incompetent  judges  of 
the  comparative  heinousness  of  men’s  conduct :  but  it  is  certain,  that 
‘  the  judgment  of  God  is’  and  will  be  ‘according  to  truth,’  against  all 
who  break  his  law,  and  reject  his  grace.  To  Him  we  ought  to  leave 
others,  and  to  be  chiefly  concerned  to  judge  ourselves,  and  to  seek  mer¬ 
cy  according  to  his  blessed  Gospel,  that  his  truth  in  fulfilling  his  prom¬ 
ises  may  secure  our  salvation. — The  excuses,  which  numbers  make  for 
their  misconduct,  may  very  commonly  be  turned  against  them  :  nor 
would  men  in  general  be  so  daringly  wicked,  were  it  not  for  their  expe¬ 
rience  of  the  Lord’s  forbearance,  and  their  general  notions  of  his  mercy  ! 
( Ec .  8:11 — 13.) — The  questions  concerning  justification,  personal  elec¬ 
tion,  and  efiicaclous  grace,  should  be  kept  distinct  from  those,  which  re¬ 
late  to  the  character  and  conduct  of  the  righteous  and  the  wicked. — No 
man  can  be  justified  by  his  own  obedience,  because  all  men  deviate  from 
their  rule  :  yet  the  nearer  they  act  in  conformity  to  their  principles  and 
convictions,  the  lighter  will  be  their  condemnation  ;  and  the  greater  the 
distance  there  is  between  their  known  rule,  and  their  allowed  practice, 

man,  they,  being  made  partakers  of  an  inward  spiritual  change,  would 
judge  and  condemn  the  Jew,  who,  having  the  letter  of  the  law  and  the 
outward  circumcision,  had  no  inward  disposition  to  obedience.  Scott. 

(27.)  ‘  Yea,  he  who  keepeth  the  law,  in  his  natural,  uncircumcised 
state,  will  condemn  thee,  who,  in  possession  of  the  Scriptures,  and  a 
partaker  of  circumcision,  art  a  transgressor  of  the  law.’  Stuart. 

NOTES.  Chap.  III.  V.  1,  2.  (1)  What  advantage,  Ac.]  The  sta¬ 
ted  ministry  of  the  priests,  the  occasional  messages  of  the  prophets,  the 
ordinances  of  the  temple,  the  worship  at  the  synagogues,  their  educa¬ 
tion  in  an  acquaintance  with  the  true  God,  and  at  a  distance  from  gross 
idolatry,  the  many  good  examples  which  were  set  before  them,  and  the 
dispensations  of  Providence  respecting  them,  were  means  of  grace, 
which  probably  were  made  effectual  to  the  conversion  and  salvation  of 
more  persons  in  that  one  nation,  from  age  to  age,  than  were  converted 
in  all  the  rest  of  the  world.  (2)  Oracles,  Ac.]  Some  think  the  Scriptures 
are  thus  called,  with  reference  to  the  oracular  answers,  which  the  high 
priest  delivered  when  he  consulted  the  Lord  by  the  breast-plate  of  judg- 
N.  T.  VOL.  V.  24 


the  more  aggravated  must  be  their  guilt.  Indeed,  the  sermons  which 
many  preach,  and  the  books  which  they  publish,  will  testify  against  them ; 
and  it  behooves  ministers  especially,  to  be  most  awfully  jealous  over 
themselves  in  this  respect :  for  it  is  far  more  congenial  to  the  self-flatte¬ 
ry  of  our  hearts,  and  our  worldly  lusts,  to  instruct  others,  than  to  bear 
the  yoke  ourselves.  In  short,  no  forms,  ordinances,  or  notions  can  pro¬ 
fit  us,  without  regeneration  by  the  Holy  Spirit ;  which  will  always 
eventually  lead  us  to  seek  an  interest  in  ‘  the  righteousness  of  God  by 
faith.’  The  distinction  between  truth  and  error,  and  between  divine  in¬ 
stitutions  and  human  inventions,  is  indeed  immutable  and  most  impor¬ 
tant  :  yet  a  man  may  be  alive  to  God,  who  maintains  some  errors, 
cleaves  to  some  superstitions,  and  forms  improper  conclusions  in  res¬ 
pect  of  some  divine  appointments  :  while  another,  who  is  very  clear  in 
his  notions,  and  exact  in  externals,  may  be  ‘  dead  in  sin,’  ‘uncircumci- 
sed  in  heart ;’  and,  through  the  letter  and  the  outward  form,  he  may  de¬ 
ceive  himself,  and  be  a  scandal  to  the  Gospel.  He  is  the  real  Christian, 
who  is  inwardly  a  true  believer,  with  an  obedient  faith  ;  and  the  true 
baptism  is  that  of  the  heart,  by  1  the  washing  of  regeneration  and  the  re¬ 
newal  of  the  Holy  Ghost,’  producing  a  spiritual  mind,  and  a  cordial  sub¬ 
jection  to  the  truth,  in  its  holy  import  and  tendency.  A  Christian  of 
this  character  will  seldom  be  much  approved  by  zealots  of  any  party, 
any  more  than  by  the  world  at  large  :  but  he  will  be  accepted  of  God. 

Scott. 

ment ;  (Ex.  28:30.)  implying  that  they  were  as  immediately  and  entire¬ 
ly  the  Word  of  God,  as  the  oracles  thus  delivered  had  been. — ‘This  is 
so  remarkable  and  important  a  testimony  to  the  divine  inspiration  of 
the  O.  T-  in  general,  that  it  can  leave  no  doubt  concerning  the  full  per¬ 
suasion  of  Paul  on  this  head.’  Doddr. — Committed,  Ac.]  Or,  ‘  they  were 
entrusted  with  the  oracles  of  God.’ — It  behooves  Christians  in  every  age 
to  remember,  that  the  Scriptures  are  committed  or  entrusted  to  them, 
in  order  that  they  may  communicate  the  blessing  to  all  around  them, 
and  to  all  who  shall  come  after  them,  and  to  all  men,  throughout  the 
earth,  by  every  proper  mean,  to  the  utmost  of  their  ability;  and  to  pre¬ 
serve  them  uncorrupted  and  entire,  for  this  purpose.  Scott. 

V.  3.  Make  the  faith.]  ‘  Render  the  faithfulness.’  Stuart. 

V.  4-  ‘By  no  means  ;  but  let  God  be  (counted)  true,  although  every 
man  be  (counted)  false ;  as  it  is  written  :  That  Thou  mightest  be  justified 
when  Thou  speakest,  and  overcome  when  Thou  judgest ;  .  t.  Rather, 
So  that  Thou  must  be  justified  or  brought  in  clear,  when  thy  dealings 
are  called  into  judgment.’  BU,  whom  see.  ,'a’r-i 


A.  D.  61. 


ROMANS,  III. 


Paul’s  discourse  of  justification • 


5  But  if  our  unrighteousness 
commend  the  righteousness  of  God, 
what  shall  we  say  ?  Is  God  un¬ 
righteous,  who  taketh  vengeance  ? 
(I  speak  as  a  man.) 

6  God  forbid  :  for  then  how 
A  shall  God  judge  the  world  ? 

7  For  if  the  truth  of  God  hath 
more  abounded  through  my  lie  unto 
his  glory,  why  yet  am  I  also  judged 
as  a  sinner  ? 

8  And  not  rather,  (as  we  be  slan¬ 
derously  reported,  and  as  some  af¬ 
firm  that  we  say,)  Let  eus  do  evil, 
that  good  may  come  ?  whose  dam¬ 
nation  is  just. 

9  What  then  ?  are  we  better 
than  they  ?  No,  in  no  wise  :  for 
we  have  before  f  proved  both  Jews 
and  Gentiles,  that  they  are  all  under 
sin  ; 

10  As  it  is  g  written,  There  is 
none  righteous,  no,  not  one  : 

11  There  is  none  that  under- 
standeth,  there  is  none  that  seeketh 
after  God. 

12  They  are  all  gone  out  of  the 
way,  they  are  together  become  un¬ 
profitable  ;  there  is  none  that  doeth 
good,  no,  not  one. 

13  Their  h  throat  is  an  open  sep¬ 
ulchre  ;  with  their  tongues  they 
have  used  deceit  ;  the  poison  1  of 
asps  is  under  their  lips  : 

14  Whose  mouth  J  is  full  of  curs¬ 
ing  and  bitterness. 

d  Job  8:3.  f  charged.  h  Ps.  6:9.  j  Ps.  10:7. 

e  c.  6:1,15.  g  Ps.  14.  Ps.  53.  i  Ps.  140:3. 

pome  might  object  the  unbelief  of  many 
of  them. 

Ans.  It  is  very  true,  some,  nay  most,  of 
the  present  Jews  do  not  believe  in  Christ  ; 
but  shall  their  unbelief  make  the.  faith  of  God 
without  effect  ?  The  apostle  startles  at  such 
a  thought  ;  God  forbid  !  The  .infidelity  and 
obstinacy  of  the  Jews  could  not  invalidate 
and  overthrow  those  prophecies  of  the  Mes¬ 
siah,  contained  in  the  oracles  committed  to 
them.  Christ  will  be  glorious,  though  Israel 
be  not  gathered,  Is.  49:  5.  Let  us  abide  by 
this  principle,  that  God  is  true,  and  will  let 
none  of  his  oracles  fall  to  the  ground,  though 
thereby  we  give  the  lie  to  man.  All  men  are 
liars,  compared  with  God. 

For  further  proof,  he  quotes  Ps.  5T.  4. 
That  Thou  mightest  be  justified.  The  design 
of  which  is  to  show,  1.  That  God  doth  and 
will  preserve  his  own  honor  in  the  world, 
notwithstanding  the  sins  of  men.  2.  That 
it  is  our  duty,  in  all  our  conclusions  concern¬ 
ing  ourselves  and  others,  to  justify  God,  and 


to  assert  and  maintain  his  justice,  truth,  and 
goodness,  however  it  goes.  David  loads 
himself  in  his  confession,  that  he  might  jus¬ 
tify  God,  and  acquit  Him  from  any  injus¬ 
tice.  So  here,  Let  the  credit  and  reputa¬ 
tion  of  man  shift  for  itself,  but  let  us  hold 
fast  this  conclusion,  that  the  Lord  is  righteous 
in  all  his  ways,  and  holy  in  all  his  works. 

Obj.  III.  Carnal  hearts  might  hence 
take  occasion  to  encourage  themselves  in  sin. 
He  had  said,  that  the  universal  guilt  and 
corruption  of  mankind  gat  e  occasion  to  the 
manifestation  of  God’s  righteousness  in  Je¬ 
sus  Christ.  Now  it  may  be  suggested,  If 
all  our  sin  be  so  far  from  overthrowing  God’s 
honor,  that  it  commends  it,  and  his  ends  are 
secured,  so  that  there  is  no  harm  done,  is  it 
not  unjust  for  God  to  punish  our  sin  and  un¬ 
belief  so  severely  1  If  the  unrighteousness 
of  the  Jews  gave  occasion  to  the  calling  in 
of  the  Gentiles,  and  so  to  God’s  greater 
glory,  wily  are  the  Jews  so  much  censured  1 
v.  5.  What  inference  may  be  drawn  from 
thence  1 — Is  not  God  unrighteous ,  (so  it  may 
be  read,  more  in  the  form  of  an  objection,) 
who  taketh  vengeance  ?  Unbelieving  hearts 
will  gladly  take  any  occasion  to  quarrel  with 
the  equity  of  God’s  proceedings,  and  so 
condemn  Him  that  is  most  just,  Job  34: 17.  1 
speak  as  a  man,  i.  e.,  I  object  this  as  the  lan¬ 
guage  of  carnal  hearts  ;  it  is  suggested  like 
a  man,  a  vain,  foolish,  proud  creature. 

Ans.  God  forbid.  Far  be  it  from  us  to 
imagine  such  a  thing.  Suggestions  that  re¬ 
flect  dishonor  on  God,  and  his  justice  and 
holiness,  are  rather  to  be  startled  at  than 
parleyed  with.  Get  thee  behind  me,  Satan  ; 
never  entertain  such  a  thought. 

For  then  how  shall  God  judge  the.  world  ? 
v.  6.  The  argument  is  much  the  same  with 
that  of  Abraham,  Gen.  18:  ^5.  Shall  not  the 
Judge  of  all  the  earth  do  right  1  No  doubt 
He  shall.  If  He  was  not  infinitely  just  and 
righteous,  He  would  be  unfit  to  be  the  Judge 
of  all  the  earth.  Job  34:17.  Comp.  v.  18, 
19.  The  sin  has  never  the  less  of  tnaliguity 
and  demerit  in  it,  though  God  bring  glory  to 
Himself  out  of  it.  It  is  only  accidentally 
that  sin  commends  God’s  righteousness.  No 
thanks  to  the  sinner  for  that,  who  intends  no 
such  thing.  The  consideration  of  God’s 
judging  the  world,  should  for  ever  silence  all 
our  doublings  of,  and  reflections  on,  his 
justice  and  equity.  It  is  not  for  us  to  ar¬ 
raign  the  proceedings  of  such  an  absolute 
Sovereign  ;  the  sentence  of  a  court  whence 
lies  no  appeal. 

Obj.  IV.  The  former  objection  is  repeat¬ 
ed  and  prosecuted,  v.  7,  8.  He  supposes 
the  sophisters  to  follow  their  objection  thus, 
‘  If  my  lie,  my  sin,’  (something  of  a  lie  is  in 
every  sin,  especially  of  professors,)  ‘  have 
occasioned  the  glorifying  of  God’s  truth  and 
faithfulness,  why  should  I  be  condemned,  and 
not  rather  thence  take  encouragement  to  go 
on  in  inv  sin,  that  grace  may  abound  V  An 
inference  which  at  first  sight  appears  too 
black  to  be  argued,  and  fit  to  be  cast  out 


with  abhorrence.  But,  Let  us  do  evil,  that 
good  may  come,  is  oftener  in  the  heart  than 
in  the  mouth  of  sinners,  so  justifying  them¬ 
selves  in  their  wicked  ways.  Mentioning 
this  wicked  thought,  he  observes,  in  a  pa¬ 
renthesis,  that  there  were  those  who  charged 
such  doctrines  as  this  on  Paul  and  his  fel¬ 
low-ministers  ;  some  affirm  that  we  say  so. 
It  is  an  old  artifice  of  Satan  thus  to  cast  dirt 
on  Christ’s  ministers.  Bp.  Sanderson  makes 
a  further  remark  on  this,  as  we  are  slander¬ 
ously  reported, — blasphtmoumetha.  Blasphe¬ 
my  in  Scripture  usually  signifies  the  highest 
degree  of  slander,  speaking  ill  of  God.  The 
slander  of  a  minister,  and  his  regular  doc¬ 
trine,  is  a  more  than  ordinary  slander,  a 
kind  of  blasphemy,  not  for  his  person’s  sake, 
but  for  his  calling’s  sake,  and  his  work’s 
sake. 

Ans.  He  says  no  more  bv  way  of  confu¬ 
tation,  but  that,  whatever  they  themselves 
may  argue,  the  damnation  of  those  is  just. 
Some  understand  it  of  the  slanderers  ;  Or 
rather,  it  is  to  be  applied  to  those  who  em¬ 
bolden  themselves  in  sin,  under  a  pretence 
of  God’s  getting  glory  to  Himself  out  of  it. 
Those  who  deliberately  do  evil  that  good  may 
come  of  it,  will  be  so  far  from  escaping,  un¬ 
der  the  shelter  of  that  excuse,  that  it  will 
rather  justify  their  damnation,  and  render 
them  the  more  inexcusable  ;  for  sinning  upon 
such  a  surmise,  and  in  such  a  confidence, 
argues  a  great  deal  both  of  the  wit  and  of 
the  will  in  the  sin. 

Some  think  Paul  herein  refers  to  the  ap¬ 
proaching  ruin  of  the  Jewish  church  and  na¬ 
tion,  which  their  obstinacy  and  self-justifi¬ 
cation  in  their  unbelief  hastened  on  them 
apace. 

Paul,  having  removed  these  objections, 
next  revives  his  assertion  of  the  general 
guilt  and  corruption  of  mankind  in  com¬ 
mon,  both  of  Jews  and  Gentiles,  t>.  9 — 18. 

‘  Are  we  better  than  they,  we  Jews,  to 
whom  were  committed  the  oracles  of  God  1 
Does  that  recommend  us  to  God, or  will  that 
justify  us  1  No,  by  no  means.’  Or,  ‘  Are 
we  Christians  (Jew's  and  Gentiles)  so  much 
better,  antecedently,  than  the  unbelieving 
part,  as  to  have  merited  God’s  grace  1  Alas  ! 
no  :  before  free  grace  made  the  difference, 
those  of  us  that  had  been  Jews,  and  those 
that  had  been  Gentiles,  were  all  alike  cor¬ 
rupted.’ 

They  are  all  under  sin.  1.  Under  the 
guilt  of  sin  :  under  it  as  a  sentence,  a  bond, 
binding  over  to  eternal  ruin  and  damnation; 
under  it  as  a  burden,  Ps.  38:4.  that  will 
sink  them  to  the  lowest  hell  :  we  are  guilty 
before  God,  v.  19.  2.  Under  the  govern¬ 

ment  and  dominion  of  sin,  as  a  tyrant  and 
cruel  task-master  ;  enslaved  to  it  ;  under 
the  power  of  it,  sold  to  work  wickedness. 

And  this  he  had  proved,  v.  9.  It  is  a  law 
term  ;  we  have  charged  them  with  it,  and 
have  made  good  our  charge. 

This  charge  and  conviction  he  here  fur¬ 
ther  illustrates  by  several  scriptures  out  of 


V.  5.  1  Is  God  unjust,  who  iuflicteth  punishment  ?’  So  St.  tr.  Mackn. 
here  paraphrases  :  1  It'  no  sin  can  be  rightly  punished  which  is  attended 
with  good  consequences  [see  on  v.  8),  how  shall  God  judge  the  world.’ 
The  Jews  allowed  the  Gentiles  were  to  he  judged.  Ed. 

V.  7.  1  Still,  if  God’s  faithfulness  to  his  Word,  has,  on  account  of  my 

deceitfulness,  abounded  more  unto  his  glory,  why  am  I  any  longer 
condemned  ns  a  sinner?  v.  8.  Shall  we  then  (say),  (ns),  <fcc.’  St.  ‘And 
why  then  may  not  we  (as  well  as  you)  do  evil,  that  good  may  come:’ 
so  Bl.  takes  the  sense,  adding  ‘  the  dangerous  principle  was  acted  on  by 
priests,  philosophers,  and  politicians,  of  ancient  times,  and  is  still  by 
such  religionists  as  have  to  maintain  inveterate  error,  or  support  gross 
imposture.’  What  a  balm  to  the  conscience  is  this  authoritative  rule, 
‘  Do  not  evil  that  good  may  come,’  from  One  who  alone  knows  the  infinite 
consequences  of  every  act.  See  Doddr.  and  Wayland.  Id. 

V.  8.  Whose  damnation  is  just.]  Some  interpret  it  of  the  Jews  and 
others  who  reject  the  Gospel  •.  but  this  proposition,  though  true,  seems 
not  to  rise  out  of  the  context,  or  belong  to  the  argument.  Others  apply 
the  awful  sentence  to  the  calumniators,  who  charged  the  Christians 
with  saying,  ‘  Let  us  do  evil  that  good  may  come  but  the  clause,  ‘as 
we  be  slanderously  reported.  Ac.’  is,  1  think  properly,  included  in  a  pa¬ 
renthesis,  that  it  may  not  interrupt  the  main  subject.  The  npostle  evi¬ 
dently  intended  to  show,  that  God  may  justly,  and  will  certainly,  punish 
those  sins,  which  yet  eventuallv  prove  the  occasion  of  more  conspicu¬ 
ously  manifesting  his  glory.  Now,  if  this  were  not  the  case,  it  might 
be  said,  ‘Let  us  do  evil  that  good  may  come:’  but  on  the  contrary, 

[186J 


whatever  blasphemers  may  assert,  this  proposition  is  so  contrary  to  the 
real  nature  and  genius  of  the  Gospel,  that  every  intelligent  minister  or 
Christian  will  be  forward  to  allow  the  condemnation  of  those,  who  thus 
encourage  themselves  in  sin,  under  a  vain  imagination  that  good  will 
follow,  to  be  undeniably  righteous.  (6:1,2.)  The  floodgates  of  licen¬ 
tiousness  are  opened  by  such  a  view  of  the  Gospel. — Yet  even  appa¬ 
rently  religious  persons  often  tolerate,  nay  zealously  promote,  practices 
which  cannot  be  denied  to  be  deviations  from  truth  and  integrity,  and 
vindicate  them,  because  good  is  thus  done.  In  this  way,  however,  the 
standard  of  integrity  is  (dreadful  to  say  !)  fixed  lower,  in  some  particu¬ 
lars,  among  numbers  who  are  zealous  for  the  Gospel,  than  among  re¬ 
spectable  worldly  people ;  who  are,  by  noticing  these  things,  exceedingly 
prejudiced  against  evangelical  truth. — Nay,  the  same  false  principle  is 
brought  forward,  in  another  and  more  fashionable  form,  when  utility, 
and  not  ‘  the  law  of  God,’  [as  if  they  were  really  separable,]  is  made  the 
standard  of  morality,  and  a  main  principle  of  reasonings  on  moral  obli¬ 
gation.  Scott. 

(8.)  Before  vroved.]  ‘  Already  made  the  accusation  against.’  Sr. 

V.  9 — 18.  The  apostle  here  resumes  his  subject  from  v.  2.  ..  To  the 
indictment,  on  which  the  Gentiles  had  been  convicted,  the  Jews  plead¬ 
ed,  “  Not  guilty  :’  therefore,  besides  the  evidence  already  brought  against 
them  from  notorious  facts,  and  the  nature  of  the  case,  the  apostle  pro¬ 
duced  several  passages  of  the  Scriptures  against  them.  In  these,  it  was 
not  intimated  that  circumcision,  the  written  law,  the  ceremonial  obser¬ 
vances,  or  the  national  covenant,  would  excuse  their  crimes,  or  entitle 


A.  D.  61. 


ROMANS,  III. 


Paul’s  discourse  of  justification. 


15  Their  feet  k  are  swift  to  shed 
blood  : 

16  Destruction  and  misery  are 
in  their  ways  : 

17  And  the  way  of  peace  have 
they  not  known  : 

18  There  1  is  no  fear  of  God  be¬ 
fore  their  eyes. 

19  Now  we  know,  that  what 
things  soever  the  law  saith,  it  saith 
to  them  who  are  under  the  law  ; 
that  every  m  mouth  may  be  stopped, 
and  all  the  world  may  become 
“guilty  before  God. 

20  Therefore  0  by  the  deeds  of 
the  law  there  shall  no  flesh  be  jus¬ 
tified  in  his  sight  :  for  by  the  law 
is  the  knowledge  of  sin. 

21  But  now  the  righteousness  of 
God  without  the  law  is  manifested, 
being  witnessed  by  the  p  law  and 
the  prophets  ; 

k  la.  59:7,  8.  n  op,  subject  In  o  Ps.  143:2. 

I  Ps.  36:1.  the  judgment  of  p  Ac.  26:22. 

m  Ps.  Iu7;42.  Gud.  * 


the  O.  'I1.,  which  describe  the  corrupt,  de¬ 
praved  state  of  all  men,  till  grace  restrain 
or  change  them  :  so  that  herein  as  in  a  glass 
we  may  all  of  us  behold  our  natural  face. 
The  10th,  lltli,  and  12th  verses  are  taken 
from  Ps.  14:1 — 3.  repeated  as  very  weighty, 
Ps.  53:  1 — 3.  The  rest  is  found  in  the  Sept, 
tr.  of  the  14th  Ps.,  which  some  think  the 
apostle  chooses  to  follow,  as  better  known  : 
but  I  rather  think  he  took  these  passages 
from  other  places  of  Scripture  here  referred 
to  ;  but  in  later  copies  of  the  LXX.  they 
were  all  added  in  Ps.  14.  from  this  discourse 
of  Paul.  It  is  observable,  that  to  prove  the 
general  corruption  of  nature,  he  quotes  some 
scriptures  which  speak  of  tiie  particular  cor¬ 
ruptions  of  particular  persons,  as  Doeg,  Ps. 
140:3.  of  the  Jews,  Is.  59:7,  8.  which 
shows,  that  the  same  sins  that  are  commit¬ 
ted  by  one,  are  in  the  nature  of  all.  What 
is  said,  Ps.  14.  is  expressly  spoken  of  all 
men,  and  that,  on  a  particular  view  and  in¬ 
spection  made  by  God  Himself  ;  the  Lord 


looked  down,  as  on  the  old  world,  Gen.  6:5. 
Even  in  those  actions  of  sinners  that  have 
some  goodness  in  them,  there  is  a  funda¬ 
mental  error  in  the  principle  and  end  ;  so 
that  it  may  be  said.  There  is  none  that  do- 
eth  good.  God  made  man  in  the  way,  set 
him  in  right,  but  he  hath  forsaken  it.  The 
corruption  of  mankind  is  an  apostasy. 

The  root  of  all  their  wickedness  we  have, 
v.  18.  The  fear  of  God,  is  here  put  for  all 
practical  religion,  which  consists  in  an  aw¬ 
ful  and  serious  regard  to  the  Word  and  will 
of  God  as  our  rule,  to  the  honor  and  glory 
of  God  as  our  end.  Where  no  fear  of  God 
is,  no  good  is  to  be  expected. 

So  that  we  have  here  a  short  account  of 
the  general  depravedness  and  corruption  of 
mankind  ;  and  may  say,  O  Adam  !  what 
hast  thou  done  1  God  made  man  upright, 
but  thus  he  hath  sought  out  many  inventions. 

V.  19 — 31.  From  all  this  Paul  infers, 
that  it  is  in  vain  to  look  for  justification  by 
the  works  of  the  law,  and  that  it  is  to  be 
had  only  by  faith  ;  (the  point  he  hath  been 
all  along  proving,  from  ch.  1:17.  and  lays 
down,  v.  28.  as  the  summary  of  his  dis¬ 
course;)  a  man  is  justified  by  faith,  without 
the.  deeds  of  the  law;  neither  the  deeds  of 
the  first  law  of  pure  innocence,  which  left 
no  room  for  repentance  ;  nor  the  deeds  of 
the  law  of  nature,  how  highly  soever  im¬ 
proved  ;  nor  the  deeds  of  the  ceremonial 
iaw  ;  (the  blood  of  bulls  and  goats  could 
not  take  away  sin  ;)  nor  the  deeds  of  the 
moral  law,  which  are  included  ;  for  he 
speaks  of  that  law  by  which  is  the  knowl¬ 
edge  of  sin,  and  those  works  which  might 
be  matter  of  boasting.  Man,  [could  never 
make  up  for  the  least  deficiency,  as  perfect 
obedience  was  his  duty,  at  every  moment, 
and,]  in  his  depraved  state,  could  never,  by 
any  works  of  his  own,  gain  acceptance  with 
God  ;  but  it  must  be  resolved  purely  into 
the  free  grace  of  God,  given  through  Jesus 
Christ  to  all  true  believers  that  receive  it  as 
a  free  gift. 

If  we  had  never  sinned,  our  obedience  to 
the  law  would  have  been  our  righteousness 
[to  life]  ;  ‘  Do  this  and  live  :’  but  having 
sinned,  and  being  corrupted,  nothing  we  can 
do  will  atone  for  our  former  guilt.  [For 
we  could  at  no  moment  do  more  than  our 


duty,  and  lay  up  this  surplus  as  a  fund  to 
balance  against  sin.]  It  was  by  their  obedi¬ 
ence  to  the  moral  law  that  the  Pharisees 
looked  for  justification,  Luke  18: 11. 

Two  things  the  apostle  here  argues  from, 
the  guiltiness  of  man,  to  prove  that  we  can¬ 
not  be  justified  by  the  works  of  the  law  ; 
and  the  glory  of  God,  to  prove  that  we  must 
be  justified  by  faith. 

I.  Man’s  guiltiness.  ‘ May  become  guilty ,’ 
may  be  proved  guilty,  liable  to  punishment, 
Eph.  2:3.  Guilty  before  God,  is  a  dreadful 
word,  before  an  all-seeing  God,  that  is  not, 
nor  can  be,  deceived  in  his  judgment  ;  be¬ 
fore  a  just  and  righteous  Judge,  who  will 
by  no  means  clear  the  guilty.  All  are  guilty, 
and  therefore  all  have  need  of  a  righteous¬ 
ness  wherein  to  appear  before  God.  For  all 
have  sinned,  v.  23.  Man  was  placed  in  the 
top  of  the  visible  creation,  actively  to  glori¬ 
fy  [by  obedience  to  every  law]  that  great 
Creator,  whom  the  inferior  creatures  could 
glorify  only  objectively  :  but  by  sin  he  comes 
short  of  this.  Therefore  he  must  give  up  all 
hopes  and  expectations  of  being  glorified 
with  God  in  heaven,  by  any  righteousness 
of  his  own.  It  is  impossible  now  to  get  to 
heaven  in  the  way  ol  spotless  innocency  ; 
that  passage  is  blocked  up  ;  there  is  a 
cherub  and  a  (laming  sword  set  to  keep  that 
wav  to  the  tree  of  life. 

Further,  by  the  law  is  the  knowledge  of  sin, 
v.  20.  That  law  which  convicts  and  con¬ 
demns,  can  never  justify  us.  As  the  con¬ 
science  stands  in  relation  to  God,  in  his 
sight,  we  cannot  be  justified  by  the  deeds  of 
the  law.  He  refers  to  Ps.  143:  2. 

II.  Ho  argues  from  God’s  glory,  to  prove 
that  justification  must  be  expected  only  by 
faith  in  Christ’s  righteousness.  There  is  no 
justification  by  the  works  of  the  law.  Must 
guilty  man  then  remain  eternally  under 
wrath  1  Is  there  no  hope  1  Is  the  wound 
become  incurable  because  of  transgression  1 
No,  blessed  be  God,  it  is  not,  v.  21,  22. 
there  is  another  way  laid  open  for  us,  the 
righteousness  of  God,  without  the  law,  is  man¬ 
ifested  now  under  the  Gospel.  Justification 
may  be  obtained  without  the  keeping  of  Mo¬ 
ses’  law:  and  this  is  called  the  righteousness 
of  God,  righteousness  of  his  ordaining,  and 
providing,  and  accepting  ;  righteousness 


them  to  the  favor  of  God  ;  as  the  unbelieving  Jews  vainly  imagined. 
And  if  these  charges  were  true  of  the  greater  part  of  the  nation  in  for¬ 
mer  times  ;  could  it  he  supposed,  that  the  Jews,  when  the  apostle  wrote, 
were  better  by  nature,  or  merely  as  circumcised,  or  as  having  the  law, 
than  their  forefathers  had  been  ? — A  few  exceptions,  by  the  mercy  and 
grace  of  God,  there  doubtless  were  to  these  general  rules ;  and  the 
apostle  intended  very  soon  to  show  how  these  persons  were  made  to 
differ  :  but  these  quotations  were  full  to  the  point,  to  show  the  Jews, 
that  they  were  as  unable  to  justify  themselves  before  God  as  the  Gen¬ 
tiles.  Scott. 

V.  19,  20.  Every  attentive  reader  must  observe,  that  the  apostle 
uses  the  word  ‘  law  ’  in  various  meanings  ;  which  is  rather  to  be  consid¬ 
ered  as  the  defect  of  human  language,  than  the  result  of  ambiguity  in 
his  style.  But  the  context  generally  shows  how  the  word  is  to  be  un¬ 
derstood  :  and  common  sense,  united  with  a  teachable  spirit,  will  usu¬ 
ally  determine  this  far  better  than  critical  learning;  which  is  too  often 
employed  to  perplex  what  is  p]a:n,  rather  than  to  clear  up  what  is  ob¬ 
scure.  The  nature  of  the  argument  requires  us  to  suppose,  that  the 
apostle  means  the  sacred  Scriptures  in  general,  when  he  says,  ‘  Whatso¬ 
ever  the  law  saith  for 'the  quotations  are  not  from  the  law  of  Moses, 
and  it  is  evident  the  whole  O.  T.  was  thus  spoken  of.  John  10:32 — 39, 
i).  34.  When  he  spoke  of  the  Jews,  as  ‘  under  the  law,’  he  evidently 
meant  the  whole  legal  dispensation,  by  which  they  were  distinguished 
from  the  Gentiles.  But  when  he  says,  ‘  by  the  law  is  the  knowledge  of 
sin,’  he  must  be  understood  of  the  moral  law  especially,  the  extent, 
spirituality,  and  excellency  of  which  shows  what  things  are  sinful,  and 
how  evil  sin  is  :  whereas  the  ceremonial  law  rather  gave  the  knowledge 
of  salvation,  by  prefiguring  the  shedding  of  that  atoning  blood,  and  the 
communication  of  that  sanctifying  grace,  by  which  sin  is  taken  away. 
7:7—12.  JoAnl:17.  2  Cor.  3:7— 11.  Gal.  2:17— 21,  v.  19.  Indeed,  this 
subject  seems  capable  of  an  easy  solution.  If  there  be  any  law,  which 
a  man  has  perfectly  kept,  he  may  doubtless  be  justified  by  it :  and  sure¬ 
ly  no  man  can  be  justified  by  a  law,  which  condemns  him  for  breaking 
it  !  But,  there  is  no  law  of  God,  which  any  man  has  kept ;  therefore 
no  law  by  the  deeds  of  which  a  man  can  be  justified.  The  Gentile 
broke  the  law  of  his  reason  and  conscience ;  the  Jew  broke  the  moral 
law ;  and  even  the  attempt  to  justify  himself  by  observing  the  ceremo¬ 
nial  law,  contradicted  the  very  nature  and  intent  of  it.  And  as  to  that 
‘new  law,’  which  requires  sincere  obedience  as  the  condition  of  justifi¬ 
cation  ;  those  who  dream  of  it,  should  show  us  when  it  was  promulga¬ 
ted,  where  it  may  he  found,  what  it  requires,  whom  it  can  condemn, 
or  whom  it  can  justify.  When  this  is  done,  it  may  be  worth  while  to 
prove  that  it  ‘  makes  void  ’  both  the  law  and  the  gospel ;  that  it  intro¬ 
duces  a  new,  vague,  and  unintelligible  rule  of  duty,  which  every  man 


may  interpret  according  to  his  own  inclinations;  that  it  introduces 
boasting,  and  unites  together  Pharisaical  pride  and  antinomian  licentious¬ 
ness.  29 — 31.  Yet  this  vague,  unscriptural  notion,  which  is  replete  with 
such  complicated  absurdities,  so  well  suits  men’s  natural  indolence  of 
thought  in  matters  of  religion  ;  serves  so  conveniently  to  reconcile  a 
quiei  conscience  with  a  worldly  life;  and  so  coincides  with  their  enmi¬ 
ty  against  both  the  holiness  of  the  law,  and  the  humiliating  doctrines  of 
the  gospel;  that  perhaps  it  deceives  more  souls,  titan  all  other  false 
systems  of  religion  put  together,  in  this  superficial,  dissipated  age. — ‘  By 
law,  which  is  the  publishing  of  the  rule  with  a  penalty,  we  are  not  de¬ 
livered  from  the  power  of  sin,  nor  can  it  help  men  to  righteousness ; 
but  by  law  we  come  experimentally  to  know  sin,  in  the  power  and  force 
of  it,  since  we  find  it  prevail  on  us,  notwithstanding  the  punishment  of 
death  is  annexed  to  it.’  Locke. — ‘  The  knowledge  of  sin  being  chiefly  by 
the  moral  law,  (7:7.)  shows,  that  the  apostle  excludes  that,  as  well  as 
the  ceremonial  law,  from  justification :  and  evident  it  is,  that  the  an¬ 
tithesis  runs  all  along,  not  between  moral  and  ceremonial  works,  but 
between  ivorks  in  general,  and  faith.  20,  22,  27.  4:2,  6.  9:32.  10:5,  6.’ 
Whitby. — ‘  No  flesh,'  means  none  born  of  fallen  Adam’s  race.  1 — 4,  9. 
John  3:6.  Notes,  21—26.  Ps.  143:2.  Scott. 

(20.)  The  Into.. the  law.]  ‘Law.. law.’  Stuart. 

V.  21 — 26.  The  apostle,  having  ‘  shut  up  all  men  under  sin,’  Gal.  3:19 
— 22,  v.  22.  proceeds  more  explicitly  to  exhibit  ‘the  righteousness  of 
God  by  faith,’  1:17.  which  had  heen  manifestly  declared  by  the  preach¬ 
ing  of  the  Gospel.  This  is  the  righteousness,  which  God  had  appointed, 
provided,  and  introduced,  in  the  Person  of  his  Son.  It  was  ‘  without  the 
law  ;’  having  no  dependence  on  any  man’s  personal  obedience  to  the  law, 
being  entirely  a  distinct  thing  :  no  past  obedience  being  in  the  least  ta¬ 
ken  notice  of,  as  having  any  influence  in  the  sinner’s  justification  ;  and 
his  subsequent  obedience  being  intended  for  other  purposes.  It  had 
nothing  to  do  with  the  ceremonial  law,  except  as  it  was  the  substance 
of  some  of  its  shadows:  for  the  Jew,  who  accepted  of  this  righteous¬ 
ness,  would  place  no  dependence  on  these  externals;  and  the  Gentile 
convert  was  not  required  to  be  circumcised,  or  to  keep  that  law.  Yet 
it  had  been  ‘witnessed  hy  the  law  and  the  prophets:’  the  ceremonies 
typified  *;  the  very  strictness  of  the  moral  law,  and  its  awfhl  curses, 
being  compared  with  the  promises  of  mercy  to  sinners,  implied  it  ;  the 
promises  and  predictions  of  the  Messiah  bore  witness  to  it;  the  faith  and 
hope  of  ancient  believers  recognised  it;  and  the  whole  0.1,  rightly 
understood,  taught  men  to  expect  and  depend  on  it.  This  righteous¬ 
ness  of  God  by  faith  in  Jesus  ’  is  accounted,  or  imputed,  to  all  believers 
without  exception  :  yea,  it  is  ‘  put  on  them  ’  as  a  robe  :  for  the  words 
‘unto  all  and  upon  all,’  seem  incapable  of  any  other  consistent 
struction.  4:4 — 8.  Is.  45:23 — 25.  Jcr.  23:5,  6.  Dan.  9:24.  1  Cor.  1:26 

[!87J 


A.  D.  61 


ROMANS,  III. 


Paul's  discourse  of  justification . 


22  Even  the  righteousness  of 
God,  which  is  by  faith  q  of  Jesus 
Christ,  unto  all  and  upon  all  them 
that  believe  :  for  there  is  no  differ¬ 
ence  ; 

23  For  all  r  have  sinned,  and 
come  short  of  the  glory  of  God  ; 

24  Being  justified  freely  by  his 
grace,  through  the  redemption  that 
is  in  Christ  Jesus  : 

25  Whom  God  hath  •  set  forth  to 
be  a  propitiation  through  faith  in 
his  blood,  to  declare  his  righteous¬ 
ness  for  the  ‘remission  of  sins  that 
are  past,  through  the  forbearance 
of  God  ; 

26  To  declare,  I  say,  at  this  time, 
his  righteousness  :  that  u  he  might 
be  just,  and  the  justifier  of  him 
which  believeth  in  Jesus. 

q  c.  5:1,  <&c.  s  or,  fore-  t  or tpas sing  over . 

r  £c.  7:20.  ordained.  u  Ac.  13:33,39. 

which  He  confers  on  us  ;  ns  the  Christian 
armor  is  called  the  armor  of  God,  Eph.  6:11. 
Now  concerning  the  righteousness  of  God, 
Observe,  1.  That  it  is  manifested;  made 
plain,  laid  open:  the  brazen  serpent  is  lifted 
up  on  the  pole.  2.  It  is  without  the  law. 
Here  he  obviates  the  method  of  the  judaizing 
Christians,  who  would  needs  join  Christ  and 
Moses  together  ;  the  righteousness  Christ 
hath  brought  in,  is  a  complete  righteousness. 
3.  Yet  it  is  witnessed  by  the  law  and  the 
prophets  ;  there  were  types,  and  prophecies, 
and  promises,  in  the  O.  T.  that  pointed  at 


this.  The  law,  so  far  from  justifying  us, 
directs  us  to  another  way  of  justification  ; 
points  at  Christ  as  our  righteousness,  to 
whom  bear  all  the  prophets  witness.  See 
Acts  10:43.  This  might  recommend  it  to 
the  Jews,  who  were  so  fond  of  the  law  and 
the  prophets.  4.  It  is  by  the  faith  of  Jesus 
Christ,  that  faith  which  hath  Jesus  Christ 
for  its  object  ;  an  anointed  Savior,  so  Jesus 
Christ  signifies.  Justifying  faith  respects 
Christ  as  a  Savior,  in  all  three  anointed  of¬ 
fices,  as  Prophet,  Priest,  and  King  ;  trust¬ 
ing  to  Him,  accepting  of  Him,  and  adhering 
to  Him,  in  all  these.  5.  It  is  to  all,  and 
upon  all,  them  that  believe.  Therefore,  as  he 
had  often  said,  Jews  and  Gentiles,  if  they 
believe,  stand  on  the  same  level,  and  are 
alike  welcome  to  God  through  Christ  ;  for 
there  is  no  difference.  Or,  it  is  to  all,  offered 
to  all  in  general  ;  the  Gospel  excludes  none 
that  do  not  exclude  themselves  ;  but  it  is 
upon  all  that  believe  ;  not  only  tendered  to 
them,  but  put  on  them  as  a  crown,  as  a  robe; 
they  are,  on  their  believing,  interested  in  it, 
and  entitled  to  all  the  benefits  and  privileges 
of  it.  But  now,  how  is  this  for  God’s  glory! 

(1.)  It  is  for  the  glory  of  his  grace,  v.  24. 
It  is  by  his  grace,  not  by  the  grace  wrought 
in  us,  as  the  papists  say,  confounding  justi¬ 
fication  and  sanctification  ;  but  by  the  gra¬ 
cious  favor  of  God  to  us,  without  any  merit 
in  us  so  much  as  foreseen.  And  to  make  it 
the  more  emphatical,  he  says,  it  is  freely  by 
his  grace,  to  show  that  it  must  be  understood 
of  grace  in  the  most  proper  and  genuine 
sense.  It  is  said,  that  Joseph  found  grace  in 
the  sight  of  his  master,  Gen.  39:  4.  but  there 
was  a  reason  ;  he  saw  that  what  he  did 
prospered  ;  there  was  something  in  Joseph 


to  invite  that  grace  :  but  the  grace  of  God 
communicated  to  us,  comes  freely,  freely ;  it 
is  free  grace,  mere  mercy ;  nothing  in  us  to 
deserve  such  favors  :  no,  it  is  all  through  the 
redemption  that  is  in  Jesus  Christ.  It  comes 
freely  to  us,  but  Christ  bought  it,  and  paid 
dear  for  it;  which  yet  is  so  ordered,  as  not 
to  derogate  from  the  honor  of  free  grace. 
Christ’s  purchase  is  no  bar  to  the  freeness 
of  God’s  grace  ;  for  grace  provided  and 
accepted  this  vicarious  satisfaction. 

(2.)  It  is  for  the  glory  of  his  justice  and 
righteousness,  v.  25,  26.  Note,  [1.]  Jesus 
Christ  is  the  great  propitiation,  or  propitia¬ 
tory  Sacrifice,  typified  by  the  mercy-seat  un¬ 
der  the  law.  He  is  our  throne  of  grace,  in 
and  through  whom  atonement  is  made  for 
sin,  and  our  persons  and  performances  are 
accepted  of  God,  1  John,  2:  2.  God  was  in 
Christ,  as  in  his  mercy-seat,  reconciling  the 
world  unto  Himself.  [2.]  God  hath  set  Him 
forth  to  be  so.  God,  the  party  offended, 
makes  the  first  overtures  towards  a  recon¬ 
ciliation,  appoints  the  Days  -  man  ;  foreor¬ 
dained  Him  to  this,  in  the  counsels  of  his 
love  from  eternity,  appointed,  anointed  Him 
to  it,  qualified  Him  for  it,  and  has  exhibited 
Him  to  a  guilty  world  as  their  propitiation. 
See  Mat.  3:  17.  and  17:  5.  [3.]  By  faith 

in  his  blood  we  become  interested  in  this  pro¬ 
pitiation.  Faith,  in  the  business  of  justifi¬ 
cation,  hath  a  special  regard  to  the  blood  of 
Christ,  as  that  which  made  the  atonement  ; 
for  such  was  the  divine  appointment,  that 
without  blood  there  should  be  no  remission, 
and  no  blood  but  his  would  do  it  effectually. 
Here  may  be  an  allusion  to  Ex.  24:  8.  [4.] 
All  who  by  faith  are  interested  in  this  pro¬ 
pitiation,  have  the  remission  of  their  sins  that 


—31.  2  Cor.  5:18—  21,  v.  21.  Gal.  3:26— 29.  Phil.  3:8— 11,  vv.  8,  9.  2 
Pet.  1:1,  2.  Nor  is  there,  in  this  respect,  any  difference  between  one 
man  and  another,  however  ottierwise  distinguished,  5:1,  2.  Ps.  73:23 — 
28,  v.  24.  1  Pet.  5  :  10,  11.  Whatever  the  nature  or  degree  of  men’s 
crimes  may  have  been,  or  whatever  their  nation,  rank,  or  capacities,  the 
way  in  which  they  must  be  justified  before  God  is  the  same.  4:6 — 8.  8: 
32 — 34.  This  is  by  the  free  gift  of  God,  which  He  bestows  on  the  be¬ 
liever,  wholly  from  his  own  infinite  grace  and  mercy  ;  not  only  without 
his  deserving  it,  but  directly  contrary  to  his  deserts,  which  the  apparent 
tautology,  1  freely  by  his  grace,’  seems  to  denote.  This  grace  is  honor¬ 
ably  exercised,  ‘  through  the  redemption  that  is  in  Jesus  Christ,’  or 
through  the  ransom,  and  meritorious  obedience  unto  death,  of  the  in¬ 
carnate  Son  of  God,  as  our  Surety  :  for  God  the  Father  had  before  set 
Him  forth  to  be  a  propitiatory  sacrifice;  He  had  appointed  Him  to  be 
Mediator,  as  ‘  God  manifested  in  the  flesh,’  for  that  purpose ;  He  had 
openly  Maid  on  Him  the  iniquities  of  us  all,’ and  exacted  the  punish¬ 
ment  from  Him  ;  and  He  had  exhibited  this  transaction  to  the  world  by 
the  Gospel,  that  through  Him  sinners  of  every  nation  might  approach 
God,  on  a  propitiatory,  or  mercy-seat,  and  find  acceptance  by  faith  in 
the  Savior’s  atoning  blood.  This  method  was  taken  in  order  ‘  to  declare  ’ 
and  manifest  the  perfect  righteousness  of  God  ;  even  in  the  very  act  of 
pardoning  the  innumerable  sins  of  believers,  remitting  the  punishment 
due  to  them,  and  accounting  those  righteous  who  in  themselves  were 
not  so.  Indeed,  whatever  the  Jews  might  suppose,  this  was  as  necessa¬ 
ry  in  respect  of  their  believing  progenitors  as  any  other  sinners.  For, 
in  remitting  the  punishment,  justly  merited  by  the  sins  committed  in 
times  past  ‘through  his  forbearance,’  God  was  not  propitiated  in  any 
degree  by  the  repentance  or  subsequent  good  works  of  his  servants, 
which  could  not  satisfy  his  justice;  nor  did  He  ultimately  regard  the  le¬ 
gal  sacrifices,  which  ‘could  not  take  away  sin  :’  but  He  had  dealt  with 
them  as  looking  forward  to  the  engagements  of  the  divine  Surety  of  the 
new  covenant,  and  the  atonement  which  He  was  at  length  to  make.  In 
the  fulness  of  time,  therefore,  this  sacrifice  was  offered,  this  righteous¬ 
ness  introduced,  and  this  method  of  justification  published  to  mankind; 
that  God  might  be  clearly  known  to  be  a  just  and  righteous  Governor, 
and  yet  ‘  the  Justifier  ’  of  every  one  ‘  who  believed  in  Jesus  ;’  which  He 
could  not  otherwise  have  been.  Prov.  17:15.  24:24,  25.  For  justice  in 
a  governor  requires,  that  every  man  be  dealt  with  according  to  his  real 
character  and  actions  ;  except  some  expedient  can  be  adopted,  for  main¬ 
taining  the  authority  of  the  law,  and  the  credit  of  the  administration  ; 
and  to  indemnify-  individuals  :  while  mercy  is  exercised  to  those  who  de¬ 
serve  punishment.  So  that  ancient  believers  had  been  admitted  to  the 
reward  of  righteousness,  as  well  as  exempted  from  the  punishment  de¬ 
served  by  their  sins,  for  the  sake  of  that  promised  Redeemer,  who  had 
engaged  to  pay  their  ransom,  and  bring  in  an  infinitely  valuable  nnd  ev¬ 
erlasting  righteousness  for  their  justification  :  nor  would  it  otherwise 
have  consisted  with  the  infinite  justice  of  God,  to  have  dealt  with  them 
in  a  manner,  so  very  different  from  their  real  deservings,  nay,  contrary 
to  them.  Heb.  11:1 — 16,39,40.  This  is  evidently  the  apostle’s  argu¬ 
ment  ;  and  the  concluding  vs.  might  be  thus  tr. :  ‘  Whom  God  hath  be¬ 
fore  appointed  to  be  a  propitiation,  through  faith  in  his  b]^>d,  for  a 
demonstration  of  his  justice,  on  account  of  the  passing  by  o*ins  that 
had  been  committed  in  former  times,  through  the  forbearance  of  God  : 
I  say,  for  a  demonstration  of  his  justice  in  this  present  time,  in  order 
that  lie  might  be  just,  and  the  Justifier  of  him  that  believeth  in  Jesus.’ 
— ‘  Dr.  Hammond  saith,  the  word  dikaios  is  here  to  be  tr.  clement  and 
merciful ,  and  that  it  is  commonly  taken  in  that  notion,  nnd  seldom  in 
that  of  vindictive  justice  :  but  in  opposition  to  this  I  assert,  that  the 
word  is  used  about  80  times  in  the  N.  T.,  and  not  once  in  that  sense  of 
clemency  and  mercy.  ..  He  himself  produces  but  one  place,  Mat.  1:19. 

[183]' 


where,  says  Lightfoot,  men  torment  the  word  to  make  it  signify  clement 
and  merciful,  when  it  bears  clearly  the  ordinary  sense.  Joseph  being  a 
just  man,  would  not  cohabit  with  an  adulteress  •.  and  yet  not  being 
willing  to  make  her  a  public  example,  and  no  necessity.,  lying  upon  him 
so  to  do,  he  was  minded  to  put  her  away  privily.  . .  .  That  He  might  ap¬ 
pear  to  be  just,  in  requiring  this  satisfaction  for  our  sins.’  Whitby. — Too 
strong  a  protest  cannot  be  entered  against  this  practice  of  giving  a  new 
meaning  to  words,  in  Scripture,  in  order  to  get  rid  of  a  conclusion, 
against  which  the  writer  happens  to  be  prejudiced  :  it  is  absolutely  add¬ 
ing  to,  or  taking  from,  or  changing  the  Word  of  God,  Rev.  22:18 — 21. 
and  it  perplexes  the  minds  of  ordinary  readers  to  such  a  degree,  that 
the  plainest  passages  seem  to  them  obscure,  and  of  doubtful  meaning. 

Scott. 

(21,  &c.)  ‘But  now,  the  justification  which  is  of  God,  without  law, 
is  revealed ;  to  which  testimony  is  given  by  the  law  and  the  prophets  ; 
a  justification,  moreover,  which  is  of  God  by  faith  in  Jesus  Christ,  (of¬ 
fered)  to  all,  and  (bestowed)  on  all  who  believe ;  for  there  is  no  distinc¬ 
tion.  For  all  have  sinned,  and  come  short  of  the  glory  which  God 
bestows,  &c.’  St.  ‘  Turner  thus  neatly  connects  the  two  clauses  :  “  It 
need  not  surprise  you,  that  justification  cannot  be  thus  obtained,  since 
the  law  had  quite  a  different  design,  viz.  to  bring  us  (21)  to  the  knowl¬ 
edge  of  sin  ;  nuni  de,  &c.,  but  now  under  the  Gospel  n  method  of  justi¬ 
fication  is  revealed,  of  which  God  is  the  Author  ( dikaiosunl  Theou), 
and  to  which  all  your  Scriptures  bear  testimony,  that  method,  which, 
rejecting  obedience  as  the  ground  of  (22)  justification  (choris  nomou), 
makes  faith  in  Christ  and  his  merits,  the  only  cause,  and  which  extends 
its  benefits  to  all  believers,  Gentiles  as  well  as  Jews.”  ’  Bloomf. 

(25.  <fcc.)  Propitiation .]  ‘Propitiatory  sacrifice.  So  the  Fathers 
nnd  Greek  commentators,  and  Erasm.,  Grot.,  Ham.,  I.e  Cl.,  Bois,  Elsn., 
Kyp.,  Kop.,  Storr,  Schl.,  and  St.’  Ed.  To  declare,  <fcc.]  ‘In  order  to 
declare  his  justification  with  respect  to  the  remission  of  sins  formerly 
committed  during  the  forbearance  of  God,  in  order  to  declare  his  justi¬ 
fication  at  the  present  time  ;  so  that  He  might  be  just  and  yet  the,’  &c. 

Stuart. 

(25,  26.)  ‘  Justice,  in  a  ruler,  is  that  virtue,  whose  exercise  demonstrates 
that  he  best  consults  the  good  of  his  subjects.  All  had  rebelled.  Were  all 
to  be  destroyed  ?  this  would  not  have  been  to  consult  their  good.  Were 
some  ?  but  a  common  Father  should  not  be  swnyed  by  a  partial  soli¬ 
citude.  Were  they  to  be  left  to  themselves  ?  thus  also  would  they  plunge 
into  ruin.  Finally,  were  the  same  to  be  imposed  on  the  Jews  by  them¬ 
selves,  nnd  on  the  Gentiles  ?  but  they  would  not  have  had  greater  force 
to  amend  them,  than  at  first.  Was  impunity,  outright,  to  be  promised  ? 
This  would  have  opened  a  wide  door  to  licentiousness  and  crime.  Noth¬ 
ing  then  was  letl,  but  that  all  without  distinction  should  be  invited  to 
the  same  society  and  worship,  pardon  of  the  past  and  amnesty  being 
promised,  and  the  condition  prescribed  of  an  obedience,  new,  evangeli¬ 
cal,  and  adapted  to  the  human  condition.  1  John  1:9.  2:2.’  JTetst _ 

‘  Now  as  the  apostle  here  assures  us,  that  Christ’s  death  is  a  proof  of 
God’s  righteousness,  both  when  He  passed  by  the  sins  of  mankind  before 
Christ  came,  and  when,  in  the  present  time,  He  passes  them  by,  we  are 
led  therefrom  to  conclude,  that  Christ’s  death  hath  rendered  these  ex¬ 
ercises  of  God’s  mercy  consistent  with  his  character,  ns  the  righteous 
moral  Governor  of  the  universe.  But  in  what  manner  this  joyful  event 
hath  been  accomplished  by  Christ’s  death,  is  nowhere  in  Scripture,  so 
far  as  I  know,  declared  to  us.  It  is  sufficient  to  all  the  purposes  of  our 
salvation,  that  the  fact  is  revealed  :  and  our  duty  is,  to  believe  the  fact 
upon  the  testimony  of  God  who  hath  revealed  it,  and  to  rest  our  hope 
of  salvation  thereon,  although  the  manner  in  which  it  hath  been  accom¬ 
plished  is  not  made  known  to  us.’  Mackn.  Rom.  5:9.  Notes,  5:11,  and 
19.  Ed. 


A.  D.  61. 


ROMANS,  IV. 


Paul’s  discourse  of  justification. 


27  Where  is  boasting  then  ?  It 
is  excluded.  By  what  law  ?  of 
works  ?  Nay  ;  but  by  the  law  of 
faith. 

28  Therefore  we  conclude  that 
T  a  man  is  justified  by  faith  without 
the  deeds  of  the  law. 

29  Is  he  the  God  of  the  Jews 
only  ?  is  he  not  also  of  the  Gen¬ 
tiles  ?  Yes,  of  the  Gentiles  also  : 

30  Seeing  it  is  one  God,  which 
w  shall  justify  the  circumcision  by 
faith,  and  uncircumcision  through 
faith. 

31  Do  we  then  make  void  the 
law  through  1  faith  ?  God  forbid  4: 
yea,  we  establish  the  law. 

CHAP.  IV. 

1  Abraham’s  faith  was  imputed  to  him  for  righteousness, 
10  before  he  was  circumcised.  13  By  faith  only  he  and 
his  seed  received  the  promise.  16  Abraham  is  the  father 
of  all  that  believe.  24  Our  faith  alto  shall  b«  imputed  to 
us  for  righteousness. 

WHAT  shall  we  say  then  that 
Abraham,  our  father  1  as  per¬ 
taining  to  the  flesh,  hath  found  ? 

▼  ver.  20 — 22.  wGa.  3:8,28.  a  Mat.  3:9. 

c.  8:3.  Ga.2:16.  x  He.  10:15, 16. 

are  past.  It  was  for  this,  Christ  was  set 
forth  to  be  a  propitiation,  in  order  to  remis¬ 
sion,  to  which  the  reprieves  of  his  patience 
and  forbearance  were  a  very  encouraging 
preface.  Through  the  forbearance  of  God. 
Divine  patience  hath  kept  us  out  of  hell, 
that  we  might  have  space  to  repent,  and  get 
to  heaven.  Some  refer  the  sins  that  are  past, 
to  the  sins  of  the  O.  T.  saints,  which  were 
pardoned  for  the  sake  of  the  atonement 
which  Christ  in  the  fulness  of  time  was  to 
make,  which  looked  backward  as  well  as 
forward.  Several  Greek  copies  make  through 
the  forbearance  of  God  to  begin  v.  26.  and 
they  denote  two  precious  fruits  of  Christ’s 
merit  and  God’s  grace,  remission,  and  for¬ 
bearance  :  it  is  owing  to  Christ,  that  there 
is  ever  a  sinner  on  this  side  of  hell.  [5.] 


God  does  in  all  this  declare  his  righteousness, 
(he  insists  on  it  with  great  emphasis,)  1st. 
In  the  propitiation  itself.  Never  was  there 
such  a  demonstration  of  the  justice  and  holi¬ 
ness  of  God,  as  there  was  in  the  death  of 
Christ.  2dly.  In  the  pardon  on  that  pro¬ 
pitiation  ;  so  it  follows,  by  way  of  explica¬ 
tion,  that  He  might  be  just,  and  the  Justifier 
of  him  that  believeth.  It  would  not  stand  with 
his  justice  to  demand  the  debt  of  the  princi¬ 
pal,  when  the  Surety  has  paid  it,  and  He  has 
accepted  that  payment  in  full  satisfaction. 
See  1  Jn.  1:9.  He  is  just,  faithful  to  his 
Word. 

(3.)  It  is  for  God’s  glory;  for  boasting  is 
thus  excluded,  v.  27.  God  will  have  the 
great  work  of  the  justification  and  salvation 
of  sinners  carried  on  from  first  to  last,  in 
such  a  way  as  might  exclude  boasting,  that 
no  flesh  might  glory  in  his  presence,  1  Cor. 
1 :  29 — 31.  Justification  by  works  would  not 
exclude  it  :  if  saved  by  our  own  works,  we 
might  put  the  crown  on  our  own  heads.  But 
faith  for  ever  excludes,  for  faith  is  a  depend¬ 
ing,  self-emptying,  self-denying  grace,  and 
casts  every  crown  before  the  throne.  Be¬ 
lievers  are  not  left  lawless  ;  faith  is  a  law, 
a  working  grace,  wherever  it  is  in  truth  ; 
and  yet,  because  it  acts  in  a  strict  and  close 
dependence  on  Jesus  Christ,  it  excludes 
boasting. 

From  all  this  he  draws  this  conclusion, 
v.  28.  That  a  man  is  justified  by  faith,  with¬ 
out  the  deeds  of  the  law. 

Lastly,  In  the  close  of  the  ell.  he  shows 
the  extent  of  this  privilege  of  justification 
by  faith,  that  it  is  not  the  peculiar  privilege 
of  the  Jews,  but  pertains  to  the  Gentiles 
also;  for  he  had  said,  v.  22.  that  there  is  no 
difference:  and  as  to  this,  1.  he  asserts  and 
proves  it,  v.  29,  30.  Is  He  the  God  of  the 
Jews  only  ?  He  argues  from  the  absurdity 
of  such  a  supposition.  Can  it  be  imagined 
that  a  God  of  infinite  love  and  mercy,  should 
limit  and  confine  his  favors  to  that  little,  per¬ 
verse  people,  the  Jews,  leaving  all  the  rest 
of  men  in  a  condition  eternally  desperate  1  * 

*  May  the  same  be  said  of  the  present  heathen,  who  form 
the  vast  majority  of  mankind,  and  never  had  the  Gospel  ? 
Why  do  not  those  who  answer  ‘  no,’  immediately  give  thsm 
the  Gospel  ?  Ed. 


j  That  would  by  no  means  agree  with  the  idea 
we  have  of  the  goodness  of  God,  for  his  tender 
mercies  are  over  all  his  works  ;  therefore  it  is 
one  God  of  grace  that  justifies  the  circumci¬ 
sion  by  faith,  and  the  uncircumcision  through 
faith,  i.  e.  both  in  one  and  the  same  way; 
however  the  Jews,  in  favor  of  themselves, 
will  needs  fancy  a  difference,  really  there  is 
no  more  difference  than  between  by  and 
through,  i.  e.  no  difference  at  all.  2.  He 
obviates  an  objection,  v.  31.  as  if  this  doc¬ 
trine  did  nullify  the  law,  which,  they  knew, 

;  came  from  God ;  ‘  No,’  says  he,  *  though  we 
|  do  say  the  law  will  not  justify  us,  yet  we  do 
|  not  therefore  say  it  was  given  in  vain,  or  is 
j  of  no  use  to  us ;  no,  we  establish  the  right  use 
|  of  the  law,  and  secure  its  standing,  by  fixing 
it  on  the  right  basis.  The  law  is  still  of  use 
to  convince  us  of  what  is  past,  and  to  direct 
us  for  the  future;  though  we  cannot  be  saved 
by  it  as  a  covenant,  yet  we  own  it,  and  sub¬ 
mit  to  it,  as  a  rule  in  the  hand  of  the  Medi¬ 
ator,  subordinate  to  the  law  of  grace  ;  and 
so,  are  so  far  from  overthrowing,  that  we  es¬ 
tablish  the  law.’  Let  those  consider  this,  who 
deny  the  obligation  of  the  moral  law  [or 
any  natural  law]  on  believers. 

Chap.  IV.  The  great  gospel-doctrine  of 
justification  by  faith,  without  the  worn  ,  of 
the  law,  was  so  very  contrary  to  the  notions 
the  Jews  had  learnt  from  those  that  sat  in 
Moses’  chair,  that  it  would  hardly  go  down 
with  them  ;  therefore  the  apostle  insists  very 
largely  on  it,  and  labors  much  to  confirm 
and  illustrate  it. 

He  had  before  proved  it  by  reason  and  ar¬ 
gument,  now  in  this  ch.  he  proves  it  by  ex¬ 
ample.  That  he  pitches  on,  is  of  Abraham, 
whom  he  chooses  to  mention,  because  the 
Jews  gloried  in  their  relation  to  Abraham  ; 
therefore  this  instance  was  likely  to  be  more 
taking  and  convincing  than  any  other.  His 
argument  stands  thus,  ‘  All  that  are  saved 
are  justified  in  the  same  way  as  Abraham 
was  ;  but  Abraham  was  justified  by  faith, 
and  not  by  works  ;  therefore  all  that  are 
saved  are  so  justified,’  as  w  as  the  father  of 
the  faithful. 

Now  this  is  an  argument,  not  only  a  pari. 


PRACT.  OB3.  We  ought  always  to  distinguish  between  our  advan¬ 
tages,  and  our  deservings  ;  and  between  the  means  of  becoming  accept¬ 
ed  and  holy,  and  that  grace  which  teaches  to  profit  by  those  means. — 
The  nature  and  desert  of  sin,  and  .the  motives  and  purposes  of  the  sin¬ 
ner,  remain  precisely  the  same ;  when  the  only  wise  God  has  taken  oc¬ 
casion  from  them  to  manifest  more  conspicuously  his  own  glory  :  and 
his  justice  also  will  be  glorified  in  punishing  the  transgressors. — Let  us 
remember,  that,  many  and  great  as  our  advantages  are,  we  are  no  better 
in  the  sight  of  God  than  the  benighted  heathens,  if  not  worse ;  except 
grace  have  made  us  to  differ ;  and  then  to  grace  the  whole  praise  is  due  : 
for  it  is  proved,  beyond  contradiction,  that  we  are  all,  in  ourselves,  ‘  un¬ 
der  sin.’  Eph.  2:1,  2.  Tit.  3:4 — 7. — The  Scriptures  adduced  in  these  vs. 

V.  27,  28.  The  apostle  decides,  that  all  boasting  by  any  of  the  hu¬ 
man  race  is  excluded,  and  can  have  no  admission,  in  consistency  with 
truth  and  justice.  It  was  indeed  the  avowed  purpose  of  God,  that  boast¬ 
ing  should  be  shut  out,  by  justifying  believers,  entirely  by  the  grace  of 
God,  through  the  righteousness  and  redemption  of  Christ,  without  any 
respect  to  their  works,  by  faith  alone,  of  his  own  gift  and  operation,  1 
Cor.  1:26 — 31.  Eph.  2:4 — 10.  not  considered,  in  this  matter,  as  an  net 
of  obedience,  or  a  good  work,  or  as  the  principle  of  subsequent  obedi¬ 
ence,  Gal.  5:1 — 6.  but  as  forming  the  relation  between  Christ  and  the 
sinner;  which  renders  it  proper,  that  the  believer  should  be  pardoned 
and  justified  for  the  sake  of  the  Savior ;  and  that  the  unbeliever,  who  is 
not  thus  uniled  or  related  to  Him,  should  remain  under  condemnation. 
This  is  ‘  the  law  of  faith,’  or  the  rule  of  the  divine  conduct  towards  be¬ 
lievers  and  unbelievers ;  and  as  God  has  determined,  that  1  no  flesh  shall 
glory  in  his  presence;’  so  on  this  ground,  also,  the  apostle  concluded, 
that  ‘a  man  is  justified  by  faith,  and  not  by  the  deeds  of  the  law.’  Sc. 

V.  29 — 31.  The  doctrine  of  faith  indeed  honors  and  fulfils  the  cere¬ 
monial  law  ;  and  showed  the  proper  intent  of  it,  and  of  the  legal  dispen¬ 
sation  :  but  then,  this  was  only  in  order  to  the  final  abrogation  of  them. 
But  the  moral  law  was  fully  established  in  honor  and  authority,  both  in 
respect  of  its  precepts  and  sanction,  by  the  perfect  obedience  and  pro¬ 
pitiatory  sufferings  of  the  incarnate  Son  of  God  :  so  that  its  immuta¬ 
ble  obligation,  excellency,  and  equity,  could  not  have  been  so  fully 
shown,  either  by  the  perfect  obedience  of  the  whole  human  species,  or 
by  the  destruction  of  every  transgressor.  Nor  is  any  man  justified  by 
faith  in  Christ,  who  does  not  condemn  himself,  as  justly  deserving  the 
wrath  of  God,  for  breaking  his  holy  law.  Moreover,  it  is  given  into  the 
hands  of  every  believer,  as  his  rule  of  grateful  obedience,  by  which  he  is 
to  regulate  bis  temper  and  conduct,  and  examine  all  his  actions;  that  in 
everything,  in  which  he  deviates  from  this  perfect  standard,  he  may  re¬ 
pent,  and  seek  forgiveness  through  the  blood  of  Christ.  Yea,  it  is  writ¬ 
ten  in  his  heart,  by  the  regeneration  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  Jer.  31:31—34. 
Heb.  8:7 — 13.  and  the  believer’s  love  to  it,  and  delight  in  obeying  it,  are 
the  evidences  of  his  justification.  Jam.  2:14—26.  So  that  the  doctrine 


too  exactly  describe  the  bulk  of  nominal  Christians  :  and  he  who  ex¬ 
amines  the  state  of  society,  even  in  this  Christian  country  ;  nay,  he 
who  inquires  seriously  into  the  disposition  of  his  own  heart,  and  the 
tenor  of  his  past  and  present  life,  comparing  them  with  the  holy  law  of 
God;  will  easily  perceive,  that  his  mouth,  and  ‘every  mouth  must  be 
stopped,  and  all  the  world  must  be  brought  in  guilty  before  God.’  How 
plain  then  is  it  to  common  sense,  that  1  by  the  works  of  the  law  shall  no 
flesh  be  justified  before  God  !’  And  whatever  Pharisees,  Sadducees,  or 
infidels  may  object;  whatever  antinomians,  or  enthusiasts  may  plead, 
or  profess ;  the  doctrine  of  faith  establishes  the  law  in  its  real  honor, 
and  lays  the  true  foundation  for  all  holy  obedience ;  and  this  doctrine 
alone  1  establishes  the  law.’  Scott. 

of  faith,  in  every  way  magnifies  and  establishes  the  just,  holy,  good,  and 
spiritual  law  of  God,  in  all  its  honor  and  authority  ;  while  all  other 
schemes  of  justification  disgrace  it,  or  weaken  its  authority  and  oblige 
tion,  as  if  its  precepts  were  unreasonably  strict,  and  its  penalty  unrighl 
eously  severe  ;  so  that  God  would  not  be  just,  if  He  dealt  with  men  ac¬ 
cording  to  it.  We  therefore  know  what  the  apostle’s  doctrine  was :  be¬ 
cause  we  know  what  doctrine  is  objected  to,  as  ‘  making  void  the  law 
what  doctrine  is  perverted  by  hypocrites  and  antinomians,  ns  loosening 
man’s  obligation  to  holy  practice  ;  and  what  doctrine,  when  duly  under¬ 
stood  and  truly  believed,  ‘establishes  the  law’  in  the  completest  man¬ 
ner,  and  gives  the  most  efficacious  motives  to  all  holy  obedience.  Sc. 

(30.)  Through.]  ‘By.’  St.  ‘  It  is  plain,  however,  that  the  apostle 
[in  using  ek  and  dia,  tr.  by  and  through ]  meant  to  make  some  distinc¬ 
tion.’  Bloom*. 

(31.)  ‘Finally,  it  is  evident  that,  by  the  faith  to  which  he  attri>.„.es 
justification,  the  apostle  means  not  an  idle  faith,  but  a  working  faith, 
attended  with  works  of  love  both  toward  God  and  our  neighbor;  and 
consequently,  that  the  works  which  he  excludes  from  justification  are 
not  evangelical  works,  or  such  as  are  done  in,  and  proceed  from,  faith 
in  Christ;  but  only,  1.  works  of  perfect  obedience,  or  sinless  works, 
there  being  none  such  to  be  found  among  the  sons  Of  fallen  man  ;  or,  2. 
works  done  in  the  strength  of  the  Mosaic  law,  without  the  grace  of  the 
Gospel;  or,  S.  the  works  of  the  ceremonial  law,  such  as  circumcision, 
sacrifice,  and  the  like  ;  or,  4.  and  lastly,  all  manner  of  works  whatsoever, 
as  far  as  they  are  relied  on  as  meritorious  causes  of  our  justification  or 
salvation ;  there  being  but  one  only  cause  of  that  kind,  namely,  the  mer¬ 
itorious  obedience  and  sufferings  of  our  dear  Redeemer  and  Savior.’ 

Bp.  Bull. 

NOTES.  Chap.  IV.  V.  1—3.  ‘From  this  example  of  Abraham, 
the  apostle  intended  to  draw  a  conclusion,  which  weiuld  necessarily 
take  in  all  believers.  And  that  he  might  do  this  fairly,  he  intimates,  at 
the  very  entrance  of  the  question,  that  he  did  not  propose  Abraham 
merely  as  one  of  the  number  of  believers,  but  as  the  father  of  the 
church ;  that  he  might  properly  reason  from  the  father  to  his  children, 


A.  D.  61. 


ROMANS,  IV.  Paul's  discourse  of  justification. 


2  For  if  Abraham  were  justified 
by  works,  he  hath  whereof  to  glory; 
but  not  b  before  God. 

3  For  what  saith  the  ‘Scripture? 
Abraham  believed  God,  and  it  was 
counted  unto  him  for  righteousness. 

4  Now  to  him  that  worketh  d  is 
the  reward  not  reckoned  of  grace, 
but  of  debt. 

5  But  to  him  that  worketh  not, 
but  believeth  on  him  that  justifieth 
the  ungodly,  his  faith  e  is  counted 
for  righteousness. 

6  Even  as  David  also  describeth 
the  blessedness  of  the  man  unto 
whom  God  imputeth  righteousness 
without  works, 

7  Saying ,  f  Blessed  are  they 
whose  iniquities  are  forgiven,  and 
whose  sins  are  covered. 

8  Blessed  is  the  man  to  whom 
the  Lord  will  not  impute  sin. 

9  Cometh  this  blessedness  then 
upon  the  circumcision  only,  or  upon 
the  uncircumcision  also  ?  for  we 
say  that  faith  was  reckoned  to 
Abraham  for  righteousness. 

b  c.  3:27.  1  Co.  c  Ge.  15:6.  e  Hab.  2:4. 

1:29.  d  c.  11:6.  fPs.  32:1,2. 

— from  an  equal  case,  as  they  say,  but  a  for¬ 
tiori, — from  a  stronger  case.  If  Abraham, 
a  man  so  famous  for  works,  so  eminent  in 
holiness  and  obedience,  was  nevertheless 
justified  by  faith  only,  and  not  by  those 
works  ;  how  much  less  can  any  other,  es¬ 
pecially  any  of  those  that  spring  from  him, 
and  come  so  far  short  of  him  in  works,  set 
up  for  a  justification  by  their  own  works'?- 
And  it  proves  likewise,  ex-abundanti, — the 
more  abundantly,  as  some  observe,  that  we 
are  not  justified ;  no,  not  by  those  good  works 
which  flow  from  faith,  as  the  matter  of  our 
righteousness  ;  for  such  were  Abraham’s 
works,  and  are  we  better  than  he  I 

V.  1 — 8.  Here  the  apostle  recognises  his 
kindred  to  Abraham,  and  asks.  What  has  he 
found, — as  pertaining  to  the  flesh,  i.  e.  by  cir¬ 


cumcision  and  his  external  privileges  and 
performances'!  Those  the  apostle  calls_/7esA, 
Phil.  3:  3.  Now  what  did  he  get  by  these? 
Was  he  justified  by  them?  Was  it  the  merit 
of  his  works  that  recommended  him  to 
God’s  acceptance  ?  No,  by  no  means  ; 
which  he  proves  by  several  arguments. 

I.  If  he  was  justified  by  ivorks,  room  would 
be  left  for  boasting,  which  must  for  ever  be 
excluded.  He  might  deserve  well  of  men, 
but  could  never  merit  of  God,  v.  2.  Paul 
himself  had  whereof  to  glory  before  men,  and 
we  have  him  sometimes  glorying  in  it,  yet 
with  humility;  but  nothing  to  glory  in  before 
God,  1  Cor.  4:4.  Phil.  3:  8,  9.  So  Abra¬ 
ham. 

II.  It  is  expressly  said,  that  Abraham’s 
faith  was  counted  to  him  for  righteousness.  In 
all  controversies  in  religion,  this  must  be 
our  question,  What  saith  the  Scripture?  v.  3. 
Is.  8:  20.  thither  is  the.  last  appeal.  Now  the 
Scripture  saith,  that  Abraham  believed,  and 
that  was  counted  to  him  for  righteousness,  Gen. 
15:6.  therefore  he  had  not  whereof  to  glory 
before  God,  it  being  purely  of  free  grace  that 
it  was  so  imputed,  and  having  not  in  itself 
anything  of  the  formal  nature  of  a  righteous¬ 
ness,  further  than  as  God  Himself  was  gra¬ 
ciously  pleased  to  count  it  to  him. 

III.  If  he  were  justified  by  works,  the  re¬ 
ward  would  have  been  of  debt,  and  not  of 
grace  ;  which  is  not  to  be  imagined.  This 
is  his  argument,  v.  4,  5.  Abraham’s  reward 
was  God  Himself ;  so  He  had  told  him  but 
just  before,  Gen.  15:1.  I  am  thy  exceeding 
great  reward.  Now  if  Abraham  had  merited 
this  by  the  perfection  of  his  obedience,  it  had 
not  been  an  act  of  grace  in  God,  but  Abra¬ 
ham  might  have  demanded  it,  [and  so  had 
power  over  God  Himself!]  But  it  is  impos¬ 
sible  for  man,  much  more  guilty  man,  to 
make  God  a  debtor  to  him,  Rom.  11:35. 
Therefore  to  him  that  worketh  not,  that  can 
pretend  to  no  such  merit,  nor  show  any  worth 
or  value  in  his  work,  which  may  answer 
such  a  reward,  but,  disclaiming  any  such  pre¬ 
tension,  casts  himself  wholly  on  the  free  grace 
of  God  in  Christ,  by  a  lively,  active,  obe¬ 
dient  faith;  to  such  an  one  faith  is  counted 
for  righteousness,  is  accepted  of  God  as  the 
qualification  required  in  all  those  that  shall 
be  pardoned  and  saved. 


Him  that  justifieth  the  ungodly,  i.  e.  him 
that  was  before  ungodly.  His  former  un¬ 
godliness  was  no  bar  to  his  justification  on 
his  believing  ;  that  ungodly  one,  i.  e.  Abra¬ 
ham,  who,  before  his  conversion,  it  should 
seem,  [but  for  this  there  is  little  authority,] 
was  carried  down  the  stream  of  the  Chal¬ 
dean  idolatry,  Josh.  24:  2.  No  room  there¬ 
fore  is  left  for  despair  ;  though  God  clears 
not  the  impenitent  guilty,  yet  through  Christ 
He  justifies  the  ungodly. 

IV.  He  further  illustrates  this,  by  a  pas¬ 
sage  out  of  Pss.  where  David  speaks  of  the 
remission  of  sins,  the  prime  branch  of  justi¬ 
fication,  as  constituting  the  happiness  and 
blessedness  of  a  man  ;  pronouncing  him 
blessed,  not  that  has  no  sin,  or  none  which 
deserved  death,  but  the  man  to  whom  the  Lord 
imputeth  not  sin  ;  who,  though  he  cannot 
plead  Not  guilty,  pleads  the  act  of  indemni¬ 
ty,  and  his  plea  is  allowed.  It  is  quoted 
from  Ps.  32:  1,  2.  not  entering  into  judg¬ 
ment,  not  marking  iniquities  :  being  purely 
acts  of  grace,  the  acceptance  and  the  reward 
cannot  be  expected  as  due  debts  ;  therefore 
Paul  infers,  v. 6.  that  it  is  the  imputing  of  right¬ 
eousness  without  works.  Blessed  are  they.  Par¬ 
doned  people  are  the  only  blessed  people. 
The  sentiments  of  the  world  are.  Those  are 
happy,  that  have  a  clear  estate,  and  are  out 
of  debt  to  man  ;  but  the  sentence  of  the 
Word  is,  Those  are  happy,  that  have  their 
debts  to  God  discharged.  Oh,  how  much 
therefore  is  it  our  interest  to  make  it  sure  to 
ourselves  that  our  sins  are  pardoned  !  For 
that  is  the  foundation  of  all  other  benefits. 
Heb.  8:  12. 

V.  9 — 17.  Paul  observes  in  this  para¬ 
graph,  when  and  why  Abraham  was  thus 
justified;  it  was  before  he  was  circumcised, 
and  before  the  giving  of  the  law;  and  there 
was  a  reason  for  both. 

I.  It  was  before  he  was  circumcised, 
v.  10.  It  was  imputed,  Gen.  15:6.  and  he 
was  not  circumcised  till  ch.  17.  Abraham  is 
expressly  said  to  be  justified  by  faith,  14  years, 
some  say  25  years,  before  he  was  circumcised: 
which,  as  it  might  silence  the  fears  of  the 
poor  uncircumcised  Gentiles,  might  lower 
the  pride  and  conceitedness  of  the  Jews, 
who  gloried  in  their  circumcision,  a3  if 
they  had  the  monopoly  of  all  happiness. 


the  foundation  of  which  he  lays  in  v.  13.  . .  .  In  whatever  wray  Abraham, 
the  father  of  believers,  was  justified,  in  the  same  must  all  his  children 
(i.  e.  all  believers)  be  justified  :  but  Abraham  wa9  not  justified,  and  made 
the  father  of  the  faithful,  by  any  of  his  own  works,  either  preceding  or 
following  his  faith  in  Christ,  as  promised  to  him  ;  but  merely  by  faith  in 
Christ,  or  the  merit  of  Christ  by  faith  imputed  to  him  for  righteousness. 
Therefore  all  his  children  become  his  children,  and  are  justified,  not  by 
their  works,  either  preceding  or  following  their  faith  ;  but  by  faith  alone 
in  the  same  Christ,  who  was  at  length  to  come  ;  . .  .  and  thus  they  are  at 
present  justified,  and  shall  be  to  the  end  of  the  world.’  Beza. — Thus  the 
apostle,  by  this  single  example,  struck  at  the  very  root  of  their  national 
vain  confidence,  in  Abraham  as  their  father,  in  circumcision,  and  in  the 
law  of  Moses.  Gal.  3:6 — 14.  Heb.  11:11 — 19.  Jam.  2:21 — 24.  Scott. 

(1.)  As  pertaining  to  the.  flesh.]  ‘  Kata  sarka:  by  the  works  of  the 
law  and  circumcision.  And  so  Calvin,  Beza,  Ambrose,  Aquinas,  Caje- 
tan,  flam.,  Zcger,  Parajus,  Whitby,  Taylor,  Mackn.,  and  Wets.’  Bl. 

(2.)  St.,  comparing  3:12.  commences  thus,  ‘  [Much] ;  if,  however,’ 
&c.  Ed. 

V.  4,  5.  This  imputation  of  faith  is  not  because  of  its  own  excellen¬ 
cy,  or  worthiness  as  a  good  work  ;  but  as  it  refers  the  Sovereign  Judge 
for  payment  to  the  accepted  righteousness  and  atonement  of  his  Son; 
even  as  the  receipt  of  a  scrap  of  paper,  intrinsically  not  worth  a  far¬ 
thing,  in  the  form  of  a  draft  on  a  creditable  banker,  is  entered  in  the 
merchant’s  book,  for  a  considerable  sum  of  money,  as  if  it  had  been 
paid  in  cash.  The  man  ‘  who  worketh  not,’  will  indeed  diligently  use 
appointed  means  of  grace,  earnestly  and  perseveringly  repent,  forsake 
sin  with  decision,  and  conscientiously  perform  his  several  duties,  and 
even  become  ‘zealous  of  good  works:’  yet  he  ‘worketh  not’  at  all, 
with  an  aim  or  expectation  of  obtaining  righteousness  in  this  way, 
which  he  knows  to  be  absolutely  impossible.  He  comes  to  God,  as  ‘  the 
Justifier  of  the  ungodly,’  that  he  may  obtain  ‘the  gift  of  righteousness 
by  faith,’  of  free  grace,  through  the  merits  of  the  divine  Surety.  lie  is 
not  indeed  absolutely  ‘  ungodly’  at  the  time  of  his  justification  ;  for  his 
humiliation,  submission,  and  faith,  are  effects  of  regeneration  ;  which  is 
the  source  of  all  ‘godliness’  in  a  fallen  creature.  Yet  he  is  justified,  as 
‘ungodly’  in  himself,  in  strict  justice,  and  according  to  the  law:  he 
comes  for  the  blessing  as  ‘  ungodly  ;  ’  God  makes  no  account  of  anything 
in  justifying  him,  except  his  faith  as  forming  his  relation  to  Christ ;  and 
the  man  has  no  respect  to  anything  else  himself,  in  expecting  that 
blessing.  Nay,  Jhe  justified  believer,  whatever  his  holiness  or  diligence 
may  be,  never  works  for  this  purpose  ;  and  he  still  comes  before  God 
as  1  ungodly,’  in  this  respect ,  still  depending  on  ‘  the  righteousness  of 
(tod  by  faith  In  Christ,’  as  his  only  hope;  though  his  good  works  are 
evidences  of  the  sincerity  of  his  faith.  Phil.  3:8 — 11. — Abraham  seve- 

[190] 


ral  years  before,  ‘by  faith,  obeyed’  the  call  and  command  of  God  :  and 
therefore  could  not  be,  strictly  speaking,  altogether  ‘ungodly,’  when  it 
was  said,  ‘  He  believed  God,  and  it  was  counted  to  him  for  righteous¬ 
ness  :  ’  so  that  the  example  of  Abraham  is  a  full  and  clear  refutation  of 
the  construction,  which  some  put  on  this  text,  that  men  are,  altogether 
and  in  every  sense,  ungodly  and  unregenerate,  at  the  time  when  God 
justifies  them ;  a  most  obnoxious  sentiment,  and  of  most  dangerous  ten¬ 
dency.  Heb.  11:8—10.  “‘  He  that  worketh,”  i.  e.  who  hnth  deserved 
anything  by  his  work,  to  whom  is  opposed  “  he  that  worketh  not ;  ”  i.  e. 
who  brings  no  work,  for  which  he  claims  a  reward  ;  but  depends  on 
the  gratuitous  promise  of  God.  But  this  indeed  is  spoken,  by  conces¬ 
sion,  in  a  similitude  taken  from  the  commerce  and  contracts  of  men  : 
for  otherwise,  “  who  hath  first  given  ?  and  it  shall  be  rendered  to  him 
again.’”  Beza.  11:1 — 6,  w.  5,  6,  33 — 36.  Scott. 

(5.)  ‘  To  him  that  worketh  reward  is  not  counted  as  a  matter  of  grace, 
but  as  a  debt.’  St.  ‘  The  sentiment  is  here  illustrated  by  an  example 
deduced  from  common  life,  and  the  affairs  of  men.  (Grot,  and  Koppe.) 
The  words  may  be  r. :  “  Now  to  the  laborer,  (one  who  fully  performs 
his  engagements,  and  fulfils  his  stipulated  task,)  his  wages  are  not  reck¬ 
oned  as  a  favor,  but  are  regarded  as  a  debt  (being  what  he  has  earned).” 
The  words  contain  bo'th  the  illustration  and  the  application.  In  the 
application,  “  him  that  worketh  ”  must  denote,  him  who  has  exerted  his 
full  powers,  and  exactly  performed  his  duty.'  Bloomf. 

V.  6 — 8.  Not  that  forgiveness  of  sins  is  equivalent  to  justification  ; 
for  this  implies  also  treating  a  man  as  righteous,  and  entitled  to  the  re¬ 
ward  of  eternal  life  :  as  it  is  evident,  in  all  human  transactions,  that  the 
pardon  of  a  criminal  is  very  distinct  from  giving  him  the  title  to  an  es¬ 
tate.  But  God  always  Imputes  righteousness,  where  He  does  not  im- 
puto  sin  :  for  none  are  pardoned,  except  in  virtue  of  their  relation  to 
Christ  by  faith;  and  if  Ji is  atoning  blood  cover  their  sins,  his  righteous¬ 
ness  also  justifies  their  persons.  2  Cor.  5:18 — 21,  v.  21.  As  their  Surety, 
He  suffered  for  their  sins,  which  were  imputed  to  Him;  and  they  are 
rewarded  and  made  heirs  of  eternal  life,  because  his  righteousness  is 
imputed  to  them.  ‘  From  hence  the  expression  of  blotting  out  iniquity, 
so  frequently  used  in  Scripture,  may  be  understood  ;  that  is,  the  strik¬ 
ing  it  out  of  the  account.’  Locke. — It  should  be  remembered,  that  the  in¬ 
spired  apostle,  under  a  clearer  dispensation,  expounds  the  words  of  the 
prophet;  not  the  prophet  the  words  of  the  apostle.  We  must  therefore 
understand  David,  according  to  Paul’s  interpretation;  and  not  the  re¬ 
verse.  If  Paul  meant  forgiveness  exclusively ;  why  should  he  add  the 
clause,  ‘  imputeth  righteousness  without  works  ?  ’  — 12. — (7,  8)  Blessed, 

&c.]  Exactly  from  the  LXX,  Ps.  32:1,  2.  Scott. 

V.  9 — 12.  This  language  fully  proves,  that  circumcision  sealed  spirit¬ 
ual  blessings  to  Abraham  personally ,  as  the  outward  seal  of  the  cove- 


A.  D.  61. 


ROMANS,  IV.  Paul's  discourse  of  justification, 


10  How  was  it  then  reckoned  ? 
when  he  was  in  circumcision,  or  in 
uncircumcision  ?  Not  in  circumci¬ 
sion,  but  in  uncircumcision. 

11  And  «he  received  the  sign  of 
circumcision  ;  a  seal  of  the  righte¬ 
ousness  of  the  faith  which  he  had, 
yet  being  uncircumcised  ;  that  he 
might  be  the  father  h  of  all  them 
that  believe,  though  they  be  not 
circumcised  ;  that  righteousness 
might  be  imputed  unto  them  also  : 

12  And  the  father  of  circumcision 
to  them  who  are  not  of  the  circum¬ 
cision  only,  but  who  also  walk  in 
the  steps  of  that  faith  of  our  father 
Abraham,  which  he  had,  being  yet 
uncircumcised. 

13  For  the  promise,  that  1  he 
should  be  the  heir  of  the  world, 
was  not  to  Abraham,  or  to  his  seed, 
through  the  law,  but  through  the 
righteousness  of  faith. 

14  For  if  J  they  which  are  of  the 
law  be  heirs,  faith  is  made  void, 
and  the  promise  made  of  none 
effect  : 

15  Because  the  law  k  worketh 
wrath  :  for  where  no  1  law  is,  there 
is  no  transgression. 

16  Therefore  it  is  of  faith,  that 
it  might  be  by  grace  ;  to  the  end 
the  promise  might  be  sure  to  all 
the  seed  ;  not  to  that  only  which 
is  of  the  law,  but  to  that  also  which 
is  of  the  faith  of  Abraham,  who  is 
the  father  of  us  all, 

17  (As  it  is  written,  m  I  have 
made  thee  a  father  of  many  na¬ 
tions,)  D  before  him  whom  he  be¬ 
lieved,  even  God,  who  quickeneth 
0  the  dead,  and  calleth  those  p  things 
which  be  not  as  though  they  were. 

18  Who  against  hope  believed 
in  hope,  that  he  might  become  the 
father  of  many  nations,  according 
to  that  which  was  spoken,  So  shall 
thy  seed  be. 


r:IO,  11. 

9:9.  .In. 8: 
Ga.  3: 

7A,  & c. 


J  Ga.  3:18. 
k  c.  5:20. 

1  lJn.3:4. 
m  Ge.  17:5. 
n  like  unto. 


o  Ep.  2:1,5. 
p  1  Co.  1:28. 

I  Pe.  2:10. 
q  Ge.  15:5. 


Two  reasons  there  are  why  Abraham  was 
justified  by  faith  in  uncircumcision  : 

1.  That  circumcision  might  be  a  seal  of  the 
righteousness  of  faith,  v.  11.  The  tenor  of 
the  covenants  must  first  be  settled,  before 
the  seal  can  lie  annexed.  Sealing  supposes 
a  bargain-precedent,  which  is  confirmed  and 
ratified  by  that  ceremony.  After  Abraham’s 
justification  by  faith  had  continued  several 
years,  for  the  confirmation  of  his  faith,  God 
was  pleased  to  appoint  a  sealing  ordinance; 
and  Abraham  received  it,  though  a  bloody 
ordinance,  even  as  a  special  favor,  the'sign 
of.  See.  Now  we  may  hence  observe,  (1.) 
The  nature  of  sacraments  in  general  ;  they 
are  signs,  and  seals  ;  signs  to  represent  and 
instruct;  seals  to  ratify  and  confirm  ;  signs 


of  absolute  grace  and  favor  ;  seals  of  the 
conditional  promises  :  nay,  mutual  seals  J 
God  seals  4&  us  to  be  to  us  a  God,  and  we 
seal  to  Him  to  bg.to  Him  a  people.  (2.)  The 
nature  of  circumcision  in  particular;  it  was 
the  initiating  sacrament  of  the  O.  T.  and  it 
is  here  said  to  be,  [1.]  A  sign;  a  sign  of 
that  original  corruption  all  are  born  with, 
and  which  is  cut  off  by  spiritual  circumci¬ 
sion  ;  a  commemorating  sign  of  God’s  cov¬ 
enant  with  Abraham  ;  a  distinguishing  sign 
between  Jews  and  Gentiles;  a  sign  of  admis¬ 
sion  into  the  visible  church  ;  a  sign  prefig¬ 
uring  baptism,  which  comes  in  the  room  of 
circumcision,  now  under  the  Gospel,  when 
(the  blood  of  Christ  being  shed)  all  bloody 
ordinances  are  abolished  ;  it  was  an  outward 
and  sensible  sign  of  an  inward  and  spiritual 
grace  signified  thereby.  [2.]  A  seal  of  the 
righteousness  of  the  faith  In  general,  it  was 
a  seal  of  the  covenant  of  grace,  particularly  of 
justification  by  faith  ;  the.  covenant  of  grace, 
called  the  righteousness  which  is  of  faith,  ch. 
10:6.  and  it  refers  to  an  O.  T.  promise, 
Deut.  30: 12. 

Now  if  infants  were  then  capable  of  re¬ 
ceiving  a  seal  of  the  covenant  of  grace,  which 
proves  that  they  then  were  within  the  verge 
of  that  covenant,  how  they  come  to  be  now 
cast  out  of  the  covenant,  and  incapable  of 
the  seal,  and  by  what  severe  sentence  they 
were  ihus  rejected  and  incapacitated,  those 
are  concerned  to  make  out,  that  not  only  re¬ 
ject,  but  nullify  and  reproach,  the  baptism 
of  the  seed  of  believers. 

2.  That  he  might  be  the  father  of  all  them 
that  believe.  Not  but  that  there  were  those 
that  were  justified  by  faith  before  Abraham; 
but  of  Abraham  first  it  is  particularly  ob¬ 
served,  and  in  him  commenced  a  much  clear¬ 
er  and  fuller  dispensation  of  the  covenant  of 
grace,  than  any  that  had  been  before  extant; 
therefore  he  is  called  the  father  of  all  that  be¬ 
lieve,  because  he  was  so  eminent  a  believer, 
and  so  eminently  justified  by  faith  ;  as  Ja- 
bal  was  the  father  of  shepherds,  and  Jubal  of 
musicians,  Gen.  4:  20,  21.  The  father  of 
all  them  that  believe,  a  standing  pattern  of 
faith ;  as  parents  are  examples  to  their 
children  :  and  a  standing  precedent  of  jus¬ 
tification  by  faith;  as  the  liberties,  privile¬ 
ges,  honors,  and  estates  of  the  fathers  de¬ 
scend  to  their  children.  Abraham  was  the 
father  of  believers,  because  to  him  particu¬ 
larly  the  magna  charta  was  renewed.  Thus 
were  [unbelievers,  even  if  Jews,  excluded, 
and]  the  doubts  and  fears  of  the  poor  Gen¬ 
tiles  anticipated,  and  no  room  left  to  ques¬ 
tion  but  that  righteousness  might  be  imputed  to 
them  also.  Col.  3:  11.  Gal.  5:  6. 

II.  It  was  before  the  giving  of  the  law, 
v.  13 — 16.  The  former  observation  was 
levelled  against  those  that  confinefl  justifi¬ 
cation  to  the  circumcision,  this  to  those  that 
expected  it  by  the  law  ;  now  the  promise  was 
made  to  Abraham  long  before  the  law.  Comp. 
Gal.  3:17,  18.  Observe, 

1.  What  that  promise  was, — that  he  should 
be  the  heir  of  the  world,  i.e.  of  the  land  of 
Canaan,  the  choicest  spot  of  ground  in  the 
world  ;  or  the  father  of  many  nations  of  the 
world,  who  sprang  from  him,  beside  the  Is¬ 
raelites  ;  or  the  heir  of  the  comforts  of  the 
life  which  now  is.  Or  rather,  it  points  at 
Christ,  the  Seed  here  mentioned  ;  comp. 
Gal.  3: 16.  Now  Christ  is  the  Heir  of  the 
world,  the  ends  of  the  earth  are  his  posses¬ 


sion,  and  it  is  in  Him  that  Abraham  was  so. 
And  it  refers  to  that  promise,  Gen.  12:  3. 
In  thee  shall  all  the  families  of  the  earth  be 
blessed. 

2.  How  it  was  made  to  him,  not  through 
the  law,  but  through  the  righteousness  of  faith  ; 
not  through  the  law,  for  that  was  not  yet  giv¬ 
en  ;  but  on  that  believing  which  was  counted 
to  him  for  righteousness  ;  on  his  trusting  God, 
in  leaving  his  country  when  God  bid  him, 
Heb.  11:8.  Now  being  by  faith,  it  could 
not  be  by  the  law  ;  which  he  proves  by  the 
opposition  that  is  between  them,  v.  14,  15. 
for  then  faith  would  be  made  void.  Besides, 
The  law  worketh  wrath,  v.  15.  wrath  in  us  to 
God  ;  it  irritates  and  provokes  that  carnal 
mind  which  is  enmity  to  God,  as  the  dam¬ 
ming  up  of  a  stream  makes  it  swell, — wrath 
in  God  against  us  ;  it  works  this,  it  discov¬ 
ers  it  ;  or  our  breach  of  the  law  works  it. 
How  the  law  works  wrath,  he  shows  very  con¬ 
cisely  in  the  latter  part  of  the  v.;  Where  no 
law  is,  there  is  no  transgression  ;  an  ac¬ 
knowledged  maxim,  which  implies.  Where 
there  is  a  law,  there  is  transgression,  and 
[of  course,  punishment  or]  wrath. 

3.  Why  the  promise  was  made  to  him 

by  faith  ;  for  three  reasons,  v.  16.  (1.) 

That  it  might  be  by  grace,  that  grace  might 
have  the  honor  of  it  ;  faith  hath  particular 
reference  to  grace  granting,  as  grace  hath 
to  faith  receiving.  By  grace,  and  therefore 
through  faith,  Eph.  2  :  8.  (2.)  That  the 

promise  might  be  sure.  The  first  covenant, 
being  a  covenant  of  works,  was  not  sure  ; 
but,  through  man’s  failure,  the  benefits  de¬ 
signed  by  it  [might  be  and]  were  cut  off  ; 
therefore,  the  more  effectually  to  ascertain 
and  ensure  the  conveyance  of  the  new  cove¬ 
nant,  there  is  another  way  found  out,  not  by 
works,  (were  it  so,  the  promise  would  not 
be  sure,  because  of  the  continual  frailty  and 
infirmity  of  the  flesh,)  but  by  faith,  which 
receives  all  from  Christ,  and  acts  in  a  con¬ 
tinual  dependence  on  Him,  as  the  great 
Trustee  of  our  salvation,  and  in  whose  keep¬ 
ing  it  is  safe.  (3.)  That  it  might  be  sure  to 
all  the  seed.  If  it  had  beeu  by  the  law,  it 
had  been  limited  to  the  Jews,  but  therefore 
it  was  by  faith,  [that  it  might  produce  a 
more  extensive  happiness,]  Gentiles  as  well 
as  Jews  becoming  interested  in  it  ;  the 
spiritual  as  well  as  the  natural  seed  of  faith¬ 
ful  Abraham.  Gen.  17:5.  where  the  rea¬ 
son  of  the  change  of  his  name  from  Abram, — 

a  high  father,  to  Abraham, — the  high  father  of q 
a  multitude,  is  thus  rendered  ;  For  a  father 
of  many  nations  have  I  made  thee  ;  i.e.  all 
believers,  both  before  and  since  the  coming 
of  Christ  in  the  flesh,  should  take  Abraham 
for  their  pattern,  and  call  him  father. 

V.  17 — 22.  Having  observed  when  Abra¬ 
ham  was  justified  by  faith,  and  why,  the 
apostle  here  describes,  magnifies,  and  com¬ 
mends  the  faith  of  Abraham  ;  where  ob¬ 
serve, 

I.  Whom  he  believed  ;  God.  Observe 
what  in  God  his  faith  eyed  : 

1.  God,  who  quickeneth  the  dead.  It  was 
promised  that  he  should  be  the  father  of 
many  nations,  when  he  and  his  wife  were 
now  as  good  as  dead  ;  Heb.  11  :  11,  12. 
therefore  he  looks  on  God  as  a  God  that 
could  breathe  life  into  dry  bones.  He  that' 
quickeneth  the  dead,  can  do  anything,  can 
give  a  child  to  Abraham  when  he  is  old  ;  can 
bring  the  Gentiles,  who  are  dead  in  trespas- 


nant  of  grace,  and  the  emblem  of  sanctification,  however  it  might  oth¬ 
erwise  be  applied  or  misunderstood.  ‘This  seems  an  incontestable 
proof,  that  circumcision  was  the  seal  of  the  covenant  of  grace ,  and 
not  merely  of  temporal  promises^  and  consequently  obviates  the  most 
considerable  objection,  that  hath  ever  been  urged  against  infant-baptism.’ 
Doddr.  Heb.  6:13—20.  Scott. 

(11.)  ‘As  a  seal  of  the  righteousness  by  faith  which  (he  possessed)  in 
a  state  of  nncircumcision.’  Stuart. 

V.  13.  Through  the  law.]  ‘  By  law.’  Id. 

V.  14.  ‘Faith  is  rendered  of  none  effect,  and  the  promise  is  made 
void.’  Id. 

V.  15.  No  law  is.)  IS.  2:12.  ‘  Nomos  is  used,  by  Paul,  of  every  rule 
of  life,  of  every  revelation,  especially  of  the  Mosaic  law.  The  various 
senses  then  of  this  word,  are  calculated  to  produce  perplexity.  . .  .  Our 


English  version,  by  having  almost  constantly  said  “the  law,”  whatever 
be  the  meaning  of  nomos  in  the  original,  has  made  this  most  difficult 
epistle  still  more  obscure.’  Bp.  Middleton. — When  without  the  article, 
it  is  commonly  used  for  taw  in  general,  or  rule  of  conduct,  whatever  it 
be  :  when  with  the  article,  of  the  Mosaic  law.  Yet  this  rule  has  seve¬ 
ral  exceptions,  which  the  context  alone  can  fully  decide.  Scott. 

V.  16.  ‘  Not  only  to  him  who  is  under  the  law,  but  to  him  who  is  of 

the  faith  of  Abraham  : — who  is,  &c.  in  the  sight  of  God,  in  whom  he 
believed,  &c.’  Stuart. 

V.  18 — 22.  He  confidently  hoped  to  become  the  father  of  many  na¬ 
tions,  naturally  in  his  posterity,  and  spiritually  through  Christ,  who  was 
to  descend  front  him  ;  because  God  had  said,  that  his  seed  should  be  in¬ 
numerable  as  the  stars  of  heaven.  Gen.  15:5,6.  ‘His  faith  was  im¬ 
puted  to  him  for  righteousness.’  That  is,  his  faith  was  thus  N’N'ovcd 


A.  B.  6i. 


ROMAN  S,  IV.  Paul's  discourse  of  justification. 


19  And  being  not  weak  in  faith, 
he  considered  not  his  own  body 
Mow  dead,  when  he  was  about  an 
hundred  years  old,  neither  yet  the 
deadness  r  of  Sarah’s  womb  : 

‘20  He  staggered  not  at  the  prom¬ 
ise  of  God  through  unbelief ;  but 
was  strong  in  faith,  giving  glory  to 
God  ; 

21  And  being  fully  persuaded 
that  what  he  had  promised,  he  was 
•able  also  to  perform. 

22  And  therefore  it  was  imputed 
to  him  for  righteousness. 

23  Now  'it  was  not  written  for 
his  sake  alone,  that  it  was  imputed 
to  him  ; 

24  But  for  us  0  also,  to  whom  it 
shall  be  imputed,  if  we  believe  7  on 
him  that  raised  up  Jesus  our  Lord 
from  the  dead  ; 

25  Who  was  delivered  w  for  our 
offences,  and  was  raised  1  again 
for  our  justification. 


r 

He.  11:11. 

10:11. 

6:21.  He.  9:28. 

s 

Ge.  18:14.  Lu. 

u  Ac.  2:39. 

1  Pe.  2:24.  Re. 

1:37,45.  He. 

y  Ma.  16:16.  Jn. 

1:5. 

11:19. 

3:14—16. 

z  1  Co.  15:17. 

t 

c.  15:4.  1  Co. 

wli.  53:5,6.  2  Co. 

1  Pe.  1:21. 

ses  and  sins,  to  a  divine  and  spiritual  life, 
Epli.  2:1.  Comp.  Eph.  1:  19,  20. 

2.  Who  calleth  tilings  which  are  not,  as 
though  they  were  ;  i.  e.  creates  all  things  by 
the  word  of  his  power,  as  in  the  beginning, 
Gen.  1:3.  2  Cor.  4  :  6.  The  justifica¬ 
tion  and  salvation  of  sinners,  the  espousing 
of  the  Gentiles  that  had  not  been  a  people, 
were  a  gracious  calling  of  things  which  are 
not,  as  though  they  were,  giving  being  to 
things  that  were  not.  This  expresses  the 
sovereignty  of  God,  and  his  absolute  power 
and  dominion  ;  a  mighty  stay  to  faith,  when 
all  other  props  sink  and  totter. 

II.  How  he  believed. 

1.  Against  hope,  he  believed  in  hope,  v.  18. 
There  was  no  natural  hope  ;  all  the  argu¬ 
ments  of  sense,  and  reason,  and  experience, 
which  in  such  cases  usually  beget  and  sup¬ 
port  hope,  were  against  him  ;  but,  against 
all  those  inducements  to  the  contrary,  he 
believed  ;  for  he  had  a  hope,  which  arose, 
^as  his  faith  did,  from  the  consideration  of 
God’s  all-sufficiency.  Therefore  God  ena¬ 
bled  him  thus  to  believe  against  hope,  that 
he  might  pass  for  a  pattern  of  great  and 


strong  faith  to  all  generations.  Or,  his  be¬ 
ing  the  father  of  the  faithful  is  mentioned  as 
the  matter  of  the  promise  that  Hfe  believed  ; 
and  he  refers  to  Gen.  15:5.  So  shall  thy 
seed  be,  as  the  stars  of  heaven,  so  innumera¬ 
ble,  so  illustrious.  This  was  that  he  believ¬ 
ed,  when  it  was  counted  to  him  for  right¬ 
eousness ,  v.  6.  And  it  is  observable,  that 
that  particular  instance  of  his  faith  was 
against  hope,  against  the  surmises  and  sug¬ 
gestions  of  his  unbelief.  He  had  just  be¬ 
fore  been  concluding  hardly  that  he  should 
go  childless,  that  one  born  in  his  house 
was  his  heir,  v.  2,  3.  and  that  unbelief  was 
a  foil  to  his  faith,  and  bespeaks  it  a  believ¬ 
ing  against  hope. 

2.  Being  not  weak  in  faith,  he  considered 
not  his  oWn  body,  now  dead,  v.  19.  utterly 
unlikely  to  beget  a  child  ;  he  did  not  dwell 
in  his  thoughts  upon  it.  He  said,  indeed, 
Shall  a  child  be  born  to  him  that  is  a  hundred 
years  old  ?  Gen.  17:  17.  But  that  was  the 
language  of  his  admiration,  and  his  desire 
to  be  further  satisfied,  not  of  his  doubting 
and  distrust  ;  his  faith  passed  by  that  con¬ 
sideration,  and  thought  of  nothing  but  the 
faithfulness  of  the  promise,  with  the  con¬ 
templation  whereof  he  was  swallowed  up, 
and  this  kept  up  his  faith.  Being  not  weak  in 
faith,  he  considered  not.  It  is  mere  weak¬ 
ness  of  faith,  that  makes  a  man  lie  poring 
on  the  difficulties  and  seeming  impossibili¬ 
ties  that  [are]  in  the  way  of  a  [clear]  prom¬ 
ise. 

8.  He  staggered  not  at  the  promise  of  God 
through  unbelief,  v.  20.  and  therefore,  because 
he  considered  not  the  frowns  and  discourage¬ 
ments  of  second  causes  ; — he  disputed  not, 
did  not  hesitate  or  stumble  at  it,  but,  by  a 
resolute  and  peremptory  act  of  his  soul, 
with  a  holy  boldness,  ventured  all  on  the 
promise.  Unbelief  is  at  the  bottom  of  all 
our  staggerings  at  God’s  premises. 

4.  He  was  strong  in  faith,  giving  glory  to 
God, — he  was  strengthened  in  faith,  his  faith 
got  ground  by  exercise.  Though  weak  faith 
shall  not  be  rejected,  yet  6trong  faith  shall 
be  commended  and  honored.  The  strength 
of  his  faith  appeared  in  the  victory  it  \’on 
over  his  fears.  And  hereby  he  gave  glory 
to  God  ;  for  as  unbelief  dishonors  God,  by 
making  Him  a  liar,  1  John  5  :  10.  so  faith 
honors  God,  bv  setting  to  its  seal  that  He 
is  true,  John  3:  33.  Abraham’s  faith  gave 
God  the  glory  of  his  wisdom,  power,  holi¬ 
ness,  goodness,  and  especially  of  his  faith¬ 
fulness,  resting  on  the  word  that  He  had 
spoken.  We  never  hear  our  Lord  Jesus 
commending  anything  so  much  as  great 


faith,  Mat.  8:  10.  and  15:28.  therefore  God 
gives  honor  to  faith,  great  faith,  because 
faith,  great  faith,  gives  honor  to  God. 

5.  He  was  fully  persuaded, — was  carried 
on  with  the  greatest  confidence  and  assurance  ; 
it  is  a  metaphor  tSken  from  ships  that  come 
into  the  harbor  with  full  sail.  Abraham  saw 
the  storms  of  doubts,  and  fears,  and  tempta¬ 
tions,  likely  to  rise  against  the  promise  ;  but 
trusts  to  the  strength  of  his  bottom,  and  the 
wisdom  and  faithfulness  of  his  pilot,  and 
bravely  makes  to  the  harbor,  and  comes 
home  an  unspeakable  gainer.  Such  was  his 
full  persuasion,  and  it  was  built  on  the  om¬ 
nipotence  of  God  :  He  was  able,  for  our 
waverings  rise  mainly  from  our  distrust. 

And  therefore  it  was  imputed  to  him  for 
righteousness,  v.  22.  faith  being  chosen  to 
be  the  prime  condition  of  our  justification, 
because  it  is  a  grace  that  of  all  others  gives 
glory  to  Gorl. 

V.  23 — 25.  In  the  close  of  the  ch.  he 
applies  all  to  us  ;  and  having  abundantly 
proved  that  Abraham  was  justified  by  faith, 
he  here  concludes  that  his  justification  was 
to  be  the  pattern  or  sampler  of  ours. 

It  was  not  written  for  his  sake  alone.  It 
was  not  intended  only  for  an  historical 
commendation  of  Abraham,  or  a  relation  of 
something  peculiar  to  him  :  no,  the  Scrip¬ 
ture  did  not  intend  hereby  to  describe  some 
singular  way  of  justification  that  belonged 
to  Abraham  as  his  prerogative.  The  ac¬ 
counts  of  the  O.  T.  saints  were  not  intend¬ 
ed  for  histories  only,  barely  to  inform  and 
divert  us,  but  for  precedents,  to  direct  us, 
for  ensamples,  1  Cor.  10:  11.  for  our  learn¬ 
ing,  ch.  16:4.  and  this  particularly  of  Abra¬ 
ham  was,  to  assure  us  what  that  righteous¬ 
ness  is,  which  God  requireth  and  accepteth 
to  our  salvation  ;  for  us  also,  that  are  mean 
and  vile,  us  Gentiles  as  well  as  Jews,  for  us 
on  whom  the  ends  of  the  world  are  come, 
as  well  as  for  the  patriarchs  ;  for  the  grace 
of  God  is  the  same  yesterday,  to-day,  and 
for  ever. 

His  application  of  it  is  but  short.  Only, 
observe,  1.  Our  common  privilege  ;  it 
shall  be  imputed  to  us,  that  is,  righteous¬ 
ness  shall  ;  the  gospel  -  way  of  justifica¬ 
tion  is  by  an  imputed  righteousness  ;  he 
uses  a  future  verb,  to  signify  the  continua¬ 
tion  of  this  mercy  in  the  church,  while  there 
are  any  to  be  justified  ;  for  there  is  a  foun¬ 
tain  opened  that  is  inexhaustible.  2.  Our 
common  duty,  the  condition  of  this  privilege, 
and  that  is  believing.  The  proper  object  of  this 
believing  is  a  divine  revelation  :  the  revela¬ 
tion  to  Abraham  was  concerning  a  Christ  to 


PRACT.  OBS-  No  mere  man,  since  the  fall  of  Adam,  could  ever 
‘  find  ’  anything  but  death  by  his  own  works  ;  and  the  history  contained 
in  the  Scriptures,  with  the  confessions  of  thebest  of  men,  .proves  that  all 
who  have  been  saved,  escaped  condemnation  and  obtained  heaven  by 
‘faith  being  imputed  to  them  for  righteousness.’ — None  can  sincerely 
pray  for  this  blessing,  till  he  cease  from  working  in  order  to  justify  him¬ 
self:  and  indeed,  no  man  performs  good  works  from  pure  principles,  till 
he  learns  to  believe  1  in  Ilim  who  justifleth  the  ungodly.’  Yet  at  the 
same  time,  no  true  believer  will  neglect  1  working,’  In  order  to  glorify 
God,  to  do  good  to  men,  and  to  make  his  own  calling  and  election  sure ; 
because  he  delights  in  the  commandments  of  God,  and  1  hungers  and 
thirsts  after  righteousness.’ — This  distinction  [of  believing  and  not  be- 


to  be  genuine,  meet  to  form  the  relation  between  him  and  the  predicted 
Redeemer;  and  thus  it  marked  him  out  as  a  proper  person,  to  be  justi¬ 
fied  by  the  everlasting  righteousness  which  the  Messiah  would  introduce. 
Gen.  17:17.  Heir.  11:11,  12. — It  is  evident  from  the  whole  context,  that 
Abraham’s  faith  did  not  justify  him,  by  its  own  merit  or  value,  but  as 
interesting  him  in  Christ :  for,  though  the  sincerity  of  his  faith  was 
manifested  on  this  occasion,  he  had  actually  been  justified  long  before  ; 
and  his  example  would  not  in  any  way  aptly  illustrate  the  Christian’s 
justification  by  the  righteousness  of  Christ,  and  not  by  that  of  his  own 
faith,  if  we  do  not  thus  understand  it.— A  very  common  perversion  of 
this  passage  must  not  pass  unnoticed.  Many  speak  of  ‘  hoping  against 
hope ;  ’  not  that  God  will  fulfil  his  promises  to  believers,  notwithstand¬ 
ing  all  difficulties  and  improbabilities ;  but  that,  themselves  are  believers, 
and  shall  be  saved,  contrary  to  the  evidence  of  their  tempers  and  lives  : 
and  this  is  often  the  grossest  presumption  and  fanaticism  imaginable, 
though  sometimes  in  a  measure  countenanced  by  those  who  are  not 
aware  of  its  tendency — (18)  So  shall ,  &c.j  From  the  LXX,  but  it  ac¬ 
cords  to  the  Heb.  Gen.  15:5.  Scott. 

(22.)  Imputed .]  ‘  Counted.’  St. :  as  also  in  v.  22.  and  23.  where  he 
tr. ;  ‘  but  also  for  our  sake  to  whom  it  will  be  counted,  to  us  who  be¬ 
lieve  on  Him  who,’  <tc.  Ed.  ‘  The  nature  of  the  subject  [here,  and  v.  4, 
<kc.]  which  has  been  involved  by  dogmatists  in  far  too  much  mystery,  is 
thus  popularly  illustrated  by  Mackn. :  “  In  judging  Abraham,  God  will 


lieving]  extends  to  all  nations,  sects,  or  forms  of  worship  ;  some  are 
justified,  and  some  are  not,  in  all  countries,  where  the  great  truths  of 
the  Gospel  are  known  :  and  this  method  of  ‘justifying  the  ungodly  ’  is 
equally  suited  to  preclude  the  most  eminent  saints  from  glorying,  and 
the  most  atrocious  sinners  from  despairing. — The  seal  of  the  Holy 
Spirit,  in  sanctification,  is  the  inward  evidence  ‘  of  the  righteousness  of 
faith:  ’  when  the  old  nature  is  crucified,  and  the  heart  is  circpmcised  to 
love  God,  it  is  evident  that  we  are  ‘  the  children  of  Abraham,’  and  walk 
in  his  steps  :  and  sacraments  will  in  this  case  be  really  seals  and 
pledges  of  the  same  blessing. — Blessed  be  God,  that  we  are  not  left  un¬ 
der  the  covenant  of  works  !  Scott. 


place  on  the  one  side  of  the  account  his  duties,  on  the  other  his  perfor¬ 
mances.  And  on  the  side  of  hi|  performances  he  will  place  his  faith,  and 
by  mere  favor  will  value  it  as  equal  to  a  complete  performance  of  his 
duties,  and  reward  him  as  if  he  were  a  righteous  person.  But  neither 
here,  nor  in  Gal  3:6.  is  it  said,  that  Christ's  righteousness  was  counted 
to  Abraham.  In  both  passages  the  expression  is,  Abtaham  believed  God, 
and  it,  viz.  his  believing  God,  was  counted  to  him  for  righteousness  . 
and  v.  9.  of  this  ch.  We  affirm  faith  was  counted  to  Abraham  for 
righteousness.  Also  Gen.  15:6.  And  he  believed  the  J^ord,  and  He 
counted  it  to  him  for  righteousness.  See  Rom.  4:22,23,  24.  Farther, 
as  it  is  nowhere  said  in  Scripture,  that  Christ’s  righteousness  was  im¬ 
puted  to  Abraham,  so  neither  is  it  said  anywhere,  that  Christ’s  right¬ 
eousness  is  imputed  to  believers.  In  short,  the  uniform  doctrine  of 
Scripture  is,  that  the  believer’s  faith  is  counted  to  him  for  righteous¬ 
ness,  by  the  mere  grace  or  favor  of  God  through  Jesus  Christ ;  i.  e.  on 
account  of  what  Christ  hath  done  to  procure  that  favor  for  them.  This 
is  very  different  from  the  doctrine  of  those  who  hold,  that  by  having 
faith  imputed  or  counted  for  righteousness,  the  believer  becomes  per¬ 
fectly  righteous ;  whether  they  mean  thereby  that  faith  is  itself  a  per¬ 
fect  righteousness,  or  that  it  is  the  instrument  of  conveying  to  the  be¬ 
liever  the  perfect  righteousness  of  another.  With  respect  to  the  first, 
it  is  not  true  that  faith  is  a  perfect  righteousness,  for  if  it  were,  justifi¬ 
cation  would  not  be  a  free  gift,  but  a  debt.  And  with  respect  to  the 


A.  D.  Cl. 


ROMANS,  V. 


Paul's  discourse  of  sanctification. 


CHAP.  Y. 

1  Being  justified  by  faith,  we  have  peace  with  God,  2  and 
loy  in  oar  hope,  8  that  since  we  were  reconciled  by  his 
blood,  when  we  weie  enemies,  10  we  shall  much  more  be 
saved,  being  reconciled.  12  As  sin  and  death  came  by 
Adam,  17  so  much  more  righteousness  and  life  by  Jesus 
Christ.  20  Where  sin  abounded,  grace  did  superabound. 

Therefore  ‘being  justified 

by  faith,  we  have  peace  with 
God  through  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ: 

2  13 v  whom  b  also  we  have  access 
by  faith  into  this  grace  wherein  we 
stand,  and  rejoice  c  in  hope  of  the 
glory  of  God. 

3  And  not  only  so,  but  we  glory 
d  in  tribulations  also  :  knowing  that 
tribulation  worketh  patience  ; 

4  And  patience,  experience  ;  and 
experience,  hope  ; 

a  Is  32:17.  F.p.  b  Jn.  14:6.  d  Mat.  5:11,  12. 
8:14.  Col.  1:20.  c  He.  3:6.  Ja.  1:2,  12. 


come,  the  revelation  to  us  is  concerning  a 
Christ  already  come,  which  difference  in  the 
revelation  does  not  alter  the  case. 

Abraham  believed  the  power  of  God,  in 
raising  up  an  Isaac  from  the  dead  womb  of 
Sarah  ;  we  are  to  believe  the  same  power 
exerted  in  a  higher  instance,  in  the  resurrec¬ 
tion  of  Christ  from  the  dead.  The  resurrec¬ 
tion  of  Isaac  was  in  a  figure,  Heb.  11: 19. 
that  of  Christ,  real.  Now  we  are  to  believe 
on  Him  that  raised  up  Christ  ;  not  only  be¬ 
lieve  his  power,  that  He  could  do  it,  but  de¬ 
pend  on  his  grace  in  raising  up  Christ  as 
our  Surety  ;  so  he  explains  it,  v.  25.  where 
we  have  a  brief  account  of  the  meaning  of 
Christ’s  death  and  resurrection,  which  are 
the  two  main  hinges  on  which  the  door  of 
salvation  turns.  (1.)  He  was  delivered  for 
our  offences.  God  the  Father  delivered  Him, 
He  delivered  up  Himself  as  a  sacrifice  for 
sin,  not  his  own  sin,  but  of  the  people  ;  He 
died  to  make  atonement  for  our  sins,  to  ex¬ 
piate  our  guilt,  to  satisfy  divine  justice. 
(2.)  He  was  raised  again  for  our  justifica¬ 
tion,  for  the  perfecting  and  completing  of 
our  justification.  Therefore,  the  apostle  puts 
a  special  emphasis  on  Christ’s  resurrection, 
because  it  was  the  greatest  assurance  possi¬ 
ble  that  divine  justice  was  satisfied  ;  it  is 
Christ  that  died,  yea,  rather,  that  is  risen 
again,  ch.  8:  34. 

So  that  upon  the  whole  it  is  very  evident, 
we  are  not  justified  by  the  merit  of  our  own 
works,  but  by  a  fiducial,  obediential  depend¬ 
ence  on  Jesus  Christ,  and  his  righteousness, 
as  the  condition  on  our  part  of  our  right  to 
impunity  and  salvation  ;  which  was  the 


truth  Paul  in  this  and  the  foregoing  ch.  had 
been  fixing,  as  the  great  spring  and  founda¬ 
tion  of  all  our  comfort. 


Chap.  V.  V.  1 — 5.  The  apostle,  hav¬ 
ing  fully  proved  justification  by  faith,  in  this 
ch.  proceeds  in  the  explication,  illustration, 
and  application,  of  that  truth.  And  the 
fruits  of  this  tree  of  life  are  exceeding  pre¬ 
cious. 

I.  We  have  peace  with  God,  v.  1.  Sin 
breeds  the  quarrel  between  us  and  God, 
creates  not  only  a  strangeness,  but  an  enmi¬ 
ty  ;  the  holy,  righteous  God  cannot  in  honor 
be  at  peace  with  a  sinner,  while  he  contin¬ 
ues  under  the  guilt  of  sin.  Justification 
takes  away  the  guilt,  and  so  makes  way  for 
peace.  There  is  more  in  this  peace  than 
barely  a  cessation  of  enmity,  there  is  friend¬ 
ship  and  loving-kindness,  for  God  is  either 
the  worst  enemy  or  the  best  friend. 

But  this  is  through  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  ; 
through  Him  as  the  great  Peace-maker,  the 
Mediator  between  God  and  man,  that  blessed 
Day’s-man  that  has  laid  his  hand  on  us 
both.  Adam,  in  innocency,  had  peace  with 
God  immediately  ;  there  needed  no  such 
mediator  ;  but  to  guilty,  sinful  man  it  is  a 
very  dreadful  thing  to  think  of  God  out  of 
Christ  ;  for  He  is  our  peace,  Eph.  2:  14.  not 
only  the  Maker,  but  the  matter  and  inain- 
tainer  of  our  peace,  Col.  1:20. 

II.  We  have  access  by  faith  into  this  grace 
wherein  we  stand,  v.  2.  Observe, 

1.  The  saints’  happy  state  ;  it  is  a  state 
of  grace,  God’s  loving  kindness  to  us,  and 
our  conformity  to  God  ;  he  that  hath  God’s 
love  and  God’s  likeness,  is  in  a  state  of 
grace.  We  have  access, — an  introduction  ; 
which  implies  that  we  were  not  born  in  this 
state  ;  we  are  by  nature  children  of  wrath, 
and  the  carnal  mind  is  enmity  against  God  J 
but  we  are  brought  into  it.  We  have  had 
access.  He  speaks  of  persons  already  brought 
out  of  a  state  of  nature  into  a  state  of  grace. 
By  whom  we  have  access  by  faith  ;  by  Christ, 
as  the  Author  and  principal  agent  ;  by  faith, 
as  the  means  of  this  access.  Not  by  Christ, 
in  consideration  of  any  merit  or  desert  of 
ours  ;  but  iu  consideration  of  our  believing 
dependence  on  Him,  and  resignation  of  our¬ 
selves  to  Him. 

2.  Their  happy  standing  in  this  state  ; 
wherein  we  stand.  Not  only  wherein  we  are, 
but  wherein  we  stand  :  a  posture  that  denotes 
our  discharge  from  guilt,  Ps.  1:5.  also  our 
progress  and  perseverance  ;  we  stand  firm 
and  safe,  upheld  by  the  pow'er  of  God  ; 
stand  as  soldiers  stand,  that  keep  their 
ground,  not  borne  down  by  the  power  of  the 


enemy,  but  pressing  on.  It  denotes,  not 
only  our  admission  to,  but  our  confirmation 
in,  the  favor  of  God.  It  is  not  in  the  court 
of  heaven  as  in  earthly  courts,  where  high 
places  are  slippery  places  :  but  we  stand  in 
a  humble  confidence  of  this  very  thing,  that 
He  who  has  begun  the  good  work,  will  perform, 
it,  Phil.  1:6. 

III.  We  rejoice  in  hope  of  the  glory  of 

God.  Beside  the  happiness  in  hand,  there 
is  a  happiness  in  hope,  the  glory  of  God , 
which  God  will  put  on  the  saints  in  heaven  ; 
glory  which  will  consist  in  the  vision,  [obe¬ 
dience,]  and  fruition  of  God.  1.  Those, 
and  those  only,  that  have  access  by  faith  into 
the  grace  of  God  now,  may  hope  for  the  glo¬ 
ry  of  God  hereafter.  There  is  no  good  hope 
of  glory  but  what  is  founded  in  grace  ;  grace 
is  glory  begun,  the  earnest  and  assurance  of 
glory.  He  will  give  grace  and  glory,  Ps.  84: 
11.  2.  Those  who  hope  for  the  glory  of 

God  hereafter,  have  enough  to  rejoice  in 
now.  It  is  the  duty  of  those  that  hope  for 
heaven  to  rejoice  in  those  hopes. 

IV.  We  glory  in  tribulations  also ;  not 
only  notwithstanding  our  tribulations,  (those 
do  not  hinder  our  rejoicing  in  hope  of  the 
glory  of  God,)  but  even  in  our  tribulations, 
as  those  are  working  for  us  the  weight  of 
glory,  2  Cor.  4:  17. 

Observe,  What  a  growing,  increasing  hap¬ 
piness,  the  happiness  of  the  saints  is  ;  not 
only  so  : — one  would  think,  such  peace,  such 
grace,  such  glory,  and  such  a  joy  in  hope  of 
it,  were  more  than  such  poor,  undeserving 
creatures  as  we  are  could  pretend  to  ;  and 
yet  it  is  not  only  so,  there  are  more  instan¬ 
ces  of  our  happiness  ;  we  glory  in  tribula¬ 
tions  also  ;  especially  tribulation  for  righte¬ 
ousness ’  sake  ;  which  seemed  the  greatest 
objection  against  the  saints  ’  happiness  ; 
whereas  really  their  happiness  did  not  only 
consist  with,  but  take  rise  from,  those  trib¬ 
ulations.  Acts  5:  41.  This  being  the  hard¬ 
est  point,  he  set3  himself  to  show  the 
grounds  and  reasons  of  it.  For  tribula¬ 
tions,  by  a  chain  of  causes,  greatly  befriend 
hope  ;  which  he  shows  in  the  method  of  its 
influence. 

1.  Tribulation  worketh  patience ,  not  in  and 
of  itself,  but  the  powerful  grace  of  God 
working  in  and  with  the  tribulation.  It  is 
not  the  efficient  cause,  but  yields  the  occa¬ 
sion,  as  steel  is  hardened  by  the  fire.  That 
which  worketh  patience,  is  matter  of  joy;  for 
patience  does  us  more  good  than  tribulations 
can  do  us  hurt.  Tribulation  in  itself  worketh 
impatience  ;  but,  as  it  is  sanctified  to  the 
saints,  it  worketh  patience. 

2.  Patience,  experience,  v.  4.  It  works  an 


second  supposition,  although  the  perfect  righteousness  of  another  were 
conveyed  to  a  sinner  by  faith,  it  would  not  make  him  perfectly  right¬ 
eous,  because  it  is  beyond  the  power  of  Omnipotence  itself,  by  any 
means  whatever,  to  make  a  person  not  to  have  sinned,  who  actually 
hath  sinned.  And  yet,  unless  this  is  done,  no  believer  can  be  perfectly 
righteous.  On  account  of  the  perfect  righteousness  of  another,  God  in¬ 
deed  may  treat  one  as  if  he  were  perfectly  righteous.  But  that  is  all. 
Nor  does  the  Scripture  carry  the  matter  farther.’”  Bloomf. 

NOTES.  Chap.  V.  V.  1,  2.  The  expressions  here  used  may  also 
allude  to  the  free  access  of  sinners,  from  different  nations,  into  the  full 
enjoyment  of  the  privileges  of  God’s  people,  without  any  respect  to  the 
legal  ceremonies  and  restrictions,  in  approaching  his  mercy-seat.  (2) 
Access.]  Eph.  2:13.3:12.  Not  elsewhere.  Introduction,  as  any  one  is  in¬ 
troduced  into  the  presence  of  a  prince,  by  some  person  of  superior  distinc¬ 
tion,  or  one  appointed  for  that  purpose.  Eph.  2:18.  1  Pet.  3:18.  Gr.  Sc. 

(1.)  By  faith.]  ‘  I.  e.  gratuitously  ;  by  belief,  instead  of  perfect 
obedience.’  Stuart. 

(2.)  Access.]  ‘  Often  applied  [by  the  classics]  specially  to  access,  or 
the  power  of  access  (i.  e.  introduction)  to  great  personages,  nay,  some¬ 
times,  gods.’  Bloomf. 

V.  3 — 5.  The  hope  of  the  tried  and  experienced  believer  is  not  only 
warranted  by  the  Word  of  God,  but  ‘sealed  ’  upon  his  heart  by  the  gift 
of  the  Holy  Spirit ;  through  whose  sacred  influences  the  excellency  and 
loving-kindness  of  God,  especially  in  the  work  of  redemption,  are  so 
discovered  to  him,  and  poured  out  through  all  the  faculties  of  his  soul, 
as  to  produce  a  similarity  of  disposition,  a  reciprocal  love  of  the  divine 
perfections,  a  longing  desire  of  the  favor  of  God,  a  delight  in  commun¬ 
ing  with  Him  and  serving  Him,  a  lively  gratitude  for  his  benefits,  and 
zeal  for  his  glory  :  these,  being  both  full  proofs  of  regeneration,  the  in¬ 
ward  ‘seal  of  the  righteousness  of  faith,’  and  earnests  of  heaver.-ly  fe¬ 
licity,  ensure  the  Christian’s  hope  from  the  shame  of  disappointment. 
Is.  45:15 — .’7.  1  Pet.  4:12 — 16.  Many,  both  writers  and  preachers,  in¬ 

terpret  this  clause,  ‘  the  love  of  God  is  shed  abroad  in  our  hearts,’  almost 
exclusively  of  the  perception  and  sense  of  the  love  of  God  to  us,  which 
is  vouchsafed  by  the  Holy  Spirit.  Yet  our  love  to  God,  as  *  the  fruit  of 
N.  T.  VOL.  V.  25 


the  Spirit,’  writing  his  law  in  our  hearts,  is  in  fact  the  only  indisputable 
proof  that  our  hope  will  never  make  us  ashamed.  The  seal  and  conso¬ 
lations  of  the  Spirit  are  distinguished  from  all  enthusiastical  delusions, 
and  false  affections,  by  their  permanently  sanctifying  effects:  2  Cor.  1: 
21,  22.  Eph.  1:13,  14.  4:30 — 32.  no  supposed  sense  of  God’s  love  to  us, 
except  as  attended  with  the  consciousness  of  loving  Him,  can  warrant  a 
scriptural  assurance  ;  and  the  Spirit  of  adoption  is  doubtless  a  Spirit  of 
love  to  God,  as  well  as  confidence  in  Him.  8:14 — 17,  28 — 31.  1  John  4:19. 
It  must, therefore,  be  evident,  that  the  work  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  in  changing 
our  natural  enmity  against  God  into  supreme  love  of  Him,  must  be  intend¬ 
ed,  either  as  the  primary  meaning  of  the  clause, or  as  the  inseparable  effect 
of  a  genuine  sense  and  perception  of  the  love  of  God  to  us. — It  cannot 
be  supposed,  that  the  apostle  mentioned  this  triumphant  confidence  as 
the  habitual  attainment  of  all  justified  persons  :  but  rather  as  an  inval¬ 
uable  privilege,  consequent  on  justification  ;  which  must  be  sought  with 
diligence  and  earnestness,  and  actually  enjoyed  nearly  in  proportion  as 
it  is  thus  sought.  The  sufferings  of  believers,  especially  from  persecu¬ 
tion,  form  a  grand  objection  to  what  is  spoken  in  Scripture  concerning 
their  happiness,  in  the  opinion  of  men  in  general.  To  select,  therefore, 
these  very  trials,  as  a  special  ground  of  the  Christian’s  glorying  and  re¬ 
joicing,  was  peculiarly  suited  to  meet  that  objection,  and  to  produce  a 
great  effect  on  the  reader's  mind  and  heart.  Scott. 

(3.)  Glory  in  tribulations.]  ‘  Rejoice  in  our  afflictions.’  St.  ‘  The 
Christians  gloried  not  in  any  external  privileges,  but  in  the  hope  of  hap¬ 
piness  to  come,  and  in  those  adverse  events  which  tended  to  con¬ 
firm  and  purify  their  principles,  and  so  to  make  them  fitter  for  that  hap¬ 
piness.  The  apostle  dwells  on  this  subject,  because  the  Jews  thought 
adversity  a  mark  of  God’s  displeasure,  and  that  it  ill  suited  the  kingdom 
of  Messiah.’  Doddr.  and  Mackn.  Ed- 

(4.)  Experience.]  ‘  Approbation.’  St.  ‘Proof,  as  we  sometimes  use 
the  word.’  Bl.  Hope.]  ‘  For  he  who  knows  he  is  suffering  evils,  how¬ 
ever  severe,  in  the  cause  of  God,  feels  himself  more  and  more  cheered 
with  hope,  as  well  from  the  goodness  of  God,  (with  which  it  would  be 
inconsistent  not  to  reward  such  pious  endurance,)  as  also  from  the  prom¬ 
ise  of  Christ.  Mat.  5:8.  John  16:20.’ 


A.  D.  61. 


ROMANS,  V 


Paul's  discourse  of  sanctif  cation. 


5  And  hope  'maketh  not  asham¬ 
ed  ;  because  the  love  of  God  is 
shed  abroad  in  our  hearts  by  the 
f  Holy  Ghost,  which  is  given  unto 
us. 

6  For  when  we  were  yet  without 
strength,  *  in  due  h  time  Christ  died 
for  the  ungodly. 

7  For  scarcely  for  a  righteous 
man  will  one  die  ;  yet  peradven- 
ture  for  a  good  man  some  would 
even  dare  to  die. 

8  But  God  commendeth  his  love 
toward  us,  in  that,  while  'we  were 
yet  sinners,  Christ  died  for  us. 

9  Much  more  then,  being  now 
justified  by  his  >  blood,  we  shall  be 
saved  k  from  wrath  through  him. 

10  For  if,  when  we  were  ene¬ 
mies,  we  were  reconciled  to  God 
by  the  death  of  his  Son,  much 
1  more,  being  reconciled,  we  shall 
be  saved  by  m  his  life. 

e  Phi.  1:20.  h  Ga.  4:4.  k  1  Th.  1:10. 

f  Ep.  1:13,  14.  t  Jn.  15:13.  1  Pe.  1  c.  8:32. 
g  according  to  the  3:18.  1  Jn.  3:16.  m  Jn.  14:19. 
time,  j  lie.  9:14,  22. 

experience  of  God ;  patient  sufferers  have  the 
greatest  experience  of  the  divine  consolations, 
which  abound  as  afflictions  abound.  It 
works  an  experience  of  ourselves,  an  experi¬ 
ment  of  our  own  sincerity,  therefore  such 
tribulations  are  called  trials.  It  works  an 
approbation,  as  he  is  approved,  that  has 
passed  the  test.  Thus  Job’s  tribulation 
wrought  patience,  and  that  patience  produced 
an  approbation,  that  still  he  holds  fast  his  in¬ 
tegrity,  Job  2:3. 

3.  Experience,  hope.  He  who,  being  thus 
tried,  comes  forth  as  gold,  will  thereby  be 
encouraged  to  hope.  This  experiment,  or 
approbation,  is  not  so  much  the  ground,  as 
the  evidence,  of  our  hope,  and  a  special 
friend  to  it.  Experience  of  God  is  a  prop  to 
our  hope;  He  that  hath  delivered,  doth  and 
will.  Experience  of  ourselves,  helps  to  evi¬ 
dence  our  sincerity. 

4.  This  hope  maketh  not  ashamed,  it  is  a 
hope  that  will  not  deceive  us.  Nothing  con¬ 
founds  more  than  disappointment.  Or,  It 
maketh  not  ashamed  of  our  sufferings,  we 
having  hopes  of  glory.  It  is  in  a  good  cause, 
for  a  good  Master,  and  in  good  hope:  there¬ 
fore  we  are  not  ashamed.  We  will  never 
think  ourselves  disparaged,  by  sufferings 
that  are  likely  to  end  so  well. 


Because  the  love  of  God  is  shed  abroad. 
This  hope  will  not  disappoint  us,  because  it 
is  sealed  with  the  Holy  Spirit  as  a  Spirit  of 
love.  It  is  the  gracious  work  of  the  blessed 
Spirit,  to  shed  abroad  the  love  of  God  in  the 
hearts  of  all  the  saints.  The  love  of  God,  i.  e. 
the  sense  of  God’s  love  to  us,  drawing  out 
love  in  us  to  Him  again.  Or,  the  great 
effects  of  his  love,  special  grace,  and  the 
pleasant  gust  or  sense  of  it.  It  is  shed  abroad, 
as  sweet  ointment,  perfuming  the  soul  ;  as 
rain  watering  it,  and  making  it  fruitful:  the 
ground  of  all  our  comfort  and  holiness,  and 
perseverance  in  both,  is  laid  in  the  shedding 
abroad  of  the  love  of  God  in  our  hearts  ;  it  is 
that  which  constrains  us,  2  Cor.  5:  14.  Thus 
are  we  drawn  and  held  by  the  bonds  of  love. 
Sense  of  God’s  love  to  us,  will  make  us  not 
ashamed,  either  of  our  hope  in  Him,  or  our 
sufferings  for  Him. 

V.  6 — 21.  The  apostle  here  describes  the 
fountain  and  foundation  of  justification,  laid 
in  the  death  of  the  Lord  Jesus  :  it  is  in  the 
precious  stream  of  Christ’s  blood,  that  all 
these  privileges  come  flowing  to  us  :  there¬ 
fore  he  enlarges  on  the  instance  of  that  love 
of  God,  which  is  shed  abroad. 

Three  things  he  notices  for  the  explication 
and  illustration  of  this  doctrine. 

1.  The  persons  He  died  for,  v.  6 — S. 

2.  The  precious  fruits  of  his  death,  v.  9 

—11. 

3.  The  parallel  between  the  communica¬ 
tion  of  sin  and  death  by  the  first  Adam,  and 
of  righteousness  and  life  by  the  second 
Adam,  v.  12.  to  the  end. 

I.  The  character  we  were  under  when 
Christ  died  for  us  :  1.  We  were  without 
strength,  v.  6.  altogether  unable  to  help  our¬ 
selves  out  of  our  sad  condition  ;  lost,  and 
no  visible  way  open  for  our  recovery  ;  our 
condition  deplorable,  and  in  a  manner  des¬ 
perate  ;  therefore  our  salvation  is  here  said 
to  come  in  due  time.  2.  He  died  for  the  un¬ 
godly:  not  only  helpless,  and  therefore  likely 
to  perish,  but  guilty,  and  therefore  deserving 
to  perish;  not  oidy  mean  and  worthless, but 
vile  and  obnoxious;  unworthy  of  such  favor 
with  the  holy  God.  Being  ungodly,  they  had 
need  of  one  to  die  for  them,  to  satisfy  for 
guilt,  and  to  bring  in  a  righteousness.  This 
he  illustrates,  v.  7,  8.  as  an  unparalleled 
instance  of  love  ;  herein  God's  thoughts  and 
ways  were  above  ours.  Comp.  Jn.  15:  13, 
14.  Greater  love  has  no  man.  The  carnal 
mind  is  not  only  an  enemy  to  God,  but  enmity 
itself,  ch.  8:7.  Col.  1:21.  This  enmity  is 
a  mutual  enmity  ;  God  loathing  the  sinner, 
and  the  sinner  loathing  God,  Zech.  11:8. 
And  that  for  such  as  these  Christ  should  die, 


is  such  a  mystery,  such  a  paradox,  such  an 
unprecedented  instance  of  love,  that  it  may 
well  be  our  business,  to  eternity,  to  adore 
and  wonder  at  it  !  This  is  a  commendation 
of  love  indeed  !  Justly  might  He  who  had 
thus  loved  us,  make  it  one  of  the  laws  of  his 
kingdom,  that  ive  should  love  our  enemies. 

II.  The  precious  fruits  of  his  death  : 

1.  Justification  and  reconciliation  are  the 
first  and  primary,  v.  9, 10.  Sin  is  pardoned, 
the  sinner  accepted  as  righteous,  the  quarrel 
[made]  up,  the  enmity  slain,  an  end  made  of 
iniquity,  and  an  everlasting  righteousness 
brought  in  :  i.  e.  Christ  has  done  all  that 
was  requisite  on  his  part  in  order  hereunto, 
and  immediately  on  our  believing,  we  are 
actually  put  into  a  state  of  justification  and 
reconciliation.  Our  justification  i3  ascribed 
to  the  blood  of  Christ,  because  without  blood 
there  is  no  remission,  Heb.  9:22.  The  blood 
is  the  life,  and  that  must  go  to  make  atone¬ 
ment.  In  all  the  propitiatory  sacrifices,  the 
sprinkling  of  the.  blood  was  of  the  essence  of 
the  sacrifice.  It  was  the  blood  that  made  an 
atonement  for  the  soul.  Lev.  17 :  11. 

2.  Hence  results  salvation  from  wrath,  v.  9, 
10.  When  that  which  hinders  our  salvation 
is  taken  away,  the  salvation  must  needs  fol¬ 
low.  Nay,  the  argument  holds  very  strongly ; 
if  God  justified  and  reconciled  us  when  ice 
were  enemies,  at  so  great  expense,  as  it  were, 
much  more  will  He  save  us  when  we  are  justi¬ 
fied  and  reconciled.  He  that  has  done  the 
greater,  which  is,  of  enemies  to  make  us 
friends,  will  certainly  do  the  less,  which  is, 
when  we  are  friends  to  use  us  friendly,  and 
to  be  kind  to  us.  Therefore  the  apostle, 
once  and  again,  speaks  of  it  w  ith  a  much 
more.  The  final  justification  and  absolution 
of  believers  at  the  great  day,  together  with 
the  fitting  and  preparing  of  them  for  it,  are 
the  salvation  from  wrath  here  spoken  of;  it  is 
the  perfecting  of  the.  work  of  grace. 

Reconciled  by  his  death,  saved  by  his  life. 
His  life,  here  spoken  of,  is  not  to  be  under¬ 
stood  of  his  life  in  the  fiesh,  but  his  life  in 
heaven,  that  life  which  ensued  after  his 
death.  Comp.  ch.  14:9.  Rev.  1:  18.  We 
are  reconciled  by  Christ  humbled,  we  are 
saved  by  Christ  exalted  :  it  is  die  living  Je¬ 
sus  that  perfects  the  work,  He  lives  to  make 
intercession,  Heb.  7:25.  It  is  Christ  in  his 
exaltation,  that  by  hisWord  and  Spirit  effec¬ 
tually  calls  and  changes,  and  reconciles  us  to 
God,  is  our  Advocate  with  the  Father,  and  so 
completes  and  consummates  our  salvation. 
Comp.  ch.  4:25.  8:34.  The  arguing  i3 
very  strong  :  He  that  puts  Himself  to  the 
charge  of  purchasing  our  salvation,  will  not 
decline  the  trouble  of  applying  it. 


V.  6.  It  might  perhaps  be  objected  to  the  words,  ‘  hope  maketh  not 
ashamed,’  that,  after  all,  it  was  not  impossible,  nor  even  highly  improba¬ 
ble,  the  believer’s  hope  should  terminate  in  disappointment  and  shame, 
through  the  prevalence  of  sinful  [abused]  propensities,  and  the  power  of 
temptation  ;  and  that  Satan  might,  at  length,  induce  him  to  apostatize. 
The  apostle  therefore  digresses  in  order  to  obviate  this  objection:  and 
at  the  same  time  shows,  what  abundant  reason  believers  have  to  love 
their  God  and  Savior;  and  to  adore  with  admiring  complacency  the 
glory  of  his  grace.  '  Without  strength  ’  to  resist  their  offended  Sove- 
reign,  or  to  deliver  themselves  ;  had  neither  natural  power  for  so  ardu¬ 
ous  a  work,  if  they  had  ben  inclined  to  it;  nor  moral  ability  or  inclina¬ 
tion  to  attempt  it  :  1  ungodly,’  without  any  proper  disposition  of  heart 
towards  Him,  nay,  every  w'ay  contrary  to  his  nature,  will,  and  worship. 

Scott. 

(6.)  For.]  ‘  Uuper :  Raphel  has  abundantly  demonstrated,  that 
huper  hltmOn  apelhane  [died  for  us]  signifies,  that  lie  died  in  our  room 
and  stead  :  nordoes  it  appear,  that  the  phrase  to  die  for  (huper )  any  one 
has  any  other  signification  than  that  of  a  person  rescuing  the  life  of 
another  at  the  expense  of  his  own  ;  and  the  very  next- v.  shows,  inde¬ 
pendent  of  any  other  authority,  how  evidently  it  bears  that  sense  here; 
for  it  can  hardly  be  imagined  that  any  one  would  die  for  a  good  man, 
unless  it  were  to  redeem  his  life  by  giving  up  his  own.’  Doddr.  Whitb'i , 
too,  proves,  that  the  whole  passage  plainly  denotes  the  vicarious  sacri¬ 
fice  of  Christ.  Comp.  John  11:50.  2  Cor  5:1 1.  1  Tim.  2:6.’  13l. 

V.  7—10.  To  illustrate  the  immensity  of  this  love  of  God,  the  apostle 
shows - how  this  most  rare  instance,  the  very  summit  of  human  af¬ 

fection,  falls  immensely  beneath  the  love  of  God  to  us.— There  could  be 
no  danger  of  a  reconciled  believer  failing  under  the  wrath  of  God,  except 
on  the  supposition  of  his  committing  sin,  and  dying  without  repentance  ; 
hut  had  Christ  suffered,  and  humbled  llimselfeven  to  death  on  the  cross, 
that  He  might  bring  him  into  this  state  of  reconciliation  ?  and  would 
He,  after  all,  so  leave  him  to  himself,  and  in  the  hands  of  the  wicked  one, 
as  thus  finally  to  perish,  when  his  living  power  could  prevent  it,  with¬ 
out  any  suffering  or  self-denial  whatever? — Some  expositors  insert,  1  If 
we  he  not  wanting  to  ourselves.’  But  first,  Is  not  this  undeniably  add- 

[194] 


ing  to  the  Scripture?  Rev.  22-18 — 21,  vv.  18,  19.  And,  secondly,  does 
nol  this  inevitably  lead  us  to  trust  in  our  own  hearts,  instead  of  trusting 
in  God,  to  ‘  hold  us  up  that  we  may  he  safe  ?’  Frov.  28:2G.  Jei.  17:9, 10. 
2  Cor.  7:1.  Phil.  2:12,  13.  2  Pet.  1:5—10.  Scott. 

(7.)  Righteous .  .good. ]  ‘  Dikaios.  .agatlios  :  some  take  both  of  things 
not  persons,  but  this  would  require  the  article  to  dikaion  also;  and, 
moreover,  the  force  of  the  antithesis  would  tie  destroyed.  Others,  as 
Godwin,  Estius,  lie  Dieu,  Wetst.,  Ham.,  Whit.,  Kop.,  Carp.,  and  Doddr., 
suppose  here  a  distinction  sometimes  found  in  the  classics,  especially 
the  philosophers,  by  which  dikaios  denotes  one  strictly  just,  agnthos 
one  who  is  generous,  benevolent,  r.hrSstos  :  nay  (so  Vatablns  and  Kop.) 
a  benefactor.  Wetst.,  too,  adverts  to  the  well-known  distinction  cf 
Cic,,  between  justus  and  bonus.  And  this  interpretation  is  ably  main¬ 
tained  by  Carpz.  But  such  a  refined,  philosophical  distinction  was  not 
likely  to  have  been  known  to  the  apostle.  Schoett.,  indeed,  adduces  a 
curious  passage  from  Pirke  Aboth,  which,  however,  does  not  s  em  quite 
satisfactory,  viz.  “  There  are  4  kinds  of  men.  One  says  :  what  is  mine, 
is  mine ;  and  what  is  thine,  is  thine;  he  is  a  middling  sort  of  man.  An¬ 
other  says :  what  is  mine,  is  thine,  and  what  is  thine  is  mine;  he  is  a 
worldly-minded  man.  Now  he  who  says:  what  is  mine,  is  thine;  and 
what  is  thine,  is  thine ;  he  is  a  good  and  pious  man  ( chasid ).  But  he 
who  says,  what  is  thine  is  mine,  and  what  is  mine  is  my  own,  is  a 
wicked  man.”  Considering  that  the  whole  v.  is  meant  to  lie  a  popular 
illustration ,  it  seems  safer,  with  Chrys.,  CEcum.,  Cnsauli.,  l’isc.,  Soci- 
lilfs,  Parteus,  Gat.,  Tulet.,  Calv.,  and  Bcza,  to  take  both  to  mean  the 
same,  yet  as  the  latter  has  the  article ,  a  higher  degree  of  goodness  seems 
meant,  by  climax.  The  good  man,  tins  more  force  than,  a  good  man.’  IIl. 

(8.)  Commendeth.]  ‘  llisplayeth.’  Id. 

(10.)  R.econci!ed.]  ‘  The  Gr.,  said  of  equals,  means  to  he  or  become 
friends;  1ml  of  God  and  man,  can  only  mean,  on  the  part  of  God,  the 
granting  of  pardon,  and  affording  the  means  of  attaining  and  preserving 
his  future  favor;  and,  on  the  part  of  man,  a  humble  and  thankful  ac¬ 
ceptance  of  tiie  offered  boon:  and  this  wherever  in  the  N.T  the  phrasa 
thus  occurs,  ns  in  2  Cor.  5:18,19,21.  This  v.  1C.  is  (and  so  Bp.  Bar¬ 
rington)  parenthetical.’  Id. 


A.  D.  61. 


ROMANS,  V. 


Paul’s  discourse  of  sanctification. 


11  And  not  only  so,  but  we  also 
n  joy  in  God,  through  our  Lord 
Jesus  Christ,  by  whom  we  have 
now  received  the  0  atonement. 

12  Wherefore,  as  bygone  man 
sin  entered  into  the  world,  and 
death  by  sin  :  and  so  death  passed 
upon  all  men,  *  for  that  all  have 
sinned  : 

13  (For  until  the  law,  sin  was  in 
the  world  :  but  sin  is  not r  imputed 
when  there  is  no  law. 

14  Nevertheless,  death  reigned 
*  from  Adam  to  Moses,  even  over 
them  that  had  not  sinned  after  the 
similitude  of  Adam’s  transgression, 
who  is  the  'figure  of  him  that  was 
to  come  : 

n  Hab.  3:18.  p  Ge.  3:6,  19.  3:4. 

o  or,  reconcile  q  or,  in  whom.  $  He.  9:27. 

iatiun.  r  c.  4:15.  1  Jn.  I  l  Co.  15:22,45. 

3.  All  tliis  produces,  as  a  further  privi¬ 
lege,  our  joy  in  God,  v.  11.  God  is  now  far 
from  being  a  terror:  He  is  our  joy ,  and  our  hope 
in  the  day  of  evil,  Jer.  17 :  17.  We  are,  recon¬ 
ciled  and  saved  from  wrath.  Iniquity,  blessed 
be  God,  shall  not  be  our  ruin.  And  not  only 
so,  there  is  more  in  it  yet,  a  constant  stream 
of  favors;  we  not  only  go  to  heaven,  but  go 
triumphantly;  are  not  only  saved  from  God’s 
vtrath,  but  solace  ourselves  in  his  love,  and 
this  through  Jesus  Christ,  by  virtue  of  the 
atonement  ;  for  by  Him  we  Christians,  we 
believers,  have  now,  now  in  gospel-times,  or 
now  in  this  life,  received  the  atonement,  which 
was  typified  by  the  sacrifices  under  the  law, 
and  is  an  earnest  of  our  happiness  in  heaven. 
Receiving,  the  atonement  is  our  actual  recon¬ 
ciliation  to  God  in  justification,  grounded  on 
Christ’s  satisfaction.  To  receive  the  atone¬ 


ment,  is,  (1.)  To  give  our  consent  to  the 
atonement,  approving  of,  and  agreeing  to, 
those  methods  which  infinite  wisdom  hath 
taken,  of  saving  a  guilty  world  by  the  blood 
of  a  crucified  Jesus;  being  willing  and  glad 
to  be  saved  in  a  gospel-way,  and  on  gospel- 
terms.  (2.)  To  take  the  comfort  of  the 
atonement,  which  is  the  fountain  and  founda¬ 
tion  of  ou r  joy  in  God.  God  hath  received 
the  atonement.  Mat.  3:17.  17:5.  2S:2.  if 
we  but  receive  it,  the  work  is  done. 

III.  The  parallel  the  apostle  runs  between 
the  communication  of  sin  and  death  by  the 
first  Adam,  and  of  righteousness  and  life  by 
the  second  Adam,  t>.  12.  to  the  end,  not  only 
illustrates  the  truth  he  is  discoursing  of,  but 
tends  very  much  to  commend  the  love  of 
God,  and  comfort  the  hearts  of  true  believ¬ 
ers  ;  in  showing  a  correspondence  between 
our  (it  1 1  and  our  recovery  ;  anil  not  only  a 
like,  but  a  much  greater,  power  in  the  sec¬ 
ond  Adam  to  make  us  happy,  than  there  was 
in  the  first  to  make  us  miserable. 

Now  for  the  opening  of  this,  observe, 

1.  A  general  truth  laid  down  as  the  foun¬ 
dation  of  his  discourse, — That  Adam  was  a 
type  of  Christ,  v.  14.  Christ  is  therefore 
called  the  last  Adam,  1  Cor.  15:  45.  Comp. 
v.  22.  In  this,  Adam  was  a  type  of  Christ, 
that  in  the  covenant-transactions  between 
God  and  him,  and  in  the  consequent  events 
of  those  transactions,  Adam  was  a  public 
person ;  as  a  common  father  and  factor,  root 
and  representative,  of  and  for  all  his  poster¬ 
ity  ;  so  that,  what  he  did  in  that  station,  as 
agent  for  us,  we  may  lie  said  to  have  done  in 
him  ;  and  what  was  done  to  him,  may  be 
said  to  have  been  done  to  us  in  him.  Thus 
Jesus  Christ,  the  Mediator,  acted  as  a  pub¬ 
lic  person,  the  head  of  all  the  elect  ;  dealt 
with  God  for  them,  as  their  father,  factor, 
root,  and  representative ;  died  for  them,  rose 
for  them,  entered  within  the  veil  for  them. 


did  all  for  them.  When  Adam  failed,  we 
failed  with  him  ;  when  Christ  performed,  lie 
performed  for  us.  Thus  was  Adam  —  the 
figure  of  Him  that  was  to  come,  to  come  to 
repair  that  breach  which  Adam  had  made. 

2.  A  more  particular  explication  of  the 
parallel. 

(I.)  Adam,  as  a  public  person,  commu¬ 
nicated  sin  and  death  to  all  his  posterity, 
v.  12.  We  see  the  world  under  a  deluge  of 
sin  and  death,  full  of  iniquities,  and  full  of 
calamities.  Now,  it  is  worth  while  to  in¬ 
quire  what  is  the  spring  that  feeds  it,  and 
you  will  find  that  to  be  the  general  corrup¬ 
tion  of  nature  ;  and  at  what  gap  it  entered, 
and  you  will  find  that  to  have  been  Adam’s 
first  sin.  It  was  by  one  man,  and  lie  tile  first 
man  ;  for  if  any  had  been  before  him,  they 
would  have  been  free  ;  that  one  man  from 
whom,  as  from  the  root,  we  all  spring. 

[1.]  By  him  sin  entered.  When  God  pro¬ 
nounced  all  very  good,  Gen.  1:31.  there  was 
no  sin  in  the  world;  it  was  when  Adam  ate 
forbidden  fruit,  that  sin  made  its  entry.  Sin 
had  before  entered  into  tile  world  of  angels, 
but  never  the  world  of  mankind,  till  Adam 
sinned ;  then  entered  the  guilt  of  Adam’s  sin, 
imputed  to  fand  affecting]  posterity,  and  a 
general  corruption  and  depraved  ness  of  na¬ 
ture.  For  that,  so  we  read  it  ;  rather  in 
whom  all  have  sinned.  Sin  entered  into  the 
world  by  Adam,  for  in  him  we  all  sinned. 
As  1  Cor.  15:22.  in  Adam  all  die;  so  here, 
in  him  all  have  sinned:  for  it  is  agreeable  to 
the  law  of  all  nations,  that  the  acts  of  a  pub¬ 
lic  person  are  accounted  theirs  whom  they 
represent  ;  and  wlvat  a  whole  body  does, 
every  member  of  the  same  body  may  be  said 
to  do.  Now  Adam  acted  thus  as  a  public 
person,  by  the  sovereign  ordination  and  ap¬ 
pointment  of  God,  and  yet  that  founded  on  a 
natural  necessity  ;  for  God,  as  the  Author 
of  nature,  had  made  this  the  laiv  of  nature. 


V.  11.  Had  now  ‘received  reconciliation.’  This  is  the  proper  tr., 
referring  to  the  whole  of  the  pacification,  between  God  and  the  believ¬ 
ing  sinner,  through  the  mediation  of  Christ ;  and  not  merely  to  the 
atonement,  which  is  the  ground  of  it. — To  explain  all  this  of  the  Gen¬ 
tiles  exclusively,  as  some  do,  as  if  the  Jews  did  not  want  a  reconciliation, 
makes  the  apostle  speak  of  himself  as  a  Gentile :  and  indeed  it  is  so  un- 
scriptural,  and  so  irrational,  that  one  cannot  but  be  astonished  to  find 
men  of  great  learning  and  talents  contend  for  it.  Scott. 

(11.)  Atonement.]  I.  e.  putting,  setting  at  one  :  at-one-ment ;  ‘  ob¬ 
tained  reconciliation.’  St.  ‘If  the  Scripture  has,  as  surely  it  lias,  left 
this  matter  of  the  satisfaction  of  Christ  mysterious,  left  somewhat  in  it 
unrevealed,  all  conjectures  about  it  must  he,  if  not  evidently  absurd, 
yet,  at  least,  uncertain.  Nor  has  any  one  reason  to  complain  for  want 
of  farther  information,  unless  he  can  show  his  claims  to  it.  . .  And  it  is 
our  wisdom  thankfully  to  accept  the  benefit,  by  performing  the  condi¬ 
tions  upon  which  it  is  offered,  on  our  part,  without  disputing  how  it 
was  procured  on  his.’  Bp.  Butler. 

V.  12 — 14.  In  order  more  fully  to  illustrate  the  important  subject, 
the  apostle  calls  the  reader’s  attention  to  the  slate  of  the  whole  human 
race,  from  the  fall  of  Adam.  He  was  the  federal  head,  surety,  and  re¬ 
presentative  of  all  his  posterity,  nor  did  sin  enter,  save  to  the  personal 
condemnation  of  Eve,  till  lie  also  ate  the  forbidden  fruit.  Gen.  3:6.  ..  In 
Adam,  as  being  in  his  loins  when  he  thus  apostatized,  we  all  sinned  and 
fell  under  condemnation;  his  blood  was  attainted  for  rebellion;  and 
thence  that  evil  nature  originated,  from  which  ail  our  personal  trans¬ 
gressions  proceed.  Gen.  2:16,  17.  3:17 — 19.  In  proof  of  this  our  union 
with  Adam,  and  our  concern  in  his  first  transgression,  which  the  proud 
heart  of  man  is  prone  to  deny,  or  object  to,  even  with  blai>,.hemous  en¬ 
mity,  it  should  be  observed,  that  for  2500  years  before  the  giving  of  the 
law,  sin  prevailed  in  the  world,  and  was  punished  with  death  :  but  sin 
cannot  be  imputed,  where  no  law  is,  of  which  it  is  a  transgression,  4:14 
• — 17.  None  of  the  immense  multitudes,  who  died  between  the  fall  of 
Adam,  and  the  promulgation  of  the  law,  could  personally  violate  the 
prohibition,  to  which  the  penalty  of  death  had  been  originally  annexed  ; 
yet  they  were  included  in  the  sentence  denounced  against  Adam,  and, 
after  much  toil  and  suffering,  ‘returned  to  the  dust  whence  they  were 
taken.’  And,  though  adults  might  be  thought  to  die  for  their  personal 
violation  of  the  law  of  tradition,  or  of  their  own  reason  and  conscience ; 
yet,  during  this  long  interval,  an  innumerable  multitude  had  been  sub¬ 
jected  to  death,  who  had  never  broken  any  law,  ‘  after  the  similitude  of 
Adam’s  transgression  ;’  i.  e.,  wilfully  and  deliberately.  For  the  number 
of  infants,  who  had  been  cut  off,  with  great  pain  and  agony,  previously 
to  their  commission  of  actual  sin,  had  been  immensely  great.  They 
were  involved  in  the  destruction  of  the  whole  world  by  the  deluge,  and 
in  that  of  Sodom  and  Gomorrah;  and  according  to  the  ordinary  course 
of  things,  ‘death  reigned  over  them,’  before  they  were  capable  of  actual 
and  wilful  transgression.  Nor  could  this  fact  be  accounted  for,  consist¬ 
ently  with  the  divine  perfections;  otherwise  than  by  allowing,  that 
they,  as  one  with  Adam,  had  fallen  in  him  under  condemnation,  through 
his  violation  of  that  covenant,  in  which  he  acted  as  surety  for  all  his  off¬ 
spring.*  There  may  indeed  be  a  comfortable  hope;  that  as  infants  die 

•  On  thin  subject,  which  Henry  above  haa  treated  at  large,  (note,  •  p.  637,  Vol.  It.) 
was  necessitated  to  use  a  language  his  auditors  could  best  understand  :  covenant  and 
surety  are  terms  applicable  here  only  by  comparison,  and  arguments  are  not  to  he  too 
closely  drawn  from  similes,  which  are  used  from  defect  of  language.  Ed. 


in  Adam,  without  their  own  personal  transgressions,  so  they  will  he  sa¬ 
ved  in  Christ,  without  their  own  personal  faith  in  Him,  as  never  living 
to  be  capable  of  it:  yet  that  change  must  be  wrought  in  them  by  the 
regenerating  Spirit,  which  would  have  produced  faith,  had  they  lived 
longer.  Indeed,  the  sufferings  and  death  of  infants,  in  every  age, 
forms  an  irrefragable  proof  of  ‘  original  sin  :’  but  it  was  more  peculiar¬ 
ly  so,  from  Adam  to  Moses  ;  as  that  law  was  not  then  in  being,  which  in 
some  instances,  entailed  the  guilt  of  the  parents  on  their  children,  to 
the  third  and  fourth  generation.  Ex.  20:5.  Yet  these  laws  were  dedu¬ 
ced  from  the  same  principle  of  the  oneness  between  the  root  and  the 
branches;  though  only  applied  in  some  special  cases,  while  that  of 
Adam  reached  in  general  to  all  his  posterity'.  For  he  was  ‘  a  figure,’  or 
type,  ‘  of  Him,  who  was  to  come,’  as  the  Surety  of  a  new  covenant,  in 
behalf  of  all  related  to  Him.  1  Cor.  15:45 — 49.  In  many  respects 
Adam  might  be  considered  as  the  contrast  of  Christ;  but  he  resembled 
Him,  and  was  his  type,  in  the  divine  prescience,  by  acting  as  the  surety  of 
all  related  and  united  to  him  :  for  thus  Christ  acted  as  the  Surety  of  all 
his  people,  who  are  one  with  Him,  and  deemed  his  spiritual  progeny  : 
Ps.  22:30,  31.  Is.  53:11,  12.  and  they  are  interested  in  his  obedience,  suf¬ 
ferings,  victories,  and  exaltation. — ‘  Adam  is  compared  with  Christ,  both 
in  what  is  similar,  and  what  is  contrary.  They  are  alike  in  this  ;  that 
each  of  them  shares  what  he  has  with  his  .-  they  are  clearly  unlike  in 
this,  that  Adam  by  nature  communicates  sin  unto  death  to  his  posteri¬ 
ty  ;  but  Christ  by  grace  communicates  his  righteousness  to  his  people, 
unto  life.’  Iieza. — Many  learned  men  explain  what  is  said  of  ‘  death,’  as 
meaning  only  mortality  :  but,  do  we  not  all  derive  a  depraved,  as  well 
as  a  mortal  nature  from  Adam  ?  And  does  not  Christ  save  his  people 
from  guilt  and  depravity,  and  eternal  punishment,  and  not  from  mor¬ 
tality  ?  And  would  immortality,  without  justification  and  sanctifica¬ 
tion,  be  a  blessing  ?  John  5:28,  29.  2  Tim.  1:10.  If  we  are  depraved, 
or  ‘  dead  in  sin,’  and  mortal,  as  Adam’s  descendants ;  we  must  not  only 
die,  but  be  miserableand  unholy  for  ever,  without  the  salvation  ofChrist, 
6:21 — 23.  Gen.  2:16, 17. — (14)  Death  reigned.]  ‘  Sin  reigned  unto  death.’ 
20,21,0.21.  What  a  grand,  sublime,  tremendous  idea  !  Sin  and  death 
personified,  as  two  united  conquerors  and  tyrants  reigning  over  all  man¬ 
kind  ;  anil,  without  mercy,  consigning,  by  various  tortures,  their  bodies 
to  the  grave,  and  their  souls  to  hell!  (12)  Sin. .  .death.]  The  article 
seems  definitely  to  point  out  ‘  the  sin,’  and  ‘  the  death,’  which  by  Adam’s 
transgression  entered  into  the  world. — For  that.]  1  In  whom.’  Marg. — 
As  of  those,  who  die  during  infancy,  it  cannot  be  said,  They  ‘have  sin¬ 
ned,’  the  margin  seems  to  give  the  true  meaning  in  Adam,  as  one  with 
him  ‘  all  sinned.’  Scott. 

(12.)  Passed  upon.]  ‘  I  prefer,  “  was  transmitted  unto  all  from  gen¬ 
eration  to  generation.’”  Bloomf. 

V.  12 — 19.  St.  considers  this  one  of  the  most  difficult  passages  in  the 
New  Test.;  and  concludes  from  it,  (see  his  Exc.  V  ),  that  ‘the  fall  of 
Adam  brought  our  race  into  a  new  state  of  probation,  one  exceedingly 
different,  in  several  respects,  from  that  in  which  he  himself  first  w-as. 
The  whole  race  are  now  heirs  by  nature  of  a  frail  and  dying  state;  they 
are  no  longer  in  that  state  and  condition  in  which  they  are  inclined  to 
holiness.  And  this  comes  on  all,  without  any  concurrence  of  their  own. 
But  ail  this,  too,  may  still  he  regarded  in  another  light  than  tliat  ot  sim¬ 
ple  punishment.  It  is  trial ;  it  is  discipline  ;  it  is  probation,  sui  generis. 
Adam  has  brought  us  into  this  state  1  freely  concede.  But  Christ  ha* 
more  titan  made  good  all  its  apparent  or  real  disadvantages  :  grace  su- 


* 


A.  D.  61. 


ROMANS,  V. 


Paul’s  discourse  of  sanctification. 


15  But  not  as  the  offence,  so  also 
is  the  free  gift.  For  if  through  the 
offence  of  one  many  be  dead  ;  much 
more  the  grace  n  of  God,  and  the 
gift  by  grace,  which  is  by  one  man, 
Jesus  Christ,  hath  abounded  unto 
T  many. 

16  And  not  as  it  was  by  one  that 
sinned,  so  is  the  gift  :  for  the  judg¬ 
ment  was  by  one  to  condemnation  ; 
but  the  free  gift  is  of  many  '"of¬ 
fences  unto  justification. 

17  For  ifc*  by  one  man’s  offence 
death  reigned  by  one  ;  much  more 
they  which  receive  abundance  y  of 
grace,  and  of  the  gift z  of  righteous¬ 
ness,  shall  reign  in  life  by  one, 
Jesus  Christ  :) 

18  Therefore,  as  “by  the  offence 
of  one  judgment  came  upon  all  men 
to  condemnation  ;  even  so  b  by  the 
righteousness  of  one  the  free  gift 
came  upon  all  c  men  unto  justifica¬ 
tion  of  life. 

19  For  as  by  one  man’s  disobe¬ 
dience  many  were  made  sinners, 
so  by  the  obedience  of  one  shall 
many  be  made  righteous. 

u  Ep.  2:8.  x  or,  by  one  of-  fence. 

v  Is.  53:11.  Mat.  fence.  b  or,  by  one 

20:23.  26:23.  y  Jn.  10:10.  righteousness. 

1  Jn.  2:2.  z  c.  6:23.  c  Ju.  12:32. 

w  Is.  1:18.  a  or,  by  one  of- 

that  man  should  beget-  in  his  own  likeness, 
and  so  the  other  creatures.  In  Adam,  there¬ 
fore,  as  in  a  common  receptacle,  the  whole 
nature  of  man  was  reposited,  from  him  to 
flow  down  in  a  channel  to  his  posterity;  for 
all  mankind  is  made  of  one  blood.  Acts  17: 
26.  so  that  according  as  this  nature  proves, 
through  his  standing  or  falling,  before  he 
puts  it  out  of  his  hands,  accordingly  it  is 
propagated  from  him.*  Adam  therefore 
sinning  and  falling,  the  nature  became  guilty 
and  corrupted,  and  is  so  derived.  Thus  in 
him  all  have  sinned. 

•  Especially  if  we  believe  that  the  intellectual  faculties, 
animal  propensities,  and  moral  sentiments  in  man  have 
material  organs  through  which  they  manifest  themselves  ; 
*nd  that  these  may,  like  a  muscle  or  nerve,  be  weakened  or 
strengthened  by  hubilual  disuse  or  use,  and  so  descend  to 
posterity  :  principles  at  the  foundation  of  all  education.  Ed. 


[2.]  Death  by  sin;  for  death  is  the  wages 
of  sin.  Sin,  when  it  is  finished,  brings  forth 
death.  [Perhaps  by  perfect  obedience,  man 
would  have  passed  to  heaven  without  death, 
by  the  law  of  his  original  nature:  for]  when 
sin  came,  of  course  death  came  along  u  ith 
it.  Death  is  here  put  for  all  that  misery, 
which  is  the  due  desert  of  sin,  temporal, 
spiritual,  eternal  death.  If  Adam  had  not 
sinned,  he  had  not  died  :  the  threatening 
was,  In  the  day  thou  eutest  thou  shalt  surely 
die,  Gen.  2:  17.  So  death  passed,  a  sentence 
of  death,  as  on  a  criminal, — passed  through 
all  men,  as  an  infectious  disease  passes 
through  a  town,  so  that  none  escape  it ;  death 
passes  on  all  without  exception.  Common 
calamities,  incident  to  human  life,  do  abun¬ 
dantly  prove  this.  Death  reigned,  v.  14.  He 
speaks  of  death  as  a  mighty  prince,  and  his 
monarchy  the  most  absolute,  universal,  and 
lasting.  None  are  exempted  from  its  scep¬ 
tre  ;  it  is  a  monarchy  that  will  survive  all 
other  earthly  rule,  authority,  and  power,  for 
it  is  the  last  enemy,  1  Cor.  15:  26.  Now  all 
this  we  may  thank  Adam  for;  from  him  sin 
and  death  descend.  Well  may  we  say,  as 
that  good  man,  observing  the  change  a  lit  of 
sickness  had  made  in  his  countenance,  O 
Adam  !  what  hast  thou  done  1 

Further,  to  clear  this,  he  shows,  that  sin 
did  not  commence  with  the  law  of  Moses, 
hut  was  in  the  world  until,  or  before,  that 
law  ;  therefore  that  law  of  Moses  is  not  the 
only  rule  of  life  ;  for  there  was  a  rule,  and 
that  rule  transgressed,  before  the  law  was 
given.  It  likewise  intimates,  that  we  can¬ 
not  be  justified  by  our  obedience  to  the  law 
of  Moses,  any  more  than  we  were  condemned 
by  and  for  our  disobedience  to  it.  Sin  was 
in  the  world,  before  the  law ;  witness  Cain’s 
murder,  the  apostasy  of  the  old  world,  the 
wickedness  of  Sodom.  1st.  His  inference 
from  hence,  is,  Therefore  there  was  a  law; 
for  sin  is  not  imputed  where  there  is  no  law. 
Original  sin  is  a  want  of  conformity  to,  and 
actual  sin  is  a  transgression  of,  the  law  of 
God  :  therefore  all  were  under  some  law. 
2d  ly .  His  proof  of  it,  is,  Death  reigned  from 
Adam  to  Moses,  v.  14.  It  is  certain  death 
could  not  have  reigned,  if  sin  had  not  set  up 
the  throne  for  him.  This  proves,  that  sin 
was  in  the  world  before  the  law,  and  origi¬ 
nal  sin,  for  death  reigned  over  those  that 
had  not  sinned  any  actual  sin,  after  the  simil- 


|  itude  of  Adam’s  transgression,  in  their  own 
persons,  as  Adam  did ;  which  is  to  be  under¬ 
stood  of  infants,  that  were  never  guilty  of 
actual  sin,  and  yet  died,  because  Adam’s 
sin  was  imputed  to  them. 

This  reign  of  death,  seems  especially  to 
refer  to  those  violent  and  extraordinary 
judgments  which  were  long  before  Moses,  as 
|  the  deluge,  and  the  destruction  of  Sodom, 

|  which  involved  infants.  It  is  a  great  proof 
of  original  sin,  that  little  children,  who  were 
never  guilty  of  any  actual  transgression,  are 
yet  liable  to  very  terrible  diseases,  casual¬ 
ties,  and  deaths  ;  which  could  by  no  means 
be  reconciled  with  the  justice  and  righteous¬ 
ness  of  God,  if  they  were  not  chargeable 
with  guilt.* 

(2.)  How,  in  correspondeuce  to  this, 
Christ,  as  a  public  person,  communicates 
righteousness  and  life  to  all  true  believers 
that  are  his  spiritual  seed.  And,  in  this,  he 
shows  not  only  wherein  the  resemblance 
holds,  but  ex  abundanti,  wherein  the  commu¬ 
nication  of  grace  and  love  by  Christ,  goes 
beyond  the  communication  of  guilt  and  wrath 
by  Adam. 

[1.]  Wherein  the  resemblance  holds  ; 
that  is  laid  down  most  fully,  v.  18,  19.  1st. 
By  the  offence  and  disobedience  of  one,  many 
were  made  sinners,  and  judgment  came  upon 
all  men  to  condemnation.  Where  observe, 

Adam’s  sin  was,  disobedience,  disobe¬ 
dience  to  a  plain,  express  command,  and  a 
command  of  trial.  The  thing  he  did  was 
therefore  evil,  because  forbidden,  and  not 
otherwise ;  but  that  opened  the  door  to  other 
sins,  though  itself  seemingly  small.  The 
malignity  and  poison  of  sin  are  very  strong 
and  spreading,  else  the  guilt  of  Adam’s  sin 
would  not  have  reached  so  far,  nor  have 
been  so  deep  and  long  a  stream.  By 
Adam’s  sin  many  are  made  sinners  :  many, 
i.  e.  all  his  posterity  ;  said  to  be  many,, in 
opposition  to  the  one  that  offended.  Made 
sinners  ;  it  denotes  the  making  of  us  such, 
by  a  judicial  act :  we  were  cast  as  sinners 
by  due  course  of  law.  Judgment  is  come  to 

•  Are  then  beasts  guilty,  for  they  suffer  !  Existence  is 
a  boon  which  infinitely  ootjmvs  suffering.  What  claim 
has  a  creature  to  a  single  joy  i  it  is  enough  for  us,  that  Gnd 
willed  that  evil  should  exist ;  and  the  very  faculties  which 
pretend  to  judge  of  his  ‘  righteousness  ’  and  ‘  justice  1  in  ths 
abstract,  ate  the  effects  of  that  will  :  exist  but  ns  God  wills  I 
When  will  the  creature  cease  to  pretend  to  he  as  the  Cre¬ 
ator  ?  When  will  the  finite  acknowledge  that  it  cannot 
comprehend  the  Infinite  ?  Ed. 


perabounds.  If  evils  come  on  our  race  because  of  Adam's  sin,  more, 
far  more,  than  an  equivalent  is  rendered  for  them,  by  the  grace  of  the 
Gospel.’ — ‘The  theory  [of  Edwards  and  the  Reformers]  I  am  opposing, 
makes  all  our  race  heirs  also  of  the  endless  miseries  of  a  future  world, 
antecedent  to  any  voluntary  exercise  of  their  own,  and  merely  on  the 
ground  of  Adam’s  ofTence.  If  this  were  true,  then  it  would  follow  that 
12 — 19.  establishes  a  redemption  from  future-misery  as  wide  as  the  mis¬ 
chief  of  Adam’s  sin  has  spread  ;  and  this  without  any  act  on  the  part 
of  the  sinner.  Rut  such  a  redemption  would  contradict  the  first  princi¬ 
ples  of  tlie  N.  T.’ — ‘  Others,  understand  these  vs.  to  assert,  that  Adam’s 
example  led  us  to  sin,  and  is  the  cause  of  sin  ;  but  some  of  his  posterity, 
who  sin,  know  nothing  of  his  example,  and,  if  example  is  the  original 
cause  of  sin,  whose  example  did  Adam  follow  ?  And  then,  to  make  out 
the  antithesis,  we  must  understand  that  Christ’s  example  is  the  cause 
of  obedience  and  life  to  all  men  :  a  doctrine  taught  by  some,  but  clearly 
not  by  Paul,  nor  any  of  his  colleagues.’ — ‘  Paul,  then,  neither  asserts 
that  Adam’s  sin  is  propagated  ;  nor  that  it  is  imputed  to  us  without 
any  act  of  our  own ;  nor  that  it  is  ours  merely  by  the  force  of  example. 
Nor  does  he  say,  that  hereditary  depravity  is  the  ground  and  cause  of  all 
sin,  (how  could  he  say  this  when  Adam  sinned  without  it  ?)  nor  that  we 
are  condemned  without  being  actual  sinners.  AH  this  has  been  often  said 
for  him  and  in  his  name  ;  but  he  does  not  once  say  this  for  himself.  Why 
now  should  we  attribute  to  him  our  own  theories,  and  then  insist  on 
their  being  a  part  of  Scripture  ?’ — St.,  in  whose  Comm  -  see  these  theo¬ 
ries  detailed  and  examined.  Also,  Hodge  on  the  Ep.  Ed. 

(13.)  Imputed .]  Note,  4:22.  ‘  Although  sin  is  not  accounted  of 
where,’  <tc.  St.  ‘Ascribed,  properly  entered  to  our  account.  The 
word  occurs  in  the  physical  sense  in  Philem.  18.  plgce  that  to  my  ac¬ 
count.  Sin  is  not  applicable,  so  as  to  bring  the  sinner  under  any  penalty. 
See  Whitby ,  On  the  true  notion  of  imputation  in  theology. — It  was  cer¬ 
tainly  the  common  opinion  of  the  Jews  of  that  time,  that  all  Moses’ 
ancestors  up  to  Adam  had  died  because  of  the  sin  of  the  first  man.  So 
Welst.'s  citations.’  Rut  see  also  Hodge  in  loc.  Bloomf. 

(14.)  Thefgure.]  ‘A  type.’  St.  Note,  2:20.  Ed. 

(15,  Ac.)  ‘  Rut  not  as  the  offence,  so  the  free  gill  also;  for  if  by  the 
offence  of  the  one  the  many  [hoi  pol/oi]  died,  much  more  has  the  grace 
of  God,  and  the  gift  which  is  by  the  grace  of  one  man,  Jesus  Christ, 
abounded  unto  the  many.  Yea,  not  as  (the  condemnation)  by  one  who 
sinned,  is  the  free  gift ;  for  sentence  was  by  one  (offence)  unto  con¬ 
demnation,  but  the  free  gift  is  unto  justification  from  many  offences. 
For  if  by  the  offence  of  one,  death  reigned  on  account  of  one  (offence), 
much  more  shall  they  who  receive  abundance  of  grace  and  of  the  gift 


of  justification  reign  in  tile  by  one  (Jesus  Christ) ;  therefore,  as  by  one 
offence  (sentence  came)  upon  all  men  unto  condemnation,  so  by  the 
righteousness  of  one  (sentence  came)  upon  all  men  unto  justification  of 
life;  for  as  by  the  disobedience  of  one  man  the  many  were  constituted 
sinners,  so  by  the  obedience  of  one,  the  many  will  be  constituted  right¬ 
eous.  The  law,  moreover,  was  introduced,  so  that  offence  would 
abound  ;  but  where  sin  abounded,  grace  superabounded  :  so  that,  as  sin 
reigned  by  death,  in  like  manner  grace  also  will  reign  by  justification 
unto  eternal  life,  through  Jesus  Christ  our  Lord.’  St. 

(18.)  ‘The  terms  here  used  are  all  forensic.’  Slade. 

(19.)  As  in  Adam  ail  die,  so  in  Christ  all  can  be  saved  if  they  will. 
See  St.  ‘  All,  quantum  in  Christo.'  liloomf.  We  must  not  be  too 
much  afraid  of  the  bugbear,  materialism,  to  deny  (what  the  observation 
of  ‘  God’s  facts  ’  teaches),  that  the  soul  or  spirit  in  this  present  condition 
of  our  being  manifests  itself  through  a  material  organization,  a  plurality 
of  cerebral  organs.  Note,  end  ch.  7.  As  these  are  affected  by  God’s 
laws  of  hereditary  descent,  we  do  not  expect  (grapes  of  thorns  or  figs 
of  thistles)  a  child  to  he  bora  with  the  germs  of  an  organization  favorable 
to  perfect  virtue  from  parents,  the  organizations  of  both  of  whom  (as 
well  as  their  ancestors)  are  known  to  he,  perhaps,  extremely  unfavorable 
to  mental  or  spiritual  excellence.  ( Perfection  of  organization  and  obe¬ 
dience,  is,  at  this  time  of  the  world,  out  of  the  question.)  Had  Adam 
continued  perfect,  his  children  would  doubtless  have  been  in  a  condi¬ 
tion  for  perfect  obedience  :  but  as  he  did  not,  his  race  have  become  more 
and  more  imperfectly  organized,  more  and  more  unfit  for  communion 
with  God,  angels,  and  spirits,  and  identification  of  will  with  God,  all 
which  Adam  enjoyed  before  his  fall.  Now,  reasoning  from  analogy,  as 
Paul  here  does,  is  there  anything  more  or  less  ‘  mysterious  ’  or  ‘  incom¬ 
prehensible  ’  in  the  fact  that  our  reception  to  God’s  favor,  (notes,  v.  11. 
and  3:25,  26.)  should  depend  on  another,  even  Christ,  than  that  we 
should,  by  the  accident  of  birth,  be  more  or  less  liable  to,  and  were  in  a 
manner  necessitated  (at  least  most  strongly  tempted),  to  sin,  in  conse¬ 
quence  of  the  organization,  era,  place,  education,  and  condition  of  our 
ancestors,  and  of  Adam  ?  Some,  also,  even  ridicule  the  idea  of  vica¬ 
rious  suffering  at  all ;  but  look  at  the  analogy  of  the  same  Creator’s 
universe  ;  do  such  never,  by  the  ‘  social  law,’  get  evil  from  another’s  act 
and  state,  or  good  through  another’s  suffering  and  obedience  ?  the  moth¬ 
er  who  bore,  the  father  who  toiled  for  them  ;  the  sister,  or  wife,  or 
daughter,  who  wearily  watched  their  sick  bed  .’  Why  then  arraign,  or 
expect  to  fathom  God’s  atonement  laws,  any  more  than  his  ‘  social  law,’ 
or  ‘  law  of  hereditary  descent  ?  ’  Be  content  that  all  are  his  will,  and 
conform  to  them  without  expecting  to  comprehend  the  infinite.  Ed. 


A.  D.  61. 


ROMANS,  V. 


Paul's  discourse  of  sanctification. 


20  d  Moreover,  the  law  entered, 
that  the  offence  might  abound. 
But  where  sin  abounded,  grace  did 
much  more  *  abound  : 

21  That  as  sin  hath  reigned  unto 
death,  even  so  might  grace  f  reign, 
through  righteousness,  unto  eternal 
life,  by  Jesus  Christ  our  Lord. 

A  Jn.  15:22.  c.  7:8—13.  Ga.  3:19. 
c  Jn.  10:10.  1  Ti.l:14.  f  Ju.  1:17. 


condemnation  on  all  those  that  by  Adam’s 
disobedience  were  made  sinners.  All  the 
race  of  mankind,  lie  under  a  sentence,  like 
an  attainder  on  a  family.  There  is  judg¬ 
ment  given  and  recorded  against  us  in  the 
court  of  heaven;  and  if  the  judgment  be  not 
reversed,  we  are  likely  to  sink  under  it  to 
eternity.  2dly.  In  like  manner,  by  the  right¬ 
eousness  and  obedience  of  one,  (and  that  one 
is  Jesus  Christ,  the  second  Adam,)  are.  many 
made  righteous,  and  so  the  free  gift  comes  upon 
all.  It  is  observable,  how  the  apostle  incul¬ 
cates  this  truth,  and  repeats  it  again  and 
again,  as  a  truth  of  very  great  consequence. 
Here  observe,  The  nature  of  Christ’s  right¬ 
eousness,  how  it  is  brought  in  ;  it  is  by  his 
obedience.  The  disobedience  of  the  first 
Adam  ruined  us,  the  obedience  of  the  second 
Adam,  saves  us  :  his  obedience  to  the  law 
of  mediation,  which  was,  that  He  should 
fulfil  all  righteousness,  [observe  every  law 
of  God,]  and  then  make  his  soul  an  offering 
for  sin.  The  fruit  of  it.  There  is  a  free  gift 
upon  all  men,  it  is  made  and  offered  promis¬ 
cuously  to  all.  The  salvation  is  common,  the 
proposals  general,  the  tender  free;  whoever 
will,  may  come,  and  take  of  these  waters  of 
life.  Tiiis  free  gift  is  to  all  believers,  on 
their  believing,  unto  justification  of  life.  It 
is  not  only  a  justification  that  frees  from 
death,  but  that  entitles  to  life.  Many  shall 
be  made  righteous;  many ,  compared  with  one, 


or  as  many  as  belong  to  the  election  of  grace. 
They  shall  be  constituted  righteous,  as  by  let¬ 
ters  patent :  the  antithesis  between  these 
two,  our  ruin  by  Adam  and  our  recovery  by 
Christ,  is  obwous. 

[2.]  Wherein  the  communication  of  grace 
and  love  by  Christ,  goes  beyond  the  commu¬ 
nication  of  guilt  and  wrath  by  Adam  ;  and 
this  he  shows  v.  15 — 17.  It  is  designed  to 
magnify  the  riches  of  Christ’s  love,  and  to 
comfort  and  encourage  believers,  who,  con¬ 
sidering  what  a  wound  Adam’s  sin  has 
made,  might  begin  to  despair  of  a  propor¬ 
tionable  remedy.  His  expressions  are  a  lit¬ 
tle  intricate,  but  this  he  seems  to  intend. 

1st.  If  guilt  and  wrath  be  communicated, 
much  more  shall  grace  and  love  :  for  it  is 
agreeable  to  the  idea  we  have  of  the  divine 
goodness,  to  suppose  that  God  should  be  more 
ready  to  save  on  an  imputed  righteousness, 
than  to  condemn  on  an  imputed  guilt:  Much 
more  the  grace  of  God,  and  the  gift  by  grace. 
God’s  goodness  is,  of  all  his  attributes,  in  a 
special  manner  his  glory,  and  it  is  that  grace 
that  is  the  root,  his  favor  to  us  in  Christ, 
and  the  gift  is  by  grace.  We  know  that 
God  is  rather  inclined  to  show  mercy;  pun¬ 
ishing  is  his  strange  work. 

2dly.  If  there  were  so  much  power  and 
efficacy,  as  it  seems  there  were,  in  the  sin 
of  a  man,  who  was  of  the  earth,  earthy,  to 
condemn  us  ;  much  more  are  there  power 
and  efficacy  in  the  righteousness  and  grace 
of  Christ,  who  is  the  Lord  from  heaven,  to 
justify  and  save  us.  The  one  man  that  saves 
us,  is  Jesus  Christ.  Surely  Adam  could  not 
propagate  so  strong  a  poison,  but  Jesus 
Christ  could  propagate  as  strong  an  anti¬ 
dote,  and  much  stronger. 

3d!y.  It  is  but  the  guilt  of  one  single  of¬ 
fence  of  Adam’s  that  is  laid  to  our  charge  ; 
the  judgment  was  by  one,  i.  e.  by  one  offence, 
v.  16,  17.  Margin.  But  from  Jesus  Christ 
we  receive  and  derive  an  abundance  of  grace. 


and  of  the  gift  of  righteousness.  The  stream 
of  grace  and  righteousness,  is  deeper  and 
broader  than  the  stream"  of  guilt;  for  this 
righteousness  doth  not  only  take  away  the 
guilt  of  that  one  offence,  but  of  many  other 
offences,  even  of  all.  God,  in  Christ,  forgives 
all  trespasses,  Col.  2.  13. 

4tldy.  By  Adam’s  sin  death  reigned  ;  but 
by  Christ’s  righteousness,  there  is  not  only 
a  period  put  to  (he  reign  of  death,  but  be¬ 
lievers  are  preferred  to  reign  in  life,  r.  17. 
See  this  observed,  Rev.  1:5,6.  5:9,  10. 
We  are,  by  Christ  and  his  righteousness, 
entitled  to,  and  Instated  in,  more  and  great¬ 
er  privileges,  than  we  lost  by  the  offence  of 
Adam. 

Lastly,  In  the  last  two  vs.  he  seems  to 
anticipate  an  objection,  expressed  Gal.  3: 
19.  Wherefore  then  serveth  the  law  ?  An¬ 
swer, 

1.  The  law  entered,  that  the  offence  might 
abound.  Not  to  make  sin  to  abound  the 
more  in  itself,  otherwise  than  as  sin  takes  oc¬ 
casion  by  the  commandment ;  but  to  discover 
the  abounding  sinfulness  of  it,  as  the  letting 
in  of  a  clearer  light  into  a  room  discovers 
the  dust  and  filtli  which  were  there  befoie, 
but  were  not  seen.  The  offence,  that  offence, 
the  sin  of  Adam,  the  extending  of  the  guilt 
of  it  to  us,  and  the  effect  of  the  corruption 
in  us,  are  the  abounding  of  that  offence  which 
appeared  on  the  entry  of  the  law. 

2.  That  grace  might  much  more  abound.  ; 
that  the  terrors  of  the  law  might  make  gos¬ 
pel-comforts  so  much  the  sweeter.  Sin 
abounded  among  the  Jews  ;  and  to  those  of 
them  that  were  converted  to  the  faith  of 
Christ,  did  not  grace  much  more  abound,  in 
the  remitting  of  so  much  guilt  and  the  sub¬ 
duing  of  so  much  corruption  1  This  abound¬ 
ing  of  grace  he  illustrates,  v.  21.  just  as  the 
reign  of  a  tyrant  and  oppressor  is  a  foil,  to 
set  oil'  the  succeeding  reign  of  a  just  and 
gentle  prince. 


PRACT.  OBS.  A  most  blessed  change  takes  place  in  the  sinner’s 
state,  however  guilty  and  depraved  he  has  been,  when  he  becomes  a 
true  believer.  Jle  has  free  access  to  the  mercy-seat ;  he  is  established  in 
the  grace  and  favor  of  Gud  ;  and  he  may  now  rejoice  and  triumphantly 
exult  in  the  hope  of  everlasting  glory  ;  though  he  perhaps  just  before 
trembled,  from  well-grounded  apprehensions  of  deserved  vengeance. 
How  immense  then  are  our  obligations  to  Him,  who  has  made  ‘all 
things  ready  ’  by  his  agonizing  death  on  the  cross;  and  has  made  our 
hearts  willing  by  his  regenerating  grace  !  Surely  He  is  worthy  of  all  this 
devotedness  from  every  one  of  us  !  And  it  is  inconceivable,  that  even 
God  Himself  could  more  have  ‘  commended  his  love  to  us,’  or  have  giv¬ 
en  us  more  powerful  motives  and  encouragements  to  humble  submis¬ 
sion  and  grateful  obedience.  At  the  same  time,  we  shall  learn  not  to 
disdain  or  despair  of  any  other  sinners ;  for  we  shall  be  conscious,  that 
they  are  not  worse  in  themselves,  or  further  from  God,  than  we  once 

V.  20.  Entered .]  ‘  Entered  in  privily.’  Impr.  Vers.,  1809.  So  the 
Vulg.  ‘  If  the  scruple  be  raised,  what  was  the  law  doing  so  many  years  ? 
It  was  given  for  a  time,  not  primarily ,  or  principally  ;  its  purpose  was 
to  destroy  sin,  but  the  event  turned  out  the  contrary,  through  the  sloth 
of  men,  not  through  the  nature  of  the  law.  Chrys.,  Theoph .’  Bloomf. 
Abound.]  1  For  this  law  prohibited  many  tilings  in  themselves  lawful ; 
it  commanded  many  rites.  These  were  often  transgressed,  ami  punish¬ 
ment  ensued  to  the  Jews.’  Ros.  ‘  Paraptdma  [ offence ]  should  be  care¬ 
fully  distinguished  from  he  kamartia  in  the  next  cl.,  and  referred  (as  in 
v.  15.)  to  the  transgression  of  Adam,  which  incurred  the  penalty  of 
death.  Now  unless  there  had  subsequently  been  a  divine  revelation, 
containing  precepts  and  threatenings,  the  punishment  of  death  inflicted 
on  mankind,  would  have  been  due,  not  for  their  own  sin  but  that  of 
Adam.  The  law,  therefore,  making  every  man  personally  answerable 
for  all  the  conser/uences  of  his  own  guilt,  may  justly  be  described  in  its 
effects,  as  a  multiplication  of  the  original  transgression;  every  sinner 
thereby  becoming,  on  his  own  account,  guilty  of  death,  as  much  as 
Adam  was  for  ttie  first  ofTence.  Rom.  7:9 — 11.  2  Cor.  3:6—8.  Gal.  3:10. 
Deut.  27:15.  end.’  Taylor.  ‘The  superaboumling  of  grace  has  no  re¬ 
spect  to  the  number' of  persons  (how  can  this  be  the  case,  since  the  evils 
of  Adam's  transgression  extend  to  all  without  exception?)  but  to  the 
number  of  offences ;  see  v.  16.  So  this  passage  cannot  be  used  to  prove 
the  doctrine  of  universal  salvation.’  Stuart. 

Concluding  Note.  V.  15 — 19.  Tbe  principal  thing1,  which  ren-ters  the  expositions, 
generally  given  ot‘  these  vs.,  perplexed  and  unsatisfactory,  arises  from  ail  evident 
misconception  of  the  apostle’s  reasoning,  iu  supposing  that  Adam  and  Christ  repre¬ 
sented  exactly  the  same  company  ;  whereas  Adam  was  the  surety  of  the  whole  human 
species  as  his  posterity  ;  Christ  only  of  that  chosen  remnant,  which  has  been,  or  shall 
be,  one  with  Him  by  faith,  who  alone  *  are  counted  to  Him  for  a  generation.’  Ps.  22: 
30,  31.  Indeed  all  men,  in  consequence  of  the  undertaking  of  Christ,  are  under  a 
dispensation  of  mercy,  and  are  ’endured  with  much  long-suffering  they  are  not 
left  desperate,  they  have  many  temporal  mercies,  and  they  shall  all  arise  to  judgment. 
There  is  likewise  such  an  infinite  sufficiency  in  the  atonement  of  Christ,  and  it  is  pro- 
posed  to  sinners  in  so  general  a  manner,  as  a  common  salvation  for  all  who  will  accept 
of  rl,  thnt  a  foundation  is  laid  for  the  most  unreserved  invitations,  exhortations,  and 
expostulations  ;  and  no  one  will  be  rejected,  who  sincerely  seeks  this  salvation.  Y et 
these  important  truths  perfectly  harmonize  with  the  foreknowledge  and  predetermined 
purpose  of  God,  in  respect  of  the  persons,  who  acrnally  will  embrace  and  obtain  the 
proffered  blessings.  If  we  omit  the  consideration  of  the  number,  who  perish  in  ‘  the 
first  Adam,  ’  or  are  saved  in  *  the  second  Adam  ,’  if  we  wholly  leave  this  to  the  wise, 
righteous,  and  merciful  Creator  and  Judge  of  alt  men,  as  one  of  those  ‘  secret  things 


were;  and  that  they  are  equally  capable  of  being  reconciled  in  the 
same  way,  whatever  their  character  and  crimes  may  heretofore  have 
been. — Let  us  from  this  portion  of  the  sacred  Scriptures  leant  habitually 
to  look  on  ourselves,  and  the  whole  human  race,  as  lying  in  the  ruins 
of  the  fall,  exposed  to  condemnation,  and  no  more  able  to  save  onr  own 
souls  from  hell,  than  to  rescue  our  bodies  from  the  grave.  Instead  of 
perplexing  ourselves  about  the  awfully  deep  and  incomprehensible,  but 
most  righteous  dispensation  of  God,  in  permitting  the  entrance  of  sin 
and  death  ;  let  us  learn  to  adore  his  grace  for  providing  so  adequate  a 
remedy  for  that  awful  catastrophe,  which  we  are  sure  was  consistent 
with  all  his  glorious  perfections.  Gen.  2;16,  17. — As  our  children  have 
evidently,  through  us  received  a  sinful,  suffering,  and  dying  nature  from 
the  first  Adam  ;  we  should  be  stirred  up,  even  by  their  pains  and  sor¬ 
rows  in  helpless  infancy,  to  seek  for  them  the  blessings  of  the  second 
Adam’s  righteousness  and  salvation.  1  Cor.  15:45 — 49.  Scott. 

which  belong1  to  Him,'  and  not  tous;  and  if  we  exclusively  consider  the  benefits 
which  believers  derive  from  Christ,  as  compared  with  the  loss  sustained  in  Adam,  by 
the  human  race:  we  shall  then  see  the  passage  open,  most  perspicuously  and  glorious¬ 
ly,  to  our  view.  For  the  thoughts  of  the  supposed  immense  majority  of  those,  who 
shall  eventually  perish,  is  apt  to  encumber  the  mind  in  these  contemplations  :  I  6ay, 
supposed  ;  for  possibly  we  shall  find  our  conjectures  erroneous,  when  the  doom  of  men, 
[in  all  worlds,  and]  through  all  ages  and  nations,  shall  be  finully  determined.  Let  us 
then  advert  to  the  apostle’s  words. — 1  The  offence  ’  of  Adam,  and  its  consequences,  do 
not  in  all  thing's  coincide  with  the  ‘  free  gift,’  or  the  grace,  of  redemption.  Through 
that  one  man’6  single  offence,  1  the  many,’ or  the  multitude,  of  mankind  are  dead  ; 
under  condemnation,  dead  in  sin,  and  exposed  to  death  temporal  and  eternal.  But 
the  infinite  grace  and  mercy  of  God,  and  the  free  gift  of  righteousness  and  salvation, 
through  that  4  one  man  Jesus  Christ,’  ‘the  second  Adam,'  who  is  u'so  1  the  Lord 
from  heaven,’  much  more  abound  to  ‘  the  many,’  even  to  all  the  multitude  of  believ¬ 
ers  ;  by  bringing  them  into  a  far  safer,  happier,  and  more  exalted  state,  than  that  from 
which  they  fell  in  Adam.  For  this  gift,  not  merely  answers  to  the  loss  sustained  by 
Adam’s  sin,  but  far  exceeds  it  in  this  respect  :  ‘  the  judgment  of  God  ’  came  through 
Adam’s  single  offence  ‘on  all  men  to  condemnation;  but  the  free  gift’  not  only 
delivers  believers  from  that  '  condemnation,’  but  from  the  punishment  due  to  their 
own  numerous,  or  rather  innumerable  transgressions  ;  nor  does  it  place  them  anew  in 
a  state  of  probation,  at  all  resembling  that  of  Adam  before  he  sinned;  but  it  fixes 
them  in  a  state  of  justification,  even  as  Adam  would  have  been,  if  he  had  stood  his 
time  of  trial.  For  if,  by  ‘one  offence  of  one  man,’  death  acquired  a  compbete  domin¬ 
ion  over  the  whole  human  race,  without  a  personal  trial,  in  that  respect,  w  hether  they 
would  be  obedient  or  not;  much  more  will  they,  who  by  faith  ‘receive  the  abun¬ 
dance  of  grace,’  and  of  the  gift  of  ‘righteousness,’  be  assuredly  preserved  in  that 
state  of  acceptance,  and  so  4  reign  in  life  ’  by  the  perfect  obedience  of  their  one 
Surety,  Jesus  Christ  ;  without  the  infinite  peril,  or  inevitably  fatal  consequences,  of 
being  put  upon  a  personal  trial  of  their  perfect  obedience,  like  that  in  w  hicb  Adam 
had  failed,  and  in  which  Christ  had  persevered. 

Man  is,  indeed,  in  some  respects,  in  a  probationary  state  on  earth  ;  but  no  man  is 
put  on  the  trial,  whether  he  can  obtain  exemption  from  the  general  condemnation  of 
Adam  and  his  seed,  by  his  own  personal  obedience.  A  trial  is  made  of  him,  tending 
to  discover  the  wickedness  of  his  heart  by  manifold  experiments  ;  the  trial  is  made  by 
the  Gospel,  whether  the  sinner  will  repent  ami  believe  ;  professed  Christians  are 
tried,  whether  they  are  sincere  or  not  ;  and  believers  are  proved  in  respect  of  the 
strength  of  their  faith  and  grace  :  yet  they  are  not  put  on  any  probation,  with  refer- 
enceto  their  Justification  and  eternal  life  ;  hut  ‘are  accounted  righteous, *  and  ap¬ 
pointed  heirs  oy  faith  nlone,  through  the  righteousness  of  their  On»  Divine  Surety  ; 
which  consisted  not,  like  Adam’s  offence,  in  one  action,  but  in  a  continued  and  per* 
feet  conformity  to  the  whole  divine  law,  through  life,  and  unto  hi*  death  on  the  cross. 
— Yet,  notwithstanding  these  differences,  the  similarity  is  striking  amt  instructive  ; 
for ,  4  as  by  the  one  offence  of  one  man,  sin  entered,’  and  'prevailed  to  the  condemnation 
of  all  men  ;  so,  by  4  the  righteousness  of  One,’  even  Christ,  grace  entered  and  pre¬ 
vailed  to  the  complete  justification  of  all  men,  throughout  the  earth,  and  during  all 
ages,  who  are  related  to  Christ  by  grace  and  faith,  or  by  regeneration,  and  partaking 
of  the  life-giving  Spirit  of  Christ  ;  as  all  men  were  related  to  Adam  by  natural  gen  • 


A.  D.  61. 


ROMANS,  VI. 


Paul’s  discourse  of  sanctification. 


CHAP.  VI. 

i  We  may  not  live  in  sin,  2  for  we  are  dead  onto  it,  3  as 
appeareili  by  oOr  baptism.  12  Let  not  sin  reign  any 
more,  18  because  we  have  yielded  ourselves  lo  the  service 
of  righteousness,  23  and  for  that  death  is  the  wages  of  sin. 

WHAT  shall  we  say  then  ? 

Shall  1  we  continue  in  sin, 
that  grace  may  abound  ? 

2  God  forbid.  How  shall  we, 
that  are  dead  b  to  sin,  live  any  long¬ 
er  therein  ? 

3  Know  ye  not,  that  so  many  of 
us  as  c  were  baptized  into  Jesus 
Christ  were  baptized  into  d  his 
death  ? 

4  Therefore  we  are  buried  ®with 
him  by  baptism  into  death  ;  that 
like  fas  Christ  was  raised  up  from 
the  dead  by  s  the  glory  of  the  Fath¬ 
er,  even  so  we  also  should  walk  in 
newness  h  of  life. 

a  c.  3:8.  d  1  Co.  15:29.  13:4. 

b  ver.  6— 11.  Col.  e  Col.  2: 12.  1  Pe.  g  Mat.  28:2,  3. 

3:3.  I  I  e.  2:24.  3:21.  h  Ga.6:15,  Ep.  4: 

c  or,  are.  c.  8:11.  2  Co.  22 — 24.  lJn. 2:6. 

Chap.  VI.  The  apostle  having  at  large 
asserted,  opened,  and  proved,  the  great  doc¬ 
trine  of  justification  by  faith,  for  fear  lest 
any  should  suck  poison  out  of  that  sweet 
flower,  and  turn  that  grace  of  God  into 
wantonness  and  licentiousness,  he,  with  a 


like  zeal,  copiousness  of  expression,  and 
cogency  of  argument,  presses  the  absolute 
necessity  of  sanctification  and  a  holy  life,  as 
the  inseparable  fruit  and  companion  of  jus¬ 
tification  ;  for  wherever  Jesus  Christ  is 
made  of  God  unto  any  soul  righteousness. 
Me  is  made  of  God  unto  that  soul  sanctifi¬ 
cation,  1  Cor.  1:80.  The  water  and  the 
blood  came  streaming  together  out  of  the 
pierced  side  of  the  dying  Jesus.  And  what 
God  hath  thus  joined  together,  let  not  us 
dare  to  put  asunder. 

V.  1 — 23.  The  transition,  here,  is  observ¬ 
able,  v.  1.  What  use  shall  we  make  of  this 
sweet  and  comfortable  doctrine  1  Shall  we 
hence  take  encouragement  to  sin,  because 
the  more  sin  we  commit,  the  more  will  the 
grace  of  God  he  magnified  in  our  pardon  1 
No,  it  is  an  abuse,  and  the  apostle  startles 
at  the  thought  of  it,  v.  2.  He  entertains  the 
objection  as  Christ  did  the  devil’s  blackest 
temptation,  Mat.  4:10.  Get  thee  hence,  Satan. 
Those  opinions  that  countenance  sin,  or 
open  a  door  to  practical  immoralities,  how 
specious  and  plausible  soever,  through  pre¬ 
tence  of  advancing  free  grace,  are  to  be  re¬ 
jected  with  the  greatest  abhorrence  ;  for 
the  truth  as  it  is  in  Jesus,  is  a  truth  accord¬ 
ing  to  godliness,  Tit.  1: 1. 

He  is  very  full  in  pressing  the  necessity  of 
holiness  in  this  ch.,  which  may  be  reduced 
to  two  heads. 

I.  His  exhortations  to  holiness,  which 


: 


show  the  nature  of  it ;  what  it  is,  and  where¬ 
in  it  consists  :  in  general,  in  mortification , 
and  vilification  ;  dying  to  sin,  and  living  to 
righteousness  ;  elsewhere  expressed  by  put¬ 
ting  off  the  old  man,  and  putting  on  the 
new  ;  ceasing  to  do  evil,  and  learning  to 
do  well. 

1.  Mortification,  putting  off  the  old  man, 
several  ways  expressed.  (1.)  We  must  five 
no  longer  in  sin,  v.  2.  not  be  as  we  have 
been,  nor  do  as  we  have  done.  1  Pet.  4:  3. 
Though  none  live  without  sin,  yet,  blessed 
he  God,  some  do  not  live  in  sin  ;  do  not 
make  a  trade  of  it,  live  in  it  as  their  ele¬ 
ment  :  that  is  to  he  sanctified.  (2.)  The 
body  of  sin  must  be  destroyed,  v.  6.  The 
corruption  that  dwelleth  in  us  is  the  body  of 
sin,  consisting  of  many  parts  and  members, 
as  a  body.  This  is  the  root  to  which  the 
axe  must  he  laid.  We  must  not  only  cease 
from  the  acts  of  sin  ;  hut  get  the  vicious 
habits  and  inclinations  weakened  and  des¬ 
troyed  :  *  not  only  cast  away  the  idols  out 
of  the  sanctuary,  but  the  idols  of  iniquity  out 
of  the  heart.  (3.)  We  must  be  dead  indeed 
unto  sin,  v.  11.  as  indifferent  to  the  plea¬ 
sures  and  delights  of  sin,  as  a  man  dying  is 
to  his  former  diversions.  He  that  is  dead 

*  The  lower  propensities  are  not  to  be  destroyed,  of 
course,  for  that  would  be  to  commit  suicide,  but  they  are 
to  he  weakened,  if  too  active  ;  to  be  made  obedient  to  the 
higher  principles  or  elements  of  our  nature,  enlightened  by 
revelation  and  reason  :  to  be  regulated,  and  their  abuses 
destroyed  ;  they  must  never  rule.  Ed. 


eration.  For,  as  1  by  the  disobedience  ’  of  one  single  person,  being  a  public  charac¬ 
ter,  or  representative  of  his  posterity,  1  many  were  made’  or  constituted  ‘sinners,’ 
and  dealt  with  accordingly,  previously  to  the  consideration  of  their  personal  trans¬ 
gressions  :  so,  ‘  by  the  obedience  of  One,’  who  also  was  a  public  character,  and  the 
representative  of  his  people,  ‘  many,’  even  the  whole  multitude  of  believeis,  ‘are 
constituted  righteous’  before  God,  and  dealt  with  as  such;  even  previously  to  the 
consideration  of  their  personal  holiness  and  obedience  ;  which  spring  from  their  spir¬ 
itual  union  with  Christ,  as  depravity  does  from  man’s  natural  union  with  Adam. 
Thus,  in  many  things,  the  type  and  Antitype  coincide  ;  though  disobedience  and  con¬ 
demnation  are  opposite  to  obedience  and  justification.  But  the  believer,  being  jus¬ 
tified  by  faith,  has  his  title  to  life,  in  Christ,  who  preserves  it  for  him  :  so  that  he  is 
not  left  to  peradvenlures,  or  to  the  hazards  arising  from  the  mutability  of  creatures,  as 
Adam  was  ;  but  he  is  safe  by  his  union  with  Him,  who  is  ‘  God  manifest  in  the  flesh  ;’ 
and  his  future  felicity  will  be  proportionably  more  exalted,  in  consequence  of  his  en¬ 
deared  relation  to  the  Godhead,  in  Christ,  his  Brother  and  Friend. 

(17.)  Much  more ,  &c.]  Can  anything  be  ‘  much  more  *  certain,  than  that  all  men 
as  one  with  Adam  die  ?  Yes,  it  is  much  more  certain  that  all,  who,  bv  faith  ‘  receive 
the  abundance  of  grace  and  the  giftof  righteousness,  shall  reign  in  life  with  Christ.’ 
Enoch  and  Elijah  did  not  die,  but  were  translated  ;  and  multitudes  innumerable 
shall  be  living  when  Christ  shall  come  :  1  Cor.  15:50 — 54.  but  not  one  true  believer 
shall  come  short  of  ‘  reigning  in  life  with  Him  !’ — As  it  is  evident,  that  all  men ,  in  the 
strict  sense  of  the  word,  do  not  ‘  receive  abundance  of  grace  and  of  the  gift  of  right¬ 
eousness,’  or  obtain  ‘justification  of  life  and  that  ‘all  men,’  in  this  universal 
sense,  shall  not  4  reign  in  life,’  for  some  shall  ‘  go  away  into  everlasting  punishment:' 
so  the  term  must  be  explained,  in  the  1st  clause,  of  all  men  in  Adam,  and  in  the  2d, 
of  all  men  in  Christ ,  if  any  consistent  meaning  is  be  affixed  to  the  words  (18)  :  ex¬ 
cept  universal  ‘  salvation,  with  eternal  glory,’  be  contended  for  ;  as  ‘  justification  un¬ 
to  life,’  and  ‘  reigning  with  Christ  in  life,’  are  predicated  emphatically  of  the  whole 
company  here  described.  It  may,  indeed,  he  admitted,  that  the  ‘  free  gift  ’  insuffi¬ 
cient  for  *  all  men,’  and  ought  to  be  proposed  to  4  all  men  and  if  ‘  all  men  ’  (18)  be 
thus  understood,  as  some  think  it  may  be,  it  differs  from  the  4  many  '  in  some  of  the 
other  vs.  ;  yet  the  apostle’s  argument  seems,  through  the  whole,  to  be  concerning  the 
same  companies,  those  in  Adam  and  those  in  Christ.  Scott. 

NOTES.  Chap.  VI.  V.  1,  2.  The  apostle  does  not  set  ns  an  ex¬ 
ample  of  keeping  out  of  sight,  explaining  away,  or  cautiously  propos¬ 
ing  the  free  grace  of  the  Gospel :  but,  while  he  states  his  doctrine  in  the 
most  explicit  and  decisive  language  imaginable,  he  shows  also  the  insep¬ 
arable  connexion  between  justification  and  sanctification.  Let  ‘the 
thought  be  abhorred,’  says  he,  ‘  of  continuing  in  sin  that  grace  may 
abound.’  The  unbeliever  has  no  part  in  that  grace  :  and,  as  the  believer 
is  ‘  dead  to  sin,  how  shall  he  live  any  longer  ’  in  the  practice  of  it  ? 
That  view  of  the  glory  of  God,  of  the  holiness  and  excellency  of  the 
law,  and  of  his  own  guilt  and  danger,  which,  as  the  effect  of  regenera¬ 
tion,  convinced  him  that  he  needed  the  salvation  of  Christ,  and  made 
it  precious  to  his  heart,  led  him  also  to  repent,  and  to  abhor  all  sin. 
This  change,  begun  in  convictions,  always  humbling  and  often  alarming, 
was  more  completely  effected  by  further  discoveries  of  the  mercy,  and 
experience  of  the  comforts,  of  redemption  :  so  that  love  and  gratitude 
to  the  divine  Savior,  and  other  evangelical  principles,  concur  with  ha¬ 
tred  of  sin,  to  mortify  hts  affections  to  its  pleasures  and  interests,  and 
to  cause  him  to  separate  from  iniquity,  as  a  dead  man  ceases  from  the 
actions  of  life.  John  16:8—11,14,15.  2  Cor.  5:13— 15.  Gal.  2:17— 21. 
5:13 — 26.  Jam.  2:8 — 26.  Not  only  ought  this  to  he  the  believer’s  char¬ 
acter,  but  in  a  measure  it  actually  is  so  :  and  thus  it  forms  the  proper 
evidence,  being  the  inseparable  concomitant,  of  his  justification.  This 
effectually  secures  him  from  abusing  the  doctrines  of  grace  :  he  may  be 
seduced  into  sin,  but  he  ‘cannot  live  any  longer  ’  in  the  habitual  prac¬ 
tice  of  known  transgression  :  I  John  3:-i — 10. — 1  The  benefits  of  justifi¬ 
cation  and  sanctification  are  connected  bv  a  perpetual  bond:  each  of 
them  flows  from  Christ,  by  the  grace  of  God.  Sanctification  is  the  de¬ 
struction  of  sin,  i.  e.  of  our  original  depravity ;  in  the  place  of  which 
the  purity  of  a  renewed  nature  succeeds.  This  is  the  quality,  which 
the  Spirit  creates  in  the  members  of  Christ  our  I  lead. — “Dying  unto 
sin,”  mid  “  living  unto  God,”  or  Christ,  or  righteousness,  answer  to  each 
other.’  Brza. — It  is  surprising,  that  many  learned  expositors  should, 
without  hesitation  or  proof,  interpret  the  phrase,  as  if  it  only  meant  the 
outward  profession  made  in  baptism:  and,  as  if  all  baptized  persons 
were  indeed  ‘  dead  unto  sin.’  ‘Note  tiere,  that  if  the  faith,  to  which  Paul 
in  this  epistle  doth  ascribe  justification,  did  not  [not  ?[  only  ohlige  to, 
but  comprehend  evangelical  and  constant  obedience,  there  could  be  no 
color  for  this  objection  that  therefore  must  be  a  mistake.’  Whitby.  Sc. 

(2.)  Living  therein .j  ‘  ZSn  en  plainly  denotes  living  in  the  habit¬ 
ual  commission  of,  being  given  up  to.  So  the  expression  is  used  in 

[193] 


iElian.,  Philostr.,  Diod.  Sic.,  and  Wets.,  comp.  v.  10  and  11.  Cob  3:7.  Bl. 

V.  3,  4.  The  spiritual  meaning  of  the  external  sign  is  the  same  when 
baptism  is  administered  to  the  infant-offspring  of  believers  :  even  as  the 
meaning  of  circumcision  was  the  same,  when  it  was  performed  on 
Abraham  the  aged  believer,  on  Ishinael,  who  perhaps  never  believed,  and 
on  Isaac,  an  infant  of  8  days  old,  long  before  he  believed.  4:9 — 12.  Gen. 
17:7 — 12.  Mat.  28:19,  20.  It  was  the  outward  sign  of  regeneration,  or 
‘  a  death  unto  sin,  and  a  new  birth  unto  righteousness,’  and  it  sealed 
justificaiion  by  faith  to  all  those  who  ever  possessed  the  thing  signified, 
but  to  none  else.  Thus  Simon  Magus,  though  baptized  adull,  derived  no 
more  benefit  from  the  outward  sign,  than  those  multitudes  do,  who, 
having  been  baptized  in  infancy,  when  grown  up  despise  the  inward  ami 
spiritual  grace  of  it.  Acts  8:9 — 13,  36—40. — Great  stress  has  been  laid 
on  the  expression,  ‘buried  with  Him  by  baptism  into  death,’  as  proving 
that  baptism  ought  to  be  performed  by  immersion ,  to  which  the  apostle 
is  supposed  to  allude.  Col.  2: 11,  12.  But  we  ure  said  also,  to  be  ‘cru¬ 
cified  with  Christ,’  and  circumcised  with  Him,  without  any  allusion  to 
the  outward  manner  in  which  crucifixion  and  circumcision  were  per¬ 
formed  :  and,  as  baptism  is  far  more  frequently  mentioned,  with  refer¬ 
ence  to  the  ‘ pouring  out  ’  of  the  Holy  Ghost;  Notes,  Acts  1:4 — 8.  2:14 
— 21.  Tit.  3:4 — 7.  and  as  the  apostle  is  evidently  treating  on  the  inward 
meaning,  not  the  outward  form,  of  that  ordinance;  no  conclusive  argu¬ 
ment  is  deducible  from  the  expression,  showing  that  immersion  is  neces¬ 
sary  to  baptism  ;  or  even,  apart  from  other  proof,  that  baptism  was  gen¬ 
erally  thus  administered.  Scott. 

(3,4)  Into  his  death.]  ‘The  context  plainly  confines  us  to  one 
sense,  namely,  that  expressed  in  the  preceding  words,  dead  to  sin  ;  and 
must  therefore  mean,  to  be  bound,  by  baptism,  to  die  unto,  and  utterly 
renounce  and  forsake  all  sin,  as  Christ  has  laid  down  his  life.  At  the 
same  time  it  must  be  acknowledged,  that  the  similitude  is,  like  many 
others  of  Jewish  writers,  but  remote  and  faint,  and  is,  as  Kop.  observes, 
more  in  words,  than  in  the  thing  itself.  There  is  plainly  a  reference, 
v.  4.  to  the  ancient  mode  of  baptism  by  immersion,  (see  Suicer,  and 
Bingham ,)  and  I  agree  with  Kop.  and  Ros.,  that  there  is  reason  to  regret 
it  should  have  been  abandoned  in  most  Christian  churches,  especially  as 
it  has  so  evidently  a  reference  to  the  mystic  sense  of  baptism.  {Wets. 
adverts  to  the  figurative  use  of  bury,  as  employed  of  plunging  under 
water;  which,  he  says,  was  especially  applied  to  those  who  were  cast 
into  the  sea.  And  he  cites  Sil.  Ital.,  Plin.,  and  Anthol.  And  so  itseems 
to  have  been  taken  by  Theoph.,  who  observes,  that,  as  we  are  by  bap¬ 
tism  buried  in  the  water,  so  Christ  was  buried  in  the  earth.)  [This  ref¬ 
erence  St.  disputes,  pp.  252 — 4.]  Though  I  grant,  with  Tioddr.,  that 
that  will  not  prove  this  particular  circumstance  to  be  essential  to  the 
ordinance  :  and  in  whatever  manner  it  was  administered,  if  it  were  in¬ 
tended  as  a  declaration  of  faith  in  the  death  and  resurrection  of  Christ, 
as  it  is  well  known  that  Christ  died  for  sin,  it  would  infer  an  obligation 
to  die  to  it,  and  rise  again  to  a  holy  life ;  which  is  the  main  point  at 
which  the  apostle  labors.’  Bloomf. — ‘Baptism,  or  our  immersion  into 
water,  according  lo  the  ancient  mode  of  administering  it,  is  a  figure  of 
our  burial  with  Christ,  and  of  our  conformity  to  his  death,  and  so,  signi¬ 
fies  our  dying  to  sin,  and  walking  in  newness  of  life.  For  the  death  of 
Christ  must  be  considered  not  barely  as  a  natural  death,  a  separation  of 
soul  and  body,  but  as  a  sacrifice  for  sin,  to  destroy  the  power  and  do¬ 
minion  of  it ;  and  so  our  dying  to  sin  (i.  e.  ceasing  from  the  practice  of 
it)  is  the  truest  conformity  to  the  death  of  Christ ;  and  we  must  consid¬ 
er  his  resurrection,  not  as  his  returning  to  life  again,  but  as  his  living  to 
God,  his  advancement  into  li is  spiritual  kingdom,  the  design  of  which 
is  to  promote  the  interest  of  religion  and  a  divine  life;  and  so  our  walk¬ 
ing  in  newness  of  life  (a  virtuous  and  religious  life)  is  our  conformity  to 
his  resurrection,  anil  makes  us  the  true  subjects  of  his  spiritual  king¬ 
dom  ;  which,  the  apostle  tells  us,  gives  an  abundant  assurance  of  a  glo¬ 
rious  resurrection,  that  we  shall,  in  a  proper  sense,  rise  with  Him;  be¬ 
cause  this  new  life,  wherein  our  spiritual  conformity  to  the  resurrection 
of  Christ  consists,  is  an  immortal  principle  of  life,  which  can  no  more 
die,  than  Christ  can  die  again,  now  He  is  risen  from  the  dead.’  Knowl¬ 
edge  of  Christ.  Sherlock,  in  Bl. 

(4.)  1  We  then  have  been  buried  with,’  Sec.  Stuart. 


A.  D.  61. 


ROMANS,  VI. 


Paul’s  discourse  of  sanctification. 


5  For  if 'we  have  been  planted 
together  in  the  likeness  of  his  death, 
we  shall  be  also  in  the  likeness  of 
his  resurrection  : 

6  Knowing  this,  that  our  old  man 
is  crucified  with  him,  that  the  body 
j  of  sin  might  be  destroyed,  that 
henceforth  we  should  not  serve  sin. 

7  For  k  he  that  is  dead  is  'freed 
from  sin. 

8  Now  if  we  be  dead  with  Christ, 
we  believe  that  we  shall  also  live 
with  him  : 

9  Knowing  that  m  Christ,  being 
raised  from  the  dead,  dieth  no  more; 
death  hath  no  dominion  over  him. 

10  For  in  that  he  died,  he  died 
"  unto  sin  once  :  but  in  that  he  liv- 
eth,  he  liveth  unto  God. 

1 1  Likewise  reckon  ye  also  your¬ 
selves  to  be  “dead  indeed  unto  sin, 
but  p  alive  unto  God  through  Jesus 
Christ  our  Lord. 

i  Phi  3:10.  1  or,  justified.  o  ver.  2. 

Col.  2:11.  m  Re.  1:18.  p  Ga.  2:19. 

IPe.  4:1.  n  He.  S:28. 


is  separated  from  his  former  company,  con¬ 
verse,  business,  enjoyments,  employments  ; 
is  not  what  he  was,  does  not  what  lie  did, 
ha3  not  what  he  had.  Death  makes  a 
mighty  change  ;  such  a  change  doth  sancti¬ 
fication  make  in  the  soul,  it  cuts  off  all  cor¬ 
respondence  with  sin.  (4.)  Sin  must  not 
reign  in  our  mortal  bodies,  that  we  should  obey 
it,  v.  12.  Though  sin  may  remain  as  an 
outlaw,  may  oppress  as  a  tyrant,  yet  let  it 
not  reign  as  a  king  ;  make  laws,  preside  in 
councils,  nor  command  the  militia  ;  let  it 
not  be  uppermost  in  the  soul,  so  that  we 
should  obey  it.  Though  we  may  be  some¬ 
times  overtaken  and  overcome  by  it;  yet  let 
not  sinful  lusts  be  a  law  to  you,  to  which  you 
would  yield  a  consenting  obedience.  In  the 
lusts  thereof, — it  refers  to  the  body,  not  to 
sin.  Sin  lies  very  much  in  gratifying  the 
body,  [and  its  animal  propensities,]  and  hu¬ 
moring  that.  And  there  is  reason  implied 
in  that,  your  mortal  body  ;  because  it  is  a 
mortal  body,  and  hastening  apace  to  the  dust, 
therefore  let  not  sin  reign  in  it.  It  was  sin 
that  made  our  bodies  mortal,  therefore  do 
not  yield  obedience  to  such  an  enemy.  (5.) 


We  must  not  yield  our  members  as  instru¬ 
ments  of  unrighteousness,  v.  13.  The  mem¬ 
bers  of  the  body  are  made  use  of  by  the  cor¬ 
rupt  nature  as  tools,  by  which  the  wills  of 
the  flesh  are  fulfilled  ;  but  we  must  not  con¬ 
sent  to  that  abuse.  The  members  of  the 
body  are  fearfully  and  wonderfully  made  ;  it 
is  pity  they  should  be  the  devil’s  tools  of  un¬ 
righteousness  unto  sin,  instruments  of  the 
sinful  actions,  according  to  the  sinful  dispo¬ 
sitions.  Unrighteousness  is  unto  sin  j  the 
sinful  acts  confirm  and  strengthen  the  sinful 
habits  ;  one  sin  begets  another  ;  it  is  like 
the  letting  forth  of  water,  therefore  leave  it 
before  it  be  meddled  with.  The  members 
of  the  body  may,  perhaps,  through  the  pre¬ 
valency  of  temptation,  be  forced  to  be  instru¬ 
ments  of  sin  ;  but  do  not  yield  them  to  be 
so,  do  not  consent  to  it.  This  is  one  branch 
of  sanctification,  the  mortification  of  sin. 

2.  Vivification, or  living  to  righteousness; 
and  what  is  that  1 

(1.)  It  is  to  walk  in  newness  of  life,  v.  4. 
Newness  of  life  supposes  newness  of  heart, 
for  out  of  it  are  the  issues  of  life  ;  and 
there  is  no  way  to  make  the  stream  sweet, 
but  by  making  the  spring  so.  Walking,  in 
Scripture,  is  put  for  the  course  and  tenor  of 
the  conversation,  which  must  be  new.  Walk 
by  new  rules,  toward  new  ends,  from  new 
principles  ;  make  a  new  choice  of  the  way; 
choose  new  paths  to  walk  in,  new  leaders  to 
walk  after,  new  companions  to  walk  with  : 
old  things  should  pass  away,  and  all  things 
become  new.  The  man  is  what  he  was  not, 
does  what  he  did  not. 

(2.)  It  is  to  be  alive  unto  God  through 
Jesus  Christ  ozir  Lord,  v.  11.  To  converse 
with  God,  to  have  a  regard  to  Him,  a  de¬ 
light  in  Him,  a  concern  for  Him,  the  soul 
on  all  occasions  carried  out  toward  Him,  as 
towards  an  agreeable  object,  in  which  it 
takes  a  complacency  :  this  is  to  be  alive  to 
God.  The  love  of  God  reigning  in  the 
heart,  is  the  life  of  the  soul  towards  God. 
The  soul  is  where  it  loves,  rather  than  where 
it  lives  ;  the  affections  and  desires  alive  to¬ 
ward  God.  Or,  living  (our  life  in  the  flesh) 
unto  God,  to  his  honor  and  glory  as  our  end, 
bv  his  Word  and  will  as  our  rule  ;  in  all 
our  ways  to  acknowledge  Him,  and  to  have 
our  eyes  ever  toward  Him  ;  that  is  to  live 
unto  God.  Through  Jesus  Christ  our  Lord. 
Christ  is  our  spiritual  life  ;  there  is  no  living 
to  God  but  through  Him.  He  is  the  Medi¬ 
ator  ;  there  can  be  no  comfortable  receiv¬ 


ings  from  God,  or  acceptable  regards  to 
God,  but  in  and  through  Jesus  Christ  ;  no 
intercourse  between  sinful  souls  and  a  Indy 
God,  but  by  the  mediation  of  the  Lord  Je¬ 
sus.  Through  Christ,  as  the  Author  and 
maintainer  of  this  life  ;  through  Christ,  as 
the  Head  from  whom  we  receive  vital  influ¬ 
ence  ;  through  Christ,  as  the  Root  by  which 
we  derive  sap  and  nourishment,  and  so  live. 
In  living  to  God,  Christ  is  all  in  all. 

(3.)  It  is  to  yield  ourselves  to  God ,  as 
those  that  are  alive  from  the  dead,  v.  13.  The 
very  life  and  being  of  holiness  lie  in  the 
dedication  of  ourselves  to  the  Lord,  giving 
our  own  selves  to  the  Lord,  2  Cor.  8:5. 
‘  Yield  yourselves  to  Him,  not  only  as  the 
conquered  to  the  conqueror,  because  he  can 
stand  it  out  no  longer  ;  but  as  the  wife  to 
her  husband,  to  whom  her  desire  is  ;  as  the 
scholar  to  the  teacher,  the  apprentice  to  his 
master,  to  be  taught  and  ruled  by  Him  : 
yield  nothing  less  than  your  whole  selves  ; 
accommodate  yourselves  to  God  ;  so  Tremel- 
lius,  from  the  Syriac  :  comply  with  Him  ; 
not  only  present  yourselves  once  for  all,  but 
be  always  ready  to  Him.  Yield  yourselves 
to  Him  as  wax  to  the  seal,  to  take  any  im¬ 
pression,  to  be,  and  have,  and  do,  what  He 
pleases.’  When  Paul  said,  Lord,  what  wilt 
Thou  have  me  to  do  ?  Acts  9:  6.  he  was  then 
yielded  to  God. — As  those  that  are  alive  from 
the  dead  :  not  a  dead  carcase  to  a  living 
God,  but  a  living  sacrifice,  ch.  12:  1.  The 
surest  evidence  of  our  spiritual  life  is,  the 
dedication  of  ourselves  to  God.  It  may  be 
understood  of  a  death,  in  law,  and  so  of  the 
justified  and  redeemed. 

(4.)  It  is  to  yield  our  members,  as  instru¬ 
ments  of  righteousness,  to  God.  The  mem¬ 
bers  of  our  bodies,  when  withdrawn  from 
the  service  of  sin,  are  not  to  lie  idle,  but  to 
be  made  use  of  in  the  service  of  God.  The 
powers  and  facidties  of  the  soul  are  the  im¬ 
mediate  subjects  of  holiness  and  righteous¬ 
ness,  yet  the  members  of  the  body  are  to  be 
instruments  ;  the  body  must  be  always  ready 
to  serve  the  soul  in  the  service  of  God. 
Thus,  v.  14.  ‘  Yield  your  members  servants 
of  righteousness  unto  holiness.  Let  them  be 
under  the  conduct,  and  at  the  command  of 
the  righteous  law  of  God,  and  that  prin¬ 
ciple  of  inherent  righteousness,  which  the 
Spirit,  as  a  Sanctifier,  plants  in  the  sold. — 
Righteousness  unto  holiness  ;  w  hich  intimates 
growth,  and  progress,  and  ground  got.  As 
every  sinful  act  confirms  the  sinful  habit, 


V.  5 — 7.  ‘  By  an  elegant  metaphor,  the  apostle  compares  Christ,  who 

died  and  was  buried,  and  rose  again  from  the  dead,  to  a  plant,  which, 
being  covered  in  the  earth,  germinates  in  due  time.  And  then,  because 
he  had  said,  that  we  “are  dead  to  sin,  and  buried  with  Christ,”  that  we 
might  rise  again  unto  righteousness  ;  in  order  to  intimate,  that  all  these 
things  take  place  by  the  grace  which  we  derive  from  Christ,  he  says, 
that  we  have  grown  together  with  Him  into  one  plant ;  as  those  things 
which  are  “  planted  together”  with  a  tree,  grow  together,  and  live  by 
one  common  sap.’  Beza.  ‘  We  grow  together  with  Christ,  as  moss, 
ivy,  missletoe,  or  such  like,  grow  up  by  a  tree,  and  are  nourished  by  the 
juice  thereof.’  Leigh.  Sinful  men,  then,  become  1  one  with  Christ,’ by 
partaking  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  which  animates  his  whole  mystical  body, 
as  the  soul  does  our  natural  bodies;  and,  bv  the  teaching  and  influence 
of  the  Holy  Spirit,  they  believe  onto  justification  :  and  then  faith  ren¬ 
ders  them  in  that  way  ‘one  with  Christ;  ’  but  the  same  Spirit  also  in¬ 
clines  and  enables  them  to  mortify  all  their  sinful  passions,  ami  thus  re¬ 
news  their  souls  unto  holiness.  ...  For  he  that  is  dead  to  the  love  and 
practice  of  sin,  is  freed  for  ever  from  its  yoke  :  he  has  passed  into  the 
service  of  another  Master ;  sin  has  no  further  claim  upon  him,  and  shall 
never  recover  its  Inst  authority.  8:3,  4,  12,  13.  Gal.  5:22 — 26.  Col. 
2: 1 1.  12.  Thus  v.  7.  is  commonly  explained  ;  but  it  is  most  exactly  tr. : 
‘  He  that  is  dead,  has  been  justified  from  sin  ;  ’  Marg. — 8:1,  2.  and  the 
lit.  meaning  seems  still  more  aptly  to  coincide  with  the  apostle’s  argu¬ 
ment  :  he,  and  he  onlv,  who  ‘  is  dead  to  sin,’  has  been  justified  from  the 
guilt  of  it,  ‘  having  received  the  free  gift  unto  justification  of  life.’  5:15 
— 19,0.18.  His  death  to  sin  is  the  requisite  attestation  of  his  being 
accounted  righteous;  so  that  the  doctrine  properly  understood,  is  inca¬ 
pable  of  that  perversion  which  is  generally  objected  to  it. — Indeed, 
Christ,  when  1  He  died  unto  sin  once,’  (101  was  justified  as  our  Surely 
and  Exemplar  in  consequence  of  his  death  :  so  that  the  believer’s  con¬ 
formity  to  his  I.ord,  of  which  the  apostle  discourses,  is  illustrated  by 
the  lit.  tr. — (6)  Our  obi  man  ]  Our  depraved  nature  is  called  ‘a  man  ;  ’ 
because  it  comprises  a  complete  system  of  unholy  dispositions  and  af¬ 
fections,  and  imparts  its  baleful  influence  to  the  whole  soul  and  body  ; 
and  the ‘old  man,’  because  derived  from  the  first  Adam,  and  so  in 
everv  one  prior  to  grace,  or  the  image  of  the  second  Adam-  1  Cor.  15  : 
45—49.  Eph.  4:20—24.  Col.  3:7—11.  Scott. 

(5.)  ‘  For  if  we  have  become  kindred  with  Him,  by  a  death  like  his, 
then  we  shall  be  also  by  a  resurrection.’  STCA.3T. 


(6.)  ‘The  corrupt  nature  of  man  received  in  Scripture  the  name  of 
the  old  man,  in  reference  to  the  most  critical  condition  in  which  we  are 
placed,  namely,  at  our  birth,  from  which  time  (unless  he  be  reformed)  a 
man  will  more  and  more  enslave  himself  to  sinful  habits.  In  continua¬ 
tion  of  the  allegory,  body  and  members  are  ascribed  to  this  old  man.’ 
li'o/f.  ‘  Sin  is  here,  by  a  continuation  of  prosopopoeia,  personified,  as  a 
master.  But  when  a  master  is  dead  the  slave  no  longer  owes  [gives] 
him  service.’  Bloomf.  IVitli  Him.]  ‘As  he  was. — So  that  we  should  no 
longer,  &c.’  Stuart. 

V.  8 — 10.  The  promise  of  God,  to  give  life,  even  eternal  life,  to  all 
who  believe,  is  the  sole  ground  of  onr  hope  of  obtaining  the  inestima¬ 
ble  blessing  :  but  as  all  who  hear  the  Gospel  do  not  obtain  it,  nor  all 
who  profess  and  seem  to  believe  it ;  how  shall  we  know,  that  we,  rath¬ 
er  than  our  fellow-sinners,  are  partakers  of  the  promise,  except  b'  being 
conscious  of  having  experienced  a  ‘  death  unto  sin,  and  a  new  birth  unto 
righteousness  ?  ’  If  a  professed  Christian  is  a  stranger  to  this  change, 
his  confidence  of  ‘  reigning  with  Christ  in  glorv  ’  is  presumptuous.  But 
when  a  man  becomes  dead  to  his  once  most  beloved  sinful  pleasures  and 
pursuits  ;  his  prospect  is  clear,  and  his  interest  in  the  righteousness  of 
the  Surety  is  demonstrated.  5:6  — 10.  John  14:18 — 20.  Gal.  217 — 21. — 
As  the  blessed  Jesus  was  in  Himself  wholly  free  from  sin  ;  it  seems  im¬ 
possible  to  find  any  satisfactory  meaning  in  the  words, ‘He  died  unto 
sin  once;’  unless  we  allow,  that  He  died  as  an  atoning  sacrifice  for  the 
sins  of  men,  which  were  imputed  to  Him,  and  that  He  1  bare  them  in  his 
own  bodv  on  the  tree.’  Col.  2:20 — 23.  3:1 — 4.  Heb.  9:27,  28.  1  Pet.  2. 
18 — 25,  u"  24.  4:1,  2.  Scott. 

(8.)  Believe.]  Perhaps  we  may  tr.  ‘  may  trust.’  Bloomf. 

V.  11.  The  preceding  vs.  declare  the  character  and  experience  of 
real  Christians,  according  to  their  measure  of  grace  :  but  the  apostle 
here  proceeds  to  exhort  professed  Christians  to  evince  their  sincerity  by 
a  suitable  conduct ;  and  believers  to  live  up  to  their  privileges,  and  in 
consistency  with  their  profession.  Dead  unto  sin.]  Eph.  2:1,5.  Cot.  2:13. 
The  context  clearly  shows,  that  being  ‘  dead  to  sin,’ or  ‘ from  sin,'  is 
meant;  and  not  ‘  dead  in  sins:'  and  sanctification  by  union  with  Christ, 
not  pardon  through  his  atonement,  is  the  benefit  insisted  on.  This  ap¬ 
pears  by  the  clause,  ‘  our  old  man  is  crucified  with  Him  ’  (6)  :  i.  c.  not 

our  persons  but  onr  depraved  nature  and  propensities.  1,2.  Scott. 

(11.)  ‘Ur.  A.  Clarke  well  paraphrases,  Die  ns  truly  unto  sin,  as  He 
died  for  sin;  live  as  truly  unto  God,  as  He  lives  with  God.’  Bloomf. 


A.  D.  61. 


ROMANS,  VI. 


Paul’s  discourse  of  sanctification. 


12  Let  not  sin  therefore  reign  in 
your  mortal  body,  that  ye  should 
obey  it  in  the  lusts  thereof. 

13  Neither  yield  ye  your  mem¬ 
bers  r  os  8  instruments  of  unrighte¬ 
ousness  unto  sin  :  but  yield  'your¬ 
selves  unto  God,  as  those  that  are 
alive  from  the  dead,  and  your  mem¬ 
bers  as  instruments  of  righteous¬ 
ness  unto  God. 

14  For  sin  shall  not  have  u  do¬ 
minion  over  you  :  for  ye  are  not 
under  the  law,  but  under  grace. 

15  What  then  ?  Shall  we  sin, 
because  we  are  not  under  the  law, 
but  under  grace  ?  God  forbid. 

q  Ps  19:13.  119:133.  b  arm*,  or,  wea-  t  c.  12:1. 

r  Col.  3:5.  pom.  u  .Mi.  7:19. 

and  makes  the  nature  more  and  more  prone 
to  sin  ;  so  every  gracious  act  confirms  the 
gracious  habit  :  serving  righteousness  is 
unto  holiness  ;  one  duty  fits  us  for  another  ; 
and  the  more  we  do,  the  more  we  may  do, 
for  God.  Or,  serving  righteousness,  as  an 
evidence  of  sanctification. 

II.  14  is  motives  or  arguments  to  show  the 
necessity  of  this  sanctification.  There  is 
sucli  an  antipathy  in  our  hearts  by  nature  to 
holiness,  that  it  is  no  easy  matter  to  bring 
them  to  submit  to  it  :  it  is  the  Spirit’s  work, 
who  persuades  by  such  inducements  as  these, 
set  home  on  the  soul. 

1.  He  argues  from  our  sacramental  con¬ 
formity  to  Jesus  Christ.  Observe  his  rea¬ 
soning  : 

(1.)  In  general,  we  are  dead  to  sin,  i.e. 
in  profession,  and  in  obligation.  By  our 
baptism  we  profess  to  have  no  more  to  do 
with  sin.  We  are  dead  to  sin  by  a  parti¬ 
cipation  of  virtue  and  power  for  the  killing 
of  it,  and  by  our  union  with  Christ  and  in¬ 
terest  in  Him,  in  and  by  whom  it  is  killed. 
All  this  is  in  vain  if  we  persist  in  sin  ;  we 
contradict  a  profession,  violate  an  obligation, 
return  to  that  to  which  we  were  dead,  like 
walking  ghosts  ;  than  which  nothing  is 
more  unbecoming  and  absurd.  For,  v.  7.  he 
that  is  dead ,  is  freed  from  sin  ,  i.  e.  he  that 
is  dead  to  it,  is  freed  from  the  rule  and  do¬ 
minion  of  it  ;  as  the  servant  that  is  dead,  is 
free  I  from  his  master.  Job  3:  19. 

(2.)  In  particular,  being  baptized  into 
Jesus  Christ,  we  were  baptized  into  his  death, 
v.  3.  We  were  baptized,— unto  Christ,  ns, 
1  Cor.  10:2.  unti  Mises.  Baptism  binds  ns 
to  Christ  as  our  Teacher,  it  is  our  allegiance 


to  Christ  as  our  Sovereign.  Particularly, 
we  were  baptized  into  his  death,  into  a  par¬ 
ticipation  of  the  privileges  purchased  by  his 
death,  and  into  an  obligation  both  to  com¬ 
ply  with  the  design  of  his  death,  which  was 
to  redeem  us  from  iniquity,  and  to  conform 
to  the  pattern  of  his  death,  that,  as  Christ 
died  for  sin,  so  we  should  die  to  sin  :  there¬ 
by  we  know  the  fellowship  of  his  sufferings, 
Phil.  3:  10.  Thus  we  are  here  said  to  be 
planted  together  in  the  likeness  of  his  death, 
v.  5.  not  only  a  conformity,  but  a  conforma¬ 
tion  ;  as  the  ingrafted  stock  is  planted  to¬ 
gether  into  the  likeness  of  the  shoot,  of  the 
nature  of  which  it  doth  participate.  Plant¬ 
ing  is  in  order  to  life  and  fruitfulness  :  we 
are  planted  in  the  vineyard,  in  a  likeness  to 
Christ  ;  which  likeness  we  should  evidence 
in  sanctification.  Our  creed  concerning 
Jesus  Christ,  is,  among  other  things,  that 
He  was  crucified,  dead,  and  buried ;  now 
baptism  is  a  sacramental  conformity  to 
Him  in  each  of  these,  as  the  apostle  here 
notices. 

[1.]  Our  old  man  is  crucified  with  Him, 
v.  6.  The  death  of  the  cross  was  slow,  but 
sure  ;  such  is  the  mortification  of  sin  in  be¬ 
lievers.  It  was  a  cursed  death,  Gal.  3:  13. 
Sin  dies  as  a  malefactor,  devoted  to  destruc¬ 
tion;  it  is  att  accursed  thing.  Crucified  with 
Him , — notin  respect  of  time,  but  in  respect 
of  causality.  The  crucifying  of  Christ  for 
us,  has  an  influence  on  the  crucifying  of  sin 
in  us. 

[2.]  We  are  dead  with  Christ,  v.  8. 
Christ  was  obedient  to  death  :  when  He 
died,  we  might  be  said  to  die  with  Him,  as 
our  dying  to  sin  is  an  act  of  conformity, 
both  to  the  design,  and  to  the  sampler  of 
Christ’s  dying  for  sin.  Baptism  signifies 
and  seals  our  union  with  Christ,  our  ingraft¬ 
ing  into  Christ  ;  so  that  we  are  dead  with 
Him,  and  engaged  to  have  no  more  to  do 
with  sin  than  He  had. 

[3.]  We  are  buried  with  Him  by  baptism, 
v.  4.  Our  conformity  is  complete.  We  are  in 
profession  quite  cut  oft'  from  all  commerce 
and  communion  with  sin,  as  those  buried  are 
from  the  world  ;  not  only  not  of  the  living, 
but  no  more  among  the  living,  have  nothing 
more  to  do  with  them.  Thus  must  we  be, 
as  Christ  was,  separate  from  sin  and  sin¬ 
ners.  We  are  buried,  in  profession  and 
obligation.  Why  this  burying  in  baptism 
should  so  much  as  allude  to  any  custom  of 
dipping  under  water  in  baptism,  any  more 
than  our  baptismal  crucifixion  and  death 
should  have  any  such  references,  1  confess  I 
cannot  see.  It  is  plain,  it  is  not  the  sign, 


but  the  thing  signified,  in  baptism,  that  the 
apostle  here  calls  being  buried  with  Christ  ; 
and  the  expression  of  burying  alludes  to 
Christ’s  burial.  As  Christ  was  buried,  that 
He  might  rise  again  to  a  new  and  more 
heavenly  life,  so  we  are  in  baptism  buried, 
cut  off  from  the  life  of  sin,  that  we  may  rise 
again  to  a  new  life  of  faith  and  love. 

Again,  our  conformity  to  the  resurrection 
of  Christ  obliges  us  to  rise  again  to  new¬ 
ness  of  life.  That  is  the  power  of  his  resur¬ 
rection,  which  Paul  was  so  desirous  to  know, 
Phil.  3: 10.  Christ  was  raised  up  from  the 
dead  by  the  glory  of  the  Father,  i.e.  by  the 
power  of  the  Father  ;  the  power  of  God  is 
his  glory  ;  it  is  glorious  power,  Col.  1: 11. 
Now  in  baptism  we  are  obliged  to  conform 
to  that  pattern,  to  be  planted  in  the  likeness 
of  his  resurrection,  v.  5.  to  live  with  Him ,  v.  8. 
See  Col.  2:  12.  Conversion  is  the  first  re¬ 
surrection  from  the  death  of  sin  to  the  life 
of  righteousness  ;  and  this  resurrection  is 
conformable  to  Christ’s  resurrection.  This 
conformity  of  the  saints  to  the  resurrection 
of  Christ,  seems  to  be  intimated,  in  the 
rising  of  so  many  of  the  bodies  of  the  saints  ; 
which,  though  mentioned  before  by  anticipa¬ 
tion,  is  supposed  to  have  been  concomitant 
with  Christ’s  resurrection,  Mat.  27  :  52. 
We  are  all  risen  with  Christ.  In  two  things 
we  must  conform  to  the  resurrection  of 
Christ  : 

[1.]  He  rose,  to  die  no  more,  v.  9.  others 
that  were  raised,  rose  to  die  again  ;  but 
Christ,  to  die  no  more  :  thus,  over  Christ 
death  has  no  more  dominion  ;  He  was  dead 
indeed,  but  is  alive,  and  so  alive,  that  He 
lives  for  evermore.  Rev.  1:18.  Thus  we 
must  rise  from  the  grave  of  sin,  never  again 
to  return  to  it,  or  to  have  any  more  fellow¬ 
ship  with  the  works  of  darkness,  having 
quitted  that  grave,  that  land  of  darkness,  as 
darkness  itself. 

[2.]  He  rose  to  live  unto  God,  v.  10.  to 
live  a  heavenly  life,  to  receive  that  glory 
which  was  set  before  Him.  Others,  that 
were  raised  from  the  dead,  returned  to  the 
same  life  in  every  respect  they  had  before  ; 
but  Christ,  to  leave  the  world.  Now  I  am  no 
more  in  the  world,  John  13:  1.  17:  II.  He 
rose  to  live  to  God,  i.  e.  to  intercede  and 
rule,  and  all  to  the  glory  of  the  Father. 
Thus  must  we  rise  to  live  to  God  :  that  is  it 
he  calls  newness  of  life,  v.  4.  to  live  from 
other  principles,  by  other  rules,  with  other 
aims,  than  we  have  done.  A  life  devoted 
to  God  is  a  new  life  ;  before,  self  was  the 
chief  and  highest  end,  but  now  God.  To 
live  indeed,  is  to  live  to  God,  with  our  eves 


V.  12,  13.  ‘  The  vicious  affections,  like  noxious  weeds,  sprout  up  and 
increase  of  themselves  but  too  naturally;  while  the  graces  of  the 
Christian  temper,  exotics  in  the  soil  of  the  human  heart,  like  the  more 
tender  productions  of  the  vegetable  world,  (though  the  breath  of  heaven 
must  quicken  them,)  require  on  our  part  also,  in  order  to  their  being 
preserved  in  health  and  vigor,  constant  superintendence  and  assiduous 
care.’  Wilber  force's  Piew  of  Pract.  Christ. — Let  none  therefore  suffer 
sin  to  reign  in  their  bodies,  that  they  should  obey  and  comply  with  its 
corrupt  lustings,  to  the  injury  of  their  immortal  souls.  If  a  professed 
Christian  does  this  habitually,  he  can  have  no  evidence  of  his  conversion  ; 
as  provision  is  made  in  the  Gospel  for  deliverance  from  the  dominion  of 
sin,  as  well  as  from  condemnation  :  and  if  a  real  Christian  does  this  in 
nnv  particular  instances,  it  must  weaken  his  evidence  and  confidence; 
and  it  is  the  effect  of  partial  unbelief,  unwatchfnlness,  and  forgetfulness 
of  his  obligations  and  privileges.  8:12,  13.  1  Cor.  9:24 — 27.  Thus  our 
eves  should  be  employed  in  contemplating  the  works,  and  rending  the 
Word,  of  God  ;  our  ears,  in  hearing  his  voice,  and  in  attending  to  the 
cries  of  the  distressed  ;  our  tongues,  in  speaking  the  praises  of  God,  in¬ 
structing  the  ignorant,  preaching  his  Word,  and  in  profitable  conversa¬ 
tion  :  and  even  our  natural  inclinations  should  be  so  regulated  by  his 
law,  and  subordinated  to  superior  considerations,  that  ‘whether  we  eat, 
or  drink,  or  whatever  we  do,  we  may  do  it  to  the  glory  of  God.’  16 — 19. 
12:1.  1  Cor.  6:18—20. 10:29—33.  Phil.  1:19,20.  Col.  3:16,  17.  1  Pet.  2:11. 
Is  it  not  most  evident,  that  sin  is  here  represented  as  having  its  seat  in 
the  soul,  which  employs  the  members  of  the  body,  as  instruments  of 
accomplishing  its  evil  purposes  ?  And  if  so,  what  becomes  of  that  sys¬ 
tem  of  interpretation,  which  supposes  animal  nature  to  be  the  flesh ,  and 
the  rational  soul  the  spirit  ?  7:15 — 25.  8:1 — 13.  Gal.  5:16 — 26.  Sc. 

(12.)  ‘It  is  judiciously  remarked  by  Chrvs.,  that  “  tile  apostle  does 
not  sav,  let  not  the  flesh  energize;  for  he  does  not  hid  us  destroy  nature, 
but  regulate  our  dispositions.”  (Note,  end  of  ch.  7.]  It  is  scarcely  neces¬ 
sary  to  observe,  that  by  hamartia  [tr.  sin]  is  here  denoted  not  peccatum, 
but  vitiositas,  that  propensity  to  evil  which  exists  in  every  man.  Mor¬ 
tal.]  He  hints,  (so  Chrys.  and  the  Gr.  commtrs.)  1st,  that  the  pleasures 
of  the  body  are  not  permanent,  from  its  liability  to  disease  and  death, 
and  therefore  there  is  the  less  reason  to  gratify  corporal  appetites  :  2dly, 
[200] 


that  the  labors  of  resisting  temptations  to  vice  are  but  of  short  continu¬ 
ance,  and  not,  therefore,  such  as  need  seem  formidable:  3dly,  to  admonish 
them  of  the  near  approach  of  that  period  when  the  dominion  of  sin 
would  work  death,  spiritual  and  eternal.’  F/oomf.  ‘  Illicit  pleasures  are 
to  he  strangled  in  the  very  birth  [conception]  ,  nor  ought  even  the  law¬ 
ful  appetites  to  be  indulged  farther  than  nature  requires,  that  the  body 
may  learn  to  obey  the  better  part.’  Grot. 

(13.)  I  exhort  you  not  in  vain  to  throw  off"  the  tyranny  of  sin,  for  if 
you  are  not  wanting  to  yourselves,  promised  spiritual  aids  shall  help 
your  inlirmities  :  the  law  enjoined  but  helped  not  the  performance,  hut 
ye  are  not  now  under  it,  but  under  grace,  which  forgave  former,  and 
helps  against  future  transgressions.  See  Jlloomf.  Ed. 

V.  14,  15.  Hope  of  victory  gives  fresh  ardor  to  the  courageous:  as¬ 
surance  of  it  would  make  a  coward  valiant.  The  slave  emancipated 
from  his  yoke,  or  the  captive  escaped  from  his  dungeon,  will  resist  all 
attempts  to  reduce  him  to  his  former  abject  state,  with  a  vigor  propor¬ 
tioned  to  the  prospect  of  preserving  his  beloved  liberty.  Thus  the  apos¬ 
tle  assures  believers,  that  sin  shall  not  resume  its  hated  dominion  over 
them,  in  order  to  animate  their  opposition  to  its  influence,  in  every  in¬ 
stance.  He  shows,  that  the  ground  for  this  assurance  of  linal  liberty 
and  victory,  lies  in  the  nature  and  securities  of  the  new  covenant.  2  6'. 
23:5.  Is.  55:1—  3.  Jer.  31:31—34.  32.39—41.  Heb-  8:7—13.  He  could 
not  intend,  merely  to  distinguish  between  the  Mosaic  dispensation  and 
that  of  the  Gospel ;  for  all  were  not  slaves  to  sin  who  were  under  the 
former,  nor  are  ail  free  from  sin  who  live  under  the  latter.  But 
the  moral  law,  as  the  foundation  of  the  covenant  of  works,  in  what¬ 
ever  way  or  degree  it  is  known,  is  evidenllv  opposed  to  the  covenant 
of  grace.  All,  who  remain  under  the  covenant  of  works,  must  be 
held  under  the  ‘dominion  of  sin,’  and  their  efforts  to  emancipate 
themselves  be  unsuccessful ;  because  no  grace  is  by  it  promised  or  com¬ 
municated  to  a  sinner.  Ex.  19.5.  But  the  believer  passes  from  under 
this  covenant,  to  be  under  that  of  mercy  and  grace;  and  as  motives  and 
encouragements  are  by  it  supplied,  so  effectual  help  is  ensured  to  him, 
to  preserve  him  from  ever  again  becoming  the  willing  slave  of  any  sin  ; 
though  he  may  be  grievously  harassed,  baffled,  or  even  polluted,  by  "those 
temptations  and  corruptions,  to  which  he  once  was  wholly  subjected.  Sc. 


A.  D.  6i. 


ROMANS,  VI. 


Argument  for  sanctification. 


16  Know  ye  not,  that  to  whom 
Tye  yield  yourselves  servants  to 
obey,  his  servants  ye  are  to  whom 
ye  obey;  whether  ot  sin  unto  death, 
or  of  obedience  unto  righteousness? 

17  Rut  God  be  thanked,  that  ye 
were  the  servants  of  sin  :  but  ye 
have  obeyed  from  the  heart  that 
form  w  of  doctrine  x  which  was  de¬ 
livered  you. 

IS  Being  then  made  free  y  from 
sin,  ye  became  the  servants  of 
righteousness. 

19  I  speak  after  the  manner  of 
men,  because  of  the  infirmity  of 
your  flesh  :  for  as  ye  have  yielded 
your  members  servants  to  unclean¬ 
ness  and  to  iniquity,  unto  iniquity  ; 
even  so  now  yield  your  members 
servants  to  righteousness,  unto 
holiness. 

20  For  when  ye  were  the  ser¬ 
vants  z  of  sin,  ye  were  free  a  from 
righteousness. 

21  Wh  at  fruit  b  had  ye  then  in 
those  things  whereof  ye  are  now 
ashamed  ?  for  the  end  c  of  those 
things  is  death. 

v  Jn.  8:34.  2  Pe.  delivered.  )  r  or,  to. 

2:19.  y  Jn.  8:32.  b  c.  7:5. 

w 2  Ti.  1:13.  z  ver.  16.  c  c.l:32.  Ja.l:15. 

x  to/iereio  ye  were 

ever  toward  Him,  making  Him  the  centre 
of  all  our  actions. 

2.  He  argues  from  the  precious  promises 
and  privileges  of  the  new  covenant,  v.  14. 
It  might  be  objected,  that  sin  is  unavoida¬ 
bly  too  hard  for  us  ;  ‘  No,’  says  he,  ‘  there  is 
strength  laid  up  in  the  covenant  of  grace 
for  your  assistance,  if  you  will  but  use  it. 
Sin  shall  not  have  dominion.’  Sin  may  strug¬ 
gle  in  a  believer,  may  create  him  a  great 
deal  of  trouble  ;  but  it  shall  not  have  do¬ 
minion  ;  may  vex  him,  but  it  shall  not  rule 
over  him.  For  we  are  not  under  the  law,  but 
under  grace,  not  under  the  law  of  sin  and 
death,  but  under  the  law  of  the  spirit  of  life, 
which  is  in  Christ  Jesus  :  we  are  actuated 
by  other  principles  than  we  have  been.  Or, 


not  under  the  covenant  of  works,  which 
condemns,  on  the  least  failure,  which  runs 
thus,  4  Do  this  and  live;  do  it  not,  and  die 
but  under  the  covenant  of  grace,  which  is 
herein  well  ordered,  that  every  transgres¬ 
sion  in  the  covenant  does  not  put  us  out  of 
the  covenant  ;  and  especially,  that  it  does 
not  leave  our  salvation  in  our  own  keeping, 
but  lays  it  up  in  the  hands  of  the  Mediator, 
who  undertakes  for  us,  that  sin  shall  not 
have  dominion  over  us  ;  hath  Himself  con¬ 
demned  it,  and  will  destroy  it  ;  so  that,  if 
we  pursue  the  victory,  we  shall  come  off 
more  than  conquerors.  This  is  a  very  com¬ 
fortable  word  to  all  true  believers  :  if  we 
were  under  the  law,  we  were  undone,  for 
the  law  curses  every  one  that  continues  not 
in  everything  ;  but  we  are  under  grace, 
grace  which  accepts  the  willing  mind,  which 
is  not  extreme  to  mark  what  we  do  amiss, 
which  leaves  room  for  repentance,  which 
promises  pardon  on  repentance  :  and  what 
can  be  to  an  ingenuous  mind  a  stronger  mo¬ 
tive  than  this,  to  have  nothing  to  do  with 
sin!  Shall  we  sin  against  so  much  good¬ 
ness,  abuse  such  love  !  Sin  because  of  it  ! 
The  apostle  starts  at  such  a  thought,  v.  15. 
What  can  be  more  black  and  ill-natured 
than  from  a  friend’s  extraordinary  expres¬ 
sions  of  kindness  and  good-will,  to  take  oc¬ 
casion  to  affront  and  offend  him  !  To  spurn 
at  such  bowels,  to  spit  in  the  face  of  such 
love,  is  that  which,  between  man  and  man, 
all  the  world  would  cry  out  shame  on. 

3.  He  argues  from  the  evidence  that  this 
will  be  of  our  state,  making  for  us,  or 
against  us,  v.  16.  All  men  are  either  the 
servants  of  God,  or  the  servants  of  sin-; 
these  are  the  two  families.  Now,  if  we 
would  know  to  which  of  these  families  we 
belong,  we  must  inquire  to  which  of  these 
masters  we  yield  obedience. 

4.  He  argues,  (1.)  from  their  former  sin¬ 
fulness,  v.  17 — 21.  The  servants  of  God 
do  well  to  remember  the  time  when  they  were 
the  servants  of  sin  ;  to  keep  them  humble, 
penitent,  and  watchful,  and  to  quicken  them 
in  the  service  of  God.  ‘  God  be  thanked  that 
ye  were  so,  i.  e.  that  though  ye  were  so,  yet 
ye  have  obeyed.  Ye  were  so  ;  God  be 
thanked  that  we  can  speak  of  it  as  a  thing 
past.  Nay,  your  having  been  so  formerly 
tends  much  to  the  magnifying  of  divine 


V.  16 — 19.  Jt  could  not  but  be  known,  and  acknowledged,  that  all 
Christians  were  1  the  servants  of  God.’  Is.  5-1:15 — 17.  John  12:23 — 26. 
The  apostle  therefore  demanded,  whether  it  might  not  be  proved,  what 
master  any  man  served,  by  observing  the  constant  tenor  of  his  conduct. 
A  person  may  do  an  occasional  service  for  one  to  whom  he  is  not  ser¬ 
vant  ;  but  no  doubt  he  is  the  servant  of  that  man,  to  whom  he  habitu¬ 
ally  yields  and  addicts  himself;  and  in  whose  work  he  spends  his  time 
and  strength,  and  skill,  and  abilities,  day  after  day,  and  year  after  year. 
The  case  is  the  same  in  spiritual  matters  ;  a  man  may  profess  Christian¬ 
ity,  and  in  some  things  appear  to  serve  God  ;  and  yet  habitually  addict 
himself  to  sinful  pursuits  and  pleasures.  Mat.  6:24.  But  every  one 
must  be  adjudged  to  be  the  servant  of  that  master,  to  execute  whose 
commands  he  willingly  ‘  yields  himself;’  2  Chr.  30:12.  whether  it  be 
the  sinful  propensities  of  his  own  heart,  in  such  actions  as  lead  to 
death;  or  the  new  and  spiritual  obedience  implanted  by  regeneration, 
in  habitually  performing  the  righteousness  required  in  the  law,  and  daily 
seeking,  and  striving,  and  praying,  to  be  more  and  more  exactly  con¬ 
formed  to  it. — These  things  the  apostle  stated  to  the  Christians  at 
Rome,  by  similitudes  taken  from  the  affairs  of  men,  ‘because  of  the  in¬ 
firmity  of  their  flesh ;  ’  which  rendered  them  less  capable  of  understand¬ 
ing  abstract  reasonings  on  subjects  of  this  kind  ;  and  that  he  might 
guard  them  against  those  delusions,  to  which  their  weakness  and  re¬ 
maining  sinfulness  would  otherwise  expose  them.  Scott. 

(16.)  Righteousness.]  ‘Justification.’  Stuart. 

(17.)  ‘  But  have  become  obedient  from  the  heart  to  that  model  of 

doctrine  in  which  ye  have  been  instructed.’  Id. 

(18.)  ‘An  allusion  to  the  transfer  of  slaves  resulting  from  conquest.’  Bl. 

(19.)  ‘  Proffered  your  members  for  servants  [slaves,  see  Bl.]  to  im¬ 
purity  and  iniquity,  in  order  to  commit  iniquity  ;  so  now  proffer  your 
members  to  righteousness,  in  order  to  be  holy.’  St.  ‘As  the  apostle  had 
before  used  many  arguments  somewhat  too  mystical  for  Romans  edu¬ 
cated  in  idolatry,  such  as  those  concerning  Adam,  Abraham,  and  bap¬ 
tism  ;  things  of  which,  before  their  conversion,  they  had  heard  nothing; 
so  now,  in  order  that  they  may  the  more  easily  understand  the  meaning 
of  what  he  has  written,  he  uses  an  argument  taken  from  a  thing  obvious 
to  all,  and  well  known;  and  this  he  calls  speaking  after  the  manner  of 
men  '  IVets.  ‘  By  sarx  [_/7es/i]  is  here  meant,  I  believe,  everything  that 
partakes  of  human  frailty,  including  the  mind  ns  well  as  the  body  [note, 
end  of  ch.  7.]  -.  and  therefore  it  may  denote  dulness  and  inaptitude  to 
things  spiritual.  Comp.  Rom.  14:1.  1  Cor.  8:11.’  Bl.  Uncleanness  . .  . 
iniquity.]  Sensuality,  and  every  kind  of  vice.  See  Bloomf.  ‘It  is  the 
nature  of  all  vices  to  grow  upon  a  person  by  repetition.’  Grot.  Ed. 

V.  20.  The  willing  slaves  of  sin,  though  by  no  means  free  from  obli- 
N.  T.  VOL.  V.  26 


mercy  and  grace  in  the  liappy  change.  God 
be  thanked  that  the  former  sinfulness  is  such 
a  foil,  and  such  a  spur  to  your  present  holi¬ 
ness.’  It  is  the  misery  of  a  sinful  state, 
v.  19.  that  the  body  is  made  a  drudge  to  sin, 
than  which  there  could  not  be  a  baser  or  a 
harder  slavery.  Ye  have  yielded.  Sinners 
are  voluntary  in  the  service  of  sin.  This 
will  justify  God  in-the  ruin  of  sinners,  that 
they  sold  themselves  to  work  wickedness ;  it 
was  their  own  act  and  deed.  To  iniquity 
unto  iniquity.  Every  sinful  act  strengthens 
and  confirms  the  sinful  habit  ;  to  iniquity  as 
the  work,  unto  iniquity  as  the  wages.  Sow 
the  wind,  and  reap  the  whirlwind;  growing 
worse  and  worse,  more  and  more  hardened. 
This  he  speaks  after  the  manner  of  men,  i.e. 
he  fetches  a  similitude  from  that  which  is 
common  among  men,  even  the  change  of 
services  and  subjections.  Ye  were  free  from 
righteousness,  v.  20.  not  free  by  any  liberty 
given,  but  by  a  liberty  taken,  which  is  li¬ 
centiousness  ;  4  Ye  were  altogether  void  of 
that  which  is  good,  any  good  principles,  mo¬ 
tions,  or  inclinations  ;  of  all  subjection  to 
the  law  and  will  of  God,  of  all  conformity 
to  his  image  ;  and  this  ye  were  pleased 
with,  as  a  freedom  and  a  liberty  ;  but  a 
freedom  from  righteousness  is  the  worst  kind 
of  slavery.’ 

(2.)  How  the  blest  change  was  made,  and 
wherein  it  did  consist.  Ye  have  obeyed  from 
the  heart  that  form  of  doctrine  delivered  you, 
v.  17.  This  describes  conversion,  what  it 
is;  it  is  our  conformity  to,  and  compliance 
with,  the  Gospel  delivered  by  Christ  and  his 
ministers.  Margin.  Whereto  ye  were  deliv¬ 
ered;  into  which  ye  were  delivered.  The  Gos¬ 
pel  is  the  great  rule  both  of  truth  and  holi¬ 
ness  ;  it  is  the  stamp,  grace  is  the  impres¬ 
sion  of  that  stamp;  it  is  the  form  of  healing 
words,  2  Tim.  1:13.  It  is  a  doctrine  not 
only  to  be  believed,  but  to  be  obeyed,  and 
from  the  heart  J  which  denotes  sincerity  and 
reality,  not  profession  only,  but  power;  from 
the  heart,  the  innermost  part,  the  command¬ 
ing  part  of  us.  Delivered  into  it,  as  into  a 
mould,  as  the  wax  is  cast  into  the  impres¬ 
sion  of  the  seal,  answering  it  line  for  line, 
stroke  for  stroke,  and  wholly  representing 
the  shape  and  figure  of  it.  To  be  a  Chris¬ 
tian  indeed,  is  to  be  transformed  into  the 
likeness  and  similitude  of  the  Gospel,  our 

gations  to  be  righteous,  are  yet  unrestrained  by  these  obligations  in 
following  their  own  carnal  inclinations.  They  perform  no  service  to 
righteousness  ;  they  are  not  influenced  by  a  single  regard  to  the  glory  or 
authority  of  God,  in  any  of  their  actions,  but  they  uniformly  gratify 
some  of  their  own  unholy  passions,  and  seek  happiness  in  so  doing ;  or, 
in  one  way  or  other,  are  actuated  by  selfish  motives:  so  that  nothing 
which  they  do  is  ‘good  before  God.’ — Free  from  righteousness. J  ‘  To 
righteousness.’  ‘The dominion  of  sin’  consists  in  willingly  being  slaves 
to  it ;  not  in  being  harassed  by  its  hated  power,  and  occasional  preva¬ 
lence  ;  as  an  expelled  usurper  struggling  to  resume  his  throne  :  and  be¬ 
ing  ‘  made  free  from  sin,’  means  deliverance  from  the  ‘  dominion  of  sin  ;’ 
not  an  exemption  from  its  distressing  and  hated  smugglings  for  victory 
and  dominion;  as  many  erroneously  suppose,  to  their  deep  disconsola- 
tion.  Luke  11:14 — 26,  no.  21,22.  Scott. 

(20.)  From.]  In  respect  to.  St.  So  Mich.  ‘  Free  with  respect  to 
righteousness,  free  from  all  dependence  upon  it,  or  constraint  from  it, 
acknowledging  no  subjection  to  it.’  Bloomf.  Ed. 

V.  21 — 23.  As  ‘  death  ’  is  here  opposed  to  ‘  everlasting  life ;’  and  as  tem¬ 
poral  death  is  the  end  of  the  most  godly  life,  as  well  as  the  most  ungod¬ 
ly  ;  it  is  clearly  absurd  to  restrict  his  meaning  to  the  death  of  the  body  ; 
doubtless  the  apostle  meant  the  future  state  of  final  misery,  in  a  total 
separation  from  the  presence  and  favor  of  God,  and  under  his  awful 
wrath  and  vengeance.  8:13.  Gen.  2:16,  17.  Rev.  20:11 — 15. — Thus  the 
apostle  closes  his  argument  concerning  justification,  and  sanctification  as 
the  seal  and  evidence  of  it.  Scott. 

(21.)  Death.]  ‘  Under  this  image,  most  terrible  to  human  nature, 
the  ancients  adumbrated  misery  of  every  kind ,  and  the  reverse  by  life.' 
Koppe.  ‘He  might  have  added,  that  though  the  telos  [end]  of  sin  be 
death,  both  in  a  physical  and  moral  sense,  yet,  so  untameable  is  human 
nature,  that  neither  human  laws,  however  severe,  nor  divine  denuncia¬ 
tions,  however  awful,  have  availed  to  repress  it.  This  very  propensity 
of  our  corrupt  nature  was  clearly  perceived  [and  lamented  by  many  of 
the  heathen  themselves,  see  the  citations  in  IVets.  and  Hop.  on  7:15.1 
Here,  then  it  is,  that  divine  laws  come  in  aid  of  human  enactments,  and 
produce  the  strongest  effects ;  because,  though  they  suspend  over  the 
sinner  denunciations  the  most  terrible,  yet  they  do  what  human  laws 
never  can  effect  [but  ought,  perhaps,  in  some  degree  to  do,  by  ottering 
rewards],  namely,  encourage  the  sinner  to  repent,  by  never  leaving  it 
(to  use  the  words  of  the  immortal  Herod.)  as  an  “  hopeless  case,  there 
being  no  room  for  repentance,  nor  getting  rid  of  the  sin.  Let  those, 
then,  seriously  reflect  on  this,  who  would  remove  capital  pumsnments, 
and  strive  to  cut  out  of  the  Scriptures  what  they  term  the  unphilosoph- 
ical  doctrine  of  eternal  punishments.'  , 


A.  D.  61. 


ROMANS,  VII. 


Consideration  of  the  Law. 


22  But  now  being  made  free 
from  sin,  and  become  servants  to 
God,  ye  have  your  fruit  unto  holi¬ 
ness  ;  and  the  end,  everlasting  life. 

28  For  d  the  wages  of  sin  is 
death  ;  but  the  gift e  of  God  is  eter¬ 
nal  flife,  through  Jesus  Christ  our 
Lord. 

CHAP.  VII. 

1  No  law  hath  power  over  a  man  longer  than  he  liveth.  4 
But  we  are  dead  to  the  law.  7  Yet  is  not  the  law  sin, 
12  but  holy,  just,  good,  16  us  I  acknowledge,  who  ain 
grieved  because  1  cannot  keep  it. 

KNOW  ye  not,  brethren,  (for  I 
speak  to  them  that  know  the 
law,)  how  that  the  law  hath  do¬ 
minion  over  a  man  as  long  as  he 
liveth  ? 

2  For  *  the  woman  which  hath 
an  husband,  is  bound  by  the  law  to 
her  husband,  so  long  as  he  liveth  ; 
but  if  the  husband  be  dead, she  is 
loosed  from  the  law  of  her  husband. 

d  Ge.  2:17.  e  c.  5:17,21.  f  1  Pe.  1:4.  a  1  Co.  7:39. 

souls  answering  to  it,  complying  with  it, 
conformed  to  it  :  understanding,  will,  affec¬ 
tions,  aims,  principles,  actions,  all  according 
to  that  form  of  doctrine.  ‘ 

Being  made  free  from  sin,  ye  became  ser¬ 
vants  of  righteousness ,  v.  18.  Servants  to 
God,  v.  22.  We  cannot  serve  two  opposite 
masters.  Conversion  is  a  freedom  from  the 
service  of  sin;  the  shaking  off  of  that  yoke, 
resolving  to  have  no  more  to  do  with  it  ;  a 
resignation  of  ourselves  to  the  service  of  God 
ami  righteousness ;  to  God  as  our  Master,  to 
righteousness  as  our  work.  When  made  free 
from  sin,  it  is  not  that  we  may  live  as  we  list, 
and  be  our  own  masters  ;  no  :  when  deliv¬ 
ered  out  of  Egypt,  we  are,  as  Israel,  led  to 
the  holy  mountain,  to  receive  the  law,  and 
there  brought  into  the  bond  of  the  covenant. 

(3.)  What  apprehensions  they  now  had 
of  their  firmer  work  and  way.  He  appeals 
to  themselves,  v.  21.  whether  they  had  not 


found  the  service  of  sin,  an  unfruitful  service. 
Besides  the  future  losses,  which  are  infinite¬ 
ly  great,  the  very  present  gains  of  sin  are 
not  worth  mentioning.  It  is  an  unbecoming 
service;  that  of  which  we  are  now  ashamed  ; 
ashamed  of  the  folly,  ashamed  of  the  filth  of 
it.  Shame  came  into  the  world  with  sin, 
and  is  still  the  certain  product  of  it  ;  either 
the  shame  of  repentance,  or,  if  not  that,  eter¬ 
nal  shame  and  contempt.  Who  would  wil¬ 
fully  do  that  which,  sooner  or  later,  he  is 
sure  to  be  ashamed  of! 

5.  Lastly,  He  argues  from  the  end  of  all 
these  things  ;  the  prerogative  of  rational 
creatures  is  a  power  of  prospect,  of  looking 
forward,  considering  the  latter  end  ol  things. 
To  persuade  us  from  sin  to  holiness,  here 
are  blessing  and  cursing,  good  and  evil,  life 
and  death,  set  before  us  ;  and  we  are  put  to 
our  choice.  (1.)  The  end  of  sin  is  death, 
v.  21.  The  way  may  seem  pleasant  and  in¬ 
viting,  yet  the  end  is  dismal  ;  at  the  last  it 
bites ;  it  will  be  bitterness  in  the  latter  end. 
Death  is  as  due  to  a  sinner,  as  wages  to  a 
servant,  v.  23.  This  is  true  of  every  sin  ; 
there  is  no  sin  in  its  own  nature  venial  , 
death  is  the  xvages  of  the  least  sin.  (2.)  If 
the  fruit  be  unto  holiness,  if  there  be  an  active 
principle  of  true  and  growing  grace,  the  end 
will  be  everlasting  life  ;  a  very  happy  end  ! 
So,  v.  23.  The  gift  of  God  is  eternal  life. 
Heaven  is  life,  consisting  in  the  vision  and 
fruition  of  God  ;  and  it  is  eternal  life,  no  in¬ 
firmities  attending  it,  no  death  to  put  a  pe¬ 
riod  to  it.  This  is  the  gift  of  God.  The 
death  is  the  wages  of  sin,  it  comes  by  desert; 
but  the  life  is  a  gift,  it  comes  by  favor.  And 
this  gift  is  through  Jesus  Christ  our  Lord. 
He  purchased  it,  prepared  it,  prepares  us 
for  it,  preserves  us  to  it  ;  He  is  the  Alpha 
and  Omega,  All  in  all  in  our  salvation. 

Chap.  VII.  V.  1 — 6.  Among  other  ar¬ 
guments  used  in  the  foregoing  ch.  to  persuade 
us  against  sin,  and  lo  holiness,  this  was  one, 
v.  14.  that  we  are  not  under  the  law;  and  that 
argument  he  is  here  further  insisting  on  and 
explaining,  v.  6.  We  are  delivered  from  the 
law.  What  does  he  mean  by  that  1  And 


how  is  it  an  argument  why  sin  should  not 
reign  over  us,  and  why  we  should  walk  in  new¬ 
ness  of  life.  1.  We  are  delivered  from  that 
power  of  the  law,  which  curses  and  condemns 
us  for  the  sin  committed  by  us.  The  sen¬ 
tence  of  the  law  against  us  is  vacated  and 
reversed,  by  the  death  of  Christ,  to  all  true 
believers.  Gal.  3:13.  2.  We  are  delivered 

from  that  power  of  the  law,  which  irritates 
and  provokes  the  sin  that  dwelleth  in  us. 
This  the  apostle  seems  especially  to  refer  lo, 
ii.  5.  We  being  lamed  by  (he  fall,  the  law 
comes  and  directs  us,  hut  provides  nothing 
to  heal  and  help  our  lameness,  and  so  makes 
us  halt  and  stumble  the  more.  Understand 
this  not  of  the  law  as  a  rule,  hut  as  a  cove¬ 
nant  of  works. 

Now  each  of  these  is  an  argument  why  we 
should  he  holy  ;  for  here  is  encouragement 
to  endeavors,  though  in  many  things  we 
come  short.  We  are  under  grace,  which 
promises  strength  to  do  what  it  commands, 
and  pardon  on  repentance  when  we  do  amiss. 
This  is  the  scope  of  these  vs.  in  general, 
that,  in  point  of  profession  and  privilege,  we 
are  under  a  covenant  of  grace,  and  not  of 
works;  under  the  Gospel  of  Christ,  and  not 
the  Law  of  Moses.  The  difference  between 
a  law-state  and  a  gospel  state  he  had  before 
illustrated,  by  the  similitude  of  rising  to  a 
new  life,  and  serving  a  new  master;  here  he 
speaks  of  it  under  the  similitude  of  being 
married  to  a  new  husband. 

I.  Our  first  marriage  was  to  the  law', 
which,  according  to  the  law  of  marriage, 
was  to  continue  only  during  the  life  of  the 
law.  The  law  of  marriage  is  obliging,  only 
till  the  death  of  one  of  the  parties,  no  matter 
which,  the  death  of  either  discharges  both. 
For  this  lie  appeals  to  themselves,  as  per¬ 
sons  knowing  the  law,  v.  1.  many  of  the 
Christians  at  Rome  had  been  Jews,  and  so 
were  well  acquainted  with  the  law.  The  law 
hath  power  over  a  man  as  long  as  he  liveth ;  in 
particular,  the  law  of  marriage  hath  power; 
or,  in  general,  every  law  is  so  limited.  The 
obligation  and  condemnation  extends  no  fur¬ 
ther;  death  is  the  finishing  of  the  law.  Tims 
while  we  were  alive  to  the  Law,  we  were 


PRACT.  OBS.  Self-righteous  pride,  and  antinominn  licentiousness, 
are  two  fatal  rocks,  on  which  immense  multitudes  are  continually 
wrecked,  and  between  which  none  but  the  Holy  Spirit  can  pilot  us : 
and  the  objections  of  open  enemies  to  the  doctrines  of  grace,  derive 
their  greatest  plausibility  from  the  unholy  lives  of  many  professed 
friends. — If  indeed  we  have  been  so  made  ‘one  with  Christ,’  as  to 
stand  accepted  in  his  righteousness;  we  shall  certainly  have  conformity 
to  Him  in  his  death  and  resurrection  ;  and  his  grace  will  enable  us  to 
‘crucify  the  old  man,  with  his  affections  and  lusts,’  and  excite  us  to  de¬ 
termine  on  the  destruction  of  ‘  the  whole  body  of  sin ;’  that  we  may  no 
more  serve  that  hated  enemy,  which  crucilied  our  beloved  Lord  ;  nor  ever 
rest  satisfied,  till  it  has  no  place  in  our  souls. — As  our  ‘  mortal  bodies  ’ 
will  at  last  be  raised  immortal  and  incorruptible,  by  the  almighty  power 
of  the  Savior;  1  Cor.  15:50 — 58.  Phil.  3. 20,  21.  so  we  should  never  al¬ 
low  ‘sin  to  reign’  in  them,  or  obey  it  in  the  lusts  thereof;  but,  praying 

(22.)  ‘Ye  have  fruit  in  respect  to  holiness,  and  in  the  end  (ye  will 
have)  eternal  life.’  Stuart. 

(23.)  IVages  ..  gift.)  OpsBnia  charisma,  allowances  ..  gratuity  : 
a  plain  allusion  to  tile  regular  pay-and-rations  of  the  soldiery,  and  to 
the  free  donative,  sometimes  given  at  will  by  the  Roman  emperors.  See 
Bloomfield,  «fcc.  Ed. 

NOTES.  Chap.  VII.  V.  I — 4.  In  interpreting  these  vs.  the  mean¬ 
ing  of  the  word  ‘  law’  must  be  first  carefully  settled,  whether  the  cere¬ 
monial  law  in  particular,  or  the  Mosaic  dispensation  in  general  ;  or  the 
moral  law,  as  requiring  perfect  obedience  in  order  to  ‘justification  of 
life,’  be  intended.  3  19,20.  Most  expositors  explain  it  either  of  the 
ceremonial  law,  or  the  Mosaic  dispensation  ;  but  they  do  not  assign  any 
satisfactory  reason,  why  sin  must  have  dominion  over  a  man,  as  long  as 
he  continued  under  tile  ceremonial  law,  or  the  Mosaic  dispensation  ;  or 
why  deliverance  from  the  law,  in  this  sense,  by  professing  the  gospel, 
should  ensure  his  liberty  from  that  slavery  :  indeed,  no  such  reason  can 
he  assigned.  No  doubt,  great  numbers  under  the  Mosaic  dispensation, 
were  both  justified  and  sanctified,  by  the  mercy  and  grace  of  tile  new 
covenant;  and  their  relation  to  the  law  did  not  prevent  them  from  be¬ 
ing  made  ‘  free  from  sin.’  Ex.  19:5.  On  the  other  hand,  immense  num¬ 
bers  remain  slaves  to  sin  under  the  Christian  dispensation  ;  and  their 
external  privileges  and  profession  do  not  deliver  them.  2  Cor.  3:7—11. 
Gal.  4:21 — 31.  But  so  long  as  a  man  continues  ‘  under  the  law,’  an  a 
covenant,  and  seeks  justification  by  his  own  obedience;  lie  inevitably 
continues  the  slave  of  sin,  in  one  form  or  other:  because  nothing  hut 
‘  tile  Spirit  of  life  in  Christ  Jesus  ’  can  make  any  sinner  ‘free  from  the 
law  of  sin  and  death  ;’  8:  3,  4.  And,  on  the  other  hand,  every  one  who  is 
delivered  from  tiie  law,  ns  a  covenant,  by  living  faith  in  Christ,  is,  by 
the  ‘Spirit  of  life’  given  to  him,  delivered  from  the  bondage  of  sin, 
which  shall  never  more  have  dominion  over  him. — The  apostle’s  argu¬ 
ment,  through  all  the  subsequent  parts  of  this  ch.,  relates  exclusively  to 
the  moral  law,  and  refers  especially  to  the  tenth  commandment  ;  as 
[202] 


earnestly  for  help  from  above,  we  should  refuse  to  yield  any  of  our  sens¬ 
es,  or  members,  to  be  the  instruments  of  unrighteousness;  and  seek  to 
have  them  all  devoted  [and  obedient]  to  God,  and  employed  in  his  ser¬ 
vice;  as  those  xvho  have  already  entered  on  that  divine  and  happy  life, 
which  we  hope  to  lead  to  ajl  eternity. — To  this  we  may  be  encouraged, 
by  the  nature  of  the  new  covenant.  If  we  be  indeed  Christians,  xve  are 
‘  not  under  the  law,’  which  gives  no  power,  and  proposes  no  mercy  ; 
but  ‘  under’  the  ‘grace’  of  the  Gospel;  and  this  insures,  to  the  regene¬ 
rate  and  believing,  the  preservation  and  perfection  of  that  ‘  liberty,  with 
which  Christ  hath  made  him  free.’  Gal.  5:1 — 6.  13 — 15. — The  real 
Christian  finds,  by  experience,  t hat  his  heart,  as  well  as  his  stale,  is 
made  new.  Notwithstanding,  therefore,  ‘  the  infirmities  of  the  flesh,’ 
he  aims  and  prays  to  be  enabled  to  spend  all  his  powers  and  capacities, 
of  body  and  soul,  in  the  service  of  righteousness,  unto  increasing  holi¬ 
ness.  Scott. 

those  who  explain  these  verses  of  the  ceremonial  law,  nr  the  Mosaic 
dispensation,  are  constrained  to  admit :  7 — 12.  and  though  he  speaks  in 
the  first  three  vs.  of  the  law,  in  a  more  general  sense;  it  should  be  no¬ 
ticed,  that  he  is  only  illustrating  his  main  subject  bv  an  apt  similitude. 
— ‘  When  tiie  apostle  particularly  meant  the  ceremonial,  in  distinction 
from  the  moral  law,  he  frequently  spoke  of  it  in  diminutive  terms.  Eph. 
2  15.  Col.  2:20.  Heb.  8:13.  9:10.  ..  But  none  of  these  lessening  or  dis¬ 
tinctive  characters  of  the  iaw  are  found  in  this  epistle,  ...  to  restrain  it 
to  tiie  ceremonial  law,  in  what  is  said  about  justification  by  its  works.’ 
Guise. — These  remarks  may  prepare  the  way,  for  that  interpretation  of 
this  passage,  and  of  the  ch.,  which,  after  inatnrs  deliberation,  I  have 
given.  la  ordinary  cases,  death  alone  dissolved  the  relation  between 
the  Jew  and  the  law  :  yet  in  particular  instances,  the  law  became  dead 
and  lost  its  authority  to  command  or  condemn  a  man.  through  his 
change  of  circumstances  :  and  when  the  Jew  became  a  Christian,  and 
understood  his  Christian  liberty,  bis  relation  to  the  Mosaic  dispensation 
was  finally  terminated.  From  this  case  of  a  Jew,  in  respect  of  the  law  of 
Moses,  as  the  condition  of  the  national  covenant.  Ex.  19:5.  24:3,  4.  Gal. 
3:15 — 18.  Heb.  8:7 — 13.  9:18 — 23.  they  might  learn  how  the  matter 
stood  in  respect  of  the  moral  law,  ns  the  condition  of  the  covenant  of 
xvorks.  The  law  respecting  marriage  in  particular  would  aptly  illus¬ 
trate  the  subject. — The  apostle  does  not,  in  this  place,  state  the  precepts 
concerning  mnrriage,  under  the  Christian  dispensation  ;  he  merely 
shows,  in  one  particular,  how  the  case  stood  under  the  law  :  he  says 
nothing  concerning  divorces  or  polygamy;  neither  does  he  intimate,  that 
the  man  would  be  nil  adulterer,  who  took  another  wife,  while  his  for¬ 
mer  was  living,  and  not  lexally  divorced  :  yet  our  T.ord  has  taught  this. 
Mat.  19:3 — 9.  It  would  therefore  he  foreign  to  the .npostle’s  design  to 
interpret  his  words,  as  meaning  that  a  woman,  xvho  had  been  equitably 
divorced,  would  be  guilty  of  adultery,  if  she  married  again  during  her 
former  husband’s  life :  for  neither  the  laxv  of  Moses,  nor  the  precepts  of 
Christ  inculcate  any  such  thing. — Now  the  case  of  the  believer,  in  re- 


A.  D.  61. 


ROMANS,  VII. 


The  Law ,  and  its  excellency . 


3  So  then,  if,  while  b  her  husband 
liveth,  she  be  married  to  another 
man,  she  shall  be  called  an  adulter¬ 
ess  :  but  if  her  husband  be  dead, 
she  is  free  from  that  law  ;  so  that 
she  is  no  adulteress,  though  she  be 
married  to  another  man. 

4  Wherefore,  my  brethren,  ye 
also  are  become  dead  to  the  law 
c  by  the  body  of  Christ ;  that  ye 
should  be  married  to  another,  even 
to  him  who  is  raised  from  the  dead, 
that  we  should  bring  forth  d  fruit 
unto  God. 

5  For  when  we  were  e  in  the 
flesh,  the  1  motions  of  sins,  which 
were  by  the  law,  did  work  in  our 
members,  to  bring  forth  fruit 6  unto 
death. 

6  But  now  we  are  delivered  from 
the  law,  hthat  being  dead  wherein 
we  were  held;  that  we  should  serve 
in  newness  of  spirit,  and  not  in  the 
oldness  of  the  letter. 

7  What  shall  we  say  then  ?  Is 
the  law  sin  ?  God  forbid.  Nay,  I 
had  not  'known  sin,  but  by  the  law: 
for  I  had  not  known  J  lust,  except 
the  law  had  ksaid,  Thou  sbalt  not 
covet. 

b  Mat.  5:3*2.  f  passions.  i  c.  3:20. 

c  Ga  5:13.  g  c.  6:21.  J  or,  concupii- 

<1  Ga.  5:22.  h  or,  being  dead  cence . 

e  Ro.  8:8,  9.  to  that .  k  £x,  20:17. 

wider  the  power  of  it;  while  we  were  in  our 
O.  T.  state,  before  the  Gospel  came  into  the 
world,  and  before  it  came  with  power  into 
our  hearts. 

Such  is  the  law  of  marriage,  v.  2.  the 
woman  is  hound,  to  her  husband  during  life,  so 
bound  to  him,  that  she  cannot  marry  anoth¬ 
er;  if  she  do,  she  shall  be  reckoned  an  adul¬ 
teress,  v.  3.  It  will  make  her  an  adulteress, 
not  only  to  be  defiled  by,  but  to  be  married 
to,  another  man  ;  for  that  is  so  much  the 
worse,  on  this  account,  that  it  abuses  an  or¬ 
dinance  of  God,  by  making  it  to  patronize 
the  uncleanness.  . 

Thus  were  we  married  to  the  law,  v.  5. 
When  we.  were  in  the  flesh,  i.  e.  in  a  carnal 


state,  under  the  reigning  power  of  sin  and 
corruption  ;  our  desire  was  to  sin,  as  that 
of  the  wife  to  her  husband,  and  sin  ruled 
over  us  ;  we  embraced  it,  loved  it,  devoted 
all  to  it,  conversed  daily  with  it,  made  it  our 
care  to  please  it  ;  we  were  under  a  law  of 
sin  and  death,  and  the  product  of  this  mar¬ 
riage  was  fruit  brought  forth  unto  death,  i.  e. 
actual  transgressions  were  produced  by  the 
original  corruptions,  such  as  deserve  death. 
This  comes  of  the  motions  of  sin  working  in 
our  members.  And  this  continues  during  life, 
while  the  law  is  alive  to  us,  and  we  to  the 
law. 

II.  Our  second  marriage  is  to  Christ  : 
and  how  comes  that  about  1  Why, 

1.  We  are  freed,  by  death,  from  our  obli¬ 
gation  to  the  law  as  a  covenant,  as  the  wife 
is  from  her  obligation  to  her  husband,  v.  3. 
This  application  is  not  very  close,  nor  needed 
it  to  be,  v .  4.  Fi?  are  become  dead  to  the  law. 
He  does  not  say,  ‘  The  law  is  dead ;  ’  some 
think,  because  he  would  avoid  giving  offence 
to  those  who  were  yet  zealous  for  the  law ; 
but,  which  comes  all  to  one.  Ye  are  dead  to 
the  law.  We  are  delivered  from  the  law,  v.  6. 
we  are  nulled  as  to  the  law  ;  our  obligation 
to  it  is  made  void.  And  then  he  speaks  of 
the  law  being  dead,  as  far  as  it  was  an 
imprisoned  law  to  us, that  being  dead  wherein 
we  were  held;  not  the  law  itself,  but  its  obli¬ 
gation  to  punishment,  and  its  provocation  to 
sin,  that  is  dead,  it  has  lost  its  power;  and 
this,  v.  4.  by  the  body  of  Christ,  i.  e.  by  the 
sufferings  of  Christ  in  his  body,  crucified, 
which  abrogated  the  law,  answered  the  de¬ 
mands  of  it,  made  satisfaction  for  our  viola¬ 
tion  of  it,  purchased  for  us  a  covenant  of 
grace,  in  which  righteousness  and  strength 
are  laid  up  for  us,  such  as  were  not,  nor 
could  be,  by  the  law.  We  are  dead  to  the 
law,  by  our  union  with  the  mystical  body  of 
Christ;  by  being  incorporated  into  Christ  in 
our  baptism  professedly,  in  our  believing 
powerfully  and  effectually',  we  are  dead  to 
the  law,  have  no  more  to  do  with  it  than  the 
dead  servant,  that  is  free  from  his  master, 
hath  to  do  with  his  master’s  yoke. 

2.  We  are  married  to  Christ.  The  day  of 
our  believing,  is  the  day  of  our  espousals  to 
the  Lord  Jesus.  Married  to  another,  even  to 
Him  who  is  raised  from  the  dead  ;  a  peri¬ 
phrasis  of  Christ,  very  pertinent  here  ;  for 
as  our  dying  to  sin  and  the  law  is  in  con¬ 
formity  to  the  death  of  Christ,  and  the  cru- 


|  cifying  of  his  body  ;  so  our  devotedness  to 
Christ  in  newness  of  life,  is  in  conformity  to 
the  resurrection  of  Christ.  Comp.  2  Cor. 
11:2.  Eph.  5:29  Now  the  great  end  of 
j  this  is,  our  fruitfulness  in  love,  and  grace, 

|  and  every  good  work.  That  is  fruit  unto 
|  God,  pleasing  to  God,  according  to  his  will, 

|  aiming  at  his  glory.  Whatever  our  profes¬ 
sions  and  pretensions  be,  there  is  no  fruit 
brought  forth  to  God,  till  then;  it  is  in  Christ 
Jesus  that  we  are  created  unto  good  works, 
Eph.  2:10.  This  distinguishes  the  good 
works  of  believers,  from  the  good  works  of 
hypocrites  and  self-justifiers.  Col.  3:  17. 
Without  controversy,  this  is  one  of  the  great 
mysteries  of  godliness. 

(1.)  That  we  should  serve  in  newness  of 
spirit,  and  not  in  the  oldness  of  the  letter,  v.  6. 
Being  married  to  a  new  husband,  we  must 
change  our  way.  Still  we  must  serve,  but 
it  is  a  service  that  is  perfect  freedom,  where¬ 
as  the  service  of  sin  w  as  a  perfect  drudgery: 
we  must  now  serve  in  newness  of  spirit,  by 
new  spiritual  rules,  from  new  spiritual  prin¬ 
ciples,  in  the  spirit,  and  in  truth,  John  4:24. 
There  must  be  a  renovation  of  our  spirits, 
wrought  by  the  Spirit  of  God,  and  in  that 
we  must  serve. 

(2.)  Not  in  the  oldness  of  the  letter;  we  must 
not  rest  in  mere  external  services,  as  the 
carnal  Jews  did,  and  minded  not  the  spir¬ 
itual  part  of  worship.  The  letter  is  said  to 
kill  with  its  bondage  and  terror,  but  we  are 
delivered  from  that  yoke,  that  we  might 
serve  God  without  fear,  in  holiness  and 
righteousness,  Luke  1:74,  75.  We  are 
under  the  dispensation  of  the  Spirit,  and 
therefore  must  be  spiritual,  and  serve  in  the 
Spirit.  Comp.  2  Cor.  3:  3,  6,  & c.  It  be¬ 
comes  us  to  worship  within  the  veil,  and  no 
longer  in  the  outward  court. 

V.  7 — 14.  To  what  he  had  said  in  the 
former  paragraph,  the  apostle  here  raises  an 
objection,  which  he  answers  very  fully  ; 
What  shall  we  say  then  ?  Is  the  law  sin  ? 
When  he  had  been  speaking  of  the  dominion 
of  sin,  he  had  said  so  much  of  tire  influence 
of  the  law  as  a  covenant  on  that  dominion, 
that  it  might  easily  be  misinterpreted  as  a 
reflection  on  the  law  ;  to  prevent  which  he 
shows  from  his  own  experience,  the  great 
excellency  and  usefulness  of  the  law,  not  as 
a  covenant,  but  as  a  guide;  and  further  dis¬ 
covers  how  sin  took  occasion  by  the  com¬ 
mandment. 


spect  of  the  subject  under  consideration,  bore  some  analogy  to  that 
which  had  been  stated.  Not  only  were  the  Jewish  converts  ‘dead  to’ 
the  Mosaic  law,  by  its  virtual  abrogation  ;  but  all  true  Christians  were 
become  dead  to  the  moral  law,  as  a  covenant  of  works,  ‘  by  the  body  of 
Christ,’  by  his  incarnation,  obedience,  and  sacrifice  on  the  cross  for  their 
transgressions.  Eph.  2:14 — 18.  He  having  thus  answered  its  demnnds 
ns  their  Surety,  it  had  no  further  power  to  condemn  ;  but  believers 
were  looked  upon  as  if  they  had  fully  endured  its  sentence,  and  fulfilled 
its  righteousness,  by  their  Surety  and  Representative.  Thus  the  relation 
between  them  and  the  law,  as  the  condition  of  a  covenant  between 
God  and  them,  was  dissolved,  even  as  marriage  is  dissolved  by  the  nat¬ 
ural  or  legal  death  of  either  party  ;  and  this  was  in  order  to  their  being 
‘  married  to  Christ  as  risen  from  the  dead,’  that,  being  united  to  Him, 
according  to  the  covenant  of  grace,  and  made  partakers  of  all  his  ‘  un¬ 
searchable  riches,’  they  might,  by  ‘the  supply  of  his  Spirit,’  bring  forth 
such  fruit  in  their  fives,  as  bore  the  holy  stamp  of  God  upon  it,  was 
meet  for  his  gracious  acceptance,  and  honorable  to  his  name. — It  should 
be  remembered,  that  many  (probably  most)  of  the  Christians  at  Rome 
had  been  Gentiles,  who  never  were  under  the  Mosaic  law  ;  and  even  the 
Jewish  converts  were  not,  as  yet,  required  to  renounce  it.  This  consid¬ 
eration  folly  proves,  that  no  mere  change  of  external  stale  is  exclusively 
meant,  as  many  learned  commentators  have  supposed.  Gal.  2:17 — 21. 

Scott. 

(1.)  ‘  Commentators  seem  agreed  upon  little  else  in  this  ch.  than  that 
vs.  1 — 6.  have  a  close  connexion  with  the  preceding  ch.  So  that  the  pres¬ 
ent  division  occurs  at  a  very  wrong  place.  ..  That  Paul  addresses  Jew¬ 
ish  Christians,  and  by  law  means  that  of  Moses,  is  held  by  Chrys.,  the 
Gr.  comtrs.,  and  most  moderns,  as  Grot.,  Beza,  Willet,  Tolet.,  Wetst., 
Ros.,  Hardy,  and  especially  Locke,  “as  evident  from  the  whole  ch.,  es¬ 
pecially  v.  1,  4,  6.”  But  Estius,  Crell.,  Sc.h.,  Kop.,  Mid.,  and  partly 
Mackn.,  think  he  addresses  all  Christians ,  and  means  law  universally. 
Kop.  strenuously  maintains,  that  any  law  is  meant,  including,  of  course, 
the  Mosaic,  which  he  acknowledges  is  especially  adverted  to  in  this  ch.’ 

Imw,  in  this  v.  seems  used  generally.’  Hodge.]  Bt.oo.MF. 

(4.)  ‘  Thus,  mv  brethren,  ye  also  have  become  dead. .  .  in  order  that  ye 
should  he  joined  to  another  who  is  risen,’  <kc.  St.  ‘Now  ye  Jewish- 
Christians  being  dead  by  baptism,  (6  3,  4.)  the  bond  between  you  and  the 
Mosaic  law  is  broken  . .  “  So  that  now  ye  are  another’s,”  i.  e.  “  are  no 
longer  subject  to  the  dead  and  abrogated  law,  but  are  immediately  added 
unto  Christ.”  The  church  also  is  compared  to  a  spouse,  at  2  Cor.  11:2. 
Eph.  5:49.’  Ros. 


V.  5,  6.  ‘  Some  of  “  the  works  of  the  flesh  do  not  require  the  mem¬ 
bers  of  our  body,”  . .  but  only  the  faculties  of  our  minds,  for  their  per¬ 
formance.’  Locke.  Scott. 

(5.)  '■Grot,  truly  remarks,  that  few  under  the  law  were  spiritual; 
most  were  carnal,  having  little  or  no  hope  of  another  life,  and  therefore 
given  up  to  the  cares  and  pleasures  of  this.  The  strongest  confirmation 
of  this,  I  add,  may  be  found  in  the  facts  recorded  by  their  great  histo¬ 
rian  [Jos.],  and  the  confessions  of  their  tqud.lv  great  moralist  and 
philosopher  [Philo].’— Chrys.  and  Theoph.  observe,  that  the  blame  of 
sin  is  laid  on  tiie  passions,  not  the  members.  For,  add  they,  “  the 
soul  is  like  a  harper,  and  the  members  are  the  harp  :  if  the  harper  plays 
badly,  the  harp  sounds  ill.”’  Bl.  ‘  V.  5.  here  is  the  theme  of  discussion 
through  vs.  7 — 25;  while  v.  6.  (the  antithesis  of  v.  5.)  constitutes  the 
theme  of  8:1 — 11.  which  is  in  ail  important  respects  the  antithesis  of  7: 
7 — 25.’  St.  Also  Knapp,  Tholuck,  Flatt,  &c.  Ed. 

(5,  6.)  Motions  of  sins.]  ‘  A  Heb.  expression,  signifying  “  the  sinful 
affections,  lusts,  passions,  and  evil  propensities  of  our  corrupt  nature.”  ’ 
Bloomf.  ‘Our  sinful  passions  ..  wrought  powerfully,  &c.,  but  now  we 
are  freed  from  the  law  by  which  we  were  held  in  bondage,  inasmuch  as 
we  have  become  dead  to  it ;  so  that  we  must  serve  (God)  in  newness  of 
spirit,  and  not  in  the  old  and  literal  manner.’  St  I.  «.  ‘  according  to  a 
new  and  spiritual  mode,  not  in  the  old  and  literal  one.’  Bl.  Held.]  ‘As 
in  stocks.’  Stuart. 

(5 — 25.)  Since  many  regard  the  psychological  system  of  the  phrenol¬ 
ogists  as  most  helpful  to  explain  the  apostle’s  language,  it  is  added  at 
the  end  of  the  ch.  The  reader  will  consult  with  profit  the  discussions 
hence  arising,  in  Stuart's  Com.  on  Rom.  comparing  with  Hodge.  Ed. 

V.  7,  8.  It  might  be  objected  to  the  above  statement,  that  if  those 
who  were  under  the  law  inevitably  remained  the  slaves  of  sin,  and  if 
none  could  serve  God  in  newness  of  spirit,’  till  they  were  ‘dead  to  the 
law,’  and  it  to  them  ;  surely  ‘the  law’  and  ‘sin’  were  in  reality  the 
same  :  and  would  not  this  cast  a  vile  aspersion  on  the  holy  law  of  God  ? 
1 — 4.  5:20,  21. — In  particular,  the  apostle  observes,  that,  by  his  natural 
conscience  without  the  law,  lie  should  not  have  known  that  ‘lust,’  or 
coveting,  was  sinful :  he  should  not  have  supposed,  that,  while  free  from 
adultery,  theft,  or  murder,  [&c.]  the  desire  of  a  forbidden  indulgence,  or 
an  object  withheld  by  Providence,  was  criminal,  even  so  criminal  as  to 
expose  him  to  the  curse  of  the  law.  Ex. 20:17.  Mat.  5:27,28.  That  man  haa 
no  deep  knowledge  of  human  nature, or  the  perverse  wickedness  of  his  own 
heart,  who  does  not  observe,  or  is  not  conscious,  of  this  irrational  pro- 
pensity,to  fancy  that  there  is  something  exquisitely  pleasureable,  in  what 


A.  D.  61.  ROMANS,  VII.  Conflict  between  grace  and  corruption. 


8  Bat  sin,  taking  occasion  by  the 
commandment,  wrought  in  me  all 
manner  of  concupiscence.  For 
without  the  law,  sin  was  dead. 

9  For  I  was  alive  without  the 
law  once  :  but  when  the  command¬ 
ment  came,  sin  revived,  and  I  died. 

10  And  the  commandment,  which 
was  ordained  to  1  life,  I  found  to  be 
unto  death. 

11  For  sin,  taking  occasion  by 
the  commandment,  deceived  me, 
and  by  it  slew  me. 

1  Eze.  20:11,  Sic. 


and  given  to  man,  whose  principal  part  is 
spiritual  ;  herein  it  is  above  all  otliir  laws. 
Other  laws  cannot  take  cognizance,  unless 
there  be  some  overt  act ;  but  the  law  of  God 
takes  notice  of  the  iniquity  regarded  in  the 
heart,  though  it  go  no  further.  Wash  thy 
heart  from  wickedness,  Jer.  4:  14.  Farther, 
wherever  there  is  true  grace,  there  is  an  ex¬ 
perimental  knowledge  {we  know,  v.  14.)  of 
t he  spirituality  of  the  law  of  God. 

II.  The  great  advantage  he  had  found  by 
the  law. 

1.  It  was  discovering,  v.  7.  As  that 
which  is  straight  discovers  that  which  is 
crooked,  as  the  looking-glass  shows  us  our 
natural  face,  with  all  its  spots  and  deformi¬ 
ties  ;  so  there  is  no  way  of  coming  to  that 
knowledge  of  sin  which  is  necessary  to  re¬ 
pentance,  and  consequently  to  peace  and 
pardon,  but  by  comparing  our  hearts  and 
lives  with  the  law.  Particularly,  he  came  to 
the  knowledge  of  the  sinfulness  of  lust,  by 
the  law  of  the  tenth  commandment  :  the  law 
spake  in  other  language  than  the  Scribes 
and  Pharisees  made  it  to  speak  in  ;  it  spake 
in  the  spiritual  sense  and  meaning.  By  this, 
he  knew  that  lust  [inordinate  desire]  is  sin, 
and  very  sinful;  that  those  motions  and  de¬ 
sires  of  the  heart  toward  sin,  which  never 
came  into  act,  are  sinful,  exceeding  sinful. 
There  is  nothing  about  which  the  natural 
man  is  more  blind,  than  about  original  cor¬ 
ruption,  concerning  which  the  understanding 
is  altogether  in  the  dark,  till  the  Spirit  by 
the  law  reveal  it,  and  make  it  known.  We 
never  see  the  desperate  venom  and  malignity 
there  are  in  sin,  till  we  come  to  compare  it 
with  the  law,  and  the  spiritual  nature  of  the 
law,  and  then  we  see  it  to  be  an  evil  and  a 
bitter  thing. 


2.  It  was  humbling,  v.  19.  he  thought 
himself  in  a  very  good  condition,  was  alive 
in  his  own  opinion  and  apprehension  ;  very 
secure  and  confident  of  the  goodness  of  his 
state.  Thus  he  was  once,  in  times  past,  and 
the  reason  was,  he  was  then  without  the  laxv. 
He  had  the  letter, but  not  the  spiritual  mean- 
'ing;  the  shell,  but  not  the  kernel.  He  had 
the  law  in  his  hand,  in  his  head,  but  not  in 
his  heart;  the  notion  of  it,  but  not  the  pow¬ 
er  of  it.  Many  are  so,  and  it  is  their 
strangeness  to  the  law,  that  is  the  cause  of 
the  mistake.  But  when  the  commandment 
came,  came  in  the  power  of  it,  sin  revived,  as 
tlie  dust  in  a  room  rises,  i.  e.  appears,  when 
the  sunshine  is  let  into  it.  Paul  then  saw 
that  in  sin  which  he  had  never  seen  before; 
he  then  saw  sin  in  its  causes,  the  bitter  root, 
the  corrupt  bias,  the  bent  to  backslide ;  sin 
i?i  its  colors,  deforming,  defiling,  breaking  a 
righteous  law,  affronting  an  awful  Majesty, 
profaning  a  Sovereign  crown  by  casting  it 
to  the  ground ;  sin  in  its  consequences,  sin 
with  death  at  the  heels  of  it,  sin  and  the 
curse  entailed  upon  it. 

Of  this  excellent  use  is  the  law,  it  is  a 
lamp  and  a  light,  it  converts  the  soul,  opens 
the  eyes,  prepares  the  way  of  the  Lord  in 
the  desert,  rends  the  rocks,  levels  the  moun¬ 
tains,  makes  ready  a  people  prepared  for  the 
Lord. 

III.  The  ill  use  his  corrupt  nature  made 
of  the  law  notwithstanding. 

1.  Sin,  taking  occasion  by  the  command¬ 
ment,  wrought  in  me  all  manner  of  concupis¬ 
cence ',  v.  8.  Observe,  Paul,  though  one  of 
the  best  unregenerate  men  that  ever  was,  as 
touching  the  righteousness  of  the  law,  blame¬ 
less,  was  yet  sensible  of  all  manner  of  con¬ 
cupiscence.  And  it  was  sin  that  wrought  it. 


I.  The  great  excellency  of  the  law  in  it¬ 
self.  Far  be  it  from  Paul  to  reflect  on  the 
law. 

1.  It  is  holy,  just,  and  good,  v.  12.  The 
law  in  general  is  so,  every  particular  com¬ 
mandment  is  so ;  laws  are  as  the  law-makers 
are ;  God,  the  great  Lawgiver,  is  holy,  just, 
and  good,  therefore  his  law  must  needs  be 
so:  it  is  holy,  as  being  agreeable  to  the  holy 
will  of  God,  the  original  of  holiness ;  just,  as 
consonant  to  the  rules  of  equity  and  right 
reason;  and  good,  as  given  for  the  good  of 
mankind.  Wherever  there  i3  true  grace, 
there  is  an  assent  to  this, — that  the  law  is 
ho|y,  just,  and  good. 

2.  The  law  is  spiritual,  v.  14.  not  only  in 
regard  of  the  effect  of  it,  as  it  is  a  mean  of 
making  us  spiritual  ;  but  in  regard  of  the 
extent  of  it,  it  reaches  our  spirits,  [our 
thoughts  and  desires,]  Ileb.  4:  12.  it  forbids 
spiritual  wickedness,  it  commands  spiritual 
service.  It  is  spiritual,  as  given  by  God, 
who  is  a  Spirit,  and  the  Father  of  spirits  ; 

Is  out  of  our  reach,  or  prohibited.  Indeed  it  seems  natural  to  expect,  that 
it  would  be  so  with  the  posterity  of  those,  who  could  be  satisfied  with 
no  fruit  in  the  garden  of  God,  except  that  which  He  had  forbidden.  We 
readily  observe  this  propensity  in  others,  especially  in  our  children ; 
though  perhaps  self-love  may  make  us  blind  to  it  in  ourselves. — Thus  the 
spiritual  precepts  and  awful  sanctions  of  the  law,  excite  the  depravity 
of  the  heart  by  their  contrariety  to  it ;  as  the  alkali  produces  an  effer¬ 
vescence  by  its  contrariety  to  the  acid  ;  and  so  the  heart  rises  in  blasphe¬ 
mous  enmity  to  the  law,  and  rushes  more  impetuously  into  transgres¬ 
sion. — In  what  sense  can  this  be  applied  to  the  ceremonial  law,  the 
ordinances  of  which  a  carnal  mind  might  readily  comply  with,  provided 
their  relation  to  the  gospel  were  not  perceived  ?  Does  the  tenth  com¬ 
mandment  belong  to  the  ceremonial  law  ?  Where  is  the  marked  tran¬ 
sition,  from  the  ceremonial  to  the  moral  law,  to  be  found  in  this  discus¬ 
sion  ?  Is  not  the  apostle  evidently  throughout  illustrating  one  proposi¬ 
tion  ;  namely,  that  ‘  those  who  are  under  the  law  are  slaves  to  sin  ?’ 
The  inconsistency  of  expositors,  who  set  out  with  confining  the  mean¬ 
ing  to  the  ceremonial  law,  or  the  Mosaic  dispensation ;  and  then  glide, 
either  imperceptibly  to  themselves,  or  at  least  without  hinting  it  to  their 
readers,  to  the  most  spiritual  precept  of  the  moral  law,  must  be  obvious 
to  every  attentive  student :  and  the  perplexity  which  arises  from  this 
source  is  inexpressible. — "It  is  surprising  to  me,  that  the  learned  Mr. 
Locke,  and  some  others  after  him,  should  make  the  sense  of  the  passage 
to  be,  “without  the  law,”  (meaning  the  law  given  by  Moses,)  “sin  is 
dead,”  not  able  to  hurt  me ;  or,  without  the  law  of  Moses,  which  annex¬ 
es  death  to  transgression,  sin  is  as  good  as  dead,  is  not  able  to  have. its 
will  against  me,  and  bring  death  upon  me.  For  this  is  contrary  to  the 
apostle’s  peremptory  assertions,  that  “  by  one  man  sin  entered  into  the 
world,  and  death  by  sin;”  “  that  sin  was  in  the  world  until,”  orall  along 
before,  “  the  law ;”  and  that  “  death  reigned  from  Adam  to  Moses.”  (5: 
12 — 14.)  IIow  then  could  it  be  said,  that  sin  was  not  able  to  hurt  the 
apostle,  or  to  bring  death  on  him,  or  on  any  other  Jew,  without  the  law 
of  Moses  :  since  “  it  had  reigned  unto  death  ”  so  many  hundred  years 
before  that  law  was  given  ;  and  we  are  told,  that  the  very  heathens,  who 
had  only  the  law  of  nature,  knew  the  judgment  of  God,  that  the  trans¬ 
gressors  of  that  law-  were  worthy  of  death  i  Rom.  1:32.’  Guise.  Scott. 

(7.)  ‘  Still,  I  had  not  known  sin  except  by  the  law  ;  for  I  had  not 

known  even  inordinate  desire,  [and  what  desire,  or  degree  of  it,  was  to  be 
accounted  by  God  and  by  mvself  inordinate  t  Ed..]  unless  the  law  had 
said  :  “  Thou  shalt  not  lust.”  ’  St'.  ‘  Photius,  (Ecutn.,  [the  most  ancient 
fathers,  St.]  and  the  best  modern  comtrs.  are  agreed,  that  Paul  here, 
and  to  the  end  of  the  ch.,  is  not  speaking  in  his  own  person,  or  of  his 
own  case,  but  assumes  that  of  human  nature  ;  [but  see  Scott,  seq.]  to 
avoid  offence  to  the  Jews.’  lit. :  and  see  Stuart's  Exc.  VI.  All  men,  how¬ 
ever,  have  moral  perceptions,  and  conversion  regulates  and  controls  but 
does  not  annihilate  any  primitive  faculty  or  instinct.  Eo. 

(8.)  Concupiscence .]  4  Inordinate  desire.  IVas.]  Is  ’  St.  The  Gr. 

epithumia,  here  tr.  lust,  at  v.  7.  signifies  a  strong-  desire  of  any  kind  ;  and 
is  used  in  a  good  sense;  (see  on  Luke  22  15.)  or  in  a  general  but  evil 
sense,  Gal.  5:16.  Eph.  2:3.  1  Pet.  4:2,3.’  Sc.  1  By  sin  is  here  meant,  the 
propensity  to  sin,  and  that  even  involuntary,  as  9,15.  the  lamentable 
perversity  of  inclination  incident  to  human  nature,  and  so  unequivocal¬ 
ly  acknowledged  even  by  the  heathen  writers.’  HI.  Philo  compares 
these  desires  to  a  tiger,  or  other  wild  beast ;  so  Livy  speaks  of  4  luxury, 
(sensuality,)  ns  a  fierce  beast,  irritated  by  its  very  chains ;’  moralists  still 
use  the  expressions, 4  animal  propensities,’ 4  animalism  and  we  all  expe¬ 
rience  in  a  greater  or  less  degree  how  restraint,  or  a  rule  which  fixes  our 
thoughts  to  them  and  their  objects,  operates  to  increase  their  force. 
Praver,  which  quiets  their  action  by  leading  the  thoughts  far  awav,  iind 

[204] 


excites  the  other  and  higher  nature,  is  the  best  remedy ;  for  we  have  the 
precept,  4  Watch  and  pray,  lest  ye  enter  into  temptation.’  Ed. 

V.  9 — 12.  It  seems  evident,  that  the  apostle  in  these  vs.,  and  in  the 
subsequent  part  of  the  ch.,  spoke  literally  of  himself,  and  his  own  ex¬ 
perience.  If  he  personated  another  man,  why  did  he  not  give  some  in¬ 
timation  of  his  design  ?  In  another  place  he  fairly  brought  forward  the 
Jew;  2:17 — 29.  and  ambiguity  is  no  characteristic  of  his  writings.  In¬ 
deed,  I  apprehend,  that  the  more  humble  and  spiritual  any  Christian  is, 
the  more  clearly  will  he  perceive,  that  the  apostle  describes  the  experi¬ 
ence  of  the  true  believer,  from  his  first  convictions,  to  bis  greatest  pro¬ 
gress  in  grace  during  this  present  imperfect  state.  His  avowed  object 
is  to  show,  that  the  law  can  do  nothing  for  a  sinner,  either  to  justify  or 
sanctify  him  ;  and  that  the  believer  feels  this  daily,  as  long  as  he  lives. 

4 1  was,’  says  he, 4  alive,  without  the  laxv  once  ;’  he  was  once  a  Pharisee, 
ignorant  of  the  spirituality  of  the  law,  and,  ..  having  some  general  de¬ 
cency  of  character,  without  any  acquaintance  with  his  inward  depravity, 
he  concluded  that  his  heart  and  life  were  good,  and  that  he  was  in  a 
state  of  acceptance  with  God.  But  when  ‘the  commandment  came’  to 
his  conscience,  by  the  convictions  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  and  he  perceived 
its  righteous  and  extensive  requirements,  and  its  severe  denunciations  ; 
he  found  the  sinful  propensities  of  his  heart,  which  before  seemed  dor¬ 
mant,  rise  against  it;  and  every  endeavor  to  fulfil  its  precepts,  showed 
him  more  plainly  his  inability  to  do  it.  Thus  his  former  hopes  died 
away  ;  he  found  himself  a  helpless  sinner,  under  merited  condemnation, 
and  became  as  a  dead  man,  except  as  the  Gospel  revived  him  from  des¬ 
pondency.  2  Cor.  5:13 — 15.  Thus  the  law,  which  was  originally  ordained 
to  life  for  holy  creatures,  and  from  which,  he,  though  a  sinner,  had  ex¬ 
pected  heaven,  was  4  found  to  be  unto  death  :’  even  as  the  law  of  any 
country,  which  secures  the  lives  of  honest  men,  is  4  found  to  be  unto 
death’  by  the.  murderer  or  robber. — The  ceremonial  law  was  not  ‘  or¬ 
dained  unto  life,’  except  as  it  pointed  out  Christ,  the  Substance  of 
its  shadows  ;  and  it  was  found  unto  death  by  none,  but  those  who  made 
it  an  appendix  to  the  covenant  of  works,  and  rejected  Christ  for  the  sake 
of  it  :  and  this  perfectly  coincides  with  the  interpretation  above  given. 
— Sin,  the  corruption  of  fallen  nature,  being  averse  to  the  holy  strict¬ 
ness  of  the  moral  law,  by  its  extreme  deceit  fulness,  seduced  Paul  into 
various  transgressions,  and  thus  slew  all  his  self-righteous  hopes,  and 
actually  brought  him  under  deeper  condemnation.  Not  that  the  law 
caused  this,  or  even  gave  any  just  occasion  for  it :  but  ‘  sin  took  occasion  ’ 
from  it ;  as  a  wicked  man  takes  occasion  from  a  pious  discourse,  or  a 
friendly  admonition,  to  scolT,  blaspheme,  or  rage  the  more.  Prov.  9:7 — 9. 
23:9.  Mat.  7:6.  Jets  18:1—6.  The  whole  law  must  therefore  be  allowed 
to  be  perfectly  holy,  the  transcript  of  the  divine  character;  and  each 
commandment  most  ‘holy,’  at  the  utmost  distance  from  moral  evil; 
most  ‘just,’  as  requiring  nothing  more  than  what  is  righteously  due  to 
God  and  our  neighbors ;  and  most  ‘good,’  ns  tending  to  the  true  welfare 
of  ourselves,  our  families,  the  community,  and  all  mankind  :  so  that  the 
universal  observance  of  it  would  almost  annihilate  the  evils  of  the 
world,  and  convert  earth  into  heaven.  Ex.  20:1,  17.  Ps.  19:7 — 11.  Gal. 
3:19 — 22.  1  Tim.US — 11. — The  apostle  never  passes  such  eulogiums 
on  the  ceremonial  law,  or  the  Mosaic  dispensation:  they  had  a  tempo¬ 
rary  fitness  and  goodness  ;  but  they  4  made  nothing  perfect,’  and  consist¬ 
ed  of ‘carnal  ordinances,’ which  continued  in  force  ‘till  the  time  of 
reformation,’  and  no  longer.  Heb.  9:8 — 10.  Scott. 

(9.)  4  To  say  that  sin  was  dead,  and  to  say  that  I  was  alive,  is  saying 
the  same  thing,  as  to  sentiment ;  for  wherever  sin  lives  the  man  dies  [and 
vice  versa],  as  the  sequel  of  the  v.  clearly  shows.’  Stuart. 

(10.)  ‘But  I  died;  yea,  the  commandment  which  xvas  unto  life,  the 
very  same  was  found  to  be  death  to  me.’  St.  ‘  This  law  may  be  said  to 


A.  D.  61. 


ROMANS,  VII. 


The  excellency  of  the  Law. 


12  Wherefore  the  law  “  is  holy  ; 
and  the  commandment  holy,  and 
just,  and  good. 

13  W  as  then  that  which  is  good 
made  death  unto  me  ?  God  forbid. 
Rut  sin,  that  it  might  appear  sin, 
working  death  in  me  by  that  which 
is  good  ;  that  sin  by  the  command¬ 
ment  might  become  exceeding  sin¬ 
ful. 

14  For  we  know  that  the  law  is 
spiritual  :  but  I  am  carnal,  sold 
n  under  sin. 

15  F or  that  which  I  do,  I  0  allow 
not  :  for  what  I  would,  that  do  I 
not ;  but  what  I  hate,  that  do  I. 

m  Ps.  19:7,9.  ,i  2  K.  17:17.  o  know. 

indwelling  sin,  his  corrupt  nature  ;  (lie 
speaks  of  a  sin  that  did  work  sin;)  and  it 
took  occasion  by  the  commandment..  The  cor¬ 
rupt  nature  would  not  have  swelled  and  raged 
so  much,  if  it  had  not  been  for  the  restraints 
of  the  law;  it  is  incident  to  corrupt  nature, 
in  vetitum  niti, — to  lean  towards  what  is  for¬ 
bidden.  Ever  since  Adam  ate  forbidden 
fruit,  we  have  all  been  fond  of  forbidden 
paths  ;  the  diseased  appetite  is  carried  out 
most  strongly  toward  that  which  is  hurtful 
and  prohibited.  Without  the  law  sin  was  dead, 
as  a  snake  in  winter,  which  the  sunbeams 
of  the  law  quicken  and  irritate. 

2.  It  deceived  me.  Sin  puts  a  cheat  on 
the  sinner,  a  fatal  cheat,  v.  11.  By  it,  by 
the  commandment,  slew  me.  There  being  in 
the  law  no  such  express  threatening  against 
sinful  lustings,  sin,  i.  e.  his  own  corrupt  na¬ 
ture,  took  occasion  from  thence  to  promise 
him  impunity,  and  to  say,  as  the  serpent  to 
our  first  parents,  Ye  shall  not  surely  die. 
Thus  it  deceived  and  slew  him. 

3.  It  wrought  death  in  me  by  that  which  is 
good,  v.  13.  That  which  works  concupis¬ 


cence,  works  death,  for  ski  bringeth  forth 
death.  Nothing  so  good  but  a  corrupt  and 
vicious  nature  will  pervert  it,  and  make  it 
an  occasion  of  sin  ;  no  flower  so  sweet,  but 
it  will  suck  poison  out  of  it.  Now  ill  this, 
sin  appears  sin.  The  worst  thing  sin  does, 
and  most  like  itself,  is  the  perverting  of  the 
law,  and  taking  occasion  from  it  to  be  so 
much  the  more  malignant. 

Thus  the  commandment,  which  was  or¬ 
dained  to  life — was  intended  as  a  guide  in  the 
way  to  comfort  and  happiness,  proved  unto 
death,  through  the  corruption  of  nature,  v.  10. 
Many  a  precious  soul  splits  upon  the  rock  of 
salvation.  And  the  same  Word  which  to 
some  is  an  occasion  of  life  unto  life,  is,  to 
others,  an  occasion  of  death  unto  death.  The 
same  sun  that  makes  the  garden  of  flowers 
more  fragrant,  makes  the  dunghill  more  noi¬ 
some  :  the  same  heat  that  softens  wax,  har¬ 
dens  clay  ;  and  the  same  Child  was  set  for 
the  fall  and  rising  again  of  many  in  Israel. 
The  way  to  prevent  this  mischief,  is,  to  bow 
our  souls  to  the  commanding  authority  of  the 
word  and  lawJof  God,  not  striving  against, 
but  submitting  to  it. 

V.  14 — 25.  Here  is  a  description  of  the 
conflict  between  grace  and  corruption  in  the 
heart,  applicable  two  ways  ;  I.  To  the 
struggles  in  a  convinced  soul,  but  yet  unregen¬ 
erate:  in  the  person  of  whom  it  is  supposed, 
by  some,  Paul  speaks.  II.  To  struggles  in 
a  renewed,  sanctified  soul,  but  yet  in  a  state 
of  imperfection,  as  others  apprehend. 

I.  Applying  it  to  the  struggles  in  a  con¬ 
vinced  soul,  yet  in  a  state  of  sin,  that  knows 
his  Lord’s  will  but  does  it  not,  approves  the 
things  that  are  more  excellent,  being  in¬ 
structed  out  of  the  law,  and  yet  lives  in 
the  constant  breach  of  it,  ch.  2: 17 — 23. 
though  he  has  that  within  him  that  witnesses 
against  the  sin  he  commits,  and  it  is  not 
without  great  reluctancy  he  does  commit  it; 
the  superior  faculties  striving  against  it,  nat¬ 
ural  conscience  warning  against  it  before  it 
is  committed,  and  smiting  for  it  afterward. 


yet  the  man  continues  a  slave  to  his  reigning 
lusts.* 

It  is  not  thus  with  every  unregenerate 
man,  but  with  those  only  that  are  convinced 
by  the  law,  but  not  changed  by  the  gospel. 
The  apostle  had  said,  ch.  6  :  14.  That  sin 
shall  not  have  dominion,  because  ye.  are  nut 
under  the  law,  but  under  grace.  For  the  proof 
of  which,  he  here  shows  that  a  man  under 
the  law,  and  not  under  grace,  may  be,  and 
is,  under  the  dominion  of  sin;  the  law  may 
discover  sin,  and  convince  of  sin,  but  it 
cannot  conquer  and  subdue  sin,  witness  the 
predominancy  of  sin  [a  selfish  propensity]  in 
many  that  are  under  very  strong  legal  con¬ 
victions  :  it  may  make  him  feel  the  burden 
of  sin,  Mat.  11:28.  but  cannot  relieve  him; 
Christ  only  can  do  that.  It  may  make  a 
man  cry  out,  0  wretched  man  that  I  am  !  who 
shall  deliver  me?  and  yet  leave  him  thus  fet¬ 
tered  and  captivated,  as  being  too  weak  to 
deliver  him,  ch.  8:3.  give  him  a  spirit  of 
bondage  to  fear,  ch.  8-  15.  Now  a  soul, 
advanced  thus  far  by  the  law,  is  in  a  fair 
way  towards  a  state  of  liberty  by  Christ  ; 
though  many  rest  here,  and  go  no  further,  as 
Felix.  A  man  may  go  to  hell  with  his  eyes 
open,  Num.  24:  3,4.  illuminated  with  com¬ 
mon  convictions;  and  carry  about  with  him 
a  self-accusing  conscience,  even  in  the  ser¬ 
vice  of  the  devil;  he  may  consent  to  the  law, 
that  it  is  good;  delight  to  know  God’s  ways, 
as  they,  Is.  58:2.  may  have  that  within  him, 
that  witnesses  against  sin,  and/or  holiness; 
and  yet  all  this  overpowered  by  the  reigning 
love  of  sin.  Drunkards,  [misers,  gluttons, 
cruel,  quarrelsome,  selfish,  malicious,  proud, 
or]  unclean  persons,  have  some  faint  desires 
to  leave  off  their  sins,  and  yet  persist  in 
them  notwithstanding,  such  are  the  impoten- 
cy  and  insufficiency  of  their  convictions. 

Of  such  as  these  many  will  needs  have  all 
this  understood,  and  contend  earnestly  for 
it  :  though  it  is  very  hard  to  imagine  why, 

*  This  might  seem  untrue,  if  asserted  absolutely,  yet  the 
struggle  is  less  and  less,  as  the  propensities  gel  muie  entire¬ 
ly  the  upper  hand.  See  further  onward.  Ed. 


have  been  intended  for  life,  though  by  sin  made  the  occasion  of  death  ; 
as  medicines  which,  not  being  rightly  applied,  prove  fatal,  may  never¬ 
theless  be  said  to  have  been  intended,  for  cure.''  Doddr.  ' 

(12.)  Holy  .  .just  . .  good.]  ‘  Hagios  . .  dikaios  . .  agathos  :  hagios , 
like  the  Latin  sanctus,  is  an  epithet  especially  appropriated  to  law,  and 
signifies  what  may  justly  claim  reverence.  Dikaios  signifies  just  in  it¬ 
self,  and  is  here  employed  to  denote,  that  the  law  is  not  the  cause  of  the 
misery  of  those  who  violate  it.  As  to  agathc,  it  signifies  calculated  for 
good;  and  all  tins  by  the  eternal  rule  of  right  [i.  e.  God’s  will].’  Bl. 

V.  13.  Wholesome  food,  or  a  valuable  medicine,  through  a  diseased 
state  of  the  body,  or  when  taken  improperly,  may  ‘  occasion  ’  death, 
contrary  to  its  general  ami  proper  tendency  :  but  poison  kills,  as  a  cause, 
by  its  native  eliieacy.  The  law  may  occasion  death  through  man’s  de¬ 
pravity  ;  but  sin  is  the  poison  that  causes  death.  Thus  through  the 
commandment  ‘  siri  became  exceeding  sinful ;  i.  e.  the  odious  and  ruin¬ 
ous  nature  of  sin,  as  well  as  the  sinfulness  of  the  human  heart,  were 
most  clearly  shown ;  in  order  that  the  abounding  grace  of  God  might 
appear  the  more  glorious.  Scott. 

(13.)  1  “  Has  then  that  which  is  good  become  death  to  me  ?”■ — By  no 
means;  but  sin  (becomes  death),  in  order  that  it  might  manifest  itself, 
causing  death  to  me  by  that  which  is  good,  so  that  sin,  through  the  com¬ 
mandment,  might  be  exceeding  sinful.’  St.  ‘But  by  means  of  this  good 
law,  sin  produced  my  ruin ;  thus  showing,  through  the  law,  its  really 
detestable  character.  Turner.  Just  like  a  disorder,  which,  when  it  has 
become  worse,  may  be  said  to  display,  by  means  of  the  medical  art,  its 
malignity,  as  not  being  removed  even  by  that.  Theoplt .’  Bloomf. 

V.  14.  The  apostle  here  proceeds  to  confirm  his  position.  ‘We  know,’ 
says  he,  and  allow,  ‘that  the  law  is  spiritual, ’.  ..  and  allows  of  nothing 
but  what  is  done  from  the  most  pure  and  sublime  motives,  and  in  perfect 
love,  zeal,  gratitude,  and  delight.  Compared  with  this  most  holy  rule  of 
conduct,  the  apostle  found  that  he  was  ‘  carnal,  sold  under  sin ;’  his  na¬ 
ture  was  perfectly  opposite  to  this  spiritual  law,  and,  even  after  all  his 
attainments  in  grace,  he  found  himself  so  very  far  short  of  this  perfec¬ 
tion,  and  in  every  respect  so  unable  to  attain  to  it,  though  he  ardently 
aspired  after  it ;  that  he  seemed  comparatively  to  be  *  carnal,’  and  like 
a  man  who  is  sold  against  his  will  to  a  hated  master,  from  whom  He 
can  by  no  means  set  himself  at  liberty.  ( M .  R.  q — s.) — Numbers  cannot 
conceive,  that  Paul  could  mean  this  of  himself  as  a  confirmed  believer ; 
and,  finding  it  to  be  inseparably  connected  with  what  follows,  they 
would  explain  the  whole  of  an  awakened  Jew,  or  some  other  convinced 
sinner,  who  is  seeking  justification  by  the  ‘works  of  the  law;’  or  at 
most  an  unconfirmed  believer.  But  such  things  are  spoken,  as  are  true 
of  none  but  real  Christians ;  and  the  whole  is  actually  verified  in  their 
experience.  Every  believer  is  1  carnal  ’  in  exact  proportion  to  the  de¬ 
gree,  in  which  he  falls  short  of  perfect  conformity  to  the  law  of  God  : 
and  he  indignantly  and  reluctantly  thus  far  serves  an  abhorred  master; 
yet  cannot  shake  off  the  galling  chain,  till  his  powerful  and  gracious 
Friend  comes  to  rescue  him  from  it.  . .  As  the  apostle  was  far  more  en¬ 
lightened  and  humble  than  Christians  in  general  are,  doubtless  this  clog 
was  more  uneasy  to  him,  than  it  is  to  them ;  though  most  of  us  find  our 
Jiv86  at  times  greatly  embittered  by  it.  So  that  this  energetic  language, 


which  many  imagine  to  describe  an  unestablished  believer’s  experience, 
or  even  that  of  an  unconverted  person,  seems  to  have  resulted  from  the 
extraordinary  degree  of  Paul’s  sanctification,  and  the  depth  of  his  self- 
abasement  and  hatred  of  sin  :  and  the  reason  of  our  not  readily  under¬ 
standing  him  seems  to  be,  because  we  are  so  far  beneath  him  in  holiness, 
humility,  acquaintance  with  the  spirituality  of  God’s  law,  and  the  evil 
of  our  own  hearts,  and  in  our  degree  of  abhorrence  of  moral  evil.  In 
the  former  part  of  the  ch.,  the  apostle  had  spoken  in  the  past  tense,  ‘  I 
was  alive,  &c.’  (9)  but  here  lie  uses  the  present,  to  which  he  uniformly 
adheres  in  what  follows.  Thus  in  another  place  he  says,  ‘  What  things 
were  gain  to  me,  these  I  counted  loss  for  Christ  ;  yea,  doubtless,  and  I 
count  all  tilings  but  loss,  lor  the  excellency  of  the  knowledge  of  Christ 
Jesus,  &c.’  Phil.  3:1 — 11.  w.  7 — 9.  Some,  indeed,  suppose  the  transi¬ 
tion  from  the  experience  of  the  apostle,  under  his  first  convictions,  to 
his  subsequent  conflict  with  indwelling  sin,  to  be  made  at  the  next  v. ; 
but  the  change  of  tense  in  this  place  does  not  admit  of  that  construc¬ 
tion. — In  the  very  same  ch.  in  which  our  Lord  pronounces  Peter  ‘  bless¬ 
ed,’  as  a  believer,  he  says,  ‘  Thou  savorest  not  the  things  that  lie  of  God. 
but  those  that  be  of  men  :’  Mat.  16:17 — 23.  i.  e.  thou  art  ‘■carnal,'  not 
totally,  but  in  a  considerable  degree.  Humbly  to  confess,  and  deep¬ 
ly  to  lament,  that  we  are  thus  ‘carnal  and  sold  under  sin,’  is  very  far 
indeed  from  the  disposition  and  conduct  of  the  willing  slave  to  his  lusts  ; 
and  the  readiness  with  which  numbers  of  the  most  eminent  believers 
adopt  the  apostle’s  language,  shows  that  it  is  very  suitable  to  their  strong 
feelings  of  abhorrence  of  sin,  and  of  self-abasement.  ‘I  abhor  myself, 
and  repent  in  dust  and  ashes.’  Job  1:1.  42:1 — 9.  P.  O.  1 — 6  ‘Woe  is 
me  !  for  I  am  undone  :  for  I  am  a  man  of  unclean  lips.’  Is.  6:5.  P.  O. 
1 — 8.  ‘My  soul  cleaveth  unto  the  dust.’  Ps.  119:25.  ‘  Surely  1  atn  more 
brutish  than  any  man  !’  Prov.  30:2,  3. — Indeed  all  the  complaints  of  the 
prevalence  of  sin,  and  all  the  longings  and  pantings  after  holiness,  and 
all  the  earnest  cries  for  pardon,  teaching,  quickening  grace  which  per¬ 
vade  the  book  of  Psalms,  especially  Ps.  119.  are  entirely  coincident 
with  this  complaint  of  the  apostle,  and  arise  precisely  from  the  same 
source ;  a  ‘  delight  in  the  law  of  God  ;’  and  a  painful  consciousness  of 
great  remaining  want  of  conformity  to  it.  Ps.  119:5.  Mat.  5:6. — Sold 
under  sin.]  Mat.  18:25,  et  al. — 1  S.  23:7.  1  K.  21:25.  Is.  50  1.  52:3. 
Sept.  7,  8,  9,  11,  13,  17,  20,  23. — In  all  these  texts  with  the  article,  ‘  the 
sin,  which  dwelleth  in  us,’  and  which  the  apostle  speaks  of  as  a  person, 
or  agent,  is  evidently  intended.  Scott. 

V.  15 — 17.  The  apostle  here  begins  more  particularly  to  enlarge  on 
the  conflict  he  daily  maintained  with  the  remainder  of  his  original  de¬ 
pravity.  He  earnestly  desired,  and  fully  determined,  if  possible,  to  per¬ 
form  a  perfect  obedience  to  ihe  law  of  God  ;  but  he  continually  fell 
short  of  this  :  and,  while  he  ‘  hated  ’  and  abhorred  every  kind  and  de¬ 
gree  of  sin,  he  found  it  impracticable  wholly  to  avoid  committing  it  in 
work,  or  word,  or  thought.  In  thus  doing  what  lie  ‘hated,’  and  desired 
above  all  things  to  shun,  be  ‘consented  to  the  law,  that  it  was  good 
and  as  the  prevailing  bias  of  the  soul  was  to  holiness,  he  was  evidenced 
by  it  to  be  a  regenerate  man,  under  the  covenant  of  grace ;  so  that  it 
would  not  be  laid  to  his  charge,  in  the  day  of  judgment,  that  he  did  the 
evil  which  he  hated,  but  it  would  be  placed  to  the  account  of  ‘  the  sin, 


A.  D.  61. 


ROMANS,  VII. 


Conflict  between  grace  and  corruption. 


16  If  then  I  do  that  which  I  would 
not,  I  consent  unto  the  law,  that  it 
is  <rood. 

17  Now  then  it  is  no  more  I  that 
do  it,  hut  sin  that  dwelleth  in  me. 

18  For  I  know  that  in  me  (that 
is,  in  mv  flesh)  dwelleth  no  p  good 
thing  :  for  to  will  is  present  with 
me  ;  but  how  to  perform  that  which 
is  good  I  find  not. 

19  For  i  the  good  that  I  would,  I 
do  not  :  hut  the  evil  which  L  would 
not,  that  I  do. 

20  Now  if  I  do  that  I  would  not, 
it  is  no  more  I  that  do  it,  hut  sin 
that  dwelleth  in  me. 

p  Ge.  6:5.  q  Ga.  5:17. 


if  the  apostle  intended  this,  he  should  speak 
all  along  in  his  own  person  ;  and  not  only 
so,  but  in  the  present  tense.  Of  his  own 
state  under  conviction  lie  had  spoken  at 
large,  as  of  a  thing  past,  v.  7,  &c.  /  died; 
the  commandment  I  FOUND  to  be  unto  death; 
and  if  here  he  speaks  of  the  same  state  as 
his  present  state,  and  the  condition  he  was 
now  in,  surely  he  did  not  intend  to  be  so 
understood  :  therefore, 

II.  It  seems  rather  to  be  understood  of 
the  struggles  between  grace  and  corruption, 
in  sanctified  souls.  That  there  are  remain¬ 
ders  of  indwelling  corruption,  even  there 
where  there  is  a  living  principle  of  grace,  is 
past  dispute  ;  that  that  corruption  is  daily 
breaking  forth  in  sins  of  infirmity,  (such  as 
are  consistent  with  a  state  of  grace,)  is  no 
less  certain.  If  we  say  we  have  no  sin,  we 
deceive  ourselves,  1  John  1:8,  10.  That 
true  grace  strives  against  these  sins  and  cor¬ 
ruptions,  does  not  allow  of  them,  hates  them, 
mourns  over  them,  groans  under  them  as 
a  burden,  is  likewise  certain,  Gal.  5:  17. 
These  are  the  truths  which,  I  think,  are  here 
contained.  And  the  apostle’s  design  is  fur¬ 
ther  to  open  the  nature  of  sanctification,  that 
it  does  not  attain  to  a  sinless  perfection  in 


this  life:  and  therefore  to  quicken  us  to,  and 
encourage  us  in,  our  conflicts  with  remain¬ 
ing  corruptions  ;  our  case  is  not  singular, 
that  which  we  do  sincerely  strive  against, 
shall  not  be  laid  to  our  charge;  and  through 
grace  the  victory  is  sure  at  last.  Under¬ 
standing  it  thus,  observe, 

1.  What  he  complains  of;  the  remainder 
of  indwelling  corruptions;  to  show  that  the 
law'  is  insufficient  to  justify  even  a  regenerate 
man,  that  the  best  man  in  the  world  hath 
enough  in  him  to  condemn  him,  if  God 
should  deal  with  him  according  to  the  law; 
which  is  not  the  fault  of  the  law,  but  of 
our  own  corrupt  nature,  which  cannot  fulfil 
the  law.  The  repetition  of  the  same  things 
over  and  over  again  in  this  discourse,  shows 
how  much  Paul’s  heart  was  affected  with 
what  he  wrote,  and  how  deep  his  sentiments 
were.  Particularly, 

(1.)  I  am  carnal,  sold  under  sin,  v.  14. 
He  speaks  of  the  Corinthians  as  carnal, 
1  Cor.  3:  1.  Even  there  where  there  is 
spiritual  life,  there  are  remainders  of  carnal 
affections,  and  a  man  may  be  so  far  sold  un¬ 
der  sin  ;  he  doe3  not  sell  himself  to  work 
wickedness,  as  Aliab  did,  1  K.  21:25.  but 
he  was  sold  by  Adam  when  he  sinned  and 
fell;  sold,  as  a  poor  slave  that  does  his  mas¬ 
ter’s  will,  against  his  own  will  ;  sold  under 
sin, because  conceived  in  iniquity,  and  born 
in  sin. 

(2.)  What  I  would,  that  I  do  not  ;  but 
what  I  hate,  that  do  I,  v.  15.  And  to  the 
same  purport,  v.  19,  21.  Such  was  the 
strength  of  corruptions,  that  he  could  not 
reach  at  that  perfection  in  holiness  which  he 
did  [conceive  of]  desire  and  breathe  after. 
Thus,  while  he  was  pressing  forward  toward 
perfection,  yet  he  acknowledges  he  had  not 
already  attained,  neither  was  already  per¬ 
fect,  Phil.  3:12.  Fain  he  would  be  free 
from  all  sin,  and  perfectly  do  the  will  of 
God,  such  was  his  settled  judgment ;  but  his 
corrupt  nature  drew  him  another  way  ;  it 
was  like  a  clog,  that  checked  and  kept  him 
down  when  he  would  have  soared  upward  ; 
like  the  bias  in  a  bowl,  which,  when  it  is 
thrown  straight,  yet  draws  it  aside. 


(3.)  In  me,  that  is  in  my  flesh,  dwelleth  no 
good,  v.  18.  Here  he  explains  himself  con¬ 
cerning  the  corrupt  nature,  which  he  calls 
flesh  ;  as  far  as  that  goes,  there  is  no  good 
to  be  expected  ;  any  more  than  one  would 
expect  good  corn  growing  on  a  rock,  or  on 
the  sand  by  the  seaside.  As  the  new  na¬ 
ture,  as  far  as  that  goes,  cannot  commit  sin, 
1  John  3:9.  so  the  flesh,  the  old  nature,  as 
far  as  that  goes,  cannot  perform  a  good  duty. 
How  should  it  2  For  the  flesh  serveth  the  law 
of  sin,  v.  25.  it  is  under  the  conduct  and 
government  of  that  law;  and  while  it  is  so, 
it  is  not  like  to  do  any  good.  The  corrupt 
nature  is  elsewhere  called  flesh,  Gen.  6:  3. 
John  3:6.  and  though  there  may  be  good 
things  dwelling  in  those  that  have  this  Hesh, 
yet,  as  far  as  the  flesh  goes,  there  is  no  good, 
the  flesh  is  not  a  subject  capable  of  any 
good. 

(4.)  I  see  another  law  in  my  members  war¬ 
ring  against  the  law  of  my  mind,  v.  23.  The 
corrupt  and  sinful  inclination  is  here  com¬ 
pared  to  a  law,  because  it  controlled  and 
checked  him  in  his  good  motions.  It  is  said 
to  be  seated  in  his  members;  because  Christ 
having  set  up  his  throne  in  his  heart,  it  was 
only  the  rebellious  members  of  the  body  that 
were  the  instruments  of  sin.  In  the  sensi¬ 
tive  appetite,  [the  lower,  selfish,  or  the  an¬ 
imal  propensities,]  or  we  may  take  it  more 
generally,  for  all  that  corrupt  nature  which 
is  the  seat  not  only  of  sensual  but  of  more 
refined  lusts.  This  wars  against  the  law  of 
the  mind,  the  [higher,  impulsive  sentiments, 
enlightened  and  inspired,  the]  new  nature; 
it  draws  the  contrary  way,  drives  on  a  con¬ 
trary  interest;  which  corrupt  disposition  and 
inclination  are  as  great  a  burden  and  grief 
to  the  soul,  as  the  worst  drudgery  and  cap¬ 
tivity  could  be.  It  brings  me  into  captivity. 
To  the  same  purport,  v.  25. 

(5.)  His  general  complaint  we  have,  v.  24. 
O  wretched  man  that  lam  !  who  shall  deliver 
me  from  the  body  of  this  death?  The  thing  he 
complains  of,  is,  a  body  of  death  ;  either 
the  body  of  flesh,  which  is  a  mortal,  dying 
body,  or  the  body  of  sin,  the  old  man,  the 
corrupt  nature,  which  tends  to  death;  or. 


which  dwelt  in  him,’  as  a  detested  inmate,  and  which  he  was  not  able 
to  expel,  though  not  willing  to  obey  it.  Ps.  66:18,  19.  119:113.  Phil.  3: 
12 — 14.  The  apostle  certainly  did  not  mean  to  excuse  his  sinfulness,  as 
if  he  might  not  justly  have  been  condemned  for  it  :  but  to  show  that 
‘  righteousness  could  ’  in  no  case  ‘  be  by  the  law and  that,  by  the  grace 
of  the  gospel,  a  man’s  state  and  character  are  determined,  according  to 
what  habitually  prevails  in  his  heart  and  life ;  notwithstanding  impedi¬ 
ments  and  restraints.  A  wicked  man  feels  some  inward  opposition  to 
his  crimes,  from  conscience,  fear,  or  shame,  [<fcc.]  and  he  meets  with 
various  obstacles  to  the  gratification  of  his  desires  :  yet  all  this  is  ac¬ 
counted  for  nothing,  while  sin  habitually  prevails  in  his  heart  and  con¬ 
duct,  and  he  does  not  hate  it.  Ps.  36  3,  4.  A  godly  man  has  great  hin¬ 
drances  in  his  holy  progress,  from  indwelling  sin  and  outward  temptation: 
yet  this  is  not  imputed  to  him  for  condemnation,  seeing  the  prevailing 
state  of  his  heart  and  tenor  of  his  conduct  are  holy.  Thus  Judas,  in  be¬ 
traving  Christ,  acted  in  character,  according  to  the  habitual,  though  con¬ 
cealed,  state  of  his  heart ;  it  was  ‘Judas  that  did  it but  Peter,  through 
sudden  temptation,  acted  out  of  character,  and  contrary  to  the  habitual 
slate  of  his  heart,  in  denying  Christ ;  it  was  1  not  he,  but  the  sin  that  dwelt 
in  him  i.  e.  according  to  the  gracious  tenor  of  the  new  covenant.  Sc. 

(15.)  Allow.}  ‘  Approve,  by  a  Hebraism  for  yda,  as  in  IIos.  8:4.’  HI. 
‘  A  continual  struggle  between  the  animal  and  rational  desires.  The 
ancients  referred  the  origin  of  all  vice  in  action  to  the  body.’  Ros.  ‘  It 
is  plainly  the  effect  of  sin,  especially  of  habitual  sin,  so  to  darken  the 
understanding  and  sear  the  conscience,  that  the  sinner  is  scarcely  aware 
of  his  criminality,  nor  even  distinctly  sees  the  consequence  of  his  crimes. 
Most  assuredly  the  want  of  this  intellectual  and  moral  liberty  is  one  of 
the  most  striking  features  of  spiritual  bondage.  Such  was  the  fate  of  all 
who  lived  before  the  Gospel,  [and  of  the  heathen  now.]  and  such  is  that 
of  all  regenerate  persons  under  it.’  Bloomf. 

(17.)  ‘  Whitby  and  Machn.  here  observe,  that  Paul,  for  the  purpose  of 
bis  argument,  considers  man  as  having  two  distinct  natures,  the  spiritu¬ 
al  and  the  carnal.  Comp.  v.  22.  8:1,  2.  2  Cor.  4:16.  Rom.  6:6.  Eph.  4: 
22.  Col.  3:19.  In  Xen.  (Cvrop.)  Araspus  complains  of  two  souls  con¬ 
tending  within  him.’  Bl.  Where  two  impulses  clash,  that  which  re¬ 
gards  the  most  extensive  happiness  is  the  superior:  thus  love  to  God,  as 
it  comprehends  the  universe,  is  the  highest  motive.  Note,  end  of  ch.  Ed. 

V.  18 — 21.  The  apostle  ‘  knew,  that  in  him,’  as  a  fallen  creature,  apart 
from  regenerating  grace,  1  no  good  thing,’  but  sin  and  only  sin  was  found  ; 
though  its  actings  were  more  specious  at  one  time  than  another.  Gen. 
6  5.  Jer.  17:9,  10.  Mat.  15:15 — 20.  It  is  evident  from  the  limitation, 
‘  that  is,  in  my  flesh,’  that  he  spoke  us  a  believer,  who  had  grace,  as 
well  as  ‘  sin  dwelling  in  him  :’  for  by  ‘  flesh,’  in  this  connexion,  he  does 
not  mean  the  body  as  distinct  from  the  soul,  but  1  the  old  man,’  or  un¬ 
regenerate  human  nature,  as  the  subsequent  parts  of  the  argument  fully 
prove;  and  this  nature,* derived  from  fallen  Adam,  never  concurs  with 

•  Others  would  explain  this  to  be  the  inherited  tendency  of  man’s  constitution  to  inor- 
dinacy  :  since  man  has  not  two  identities  at  one  time.  Ed. 

[206] 


the  Holy  Spirit  in  regeneration,  or  with  the  new  man  afterwards,  but 
always  strives  against  both.  5,6.  8:1 — 13.  John  3:6.  Gal.  5  6 — 18.  The 
apostle  became  more  deeply  acquainted  with  this  humiliating  truth  by 
bis  experience  subsequent  to  conversion,  than  he  had  been  before.  For¬ 
merly  he  perhaps  supposed,  that  a  little  good  disposition,  or  moral  abili¬ 
ty  to  holiness,  was  in  man  ;  but  this  was  now  experimentally  disproved, 
lie  was  obliged,  contrary  to  his  habitually  prevalent  inclinations,  to  live 
under  a  sort  of  necessity  of  being  sinful;  and  he  could  only  persist  in 
maintaining  the  conflict  with  his  inward  enemies,  without  being  able  en¬ 
tirely  to  extirpate  them.  Ps.  119:5.  2  Cor.  7:1.  For,  indeed,  he  found, 
by  painful  experience,  that  there  was  ‘a  law’  imposed  on  him,  in  his 
present  state  of  warfare,  that  when  he  was  most  desirous  of1  doing  good, 
evil  was  present  with  him,’  to  interrupt,  [aggrieve,]  baffle,  discourage, 
and  detile  him. — Let  any  man  who  knows  his  own  heart,  and  the  spirit¬ 
uality  of  the  law  of  God,  compare  his  actual  conduct,  comprising  his 
thoughts,  motives,  affections,  words,  and  works,  during  any  given  time, 
with  his  purposes,  prevailing  desires,  and  earnest,  persevering  prayers: 
let  him  take  that  one  duty,  which  he  especially  aims  to  perform  most 
perfectly,  or  that  wrong  temper,  or  evil  propensity,  which  he  most 
longs  to  rectify  or  extinguish ;  let  him  examine  himself  very  exactly  in 
these  respects  every  night ;  and  he  will  surely  And,  that  he  cannot  but  be  a 
sinner  still,  and  subjected  to  1  a  law,  that  when  he  would  do  good,  evil  is 
present  with  him.’  God  has  wise  reasons  for  permitting  this  to  be  so, 
especially  to  give  us  a  deeper  sense  of  the  malignity  of  sin,  and  our  own 
deep  depravity,  in  order  to  commend  the  grace  of  the  Gospel  ;  but  those 
who  are  most  acquainted  with  the  excellency  of  the  law,  and  most  dili¬ 
gently  aim  in  everything  to  obey  it,  will  be  most  deeply  conscious  that 
the  case  is  actually  thus  with  them,  xvhatever  their  opinion  may  be  of 
those,  whom  they  suppose  to  be  more  eminent  Christians. — This  oppo¬ 
sition  to  sin,  however,  though  in  a  measure  unsuccessful;  and  this  hu¬ 
miliating  and  distressing  disappointment,  respecting  the  object  of  their 
most  ardent  desires,  must  not  be  confounded  xvith  the  willing  slavery 
of  sin,  and  the  convenient  excuse  of  indwelling  depravity.  The  apos¬ 
tle  1  daily  exercised  himself  to  have  a  conscience  void  of  offence  to¬ 
wards  God  and  man;’  and  could  call  others  to  witness,  1  how  holily, 
and  justly,  nnd  unblameably,  he  had  behaved  among  them.’  Yet  this 
was  not  inconsistent  xvith  his  being  deeply  humbled  in  the  sight  of  God, 
by  the  consciousness  of  wandering  thoughts  in  prayer,  want  of  fervor,  of 
love  and  gratitude  to  God,  of  zeal  for  his  glory,  and  of  enlarged  good-will 
to  men  ;  the  rising  of  evil  tempers,  the  intrusion  of  vain  imaginations, 
and  the  intermixture  of  selfish  motives.  24:10 — 21,  i'.  16.1  Thes.  2:9 — 12. 
All  these  are  ‘  sin,’  and  as  such  hated  and  abhorred,  in  proportion  to  the 
degree  of  a  man’s  sanctification  :  Ps.  119:113.  yet  no  mere  man  t.n 
earth,  after  all  possible  diligence,  watchfulness,  fasting,  nnd  prayer,  could 
truly  say,  that,  in  these  respects,  he  was  perfectly  free  from  sin,  in  his 
xvorship  nnd  obedience.  So  that,  even  the  person  xvho  is  not  conscious 
of  at  any  time  neglecting  one  duty,  or  committing  one  actual  transgres¬ 
sion,  in  word  or  deed,  (which  is  at  least  a  most  uncommon  case,)  yet, 


A.  D.  61. 


ROMANS,  VII.  Conflict  between  grace  and  corruption. 


21  I  find  then  a  law,  that  when  I 
would  do  good,  evil  is  present  r  with 
me. 


22  For  I  delight  'in  the  law  of 
«God  after  the  inward  ‘man  : 

23  But  I  see  another  law  in  u  my 
members,  warring  against  the  law 
of  my  mind,  and  bringing  me  into 
captivity  T  to  the  law  of  sin  which 
is  in  my  members. 

24  0  w  wretched  man  that  I  am  ! 
who  shall  deliver  me  from  *  the 
body  of  this  y  death  ? 


r  P*.  65:3. 
s  Ps.  I:*2. 
t  3  Co.  4:16. 
1  Pe.  3:4. 


»  c.  6.13,19. 
v  Ps  14-  7. 
w  Pa  38:2,  10. 
77:3—9. 


x  or,  this  body  of 
d>atb. 
y  Ps.  88:5. 


comparing  it  to  a  dead  body,  the  touch  of 
which  was  hv  the  ceremonial  law  defiling. 
If  actual  transgressions  he  dead  ivrrks,  Heb. 
9:  14.  original  corruption  is  a  dead  body.  It 
was  as  troublesome  lo  Paul,  as  if  he  had  had 
a  dead  body  tied  to  him,  which  he  must 
have  carried  about  with  him.  A  man  that 
had  learned  in  every  state  to  be  content,  yet 
complains  thus  of  his  corrupt  nature.  Had 
I  been  to  have  spoken  of  Paul,  1  should 
have  said,  ‘  O  blessed  man  that  thou  art,  an 
ambassador  of  Christ,  a  favorite  of  heaven, 
a  spiritual  father  of  thousands  !  ’  But  in  his 
own  account  he  was  a  wretched  man,  be¬ 
cause  of  the  corruption  of  nature,  because 
be  was  not  so  good  as  he  fain  .could  be. 
Who  shall  deliver  me  ?  He  speaks  like  one 
sick  of  it,  that  would  give  anything  to  be  rid 
of  it;  looks  to  the  right  hand  and  to  the  left 
for  some  friend,  that  wotdd  part  between  him 
and  his  corruptions.  The  remainders  of 


indwelling  sin  are  a  very  grievous  burden 
to  a  gracious  soul. 

2.  What  he  comforts  himself  with. 

(1.)  His  conscience  witnessed  for  him, 
that  he  had  a  good  principle  ruling  and  pre¬ 
vailing  in  him,  notwithstanding.  The  rule 
of  this  good  principle  which  he  had,  was, 
the  law  of  God ;  his  threefold  regard  to 
which  he  here  speaks  of;  which  is  certainly 
to  be  found  in  ail  that  are  sanctified,  and  no 
others.  [1.]  /  consent,  give  my  xvjtc,  unto  the 
law  that  it  i s  good,  v.  16.  There  is  the  ap¬ 
probation  of  the  judgment.  Wherever  there 
is  grace,  there  is  not  only  a  dread  of  the  se¬ 
verity  of  the  law,  but  a  consent  to  the  good¬ 
ness  of  the  law  ;  it  is  good  in  itself,  it  is 
good  for  me.  This  is  a  sign  that  the  law  is 
written  in  the  heart,  that  the  soul  is  deliv¬ 
ered  to  the  mould  of  it.  To  consent  to  the 
law,  is  so  far  to  approve  of  it  as  not  to  wish 
it  otherwise  constituted  than  it  is.  The 
sanctified  judgment  not  only  concurs  to  the 
equity  of  the  law,  but  to  the  excellency  of 
it,  as  convinced  that  a  conformity  to  the  law 
[obedience  to  all  God’s  will]  is  the  highest 
perfection  of  the  human  nature,  and  the 
greatest  honor  and  happiness  we  are  capable 
of.  [2.]  I  delight  in  the  law  of  God  after  the 
inward  man,  v.  22.  His  conscience  bore 
witness  to  a  complacency  in  the  law.  He 
delighted  not  only  in  the  promises  of  the 
Word,  but  in  the  precepts  and  prohibitions 
of  the  Word;  the  Gr.  word  speaks  a  becom¬ 
ing  delight.  He  did  herein  concur  in  affec¬ 
tion  with  all  the  saints.  All  that  are  saving¬ 
ly  regenerate,  and  born  again,  do  truly  de¬ 
light  in  the  law  of  God;  delight  to  know  it, 
to  do  it  ;  cheerfully  submit  to  the  authority 
of  it,  and  take  a  complacency  in  that  sub¬ 
mission  ;  never  belter  pleased  than  when 
heart  and  life  are  in  the  strictest  conformity 


to  the  law  and  will  of  God.  After  the  in¬ 
ward  man  ;  i.  e.  1st.  The  mind  or  rational 
[and unselfish]  faculties,  in  opposition  to  the 
sensitive  appetites  and  wills  of  the  flesh. 
The  soul  is  the  inward  man,  and  that  is  the 
seat  of  gracious  delights,  which  are  there¬ 
fore  sincere  and  serious,  but  secret;  it  is  the 
renewing  of  the  inward  man,  2  Cor.  4: 16. 
2dly.  The  new  nature.  The  new  man  is 
called  the  inner  man,  Eph.  31  16.  the  hiaden 
man  of  the  heart,  1  Pet.  3:4.  Paul,  as  far 
as  he  was  sanctified,  had  a  delight  in  the 
law  of  God.  [3.]  With  the  mind  I  myself 
serve  the  law  of  God,  v.  25.  It  is  not  enough 
to  consent  to  the  law,  and  to  delight  in  die 
law,  but  we  must  serve  the  law  ;  our  souls 
must  be  entirely  delivered  up  into  the  obe¬ 
dience  of  it.  Thus  it  is  with  every  sancti¬ 
fied,  renewed  mind  ;  that  is  the  ordinary 
course  and  way  ;  thitherward  goes  the  bent 
of  the  soul,  [the  I  myself.'] 

(2.)  That  the  fault  lay  in  that  corruption 
of  his  nature,  which  he  did  really  bewail  and 
strive  against  ;  It  is  no  more  I  that  do  it,  but 
sin  that  dwelleth  in  me.  This  he  mentions 
twice,  v.  17,  20.  not  as  an  excuse  for  the 
guilt,  of  his  sin,  but  as  a  salvo  for  his  evi¬ 
dences,  that  he  might  not  sink  in  despair, 
but  take  comfort  from  the  covenant  of  grace, 
which  accepts  the  willingness  of  the  Spirit, 
and  has  provided  pardon  for  the  weakness 
of  the  flesh.  He  likewise  herein  enters  a 
protestation  against  all  that  which  this  in¬ 
dwelling  sin  produced.  ‘  It  is  not  I,  I  dis¬ 
own  the  fact,  it  is  against  my  mind  that  it  is 
done.’  As  when,  in  the  senate,  the  major 
part  are  bad,  and  carry  everything  the  wrong 
way,  it  is  indeed  the  act  of  the  senate,  but 
the  honest  party  strive  against  it,  bewail 
what  is  done,  and  enter  their  protesta  lion 
against  it  ;  so  that  it  is  no  more  they  that 


aspiring  to  be  holy  as  an  angel,  or  as  Jesus  Christ  was,  will  very  painful¬ 

ly  feel,  that  ‘  lie  doeth  not  the  things  that  he  would  and  will  ‘  find  a  law, 
that  when  he  would  do  good,  evil  is  present  with  him;’  and  the  more 
spiritual  the  services  are  in  which  he  engages,  the  greater  clog  and  hin¬ 
drance  it  will  he  to  him.  Had  the  apostle  intended  to  describe  the  case 
of  any  of  those,  however  distinguished,  who  habitually  live  in  sin,  against 
the  conviction  of  their  own  judgment  and  conscience ;  it  cannot  be  con¬ 
ceived,  that  he  would  not,  with  his  usual  concise  energy,  have  reprobat¬ 
ed  their  conduct,  as  far  more  aggravated,  than  that  of  ignorant  and 
thoughtless  transgressors;  but  nothing  of  this  kind  appears;  on  the  con¬ 
trary,  he  leads  on  the  character,  which  he  is  describing,  lo  exultation  and 
joy  in  believing.  (Notes,  22 — 25.  8:1  2.! — (21)  A  law.]  23,  25,8:2. — 
Men,  in  various  respects,  do  those  things  voluntarily  ;  which  yet  thev  are 
very  reluctant  to  do,  and  perhaps  previously  had  resolved  not  to  do.  Tims 
Homer.  'I  indeed  willingly  gave  unto  thee,  but  with  an  unwilling  mind.' 
This  unwilling  willingness  pervades  a  great  proportion  of  human  actions. 
1 1  reallv  could  not  refuse  him.’ — ‘I  could  not,  as  I  was  circumstanced, 
do  otherwise.’  So  that  free-agency  and  responsibility  still  remain  the 
same,  notwithstanding  this  1  law,  that  when  we  would  do  gootl,  evil  is 
present  with  us.’  Scorr. 

(13.)  ‘  For,  to  desire  what  is  good,  is  easy  for  me,  but  to  do  it  1  find 

difficult.’  St.  Yet  this  tr.  seems  hardly  an  improvement ;  nor  the  placing 
of  ‘  desire.’  for  ‘  will  ’  and  ‘  would  ’  in  vs.  15 — 21.  Ed. 

(21.)  ‘I  find,  then,  that  it  is  a  law  [note,  v.  25.]  to  me,  when  desirous 
to  do  good,  that  evil  is  near  lo  me.’  St.  Latv.]  ‘  Nomos  :  here  has  the 
laxer  sense  of  norma,  dirtnmen;  a  term  not  inapplicable  to  the  impetus 
animi.  humani,  (and  so  used,  v.  23.  and  8:2. '  and  so  employed  from  its 
resemblance  to  the  force  by  which  laws  excite  and  impel  men  to  action. 
Now  this  impetus  is  represented  as  driving  the  disposition  to  do  evil, 
when  the  will  is  disposed  to  do  good.  Here,  then,  the  sense  seems  to 
he:  “I  experience  this  impulse  of  contrary  action,  that  when  I  would 
do  gootl  evil  is  at  hand,  is  ready,  and  besets  me.”  ’  Bcoomf. 

V.  22 — 25.  Bv  ‘the  inward  man,’  (he  apostle  most  mean  the  soul,  as 
renewed  hv  divine  grace.  He  alone  uses  the  term  ;  and  he  uses  it  con¬ 
cerning  believers  only.  2:25 — 29.2  Cor.  -1:13 — 18,0.16.  Eph.  3:14 — 19,0. 
16.  The  affections  itntT faculties  of  the  soul  in  fallen  man,  are  more  oppo¬ 
site  to  the  law  of  God,  than  the  bodily  appetites,  nav,  the  latter  are 
lint  sinful,  except  as  improperly  gratified  through  the  lusts  of  the  heart. 
6:12,  13,  16 — 19.  Gal.  5:16 — 21.  Jam.  1:13 — 15.  But  to  approve,  and 
even  ‘delight  in,  the  law  of  God,’  according  to  t lie  habitual  judgment 
and  affections  of  the  soul,  through  a  kind  of  spiritual  sympathy,  or  con¬ 
geniality  of  heart  with  its  most  strict  and  holy  requirements,  must  he 
peculiar  to  the  regenerate;  nav,  it  must  iinulv  a  high  degree  of  sanc¬ 
tification.  This  tlie  aposile  had  attained  to;  yet  lie  ‘found  another  law 
in  his  members,’  the  constituent  parts  of  the  old  man,  6  5 — 7.  which 
continually  enjoined  a  conduct,  or  suggested  inclinations,  contrary  to 
1  the  law  of  his  mind  ;’  anil  this  tended  to  ‘  bring  him  into  captivity  to 
the  law  of  sin,’  and  in  some  cases  for  a  time  it  produced  that  effect. — 
‘  So  then,’  says  he,  ‘  1  myself  with  mv  mind,’  my  prevailing  judgment, 
affections,  and  purposes,  as  a  regenerate  man,’  ‘serve  and  obey  the  law 
of  God  ;’  hut  with  the  flesh,  the  carnal  nature,  the  remains  of  depravity, 
‘  1  serve  the  law  of  sin,’  or  that  ‘  law  which  wars  against  the  law  of  my 
mind.’  Before  conversion,  the  whole  man  serves  this  law,  with  a  very 
feeble  opposition  from  conscience,  fear,  and  shame  [&c  ]  ;  but,  at 
length,  the  usurper  is  dethroned,  and  grace  reigns  in  the  heart.  Yet  still 
the  usurper  lurks  in  the  kingdom,  reigns  over  his  own  pnrtv,  makes  war, 
creates  immense  disturbance,  and  gains  temporary  advantages;  hut  he 
is  hated,  opposed,  proscribed,  and  shall  die.  Gal  5:22 — 26. — (22)  De¬ 


light  in  the  law  of  God.]  ‘This  is  so  sure  a  trace  of  real  piety,  and  is 
represented  in  Scripture  as  in  this  view  so  decisive;  that  if  it  be  sup¬ 
posed  a  true  representation  of  a  character,  we  must  surely  allow  it  to 
have  been  that  of  a  truly  good  mail.’  Doddr.  It  is  especially  spoken  of 
Christ ;  and  of  the  man  after  God’s  own  heart,  as  the  tvpe  of  Him.  Ps. 
40:6—8.  112:1.  119:47,48,92,  97—110,111.  It  is  the  effect  of  ‘  the  law 
being  written  in  the  heart ;’  and  it  is  the  direct  opposite  of  ‘  tile  carnal 
mind,  which  is  enmity  against  God  ;  for  that,  is  not  subject  to  the  law  of 
God,  nor  indeed  can  be.’  8:5 — 9.  Jer.  31:31 — 34.  Heb.  8:7 — 13.  10:5 — 
18.  ‘  Consenting  to  the  law  that  it  is  good;’  ‘delighting  in’  the  Indy, 

just,  good,  and  spiritual  law  of  God;  hating  all  evil;  loving  all  good  ; 
and  being  deeply  distressed  at  not  being  able  todoihe  good  w  hich  is  lov¬ 
ed,  are  all  exclusively  peculiar  to  the  regenerate,  and  widely  different 
from  a  heathen’s  saying  in  one  particular:  ‘I  see  and  approve  the  bet¬ 
ter,  but  follow  the  worse;’  which  m  fict  any  man  might  say.  ‘Araspus’ 
(in  Xenophon  i  ‘complains,  of  two  souls  contending  within  him,  which 
contains  an  agreeable  illustration  of  this  paragraph.’  Doddr.  But  in 
the  case  of  Araspus,  the  conflict  was  between  ambition  and  sensual  in¬ 
dulgence,  equally  corrupt  principles;  not  between  ‘delight  in  the  holy 
law  of  God,’  and  the  opposition  of  remaining  depravity  to  earnest  en¬ 
deavors  after  perfect  conformity  to  it.  Indeed,  such  a  conflict  as  is  here 
described,  must  exist  where  sin  is  hated,  and  ‘  the  law  of  God  delighted 
in,’  till  holiness  is  perfected.  ‘Abhorrence  of  evil  ’  must  increase  in 
proportion  to  the  love  of  God  and  holiness;  so  that  the  least  degree  of 
evil  rising  in  the  heart,  and  escaping  from  the  lips,  in  some  passionate  or 
vain  word,  will  necessarily  more  grieve  and  burden  an  eminent  saint, 
than  perhaps  the  grossest  crimes  did  before  his  conversion;  even  as  a 
speck  of  dirt  gives  more  uneasiness  lo  a  very  clean]:  person  than  the 
most  squalid  filthiness  does  to  those,  who  are  used  to  live  in  it  as  their 
element.  Ez.  11:17 — 29. — There  is^. therefore,  no  need  to  have  recourse 
to  such  unnatural  expedients  in  expounding  this  ch.  as  to  imagine,  that 
when  the  apostle  said,  ‘I  myself,’  he  meant  some  other  person  of  a 
widely  different  character ;  or  the  whole  family  of  Abraham,  liefore  and 
under  the  law.  However  these  theories  have  been  sanctioned  by  emi¬ 
nent  names,  they  go  on  suppositions,  for  which  the  Scripture  gives  not 
the  least  ground  ;  anil  which  are  wholly  unprecedented  and  unparalleled, 
in  the  writings  of  any  good  author,  sacred  or  profane.  No  doul.it,  num¬ 
bers  have  perverted  the  words  of  the  apostle  :  and  it  is  fairly  allowed, 
that  no  man,  who  is  not  himself  engaged  in  this  conflict,  can  clearly  un¬ 
derstand  his  meaning,  or  fully  enter  into  those  feelings  which  dictated 
his  energetic  language.  But.  as  to  the  former  ease  those  who  want  an 
excuse  for  sin,  1  wrest  the  other  scriptures  also  to  their  own  destruc¬ 
tion  -.’  2  Pet.  3:14 — 16.  and  as  to  the  latter,  ‘  the  secret  of  the  Lord  is 
with  them  that  fear  Him  ;’  and  ‘  the.  heart  knoweth  his  own  bitterness, 
and  a  stranger  dotli  not  intermeddle  with  his  jov.’  Ps.  25:14.  Prom  14: 
10.  It  cannot  be  expected,  that  a  man,  who  never  saw  war,  could  en¬ 
ter  into  the  feelings,  and  fully  understand  l lie  nrdent  language  of  nil  ex¬ 
perienced  soldier,  when  he  related  all  his  conflicts,  dangers,  hardships, 
terrors,  narrow  escapes,  victories,  and  triumphs.  But  I  apprehend,  that 
many  pious  persons  exclude  themselves  from  the  rich  source  of  instruc¬ 
tion  and  consolation,  in  their  warfare,  provided  for  them  in  this  chap., 
either  from  fear  lest  others  should  pervert  it  to  had  purposes  ;  or  because 
men  of  great  name  have  affected  to  reprobate  the  evidently  obvious  in¬ 
terpretation,  and  have  tried  to  force  some  oilier  meaning  on  the  won  s, 
of  which  it  is  impossible  they  can  admit.  Ps.  119:81 — 83,  97— IL0,  ui, 
173—176.  ,  ..  .  0TT'  r 

(22.)  Inner  man.]  ‘I.  e.  the  mind,  the  inner  and  sentient  part  or 
man.  Now  this  is  to  be  understood  by  a  reference  to  the  modes  ol  think- 


A.  D.  61. 


ROMANS,  VIII. 


Paul’s  conference  with  the  Jews. 


25  I  z  thank  God,  through  Jesus 
Christ  our  Lord.  So  then,  with  the 
mind  I  myself  serve  the  law  of  God, 
but  with  the  flesh  the  law  of  sin. 

CHAP.  VIII. 

I  They  that  are  in  Christ,  and  live  according  to  the  Spirit, 
are  tree  from  condemnation.  5,  13  What  harm  cometh  of 
the  flesh,  6,  14  and  what  good  of  the  Spirit  :  17  and  wlmt 
of  being  God’s  child,  13  whose  glorious  deliverance  all 
things  long  for,  29  was  beforehand  decreed  from  God. 
38  Wha»  can  sever  us  from  hia  love  ? 

HH HERE  is ,  therefore,  now  no 
a  condemnation  to  them  which 
are  in  Christ  Jesus,  who  walk  b  not 
after  the  flesh,  but  after  the  Spirit. 

7.  1  Co.  15:57.  a  Jn.  3:18.  b  Ga.  5:16. 


do  it.  Dwelleth  in  me,  as  the  Carmanites 
among  the  Israelites,  though  they  were  put 
under  tribute  :  dwelleth  in  me,  and  is  likely 
to  dwell  there,  while  I  live. 

(3.)  His  great  comfort  lay  in  Jesus 
Christ,  v.  25.  In  the  midst  of  his  com¬ 
plaints  he  breaks  out  into  praises.  It  is  a 
special  remedy  against  fears  and  sorrows,  to 
be  much  in  praise  :  many  a  poor  drooping 
smil  hath  found  it  so.  And  in  all  our  praises, 
this  should  be  the  burden  of  the  song. 
*  Blessed  be  God  for  Jesus  Christ. 9 

Who  shall  deliver  me  ?  says  he,  v.  24.  as 
one  at  a  loss  for  help.  At  length,  he  finds 
an  all-sufficient  friend,  even  Jesus  Christ. 
When  we  are  under  the  sense  of  the  remain¬ 


ing  power  of  sin  and  corruption,  we  shall  ; 
see  reason  to  bless  God,  through  Christ ,  (for  j 
as  He  is  the  Mediator  of  all  our  prayers,  so 
He  is  of  all  our  praises,)  to  bless  God  for 
Christ  ;  it  is  He  that  stands  between  us  and 
the  wrath  due  to  us  for  this  sin.  If  it 
were  not  for  Christ,  this  iniquity  that  dwells 
in  us,  would  certainly  be  our  ruin.  He  is 
our  Advocate  with  the  Father,  and  through 
Him  God  pities,  and  spares,  and  pardons, 
and  lays  not  our  iniquities  to  our  charge. 
Through  Christ  death  will  put  an  end  to  all 
these  complaints,  and  waft  us  to  an  eternity 
which  we  shall  spend  without  sin  or  sigh. 

Chap.  VIII.  The  apostle  having  fully 
explained  the  doctrine  of  justification,  and 
pressed  the  necessity  of  sanctification,  in 
this  ch.  applies  himself  to  the  consolation 
of  the  Lord’s  people.  And  we  have  here 
such  a  draught  of  the  gospel-charter,  such 
a  display  of  the  unspeakable  privileges  of 
true  believers,  as  may  furnish  us  with  abund¬ 
ant  matter  for  joy  and  peace  in  believing, 
that  by  all  these  immutable  things,  in  which 
it  is  impossible  for  God  to  lie,  we  might 
have  strong  consolation.  Many  of  the  peo¬ 
ple  of  God  have,  accordingly,  found  this  ch. 
a  well-spring  of  comfort  to  their  souls,  liv¬ 
ing  and  dying  ;  and  have  been  satisfied 
herefrom. 

V.  1 — 9.  The  apostle  here  begins  with 
one  signal  privilege  of  true  Christians,  and 
describes  the  character  of  those  to  whom  it 


belongs,  v.  1.  This  is  his  triumph  after  that 
melancholy  complaint  and  conflict  in  the 
foregoing  ch.  ;  sin  remaining,  disturbing, 
vexing,  but  blessed  be  God,  not  ruining. 

I.  It  is  the  unspeakable  privilege  and 
comfort  of  all  in  Christ  Jesus ,  that  there  is 
therefore  now  no  condemnation  to  them .  He 
does  not  say,  ‘  There  is  no  accusation 
against  them,  nothing  in  them  that  deserves 
condemnation  ; 5  but  it  shall  not  be  their 
ruin .  Not,  6  There  is  no  cross,  no  affliction 
to  them,  or  no  displeasure  in  the  affliction,5 
for  that  there  may  be  ;  but  no  condemnation. 
They  may  be  chastened  of  the  Lord,  but 
not  condemned  with  the  world.  Now  this 
arises  from  their  being  in  Christ  Jesus  ;  be¬ 
cause  they  are  interested  in  the  satisfaction 
Christ  by  dying  made  to  the  law.  In  Christ, 
God  does  not  only  not  condemn,  but  is  well 
pleased  with  them.  Mat.  17:5. 

II.  It  is  the  undoubted  character  of  all 
who  are  so  in  Christ  Jesus,  as  to  be  freed 
from  condemnation,  that  they  walk  not  after 
the  flesh  hut  after  the  Spirit .  The  character 
is  given  from  their  walk,  not  anyone  partic¬ 
ular  act,  hut  their  course  and  way.  And  the 
great  question  is,  What  is  the  principle  of 
the  walk,  the  flesh  or  the  spirit,  the  old 
or  the  new  nature,  corruption  or  grace  1 
Which  of  these  do  we  mind,  for  which  of 
these  do  we  make  provision,  by  which  of 
these  are  we  governed,  which  of  these  do 
we  take  part  with  1 

1.  How  we  come  by  these  privileges, — 


PR  ACT.  OBS.  We  stand  in  such  a  relation  to  the  holy  law  of  God, 
as  the  rule  of  our  present  conduct  and  future  judgment,  that  none  but 
lie  who  formed  the  union  can  dissolve  it ;  and  unless  ‘we  become  dead 
to  the  law  by  the  body  of  Christ,’  renouncing  all  expectations  from  it, 
that  we  may  be  united  to  Him,  who  1  died  for  our  sins  and  rose  again  for 
our  justification,’  we  must  inevitably  abide  under  the  dominion  of  sin, 
and  the  curse  of  the  law  for  ever. — A  proper  knowledge  of  the  holy  law 
of  God,  is  the  two-edged  sword,  which  gives  the  death-wound  both  to 
self-righteousness,  and  to  antinomianism  :  for  it  is  perfectly  fit  to  be  the 
rule  of  our  duty,  to  be  written  in  our  hearts,  and  obeyed  in  our  lives,  for 
the  very  same  reasons  on  account  of  which  it  cannot  justify  or  save  us. 
— But,  if  a  man  speak  on  this  subject  [the  tendency  to  sin]  with  indiffer¬ 
ence  or  with  satisfaction;  if  ‘  sin  dwelling  in  him’  be  the  excuse  for 
crimes  committed,  without  remorse  or  godly  sorrow;  if  he  ‘allow  the 


ing  among  the  Jewish  theologians.  So  Jalkut  Rubeni,  “  the  skin  and 
flesh  is  the  garment  of  a  man,  but  the  interior  spirit  is  called  the  man 
and  Philo  41  the  mind,  which  is  the  man  lording  it  in  the  man,  the  better 
in  the  worse  and  in  another  passage  he  calls  it  “the  leader  man.” 
Carpzov  thinks  the  doctrine  derived  from  the  Platonic  school ;  and  Wets, 
cites  Plato,  de  Rep.  “  we  should  do  and  say  so,  that  the  inner  may  over¬ 
power  the  outer  man.”  Plotinus  speaks  of  “  the  man  within.”  The 
expression  was  used  in  the  Pythagorean  philosophy.  Nay,  it  had  passed 
even  to  the  poets.  Thus  Plautus,  “the  health  of  the  inner  man.”  Philo 
seems  to  have  borrowed  it,  not  from  Plato,  but  rather  from  the  more  an¬ 
cient  theology  of  his  own  countrymen,  vestiges  of  which  are  found  in 
Jos.  and  the  Rabbins,  and  also  in  the  Epistles  of  Peter,  as  well  as  Paul’s. 
— The  struggles  between  the  good  and  the  bad  principles  of  the  mind 
are  ably  depicted  by  Euripides  in  the  Medea.’  Bloomf. 

(23.)  After.]  ‘  As  to.’  Stuart. 

(24.)  ‘  As  to  the  opinion  of  some  (as  Doddr .),  that  Paul  here  alludes 
to  the  horrible  punishment  of  ancient  times,  adverted  to  by  Virg.  (TEn. 
3.483—8),  of  fastening  a  living  body  to  a  dead  one,  I  can  find  no  ground 
for  it.’  Bloomf Why  not  ?  Ed.  ‘  The  body  which  causes  this  death.’  Id. 

(25.)  ‘  The  apostle,  though  still  subject  to  the  infirmities  of  human 

nature,  could  not  represent  himself  as  the  slave  of  carnal  appetite  and 
sin  (and  so  St.] ;  since  such  a  representation  would  be  untrue  in  point 
of  fact,  and  wholly  unsuitable  to  the  contrast  which  lias  been  previous¬ 
ly  drawn  between  the  Christian  and  the  believer,’  v.  15.  Slade .  ‘  Where¬ 
fore  I,  the  same  person,  serve.’  Id. 


Concluding  Note.  The  following  is  the  system  hinted  at  on  vs.  5 — 25.  Besides  the 
senses  and  limbs,  the  instinctive  feelingsand  facilities  (or  intellect,  sentiments,  and 
appetites)  of  man  have  cerebral  organs  necessary  in  this  life  to  their  manifestation  : 
and  these  organs  are  propagated  in  greater  or  less  force,  according  to  the  physiological 
laws  ;  are  increased  in  size  and  power  by  use,  and  diminished  by  disuse  ;  are  excited 
when  their  appropriate  obiects  are  presented  to  them,  and  at  rest  otherwise,  except 
that,  after  a  certain  rest,  they,  in  a  healthy  state,  have  spontaneous  activity.  The 
manner  in  which  life,  or  soul,  or  spirit,  or  mind,  or  ‘  heart.’  (the  self ,)  is  connected 
with  and  operates  upon  and  in  these  organs,  is  beyond  the  reach  of  our  limited  powers. 
Each  human  being  is  endowed,  in  greater  or  less  relative  proportions,  with  the  or¬ 
gans  of, 

Propensities  :  (or,  blind ,  impulsive ,  animal  appetites.)  Gal.  5:17. 


Names. 

(?)  Vitativeness.  Job2:4.  . 
Alimentivene8s . 

1.  Destructiveness.  Pr.26:18. 
Ge.  9:3.  Is.  10:7.  Jn.  2:15 

2.  Amativeness.  Ge. 1:22, 28 

3.  Philoprogenitiveness.  2 
S.  18:33.  Ge.  30:1. 

4.  Adhesiveness.  I  S.  18:1. 
Pr  18:24. 

5.  Inhabitiveness,  or  Con¬ 
cent  rati ve ness.  Ps.  137  : 
1.5  103:1.  Job  29:18. 

6.  Combativeness.  Ja.  4:1. 

7.  Secreti  veness.  Pr.  29:11. 

6.8  2  Cor.  12:1,4. 

8.  Acquisitiveness.  De  8:18. 

9.  Constructiveness.  Job  39: 
17  Ex.  31:3 — 15. 


Use. 

Preservat.  of  life.  Ex. 20:12. 
Nutrition. 

Against  what  is  noxious.  Le. 

24:14.  Nu.  25:8.  Ro.  13:4. 
Marriage,  propagation,  &c. 
Nurture  of  offspring.  De.32: 

11.  Mat.  23:37. 
Friendship, society.  2 S. 1:26. 

J n.  13:5,38.  13:23.  Ac. 15:25. 
(?)  Fixation  in  thought  and 
place,  home-keeping,  pat 
riotism.  Pr.24:2l.  1  Co. 7:24. 
Energy,  self-defence. 
Providence,  discretion.  Pr. 
31:21.  I  Tim.5:8.  Mal.6  20. 


Abuse. 

Sacrificing  principle  for  life. 

Gluttony,  drunkenness,  &c. 

Malice,  cursing,  mobbing, 
cruelty,  murder,  war,  &c. 

Lewdness,  adultery,  &c. 

Blind  fondnesB  and  indul¬ 
gence  to  children. 

Improper  connexion,  par¬ 
tiality,  &c.  2  Co.  6:I4._ 

Improper  partiality  to  place 
and  opinion (7);  Videe  fixe 
oftheFr.  Ge.  19:16.26. 

Disputing,  bigotry,  fighting. 

Withholding  more  than  is 
meet,  deceit,  &c.  Ps.  10:9. 


Ofltfl 


Acquisition  for  use.  Pr.27:23. 1  Love  of  pelf,  avarice.  CoI.3:5. 
The  arts  of  life,  Sic.  Is.  23. , Useless  building,  and  sys- 
26,29.  I  lem&tiziog.  Eccl.  7:29. 


evil,  and  desire  not  the  good,’  presuming  that  he  has  all  things  in  Christ ; 
if,  instead  of  consenting  to  the  goodness  of  the  law,  condemning  him¬ 
self,  and  loathing  his  sins,  he  depreciates  the  law  and  extenuates  his  own 
guilt;  if  his  utmost  willingness  be  to  escape  hell  at  any  rate,  without 
longing  to  be  holy  according  to  the  spiritual  and  good  law  of  God  ;  if  he 
do  not  ‘delight  in  it  after  the  inward  man,’  nor  serve  it  with  the  prevail¬ 
ing  desire  of  his  mind,  but  willingly  ‘  serve  the  law  of  sin  ;’  then  doubt¬ 
less  he  is  k  without  Christ,’ whose  name  he  profanes  ;  lie  is  under  the 
law  which  he  hates ;  and  his  presumptuous  confidence  and  quietness 
only  prove,  that  he  is  given  over  to  ‘  a  strong  delusion  to  believe  a  lie.’ 
Nor  does  this  much  disputed  and  abused  chap,  more  evidently  condemn 
the  hope  of  the  proudest  Pharisee  on  earth,  than  it  does  that  of  such  a 
professor  of  evangelical  truth.  Scott. 


Sentiments  :  (also  instinctive  and  blind.)  Mic.  6:8. 


Nam.es. 

10.  Cautiousness.  Ge.  33:13. 

11.  Approbativeness.  He. 12: 
1.  Mat. 25:21.  Ro. 15:12. 

12.  Self-esteem.  Ro.  12:3. 
Da.  4:30.  Ez.  23:22. 

13.  Benevolence.  Ja.  4:17. 

14.  Reverence.  Ge.  28  :  17. 
2  Chr.  6:18.  Is.  6:5.  Job 
13:11. 

15.  Firmness.  Ac.  7:55 — 60. 
20:24.  Ps.  17:3. 

16.  Conscientiousness.  Ro. 
2:14,15.  Job  27:6.  Ac. 
24:16. 

17.  Hope.  He.  6:  19,  20.  1 
Jn.  3:3. 

18.  Marvellousness.  Jb.4:15. 

19.  Ideality.  Mat.5;48.  6:29. 
Ps.  48:2. 

20.  Mirthfulness.  Ge. 18:13. 

21.  Imitation.  Ex.  25:9.  Ps. 
49:13. 


Use. 

Proper  care.  Lu.  12:4,5. 

Desiie  of  true  praise  and 
glory.  Mat.  8.38. 

Self-respect,  dignity.  Ne.6:j 
11.  Jn.5:3S.  2  Co.3:5.  6:16. 

‘  Doing  good,’  with  love. 

Respect  to  worth,  ‘godly 
fear,’  and  obedient  devo¬ 
tion.  Ex. 20:12.  2  Co. 10:5. 

Resistance  of  evils,  and 
steadfastness,  persever¬ 
ance, patience.  1  Co. 15:58. 

A  ‘  moral  sense  ’  of  ‘  ought 
and  ought  not,’  right  and 
wrong.  He. 9:14.  1  Ti.l:5. 

Proper  anticipations  of 
good,  here  and  hereafter. 

Belief,  faith.  He.  11:1, &c. 

Love  of,  and  aspiration  af¬ 
ter,  beauty  and  perfection. 

Amusement,  wit.  Pr.  17:22. 

Copying  forms  or  good  ex¬ 
amples.  1  Pet.  2:21. 


Abuse. 

Improper  fear,  despair. 

Vanity,  egotism. vain-glory, 
improper  ambition. 

[Pride,  selfishness,  improper 
self-confidence.  Ja.  4:6. 

Improper  indulgence  to  evil. 

Blind  veneration,  idolatry. 
Is.  44:9—20,  &c. 

Stubbornness,  litigation. 
Ps.  32:9.  Jer.  17:23,  &c. 
Ac.  7:51.  I  Co.  6:7. 

Making  conscience  of  what 
is  indifferent  or  of  evil  ten¬ 
dency.  Mat.23:4.  Ac.26:9* 

False  expectations. 

Credulity,  superstition. 

False  refinement,  vain  im- 
aginctions,  illusion. 

1  The  laughter  of  fools,*  &c. 

Idol-making,  ‘following the 
multitude  to  do  evil,’  &c. 


Intellectual  faculties  ;  ( Perceptive .) 

22.  Individuality . For  isolating  things  and  'l 

qualities  as  to  size,  &c.  i  Faculties  which  a 


23.  Form.  .  . . 

24.  Size . 

25.  Weight  and  resistance. 

26.  Color . 

27.  Locality . 

28.  Order . 

29.  Number . 

30.  Eventuality . 


31.  Time. 


32.  Tune.  .  .  . 

33.  Language. 


ippreciate 
the  existence  and  physical 
qualities  of  external  ob¬ 
jects,  &c. 


Concerned  with  places.  ^ 


Concerned  with  occurren¬ 
ces  and  changes. 
Concerned  with  measures 
of  time,  rhythm,  &c. 
Appreciation  of  tones. 


Which  appreciate  the  phys¬ 
ical  relations  of  objects. 


34.  Comparison 

35.  Causality. 


1  Co.  10:15. 


Intellectual  faculties  t  (Reflective.) 

Compares,  discriminates,  separates,  abstracts,  adapts, 
generalizes,  and  harmonizes.  Mat.  13:3.  Ro.  1:20. 
Which  traces  cause  and  effect,  (antecedence  and  conse¬ 
quence,)  and  points  out,  to  all  but  the  fool  or  insane, the 
being  of  a  First  Cause  :  observes  the  nature,  power, 
capability,  use,  and  adaptation  of  things.  Lu.  12:57. 

These  two  last  comprehend  in  part  what  are  indefinitely  termed  Reason  and  Judg¬ 
ment  ;  which  need  to  be  enlightened  by  Revelation.  Ro.  1:21.  Eph.  1:18.  2  Pet.  1.19. 

See  the  works  of  Gall,  Spurzheim,  and  G.  Combe,  also  St*  Jones ’  Prnct.  Phrenology. 

The  first  class  being  now  predominant  in  size  and  activity  in  the  majority  of  the 
race,  all  the  motives  the  Gospel  can  present  are  necessary,  to  arouse  and  increase  the 
superior  nature  (enlightened  and  energized  by  the  Holy  Spirit  and  revelation),  and 
sundue  the  inferior  :  and  thus  induce  the  race  to  act  habitually,  infallibly,  unhesitat¬ 
ingly,  and  perfectly,  according  to  the  rule  Christ  gives  in  the  two  precepts,  ‘  Love 
the  Lord  thy  God  with  all  thy  heart,  and  mind,  and  strength  ;  and  thy  neighbor  as  thy¬ 
self.’  See  Dr.  Epps ’  4  Evid.  of  Christ,  from  Phren.  ’  repub.  by  Rev.  J.  A.  Warns.  Ed. 

NOTES.  Chap.  VIII.  V.  1,  2.  Some  explain  ‘  ihe  law  of  the  Spirit 
of  life,’  of  the  doctrine  of  the  Gospel,  through  which  the  Spirit  is  com- 


A.  D.  61. 


HOMANS,  VIII 


Privileges  of  true  Christians . 


2  For  the  law  of  the  Spirit  of 
life  cin  Christ  Jesus  hath  made  me 
free  d  from  the  law  of  sin  and  death. 

3  For,  what  the  law  could  not 
*do,  in  that  it  was  weak  through 
the  flesh,  God,  sending  his  own 
Son  fin  the  likeness  of  sinful  flesh, 
and  *  for  sin,  condemned  sin  in  the 
flesh  : 

4  That  the  righteousness  of  the 
law  might  be  fulfilled  in  us,  who 
walk  h  not  after  the  flesh,  but  after 
the  Spirit. 

5  For  they  that  are  after  the 
'  flesh  do  mind  the  things  of  the 
flesh  ;  but  they  that  are  after  the 
Spirit,  the  things  i  of  the  Spirit. 

6  For  k  to  be  carnally  minded  is 
1  death ;  but  m  to  be  spiritually  mind¬ 
ed  is  life  and  peace  : 

7  Because  the  carnal  k  mind  is 
enmity  against  God  ;  for  it  is  not 
subject  to  the  law  of  God,  neither 
indeed  can  be. 

c  2  Co.  3:6.  lice  for  sin.  k  the  minding  of 

d  Ga.  2:19.  5:1.  h*ver.  1.  the  flesh. 

«  Ac.  13:39.  lie.  i  Jti  3:6.  1  Co.  1  Ga.  6:8. 

7:18,  19.  15:48.  m  the  minding  of 

f  Ga.  3:13.  j  1  Co.  2:14.  the  spirit . 

g  or,  by  a  sacri - 

the  privilege  of  justification,  that  there  is  no 
condemnation  to  us, — the  privilege  of  sancti¬ 
fication,  that  we  walk  after  the  Spirit,  and 
not  after  the  flesh,  which  is  no  less  our  priv¬ 
ilege  than  duty. 

(1.)  The  law  could  not  do  it,  v.  3.  It 
could  neither  free  us  from  the  guilt,  nor  from 
the  power  of  sin,  having  not  the  promises 
either  of  pardon  or  grace  :  through  the  cor¬ 
ruption  of  human  nature,  we  became  inca¬ 
pable  either  of  being  justified  or  sanctified 


by  the  law.  Or,  understand  it  of  the  cere¬ 
monial  law  ;  and  that  could  never  take  away 
sin,  Heb.  10:  4. 

(2.)  The  law  of  the  Spirit  of  life  in  Christ 
Jesus,  does  it,  v.  2.  The  covenant  of  grace 
made  with  us  in  Christ,  is  a  treasury  of 
merit  and  grace,  and  from  thence  we  re¬ 
ceive  pardon  and  a  new  nature  ;  are  freed 
from  the  law  of  sin  and  death,  i.  e.  both  from 
the  guilt  and  power  of  sin  ;  from  the  curse 
of  the  law,  and  the  conduct  of  the  flesh, 
v.  3.  The  best  exposition  of  this  v.  is, 
Heb.  10:  1 — 10.  To  make  the  sense  of  the 
words  clear,  which  in  our  tr.  is  a  little  in¬ 
tricate,  we  may  read  it  thus,  with  a  little 
transposal,  God,  sending  his  own  Son  in  the 
likeness  of  sinful  flesh,  and  a  sacrifice  for  sin, 
condemned  sin  in  the  flesh,  which  the  law 
could  not  do,  in  that  it  was  weak  through  the 
flesh,  that  the, —  v.  4.  Observe,  [1.]  Christ 
appeared  not  sinful,  for  He  was  holy,  harm¬ 
less,  undefiled  ;  but  in  the  likeness  of  that 
flesh  which  was  sinful.  He  took  upon  Him 
that  nature  which  was  corrupt,  though  per¬ 
fectly  abstracted  from  the  corruptions  of  it. 
His  being  circumcised,  redeemed,  baptized 
with  John’s  baptism,  speak  the  likeness  of 
sinful  flesh.  How  great  condescension,  that 
He  who  was  God,  should  not  only  be  made 
in  the  likeness  of  flesh,  but  sinful  flesh  ! 
And  for  sin,  there  the  best  Greek  copies 
place  the  comma  : — and  as  a  sacrifice  for 
sin.  The  LXX  call  a  sacrifice  for  sin  no 
more  than  for  sin  ;  so  Christ  was  a  Sacri¬ 
fice  ;  He  was  sent  to  be  so,  Heb.  9:26. 
[2.]  By  this  appearance  of  his,  sin  was  con¬ 
demned,  i.  e.,  God  did  therein  more  than 
ever  manifest  his  hatred  of  sin  ;  and  not 
only  so,  but  for  all  that  are  Christ’s,  both  the 
damning  and  the  domineering  power  of  sin 
is  broken  and  taken  out  of  the  way.  Christ 
was  made  sin  for  us,  2  Cor.  5:21.  and, 
being  so  made,  when  He  was  condemned, 
sin  was  condemned  in  the  flesh  of  Christ  ; 


condemned  in  the  human  nature  :  so  was 
satisfaction  made  to  divine  justice,  and  way 
made  for  the  salvation  of  the  sinner.  [3.] 
The  happy  effect  of  this  on  us,  v.  4.  A 
righteousness  of  satisfaction  for  the  breach 
of  the  law,  is  fulfilled  by  the  imputation  of 
Christ’s  complete  and  perfect  righteousness, 
which  answers  the  utmost  demands  of  the 
law  ;  and  a  righteousness  of  obedience  to 
the  commands  of  the  law,  is  fulfilled  in  us, 
when  by  the  Spirit  the  law  of  love  is  writ¬ 
ten  on  the  heart,  ch.  13  :  10.  though  the 
righteousness  of  the  law  is  not  fulfilled  by 
us.  Who  walk  not,  &c.  Those  who  are  in¬ 
terested  in  this  privilege,  act  from  spiritual, 
not  carnal  principles  ;  as  for  others,  the 
righteousness  of  the  law  will  be  fulfilled  on 
them  in  their  ruin.  Now, 

2.  Observe  how  we  may  answer  to  this 
character,  v.  5,  &c. 

(1.)  By  looking  to  our  minds  ;  examin 
ing  what  we  mind,  the  things  of  the  flesh, 
or  of  the  Spirit.  Carnal  pleasure,  worldly 
profit  and* honor,  the  things  of  sense  and 
time,  are  the  things  of  the  flesh,  which  unre¬ 
generate  people  mind.  The  favor  of  God, 
the  welfare  of  the  soul,  the  concerns  of 
eternity,  are  the  things  of  the  Spirit,  which 
they  that  are  after  the  Spirit,  do  inind.  The 
man  is  as  the  mind  is,  Prov.  23:  7.  Which 
way  do  the  thoughts  move  with  most  plea¬ 
sure  1  On  what  do  they  dwell  with  most 
satisfaction  1  Which  way  go  the  projects  and 
contrivances  1  Whether  are  we  more  wise, 
for  the  world,  or  for  our  souls  1  It  is  a  great 
matter  what  our  savor  is,  so  the  word  is  tr. 
Mat.  16  : 23.  what  truths,  what  tidings, 
what  comforts,  we  most  relish,  and  are 
most  agreeable  to  us. 

Now,  to  caution  us  against  this  carnal¬ 
mindedness,  he  shows  the  great  misery  and 
malignity  of  it,  and  compares  it  with  the 
unspeakable  excellency  and  comfort  of  spirit¬ 
ual  mindedness. 


municated,  rather  than  of  his  commanding  influence  in  the  believer’s 
soul ;  but  the  latter  is  the  more  exact  contrast  to  the  ‘  law  of  sin  and 
death,’  from  which  he  is  by  divine  grace  effectually  set  at  liberty. 

Scott. 

(1.)  Who,  &c.]  St.  omits  this  latter  clause,  as  ‘  probably  spurious.’  Ed. 
‘In  the  1st  11  vs.  are  described  the  happiness  and  privileges  of  the  justifi¬ 
ed,  which  are,  (1.)  Reconciliation  with  God,  and  by  that  mean,  liberation 
from  the  curse  of  the  law  and  from  the  punishment  of  sin  ;  v.  1 — 8.  (2.) 
Union  with  Christ.  (3.)  Indwelling  of  the  Holy  Spirit;  v.  9 — 11.  Then 
follows  a  two-fold  exhortation:  (1.)  That  the  faithful  should  make  a 
right  use  of  these  privileges;  v.  12 — 17.  (2.)  That  they  should  patiently 
bear  calamities,  so  as  even  to  glory  in  them  ;  v.  18.  fin.’  Carpzov. 

V.  3.  Do.]  ‘Accomplish - sinful  flesh  ( accomplished ),  and  (by  an 

offering)  for  sin,’  &c.  St.  ‘For  the  expiation  of  sin,  i  e.  as  it  were,  a 
prosphora  peri  tes  hamartias,  Ileb.  10:18.  Crel/.ius  and  Taylor  wrongly 
explain  this,  '■‘■propter  peccata ,”  i.  e.  to  repress  sin  by  the  example  of  a  holy 
life;  than  which  nothing  can  be  more  harsh.  (See  Carpz.  and  Weller.)  Pe¬ 
ri  (tr.  for),  is  often  used  in  the  Gr.  classics  in  the  sense  above  detailed  ; 
and  in  the  O.  T.  it  occ.  very  frequently,  and  with  hamartias  [sin],  (Phi¬ 
lo  Jud.  also  thus  uses  it,)  or  some  noun  expressive  of  a  victim  offered  up 
to  God.  See  Ham.,  Whit.,  Mackn.  Thus,  too,  Koppe  explains  the  peri 
for  htiper  hamartias ,  to  wit,  prosphoran  dosian,  [offering,]  Heb.  chatah, 
where  the  Sept.  tr.  Ps.  40:6.  Nu.  8:8.  Le.  6:25.  Heb.  10:6.  2  Cor.  5:21. 
Philo  de  Viet-  837  D.  843  A.  and  tr.  ad  expianda  peccata,  adding,  that, 
unless  a  piaculuin  be  offered  to  God,  human  sins  cannot  be  pardoned,  is 
a  constant  doctrine  of  the  O.  and  N.  T.  Heb.  9:22.’  Bl. 

V.  4.  That  the  ‘righteousness,'  &c.  required  by  ‘  the  law,'  might  be 
fully  written  in  our  hearts,  and  habitually,  in  all  its  parts,  performed  in 
our  lives,  though  too  imperfectly  to  justify  us ;  and  that,  hereafter,  we 
might  be  perfectly  conformed  to  the  holy  law,  in  its  substantial  require¬ 
ment  of  perfect  love  to  God  and  his  creatures,  and  obey  it  fully  for 
evermore. — Many  expositors  explain  this  of  Christ,  ns  One  with  his 
people,  having  fulfilled  the  righteousness  of  the  law  in  their  stead  ;  and 
of  its  imputation  to  those,  who  walk  after  the  Spirit.  But  the  former 
sense  seems  more  obvious,  and  best  to  answer  the  apostle’s  design  ; 
who  was  proving,  that  deliverance  from  the  law  as  a  covenant  was  ne¬ 
cessary,  in  order  to  our  obeying  the  law  as  a  rule.  7:5,  6.  Gal.  2:17 — 21. 
‘  Sanctification,  begun  in  us,  is  the  sure  evidence  of  our  union  with 
Christ ;  which  is  the  richest  fruit  of  a  holy  life.’  Beza-  The  comple¬ 
tion,  however,  of  sanctification  seems  especially  intended.  Eph.  5:22 — 
27.  Col.  1:21—23.  Jude  22  —  25.  Scott. 

(4.)  Righteousness.]  ‘  Precepts.’  St.  What  is  required  by  the  law: 
so  many  expl.,  as  in  2:26.  Others,  the  rewards  promised  by  the  law  to 
the  righteous.  Lev.  18:5.  ‘  Those  internal  principles  of  holiness,  justice, 
and  goodness  comprised  in  it.  Mat.  23:23.  Slade,  Locke,  Taylor,  &c. 
obs.  that  this  dikaioma  being  said  to  be  done  by  us,  not  in  us,  is  an  un¬ 
answerable  argument  against  the  antinomian  dogmas.’  ‘  That  which  the 
divine  law  could  find  fault  with  justly  in  us.’  Bl.  Condemned.]  ‘  I.  e. 
The  Son  contended  with  it  before  God  the  Father,  whether  it  should  hurt 
believers ;  and  when,  in  the  judgment  of  the  Father,  He  conquered  it,  sin, 
as  a  cause,  was  cast,  and  is  condemned  by  Christ,  incarnate,  and  suffer¬ 
ing  for  us  in  flesh.’  Schoet.  1  Destroyed,  or  rather,  punished  sin  in  the 
human  nature.’  Hodge.  So  D.  Martin,  &c.  Ed. 

V.  5—9.  The  discrimination  of  character,  before  referred  to,  is  here 
N.  T.  VOL.  V.  27 


more  fully  stated.  Habitual  prevalence  stamps  the  character,  as  carnal 
or  spiritual ;  so  that,  if  a  man  be  ‘  carnal,’  in  the  prevailing  judgment, 
temper,  and  affections  of  his  mind,  he  is  under  condemnation,  dead  in 
sin,  and  meet  for  destruction  ;  but  if  he  be  ‘spiritual,’  in  the  habitual, 
prevailing  temper  of  his  soul,  he  is  evidently  alive  to  God,  alid  at  peace 
with  Him ;  and  the  spiritual  mind  is,  in  proportion  as  it  prevails,  the 
very  essence  of  life  and  peace.  7:13,  14.  The  importance  of  this  dis¬ 
tinction  is  manifest,  ‘  because  the  carnal  mind  is  enmity  against  God  :’ 
man’s  apostasy  originated  in  his  preferring  the  satisfaction  to  be  found 
in  the  creatures  through  disobedience,  to  the  felicity  to  be  enjoyed  in 
God  by  obedience.  This  is  in  fact  the  universal  idolatry  ;  and  men 
thus  preferring  self-satisfaction,  and  created  good,  to  the  favor  and  ser¬ 
vice  of  God,  not  only  rebel  against  Him,  but  become  enemies  to  Him, 

and  ‘  haters  ’  of  Him _ ‘The  carnal  mind  is  not  subject  to  the  divine 

law,  and  indeed  cannot  be ;’  it  is  morally  unable  to  do  anything  but  revolt 
against  it,  and  refuse  obedience  to  it.  7:7 — 12. — Evangelical  religion  is 
equally  remote  from  self-righteousness,  which  cleaves  to  the  law  as  a 
covenant ;  and  [from]  antinomianism,  which  rejects  it  as  a  rule  ••  for,  not 
being  subject  to  the  law,  men  ‘  cannot  please  God.’ — If  ‘  the  flesh,’  be 
explained  of  the  body,  as  distinguished  from  the  soul,  or  spirit ;  it  fol¬ 
lows,  beyond  all  doubt  or  evasion,  that  no  man  can  ‘  please  God,’  while 
he  lives  in  this  world  ;  and  also  that  the  Romans  were  disembodied  spir¬ 
its,  which  is  palpably  absurd  ;  yet  the  interpretation  of  other  scriptures, 
concerning  the  flesh  and  spirit,  by  many  learned  men,  unavoidably  leads 
to  this  absurdity.  Nor  is  it  less  unreasonable  and  unscriptural  to  aver, 
that  living  under  the  Mosaic  dispensation  was  ‘  being  in  the  flesh  ;’  and 
professing  the  Gospel,  especially  if  miraculous  powers  were  vouchsafed, 
was  being  in  the  Spirit.  Mat..  7:21 — 23.  1  Cor.  13:1 — 3.  Yet  these  seem 
the  only  ways,  by  which  the  above  plain  and  natural  interpretation  can 
possibly  be  evaded.  John  6:52—53.  14:15—17,21—24.  17:20—23.  2  Cor. 
13:5, 6.  Scott. 

(5.)  After  the  flesh,  i.  e.  living  so.]  ‘  Those  who  are  actuated  by  the 
impetus  of  appetite,  like  the  brutes,  who  have  no  knowledge  of  religion.’ 
Itos.  Mind.]  ‘  This  verb  [phronein]  denotes  the  judgment  of  the  in¬ 
tellect,  together  with  the  affection  of  the  will.’  Toletus.  ‘  The  word 
is  here  transferred  from  the  intellect  to  the  affections.’  Grot.  Bl. 

(6,7.)  ‘Mind  of  the  flesh  ..  mind  of  the  Spirit.’  St.  ‘  Death,  life, 
peace,  are  used,  by  metonymy,  for  the  cause  of  each.  Thanatos  signi¬ 
fies  misery  and  death,  both  temporal  and  eternal ;  and  zob  happiness, 
both  in  this  world  and  in  the  next.  Mind.]  Phronema  :  disposition, 
mores;  a  sense  frequent  in  the  classics.  Neither  can  be.]  Le.  as  long 
as  it  remains  such,  as  a  lewd  woman  cannot  be  chaste,  i.  e.  not  now,  not 
while  she  remains  such.  So  Theoph.  and  dirt's.  best  explain.  ‘  Of  this 
language  the  Calvinists  have  taken  a  very  unfair  advantage,  for  the  sup¬ 
port  of  their  favorite  doctrine,  of  the  utter  iinpotency  of  the  unregene¬ 
rate  man  in  appreciating,  much  less  conforming  to,  the  divine  injunc¬ 
tions.  Thus  Carpz,  calls  such  a  person  a  trunk  and  stone,  who  can  no 
more  begin  the  work  of  reformation  than  a  statue  ;  nay,  is  worse  than 
a  stock  or  stone,  as  being  naturally  rebellious,  which  those  are  no  • 
is  unnecessary  to  observe,  that  this  doctrine  is  contrary  to  tt*e  P  a‘  * 
rules  of  justice,  as  it  is  unsupported  by  Scripture.  For,  as  to  p 
ent  passage,  it  may  be  understood  (and  so  hop.)  in  a  popu  “  ,  ’  . 

will  admit  of  an  easy  interpretation  on  metaphysical  Principles,  quite 
accordant  with  revelation,  so  as  entirely  to  put  aside  any  such 


A.  D.  61. 


ROMANS,  VIII. 


Privileges  of  true  Christians . 


8  So  then  they  that  are  in  the 
flesh  cannot  please  God. 

9  But  ye  are  not  in  the  flesh,  but 
in  the  Spirit,  if  so  be  that  the  Spirit 
of  God  dwell  "in  you.  Now  if  any 
man  have  not  the  Spirit  of  Christ, 
he  is  none  of  his. 

10  And  if  Christ  be  in  you,  the 
body  is  dead  because  of  sin  ;  but 
the  Spirit  is  life  because  of  righte¬ 
ousness. 

11  But  if  the  Spirit  of  him  that 
raised  up  Jesus  from  the  dead  dwell 
in  you,  °he  that  raised  up  Christ 
from  the  dead  shall  also  quicken 
your  mortal  bodies  p  by  his  Spirit 
that  dwelleth  in  you. 

12  Therefore,  brethren,  we  are 
debtors,  not  i  to  the  flesh,  to  live 
after  the  flesh. 

13  For  if  ye  live  after  the  flesh, 
ye  shall  die  :  but  if  ye  through  the 
Spirit  do  mortify  r  the  deeds  of  the 
body,  ye  shall  live. 

14  For  as  many  as  are  led  s  by 
the  Spirit  of  God,  they  are  the  sons 
of  God. 

n  1  Co.  6:19.  Ga.4:6.  p  or,  because  of.  r  Col.  3:5. 
o  2  Co.  4:14.  q  Ps.  116:16.  '  s  Ga.  5:18. 

[l.]  it  is  death,  v.  6.  spiritual  death, 
the  certain  way  to  eternal  death,  the  deatli 
of  the  soul  ;  for  it  is  its  alienation  from 
God,  in  union  and  communion  with  whom 
the  life  of  the  soul  consists.  Death  includes 
all  misery  ;  carnal  souls  are  miserable  souls. 
But  to  be  spiritually  minded,  to  have  —  a 
spiritual  savor,  the  wisdom  that  is  from 
above,  a  principle  of  grace,  is  life  and  peace, 
the  felicity  and  happiness  of  the  soul,  eter¬ 
nal  life  and  peace  begun,  and  an  assuring 
earnest  of  the  perfection  of  it. 

[2.]  It  is  enmity  to  God,  v.  7.  and  this  is 
worse  than  the  former  ;  not  only  an  enemy, 
but  enmity  itself;  not  only  the  alienation  of 
the  soul  from  God,  but  the  opposition  of  the 
soul  against  God  ;  it  rebels  against  his  au¬ 
thority,  thwarts  his  design,  opposes  his  in¬ 
terest,  [hates  his  love.]  To  prove  this,  he 
urges,  that  it  is  not  subject  to  the  law  of  God, 
neither  indeed  can  be.  The  holiness  of  the 
law  of  God,  and  the  unholiness  of  the  car¬ 
nal  mind,  are  as  irreconcilable  as  light  to 
darkness.  See  how  wretchedly  the  corrupt 
will  of  man  is  enslaved  to  sin  ;  as  far  as  the 
carnal  mind  prevails,  there  is  no  inclination 
to  the  law  of  God  ;  therefore  wherever 
there  is  a  change  wrought,  it  is  by  the  power 
of  God’s  grace,  not  by  the  freedom  of  man’s 


will.  Hence  he  infers,  v.  8.  They  that 
are  in  a  carnal,  unregenerate  state,  can¬ 
not  do  the  things  that  please  God  ;  want¬ 
ing  grace,  the  pleasing  principle,  and  an 
interest  in  Christ,  the  pleasing  Mediator. 
The  very  sacrifice  of  the  wicked  is  an  abomi¬ 
nation,  Prov.  15:  8. 

We  may  know  our  state  and  character, 

(2.)  By  inquiring  whether  vve  have  the 
Spirit  of  God  and  Christ,  or  no,  v.  9.  states 
and  conditions  of  the  soul  vastly  different. 
All  the  saints  have  flesh  and  spirit  in  them; 
but  to  be  in  the  flesh,  and  to  be  in  the  Spirit, 
are  contrary.  It  denotes  our  being  over¬ 
come  and  subduc-d  by  one  of  these  princi¬ 
ples.  The  Spirit  dwelling  in  us,  is  the  best 
evidence  of  our  being  in  the  Spirit,  for  the 
indwelling  is  mutual,  1  John  4  :  16.  The 
Spirit  visits  many  that  are  unregenerate, 
with  his  motions,  which  they  resist  and 
quench  ;  but  in  all  that  are  sanctified  He 
dwells  ;  there  He  resides  ami  rules. 

To  this  he  subjoins  a  general  rule  of  trial  ; 
If  any  man  has  not  the  Spirit  of  Christ,  he  is 
none  of  his.  1.  That  are  spirited  as  He  was 
spirited,  meek,  lowly,  humble,  peaceable, 
patient,  charitable.  We  cannot  tread  in 
h is  steps  unless  we  have  his  Spirit  ;  the 
frame  and  disposition  of  our  souls  must  be 
conformable  to  Christ’s  pattern.  2.  That 
are  actuated  and  guided  by  i he  Holy  Spirit 
of  God,  as  a  Sanctifier,  Teacher,  and  Com¬ 
forter.  Having  the  Spirit  of  Christ  is  the 
same  with  having  the  Spirit  of  God  to  dwell 
in  us.  But  those  two  come  much  to  one  ; 
for  all  that  are  actuated  by  the  Spirit  of 
God  as  their  rule,  are  conformable  to  the 
Spirit  of  Christ  as  their  pattern. 

V.  10 — 16.  In  these  vs.  the  apostle  re¬ 
presents  two  more  excellent  benefits  of  true 
believers. 

I.  Life.  The  happiness  is  not  barely  neg¬ 
ative,  hut  positive,  an  advancement  to  a  life 
that  will  be  the  unspeakable  happiness  of 
the  man,  v.  10,  11.  If  the  Spirit  be  in  us, 
Christ  is  in  us.  He  dwells  in  the  heart  by 
faith,  Eph.  8:  17.  l\'ow  we  are  here  told 
what  becomes  of  the  bodies  and  souls  of 
those  in  whom  Christ  is. 

1.  The  life  purchased  and  promised  does 
not  immortalize  the  body  in  its  present  state, 
because  of  sin.  This  was  the  first  threaten¬ 
ing,  Gen.  3:  19.  Dust  thou  art.  The  death 
even  of  the  bodies  of  the  saints  is  a  remain¬ 
ing  token  of  God’s  displeasure  against  sin. 

2.  But  the  spirit,  the  precious  soul,  that  is 
life  ;  it  is  now  spiritually  alive,  nay  it  is 
life.  Grace  in  the  soul  is  its  new  nature  ; 
the  life  of  the  saint  lies  in  the  soul,  while 
the  life  of.  the  sinner  goes  no  farther  than  the 
body.  When  the  body  dies,  and  returns  to 
the  dust,  the  spirit  is  life;  not  only  living 
and  immortal,  but  swallowed  up  of  life. 


When  Abraham  was  dead,  yet  God  was  the 
God  of  Abraham,  lor  even  then  his  spirit 
was  life.  Mat.  22:  31,  32.  See  Ps.  49:  15. 
And  this  because  of  righteousness.  The 
righteousness  of  Christ,  imputed  to  them, 
secures  the  soul,  the  better  part,  from 
death  ;  the  righteousness  of  Christ,  inherent 
in  them,  the  renewed  image  of  God  on  the 
soul,  preserves  it,  and,  by  God’s  ordination, 
at  death  elevates  and  improves  it,  and 
makes  it  meet  to  partake  of  the  inheritance 
of  the  saints  in  light.  The  eternal  life  of 
the  soul  consists  in  the  vision  and  fruition 
of  God,  and  both  assimilating,  for  which 
the  soul  is  qualified  by  the  righteousness  of 
sanctification,  Ps.  17:15. 

3.  There  is  a  life  reserved  too  for  the 
poor  body  at  last,  v.  11.  though  at  death  it 
is  cast  aside  as  a  despised  broken  vessel, 
yet  God  will  have  a  desire  to  the  work  of  his 
hands,  Job  14:  15.  will  remember  his  cove¬ 
nant  with  the  dust,  and  will  not  lose  a  grain 
of  it  ;  but  the  body  shall  be  re-united  to 
the  soul,  and  clothed  with  a  glory  agreeable 
to  it.  Vile  bodies  shall  be  new  fashioned, 
Phil.  3:21.  1  Cor.  15:42.  Twogreatas- 
surances  of  the  resurrection  of  the  body  are 
mentioned.  (1.)  The  resurrection  of  Christ. 
Christ  rose  as  the  Head  and  first-fruits  and 
forerunner  of  all  the  saints,  1  Cor.  15:20. 
(2.)  The  indwelling  of  the  Spirit.  The 
same  Spirit  that  raisetb  the  soul  now,  will 
raise  the  body  shortly  ;  by  his  Spirit  that 
dwelleth  in  you.  The  bodies  of  the  saints 
are  the  temples  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  1  Cor. 
3:16.  6:19.  Now,  though  these  temples 
may  for  a  while  lie  in  ruins,  yet  they  shall 
be  rebuilt  again.  The  Spirit,  breathing  on 
dead  and  dry  bones,  will  make  them  live, 
and  the  saints  even  in  their  flesh  shall  see 
God. 

From  hence  the  apostle  by  the  way  in¬ 
fers,  how  much  it  is  our  duty  to  walk  not 
after  the  flesh,  but  after  the  Spirit,  v.  12, 
13.  for,  [1.]  We  are  not  debtors  to  the  flesh; 
neither  by  relation,  gratitude,  nor  any  other 
bond  or  obligation.  It  is  implied  that  we 
are  debtors  to  Christ  and  to  the  Spirit  : 
there  we  owe  our  all,  all  we  have,  and  all 
we  can  do,  by  a  thousand  bonds  and  obliga¬ 
tions.  See  1  Cor.  6:  19,  20.  [2.]  Con¬ 

sider  the  consequences,  the  end  of  the  way  ; 
life  and  death,  blessing  and  cursing,  are  set 
before  us.  If  ye  live  after  the  flesh,  ye  shall 
die;  die  eternally.  Pleasing,  and  serving, 
and  gratifying  the  flesh,  is  the  ruin  of  souls; 
that  is  the  second  death.  Dying  indeed  is 
the  soul’s  dying  :  the  death  of  the  saints  is 
but  a  sleep.  But  on  the  other  hand,  Ye 
I  shall  live,  live  and  be  happy  to  eternity ;  that 
I  is  the  true  life  ;  If  ye  through  the  Spirit  morti- 
I  fy  the  deeds  of  the  body,  subdue  and  keep 
I  under  all  fleshly  lusts  and  affections,  deny 


So  Bl.  Man  indeed  is  not  a  machine,  nor  driven  by  fatal  necessity  of 
lived  natural  laws,  like  a  vegetable,  nor  is  his  body  a  part  of  that  of  God  ; 
he  has  a  separate  identity  from  God,  an  eternal  consciousness  that  he  is 
not  God,  but  a  self ;  yet  when  he  conies  to  explain  where  God's  will  ends 
and  his  own  begins,  or  how  God  has  connected  Himself  with  his  spirit, 
it  is  beyond  the  power  of  the  constitution  God  has  endowed  hinv with, 
and  lie  is  of  course  at  a  loss,  and  drowns  himself  in  a  sea  of  theology, 
shoreless  and  fathomless.  Nor  is  this  dispute,  (or  kindred  ones.)  profita¬ 
ble,  or  practical ;  we  acknowledge  vve  have  no  power  but  as  God  wills, 
yet  every  act  at  every  instant  is  done  with  a  present,  distinct,  and  indis¬ 
putable  consciousness  of  the  agency,  the  free  agency  of  self.  Disputes 
will  not  make  either  point  clearer,  any  more  than  they  will  the  facts  in¬ 
cluded  under  the  terms,  se/f,  existence,  object,  matter,  space,  time, 
thought,  Air.  The  reader  may  well,  however,  consult  Hodge,  Stuart, 
Edwards.  &c.  Ed. 

(9.)  If  so  be.]  ‘  The  apostle  trusts  they  are  not  in  the  flesh.  And  so 
Kop.'  Bloomf. 

V.  10,  1U  Several  readers  may  be  aware,  that  the  celebrated  Mr. 
Locke  explains,  quickening  the  mortal  body,  by  sanctifying  the  immor¬ 
tal  soul  !  Hut . in  no  book,  which  the  aulhor  has  read,  does  the 

pride  of  human  reason,  opposing  the  express  testimonies  of  God,  and 
striving  lo  wrest  them  from  their  obvious  meaning,  appear  so  prominent, 
ns  in  most  parts  of  the  great  Mr.  Locke’s  exposition  of  Paul’s  epistles.  S. 

(10.1  ‘The  body  indeed  is  mortified  ..  but  the  Spirit  li vet h  on  ac¬ 
count  of,’ <tc.  St.  ‘Whoever  is  a  true  Christian,  he,  although  he  in¬ 
habits  a  body  prone  to  sin,  miserable  and  mortal,  yet,  by  the  Divine 
Spirit  which  worketh  in  him,  is  studious  of  virtue,  arid  may  have  a  sure 
expectation  of  eternal  felicity.  So  at  7:25.’  Jiop.  ‘The  words  are  ex¬ 
ceedingly  abstruse  and  mystical.’  Bl.  Some  argue  from  it  a  resurrec¬ 
tion  of  the  body.  On  the  terms,  pneuma,  psyche,  sSina,  Ac.,  see  Bibli. 
Repos.  Oct.  1837.  Art.  ‘  Imtnortalit  v  of  the  soul.’  Ed. 

mini 


V.  12,  13.  The  natural  appetites  of  the  body  need  only  to  be  mode¬ 
rated,  regulated,  and  subordinated  ;  but  the  carnal  desires  ‘of  the  body 
of  sin  and  death,’  the  \  old  Adam,’  ‘  the  flesh,  with  its  affections  and 
lusts,’  must  he  extirpated,  and  all  its  actings  terminated.  6:5 — 7.  7:22 — 
25.  1  Cor.  9:21 — 27.  Cot.  2:11,  12.  1  Pet.  2:11.  This  must  he  done  by 
tile  Holy  Spirit,  working  in  us  botli  ‘  to  will  ’  and  1  to  do,’ what  Coil 
commands;  Phil.  2:12,13.  yet  we  are  to  do  it  through  Him,  and  by  de¬ 
pendence  on  Him,  which  is  energetically  enforced  by  the  words ;  ‘  if  ye, 
through  the  Spirit,  <5rc.’  Scott. 

(13.)  ‘Mortify,  destroy  the  evil  [inordinate]  desires  of  the  body. 
rraxeis  \deeds]  denotes  evil  actions  (as  in  Col  3:9. \  which  show  them¬ 
selves  in  the  body.  Not  only  (so  Kop.)  external  actions,  but  internal 
feelings,  the  passions  of  the  mind,  and  the  desires  of  the  heart.  [Comp, 
note,  end  of  ch.  7.)  From  the  copious  Rabbinical  citations  by  School, 
it  appears,  that  thanatoute.  [kill,  mortify]  is  used  here  agreeably  to  the 
Jewish  sacrificial  metaphors  shcht  ytsr ,  to  sacrifice,  (i.  e.  destroy.)  evil 
concupiscence.  So  Sanhcd.  fid.  43,  3.  “  Whoever  sacrifices  (slays)  evil 
concupiscence,  it  is  ihesame  as  if  he  glorified  God  in  both  worlds,  in  this 
and  in  the  next.”  Thus  there  is  no  reason  to  suppose,  with  Cre/lius, 
that  this  alludes  to  the  former  evil  life  of  the  Roman  converts.’  I1l. 

V.  14 — 17.  Regeneration  by  the  Holy  Spirit  prepares  the  heart  for  re¬ 
ceiving  Christ  by  living  faith  ;  and  communicates  n  new  and  divine  life  to 
the  soul,  though  in  a  feeble  state,  as  that  of  a  ‘new-horn  babe.’  1  Pit. 
2.1 — 3,  v  2. — The  Holy  Spirit  leads  a  man  into  the  knowledge  of  God  in 
Christ  Jesus,  and  of  his  own  heart ;  into  humble  repentance,  faith  in 
Christ,  holy  love,  communion  with  God,  and  delight  in  his  worship  and 
commandments  ;  on  the  other  hand.  He  leads  him  away  from  vanity  and 
iniquity,  from  vice  and  ungodliness,  from  pride  and  discord  :  Ps.  14S:8 
— 10.  and  in  proportion  as  we  willingly  give  up  ourselves  to  he  led  in 
the  paths  of  truth  and  holiness,  we  may  know  our  adoption. — The  Mo¬ 
saic  dispensation  hud  u  greater  tendency  to  foster  this  temper,  fyluvi  h 


A.  D.  61. 


ROMANS,  VIII.  Privileges  of  true  Christians. 


3  5  For  ye  have  not  received  the 
Spirit  of  bondage  'again,  to  fear; 
but  "ye  have  received  the  Spirit  of 
v  adoption,  whereby  we  cry,  Abba, 
Father. 

16  The  Spirit  itself  beareth  "wit¬ 
ness  with  our  spirit,  that  we  are  the 
children  of  God  : 

17  And  if  children,  then  heirs; 
x  heirs  of  God,  and  joint-heirs  with 
Christ  ;  y  if  so  be  that  we  suffer 
with  him,  that  we  may  be  also 
glorified  together. 

18  For  I  reckon  'that  the  suffer¬ 
ings  of  this  present  time  are  not 
worthy  to  be  compared  with  the 
glory  which  shall  be  revealed  in  us. 

t  2  Ti.  1:7.  w2Co.  I:«.  1  Pe.  1:4. 

u  1  Co  2:1*2.  1  J...  4:13.  7  2  Ti.  2:11,  12. 

v  Je  3:19.  Gu.4:5,6.  x  Ac.  13.  z  2  Co.  4:17. 


yourselves  in  the  pleasing  and  humoring 
of  the  body  ;  and  this  through,  the  Spirit  : 
we  cannot  do  it  without  the  Spirit  working 
it  in  us  ;  and  the  Spirit  will  not  do  it  with¬ 
out  us  doing  our  endeavor.  So  that,  in  a 
word,  vve  are  put  on  this  dilemma,  either  to 
displease  the  body,  or  destroy  the  soul. 

II.  The  Spirit  of  adoption  is  another 
privilege  belonging  to  those  that  are  in 
Christ  Jesus,  v.  14 — 16.  All  such  are  taken 
into  the  relation  of  children  to  God,  v.  14. 
Observe,  They  are  led  by  the  Spirit  of  God  ; 
as  a  scholar,  a  traveller,  or  a  soldier  ;  not 
driven  as  beasts,  but  led  as  rational  crea¬ 
tures  ;  drawn  with  the  cords  of  a  man,  and 
the  bands  of  love.  They  are  the  sons  of 
God ;  owned  and  loved  by  Him  as  his 
children. 

And  these  sons  of  God  have  the  Spirit, 

1.  To  work  in  them  the  disposition  of 
children,!;.  15.  Understand  the  spirit  of 
bondage,  of  that,  [1.]  Which  the  O.  T. 
church  was  under,  by  reason  of  the  dark¬ 
ness  and  terror  of  that  dispensation.  The 
veil  signified  bondage,  2  Cor.  3:  15.  Comp. 
v.  17.  The  Spirit  of  adoption  was  not 


then  so  plentifully  poured  out  as  now.  [2.] 
Which  the  saints  were,  many  of  them,  un¬ 
der  at  their  conversion  ;  convictions  of  sin 
and  wrath  set  home  by  the  Spirit  ;  as 
they,  Acts  2:37.  the  jailer,  Acts  16:30. 
Paul,  Acts  9 :  6.  ‘God  as  a  Judge,’  says 
Dr.  Ma  nton,  *  by  the  spirit  of  bondage,  sends 
us  to  Christ  as  Mediator,  and  Christ  as  Me¬ 
diator,  by  the  Spirit  of  adoption,  sends  us 
back  again  to  God  as  a  Father.’  But  you 
have  received  the  Spirit  of  adoption ;  this 
works  in  the  children  of  God  a  filial  love  to 
God  as  a  Father,  a  delight  in  Him,  and  a 
dependence  on  Him,  as  a  Father.  A  sancti¬ 
fied  soul  bears  the  image  of  God,  as  the 
child  the  image  of  the  father.  Whereby  we 
cry,  Abba,  Father.  Praying  is  here  called 
crying  ;  which  is  not  only  an  earnest,  but  a 
natural  expression  of  desire  ;  children  that 
cannot  speak,  vent  their  desires  by  crying. 
Now,  the  Spirit  teaches  us  in  prayer  to 
come  to  God  us  a  Father,  with  a  holy,  hum¬ 
ble  confidence,  emboldening  the  soul  in  that 
duty.  Abba  is  Syriac,  signify ing  father,  or 
my  father  ;  so  Christ  in  prayer,  Mark  14: 
36.  Abba,  Father  :  and  we  have  received  the 
Spirit  of  the  Son.  It  denotes  an  affection¬ 
ate,  endearing  importunity,  and  a  believing 
stress  laid  on  the  relation  ;  also,  that  the 
adoption  is  common  both  to  Jews  and  Gen¬ 
tiles. 

2.  To  witness  to  the  relation  of  child¬ 
ren,  v.  16.  The  former  is  the  work  of  the 
Spirit  as  a  Sanctifier,  this  as  a  Comforter. 
Beareth  witness  with  our  spirit,  is  to  be  un¬ 
derstood  not  of  any  immediate,  extraordina¬ 
ry  revelation,  but  an  ordinary  work  of  the 
Spirit,  in  and  by  the  means  of  comfort 
speaking  peace  to  the  soul.  This  testimony 
is  always  agreeable  to  the  written  Word,  and  I 
therefore  always  grounded  on  sanctification  ; 
for  the  Spirit  in  the  heart  cannot  contradict  ] 
the  Spirit  in  the  Word.  The  Spirit  wit¬ 
nesses  to  none  the  privileges  of  children, 
who  have  not  the  nature  and  disposition  of  ; 
children. 

V.  17 — 25.  In  these  words,  the  apostle 
describes  a  fourth  illustrious  branch  of  the  i 
happiness  of  believers,  that  is,  a  title  to  the  I 


future  glory.  This  is  fitly  annexed  to  our 
sonship.  If  children,  then  heirs,  v.  17.  Heav¬ 
en  is  an  inheritance  all  the  saints  are  heirs 
to  ;  not  by  any  merit  or  procurement  of 
their  own  ;  but  purely  by  the  act  of  God  ; 
for  God  makes  heirs.  Tiie  saints  are  heirs, 
though  in  this  world  under  age  ;  see  Gal. 
4:1,2.  Their  present  state  is  a  state  of 
education  and  preparation  for  the  inheri¬ 
tance.  How  comfortable  should  this  be  to 
all  the  children  of  God,  how  little  soever 
they  have  in  possession,  that,  being  heirs, 
they  have  enough  in  reversion  !  But  the  hon¬ 
or  and  happiness  of  an  heir  lies  in  the  value 
and  worth  of  that  he  is  heir  to  ;  we  read  of 
those  that  inherit  the  wind  ;  and  therefore 
we  have  here  an  abstract  of  the  premises. 

I.  Heirs  of  God.  The  Lord  Himself  is 
the  portion  of  the  saints’  inheritance,  Ps. 
16:5.  a  goodly  heritage!  v.  6.  saints  are 
spiritual  priests,  that  have  the  Lord  for  their 
inheritance,  Num.  18:20.  the  vision  of  God 
and  the  fruition  of  God  make  up  the  inheri¬ 
tance  of  the  saints.  God  Himself  will  be 
with  them,  and  will  be  their  God,  Rev.  21 :  3. 

II.  Joint  heirs  with  Christ.  Christ,  as 
Mediator,  is  said  to  be  the  Heir  of  all  things, 
Heb.  1:2.  and  true  believers,  by  virtue  of 
their  union  with  Him,  shall  inherit  all  things , 
Rev.  21:  7.  John  17:24.  Rev.  3:21.  Now, 
this  future  glory  is  further  spoken  of,  as  the 
reward  of  present  sufferings,  and  as  the  ac¬ 
complishment  of  present  hopes. 

1.  As  the  reward  of  the  saints’  present 
sufferings  ;  and  it  is  a  rich  reward  ;  If  so 
be  that  we  suffer  with  Him,  v.  17.  or,  foras¬ 
much  as  we  suffer  with  Him.  The  state  of 
the  church  in  this  world  always  is,  but  was 
then  especially,  an  afflicted  state  ;  to  be  a 
Christian,  was  certainly  to  be  a  sufferer. 
Now,  to  comfort  them,  he  tells  them  that 
th ey  suffered  with  Christ,  for  his  sake,  for  his 
honor,  and  for  the  testimony  of  a  good  con¬ 
science  ;  and  we  shall  be  glorified  with 
Him  :  this  the  Gospel  is  filled  with  the  as¬ 
surances  of.  The  sufferings  of  the  saints 
are  but  for  the  present,  strike  no  deeper, 
last  no  longer,  2  Cor.  4:  17.  light  affliction , 
and  but  for  a  moment.  In  the  other  settle  he 


fear,]  than  the  Christian  religion  has  :  and  the  Jews,  too  generally,  con¬ 
sidering  the  whole  as  a  covenant  of  works,  worshipped  God  in  this  slav¬ 
ish  manner.  But  the  greater  number  of  the  Roman  converts  had  never 
been  under  the  Mosaic  law  ;  yet  they  are  spoken  of  indiscriminately,  as 
having  been  formerly  influenced  by  ‘the  spirit  of  bondage:’  we  may 
therefore  suppose,  that  those  convictions  were  also  intended,  under 
which  awakened  sinners,  even  if  in  consequence  converted,  act  more 
from  fear  and  selfish  principles,  than  established  believers  do;  abstain¬ 
ing  from  many  sins  through  dread  of  consequences,  without  decidedly 
hating  them;  and  practising  duties  without  loving  them.  These  con¬ 
victions  indeed  proceed  from  the  moving  of  the  Spirit  of  God  on  their 
minds,  and  prepare  them  for  receiving  Christ  by  faith  ;  but  they  are  very 
different  from  the  disposition,  and  state  of  mind  and  heart,  of  those  who 
are  brought  into  tile  full  light  and  liberty  of  the  Gospel,  and  have  re¬ 
ceived  ‘the  Spirit  of  adoption.’  Num.  17:12,  13.  Mat.  25:24 — 30.  John 
16:8—11,14,  15.  Ga/.  4:4— 7,  21—31.  Eph.  1:13,14.  2  Tim.  1:6—8.  1 
John  4:13.  Then  they  are  taught  and  animated  to  ‘serve  [and  obey] 
God,’  with  filial  reverence,  confidence,  love,  gratitude,  submission, 
zeal,  and  admiring,  adoring  complacency  ;  nnd  are  especially  encourag¬ 
ed  and  emboldened  to  call  upon  Him  as  ‘  a  Father,’  for  all  things  which 
they  want,  and  for  support  and  deliverance  under  all  their  trials,  not¬ 
withstanding  their  conscious  unworthiness.  The  use  of  different  lan¬ 
guages,  in  this  connexion,  [to  express  the  filial  relation,]  sweetly  indi¬ 
cates  the  harmony  of  Jews  and  Gentiles,  and  of  different  nations,  in  this 
filial  worship  of  God  according  to  the  Gospel.  Mat.  6:6,  9.  Mark  14: 
36.  Gat.  4 — 7.  Thus  the  Holy  Spirit,  by  producing  in  believers  the  af¬ 
fections  which  dutiful  children  bear  to  a  wise  and  good  father,  in  their 
habitual  state  of  heart  toward  God,  most  manifestly  attests  their  adop¬ 
tion  into  his  family.  This  is  not  done  by  a  voice,  pr  immediate  revela¬ 
tion,  or  impulse,  or  merely  by  a  text  brought  to  the  mind  ;  (for  all  these 
tilings  are  equivocal  anil  delusory;]  but  by  ‘bearing  witness  with 
their  spirits,’  or  coinciding  with  the  testimony  of  their  own  enlighten¬ 
ed  minds  nnd  consciences,  as  to  their  uprightness  in  embracing  the  Gos¬ 
pel,  nnd  giving  themselves  up  to  the  service  of  God.  2  Cor.  1:12 — 14, 
«>.  12.  So  that,  while  they  are  examining  themselves  concerning  the 
reality  of  their  conversion,  and  find  scriptural  evidence  of  it ;  the  Hojy 
Spirit,  from  time  to  time,  shines  on  his  own  work,  excites  their  holy  af¬ 
fections  into  lively  exercise,  renders  them  xrerv  efficacious  upon  their 
conduct,  and  thus  puts  the  matter  beyond  doubt ;  for  while  they  feel  the 
spirit  of  dutiful  children  towards  God,  as  described  in  his  holy  Word, 
they  become  satisfied  concerning  his  parental  love  to  them.  9-.1 — 3.  So 
that,  this  ‘witness  of  the  Spirit’  is  borne  along  with  titat  of  our  own 
consciences,  not  without  it,  nor  against  it;  and  it  coincides  with  the 
testimony  of  the  Holy  Spirit  in  the  Scripture,  and  must  be  proved  and 
assayed  by  it.  But  this  being  clearly  ascertained,  we  may  confidently 
regard  ourselves  as  the  heirs  of  the  heavenly  inheritance,  (for  ‘  if  chil¬ 
dren,  ttien  heirs,’)  and  of  God  Himseir  as  our  Portion  ;  even  ‘joint  heirs 
with  Christ,’  the  beloved  Son  of  the  Father,  being  accepted  in  Him,  and 


appointed  with  Him  to  share  the  glorious  inheritance  :  John  14:15 — 17. 
2  Cor.  1:21,  22.  Eph.  1:3 — 8,  13,  14.  1  Pet.  1:3—5.  and  of  this  we  may 
be  still  more  fully  assured,  if  we  patiently  endure  sufferings  after  his  ex¬ 
ample,  and  for  his  sake,  and  [in]  the  hope  of  being  also  ‘glorified  with 
Him.’  Luke  22:28—30.  2  Tim.  2:8—13.  1  Pet.  4:12—16.  5:1—4.  Rev. 
1:9 — 11.  3:20 — 22.  SCOTT. 

(14.)  Sons.]  ‘  By  this  term  the  Hebrews  expressed  any  close  con¬ 
nexion,  either  by  affection,  or  similarity  of  habits.  See  Noesselt.  It  has 
here  a  fuller  meaning,  even  than  “  being  animated  with  the  mind  of  God, 
imitating  his  perfections,  learning  and  strongly  infixing  in  the  mind  the 
doctrine  of  Ciirist,  which  is  that  of  God  ;”  viz.  the  being  dear  to  God,  as 
a  son  to  the  father  ;  the  having  a  right  and  interest  in  the  felicity  of  the 
Father  ;  as  the  son  is  heir  to  his  father’s  goods  :  v  17.  Carpzov’s  illus¬ 
trations  from  Philo  show,  that  the  notion  was  not  unknown  to  that 
spiritual  .Texv.’  Bloomf. 

(15.)  Slaves  naturally  abstain  from  offences,  not  from  love  to  their 
master,  but  fear  of  punishment;  the  Mosaic  and  Gentile  religions  requir¬ 
ed  laborious  and  expensive  rites,  or  daily  and  unceasing  expiations. 
‘Polytheism  necessarily  weakens  the  reliance  of  man  on  divine  pro¬ 
tection  [Introd.  Vol.  1.  p.  3.],  while  it,  in  (lie  same  degree,  increases  his 
fear  of  divine  wrath,  since  he  can  hardly  hope  to  propitiate  such  nu¬ 
merous  deities,  especially  as  they  are  often  at  variance  with  one  anoth¬ 
er.’  See  lllnomf.  Adoption.]  Sonship,  rather  ;  see  B/oomf.  Ed. — ‘A 
servile  spirit,  that  ye  should  again  be  in  fear  . .  but  . .  a  filial  spirit.’  St. 
‘  Pneuma,  [spirit,]  like  the  Heb.  ruch,  has  (as  often)  the  sense  of  affec- 
tus ;  indeed  it  is  used  of  all  the  stronger  emotions  of  the  mind,  as  love, 
wrath,  &c.  See  1  Cor.  2:12.  4:21.  Gal.  6:1.  The  Mosaic  economy  dealt 
in  threatenings  and  punishments,  and  fear  constituted  a  great  part  of 
heathen  worship.’  Id 

(16.)  ‘The  same  Spirit,’  &c.  St.  Etoomf.  ‘The  testimony  of  the 
[Holy]  Spirit  was  not  unknown  to  the  Jews.  See  Schoettg.'  Ed. 

(17.)  ‘In  order  that  we  may  also  be  glorified  with  Him.’  St.  Heirs.] 
1  Kleronomoi :  there  is  in  this  term  a  reference  to  fixed,  certain,  and  un¬ 
alienable  possession,  as  of  heritable  property  among  the  Jews.  Grot. 
So  the  verb  and  noun  are  often  used  in  the  Gospels  and  Epistles.  Ac¬ 
cording  to  Jewish  law,  ail  the  children  (males,  at  least)  were  co-heirs. 
Suffer.]  This  is  brought  in  with  great  address.’  Bloomf. 

V.  18 — 23.  By  a  kind  of  constraint,  through  the  guilt  and  righteous 
condemnation  of  Adam  nnd  his  posterity,  everything  seems  perverted 
from  its  Intended  use  :  the  inanimate  creatures  are  pressed  into  the  ser- 
vice  of  man’s  rebellion;  the  luminaries  of  heaven  give  him  light,  by 
xvhich  to  work  wickedness  ;  the  fruits  of  the  earth  are  sacrificed  to  his 
luxury,  intemperance,  and  ostentation  ;  its  bowels  are  ransacked  for 
metals,  from  which  arms  are  forged  for  public  and  private  murder  and 
revenge ;  or  to  gratify  man’s  avarice,  and  excite  him  to  fraud,  oppression, 

nnd  war . Above  all,  nearly  every  part  of  the  creation  has  been,  and 

is  perverted,  in  one  xvay  or  other,  to  idolatry,  which  is  especially  van¬ 
ity.’  1:21 _ 23.  The  heavenly  luminaries,  the  earth,  rivers,  woods,  and 


A.  D.  61. 


ROMANS,  VIII. 


Privileges  of  true  Christians, 


19  For  the  earnest  expectation 
of  the  creature  waiteth  for  the 
manifestation  of  the  sons  of  God. 

20  For  the  creature  was  made 
subject  to  vanity,  not  willingly,  but 
by  reason  of  him  who  hath  subject¬ 
ed  the  same  in  hope  ; 

21  Because  a  the  creature  itself 
also  shall  be  delivered  from  the 
bondage  of  corruption  into  the  glo¬ 
rious  liberty  of  the  children  of  God. 

a  2Pe.  3:13. 

puts  the  glory  ;  and  finds  that  a  weight,  an 
exceeding  and  eternal  weight  ;  glory  that 
shall  be  revealed.  In  our  present  state  we 
come  short,  not  only  in  the  enjoyment,  but 
in  the  knowledge  of  that  glory,  1  Cor.  2:9. 
1  John  3:  2.  it  shall  be  revealed.  It  sur¬ 
passes  all  that  we  have  yet  seen  or  known, 
though  present  vouchsafements  are  very  pre¬ 
cious,  very  sweet.  Revealed  not  only  to  us, 
to  be  seen,  but  in  us,  to  be  enjoyed.  The 
kingdom  of  God  is  within  you,  and  will  be 
so  to  eternity.  lie  determines  the  sufferings 
not  worthy  to  be  compared  with  the  glory. 
They  cannot  merit  that  glory  ;  and  if  suffer¬ 
ing  for  Christ  will  not  merit,  much  less  will 


doing.  The  sufferings  are  small  and  short, 
and  concern  the  body  only  :  but  the  glory  is 
rich  and  great,  concerns  the  soul,  and  is 
eternal. 

This  he  reckons,  very  seriously  and  delib¬ 
erately  considers.  lie  had  reasoned  tire 
case  within  himself,  weighed  the  arguments 
on  both  sides,  and  thus  at  last  resolves  the 
point,  as  an  arithmetician  balancing  an  ac¬ 
count  ;  he  first  sums  up  what  is  disbursed 
for  Christ,  in  his  sufferings  of  this  present 
time,  and  finds  they  come  to  very  little  ;  he 
then  sums  up  what  is  secured  to  us  by  Christ 
in  the  glory  that  shall  be  revealed,  and  that 
he  finds  an  infinite  sum,  transcending  all 
conception,  the  disbursement  abundantly 
made  up,  and  the  losses  infinitely  counter¬ 
vailed.  And  who  would  be  afraid  then  to 
suffer  for  Christ,  who,  a3  He  is  beforehand 
with  us  in  suffering,  so  He  will  not  be  be¬ 
hindhand  with  us  in  recompense  1 

Now  Paul  was  a  competent  judge  ;  could 
reckon  not  by  art  only,  but  by  experience  ; 
for  he  knew  both.  He  knew  what  the  suffer¬ 
ings  of  this  present  time  were  ;  see  2  Cor. 
11:23 — 28.  He  knew  what  the  glory  of 
heaven  is  ;  see  2  Cor.  12:3,  4.  And  on 
the  view  -of  both,  he  gives  this  judgment 
here.  There  is  nothing  like  a  believing 
view  of  the  glory  which  shall  be  revealed, 


to  support  and  bear  up  the  spirit  under  all 
the  sufferings  of  this  present  time.  Heb. 
11:  26. 

2.  As  the  accomplishment  of  the  saints’ 
present  hopes  and  expectations,  v.  19,  &c. 
As  the  saints  are  suffering  for  it,  so  they  are 
waiting  for  it.  Heaven  is  therefore  sure  ; 
for  God,  by  his  Spirit,  would  not  raise  and 
encourage  those  hopes  only  to  defeat  and 
disappoint  them  ;  He  will  establish  that 
word  unto  his  servants,  on  which  He  has 
caused  them  to  hope,  Ps.  119:49.  and  heav¬ 
en  is  therefore  sweet  ;  for  if  hope  deferred 
makes  the  heart  sick,  surely  when  the  de¬ 
sire  comes  it  will  be  a  tree  of  life,  Prov. 
13:  12.  Now  he  observes  an  expectation  of 
this  glory  ;  (1.)  In  the  creatures,  v.  19 — 22. 
This  observation  in  these  vs.  has  some  dif¬ 
ficulty  in  it,  which  puzzles  interpreters  a 
little  :  and  the  more,  because  it  is  a  remark 
not  made  in  any  other  scripture,  with  which 
it  might  be  compared. 

By  the  creature  here  we  understand,  not  as 
some  do,  the  Gentile  world,  and  their  ex¬ 
pectations  of  Christ  and  the  Gospel  ;  which 
is  an  exposition  very  foreign  and  forced  j 
but  the  whole  frame  of  nature,  especially 
that  of  this  lower  world  ;  the  whole  crea¬ 
tion,  the  compages  of  inanimate  and  sensi¬ 
ble  creatures  ;  which,  because  of  their  har- 


inountains,  as  well  as  animals,  have  been  adored  as  gods  ;  while  metals, 
stone,  and  wood,  have  been  fashioned  into  idols,  and  decorations  of  idols; 
and  all  the  prime  of  the  productions  of  the  earth  have  been  offered  in 
sacrifice  unto  them.  So  that,  everything  is  in  an  unnatural  state:  tire 
good  creatures  of  God  appear  evil ,  through  man’s  abuse  of  them  ;  and 
even  the  enjoyment  originally  to  be  found  in  them,  is  turned  into  vex¬ 
ation,  bitterness,  and  disappointment,  by  man’s  idolatrous  love  of 
them,  and  expectation  from  them.  Thus  we  are  assured,  that  ‘  the  w  hole 
creation  groans  ’  in  every  part,  as  with  one  sympathizing  expression  of 
anguish,  expecting  and  impatiently  longing  for  a  glorious  event  of  all  these 
distractions.  This  it  has  done  ever  since  the  fall,  and  will  do,  in  a  meas¬ 
ure,  till  the  end  of  the  world.  The  miseries  also  of  the  human  species, 
through  their  own  and  each  other’s  wickedness,  as  well  as  the  state  of 
the  inferior  creatures,  declare  the  world  to  he  in  such  a  situation,  as  is 
not  intended  always  to  continue.  Nay,  not  only  do  all  creatures,  and 
all  other  men  here  below,  as  it  were,  groan  under  the  burdens  imposed 
on  them  through  sin  ;  but  even  ‘the  children  of  God,’  who  have  ‘  the 
Spirit  of  adoption,’  and  his  holy  consolations,  as  the  first-fruits  and 
pledge  of  their  everlasting  felicity,  Id — 17.  yet  groan  within  themselves, 
through  manifold  pains,  conflicts,  temptations,  and  difficulties;  and 
especially  through  the  disquietude  of  indwelling  sin,  7:22 — 25.  2  Cor. 
5:1 — 8.  (But  at  the  final  consummation  of  all  things]  Satan,  sin,  death, 
misery,  and  all  wicked  creatures,  will  be  confined  to  hell ;  and  the  rest  of 
God’s  creation  will  appear  glorious,  pure,  beautiful,  orderly,  and  happy  ; 
in  every  respect  answering  the  end  for  which  it  was  formed,  and  in 
nothing  abused  to  contrary  purposes.  Rev.  20:11 — 15.  21:1 — 4. — The 
sufferings  of  animals,  though  very  many  and  grievous,  yet  being  wi/ear- 
ed  and  transient ,  are  doubtless  overbalanced  by  their  enjoyments;  and 
to  infer  an  individual  resurrection  of  all  or  any  of  them,  from  this  pas¬ 
sage,  is  surely  one  of  the  wildest  reveries,  which  ever  entered  into  the 
mind  of  thinking  man. — The  happy  effects  produced  by  the  Gospel,  when 
extensively  successful,  even  in  this  present  world,  may  be  considered  as 
earnests  of  the  glorious  scene,  of  which  the  apostle  speaks;  Rev.  20:4 — 6. 
but  1  the  manifestation  of  [this  glory  of,  St.l  the  sons  of  God  ’  (19),  and 
‘  the  adoption,  to  wit,  the  redemption  of  the  body  ’  (23),  clearly  show, 
that  the  general  resurrection,  and  the  state  which  follows,  were  espe- 
cially,  and  indeed  exclusively  meant  ;  for  then  only  will  1  the  children 
of  God  be  manifested  ’  as  such,  and  be  separated  from  all  others.  1  John 
3:1 — 3,  v.  2.  Scott. 

(18.)  ‘Moreover,  I  count  not  the  sufferings  of  the  present  time  ns 
worthy  of  comparison  with  the  glory  which  is  to  be  revealed  to  us.’  St. 
‘The  objection  which  might  probably  be  raised  to  the  Christian  reli¬ 
gion,  that  by  it  men  expected  everything  good,  and  yet  scarcely  ever 
met  with  anything  but  tribulations  and  afflictions,  Paul  overrules  :  1st, 
by  reminding  them,  that  men  cannot  have  the  fruition  of  any  good  that 
is  yet  future,  and  only  in  hope,  v.  19 — 25.  2dly,  by  pointing  out  the 
present  good  which,  amidst  its  very  miseries,  the  Christian  religion  af¬ 
fords,  26 — 39.  inasmuch  as  by  it  we  are  assured  that,  according  to  the 
divine  ordination,  the  pious  worshippers  of  God  shall  find  evils  them¬ 
selves  turn  to  good,  v.  28.  and  shall  hereafter  enjoy  supreme  felicity, 
even  as  Christ,  who  endured  the  like  tribulations  and  afflictions  before 
He  attained  the  summit  of  felicity  and  dignity  which  lie  now  enjoys.’ 

Rosenm. 

(19,  See.)  Creation.]  ‘  Ktisis  :  The  diiTlculty  of  this  passage,  v.  19, 
Sec.  (considered  the  most  difficult  of  Paul’s  writings,  and  which  has 
perhaps,  beyond  ail  others,  perplexed  commentators,)  turns  on  the  sense 
to  be  assigned  to  this  word.  1 .  It  has  been  tr.  nature,  the  whole  terres¬ 
trial  creation,  spoken  by  a  prtlsopopteia  common  boih  to  the  Scriptures 
and  tlie  classics,  by  which  that  is  ascribed  to  universal  nature  which  is 
only  properlv  applicable  to  intelligent  beings.  Koppe  instances  Gen.  4: 
10.  Lev.  26:34.  Dent.  32:1.  Ps.  19:1.  111:3—6.  Is.  55:12.  Jer.  47:6.  Hos. 
13:14.  Hab.  3:10.  Baruch  3:34.  Ja.  5:4.  Also  Philo  de  Priam.  And  so 
the  classical  writers,  when  speaking  of  the  golden  age,  as  Hesiod,  Virg., 
Theocr.  — Chrvs.,  Ambr..  Hil.,  T.  Aqui.,  and  the  Gr.  emirs. ;  also  Lu¬ 
ther,  Grot.,  Cap.,  Para*.,  Mosheim,  Lvkemacher,  [Piatt.,  Tlioluck,] 
Carpi.,  Dnnhauer,  Jacobi,  Mich.,  Kop.,  Bolten,  [Hodge.]  and  Ros.,  thus 
tr.  For,  says  Carpz.,  “(1.)  It  is  required  by  the  following  ktisis  in  v. 
39.  which  has  the  same  sense.  2.)  The  tr.  is  supporled  bv  other  SS.  where 
to  ktisma  and  hi  ktisis,  used  alone,  signify  creatura,  and  phusis,  viz. 
Mark  10:6.  13:19.  Col.  1:15.  and  especially  Rom.  1:25.  Rev.  5:13.  (3.) 

By  the  characteristics  of  universality  at  v.  22.  (4.)  Bv  the  antithesis  ; 

[212] 


ktisis  being  opposed  to  those  who  have  the  first-fruits  of  the  Spirit,  i.  e. 
the  failhful.  Therefore  ktisis  cannot  mean  the  faithful.  Neither, 
moreover,  can  it  mean  the  unfaithful,  or  unbelievers ;  since  to  this  the 
words  subjoined  are  repugnant.  (5.)  By  the  attributes,  For,  1st,  this 
ktisis  is  made  obnoxious  to  vanity  and  abuse,  contrary  to  its  end,  and 
against  its  proper  use,  solely  by  the  permission  of  God.  2d!y,  it  groans 
under  that  servitude,  and  anxiously  expects  to  be  restored  to  liberty. 
3dly,  and  will  finally  obtain  it.  Such  allegory  is  frequent,  too,  in  the 
SS.”  Lak.  and  Ros.  think,  also,  there  is  allusion  to  a  Jewish  opinion, 
that  at  Messiah’s  reign  the  whole  creation,  corrupted  and  depraved  by 
the  fail,  would  be  restored  to  its  original  perfection.  But  to  the  intro¬ 
duction  of  Jewish  opinions  here,  1  must  take  strong  exception,  even 
though  supported  by  the  authority  of  Philo,  and  some  ancient  fathers, 
who  held  the  doctrine  of  a  millennium  ;  as  Iren.  adv.  I  Per. — Ammon  ob¬ 
jects,  that  ktisis,  in  the  N.  T.,  denotes  the  creation,  actively  taken,  and 
is  to  be  understood  of  the  things  created,  (Col.  1:23.  Rev.  14.)  but  not 
the  rerum  creatorum  complexus.  Nor,  thinks  be,  would  the  apostle  here, 
in  a  doctrinal  discussion,  introduce  a  poetic  allegory  so  sublime,  as  scarce¬ 
ly  to  be  paralleled  in  the  Zendavesta.  Besides,  the  for,  v.  19.  unites  it 
to  troubles  endured  by  me)!,  and  v.  21.  this  ktisis  is  to  be  associated  with 
the  inhabitants  of  heaven.  Turner,  too,  objects,  that  if  it  have  a  figu¬ 
rative  sense  here,  it  must  in  v.  20,  21,22.  “  which  seems  inconsistent 
with  what  is  said  of  ktisis .”  [Blit  see  Hodge,  Rom.  pp.  335-346.] 

‘2.  Another  class,  ns  Ham.,  Le  Cierc,  Wets.,  Schl.,  take  ktisis,  not  of 
a  physical  but  moral  creation,  (as  2  Cor.  5:17. )  and  explain  Christians 
recently  converted,  from  Judaism  or  heathenism,  or  (as  Noesselt)  the 
latter  only.  But  to  this,  Am.  and  Turn,  with  reason,  object,  that  then 
v.  23.  must  be  restricted  to  Jewish  converts,  or  to  Paul,  with  his  breth¬ 
ren,  perlinps,  in  the  ministry,  which  is  very  improbable,  as  v.  23.  is  as 
applicable  to  ail  Christians.  “  Ou  morion  de  alia  [and  not  only  but]  v. 
23.  (lie  adds),  is  used  elsewhere  in  Rom.  (5:3,  11.  9:18.)  to  denote  oppo¬ 
sition,  and  v.  22.  shows  it  should  thus  be  understood  here.  Further,  if 
ktisis  referred  to  Christians,  it.  would,  as  in  other  places,  have  some  ad¬ 
junct.”  See  Eph.  4:24.  2  Cor.  5:17.  Gal. 

‘  3.  Many  eminent  emtrs.,  as  Locke,  Whit.,  Taylor,  Ilenm.,  Semier. 
Mackn.,  CErtel.,  Doed.,  Am.  Jaspis,  [51.,]  &c.  interpret  ktisis,  of  mankind 
generally,  of  whom  the  Gentiles  formed  the  greatest  bulk  ;  the  popular 
use  of  language  (as  Turn,  obs.),  allowing  that  to  be  affirmed  of  all  which 
is  applicable  to  a  large  proportion.  Am.  remarks,  that  ktisis,  like  the 
Ileb.  bryth,  has  undoubtedly  the  sense  of  the  human  creation,  in  Mark 
16:15.  Col.  1:15  and  23.  Ileb.  4:13.  And  Schoet.  says,  that  in  the  Rab¬ 
binical  writings  bryth  is  frequently  used  for  man.  “And,  (says  Am.) 
the  sense  at  v.  20.  sqq.  proves  that  creatures  endued  with  free-will  are 
entreated  of.  Besides,  the  apolulrosis  ton  somalos  [deliverance  from  the 
bondage  of  corruption,  v.  21.],  expressly  adverts  to  the  frailty  of  human 
nature,  derived  from  the  dominion  of  sin.  Again,  the  inheritance  with 
Christ,  v.  17.  does,  according  to  Paul’s  intent,  belong  not  only  to  all  Is¬ 
rael,  lt:26.  but  also  to  the  fulness  of  the  Gentiles,  v.  25.”  Turner 
thus  gives  the  sense,  “What  mankind  were  anxiously  expecting,  i.  e. 
an  amelioration  of  their  condition,  expected  in  different  degrees  of  ex¬ 
cellency,  and  witli  different  degrees  of  certainty,  according  to  circum¬ 
stances.”  See  Scholar  Armed,  and  Bishop  Blomfield,  on  the  Traditional 
Knowledge.  “  We  need  consider  as  expected  only  that  part  of  these 
blessings  which  is  the  earnest  and  pledge  of  the  rest.  From  the  same 
terms  being  used  to  express  both  the  present  and  future  blessings  of  the 
Gospel,  they  seem  here  considered  in  connexion,  as  constituting  one 
whole,  the  expectation  of  which  may  be  affirmed,  although  the  expect¬ 
ants  were  not  aware  of  the  full  extent  of  them,  their  views  differing  ac¬ 
cording  to  situation  and  circumstances.”  Turner.  [St.  refers  to  the 
innate  longing  after  immortality,  shown  in  the  heathen  pictures  of  Ely¬ 
sium,  and  compares  Cic.  and  Sen.] 

‘The  1st  and  3d  of  the  above  interpretations  deserve  the  preference, 
the  2d  is  utterly  untenable,  though  each  is  pressed  with  peculiar  difficul¬ 
ties.  Perhaps,  however,  the  last  is  liable  to  the  fewest.’  [See  Stuart,  Roin. 
pp.  327-342.]  Bloomf. 

(20.)  Vanity.]  ‘  The  Gr.  has  so  extensive  a  meaning,  that  it  may  be 
expl.  on  nny  of  the  above  interpretations,  note,  v.  19.  6cc.  See  Dr.  A. 
C.,  and  Schl.’  Bloomf.  1  Frailty,  (not  of  its  own  choice,  but  by  Him  who 
put  it  in  subjection,)  in  hope  that  this  same  creature  may  be  freed  from 
the  bondage  of  a  perishing  state,  and  ( brought )  into,  <fcc.’  St.  Hope.] 

1  For  the  felicity  which  admits  no  increase,  is  imperfect.’  J.vspis. 


A.  D.  61. 


ROMANS,  VIII. 


Privileges  of  true  Christians. 


22  For  we  know  that b  the  whole 
creation  groaneth  and  travaileth  in 
pain  together  until  now. 

23  And  not  only  they,  but  our¬ 
selves  also,  which  have  the  first- 
fruits  'of  the  Spirit,  even  we  our¬ 
selves  groan  d  within  ourselves, 
waiting  for  the  adoption,  to  wit, 
the  redemption  'of  our  body. 

24  For  we  are  saved  by  hope  T 
but  hope  that  is  seen,  is  not  hope  : 
for  what  a  man  seeth,  why  doth  he 
yet  hope  ffor  ' 

25  But  if  we  hope  for  that  we 
see  not,  then  do  we  with  patience 
wait  for  it. 

26  Likewise  the  Spirit  also  help- 
eth  our  infirmities  :  for  we  know 
not  what  we  should  pray  for  as  we 
ought  :  but  *  the  Spirit  itself  maketh 
intercession  for  us  with  groanings 
which  cannot  be  uttered. 

b  or,  every  creature.  d  2  Co.  5:2,4.  f  2  Co.  5:7. 
c  Ep.  1:14.  e  Lu.  21:28.  g  Zee.  12:10. 

mony  and  mutual  dependence,  and  because 
they  all  constitute  and  make  up  one  world, 
are  spoken  of  in  the  singular  number  as  the 
creature.  The  sense  of  the  apostle  in  these 
four  vs.  we  may  take  in  these  observations  : 
[1.]  That  there  is  a  present  vanity,  which 
the  creature,  by  reason  of  the  sin  of  man, 
is  made  subject  to,  v.  20.  the  ground  was 
cursed,  and  with  it  all  the  creatures  became 
mutable  and  mortal.  Under  the  bondage  of 
corruption,  v.  21.  the  creature  contracted  an 
impurity,  deformity,  and  infirmity,  and  an 
enmity  of  one  to  another.  When  the  world 
was  drowned,  it  was  made  subject  to  vanity  ; 
and  the  whole  species  of  creatures  is  designed 
for,  and  hastening  to,  a  total  dissolution  by 
lire.  Nor  is  it  the  least  part  of  their  vanity 
anil  bondage,  that  they  are  used,  or  abused 
rather,  by  men  as  instruments  of  sin  ;  as 
when  they  are  made  the  food  and  fuel  of  our 
lusts.  And  this,  not  willingly  ;  all  desire 
their  own  perfection  and  consummation  : 
when  made  instruments  of  sin,  it  is  not  wil¬ 
lingly.  Or,  They  are  thus  captivated,  not 
for  any  sin  they  had  committed,  but  for 
man’s  sin  ;  By  reason  of  Him  who  hath  sub¬ 
jected  the  same.  Adam  did  it  meritoriously 
[ineritingly  1]  ;  the  creatures  being  deliver¬ 
ed  to  him,  when  he  by  sin  delivered  him¬ 
self,  he  delivered  them  likewise  into  the 
bondage  of  corruption.  God  did  it  judici¬ 
ally  ;  He  passed  a  sentence  on  the  crea¬ 
tures  for  the  sin  of  man,  by  which  they 
became  subject.  And  this  yoke  (poor 
creatures)  they  bear,  in  hope  that  it  will  not 
be  so  always, — in  hope  that  the  creature  itself ; 


so  many  Greek  copies  join  the  words.  We 
have  reason  to  pity  the  poor  creatures,  that 
for  our  sin  are  become  subject  to  vanity. 
[2.]  That  the  creatures  groan  and  travail 
in  pain  together  under  this  vanity  and  cor¬ 
ruption,  v.  22.  It  is  a  figurative  expression. 
Sin  is  a  burden  to  the  whole  creation  ;  the 
sin  of  the  Jews,  in  crucifying  Christ,  set  the 
earth  a  quaking  under  them.  Comp.  Is. 46:1. 
Hab.  2:11.  Job  31:38.  [3.]  That  the 

creature,  that  is  now  thus  burdened,  shall, 
at  the  time  of  the  restitution  of  all  things, 
be  delivered  from  this  bondage  into  the  glorious 
liberty  of  the  children  of  God ,  v.  21.  shall  no 
more  be  subject  to  vanity  and  corruption, 
and  the  other  fruits  of  the  curse  ;  but,  on 
the  contrary,  this  lower  world  shall  be  re¬ 
newed  :  when  there  will  be  new'  heavens, 
there  will  be  a  new  earth,  2  Pet.  3:13. 
Rev.  21:  1.  and  there  shall  be  a  glory  con¬ 
ferred  on  all  the  creatures,  wdiich  shall  be  (in 
the  proportion  of  their  natures)  as  suitable 
and  as  great  an  advancement  as  the  glorv  of 
the  children  of  God  shall  be  to  them.  The 
fire  at  the  last  day  shall  be  a  refining,  not  a 
destroying,  annihilating  fire.  What  comes 
of  the  souls  of  brutes,  that  go  downward, 
none  can  tell.  But  it  should  seem  by  the 
Scripture  there  will  be  some  kind  of  restor¬ 
ation  of  them.  And  if  it  be  objected.  What 
use  will  they  be  of  to  glorified  saints  1  w'e 
may  suppose  them  of  as  much  use  as  they 
were  to  Adam  in  innocency  ;  and  if  it  be 
only  to  illustrate  the  wisdom,  power,  and 
goodness  of  their  Creator,  that  is  enough. 
Comp,  with  this,  Ps.  96: 10 — 13.  98:  7 — 9. 
[4.]  That  the  creature  doth  therefore  earn¬ 
estly  expect  and  wait  for  the  manifestation 
of  the  children  of  God,  v.  19.  Now  the 
saints  are  God’s  hidden  ones,  the  wheat 
seems  lost  in  a  heap  of  chaff ;  but  then  they 
shall  be  manifested.  1  John  3:2.  And  this 
redemption  of  the  creature  is  reserved  till 
then  ;  for  as  it  was  with  man,  and  for  roan, 
that  they  fell  under  the  curse,  so  with  man, 
and  for  man,  they  shall  be  delivered.  This 
the  whole  creation  looks  and  longs  for  ;  and 
it  may  serve  as  a  reason  why  now  a  good 
man  should  be  merciful  to  his  beast. 

(2.)  In  the  saints,  who  are  new  creatures, 
v.  23 — 25.  Observe, 

[1.]  The  grounds  of  this  expectation  in 
the  saints.  It  is  our  having  received  the 
first-fruits  of  the  Spirit  ;  which  both  quick¬ 
ens  our  desires,  and  encourages  our  hopes, 
and  both  ways  raises  our  expectations.  The 
first-fruits  did  both  sanctify  and  insure  the 
lump.  Grace  is  the  first-fruits  of  glory,  it 
is  glory  begun.  We,  having  received  such 
clusters  in  this  wilderness,  cannot  but  long 
for  the  full  vintage  in  the  heavenly  Canaan. 
Not  only  they  ;  not  only  the  creatures,  who 
are  not  capable  of  such  a  happiness  as  the 
first-fruits  of  the  Spirit  ;  but  even  we,  who 


have  such  present  rich  receivings,  cannot 
but  long  for  something  more  amt  greater. 
We  groan  within  ourselves ;  which  denotes 
the  strength  and  secresy  of  these  desires. 
Or,  among  ourselves.  It  is  the  unanimous 
vote,  the  joint  desire  of  the  whole  church, 
all  agree  in  this  ;  Come  Lord  Jesus,  come 
quickly.  Present  receivings  and  comforts 
are  consistent  with  many  groans  ;  not  an 
the  pangs  of  one  dying,  but  as  the  throes  of 
a  woman  in  travail  ;  groans  that  are  symp¬ 
toms  of  life,  not  of  death. 

[2.]  The  object  of  this  expectation ;  The 
adoption;  to  wit,  the  redemption  of  our  body. 
The  resurrect  ion  is  here  called  Me  redemption 
of  the  body.  It  shall  then  be  rescued  from 
the  power  of  death  and  the  grave,  and  the 
bondage  of  corruption  ;  and  though  a  vile 
body,  yet  it  shall  be  refined  and  beautified, 
and  made  like  that  glorious  body  of  Christ, 
Phil.  3:21.  1  Cor.  15:42.  This  adoption 
is  that  manifested  before  all  the  world,  an¬ 
gels  and  men.  The  deed  of  adoption,  now 
written,  signed,  and  sealed,  will  (hen  be 
recognised,  proclaimed,  and  published.  As 
Christ  was,  so  the  saints  will  be,  declared 
to  be  the  sons  of  God  with  powrnr,  by  the 
resurrection  from  the  dead,  ch.  1:4.  It  is 
the  adoption  perfected  and  completed.  The 
children  of  God  have  bodies  as  well  as  souls ; 
and  till  those  bodies  are  brought  into  the 
glorious  liberty  of  the  children  of  God,  the 
adoption  is  not  perfect.  But  then  it  will  be 
complete,  w  hen  the  Captain  of  our  salvation 
shall  bring  the  many  sons  to  glorv,  Heb.  2: 
10.  Ps.  16:  9,  10.  Job  14: 14,  15. 

[3.]  The  agreeableness  of  this  to  our 
present  state,  v.  24,  25.  Our  happiness  is 
not  in  present  possession  ;  We  are  saved  by 
hope.  It  is  acknowledged  that  one  of  the 
principal  graces  of  a  Christian,  is  hope, 
1  Cor.  13:13.  which  necessarily  implies  a 
good  thing  to  come,  as  the  object  of  that 
hope.  Faith  respects  the  promise,  hope  the 
thing  promised.  Faith  is  the  evidence,  hope 
the  expectation,  of  things  not  seen.  Faith 
is  the  mother  of  hope.  We  do  with  patience 
wait.  In  hoping  for  this  glory,  we  have  need 
of  patience,  to  bear  the  sufferings  we  meet 
with  in  the  way  to  it,  and  the  delays  of  it. 

V.  26 — 28.  The  apostle  here  suggests  two 
privileges  more,  which  true  Christians  are 
entitled  to. 

I.  The  help  of  the  Spirit  in  prayer.  Hope 
supposes  desire,  and  desire,  offered  up  to 
God,  is  prayer;  we  groan.  Observe, 

1.  Our  weakness  in  prayer  ;  We  know 
not  what  we  should  pray  for  as  we  ought,  both 
as  to  matter  and  manner.  We  are  not  com¬ 
petent  judges  of  our  own  condition,  Eccl. 
6:12.  short-sighted,  very  much  biassed  in 
favor  of  the  flesh,  and  apt  to  separate  the 
end  from  the  way,  Mat.  20:  22.  like  foolish 
children,  ready  to  cry  for  fruit  before  it  i3 


V.  22.  1  All  creatures  sigh  together  and  are  in  anguish.’  St.  1  The  Gr. 

(so  the  best  critics)  is  to  be  taken  in  a  metaphorical  sense,  for  deep  lamen¬ 
tation  and  extreme  agony  ;  without  ascribing  to  the  latter  term  any  re¬ 
ference  to  its  original  acceptation.  The  chief  cause  was  (not  merely 
the  political  evils  of  that  time,  as  Koppe,  nor  mortality,  as  Locke  and 
Ros.,  but  their  conviction  of  sin,  and  fear  of  punishment  from  an  of¬ 
fended  God,  whom  they  know  not  how  to  appease,  nor  how  to  obtain 
expiation  and  atonement.’  Bloomf. 

(23.)  They.]  ‘  So  . .  (our)  adoption  as  children,  the  redemption,’  <fcc. 
St.  Turner,  in  Bl.  thus  neatly  paraphrases  vs.  18 — 23.  ‘I  consider  that 
the  afflictions  to  which  we  are  now  subject,  do  not  in  the  least  counter¬ 
balance  the  blessings  which  the  Gospel  displays  for  our  enjoyment. 
And  (v.  19.)  such  blessings  as,  by  the  Gospel,  God  imparts  to  his  children, 
(that  is  to  say,)  an  amelioration  of  the  present  unhappy  state  of  the 
world,  vast  numbers  of  mankind  are  ardently  expecting.  And  (v.  20.) 
this  is  a  reasonable  expectation  ;  for  although  mankind  are  subject,  in 
their  present  state,  to  frailty  and  death,  by  the  providence  of  God,  per¬ 
mitting  it,  for  wise  purposes,  it  was  not  in  consequence  of  any  direct 
act  of  their  own,  and  therefore  they  entertain  the  hope  (v.  21.)  that  they 
shall  be  delivered  from  their  present  miserable  situation,  and  brought 
into  that  state  of  happiness,  of  present  favor  with  God,  and  of  well- 
grounded  expectation  of  future  bliss,  which  Christians  now  enjoy  (v. 
22.)  For  it  is  well  known,  that,  till  the  present  day,  mankind  have  been 
earnestly  longing  for  some  such  improvement  of  state  and  character  as 
the  Gospel  offers  (23.)  And  not  they  only,  not  merely  the  great  mass  of 
the  Gentile  world,  but  we  Christians  also,  who  are  already  partakers  of 
the  privileges  of  the  Gospel,  even  we  ardentTy  aspire  after  its  full  bless¬ 
ings,  when  our  adoption,  as  God’s  children,  shall  be  publicly  recognised, 
by  the  deliverance  of  our  bodies  from  corruptibility  at  the  general  res¬ 
urrection.’  Ed. 


V.  24— 27.  True  believers  are  saved  ‘by,’  or  in,  ‘hope;’  they  have 
been  actually  brought  into  a  state  of  safety  ;  but  their  comfort  consists 
‘in  hope,’  rather  than  fruition.  The  future  felicity  of  the  saints  will 
chiefly  consist  in  beholding  the  manifested  glory  of  God;*  some  glimps¬ 
es  by  faith  they  here  ‘see, as  in  a  glass  darkly  ;’  for  the  full  vision  and 
fruition  of  his  glory  they  hope,  and  wait,  in  reliance  on  his  promise,  and 
‘  by  patient  continuance  in  well  doing,’  amidst  manifold  trials  and  temp¬ 
tations  ;  and  from  this  hope  they  cannot  be  diverted,  by  the  vain  expec¬ 
tation  of  finding  satisfaction  in  the  things  of  time  and  sense.  Mind  of, 
<fcc.]  ‘The  phrase  is  here  .  ..  the  very  same  as  in  v.  6.;  and  expresses, 
not  merely  the  meaning,  but  the  temper  and  disposition,  of  the  mind,  as 
under  the  influences  of  the  Divine  Spirit,  pursuing  and  breathing  after 
such  blessings,  as  suit  its  rational  and  immortal  nature.’  Doddr.  5 — 9. 
Eph.  6:18 — 20,  v.  18. — The  clause,  in  one  of  the  collects  of  our  liturgy, 
seems  well  to  express  this  :  ‘  That  they  may  love  the  thing  which  Thou 
commandest,  and  desire  that  which  Thou  dost  promise.’  When  the  Holy 
Spirit  produces  this  state  of  the  judgment  and  affections;  the  prayers 
which  spring  from  it  will  be  graciously  accepted,  through  our  heavenly 
Advocate,  by  the  holy,  heart-searching  God.  Scott. 

(24.)  ‘  For  even  we  are  saved  (only)  in  hope.’  Stuart. 

(26.)  Infirmities.]  ‘Recent  comtrs.  (from  Grot.) explain  griefs  from 
adversity,  but  it  also  comprehends  all  those  infirmities,  frailties,  and 
weaknesses,  arising  from  the  flesh,  which  disincline  us  to  sustain  ihe 
trials  and  temptations  of  virtue,  and,  indeed,  indispose  to  discern  onr 
real  good,  or  to  form  such  prayers  as  may  be  acceptable  to  God.  This 
ignorance  of  our  real  good,  and  consequent  inability  to  pray  for  it  aright, 
was  not  unknown  to  the  heathen  sages.  Pythagoras,  says  Diog.  Laert., 


This  phraseology,  though  common,  gives  us,  of  course,  a  very  inadequate  idea  of  the 
•rpssive.  hwsv.  hannv  life  of  obedience.  Christian*  will  hereafter  enjoy  .  for  ce  tain  J 


progressive,  busy,  happy  life  of  obedience,  Christians  will 
more  than  a  single  faculty,  that  of  eight,  will  be  immortal. 


Ed. 


[213] 


A.  D.  61. 


ROMANS,  VIII. 


The  ground  of  Christian  privileges. 


27  And  he  h  that  searcheth  the 
hearts  knoweth  what  is  the  mind 
of  the  Spirit,  1  because  he  maketh 
intercession  for  the  saints  accord¬ 
ing  j  to  the  will  of  God. 

28  And  we  know  k  that  all  things 
work  together  for  good  to  them  that 
love  God,  to  them  who  are  the  call¬ 
ed  according  to  his  purpose. 

29  For  whom  he  did  'foreknow, 
he  also  did  predestinate  to  be  con¬ 
formed  to  the  image  of  his  Son, 
that  he  might  be  the  first-born 
among  many  brethren. 

h  Je.  17.10.  Re. 2:^3.  )  1  Jn  5:14.  12:6—12. 

i  or,  that.  k  Ps.  46:1,  2.  He.  1  I  Pe.  1:2. 

ripe,  and  fit  for  them,  Luke  9:54,  55.;  we 
know  not  how  to  pray  as  we  ought  :  we  are 
often  at  a  loss;  graces  are  weak,  affections 
cold,  thoughts  wandering  :  and  it  is  not  al¬ 
ways  easy  to  find  the  heart  to  pray,  2  8.7 :27. 
The  apostle  speaks  of  this  in  the  first  per¬ 
son;  We  know  not.  lie  puts  himself  among 
the  rest.  Folly,  and  weakness,  and  distrac¬ 
tion  in  prayer,  are  what  all  saints  complain 
of. 

2.  The  assistances  the  Spirit  gives  us  in 
that  duty.  He  helps  our  infirmities  ;  meant 
especially  of  our  praying  infirmities,  which 
most  easily  beset  us  in  that  duty,  against 
which  the  Spirit  helps,  in  the  Word,  in  the 
heart,  dwelling  in  us,  working  in  us,  as  a 
Spirit  of  grace  and  supplication;  especially 
with  respect  to  the  infirmities  we  are  under 
when  in  a  suffering  state,  when  our  faith  is 
most  apt  to  fail ;  for  this  end  the  Holy  Ghost 
was  poured  out.  Helpeth,  heaves  with  us,  over 
against  us,  as  we  help  one  that  would  lift  a 
burden,  by  lifting  over-against  him  at  the 
other  end;  helps  with  us,  with  us  doing  our 
endeavor,  putting  forth  the  strength  we  have. 
We  cannot  without  God,  and  He  will  not 
without  us.  What  help  1  Why,  the  Spirit 
itself  makes  intercession  for  us,  dictates  our 
requests,  indites  our  petitions,  draws  up  our 
plea;  Christ  intercedes  for  us  in  heaven,  the 
Spirit,  in  our  hearts;  so  graciously  has  God 
provided  for  the  encouragement  of  the  pray¬ 
ing.  The  Spirit,  as  an  enlightening  Spirit, 
teaches  us  what  to  pray  for;  as  a  sanctifying 
Spirit, works  and  excites  our  praying  graces ; 
as  a  comforting  Spirit,  silences  our  fears, 
and  helps  us  over  all  discouragements.  The 
Holy  Spirit  is  the  Spring  of  all  our  desires 


and  breathings  toward  God.  Now  this  in¬ 
tercession  which  the  Spirit  makes  is,  (1.) 
With  groanings  that  cannot  be  uttered.  The 
strength  and  fervency  of  those  desires  which 
the  Holy  Spirit  woiks,  are  hereby  intimated. 
There  may  be  praying  in  the  Spirit,  where 
there  is  not  a  word  spoken,  Ex.  14:  15.  1  S. 
1 : 13.  Cannot  be  uttered  ;  they  are  so  con¬ 
fused,  the  soul  is  in  such  a  hurry  with  temp¬ 
tations  and  troubles,  we  know  not  what  to 
say,  nor  hovV  to  express  ourselves.  (2.) 
According  to  the  will  of  God,  v.  27.  The 
Spirit  in  the  heart  never  contradicts  the 
Spirit  in  the  Word.  The  Spirit  interceding 
in  us  evermore,  melts  our  wills  into  the  will 
of  God.  Not  as  l  will  but  as  Thou  wilt. 

3.  The  sure  success  of  these  intercessions ; 
He  that  searches  the  heart,  knoweth  what  is  the 
mind  of  the  Spirit,  v.  27.  To  a  hypocrite, 
nothing  is  more  dreadful,  than  that  God 
searches  the  heart,  and  sees  through  all  his 
disguises.  To  a  sincere  Christian,  nothing 
is  more  comfortable  than  that  God  searches 
the  heart,  for  then  He  will  hear  and  answer 
those  desires  we  want  words  to  express. 
He  knows  what  we  have  need  of  before  we  ask. 
Mat.  6:8.  He  knows  what  is  the  mind  of 
his  own  Spirit  in  us.  And  as  He  always 
hears  the  Son  interceding  for  us,  so  He  al¬ 
ways  hears  the  Spirit  interceding  in  us,  be¬ 
cause  his  intercession  is  according  to  the 
will  of  God. 

What  could  have  been  done  more  for  the 
comfort  of  the  Lord’s  people,  in  all  their 
addresses  to  God!  Christ  had  said,  ‘  What¬ 
ever  you  ask  the  Father  according  to  his 
will.  He  will  give  it  you.’  But  how  shall 
we  learn  to  ask  according  to  his  will  !  Why 
the  Spirit  will  teach  us  that.  Therefore  it 
fo,  that  the  seed  of  Jacob  never  seek  in  vain. 

II.  The  concurrence  of  all  providences 
for  the  good  of  those  that  are  Christ’s,  v.  28. 
It  might  be  objected,  that,  notwithstanding 
all  these  privileges,  we  see  believers  com¬ 
passed  about  with  manifold  afflictions  ; 
though  the  Spirit  makes  intercession  for 
them,  yet  their  troubles  are  continued.  It  is 
very  true  ;  but  in  this  the  Spirit’s  interces¬ 
sion  is  always  effectual,  that,  however  it 
goes  with  them,  all  this  is  working  together 
for  their  good.  Observe  here, 

1.  The  character  of  the  saints,  who  are 
interested  in  this  privilege,  here  described 
by  properties  common  to  all  that  are  truly 
sanctified.  (1.)  They  love  God.  This  in¬ 
cludes  all  the  outgoings  of  the  soul’s  affec¬ 
tions  toward  God,  as  the  chiefest  good  and 


highest  end.  (2.)  They  are  the  called  ac¬ 
cording  to  his  purpose  ;  effectually  called  ac¬ 
cording  to  the  eternal  purpose. 

2.  The  privilege  of  the  saints,  that  all 
things  work  together  for  good  to  them,  i.  e.  all 
the  providences  of  God  that  concern  them. 
Their  sins  are  not  of  his  performing,  there¬ 
fore  not  intended  here,  though  his  permitting 
of  sin  is  made  to  work  for  their  good,  2  Chr. 
32:  31.  But  all  the  providences  of  God  are 
•theirs ;  merciful  providences,  afflicting  prov¬ 
idences,  personal,  public  :  they  are  all  for 
good  ;  perhaps  for  temporal  good,  as  Jo¬ 
seph’s  troubles  ;  however,  for  spiritual  and 
eternal  good  ;  directly  or  indirectly,  every 
providence  has  a  tendency  to  the  spiritual 
good  of  those  that  love  God,  [comp.  Note, 
Job  36:  1.]  breaking  them  off  from  sin, 
bringing  them  nearer  to  God,  weaning  them 
from  the  world,  fitting  them  for  heaven. 
Work  together  :  as  physic  on  the  body,  va¬ 
rious  ways,  according  to  the  intention  of  the 
physician,  but  all  for  the  patient’s  good  ; 
work  together,  as  several  ingredients  in  a 
medicine  concur  to  answer  the  intention. 
All  this  we  know  ;  know  it  for  a  certainty, 
from  the  Word  of  God,  from  our  own  expe¬ 
rience,  and  from  the  experience  of  all  the 
saints. 

V.  29,  30.  The  apostle,  having  reckoned 
up  so  many  ingredients  of  the  happiness  of 
true  believers,  comes  here  to  represent  the 
ground  of  them  all,  which  he  lays  in  predes¬ 
tination.  For  the  explication  of  which,  he 
here  sets  before  us  the  order  of  the  causes 
of  our  salvation,  a  golden  chain,  which  can¬ 
not  be  broken.  There  are  four  links  of  it. 
1.  Whom  He  did  foreknow,  He  also  did  pre¬ 
destinate  to  be  conformed  to  the  image  of  his 
Son.  All  that  God  designed  for  glory  and 
happiness  as  the  end,  He  decreed  to  grace 
and  holiness  as  the  way.  Not,  whom  He 
did  foreknow  to  be  holy,  them  He  predesti¬ 
nated  to  be  so.  The  counsels  and  decrees 
of  God,  do  not  truckle  to  the  frail  and  fickle 
will  of  men  ;  no,  God’s  foreknowledge  of 
the  saints  is  the  same  with  that  everlasting 
love  wherewith  He  is  said  to  have  loved 
them,  Jer.  31:  3.  God’s  knowing  his  peo¬ 
ple,  is  the  same  with  his  owning  of  them, 
Ps.  1:6.  John  10: 14.  2  Tim.  2:  19.  See 
ch.  11:2.  Words  of  knowledge  often  in 
Scripture  denote  affection  :  so  here  :  Elect 
according  to  the  foreknowledge  of  God,  1  Pet. 
1:  2.  And  the  same  word  is  rendered  fore¬ 
ordained,  1  Pet.  1 :  20.  Whom  He  did  fore¬ 
know,  that  is,  whom  He  designed  for  his 


“  did  not  permit  [his  disciples,  or  some  of  them  ?]  to  pray  for  themselves, 
because  they  knew  not  what  was  fit.’”  Bl.  Hodge,  from  this,  asserts 
too  broadly,  it  seems,  that  ‘  the  heathen  philosophers  gave  this  as  a  rea¬ 
son  why  men  ought  not  to  pray.’  Let  us  judge  the  benighted  heathen,  of 
old,  and  now,  with  more  candor,  if  we  must  at  all.  We  are  too  apt,  per¬ 
haps,  to  consider  them  as  destitute  of  every  virtue.  With  groanings.]  ‘  In 
sighs.’  St.  ‘The  Holy  Spirit  intercedes,  not  ns  Mediator,  by  virtue 
of  his  own  merit,  which  is  Christ’s  only,  but  as  Advocate,  who  excites 
the  faithful,  as  it  were  his  clients,  to  prayer,  shows  them  what  they  are 
to  pray  for,  and  cherishes  their  hope  of  obtaining  their  petitions.’  So 
Erasm.,  Beza,  Estius,  Par.,  Grot.,  Wolf,  Bl.  &c.  ‘The  intercession  of 
the  II.  S.  differs  from  the  imercession  of  Christ,  as  well  in  respect  of 
person  as  of  office.  For  the  II.  S.  is  the  alios  Paraklllos  [ another  Com¬ 
forter]  promised  by  Christ,  John  14:16.  It  differs  in  these  respects:  1. 
That  the  H.  S.  is  our  Paraclete,  by  virtue  of  his  abiding  and  dwelling  in 
the  heart  (v.  37) ;  but  Christ,  by  virtue  of  his  office,  as  Sponsor,  or  Ad- 
x'oeate  in  heaven.  (Heb.  9 — 24.)  —  2.  That  Christ  intercedes  with  the 
Father  formally,  as  God-man,  Mediator,  and  our  High  Priest,  by  virtue 
of  his  own  merit  :  (Heb.  7:25.)  But  the  H.  S.,  sent  by  the  Father  arid 
the  Son  to  the  faithful,  intercedes  effectively  in  the  heart ,  as  our  Helper, 
by  strengthening  us  from  the  efficacy  of  Christ’s  merits,  and  claiming  it 
for  us  as  our  own,  by  faith,  (2  Cor.  4:12.)  by  impelling  us  to  prayer,  and 
suggesting  to  us  how  we  ought  to  supplicate  (Zech.  12:10.):  by  exciting 
in  our  hearts  suspiria  occulta  ineffabiliaque  to  the  heavenly  Father  (8: 
26.) :  finally,  hv  Himself  praying,  as  it  xvere,  in  us,  for  us,  so  that  we 
by  Him  cry  Abba,  Father,  8:i5.  Gal.  4:6.’  Carpz.  Cannot  be  uttered.] 
Bather,  unspoken.  Bl.  tr.  ‘  low  whisperings  and  secret  suggestions.’ 
Wets.  ‘  those  made  in  imo  pectore,  [the  recesses  of  the  breast,]  anti  not 
uttered  with  the  voice,  so  as  to  be  heard.’  En. 

V.  23 — 31.  All  things.]  Providential  appointments  are  doubtless 
primarily  intended  :  hut  as  these  often  lead  men  into  temptation,  and  so 
prove  occasions  of  sin,  we  could  have  no  assurance  that  they  would  ‘all 
work  together  for  good,’  if  we  were  absolutely  to  except  the  effects  of 
ourownsin  and  folly.  Gen. 22:1.  The  sins,  indeed,  even  of  true  believers, 
nre  not  always  overruled  for  their  increase  of  present  grace,  or  of  future 
glory  ;  in  this  respect  they  ‘  suffer  loss,  and  are  saved  as  by  fire :’  1  Cor. 
3:10 — 15.  yet  the  whole  concurs,  as  one  complex  plan,  to  prepare  them 
for  the  inheritance  intended  for  them  ;  and  many  of  their  own  mistakes 


and  miscarriages,  being  deeply  repented  of,  work  together  eminently  for 
their  humiliation,  and  the  increase  of  their  grateful  love.  As  far  as  they 
act  in  character,  and  live  in  the  habitual  exercise  of  ‘love  to  God,’  all 
things  concur  in  augmenting  their  final  recompense.  [Note,  Job  36:8 — 
14.]  When  they  act  out  of  character,  corrections,  and  perhaps  terrors, 
will  be  employed  to  bring  them  back  again  ;  and  if  a  man  allow  him¬ 
self  in  sin,  expecting  to  derive  good  from  it,  he  ‘  does  evil  that  good 
may  come,’  lie  ‘sins  on  that  grace  may  abound,’  he  bears  the  broad  mark 
of  a  hypocrite,  and  ‘his  damnation  will  he  just.’  So  that  we  need  not 
invalidate  this  animating  assurance,  to  guard  it  from  the  perversion  of 
wicked  men,  ns  some  have  done,  to  the  great  discouragement  of  humble 
Christians  ;  who  fear  nothing  so  much  by  far,  even  in  their  sharpest  af¬ 
flictions,  as  their  own  lamented  propensity  to  sin.  John  10  26— 31. — 
The  persons  intended,  once  did  not  ‘love  God;’  5 — 9.  5:7 — 10.  but  they 
had  been  ‘called  ’  into  a  state  of  reconciliation  and  love  to  Him,  •  ac¬ 
cording  to  his  purpose  ’  and  choice  of  them,  which  He  will  never  suffer 
to  be  frustrated.  Having,  in  his  infinite,  but  incomprehensible  wisdom 
and  righteousness,  permitted  the  fail  and  apostasy  of  man  ;  He  looked 
upon  the  whole  human  species  as  deserving  of  destruction,  and  meet 
for  it ;  yet,  purposing  to  provide  and  reveal  a  gracious  salvation  to  them, 
for  the  glory  of  his  name,  lie  knew  that  they  would  as  certainly  reject 
this  salvation,  as  they  would  break  his  holy  law.  For  reasons,  therefore, 
not  revealed  to  us,  He  determined  to  leave  some  deservedly  to  perish  in 
obstinate  enmity  ;  and  graciously  to  recover  others  by  regeneration  and 
efficacious  grace.  These  ‘He  foreknew,’  not  merely  in  respect  of  ex¬ 
ternal  privileges,  or  as  apart  of  favored  nations,  but  as  individualiv  chos¬ 
en  to  eternal  life;  for,  in  consequence  of  this  foreknowledge,  ‘lie  pre¬ 
destinated,  or  before  decreed  them  ‘  to  be  conformed  to  the  image  of 

his  Son.’  Acts  2-22—24 . Sanctification  is  not  expressly  mentione6 

in  this  golden  chain  ;  hut  ‘  predestination  to  he  conformed  to  the  image  ’ 
of  Christ,  effectual  calling,  and  final  glory,  so  describe  tlie  beginning,  the 
progress,  and  the  consummation  of  sanctification,  that  no  omission  enn 
in  this  respect  be  imputed  to  the  apostle.  In  (he  language  of  faith  and 
hope,  he  speaks  of  the  whole  work  as  already  done,  because  ensured  by 
the  purposes  and  promises  of  God;  and  he  demands  what  can  be  said 
unto,  or  against,  such  things. — From  this  and  similar  passages,  some 
persons  have  absurdly  spoken  of  our  having  been  justified  from  eter¬ 
nity,  &c.  but  the  fixed  intention  of  doing  anything,  is  perfectly  di»- 


A.  D.  61. 


ROMANS,  VIII. 


The  ground  of  Christian  privileges* 


30  Moreover,  whom  he  did  pre¬ 
destinate,  them  he  also  m  called  : 
and  whom  he  called,  them  he  also 
“justified:  and  whom  he  justified, 
them  he  also  "glorified. 

31  What  shall  we  then  say  to 
these  things  ?  If  p  God  be  for  us, 
who  can  be  against  us  ?  . 

32  He  q  that  spared  not  his  own 
Son,  but  delivered  him  up  for  us 
all,  how  shall  he  not  with  him  also 
freely  give  us  all  things  ? 

m  He.  9:15.  o  Jn.  17:22.  q  c.  5:6—10. 

n  1  Co.  6:11.  p  Pa.  1 18:6. 

friends  and  favorites.  Ex.  33:12.  Now 
those  whom  God  thus  foreknew,  He  did  pre¬ 
destinate  to  be  conformed  to  Christ.  (1.) 
Holiness  consists  in  our  conformity  to  the 
image  of  Christ.  That  takes  in  the  whole 
of  sanctification,  of  which  Christ  is  the  great 
pattern  and  sampler.  (2.)  All  that  God  hath 
from  eternity  foreknown  with  favor,  He  hath 
predestinated  to  this  conformity.  It  is  not 
we  that  can  conform  ourselves  to  Christ  ; 
our  giving  of  ourselves  to  Christ,  takes  rise 
in  God’s  giving  of  us  to  Him  :  and  in  giving 
us  to  H  im,  He  predestinated  us  to  he  con¬ 
formable  to  his  image.  It  is  a  mere  cavil, 
therefore,  to  call  the  doctrine  of  election  a 
licentious  doctrine  ;  and  to  argue  that  it 
gives  encouragement  to  sin,  as  if  the  end 
were  separated  from  the  way,  and  happiness 
from  holiness.  None  can  know  their  elec¬ 
tion  but  by  their  conformity  to  Christ  ;  for 
all  that  are  chosen  are  chosen  to  sanctifica¬ 
tion,  2  Thess.  2: 13.  and  surely  it  cannot  be 
a  temptation  to  any  to  be  conformed  to  the 
world,  to  believe  that  they  were  predesti¬ 
nated  to  be  conformed  to  Christ.  (3.)  What 
is  herein  chiefiy  designed,  is,  the  honor  of 
Christ,  that  lie  might  be  the  First-born  among 
many  brethren  ;  have  the  honor  of  being  the 
great  Pattern,  as  well  as  the  great  Prince; 
and  in  this,  as  in  other  things,  might  have 
pre-eminence.  And  blessed  be  God  that 
there  are  many  brethren ;  though  but  a  few 
in  one  place,  at  one  time,  yet,  when  all  to¬ 
gether,  a  great  many.  There  is,  therefore,  a 


certain  number  predestinated,  that  the  end  of 
Christ’s  undertaking  might  be  infallibly 
secured. 

2.  Whom  He  did  predestinate,  them  He  also 
called.  Not  only  with  the  external  call; 
many  are  so  called,  that  were  not  chosen,  Mat. 
20:  i6.  22:14.  but  with  the  internal  and 
effectual  call.  The  former  comes  to  the  ear 
only,  this  to  the  heart.  All  that  God  did 
from  eternity  predestinate  to  grace  and  glo¬ 
ry,  He  does,  in  the  fulness  of  time,  effectu¬ 
ally  call.  The  call  is  then  effectual,  when 
we  come  at  the  call  ;  and  we  then  come  at 
the  call,  when  the  Spirit  draws  us,  convinces 
the  conscience  of  guilt  and  wrath,  enlightens 
the  understanding,  bows  the  will,  persuades 
and  enables  us  to  embrace  Christ  in  the 
promises,  makes  us  willing  in  the  day  of  his 
power.  Them  He  called,  that  the  purpose  of 
God,  according  to  election,  might  stand  ; 
we  are  called  to  that  to  which  we  were 
chosen.  So  that  the  only  way  to  make  our 
election  sure,  is,  to  make  sure  our  calling, 
2  Pet.  1:10. 

3.  Whom  He  called,  effectually  called, 
them  He  also  justified  ;  absolved  from  guilt, 
and  accepted  as  righteous  through  Jesus 
Christ  :  no  sin  they  have  ever  been  guilty 
of,  shall  come  against  them,  to  condemn 
them.  Those  that  stand  it  out  against  the 
Gospel  call,  abide  under  guilt  and  wrath. 

4.  Whom  He  justified,  them  He  also  glo¬ 
rified.  The  power  of  corruption  being  broken 
in  effectual  calling,  and  the  guilt  of  sin  re¬ 
moved  in  justification,  all  that  hinders  is 
taken  out  of  the  way,  and  nothing  can  come 
between  that  soul  and  glory.  Observe,  It  is 
spoken  of  as  a  thing  done,  He  glorified,  be¬ 
cause  of  the  certainty  of  it  ;  He  hath  saved 
us,  and  called  us  with  a  holy  calling.  In 
the  eternal  glorification  of  all  the  elect,  God’s 
design  of  love  has  its  full  accomplishment; 
created  wills  are  fickle, created  powers  fee¬ 
ble,  but  this  God  Himself  hath  undertaken 
the  doing  of,  from  first  to  last,  that  we  might 
abide  in  a  constant  hope  in,  and  dependence 
on,  and  subjection  to  Him,  and  ascribe  all 
the  praise  to  Him  ;  that  every  crown  may 
be  cast  before  the  throne. 

V.  31 — 39.  The  apostle  closes  his  dis¬ 


course  on  the  privileges  of  believers  with  a 
holy  triumph,  in  the  name  of  all  the  saints, 
What  shall  we  then  say  ?  What  use  shall  we 
make  of  all  that  has  been  said  He  speaks 
as  one  amazed  and  swallowed  up  with  the 
contemplation  and  admiration  of  it,  wonder¬ 
ing  at  the  height  and  depth,  and  length  and 
breadth,  of  the  love  of  Christ,  which  passeth 
knowledge.  The  more  we  know  of  other 
things,  the  less  we  wonder  at  them;  but  the 
further  we  are  led  into  an  acquaintance  with 
gospel-mysteries,  the  more  we  are  affected 
witii  the  admiration  of  them.  If  ever  Paul 
rode  in  a  triumphant  chariot,  on  this  side 
heaven,  here  it  was  :  with  such  a  holy  height 
and  bravery  of  spirit,  with  such  a  fluency 
and  copiousness  of  expression,  does  he  here 
comfort  himself,  and  all  the  people  of  God, 
on  the  consideration  of  these  privileges. 

In  general,  he  here  makes  a  challenge, 
dares  all  the  enemies  of  the  saints  to  do 
their  worst:  The  ground  of  the  challenge  is, 
God’s  being  for  us  ;  for,  if  so,  who  can  be 
against  us,  so  as  to  prevail,  so  ns  to  hinder 
our  happiness  1  Be  they  ever  so  great, 
strong,  many,  mighty,  malicious,  what  can 
they  do  1  While  God  is  for  us,  and  we  keep 
in  his  love,  we  may  with  a  holy  boldness  defy 
all  the  powers  of  darkness.  Who  then  dares 
fight  against  us,  when  God  Himself  is  fight¬ 
ing  for  us  1  And  this  we  say  to  these  things, 
this  is  the  inference  we  draw  from  these 
premises. 

I.  We  have  supplies  ready  in  all  our 
wants,  v.  32. 

1.  Observe  what  God  has  done  for  us,  on 
which  our  hopes  are  built;  He  spared  not  his 
own  Son;  was  willing  to  part  with  Him,  did 
not  think  Him  too  precious  a  gift  to  bestow 
for  the  salvation  of  poor  souls;  now  we  may 
know  He  loves  us,  in  that  He  hath  not  with¬ 
held  his  Son,  his  own  Son,  his  only  Son, 
from  us,  as  He  said  of  Abraham,  Gen.  22^12. 
Thus  did  He  deliver  Him  up  for  us  all,  for 
all  the  elect,  for  us  all  ;  not  only  for  our 
good,  but  in  our  stead,  as  a  sacrifice  of 
atonement,  to  be  a  propitiation  for  sin. 

2.  What  we  may  therefore  expect  He  will 
do;  with  Him  freely  give  us  all  things.  It  is 
implied,  He  will  give  us  Christ,  for  other 


tincl  from  the  actual,  performance  of  it.  God  as  absolutely  deter¬ 
mined  the  final  glorificatiou  of  every  believer,  as  He  did  the  justification 
of  every  elect  person  ;  we  mijtht  then  as  well  say,  they  have  been  glo¬ 
rified  in  body  and  soul  from  all  eternity  ;  this  could  not  be  more  absurd 
or  unscriptural,  than  the  notion  of  being  justified  from  eternity,  and 
probablv  it  would  be  less  capable  of  perversion.— Dr.  Whitby  says,  that  all 
t  lie  fathers,  before  Augustine,  understood  this  passage  of  those,  ‘whom 
God  foresaw  would  love  Him  ?  Hut  does  God  foresee,  that  any  of  our 
race,  while  unregenerate,  will  love  Him  ?  Epk •  1:3 — 8.  And  is  not  the 
Clause,  1  called  according  to  his  purpose,’  of  the  same  import,  as  regene¬ 
rated  ?  And  can  this  choice  of  some,  rather  than  others,  of  our  fallen 
race,  because  of  something  spiritually  good  in  them,  as  the  ground  of  it, 
in  order  to  their  being  thus  ‘  called,’  possibly  consist  with  the  doctrines 
of  original  sin,  or  the  total  depravity  of  human  nature,  and  of  a  regene¬ 
ration  from  the  death  of  sin  to  the  life  of  righteousness  ?  Does  it  not 
border  on  Pelagiauism  ?  This,  however,  gives  up  the  notion  of  a  nation¬ 
al  election  being  intended.  Indeed,  if  all  the  Gentiles,  or  all  the  inhab¬ 
itants  of  any  one  nation,  whom  God  foreknew,  and  determined  to  call 
into  his  church,  be  actually  ‘conformed  to  the  image  of  Christ,’  ami 
‘justified,’  and  shall,  without  exception,  partake  of  eternal  glory;  the 
interpretation  of  the  passage,  as  referring  to  the  election  of  collective 
bodies,  may  stand;  but  otherwise  it  cannot.  So  that,  if  this  were  the 
only  passage,  in  which  the  humiliating  subject  was  expressly  mention¬ 
ed  ;  we  might  confidently  maintain,  that  the  doctrine  of  individual  pre¬ 
destination  to  eternal  life,  and  the  authority  of  the  apostle  as  an  inspir¬ 
ed  writer,  must  stand  or  fall  together.  Nothing  more  fully  shows  this, 
than  the  dilficulties  to  which  its  very  learned  and  sagacious  opposers 
are  reduced;  and  the  different  and  discordant  grounds  on  which  they 
rest  their  cause  :  for  they  scarcely  agree  in  anything,  hut  in  determining 
to  oppose  the  most  natural  and  obvious  moaning  of  the  words.  Perhaps 
the  apostle’s  doctrine  was  never  more  justly  expressed  by  any  uninspir¬ 
ed  writer,  than  in  the  former  part  of  the  seventeenth  article  of  our 
church.  ‘Predestination  unto  life,  is  the  everlasting  purpose  of  God, 
whereby  (before  the  foundations  of  the  world  were  laid)  He  hath  con¬ 
stantly  decreed  by  his  counsel,  secret  to  us,  to  deliver  from  curse  and 
damnation  those  whom  He  iiath  chosen  in  Christ  out  of  mankind  ;  and 
to  bring  them  hv  Christ  to  everlasting  salvation,  as  vessels  made  to  hon¬ 
or.  Wherefore  they  which  be  endued  with  so  excellent  n  benefit  of 
God,  he  called  according  to  God’s  purpose,  by  his  Spirit  working  in  due 
season ;  thev  through  grace  obey  the  calling ;  they  be  justified  freely  ; 
they  be  made  the  sons  of  God  by  adoption  ;  they  be  made  like  the  image 
of  his  onlv  begotten  Son  Jesus  Christ ;  they  xvalk  religiously  in  good 
works,  and  at  length,  by  God’s  mercy,  they  attain  to  everlasting  felicity.’ 

Scott. 

(28.)  ‘To  those  who  are  called.’  St.  Being  united  with  ‘ loving  God,' 
this  word  must  mean  those  who  nlsn  obey  that  calling  and  embrace  the 
Gospel.  See  31.  Sec.  Purpose-]  ‘  Will,  good  pleasure.’  Bl.  ‘There 


seems  a  reference  to  the  doctrine  (so  great  a  mystery  to  the  Jews)  of 
the  calling  of  the  Gentiles.  Eph.  3:1 — 11.’  Turner,  Bl.  Ac.  Chrys. 
thinks,  ‘  this  v.,  and  most  of  the  preceding,  are  to  be  considered  with  a 
view  to  the  peculiar  trials  and  persecutions  of  the  Christians  of  Rome.’ 
See  Bloomf.  Ed. 

(29.)  ‘  The  most  judicious  agree,  that  this  whole  passage  has  a  direct 

reference  to  the  calling  of  the  Gentiles.  Did  foreknow.]  Many  comtrs.  tr. 
“  hath  front  eternity  loved  hut  for  this  use  of  the  simple  verb,  the  au¬ 
thority  is  very  weak,  and  for  the  compound  none  at  all.  Besides,  in  the 
consideration  of  so  very  important  a  portion  of  S.,  nothing  but  the  most 
rigid  accuracy  can  guide  us  to  the  true  meaning.  With  ICoppe,  I  retain 
the  common  tr.,  especially  as  it  includes  the  other.  The  sense  'and  so 
Wetst.  and  Kop.)  is;  “If  any  one  is  brought  to  the  religion  of  Christ, 
that  is  not  to  be  attributed  to  accident  and  fortune,  but  solely  to  the 
eternal  and  most  wise  counsel  of  God.”  See  1  Pet.  1:2,  20.  Acts  2:23.’ 
Bloomf.  Some  ask,  does  the  apostle  here  teach,  that  the  Great  Dispos¬ 
er  of  events  so  arranges  things,  that  some  have  circumstances,  condition, 
imagination,  privileges,  and  disposition,  education,  Ac.  more  favorable 
to  true  religion  than  others,  and  all  this,  as  well  as  their  conduct  in  this 
state,  is  perfectly  known  to  God  from  eternity  ?  Bloomf.  thinks,  it  would 
be  extraordinary,  indeed,  if  Paul,  who  all  along  speaks  of  communities, 
and  even  in  this  ch.,  should  here  mean  ‘individuals;  and  that  the  pro- 
thesis  in  v.  28.  refers  to  a  community,  is  evident  by  the  meaning  in  the 
parallel  place,  Eph.  3:3.’  But  see  Scott.  First-begotten ,  and  First-born 
Son,  are  terms  applied  to  the  Logos  by  Philo  ;  and  see  Koppc.  Id. 

(30.)  Called .]  ‘Simply  invited  to  participate  in  the  benefits  of  the 
Christian  religion.’  Ros.  ‘The  absolute  necessity  of  holiness  to  salva¬ 
tion  is  the  very  subject  of  the  apostle’s  discourse.’  Turner.  ‘In  v.  28 
and  29.  are  mentioned  the  divine  benefits  before  the  creation  of  the 
world,  i.  e.  from  eternity.  1.  The  prothesis ,  or  determinate  purpose  of 
granting  felicity  to  those  who  should  believe  in  Christ  to  the  end  of  life. 
2.  The  prognosis,  the  prescience  of  God,  (conjoined  with  his  love, '  by 
which  He  foreknew  all  and  each  who  would  believe  in  Christ.  3.  The 
probrismos,  the  determination  and  decree  of  conferring  eternal  happi¬ 
ness  on  all  and  each  of  them.  At  v.  30.  are  enumerated  the  divine  bene¬ 
fits  granted  in  this  life  :  (1.)  Tie  k/Ssis,  calling  to  faith,  or  an  offering  of 
grace,  which  here  comprehends  actual  conversion,  and  regeneration  ; 
since  God  illumines  the  intellect  of  man  by  the  Holy  Ghost,  sways  the 
will,  and  confers  faith  on  those  who  do  not  perversely  reject  his  offer. 
(2.)  DikaiOsis,  justification,  by  which  is  meant,  the  being  declared  just 
by  God,  and  absolved  from  guilt  and  punishment.  (3.)  Doxa ,  glorifica¬ 
tion,  which  takes  its  commencement  in  renovation  and  sanctification, 
and  is  perfected  in  life  eternal.’  Vet  see  Scott,  as  above.  OxRrz.  _ 

V.  32 — -34.  The  omnipotence  and  omniscience  of  God  had  neen, in 
the  preceding  v.,  opposed  to  the  puny  efforts  of  every  enemy  :  here,  nis 
former  benefits  are  shown  to  be  assured  pledges  of  final  felicity,  to  all 
real  Christians.  All  things  in  heaven  and  earth,  the  universal  creation, 

l>  1 3  J 


A.  D.  61. 

33  Who  'shall  lay  any  thing  to 
the  charge  of  GorPs  elect  ?  It  ’  is 
God  that  justifieth. 

34  Who  is  he  that  condemneth  ? 
It  is  Christ  that  died,  yea  rather, 
that  is  risen  again,  who  is  even  at 
the  right  hand  of  God,  who  also 
maketh  intercession  for  us. 

35  Who  shall  separate  us  from 
the  love  of  Christ  ?  Shall  tribula¬ 
tion,  or  distress,  or  persecution,  or 
famine,  or  nakedness,  or  peril,  or 
sword  ? 

36  As  it  is  1  written,  For  thy 
sake  we  are  killed  all  the  day  long; 
we  are  accounted  as  sheep  for  the 
slaughter. 

37  Nay,  in  "all  these  things  we 
are  more  than  conquerors,  through 
him  T  that  loved  us. 

r  Is.  50:8.  9.  t  Ps.  44:22.  1  Co.  u  1  Co.  15:57. 

s  Re.  14:10,  11.  15:30,31.  v  Jude  21. 

tilings  are  bestowed  with  Him:  He  will  with 
Him  freely  give  us  all  things ,  all  things  that 
He  sees  needful  and  necessary  for  us  ;  all 
good  things,  and  more  we  would  not  desire, 
Ps.  34:10.  Freely  give;  freely,  without 
reluctancy  ;  He  is  ready  to  give  ;  freely, 
without  recompense,  without  money,  and 
without  price.  How  shall  He  not  ?  Can  it 
be  imagined,  that  He  should  do  the  greater, 
and  not  the  less  1  That  He  should  give  so 
great  a  gift  for  us,  when  we  were  enemies, 
and  should  deny  us  any  good  thing,  now  that 
through  Him  we  are  friends  and  children  1 

II.  We  have  an  answer  ready  to  all  accu¬ 
sations,  and  a  security  against  all  condem¬ 
nations,  u.  33,  34.  Doth  the  law,  their  own 
consciences,  or  the  devil,  the  accuser  of  the 
brethren,  accuse  them  1  This  is  enough  to 
answer,  It  is  God  that  justifieth.  Men  may 
justify  themselves,  as  the  Pharisees  did,  and 
yet  the  accusations  be  in  full  force  against 
them;  but  if  God  justifies,  that  answers  all. 
Who  is  he  that  condemneth  ?  Though  they 
cannot  make  good  the  charge,  yet  they  will 
be  ready  to  condemn  ;  but  we  have  a  plea 
ready  to  move  in  arrest  of  judgment,  a  plea 
which  cannot  be  overruled.  It  is  Christ  that 
died,  $-c.  It  is  by  virtue  of  our  interest  in 
Christ,  our  relation  to  Him,  and  our  union 
with  Him,  that  we  are  thus  secured.  By 
the  merit  of  his  death,  He  paid  our  debt  ; 
and  his  resurrection  is  a  convincing  evidence, 
that  divine  justice  was  satisfied  by  the  merit 
of  his  death.  His  resurrection  was  his  ac¬ 
quittance,  it  was  a  legal  discharge.  There¬ 
fore  the  apostle  mentions  it  with  a  yea  rather. 
If  He  had  died,  and  not  risen  again,  we  had 
been  where  we  were.  So  his  sitting  at  the 
right  hand  of  God,  is  a  further  evidence,  that 
He  had  done  his  work,  and  denotes,  that  He 


HOMANS,  VIII. 

is  ready  there,  always  at  band,  and  ruling 
there;  all  power  is  given  to  Him.  Our 
friend  is  Himself  the  Judge.  Moreover,  He 
is  there,  not  unconcerned  about  us,  not  for¬ 
getful  of  us,  but  making  intercession.  He  is 
agent  for  us  there  ;  an  Advocate  for  us,  to 
answer  all  accusations,  to  put  in  our  plea, 
and  to  prosecute  it  with  effect,  to  appear  for 
us,  and  to  present  our  petitions.  And  is  not 
this  abundant  matter  for  comfort  1 

Some  understand  the  accusation  and  con¬ 
demnation  here  spoken  of,  of  that  which  the 
suffering  saints  met  with  from  men.  The 
primitive  Christians  had  many  black  crimes 
laid  to  their  charge, — heresy,  sedition,  re¬ 
bellion,  and  what  not  1  For  these  the  ruling 
powers  condemned  them  ;  ‘  But  no  matter 
for  that  ;  ’  (says  the  apostle  ; )  ‘  while  we 
stand  right  at  God’s  bar,  it  is  of  no  great 
moment  how  we  stand  at  men’s.  To  all  the 
hard  censures,  the  malicious  calumnies,  and 
the  unjust  and  unrighteous  sentences  of  men, 
we  may  with  comfort  oppose  our  justifica¬ 
tion  before  God,  through  Christ  Jesus,  as 
that  which  doth  abundantly  countervail,’ 
1  Cor.  4:  3,  4. 

III.  We  have  good  assurance  of  our  pre¬ 
servation  and  continuance  in  this  blessed 
state,  v.  35.  to  the  end.  We  have  here, 

1.  A  daring  challenge  to  all  the  enemies 
of  the  saints,  to  separate  them,  if  they  could, 
from  the  love  of  Christ.  Who  shall  ?  None 
shall,  v.  35 — 37.  God  having  manifested  his 
love  in  giving  his  own  Son  for  us,  and  not 
hesitating  at  that,  can  we  imagine  that  any¬ 
thing  else  should  divert  or  dissolve  that 
love  1  Observe  here,  (1.)  The  present  ca¬ 
lamities  of  Christ’s  beloved  ones,  supposed 
a  very  black  and  dismal  case,  illustrated, 
v.  36.  by  a  passage  quoted  from  Ps.  44:  22. 
which  intimates,  that  we  are  not  to  think 
strange,  no,  not  concerning  the  fiery,  bloody 
trial ;  for  the  O.  T.  saints  had  the  same  lot; 
so  persecuted  they  the  prophets  that  were 
before  us.  Killed  all  the  day  long,  continu¬ 
ally  exposed  to,  and  expecting,  the  fatal 
stroke.  Accounted  as  sheep  for  the  slaughter; 
they  make  no  more  of  killing  a  Christian, 
than  of  butchering  a  sheep.  They  kill  them 
to  please  themselves,  to  be  food  to  their  mal¬ 
ice.  They  eat  up  my  people  as  they  eat  bread, 
Ps.  14:4.  (2.)  The  inability  of  all  these 

things  to  separate  us  from  the  love  of  Christ. 
Shall  they,  can  they,  do  it  1  No,  by  no 
means.  Christ  doth  not,  will  not,  love  us 
the  less  for  all  this.  We  do  not,  will  not, 
love  Him  the  less  for  this;  and  that  for  this 
reason,  because  we  do  not  think  that  He 
loves  us  the  less.  (3.)  The  triumph  of  be¬ 
lievers  in  this,  v.  37.  We  are  conquerors  : 
though  killed  all  the  day  long,  yet  conquer¬ 
ors,  Rev.  12: 11.  Nay,  not  only  conquerors, 
but  more  than  conquerors,  i.  e.  triumphers. 
Those  are  more  than  conquerors,  that  con¬ 
quer  with  little  loss,  and  great  gain.  The 
spoils  are  exceeding  rich  ;  glory,  honor,  and 


The  apostle’s  triumph. 

peace,  a  crown  of  righteousness  that  fades 
not  away;  but  the  loss  is  only  the  dross  the 
gold  loses  in  the  furnace.  In  this  the  suffer¬ 
ing  saints  have  triumphed  ;  not  only  have 
not  been  separated  from  the  love  of  Christ, 
but  have  been  taken  into  the  most  sensible 
endearments  and  embraces  of  it.  As  afflic¬ 
tions  abound ,  consolations  much  more  abound, 
2  Cor.  1 :  5.  There  is  one  more  than  a  con¬ 
queror,  when  pressed  above  measure.  He 
that  embraced  the  stake,  and  said,  ‘  Wel¬ 
come  the  cross  of  Christ,  welcome  everlast¬ 
ing  life  ;  ’  He  that  said,  ‘  In  these  flames  I 
feel  no  more  pain,  than  if  I  were  on  a  bed  of 
down:  ’  Those  that  have  gone  smiling  to  the 
stake,  and  stood  singing  in  the  flames;  these 
were  more  than  conquerors.  But  it  is  only 
through  Christ  that  loved  us;  the  merit  of  his 
death  taking  the  sting  out  of  all  these 
troubles  :  the  Spirit  of  his  grace  strengthen¬ 
ing  us,  and  enabling  us  to  bear  them  with 
holy  courage  and  constancy,  and  coming  in 
with  special  comforts  and  supports.  Thus 
we  are  conquerors,  not  in  our  own  strength, 
but  in  the  grace  that  is  in  Christ  Jesus.  He 
hath  overcome  the  v^orld  for  us,  John  16:33. 
both  the  good  things  and  the  evil  things  of 
it;  so  that  we  have  nothing  else  to  do  but  to 
pursue  the  victory,  and  to  divide  the  spoil, 
and  so  are  more  than  conquerors. 

2.  A  direct  and  positive  conclusion  of  the 
whole  matter ;  For  I  am  persuaded,  v.  38,  30. 
It  denotes  a  full,  and  strong,  and  affectionate 
persuasion,  arising  from  the  experience  of 
the  strength  and  sweetness  of  the  divine  love: 
enumerating  all  those  things  which  might  be 
supposed  likely  to  separate  between  Christ 
and  believers,  (1.)  Neither  death  nor  life; 
neither  the  terrors  of  death  on  the  one  hand, 
nor  the  comforts  and  pleasures  of  life  on  the 
other  ;  neither  the  fear  of  death,  nor  the 
hope  of  life.  Or,  we  shall  not  be  separated 
from  that  love,  either  in  death  or  in  life. 
(2.)  Nor  angels,  nor  principalities,  nor  powers. 
Both  the  good  angels  and  the  bad  are  called 
principalities  and  powers  :  the  good,  Eph.  1: 
21.  Col.  1:16.  the  bad,  Eph.  6: 12.  Col.  2: 
15.  And  neither  shall  do  it.  The  good  will 
not,  the  bad  shall  not;  and  neither  can.  The 
good  are  engaged  friends,  the  bad  restrained 
enemies.  (3.)  Nor  things  present,  nor  things 
to  come  :  neither  the  sense  of  troubles  pres¬ 
ent,  nor  the  fear  of  troubles  to  come.  Time 
shall  not  separate  us,  eternity  shall  not. 
Things  present  separate  us  from  things  to 
come,  and  things  to  come  from  things  pres¬ 
ent  ;  but  neither  from  the  love  of  Christ, 
whose  favor  is  twisted  in  with  both  present 
things  and  things  to  come.  (4.)  Nor  height, 
nor  depth:  neither  the  height  of  prosperity 
and  preferment,  nor  the  depth  of  adversity 
and  disgrace  ;  nothing  from  heaven  above, 
no  storms,  no  tempests  ;  nothing  on  earth 
below,  no  rocks,  no  seas,  no  dungeons.  (5.) 
Nor  any  other  creature  :  anything  that  can  be 
named  or  thought  of;  it  will  not,  it  cannot, 


yea,  the  everlasting  enjoyment  of  the  Creator  Himself,  as  their  Portion, 
are  not  so  great  a  display  of  his  free  love  to  them,  as  the  gift  of  his  co¬ 
equal  Son  to  he  the  atonement  on  the  cross  for  their  sins ;  and  all  the 
rest  necessarily  follows  on  their  union  with  Him,  and  interest  in  Him. 
John  3:1G.  The  emphasis  is  evidently  here  laid,  not  on  Christ,  as  in¬ 
carnate. ,  being  given  up  to  death  for  us;  but  in  God's  giving  his  own 
Son  to  become  incarnate  for  such  a  purpose.  Scott. 

(32.)  ‘  The  apostle  has  set  forth  the  benevolence  of  God  in  the  divine 
decrees  ;  which,  however,  being  as  it  were  hidden  in  God,  he  brings  for¬ 
ward  a  palpable  and  indubitable  proof  of  his  love  ;  as  much  as  to  say  : 
He  who  gave  the  greater,  shall  He  not  also  give  the  less  !  Crellius. 
Chrys.,  with  his  usual  fine  taste,  observes,  that  the  words  are  spoken 
with  hyperbole  and  great  warmth.  The  expressions  are  indeed  extreme¬ 
ly  energetic,  and  pregnant  with  meaning.  For  us.]  Crell.  interp.  this, 
“  for  our  benefit.”  But  ft  also  means,  “  for  our  expiation  although  Ros. 
says,  “  in  our  stead.”  Causct  locoque  nostro.  Kop.’  Bloomf. 

(33.)  Charge.]  ‘Jewish  Christians,  with  levity  and  innovation,  in 
abandoning  the  once  only  true  religion  :  Gentile  Christians,  in  embracing 
Christianity,  in  preference  to  Judaism.’  In. 

(31.)  ‘It  is  Christ  who  died  (/or  us),  «fcc.’  St.  Right  hand ,  &c.] 
‘Into  the  mode  in  which  [Christ’s  intercession]  is  done,  it  becomes  us 
not  too  curiously  to  pry.’  In. 

V.  35 — 39.  As  infinite  and  unchangeable  power  and  love  are  engaged 
in  behalf  of  all  believers,  and  the  mercy  already  shown  them  is  greater 
than  all  that  which  is  further  needful ;  they  may  even  triumph  on.  the 
field  of  battle,  and  exult  amidst  their  conflicts  and  groans. — It  is  frivo¬ 
lous  to  say,  that  sin,  being  no  creature  of  God,  may  separate  the  believ- 
[216] 


erfrom  his  love,  notwithstanding  all  this  :  for  such  a  restriction  wholly 
invalidates  the  passage.  Tribulation,  persecution,  the  terror  of  death, 
the  frowns  or  smiles  of  the  world,  and  the  machinations  of  evil  spirits, 
have  not  the  smallest  tendency  to  ‘separate  its  front  the  love  of  God,’ 
except  as  they  prove  occasions  of  sin.  Professed  believers,  in  such  cir¬ 
cumstances,  often  forsake  God,  and  perish  ;  but  ‘  all  his  saints  are  in  his 
hand,’  and  ‘  are  kept  by  his  power  through  faith  unto  salvation  :’  so  that 
they  either  resist  and  overcome  every  temptation;  or  if  bnfiled  and 
foiled,  they  are  brought  back  by  convictions  and  corrections,  with  peni¬ 
tent  tears  and  fervent  supplications;  and  they  dread  sufifering  chiefly, 
because  they  fear  lest  it  should  prove  the  occasion  of  indwelling  sin 
gaining  some  victory  over  them.  Luke  22:31 — 34.  John  10:26 — 31.  1 
Pet.  1:3 — 5. — If  a  man  take  encouragement  to  sin  from  such  assuran¬ 
ces,  he  renders  it  extremely  probable  that  he  has  no  interest  in  them  •. 
no  one  can  triumph  on  this  ground,  who  has  not  scriptural  evidence  of 
his  conversion,  and  his  love  to  God  ;  28:31.  or  take  the  warrantable  com¬ 
fort  of  them,  except  he  is,  at  present,  striving  against  sin,  and  harassed 
by  fears  lest  some  future  event  should  give  that  detested  and  dreaded 
foe  a  fatal  advantage  over  him.  We  must  not,  therefore,  take  the  cor¬ 
dials  from  the  weary  and  almost  fainting  combatants,  because  others 
unwarrantably  seize  on  them,  and  fatally  intoxicate  themselves  with 
them.  (39)  Creature.]  ‘  Created  thing.’  St.  Scott. 

(35.)  Tribulation  ..  distress.]  ‘Affliction  ..  anguish.’  St.  ‘The 
words  are  all  modifications  of  misery  arising  from  persecution .’  Bn. 

(36.)  ‘  Continually  exposed  to  death.’  St.  ‘The  words  exactly  cor¬ 
respond  to,  and  are  taken  from,  the  Sept,  of  Ps-  44:2, 3.  where,  as  here, 
the  subject  is,  bitter  persecution  for  religion’s  sake.’  Id. 


A.  D.  61. 


ROMANS,  IX. 


Paul's  love  to  the  Jews, 


S3  For  I  am  persuaded,  that 
w  neither  death,  nor  life,  nor  angels, 
nor  principalities,  nor  powers,  nor 
things  present,  nor  things  to  come, 
39  Nor  height,  nor  depth,  nor 
any  other  creature,  shall  be  able  to 
separate  us  from  the  love  of  God, 
which  is  in  Christ  Jesus  our  Lord. 

CHAP.  IX. 

1  Paul  is  sorry  for  the  Jews.  7  All  the  seed  of  Abraham 
were  not  the  children  of  the  promise.  18  God  hath  mer¬ 
cy  upon  whom  lie  will.  21  The  potter  may  do  with  his 
clay  what  he  list.  25  The  calling  of  the  Gentiles  and 
rejecting  of  the  Jews  were  foretold.  32  The  cause  why 
so  few  Jews  embraced  the  righteousness  of  faith. 

T  SAY  the  truth  in  Christ,  I  lie 
-1-  not,  my  conscience  also  bearing 
me  witness  in  the  Holy  Ghost, 

2  That  I  have  great  heaviness 
and  continual  sorrow  in  my  heart. 

w  Jn.  10:58. 

separate  us  from  the  love  of  God,  which  is  in 
Christ  Jesus  our  Lord.  It  cannot  cut  off  or 
impair  our  love  to  God,  or  God’s  to  us; 
nothing  dues  it,  can  do  it,  but  sin.  Observe, 
The  love  between  God  and  true  believers,  is 
through  Christ  ;  it  is  in  and  through  Him 
that  God  can  love  us,  aud  we  dare  love  God. 

An  eminent  Christian,  when  dying,  called 
for  a  Bible  ;  but  finding  his  sight  gone,  he 
said,  Turn  me  to  the  eighth  of  the  Romans, 
and  set  my  finger  at  those  words,  I  am  per¬ 
suaded  that  neither  death  nor  life,  & c.  ‘  Now,’ 
said  he,  ‘  is  my  finger  on  them  1  ’  And  when 
they  told  him  it  was,  without  speaking  any 
more,  he  said,  ‘  Now,  God  be  with  you,  my 
children;  I  have  breakfasted  with  you,  and 
shall  sup  with  my  Lord  Jesus  Christ  this 
night;’  and  so  departed. 


Chap.  IX.  The  apostle,  having  asserted, 
and  proved,  that  justification  and  salvation 
are  to  be  had  by  faith  only,  and  not  by  the 
works  of  the  law,  comes,  in  this  and  the  fol¬ 
lowing  chs.  to  anticipate  an  objection.  If 
this  be  so,  then  what  becomes  of  the  Jews, 
especially  those  that  do  not  embrace  Christ, 
nor  believe  the  Gospel"?  Must  they  not  come 
short  of  happiness ;  and  then,  what  becomes 
of  the  promise  to  the  fathers,  which  entailed 
salvation  on  the  Jews  '?  Is  not  that  promise 
nulli-fied,  and  made  of  none  effect  I  Which  is 
not  a  thing  to  he  imagined  concerning  any 
word  of  God.  That  doctrine  therefore, 
might  they  say,  is  not  to  he  embraced,  from 
which  flows  such  a  consequence.  That  the 
consequence  of  the  rejection  of  the  unbeliev¬ 
ing  Jews,  follows  from  Paul’s  doctrine,  he 
grants,  but  endeavors  to  soften  and  mollify, 
vs.  1 — 5.  But  that  from  thence  it  follows, 
that  the  Word  of  God  takes  no  effect,  he 
denies,  v.  6.  and  proves  the  denial  in  the 
rest  of  the  ch. ;  which  serves  likewise  to 
illustrate  the  great  doctrine  of  predestina¬ 
tion,  which  he  had  spoken  of,  ch.  8:28.  as 
the  first  wheel,  which,  in  the  business  of  sal¬ 
vation,  sets  all  the  other  wheels  a  going. 

V.  1 — 5.  We  have  here  the  apostle’s  sol¬ 
emn  profession  of  a  great  concern  for  the 
Jews:  that  he  was  heartily  troubled,  that  so 
many  of  them  were  enemies  to  the  Gospel, 
and  out  of  the  way  of  salvation.  And,  lest 
this  should  be  thought  only  a  copy  of  his 
countenance,  to  flatter  and  please  them, 

I.  He  asserts  it  with  a  solemn  protesta¬ 
tion,  v.  1.  ‘I  speak  it  as  a  Christian,  one 
of  God’s  people,  that  will  not  lie  :  as  one 
that  knows  not  how  to  give  flattering  titles.’ 
Or,  ‘  I  appeal  to  Christ,  who  searches  the 
heart.’  He  appeals  likewise  to  his  own  con¬ 
science,  which  was  instead  of  a  thousand 


witnesses.  What  he  was  going  to  assert, 
was  not  only  a  great  and  weighty  thing,  but 
likewise  secret ;  it  was  concerning  a  sorrow 
in  his  heart,  to  which  none  was  a  capable, 
competent  witness,  but  God  and  his  own 
conscience.  That  I  have  great  heaviness,  v.  2. 
He  does  not  say  for  what;  the  very  mention 
of  it  was  unpleasant  and  invidious;  but  it  is 
plain  he  means  for  the  rejection  of  the  Jews. 

II.  He  backs  it  with  a  very  serious  im¬ 
precation,  which  he  was  ready  to  make,  out 
of  love  to  the  Jews.  I  could  wish  ;  he  does 
not  say,  I  do  wish,  for  it  was  no  proper 
means  appointed  for  such  an  end  ;  but  if  it 
were,  /  could  wish  that  myself  were  accursed 
from  Christ  for  jny  brethren, — a  very  high 
pang  of  zeal  and  affection  for  his  country¬ 
men.  He  would  be  willing  to  undergo  the 
greatest  misery  to  do  them  good.  Love  is 
apt  to  be  thus  bold  and  venturous,  and  self- 
denying.  Because  the  glory  of  God’s  grace 
i the  salvation  of  many,  is  to  be  preferred 
before  the  welfare  and  happiness  of  a  single 
person,  Paul,  if  they  were  put  in  competi¬ 
tion,  would  be  content  to  forego  all  his  own 
happiness,  to  purchase  theirs. 

1.  He  would  be  content  to  be  cut  off  from 
the  land  of  the  living,  in  the  most  shameful 
and  ignominious  manner,  as  an  anathema, 
or  a  devoted  person.  ‘  Abuse  me  as  much  as 
you  will,  count  and  call  me  at  your  pleasure; 
your  unbelief,  and  rejection,  create  in  my 
heart  a  heaviness,  so  much  greater  than  all 
these  troubles  can,  that  I  could  look  on  them 
not  only  as  tolerable,  but  as  desirable,  rather 
than  this  rejection.’ 

2.  He  would  be  content  to  be  excommu¬ 
nicated  from  the  society  of  the  faithful,  to 
be  separated  from  the  church,  and  from  the 
communion  of  saints,  as  a  heathen  man  and 
a  publican,  if  that  would  do  them  any  good. 


TRACT.  OBS.  What  can  a  worldly  life  present  to  our  view,  wor¬ 
thy  for  a  moment  to  be  put  in  competition  with  the  noble  ‘  prize  of  our 
high  calling  ?’  All  that  we  owe  to  the  flesh,  [the  corruptness  of  pro¬ 
pensity,]  is  a  holy  revenge  for  the  injuries  already  done,  and  the  hindran¬ 
ces  continually  given  us  :  and  instead  of  rendering  our  state  doubtful, 
by  living  after  it  in  any  degree  ;  we  should,  by  the  Spirit,  continually 
endeavor,  more  and  more  entirely,  to  mortify  it,  and  repress  all  its  act¬ 
ings.  Thus,  giving  up  ourselves  to  be  ‘  led  by  the  Spirit,’  our  adoption  will 
be  manifest,  we  shall  gradually  be  emancipated  from  servile  motives  and 
fears,  and  shall  trust  and  obey  God. — It  is  the  will  of  our  heavenly  Father. 


that  ‘  in  the  world  we  should  have  tribulations,’  and  have  fellowship  with 
Christ  in  his  sufferings,  before  we  ‘  be  glorified  together’  with  Him. — 
Indeed,  sin  has  filled  the  world  with  suffering,  yea,  with  unspeakable  dis¬ 
order  and  misery ;  all  creatures  seem  to  proclaim  man’s  fatal  apostasy, 
and  to  recommend  the  inestimably  precious  salvation  of  Christ. — But 
the  Gospel  opens  a  brighter  prospect ;  a  glorious  crisis  approaches,  of 
which  all  things  seem  in  anxious  expectation.  May  we  then  give  dili¬ 
gence  to  ensure  our  interest  in  this  redemption,  and  to  possess  ‘  the  first- 
fruits  of  the  Spirit,  the  earnest  and  pledge  ’  of  our  inheritance. 

Scott. 


(38.)  ‘Sure  I  am,  that,  in  the  whole  universe,  there  is  nought  that 
can  seduce  me  to  desert  the  religion  T>f  Christ.  Koppe.  To  me  it  ap¬ 
pears,  that  the  most  powerful  things  and  persons  are  mentioned  first : 
1.  No  fear  of  death,  no  hope  of  life.  2.  No  being ,  however  powerful, 
no,  not  even  angels,  principalities,  nor  powers,  [i.  e.  magistrates,  presi¬ 
dents,  even  the  emperor  himself,  Wets.]  Angels  are,  therefore,  simply 
mentioned,  as  being  the  most  powerful  of  God’s  creatures  :  and  thus  it  is 
needless  to  refine  upon  the  mode  [of  temptation,  opposition,  &c.]  It 
would  be  scarcely  necessary  to  notice,  (were  it  not  for  the  error  of  some 
comtrs.,)  that  archai  and  dunameis  do  not  express  other  orders  of  an¬ 
gels,  still  less  demons  (though  the  Jews  believed  in  several  kinds  of  such  ; 
see  Kop'pe) ;  but  human  powers,  archai  denoting  the  principal,  dunam¬ 
eis,  the  inferior  ones;  and  both  (like  exousia,  kuriotes,  &.C..)  are  ab¬ 
stracts  instead  of  concretes  ;  as  is  remarked  by  Grot.,  who  rightly  num¬ 
bers  this  idiom  among  orientalisms.  Comp.  1  Cor.  3:22.’  Bloomf. 

NOTES.  Chap.  IX.  V.  1 — 3.  From  the  apostle’s  arguing  so  strenuous¬ 
ly  for  1  salvation  by  grace,’  ‘  through  fai"-h  ’  alone,  without  any  respect  to 
the  Mosaic  law,  or  the  peculiar  privileges  of  the  Jews  ;  it  might,  perhaps, 
be  inferred,  that  he  had  no  great  attachment  to  his  countrymen  ;  nay,  that 
the  persecutions  he  had  endured  from  them,  had  alienated  him  from  them. 
Being,  therefore,  about  still  more  fully  to  discuss  the  subject,  of  the  rejec¬ 
tion  of  the  Jews  and  tjie  calling  of  the  Gentiles,  and  to  resolve  the  whole 
into  the  sovereign,  electing  love  of  God  ;  he  introduced  these  topics,  by 
expressing,  in  the  most  energetic  language,  his  cordial  affection  for  his 
people.  The  appeal  is  evidently  equivalent  to  asoleinn  oath.  Now,  an 
oath  being  an  act  of  religious  worship,  the  apostle,  by  thus  solemnly 
appealing  to  Jesus  Christ,  and  to  the  Holy  Spirit,  fully  shows,  that  he 
considered  them  as  entitled  to  religious  worship,  as  one  with  the  Father. 
Mat.  28:19,  20.  (3)  Accursed  from  Christ,  or,  after  the  manner  of 

Christ;  to  be  excommunicated  from  his  visible  church,  loaded  with  in¬ 
famy,  crucified,  or  in  any  way  put  to  the  utmost  pain  and  disgrace  ;  or 
even  for  a  time  to  be  excluded  from  ail  the  comfort  of  communion  with 
Christ,  and  shut  up  under  the  deepest  horror  and  distress  of  mind  which 
could  be  endured  without  sin ;  if,  by  any  personal  sufferings  of  his  own, 
that  could  consist  with  his  final  salvation,  he  might  rescue  his  beloved 
brethren  and  kinsmen,  from  that  national  and  personal  destruction, 
which  he  saw  was  about  to  come  upon  them  for  their  obstinate  unbelief. 
Ex.  32:30 — 33. — This  seems  to  be  the  utmost  the  apostle  could  mean  ;* 
as  it  would  be  utterly  unlawful,  on  any  consideration  whatever,  to  wish 
to  be  eternally  miserable,  and  an  implacable  enemy  of  God,  as  all  who 
perish  will  be.  1  John  3:16,  17. — I  could  wish.]  I  have  wished,  &c.,  or 
prayed ,  so  it  may  he  tr.  On  some  occasion,  perhaps,  the  apostle  had 
passionately  wished,  or  prayed  to  this  effect.  This  appears  to  me  the 

•  The  apostle  speaks  with  strong  emotion,  and  it  seepis  not  necessary,  or  just,  to  ex- 
plain  away  the  expression.  The  language  is  not  to  be  taken  as  a  sober,  reasonable  wish, 
but  as  a  burst  of  feeling,  uttered,  .os  usual,  in  hyperbole.  Ed. 

N.  T.  VOL.  V.  28 


most  lit.  and  natural  construction  of  the  clause;  but,  as  I  can  bring  no 
support  to  the  interpretation,  from  more  competent  critics,  I  propose  it 
with  great  hesitation. — Euchomai  is  not  used  in  any  other  sense  in  the 
N.  T. ;  though  it  is  in  the  Greek  writers.  Accursed.]  See  on  Acts  23: 
14. — From  Christ.]  The  prep,  here  tr.  from,  may  be  r.  after  the  exam¬ 
ple  of. — ‘  Whom  1  serve  from  my  forefathers;’  i.  e.  ‘after  the  example’ 
of  my  forefathers.  2  Tim.  1 :3— 5.  Scott. 

(1.)  ‘Chs.  9,  10,  11,  one  of  the  difficult  portions  of  Scripture,  are  a 
completely  new  subject.’  Bloomf.  ‘  A  resumption  and  fuller  handling  of 
the  subject  slightly  touched  at  3:3.’  Mackn.  ‘  Paul  is  now  disputing  witli 
conceited,  proud,  hypocritical,  and  worldly-minded  persons,  who  claimed 
dignity,  not  according  to  virtue,  but  according  to  vain,  external  ceremo¬ 
nies.’  Koppe.  One  cause  of  the  obscurity,  Grot,  says,  is  ‘  because, 
impartial  to  Jews  and  Gentiles  he,  in  speaking  secret  and  bitter  things 
to  both,  passes,  without  due  notice,  from  one  to  the  other,  and  often 
loves  to  imply  more  than  ite  says.’  See  Bloomf.  Ed. — 1  In  chs.  9 — 11. 
[and  so  Chrys.  and  the  Gr- comtrs.,  see  Bl.],  the  apostle  argues  with 
Jewish  Christians.  For  at  that  time  the  Jewish  state  was  fast  tending 
to  ruin,  and  God  might  seem  to  have  forsaken  his  people,  and  to  have 
taken  others,  (the  Christians,)  from  all  nations  as  his  people,  which  in¬ 
deed  would  appear  extraordinary,  and  God,  who  had  made  so  firm  a 
covenant  with  the  Jews,  might  be  accused  of  inconstancy.  It  must, 
therefore,  especially  be  borne  in  mind,  that  here  the  apostle  is  not  speak¬ 
ing  of  the  election  of  individuals  to  eternal  salvation,  but  of  the  elec¬ 
tion  of  a  whole  nation,  or  nations,  to  be  the  people  of  God.  For  one 
nation’s  being  the  people  of  God  never  hinders  the  individuals  of  anoth¬ 
er  from  being  converted  to  the  one  true  God,  and  attaining  salvation. — 
To  remove,  then,  this  scruple,  Paul  enters  upon  a  separate  treatment  of 
this  subject,  of  which  the  following  are  the  contents:  1.  We  have  a 
pre-occu patio,  which  was  necessary,  lest  any  one  should  think,  from  his 
having  abandoned  their  religion,  that  certain  things  were  said  against 
them  from  a  hostile  feeling.  (9:1—3.  repeated  in  10:1,  2.)  2.  He  shows 
that  God  had  ulone,  of  his  good  pleasure,  chosen  Jacob,  rather  than 
Esau;  and  that,  therefore,  the  Israelites  had  not,  by  natu re,  any  supe¬ 
riority,  (9:4 — 33.)  3.  That  the  Jews  must  submit  to  the  divine  dispen¬ 

sation;  otherwise,  though  they  are  the  people  of  God,  they  will  not  be 
saved.  (10:3 — 15.)  4.  That  they  had  always  been  disobedient.  (V. 16 
21.)  5.  Therefore  God  justly  rejected  them,  though  He  reserved  to  Him¬ 
self  some.  (11:1—32.)  6.  After  which  the  apostle  utters  an  exclamation 

of  wonder,  and  praises  God  in  his  works.  (V.  33 — 36.) — In  11:11  2- .  is 

introduced  an  admonition  to  the  Gentile  converts,  not  to  suffer  tneir  recep¬ 
tion  into  the  divine  favor  to  puff  them  up,  and  lead  them  to  neglec 
will  of  God.’  ScttoETT. — ‘  This  v.  will  supply  us  with  full  authoritj, 
for  the  use  of  oat  Its.  in.]  By.  In  ]  Under  the  guidance  of. 

(2.)  Accursed.]  ‘ Anathema  :  I  think,  with  Selden,  there  is  here  an 
n  to  the  Jewish  excommunication.’  Bl.  See  its  form,  in  6<.  Ed. 

1217  J 


allusion 


A.  D.  61. 


ROMANS,  IX. 


Paul’s  explanation  of  God’s  promise. 


3  For  *  I  could  wish  that  myself 
were  b  accursed  from  Christ  for  my 
brethren,  my  kinsmen  according  to 
the  flesh  : 

4  Who  are  Israelites  ;  to  whom 
pertaineth  the  c  adoption,  and  the 
d  glory,  and  the  8  f  covenants,  and 
the  giving  of  the  s  law,  and  the 
h  service  of  God ,  and  the  '  promises; 

5  Whose  are  the  j  fathers,  and  of 
k  whom  as  concerning  the  flesh, 
Christ  came,  who  is  'over  all,  God 
blessed  for  ever.  Amen. 

6  Not  as  though  the  word  of  God 
hath  taken  m  none  effect.  For  “  they 
are  not  all  Israel,  which  are  of  Is¬ 
rael  : 


a  Ex.  3*2: 32. 
b  nr,  separated. 
c  He.  7:6. 
d  Pa.  90:16.  Is. 
60:19. 

e  or,  testaments . 


f  Ge.  17:2.  Do. 

29:11.  Jc. 31:33. 
g  Pa  1-17:19. 
c.  3:2. 

h  Ex.  12:25. 
i  Ep.  2:12. 


j  c.  11:28. 
k  Lu.  3:23,  &G. 
I  Jit.  1  j  1 . 
in  Is.  55:11. 
n  c.  2:28,  29. 


It  may  be,  some  of  tbe  Jews  had  a  preju¬ 
dice  against  Christianity  for  Paul’s  sake  ; 
such  a  spleen  they  had  at  him,  that  they  ha¬ 
ted  the  religion  that  he  was  of ;  ‘  If  that 
stumble  you,’  says  Paul,  ‘  I  could  wish  I 
might  be  cast  out,  not  embraced  as  a  Chris¬ 
tian,  so  you  might  but  be  taken  in.’  Thus 
Moses,  Ex.  32:32.  in  a  like  holy  passion  of 
concern.  Blot  me,  I  pray  Thee,  out  of  the 
bonk  which  Thou  hast  written. 

3.  Nay,  some  think  the  expression  goes 
further,  and  that  he  could  be  content  to  be 
cut  off  from  all  his  share  of  happiness  in 
Christ,  if  that  might  be  the  means  of  their 
salvation.  It  is  a  common  charity,  that  be¬ 
gins  at  home  ;  this  is  something  higher,  and 
more  noble  and  generous. 

III.  He  gives  us  the  reason  of  this  afi'ec- 
tion  and  concern. 

1.  Because  of  their  relation  to  him  ;  My 
brethren,  my  kinsmen,  according  to  the  flesh. 
It  shows  him  to  be  a  man  of  a  forgiving 


spirit,  Acts  28  :  19.  My  kinsmen.  Paid 
was  a  Hebrew  of  the  Hebrews.  We  ought 
to  he  in  a  special  manner  concerned  for  the 
spiritual  good  of  oar  relations,  our  brethren 
and  kinsmen. 

2.  Especially  because  of  their  relation  to 
God,  v.  4,  5.  Who  are  Israelites,  the  seed 
of  Abraham,  God’s  friend,  and  of  Jacob  his 
chosen  ;  taken  into  the  covenant  of  peculi¬ 
arity,  dignified  and  distinguished  by  visible 
church-privileges  ;  mantof  which  are  here 
mentioned.  (1.)  The  adoption  ;  not  what  is 
saving,  and  entitles  to  eternal  happiness, 
but  what  was  external  and  typical,  and  en¬ 
titled  to  the  land  of  Canaan.  Israelis  my  son, 
Ex.  4:22.  (2.)  The  glory;  the  ark  and 

the  mercy-seat,  over  which  God  dwelt,  be¬ 
tween  tbe  cherubims,  was  the  glory  of  Israel, 
1  Sam.  4:21.  The  many  symbols  and  to¬ 
kens  of  the  divine  presence  and  guidance, 
the  cloud,  the  Shechinah,  the  distinguishing 
favors  conferred  on  them,  these  were  the 
glory.  (3.)  The  covenant  ;  that  made  with 
Abraham,  and  often  renewed  with  his  seed 
on  divers  occasions  ;  at  Sinai,  Ex.  24.  in 
tlie  plains  of  Moab,  Deut.  29.  at  Shechem, 
Josh.  24.  and  often  afterward  ;  and  still 
these  pertained  to  Israel.  Or,  the  cov¬ 
enant  of  peculiarity,  and  in  that,  as  in  the 
type,  the  covenant  of  grace.  (4.)  The  giv¬ 
ing  of  the  law,  the  ceremonial  and  judicial, 
and  tlie  moral  law  pertained  to  them.  It  is  a 
great  privilege  to  have  tlie  law  ofGod  among 
us.  Ps.  147:19,  20.  This  was  tlie  grandeur  of 
Israel,  Deut.  4:7,  8.  (5.)  The  service  of 

God  ;  tlie  ordinances  of  God’s  worship,  the 
temple,  altars,  priests; sacrifices,  feasts,  and 
tlie  institutions  relating  to  them.  They  were 
in  this  respect  greatly  honored,  that,  while 
oilier  nations  were  worshipping  and  serving 
stocks,  stones,  devils,  [deified  lusts,]  and 
they  knew  not  what  other  idols  of  their  own 
invention,  the  Israelites  were  serving  the 
true  God,  in  tlie  way  of  his  own  appoint¬ 
ment.  (6.)  The  promises  ;  particular  prom¬ 
ises  added  to  tlie  general  covenant  ;  prom¬ 
ises  relating  to  the  Messiah  and  the  gospel- 


state.  Observe,  Tlie  promises  accompany 
the  giving  of  the  law,  and  tlie  service  of  God  ; 
for  tlie  comfort  of  the  promises  is  to  be  had 
in  obedience  to  that  law,  and  attendance  on 
that  service.  (7.)  The  fathers  ;  Abraham, 
Isaac,  and  Jacob,  those  men  of  renown,  that 
stood  so  high  in  the  favor  of  God.  But  the 
greatest  honor  of  all,  was,  that  of  them  as 
concerning  the  flesh,  i.  e.  as  to  his  human  na¬ 
ture,  Christ  came.  Hell.  2:  16.  As  to  his 
divine  nature.  He  is  the  Lord  from  heaven  ; 
but  as  to  liis  human  nature,  He  is  of  the 
seed  of  Abraham.  This  was  tlie  great  priv¬ 
ilege  of  the  Jews,  that  Christ  was  of  kin  to 
them. 

Mentioning  Christ,  he  interposes  a  very 
great  word  concerning  Him,  that  He  is  over 
all,  God  blessed  for  ever.  Lest  the  Jews 
should  think  meanly  of  Him,  because  He 
was  of  their  alliance,  Paul  here  speaks  thus 
honorably  of  Him  :  and  it  is  a  very  full 
proof  of  tlie  Godhead  of  Christ  ;  Pie  is  not 
only  over  all,  as  Mediator,  but  He  is  God 
blessed  for  ever. 

V.  6—13.  Tlie  apostle,  having  made  his 
way  to  what  he  had  to  say,  concerning  the 
rejection  of  the  body  of  his  countrymen, 
with  a  protestation  of  his  own  affection  for 
them,  and  a  concession  of  their  undoubted 
privileges,  comes,  in  these  vs.  and  the  fol¬ 
lowing  part  of  the  ch.,to  prove,  that  tlie  re¬ 
jection  of  the  Jews,  by  the  establishment 
of  tlie  gospel-dispensation,  did  not  at  all  in¬ 
validate  the  word  of  God’s  promise  to  the 
patriarchs,  v.  6.  This  he  does  four  ways. 
1.  By  explaining  the  true  meaning  and  in¬ 
tention  of  the  promise,  v.  6 — 13.  2.  By 

asserting  and  proving  tlie  absolute  sover¬ 
eignty  of  God,  in  disposing  of  men,  v.  14 — 
24.  3.  By  showing  how  this  rejection  of 

tlie  Jews,  and  the  taking  in  of  tlie  Gentiles, 
were  foretold  in  tlie  O.  T.,  v.  25 — 29.  4. 

By  fixing  tlie  true  reason  of  the  Jews’  re¬ 
jection,  v.  30.  to  tlie  end. 

And  Paul  here  makes  it  out,  that,  when 
God  said  He  would  be  a  God  to  Abraham, 
and  to  his  seed.  He  did  not  mean  it  of  all 


(3.)  1  Even  myself  to  be  devoted  to  destruction  by  Christ,  instead  of  my, 
Sec.,  i.  e.  that  (eternal)  destruction  which  threatens  them .  .It  is  not  a  pos¬ 
sible,  only  asupposed  case,  comp.  Gal.  1:8.  [4:15.]  ..  Who  can  draw  the 
line  where  benevolence  would  stop  short?. .  But  the  inference,  that  Paul 
“  was  willing  to  be  damned,”  or  that  Christians  must  come  to  such  astate 
of  willingness,  is  made  without  any  ground  from  this  v.  If  Paul’s  being 
cast  off  by  the  Savior  could  occasion  the  reception  and  salvation  of  tlie 
whole  Jewish  people,  this  apostle  expresses  iiis  readin  gs  to  submit  to 
it.  But  as  such  a  thing  was  impossible;  and  as  he  really  knew  it  to  he 
so  ;  all  that  we  can  well  suppose  the  passage  teaches,  is,  that  Paul  pos¬ 
sessed  such  a  feeling  of  benevolence  toward  the  Jewish  nation,  that  he 
was  ready'to  do  or  suffer  anything  whatever,  provided  their  salvation 
might  be  secured  by  it.  In  other  words,  this  is  a  high  and  glowing  ex¬ 
pression,  springing  from  an  excited  state  of  feeling,  which  the  use  of 
common  language  could  not  at  all  satisfy.  And  in  making  use  of  such 
an  expression,  Paul  did  not  depart  from  a  mode  of  speaking  which  is 
still  very  common  in  tiie  E.  The  Arabs,  for  example,  very  commonly, 
in  order  to  testify  strong  affection,  say,  [nefsy  'tfadhaleka,]  let  rny  soul 
he  a  ransom  for  thee.  So  Maimon.,  in  explaining  the  Talmudic  express¬ 
ion  \hareyny  kapparatka ],  see,  /  am  tlnj  ransom,  states,  that  this  is  a 
common  expression  of  strong  affection.’  Stuart. 

V.  4.  Adoption  ]  ‘This  privilege  of  being  the  children  of  God,  the 
Israelites  derived  from  their  progenitor,  Seth,  (Jen.  4:26.  6:2  renewed  to 
Shem,  Gen.  9:26. — Glory.]  The  glory  of  God  resided  in  Seth’s  family  till 
tlie  (lood.  Subsequently  it  appeared  occasionally  to  the  patriarchs,  to 
Moses,  Joshua,  Samuel,  and  finally  '"ns  the  Almighty’s  agent  for  good  or 
evil,  Schoett.)  dwelt  in  Israel  [the  Shechinah]  from  erecting  the  taber¬ 
nacle  to  the  destruction  of  the  temple.’  Bowyeu. — Service.]  ‘  Rites  of 
the  temple,  priesthood,  etc.’  Id. 

V.  5.  1  Christ  ( descended )  ill  respect  to  the  flesh,  who  is  God  over  all, 
blessed  for  ever,  Anten!’  St.  The  expr.,  1  cone,  the  flesh,’ implies  that 
Christ  had  a  far  higher  and  nobler  nature  ;  as  when  Paul  used  it  concern¬ 
ing  the  Jews,  his  brethren,  he  intimated  his  sorrow,  that  they  xvere  not 
his  brethren,  ns  tho  children  of  God,  born  of  tlie  Spirit,  and  believers 
in  Christ.  This,  with  various  other  considerations,  undeniably  proves, 
that  the  apostle  here  meant,  in  the  most  decided  manner,  to  attest 
the  Dsity  of  Christ,  as  One  with  the  Father,  and  equally  the  Object  of 
universal  and  everlasting  adoration.  1  John  4:1 — 3  — There  is  no  ex¬ 
ample,  either  in  the  N.  T.,  or  in  the  Gr.  tr.  of  tile  O.  T.,  in  which  the 
doxology,  ‘  Blessed  he  God,’  is  expressed  in  thesaine  words,  and  arrang¬ 
ed  in  the  same  manner,  as  in  this  place.  So  that  the  only  way,  in  which 
the  Socinians  and  Arians  have  attempted  to  evade  the  conclusion,  una¬ 
voidably  dcducible  from  this  text,  namely,  hv  rendering  the  clause,  ‘  Who 
is  over  all ;  God  he  blAssed  forevermore  ;’  rests  on  a  most  harsh,  unnatu¬ 
ral,  and  unclassical  construction,  of  which  no  example  can  he  adduced; 
at  the  same  lime  that  it  destroys  the  antithesis,  without  which  the  v. 
would  be  wholly  destitute  of  propriety  and  animation.  Scott. 

(5.)  ‘The  words  [ according  to  the  flesh]  are  plainly  emphatical,  nnd 
unquestionably  refer  to  the  other  or  celestial  origin  of  Christ.  The 
Jews  maintained,  that  the  Messiah  would  be  man,  and  the  more  eulight- 
[218] 


ened,  that  He  [is  also]  God.  See  Kop.  And  of  whom,  as  concerning  the 
flesh,  (i.  e.  his  human  capacity ,)  Christ  came,  who  is  (in  that  human  ca¬ 
pacity)  Lord  of,  supreme  over,  all  (created  beings) ;  being  indeed  God, 
(and  claiming  of  right  (he  appropriate  title  of  Godhead,)  the  blessed  for 
ever.  “This  memorable  text  [is]  a  proof  of  Christ’s  proper  Deity, 
which  all  the  opposers  of  that  doctrine  have  never  been,  nor  ever  will 
be  able  to  answer.”  Doddr.  For,  1.  As  to  the  unauthorized  cancelling 
of  Theos  [God]  (found,  contrary  to  what  Schoet.  says,  in  all  the  MSS. ; 
also,  in  all  the  versions  and  nearly  all  the  fathers,  see  Koppe),  it  is  so 
desperate  a  measure,  that  few,  even  of  Socinians,  have  ventured  on  it ; 
and  for  others,  who  have  scrupled  at  the  words,  it  cuts ,  not  unties,  the 
knot.  2.  Crellius,  Wakefield,  Ac.  would  take  Theos  for  Hurios  [Lord]; 
as  in  Acts  10:36.  But  this  sense  rests  in  mere  assumption,  without  a 
shadow  of  proof,  and  is  so  evidently  formed  for  the  nonce,  that  none 
could  have  resorted  to  it  but  those  who  were  so  persuaded  of  the  impos¬ 
sibility  of  Christ’s  Divinity,  that  they  were  ready  to  take  up  with  any 
ground  of  objection,  however  weak  :  3.  They  propose  a  change  in  the 
reading;  viz.  (as  Schlichting  conject.)  Aon  ho  for  ho  On.  But  this  is  to- 
tnllv  destitute  of  MS.  authority,  and  merely  rests  on  the  sup/position, 
that  the  one  reading  was  confounded  with  the  other;  but  this  the  con¬ 
trary  testimony  of  many  hundreds  of  MSS.  may  be  sufficient  to  refule  : 
and  how  improbnhle,  the  mistake,  not  easily  made,  should  have  occupied 
every  known  MS!  Further,  “ whose  is  the  Lord,”  (so  it  would  he) 
would  represent  the  Almighty  as  God  of  the  Jews  only,  contrary  to 
Paul,  at  3  3.  Again,  it  would  be  very  incorrect  Greek,  and  at  all  events 
would  require  a  kai  and  another  On  snbauded.  What  but  a  [sectarian] 
stomach  could  digest  such  a  mixture  of  ini  probability  and  harshness  ! 
4.  As  to  the  attempt  to  convert  the  words,  by  a  change  of  punctuation, 
into  a  doxology,  it  has  the  least  to  plead,  for  such  would  be  out  of  [dace, 
and,  in  his  sorrowful  state  of  mind,  Paul  would  use  ail  intercession  rath¬ 
er;  moreover,  wherever  it  is  found,  the  Theos  follows  the  eutosetos 
[blessed],  because  the  strongest  expression  is  put  in  the  strongest  place, 
at  least,  according  to  Jewish  ideas.  The  article,  too,  would  be  requisite  ; 
it  would  require  n  most  harsh  transposition  ;  nay  Schlitch.,  Crell.,  and 
even  Socinus  himself,  reject  this  plan.  Besides,  the  context  requires  tlie 
common  interpretation  ;  since,  “by  referring  these  words  to  the  Father, 
tlie  sense  is  abruptly  broken  ;  but  if  to  Christ,  the  consistency  is  preserved, 
and  the  climax  rises.”  ’  Bloomf.,  whom  see,  as  also  St.  and  Ilodge.  Ed. 

V.  C — 9.  The  apostle  evidently  speaks  of  a  true  Israel,  among  the 
descendants  of  Israel ;  a  remnant,  as  distinguished  from  the  nation  at 
large;  and  he  introduces  the  case  of  Abraham  and  his  two  sons,  and1  af¬ 
terwards  that  of  Esau  and  Jacob,  not  as  examples ,  but  as  illustrations, 
ol’  his  main  subject.  Gal.  4:21 — 31.  6:15,  16.  If  this  were  carefully 
noted,  the  perplexity  which  involves  the  reasonings  of  many  learned 
men  on  this  passage,  would  in  a  great  measure  vanish.  ‘The  children 
of  the  promise,’  are  those  ‘whom  God  gives  to  Abraham,  by  a  spiritu¬ 
al  generation,  whether  alone,  ns  in  the  case  of  us  Gentiles;  or  added 
to  the  carnal  gencralion,  us  in  the  case  of  Isaac,  and  of  all  believing 

Jexvs . They  who  interpret  “  the  children  of  promise,”  to  mean 

those,  who  by  faith  embrace  the  promise;  say  indeed  what  is  fact,  but 


A.  D.  61. 


ROMANS,  IX. 


Paul's  explanation  of  God's  promise . 


7  Neither,  because  they  are  the 
seed  of  Abraham,  are  they  all  child¬ 
ren  :  but,  In  °  Isaac  shall  thy  seed 
be  called. 

8  That  is,  They  which  are  the 
children  of  the  flesh,  these  are  not 
the  children  of  God:  but  the  child¬ 
ren  p  of  the  promise  are  counted 
for  the  seed. 

9  For  this  is  the  word  of  prom¬ 
ise,  At  q  this  time  will  I  come,  ami 
Sarah  shall  have  a  son. 

10  And  not  only  this  ;  but  when 
Rebecca  r  also  had  conceived  by 
one,  even  by  our  father  Isaac  ; 

o  Ge.  21:12.  q  Ge.  13:10,  14.  r  Ge.  25:21,  23. 
j>  Ga.  4:»8. 

his  seed  according  to  the  flesh,  as  if  it  were 
a  necessary  concomitant  of  the  blood  of 
Abraham  ;  but  that  He  intended  it  with  a 
limitation,  only  to  such  and  such.  And  as 
from  the  beginning  it  was  appropriated  to 
Isaac,  and  not  to  Ishmael  ;  to  Jacob,  and 
not  to  Esau  ;  and  yet  for  all  that,  the  Word 
of  God  was  not  made  of  no  effect  ;  so  now 
the  same  promise  is  appropriated  to  believ¬ 
ing  Jews  that  embrace  Christ  and  Christian¬ 
ity,  and,  though  it  throw  off  multitudes  that 
refuse  Christ,  yet  the  promise  is  not  there¬ 
fore  defeated  and  invalidated,  any  more  than 
it  was  by  the  typical  rejection  of  Ishmael 
and  Esau. 

I.  He  lays  down  this  proposition, — that 
they  are  not  all  Israel,  which  ^are  of  Israel, 
r.  C.  neither  because  they  are,  &c.  v.  7. 
Many,  descended  from  the  loins  of  Abraham 
and  Jacob,  and  surnamed  by  the  name  of 
Israel,  were  very  far  from  being  Israelites 
indeed,  interested  in  the  saving  benefits  of 
the  new  covenant.  It  does  not  follow,  that, 
because  they  are  the  seed  of  Abraham, 
therefore  they  must  needs  be  the  children  of 
God  ;  though  they  themselves  fancied  so, 
boasted  much  of,  and  built  much  on,  their 
relation  to  Abraham,  Mat.  3:9.  JohnS: 
38,  39. 

II.  He  proves  this  by  instances  ;  and 
therein  shows,  not  only  that  some  of  Abra¬ 
ham’s  seed  were  chosen,  and  others  not, 
but  that  God  therein  wrought  according  to 
the  council  of  his  own  will  ;  and  not  with 


regard  to  that  law  of  commandments,  which  1 
tlie  present  unbelieving  Jews  were  so 
strangely  wedded  to. 

1.  He  specifies  the  case  of  Isaac  and  Ish- 
inael,  both  of  them  the  seed  of  Abraham  ■;  ] 
yet  Isaac  only  taken  into  covenant  with  God. 
For  this  he  quotes  Gen.  21  :  12.  which  | 
conies  in  there  as  a  reason  why  Abraham 
must  be  willing  to  cast  out  the  bond-woman 
and  her  son,  because  (lie  covenant  was  to  be  ! 
established  with  Isaac,  ch.  17:19.  And1 
yet  the  word  God  had  spoken,  that  He 
would  be  a  God  to  Abraham  and  to  his  seed, 
did  not  therefore  fail  ;  for  the  blessings  wrapt 
up  in  that  great  word,  being  communicated 
by  God  as  a  benefactor,  He  was  free  to  de-  i 
terinine  on  what  head  they  should  rest,  and  j 
accordingly  entailed  them  on  Isaac,  and  re-  ! 
jected  Ishmael.  This  he  explains  further, 
v.  8,  9.  and  shows  what  God  intended  to  I 
teach  us  by  this  dispensation. 

(I.)  That  the  children  of  the  flesh,  as  ! 
such,  by  virtue  of  their  relation  to  Abraham  j 
according  to  the  flesh,  are  not  therefore  the 
children  of  God,  for  then  Ishmael  had  put  [ 
in  a  good  claim.  This  remark  comes  home  j 
to  the  unbelieving  Jews,  who  boasted  of  ! 
their  relation  to  Abraham  according  to  the  j 
flesh,  and  looked  for  justification  in  a  flesh¬ 
ly  way,  by  those  carnal  ordinances  which  | 
Christ  had  abolished.  They  had  confidence  | 
in  the  flesh,  Phil.  3:3.  Ishmael  was  a  child 
of  the  flesh,  and  there  was  nothing  extraor¬ 
dinary  or  supernatural  in  his  conception,  as 
there  was  in  Isaac’s  ;  he  was  born  after  the 
flesh.  Gal.  4;  29.  representing  those  that  ex¬ 
pert  justification  and  salvation  by  their  own 
strength  and  righteousness. 

(2.)  That  the  children  of  the  promise  are 
counted  for  the  seed.  Those  ,  that  have  the 
honor  and  happiness  of  being  counted  for  j 
the  seed,  have  it  not  for  the  sake  of  any  1 
merit  or  desert  of  their  own,  but  purely  by  , 
virtue  of  the  promise,  in  which  God  hath 
obliged  Himself  of  bis  own  good  pleasure  j 
to  grant  the  promised  favor.  Isaac  was  a 
child  of  promise  ;  that  he  proves,  v.  9.  j 
quoted  from  Gen.  18:  10.  He  was  conceived  » 
and  born  by  force  and  virtue  of  the  promise, 
and  so  a  proper  type  and  figure  of  those  who 
are  now  counted  for  the  seed,  even  true  be¬ 
lievers,  who  are  born,  not  of  the  will  of  the 
flesh,  nor  of  the  will  of  man,  but  of  God  ;  ' 
of  the  incorruptible  seed,  even  the  word  of 


|  promise  ;  by  virtue  of  the  special  promise 
of  a  new  heart:  see  Gal.  4:20.  It  was 
through  faith  that  Isaac  was  conceived,  Heb. 
11:11.  Thus  were  the  great  mysteries  of 
salvation  taught  under  the  O.  T.,  not  in  ex¬ 
press  words,  but  by  significant  types  and 
dispensations  of  providence,  which  to  them 
then  were  not  so  clear  as  they  are  to  us  now, 
when  the  veil  is  taken  away,  and  the  types 
are  expounded  by  the  antitypes. 

2.  In  the  case  of  Jacob  and  Esau,  v.  10 — 
13.  which  is  much  stronger  to  show  that  the 
carnal  seed  of  Abraham  were  not,  as  such, 
interested  in  the  promise,  but  only  such  of 
them  as  God  in  sovereignty  had  appointed. 
There  was  a  previous  difference  between 
Ishmael  and  Isaac,  before  Ishmael  was  cast 
out  :  Ishmael  was  the  son  of  the  bond-wo- 
tnanjborn  long  before  Isaac,  was  of  a  fierce 
and  rugged  disposition,  and  bad  mocked,  or 
persecuted  Isaac  ;  to  all  which  it  might  be 
supposed  God  had  regard,  when  He  appoint¬ 
ed  Abraham  to  cast  him  out.  But  in  the 
ease  of  Jacob  and  Esau,  it  was  neither  so 
nor  so,  they  were  both  the  sons  of  Isaac  by 
one  mother  :  they  were  conceived  by  one 
conception,  so  some  copies.  The  difference 
was  made  between  them  by  the  divine  counsel, 
before  they  W'ere  born,  or  had  done  any  good 
or  evil.  Both  lay  struggling  alike  in  their 
mother’s  W'ornb,  when  it  was  said.  The  elder 
shall  serve  the  younger  ;  without  respect  to 
good  or  bad  works  done  or  foreseen  ;  that 
the  purpose  of  God  according  to  election  might 
stand  ;  that  this  great  truth  may  be  estab¬ 
lished,  that  God  chooses  some  and  refuses 
others,  as  a  free  agent  ;  by  his  own  abso¬ 
lute  and  sovereign  will,  dispensing  his  fa¬ 
vors,  or  withholding  them,  as  He  pleases. 

This  difference,  that  was  put  between 
Jacob  and  Esau,  he  further  illustrates  by  a 
quotation  from  Mai.  1:  2,  3.  where  it  is  said, 
not  of  Jacob  and  Esau  the  persons,  but  the 
Edomites  and  Israelites,  tireir  posterity  ; 
Jacob  have  I  loved,  and  Esau  have  I  hated. 
The  people  of  Israel  were  taken  into  the 
covenant  of  peculiarity,  had  the  land  of  Ca¬ 
naan  given  them,  were  blessed  with  the  more 
signal  appearances  of  God  for  them  in  spe¬ 
cial  protections,  supplies,  and  deliverances, 
while  the  Edomites  were  rejected,  had  no 
temple,  altar,  priests,  or  prophets  ;  no  such 
particular  care  taken  of  them,  or  kindness 
showed  to  them.  Such  a  difference  did  God 


do  not  speak  with  suitable  precision-,  for  the  apostle  does  not  in  this 
place  distinguish  the  children  of  Abraham  from  others,  by  their  faith  as 
known  ;  but  he  discourses  concerning  the  primary  cause,  i.  e.  tile  fountain 
of  their  faith  itself,  namely,  the  eternal  purpose  of  gratuitous  election.’ 
Beza. — Isaac  was  promised  some  time  before  his  birth  ;  and  the  faithful¬ 
ness  and  power  of  God  having  fulfilled  that  promise,  he  was  ‘  the  child  of 
promise,1  in  whom  Abraham’s  ‘  seed  should  be  called,’  and  in  whose  ‘  Seed 
the  nations  should  be  blessed  but  Ishmael  was  not  thus  previously  prom¬ 
ised  ;  and  it  was  foretold,  that  the  chosen  nation,  which  was  to  inherit 
Canaan,  and  from  whom  the  Messiah  was  appointed  to  spring,  would  not 
descend  from  him,  but  from  Isaac.  In  like  manner,  all  the  descendants  of 
Israel  were  not  entitled  to  the  spiritual  blessings  of  the  covenant ;  but 
only  ‘  the  remnant  according  to  the  election  of  grace,’  which  was  found 
among  them:  and  these,  being  regenerated  and  having  believed  in  Christ, 
were  brought  into  the  family  of  believing  Abraham,  as  the  children  of 
promise,  in  whom  the  promises  to  him,  concerning  his  numerous  posteri¬ 
ty  and  their  extraordinary  privileges,  should  be  especially  fulfilled.  4:9 — 
17.  11:1—6.  Mat.  3:7—10.  Gat,  3:26—29.  Ifeb.  6:13— 15.— In  thus  adduc¬ 
ing  the  case  of  Isaac  and  Ishmael,  the  apostle  certainly  did  not  decide  on 
the  eternal  state  of  either  of  these  individuals  ;  yet  the  subject  which 
he  thus  illustrated,  namely,  a  remnant  of  believers  among  an  unbeliev¬ 
ing  nation,  must  refer,  not  to  outward  advantages  and  disadvantages,  but 
to  eternal  salvation  or  damnation-,  for  ‘be  that  bclieveth  and  is  baptized 
shall  he  saved,  and  he  that  bclieveth  not  shall  be  damned.’  And  this  is 
equally  clear,  whether  it  be  held,  that  this  remnant  believed,  in  conse¬ 
quence  of  their  being  elected  ;  or  that  they  were  chosen,  in  consequence 
of  their  faith,  either  as  foreseen,  or  as  actually  exercised. — (7)  In  Isaac, 
Ac.)  From  the  Sept,  who  accord  with  the  Heb.  (Gen.  21:12.) — (9)  At 
this  time,  &C-]  Not  exactly  according  to  the  Sept.,  or  the  Heb.  -,  though 
it  asrees  more  nearly  with  the  latter.  The  cl.  tr.  in  Gen.,  ‘according 
to  the  time  of  life,’  is  changed  by  the  apostle,  from  the  Sept,  for  ‘  ac¬ 
cording  to  this  time.’  Gen.  18:10.  Scott. 

(6.)  ‘  However,  it  is  not  so  that  the  Word  of  God  has  been  rendered 
void  ;  for,  *c.»  St.  Taken  none  effect.}  *  Missed  :  a  metaphor,  appa¬ 
rently,  from  archery.’  “  Bi.oomf. 

(7,  8.)  ‘  Neither  are  all  the  seed  of  Abraham  children,  hut,  <fcc.’  St. 

‘The  apostle  giyes  us  not  the  whole  of  the  texts  he  intends  should  be 
taken  intoliis  argument,  he  only  Hints  them,  as  the  Jews  were  generally 
well  versed  in  the  SS.’  Taylor.  ‘  In  making  the  natural  seed  the  type 
of  the  spiritual,  and  the  temporal  blessings  the  emblems  of  the  eternal, 
there  was  the  greatest  wisdom,  not  only  because  the  emblematical 
method  of  representing  things  was  usual  in  the  early  uges,  but  because 


the  birth  of  Isaac  was  a  pledge  of  the  birth  of  the  spiritual  seed,  and 
because,  when  the  temporal  blessing  promised  to  the  natural  seed,  par¬ 
ticularly  their  introduction  into  Canaan,  was  accomplished  by  the  most 
extraordinary  exertions  of  the  divine  power,  it  was  such  a  pledge  and 
proof  of  the  introduction  of  the  spiritual  seed  into  the  heavenly  country, 
as  must  in  all  ages,  till  that  event  happen,  strengthen  their  faith,  and 
give  them  the  greatest  consolation.’  Macknioiit. 

(9.)  At.}  ‘According  to.’  St.  ‘God  is  said  to  “come  unto  men,” 
xvlien  He  is  bestowing  on  them  great  benefits.’  Koppe. 

V.  10 — 14.  As  Isaac  xvas  Abraham’s  only  son,  by  Sarah  his  wife  ;  it 
might  have  been  supposed,  that  the  covenanted  blessings  were  limited 
to  him  on  that  account.  Yet  not  only  Ishmael,  Abraham’s  son  by  Hagar, 
the  bond-woman,  and  his  children  by  Keturah,  were  excluded  ;  but  even 
Esau  and  his  posterity,  though  the  elder  son  of  Isaac  and  Rebekah,  and 
twin-brother  to  Jacob,  xvas  set  aside;  and  this  not  subsequent  to  any 
crime  by  which  he  forfeited  the  birthright,  but  previously.  This  clearly  in¬ 
dicated,  that  ‘  the  purpose  of  God,’  in  respect  of  ‘  the  heirs  of  promise,’ 
xvould  he  established  according  to  his  sovereign  election  ;  who  calls  men 
to  partake  of  the  blessing  as  He  pleases  ;  and  not  in  the  foresight  of  any 
xvorks  which  they  would  perform.  Doubtless,  God  foresaw,  that  Esau’s 
xvorks  would  be  profane  and  evil ;  Gen.  25:31 — 34.  27:41,  42.  Heb-  12:15 
— 17.  and  Jacob’s,  in  a  measure,  pious  and  holy  ;  but  the  good  works  of 
Jacob  could  only  be  foreseen,  as  the.  effect  of  his  election  and  consequent 
regeneration;  and  thus  foreseen  as  tlie  effect,  theycould  not  be  the  caws* 
of  these  blessings.  Marg.  and  Eph.  1:3 — 8.  God  foresaw  both  Esau 
and  Jacob  as  ‘  born  in  sin,  and  by  nature  the  children  of  wrath,  even  as 
others;’  Eph.  2:3.  and  He  knew  that,  if  left  to  themselves,  they  would 
continue  in  sin  through  life;  but  (for  wise  and  holy  reasons,  known  to 
Himself,  but  not  revealed  to  us),  He  purposed  to  change  Jacob’s  heart, 
and  to  leave  Esau  to  his  native  perverseness;  because  He  freely  loved 
Jacob,  but  did  not  in  the  same  manner  love  Esau.  Wickedness  foreseen 
is  doubtless  the  cause  of  the  Lord’s  purpose  to  condemn  ;  because  it  is  of 
a  man’s  self  by  nature,  and  God  condemns  none,  who  do  not  justly  de¬ 
serve  it ;  but  holiness  foreseen  in  a  fallen  creature,  cannot  be  the  cause 
of  his  election  ;  because  it  is  the  effect  of  new-creating  grace,  and  never 
comes  from  nnv  other  source.  Thus  prccterition,  or  non-election,  on 
fallen  creature,' is  not  gratuitous,  but  merited  :  •election,  shown  in  re¬ 
generation,  is  gratuitous.  This  instance  of  Esau  and  Jncoi  ■ 
tended  as  an  illustration  of  the  diviue  conduct  towards  the  fallen  race 
of  man.  It  has  often  been  urged,  that  Jacob  and  Esau  x  e 
personally  intended,  as  their  posterity  ^ nd ^ ha 1 1 e m p  ^1,^  ^  ^  ^ 

[21 9  j 


Jlrl  o'  lllull  J  HllvliUvU^  *to  lucu  J  1  _  . 

rial  things,  arc  spoken  of;  anti  this  is  certainly  true. 


A.  D.  61. 


ROMANS,  IX. 


dominion  over  Esau,  personally,  but  liis  posterity  ruled  over  Esau’s. 
Gen.  25:22,  23.  27:27 — 29,  30,  40.  Mai.  1:2—5. — The  election,  the  pre¬ 
diction,  the  birthright,  and  the  blessing,  secured  to  Jacob  and  his  seed 
the  same  religious  advantages,  which  the  promise  of  God  secured  to 
Isaac  and  his  seed  ;  and  excluded  Esau,  as  well  as  Ishmael,  from  them  ; 
and  this,  without  determining  anything  of  Esau’s  eternal  state,  though 
his  character,  and  the  epithet  profane,  annexed  to  his  name  by  the  apos¬ 
tle,  seem  to  indicate,  that  he  was  not  a  believer.  It  is,  however,  evi¬ 
dent,  that  the  subject  illustrated  related  to  individuals  and  to  their  eter¬ 
nal  state,  whether  as  believersor  unbelievers.  As  Esau,  that  ‘the  purpose 
of  God  according  to  election  might  stand,’  had  no  inheritance  in  Canaan, 
and  was  not  the  progenitor  of  Christ;  so  those  Israelites,  who  did  not 
belong  to  ‘  the  election  of  grace,’  were  excluded  from  the  true  church, 
had  no  part  in  Christ,  and  no  inheritance  in  heaven.  Hut  the  reverse 
was  true  of  ‘  the  election  of  grace  ;’  those  who  belonged  to  this  election 
were  ‘called,’  and  in  consequence  believed;  they  were  ‘justified’  in 
Christ  and  ‘glorified  8:28 — 31.  and  the  same  is  the  case  in  respect  of 
men,  in  all  other  ages  and  nations.  If,  indeed,  there  were  any  of  our 
race,  not  fallen  like  other  men,  or  not  ‘by  nature  dead  in  sin,  and  chil¬ 
dren  of  wrath,  even  as  others  ;  if  there  were  any  inclined,  without  pre¬ 
venting  grace,  to  repent  and  to  believe  the  humbling,  holy  Gospel  of 
Christ,  to  love  God  and  obey  his  will ;  then  indeed  the  election  might  be 
made,  with  respect  to  their  foreseen  faith  and  obedience.  But  on  this 
supposition,  what  ground  would  there  be  for  the  objections,  which  the 
apostle  evidently  supposes  would  be  made  to  his  doctrine  ?  or  what 
reason  to  silence  them,  in  the  manner  he  afterwards  does ;  when  he 
might  easily,  and  consistently  with  truth,  have  given  an  answer  far  more 
satisfactory  to  the  objectors,  by  clearly  explaining  his  meaning  ?  It  is 
then  inquired,  First,  Are  all  men,  as  born  of  Adam,  equally  depraved  ? 
and  secondly,  Is  man  willing  of  himself  to  do  what  is  spiritually  good  ; 
or  does  the  grace  of  God  make  him  willing  ?  When  these  questions  are 
answered,  according  to  the  Scriptures,  and  the  articles  and  liturgy  of 
our  church,  it  will  readily  be  perceived,  that  no  good,  foreseen,  either  in 
the  hearts  or  lives  of  sinners,  could  be  the  cause  of  their  election  to 
t  eternal  life. — If  then  God  loved  Jacob,  and  hated  Esau,  (or  showed  him 
less  favor  than  Jacob,)  without  any  reference  to  their  works,  as  compar¬ 
atively  good  or  bad,  then  the  grand  principle  is  established,  that  God 
does  show  more  favor  to  one  man,  than  to  another,  independently  of 
their  righteousness  or  unrighteousness.  And,  1  is  there  unrighteousness 
with  God  ?’  could  any  injustice  be  objected  to  Him?  Ilyno  means: 
He  did  Esau  no  wrong  in  leaving  him  to  his  own  choice ;  anil  ho,  and  his 
posterity,  received  more  favors  than  they  deserved  ;  nor  did  the  unmerit¬ 
ed  love  of  God  to  Jacob,  and  his  posterity,  in  any  measure  injure  Esau. 
— Even  in  respect  of  holy  creatures,  we  must  either  allow,  that  God 
may  justly  permit  them  to  sin,  and  punish  them  for  it,  and  so  at  least 
foreknow,  both  the  permission  and  the  punishment;  or  else  we  must 
deny  that  He  can  act  as  a  moral  Governor  of  the  universe.  For,  if  this 
were  not  just,  God  would  be  bound  to  prevent  all  his  creatures  from 
sinning  ;  and  if  any  were  left  to  sin.  He  only  would  be  the  cause  of  it. 
Indeed,  men  are  not  aware  what  blasphemy  is  involved,  in  their  bold 


Paul’s  explanation  of  God’s  promise. 

priests,  a  holy  nation,  dignified  and  distin¬ 
guished  by  God’s  miraculous  appearances 
among  them  and  for  them.  Now  that  the 
Gospel  was  preached,  and  Christian  church¬ 
es  planted,  this  national  body  was  thereby 
abandoned,  their  church-polity  dissolved, 
and  Christian  churches  (and  in  process  of 
time,  Christian  nations)  embodied  in  like 
manner,  become  their  successors  in  the  di¬ 
vine  favor,  and  those  special  privileges  and 
protections  which  were  the  products  of  that 
favor.  To  clear  up  the  justice  of  God  in 
this  great  dispensation,  is  the  scope  of  the 
apostle  here. 

V.  14 — 24.  The  apostle,  having  asserted 
the  true  meaning  of  the  promise,  comes  here 
to  maintain  and  prove  the  absolute  sove¬ 
reignty  of  God,  in  disposing  of  men,  with 
reference  to  their  eternal  state.  And  herein 
God  is  to  be  considered,  not  as  Rector  and 
Governor,  distributing  rewards  and  punish¬ 
ments  according  to  his  revealed  laws  and 
covenants,  but  as  a  [Creator,]  Owner  find 
Benefactor,  giving  to  men  such  grace  and 
favor  as  He  has  determined  in  and  by  his 
secret  and  eternal  will  and  counsel  :  both 
the  favor  of  visible  church-membership  and 
privileges,  which  is  given  to  some  people 
and  denied  to  others,  and  the  favor  of  effect¬ 
ual  grace,  which  is  given  to  some  particu¬ 
lar  persons  and  denied  to  others. 

Now  this  part  of  his  discourse  is  in  an¬ 
swer  to  two  objections. 

I.  It  might  be  objected.  Is  there  unrighte¬ 
ousness  with  God  ?  This  the  apostle  startles 
at  the  thought  of ;  God  forbid  !  Far  be  it 
from  us  to  think  such  a  thing  ;  shall  not  the 
Judge  of  all  the  earth  do  right  1  Gen.  18:25. 
ch.  3:5,6.  He  denies  the  consequences, 
and  proves  the  denial. 

1.  In  respect  of  those  to  whom  He  shows 
mercy,  v.  15, 16.  He  quotes  that  scripture, 
to  show  God’s  sovereignty  in  dispensing  his 
favors,  Ex.  33:19.  All  God’s  reasons  of 
mercy  are  taken  from  within  Himself.  All 
men  being  plunged  alike  into  a  state  of  sin 
and  misery,  equally  under  guilt  and  wrath, 

objections  on  this  subject. — Much  more  then  may  God  righteously  leave 
fallen  creatures  to  themselves,  to  proceed  in  rebellion,  and  sink  into 
destruction.  He  might  justly  have  thus  left  all :  it  is  of  infinite  mercy 
that  any  are  saved  ;  their  salvation  can  be  no  injury  to  those,  who  are 
punished  only  according  to  the  desert  of  their  own  sins;  and  it  is  evi¬ 
dent,  that  most  of  the  objections,  brought  against  these  doctrines,  origi¬ 
nate  from  the  want  of  a  deep  conviction,  that  God  would  have  been  just, 
had  he  left  our  whole  fallen  race  under  final  condemnation  ;  as  the  sup¬ 
position  that  He  leaves  a  large  proportion  of  them  thus  to  perish,  ex¬ 
cites  in  numbers  the  same  opposition,  and  leads  them  to  the  same 
exclamations  and  objections,  as  the  doctrine  of  personal  election.  In¬ 
deed,  the  sentence  to  be  denounced  at  the  last  day,  on  the  unnumbered 
millions  of  the  wicked,  is  as  dreadful,  as  anything  in  this  doctrine  can 
be.  3:5—8.  Mat.  25:41 — 46. — The  election  of  nations,  to  special  privi¬ 
leges  and  retigious  advantages,  not  vouchsafed  to  other  nations,  which 
some  expositors  suppose  to  be  here  meant,  (contrary  to  the  whole  tenor 
of  the  context,)  is  liable  to  all  the  same  objections,  as  personal  election  j 
and  enn  be  vindicated  only  in  the  same  way.  All  nations  might  justly 
be  left  without  them;  and  when  some  are  mercifully  favored  with 
them,  ‘  that  the  purpose  of  God,  according  to  election,  might  stand,  not 
of  works,  but  of  Him  that  calleth ;’  no  wrong  is  done  to  the  others. — 
(12)  The  elder,  Sc c.}  Gen.  25:23. —  (13)  Jacob,  &c.]  From  the  Sept, 
which  both  accord  with  the  Hebrew.  Mai.  1:2.  Scott. 

(10.)  ‘  In  Rebecca’s  case  there  was  one  mother,  one  father,  one  con¬ 
ception,  being  twins,  for  so  the  Gr.  (says  Theod.)  means.’  Bi.oomf. 

(11.)  ‘Strange  [some]  cannot,  or  will  not,  see,  that  in  all  this  (comp. 
Gen.  25:23  ),  there  is  only  reference  to  the  election  of  nations,  not  of 
individuals  :  a  point  on  which  all  the  fathers,  up  to  Augustin  (a  slight 
authority,  from  his  ignorance  of  the  original  languages,  where  idioms  are 
concerned),  and  all  the  most  judicious  modern  comtrs.,  are  ngresd.’  Bl. 
See  his  arguments,  from  Schoet.,  Wets.,  Mackn.,  Whit.,  and  Taylor. 
Carpz.  too,  refers  it  to  God’s  free  benignity  in  electing  certain  to  greater 
worldly  advantages,  and  external  prerogatives,  political  and  ecclesiasti¬ 
cal.  Comp.,  however,  with  Scott,  above.  '  Ed. 

(13.)  Hated,  <fcc.]  The  penury  of  the  Heb.  not  afifording  the  middle 
of  comparisons,  this  strong  hyperbolical  phrase  of  orientalism  means, 
1  On  the  posterity  of  Jacob  I  confer  greater  worldly  advantages  and  su¬ 
perior  external  prerogatives.  But  on  the  posterity  of  Esau,  the  Idti- 
means,  I  bestow  benefits  more  sparingly.’  So  Carp*,  paraphrases,  and 
see  Bloomfield.  Id. 

V.  15 — 1 8.  ‘Mercy  presupposes  misery  and  sin,  or  the  voluntary  cor¬ 
ruption  of  the  human  race  ;  and  this  corruption  presupposes  a  creation 
in  purity  and  uprightness.’  Beza. — Believers  greatly  desire  the  salva¬ 
tion  of  Christ,  and  labor  to  secure  it;  yet  these  desires  are  streams  from 
the  fountain  of  electing  love.  They  ‘  were  by  natnre  children  of  wrath, 
even  as  others  ;  but  God,  who  is  rich  in  mercy,  for  his  great  love  where¬ 
with  He  loved  them,  even  when  they  were  dead  in  sins,  hath  quickened 
them  together  with  Cheist.’  John  15:12 — 16.  Eph.  2:3 — 10.  Tit.  3:4 — 
7.  Thus  He  makes  them  willing  by  regeneration;  and  they  are  inclin¬ 
ed  and  excited  to  the  diligent  use  of  means,  and  through  these  they  are 


1 1  (For  the  children  being  not  yet 
born,  neither  having  done  any  good 
or  evil,  that  the  purpose  of  God, 
according  to  election,  might  stand, 
not  of  works,  but  of  him  that  call¬ 
eth  ;) 

12  It  was  said  unto  her,  The 
’elder  shall  serve  the  'younger  : 

13  As  it  is  “written,  Jacob  have 
I  loved,  but  Esau  have  I  hated. 

14  What  shall  we  say  then  ?  Ts 
T  there  unrighteousness  with  God  ? 
God  forbid. 

15  For  he  saith  to  Moses,  I  w  will 
have  mercy  on  whom  I  will  have 
mercy,  and  I  will  have  compassion 
on  whom  I  will  have  compassion. 

b  or,  greater.  u  Mai.  1:2,  3.  w  Ex.  33:19. 
t  or,  less.  v  De.  32:4. 

put  between  those  two  nations,  that  botli  de¬ 
scended  from  the  loins  of  Abraham  and 
Isaac  ;  as  at  first  there  was  a  difference  put 
between  Jacob  and  Esau,  the  distinguishing 
heads  of  those  two  nations. 

So  that  all  this  choosing  and  refusing  was 
typical,  and  intended  to  shadow  forth  some 
other  election  and  rejection. 

(1.)  Some  understand  it  of  the  election 
and  rejection  of  conditions  or  qualifications. 
As  God  chose  Isaac  and  Jacob,  and  rejected 
Ishmael  and  Esau,  so  He  might  and  did 
choose  faith  to  be  the  condition  of  salvation, 
and  reject  the  works  of  the  law’.  Thus  Ar- 
minius  understands  it,  Derejectis  et  assump- 
tis  talibus ,  certa  qualitate  notatis, —  Concern¬ 
ing  such  as  are  rejected  and  such  as  are  chosen, 
being  distinguished  by  appropriate  qualities  ; 
bo  John  Goodwin.  But  this  very  much 
strains  the  Scripture  ;  for  the  apostle  speaks 
all  along  of  persons,  *  He  has  mercy  on 
whom,  He  does  not  say  on  what  kind  of  peo¬ 
ple  He  will  have  mercy.  Besides,  against 
this  sense,  those  two  objections,  v.  14,  19. 

•  Some,  it  is  granted,  as  heads  of  families.  Ed. 


do  not  at  all  arise ;  and  bis  answer  to  them, 
concerning  God’s  absolute  sovereignty  over 
the  children  of  men,  is  not  at  all  pertinent, 
if  no  more  be  meant  than  his  appointing  the 
conditions  of  salvation. 

(2.)  Others  understand  it  of  the  election 
and  rejection  of  particular  persons  ;  some 
loved,  and  others  hated,  from  eternity.  But 
the  apostle  speaks  of  Jacob  and  Esau,  not 
in  their  own  persons,  but  as  ancestors  ;  Ja¬ 
cob  the  people,  and  Esau  the  people  ;  nor 
does  God  condemn  any,  or  decree  so  to  do, 
merely  because  He  will  do  it,  without  any 
reason  taken  from  their  own  deserts. 

(3.)  Others  therefore  understand  it  of  (lie 
election  and  rejection  of  people,  considered 
complexly.  His  design  is,  to  justify  God, 
and  his  mercy  and  truth,  in  calling  the  Gen¬ 
tiles  and  taking  them  into  the  church,  and 
into  covenant  with  Himself,  while  He  suffer¬ 
ed  the  obstinate  part  of  the  Jews  to  persist 
in  unbelief,  and  so  to  unchurch  themselves  : 
thus  hiding  from  their  eyes  the  things  that 
belonged  to  their  peace. 

The  apostle’s  reasoning  for  the  explica¬ 
tion  and  proof  of  this,  is,  however,  very 
applicable  to,  and,  no  doubt,  (as  is  usual,  in 
Scripture,)  was  intended  for  the  clearing 
of  the  methods  of  God’s  grace  toward  par¬ 
ticular  persons  ;  for  the  communication  of 
saving  benefits  bears  some  analogy  to  the 
communication  of  church-privileges. 

The  choosing  of  Jacob  the  younger,  and 
preferring  him  before  Esau  the  elder,  (so 
crossing  hands,)  were  to  intimate,  that  the 
Jew’s,  though  the  natural  seed  of  Abraham, 
and  the  first-born  of  the  church,  should  be 
laid  aside  ;  and  the  Gentiles,  who  were  as 
the  younger  brother,  should  be  taken  in  in 
their  stead,  and  have  the  birthright  and 
blessing. 

The  Jews,  considered  as  a  body  politic, 
a  nation  and  people  knit  together  by  the 
bond  and  cement  of  the  ceremonial  law,  the 
temple  and  priesthood,  the  centre  of  their 
unity,  had  for  many  ages  been  the  darlings 
and  favorites  of  heaven,  a  kingdom  of 


A.  D.  61. 


ROMANS,  IX. 


Paul’s  explanation  of  God’s  promise. 


16  So  then  it  is  not  of  him  that 
willeth,  nor  of  him  that  runneth, 
but  of  God  that  sheweth  mercy. 

17  For  the  scripture  saith  x  unto 
Pharaoh,  Even  for  this  same  pur¬ 
pose  have  I  raised  thee  up,  that  I 
might  shew  my  power  in  thee,  and 
that  my  name  might  be  declared 
throughout  all  the  earth. 

18  Therefore  hath  he  mercy  on 
whom  he  will  have  mercy ,  and 
whom  he  will  he  hardeneth. 

19  Thou  wilt  say  then  unto  me, 
Why  doth  lie  yet  find  fault  r  for 
who  y  hath  resisted  his  will  ? 

•20  Nay  but,  O  man,  who  art  thou 
that  *repliest  against  God  ?  Shall 
*  the  thing  formed  say  to  him  that 
formed  it,  Why  hast  thou  made  me 
thus  ? 

21  Hath  not  the  potter  b  power 
over  the  clay,  of  the  same  lump  to 
make  one  vessel  unto  honor,  and 
another  unto  dishonor  ? 

X  Ex.  9:16.  z  or,  answer e$t  God. 

y  2  Ch.  20:6.  Da.  again,  or,  dis-  a  Is.  2916. 

4:35.  putest  with  b  Is.  64:8. 


God,  in  a  way  of  sovereignty,  without  giv¬ 
ing  us  any  reason,  according  to  his  own 
good  pleasure,  pitches  on  some  to  be  monu¬ 
ments  of  mercy  and  grace,  preventing  grace, 
effectual  grace,  while  He  passes  by  others. 
The  expression  is  very  emphatical,  and  the 
repetition  makes  it  more  so  ;  I  will  have 
mercy  on  whom  I  will  have  mercy.  It  imports 
a  perfect  absoluteness  in  God’s  will  ;  He 
will  do  what  He  will,  and  giveth  not  ac¬ 
count  of  any  of  his  matters,  nor  is  it  fit  He 
should.  Therefore  God’s  mercy  endures  for 
ever,  because  the  reason  of  it  is  fetched 
from  within  Himself ;  therefore  his  gifts 
and  callings  are  without  repentance. 

Hence  he  infers,  v.  16.  It  is  not  of  him 
that  willeth.  Whatever  good  comes  from 
God  to  man,  the  glorv  of  it  is  to  be  ascribed 
only  and  purely  to  the  free  grace  and  mercy 
of  God.  In  Jacob’s  case,  it  was  not  the 
earnest  will  and  desire  of  Rebecca,  that 
Jacob  might  have  the  blessing  ;  not  Jacob’s 
baste  to  get  it,  (for  he  was  fain  to  run  for  it,) 


that  procured  him  the  blessing,  but  only  the 
mercy  and  grace  of  God.  Wherein  the  holy, 
happy  people  of  God  differ  from  other  peo¬ 
ple,  it  is  God  and  his  grace  that  makes  them 
differ. 

Applying  this  general  rule  to  the  particu¬ 
lar  case  Paul  has  before  him  ;  the  reason 
why  the  unworthy,  undeserving,  ill-deserv¬ 
ing  Gentiles  are  called,  and  grafted  into  the 
church,  while  the  greatest  part  of  the  Jews 
are  left  to  perish  in  unbelief,  is  not  because 
those  Gentiles  were  better  deserving,  or 
better  disposed  for  such  a  favor,  but  because 
of  God’s  free  grace  that  made  that  differ¬ 
ence.  The  Gentiles  did  neither  will  it,  nor 
run  for  it,  for  they  sat  in  darkness.  Mat.  4: 
16.  In  darkness,  therefore  not  willing  what 
they  knew  riot  ;  sitting  in  darkness,  a  con¬ 
tented  posture,  therefore  not  running  to  meet 
it,  but  prevented  with  these  invaluable  bless¬ 
ings  of  goodness.  Such  is  the  method  of 
God’s  grace  towards  all  that  partake  of  it, 
for  He  is  found  of  them  that  sought  Him 
not,  Is.  65:  1.  In  this  preventing,  effectual, 
distinguishing  grace,  He  acts  as  a  benefac¬ 
tor,  whose  grace  is  his  own.  Our  eye 
therefore  must  not  be  evil,  because  his  is 
good  ;  but  of  all  the  grace  that  we  or  oth¬ 
ers  have.  He  must  have  the  glory  :  Not  unto 
us,  Ps.  115: 1. 

2.  In  respect  of  those  who  perish,  v.  17. 
God’s  sovereignty,  manifested  in  the  ruin 
of  sinners,  is  here  discovered  in  the  instance 
of  Pharaoh,  quoted  from  Ex.  9: 16. 

(1.)  God  raised  him  up,  brought  him  into 
the  world,  made  him  famous,  gave  him  the 
kingdom  and  power  ;  set  him  up  as  a  bea¬ 
con  on  a  hill,  as  the  mark  of  all  his  plagues, 
comp.  Ex.  9:14.  hardened  his  heart,  as  He 
had  said  He  would.  Ex.  4:21.  I  will  harden 
his  heart,  i.  e.  withdraw  softening  grace, 
[and]  leave  him  to  himself,  [as  in  that  tre¬ 
mendous  sentence,  Ephraim  is  joined  to  idols: 
let  him  alone  !  Hos.  4:  17.  This  is  of  itself 
enough  to  insure  the  ruin  of  an  impenitent 
sinner.]  Or,  by  raising  him  up,  may  be  meant 
the  intermission  of  the  plagues  which  gave 
Pharaoh  respite,  and  the  reprieve  of  Pha¬ 
raoh  in  those  plagues.  In  the  Hebrew,  I 
have  made  thee  stand,  continued  thee  yet  in 
the  land  of  the  living.  Thus  doth  God  raise 
up  sinners,  make  them  for  Himself,  even  for 
the  day  of  evil,  Prov.  16:  4.  raise  them  up 
in  outward  prosperity,  external  privileges. 
Mat.  11:  23.  sparing  mercies. 


(2.)  What  He  designer!  in  it  ;  That  I 
might  show  my  power  in  hee.  God  would, 
by  all  this,  serve  the  honor  of  his  name,  and 
manifest  his  power  in  baffling  the  pride  and 
insolence  of  that  great  and  daring  tyrant  ; 
if  Pharaoh  had  not  been  so  high  and  mighty, 
so  bold  and  hardy,  the  power  of  God  had 
not  been  so  illustrious  in  the  ruining  of  him  : 
but  the  taking  off  of  the  spirit  of  such  a 
prince,  who  hectored  at  that  rate,  did  in¬ 
deed  proclaim  God  glorious  in  holiness, 
fearful  in  praises,  doing  wonders,  Ex.  15: 
11.  Th  is  is  Pharaoh,  and  all  his  multitude. 

(3.)  His  conclusion  concerning  both  these 
we  have,  v.  18.  The  various  dealings  of 
God,  by  which  He  makes  some  to  differ  from 
others,  must  be  resolved  into  his  absolute 
sovereignty  ;  so  that  herein  the  work  of  our 
salvation  is  admirably  well  ordered,  that 
those  who  are  saved,  must  thank  God  only, 
and  those  who  perish  must  thank  themselves 
only,  Hos.  13:  9. 

We  are  bound,  as  God  hath  bound  ns,  to 
do  our  utmost  for  the  salvation  of  all  we 
have  to  do  with  ;  but  God  is  bound  no  fur¬ 
ther  than  He  has  been  pleased  to  bind  Him¬ 
self  by  his  own  covenant  and  promise, 
which  is  his  revealed  will  ;  and  that  is,  that 
He  will  receive,  and  not  cast  out,  those  that 
come  to  Christ  ;  but  the  drawing  uf  souls 
in  order  to  that  coming,  is  a  preventing,  dis¬ 
tinguishing  favor  to  whom  He  will.  That 
Scripture  excellently  explains  this,  Luke  10: 
21.  and,  as  this,  shows  the  sovereign  will 
of  God,  in  giving  or  withholding  both  the 
means  of  grace,  and  the  effectual  blessing 
on  those  means. 

II.  It  might  be  objected,  Why  doth  He 
yet  find  fault  ?  For  who  hath  resisted  his  will  ? 
v.  19.  Had  the  apostle  been  arguing  only  for 
Godj$  sovereignty,  in  appointing  and  order¬ 
ing  the  terms  and  conditions  of  acceptance 
and  salvation,  there  had  not  been  the  least 
color  for  this  objection  ;  for  he  might  well  find 
fault,  if  people  refuse  to  come  up  to  the 
terms  on  which  such  a  salvation  is  offered  ; 
the  salvation  being  so  great,  the  terms  could 
not  be  hard.  But  there  might  be  color 
for  the  objection,  against  his  arguing  for  the 
sovereignly  of  God  in  giving,  and  w  ithhold¬ 
ing,  differencing  and  preventing  grace  :  and 
the  objection  is  commonly  and  readily  ad¬ 
vanced  against  the  doctrine  of  distinguish* 
I  ing  grace.  If  God,  while  He  gives  effectual 
I  grace  to  some,  denies  it  to  others,  why  do<’i 


made  partakers  of  salvation,  the  sinfulness  attending  tlieir  very  diligence, 
being  graciously  forgiven.  Phil.  2:12,  13.  Whereas  they,  who  are  not 
thus  willing  and  diligent,  are  not  made  unwilling  by  any  positive  act 
of  God  ;  but  their  unwillingness  is  the  consequence  of  their  own  pride, 
self-will,  love  of  sin,  and  aversion  to  God  and  holiness.  It  springs  from 
innate  depravity,  and  is  increased  and  strengthened  by  habits  of  disobe¬ 
dience  ;  and  can  never  be  removed,  except  by  an  act  of  almighty  power, 
which  God  cannot  be  bound  in  justice  to  perform  for  any  of  his  rebel¬ 
lious  creatures.  Men  are  indeed  naturally  willing  to  be  saved  from 
misery,  and  made  happy  ;  and  are  often  very  diligent  in  proud  and  unbe¬ 
lieving  endeavors  to  obtain  their  object :  10:1 — 4.  but  this  is  widely  dif¬ 
ferent  from  [supreme  love  to  God  and  his  will]  a  cordial  willingness  to 
be  saved  from  sin  as  well  as  misery,  and  made  holy  and  happy,  in  the 
humbling  method  of  the  Gospel  :  diligently  to  use  all  the  means,  freely  to 
submit  to  all  the  privations,  and  patiently  to  endure  all  the  self-deniak  re¬ 
quisite  in  order  to  obtain  it. — ‘  This  hardening,  also,  is  voluntary,  because 
the  Lord,  offended  by  their  depravity,  makes  use  of  their  own  will,  in 
executing  this  judgment  on  those  whom  He  hardens.  Then  follow  the 
fruits  of  this  hardening,  namely,  unbelief  and  sins,  which  are  the  real 
causes  of  the  condemnation  of  the  reprobate.’  lieza. — (15)  {  will  have 
mercy,  & c.]  From  the  Sept.  (Ex.  33:19.)— (17)  Even  for  this  same,  &c.) 
This  varies  considerably  from  the  Sept,  and  gives  a  far  more  energetic 
tr.  of  the  Heb.  Ex.  9:16.  Scott. 

(15.)  Mercy.)  ‘  Rather  benignity,  grace  in  general.’  Bl.  ‘  Should  an 
unskilful  spectator  take  on  him  to  find  fault  with  an  upright  humnn 
judge,  might  not  the  judge  well  say,  “I  will  acquit  whom  I  see  fit  to  ac¬ 
quit,”  &c.,  meaning,  not  arbitrarily,  but,  as  alone  having  knowledge  of 
the  law  and  fact,  his  sentence  is  not  to  be  questioned  by  unskilful  spec¬ 
tators.’  Dr.  A.  Clarke. 

(17.)  ‘For  this  very  purpose  have  I  roused  thee  up,  that  I  might  show 
forth  my  power  in  thee,  and  declare  my  name  in  all  the  land.’  St.  ‘  Many 
refer  the  Gr.  [for  raised]  to  Pharaoh’s  wonderful  preservation  from  the 
preceding  plagues.  All  the  earth.)  Somewhat  hyperbolical,  but  it  must 
signify,  “far  and  wide,”  i.  e.  as  far  as  the  communications  between  na¬ 
tions  then  extended  :  and  that  of  Egypt  with  other  nations,  was  very 
extensive, on  account  of  its  early  advance  in  legislation,  arts,  and  scien¬ 
ces  [note,  Ez.  30:  end]  :  so  that  (as  Mackn.  obs.),  it  is  reasonable  to  be¬ 
lieve,  that  anything  extraordinary  which  happened  in  that  countrv  would 
soon  be  divulged  through  all  the  earth.’  Bloomf. 

V.  19  21.  The  unhumbled  opposer  would  be  sure  here  to  object  and 
cavil.  As  if  the  secret  purpose  of  God  were,  or  possibly  could  be,  a 


rule  of  duty  to  his  creatures  !*  Or,  as  if  a  man  could  intend  to  do  the 
will  of  God,  by  breaking  his  express  commandments,  out  of  enmity  to 
Him,  and  to  gratify  his  own  lusts  !  — The  apostle  could  not  mean,  as 
it  is  plain  from  the  whole  context,  that  God  might  justly  make  innocent 
creatures  [perfectly,  entirely,  utterly]  miserable  by  prerogative,  which 
some  seem  at  least  to  suppose  ;  for  he  goes  on  the  supposition,  that  the 
sovereignty  of  God  is  that  of  infinite  wisdom,  justice,  truth,  and  good¬ 
ness  ;  and  that  He  always  decrees  to  do  what  is  the  most  proper  to  be 
done.  The  words,  1 1  will  have  mercy  on  whom  I  will  have  mercy,’ 
imply,  that  all  deserved  wrath  ;  so  that  ‘  the  lump  of  clay,  in  the  hands 
of  the  potter,’  must  refer  to  men  already  existing  in  God’s  foreknowledge 
as  fallen  creatures.  But  the  apostle  intended  to  repress  the  arrogance 
of  ignorant,  presumptuous  worms,  who  venture  to  speak  about  injus¬ 
tice,  cruelty,  and  tyranny,  in  discoursing  of  their  offended  Creator  and 
Judge;  who  decide,  by  vain  reasoning  in  their  own  minds,  how  the  in¬ 
finite  God  ought  to  act;  and  then  forgetting  who  He  is,  and  who  they 
are,  charge  Him  foolishly,  and  say,  that  if  such  and  such  doctrines  be  in¬ 
deed  true,  then  God  is, — but  their  words  ought  not  to  be  repeated.  This 
very  common  practice  is  such  a  compound  of  arrogance,  irreverence, 
and  folly,  that  it  seems  the  most  glaring  proof  of  human  depravity,  which 
even  this  wicked  world  exhibits ;  especially  when  it  is  added,  that  pious 
men  sometimes  appear,  in  the  violence  of  controversy,  to  be  betrayed 
into  it. — It  is  wonderful,  that  the  great  Mr.  Locke  should  confidently  as¬ 
sert,  that  the  apostle  here  speaks  of  men  nationally,  and  not  personally, 
in  reference  to  their  eternal  state  ;  when  the  rejection  of  the  Jewish  na¬ 
tion,  with  the  reservation  only  of  ‘  a  remnant  according  to  the  election 
of  grace,’  was  the  apostle’s  main  subject,  to  illustrate  which  all  the 
other  examples  are  introduced.  This  remnant  consisted  of  a  small  num¬ 
ber  of  individuals,  not  of  a  nation  ;  and  the  Gentile  converts  were  in¬ 
dividuals  out  of  Iheir  several  nations,  forming,  with  the  Jewish  converts, 
the  Christian  church  ;  and  not  xvhole  nations,  or  one  whole  nation, 
chosen  as  a  collective  body,  to  succeed  to  the  externnl  advantages, 
which  the  nation  of  Israel  had  forfeited  ;  and  surely  ‘  the  vessels  of  mer¬ 
cy  before  prepared  unto  glory,’  which  the  apostle  next  mentions,  must 
have  been  chosen,  not  to  external  advantages,  but  to  eternal  life  8:28 — 
31.  2  Thes.  2:13, 14.  1  Pet.  1:1—5.  Scott. 

(19.)  ‘  Although  the  conclusion  could  not  be  legitimately  drawn  from 

•  Thus  we  do  not,  when  hungry,  wait  till  we  ascertain  wh.it  God  has  predestinated  as 
to  that  particular  act  of  eating,  (yet  nothing  happens  without  his  will,)  hut  we  eat,  and 
after  the  act,  we  know  that  it  was  predestinated,  and  not  till  then,  and  so  of  every  act 
and  thought :  thus  God’s  predestination  can  be  no  motive  to  us,  one  way  or  the  othei%  and 
consequently  disputes  about  election,  &c.  are  of  no  practical  utility.  Ed. 


A.  D.  61. 


ROMANS,  IX. 


The  calling  of  the  Gentiles  foretold. 


22  What  c  if  God,  willing  to  shew 
his  wrath,  and  to  make  his  power 
known,  endured  with  much  long- 
suffering  the  vessels  dof  wrath  'fit¬ 
ted  to  destruction  ; 

23  And  that  he  might  make 
known  the  riches  fof  his  glory  on 
the  vessels  of  mercy,  which  s  he 
had  afore  prepared  unto  glory  ; 

24  Even  us,  whom  he  hath  call¬ 
ed,  not  of  the  Jews  only,  but  also 
of  the  Gentiles  ? 

25  As  he  saith  also  in  Osee,  h  I 
will  call  them  my  people,  which 
were  not  my  people  ;  and  her  be¬ 
loved,  which  was  not  beloved. 

26  And  ‘it  shall  come  to  pass, 
that  in  the  place  where  it  was  said 
unto  them,  Ye  are  not  my  people  ; 
there  shall  they  be  called  the  child¬ 
ren  of  the  living  God. 

27  Esaias  alsojcrieth  concerning 
Israel,  Though  the  number  of  the 
children  of  Israel  be  as  the  sand  of 
the  sea,  a  remnant  shall  be  saved. 

c  Pr.  16:4.  f  Ep.  1:18.  I  Ho.  1:10. 

d2Ti.  2:20.  e  I  Tii.  6:9.  j  Ij.  10:22,  23. 

e  or,  made  up.  h  Ho.  2:23. 

He  find  fault  with  those  to  whom  He  denies 
it  1  If  He  hath  rejected  the  Jews,  and  hid 
from  their  eyes  the  things  that  belong  to 
their  peace,  why  doth  He  find  fault  with 
them  for  their  blindness  1  If  it  be  his  plea¬ 
sure  to  discard  them  as  not  a  people,  and 
not  obtaining  mercy,  their  knocking  off 
themselves  was  no  resistance  of  his  will. 

This  objection  he  answers  at  large  jp 

1.  By  reproving  the  objector,  v.  20.  This 
is  not  an  objection  fit  to  be  made  by  the 
creature  against  his  Creator,  by  man  against 
God.  The  truth,  as  it  is  in  Jesus,  is  that 
which  abases  man  as  notiiing,  less  than 
nothing,  and  advances  God  as  sovereign 
Lord  of  all.  Observe  how  contemptibly  he 
speaks  of  man,  when  he  comes  to  argue  with 
God  his  Maker;  ‘  Who  art  thou,  so  foolish, 
so  feeble,  so  short-sighted,  so  incompetent  a 
judge  of  the  divine  counsels  ;  art  thou  able 
to  fathom  such  a  depth,  dispute  such  a  case, 
to  trace  that  way  of  God  which  is  in  the  sea, 
his  path  in  the  great  waters  1  ’  That  repliest 
against  God  ?  It  becomes  us  to  submit  to 
H  iin,  not  to  reply  against  Him  ;  to  lie  down 
under  his  hand,  not  to  (ly  in  his  face,  or  to 


charge  Him  with  folly.  That  answerest  again. 
God  is  our  Master,  and  we  his  servants  ; 
and  it  does  not  become  servants  to  answer 
again,  Tit.  2:  9. 

2.  By  resolving  all  into  the  divine  sove¬ 
reignty.  The  rude  and  unformed  mass  of 
matter,  hath  no  right  to  this  or  that  form, 
but  is  shaped  at  the  pleasure  of  Him  that 
formeth  it.  [Man  has  no  claim  on  his  Cre¬ 
ator.]  God’s  sovereignty  over  us  is  fitly 
illustrated  by  the  power  that  the  potter  hath 
over  the  clay  ;  compare  Jer.  18:  6.  where, 
by  a  like  comparison,  God  asserts  his  do¬ 
minion  over  the  nation  of  the  Jew's,  when 
He  was  about  to  magnify  his  justice  in  their 
destruction  by  Nebuchadnezzar.  He  gives 
us  the  comparison,  v.  21.  and  the  applica¬ 
tion,  v.  22 — 24.  Two  sorts  of  vessels  God 
forms  out  of  the  great  lump  of  fallen  man¬ 
kind  : 

(1.)  Vessels  of  wrath  ;  vessels  filled  with 
wrath,  as  a  vessel  is  with  wine,  Is.  51:20. 
In  these,  God  is  willing  to  show  his  wrath, 
i.  e.  his  punishing  justice,  and  his  enmity  to 
sin.  This  must  be  showed  to  all  the  world; 
God  will  make  it  appear  that  He  hates  sin. 
He  will  likewise  make  his  pow'er  known,  a 
power  of  strength  and  energy,  an  inflicting 
power,  which  works  and  effects  the  destruc¬ 
tion  of  those  that  perish,  2  Thess.  1 :  9.  prey¬ 
ing  as  it  were  on  guilty  consciences,  and  yet 
at  the  same  instant  wonderful  to  preserve  the 
being  of  the  creature.  In  order  to  this,  God 
endured  them  with  much  long-suffering  ex¬ 
ercised  a  great  deal  of  patience  toward  them, 
let  them  alone,  to  fill  up  the  measure  of  sin, 
to  grow  till  they  were  ripe  for  ruin.  When 
Christ  said  to  the  Jews,  Mat.  23:  32.  Fill 
ye  up  then  the  measure  of  your  fathers,  that  on 
you  may  come  all  the  righteous  blood,  v.  35. 
He  did,  as  it  were,  endure  them  with  much 
long-suffering,  that  they  might,  by  their  own 
obstinacy  and  wilfulness  in  sin,  fit  themselves 
for  destruction. 

(2.)  Vessels  of  mercy  ;  filled  with  mercy. 
The  happiness  bestowed  on  the  saved  rem¬ 
nant,  is  the  fruit,  not  of  their  merit,  but  of 
God’s  mercy.  Observe,  1st.  What  He  de¬ 
signs  in  them  ;  to  make  known  the  riches  of 
his  glory,  i.  e.  of  his  goodness  ;  for  God’s 
goodness  is  his  greatest  glory,  especially 
when  communicated  with  the  greatest  sove¬ 
reignty,  Ex.  33:  18,  19.  God  makes  known 
his  glory,  this  goodness  of  his,  in  the  preser¬ 
vation  and  supply  of  all  the  creatures  ;  the 
earth  is  full  of  his  goodness,  and  the  year 
crowmed  with  it  ;  but  when  He  would  de¬ 
monstrate  the  riches  of  his  goodness,  un¬ 


searchable  riches,  He  does  it  in  the  salvation 
of  the  saints, [who]  will  be  to  eternity  glorious 
monuments  of  divine  grace.  2dly.  What  He 
does  for  them ;  He  does  before  prepare  them 
to  glory.  Sanctification  is  God’s  work  ; 
sinners  fit  themselves  for  hell,  but  it  is  God 
that  prepares  saints  for  heaven  :  and  all 
those  that  God  designs  for  heaven  hereafter, 
He  prepares  and  fits  for  heaven  now  :  He 
works  them  to  the  self-same  thing,  2  Cor. 
5:5. 

And  would  you  know  who  these  vessels  of 
mercy  arc  ?  'Those  whom  He  hath  called, 
v.  24.  and  these  not  of  the  Jews  only,  but  of 
the  Gentiles  ;  and  the  question  is  not  now, 
whether  of  the  seed  of  Abraham  or  no,  but 
whether  or  no  called  according  to  his 
purpose. 

V.  25 — 29.  Having  explained  the  prom¬ 
ise,  and  proved  the  divine  sovereignty,  the 
apostle  here  show's  how  the  rejection  of  the 
Jews,  and  the  taking  in  of  the  Gentiles,  were 
foretold  in  the  O.  T.  and  therefore  must 
needs  be  very  well  consistent  with  the  prom¬ 
ise  made  to  the  fathers  under  the  O.  T. 

I.  Hosea  speaks  of  the  taking  in  of  a 
great  many  of  the  Gentiles,  Hos.  2:23.  and 
1 : 10.  The  Gentiles  had  not  been  the  peo¬ 
ple  of  God  ;  not  owning  Him,  or  owned  by 
Him  in  that  relation  :  ‘  But,’  says  He,  ‘  / 
will  call  them  my  people,  make  them  such, 
and  own  them  as  such,  notwithstanding  all 
their  unworthiness.’  And  lest  it  might  be 
supposed  they  should  become  God’s  people 
only  by  being  proselyted  to  the  Jew'ish  reli¬ 
gion,  and  made  members  of  that  nation,  he 
adds,  from  Hos.  1:  10.  In  the  place  where  it 
was  said,  &c.  there  shall  they  be  called.  They 
need  not  be  embodied  with  the  Jews,  nor  go 
up  to  Jerusalem  to  worship  ;  but  wherever 
they  are  scattered  over  the  face  of  the  earth, 
there  will  God  own  them. 

II.  Isaiah  speaks  of  the  casting  off  of 
many  of  the  Jews,  in  two  places. 

1.  One  is  Is.  JO:  22,  23.  which  speaks  of 
the  saving  of  a  remnant,  -i.  e.  but  a  remnant; 
which,  though,  in  the  prophecy,  it  seems  to 
refer  to  the  preservation  of  a  remnant  from 
the  destruction  and  desolation  coming  on 
them  by  Sennacherib,  yet  is  to  be  understood 
as  looking  further  ;  and  sufficiently  proves 
that  it  is  no  strange  thing,  for  God  to  aban¬ 
don  to  ruin  a  great  many  of  the  seed  of 
Abraham,  and  yet  maintain  his  word  of 
promise  to  Abraham  in  full  force  and  virtue. 
In  this  salvation  of  the  remnant  we  are  told, 
v.  28.  from  the  prophet,  (1.)  That  He  will 
complete  the  work.  The  rejection  of  the  un- 


Paul’s  doctrine  [see  Bl.J,  yet  it  was  necessary  to  take  from  the  Jews 

every  opportunity  of  evading  and  contradicting.’  Hos.  This  temerity 
was  disdained  by  all  pious  Jews  ;  see  Schoelt.  Ed. 

(21.)  1  In  such  similitudes  we  ought  to  choose  such  parts  as  are  useful 
and  apposite,  and  let  alone  the  rest.’  Chrys.  ‘  God  has  plainly  a  right 
to  place  the  object  his  power  has  produced  in  any  rank  among  his  crea¬ 
tures,  and  to  give  it  as  many  or-fevv  advantages  as  lie  pleases.’  Turn. 

V.  22,  23.  Suppose  that  God  was  pleased,  (as  in  the  instance  of  Pha¬ 
raoh,)  in  order  more  conspicuously  to  display  his  powerful  wrath  against 
his  enemies,  to  endure  their  provocations  with  patience  and  forbearance 
tor  a  long  time,  till  they  had  acted  out  the  desperate  wickedness  of  their 
hearts,  and  filled  up  the  measure  of  their  sins,  and  so  become  ripe  for 

signal  vengeance  ;  what  injustice  could  there  be  in  this  ? _ On  the 

other  hand,  should  the  Lord  choose  to  display  the  abundance  of  his  glo¬ 
rious  power,  truth,  and  love,  in  his  dealings  with  some  ;  what  was  this 
toothers?  These  were  not  in  themselves  more  meet  for  holy  felicity 
than  the  former  ;  but  He  was  pleased  to  prepare  them  before  for  it,  by 
bis  regenerating  and  sanctifying  grace;  as  well  as  to  make  them  capa¬ 
ble  of  actively  glorifying  Him  here  on  earth.  But  did  his  free  love  to 
them  imply  injustice  to  others  ?  Their  cause  for  gratitude  was  im¬ 
mense  ;  but  had  those,  who  sutler  no  more  than  they  deserve,  any  ground 
for  complaint  ?  while  He  withholds  from  none  their  due,  lie  has  surely 

a  right  ‘  to  do  what  He  will  with  his  own.’  Mat.  20:1 — 16,  vv.  10 — 16. _ 

The  different  language  used  concerning  1  the  vessels  of  wrath,’  and  ‘  the 
vessels  of  mercy,’  is  of  the  greatest  importance  in  stating  this  doctrine 
solidly  and  scripturally  ;  the  former  are  1  fitted  for  destruction  :’  it  is  not 
said,  that  God  had  fitted  them.  For  He  saw  them,  in  themselves,  both 
deserving  wrath,  and  fit  for  the  place  of  torment,  and  the  society  of  fall¬ 
en  angels  ;  but  God  Himself  ‘  had  afore  prepared  the  vessels  of  mercy,’ 
for  that  glory  to  which  He  intended  to  advance  them.  The  term  ‘  ves¬ 
sels  of  mercy,'  implies,  that  they  too  had  deserved  wrath  ;  and  the  ‘  pre¬ 
paration  for  glory,’  shows,  that  in  themselves  they  had  been  unprepared. 
Eph.  2:1 — 10.  Tit.  3-.S—7. — The  words  used  in  these  verses  uniformly 
relate  to  eternal  perdition  or  felicity.  Scott. 

(22.)  Willing,  tea-]  ‘  Purposing  to  manifest  his  indignation,  Ac.  .. 
fitted.  Arc.’  St.  ‘  Fit  for.’  Grot.  4  But  if  God,  when  He  might  have  dis¬ 
played  his  wrath,  and  shown  his  power,  still  bore  with  those  men  who 
[222] 


were  fitted  for  destruction,  will  you  be  so  unreasonable  as  to  complain, 
or  to  find  fault  on  this  account  ?  ’  Turner. 

(23.)  On.]  4  Toward.  Unto,  &c.]  For  glory,  ( shewed  mercy,)  even 
to  us  whom  lie  hath  called,  not  only  of  the  Jews,  but,  <fcc.’  St.  Glory.] 
4  That  of  being  made  the  church  and  people  of  God.’  Mackn.  Bl. 

V.  24 — 29.  A  remnant  of  Israel,  reserved  by  God  for  Himself,  while  the 
rest  were  given  up  to  just  punishment,  demonstrates,  that  the  election, 
however  understood,  was  personal,  not  national. — I  will  call,  &c.]  25, 
26.  Hos.  1:9.  2:23. — Not  exactly,  either  from  the  Sept.,  or  from  the  Heb.: 
but  the  variations  are  immaterial  as  to  the  general  meaning;  yet,  on  the 
whole,  more  nearly  according  to  the  Ileb. — Though  the  number,  &c.] 
27 — 29.  The  case  is  the  same  in  these  quotations.  Is.  1:9.  10:21 — 23. 
Nothing  can  be  more  clear,  than  that  the  inspired  writer  intended  to 
give  the  general  sense  of  the  Scriptures,  in  such  a  tr.  into  IheGr.  as  was 
proper  ;  yet,  as  the  Romans  were  chiefly  conversant  in  the  Sept.,  he 
used  the  words  of  that  version,  except  w-hen  there  was  a  good  reason 
for  varying  from  them. — ‘From  comparing  the  original  with  the  Sept., 
no  one  can  deny,  that  the  Gr.  interpreters  have  in  fact  rendered  tile  pas¬ 
sage  very  negligently,  as  far  as  words  are  concerned.  Should  any  one 
ask,  why  the  apostle  nevertheless  used  that  tr.  ;  I  answer,  that  he  did  this 
very  properly,  because  those  to  whom  he  wrote  had  been  used  to  that 
tr. ;  and  that,  as  far  as  the  sentiment  is  concerned,  lit  support  of  which 
Taul  adduced  this  testimony,  the  Gr.  interpreters  had  preserved  it  suffi¬ 
ciently  faithful.  Nor  does  it  signify  any  other,  either  in  the  Heb.  or  the 
Gr.,  titan  that  God  had  determined  to  render  the  number  of  an  ungrate¬ 
ful  people  extremely  small.’  Beta.  Scott. 

(24.)  Them.]  ‘Him.’  Stuart. 

(25.)  ‘  If  the  apostle  thought  fit  to  accommodate  what  was  original¬ 

ly  said  of  the  restoration  of  the  Jews,  to  the  calling  of  the  Gentiles,  he 
would  take  the  further  liberty  of  slightly  altering  the  words,  so  as  to 
adapt  them  the  better  to  bis  purpose.’  Be.  ‘  Indeed,  that  great  event 
[the  calling  of  the  Gentiles]  might  xvith  some  probability  be  inferred, 
partly  from  the  temporary  rejection  of  the  Jews  from  the  privileges  of 
his  people,  of  which  this  text  spake,  (for  it  was  not  to  be  imagined  God 
would  have  no  people  jn  the  world,)  and  partly  as  it  was  in  the  nature 
of  things  more  probable  He  should  call  the  heathen,  than  restore  (that 
ungrateful  nation].’  Doddr. 


A.  D.  61. 


ROMANS,  IX. 


The  calling  of  the  Gentiles  foretold. 


23  For  he  will  finish  k  the  work, 
and  cut  it  short  in  righteousness  : 
because  'a  short  work  will  the  Lord 
make  upon  the  earth. 

29  And  as  Esaias  said  before, 
m  Except  the  Lord  of  Sabaoth  had 
left  us  a  seed,  we  "  had  been  as 
Sodoma,  and  been  made  like  unto 
Gomorrha. 

30  What  shall  we  say  then  ? 
That  °  the  Gentiles,  which  followed 
not  after  righteousness,  have  at¬ 
tained  to  righteousness,  even  the 
righteousness  p  which  is  of  faith. 

31  But  Israel,  which  9  followed 
after  the  law  of  righteousness,  hath 
not  attained  to  the  law  of  righte¬ 
ousness. 


32  Wherefore  ?  Because  they 
sought  it  not  by  faith,  but  as  it 
were  by  the  works  of  the  law  :  for 
they  stumbled  at  that  stumbling- 
stone  ; 

33  As  it  is  written,  'Behold,  I 
lay  in  Sion  a  stumbling-stone  and 
rock  of  offence  :  and  whosoever 
believeth  on  him  shall  not  be  * 
ashamed. 


k  or,  the  account. 

1  Is.  28:22. 
m  Is.  1:9  L ji.3:22. 
n  Ge.  19:24,  25. 


Is.  13:19. 
o  c.  10:20. 
p  c.  1:17.  Phil. 
3:9. 


q  c.  10:2.  11:7. 
r  Pf.  118:22.  Is. 
8:14. 

a  or,  confounded . 


believing  Jews,  God  would  finish  in  their 
litter  ruin  by  the  Romans,  who  soon  after  this 
quite  took  away  their  place  and  nation.  The 
assuming  of  Christian  churches  into  the  di¬ 


vine  favor,  and  the  spreading  of  the  Gospel 
in  other  nations,  was  a  work  which  God 
would  likewis p.  finish,  and  be  known  by  his 
name  JEHOVAH.  Margin,  He  will  finish 
the  account.  God,  in  his  eternal  counsels, 
has  allotted  men  to  such  or  such  a  condition, 
as  they  come  into  being,  and  lie  will  finish 
the  account,  complete  the  mystical  body,  call 
in  as  many  as  belong  to  the  election  of  grace ; 
and  then  the  account  will  be  finished.  (2.) 
That  He  will  contract  it  ;  not  only  finish  it, 
but  finish  it  quickly.  Under  the  O.  T.  He 
seemed  to  tarry,  and  to  make  a  longer  and 
more  tedious  work  of  it  ;  but  now  He  will 
cut  it  short,  and  make  a  short  work  on  the 
earth.  Gentile  converts  were  now  flying  as 
a  cloud.  But  He  will  cut  it  short  in  right¬ 
eousness,  both  in  wisdom  and  in  justice. 
Men,  when  they  cut  short,  do  amiss  ;  but 
when  God  cuts  short,  it  is  always  in  right¬ 
eousness.  So  the  fathers  generally  apply  it. 
Some  understand  it  of  the  evangelical  law 
and  covenant ;  which  Christ  has  introduced : 
He  has  in  that  finished  the  work,  put  an  end 
to  the  types  and  ceremonies  of  the  O.  T. 
And  He  will  cut  it  short,  the  work,  the  word: 
the  law'  under  the  O.  T,  was  very  long,  a 
long  train  of  institutions,  ceremonies,  condi¬ 
tions  :  our  duty  is  now,  under  the  Gospel, 
summed  up  in  much  less  room,  religion  is 
brought  into  a  less  compass  ;  and  in  right¬ 
eousness,  in  favor  to  us,  in  justice  to  his  own 
design  and  counsel. 

2.  Another  is  Is.  1:9.  where  the  prophet 
is  showing  how,  in  a  time  of  general  calam¬ 
ity  and  destruction,  God  would  preserve  a 
seed.  This  is  to  the  same  purport  with  the 
former:  and  the  scope  of  it  is,  to  show  that 
it  was  no  strange  thing  for  God  to  leave  the 
greatest  part  of  the  Jews  to  ruin,  and  to  re¬ 


serve  to  Himself  only  a  small  remnant  :  so 
He  had  done  formerly,  as  appears  by  their 
own  prophets;  and  they  must  not  wonder  if 
He  did  so  now.  He  is  the  Lord  of  Sabaoth, 
of  hosts,  a  Hebrew  word  retained  in  the 
Greek,  as  Ja.  5:4.  When  God  secures  a 
seed  to  Himself  out  of  a  degenerate,  apos¬ 
tate  world,  He  acts  as  Lord  of  Sabaoth.  It 
is  an  act  of  almighty  power  and  infinite 
|  sovereignty.  His  people,  too,  are  a  seed,  a 
small  number;  as  the  corn  reserved  for  next 
year’s  seedings,  but  little,  compared  with 
what  is  spent  and  eaten  ;  yet  useful,  the 
seed,  the  substance,  of  the  next  generation. 
Is.  6: 13. 

It  is  so  far  from  being  an  impeachment  of 
the  justice  and  righteousness  of  God,  that  so 
many  perish  and  are  destroyed,  that  it  is  a 
wonder  of  divine  power  and  mercy  that  all 
are  not  destroyed,  that  any  are  saved  :  for 
even  those  that  are  left  to  be  a  seed,  if  God 
had  dealt  with  them  according  to  their  sins, 
had  perished  with  the  rest.  This  is  the  great 
truth  here  taught. 

V.  30 — 33.  The  apostle  conics  here  at 
last  to  f\x  the  true  reason  of  the  reception 
of  the  Gentiles,  and  the  rejection  of  the  Jews. 
There  was  a  difference  in  the  w  ay  of  their 
seeking,  and  therefore  that  different  success; 
though  still  it  was  the  free  grace  of  God  that 
made  them  differ. 

I.  Concerning  the  Gentiles,  observe,  1. 
They  had  been  alienated  from  righteousness, 
they  followed  not  after  it,  knew  not  their 
guilt  and  misery,  and  therefore  were  not  at 
all  solicitous  to  procure  a  remedy.  In  their 
conversion,  preventing  grace  was  greatly 
magnified.  Is.  65:  1.  free  grace  alone  dis¬ 
posed  them  for  such  a  favor.  Thus  God 
delights  to  dispense  grace  in  away  of  sove- 


TRACT.  OBS.  The  command  of  ‘  loving  our  neighbor  as  ourselves,’ 
and  the  example  of  Christ,  require  us  to  mourn  over  obstinate  trans¬ 
gressors,  especially  when  near  to  us  1  according  to  the  flesh  at  the  same 
time,  that  we  vindicate  the  justice  of  God  in  his  dealings  with  them, 
l.u  13:41-44. — Those  who  know  nothing  of  a  change  of  heart,  ought  to  be 
far  otherwise  employed,  than  in  disputing  either  for  or  against  this  doc¬ 
trine  of  free  electing  love.  Let  them  ‘strive  to  enter  in  at  the  strait  gate,’ 
before  the  door  be  for  ever  shut ;  and  leave  the  discussion  of  these  abstruse 
questions  to  those,  who  are  walking  with  God  in  the  way  to  heaven. — 
We  cannot  at  present  know  the  purposes  of  God  respecting  others  :  it 
will  be  soon  enough  for  us  to  be  ‘  without  natural  affection,’  when  per¬ 
fected  in  holiness  ;  and  to  rejoice  in  the  destruction  of  the  enemies  of 
God  indiviualty.  when  the  event  makes  them  known  to  us.  In  the  mean 
time,  insensibility  to  the  eternal  condition  of  our  fellow-creatures,  is 
contrary  both  to  the  love  required  by  the  law,  and  the  mercy  of  the 
gospel  ;  and  the  more  we  sincerely  pity,  pray  for,  and  are  ready  to  suf¬ 
fer  anything  to  save,  our  most  virulent  despisers  and  persecutors,  the 
greater  confidence  we  may  use,  in  affectionately  warning  them  of  their 
danger,  and  of  the  delusions  into  which  they  are  fallen. — There  is  abun¬ 
dant  encouragement  to  the  diligent  use  of  the  means  of  grace,  which  God 
has  appointed  ;  and  where  there  is  a  willing  mind,  and  humble  diligence 
in  seeking  Hint,  the  blessing  will  certainly  be  given ;  and  the  happy  be¬ 
liever  will,  in  due  time,  ascribe  even  this  willingness  to  electing  love. 
But  if  men  wilfully  harden  themselves  in  disobedience  and  impenitence, 


God  will  show  his  power  and  vengeance  in  their  destruction,  and  cause 
all  their  abused  prosperity  to  increase  their  condemnation,  and  his  own 
glory  in  it. — Who  could  have  previously  thought,  that  any  of  our  race 
would  have  presumed  to  say,  that  ‘  there  is  unrighteousness  with  God  !’ 
to  quarrel  with  his  judgments,  and  plead,  that  ‘  none  hath  resisted  his 
will’  or  counsel !  Shall  criminals  cite  their  offended  Sovereign  to  their 
blasphemous  tribunal  ?  If  they  do,  let  them  see  to  It,  for  1  evil  is  before 
them.’  He  will  proceed  with  his  own  plan,  exercising  his  holy  sove¬ 
reignty  as  He  sees  good  ;  and  distinguishing  between  those  who  adore, 
and  those  who  blaspheme,  the  depths  which  they  cannot  fathom  ;  and 
He  will  number  with  the  latter,  all  those  who  profess  to  believe  the 
doctrines  in  question,  and  then  take  occasion  from  them  to  sin  with 
greater  presumption.  But  surely,  all  who  love  and  fear  God,  however 
such  truths  may  dazzle  and  dismay  them,  should  reverently  keep  silence 
before  Him.  And  even  if  they  hear  them  stated  unscripturally  or  licen¬ 
tiously  ;  they  should  take  care  what  words  they  use  in  disputing  against 
those  who  pervert  the  truth  ;  that  they  may  not  appear  to  counte¬ 
nance  the  impieties  of  infidels  and  ungodly  men.  In  short,  modesty, 
caution,  humility,  and  profound  awe  of  the  holy  Majesty  of  God,  should 
restrain  and  guide  the  tongues  and  pens  of  all,  who  speak  or  write  on 
these  subjects,  however  satisfied  they  may  be  with  their  own  views  of 
them  ;  and  every  sentence  which  is  written  or  spoken,  in  a  manner, 
which,  on  any  supposition,  imputes  injustice  to  God,  is  a  proof  of  the 
pride  and  irreverence  of  the  writer  or  speaker.  Scott. 


(27.)  ‘  Only  a  remnant,’ &c.  St.  ‘  Kataleimma  :  I  incline  to  think 
this  was  the  name  given  to  the  leaving  of  the  dough  reserved  for  the 
next  bread-making,  i.  e.  the  leav-en,  i.  e.  the  leav-ed,  left.’  Bi.oomp. 

(23.)  1  For  He  will  execute  his  xvord  (which)  He  hath  decreed  in 

righteousness;  for  the  Lord  will  execute  his  word  decreed  concerning 
the  land.’  Sr.  The  several  terms  used  here  mean,  to  try  ;  to  sentence; 
to  execute  the  sentence.  So  Ill.,  Carpz.,  Kop.,  Kypke, &c.  Ed. 

(29.)  Seed .]  ‘Remnant.’  Sr  ‘  Most,  with  L owth  and  Koppe,  refer 
this  to  some  invasions  of  Judea  by  Reziti  and  Pekah  ;  others  think  it 
describes  the  times  of  Aliaz,  when  Judea  was  invaded  on  the  north  by 
Syrians  and  Israelites,  south  hv  Edomites,  west  by  Philistines.  2  Chr. 
28:5 — 19.  Ros.,  to  the  miserable  times  of  Uzziah.  2  K.  14:8 — 14  2  Chr. 
14 — 24.  Bloomf. 

V.30 — 33.  The  apostle  having  shown,  that  both  the  purposes  and 
predictions  of  God  were  fulfilled,  in  the  rejection  of  the  unbelieving 
Jews,  and  the  calling  of  the  Gentiles,  here  proceeds  to  show  by  what 
means  the  things  hail  been  effected  ;  fur  this  also  illustrated  the  argu¬ 
ment,  that  the  Lord  had  acted  righteously,  and  the  Jews  wickedly,  in  the 
whole  concern.  The  Gentiles,  who  before  lived  in  the  grossest  religious 
ignorance,  idolatry,  and  vice,  without  at  all  ‘following  after  righteousness,’ 
had  suddenly,  through  the  surprising  grace  of  God,  heel)  brought  into  a 
state  of  acceptance  with  Him,  being  called  to  partake  of  •  the  righteous¬ 
ness  of  God  by  faith.’  1:17.  3:21— 2G.  4:9—12.  Gat.  3:26—29.  Phil.  3:— 8 
11 .  ffelr.  1 1  7.  2  Pet.  1:1, 2.— But  Israel,  who  had  the  law,  both  that  which 
contained  the  rule  of  righteousness,  and  that  which  shadowed  forth  the 
way  of  justification  ;  and  who  had  sedulously  paid  regard  to  it  as  ‘the 
law  of  righteousness,’  ‘had  not  attained  to  the  law  of  righteousness.’ 
Not  living  up  to  their  law,  they  xx'ere  not  justified,  but  condemned  by 
it  ;  yet,  cleaving  to  it,  they  rejected  Christ  and  his  salvation.  10:1 — 4 
Wherefore  then  had  they  failed  of  acceptance  ?  Was  it  merely  through 
God’s  decree  ?  Or  did  He  refuse  to  receive  them,  in  the  same  way  as 
the  Gentiles  were  justified  ?  By  no  means ;  but  they  refused  to  seek  the 
blessing  ‘  by  faith,’  as  an  unmerited  favor  ;  and  persisted  in  claiming  it 


‘by  the  law,’  as  a  matter  of  right ■  This  they  did,  ‘  ns  it  were,  by  the 
xvorks  of  the  law  ;’  they  did  not  think  that  they  perfectly  kept  the  law, 
but  they  expected  to  make  up  their  deficiencies  in  one  respect,  by  abound¬ 
ing  in  others  ;  or  bv  repentance,  and  amendment,  and  the  legal  sacrifi¬ 
ces ;  or  by  superstitions  additions,  and  observing  the  traditions  of  men. 
Tims  they  sought  the  blessing  from  that  law,  which  denounced  a  curse 
on  them  ;  and  refused  to  trust  in  Him  who  was  raised  up  to  bless  them. 
Their  obstinate  pride  and  unbelief  were  the  immediate  cause  of  their 
min  ;  and  God  had  decreed,  in  righteousness,  nothing  more  than  to  give 
them  up  to  the  lusts  of  their  own  hearts.  Is.  8:11 — 15.  2816.  1  Pet  2: 
7,  8. — Some  expositors  think,  the  npostle  had  reference  to  a  race ,  in 
which  tito  Jews,  with  all  their  advantages,  were  so  far  from  coming  in 
before  the  Gentiles,  that  they  were  left  at  a  great  distance  behind  ;  ‘  for 
the  last  shall  be  first,  and  the  first  last.’  19:29,30. — Mr.  Locke  and  many 
others  argue,  that  the  npostle  only  meant,  that  the  Gentiles  here  spoken 
of,  as  those  whom  God  had  called  (24),  had  embraced  the  true  religion  ; 
not  that  they  were  actually  and  individually  brought  into  a  state  of  sal¬ 
vation  ;  but  surely,  if  they  ‘  attained  to  righteousness,  even  the  right¬ 
eousness  which  is  of  faith,’ they  were  justified  persons,  ‘children  of 
Abraham,’  children  of  God,  and  heirs  of  heaven  ;  and  they  had  before 
been  spoken  of  ‘  as  vessels  of  mercy,  prepared  before  unto  glory.’ 
Though  all,  who  professed  the  Gospel,  were  not  of  this  character,  v  et 
none  else  were  partakers  of*  the  righteousness  which  is  of  faith.’ — It  is 
also  granted,  as  these  learned  expositors  maintain,  that  the  dealings  of 
God  with  the  Jews,  and  not  his  general  conduct  towards  mankind  at 
large,  as  to  their  eternal  concerns,  is  the  primary  subject  of  the  chap. : 
hut  the  dispensations  of  God  with  Israel  are  explained,  illustrated,  and 
justified,  on  such  principles,  as  establish,  in  the  clenrest  manner,  the 
method  of  his  dealings  with  mankind  at  large.  And  if  we  are  not  allowed 
to  infer  general  conclusions,  from  the  commands,  testimonies,  promis¬ 
es,  and  dispensations  of  God  to  Israel,  in  respect  of  individuals ;  it  does 
not  appear,  how  we  can  use  the  Scriptures,  or  a  great  proportion  of  them, 
at  least,  either  for  doctrinal  or  practical  purposes  ;  either  for  enconrng^- 


A.  D.  61. 


ROMANS,  X. 


Paul's  discourse  of  righteousness. 


CHAP.  X. 

5  The  Scripture  shevveth  the  difference  betwixt  the  right¬ 
eousness  of  the  law,  and  this  of  fait  h,  1 1  and  that  all,  both 
Jew  and  Gentile,  that  believe,  shall  not  he  confounded,  18 
and  that  the  Gentiles  shall  receive  the  Word  and  believe. 
19  Israel  was  not  ignorant  of  these  things. 

BRETHREN,  my  heart’s  desire 
and  prayer  to  God  for  Israel  is, 
that  they  might  be  saved. 

2  For  I  bear  tjiem  record,  that 
they  have  a  zeal  a  of  God,  but  not 
according  to  knowledge. 

3  For  they  being  ignorant  b  of 
God’s  righteousness,  and  going 
about  to  establish  their  own  righte¬ 
ousness,  have  not  submitted  them¬ 
selves  unto  the  righteousness  of 

God.  a  Ac.  21:20.  c.  9:31.  b  c.  9:31. 

reignty  and  absolute  dominion.  2.  They  at¬ 
tained  to  righteousness,  notwithstanding;  by 
faith ,  not  by  being  proselyted,  but  by  em¬ 
bracing  Christ,  believing  in  Christ,  and 
submitting  to  the  Gospel. 

II.  Concerning  the  Jews,  observe, 

1.  They  missed  their  end  ;  they  followed 
after  the  law  of  righteousness ,  v.  31.  they  talked 
much  of  justification  and  holiness,  seemed 
very  ambitious  of  being  the  people  of  God, 
and  the  favorites  of  heaven,  but  they  did  not 
attain  to  it,  i.  e.  the  greatest  part  of  them 
did  not. 

2.  They  mistook  their  way,  which  was 
the  cause  of  their  missing  the  end,  v.  32,  33. 
They  sought,  but  not  in  the  right  way,  not 
by  faith,  (depending  on  Christ,  and  submit¬ 
ting  to  the  terms  of  the  gospel,  the  very  life 
and  end  of  the  law;)  but  by  the  works  of  the 
law;  as  if  they  were  to  expect  justification 
by  their  observance  of  the  law  of  Moses,  a 
corrupt  principle,  which,  having  espoused, 
they  could  by  no  means  get  over,  and  so 
Could  not  be  reconciled  to  the  doctrine  of 
Christ,  which  brought  them  off  from  that,  to 
expect  justification  through  the  merit  and 
satisfaction  of  another.  Christ,  Himself,  is 
to  some  a  stone  of  stumbling,  Is.  8:  14.  23: 
16.  It  is  sad  He  should  be  set  for  the  fall  of 
any,  yet  it  is  so,  Luke  2:  34.  But  still  there 
is  a  remnant  that  do  believe  on  Him  ;  and 
they  shall  not  be  ashamed,  their  hopes  and 
expectations  of  justification  by  Him  shall 
not  be  disappointed,  as  theirs  are,  who  ex¬ 
pect  it  by  the  law. 

So  that,  on  the  whole,  the  unbelieving 
Jews  have  no  reason  to  quarrel  with  God, 


for  rejecting  them  ;  they  had  a  fair  offer  of 
righteousness,  and  life,  and  salvation,  made 
them  on  gospel-terms, which  they  did  not  like, 
and  would  not  come  up  to;  therefore  if  they 
perish,  their  blood  is  on  their  own  heads. 

Chap.  X.  The  dissolving  of  the  peculiar 
church-state  of  the  Jews,  and  the  substitu¬ 
ting  and  erecting  of  a  catholic  [general,  or 
universal]  church-state  among  the  Gentile 
nations  ;  though  to  tis,  now,  they  may  seem 
no  great  matter ;  yet  to  them  who  lived  when 
they  were  doing,  who  knew  how  high  the 
Jews  had  stood  in  God’s  favor,  and  how  de¬ 
plorable  the  condition  of  the  Gentile  world 
liad  been  for  many  ages,  it  appeared  very 
great  and  marvellous,  and  a  mystery  hard  to 
be  understood.  The  apostle  in  this  ch.  as  in 
the  foregoing  and  that  which  follows,  is  ex¬ 
plaining  and  proving  it  ;  but  with  several 
very  useful  digression*,  which  a  little  inter¬ 
rupt  the  thread  of  his  discourse. 

V.  1 — 11.  The  scope  of  this  part  of  the 
ch.  is  to  show  the  vast  difference  between 
the  righteousness  of  the  law  and  that  of  faith, 
and  the  great  pre-eminence  of  the  latter; 
that  he  might  induce  and  persuade  the  Jews 
to  believe  in  Christ,  aggravate  the  folly  and 
sin  of  those  who  refused,  and  justify  God 
in  their  rejection. 

I.  Paul  here  professes  his  good  affection 
to  the  Jews,  with  the  reason  of  it,  v.  1,  2. 
where  he  gives  them, 

1.  A  good  wish,  v.  1.  that  they  might  be 
saved  —  from  the  temporal  ruin  and  destruc¬ 
tion  coming  on  them  ;  from  the  wrath  to 
come,  eternal  wrath,  hanging  over  their 
heads.  It  is  implied,  that  they  might  be 
convinced  and  converted;  he  could  not  pray 
in  faith,  that  they  might  be  saved  in  unbe¬ 
lief.  It  is  our  duty,  truly  and  earnestly  to 
desire  the  salvation  of  the  souls  of  others, 
next  to  the  salvation  of  our  own.  This,  he 
says,  was  his  heart’s  desire  and  prayer:  which 
intimates  its  strength  and  sincerity. 

2.  A  good  witness,  as  a  reason  of  his  good 
wish,  v.  2.  The  unbelieving  Jew3  were  his 
most  bitter  enemies,  yet  he  gives  them  as 
good  a  character  as  the  truth  would  bear. 
We  should  say  the  best  we  can,  even  of  our 
worst  enemies  ;  this  is  blessing  them  that 
curse  us.  We  should  notice  what  is  com¬ 
mendable  even  in  bad  people.  They  have  a 
zeal  of  God.  Their  opposition  to  the  gos¬ 
pel,  is  from  a  principle  of  respect  to  the  law, 
which  they  knew  to  have  come  from  God. 
There  is  such  a  thing  as  a  blind,  misguided 


zeal  :  such  was  that  of  the  Jews,  they  hated 
Christ’s  people  and  ministers,  and  cast  them 
out,  saying,  Let  the  Lord  be  glorified.  Is.  66: 
5.  nay,  they  killed  them,  and  thought  they 
did  God  good  service,  Jn.  16:  2. 

II.  He  here  shows  the  fatal  mistake  the 
unbelieving  Jew’s  were  guilty  of;  which  was 
their  ruin.  Their  zeal  was  not  according  to 
knowledge.  It  is  true,  God  gave  them  that 
law  which  they  were  so  zealous  for  ;  but 
they  might  have  known  that,  by  the  appear¬ 
ance  of  the  promised  Messiah,  an  end  was 
put  to  it.  He  gave  the  most  convincing  evi¬ 
dence  that  could  be  of  his  being  the  Messiah, 
the  Son  of  God  ;  yet  they  did  not  know,  and 
would  not  own  Him,  but  shut  their  eyes 
against  the  clear  light,  so  that  their  zeal  for 
the  law  was  blind.  This  he  shows  further, 
v.  3.  where  observe, 

1.  The  nature  of  their  unbelief  ;  not  sub¬ 
mitting  to  the  righteousness  of  God,  not  yield¬ 
ing  to  gospel-terms,  not  accepting  the  tender 
of  justification  by  faith  in  Christ,  made  in 
the  Gospel.  In  true  faith,  there  is  need  of 
a  great  deal  of  submission,  therefore  the  first 
lesson  Christ  teaches,  is,  to  deny  ourselves; 
it  is  a  great  piece  of  condescension  for  a 
proud  heart  to  be  content  to  be  beholden  to 
free  grace. 

2.  The  causes  of  their  unbelief,  and  those 
are  two,  ignorance  of  God’s  righteousness, 
pride,  and  conceit.  They  did  not  under¬ 
stand,  and  believe,  and  consider,  the  strict 
justice  of  God,  and  what  need  we  have  of  a 
righteousness,  wherein  to  appear  before 
Him  ;  or,  God’s  way  of  justification  now 
appointed,  revealed  by  Jesus  Christ.  They 
did  not  know  it,  because  they  would  not  ; 
they  shut  their  eyes  against  the  discoveries 
of  it,  and  loved  darkness,  rather.  They 
thought  they  needed  not  to  be  beholden  to 
the  merit  of  Christ,  and  therefore  depended 
on  their  own  performances,  as  sufficient  to 
make  up  a  righteousness  wherein  to  appear 
before  God.  See  an  instance  of  this  pride  in 
the  Pharisee,  Luke  18 :  10,11.  Comp.  v.  14. 

III.  He  here  shows  the  folly  of  that  mis¬ 
take,  and  how  unreasonable  it  was  for  them 
to  be  seeking  justification  by  the  works  of 
the  law,  now  that  Christ  was  come,  and  had 
brought  in  an  everlastiog  righteousness  ; 
considering, 

1.  The  subserviency  of  the  law  to  the  gos¬ 
pel,  v.  4.  The  design  of  the  law  was  to  lead 
people  to  Christ.  The  moral  law  was  for 
the  searching  of  the  wound;  the  ceremonial 
for  the  shadowing  forth  of  the  remedy  ; 


ment,  warning,  or  1  instruction  in  righteousness.’  — 1  Whatsoever  things 
were  written  aforetime,  were  written  for  our  learning.’  —  ‘All  these 
things  happened  unto  them  for  ensumples  :  and  they  are  written  for  our 
admonition,  on  whom  the  ends  of  the  world  are  come.  Therefore  let  him 
that  thinketh  he  slandelh,  take  heed  lest  he  fall.’  15:4 — 7.  1  Cor.  10:1 — 
12. — The  Jews,  as  a  nation, had  outward  privileges;  and  so  have  Chris¬ 
tians,  as  a  collective  body.  Most  of  them  trusted  in  these  outward  priv¬ 
ileges,  and  rejected  the  salvation  of  Christ ;  and  so  do  the  bulk  of  pro¬ 
fessed  Christians.  A  remnant,  however,  believed  and  were  saved,  while 
the  rest  were  hardened  and  rejected  :  the  case  is  the  same  with  profess¬ 
ed  Christians.  This  remnant  was  ‘  the  election  of  grace  ;’  and  so  is  the 
remnant  of  true  Christians.  Scott. 

(30,31.)  Righteousness.]  ‘Justification.  The.  law.]  A  law.’  St. 

(32.)  '-Because  {they  sought)  not  by  faith,  &c.  That.]  The.’  St. 

‘  Not  because  it  had  been  so  determined  by  God  in  any  absolute  decrees, 
but  because  they  rejected  Christ.’  Kop.  ‘  There  is  every  reason  to  think, 
that  the  prophets  themselves  intermixed  with  promises  of  temporal  de¬ 
liverance,  encouraging  anticipations  of  that  deliverance,  both  temporal 
and  spiritual ,  which  was  to  be  expected  from  the  Messiah.’  Bloonf. 

(S3.)  And  whosoever.]  ‘  But  every  one.’  Stuart. 

NOTES.  Chap.  X.  V.  1 — 4.  Aware  of  the  offence  which  his  doc¬ 
trine  would  give  the  Jews,  and  even  many  of  the  Jewish  Christians,  the 
apostle  repeated  his  protestation  of  his  earnest  desires,  and  fervent 
prayers,  for  the  salvation  of  his  people  ;  notwithstanding  their  prejudices 
against  him,  and  the  persecutions  which  he  had  endured  from  them.  9: 
1 — 3. — The  expression,  ‘establish  their  own  righteousness,’  seems  to  be 
taken  from  a  person,  who  allows  that  his  house  is  out  of  repair,  and  in 
some  danger  of  falling ;  but  will  not  be  convinced  that  the  foundation 
is  destroyed,  and  that  it  must  come  down,  and  be  entirely  rebuilt  on  a 
new  foundation.  He  therefore  endeavors,  by  props  and  buttresses,  and 
various  repairs,  to  make  the  house  stand  ;  but  all  his  expense  and  labor 
are  thrown  away  ;  and  if  he  persist  in  his  vain  endeavor,  it  will  be  like¬ 
ly  to  fall  down,  and  bury  him  in  its  ruins.  Mat.  7:24 — 27.  Thus  the 
Jews,  (and  immense  numbers  in  every  age  do  the  same,  for  substance, 
though  in  varied  forms,)  when  convinced  of  defects  in  their  moral  right¬ 
eousness,  endeavored  to  repair  them,  by  ceremonial  or  superstitious  ob¬ 
servances  ;  nor  would  they  be  convinced,  that  they  were  building  on  a 
false-foundation  ;  that  they  must  totally  give  over  these  vain  and  peri¬ 
lous  endeavors  ;  and  come  for  a  gratuitous  salvation  to  Christ  by  faith, 

[224] 


even  as  the  poor  Gentiles  did. — Some  argue,  that  if  the  apostle  had  in 
the  preceding  ch.  meant,  that  the  rejection  of  the  Jewish  nation  was 
absolutely  decreed,  he  would  not  have  prayed  for  them  ;  but  it  may  be 
answered,  that  he  knew  a  remnant  was  excepted;  he  did  not  know  to 
what  number  this  remnant  might  extend,  and  his  ‘good-will,’  or  benev¬ 
olence,  towards  them  xvas  so  strong,  that  he  prayed  for  the  conversion 
of  Israelites,  in  a  way  which  implied  a  longing  desire  that  they  all  might 
be  saved.  Had  it  depended  on  him,  this  would  have  been  the  case  ;  he 
prayed  according  to  the  knowledge  which  he  had,  and  left  secret  things 
to  God  ;  adoring  his  wisdom  and  justice,  even  in  those  events  which 
were  contrary  to  the  feelings  and  desire  of  his  heart. — The  author  of 
these  notes  can  answer  for  one,  that  his  firm  belief  of  personal  election 
and  the  divine  decrees,  does  not  in  the  least  interfere  with  his  joining 
heartily  in  that  prayer  of  our  excellent  liturgy,  ‘That  it  may  please  God 
to  have  mercy  upon  all  men.’  Jer.  14:10 — 12.  15:1. — (4)  The  end.]  Te- 
los.  Phil.  3:19.  ]  Tim.  1:5.  The  final  cause;  the  end  proposed  and  in¬ 
tended.  Scott. 

(1.)  In  our  tr.  men.  equivalent  to  for  my  part,  (Bl.)  is  omitted.  Ed. 

(2.)  Record.]  ‘  Witness.  Zeal.]  Philo,  Jos.,  and  the  N.  T.  writ¬ 
ers,  most  abundantly  confirm  this.  There  may  be  zeal  without  knowl¬ 
edge,  which  is  superstitious,  persecuting,  hostile  to  the  spirit  and  happi¬ 
ness  of  the  community  ;  and  there  may  be  knowledge  without  zeal, 
which  is  cold,  skeptical,  unfeeling,  and  which  devils  may  possess  as  well 
as  men.  An  actual  union  of  both  is  accomplished  only  by  sincere  piety  ; 
and  a  high  degree,  only  by  ardent  piety.’  Stuart. 

(3.)  ‘  For,  being  ignorant  of  the  justification  which  is  of  God,  seeking 
to  establish  their  own  justification,  they  have  not  submitted  themselves 
to  the  justification  which  is  of  God.’  St.  ;  who  tr.  the  Gr.  justification 
also  at  vs.  4,  5,  6,  10.  St.  makes  the  scope  of  the  ch.  to  be  :  ‘  The  unbe¬ 
lief  and  rejection  of  the  Jews,  and  the  reception  of  the  Gentiles  through 
faith,  are  truly  consistent  with  the  declarations  of  the  ancient  SS.’  Ed. 
Establish.]  ‘  The  idea  (so  Chrys.,  Theoph .)  seems,  of  propping  and  but¬ 
tressing  up  a  weak  structure.’  Bl.  ‘  The  Pharisees  certainly  inculcated 
the  external  duties  of  morality,  how  much  soever  they  might  them¬ 
selves  fail  in  observing  them,  or  rest  merely  in  outward  acts ;  but  they 
trusted  in  legal  expiations  to  procure  the  pardon  of  those  evils  which 
might  happen;  and  the  composition  of  these,  if  I  may  be  permitted  to 
use  the  expression,  constituted  the  righteousness  which  they  went  about 
stesai,  to  establish,  or  prop  up,  decrepit  as  it  was.’  Doddr. 


A.  D.  61. 


ROMANS,  X. 


God's  promise  alike  to  all. 


4  For  Christ  is  the  end  cof  the 
law  for  righteousness  to  every  one 
that  believeth. 

5  For  Moses  describeth  d  the 
righteousness  which  is  of  the  law, 
That  the  man  which  doeth  those 
things  shall  live  by  them. 

6  But  the  righteousness  which  is 
of  faith  speaketh  on  this  wise,  Say 
“not  in  thine  heart,  Who  shall  as¬ 
cend  into  heaven  ?  (that  is,  to  bring 
Christ  down  from  above  :) 

7  Or,  Who  shall  descend  into  the 
deep?  (that  is,  to  bring  up  Christ 
again  from  the  dead.) 

8  But  what  saith  it  ?  The  word 
is  nigh  th ec,even  in  thy  mouth,  and 
in  thy  heart:  that  is,  the  word  of 
faith  which  we  preach  ; 

9  That  if  f  thou  shalt  confess 
with  thy  mouth  the  Lord  Jesus, 
and  shalt  believe  in  thine  heart 
g  that  God  hath  raised  him  from 
the  dead,  thou  shalt  be  saved. 

10  For  with  the  heart  man  be¬ 
lieveth  unto  righteousness  ;  and 
with  the  mouth  confession  is  made 
unto  salvation. 

11  For  the  Scripture  saith,  h 
Whosoever  believeth  on  him  shall 
not  be  ashamed. 

c  He.  10:14.  e  De.  30:12—14.  g  Ac.  8:37. 

d  Le.  18:5.  f  l  Ja.  4:2.  h  Is.  28:16  .  49:23. 

Christ  the  end  of  both  ;  see  2  Cor.  3:  7.  and 
comp.  Gal.  3:  23,  24.  Christ  is  the  end  of 
the  ceremonial  law;  the  sacrifices,  offerings, 
and  purifications  appointed  under  the  O.  T. 
prefigured  Christ,  and  now  He  had  come, 
they  were  at  an  end.  Christ  is  the  end  of 
the  moral  law,  in  that  He  did  what  the  law 
could  not  do,  ch.  8:  3.  and  secured  the  great 
end  of  it  :  viz.,  to  bring  men  to  perfect  obe¬ 
dience,  and  so  to  obtain  justification  ;  this  is 
now  impossible,  by  reason  of  the  power  of 
sin,  and  the  corruption  of  nature  ;  yet  the 
law  is  not  destroyed,  nor  the  intention  of 
the  Lawgiver  frustrated ;  but  full  satisfaction 
being  made  by  the  death  of  Christ,  for  our 
breach  of  the  law,  the  end  is  attained,  and 
we  put  in  another  way  of  justification. 
Christ  is  thus  the  end  of  the  lau>  for  righteous¬ 
ness,  for  justification  ;  but  only  to  every  one 
that  believeth  ;  on  our  believing,  our  humble 
consent  to  the  terms  of  the  Gospel,  we  be¬ 
come  interested  in  Christ’s  satisfaction,  and 
so  are  justified  through  the  redemption  that 
is  in  Jesus. 

2.  The  excellency  of  the  gospel  above  the 
law  :  proved  by  showing  their  different  con¬ 
stitution. 


(1.)  What  is  the  righteousness  which  is 
of  the  law  1  v.  5.  The  tenor  of  it  is,  Do, 
and  live,  i.  e.  be  happy,  not  only  in  Canaan, 
but  in  heaven  :  abstracted  from  its  respect 
to  Christ  and  the  gospel,  the  law  ovvneth 
nothing  as  a  righteousness  sufficient  to  justi¬ 
fy  a  man,  but  (hat  of  perfect  obedience.  For 
this  he  quotes  Lev.  18:6.  See,  likewise, 
Gal.  3:  12.  Now,  was  it  not  extreme  folly 
in  the  Jews,  to  adhere  so  closely  to  this  way 
of  justification  and  salvation,  which  was  in 
itself  so  hard,  and  by  the  corruption  of  na¬ 
ture  now  become  impossible,  when  there  was 
a  new  and  a  living  way  opened  1 

(2.)  What  is  that  righteousness  which  is 
of  faith,  v.  6,  &c.  This  he  describes  in  the 
words  of  Moses,  Dent.  30:  11  —  14.  and 
shows  that  it  is  not  at  all  hard  or  difficult. 
We  need  not  go  to  heaven,  to  search  the 
records  there,  or  to  inquire  into  the  secrets 
of  the  divine  counsel.  It  is  true,  Christ  is 
in  heaven,  but  we  may  be  justified  and  saved 
without  going  thither,  to  fetch  Him  thence, 
or  sending  a  special  messenger  to  Him. 
Nor  need  we  go  to  the  deep,  to  fetch  Christ 
out  of  the  grave,  or  from  the  state  of  the 
dead.  It  is  true,  Christ  was  in  the  grave, 
and  it  is  as  true,  He  is  now  in  heaven  :  but 
we  need  not  perplex  and  puzzle  ourselves 
with  fancied  difficulties,  nor  must  we  create 
to  ourselves  such  gross  and  carnal  ideas  of 
these  things,  as  if  the  method  of  salvation 
was  impracticable,  and  the  design  of  the 
revelation  only  to  amuse  us.  No,  salvation 
is  not  put  at  so  vast  a  distance  from  us. 

But  it  is  very  plain  and  easy;  The  Word 
is  nigh  thee  ;  Christ  in  the  promise,  Christ 
exhibited  to  us,  and  offered,  in  the  Word. 
Christ  is  nigh  thee,  for  the  Word  is  nigh 
thee  :  nigh  thee  indeed  :  it  is  in  thy  mouth, 
and  in  thy  heart;  there  is  no  difficulty  in  un¬ 
derstanding,  believing,  and  owning  of  it. 
The  work  thou  hast  to  do  lies  within  thee; 
the  kingdom  of  God  is  within  you,  Luke  17: 
21.  There  is  nothing  now  to  be  done,  but  a 
work  in  us;  that  must  be  our  care,  to  look 
to  our  heart  and  mouth.  The  Word  is  very 
nigh  us,  in  our  mouth,  we  are  reading  it  dai¬ 
ly;  it  is  in  our  heart,  we  are,  or  should  be, 
thinking  of  it  daily — even  the  Word  of  faith; 
the  Gospel  and  the  promise  of  it;  called  the 
Word  of  faith,  because  it  is  conversant  about 
the  object  of  faith,  makes  faith  the  great 
condition  of  justification,  and  is  the  ordinary 
means  by  which  faith  is  wrought  and  con¬ 
veyed. 

Now  what  is  this  Word  of  faith?  We  have 
the  tenor  of  it,  v.  9,  10.  the  sum  of  the  Gos¬ 
pel,  whicli  is  plain  and  easy  enough.  Ob¬ 
serve  the  promise  ;  Thou  shalt  be  saved. 
What  the  Gospel  exhibits  and  tenders,  is, 
salvation,  and  this  on  two  conditions.  [1.] 
Confessing  the  Lord  Jesus;  openly  professing 
relation  to  Him,  and  dependence  on  Him,  as 
our  Prince  and  Savior;  owning  his  religion 


in  the  face  of  all  the  allurements  and  affright- 
ments  of  this  world,  standing  by  Him  ii° all 
weathers,  a  very  great  thing,  especially 
when  the  profession  of  Christ  and  Christian¬ 
ity  hazarded  estate,  honor,  preferment,  lib¬ 
erty,  life,  and  all  that  is  dear  in  this  world; 
w  hich  was  the  case  in  the  primitive  times  : 
and,  [2.]  Believing  in  the  heart,  that  God 
raised  Him  from  the  dead.  The  profession 
of  faith  with  the  mouth,  if  there  be  not  the 
power  of  it  in  the  heart,  is  but  a  mockery  ; 
the  root  of  it  must  be  laid  in  an  unfeigned 
assent  to  the  revelation  of  the  Gospel  con¬ 
cerning  Christ,  especially  concerning  his 
resurrection,  w  hich  is  the'fundamental  arti¬ 
cle  of  the  Christian  faith  ;  for  thereby  He 
was  declared  to  be  the  Son  of  God  with 
power,  and  full  evidence  was  given,  that 
God  accepted  his  satisfaction. 

’  This  is  further  illustrated,  v.  10.  and  the 
order  inverted,  because  there  must  first  be 
faith  in  the  heart,  before  there  can  be  an  ac¬ 
ceptable  confession  with  the  mouth.  1st. 
Concerning  faith  ;  it  is  with  the  heart  that 
man  believeth  ;  which  implies  more  than  an 
assent  of  the  understanding,  and  takes  in  the 
consent  of  the  will,  an  inward,  hearty,  sin¬ 
cere,  and  strong  consent.  This  is  unto  right¬ 
eousness,  the  righteousness  of  justification, 
and  the  righteousness  of  sanctification.  Faith 
is  the  condition  of  our  justification,  ch.  5:1. 
and  the  root  and  spring  of  our  sanctification  ; 
in  it,  it  is  begun  ;  by  it,  it  is  carried  on. 
Acts  16:9.  2dly.  Concerning  profession; 
it  is  with  the  mouth  that  confession  is  made  ; 
confession  to  God  in  prayer  and  praise,  ch. 
15:6.  confession  to  men,  owning  the  ways 
of  God  before  others,  especially  when  called 
to  it  in  a  day  of  persecution.  It  is  part  of 
the  honor  of  Christ,  that  every  tongue  shall 
confess,  Phil.  2:11.  And  this  is  said  to  be 
unto  salvation;  because  it  is  the  performance 
of  the  condition  of  that  promise.  Mat.  10:32. 
Comp.  Luke  21:15.  Justification  by  faith 
lays  the  foundation  of  our  title  to  salvation; 
but  by  confession  we  build  on  that  founda¬ 
tion,  and  come  at  last  to  full  possession. 

So  that  we  have  here  a  brief  summary  of 
the  terms  of  salvation  ;  and  they  are  very 
reasonable;  in  short,  this,  that  we  must  de¬ 
vote,  dedicate,  and  give  up  to  God,  our 
souls  and  our  bodies;  our  souls  in  believing 
with  the  heart,  and  our  bodies  in  confessing 
with  the  mouth.  This  do,  and  thou  shalt 
live.  For  this,  v.  11.  he  quotes  Is.  28: 16. 
He  that  believeth  will  not  make  haste,  so 
the  prophet  has  it  ;  will  not  make  haste  to 
run  away  from  the  sufferings  he  meets  with 
in  the  way  of  his  duty ;  will  not  be  ashamed 
of  a  despised  religion  ;  will  not  be  ashamed 
to  own  that  Christ  in  whom  he  trusts  ;  it  is 
sinful  shame  that  makes  people  deny  Christ, 
Mk.  8:38.  He  shall  not  be  ashamed  of  his 
hope  in  Christ ;  nor  disappointed  of  his  end. 
It  is  our  duty  that  we  must  not,  and  our 


(4.)  ‘I.  e.  belief  in  Christ,  receiving  Him  by  faith,  and  thus  attaining 

to  dikaiosunl  Theou  [justification  that  is  of  God),  accomplishes  the 
end  or  object  of  what  the  law  would  accomplish,  viz.  which  perfect 
obedience  to  the  law  would  accomplish.  In  this  simple  way,  and  con¬ 
sonant  with  the  context,  I  interpret  this  long  agitated  and  much  contro¬ 
verted  text.  That  te/os  [tr.  end]  has  often  substantially  the  same  mean¬ 
ing  here  given  it,  may  be  abundantly  shown.’  St.,  whom  see.  ‘  The 
most  favorite  tr.  is,  (so  Cypr.,  Crell.,  Kop.,)  Christ  has  put  an  end  to  the 
law.  But  this  is  not  agreenble  to  the  context.  The  most  simple  and 
satisfactory  interpr.  seems  that  of  Chrys.,  Theoph.,  CEc.,  Phot.,  and 
Theod.,  also  Carpz.  “  The  words  are  meant  for  the  Jews,  and  Jewish 
Christians,  to  assure  them,  that  nothing  is  lost  by  abandoning  the  law. 
Paul  shows  there  is  only  one  justification,  and  that  what  the  law  at¬ 
tempted,  the  gospel  fulfils  ;  and,  therefore,  he  who  chooses  the  one  by 
faith,  fulfils  the  other  ;  whereas,  he  who  aims  at  the  other,  must  miss  of 
this ;  q.  d.  The  intent  and  end  of  the  law,  viz.  justification,  is  fulfilled 
and  perfected  in  Christ.’”  Bloomf. 

V.  5 — 11.  Moses  had  repeatedly  shown  the  righteousness,  which  the 
law  demanded  of  a  man,  in  order  to  his  justification  ;  and  his  statement 
proved,  tliat,  without  a  sinless  obedience  to  every  precept,  no  man  could 
be  accepted  according  to  the  law ;  and  thus  it  effectually  cut  off  all 
transgressors  from  every  hope,  in  this  way.  Lev.  18:5.  Deut.  27:2G. 
Ez.  20:11.  Luke  10:25—29.  Gal.  3:10—14.  But  ‘the  righteousness  of 
faith  ’  might  be  introduced,  as  using  the  words  of  Moses,  on  an  espe¬ 
cial  occasion.  Deut.  30:11 — 14. — The  self-condemned  sinner  is  not  call¬ 
ed  on  to  perplex  himself  with  inquiries,  how  this  righteousness  may  be 
found.  For  Christ  has  already  come  down  from  heaven,  and  finished  his 
work  of  righteousness.  He  had,  too,  come  back  from  the  grave,  or  the 
place  of  departed  spirits,  and  was  exalted  at  the  right  hand  of  the  Fa- 
N.  T.  VOL.  V.  29 


ther,  to  confer  the  blessing  on  all  who  in  true  faith  applied  to  Him  for  it. 
— The  distinction  between  ‘confessing  xvith  the  mouth,’  and  ‘believing 
in  (he  heart,’  shoxvs  that  the  apostle  was  discoursing,  not  of  a  mere  pro¬ 
fession  of  Christianity,  but  of  the  genuine  sincerity  of  him,  who  made 
til  at  profession.  Mark  16:14 — 16.  1  Pet.  3:21,  22.  ‘  Justification  is  here 

expressly  ascribed  to  faith,  not  as  including  works,  but  only  as  being 
that  principle,  which,  xvhen  it  is  cordial  and  sincere,  xvill  certainly  pro¬ 
duce  them.’  Whitby.  Mat.  10:32,  33. — (5)  The  man  which  doeth ,  <&c.] 
Nearly  from  the  LXX,  which  accord  to  the  Heb.  Lev.  18:5. — (6 — 8)  Say 
not ,  &c.]  The  apostle  here  takes  the  general  sentiment,  and  expresses 
it  in  his  own  language;  which  is  not  exactly  according  either  to  the 
LXX  or  the  Hebrew.  Deut.  30:12 — 14.  Scott. 

(G.)  ‘  Paul  means  simply  to  affirm,  that  if  Moses  could  say,  that  his 

law  was  intelligible  and  accessible,  the  doctrine  of  justification  by  faith 
in  Christ,  is  even  still  more  so.  The  quotations  before  us  (v.  7,  &c.)  are 
clear  examples  of  the  liberty  Paul  takes,  of  accommodating  the  spirit  of 
the  O.  T.  to  the  objects  and  truths  of  the  Gospel,  without  any  slavish 
subjection  to  the  mere  form  of  words.’  Stuart. 

(8.)  ‘In  thy  mouth,  in  thine  own  language,  i.  e.  a  subject  of  conver¬ 
sation  and  teaching.  In  thy  heart,  i.  e.  a  subject  of  meditation  and 
thought.’  In. 

(9.)  That  if ■]  ‘For  if.  It  is  not  the  simple  fact  of  a  resurrection  of 
Jesus’  body  from  the  tomb,  which,  in  the  apostle’s  viexv,  is  the  great  and 
distinguishing  feature  of  Christian  belief;  it  is  the  exaltation,  glory,  anil 
saving  power  that  are  consequent  on  the  resurrection,  which  he  evident¬ 
ly  connects  with  this  event.  So  in  Phil.  2:8—11-  Acts  2:24,31—33. 
Comp.  Heb.  2:9.  2  Cor.  4:14.  Acts  17:31.  Rom.  4:25.  1  Cor.  15:17— 20. 


[So,  virtually,  Hodge.] 
(10.)  For  with.]  ‘ 


Because  xvith.’ 


In. 

Id. 

[225] 


A.  D.  61. 

12  For  1  there  is  no  difference 
between  the  Jew  and  the  Greek  ; 
for  j  the  same  Lord  over  all  is  rich 
unto  all  that  call  upon  him. 

13  For  k  whosoever  shall  call 
1  upon  the  name  of  the  Lord  shall 
be  saved. 

14  How  then  shall  they  call  on 
him  in  whom  they  have  not  believ¬ 
ed  ?  and  how  shall  they  believe  in 
him  of  whom  they  have  not  heard  ? 
and  how  shall  they  hear  without  a 
preacher  ? 

15  And  how  shall  they  preach, 
except  they  be  sent  ?  as  it  is  writ¬ 
ten,  m  H  ow  beautiful  are  the  feet  of 
them  that  preach  the  gospel  of 
peace,  and  bring  glad  tidings  of 
good  things  ! 

16  But  n  they  have  not  all  obeyed 
the  gospel.  F or  Fsaias  saith, 0  Lord, 
who  hath  believed  p  our  i  report  ? 

17  So  then  faith  cometh  by  hear¬ 
ing,  and  hearing  by  the  word  of 
God. 

18  But  I  say,  Have  they  not 
heard?  Yes,  verily,  their  r sound 
went  into  all  the  earth,  and  then- 
words  unto  the  ends  of  the  world. 

i  Ac.  15:9.  rn  Is.  52:7.  Na.  12:38. 

Ga.  3:28.  1:15.  p  the  hearing  of  us. 

1  Ti.  2:5.  u  Ac.  28:24.  He.  q  or,  preaching. 

Joel  2:32.  4:2.  r  Ps.  19:4.  Mat.  28: 

1  1  Co.  1:2.  o  Is.  53:1.  Jn.  19.  Col.  1:6,23. 

privilege  that  we  shall  not  be  ashamed  of 
our  faith  in  Christ. 

V.  12 — 21.  The  first  words  express  the 
design  of  the  apostle  through  these  vs.,  that 
there  i3  no  difference  between  Jews  and 
Gentiles.  See  Col.  3:  11.  Fur  the  proof  of 
this,  he  urges, 

I.  That  God  is  the  same  to  all  ;  not  one 
God  to  the  Jews,  that  is  more  kind,  and 
another  to  the  Gentiles,  that  is  less  kind  ; 
but  a  common  Father  to  all  mankind  ;  the 
same  Lord,  not  only  good,  but  rich,  plenteous 
in  goodness  to  all,  to  all  that  call  upon  Him; 
so  that  we  have  nothing  to  do  but  to  draw 
out  by  prayer,  as  there  is  occasion,  Ez. 36:37. 

II.  That  the  promise  is  the  sanle  to  all, 
v.  13.  Whoever  shall  call  ;  one  as  well  as 
another,  without  exception.  Calling  on  the 
name  of  the  Lord,  is  here  put  for  all  practi¬ 
cal  religion. 

For  further  illustration,  he  observes, 

1.  How  necessary  it  was  the  Gospel 
should  be  preached  to  the  Gentiles,  v.  14, 
15.  This  was  it  the  Jews  were  so  angry 
with  Paul  for.  Now,  he  shows  how  need¬ 
ful  it  was,  to  bring  them  within  the  reach  of 
the  foreiuentioned  promise,  an  interest  in 


ROMANS,  X. 

which  they  should  not  envy  to  any  of  their 
fellow-creatures.  (1.)  They  cannot  call  on 
Him  in  whom  they  have,  not  believed.  Except 
they  believe  that  He  is  God,  they  will  not 
call  on  Him  by  prayer  ;  to  what  purpose 
should  they  1  He  that  comes  to  God,  by 
prayer,  must  believe,  Heb.  11:  6.  (2.)  They 
cannot  believe  in  Him  of  whom  they  have  not 
heard.  Some  way  or  other  the  divine  reve¬ 
lation  must  be  made  known  to  us,  before  we 
can  receive  it  and  assent  to  it.  In  hearing,  is 
included  reading,  which  is  tantamount,  and 
bv  which  many  are  brought  to  believe,  Jn. 
20:31.  But  hearing  only  is  mentioned,  as 
the  more  ordinary  and  natural  way  of  receiv¬ 
ing  information.  (3.)  They  cannot  hear  with¬ 
out  a  preacher ;  how  should  they!  Preachers 
and  hearers  are  correlates,  and  imply  each 
other.  (4.)  They  cannot  preach  except  they 
be  sent,  be  both  commissioned,  and  in  some 
measure  qualified.  This  proves,  that  to  the 
regular  ministry  there  must  be  a  regular  mis¬ 
sion  and  ordination.  It  is  God’s  preroga¬ 
tive  to  send  ministers;  therefore  to  Him  we 
must  pray,  that  He  would  send  forth  laborers, 
Mat.  9:38.  He  only  can  qualify  men  for, 
and  incline  them  to,  the  work  of  the  minis¬ 
try.  But  the  competency  of  that  qualifica¬ 
tion,  and  the  sincerity  of  tiiat  inclination, 
must  needs  be  referred  to  the  judgment  of  a 
competent  number  of  those  of  approved  wis¬ 
dom  and  experience  in  that  office  ;  who,  as 
in  all  other  callings,  are  presumed  the  most 
able  judges;  and  who  are  empowered  to  set 
apart  such  as  they  find  so  qualified  and  in¬ 
clined,  to  this  work  of  the  ministry;  that  by 
this  preservation  of  the  succession,  the  name 
of  Christ  may  endure  for  ever,  and  his  throne 
as  tile  days  of  heaven.  And  they  that  are 
thus  set  apart,  not  only  may,  but  must 
preach,  as  those  that  are  sent. 

2.  How  welcome  the  Gospel  ought  to  be 
to  those  to  whom  it  was  preached;  because 
it 'showed  the  way  to  salvation,  v.  15.  For 
this  be  quotes  Is.  52:  7.  The  like  passage 
we  have,  Na.  1: 15.  which,  if  it  point  at  the 
glad  tidings  of  the  deliverance  of  Israel  out 
of  Babylon,  in  the  type,  yet  looks  further  to 
the  Gospel,  the  good  news  of  our  salvation 
by  Jesus  Christ.  Observe,  (1.)  What  the 
Gospel  is:  the  Gospel  of  peace ;  the  Word  of 
reconciliation  between  God  and  man.  Luke 
2: 14.  Or,  peace  in  general,  for  all  good,  so 
explained  here;  glad  tidings  of  good  things, 
the  best  news  that  ever  came  from  heaven  to 
earth.  (2.)  What  the  work  of  ministers  is; 
to  preach  this  Gospel,  to  bring  these  glad  ti¬ 
dings  ;  to  evangelize  peace,  so  the  original, 
to  evangelize  good  thing's.  Every  preacher 
is  in  this  sense  an  evangelist  :  they  are  not 
only  messengers  to  carry  the  news,  but  am¬ 
bassadors  to  treat  :  and  the  first  gospel- 
preachers  were  angels,  Luke  2:  13,  &c.  (3.) 
How  acceptable  they  should  therefore  be  for 
their  work’s  sake ;  How  beautiful  are  the  feet. 


The  promise  to  all  alike  who  believe. 

how  welcome  are  they  1  When  Christ  was 
sending  forth  his  disciples,  He  washed  their 
feet.  Those  that  preach  the  Gospel  of  peace, 
should  see  to  it  that  their /ret,  their  life  and 
conversation,  be  beautiful  :  the  holiness  of 
ministers’  lives  is  the  beauty  of  their  feet. 
How  beautiful,  in  the  eyes  of  them  that  hear 
them  !  Those  that  welcome  the  message, 
cannot  but  love  the  messengers.  See  1 
Tiiess.  5:  12,  13. 

3.  He  answers  an  objection  against  all 
this,  which  might  be  taken  from  the  small 
success  the  Gospel  had  in  many  places,  v.  16. 
All  the  Jews,  all  the  Gentiles,  have  not 
obeyed;  far  ihe  greater  part  ol  both  remain 
in  unbelief  and  disobedience.  Observe,  The 
Gospel  is  given  us,  not  only  to  be  known  and 
believed,  but  to  be  obeyed.  It  is  not  a  system 
of  notions,  but  a  rule  of  practice.  This  little 
success  of  the  Word  was  likewise  foretold 
by  I  be  prophet,  Is.  53:1.  Very  few  have 
believed,  to  the  many  that  persist  in  unbelief. 
Under  such  a  melancholy  consideration,  it  is 
good  for  us  to  go  to  God  and  make  our  com¬ 
plaint  to  Him.  Lord,  who  hath,  &c.  In  an¬ 
swer  to  this, 

(1.)  He  shows  that  the  Word  preached 
is  the  ordinary  means  of  working  faith",  v.  17. 
So  then, — however;  though  many  that  hear  do 
not  believe,  yet  those  that  believe  have  first 
heard.  Faith  cometh  by  hearing.  It  is  the 
summary  of  what  he  had  said  before,  v.  14. 
God  gives  faith,  but  it  is  by  the  Word,  as  the 
instrument.  See  1  Thess.  2:  13. 

(2.)  That  those  who  would  not  believe  the 
report  of  the  Gospel,  yet,  having  heard  it, 
they  were  thereby  left  inexcusable,  and  may 
thank  themselves  for  their  own  ruin,  v.  18. 
to  the  end.  [1.]  The  Gentiles  have  heard  it, 
v.  18.  Yes,  more  or  less,  they  have  either 
heard  the  Gospel,  or  heard  of  it.  The  com¬ 
mission  the  apostles  received,  runs  thus ;  Go 
ye  into  all  the  world,  preach  to  every  creature, 
disciple  all  nations  ;  and  they  did,  with  in¬ 
defatigable  industry  and  wonderful  success, 
pursue  that  commission,  See  the  extent  of 
Paul’s  province,  ch.  15: 19.  even  to  Britain, 
one  of  the  utmost  corners  of  the  world,  not 
only  the  sound,  but  the  words  of  the  Gos¬ 
pel  came  within  a  few  years  sifter  Christ’s 
ascension.  In  order  to  this,  the  gift  of  tongues 
was  at  first  poured  so  plentifully  on  the  apos¬ 
tles,  Acts  2.  In  the  expression,  here,  lie 
plainly  alludes  to  Ps.  19:4.  which  speaks 
of  the  notices, which  the  visible  works  ol  God 
in  the  creation  give  to  all  the  world,  of  the 
power  and  Godhead  of  the  Creator.  As  un¬ 
der  the  O.  T.  God  provided  for  the  publish¬ 
ing  of  the  work  of  creation,  by  t he  sun, 
moon,  and  stars;  so  now  for  the  publishing 
of  the  work  of  redemption  to  all  the  world, 
by  the  preaching  of  gospel-ministers,  \vbo 
are  therefore  called  stars.  [2.]  The  Jews 
have  heard  it  too,  v.  19—21.  For  this,  lie 
appeals  to  two  passages  of  the  O.  T.  to  show 


V.  12 — 17.  The  Christian  church  seems,  during  many  ages,  to  have 
forgotten  her  obligation  to  send  the  Gospel  to  the  nations  ;  but  it  has  in 
our  days  heen-brought  to  remembrance.  May  it  be  acted  on  more  and 
more  ! — The  manner  in  which  the  apostle  applies  the  words  to  Christ, 
which  Isaiah  spoke  of  Jehovah,  forms  a  strong  proof  of  onr  Lord’s  Deity. 
— (15)  Feet,  &c.]  ‘Tlie  feet  of  those  who  have  travelled  far,  in  a  hot 
country,  through  rough  and  dusty  roads,  present  a  spectacle  naturally 
offensive:  ...nevertheless,  the  consideration,  that  the  persons  them¬ 
selves  are,  to  us,  the  messengers  of  peace  and  felicity,  would  make  us 
behold  with  delight  this  indication  of  their  embassy.  Hand indecoro  pul - 
vere  sord'dos.  Horace.’  Campbell. — The  whole  passage  most  clearly 
shows,  that  without  calling  on  Christ  none  can  be  saved;  that  without 
faith  none  can  call  on  Him  ;  and  without  the  preaching,  or  publication  in 
some  way,  of  the  Gospel,  none  can  believe  in  Him. — The  awful  state  of 
the  heathen  nations,  and  our  imperious  [imperative  ?]  duty  towards 
them,  can  hardly  be  more  strongly  staled,  nor  the  opinion  of  those  who 
argue  that  multitudes  will  be  saved  by  Jesus,  who  never  heard  of  his 
name,  more  energetically  reprobated. — (15)  How  beautiful,  &c.]  From 
the  Heb.,  omitting  ‘  upon  the  mountains.’  1  Tile  Sept,  seems  much  cor¬ 
rupted  here.’  Randolph.  (Is.  52:7.) — ;16)  Lord,  who.  <fcc.)  Verbatim 
from  the  I, XX,  which  add,  ‘  Lord,’  not  found  in  the  Heb.  Is.  53:1.  Sc. 

(12.)  For  there  is.]  ‘There  is,  then.  ..  For  there  is  the  same  Lord 
of  all,  who  is  rich  (in  mercy)  unto,  &c.  The  quotation  from  Is.  28:16. 
which  in  Ileb.  contains  the  word  a 'l,  gives  Paul  occasion  to  bring  in 
what  he  had  often  taught, 'especially  in  chs.  3  and  4,  that  salvation  is 
proffered  to  all  men,  without  distinction,  and  on  the  same  terms.  The 
for  (Gr.  gar  )  is  “  illustrative i.  e.  of  the  word  all.  In  fact,  there  is 
here  a  singular  succession  of  5  clauses,  arising  one  out  of  another,  to 
all  of  which  gar  [for]  is  prefixed.  This  is  altogether  characteristic  of 
[226] 


the  manner  of  Paul  ;  who,  in  the  comae  of  making  a  single  declaration, 
often  throws  out  words,  which  suggest  whole  trains  of  thought  tiiat  are 
but  indirectly  connected  with  the  main  object  of  the  declaration,  but 
which  the  apostle  stops  to  express  ;  and  in  expressing  them,  lie  is  often 
led  to  other  thoughts  connected  with  these  subordinate  ones;  and  these 
other  thoughts  again  lead  to  a  third  series  (if  they  may  be  so  named); 
and,  after  expressing  all  these,  the  writer  returns  again,  and  resumes  his 
main  subject ;  comp,  for  example,  1:1 — 7.  where  vs.  l,and  7.  belong  to¬ 
gether  ;  5:12 — 18.  where  v.  13.  resumes  the  subject  of  v.  12.  and  com¬ 
pletes  the  comparison  there,  begun.  So  in  F,ph.  3:1 — 4:1.  where  3:1.  is 
immediately  connected  with  4:1.  while  there  is  a  parenthesis  (so  to 
speak)  of  20  verses  between.’  Stuart. 

(13.)  ‘  Is  the  principle  [comp,  on  v.  6.]  the  same  under  the  Christian, 

ns  under  the  Jewish  dispensation,  viz.  that  those  who  are  exposed  to 
danger  and  distress,  and  who  put  their  trust  in  God,  shall  obtain  deliv¬ 
erance  ?  Is  this  true  in  a  spiritual,  as  well  as  temporal  respect  ?  Or, 
rather,  is  there  not  a  pllrosis  [fulfilling]  to  this  promise,  under  the 
Gospel  ?  Paul  did  not  expect  his  readers  to  deny  this  ;  consequently  his 
appeals,  vs.  11,  13.  apply  specially  to  Christ ;  (though  the  passages,  in 
their  original  connexion,  do  not  seem  to ;)  thus  authorizing  us  to  apply 
to  Christ  Ihe  same  divine  worship  and  honor,  which  the  saints  of  an¬ 
cient  days  applied  to  Jehovah.’  In. 

(15.)  Preach,  <kc.]  ‘Publish  salvation,  who  proclaim  good  tidings. 
Yet  all,  &c.’  Id. 

V.  18 — 21.  The  Jews,  especially,  hail  almost  universally  heard  the 
Gospel.  Very  few  of  that  nation,  therefore,  could  plead,  that  they  had 
had  no  opportunity  of  hearing  this  report;  and  their  unbelief  was  the 
eifect,  not  of  ignorance  or  want  of  instruction,  but  of  obstinate  enmity 
against  the  truth.  Again,  could  Israelites  plead,  that  no  intimations  had 


A.  D.  61. 


ROMANS,  XI. 


God’s  mercy  to  the  Jews . 


19  Cut  I  say,  Did  not  Israel 
know  ?  First  Moses  saith,  5  I  will 
provoke  you  to  jealousy  by  them 
that  are  no  people,  and  by  a  foolish 
‘nation  I  will  anger  you. 

20  Cut  Esaias  is  very  bold,  and 
saith,  I  was  found  of  them  that 
sought  me  not  ;  “I  was  made  mani¬ 
fest  unto  them  that  asked  not  after 
me. 

21  But  to  Israel  he  saith,  All  day 
long  I  have  stretched  forth  my 
hands  unto  a  disobedient  and  gain¬ 
saying  people. 

CHAP.  XI. 

I  >d  hath  not  cast  off  all  Israel.  7  Some  were  elected, 
though  the  rest  were  hurckMied.  16  Tlieie  is  hope  of  their 
conversion.  18  The  Gentiles  may  not  insult  upon  them  : 

f  >r  there  is  a  promise  <>f  their  salvation.  33  God’s 
judgments  are  unsearchable. 

ISAY  then,  Hath  1  God  castaway 
his  people  ?  God  forbid.  For  I 
also  am  an  Israelite,  of  the  seed  of 
Abraham,  outlie  tribe  of  Benjamin. 

2  God  hath  not  cast  away  his 
people  which  he  b  foreknew.  Wot 
ye  not  what  the  Scripture  saith  c  of 
Elias  ?  how  he  maketh  intercession 
to  God  against  Israel, d  saying, 

s  Tie.  31:21.  a  1  8a.  12:22.  Ps.  b  c.  8:29. 

t  Tit.  3:3.  77:7, 8.  89:31  c  in. 

a  Is.  65:1,2.  —37.  d  1  K.  29:10 — 18. 

liow  inexcusable  they  are  too.  Did  not  Is¬ 
rael  know  that  the  Gentiles  were  to  be  called 
in  1  They  might  have  known  it  from  Moses 
and  Isaiah.  1st.  One  is  taken  from  Deut 
32:  21.  The  Jews  had  the  offer  first.  Acts 
3:26.  and  the  Gentiles  had  but  their  leav¬ 
ings.  If  one  would  not,  another  would. 
Now  this  provoked  them  to  jealousy,  as  the 
elder  brother  in  the  parable,  Lnkc  15.  The 
Gentiies  are  here  called  no  people,  and  a  fool¬ 
ish  nation,  not  the  professing  people  of  God. 
Such  was  the  state  of  the  Gentile  world,  who 
yet  were  made  the  people  of  God,  and  Christ 
to  them  the  Wisdom  of  God.  What  a  prov¬ 
ocation  it  was  to  the  Jews,  to  see  the  Gen¬ 
tiles  taken  into  favor,  vve  mav  see,  Acts  13: 
45.  17 :  5,  13.  and  especially  22:  22.  It  was 
an  instance  of  the  great  wickedness  of  the 


Jews,  that  they  were  tints  enraged  ;  and  this 
in  Deuteronomy,  is  the  matter  of  a  threat¬ 
ening.  God  often  makes  people’s  sin  their 
punishment.  A  man  neeo^s  no  greater  plague 
than  to  be  left  to  the  impetuous  rage  of  his 
own  lusts.  2dly.  Another  is  taken  from 
Is.  65:  1,  2.  which  is  very  full,  and  in  it 
Esaias  is  very  hold ;  bold,  indeed,  to  speak 
so  plainly  ol  the  rejection  of  his  own  coun¬ 
trymen.  Those  that  will  be  faithful  need  be 
bold,  and  those  who  resolve  to  please  God, 
must  not  be  afraid  to  displease  any  man. 

Now  Esaias  speaks  boldly  and  plainly, 

1.  Of  the  preventing  grace  and  favor  of 
God,  in  the  reception  and  entertainment  of 
the  Gentiles,  v.  20.  The  prescribed  method 
is.  Seek  and  find  :  that  is  a  rule  for  us,  but 
not  for  God,  who  is  often  found  of  those  that 
do  not  seek.  Thus  lie  manifested  Himself 
to  the  Gentiles,  when  they  were  so  far  from 
seeking  Him  and  asking  after  Him,  that 
they  were  following  after  lying  vanities,  and 
serving  dumb  idols. 

2.  Of  the  obstinacy  and  perverseness  of 
Israel,  notwithstanding  the  fair  offers  and 
affectionate  invitations  they  had,  v.  21.  Ob¬ 
serve,  (1.)  Gotl’s  great  goodness  to  them  ; 
I'  is  offers  ;  I  have  stretched  forth  my  hands  ; 
his  patience  in  making  them.  All  day  long. 
Stretching  forth  the  hands,  is  the  gesture  of 
those  that  require  audience,  Acts  26:1.  or 
desire  acceptance,  Prov.  1:24.  Stretched 
forth  my  hands  as  offering  reconciliation  ; 
come,  let  us  shake  hands  and  be  friends;  and 
our  duty  is,  to  give  the  hand  to  Him,  2  Chr. 
30:8.  The  time  of  God’s  patience  is  here 
called  a  day,  lightsome  as  a  day,  and  fit  for 
work  and  business  ;  but  limited  as  a  day, 
and  a  night  at  the  end  of  it.  He  bears  long, 
but  will  not  always.  (2.)  Their  great  bad¬ 
ness  to  Him.  They  were  a  disobedient,  gam¬ 
saying  people.  One  word  in  the  Heb.  in 
Isaiah,  is  here  well  explained  by  two  ;  not 
only  disobedient  to  the  call,  not  yielding  to  it, 
but  gainsaying  and  quarrelling  with  if,  which 
is  much  worse.  It  is  a  wonder  of  mercy  in 
God,  that  his  goodness  is  not  overcome  by 
man’s  badness;  and  it  is  a  wonder  of  wick¬ 
edness  in  man,  that  his  badness  is  not  over¬ 
come  by  God’s  goodness. 

Chap.  XI.  The  apostle,  having  recon¬ 
ciled  that  great  truth  of  the  rejection  of  the 
Jews,  with  the  promise  made  unto  the  fa- 


theis,  is,  in  this  ch.  further  laboring  to  mol¬ 
lify  the  harshness  of  it,  and  to  reconcile  it  to 
the  divine  goodness  in  general.  It  might  be 
said,  Hath  God  then  cast  away  his  people  1 
The  apostle  therefore  sets  himself,  in  this 
ch. ,  to  make  a  return  to  this  objection. 

V.  1 — 32.  The  apostle  proposes  here  a 
plausible  objection,  which  might  be  urged 
against  the  divine  conduct  in  casting  oft' die 
Jewish  nation,  ti.  1.  *  Hath  God  cast  away 

his  people  ?  Is  the  rejection  total  and  final  V 
In  opposition  to  this,  he  shows,  that  there 
was  great  goodness  and  mercy  expressed 
along  with  this  seeming  severity  ;  particu¬ 
larly,  he  insists  on  three  things.  That 
though  some  of  the  Jews  were  cast  off,  yet 
not  all  ;  though  the  body  of  them  were,  yet 
the  Gentiles  were  taken  in  ;  and  that,  though 
cast  off  at  present,  yet  in  God’s  due  time 
the  Jews  should  be  taken  in  again. 

I  The  Jews,  it  is  true,  were  many  of 
them  cast  off,  but  not  all.  God  forbid. 

1.  A  cltosen  remnant,  of  believing  Jews, 
had  obtained  righteousness  and  life  by  faith 
in  Jesus  Christ,  v.  1 — 7.  said  to  lie  such  as 
He  foreknew,  v.  2.  i.  e.  had  thoughts  of  love 
to,  before  the  world  was  ;  for  whom  He  thus 
foreknew  He  did  predestinate.  There  lies 
the  ground  of  the  difference.  They  are 
called  the  election,  v.  7.  the  elect,  God’s 
chosen  ones  :  whom  He  calls  the  election, 
because,  what  first  distinguished  them  from, 
and  dignified  them  above  others,  was,  God’s 
electing  love.  Believers  are  the  election. 
Now’,  (1.)  He  shows  himself  one  ;  for  I 
also  am  an  Israelite;  as  if  he  had  said, 
‘Should  I  say  all  the  Jews  are  rejected,  I 
should  cut  off  my  own  claims,  and  see  my¬ 
self  abandoned.’  Paul  was  a  chosen  vessel, 
Acts  9:15.  (2.)  He  suggests,  that,  as  in 

Elias’  time,  so  now,  this  chosen  remnant 
was  really  more  and  greater  than  one  u'ould 
think  it  was  :  which  intimates,  likewise, 
that  it  is  no  new  or  unusual  tiling  for  God’s 
grace  and  favor  to  Israel  to  be  limited  and 
confined  to  a  remnant  of  that  |>eople  ;  for 
so  it  was  in  Elijah’s  time.  The  Scripture 
saith  it  of  Elias, — in  the  story  of  Elias,  the 
great  reformer  of  the  O.  T.  Observe, 

[1.]  His  mistake  concerning  Israel  ;  as 
if  their  apostasy  in  the  days  of  Allah  was 
so  general,  that  lie  himself  was  the  only 
faithful  servant  God  had  in  the  world.  He. 
refers  to  1  K.  19:14.  where  (it  is  here  said) 


PRACT.  OBS.  Faithful  ministers  bear  most  affectionate  good  will 
to  those,  from  whom  they  receive  the  greatest  injuries;  and  offer  their 
fervent  and  persevering  prayers  for  the  salvation  of  the  very  persons, 
against  whom  they  denounce  the  wratii  of  God,  if  they  persist  in  unbe¬ 
lief. — Careless  and  shameless  profligates,  infidels,  and  blasphemers  are 
not  the  only  persons  who  throng  the  broad  road  to  destruction,  hut  many 
also  who  have  ‘a  zeal  for  God  '  and  religion.  Mat.  7:13,  11.  While, 
therefore,  we  should  incuiente  earnestness  in  that  most  important  con¬ 
cern;  we  must  also  insist  on  the  absolute  necessity  of  its  being  reg¬ 
ulated  by  the  Word  of  God;  without  which  even  the  most  self-denying 
earnestness  can  do  no  more,  than  speciously  deceive  and  ruin  the  souls 
of  men. — Manifold  are  men’s  devices  and  endeavors  to  1  establish  their 
own  righteousness  ;’  but  all  their  labor  is  lost,  and  their  souls  continue 
in  the  most  imminent  danger;  for,  in  opposition  to  all  other  methods  of 
obtaining  the  divine  favor,  whether  devised  by  ignorance,  superstition, 
philosophy,  enthusiasm,  or  grave  morality,  we  must  still  insist  on  it, 
that  ‘  Christ  is  the  end  of  the  law  for  righteousness  to  every  one  that  be- 
lieveth  ;’  and  that  every  unheliever  remains  under  1  the  curse  of  the  law,’ 
aud  ‘  the  wrath  of  God.’  If  a  man  object  to  this,  let  him  take  the  moral 

previously  been  given,  that  God  intended  to  cast  them  off  for  their  un¬ 
belief  and  disobedience,  and  to  take  others  in  their  stead  ?  Even  Moses, 
in  that  prophetical  song,  which  all  the  people  were  commanded  to  learn 
throughout  their  generations,  had  represented  Jehovah  declaring,  that 
He  would  excite  them  to  jealousy  bv  those  who  had  been  no  people  to 
Him,  and  raise  their  indignation  by  his  favors  shown  to  a  nation,  whirh 
had  been  despised  as  foolish,  because  idolatrous.  Deut..  31:19.  32  21. 
This  had  been  most  remarkably  accomplished,  in  the  virulent  opposition 
to  tile  Gospel,  which  the  calling  of  the  Gentiles  had  excited  in  the  Jews; 
when  it  should  have  stirred  them  up  to  a  pious  emulation,  not  to  be  sur¬ 
passed  in  faith  and  holiness  by  those  who  had  before  been  so  ignorant 
and  far  from  God. — (18)  Their  sound ,  &c.  )  From  the  LXX,  which  vary 
from  the  Heb.,  having  sound  instead  of  tine.  (Ps.  19:4  ) — (19)  I  will  pro¬ 
voke,  fcc.j  From  the  Sept.  (Deut.  32:21.) — (20,  21)  I  was  found ,  .tc  j 
This  agrees  with  the  LXX,  only  transposing  the  words.  -It  varies  little 
from  the  Hebrew.  /».  65:1,2.  Scott. 

(18.1  *  Paul  uses  the  words  (of  Ps.  19:5.1  in  this  place,  simplv  as  the 
vehicle  of  his  own  thoughts,  as  they  were  very  convenient  and  appro¬ 
priate.’  Sr.  Sound.)  ‘The  words  agree  with  the  Sept.  Also  with  the 
Ileb.,  if  Paul  read  qol  for  qom.'  Koppe,  whom  see.  Ed. 

(19.)  ‘  I  say,  moreover  :  Doth  not  Israel  know  ?  Provoke.]  Moves,’ 

St.,  ‘  i.  e.  to  envy,  by  conferring  favors  on  those  you  regard  as  despicable.’ 


‘  law  of  God,’  (for  rules  which  men  prescribe,  to  themselves  and  to  each 
other,  are  out  of  the  question,)  and,  having  produced  a  sinless  obedience 
to  it,  through  the  whole  of  his  continuance  here,  in  thought,  word,  and 
deed,  let  him  then  demand  the  reward  as  a  debt.  But  if  this  be  a  despe¬ 
rate  attempt;  let  him  submit  to  the  degradation  of  a  criminal,  and  apply 
for  pardon  to  the  clemency  of  his  offended  Lord,  and  for  eternal  life  as 
his  free  ‘gift  through  Jesus  Christ,’  aud  by  faith  in  Him  6:21 — 23. 
Pract.  Ohs.  16 — 23. — The  humble,  trembling  sinner  has,  however,  no 
cause  for  discouragement.  ‘The  righteousness  of  faith,’ as  it  were,  in¬ 
vites  him  to  accept  of  it;  the  Surety  has  finished  his  obedience  and 
atonement,  and  is  risen  and  exalted  to  he  our  all-prevailing  Advocate. 
8:32 — 39.  Heb.  7:23 — 28.  9:24 — 26.  1  John  2:1,  2. — As  faith  (whence  all 
true  prayer  proceeds  comes  ‘  by  hearing  the  Word  of  God,’  we  should 
take  care  to  be  found  among  those  who  hear,  believe,  and  obey  the  Gos¬ 
pel  ;  and  we  should  zealously  and  diligently  endeavor  to  communicate 
the  same  blessing  to  others,  even  to  ‘  the  ends  of  the  earth,’  with  all  the 
influence  and  talent  which  we  possess;  and  with  every  self-denying  ex¬ 
ertion  of  which  we  are  capable.  Scott. 


Not  a  people.)  ‘I.  e.  not  peculiarly  so,  by  any  covenant  or  relation. 
Foolish.)  Also,  as  idolatrous,  impious  ;  since  the  knowledge  of  God  is 
alone  true  wisdom.  Grot.  Moses  meant  the  Philistines  ;  Paul  applies 
it  also  to  the  Greeks,  the  Gentiles  in  genera).  The  Jews  themselves  (as 
Saloino,  Bechiii,  Abarhattel,  so  JPets.)  understand,  by  foolish  nations, 
tiie  Christians,  whom  they  call  Idumeans  or  Romans,  so  Alting.'  Bt.. 

<20. )  :1  made  myself  manifest  to  those  who  did  not  inquire  for  Me. 
The  Sept,  here,  as  expressing  the  general  idea  of  the  prophet,  Paul  uses, 
as  fullv  adequate  to  his  purpose.’  St.  Found  ..  sought.]  Koppe  and 
Ros.  observe,  that  God  is  said  to  be  found,  and  to  become  manifest , 
when  He  bv  his  benefits  excites  men  to  worship  and  obey  Him  :  and  the 
terms  zetein  [seek]  and  eperdtan  [inquire  for],  like  the  Ileb.  bksh  and 
shat,  are  synonymes  usqd  to  denote  devout  worship  of  God.’  Id. 

NOTES.  Chap.  XI.  V.  ] — 6.  An  entirely  free  favor  most  be  abso¬ 
lutely  distinct  from  a  reward,  conferred  in  consequence  of  some  work 
performed;  ns  the  price  of  one  farthing,  paid  for  what  is  worth  a  thou¬ 
sand  pounds,  must,  in  exact  propriety  of  speech,  essentially  distinguish  it 
from  an  entirely  free  gift. — This  texi  is  so  decisive  on  t lie  subject,  that 
great  pains  have  been  taken  to  explain  it  away  ;  but  really  the  argu¬ 
ments  of  the  most  able  and  learned  men,  on  the  other  side,  prove  noth¬ 
ing  so  much  as  the  weakness  of  their  cause.  I  shall,  therefore,  only  ob¬ 
serve  in  general ;  that  in  fact,  those  are  not  always  or  even  generally 


A.  D.  61. 


ROMANS,  XI.  God’s  mercy  to  the  Jews. 


V  Is.  29 
k  I3e.29:4  Is 


29:10. 


6:9. 


is  usually  a  remnant  that  keep  their  integ¬ 
rity  ;  God  reserves  them  to  Himself,  other¬ 
wise,  they  had  gone  down  the  stream  with 
the  rest  :  his  freeapd  almighty  grace  makes 
the  difference.  Seven  thousand  :  a  compe¬ 
tent  number  to  bear  testimony  against  tire 
idolatry  of  Israel  ;  yet,  compared  with  the 
many  thousands  of  Israel,  a  very  small  num¬ 
ber.  The  description  of  them  is,  that  they 
have  not  bowed  the  knee  to  the  image  of  Baal. 
The  best  evidence  of  integrity  is  freedom 
from  present,  prevailing  corruptions,  to  swim 
against  the  stream  when  it  is  strong.  2  Pet. 
1.12.  Sober  singularity  is  commonly  the 
badge  of  true  sincerity. 

[3.]  The  application  of  this  instance  to 
the  case  in  hand,  v.  5 — 7.  As  it  has  been, 
so  it  is.  In  Elijah’s  time  there  was  a  rem¬ 
nant,  and  so  there  is  now  ;  nay,  much  more 
now  under  the  Gospel,  when  the  grace  of 
God,  which  bringelh  salvation,  appears 
more  illustrious.  A  remnant,  a  few  of 
many  ;  a  remnant  of  believing  Jews,  when 
the  rest  were  obstinate  in  their  unbelief  ; 
called  a  remnant  according  to  the  election  of 
grace  ;  concerning  which,  observe,  1st. 
Whence  it  takes  its  rise  ;  from  the  free 
grace  of  God,  v.  6.  that  grace  which  ex¬ 
cludes  works  :  works  done,  or  foreseen  ;  if 
so,  it  would  not  be  grace.  It  is  not  grace, 
prroperly  so  called,  if  it  be  not  perfectly  free. 
Election  is  purely  according  to  the  good 
pleasure  of  his  w  ill,  Eph.  1:5.  Paul’s  heart 
was  so  full  of  the  freeness  of  God’s  grace, 
that  in  the  midst  of  his  discourse  he  turns 
aside,  as  it  were,  to  make  the  remark,  If 
of  grace,  then  not  of  works.  And  some  ob¬ 
serve,  that  faith  itself,  which  in  the  matter 
of  justification  is  opposed  to  works,  is  here 
included  in  them  ;  for  faith  has  a  peculiar 
receptivity  to  receive  the  free  grace  of  God 
for  our  justification,  but  not  to  receive  that 
grace  for  our  election.  2dly.  What  it  ob¬ 
tains  :  that  which  Israel,  i.e.  the  body  of 
that  people,  in  vain  sought  for,  v.  7.  justifi¬ 
cation,  and  acceptance  with  God  ;  see  ch. 
9:31.  Such  was  the  favor  of  God  to  the 
chosen  remnant.  But, 

2.  The  rest  were  blinded,  v.  7.  left  to 
perish  in  their  unbelief ;  nay,  made  worse 
by  that  which  should  have  made  them  better  : 
blinded  ;  hardened,  so  some  ;  were  seared, 
and  made  brawny  and  insensible.  Blind¬ 
ness  and  hardness  are  expressive  of  the 
same  senselessness  and  stupidity  of  spirit. 
They  shut  their  eyes  and  would  not  see  ; 
that  was  their  sin  :  and  then  God,  in  a  way 
of  righteous  judgment,  blinded  their  eyes, 
that  they  could  not  see  ;  there  was  their 
punishment.  This  seemed  harsh  doctrine  : 
to  qualify  it,  therefore,  he  vouches  two  wit¬ 


nesses  out  of  the  O.  T.,  w  hich  speak  of 
such  a  thing. 

(1.)  Isaiah,  who  spake  of  such  a  judg¬ 
ment  in  his  day,  ch.  29:10.  6:9.  The 
spirit  of  slumber,  i.e.  an  indisposedness  to 
mind  either  their  duty  or  interest.  The 
following  words  explain  what  is  meant  ; 
eyes,  that  they  should  not  see,  and  ears,  that 
they  should  not  hear.  They  were  quite  infat¬ 
uated,  saw'  Christ,  but  did  not  believe  in 
Him;  heard  his  Word, but  did  not  receive  it; 
so  both  their  hearing  and  their  seeing  were 
in  vain.  It  was  all  one  as  if  they  had 
neither  seen  nor  heard.  Of  all  judgments 
spiritual  judgments  are  the  sorest,  and  most 
to  he  dreaded,  though  they  make  the  least 
noise.  Ever  since  Esaias  prophesied,  this 
hardening  work  hath  been  in  the  doing 
unto  this  day  ■;  some  among  them  have  been 
blind  and  senseless.  Or,  rather,  ever  since 
the  first  preaching  of  the  Gospel  ;  multi¬ 
tudes  of  them,  even  to  this  day  in  which  we 
live,  are  hardened  and  blinded  ;  the  obsti¬ 
nacy  and  unbelief  go  by  succession,  from 
generation  to  generation,  according  to  their 
own  fearful  imprecation,  which  entailed  the 
curse  ;  His  blood  be  upon  us,  and  upon  our 
children. 

(2.)  David,  v.  9,  10.  quoted  from  Ps.  69: 
22,  23.  where  David  having,  in  the  Spirit, 
foretold  the  sufferings  of  Christ,  from  his 
own  people  the  Jews,  particularly  that  of 
their  giving  Him  vinegar  to  drink  }  in  the 
next  words,  under  the  form  of  an  impreca¬ 
tion,  foretells  the  dreadful  judgments  of 
God  on  them  for  it  ;  Let  their  table  become  a 
snare  :  which  the  apostle  here  applies  to 
the  present  blindness  of  the  Jews,  and  the 
offence  they  took  at  the  Gospel,  which  in¬ 
creased  their  hardness.  The  passage  speaks, 
[1.]  Of  the  ruin  of  their  comforts  ;  Lei 
their  table  be  made  a  snare,  i.  e.  an  occasion 
of  sin  and  misery.  [2.]  Of  the  ruin  of 
their  powers  and  faculties,  v.  10.  their  eyes 
darkened,  tbeir  backs  bowed  down  ;  that 
they  can  neither  find  the  right  way,  nor,  if 
they  could,  be  able  to  walk  in  it.  The  Jews, 
after  their  national  rejection  of  Christ  and 
his  Gospel,  became  infatuated  in  their  poli¬ 
tics,  so  that  their  very  counsels  turned 
against  them,  and  hastened  their  ruin  by  the 
Romans.  Or,  it  may  be  understood  spirit¬ 
ually  ;  their  backs  are  bowed  dowai  in  car¬ 
nality  and  worldly-mindedness, — Curvae  in 
terris  animat, — an  exact  description  of  the 
state  and  temper  of  the  present  remainder 
of  that  people  ;  they  are  manifestly  to  this 
day  under  the  power  of  this  curse.  Divine 
curses  will  work  long.  It  is  a  sign  we  have 
our  eyes  darkened,  if  we  are  bowed  down  in 
worldly-mindedness. 


8  Lord,  they  have  killed  thy 
prophets,  and  digged  down  thine 
altars  ;  and  I  am  left  alone,  and 
they  seek  my  life. 

4  But  what  saith  the  answer  of 
God  unto  him  ?  I  have  reserved 
to  myself  seven  thousand  men,  who 
have"  not  bowed  the  knee  to  the 
image  of  Baal. 

a^Even  e  so  then  at  this  present 
time  also  there  is  a  remnant  accord¬ 
ing  to  the  election  of  grace. 

6  And  if  by  f  grace,  then  is  it  no 
more  of  works  :  otherwise  grace  is 
no  more  grace.  But  if  it  be  of 
works,  then  is  it  no  more  grace  : 
otherwise  work  is  no  more  work. 

7  What  then  ?  Israel  s  hath  not 
obtained  that  which  he  seeketh  for  ; 
but  the  election  hath  obtained  it, 
and  the  rest  were  h  blinded, 

8  (According  as  it  is  written, 

God  hath  given  them  the  spirit  of 
1  i  slumber,  k  eyes  that  they  should 
not  see,  and  ears  that  they  should 
not  hear,)  unto  this  day. 

c  «  9:27.  g  c.  9:31. 

1*  c.  4:4,5.  Ga.5:4.  h  hardened. 

Ep.  2:8.  i  or,  remorso. 

he  maketh  intercession  to  God  against  Israel. 

A  strange  kind  of  intercession.  He  deals 
with  God  against  Israel  ;  so  it  may  be  read ; 
so  the  word  is  tr.  Acts  25:24.  Mow  Elijah 
in  this  prayer  spake  as  if  there  were  none 
left  faithful  in  Israel  but  himself  only.  The 
powers  of  Israel  were  then  persecuting 
powers  ;  They  have  killed  thy  prophets,  and 
digged  down  thine  altars,  and  they  seek  my 
life.  The  multitude  of  Israel  were  then 
idolatrous  :  I  am  left  alone.  The  few  faith¬ 
ful  were  not  only  lost  in  the  crowd  of  idol¬ 
aters,  but  crushed  and  driven  into  corners 
by  the  rage  of  persecutors.  When  the  wicked 
rise,  a  man  is  hidden,  Prov.  28:  12.  God’s 
altars  were  not  only  neglected,  and  let  go 
out  of  repair,  but  digged  down,  when  altars 
were  set  up  for  Baal.  This  was  his  inter¬ 
cession  against  Israel  ;  as  if  he  had  said, 

‘  Lord,  is  not  this  a  people  ripe  for  ruin, 
worthy  to  be  cast  off  1  What  else  canst 
Thou  do  for  thy  great  name  I  ’ 

[2.]  The  rectifying  of  this  mistake  by 
the  answer  of  God,  v.  4.  I  have  reserved. 

Things  are  often  much  better  with  the 
church  of  God,  than  wise  and  good  inen 
think.  In  times  of  general  apostasy,  there 

called,  who,  to  our  apprehension,  are  best  disposed  to  perform  good 
works,  but  the  contrary,  as  the  examples  recorded  in  Scripture  alone 
undeniably  demonstrate;  Mat.  19:29,  30.  21:28 — 32.  Luke  13:22 — 30. 
that  every  truly  good  disposition,  in  a  fallen  creature,  must  be  the  effect. 
and  cannot,  therefore,  be  the  cause ,  of  the  grace  of  God  bestowed  on 
him  ;  that  God  did  not  act  without  reason  in  choosing  one  rather  than 
another,  though  we  are  not  made  acquainted  with  his  reasons ;  and  that 
the  display  of  the  infinite  riches  of  his  mercy,  the  omnipotence  of  his 
grace,  and  the  glory  of  his  own  sovereignty,  in  converting  the  most  un¬ 
likely  persons  in  the  world,  are  far  more  probable  reasons  of  his  choice, 
than  any  foreseen  comparative  goodness  of  natural  disposition  in  those 
■who  are  saved,  above  those  that  perish. — (5)  The  election  of  grace.] 
N ot  those  who  chose  grace,  but  those  whom  grace  chose  ;  that  is,  those 
whom  God  freely  chose.  Neither  would  “grace  be  grace,”  if  we  were 
in  the  smallest  degree  chosen  for  our  foreseen  good  works  ;  nor  would 
“  work  be  work,”  if  in  any  measure  it  needed  the  help  of  grace.’  Reza. 
— (3,4)  They  have  killed,  <fcc.]  The  first  part  comes  nearer  to  thelleb. 
than  to  the  LXX  ;  the  second,  is  plainly  another  tr.,  ‘  and  seems  to  be 
a  better  one,  of  the  Hebrew.’  Randolph.  Scott. 

(1.)  Cast  away.]  1  The  Greek  is  lit.  to  reject,  with  abhorrence,  as  a 
nauseous  potion,  and,  from  the  adjunct,  to  push  away,  cast  off.  Here  it 
must  have  great  force,  and  imply  absolute  and  perpetual  rejection  and 
abandonment.’  Bloomf. 

(2.)  Of  £/tas.l  ‘In  (the  history  of)  Elijah,  where  he,  Seed  Stuart. 
1  This  is  supported  by  classical  examples.’  Bloomf. 

(3.)  Digged  down.]  The  altars  being  of  earth,  says  Slade-,  but,  says 
Bloomf.,  the  word  is  used  of  the  destruction  of  solid  edifices  and  even 
cities,  in  the  SS.  and  classics.  Ed. 

(4.)  Answer.]  ‘  Chrematismos  :  used  (so  Grot.)  of  every  extraordi¬ 
nary  method  by  which  God  makes  his  will  known  to  men.  But  here 
it  has  especial  reference  to  that  still,  small,  oracular  voice,  called  by  the 
Hebrews,  the  bath  qol,  ns  in  I  K.  19:12.  Reserved.]  Grot,  and  h'oppe 
properly  observe,  that  the  verb  is  to  have  a  future  sense;  so  the  Sept, 
bv  the  three,  peril.,  of  the  van  conversive.  Baal.]  The  article  is  fem.,  the 
[228] 


masc.  form  is  general  in  the  O.  T.,  yet  the  fem.  occ.  Hos.  2:8.  Wisd.  1: 
4.  Tob.  1:5.  where,  from  the  Vulg.,  it  seems  the  idol  was  of  both  sexes. 
It  is  commonly  supposed  to  designate  the  sun  and  moon,  but  what  it 
was  is  uncertain.’  Kop.  See  Selden.  ‘  Ros.  remarks,  that  the  image 
was  of  a  bull,  or  female  calf,  or  cow,  the  former  designating  the  sun,  the 
latter  the  moon  :  the  first  worshipped  (so  Abarbanel)  by  the  men,  the 
last  by  the  women.’  Bloomf.  Ed. 

(6.)  And  if,  &c.  Some  reject  this  clause,  but,  as  Bloomf.  shows,  on 
insufficient  authority.  Id. 

V.  7 — 10.  ‘  The  election  ’  here  mentioned,  as  distinct  from  Israel, 

God’s  chosen  people,  (i.  e.  an  election  within  an  election,)  clearly  marks 
the  difference  between  an  election  of  a  people  to  special  external  privi¬ 
leges,  and  a  personal  choice  of  individuals  to  eternal  life  :  and  it  re¬ 
futes  unanswerably  the  reasonings  of  those,  who  would  confine  all  these 
Scriptures  to  the  former  kind  of  election,  and  exclude  the  latter.  O — q. 
— This  judicial  blindness  of  the  enemies  of  Christ,  had  been  clearly  fore¬ 
told  ;  and  might  have  been  previously  expected.  Deut.  29:4.  Ps.  69: 
22 — 28.  Is.  6:9,  10.  29:9 — 12.  Acts  1:20 — 22.  These  Scriptures  have 
already  been  explained  in  this  sense  ;  but  we  may  add,  on  the  version 
here  given  of  David’s  words,  that  the  provision  made  for  the  souls  of 
the  Jews  (as  well  as  their  temporal  plenty),  was,  in  righteous  judgment, 
made  the  occasion  of  their  being  more  deeply  ensnared  in  guilt,  and 
sinking  under  more  dreadful  condemnation,  as  the  recompense  of  their 
unbelief ;  till  at  length  they  were  totally  blinded,  and  given  up  as  slaves 
to  the  oppression  of  their  enemies,  to  be  bowed  down  |cut,  page  34,  Vol. 
III.]  continually  with  the  heavy  burdens  laid  on  them  ;  an  emblem  of 
their  base  and  ruinous  bondage  to  sin  and  Satan.  Lev.  26:31 — 45.  Deut. 
28:15 — 68.  Dan.  9:25 — 27.  Mat.  21:40— 44.  23:29—36.  27:24,25.  Acts 
3  22,  23.  7:51—53.  1  Thes.  2:13— 16.— (8)  God  hath  given,  Ac.]  ‘  This 
by  no  means  implies,  that  God  infuses  any  new  viciousness  ;  but  that 
lie,  as  a  just  Judge,  delivers  up  those,  who  are  destitute  of  his  grace, 
onto  Satan,  and  to  their  own  lusts,  to  be  more  and  more  blinded.’  Beza. 
This  venerable  reformer  certainly  adopts,  what  is  generally  called  the 
supraUpsarion  doctrine;  and  ventures  on  expressions,  which,  few  mod- 


A.  D.  61. 


ROMANS,  XI. 


The  reception  of  the  Gentiles. 


9  And  David  saith,  Let  1  their 
table  be  made  a  snare,  and  a  trap, 
and  a  stumbling-block,  and  a  re¬ 
compense  unto  them  : 

10  Let  their  eyes  be  darkened, 
that  they  may  not  see,  and  bow 
down  their  back  alway. 

11  I  say  then,  Have  they  stum¬ 
bled  that  they  should  Lai  1  ?  God 
forbid  :  but  rather  through  their 
fall  salvation  is  come  unto  the 

Gentiles,  for  to  provoke  them  to 
jealousy. 

12  Now  if  the  fall  of  them  he  the 
riches  of  the  world,  and  the  “dimin¬ 
ishing  of  them  the  riches  of  the 
Gentiles,  how  much  more  their 
fulness  ? 

13  For  I  speak  to  you  Gentiles, 
inasmuch  as  I  0  am  the  apostle  of 
the  Gentiles,  I  magnify  mine  office  ; 

14  If  by  any  means  I  may  pro¬ 
voke  to  emulation  them  which  are 
my  flesh,  and  might  save  p  some 
of  them. 

15  For  if  the  casting  away  of 
them  he  the  reconciling  of  the 
world,  what  shall  the  receiving  of 
them  be,  but  life  from  the  dead  ? 

1  Ps.69;22,23.  n  or ,  decay,  or,  1:16.  Ep.  3:8. 

m  Ac.  13.46.  23:  loss.  p  1  Co.  7:16. 

24—28.  c.  10:19.  o  Ac.  9:15. 

II.  Another  tiling  which  qualified  this 
doctrine  of  the  rejection  of  the  Jews,  was, 
that  though  they  were  castoff  and  unchurch¬ 
ed,  vet  the  Gentiles  were  taken  in,  v.  11 — 
14.  which  he  applies  by  way  of  caution  to 
the  Gentiles,  7>.  17 — 22. 

1.  The  rejection  of  the  Jews  made  room 
for  the  reception  of  the  Gentiles,  v.  11. 
Not  but  that  salvation  might  have  come  to 
the  Gentiles  if  they  had  stood  ;  but  by  the 
divine  appointment  it  was  so  ordered,  that 
the  Gospel  should  be  preached  to  the  Gen¬ 
tiles,  on  the  Jews’  refusal  of  it.  Thus  in 
the  parable,  Mat.  22:8,9.  Luke  14:  21. 
And  so  in  the  history,  Acts  13:46.  18:6. 
The  fall  of  them,  v.  12.  hastened  the  Gos¬ 
pel  so  much  the  sooner  into  the  Gentile 
world  ;  which  was  its  greatest  riches,  bet¬ 
ter  than  thousands  of  gold  and  silver.  Or, 
The  riches  of  the  Gentiles  was  the  multi¬ 
tude  of  converts  among  them.  True  believ¬ 
ers  are  God’s  jewels.  To  the  same  purport, 
v.  15.  The  casting  away  of  them  is  the  re¬ 
conciling  of  the  world.  God’s  displeasure 
toward  them  made  way  for  his  favor  toward 
the  Gentiles.  God  was  in  Christ  recon¬ 
ciling  the  world,  2  Cor.  5:19. 

2.  The  use  he  makes  of  this. 


(1.)  As  a  kinsman  to  the  Jews,  here  is 
a  word  of  excitement  and  exhortation  to 
them  ;  to  stir  them  up  to  receive  and  em¬ 
brace  the  gospel-offer.  This  God  intended 
in  his  favor  to  the  Gentiles,  to  provoke  the 
Jews  to  jealousy,  v.  11.  and  Paul  endeavors 
to  enforce  it  accordingly,  i>.  14.  See  an  in¬ 
stance  of  such  an  emulation  in  Esau,  Gen. 
2S:6 — 9.  There  is  a  commendable  emulation 
in  the  affairs  of  our  souls  :  why  should  not 
we  be  as  holy  and  happy  as  any  of  our 
neighbors'!  In  this  emulation  there  needs 
no  suspicion,  undermining,  or  countermin¬ 
ing  ;  for  the  church  hath  room  enough,  and 
the  new  covenant  grace  and  comfort  enough, 
for  us  all.  The  blessings  are  not  lessened 
by  the  multitude  of  the  sharers.  See  what 
was  Paul’s  business,  to  save  souls  ;  and  yet 
the  utmost  he  promises  himself  is  but  to  save 
some  :  though  he  were  such  a  powerful 
preacher,  and  spoke  and  wrote  with  such 
evidence  and  demonstration  of  the  Spirit. 
Ministers  must  think  their  pains  well  be¬ 
stowed,  if  they  can  but  be  instrumental  to 
save  some. 

(2.)  As  an  apostle  to  the  Gentiles,  here 
is  a  word  of  caution  for  them  :  take  heed, 
you  Gentiles,  believing  Romans,  lest  you  do 
anything  to  forfeit  it.  Paul  takes  this,  as 
other  occasions,  to  apply  his  discourse  to 
the  Gentiles,  because  he  was  the  apostle  of 
the  Gentiles,  Acts  22:21.  compare  Acts  9: 
15.  It  was  likewise  the  intention  of  his 
ordination,  Gal.  2:9.  Comp.  Acts  13:  2. 
we  must  particularly  mind  our  own  work. 
I  magnify  mine  office.  There  were  those 
that  vilified  it,  and  him  because  of  it  :  for 
this  the  Jews  were  so  outrageous  against 
him,  Acts  22:21,  22.  It  is  a  sign  of  true 
love  to  Jesus  Christ,  to  reckon  that  service 
and  work  for  Him  truly  honorable,  which 
the  world  looks  upon  with  scorn,  as  mean 
and  contemptible.  The  office  of  the  minis¬ 
try  is  an  office  to' be  magnified.  Mine  office, 
— my  ministry,  my  service,  not  my  lordship 
and  dominion.  It  was  not  the  dignity  and 
power,  but  the  duty  and  work  of  an  apostle, 
that  Paul  was  so  much  in  love  with. 

Two  things  he  exhorts  the  Gentiles  to, 
with  reference  to  the  rejected  Jews.  [1.] 
To  respect  the  Jews,  notwithstanding,  and 
to  desire  their  conversion.  This  is  intima¬ 
ted  in  the  prospect  he  gives  them  of  the  ad¬ 
vantage  that  would  accrue  to  the  church  by 
their  conversion,  v.  12,  15.  [2.]  To  take 

heed  to  themselves,  lest  they  also  should 
stumble  and  fall,  v.  17 — 22.  Where  observe, 

1st.  The  privilege  the  Gentiles  had  by  be¬ 
ing  taken  into  the  church.  They  were  grafted 
in,  v.  17.  as  a  branch  of  a  wild  olive  into  a 
good  olive.  It  is  applicable  to  a  saving 
union  with  Christ  ;  all  that  are  by  a  lively 
faith  grafted  into  Christ,  partake  of  Him  as 
the  branches  from  the  root  ;  receive  from 
his  fulness.  But  it  is  here  spoken  of  as  a 


visible  church-membership,  from  which  the 
Jews  were  as  branches  broken  off  ;  and  so 
the  Gentiles  were  grafted  in,  among  them 
that  continued,  or  in  the.  room  of  them  that 
were  broken  off,  and  partake  of  the  same 
privileges  the  Jews  did,  the  root  and  fatness. 
The  olive-tree  is  the  visible  church,  called 
so,  Jer.  11:  16.  the  root  was  Abraham;  not 
the  root  of  communication,  so,  Christ  only 
is  the  Root  ;  but  the  root  of  administration, 
he  being  the  first  with  whom  the  covenant 
was  so  solemnly  made.  Now  the  believing 
Gentiles  partake  of  this  root,  Luke  19:9. 
Gal.  3:14.  the  same  fatness  of  the  olive- 
tree,  the  same  for  substance,  special  protec¬ 
tion,  lively  oracles,  means  of  salvation,  a 
standing  ministry,  instituted  ordinances  ; 
and,  among  the  rest,  the  visible  church-mem¬ 
bership  of  their  infant  seed,  which  was  part 
of  the  fatness  of  the  olive-tree  that  the  Jews 
had,  and  cannot  be  imagined  to  be  denied 
to  the  Gentiles. 

2dly.  A  caution  not  to  abuse  these  privi¬ 
leges.  1.  ‘Be  not  proud,  vs.  18,  19.  Do 
not  therefore  trample  on  the  Jews  as  a  re¬ 
probate  people,  nor  insult  over  them  that 
are  broken  off,  much  less  over  those  that  do 
continue.’  Grace  is  given,  not  to  make  us 
proud,  but  to  make  us  thankful.  The  law 
of  faith  excludes  all  boasting,  either  of  our¬ 
selves  or  against  others.  ‘  But  remember, 
thou  bearest  not  the  root,  but  the  root  thee  ; 
though  thou  art  grafted  in,  thou  art  still  but  a 
branch  borne  by  the  root  ;  nay,  and  an  en¬ 
grafted  branch,  brought  into  the  good  olive 
contrary  to  nature,  v.  24.  not  free-born,  but  by 
an  act  of  grace  enfranchised  and  naturalized.’ 
2.  ‘  Be  not  secure,  v.  20.  Be  not  too  confident 
°f  )  our  own  strengtft  and  standing.’  A  holy 
fear  is  an  excellent  preservative  against  high¬ 
mindedness  :  happy  is  the  man  that  thus  fear- 
eth  always.  The  church  of  Rome  now  boasts 
of  a  patent  of  perpetual  preservation  ;  but 
the  apostle  here,  in  his  epistle  to  that  church 
when  she  was  in  her  infancy  and  integrity, 
enters  an  express  caveat  against  that  boast, 
and  all  claims  of  that  kind.  But  fear, — 
what  1  ‘  Why,  lest  thou  commit  a  forfeiture, 
as  they  have  ;  lest  thou  lose  the  privileges 
thou  now  enjoyest,  as  they  have  lost  theirs.’ 

Consider,  (1.)  ‘  How  they  were  broken 
off.  It  was  not  undeservedly,  by  an  act  of 
absolute  sovereignty  and  prerogative,  but 
because  of  unbelief .’  It  seems,  then,  it  is 
possible  for  churches  that  have  long  stood 
by  faith,  to  fall  into  such  a  state  of  infideli¬ 
ty  as  may  be  their  ruin.  Further,  observe, 
they  were  natural  branches,  v.  21.  not  only 
interested  in  Abraham’s  covenant,  but  de¬ 
scending  from  Abraham’s  loins  ;  and  so 
born  on  the  promises,  and  thence  had  a  kind 
of  tenant-right  :  yet  when  they  sunk  into 
unbelief,  God  did  not  spare  them ;  called 
here  severity,  v.  22.  a  word  that  sounds 
harsh  ;  and  I  do  not  remember  it  anywhere 


era  Calvinists  (as  they  are  called)  would  subscribe;  yet  lie  by  no  means 
admits  those  consequences,  which  numbers,  who  ‘  speak  evil  of  what 
they  understand  not,’  indiscriminately  charge  on  all  who  hold  the  doc¬ 
trine  of  personal  election  to  eternal  life.  Ex.  4:21.  2Thes.2:8 — 12.  The 
apostle  seems  to  have  given  the  sense  of  the  several  prophecies  to  this 
effect  referred  to,  rather  than  the  exact  words  from  the  Sept.,  or  a  lit.  tr. 
from  the  Heb.  ‘  The  Sept.,  after  the  usual  way  of  this  tr.,  puts  the  op¬ 
tative,’  (or  rather,  the  imperative,)  ‘  for  what  is,  in  the  Heb.,  the  future.’ 
Randolph.  This  is,  1  apprehend,  often  done  very  improperly  ;  but  here 
tiie  context  requires  it;  as  several  verbs,  in  the  same  passage,  are  im¬ 
perative.  Ps.  69.22 — 28.  Scott. 

(7,8.)  Seeketh..]  ‘Sought.  Election.]  Elect  ..  Eyes  that  see  not, 
ears  that  hear  not.’  St.  Blinded.]  1  The  best  cointrs.,  both  ancient  and 
modern,  are  agreed,  that  this  [epOrothjsnn],  like  many  other  passive 
verbs,  must  haven  reciprocal  sense  ;  as  in  John  12:40.  So  Grot,  indu- 
ruerunt ;  i.  e.  with  their  prejudices,  adds  Ros.  The  verb  property  sig¬ 
nifies,  calto  obducere  [to  cover  over  with  callosity],  and  [the  passive]  is 
therefore  used  to  denote  being- fat,  stupid,  and  also  blind-,  and  since, 
in  these  cases,  the  natural  sense  is  either  lost  or  weakened,  the  word 
comes  to  denote  being  (as  we  say)  callous  to  any  sense  or  virtue,  har¬ 
dened  in  conscience,  and  consequently  vicious  in  conduct.  The  quota¬ 
tion,  v.  8.  is  made  up  from  Is.  29:10.  G:  10.  and  Deut.  29:3.  Slumber. ] 

I.  e.  (so  the  Gr.)  a  state  of  mind  stupid,  and  destitute  of  all  sense  of  good 

and  evil ;  God  permitting.’  So  Kop.  IIloomf. 

(9.)  ‘A  snare  to  catch  them,  and  an  occasion  of  falling.’  Stuart. 

V.  11 — 15.  For  this  [in  order  to  acknowledge  in  one  full  body  their  long 
despised  Messiah]  they  [the  Jews]  have  ever  since  been  preserved  a 
distinct  people,  almost  by  a  continued  miracle  :  Num.  23:9.  Jer.  30:10, 

II.  and  as  their  conversion  will  fulfil  so  very  many  ancient  prophecies 


concerning  their  restoration,  and  will  probably  be  effected  by  the  fulfil¬ 
ment  of  many  other  prophecies  ;  so  it  will  doubless  exceedingly  conduce 
to  the  conversion  of  the  remaining  heathen  nations.  Lev.  26 '-40-42.  Deut. 
4:29—31.  30:1—10.  [s.  11:11— 16.  63:15-19.  64:  Jer.  32:39— 41.  Ez.  34: 


23—31.  33:25-27,  31.  37:25—28.  39:23 — 29.  Hos.Z-A,5.  Joel  3:9—21. 
Am.  9:13—15.  Mic.  5:7—9.  7:18—20.  Zeph.  3:14—17.  Zech.  8:20—23. 
10:5 — 12.  12:G — 14. — The  English  word  ‘  provoke,’  being  now  fixed  ill 
common  use  to  the  idea  of  exciting  indignation,  is  very  apt  to  perplex 
the  reader’s  mind,  and  to  prevent  his  clearly  seeing,  that  the  apostle 
spoke  of  exciting  them  to  holy,  and  not  to  unholy  passions  ;  the  latter 
indeed  was  generally  the  event  of  his  conduct,  but  contrary  to  his  inten¬ 
tions.  IJeb.  10:23 — 25. — This  event  [the  restoration]  will  accomplish  so 
many  prophecies,  in  so  open  and  signal  a  manner,  that  infidelity  in  eve¬ 
ry  form  must  be  finally  confuted  and  silenced  ;  and  the  attention  of  the 
most  heedless  must  be  excited  to  the  astonishing  display  of  the  power 
of  God,  in  performing  his  Word  :  and,  ns  ‘He  delighteth  in  mercy,’  He 
will  effectually  concur  with  these  impressions,  by  pouring  out  bis  Holy 
Spirit  to  convert  the  nations,  and  to  render  genuine  Christianity  univer¬ 
sally  triumphant ;  probably  to  a  very  great  degree  by  ministers  and  mis¬ 
sionaries  of  converted  Israel.  Rev.  19:11 — 21.  20:1 — 6.  Scott. 

(11.)  ‘  Stumbled,  so  as  utterly  to  fall.  Jealousy .]  Emulation.’  St. 

(12.)  Bloomf.  says,  ‘  the  best  interpreters,  ancient  and  modern,  think, 
there  is  here  no  allusion  to  any  future  return  in  a  visible  nud  remarkable 
manner  to  their  own  land,  but  only  to  their  final  admission  into  the 
church  of  Christ,  by  faith  and  repentance’:  but  refers  to  IVhitby  anil 
Duddr.,  who  ably  maintain  the  common  opinion. 

(15,16.)  For  if]  1  If  theD.  For  if,  &c.)  If,  moreover,  the  first- 
fruits  were  holy,  so  shall  the  mass  be;  and  if  the  root  be  holy,  so  will 
be  the  branches.’  St.  See  Hodge,  pp.  467,  468.  ‘  The  spirit  of  Ebion 

[229] 


A.  D.  61. 


ROMANS,  XI. 


Caution  to  the  Gentiles. 


16  For  if  “Uhe  first-fruit  be  holy, 
the  lump  is  also  holy  :  and  if  the 
root  be  holy,  so  are  the  branches. 

17  And  if  some  of  the  branches 
rbe  broken  off,  and  thou,  ‘being 
a  wild  olive-tree,  wert  graffed  in 
*  among  them,  and  with  them  par- 
takest  of  the  root  and  fatness  of 
the  olive-tree  ; 

IS  Boast  “not  against  the  branch¬ 
es.  But  if  thou  boast,  thou  bearest 
not  the  root,  but  the  root  thee. 

19  Thou  wilt  say  then,  The 
branches  were  broken  off,  that  I 
might  be  graffed  in. 

20  Well  ;  because  of  unbelief 
they  were  broken  off ;  and  thou 
standest  by  faith.  Be  not  high- 
minded,  but  T  fear  : 

21  For  if  God  spared  not  the 
natural  branches,  take  heed  lest  he 
also  spare  not  thee. 

22  Behold  therefore  the  goodness 
and  severity  of  God  ;  on  them 
which  fell,  severity;  but  towards 
thee,  goodness  ;  w  if  thou  continue 
in  his  goodness  :  otherwise  thou 
x  also  slialt  be  cut  off. 

23  And  they  also,  if  ?  they  abide 
not  still  in  unbelief,  shall  be  gratfed 
in  :  for  God  is  able  to  graft'  them 


in  again. 

24  For  if  thou  wert  cut  out  of 
the  olive-tree  which  is  wild  by  na¬ 
ture,  and  wert  graffed  contrary  to 
nature  into  a  good  olive-tree  ;  how 
much  more  shall  these,  which  be 
the  natural  branches,  be  grafted  into 
their  own  olive-tree  ? 


q  Le.  23:10.  Nil. 

15:18—21. 
r  Je.  11:18. 

B  Ep.  2:12,  13. 


t  or,  for. 
u  I  Co.  10:12. 
v  Phi.  2:12. 
wHe.  3:6,  1-1. 


10:23,38. 
x  Jr,.  15:2. 
y  2  Co.  3:16. 


else  in  Scripture  ascribed  to  God  ;  and 
here  applied  to  the  unchurching  of  the 
Jews.  God  is  most  severe  toward  those 
that  have  been  in  profession  nearest  to  Him, 
if  they  rebel  against  Him,  Amos  3:2.  Pa¬ 
tience,  and  privileges  abused,  turn  to  the 
greatest  wrath.  Of  all  judgments,  spiritual 
judgments  are  the  sorest  ;  for  of  those  he  is 
here  speaking,  v.  8. 

(2.)  ‘  How  thou  standest  ;  thou  that  art 
engrafted  in.’  He  speaks  to  the  Gentile 


churches  in  general;  though  perhaps  tacitly 
reflecting  on  some  particular  person,  who 
might  have  expressed  some  such  pride  and 
triumph  in  the  Jews’  rejection.  ‘  Consider 
then,  [1.]  By  what  means  thou  standest  ; 
by  faith,  a  depending  grace,  and  not  in  any 
strength  of  thine  own,  of  which  thou  mightest 
be  confident.’  [2.]  ‘  On  what  terms,  v.  22. 
continuing  in  a  dependence  on,  and  compli¬ 
ance  with,  the  free  grace  of  God,  the  want 
of  which  ruined  the  Jews  ;  if  thou  be  care¬ 
ful  lo  keep  up  thine  interest  in  the  divine  fa¬ 
vor,  by  being  continually  careful  to  please 
God,  and  fearful  of  offending  Him.’  The 
sum  of  our  duty,  the  condifion  of  our  happi¬ 
ness,  is,  to  keep  ourselves  fn  the  love  of  God. 
Fear  the  Lord  and  his  goodness,  Hos.  3:  5. 

III.  Another  thing  that  qualifies  this  doc¬ 
trine,  is,  that  the  rejection  is  not  final  ;  but 
when  the  fulness  of  time  is  come,  the  Jews 
will  be  taken  in  again.  Observe, 

1.  How  this  conversion  of  the  Jews  is 
here  described,  (1.)  As  their  fulness,  v.  12. 
i.  e.  the  addition  of  them  to  the  church,  the 
filling  up  again  of  that  place  which  became 
vacant- by  their  rejection.  (2.)  As  the  re¬ 
ceiving  of  them.  The  conversion  of  a  soul 
is  the  receiving  of  that  soul,  so  of  a  nation. 
Christ’s  arms  are  stretched  out  to  receive  all 
that  will  come  to  Him.  And  this  will  be  as 
life  from  the  dead;  so  strange  and  surprising, 
and  yet  withal  so  welcome  and  acceptable. 
(3.)  As  the  grafting  of  them  in  again,  v.  23. 
into  the  church,  from  which  they  had  been 
broken  off.  That  which  is  grafted  in,  receives 
sap  and  virtue  from  the  root;  so  does  a  soul, 
truly  grafted  into  the  church,  from  Christ 
the  quickening  Root.  They  shall  be  grafted 
into  their  own  olive-tree,  v.  24.  i.  e.  into  the 
church,  of  which  formerly  they  had  been  the 
most  eminent  and  conspicuous  members. 
(4.)  As  the  saving  of  all  Israel,  v.  26.  True 
conversion  may  well  be  called  salvation;  it 
is  salvation  begun.  See  Acts  2:47. 

2.  What  it  is  grounded  upon,  and  what 
reason  we  have  to  look  for  it. 

(1.)  Because  of  the  holiness  of  the  first- 
fruits  and  the  rout,v.  16.  Some,  by  first- 
fruits,  understand  those  Jews  already  con¬ 
verted  to  the  faith  of  Christ,  and  received 
into  the  church  ;  which  were,  as  the  first- 
fruits,  dedicated  to  God,  as  earnests  of  a 
more  plentiful  and  sanctified  harvest.  Oth¬ 
ers,  by  the  first-fruits,  understand  the  same 
with  the  root,  the  patriarchs,  Abraham, 
Isaac,  and  Jacob,  from  whom  the  Jews  de¬ 
scended,  and  with  whom,  as  the  prime  trus¬ 
tees,  the  covenant  was  deposited  :  and  so 
they  were  the  root  of  the  Jews,  not  only  as 
a  people,  but  as  a  church.  Holy,  is  not 


meant  so  much  of  inherent  as  of  federal  ho¬ 
liness  ;  the  Jew’s  are  in  a  sense  a  holy  na¬ 
tion,  Ex.  19:6.  being  descended  from  holy 
parents.  Now  it  cannot  be  imagined,  that 
such  a  holv  nation  should  be  totally  and  final¬ 
ly  cast  off.  This  proves,  that  the  seed  of 
believers,  as  such,  are  within  the  pale  of  the 
visible  church,  and  verge  of  the  covenant,  till 
they  do,  by  their  unbelief,  throw  themselves 
out ;  for  if  the  root  be  holy,  so  are  the  branches. 
Though  real  qualifications  are  not  propagat¬ 
ed,  yet  relative  privileges  are.  Look  how 
they  will  answer  it  another  day,  that  cut  off 
the  entail,  by  turning  the  seed  of  the  faithful 
out  of  the  church,  and  so  [in  so  far]  not  allow¬ 
ing  the  blessing  of  Abraham  to  come  on  the 
Gentiles.  The  Jewish  branches  are  reck¬ 
oned  holy,  because  the  root  was  so.  This  is 
expressed  more  plainly,  v.  28.  In  this  love 
to  the  fathers,  the  first  foundation  of  their 
church-state  was  laid,  Dent.  4:37.  And  the 
same  love  would  revive  their  privileges,  for 
still  the  ancient  loving-kindness  is  remem¬ 
bered  ;  they  are  beloved  for  the  fathers’  sakes. 
It  is  God’s  usual  method  of  grace.  Kind¬ 
ness  to  the  children  for  the  father’s  sake,  is 
therefore  called  the  kindness  of  God,  2  S.  9: 
3,  7.  Though,  as  concerning  the  Gospel, 
i.  e.  in  the  present  dispensation  of  it,  they 
are  enemies  to  it  for  your  sakes,  for  the  sake 
of  the  Gentiles,  against  whom  they  have  such 
an  antipathy;  yet  when  God’s  time  is  come, 
that  will  wear  off,  and  God’s  love  to  their 
fathers  will  be  remembered.  See  a  promise 
that  points  at  this,  Lev.  26:  42.  Many  fare 
the  better  for  the  sake  of  their  godly  ances¬ 
tors.  On  this  account,  the  church  is  called 
their  own  olive-tree.  That  which  hath  been 
may  be  again.  Though  particular  persons 
and  generations  wear  off  in  unbelief,  yet 
there  having  been  a  national  church  member¬ 
ship,  though  for  the  present  suspended,  we 
tnay  expect  it  will  be  revived  again. 

(2.)  Because  of  the  power  of  God,  v.  23. 
The  conversion  of  souls  is  a  work  of  al¬ 
mighty  power  ;  and  when  they  seem  most 
hardened,  and  blinded,  and  obstinate,  our 
comfort  is,  that  God  is  able  to  work  a 
change,  able  to  graft  those  in,  that  have  been 
long  cast  out  and  withered.  The  condition 
of  their  restoration  is,  faith  ;  If  they  abide 
not  still  in  unbelief :  nothing  is  to  be  done 
but  to  remove  that  unbelief,  and  God  is  able 
to  take  that  away,  though  nothing  less  than 
an  almighty  power  will  do  it  ;  the  same 
power  that  raised  up  Christ  from  the  dead, 
Eph.  1:  19,  20.  Otherwise,  can  these  dry 
bones  live  1 

(3.)  Because  of  the  grace  of  God  mani¬ 
fested  to  the  Gentiles.  Those  that  have 


was  now  working  among  the  Jews,  as  well  as  that  of  Marcion  among 
the  Gentiles  :  against  both  the  apostles  had  strenuously  to  contend  ;  and 
these  remarks  tend  to  prevent  a  separation  of  Christian  Jews  and  Gen¬ 
tiles,  because  the  former  were  addicted  to  the  rites  of  the  law.  So  dif¬ 
ficult  is  it  to  preserve  a  medium.’  Grotius.  Ed. 

V.  1G— 21.  The  attentive  reader  will  readily  perceive,  that  relative  ho¬ 
liness,  or  consecration  to  God,  is  here  exclusively  meant.  Abraham  was, 
as  it  were,  the  root  of  the  visible  church  in  all  subsequent  ages.  After  Ish- 
mael  and  the  sons  of  Keturah  had  been  broken  off,  the  tree  grew  up  in 
Isaac  ;  then  Esau  being  broken  off,  it  shot  forth  abundance  of  branches,  in 
Jacob  and  his  twelve  sons.  When  any  Gentiles  were  converted,  or  pros¬ 
elyted,  they  were  ‘grafted  into  this  tree,’  by  circumcision,  ns  long  as  the 
legal  dispensation  lasted;  (but  by  baptism  after  the  Christian  dispensa¬ 
tion  entered  ;)  and  they,  with  their  posterity,  were  from  that  time  con¬ 
sidered  as  branches  of  t lie  tree,  a  part  of  the  visible  church  as  springing 
from  Abraham.  Notwithstanding  all  former  rebellions,  the  Jews  were 
the  branches  of  this  tree,  till  as  a  nation  they  rejected  the  Messiah  ; 
(though  the  most  of  the  ten  tribes  had  long  before  been  broken  off;)  but 
after  that,  their  relation  to  Abraham  and  to  God,  was,  as  it  were,  sus¬ 
pended.  They  \^re  broken  off  from  the  olive-tree  in  immense  multi¬ 
tudes;  neither  they,  nor  their  posterity,  any  longer  retained  even  the 
outward  seal  of  the  covenant;  for  circumcision  lost  its  validitv,  and 
baptism  became  the  sign  of  regeneration,  and  ‘  the  seal  of  the  righteous¬ 
ness  of  faith;’  and  they. were,  thenceforth,  deprived  of  the  ordinances 
of  God.  4:9 — 12.  John  15:1 — 5.  At  the  same  time  the  Gentiles  ‘were 
grafted  ’  into  this  tree,  in  their  room  ;  by  professing  faith  in  Christ,  and 
being  baptized  into  his  name,  they  xvere  admitted  into  the  visible  church 
of  God,  and  attained  a  relative  holiness ;  they  were  favored  with  the 
means  of  grace,  and  the  ordinances  of  God,  ‘  for  their  good,  and  that  of 
their  children  after  them,’  as  the  Jews  formerly  had  been ;  and  multi¬ 
tudes,  who  had  been  the  branches  of  the  wild,  ttnfruitftil  olive-tree,  were 
thus  made  heirs  of  Ahrnham’s  faith,  holiness,  and  blessedness.  Gat.  3:20 
— 29.  Heb.  6:16 — 20. — This  [20]  doubtless  refers  to  the  collective  body  of 
professing  Christians,  and  not  to  individual  believers ;  though  the  latter 
are  preserved,  through  humility  aud  holy  fear.  It  hns  also  a  peculiar 

[230] 


prophetic  energy,  when  we  consider  it  as  addressed  to  the  Roman  church) 
which  so  soon  after,  attempting  to  domineer  over  other  churches,  to  be 
the  metropolis  of  the  Christian  world,  and  at  length  to  be  infallible,  fell 
through  pride  and  presumption  ;  till  it  became  ‘  the  mother  of  harlots, 
and  of  abominations  of  the  earth.’  Ren.  17:1 — 6. — It  is  obvious  to  ob¬ 
serve,  that  though  the  illustration  of  grafting,  excellently  suited  the 
apostle’s  purpose,  yet  the  effect,  in  the  case  before  us,  is  the  reverse  of 
that  in  natural  grafting  ;  for  there,  the  good  scion  communicates  its 
changing  efficacy  to  the  [juices  of  the]  wild  stock ;  here,  the  stock  im¬ 
parts  its  efficacy  to  the  corrupt  branches,  which  by  divine  power  are 
grafted  into  it. — The  apostle’s  reasoning,  in  this  place,  strongly  evinces 
the  oneness  of  the  visible  church,  under  every  dispensation  ;  and  the 
change  of  the  initiatory  ordinance  since  the  coming  of  Christ  is  mani¬ 
fest  ;  his  statement  therefore  implies  more  substantial  arguments  in  fa¬ 


vor  of  infant-baptism,  than  has  generally  been  supposed.  Scott. 

(17.)  Among  them .]  ‘  Engrafted  in  their  stead.’  Sr.  It  was  usual 

to  graft  the  olive  with  the  oleaster,  ( wild  olive.)  to  promote  the  fecundity 
of  the  former.  So  Columella.  See  Bl.  Ed. 

(18.)  ‘Glory  not  over  .  ..  thou  dost  not  support.’  Stuart. 

(21.)  *  Then  surely  lie  will  not  spare  thee.’  Id. 


V.  22 — 24.  This  was  spoken  prophetically,  both  respecting  the  apos¬ 
tasy  of  the  Roman  church,  and  the  future  conversion  of  the  Jews.  2 
Th.es.  2:3,  4. — ‘This  “grafting  In  again,”  seems  to  import,  that  the 
Jews  shall  be  a  flourishing  nation  again,  professing  Christianity  in  the 
land  of  promise ;  for  that  is  to  be  reinstated  again  in  the  promise  made 
to  Abraham,  Isaac,  and  Jacob.  This,  Paul  might,  for  good  reasons,  be 
withheld  from  speaking  out  here;  but  in  the  prophets  there  are  very 
plain  intimations  of  it.’  Locke.  Scott. 

(22.)  ‘  Severity  toward  them  who  have  fallen  away  . .  .  provided  thou 
dost  abide  in  his  kindness.’  St.  ‘Remain  in  that  state  in  which  thou 
hast  been  placed  by  the  benignity  of  God,  through  faith  in  Christ,  by 
which  this  benignity  is  retained.  Beza,  Vorst.,Grot.  Christians  were  un¬ 
der  no  overruling  necessity  of  persevering  in  their  state  of  grace.’  Slade. 
Bl.  So  Scott.  —  ‘if  in  humble  birth  they  received,  and  lived  in  perse¬ 
vering  dependence  on,  the  grace  of  the  Gospel.’  Ed. 


A.  D.  61. 


ROMANS,  XI. 


Caution  to  the  Gentiles. 


25  For  I  would  not,  brethren, 
that  ye  should  be  ignorant  of  this 
mystery,  lest  ye  should  be  wise  in 
your  own  conceits,  that  1  blindness 
in  part*  is  happened  to  Israel,  un¬ 
til  the  fulness  b  of  the  Gentiles  be 
come  irfl* 

26  And  so  all  Israel  shall  be 
saved  :  as  it  is  written,  c  There 
shall  come  out  of  Sion  the  Deliv¬ 
erer,  and  shall  turn  away  ungodli¬ 
ness  from  Jacob  : 

27  For  d  this  is  my  covenant  unto 
them,  when  I  shall  take  away  their 
sins. 

28  As  concerning  the  gospel, 
they  are  enemies  for  your  sakes  : 
but  as  touching  the  election,  they 
are  beloved  e  for  the  fathers’  sakes. 

29  For  the  gifts  and  calling  of 
God  are  without  f  repentance. 

30  For  as  ye  in  times  s  past  have 
not  believed  God,  yet  have  now 
obtained  mercy  through  their  un¬ 
belief  : 

31  Even  so  have  these  also  now 
not  h  believed,  that  through  your 
mercy  they  also  may  obtain  mercy. 

z  or,  hardness.  d  J<?.  31:31,4c.  f  Nu.  23:19. 
a  ver.7.  2Co.3:14.  He.  10:16.  g  Ep.  2:2. 

b  Lu.  21:24.  e  De.  10:15.  h  ur,  obeyed. 

c  I  a.  59:20. 


themselves  experienced  the  grace  of  God, 
preventing,  distinguishing  grace,  may  from 
thence  take  encouragement  to  hope  well  con¬ 
cerning  others.  This  is  his  argument,!).  24. 
and  a  suggestion  very  proper  to  check  the 
insolence  of  (hose  Gentile  Christians,  that 
looked  with  disdain  and  triumph  on  the  con¬ 
dition  of  the  rejected  Jews,  and  trampled  on 
them  ;  as  if  he  had  said,  ‘  Their  condition, 
had  as  it  is,  is  not  so  bad  as  yours  was,  be¬ 
fore  your  conversion ;  therefore  why  may  it 
not  be  made  as  good  as  yours  is  1  ’  This  is 
his  argument,  v.  30,  31.  It  is  good  for  those 
that  have  found  mercy  with  God,  to  be  often 


thinking  what  they  were  in  time  past,  and 
how  they  obtained  that  .mercy.  Further, 
‘  You  have,  obtained  mercy  through  their  unbe¬ 
lief  ;  much  more  shall  they  obtain  mercy 
through  your  mercy,  that  they  may  be  be¬ 
holden  to  you,  as  you  have  been  to  them.’ 
He  takes  it  for  granted,  that  the  believing 
Gentiles  would  do  their  utmost  endeavor  to 
work  on  the  Jews;  that  when  God  had  per¬ 
suaded  Japhet,  he  would  be  laboring  to  per¬ 
suade  Shem.  True  grace  hates  monopolies. 

(4.)  Because  of  the  promises  and  proph¬ 
ecies  of  the  O.  T.,  which  point  at  this.  He 
quotes  a  very  remarkable  one,  v.  26.  from 
Is.  69:20,  21.  Where  observe,  [1.]  The 
coming  of  Christ  promised  ;  in  Isaiah  He 
is  called  the  Redeemer  ;  here  the  Deliverer. 
[2.]  Its  end  and  purpose.  Christ’s  errand 
into  the  world  was  to  turn  away  ungodliness, 
especially  from  Jacob;  which  is  that  for  the 
sake  of  which  Paul  quotes  the  text,  as  a 
proof  of  the  great  kindness  God  intended  for 
the  seed  of  Jacob.  In  Is.  it  is,  The  Redeem¬ 
er  shall  come  to  Zion,  and  unto  them  that  turn 
from  transgression  in  Jacob :  which  shows 
who  in  Zion  were  to  share  in,  and  to  reap 
benefit  by,  the.  deliverance  promised  those, 
and  those  only,  that  leave  their  sins,  and 
turn  to  God  ;  to  them  Christ  comes  as  a 
Redeemer,  but  as  an  Avenger  to  them  that 
persist  in  impenitence.  See  Deut.  30:2,  3. 
Those  that  turn  from  sin,  will  be  owned  as 
the  true  citizens  of  Zion,  Eph.  2:  19.  the 
right  Jacob,  Ps.  24:  4,  6.  Putting  both  these 
readings  together,  we  learn,  that  none  have 
an  interest  in  Christ,  but  those  that  turn 
from  their  sins,  nor  can  any  turn  from  their 
sins  but  by  the  strength  of  the  grace  of  Christ. 

For  this  is  my  covenant  with  them  ;  this, 
that  the  Deliverer  shall  come  to  them;  this, 
that  my  Spirit  shall  not  depart  from  them,  as 
it  follows,  Is.  69:21.  The  apostle  adds, 
when  I  shall  take  away  their  sins;  which  some 
think,  refers  to  Is.  27 :  9.  or  only  to  the  fore¬ 
going  words,  to  turn  away  ungodliness.  Par¬ 
don  of  sin,  is  laid  as  the  foundation  of  all 
the  blessings  of  the  new  covenant,  Heb.  8: 
12.  Now  from  all  this,  he  infers,  that  cer¬ 
tainly  God  had  great  mercy  in  store  for  that 
people,  something  answerable  to  the  extent 
of  these  rich  promises  :  and  he  proves  his 


inference,  v.  29.  by  this  truth,  For  the  gifts 
and  callings  of  God  are  without  repentance. 
Repentance  is  sometimes  taken  for  a  change 
of  mind,  and  so,  God  never  repents,  for  He 
is  in  one  mind,  and  who  can  turn  Him  1  A 
change  of  way  is  here  understood.  We  find 
God  repenting  that  He  had  given  man  a  be¬ 
ing,  Gen.  6:6.  and  repenting  that  He  had 
given  a  man  honor  and  power,  1  S.'  15:  11. 
but  never  that  He  had  given  man  grace,  or 
effectually  called  him;  those  gifts,  and  call¬ 
ings,  are  without  repentance. 

3.  The  lime  and  extent  of  this  conversion, 
when  and  where  it  is  to  be  expected.  It  i3 
called  a  mystery,  v.  25.  as  not  obvious,  and 
what  one  would  not  expect  on  the  view  of 
the  present  state  of  that  people  ;  who  ap¬ 
peared  generally  so  obstinate  against  Christ 
and  Christianity,  that  it  was  a  riddle  to  talk 
of  their  unanimous  conversion.  The  con¬ 
version  of  the  Gentiles  is  called  a  mystery, 
Eph.  3:3,  6,  9.  The  case  of  the  rejected 
Jews,  seemed  as  bad  now  as  that  of  the  Gen¬ 
tiles  had  been.  Observe,  (1.)  Their  present 
state  v.  25.  a  remnant  see  the  things  that 
belong  to  their  peace  ;  but  part,  the  far 
greater  part,  are  in  blindness,  v.  7,  8.  To 
the  same  purport,  v.  32.  Shutting  up,  is 
sometimes  put  for  conviction,  as  Gal.  3:22. 
They  all  stand  before  God  convicted  of  un¬ 
belief.  They  would  not  believe;  which  re¬ 
fusal  of  theirs  was,  as  it  were,  entered  on 
record  in  the  court  of  heaven,  and  was  con¬ 
clusive  against  them.  (2.)  When  this  blessed 
change  should  be  ;  when  the  fulness  of  the 
Gentiles  shall  come  in,  when  the  Gospel  has 
had  its  intended  success,  and  made  its  pro¬ 
gress  in  the  Gentile  world  ;  comp.  v.  12. 
The  Jews  shall  continue  in  blindness,  till 
God  hath  performed  his  whole  work  among 
the  Gentiles,  and  then  their  turn  will  come 
next  to  be  remembered.  (3.)  The  extent 
of  it,  v.  26.  He  will  have  mercy  on  all,  v.  32. 
Not  every  individual  person,  but  the  body  of 
the  people.  Not  that  ever  they  should  lie 
restored  to  their  covenant  or  peculiarity 
again,  to  have  their  priesthood  and  temple, 
and  ceremonies  again  ;  but  they  should  be 
brought  to  believe  in  Christ,  the  true  Mes¬ 
siah,  whom  they  crucified,  and  be  incorpo¬ 
rated  in  the  Christian  church,  and  become 


(11 — 24.)  From  these  vs.  we  gather  the  doctrine,  that  ‘all  organized 
communities,  civil  and  ecclesiastical,  have  a  common  responsibility,  a 
moral  personality  in  the  sight  of  God,  and  are  dealt  with  accordingly, 
(in  this  world,  where  alone  their  organized  existence  is)  rewarded  or 
punished  according  to  their  conduct,  as  such.  Witness  the  state  of  the 
Jewish  ami  eastern  churches,  in  consequence  of  theirfalhers’  sins.  Chris¬ 
tians,  then,  should  not  feel  as  though  Ihey  were  isolated  beings,  as  if  each 
one  need  he  concerned  for  himself  alone,  having  no  joint  responsibility 
with  the  community  to  which  he  belongs.  God  will  deal  with  onr 
church  and  country  as  a  whole  [and  terrible  omens  hang  over  11s],  and 
visit  our  sins  upon  those  who  are  to  come  after  us  [as  well  as  ourselves]. 
We  should  feel,  therefore,  that  we  are  one  body,  members  one  of  anoth¬ 
er,  having  common  interests  and  responsibilities.  Wc  ought  ‘  to  weep 
over  [and  labor  to  reform]  the  sins  of  the  community  to  which  we  be¬ 
long,  as  being  in  one  sense,  and  in  many  of  their  consequences,  our  sins.’ 
Hodge,  slightly  varied.  Ed. 

V.  25 — 32.  Perhaps  the  apostle  was  aware,  that  ‘  the  mystery  of  ini¬ 
quity  already  wrought’  in  the  church  at  Rome;  and  therefore  labored 
the  more  to  check  its  fatal  progress.  2  Thes.  2:5 — 7.— In  the  interme¬ 
diate  ages,  immense  numbers  would  be  gathered  into  the  church  ;  but, 
about  the  lime  of  the  last  great  harvest  of  the  nations,  1  the  blindness’ 
will  be  removed  from  Israel,  and  the  nation  saved  from  its  rejected  and 
dispersed  state,  and  be  brought  in  a  body  to  embrace  the  Gospel ;  prob¬ 
ably  it  will  be'restored  to  the  holy  land,  and  most  of  the  Jews  at  least 
will  become  true  believers.  11 — 15. — The  principal  conversion  of  Jews, 
in  the  times  of  the  apostles,  had  taken  place  before  this  epistle  was  writ¬ 
ten;  and  it  is  evident  theconversion  predicted  is  yet  ftilure.-'26, 27)  There 
shall  come,  &c.|  Not  exactly, either  from  the  Sept,  or  thelleb.  ;  vet  the 
general  meaning  is  the  same,  and  the  variation  does  not  at  all  affect  the 
argument.  It  is,  however,  most  evident,  that  the  apostle,  even  when 
writing  to  the  Gentiles,  who  in  general  had  no  copy  of  the  Script  ores  but 
the  Sept.,  did  not  uniformly  quote  from  it.  Is.  59:20,  21.  Scott. 

(25.)  Fulness,  &c.]  The  Ed.  is  at  a  loss  to  conceive,  how  an  atten¬ 
tive  reader  of  the  prophecies  can  come  to  any  other  conclusion,  than  that 
there  is  yet  to  be  a  glorious  restoration  of  the  Jews,  probably  to  their  own 
land,  certainly  to  the  church  and  gospel  privileges  ;  and  this  has  been,  as 
Whitby  shows,  the  constant  doctrine  of  the  church.  Nor  can  this  of 
Paul,  apply  to  aught  else,  than  that,  when  the  heathen  shall  generally 
have  become  Christians  nations,  the  Jews  will  be  converted  also;  for 
‘  though  it  be  true,  that  James  mentions  many  thousands  or  myricuis  of 
Jewish  converts,  all  zealous  of  the  law,  Acts  21:20.  yet  were  they  all 
converted,  nt  or  before  Paul  wrote  this  epistle,  and  so  belonged  only  to 
the  remnant,  according  to  the  election  of  grace  here  mentioned,  not  to 
the  residue  that  were  blinded,  of  whose  conversion  the  apostle  here 
speaks,  v.  12 — 32.  Nor  could  their  conversion  and  salvation  be  a  mys¬ 


tery  to  be  then  revealed  to  the  Gentiles.  That  no  such  conversion,  after 
this  blindness,  happened  to  them,  on  their  seeing  the  abomination  of 
desolation  in  the  holy  place,  (Mat.  24.)  or  soon  after  the  destruction  of 
Jerusalem,  has  been  already  showed  (for  there  was  an  apostasy  rather); 
as  that  Justin  Martyr  says  nothing  of  such  a  remarkable  conversion. 
Nor  do  we  learn  of  any  such  since,  nor  of  any  such  a  fulness  of  con¬ 
verted  Gentiles  as  could  be  called  the  riches  of  the  ivor/d,  v.  12.  When, 
moreover,  has  the  blindness  been  removed  ?  It  evidently  has  not  yet 
ceased.’  Whitby:  who  proves  further,  that  a  double  ‘  fulness  ’  is  mention¬ 
ed  in  theSS.  viz.  (1.)  Their  evangelization,  alluded  to  in  v.  12.  before  the 
destruction  of  Jerusalem,  and  according  to  Christ’s  prediction,  Mat.  24: 
14.  Mark  13:10. — (2.)  A  more  glorious  conversion,  of  those  who  have 
not  embraced,  or  relapsed  from  the  Gospel,  heathens  and  Mahometans  : 
of  which  only  can  we  understand  the  cl.  riches,  &c.  v.  12.  also  what  is 
said,  v.  15,  25.  (3  )  Jerusalem  is  yet  trodden  down,  and  the  Jews  op¬ 

pressed  :  nor  have  yet  come  the  glorious  times  predicted,  I.uke  21:24. 
Ps.  2:8.  Han.  7:4,  27.  2:34,35.  Mic.  5:4.  Zacli.  14:9.  Ps.  72:8.  for  (so 
Brerewood)  dividing  the  known  regions  of  the  world  into  30  equal  parts, 
Christianity  has  5,  Mahomet  6,  Idolatry  19.  Nor  have  wholly  been  ful¬ 
filled  to  Israel,  Is.  54:9,  10.  59:20,  21.  60:15,  18—20.  61:7,  8.  62:4,  12.  65: 
19.  66:22.  Jer.  32:39,  40.  Ez.  34:28,  25.  37:25—27.  39:28,  29.  Am.  9:15. 
After  this  conversion  of  Israel,  I  ivi/l  gather  all  nations,  saith  God,  and 
tongues,  &c.  Is.  55:5.  56:8.  66:18,  22.  Then  all  nations  shall  turn,  and 
fear  the  Lord  truly.  Tob.  13:10,  11.  And  this  I  conceive  to  be  that 
fulness  of  which  Paul  speaks.’  Whitby  :  of  whose  proof  the  above  is 
a  much  abridged  exhibition.  Ed. 

(26.)  So.]  ‘Then.’  St.,  who  omits  to  inclose  v.  20,  27.  in  parenthe¬ 
sis,  but  incloses  from  ‘lest ’to  ‘  conceit,’  inch  Ed.  ‘ Vitr .  supposes 
Paul  connected,  in  his  mind,  Is.  59:20.  with  Ps.  14.  'JJurner  says,  “  the 
prophet  speaks  of  the  Redeemer’s  coming  to  Zion  (itneing  the  centre 
of  national  glory);  this  Paul  denies  not,  but,  equivalently  to  Is.  2:3. 
speaks  of  his  marching,  ns  it  were,  triumphantly  out  of  Zion,  and  sub¬ 
duing  all  opposition.”  Shall  turn, &c.]  The  Sept,  seems  only  to  have  too 
freely  tr.  the  Heb.  here.  “The  general  tenor  of  God’s  covenant  with 
Israel  gave  no  hope  of  deliverance,  after  rejection  and  abandonment,  but 
in  a  way  of  repentance  and  reformation.”  Doddr.  Almost  the  first 
word  of  Christ’s  ministry  was,  repent  !  Mat.  4:14.  and  so  of  John  Bap¬ 
tist.  Mat.  3:2.  So  of  Peter,  Acts  2:38.  Jaspis.'  Bloomf. 

(27.)  For.]  ‘Also.’  Stuart. 

(28.)  ‘  In  respect  to  the  Gospel,  (they  have  become)  enemies  on  your 
account.’  , 

(29.)  ‘  He  will  not  repent  of.’  lD- 

(30,  31.)  ‘For  as  ye  were  formerly  disobedient  to  God,  but,  <*c.  ..  ; 
thus  also  they  have  now  become  disobedient,  so  that  they  may  obtain 
mercy  through  the  mercy  shown  to  you.’  -1 


A.  I).  GL 


'ROMANS,  XI. 


The  wisdom  of  God. 


32  For  God  1  hath  3  concluded 
them  all  in  unbelief,  that  he  might 
have  mercy  upon  all* 

33  O  k  the  depth  of  the  riches 
both  of  the  wisdom  and  knowledge 
of  God  !  How  unsearchable  1  are 
his  judgments,  and  his  ways  past 
finding  out  ! 

34  For  m  who  hath  known  the 
mind  of  the  Lord  ?  or  who  hath 
been  his  counsellor  ? 

35  Or  ■  who  hath  first  given  to 
him,  and  it  shall  be  recompensed 
unto  him  again  ? 

36  For  0  of  him,  and  through 
him,  and  to  him,  are  all  things  :  to 
p  whom  be  glory  for  ever.  Amen. 

i  c.  3:9.  Ga.3:22.  1  Job  11:7. 

j  or ,  shut  them  all  Ps.  92:5. 

up  together.  mis.  40:13.  Je. 
k  Ps.  107:8,  &c.  23:18. 

one  sheep-fold  with  the  Gentiles,  under 
Christ,  the  great  Shepherd. 

But  the  question  is,  concerning  the  accom¬ 
plishment  of  all  this.  [1.]  Some  think,  it 
ts  done  already  ;  when  before,  and  in,  and 
after,  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem  by  the 
Romans,  multitudes  of  the  Jews  were  con¬ 
vinced  of  their  infidelity,  and  turned  Chris¬ 
tians;  and  most  of  this  work,  they  suppose, 
was  done  toward  the  close  of  the  ministry 
of  the  apostles,  when  the  Gentiles  were  gen¬ 
erally  come  in.  [2.]  Olliers  think,  it  is  yet 
to  have  its  accomplishment  toward  the  end 
of  the  world  ;  that  those  Jews  which  yet 
wonderfully  remain  distinct  from  the  rest  of 
the  nations,  shall,  by  the  working  of  the 
Spirit  with  the  Word,  be  convinced  of  their 
sin,  and  brought  generally  to  embrace  the 
Christian  faith,  and  so  to  join  Christian 
churches  ;  which  will  contribute  much  to 
their  strength  and  beauty.  Alas  !  who  shall 
live  when  God  doeth  this  1 

V.  33 — 36.  The  apostle,  having  insisted 
so  largely  on  reconciling  the  rejection  of  the 
Jews  with  the  divine  goodness,  concludes 
here  with  the  acknowledgment  and  admira¬ 
tion  of  the  divine  wisdom  and  sovereignty 
in  all  this  :  with  great  affection  and  awe, 
adoring, 

I.  The  secresy  of  the  divine  counsels;  O 
the  depth  !  in  these  proceedings  toward  the 
Jew's  and  Gentiles;  or,  in  general,  the  whole 
mystery  of  the  Gospel,  which  we  cannot 
fully  comprehend.  Those  that  know  most,  in 
this  state  of  imperfection,  cannot  but  be  most 
sensible  of  their  own  weakness  and  short- 

PRACT.  OBS.  God  never  ‘  casts  away  those,  whom  He  hath  fore¬ 
known,’  and  ‘  predestinated  to  be  conformed  (o  the  image  of  his  Son;’ 
and  if  this  seal  of  conformity  to  Christ  he  affixed  to  our  souls,  we  may 
be  assured  of  his  everlasting  favor,  and  all  the  felicity  which  springs  from 
it.  2  Cor.  1:21,  22.  Eph.  1:13,  14. — The  Lord  overrules  the  fall  and  ruin 
of  some,  to  the  salvation  of  others.  But  what  extensive,  permanent, 
and  most  glorious  effects  may  be  produced,  in  the  whole  creation  of  God, 
through  eternal  ages,  by  the  fall  of  angels  and  men,  by  redemption  in 
Christ,  and  by  the  dispensations  of  God  towards  his  church  and  the 
world,  who  can  tell  ?  However,  a  hint  of  this,  a  glimpse,  as  it  were,  of 
the  invisible  world,  should  remind  us,  that  the  Lord  may  have  ten  thou¬ 
sand  wise  and  gracious  reasons,  for  his  most  severe  and  terrible  judg¬ 
ments,  of  which  we  can  form  no  conception. — We,  the  ministers  of  the 


tween  the  Creator  and  the  creature,  as  for 
ever  excludes  the  thought  of  [our  compre* 
bending  his  mode  of  being  and  thoughts,  in] 
such  an  intimacy  and  familiarity.  The  apos¬ 
tle  makes  the  same  challenge,  1  Cor.  2:  16. 
yet  there  adds,  But  we  have  the  mind  of 
Christ:  which  intimates,  that, through  Christ, 
true  believers,  who  have  his  Sflirit,  know 
so  much  of  the  mind  of  God  as  is  necessary 
to  their  happiness. 

Or  who  has  been  his  counsellor  ?  That  would 
be  like  lighting  a  candle  to  the  sun.  This 
seems  to  refer  to  Is.  40:  13,  14.  It  is  the 
substance  of  God’s  challenge  to  Job,  Job  38: 
and  applicable  to  all  the  methods  of  his 
providence. 

II.  The  sovereignty  of  the  divine  counsels. 
In  all  these  things  God  acts  as  a  free  agent, 
does  what  He  will,  because  He  will,  and 
gives  not  account  of  any  of  his  matters,  Job 
23:  13.  33:13.  yet  there  is  no  unrighteous¬ 
ness  with  Him.  To  clear  which, 

1.  He  challenges  any  to  prove  God  a  debt¬ 
or  to  him,  v.  35.  1  Chr.  29: 14.  If  any  can 
prove  [a  claim  on  God,  or  that  He  is]  their 
debtor,  the  apostle  here  proclaims,  in  God’s 
name,  that  payment  is  ready,  It  shall  be  re¬ 
compensed  to  him  again  >  but  never  any  one 
yet  durst  make  a  demand  of  this  kind,  or 
attempt  to  prove  it.  This  is  here  suggested, 
to  silence  the  clamors  of  the  Jews.  When 
God  took  away  their  visible  church-priv¬ 
ileges  from  them,  He  did  but  take  his  own  : 
and  may  He  not  do  what  He  will  with  his 
own  1 

2.  He  resolves  all  into  the  sovereignty  of 
God,  v.  36.  God  is  all  in  all  ;  especially 
those  things  which  relate  to  our  salvation, 
the  things  that  belong  to  our  peace,  are  all 
of  Him  by  way  of  creation,  through  Him  by 
way  of  providential  influence,  that  they  may 
be  to  Him  in  their  final  tendency  and  result. 
Of  God,  as  the  spring  and  fountain  ;  through 
Christ, God-man, as  the  conveyance;  to  God 
as  the  ultimate  end.  If  all  be  of  Him,  and 
through  Him,  there  is  all  the  reason  in  the 
world,  that  all  should  be  to  Him,  and  for 
Him.  It  is  a  necessary  circulation  ;  if  the 
rivers  receive  their  waters  from  the  sea,  they 
return  them  to  the  sea  again,  Eccl.  1:7. 
And  so  he  concludes  with  a  short  doxology ; 
To  whom  be  glory  for  ever.  Amen.  God’s 
universal  agency  as  the  first  Cause,  the  sov¬ 
ereign  Ruler,  and  the  last  end,  ought  to  be 
the  matter  of  our  adoration. 

He  had  been  discoursing  at  large  of  the 
counsels  of  God  concerning  man,  sifting  the 
point  with  great  accuracy;  but, after  all,  he 
concludes  with  the  acknowledgment  of  the 
divine  sovereignty,  as  that  into  which  all 

Gospel,  however  mean  and  unworthy  in  ourselves,  should  ‘  magnify  our 
office,’  as  conducing  unspeakably  more  to  enrich  and  bless  mankind,  (pro¬ 
vided  it  be  faithfully  executed,)  than  all  arts,  sciences,  commerce,  or  im¬ 
provements  whatever,  unitedly,  ever  have  done,  or  can  do. — Alas  !  how 
has  the  once  flourishing  church  of  Rome  fallen,  by  neglecting  the  apos¬ 
tle’s  caution  !  And  how  many  other  churches,  and  what  an  immense 
number  of  individuals,  have,  in  a  measure,  trodden  the  same  path  ! — As 
pride  is  the  genuine  offspring  of  ignorance,  so  an  enlarged  spiritual 
knowledge  of  the  mysterious  truths  and  dispensations  of  God,  tends  to 

prevent  our  being  ‘wise  in  our  own  conceits.’  _ _ Instead  of  perplexing 

our  minds  about  secret  things,  let  us  walk  in  the  light  the  Lord  has 
graciously  afforded  us.  Scott. 


n  Job  41:11. 
o  1  Co.  8:6.  Col. 
1:16. 
p  Him. 


siglitedness ;  and  that,  after  all  their  searches, 
and  all  their  attainments  in  those  searches, 
while  they  are  here,  they  cannot  order  their 
speech,  by  reason  of  darkness.  Praise  is 
silent  to  Thee,  Ps.  65:1. 

There  is  not  only  depth  in  the  divine  coun¬ 
sels,  but  riches  too;  which  denotes  an  abun¬ 
dance  of  the  precious  and  valuable ;  so  com¬ 
plete  are  the  dimensions  of  the  divine  coun¬ 
sels,  they  have  not  only  depth  and  height, 
but  breadth  and  length,  Eph.  3:  18.  and  that 
passing  knowledge,  v.  19. 

Riches  of  the  wisdom  and  knowledge  of  God , 
His  seeing  by  one  clear,  certain,  and  infal¬ 
lible  view  all  things  that  are,  or  ever  were, 
or  ever  shall  be,  is  his  knowledge.  His  ru¬ 
ling  and  ordering  all  to  his  own  glory,  and 
the  bringing  about  of  his  own  purposes  and 
counsels  in  all,  is  his  wisdom.  And  the  vast 
reach  of  both  these  is  such  a  depth  as  is  past 
our  fathoming,  and  we  may  soon  lose  our¬ 
selves  in  the  contemplation  of  them.  Such 
knowledge  is  too  wonderful  for  me,  Ps.  139:6. 
Comp.  t>.  17,  18. 

How  unsearchable  are  his  judgments  !  i.  e. 
his  counsels  and  purposes:  and  his  ways,  i.e. 
the  execution  of  these  counsels  and  purposes, 
we  know  not  what  He  designs  ;  it  is  past 
finding  out.  This  does  not  only  overturn  all 
our  positive  conclusions  about  the  divine 
counsels,  [and  elective  decrees,]  but  it  also 
checks  all  our  [too]  curious  inquiries.  Se¬ 
cret  things  belong  not  to  us,  Dent.  29:29. 
God’s  way  is  in  the  sea,  Ps.  77: 19.  Comp. 
Job  23:8,9.  Ps.  97:2.  What  He  does, 
we  know  not  now,  Jn.  13:  7.  nor  the  reason, 
see  Job  5:  9.  9:  10.  Our  duty,  blessed  be 
God,  is  plain  and  easy  ;  but  the  ways  of 
Providence  are  dark  and  mysterious,  which 
therefore  we  must  silently  adore  and  ac¬ 
quiesce  in. 

The  apostle  speaks  this  here,  especially 
with  reference  to  that  strange  turn,  the  cast¬ 
ing  off  of  the  Jews,  and  the  entertainment 
of  the  Gentiles,  with  a  purpose  to  take  in  the 
Jews  again  in  due  time;  these  were  strange 
proceedings,  the  choosing  of  some,  the  re¬ 
fusing  of  others,  and  neither  according  to 
the  probabilities  of  human  conjecture.  Even 
so,  Father,  because  it  seemed  good  in  thine 
eyes. 

Past  finding  out, — cannot  be  traced.  God 
leaves  no  prints  or  footsteps  behind  Him  ; 
but  his  paths  of  providence  are  new  every 
morning  ;  He  does  not  go  the  same  way  so 
often,  as  to  make  a  track  of  it.  How  little  a 
portion  is  heard  of  Him  !  Job  26: 14.  It  fol¬ 
lows,  v.  34.  For  who  hath  known  the  mind  of 
the  Lord  ?  There  is  that  vast  distance  and 
disproportion  between  God  and  man,  be- 


(32.)  Concluded.]  ‘  Given  over  all.’  Bl.  1  Sunckleise  :  the  ancient 
commentators,  as  Chrys.,  l’liot.,  <fec.,  also  Glass.,  Carpz.,  Wets.,  dec.  tr. 
hath  convicted  all  of  sin,  proved  them  under  sin,  by  his  law,  as  3:19, 20, 24, 
9.  and  their  merits  to  be  none  at  all.  So  Gal.  3:22.  This  tr.  is  after  the 
Lat.  idiom,  and%nauthorized.  Others,  as  Pise.,  Eng.  Vers.,  and  most 
recent  commentators,  tr.  “has  concluded  or  shut  up  all  (i.  e.  permitted 
it)  to  disobedience,  and  sin  subjected  them  to  Its  control,”  which  shut¬ 
ting  up  one  thing  under  or  to  another  means.  This  tr.  is  safer  :  Locke’s 
and  Macknight’s  are  contrary  to  the  usage  of  the  language,  and  utterly 
inadmissible.’  Bloomf. 

V.  33 — 36.  Paul  had  gone  as  far,  in  unravelling,  illustrating,  and  vin¬ 
dicating,  the  mysterious  purposes  and  decrees  of  God,  as  was  suitable 
or  profitable  ;  yet  he  well  knew,  that  much  darkness  and  difficulty  must 
still  rest  on  them ;  and  that  presumption,  pride,  and  unbelief,  would  still 
multiply  inquiries  and  objections.  2  Pet.  3:14 — 16.  Thus  he  gave  no 
countenance,  either  to  those  who,  with  absurd  arrogance,  attempt  to 
reduce  all  possible  existence,  truth,  and  knowledge,  to  the  measure  of 
their  own  intellect,  and  to  believe  no  more  than  they  can  comprehend  ; 
or  to  those,  who  know  no  end  of  speculating,  and  of  arguing  from  re¬ 
vealed  truths  to  unrevealed  causes  and  consequences,  as  they  suppose 


them  to  be.  Instead  of  this,  he  closed  the  subject,  by  breaking  forth  in¬ 
to  admiration  and  adoration  of  the  unfathomable  depth,  and  infinite  treas¬ 
ures,  of  the  wisdom  and  knowledge  of  God.  His  views  are  immense 
and  eternal  ;  and  his  reasons,  for  every  part  of  his  vast  designs,  are  tak¬ 
en  from  Himself.  Pr.  16:4.  Eph.  1:3 — 8,  13,  14.  2:4 — 10.  3:9 — 12.  His 
judgments  and  decrees,  and  his  wisdom  in  them,  cannot  be  fully  inves¬ 
tigated,  or  comprehended,  by  any  created  being ,  much  less  by  us  fallen 
creatures.  We  should  then  be  satisfied  to  understand,  and  receive  by 
faith,  the  information  which  He  graciously  reveals;  and  to  believe,  that 
He  acts  with  perfect  wisdom,  justice,  truth,  and  goodness,  when  we  can¬ 
not  comprehend  what  He  is  doing;  or  when  his  dispensations  seem  to 
us  not  reconcilable  to  these  his  essential  perfections.  (3-5)  First  given.] 
None  can  render  anything  to  God  which  he  has  not  first  received  from 
Him.  Scott. 

(36.)  Through.]  1  By  . .  for.’  St.  ‘  From  Him,  as  their  original  Crea¬ 
tor,  all  things  are  derived  ;  through  Him,  as  their  continual  Preserver, 
and  constant  Conductor,  (Acts  17:28.  Heb.  1:3.)  all  things  consist  and 
subsist;  and  to  Him,  as  their  ultimate  end,  all  things  and  all  actions 
tend,  so  as  to  contribute  to  his  praise  and  glory,  illustrate  his  perfections, 
and  finally  accomplish  his  wise  and  benevolent  purposes.’  Bi.oo.mf. 


A.  D.  61. 


ROMANS,  XII.  ' 


Duty  toward  God  urged. 


CHAP.  XII. 

1  God’s  mercies  must  move  us  to  please  God.  3  No  man 
must  think  too  well  of  himself,  6  but  attend  every  one  on 
that  calling  wherein  he  is  placed  9  Love,  and  many 
other  duties,  are  required  of  us.  19  Revenge  is  specially 
forbidden. 

IB  E  S  E  E  C  H  you  therefore, 
brethren,  by  the  mercies  of 
God,  that  ye  present  your  bodies 
■a  living  sacrifice,  holy,  acceptable 
unto  God,  which  is  your  reasonable 
service. 

c2  And  b  be  not  conformed  to  this 
world  :  but  be  ye  transformed  by 
the  renewing  of  your  mind,  that 
ye  may  prove  c  what  is  that  good, 
and  acceptable,  and  perfect  will  of 
God. 

3  For  I  say,  through  the  grace 
given  unto  me,  to  every  man  that 
is  among  you,  not  to  think  of  him¬ 
self  more  highly  d  than  he  ought  to 
think  ;  but  to  think  e  soberly,  ac¬ 
cording  as  God  hath  dealt  to  every 
man  the  measure  fof  faith. 

4  For  as  we  have  many  *  mem¬ 
bers  in  one  body,  and  all  members 
have  not  the  same  office  ; 

5  So  we,  being  many,  are  one 
body  h  in  Christ,  and  every  one 
members  one  of  another. 

a.  1  Co.  6:15—20.  d  c.  11:20.  g  1  Co.  12:4,12. 

b  1  Jn.  2:15.  e  to  sobriety.  h  Ep.  1:23. 

c  Ep.  5:10,17.  f  Ep.  4:7,  &c. 

these  things  must  be  ultimately  resolved,  and 
in  which  alone  the  mind  can  safely  and 
sweetly  rest.  This  is,  if  not  the  scholasli- 
cal  way,  yet  the  Christian  way,  of  disputa¬ 
tion.  Whatever  are  the  premises, 
let  God’s  glory  be  the  conclu¬ 
sion  ;  ESPECIALLY  WHEN  WE  COME 
TO  TALK  OF  THE  DIVINE  COUNSELS 
AND  ACTINGS,  IT  IS  BEST  FOR  US  TO 
TURN  OUR  ARGUMENTS  INTO  AWFUL 
AND  SERIOUS  ADORATIONS.  THE  GLO¬ 
RIFIED  SAINTS,  THAT  SEE  FURTHEST 
INTO  THESE  MYSTERIES,  NEVER  DIS¬ 
PUTE,  BUT  PRAISE  TO  ETERNITY. 


Chap.  XII.  The  apostle,  having  at  large 
cleared  and  confirmed  the  prime,  fundamen¬ 
tal  doctrines  of  Christianity,  comes  in  the 
next  place  to  press  the  principal  duties.  Re¬ 
ligion  is  eminently  practical,  and  is  designed 


not  only  to  inform  our  judgments,  but  to  re¬ 
form  our  hearts  and  lives.  From  the  method 
of  the  apostle’s  writing  in  this,  as  in  some 
other  of  the  Epistles,  the  stewards  of  the 
mysteries  of  God  may  take  direction  how  to 
divide  the  Word  of  truth:  not  to  press  duty 
abstracted  from  privilege,  nor  privilege  ab¬ 
stracted  from  duty  ;  but  let  both  go  together, 
the  duties  drawn  from  the  privileges,  by 
way  of  inference.  The  particular  exhorta¬ 
tions  of  this  ch.  are  reducible  to  the  three 
principal  heads  of  Christian  duty;  our  duty 
to  God,  to  ourselves,  and  to  our  brother. 
The  grace  of  God  teaches  us,  in  general,  to 
live  godly,  soberly,  and  righteously,  and  to 
deny  all  that  which  is  contrary  hereunto. 
Now  this  ch.  will  give  us  to  understand 
what  godliness,  sobriety,  and  righteousness 
are,  though  somewhat  intermixed. 

V.  I — 21.  I.  Concerning  our  duty  to  God: 
godliness  is, 

1.  To  surrender  ourselves  to  God,  and  so 
lay  a  good  foundation,  2  Cor.  8:  5.  This  is 
here  pressed  as  the  spring  of  all  duty  and 
obedience,  v.  1,  2.  Man  consists  of  body 
and  soul,  Gen.  2:  7.  Eccl.  12:  7. 

(1.)  The  body  must  be  presented  to  Him, 
v.  1 .  1  Cor.  6: 13,  14.  The  exhortation  is 
very  pathetic.  Though  he  might  with  au¬ 
thority  command,  yet  for  love’s  sake  he 
rather  beseeches,  Philem.  v.  8,  9.  This  is  to 
insinuate  the  exhortation,  that  it  might  come 
with  the  more  pleasing  power.  Many  are 
soonest  wrought  upon,  if  accosted  kindly  ; 
more  easily  led  than  driven. 

[1]  The  duty  pressed.  To  present  our 
bodies  a  living  sacrifice  ;  alluding  to  the  sac¬ 
rifices  under  the  law,  which  were  presented 
or  set  before  God  at  the  altar,  ready  to  be 
offered  to  Him.  Our  bodies  and  spirits  are 
designed.  Sacrifice  is  here  taken  for  whatso¬ 
ever  is  by  God’s  own  appointment  dedicated 
to  H  imself ;  see  1  Pet.  2:5.  There  were 
sacrifices  of  atonement,  and  sacrifices  of  ac¬ 
knowledgment.  Christ  is  the  only  Sacrifice 
of  atonement;  but  our  persons  and  perform¬ 
ances,  tendered  to  God  through  Christ  our 
Priest,  are  as  sacrifices  of  acknowledgment 
to  the  honor  of  God.  Presenting,  denotes  a 
voluntary  act,  and  implies,  not  only  the 
avoiding  of  the  sins  that  are  committed  with 
or  against,  the  body,  but  the  using  of  the  body 
as  a  servant  of  the  soul  in  the  service  of  God. 
Bodily  exercise  alone  profits  little,  yet  in  its 
place  is  a  proof  and  product  of  the  dedica¬ 
tion  of  our  souls  to  God  They  are  to  be  a 
living  sacrifice  ;  not  killed  as  the  sacrifices 


under  the  law.  A  body  sincerely  devoted  to 
God  is  a  living  sacrifice.  It  is  called  living 
by  way  of  allusion;  that  which  was  dead  of 
itself  might  not  be  eaten,  much  less  sacri¬ 
ficed,  Deut.  14:  21.  and  by  way  of  opposition; 

‘  The  sacrifice  was  to  be  slain,  but  you  may 
be  sacrificed,  and  yet  live  on,’  an  unbloody 
sacrifice.  A  living  sacrifice,  inspired  with 
the  spiritual  life  of  the  soul.  Christ  living  in 
the  soul  by  faith,  makes  the  body  a  living 
sacrifice,  Gal.  2:20.  Holy  love  kindles  the 
sacrifices,  puts  life  into  the  duties  ;  see  ch. 
6: 13.  Alive,  i.  e.  to  God,  v.  11. 

They  must  be  holy.  The  soul  is  the  prop¬ 
er  subject  of  holiness  :  but  a  sanctified  soul 
communicates  a  holiness  to  the  body  it  acts 
and  animates.  That  is  holy  which  is  ac¬ 
cording  to  the  will  of  God  ;  [even  as  revealed 
in  his  natural  laws;]  when  the  bodily  actions 
are  so,  the  body  is  holy.  They  are  the  temples 
of  the  Holy  Ghost,  1  Cor.  6:19.  Possess  the 
body  in  sanctification,  1  Thess.  4:  4,  5. 

-[2.]  Three  arguments  to  enforce  this. 
1st.  Consider  the  mercies  of  God  ;  I  beseech 
you  by  the  mercies  of  God.  An  affectionate 
obtestation,  which  should  melt  us  into  a 
compliance,  an  argument  most  sweetly  co¬ 
gent.  There  is  the  mercy  that  is  in  God, 
and  the  mercy  that  is  from  God  ;  mercy  in 
the  spring,  and  mercy  in  the  streams  :  both 
are  included  here  ;  but  especially  gospel- 
mercies,  mentioned,  ch.  11.  the  transferring 
of  what  the  Jews  forfeited  and  lost  by  their 
unbelief  unto  us  Gentiles,  Eph.  3:  4 — 6.  the 
sure  mercies  of  David,  Is.  55:3.  2dly.  It 
is  acceptable  to  God.  The  great  end  we 
should  all  labor  after,  is,  to  be  accepted  of 
the  Lord,  2  Cor.  5:9.  to  have  Him  well 
pleased  with  our  persons  and  performances. 
3dly.  It  is  our  reasonable  service.  There  is 
an  act  of  reason  in  it;  for  it  is  the  soul  that 
presents  the  body.  There  is  all  the  reason 
in  the  world  for  it,  and  no  good  reason  can 
possibly  be  produced  against  it.  God  does 
not  impose  on  us  anything  hard  or  unreason¬ 
able,  Is.  1 : 18.  but  that  which  is  altogether 
agreeable  to  the  principles  of  right  reason  : 
your  service  according  to  the  Word,  so  it  may 
be  read.  The  Word  of  God  does  not  leave 
out  the  body  in  holy  worship.  That  is  a 
reasonable  service,  which  we  are  able  and 
ready  to  give  a  reason  for;  in  which  w'e  un¬ 
derstand  ourselves.  Thus  must  the  body  be 
presented  to  God. 

(2.)  The  mind  must  be  renewed  for  Him. 
This  is  pressed,  v.  2.  ‘  See  to  it  that  there 
be  a  saving  change  wrought  in  you,  and  that 


NOTES.  Chap.  XII.  V.  1.  The  body  with  its  members,  senses, 
and  organs,  is  tlte  instrument  of  the  carnal  mind,  in  executing  its  pur¬ 
poses,  and  gratifying  its  evil  inclinations;  when,  therefore,  the  mind  is 
made  spiritual,  the  body  should,  in  like  manner,  execute  its  holy  purpos¬ 
es,  and  express  its  spiritual  affections.  (6:12 — 19.)  Thus  the  soul  be¬ 
comes  the  consecrated  priest,  and  the  body  ‘  the  living  sacrifice  unto 
God  through  Jesus  Christ.’  Phil.  4:14—20.  ~Heb.  13:15,16.  1  Pet.  2:4— 
6.  Rev.  1:4 — 6.  Scott. 

(1.)  ‘  Here  is  the  compendium  and  synopsis  of  moral  theology.  It 
extends  up  to  15:13.  and  consists  of  three  sections.  The  first  inculcates 
the  general  duties  of  Christianity,  which  respect  all  Christians,  of  what¬ 
ever  rank  or  degree,  station  or  dignity,  (ch.  12.)  Sect.  2  treats  of  politi¬ 
cal  or  social  duties,  such  as  are  to  be  observed  by  Christians  with  re¬ 
spect  to  their  superiors,  their  equals,  and  themselves .  (ch.  13.)  Sect.  3 
treats  of  private  duties,  economical  and  ceremonial,  such  as  are  to  be  at¬ 
tended  to  by  Christians  in  their  social  intercourse  with  each  other,  espe¬ 
cially  towards  those  who  have  not  hitherto  been  convinced,  but  are  as 
yet  weak  in  the  faith,  (ch.  14:  15:13.)’  Carpzov — '■Consecrate  your 
bodies,  i.  e.  yourselves,  (so  Reza  and  Koppe ,  rightly,)  as  at  6:13.  Ja.  3; 6. 
It  is  said,  in  accommodation  to  the  preceding  metaphor  from  sacrifices, 
“  by  a  Hebraism,”  says  Schoett.,  who  gives  examples  on  8:27.  Living .] 
It  means  (and  so  Phot,  and  Jasp.)  the  moral,  i.  e.  tropical  and  spiritual 
sacrifice  of  the  Gospel,  in  opposition  to  the  Mosaic  corporal  and  cere¬ 
monial  ones.  Comp.  1  Cor.  6:20.  Rom.  6:3,  4,  6,  8,  and  13.’  Bloomf. 

V.  2.  In  thus  wholly  dedicating  themselves  to  the  service  of  God, 
Christians  must  not  seek  happiness  from  the  world,  or  conform  to  the 
maxims,  customs,  and  fashions  of  mankind  in  general.  They  must  not 
comply  with  common  usages,  as  to  their  pursuits  or  employments,  in 
any  respect,  where  such  usages  are  contrary  to  the  holy  commands  of 
God,  the  spirit  of  the  Gospel,  the  interests  of  piety,  the  prosperity  of 
their  own  souls,  and  the  improvement  of  their  talents.  In  all  these 
things  the  reproach  of  singularity  is  honorable,  the  want  of  it  suspi¬ 
cious  :  and  to  be  fashionable  is  to  be  unchristian. — A  serious  regard  to 
this,  and  a  few  other  maxims  of  a  similar  nature,  would  soon  show  men, 
in  what  things  they  must  ‘not  be  conformed  to  this  world  and  would 
convince  them  that,  on  the  one  hand  affected  singularity,  in  things  mi¬ 
nute  or  indifferent,  comes  far  short  of  the  spirituality  of  the  exhortation  ; 
and  on  the  other  hand,  that  they  excuse  their  vain  amusements,  splendid 
N.  T.  VOL.  V.  30 


decorations,  expensive  feastings,  eager  pursuits  of  wealth,  power,  or  dis¬ 
tinction,  waste  of  time,  and  other  parts  of  their  conduct,  because  they 
love  the  friendship  of  the  world,  ‘savor  earthly  things,’  and  cannot  en¬ 
dure  self-denial,  or  the  cro's ;  not  because  they  can  fairly  prove  that  the 
maxims  and  customs  of  the  world,  in  these  respects,  are  so  agreeable  to 
the  spirit  of  the  Gospel,  that  they  may  safely  conlorm  to  them. — This 
‘  transformation  ’  of  the  soul  into  the  holy  image  of  Christ;  this  daily 
renovation  of  the  understanding,  judgment,  and  affections,  by  the  power 
of  the  Holy  Spirit,  is  the  only  effectual  cure  of  ‘  conformity  to  this 
world  because  it  produces  conformity  to  ‘  the  spirits  of  just  men  made 
perfect ;’  and  a  capacity  for  delighting  in  such  society  and  employments, 
as  most  resemble  the  inhabitants,  worship,  and  joys  of  heaven.  Ani¬ 
mated,  urgent,  and  affectionate  exhortations  to  seek  this  inward  trans¬ 
formation,  as  essential  to  duty  and  happiness,  are  the  appointed  and 
proper  means  of  leading  Christians  to  plead  the  promises,  and  attend  on 
the  ordinances  of  God,  in  order  to  attain  unto  it  more  and  more. — There 
does  not  appear  in  these  vs.  any  distinction  intended  between  the  Jew¬ 
ish  and  Gentile  converts  ;  or  any  reason  to  conclude,  as  some  have  done, 
that  the  Gentiles  were  especially  addressed.  The  customs  and  practices 
of  the  unbelieving  Jews  were  as  little  to  be  conformed  to  by  Christians, 
as  those  of  the  heathen  were ;  and  the  case  is  exactly  the  same  in  re¬ 
spect  of  a  vast  majority,  in  countries  called  Christian.  Scott. 

(2.)  ‘  Learn  what  the  will  of  God  is,  even  that  which  is  good,  and  ac¬ 
ceptable,  and  perfect.’  St.  Prove.]  Dokimazein  :  prove,  try,  examine, 
experience,  approve,  not  speculatively  only,  but  practically.  Paul  men¬ 
tions  it  as  one  of  the  most  remarkable  effects  of  regeneration.  So  Bl.  Ed. 

V.  3 — 5.  The  preceding  general  exhortation  was  in  the  affectionate 
style  of  brotherly  love,  but  this  is  in  that  of  apostolical  authority. — The 
measure,  of  faith.]  It  is  commonly  said,  that  faith  is  here  put  for  those 
spiritual  gifts,  which  were  conferred  on  believers,  and  exercised  in  pro¬ 
portion  to  the  measure  of  their  faith.  Yet  it  is  evident,  that  in  some 
instances  even  miraculous  powers  were  possessed  by  those,  who  had 
not  saving  faith.  Mat.  7:21—23.  17:19—21.  21:21,22.  1  Cor.  13:1  3. 

— ‘  For  faith ,  in  one  MS.  we  find  grace.'  Beza. 

(3.)  Soberly.]  ‘Modestly,  according  to  the  measure  of  faith  God 
hath  imparted  to  him-’  St.  ‘  Grace  .•  i-  e.  an  inspired «  ^  sl'l 
ral  faculty  from  God  ;  this,  in  Paul’s  case,  would  be  the  highest  meas¬ 
ure  of  inspiration.  See  Macknight  £233 j 


A.  D.  6i. 


ROMANS,  Xli. 


Duty  urged,  in  reference  to  ourselves. 


6  Having  then  gifts,  differing  '  ac¬ 
cording  to  the  grace  that  is  given 
to  us,  whether  prophecy,  let  us 
-prophesy  according  to  the  propor¬ 
tion  of  faith  ; 

7  Or  ministry,  let  us  ivait  on  our 
ministering  ;  or  he  that  teacheth, 
on  teaching  ; 

8  Or  he  that  exhorteth,  on  ex¬ 
hortation  :  he  that  J  giveth,  let  him 
do  it  k  with  simplicity  ;  1  he  that 
ruleth,  with  diligence  ;  he  that 
sheweth  mercy,  with  m  cheerful¬ 
ness. 

9  Let  love  he  without  n  dissimu¬ 
lation.  Abhor  “that  which  is  evil  ; 
cleave  to  that  which  is  good. 

1  1  Pe.  4:10,11.  1  P».  101:2,  &c.  n  IPs.  1:22. 

or,  impart elh.  m  2  Co,  9:7.  o  Pa.  34:14. 

or,  liberally. 

it  be  carried  on.’  Conversion  and  sanctifi¬ 
cation  are  the  renewing  of  the  mind  ;  a 
change  not  of  the  substance  but  of  the  qual¬ 
ities  [or  habits]  of  the  soul;  the  same  with 
making  a  new  heart  and  a  new  spirit  ;  new 
dispositions  and  inclinations  ;  new  sympa¬ 
thies  and  antipathies  ;  the  understanding 
enlightened,  the  conscience  softened,  the 
thoughts  rectified,  the  will  bowed  to  the  will 
of  God,  and  the  affections  made  spiritual 
and  heavenly  :  so  that  the  man  is  not  what 
he  was  ;  old  things  are  passed  away,  all 
things  are  become  new  ;  he  acts  from  new 
principles,  by  new  rules,  with  new  designs. 
The  mind  is  the  acting,  ruling  part  of  us  ; 
so  that  the  renewing  of  that  is  the  renewing 
of  the  whole  man  ;  Tor  out  of  it  are  the  issues 
of  life,  Prov.  4:  23.  The  progress  of  sanc¬ 
tification,  dying  to  sin  more  and  more,  and 
living  to  righteousness  more  and  more,  is  the 
carrying  on  of  this  renewing  work,  till  it  be 
perfected  in  glory. 

This  is  called  the  transforming  of  us  ;  it 
is  like  putting  on  a  new  shape  and  figure. 
The  transfiguration  of  Christ  is  expressed 
by  this  word,  Mat.  17:2.  when  He  put  on 
a  heavenly  glory,  which  made  his  face  to 
shine  like  the  sun  ;  and  the  same  word  is 
used,  2  Cor.  3:18.  where  we  are  said  to  be 
changed  into  the  same  image  from  glory  to 
glory.  This  transformation  is  here  press¬ 
ed  as  a  duty  ;  not  that  we  can  work  such  a 
change  ourselves  ;  we  could  as  soon  make  a 
new  world  as  make  a  new  heart  by  any 


power  of  nur  own  ;  it  is  God’s  work,  Ez. 
11:19.  36:26,27.  But  be  ye  transformed, 
i.  e.  ‘  use  the  means  which  God  hath  ap¬ 
pointed  and  ordained  for  it.’  It  is  God 
that  turns  us,  and  then  we  are  turned  ;  but 
we  must  frame  our  doings  to  turn,  ilos.  5:  4. 
‘  Lay  your  souls  under  the  changing,  trans¬ 
forming  influences  of  the  blessed  Spirit  ; 
seek  unto  God  for  grace,  in  the  use  of  all 
the  means  of  grace.’  Though  the  new  man 
be  created  of  God,  yet  we  must  put  it  on, 
Eph.  4:  24.  and  be  pressing  forward  toward 
perfection. 

In  this  v.  we  may  further  observe, 

[1.]  The  great  enemy  to  this  renewing, 
which  we  must  avoid,  conformity  to  this 
world  ;  all  the  disciples  and  followers  of 
the  Lord  Jesus  must  be  nonconformists  to 
this  world,  to  the  things  of  the  world,  [to 
selfishness,  the  rule  of  the  world,]  to  the 
men  of  the  world  ;  true  Christianity  con¬ 
sists  much  in  a  sober  singularity.  Yet  we 
must  take  heed  of  the  extreme  of  affected 
rudeness  and  moroseness,  which  some  run 
into,  In  civil  things,  the  light  of  nature 
and  the  custom  of  nations  take  place  for  our 
conduct  ;  and  the  rule  of  the  Gospel  in 
those  cases  is  a  rule  of  direction,  not  a  rule 
of  contraries. 

[2.]  The  great  effect  of  this  renewing, 
which  we  must  labor  after  ;  That  ye.  may 
prove  what  is  that  good,  and  acceptable,  and 
perfect  will  of  God.  By  the  will  of  God, 
here,  we  are  to  understand  his  revealed  will 
concerning  our  duty,  what  the  Lord  our  God 
requires  of  us.  It  is  good,  acceptable,  and 
perfect  ;  three  excellent  properties  of  a  law. 
It  is  good,  Mic.  6:8.  exactly  consonant  to 
the  eternal  reason  of  good  and  evil,  good  in 
itself,  good  for  us  ;  the  evangelical  law,  so 
some,  in  distinction  from  the  ceremonial. 
Ez.  20:25.  It  is  acceptable,  pleasing  to  God, 
and  prescribed  by  Him.  It  is  perfect,  con¬ 
taining  all  things  which  tend  to  the  perfec¬ 
tion  of  the  man  of  God,  to  furnish  us 
thoroughly  to  every  good  work,  2  Tim.  3:  16, 
17.  This  it  concerns  Christians  to  prove, 
to  know  it  with  judgment  and  approbation, 
experimentally;  those  are  best  able  to  prove 
what  is  the  good,  and  acceptable,  and  per¬ 
fect  will  of  God,  who  are  transformed  by  the 
renewing  of  their  mind.  A  living  principle 
of  grace  is  in  the  soul,  disposes  the  soul  to 
[search  for,]  receive,  and  entertain  the  reve¬ 
lations  of  the  divine  will,  John  7:  17.  Thus 
to  he  godly,  is  to  surrender  ourselves  to  God. 

2.  When  this  is  done,  to  serve  Him  in  all 


j  manner  of  gospel-obedience.  Some  bints 
of  this  we  have  here,  v.  11,  12.  (1.)  We 

j  must  make  a  business  of  it,  and  not  be 
slothful  in  that  business.  Those  that  would 
approve  themselves  Christians  indeed,  must 
make  religion  their  business,  must  choose  it, 
and  learn  it,  and  give  themselves  to  it  ;  they 
must  love  it,  and  employ  themselves  in  it, 
and  abide  by  it,  as  their  great,  main  [and 
only]  business.  (2.)  We  must  be  fervent  in 
spirit,  serving  the  Lord.  God  must  be  served 
i  with  the  spirit,  ch.  1:9.  John  4:24.  What¬ 
ever  we  do  in  religion,  it  is  pleasing  to  God 
no  further  than  it  is  done  with  our  spirits, 
wrought  upon  by  the  Spirit  of  God.  And 
there  must  be  fervency,  a  holy  zeal,  and 
warmth,  and  ardency  of  affection,  in  all  we 
do  ;  as  those  tltat  love  God  not  only  with 
their  heart  and  soul,  but  with  all  our  hearts, 
and  with  all  our  souls.  Serving  the  Lord. 
j  Some  copies  read  it,  serving  the  time,  itn- 
j  proving  your  opportunities,  and  making  the 
|  best  of  them  ;  complying  with  the  present 
seasons  of  grace.  (3.)  Rejoicing  in  hope. 
God  is  worshipped  and  honored  by  our  hope 
and  trust  in  Him,  especially  when  we  re¬ 
joice  in  that  hope,  take  a  complacency  in 
that  confidence  ;  which  argues  a  great  as¬ 
surance  of  the  reality,  and  a  great  esteem 
of  the  excellency,  of  the  good  hoped  for. 
(4.)  Patient  in  tribulation.  Thus  also  God 
is  served,  not  only  by  working  for  Him 
when  He  calls  us  to  work,  but  by  sitting 
still  quietly  when  He  calls  us  to  suffer.  Pa¬ 
tience  for  God’s  sake,  and  with  an  eye  to 
his  will  and  glory,  is  true  piety.  Observe, 
Those  that  rejoice  in  a  believing  hope,  are 
likely  to  be  patient  in  tribulation.  (5.) 
Continuing  instant  in  prayer.  Prayer  is  a 
friend  to  hope  and  patience,  and  we  do  in 
it  serve  the  Lord.  It  signifies  both  ferven¬ 
cy  and  perseverance  in  prayer.  We  should 
not  be  cold  in  the  duty,  nor  soon  weary  of 
it,  Luke  18:1.  1  Thess.  5: 17.  Eph.  6:  18. 
Col.  4:2.  This  is  our  duty,  which  imme¬ 
diately  respects  God. 

II.  Concerning  our  duty  which  respects 
ourselves  ;  this  is  sobriety. 

1.  A  sober  opinion  of  ourselves,  v.  3. 
It  is  ushered  in  with  a  solemn  preface  ;  I 
say,  through  the  grace  given  unto  me  :  the 
grace  of  wisdom,  by  which  he  understood 
the  necessity  and  <excellency  of  this  duty, 
the  grace  oi'  apostleship,  by  which  lie  had 
authority  to  press  and  enjoin  it.  It  is  said  to 
every  one  of  us,  one  as  well  as  another.  We 
must  not  be  self- conceited,  not  think  ourselves 


V.  6 — 8.  I  am  aware,  that  these  vs.  are  explained  by  many  exclusive¬ 
ly  of  the  different  orders  of  church-otllcers  and  rulers  ;  and  so  every  man 
endeavors  to  find  his  own  system  of  ecclesiastical  polity  in  them  ;  but, 
though  the  various  duties  of  the  ministry,  in  all  its  parts,  are  principal¬ 
ly  intended,  there  is  no  proof  that  the  apostle  meant  them  exclusively. 
Jle  seems  rather  to  have  inculcated  a  general  improvement  of  every 
man’s  talents,  for  the  common  benefit  of  the  church,  whatever  his  gifts 
and  place  were.  And  as  there  were  ‘  saints  in  Cesar's  household  ’  soon  af¬ 
ter,  it  is  not  improbable,  that  Christians  might  be  called  to  the  lower  func¬ 
tions  of  the  magistracy.  1 6:21 — 23.  Acts  13:0—12.  Phil.  4:21,  22.  The 
epistle,  however,  w»as  intended,  by  the  Holy  Spirit,  for  the  edification  of 
the  church  in  all  ages;  and  it  may  he  supposed,  that  the  duties  of  Chris¬ 
tian  magistrates,  as  well  as  those  of  church-rulers,  are  hinted  at  in  the 
general  language  used  bv  the  apostle. — Some  consider  the  word,  render¬ 
ed  ‘ministry,’  (7)  to  he  a  general  term  for  the  different  orders  of  minis¬ 
ters  in  the  church,  which  are  afterwards  enumerated ;  hut  Hie  disjunc¬ 
tive  particle  or,  seems  unfavorable  to  that  interpretation.  The  original 
word  may  point  out  the  olllce  of  t lie  primitive  deacons;  but  the  exhor¬ 
tation  to  ‘  give  with  simplicity,’  or  liberality,  appears  more  properly  ad¬ 
dressed  to  those,  who  distributed  their  own  property,  than  to  the  dea¬ 
cons  who  were  entrusted  with  the  treasures  of  the  church  ;  and  to 
whom,  faithfulness,  prudence,  and  impartiality,  were  especially  necessa¬ 
ry. — (6)  Gifts.]  Many  seem  to  think  that  spiritual,  or  miraculous,  gifts 
are  exclusively  intended  by  this  word  ;  but  litis  is  evidently  different 
from  the  general  use  of  the  word;  and  the  office  of  a  minister,  of  what¬ 
ever  order,  is  itself  a  distinct  thing  from  a  man's  qualifications  for  it. 
Other  endowments  were  e^eu  at  that  time  necessary  to  the  due  perform¬ 
ance  of  the  ministerial  duties,  even  more  so,  than  supernatural  'ufts  ; 
and  the  money,  which  some  distributed,  whether  their  own  or  t he 
church’s,  was  a  talent  of  entirely  another  nature  ;  yet  all  were  the  flee 
gifts  of  God,  and  as  such  to  he  received  and  improved.  Scott. 

"  (6,  &.C. )  ‘  Whether  prophecy,  (let  it  be)  according  to  the  proportion 
of  faith;  whether  ministry,  (let  there  be  diligence)  in  ministration  • 
whether  teaching,  in  instruction  ;  or  exhorting,  in  exhortation.  Let 
the  distributer  (do  his  duty)  with  simplicity;  ttie  superintendent,  with 
diligence;  he  who  performs  offices  of  compassion,  with  cheerfulness. 
Let  benevolence  be  sincere.’  St.  Proportion,  <fcc.]  ‘  If  we  suppose  tile 
prophetic  gift  to  be  given  in  proportion  to  the  exercise  of  faith,  i.  e.  of 
[234] 


dependence  on  God,  when  He  signified  a  disposition  in  general  to  impart 
it,  we  have  the  clearest  explication  the  phrase  will  admit.’  Voddr.  ‘So, 
nearly,  the  fathers.’  Bloomf. 

(7.)  Ministry.]  ‘  Diakonia  :  Paul  first  lays  down  prophlteia-mul  dia- 
konia  each  as  a  genus,  and  then  proceeds  to  enumerate  their  species, 
viz.,  of  prophlteia,  two,  and  of  diakonia,  three.’  Crell.,  Phot.,  &c.  *  It 
is  clear,  that  the  words  diakonos,  diakonein,  and  diakonia,  though  they 
he  genera!  terms,  and  used  of  the  apostles  themselves,  Rom- 11:13.  1 
Cor.  3:5.  yet  are  often,  in  the  N.  T.,  used  of  some  certain  kind  of  offi¬ 
ces  undertaken  for  the  cause  of  the  Christian  religion,  (comp.  1  Cor.  12: 
5.  2  Cor.  9:1.)  and  appropriated  to  those  Christians  who  did  not  so  much 
employ  themselves  upon  the  doctrines  of  the  Gospel,  as  t lie  external  al- 
fairs  of  the  church,  and  of  individuals.  Among  these  were  especially  the 
prorstotes,  E/.iscopoi,  preshutcroi,  as  well  as  others  of  somewhat  in¬ 
ferior  rank  and  dignity,  as  the  deacons  properly  so  called.  See  Acts  6:1 
—  7.  In  this  passage,  however,  the  proestbtes  also  seem  to  be  compre¬ 
hended.  See  on  v.  8.  and  comp.  Eph.  4:12.  1  Pet.  4:11.’  Koppe. 

(8.)  He  who  evhorteth.]  ‘  Ho  par  aka!  bn  :  one  w  ho,  excited  by  the 
afflatus  of  I  he  Holy  Spirit,  admonishes,  exhorts,  and  consoles  the  peo¬ 
ple;  as  Acts  13:13.  1  Cor.  14:3.  And  so  Hop.,  adding,  that  the  leaching 
[didaskon]  and  this  were  employed  conjointly,  the  terms  being  used 
of  one  who,  excelling  in  wisdom  and  eloquence,  used  to  rise  up  in  the 
church,  and  address  the  congregation,  for  the  purpose  of  instruction 
and  edification.  His  inference,  however,  that  the  “miraculous”  gifts 
(healing  and  of  tongues)  were  not  enjoyed  by  the  church  at  Rome,  or 
else  they  would  have  here  been  mentioned,  is  uncertain  :  as  are  runny 
points  respecting  the  constitution  of  the  primitive  church.’  Bl.  Of  the 
primitive  form  of  worship,  Justin  Martyr  says.  ‘On  Sunday,  all  the 
Christians  in  the  city  or  country,  meet  together,  because,  that  is  the  day 
of  our  Lord’s  resurrection,  and  then  We  have  read  unto  us  the  writings  of 
the  prophets  and  the  apostles  ;  this  done,  the  president  makes  an  oration 
to  the  assembly,  to  exhort  them  to  imitate  and  do  the  things  they  heard  ; 
then  we  all  join  in  prayer,  and  after  that,  we  celebrate  the  sacrament, 
and  they  that  are  willing  and  able,  give  alms,  fee..'  Him  that  ruleth.] 
Ho  proistamenos  :  ‘  Prteses  Ecelesiie,  Bishop,  Presbyter,  Pastor;  by 
which  names  lie  is  called  in  1  Tim.  5:17.  1  Tltes.  5.12,’  [and  also  1  Pet. 
5:1,2.  in  the  Gr.].  Bl.  See  Bingham.  En. 

V.  9.  The  apostle  next  exhorted  the  Christians  at  Rente,  to  sec  to  it, 


A.  D.  61. 


ROMANS,  XII. 


Duty  urged,  in  reference  to  others. 


10  Be  kindly  p  affection ed  one  to 
another  •»  with  brotherly  love  ;  in 
honor  preferring  one  r  another  ; 

11  Not  slothful  in  ‘business; 
*  fervent  in  spirit  ;  serving  u  the 
Lord  ; 

12  Rejoicing  Tin  hope;  patient 
w  in  tribulation;  continuing  x  instant 
in  prayer ; 

13  y  Distributing  to  the  necessity 
of  saints  ;  given  to  z  hospitality. 

14  Bless  *  them  which  persecute 
you  :  bless,  and  curse  not. 


plPe.  2:17. 
q  or,  in  the  love 
of  ill e  brethren. 
r  1  i  e.  5:5. 
s  Ac.  20:34,35. 


t  Col.  4:12. 
u  He.  12:28. 
v  c.  5:2,3. 
wJa.  1:4. 
x  Lu.  18:1. 


y  Ps.  41:1.  He. 
13:16. 

z  He.  13:2.  I  Pa. 
4:9. 

n,  Mat.  5:44. 


to  be  something ,  Gal.  6:  3.  But,  on  the  other 
hand,  we  should  think  soberly,  have  a  humble 
and  modest  opinion  of  ourselves  and  our 
own  abilities,  our  gifts  and  graces,  accord¬ 
ing  to  what  we  have  received  from  God, 
and  not  otherwise  :  not  be  confident  and 
hot  in  matters  of  doubtful  disputation  ;  not 
stretch  ourselves  beyond  our  line  ;  not  judge 
and  censure  those  that  differ  from  us  ;  not 
desire  to  make  a  fair  show  in  the  flesh. 
These  and  the  like  are  the  fruits  of  a  sober 
opinion  of  ourselves.  It  may  be  read,  That 
no  man  be  wise  above  what  he  ought  to  be  wise, 
but  be  wise  unto  sobriety.  There  is  a  knowl¬ 
edge  that  puffs  up,  which  reaches  after  for¬ 
bidden  fruit.  We  must  take  heed  of  that, 
and  labor  after  that  knowledge  which  tends 
to  sobriety,  to  the  rectifying  of  the  heart, 
and  the  reforming  of  the  life.  Some  under¬ 
stand  it,  of  the  sobriety  which  keeps  us  in 
our  own)  place  and  station,  from  intruding 
into  the  gifts  and  offices  of  others.  See  an 
instance  of  this,  2  Cor.  10: 13 — 15.  To 
this  head  refers  also  that  exhortation,  v.  16. 
Be  not  wise  in  your  own  conceits.  It  is  good 
to  be  wise,  but  bad  to  think  ourselves  so  ; 
it  was  an  excellent  thing  for  Moses  to  have 
his  face  shine,  and  not  know  it.  Now  the 
reasons  are  : 

(1.)  Because  whatever  we  have  that  is 
good,  God  hath  dealt  it  to  us  ;  every  good 
and  perfect  gift  comes  from  above,  James  1: 

17. 

(2.)  Because  God  deals  out  his  gifts  in  a 
certain  measure  ;  according  to  the  measure 
of  faith.  Observe,  the  measure  of  spiritual 
gifts  he  calls  the  measure  of  faith  ;  for  that 
is  the  radical  grace  :  faith  and  other  spirit¬ 
ual  gifts  are  dealt  by  measure,  according  as 
Infinite  Wisdom  sees  meet  for  us.  Christ 
had  the  Spirit  given  Him  without  measure, 
John  3  :  34.  But  the  saints  have  it  by 
measure  }  see  Eph.  4:7. 

(3.)  Because  God  has  dealt  out  gifts  to 
others,  as  well  as  to  us  :  to  every  man.  God 
is  a  common  Father,  and  Christ  a  common 
Root,  to  all  the  saints,  who  all  derive  virtue 
from  Him  ;  therefore  it  ill  becomes  us  to 
lift  up  ourselves,  and  to  despise  others,  as  if 
we  only  were  the  people  in  favor  w'ith 
heaven,  and  wisdom  should  die  with  us. 
This  reasoning  he  illustrates  by  a  compari¬ 
son  taken  from  the  members  of  the  natural 
body,  as  1  Cor.  12: 12.  Eph.  4: 16.  v.  4,  5. 
Here  observe,  [1.]  All  the  saints  make 
up  one  body  in  Christ,  who  is  the  Head  of 
the  body,  and  the  common  Centre  of  their 
unity.  "  [2.]  Particular  believers  are  mem¬ 
bers  of  this  body,  constituent  parts,  which 


speak  them  less  than  the  whole  ;  and  in  re¬ 
lation  to  the  whole,  deriving  life  and  spirits 
from  the  head.  Some  members  in  the  body 
are  bigger  and  more  useful  than  others,  and 
each  receives  spirit  from  the  head  accord¬ 
ing  to  its  proportion.  If  the  little  finger 
should  receive  as  much  nourishment  as  the 
leg,  how  unseemly  and  prejudicial  would  it 
be  !  [3.]  All  the  members  have  not  the  same 
office,  v.  4.  but  each  hath  its  respective 
place  and  work  assigned  it. — So  in  the 
mystical  body,  some  are  qualified  for,  and 
called  to,  one  sort  of  work  ;  others  are,  in 
like  manner,  fitted  for,  and  called  to, 
another  sort  of  work.  So  in  a  Christian 
commonwealth.  [4.]  Each  member  hath 
its  place  and  office,  for  the  good  and  benefit 
.of  the  whole,  and  of  every  other  member. 
We  are  not  only  members  of  Christ,  but 
one  of  another,  v.  5.  Therefore  we  must  not 
be  puffed  up,  because,  whatever  we  have,  as 
we  received  it,  so  we  received  it  not  for 
ourselves  [alone],  but  for  the  good  of  others. 

2.  A  sober  use  of  the  gifts  God  hath  given 
us.  As  we  must  not  on  the  one  hand  be 
proud  of  our  talents,  so  on  the  other  hand 
we  must  not  bury  them.  He  specifies  the 
ecclesiastical  offices  appointed  in  particular 
churches  ;  in  the  discharge  of  which,  each 
must  study  to  do  his  own  duty,  for  the  pre¬ 
serving  of  order,  and  the  promoting  of  edifi¬ 
cation  in  the  church;  each  knowing  his  place, 
and  fulfilling  it.  There  were  in  the  primi¬ 
tive  church  extraordinary  gifts  of  tongues, 
of  discerning,  of  healing  ;  but  he  speaks 
here  of  those  timt  are  ordinary.  Comp.  1 
Cor.  12:4.  1  Tim.  4:14.  1  Pet.  4:10. 
Seven  particular  gifts  he  specifies,  v.  6 — 8. 
which  seem  to  be  meant  of  so  many  distinct 
offices,  used  by  the  prudential  constitution 
of  many  of  the  primitive  churches,  especially 
the  larger.  Two  general  ones  are  here  ex¬ 
pressed  by  prophesying  and  ministering  the 
former  the  work  of  the  bishops,  the  latter  the 
work  of  the  deacons  ;  the  only  two  standing 
officers,  Phil.  1:1.  The  five  latter  will 
therefore  be  reduced  to  the  first  two. 

(1.)  Prophesy  ;  not  meant  of  the  extra¬ 
ordinary  gifts  of  foretelling  things  to  come, 
but  the  ordinary  office  of  preaching  the 
Word  :  so  prophesying  is  taken,  1  Cor.  14; 
1—3.  &c.  1  Cor.  11:4.  1  Tliess.  5:20. 
Now  those  that  preach  the  Word,  must  do 
it  according  to  the  proportion  of  faith,  i.  e., 
[1]  As  to  the  manner  :  our  prophesying 
must  be  according  to  the  proportion  of  the 
grace  of  faith.  As  people  cannot  hear  well, 
so  ministers  cannot  preach  well,  without 
faith.  And  we  must  remember  the  propor¬ 
tion  of  faitli  :  that  though  all  men  have  not 
faith,  yet  many  have  beside  ourselves  ;  and 
therefore  we  must  allow  others  to  have  a 
share  of  knowledge  and  ability  to  instruct, 
as  well  as  we,  even  those  that  in  less  things 
differ  from  us.  [2.]  As  to  the  matter  :  our 
prophesying  must  be  according  to  the  pro¬ 
portion  of  the  doctrine  of  faith,  as  it  is  re¬ 
vealed  in  the  Bible.  Truths  that  are  more 
dark,  must  be  examined  by  those  that  are 
more  clear  ;  and  then  entertained,  when 
found  to  agree  and  comport  with  the  analo¬ 
gy  of  faith  ;  for  it  is  certain,  one  truth  can 
never  contradict  another.  It  is  not  so  neces¬ 
sary  that  the  prophesying  be  according  to 
the  proportion  of  art,  the  rules  of  logic  and 
rhetoric  ;  but  it  is  necessary  that  it  be  ac¬ 
cording  to  the  proportion  of  faith. 

Two  particular  works  he  that  prophesietli 
hath  to  mind,  —  teaching  and  exhorting  ; 


proper  enough  to  be  done  by  the  same  per¬ 
son,  at  the  same  time  ;  and  when  he  does 
the  one,  let  him  mind  that  ;  when  he  does 
the  other,  let  him  do  that  too  as  well  as  he 
can.  Pastors  and  teachers  are  the  same 
office,  Eph.  4:11.  but  the  particular  work 
somewhat  different.  Now  he  that  has  a 
faculty  of  teaching,  and  has  undertaken  that 
province,  let  him  stick  to  it,  be  frequent  and 
constant,  and  diligent  in  it  ;  let  him  abide 
in  that  which  is  his  proper  work,  and  be  in 
it  as  his  element.  See  1  Tim.  4:15,  16. 
Let  him  that  exhorteth,  wait  on  exhortation. 
Let  him  give  himself  to  that.  This  is  the 
work  of  the  pastor,  as  the  former  of  the 
teacher  ;  to  apply  gospel-truths  and  rules 
more  closely  to  the  case  and  condition  of 
the  people,  and  to  press  on  them  that  which 
is  more  practical.  To  wait  on  our  work,  is 
to  bestow  the  best  of  our  time  and  thoughts 
on  it,  to  lay  hold  on  all  opportunities  for  it  ; 
and  to  study,  not  only  to  do  it,  but  to  do  it 
well. 

(2.)  Ministry.  If  a  man  bath — the  of¬ 
fice  of  a  deacon,  or  assistant  to  the  pastor 
and  teacher,  let  him  use  that  office  well  ;  a 
churchwarden,  (suppose,)  an  elder,  or  an 
overseer  of  the  poor  ;  and  perhaps  more 
were  in  these  offices,  and  more  solemnity 
was  in  them,  and  a  greater  stress  of  care  and 
business  lay  on  them,  in  the  primitive  church¬ 
es,  than  we  are  now  well  aware  of.  It  in¬ 
cludes  all  those  offices  which  concern  the 
[order]  of  the  church,  the  outward  business 
of  the  house  of  God.  See  Neh.  11:16. 
Serving  tables.  Acts  6:2.  Now  he  on  whom 
this  care  of  ministering  is  devolved,  let  him 
attend  to  it  with  faithfulness  and  diligence  ; 
particularly, 

[1]  He  that  giveth,  let  him  do  it  with  sim¬ 
plicity, — liberally  and  faithfully  ;  not  con¬ 
verting  what  is  received  to  his  own  use,  or 
distributing  it  with  any  sinister  design,  or 
with  respect  of  persons.  It  may  be  meant 
of  church-officers  ;  but  some  understand  it 
in  general  of  all  almsgiving  ;  He  that  hath 
wherewithal,  let  him  give,  and  give  plenti¬ 
fully  and  liberally  ;  so  the  word  is  tr.,2 
Cor.  8:2.  9:13.  God  loves  a  cheerful, 
bountiful  giver. 

[2.]  He  that  ruleth,  with  diligence.  It 
should  seem,  he  means  the  assistants  to  the 
pastors,  in  exercising  church-discipline  ; 
or  those  ministers  that  in  the  congregation 
did  chiefly  undertake  and  apply  themselves 
to  this  ruling  work;  for  we  find  those  ruling, 
that  labored  in  the  Word  and  doctrine,  1 
Tim.  5:  17.  Now  such  must  do  it  with  dil¬ 
igence.  It  denotes  both  care  and  industry 
to  discover  what  is  amiss,  to  reduce  those 
that  go  astray,  to  reprove  and  admonish 
those  that  are  fallen,  to  keep  the  church 
pure. 

[3.]  He  that  showeth  mercy,  with  cheerful¬ 
ness.  Some  think  it  is  meant,  in  general  of 
all  that  in  anything  show  mercy  ;  but  it 
seems  to  be  meant  of  some  particular  church- 
officers,  whose  work  it  was  to  take  care  of 
the  sick,  and  strangers  ;  and  they  were 
generally  widows  ;  deaconesses,  1  Tim.  5: 
9,  10.  though  others,  it  is  likely,  might  be 
employed  [as  it  is  every  one’s  duty].  Now 
this  must  be  done  with  cheerfulness.  A 
pleasing  countenance,  in  acts  of  mercy,  is  a 
great  relief  and  comfort  to  the  miserable  ; 
when  they  see  it  is  not  done  grudgingly  and 
unwillingly,  but  with  pleasant  looks  and 
gentle  words,  and  all  possible  indications 
of  readiness  and  alacrity. 


that  their  professed  love  of  each  other  was  sincere,  and  free  from  dissim¬ 
ulation,  and  from  that  unmeaning  and  deceitful  compliment,  with  which 
tho  world  abounded,  notwithstanding  its  selfishness.  Scott. 

V.  10.  ‘  As  to  brotherly  love,  (be)  kindly  affectionate  one  toward  an¬ 
other  ;  as  to  honor,  give  to  each  other  the  preference ;  as  to  diligence, 
he  not  slothful,  be  fervent,  &c.  . .  persevere  in  prayer.  Supply  the  wants 
of  the  saints.’  St.  Many  of  the  poor  were  fed  from  the  heathen  sacri¬ 
fices  ;  to  those  of  them  who  joined  the  Christians,  this  support  was  now 
cutoff.  Ed.  ‘  Practise  hospitality.'’  St.  ‘  It  was  the  more  proper  for  Paul 
to  enforce  this  duty  [considered  almost  a  sacred  one  in  the  E.]  so  fre¬ 
quently,  as  the  want  of  public  inns  rendered  it  difficult  for  strangers  to 
procure  accommodations,  and  as  many  Christians  might  be  banished 


ieir  native  country  for  religion,  and  perhaps  were  laid  under  a  kind  o 
inn  of  excommunication,  [for  idolatry  mingled  with  every  cns,°nL°I 
fe,]  both  among  Jews  and  heathens,  which  would  make  it  a  nign  c  i 
r  any  of  their  former  brethren  to  receive  them  into  their 

V.  11.  This  would  ennoble  every  business,  and  render  it  acceptable 
i  God  ;  and  it  would  redound  to  the  credit  of  the  Gospe  ’ i  ' (ier[0ok  than 
an  acquitted  himself  better  in  the  business  which  h  sco'tt. 

V6ri  T* Wants.}  ‘  Chreiais  ••  a,  to  the  readin gmneiais 
is  entitled  to  no  attention,  being  supported  b)  .  Blooms . 

irsions  and  early  commentators.’  .  f°851 


A.  D.  61. 


ROMANS,  XII. 


Duty  urged ,  in  reference  to  others. 


15  Rejoice  b  with  them  that  do 
rejoice,  and  weep  with  them  that 
weep. 

16  Be  c  of  the  same  mind  one 
toward  another.  Mind  d  not  high 
things,  but e condescend  to  men  of 
low  estate.  f  Be  not  wise  in  your 
own  conceits. 

17  Recompense  5  to  no  man  evil 
for  evil.  Provide  h  things  honest  in 
the  sight  of  all  men. 

b  1  Co.  12:26.  e  or,  be  content-  f  Is.  5:21. 
c  1  Pe.  3  8.  ed  with  mean  g  Mat.  5:39.  1  Pe.3:9. 

cl  Je.  45:5.  things.  h  2  Co.  8:21. 

III.  Concerning  that  part  of  our  duty 
which  respects  our  brethren  .  of  which  we 
have  many  instances,  in  brief  exhortations. 

Now  all  our  duty  towards  one  another,  is 
summed  up  in  one  word,  and  that  a  sweet 
word,  love  ;  sincere  love,  John  3:18.  2  Cor. 
8  : 8.  more  particularly,  there  is  a  love 
owing, 

1.  To  our  friends.  He  that  hath  friends, 
must  show  himself  friendly.  There  is  a 
mutual  love  that  Christians  owe,  and  must 
pay. 

(1.)  An  affectionate  love,  v.  10.  Be  kind¬ 
ly  affectioned  one  to  another ,  with  brother¬ 
ly  love  ;  it  signifies  not  only  love,  but  a 
readiness  and  inclination  to  love  ;  the  most 
genuine  [disinterested]  and  free  affection, 
kindness  flowing  out  as  from  a  spring. 
It  properly  denotes  the  love  of  parents  to 
their  children  ;  which  as  it  is  the  most 
tender,  so  it  is  the  most  natural,  of  any 
other  ;  unforced,  unconstrained  ;  such  must 
our  love  be  to  one  another  ;  and  such  it  will 
be,  where  there  is  a  new  nature,  and  the  law 
of  love  is  written  in  the  heart. 

(2.)  A  respectful  love  ;  In  honor  prefer¬ 
ring  one  another.  This  is  explained,  Phil. 
2 :  3.  Let  each  esteem  other  better  than  them¬ 
selves.  And  there  is  this  good  reason  for  it, 
because,  if  we  know  our  own  hearts,  we 
know  more  evil  of  ourselves  than  we  do  of 
any  one  else  in  the  world.  We  should  be 
forward  to  take  notice  of  the  gifts  and  gra¬ 
ces,  and  performances  of  our  brethren,  and 
value  them  accordingly  ;  be  more  forward 
to  praise  another,  and  more  pleased  to  hear 
another  praised,  than  ourselves  ;  going  be¬ 
fore,  or  leading  one  another  in  honor ;  so 
some  :  not  in  taking  honor,  but  in  giving 
honor.  So  the  sense  is  the  same  with  Tit. 
3:  14.  Let  them  learn, — to  go  before  in  good 
works.  For  though  we  must  prefer  others  (as 
our  tr.  reads  it),  and  put  on  others,  as  more 
capable  and  deserving  than  ourselves,  yet 
we  must  not  make  that  an  excuse  for  our  ly¬ 
ing  by,  and  doing  nothing  ;  nor,  under  a 
pretence  of  honoring  others,  and  their  ser¬ 
viceableness  and  performances,  indulge  our¬ 
selves  in  ease  and  slothfulness.  Therefore 
he  immediately  adds,  v.  11.  Not  slothful  in 
business. 

(3.)  A  lilieral  love,  v.  13.  Distributing  to 
the  necessities  of  saints.  It  is  no  strange  thing 
for  saints  in  this  world,  to  want  necessaries 
for  the  support  of  their  natural  life.  In  those 
primitive  times,  prevailing  persecutions  must 
needs  reduce  many  of  the  suffering  saints  to 
great  extremities  ;  and  still,  the  poor,  even 
the  poor  saints,  we  have  always  with  us.  It 
is  the  duty,  therefore,  of  those  who  have 


wherewithal,  to  distribute,  or  (as  it  might 
better  be  read)  to  communicate  to  those  ne¬ 
cessities.  It  is  not  enough  to  draw  out  the 
soul,  but  we  must  draw  out  the  purse,  to  the 
hungry.  See  James  2:15,  16.  1  John  3:17. 
Communicating  intimates,  that  our  poor 
brethren  have  a  kind  of  interest  in  what 
God  hath  given  us  ;  and  that  our  relieving 
of  them  should  come  from  a  sense  and  fel¬ 
low-feeling  of  their  wants,  as  though  we 
suffered  with  them.  The  charitable  benevo¬ 
lence  of  the  Philippians  to  Paul,  is  called 
their  communicating  with  his  affliction,  Phil. 
4:  14.  We  must  be  ready,  as  we  have 
ability  and  opportunity,  to  relieve  any  in 
want  ;  but  we  are  in  it  special  manner 
bound  to  communicate  to  the  saints,  Gal.  6: 
10.  Communicating , —  to  the  memories  of 
the  saints  ;  so  some  of  the  ancients  read  it  ; 
a  debt  is  owing  to  the  memory  of  those  who 
through  faith  and  patience  inherit  the  prom¬ 
ises  ;  to  value  it,  to  vindicate  it,  to  embalm 
it.  Let  the  memory  of  the  just  be  blessed, 
so  some  read,  Prov.  10:  7. 

lie  mentions  another  branch  of  this  boun¬ 
tiful  love;  given  to  hospitality.  Nor  is  it  yet 
an  antiquated,  superseded  duty;  as  there  is 
occasion,  we  must  welcome  strangers,  for  we 
know  not  the  heart  of  a  stranger.  I  was  a 
stranger,  and  ye  took  me  in,  is  mentioned  as 
one  instance  of  the  mercifulness  of  those  that 
shall  obtain  mercy  :  following  or  pursuing 
hospitality.  It  intimates,  not  only  that  we 
must  take,  but  seek  opportunity,  thus  to  show 
mercy.  As  Abraham,  who  sat  at  the  tent- 
door,  Gen.  19:  1.  and  Lot,  who  sat  in  the 
gate  of  Sodom,  Gen.  19:1.  expecting  trav¬ 
ellers,  whom  they  might  meet  and  prevent 
with  a  kind  invitation,  and  so  they  enter¬ 
tained -angels  unawares,  Heb.  13:2, 

(4.)  A  sympathizing  love,  v,  15.  Where 
there  is  a  mutual  love  between  the  members 
of  the  mystical  body,  there  will  be  such  a 
fellow-feeling.  See  1  Cor.  12:26.  True 
love  will  interest  us  in  the  sorrows  and  joys 
of  one  another,  and  teach  us  to  make  them 
our  own.  Not  that  we  must  participate  in 
the  sinful  mirths  or  mournings  of  any,  but 
only  in  just  and  reasonable  joys  and  sorrows: 
not  envying  those  that  prosper,  but  rejoicing 
with  them  ;  truly  glad  that  others  Itave  the 
success  and  comfort  we  have  not  ;  not  de¬ 
spising  those  that  are  in  trouble,  but  con¬ 
cerned  for  them,  and  ready  to  help  them,  as 
being  ourselves  in  the  body.  This  is  to  do 
as  God  does  ;  who  not  only  has  pleasure  in 
the  prosperity  of  his  servants,  Ps.  35:27.  but 
is  likewise  afflicted  in  all  their  afflictions,  Is. 
63:9. 

(5.)  A  united  love;  ‘Be  of  the  same  mind 
one  toward  another,  v.  16.  labor,  as  much  as 
you  can,  to  agree  in  apprehension  ;  and 
wherein  you  come  short  of  that,  yet  agree  in 
affection  ;  endeavor  to  be  all  one,  not  affect¬ 
ing  to  clash,  and  contradict,  and  thwart  one 
another;  hut  keep  the  unity  of  the  Spirit  in 
the  bond  of  peace,  Phil.  2:2.  3: 15,  16.  1 
Cor.  1 :  10.  wishing  the  same  good  to  others 
that  you  do  to  yourselves  ;’  so  some  under¬ 
stand  it.  This  is  to  love  our  brethren  as 
ourselves,  desiring  their  welfare  as  our  own. 

(6.)  A  condescending  love;  Mind  not  high 
things,  but  condescend  to  men  of  low  estate, 
v.  16.  True  love  cannot  be  without  lowli¬ 
ness,  Eph.  4:1,  2.  Phil.  2:  3.  When  our 
Lord  Jesus  washed  his  disciples’  feet,  to 


V.  15.  ‘  It  requires  a  more  generous  ami  philosophic  spirit  (says  Chnjs. 
in  Bloomf.)  to  rejoice  with  them  that  rejoice,  than  to  weep  with  them 
that  weep ;  since  in  the  latter  case,  nature  inclines  us  to  sympathy  ;  but, 
in  tire  former,  the  baleful  passion  of  envy  is  apt  to  rise.  So  that  it  is 
difficult  not  to  envy,  nml  much  more  so  to  rejoice  with  them.  And  yet 
there  is  no  stronger  cement  to  love  than  this  sympathetic  affection, 
when  genuine.’  Comp,  on  Acts  10:23.  Ed. 

V.  16,  <tc.  ‘Think  mutually  the  same  thing;  do  not  regard  high 
things,  but  suffer  yourselves  tobe  influenced  by  humble  ones  ..  .  Render 
to  no  mail  evil  for  evil ;  seek  after  that  which  is  good  in  the  sight  of  nil.’ 
St.  ‘  The  sentiment  was  not  unknown  to  the  Jewish  writers  :  nor  to 
the  classics.  [The  Hindoos  someiimes  extend  hospitality  to  an  enemv, 
remarking,  “  the  tree  does  not  withdraw  its  shade  even  from  the  wood¬ 
cutter.”}  Certain  it  is,  that  tn  the  publication  of  the  N.  T.  alone,  can  we 
usually  ascribe  that  higher  lone  and  more  refined  purity  of  ethics,  so  ob- 

[236] 


teach  us  brotherly'  love,  John  13:5.  14:34. 
it  was  designed  especially  to  intimate  to  us, 
that  to  love  one  another  aright,  is  to  be  will¬ 
ing  to  stoop  to  the  meanest  offices  of  kind¬ 
ness  for  the  good  of  one  another.  Love  is  a 
condescending  grace.  Observe  how  it  is 
pressed  here.  [1.]  Mind  not  high  things. 
[This  is  said  to  those  who  lived  in  magnif¬ 
icent  Rome,]  the  imperial  city  which  reigned 
over  the  kings  of  the  earth.  We  must  not 
be  ambitious  of  honor  and  preferment,  nor 
look  upon  worldly  pomp  and  dignity  with 
any  inordinate  value  or  desire,  but  rather 
with  a  holy  contempt.  Christians  would  be 
ready  to  look  scornfully  on  other  Christians, 
as  some  citizens  do  on  the  country  ;  there¬ 
fore  the  apostle  so  often  cautions  them 
against  high-mindedness;  comp.  ch.  11:20. 
[2.]  Condescend  to  men  of  low  estate.  It  may 
be  meant  of  mean  things  ;  Be  contented  with 
mean  things.  Be  reconciled  to  the  place 
God  in  his  providence  bath  put  you  in,  what¬ 
ever  it  be.  We  should  make  a  low  condi¬ 
tion, and  mean  circumstances,  more  the  cen¬ 
tre  of  our  desires,  than  a  high  condition.  It 
may  be  meant  of  mean  persons  :  so  we  read 
it  ;  I  think  both  are  lo  be  included.  We 
must  associate  ourselves  with,  and  accom¬ 
modate  ourselves  to,  those  that  are  poor  and 
mean  in  the  world,  if  they  be  such  as  fear 
God.  The  contrary  to  this  condescension  is 
reproved,  Jam.  2: 1 — 4.  Some  think  the 
original  word  a  metaphor  taken  from  trav¬ 
ellers,  when  those  that  are  stronger,  and 
swifter  of  foot,  stay  for  and  take  along  those 
that  are  weak  and  slow  ;  thus  must  Christ¬ 
ians  be  tender  toward  their  fellow-travellers. 

As  a  mean  to  promote  this,  he  adds,  Be 
not  wise  in  your  own  conceits  ;  to  the  same 
purport  with  v.  3.  We  shall  never  find  in 
our  hearts  to  condescend  lo  others,  while  we 
find  there  so  great  a  conceit  of  ourselves  : 
therefore,  that  must  needs  be  mortified.  ‘  Be 
not  wise  by  yourselves,  be  not  confident  of  the 
sufficiency  of  your  own  wisdom,  so  as  to  de¬ 
spise  others,  or  think  you  have  no  need  of 
them,  Prov.  3:  7.  nor  be  shy  of  eommanica- 
ting  what  you  have  to  others.  We  are 
members  one  of  another,  depend  on  one 
another,  are  obliged  to  one  another  ;  and 
therefore,  Be  not  wise  by  yourselves;  remem¬ 
bering  it  is  the  merchandise  of  wisdom  that 
we  profess  ;  now  merchandise  consists  in 
commerce,  receiving  and  returning.’ 

(7.)  A  love  that  engages  us,  as  much  as 
lies  in  us,  to  live  peaceably  with  all  men,  v.  18. 
we  must  he  harmless  and  inoffensive,  not 
giving  others  occasion  to  quarrel  with  us  ; 
and  we  must  be  gall-less  and  unrevengeful, 
not  taking  occasion  to  quarrel  with  them. 
Observe  how  the  exhortation  is  limited.  It 
is  not  expressed  so  as  to  oblige  us  to  impos¬ 
sibilities  ;  if  it  be  possible,  as  much  as  lies  in 
you.  Thus  Ileb.  12:  14.  Follow  peace.  Eph. 
1:  3.  Endeavoring  to  keep.  Study  the  things 
that  make  for  peace.  If  it  be  possible.  It  is 
not  possible  to  preserve  the  peace,  when  we 
cannot  do  it  without  offending  God  and 
wounding  conscience  :  That  is  possible , 
which  is  possible  without  incurring  blame.  The 
wisdom  that  is  from  above,  i s  first  pure,  and 
then  peaceable.  Jam.  3:17.  Peace  without 
purity,  is  the  peace  of  the  devil’s  palace.  As 
much  as  lieth  in  you.  There  must  be  two 
words  to  the  bargain  of  peace.  We  can  but 
speak  for  ourselves,  and  our  care  must  be, 

servable  in  the  moral  philosophy  of  the  second  and  succeeding  centuries. 
Hut  they  were  unsupported  by  those  all-powerful  motives,  those  divine 
sanctions,  in  vain  sought  for  out  of  Christian  theology.’  Bloomf. 

V.  17 — 21.  The  preceding  exhortations  had  principally  respected  the 
behavior  of  Christians  one  toward  another;  but  these  relate  to  their 
conduct  among  their  unconverted  neighbors.— When  they  were  insulted, 
defrauded,  or  assaulted,  even  if  no  redress  could  be  obtained  from  the 
magistral,  they  must  not  on  any  account  presume  to  avenge  themselves; 
but  rather  give  way  to  the  wrath  of  their  enemies,  and  without  oppo¬ 
sition  endure  the  effects  of  it. — ;20)  Heap  coats,  & c.]  ‘1  believe  the 

sense  is  rather  this,  that,  if  he  persevere  in  his  enmity,  .  . .  after  these 
kind  offices,  thou  by  thy  patience  shalt  engage  the  wrath  of  God  to  fall 
upon  him,  and  to  maintain  thy  cause  against  him.  ...  So  Prov.  20:22. 
11  Say  not  thou,  I  will  recompense  evil ;  but  wait  on  the  Lord,  and  He 
shall  save  thee.”— This  is  the  import  of  the  phrase  in  the  O.  T.,  where 


A.  D.  61. 


ROMANS,  Nil. 


18  If  it  be  possible,  as  much  as 
lieth  in  you,  live  peaceably  1  with 
all  men. 

19  Dearly  beloved,  avenge  i  not 
yourselves  ;  but  rather  give  place 
unto  wrath  :  for  it  is  written,  k  Ven¬ 
geance  is  mine  ;  I  will  repay,  saith 
the  Lord. 

20  Therefore  if  1  thine  enemy 
hunger,  feed  him  ;  if  he  thirst,  give 
him  drink  :  for  in  so  doing  thou 
shalt  heap  coals  of  fire  on  his  head. 

21  Be  m  not  overcome  of  evil,  but 
overcome  evil  with  good. 

I  Ps,  34:14.  j  I, e.  19:18,  1  Pr.  25:21,22.  m  Pr.  16:32. 

He.  12: 14.  k  De.  32:35.  Mat.  5:44. 


tliat  nothing  be  wanting  on  our  parts  to 
preserve  the  peace,  Ps.  120:  7. 

2.  To  our  enemies.  Since  men  became 
enemies  to  God,  they  have  been  found  very 
apt  to  be  enemies  one  to  another.  And  of 
all  men,  those  that  embrace  religion  have 
reason  to  expect  to  meet  with  enemies,  in 
a  world  whose  smiles  seldom  concur  with 
Christ’s.  Now  Christianity  teaches  us  how 
to  behave  towards  our  enemies;  and  in  this 
instruction  it  quite  differs  from  all  other  rules 
and  methods,  which  generally  aim  at  victory 
and  dominion ;  but  this  at  inward  peace  and 
satisfaction.  Whoever  are  our  enemies,  our 
rule  is,  to  do  them  no  hurt,  but  all  the  good 
we  can. 

(1.)  To  do  them  no  hurt,  v.  17.  Recom¬ 
pense  to  no  man  evil  for  evil.  For  that  is 
brutish,  and  befitting  only  those  animals, 
which  are  not  conscious  either  of  any  being 
above  them,  or  of  any  state  before  them:  we 
have  not  so  learned  God,  who  does  so  much 
for  his  enemies,  Mat.  5:  45.  much  less  have 
we  so  learned  Christ,  who  died  for  us  when 
we  were  enemies,  ch.  5:8,  10. 

To  the  same  purport,  v.  19.  Dearly  be¬ 
loved,  avenge  not  yourselves.  And  why  must 
ibis  be  ushered  in  with  such  an  affectionate 
coiepellation,  rather  than  any  other  of  the 
exhortations  of  this  ch.  1  Surely,  because 
this  is  intended  for  the  composing  of  angry 
spirits,  that  are  hot  in  the  resentment  of  a 
provocation.  He  addresses  himself  to  such, 
in  this  endearing  language,  to  mollify  and 
qualify  them.  Call  him  dearly  beloved.  Such 
a  soft  word,  fitly  spoken,  may  be  effectual  to 
turn  away  wrath.  ‘  Avenge  not  yourselves  : 
when  anybody  has  done  you  any  ill  turn,  do 


not  desire  or  endeavor  to  bring  the  like  mis¬ 
chief  or  inconvenience"  on  him.’  It  is  not 
forbidden  to  the  magistrate  to  execute  just 
and  wholesome  laws  ;  but  it  forbids  private 
revenge.  Nay,  if  persons  wronged,  in  seek¬ 
ing  the  defence  of  the  law,  and  magistrates 
in  granting  it,  act  from  any  particular  per¬ 
sonal  pique  or  quarrel,  and  not  from  a  con¬ 
cern  that  public  peace  and  order  be  main¬ 
tained,  and  right  done;  even  such  proceed¬ 
ings,  though  seemingly  regular,  will  fall 
under  this  prohibited  self-revenging.  See 
how  strict  the  law  of  Christ  is  in  this  matter, 
Mat.  5:38—40.  This  is  a  hard  lesson  to 
corrupt  nature;  therefore  he  subjoins, 

[l.J  A  remedy  against  it  ;  Rather  give 
place  unto  wrath.  Not  to  our  own  wrath  ; 
to  give  place  to  that,  is  to  give  place  to  the 
devil,  Eph.  4:26,27.  but,  1st.  The  wrath 
of  our  enemy  ;  do  not  answer  wrath  with 
wrath,  but  with  love  rather,  Eccl.  10:4. 
So  it  explains  that  of  our  Savior,  Mat.  5:39. 
Instead  of  meditating  how  to  revenge  one 
wrong,  prepare  to  receive  another.  When 
others  are  angry,  let  us  be  calm  ;  this  is  a 
remedy  against  revenge,  and  seems  to  be  the 
genuine  sense.  But,  2dly.  Many  apply  it  to 
the  wrath  of  God  ;  ‘  Give  place  to  that, 
make  room  for  Him  to  take  the  throne  of 
judgment,  and  let  Him  alone  to  deal  with 
thine  adversary.’ 

[2.]  A  reason  against  it;  For  it  is  written. 
Vengeance  is  mine.  We  find  it  written,  Dent. 
32:35.  God  is  the  sovereign  King,  the 
righteous  Judge,  and  to  Him  it  belongs  to 
administer  justice.  Some  of  this  power  He 
hath  trusted  in  the  hands  of  the  civil  magis¬ 
trates,  Gen.  9:6.  ch.  13:4.  their  legal  pun¬ 
ishments  therefore  are  to  be  looked  upon  as 
a  branch  of  God’s  revengings.  This  is  a 
good  reason  why  we  should  not  avenge  our¬ 
selves;  for  if  vengeance  be  God’s,  then,  1st. 
We  may  not  do  it.  We  step  into  the  throne 
of  God,  if  we  do,  and  take  his  work  out  of 
his  hand.  2dly.  We  need  not  do  it,  for  God 
will,  if  we  meekly  leave  the  matter  with 
Him  ;  He  will  avenge  us,  as  far  as  there  is 
reason  and  justice  for  it ;  and  further  we 
cannot  desire  it.  See  Ps.  38: 14, 15. 

(2.)  We  must  not  only  not  hurt  our  ene¬ 
mies,  but  our  religion  goes  higher,  and 
teaches  us  to  do  them  all  the  good  we  can. 
It  is  a  command  peculiar  to  Christianity, 
and  highly  commends  it;  Love  your  enemies, 
Mat.  5:44.  We  are  here  taught  to  show 
that  love  to  them,  both  in  word  and  deed. 

[1.]  In  word,  v.  14.  Bless  them  who  per- 


Duty  urged ,  in  reference  to  others. 

secute  you  ;  for  it  has  been  the  common  lot 
of  God’s  people  to  be  persecuted,  cither 
with  a  powerful  hand,  or  spiteful  tongue. 
If  there  be  anything  in  them  that  is  com¬ 
mendable  and  praiseworthy,  notice  it,  and 
mention  it  to  their  honor.  Speak  respect¬ 
fully  to  them,  according  as  their  place  is  ; 
not  rendering  railing  for  railing,  and  bitter¬ 
ness  for  bitterness.  Wish  well  to  them, 
and  desire  their  good  ;  so  far  from  seek¬ 
ing  any  revenge,  pray  for  them.  If  it  be 
not  in  the  power  of  our  hand  to  do  anything 
else  for  them,  yet  we  can  testify  our  good¬ 
will  by  praying  for  them  ;  for  which  our 
Master  hath  given  us  not  only  a  rule,  but  an 
example,  Lu.  23:34.  Bless,  and  curse  not. 
It  denotes  a  thorough  good-will  in  all  the 
instances  and  expressions  of  it;  not,  ‘  Bless 
them  when  you  are  at  prayer,  and  curse 
them  at  other  times;  ’  but,  ‘  Bless  them  al¬ 
ways,  and  curse  not  at  all.’ 

[2.]  In  deed,  v.  20.  ‘  If  thine  enemy  hun¬ 
ger,  as  thou  hast  ability  and  opportunity,  be 
ready  and  forward  to  show  him  any  kind¬ 
ness,  and  never  the  less  so  for  his  having 
been  thine  enemy,  but  rather  the  more,  that 
thou  mayest  thereby  testify  the  sincerity  of 
thy  forgiving  of  him.’  It  was  said  of  Abp. 
Cranmer,  that  the  way  for  a  man  to  make 
him  his  friend,  was  to  do  him  an  ill  turn. 
It  is  quoted  from  Prov.  25:  21,  22.  So  that, 
[as]  high  a  precept  as  it  seems  to  be,  the  O.T. 
was  not  a  stranger  to  it.  Feed  him  abun¬ 
dantly,  (the  Gr.  is  very  significant,)  nay, 
carefully  and  indulgently;  as  we  do  children 
and  sick  people,  with  much  tenderness.  Con¬ 
trive  to  do  it  so  as  to  express  thy  love.  So 
confirm  your  love  to  him.  Because,  in  so 
doing,  thou  shalt  heap  coals  of  fire  on  his 
head  ;  i.  e.  Thou  shalt  either  melt  him  into 
repentance  and  friendship,  and  mollify  his 
spirit  toward  thee  ;  or,  it  will  aggravate 
his  condemnation,  and  make  his  malice 
against  thee  the  more  inexcusable.  Thou 
wilt  hereby  hasten  on  him  the  tokens  of 
God’s  wrath  and  vengeance.  Not  that  this 
must  be  our  intention  in  showing  him  kind¬ 
ness,  but,  for  our  encouragement,  such  will 
be  the  effect.* 

To  this  purpose  is  the  exhortation  in  the 

*  The  best  comtts.,  and  Bl.,  make  *  coals  of  fire  ’  a  sym¬ 
bol  o( divine  vengeance ,  but  perhaps  it  means,  rather,  that, 
thus  doing,  you  will  so  excite  his  better  feelings  that  he  will 
be  excessively  uncomfortable  in  continuing  to  indulge  his 
bad  feelings,  and  tbii3  both  you  and  he  will  he  benefited  by 
his  leaving  them  off.  See  a  ch.  on  1  Benevolence  to  the 
Injurious ,’  in  Wayland ys  Ells.  Mor.  Science,  perhaps  the 
only  *  system  of  ethics,’ whose  author  has  dared  to  carry 
out  the  principles  of  Christ.  Ed. 


TRACT.  OBS.  Surely  they  strangely  misunderstand  the  doctrines 
which  the  apostle  teaches,  who  suppose  them  inconsistent  with  exhor¬ 
tations,  and  instruction  in  all  the  several  duties  of  Christianity;  or  as 
inimical  to  the  practice  of  them  !  The  same  inspired  writer,  who  most 
fully  establishes,  and  most  earnestly  argues  for,  the  doctrines  of  grace, 
is  also  most  exact  and  particular  in  exhorting  Christians  to  their  various 
duties.  Those  who  seem  afraid  that  his  doctrine  may  tend  to  licen¬ 
tiousness,  will  be  equally  averse  to  the  impracticable  strictness  of  his 
precepts ;  and  many,  who  profess  to  be  zealous  friends  to  the  former,  are 
apt  to  find  fault  with  the  latter  as  legal,  when  echoed  by  the  faithful 
preachers  of  the  Gospel.  But  the  mercies  of  God,  apprehended  by  faith, 
and  experienced  in  the  heart,  and  exciting  by  divine  grace  reciprocal 
love  and  gratitude,  form  the  grand  motive  to  all  willing  obedience.  Luke 
7:40 — 50.  2  Cor.  5:13 — 15.  1  John  4:19. — Experience  will  convince  us, 
and  this  alone  can  do  it  effectually,  how  good  and  pleasant  ‘  the  accept¬ 
able  and  perfect  will  of  the  Lord  is;’  so  that  the  more  we  refuse  con¬ 
formity  to  a  vain  and  wicked  world,  that  we  may  walk  with  God  in  his 

only  k  occurs.  Ps.  140:9,  10.  .  . .  Is.  47:14.  ,  . .  £z,  10:2.  2  Esdras  i6: 
52.’  tvhitby. — Those  commentators,  who  argue  that  this  cannot  be  the 
meaning,  for  that  would  be  ‘  applying  to  revenge,  and  building  upon  it,’ 
while  it  is  expressly  forbidden,  seem  not  to  have  duly  adverted  to  some 
other  parts  even  of  the  N.  T.  Luke  18:7,  8.  2  Thes.  1:5 — 9.  Rev.  6:9, 
10.  16:5 — 7.  18:20.  To  expect  that  God  will  avenge  Himself  on  those 
who  injure  us  out  of  hatred  to  Him,  and  are  not  won  over  by  any  kind¬ 
ness  shown  to  them,  is  very  different  from  ‘  avenging  .ourselves.;’  and  it 
is  evident,  from  the  texts  referred  to,  that  in  some  cases, -to  desire  that 
God  would  deliver  his  servants,  by  taking  vengeance  on  their  persecutors, 
or  to  rejoice  when  this  is  done,  is  not  an  unholy  passion.  At  the  same 
lime,  it  is  asserting  far  too  much,  to  say,  that  in  all  cases  for  in  any  case, 
without  the  special  grace  of  God),  our  kindness  will  melt  down  our  ob¬ 
durate  enemies.  On  the  other  hand,  Dr.  Whitby  too  readiiy  takes  it 
for  granted,  that  in  the  passage  in  Proverbs,  which  the  apostle  quotes, 
‘  coals  of  fire  ’  mean  the  vengeance  of  God  ;  and  one  text,  at  least,  he 
has  overlooked,  in  which  that  expression  is  used  of  the  intense  fervor 
and  great  strength  of  love,  Cant.  8:6,  7.  while  he  appears  to  have  mis¬ 
understood  another;  Prov.  20:22,  Upon  the  whole,  it  appears  to  me, 
that  both  interpretations  may  stand.  The  line  of  our  duty  is  clearly 


holy  ways ;  the  more  indifferent  we  shall  grow  to  the  former,  and  the 
greater  delight  we  shall  take  in  the  latter.  It  is  our  duty,  and  should  be 
our  constant  endeavor,  from  ‘  undissembled  love,’  to  exceed  in  evident 
benevolence,  kindness,  and  courteousness,  all  those  appearances,  which 
polite  selfishness  assumes ;  and  to  be  realty  as  ready  to  oblige  and  be 
serviceable,  as  polite,  worldly  people  profess  to  be. — While  religion  cuts 
the  sinews  of  that  selfish  activity,  which  keeps  the  world  in  motion,  It 
supplies  its  place  by  still  more  efficacious  principles.  Gal.  2:17 — 21. 
Love  to  God  and  man,  with  zeal  for  the  honor  of  the  Gospel,  will  influ¬ 
ence  the  intelligent  Christian  to  be  diligent  in  his  worldly  business,  and 
in  acquiring  superior  skill,  that  in  it  he  may  ‘serve  the  Lord  ’  with  ‘  fer¬ 
vency  of  spirit.’  The  joyful  hope,  also,  of  heavenly  felicity  will  better 
support  him,  in  his  labors  and  trials,  and  endue  his  soul  with  more  pa¬ 
tient  constancy,  than  the  expectation  of  worldly  riches  or  distinctions  can 
do  their  deluded  votaries  :  while,  by  ‘  instant  continuance  in  prayer,’  he 
will  find  his  hope  confirmed,  and  his  alacrity  in  duty  revived  from  time 
to  time.  Scott. 

marked  out;  and  if  our  enemies  are  not  melted  down  by  persevering 
kindness,  they  will  be  consumed  by  the  fiery  wrath  of  1  that  God  to 
whom  vengeance  belongeth.’  This  does  not,  however,  at  ail  deduct  from 
the  loving  and  spiritual  import  of  the  exhortation  ;  which  being  found 
in  the  O.  T.,  and  not  exceeded  even  in  the  New,  is  a  full  refutation  of 
the  opinion  held  by  very  many,  that  a  more  spiritual  rule  of  duty  is  es¬ 
tablished  under  the  Gospel,  than  had  before  existed.  1  S.  24:8—15.  25: 
39—42.  26:8—12.  Scott. 

(17.)  Render  not  evil,  ice.]  ‘  This,  of  course,  only  respects  individ 
uals ,  not  communities.  There ,  evil  may  be  recompensed  with  evil  ;  as 
is  clear  from  Rom.  13:4.’  Bl.  True,  if  nations,  in  going  to  war,  could 
Btop  at  the  precise  point  where  the  demands  of  justice  cease,  and  re¬ 
venge  begins.  But,  besides  that  in  national  quarrels,  the  retribution  falls 
heaviest  on  the  most  innocent,  a  nation  that  takes  justice  into  its  own 
hands,  like  an  individual,  goes  a  little  further  to  gratify  excited  feeling 
or  revenge,  and  this  surplus  of  punishment  must  be  retaliated,  without 
end,  til),  as  in  our  Indian  tribes,  it  is  checked  by  the  extermination  ot  one 
party,  by  duel,  murder,  or  war.  A  mutual  umpirage  is  in  both  cases 
best.  See  Wayland,  and  ‘  Advocate  of  Peace.’  En. 

(19.)  ‘Give  place  to  (divine)  indignation  .. .  Retribution  is  mine,  I 


A.  D.  61. 


ROMANS,  XIII. 


Subjection  to  lawful  authority. 


CHAP.  XIII. 

1  Subjection,  and  many  other  duties,  we  owe  to  the  magis* 
lrnte8.  8  Love  is  the  fulfilling  of  the  law.  11  Gluttony 
and  drunkenness,  and  the  works  of  darkness,  are  out  of 
season  in  the  time  of  the  Gospel. 

LET  every  soul  be  subject  a  unto 
the  higher  powers.  For  there 
b  is  no  power  but  of  God  :  the  pow¬ 
ers  that  be  are  'ordained  of  God. 

2  Whosoever  therefore  resisteth 
the  power,  resisteth  the  ordinance 
of  God  :  and  they  that  resist  shall 
receive  to  themselves  damnation. 


any  sin,  for  the  sake  of  the  person  that  com¬ 
mits  it,  but  forsake  all  the  friends  in  the 
world,  to  cleave  to  God  and  duty.  ‘  Provide 
things  honest  in  the  sight  of  all  men  ;  do  not 
only  do,  but  study,  and  forecast,  and  take  care 
to  do,  that  which  is  amiable  and  creditable, 
and  recommends  religion  to  all  with  whom 
you  converse.’  See  Phil.  4:8.  These  acts 
of  charity  and  beneficence  are  in  a  special 
manner  of  good  report  among  men  ;  and 
therefore  are  to  be  industriously  followed  by 
all  that  consult  the  glory  of  God,  and  the 
credit  of  their  profession. 


other  things  a  patient  subjection  to  the  pen¬ 
alty  without  resistance  ;  a  conformity  in 
everything  to  the  place  and  duty  of  subjects 
for  citizens],  bringing  our  minds  to  the  rela¬ 
tion  and  condition,  and  the  inferiority  and 
subordination  of  it. 

Now  there  was  good  reason  for  the  press¬ 
ing  of  this  duty  of  subjection  to  civil  magis¬ 
trates  :  1.  Because  of  the  reproach  the 
Christian  religion  lay  under  in  the  world,  as 
an  enemy  to  public  peace,  order,  and  govern¬ 
ment;  Jerusalem  was  represented  as  hurtful 
to  kings  and  provinces,  Ezra  4:  15,  16.  and 
Jesus  was  so  reproached,  though  He  told 
them  his  kingdom  was  not  of  this  world  : 
no  marvel,  then,  if  his  followers  have  been 
loaded  in  all  ages  with  the  like  calumnies  ; 
called  factious,  seditious,  and  turbulent,  and 
looked  upon  as  the  troublers  of  the  land  ; 
their  enemies  having  found  such  representa¬ 
tions  needful  to  justify  their  harbarous  rage 
against  them.  The  apostle,  therefore,  to  ob¬ 
viate  that  reproach,  and  clear  Christianity 
from  it,  shows  that  obedience  to  civil  magis¬ 
trates  is  one  of  the  laws  of  Christ ,  whoso 
religion  helps  to  make  people  good  subjects; 
and  it  was  very  unjust  to  charge  on  Chris¬ 
tianity  that  faction  and  rebellion,  which  its 
principles  and  rules  are  so  directly  contra¬ 
ry  to.  2.  Because  of  the  temptations  the 
Christians  lay  under  to  be  otherwise  affected 
to  civil  magistrates  ;  some  being  originally 
Jews,  and  so  leavened  with  a  principle,  that 
it  was  unmeet  for  any  of  the  seed  of  Abra¬ 
ham  to  be  subject  to  one  of  another  nation; 
their  king  must  be  of  their  brethren,  Deut. 
17: 15.  Besides,  Paul  had  taught  them,  that 
they  were  not  under  the  law,  they  were  made 
free  by  Christ.  Lest  that  liberty  should  be 
turned  into  licentiousness, and  miscontrued  to 
countenance  faction  and  rebellion,  the  apos¬ 
tle  enjoins  obedience  to  civil  government  ; 
which  was  the  more  necessary  to  be  pressed 
now,  because  the  magistrates  were  heathen 
and  unbelievers;  which  yet  does  not  destroy 
their  civil  power  and  authority.  Besides, 
the  civil  powers  were  persecuting  powers  ; 
the  body  of  the  law  was  against  them. 

II.  The  reasons  to  enforce  this  duty. 

1.  For  wrath’s  sake.  Because  of  the  dan¬ 
ger  we  run  ourselves  into  by  resistance.  The 
Christians  were  then  obnoxious  to  the  sword 


a  1  Pe.  2:13.  b  Da.  2:21.  c  or,  ordered. 

last  v.  which  suggests  a  parados  not  easily 
understood  by  the  world;  that  in  all  matters 
of  strife  and  contention,  those  that  revenge 
are  the  conquered  ;  and  those  that  forgive 
are  the  conquerors. 

1 .  ‘Be  not  overcome  of  evil.  Let  not  the 
evil  of  any  provocation  given  you,  have  such 
a  power  over  you,  or  make  such  an  impres¬ 
sion  on  you,  as  to  dispossess  you  of  your¬ 
selves  ;  to  disturb  your  peace,  to  destroy 
your  love,  to  ruffle  and  discompose  your 
spirits,  to  transport  you  to  any  indecencies, 
or  to  bring  you  to  study  or  endeavor  any  re¬ 
venge.’  He  that  cannot  quietly  bear  an 
injury,  is  perfectly  conquered  by  it. 

2.  *  But  overcome  evil  with  good;  with  the 
good  of  patience  and  forbearance,  nay,  kind¬ 
ness  and  beneficence  to  those  that  wrong 
you;  learn  to  defeat  their  ill  designs  against 
you,  and  either  to  change  them,  or  however, 
to  preserve  your  own  peace.’  He  that  hath 
this  rule  over  his  spirit,  is  better  than  the 
mighty. 

To  conclude,  there  remain  two  exhorta¬ 
tions  yet  untouched,  which  are  general,  and 
which  recommend  all  the  rest  as  good  in 
themselves,  and  of  good  report.  We  must 
not  only  not  do  evil,  but  abhor  it  ;  not  only 
do  that  which  is  good,  but  cleave  to  it.  It 
denotes  a  deliberate  choice  of,  a  sincere 
affection  for,  and  a  constant  perseverance  in, 
that  which  is  good.  It  is  subjoined  to  the 
precept  of  brotherly  love,  as  directive  of  it; 
we  must  love  our  brethren,  but  not  love  them 
so  much  as  for  their  sakes  to  commit  any  sin, 
or  omit  any  duty  ;  not  think  the  better  of 


Chap.  XIII.  There  are  three  good  les¬ 
sons  taught  us  in  this  ch.  where  the  apostle 
enlarges  more  on  his  precepts  than  he  had 
done  in  the  foregoing  ch.,  finding  them  more 
needful  to  be  fully  pressed.  I.  A  lesson  of 
subjection  to  lawful  authority,  v.  1 — 6.  II. 
A  lesson  of  justice  and  love  to  our  brethren, 
v.  7 — 10.  III.  A  lesson  of  sobriety  and 
godliness  in  ourselves,  v.  11 — 14. 

V.  1 — 6.  We  are  here  taught  how  to  con¬ 
duct  ourselves  toward  magistrates,  and  those 
that  are  in  authority  over  us.  He  had  taught 
us,  in  the  foregoing  ch.  not  to  avenge  our¬ 
selves,  or  to  recompense  evil  for  evil  :  lest 
that  should  seem  to  cancel  civil  government 
among  Christians,  he  takes  occasion  to  as¬ 
sert  the  necessity  of  it,  and  of  the  due  in¬ 
flicting  of  punishment  on  evil  doers,  however 
it  looks  like  recompensing  evil  for  evil. 
Observe, 

I.  The  duty  enjoined  ;  let  every  soul  be 
subject.  Every  person,  one  as  well  as 
another,  not  excluding,  as  the  church  of 
Rome  does,  the  clergy.  Not  that  our  con¬ 
sciences  are  to  be  subjected  to  the  will  of 
any  man.  It  is  God’s  prerogative  to  make 
laws  immediately  to  bind  conscience,  and 
we  must  render  to  God  the  things  that  are 
God’s.  But  it  intimates,  that  our  subjection 
must  be  free  and  voluntary,  sincere  and 
hearty.  Curse  not  the  king,  no,  not  in  thy 
thought,  Eccl.  10:  20.  To  compass  and 
imagine,  is  treason  begun. 

The  subjection,  here  required,  includes 
inward  honor,  1  Pet.  2:  17.  and  outward 
reverence  and  respect,  both  in  speaking  to 
them  and  of  them;  obedience  to  their  com¬ 
mands  in  things  lawful  and  honest,  and  in 


will  make  it,’  &c.  Sr.  Revenge ,  being  the  gratification  of  excited  feel¬ 
ing,  over  and  above  just  punishment,  (a  gratification  we  have  no  right 
to  demand  of  another,)  has  no  place  in  God’s  justice,  and  should  have 
none  in  man’s.  See  on  v.  17.  and  IPayland's  Elts.  Mor.  Sci.  Revenge, 
like  war,  causes  more  injustice  than  it  remedies.  Ed. 

NOTES.  Chap.  XIII,  V.  1,  2.  The  apostle  used  the  most  decisive 
language  on  this  subject  [subjection  to  rulers]  ;  ‘every  soul,’  or  person, 
whether  a  Jewish  or  a  Gentile  convert,  a  private  Christian  or  a  minister, 
or  however  distinguished  by  miraculous  gifts,  or  by  his  station  in  the 
church,  or  in  any  other  way,  was  absolutely  required  to  be  subject  to  the 
laws  and  edicts  of  those  who  held  authority  in  the  state  ;  i.  e.  in  all  things 
lawful. — Nero,  who  was  then  emperor,  was  a  monster  of  cruelty,  ca¬ 
price,  and  wickedness,  almost  unparalleled  in  the  annals  of  mankind  ; 
yet  no  exception  was  made  on  that  account.  Christians  were  required 
to  look  above  such  concerns  ;  and  to  consider  God  as  the  Source  of  all 
authority,  and  civil  government  as  his  appointment  for  the  benefit  of 
mankind:  the  several  forms  of  government,  prevailing  indifferent  pla¬ 
ces,  were  to  be  regarded  as  the  effect  of  his  superintending  providence ; 
and  the  persons  raised  to  authority  as  his  deputies.  Tit.  3:1,  2.  1  Pet. 
2-13 — 17. — It  is  evident,  that  the  apostle  did  not  mean  todetermine  the 
divine  right  of  absolute  monarchy,  or  exclusively  of  any  form  of  gov¬ 
ernment  ;  but  to  inculcate  subjection  to  the  ruling  powers  of  every  place 
and  time,  in  which  believers  lived. — The  benefits  of  civil  government  are 
very  many  and  great ;  and  it  is  the  appointment  of  God  for  maintain¬ 
ing  order  among  the  apostate  and  selfish  race  of  men  ;  so  that  any  man, 
who  should  set  himself  to  oppose  the  established  government  of  that 
iiation  in  which  he  lived,  [especially  in  a  republic,]  would  be  considered 
as  resisting  the  providence  and  rebelling  against  the  authority  of  God, 
who  gave  the  rulers  their  authority,  and  will  Himself  call  them  to  ac¬ 
count  for  the  use  which  they  make  of  it. — ‘All  other  governments  de¬ 
rived  their  power  from  God,  as  well  as  that  of  the  Jews;  though  they 
had  not  the  whole  frame  of  their  government  immediately  from  Him,  as 
the  Jews  had.  . .  .  Whether  we  take  powers  here,  in  the  abstract,  for  po¬ 
litical  authority,  or  in  the  concrete,  for  the  persons  actually  exercising 
political  power  and  jurisdiction,  the  sense  will  be  the  same.  ..  .  How 
men  come  by  a  rightful  title  to  this  power,  or  who  has  this  title,  the 
apostle  is  wholly  silent,  and  says  nothing  of  it.  To  have  meddled  with 
that,  would  have  been  to  decide  of  civil  rights,  contrary  to  the  design 
and  business  of  the  Gospel,  and  the  example  of  our  Savior,  who  refused 
meddling  in  such  cases,  with  this  decisive  question,  “  Who  made  Me  a 
judge  or  a  divider  over  you  >  ”  ’  Locke. — The  words,  rendered  ‘  the  pow¬ 
ers  that  be,’  or  ‘  the  existing  authorities,’  seem  expressly  intended  to  ex¬ 
clude  all  such  inquiries.  Perhaps  nothing  involves  greater  difficulties,  in 
very  many  instances,  than  to  ascertain,  to  whom,  either  individually,  or 

[238] 


collectively,  the  authority  justly  belongs  ;  or,  in  fact,  what  constitutes  a. 
lawful  title  to  authority.  If  then  the  most  learned  and  intelligent  men 
find  insuperable  difficulties,  and  differ  widely  in  their  opinions  respecting 
this  subject ;  how  shall  the  bulk  of  the  people  be  able  to  decide  it  ?  And 
if  Christians  are  first  to  determine  concerning  the  right  by  which  their 
rulers  possess  and  exercise  authority,  before  they  think  themselves  bound 
to  obedience  ;  they  must  very  commonly  indeed  be  engaged  in  opposition 
to  ‘  the  existing  authorities.’  But  the  apostle’s  design  was,  to  mark  out 
the  plain  path  of  duty  to  Christians,  however  circumstanced.  [See  fur¬ 
ther  at  the  end  of  ch.  Ed.] — (1)  Poitiers.]  Mat.  28:18.  John  1:12.  The 
word  signifies  authority,  political  authority  rather  than  power  :  but  they 
who  argue  that  it  means  latvful  authority,  seem  to  forget,  that  it  is  used 
for  the  dominion  of  the  devil.  Acts  26:18.  Eph.  2:2.  Col.  1:13.  Scott. 

(1.)  ‘  Let  every  soul  be  subject  to  the  supreme  magistracies  ;  for  there 
is  no  magistracy  except  by  divine  permission,  and  those  which  be,  are 
ordained  by  God.’  St.  ‘  At  that  time  there  were,  at  Rome,  both  Jews 
and  Christians,  who,  from  hatred  of  the  tyranny  of  Claudius  and  Nero, 
had,  there  is  reason  to  believe,  plotted  against  them.’  Carpz.  ‘  Well  did 
the  apostle  know  how  impatient  the  Jews  were,  of  the  Roman  yoke.’ 
Kop. — Of  God.]  ‘That  to  some  singular  providence  of  God  the  origin 
and  whole  fortunes  of  rulers  are  to  be  referred,  is  an  opinion  so  common 
to,  and  constantly  prevailing  among  all  people,  that-  it  may  seem  to  have 
been  instilled  by  the  Almighty  Himself.’  Kop.  ‘God  having  designed 
mankind  to  live  in  society,  He  has,  by  the  frame  of  their  nature,  and  by 
the  reason  of  things,  authorized  governments  to  be  exercised  in  every 
country.’  Macknight. 

(1 — 7.)  Nothing  in  this  forbids  the  exercise  of  ‘political  rights.’  In¬ 
deed,  where  the  elective  franchise  is  so/ully  enjoyed,  as  in  most  of  these 
United  States,  it  is  the  bounden  duty  of  a  Christian,  so  to  inform  himself 
that  he  may  properly  exercise  it ;  nor  can  he  bury  this  precious  talent  in 
the  earth,  and  be  innocent.  The  government  should  act  religiously,  but 
how  will  it,  if  those  who  administer  it  are  not  religious  ?  And  are  we  to 
expect  that  those  who  are  not  Christians  will  elect  religious  men  to  of¬ 
fice  ?  Is  it  not  rather  a  dis-qualification  for  office  in  our  country  ?  We 
would  hope  not,  yet  how  seldom  do  we  hear  religious  arguments  used  by 
statesmen  ;  is  it  not  thought  a  weakness  ?  Is  sectarism  so  rife  among 
us,  that  we  fear,  as  Christians,  to  elect  Christians  to  office,  lest  we  be 
advancing  a  sect ;  giving  temporal  power  to  the  church  !  Is  the  church 
so  unwise,  so  corrupt  ?  Is  pure  religion  so  dead  among  us  ?  Never  was 
the  responsibility  of  the  Christian  citizen  so  great,  his  duty  so  momen¬ 
tous,  as  in  these  times,  and  in  this  country.  See  IVayland.  Ed. 

(2.)  Power.]  ‘Magistracy.  Damnation.]  ‘ Krima :  judgment.’ 
Stuabt.  ‘  Divine  and  human  punishment.  See  Hammond’s  masterly 
annotation.’  Bloomf. 


A.  D.  61. 


ROMANS,  XIII. 


3  For  rulers  are  not  a  terror  to 
good  works,  but  to  the  evil.  Wilt 
thou  then  not  be  afraid  of  the  pow¬ 
er  ?  do  d  that  which  is  good,  and 
thou  shalt  have  praise  of  the  same: 

4  For  he  is  the  minister  of  God 
to  thee  for  good.  But  if  thou  do 

.  that  which  is  evil,  be  afraid  ;  for  he 
beareth  not  the  sword  in  vain  :  for 
he  is  the  minister  of  God,  a  reveng¬ 
er  to  execute  wrath  upon  him  that 
doeth  evil. 

5  Wherefore  e  ye  must  needs  be 
subject,  not  only  for  wrath,  but  also 
for  conscience’  sake. 

d  1  Pe.  2:14.  e  Ec.  8:2.  " 

of  the  magistrate  for  their  religion,  and 
needed  not  make  themselves  more  so  by 
their  rebellion.  The  least  show  of  resistance 
or  sedition,  in'a  Christian,  would  soon  be 
aggravated  and  improved,  and  would  be  very 
prejudicial  to  the  whole  society  ;  therefore 
they  had  more  need  than  others  to  be  exact 
in  their  subjection,  that  those  who  had  so 
much  occasion  against  them  in  the  matter 
of  their  God,  might  have  no  other  occasion. 

To  this  head  must  that  argument  be  re¬ 
ferred,  v.  2.  They  that  resist  shall  receive  to 
themselves  damnation  :  they  shall  be  called  to 
an  account  for  it.  God  will  reckon  with 
them  for  it,  because  the  resistance  reflects 
on  Him  ;  the  magistrate  will  reckon  with 
them  for  it,  for  they  will  come  under  the 
lash  of  the  law,  and  will  find  the  higher 
powers  too  high  to  be  trampled  on,  all  civil 
governments  being  justly  strict  and  severe 
against  treason  and  rebellion;  so  it  follows, 
v.  3.  Rulers  are  a  terror.  This  is  a  good 
argument,  but  low  for  a  Christian. 

2.  We  must  be  subject,  not  only  for  wrath, 
but  for  conscience-sake:  not  so  much  from  the 
fear  of  punishment,  ns  from  the  love  of  virtue. 
This  makes  common  civil  offices  acceptable 
to  God,  when  they  are  done  for  conscience- 
sake,  with  an  eye  to  God,  to  his  providence 
putting  us  into  such  relations,  and  to  his 
precept  making  subjection  the  duty  of  those 
relations.  Thus  the  same  thing  may  be  done 


from  a  very  different  principle.  Now,  to 
oblige  conscience  to  this  subjection,  he 
argues,  v.  1 — 4,  6. 

(1.)  From  the  institution  of  magistracy  ; 
There  is  no  power  hut  of  God.  By  Him  kings 
reign,  Prov.  8:15.  The  usurpation  and 
abuse  of  power  are  not  of  God,  for  He  is  not 
the  Author  of  sin  ;  but  the  power  itself  is. 
The  most  unjust  and  oppressive  princes  in 
the  world,  have  no  power  but  what  is  given 
them  from  above,  Jn.  19:11.  the  Divine 
Providence  being,  in  a  special  manner,  con¬ 
versant  about,  those  changes  and  revolutions 
of  governments  which  have  such  an  influence 
on  states  and  kingdoms,  and  such  a  multi¬ 
tude  of  particular  persons  and  less  commu¬ 
nities.  Or,  it  may  be  meant  of  government 
in  general  :  God  has  not  left  men  like  the 
fishes  of  the  sea,  where  the  greater  devour 
the  less. 

The  powers  that  be  :  whatever  the  partic¬ 
ular  form  and  method  of  government  are, 
whether  by  monarchy,  aristocracy,  or  de¬ 
mocracy;  wherever  the  governing  power  is 
lodged,  it  is  an  ordinance  of  God,  and  it  is 
to  be  received  and  submitted  to  accordingly  ; 
though  immediately  an  ordinance  of  man, 
1  Pet.  2:  13.  yet  originally  an  ordinance  of 
God.  Ordained  of  God  J  a  military  word, 
signifying  not  only  the  ordination  of  magis¬ 
trates,  but  the  subordination  of  inferior  mag¬ 
istrates  to  the  supreme,  as  in  an  army;  for 
among  magistrates  there  is  a  diversity  of 
gifts,  and  trusts,  and  services.  Hence  it  fol¬ 
lows,  v.  2.  that  whosoever  resisteth  the  power, 
resisleth  the  ordinance  of  God.  There  are 
other  things  from  God,  that  are  the  greatest 
calamities  :  but  magistracy  is  from  God,  as 
an  ordinance,  it  is  a  great  law,  and  it  is  a 
great  blessing  :  so  that  the  children  of  Be¬ 
lial,  that  will  not  endure  the  yoke  of  govern¬ 
ment,  will  be  found  breaking  a  law,  and 
despising  a  blessing.  Magistrates  are  there¬ 
fore  called  gods,  Ps.  82:  6.  because  they  bear 
the  image  of  God’s  authority.  This  is  not 
at  all  applicable  to  the  particular  rights  of 
kings  and  kingdoms,  and  the  branches  of 
their  constitution  ;  nor  can  any  certain  rule 
be  fetched  from  hence  for  the  modelling  of 
the  original  contracts  between  the  governors 
and  governed  ;  but  it  is  intended  for  direc¬ 


Subjection  lo  lawful  authority . 

tion  to  private  persons  in  their  private  ca¬ 
pacity,  to  behave  themselves  quietly  and 
peaceably  in  the  sphere  which  God  has  set 
them  in,  with  a  due  regard  lo  the  civil  pow¬ 
ers  which  God,  in  his  providence,  has  set  ovei 
them,  1  Tim.  2: 1,  2. 

Magistrates  are  here  again  and  again 
called  God’s  ministers.  He  is  the  minister 
of  God,  v,  4,  6.  In  the  administration  of 
public  justice,  the  determining  of  quarrels, 
the  protecting  of  the  innocent,  the  righting 
of  tlte  wronged,  the  punishing  of  offenders, 
and  the  preserving  of  national  peace  and  or¬ 
der,  that  every  man  may  not  do  what  is  right 
in  his  own  eyes  ;  in  these  things  it  is,  that 
magistrates  act  as  God’s  ministers.  As  the 
killing  of  an  inferior  magistrate,  w  hile  he  is 
actually  doing  his  duty,  is  accounted  treason 
against  the  prince  ;  so  the  resisting  of  any 
magistrates,  in  the  discharge  of  these  duties 
of  their  place,  is  the  resisting  of  an  ordi¬ 
nance  of  God. 

(2.)  From  the  intention  of  magistracy,  as 
designed  to  be, 

[1.]  A  terror  to  evil  works,  and  evil 
workers.  They  bear  the  sword,  the  sword 
of  justice.  They  are  heirs  of  restraint,  to  put 
offenders  to  shame;  Laish  wanted  such,  Judg. 
18:7.  Such  is  the  power  of  sin  and  corrup¬ 
tion,  that  many  will  not  be  restrained  from 
the  greatest  enormities,  and  such  as  are  most 
pernicious  to  human  society,  by  any  regard  to 
the  law  of  God  and  nature,  or  the  wrath  to 
come;  but  only  by  the  fear  of  temporal  pun¬ 
ishments,  which  the  wilfulness  and  perverse¬ 
ness  of  degenerate  mankind  have  made  ne¬ 
cessary.  Hence  it  appears,  that  laws  with 
penalties  for  the  lawless  and  disobedient ,  I 
Tim.  1:9.  must  be  constituted  in  Christian 
nations,  and  are  agreeable  with,  and  not 
contradictory  to,  the  Gospel.  In  this  work 
of  restraint,  the  magistrate  is  the  minister  of 
God,  v.  4.  He  acts  as  God’s  agent,  to  whom 
vengeance  belongs ;  therefore  must  take  heed 
of  infusing  into  his  judgments  anv  private, 
personal  resentments  of  his  own.  To  execute 
wrath  upon  him  that  doeth  evil : — yet  the  judi¬ 
cial  processes  of  the  most  vigilant,  faithful 
magistrates,  though  some  faint  resemblance 
of  the  judgments  of  the  great  day,  come  far 
short  of  the  judgment  of  God,  which  extends 


V.  3 — 5.  If  the  ruler  abuse  his  authority,  God  will  call  him  to  an 
account  for  it ;  there  are,  in  many  countries,  legal  ami  constitutional 
checks  on  those,  who  attempt  to  introduce  tyranny  ;  and  on  great  occa¬ 
sions,  the  people  will  sometimes,  with  one  consent,  arise  against  a  cruel 
oppressor,  and  subvert  his  government ;  as  the  Romans  did  against  Nero, 
who  was  condemned,  by  the  senate,  to  die,  as  an  enemy  to  mankind,  with 
the  approbation  of  the  whole  world,  lint  Christians  are  seldom  called 
on  to  take  any  active  or  leading  part  in  such  transactions  ;  [though  their 
duty  at  the  ballot-box,  at  least,  is  imperious,  note,  1 — 7.  Ed  ]  If  laws  be 
unreasonably  formed,  or  iniquitously  executed,  this  should  be  endured 
as  a  cross  laid  on  them,  till  they,  who  are  legally  authorized,  apply  a  rem¬ 
edy  to  the  evil;  or  nolhingffcore  be  attempted  than  by  [orderly  votes 
and]  peaceable  arid  respectful  petitions.  And  if  we  be  required  by  hu¬ 
man  authority  lo  sin  against  God,  we  must  steadfastly  refuse  obedience, 
and  cheerfully  and  meekly  endure  the  consequence,  well  satisfied  with 
the  blessings  ensured  by  the  promise  of  God,  to  those  ‘who  suffer  for 
righteousness’  sake.’  Mat.  5:10 — 12.  Acts  4:13 — 22.  5:20 — 31.  1  Pet. 
3:13—^16.  4:12—16.  SCOTT. 

(3—7.)  ‘And  wilt  thou  not  stand  in  awe  of  the  magistracy  ?  Do  good 
and  thou  shalt  have  praise  for  it ;  fur(the  magistrate)  is  a  servant  of  God 
for  thy  benefit.  But  if  thou  doest  evil,  fear;  for  he  beareth  the  sword 
not  in  vain,  since  he  is  the  minister  of  God,  condemning  to  punishment 
the  evil-doer.  Therefore  we  ought,  to  yield  subjection,  not  only  because 
of  punishment,  but  for  conscience’  sake.’ — ‘  On  the  same  account,  more¬ 
over,  we  should  also  pay  tribute  ;  for  they  are  God’s  ministers  who  at¬ 
tend  to  this  matter.’  Sr.  ‘  Not  the  collecting  tribute,  but  the  ministra¬ 
tion,  ns  ministers ,  Gr.  leitourgoi :  a  very  strong  term,  properly  denot¬ 
ing  ( Schl .)  “  persons  who  were  obliged,  either  by  (heir  own  tribe,  or  the 
people  at  large,  to  perform  certain  public  forms  of  worship,  or,  at  their 
own  expense,  supply  the  wants  of  the  state,  and  in  a  case  of  necessity, 
undertake  all  the  most  burdensome  and  irksome  offices  in  the  state,  yield 
up  their  property,  nay,  even  their  life  and  blood,  to  promote  the  welfare 
of  the  state.”  See  on  Luke  1:23.’  Bi..,  who  remarks,  that  ‘according  to 
the  most  learned  philologists  and  antiquaries,  phoros  and  phoroi ,  [tr. 
tribute,]  denote  the  land  tax  and  the  capitation  tax,  and  are  nearly  the 
same  with  the  kensos ,  Luke  20:21.  The  tell  [tr.  customs]  were  the 
vectigalia ,  and  the  customs  levied  on  the  imports  and  exports.  ’  En. 

(4.)  ‘  Bv  bearing  the  sword  is  meant,  having  the  power  of  life  and 

death  ;  which  was  represented  by  the  Roman  magistrates’  being  gird¬ 
ed  with  the  sword  [as  the  Turkish  Sultan  is  now],  or  having  it  carried 
before  them,  (so  Sueton.,)  a  custom  which  is  pnrtly  retained  [Border 
says,  in  England]  in  modern  times.  See  Grot.,  who  refers  to  Tac.  (I  add 
Liban.,  Philoster,  and  Herodian .)  and  says,  that  in  the  Rabinnical  writ¬ 
ers  frequently  occurs  the  expression,  The  kin ?  who  bears  the  sword. 
Decapitation,  performed  (as  in  Germany  now)  by  the  sword,  was  the 


most  frequent  capital  punishment.’  Bl.  ‘  The  three  designs  of  penalties 
being,  to  promote  observance  of  law  (by  deterring  from  crime,  and  thus 
general  security);  restitution,  or  reformation  :  does  capital  punishment 
for  murder  best  accomplish  these  designs;  and,  if  so,  do  the  O.  and  N. 
T.  give  the  right  to  take  life  for  murder  ?  Now,  as  penalties  respect  a 
whole  community,  and  their  being  prevented  from  crime,  if  the  preven¬ 
tion  of  a  man  from  becoming  a  criminal  is  at  least  as  beneficial  as  his 
reformation,  prevention  of  crime  in  the  whole  community  is  millions  to 
one,  incomparably,  more  important  than  either  of  the  other  objects,  res¬ 
titution  or  reformation,  which  respects  but  one  or  two  individuals  :  and 
restitution  is  the  next  most  important.  Of  the  two  punishments  for 
murder,  then,  which  best  answers  the  primary  design  of  penalties  (the 
welfare  of  the  whole  by)  prevention  of  crime,  death,  or  imprisonment 
for  life  (with,  of  course,  meagre  diet,  hard  labor,  rigid  supervision  by 
day,  and  solitary  confinement  at  night)  ?  After  providing  against  tlte 
abuse  of  this  penalty,  considering  that  the  love  of  life  is  the  strongest 
principle  of  the  human  soul;  that  the  dread  of  death  includes  also  a 
dread  of  the  awful  retributions  of  the  eternal  world,  selected  by  God  Him¬ 
self  to  deter  men  from  sin;  that  all  generations  have  regarded  death  ns 
the  greatest  punishment;  that  it  accords  with  the  experimental  legisla¬ 
tion  of  Pennsylvania,  which  has  greatly  decreased  the  number  of  mur¬ 
ders;  that  those  governments  which  have  abolished  capital  punishment 
for  murder,  were  all,  after  a  trial  of  a  few  years,  compelled  to  abandon 
it;  that  the  imprisoned  not  ltnfrequently  commit  other  murders,  and  not 
unfrequently  escape ;  we  are  constrained  to  mnintain  the  position,  (to 
which,  indeed,  the  Prison  Discipline  Society,  after  all  their  investiga¬ 
tions,  firmly  adhere,)  “That  the  punishment  of  death  for  murder  could 
not  be  abolished  with  safety.” — “That,”  again  to  use  the  words  of  their 
Report  for  1835,  “the  law  of  God  seems  holy,  just,  and  good,  Whoso 
sheddeth  man’s  blood,  by  man  shall  his  blood  be  shed.”’  Prof.  Schmucker, 
in  Bib.  Repos.  July,  1837,  where  see  the  right  of  death  fully  considered. 
It  seems  sufficient  here,  to  say,  that  God  has  an  undoubted  right  to  take 
life,  and  Himself  asserts,  in  this  v.  that  He  has  given  governments  this 
right,  as  his  vicegerents.  Comp.  Ex.  21:11,  14.  Num.  35:17 — 21.  Deut. 
19:11—13.  Gen.  9:6.  Mat.  26:52.  Acts  25:11.  Rom.  13:1—7.  13:10.— 
As  to  the  duty  of  a  sworn  juror,  when  trying  a  murderer,  he  commits 
perjury  if  he  does  not  bring  him  in  guilty,  provided  he  thinks  him  so, 
whatever  the  consequence  to  the  criminal;  which  indeed  is  not  the 
juror’s  business,  as  a  juror.  .  Ed. 

(5.)  ‘  Hardy  well  observes,  that,  from  this  passage,  “  it  is  certain,  that 
human  laws,  legitimately  enacted,  are  not  only  binding  in  foro  extrrno 
[before  men],  but  in  foro  conscienliat  et  D<i  [before  conscience  and  God], 
and  not  only  bind  the  transgressor  to  punishment,  but  to  blame.  ’  [How 
eminently  is  this  true  of  popular  governments  and  legislation  !]  Thus 
transgression  becomes  not  only  a  breach  of  law ,  but  a  sin.'  Bloom f. 


A.  D.  61. 


ROMANS,  XIII. 


Of  justice  and  charity. 


6  For,  for  this  cause  pay  ye  trib¬ 
ute  also  :  for  they  are  God’s  min¬ 
isters,  attending  continually  upon 
this  very  thing. 

7  Render  therefore  to  all  f  their 
dues;  tribute  to  whom  tribute  is 
due  ,*  custom  to  whom  custom  ;  fear 
to  whom  fear  ;  honor  to  whom 
honor. 

8  Owe  no  man  any  thing,  but  to 
love  one  another:  for  *  he  that  lov- 
eth  another  hath  fulfilled  the  law. 

f  Mat.  22:21.  g  Ja.  2:8. 

to  the  evil  thought,  and  is  a  discerner  of  the 
intents  of  the  heart.  He  beareth  not  the  sword 
in  vain.  It  is  not  for  nothing  that  God  hath 
put  such  a  power  into  the  magistrate’s  hand  ; 
but  it  is  intended  for  the  restraining  and  sup¬ 
pressing  of  disorders.  It  is  a  good  thing 
when  the  punishment  of  malefactors  is  man¬ 
aged  as  an  ordinance  of  God,  instituted  and 
appointed  by  Him,  as  a  holy  God,  that  hates 
sin  ;  as  King  of  nations,  and  the  God  of 
peace  and  order  ;  the  Protector  of  the  good, 
whose  persons,  families,  estates,  and  names, 
are  by  this  mean  hedged  about;  and  One 
that  desires  not  the  eternal  ruin  of  sinners, 
but  by  the  punishment  of  some  would  pre¬ 
vent  the  like  wickedness,  that  others,  hearing 
and  fearing,  may  do  no  more  presumptuously. 

[2.]  A  praise  to  them  that  do  well. 
Those  that  keep  in  the  way  of  their  duty, 
shall  have  the  commendation  and  protection 
of  the  civil  powers,  to  their  credit  and  com¬ 
fort,  v.  3.  This  is  the  intention  of  magis¬ 
tracy,  and  therefore  we  must,  for  conscience’ 
sake,  be  subject  to  it,  as  a  constitution  de¬ 
signed  for  the  public  good,  to  which  all  pri¬ 
vate  interests  must  give  way.  But  pity  it  is, 
that  ever  this  gracious  intention  should  be 
perverted,  and  that  those  who  bear  the 
sword,  while  they  countenance  and  connive 
at  sin,  should  be  a  terror  to  those  that  do 


well.  But  so  it  is,  when  the  vilest  men  are 
exalted  ;  and  yet  even  then,  the  blessing  and 
benefit  of  a  common  protection,  and  a  face 
of  government  and  order,  are  such,  that  it  is 
our  duty  in  that  case  rather  to  submit  to  per¬ 
secution  for  well-doing,  and  to  take  it  pa¬ 
tiently,  than  by  any  irregular  and  disorderly 
practices  to  attempt  a  redress.  Never  did 
sovereign  prince  pervert  the  ends  of  govern¬ 
ment  as  Nero  did,  and  yet  to  him  Paul 
appealed,  and  under  him  had  the  protection 
of  the  law,  and  the  inferior  magistrates,  more 
than  once.  Better  a  bad  government,  than 
none  at  all. 

(3.)  From  our  interest  in  it  ;  ‘  He  is  the 
minister  of  God  to  thee  for  good .’  Protection 
draws  allegiance.  If  we  have  protection 
from  the  government,  we  owe  subjection  to 
it  ;  by  upholding  the  government,  we  keep 
up  our  own  hedge.  This  subjection  is  like¬ 
wise  consented  to  by  the  tribute  We  pay, 
v.  6.  By  paying  tribute,  you  not  only  own 
the  magistrate’s  authority,  but  the  blessing 
of  that  authority  to  yourselves.  He  does  not 
say,  ‘You  give  it  as  an  alms,’  but,  ‘You  pay 
it  as  a  just  debt,  or  lend  it,  to  be  repaid  in  all 
the  blessings  and  advantages  of  public  gov¬ 
ernment,  which  you  reap  the  benefit  of.*' 
This  is  the  lesson  the  apostle  teaches,  and  it 
becomes  all  Christians  to  learn  and  practise 
it,  that  the  godly  in  the  land  may  be  found, 
(whatever  others  are,)  the  quiet  and  the 
peaceable  in  the  land. 

V.  7 — 10.  We  are  here  taught  a  lesson  of 
justice  and  charity. 

I.  Of  justice,  v.  7.  Render  therefore  to  all 
their  dues;  especially  to  magistrates,  for  this 
refers  to  what  goes  before  ;  and  likewise  to 
all  with  whom  we  have  to  do.  He  specifies, 

1.  Due  taxes  ;  Tribute  to  whom  tribute  is 
due,  custom  to  rvhom  custom.  Most  of  the 
countries  where  the  Gospel  was  first  preach¬ 
ed,  were  subject  at  this  time  to  the  Roman 
yoke,  and  were  drained  by  taxes  and  impo¬ 
sitions,  to  the  just  and  honest  payment  of 
which  they  are  here  pressed  by  the  apostle. 


Some  indeed  understand  by  tribute,  standing 
taxes,  and  by  custom,  occasional  :  both 
which  are  to  be  faithfully  and  conscientious¬ 
ly  paid,  as  they  become  legally  due.  Our 
Lord  was  born,  when  his  mother  went  to  be 
taxed;  and  enjoined  the  payment  of  tribute 
to  Cesar.  Many,  who  in  other  things  seem 
to  be  just,  yet  make  no  conscience  of  this, 
but  pass  it  off  with  a  false,  ill-favored  maxim, 
that  it  is  no  sin  to  cheat  the  king  ;  directly 
contrary  to  Paul’s  rule,  Tribute  to  whom 
tribute  is  due. 

2.  Due  respect ;  Fear  to  whom  fear,  honor 
to  whom  honor.  This  sums  up  the  duty  we 
owe  not  only  to  magistrates,  but  to  all  supe¬ 
riors,  parents,  masters,  all  that  are  over  us 
in  the  Lord,  according  to  the  fifth  command¬ 
ment.  Comp.  Lev.  19:  3.  Ye  shall  fear  every 
man  his  mother  and  his  father  ;  not  with  a 
fear  of  amazement,  [or  slavishness,]  but  a 
loving,  reverent,  respectful,  obediential  fear. 
Where  there  is  not  this  respect  in  the  heart 
to  our  superiors,  no  other  duty  will  be  paid 
aright. 

3.  Due  payment  of  debts,  v.  8.  ‘  Owe  no 

man  anything;  do  not  continue  in  any  one’s 
debt,  while  you  are  able  to  pay  it,  farther 
than  by,  at  least,  the  tacit  consent  of  the 
person  to  whom  you  are  indebted.  Give 
every  one  his  own.  Do  not  spend  that  on 
yourselves,  much  less  heap  it  up  for  your¬ 
selves,  which  you  owe  to  others.’  The  wicked 
borroweth,  and  payeth  not  again,  Ps.  37:21. 
Many  that  are  very  sensible  of  the  trouble, 
think  little  of  the  sin  of  being  in  debt. 

II.  Of  charity  ;  Owe  no  man  anything  ; 
you  do  owe  no  man  anything  ;  so  some  read 
it  ;  ‘  Whatever  you  owe  to  any  relation,  or 
to  any  with  whom  you  have  to  do,  it  is  em¬ 
inently  summed  up  and  included  in  this  debt 
of  love.  But  to  love  one  another,  that  is  a 
debt  that  must  be  always  in  the  paying,  and 
yet  always  owing.’  Love  is  a  debt;  the  law 
of  God  and  the  interest  of  mankind  made  it 
so  ;  it  is  not  a  thing  we  are  left  at  liberty 
about;  but  it  is  enjoined  us,  as  the  principle 


V  6,7.  For  similar  reasons,  it  is  the  duty  of  Christians  to  pay  taxes 
also;  because  as  the  advantages  of  government  are  great,  so  must  its 
expenses  be  very  large.  Rulers  are  ‘the  ministers  of  God,’  in  provi¬ 
dence,  who  are  called  ‘  to  attend  constantly  to  this  very  thing.’  It  is 
proper,  and  for  the  good  of  the  people,  that  they,  their  families,  and  at¬ 
tendants,  should  appear  in  dignity  and  [in  a  monarchy,  in]  splendor : 
they  are,  and  ought  to  be,  taken  from  the  highest  ranks  [from  the  best 
men.  Ed.]  in  the  community  ;  as  the  temptations  of  such  exalted  sta¬ 
tions  must  in  general  be  irresistibly  strong,  to  those  who  have  been  edu¬ 
cated  in  comparative  indigence,  [or  not  at  all.]  Prov. 28:3.  30:21 — 23.  Ec. 
10:5—7,  16 — 19. — Both  governors  and  governed  are  fallen  creatures  ;  and 
therefore  selfishness  can  by  no  method  whatever  be  excluded.  Some 
excess  of  expenditure,  some  improper  accumulation  of  treasure,  some 
waste  of  it,  in  providing  for  relatives  and  dependants,  maybe  expected, 
though  not  justified. — Taxes  must,  therefore,  be  imposed,  and  ought  to 
be  scrupulously  paid.  Sometimes  they  will  be  oppressive,  or  very  heavy; 
but  this  grievance  should  be  patiently  endured,  till  it  be  constitutionally 
redressed.  So  that  it  is  the  will  of  God,  that  his  worshippers  and  ser¬ 
vants  render  to  rulers,  the  tribute,  custom,  excise,  or  impost,  demanded 
legally  from  [them],  with  as  much  exactness  as  they  would  pay  any  other 
debt.  Mat.  22:15 — 22.  They  must  use  no  collusion  or  fraud  ;  they  should 
not  hesitate  or  murmur;  and  all  smuggling,  or  dealing  in  contraband 
goods;  all  withholding  or  evading  duties  imposed  on  any  commodity, 
and  every  species  of  this  kind  of  imposition,  is  a  direct  rebellion  against 
the  providence  and  most  express  commandment  of  God.  And,  however 
it  may  be  palliated  or  varnished  over,  it  is  not  merely  a  defalcation  of 
the  revenue,  but  likewise  a  robbery  of  all  who  pay  taxes.  For  such 
collusions  will  not  prevent  the  sum  required  from  being  raised  on  the 
public;  so  that,  when  one  tax  falls  short  another  is  imposed;  and 
when  he,  who  should  pay  five  [dollars],  pays  but  three,  his  more  con¬ 
scientious  neighbor  must  pay  seven  instead  of  five,  and  is  therefore  di¬ 
rectly  robbed  of  [two  dollars.]  At  the  same  time,  all  the  atrocious 
crimes  of  the  whole  body  of  smugglers,  and  others  who  combine  to  de¬ 
fraud  the  revenue  in  a  great  variety  of  ways,  are  abetted  by  every  one, 
[however  gentlemanly,]  who  puts  his  hand  to  such  a  dishonest  business. 
Ex.  20:15.  In  this  case,  to  declaim  about  the  vices  and  extravagances 
of  rulers,  is  to  add  one  sin  to  another,  2  Pet.  2:10,  11.  Jude  5 — 10. 
These  things  never  were  worse  than  in  the  days  of  Nero ;  they  are  in¬ 
separable  from  human  nature :  the  great  Lawgiver  was  aware  of  them, 
when  He  gave  the  commandment;  and  if  no  man  paid  a  tax,  till  the 
character  and  administration  of  all  concerned  in  managing  public  busi¬ 
ness,  and  the  disposal  of  the  public  money,  and  the  tax  itself,  met  his 
full  approbation ;  none  would  ever  be  paid,  by  the  selfish  and  unreasona¬ 
ble  part  of  the  community,  and  the  public  exigences  could  never  be  an¬ 
swered.  This  subject  is  the  more  enlarged  on,  because  the  arguments 
and  examples  of  some  avaricious  professors  of  the  Gospel,  draw  in  well- 
meaning  people  to  wound  their  consciences  and  disgrace  the  cause  of  re¬ 
ligion,  by  evading  or  refusing  taxes,  in  a  disingenuous  and  fraudulent 
manner;  which  is  as  contrary  to  simple  truth,  as  to  common  honesty. — 
Moreover,  the  apostle  enjoins  on  Christians,  to  render  ‘  fear,’  or  rever¬ 
ence,  and  ‘  honor,’  to  those  to  whom  they  are  due,  on  account  of  their 

[240] 


authority,  rank,  or  any  other  civil  distinction  ;  neither  supposing,  that 
religion  requires  a  stiff  and  rude  singularity,  in  refusing  customary  titles 
or  expressions  of  honor  and  respect  to  superiors  ;  Luke  1:1 — 4.  nor  that 
it  allows  that  petulance  and  scurrility,  with  which  many  delight  to  vili¬ 
fy  the  characters  and  conduct  of  their  rulers,  and  those  in  high  stations. 
Their  faults  should  in  general  be  regarded  with  candor  and  silence;  (for 
their  situation  is  conspicuous,  and  their  temptations  very  great;)  and, 
though  the  honor  due  to  their  rank  and  authority  may  consist  with  dis¬ 
approbation  of  their  conduct;  yet  not  with  reviling  and  defamation  of 
them  [and  their  families]  !  The  same  authority  which  commands  chil¬ 
dren  to  honor  their  parents,  commands  subjects  to  honor  their  rulers  ; 
and  they  should  honor  them  in  the  same  manner.  Gen.  9:20 — 23.  Ex. 
20.12.  Luke  20:19—26.  1  Pet.  2:13—17.  Scott. 

(7,  8.)  How  can  an  honest  man  (much  less  a  Christian)  embark  in 
‘  speculations,’  foreign  (bom  his  regular  business,  that  capital,  on  which 
his  business  credit  is  based,  and  which  is  therefore  pledged  to  his  credi¬ 
tors,  without  forfeiting  his  character  ?  How  can  he  that  maketh  haste 
to  be  rich,  be  innocent  ?  All  ‘ preference  ’  «f  creditors  is  excluded  also 
by  the  apostle’s  rule  of  honesty.  Ed. 

V.  8 — 10.  It  cannot  be  supposed,  that  the  apostle  meant  to  prohibit  the 
contracting  of  debts,  on  any  account,  which  is  next  to  impossible,  to  the 
greatest  part  of  mankind.  Christians  are  indeed  under  the  highest  obli¬ 
gations  to  pay  all  legal  demands,  without  reluctance  or  needless  delay, 
and  with  great  punctuality;  and  they  should  avoid  all  superfluous  expense, 
and  carefully  guard  against  contracting  any  debts,  which  they  have  not 
a  reasonable  prospect  of  discharging.  They  ought  also  to  stand  aloof 
from  all  adventurous  speculations,  or  rash  engagements  as  sureties  for  oth¬ 
ers,  beyond  their  circumstances;  and  whatever  may  needlessly  involve 
them  in  debts,  and  expose  them  to  the  danger  apd  discredit  of  not  1  render¬ 
ing  to  all  their  dues.’  Ex.  20:15.  Pr.  6:1 — 5.  Yet,  when  all  such  demands 
are  answered,  and  all  these  rules  observed  ;  they  still  ‘  owe  love  ’  to  all 

men,  with  the  various  duties  which  result  from  its  enlarged  exercise _ 

The  learned  Erasmus  long  since  remarked,  that  the  first  clause  might  as 
properly  and  literally  be  rendered,  ‘Ye  do  owe  no  man  anything,  but  to 
love  one  another;’  and  though  subsequent  commentators,  almost  without 
exception,  take  the  words  imperatively,  yet  it  may  be  worthy  ofconsider- 
ation,  whether  the  indicative  construction  do  not,  far  more  simply  and 
evidently,  accord  to  the  context.  The  apostle  was  exhorting  Christians 
to  render  to  all  their  dues  ;  (7)  and,  having  branched  out  the  general  pre¬ 
cept  into  a  few  particulars,  he  closes,  by  adding,  ‘  Ye  owe  no  man  any¬ 
thing,  <fcc.’  as  if  he  had  said,  ‘All  that  I  would  inculcate  is  reducible  to 
this;  Obey  the  law  of  love  to  others,  in  all  its  branches,  and  then  you 
will  render  to  all  their  dues.’  Ex.  20:12 — 17.  The  sense  in  this  con¬ 
struction  is  obvious  and  important,  but  the  ordinary  interpretation, 
seeming  at  least  to  forbid  Christians  to  contract  any  debts  ;  and  to  con¬ 
demn  such,  as  cannot  at  present  discharge  those  already  contracted, 
may  embarrass  the  minds  of  the  most  upright;  it  requires  considerable 
management  in  expounding  it,  so  as  to  prevent  this  embarrassment ;  and 
after  all,  in  the  literal  import,  scarcely  any  so  much  as  attempt  to  obey 
it ;  indeed  to  numbers  it  is,  strictly  speaking,  impracticable.  The  usual 
exposition  of  the  next  clause,  ‘  but  to  love  one  another ;’  ‘  Be  not  a  debt- 


A.  D.  Cl. 


ROMANS,  XIII. 


Of  sobriety  and  godliness . 


9  For  this,  Thou  hshalt  not  com¬ 
mit  adultery,  Thou  shalt  not  kill, 
Thou  shalt  not  steal,  Thou  shalt 
not  bear  false  witness,  Thou  shalt 
not  covet ;  and  if  there  be  any  other 
commandment,  it  is  briefly  com¬ 
prehended  in  this  saying,  namely, 
'Thou  shalt  love  thy  neighbor  as 
thyself. 

10  Love  worketh  no  ill  to  his 
neighbor:  therefore  love  is  the  ful¬ 
filling  of  the  law. 

11  And  that,  knowing  the  time, 
that  now  it  is  high  time  to  awake 
j  out  of  sleep  :  for  now  is  our  sal¬ 
vation  nearer  than  when  we  be¬ 
lieved. 

12  The  night  is  far  spent,  the 
day  is  at  hand  :  let  us  k  therefore 
cast  oft’  the  works  of  darkness,  and 
let  us  put  1  on  the  armor  of  light. 

13  Let  us  walk  m  n  honestly,  as 
in  the  day  ;  not  in  0  rioting  and 
drunkenness,  not  in  p  chambering 
and  wantonness,  not  in  strife  anil 
envying. 

h  Ex.  20:13,  &c.  It  Ep.  5:11.  2:12. 

i  Le.  19:18.  Mat.  1  Ep.  6:13,  &c.  o  1  Pe.  4:3. 

22:39,40  m  or,  decently.  p  l  Co.  6:9,10. 

j  I  Th.  5:5—8.  n  Phi.  4:8.  1  Pe. 

and  summary  of  all  duty  owing  one  to 
another;  for  love  is  the  fulfilling  of  the  law  ; 
not  perfectly,  but  It  is  a  good  step  towards 
it.  It  is  inclusive  of  all  the  duties  of  the 
second  table,  which  he  specifies  v.  9.  and 
those  suppose  the  love  of  God,  See  1  John 
4:20.  Loving  and  being  loved,  is  all  the 
pleasure,  joy,  and  happiness  of  an  intelli¬ 
gent  being.  [This  strikes  at  the  root  of  all 
evil,  selfishness.]  God  is  love,  1  Jn.  4:  16. 
and  love  is  his  image  on  the  soul  :  where  it 
is,  the  soul  is  well  moulded,  and  the  heart 
fitted  for  every  good  work.  Now,  to  prove 
that  love  is  the  fulfilling  of  the  law,  he  gives 
us, 

1.  An  induction  of  particular  precepts, 
v.  9.  He  specifies  the  last  five  of  the  ten 
commandments,  which  he  observes  to  be  all 
summed  up  in  this  royal  law,  Thou  shalt  love 
thy  neighbor  as  thyself;  with  an  as  of  quality, 
not  of  equality  ;  [not  as  much,  but  in  the 
same  manner,  says  B /.]  On  this  is  built  that 
golden  rule,  of  doing  as  we  would  be  done  by. 

2.  A  general  rule  concerning  the  nature 
of  brotherly  love;  Love  worketh  no  ill,  v.  10. 
he  that  walks  in  love,  that  is  acted  and  gov¬ 
erned  by  a  principle  of  love,  he  worketh  no 
ill  ;  more  is  implied  than  is  expressed.  It 
not  only  worketh  no  ill,  but  it  worketh  all 
the  good  that  maybe,  deviseth  liberal  things. 
For  it  is  a  sin,  not  only  to  devise  evil  against 
thy  neighbor,  but  to  withhold  good  from  them 


to  whom  it  is  due  ;  both  are  forbidden  to¬ 
gether,  Prov.  3:27 — 29.  This  proves,  that 
love  is  the  fulfilling  of  the  laxo,  answers  all  the 
end  of  it  ;  for  what  else  is  that,  but  to  re¬ 
strain  us  from  [selfishness  and]  evil-doing, 
and  to  constrain  us  to  [benevolence  and] 
well-doing  1  Love  is  a  living,  active  princi¬ 
ple  of  obedience  to  the  whole  law.  The 
whole  law  i3  written  in  the  heart,  if  the  law 
of  love  be  there. 

V.  11 — 14.  Four  things  we  are  here 
taught,  as  a  Christian’s  directory,  for  his 
day’s  work;  when  to  awake,  how  to  dress, 
how  to  walk,  and  what  provision  to  make. 

I.  When  to  awake,  v.  11.  to  awake  out 
of  the  sleep  of  sin  ;  out  of  the  sleep  of  carnal 
security,  sloth,  and  negligence  ;  out  of  the 
sleep  of  spiritual  death,  and  deadness;  both 
the  wise  and  foolish  virgins  slumbered  and 
slept,  Mat.  25:  5.  We  have  need  to  be  often 
excited  and  stirred  up  to  awake.  Consid¬ 
ering, 

1.  The  time  we  are  cast  into  ;  Knowing 
the  time.  It  is  gospel-time,  the  accepted 
time,  working  time,  a  time  when  more  is 
expected  than  was  in  the  times  of  that  igno¬ 
rance  which  God  winked  at,  when  people  sat 
in  darkness.  Know  the  time  to  be  a  busy 
time,  a  perilous  time  ;  time  to  awake,  for 
we  have  slept  enough,  1  Pet.  4:  3.  high  time 
indeed,  for  Behold,  the  Bridegroom  cometh. 

2.  The  salvation  we  are  on  the  brink  of; 
Now  is  our  salvation  nearer  than  when  we  be¬ 
lieved  ;  The  eternal  happiness  we  chose  for 
our  portion  is  now  nearer  us,  than  it  was 
when  we  became  Christians.  The  nearer  we 
are  to  our  centre,  the  quicker  should  our  mo¬ 
tion  be.  Is  there  but  a  step  betwixt  us  and 
heaven,  and  shall  we  be  so  very  slow  and 
dull  in  our  Christian  course,  and  move  so 
heavily  1  The  more  the  days  are  shortened, 
and  the  more  grace  is  increased,  the  nearer 
is  our  salvation,  and  the  more  quick  and 
vigorous  we  should  be  in  our  spiritual 
motions. 

II.  How  to  dress  ourselves.  Observe, 

1.  What  we  must  put  off;  put  off  our 
night-clothes,  which  it  is  a  shame  to  appear 
abroad  in.  Sinful  works  are  works  of  dark¬ 
ness;  they  come  from  the  darkness  of  igno¬ 
rance  and  mistake,  they  covet  the  darkness 
of  privacy  and  concealment,  and  they  end 
in  the  darkness  of  hell  and  destruction. 

2.  What  we  must  on:  wherewithal  shall 
our  souls  be  clothed  ?  (1.)  Put  on  the  armor 
of  light.  The  graces  of  the  Spirit  are  this 
armor,  to  secure  the  soul  from  Satan’s  temp¬ 
tations,  and  the  assaults  of  this  present  evil 
world  ;  called  the  armor  of  light,  some  think, 
alluding  to  the  bright,  glittering  armor  the 
Roman  soldiers  used  to  wear  ;  Christians 
need  this  armor,  as  soldiers  exposed  ;  or 
such  armor  as  becomes  us  to  wear  in  the  day¬ 
light:  [and  which  it  was  considered  soldier¬ 
ly  to  keep  bright .]  The  graces  of  the  Spirit 
are  suitable,  splendid  ornaments  ;  and  are, 


in  the  sight  of  God,  of  great  price.  (2.)  Put 
on  the  Lord  Jesus  (Christ ,  v.  14.  This  stands 
in  opposition  to  a  great  many  base  lusts, 
mentioned  v.  13.  Put  on  Christ',  includes  all. 
Put  on  the  righteousness  of  Christ  for  justi¬ 
fication  ;  be  found  in  Him,  Phil.  3:9.  as  a 
man  is  found  in  his  clothes;  put  on  the  new 
man,  Eph.  4:  24.  get  the  habit  of  grace  con¬ 
firmed,  the  acts  of  it  quickened.  By  baptism 
we  have  in  profession  put  on  Christ,  Gal.  3: 
27.  Let  us  do  it  in  truth  and  sincerity.  Put 
II  m  on  as  .  ord  to  rule  you,  as  Jesus  to  save 
you,  and  in  both,  as  Christ  anointed  and 
appointed  by  the  Father,  to  this  ruling, 
saving  work. 

III.  How  to  walk.  When  up  and  dress¬ 
ed,  we  are  not  to  sit  still  in  an  affected 
closeness  and  privacy,  as  monks  and  her¬ 
mits.  What  have  we  good  clothes  for,  but 
to  appear  abroad  in  them  1 

Let  us  walk,  walk  honestly  as  in  the  day, 
1  Thess.  4:1.  as  children  of  light,  comp. 
Eph.  5:8.  Our  conversation  must  be  as 
becomes  the  Gospel;  honest,  decent,  and  be¬ 
coming,  so  as  to  credit  our  profession,  adorn 
the  doctrine  of  God  our  Savior,  and  recom¬ 
mend  religion  in  its  beauty  to  others  ;  we 
must  abstain  front  all  excess  in  eating  and 
drinking  ;  not  indulge  our  sensual  appetite 
in  any  private  excesses.  Christians  must 
not  walk  in  any  of  those  lusts  of  the  flesh, 
those  works  of  darkness,  which  are  forbid¬ 
den  in  the  seventh  commandment.  Down¬ 
right  adultery  and  fornication  are  the  cham¬ 
bering  forbidden  ;  lascivious  thoughts  and 
affections,  lascivious  looks,  words,  books, 
songs,  gestures,  dances,  dalliances,  which 
lead  to,  and  are  degrees  of  that  uncleanness, 
are  the  wantonness  here  forbidden ;  whatso¬ 
ever  transgresseth  the  pure  and  sacred  law 
of  chastity  and  modesty.  Strife  and  envying 
are  also  works  of  darkness  ;  for  though  the 
acts  and  instances  of  strife  and  envy  are  very 
common,  yet  none  are  willing  to  own  the 
principles,  or  to  acknowledge  themselves 
envious  and  contentious.  Where  there  are 
riot  and  drunkenness,  there  usually  are  cham¬ 
bering  and  wantonness ,  and  strife  and  envy. 
Solomon  puts  them  all  together,  Prov.  23: 
29,  & c.  Those  that  tarry  long  at  the  wine, 
v.  30.  have  contentions  and  wounds  without 
cause,  v.  29.  and  their  eyes  behold  strange 
women,  v.  33. 

IV.  What  provision  to  make,  v.  14.  make 
no  provision  for  the  flesh.  Be  not  careful 
about  the  body  :  two  things  are  here 
forbidden  ; 

1.  Perplexing  ourselves  with  an  inordi¬ 
nate  care,  in  forecasting  for  the  body  ;  be 
not  careful  and  cumbered  about  it,  do  not 
take  anxious  thought,  Mat.  6:31.  It  [en¬ 
joins  content,  and]  forbids  an  anxious, 
incumbering  care. 

2.  Indulging  ourselves  in  an  irregular 
desire.  We  are  not  forbidden  barely  to 
provide  for  the  body,  (it  is  a  lamp  that  must 


or  to  any  man  of  ought,  but  love  and  affection,  which  ye  ought  so  to  pay, 
as  that  ye  should  have  more  to  pay  (Bp.  Hall ;)  is  not,  to  me  at  least, 
satisfactory  ;  for  why  should  we  be  allowed  so  to  come  short,  in  rendering 
1  love  to  whom  love  is  due,’  as  to  be  always  there  in  arrears,  and  there 
only  ?  If  we  daily  rendered  all  that  love  to  our  neighbor,  which  is  due 
to  him,  we  should  not  remain  in  his  debt.  The  next  day  would  indeed 
require  a  fresh  payment,  hut  there  would  be  no  arrears  due.  Upon  the 
whole,  therefore,  I  cannot  but  decidedly  prefer  the  indicative  construc¬ 
tion  ;  ‘  Ye  do  owe,  &c.’  In  short,  the  whole  of  what  the  apostle  would 
inculcate  was,  ‘  love,’  in  its  various  exercises  and  effects  ;  so  that  he  who 
loved  another,  actually  ‘  fulfilled  the  law,’  in  respect  of  its  requirements 
towards  his  neighbor;  and  this  ‘ love  of  our  neighbor  as  ourselyes,’ in 
obedience  to  the  command  of  God,  would  also  be  the  best  evidence  of 
our  loving  Him  with  all  our  hearts,  according  to  the  first  and  great  com¬ 
mandment  of  the  law.  F.x.  20:1 — 11.  Lev.  10:18.  Dent.  6:5.  Mat.  19: 
10 — 22.  Mark  12:28 — 34.  Luke,  10:25—37. — The  apostle,  by  thus  appeal¬ 
ing  to  the  moral  luw  as  the  standard  of  duty,  after  having  so  fully  shown, 
that  no  man  can  be  justified  by  it,  completely  establishes  the  distinction 
between  the  law,  as  a  covenant,  nnd  the  law,  as  a  rule  ;  and  proves,  that 
our  deliverance  from  it  in  the  former  sense,  is  in  order  that  we  might 
obey  it  in  the  latter. — ‘  Not  that  the  law  is  exactly  fulfilled  by  doing  no 
evil  to  our  neighbor ;  but,  because,  in  Christ’s  interpretation,  the  neglect 
of  doing  anv  good  we  are  able,  and  have  opportunity  to  do  for  Him,  is 
doing  evil.  ( Mark  3:4.)  ..  .  For  “charity  is  also  kind,”  (1  Cor.  13:4.)  and 
engageth  us  “  by  love  to  serve  one  another.”  (Gat.  5:13—15.)’  Whitby. 
1:13—16.  1  Cor.  13:4— 7.  Gal.  6:1— 5.  1  John  3:16,17.)  Perfect  love, 
with  all  its  effects,  fulfils  the  command  of  ‘loving  our  neighbor  as  our- 
N.  T.  YOU.  V.  31 


selves;’  but  imperfect  love,  for  a  part  of  our  lives,  falls  very  short  of 
this.  Scott. 

(8.)  Hath  fulfilled.]  ‘  Fulfilleth  the  law.  For  this  (is  the  law).’  St. 

(9.)  Briefly.]  ‘  Summarily.’  Id. 

V.  li — 14.  Some  think  the  apostle  here  refers  to  the  approaching  de¬ 
struction  of  Jerusalem,  and  the  more  complete  establishment  of  Chris¬ 
tianity  which  followed;  but  the  ruin  of  the  Jewish  nation  could  not 
m ncli  affect  the  Christians  at  Rome;  and  the  situation  of  believers  in 
this  life,  as  expecting  complete  and  eternal  salvation,  is  evidently  in¬ 
tended. — The  redemption,  by^which  salvation  comes  to  sinners,  was 
finished  with  the  humiliation  of  the  Savior,  and  when  lie  expired  on  the 
cross.  John  19:28 — 30.  Salvation  becomes  ours,  and  is  begun,  when  we 
come  to  Him  by  faith;  it  will  be  finished  as  to  the  soul  at  the  hour  of 
dentil,  and  as  to  the  body  at  the  day  of  judgment ;  when  sin  nnd  all  its 
consequences  will  finally  be  abolished  ;  and  1  death  be  swallowed  up  in 
victory.’  1  Cor.  15:50 — 58.  The  life  of  faith  might  bo  called  ‘day,’  in 
comparison  of  the  darkness  of  the  idolatrous  and  unconverted  6tate;  yet 
it  was  but  ‘night,’  or  twilight,  in  comparison  of  the  light  of  heaven.  1 
Cor.  13:8— 12.  Eph.  5:8—14.  Col.  1:9— 14,  v.  12.  But  this  ‘  night  was 
far  spent,’  that  ‘day  was  at  hand;’  it  was  therefore  incuinbent^on  them 
to  anticipate  it,  and  prepare  for  it.  Scott. 

(11.)  ‘And  this  (do),  considering  the  time,  that  the  hour  is  already 
come  when  we  should,’ &c. 

(13,  14.)  ‘I.et  us  walk  in  a  becoming  manner,  as  by  day.  l/iocmg.  ] 
Revelling.  To  fulfil.]  In  respect  to  its  lusts.’  Sr.  1  Compare  with  this 
purity  and  spiri  tuality  of  Christianity,  the  bestial  grossuess  of  Epicurus, 
in  his  own  words,  cited  by  Grot.'  I  Orr>!<  1 1 


A.  D.  61. 


XIV. 


Contention  in  the  Christian  church. 


14  Bat  put ’ye  on  the  Lord  Je¬ 
sus  Christ,  and  make  r  not  provision 
for  the  flesh,  to  fulfil  the  lusts 
thereof. 

CHAP.  XIV. 

3  Men  may  not  contemn  nor  condemn  one  the  other  for 
things  indifferent :  13  but  take  heed  that  they  give  no 
offence  in  them  :  15  for  that  the  apostle  provelh  unlawful 
by  many  reasons. 

HIM  that  is  weak  in  the  faith 
receive  ye,  but  anot  to  doubt¬ 
ful  disputations. 

q  Ga.  3:27.  a  or,  not  to  Judge  his  doubtful 

r  Ga.  5:16.  thoughts. 

be  supplied  with  oil,)  but  we  are  forbidden 
to  fulfil  the  lusts  thereoj  The  necessities  of 
the  body  must  be  considered,  but  the  lusts 
of  it  must  not  be  gratified.  Natural  desires 


ROMANS, 

must  he  answered,  but  wanton  appetites 
checked  and  denied.  Gal.  5: 16. 

Chap.  XIV.  The  apostle  having,  in  the 
former  ch., directed  our  conduct  one  towards 
another  in  civil  things,  and  prescribed  the 
sacred  laws  of  justice,  peaceableness,  and 
order,  to  he  observed  by  us  as  members  of 
the  commonwealth  ;  he  conies,  in  this  and 
part  of  the  following  ch.,  in  like  manner  to 
direct  our  demeanor  one  towards  another  in 
sacred  tilings,  which  pertain  more  imme¬ 
diately  to  conscience  and  i  eligion,  and  which 
we  observe  as  members  of  the  church.  Par¬ 
ticularly,  he  gives  rules  how  to  manage  our 
different  apprehensions  about  indifferent 
tilings  ;  in  the  management  of  which,  it 
seems,  there  was  something  amiss  among  the 
Roman  Christians,  to  whom  he  wrote,  which 
he  here  labors  to  redress.  But  the  rules  are 


general,  and  of  standing  use  in  the  church, 
for  the  preservation  of  that  Christian  love 
which  he  had  so  earnestly  pressed  in  the 
foregoing  ch.  as  the  fulfilling  of  the  law.  It 
is  certain,  nothing  is  more  threatening,  nor 
more  often  fatal, to# Christian  societies,  than 
tlie  contentions  and  divisions  of  their  mem¬ 
bers.  Bv  these  wounds  the  life  and  soul  of 
religion  expire.  Now  in  this  ell.,  we  are 
furnished  with  the  sovereign  balm  of  Gilead  ; 
the  blessed  apostle  prescribes  like  a  wise 
physician.  Why  then  is  not  the  hurt  of  the 
daughter  of  my  people  recovered,  but  because 
bis  directions  are  not  followed  1  This  ch., 
rightly  understood,  made  use  of,  and  lived  up 
to,  would  set  tilings  to  rights,  and  heal  us  all. 

V.  1 — 23.  We  have  here, 

I.  An  account  of  the  unhappy  contention 
which  had  broken  out  in  the  Christian 
church. 


TRACT.  OBS-.  The  grace  of  the  Gospel  directs  our  thoughts  to  the 
providence  of  God,  ns  well  as  to  his  promises  and  commandments;  and 
thus  it  induces  [content],  submission,  and  cheerful  composure;  where 
pride  and  the  carnal  mind  see  nothing  but  cause  for  murmurs  and  dis¬ 
quietude. — It  is  far  more  agreeable  to  the  pride  of  man,  to  rise  to  repu¬ 
tation,  by  declaiming  against  kings  and  princes  ;  than  to  be  employed  in 
humbling  ourselves  before  God  for  our  own  sins,  and  in  diligently  morti¬ 
fying  our  own  corrupt  inclinations.  But  surely,  there  can  be  -no  snlii- 
cient  reason,  why  ministers  of  the  Gospel,  and  private  Christians,  should 
leave  their  peaceful  duties,  and  bring  the  truth  into  disgrace,  by  becom¬ 
ing  volunteers  in  such  services,  as  apostles,  evangelists,  and  martyrs, 
never  intermeddled  with! — Let  then  Christians  recollect,  that  'the 
world  lieth  in  wickedness,’  and  that  they  are  1  strangers  and  pilgrims  ’  in 
it;  that  their  time  here  is  short;  that  it  is  their  wisdom  and  duty  to 
make  the  best  of  things  as  they  find  them  ;  that  submission  to  the  prov¬ 
idence  and  command  of  God  requires  their  peaceable  subjection  to  gov¬ 
ernors ;  and  that  in  refusing  this  subjection,  they  rebel  against  God,  and 
must  give  an  account  to  Him  of  it. — At  the  same  time  magistrates  may 
hence  learn,  from  whom,  ami  fur  what,  they  have  their  power,  nnd  wlmt 
account  they  must  render  of  it ;  that  they  too  may  attend  to  their  duty 
in  the  fear  of  God,  with  ‘whom  there  is  no  respect  of  persons;’  remem¬ 
bering  the  solemn  nnd  strict  account  they  must  render  to  God.  —  Let 
those,  who  eagerly  declaim  concerning  liberty,  without  distinguishing  it 
from  licentiousness,  seriously  ask  themselves,  whether  their  reasoning 
can  be  made  consistent  with  such  Scriptures  as  tiiese  ?  Whether  Christ, 


(14.)  Put  on.]  ‘  Take  his  manners,  follow  his  example,  as  1’iiil.  2:5. 
A  metaphor  from  the  re  vestiaria ,  or  perhaps  from  the  theatre.  It  is 
found  both  in  the  Hebrew,  and  in  the  best  Greek  writers.’  Bloomf. 

Concluding  Note.  ‘  The  resistance,  which  consists  in  non-subjection,  or  a  refusal  to 
yieih  actual  obedience  to  the  law  of  the  superior,  can  be  allowed,  only  when  the  mat¬ 
ter  of  the  law  is  sinful,  nnd  so  forbidden  hy  the  higher  Power ;  not  when  it  is  judged 
inexpedient  or  unprofitable  only  :  for  of  this,  subjects  are  not  to  judge,  but  Lite  law¬ 
giver  only  ;  in  thrrl.  they  lawtuliy  may,  and,  therefore,  to  avoid  scandal  nnd  punish¬ 
ment,  and  from  respect  to  hint  who  is  God’s  vicegerent,  ought  to  obey  ;  even  us  ser¬ 
vants  ought  to  obey  their  frowarJ  masters,  ami  children  their  parents,  in  ail  lawful 
things,  {Col.  3:20.  I  Pci.  2:18.)  and  this  from  conscience  towards  God.  No  resistance 
of  tlie  higher  powers  by  force,  can  be  allowed  to  arty  who  have  nut  the  power  of  the 
sword.  For  he  that  thus  uses  it,  takes  the  sword  without  authority,  from  Him  “to  w  horn 
belongelh  venvfennce  and  so,  without  authority  from  Hint  to  whom  this  power  of  tlie 
sword  originally  belongs.  Where  a  people  hath  confetred  not  an  absolute  power,  hut 
a  government  according  to  the  law.  they  must  be  supposed  to  have  reserved  to  them¬ 
selves  a  power  necessary  to  preserve  their  laws.’  Wh U by. — ' Tims  in  mixed  govern¬ 
ments,  there  are  legal  and  const i lull anal  methods,  by  which  the  encroachments  of  one 
part  of  the  government  on  the  tigl.ts  of  the  others,  mav  be  resisted.  But  Christians, 
in  private  stations,  have  not  much  concern  in  this  :  [Yet  see  note,  v.  1—7.  Ci  j  and 
complicated  cases  may  possibly  arise,  in  which  no  previous  rules  or  counsels  can  givs 
adequate  direction.  Submission  in  all  things  lawful,  to  the  1  existing  luuborilie?,’ 
is  our  duty  at  all  times  and  in  all  cases;  though  in  civil  convulsions,  and  amid  g-eat 
revolutions,  and  sudden  changes  in  governments  ;  there  may  frequently,  for  a  season, 
be  a  difficulty  in  determining  which  are  to  be  considered  ns  t  he  1  existing  autiio:  iii-s,  ’ 
—  Fo  claim  tlie  protection  of  the  late,  against,  the  illegal  violence  even  of  magistrates, 
is  not ‘resisting  the  powers  Ilwt  be.’  Acte  13:35 — 40.  22:22—30.  23:9— 11.— The  word 
rendered  damnation,  properly  signifies  judgment  :  and  is  hy  many  exposito.s  explain¬ 
ed  exclusively  of  the  punishment  inflicted  hy  the  m  a  gist  rate  :  but  the  apostle  is  speak¬ 
ing  of  our  duty  to  God,  in  obeying  magistrates  ;  which  if  we  neglect,  He  will  rail  us 
to  account  for  it,  and  finally  condemn  ns,  except  we  repent. — Some  have  urged, 
against  the  interpretation  here  given,  that  if  this  be  indeed  the  rule  of  rtligion.it 
lies  open  to  the  charge  of  abetting  tyranny,  and  being  inimical  to  civil  liberty.  But 
1  apprehend,  that  this  is  not  the  case  ;  for  all  tire  crimes  committed  bv  usurpers, 
tyrants,  anti  oppressors,  are  at  least  as  severely  condemned  in  Scripture,  as  those 
committed  by  rebels  and  traitors.  No  v  a  religion  cannot  Justly  be  regarded  as 
abetting  tyranny,  or  as  inimical  to  civil  liberty,  which  denounces  the  severest  ven¬ 
geance  of  God  on  those  who  act  tyrannically,  and  uniustlv  deprive  men  of  Tiher- 
*?■  Toe  apostle  was  not  writing  a  treatise  on  politic.  ;  hut  teaching  a  company 
ol  private  <  h nations  their  duty.  Had  lie  been  called  on  bv  Nero,  o  anv  other  op- 
pressive  ruler,  as  he  was  by  Felix,  he  won!  1  dnuludp.xs  have  *  reasonei  with  him  on 
righteousness,  temperance,  and  a  )u  lament  to  comet’  Acts  24:24—  27.  and  h a  I  tie  been 
sent  immediately  hy  God  to  rulers,  ns  the  ancient  prophets  were  ;  ha  would  douhtlsss 
have  plainly  told  them  theirduly,  nnd  protested  against  particular  instances  of  th»ir 
tyranny  mad  oppression,  in  the  ‘spirit  nod  power  of  Klijnli.’  and  of  John  the  Bap¬ 
tist,  when  he  sat  1  to  Herod,  concerning  IJerotliaa,  *  it  is  not  lawful  fo-  th-e  to  have 
lCc'  ,  ^ ^  — -  J ■  Mat.  11:3 — .7.  But  it  should  be  very  seriously  considered,  on  tlie 

other  hand,  whether  tlie  charge  of  being  seditions,  nnd  ‘hurtful  ’to  kio-s  and  pov- 
tnces,  has  not  in  every  age  been  twilight  against  the  tealons  worshippers  of  Go  I. 
E zra  4: 1 2—  ~4 .  Luke  23:1—5.  Acte  16:19 — 24.  17:5 — 9.  whether  thin  hns  not  hprn,  and  is 
not  at  this  day,  tha  main  pretext  of  persecutor*  ;  unu  of  those  who  would  exclude 
the  preachers  of  ih®  G*»spel  out  of  their  several  district? :  and  whether  the  neces- 
sity,  which  is  Ini!  on  Christians,  ‘to  obey  Go<]  rather  than  rrv»n.’  is  not  in  ninny 
eases  likely  enough  to  oxn.^pe.  ate  the  spirit  of  haughty  princes,  without  openly  n\u\- 
Ini5*  l.  •  *  r  *  °.  in  wbKh  we  are  not  hound  to  obev  them  — cases, 

which  in  fact  call  Ihet.  right  to ifftbmiiy  i  »  question.  an  I  directly  impenr-h  their  wis¬ 
dom  and  justice.  Surely  this  is  suited  to  inc'*u*e  their  jealousy  against  the  minis¬ 
ters.  miastonanes,  and  p-ofcs-x.rs  of  <h«  Gospel,  in  the  minde  of  rulers,  in  all  pa  t„  of 
(he  world,  which  to  this  ley  forms  one  T'and  bnrrier  i..  the  propn »atio:»  of  Chn.  I  ioni- 
ty  ;  a  burner,  insurmountable  rxn  pt  by  the  jvixi  erof  God.  Had  the  primitive  Chriii- 
twins  explains  I  the  ttpo.'tle's  doctrine,  v.  i»h  *o  mn»»v  exceptions,  and  limitations,  and 
cautions  as  number*  do  at  p-*~ent.  and  *.-ted  nrcoVdinjlv  ;  and  had  Oirutianitv  ns- 
sumed  that  political  aspect,  v  hi^h  it  has  /encrnlly  ho  n-  in  latter  arcs,  (nrifin't  f.-rm 
the  circumstances  of  the  time?.)  nothing  but  n  constant  suc-rsdrn  of  mi> a<-b  s  rould 
have  prevented  its  extirpation,  by  the  rag'e  of  its  numerous  pevsecutors.  Pail,  in  this 
respect,  the  apostles,  and  primitive  ministers  and  Christians,  and  their  suijce j* ors  for 


some  ages,  when  situated  ‘  as  lambs  amidst  wolves, *  were  indeed  ‘  wise  as  serpents 
and  harmless  as  doves.*  Yet  they  did  not  escape  the  charge  of  being  seditious  ;  but 
where  do  we  read  of  an  accusation  brought  against  them  n*  abettors  of  t 
enemies  of  liberty  ? 

[242] 


aony  and 

Seoti . 


his  apostles,  or  his  primitive  disciples,  ever  spent  their  zeal  about  such 
toiiics  ?  Anti  whether  such  declamations  and  frequent  invectives  against 
those,  whom  the  Scripture  commands  ns  to  honor  and  obey,  can  be 
lor  tlte  credit  of  the  Gospel,  and  the  benefit  of  true  religion  ? — As  to  the 
efforts,  which  are  anywhere  made  by  those,  on  whom  such  trusts  con¬ 
stitutionally  devolve,  to  preserve,  increase,  or  assist,  the  real  liberty  of 
mankind,  personal,  civil,  or  religious  ;  or  to  check  the  career  of  despotism 
or  oppression,  over  men  of  any  climate,  complexion,  or  religion  ;  let  us 
zealously  forward  them  witli  our  prayers,  ar.d  by  every  mean  consistent 
with  tlie  peace  and  good  order  of  the  community ;  and,  if  we  would  en¬ 
joy  the  blessing  of  good  government,  we  should  pray  earnestly  and  con¬ 
stantly  for  our  rulers,  and  all  in  authority ;  else  we  have  no  just  cause  to 
complain  of  any  real  or  supposed  grievances,  to  which  we  may  he  sub¬ 
jected  by  them.  1  Tim.  2:1,  2. — While  we  rejoice  at  deliverance  from 
the  condemnation  of  the  holy  law  of  God,  may  its  precepts  be  written 
in  ottr  hearts,  and  transcribed  into  our  lives ;  that  prudence, honesty,  and 
punctuality  may  mark  all  our  transactions,  and  regulate  all  our  expens¬ 
es,  and  the  payment  of  our  debts,  and  make  way  for  liberal  kindness  to 
the  poor. — Emerging  from  the  night  of  unconversion,  and  the  twilight  of 
ottr  first  glimmering  views  of  heavenly  things,  and  looking  forward 
to  the  day  of  perfect  knowledge  and  purity,  let  us  study  to  walk  in 
a  manner  consistent  with  ottr  profession,  to  1  put  on  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ,’  to  imbibe  his  spirit,  to  copy  his  conduct,  to  walk  in  every  re¬ 
spect  even  as  He  walked.  Scott. 


NOTES.  Chap.  XIV.  V.  1.  Notwithstanding  the  authority  vest¬ 
ed  by  Christ  in  his  apostles,  and  their  infallibility  in  delivering  his  doc¬ 
trine  to  mankind,  differences  of  opinion  prevailed  even  among  real 
Christians;  nor  did  Paul,  by  an  express  decision  and  command,  attempt 
to  put  a  final  termination  to  them.  2—6, 14—18.  2  Pet.  1 :20,  21. — If  the 
method  of  subsequent  ages  had  been  then  in  use,  the  persons  here  spok¬ 
en  of  would  have  been  excluded  from  the  church,  and  anathematized  as 
obstinate  heretics  ;  or  driven,  for  relief  to  tlieir  consciences,  to  separate 
from  those,  who  imposed  on  them  what  they  counted  sinful  :  and  after- 
wart's  they  would  have  been  shunned  nnd  stigmatized  as  schismatics. 
Put  Paul,  in  nil  tlte  plenitude  of  his  apostolical  authority,  could  endure 
his  fellow  Christ  inns  to  differ  from  him  in  opinion,  as  to  matters  of  infe¬ 
rior  consequence;  and,  instead  of  peremptory  injunctions,  lie  gave  a 
general  rule  of  the  greatest'  importance,  for  our  conduct  in  all  similar 
cases.  He  exhorted  the  pastors  and  members  of  tlie  church  at  Rome, 
to  receive  among  them,  as  a  brother,  the  weak  believer;  and  not  to  per¬ 
plex  i:iin  with  disputations  about  such  things,  as  might  appear  doubtful 
to  conscientious  peisons  ;  hut  to  leave  him,  under  the  general  use  of 
means,  and  loving  instructions,  to  grow  stronger  in  faith,  and  riper  in 
judgment,  hy  the  inward  teaching  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  This  general  rule 
applies  to  many  particulars,  both  respecting  doctrine,  worship,  and  prac¬ 
tice.  If  a  man  do  not  profess  repentance,  and  a  believing  dependence, 
as  a  j»n  tlv  condemned  sinner,  on  the  righteousness  and  atonement  of 
Christ,  ‘Emmanuel,’  ‘God  manifest  in  the  flesh,’  and  a  reliance  on  the 
Holy  Spirit  for  teaching  and  sanctification  ;  it  does  not  appear,  that  he 
cast  properly  be  regarded  as  a  believer,  or  admitted  into  the  communion 
of  tlie  saints.  2  John  7:11.  But  when  these  things  are  professed  in 
words,  anti  not  denied  in  works,  a  man  ought,  at  least ,  to  he  received  as 
one,  who  is  ‘  wpak  in  the  faith  ;’  and  more  established  believers  should 
met  My  help  hint  forward,  though  he  mav  yet  he  under  the  power  of  ma¬ 
ny  prejudices  and  mistakes,  15:1 — 3. — 1  The  force  of  the  apostle’s  reason¬ 
ing  in  favor  of  candor  anti  mutual  condescension,  cannot  he  enervated  by 
saying,  ns  some  have  unhappily  done,  .  ..  that  there  was  no  separation 
between  Jewish  and  Gentile  Christians. — Had  the  things  judged  indiffer¬ 
ent  by  the  latter,  and  apprehended  sinful  hy  tlie  former,  been  imposed  j 
a  separation  of  communion  would  have  ensued,  and  tlie  schism,  on 
the  apostle’s  principles,  would  have  been  chargeable  on  the  imposers. 
When  it  shall  please  God  to  awaken  in  the  governors  of  established 
protestant  churches  such  a  spirit  ot  moderation  and  goodness,  joined 
with  a  true  zeal  lor  religion  ;  as  to  leave  such  things  in  that  natural  state 
of  indifference,  in  which  almost  all  sensible  men  confess  it  best  they 
should  be  left,  many  separations  will  cease  of  course.’  Voddr. — Thus 
tlte  guilt  of  schism  is  reciprocally  charged,  by  all  parties,  on  their  oppo¬ 
nents;  anti  indeed  truly ,  when  it  is  not  done  exclusively  ;  or  so  as  to 
suppose  that  ail  tlte  fault  lies  on  one  side.  For  tlte  same  slate  of  mind 
and  itcart  generally  prevails,  in  those  who  impose  itnscriptura]  terms  of 
communion  ;  and  in  those  who  separate  themselves  from  tlieir  brethren, 
without  sufficient  reason  ;  and  then  endeavor  to  make  the  cause  of  their 
separation  appear  as  cogent  as  they  can,  in  order  to  justify  themselves. 
So  Hint,  rtr  only  ‘the  governors  of  protestant  established  churches,’  hut 
tlie  leading  men  among  dissenters,  and  secedera also, need  to  be  brought, 
by  tlie  illumination  and  grace  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  to  a  fuller  knowledire 
of  the  Scriptures,  ard  more  entire  conformity  to  the  temper  there  incul¬ 
cated.  In  proportion  as  men  approach  nearer  and  nearer,  in  judgment 
and  disposition,  to  the  Word  of  God,  they  will  be  brought  rearer  to  each 
other;  as  the  lines,  from  the  circumference  of  a  circle,  ap.nroximtoe  to 
each  other,  and  to  the  centre,  Fi  opcrtiorably .  Then  eat  i.  ;  erscu  concern- 


A.  D.  61. 


ROMANS,  XIV. 


Directions  for  allaying  contention. 


2  For  one  believeth  thut  he  may 
cat  all  things  :  another,  who  is 
weak,  eateth  herbs. 

3  Let  not  him  that  eateth  despise 
him  that  eateth  not;  and  let  not 
him  which  eateth  not  judge  him 
that  eateth  ;  for  God  hath  received 
him. 

4  Who  b  art  thou  that  judgest 
another  man’s  servant  ?  to  his  own 
master  he  standeth  or  falleth.  Yea, 
he  shall  be  holden  up  :  for  God  c  is 
able  to  make  him  stand. 

5  One  d  man  esteemeth  one  day 
above  another  :  another  esteemeth 
every  day  alike.  Let  every  man 
be  e  fully  persuaded  in  his  own 
mind. 

b  Ja.  4.12.  c  Is.  40:29.  d  Col.  2:18.  «  or,  assured. 

1.  There  was  a  difference  among  them 
about  the  distinction  of  meats  and  days  ; 
those  are  the  two  things  specified.  There 
might  be  other  similar  occasions  of  differ¬ 
ence,  while  these  made  the  most  noise,  and 
were  most  noticed.  The  case  was  this  :  the 
members  of  the  Christian  church  at  Rome, 
were  some  of  them  original ly  Gentiles,  and 
others  of  them  Jews,  Acts  8:24.  The  lat¬ 
ter  had  been  trained  up  in  the  observance  of 
the  ceremonial  appointments,  touching  meats 
and  days ,  am!  were  not  well  instructed 
touching  the  cancelling  of  the  ceremonial  law 
by  the  death  of  Christ  ;  therefore  they  re¬ 
tained  the  ceremonial  institutions,  and  prac¬ 
tised  accordingly  ;  while  other  Christians, 
that  understood  themselves  better,  and  knew 
their  Christian  liberty,  made  no  such  dif¬ 
ference. 

(1.)  Concerning  meats,  v.  2.  One  believeth 
that  he  may  eat  all  things;  he  is  well  satisfied, 
that  rite  ceremonial  distinction  of  meats,  into 
clean  and  unclean,  is  no  longer  in  force,  but 
that  every  creature  of  God  is  good,  and  noth¬ 
ing  to  be  refused  ;  nothing  unclean  of  itself, 
n.  14.  Acts  10:  15,  28.  This  the  strong 
Christian  is  clear  in,  and  practises  accord¬ 
ingly  ;  eating  what  is  set  before  him,  and 
asking  no  question  for  conscience-sake,  1 


Cor.  10:27.  On  the  other  hand,  another, 
who  is  weak,  is  not  clear  in  his  Christian  lib¬ 
erty,  but  rather  inclines  to  think,  that  the 
meats  forbidden  by  the  law,  remain  still  un¬ 
clean  ;  and  therefore,  to  keep  at  a  distance 
from  them,  he  will  eat  no  flesh  at  all,  but 
eateth  herbs,  contenting  himself  only  with  the 
fruits  of  the  earth. 

(2.)  Concerning  days,  v.  5.  Those  who 
thought  themselves  still  under  some  kind  of 
obligation  by  the  ceremonial  law,  esteemed 
one  day  above  another  ;  kept  up  a  respect  to 
the  times  of  the  passoVer,  penlecost,  new 
moons,  and  feasts  of  tabernacles;  those  who 
knew  that  all  these  things  were  abolished 
and  done  away  by  Christ’s  coming,  esteemed 
every  day  alike.  We  must  understand  it 
with  an  exception  of  the  Lord’s  day,  which 
ail  Christians  unanimously  observed  ;  but 
they  made  no  account  of  those  antiquated 
festivals  of  the  Jews. 

Here  the  apostle  speaks  of  the  distinction 
of  meats  and  days  as  a  thing  indifferent, 
when  it  went  no  further  than  the  opinion 
and  practice,  of  some  particular  persons,  who 
had  been  trained  up  all  their  days  to  such 
observances,  and  therefore  were  the  more 
excusable,  if  they  hardly  parted  with  them. 
But  in  the  Epistle  to  the  Galatians,  where 
he  deals  with  those  that  were  originally  Gen¬ 
tiles,  but  were  iulluenced  by  some  judaizing 
teachers,  not  only  to  believe  such  a  distinc¬ 
tion,  and  to  practise  accordingly,  but  to  lay 
a  stress  on  it  as  necessary  to  salvation,  and 
to  make  the  observation  of  the  Jewish  festi¬ 
vals,  public  and  congregational  ;  here  the 
case  was  altered,  and  it  is  charged  on  them 
as  the  frustrating  of  the  design  of  the  Gospel, 
falling  from  grace,  Gal.  4:9 — 11.  This 
epistle  is  supposed  to  have  been  written 
some  time  before  that  to  the  Galatians.  The 
apostle  seems  willing  to  let  the  ceremonial 
law  wither  by  degrees;  and  to  let  it  have  an 
honorable  burial;  now  these  weak  Romans, 
seem  to  be  only  following  it  weeping  to  its 
grave,  but  those  Galatians  were  raking  it 
out  of  its  ashes. 

2.  It  was  not  so  much  the  difference  itself 
that  did  the  mischief,  as  the  mismanagement 
of  the  difference,  making  it  a  bone  of  con¬ 
tention.  (1.)  Those  who  knew  their  Chris¬ 
tian  liberty,  and  made  use  of  it,  despised  the 


weak,  who  did  not;  they  trampled  on  them 
as  silly,  and  humorsome,  and  superstitious, 
for  scrupling  those  things  which  they  knew 
to  be  lawful.  (2.)  Those  who  were  weak, 
and  durst  not  use  their  Christian  liberty, 
judged  and  censured  the  strong,  who  did,  as 
if  they  were  loose  Christians,  carnal  profes¬ 
sors,  that  cared  not  what  they  did,  but  walk¬ 
ed  at  all  adventures,  and  stuck  at  nothing. 

Well,  this  was  the  disease,  and  we  see  it 
remaining  in  the  church  to  this  day  ;  the 
like  differences,  in  like  manner  mismanaged, 
are  still  the  disturbers  of  the  church’s  peace. 
But, 

II.  We  have  proper  directions  and  sug¬ 
gestions  laid  down  for  allaying  this  conten¬ 
tion,  and  preventing  the  ill  consequences  of 
it;  not  by  excommunicating,  suspending,  and 
silencing  either  side,  but  by  persuading  them 
both  to  a  mutual  forbearance  :  if  the  con¬ 
tending  parties  will  but  submit  to  this  fair 
arbitration,  eacli  abate  of  his  rigor,  and  sa¬ 
crifice  their  differences  to  their  graces,  all 
will  be  well  quickly.  Let  us  observe  the 
rules  he  gives,  some  to  the  strong,  and  some 
to  the  weak,  and  some  to  both,  for  they  are 
interwoven;  and  reduce  the  reasons  to  their 
proper  rules. 

1,  Those  who  are  weak,  must  be  received, 
but  not  to  doubtful  disputations ,  v.  1.  Spend 
your  zeal  in  things  wherein  all  the  people  of 
God  are  agreed,  and  do  not  dispute  about 
matters  that  are  doubtful.  Receive  him,  take 
him  to  you,  welcome  him,  receive  him  with 
the  greatest  affection  and  tenderness.  Lend 
him  your  hand,  so  the  Syriac  ;  Receive  him, 
not  to  quarrel  with  him,  and  to  argue  about 
uncertain  points.  Not  to  judge  his  doubtful 
thougfds,  so  the  margin  ;  not  to  pump  out  his 
weak  sentiments  concerning  those  things, 
which  he  is  in  doubt  about,  that  you  may 
censure  and  condemn  him.  Receive  him, 
not  to  expose  him,  but  to  instruct  and 
strengthen  him.  See  1  Cor.  1:10.  PhiL 
3:15,  16. 

2.  Those  who  are  strong,  must  by  no 
means  despise  the  weak ;  nor  those  who  are 
weak,  judge  the  strong,  v.  3.  This  i3  lev¬ 
elled  directly  against  the  fault  of  each  party. 
He  argues  against  both  these  jointly  ;  we 
must  not  despise  or  judge  our  brethren. 
Why  so  1 


ed,  (instead  of  decidedly  justifying  every  particular  among  those  with 
whom  he  is  connected,  and  disputing  against  everything  in  use  among 
such  as  he  differs  from,)  will  seriously  compare  all  particulars,  on  every 
side,  wiih  the  sacred  oracles;  and,  in  consequence,  will  discover,  that 
neither  party  is  entirely  right ,  and  neither  entirely  wrong.  And  this 
conviction,  avowed  and  reduced  to  practice  by  the  leading  men,  would 
gradually  be  communicated  to  the  rest  of  the  body  ;  and  would  make 
way  for  such  amendments,  retrenchments,  and  concessions,  on  all  sides, 
and  such  fairness,  gentleness,  and  candor,  in  debating  on  the  contro¬ 
verted  subjects,  as  would  in  process  of  time  effectually  terminate  our 
unhappy  divisions.  But  ‘  until  the  Spirit  be  poured  upon  us  from  on 
high.’  it  cannot  be  expected  that  these  events  will  generally  lake  place. 
It  is,  however,  highly  important,  that  individuals  should  well  consid¬ 
er,  from  what  source  contentions  in  the  church,  as  well  as  1  wars  and 
fightings  in  the  world,’  actually  arise;  and  what  is  indispensably  neces¬ 
sary,  in  orfler  to  terminate  them.  Eph.  4:1 — 6.  Phil.  1:27—30.  2:1 — 4. 
Jam.  1:19 — 21.  3:13—13.  41—3.  P.  0.1—6.— Weak  in  faith .]  ‘That  is, 
in  the  knowledge  of  the  benefit  of  Christ  ;  or  the  benefit  to  be  derived 
from  Him.’ — Doubtful  disputations.]  ‘The  altercations  of  disputa¬ 
tions,  or  the  ambiguities  of  disputations  ;  i.  e.  lest  he  should  depart  more 
uncertain  than  he  came,  through  various  and  perplexing  controversies, 
or  turn  aside  with  a  disturbed  conscience.’  Reza.  Scott. 

(1,  &c.)  ‘This  third  portion  of  the  practical  part  of  the  epistle,  may 
be  distributed  under  three  heads,  in  the  1st  of  which  the  Jews,  in  par¬ 
ticular,  are  addressed,  14:1 — 18.  in  the  2d,  the  Gentiles,  in  particular,  19 
— 23.  in  the  3d,  all  of  them  at  once,  15:1 — 13. —  In  the  part  we 
have,  1st,  a  Proposition  -•  That  no  one  is  to  be  judged  or  condemned  be¬ 
cause  of  certain  kinds  of  food,  v.  1,  2.  2dly,  Arguments  ;  1)  Because  we 
are  all  servants  of  God,  v.  3,  4,  7 — 9.  2)  Because  every  one  ought  to 
live  according  to  his  knowledge,  and  the  dictates  of  his  conscience,  v.  5. 
3)  Because  both  may  be  done  to  the  glory  of  God,  v.  6.  4)  Because 
every  one  shall  give  account  of  himself  to  God,  v.  10 — 12.  5)  Because 

no  one  ought  to  put  a  stumbling-block  in  his  brother's  way,  v.  13  — 15. 
6)  Because,  in  the  Christian  dispensation,  distinction  between  meats  is 
done  away  with,  v.  16 — 18.  In  the  2 d  part  we  have  1st,  a  Prop.  ■■  That 
peace  and  edification  are  to  be  followed  after,  and  no  stumbling-block  to 
be  thrown  in  another’s  way,  v.  18, 19.  2dly,  Args.  :  1)  Because  meats  are 
tilings  too  inconsiderable  to  deserve  being  made  an  occasion  of  offending 
others,  v.  19 — 21.  2)  Because  everything  is  to  be  done  according  to  a 
conscience  certain,  not  doubtful,  v.  22,  23.  In  the  3d  part  xve  have,  1st, 
a  Prop  ■■  That  no  one,  whether  Jew  or  Gentile,  ought  to  please  himself, 
ch.  15:1,  2,  7.  2dly,  Args. :  1)  From  the  example  of  Christ,  v.  3,  4.  2) 
Because  God  loveth  both  the  Jews  and  Gentiles,  v.  8 — 17.  3dly,  A  wish,  v. 
S,  6,  and  13.’  Schoett. — ‘  Him  that  is  weak  in  faith  receive  with  kind¬ 


ness,  not  so  as  to  increase  his  scrupulous  surrnlsings.’  St.  ‘  Bewilder 
him  not  in  the  discussion  of  abstruse  and  subtile  controversies.’  Valpy. 
Bl.  ’  To  the  precept,  inculcating  love  one  towards  another,  Paul  sub¬ 
joins  an  admirable  corollary,  highly  necessary  in  those  times  and  circum¬ 
stances,  ...  to  prevent  schism,  .  ..  and  great  was  the  apostles’  struggle 
to  reconcile  botii  parties,  .  . .  and,  in  aocommodating  themselves  first  to 
one  and  then  the  other,  they  eminently  displayed  their  prudence  and 
philanthropy.’  Grot.  Faith.]  ‘Here  it  means  a  full  persuasion  of  this 
thing  ;  the  article  seems  put  for  of  it ;  and  weak  means  doubtful.  So  the 
best  commentators.’  Bloomf. 

V.  2 — 4.  The  apostle  next  proceeded  to  exemplify  liis  general  rule,  by 
a  particular  instance.  Scott. 

(2.)  Eateth  herbs.]  ‘  The  Jews,  (i.  e.  the  Essenes,  &c.)  from  religious 
scruples,  the  Romans  and  Greeks,  from  philosophical  dogmas.’  Bloomf. 
‘Thousands  of  Hindoos  taste  nothing  which  has  had  animal  life,  even  aa 
egg;  but  live  on  herbs,  roots,  fruits,  grain,  milk,  butter,  and  honey  ;  be¬ 
lieving  all  who  take  life  will  go  to  one  of  the  7  hells.  They  appear  to 
he  as  strong  and  as  healthy  as  those  who  live  on  flesh.  It  has  a  distress¬ 
ing  effect  on  their  minds,  to  show  them,  through  a  microscope,  the  ani¬ 
malcules  in  the  water  they  drink.’  Ron.  ‘  That  it  might  not  be  said 
they  abstained  only  from  su-ine's  flesh,  [the  converted  Jews]  abstained 
from  every  kind  of  fish.  Theoph.  Ammon  thinks  there  is  a  reference,  as 
in  1  Cor  8:4.’  Bl.  Paul  abstains  from  impugning  the  decree  of  the  Jeru¬ 
salem  council,  Acts  15:20;  and  (so  Theoph.')  ‘  wisely  steers  a  middle 
course  ’  between  the  Jew  party  ntid  the  Gentile  party.  Ed. 

(3.)  Received.]  ‘Accepted.’  Stuart. 

(4.)  Judgest.]  ‘  Condemnest.  To.]  By.  Be  holden  v/x]  Stand.’ 
St.  Standeth  ..  falleth.]  ‘Judicial  terms:  acts  uprightly,  stnnds  in 
judgment,  or  falls  in  judgment,  is  delinquent,  in  the  wrong.’  Bloomf. 

V.  5.  Fully  persuaded  in  his  oum  mind.]  ‘“Let  every  man  freely 
enjoy  his  own  sentiment ;”  and  go  on  in  his  own  way  without  impediment 
or  censure.’  Doddr.  This  interpretation  is  very  ancient ;  hut  it  does  not 
seem  to  be  the  most  natural  construction  of  (he  clause. — ‘Let  a  man 
have  [such]  persuasion  of  the  lawfulness  of  what  he  doeth,  or  abstains 
from,  as  will  preserve  him  from  sinning  against  conscience  in  it.  ..  .  Bet 
llim  not  search  into  tile  judgments  and  actions  of  other  men,  about  these 
matters,  to  condemn  them  for  them.’  U'hilby. — ‘I  do  not  agTee 
those,  who  lltink  that  the  apostle  meant  nothing  more,  than  . 

person  should  be  careful  not  to  do  anything  with  a  doubting  or 
ing  conscience.  For  it  is  not  enough,  thHl  our  conscience  c 
what  we  do ;  hut  it  is  necessary,  in  the  first  place,  that  o  Scott 
be  certified  from  the  Word  of  God.’  Beza.  rertain  daus 

(5 )  Some  Christians  abstained  from  flesh  only  on  certain  day  . 

Theod.,  see  Koppe.  £^>43  J 


A.  D.  Cl. 


ROMANS,  XIV. 


Directions  for  allaying  contention. 


6  He  that  f  regard eth  the  day, 
regardeth  it  unto  the  Lord  ;  and  he 
that  regardeth  not  the  day,  to  the 
Lord  he  doth  not  regard  it.  He 
that  eateth,  eateth  to  the  Lord  ;  for 
he  giveth  God  thanks  :  and  he  that 
eateth  not,  to  the  Lord  he  eateth 
not ;  and  giveth  God  thanks. 

7  For  g  none  of  us  liveth  to  him¬ 
self,  and  no  man  dieth  to  himself. 

8  For  whether  we  live,  we  live 
unto  the  Lord;  and  whether  we 
die,  we  die  unto  the  Lord  ;  wheth¬ 
er  we  live  therefore,  or  die,  we  are 
the  Lord’s. 

9  For  h  to  this  end  Christ  both 
died,  and  rose,  and  revived,  that  he 
might  be  Lord  both  of  the  dead 
and  living. 

10  But  why  dost  thou  judge  thy 
brother  ?  or  why  dost  thou  set  at 
nought  thy  brother  ?  for  we  shall 
all  stand  before  the  judgment-seat 
of  Christ. 

f  or,  obseroeth.  g  1  Pe.  4:2.  h  Phi.  2:9—11. 

(1.)  Because  God  hath  received  them  ;  and 
we  reflect  on  Him,  if  we  reject  those  whom 
He  hath  received.  It  will  be  good  for  us  to 
put  this  question  to  ourselves,  when  tempted 
to  behave  scornfully  towards  our  brethren, 
to  disdain  and  censure  them ;  ‘  Has  not  God 
owned  them ;  and  if  He  has,  dare  I  disown 
them  1  ’  ‘  Nay,  God  doth  not  only  receive 

him,  but  hold  him  up,  v.  4.  You  think,  he 
who  eateth,  will  fall  by  his  presumption,  or 
that  he  who  eateth  not,  will  sink  under  the 
weight  of  his  own  fears  and  scruples  :  but 
if  they  have  true  faith,  the  one  in  the  intelli¬ 
gent  use  of  his  Christian  liberty,  and  the 
other  in  the  conscientious  forbearance  of  it, 
they  shall  be  held  up;  the  one  in  his  integrity, 
and  the  other  in  his  comfort.  This  hope  is 
built  upon  the  power  of  God,  for  God  is  able 
to  make  him  stand;  and  being  able,  no  doubt 
He  is  willing  to  exert  that  power,  for  the 
preservation  of  those  that  are  his  own.’ 

(2.)  Because  they  are  servants  to  their 
own  Master,  v.  4.  We  reckon  it  a  piece  of 
ill  manners,  to  meddle  with  other  people’s 
servants,  and  to  find  fault  with  them,  and 
censure  them.  This  rash  judging  is  reproved, 
Jam.  3:  1.  under  the  notion  of  being  many 
masters.  In  judging  and  censuring  our 
brethren,  we  meddle  with  that  which  does 
not  belong  to  us  :  we  have  work  enough  to 
do  at  home  ;  and  if  we  must  needs  be  judg¬ 
ing,  let  us  exercise  our  faculty  on  our  own 
hearts  and  ways.  To  his  own  Master  he  stands 
or  falls  ;  his  doom  will  be  according  to  his 
Master’s  sentence,  and  not  according  to  ours. 
How  well  for  us  is  it,  that  we  are  not  to 
stand  or  fall  by  the  judgment  one  of  another, 
but  by  the  righteous  and  unerring  judgment 
of  God,  which  is  according  to  truth  ! 

(3.)  Because  both  the  one  and  the  other, 
if  true  believers,  and  right  in  the  main, 
have  an  eye  to  God,  and  do  approve  them¬ 
selves  to  God  in  what  they  do,  v.  6. 

He  that  makes  conscience  of  observing 


the  Jewish  fasts  and  festivals,  not  imposing 
them  on  others,  or  laying  stress  on  them,  but 
willing  to  be,  as  he  thinks, on  the  surer  side, 
it  is  well.  We  have  reason  to  think,  be¬ 
cause  in  other  things  he  conducts  himself 
like  a  good  Christian,  that  in  this  also  his 
eye  is  single,  and  that  he  regardeth  the  day 
unto  the  Lord  ;  and  God  will  accept  of  his 
honest  intention,  though  he  be  under  a  mis¬ 
take  ;  for  the  sincerity  and  uprightness  of 
the  heart  were  never  rejected  fur  the  weak¬ 
ness  and  infirmity  of  the  head  :  so  good  a 
Master  do  we  serve  !  On  the  other  hand, 
he  that  regards  not  the  day,  that  does  not 
make  a  difference  between  one  day  and 
another  ;  but  esteems  every  day  alike  :  he 
does  not  do  it  out  of  a  spirit  of  opposition, 
contradiction,  or  contempt  of  his  brother  ; 
and  therefore  we  charitably  conclude,  that 
to  the  Lord  he  doth  not  regard  it.  He  there¬ 
fore  makes  no  such  difference  of  days,  be¬ 
cause  he  knows  God  hath  made  none  ;  and 
therefore  intends  his  honor  in  endeavoring 
to  dedicate  every  day  to  Him. 

So  he  that  eateth,  and  he  that  eateth  not, 
those  meats  which  were  forbidden  by  the 
ceremonial  law,  if  he  be  conscientious,  that 
is  enough.  Thus  while  both  have  an  eye  to 
God  in  what  they  do,  and  approve  them¬ 
selves  to  Him  in  their  integrity,  why  should 
either  of  them  be  judged  or  despised  1 

Observe,  Whether  we  eat  flesh,  or  eat 
herbs,  it  is  a  thankful  regard  to  God,  the 
Author  and  Giver  of  all  our  mercies,  that 
sanctifies  and  sweetens  it.  Bp.  Sanderson, 
in  his  34th  sermon,  on  1  Tim.  4:4.  justly 
makes  this  observation  :  It  appears  by  this, 
that  saying  grace  (as  we  commonly  call  it, 
perhaps  from  1  Cor.  10:80.)  before  and  af¬ 
ter  meat,  was  the  common  known  practice 
of  the  church,  among  Christians  of  all  sorts, 
weak  and  strong  :  an  ancient,  commend¬ 
able,  apostolical,  Christian  practice,  deri¬ 
ved  down  from  Christ’s  example  through  all 
the  ages  of  the  church,  Mat.  14:  19.  15:36. 
Luke  9:  16.  John  6:11.  Mat.  26:  26,  27. 
Acts  27:35.  blessing  the  creatures  in  the 
name  of  God  before  we  use  them,  and  bless¬ 
ing  the  name  of  God  for  them  after,  both 
included  ;  for  blessing  and  giving  thanks  are 
used  promiscuously. 

To  clear  this  argument  against  rash  judg¬ 
ing  and  despising,  he  shows  how  essential 
it  is  to  true  Christianity,  to  have  a  regard 
to  God,  anil  not  to  ourselves  ;  which  there¬ 
fore,  unless  the  contrary  do  manifestly  ap¬ 
pear,  we  must  presume,  concerning  those  that 
in  less  things  differ  from  us.  Observe  his 
description  of  true  Christians,  taken  from 
their  end  and  aim,  v.  7,  8.  .on  the  ground 
of  it,  v.  9.  [L]  Our  end  and  aim  :  not 

self,  but  the  Lord.  We  have  learned  to  de¬ 
ny  ourselves  ;  that  w'as  our  first  lesson  ; 
None  of  us  liveth  to  himself.  We  neither 
live  to  ourselves,  nor  die  to  ourselves,  we  are 
not  our  own  proprietors,  nor  at  our  own  dis¬ 
posal.  The  business  of  our  lives  is,  not  to 
please  ourselves,  but  to  please  God.  The 
business  of  our  deaths,  which  we  are  every 
day  exposed  to,  is,  not  to  make  ourselves 
talked  of  ;  and  w  hen  we  come  to  die  actu¬ 
ally,  neither  is  that  to  ourselves  ;  it  is  not 
barely  that  we  would  be  unclothed,  and 
eased  of  the  burden  of  the  flesh  ;  but  it  is 


V.  6.  Unto.)  ‘  To  (the  honor  of ).’  Stuart. 

V.  7 — 9.  It  ought  to  be  established  as  an  acknowledged  principle,  that 
no  real  Christian  allows  his  own  humor,  indulgence,  interest,  credit,  or 
ease,  to  be  the  end  for  which  he  lives  or  acts,  as  to  the  general  tenor  of  his 
conduct ;  nor  does  he  even  avoid,  desire,  or  meet  death  from  selfish  mo¬ 
tives  ;  but  whether  his  life  be  prolonged,  he  aims  to  spend  it  to  the  glory 
of  Christ ;  or  whether  death  be  expected,  he  refers  it  (o  Hint,  to  be  order¬ 
ed  in  all  respects  for  the  glory  of  his  own  name.  ..  .  For  to  this  very  end, 
Christ  botli  died  on  the  cross,  and  rose  again,  and  liveth  in  heaven  to  die 
no  more;  that  in  human  nature  He  might  lie  the  sovereign  Lord  of  all 
his  people,  both  during  their  lives  and  after  their  death ;  as  they  willingly 
devote  themselves  to  Him,  and  are  prompt  to  labor,  suffer,  or  die  for  his 
sake ;  as  He  orders  all  things  respecting  the  lime  and  circumstances  of 
their  death,  for  his  own  glory  and  their  good  ;  and  as,  when  they  die, 
they  are  taken  to  be  with  Him  for  ever,  and  He  will  raise  their  bodies  to 
share  the  same  felicity.  1  Cor.  6:18—20,  Phi/.  1:19—26. — Christ  is  also 
the  Lord  of  all  Jhe  dead,  and  of  the  living,  who  do  not  believe  in  Him  : 


to  the  Lord,  that  we  may  depart,  and  be  with 
Christ,  may  be  present  with  the  Lord.  It  ia 
to  the  Lord,  v.  8.  Christ,  to  whom  all  power 
and  judgment  are  committed,  and  in  whose 
name  we  are  taught,  as  Christians,  to  do 
everything  we  do.  Col.  3:  17.  with  an  eye 
to  the  will  of  Christ  as  our  rule,  to  the 
glory  of  Christ  as  our  end,  Phil.  1 :21.  This 
is  true  Christianity,  which  makes  Christ  all 
in  all.  So  that  whether  we  live  or  dir,  we  are 
the  Lord's,  devoted  to  Him,  depending  on 
Him, designed  and  designing  for  Him.  [2.] 
The  ground  of  this,  v.  9.  It  is  grounded  on 
Christ’s  absolute  sovereignty  and  dominion, 
which  were  the  fruit  and  end  of  his  death 
and  resurrection.  He  is  the  Lord  of  those 
that  are  living,  to  rule  them,  of  those  that 
are  dead,  to  revive  them,  and  raise  them  up. 
It  was  after  He  had  died  and  risen,  that  He 
said ,  All  power  is  given  unto  Me,  Mat.  28 :18. 
and  presently  He  exerts  that  power  in  issu¬ 
ing  out  commissions,  v.  19,  20.  Now  if 
Christ  paid  so  dear  for  his  dominion  over 
souls  -and  consciences,  and  has  such  a  just 
and  undisputed  right  to  exercise  that  domin¬ 
ion  ;  we  must  not  so  much  as  seem  to  in¬ 
vade  it,  or  intrench  upon  it,  by  judging  the 
consciences  of  our  brethren,  and  arraigning 
them  at  our  bar. 

And  this  leads  to  another  reason  against 
judging  and  despising  ; 

(4.)  Because  both  the  one  and  the  other 
must  shortly  give  an  account,  v.  10 — 12. 
Why  all  this  clashing,  and  contradicting, 
and  censuring,  among  Christians  1  [It  is  a 
needless  work,  this  judging,  for]  we  shall  all 
stand  before  the  judgment-seat  of  Christ,  2 
Cor.  5:  10.  Christ  will  be  the  Judge,  and 
He  has  both  authority  and  ability  to  deter¬ 
mine  men’s  eternal  state  according  to  their 
works,  and  before  Him  we  shall  stand,  as 
persons  to  be  tried,  and  to  give  up  an  ac¬ 
count  ;  expecting  our  final  doom  from  Him, 
which  will  be  eternally  conclusive.  To  il¬ 
lustrate  this  v.  11.  lie  quotes  Is.  45:  23.  I 
have  sworn  by  Myself ;  here,  As  I  live.  It 
is  a  prophecy,  in  general,  of  Christ’s  do¬ 
minion  ;  and  here  very  fully  applied  to  the 
judgment  of  the  great  day,  which  will  be  the 
highest  and  most  illustrious  exercise  of  that 
dominion.  Here  is  a  proof  of  Christ’s  god¬ 
head,  He  is  the  Lord,  and  He  Is  God,  equal 
with  the  Father.  Divine  honor  is  due  to 
Him,  and  must  be  paid.  It  is  paid  to  God 
through  Him  as  Mediator.  God  will  judge 
the  world  by  Him,  Acts  17:31.  The  bowing 
of  the  knee  to  Him,  and  the  confession  made 
with  the  tongue,  are  but  outward  expressions 
of  inward  adoration  and  praise.  Every 
knee,  and  every  tongue,  either  freely,  or  by 
force.  All  his  friends,  freely;  made  willing 
in  the  day  of  his  power.  Grace  is  the  soul’s 
cheerful,  entire,  and  avowed  subjection  to 
Jesus  Christ.  Bowing  to  Him  ;  the  under¬ 
standing  to  his  truths,  the  will  and  actions 
to  his  laws,  the  whole  man  to  his  authority. 
Confessing  to  Him ;  acknowledging  his  glory, 
grace,  and  greatness  ;  our  own  meanness 
and  vileness,  our  sins,  so  some.  All  his  foes 
are  constrained,  whether  they  will  or  no. 
When  He  shall  come  in  the  clouds,  and  every 
eye  shall  see  Him;  then  will  all  those  prom¬ 
ises  have  their  accomplishment  :  then  his 
foes  shall  be  his  footstool,  and  all  his  en- 

on  them  as  He  sees  good  ;  yet  the  former  sense  seems  to  have  been  prin¬ 
cipally  intended.  Mat.  28:18.  Acts  10:36 — 43.  Eph.  1:15 — 23.  Re v-  1:12 
— 20.  It  is  worthy  of  observation,  that  the  apostle  most  cogently  show¬ 
ed  professed  Christians,  xvhat  they  ought  to  be  and  do,  by  stating  the 
character  and  aims  of  true  believers,  and  by  teaching  them  what  chari¬ 
ty  would  suppose,  concerning  their  brethren  who  differed  from  them,  if 

their  conduct  were  in  other  respects  consistent  xvith  their  profession. _ 

‘Tlie  Lord,’  evidently  means  Jesus  Christ,  in  these  vs. ;  which  contain 
a  very  conclusive  argument  in  proof  of  his  Deity,  and  the  next  vs.  un¬ 
deniably  confirm  it ;  for  to  what  mere  creature  can  xve  be  thus  entirely 
devoted,  without  manifest  idolatry, and  evidently  giving  to  another  that 
supreme  affection,  which  God  Himself  demands  ?  2  Cor.  5:13 — 15.  Tit. 
2:14.  Scott. 

V.  10 — 12.  The  apostle’s  transition  from  ‘  the  judgment-seat  of  Christ,’ 
to  ‘  giving  an  account  of  ourselves  to  God,’  shows  how  familiar  it  xvas 
to  him,  to  understand  (lie  predictions  uttered  by  Jehovah,  as  the  words 
of  his  divine  Lord  and  Savior. — (11)  Shall  confess  to  God.]  ‘  I.  e.  shall 
adore  and  acknowledge  Me  as  God.’  Beza.  10:5 — 11. — 1  If  these  words, 


A.  D.  61. 


ROMANS,  XIV. 


Directions  for  allaying  contention. 


11  For  it  is  written,  As  '  I  live, 
saith  the  Lord,  every  knee  shall 
bow  to  me,  and  every  tongue  shall 
confess  to  God. 

12  So  then  every  one  of  us  shall 
give  account  of  himself  to  God. 

13  Let  us  not  therefore  judge  one 
another  any  more  :  but  judge  this 
rather,  that  no  man  put  a  stumbling 
block,  or  an  occasion  to  fall,  in  his 
brother’s  way. 

14  I  know,  and  am  persuaded  by 
the  Lord  Jesus,  that  there  is  noth¬ 
ing  i  unclean  of  itself :  but  to  him 
that  esteemeth  any  thing  to  be  J  un¬ 
clean,  to  him  it  is  unclean. 

15  But  if  thy  brother  be  grieved 
with  thy  meat,  now  walkest  thou 
not  k charitably.  Destroy  ‘not  him 
with  thy  meat,  for  whom  Christ 
died. 

i  Is.  45:23.  k  according  to  1  1  Co.  8:11. 

J  common .  charity. 

emies  shall  lick  the  dust.  Hence  he  con¬ 
cludes,  v.  12.  Every  one  of  us  shall  give  ac¬ 
count  of  himself  to  God  :  not  we  for  others, 
nor  they  for  us  :  but  every  one  for  himself. 
VVe  must  give  account  how  we  have  spent 
our  time,  how  we  have  improved  our  oppor¬ 
tunities  :  what  and  how  we  have  done. 
Therefore,  We  have  little  to  do,  to  judge 
others,  for  they  are  not  accountable  to  us, 
nor  we  for  them,  Gal.  2:6.  And  we  nave 
the  more  to  do,  to  judge  ourselves  ;  and 
that  is  enough  for  us  ;  let  every  man  prove 
his  own  work.  Gal.  6:  4.  let  that  lake  up  his 
thoughts,  and  he  that  is  strict  in  judging 
himself  and  abasing  himself,  will  not  be  apt 
to  judge  and  despise  his  brother.  Let  all 
these  differences  be  referred  to  the  arbitra¬ 
tion  of  Christ  at  the  great  day. 

(5.)  Because  the  stress  of  Christianity  is 
not  to  be  laid  on  these  things,  nor  are  they 
at  all  essential  to  religion,  either  on  the  one 
side  or  on  the  other.  This  is  his  reason,  v. 
17,  18.  which  is  reducible  to  this  branch  of 
exhortation  ; 

Why  should  you  spend  your  zeal  either  for 
or  against  those  things  which  are  so  minute 
and  inconsiderable  in  religion!  Some  make 
it  a  reason,  why,  in  case  of  offence  likely  lo 
be  taken,  we  should  refrain  the  use  of  our 
Christian  liberty  ;  but  it  seems  directed  in 
general  against  that  heat  about  those  things, 
which  he  observed  on  both  sides.  Observe 
here, 

[1.]  The  nature  of  true  Christianity, 


what  it  is  :  called,  The  kingdom  of  God  ;  I 
intended  to  rule  us,  a  kingdom  :  the  gospel- 
dispensation  specially,  called  the  kingdom  of 
God,  in  distinction  from  the  legal  dispensa¬ 
tion,  Mat.  3:  2.  4:17.  It  consists  not  either 
in  using,  or  in  abstaining  from,  such  and 
such  meats  and  drinks.  Christianity  gives 
no  rule  in  that  case,  one  way  or  other.  The 
matter  is  left  at  large  ;  every  creature  of 
God  is  good,  1  Tim.  4:4.  So,  as  to  other 
things,  it  is  neither  circumcision  nor  ttneir- 
cumcision,  Gal.  6:6.  6:15.  1  Cor.  7:19. 
not  being  of  this  party  and  persuasion,  of 
this  or  the  other  opinion  in  less  tilings. 
Nothing  more  destructive  to  true  Christian¬ 
ity  than  placing  it  in  modes  and  forms,  and 
circumstantials,  which  eat  out  the  essentials. 
It  is  righteousness,  and  peace,  and  joy  in  the 
Holy  Ghost,  very  comprehensive  words  ; 
might  I  limit  the  sense  of  them,  it  should  be 
thus  :  As  to  God,  our  great  concern  is 
righteousness  ;  to  appear  before  Him  justi¬ 
fied  by  the  merit  of  Christ’s  death,  sancti¬ 
fied  by  the  Spirit  of  his  grace.  As  to  our 
brethren,  it  is  peace  ;  to  live  in  peace  and 
love,  and  charity  with  them  ;  following 
peace  with  all  men  ;  Christ  came  into  the 
world,  to  be  the  great  Peace-maker.  As  to 
ourselves,  it  is  joy  in  the  Holy  Ghost  ;  that 
spiritual  joy  which  is  wrought  by  the  blessed 
Spirit  in  the  hearts  of  believers,  which  re¬ 
spects  God  as  their  reconciled  Father,  and 
heaven  as  their  expected  home.  It  is  in 
these  things  to  serve  Christ,  v.  IS.  to  do  all 
this  out  of  respect  to  Christ  Himself  as  our 
Master,  to  his  will  as  our  rule,  and  to  his 
glory  as  our  end  :  which  puts  an  accepta¬ 
bleness  on  all  our  good  duties.  What  is 
Christianity  but  the  serving  of  Christ  ?  And 
we  may  well  afford  to  serve  Him,  who  for 
us  and  for  our  salvation  took  on  Him  the 
form  of  a  servant. 

[2.]  The  advantages  of  it.  He  that  duly 
observeth  these  things,  is  acceptable  to  God, 
though  He  lie  not  in  everything  just  of  our 
length.  He  is  also  approved  of  men,  of  all 
wise  and  good  men,  and  the  opinion  of 
others  is  not  to  be  regarded.  Observe,  The 
approbation  of  men  is  not  to  be  slighted  ; 
but  the  acceptance  of  God  is  to  be  desired 
and  aimed  at  in  the  first  place,  because, 
sooner  or  later,  God  will  bring  all  the  world 
to  be  of  his  mind. 

3.  Another  rule  here  given,  is  this,  that 
in  these  doubtful  things,  every  one  not  only 
may,  but  must,  walk  according  to  the  light 
that  God  hath  given  him,  v.  5.  Let  every 
man  be  fully  persuaded  in  his  own  mind  ;  i. 
e.  *  Practice  according  to  your  own  judg¬ 
ment  in  those  things,  and  leave  others  to  do 
so  too.’  In  doubtful  things,  it  is  good  keep-  | 


ing  on  the  sure  side  of  the  hedge.  We  must 
not  pin  our  faith  on  any  one’s  sleeve,  or 
make  the  practice  of  others  our  rule  ;  but 
follow  the  dictates  of  our  own  understand¬ 
ing.  To  this  purport  lie  argues,  v.  14.  and 
23.  which  explain  this,  and  give  us  a  rule 
not  to  act  against  the  dictates, 

(1.)  Of  a  mistaken  conscience,  v.  14.  If 
a  thing  lie  indifferent,  so  that  it  is  not  in  it¬ 
self  a  sin  not  to  do  it,  if  we  really  think  it 
a  sin. to  do  it,  it  is  to  us  a  sin,  though  not  to 
others,  because  we  act  against  our  conscien¬ 
ces,  though  mistaken  and  misinformed,  lie 
specifies  the  case  in  hand.  Observe,  [1.] 
His  own  clearness  in  this  matter  ;  ‘  I  know 
and  am  persuaded,  I  am  fully  satisfied,  that 
nothing,  no  kind  of  meat,  lies  under  any 
ceremonial  unc.leanness,  nor  is  forbidden  to 
be.  eaten,  if  it  be  food  proper  for  human 
bodies.’  Sin  had  brought  a  curse  on  t lie 
whole  creation  ;  use  of  the  creatures  and 
dominion  over  them  were  forfeited,  so  that 
to  man  they  were  all  unclean.  Tit.  1:  15. 
In  token  of  w  hich,  God  in  the  ceremonial 
law  prohibited  the  use  of  some,  to  show 
what  He  might  have  done,  concerning  all  ; 
but  now  that  Christ  has  removed  the  curse, the 
matter  is  set  at  large  again,  and  that  prohi¬ 
bition  is  taken  away.  It  was  not  only  from 
the  revelation  made  to  Peter  in  this  matter, 
but  from  tile  tenor  and  tendency  of  the  whole 
Gospel,  and  the  manifest  design  of  Christ’s 
death  in  general,  Paul  had  learned  to  count 
nothing  common  or  unclean.  This  was  his 
own  clearness,  and  he  practised  according¬ 
ly.  [2.]  But  here  he  gives  a  caution  to  those 
who  had  not  his  clearness  in  this  matter. 
To  him  that  esteemeth  anything  to  be  unclean, 
though  it  be  his  error,  yet  to  him  it  is  unclean. 
This  particular  case,  thus  determined,  gites 
a  general  rule,  That  he  who  does  a  thing 
which  he  verily  believes  to  be  unlawful, 
however  the  thing  be  in  itself,  to  him  it  is  a 
sin.  This  arises  from  that  unchangeable 
law  of  our  creation,  which  is,  that  our  wills, 
in  all  their  choices,  motions,  and  directions, 
should  follow  tile  dictates  of  our  understand¬ 
ings.  Not  that  it  is  in  the  power  of  any 
man’s  conscience  to  alter  the  nature  of  the 
action  in  itself,  but  only  as  lo  himself.  It 
must  be  understood  likewise  with  this  pro¬ 
viso;  though  men’s  judgments  and  opinions 
.may  make  that  which  is  good  in  itself,  to  be¬ 
come  evil  to  them,  yet  they  cannot  make 
that  which  is  evil  in  itself,  to  become  good, 
either  in  itself  or  to  them.  If  a  man  were 
verily  persuaded,  (it  is  Dr  Sanderson’s  in¬ 
stance,  sermon  on  ch.  14:23.)  that  it  were 
evil  to  ask  his  father’s  blessing,  that  misper- 
suasion  would  make  it  become  evil  to  him  : 
but  if  lie  should  be  as  verily  persuaded  that 


which  the  prophet  certainly  spake  of  Jehovah,  ...  be  well  applied  by 
tile  apostle  to  Christ ;  Christ  must  also  be  tile  Person  intended  by  them: 
for  how  could  the  apostle  prove,  that  “  every  knee-must  bow  ”  to  Christ, 
from  the  words  of  God,  “  lo  Me  every  knee  shall  bow if  Christ  were, 
in  his  whole  nature  and  essence,  as  different  from  that  God  who  spake 
those  words  of  Himself,  as  is  a  creature  from  his  great  Creator  i'  Whit¬ 
by. — As  I  live ,  dec.)  Neither  exactly  from  the  Sept,  lior  from  the  Ileb.  ; 
but  giving  the  precise  meaning  of  each.  Is.  45:23.  Scott. 

(10.)  Judge.]  ‘Condemn.  Set  at  nought.]  Despise.’  Stuart. 

V.  13 — 18.  The  apostle  assuredly  knew,  by  the  revelation  of  Christ, 
that  no  kind  of  food  was  any  longer  polluted  in  itself:  yet  if  a  man  sup¬ 
posed  the  ceremonial  distinctions  to  be  still  in  force,  the  meat  which  he 
ate,  contrary  to  his  judgment  and  conscience,  would  be  unclean  to  him; 
lie,  therefore,  ought  lo  abstain,  till  more  fully  satistied.  Now,  if  a  strong¬ 
er  and  better  informed  believer  induced  his  weaker  brother,  by  his  ex¬ 
ample  and  influence,  to  eat  such  things  as  his  conscience  protested 
against,  and  so  to  bring  guilt  and  distress  on  himself;  it  was  obvious 
that  he  did  not  ‘walk  charitably,’  loving  his  brother  as  himself.  For 
his  conduct  directly  tended  to  the  ruin  of  one,  for  whom  Christ  died; 
seeing  it  tempted  him  to  sin,  which  naturally  leads  to  condemnation. 
Jam.  1:13 — 15.  This  does  not  imply,  that  the  weak  brother  would  ac¬ 
tually  perish  :  but  the  contrast  is  made  between  the  love  of  Christ  to 
the  weak  believer,  who  shed  his  blood  to  save  him;  and  the  want  of 
love  in  his  stronger  brother,  who  would  not  abridge  himself  of  his  indul¬ 
gent  meal,  from  regard  to  his  welfare;  but  would  rather  prove  an  occa¬ 
sion  of  sin  to  him,  and  so  hazard  the  loss  of  his  soul,  than  restrain  him¬ 
self  in  the  exercise  of  his  Christfan  liberty  ! — Yet,  hud  the  apostles 
written  in  that  exact,  systematical  style,  which  some  affect  and  require ; 
they  would  scrupulously  have  avoided  such  language.  2  Pet.  2:1 — 3. 
— Christians  ought  then  to  be  very  careful  not  to  use  their  liberty,  which 
was  good  and  valuable  in  itself,  in  so  unguarded  a  manner,  or  with  such 
bad  effects,  as  might  give  occasion  to  its  ‘  being  evil  spoken  of:’  for  the 
privileges  of  the  kingdom  of  God,  no  more  consisted  in  meats  and 
drinks,  than  its  requirements  did  :  so  that  a  believer,  who  would  use  his 


liberty,  at  any  rate,  and  at  all  events,  laid  as  undue  a  stress  on  tile  in¬ 
dulgence  of  the  new  dispensation,  as  a  Jewish  convert  did  on  the  cere¬ 
monial  distinctions  of  the  old  one.  To  stand  justified  before  God,  to  be 
at  peace  with  Him,  to  possess  peace  iii  the  heart  and  conscience,  and  to 
experience  that  pure  joy,  which  the  Holy  Spirit  communicates,  are  the 
great  privileges  of  the  kingdom  of  God  :  Mat.  3:2.  6:33,34.  and  to  walk 
by  faith  before  Him,  as  a  reconciled  Father,  in  righteousness,  and  in 
cheerful,  holy  obedience,  according  to  the  grand  requirements  of  the 
moral  law,  by  ‘  the  sanctification  of  the  Spirit,’  is  t he  substance  of  the 
duties  of  the  kingdom:  and  he,  who  in  such  tilings,  serves  and  obeys 
Christ,  is  ‘acceptable  to  God,’  and  is  approved  before  men,  to  be  a  true 
believer;  and  should,  therefore,  lie  received  as  such  by  his  brethren, 
without  respect  to  difference  of  opinion  or  practice,  in  more  doubtful 
matters. — To  infer  from  hence,  as  some  have  incautiously  done,  that  a 
peaceable,  exemplary  Christian,  who  is  not  too  rigid  in  his  sentiments, 
or  tinctured  witli  bigotry,  will  generally  be  esteemed  and  loved  by  man¬ 
kind  ;  would  imply  a  censure  on  Paul,  on  the  other  apostles,  on  the 
prophets,  on  the  most  eminent  believers  In  every  age,  nay,  on  Christ 
Himself,  as  if  they  had  not  been  so  candid  and  liberal  as  toe  ought  to  he  : 
for  we  know  what  fhvor  the  world  showed  them.  But  in  fact,  the 
men  of  the  church,  and  not  those  of  the  world,  are  exclusively  meant — . 
(15.)  Grieved.]  ‘The  grief  is  that  whioh  arises  from  the  consciousness 
of  having  acted  amiss,  in  conformity  to  the  example  of  a  superior.’ 
Doddr.  Scott. 

(13.)  Judge. ]  ‘Condemn  ..  ;  but  rather  let  us  decide, not  to  put, &c.’ 

Stuart. 

(14.)  By.]  ‘  Of.  Of]  In,  Esteemeth.]  Deemeth.’  St.  See,  on  our 
blame  and  guilt  in  having  an  erroneous  conscience,  and  on  the  means  of 
correcting  it,  and  the  responsibility  connected  wHh  the  endowment, 
Way  land's  Mor.  Sci.  Each  (though  ever  so  minute)  refusal  to  obey  its 
dictates  precisely,  injures,  in  so  far,  its  perfection.  ,  ,  * 

(15.)  ‘  Now  if  thy  brother  is  grieved  because  of  meal,  thou  dost  not 

demean  thyself  as  benevolence  requireth.’  Sr.  Destroy.]  Evidently 
used  in  a  popular  and  restricted  sense ;  it  cannot  possibly  import  more 


A.  D.  61. 


ROMANS,  XIV. 


Directions  for  allaying  contention. 


16  Let  not  then  your  good  be 
evil  spoken  of. 

17  For  m  the  kingdom  of  God  is 
not  meat  and  drink;  but  "righte¬ 
ousness,  and  0  peace,  and  joy  p  in 
the  Holy  Ghost. 

18  For  he  that  in  these  things 
serveth  Christ,  is  acceptable  to 
God,  and  approved  of  men. 

19  Let  us  therefore  follow  after 
the  things  which  make  for  peace, 
and  r  things  wherewith  one  may 
edify  another. 

20  For  meat  destroy  not  the 
work  of  God.  All  things  indeed 
are  *  pure  ;  but  it  is  '  evil  for  that 
man  who  eateth  with  offence. 

21  It  is  good  neither  to  eat  flesh, 
nor  to  drink  wine,  nor  any  thing 
whereby  thy  brother  stumbleth,  or 
is  offended,  or  is  made  weak. 

22  Hast  thou  faith  ?  have  it  to 
thyself  before  God.  Happy  u  is  he 
that  condemneth  not  himself  in  that 
thing  which  he  alloweth. 

m  Mat .  6-33.  p  c.  15:13.  s  Tit.  1:15. 

it  Phi.  3:9.  q  Ps.  34:11.  He.  t  1  Co.  8:10— 13. 

o  Jn.  18:33.  e.5:l.  12:14.  u  1  Jn.  3:21. 

Phi.  4:7.  r  1  Co.  14:12. 


it  were  good  to  curse  his  father,  that  would 
not  make  it  become  good.  The  Pharisees 
taught  people  to  plead  conscience,  when  they 
made  corban  an  excuse  for  denying  relief  to 
their  parents,  Mat.  15:  5,6.  But  that  would 
not  serve,  any  more  than  Paul’s  erroneous 
conscience  would  justify  his  rage  against 
Christianity,  Acts  26:9.  or  theirs,  John  16:2. 

(2.)  Nor  must  we  act  against  the  dictates 
of  a  doubting  conscience.  In  those  indiffer¬ 
ent  things,  which  we  are  sure  it  is  no  sin  not 
to  do,  and  yet  are  not  clear  that  it  is  lawful 
to  do  them,  we  must  not  do  them  while  we 
continue  under  those  doubts  ;  for  he  that 
doubleth  is  damned  if  he  eat,  v.  23.  it  turns 
into  sin  to  him  ;  he  is  damned,  condemned 
of  his  own  conscience,  because  he  eateth  not 
of  faith,  because  he  does  that  which  lie  is 
not  fully  persuaded  he  may  lawfully  do. 
Here  his  own  heart  cannot  but  condemn 
him  as  a  transgressor.  Our  rule  is,  to 
walk  as  far  as  we  have  attained,  not  fur¬ 
ther,  Phil.  3:  15,  16.  For  whatsoever  is  not 
of  faith,  is  sin.  Taking  it  in  general,  it  is 
the  same  with  that  of  the  apostle,  Heb. 
11:6.  Without  faith  it  is  impossible  to  please 
God.  Whatever  we  do  in  religion,  it  will 
not  turn  to  any  good  account,  except  we  do 
it  from  a  principle  of  faith,  with  a  believ¬ 
ing  regard  to  the  will  of  Christ  as  our  rule, 
to  the  glory  of  Christ  as  our  end,  and  to  the 
righteousness  of  Qiirist  as  our  plea.  Here 
it  seems  to  be  taken  more  strictly  ;  what¬ 
ever  is  not  of  faith,  whatever  is  done  while 
we  are  not  clearly  persuaded  of  the  lawful¬ 
ness  of  it,  is  a  sin  against  conscience. 

This  seems  to  be  the  meaning  of  that 
aphorism,  which  sounds  somewhat  darklv, 
v.  22.  Happy  is  he  that  condemns  not  himself 
in  that  thing  which  he  allows.  Many  a  one  al¬ 


lows  himself  in  practice  to  do  that,  which  yet 
in  his  judgment  and  conscience  he  condemns 
himself  for  ;  allows  it  for  the  sake  of  the 
pleasure,  profit,  or  credit  of  it  ;  or  in  con¬ 
formity  to  custom  ;  and  yet,  whilst  he 
does  it,  and  pleads  for  it,  his  own  heart 
gives  him  the  lie,  and  his  conscience  con¬ 
demns  him  for  it.  Now,  happy  is  the  man 
who  so  orders  his  conversation,  as  not  in 
any  action  to  expose  himself  to  the  re¬ 
proaches  of  his  own  conscience,  as  he  must 
needs  do,  who  does  that  which  he  is  not 
clear  he  may  lawfully  do,  1  John  3:  21. 

4.  Another  rule  here  prescribed  is  to 
those  who  are  clear  in  these  matters,  and 
know  their  Christian  liberty,  yet  to  take 
heed  of  using  it  so  as  to  give  offence  to  a 
weak  brother.  This  is  laid  down,  v.  13.  ‘Let 
it  suffice,  that  you  have  hitherto  continued 
in  this  uncharitable  practice,  and  do  so  no 
more.’  The  better  to  insinuate  the  exhor¬ 
tation,  be  puts  himself  in  ;  Let  us  not  ;  as 
if  lie  had  said,  ‘  It  is  what  I  have  resolved 
against,  therefore  do  yon  leave  it  :  but  judge 
this  rather ;  instead  of  censuring  the  prac¬ 
tice  of  others,  let  us  look  to  the  conduct  of 
our  own,  that  no  man  put  a  stumbling-block, 
or  an  occasion  to  fall,  in  his  brother's  way.' 
We  must  take  heed  of  saying  or  doing  any¬ 
thing  which  may  occasion  our  brother  to 
stumble  or  fall  ;  that  inay  be  an  occasion  of 
grief,  (See  Mat.  18:  6,  i0.)  or  of  guilt,  to 
our  brother.  The  former  is  a  stumbling- 
block,  that  gives  our  brother  a  great  shake, 
and  is  a  hinderance  and  discouragement  to 
him  ;  but  this  is  an  occasion  to  fall.  See 
this  case  explained,  1  Cor.  8:9 — 11.  To  the 
same  purport,  v.  21.  he  recommends  it  to 
our  care,  not  to  give  offence  to  any  one  by 
the  use  of  lawful  things.  This  is  to  he  ex¬ 
tended  to  all  such  indifferent  things,  where¬ 
by  thy  brother  stumbleth,  or  is  offended,  is 
involved  either  in  sin  or  in  trouble  :  or  is 
made  weak  ;  his  graces  weakened,  his  com¬ 
forts,  his  resolutions.  Observe  the  motives 
to  enforce  this  caution.  Consider, 

(1.)  The  royal  law  of  Christian  love  and 
charity,  which  is  hereby  broken,  v.  15.  If 
thy  brother  be  grieved  with  thy  meat,  be  troub¬ 
led  to  see  thee  eat  those  things  which  the 
law  of  Moses  did  forbid,  which  yet  thou 
mnyest  lawfully  do  ;  possibly  thou  art  ready 
to  say,  ‘  Now  he  talks  foolishly  and  weakly, 
and  it  is  no  great  matter  what  he  says.’ 
But  the  reproof  here  is  to  the  stronger  and 
more  knowing  Christian  ;  Now  walkest  thou 
not  charitably.  Thus  the  apostle  takes  part 
with  the  weakest,  and  condemns  the  defect 
in  love,  on  the  one  side,  more  than  the  defect 
in  knowledge  on  the  other  side  ;  agreeably 
to  his  principles  elsewhere,  that  the  way  of 
love  is  the  more  excellent  way,  1  Cor.  12:  31. 
8:  1—3. 

(2.)  The  design  of  Christ’s  death  ;  De¬ 
stroy  not  him  with  thy  meat  for  whom  Christ 
died,  v.  5.  Drawing  of  a  soul  to  sin,  threat¬ 
ens  the  destruction  of  that  soul.  It  notes 
an  utter  destruction.  The  consideration  of 
the  love  of  Christ  in  dying  for  souls,  should 
make  us  very  tender  of  the  happiness  and 
salvation  of  souls,  and  careful  not  to  do  any¬ 
thing  which  may  obstruct  and  hinder  it. 
But  are  any  destroyed,  for  whom  Christ 


than  “  cause  him  to  fall  from  a  state  of  salvation  whether  that  fall 
shall  he  final  or  temporary,  will  depend  upon  his  future  repentance  or 
non-repentance,  [&c.]  The  circumstance,  “for  whom  C4irist  died,”  is 
skilfully  thrown  in,  to  show  the  peculiar  baseness  of  this  conduct,  since 
it  involves  a  contravening  of  the  designs  of  Christ  in  favor  of  one’s 
brother.’  Bloomf. 

(16.)  ‘  Suffer  not,  that,  by  your  fault,  the  transcendent  benefits  of  the 
Christian  religion  should  be  despised  and  profaned  by  the  Gentile  na¬ 
tions.’  Kop.  See  2  Cor.  6:3.  Rom.  7:13.  Evil  spoken  of .]  1  BlasphCm- 
eisthO  :  be  brought  into  calumny,  contempt,  and  hatred,  which  must  nec¬ 
essarily  arise  from  the  mutual  strifes  and  disputes  of  those  who  profess 
a  religion  of  peace.’  Bl.  What  missionary  has  not  found  the  wars  of 
Christendom,  the  bickerings  of  sects,  and  the  conduct  of  Christian  na¬ 
tions,  in  their  intercourse  with  each  other,  or  with  Mahometans,  heathen, 
and  savages,  a  great  hindrance  to  the  progress  of  the  Gospel  ?  What  min¬ 
ister  has  not  known  those,  who  put  these  things  as  stumbling-blocks  in 
the  way  of  their  own  conversion  and  profession  of  religion?  En. 

(17.)  Joy ,  &c.]  ‘  Virtue,  peace,  spiritual  joy,  &c. :  a  divinely  spirit¬ 
ual  benevolence  and  humanity.’  Koppe. 

[246] 


died  1  If  we  understand  it  of  the  suffi¬ 
ciency  and  general  intendment  of  Christ’s 
death,  which  was  to  save  all  on  Gospel 
terms,  no  doubt  but  multitudes  are.  If  of 
the  particular  determination  of  the  efficacy  of 
his  death  to  the  elect,  then,  though  none  that 
were  given  to  Christ  shall  perish,  John  6: 

39.  yet  thou  mayest,  as  much  as  in  thy  pow¬ 
er,  destroy  such.  No  thanks  to  thee  if  they 
he  not;  by  doing  that  which  hath  a  tendency 
to  it,  thou  dost  manifest  a  great  opposition 
to  Christ.  Comp,  this  with  1  Cor.  8:10,  11. 

(3.)  The  work  of  God,  v.  20.  ‘  For 
meat  destroy  not  the  work  of  God,  the  work 
of  grace,  particularly  the  work  of  faith  in 
thy  brother’s  soul.’  The  works  of  peace 
and  comfort  are  destroyed  by  such  an  offence 
given  ;  take  heed  of  it  therefore  :  do  not 
undo  that  which  God  hath  done  ;  you  should 
work  together  with  God,  do  not  counter¬ 
mine  his  work.  Observe,  The  same  for 
whom  Christ  died,  v.  15.  are  here  called  the 
work  of  God  J  every  saint  is  God’s  work¬ 
manship,  his  husbandry,  his  building,  Eph. 

2:  10.  1  Cor.  3:9.  We  must  be  very  care¬ 
ful  to  do  nothing  which  tends  to  the  destruc¬ 
tion  of  this  work,  either  in  ourselves  or 
others.  Many  do  for  meat  and  drink  de¬ 
stroy  the  work  of  God  in  themselves  ;  noth¬ 
ing  more  destructive  to  the  soul  than  pam¬ 
pering  and  pleasing  the  flesh,  and  fulfilling 
the  lusts  of  it  ;  so  likewise  in  others,  by 
wilful  offence  given. 

(4.)  The  evil  of  giving  offence,  and  what 
an  abuse  it  is  of  our  Christian  liberty.  And 
the  apostle  directs  his  reproof  most  against 
those  who  gave  the  offence  ;  not  as  if  they 
were  not  to  be  blamed,  who  causelessly  and 
weakly  took  the  offence  ;  but  he  directs  his 
speech  to  the  strong,  because  they  were  bet¬ 
ter  able  to  bear  the  reproof,  and  to  begin  the 
reformation. 

For  the  further  pressing  of  this  rule,  we 
may  here  observe  two  directions  which  have 
relation  to  it.  1st.  Let  not  then  your  good 
be  evil  spoken  of,  v.  16.  take  heed  of  doing 
anything  which  may  give  occasion  to  others 
to  speak  evil,  either  of  the  Christian  reli¬ 
gion  in  general,  or  of  your  Christian  liberty 
in  particular.  We  must  deny  ourselves  in 
many  cases  for  the  preservation  of  our  credit 
and  reputation  ;  forbearing  to  do  that  which 
we  rightly  know  we  may  lawfully  do,  when 
our  doing  of  it  may  he  a  prejudice  to  our 
good  name  :  as,  when  it  is  suspicious,  and 
hath  the  appearance  of  evil  ;  or  when  it  is 
become  scandalous  among  good  people  ;  or 
hath  any  way  a  brand  on  it.  2dly.  Hast  thou 
faith  ?  Have  it  to  thyself  before  God,  v.  22. 

It  is  not  meant  of  justifying  faith  ;  but  of 
a  knowledge  and  persuasion  of  our  Chris¬ 
tian  liberty  in  things  disputed.  Have,  it  to  * 
thyself,  enjoy  the  comfort  of  it  in  thy  own 
bosom,  and  do  not  trouble  others  by  the  im¬ 
prudent  use  of  it,  when  it  might  give  of¬ 
fence,  and  cause  thy  weak  brother  to  stum¬ 
ble  and  fall.  Have  it  to  thyself ;  a  rule  to 
thyself,  not  to  he  imposed  on  others,  or 
made  a  rule  to  them  ;  or  a  rejoicing  to  thy¬ 
self.  Clearness  in  doubtful  matters  con¬ 
tributes  very  much  to  our  comfortable  walk¬ 
ing,  as  it  frees  us  from  those  scruples, 
jealousies,  and  suspicions,  which  those  who 

V.  T9 — 23.  The  apostle  proceeded  to  inculcate  an  assiduous  and  per¬ 
severing  attention  to  (tie  interests  of  peace  among  Christians  ;  and  to 

all  those  things  by  which  mutual  edification  might  he  promoted _ It  is 

obvious  how  groundless  (he  scruples  of  some  serious  persons  from  this 
text,  (23)  concerning  the  Lord’s  supper,  must  be;  for  the  apostle’s  argu¬ 
ment  is  about  a  subject  entirely  of  another  nature.  Scott. 

(19.)  ‘Therefore  let  us  strive  after  peace  and  mutual  edification.’  St. 
(20.)  For.]  ‘On  account  of ...  AH  (meats)  are  clean;  yet  they  are 
hurtful  to  him,  who  eateth  so  as  to  stumble  thereby.’  Id. 

(21.)  ‘Nor  (to  do  anything)  whereby,  &c.  . .  .  or  hath  cause  of  of¬ 
fence.’  St.  ‘  From  Augustin,  it  appears,  that  wine  was  scrupled  at  by 
some  weak  brethren,  on  the  same  ground  as  was  meat ;  viz.  that  what 
was  publicly  sold,  had  sometimes  been  used  at  libations,  to  the  honor  of 
the  heathen  gods.’  Bl.  The  npostle’s  precept  justifies  and  recommends 
a  ‘  temperance  pledge.’  See  Perm.  Temp.  Documents.  Ed. 

(22,23.)  Have  it.]  1  Keep  it.  Damned.]  Condemned  ...  because  it  is 
not,  &c.’  St.  ‘For  whatever  is  not  done,  with  a  full  persuasion  that  it 
is  lawful,  is  sinful.’  Bl.  Hence  the  heinous  sin  of  the  Pharisees  and 
their  modern  imitators,  who  make  that  matter  of  conscience  to  their 


ROMANS,  XV. 


A.  D.  61. 

23  And  he  that  v  doubteth  is 
damned  if  he  eat,  because  he  eatelh 
not  of  faith  :  for  whatsoever  w  is 
not  of  faith  is  sin. 

CHAP.  XV. 

1  The  »trong  must  bear  with  the  weak.  2  We  may  not 
please  ourselves,  3  for  Christ  did  not  so,  7  but  receive 
one  the  other,  as  Christ  did  us  all,  8  both  Jews,  9  and 
Gentiles.  15  l  aul  excuselh  his  writing,  ‘*8  and  prom- 
iseth  to  see  them,  30  and  requesteth  their  prayers. 

WE  then  that  are  strong  ought 
to  1  bear  the  infirmities  of  the 
weak,  and  not  to  please  ourselves. 

2  Let  every  one  of  us  please  his 
neighbor  b  for  his  good  to  edification. 

3  For  even  Christ  c  pleased  not 
himself:  but,  as  it  is  written,  dThe 
reproaches  of  them  that  reproached 
thee  fell  on  me. 

4  For  whatsoever  ‘things  were 
written  aforetime  were  written  for 
our  learning,  that  we  through  pa¬ 
tience  and  comfort  of  the  Scriptures 
might  have  hope. 

v  or,  disctrneth  w  He.  11:6.  c  Jn.  6:38. 

and  putteih  a  a  c  14:1  Ga.6:2.  d  Ps.  69:9. 
difference  be-  b  1  Co  9;  19.  Phi.  e  1  Co.  10:11. 
tween  meats.  2:4,5.  2  Ti.  3:16,17. 

have  not  such  clearness,  are  entangled  in  end¬ 
lessly.  Comp.  Gal.  6:4.  How  happy  were  it 
for  the  church,  if  those  that  have  a  clear¬ 
ness  in  disputable  things,  would  be  satisfied 
to  have  it  to  themselves  before  God,  and 
not  impose  those  things  on  others,  and  make 
them  terms  of  communion  ;  than  which 
nothing  is  more  opposite  to  Christian  liber¬ 
ty,  nor  more  destructive  both  to  the  peace  of 
churches  and  the  peace  of  consciences. 

Before  God.  The  end  of  such  knowledge 
is,  that,  being  satisfied  in  our  liberty,  we 
may  have  a  conscience  void  of  offence  to¬ 
ward  God,  and  let  that  content  us. 

5.  One  rule  more  is  laid  down  here,  a 
general  one,  in  19.  Here  is  the  sum  of  our 
duty  towards  our  brethren.  (1)  We  must 
study  mutual  peace.  Many  wish  lor  peace, 
and  talk  loud  for  it,  that  do  not  follow  the 
things  that  make  for  peace,  but  the  contrary. 
Meekness,  humility,  self-denial,  and  love, 
are  the  springs  of  peace  ;  the  things  that 
make  for  our  peace.  (2.)  We  must  study 
mutual  edification.  The  former  makes  way 
for  this.  We  cannot  edify  one  another, 
while  we  are  quarrelling  and  contending  : 
but  many  ways  we  may  edify  one  another. 


if  we  seriously  mind  it  ;  by  good  counsel, 
reproof,  instruction,  example  ;  and  we  have 
need  to  be  edified  ;  and  therefore  must  study 
to  promote  the  spiritual  growth  one  of  an¬ 
other.  None  so  strong  but  they  may  be  ed¬ 
ified  p  none  so  weak,  but  may  edify  ;  and 
while  we  edify  others,  we  benefit  ourselves. 

Chap.  XV.  V.  1—4.  The  apostle,  in 
this  ch.,  continues  the  discourse  of  the  form¬ 
er,  concerning  mutual  forbearance  in  indif¬ 
ferent  things  ;  and  so  draws  towards  a  con¬ 
clusion  of  the  epistle.  He  here  lays  down 
two  precepts,  with  reasons  to  enforce  them, 
showing  the  duty  of  the  strong  Christian  to 
consider  and  condescend  to  the  weakest. 

I.  We  must  bear  the  infirmities  of  the  weak, 
v.  1.  All  have  infirmities;  but  the  weak  are 
more  subject  to  them  than  others  ;  the  weak 
in  knowledge  or  grace.  We  must  consider 
these  ;  not  trample  on  them,  but  encourage 
them,  and  bear  with  their  infirmities.  If 
through  weakness  they  judge  and  censure 
us,  and  speak  evil  of  us,  we  must  bear  with 
them,  pity  them,  and  not  have  our  affections 
alienated  from  them  ;  we  must  also  bear 
their  infirmities,  by  sympathizing  w  ith  them, 
concerning  ourselves  for  them,  ministering 
strength  to  them,  as  there  is  occasion.  That 
is  bearing  one  another’s  burdens. 

II.  We  must  not  please  ourselves,  but  our 
neighbor,  v.  1,  2.  We  must  deny  our  own 
humor,  in  consideration  of  our  brethren’s 
weakness  and  infirmity.  Not  please  our¬ 
selves  ;  but  please  our  brethren.  The  de¬ 
sign  of  Christianity  is,  to  soften  and  meeken 
the  spirit,  to  teach. us  the  art  of  obliging 
and  true  complaisance  ;  to  comply  with  all 
that  we  have  to  do  with,  as  far  as  we  can 
with  a  good  conscience.  Christians  should 
study  to  be  pleasing.  How  amiable  and 
comfortable  a  society  would  the  church  of 
Christ  be,  if  Christians  would  study  to 
please  one  another,  as  now  we  [often]  see 
them  industrious  to  cross,  and  thwart,  and 
contradict  one  another  ! 

We  are  to  please  our  neighbor,  not  in 
everything,  but  for  his  good,  especially  for 
the  good  of  his  soul  ;  for  his  profit,  and  the 
profit  of  others,  to  edify  the  body  of  Christ, 
by  studying  to  oblige  one  another.  Now  ob¬ 
serve  the  reason,  why  Christians  must  please 
one  another  ;  for  even  Christ  pleased  nut 
Himself.  The  self-denial  of  our  Lord  Jesus 
is  the  best  argument  against  the  selfishness 
of  Christians.  Observe, 

1.  Christ  pleased  not  Himself.  His  whole 
life  was  a  self-denying,  self-displeasing  life. 


Christian  precepts  and  privitegds. 

He  bore  the  infirmities  of  the  weak,  Heb. 
4:  15. 

2.  Herein  the  Scripture  was  fulfilled  ;  P?. 
69:9.  is  quoted,  the  former  part  of  which 
v.  is  applied  to  Christ,  John  2:  17.  and  the 
latter  part  here.  It  is  quoted,  to  show  that 
Christ,  so  far  from  pleasing  Himself,  did 
in  the  highest  degree  displease  Himself. 
[Comp.  Mat.  26:  S9.]  Nut  as  if  his  under¬ 
taking,  considered  on  the  whole,  were  a 
task  and  a  grievance  to  Him,  for  He  was 
very  willing  to  it,  and  very  cheerful  in  it  ; 
but,  in  his  humiliation,  the  content  and  satis¬ 
faction  of  natural  inclination  were  altogeth¬ 
er  crossed  and  denied.  This  the  apostle 
chooses  to  express  in  scripture-language. 
Many  understand  it  not  only  of  the  shame 
of  those  reproaches  which  Christ  underwent, 
but  of  the  sin  of  those  He  undertook  to  sat¬ 
isfy  for.  This  was  the  greatest  piece  of 
self-displacency  that  could  be  :  considering 
his  infinite,  spotless  purity,  and  holiness; 
the  infinite  love  of  the  Father  to  Him,  and 
his  eternal  concern  fob  his  Father’s  glory  ; 
nothing  could  be  more  contrary  to  Him, 
than  to  be  made  Sin  and  a  Curse,  especial¬ 
ly,  considering  for  whom  He  thus  displeas¬ 
ed  Himself,  for  strangers,  enemies,  and  trait¬ 
ors  ;  the  Just  for  the  unjust,  1  Pet.  3:  18. 
This  seems  to  come  in  as  a  reason,  ivhy  we 
should  bear  the  infirmities  of  the  weak.  Christ 
pleased  not  Himself.  Even  Christ,  He  who 
was  infinitely  happy  in  Himself,  who  needed 
not  us  or  our  services  ;  even  He  who 
thought  it  no  robbery  to  be  equal  with  God, 
who  had  no  reason  to  be  concerned,  much 
less  to  be  crossed,  for  us  ;  even  He  pleased 
not  Himself,  even  He  bore  our  sins.  And 
should  not  we  be  humble,  and  self-denying, 
and  ready  to  consider  one  another,  who  are 
members  one  of  another  1 

3.  That  therefore  we  must  go  and  do  like¬ 
wise.  What  David  had  said  in  his  own 
person,  Paul  had  just  now  applied  to  Christ. 
Now,  lest  this  should  look  like  a  straining  of 
the  Scripture,  he  gives  us  this  excellent  rule 
in  general,  that  all  the  scriptures  of  the  O. 
T.  much  more  those  of  the  New,  were  writ¬ 
ten  for  our  learning,  and  are  not  to  be  look¬ 
ed  upon  as  of  private  interpretation.  Many 
things  are  to  be  learned  out  of  the  Scripture ; 
and  that  is  the  best  learning,  that  is  draw  n 
from  those  fountains.  Those  are  the  most 
learned,  that  are  most  mighty  in  the  Scrip¬ 
tures  ;  and  practical  observations  are  more 
necessary  than  critical  expositions.  What 
is  here  proposed  as  the  end  of  scripture¬ 
learning  is,  eternal  life.  The  Scripture  w'as 


TRACT.  OBS.  It  is  of  great  importance  for  us  to  distinguish,  be¬ 
tween  those  who  are  ‘  weak  in  faith,’  and  such  as  are  strangers  or 
enemies  to  the  faith  ;  for  we  ought  to  receive,  and  affectionately  to 
cherish  the  former,  hut  to  bexvare  of  the  latter,  and  withdraw  from  them. 
— The  distinctions  between  meats  and  days  were  at  least  as  important, 
ns  many  filings  which  are  now  controverted  among  us;  and  it  Was  far 
more  certain  on  which  side  the  truth  was  found.  Yet  men  might  be 
leal  Christians,  who  could  not  receive  even  the  apostle’s  determination 
on  the  controversy.  Surely  then  we  should  enlarge  our  candor,  beyond 
those  narrow  limits,  which  many  would  assign  to  it. — All  who  love  the 
Gospel  ought  to  shun  such  persons  as  excite  divisions  among  those  who 
appear  to  love  Christ  and  hate  sin  ;  and  such  shibboleths,  as  tend  to 
multiply,  to  perpetuate,  or  to  exasperate  them.  I.et  us,  then,  cease  to 
despise,  or  judge  one  another,  especially  about  things  which  are  not 
essential  to  salvation;  let  us  beware,  that  we  do  not  attempt  to  reject, 
or  to  cast  down,  those  whom  God  has  received  and  will  uphold  ;  or  to 
judge  and  condemn  his  conscientious  servants. — It  behooves  us,  to  re¬ 
member  our  own  unworlhiness  and  proneness  to  err,  and  liability  to  be 
deceived  through  inattention,  ignorance,  prejudices,  and  corrupt  pas¬ 
sions:  and  the  numerous  instances,  in  which  we  have  been  entirely  mis¬ 
taken,  when  confident  that  we  were  in  the  right;  and,  endeavoring  to 
be  1  fully  persuaded  ’  in  our  own  minds  about  our  conduct,  as  regulated 
according  to  the  Holy  Scriptures,  let  us  leave  others  to  the  judgment 


of  God.  Let  us  be  careful  not  to  abuse  our  liberty,  by  an  inexpedient 
use  of  things  lawful,  or  by  venturing  on  such  as  are  doubtful.  For  sure¬ 
ly,  it  cannot  be  an  imitation  of  the  love  of  Christ,  who  died  for  the  weak 
as  well  as  the  strong,  if  we  put  any  personal  satisfaction  in  competition 
with  the  spiritual  good  of  our  brethren.  Let  us  follow  after  all  those 
things,  which  tend  to  peace  and  mutual  edification  ;  let  us  study  a  holy 
indifference  about  the  most  lawful  earthly  enjoyments,  and  learn  to 
renounce  whatever  comes  in  competition  with  the  welfare  of  our  breth¬ 
ren,  the  peace  of  the  church,  and  the  glory  of  God.  Numbers  venture 
into  places,  and  upon  actions,  agninst  which  their  own  consciences  re¬ 
volt;  because  they  are  induced  by  inclination,  or  emboldened  by  the 
example  of  those,  who,  on  some  account,  have  obtained  the  reputation 
of  pious  men.  But  whether  the  things  themselves  be  lawful  or  not,  as 
they  cannot  ‘do  them  in  faith,’  as  they  hesitate  concerning  the  lawful¬ 
ness  of  them,  and  as  they  cannot  heartily  pray  for  the  presence  and 
blessing  of  God  in  them,  they  Hre  condemned  for  indulging  themselves  in 
a  doubtful  case.  Hut  few  are  so  happy,  as  to  be  quite  free  from  self- 
condemnation,  in  everything  which  they  allow  ;  a  sound  judgment,  a 
simple  heart,  a  tender  conscience,  and  habitual  self-denial,  are  necessary 
for  the  enjoyment  of  this  comfort ;  and  most  of  us  see  frequent  cause  to 
condemn  ourselves  in  this  respect,  and,  by  daily  repentance,  faith,  and 
prayer,  to  deprecate  the  merited  condemnation  of  our  God.  1  Cor.  6:12 
—17.  8:7—13.  10:23—28.  1  Jn.  S:  1 8— 21.  Scott. 


pupils,  which  is  not  so  in  itself.  See  Way/and ,  on  Conscience.  El.  Mor. 
Set.  ‘This  [passage]  will,  in  no  respect, justify  Augustin  for  inferring 
from  hence,  that  the  very  best  acts  of  the  heathens  were  only  splendid 
sins.  For  (as  Mae/cn.)  though  they  had  not  faith  in  any  [  ?  the]  divine 
revelation,  they  might  have  the  faith  mentioned  by  the  apostle  ;  i.  e.  a 
firm  persuasion  of  the  lawfulness  of  their  own  actions,  and  an  inclination 
to  please  God,  by  doing  what  they  thought  right  and  acceptable  to  Ilim. 
IVotf,  Carpz-,  &c.  however,  make  it  an  aphorism,  extending  to  faith  of 
every  kind,  not  only  historical,  and  of  conscience,  but  also  of  doctrine  ; 
as  when  used  of  a  justifying  faith.  But  all  this  is  more  easiiv  asserted 
than  proved.’  Bloomf. 

NOTES.  Chap.  XV.  V.  1.  Vs.  1 — 13.  belong  to  ch.  1-4.  Infirmi¬ 
ties.]  ‘  I.  e.  false  and  superstitious  opinions.’  Ul.  Em 


V.  2,  Arc.  For  his,  Arc.]  ‘In  respect  to  that  which  is  good,  unto 
edification.  For  Christ  did  not  seek  his  own  pleasure  ...  on  Me,’  (so  it 
was  with  Him.)  ‘  Now  whatsoever  things  were  written  in  ancient  times, 
were  written  for  our  instruction  ;  that  through  patience,  and  the  admo¬ 
nition  of  the  Scriptures,  we  might  obtain  hope.’  St.  Bl.  understands 
‘  hold  fust  our  hope.’  _  ,  D, 

V.  3.  The  reproaches ,  Arc.]  ‘How  inexpressible  a  grief  and  burocn 
the  sight  of  so  much  Wickedness  must  have  been  to  so  pure  ami  holy  a 

-  --  -  but 


mind,  as  that  of  our  Lord,  it  is  impossible  for  us  fully  to  conceive :  but 
were  we  more  like  Him,  we  might,  and  we  certainly  should,  enter  mine 
into  it,  than  we  generally  do.’  Dodds.  Heb.  2:16-  18— I  he  quotation 
is  from  the  LXX.,  which  exactly  tr.  the  Heb.  Ps.  69.9. 

[247] 


A.  D.  61. 


ROMANS,  XV. 


Christians  prayed  for  and  exhorted. 


5  Now  the  God  of  patience  and 
consolation  grant  you  to  be  like- 
minded  f  one  toward  another,  s  ac¬ 
cording  to  Christ  Jesus ; 

6  That  ye  may  with  one  h  mind 
and  one  mouth  glorify  God,  even 
the  Father  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ. 

7  Wherefore  receive  ye  one 
another,  as  Christ  also  1  received 
us,  to  the  glory  of  God. 

S  Now  I  say,  that  Jesus  Christ 
was  a  minister  of  the  circumcision 
for  the  truth  of  God,  to  confirm 
i  the  promises  made  unto  the  fathers; 

9  And  that  the  Gentiles  might 
glorify  God  for  his  mercy  ;  as  it  is 
written,  k  For  this  cause  I  will  con¬ 
fess  to  thee  among  the  Gentiles, 
and  sing  unto  thy  name. 

f  1  Co.  MO.  h  Ac.  4:24,32.  1  Ac.  3:25,26. 

g  or,  after  the  i  Ep.  l-’6.  k  Ps.  18:49. 

example  of. 

written,  that  we  might  know  what  to  hope 
for  from  God,  on  what  grounds,  and  in  what 
way.  This  should  recommend  the  Scrip¬ 
ture  to  us,  that  it  is  a  special  friend  to 
Christian  hope.  Patience  and  comfort  sup¬ 
pose  trouble  and  sorrow  ;  such  is  the  lot  of 
the  saints  in  this  world  ;  and  were  it  not 
so,  we  should  have  no  occasion  for  patience 
and  comfort.  But  both  these  befriend  that 
hope,  which  is  the  life  of  our  souls.  Patience 
works  experience,  and  experience  hope,  that 
maketh  not  ashamed,  ch.  5:3 — 5.  The 
more  patience  we  exercise  under  troubles, 
the  more  hopefully  we  may  look  through 
our  troubles  ;  nothing  more  destructive  to 
hope  than  impatience.  And  the  comfort  of 
the  Scriptures,  that  comfort  which  springs 
from  the  Word  of  God,  is  likewise  a  great 
stay  to  hope,  as  it  is  an  earnest  in  hand  of 
the  good  hoped  for.  The  Spirit,  as  a  Com¬ 
forter,  is  the  Earnest  of  our  inheritance. 

V.  5,  6.  The  apostle,  having  delivered 
two  exhortations,  before  he  proceeds  to 
more,  intermixes  here  a  prayer  for  the  suc¬ 
cess  of  what  he  had  said.  Observe, 

I.  The  title  he  gives  to  God  ;  the  God 
of  patience  and  consolation,  who  is  both  the 
Author  and  the  Foundation  of  all  the  pa¬ 
tience  and  consolation  of  the  saints  ;  from 
whom  it  springs,  and  on  whom  it  is  built. 
He  is  the  God  of  patience  and  consolation  ; 
1.  As  a  God  that  bears  with  us,  and  comforts 
us  ;  is  not  extreme  to  mark  what  we  do 
amiss,  but  is  ready  to  comfort  them  that  are 
cast  down ;  to  teach  us  so  to  testify  our  love 
to  our  brethren,  and  by  these  means  to  pre¬ 
serve  and  maintain  unity,  bv  being  patient 
one  with  another,  and  comfortable  one  to 
another.  Or,  2.  As  a  God  that  gives  us 
patience  and  comfort.  He  had  spoken,  v.  4. 
of  patience  and  comfort  of  the  Scriptures  ; 
but  here  he  looks  up  to  God,  as  the  God  of 
patience  and  consolation  :  it  comes  through 
the  Scripture,  but  from  God  as  the  fountain¬ 
head.  The  more  patience  and  comfort  we 
receive  from  God,  the  better  disposed  we 
are  to  love  one  another.  Nothing  breaks 
the  peace  more  than  an  impatient,  and  peev¬ 
ish,  and  fretful,  melancholy  temper. 

II.  The  mercy  he  begs  of  God  ;  Grant 
you  to  be.  like  minded  one.  towards  another,  ac¬ 


cording  to  Jesus  Christ.  1.  The  foundation 
of  Christian  love  and  peace  is  laid  in  like- 
mindedness  ;  a  consent  in  judgment,  as  far 
as  you  have  attained;  or,  however,  a  con¬ 
cord  and  agreement  in  affection.  2.  This 
like-mindedness  must  be  according  to  Christ 
Jesus  ;  his  precept,  law,  pattern,  example, 
v.  3.  Or,  ‘Let  Christ  Jesus  be  the  Centre 
of  unity.  Agree  in  the  truth,  not  in  any 
error.’  It  was  a  cursed  concord  and  har¬ 
mony  of  those  who  were  of  one  mind,  to 
give  their  power  and  strength  to  the  beast, 
Rev.  17:13.  like  the  Babel-builders,  who 
were  one  in  their  rebellion,  Gen.  11:  6.  The 
method  of  our  prayer  must  be,  first  for 
truth,  and  then  for  peace;  for  such  is  the 
method  of  the  wisdom  that  is  from  above  ; 
it  is  first  pure,  then  peaceable.  That  is  to  be 
like-minded  according  to  Christ  Jesus.  3. 
Like-mindedness  among  Christians,  accord¬ 
ing  to  Christ  Jesus,  is  the  gift  of  God  ;  and 
a  precious  gift  it  is,  for  which  we  must  earn¬ 
estly  seek  unto  Him. 

III.  The  end  of  his  desire  ;  that  God 
may  be  glorified,  v.  6.  This  is  his  plea  with 
God  in  prayer,  and  is  likewise  an  argument 
with  them  to  endeavor  it.  We  should  have 
the  glory  of  God  in  our  eye  in  every  prayer; 
therefore  our  first  petition,  as  the  founda¬ 
tion  of  all  the  rest,  must  be,  Hallowed  be  thy 
name.  Like-mindedness  among  Christians, 
is  in  order  to  our  glorifying  of  God  ; 

1.  With  one  mind  and  one  mouth.  It  is 
desirable  that  Christians  should  agree  in 
everything,  that  so  they  may  agree  in  this, 
to  praise  God  together.  It  tends  very  much 
to  the  glory  of  God,  who  is  one,  and  his 
name  one,  when  it  is  so.  It  will  not  suffice, 
that  there  be  one  mouth,  but  there  must  be 
one  mind  ;  and  God  will  scarcely  be  glori¬ 
fied,  where  there  is  not  a  sweet  conjunction 
of  both. 

2.  As  the  Father  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ. 
That  is  his  N.  T.  style.  God  must  be  glo¬ 
rified,  as  He  has  now  revealed  Himself  in 
the.  face  of  Jesus  Christ.  The  unity  of 
Christians  glorifies  God,  as  the  Father  of  our 
Lord  Jesus  Christ  J  because  it  is  a  kind  of 
counterpart  or  representation  of  the  one¬ 
ness  that  is  between  the  Father  and  the  Son. 
We  are  warranted  so  to  speak  of  it,  and, 
with  that  in  our  eye,  to  desire  it,  and  pray 
for  it,  from  John  17:  21.  That  they  all  may 
be  one,  as  Thou,  Father,  art  in  Me,  and  I  in 
Thee:  a  high  expression  of  the  honor  and 
sweetness  of  the  saints’  unity.  And  it  fol¬ 
lows,  That  the  world  may  believe  that  Thou 
hast  sent  Me  ;  and  so  God  may  be  glorified 
as  the  Father  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ. 

V.  7 — 12.  The  apostle  here  returns  to 
his  exhortation  to  Christians.  What  he  says 
here,  v.  7.  is  to  the  same  purport  with  the 
former  ;  but  the  repetition  shows  how  much 
his  heart  was  upon  it.  He  had  exhorted  the 
strong  to  receive  the  weak,  ch.  14:  1.  here, 
Receive  one  another.  Those  that  have  re¬ 
ceived  Christ  by  faith,  must  receive  all  j 
Christians  by  brotherly  love  ;  though  poor,  | 
persecuted,  and  despised,  though  it  may  be 
matter  of  reproach  and  danger  to  you  to  re-  j 
ceive  them  ;  though  in  the  less  weighty  mat¬ 
ters  of  the  law  they  are  of  different  apprehen¬ 
sions,  though  there  may  have  been  occasion 
for  private  piques  ;  yet,  laying  aside  these, 
and  the  like  considerations,  receive  yeone  an¬ 
other.  The  reason  is  taken,  as  before,  from  ; 


the  condescending  love  of  Christ  to  ns  ;  As 
Christ  also  received  us,  to  the  glory  of  God. 
Can  there  be  a  more  cogent  argument  ! 
Those  words,  to  the  glory  of  God,  may  refer 
both  to  Christ’s  receiving  us, which  is  our  pat¬ 
tern  ;  and  to  our  receiving  one  another, which 
is  our  practice  according  to  that  pattern. 

I.  Christ  hath  received  us  to  the  glory  of 
God.  The  end  of  our  reception  by  Christ, 
is,  that  we  might  glorify  God  in  this  world, 
and  be  glorified  with  Him  in  that  to  come. 
We  are  called  to  an  eternal  glory  by  Christ 
Jesus,  John  17: 24.  See  to  what  He  re¬ 
ceived  us,  to  a  happiness  transcending  all 
comprehension  ;  see  for  what  He  received 
us,  for  his  Father’s  glory  ;  He  had  that  in 
his  eye  in  all  the  instances  of  his  favor  to  us. 

II.  We  must  receive  one  another  to  the 
glory  of  God.  And  nothing  more  conduces 
to  his  glory,  than  the  mutual  love  and  kind¬ 
ness  of  those  that  profess  religion  ;  comp. 
n.6.  the  different  apprehension  they  had  about 
meats  and  drinks,  took  rise  in  distinction 
between  Jews  and  Gentiles.  Now,  to  pre¬ 
vent  and  make  up  this  difference,  he  shows 
how  Jesus  Christ  hath  received  both  Jews 
and  Gentiles,  Eph.  2:  14 — 16. 

1.  He  received  the  Jew's,  v.  8.  Let  not 
any  think  hardly  or  scornfully  therefore  of 
those  that  were  originally  Jews,  and  still, 
through  weakness,  retain  some  savor  of 
their  old  Judaism  :  for,  (1.)  Jesus  Christ 
was  a  Minister  of  the  circumcision.  He  was 
Himself  circumcised,  and  made  under  the 
law,  and  did  in  his  own  person  preach  the 
Gospel  to  the  Jews  alone,  who  were  of  the 
circumcision, — this  makes  the  nation  more 
considerable  than  otherwise  they  appear. 
(2.)  He  was  so  for  the  truth^of  God.  What 
He  preached  to  them,  was,  the  truth  ;  for 
He  came  into  the  world  to  bear  witness  to 
the  truth,  John  18:37.  And  He  is  Him¬ 
self  the  Truth,  John  14:  6.  Or,  for  the  truth 
of  God,  i.  e.  to  make  good  the  promises 
given  to  the  patriarchs,  concerning  the  spe¬ 
cial  mercy  God  had  in  store  for  their  seed. 
The  best  confirmation  of  promises  is  the 
performance  of  them  ;  and  when  Messiah 
the  Prince  appeared,  in  the  fulness  of  time, 
as  a  Minister  of  the  circumcision,  all  these 
promises  were  confirmed,  and  the  truth  of 
them  was  made  to  appear  ;  for  in  Christ  all 
the  promises  of  God,  both  those  of  the  O. 
T.  and  those  of  the  New,  are  Yea,  and  in 
Him  Amen.  Understanding  by  the  promises 
made  to  the  fathers,  the  whole  covenant  of 
grace,  darkly  administered  under  the  O.T., 
and  brought  to  a  clearer  light  now  under  the 
Gospel;  it  was  Christ’s  great  errand  to  con¬ 
firm  that  covenant,  Dan.  9:27.  He  con¬ 
firmed  it  by  shedding  the  blood  of  the  cov¬ 
enant. 

2.  He  received  the  Gentiles  likewise, 
v.  9—12. 

(1.)  Observe  Christ’s  favor  to  the  Gen¬ 
tiles,  in  taking  them  in  to  praise  God, — the 
work  of  the  church  on  earth,  and  the  wages 
of  that  in  heaven.  One  design  of  Christ 
was,  that  the  Gentiles  likewise  might  be 
converted  ;  that  they  might  be  one  with  the 
Jews  in  Christ’s  mystical  body.  A  good 
reason  why  they  should  not  think  the  worse 
of  any  Christian  for  his  having  been  former¬ 
ly  a  Gentile  ;  for  Christ  hath  received  him. 
Now  observe,  how  their  conversion  is  here 
expressed  ;  That  the  Gentiles  might  glorify 


V.  5,  6.  ‘  Now  may  the  God  who  giveth  patience  and  admonition, 
give  to  you  mutual  unity  of  sentiment:  [others  understand,  of  minds 
and  wills,  affections.]  Mouth..]  Voice.’  Sr.  ‘Grot,  observes,  there  is 
here  reference  to  the  ancient  doxologies  and  litanies.’  Bloomf. 

V.  7.  Receive  ..  received.]  ‘Deal  kindly  with  ..  dealt  kindly  with 
you,  unto  the  glory  of  God.’  St.  ‘  This  cl.,  if  referred  to  “  receive  one 
another,”  will  signify,  1.  “in  honor  of  God  ;”  q.  d.  “  and  this  your  mutu¬ 
al  love  will  redound  to  the  honor  of  God.”  And  so  Chrys.,  Theoph.,  and 
many  early  modern  comtrs.  2.  It  may,  with  most  recent  comtrs.,  be 
referred  to  what  immediately  preceded,  i.  e.  “  hath  placed  you  in  a  state 
of  salvation,  by  which  you  may  finally  attain  to  the  glory  of  God.” 
This  Koppe  thinks  preferable,  on  account  of  v.  8  and  9,  in  which  is  de¬ 
clared  how  Christ  hath  promoted  the  glory  of  God,  viz..,  by  receiving  Jews 
and  Gentiles  into  his  favor. — That  this  passage  has  a  reference  to  church 
communion,  has  been  shown  by  several  able  comtrs.;  [and,  in  that 

[248] 


view,  deserves  most  serious  attention.]  See  Doddr.,  Mackn.,  or  Slade.’ 
Bl.  •  That  there  were  schismatic  assemblies  among  them  at  this  time, 
is  evident  from  16:17.  Besides,  in  v.  6.  he  expressly  enjoins  them  to 
worship  God  jointly  in  the  public  assemblies.’  Macknight. 

V.  8 — 13.  In  order  to  unite  Jews  and  Gentiles  in  one  church,  and  con¬ 
ciliate  them  to  each  other,  Jesus  Christ  assumed  his  human  nature 
among  the  Jews;  He  was  ‘  made  under  the  law,’  and  was  circumcised. 
— (10)  Rejoice ,  &c..]  ‘The  Heb.  interpreters  tr.  the  original,  ( Deut .  32: 
43.)  “  Celebrate,  O  ye  nations,  his  people.”  ...  Certainly  the  nations 
could  not  cordially  extol  the  people  as  happy  and  blessed;  unless, 
affected  with  their  felicity,  they  acknowledged  and  worshipped  the 
same  God.  ..  The  apostle,  as  it  were,  seals  all  his  preceding  exhorta¬ 
tions  with  prayers ;  thnt  the  Lord  would  bestoxv  on  them  the  things 
which  he  commanded.’  Beza. — 19)  For  this  cause,  &c.]  From  the  Sept, 
and  accords  to  the  Ileb.  (2  5.22:50.  Ps.  1 S: 49.) — (10)  Rejoice,  &c.] 


grace  that  is 


A.  D.  61. 

10  And  again  lie  saith,  ’Rejoice, 
ye  Gentiles,  with  his  people. 

1 1  And  again,  m  Praise  the  Lord, 
all  ye  Gentiles  ;  and  laud  him,  all 
ye  people. 

12  And  again  Esaias  saith,  n 
There  shall  be  a  root  0  of  Jesse, 
and  he  that  shall  rise  to  reign  over 
the  Gentiles  ;  in  him  shall  the 
Gentiles  trust. 

13  Now  the  God  of  hope  fill  you 
with  all  pjoy  and  peace  in  believ¬ 
ing,  that  ye  may  abound  in  hope, 
through  the  power  of  the  Holy 
Ghost. 

14  And  I  myself  also  am  per¬ 
suaded  of  you,  my  brethren,  that 
ye  also  are  full  of  goodness,  filled 
with  all  r  knowledge,  able  also  to 
admonish  one  another. 

15  Nevertheless,  brethren,  I  have 
written  the  more  boldly  unto  you  in 
some  sort,  as  putting  you  in  mind, 
because  *  of  the 
to  me  of  God, 

I  De.  32:43.  o  Re.  6:S.  22:16.  1:12. 

m  Ps.  117:1.  p  c.  14:17.  r  I  Co.  8:1,7,10. 

n  Is.  11:1,10.  q  He.  6:9.  2  Pe.  6  Ep.  3:7,8. 

God  for  his  mercy.  A  periphrasis  of  con¬ 
version.  They  shall  have  matter  for  praise, 
even  the  mercy  of  God.  The  greatest  mercy 
of  God  to  any  people,  is,  the  receiving  of 
them  into  covenant  with  Himself :  and  it  is 
good  to  notice  God’s  mercy  in  receiving  us. 
They  shall  have  a  heart  for  praise.  They 
shall  glorify  God  for  his  mercy  :  converting 
grace  works  in  the  soul  a  disposition  to 
speak  and  do  all  to  the  glory  of  God  ;  God 
intended  to  reap  a  harvest  of  glory  from  the 
Gentiles,  who  had  been  so  long  turning  his 
glory  into  shame. 

(2.)  The  fulfilling  of  the  Scriptures  in 
this.  The  favor  of  God  to  the  Gentiles  was 
not  only  mercy,  but  truth.  There  were  many 
prophecies  concerning  them,  which  related 
to  the  calling  of  them,  and  the  imbodying 
of  them  in  the  church  :  some  of  which  he 
mentions,  because  it  was  a  thing  the  Jews 
were  hardly  persuaded  to  believe.  Thus, 
by  referring  them  to  the  O.  T.,  he  labors  to 
qualify  their  dislike  of  the  Gentiles,  and  so 
to  reconcile  the  parties  at  variance.  [1.]  It 
was  foretold,  that  the  Gentiles  should  have 
the  Gospel  preached  to  them,  ‘  I  will  con¬ 
fess  to  Thee  among  the  Gentiles,  v.  9.  quoted 
from  Ps.  18  : 49.  Taking  the  words  as 
spoken  by  David,  they  were  spoken  when 
he  was  old  and  dying,  and  he  was  not  likely 
to  confess  to  God  among  the  Gentiles  :  but 
when  David’s  Psalms  are  read  and  sung 
among  the  Gentiles,  to  the  praise  and  glory 
of  God,  he  that  was  once  the  sweet  psalm¬ 
ist  of  Israel,  is  now  the  sweet  psalmist  of 
the  Gentiles.  Converting  grace  makes  peo¬ 
ple  greatly  in  love  with  David’s  Psalms. 


ROMANS,  XV. 


Christians  exhorted  and  prayed  for. 


seeking  Him 


tiles  are  welcome  to  rejoice  with  his  people. 
Being  brought  into  the  church,  they  share  in 
its  sufferings,  are  companions  in  patience 
and  tribulation  ;  to  recompense  which,  they 
share  in  the  joy.  [3.]  That  they  should 
praise  God,  v.  11.  This  is  quoted  from  Ps. 
117:1.  The  Gentiles  had  been,  for  many 
ages,  praising  their  idols,  but  now  are 
brought  to  praise  the  Lord  :  and  this,  Da¬ 
vid  inspirit  speaks  of.  In  calling  on  all  the 
nations  to  praise  the  Lord,  it  is  intimated, 
that  they  shall  have  the  knowledge  of  Him. 
[4.]  That  they  should  believe  in  Christ, 
v.  12.  quoted  from  Is.  11:10.  Where  ob¬ 
serve,  1st.  The  revelation  of  Christ,  as  the 
Gentiles’  King,  here  called  the  Root  of  Jesse; 
comp.  Is.  11:1.  Christ  was  David’s  Lord, 
and  yet  withal  his  Son,  Mat.  22:45.  the 
Root  and  Offspring  of  David,  Rev.  22:  16. 
Christ,  as  God,  was  David’s  Root;  as  Man, 
David’s  Offspring.  His  rising  to  reign  over 
the  Gentiles,  explains  the  figurative  expres¬ 
sion  of  the  prophet,  He  shall  stand  for  an 
Ensign  of  the  people.  2dly.  The  recourse  of 
the  Gentiles  to  Him  ;  In  Him  shall  the  Gen¬ 
tiles  trust.  Faith  is  the  soul’s  confidence  in 
Christ,  and  dependence  on  Him.  The  meth¬ 
od  of  faith,  is,  first  to  seek  unto  Christ,  as 
to  one  proposed  to  us  for  a  Savior  ;  and, 
finding  Him  able  and  willing  to  save,  then 
to  trust  in  Him.  Or,  this  seeking  to  Him 
is  the  effect  of  a  trust  in  Him 
by  prayer,  and  pursuant  endeavors. 

Jews  and  Gentiles  being  thus  united  in 
Christ’s  love,  why  should  they  not  be  united 
in  one  another’s  love  1 

V.  13.  Here  is  another  prayer  directed  to 
God,  as  the  God  of  hope  ;  and,  as  the  for¬ 
mer,  v.  5,  6.  for  spiritual  blessings,  the  best 
blessings,  and  to  be  first  and  chiefly  prayed 
for.  He  addresses  himself  to  God,  as  the 
God  of  hope.  That  hope  is  but  fancy,  and 
will  deceive  us,  which  is  not  fastened  on 
God,  (as  the  Goodness  hoped  for,  and  the 
Truth  hoped  in,)  and  which  is  not  of  his 
working  in  us.  We  have  both  together,  Ps. 
119:  49.  1  Pet.  1:3.  He  asks  of  God, 

1.  That  they  might  be  filled  with  all  joy 
and  peace  in  believing.  Joy  and  peace  are 
two  of  those  things  in  which  the  kingdom 
of  God  consists,  ch.  14:17.  Joy  in  God, 
peace  of  conscience,  both  arising  from  a 
sense  of  our  justification  ;  see  ch.  5:1,2.  Joy 
and  peace  in  our  own  bosoms  would  promote 
a  cheerful  unity  and  unanimity  with  our 
brethren.  Observe,  True,  heavenly,  spirit¬ 
ual  joy  is  filling  to  the  soul  ;  it  has  a  satis¬ 
faction  in  it  answerable  to  the  soul’s  vast 
and  just  desires.  Nothing  more  than  this 
joy,  only  more  of  it,  even  the  perfection  of 
it  in  glory,  is  the  desire  of  the  soul  that  hath 
it,  Ps.  4:6,  7.  36:8.  63:5.  65:4.  It  is 
attainable  by  prayer,  and  believing  ;  true, 
substantial  joy,  is  the  fruit  of  faith.  1  Pet. 
1:8.  It  is  owing  to  the  weakness  of  our 
faith,  that  we  are  so  much  wanting  in  joy 
and  peace.  Observe,  It  is  all  joy  and  peace  ; 
all  sorts  of  true  joy  and  peace  :  for  such 
we  must  ask  when  we  come  to  God  by 


Taking  them  as  spoken  bv  Christ,  the  Son  of  prayer,  we  must  enlarge  our  desires  ;  open 

.  1  j  A  ,  .  r  _ •  K.. _ .1.  . I  If..  ...til  Cl  I  if 


David,  it  may  be  understood  of  his  spiritual 
indwelling  by  faith  in  the  hearts  of  all  the 
praising  saints.  I  live,  yet  not  I,  but  Christ 
livelh  in  me ;  so,  I  praise,  yet  not  I,  but 
Christ  in  me.  [2.]  That  the  Gentiles  should 
rejoice  with  his  people,  v.  10.  This  is  quoted 
from  that  song  of  Moses,  Deut.  32:  43.  The 


thy  mouth  wide,  and  He  will  fill  it. 

2.  That  they  might  abound  in  hope,  through 
the  power  of  the  Holy  Ghost.  The  joy  and 
peace  of  believers,  arise  chiefly  from  their 
hopes.  What  is  laid  out  on  them,  is  but  lit¬ 
tle,  compared  with  what  is  laid  up  for  them  ; 
therefore  the  more  hope  they  have,  the  more 


partition-wall  being  taken  down,  the  Gen-  joy  and  peace  they  have.  Christians  should 


From  the  Ileb. ;  the  Sept,  has,  ‘Rejoice,  ye  heavens,  with  Him.’  (Deut. 
32:43.)— (11)  Praise  the  Lord,  &c.l  Nearly  flora  the  Sept,  which  ac¬ 
cords  to  the  Heb.  (Ps.  117:1.)— (12)  There  will  be,  Sec.]  Nearer  to  the 
Sept,  than  the  Heb.  (Is.  11:10.)  ‘  That  which  is  out  of  the  Heb.  rightly 
tr.,  “for  an  ensign,”  is  by  the  Greek  trs.  rendered,  ...  “to  bear  rule;” 
because  it  is  the  office  of  the  king  to  defend,  and  by  arms  to  protect,  his 
people.’  Hammond.  (8)  A  minister.]  Diakonon.  Scott. 

(8.)  Was.  1  ‘Became.’  St.  Of  the  circumcision.]  ‘Sent  to  the  cir¬ 
cumcised.’  Bloome. 

(9.)  Confess  to  thee.]  ‘  Celebrate  thy  praise.’  Stuart. 

(12.)  ‘  And  One  shall  arise  to  be  a  Leader  of  thee  ;  upon  Him  shalljhc 
Gentiles  place  their  hopes.’  St.  ‘The  word  root  is  often  used  by  the 
Heb.  writers  for  sucker,  springing  from  the  root.  Comp.  Ilos.  on  Is.  in 
loc.,  or  see  Is.  53:2.  Hos.  14:6.’  Turner. 

N.  T.  VOL.  V.  32 


desire  and  labor  after  an  abundance  of  hope, 
such  hope  as  will  not  make  ashamed.  Thi3 
is  through  the  power  of  the  Holy  Ghost.  The 
same  almighty  power  that  works  grace,  be¬ 
gets  and  strengthens  this  hope.  Our  own 
power  will  never  reach  it;  therefore  where 
this  hope  is,  and  is  abounding,  the  blessed 
Spirit  must  have  all  the  glory. 

V.  14—16.  Here, 

I.  He  commends  these  Christians  with 
e  highest  characters  that  could  be.  It  was 

not  a  piece  of  idle  flattery  and  compliment, 
but  a  due  acknowledgment  of  their  worth, 
of  the  grace  of  God  in  them.  Paul  had 
no  personal  acquaintance  with  them,  and  yet 
he  says,  he  was  persuaded  of  their  excellen¬ 
ces,  only  by  hearsay  :  we  must  be  forward 
to  believe  good  concerning  others:  it  is  safer 
to  err  on  that  hand.  Now  observe,  what  he 
commended  them  for  : 

They  were  full  of  goodness,  filled  with  all 
knowledge,  and  able  to  admonish  one  another: 
from  their  goodness  therefore  more  likely 
to  take  in  good  part  what  he  had  written, 
and  to  put  it  in  practice  ;  especially  that 
which  relates  to  their  union,  and  to  the  heal¬ 
ing  of  their  differences.  Goodness  and 
knowledge  are  a  very  rare  and  an  excellent 
conjunction  :  the  head  and  heart  of  the  new 
man.  All  knowledge,  all  necessary  knowl¬ 
edge,  all  the  knowledge  of  those  things  which 
belong  to  their  everlasting  peace.  To  be 
able  to  admonish  one  another,  a  further  gift  is 
requisite,  even  the  gift  of  utterance.  Those 
that  have  goodness  and  knowledge,  should 
communicate  what  they  have  for  the  use  and 
benefit  of  others.  How  gladly  would  minis¬ 
ters  leave  off  their  admonishing  work,  if 
people  were  able  and  willing  to  admonish 
one  another  ! 

II.  He  clears  himself  from  the  suspicion 
of  intermeddling  needlessly  with  what  did 
not  belong  to  him,  v.  15.  Observe  how 
affectionately  he  speaks  to  them ;  My  breth¬ 
ren,  v.  14.  and  again,  brethren,  v.  15.  He 
calls  them  all  his  brethren,  to  teach  them 
brotherly  love,  one  to  another.  Probably,  he 
wrote  the  more  courteously  to  them,  because, 
being  RoTnan  citizens,  living  near  the  court, 
they  were  more  genteel,  and  made  a  better 
figure.  He  acknowledges  he  had  written 
boldly  in  some  sort;  in  a  manner  that  looked 
like  boldness  and  presumption,  and  for  which 
some  might  perhaps  charge  him  with  taking 
too  much  upon  him.  But  then  consider, 

1.  He  did  it  only  as  their  remembrancer; 
as  putting  you  in  mind.  Such  humble 
thoughts  had  Paul  of  himself,  though  he  ex¬ 
celled  in  knowledge;  he  would  only  pretend 
to  remind  them  of  that  in  which  they  had 
formerly  been  by  others  instructed.  So  Pe¬ 
ter,  2  Pet.  1:12.  3:  1. 

2.  He  did  it  as  the  apostle  of  the  Gentiles. 
It  was  in  pursuance  of  his  office,  v.  16.  Be¬ 
cause  of  this  grace  given  him,  he  thus  laid 
out  himself  among  the  Gentiles,  that  he 
might  not  receive  that  grace  of  God  in  vain. 
Christ  received,  that  He  might  give;  so  did 
Paul.  Places  and  offices  must  be  filled  up 
with  duty.  It  is  good  for  ministers  to  be 
often  remembering  the  grace  that  is  given 
unto  them  of  God.  Paul  was  a  minister,  the 
minister  of  Jesus  Christ,  1  Cor.  4:  1.  a  min¬ 
ister  to  the  Gentiles.  So  God  had  appointed 
him,  Acts  22:21.  So  Peter  and  he  had 
agreed,  Gal.  2:7 — 9.  He  ministered  the 
Gospel  of  God  to  the  end,  that  the  offering  up, 
or  sacrificing,  of  the  Gentiles,  might  be  accept- 

(13.)  Power.]  ‘Influence.  Ghost..]  Spirit.’  Stuart. 

V.  14.  ‘With  this  v.  begins  the  4th,  and  the  last  part  of  this  epistle  , 
viz.  the  epilogue,  or  conclusion,  which,  it  may  be  observed,  is  written 
with  admirable  prudence  and  wisdom.  In  the  former  part  of  it,  r 
addresses  endearing  language  to  the  Romans,  and  apologies,  v.  L 
ofeh.  In  the  latter  part,  (ch.  16.)  he  testifies  his  love  at  la  g  , 
various  ways.’  Carpz.  ‘Moreover,  I  myself  am  well  P®rs  ledire 
cerning  you,  that  ye  are  full  of  kindness,  abounding  in  8  .  , 

and  able  to,  &c.’  St.  ‘  Ye  yourselves  also  ;  which  tas  P  •  “joJ'  j 

ad  mon  teh  ^u.’^Fi  lled’wi  ffi  all  knowl’e'dgemceXy  to ’.Initial  rnsiruc- 

i:  jrnirrAf  >■»>'  — t*.sr 

things.’  [249] 


32 


A.  D.  61. 


ROMANS,  XV. 


Paul's  account  of  himself  and  his  affairs . 


16  That  I  should  be  the  minister 
of  Jesus  Christ  to  the  Gentiles, 
ministering  the  gospel  of  God,  that 
the  ‘offering  “up  of  the  Gentiles 
might  be  acceptable,  being  sancti¬ 
fied  T  by  the  Holy  Ghost. 

17  I  h  ave,  therefore,  whereof  I 
may  glory  w  through  Jesus  Christ 
in  those  things  x  which  pertain  to 
God. 

18  For  I  will  not  dare  to  speak 
of  any  of  those  things  which  Christ 
hath  not  wrought  by  me,  to  make 
v  the  Gentiles  obedient,  by  word 
and  deed, 

19  Through  mighty  z  signs  and 
wonders,  by  the  power  of  the  Spir¬ 
it  of  God  ;  so  that  from  Jerusalem, 
and  round  about  unto  Illyricum,  I 
1  have  fully  preached  the  gospel  of 
Christ. 

20  Yea,  so  have  I  strived  to 
preach  the  gospel,  not  where  Christ 
was  named,  b  lest  I  should  build 
upon  another  man’s  foundation  : 

21  But,  as  it  is  written,  c  To 
whom  he  was  not  spoken  of,  they 
shall  see  :  and  they  that  have  not 
heard  shall  understand. 

t  or,  sacrificing.  x  He.  5:1.  *  c.  1:14 — 15. 

u  Is.  66:20.  y  Ga.  2:8.  b  2  Co.  10:13-16. 

v  Ac.  20:32.  t  Ac.  19:11.  c  Is.  52:15. 

w  2  Co.  12:1,  &c. 

able,  that  God  may  have  the  glory  which 
would  redound  to  his  name  by  the  conversion 
of  the  Gentiles.  Observe  how  the  conver¬ 
sion  of  the  Gentiles  is  expressed  ;  it  is  the 
offering  up  the  oblation  of  the  Gentiles  :  in 
which  the  Gentiles  are  looked  upon,  either, 
as  the  priests,  offering  the  oblation  of  prayer 
and  praise,  and  other  acts  of  religion  :  or, 
as  themselves  the  sacrifice  offered  up  to 
God  by  Paul,  in  the  name  of  Christ ;  a  liv¬ 
ing  sacrifice,  holy,  acceptable  to  God,  ck. 
12:  1.  Paul  preached  to  them,  and  dealt 
with  them  ;  but  that  which  made  them  sa¬ 
crifices  to  God,  was,  their  sanctification  ; 
and  that  was  not  his  work,  but  the  work  of 
the  Holy  Ghost.  None  are  acceptably  of¬ 
fered  to  God,  but  those  that  are  sanctified  : 
unholy  things  can  never  [as  such]  be  pleas¬ 
ing  to  the  holy  God. 

V.  17 — 21.  The  apostle  here  gives  some 
account  of  himself  and  of  his  own  affairs. 
Having  mentioned  his  ministry  and  apostle- 
snip,  lie  goes  on  further  to  magnify  his  office 


in  the  efficacy  of  it  ;  and  to  mention,  to  the 
glory  of  God,  the  great  success  of  his  minis¬ 
try,  and  the  wonderful  things  God  had  done 
by  him;  for  encouragement  to  the  Christian 
church  at  Rome,  that  they  were  not  alone  in 
the  profession  of  Christianity  ;  but  though, 
compared  with  the  multitude  of  their  idol¬ 
atrous  neighbors,  they  were  but  a  little  flock, 
yet,  up  and  down  the  country,  there  were 
many  that  were  their  companions  in  the 
kingdom  and  patience  of  Jesus  Christ.  It 
w'as  likewise  a  great  confirmation  of  the 
truth  of  the  Christian  doctrine,  that  it  had 
such  strange  success,  and  was  so  far  propa¬ 
gated  by  such  weak  and  unlikely  means  ; 
such  multitudes  captivated  to  the  obedience 
of  Christ  by  the  foolishness  of  preaching. 
Therefore  Paul  gives  them  this  account  ; 
which  he  makes  live  matter  of  his  glorying  ; 
not  vain  glory,  but  holy,  gracious  glorying  ; 
which  appears  by  the  limitations  ;  it  is 
through  Jesus  Christ.  Thus  docs  he  centre 
all  his  glorying  in  Christ  ;  he  teaches  us  to 
do  so,  1  Cor.  1:  31.  Ps.  115:  1.  And  it  is 
in  those  things  which  pertain  to  God.  The 
conversion  of  souls  is  one  of  those  things 
that  pertain  to  God,  and  therefore  is  the 
matter  of  Paul’s  glorying;  not  the  things  of 
the  flesh. 

Whereof  I  may  glory,  &c.  I  would  rather 
read  it;  Therefore  I  have  a  rejoicing  in  Christ 
Jesus ,  concerning  the  things  of  God;  or  those 
things  that  are  offered  to  God, — the  living 
sacrifices  of  the  Gentiles,  v.  16.  Paul  would 
not  boast  of  tilings  without  his  line,  nor  take 
the  praise  of  another  man’s  work,  as  he 
might  have  done  when  he  was  w  riting  to  dis¬ 
tant  strangers,  who  perhaps  could  not  con¬ 
tradict  him  ;  a  faithful  man  dares  not  lie, 
however  he  be  tempted  ;  dares  be  true, 
however  be  be  terrified. 

Now',  in  this  account  of  himself,  we  may 
observe, 

I.  II is  unwearied  diligence  and  industry 
in  his  work.  lie  was  one  that  labored  more 
abundantly  than  they  alt. 

1.  lie  preached  in  many  places;  from  Je¬ 
rusalem,  even  unto  Illyricum,  many  hundred 
miles  distant.  We  have,  in  the  Acts,  an  ac¬ 
count  of  Paul’s  travels.  There  we  find  him, 
after  he  was  sent  forth,  Acts  13.  laboring  in 
Seleucia,  Cyprus,  Pamphylia,  Pisidia,  and 
Jjycaonia,  ch.  13,  14.  afterward  travelling 
through  Syria  and  Cilicia,  Phrygia,  Galatia, 
Mysia,  Troas ;  and  thence  called  over  to 
Macedonia,  and  so  into  Europe,  ch.  15,  16. 
Then  at  Thessalonica,  Berea,  Athens,  Corinth, 
Ephesus,  and  the  parts  adjacent.  Illyricum 
is  the  country  now  called  Sclavonia,  border¬ 
ing  on  Hungary.  Some  lake  it  for  the  same 
with  Bulgaria;  others  for  the  lower  Panno- 


nia  :  however,  it  was  a  great  w'av  from 
Jerusalem.  Nor  did  he  do  his  work  slightly, 
but  he  fully  preached  the  Gospel  of  Christ, 
Acts  20:27.  keeping  back  nothing  that  was 
necessary  for  them  to  know. 

2.  He  preached  in  places  that  had  not 
heard  the  Gospel  before,  v.  20,  21.  He 
brake  up  fallow  ground.  Tliose  who  preached 
in  Judea,  bad, on  this  account,  a  much  easier 
task  than  Paul,  who  was  the  apostle  of  the 
Gentiles  ;  for  they  entered  into  the  labors 
of  others,  John  4:  38. 

Paul,  being  a  hardy  man,  was  called  out 
to  the  hardest  work  ;  there  were  many  in- 
structers,  but  Paul  was  the  great  father  ; 
many  that  watered,  but  Paul  was  the  great 
planter:  be  ventured  the  first  onset  in  many 
places,  and  suffered  greatly  for  it.  He  men¬ 
tions  this  as  a  proof  of  his  apostleship  ;  for 
the  office  of  the  apostles  was  especially,  to 
bring  in  those  that  were  without,  and  to  lay 
the  foundations  of  the  new  Jerusalem  ;  see 
Rev.  21:14.  Not  but  that  Paul  preached  in 
many  places  where  others  had  been  at  work 
before  him  ;  but  lie  was  in  care  not  to  build 
upon  another  man’s  foundation,  lest  he  should 
thereby  disprove  his  apostleship,  and  give 
occasion  to  those  who  sought  occasion  to 
reflect  on  him:  for  this,  lie  quotes  Is.  52:15. 
The  prophet  has  it,  much  to  the  same  pur¬ 
port. 

II.  The  great  and  wonderful  success  he 
had  in  this  work.  It  was  effectual  to  make 
the  Gentiles  obedient.  The  design  of  the  Gos¬ 
pel  is,  to  bring  people  to  be  obedient  ;  it  is 
not  only  a  truth  to  he  believed,  but  a  law  to 
be  obeyed.  Now  how  was  this  great  work 
wrought  1 

1.  Christ  was  the  principal  Agent.  He 
does  not  say,  ‘  which  I  worked,’  lint,  ‘  which 
Christ  wrought  by  me,’  v.  18.  Whatever 
good  we  do,  it  is  not  we,  but  Christ  by  us, 
that  does  it,  Phil.  2:  13.  Is.  26: 12.  Paul 
takes  all  occasions  to  own  this,  that  the 
whole  praise  might  be  transmitted  to  Christ. 
Paul  was  a  very  active  minister  ;  By  word 
and  deed,  i.  e.  by  his  preaching,  and  by  the 
miracles  be  wrought  to  confirm  his  doctrine  ; 
or  his  preaching  and  his  living.  This  is  ac¬ 
cording  to  Christ’s  example,  who  began  both 
to  do  and  teach.  Acts  1:1.  Through  mighty 
signs  and  wonders  :  by  the  power,  or  in  the 
.strength,  of  signs  and  wonders.  These  made 
the  preaching  of  the  Word  so  effectual,  be¬ 
ing  the  appointed  means  of  conviction,  and 
the  divine  seal  affixed  to  the  gospel-charter, 
Mark  16: 17,  18. 

2.  The  power  of  the  Spirit  of  God  made  this 
effectual,  and  crowned  all  with  the  desired 
success,  v.]  9.  (1.)  The  power  of  the  Spirit  in 
Paul,  as  in  the  other  apostles, for  the  working 


V.  16.  The  minister.]  1 A  minister.  Ministering .]  Performing  the 
office  of  a  priest  ill  respect  to.  Sanctified.]  Purified.’  Sr.  ‘“That  I 
should  bestow  my  especial  attention  on  the  conversion  of  the  Gentiles 
to  the  religion  of  Christ,”  seems  to  be  the  simple  sense  :  but  the  apostle 
has  here  expressed  himself  by  a  formula,  [full  id'  sacrificial  terms,]  de¬ 
rived  from  the  Jewish  religion,  in  order  thereby  to  impress  more  strongly, 
on  the  minds  of  the  Jewish  Christians,  the  weight  and  dignity  of  the 
apostolical  office.  lie  therefore  does  not  call  himself  diahonos,  [ser¬ 
vant,  minister,]  .but  leitourgos,  a  sacred  minister,  a  priest  ;  which  is  the 
perpetual  signification  of  leitourgein  and  its  derivatives  in  the  Gr.  verss. 
of  the  N.  T.  (See  Schl.  Lex.)  Nor  does  he  say,  that  it  is  his  office  k tr¬ 
uss  ein,  [to  lierald,  proclaim,]  hut  hierourgein,  [sacredly  administer  as  a 
priest,]  the  Gospel.  Finally,  he  does  not  make  the  fruit  of  his  labor 
consist  in  this,  “that  be  may  turn  the  nations  or  Gentiles  to  God, 
through  the  Holy  Spirit  but  in  this,  “  that  there  may  be  an  offering  of 
the  Gentiles  acceptable,  sanctified,  (holy,  offered  to  God.)  in  the  Holy 
Spirit,”  i.e.  themselves  he  offered  to  God,  as  a  victim  sacred  and  accept¬ 
able  to  Him.  12:1.’  Kop.  ‘  But  there  is  a  more  profound  meaning  also: 
and  Carpz.  remarks,  that  hierourgein  ton  euaggetion  ton  Theou  means 
to  preach,  the  Gospel ,  as  a  priest  of  the  N.  T.,  that  Gospel,  by  which 
men  are  consecrated  unto  God,  and  made  living  sacrifices,  holy,  well- 
pleasing  to  God.  12:1.  Phil.  2:17.  So  Theoph.f tom  Chrys.  “Accord¬ 
ing  to  the  law,  the  sacrifices  were  sanctified,  or  made  acceptable  to  God, 
try  being  salted  and  laid  on  (he  altar  by  the  priest,  Mat.  29:19-  Mk.  9:49. 
So  these  idolaters,  converted  to  the  true  God,  were,  through  the  apostle’s 
labors,  offered  by  him  to  God,  as  a  fi*ee-\*.*ill  offering  $  anti  were  sancti¬ 
fied,  or  made  acceptable  to  God,  by  the  influences  anti  gifts  of  the  Holy 
Ghost,  which  the  apostle  had  conferred  upon  them.  Bv  these  gifts,  the 
Gentiles  were  strongly  confirmed  in  the  faith  of  the  Gospel,  and  cleansed 
from  their  former  impurities.  This  was  an  exercise  of  the  priests’  office 
and  a  sanctification  of  the  offering,  far  more  excellent,  effectual,  and  ac¬ 
ceptable,  than  the  sanctification  and  offering  of  the  sacrifices  of  beasts 
prescribed  in  the  Law.”  Mackn.'  Bloomf 

[250] 


V.  17.  ‘  I  have,  then,  cause  of  glorying  in  Christ  Jesus,  as  to,  Ac. 

For  I  do  not  venture  to  mention  anything  which,  Ac.’  St.  ‘If I  mis¬ 
take  not,  we  shall,  in  the  interpretation  of  this  v.  is.  as  on  many  other 
occasions,  find,  that  in  the  ancient  fathers  alone,  is  preserved  the  pure, 
unadulterated  truth.  “  When  he  had  said,  I  am  the  minister  of  the  Gos¬ 
pel  to  all  nations,  he  adds,  ‘  I  am  not  arrogant,  nor  do  I  arrogantly  boast 
am  thing  of  those  things  which  I  have  not  done  ;  yet  not  I  did,  but  Christ 
effected,  using  me  as  an  instrument.  For  whether  I  speak  aught,  talking 
and  philosophizing  of  the  tilings  of  heaven,  or  labor,  exercising  a  divine 
conversation,  or  performing  miracles,  all  are  of  Christ.’  ”  Theoph.  So 
Chrys.,  (Kc.,  Tlieod.,  Phot.,& c.  The  obscurity,  in  fact,  is  occasioned  by 
a  remarkable  brevity  of  expression,  arising  in  modesty.’  Bloomf. 

V.  IS — 21.  From  Jerusalem  in  a  very  extensive  circle  of  several  thou¬ 
sands  of  miles,  even  to  Illyricum,  on  the  borders  of  Italy,  he  ‘had  billy 
preached  the  Gospel  of  Christ,’  and  instructed  large  multitudes,  with 
great  accuracy,  in  that  holy  doctrine.  Nor  was  he  disposed,  in  general, 
to  ‘  build  on  the  foundation  ’  laid  bv  other  ministers. — •  Frobnbly,  in 
mentioning  this,  he  may  glance  on  those  false  apostles,  who  crept  into 
churches  which  lie  had  planted,  and  endeavored  to  establish  their  own 
reputation  and  influence  there,  by  alienating  the  hearts  of  his  own  con¬ 
verts  from  him,  their  spiritual  father-,  while,  like  some  in  our  own  days, 
...  they  built  on  hisgrantTnnd  noble  foundation,  an  edifice  of  wood,  and 
hnv,  and  stubble.  T ('o'.  3:12.’  Do:idr.  (18 )  By  word  and  deed.]  ‘By 
the  manner  in  which  He  hath  enabled  me  to  speak,  and  the  things 
which  He  hath  strengthened  me  to  perform.’  Id.  As  there  is  no  prepo¬ 
sition  in  the  Greek,  the  clause  may  he  rendered,  ‘  In  word  and  deed,’  and 
applied,  as  above,  to  the  obedience  of  the  Gentiles  ;  and  this  seems  bet 
ter  to  accord  with  the  general  language  ofScripture. — (21)  To  whom  he 
Ac. |  From  the  Sept,  which  accords  to  the  Heb.  Is.  52: 15.  Scott.  ’ 

(21.)  ‘But  in  accordance  with  what  is  written.  They  shall  see,  to 
whom  no  declaration  was  made  respecting  Hint,  Ac-’  St.  As  it.  *c.| 
I.  e.  ‘-  lints  was  fulalled  in  my  case,”  Ac.  T'-btinh  an  accommodation 
of  Is.  52:15.  referred  to  the  Messiah,  by  common  emuent  of  the  Jewish 


A.  D.  6i. 


ROMANS,  XV. 


Paul's  account  of  himself  and  his  affairs . 


22  For  which  cause  also  I  have 
been  d  much  hindered  •  from  com¬ 
ing  to  you  ; 

23  But  now  having  no  more 
place  in  these  parts,  and  having  a 
great  desire  these  many  years  to 
come  unto  you  : 

24  Whensoever  I  take  my  jour¬ 
ney  into  Spain,  I  will  come  to  you: 
for  I  trust  to  see  you  in  my  jour¬ 
ney,  and  to  be  f  brought  on  my  way 
thitherward  by  you,  if  first  I  be 
somewhat  filled  &  with  your  com¬ 
pany. 

25  But  now  I  go  h  unto  Jerusa¬ 
lem,  to  minister  unto  the  saints. 

26  For  it  hath  pleased  them  of 
4  Macedonia  and  Achaia  to  make  a 
certain  contribution  for  the  poor 
saints  which  are  at  Jerusalem. 

or,  n.any  trttyj,  f  Ac. 15:3.  3  Jn.6.  h  Ac.  19:21. 

or,  oftmlimet.  g  with  you.  i  2C'o.8:l.  9:2,12. 

e  1  Th.  2:18. 

of  those  miracles,  Acts  1:  8.  Or,  (2.)  The 
power  of  tlie  Spirit  in  the  hearts  of  those  to 
whom  the  Word  was  preached,  and  who  saw 
the  miracles,  making  these  means  effectual 
to  some,  and  not  to  others.  It  is  the  Spirit’s 
operation  that  makes  the  difference.  This 
is  an  encouragement  to  faithful  ministers, 
who  labor  under  the  sense  of  great  weakness 
and  infirmity,  that  it  is  all  one  to  the  blessed 
Spirit  to  work  by  many,  or  by  those  that 
have  no  power.  The  same  Almighty  Spirit 
that  wrought  with  Paul,  often  perfects 
strength  in  weakness,  and  ordains  praise 
out  of  the  mouth  of  babes  and  sucklings. 
This  success  which  he  had  in  preaching,  is 
that  which  he  here  rejoices  in;  for  the  con¬ 
verted  nations  were  his  joy,  and  crown  of 
rejoicing  :  and  he  tells  them  of  it,  not  only 
that  they  might  rejoice  with  him,  but  that 
they  might  be  the  more  ready  to  receive  the 
truths  which  he  had  written  to  them,  and  to 
own  him,  whom  Christ  had  thus  signally 
owned. 

V.  22 — 29.  Paul  here  declares  his  purpose 
to  come  and  see  the  Christians  at  Rome. 
On  this  head,  his  matter  is  but  common  and 
ordinary,  appointing  a  visit  to  bis  friends  ; 
blit  the  manner  of  his  expression  is  gracious 
and  savory,  very  instructive,  and  for  our 
imitation.  Even  our  common  discourse 
should  have  an  air  of  grace;  by  that  it  will 
appear  what  country  we  belong  to.  It  should 
seem,  Paul’s  company  was  very  much  de¬ 
sired  at  Rome.  And  should  the  apostle  of 
the  Gentiles  be  a  stranger,  at  the  metropolis 
of  the  Gentile  world  I 

I.  He  carefully  excuses  it,  that  he  never 
came  yet  ;  to  keep  in  with  his  friends,  and 
prevent  any  exceptions  against  him. 

1.  lie  assures  them  he  had  a  great  desire 
to  see  them  ;  not  to  see  Rome,  its  pomp  and 
splendor,  the  emperor’s  court,  the  philoso¬ 
phers  and  learned  men  there,  but  you,  v.  33. 
a  company  of  poor,  despised  saints  in  Rome, 
hated  of  the  world,  hut  loving  God,  and  be¬ 


loved  of  Him,  the  excellent  in  whom  He  de¬ 
lighted,  Ps.  16:  3.  And  he  had  a  special 
desire  to  see  them,  because  of  the  great  char¬ 
acter  they  had  in  all  the  churches  for  faith 
and  holiness;  as  men  that  excelled  in  virtue. 
This  desire  Paul  had  had  for  many  years, 
and  yet  could  never  compass  it.  The  prov¬ 
idence  of  God  wisely  over  mi  es  the  purposes 
and  desires  of  men.  Yet  ail  that  delight  in 
God,  have  the  desire  of  their  heart  fulfilled, 
Ps.  37 :  4.  though  all  the  desires  in  their  heart 
be  not  humored. 

2.  lie  tells  them,  that  therefore  he  could 
not  come  to  them,  because  he  had  so  much 
work  elsewhere.  For  which  cause,  i.  e.  be¬ 
cause  of  bis  labors  in  other  countries.  Ob¬ 
serve,  in  this,  (1.)  The  gracious  providence 
of  God  about  his  ministers,  casting  their  lot, 
tiot  according  to  their  contrivance,  but  ac¬ 
cording  to  bis  own  purpose.  Ministers  pur¬ 
pose,  and  their  friends  purpose  concerning 
them,  but  God  overrules  both,  and  orders 
the  journeys,  removes,  and  settlements,  of 
his  faithful  ministers  as  He  pleases.  (2.) 
The  gracious  prudence  of  Paul,  in  bestowing 
his  time  and  pains  there,  where  there  was 
most  need.  Had  Paul  consulted  his  own 
ease,  wealth,  and  honor,  the  greatness  of  the 
work  would  never  have  hindered  him  from 
seeing  Rome,  hut  would  lather  have  driven 
him  thither,  where  he  might  have  had  more 
preferment,  and  taken  less  pains.  But  Paul 
sought  the  things  of  Christ.  The  Romans 
needed  not  the  physician,  so  as  other  poor 
places  that  were  sick  and  dying.  While 
men  and  women  were  every  day  dropping 
into  eternity,  and  their  precious  souls  per¬ 
ishing  for  lack  of  vision,  it  was  no  time  for 
Paul  to  trifle.  It  concerns  us  all  to  do  that 
first,  which  is  most  needful.  True  grace 
teaches  us  to  prefer  that  which  is  necessary 
before  that  which  is  unnecessary,  Luke  10: 
41,42.  And  Christian  prudence  teaches  us,  to 
prefer  that  which  is  more  necessary,  before 
that  which  is  less  so.  This,  Paul  mentions 
as  a  sufficient,  satisfying  reason.  We  must 
not  take  it  ill  of  our  friends,  if  they  prefer 
necessary  work,  which  is  pleasing  to  God, 
before  unnecessary  visits  and  compliments, 
which  mny  he  pleasing  to  us.  In  this,  as  in 
other  things,  we  must  deny  ourselves. 

II.  He  promised  to  come  and  see  them 
shortly,  v.  23,  24,  29.  Having  no  more  place 
in  these,  parts,  i.  e.  in  Greece,  where  he  then 
was.  The  whole  of  that  country  being  more 
or  less  leavened  with  the  savor  of  the  Gos¬ 
pel,  and  pastors  settled,  Paul  lmd  little  more 
to  do  there.  He  was  one  that  went  through 
with  his  work,  and  yet  then  did  not  think 
of  taking  his  ease,  hut  set  himself  to  contrive 
more  work.  Observe, 

1.  How  be  forecasted  bis  intended  visit. 
He  woidd  see  them  on  bis  way  to  Spain.  It 
appears  by  this,  Paul  intended  to  plant 
Christianity  even  there  :  whether  ever  he 
fulfilled  this  purpose,  is  not  certain.  Many 
of  the  best  expositors  think  he  did  not,  but 
was  hindered  in  this,  as  lie  was  in  others  of 
his  purposes.  He  did  indeed  come  to  Rome, 
but  lie  was  brought  thither  a  prisoner,  and 
whether  he  went  after  is  uncertain  :  but 
several  of  bis  epistles  which  he  wrote  in 


prison,  intimate  his  purpose  to  go  eastward, 
and  not  toward  Spain. 

But,  observe  his  prudence  in  what  he  pro¬ 
posed,  I  trust  to  see  you  :  not,  ‘  I  am  re¬ 
solved  I  will,’  hut,  ‘  I  hope  I  shall.’  We 
must  purpose  all  our  purposes,  and  make  all 
our  promises,  in  like  manner,  with  a  sub¬ 
mission  to  the  Divine  Providence  ;  not 
boasting  ourselves  of  to-morrow,  because  we 
know  not  what  a  day  may  bring  forth,  Prov. 
27:1.  Ja.  4:13— 15. 

2.  What  he  expected  in  this  intended 
visit  :  that  they  would  bring  him  on  his  way 
toward  Spain,  then  a  province  of  the  em¬ 
pire,  well  known  to  the  Romans,  who  had  a 
great  correspondence  with  it;  therefore  they 
might  be  helpful  to  Paul  in  bis  voyage 
thither;  and  not  only  out  of  respect  to  him, 
but  out  of  respect  to  the  souls  of  those  poor 
Spaniards,  Paul  was  going  to  preach  to. 
What  Paul  desired,  was,  their  company  and 
conversation.  He  intimates,  he  intended  to 
make  some  stay  with  them,  foe  he  would  be 
fdled  with  their  company  ;  not  just  look  at 
them,  and  away  :  and  yet  he  thinks  their 
converse  so  pleasant,  lie  should  never  have 
enough  of  it  ;  it  is  but  somewhat  filled,  lie 
should  leave  them  with  a  desire  of  more.  The 
communion  of  saints,  in  this  world,  is  but 
partial.  He  expected,  v.  29.  to  come  in  the 
fulness  of  the  blessing  of  the  Gospel  of  Christ. 
Observe,  Concerning  what  he  expected  from 
them  he  speaks  doubtfully,  1  trust,  &c.  But 
concerning  what  he  expected  from  God,  he 
speaks  confidently.  It  was  uncertain  whether 
he  should  come  or  no,  but  I  am  sure  when  I 
do  come,  I  shall  come  in  the  fulness,  fyc.  W  e 
cannot  expect  too  little  from  man,  nor  too 
much  from  God.  Comp.  ch.  1:  11.  That  I 
may  impart  unto  you  some  spiritual  gift. 
When  Paul  would  raise  their  expectation  of 
something  great  and  good  in  his  coming,  he 
directs  them  to  hope  for  the  blessing  of  the 
Gospel,  spiritual  blessings,  knowledge,  and 
grace,  and  comfort.  When  ministers  are 
fully  prepared  to  give  out,  and  people  fully 
prepared  to  receive,  this  blessing,  both  are 
happy. 

III.  He  gives  them  a  good  reason  why  he 
could  not  come  and  see  them  now;  because 
lie  had  other  business  on  hand,  which  re¬ 
quired  his  attendance,  upon  which  he  must 
first  make  a  journey  to  Jerusalem,  v.  25 — 28. 
He  gives  a  particular  account  of  it,  to  show 
the  excuse  was  real.  He  was  going  to  Je¬ 
rusalem,  as  the  messenger  of  the  church’s 
charity  to  the  poor  saints  there. 

1.  Concerning  this  charity  itself.  He 
speaks  of  that  on  this  occasion, — probably, 
to  excite  the  Roman  Christians  to  do  the 
like,  according  to  their  ability.  Examples 
are  moving,  and  Paul  was  very  ingenious  at 
begging,  not  for  himself,  but  for  others. 

(1.)  It  was  intended  for  the  poor  saints  at 
Jerusalem,  v.  26.  It  is  no  strange  tiling  for 
saints  to  be  poor.  It  seems,  those  at  Jeru¬ 
salem  were  poorer  than  other  saints ,  either, 
because  the  wealth  of  that  people  in  general 
was  now  declining,  as  their  utter  ruin  was 
hastening  on  ;  or,  because  the  famine  that 
was  over  all  the  world,  in  the  days  of  Clau¬ 
dius  Cesar,  did  in  a  special  manner  prevail 


interpreters,)  to  the  apostle’s  own  case.  This  quotation  exactly  agrees 
with  the  Sept. ;  but  in  the  Jleb.  there  is  nothing  for  peri  autou  [respect¬ 
ing  Him].’  Bloomf. 

V.  22 — 29.  It  is  not  known,  whether  the  aposile  ever  accomplished 
his  intended  journey  into  Spain.  But  as  Clement,  writing  from  Rome, 
in  the  first  century,  said  that  he  preached  ...  ‘  to  the  utmost  bounds  of 
the  west ;  ’  it  is  most  probable  he  did.  He,  however,  went  to  Rome  in 
a  far  different  manner  than  he  had  proposed.  Acts  21: — 28: — (25)  I  go 
unto  Jerusalem.]  1  Here  at  length  . .  .  but  fetched  from  three  different 
writings,  we  have  obtained  the  several  circumstances, . .  .  which  the 
epistle  to  the  Romans  brings  together;  viz.  a  contribution  in  Achaia  for 
the  Christians  at  Jerusalem  ;  a  contribution  in  Macedonia  for  the  same 
purpose  ;  and  an  approaching  journey  of  Paul  to  Jerusalem.  We  have 
these  circumstances,  each  by  some  hint  in  the  passage  in  which  it  is 
mentioned,  or  by  (he  date  of  the' writing  in  which  the  passage  occurs, 
fixed  to  a  particular  time ;  and  we  have  that  time,  turning  out,  on  exam¬ 
ination,  to  be  in  all  the  same  ;  namely,  towards  the  close  of  Paul’s  sec¬ 
ond  visit  to  the  peninsula  of  Greece.’  Paley — This  fixes  the  writing  of 
this  epistle  to  a  particular  part  of  the  narrative  of  the  apostle’s  labors; 
but  there  is  some  difficulty,  in  determining  iu  what  year  those  events 


took  place.  Some  date  them  A.  1).  53,  others  A.  I).  60,  or  Cl.  Sc. 

(23.)  Place.]  1  There  being  no  longer  any  sufficient  or  urgent  occa¬ 
sion  for  my  ministerial  labors.’  Bloomf. 

(24.)  1  Whenever  I  may  go  into  Spain,  I  hope,  as  I  pass  on,  to  see 
you,  and  to  be  sent  on  my  way  thither,  when  I  am  in  part  first  satisfied 
with  your  company.’  St.  ‘After  I  have  been  partly  refreshed-’  Bi.. 
‘The  Roman  Catholics  maintain,  not  only  that  this  contemplated  jour¬ 
ney  to  Spain  (where  we  may  perhaps  allow  them  simply,  that  James 
first  planted  the  Gospel)  was  made  by  Paul,  but  that  he  staid  there  two 
years.  “  Writers  of  the  most  credit  (as  Origen  and  Eusebius),  do  not 
mention  the  journey,  even  where  they  might  have  been  expected  to ; 
says  Koppe.  But  he  has  not  proved  that  the  ancient  fathers,  (as  Clem. 
Rom.,  llippol.,  Athan.,  and  Chrys.,)  spoke  from  mere  opinion ,  fouudea 
on  the  present  passage;  and  Theod.  usually  draws  from  very  P 
sources.  To  me,  it  appears  highly  probable,  that  C/rm.  fitrni.,  r, 
and  the  others,  had  positive  authority,  now  lost,  for  their  asser  i  ,  l 
Paul  did  take  Ibis  journey.]  I  know  not  how  else  to rises  ’’ 
eral  a  persuasion  of  it,  ns  is  found  in  the  early  ecclesia  ^  oomf. 

(25.)  Minister  unto.]  4  Supply  the  wants  of.’  ^ 


A.  D.  61. 


ROMANS,  XV. 


Paul’s  promise  to  visit  Rome. 


27  It  hath  pleased  them,  verily  ; 
and  their  debtors  they  are.  For  if 
the  Gentiles  have  been  made  par¬ 
takers  of  their  spiritual  things,  their 
duty  is  i  also  to  minister  unto  them 
in  carnal  things. 

28  When,  therefore,  I  have  per¬ 
formed  this,  and  have  sealed  to 
them  this  k  fruit,  I  will  come  by 
you  into  Spain. 

29  And  I  am  sure  that,  when  1 1 
come  unto  you,  I  shall  come  in  the 
fulness  of  the  blessing  of  the  gospel 
of  Christ. 

80  Now  I  beseech  you,  brethren, 
for  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ’s  sake, 
and  for  the  m  love  of  the  Spirit,  that 
ye  strive  ”  together  with  me  in  your 
prayers  to  God  for  me  ; 

SI  That  0  1  may  be  delivered 
from  them  that  r  do  not  believe  in 
Judea  ;  and  that  my  service  which 
I  have  for  Jerusalem  may  be  ac¬ 
cepted  of  the  saints  ; 

32  That  I  may  come  unto  you 
with  joy  by  the  will  of  God,  and 
may  with  you  be  refreshed. 

I  Co.  9:11.  m  Phi.  2:1.  p  nr,  are  (lisobe- 

Phi.  4:17.  n  Col.  4:12.  dienl. 

1  c.  1:11,12.  o  2  'I'h.  3.-2. 

in  Judea,  a  dry  country;  and  God  having 
called  the  poor  of  this  world,  the  Christians 
smarted  most  by  it.  This  was  the  occasion 
of  that  contribution,  mentioned  Acts  11:28 
— 30.  Or,  because  the  saints  at  Jerusalem 
suffered  most  by  persecution;  for, of  all  peo¬ 
ple,  the  unbelieving  Jews  were  most  invet¬ 
erate  in  their  rage  and  malice  against  the 
Christians,  wrath  being  come  on  them  to 
the  uttermost,  1  Thess.  2:16.  The  Chris¬ 
tian  Hebrews  are  particularly  noted  as  hav¬ 
ing  had  their  goods  spoiled ,  lleb.  10:  34.  in 
consideration  of  which  this  contribution  was 
made  for  them  ;  this  example  here  should 
teach  us,  as  we  have  ability,  and  as  there  is 
occasion,  to  stretch  out  the  hand  of  our  char¬ 
ity  to  all  of  the  household  of  faith,  though  in 
places  distant  from  us:  in  personal  instances 
of  poverty,  every  church  should  maintain 
their  own  poor,  yet  sometimes,  when  more 
public  instances  of  poverty  are  presented  as 
objects  of  our  charity,  though  a  great  way 
off  from  us,  we  must  extend  our  bounty. 

(2.)  It  was  collected  them  of  Macedonia, 
the  chief  of  whom  were  the  Philippians ;  and 
Achaia,  the  chief  of  whom  were  the  Corin¬ 
thians;  two  flourishing  churches,  though  yet 
in  their  infancy,  newly  converted  to  Chris¬ 
tianity.  And  I  wish  the  observation  did  not 
hold,  that  people  are  commonly  more  liberal 
at  their  first  acc|uaintance  with  the  Gospel, 
than  afterward  ;  that,  as  well  as  other  in¬ 
stances  of  the  first  love,  and  the  love  of  the 
espousals,  being  apt  to  cool  and  decay  after 
a  while.  It  seems,  they  of  Macedonia  and 
Achaia  were  rich  and  wealthy,  while  they  at 
Jerusalem  were  poor  and  needy  ;  Infinite 
Wisdom  ordering  it  so,  that  some  should 
have  what  others  want,  and  so  this  mutual 
dependence  of  Christians  one  on  another 
might  be  maintained  for  mutual  benefit. 

It  pleased  them.  This  intimates,  how 
ready  (hey  were  to  it;  they  were  not  pressed 
or  constrained  to  it,  but  they  did  it  of  their 


own  accord ;  and  how  cheerful  they  were  in 
it,  they  took  a  pleasure  in  doing  good;  and 
God  loves  a  cheerful  giver.  To  make  a  cer¬ 
tain  contribution ,  a  communication  ;  in  token 
of  the  communion  of  saints,  and  their  fellow 
membership  ;  as  in  the  natural  body  one 
member  communicates  to  the  relief,  and  suc¬ 
cor,  and  preservation  of  another,  as  there 
is  occasion.  Everything  that  passes  between 
Christians,  should  be  a  proof  and  instance 
of  that  common  union  which  they  have  one 
with  another  in  Jesus  Christ.  Time  was, 
when  the  saints  at  Jerusalem  were  on  the 
giving  hand,  and  very  liberal  they  were, 
when  they  laid  their  estates  at  the  apostle’s 
feet  for  charitable  uses,  and  took  special 
care  that  the  Grecian  widows  should  not  be 
neglected  in  the  daily  ministration.  Acts  6: 
1,  &c.  And  now  that  the  providence  of  God 
had  turned  the  scale,  and  made  them  neces¬ 
sitous,  they  found  the  Grecians  kind  to  them ; 
for  the  merciful  shall  obtain  mercy. 

(3.)  What  reason  there  was  for  it,  v.  27. 
And  their  debtors  they  are.  Alms  are  called 
righteousness,  Ps.  112:9.  Being  but  stewards 
of  what  we  have,  we  owe  it  there  where  our 
great  Master  orders  us  to  dispose  of  it:  but 
here  there  was  a  special  debt  owing  ;  the 
Gentiles  were  greatly  beholden  to  the  Jews, 
and  were  bound  in  gratitude  to  be  very  kind 
to  them.  From  the  stock  of  Israel  came 
Christ  Himself,  the  prophets,  and  apostles, 
and  first  preachers  of  the  Gospel;  also  the 
lively  oracles,  and  the  law  out  of  Zion,  and 
the  Word  of  the  Lord  from  Jerusalem.  Thus 
did  the  Gentiles  partake  of  their  spiritual 
things,  therefore  their  duty  is,  they  are  bound 
in  gratitude,  to  minister  unto  them  in  carnal 
things  :  it  is  the  least  they  can  do:  to  minis¬ 
ter  as  unto  God  in  holy  things  ;  so  the  word 
signifies.  A  conscientious  regard  to  God,  in 
works  of  charity  and  almsgiving,  makes 
them  an  acceptable  service  and  sacrifice  to 
God,  and  fruit  abounding  to  a  good  account. 
Paid  mentions  this,  probably,  as  the  argu¬ 
ment  he  had  used  with  them  to  persuade 
them  to  it,  and  it  is  an  argument  of  equal 
cogency  to  other  Gentile  churches. 

2.  Concerning  Paul’s  agency  in  this  bus¬ 
iness.  He  could  himself  contribute  nothing; 
silver  and  gold  he  had  none,  hut  lived  on  the 
kindness  of  his  friends  ;  yet  he  ministered 
unto  the  saints,  v.  25.  by  stirring  up  others, 
receiving  what  was  gathered,  and  transmit¬ 
ting  it  to  Jerusalem.  Paul’s  labor  in  this 
work  is  not  to  be  interpreted  as  any  neglect 
of  his  preaching-work  ;  nor  did  Paul  leave 
the  Word  of  God,  to  serve  tables;  for  beside 
that,  Paul  had  other  business  in  this  journey, 
to  visit  and  confirm  the  churches,  and  took 
this  by  the  by ;  this  was  indeed  a  part  of  the 
trust  committed  to  him,  in  which  he  was 
concerned  to  approve  himself  faithful.  Gal. 
2:10.  Paul  was  one  that  laid  out  himself 
to  do  good  every  way,  like  his  Master,  to 
the  bodies  as  well  as  the  souls  of  people. 
Ministering  to  the  saints  is  good  work,  and 
not  below  the  greatest  apostles.  This,  Paul 
had  undertaken,  therefore  he  resolves  to  go 
through  w  ith  it,  before  he  fell  on  oilier  work, 
v.  28.  He  calls  the  ahns ,  fruit,  for  it  is  one 
of  the  fruits  of  righteousness ;  it  sprang  from 
the  root  of  grace  in  the  givers,  and  redound¬ 
ed  to  the  benefit  and  comfort  of  the  receivers. 
And  his  sealing  of  it  intimates  his  great  care 
about  it,  that  what  was  given  might  be  kept 
entire,  and  not  embezzled,  hut  disposed  of 
according  to  the  design  of  the  givers  :  an 
excellent  pattern. 


V.  30 — 33.  Here  we  have, 

I.  Paul’s  desire  of  a  share  in  the  prayera 
of  the  Romans  for  him,  expressed  very  earn¬ 
estly,  v.  30 — 32.  Paul  was  a  great  apostle, 
yet  begged  the  prayers  of  the  meanest  Chris¬ 
tians,  not  here  only,  but  in  several  other  of 
the  epistles.  He  speaks  like  one  that  knew 
himself,  and  would  hereby  teach  us  bow  to 
value  the  effectual,  fervent  prayer  of  the  right¬ 
eous.  How  careful  should  we  be,  lest  vve  do 
anything  to  forfeit  our  interest  in  the  love 
and  prayers  of  God’s  praying  people  ! 

1.  Observe  w  hy  they  must  pray  for  him. 
He  might  suspect  they  would  forget  him, 
having  no  personal  acquaintance  with  him  ; 
therefore  he  urged  them  very  closely,  and 
begs  it  with  the  most  affectionate  obtesta¬ 
tions,  by  all  that  is  sacred  and  valuable  ;  1 
beseech  you,  (1.)  ‘  For  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ’s 
sake  ;  I  am  going  about  bis  work,  and  bis 
glory  is  interested  in  the  success  of  it:  if  you 
have  any  regard  to  Jesus  Christ,  and  to  his 
cause  and  kingdom,  pray  for  me.’  (2.) 

‘  For  the  love  of  the  Spirit.  As  a  proof  and 
instance  of  that  love  which  the  Spirit  works 
in  the  hearts  of  believers  one  to  another, 
pray  for  me  ;  as  a  fruit  of  that  communion 
which  we  have  one  with  another  by  the 
Spirit,  though  we  never  saw  one  another.’ 

2.  How  they  must  pray  for  him  ;  strive 
together.  Those  that  would  prevail  in  prayer, 
must  strive  in  prayer.  True  love  to  onr 
brethren  should  make  us  as  earnest  for  them, 
as  sense  of  our  own  need  makes  it  for  our¬ 
selves  :  He  did  not  intend  to  excuse  bis 
praying  for  himself;  no:  ‘ Strive  together  with 
me,  who  am  w  restling  with  God  daily,  on 
my  own  and  my  friends’  account.’-  Paul  and 
these  Romans  w'ere  distant  in  place,  and 
likely  to  be  so,  yet  they  might  join  together 
in  prayer. 

3.  What  they  must  beg  of  God  for  him. 

He  recommends  himself  to  their  prayers, 
with  reference  to  three  things.  (1.)  The 
dangers  lie  was  exposed  to.  The  unbeliev¬ 
ing  Jews  were  the  most  violent  enemies 
Paul  had,  and  most  enraged  against  him, 
and  some  prospect  he  had  of  trouble  from 
them  in  this  journey  :  therefore  they  must 
pray  that  God  would  deliver  him.  This 
prayer  was  answered  in  several  remarkable 
deliverances  of  Paul,  recorded  Acts  21:  22, 
23,24.  (2.)  His  services;  Pray,  that  my 

sertice  which  I  have  for  Jerusalem,  may  be 
accepted  of  the  saints.  Why,  was  there  any 
danger  it  would  not  be  accepted!  Can  money 
be  otherwise  than  acceptable  to  the  poor  1 
Yes,  there  was  some  ground  of  suspicion  in 
this  case  ;  for  Paul  was  the  apostle  of  the 
Gentiles,  and  as  the  unbelieving  Jews  looked 
spitefully  at  him,  which  was  their  wicked¬ 
ness,  so  those  that  believed,  were  shy  of  him 
on  that  account,  which  was  their  weakness. 
(3.)  His  journey  to  them,  v.  32.  That  I  may 
come  unto  you  with  joy.  If  his  present  jour¬ 
ney  to  Jerusalem  proved  unsuccessful,  his 
intended  journey  to  Rome  would  he  uncom¬ 
fortable.  If  he  should  not  do  good,  and  pros¬ 
per,  in  one  visit,  lie  thought  he  should  have 
small  joy  of  the  next;  may  come  with  joy,  by 
the  will  of  God.  All  our  joy  depends  on  the 
will  of  God.  The  comfort  of  the  creature  is 
in  everything  according  to  the  disposal  of 
the  Creator. 

II.  Here  is  another  prayer  of  the  apostle 
for  them,  v.  33.  The  Lord  of  hosts,  the  God 
of  battle,  is  the  God  of  peace,  the  Author 
and  Lover  of  peace.  He  describes  God  un¬ 
der  this  title  here,  because  of  the  divisions 


(27.)  ‘(I  say)  it  hath  seemed  good  ;  for  verily  they  are  their  debtors.’ 
St.  1  Hut  the  gar  [verily]  is  very  elliptical,  q.  d.  «  For  I  acknowledge, 
it  was  of  their  own  good  pleasure,  without  necessity,  and  yet  they  arc 
under  moral  obligation  to  them.’”  Bl.  ‘They  ought  surely  to  assist 
them  in  temporal  things.’  Stuart. 

(28.)  ‘  Having  safely  delivered  this  money,  as  under  seal.  So  the  best 
comtrs.’  Bl.,  w  ho  comp,  our  word  consign,  and  the  words  consignare 
and  consignatio  of  Suet,  and  Quint.  ‘Now  when  this  duty  shall  have 
been  performed,  and  this  fruit  secured  to  (Item,  I  shall  pass  through  the 
midst  of  you  into  Spain.’  Stuart.  Em 

(29,  30.)  ‘  With  abundant  blessings  ...  by  our  Lord  . .  .by  the  love  .'. 
for  me ...  in  my  behalf.’  "  Stuart  ' 

[252] 


V.  30 — 33.  1  If  Paul,  saith  Estius,  might  desire  the  prayers  of  the 

Romans,  why  might  not  the  Romans  desire  the  prayers  of  Paul  ?  I  an¬ 
swer  titey  might  desire  his  prayers,  ns  he  did  theirs,  by  a  letter  directed 
to  him  to  pray  for  them.  lie  adds,  If  they  might  desire  his  prayers  for 
them  when  living,  why  not  when  dead,  and  reigning  with  Christ  ?  I 
answer,  Because  they  could  direct  no  epistle  to  him,  or  any  other  way 
acquaint  him  with  their  mind.’  tVhitby. — (30)  Love  of  the  Spirit.] 
This  may  denote  the  love  of  the  Iloly  Spirit  shown  to  us,  in  quickening, 
sanctifying,  and  comforting  us.  Ps.  143:10.  Col.  1:3 — 8.  Scott. 

(31.)  ‘How  extreme  their  bigotry  and  rage  was,  appears  from  their 
bchnvior  to  him,  at  the  very  time  here  referred  to,  Acts  21 — 24.’  Hod. 

(32.)  Tty  the  will  of  God.]  ‘If  God  will.’  Stuart. 


A.  D.  61. 


S3  Now  the  God  of  peace  q  be 
with  you  all.  Amen. 

CHAP.  XVI. 

3  Paul  willeth  the  brethren  to  greet  many,  17  and  adviseth 
thent  to  take  heed  of  those  which  cause  dissension  and 
offences,  21  and  after  sundry  salutations  endeth  with 
praise  and  thunks  to  God. 

T  COMMEND  unto  you  Phebe 
-»  our  sister,  which  is  a  servant  of 
the  church  which  is  at  Cenchrea  : 

2  That  ye  receive  *  her  in  the 
Lord,  as  becorneth  saints,  and  that 
ye  assist  her  in  whatsoever  business 
she  hath  need  of  you  :  for  she  hath 
been  a  succorer  of  many,  and  of 
myself  also.' 

3  Greet  b  Priscilla  and  Aquila, 
my  helpers  in  Christ  Jesus  : 

q  l  Co.  14:33.  He.  13:20.  a  Phi.  2:29.  b  Ac.  18:2,  Ac. 

among  them,  to  recommend  peace  to  them. 
Tlie  O.  T.  blessing,  was,  Peace  be  with  you; 
now.  The  God  of  peace  be  with  you.  They 
who  have  the  fountain,  cannot  want  any  of 
the  streams.  With  you  all ;  both  weak  and 
strong.  To  dispose  them  to  a  nearer  union, 
he  puts  them  all  together  in  this  prayer. 
Those  who  are  united  in  the  blessing  of 
God,  should  be  united  in  affection  one  to 
another. 


Chap.  XVI.  Paul  is  now  concluding  this 
epistle,  and  does  it  with  great  affection.  As 
in  the  main  body  of  the  epistle  be  appears 


ROMANS,  XVI. 

to  have  been  a  very  knowinj^man,  so  in 
these  appurtenances  of  it  he  appears  to  have 
been  a  very  loving  man.  So  much  knowl¬ 
edge  and  so  much  love  are  a  very  rare,  but 
a  very  excellent  and  amiable  composition  : 
for  what  is  heaven,  but  knowledge  and  love 
made  perfect  1  It  is  observable,  how  often 
Paul  speaks  as  if  he  were  concluding,  and 
yet  takes  fresh  hold  again.  One  would  have 
thought  that  solemn  benediction  which  closed 
the  foregoing  ch.  should  have  ended  the 
epistle  ;  and  yet  here  he  begins  again,  and 
in  this  ch.  repeats  the  blessing,  v.  20.  And 
yet  he  has  something  more  to  say  ;  nay, 
again  he  repeats  the  blessing,  v.  24.  and  yet 
has  not  done  ;  an  expression  of  his  tender 
lote  :  speaking  him  loth  to  part. 

V.  1 — 1G.  Here  we  have  such  remem¬ 
brances  as  are  usual  in  letters  between 
friends;  and  yet  Paul,  by  the  savoriness  of 
his  expressions,  sanctifies  these  common 
compliments. 

I.  Here  is  the  recommendation  of  a  friend, 
by  whom,  so  some,  this  epistle  was  sent, — 
one  Phebe,  v.  1,  2.  it  should  seem,  a  person 
of  quality  and  estate,  who  had  business 
which  called  her  to  Rome,  where  she  was  a 
stranger  ;  and,  therefore,  Paul  recommends 
her  to  the  acquaintance  of  the  Christians 
there  :  an  expression  of  his  true  friendship 
to  her.  Sincere  courtesy  and  Christianity, 
agree  well  together. 

1.  He  gives  a  very  good  character  of  her. 
(1.)  As  a  sister,,  not  in  nature,  but  in  grace; 
loving  Paul,  and  beloved  of  him,  with  a  pure, 
and  chaste,  and  spiritual  love,  as  a  sister  in 


Remembrances  of  Christian  friends. 

Christ  Jesus,  Gal.  3:28.  Roth  Christ  and 
his  apostles  had  some  of  their  best  friends 
among  the  devout  (and  on  that  account  hon¬ 
orable)  women.  (2.)  As  a  servant  to  the  church 
at  Cenchrea,  a  servant  by  office,  a  stated  ser¬ 
vant,  not  to  preach  the  Word,  (that  was  for¬ 
bidden  to  women,)  but  in  acts  of  charity  and 
hospitality;  one  of  the  widows,  so  some, 
that  ministered  to  the  sick,  and  were  taken 
into  the  church’s  number,  1  Tim.  5:  9. 
Cenchrea  was  a  small,  seaport  town,  ad¬ 
joining  to  Corinth,  about  twelve  fin  longs 
distant.  Some  think  there  was  a  church 
there,  distinct  from  that  at  Corinth  ;  [so 
Nco«;]  though,  being  so  near,  it  is  \ery 
probable  the  church  of  Corinth  is  called  the 
church  of  Cenchrea,  because  their  place  of 
meeting  might  be  there,  perhaps  at  Phebe’s 
house,  on  account  of  the  great  opposition  to 
them  in  the  city,  Acts  18: 12.  as  at  Philippi 
they  met  out  of  the  city  by  the  water-side, 
Acts  16:13.  (3.)  As  a  succorer  of  many, 

and  particularly  of  Paul,  v.  2.  a  good  copy 
for  women  that  have  ability.  Observe, 
Paul’s  gratitude  in  mentioning  her  particular 
kindness  to  him  ;  and  to  myself  also.  Ac¬ 
knowledgment  of  favors  is  the  least  return 
we  can  make.  It  was  mush  to  her  honor, 
that  Paul  left  this  on  record  ;  for  wherever 
this  epistle  is  read,  her  kindness  to  Paul  is 
told  for  a  memorial  of  her. 

2.  He  recommends  her  to  their  care  and 
kindness,  as  one  worthy  to  be  noticed  with 
peculiar  respect  ;  ‘  Receive  her  in  the  Lord. 
Entertain  her,  bid  her  welcome.’  This  pass, 
under  Paul’s  hand,  could  not  but  recommend 


PRACT.  OBS.  The  powerful  of  this  world  often  domineer  over  the 
weak,  but  it  ought  not  to  be  so  in  the  church  of  Christ ;  Malt.  20:24 — 
28.  Luke  22:24 — 27.  on  the  contrary,  every  one,  in  proportion  as  he  is 
strong  in  faith  and  grace,  should  be  tender,  patient,  and  compassionate 
to  the  feeble-minded,  to  those  ‘who  are  compassed  with  infirmities;’ 
perplexed  in  their  view's  ;  harassed  with  scruples,  doubts,  and  tempta¬ 
tions  ;  and  unable  to  enjoy  the  peace  and  comfort  of  the  Gospel,  while 
they  appear  to  walk  in  the  obedience  of  it.  He  is  the  most  advanced 
Christian,  who  is  most  conformed  to  Christ,  and  most  willing  to  re¬ 
nounce  his  own  ease  or  indulgence,  and  to  endure  reproach  and  suffer¬ 
ing,  after  his  example,  and  in  prosecution  of  that  great  design,  for  which 
lie  shed  his  blood  :  and  if,  in  doing  this,  he  be  reviled  by  zealots  and 
uncharitable  bigots,  he  may,  with  humble  accommodation,  use  the  Re¬ 
deemer’s  words  ;  ‘  the  reproaches  of  them  that  reproach  Thee,  are  fallen 
upon  me.’  For  whatever  is  written,  either  in  the  O.  or  the  N.  T.,  is 
intended  for  our  instruction,  and  may  be  applied  to  our  case,  for  direc¬ 
tion  and  encouragement ;  that,  by  patient  faith,  persevering  obedience, 
and  comfort  derived  from  the  Word  of  God,  ‘we  may  embrace,  and  ever 
hold  fast,  the  blessed  hope  of  everlasting  life  ns  given  to  us  in  Jesus 
Christ.’  The  whole  plan  of  redemption  is  so  formed,  that  it  is  suited  to 
reconcile  us  to  one  another,  as  well  as  to  our  gracious  God  ;  and  we  may 
say  of  every  contention  among  Christians,  ‘  An  enemy  hath  done  this.’ 
—If  we  would  have  ‘the  God  of  hope  to  fill  our  hearts  with  all  peace 


and  joy  in  believing  ;  ’  (and  we  can  have  no  abiding  holy  joy  and  peace 
in  any  other  way  ;)  if  we  would  ‘abound  in  hope  by  the  power  of  the 
Holy  Ghost ;’  we  must  rely  on  and  pray  for  the  teaching  and  influences 
of  that  divine  Agent;  and  we  must  be  careful  neither  to  grieve  Him,  by 
our  evil  tempers  or  sinful  passions,  nor  to  quench  his  sacred  fire,  by 
negligence,  or  procrastination  ;  for  thus  we  often  bring  darkness  and 
disconsolation  on  ourselves. — We  should  also  hope  the  best  of  others, 
and  commend  what  is  good  in  their  conduct. — It  is  indeed  an  honor  to 
be  employed  by  the  Lord  Jesus,  and  for  Him  to  ‘  work  by  us,  in  those 
things  which  pertain  to  God,’  and  in  rendering  sinners  ‘obedient  in  word 
and  deed.’  But  the  whole  glory  must,  ultimately  be  referred  to  Him; 
ostentation  should  carefully  be  avoided  in  speaking  on  such  subjects ; 
and  it  is  seldom  expedient  to  mention  ourselves,  except  as  we  want  to 
obviate  men’s  prejudices  against  our  ministry,  when  they  impede  our 
usefulness. — There  is  a  blessing,  ‘  a  fulness  of  blessing,  in  the  Gospel  of 
Christ,’  which  we  should  expect  to  know  and  to  communicate,  tint  with 
which  numbers  are  totally  unacquainted,  and  which  most  of  us  expe¬ 
rience  in  a  degree  far  beneath  xvhat  the  primitive  believers  did  :  espec¬ 
ially  the  degree,  in  which  the  preaching  and  labors  of  ministers  at 
present  are  blessed  to  the  conversion  of  sinners,  and  the  edifying,  and 
rejoicing,  and  fruitfulness  of  believers,  compared  with  that  of  former 
times,  is  lamentably  small.  We  should,  therefore.  ‘  strive,’  nay  wrestle, 
‘  together  in  our  prayers  ’  for  each  other.  Scott. 


NOTES.  Chap.  XVI.  V.  1,2.  Probably  this  epistle  was  sent  by 
Phebe,  according  to  its  common  ending  ;  but  these  additions  are  of  no 
authority,  and  sometimes  palpably  erroneous.  Scott. 

(1.)  ‘  Koppe  sees  no  reason  to  recede  from  the  common  opinion, 

that  this  ch.  forms  an  integral  part  of  the  epistle,  contrary  to  Semler. 
lie  says,  the  ch.  is  an  appendix ,  or  postscript ;  added,  so  Wets.,  after  the 
apostle  had  read  the  preceding  part  of  the  epistle  to  the  church  then  at 
Corinth.  Phebe  seems  to  have  been  one  of  a  company,  travelling  together 
[note,  Acts  10:23.]  to  Rome;  some  suppose  she  had  a  cause  at  law, 
brought  on  appeal  before  the  imperial  court.’  Bloomf. — Servant .]  lDia- 
konon  :  Deaconess.’  Sr.  So  HI.,  who  adds,  that,  ‘according  to  the  con¬ 
stitution  of  the  primitive  church,  there  was  an  order  of  females  attend¬ 
ing  on  part  of  the  public  business  of  the  church,  which  consisted  of  two 
kinds  1 .  Elderly  women  t presbutides )  presiding  over,  and  superintend¬ 
ing  the  morals  of,  the  female  Christians:  and,  2.  dia/conoi,  who  discharg¬ 
ed  some  of  the  offices  of  the  ministry,  as  baptizing  the  female  converts, 
and  who  also  collected  and  distributed  the  contributions  for  the  relief  of 
sick  and  poor  females,  and  discharged  other  minor  offices.  So  Plin.  Ep. 
10,  97.  says,  “I  thought  it  necessary  to  inquire  by  torture,  of  the  two 
damsels,  who  were  called  ministry  [servants,  ministers,  deaconesses], 
what  the  truth  was.”  See  Voss,  there.  Wets.,  toe,  cites  Theod.,  H.  E. 
3,  10.  “a  certain  woman,  famous  in  reputation,  and  who  had  obtained 
the  gift  or  office  of  deaconess  :”  and  refers  to  Jer.  on  the  passage.  Con¬ 
sult,  too,  Coteler.  and  Const.  Apost.  3,  IS.  and  especially  Bingham,  Ant. 
Eccl.  11,  12.,  as  also  Suic.  Thes.  in  v.  diakonus ;  also  Doddr.  and  Tay¬ 
lor.'  Bloomf.  It  would  be  difficult,  perhaps,  to  give  a  good  reason 
for  the  discontinuance  of  these  orders;  especially,  now  female  educa¬ 
tion  is  so  much  more  attended  to  than  it  then  was.  Ed.  Church  which 
is  at  Cenchrea .]  ‘  Nothing  remains  of  the  ancient  Cenchrea  (now, 

1829),  except  the  foundations  of  houses,  and  a  part  of  the  mole  that 
defended  the  harbor;  the  spot  is  uninhabited.  Calamaki,  near  which 
were  the  Isthmian  games,  is  the  port  of  entry  for  the  head  of  the  Gulf 
of  JEgina;  but  the  government  of  Greece  gave  Dr.  Howe  (as  agent  of 
the  American  Greek  Committees)  about  3,500  acres,  including  the  port 
of  Cenchrea,  on  which  to  found  a  colony,  (called  Washingtonia,)  of 
such  Greek  families  as  were  deprived,  by  the  revolution,  of  home  and 
livelihood;  furnishing  them,  by  means  derived  from  America,  with  hab¬ 
itations,  seed-corn,  working-cattle,  and  agricultural  implements.  The 
superintendent  aims  to  set  an  example  of  a  regularly  built  village,  and 


well  cultivated  farms;  and  several  houses  have  been  erected,  and  a 
quantity  of  ground,  on  the  site  of  the  ancient  Cenchrea,  has  been  con¬ 
verted  into  a  plantation  of  cotton.  36  to  50  families,  who  arrived  poor, 
hungry,  and  nuked,  were  prosperously  settled  in  1829.  The  surplus  of 
this  year’s  crop,  says  Dr.  11.  “  will  support  a  hospital  of  50  beds  ;  in  10 
years  we  shall  probably  have  1000  souls  ;  a  large  hospital  will  be  sup¬ 
ported  ;  and  a  useful  example  given  to  the  rest  of  Greece,  of  improved 
agriculture:  the  people  around  begin  to  appreciate  the  establishment. 
Our  school  is  rapidly  filling  from  the  neighboring  hamlets.’”  Rev.  Dr. 
Anderson.  ‘  Observations  on  the  Peloponnesus,’  &c.  Ed. 

(2.)  ‘  That  ye  may  receive  her  as  being  in  the  Lord.’  Stuart. 

V.  3,  4.  ‘  Priscilla  "and  Aquila  had  originally  been  inhabitants  of  dome. 
( Acts  18:2)  •••  They  were  connected,  therefore,  with  (he  place  to  which 
the  salutations  were  sent.  ...Paul  became  acquainted  with  them  at 
Corinth,  during  his  first  visit  into  Greece.  They  accompanied  him  on 
his  return  into  Asia  ;  were  settled  for  some  time  at  Ephesus  ;  ( Acts  18: 
18 — 26.)  and  appear  to  have  been  with  Paul  when  he  wrote  from  that 
place  1  Cor.  (1  Cor.  16:19.)  Not  long  after,  ...  he  went  from  Ephesus 
into  Macedonia,  and  after  ‘‘he  had  gone  over  those  parts,”  proceeded 
from  thence  on  his  second  visit  into  Greece ;  during  which  visit,  or  rather 
at  the  conclusion  of  it,  this  epistle  was  written.  .  ..  We  have,  there¬ 
fore,  the  time  of  Paul’s  residence  at  Ephesus,  after  he  had  written  to  the 
Corinthians;  the  time  taken  up  by  his  progress  through  Macedonia; 
and  his  three  months’  abode  in  Greece;  we  have  the  sum  of  these  three 
periods  allowed  for  Aquila  and  Priscilla  going  back  to  Rome,  so  as  to  be 
there  when  the  epistle  was  written.  Now  what  this  leads  us  to  observe, 
is,  the  danger  of  scattering  names  and  circumstances  in  writings  like  the 
present;  how  implicated  they  often  are  with  dates  and  places;  and 
that  nothing  but  truth  can  preserve  consistency.  Hud  the  notes  of  time 
in  this  epistle  fixed  the  writing  of  it  to  any  date,  prior  to  Paul’s  first 
residence  at  Corinth,  the  salutation  of  Aquila  and  Priscilla  would  have 
contradicted  the  history  ;  because  it  would  have  been  prior  to  his  ac¬ 
quaintance  with  these  persons.  If  the  notes  of  time  had  fixed  it  during 
that  residence  at  Corinth;  during  his  journey  to  Jerusalem,  when  he 
first  returned  out  of  Greece  ;  or  during  his  progress  through  the  Hess 
Asia,  on  which  he  proceeded  to  Antioch  ;  an  equnl 
have  been  incurred;  because  it  appears,  Acts t!8:2  26.  tia  ‘ 
this  time,  thev  were  either  with  Paul,  or  abiding  at  Ep  les  .  « ■  3  * 

had  the  notes  "of  time  in  this  epistle,  which  we  have  seen  to  be  perfectly 

[253] 


A.  D.  61. 


Remembrances  of  Christian  friends. 


4  Who  have  for  my  life  laid 
down  their  own  necks  :  unto  whom 
not  only  I  give  thanks,  but  also  all 
the  churches  of  the  Gentiles. 

5  Likewise  "■reel  the  church  that 
is  in  their  c  house.  Salute  my  well- 
beloved  Epenetus,  who  is  the  first- 
fruits  of  Achaia  unto  Christ. 

6  Greet  Mary  ;  who  bestowed 
much  labor  on  us. 

7  Salute  Andronicus  and  Junia, 
mv  kinsmen,  and  my  fellow-prison¬ 
ers,  who  are  of  note  among  the 
apostles  ;  who  also  were  in  d  Christ 
before  me. 

8  Greet  Amplias,  my  beloved  in 
the  Lord. 

9  Salute  Urbane,  our  helper  in 
Christ ;  and  Stachys  my  beloved. 

10  Salute  Apelles,  approved  in 
Christ.  Salute  them  which  are  of 
Aristobulus’  e  household. 

11  Salute  Herodion  my  kinsman. 
Greet  them  that  be  of  the  c  house¬ 
hold  of  Narcissus,  which  are  in  the 
Lord. 

12  Salute  Tryphena  and  Try- 
phosa,  who  labor  in  the  Lord. 
Salute  the  beloved  Persis,  which 
labored  much  in  the  Lord. 

13  Salute  Rufus,  chosen  f  in  the 
Lord  ;  and  his  mother  and  mine. 

c  l  Co. 16:19  d  Ga.1:22.  e  ov,  friends.  fEp.l:4.  2Ju.l. 

her  to  any  Christian  church.  Assist  her  in 
whatsoever  business  she  has  need  of  you.  It 
becomes  Christians  to  be  helpful  one  to 
another  in  their  affairs,  especially  to  be  help¬ 
ful  to  strangers  ;  for  we  are  members  one 
of  another. 

II.  Here  are  commendations  and  saluta¬ 
tions  to  some  particular  friends  among  those 
to  whom  he  wrote,  more  than  in  any  other 
of  the  epistles,  in  divers  of  which  there  is 
something  observable. 

1.  Concerning  Aquila  and  Priscilla,  a  fa- 
m  ms  couple,  that  Paul  had  a  special  kind¬ 
ness  for  :  originally  of  Rome,  these  were 
banished  thence  by  the  edict  of  Claudius, 
Acts  18:2.  lie  calls  them  his  helpers  in 
Christ  Jesus  ;  by  private  instructions,  and 
converse,  furthering  the  success  of  Paul’s 
public  preaching  ;  one  instance  whereof  we 


ROMANS,  XVI. 

have  in  their  instructing  of  Apollos,  Acts 
18:  26.  Nay,  they  did  not  only  do  much,  but 
ventured  much,  for  Paul  ;  they  have  for  my 
life  laid  down  their  own  necks.  Paul  was  in 
great  danger  at  Corinth,  while  he  sojourned 
with  them  ;  but  they  sheltered  him,  though 
they  thereby  made  themselves  obnoxious  to 
the  enraged  multitude,  Acts  18: 12,  17.  It 
was  a  good  while  ago  they  had  done  Paul 
this  kindness  ;  yet  he  speaks  as  sensibly  of 
it,  as  if  it  had  been  but  yesterday.  Paul 
mentions  this,  to  engage  the  Christians  at 
Rome  to  be  more  kind  to  Aquila  and  Pris¬ 
cilla.  He  sends  likewise  greeting  to  the 
church  in  their  house,  v.  5.  Perhaps  a  con¬ 
gregation  of  Christians  used  to  meet  at  their 
house  at  stated  times  ;  and  then,  no  doubt, 
it  was,  like  the  house  ofObed-Edom,  blessed 
for  the  ark’s  sake.  Others  think,  the  church 
was  no  more  than  a  religious,  pious,  well- 
governed  family,  that  kept  up  the  worship 
of  God.  [Splendid  and  large  churches  were 
built  when  religion  became  more  corrupt  : 
the  less  promiscuous  the  congregation,  the 
more  edifying  the  meeting.  Pd.']  When 
Priscilla  and  Aquila  were  at  Ephesus,  though 
but  sojourners  there,  yet  there  also  they  had 
a  church  in  their  house,  1  Cor.  16:  19.  A 
truly  godly  man  will  be  careful  to  take  reli¬ 
gion  along  with  him,  wherever  he  goes. 
When  Abraham  removed  his  tent,  he 
renewed  his  altar,  Gen.  13: 18. 

2.  Concerning  Epenetus,  v.  5.  He  calls 
him  his  i veil-beloved.  Endearing  language 
should  pass  among  Christians,  to  express  love, 
and  to  engage,  love.  So  he  calls  Amplias, 
beloved  in  the  Lord,  with  true  Christian  love, 
for  Christ’s  sake;  and  Stachys,  his  beloved  : 
a  sign  that  Paul  had  been  in  the  third  heav¬ 
en,  he  was  so  much  made  up  of  love.  Of 
Epenetus  it  is  further  said,  he  was  the  first- 
fruits  of  Achaia  unto  Christ  :  not  only  one  of 
the  most  eminent,  but  one  of  the  first  con¬ 
verted  to  the  faith  of  Christ  ;  one  that  was 
offered  up  to  God  by  Paul,  as  the  first-fruits 
of  his  ministry  there  ;  an  earnest  of  a  great 
harvest  ;  for  in  Corinth,  the  chief  city  of 
Achaia,  God  had  much  people.  Acts  18:  10. 
The  household  of  Stephanas  is  likewise  said 
to  be  the  first-fruits  of  Achaia,  1  Cor.  16:15. 
Perhaps  Epenetus  was  one  of  that  household. 

3.  Concerning  Alary,  and  some  others 
who  were  laborious  in  that  which  is  good  ; 
Some  think  this  Mary  had  been  at  some  of 
those  places  where  Paul  was,  though  now 
removed  to  Rome,  and  had  personally  min¬ 
istered  to  him  ;  others  think,  Paul  speaks 
of  her  labor  as  bestowed  on  him,  because  it 


incidental,  compared  with  the  notes  of  time  in  1  Cor.,  fixed  this  epistle 
to  be  either  contemporary  with  that,  or  prior  to  it,  a  similar  contradic¬ 
tion  would  have  ensued;  first,  because,  when  1  Cor.  xvns  written,  Aquila 
and  Priscilla  were  along  with  Paul,  1  Cor.  16:19.  and  because,  2dly,  the 
history  does  not  allow  us  to  suppose,  that  between  the  time  of  their 
becoming  acquainted  with  him,  and  the  writing  of  that  epistle,  .  ..  they 
could  have  gone  back  to  Rome,  so  as  to  have  been  saluted  in  an  epistle 
to  that  city  ;  and  then  have  come  to  Paul  at  Ephesus,  so  as  to  be  join¬ 
ed  with  him,  in  saluting  the  church  at  Corinth.  As  it  is,  all  things  are 
consistent.’  Paley. — This  passage  is  transcribed  chiefly  to  give  the  less 
learned  reader  nn  idea  and  a  specimen  of  the  manner,  in  which  able 
critics  can,  almost  in  all  cases,  detect  literary  forgeries,  and  establish  the 
authenticity  of  ancient  writings.  This  is  peculiarly  needful,  in  an  age 
of  bold  infidelity;  in  which  the  most  confident  assertions  are  made,  and 
suppositions  advanced,  without  the  shadow  of  proof;  as  if  a  literary 
forgery  were  attended  with  little  difficulty,  or  danger  of  detection  ;  when 
in  fact  it  is  nearly  the  most  difficult  thing,  which  cun  possibly  be  at¬ 
tempted,  and  scarcely  ever  escapes  detection.  Scott. 

(3.)  He'prrs .]  Sunergoos  :  ‘Fellow-laborers.’  Sr.  1  So  Phil.  2:25. 
1  Tit.  3:2.  and  often  in  Paul’s  epistles.  It  is  thought  by  Vitr.  and  Schoett., 
that  ns  the  whole  liturgy  of  the  Jewish  church  was  preserved  bv  the 
Christians,  they  also  retained  the  titles  of  the  ministers  of  the  Word, 
except  that  of  Rabbi ,  abolished  by  Christ  llimself.  “  Now  among  these 
(continue  they)  is  chrb,  fellow-colleague,  which  meant  one  who  had 
been  advanced  to  the  dignity  of  Rabbi;  but,  out  of  modesty,  did  not  as¬ 
sume  the  name,  till  after  the  death  of  those  who  had  advanced  him  to 
the  honor.  Thus,  here,  Aquila  and  Priscilla  are  called  chrbym,  since  the 
title  apostle ,  they  could  not,  neither  wished  to  assume.”  The  learned 
comtrs.  then  add  uce  many  examples,  which  prove  the  existence  of  such 
an  office  in  the  Jewish  church,  but  by  no  means  sufficient  to  counte¬ 
nance  their  notion,  that  Paul  here  intended  to  invest  Aquila  and  Priscil¬ 
la  with  a  title  of  ecclesiastical  dignity.  Nor  is  there  any  proof  that  sun- 
ergos  was  the  word  by  which  the  chrb  was  expressed  :  and  as  in  the 
other  passages  of  the  N.  T.  where  sunergos  occurs,  there  is  no  vestige 
of  such  an  allusion,  so  I  cannot  think  there  is  any  here ;  and  I  can  only 
see,  in  the  notion,  that  too  great  fondness  for  system  and  hypothesis 
which  distinguished  Light.,  Vitr.,  Rhenford,  Schoett.,  and  has  more  or 

[254] 


was  bestowed  on  bis  friends  and  fellow-labor¬ 
ers,  and  he  took  what  was  done  to  them  as 
done  to  himself. 

4.  Concerning  Andronicus  and  Junia,  v.  7. 
Some  take  them  for  a  man  and  his  wife, 
which  the  original  will  hear  ;  and,  consid¬ 
ering  the  name  of  the  latter,  is  more  prob¬ 
able  than  that  they  should  be  two  men,  as 
others  think,  and  brethren.  Observe,  They 
were  Paul’s  cousins,  akin  to  him;  as  Hero¬ 
dion,  v.  11.  Religion  does  not  take  away, 
but  rectifies,  sanctifies,  and  improves,  our 
respect  to  our  kindred  ;  engaging  us  to  lay 
out  ourselves  most  for  their  good,  and  to  re¬ 
joice  in  them  the  more,  when  we  find  them 
related  to  Christ  by  faith.  They  were  his 
fellow-prisoners.  Partnership  in  suffering, 
sometimes  does  much  to  unite  souls  and  knit 
affection.  We  do  not  find  in  the  Acls,  any 
imprisonment  of  Paul  before  the  writing  of 
this  epistle,  but  that  at  Philippi*  Acts  16: 
23.  But  Paul  was  in  prisons  more  frequent, 
2  Cor.  11:23.  in  some  of  which,  it  seems, 
he  met  with  his  friends  Andronicus  and  Ju¬ 
nia.  They  were  of  note  among  the  apostles; 
not  so  much,  perhaps,  because  persons  of 
estate  and  quality,  as  because  eminent  for 
knowledge,  gifts,  and  graces,  which  made 
them  famous  among  the  apostles.  Who  also 
were  in  Christ  before  me,  i.e.  were  converted 
to  the  Christian  faith.  How  ready  was  Paul 
to  acknowledge  in  others  any  kind  of  pre¬ 
cedency  ! 

5.  Concerning  Apelles,  who  is  here  said 
to  be  approved  in  Christ,  v.  10.  a  high 
character  ! 

6.  Concerning  Aristobulus  and  Narcissus ; 
notice  is  taken  of  their  household,  v.  10,  11. 
Those  of  their  household  which  are  in  the 
Lord,  (as  it  is  limited,  v.  11.)  that  were 
Christians.  How  studious  was  Paul  to  leave 
none  out  of  his  salutations,  that  he  had  any 
knowledge  of  or  acquaintance  with  !  Aris¬ 
tobulus  and  Narcissus  themselves,  some 
think,  were  absent,  or  lately  dead  ;  others 
think  they  were  unbelievers  ;  so  Pareus  ; 
and  some  think  this  Narcissus  was  the  same 
with  one  of  that  name,  who  is  frequently 
mentioned  in  the  life  of  Claudius,  as  a  very 
rich  man  that  had  a  great  family,  but  was 
very  wicked  and  mischievous.  It  seems 
then,  there  were  some  good  servants,  or 
other  retainers,  even  in  the  family  of  a 
wicked  man;  a  common  case,  1  Tim.  6: 1. 
Comp.  v.  2. 

7.  Concerning  Rufus,  v.  13.  chosen  in  the 
lard  ;  a  choice  Christian,  whose  gifts  and 
graces  did  evidence  that  lie  was  eternally 

less  all,  who  have  dedicated  themselves  to  any  confined  branch  of  sludy, 
as  that  of  the  Rabbinical  writers.’  Bloomf. 

(4.)  Necks,  Sec.]  ‘Strong  and  hyperbolical:  lit.  submitted  their  necks  to 
tile  sword,  [the  usual  mode  of  decapitation].’  Bl.  St.  tr.  ‘  Who  exposed 
themselves  to  great  danger  in  my  behalf.’  Perhaps  Acts  18  or  19.  is  re¬ 
ferred  to.  Give  thanks.]  ‘  Am  grateful.’  St.  Ed. 

V.  5.  The  words  tr.  ‘  greet  ’  and  ‘salute,’  are  the  same  in  the  original 
(3).  Scott. 

(5.)  House.]  ‘There  is  reason  to  think,  the  Christians  would  scarce¬ 
ly  yet  be  allowed  the  privilege  of  having  public  buildings  for  religious 
worship.  Comp.  Acts  20  20  ’  Bl.  Of  Achaia.]  ‘Of  Asia.’  ‘So  several 
ancient  MSS.,  and  some  editions  and  fathers,  alsoGrot.,Mill,  Beng.,  Whit., 
Kop.,  Ros.,  Griesb.  Indeed,  it  is  so  supported,  hv  external  and  internal 
evidence,  thnt  there  is  every  probability  it  is  the  true  reading.’  Bl. 

V.  6 — 15.  It  is  not  known  xvhat  Mary  this  was  (6)  ;  or  in  what  re¬ 
spect  she  had  ‘bestowed  much  labor’  on  the  apostle  and  his  friends.  Of 
the  persons  mentioned  [after  Andronicus  and  Junia],  nothing  certain  is 
known.  —  Probably  Aristobulus  was  not  a  Christian.  [But  see  the 
British  tradition  of  him  in  Taylor's  Calm.]  Rufus  seems  to  have 
been  the  son  of  Simon  the  Cvrenian.— It  is  remarkable,  that  the  apos¬ 
tle,  amidst  ail  his  engagements,  should  be  so  well  acquainted  with 
the  names  and  characters  of  many  Christians,  residing  in  a  city  which 
he  had  never  visited.  Most  of  them,  indeed,  were  such  as  he  had  pre¬ 
viously  been  acquainted  with  ;  and  they  formed  but  a  small  part  of  the 
believers  at  Rome.  Yet  this  shows  his  indefatigable  diligence,  and  his 
attention  to  everything  relative  to  the  churches  of  the  Gentiles.  Xen¬ 
ophon  states  it  as  peculiarly  admirable  in  Cyrus,  that  he  so  knew  all  the 
officers  of  his  numerous  army,  that,  in  giving  his  orders,  he  addressed 
each  of  them  by  name ;  and  that  he  made  it  his  study,  to  be  able  to  do 
this. — Paul’s  not  mentioning  Peter,  powerfully  militates  against  all  the 
traditions  of  antiquity  respecting  Peter,  on  which  so  enormous  a  fabric 
of  usurpation  and  superstition  has  been  erected.  Scott. 

(7.)  Jwnia.]  ‘  A  wife  or  sister  of  Andronicus  ?’  BL,  though  St.  tr. 

‘  Juuias,’  masc.  Ed.  Fellow-prisoners.]  ‘  Clemens  Rom.  says,  Paul  was 
7  limes  imprisoned.  Apostles.]  Whit.,  Kop.,  &c.  take  it  to  mean,  they 
were  eminent  teachers,  apostolos  being  sometimes  used  in  the  lower 
sense;  as  in 2  Cor.  8:23.  Phil.  2:25.  But  therein  both)  the  article  is  not 


A.  D.  61. 


ROMANS,  XVI. 


Caution  against  such  as  cause  divisions. 


14  Salute  Asyncritus,  Plilegon, 
Hernias,  Patrobas,  Hermes,  and 
the  brethren  which  are  with  them. 

15  Salute  Philologus,  and  Julia, 
Nereus,  and  his  sister,  and  Olym- 
pas,  and  all  the  saints  which  are 
with  them. 

16  Salute  one  another  with  an 
holy  *  kiss.  The  churches  of  Christ 
salute  you. 

17  Now  I  beseech  you,  brethren, 
mark  them  which  cause  h  divisions 
and  offences  contrary  to  the  doc¬ 
trine  which  ye  have  learned  ;  and 
avoid  '  them. 

18  For  they  that  are  such  serve 
not  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  but 
their  own  1  belly ;  and  by  good 
k  words  and  fair  speeches  deceive 
the  hearts  of  the  simple. 

19  For  your  obedience  is  come 
1  abroad* unto  all  men.  I  am  glad 
therefore  on  your  behalf  :  but  yet 
I  would  have  you  “wise  unto  that 
which  is  good,  and  n  simple  con¬ 
cerning  evil. 

20  And  °the  God  of  peace  shall 
p  bruise  i  Satan  under  your  feet 
'shortly.  'The  grace  of  our  Lord 
Jesus  Christ  be  with  you.  Amen. 

g  1  Co.  16:20.  J  Phi.  3:19.  o  c.  15:33. 

1  Pc.  5:14.  k  Col.  2:4.  2  Pe.  p  or,  tread. 

h  1  Ti.  6:3—5.  2:3.  q  Ge.  3:15. 

i  Mat.  18:17.  1  1  c.  1:8.  r  Re.  12:10 

Co.  5:11.  2  Th.  m  Mat.  10:16.  s  1  Co.  16:23,  &c. 

3:6,14.  n  or,  harmless.  Re.  22:21. 

chosen  in  Christ  Jesus  ;  one  of  a  thousand 
for  integrity  and  holiness.  And  his  mother 
and  mine  ;  his  mother  by  nature,  and  mine 
by  Christian  love  and  spiritual  affection;  as 
he  calls  Phebe  his  sister,  and  teaches  Timo¬ 
thy  to  treat  the  elder  women  as  mothers, 
1  Tim.  5:  2. 

8.  Concerning  the  rest,  this  is  observable, 
that  he  salutes  the  brethren  which  are  with 
them,  v.  14.  and  the  saints  which  are  with 
them,  v.  15.  with  them  in  family  relations, 
with  them  in  the  bond  of  Christian  commu¬ 
nion.  Lest  any  should  find  themselves  ag¬ 
grieved,  as  if  Paul  had  forgotten  them,  he 
concludes  with  the  remembrance  of  the  rest, 
as  brethren  and  saints,  though  not  named. 
Among  all  these  to  whom  Paul  sends  greet¬ 
ing,  here  is  not  a  word  of  Peter  ;  which 
gives  occasion  to  suspect  that  lie  was  not 
bishop  of  Rome,  as  the  papists  say  he  was; 
for  if  he  was,  we  cannot  but  suppose  him 
resident  :  or  however,  how  could  Paul  write 
so  long  an  epistle  to  the  Christians  there, 
and  take  no  notice  of  him  1 

Lastly,  He  concludes  with  the  recommen¬ 
dation  of  them  to  the  love  and  embraces  one 
of  another  ;  Salute  one  another  with  a  holy 
hiss,  a  chaste  kiss,  in  opposition  to  that 
which  is  wanton;  a  sincere  kiss,  in  opposi¬ 
tion  to  that  which  is  treacherous  and  dis¬ 
sembling,  as  Judas’,  when  he  betrayed 
Christ  with  a  kiss.  He  adds,  in  the  close, 
a  general  salutation  to  them  all,  in  the  name 
of  the  churches  of  Christ,  v.  16.  This  is  one 
way  of  maintaining  the  communion  of  saints. 


V.  17 — 20.  The  apostle  having  endeavored 
by  his  endearing  salutations  to  unite  them 
together,  it  was  not  improper  to  subjoin  a 
caution,  to  take  heed  of  those  whose  prin¬ 
ciples  and  practices  were  destructive  to 
Christian  love.  And  we  may  observe, 

I.  The  caution  itself,  which  is  given  in 
the  most  obliging  manner  that  could  he  ;  I 
beseech  you,  brethren.  He  does  not  will  and 
command,  as  one  that  lorded  it  over  God’s 
heritage,  but,  fur  love’s  sake,  beseeches. 
How  earnest,  how  endearing,  are  Paul’s 
exhortations  !  He  teaches  them, 

1.  To  see  their  danger;  Mark  them  which 
cause  divisions  and  offences.  Our  Master  had 
Himself  foretold,  that  divisions  and  offences 
would  come  ;  but  had  entailed  a  woe  on 
those  by  whom  they  come.  Mat.  18:7. 
against  such  we  are  here  cautioned.  Those 
who  burden  the  church  with  dividing  and 
offending  impositions,  who  uphold  and  en¬ 
force  those  impositions,  who  introduce  and 
propagate  dividing  and  offending  notions, 
which  are  erroneous  or  justly  suspected; 
who,  out  of  pride,  ambition,  affectation  of 
novelty,  or  the  like,  causelessly  separate 
from  their  brethren,  and  by  perverse  dis¬ 
putes,  censures,  and  evil  surmisings,  alien¬ 
ate  the  affections  of  Christians  one  from 
another  ;  these  cause  divisions  and  offences, 
contrary  to,  or  different  from,  (for  that  also 
is  implied,)  the  doctrine  which  we  have  learned. 
Whatever  varies  from  the  form  of  sound  doc¬ 
trine  which  we  have  in  the  Scriptures,  opens 
a  door  to  divisions  and  offences.  If  truth  be 
once  deserted,  unity  and  peace  will  not  last 
long.  Now,  mark  those  that  thus  cause  di¬ 
visions  ;  and  especially  that  in  them  which 
causes  them  ;  those  lusts  on  each  side, 
whence  come  these  wars  and  fightings.  A 
danger  discovered  is  half  prevented. 

2.  To  shun  it  ;  Avoid  them.  Shun  all 
unnecessary  communion  and  communication 
with  them,  lest  you  be  leavened  and  infected 
by  them.  Some  think,  lie  especially  warns 
them  to  take  heed  of  the  Judaizing  teachers, 
who,  under  the  covert  of  the  Christian  name, 
kept  up  the  Jlosaical  ceremonies,  and 
preached  the  necessity  of  them  ;  who  were 
industrious  in  all  places  to  draw  disciples 
after  them,  and  whom  Paul  in  most  of  his 
epistles  cautions  the  churches  to  take  heed  of. 

II.  The  reasons  to  enforce  this  caution. 

1.  Because  of  the  pernicious  policy  of 
these  seducers,  v.  18.  Observe,  (1.)  Tile 
Master  they  serve  :  not  our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ;  but  their  own  belly,  their  carnal,  sen¬ 
sual,  secular  interests  ;  some  base  lust  01- 
other  ;  pride,  ambition,  covetousness,  lux¬ 
ury,  lasciviousness,  these  are  the  designs 
they  are  really  carrying  on,  Phil.  3:  19.  (2.) 
The  method  they  take  to  compass  their  de¬ 
sign  ;  By  good  words  and  fair  speeches  they 
deceive  the  hearts  of  the  simple.  Their  words 
and  speeches  have  a  show  of  holiness  and 
zeal  for  God,  a  show  of  kindness  and  line 
to  those  into  whom  they  instil  their  corrupt 
doctrines, speaking  them  fair  when  they  in¬ 
tend  them  tlie  greatest  mischief.  By  good 
words  and  fair  speeches  was  Eve  beguiled. 

2.  Because  of  the  peril  we  are  in,  through 
our  proneness  and  aptness  to  be  inveigled 
and  ensnared  by  them  ;  ‘  For  your  obedience 
is  come  abroad  unto  all  men  ;  you  are  noted 
in  all  the  churches  for  a  willing,  tractable, 


|  complying  people.’  And,  (1.)  Therefore 
these  seducing  teachers  would  lie  the  more 
apt  to  assault  them.  The  devil  and  Ids 
agents  have  a  particular  spite  at  flourishing 
churches  and  flourishing  souls.  (2.)  Though 
it  were  so,  yet  they  were  in  danger  from 
these  seducers.  This  Paul  suggests  with 
great  modesty  and  tenderness  ;  not  as  one 
suspicious  of  them,  but  as  one  solicitous  for 
them  ;  ‘  Your  obedience  is  come  abroad  unto 
all  men;  we  grant  that,  and  rejoice  in  it  ;  I 
am  glad  therefore,  on  your  behalf.’  Thus  does 
lie  insinuate  t heir  commendation,  tile  better 
to  make  way  for  the  caution.  A  holy  jeal¬ 
ousy  of  our  friends,  may  very  well  consist 
vvitli  a  holy  joy  in  them.  ‘  You  think  your¬ 
selves  a  very  happy  people,  and  so  do  I  too  : 
but  for  all  that  you  must  not  be  secure  ;  I 
would  have  you  wise  unto  that  which  is  good, 
and  simple  concerning  evil.  You  are  a  wil¬ 
ling,  good-natured  people,  but  you  had  best 
take  heed  of  being  imposed  on  bv  those  se¬ 
ducers.’  Be  wise  unto  that  which  is  good,  be 
skilful  and  intelligent  in  the  truths  and  ways 
of  God.  Be  simple  concerning  evil  ;  so  wise 
as  not  to  be  deceived,  and  yet  so  simple  as 
not  to  be  deceivers.  It  is  a  holy  simplicity, 
not  to  be  able  to  contrive,  or  palliate,  or 
carry  on,  any  evil  design  ; — harmless,  nil- 
mixed,  inoffensive,  1  Cor.  14:20. 

Paul  was  the  more  solicitous  for  the  Ro¬ 
man  church,  that  that  might  keep  its  integ¬ 
rity,  because  it  was  so  famous  ;  it  was  a 
cily  on  a  hill,  so  that  an  error  prevailing 
there  would  be  a  bad  precedent,  and  have 
an  ill  influence  on  other  churches.  As  in¬ 
deed  it  has  since  proved  in  fact  ;  the  great 
apostasy  of  the  latter  days  taking  its  rise 
from  that  capital  city.  The  errors  of  lead¬ 
ing  churches,  are  leading  errors.  When 
tiie  bishop  of  Rome  fell,  as  a  great  star  from 
heaven.  Rev.  8:10.  his  tail  drew  a  third  part 
of  the  stars  after  him.  Rev.  12:  4. 

3.  Because  of  the  promises  of  God,  that 
we  should  have  victory  at  last  ;  which  is 
given  to  quicken  and  encourage,  not  to  su¬ 
persede,  our  watchful  cares  and  vigorous 
endeavors.  It  is  a  very  sweet  promise,  v.  20. 
The  God  of  peace  shall  bruise  Satan  under 
your  feet.  (1.)  The  titles  lie  gives  to  God  ; 
the  God  of  peace,  the  Author  and  Giver  of 
all  good.  God,  as  the  God  of  peace,  will 
restrain  and  vanquish  all  those  that  cause 
divisions  and  offences,  and  so  break  and 
disturb  the  peace  of  the  church.  (2.)  The 
blessing  he  expects  from  God  ;  a  victory  over 
Satan.  If  he  mean  primarily  those  false 
doctrines  and  seducing  spirits  spoken  of  be¬ 
fore,  of  which  Satan  was  the  prime  founder 
and  author,  yet,  doubtless,  it  comprehends 
all  the  other  designs  and  devices  of  Satan 
against  souls,  to  defile,  disturb,  ami  destroy 
them  ;  all  his  attempts  to  keep  us  from 
tlie  purity  of  heaven,  the  peace  of  heaven, 
here,  and  the  possession  of  heaven  here¬ 
after.  It  plainly  alludes  to  tlie  first  prom¬ 
ise  of  tlie  Messiah  made  in  paradise,  Gen. 
3:  15.  which  is  in  tlie  fulfilling  every  day, 

•  while  tlie  saints  are  enabled  to  resist  and 
overcome  tlie  temptations  of  Satan  ;  and 
will  he  perfectly  fulfilled,  when,  in  spite 
of  all  tlie  powers  of  darkness,  all  that  be¬ 
long  to  tlie  election  of  grace  shall  lie  brought 
I  triumphantly  to  glory.  The  victory  shall  lie 
I  speedy  ;  He  shall  do  it  shortly.  Yet  a  lit- 


found,  as  here,  which,  I  think,  determines  it  to  mean  apostle  in  the  high¬ 
est  sense:  and  so  most  commentators.’  Bloomf. 

(15.)  Julia .]  ‘  Wife  or  sister  of  Philologus  ?’  Be.  ‘Julias.’  Stuaet. 

V.  16.  An  holy  hiss.]  This  expression  of  spiritual  affection,  to  which 
the  apostle  exhorted  them,  in  order  to  show  that  his  epistle  had  produc¬ 
ed  its  intended  effect  ill  promoting  mutual  love  among  them,  has  been 
supposed  to  have  been  used  by  men  and  women  separately  |  i.  e.  men 
kissing  men,  women,  women] ;  yet,  as  it  seems  afterwards  to  have  been 
laid  aside,  because  of  abuse  or  slander,  that  opinion,  perhaps,  is  ground¬ 
less,  and  rather  the  effect  of  modern  ideas  of  propriety,  resulting  from 
licentious  refinement,  than  suited  to  1  lie  pure  simplicity  of  those  primi¬ 
tive  times. — The  apostle  further  informed  them,  that  the  several  church¬ 
es  of  Christ,  which  he  had  visited,  desired  to  express  their  affectionate 
regard  to  them.  Scott. 

(16.)  Kiss.]  ‘On  this,  much  has  been  written  by  Orot.,  Whit.,  &c. 
who  trace  it  to  ancient  oriental  custom,  and  one  borrowed  from  Hie  syn¬ 
agogue.  It  appears,  that  in  the  Hpostulic  age,  the  kiss  was  given  to  each 


other  at  the  end  of  the  liturgy,  and  before  the  communion  service.  It 
was  understood  to  express  mutual  love,  and  in  things  spiritual,  equali¬ 
ty.  This  custom  continued  during  a  great  part  of  the  first  century,  and 
is  noticed  by  several  early  ecclesiastical  writers,  cited  by  Grot.  ;  ns  Jus¬ 
tin,  and  Tertull.  By  the  cause  of  its  unfrequent  mention  by  the  apostle 
(only  here,  and  in  1  and  2  Cor.,  and  Thess.)  there  is  reason  lo  think,  that 
this  custom,  so  liable  to  abuse  and  misrepresentation  [e.  g.  the  heathens’ 
scandals,  as  to  the  promiscuous  intercourse  of  the  Christians  at  their 
evening  meetings,  see  Doddr.],  was  laid  aside  at  a  very  early  period  of 
the  Christian  church.’  Bloomf. 

V.  17,  lft.  Mark.]  ‘Beware  of.  Belly.}  Appetite.  Good  words. J 
Flattery.’  .  ,  ,Sfv\RT-_ 

(18.)  ‘  Perhaps  reference  is  had  to  some  Jews,  who  joined  10  an  * 

ward  show  of  sanctity  a  sensual  life,  and  sought  no  more  than  to  make 
the  profession  of  the  Gospel  a  mean  of  obtaining  a  luxurious  nvi  >g. 
Mich,  and  Ros.'  bloomf. 

V.  2D.  ‘May  the  God  of  peace  bruise,  <&c.’  [055] 


A.  D.  61. 


ROMANS,  XVI. 


Salutations  sent  by  Paul’s  friends ,  «§4c. 


21  Timotheus  my  work-fellow, 
and  Lucius,  and  Jason,  and  Sosi- 
pater,  my  kinsmen,  salute  you. 

22  I  Tertius,  who  wrote  this 
epistle,  salute  you  in  the  Lord. 

23  Gains ‘mine  host,  and  of  the 
whole  church,  saluteth  you.  “Eras- 
tus  the  chamberlain  of  the  city  sa¬ 
luteth  you,  and  Q,uartus  a  brother. 

24  The  v  grace  of  our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ  be  with  you  all.  Amen. 

25  Now  w  to  him  that  is  of  power 
to  establish  you  according  to  my 
gospel,  and  the  preaching  of  Jesus 
Christ  ;  (according  to  the  revelation 
*  of  the  mystery,  which  was  kept 
secret  since  the  world  began, 

26  But  now  is  made  manifest, 
and  by  the  scriptures  of  the  proph¬ 
ets,  according  to  the  commandment 
of  the  everlasting  God,  made  known 
to  all  y  nations  for  the  obedience  of 
faith  ;) 

27  To  God  1  only  wise,  be  glory, 
through  Jesus  Christ,  for  ever. 
Amen. 

IF  Written  to  the  Romans  from  Co- 

rinthus,  and  sent  by  Phebe,  ser¬ 
vant  of  the  church  at  Cenchrea. 

t  1  Co.  1:11.  V  ver.  20  28,27. 

3  Jn.  1  w  Bp  3:20.  Jilile  24.  y  Mai.  28:19. 

u  Ac.  19:22.  x  Ep.  1:9.  Col.  Is  z  lTi.l:17.  Ju.23. 

tie  while,  and  He  that  shall  come  will  come. 
He  hath  said  it,  Behold,  I  come  quickly. 
Some  refer  it  to  the  happy  ending  of  their 
contentions  in  true  love  and  unity;  others  to 
the  period  of  the  church’s  persecutions  in 
the  conversion  of  the  powers  of  the  empire 
to  Christianity,  when  the  bloody  enemies  of 
the  church  were  subdued  and  trampled  on 
by  Constantine,  and  the  church  under  his 
government  ;  it  is  rather  to  be  applied  to 
the  victory  all  the  saints  shall  have  over  Sa¬ 
tan,  when  they  come  to  heaven,  and  are  for 
ever  out  of  his  reach  ;  together  with  their 
present  victories,  through  grace. 

To  this  therefore  he  subjoins  the  benedic¬ 
tion,  The  grace  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  be 
with  you  ;  the  good  will  of  Christ  toward 
you,  the  good  work  of  Christ  in  you.  Paul, 
not  only  as  a  friend,  but  as  a  minister  and  an 
apostle,  who  had  received  grace  for  grace, 
thus  with  authority  blesses  them  with  this 
blessing,  and  repeats  it,  v.  24. 

V.  21 — 24.  As  the  apostle  had  before 
sent  his  own  salutations  to  many  of  this 
church,  and  that  of  the  churches  round  him 
to  them  all  ;  he  here  adds  an  affectionate 
remembrance  of  them  from  some  particular 
persons  now  with  him,  the  better  to  promote 
acquaintance  and  fellowship  among  distant 
saints  ;  and  that  the  subscribing  of  these 
worthy  names,  known  to  them,  might  the 
more  recommend  this  epistle,  lie  mentions, 

1.  Some  that  were  his  particular  friends, 


and,  probably,  known  to  the  Roman  Chris¬ 
tians  ;  Timotheus,  whom  Paul  sometimes 
calls  his  son,  as  an  inferior  ;  but  here  his 
work-fellow,  as  an  equal  ;  such  a  respect 
does  he  put  on  him  :  and  Lucius,  probably 
Lucius  of  Cyrene,  a  noted  man  in  the  church 
of  Antioch,  Acts  13:1.  as  Jason  at  Thessa- 
lonica,  where  he  suffered  for  entertaining 
Paul,  Acts  17:  5,  6.  and  Sosipater,  supposed 
to  be  the  same  with  Sopater  of  Berea,  men¬ 
tioned  Acts  20:  4.  These  last  Paul  calls  his 
kinsmen  ;  not  only  more  largely,  as  they 
were  Jews,  but  as  they  were  in  blood  or 
affinity  nearly  allied  to  him.  It  seems,  Paul 
was  of  a  good  family,  that  he  met  with  so 
many  of  his  kindred  in  several  places. 

2.  One  that  was  Paul’s  amanuensis,  v.  22. 
Tertius;  Paul  used  a  scribe,  not  out  of  state, 
or  idleness,  but  because  he  wrote  a  bad 
hand,  which  he  excuses,  when  he  wrote  to 
the  Galatians  with  his  own  hand.  Gal.  6:11. 
— with  what  kind  of  letters.  Perhaps  this 
Tertius  was  the  same  with  Silas  ;  for  Silas 
(as  some  think)  signifies  the  third,  in  Hebrew, 
as  Tertius,  in  Latin.  Tertius  either  wrote 
as  Paul  dictated,  or  transcribed  it  fair. 

3.  Some  others  that  were  of  note  among 
the  Christians, v.  23.  It  is  uncertain  whether 
this  was  Gaius  of  Derbe,  Acts  20:4.  or 
Gains  of  Macedonia,  Acts  19:29.  or  rather 
Gaius  of  Corinth,  1  Cor.  1:14.  and  whether 
any  of  these  was  he  to  whom  John  wrote 
his  3d  epistle.  JErastus,  the  chamberlain  of 
the  city,  is  another  ;  he  means  of  the  city 
of  Corinth,  whence  this  epistle  was  dated. 
Ilis  estate,  honor,  and  employment,  did  not 
take  him  off  from  attending  on  Paul,  and 
laying  out  himself  for  the  good  of  the  church, 
it  should  seem,  in  the  work  of  the  ministry  ; 
for  he  is  joined  with  Timothy,  Acts  19:22. 
and  is  mentioned  2  Tim.  4:20.  Quartus  is 
also  mentioned,  as  a  brother;  for  as  one  is  our 
Father,  even  Christ,  so  all  we  are  brethren. 

V.  25 — 27.  Here  the  apostle  solemnly 
closes  his  epistle  with  a  magnificent  ascrip¬ 
tion  of  glory  to  the  blessed  God,  as  one  that 
terminated  all  in  the  praise  and  glory  of 
God,  and  studied  to  return  all  to  Him,  see¬ 
ing  all  is  of  Him,  and  from  Him.  He  does, 
as  it  were,  breathe  out  his  soul  to  these  Ro¬ 
mans  in  the  praise  of  God,  choosing  to  make 
that  the  end  of  his  epistle,  which  he  made 
the  end  of  li is  life.  Observe  here, 

I.  A  description  of  the  Gospel  of  God, 
w  hich  comes  in  as  a  parenthesis  ;  Paul  calls 
it  his  Gospel,  because  he  was  the  preacher 
of  it,  and  because  he  did  so  much  glory  in 
it.  Some  think  he  means  especially  that 
declaration,  explication,  and  application,  of 
the  doctrine  of  the  Gospel,  which  he  had  now 
made  in  this  epistle  :  but  it  rather  takes  in 
all  the  preaching  and  writing  of  the  apostles, 
among  whom  Paul  was  a  principal  laborer. 

1.  It  is  the  preaching  of  Jesus  Christ. 
Christ  w'as  the  Preacher  of  it  Himself;  it 
began  to  be  spoken  by  the  Lord,  Heb.  2:  3. 
He  is  the  subject-matter  of  it;  the  sum  and 
substance  of  the  whole  Gospel. 

2.  It  is  the  revelation  of  the  mystery  which 
was  kept  secret  since  the  world  began,  and  by  the 


scriptures  of  the  prophets  made  known.  The 
subject-matter  of  the  Gospel  is  a  mystery  ; 
our  redemption  and  salvation  by  Jesus  Christ, 
in  the  foundation,  method,  and  fruits  of  it, 
are,  without  controversy,  a  great  mystery. 

(1.)  This  mystery  was  kept  secret  since  the 
world  began  ;  wrapped  up  in  silence  from  eter¬ 
nity,  so  some  ;  it  is  no  new  and  upstart  no¬ 
tion,  no  late  invention,  but  took  rise  from 
the  days  of  eternity,  and  the  purposes  of 
God’s  everlasting  love.  Or,  since  the  world 
began,  so  we  tr.  it  ;  during  all  the  times  of 
the  O.  T.  this  mystery  was  comparatively 
kept  secret,  in  the  types  and  shadows  of  the 
ceremonial  law,  and  the  dark  predictions  of 
the  prophets,  which  pointed  at  it,  but  so 
that  they  could  not  steadfastly  look  to  the 
end  of  those  things,  2  Cor.  3:  13.  Even  the 
disciples  of  Christ  themselves,  .before  his 
resurrection  and  ascension,  were  very  much 
in  the  dark  about  the  mystery  of  redemption, 
their  notion  of  it  much  clouded  and  confus¬ 
ed  ;  such  a  secret  was  it  for  ages.  But, 

(2.)  It  is  now  made  manifest.  The  veil 
is  rent,  the  shadows  of  evening  are  done 
away,  and  life  and  immortality  are  brought 
to  light  by  the  Gospel,  and  the  Sun  of  right¬ 
eousness  is  risen  on  the  world.  But  how  is 
it  made  manifest  by  the  scriptures  of  the 
prophets  ?  Surely,  because  now  the  event 
hasjgiven  the  best  exposition  to  the  prophe¬ 
cies  of  the  O.  T.  If  the  N.T.  explains  the 
Old,  the  O.  T.  very  much  illustrates  the 
New.  Thus  the  O.  T.  prophets  prophesy 
again,  now  their  prophecies  are  fulfilled,  be¬ 
fore  many  people,  and  nations,  and  tongues. 
Rev.  10:  11. 

(3.)  It  is  manifested  according  to  the  com¬ 
mandment  of  the  everlasting  God,  the  pur¬ 
pose,  counsel,  and  decree  of  God  from  eter¬ 
nity  ;  and  the  commission  and  appointment 
given  first  to  Christ,  and  then  to  the  apos¬ 
tles,  in  the  fulness  of  time.  The  attribute 
of  eternity  is  here  given  to  God  very  emphat¬ 
ically.  He  is  from  everlasting,  to  everlast¬ 
ing.  Christ  in  the  Gospel,  is  the  same  yes¬ 
terday,  to-day,  and  for  ever. 

(4.)  It  is  made  known  to  all  nations  for  the 
obedience  of  faith.  The  extent  of  this  reve¬ 
lation  he  often  takes  notice  of ;  that  where¬ 
as  hitherto  in  Judah  only  God  was  known, 
now  Christ  is  Salvation  to  the  ends  of  the 
earth,  to  all  nations. 

II.  A  doxology  to  that  God  whose  Gos¬ 
pel  it  is  ;  ascribing  glory  to  Him  for  ever, 
v.  27.  acknowledging  that  He  is  a  glorious 
God,  and  adoring  Him  accordingly,  with  the 
most  awful  affections  ;  desiring  and  longing 
to  be  at  this  work  with  the  holy  angels, 
where  we  shall  be  doing  it  to  eternity. 

The  Mediator  of  this  praise  is  Jesus 
Christ.  To  God  only  wise  through  Jesus 
Christ  ;  so  some.  1 1  is  in  and  through 
Christ,  that  God  is  manifested  to  the  world 
as  the  only  wise  God  ;  for  He  is  the  Wis¬ 
dom  of  God,  and  the  Power  of  God.  Or, 
rather,  as  vve  read  it,  glory  through  Jesus 
Christ.  All  glory  that  passes  from  fallen  man 
to  God,  so  as  to  be  accepted  of  Him,  must  go 
through  the  hands  of  the  Lord  Jesus. 


PR.\CT.  OBS.  True  religion  teaches  men  humblv  and  frankly  to  ac¬ 
knowledge  their  obligations,  even  to  those  who  In  many  respects  are 
their  inferiors. — If  an  apostle  so  kindly  remembered  each  of  those,  who 
had  1  bestowed  labor  upon  him  much  more  will  the  Lord  remember  all 
the  services  which  have  been  performed  from  love  to  Him  anil  the  Gos¬ 
pel.  {Mat-  10  43 — 42.  25:34 — 40.  Heb.  6:9,  10.) — Seniority  in  faith  gives 
a  real  precedency  :  anti  the  bonds  of  grace  are  nearer  than  those  of  na¬ 
ture. — Christ  ts  as  much  present  in  the  family-worship  of  those,  who 
meet  in  his  name,  as  in  the  more  public  assemblies  of  his  saints.  Be¬ 
lievers  are  often  found  in  those  families,  of  which  the  principals  are  un¬ 
converted  ;  and  they  should  perform  their  several  relative  duties  with 
cheerfulness,  and  a  deference  to  their  superiors,  though  strangers  to  the 

V.  21.  ‘Paul,  after  closing  with  the  usual  formula,  at  the  end  of  an 
epistle,  in  v.  17.  here,  having  opportunity  to  add  more,  subjoins  anoth¬ 
er  postscript.’  Bloomf. 

V.  23.  Gains.)  ‘  Not  of  Derbe,  Acts  19:29,  20;  but  probably  the  one, 
1  Cor.  14,  afterwards,  (so  driven)  bishop  of  Thessalonica.  Host.)  Per¬ 
mitting  them  to  assemble  at  his  house  :  so  the  best  comtrs.  Chamber- 
lain.)  Oikonomos  :  city-treasurer  or  steward  ;  an  office  of  great  dignity. 
See  Jos.,  Id. 

V.  24.  ‘  Added  by  Paul’s  own  hand,  as  was  his  custom.’  Jaspis. 

V.  25—27.  Bv  ‘  the  only  wise  God,’  we  must  understand  the  Deitv, 

[256] 


grace  of  God  ;  1  Tim.  6:1 — 5.  1  Pet.  2:18 — 25.  nor  are  they,  on  account  of 
their  low  condition,  less  regarded  or  beloved  by  the  Lord,  or  by  his  faith¬ 
ful  and  zealous  ministers. — In  order  to  maintain  our  communion  with  the 
Lord  and  with  his  saints  uninterrupted  ;  those  persons  must  be  marked 
with  decided  disapprobation,  and  avoided,  who  aim  to  prejudice  believers 
against  each  other,  to  draw  them  off  from  faithful  pastors,  or  to  seduce 
them  into  strange  doctrines,  contrary'  to  the  simple  truths  of  God’s  Word. 
For,  notwithstanding  their  zeal  and  confidence,  as  if  they  alone  were  the 
servants  of  Christ,  they  evidently  do  not  belong  to  our  ‘  Prince  of  Peace;’ 
but  are  the  slaves  of  their  selfish  interests,  sensual  appetites,  or  ambi¬ 
tion. — Every  expression  of  the  most  endeared  affection  should  be  used 
among  believers,  but  in  the  most  pure  and  holy  manner.  Scott. 

without  respect  to  the  distinction  of  Persons ;  or  the  Father,  without 
excluding  the  Son  or  the  Holy  Spirit ;  who,  in  many  scriptures,  are 
shown  to  be  coequal  with  the  Father,  in  all  divine  perfections.  But 
as  the  Godhead  is  revealed  to  us,  in  and  by  the  incarnate  Word,  our  di¬ 
vine  Mediator  ;  so  we  must  in  Him  see  the  glory  of  God,  and  our  ado¬ 
ration  and  worship  must  in  the  same  way  be  presented.  Scott. 

(25.)  Mystery.]  1  Of  the  Gentiles’  reception  without  the  law  :  a  doc¬ 
trine  of  greater  importance  than  any  of  the  heathen  “  mysteries  :”  yet 
like  them  hitherto  kept  secret.’  Maclcn.  ‘Kept  silent  in  tiucient  times.’ 
St.  ‘  For  a  very  long  time,’  Grot.  tr.  Ed. 


CORINTH. 


AN  EXPOSITION 

OF  THE 

FIRST  EPISTLE  OF 

PAUL  TO  THE  CORINTHIANS, 

WITH 


PRACTICAL  OBSERVATIONS  AND  NOTES. 

(Henry* s  Exposition ,  completed,  by  Mr.  Simon  Brown.) 


Corinth  *  was  a  place  of  great  trade,  and  it  is  not  to  be  wondered  at,  if  a  place  so  famous  for  wealth  and  arts  should  be 
infamous  for  vice.  It  was  particularly  noted  for  fornication,  insomuch  that  a  Corinthian  woman  was  a  proverbial  phrase  for 
a  strumpet,  and,  to  play  the  Corinthian ,  was  to  play  the  whore,  or  indulge  whorish  inclinations.  Yet  in  this  lewd  city  did 
Paul,  by  the  blessing  of  God  on  his  labors,  plant  and  raise  a  Christian  church,  chiefly  among  the  Gentiles,  as  seems  very 
probable  from  the  history  of  this  matter,  Acts  18:1 — 18.  compared  with  some  passages  in  this  epistle,  particularly  ch.  12:2. 
though  it  is  not  improbable  many  Jewish  converts  might  be  also  among  them ;  for  we  are  told,  that  Crispus,  the  chief  ruler 
of  the  synagogue,  believed  on  the  Lord,  with  all  his  house,  Acts  18:8.  He  continued  in  this  city  near  two  years,  as  is 
plain  from  Acts  18:11,  18.  and  labored  with  great  success,  being  encouraged  by  a  divine  vision, assuring  him  God  hadmuch 
people  in  that  city,  Acts  18:9,  10.  Nor  did  he  use  to  stay  long  in  a  place,  where  his  ministry  met  not  with  acceptance  and 
success. 

Some  time  after  he  left  them,  he  wrote  this  epistle  to  them,!  to  rectify  some  gross  disorders,  which  during  his  absence 
had  been  introduced,  partly  from  the  interest  some  false  teacher  or  teachers  had  obtained  amongst  them,  and  partly  from  the 
leaven  of  their  old  maxims  and  manners,  that  had  not  been  thoroughly  purged  out  by  the  Christian  principles  they  had 
entertained.  Pride,  avarice,  luxury,  lust,  (the  natural  offspring  of  a  carnal  and  corrupt  mind,)  are  all  fed  and  prompted  by 
outward  affluence.  And  with  all  thes6,  either  the  body  of  this  people,  or  some  particular  persons  among  them,  are  here 


*  ‘Corinth  is  situated  on  the  verge  of  a  plain  (spread  with  15  ruinous 
villages),  somewhat  elevated,  and  at  a  little  distance  from  the  southern 
extremity  of  the  gulf,  hearing  its  name.  Its  situation  enabled  it  to  avail 
itself  of  the  commerce  of  the  Saronic  and  Corinthian  gulfs,  and  of  the 
JEgean  and  Adriatic  seas,  and,  anciently,  it  was  the  mart  both  of  Europe 
ami  Asia.  Being  the  most  commercial  and  richest,  it  became  the  m  >st 
dissolute  of  the  Grecian  cities.  Upon  this  celebrated  city  the  cup  of 
cursing  has  long  since  been  wrung  out  to  its  very  dregs.  Captured, 
plundered,  and  devastated,  successively,  by  Roman,  Goth,  Hun,  and  Turk, 
it  was  reduced,  before  the  revolution,  to  about  1000  Greek  and  300  Turk¬ 
ish  houses.  (Turner.)  During  the  revolution,  lying  as  it  did,  in  the 
highway  of  both  Turk  ami  Greek,  on  entering  or  leaving  the  Morea,  (the 
isthmus  is  only  -4  to  6  miles  acioss,  in  its  narrowest  part,)  and  being  the 
seat  of  a  civil  broil,  it  was  pillaged  and  wasted  by  every  party,  and  we 
found  it  a  more  perfect  desolation,  than  almost  any  other  modern  city  in 
Greece.  Ot  six  churches,  the  walls  of  one  only  were  entire,  and  with 
tlie  strictest  truth  may  it  be  said,  that  not  one  private  dwelling  escaped 
destruction.  The  streets  were  obstructed  by  ruins  or  rank  weeds.  150 
or  200  families  seek  a  shelter  among  the  ruins  of  the  city.  But  as  both 
citadel  and  city  are  abundantly  supplied  with  water,  its  position  xvill 
help  it  to  the  first  place,  among  the  cities  of  modern  Greece.  From  the 
foundations  of  a  temple,  on  the  highest  point  of  the  isolated  mountain 
on  the  S.  W.,  (shooting  a  thousand  feet  above  the  city,  where  stands  the 
citadel,  called  the  Acrocorinthus,)  we  had  one  of  the  finest  prospects  in 
the  world.  Regarding  only  the  mere  natural  scenery,  Hie  mountains, 
plains,  seas,  and  islands,  there  is  a  charm,  which  no  man,  giflcd  with 
reason  and  taste,  can  fail  to  perceive,  or  can  perceive  without  admira¬ 
tion.  But  how  many  pages  of  interesting  recollections,  historical, 
(scriptural,!  and  classical,  does  a  single  glance  here  call  up  to  the  mind 
of  the  scholar  !  Every  object  seems  a  volume  ; — the  isthmus  of  Corinth, 
with  its  games,  and  wall,  and  the  numerous  armies  and  barbaric  hordes 
that  have  crossed  it, — the  Saronic  gulf,  and  .Egina,  and  “  unconquered 
Salamis,” — the  Athenian  acropolis,  like  a  speck,  at  the  fool  of  mount 
Iiymettus, — the  mountains  of  Attica,  and  others,  great  in  song,  round  to 
N.  T.  VOL.  V.  33 


the  long  and  lofty  ridge  of  which  Parnassus  is  a  part, — the  site,  and 
plain,  and  gulf  of  Corinth, — the  road  to  Nemea.  to  Myceme,  to  Argos, 
now  seldom  trod, — and  the  mountains  of  Arcadia  and  Achaia,  with 
Cyllene,  towering  in  snowy  majesty  above  them  all  !’  Dr.  Anderson. 

f  It  is  most  evident,  that  the  epistle  was  wrilten  by  the  apostle,  when 
residing  at  or  near  Ephesus,  anil  some  lime  before  he  left  that  city  :  — 
16:5 — 9.  learned  men  generally  calculate,  about  A.  D.  55,  50,  or  57. — 
1  In  the  9th  year  of  Claudius,  sailh  Orosius,  in  the  10th  say  others,  in  the 
12th  says  Dr.  Pearson,  the  Jews  were  banished  from  Rome;  and  Paul, 
coining  to  Corinth,  finds  Aquila  nnd  Priscilla  newly  come  from  thence 
to  Corinth  on  that  occasion.  Acts  18:2.  lie  stays  there  a  year  and  a 
half  (1 1  ;)  ...  at  Ephesus  3  years,  Acts  20:31.  and  at  the  close  of  these  3 
years,  he  writes  this  epistle.  ..  If,  with  Dr.  Pearson,  you  begin  them 
only  at  the  12th  of  Claudius,  they  will  end  ill  the  3d  of  Nero,  A.  D.  57.’ 
Whitby.  But  this  learned  writer  has  allowed  no  time  for  the  apostle’s 
voyage,  and  journey  to  Jerusalem,  and  his  progi>ess  through  the  churches 
of  Syria,  Galatia,  and  other  parts  of  Asia  Minor  :  and  the  same  oversight 
has  been  fallen  into  by  most  of  those,  whom  the  author  has  had  the  op¬ 
portunity  of  consulting,  who  date  the  epistle  so  early. — ‘  A.  D.  54.  Paul 
at  Corinth,  meets  with  Aquila  and  Priscilla.  ...  A.  D.  56.  Paul  departs 
from  Corinth,  and  pnsseth  to  Ephesus;  thence  he  sets  out  towards  Je¬ 
rusalem,  ...  he  lands  at  Cesarea,  goes  down  to  Antioch,  and  comes  into 
the  regions  of  Galatia  and  Phrygia,  confirming  the  disciples  in  all  these 
places. — A.  D.  57.  Paul  returns  to  Ephesus.  ..  .  A.  D.  60.  About  this 
time  a  schism  ariseth  in  the  church  at  Corinth,  which  causeth  Paul, 
(now  in  or  about  Ephesus,)  to  write  his  First  Epistle  to  the  Corinthians.’ 
Jmlex  to  4 to  Oxf.  Bib.,  1794.  This  index  seems  to  place  the  writing  of 
the  epistle  subsequent  to  the  tumult  at  Ephesus,  which  it  certainly  was 
not.  Notes,  16:5 — 9  2  Cor.  1:8— 11.  It  could  not,  however,  be  written 
long  before  the  apostle  left  Ephesus;  and  probably  the  index,  above 
quoted,  does  not  allow  too  much  time,  for  the  apostle’s  progress  from 
Jerusalem  to  Ephesus.  Acts  18:18 — 23.  19:8 — 12.  This  computation, 
therefore,  the  author  has  fixed  on,  as  more  satisfactory  than  any  other 
which  he  has  seen. 


A.  D.  60. 


1  CORINTHIANS;  I.  Introduction  to  the  epistle . 


charged  by  the  apostle.  Thei t pride  discovered  itself  in  their  factions,  and  the  n'otorious  disorders  they  committed  in  the 
exercise  of  their  spiritual  gifts.  And  this  vice  was  not  wholly  fed  by  their  wealth,  but  by  the  insight  they  had  into  the 
Greek  learning  and  philosophy.  Some  of  the  ancients  tell  us,  the  city  abounded  with  rhetoricians  and  philosophers;  men 
naturally  vain,  full  of  self-conceit,  and  apt  to  despise  the  plain  doctrine  of  the  Gospel,  because  it  did  not  feed  the  curiosity 
of  an  inquisitive  and  disputing  temper,  nor  please  the  ear  with  artful  speeches,  and  a  flow  of  fine  words.*  Their  avarice 
was  manifest  in  their  lawsuits  and  litigations  about  mine ,  and  thine,  before  heathen  judges.  Their  luxury  appealed  in 
more  instances  than  one,  in  their  dress,  in  their  debauching  themselves  even  at  the  Lord’s  table,  where  the  rich,  who  were 
most  faulty  on  this  account,  were  guilty  also  of  a  very  proud  and  criminal  contempt  of  their  poor  brethren.  Their  lust 
broke  out  in  a  most  flagrant  and  infamous  instance,  such  as  had  not  been  named  among  the  Gentiles,  nor  spoken  of  without 
detestation, — that  a  man  should  have  his  father’s  wife,  either  as  his  wife,  or  so  as  to  commit  fornication  with  her.  This 
indeed  seems  to  ha  ve  been  the  fault  of  a  particular  person ;  but  the  whole  church  were  to  blame,  that  they  had  this  crime  in 
no  greater  abhorrence,  that  they  could  endure  one  of  such  very  corrupt  morals,  and  of  so  flagitious  a  behavior,  among  them. 
And  it  is  plain  from  other  passages  of  the  epistle,  that  they  were  not  so  entirely  free  from  their  former  lewd  inclinations,  as 
not  to  need  very  strict  cautions  and  strong  arguments  against  fornication  :  see  ch.  6:9 — 20.  The  pride  of  their  learning  had 
also  carried  many  of  them  so  far,  as  to  disbelieve  or  dispute  against  the  doctrine  of  the  resurrection. 

It  is  manifest  from  this  state  of  things,  that  there  was  much  that  deserved  reprehension,  and  needed  correction,  in  this 
church.  And  the  apostle,  under  the  direction  and  influence  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  sets  himself  to  do  both  with  all  wisdom  and 
faithfulness,  and  with  a  due  mixture  of  tenderness  and  authority,  as  became  one  in  so  elevated  and  important  a  station  in 
the  church,  f  Henrv. 

‘  It  appears,  that  this  letter  to  the  Corinthians  was  written  by  Paul,  in  answer  to  one  he  had  received  from  them,  (7:1.) 
and  that  the  seventh,  and  some  of  the  following  cns.,  are  taken  up  in  resolving  certain  doubts,  and  regulating  certain  points  of 
order,  concerning  which  the  Corinthians  had  .  .  .  consulted  him.  . .  .  Though  .  . .  they  had  written  to  Paul,  requesting  his 
answer  and  directions,  in  these  points  ;,they  had  not  said  one  syllable  about  the  enormities  and  disorders  which  had  crept  in 
among  them,  and  in  the  blame  of  which  they  all  shared  ;  but  his  information  concerning  these  irregularities  had  come 
round  to  him  from  other  quarters,  ...  by  more  private  intelligence.’  Paley.  The  epistle  was  therefore  written,  not  only  as 
an  answer  to  the  inquiries  of  the  Corinthians  by  letter;  but  in  order  to  oppose,  and  if  it  could  be,  terminate  the  various 
corruptions,  in  doctrine  and  practice,  which  prevailed,  to  subvert  the  influence  of  the  false  teachers,  and  to  re-establish  the 
apostle’s  own  authority  in  that  church.  By  general  truths,  he,  with  great  address  and  prudence,  made  way  for  a  more  direct 
and  particular  opposition  to  the  several  gross  irregularities  and  dangerous  mistakes,  into  which  they  had  been  seduced.  He 
stated  the  truth  and  will  of  God  in  various  particulars,  with  great  energy  of  argument  and  animation  of  style ;  he  satisfac¬ 
torily  resolved  the  several  questions  which  had  been  proposed  to  him;  he,  with  great  tenderness  and  wisdom,  intermixed 
exhortations  and  directions  with  his  other  subjects;  and  he  concluded  with  affectionate  and  pathetic  prayers  for  them. — 
Though  this  epistle  is  not  so  systematic  as  that  of  the  Romans,  it  is  replete  with  instruction,  and  contains  the  fullest  and 
most  interesting  declaration  and  demonstration  of  the  resurrection  of  the  believers,  in  consequence  of  the  resurrection  of 
their  Lord,  which  is  anywhere  to  be  found. — The  epistle  contains  no  express  prophecies;  but  nothing  can  exceed  the 
decided  claim  to  divine  inspiration,  which  the  writer  advances.  2:6 — 13.  He  either,  therefore,  claimed  what  he  was  not 
entitled  to  ;  or  his  epistles  are  not  only  genuine  and  authentic,  but  divinely  inspired,  [  ( Prcf .  to  the  Epistles.)  Scott. 


*  For  a  vast  number  of  classical  citations,  on  the  character  of  the  Co¬ 
rinthians,  corresponding  with  this  epistle,  see  Wetstein ,  who  says,  ‘  they 
were  not  less  remarkable  for  lasciviousness,  than  wealth,  and  the  study 
of  philosophy.’  Bloomf. 

t  Ros.  thus  neatly  arranges  the  various  subjects  of  this  epistle.  1 1. 
The  dissensions  which  had  arisen  among  the  Corinthians,  and  the  pride 
of  those  engaged  therein,  the  apostle  sharply  rebukes,  and  exhorts  them 
to  concord,  ch.  1 — 4.  II.  A  reproof,  because  of  an  incestuous  person  not 
having  been  expelled  from  the  society,  ch.  5. ;  and  III.  because  of  the 
quarrelsome  and  litigious  spirit  to  which  many  were,  in  a  manner,  en¬ 
slaved,  6:1 — 11.  IV.  The  apostle  admonishes  them  to  abstain  from  for¬ 
nication,  and  not  to  abuse  the  Christian  liberty,  6:12 — 20.  He  answets 
various  questions  put  to  him  by  the  Corinthians,  and  treats,  V.  of  Chris¬ 


tian  matrimony  ;  ch.  7  ;  tot.  VI.  of  idoiothyta,  8:1 — 11:2.  ;  VII.  of  wo¬ 
men  making  their  appearance  veiled  at  the  congregations  of  Christians, 
11:2 — 16.;  VIII.  of  the  Lord’s  Supper,  11:17 — 34.;  IX.  of  the  gifts  of 
the  Holy  Spirit,  chs.  12.  13.  14.;  X.  of  the  resurrection  of  the  dead, 
ch.  15.;  Anally,  XI.  of  the  collecting  of  alms  in  the  church,  ch.  16.’ 

Ed. 

[  1  The  genuineness  of  1  Cor.  was  never  doubted.  It  was  cited,  or 
alluded  to,  repeatedly,  by  Clement  of  Rome,  Ignatius,  and  Polycarp,  in 
the  1st  cent.  :  in  the  following  cent,  by  Tatian,  Irenteus,  Athenagoras, 
and  Clement  of  Alexandria.  In  the  3d  cent,  this  epistle  was  acknowl¬ 
edged  to  be  Paul’s,  by  Tertullian,  Caius,  and  Origeu.  The  testimonies 
of  later  writers  are  loo  numerous  and  explicit,  to  render  any  detail  of 
them  necessary.’  IIoiine. 


CHAP.  I. 

1  After  his  salutation  and  thanksgiving,  10  he  exhorteth 
them  to  unity,  and  12  reproveth  their  dissensions.  18 
God  destroyeth  the  wisdom  of  the  wise,  21  by  the  foolish¬ 
ness  of  preaching,  and  26  calleth  not  the  wise,  mighty, 
and  noble,  but  27,  28  the  foolish,  weak,  and  men  of  no 
account, 

PAUL,  called  1  to  he  an  apostle  of 
Jesus  Christ,  through  the  will 
of  God,  and  Sosthenes  b  our  brother, 
2  Unto  the  church  of  God  which 
is  at  c  Corinth,  to  them  d  that  are 
sanctified  ein  Christ  Jesus,  called 
{ to  be  saints,  with  all  that  in  every 
place  call  *  upon  the  name  of  Jesus 
Christ  our  Lord,  both  theirs  and 
ours  : 

k  R"  14.  d  Jude  I.  1:15. 

b  Ac.  18:17.  e  .In  17:19.  v  2  Ti.  2:22. 

c  Ac.  18:1,  &c.  f  2  Ti.  1:9.  1  Pc. 


Chap.  I.  V.  1 — 9.  In  this  preface  to 
the  whole  epistle,  notice, 

I.  The  inscription  ;  in  which,  according 
to  the  custom  of  writing  letters  then,  the 
name  of  the  person  by  whom,  and  the  per¬ 
sons  to  whom  it  was  written,  are  both  in¬ 
serted. 

1.  It  is  from  Paul,  the  apostle  of  the  Gen¬ 
tiles,  to  the  church  of  Corinth,  which  him¬ 
self  had  planted,  though  there  were  some 
among  them,  that  now  questioned  his  apos- 
tleship,  ch.  9-  1,  2.  and  vilified  his  ministry, 
2  Cor.  10:  10.  The  most  faithful  and  use- 
fid  ministers  are  not  secure  from  this  con¬ 
tempt.  He  begins  with  challenging  this 
character.  It  was  proper  at  any  time,  but 
faithfulness  to  his  trust  made  it  necessary  at 
this,  when  false  teachers  made  a  merit  of 
running  him  down,  and  their  giddy  and  de¬ 
luded  followers  were  so  apt  to  set  them  up 


in  competition  with  him.  And  to  make  this 
more  fully  appear,  he  joins  Sosthenes,  a 
minister  of  a  lower  rank,  not  a  fellow-apos¬ 
tle,  but  a  fellow-minister  :  once  a  ruler  of 
a  Jewish  synagogue,  afterward  a  convert  to 
Christianity  :  a  Corinthian  by  birth,  as  is 
most  probable,  and  dear  to  this  people  ;  for 
which  reason,  Paul,  to  ingratiate  himself 
with  them,  joins  him  with  himself  in  his 
first  salutations.  Paul  did  not  in  any  case 
lessen  his  apostolical  authority,  yet  he  was 
ready  on  all  occasions  to  do  a  kind  and  con¬ 
descending  thing,  for  their  good,  to  whom  he 
ministered. 

2.  The  persons  to  whom  this  epistle  was 
directed,  are,  the  church  of  God  that  was  at 
Corinth ,  sanctified  in  Christ  Jesus,  and  called 
to  be  saints.  AU  Christians  are  thus  far 
sanctified  in  Christ  Jesus, — that  they  are 
by  baptism  dedicated  and  devoted  to  Him, 


NOTES.  Chap.  I.  V.  2.  The  passage,  [calling  upon  the  name,  &c.| 

shows  how  inseparable  the  invocation  of  Christ  was,  front  the  profession 
of  Christianity,  in  those  clays.  Acts  2:14— 21.  9:10—14.  Rom.  10:5— 11. 
Some  would  indeed  render  it,  ‘those,  who  are  called  by  the  name  of  the 
Lord  Jesus ;  ’  but  it  is  evidently  inconsistent  with  the  proper  construc¬ 
tion  of  the  Or.  language,  thus  to  render  it;  and  this  interpretation,  we 
may  confidently  assert,  would  never  have  been  adopted,  if  the  previous 
opposition  of  men's  minds  to  the  divine  adoration  of  Chrischad  not 
induced  them  to  have  recourse  to  it ;  though  it  must  he  allowed  that 
some  have  favored  it,  who  by  no  means  denied  the  Deity  of  Christ. — To 
them  that  are  sane t'fied,  ,tc.  (2.)  To  explain  the  terms  ‘sanctified,’ 
and  ‘saints,’  as  Implying  no  more  than  the  profession  of  Christianity, 
and  including  all  nominal  Christians,  as  many  learned  men  do,  would 
enervate  the  language  of  the  apostle,  and  confound  the  distinction  be¬ 
tween  the  form  and  the  power  of  godliness,  which  it  is  his  grand  object 
to  maintain.  No  doubt  there  were  unconverted  persons,  in  the  several 
churches,  even  in  those  days;  but  the  apostles  addressed  their  epistles 
to  the  collective  body,  according  to  their  profession  ;  thus  teaching  them 
what  that  profession  implied  ;  but  if  they  were  not  truly  saints,  they 
were  no  more  intended,  than  if  they  had  not  been  called  Christians. 
The  arguments  by  which  these  learned  writers  support  their  opinion, 

[253] 


would  equally  prove,  that  the  worst  persons  in  the  church  Ht  Corinth, 
xvere  indeed  ‘  the  temple  of  the  Holy  Spirit,’  the  ‘  temple  of  the  living 
God,’  and  entitled  to  all  spiritual  and  eternal  blessings,  equally  with  true 
believers.  3:16.  6:11,19.  2  Cor.  6:16. — ‘  Even  here  from  the  beginning 
he  lays  the  foundation  of  his  future  reasoning  ;  for  if  the  Corinthians,  and 
all  other  believers,  were  called  by  one  God,  and  sanctified  in  one  Christ; 
if  they  all  had,  and  owned,  the  same  Lord  ;  whence  did  the  dissensions 
arise  and  get  strength  among  them,  as  if  Christ  was  divided  ?’  Rezo. 
‘The  disciples  were  first  called  Christians  at  Antioch.  Now,  before  this 
time,  we  find  not  only  Stephen  ratlins  on  this  name,  and  saving,  “  Lord 
Jesus,  receive  mv  spirit  ;”  and  Paul  hid  “  to  wash  away  his  silts,  calling 
on  the  name  of  the  Lord  ;  ” . . .  hut  Ananias  speaks  to  the  Lord  Jesus,  of 
Paul,  “He  hath  authority  from  the  high  priest,  to  hind  ail  that  call  on 
thy  name;”  and  of  him  it  is  said,  “He  destroyed  them  that  called  on 
this  name  in  Jerusalem.” — Dr.  Hammond,  who  here  tr.  this  phrase  pas¬ 
sively,  doth  elsewhere  tr.  it  actively,  the  context  forcing  him  so  to  do. 
So  Rom.  10:13.  “  Whosoever  shall  call  on  the  name  of  the  Lord  ;  ”  i.e. 

pray  and  adhere  to  Christ - And  Acts  9:14.  “He  hath  anthoritv  to 

bind  all  that  call  upon  thy  name;”  i.  e.  saith  he,  that  publicly  own’the 
worship  of  Christ.’  Whitby.  Scott. 

(2.)  ‘  To  the  body  or  assembly  of  Christians  resident  at  Corinth. 


A.  D.  GO. 


1  CORINTHIANS,  I.  Paul  commends  and  exhorts  the  Corinthians. 


3  Grace  h  be  unto  you,  and  peace, 
from  God  our  Father,  and  from  the 
Lord  Jesus  Christ. 

4  I  thank  '  my  God  always  on 
your  behalf,  for  the  grace  of  God 
which  is  given  you  by  Jesus  Christ; 

5  That  in  every  thing  ye  are  en¬ 
riched  by  him,  in  all  J  utterance, 
and  in  all  knowledge  ; 

6  Even  as  the  testimony  of  Christ 
was  confirmed  in  you. 

7  So  that  ye  come  behind  in  no 
gift;  waiting  k  for  the  'coming  of 
our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  : 

8  Who  shall  also  confirm  m  you 
unto  the  end,  that  ye  may  be  blame¬ 
less  in  the  day  of  our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ. 

9  God  is  faithful,  by  whom  ye 
were  called  unto  the  fellowship  “of 
his  Son  Jesus  Christ  our  Lord. 

10  Now  I  beseech  you,  brethren, 
by  the  name  of  our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ,  0  that  ye  all  speak  the  same 
thing,  and  that  there  be  no  p  divi¬ 
sions  among  you  ;  but  that  ye  be 
perfectly  joined  together  in  the 
same  mind,  and  in  the  same  judg¬ 
ment. 

hlPe  1:2.  5:12.  n  1  In.  1:5. 

i  Ro.  1:8.  1  revelation.  o  2  Co.  13:11. 

2  Co.  8:7.  ml  Th.  3:13.  1  Ps.  3:8. 

Tit.  2:13.  2  Pe.  5:23,24.  p  echisms. 

they  are  under  strict  obligations  to  be  holy, 
nnd  they  make  profession  of  real  sanctity. 
It  is  the  design  of  Christianity  to  sanctify 
us  in  Christ.  In  conjunction  with  the  church 
at  Corinth,  he  directs  the  epistle  to  nil  that 
in  evert/  place  call  on  the  name  of  Christ 
Jesus  our  Lord,  both  theirs  and  ours.  Hereby 
Christians  are  distinguished  from  the  pro¬ 
fane  and  atheistical, — that  they  dare  not  live 


without  prayer  :  and  from  Jews  and  Pagans, 
— that  they  call  on  the  name  of  Christ.  Ob¬ 
serve,  In  every  place,  in  the  Christian 
world,  some  call  on  the  name  of  Christ,  a 
remnant  in  all  places  ;  and  we  should  hold 
communion  with  all  that  do  so. 

II.  The  apostolical  benediction  ;  Grace  be 
to  you,  and  peace,  from  God- our  Father,  and 
from  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  This  blessing 
every  preacher  of  the  Gospel  should  heartily 
wish  and  pray  may  be  the  lot  of  all  among 
whom  he  ministers.  Grace  and  peace  ;  the 
favor  of  God,  and  reconciliation  to  Him.  It 
is  indeed  the  summary  of  all  blessings.  The 
Lord  lift  up  his  countenance  upon  thee,  and 
give  thee  peace,  was  the  form  of  benediction 
under  the  O.  T.,  Num.  6:26.  but  this  ad¬ 
vantage  we  have  by  the  Gospel,  1.  That 
we  are  directed  how  to  obtain  that  peace 
from  God  :  it  is  in  anti  by  Christ.  2.  We 
nre  told  what  must  qualify  us  for  this  peace  ; 
namely,  grace. 

III.  The  apostle’s  thanksgiving.  Paul 
begins  most  of  his  epistles  with  thanksgiv¬ 
ing  to  God  for  his  friends,  and  prayer  for 
them.  The  best  way  of  manifesting  our  af¬ 
fection  to  our  friends,  is,  by  praying  and 
giving  thanks  for  them.  It  is  one  branch 
of  the  communion  of  saints,  to  give  thanks 
to  God  mutually  for  our  gifts,  graces,  and 
comforts.  He  gives  thanks,  1.  For  their 
conversion  to  the  faith  of  Christ;  that  grace 
was  given  them  by  Jesus  Christ,  v.  4.  He  is 
the  great  Procurer  and  Disposer  of  the  fa¬ 
vors  of  God.  2.  For  the  abundance  of  their 
spiritual  gifts  ;  this  the  church  of  Corinth 
was  famous  for,  v.  7.  He  specifies  utterance 
and  knowledge,  v.  5.  Many  have  utterance, 
that  have  not  knowledge  ;  others  have 
knowledge,  but  want  utterance  to  employ 
it.  But  where  God  gives  both,  a  man  is 
qualified  for  eminent  usefulness.  When  the 
church  of  Corinth  was  enriched  with  all  ut¬ 
terance,  and  all  knowledge,  it  was  fit  a  large 
tribute  of  praise  should  be  rendered  to  God  ; 
especially  when  these  gifts  were  a  testimony 


to  the  truth  of  the  Christian  doctrine,  a  confir¬ 
mation  of  the  testimony  of  Christ  am  mg  them, 
v.  6.  And  it  is  no  wonder,  that,  when  tliev  had 
such  foundation  for  their  faith,  they  should 
live  in  expectation  of  the  coming  of  their 
Lord  Jesus  Christ,  v.  7.  It  is  the  character 
of  Christians,  that  they  wait  for  Christ’s 
second  coming  ;  all  our  religion  hath  regard 
to  that  :  we  believe  it,  and  hope  fur  it,  and 
it  is  the  business  of  our  lives  to  prepare  for 
it,  if  we  are  Christians  indeed.  And  the 
more  confirmed  we  are  in  the  Christian  faith, 
the  more  firm  is  our  belief  of  our  Lord’s 
second  coming,  and  the  more  earnest  our 
expectation  of  it. 

IV.  Of  the  encouraging  hopes  the  apos¬ 
tle  had  of  them,  for  the  time  to  come,  founded 
on  the  power  and  love  of  Christ,  and  the 
faithfulness  of  God,  v.  8,  9.  Those  that 
wait  for  the  coming  of  Christ,  will  be  kept 
by  Him,  and  confirmed  to  the  end  ;  and 
those  that  are  so,  will  be  blameless  in  the  day 
of  Christ  ;  not  on  the  foot  of  strict  justice, 
but  gracious  absolution ;  not  in  rigor  of  law, 
but  from  rich  and  free  grace.  How  desira¬ 
ble  is  it  to  be  confirmed  and  kept  of  Christ 
for  such  a  purpose  as  this  !  How  glorious 
are  the  hopes  of  such  a  privilege,  whether 
for  ourselves  or  others  !  To  be  kept,  by  the 
power  of  Christ,  from  the  power  of  our  own 
corruptions  and  Satan’s  temptations,  that 
we  may  appear  without  blame  in  the  great 
day  !  O  glorious  expectation,  especially 
when  the  faithfulness  of  God  comes  in  to 
support  our  hopes  !  He  who  hath  called  us 
into  the  fellowship  of  his  Son,  is  faithful,  and 
will  do  it,  1  Thess.  5:  24. 

V.  10 — 13.  Here  the  apostle  enters  on  his 
subject. 

I.  He  exhorts  them  to  unity  and  brotherly 
love,  and  reproves  them  for  their  divisions. 
He  writes  to  them  in  a  very  engaging  way  ; 

*  I  beseech  you,  brethren,  by  the  name  of  our 
Lord  Jesus  Christ  ;  If  you  have  any  regard 
to  that  dear  and  worthy  name  by  which  you 
are  called,  be  unanimous  :  avoid  divisions  or 


Sanctified ..  called,  <fcc.]  Both  these  expressions  are  designations  of 
Christians,  and  used  (with  reference  to  the  phraseology  of  the  O.  T.)  of 
those  who  are  separated  from  the  bulk  of  the  heathens,  and  set  apart 
for  religious  and  holy  purposes,  for  the  profession  of  true  religion.  See 
Dent.  7:6.  14:2.  Benson  on  1  Pet.  1:2,  and  Bp.  Lowth  on  Is.  13:3.  By 
klitoi  [called],  are  denoted  Christians,  those  xvho,  being  called,  obeyed 
the  call,  and  were  thus  placed  in  a  state  of  salvation.  The  Jews  (Krause 
obs.)  cnlled  themselves  mqay  yhoh,  the  peculiar  people  of  God  ;  and 
therefore  this  is,  by  Paul,  especially  applied  to  Christians.  See  Rom. 
1:7.’  Bloo.wf. 

V.  3.  ‘Is  not  this  to  desire  for  them  grace  and  peace  from  God  the 
Father,  and  consequently  to  pray  for  it  ?  Why  therefore  is  it  not  also 
to  desire  the  same  blessings  from  God  the  Son  ?  ’  Whitby  ;  and  conse¬ 
quently  to  pray  for  them.  Scott. 

V.  4 — 9.  (Phil.  1:3 — 8.)  Before  the  apostle  entered  on  the  imme¬ 
diate  subject  of  his  epistle,  he  endeavored  to  conciliate  the  affections 
of  the  Corinthians,  by  calling  to  their  recollection  the  benefits  which 
they  had  derived  from  his  ministry.  He  continually  thanked  God 
on  their  account,  for  having  bestowed  his  grace  upon  them,  through 
Jesus  Christ.  (8)  Blameless,  <fcc.]  ‘He  calls  them  blameless;  not 
xvhom  none  had  ever  blamed,  but  those  whom  none  could  justly 
blame;  i.  e.  those  who  are  in  Christ  Jesus.  Rom.  8:1,  33.’  Beza.  Cer¬ 
tainly  neither  spotless  innocence,  nor  sinless  perfection,  nor  such  a 
tenor  of  conduct  from  their  first  profession  of  Christianity,  as  was 
wholly  unblameable,  could  be  meant ;  for  the  apostle  blames  many 
things  afterwards,  which  were  very  general  among  them  ;  yet  their  re¬ 
newal  to  holiness  seems  intended,  and  their  conduct  as  harmless  and 
blameless,  at  least  equally  with  their  justification.  Epli.  5.22 — 27.  Col. 
1:21 — 23.  ‘God  will  make  good  his  promise, ...  if  you  do  not  fail  your¬ 
selves.’  Hammond.  It  seems,  that  the  system,  which  this  learned 
writer  adopts,  cannot  be  maintained,  without  ‘  adding  to  the  Word  ’  of 
God;  for  he  and  his  coadjutors  frequently  insert  a  clause  of  this  kind, 
ns  if  the  inspired  writers  had  forgotten  it,  and  had  expressed  themselves 
incautiously  !  In  fact,  it  is  an  interpolation,  and  as  such  must  he  re¬ 
jected.  All  professed  Christians,  indeed,  nt  Corinth,  would  not  he  ‘kept 
by  the  power  of  God,  through  faith,  unto  salvation ;  ’  for  some  xvere  not 
true  believers  ;  yet  all  those  whom  the  apostle  especially  addressed, 
xvonld  thus  persevere  ;  namely,  ‘  the  saints,’  even  those  whom  God  had 
‘called  to  the  fellowship  of  his  Son  Jesus  Christ.’  Rom.  8:28 — 39.  Sc. 

(7-)  Gift-]  ‘  Charismata  signifies  not  only  gifts  extraordinary,  but 
also,  and  here  especially,  th e  ordinary  and  general  benefits  of  Christian¬ 
ity  ;  as  the  tranquillity  it  bestows,  and  the  firmness,  constancy,  energy, 
and  progress  in  well  doing  which  it  imparts.’  Ros.  Wailing,  <tc.] 
‘  Expecting  the  revelation,  to  judgment  and  destruction  ;  called  the 
second  advent,  epiphaneia,  &c.  See  2  Thess.  2:8.  1  Tim.  6:14.  2  Tim. 
4:1 — 8  Tit.  2:13.  The  Gr.  [tr.  toai'Hngj  carries  with  it  the  notion  of 
secure,  without  fear.  Comp.  Rom.  8:18.’  Bloomf. 

(8.)  Day,  &  c.]  ‘  I.  e.  of  judgment.  Called.]  Brought  into  the  Chris¬ 
tian  church,  placed  in  the  way  of  salvation :  to  the  end  that  you  might 
be  partakers  of  the  felicity  which  He  has  destined  for  his  Son.’  Bi,. 

V.  10 — IQ.  Considering  the  different  capacities,  educations,  habits, 


and  prejudices  of  mankind,  it  seems  impossible  to  avoid  all  differe'  ce 
of  opinion ;  but  it  is  equally  true,  that  fallen  men  will  never,  on  earth . 
‘love  God  with  all  their  heart,’ and  ‘(heir  neighbors  as  themselves ;  ’ 
yet  the  rule  and  exhortation  must  not  be  changed  on  that  account.  As 
we  have  one  rule,  and  one  standard  of  truth,  and  one  Spirit  to  he  our 
Teacher  ;  so,  in  proportion  to  our  humility,  simplicity,  and  diligence,  we 
come  to  be  of  ‘  one  mind  and  judgment,’  in  the  great  concerns  of  reli¬ 
gion  ;  and  were  we  perfect  in  these  things,  we  should  also  he  perfectly 
united  in  sentiment  and  affection.  Jer.  32.39 — 41.  This  will  be  the 
case  in  heaven;  and  it  will  at  length  he  so  in  a  great  degree  on  earth. 
The  nearer  we  come  to  it,  the  more  we  approximate  to  perfection  ;  ail 
our  divisions  arise  from  a  sinful  cause,  which  must  not  he  excused ;  hut 
while  this  cause  subsists,  we  should  endeavor  to  bear  with  each  other  in 
respect  of  it,  and  so  to  ‘keep  the  unity  of  the  Spirit  in  the  bond  of 
peace.’  Eph.  4:1 — 6.  Phil.  1:27 — 30.  2:1 — 4.  Yet  we  ought  continu¬ 
ally  to  pray  for  the  more  abundant  pouring  out  of  the  Spirit  of  truth  and 
love,  on  ourselves  and  all  our  fellow  Christians,  that  we  may  be  ‘  per¬ 
fectly  joined  together  in  the  same  mind  and  in  the  same  judgment.’  It 
has  been  thought,  with  probability,  that  the  apostle  does  not  mention 
these  names,  as  really  the  heads  of  the  parties  into  which  the  Corin¬ 
thians  had  divided  ;  hut  in  order  more  emphatically  to  mark  the  evil  of 
the  thing  itself,  and  the  absurdity  of  dividing  the  church,  out  of  a  dispo¬ 
sition  inordinately  to  honor  some  particular  teacher;  or  to  despise 
faithful  ministers,  under  pretence  ofhonoring  Christ.  However  respect¬ 
able  the  names  might  be,  which  were  thus  used,  the  thing  was  indefen¬ 
sible;  but  it  would  give  less  umbrage  for  him  to  mention  himself,  Apol- 
los,  and  Cephas,  than  expressly  to  name  the  false  teachers,  who  were 
the  authors  of  the  discord.  (10)  Divisions.]  ‘Schisms.’  11:18.  12:25. 

See  on  Mat.  9:16.  The  word  here  evidently  signifies  ‘divisions,’  among 
persons  who  held  the  same  grand  doctrines,  and  met  together  for  wor¬ 
ship  in  the  same  ordinances.  Thus  ‘schisms,’  as  the  word  is  here  used, 
differed  from  heresies,  which  related  also  to  doctrines.  Jets  28:21,  22. 

Scott. 

(10.)  Divisions.]  ‘  fichismata:  synonymous  with  dichostasiai,  v.  33. 
and  Gal.  5:21.  where  also  occ.  haireseis,  sects.  And  this  seems  to  lie  the 


sense  here,  (and  so  Dr.  Nolt ,)  though  it  may  include  broils,  and  disa¬ 
greements  of  every  kind.  “In  this  place,  the  ‘ schism ’  appears  to  have 
consisted  in  the  formation  of  religious  parties,  which  pretended  to  fol¬ 
low,  one  the  cause  of  Paul,  and  another  that  of  A  polios.  In  11:18.  the 
charge  is  grounded  upon  the  adoption  of  new  inodes,  which  some  had 
wantonly  introduced  in  the  administration  of  the  saernment.  And  In 
12:25.  the  offence,  of  schism,  appears  to  have  consisted  in  the  violation 
of  that  subordination  of  teaching,  ministering,  and  governins,  which  was 
originally  appointed  in  the  church.  ‘Schism,’  therefore,  may  be  defined 
to  be,  an  open  violation  of  church  unity,  when  individuals  assume  o 
themselves  the  power  either  of  forming  new  communions,  or  of  ins  lott¬ 
ing  new  rites,  or  of  creating  a  new  ministry,  in  opposition  to  sue  as 
have  been  established  by  regular  authority,  as  being  the  minis 
the  ordinances  originally  of  apostolic  institution.  Nott.  Per  fee  y 
joined.]  I.it.  the  Gr.  is,  to  repair  a  broken  vessel,  or  restore  a  torn 

vestment.’  [259] 


A.  D.  60. 


1  CORINTHIANS,  I. 


Manner  and  effect  of  his  preaching. 


11  For  it  hath  been  declared 
unto  me  of  you,  my  brethren,  by 
them  which  are  of  the  house  of 
Chloe,  that  there  are  contentions 
among  you. 

12  Now  this  I  say,  that  every 
one  of  you  saith,  I  am  of  Paul ; 
and  I  of  '*Apollos  ;  and  I  of  ''Ce¬ 
phas  ;  and  I  of  Christ. 

13  Is  Christ  divided  ?  was  Paul 
crucified  for  you  ?  or  were  ye  bap¬ 
tized  in  the  name  of  Paul  ? 

14  I  thank  God  that  I  baptized 
none  of  you  but  '  Crispus  and  1 
Gaius  ; 

15  Lest  any  should  say  that  I 
had  baptized  in  mine  own  name. 

16  And  I  baptized  also  the  house¬ 
hold  of  “  Stephanas  :  besides,  I 
know  not  whether  I  baptized  any 
other. 

17  For  Christ  sent  me  not  to 
baptize,  but  to  preach  the  gospel  : 
not  with  wisdom  '  of  w  words,  lest 
the  cross  of  Christ  should  be  made 
of  none  effect. 

13  For  the  preaching  of  the  cross 
is  to  them  *  that  perish  foolishness  ; 
but  unto  us  which  are  saved  it  is 
the  power  y  of  God. 

19  For  it  is  written,  z  I  will  de¬ 
stroy  the  wisdom  of  the  wise,  and 
will  bring  to  nothing  the  under¬ 
standing  of  the  prudent. 

q  Ac.  19:1.  3  Jn.  1,  &c.  x2Co.2-.15. 

r  Jii.  1:42.  u  c.  16:15,17.  V  Ro  1:16. 

s  Ac.  18:8.  v  c.  2:1,4,13.  z  la.  29:14. 

t  Ro.  16:23.  w  or,  speech,  Je.  8:9. 

schisms,'  as  the  original  is,  ‘  that  is,  all  ali¬ 
enation  of  affection  from  each  other.’  In 
the  great  things  of  religion  be  of  a  mind  : 
but  when  there  is  not  a  unity  of  sentiment, 
let  there  be  a  union  of  affections.  The  con¬ 


sideration  of  being  agreed  in  greater  things,  j 
should  extinguish  all  feuds  and  divisions  ; 
about  less  ones. 

II.  He  hints  at  the  original  of  these  con¬ 
tentions.  Pride  lay  at  the  bottom,  Prov.  13:  | 
10.  Only  of  pride  comet  li  contention.  They 
quarrelled  about  their  ministers  :  some  cried 
up  Paul,  perhaps  as  the  most  sublime  and  1 
spiritual  teacher  ;  others  cried  tip  Apollos,  : 
perhaps  as  the  most  eloquent  speaker  ; 
some  Cephas,  or  Peter,  perhaps  for  the  an- 
thority  of  his  age,  or  because  he  was  the 
apostle  of  the  circumcision;  and  some  were 
for  neither,  but  Christ  only.  So  liable  are 
the  best  things  in  the  world  to  be  corrupted, 
and  the  Gospel  and  its  institutions,  which 
are  at  perfect  harmony  with  themselves  and 
one  another,  to  be  made  the  engines  of  va¬ 
riance,  discord,  and  contention.  This  is  no 
reproach  to  religion,  but  a  vqry  melancholy 
evidence  of  the  corruption  and  depravity  of 
human  nature. 

III.  He  expostulates  with  them  on  their 
discord  and  quarrels;  ‘Is  Christ  divided? 
No,  there  is  but  one  Christ,  therefore  Chris¬ 
tians  should  be  of  one  heart.  Was  Paid 
crucified  for  you  ?  Was  he  your  sacrifice  and 
atonement  1  Did  1  ever  pretend  to  be  your 
Savior,  or  any  more  than  his  minister  1  Or, 
were  ye  baptized  in  the  name  of  Paul  ?  Were 
ye  devoted  to  my  service,  or  engaged  to  be 
my  disciples,  by  that  sacred  rite  1  Did 
I  challenge  such  riglit  in  you,  or  dependence 
from  you,  as  are  the  proper  claims  of  your 
God  and  Redeemer  1’  No;  ministers,  how¬ 
ever  instrumental  they  are  of  good  to  us, 
are  not  to  be  put  in  Christ’s  stead.  They 
are  not  to  usurp  Christ’s  authority,  nor  en¬ 
courage  anything  in  the  people,  that  looks 
like  transferring  his  authority  to  them.  He 
is  our  Savior  and  Sacrifice,  He  is  our  Lord 
and  Guide.  And  happy  were  it  for  the 
churches,  if  [satisfied  with  the  name  of 
Christians]  there  were  no  name  of  distinc¬ 
tion  among  them,  as  Christ  is  not  divided. 

V.  14 — 16.  Here  the  apostle  gives  an 
account  of  his  ministry  among  them.  But 
hovv  was  it  a  proper  matter  for  thankfulness 


that  he  had  baptized  so  few  1  In  this  sense 
only,  that  now  he  had  baptized  so  few,  it 
could  not  be  said  he  had  baptized  in  his  own 
name,  made  disciples  for  himself,  or  set  him¬ 
self  up  as  the  head  of  a  sect.  He  left  it  to 
other  ministers  to  baptize,  while  he  set  him¬ 
self  to  the  more  important  business  of 
preaching.  He  had  assistants  that  could 
baptize,  when  none  could  discharge  the  oth¬ 
er  part  of  his  office  as  well  as  himself.  In 
this  sense,  he  says,  Christ  sent  him  not  to  bap¬ 
tize,  but  to  preach  the  Gospel  ;  not  so  much  to 
baptize  as  to  preach.  Ministers  should  es¬ 
teem  themselves  sent  and  set  apart  more 
especially  to  that  service  in  which  Christ 
will  be  most  honored,  and  the  salvation  of 
souls  promoted,  efnd  for  which  themselves 
are  best  fitted  ;  though  no  part  of  their  du¬ 
ty  is  to  be  neglected.  The  principal  busi¬ 
ness  Paul  did  among  them,  was,  to  preach  ; 
to  preach  the  Gospel,  v.  17.  the.  cross,  v.  18. 
Christ  crucified,  v.  23.  not  his  own  fancy, 
but  the  Gospel  ;  the  glad  tidings  of  peace, 
and  reconciliation  to  God,  through  the  Me¬ 
diation  of  a  crucified  Redeemer.  This  is 
the  sum  and  substance  of  the  Gospel. 

V.  17 — 31.  We  have  here, 

I.  The  manner  in  which  Paul  preached 
the  Gospel,  v.  17.  ch.  2:4.  not  with  the 
flourish  of  oratory,  or  the  accuracies  of 
philosophical  language,  on  which  the  Greeks 
so  much  prided  themselves,  and  which  seem 
to  have  been  the  peculiar  recommendations 
of  some  of  the  heads  of  the  faction  in  this 
church,  that  most  opposed  this  apostle.  He 
did  not  preach  the  Gospel  in  this  manner, 
lest  the  cross  of  Christ  should  be  of  none  effect; 
lest  the  success  should  have  been  ascribed 
to  the  force  of  art,  and  not  of  truth  ;  and 
hereby  the  honor  of  the  cross  had  been  di¬ 
minished  or  eclipsed.  He  preached  a  cru¬ 
cified  Jesus,  in  plain  language,  and  told  the 
people,  that  that  Jesus,  who  was  crucified  at 
Jerusalem,  was  the  Son  of  God,  and  Savior 
of  men  ;  and  that  all  who  would  be  saved 
must  repent  of  their  sins,  and  believe  in 
Him,  and  submit  to  his  government  and 
laws.  This  truth  needed  no  artificial  dress; 


‘  Neither  sameness  of  opinion ,  nor  exact  uniformity  in  external 
forms  and  modes  of  worship  is  required  here.  The  church  never  en¬ 
joyed  a  greater  semblance  of  uniformity,  than  just  before  the  Reforma¬ 
tion;  yet  it  never  was  more  corrupt.  This  enforcement  of  uniformity 
has  often  occasioned  unhappy  disputes,  and  persecutions,  which  have  led 
to  the  very  evils  here  deprecated, — divisions  and  separations.  Those 
who  insist  on  an  exact  uniformity,  at  the  expense  of  the  conscience  of 
their  brethren,  are  chargeable  with  the  sin  of  schism,  not  the  individuals 
who  resist  impositions  of  human  authority.’  Rev.  W.  Lothi  an. 

‘Nothing  more  abhorrent  from  the  principles  and  maxims  of  the 
sacred  oracles  can  be  conceived,  than  the  idea  of  a  plurality  of  true 
churches,  neither  in  actual  communion  with  each  other,  nor  in  a  capac¬ 
ity  for  such  communion  ..  .  We  have  become  so  familiarized  to  it,  as  to 
be  scarcely  sensible  of  its  enormity  . .  .  To  see  Christian  societies  re¬ 
garding  each  other  with  the  jealousies  of  rival  empires;  each  aiming  to 
raise  itself  on  the  ruins  of  all  others;  making  extravagant  boasts  of 
superior  purity,  generally  in  exact  proportion  to  their  departure  from  it, 
and  scarcely  deigning  to  acknowledge  the  possibility  of  obtaining  sal¬ 
vation  out  of  their  pale,  is  the  odious  and  disgusting  spectacle  which 
modern  Christianity  presents.  The  bond  of  charity,  which  unites  the 
genuine  followers  of  Christ  in  distinction  from  the  world,  is  dissolved, 
and  the  very  terms  by  which  it  was  wont  to  be  denoted,  exclusively 
employed  to  express  a  predilection  for  a  sect.  -  The  evils  which  result 
from  this  state  of  division  are  incalculable;  it  supplies  infidels  with 
their  most  plausible  topics  of  invective;  it  hardens  the  conscience  of 
the  irreligious  ;  weakens  the  hands  of  the  good  ;  impedes  the  efficacy  of 
prayer ;  and  is  probably  the  principal  obstruction  to  that  ample  effusion 
of  the  Spirit,  which  is  essential  to  the  renovation  of  the  world.’ 

Rev.  RoBEnT  Hall. 

(13  )  1  Were  you  bound  by  baptism  to  obey  the  injunctions  of  Paul  f 
(so,  “  to  be  baptized  in  the  name  of”  means,)  i.  e.  religious  injunctions, 
whether  of  faith  or  practice.  See  Mat.  23:19.  and  note.  Rom.  6:3.  Gal. 
3:26.  comp.  Acts  8:16.  Also  Mackn.  and  Locke.'  Bloomf. 

(11.)  ‘This  Crispus  was  the  ruler  of  the  synagogue,  Acts  18:8;  and 
Gaius,  Paul’s  host  at  Corinth,  Roni.  16:23-’  Id. 

(16.)  House.]  ‘I.  e.  all  the  family  ;  and  Wolf  and  Vitr.  rightly 
maintain  from  hence  the  use  of  infant  baptism  in  the  primitive  church. 
Thus  Ignatius ,  Ep.  p.  21.  aspazomai  the  houses  of  my  brethren,  with 
women  and  children.  See  Wets,  on  Mat.  28.  fin.  /  know  not,  <fcc.]  The 
phrase  indicates,  (as  (E c.)  the  little  interest  he  took  in  the  matter.’  Id. 

V.  17 — 19.  Many,  supposing  the  administration  of  sacraments  to  be 
the  most  honorable  part  of  the  ministerial  work,  have  conjectured  rea¬ 
sons,  why  Paul  did  not  himself  baptize  the  Corinthian  converts  ;  but  the 
reason  he  assigns,  entirely  subverts  their  imaginations. — Some,  indeed, 
of  the  Corinthians  might  think,  that  he  was  not  so  competent  to  preach 
the  Gospel,  as  this  declaration  [that  he  was  sent  to  preach)  seemed  to 
imply;  and  he  readily  allowed,  that  he  had  not  used  the  ‘wisdom  of 
words.’  For  ‘  Christ  sent  him  ’  to  deliver  an  important  message,  in 
plain  language ;  and  he  was  aware  that  these  decorations,  instead  of 


giving  efficacy  to  his  doctrine,  xvould  degrade  it,  and  even  ‘  render  the 
cross  of  Christ  of  none  effect.’  The  apostles  made  no  claim  to  ele¬ 
gance ;  but  certainly  precision,  and  perspicuity,  and  simplicity,  are 
found  in  their  writings,  in  no  common  degree. — (17)  To  baptize.] 
Whence  did  the  almost  universally  prevailing  opinion  originate,  that 
the  administration  of  sacraments  is  the  peculiar  and  highest  office  of  the 
Christian  ministry,  above  even  that  of  preaching  the  Gospel  ?  Perhaps 
the  reader  has  never  thought  of  asking  this  question.  I  have,  however, 
no  hesitation  in  answering,  from  popery,  in  its  incipient  or  more  ma¬ 
tured  state;  to  change,  by  the  opus  operatum,  which  the  priest  alone 
can  perform  aright,  ‘  a  child  of  the  devil  ’  into  ‘  a  child  of  God,’  xvhich 
must  be  the  case  if  baptism  be  regeneration  or  inseparable  from  it ;  and 
to  change,  in  the  same  way,  a  piece  of  bread  into  the  body,  soul,  and 
divine  nature  of  Christ,  and  render  it  an  object  of  adoration,  derives  a 
far  higher  dignity  to  the  priesthood,  than  even  apostolical  preaching 
can  do.  Scott. 

(17.)  ‘  The  apostle  now  passes  to  a  vindication  of  his  doctrine,  and 
the  method  he  had  pursued  in  communicating  it.  Up  to  2:2.  he  treats  of 
the  nature  of  his  doctrine,  and  declares,  that  this  he  cannot  accommo¬ 
date  to  the  prejudice  of  men,  so  as,  like  pseudo-apostles,  to  keep  out  of 
view,  or  sophisticate,  what  would  be  cried  down  by  many,  and  seem  to 
them  foolishness.  Then  2:3,  sqq.  he  details  the  method  lie  had  pursued 
at  Corinth,  in  preaching  the  Gospel.’  Ros.  Made  void.]  ‘  Be  deprived 
of  its  proper  force:  and  so  Theoph.,  who  thus  illustrates;  “A  Greek 
asks  me  concerning  some  divine  truths  above  my  comprehension.  If  I 
attempt  to  prove  these  from  syllogisms  [the  Aristotelian  and  Greek 
method]  and  heathen  wisdom,  I  shall  show  my  weakness  ;  for  no  reason 
can  prove  these.  And  so  this,  my  weakness,  will  appear  to  be  the  weak¬ 
ness  of  the  Gospel ,  and  the  most  important  truths  of  it  will  appear 
empty  and  vain.”  ’  Bloo.mf. 

‘  Amidst  all  the  beautiful  simplicity  which  a  deep  conviction  of  the 
Gospel  tended  to  produce,  there  was  room  left  fbr  the  most  manly  and 
noble  kind  of  eloquence ;  which,  therefore,  the  Christian  preacher  should 
labor  to  make  habitual  to  him.’  Doddr.  See  Prof.  Park,  on  ‘  The  best 
mode  of  presenting  Christian  Truth.’  Bib.  Repos.,  Oct.,  1837.  Ed. 

(18.)  ‘  Is,  i.  e.  appears  to  them,  folly.  Thucyd.  has  a  similar  ex¬ 
pression.  Poiver,  <fcc.]  It  is  God’s  powerful  means  of  bestowing  salva¬ 
tion  on  men.’  Bloo.mf. 

(19.)  ‘  Those  who  seem  wise  and  prudent ...  I  will  make  their  folly 
evident.  By  sophia  [wisdom]  is  here  meant,  mere  human  wisdom,  and 
especially  that  sort  of  erudition  in  which  the  Greeks  especially  prided 
themselves.’  Bl.  So,  ‘  during  the  dark  ages,  the  doctrines  of  Christ, 
instead  of  being  explained  from  the  Scriptures,  were  defended  and 
enforced  by  appeals  to  the  authority  of  Aristotle  !  and  the  presidents 
of  the  ancient  Alexandrian  school,  aimed  at  identifying  the  Christian 
faith  with  the  tenets  of  Plato.’  Lothian.  There  are  indications  that 
speculative  minds  are  not  yet  delivered  fi-om  the  heathen  philosophy, 
vain,  because  it  insists  on  knowing  what  is  not  within  the  range  of  the 
human  faculties.  *  Ed. 


A.  D.  60. 


1  CORINTHIANS,  I. 


Manner  and  effect  of  Paul’s  preaching. 


20  Where  1  is  the  wise  ?  where 
is  the  scribe  ?  where  is  the  ilisputer 
of  this  world  ?  hath  not  God  made 
foolish  b  the  wisdom  of  this  world  ? 

21  For 'after  that,  in  the  wisdom 
of  God,  the  world  by  wisdom  knew 
not  God,  it  pleased  God  by  the 
foolishness  of  preaching  to  save 
them  that  believe. 

22  For  the  Jews  require  a  dsign, 
and  the  Greeks  seek  after  wisdom  ; 

23  But  we  preach  Christ  cruci¬ 
fied,  unto  the  Jews  a  'stumbling- 
block,  and  unto  the  Greeks  foolish¬ 
ness  ; 

24  But  unto  them  which  are  call¬ 
ed,  both  Jews  and  Greeks,  Christ 
the  '  power  of  God,  and  the  wisdom 
of  God. 

25  Because  the  foolishness  of 
God  is  wiser  than  men  ;  and  the 
weakness  of  God  is  stronger  than 
men. 

26  F or  ye  see  your  calling,  breth¬ 
ren,  how  that  not  s  many  wise  men 
after  the  llesh,  not  many  mighty, 
not  many  noble,  are  called  : 

27  But  God  h  hath  chosen  the 
foolish  things  of  the  world,  to  con¬ 
found  the  wise  :  and  God  hath  cho- 
seu  the  weak  things  of  the  world, 
to  confound  the  things  which  are 
mighty  ; 

a  Is.  33:18.  d  Mat.  12:38,  Sic.  g  Zep.  3:12. 

t)  Is.  44:25.  e  Is.  8:14.  1  He.  Jn.7:48. 

c  Lit.  10:21.  Ro.  2:8.  h  Ps.  8:2.  Mat. 

1:20,22,28.  f  ver.  18/  11:25. 

it  shone  out  with  the  greatest  majesty  in  its 
own  light,  and  prevailed  in  the  world  by  its 
divine  authority,  and  the  demonstration  of  the 
Spirit,  without  any  human  helps.  The  plain 
preaching  of  a  crucified  Jesus,  tvas  more 
powerful,  than  all  the  oratory  and  philoso¬ 
phy  of  the  heathen-  world. 

ll.  We  have  the  different  effects  of  this 
preaching,  v.  IS,  23,  24. 

1.  Christ  crucified  is  a  Stumbling-block  to 
the  Jews.  They  could  not  get  over  it.  They 
had  a  conceit,  that  their  expected  Messiah 
was  to  be  a  great  temporal  Prince,  and 
therefore  would  never  own  one  who  made  so 


mean  an  appearance  in  life,  and  died  so  ac¬ 
cursed  a  death,  for  their  Deliverer  and  King. 
They  despised  Him,  and  looked  upon  Him 
as  execrable,  because  hanged  on  a  tree;  and 
because  He  did  not  gratify  them  with  a  sign 
to  their  mind,  though  his  divine  power  shone 
out  in  innumerable  miracles.  The  Jews  re¬ 
quire  a  sign,  v.  22.  See  Mat.  12:  38. 

2.  He  ivas  to  the  Greeks  foolishness.  They 
laughed  at  the  story  of  a  crucified  Savior, 
and  despised  the  apostle’s  way  of  telling  it. 
They  sought  for  wisdom.  They  were  men  of 
wit  and  reading,  men  that  had  cultivated 
arts  and  sciences,  and  had,  for  some  ages, 
been  in  a  manner  the  very  mint  of  knowl¬ 
edge  and  learning.  There  was  nothing  in 
the  plain  doctrine  of  the  cross  to  suit  their 
taste,  or  humor  their  vanity,  or  gratify  a  cu¬ 
rious  and  wrangling  temper  :  they  enter¬ 
tained  it  therefore  with  scorn  and  con¬ 
tempt.  What,  hope  to  be  saved  by  one  that 
could  not  save  Himself !  And  trust  in  one 
who  was  condemned  and  crucified  for  a 
malefactor,  a  man  of  mean  birth  and  poor 
condition  in  life,  and  cut  off  by  so  vile  and 
opprobrious  a  death  !  This  was  what  the 
pride  of  human  reason  and  learning  could 
not  relish.  The  Greeks  thought  it  little 
better  than  stupidity  to  receive  such  a  doc¬ 
trine,  and  pay  this  high  regard  to  such  a 
person ;  and  thus  were  they  justly  left  to 
perish  in  their  pride  and  obstinacy.  It  is 
just  with  God  to  leave  those  to  themselves, 
who  pour  such  proud  contempt  on  divine 
wdsdom  and  grace. 

3.  To  them  which  are  called  and  saved, 
He  is  the  Wisdom  of  God,  and  the  Power  of 
God.  Those  who  are  called  and  sanctified, 
who  receive  the  Gospel,  and  are  enlightened 
by  the  Spirit  of  God,  discern  more  glorious 
discoveries  of  God’s  wisdom  and  power  in 
the  doctrine  of  Christ  crucified,  than  in  all 
his  other  works.  Those  who  are  saved,  are 
reconciled  to  the  doctrine  of  the  cross,  and  led 
into  an  experimental  acquaintance  with  the 
mysteries  of  Christ  crucified. 

III.  We  have  here  the  triumphs  of  the  cross 
over  human  wisdom,  Is.  29:14.  v.  19,20.  All 
the  valued  learning  of  this  world  was  con¬ 
founded,  baffled,  and  eclipsed,  by  the  Chris¬ 
tian  revelation,  and  the  glorious  triumphs  of 
the  cross.  This  scheme  lay  out  of  the  reach 
of  the  deepest  statesmen  and  philosophers, 
and  the  greatest  pretenders  to  learning, 
both  among  the  Jews  and  Greeks.  When 
God  would  save  the  world,  He  took  a  way 


by  Himself ;  and  good  reason,  for  the  world 
by  wisdom  knew  not  God,  v.  21.  All  the 
boasted  science  of  the  heathen  world  did  not, 
could  not,  effectually  bring  home  the  world 
to  God.  In  spite  of  all  their  wisdom,  igno¬ 
rance  still  prevailed,  iniquity  still  abounded. 
Men  U'ere  puffed  up  by  their  imaginary 
knowledge,  and  rather  further  alienated  from 
God  :  therefore  it  pleased  Him,  by  the  fool¬ 
ishness  of  preaching,  to  save  them  that  believe. 
By  the  foolishness  of  preaching, — not  such  in 
truth,  but  in  vulgar  reckoning. 

1.  The  thing  preached  was  foolishness  in 
the  eyes  of  worldly-wise  men.  Our  living 
through  one  who  died,  our  being  blessed  by 
one  who  was  made  a  curse,  our  being  justi¬ 
fied  by  one  who  was  Himself  condemned, 
was  all  folly  and  inconsistency  to  men  blind¬ 
ed  with  seif-conceit,  and  wedded  to  their 
own  prejudices,  and  the  boasLed  discoveries 
of  their  reason  and  philosophy. 

2.  The  manner  of  preaching  the  Gospel 
was  foolishness  to  them  too.  None  of  the  fa¬ 
mous  men  for  wisdom  or  eloquence  were  em¬ 
ployed  to  plant  the  church,  or  propagate  the 
gospel.  A  few  fishermen  were  called  out, 
and  sent  on  this  errand.  These  were  com¬ 
missioned  to  disciple  the  nations  ;  the  ves¬ 
sels  chosen  to  convey  the  treasure  of  saving 
knowledge  to  the  world  :  there  was  nothing 
in  them,  that  at  first  view  looked  grand  or 
august  enough  to  come  from  God  ;  and  the 
proud  pretenders  to  learning  and  wisdom  de¬ 
spised  the  doctrine  for  the  sake  of  those  wdio 
dispensed  it.  And  yet  the  foolishness  of  God 
is  wiser  than  men,  v.  25.  Those  methods  of 
divine  conduct  that  vain  men  are  apt  to 
censure  as  unwise  and  weak,  have  more 
true,  solid,  and  successful  wisdom  in  them, 
than  all  the  learning  and  wisdom  that  are 
among  men  ;  ‘  Ye  see  your  calling,  brethren, 
how  that  not  many  wise  men  after  the  flesh, 
not  many  mighty,  not  many  noble,  are  called, 
v.  26,  fyc.  Ye  see  the  state  of  Christianity; 
not  many  men  of  learning  or  authority,  or 
honorable  extraction,  are  called.’  There  is 
a  great  deal  of  meanness  and  weakness  in 
the  outward  appearance  of  our  religion. 
For,  (1.)  Few  of  distinguished  character 
in  any  of  these  respects  were  chosen  for  the 
work  of  the  ministry.  God  did  not  choose 
philosophers,  nor  orators,  nor  statesmen, 
nor  men  of  wealth  and  power,  and  interest 
in  the  world,  to  publish  the  Gospel  of  grace 
and  peace.  Not  the  wise  men  after  the  flesh  ; 
not  the  mighty  and  noble,  but  the  foolish. 


V.  20.  The  wise.]  *  Sophos  :  Scribe.]  Grammateus.  Paul  (so  the 
best  comtrs.)  strikes  both  at  the  Gentile  and  Jewish  “  wisdom.”  Those 
among  the  Greeks  who  applied  themselves  to  intellectual,  especially 
moral  and  ethical  inquiries,  were  anciently  called  Sopkoi ;  which  an¬ 
swers  to  the  Ileb  hkmym.  Thus  the  7  wise  men  were  called  hoi  sophoi. 
Afterwards,  however,  such  inquirers  were  called  philosophoi.  Yet  the 
above  use  of  sophos  may  be  said  never  to  have  been  quite  laid  aside. 
Pythagoras  (so  Diog.  Luert.)  said,  there,  was  but  one  wise, — and  mod¬ 
estly  took  the  title  of  philosophos,  lover  of  wisdom.  The  grammateus 
is  plainly  the  Jewish  sphr,  which,  Grot,  obs.,  in  the  Hellenistic  style, 
denoted  a  civilian  and  historian ;  now,  in  a  certain  sense,  the  Jewish 
scribes  were  both.’  Bl.  Comp.  Note,  Num.  11:16,  on  Shoterim.  Dis- 
puter.]  See  Bl.  Grot.  tr.  ‘an  explorer  of  nature,  Physicus.' — Fuller 
and  ethers  understand,  the  subtle,  sophistical  disputants,  called  by  the 
Hebrews  drshn  :  hence  the  mystical  and  allegorical  comtrs.  on  the  SS. 
were  named  mdrshym.  *  So  Jightf.,  Fesset.,  and  Schoett.,  who  ob¬ 
serves,  “that  these  suzclltai  [disputers]  drthkym,  were  persons  who 
deduced  from  Scr.  many  allegorical,  anagogical,  mystical,  and  cabbalistic 
senses,  and  moreover  could  hold  such  subtile  disputations  concerning  the 
deuteroseis  and  patroparadotoi  decrees  and  customs  :  with  these  they 
pleased  themselves,  as  did  the  Scholastics  in  the  dark  ages,  who  pro¬ 
pounded  theology  and  philosophy  so  subtilly  and  acutely,  that  they 
scarce  knew  what  themselves  meant.  But  those  whom,  before,  no  one 
could  refute  or  contradict,  afterward  were  publicly  and  safely  derided, 
God  making  the  pseudosophy  of  both  Jew  and  Gentile,  folly.”’  Bl.,  who 
refers  disputers  to  sophists  of  both  classes,  and  thinks  ‘these  Rabbinical 
scholars,  as  usual,  carry  the  matter  too  far.’  Ed. 

‘  God  by  promulgating  a  plan  of  salvation  which  no  human  wisdom 
could  have  devised,  much  less  accomplished,  has,  thereby,  placed  in  a 
strong  point  of  view  the  weakness  and  inefficiency  of  mere  human  wis¬ 
dom,  for  the  purpose  of  salvation.’  Bl.  How  unlikely  then  that  our 
intellects  can  fully  explain  it !  In. 

V.  21.  ‘  By  the  force  of  its  own  wisdom.  Sophia  (tr.  wisdom]  de¬ 
notes  intellectual  inquiry  of  every  kind.’  Bloomf. 

V.  22.  ‘He  now  shows  by  what  cause,  and  through  what  prejudice,  neith¬ 
er  the  Jewish  nor  Gentile  wise  men  believed. — The  Jews  sought  a  sign, 
(or  signs,  as  some  MSS.,  Verss.,  and  Eds.,  and  Griesb.,  but  too  rashly,  I 
think.)  Many  signs  had  been  exhibited  by  Christ  and  the  apostles,  hut 
not  what  they  properly  called  semeia,  by  which  they  meant,  signs  from 


heaven,  Mark  8:8.  There  were  probably  those  who  desired  some  such 
sign  as  their  deliverance  from  the  Roman  yoke,  by  an  interposition 
similar  to  that  at  the  Exodus,  or  at  the  destruction  of  Sennacherib’s  army, 
bread  ft-om  heaven,  or  the  sun  standing  still,  Ac.  For  such  they  were 
prone  in  all  ages  to  ask ;  see  the  Bible,  and  Rabbins.  A  sign  they  would 
have,  agreeable  to  their  wishes  and  gross  conceptions.  —  The  more  ra¬ 
tional  Greeks  do  not  so  much  ask  for  miracles ,  as  require  wisdom,  but  it 


must  he  that  of  their  own  kind,  or  (as  Hardy,  from  Grot,  and  the  early 
comtrs. ,  expl.)  human  wisdom,  philosophical  reason  ( rhetoreian  logon 
kai  deinoteta  sophismaton,  Chrys.),  set  oft’ by  the  Jigmenta  oratoria  ; 
they  wish  whatever  is  said  to  he  proved  from  natural  principles;  and 
whatever  cannot  he  proved  or  comprehended  by  reason,  as  a  mystery  of 
faith,  they  would  explode.  Thus  each  wishes  and  calls  for  that  on  which 
his  heart  is  set,  which  he  has  been  accustomed  to,  and  therefore  demands. 
But,  says  the  apostle,  (so  Grot,  supplies,)  we  bring  not  reasonings,  but 
testimony,  concerning  a  thing  seen,  though  contrary  to  the  secular  ex¬ 
pectations  of  Jews,  and  insipid  to  the  Greeks,  as  bringing  forward  noth¬ 
ing  from  the  principles  of  things^  their  causes,  or  the  nature  of  the  soul ; 
the  elements  of  their  moral  philosophy.’  Bloomf. 

V.  24.  ‘To  the  converted  Jews  his  mission  is  confirmed  by  miracu- 
lous  evidence,  and  the  accomplishment  of  prophecies  far  more  important 
than  any  event  which  their  carnal  brethren  expect ;  and  the  believing 
Gentile  finds  it  infinitely  fuller  of  Divine  wisdom  and  goodness,  to  a  lost 
world,  than  anv  system  of  philosophy  that  was  ever  invented.’  Doddr. 

V.  26—31.  The  persons  who  had  been  converted  to  Christianity,  and 
then  sent  forth  to  preacli  the  Gospel,  were  a  living  demonstration  of 
what  the  apostle  inculcated.  This  the  Corinthians  might  see  for  them¬ 
selves.  The  persons  whom  God  had  employed  in  preaching  the  Gospel, 
seem  especially  intended;  and  the  xvords, 1  are  called,’  which  seem  to  favor 
the  other  interpretation,  [that  which  applies  it  to  common  Christians,] 
are  not  in  the  original.  Ps.  8:2.  Mat.  11:25,  26.  21:14 — 16.  2  Cor  4:7. 
P.  o.  7—12.  Why  then  should  the  Corinthians  so  value  these  endow¬ 
ments  in  their  teachers,  when  God  had  evidently  poured  contempt  on 
them  ? — Even  that  distinction,  in  which  alone  they  might  glory , was 
in  any  respect  of  themselves.  By  the  gratuitous  choice  and  regeiier  i 
ing  grace  of  God,  through  faith  they,  sinners  of  the  Gentiles,  w  e  , 
Christ  Jesus,’  who,  by  his  appointment  and  free  (V,t 

become,  to  nil  believers  the  whole  of  salvation.  T  iey  mni,,P.i\’0  u‘s 
Christ  is  made  our  Righteousness  by  his  righteousness  imputed^  IW  us, 


in 

or 


A.  D.  6G. 


1  CORINTHIANS,  II.  Manner  and  effect  of  Paul’s  preaching. 


28  And  base  things  of  the  world, 
and  things  which  are  despised,  hath 
God  chosen,  yea,  and  things  which 
are  not,  to  bring  to  nought  things 
that  are  ; 

29  That  '  no  flesh  should  glory  in 
his  presence. 

50  But  of  him  are  ye  in  )  Christ 
Jesus,  who  of  God  is  made  unto  us 
*  wisdom,  and  'righteousness,  and 
“sanctification,  and  “redemption: 

51  That,  according  as  it  is  writ¬ 
ten,  0  He  that  glorieth,  let  him  glory 
in  the  Lord. 

CHAP.  II. 

He  declared!  that  Bis  preaching,  1  though  It  bring  not  ex¬ 
cellency  of  speech,  or  of  4  human  wisdom  :  yet  couaiateth 
in  the  4,  5  power  of  God  :  and  so  far  excelled)  6  the  wis¬ 
dom  of  this  world,  and  &  human  sense,  as  that  14  the 
natural  man  cannot  understand  it. 

AND  I,  brethren,  when  I  came 
to  you,  came  not  “with  excel¬ 
lency  of  speech,  or  of  wisdom,  de¬ 
claring  unto  you  tho  testimony  of 
God. 

1  Ro.  3:27.  2:3  n  E|).  1:7. 

}  2  Co.  5:17.  I  Is  45:24.  J.,23:  o  Je.  9:23,24. 

Ep.  1:3,10.  5,6.  Ho.  4:25.  u  ver.  4,13. 

k  Ep.  1:17.  Col.  m  in.  17:19. 


weak,  base  tilings  of  the  world,  men  of 
mean  birth,  of  low  rank,  of  no  liberal  educa¬ 
tion,  He  bath  cbosen  to  be  the  preachers  of 
the  gospel,  and  planters  of  the  church.  (2.) 
Few  of  distinguished  rank  and  character 
were  called  to  be  Christians.  As  the  preach¬ 
ers  were  poor  and  mean,  90  generally  were  the 
converts.  The  first  Christians,  both  among 
Jews  and  Greeks,  were  men  of  mean  furni¬ 
ture  as  to  their  mental  improvements,  and 
very  mean  rank  and  condition  as  to  tlteir 
outward  estate  :  yet  what  glorious  discove¬ 
ries  are  there  of  divine  wisdom  in  tho  whole 


scheme  of  the  Gospel,  and  in  this  particular 
circumstance  of  its  sueeess  ! 

JV.  How  admirably  all  is  fitted, 

1.  To  beat  down  the  pride  and  vanity  of 
men.  God  hath  chosen  the  foolish  things  of 
the  world,  to  confound  the  wise  ;  men  of  no 
learning,  to  confound  the  most  learned  :  the 
weak  things  of  the  world,  to  confound  the 
mighty  ;  men  of  mean  rank  and  circum¬ 
stances,  to  confound  and  prevail  against  all 
the  power  and  authority  of  earthly  kings:  and 
base  things,  and  things  which  are  despised, 
things  which  men  have  in  the  lowest  esteem, 
or  in  the  utmost  contempt,  to  pour  contempt 
and  disgrace  on  ail  they  value  and  have  in 
veneration  :  and  things  which  are  not,  to  bring 
to  nought,  to  abolish  things  that  are.  It  is  com¬ 
mon  for  the  Jews  to  speak  of  the  Gentiles 
under  this  character,  as  things  that  are  not. 
See  the  apocryphal  Esther,  14:  11.  and  2 
Esdras  6:  58,  57.  Paul  seems  to  have  this 
common  language  of  the  Jews  in  his  view, 
when  he  calls  Abraham  tire  father  of  us  all, 
before  Him  whom  he  believed,  God,  who  calleth 
those  things  that  are  not,  as  though  they  were, 
Rom.  4: 17.  The  Gospel  is  fitted  to  bring 
down  the  pride  of  both  Jews  and  Greeks,  to 
shame  the  boasted  science  and  learning  of 
the  Greeks,  and  to  take  down  that  constitu¬ 
tion  on  which  the  Jews  valued  themselves, 
and  despised  all  the  world  besides  ;  that  no 
flesh  should  glory  in  his  presence,  v.  29.  that 
there  might  be  no  pretence  for  boasting. 
Divine  wisdom  alone  had  the  contrivance 
of  the  method  of  redemption  ;  divine  grace 
alone  revealed  it,  and  made  it  known.  It 
lay,  in  both  respects,  out  of  human  reach. 
And  the  doctrine  and  discovery  prevailed, 
in  spite  of  all  the  opposition  it  met  with 
from  human  art  or  authority  :  so  effectually 
did  God  veil  the  glory  and  disgrace  the 
pride  of  man  in  all. 

2.  To  glorify  God.  There  is  great  power 
and  glory  in  the  substance  and  life  of  Chris¬ 
tianity.  Though  the  ministers  were  poor 


and  unlearned,  and  the  converts  generally  of 
the  meanest  rank,  yet  the  hand  of  the  Lord 
went  along  with  the  preachers,  and  was 
mighty  in  the  hearts  of  the  heavers  :  and 
Jesus  Christ  was  made  both  to  ministers 
and  Christians  what  was  truly  great  and 
honorable.  All  we  have,  we  have  from  God 
as  the  Fountain,  and  in  and  through  Christ 
as  the  Channel  of  conveyance.  He  is  made 
of  God  to  us  Wisdom,  highteousness.  Sanc¬ 
tification ,  and  Redemption,  v.  30.  all  »t  need, 
or  can  desire.  We  are  foolishness,  ignorant 
and  blind  in  (he  things  of  God  ;  and  He  is 
made  Wisdom  to  ns.  We  are  guilty,  obnox¬ 
ious  to  justice  ;  and  He  is  made  Righteous¬ 
ness,  our  great  Atonement  and  Sacrifice. 
We  are  depraved  and  corrupt  ;  and  He  is 
made  Sanctification,  the  Spring  of  our  spirit¬ 
ual  life  ;  from  Him,  the  Head,  it  is  commu¬ 
nicated  to  all  the  members  of  bis  mystical 
body  by  his  Holy  Spirit.  We  are  in  bends, 
and  He  is  made  Redemption  to  us,  our  Sa¬ 
vior  and  Deliverer.  Observe,  Where  Christ 
Is  made  Righteousness  to  any  soul,  He  is 
also  made  Sanctification.  He  never  dis¬ 
charges  from  the  guilt  of  sin,  without  deliv¬ 
ering  from  the  power  of  it  ;  and  He  is  made 
Righteousness  and  Sanctification,  that  He 
may  in  the  end  be  made  complete  Redemp¬ 
tion,  and  free  the  soul  from  the  very  being 
of  sin,  and  loose  the  body  from  the  bonds  oj 
the  grave  ;  and  what  is  designed  in  all,  is, 
that  all  flesh  may  glory  in  the  Lord,  v.  31. 
Observe,  It  is  the  will  of  God,  that  all  our 
glorying  should  be  in  the  Lord  :  and  our 
salvation  being  only  through  Christ,  it  is 
thereby  effectually  provided  it  should  be  so. 
Man  is  humbled,  and  God  glorified  and  ex¬ 
alted,  by  the  whole  scheme. 

Chap.  II.  V.  1 — 5.  In  this  passage  tha 
apostle  pursues  his  design,  and  reminds  the 
Corinthians  how  he  acted  when  he  first 
preached  the  Gospel  among  them. 

I.  He  determined  to  know  nothing  among 


PRACT.  OBS.  The  true  ‘church  efGod’  comprises  al!  those,  In 
every  place,  who  are  ‘  sanctified  in  Christ  JesU3,  and  called  to  be  saints;’ 
who  call  on  Him,  as  ‘  God  manifest  in  the  flesh,’  for  all  the  blessings  of 
salvation  ;  and  who  acknowledge  and  obey  Him  as  tlrcir  Lord,  and  the 
Lord  of  all  saints,  of  all  men,  and  of  all  creatures  ;  and  it  includes  no 
ether  persons _ But  ministers,  with  a  mixture  of  authority  and  affec¬ 

tion,  should  remind  their  flocks,  that  an  account  must  be  given  of  all 
their  advantages  at  the  coming  of  Christ,  and  call  on  them  daily  to  wait 
and  prepare  for  that  event.  —  How  striking  is  the  contrast  between  the 
language  of  the  apostle  in  these  vs.  and  that  of  many  modern  divines  ! 
The  name  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  was  to  him  the  sweetest  melody,  or  ‘as 
ointment  poured  forth  Cant.  1:3.  they  fear  a  too  frequent,  or  too  hon¬ 
orable  mention  of  Him  !  and  [too  often  avoid]  enlarging  on  his  dignity 
and  condescension,  his  love  and  atoning  sufferings,  his  character  and  of¬ 
fices,  his  righteousness  and  salvation.  2:1,  2. — Satan  has  always  endeav¬ 
ored  to  stir  up  strife  among  Christians,  as  one  of  his  grand  devices 
against  the  Gospel ;  wc  should,  therefore,  use  all  onr  influence  to  preva‘1 
with  our  brethren,  by  the  name,  and  for  the  honor  of  our  common  Lord, 
to  avoid  contests  of  every  kind,  and  as  much  as  possible  to  ‘speak  the 
same  thing,  and  to  be  perfectly  joined  together  in  the  same  mind  and 
judgment and  we  shonhr persevere  in  endeavoring  and  praying  for  t his 
most  desirable  harmony,  and  for  ‘  the  meekness  of  wisdom,’  that  we  may 
know  how  to  counteract  the  pestilent  endeavors  of  ttie  fire-brands  of 
the  church,  without  giving  them  any  handle  or  plausible  pretence  against 
ns. —  All  attempts,  to  make  the  real  Gospel  palatable  to  worldly  men, 
must  be  unsuccessful ;  it  always  was,  and  always  will  be,  ‘  foolishness  1 


to  such  as  are  In  the  road  to  destruction  ;  and  the  only  wav  to  render  is 
inoffensive,  is  to  leave  out,  or  but  slightly  touch  on,  the  offensive  parts 
of  it;  and  this  is  too  commonly  done,  when  preachers  study  to  embel¬ 
lish  their  doctrine  and  recommend  themselves,  by  ‘  the  wisdom  of 
words,  or  the  excellency  of  speech.’  But  the  true  minister  of  Christ  is 
no  1  man-pleaser ;’  he  will,  with  ‘  great  plainness  of  speech,’  deliver  his 
whole*  message,  however  it  may  be  derided  or  reviled  ;  that  by  it,  as  a 
sure  touchstone,  men  may  leant  their  real  state  and  character.  —  Such 
persons  [learned  scribes,  wise  philosophers,  and  the  eager  ‘disputers  of 
this  world],  are,  indeed,  commonly  found  among  the  despisers  or  oppos- 
ers  of  the  doctrine  of  Christ  crucified  ;  but  what  have  they  ever  done 
towards  rendering  the  world  wise  and  holy  ?  Or  what  have  they  to  pro¬ 
pose  so  excellent,  as  to  merit  a  preference  to  that  Gospel  which  they  re¬ 
ject,  or  even  to  bear  a  comparison  with  it  ?  Undeniable  facts  evince  tho 
folly  of  this  wisdom ;  and  show,  that  amidst  all  the  displays  of  the  ‘  eter¬ 
nal  power  and  Godhead,’  with  which  we  are  surrounded,  human  reason-, 
sagacity,  and  learning  [without  revelation]  know  Him  not,  but  uniform¬ 
ly  lead  men  to  idolatry,  impiety,  or  infidelity;  and  on  the  other  hand,  ‘  it 
hath  pleased  God,’ from  age  to  age,  by  ‘the  foolishness  of  preaching,’ 
(the  despised  doctrine  of  salvation  by  faith  in  a  crucified  Savior,  God  in 
human  nature,  ‘  purchasing  the  church  with  his  own  blood,’  delivered 
with  unadorned  simplicity,)  to  save  multitudes,  even  all  that  believe, 
from  ignorance,  delusion,  and  vice;  and  to  make  them  meet  for  his 
heavenly  kingdom.  Scott. 

•  The  judicious  minister  will  Judge  for  hrmself,  how  far  this  precept  i»  modified  by  the 
example  of  Christ,  the  apostles,  and  even  Paul.  Comp,  Mat.  7.6.  Jn.  15-12.  1  Cor,  3:2. 
fitc.  As  the  language  of  the  hearer,  so  his  state  of  mind, is  to  be  considered.  P.O.ch.3.  E'i. 


have  the  same  reason  to  say  also,  that  He  is  made  our  Wisdom,  by  his 
wisdom  imputed  to  us,  &c.’  Whitby.  There  might  be  some  weight  in 
this  objection,  if  this  were  the  only  passage  of  Scripture,  by  which  those 
who  hold  ‘imputed  righteousness1  prove  their  doctrine  ;  if  there  were 
any  other  passages  in  the  sacred  oracles,  which  even  seem  to  counte¬ 
nance  the  notion  of  imputed  wisdom,  or  sanctification,  or  redemption; 
and  if  the  nature  of  the  case  were  not  essentially  different.  Another 
may  pay  my  debt,  and  allow  me  to  receive  the  wages  which  he  has 
earned,  or  the  reward  to  which  his  services  entitle  ftim  ;  thus  his  pay¬ 
ment  and  his  labor  ntay  be  set  down  to  my  account,  or  imputed  to  me 
for  my  adequate  advantage  ;  but  who  can  have  wisdom,  health,  or  liber¬ 
ty,  by  imputation  ?  Rom.  3:4.  Scott. 

‘  Imputation  is  taught,  (1.)  Of  sin,  to  Christ.  2  Cor.  5:21.  (2.)  Of  right¬ 
eousness,  to  believers,  Phi).  3:0.  2  Cor.  5:21.  G  il.  2:21.’  MUrtn.  on  Rom. 

(26.)  ‘On  the  fact,  that  almost  all  the  Christians  were  of  the  poorer 
and  laboring  classes,  Grot,  has  the  following  beautiful  remark,  “  Not  that 
the  Gospel  rejects  persons  of  any  sort  ;  but  that  the  less  burdened  more 
easily  tread  the  narrow  and  steep  path."  Mat.  5:3.  13:23.  CaUini*.  ] 
K  If  sis:  it  includes  the  assert/  and  acceptance  ;  so  in  v.  27.  called,  i.  c. 
‘  placed  in  a  state  of  salvation,'  according  to  the  genius  cf  Heb.  phrase¬ 
ology.  See  Sch/.'  Bloovf. 

(27,  28.)  ‘  Who  is  there,  almost,  that  measures  wisdom  by  simplicitv, 
strength  by  suffering,  dignity  by  lowliness  ?  Who  is  there  that  counts 
it  first  to  be  last,  something  to  be  nothing,  and  reckons  himself  to  be  of 
preat  command  in  that  he  is  a  servant  ?  Yet  Gcd,  when  He  meant  to 
[262] 


subdue  the  world  and  hell  at  once,  part  of  that  to  salvation,  and  this 
wholly  to  perdition,  made  choice  of  no  other  weapons  or  auxiliaries 
than  these,  whether  to  save  or  to  destroy.  It  had  been  a  small  mastery 
to  Him  to  have  drawn  out  his  legions  into  array,  and  flanked  them  with 
Ms  thunder;  therefore,  He  sent  Foolishness  to  confute  Wisdom,  Weak¬ 
ness  to  bind  Strength,  Despisedness  to  vanquish  Pride.  And  this  is  the 
great  mystery  of  the  Gospel,  made  good  in  Christ  Himself,  who  came 
not  to  be  ministered  to,  but  to  minister,  end  must  be  fulfilled  in  all  his 
ministers,  till  his  second  coming.’  Mjlto.v. 

(30.)  ‘In  these  difficult  words  we  must  attend  to  the  Heb.  and  Hellen¬ 
istic  idiom.  There  is,  throughout  the  sentence,  a  metonymy  of  the  ef¬ 
fect  for  thecause;  and  we  have  also  the  abstract  for  the  concrete.  The 
sense,  then,  is  :  “  who  was  made  by  God,  the  means  of  wisdom  (the 
l-ue  and  only  wisdom,  worthy  the  name  ,  being  imparted  to  us;  since 
by  Him  and  his  doctrine  alone  are  we  enabled  to  contemplate  God  and 
his  arcana,  which  even  the  most  nettle  human  inquiries  conld  never  ltnve 
imagined.”  “The  Cause  of  our  justification,  and  the  Author  and  pro¬ 
moter  of  our  sanctification,  both  by  imparting  pure  doctrine,  by  the  ex¬ 
ample  of  his  own  holy  life,  and  especially  by  procuring  for  us  the  assist¬ 
ance  of  the  Holy  Spirit.”  So  the  Gr.  comtrs.  and  best  moderns,  and  the 
Rabbins.’  Bi.oomf. 

NOTES.  Cn.xp.  II.  V.  1,  2.  When  the  apostle  came,  as  a  Jewish 
stranger,  among  the  polite,  speculating,  and  licentious  Corinthians  ;  he 
did  not  attempt  to  cntch  their  attention,  by  affected  elegance  or  sublim¬ 
ity  of  language,  for  it  was  his  sole  object,  to  declare  ‘  the  testimony  of 


A.  D.  60. 


1  CORINTHIANS,  II. 


The  value  of  Paul's  preaching , 


2  For  I  determined  not  to  know 
any  thing  among  you,  save  b  Jesus 
Christ,  and  him  crucified. 

3  And  I  was  with  you  in  weak¬ 
ness,  and  in  fear,  and  in  much 
trembling. 

4  And  my  speech  and  my  preach¬ 
ing  was  not  with  'enticing  words 
of  d  man’s  wisdom,  but  in  demon¬ 
stration  ‘of  the  Spirit  and  of  power: 

5  That  your  faith  should  not 
f  stand  in  the  wisdom  of  men,  but 
in  the  power  of  God. 

6  Howbeit  we  speak  wisdom 
among  them  *  that  are  perfect :  yet 
not  the  wisdom  of  this  world,  nor 
of  the  princes  of  this  world  that 
come  to  h  nought : 

7  But  we  speak  the  wisdom  of 
God  in  a  mystery,  even  the  hidden 
1  wisdom,  which  God  ordained  be¬ 
fore  the  world  unto  our  glory  : 

8  Which  none  of  the  princes  of 
this  world  knew  :  for  ’  had  they 
known  it,  they  would  not  have 
crucified  the  Lord  of  glory. 

9  But,  as  it  is  written,  kEye  hath 
not  seen,  nor  ear  heard,  neither 
have  entered  into  the  heart  of  man, 
the  things  which  God  hath  prepar¬ 
ed  for  them  that  love  him. 

b  Ga.  6:14.  f  or,  be.  i  Ep.  8:5,9. 

c  or,  per-iuasiblt.  g  Phi.  3:15.  j  Lu.  *23:34. 

d  2  Pe.  1:16.  h  Ps.  33:10.  k  Is.  64:4. 

e  1  Th.  1:5. 

them  but  Jesus  Christ,  and  Him  crucified  ;  to 
make  a  show  of  no  other  knowledge  than 
this  ;  to  preach  nothing,  to  discover  the 
knowledge  of  nothing,  but  Jesus  Christ,  and 
Him  crucified.  Christ,  in  his  Person  and 
offices,  is  the  Sum  and  Substance  of  the 
Gospel,  and  ought  to  be  the  great  Subject 
of  a  gospel-minister’s  preaching. 


II.  The  manner  wherein  he  preached 
Christ,  is  here  also  observable.  1.  Nega¬ 
tively,  v.  4.  lie  did  not  affect  to  appear  a 
fine  orator,  or  a  deep  philosopher ;  did  not 
set  himself  to  captivate  the  ear  by  fine  turns 
and  eloquent  expressions  ;  nor  please  and 
entertain  the  fancy  with  lofty  flights  of  sub¬ 
lime  notions.  Divine  wisdom  needed  not  to 
be  set  oft'  with  such  human  ornaments.  2. 
Positively,  v.  1.  He  published  a  divine  reve¬ 
lation,  and  gave  in  sufficient  vouchers  for  the 
authority  of  it,  both  by  its  consonancy  to 
ancient  predictions,  and  by  present  miracu¬ 
lous  operations  ;  and  there  he  left  the  mat¬ 
ter  :  yet  his  speech  and  preaching  were  in  de¬ 
monstration  of  the  Spirit,  and  of  power,  v.  3,4. 
His  enemies  in  the  church  of  Corinth  spake 
very  contemptuously  of  him,  2  Cor.  10:  10. 
Possibly,  he  had  a  little  body,  and  a  low 
voice  ;  but  though  he  had  not  so  good  an 
elocution  as  some,  it  is  plain  he  was  no 
mean  speaker  :  for  the  men  of  Lvstra  look¬ 
ed  on  him  to  he  Mercury,  the  heathen  god  of 
eloquence,  Acts  14:12.  Nor  did  he  want 
courage  or  resolution  to  go  through  his  work; 
he  was  in  nothing  terrified  by  his  adversaries. 
Yet  he  was  no  boaster.  He  did  not  proudly 
vaunt  himself,  like  his  opposers.  He  acted 
in  his  office  with  much  modesty,  concern, 
and  care,  lest  he  should  mismanage  in  his 
trust.  None  know  the  fear  and  trembling 
of  faithful  ministers,  who  are  jealous  over 
souls  with  a  godly  jealousy  :  and  a  deep 
sense  of  their  ow  n  weakness  is  the  occasion 
of  this  fear  and  trembling.  But  though  Paul 
managed  with  this  modesty  and  concern,  yet 
he  spake  with  authority,  in  the  demonstration 
of  the  Spirit,  and  of  power.  He  laid  down 
the  doctrine  as  the  Spirit  delivered  it  ;  and 
left  the  Spirit,  by  his  external  operation  in 
signs  and  miracles,  and  his  internal  influen¬ 
ces  on  the  hearts  of  men,  to  demonstrate  the 
truth  of  it,  and  procure  its  reception. 

III.  The  end  for  which  he  preached 
Christ  crucified  in  this  manner,  v.  5.  that 
they  might  not  be  drawn  by  human  motives, 
or  overcome  by  mere  human  arguments,  lest 
it  should  be  said,  that  either  rhetoric  or  logic 


ltad  made  them  Christians.  But  when  no¬ 
thing  but  Christ  crucified  was  plainly  preach¬ 
ed,  the  success  must  be  entirely  attributed 
to  a  divine  power  accompanying  the  Word: 
that  God  might  appear  and  be  glorified  in 
all. 

V.  6 — 16.  In  this  part  of  the  ch.  the  apos¬ 
tle  shows  them,  that  though  he  had  not  come 
to  them  with  any  of  the  boasted  knowledge 
and  literature  of  the  Jew  s  or  Greeks,  yet  he 
had  communicated  to  them  a  treasure  of  the 
truest  and  the  highest  wisdom,  n.  6.  espec¬ 
ially  to  such  ns  were  well  instructed  in 
Christianity,  and  had  come  to  maturity  in 
the  things  of  God :  not  indeed  the  wisdom  of 
this  world,  nor  of  the  princes  of  this  world,  but 
the  wisdom  of  God  in  a  mystery  :  v.  6,  7.  not 
worldly  wisdom,  but  divine  ;  tiol  such  as 
the  men  of  this  world  could  have  discovered, 
nor  such  as  worldly  men,  under  the  conduct 
of  pride,  and  passion,  and  appetite,  and 
worldly  interest,  and  destitute  of  the  Spirit 
of  God,  can  receive.  How  different  is  the 
judgment  of  God  from  that  of  the  world  ! 
The  wisdom  He  teaches  is  of  a  quite  differ¬ 
ent  kind  from  what  passes  under  that  notion 
in  the  world.  It  is  what  God  had  a  long 
time  kept  to  Himself,  and  concealed  from  the 
world,  and  the  depth  of  which,  now  it  is 
revealed,  none  but  Himself  can  fathom.  It 
is  the  mystery  which  hath  been  hid  from  ages 
and  generations,  though  now  made  manifest  to 
the  saints,  Col.  1:26.  hid,  in  a  manner,  en¬ 
tirely  from  the  heathen  world,  and  made 
mysterious  to  the  Jews,  by  being  wrapped  up 
in  dark  types  and  distant  prophecies,  but  re¬ 
vealed  and  made  known  to  us  by  the  Spirit  of 
God.  Now  concerning  this  wisdom,  observe, 

I.  The  rise  and  original  of  it,  v.  7.  It  was 
ordained  of  God  ;  He  had  determined  long 
ago  to  reveal  and  make  it  known,  nay,  from 
eternity ;  and  that  to  our  glory,  the  glory  of 
us,  either  us  apostles,  or  us  Christians.  It 
was  a  great  honor  put  on  the  apostles,  to  be 
intrusted  with  the  revelation  of  this  wisdom. 
It  was  a  great  and  honorable  privilege  for 
Christians,  to  have  this  glorious  wisdom  dis¬ 
covered  to  them.  And  the  wisdom  of  God 


God,’  concerning  the  only  way  of  salvation  from  eternal  misery,  and  of 
obtaining  eternal  life;  and  a  message  of  such  immense  importance, 
would  not  admit  of  these  worthless  embellishments.  This  [Christ  and 
Him  crucified]  was  the  centre  and  substance  of  his  preaching  :  but  it  is 
evident,  that  he  did  not  coniine  himself  wholly  to  this  one  topic,  so  as 
to  exclude  other  parts  of  the  revealed  truth  and  will  of  God.  For  we  are 
sure,  from  his  own  writings,  that  he  preached  man’s  relation  to  God,  as 
his  Creator,  Benefactor,  and  Governor;  the  glorious  perfections  and  the 
holy  law  of  God  ;  the  future  judgment  and  eternal  state  of  righteous 
retributions;  the  lost  estate  ot  man,  regeneration,  repentance,  conver¬ 
sion,  the  necessity  of  personal  holiness,  attention  to  relative  duties;  and 
in  short  ‘  the  whole  counsel  of  God,’  as  the  great  circumference  to  that 
circle,  of  which  ‘Christ  crucified  ’  is  the  centre,  in  which  all  the  lines 
meet.  (1)  Declaring.}  The  apostle  came  as  a  messenger,  simply  to 
deliver  a  message,  even  ‘  the  sure  testimony  ot  God,’  without  alteration, 
omission,  decoration,  or  addition  ;  the  whole  of  what  he  was  sent  to  de¬ 
liver,  nothing  more,  and  in  all  simplicity. — ‘  What  extraordinary  claims 
are  advanced, — what  pretensions  made  in  this  ch.  !— How  pointed  is  it 
on  the  subject  of  inspiration  !  If  the  sacred  writers  were  in  any  degree 
true  men,  they  were  then  fully  inspired  in  all  which  they  taught  con¬ 
cerning  religion.  The  miracles  which  they  wrought,  prove  them  true 
men,  whatever  their  pretensions  might  be,  and  their  own  words  show 
what  these  pretensions  were.’  Scott. 

(1.)  '■Excellency,  i.  e.  sublimity  of  doctrine,  and  of  wisdom.]  This 
excellency  of  wisdom  was  erudition ,  especially  philosophical ;  thought 
at  Corinth,  the  only  true  wisdom.’  Ros-,  who  obs.,  that  Paul  ‘abstained 
from  using  the  stores  of  knowledge  he  undoubtedly  possessed,  because, 
(3:1.)  they  were  tyros  (sarkikoi),  and  could  not  comprehend  higher 
doctrines.’  *  To  preach  and  commemorate  the  whole  history  of  Jesus 
Christ,  his  origin,  birth,  life,  doctrine,  and  especially  his  death ,  and  the 
important  doctrines  connected  with  it.  Comp.  15:1 — 4.  This  is  always 
the  sense  of  the  formula.  Titus  to  preach  Christ,  is  of  yet  more  com¬ 
prehensive  signification.’  Bloomf. 

V.  3 — 5.  ‘  By  the  demonstration  of  the  Spirit,  many  expositors  un¬ 

derstand  exclusively  the  miracles,  by  which  the  Holy  Spirit  powerfully 
demonstrated  the  truth  of  the  Gospel ;  of  the  prophecies  which  were 
fulfilled  in  those  things,  which  the  apostles  preached  concerning  Jesus 
and  his  salvation;  hut  these  proofs,  however  conclusive,  without  the 
internal  operation  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  as  the  Author  of  divine  life  in  re¬ 
generation,  would  not  have  produced  true  faith  ;  and  it  is  unreasonable 
to  confine  the  language  to  those  operations,  which  were  peculiar  to  one 
age,  and  to  exclude  such  as  are  alike  necessary,  and  alike  to  be  depended 
on,  in  every  age.  1  Thess.  1:5 — 9.  2:13 — 16.  The  annexed  reason, 
however,  puts  it  beyond  all  reasonable  doubt,  that  the  latter  were  prill- 
cipally  intended  ;  for  the  apostle  would  use  no  other  arts  of  persuasion, 
than  that  plain  and  faithful  address  to  the  hearts  and  consciences  of 
men,  which  the  Spirit  of  God  always  makes  use  of  in  convincing  them 
of  sin,  and  in  powerfully  demonstrating  the  truth  and  preciousness  of 
the  Gospel  to  their  souls;  because  he  would  not  have  their  ‘faith  to 


stand  on  the  wisdom  of  men,  but  on  the  power  of  God.’  1:17 — 19.  2  Cor. 
4:7.  Now  that  faith,  which  is  produced  by  outward  miracles,  and  wholly 
rests  on  them,  is  no  more  saving,  or  to  be  depended  on,  than  that  which 
is  the  effect  of  logical  reasonings  or  eloquent  persuasions.  Acts  8:9 — 24. 
but  the  faith,  which  is  the  effect  of  the  inward  and  powerful  teaching 
and  ‘demonstration  of  the  Spirit,’  rests  on  the  power  of  God,  and  is 
supported  by  it ;  and  will  endure  through  all  trials  even  to  the  end.  Sc. 

(3.)  'Ros.  tr.  “  I  carried  myself  among  you,  as  weak,  {unlearned,  or 
timid,)  and  very  modest ;  ”  phobb  and  tromd ,  must  mean  modesty  and 
bashfulness,  he  says;  yet  Chrys.  and  the  Gr.  comtrs.  explain  them  other¬ 
wise.  Storr  refers  weakness  to  Paul’s  imbecility  of  body,  2  Cor.  10:10, 
i.  e.  ft  thin,  weak  voice,  and  a  hesitation  in  pronunciation.  Yet  it  may 
also -refer  to  the  extreme  smallness  of  stature,  stooping,  &c.  which  are 
ascribed  to  the  apostle  :  and  so  Schoett.  Indeed,  the  word  here,  and 
2  Cor.  10:10.  not  improbably,  refer  to  the  same  infirmities  or  disadvan¬ 
tages  as  the  thorn  in  the  flesh,  2  Cor.  12:7.  Then  in  weakness  will 
refer  to  the  fear  justly  excited  by  bis  persecutors,  and  the  en  phobb  kai 
tromb  to  his  modesty  and  bashfulness.  After  all,  however,  I  grant  that 
there  is  much  to  be  said  in  defence  of  other  interpretations,  and  it  is  very 
difficult  to  determine  exactly  Paul’s  meaning.’  Bloomf. 

(4.)  Enticing.]  Persuasive,  persuading.  Ed. 

V.  6 — 9.  It  was  ‘  the  wisdom  of  God  in  a  mystery,’  even  in  the  mys¬ 
terious  design  of  glorifying  his  holy  name  and  all  his  perfections,  in  the 
redemption  of  sinners,  by  the  incarnation,  righteousness,  atoning  sacri¬ 
fice,  and  mediation  of  his  co-equal  Son.  Rom.  16:25 — 27.  Eph.  3:1 — 12. 
1  Tim.  3:16.  (7)  Ordained.  Predestinated  ]  Rom.  8:28 — 31.  See  on 

Acts  4:28.  ‘It  signifies  little  to  bring  such  expressions  down  to  any 
period  of  time.  If  it  be  granted,  that  they  intend  anything,  previous  to 
the  existence  of  those  to  whom  they  refer,  the  same  difficulties  will  still 
lie  in  the  way  ;  nor  is  it  possible  to  avoid  them.’  Doddr. — (9)  Eye  hath 
not  seen.]  Not  from  the  LXX,  nor  an  exact  tr.  from  the  Heb. ;  but  it 
gives  the  general, sense  of  the  v.  Is.  64:4.  Scott. 

(6.)  Perfect.]  ‘  Teleiois  :  auditors  far  advanced  in  spiritual  knowl¬ 
edge,  3:1.  Heb.  5:14.  6:1.  So  the  most  eminent  modern  cotntrs.  In  1 
Chr.  25:8.  Sept,  the  learners  are  opposed  to  the  teleiois,  and  the  Vulg. 
tr.  the  former  indoctos,  the  latter  dodos.  Ros.  thinks  Christians  gen¬ 
erally  are  meant,  ns  opposed  to  heathens  and  Jews;  and  adduces  the 
following  words  in  proof.’  Bloomf. 

(7.)  Ordained.]  ‘  From  everlasting,  had  planned  and  purposed  to 
reveal.  Theoph.  says  the  term  is  employed  to  show  the  love  of  God  : 
since  those  are  especially  supposed  to  lox'C  ns,  who  have  been  for  a  long 
time  making  preparations  to  benefit  us.  Glory.]  Doxan  :  to  be  taken 
metaphoricallv  in  the  sense  of  salvation,  happiness,  Sec.  -  °  1  beo 
Whit.,  Doddr?  ,  .  ,  , 

(8.)  Princes .]  ‘  The  Jewish  rulers,  so  most  comtrs.  Lord  oj  g  oj.\ 
Hebraistic,  for  glorious  Lord.  Ps.  24:9.’  „Aml»Mt«i«l 

(9.)  ‘  The  qnot.  is  selected  from  several  places,  and  a^co"in 
Prepared .]  [Note,  v.  7.]  “Held  in  reserve:  love ,  here, ^ includes 

worship  and  obey-  “If  ye  love  Me,  keep  my  commandm  .  —  '  - 


A.  D.  60. 


1  CORINTHIANS,  II. 


IIow  the  wisdom  of  God  is  received. 


10  But 1  God  hath  revealed  them 
unto  us  by  his  Spirit  :  for  the  Spirit 
searcheth  all  things,  yea,  the  deep 
m  things  of  God. 

11  For  what  "man  knoweth  the 
things  of  a  man,  save  the  spirit  of 
man  which  is  in  him  ?  even  "so  the 
things  of  God  knoweth  no  man, 
but  the  Spirit  of  God. 

12  Now  we  have  received,  not 
p  the  spirit  of  the  world,  but  the 
Spirit  which  is  of  God  ;  that  •>  we 
might  know  the  things  that  are 
freely  given  to  us  of  God. 

13  Which  things  also  we  speak, 
r  not  8  in  the  words  which  man’s 
wisdom  teacheth,  but  which  the 
Holy  Ghost  teacheth  ;  comparing 
spiritual  things  with  spiritual. 

14  But  the  natural  man  receiveth 
not  the  things  of  the  Spirit  of  God: 
for  they  are  foolishness  unto  him  : 
neither  can  he  know  them ,  because 
they  are  spiritually  discerned. 

1  Jn.  16:13.  o  Ro.  11:33,34.  r  c.  1:17. 

m  Ro.  11:33.  p  Ro.  8:15.  s  Mat.  13:11,  &c. 

n  Pc.  14:10.  q  1  Jn.  5:20.  Ro.  8:5,7. 

discovered  in  the  Gospel,  prepares  for  our 

everlasting  glory  and  happiness  in  the  world 
to  come.  The  counsels  of  God  concerning 
our  redemption  are  dated  from  eternity,  and 
designed  for  the  glory  and  happiness  of  the 
saints.  And  what  deep  wisdom  was  in  these 
counsels  !  The  wisdom  of  God  is  both  em¬ 
ployed  and  displayed  for  the  honor  of  his 
saints  ;  employed  from  eternity,  and  dis¬ 
played  in  time,  to  make  them  glorious  both 
here  and  hereafter,  in  time  and  to  eternity. 
What  honor  ! 

II.  The  ignorance  of  the  great  men  of  the 
world  about  it,  v.  8.  the  principal  men  in 
authority  and  power,  or  in  wisdom  and 
learning.  The  Roman  governor,  and  the 
guides  and  rulers  of  the  Jewish  church  and 
nation,  seem  chiefly  meant.  Observe,  Jesus 
Christ  is  the  Lord  of  glory ;  a  title  much  too 
great  for  any  creature  to  bear  :  and  therefore 
was  He  hated,  because  not  known.  Had 
his  cruoifiers  known  Him,  known  who  and 
what  He  was,  they  would  have  withheld 
their  impious  hands,  and  not  have  taken  and 
slain  Him.  This  He  pleaded  with  his  Fa¬ 
ther  for  their  pardon,  Lu.  23:  34.  There 
are  things  which  people  would  not  do,  if  they 
knew  the  wisdom  of  God  in  the  great  work 
of  redemption.  They  act  as  they  do,  be¬ 
cause  they  are  blind  or  heedless.  They 
know  not  [will  not  know]  the  truth,  or 
attend  to  it. 

III.  It  is  such  wisdom  as  could  not  have 


been  discovered  without  a  revelation;  accord¬ 
ing  to  what  Isaiah  gays,  ch.  64:4.  as  the 
LXX.  It  was  a  testimony  of  love  to  God 
in  the  Jewish  believers,  to  live  in  expecta¬ 
tion  of  the  accomplishment  of  evangelical 
promises.  Waiting  on  God  is  an  evidence 
of  love  to  Him,  Is.  25:9.  Observe,  There 
are  things  which  God  hath  prepared  for  them 
that  love  Him,  and  wait  for  Him,  things  in  a 
future  life,  2  Tim.  1  :  10.  But  the  apostle 
speaks  here  of  the  subject  matter  of  the  di¬ 
vine  revelation  under  the  Gospel.  These  are 
such  as  eye  hath  not  seen,  nor  ear  heard. 
Observe,  The  great  truths  of  the  Gospel  are 
things  lying  out  of  the  sphere  of  human  dis¬ 
covery,  but  by  the  light  of  revelation.  And 
therefore  we  must  take  them  as  they  lie  in 
the  Scriptures,  and  as  God  has  been  pleased 
to  reveal  them. 

IV.  We  here  see  by  whom  this  wisdom 
is  discovered  to  us,  v.  10.  The  Scripture  is 
given  by  inspiration  of  God,  2  Pet.  1:21. 
Here  is  a  proof  of  the  divine  authority  of 
the  Holy  Scriptures.  Paul  wrote  what  he 
taught  ;  and  what  he  taught  was  revealed 
of  God  by  his  Spirit,  v.  11.  A  double  ar¬ 
gument  is  drawn  from  these  words,  in  proof 
of  the  divinity  of  the  Holy  Ghost. 

1  Omniscience  is  attributed  to  Him  ;  He 
searches  all  things,  even  the  deep  things  of 
God.  He  has  pxact  knowledge  of  all  things, 
and  enters  into  the  very  depths  of  God,  pen¬ 
etrates  into  his  most  secret  counsels.  Now, 
who  can  have  such  a  thorough  knowledge 
of  God,  but  Godl 

2.  This  allusion  seems  to  imply,  that  the 
Holy  Spirit  is  as  much  in  God,  as  a  man’s 
mind  is  in  himself.  Now  the  mind  of  the 
man  is  plainly  essential  to  him.  He  cannot 
be  without  his  mind.  Nor  can  God  be  with¬ 
out  his  Spirit.  Pie  is  as  much  and  as  inti¬ 
mately  one  with  God,  as  the  man’s  mind  is 
with  the  man.  The  man  knows  his  own 
mind,  because  his  mind  is  one  with  himself. 
The  Spirit  of  God  knows  the  things  of  God, 
because  He  is  one  with  God.  And  as  no 
man  can  come  at  the  knowledge  of  what  is 
in  another  man’s  mind,  till  he  communicates 
and  reveals  it;  so  neither  can  we  know  the 
secret  counsels  and  purposes  of  God,  till 
they  are  made  known  to  us  by  his  Holy 
Spirit.  And  it  was  by  this  Spirit  that  the 
apostles  had  received  the  wisdom  of  God  in 
a  mystery,  which  they  spake,  v.  12.  not 
the  spirit  which  is  in  the  wise  men  of  the 
world,  v.  6.  nor  in  the  riders  of  the  world, 
v.  8.  but  the  Spirit  which  is  of  God,  pro¬ 
ceeded!  from  God.  We  have  what  we  de¬ 
liver  in  the  name  of  God,  by  inspiration 
from  Him;  and  it  is  by  his  gracious  illumi¬ 
nation  and  influence,  that  we  know  the  things 
freely  given  to  us  of  God,  unto  salvation, 
i.  e.  ‘  the  great  privileges  of  the  Gospel, 
which  are  the  free  gift  of  God,  distributions 


V.  10 — 13.  This  should  he  specially  noted  as  a  most  decisive  testi¬ 
mony  both  to  the  Deity  and  personality  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  12: 1 —  II. 
John  14:15 — 17,  25,  26.  15:2G,  27.  18:8—11.  Acts  5:1— 1 1,  w.  3,  4,  0. 
16:1 — 5.  vv.  2,4. — The  apostle  here  undoubtedly  speaks  of  himself  as 
divinely  inspired,  both  in  what  he  preached,  and  in  wlmt  he  wrote. 
1  Pet.  1:10 — 12,  v.  12. — Probably  Silvanus  and  Timothy  also  had  imme¬ 
diate  revelations  from  God.  Others,  who  preach  the  same  grand  truths, 
have  them  only  by  mediate  revelation;  and  the  doctrine  of  all  unin¬ 
spired  preachers  must  be  assayed  by  that  of  the  apostles.  Mat.  1G:1U.  Sc. 

(10.)  Searcheth .]  ‘  The  Gr.  denotes  such  profound  research  as  leads 

to  thorough  knowledge.’  So  Thcod.  Bloomk. 

(13.)  Comparing.]  'Explaining:  so  Felag.,  Sedul.,  and  most  recent 
Comtrs.’  ID_ 

v-  14 — 16  The  term  [natural]  here  used,  has  occasioned  much  dis¬ 
putation  ;  but,  as  it  is  derived  from  a  word,  which  sometimes,  at  least, 
signifies  the  rational  soul;  it  may  be  supposed  to  have  reference  to  the 
powers  of  his  mind,  as  well  ns  to  bis  inferior  inclinations. — ‘  It  is  op¬ 
posed  to  tlte  regenerate  man,  and  to  the  glorfled,  i.  e.  the  perfectly 
regenerated  man.  A  man  that  hath  only  natural  abilities  and  perfec¬ 
tions.’  Leigh.  One  that  has  not  the  Spirit  of  God  —The  apostle’s  ar¬ 
gument  absolutely  requires,  that  by  ‘the  natural  man’  we  understand 
the  nnregenerate  man,  however  sagacious,  learned,  or  abstracted  from 
sensual  indulgences:  for  he  opposes  bin  to  the  spiritual  man ;  and  the 
pride  of  carnal  reasoning  is,  at  least,  as  opposite  to  spirit ualitv,  as  the 
most  grovelling  sensuality  can  be.  Gat.  5:19— 2G.  No  man,  as  natu¬ 
rally  born  into  the  world,  and  not  supernaturally  born  again  of  the 
Spirit,  ‘can  see  the  kingdom  of  God,’  or  receive,  in  faith  nnd  love,  the 
spiritual  mysteries  of  redemption,  by  the  cross  of  Christ.  John  3:3—8. 
14:15—17.  To  all  unregenerate  men,  these  things  will,  in  one  way  or 
other,  appear  ‘ foolishness ,’  uninteresting,  unnecessary,  inconsistent,  or 

[264] 


of  mere  and  rich  grace.’  Though  these 
tilings  are  given  us,  and  the  revelation  of 
this  gift  be  made  to  us,  we  cannot  know 
them  to  any  saving  purpose,  till  we  have  the 
Spirit. 

V.  We  see  here  in  what  manner  this  wis¬ 
dom  was  taught  or  communicated,  v.  13. 
the  Spirit  of  God  not  only  gave  the  knowl¬ 
edge  of  these  things,  but  gave  them  utter¬ 
ance.  The  truths  of  God  need  no  garnishing 
by  human  skill  or  eloquence,  but  look  best 
in  the  words  which  the  Holy  Ghost  teaches. 
Comparing  spiritual  things  with  spiritual,  one 
part  of  revelation  with  another;  the  Gospel, 
the  N.  T.  with  the  types  and  prophecies  of 
the  Old  :  if  the  principles  of  human  art  and 
science  are  to  he  made  a  test  of  revelation, 
we  shall  certainly  judge  amiss  concerning 
it,  and  the  things  contained  in  it.  Or, 
adapting  spiritual  things  to  spiritual;  speak¬ 
ing  of  spiritual  matters,  matters  of  revela¬ 
tion,  and  the  spiritual  life,  in  language  that 
is  proper  and  plain.  The  language  of  the 
Spirit^  of  God  is  the  most  proper  to  convey 
his  meaning. 

VI.  How  this  wisdom  is  received. 

1.  Not  by  the  natural  man,  v.  14.  the  an¬ 
imal  man.  Either,  (1.)  The  man  under  the 
power  of  corruption,  and  never  yet  illumi¬ 
nated  by  the  Spirit  of  God,  such  as  Jude 
calls  sensual,  not  having  the  Spirit,  v.  19. 
Not  that  the  natural  faculty  of  discerning  is 
lost,  but  evil  inclinations  and  wicked  prin¬ 
ciples  render  the  man  unwilling  to  enter  into 
the  mind  of  God,  in  the  spiritual  matters  of 
his  kingdom,  and  yield  to  their  force  and 
power.  Or,  (2.)  The  natural  man,  i.  e.  the 
wise  man  of  the  world,  ch.  1:19,  20.  the  wise 
man  after  the  flesh,  or  according  to  the  flesh, 
v.  26.  one  who  hath  the  wisdom  of  the  world, 
man’s  wisdom,  ch.  2 :  4 — 6.  a  man,  as  some  of 
the  ancients,  that  would  learn  all  truth  by  his 
own  ratiocinations,  receive  nothing  by  faith, 
nor  own  any  need  of  supernatural  assistance. 
This  was  very  much  the  character  of  the 
pretenders  to  philosophy,  and  the  Grecian 
learning  and  wisdom,  in  that  day.  Such  a 
man  receives  not  the  things  of  the  Spirit  of 
God.  Revelation  is  not  with  him  a  princi¬ 
ple  of  science  ;  he  looks  on  it  as  delirium 
and  dotage,  the  extravagant  thought  of  some 
deluded  dreamer.  It  is  no  way  to  wisdom 
among  the  famous  masters  of  the  world  ;  and 
for  that  reason  he  can  have  no  knowledge 
of  things  revealed,  because  they  are  only  spir¬ 
itually  discerned,  or  made  known  by  the  rev¬ 
elation  of  the  Spirit,  which  is  a  principle 
of  science  or  knowledge  which  he  will  not 
admit. 

2.  But  he  that  is  spiritual  judgeth  all 
things,  yet  he  himself  is  judged,  or  discern¬ 
ed,  of  no  man,  v.  15.  Either,  (1.)  He  who 
is  sanctified,  and  made  spiritually-minded, 
Roin.  8:6.  judgeth  all  things,  or  discerneth 

ahsurd  ;  and  doubtless  proud  reasoners  have  scoffed  at  them,  more  than 
ever  mere  sensualists  did.  1:20 — 25.  No  ingenuity,  address,  or  reason¬ 
ing  of  the  preacher  can  prevent  this  effect  ;  no  application  of'  the  man’s 
own  mind,  except  in  humble  dependence  on  the  teaching  of  the  Holy 
Spirit,  can  enable  him  to  perceive  tlte  real  nature  and  glory  of  them. 
‘  For  they  are  spiritually  discerned,’  i.  e.  by  the  illuminating  and  sanc¬ 
tifying  work  of  the  Spirit  of  God  on  the  mind;  by  which  n  spiritual 
capacity  is  produced,  which  discerns,  admires,  loves,  and  delights  in  the 
divine  excellency  of  heavenly  things.  When  this  change  lias  taken 
place,  and  a  man’s  spiritual  senses  have  been  matured  by  growth  and 
exercise,  he  may  be  called  ‘a  spiritual  man;’  and  be  perceives  the 
spiritual  glory  and  excellency  of  every  truth  and  precept  in  the  Word 
of  God  ;  he  distinguishes  one  object  from  another  by  a  spiritual  taste,  or 
a  kind  of  extemporaneous  judgment,  and  so  he  becomes  a  competent 
judge  in  these  matters.  Yet  his  views,  principles, ~and  motives  do  not 
fall  under  the  judgment  of  any  other  men  ;  none  are  competent  to  decide 
on  the  propriety  ofhis  conduct,  as  they  are  strangers  to  those  views  and 
discoveries,  which  direct  his  determinations.  Acts  16:1 — 3.  P.  O.  1 — 
12.  For  ‘who  hath  known  the  mind  of  the  Ford,’  or  can  be  capable  of 
‘  instructing  him,'  who  is  inspired  by  the  Holy  Spirit?  As  therefore 
the  apostle,  and  other  inspired  persons,  were  made  acquainted  with  ‘  the 
mind  of  Christ,’  by  whom  the  Father  reveals  Himself  to  men  :  none  of 
those  who  presumed  to  judge  them  could  be  competent  to  decide,  either 
on  their  doc:rine,  or  their  manner  of  communicating  it.  They  were,  in 
the  very  order  of  tilings,  above  such  instruclers  or  cetisurers,  who  could 
not  possibly  understand  the  principles  on  which  they  acted.  M.  and  M. 
R.  In  a  measure,  all  ‘spiritual  ’  men  ‘have  the  mind  of  Christ,’ and 
nnregenerate  men  are  incompetent  judges  of  their  eondiiet ;  yet  this  is  in 
everything  to  he  tried  by  the  Word  of  God  ;  and  nothing  must  be  justi¬ 
fied  or  excused,  which  does  not  accord  with  that  rule,  when  properly 


A.  D.  GO. 


1  CORINTHIANS,  III. 


The  Corinthians  reproved. 


15  But  he  1  that  is  spiritual  n  judg- 
eth  all  things,  yet  he  himself  is 
v  judged  of  no  man. 

16  For  w  who  hath  known  the 
mind  of  the  Lord,  that  he  x  may 
instruct  him?  But  we  have  ythe 
mind  of  Christ. 

CHAP.  III. 

2  Milk  is  fit  for  children.  3  Strife  and  division,  arguments 
of  a  fleshly  mind.  7  He  that  planteth,  and  he  that  water- 
eth,  is  nothing.  9  The  ministers  are  God’s  fellow-work¬ 
men.  II  Christ,  the  only  foundation.  16  Men,  the  tem¬ 
ple#  of  God,  which  17  must  be  kept  holy.  19  The  wisdom 
of  this  world  is  foolishness  with  God. 

AND  I,  brethren,  could  not  speak 
unto  you  as  *  unto  spiritual,  but 
as  unto  carnal,  even  as  unto  babes 
bin  Christ. 

2  I  have  fed  you  with  milk,  and 
not  with  meat  :  for  hitherto  c  ye 
were  not  able  to  hear  it,  neither  yet 
now  are  ye  able. 

3  For  ye  are  yet  carnal  :  for 
4  whereas  there  is  among  you  envy¬ 
ing,  and  strife,  and  e  divisions,  are 
ye  not  carnal,  and  walk  fas  men  ? 


t  Pr.  28:5. 
u  or,  discemelk. 
v  or,  discerned. 
\v  Is.  40:13. 

Je.  23:18. 


x  shall. 
y  Jn.  17:8. 
k  c.  2:14,15. 
b  He.  5:12,13. 
1  Pe.  2:2. 


c  Jn.  16:12. 
d  Ja.  3:16. 
e  or, /actions. 
f  according  to 
man. 


all  things  ;  he  is  capable  of  judging  about 
matters  of  human  wisdom,  and  has  also  a 
relish  and  savor  of  divine  truths  ;  the  sanc¬ 
tified  mind  discerns  the  real  beauties  of  ho¬ 


liness:  but  by  the  refinement  of  its  faculties, 
they  do  not  lose  their  power  of  discerning 
and  judging  about  common  and  natural 
things.  The  spiritual  man  may  judge  of  all 
things,  natural  and  supernatural,  human  and 
divine,  the  deductions  of  reason,  and  the 
discoveries  of  revelation.  But  he  himself 
is  judged  or  discerned  of  NO  MAN.  God’s 
saints  are  his  hidden  ones,  Ps.  83:  3.  Col. 
3:  3.  The  carnal  man  knows  no  more  of  a 
spiritual  man,  than  he  does  of  other  spiritual 
things.  He  is  a  stranger  to  the  principles, 
and  pleasures,  and  actings,  of  the  divine  life. 
The  spiritual  man  does  not  lie  open  to  his 
observation.  Or,  (2.)  He  that  is  spiritual, 
has  had  divine  revelations  made  to  him,  re¬ 
ceives  them  as  such,  and  founds  his*  faith 
and  religion  on  them;  he  can  judge  both  of 
common  things  atul  things  divine  ;  he  can 
discern  what  is,  and  what  is  not,  the  doc¬ 
trine  of  the  Gospel,  aud  of  salvation  ;  he 
does  not  lose  the  power  of  reasoning,  nor 
renounce  the  principles  of  it,  by  founding  his 
faith  and  religion  on  revelation.  But  he 
himself  is  judged  of  no  man;  can  be  judged, 
so  as  to  be  confuted,  by  no  man  ;  nor  can 
any  man  who  is  not  spiritual,  not  under  a 
divine  afflatus  himself,  (see  ch.  14:  37.)or  not 
founding  his  faith  on  a  divine  revelation, 
discern  or  judge  whether  what  he  speaks  be 
true,  or  divine,  or  not.  In  short,  he  who 
founds  his  knowledge  on  principles  of 
science,  and  the  mere  light  of  reason,  can 
never  be  a  judge  of  the  truth  or  falsehood  of 
what  is  received  by  revelation.  For  who 
hath  known  the  mind  of  the  Lord,  that  he  may 
instruct  him,  v.  16.  the  spiritual  man  ?  Who 


PRACT.  OBS.  How  surprising,  that  this  most  honored  servant  of 
Christ,  should  be  constrained  to  justify  his  divinely  excellent  and  useful 
preaching,  even  to  the  very  persons,  who  had  been  converted  by  it  ! 
But  this  surprise  should  be  connected  with  admiration  of  the  divine 
wisdom,  in  taking  occasion  from  that  circumstance,  to  give  the  church 
most  valuable  instructions,  concerning  the  best  method  of  ‘  declaring  the 
testimony  of  God  1  to  sinners. — If  this  arduous  service,  made  even  this 
great  apostle  to  fear  and  tremble,  through  conscious  weakness  ;  what 
reason  have  we  to  be  humble  and  ditlident,  when  called  to  declare  the 
same  testimony  to  mankind  !  2  Cor.  2:14 — 17.  How  should  we  fear 

disgracing  this  honorable  ministry,  by  our  own  folly  or  sin  !  At  what  a 
distance  should  we  keep  from  ail  ambition  and  self-confidence  !  How 
carefully  should  we  remember,  that  all  1  our  sufficiency  is  of  God  ’  alone  ! 
The  more  deeply  we  are  convinced,  that  no  arguments  or  eloquence  of 
man  can,  by  their  own  efficacy,  produce  saving  faith  ;  the  greater  care 
we  shall  take  to  speak  in  a  plain,  serious,  and  scriptural  manner;  and 
in  imitation  of  those  preachers  of  old,  whose  word  was  attended  with 


can  enter  so  far  into  the  mind  of  God,  as  to 
instruct  him  who  has  the  Spirit  of  God,  and 
is  under  his  inspiration  I  But,  adds  the 
apostle,  we  have  the  mind  of  Christ  :  and  the 
tnind  of  Christ  is  the  mind  of  God.  He  is 
God,  and  the  principal  Messenger  and 
Prophet  of  God  ;  the  apostles  were  impow- 
ered  by  his  Spirit  to  make  known  his  mind 
to  us;  and  in  the  Holy  .Scriptures,  the  mind 
of  Christ,  and  the  mind  of  God  in  Christ, 
are  fully  revealed  to  us.  This  is  the  great 
privilege  of  Christians. 

Chap.  III.  V.  1 — 4.  I.  Paul  blames  the 
Corinthians  for  their  weakness  and  lion- 
proficiency,  v.  1.  So  far  from  forming  their 
maxims  and  measures  on  the  foot  of  divine 
revelation,  and  entering  into  the  spirit  of  the 
Gospel,  it  was  but  too  evident,  they  were 
much  under  the  command  of  carnal  and  cor¬ 
rupt  affections.  They  had  received  some  of 
the  first  principles  of  Christianity,  but  wrere 
grown  up  to  no  maturity  of  understanding 
in  them,  or  of  faith  and  holiness  :  yet  they 
were  very  proud  of  their  wisdom  and  knowl- 
edge.  It  is  but  too  common  for  persons  of 
very  moderate  knowledge  and  understanding 
to  have  a  great  measure  of  self-conceit. 
The  apostle  assigns  their  little  proficiency 
in  the  knowledge  of  Christianity,  as  a  rea¬ 
son  why  he  had  communicated  no  more  of 
the  deep  things  of  it  to  them,  v.  2.  Note, 
A  faithful  minister  must  consult  the  capaci¬ 
ties  of  his  hearers,  and  teach  them  as  they 
can  bear  :  yet  babes  grow  to  be  men  ;  and 
babes  in  Christ  should  endeavor  to  become 
men  in  Christ.  It  is  expected  their  advances 

‘  demonstration  of  the  Spirit  and  of  power ;  ’  depending  singly  on  his 
effectual  operation  to  bring  our  hearers  to  believe,  to  the  salvation  of 
their  souls. — No  man  truly  understands  or  properly  values  divine  rev¬ 
elation,  except  that  divine  Spirit,  who  revealed  them  to  the  apostles, 
removes  the  veil  from  his  heart,  and  enables  him  to  perceive  their  real 
excellency.  ( Notes  and  P.  O.  2  Cor.  3:7 — 18.)  On  this  great  Teacher 
we  must  simply  depend,  while  we  seek  to  know  ‘  the  things  that  are 
freely  given  by  God  ’  to  his  people,  and  to  obtain  the  assurance  that  we 
belong  to  that  favored  company. — Whoever  teaches,  or  what  language 
soever  is  employed,  ‘the  natural  man’ will  either  oppose,  despise,  or 
pervert  ‘  the  things  of  the  Spirit  of  God  ;  ’  he  cannot  cordially  receive  or 
rightly  understand  them  ;  they  will  remain  foolishness  to  him,  because  he 
is  destitute  of  spiritual  discernment.  On  the  other  hand,  he  who  is  ‘  born 
of  God,’  however  destitute  of  genius  and  learning,  will  become  spiritual , 
and  capable  of  discerning  the  harmony  and  glory  of  divine  truth  ;  will 
experience  its  sanctifying  effects  in  his  heart,  and  produce  correspondent 
fruits  in  his  life.  Scott. 


explained.  But  the  inspired  apostles  were  employed,  to  state  that  ‘  mind 
of  Christ,’  by  which  men’s  principles  and  actions  must  be  judged,  both 
at  present,  and  at  the  day  of  judgment;  and,  in  this  respect,  they  could 
not  be  liable  to  be  judged  by  any  man. — Some,  indeed,  explain  the  last 
v.  as  an  inquiry,  whether  any  man  had  so  known  the  mind  of  the  Lord, 
as  to  be  competent  to  give  Him  any  counsel  or  instruction.  Bom.  11:33 
— 36.  But  the  context  rather  fixes  the  meaning  to  the  preceding  inter¬ 
pretation  ;  and  the  apostle  intended  to  expose  the  absurdity  of  a  ‘nat¬ 
ural’  man  presuming  to  instruct  ‘a  spiritual  man,’  in  respect  of 
‘spiritual  things  !  ’  or  of  an  ordinary  Christian,  or  teacher,  presuming  to 
censure  or  dictate  to  an  inspired  apostle,  as  he  thus  declared  himself  to 
be  !  It  is  probable  he  had  in  mind,  but  he  does  not  expressly  quote, 
Is.  40:12 — 17.  Scott. 

(14.)  Natural.]  ‘  Psuchikos  :  who  follows  only  the  impulses  of  na¬ 
ture,  common  to  the  brutes  ;  who  considers  only  objects  which  strike  the 
senses,  and  the  things  of  this  life.  For  psuchS  is  that  sort  of  instinct, 
which  men  have  in  common  xvith  the  brutes,  to  follow  which,  is  equiv¬ 
alent  to  following  concupiscence.  [Rather  their  “  innate,  impulsive  fac¬ 
ulties,  objective  and  intellectual,  as  they  exist  before  “regeneration.”] 
Thus  in  Jude,  19.  the  psuchikoi  and  the  pneuma  echonles  are  distin¬ 
guished.  And  in  Jos.  1,  2.  God  is  said  to  have  instilled  into  Adam, 
pneuma  and  psuchen.  The  psuchikoi ,  therefore,  are  those  who  are  led 
merely  by  sensual,  [and  other  natural,  (as  at  end  of  Rom.  7.)]  impulses, 
and  do  not  follow,  as  becomes  rational  [and  holy]  beings,  right  [inspired] 
reason;  and,  especially,  do  not  weigh  the  truth  and  authority  of  reli¬ 
gion,  [full  of  the  regenerating  influence  of  the  Holy  Spirit,]  neither 
attend  to  the  representations  of  others,  nor  use  the  opportunity  of  learn¬ 
ing  [or  receive,  realize,  and  appropriate  it] ;  neither  examine  what  [it] 
is  offered  to  them  for,  nor  make  trial  of  what  they  have  heard,  so  as  to 
understand  its  value ;  lint  rashly  reject  what  they  perceive  to  be  con¬ 
trary  to  their  own  opinions,  Ja.  3:15.  Men  of  this  kind  fsays  Noesselt) 
do  not,  hence,  admit  ( dechousi  [receive])  the  more  perfect  doctrine  of 
revelation,  but  reject  and  account  it  foolishness.  So  Chrys.,  and  Theoph. 
who  takes  psuchichos  fur  phusikos ,  and  aptly  illustrates  thus  :  the  eyes, 
though  the  most  beautiful  and  useful  of  the  members,  yet,  without  light, 
cannot  see.  So  the  psuchS  cannot  discern,  unless  enlightened  bv  the 
H.  S.  So  Theod.  See  also  Calv.,  De  Dieu,  Grot.,  Salmasius,  Wets., 
Iloddr.  Cappell  takes  psuchl  to  answer  to  the  Hell,  nphsh ,  the  anima 
common  to  all  men,  from  which  proceed  the  motions  and  affections, 
(note,  end  of  Rom.  7.]  common  to  all,  and  naturally  corrupt  [ed] .  The 
pneuma  is  the  Heb.  ruck,  the  H.  S.,  or  the  mind,  reformed  and  regene¬ 
rated  by  its  influences.  And  so  Vitr.  and  Schoelt.'  Bloom?. 

(14.)  Receivetli.]  ‘  Admit,  hear,  follow.’  Bl.  Realize,  appropriate  ? 
Ed.  Know.]  ‘Fully  understand  nnd  appreciate  their  excellence,  both 
y.  t.  vol.  v.  34 


(says  Par.)  from  defect  of  light  and  corruption  of  heart.  For,  as  Aris¬ 
totle  says,  wickedness  perverts  the  judgment,  and  makes  then  err  with 
respect  to  practical  principles  ;  so  that  no  one  can  be  wise  and  judicious 
who  is  not  good.’  Bloomf. 

(15.)  All  things .]  I.  e.  which  pertain  to  the  case.  En. 

(16.)  ‘This  part  of  the  epistle  is  very  artificially  conducted.  Paul 
is  now  aiming  at  tile  great  point  of  establishing  his  authority,  which  had 
been  suspected,  amongst  them  ;  yet  he  does  not  directly  propose,  but 
obliquely  insinuate  arguments  against  such  suspicions;  arguments 
which  might  possess  their  minds,  before  they  were  aware  of  what  he 
intended  to  effect  by  them.’  Doddr. 

NOTES.  Chap.  III.  V.  1—3.  Many  of  the  Corinthians  had  been 
seduced  into  a  mean  opinion  ofthe  apostle’s  ministry,  because  he  had  not 
fully  instructed  them  in  those  abstruse  subjects,  on  which  some  of  their 
teachers  had  particularly  insisted,  and  about  which  they  plausibly  specu¬ 
lated  :  he  therefore  here  assigns  the  reason  of  his  conduct  in  Ibis  respect. 
Tile  simplest  truths  of  the  Gospel,  respecting  the  sinfulness  of  man,  and 
the  rich  mercy  of  God  as  shown  in  redemption  by  the  blood  of  Emma¬ 
nuel;  with  regeneration,  faith  in  Christ.  Hie  necessity  and  nature  of  ho¬ 
liness  ;  the  influences  and  fruits  of  the  Spirit ;  the  day  of  judgment,  and 
eternal  happiness  nnd  misery  ;  delivered  in  the  simplest,  plainest  lan¬ 
guage,  suited  them  far  better,  than  those  deeper  mysteries,  which  led  to 
mere  speculation,  and  whicli  afforded  the  teacher  a  fairer  opportunity  of 
showing  his  knowledge, "ingenuity,  and  capacity. — It  is  evident,  that  by 
carnal ,  and  as  men,  the  apostle  does  not  here  intend  the  prevalence  of 
sensual  appetites,  but  that  of  malignant  passions;  not  the  propensities 
of  the  animal,  but  those  of  the  fallen  spirit ;  and  this  may  confirm  the 
interpretation  given  of  this,  and  similar  words,  in  other  places.  fRom. 
8:1—13.  Gal.  5:19— 26.) — As  ‘spiritual’  is  opposed  to  ‘carnal,’  it  must 
relate  exclusively  to  the  sanctifying  grace  of  the  Holy  Spirit ;  and  not  at 
all  to  miraculous  endowments.  The  Corinthians  were  enriched  with 
the  latter,  but  some  of  them  seemed  altogether  destitute  of  the  former, 
and  the  generality  of  them  were  hut  ‘  babes  in  Christ.’  (1)  Carnal. \  3, 
4.  2  Cor.  1:12.  See  on  Rom.  7:14.  The  apostle  considered  the  Romans 
capable  of  receiving  the  simpler  parts  of  ‘  the  things  of  the  Spirit  o 
God;’  which  ‘the  natural  man  cannot  receive.’  (2:14.)  i’ 

this  place  cannot  mean  more  titan  ‘natural;’  and  a  man  may  . 
nal  ’  in  some  respects,  and  yet  not  altogether  destitute  of  wna  ^ 
itual.’  [Comp,  note,  end  of  Rom.  7.]  Khaijsf" 

(1.)  ‘  What  follows  closely  coheres  with  2:13.  which  do 

3.  Carnal.]  Indulging,  exclusively,  ‘  all  those  actions  whmh  do 
not  wholly  tend  to  the  honor  of  God,  nnd  the  xvelfare of  man,  but  are 
mcrelv  directed  to  onr  own  gratification (Gro  •) 

life  of  God  in  the  soul  of  man,  by  the  Spirit  of  grace-  [265] 


A.  D.  60. 


1  CORINTHIANS,  III. 


The  sectarian  spirit  condemned. 


4  For  while  one  saith,  I  g  am  of 
Paul  ;  and  another,  I  am  of  Apol- 
los  ;  are  ye  not  carnal  ? 

5  Who  then  is  Paul,  and  who  is 
Apollos,  but  ministers  by  whom  ye 
believed,  even  h  as  the  Lord  gave 
to  every  man  ? 

6  I  have  planted,  Apollos  water¬ 
ed  ;  but  God  '  gave  the  increase. 

7  So  then,  neither  J  is  he  that 
planteth  any  thing,  neither  he  that 
watereth,  but  God  that  giveth  the 
increase. 

8  Now  he  that  planteth  and  he 
that  watereth  are  one  :  and  every 
man  k shall  receive  his  own  reward, 
according  to  his  own  labor. 

9  For  we  are  laborers  together 
'with  God  :  ye  are  God’s  m  husband¬ 
ry,  ye  are  God’s  n  building. 

10  According  0  to  the  grace  of 
God  which  is  given  unto  me,  as  a 
wise  master-builder,  I  have  laid  the 
foundation,  and  another  buildeth 
thereon.  But  let  every  man  take 
heed  how  he  buildeth  thereupon. 

11  For  other  foundation  can  no 
man  lay  than  that  is  Plaid,  which  is 
Jesus  Christ. 

12  Now  if  any  man  build  upon 
this  foundation  gold,  silver,  pre¬ 
cious  stones,  wood,  hay,  stubble  ; 

13  Every  man’s  work  shall  be 
made  manifest  :  for  the  day  shall 
declare  it,  because  it  a  shall  be  re¬ 
vealed  by  fire  :  and  the  r  fire  shall 
try  every  man’s  work,  of  what  sort 
it  is. 


g  c.  1:12. 
h  Ko.  12:3,6. 

1  Pe.  4:11. 

1  c.  15:10. 

1  Jn.  15:5.  2  Co. 

12:9—11. 
k  Pi.  62:12. 


Ro.  22:12. 

1  2  Co.  6:1. 
m  or,  tillage. 
n  He.  3:6.  I  Pe. 
2:5. 

0  Ro.  12:3. 


p  Is.  28: 1.6.  Mat. 
16:18.  ftp.  2:20. 
2  Ti.  2:19. 
q  It. 

r  Zee.  13:9.  1  Pe. 
1:7.  4:12. 


in  knowledge  should  be  in  proportion  to 
their  means  and  opportunities,  and  their 
time  of  professing  religion  ;  that  they  may 
be  able  to  bear  discourses  of  the  mysteries 
of  our  religion,  and  not  always  rest  in  plain 
tilings.  It  was  a  reproach  to  the  Corin¬ 
thians,  that  they  had  so  long  sat  under  the 
ministry  of  Paul,  and  had  made  no  more 
improvement.  Christians  are  utterly  to 
blame,  who  do  not  endeavor  to  grow  in  grace 
and  knowledge. 

II.  They  had  mntual  emulations,  and 
quarrels,  and  factions  among  them,  on  ac¬ 
count  of  their  ministers,!).  4.  These  were 
proofs  of  their  being  carnal  ;  that  fleshly 
interests  and  affections  too  much  swayed 
them.  Contentions  and  quarrels  about  reli¬ 
gion  are  sad  evidences  of  remaining  carnal¬ 
ity.  True  religion  makes  men  peaceable. 
Factious  spirits  act  on  human  principles, 


not  on  principles  of  true  religion  ;  are  guided 
by  their  own  pride  and  passions,  not  by  the 
rules  of  Christianity  ;  Do  ye  not  walk  as 
men  ?  It  is  to  be  lamented,  that  many  who  1 
should  walk  as  Christians,  i.  e.  above  the 
common  rate  of  men,  do  indeed  live  and  act 
too  much  like  other  men. 

V.  5—10.  The  apostle  instructs  them 
how  to  cure  this. 

I.  By  reminding  them,  that  the  ministers 
about  whom  they  contended,  were  but  min¬ 
isters,  v.  5.  mere  instruments,  used  by  the 
God  of  all  grace.  Observe,  All  the  gifts  and 
powers  that  even  apostles  discovered  and 
exerted  in  the  work  of  the  ministry,  were 
from  God.  They  were  intended  to  mani¬ 
fest  their  mission  and  doctrine  to  be  divine. 
Both  were  useful,  one  for  one  purpose,  the 
other  for  a  different.  Paul  was  fitted  for 
planting,  Apollos  for  watering  ;  but  God  gave 
the  increase.  The  success  of  the  ministry 
must  be  derived  from  the  divine  blessing, 
v.  7.  Even  apostolical  ministers  are  noth¬ 
ing  of  themselves,  can  do  nothing  with  effi¬ 
cacy  and  success.  The  best  qualified  and 
most  faithful  ministers,  have  a  just  sense  of 
their  own  insufficiency,  and  are  very  desi¬ 
rous  that  God  should  have  all  the  glory  of 
their  success. 

II.  Bv  representing  to  them  the  unanim¬ 
ity  of  Christ’s  ministers,  v.  8.  how  they  are 
employed  by  one  Master,  intrusted  with  the 
same  revelation,  busied  in  one  work,  and 
engaged  in  one  design  ;  having  their  different 
gifts  from  one  and  the  same  Spirit,  for  the 
very  same  purposes.  All  the  faithful  min¬ 
isters  of  Christ,  heartily  concur  in  the  great 
design  of  honoring  God  and  saving  souls,  by 
promoting  true  Christianity  in  the  world. 
All  such  may  expect  a  glorious  recompense 
of  their  fidelity,  and  in  proportion  to  it  ; 
Every  man  shall  receive  his  own  reward,  ac¬ 
cording  to  his  own  labor.  They  that  are  most 
faithful,  shall  have  the  greatest  reward ;  and 
glorious  w'ork  it  is,  in  which  all  faithful 
ministers  are  employed.  They  are  laborers 
with  God,  co-workers,  fellow-laborers,  v.  9. 
not  indeed  in  the  same  order  and  degree, 
but  in  subordination  to  Him,  working  to¬ 
gether  with  God,  in  promoting  the  purposes 
of  his  glory,  and  the  salvation  of  precious 
souls  ;  ‘  Ye  are  God’s  husbandry ,  God’s 
building.  We  work  under  Him,  and  with 
Him,  and  for  Him.’  He  had  employed  the 
former  metaphor  before,  and  now  he  goes 
on  to  the  other  of  a  building.  Paul  here 
calls  himself  a  wise  master-builder  ;  a  char¬ 
acter  doubly  reflecting  honor  on  him.  It 
was  honorable,  to  be  a  master-builder  in  the 
edifice  of  God  ;  but  it  added  to  his  charac¬ 
ter,  to  be  a  wise  one.  But  he  gives  himself 
such  a  character,  not  to  gratify  his  own 
pride,  but  to  magnify  divine  grace.  It  is 
no  crime  in  a  Christian,  but  much  to  his 
commendation,  to  notice  the  good  that  is  in 
him,  to  the  praise  of  divine  grace.  Spiritual 
pride  is  abominable,  but  to  notice  the  favors 
of  God,  to  promote  our  gratitude  to  Him, 
and  to  speak  of  them  to  his  honor,  is  but  a 
proper  expression  of  the  duty  and  regard  we 


owe  Him.  It  was  Paul  that  laid  the  founda¬ 
tion  of  a  church  among  them.  He  had  be¬ 
gotten  them  through  the  Gospel,  ch.  4:15. 
Whatever  instrueters  they  had  besides,  they 
had  not  many  fathers !  nor  would  he  be 
robbed  of  his  own  honor  and  respect. 
Faithful  ministers  may  and  ought  to  have  a 
concern  for  their  own  reputation.  Their 
usefulness  depends  much  on  it;  But  let  every 
man  take  heed  how  he  buildeth  thereon.  This 
is  a  proper  caution  ;  there  may  be  very  in¬ 
different  building  on  a  good  foundation,  and 
great  care  should  be  used,  not  only  to  lay  a 
sure  and  right  foundation,  but  to  erect  a 
regular  building  upon  it.  Ministers  of  Christ 
should  take  great  care  that  they  do  not 
build  their  own  fancies  or  false  reasonings 
on  the  foundation  of  divine  revelation. 
What  they  preach  should  be  the  plain  doc¬ 
trine  of  their  Master,  or  what  is  perfectly 
agreeable  with  it. 

V.  11 — 15.  Here  the  apostle  informs  us 
what  foundation  he  had  laid  at  the  bottom 
of  all  his  labors  among  them, — even  Jesus 
Christ,  the  chief  Corner-stone,  Eph.  2:  20.  On 
this  foundation  all  the  faithful  ministers  of 
Christ  build.  On  this  Rock,  all  Christians 
found  their  hopes.  They  that  build  their 
hopes  of  heaven  on  any  other  foundation, 
build  on  the  sand.  Other  foundation  can  no 
man  lay,  beside  what  is  laid, — ei'tn  Jesus 
Christ.  The  doctrine  of  our  Savior,  and 
his  mediation,  is  the  principal  doctrine  of 
Christianity.  Leave  out  this,  and  you  lay 
waste  all  our  comforts,  and  leave  no  founda¬ 
tion  for  our  hopes  as  sinners.  It  is  in  Christ 
only  that  God  is  reconciling  a  sinful  world  to 
Himself,  2  Cor.  5:  19.  But  of  those  that 
hold  the  foundation,  and  embrace  the  gen¬ 
eral  doctrine  of  Christ’s  being  the  Mediator 
between  God  and  man,  there  are  two  sorts. 

I.  Some  build  on  this  foundation  gold, 
silver,  and  precious  stones,  v.  12.  They  are 
those  who  receive  and  propagate  the  pure 
truths  of  the  Gospel  ;  who  hold  nothing  but 
the  truth  as  it  is  in  Jesus,  and  preach  noth¬ 
ing  else. 

II.  Others  build  wood,  hay,  and  stubble,  on 
this  foundation;  i.  e.  though  they  adhere  to 
the  foundation,  they  depart  from  the  mind 
of  Christ  in  many  particulars  ;  substitute 
their  own  fancies  and  inventions  in  the  room 
of  his  doctrines  and  institutions.  There  is 
a  time  coming,  when  a  discovery  will  be 
made  of  what  men  have  built  on  this  founda¬ 
tion;  Every  man’s  work  shall  be  made  man¬ 
ifest;  shall  lie  laid  open  to  view,  his  own, 
and  that  of  others.  We  may  mistake  as  to 
ourselves  and  others ;  but  that  day  will  show 
us  ourselves,  and  show  us  our  actions  in  the 
true  light,  without  covering  or  disguise ;  For 
the  day  shall  declare  it,  every  man’s  work, 
because  it  shall  be  revealed  by  fire,  v.  13. ;  the 
last  day,  the  great  d-ay  of  trial;  see  ch.  4:5. 
Though  some  understand  it  of  the  time  when 
the  Jewish  nation  was  destroyed,  and  their 
constitution  thereby  abolished  ;  when  the 
superstructure,  judaizing  teachers  would 
have  raised  on  the  Christian  foundation,  was 
manifested  to  be  no  better  than  hay  and 


V.  4—9.  Tlie  apostle  cautiously  forbore  for  the  present  to  mention 
the  false  teachers  at  Corinth,  who  had  done  the  mischief.  Scott. 

(5.)  ‘  Even  as  the  Lord  hath  given  to  each  of  ihem  his  share  of  spir¬ 
itual  gifts  and  evangelical  success.’  Bloomf. 

(8.)  ‘  It  is  labor  to  which  the  reward  is  promised,  not  success  of  la¬ 
bor ,  which  is  not  in  any  minister’s  power.’  x  Id. 

V.  10 — 15.  Thus  far  the  apostle  proceeded  on  the  supposition,  that 
the  laborers  were  skilful  and  faithful;  but  he  meant  to  lead  the  attention 
of  the  Corinthians  to  some  who  were  not  60.  He  knew  that  no  man 
could  lay  any  other  foundation  of  a  spiritual  temple,  for  the  glory  of 
God,  or  for  the  sinner’s  hope  of  salvation,  than  what  he  had  laid  in  Ifs 
preaching,  and  which  God  Imd  laid  in  his  purpose,  and  by  the  Gospel ; 
namely,  the  Person,  mediatorial  oince,  righteousness,  atonement,  inter¬ 
cession,  and  grace  of  i he  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  Is.  28:16.  Mat.  16:18. 
Rom.  10:1 — 4.  Eph.  2:19 — 22.  1  Pci.  2:4 — 6.  If  a  man  laid  any  other 
foundation  than  this,  he  could  not  be  considered  as  one  of  ‘the  fellow- 
laborers  of  God.’  (9)  The  apostle  did  not  here  pul  the  supposition,  that 
this  was  the  case  with  any  of  their  teachers.  Yet,  even  on  this  Founda¬ 
tion,  very  different  materials  might  be  builded.  The  extreme  absurdity 
of  the  papists,  in  producing  this  passage,  in  support  of  their  doctrine  of 
purgatory,  is  very  obvious ;  but  it  is  to  be  feared,  that  the  zealous  abet¬ 
tors  of  that  doctrine,  and  many  others  of  a  similar  nature,  will  be  found 
to  build  wholly  without  a  foundation.  Mat.  7:24 — 27.  Scott. 

[266] 


(10.)  ‘The  best  comtrs.,  ancient  and  modern,  are  agreed,  that  by 
charts  [grace]  Paul  means  the  office  of  Apostleship  among  the  Gen¬ 
tiles.’  Bloomf. 

(12.)  Gilded  beams,  and  columns,  and  maisive  silver  and  gold  orna¬ 
ments,  and  precious  stones,  as  marble,&c.  formed  parts  of  ancient  edifi¬ 
ces.  Many  slight  and  temporary  buildings,  for  various  agricultural  and 
other  purposes,  are  in  use  in  the  E.;  'hay,  wood,  and  stubble,  alludes  to 
the  materials  of  such.’  tVooden  clamps  were  used  with  the  costly 
stones  of  Egyptian  architecture,  straw  or  stubble  helped  bind  the  vast 
walls  and  structures  of  Babylon,  and  ‘fill  up  the  interstices  of  stones  of 
even  the  most  stupendous  size ;’  wooden  beams  upon  courses  of  stone 
were  also  used  in  Solomon’s  temple,  and  wooden  rafters  in  Jewish  and 
Persian  palaces  [note,  Est.  1:2 — 6.]  ;  but  the  apostle’s  allusion  is  different, 
though  perhaps  suggested  by  these  facts.  Doddr.  seems  to  have  well 
hit  his  meaning.  ‘  If  any  man  build,  I  say,  upon  this  foundation,  let 
him  look  to  the  materials  and  nature  of  his  work  ;  whether  he  raise  a 
stately  and  magnificent  temple  upon  it,  adorned,  as  it  were,  like  the 
house  of  God  at  Jerusalem,  w  ith  gold  and  silver,  (and)  large,  beautiful, 
and  costly  stones  ;  (nr)  a  mean  hovel,  consisting  of  nothing  better  than 
plunks  of  wood,  roughly  put  together,  and  thatched  with  hay  (and)  stub¬ 
ble  ;  i.  e.  let  him  look  to  it,  whether  he  teach  the  substantial,  vital 
truths  which  do  indeed  belong  to  Christianity,  ami  which  it  was  intend¬ 
ed  to  support  and  illustrate;  or  set  himself  to  propagate  vain  subtleties 


A.  D.  60. 


1  CORIN'!  HIAN  S,  III.  Responsibility  to  God  urged. 


14  If  any  man’s  work  abide  which 
he  hath  built  thereupon,  he  shall 
receive  a  reward. 

15  If  any  man’s  work  shall  be 
burned,  he  shall  suffer  loss  :  but  he 
himself  shall  be  saved  ;  yet  so  *  as 
by  fire. 

16  Know  ye  not  that  ye  1  are  the 
temple  of  God,  and  that  the  Spirit 
of  God  dwelleth  in  you  ? 

17  If  any  man  “defile  the  temple 
of  God,  him  shall  God  destroy  ;  for 
the  temple  of  God  is  holy,  which 
temple  ye  are. 

18  Let  no  man  deceive  himself. 
v  If  any  man  among  you  seemeth  to 
be  wise  in  this  world,  let  him  be¬ 
come  a  fool,  that  he  may  be  wise. 

19  For  the  wisdom  of  this  world 
is  foolishness  with  God  :  for  it  is 
written,  w  He  taketh  the  wise  in 
their  own  craftiness. 

20  And  again,  xThe  Lord  know- 
eth  the  thoughts  of  the  wise,  that 
they  are  vain. 

21  Therefore  let  y  no  man  glory 
in  men  :  for  all  things  are  yours ; 

8  Zee.  3:2.  Jude  u  or,  destroy .  x  Ps.  94:11. 

23.  ▼  Pr.  26:12.  y  U.  9:23,24. 

t  2  Co.  6:16.  w  Job  5;13. 

stubble,  that  would  not  bear  the  trial.  But 
however  this  be,  in  that  day, 

1.  Some  men’s  works  will  abide  the  trial; 
will  be  found  standard.  It  will  appear,  that 
they  not  only  held  the  foundation,  but  that 
they  built  regularly  and  well  upon  it,  with 
proper  materials,  and  in  due  form  and  order. 
And  such  a  builder  shall  not,  cannot  fail  of 
a  reward.  He  will  have  praise  and  honor 
in  that  day,  and  eternal  recompense  after  it. 
Fidelity  in  the  ministers  of  Christ  will  meet 
with  full  and  ample  reward  in  a  future  life. 
And,  Lord,  how  great !  how  much  exceed¬ 
ing  their  deserts  ! 

2.  There  are  others,  whose  works  skall  be 
burnt,  v.  15.  whose  corrupt  opinions  and 
doctrines,  or  vain  inventions  and  usages  in 
the  worship  of  God,  shall  be  discovered, 
disowned,  and  rejected,  in  that  day  ;  shall 
be  first  manifested  to  be  corrupt,  and  then 
disapproved  of  God  and  rejected.  He  whose 
work  shall  be  burnt,  will  suffer  loss.  If  he  has 
built,  on  the  right  foundation,  wood,  and  hay, 
and  stubble,  he  will  suffer  loss.  His  weak¬ 
ness  and  corruption  will  be  the  lessening  of 
bis  glory,  though  he  may  in  the  general  have 
been  an  honest  and  an  upright  Christian  : 
this  part  of  his  work  turning  no  way  to  his 
advantage,  though  himself  may  be  saved. 
Those  who  hold  the  foundation  of  Christian¬ 
ity,  though  they  build  hay,  wood,  and  stub¬ 
ble  upon  it,  may  be  saved.  This  may  help 


to  enlarge  our  charity.  He  shall  be  saved, 
yet  so  as  by  fire,  saved  out  of  the  fire,  snatched 
out  of  that  flame  which  will  consume  his 
work.  It  intimates,  that  it  will  be  diflicull 
for  those  that  corrupt  and  deprave  Chris¬ 
tianity,  to  be  saved.  On  this  passage,  the 
papists  found  their  doctrine  of  purgatory, 
which  is  certainly  hay  and  stubble  :  a  doc¬ 
trine  never  originally  fetched  from  Scripture, 
but  invented  in  barbarous  ages,  to  feed  the 
avarice  and  ambition  of  the  clergy,  at  the 
cost  of  such  as  would  rather  part  with  their 
money  than  their  lusts,  for  the  salvation  of 
their  souls.  It  can  have  no  countenance 
from  this  text  ;  for,  (1.)  This  is  plainly 
meant  of  a  figurative  fire,  not  of  a  real  one: 
for  what  real  fire  can  consume  religious  rites 
or  doctrines  1  (2.)  This  fire  is  to  try  men’s 
works,  of  what  sort  they  are  ;  but  purgatory- 
fire  is  not  lor  trial,  not  to  bring  men’s  actions 
to  the  test,  but  to  punish  for  them.  They 
are  supposed  to  be  venial  sins,  not  satisfied 
for  in  this  life,  for  which  satisfaction  must 
be  made  by  suffering  the  fire  of  purgatory. 
(3.)  This  fire  is  to  try  every  man’s  works, 
those  of  Paul  and  Apollos,  as  well  as  those 
of  others.  Now,  no  papists  will  have  the 
front  to  say,  apostles  must  have  passed 
through  purgatory-fires.  - 

V.  16,  17.  Here  the  apostle  resumes  his 
argument  and  exhortation,  founding  it  on  his 
former  allusion.  Ye  are  God’s  building,  v.  9. 
It  looks,  from  other  parts  of  the  epistle, 
where  the  apostle  argues  to  the  same  pur¬ 
port,  see  ch.  6: 13 — 20.  as  if  the  false  teach¬ 
ers  among  the  Corinthians  were  not  only- 
loose  livers,  but  taught  licentious  doctrines, 
and,  what  was  particularly  fitted  to  the  taste 
of  this  lewd  city,  on  the  head  of  fornication. 
Such  doctrine  was  not  to  be  reckoned  among 
hay  and  stubble  ;  that  would  be  consumed, 
while  the  person  who  laid  them  on  the  foun¬ 
dation  escaped  the  burning;  for  it  tended  to 
corrupt,  to  pollute,  and  destroy  the  church, 
which  was  a  building  erected  for  God,  and 
consecrated  to  Him,  and  therefore  should  be 
kept  pure  and  holy.  Those  who  spread  prin¬ 
ciples  of  this  sort,  would  provoke  God  to 
destroy  them.  It  may  be  understood  also  as 
an  argument  against  their  discord,  and  fac¬ 
tious  strifes  ;  division  being  the  way  to  de¬ 
struction.  But  what  I  have  been  mention¬ 
ing  seems  the  proper  meaning;  Know  yenot 
that  ye  are  the  temple  of  God,  and  that  the 
Spirit  of  God  dwelleth  in  you?  It  may  be  un¬ 
derstood  of  the  church  of  Corinth  collective¬ 
ly,  or  of  every  single  believer  among  them  ; 
Christian  churches  are  temples  of  God.  He 
dwells  among  them  by  his  Holy  Spirit,  Eph. 
2;  22.  Every  Christian  is  a  living  temple 
of  the  living  God.  God  dwelt  in  the  Jewish 
temple,  and  Christ  by  his  Spirit  dwells  in 
all  true  believers.  The  temple  was  devoted 
and  consecrated  to  God,  and  set  apart  from 
every  common  to  a  holy  use,  to  the  imme¬ 
diate  service  of  God.  So  all  Christians  are 


separate  from  common  uses,  and  set  apart 
for  God  and  his  service.  They  are  sacred 
to  Him, — a  very  good  argument  this,  against 
all  fleshly  lusts,  and  all  doctrines  that  give 
countenance  to  them.  Christians  are  holy 
by  profession,  and  should  be  pure  and  clean, 
both  in  heart  [body]  and  conversation.  W* 
should  heartily  abhor,  and  carefully  avoid, 
what  will  defile  God’s  temple,  and  prostitute 
what  ought  to  be  sacred  to  Him. 

V.  18 — 20.  Here  he  prescribes  humility, 
and  a  modest  opinion  of  themselves,  for  the 
remedy  of  the  irregularities  in  the  church  of 
Corinth,  the  divisions  and  contests  among 
them,  v.  18.  We  are  in  great  danger  of 
deceiving  ourselves,  when  we  have  too  high 
an  opinion  of  human  wisdom  and  arts.  But 
he  who  seems  to  be  wise,  must  become  a  fool , 
that  he  may  be  wise.  He  must  be  sensible 
of  his  own  ignorance,  and  lament  it;  distrust 
his  own  understanding,  and  not  lean  on  it. 
Self-flattery  is  the  very  next  step  to  self- 
deceit.  The  way  to  true  wisdom,  is,  to  sink 
our  opinion  of  our  own  to  a  due  level,  and 
be  willing  to  be  taught  of  God.  The  person 
who  resigns  his  own  understanding,  that  he 
may  follow  the  instruction  of  God,  is  in  the 
way  to  true  and  everlasting  wisdom.  The 
meek  will  He  guidein  judgment,  the  meek  will 
He  teach  his  way,  Ps.  25:  9.  He  that  has  a 
low  opinion  of  his  own  knowledge  and  pow¬ 
ers,  may  be  informed  and  improved  by  rev¬ 
elation  :  but  the  proud,  conceited  man,  will 
undertake  to  correct  even  divine  wisdom  it¬ 
self,  and  prefer  his  own  shallow  reasonings 
to  the  revelations  of  infallible  truth  and  wis¬ 
dom.  The  wisdom  which  worldly  men  es¬ 
teem,  (policy,  philosophy,  oratory,)  is  fool¬ 
ishness  with  God  :  in  a  way  of  comparison. 
There  can  be  no  more  comparison  between 
his  wisdom  and  ours,  than  between  his  pow¬ 
er  and  being  and  ours.  And  He  knows  the 
thoughts  of  the  urise,  that  they  are  vain,  v.  20. 
that  they  are  vanity,  Ps.  94:11.  God  has  a 
perfect  knowledge  of  the  thoughts  of  men, 
the  deepest  thoughts  of  the  wisest  men,  their 
most  secret  counsels  and  purposes,  Heb.  4: 
13.  And  He  knows  them  to  be  vanity.  The 
thoughts  of  the  wisest  men  in  the  world  have 
a  great  mixture  of  vanity,  of  weakness  and 
folly,  in  them;  and  before  God  their  wisest 
and  best  thoughts  are  very  vanity,  compared, 
I  mean,  with  his  thoughts  of  things.  And 
should  not  all  this  teach  us  modesty,  diffi¬ 
dence  in  ourselves,  and  a  deference  to  the 
wisdom  of  God  ;  make  us  thankful  for  his 
revelations,  and  willing  to  be  taught  of  God, 
and  not  be  led  away,  by  glorious  pretences 
to  human  wisdom  and  skill,  from  the  sim¬ 
plicity  of  Christ,  or  a  regard  to  his  heavenly 
doctrine  1 

V.  21 — 23.  Here  the  apostle  founds  an 
exhortation  against  over-valuing  their  teach¬ 
ers,  on  what  he  had  just  said,  and  on  the 
consideration  that  they  had  an  equal  interest 
in  all  their  ministers,  v.  21.  Mankind  are 


and  conceits  on  the  one  hand,  or  legal  rites  and  Jewish  traditions  on  the 
other  ;  which,  though  they  do  not  absolutely  destroy  the  foundation,  dis¬ 
grace  it,  as  a  mean  edifice  would  do  a  grand  and  extensive  foundation, 
laid  with  great  pomp  and  solemnity.’  Ed. 

(15.)  Suffer  /oss.]  ‘  The  Gr.  is  a  law  term  ;  i.  e.  be  mulcted,  in  forfeit 
of  the  reward  of  his  labor.’  Bloomf. 

V.  16,  17.  The  indwelling  of  the  Holy  Spirit  constitutes  ‘  the  temple 
of  God  this  is  express  testimony  to  his  Deity.  ‘They  are  said  by  the 
apostle  to  defile  the  temple  of  God,  who  corrupted  the  purity  of  the  Gos¬ 
pel  by  carnal  eloquence  ;  and  who  rent  the  church  by  factions.’  Beza. — 
4  The  like  words  used,  (6:16 — 19.)  by  way  of  dehortation  from  fornica¬ 
tion,  and  (2  Cor.  6:16.)  from  communion  with  heathen,  in  their  idola¬ 
trous  rites  and  heathen  practices  ;  and  by  way  of  inducement  to  “  cleanse 
ourselves  from  all  filthiness  of  flesh  and  spirit (2  Cor.  7:1.)  more  nat¬ 
urally  incline  us  to  refer  these  vs.  to  the  corrupting  of  the  temple  of  God, 
by  uncleanness  and  fornication,  or  by  idolatrous  practices ;  both  which 
the  Corinthians  did.’  Whitby.  It  does  not,  however,  appear,  that  there 
is  any  necessity  of  confining  the  interpretation  to  this,  or  the  other  kind 
of  defilement ;  and  in  proportion  ns  the  declaration  is  made  general ,  it 
becomes  more  and  more  important.  The  verb  rendered  ‘  destroy,’  is 
the  same  with  that  before  translated  ‘  defile.’  Scott. 

(16.)  Bloomf.  thinks,  ‘  what  is  here  said,  is  not  to  be  understood  of 
individuals,  but  of  the  whole  community  of  Christians,  at  least  at  Co¬ 
rinth  ;  and  Paul  uses  an  O.  T.  mode  of  speaking,  where  God  is  said  to 
dwell  among  the  Jews,  and  they  are  said  to  be  the  temple  and  habita¬ 
tion  of  God.  Lev.  26:11,  12.  Jlz.  37:27.  Philo  and  the  Rabbins  use  the 
metaphor.  So  Rabbi  Aschek,  on  Hag.  2.  remarks,  that  the  Israelitiah 


people  are  said  to  he  the  temple  of  God.’  He  acknowledges,  however, 
that  the  Holy  Spirit  exerting  its  pleasure  in  that  community,  it  may  be 
applied  in  that  metaphorical  sense  to  its  individuals  ;  but  why  is  it  not 
actually  and  really  true  of  the  regenerate  ?  6:19.  John  14:17.  Rom.  8: 
9—11.  .  Ed. 

(17.)  Which  temple  ye  are.]  4  This  Doddr.  rightly  applies,  both  to 
the  body  of  the  Corinthian  church,  and  to  its  individuals.’  Bloomf. 

V.  18—23.  ‘The  Corinthians  were  induced  to  eat  things  offered  to 
idols,  in  the  idol-temples,  by  men  pretending  to  great  knowledge.  ...  (8: 
1,  2.)  They  also  introduced  among  them  the  doctrine  of  the  lawfulness 
of  fornication.  (5:1.)  .  ..  These  teachers  seem  to  have  been  l he  Nicolai- 
tans,  who  received  their  doctrine  from  the  philosophers.’  Whitby.  Rev. 
2:14—16.  —  However  this  may  be,  the  persons  more  immediately  con¬ 
cerned  in  the  preceding  warning,  were  in  danger  of  despising  it,  espe¬ 
cially  coming  from  one  whom  they  disregarded,  as  fhr  beneath  them  in 
knowledge  and  wisdom. — (19)  He  taketh,  ifcc.]  Not  from  the  LXX,  but 
the  Heb.  (Job  5:13.)  (20)  The  Lord  knoweth, &e.]  It  is  here  read  ‘  wise 
men  ;’  both  the  Heb.  and  LXX  have  only  men,  Ps.  94:11.  Scott.  ^ 
(18.)  ‘All  human  philosophy,  repugnant  to  the  Gospel,  is  deceit. 
Grot.  ‘If  nny  of  you  thinks  himself  wjse,  let  him  not  scruple  to  be  a 
fool,  in  the  opinion  of  this  age,  that  he  may  be  really  wise.  So  most  re¬ 
cent  commentators.’  .  ,  , .  . 

(19.)  Wisdom .]  ‘  Sophia  :  the  wisdom  of  men  who  rest  on  their ^ovrn 

intellectual  powers,  without  a  reference  to  God  lchri’tj  •  a  wl=4om 
which  has  no  more  effect  in  procuring  salvation  than  o  }•  .  * 

(21.)  Glory  in  man.  1  ‘As  was  common  among  the  Jews,  who  either 
followed  Iiillel  or  Samuel ;  and  also  among  the  Greeks,  as  the  Pyjk®- 

1*67  J 


A.  D.  60. 


1  CORINTHIANS,  IV. 


Stewardship  of  the  apostles. 


22  Whether  Paul,  or  Apollos,  or 
Cephas,  or  the  world,  or  life,  or 
death,  or  things  present,  or  things 
to  come  ;  all  are  yours  ; 

23  And  ye  1  are  Christ’s ;  and 
Christ  is  God’s. 

CHAP.  IV. 

1  Tq  what  account  the  ministers  ought  to  be  had.  7  We 
have  nothing  which  we  have  not  received.  9  The  apos¬ 
tles  spectaclea  to  the  world,  angels,  and  men,  13  the  lilth 
and  olTscouringof.the  world  :  15  yet  our  fathers  in  Christ, 
16  whom  we  ought  to  follow. 

LET  a  man  so  account  of  us,  as 
of  the  ministers  a  of  Christ,  and 
stewards  of  the  mysteries  of  God. 

2  Moreover,  it  is  required  in 
b  stewards,  that  a  man  be  'found 
faithful. 

3  But  with  me  it  is  a  very  small 
thing  that  I  should  be  judged  of 
you,  or  of  man’s  'judgment ;  yea, 
I  judge  not  mine  own  self. 

4  Fof  I  know  nothing  by  myself ; 
d  yet  am  I  not  hereby  justified  :  but 
he  that  judgeth  me  is  the  Lord.- 

i  Ro.  14:8.  b  Lu.  12:42.  Tit.  c  day. 

a  2  Co.  6:4.  1:7.  1  Pe.  4:10.  d  Ps.  143:2. 


very  apt  to  make  the  mercies  of  God  cross 
their  intentions.  The  ministry  is  a  very 
useful  and  very  gracious  institution,  and 
faithful  ministers  are  a  great  blessing  to  any 
people ;  yet  the  folly  and  weakness  of  people 
may  do  much  mischief  by  what  is  in  itself  a 
blessing.  They  may  fall  into  factions,  side 
with  particular  ministers,  and  set  them  at 
their  head,  glory  in  their  leaders,  and  be 
carried  by  them  they  know  not  whither. 
The  only  way  to  avoid  this  mischief,  is,  to 
have  a  modest  opinion  of  ourselves,  a  due 
sense  of  the  common  weakness  of  human  un¬ 
derstanding,  and  an  entire  deference  to  the 
wisdom  of  God  speaking  in  his  Word.  Min¬ 
isters  are  not  to  be  set  up  in  competition 
with  one  another. 

On  this  occasion  also,  he  gives  an  inven¬ 
tory  of  the  church’s  possessions,  the  spiritual 
riches  of  a  true  believer  ;  ‘  All  is  yours  ; 
ministers  of  all  ranks,  ordinary  and  extra¬ 
ordinary.  [All  their  gifts  are  for  your  ad¬ 
vantage.  You  do  not  exist  for  the  sake  of 
teacliers,  but  they  for  the  sake  of  you.]  Nay, 


the  world  itself  is  yours.’  Not  that  saints 
are  proprietoi's  of  the  world,  hut  it  stands 
for  their  sake;  they  have  as  much  of  it  as 
Infinite  Wisdom  sees  to  be  fit  for  them,  and 
all  with  the  divine  blessing.  ‘  Life  is  yours, 
that  you  may  have  season  and  opportunity 
to  prepare  for  the  life  of  heaven;  and  death 
is  yours,  that  you  may  go  to  the  possession 
of  it.  Things  present  are  yours,  for  your 
support  on  the  road  ;  things  to  come  are 
yours,  to  enrich  and  regale  you  for  ever  at 
your  journey ’s  end.’  But  it  must  be  remem¬ 
bered,  at  the  same  time,tA«t  we  are  Christ’s, 
the  subjects  of  his  kingdom,  his  property. 
All  things  are  ours,  on  no  other  foot  than 
our  being  Christ’s.  Out  of  Him,. we  are 
without  just  title  or  claim  to  anything  that 
is  good.  And  Christ  is  God’s.  He  is  the 
Christ  of  God  ;  anointed  of  God,  and  com¬ 
missioned  by  Him,  to  bear  the  office  of  a 
Mediator, and  to  act  therein  for  the  purposes 
of  his  glory.  All  things  are  the  believer’s, 
that  Christ  might  have  honor  in  his  great 
undertaking,  and  God  in  all  might  have  the 
glory.  God  in  Christ  reconciling  a  sinful 
world  to  Himself,  and  shedding  abroad  the 
riches  of  his  grace  on  a  reconciled  world,  is 
the  sum  and  substance  of  the  Gospel. 

Chap.  IV.  V.  1 — 6.  I.  The  apostle  chal¬ 
lenges  the  respect  due  to  him  on  account  of 
his  character  and  office,  in  which  many 
among  them  had  at  least  very  much  failed, 
v.  1.  though  possibly  others  might  have  val¬ 
ued  him  too  highly,  by  setting  him  up  as  the 
head  of  a  party,  and  professing  to  be  his  dis¬ 
ciples.  In  our  opinion  of  ministers,  as  well 
as  all  other  things,  we  should  he  careful  to 
avoid  extremes.  Apostles  themselves  were, 

1.  Not  to  be  over-valued,  for  they  were  min¬ 
isters,  not  masters  ;  stewards,  not  lords.  It 
is  a  very  great  abuse  of  their  power,  and 
highly  criminal  in  common  ministers,  to  lord 
it  over  their  fellow-servants,  and  challenge 
authority  over  their  faith  or  practice.  For 
even  apostles  were  but  servants  of  Christ, 
and  had  no  authority  to  propagate  their  own 
fancies,  hut  to  spread  Christiati  faith.  2. 
Apostles  were  not  to  be  undervalued :  for 
though  ministers,  they  were  ministers  of 
Christ.  The  character  and  dignity  of  their 
Master  put  an  honor  on  them  ;  and  so  of 
common  ministers,  if  faithful.  Though  but 
stewards,  they  are  not  stewards  of  the  com¬ 


mon  things  of  the  world,  but  of  divine  mys¬ 
teries;  and, 

II.  He  sets  forth  the  duty  of  an  approved 
steward,  v.  2.  Stewards  in  Christ’s  family 
must  appoint  what  He  hath  appointed;  not 
set  their  fellow-servants  to  work  for  them¬ 
selves;  not  require  anything  from  them  with¬ 
out  their  Master’s  warrant  ;  not  feed  them 
with  the  chaff  of  their  own  inventions,  in¬ 
stead  of  the  wholesome  food  of  Christian 
doctrine  and  truth  :  they  must  teach  what 
He  hath  commanded,  and  not  the  doctrines  and 
commandments  of  men  :  they  must  be  true  to 
the  interest  of  their  Lord,  and  consult  his 
honor.  Note,  The  ministers  of  Christ  should 
make  it  their  hearty  and  continual  endeavor, 
to  approve  themselves  trustworthy  ;  and 
when  they  have  the  testimony  of  a  good  con¬ 
science,  and  the  approbation  of  their  Master, 
they  must  slight  the  opinions  and  censures 
of  their  fellow-servants,  v.  3.  Indeed,  rep¬ 
utation  and  esteem  among  men  are  a  good 
step  towards  usefulness  in  the  ministry  ;  and 
Paul’s  whole  argument,  on  this  head,  shows 
he  had  a  just  concern  for  his  own  reputation. 
But  he  that  would  make  it  his  chief  endeavor 
to  please  men,  would  hardly  approve  himself 
a  faithful  servant  of  Christ,  Gal.  I:  10.  He 
must  look  upon  it  as  a  very  little  thing  (if 
his  Lord  approves  him)  what  judgment  men 
form  of  him.  It  is  a  comfort  they  are  not  to 
be  our  final  judges.  Nay,  we  are  not  thus 
to  judge  ourselves ;  ‘  Yea,  I judgenot  myself. 
For  though  I  know  nothing  by  myself,  cannot 
charge  myself  with  unfaithfulness,  yet  am  I 
not  thereby  justified,  this  will  not  clear  me  of 
the  charge  ;  but  He  that  judgeth  me  is  the 
Lord.  By  his  sentence  I  must  abide.  Such 
I  am  as  He  shall  find  and  judge  me  to  be.’ 
Nothing  will  prove  us  safe  and  happy,  but 
the  acceptance  and  approbation  of  our  sove¬ 
reign  Judge,  2  Cor.  10:  18. 

III.  The  apostle  hence  takes  occasion  to 
caution  the  Corinthians  against  censorious¬ 
ness, — forward  and  severe  judging  of  others. 
v.  5.  judging  out  of  season,  and  judging  at 
an  adventure.  He  is  not  to  be  understood, 
of  judging  by  persons  in  authority,  within  the 
verge  of  their  office,  nor  of  private  judging 
concerning  facts  that  are  notorious  ;  but  of 
judging  persons’  future  state,  or  the  secret 
springs  and  principles  of  their  actions,  or 
about  facts  doubtful  in  themselves.  To  judge 
in  these  cases,  and  give  decisive  sentence,  is 


PRACT.  OBS.  Ministers  should  suit  their  instruction  to  the  stale 
and  wants  of  their  hearers,  and  teacli  them  such  things,  as  more  imme¬ 
diately  tend  to  their  edification;  rather  than  insist  continually  on  those 
subjects  which  are  agreeable  to  their  own  inclinations,  or  those  of  any 
party. — Men  may  have  much  doctrinal  knowledge,  and  yet  be  mere  novi¬ 
ces  in  the  life  of  faith  and  experience;  nay,  their  promptitude  to  spec¬ 
ulations,  and  their  acuteness  in  them,  may  prove  them  to  be  in  a  great 
degree  ‘carnal,’  and  very  imperfectly  grounded  even  in  the  first  princi¬ 
ples  of  experimental  and  practical  religion.  Thus  many  professed  Chris¬ 
tiana,  yea  preachers,  show  themselves  to  be  ‘  yet  carnal,’  by  their  vain¬ 
glorious  emulations,  tlteir  eagerness  for  controversy,  their  selfish,  fiery 
veal,  their  disposition  to  prefer  and  exalt  themselves,  and  to  despise  and 
revile  others  ;  and  their  apparent  delight  in  disturbing  the  peace  of  the 
church.  It  is  an  universal  rule,  that  these  evils  proportionably  prove, 


goreans,  Platonists,  Aristotelians,  Epicureans.’  Grot.  ‘  Here,  I  think  it 
also  insinuated,  the  Corinths.  had  no  reason  to  boast  m  the  false  teacher, 
who  spoiled  the  temple  of  God,  by  building  wicked  men  into  it.’  Mackn. 

NOTES.  Chai*.  IV.  V.  1,  2.  Lest  the  Corinthians  should  conclude, 
from  what  the  npostle  had  said,  that  little  respect  or  affection  was  due 
to  ministers ;  he  hero  showed  them,  in  what  estimation  they  ought  to 
hold  them,  and  by  what  measure  they  ought  to  regulate  their  regard  to 
them. — Some,  by  1  the  mysteries  of  God,’  understand  also  the  adminis¬ 
tration  of  the  sacraments,  which  were  commonly  called  ‘  mysteries,’  by 
the  ancient  fathers  ;  but,  though  this  is  a  part  of  the  minister’s  work; 
yet  the  external  ordinances  are  not  called  ‘mysteries’  in  Scripture;  and 
this  name,  afterwards  given  them,  helped  to  lead  men  to  form  a  wrong 
judgment  concerning  them,  which  has,  in  every  age,  produced,  ami  still 
does  produce,  most  mischievous  effects  ;  by  tending  men  to  confound  the 
sign  of  godliness  with  the  thing  signified,  and  with  tile  power  of  godli¬ 
ness.  1  That  which  this  day  is  genernliy  called  a  sacrifice ,  is  the  sign  of 
the  true  sacrifice.  If  the  sacraments  had  not  a  certain  similitude  of  those 
things  of  which  they  are  sacraments,  they  would  be  no  sacraments  at 
all;  now  it  is  tor  the  similitude  or  resemblance,  that  they  often  bear  the 
name  of  the  tilings  themselves.’  Augustine.  Thus  baptism  was  called 
regeneration ,  and  the  Lord's  supr.  cr ,  a  sacrifice.  ;  till  the  things  signified 
were  lost  sight  of,  and  the  sign  alone  regarded,  and  idolized.  And  alas  ! 
it  is  so  still,  not  only  among  papists,  but,  to  a  very  great  degree,  in  the 
Protestant,  Lutheran,  and  reformed  churches,  with  their  rulers  nnd 
teachers.  Scott. 

0 — 6  )  'These  vs.  belong  to  ch.  3.’  Krause,  Ros.,  Bl.  Stewards.] 


that  the  carnal  mind  is  prominent  and  prevalent.  —It  is  peculiarly  incum¬ 
bent  on  ministers,  in  all  their  studies,  pursuits,  sermons,  publications, 
and  conversation,  to  recollect,  that  their  1  work  must  be  tried  by  fire to 
anticipate  the  sentiments,  which  rhe  day  of  judgment  will  inevitably  ob¬ 
trude  on  them,  concerning  their  present  occupations ;  and  to  reflect  on 
the  irreparable  loss  of  spending  their  time  of  service  to  no  purpose,  or 
perniciously;  to  consider  the  tendency  of  their  undertaking;  to  com¬ 
pare  them  all  with  the  Word  of  God  ;  and  to  ‘judge  themselves  that  they 
may  not  be  judged  of  the  Lord.’  For  if  shame  and  sorrow  could  enter 
heaven ;  surely  the  minister,  whose  work  shall  be  burned,  yet  ‘  he  him¬ 
self  saved  as  through  fire,’  would  be  overwhelmed  with  these  distressing 
feelings. — And  surely  he  is  deceived,  who  deems  himself  the  temple  of 
the  Holy  Spirit,  and  yet  is  unconcerned,  or  but  little  concerned,  about 
personal  holiness,  dr  about  the  purity  and  peace  of  the  church  !  Sc. 


‘  Oikonomos  :  properly  the  administrator  or  manager  of  domestic  af¬ 
fairs  (pignorius ),  and  thus  came  to  mean  administrator  in  general.  A 
stronger  and  more  definite  term  than  the  preceding,  as  suggesting  a  prin¬ 
cipal  part  of  their  ministerial  duty;  distributing,  (so  Thenph.)  “to 
whom,  when,  and  as  is  fit.”  ’  Bloomf. 

V.  3 — 5.  The  apostle  counted  it  ‘a  very  small  matter,’  compared 
with  the  acceptance  of  his  gracious  Lord,  what  judgment  the  Corin¬ 
thians,  or  any  man,  formed  of  him  ;  whether  they  supposed  him  to  be 
faithful  or  not ;  or  whether  they  were  offended  with  him  for  his  faithful¬ 
ness,  and  despised  him  because  he  had  not  ‘  come  with  excellency  of 
speech  or  of  wisdom.’  Indeed,  he  did  not  rely  on  his  own  judgment 
concerning  himself,  because  he  was  aware  of  the  deceitfulness  of  the  hu¬ 
man  heart ;  for  thouglrhe  was  not  indeed  conscious  of  any  unfaithfulness 
or  self-seeking  in  his  ministry  ;  yet  this  was  not  sufficien  t  to  justify  him 
before  God,  who  often  saw  that  evil  in  the  heart,  which  pride  and  self¬ 
flattery  hid  from  the  man  himself.  He  therefore  sought  to  the  Lord  to 
judge  him,  and  so  waited  for  that  day  when  he  must  appear  before  his 
tribunal.  Knowing,  however,  that  many  were  disposed  to  think  unfa¬ 
vorably  of  him,  through  the  artifices  of  their  seducers,  he  exhorted  them 
not  to  judge  matters  of  this  importance  before  the  time;  but  to  leave 
them,  till  the  Lord  should  come  to  judgment,  when  characters  and  ac¬ 
tions  would  appear  in  another  light,  than  they  did  at  present.  Rom.  14s 
10 — 12.  •  Scott. 

(3.)  Judgment.]  ‘Lit.  day  :  by  a  Hebraism  used  to  denote  a  day  of 
judgment,  and  simply  judgment.  So  the  Lat.  dicere  diem.'  Bl. 

(4.)  ‘  For  though  I  ain  not  aware  of  having  done  anything  wrong  in 


A.  D.  60. 


1  CORINTHIANS,  I\  .  Caution  against  pride  and  self-conceit. 


5  Therefore  judge  'nothing  be¬ 
fore  the  time,  until  the  Lord  come, 
who  fboth  will  bring  to  light  the 
hidden  things  of  darkness,  and  will 
make  manifest  the  counsels  of  the 
hearts  :  and  then  shall  every  man 
have  praise  of  God. 

6  And  these  things,  brethren,  I 
have  in  a  figure  transferred  to  my¬ 
self  and  to  Apollos  for  your  sakes  : 
that  ye  might  learn  in  us  not  to 
think  of  men  above  that  which  is 
written,  that  no  one  of  you  be  puff¬ 
ed  up  for  one  against  another. 

7  For  who  s  inaketh  thee  to  differ 
from  another  ?  and  what  h  hast  thou 
that  thou  didst  not  receive  ?  Now 
if  thou  didst  receive  it,  why  dost 
thou  glory,  as  if  thou  hadst  not 
received  it  ? 

8  Now  ye  are  full,  now  ye  are 
1  rich,  ye  have  reigned  as  kings 
without  us  :  and  I  would  to  God 
ye  did  reign,  that  we  also  might 
reign  with  you. 

9  For  I  think  that  God  hath  set 

forth  us  j  the  apostles  last,  as  it  were 
appointed  to  death  :  for  we  k  are 

made  a  1  spectacle  unto  the  world, 
and  to  angels,  and  to  men. 

e  Mat.  7:1.  h  Ju.  1:17.  apostles. 

f  Ro.  2:16.  i  Re.  3:17.  k  He.  10:33. 

Re.  20:12.  J  or,  the  last  1  theatre . 

g  distinguisheth,  thee. 

to  assume  the  seat  of  God,  and  challenge  his 
prerogative.  How  bold  a  sinner  is  the  for¬ 
ward  and  severe  censnrer  !  But  there  is 
One  who  will  judge  him,  and  those  he  cen¬ 
sures,  without  prejudice,  passion,  or  partiality . 
And  there  is  a  time  coming,  when  men  can¬ 
not  fail  of  judging  right  concerning  them¬ 
selves  and  others,  by  following  his  judgment. 
This  should  make  them  now  cautious  of 
judging  others,  and  careful  in  judging  them¬ 
selves.  The  Lord  Jesus  Christ  will  mani¬ 
fest  the  counsels  of  the  heart,  of  all  hearts; 
so  must  have  the  knowledge  of  them.  This 
is  a  divine  prerogative,  Jer.  17:  10.  yet  it  is 
what  our  Savior  challenges  to  Himself  in 
a  very  peculiar  manner.  Rev.  2:  23.  We 
should  be  very  careful  how  we  censure  others, 
when  we  have  to  do  with  a  Judge  from  whom 
we  cannot  conceal  ourselves  :  and  when  He 
comes  to  judge,  every  man ,  who  deserves  it, 
shall  have  praise  of  God.  Though  none  of 
God’s  servants  can  deserve  anything  from 
Him,  though  there  be  much  that  is  blantea- 
ble  even  in  their  best  services, yet  shall  their 
fidelity  be  commended  and  crowned  by  Him ; 
and  should  they  be  condemned,  reproached, 


or  vilified,  by  their  fellow-servants,  He  will 
roll  away  all  such  unjust  censures  and  re¬ 
proaches,  and  show  them  in  their  own  ami¬ 
able  light.  Christians  may  well  be  patient 
under  unjust  censures,  when  they  know  such 
a  day  as  this  is  coming,  especially  when 
they  have  their  consciences  testifying  to 
their  integrity. 

IV.  Tlie  apostle  here  lets  us  into  the  rea¬ 
son  why  he  had  used  his  own  name  and  that 
of  Apollos,  in  this  discourse  of  his.  He  had 
done  it  in  a  figure,  and  for  their  sahes,  that 
hereby  he  might  avoid  what  would  provoke, 
and  so  procure  his  advice  the  greater  regard. 
Ministers  should  use  prudence  ;  and  the  ad¬ 
vice  the  apostle  would  inculcate,  was,  that 
they  might  learn  nut  to  think  of  men  above 
what  is  written,  nor  be  puffed  up  for  one  against 
another,  v.  6.  above  what  he  had  been  writ¬ 
ing.  Apostles  were  not  to  be  esteemed  olher 
than  planters  or  waterers  in  God’s  husbandry , 
than  master-builders  in  his  building,  than 
stewards  of  his  mysteries ,  and  servants  of 
Christ.  And  common  ministers  cannot  bear 
these  characters  in  the  same  sense  that  apos¬ 
tles  did.  We  must  call  no  man  master  on 
earth  ;  one  is  our  Master,  even  Christ,  Mat. 
23:  8, 10.  We  must  not  think  of  them  above 
what  is  written.  The  Word  of  God  is  the 
best  rule  by  which  to  judge  of  men.  And 
again,  judging  rightly  of  men,  and  not  more 
highly  than  is  fit,  is  one  way  to  prevent 
quarrels  and  contentions  in  the  churches. 
Our  commendation  of  our  own  taste  and 
judgment  commonly  goes  along  with  our  un¬ 
reasonable  applause,  and  always  with  a  fac¬ 
tious  adherence  to  one  teacher,  in  opposition 
to  others  that  may  be  equally  faithful  and 
well  qualified.  We  shall  not  be  puffed  up 
for  one  against  another,  if  we  remember  that 
they  are  all  instruments  employed  by  God  in 
his  husbandry  and  building, *and  endowed 
by  Him  with  their  various  talents  and  qual¬ 
ifications. 

V.  7 — 13.  Here  the  apostle  improves  the 
foregoing  hint  to  a  caution  against  pride  and 
self-conceit,  and  sets  forth  the  temptations 
the  Corinthians  had  to  despise  him,  from 
the  difference  of  their  circumstances. 

I.  He  cautions  them  by  this  consideration, 
that  all  the  distinction  made  among  them 
was  owing  to  God,  v.  7.  His  discourse  is 
to  the  ministers,  who  set  themselves  at  the 
head  of  these  factions,  and  did  but  too  much 
encourage  and  abet  the  people  in  those  feuds. 
What  had  they  to  glory  in,  when  all  their 
peculiar  gifts  were  from  God  1  We  have  no 
reason  to  be  proud  of  our  attainments,  enjoy¬ 
ments,  or  performances ;  all  that  we  have,  or 
are,  or  do,  that  is  good,  is  owing  to  the  free 
and  rich  grace  of  God.  Boasting  is  for  ever 
excluded.  We  can  properly  call  nothing  our 
own.  It  is  foolish  in  us,  therefore,  and  inju¬ 
rious  to  God,  to  boast;  they  who  receive  all, 
should  be  proud  of  nothing,  Ps.  115: 1.  Due 


attention  to  our  obligations  to  divine  grace, 
would  cure  us  of  arrogance  and  self-conceit. 

II.  He  presses  the  duty  of  humility  by  a 
very  smart  irony,  v.  8.  There  is  a  very  el¬ 
egant  gradation  from  sufficiency  to  wealth, 
and  from  thence  to  royalty  ;  to  intimate  how 
much  the  Corinthians  were  elated  by  the 
abundance  of  their  wisdom  and  spiritual 
gifts  ;  which  was  a  humor  that  prevailed 
among  them,  while  the  apostle  was  away 
from  them,  and  made  them  forget  what  an 
interest  he  had  in  all.  *  Ye  have  reigned  as 
kings,’  says  the  apostle,  ‘  that  is,  in  your 
own  conceit ;  and  I  would  to  God  yedid  reign, 
that  xve  also  might  reign  uiith  you.  I  wish  ye 
had  as  much  of  the  true  glory  of  a  Christian 
church  on  you,  as  you  arrogate  to  yourselves. 
I  should  come  in  then  for  a  share  of  the  hon¬ 
or;  I  should  reign  with  you;  1  should  not  he 
overlooked  by  you  as  now  I  am,  hut  valued 
and  regarded  as  a  minister  of  Christ,  and  a 
very  useful  instrument  among  you.’  Those 
do  not  commonly  know  themselves  best,  w  ho 
think  best  of  themselves.  The  Corinthians 
might  have  reigned,  and  the  apostle  with 
them,  if  they  had  not  been  blown  up  with  an 
imaginary  royalty.  Pride  is  a  great  preju¬ 
dice  to  our  improvement.  He  is  stopped 
from  growing  wiser  or  better,  who  tiiinks 
himself  at  the  height. 

III.  He  comes  to  set  forth  his  own  cir¬ 
cumstances,  and  those  of  the  other  apostles, 
and  compares  them  with  theirs. 

1.  Paul  and  his  fellow-apostles  were  ex¬ 
posed  to  great  hardships,  v.  9.  Never  were 
any  men  in  this  world  so  hunted  and  wor¬ 
ried.  They  carried  their  lives  in  their 
hands.  An  allusion  is  made  to  some  of  the 
bloody  spectacles  in  the  Roman  amphithea¬ 
tres  [see  at  end  of  ch.]  ;  where  men  were 
exposed  to  fight  wild  beasts,  or  to  cut  one 
another  to  pieces,  to  make  diversion  for  the 
populace  ;  where  the  victor  did  not  escape 
with  his  life,  though  he  should  destroy  his 
adversary,  hut  was  only  reserved  for  another 
combat,  and  must  be  devoured  or  cut  in 
pieces  at  last.  So  that  such  wretched  crim¬ 
inals  (for  they  were  ordinarily  condemned 
persons  that  were  thus  exposed)  might  very 
properly  be  called,  persons  devoted  or  appoint¬ 
ed  to  death.  They  are  said  to  be' set  forth 
last,  [being  the  last  appearance  for  that  day, 
Whitby.]  Because  the  meridian  gladiators, 
those  who  combated  one  another  in  the  after 
part  of  the  day,  were  most  exposed,  being 
obliged  to  fight  naked.  So  that  (as  Seneca 
says,  epist.  7.)  this  was  perfect  butchery  ; 
and  those  exposed  to  beasts  in  the  morning, 
were  treated  mercifully,  in  comparison  of 
these.  The  general  meaning  is,  that  the 
apostles  were  exposed  to  continual  danger 
of  death,  and  that  of  the  w  orst  kinds,  in  the 
faithful  discharge  of  their  office.  God  had 
set  them  forth,  brought  them  into  view,  as 
the  Roman  emperors  brought  their  combat- 


the  ministry  committed  to  me  ;  yet  it  does  not  follow  that  I  atn  entirely 
free  from  blame.  My  only  judge,  or  lie  alone  that  hath  a  right  to  judge 
me,  is  the  Lord.’  Bloo.uf. 

(5.)  Judge  nothing,  &c.]  Applied  universally,  how  much  wisdom  is 
concentrated  in  this  admonition  !  How  much  more  content,  under  the 
allotments  of  Providence  to  ourselves  and  others,  would  living  by  it 
produce  !  Ed.  Praise.]  ‘  Epainns:  from  aid,  1  hear,  to  he  spokey  of: 
it  is  here  used  in  the  reference  to  this  its  primary  sense,  any  one’s  char¬ 
acter,  what  he  is  thought  of,  whether  for  good  or  evil ;  and  also,  by  an 
hypalhige,  what  is  said  or  pronounced  upon  his  actions.’  In. 

V.  6,  7.  It  is  evident,  that  the  apostle  is  here  more  immediately 
speaking  of  natural  abilities  and  spiritual  gifts  ;  and  not  of  regenerating 
and  efficacious  grace.  Yet,  if  we  all  are,  by  nature,  entirely  depraved; 
if  we  must  be  born  again,  and  new  created  ;  if  it 1  is  God  that  worketh 
in  us  to  will  and  to  do  of  his  good  pleasure,’  and  if  ‘  by  grace  we  are 
saved  through  faith,  and  that  not  of  ourselves,  it  is  the  gift  of  God  ;’  the 
apostle’s  reasoning  is  at  least  as  conclusive,  against  all  kinds  and  degrees 
of  self-preference  on  account  of  our  religious  attainments,  and  all  glorying 
in  ourselves  and  other  men,  as  against  that  which  he  was  directly 
opposing.  7:25 — 23.  15:3 — 11.  Scott. 

(6.)  In  a  figure.]  1  Lit.  the  Gr.  means,  to  change  the  schema  or  habit, 
1  S.  28:8.  Phil.  3:21,  Sc c.  Hence  (says  Grot.)  transferred  to  language, 
which  implies  one  thing  in  seeming  to  say  another.  “  I  have  brought 
forward  this  in  my  own  parson,  and  that  of  Apollos,  as  if  what  was  said 
ai'others  whom  I,  out  of  delicacy,  forbear  to  mention,  were  applicable 
to  us.”  “  That  you  may  compare,  ( JVetst .  understands,)  with  our  ex¬ 
ample,  the  arrogance  of  the  pseudo  apostles.”  [So  Macknight .]  IVise 
above  what  is  written .]  Viz.,  in  Scripture,  in  which  are  so  many  ad¬ 
monitions  and  exhortations  to  humility.  So  gegraptai  is  often  used. 


Thus  most  ancient  and  modern  comtrs.  This  however  has  been  thought 
harsh.  Some  confine  it  to  what  is  written  in  this  epistle.  So  Crell., 
Just.,  Vorst.,  Menoch.  and  Semler,  Elsn.,  Heum.,  Wolf,  Doddr.,  Mackn., 
and  most  recent  interpreters  ;  the  ancient  fathers  and  Gr.  comtrs.  appear 
favorable  to  it,  and,  on  the  whole,  it  seems  best  founded.’  Bl. 

(8.)  ‘  A  bitter  and  indignant  sarcasm  ;  directed  chiefly  (we  may  sup¬ 
pose)  against  the  conceited  teachers,  Paul’s  adversaries;  q.  d.  “  I  see, 
ye  are  like  persons  who  are  satiated  at  a  feast ;  ye  think  ye  have  all, 
and  need  no  more  teaching  or  knowledge.”  Are  rich  ..reign.]  By 
these  expressions,  the  apostle  merely  places  the  same  idea  in  different 
lights,  by  varying  the  metaphor  thrice.  There  Is  a  climax,  too.  The 
first  metaphor  is  taken  from  persons  filled  with  food,  so  as  neither  to 
need  nor  desire  more.  The  second,  from  persons  so  rich,  as  to  have  no 
want  of,  nor  desire  for  more.  The  third ,  and  highest  degree  of  the  climax, 
is  derived  from  one  who,  from  being  a  private  person,  is  raised  to  the 
throne ,  and,  having  therefore  attained  the  highest  step  in  the  ladder,  has 
nothing  further  to  wish.  So  the  Gr.  comtrs.,  many  eminent  modern, 
and  almost  all  recent  interpreters.  Have  reigned.]  This  being  in  the 
Aorist  (for  the  present)  as  the  Gr.  for  are  rich,  should  also  be  tr.  in  the 
present,  ye  reign  like  princes.  Strange,  some  eminent  comtrs.,  as  Grot., 
Whit.,  Locke,  Ros.,  should  adopt  so  absurd  a  sense  as  the  physical  one; 
and  Doddr.  goes  so  far,  as  to  make  it  a  reference  to  Christians’  being 
“  kings  and  priests,  a  royal  priesthood  !  ”  Calv.,  Light.,  Tiron.,  Menoch., 
and  Krause,  have  seen  the  true  sense.  “  I  wish  from  my  heart  that  ye 
were  so  abundant  in  all  spiritual  improvements  :  for  then  1  might  par¬ 
take  of  your  prosperity,  in  the  credit  and  honor  which  1  should  enjoy, 
from  having  converted  and  taught  you;  since  the  fame  of  the  pupil 
tends  to  the  honor  of  the  teacher.  In. 

V.  9—13.  Perikatharma  signifies  the  cart,  into  which  the  filth  of  the 


A.  D.  60. 


1  CORINTHIANS,  IV. 


The  circumstances  of  the  apostles. 


10  We  are  fools  for  Clirist’.s  sake, 
but  ye  are  wise  in  Christ ;  we  are 
weak,  but  ye  are  strong  ;  ye  are 
honorable,  but  we  are  despised. 

11  Even  unto  this  present  hour 
we  both  hunger  and  thirst,  and  are 
“naked,  and  are  buffeted,  and  have 
no  certain  dwelling-place  ; 

12  And  n  labor,  working  with  our 
own  hands  :  being  0  reviled,  we 
bless  ;  being  persecuted,  we  suffer 
it : 

13  Being  defamed,  we  entreat: 
we  are  made  as  the  filth  of  the 
earth,  and  are  the  off-scouring  p  of 
all  things  unto  this  day. 

14  I  write  not  these  things  to 
shame  you,  but  as  my  beloved  sons 
q  I  warn  you. 

15  For  though  ve  have  ten  thou¬ 
sand  instructers  in  Christ,  yet  have 
ye  not  many  fathers  ;  for  in  Christ 
Jesus  I  have  begotten  you  through 
the  gospel. 

16  Wherefore,  I  beseech  you,  be 
ye  followers  of  me. 

17  For  this  cause  have  I  sent 
unto  you  Timotheus,  who  is  my 
beloved  son,  and  faithful  in  the 
Lord,  who  shall  bring  you  into  re¬ 
membrance  of  my  ways  which  be 
in  Christ,  as  I  teach  everywhere  in 
every  church. 

to  Ro.  8:35.  o  Mat.  5:44.  p  Ln.  3:45. 

n  Ac.  20:34.  Ac.  7:60.  q  1  Th.  2:1!. 

ants  into  the  arena,  the  place  of  show.  The 
apostles  were  shown,  to  manifest  the  power 
of  divine  grace,  to  confirm  the  truth  of  their 
mission  and  doctrine,  and  to  propagate  re¬ 
ligion  in  the  world  ;  ends  worthy  of  God  ; 
noble  views,  fit  to  animate  them  to  the  com¬ 
bat.  A  show;  we  are  brought  into  the  the¬ 
atre,  brought  out  to  the  public  view  of  the 
world.  Angels  and  men  are  witnesses  to  our 
persecutions,  sufferings,  patience,  and  mag¬ 
nanimity.  How  contentedly  could  they  be 
exposed,  both  to  sufferings  and  scorn,  for 
the  honor  of  their  Master  !  So  should  we. 

2.  lie  compares  his  own  case  with  that 
of  the  Corinthians,  v.  10.  We  are  fools  for 
Christ's  sake;  such  in  common  account,  and 
we  are  well  content  to  be  so  accounted  ;  so 
that  the  wisdom  of  God,  and  the  honor  of  the 
Gospel,  be  by  this  mean  secured  and  dis¬ 
played.  ‘  But  ye  are  wise  in  Christ  :  have 
the  fame  of  being  wise  and  learned  Chris¬ 
tians,  and  not  a  little  value  yourselves  on  it. 
We  are  under  disgrace  for  delivering  the 
plain  truths  of  the  Gospel,  and  in  as  plain  a 


manner  :  ye  are  in  reputation  for  your  elo¬ 
quence  and  human  wisdom,  which  among 
many  make  you  pass  for  wise  men  in  Christ. 
We  are  weak,  but  ye  are  strong.  We  are  suf¬ 
fering  for  Christ’s  sake,’  (so  being  weak 
plainly  signifies,  2  Cor.  12:  10.)  ‘when  ve 
are  in  easy  and  flourishing  circumstances.’ 
Or  else,  ‘  We  pass  for  persons  of  but  mean 
endowments,  very  striplings  in  Christianity; 
but  ye  look  on  yourselves,  and  are  looked 
upon  by  others,  as  men,  as  those  of  a  much 
more  advanced  growth,  and  confirmed 
strength.’  The  Corinthians  may  think 
themselves,  and  be  esteemed  by  others,  as 
wiser  and  stronger  men  in  Christ  than  the 
apostles  themselves.  But  Oh  !  how  gross 
the  mistake  ! 

IV.  He  enters  into  some  particularities 
of  their  sufferings;  Even  to  this  present  hour; 
i.  e.  after  all  the  service  and  suffering  we 
have  had  among  you  and  other  churches, 
v.  11,  12,  13.  They  were  forced  to  labor 
with  their  own  hands,  to  get  subsistence, 
and  had  so  much,  and  so  much  greater,  bus¬ 
iness  to  mind,  that  they  could  not  attend 
enough  to  this,  to  get  a  comfortable  liveli¬ 
hood,  but  were  exposed  to  hunger,  thirst, 
and  nakedness  ;  many  times  wanted  meal, 
and  drink,  and  clothes.  They  were  driven 
about  the  wrorld,  without  having  any  fixed 
abode,  any  stated  habitation.  Poor  circum¬ 
stances,  indeed;  yet  no  poorer  than  his,  who 
had  not  where  to  lay  his  head,  Luke  9:58. 
But,  O  glorious  charity  and  devotion,  that 
would  carry  them  through  all  these  hard¬ 
ships  !  How  ardently  did  they  love  God, 
how  vehemently  did  they  thirst  for  the  sal¬ 
vation  of  souls  !  They  thought  they  had  a 
rich  amends  for  all  the  outward  good  things 
they  wanted,  if  they  might  but  serve  Christ, 
and  save  souls.  Nay,  though  they  were  made 
the  filth  of  the  world,  and  the  off-scouring  of  all 
things.  They  were  treated  as  men  not  fit  to 
li \e,perikatharmata.  It  is  reasonably  thought 
by  the  critics,  that  an  allusion  is  here  made 
to  a  common  custom  of  many  heathen  na¬ 
tions,  to  offer  men  in  sacrifice,  in  a  time  of 
pestilence,  or  other  like  grievous  calamity. 
These  were  ordinarily  the  vilest  of  men,  per¬ 
sons  of  the  lowest  rank  and  worst  character. 
Thus,  in  the  first  ages,  Christians  were 
counted  the  source  of  all  public  calamities, 
and  were  sacrificed  to  the  people’s  rage,  if 
not  to  appease  their  angry  deities.  And 
apostles  could  not  meet  with  better  usage. 
They  suffered,  in  their  persons  and  charac¬ 
ters,  as  the  very  worst  and  vilest  men  ;  as 
the  most  proper  to  make  such  a  sacrifice  : 
or  else  as  the  very  dirt  of  the  world,  that  was 
to  be  swept  away  :  nay,  .as  the  off-scouring 
of  all  things,  the  dross,  the  filings  of  till 
things.  They  were  the  conunon-sewer  into 
which  all  the  reproaches  of  the  world  were 
to  be  poured.  To  be  the  off-scouring  of  any¬ 
thing,  is  bad  ;  but  what  is  it  to  be  the  oft- 


scouring  of  all  things  ?  How  much  did  the 
apostles  resemble  their  Master,  and  fill  up 
that  which  was  behind  of  his  afflictions,  for  his 
body's  sake,  which  is  the  church  ?  Col.  1:24. 

V.  We  have  here  the  apostles’  behavior 
under  all;  and  the  return  they  made  for  this 
mal-treatment,  v.  12,  13.  They  returned 
blessings  for  reproaches,  and  entreaties  and 
kind  exhortations  for  the  rudest  slanders 
and  defamation  ;  and  were  patient  under 
the  sharpest  persecutions.  The  disciples  of 
Christ,  and  especially  his  ministers,  should 
hold  fast  their  integrity,  and  keep  a  good 
conscience,  whatever  opposition  or  hard¬ 
ships  they  meet  with  from  the  world:  follow 
the  example,  and  fulfil  the  will  and  precepts, 
of  their  Lord. 

V.  14 — 16.  Here  Paul  challenges  their 
regard  to  him  as  their  father.  He  tells  them, 
1.  That  what  he  had  written  was  not  for 
their  reproach,  but  admonition,  v.  14.  In 
reproving,  we  should  have  a  tender  regard 
to  the  reputation,  as  well  as  reformation,  of 
the  sinner.  Reproofs  that  expose,  common¬ 
ly  do  but  exasperate  ;  when  those  that  kind¬ 
ly  and  affectionately  warn,  are  likely  to  re¬ 
form.  To  expose  to  open  shame,  is  but  the 
way  to  render  shameless.  2.  He  shows 
them  on  what  foundation  he  claimed  pater¬ 
nal  relation  to  them,  and  calls  them  his  sons, 
v.  15.  Whatever  other  teachers  they  had, 
he  was  their  spiritual  father  :  the  instrument 
of  their  new  birth,  therefore  claimed  the  re¬ 
lation  and  felt  the  bowels  of  a  father  to  them. 
There  commonly  is,  and  always  ought  to  be, 
an  endeared  affection  between  faithful  min¬ 
isters  and  those  they  beget  in  Christ  Jesus 
through  the  Gospel.  They  should  love  like 
parents  and  children.  3.  We  have  here 
the  special  advice  he  urges  on  them,  v.  16. 
This  he  elsewhere  explains  and  limits,  ch. 
11:1.  ‘  Be  ye  followers  of  me,  as  I  also  am 
of  Christ.  Follow  me  as  far  as  I  follow 
Christ.  Be  my  disciples,  as  far  as  I  mani¬ 
fest  myself  to  be  a  faithful  minister  and  dis¬ 
ciple  of  Christ,  and  no  farther.  Ministers 
should  so  live,  that  their  people  may  take 
pattern  from  them,  and  live  after  their 
[Christlike]  copy,  as  is  the  people’s  duty. 
They  should  guide  them  by  their  lives  as  well 
as  their  lips  ;  go  before  them  in  the  way  to 
heaven,  and  not  content  themselves  with 
pointing  it  out. 

V.  17 — 21.  1.  Here,  he  tells  them  of 

his  having  sent  Timothy  to  them,  v.  17.  to 
remind  them  of  his  ways  in  Christ,  to  re¬ 
fresh  their  memory  as  to  his  preaching  and 
practice,  what  he  taught,  and  how  he  lived 
among  them.  He  also  lets  them  know,  that 
his  teaching  was  the  same  everywhere,  and  in 
every  church.  He  had  not  one  doctrine  for 
one  place  and  people,  and  another  for  a  dif¬ 
ferent  one.  He  kept  close  to  his  instruc¬ 
tions.  What  he  received  of  the  Lord,  that  he 
delivered,  ch.  11:23.  This  was  the  gospel- 


sweepings  of  the  streets  and  markets  is  thrown  ;  and  vile,  contemptible 

persons  are  called  so  figuratively.  Demosthenes  calls  iEschines  Ka- 
tharma. — PeripsSma  is  well  rendered  ‘  off-scouring.’  Leigh.  Scott. 

(9.)  Spectacle.']  Theatron  :  lit.  theatre;  a  cut  is  given  at  end  of  ch. 
of  an  amphitheatre  (i.  e.  double- 
ihcatre)  of  Pompeii,  now  seen  ai 
it  was  overwhelmed,  in  A.  D.  79, 
a  few  years  after  this  of  Paul  was 
written.  In  these  were  the  spec¬ 
tacles,  described  by  Henry  above. 

131.  takes  Theatron,  here,  for  the- 
ama,  a  sight  or  gazing-stock, 
epithanatious,  for  men  condemn¬ 
ed  to  death, and  last  for  lowest;  and 
thinks  the  irony  (discontinued  at 
‘and  I  would,’  &c.  t.  8.  and  re¬ 
sumed  at  ‘for  we  are  made,’  as 
some,  understand  it)  suddenly 
passes,  at  ‘  for  we  are  made,’  to 
the  1  serious  and  literal,  though  the 
idea,  contained  in  these  words, 
was  suggested  by  the  preeeding 
metaphor.’  See  Bl.  Note, end  of eh. 

The  cut  (from  a  painting  in  Pom¬ 
peii)  shows  a  gladiator,  16  times 
victor,  now  wounded  in  the  breast, 
lowering  his  arms  as  vanquished,  and  holding  up  his  finger  to  ask  his 
life  of  the  people.  Behind,  his  conqueror  waits,  to  give  him  his  ‘  death¬ 
blow,’  or  his  life,  as  the  gay  people  decree  !  Ed. 

[270] 


(10.)  ‘  Here  Paul  resumes  the  irony,  to  “  but  we  are,  <fcc.”  ’  Bl.  Ros. 

obs.,  that  1  these  teachers  probably  abstained  from  inculcating  the  doc¬ 
trine  of  the  death  and  crucifixion  of  Christ,  lest  they  should  stumble  the 
Jews  and  enlightened  heathens;  and  of  this  management  prided  them¬ 
selves,  imputing  folly  to  Paul,  for  exposing  the  Christian  religion  to 
ridicule  by  needless  disclosures.’  See  Bl.  Fools.]  1  Paul  still  carries  on  the 
allusion  to  the  public  spectacles  among  the  [cruel]  Romans,  where  they 
were  wont  to  hiss,  hoot,  mock,  and  variously  insult  the  poor  victims.’ 
Dr.  A.  Clarke.  Ed. 

(11.)  Naked.]  ‘  In  want  of  necessary  clothing ;  so  Basil  uses  theGr.’ 
Bl.  ‘  Surely  one  cannot  imagine  any  more  glorious  triumph  of  the  truth, 
than  what  it  gained  in  these  circumstances,  when  Paul,  with  an  imped¬ 
iment  in  his  speech,  and  a  personage  rather  contemptible  than  graceful, 
appeared  in  a  mean,  [travel-worn,]  and  sometimes  tattered  dress,  before 
persons  of  the  highest  rank,  and  yet  commanded  such  attention,  and 
made  such  impressions.’  Doddr.  Bl.  (after  Theoph.)  makes  perika- 
tharmata  and  peripsema  to  mean  nearly  the  same,  i.  e.  the  dirt  or  filth 
proceeding  from  anything  on  being  scoured  about.  Id. 

V.  15.  Instructers.]  ‘  Paidagogous:  lit.  the  grave,  elderly  personage 
who  conducted  children  to  and  from  school,  and  who  superintended 
their  behavior  out  of  school  hours.  See  Pignor.  Afterwards  it  came  to 
designate  the  informator,  the  instructer,  or  teacher.’  Bloomf. 

V.  16.  Followers,  & c.]  '  Rather,  imitate  me ;  in  modesty,  bo  some  ; 
preserve  unity  by  imitating  me,  rather  than  the  false  teachers,  so  others  ; 
but  it  seems  simply  his  intention,  to  deduce  from  his  spiritual  paternity 
the  inference,  that  they  should  be  imitators  of  him,  just  as  parents  and 
teachers  are,  to  their  children,  the  exemplar  by  which  they  are  to  model 
their  character.  It  extend*  to  every  branch  of  Christian  doctrine  and 
duty ;  so  Theophylact.'  Id. 


A.  D.  60. 


1  CORINTHIANS,  V. 


18  Now  some  are  puffed  up,  as 
though  I  would  not  come  to  you. 

19  But  I  will  come  to  you  short¬ 
ly,  r  if  the  Lord  will  ;  and  will 
know,  not  the  speech  of  them 
which  are  puffed  up,  but  •  the 
power. 

20  For  the  kingdom  'of  God  is 
not  in  word,  but  in  power. 

21  What  will  ye  ?  shall  “  I  come 
unto  you  with  a  rod,  or  in  love, 
and  in  the  spirit  of  meekness  ? 

CHAP.  V. 

1  The  incestuous  person  6  is  cause  rather  of  shame  unto 
them,  than  of  rejoicing.  7  The  old  leaven  is  to  be  purg¬ 
ed  out.  10  Heinous  offenders  are  to  be  shunned  and 
avoided. 

TT  is  reported  commonly  that  there 
-1-  is  fornication  among  you,  and 
such  fornication  as  is  not  so  much 
as  named  among  the  Gentiles,  that 
*one  should  have  his  father’s  wife. 

r  Ja.  4:15.  t  Ro.  14:17.  a  De.  27:20. 

s  Ga.  2:6.  u  2  Co.  13:10. 


revelation,  which  was  the  equal  concern  of 
all  men,  and  did  not  vary  from  itself.  Note, 
The  truth  of  Christ  is  one  and  invariable. 
What  one  apostle  taught,  every  one  taught. 
Christians  may  mistake  and  differ, but  Christ 
and  Christian  truth  are  the  same  yesterday , 
to-day,  and  for  ever,  Heb.  13:8.  To  render 
their  regard  to  Timothy  the  greater,  he 
gives  them  his  character.  He  was  his  be¬ 
loved  son,  a  spiritual  child  of  his,  as  well  as 
themselves.  But  he  adds,  ‘  He  is  faithful  in 
the  Lord  ;  trustworthy,  as  one  that  feared 


the  Lord,  faithful  in  the  particular  office  he 
has  now  received  of  the  Lord,  the  partic¬ 
ular  errand  on  which  he  comes  ;  not  only 
from  me,  but  from  Christ.  He  knows  what 
1  have  taught,  and  what  my  conversation  has 
been  in  all  places,  and,  ye  may  depend  on 
it,  he  will  make  a  faithful  report.’ 

2.  He  rebukes  their  vanity  who  imagined 
he  would  not  come  to  them,  by  letting  them 
know  this  was  his  purpose,  though  he  had 
sent  Timothy.  But  he  adds,  if  the  Lord  will. 
It  seems,  as  to  the  common  events  of  life, 
apostles  were  not  under  inspiration.  For 
had  the  apostle  certainly  known  the  mind  of 
God  in  this  matter,  he  had  not  expressed 
himself  with  this  uncertainty.  But  he  sets 
a  good  example  to  us  in  it.  All  our  purpo¬ 
ses  must  be  formed  with  a  dependence  on 
Providence,  and  a  reserve  for  the  overruling 
purposes  of  God,  James  4:  15. 

3.  He  lets  them  know  what  would  follow 
on  his  coming  to  them,  v.  19.  He  would 
bring  the  great  pretenders  among  them  to  a 
trial,  know  what  they  were  ;  not  by  their 
rhetoric  or  philosophy,  but  by  the  authority 
and  efficacy  of  what  they  taught,whether  they 
could  confirm  it  by  miraculous  operations, 
and  whether  it  was  accompanied  with  divine 
influences,  and  saving  effects  on  the  minds  of 
men.  For,  adds  he,  the  kingdom  of  God  is 
not  in  word,  but  in  power.  It  is  not  set  up, 
nor  propagated,  nor  established,  in  the  hearts 
of  men,  by  plausible  reasonings,  or  florid 
discourses,  but  by  the  power  of  the  Holy 
Spirit,  in  miraculous  operations  at  first,  and 
the  powerful  influence  of  divine  truth  on 
the  minds  and  manners  of  men. 

4.  He  puts  it  to  their  choice,  how  he 
should  come  among  them,  v.  21.  i.e.  ac¬ 
cording  as  they  were,  they  would  find  him. 


Case  of  the  incestuous  person. 

If  they  continued  perverse  among  them¬ 
selves,  and  with  him,  it  would  be  necessary 
to  come  with  a  rod  ;  i.  e.  to  exert  his  apos¬ 
tolical  power  in  chastising  them,  by  making 
some  examples,  and  inflicting  some  diseases 
and  corporal  punishments,  or  by  other  cen¬ 
sures  for  their  faults.  But  this  is  far  from 
being  desirable,  if  it  may  be  prevented. 
Therefore  the  apostle  adds,  that  it  was  in 
their  own  option  whether  he  should  come 
with  a  rod,  or  in  a  quite  different  disposi¬ 
tion  and  manner  :  or  in  love  and  the  spirit 
of  meekness.  As  much  as  if  he  had  said, 
‘  Take  warning,  cease  your  unchristian 
feuds,  rectify  the  abuses  among  you,  and 
return  to  your  duty,  and  ye  shall  find  me  as 
gentle  and  benign  as  ye  can  wish.  It  is  a 
happy  temper  in  a  minister,  to  have  the 
spirit  of  love  and  meekness  predominant, 
and  yet  to  maintain  his  just  authority. 

Chap.  V.  V.  1—6.  1.  The  apostle 

now  lets  them  know  what  was  the  common 
report  concerning  them,  that  one  of  their 
community  was  guilty  of  fornication,  v.  1. 
It  was  told  in  all  places,  to  their  dishonor, 
and  the  reproach  of  Christians.  The  hein¬ 
ous  sins  of  professed  Christians  are  quickly 
noted  and  noised  abroad.  We  should  walk 
circumspectly,  for  many  eyes  are  upon  us, 
and  many  mouths  will  be  opened  against  us 
if  we  fall  into  any  scandalous  practice.  This 
was  not  a  common  instance  of  fornication, 
that  a  man  should  have  his  father’s  wife  , 
either  marry  her  while  his  father  was  alive, 
or  keep  her  as  his  concubine,  either  when 
he  was  dead,  or  while  he  was  alive.  In 
either  of  these  cases,  his  criminal  conversa¬ 
tion  with  her  might  be  called  fornication  ; 
but  had  his  father  been  dead,  and  he,  after 


PRACT.  OBS.  The  ministers  of  Christ  ought,  by  all  means,  to  be 
ns  deeply  sensible  of  the  importance  of  their  trust,  as  of  the  dignity  of 
their  office  ;  that,  as  active  and  self-denying  laborers,  as  well  as  ‘  stew¬ 
ards  of  the  mysteries  of  God,’  they  may  be  ‘  faithful  ’  to  Him  and  to  his 
church  ;  that  they  may  disregard  their  own  interest,  indulgence,  and 
reputation,  and  willingly  endure  reproach  and  suffering,  for  the  honor 
of  their  Lord,  and  the  salvation  of  souls. — Christians  also  should  learn 
to  value  ministers,  not,  so  much,  in  proportion  to  the  brilliancy  of  their 
gifts,  or  their  rank  and  station  in  the  church,  as  their  integrity  and  dis¬ 
interested  faithfulness;  and  those  persons  certainly  offend  the  Lord, 
who  slight  such  as  are  true  to  their  trust;  as  they  also  do,  who  tempt 
them  to  be  unfaithful,  by  flatteries,  bribes,  frowns,  censures,  or  con¬ 
tempt.  Indeed,  it  ought  to  be  ‘  the  smallest  matter’  with  us,  to  be  judg¬ 
ed  of  men,  or  blamed  for  that  which  God  approves,  even  by  those  whom 
we  must  love ;  yet  it  requires  a  superior  strength  of  faith  and  grace  to 
be  so  totally  indifferent  to  the  opinion  of  others,  as  not  to  be  [improper- 


V.  18,  19.  ‘He  had  been  delayed,  and  now  some  fancied  he  would 
not  dare  to  encounter  so  formidable  an  opposition  as  he  would  there 
find.  “(But  they  are  mistaken:)  for  (by  God’s  permission)  I  will 
quickly  come  unto  you.”  He  then  subjoins  a  sentence  which  cannot,  I 
think,  in  nerve  and  vigor,  or  dignity,  and  composed  confidence,  be  easily 
paralleled,  even  in  Demosthenes  himself.’  Bloomf. 

V.  19.  Know.]  ‘  Prove,  put  to  proof.  Power.]  Dunamis  :  efficacy 
of  the  Holy  Spirit,  as  shown  both  in  miracles  and  in  irresistible  power  of 
preaching,  as  well  as  unerring  soundness  of  doctrine.’  Id. 

V.  20.  ‘The  words  refer  only  to  teachers.  Sender,  perversely,  rather 
than  ignorantly,  confounds  the  present  times  and  the  primitive  ages.’  Id. 

V.  21.  Rod  ]  ‘Not  death  or  blindness,  as  in  the  cases  of  Ananias, 
Sapphira,  Elymas  ; — very  rare,  and  here  unsuitable  punishments,  but  pun¬ 
ishment  in  general,  the  schoolmaster’s  prerogative,  referring  to  ecclesi¬ 
astical  chastisements  and  censures  of  every  kind.  The  Jewish  church 
“  castigate  first  with  words  (says  R.  Elijahu),  then  with  the  rod ,  because 
it  is  written,  Deut.  21:18.  [they  shall  chastise  him.]  But  if  he  goes  on, 
in  his  fault,  they  give  him  up  to  stoning.”’  In. 

Concluding  Note.  V.  9,  10.  ‘  Amphitheatre »  were  at  firat  temporary,  and  of  wood  ; 
the  first  0/  stone  was  by  Augustus.  The  largest  was  the  C  liseum  (whose  ruins  re¬ 
main),  begun  by  Vespusian,  ami  finished  by  Titus  ;  it  held  87,(00.  The  place  where 
the  gladiators  (captives,  slaves,  or  hired)  fought,  called  arena,  was  covered  with  sand 
or  sawdust,  to  prevent  slipping,  and  absorb  the  blood.  The  part  next  to  it  was  called 
podium,  where  the  senators  sat,  and  the  ambassadors  of  foreign  nations;  here  was  the 
emperor’s  place,  elevated  like  a  pulpit  or  tribunal,  and  canopied  :  likewise  of  him 
who  exhibited  the  games,  and  of  the  vestal  virgins.  The  podium  projected  over  the 
wall  which  surrounded  the  arena,  and  was  raised  12  to  15  feet  above  it  ;  secured  by  a 
breastwork  or  parapet,  against  the  irruption  of  wild  beasts:  the  arena  was,  besides, 
surrounded  with  an  iron  rail,  and  a  canal.  The  equites  sat  in  14  rows,  behind  the  sena¬ 
tors,  and  both  on  cushioned  seats.  The  rest  of  the  people  sat  behind,  on  the  hare 
stone  ;  their  seats  were  called  popularia.  The  entrances  to  these  seats  were  called 
vomiloria ;  the  ascending  aisles,  scales  or  scalaria  ;  the  ranges  of  seats,  between  two 

fiassagee,  a  cuneus,  i.  e.  wedge.  Particular  places  were  sometimes  granted  as  an 
lonor.  The  designnt  ores  assigned  every  one  his  proper  place.  The  highest  seats  Au¬ 
gustus  assigned  the  women.  Secret  lubes  sprinkled  perfumes  on  the  spectators,  an  1 
poles  fixed  in  holes,  in  the  top  of  the  outer  walls,  sustained  the  covering  drawn  over 
when  it  rained.  VVhen  the  wind  was  too  high  for  these,  they  used  broad-brimmed 
hats,  or  caps,  and  umbrellas.  Nigh  the  amphitheatre  was  the  spnliarium,  to  which  the 
killed,  or  mortally  wounded,  were  dragged  out  by  a  hook.  On  the  da?  of  exhibition, 
the  gladiators  were  led  along  the  arena  in  procession  fset  forth,  v.  9  ],  then  matched  in 
pairs,  and  their  swords  examined  by  the  exhibiter.  They  preluded  with  wooden 
swords,  &c.,  flourishing  their  arms  (ccntifantes)  beating  the  air,’  9:26.]  with  great 
dexterity  :  on  a  trumpet  signal  they  assumed  their  proper  anna.  When  one  was 
wounded,  the  people  cried,  habet ,  “  he  has  got  it  he  lowered  his  arms  in  sign  of 
being  vanquished  :  but  his  fate  depended  on  the  pleasure  of  the  people,  who,  if  they 
wished  him  to  be  saved,  pressed  down  their  thumbs  ;  if  to  be  slain,  turned  them  up,  und 


ly]  influenced  by  it ;  and  many  are  thus  tempted  to  waver,  or  warp  from 
the  constancy  of  their  testimony.  Acts  20:18 — 28.  P.  0.13 — 31. — It;  in 
some  respects,  we  are  distinguished  from  our  brethren,  yet  our  respon¬ 
sibility  increases  with  our  talents  ;  and  it  is  seldom,  that  our  faithfulness 
and  diligence  increase  proportionably. — Fallen  man  is  most  apt  to  count 
himself  full,  rich,  and  honorable,  when  he  is  most  blind,  poor,  and  na¬ 
ked  ;  and  many  professors  of  the  Gospel,  like  glow-worms  in  the  dark, 
shine  most,  as  to  their  own  opinion  of  themselves,  when  their  real  char¬ 
acter  is  most  obscure  and  doubtful. — They,  whom  God  has  most  honor¬ 
ed,  have  always  been  proportionably  despised,  hated,  and  abused  by 
men  ;  and  their  sufferings,  even  unto  death,  have  made  them  an  inter¬ 
esting  spectacle  to  all  the  intelligent  creation. — The  consideration  that 
so  many  eyes  are  upon  us,  when  struggling  with  difficulties,  or  conflict¬ 
ing  with  temptation,  should  [help  to]  animate  us  to  unconquerable  con¬ 
stancy  and  patience;  that  holy  angels  and  saints  may  rejoice,  and  that 
evil  spirits  and  wicked  men  may  be  disappointed  and  confounded.  Sc. 


he  received  the  death-wound  with  fortitude.  Sometimes  he  was  rescued  by  the  en- 
trance  of  the  emperor,  or  the  will  of  the  editor  (exhibiter).  The  spectators  express¬ 
ed  the  same  eagerness  by  betting  on  the  combatants,  as  at  t  he  circus.  Before  the  year 
U.  Tf.  693,  the  people  staid  all  day  at  the  fights,  afterwmds  they  had  an  intermission 
at  dinner.  Gladiatorial  combats  were  at  first  performed  as  part  of  funerals;  then 
given  by  magistrates,  to  entertain  the  people,  chiefly  at  the  Saturnalia  and  feasts 
of  Minerva.  Incredible  numbers  were  thus  destroyed  :  for  instance,  when  Trajin 
triumphed  over  the  Dacians,  these  shows  lasted  123  days,  11,000  were  killed,  and 
10,000  gladiators  fought.  These  men  were  kept  and  maintained  in  school*,  by  per¬ 
sons  called  lanista ,  who  purchased  and  trained  them,  and  plentifully  fed  them  on 
stiongfood.*  Adam . 

NOTES.  Chap.  V.  V.  1—5.  Nave  his  father’s  wife.]  Lived  with 
his  mother-in-law  as  his  wife,  probably  while  his  father  was  still  living  . 
— But  if  the  Corinthians  in  general  had  been  in  a  truly  Christian  frame 
of  mind,  they  would  have  ‘  mourned  over’  such  an  enormity  ;  and  hum¬ 
bled  themselves  before  God,  with  earnest  prayers,  intreating  Him  to  re¬ 
move  all  obstacles,  that  he  who  had  done  this  nefarious  deed  might  be 

[271] 


A.  D.  60. 


1  CORINTHIANS,  V. 


The  church  at  Corinth  blamed. 


upon  ;  they  were  puffed  up,  v.  2.  they  gloried 
(1.)  Perhaps  on  account  of  this  very  scan¬ 
dalous  person.  He  rnigJit  he  a  mail  of  great 
eloquence,  of  deep  science,  and  for  this 
reason  very  greatly  esteemed,  and  followed, 
and  cried  up,  by  many  among  them.  They 
were  proud  that  they  had  such  a  leader. 
Pride  and  self-esteem  often  lie  at  the  bot¬ 
tom  of  our  immoderate  esteem  of  others  ; 
and  this  makes  us  blind  to  their  faults  as 
to  our  own.  The  proud  man  either  wholly 
overlooks  or  artfully  disguises  his  faults,  or 
endeavors  to  transform  his  blemishes  into 
beauties.  Those  of  the  Corinthians  that 
were  admirers  of  the  incestuous  person’s 
gifts,  could  overlook  or  extenuate  his  horrid 
practices.  Or  else,  (2.)  It  may  intimate, 
that  some  of  the  opposite  party  were  puffed 
up.  Thev  were  proud  of  their  own  stand¬ 
ing,  and  trampled  over  him  that  fell.  Prob¬ 
ably,  this  was  one  effect  of  the  divisions 
among  them.  The  opposite  party  made  their 
advantage  of  this  scandalous  lapse,  and  were 
glad  of  the  opportunity.  It  is  a  sad  conse¬ 
quence  of  divisions  among  Christians,  that 
it  makes  them  apt  to  rejoice  in  iniquity.  The 
sins  of  others  should  be  our  sorrow.  Nay, 
churches  should  mourn  for  the  scandalous 
behavior  of  particular  members,  and,  if 
they  are  incorrigible,  should  remove  them. 

3.  The  apostle’s  direction.  He  would 
have  this  scandalous  sinner  excommunica¬ 
ted,  and  delivered  to  Satan,  v.  3 — 5.  He 
had,  by  revelation,  and  the  miraculous  gift 
of  discerning  vouchsafed  him  by  the  Spirit, 
as  perfect  a  knowledge  of  the  case,  as  if 
he  were  present,  and  had  come  to  the  deter¬ 
mination,  not  without  special  authority  from 
the  Holy  Spirit.  He  says  this,  to  let  them 
know,  that  though  he  was  at  a  distance,  he 
did  not  pass  an  unrighteous  sentence,  nor 
judge  without  having  as  full  cognizance  of  the 
case,  as  if  he  had  been  on  the  spot.  Those 
who  would  appear  righteous  judges  to  the 
world,  will  take  care  to  inform  them,  that 
they  do  not  pass  sentence  without  full  proof 


and  evidence.  He  had  judged  that  he  should 
he  delivered  to  Satan,  v.  5.  and  this  was  to 
be  done  in  the  name  of  Christ,  with  the  pow¬ 
er  of  Christ,  and  in  a  full  assembly,  where 
the  apostle  would  be  also  present  in  spirit, 
or  by  his  spiritual  gift  of  discerning  at  a 
distance.  Some  think  this  is  to  be  under¬ 
stood  of  a  mere  ordinary  excommunication, 
and  that  delivering  him  to  Satan  for  the  de¬ 
struction  of  the  flesh,  is  only  meant  of  dis¬ 
owning  him,  and  casting  him  out  of  the 
church,  that  by  this  mean  he  might  be 
brought  to  repentance,  and  his  flesh  might 
be  mortified.  Christ  and  Satan  divide  the 
world  :  and  they  that  live  in  sin,  when  they 
profess  relation  to  Christ,  belong  to  another 
master,  and  by  excommunication  should  be 
delivered  up  to  him  ;  and  this  in  the  nhme 
of  Christ.  Church-censures  are  Christ’s  ordi¬ 
nances,  and  should  be  dispensed  in  his  name. 
It  was  to  be  done  also  when  they  were  gathered 
together,  in  full  assembly.  The  more  public, 
the  more  solemn;  and  the  more  solemn,  the 
more  likely  to  have  a  good  effect  on  the 
offended.  Church-censures  on  notorious  and" 
incorrigible  sinners,  should  be  past  with 
great  solemnity.  They  who  sin  in  this  man¬ 
ner,  are  to  be  rebuked  before  all,  that  all  may 
fear,  1  Tim.  5:  20.  Others  think  the  apos¬ 
tle  is  not  to  be  understood  of  mere  excom¬ 
munication,  but  of  a  miraculous  power  or 
authority  they  had  of  delivering  a  scandal¬ 
ous  sinner  into  the  power  of  Satan,  to  have 
bodily  diseases  inflicted,  and  to  be  torment¬ 
ed  by  him  with  bodily  pains,  which  is  .  the 
meaning  of  the  destruction  of  the  flesh;  prob¬ 
ably  this  was  a  mixed  case.  It  was  an 
extraordinary  instance:  and  the  church  was 
to  proceed  against  him  by  just  censure  ; 
the  apostle,  when  they  did  so,  put  forth  an 
act  of  extraordinary  power,  and  gave  him 
up  to  Satan  ;  not  for  his  destruction,  but 
for  his  deliverance;  at  least,  for  the  destruc¬ 
tion  of  the  flesh,  that  the  soul  might  be 
saved.  The  great  end  of  church-censures  is 
the  good  of  those  who  fall  under  them  ;  their 


2  And  )re  are  puffed  up,  and  have 
not  rather  b  mourned,  that  he  that 
hath  done  this  deed  might  be  taken 
away  from  among  you. 

3  For  I  verily,  as  absent  c  in 
body,  but  present  in  spirit,  have 
‘’judged  already,  as  though  I  were 
present,  concerning  him  that  hath 
so  done  this  deed  ; 

4  In  the  name  eof  our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ,  when  ye  are  gathered  to¬ 
gether,  and  my  spirit,  with  the 
power  fof  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ, 

5  To  deliver  E  such  an  one  unto 
Satan  for  the  destruction  of  the 
flesh,  that  h  the  spirit  may  be  saved 
in  the  day  of  the  Lord  Jesus. 

h2  Co.  7:7.  e  2  Co.  2:9,10.  g  1  Ti.  1:20. 

c  Col.  2:5.  f  Mat.  16:19  h  c.  11:32. 

d  or,  determined.  Jn.  2U:‘23. 

his  decease,  married  her,  it  had  been  incest 
still,  but  neither  fornication  nor  adultery  in 
the  strictest  sense.  But  to  marry  her,  or 
keep  her  as  a  concubine,  while  his  father 
was  alive,  though  he  had  repudiated  her,  or 
she  had  deserted  him,  whether  she  were 
his  own  mother  or  not,  was  incestuous 
fornication  ;  when  a  woman  had  caused 
iier  daughter  to  be  put  away,  and  was  mar¬ 
ried  to  her  husband  ;  Incredible  wickedness  ! 
says  the  orator  (Cicero  pro  Cluent.);  such 
I  never  heard  of  in  all  my  life  besides.  Not 
that  there  were  no  such  instances  of  inces¬ 
tuous  commerce,  or  marriages,  among  the 
heathens  :  but,  whenever  they  happened, 
they  gave  a  shock  to  every  man  of  virtue 
and  probity  among  them.  Yet  such  a  hor¬ 
rible  wickedness  was  committed  by  one  in 
the  church  of  Corinth,  and,  as  is  probable, 
a  leader  of  one  of  the  factions  among  them; 
a  principal  man.  The  best  churches  are  li¬ 
able  to  very  great  corruptions. 

2.  He  greatly  blames  their  conduct  here- 

separated  from  their  company. — Present  in  spirit — having  the  whole 
affair  clearly  before  his  mind,  perhaps  by  a  supernatural  revelation  by 
the  Holy  Spirit. — Probably,  the  apostle  expected,  that  this  solemn  sen¬ 
tence  of  excommunication  would  be  attended  by  some  miraculous  in¬ 
fliction  of  pain  and  disease,  to  the  wasting,  or  even  the  death,  of  his 
body,  11:29 — 34.  2  Cor ■  2:5-11.  1  Tim.  1:18-20.  yet,  by  ‘delivering  him 
over  to  Satan,’  lie  seems  to  intend  his  expulsion  from  the  visible  king¬ 
dom  of  Christ  into  that  of  the  devil ;  and  not  that  Satan  would  inflict  the 
correction  which  might  follow.  No  doubt  evil  spirits  are  able  and  will¬ 
ing  to  disorder  the  body,  or  distract  the  mind,  or  destroy  life,  if  God  per¬ 
mit  ;  yet  it  is  far  more  reasonable  to  think,  that  God,  by  miracle,  direct¬ 
ly  inflicted  the  disease,  than  that  He  merely  permitted  Satan  to  do  it.  It 
should,  however,  be  noted,  that  when  supernatural  visitations  do  not 
accompany  ecclesiastical  censures,  no  temporal  pains  and  penalties,  of 
whatever  sort,  ought  to  be  annexed  to  them.  Unwarranted  severities  in 
this  respect  have  made  way  for  the  disuse,  or  relaxation,  of  salutary  dis¬ 
cipline,  throughout  a  great  part  of  the  Christian  church  ;  the  extensive¬ 
ly  injurious  effects  of  which  can  never  he  enough  lamented,  or,  indeed, 
fully  conceived  by  those  who  have  not  deeply  considered  the  subject.-(2) 
‘.lews  and  Christians,  when  any  one  was  to  be  cut  off  from  the  church, 
as  a  dead  member,  did  it  with  fasting  and  humiliation,  to  show  their 
sympathy  with  him,  and  sorrow  for  the  scandal  on  the  society.’  Whitby. 

Scott. 

Q.)  Fornication.']  ‘The  Gr.  means  any  illicit,  venereal  connexion.’ 
TitWomf.  Named.]  Almost  all  [connexions]  that  Christians  regard  as 
forbidden,  were  by  the  Greeks  and  Romans  admitted  to  be  unlawful ;  see 
the  proof  in  the  philological  comtrs.  The  few  instances  of  allowed  incest 
recorded  (some  3  or  4  ,  are  chiefly  of  royal  personages,  whose  high  station 
afforded  license  of  every  kind,,  and  that  when  private  morals  were  at  the 
lowest  ebb.  That  the  Persians  married  their  mothers,  is  too  incredible  a 
story,  on  higher  authority  than  that  of  Sexl.  Emp.  So  of  Maimoni- 
des’  assertion,  that  proselytes ,  being  accounted  to  have  lost  kindred, 
could  marry  mothers  and  sisters.  Procopius'  remark,  that,  ‘  with  the 
Varni  it  was  permitted  to  marry  a  step-mother,’  is  of  precarious  author¬ 
ity,  nor  does  the  apostle  speak  of  barbarians.  Whether  it  were  custom¬ 
ary  with  the  Egyptians  (except  among  royal  personages)  is  not  certain. 
The  general  ignorance  of  Tacitus,  (and  our  limited  information,)  as  to 
the  Jews’  customs  then,  should  prevent  us  from  pressing  on  the  sense  of 
his  remark,  that  ‘  what  we  call  incest  is  allowed  among  the  Jews.’  Nor 
can  it  be  proved,  there  was  a  community  of  all  women  in  any  society, 
whence  the  licentious  doctrines  reproved,  could  have  crept  into  the 
church.  For  these  reasons,  and  others,  lit.  thinks,  that  onomazesthai, 
named,  (which  he  will  not  tr.  with  Pearce,  reported ,  nor,  with 
Ros.,  &c-,  scarce  found,  nor  cancel  it,  as  others,  though  hundreds  of 
MSS,  the  Syr.  and  other  verss.,  and  the  Gr.  fathers  and  comtrs.  have  it !) 
is  a  slip  of  the  apostle,  writing  in  Hellenistic  Greek,  for  nomizeslhai, 
i.  e.  obtains,  is  approved  by  law  and  custom  :  used  by  the  best  writers 
in  this  meaning. 

‘  It  is  not  credible  that  the  Corinthian  congregation  would  have  endur¬ 
ed,  that  one  of  their  body  should  live  with  a  harlot ,  especially  his  moth¬ 
er-in-law.  But,  because  this  illicit  connexion  had  been  palliated  by  the 

[272] 


name  of  matrimony,  therefore  they  might  connive  at  it,  especially  if 
there  were  any  who  were  the  man’s  zealous  friends,  and  endeavored  to 
soften  the  baseness  of  the  thing.  Crell.  The  Gentile  law  might  forbid, 
but,  unless  aided  by  public  opinion,  could  not  prevent  such  marriages. 
The  person,  here,  is  supposed  to  have  been  rich  and  powerful,  and  so 
xvould  not  want  such  friends  ;  and  there  might  be  some  who  undertook, 
upon  principle ,  to  defend  such  a  connexion.’  Bl.  How  much  harder 
is  it  now,  among  Christians,  in  these  days  of  sectarian  rivalry,  to  ex¬ 
communicate  a  rich  than  a  poor  offender  !  And  why  ?  Can  any  society, 
‘  ours,’  or  another,  be  effectually  ‘  built  up,’  when  this  is  the  case  ?  Ed. 

(2.)  Mourned  ]  ‘Following  the  custom  of  the  Jewish  synagogue 
( Grot .),  excommunication  was,  for  some  ages,  accompanied  with  solemn 
mourning,  in  the  church.  See  Vi tr.  “  Mourning  is  put  for  excommuni¬ 
cation,  by  metonymy  of  the  adjunct,  because,  says  Origen,  the  church, 
when  about  to  exclude  any  one  from  its  communion,  put  on  the  mourn¬ 
ing  dress,  and  mourned  him  as  dead."  Grot.'  Bloomf. 

(3)  “‘I  then,  as  absent  indeed,  in  person,  nut  present  in  heart, 
mind,  thought,  affections,”  viz.  in  solicitude  and  care.  I  have  decided,  do 
hereby  decide  and  determine.  This  is  not  a  sentence  of  excommunica¬ 
tion,  hut  an  intimation,  that,  if  not  wanting  in  duty,  they  will  use  this 
apostolical  authority,  to  take  the  necessary  measures  for  excluding  the 
noxious  member.  Then  are  suggested  the  steps  to  be  taken.  So.]  I.  e. 
openly,  impudently,  perseveringly.’  '  Id. 

(4.)  ‘  That  ye  (being  assembled  together,  and  I  being  spiritually,  men¬ 

tally,  virtually,  present  with  you,  by  the  signification  of  this  my  opin¬ 
ion)  do,  in  the  name,  and  ill  behalf,  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and  withal 
acting  by  the  power  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  deliver  the  person  so 
described,  &c.  The  Greek  fathers  and  comtrs.,  also  Grot.,  Newc., 
Pearce,  Crell.,  Locke,  Hardy,  Whit.,  Ros.,  Mackn.,  Pyle,  Schl.,  Jaspis, 
Maltby,  and  other  eminent  comtrs.,  rightly,  (I  think,  on  the  whole,)  re¬ 
cognise  in  the  passage  a  formal  excommunication,  (comprehended  in 
give  him  over  to  Satan,)  and  also,  a  punishment  of  the  flesh,  which 
is  evidently  implied,  by  “/or  the  destruction  of  the  flesh."  That  the 
apostles  had  the  power,  and  were  authorized  to  punish  notorious  offend¬ 
ers  with  death  and  disease,  in  a  supernatural  manner,  few  will  deny. 
(See  John  20:23.  Acts  13:11.  1  Cor.  11:21.)  And  if  so,  may  we  not 
(asks  Mackn.)  believe,  that  ..  the  power  was  now  exerted  ?  especially 
ns  it  was  to  be  done,  not  by  their  own  authority,  but  by  the  power  of 
our  Lord,  and  of  the  Spirit  who  inspired  Paul  to  give  the  command.  A 
sudden  disease,  immediately  consequent  on  the  act  of  excommunication, 
would  show  the  reality  of  the  apostle’s  power  anil  mission,  and  awe  nil 
reflecting  persons.’  Bloomf.  :  who  thinks,  with  Rosenm..  that 1  Paul  af¬ 
firms,  he  would  strike  the  offender  with  a  dreadful  disease,  in  the  midst 
of  them,  while  assembled  together,  so  that  they  would  be  obliged,  on 
account  of  this  disease,  to  carry  him  forth  from  their  assembly,  whom 
they  would  not  expel  for  his  crime.’  "  Ed. 

V.  6 — 8.  Some  expositors  confidently  maintain,  that  the  incestuous 
person  was  one  of  the  teachers  who  opposed  the  apostle;  or  the  oppos¬ 
ing  teacher,  supposing  Paul  had  a  single  false  teacher  in  mind.  But  in 
2  Cor.,  where  he  directs  them  to  comfort  the  incestuous  person,  as 
brought  to  deep  repentance,  and  as  in  danger  of  being  ‘  swallowed  up 


A.  D.  60. 


1  CORIjN  IHIANSj  V.  Paul  exhorts  the  Corinthians. 


6  Your  glorying  ‘  is  not  good. 
Know  ye  not  that  a  little  leaven 
j  leaveneth  the  whole  lump  ? 

7  Purge  out  therefore  the  old 
leaven,  that  ye  may  be  a  new  lump, 
as  ye  are  unleavened.  For  even 
Christ  our  k  passover  is  1  sacrificed 
for  us  : 

8  Therefore  let  us  keep  m  the 
“feast,  not  with  old  leaven,  neither 
with  the  0  leaven  of  malice  and 
wickedness,  but  with  the  unleaven¬ 
ed  bread  of  sincerity  and  truth. 

9  I  wrote  unto  you  in  an  epistle 
pnot  to  company  with  fornicators  : 

10  Yet  not  altogether  with  the 
fornicators  of  this  world,  or  with 
the  covetous,  or  extortioners,  or 
with  idolaters  ;  for  then  must  ye 
needs  go  out  of  the  world. 

11  But  now  I  have  written  unto 
you  not  to  keep  company,  if  •>  any 
man  that  is  called  a  brother  be  a 
fornicator,  or  covetous,  or  an  idol¬ 
ater,  or  a  railer,  or  a  drunkard,  or 
an  extortioner ;  with  such  an  one 
no  not  to  eat. 

12  For  what  have  I  to  do  to 
judge  them  also  that  are  r  without  ? 
do  not  ye  judge  them  that  are  with¬ 
in  ? 

13  But  them  that  are  without 
God  judgeth.  Therefore  put  away 
•from  among  yourselves  that  wick¬ 
ed  person. 


i  Ja.  4:16. 

)  Lu.  13:21. 
k  U  53:7.  1  Pe. 

1:19.  lie. 5:6, 12. 
1  or,  slain. 


m  or,  holy  day. 
li  Ex.  13:6. 
o  Mat.  16:6,12. 
p  Ep.  5:11 
2  Th.  3:14. 


q  Ro.  16:17. 

2  J u.  1U. 
r  Ma.  4:11. 
s  Mat.  18:17. 


spiritual  and  eternal  good,  v.  5.  Yet  it  is 
not  merely  a  regard  to  their  benefit,  that  is 
to  be  had,  in  proceeding  against  them. 

4.  lie  hints  the  danger  of  contagion  from 
this  example,  v.  6.  The  bad  example  of  a 
man  in  rank  and  reputation  is  very  mischiev¬ 
ous  ;  spreads  the  contagion  far  and  wide. 
It  did  so,  probably,  in  this  very  church  and 
case  :  see  2  Cor.  12:21.  They  could  not 


be  ignorant  of  this.  The  experience  of  the 
whole  world  was  for  it.  Concern  for  their 
purity  and  preservation  should  engage  Chris¬ 
tian  churches  to  remove  gross  and  scandal¬ 
ous  sinners. 

V.  7,  8.  Here  the  apostle  exhorts  them  to 
purity,  by  purging  out  the  old  leaven.  In 
which  observe, 

1.  The  advice  itself;  addressed  either, 
(1.)  To  the  church  in  general:  and  so,  purg¬ 
ing  out  the  old  leaven,  that  they  might  be  a 
new  lump,  refers  to  the  putting  away  from 
themselves  that  wicked  person,  v.  13.  Or,  (2.) 
To  each  particular  member  of  the  church. 
And  so  it  implies,  that  they  should  purge 
themselves  from  all  impurity  of  heart  and 
life,  especially  from  this  kind  of  wicked¬ 
ness,  to  which  the  Corinthians  were  addict¬ 
ed  to  a  proverb.  Note,  Christians  should  be 
careful  to  keep  themselves  clean,  as  well  as 
purge  polluted  members  out  of  their  society. 
They  were  also  to  purge  themselves  from 
malice  and  wickedness  ;  all  ill-will  and  mis¬ 
chievous  subtlety.  It  is  not  improbable,  that 
this  was  intended  as  a  check  to  some  who 
gloried  in  the  scandalous  behavior  of  the 
offender,  both  out  of  pride  and  pique. 
Christians  should  be  particularly  careful  to 
keep  free  from  malice  and  mischief.  Love 
is  the  very  essence  and  life  of  the  Christian 
religion  ;  the  fairest  image  of  God,  for  God 
is  Love,  1  John  4:  16.  therefore  it  is  no 
wonder  if  it  be  the  greatest  beauty  and  or¬ 
nament  of  a  Christian.  But  malice  is  mur¬ 
der  in  its  principles,  1  John  3:  15.  and  par¬ 
takes  of  the  spirit  of  him  wdio  was  a  mur¬ 
derer  from  the  beginning ,  John  8:  44. 

2.  The  reason  with  which  this  advice  is 
enforced,  v.  7.  This  is  the  great  doctrine 
of  the  Gospel.  The  Jews,  after  they  had 
killed  the  passover,  kept  the  feast  of  un¬ 
leavened  bread.  So  must  we  ;  not  for  seven 
days  only,  but  all  our  days.  We  should  die 
with  our  Savior  to  sin  ;  be  planted  into  the 
likeness  of  his  death,  by  mortifying  sin  ;  and 
into  the  likeness  of  his  resurrection,  by  rising 
again  to  newness  of  life,  and  that  internal 
and  external.  We  must  have  new  hearts, 
and  lead  new  lives.  The  whole  life  of  a 
Christian  must  be  a  feast  of  unleavened 
bread.  His  common  conversation  and  his 
religious  performances  must  be  holy.  And 
the  more  there  is  of  sincerity  in  our  own 
profession,  the  less  shall  we  censure  that  of 


others.  Note,  on  the  whole,  The  sacrifice 
of  our  Redeemer  is  the  strongest  argument, 
with  a  gracious  heart,  for  purity  and  sincer¬ 
ity- 

V.  9 — 13.  He  advises  them  to  shun  the 
company  and  converse  of  scandalous  pro¬ 
fessors. 

1.  The  advice  itself,  v.  9.  Some  think 
this  was  an  epistle  written  to  them  before, 
which  is  lost;  and  some,  that  it  is  to  be  un¬ 
derstood  of  this  very  epistle,  that  he  had 
written  this  advice  before  he  had  full  infor¬ 
mation  of  their  whole  case,  but  thought  it 
needful  now  to  be  more  particular.  And 
therefore  on  this  occasion  he  tells  them, 
that  if  any  man,  called  a  brother,  any  one 
professing  Christianity,  and  being  a  mem¬ 
ber  of  a  Christian  church,  were  a  fornicator, 
or  covetous,  or  an  idolater,  or  a  railer,  that 
they  should  not  keep  company  with  him,  not 
so  much  as  eat  with  such  an  one,  that  they 
might  shame  him,  and  bring  him  to  repent¬ 
ance.  Note,  Christians  are  to  avoid  the 
familiar  conversation  of  fellow-Christians 
that  are  notoriously  wicked,  and  under  just 
censure  for  their  flagitious  practices.  Such 
disgrace  the  Christian  name. 

2.  He  limits  this  advice.  He  does  not 
forbid  Christians  the  like  commerce  with 
scandalously  wicked  heathens.  He  does  not 
forbid  them  eating  or  conversing  with  the 
fornicators  of  this  world,  &c.  They  know 
no  better.  They  profess  no  better.  The 
gods  they  serve,  and  the  worship  they  ren¬ 
der  to  many  of  them,  countenance  such 
wickedness.  ‘  You  must  needs  go  out  of 
the  world,  if  you  will  have  no  conversation 
with  such  men.  Christians  may  and  ought 
to  testify  more  respect  to  loose  worldlings 
than  to  loose  Christians.  This  seems  a  par¬ 
adox. 

3.  The  reason  is  here  assigned.  It  is 
impossible  the  one  should  be  avoided.  Chris¬ 
tians  must  have  gone  out  of  the  world,  to 
avoid  the  company  of  loose  heathens.  Be¬ 
sides,  while  they  are  minding  their  duty, 
and  doing  their  proper  business,  God  can 
and  will  preserve  them  from  contagion  ; 
they  carry  an  antidote  against  the  infection 
of  their  bad  example,  and  are  naturally  on 
the  guard.  But  the  dread  of  sin  wears  off 
by  familiar  converse  with  wicked  Christians. 
Our  own  safety  and  preservation  are  a  rea¬ 
son  of  this  difference.  And  then,  heathens 


TRACT.  OBS.  IIow  grievous  is  it,  that  those  crimes  should  some¬ 
times  be  notoriously  committed  by  professors  of  the  Gospel,  which  hea¬ 
thens  would  be  ashamed  of!  ‘  Woe  be  to  the  world  because  of  offences  !’ 
And  ‘  woe  be  to  them  by  whom  the  offences  come  !’  yea,  to  those  also  by 
whom  they  are  connived  at  !  Mat.  13:7-9.  When  a  man  has  wisdom,  zeal, 
and  love,  lie  can  have  but  one  judgment  in  cases  of  this  kind  ;  and  if  he 
possess  authority  or  influence,  he  will  use  it,  whether  present  or  absent, 
in  exciting  those  who  are  more  immediately  concerned,  to  prefer  the 
honor  of  the  Gospel  to  every  personal  or  party  interest ;  to  venture  all 
consequences  in  bearing  testimony  against  scandalous  crimes;  and  to 
separate  from  among  them  those  who  have  done  such  deeds. — It  is  in¬ 
deed  highly  desirable,  that  all  the  ministers  and  churches  of  Christ 
were  enabled  to  exercise  this  salutary  discipline,  in  the  name  and  by  the 

of  overmuch  sorrow  ;’  he  speaks  of  ‘  fnlse  apostles,  ministers  of  Satan, 
transformed  into  the  ministers  of  righteousness,’  in  a  manner  which 
wholly  subverts  this  supposition.  2  Cor.  2:5 — 11.  7:12.  11:13 — 15. — 
‘Lewdness  is  the  old  leaven  to  be  purged  out;  because  the  Corinthians 
were  infamous  for  it,  to  a  proverb.’  Whitby.  Scott. 

(6.)  ‘  Ye  have  no  cause  for  boasting,  while  such  foul  sins  are  commit¬ 
ted  among  you.’  lit.,  Bp.  Hall,  Ros.,  &c.  Ed. 

(7.)  Passover.]  ‘  Paschn  :  by  meton.  f.ir  the  paschal  lamb.  The  learn¬ 
ed,  able,  and  judicious  Abp.  Magee,  excellently  treats  this  passage,  in  his 
invaluable  work  on  the  atonement.  Ho  satisfactorily  proves,  (III.  No. 
35,)  that  the  passover  was  a  sacrifice,  as  possessing  all  its  essential  char¬ 
acteristics.’  Bloomf.  ‘  It  was  a  corban ,  or  offering,  brought  to  the  tab¬ 
ernacle,  or  temple. ,  He.  1G:2,  5,  6.  2  Chr.  3-5:5,  6.  10.11,2.  The  pas¬ 
chal  lamb  was  slain  in  the  temple;  its  blood  was  poured  out,  sprinkled, 
and  offered  at  the  altar  by  the  priests,  in  like  manner  as  the  blood  of 
the  victims  usually  slain  in  sacrifice,  as  appears  from  Ex.  23:18.  34:25. 
2  Chr.  30:15,  16.  35:11.  And  in  this  sprinkling  of  the  blood  consisted, 
as  we  are  told  by  the  Jewish  doctors,  the  very  essence  of  a  sacrifice.  See 
Cudworth’a  “True  Notion  of  the  Lonl’s  Supper.”  Ch.  11:3.  The  fat  and 
entrails  were  burnt  upon  the  altar,  as  may  be  collected  from  the  passa¬ 
ges  above  referred  to,  as  also  from  the  declaration  of  the  Jewish  doctors, 
the  descriptions  of  the  Paschal  Sacrifice  in  the  Misna  of  the  Talmud, 
and  the  testimony  of  the  Karaites,  who  are  known  to  reject  all  the  Tal- 
mudical  traditions,  not  founded  on  Scripture.’  Macee. 

(8.)  Feast.]  1  The  Gr.  heortazein,  properly,  to  celebrate  a  feast,  is 
applied  to  denote  worship  in  general;  and  because  the  celebration  of 
feasts  involves  the  idea  of  rejoicing,  the  word  also  signifies,  “  to  be  oc¬ 
cupied,  with  great  delight,  in  the  worship  of  God,  and  endeavor  after 
Jf.  T.  VOL.  V.  85 


authority  of  their  Lord  ;  and  to  deliver  over  into  the  visible  kingdom  of 
Satan,  all  who  evidently  disgrace  their  profession  ;  and  that  those,  who 
have  such  discipline  among  them,  should  uniformly  exercise  it  with  ex¬ 
act  impartiality,  not  respecting  persons,  and  with  due  solemnity  and 
tender  compassion  to  the  souls  of  offenders.  But  alas  !  it  hath  been  so 
generally  perverted  by  men’s  carnal  passions,  or  rendered  inefficient  by 
family  connexions,  secular  motives,  and  party  influence,  and  an  undue  re¬ 
gard  to  the  rich  above  the  poor  ;  that  a  more  complete  revival  of  pure  and 
spiritual  religion  seems  necessary,  before  it  can  produce  its  full  effect. 
Far  more,  however,  might  be  done  in  most  places  than  now  is  ;  if  fear 
of  man,  respect  of  persons,  and  carnal  policy,  did  not  deter  those  con¬ 
cerned,  from  decidedly  acting  according  to  their  judgment.  Scott. 


virtue  and  holiness  of  life  ;”  or  “  to  be  as  willingly  occupied  in  these,  as 
in  keeping  feasts  on  holy  days.”  ’  Loesner. 

Sincerity.]  ‘  Purity  that  will  bear  the  closest  examination,  like  that 
of  an  article  examined  by  the  full  light  of  the  sun.’  Bloomf. 

V.  9.  Epistle.]  Probably,  some  previous  epistle,  which  has  not  been 
preserved.  And  why  should  we  suppose,  that  all  his  letters,  any  moro 
than  all  his  sermons,  must  be  preserved  as  a  part  of  the  sacred  volume? 
John  21:24,  25.  Col.  4:15,  16.  Can  it  be  thought  probable,  on  reflection, 
that  this  zealous  apostle,  so  admirably  qualified  to  give  epistolary  in¬ 
struction,  who  lay  so  long  in  prison,  and  was,  in  various  ways,  so  much 
kept  at  a  distance  from  his  friends  and  children  [in  the  Lord],  should,  in 
his  whole  ministry,  write  no  more  letters,  than  are  now  extant  ?  Sc. 

(9.)  ‘  I  accede  to  the  minority,  (though  numerous,  viz.  the  Gr.  com¬ 

mentators,  most  Latin,  also  Glass,  Tirin,  Est.,  Vorst.,  Ham.,  Wolf,  most 
Dutch  divines,  Fabricius,  Gothofred,  Oleartus,  Lardner,  Pyle,  Hardy, 
Mackn.,  Bps.  Tomline  and  Middleton,  and  Mr.  Slade,)  that  tl  [tr.  a]  is 
for  tauts  [tftfs] ;  as  in  kindred  passages,  at  Rom.  16:2.  2  Thes.  3:4.  Col. 
4:66.  1  Thes.  5:27.  And  many  other  examples  of  this  idiom  are  adduc¬ 
ed  by  Glass  and  Mackn.  Egrapsa,  “  I  have  (already,  or  just)  written  to 
you,”  namely,  at  x's.  2  and  7  of  this  ch.  That  egrapsa  may  have  this 
signification,  none  can  doubt  who  know  the  force  of  the  Aorist ;  and  so 
it  occurs  in  9:15.  1  John  2:12,  14.’  Bl.,  whom  see.  ,  ’ 

V.  10.  This  world.]  ‘  A  periphrasis  of  Gentile  or  non-Christian  ;  jonn 
15:19.  17:14.’  How  forcible  the  argument  of  this  verse  against  monas- 

ticisin  !  See  Bloomf.  .  ,  ‘ _ 

V.  11.  ‘To  eat  at  the  same  table,  is  the  lowest  sort  of  connexion,  or 
intercourse.’  Grotius. 

V.  12.  Do  not  ye.]  ‘  Is  it  not  your  exclusive  concern  to.’  Bloomf. 


A.  D.  60. 


1  CORINTHIANS,  VI. 


The  spirit  of  litigation  reproved. 


CHAP.  VI. 

1  The  Corinthians  must  not  vex  their  brethren,  In  eoing  to 
law  with  them  :  6  especially  under  infideU.  9  The  un¬ 
righteous  shall  not  inherit  the  kingdom  of  God.  15  Our 
bodies  are  the  members  of  Christ,  19  and  temples  of  the 
Holy  Ghost.  16,  17  They  must  not  therefore  be  defiled. 

DARE  any  of  you,  having  a  mat¬ 
ter  against  another,  go  to  law 
before  the  unjust,  and  not  before 
the  saints  ? 

2  Do  ye  not  know  that  the  saints 
“shall  judge  the  world  ?  and  if  the 
world  shall  be  judged  by  you,  are 
ye  unworthy  to  judge  the  smallest 
matters  ? 

3  Know  ye  not  that  we  shall 
judge  angels  ?  how  much  more 
things  that  pertain  to  this  life  ? 

4  If  then  ye  have  judgments  of 
things  pertaining  to  this  life,  set 
them  to  judge  who  are  least  es¬ 
teemed  in  the  church. 

5  I  speak  to  your  shame.  Is  it 
so,  that  there  is  not  a  wise  man 
among  you  ?  no,  not  one  that  shall 
be  able  to  judge  between  his  breth¬ 
ren  ? 

6  But  brother  goeth  to  law  with 
brother,  and  that  before  the  unbe¬ 
lievers. 

7  Now  therefore  there  is  utterly 
a  fault  among  you,  because  ye  go 
to  law  one  with  another.  Why  do 
ye  not  rather  btake  wrong  ?  why  do 
ye  not  rather  suffer  yourselves  to  be 
c  defrauded  ? 

8  Nay,  ye  do  wrong,  and  defraud, 
and  that  your  brethren. 

a  Da.  7:22.  Mat.  b  Pr.  20:22.  Mat.  15. 

19:23.  Jude  14,  5:39,40.  Ro.12:  c  1  Th.  4:8. 

15.  Re.  20:4.  17,19.  1  Th.  5: 

were  such  as  Christians  had  nothing  to  do, 
to  judge  and  censure,  and  avoid  upon  a  cen¬ 
sure  past  ;  for  they  are  without,  v.  12.  and 
must  be  left  to  God’s  judgment,  v.  13.  But 
as  to  members  of  the  church,  they  are  with¬ 
in,  are  professedly  bound  by  the  laws  and 
fules  of  Christianity,  and  not  only  liable  to 
the  judgment  of  God,  but  to  the  censures 
of  those  who  are  set  over  them,  and  the 
fellow-inembers  of  the  same  body,  when  they 
transgress  those  rules.  Every  Christian  is 
bound  to  judge  them  unfit  for  communion 
and  familiar  converse.  They  are  to  be  pun¬ 
ished,  by  having  this  mark  of  disgrace  put 
on  them,  that  they  may  be  ashamed,  and, 
if  possible,  reclaimed  thereby  :  and  the 
more,  because  the  sins  of  such  much  more 
dishonor  God,  than  the  Bins  of  the  openly 
wicked  and  profane  can  do.  The  church 
therefore  is  obliged  to  clear  herself  from  all 
confederacy  with  them,  or  connivance  at 


them,  and  to  bear  testimony  against  their 
wicked  practices. 

4.  He  applies  the  argument  to  the  case 
before  him,  v.  13.  ‘  Cast  him  out  of  your 

fellowship,  and  avoid  his  conversation.’ 

Chap.  VI.  V.  1 — 8.  In  the  ch.  before, 
he  had  directed  them  to  punish  heinous  sins 
among  themselves,  by  church  -  censures. 
Here,  he  directs  them  to  determine  contro¬ 
versies  one  with  another  by  church-counsel 
and  advice.  Concerning  which,  observe, 

I.  The  fault  he  blames  ;  going  to  law. 
Not  but  that  the  law  is  good,  if  a  man  uses 
it  lawfully.  But,  1.  Brother  went  to  law 
with  brother,  v.  6.  one  member  of  the  church 
with  another.  The  bonds  of  fraternal  love 
were  broken  through.  Christians  should 
not  contend  with  one  another,  for  they  are 
brethren.  This,  duly  attended  to,  would 
prevent  lawsuits,  and  put  an  end  to  quar¬ 
rels  and  litigations.  2.  They  brought  the 
matter  before  the  heathen  magistrates,  v.  1. 
and  did  not  compose  it  among  themselves, 
Christians,  atid  saints,  at  least  in  profession. 
This  tended  much  to  the  reproach  of  Chris¬ 
tianity.  Therefore,  says  the  apostle,  ‘Dare 
any  of  you,  having  a  controversy  with  an¬ 
other,  go  to  law,  implead  him,  bring  the 
matter  to  a  hearing  before  the  unjust  V  3. 
Here  is  at  least  an  intimation  that  they  went 
to  law  for  trivial  matters  ;  things  of  little 
value.  For  the  apostle  blames  them,  that 
they  did  not  take  wrong  rather  than  go  to 
law,  v.  7.  which  must  be  understood  of  mat¬ 
ters  not  very  important.  In  matters  of  great 
damage  to  ourselves  or  families,  we  may  use 
lawful  means  to  right  ourselves;  but  in  mat¬ 
ters  of  small  consequence,  it  is  better  to  put 
up  with  the  wrong.  Christians  should  be  of 
a  forgiving  temper.  And  it  is  more  for  their 
ease  and  honor,  to  suffer  small  injuries  and 
inconveniences,  than  seem  to  be  contentious. 

II.  He  lays  before  them  the  aggravations 
of  their  fault,  v.  2,  3.  It  was  a  dishonor 
to  their  Christian  character,  a  forgetting  of 
their  real  dignity,  as  saints,  for  them  to  car¬ 
ry  little  matters,  about  the  things  of  life,  be¬ 
fore  heathen  magistrates.  When  they  were 
to  judge  the  world,  nay,  to  judge  angels,  it 
is  unaccountable  they  could  not  determine 
little  controversies  among  one  another.  By 
judging  the  world  and  angels,  some  think, 
is  to  be  understood,  their  being  assessors  to 
Christ  in  the  great  judgment-day  ;  it  being 
said  of  our  Savior’s  disciples,  that  they 
should  at  that  day  sit  on  twelve  thrones,  judg¬ 
ing  the  twelve  trtbes  of  Israel,  Mat.  19:28. 
And  elsewhere  we  read  of  our  Lord’s  com¬ 
ing  with  ten  thousand  of  his  saints,  to  execute 
judgment  on  all,  &c.  Jude  14,  15.  He  will 
come  to  judgment  with  all  his  saints,  1  Thes. 
3:  13.  They  themselves  are  indeed  to  be 
judged,  see  Mat.  25:  31 — 41.  but  they  may 
first  be  acquitted,  and  then  advanced  to  the 
bench,  to  approve  and  applaud  the  righte¬ 


ous  judgment  of  Christ  both  on  men  and 
angels.  In  no  other  sense  can  they  be  judg¬ 
es.  Others  understand  this  judging  of  the 
world  to  be  meant,  when  the  empire  should 
become  Christian.  But  it  does  not  appear 
that  the  Corinthians  had  knowledge  of 
this  ;  and  if  they  had,  in  what  sense  could 
Christian  emperors  be  sard  to  judge  angels  1 
Others  understand  it,  of  their  condemning 
the  world  by  their  faith  and  practice,  and 
casting  out  evil  angels  by  miraculous  power, 
which  was  not  confined  to  the  first  ages,  or 
to  the  apostles.  The  first  sense  seems  most 
natural  ;  and  at  the  same  time,  gives  most 
force  to  the  argument.  Must  you,  about  the 
affairs  of  this  life,  set  them  to  judge,  who  are 
of  no  esteem  in  the  church  ?  Some  read,  and 
perhaps  most  properly,  v.  4.  heathen  magis¬ 
trates,  the  things  that  are  not,  ch.  1:28. 

‘  Must  they  be  called  in  to  judge  in  your 
controversies,  of  whom  you  ought  to  enter¬ 
tain  so  low  an  opinion  1  is  not  this  shame¬ 
ful  !’  v.  5.  Some,  who  read  it  as  our  trans¬ 
lators,  make  it  an  ironical  speech  ;  ‘  If  you 
have  such  controversies  depending, set  them 
to  judge,  who  are  of  least  esteem  among 
yourselves.  Refer  the  matters  in  variance 
to  any,  rather  than  go  to  law  about  them  be¬ 
fore  heathen  judges.  Bear  and  forbear,  and 
the  men  of  meanest  skill  among  you  may 
end  your  quarrels.  I  speak  it  to  your  shame,’ 
v.  5.  It  is  a  shame,  that  little  quarrels 
should  grow  to  such  a  head  among  Chris¬ 
tians,  that  they  cannot  be  determined  by  ar¬ 
bitration  of  the  brethren. 

III.  He  puts  them  on  a  method  to  remedy 
this  fault.  And  this  twofold.  1.  By  refer¬ 
ring  it  to  some  to  make  it  up,u.  5.  Chris¬ 
tians  should  never  engage  in  lawsuits,  till 
all  other  remedies  are  tried  in  vain.  Pru¬ 
dent  Christians  should  prevent,  if  possible, 
their  disputes,  and  not  courts  of  judicature 
decide  them,  especially  in  matters  of  no  great 
importance.  2.  By  suffering  wrong,  rather 
than  taking  this  method  to  right  themselves  ; 
It  is  utterly  a  fault  among  you,  to  go  to  law 
in  this  matter  :  it  is  a  fault  of  one  side  al¬ 
ways,  to  go  to  law,  except  in  a  case  where 
the  title  is  indeed  dubious,  and  there  is  a 
friendly  agreement  of  both  parties  to  refer 
it  to  the  judgment  of  those  learned  in  the 
law,  to  decide  it.  And  this  is  referring  it, 
rather  than  contending  about  it,  which  is  the 
thing  the  apostle  here  seems  chiefly  to  con¬ 
demn.  A  Christian  should  rather  put  up 
with  a  little  injury,  than  tease  himself,  and 
provoke  others,  by  a  litigious  contest.  But 
the  apostle  tells  them,  they  were  so  far  from 
bearing  injuries,  that  they  actually  did  wrong, 
and  defrauded,  and  that  their  brethren.  It  is 
utterly  a  fault,  to  wrong  and  defraud  any  ; 
but  it  is  an  aggravation  of  this  fault,  to  de¬ 
fraud  our  Christian  brethren.  The  ties  of 
mutual  love  ought  to  be  stronger  between 
them  than  between  others.  And  love  work- 
eth  no  ill  to  his  neighbor,  Rom.  13:  10. 


NOTES.  Chap.  VI.  V.  1—6.  The  Jews  were  allowed  to  settle 
matters  of  property  among  themselves,  according  to  their  own  law  ;  and 
Christians  would  perhaps  have  been  permitted  to  exercise  the  same  kind 
of  authority  over  their  own  company;  yet  voluntary  reference  to  arbi¬ 
tration  seems  rather  to  be  intended.  Whitby  reads  the  clause  interro¬ 
gatively  ;  ‘  l)o  ye  set  them  to  judge,  who  are  despised  in  the  church  ?’ 
That  is,  the  heathen  magistrates.  But  did  the  church  avowedly  despise 
those  very  magistrates,  whom  the  apostles  commanded  them  to  honor 
and  obey  ?  Mr.  Locke  understands  it  of  private  persons  not  appointed 
to  the  magistracy  ;  yet  it  does  not  appear,  that  the  original  word  was 
ever  used  in  that  sense.  But  may  not  the  apostle  refer  to  the  vainglory 
and  self-wisdom  of  the  leading  persons  at  Corinth;  who  would,  by  ne¬ 
cessary  consequence,  despise  such  as  were  inferior  to  themselves,  in 
knowledge,  utterance,  and  spiritual  gifts,  in  proportion  as  they  exalted 
themselves  ?  Yet  the  meanest  real  and  experienced  Christians,  whom 
they  proudly  ‘  set  at  nought,’  were  competent  to  decide  such  causes,  as 
they  brought  before  the  heathen  magistrates;  nay,  far  more  competent 
than  their  despisers.  Scott. 

(1.)  Dare.]  ‘Can  any  one  bring  himself  to.  Unjust.]  I.  e.  unbeliev¬ 
ers,  as  opposed  to  the  saints.  So  the  best  comtrs.  (Thus  the  non- 
Christians  are  sometimes  included  under  the  term  hamartuloi.)  They 
were  generally  aiikoi,  unjust,  though  many  of  them  were  by  no  means 
such,  but  (especially  in  their  judicial  capacity)  of  approved  integrity. 
See  Mackn.  and  Bp.  Pearce.  It  is  too  hypothetical  to  assert  (as  Grot.), 
that  the  Romans  granted  to  the  Christians,  as  to  the  Jews,  to  hold  courts 
among  themselves.  Besides,  private  arbitrators  are  meant.’  Bl. 

(3.)  Judge  angels.]  ‘  The  Gr.  comtrs.  nud  fathers,  and  nearly  all 

[274] 


the  Latin,  also  Sender,  take  krinousin,  or  judge,  (as  often)  for  kata-kri- 
nousin,  condemn  ;  and  explain  :  “  will  afford  matter  for  their  condemna¬ 
tion  (namely,  by  the  comparison);”  “shall  be  the  means  of  increasing 
their  condemnation.”  Comp.  Mat.  12:41,  42,  29.’  Bee  also  Bl.  fur  three 
other  interpretations.  He  paraphrases,  ‘If  you  have  shown  such  judg¬ 
ment  as  to  appreciate  and  embrace  the  Christian  faith,  and  such  integ¬ 
rity  and  probity  as  it  enjoins,  and  thereby  will  put  to  shame,  and  con¬ 
demn  by  comparison,  those  of  greater  talents,  learning,  and  acquire¬ 
ments,  are  you  unfit  to  exercise  judicial  and  arbitrary  functions  on  petty 
matters  ?’  Ed. 

(4,  5.)  ‘  Even  the  least  esteemed,  &c.  i.  e.  if  ye  have  not  wise  and 

prudent  men,  I  make  the  supposition  to  shame  you,  or  if  they  lie  other¬ 
wise  occupied.  The  Jews  indeed  had  a  petty  court  of  3  referees,  not 
formally  appointed  by  the  Sanhedrim,  but  ns  private,  lay  arbitrators,  in 
property  cases  ;  and  to  this  Light/,  and  Locke  (but  it  seems  too  hypo¬ 
thetical)  think  there  is  allusion.’  Bl.  As  splitting  sects  trust  one  an¬ 
other  less  than  they  do  religionists  of  totally  opposite  sentiments,  mem¬ 
bers  of  this  divided  church  would  prefer  to  reler  quarrels  to  heathens, 
rather  than  trust  to  one  of  a  different  party  1  See  Storr  and  Ros.  In. 

V.  9—11.  note,  5:9—13.  The  apostle  here  plainly  declares  iiis 
doubts,  concerning  the  real  conversion  of  some  professed  Christians  at 
Corinth,  seeing  their  conduct  was  so  contrary  to  the  precepts  of  God’s 
Word.  The  arrangement  of  the  expressions  in  v.  11.  shows,  that 
no  argument  can  be  drawn  merely  from  that  circumstance,  in  respect 
of  controverted  points  of  doctrine.  ‘The  apostle  begins  with  those 
vices,  with  which  a  rich  and  luxurious  city  abounded,  seriottslv  warn¬ 
ing  them,  that  repentance  and  forgiveness,  justification  and  sanctifies- 


A.  D.  60. 


1  CORINTHIANS,  VI. 


9  Know  ye  not  that  the  unrighte¬ 
ous  shall  not  inherit  the  kingdom 
ot  God  ?  Be  not  deceived  ;  neith¬ 
er  d  fornicators,  nor  idolaters,  nor 
adulterers,  nor  effeminate,  nor 
abusers  of  themselves  with  man¬ 
kind, 

10  Nor  thieves,  nor  covetous, 
nor  drunkards,  nor  revilers,  nor 
extortioners,  shall  inherit  the  king¬ 
dom  of  God. 

1 1  And  such  '  were  some  of  you; 
but  ye  are  f  washed,  but  ye  are 
R  sanctified,  but  ye  are  h  justified  in 
the  name  of  the  Lord  Jesus,  and 
by  the  Spirit  of  our  God. 


12  All  things  are  lawful  unto  me, 
but  all  things  are  not  '  expedient  : 
all  things  are  lawful  for  me,  but  I 
will  not  be  brought  under  the  pow¬ 
er  1  of  any. 

13  Meats  k  for  the  belly,  and  the 
belly  for  meats  :  but  God  shall  de¬ 
stroy  both  it  and  them.  Now  the 
body  is  not  'for  fornication,  but  for 
the  ,n  Lord,  and  the  Lord  n  for  the 
body. 

14  And  0  God  hath  both  raised 
up  the  Lord,  and  will  also  raise  up 
us  by  his  own  power. 

15  Know  ye  not  that  your  bodies 
are  the  members  p  of  Christ  ?  shall 
I  then  take  the  members  of  Christ, 
and  make  them  the  members  of  an 
harlot  ?  God  forbid  ! 

16  What  !  know  ye  not  that  he 
which  is  joined  to  an  harlot  is  one 
body  ?  for  i  two,  saith  he,  shall  be 
one  flesh.* 


d  Ga.  519  —  21. 
Ep  5:4,5.  He. 
1*14,  IS. 

He.  ‘2*2:15. 
e  Ep.  2:1,2. 

Col.  3:7. 

3:3 — 6. 


13:4. 


5:8. 

Tit. 


f  He.  10:22. 
p  He.  2:11. 
h  Ro.  8:30. 
i  or, 

)  c  9:27. 
k  Mat.  15:17,20. 

Ro.  14:17. 


1  1  Th.  4:3,7. 
in  Ro.  1*2:1. 
u  Ep.  5:23. 
o  Ro.  6:5  8. 
p  Ep.  5:30. 
q  Ge.  2:24. 
Mat.  19.5. 


V.  9 — 11.  Here  he  takes  occasion  to 
warn  them  against  many  heinous  evils,  to 
which  they  had  been  formerly  addicted. 

1.  He  puts  it  to  them  as  a  plain  truth,  of 
which  they  could  not  be  ignorant,  that  such 
sinners  should  not  inherit  the  kingdom  of 
God,  v.  9.  shall  not  be  owned  as  true  mem¬ 
bers  of  bis  church  on  earth,  nor  admitted  as 
glorious  members  of  the  church  in  heaven. 
He  specifies  several  sorts  of  sins  against  the 
1st  and  2d  commandments,  as  idolaters; 
the  7th,  as  adulterers,  fornicators,  effeminate, 
and  sodomites  ;  the  8th,  as  thieves  and  extor¬ 
tioners,  that  by  force  or  fraud  wrong  their 
neighbors  ;  the  9th  as  revilers  ;  and  the  10th, 
as  covetous  and  drunkards,  as  those  who  are 
in  a  fair  way  to  break  all  the  rest.  Those 
who  know  anything  of  religion,  must  know 
that  heaven  could  never  be  intended  for 
these. 

2.  Yet  he  warns  them  against  deceiving 
themselves  ;  Be  not  deceived.  Those  who 
cannot  but  know  the  fore-menlioned  truth. 


are  hut  too  apt  not  to  attend  to  it.  Men  are 
very  much  inclined  to  flatter  themselves, 
that  God  is  such  an  one  as  themselves;  and 
that  they  may  live  in  sin,  and  yet  die  in 
Christ  ;  may  lead  the  life  of  the  devil’s 
children,  and  yet  go  to  heaven  with  the  chil¬ 
dren  of  God.  But  this  is  all  a  gross  cheat. 

3.  He  puts  them  in  mind  what  a  change 
the  Gospel  and  grace  of  God  had  made  in 
them,  v.  11.  Such  were  some  of  you, — such 
things,  so  the  Greek  ;  very  monsters  rather 
than  men.  Some  that  are  eminently  goodafter 
their  conversion,  have  been  as  remarkably 
wicked  before.  But  j'ou  are  not  what  you 
were.  1  e  are  washed,  ye  are  sanctified,  ye  are 
justified,  in  the  name  of  Christ, and  by  the  Spirit 
of  our  God.  The  wickedness  of  men  before 
conversion  is  no  bar  to  their  regeneration, 
and  reconciliation  to  God.  The  blood  of 
Christ,  and  the  washing  of  regeneration,  can 
purge  away  all  guilt  and  defilement.  Our 
justification  is  owing  to  the  merit  of  Christ  ; 
our  sanctification,  to  the  operation  of  the 
Spirit  :  but  both  go  together.  None  are 
cleansed  from  the  guilt  of  sin,  and  recon¬ 
ciled  to  God  through  Christ,  but  those  who 
are  also  sanctified  by  his  Spirit.  All  who 
are  made  righteous  in  the  sight  of  God,  are 
made  holy  by  the  grace  of  God. 

V.  12 — 20.  The  12th  and  former  part  of 
the  13th  v.  seem  to  relate  to  that  early  dis¬ 
pute  among  Christians,  about  the  distinction 
of  meats,  and  yet  to  be  prefatory  to  the 
caution  that  follows  against  fornication.  The 
connexion  seems  plain  enough,  if  we  attend 
to  the  famous  determination  of  the  apostles. 
Acts  15.  where  the  prohibition  of  certain 
foods  was  joined  with  that  of  fornication. 
Now  some  among  the  Corinthians  seem  to 
have  imagined,  that  they  were  as  much  at 
liberty  in  the  point  of  fornication  as  of  meats, 
especially  because  it  was  not  a  sin  condemn¬ 
ed  by  the  laws  of  their  country.  They  were 
ready  to  say,  even  in  the  case  of  fornication. 
All  things  are  lawful  for  me.  This  perni¬ 
cious  conceit  Paul  here  sets  himself  to  op¬ 
pose  :  and  Christians  should  consider  what 
was  fit,  considering  their  profession,  charac¬ 
ter,  relations,  and  hopes.  All  things  are  law¬ 
ful  for  me,  says  he,  but  I  will  not  be  brought 
into  the  power  of  any,  v.  12.  Even  in  law¬ 
ful  things  he  would  not  be  subject  to  the  im¬ 
positions  of  an  usurped  authority  :  so  far 
was  he  from  apprehending,  that,  in  the  things 
of  God,  it  was  lawful  for  any  power  on  earth 
to  impose  its  own  sentiments.  Note,  There 
is  a  liberty  wherewith  Christ  lias  made  us 
free,  in  which  we  must  stand  fast.  But 
surely  he  would  never  carry  this  liberty  so 
far,  as  to  put  himself  into  the  power  of  any 
bodily  appetite.  Though  all  meats  were  sup¬ 
posed  lawful,  he  would  not  become  a  glut¬ 
ton  or  a  drunkard  ;  much  less  would  he 
abuse  the  maxim  of  lawful  liberty,  to  coun¬ 
tenance  the  sin  of  fornication,  which,  though 
it  might  be  allowed  by  the  Corinthian  laws, 
was  a  trespass  on  the  law  of  nature,  and  ut¬ 
terly  unbecoming  a  Christian,  lie  would 
not  abuse  this  maxim  about  eating  and 
drinking,  to  encourage  any  intemperance, 
or  indulge  a  carnal  appetite,  v.  13.  though 
the  belly  was  made  to  receive  food,  and  food 
ordained  to  fill  the  belly,  yet,  if  it  be  not 
convenient  for  ine,  and  much  more  if  it  lie 


Mstinence  from  fornication  urged, 

inconvenient,  and  likely  to  enslave  me,  if  I 
am  in  any  danger  of  being  subjected  to  my 
appetite,  I  will  abstain.  But  God  shall  de¬ 
stroy  both  it  and  them  ;  at  least,  as  to  their 
mutual  relation  ;  a  time  is  coming,  when 
the  human  body  will  need  no  farther  recruits 
of  food.  Some  of  the  ancients  understand 
it,  of  abolishing  the  belly  as  well  as  the  food ; 
and  that  though  the  same  body  will  be  raised 
at  the  great  day,  yet  not  with  all  the  same 
members  ;  some  being  utterly  unnecessary 
in  a  future  state,  as  the  digestive  organs  for 
instance,  when  the  man  is  never  to  hunger, 
nor  thirst,  nor  eat,  nor  drink  more.  But 
whether  this  he  true  or  no,  a  time  is  coining, 
when  the  need  and  use  of  food  shall  he 
abolished.  The  expectation  we  have  of 
being  without  bodily  appetites  in  a  future 
life,  is  a  very  good  argument  against  being 
under  their  power  in  the  present  life.  This 
seems  to  me  the  sense  of  the  apostle’s  argu¬ 
ment  ;  and  that  this  passage  is  plainly  to  be 
connected  with  his  caution  against  forni¬ 
cation,  though  some  make  it  a  part  of  the 
former  argument  against  litigious  lawsuits, 
especially  before  heathen  magistrates,  and 
the  enemies  to  true  religion.  These  sup¬ 
pose,  that  the  apostle  argues,  that  though  it 
may  be  lawful  to  claim  our  rights,  yet  it  is 
not  always  expedient  ;  and  it  is  utterly  un¬ 
fit  for  Christians  to  put  themselves  into  the 
power  of  infidel  judges,  lawyers,  and  solici¬ 
tors,  on  these  accounts.  But  this  connex¬ 
ion  seems  not  so  natural,  as  the  transition 
to  his  arguments  against  fornication,  v.  13. 
Meats  and  the  belly  are  for  one  another  : 
not  so,  fornication  and  the  body.  The  body 
is  not  for  fornication,  but  for  the  Lord. 

This  is  the  First  argument  he  uses  against 
this  sin  ;  it  is  making  things  to  cross  their 
intention  and  use.  The  body  is  not  for  for¬ 
nication  ;  it  was  never  formed  for  any  such 
purpose,  but  for  the  Lord,  for  the  service  and 
honor  of  God  ;  to  be  an  instrument  of  right¬ 
eousness  to  holiness,  Rom.  6:19.  and  there¬ 
fore  never  of  uncleanness  ;  a  member  of 
Christ,  and  therefore  not  of  a  harlot,  v.  15. 
And  the  Lord  is  for  the  body,  i.e.  as  some, 
Christ  is  to  be  Lord  of  the  body,  to  have 
the  property  in  it,  and  dominion  over  it, 
having  assumed  a  body,  and  been  made  to 
partake  of  our  nature,  that  He  might  be 
Head  of  his  church,  and  Head  over  all 
things,  Heb.  2:  5, 18.  or,  as  some,  thus.  He 
is  for  its  resurrection  and  glorification,  ac¬ 
cording  to  what  follows,  v.  14.  Which  is  a 

Second  argument  against  this  sin,  the  hon¬ 
or  intended  to  be  put  on  our  bodies,  v.  14. 
Phil.  3:21.  It  is  an  honor  done  to  the  body, 
that  Jesus  Christ  was  raised  from  the  dead  ; 
and  it  will  be  an  honor  to  our  bodies,  that 
they  will  be  raised.  Let  us  not  make  those 
bodies  vile  by  sin,  which,  if  kept  pure, 
shall,  notwithstanding  their  present  vileness, 
be  made  like  to  Christ’s  glorious  body.  The 
hopes  of  a  resurrection  to  glory,  should 
restrain  Christians  from  dishonoring  their 
bodies  by  fleshly  lusts. 

A  Third  argument  is  the  honor  already 
put  on  them,  v.  15.  If  the  soul  be  united 
to  Christ  by  faith,  the  whole  man  is  become 
a  member  of  his  mystical  body,  the  body  as 
well  as  the  soul.  How  honorable  is  this  to 
the  Christian  !  It  is  good  to  know  in  what 


lion,  are  joined  Ijv  an  indissoluble  bond.1  Beza. — (9,  11) — Inherit,  &c.] 
‘  The  kingdom  of  God,’  or  ‘of  heaven,’  is  ‘entered  into,’  when  we  truly 
believe.  Mat.  3:2.  John  3:3 — 5.  i.  e  the  kingdom  of  grace  in  this  life; 
and  all  the  true  subjects  of  this  kingdom,  will  inherit  ‘  the  kingdom  of 
glory’  in  another  world,  and  they  alone.  Scott. 

(7.)  ‘  There  is  U|>on  the  whole,  though  there  may  be  exceptions,  a  di¬ 
minution,  detect,  [littleness  ?]  <tc.’  Grot,  thinks  the  Gr..  tr.  take  wrong, 
relates  to  general  and  personal  insult  and  injury  ;  and  the  other  word  to 
injury  in  property.’  Bloomf. 

(9.)  ‘Simple  fornication  was  by  the  heathens  scarcely  accounted  a 
sin,  and  as  to  participation  in  idol  feasts  (here  meant  by  idolatry)  some 
might  and  did  think  it  no  sin;  therefore  Paul  begins,  Be  not  deceived. 
Effeminate .]  Catamites,  also  called  by  the  Latins  molles.  The  Syr.  and 
some  moderns,  improperly,  understand  self-pollution.’  Id. 

(10.)  ‘  Drunkards,  brawlers,  blackguards,  and  ruffians.’  Id. 

V.  12 — 17.  It  is  surprising,  that  expositors  should  so  generally  speak 
of  judaizing  teachers,  as  the  authors  of  the  divisions  at  Corinth  :  when 


their  philosophizing  disposition,  and  their  erroneous  notions  of  Christian 
liberty,  plainly  show  them  to  have  been  speculating,  Gentile  converts, 
who  rail  into  the  opposite  extreme,  and  introduced  a  specious  system  of 
antinomianism.  A  Christian  should  habituate  all  his  natural  inclina¬ 
tions  to  subjection  ;  and  not  allow  them,  by  unrestricted  indulgence,  even 
in  lawful  tilings,  to  obtain  such  a  power  over  him,  that  he  cannot  refrain 
when  it  is  requisite  he  should.  9:24 — 27.  (12)  Not  expedient.]  ‘  Not  profit¬ 
able.’  ‘  The  word  importeth  such  a  kind  of  profit,  as  redoundeth  to  com¬ 
munity  ; — as  when  a  great  many  bring  every  one  his  stock,  and  lay  them 
together,  and  make  a  common  bank  for  all  Collatilium.  Leigh.'  h>c. 

(12.)  Brought  under .]  ‘Referring  specially  to  sensuality  in  eating 
and  drinking,  by  which  he,  who  yields  to  such  temptations,  loses  that 
power  over  himself  which  was  committed  to  him  by  God,  and  becomes 
the  basest  of  slaves.  [Comp,  at  end  of  Rom.  7.]’  Bloomf. 

(13.)  God  is  for  the  body.]  Having  constituted  it  with  exquisite 
contrivances  for  pleasure,  and  to  assist  us  in  the  pursutt  ot  happiness, 
through  obedience  to  his  natural  laws.  This  is  one  apposite  sense.  Ld. 

Li75J 


A.  D.  60. 


1  CORINTHIANS,  VII.  God  io  be  glorified,  with  body  and  spirit. 


17  But  he  that  is  joined  unto  the 
Lord  is  one  r spirit. 

18  Flee  *  fornication.  Every  sin 
that  a  man  doeth  is  without  the 
body  ;  but  he  that  committeth  for¬ 
nication  sinneth  against  his  own 
body. 

19  What  !  know  ye  not  that 
your  1  body  is  the  temple  of  the 
Holy  Ghost  which  is  in  you,  which 
ye  have  of  God,  and  ye  are  not 
0  your  own  ? 

20  For  ye  are  bought  vwith  a 
price  :  therefore  glorify  w  God  in 
your  body,  and  in  your  spirit,  which 
are  God’s. 

CHAP.  VII. 

2  He  treateth  of  marriage,  4  shewing  it  to  be  a  remerly 
against  fornication  :  10  and  that  the  bond  thereof  ought 
not  lightly  to  be  dissolved.  18,  20  Every  man  must  be 
content  with  his  vocation.  25  Virginity  wherefore  to  be 
embraced.  35  And  for  what  respects  we  may  either 
marry,  or  absiain  from  marrying. 

NO  W  concerning  the  things 
whereof  ye  wrote  unto  me  : 
It  is  good  for  a  man  not  to  touch  a 
woman. 

r  Jn.  17:21 — 23.  7:24 — 27.  y  Ac.  20:28.  1  Pe. 

Kp.  4:4.  t  2  Co.  6:16.  1:18,19.  Re. 5:9. 

b  Pr.  6:25—32.  u  Ro.  14:7,8.  w  1  Pe.  2:9. 


honorable  relations  we  stand,  that  we  may 
endeavor  to  become  them.  But  now,  says 
the  apostle,  shall  I  take  the  members  of  Christ, 
and  make  them  the  members  of  a  harlot  ? 
God  forbid  Or  take  away  the  members  of 
Christ  1  Were  not  this  a  gross  abuse,  and 
the  most  notorious  injury  1  Is  it  not  dishon¬ 
oring  Christ,  and  dishonoring  ourselves,  to 
the  very  last  degree  1  The  thought  is  to  be 
abhorred.  God  forbid,  v.  16,  17.  Nothing 
can  stand  in  greater  opposition  to  the  hon¬ 
orable  relations  and  alliances  of  a  Christian 
man,  than  this  sin.  He  is  joined  to  the  Lord 
in  union  with  Christ,  and  made  partaker  by 
faith  of  bis  Spirit.  One  spirit  lives,  and 
breathes,  and  moves, in  the  head  and  members. 
Christ  and  his  faithful  disciples  are  one,  Jn. 
17:21,  22.  But  he  that  is  joined  to  a  harlot  is 
one  body ,  for  two  shall  be  one  flesh,  by  carnal 
conjunction,  which  was  ordained  of  God 
only  to  be  in  a  married  state.  Now  shall 


one  in  so  close  a  union  with  Christ  as  to  be 
one  spirit  with  Him,  yet  be  so  united  to  a 
harlot  as  to  become  one  flesh  with  her  1 
And  can  a  greater  indignity  be  offered  to 
Him  or  ourselves  1  The  sin  of  fornication 
is  a  great  injury  in  a  Christian  to  his  Head 
and  Lord,  and  a  great  reproach  and  blot  on 
his  profession.  No  wonder  the  apostle  should 
say,  ‘  Flee  fornication,  v.  18.  avoid  it,  keep 
out  of  t he  reach  of  temptations  to  it,  of  pro¬ 
voking  objects.  Direct  the  eyes  and  mind 
to  other  tilings  and  thoughts.’  Other  vices 
may  be  conquered  in  fight,  this  only  by  flight  : 
so  speak  many  of  the  fathers. 

A  Fourth  argument  is,  that  it  is  a  sin 
against  our  own  bodies,  v.  18.  every  sin, 
i.  e.  every  other  sin,  every  external  act  of 
sin  besides,  is  without  the  body.  It  is  not 
so  much  an  abuse  of  the  body  as  of  some¬ 
what  else,  as  wine  by  tile  drunkard,  food  by 
the  glutton,  &c.  Nor  does  it  give  the  power 
of  the  body  to  another  person.  Nor  does  it  so 
much  tend  to  the  reproach  of  the  body ,  and  to 
render  it  vile.  This  sin  is  in  a  peculiar  man¬ 
ner  styled  uncleanness,  pollution ;  because  no 
sin  lias  so  much  external  turpitude  in  it,  es¬ 
pecially  in  a  Christian.  He  sins  against  his 
own  body;  he  defiles  it,  he  degrades  it, mak¬ 
ing  it  one  with  the  body  of  that  vile  creature 
with  whom  he  sins.  He  casts  vile  reproach 
on  what  his  Redeemer  has  dignified  to  the 
last  degree,  by  taking  it  into  union  with 
Himself.  We  should  not  make  our  present 
vile  bodies  more  vile,  by  sinning  against 
them.  The 

Fifth  argument  against  this  sin,  is,  that 
the  bodies  of  Christians  are  the  temples  of 
the  Holy  Ghost  which  is  in  them,  and  which 
they  have  of  God,  v.  19.  He  that  is  joined 
to  Christ,  is  one  Spirit.  He  is  yielded  up 
to  Him,  is  consecrated  thereby,  and  set 
apart  for  bis  use,  and  is  hereupon  possessed, 
and  occupied,  and  inhabited,  by  his  Holy 
Spirit.  This  is  the  proper  notion  of  a  tem¬ 
ple, — a  place  where  God  dwells,  and  sacred 
to  his  use,  by  his  own  claim,  and  his  crea¬ 
ture’s  surrender.  Such  temples  real  Chris¬ 
tians  are  of  the  Holy  Ghost.  Must  He  not 
therefore  be  God  1  But  the  inference  is 
plain,  that  hence  we  are  not  our  own.  We 
are  yielded  up  to  God,  and  possessed  by  and 
for  God  ;  nay,  and  this  in  virtue  of  a  pur¬ 
chase  made  of  U3  ;  Ye  are  bought  with  a 
price.  In  short,  our  bodies  were  made  for 


God,  they  were  purchased  for  Him.  If  we 
are  Christians  indeed,  they  are  yielded  to 
Him,  and  He  inhabits  and  occupies  them  by 
his  Spirit  :  so  that  our  bodies  are  not  our 
own,  but  his.  And  shall  we  desecrate  his 
temple,  defile  it,  prostitute  it,  and  offer  it 
up  to  the  use  and  service  of  a  harlot  1  Hor¬ 
rid  sacrilege  !  This  is  robbing  God  in  the 
worst  sense.  Note,  The  temple  of  the  Holy 
Ghost  must  be  kept  holy.  Our  bodies  must 
be  kept  as  his  whose  they  are,  and  fit  for 
his  use  and  residence. 

Lastly,  The  apostle  argues  from  the  obliga¬ 
tion  we  are  under  to  glorify  God  both  with  our 
;  body  and  spirit,  whick  are  his,  v.  20.  He  made 
both,  bought  both,  therefore  both  belong  to 
Him,  and  should  be  used  and  employed  for 
Him  ;  therefore  should  not  be  defiled, 

:  alienated  from  Him,  and  prostituted  by  us. 
No,  they  must  be  kept  as  vessels  fitted  for  our 
Master's  use.  We  must  look  upon  our  whole 
selves  as  holy  to  the  Lord,  and  must  use  our 
bodies  as  property  which  belongs  to  Him, 
and  is  sacred  to  his  use  and  service.  We 
are  to  honor  Him  with  our  bodies  and  spirits, 
which  are  his  ;  and  therefore,  surely,  must 
abstain  from  fornication  ;  and  not  only  from 
the  outward  act,  but  from  the  adultery  of  the 
heart,  as  our  Lord  calls  it.  Mat.  5:  28.  Body 
and  spirit  are  to  be  kept  clean,  that  God 
may  be  honored  by  both.  But  God  is  dis¬ 
honored,  when  either  is  defiled  by  so  beastly 
a  sin.  Therefore  flee  fornication,  nay,  and 
every  sin.  Use  your  bodies  for  the  glory 
and  service  of  their  Lord  and  Master. 
Note,  We  are  not  proprietors  of  ourselves, 
nor  have  power  over  ourselves,  and  there¬ 
fore  should  not  use  ourselves  according  to 
our  own  pleasure,  but  according  to  bis  will, 
and  for  his  glory,  whose  wt  are,  and  whom 
toe  should  serve,  Acts  27:  23. 

Chap.  VII.  V.  1 — 9.  The  apostle  comes 
now,  as  a  faithful  and  skilful  casuist,  to  an¬ 
swer  some  cases  of  conscience  which  the 
Corinthians  had  proposed  to  him,  v.  1.  In  the 
former  ch.  he  warns  them  to  avoid  fornica¬ 
tion  ;  here  he  gives  some  directions  about 
marriage, the  remedyGod  had  appointed  for  it. 

I.  It  was  good  in  that  juncture  of  time, 
at  least,  to  abstain  from  marriage  altogether, 
v.  1.  by  good,  here,  not  understanding  what 
is  so  conformable  to  the  mind  and  will  of 
God,  as  if  to  do  otherwise  were  sin  ;  an 


PRACT.  OBS.  The  high  privileges  and  glorious  prospects  of  believ¬ 
ers  should  suggest  arguments  to  them  ngainst  sin,  and  for  the  practice  of 
every  duty  ;  that  so,  a  jusk  sense  of  the  dignity  gratuitously  bestowed  on 
them,  so  worthless  in  themselves,  may  render  them  superior  to  the  de¬ 
basing  allurements  of  vice,  and  the  love  of  worldly  vanities.— It  must  be 
a  shame  to  any  religious  company,  if  there  is  no  man  among  them  so 
wise  and  faithful,  that  his  brethren  dare  trust  him  to  determine  their  se¬ 
cular  differences.  Much  deliberation,  counsel,  prayer,  and  endeavor  for 
accommodation  should  precede,  before  a  man  ‘  dare’  to  enter  on  so  peril¬ 
ous  and  disgraceful  a  business  [as  a  lawsuit].  But  alas  !  many,  who  are 
zealous  for  evangelical  doctrines,  not  only  refuse  to  bear  and  forgive  in¬ 
juries,  but  they  1  do  wrong,  and  defraud,  and  that  their  brethren  !’  Wheth¬ 
er  such  men  act  in  direct  opposition  to  their  consciences,  or  are  misled 
by  false  principles,  they  should  he  reminded,  that  1  the  unrighteous  shall 
not  inherit  the  kingdom  of  God;’  for  no  one,  continuing  an  adulterer,  a 

(17.)  ‘There  is  a  beauty  and  propriety  in  this  elegantly  antithetical 
passage,  not  inferior  to  the  finest  examples  of  it  to  be  lbunil  in  the  best 
Gr.  writers;’  so  the  scholarly  Bloomfield.  Ed. 

'  •  — 20.  As  fornication  was  so  inconsistent  with  Christian  holi¬ 

ness;  and  as  the  temptation  of  the  Corinthians  to  it,  from  former  bad 
habits,  the  example  of  their  neighbors,  and  abundant  opportunities, 
would  be  very  many,  they  ought  to  ‘flee  from  it,’  as  from  an  enemy 
xvhom  they  dared  not  to  face ;  they  should  shun  all  incentives  to  it,  and 
reject  every  thought  of  it,  or  solicitation  to  it,  at  once,  and  with  prompt 
decision.  1  Tim.  6:11,12.  2  Tim.  2:20— 22.— For  it  might  further  be  ob¬ 
served,  that  oilier  sins  in  general  have  their  chief  effect  on  the  mind, 
rather  than  on  the  body,  and  commonly  injure  others  more  immediately 
than  tiie  man  himself ;  but  lewd  persons  not  only  sin  against  God,  their 
neighbors,  and  their  own  souls,  but  against  their  own  bodies  also ;  dis¬ 
honoring  and  abusing  them  to  the  basest  purposes,  and  bringing  on  them 
the  most  painful,  loathsome,  and  destructive  diseases.  Thus  they,  as  it 
were,  take  their  bodies,  and,  by  an  act  of  cruelty  to  themselves,  and 
gradual  suicide,  present  them  for  sacrifices  to  the  filthiest  demons  The 
case  is  the  same,  in  some  degree,  in  other  kinds  of  sensual  excess ;  but 
far  more  in  respect  of  this  vice  than  any  other  ;  as  every  one  must 
know,  who  is  acquainted  with  the  horrible  effects  of  lewdness  in  popu¬ 
lous  cities  ;  and  with  the  very  great  multitudes  who  are  annually  cut  off, 
in  early  life,  and  in  the  most  deplorable  manner  imaginable,  by  the  vari-’ 
ous  diseases,  with  which  it  has  pleased  God  to  show  his  abhorrence  of 
it.  CP.  O.  Prov.  2.10—22.  b  1—14.  6:16— 35.)— The  language  of  this 

[276] 


fornicator,  or  licentious,  a  dishonest,  covetous,  fraudulent,  drunken,  or 
malicious  man,  can  have  either  title  to  the  holy  habitation  of  God  and 
his  saints,  or  meetness  for  it.  Satan  takes  advantage  of  men’s  igno¬ 
rance,  pride,  and  lusts,  to  drive  them  from  one  extreme  to  another. 
Thus,  when  they  are  led  to  renounce  superstitious  scruples,  they  run 
into  inexpedient  or  even  unlawful  indulgences.  But  ‘the  wisdom  from 
above,’  teaches  a  man  to  guard  against  mistakes  on  each  side ;  to  abstain 
from  ‘lawful’  things  when  ‘inexpedient,’  when  unprofitable  or  injuri-. 
ous  to  himself  or  others;  and  to  exert  an  authority  over  his  own  incli¬ 
nations,  that  he  may  not  be  ‘  brought  under  the  power  of  any  ’  of  them. 
This  is  n  difficult  lesson,  but  of  the  highest  importance  ;  and  if  vve  consid¬ 
er,  how  soon  all  animal  pleasures,  and  our  present  life,  will  terminate, 
the  reflection  may  teach  us  moderation  in  the  most  innocent  gratifica¬ 
tions,  and  arm  us  against  temptations  to  such  as  are  unlawful,  or  unsea¬ 
sonable,  or  immoderate.  Scott. 


ch.  is  remarkable  :  ‘  God,’  the-  Father,  will  1  raise  the  bodies  of  believers 
by  his  own  power.'  14.  Jn.  5:24 — 29.  Phil.  3:20,21.  Their  bodies 
are  members  of  Christ,  and  for  Him,  as  He  for  them  ;  his  property,  to  be 
devoted  to  Him,  having  been  ‘  bought  with  the  price  ’  of  his'blood.  And 
they  are  also  ‘  the  temples  of  the  Holy  Ghost,’  and  thus  his  property,  so 
that  they  are  not  their  own,  but  God’s,  to  glorify  Him.  [Note,  end  of 
Mai.]  Hoes  not  all  this  demonstrate,  that  Paul  considered  the  God,  to 
whom  Christians  especially  belonged,  as  subsisting  in  three  divine  per¬ 
sons,  the  Father,  the  Son,  and  the  Iloiy  Ghost,  to  each  of  whom  he 
shows  their  peculiar  relation  ?  This  accords  with  the  form  of  baptism 
and  benediction.  Mat.  28:19,20.  2  Cor.  13:14. — 1  The  question,  “Know 
ye  not  this  ?”  is  repeated  six  limes  in  this  one  ch. ;  which  may  seem  to 
carry  with  it  a  just  reproach  to  the  Corinthians,  who  had  got  a  new  and 
better  instructer  than  himself,  in  whom  they  so  much  gloried.’  Locke. 
[ Macknixbt  dwells  at  large  on  this  idea.]  Scott. 

(18.)  Every,  hyperbolical,  for  most,  ns  all  is  oflen  put  for  manv ;  or 
rather,  fornication,  beyond  all  others ,  sinneth  against,  injureth  the  body  ; 
and  what  more  true  !  Alas  1  that  this  sin  should  have  got  to  such  a 
height  in  the  world  as  it  has.  See  Dr.  Gall,  and  late  ‘  Reports.’  En. 

NOTES.  Chap.  VII.  V.  1 — 5.  It  is  evident,  that  those  who  retained 
their  regard  to  the  apostle’s  authority  at  Corinth,  had  written  to  him, 
desiring  his  decision  of  several  questions,  which  had  been  started  among 
them  ;  and  he  here  proceeded  to  answer  their  inquiries,  especially  re" 
specting  marriage.  While  some  of  them  pleaded  for  the  lawfulness  of 
fornication,  others  seem  to  have  imbibed  the  sentiments  of  the  l’ytha- 


A.  D.  60. 


1  CORINTHIANS,  VII.  Remedy  against  fornication. 


2  Nevertheless,  to  avoid  fornica¬ 
tion,  let  every  man  have  his  own 
wife,  and  let  every  woman  have 
her  own  husband. 

3  Let  the  “husband  render  unto 
the  wife  due  benevolence  :  and 
likewise  also  the  wife  unto  the 
husband. 

4  The  wife  hath  not  power  of 
her  own  body,  but  the  husband  : 
and  likewise  also  the  husband  hath 
not  power  of  his  own  body,  but  the 
wife. 

5  Defraud  ye  not  one  the  other, 
except  it  be  b  with  consent  for  a 
time,  that  ye  may  give  yourselves 
to  fasting  and  prayer  ;  and  come 
together  again,  that  c  Satan  tempt 
you  not  for  your  incontinency. 

G  But  I  speak  this  by  permission, 
and  not  of  commandment. 

7  For  I  would  that  all  men  were 
eveu  as  I  myself.  But  d  every  man 
hath  his  proper  gift  of  God,  one 
after  this  manner,  and  another  after 
that. 

8  I  say  therefore  to  the  unmar¬ 
ried  and  widows,  It  is  good  for 
them  if  they  abide  even  as  I. 

9  But  if  they  cannot  contain,  let 
'them  marry  :  for  it  is  better  to 
marry  than  to  burn. 

»  Ex.  21:10.  b  Joel  2:16.  d  Mot.  19:11,12. 

1  Pe.3:7.  c  1  Tb.  3:5.  e  1  Ti.  5:14. 


extreme  into  which  many  of  the  ancients 
run,  in  favor  of  celibacy  and  virginity  ;  but 
good,  i.  e.  ei tlier,  abstracting  from  circum¬ 
stances,  there  are  many  things  in  which  the 
state  of  celibacy  has  the  advantage  above 


the  marriage-state  ;  or  else  at  this  juncture, 
by  reason  of  the  distresses  of  the  Christian 
church,  it  would  be  a  convenience  for  Chris¬ 
tians  to  keep  themselves  single,  provided 
they  have  the  gift  of  continency,  and  can 
keep  themselves  chaste.  The  expression 
also  may  carry  in  it  an  intimation,  that 
Christians  must  avoid  all  occasions  of  this 
sin,  and  flee  all  fleshly  lusts,  and  incentives 
to  them  ;  must  neither  look  on,  nor  touch, 
a  woman,  so  as  to  provoke  lustful  inclina¬ 
tions.  Yet, 

II.  He  informs  them  that  marriage,  and 
the  comforts  and  satisfactions  of  that  state, 
are  by  divine  wisdom  prescribed  for  pre¬ 
venting,  v.  2  .fornications,  all  sorts  of  lawless 
lust.  To  avoid  these.  Lit  every  man,  says 
he,  and  every  woman  marry,  and  confine 
themselves  to  their  own  mates.  And  when 
married,  let  each  render -the  other  due  benev¬ 
olence,  v.  3.  consider  the  disposition  and 
exigency  of  each  other,  and  render  conjugal 
duty.  For,  as  the  apostle  argues,  v.  4.  in 
the  married  state  neither  person  has  power 
over  their  own  body,  but  has  delivered  it 
into  the  power  of  the  other  :  the  wife  hers 
into  the  power  of  the  husband,  the  husband 
his  into  the  power  of  the  w  ife.  Polygamy, 
as  well  as  adultery,  must  be  a  breach  of 
marriage-covenants,  and  a  violation  of  the 
partner’s  rights.  And  therefore  they  should 
not  defraud  one  another  of  the  use  of  their 
bodies,  nor  any  other  of  the  comforts  of  the 
conjugal  state,  appointed  of  God  for  keeping 
the  vessel  in  sanctification  and  honor,  and  pre¬ 
venting  the  lusts  of  uncleanness  ;  except  it 
be  with  mutual  consent,  v.  5.  and  for  a  time. 
only,  while  they  employ  themselves  in  some 
extraordinary  duties  of  religion,  or  give  them¬ 
selves  to  fasting  and  prayer.  Seasons  of  deep 
humiliation  require  abstinence  from  lawful 
pleasures.  But  this  separation  between  hus¬ 
band  and  wife  must  not  be  for  a  continuance, 
lest  they  expose  themselves  to  Satan’s  temp¬ 
tations,  by  reason  of  their  incontinence,  or 


j  inability  to  contain.  If  persons  abstain  from 
lawful  enjoyments,  they  may  be  ensnared  in¬ 
to  unlawful  ones.  The  remedies  God  hath 
provided  against  sinful  inclinations,  are 
certainly  best. 

III.  The  apostle  limits  what  he  had  said 
about  every  man’s  having  his  own  wife,  &c. 
v.  2.  I  speak  this  by  permission,  not  of  com¬ 
mand.  He  did  not  lay  it  as  an  injunction  on 
every  man,  to  marry,  without  exception. 
Any  man  might  marry.  No  law  of  God  pro¬ 
hibited  the  tiling.  But,  on  the  other  hand, 
no  law  bound  a  man  to  marry,  so  that  he 
sinned  if  he  did  not;  1  mean,  unless  his  cir¬ 
cumstances  required  it  for  preventing  the 
lust  of  uncleanness.  It  w  as  a  thing  in  which 
men,  by  the  laws  of  God,  were  in  a  great 
measure  left  at  liberty.  Therefore  Paul  did 
not  bind  every  man  to  marry,  though  every 
man  had  an  allow’ance.  No,  he  could  wish 
all  men  were  as  himself,  v.  7.  i.  e.  single,  and 
capable  of  living  continently  in  that  state. 
But  it  did  not  answer  the  intentions  of  Di* 
vine  Providence  as  well,  for  all  men  to  have 
as  much  command  of  appetite  as  Paul  had. 
Natural  constitutions  vary ;  and  where  there 
may  not  be  much  difference  in  the  constitu¬ 
tion,  different  degrees  of  grace  are  vouch¬ 
safed,  which  may  give  some  a  greater  victory 
over  natural  inclination  than  others.  The 
gifts  of  God,  both  in  nature  and  grace,  are 
variously  distributed.  Paul  could  wish  all 
men  were  as  himself,  but  all  men  cannot  re¬ 
ceive  such  a  saying,  save  them  to  whom  it  is 
given,  Mat.  19:11. 

IV.  He  sums  up  his  sense  on  this  head, 
v.  9,  10.  I  say  therefore  to  those  in  a  state 
of  virginity  or  widowhood,  It  is  good  for  them 
if  they  abide  even  as  I.  Many  conveniences, 
especially  at  this  juncture,  in  a  single  state, 
render  it  preferable  to  a  married  one.  But 
if  they  cannot  contain,  lit  them  marry  ;  for  it 
is  belter  to  marry  than  to  burn.  This  is  God’s 
remedy  for  lust.  And  marriage,  with  all  its 
inconveniences,  is  much  better  than  to  burn 


goreans,  or  oilier  philosophers,  anil  to  have  deemed  marriage  itself 
inconsistent  with  Christian  purity,  or  at  least  unfavorable  to  intellectual 
improvement.  On  the  other  hand,  the  Pharisees  generally  taugiit,  that 
it  was  sinful  for  a  man  to  live  unmarried  beyond  his  20th  year ;  but  at 
the  same  lime,  they  laid  down  many  frivolous  and  superstitious  rules, 
concerning  the  conduct  of  married  persons.  This  (v.  5.)  places  the  hus¬ 
band  and  tlie  wife  entirely  on  the  same  ground  ;  and  as  much  forbids  him 
to  take  another  woman,  as  it  does  her  to  cohabit  with  another  man  ;  so 
that  it  is  absolutely  decisive  against  polygamy.  Mat.  19:7 — 9.  Mk.  10: 
2 — 12.  Her  own.]  4:7.  John  1:42.  5:18. — ‘In  strictness,  I  have  no 

right  to  call  that  my  own,  which  I  enjoy  in  common  with  others.  Acts 
4:32.  Gr.  ..  .No  woman  can  call  any  man  “her  own  husband,”... 
whom  shehas  in  common  with  olher  women.  ...  In  the  N.  T.  we  have 
always  “  her  own  husband,”  never  his  own  wife, .  . .  which  is  the  more 
remarkable,  as  no  such  expression  occurs  in  the  Sept. ...  For,  during 
that  dispensation, . . .  things  were  on  a  different  footing.’  Campbell. — The 
words,  tr.  1  his  own  wife,’  are  tin  hcautou  gunaika.  There  was  not  the 
same  reason  for  the  explicit  strong  restriction,  on  that  side,  which  is 
contained  in  the  word  tr.  ‘own.’  Jn.  5:17.  Scott. 

(1.)  ‘  There  were  perhaps  some  among  the  Jewish  Christians,  who 

too  much  extolled  matrimony  and  its  necessity.  For,  to  this  day,  the 
Jews  hold  the  opinion,  that  he  who,  at  the  age  of  20  years,  without 
being  prevented  by  natural  defect,  or  profound  study  of  the  law,  has 
not  entered  into  wedlock,  sins  against  the  divine  precept.  See  Iken. 
But  even  among  the  philosophers,  it  had  been  a  question  olten  agitated, 
xvhelher  wise  men  ought  to  marry.  I.ycurgus,  Thales,  Antiphanes, 
Socrates,  Ac.  opposed;  Musonius,  Jlieroclcs,  Menander,  Metellus  Num. 
maintained,  on  the  other  hand,  that  the  procreation  and  education  of 
children,  was  a  debt  due  the  public:  [and  with  reason,  for  if  only  the 
sensual  and  animalized  had  children,  there  would  be  an  end  to  liberty, 
law,  and  moral  progress.]  See  Grot.,  and  Ros.  Good.]  Kalon  :  some 
interpret  it  honorable ,  a  thing  illustrious  and  excellent,  a  sense  chiefly 
supported  hy  the  Roman  Catholic  comtrs.  The  most  eminent  interpre¬ 
ters,  more  rightly,  assign  the  sense,  expedient ,  convenient,  useful; 
which  may  include  the  notion  of  melius.  Or,  perhaps,  Paul  answers 
the  question  with  reference  to  the  words  thereof,  “is  it  lawful  not  to 
have  to  do  with  the  sex  ?  ”  to  which  he  answers,  kalon  esti,  “it  is  not 
only  lawful,  but  expedient.  Comp.  v.  26,  28,  32,  sq.  and  35.  which  show 
it  to  be  the  counsel  of  a  friend,  not  general,  but  especial,  for  the  times. 
Man.]  Anthropos,  Mat.  19:3.  includes  both  sexes.  So  Beza,  Casaub., 
Drus.’  Bi.oo.mf. 

(2.)  ‘  Heaulou  and  idion  are  synonymous  terms,  and  indicate  prop¬ 

erty  ;  which  involves  the  reciprocal  duty  of  fidelity ■■  and  by  the 
terms  gunaika  and  andru  are  excluded,  and  forbidden,  polygamy  and 
concubinage.’  Id. 

(3.)  Benevolence.]  ‘Sexual  kindness,  a  delicate  euphemism.’  Bl., 
who  wishes  comtrs.  had  imitated  the  apostle’s  modesty  in  this  and 
similar  points.  Id. 

(4.)  Power.]  ‘  I.  c.  of  abstaining  from  the  conjugal  embrace.’  Id. 

(5.)  ‘  By  consent  (says  Grot.)  the  abstinence  might  be  perpetual ; 
for  volenti  non  fit  injuria.  And  that  such  abstinence  was  practised  by 
the  early  Christians,  is  plain  from  the  ecclesiastical  writers.  Yet  it 

appears,  the  apostle  did  not  think  this  expedient  in  the  case  of  the  Co¬ 


rinthians,  since  he  adds  the  injunction,  that  this  he  done  “for  a  season 
(only).”  It  was  practised  by  the  Jews,  in  preparation  for  solemn  festi¬ 
vals,  and  at  other  times  when  they  wished  to  devote  themselves  to 
religious  duties,  on  which  occasions  fasting,  too,  was  usually  enjoined. 
The  different  schools  of  tlte  Rabbins  recommended  various  periods  of  it ; 
the  Schamtntei,  a  fortnight ;  the  Hilleliani,  a  week.  Nor  was  this  cus¬ 
tom  unknown  to  the  heathens;  see  Wets.,  Ac.,  as  at  the  unusual  feast 
of  Ceres,  for  nine  days.  To  fasting,  Ac.]  These  words  (omitted  in  six 
uncial  and  some  other  MSS.,  and  several  fathers)  were  rejected  by  Mill 
and  Bengel,  Krause  and  Griesb.  but  I  think  on  insufficient  grounds. 
Incontinency.]  Akrasia :  infirmity;  i.  e.  by  means  of  your  not  being 
able  to  contain  yourselves.  Aristotle  calls  those  akrateis  who  do  not 
remain  constant  in  a  good  resolution,  but  succumb  to  the  allurements 
of  vice.  Grot.’  Bloomf. 

V.  6 — 9.  The  aposlie  stated  the  things,  which  have  been  considered, 
as  what  were  allowable  ;  but  not  as  giving  an  absolute  commandment. 
Men  might  use  their  own  discretion  about  marrying;  and  married  per¬ 
sons,  concerning  their  conduct  in  that  state  ;  provided  they  did  not  need¬ 
lessly  thwart  each  other’s  inclinations,  do  injustice  to  one  another,  or 
throw  any  temptation  in  their  own  or  each  other’s  way.  Some  think. 
Paul  was  a  widower,  but  this  is  uncertain.  We  cannot  suppose  he 
wished  marriage  to  cease  among  Christians ;  but  only  that  everyone 
might  be  enabled  calmly  to  use  his  prudence  in  that  respect,  without 
being  necessitated  to  marry,  when  otherwise  it  would  not  have  been 
advisable.  But  the  apostle  knew,  that  his  experience,  in  this  matter, 
was  not  a  rule  for  other  men  ;  as  this  superiority  to  the  animal  inclina¬ 
tions  was  a  special  gilt  of  God,  which  He  gave  to  one  and  not  to  another, 
as  He  saw  good  ;  and  that  in  different  proportions.  [See  end  of  Rom. 
7.  Men  are  born  with  the  elementary  faculties  of  the  intellect,  senti¬ 
ments,  and  propensities,  in  a  definite  proportion  to  each  other.  This  can 
be  very  much  altered,  however,  by  education  :  careful  then  should  we 
be  of  our  own  and  children’s  habits.  Ed.]  4:6,7.  Mat.  19:10 — 12,  ti.  12. — 
‘  This  whole  passage  is  framed  against  those,  who  condemn  second  mar¬ 
riages,  when  the  first  has  been  dissolved  by  death.’  Beza.  1  Tim.  3:2. 
5:9—15.  Scott. 

(6.)  Permission.]  1  SuggnSmln:  nearly  equivalent  to  gnbrnc,  moni¬ 
tion,  say  Beza,  Grot.,  Ham.,  Beng.,  Mackn.,  Ros.,  and  Schl.  “  I  am  not 
commanding,  hut  persuading.”  Grot.'  *  In  Scripture,  says  Burke,  “  we 
must  sort  out  what  is  intended  for  example,  what  only  as  narrative, 
what  to  be  understood  literally,  what  figuratively,  where  one  precept  is 
to  be  controlled  and  modified  hy  another;  what  is  used  directly,  and 
what  only  as  an  argument  ad  hominem,  what  is  temporary,  and  what  of 
perpetual  obligation;  what  appropriated  to  one  state,  and  to  one  set, 
and  what  the  general  duty  of  all  Christians.”  ’  Bloomf. 

(7.)  As  myself.]  ‘  I.e.  “could  as  easily  bear  the  severities  of  a  single 
life,  in  present  circumstances,  and  exercise  as  resolute  a  command  over 
their  natural  desires.”  For  it  would  be  a  most  flagrant  absurdity,  to 
suppose  Paul  xvished  marriage  might  entirely  cease.  It  shows,  there¬ 
fore,  how  unfair  and  improper  it  is,  in  various  cases,  to  strain  the  apos¬ 
tle’s  words  to  the  utmost  rigor,  as  if  he  perpetually  used  the  mos 
critical  exactness;  hut,  indeed,  ch.  9:22.  is  so  full  an  instance  he 
contrary,  that  it  is  not  necessary  to  multiply  remarks^il^M^k^u. 

[277] 


A.  D.  60. 


1  CORINTHIANS..  VII. 


Directions  relative  to  marriage. 


10  And  unto  the  married  I  com¬ 
mand,  yet  not  I,  but  the  Lord,  Let 
(  not  the  wife  depart  from  her  hus¬ 
band  : 

11  But  and  if  she  depart,  let  her 
remain  unmarried,  or  be  reconciled 
to  her  husband  :  and  let  not  the 
husband  put  away  his  wife. 

12  But  to  the  rest  speak  I,  not 
s  the  Lord:  If  any  brother  hath  a 
wife  that  believeth  not,  and  she  be 
pleased  to  dwell  with  him,  let  him 
not  put  her  away. 

13  And  the  woman  which  hath 
an  husband  that  believeth  not,  and 
if  he  be  pleased  to  dwell  with  her, 
let  her  not  leave  him. 

14  For  the  unbelieving  husband 
is  sanctified  by  the  wife,  and  the 
unbelievine  wife  is  sanctified  by 
the  husband  :  else  were  your  child¬ 
ren  unclean  ;  but  h  now  are  they 
holy. 

15  But  if  the  unbelieving  depart, 
let  him  depart.  A  brother  or  a  sis¬ 
ter  is  not  under  bondage  in  such 
cases  :  but  God  hath  called  1  us  i  to 
peace. 

16  For  what  knowest  thou,  O 
wife,  whether  thou  shalt  save  k  thy 
husband  ?  or  1  how  knowest  thou, 
O  man,  whether  thou  shalt  save 
thy  wife  ? 

f  Mat.  2:14— 16.  h  Mai.  2:15,18.  1  in. 

Mat.  19:6,9.  1  Ro.l2:t8.  14:19.  k  1  Pe.  3:1,2. 

g  Ezr.  lU:U,&c.  He.  12:14.  1  what. 

with  impure  and  lustful  desires.  Marriage 
is  honorable  in  all  ;  but  it  is  a  duty  to  them 
who  cannot  contain,  nor  conquer  those  in¬ 
clinations. 

V.  10 — 16.  In  this  paragraph,  the  apostle 
gives  direction  in  a  case  which  must  have 
been  very  frequent  in  that  age,  especially 
among  the  Jewish  converts;  I  mean,  wheth¬ 
er  they  were  to  live  with  heathen  relatives 
in  a  married  state.  Moses’  law  permitted 
divorce;  and  there  wa3  a  famous  instance 
in  the  Jewish  state,  when  the  people  were 
obliged  to  put  away  their  idolatrous  wives, 
Ezra  10:  3.  This  might  move  the  scruple 
in  many  minds.  And, 

I.  In  general,  he  tells  them,  that  marriage, 
by  Christ’s  command,  is  for  life;  and  there¬ 
fore  those  who  are  married  must  not  think 
of  separation,  v.  10,  11.  This  I  command, 
says  the  apostle ;  yet  not  I,  but  the  Lord.  Not 
that  he  commanded  anything  on  his  own  au¬ 
thority.  Whatever  he  commanded,  was  the 
Lord’s  command  ;  dictated  by  his  Spirit, 


and  enjoined  by  his  authority.  But  his 
meaning  is,  that  the  Lord  Himself,  with  his 
own  mouth,  had  forbidden  such  separations, 
Mat.  5:32.  19:9.  Mk.  10:11.  Lu.  16:18. 
They  must  not  separate  for  any  other  cause 
than  what  Christ  allows.  And  therefore  the 
apostle  advises,  that  if  any  woman  had  been 
separated,  either  by  a  voluntary  act  of  her 
own,  or  by' an  act  of  her  husband,  she  should 
continue  unmarried,  and  seek  reconciliation 
with  her  husband,  that  they  might  cohabit 
again. 

II.  He  brings  the  general  advice  home  to 
the  case  of  such  as  had  an  unbelieving  mate, 
v.  12.  the  Lord  had  not  so  expressly  spoken 
to  this  case  as  to  the  former  of  divorce.  It 
does  riot  mean,  that  the  apostle  spake  with¬ 
out  authority  from  the  Lord,  or  decided  this 
case  by  his  own  wisdom,  without  the  inspi¬ 
ration  of  the  Holy  Ghost.  He  closes  this 
subject  with  a  declaration  to  the  contrary, 
v.  40.  I  think,  also,  that  I  have  the  Spirit  of 
God.  But  having  thus  prefaced  his  advice, 
we  may  attend, 

1.  To  the  advice  itself;  which  is,  that  if 
an  unbelieving  husband  or  wife  were  pleased 
to  dwell  with  a  Christian  relative,  the  other 
should  not  separate,  v.  12,  13.  The  Chris¬ 
tian  calling  did  not  dissolve  the  marriage 
covenant,  but  bind  it  the  faster,  by  bringing 
it  back  to  the  original  institution,  limiting 
it  to  two  persons,  and  binding  them  together 
for  life.  But  though  a  believing  wife  or  hus¬ 
band  should  not  separate  from  an  unbe¬ 
lieving,  yet,  if  the  unbelieving  desert  the 
believer,  and  no  means  can  reconcile  to  a 
cohabitation,  in  such  a  case,  a  brother  or  sister 
is  not  in  bondage,  v.  15.  not  tied  up  to  the 
unreasonable  humor,  and  bound  servilely  to 
follow  or  cleave  to  the  malicious  deserter ;  or 
not  bound  to  live  unmarried,  after  all  proper 
means  for  reconciliation  have  been  tried;  at 
least,  if  the  deserter  contract  another  mar¬ 
riage,  or  be  guilty  of  adultery  ;  which  was 
a  very  easy  supposition,  because  a  very  com¬ 
mon  instance  among  the  heathen  inhabitants 
of  Corinth.  In  such  a  case,  the  deserted 
person  must  be  free  to  marry  again,  and  it 
is  granted  on  all  hands.  And  some  think, 
that  such  a  malicious  desertion  is  as  much  a 
dissolution  of  the  marriage-covenant, as  death 
itself.  For  how  is  it  possible,  that  the  two 
shall  be  one  flesh,  when  the  one  is  maliciously 
bent  to  part  from,  or  put  away,  the  other  1 
Indeed,  the  deserter  seems  still  bound  by  the 
matrimonial  contract  ;  and  therefore  the 
apostle  says,  v.  11.  If  the  woman  depart  from 
her  husband,  ori  account  of  his  infidelity,  let 
her  remain  unmarried.  But  the  deserted 
party  seems  to  be  left  more  at  liberty  (I 
mean,  supposing  all  the  proper  means  have 
been  used  to  reclaim  the  deserter,  and  other 
circumstances  make  it  necessary)  to  marry 
another  person.  It  does  not  seem  reasona¬ 
ble  that  they  should  be  still  bound,  when  it 


is  rendered  impossible  to  perform  conjugal 
duties,  or  enjov  conjugal  comforts,  through 
the  mere  fault  of  their  mate  :  in  such  a  case 
marriage  w'ould  be  a  state  of  servitude  in¬ 
deed.  But  whatever  liberty  be  indulged 
Christians  in  such  a  case  as  this,  they  are 
not  allowed,  for  the  mere  infidelity  of  a  hus¬ 
band  or  wife,  to  separate;  but,  if  the  unbe¬ 
liever  be  willing,  they  should  continue  in  the 
relation,  and  cohabit  as  those  who  are  thus 
related.  This  is  the  apostle’s  general  di¬ 
rection. 

2.  We  have  here  the  reasons  of  this  advice  ; 

(1.)  Because  the  relation  or  state  is  sanc¬ 
tified  by  the  holiness  of  either  party,  v.  14. 
The  apostle  tells  them,  that,  though  they  were 
yoked  with  unbelievers,  yet,  if  themselves 
were  holy,  marriage  wms  to  them  a  holy 
state,  and  marriage-comforts,  even  with  an 
unbelieving  relative,  were  sanctified  enjoy¬ 
ments.  If  one  of  the  relatives  were  become 
holy,  nothing  of  the  duties  or  lawful  comforts 
of  the  married  state  could  defile  them,  and 
render  them  displeasing  to  God,  though  the 
other  were  a  heathen.  He  is  sanctified  for 
the  wife’s  sake.  She  is  sanctified  for  the 
husband’s  sake.  Both  are  one  flesh.  He  is 
to  be  reputed  clean,  who  is  one  flesh  with 
her  that  is  holy,  and  in  like  manner  if  the 
terms  are  exchanged ;  Else  were  your  children 
unclean,  but  notv  are  they  holy,  v.  14.  that  is, 
they  would  be  heathen,  out  of  the  pale  of  the 
church  and  covenant  of  God.  They  would 
not  be  of  the  holy  seed,  as  the  Jew's  are 
called.  Is.  6:13.  but  common  and  unclean, 
in  the  same  sense  as  heathens  in  general 
were  styled  in  the  apostle’s  vision.  Acts  10: 
28.  Tli is  way  of  speaking  is  according  to 
the  dialect  of  the  Jew's  ;  among  whom  a 
child,  begot  by  parents  yet  heathens,  was 
said  to  be  begotten  out  of  holiness  ;  and  a 
child  begotten  by  parents  made  proselytes, 
is  said  to  be  begotten  within  the  holy  inclo¬ 
sure.  Thus  Christians  are  called  commonly 
saints  ;  such  they  are  by  profession,  sepa¬ 
rated  to  be  a  peculiar  people  of  God,  and  as 
such  distinguished  from  the  world  ;  and 
therefore  the  children  born  to  Christians, 
though  married  to  unbelievers,  are  not  to  be 
reckoned  as  part  of  the  world,  but  of  the 
church,  a  holy,  not  a  common  and  unclean 
seed.  What  a  comfort  is  this,  where  both 
relatives  are  believers  ! 

(2.)  Another  reason  is,  that  God  hath 
called  Christians  to  peace,  v.  15.  The  Chris¬ 
tian  religion  obliges  us  to  act  peaceably  in 
all  relations,  natural  and  civil.  We  are 
bound,  as  much  as  in  us  lies,  to  live  peaceably 
with  all  men,  Rom.  12: 18.  and  therefore 
surely  to  promote  the  peace  and  comfort  of 
our  nearest  relatives,  those  with  whom  we 
are  one  flesh,  nay,  though  they  should  be 
infidels. 

(3.)  A  third  reason  is,  that  it.  is  possible 
for  the  believing  relative  to  be  an  instrument 


V.  10 — 14.  This  exposition  [the  same  as  in  Henry\  of  the  Scripture 
before  us,  has  indeed  been  much  controverted  ;  and  some  have  explained 
‘  holy,’  or  ‘  unclean,’  to  mean  legitimate ,  or  illegitimate  ;  but  in  all  the 
places,  where  these  words  are  found  in  Scripture,  there  is  not  one  which 
will  admit  of  this  sense.  No  doubt,  the  children  of  the  heathen,  who 
were  lawfully  married,  w'ere  as  legitimate  as  those  of  Christians  ;  vet 
they  were  never  said  to  be  1  holy.’  Something  more  must  lie  meant,  by 
the  believer  ‘  sanctifying  ’  the  unbelieving  party,  than  merely  legalizing 
their  marriage;  for  that  would  have  been  valid  and  lawful,  if  both  had 
been  unbelievers;  and  the  children  would  not  really  be  more  ‘holy,’  in 
respect  of  their  nature,  if  one  parent  was  a  believer,  than  if  both  were 
unbelievers.  But  as  the  word  1  unclean  ’  is  frequently  used  in  a  relative 
sense,  denoting  unfit  to  be  admitted  to  God's  ordinances ,  and  ‘  holy  ’  the 
contrary  ;  as  in  this  sense  the  male  children  of  the  Jews  were  ‘  holy,’ 
and  so  partakers  of  circumcision  ;  while  those  of  the  Gentiles,  and  even 
such  as  had  one  idolatrous  parent,  were  ‘  unclean,1  and  excluded  from 
circumcision  ;  I  cannot  but  conclude,  after  long  attention  to  the  subject, 
that  the  baptism  of  the  infant-offspring  of  Christians,  is  here  evidently 
referred  to,  as  at  that  time  customary  in  the  churches ;  and  that  the  Co¬ 
rinthians  knew,  that  this  was  not  objected  to,  when  only  one  parent  was 
a  Christian. — ‘  lienee  then  the  argument  for  infant  baptism  runs  thus: 
If  the  holy  seed  among  the  Jews  was  therefore  to  be  circumcised,  and 
to  be  made  federally  holy,  by  receiving  the  sign  of  the  covenant,  and 
being  admitted  into  the  number  of  God’s  holy  people ;  because  they  were 
born  in  sanctity,  or  were  seminal/y  holy;  for,  “  the  root  being  holy,  so 
are  the  branches  also  ;  ”  then,  by  like  reason,  the  holy  seed  of  Christians 
ought  to  be  admitted  to  baptism,  and  receive  the  sign  of  the  Christian 
covenant,  “  the  laver  of  regeneration ;  ”  and  so  be  entered  into  the 


society  of  the  Christian  church.’  Whitby.  Ex.  19:6.  Deut.  7:6 — 8.  Ezra 
9:1,2.  Mai.  2:10 — 10.  Rom.  11:16 — 21.  ‘  It  would  be  proving  a  thing 
by  itself, ...  to  argue,  that  the  converse  of  the  parents  was  lawful,  be¬ 
cause  the  children  were  not  bastards  ;  whereas  all,  who  thought  the 
converse  of  the  parents  unlawful,  must  of  course  think  that  the  children 
were  illegitimate.1  Doddr.  Scott. 

(10.)  ‘  Not  so  much  I,  as  the  Lord.  Mat.  5:32.  19:3 — 10.  Moses  did 

not,  the  Greeks  and  Romans  did  permit  the  wife  to  separate  from  the 
husband.’  Bloomf. 

(12.)  The  rest.  1  ‘  I.  e.  marriage,  where  but  one  party  is  Christian  : 
of  such  Christ  did  not  speak,  nor  could  He  without  anticipating  the 
designs  of  the  Deity.’  In. 

(14.)  ‘The  one  is  so  sanctified  by  the  other,  that  their  matrimonial 
converse  is  ns  lawful  as  if  they  were  both  of  the  same  faith.’  [So,  sub¬ 
stantially,  Crell.,  Sclater,  Camer.,  Beza,  Calv.,  most  Dutch  corntrs., 
Whit.,  Wolf,  Beng.)  ‘  Nothing  can  be  more  obvious  than  that  the  word 
holy,  signifies  persons  who  might  be  permitted  to  partake  of  the  distin¬ 
guishing  rites  of  God’s  people.  Comp.  Ex.  19:6.  Deut.  7:6.  14:2.  26:19. 
33:3.  Ezra  9:2.  with  Is.  35:8.  3:1.  Acts  10:28,  &c.’  Doddr. 

V.  15,16. — Total  and  perpetual  desertion,  when  accompanied  by  ev¬ 
ident  adultery  in  the  deserting  party,  undoubtedly  sets  the  other  party 
at  full  liberty,  according  to  the  scriptural  rule;  for  deserting  a  husband 
or  wife  to  live  with  another  man  or  woman,  or  in  any  way  evidently 
adulterous,  must  as  much  dissolve  the  marriage,  as  a  divorce  explicitly 
given  on  account  of  adultery  ;  and  there  is  no  restriction,  in  any  part  of 
the  Holy  Scriptures,  laid  on  divorced  persons,  to  inhibit  them  from  mar¬ 
rying,  though  very  many,  imposed  by  human  laws,  are  often  spoken  of, 
as  if  scriptural  injunctions.  Mat.  19:1 — 9.  Scott. 


A.  D.  60, 


1  CORINTHIANS,  VII. 


Paul’s  advice  to  Christians. 


17  But  as  God  hath  distributed 
to  every  man,  as  m  the  Lord  hath 
called  every  one,  so  let  him  walk. 

And  “so  ordain  I  in  all  churches. 

18  Is  any  man  called  being  cir¬ 
cumcised  ?  let  him  not  become 
uncircumcised.  Is  any  called  in 
uncircumcision  ?  e  let  him  not  be 
circumcised. 

19  Circumcision  Pis  nothing, and 
uncircumcision  is  nothing,  but  the 
keeping  i  of  the  commandments  of 
God. 

20  Let  every  man  abide  rin  the 
same  calling  wherein  he  was  called. 

21  Art  thou  called  being  a  ser¬ 
vant  ?  care  5  not  for  it  :  but  if  thou 
mayest  be  made  free,  use  it  rather. 

22  For  he  that  is  called  in  the 
Lord,  being  a  servant,  is  ‘the  Lord’s 
u  freeman  :  likewise  also  he  that  is 
called,  being  free,  is  v  Christ’s  ser¬ 
vant. 

23  Ye  are  bought  Wwith  a  price; 
be  not  ye  the  servants  of  men. 

24  Brethren,  let  x  every  man, 
wherein  he  is  called,  therein  abide 
with  God. 

[Practical  Observations.] 

m  veF.  20— 24.  q  Ju.  15:14. 
n  c.  4:17.  2  Co.  1  Ju  2:3. 

11:28  r  Pr.  27:8. 

o  Ac  15:1,  &c.  s  He.  13:5. 

Ga.  5:2,  &c.  t  Ju.  8:35. 
p  Ga.  5:6.  6:15.  Ro.  6:18, *22. 

TRACT.  OBS.  V.  1 — 24.  That  which  is  good  in  itself,  may  not 
always  he  best  for  a  man,  when  every  circumstance  is  weighed  ;  and 
when  all  the  variety  of  inward  evils  and  outward  temptations,  con¬ 
nected  with  it,  are  duly  considered;  so  that  those  things,  which  are 
good  for  one,  must  not  so  mucti  as  be  recommended  to  another  ;  because 
he  is  incapable  of  overcoming  the  difficulties  and  temptations  to  which 
they  expose  him.  To  prevent  the  fatal  effects  of  unchastitv,  and  of  the 
strong  propensity  of  most  men  to  it,  it  is  generally  ‘expedient,’  and  al¬ 
ways  allowable,  that  ‘every  man  should  have  his  own  wife,  and  every 
woman  her  own  husband.’  All  restrictions  of  this  allowance,  uniformly 
tend  to  licentiousness;  and  no  tongue  can  express  the  mischiefs,  which 
arise  from  covetous,  licentious,  and  constrained  celibacy. —  Every  part 
of  the  conduct  of  married  persons  also  ought  to  be  so  regulated,  as  to 
render  them  ngreeable  to  each  other,  and  satisfied  in  the  relation.  For, 
not  only  adultery  and  polygamy  are  inconsistent  with  the  duties  of  this 
relation,  and  with  the  mutual  property  of  married  persons  in  each 
other,  but  also,  whatever  is  disobliging,  and  tends  to  weaken  the  attach¬ 
ment,  and  to  open  the  way  for  either  of  them  to  look  with  greater  sat¬ 
isfaction  on  another  object. — Everything  in  the  Christian’s  conduct 

should  be  regulated,  in  subserviency  to  his  communion  with  God _ 

Those  who,  like  the  apostle,  are  enabled  to  live  with  purity  tint!  con¬ 
tentment  in  an  unmarried  state,  should  copy  his  example,  by  laving 
themselves  out  with  double  diligence  to  glorify  God,  and  to  be  useful  to 
mankind;  they  should  also  imitate  his  prudence  and  candor,  in  not  pre- 


uncircumcised.  For,  as  the  apostle  goes  on, 
circumcision  is  nothing,  and  uncircumcision 
is  nothing,  but  keeping  the  commandments  of 
God,  v.  19.  In  point  of  acceptance  with 
God,  it  is  neither  here  nor  there  whether 
men  be  circumcised  or  not.  It  is  practical 
religion,  sincere  obedience  to  the  commands 
of  God,  on  which  the  Gospel  lays  stress. 
External  observances, without  internal  piety, 
are  as  nothing.  Therefore  let  every  man 
abide  in  the  calling,  the  state,  wherein  he.  was 
called,  v.  20.  2.  That  of  servitude  and  free¬ 

dom.  It  was  common  in  that  age  of  the 
world,  for  many  to  be  in  a  state  of  slavery', 
bought  and  sold  for  money,  and  so  the  prop¬ 
erty  of  those  who  purchased  them.  ‘  Now,’ 
says  the  apostle,  ‘  art  thou  called,  being  a  ser¬ 
vant  ?  Care  not  for  it.  Be  not  o'ver-solici- 
tous  about  it.  It  is  not  inconsistent  with  thy 
duty,  profession,  or  hopes,  as  a  Christian. 
Yet. ,  if  thou  mayest  be  made  free,  use  it  rather,’ 
v.  21.  There  are  many  conveniences  in  a 
state  of  freedom,  above  that  of  servitude  :  a 
man  has  more  power  over  himself,  and  more 
command  of  his  time,  and  is  not  under  the 
control  of  another  lord  ;  and  therefore,  lib¬ 
erty  is  the  more  eligible  state.  But  men’s 
outward  condition  does  not  let  nor  further 
their  acceptance  with  God.  For  he  that  is 
called,  being  a  servant,  is  the  Lord’s  freeman, 
as  he  that  is  called,  being  free,  is  the  Lord’s 
servant.  Though  he  be  not  discharged  from 
his  master’s  service,  he  is  freed  from  the 
dominion  and  vassalage  of  sin.  Though  he 
be  not  enslaved  to  Christ,  yet  lie  is  bound  to 
yield  himself  up  wholly  to  his  pleasure  and 
service  ;  and  yet  that  service  is  perfect  free¬ 
dom.  Our  comfort  and  happiness  depend  on 

scribing  his  own  conduct  to  others,  as  obligatory  on  them  in  this  respect; 
or  despising  those  who  are  not  endued  with  the  same  gift ;  remembering 
that,  in  this  also,  God  has  ‘  made  them  to  diflfer.’  In  counselling  our 
brethren  also  we  should  use  caution  ;  lest  by  exciting  a  man  to  grasp  at 
advantages,  which  are  out  of  bis  reach,  we  should  cast  him  into  circum¬ 
stances  of  insuperable  temptation;  urge  him  to  that  which  is  contrary 
to  his  duty  ;  and  dissuade  him  from  what  is  best  for  him,  and  indeed 
incumbent  on  him  :  for,  in  such  matters,  no  man  is  competent  to  judge 
for  another,  but  every  one  must  determine  for  himself;  or  rather,  he 
should  seek  counsel  from  God  how  he  ought  to  act. — It  is  the  express 
commandment  of  God,  that  married  persons  should  not  separate  from 
each  other,  if  it  can  possibly  be  avoided  ;  and  that  such  as  have  separ¬ 
ated,  should  endeavor  to  be  reconciled,  or  else  live  single.  It  is  also  his 
will,  that  hushands  and  wives  should  he  careful  to  please  each  other  in 
lawful  tilings,  though  it  leave  them  less  time  for  religious  exercises,  than 
thev  enjoyed  in  a  single  state.  Even  if  a  believer  has  been  married  to  an 
unbeliever,  either  before  conversion,  or  by  inattention  to  the  rule  of  the 
sacred  Word  ;  the  cross  of  that  incongruous  union  must  lie  patiently 
endured,  and  the  duties  of  the  relation  cheerfully  performed  ;  that  byr 
kindness,  by  a  good  example,  and  by  fervent  prayers,  the  unbelieving 
party  may  be  won  over,  and  the  immortal  soul  saved. — III  every  state 
and  relation,  we  should  remember,  that  God  has  ‘  called  us  to  peace  ;  ’ 
and  that  everything  should  he  done  to  promote  domestic  and  social  har¬ 
mony,  as  far  ns  truth  and  holiness  will  permit.  Scott. 


u  mide  free. 
v  Ps.  116:16. 

1  P.t  2:16. 

w  c.  6:20.  I  Pe. 

1:18,19. 
x  ver.  17,20. 


of  the  other’s  salvation,  u.  16.  It  is  the  plain 
duty  of  those  in  so  near  a  relation,  to  en¬ 
deavor  the  salvation  of  their  souls  to  whom 
they  are  related.  *  Do  not  separate.  There 
is  other  duty  now  called  for.  Stay,  and 
labor  heartily  the  conversion  of  thy  relative. 
Endeavor  to  save  a  soul.  Who  knows  but 
this  may  be  the  event!  It  is  not  impossible. 
And  though  there  be  no  great  probability, 
saving  a  soul  is  so  good  and  glorious  a  ser¬ 
vice,  that  the  bare  possibility  should  put  one 
on  exerting  one’s  self’  Mere  possibility  of 
success  should  be  a  sufficient  motive  with  us 
to  use  our  diligent  endeavors  for  saving  the 
souls  of  our  relations.  ‘  What  know  1,  but 
I  may  save  his  soul  ?  should  move  me  to 
attempt  it.’ 

V.  17 — 24.  Here  he  advises  them  to  con¬ 
tinue  in  the  state  and  condition -in  which 
Christianity  found  them,  and  they  became 
converts  to  it. 

I.  He  lays  down  this  rule  in  general, — as 
God  hath  distributed  to  every  one.  Our  states 
and  circumstances  in  this  world  are  distri¬ 
butions  of  Divine  Providence.  And  again. 
As  the  Lord  hath  called  every  one,  so  let  him 
walk.  Whatever  his  circumstances  and  con¬ 
dition  were  when  lie  was  converted  to  Chris¬ 
tianity,  let  him  abide  therein,  and  suit  his 
conversation  to  it;  the  rules  of  Christianity 
reach  every  condition,  and  this  is  the  duty 

every  Christian.  The  apostle  adds,  that 
this  was  a  general  rule,  to  be  observed  at  all 
times  and  in  all  places, — So  ordain  I  in  all 
churches. 

II.  He  specifies  particular  cases  ;  as,  1. 
That  of  circumcision.  It  matters  not  whether 
a  man  be  a  Jew  or  Gentile,  circumcised  or 


V.  17 — 24.  The  preceding  subject  led  the  apostle  to  digress  to  a  inure 
general  topic.  Thus,  if  a  Jew  or  circumcised  proselyte  had  been  con¬ 
verted,  let  him  not  deny  his  circumcision  ;  or  refuse  that  regard  to  the 
ceremonial  law,  which  might  tend  to  conciliate  his  unbelieving  breth¬ 
ren  :  hilt  let  not  the  uncircumcised  convert  submit  to  that  abrogated 
ordinance,  or  at  all  take  that  yoke  upon  him.  It  is  obvious,  the  apostle 
is  not  here  speaking  of  the  way  of  justification,  but  of  the  conduct  of  jus¬ 
tified  believers.  Gal.SA — 6.  6:15,16.  The  three  particulars,  which  here, 
and  in  the  texts  referred  to,  the  apostle  selects,  in  this  connexion,  should 
not  be  considered  as  existing  separately.  For  he  who  is  ‘a  new  crea¬ 
ture,’  possesses  ‘faith  which  worketh  by  love,’  and  this  love  constrains 
him  to  ‘  keep  the  commandments  of  God.’  Jn.  14:15 — 24.  2  Cor.  5:13 
— 17.  The  Gospel  would  teach  a  man  how  to  behave  in  any  condition, 
and  patiently  to  hear  its  inconveniences.  Every  man,  therefore,  ought 
contentedly  to  ‘  abide  with  God,’  by  constantly  performins  Ihe  duties  of 
that  situation,  in  which  he  was  converted  to  the  faith  of  Christ. — Minis¬ 
ters  were,  at  that  time,  entirely  taken  from  among  the  converts  to  Christ 
in  every  church,  most  of  whom  had  doubtless  been  previously  employed 
in  other  occupations  ;  and  seminaries  for  educating  men  for  this  service 
were  not  then  known  ;  it  is  therefore  evident,  that  the  apostle  did  not 
mean  to  forbid  that  change  of  employment,  when  it  could  be  made 
advisedly,  and  on  good  grounds,  as  well  as  from  proper  motives  ;  and  in 
other  respects  his  general  rule  might  admit,  of  some  exceptions. — ‘  They 
should  not  change,  on  a  presumption,  that  Christianity  gave  them  anew 
and  peculiar  liherty  so  to  do.’  Locke. — The  context  favors  the  supposi¬ 
tion,  that  those  changes,  which  some  might  be  induced  to  make,  from 
an  erroneous  judgment,  in  respect  of  their  liherty  or  duty  as  Christians, 
were  the  primary  object,  that  the  apostle  had  in  view  :  yet  his  general 
language  seems  to  imply,  that  he  meant  to  extend  ihe  rule  to  various 
other  cases. — Ur.  Whitin’  and  some  others  explain  the  words,  ‘Ye  are 
bought  with  a  price,’  of  those  slaves,  who  had  been  charitably  ransomed 
at  the  expense  of  their  fellow  Christians.  But  their  fellow  Christians 
obtained  no  property  in  them,  by  thus  ransoming  them,  as  Christ  does 
by  ransoming  us ;  the  advice  is  general,  and  not  limited  to  these  per¬ 
sons  :  and  it  is  far  more  obvious  to  suppose,  that  the  apostle  used  this 
expression  in  the  same  sense,  in  which  he  had  before  employed  it.  6:18. 
— 20. — (24)  Abide  with  God,  <tc.]  ‘  Neither  deserting  his  master  on  pre¬ 


tence  of  being  God’s  servant,  nor  doing  anything  against  the  laws  of 
God,  in  obedience  to  his  master.’  IVhitby.  It  may  be  added;  ‘But 
serving  God-  by  faithfully,  diligently,  and  meekly  serving  his  master,  in 
all  things  lawful.’  Scott. 

(18.;  Let  him  not  become  uncircumcised.]  ‘The  Gr.  refers  to  cer¬ 
tain  means  ordinarily  taken  to  remove  the  marks  of  circumcision.’ 
See  HI.  Ed. 

(21.)  Care  not ,  <fcc.|  ‘  The  sense  is  not  clear.  Chrys.  and  all  the  Gr. 
comtrs.  understand,  “You  need  care  so  little,  that  if  even  you  can  gain 
your  freedom,  prefer  your  servitude,  as  a  greater  trial  of  Christian  pa¬ 
tience”  [iso  a  religion  of  despotism  counsels,  contrary  to  the  precept, 
‘  Do  not  evil  that  good  may  come,’  and  to  the  prayer,  ‘  Bead  us  not  into 
temptation  !  ’  By  what  right  can  any  man  imbrute  God’s  image ,  which 
Christ  atoned  for,  to  a  mindless,  will-less,  sonl-less,  right-less  chattel  ! 
Yet]  so  Camer.,  Schmidt,  Starck,  Estius,  De  Uieu,  and  the  Syr.  And 
this  sense,  they  think,  is  confirmed  by  the  following  consolatory  words  : 
“  For  he,”  See.  It  is  also  ably  defended  by  De  Dieu  and  Wolf.  But 
there  is  a  certain  harshness  about  it  to  which  necessity  alone  would 
reconcile  me.  What  is  detrimental  to  human  happiness,  cannot  be 
promotive  of  virtue.  The  true  int.  seems  that  of  Bejta,  Grot.,  Ilam.,  and 
most  recent  comtrs.  “Do  not  feel  a  too  great  trouble  (and  so  Theoph., 
mi  thorubou)  on  that  account,  as  if  it  could  materially  [of  itself]  affect 
your  acceptance  with  God,  and  salvation  ;  and  as  if  that  were  n  condi¬ 
tion  unworthy  of  a  Christian.”  Theod.  para.  :  “  Grace  knows  no  distinc¬ 
tions  of  freedom  or  servitude;  therefore  bear  it  patiently.”  Grot,  adds: 
“  And,  above  all,  let  it  not  drive  you  to  seek  your  freedom  by  unjustifiable 
means.”  And  he  remarks,  that  a  misunderstanding  of  the  nature  of 
Christian  liberty,  had  made  many  Christian  slaves  not  only  murmur  at 
their  situation,  but  seek  to  throw  off  all  bondage.’  Bl.  ‘  In  washing  his 
disciples’  feet,  remember,  O  slave  !  Christ  showed  us  his  contempt  for 
all  earthly  greatness,  and  threw  honor  over  the  most  servile  lot.  ‘  Hie 
condition  of  slaves  in  Greece  was  little  inferior  to  that  of  the  lower  or¬ 
ders  of  freemen.  Eurip.  Ion.  854.  They  were  allowed  to  possess 
property  in  Euripides’  time.  Stob.  Tit.  81.’  Bn.  O  just  (,yet  merci¬ 
ful)  God  !  enlighten  the  slave  and  his  master,  in  these  U.  S.,  at  once  ana 
always  to  do  thy  will !  ,  , 

(23.)  ‘The  admonition  is  general;  so  the  best  comtrs.,  ancient  amt 


<L  D.  60. 


1  CORINTHIANS,  VII.  Advice  to  the  married  and  unmarried. 


25  Now  concerning  virgins  I 
have  no  commandment  y  of  the 
Lord,  yet  I  give  my  judgment,  as 
one  that  hath  obtained  mercy  of 
the  Lord  to  be  z  faithful. 

26  I  suppose  therefore  that  this 
is  good  for  the  present  3  distress  ;  I 
saij,  that  b  it  is  good  for  a  man  so 
to  be. 

27  Art  thou  bound  unto  a  wife  ? 
seek  not  to  be  loosed.  Art  thou 
loosed  from  a  wife  i  seek  not  a 
wife. 

29  But  and  if  thou  marry,  thou 
'hast  not  sinned;  and  if  a  virgin 
marry,  she  hath  not  sinned.  Nev¬ 
ertheless  such  shall  have  trouble  in 
the  flesh  :  but  I  spare  you. 

29  But  this  I  say,  brethren,  the 
time  d  is  short:  it  remaineth,  that 
both  they  that  have  wives  be  as 
though  they  had  none  ; 

30  And  they  that  weep,  as  though 
they  wept  not ;  and  they  that  re¬ 
joice,  as  though  they  rejoiced  not ; 
and  they  that  buy,  as  though  they 
possessed  not  : 

31  And  they  that  use  this  world, 
as  not  abusing  it  :  for  the  fashion 
'  of  this  world  passeth  away. 

32  Butl  would  have  you  without 
carefulness.  He  that  is  unmarried 
f  careth  for  the  things  8  that  belong 
to  the  Lord,  how  he  may  please  the 
Lord  : 

y  ver.  6,10,40.  tl  1  Pe.  4:7.  1  Jn.  2:17. 

z  1  Ti.  1:12.  2  Pe.  3:8,9.  f  1  Ti.  5:5. 

a  or,  necessity.  e  Ps.  39:6.  Ja.  4:  g  of  the  Lordy  as 
b  ver.  1,8.  14.  1  Pe.  4:7.  ver.  34. 

c  He.  13:4. 

what  we  are  to  Christ,  not  what  we  are  in 
the  world.  He  who  is  a  slave,  may  yet  be 
a  Christian  freeman  ;  he  who  is  a  freeman, 
may  yet  be  Christ’s  servant.  Not  that  he 
must  quit  the  service  of  his  master,  or  not 
take  all  proper  measures  to  please  him  ; 
(this  were  to  contradict  the  whole  scope  of 
the  apostle’s  discourse;)  but  he  must  not  be 
so  the  servant  of  men,  but  that  Christ’s  will 
must  be  obeyed,  and  regarded,  more  than  his 
master’s,  lie  has  paid  a  much  dearer  pur¬ 
chase  for  him,  and  has  a  much  fuller  prop¬ 
erty  in  him.  lie  is  to  be  served  and  obeyed 
without  limitation  or  reserve.  The  servants 
of  Christ  should  be  at  the  absolute  command 
of  no  other  master  beside  Himself,  should 
serve  no  man,  any  farther  than  is  consistent 
with  their  duty  to  Him.  Though  some  un¬ 
derstand  this  passage,  of  persons  being 
brought  out  of  slavery  by  the  bounty  and 
charity  of  fellow  Christians  ;  and  read  the 
passage  thus,  Have  you  been  redeemed  out  of 
slavery  with  a  price  ?  Do  not  again  become 


meaning  the  words  will  bear,  but  the  other 
seems  the  more  natural.  See  ch.  6:  20. 

III.  He  sums  up  his  advice,  v.  24.  This 
is  to  be  understood  of  the  state  wherein  a 
man  is  converted  to  Christianity.  No  man 
should  make  his  faith  or  religion,  an  argu¬ 
ment  to  break  through  any  natural  or  civil 
obligations.  He  should  quietly  and  comfort¬ 
ably  abide  in  the  condition  in  which  he  is; 
and  this  he  may  well  do,  when  he  may  abide 
therein  with  God.  The  special  presence 
and  favor  of  God  are  not  limited  to  any  out¬ 
ward  condition  or  performance.  He  may 
enjoy  it,  who  is  circumcised,  or  bound,  as 
well  as  he  who  is  free.  In  this  respect,  there 
is  neither  Greek  nor  Jew,  circumcision  nor  un¬ 
circumcision,  Barbarian  nor  Scythian,  bond 
nor  free.  Col.  3:  11.  The  favor  of  God  is 
not  bound. 

V.  25 — 35.  The  apostle  here  resumes  his 
discourse,  and  gives  directions  to  virgins 
how  to  act.  Notice, 

I.  The  manner  wherein  he  introduces 
them,  v.  25.  I  have,  says  he,  ‘  no  express 
and  universal  law,  delivered  by  the  Lord 
Himself,  concerning  celibacy;  but  I  give  my 
judgment,  as  one  who  hath  obtained  mercy  of 
the  Lord  to  be  faithful,  in  the  apostleship.’ 
Faithfulness  in  the  ministry  is  owing  to  the 
grace  and  mercy  of  Christ.  It  is  what  Paul 
was  ready  to  acknowledge  upon  all  occa¬ 
sions,  ch.  15:10.  And  it  is  a  great  mercy 
they  obtain  from  God,  who  prove  faithful  in 
the  ministry  of  his  Word,  either  ordinary  or 
extraordinary . 

II.  The  determination  he  gives  ;  which, 
considering  the  present  distress,  was,  that 
a  stale  of  celibacy  was  preferable;  It  is  good 
for  a  man  so  to  be,  i.  e.  to  be  single.  I  sup¬ 
pose,  says  the  apostle,  or  it  is  my  opinion. 
It  is  worded  with  modesty,  but  delivered, 
notwithstanding,  with  apostolical  authority. 
It  is  not  the  mere  opinion  of  a  private  man, 
but  the  very  determination  of  the  Spirit  of 
God  in  an  apostle,  though  thus  spoken.  And 
it  was  thus  delivered,  to  give  it  the  more 
weight.  Those  that  were  prejudiced  against 
the  apostle,  might  have  rejected  this  advice, 
had  it  been  given  with  a  more  authoritative 
air.  Being  then  continually  liable  to  be 
tossed  and  hurried  by  persecution  ;  he  did 
not  think  it  so  advisable  for  them  that  were 
single,  to  change  conditions.  The  married 
state  would  bring  more  care  and  cumber 
along  with  it,  v.  33,34.  and  would  therefore 
make  persecution  more  terrible,  and  render 
them  less  able  to  bear  it.  Christians,  in 
regulating  their  conduct,  should  not  barely 
consider  what  is  lawful  in  itself,  but  what 
may  be  expedient  for  them. 

III.  Notwithstanding  he  thus  determines, 
he  is  very  careful  to  satisfy  them  that  he  does 
not  condemn  marriage  in  the  gross,  or  de¬ 
clare  it  unlawful.  Therefore,  though  he 
says,  ‘  If  thou  art  in  a  single  state,  do  not. 
hastily  change  conditions;’  yet  he  adds,  ‘  If 
thou  art  married,  do  not  seek  to  be  unranr- 


and  add  to  the  calamities  of  the  times  ; 
therefore  he  thought  it  advisable  and  expe¬ 
dient,  that  such  as  could  contain,  should  re¬ 
frain  from  it;  but  he  would  not  lay  celibacy 
on  them  as  a  yoke,  or,  by  seeming  to  urge 
it  too  far,  draw  them  into  any  snare;  there¬ 
fore  he  says,  But  I  spare  you.  How  opposite 
in  this  the  papist  casuists  are  to  the  apostle 
Paul  !  They  forbid  many  to  marry,  and  en¬ 
tangle  them  with  vows  of  celibacy,  whether 
they  can  bear  the  yoke  or  no. 

IV.  He  takes  this  occasion  to  give  gen¬ 
eral  rules  to  all  Christians,  to  carry  them¬ 
selves  with  a  holy  indilferency  toward  the 
world,  and  everything  in  it.  1.  As  to  rela¬ 
tions;  They  that  had  wives,  must  not  set  their 
hearts  too  much  on  the  comforts  of  the  rela¬ 
tion:  they  must  be  as  though  they  had  none. 
This  advice  must  be  carried  into  every  other 
relation.  Those  that  have  children,  should 
be  as  though  they  had  none.  They  that  were 
their  comfort  now,  may  prove  their  greatest 
cross.  And  soon  may  the  llower  of  all  com¬ 
forts  be  cut  down.  2.  As  to  afflictions  ;  They 
that  weep,  must  not  be  dejected  too  much 
with  any  afflictions,  nor  indulge  in  the  sor¬ 
row  of  the  world  ;  but  keep  up  a  holy  joy  in 
God,  in  the  midst  of  trouble,  so  that  even  in 
sorrow  the  heart  may  be  joyful,  and  the  end 
of  grief  be  gladness.  And  if  we  can  but  get 
to  heaven  at  last,  all  tears  shall  be  wiped  from 
our  eyes.  The  prospect  of  it,  now,  should 
make  us  moderate  our  sorrows,  and  refrain 
our  tears.  3.  As  to  worldly  enjoyments  ; 
They  that  rejoice  should  not  take  too  great  a 
complacency  in  any  of  their  comforts.  Here 
is  not  their  rest,  nor  are  these  things  their 
portion  ;  therefore  their  hearts  should  not 
be  set  on  them,  nor  should  they  place  their 
solace  or  satisfaction  in  them.  4.  As  to 
worldly  traffic  and  employment ;  They  that 
buy,  that  prosper  in  trade,  increase  in 
wealth,  and  purchase  estates,  should  hold 
these  possessions  as  though  they  held  them 
not.  It  is  but  setting  their  hearts  on  that 
which  is  not,  Prov.  23:5.  to  do  otherwise. 
Luke  14:18,  19.  They  are  most  likely  to 
run  so  as  to  obtain  the  prize,  who  ease  their 
minds  of  all  foreign  cares  and  cumbrance. 
5.  As  to  all  worldly  concerns,  v.  31.  The 
world  may  be  used,  but  must  not  be  abused. 
It  is  abused  when  not  used  to  honor  God  and 
do  good  to  men  :  when,  instead  of  being  a 
servant,  it  is  made  our  master,  our  idol,  and 
has  that  room  in  our  affections,  which  should 
be  reserved  for  God.  We  must  keep  the 
world  as  much  as  may  be  out  of  our  hearts, 
that  we  may  not  abuse  it  when  we  have  it 
in  our  hands. 

The  apostle  enforces  these  advices  with 
two  reasons  ;  (1.)  The  time  is  short,  v.  29. 
We  have  but  a  short  season  to  possess  and 
enjoy  worldly  things  ;  it  is  contracted,  re¬ 
duced,  will  soon  be  gone.  Therefore  set  not 
your  hearts  on  worldly  enjoyments.  Possess 
what  you  must  shortly  leave,  without  suffer¬ 
ing  yourselves  to  be  possessed  by  it.  Why 
should  vour  hearts  be  much  set  on  what  you 
must  quickly  resign  ?  (2.)  The  fashion  of 
this  world  passeth  away,  v.  31.  the  habit,  fig¬ 
ure,  appearance  of  the  world,  passeth  away. 


ried,  but  do  the  duties  of  the  married  rela- 
enslaved;  just  as  before  he  had  advised,  that,  lion.’  He  adds,  therefore,  further,  ‘Mar¬ 
ti  in  slavery  they  had  any  prospect  of  being  rying  is  not  in  itself  a  sin,  but  marrying  at 
made  free,  they  should  choose  it  rather.  This  this  time  is  likely  to  bring  inconvenience. 


modern.  This,  and  6;20.  plainly  allude  to  the  redemption,  by  the  blood 
of  Christ,  from  that  servitude  to  sin  which  brings  with  it  ignorance,  su¬ 
perstition,  and  evil  habits  of  every  kind.’  Bl.  Become  not  servants  (or 
slaves')  of  men.]  Ham.,  Knatchbull,  &c.  Salmasitis,  Wolf,  Doddr.,  un¬ 
derstand  it  in  the  natural  sense;  and  truly  no  man  can  of  right  give  up 
his  body,  soul,  conscience,  mind,  will,  in  slavery'  to  any  other  will 
than  God’s.  Pise.,  Vorst.,  Rcza,  Grot.,  (Jalv.,  and  most  of  the  more 
recent  comtrs.,  think  the  false  teachers  specially  referred  to;  and  the 
Corinthians  aie  forbidden  to  subject  their  consciences  to  such  dogmat¬ 
ical  directors.  The  fathers,  nnd  ancient  comtrs.,  take  the  words  in  a 
metaphorical  sense  :  as  do  Light/.,  Par.,  &c.,  and  Bl.,  whom  see.  Ed. 

V.  25 — 28.  The  apostle  here  resumes  his  former  subject,  with  a  special 
reference  to  those  who  had  never  been  married  ;  for  he  seems  to  use  the 
word,  rendered  1  virgins,’  in  this  latitude,  including  both  unmarried  men 
and  women.  ‘  Here  Estius  takes  care  to  add,  that  the  apostle  must  be 
understood  only  ..  .of  virgins  who  were  not  under  a  vow  of  conti¬ 
nence  ;  . .  .  And  on  28.  . .  .  Roth  which  exceptions,  seeing  Paul,  assisted 
by  the  Holy  Spirit,  thought  not  fit  to  add,  we  may  presume  that  he  knew 
nothing  of  that  matter.’ — IVhilby.  Scott. 

(25.)  Virgins.]  1  Single  persons  of  either  sex.  So  the  best  comtrs.’ 
Bn.  ‘  I  have  no  special  precept  common  to  all,  either  in  the  old  law,  or 
in  the  gospel  of  Christ.’  Mackn.  ‘  I  have  no  commandment  of  the  Lord 

[2S0J 


to  urge.  So  Grot.,  Pise.,  Sclater,  Par.,  Cajetan,  Justin,  Whit.,  the  Gr. 
fathers  and  comtrs.’  Rut,  says  Bl.,  there  seems  no  reason,  however,  to 
suppose,  with  Whit.,  that  the  latter  cl.  asserts  a  divine  inspiration.  Ed. 

(26.)  Suppose.]  ‘  As  far  as  my  opinion  goes.  Theoph.  The  Gr.  sel¬ 
dom,  if  ever,  denotes  in  Scr.  an  nbsolute  authority  or  decree,  but  a  matter 
of  opinion,  or  private  judgment,  Mat.  5: 17.  10  34.  20:10.  Lu.  2:44.  1  Tim. 
6:5,  <fcc.  ;  not,  however,  that  any  doubt  is  implied  in  the  truth  or  wis¬ 
dom  of  that  judgment.’  Slade.  Distress.]  ‘  Some  persecutions  that 
had  just  begun  (so  the  best  comtrs.),  including,  1  think,  the  peculiar  diffi¬ 
culties  of  a  religion  so  much  at  variance  with  the  customs  of  the  world. 
Man.]  Anthropos  :  person.'  Bloomf. 

V.  29 — 31.  The  spirit  of  a  pilgrim,  and  traveller,  ought  in  ail  cases  to 
be  maintained.  Scott. 

(31.)  Fashion.  1  Schlma  :  a  metaphor  from  the  drama,  where  the 
expression,  paragein  to  schlma  ICs  skcncs  was  used  of  shifting  the 
scenes.  [Note,  Ac.  19:29.]’  Grot. 

V.  32 — 35.  By  the  preceding  counsel,  the  apostle  intended  to  preserve 
believers  from  perplexing  cares  and  anxieties,  especially  in  that  unset¬ 
tled  state  of  the  church.  This  counsel  of  the  apostle  was  far  from  war¬ 
ranting  or  persuading  them  to  shut  themselves  up  in  convents,  and  thus 
to  put  the  lighted  candle  under  a  bushel ;  on  the  contrary,  it  instructed 
them  to  ‘let  their  light  shine  before  men,’  by  an  uninterrupted  series  of 


A.  D.  60. 


1  CORINTHIANS,  \  II.  Jldv ice  to  the  married  and  unmarried. 


33  But  he  that  is  married  careth 
for  the  things  that  are  of  the  world, 
how  he  may  please  his  wife. 

84  There  is  difference  also  be¬ 
tween  a  wife  and  a  virgin.  The 
unmarried  woman  careth  for  the 
things  of  the  Lord,  that  she  may  be 
holy  both  in  body  and  in  spirit  :  but 
she  that  is  married  h  careth  for  the 
things  of  the  world,  how  she  may 
please  her  husband. 

35  And  this  I  speak  for  your  own 
profit ;  not  that  I  may  cast  a  snare 
upon  you,  but  for  that  which  is 
comely,  and  that  ye  may  attend 
upon  the  Lord  without  distraction. 

36  But  if  any  man  think  that  he 
behaveth  himself  uncomely  toward 
his  virgin,  if  she  pass  the  fiower  of 
her  age,  and  need  so  require,  let 
him  do  what  he  will,  he  sinneth 
not  :  let  them  marry. 

37  Nevertheless,  he  that  standeth 
steadfast  in  his  heart,  having  no 
necessity,  but  hath  power  over  his 
own  will,  and  hath  so  decreed  in 
his  heart  that  he  will  keep  his 
virgin,  doeth  well. 

38  So  ‘  then,  he  that  giveth  her  in 
marriage  doeth  well  ;  but  he  that 
giveth  her  not  in  jnarriage  doeth 
better. 

39  The  wife  i  is  bound  by  the 
law  as  long  as  her  husband  liveth  ; 
but  if  her  husband  be  dead,  she  is 
at  liberty  to  be  married  to  whom 
6he  will  ;  only  k  in  the  Lord. 

40  But  she  is  happier  if  she  so 
abide,  after  1  my  judgment  :  and  I 
think  m  also  that  I  have  the  Spirit 
of  God. 

h  Lu.  10.40—42.  )  Ro.  7:2.  1  ver.  25. 

i  Ter.  28.  k  2  Co.  6:14.  m  2  Pe.  3:15,16. 


It  is  daily  changing  countenance,  is  in  a  con¬ 
tinual  flux,  is  not  so  much  a  world,  as  the 
appearance  of  one.  All  is  show,  a  transient 
show,  and  will  be  quickly  gone.  IIow  proper 
and  powerful  an  argument  is  this  to  enforce 
the  former  advice  ! 

V.  He  presses  his  general  advice,  by 
warning  them  against  the  embarrassment  of 
worldly  cares,  v.  3.  Indeed,  to  be  careless 
is  a  fault;  a  wise  concern  about  worldly  in¬ 


terests  is  a  duty  ;  but  to  be  care-full,  full  of 
care,  to  have  an  anxious  and  perplexing  care 
about  them,  is  a  sin.  It  is  the  wisdom  of  a 
Christian,  so  to  order  his  outward  affairs, 
and  choose  such  a  condition  in  life,  as  to  be 
without  distracting  cares,  that  he  may  at¬ 
tend  on  the  Lord  [i.  e.  his  duties]  with  a 
mind  at  leisure  and  disengaged.  This  is  the 
general  maxim  by  which  the  apostle  would 
have  Christians  govern  themselves.  In  the 
application  of  it,  Christian  prudence  must 
direct.  That  condition  of  life  is  best  for 
every  man,  which  is  best  for  his  sold,  and 
keeps  him  most  clear  of  the  cares  and  snares 
of  the  world.  By  this  maxim,  the  apostle 
solves  the  case  put  to  him  by  the  Corin¬ 
thians,  whether  it  were  advisable  to  marry  1 
Ordinarily,  the  less  care  we  have  about  the 
world,  the  more  freedom  we  have  for  the 
service  of  God.  Now  the  married  state,  at 
that  time,  (if  not  at  all  times,)  did  bring 
most  worldly  care  along  with  it,  v.  32,  33, 
34.  Not  but  the  married  person  may  be 
holy,  both  in  body  and  spirit  too.  Celibacy 
is  not,  in  itself,  a  state  of  greater  purity  and 
sanctity  than  marriage  ;  but  the  unmarried 
wotdd  be  able  to  make  religion  more  their 
business  at  that  juncture,  because  they  would 
have  less  distraction  from  worldly  cares. 
At  that  season,  therefore,  the  apostle  advises, 
that  those  who  were  single  should  abstain 
from  marriage,  if  they  were  under  no  neces¬ 
sity  to  change  conditions.  And  where  the 
same  reason  is  plain  at  other  times,  the  rule 
is  as  plain,  and  as  fit  to  be  observed.  And 
the  very  same  rule  must  determine  persons 
for  marriage,  where  there  is  the  same  rea¬ 
son;  i.e.  if,  in  the  unmarried  state,  persons 
are  likely  to  be  more  distracted  in  the  ser¬ 
vice  of  God,  than  if  they  were  married; 
which  is  a  case  supposable  in  many  respects. 
That  condition  of  life  should  be  chosen  by 
the  Christian,  in  which  it  is  most  likely  he 
shall  have  the  best  helps,  and  the  least  hin¬ 
drances,  in  the  service  of  God,  and  the 
affairs  of  his  own  [and  others’]  salvation. 

V.  36 — 33.  In  this  passage,  the  apostle  is 
commonly  supposed  to  give  advice  about  the 
disposal  of  children,  in  marriage,  on  the 
principle  of  his  former  determination.  In 
this  view,  the  general  meaning  is  plain.  It 
was  in  that  age,  especially  among  the  Jews, 
reckoned  a  disgrace  for  a  woman  to  remain 
unmarried,  past  a  certain  number  of  years  : 

‘  Now,’ says  the  apostle,  ‘  if  any  man  thinks 
he  behaves  unhandsomely  toward  his  daugh¬ 
ter,  and  that  it  is  not  for  her  credit  to  re¬ 
main  unmarried,  when  she  is  of  full  age,  and 
that,  on  this  principle,  it  is  needful  to  dispose 
of  her  in  marriage,  he  may  use  his  pleasure. 
It  is  no  sin  in  him,  to  dispose  of  her  to  a 


suitable  mate.  But  if  a  man  has  determined 
in  himself  to  keep  her  a  virgin,  and  stands 
to  this  determination,  and  is  under  no  ne¬ 
cessity  to  dispose  of  her  in  marriage,  but  is 
at  liberty,  with  her  consent,  to  pursue  his 
purpose,  he  does  well  in  keeping  her  a  vir¬ 
gin.  In  short,  he  that  giveth  her  in  mar¬ 
riage,  does  vi  ell  ;  but  he  that  keeps  her 
single,  if  she  can  be  easy  and  innocent  in 
such  a  state,  does  what  is  better;  i.  e.  more 
convenient  for  her  in  the  present  state  of 
things,  if  not  at  all  times  and  seasons. 
Note,  Children  should  be  at  the  disposal 
of  their  parents,  and  not  dispose  of  them¬ 
selves  in  marriage.  Yet  note  again,  Barents 
should  consult  their  children’s  inclinations, 
both  to  marriage  in  general,  and  to  the  per¬ 
son  in  particular,  and  not  reckon  they  have 
uncontrollable  power  to  do  with  them,  and 
dictate  to  them,  as  they  please.  Thirdly,  It 
is  our  duty  not  only  to  consider  what  is  law¬ 
ful,  but  in  many  cases,  at  least,  what  is  fit 
to  be  done,  before  we  do  it. 

But  I  think  the  apostle  is  here  continuing 
his  former  discourse,  and  advising  unmar¬ 
ried  persons,  who  are  at  their  own  disposal, 
what  to  do  ;  the  man’s  virgin  being  meant 
of  his  virginity.  To  keep  his  virgin,  v.  37. 
seems  to  be  rather  meant  of  preserving  his 
own  virginity,  than  keeping  his  daughter  a 
virgin  ;  though  it  be  altogether  uncommon 
to  use  the  word  in  this  sense.  Several  other 
reasons  may  be  seen  in  Locke  and  Whitby. 
And  it  was  a  common  matter  of  reproach, 
both  among  Jews  and  civilized  heathens,  for 
a  man  to  continue  single  beyond  such  a  term 
of  years,  though  all  did  not  agree  in  limiting 
the  single  life,  to  the  same  term.  The  gen¬ 
eral  meaning  of  the  apostle  is  the  same,  that 
it  was  no  sin  to  marry,  if  a  man  thought 
there  was  a  necessity  on  him,  to  avoid  pop¬ 
ular  reproach,  much  less  to  avoid  the  hurry¬ 
ing  fervors  of  lust.  But  he  that  was  in  his 
own  power,  stood  firm  in  his  purpose,  and 
found  himself  under  no  necessity  to  marry, 
would,  at  that  season,  and  in  the  circum¬ 
stances  of  Christians  at  that  time,  at  least,. 
make  a  choice  every  way  most  for  his  own 
conveniency,  ease,  and  advantage,  as  to  his 
spiritual  concerns.  And  it  Is  highly  expe¬ 
dient,  if  not  a  duty,  for  Christians  to  be 
guided  by  such  a  consideration. 

V.  39,  40.  The  whole  is  here  closed  up 
with  advice  to  widows  ;  As  long  as  the  hus¬ 
band  liveth,  the  wife  is  bound  by  the  law ;  con¬ 
fined  to  one  husband,  and  bound  to  continue 
and  cohabit  with  him.  Note,  Death  only  can 
annul  the  bond  of  marriage.  But  the  husband 
being  dead,  she  is  at  liberty  to  marry  whom,  she 
will.  It  is  certain,  from  this  passage,  that 


PR  ACT.  OBS.  V.  25 — 40.  Those  who  have  obtained  mercy  of  the 
Lord  to  he  faithful,  and  who  have  most  studied  the  Word  ofGod,  and 
human  nature,  will  he  the  most  candid  and  cautious  in  giving  their 
judgment,  or  passing  their  censures  ;  for  whatever  may  he  good  in  re- 
Bpect  of  present  difficulties  or  peculiar  circumstances,  they  know  that 
marriage  is  honoralde,  and  fornication  is  abominable,  in  all  persons  and 
circumstances.  They  will  therefore  be  careful  not  to  speak,  as  if  mar¬ 
riage  were  sinful  in  any  ;  and  they  will  be  peculiarly  cautious  not  to 
throw  a  snare  on  those  that  pay  deference  to  their  judgment. — Great 
discretion  is  also  needful  for  purents  and  guardians,  in  their  conduct 
respecting  young  persons;  that  they  do  not,  by  laying  down  rules  ami 
making  determinations,  according  to  their  own  views  of  what  is 
most  for  their  interest,  lead  them  into  dangerous  temptations;  for  it 
may  be  ‘doing  well,’  to  permit  young  persons  to  marry,  if  their  attach¬ 
ments  or  inclinations  lead  that  way  ;  when  otherwise  it  would  be  ‘  doing 
better  ’  to  prevent  them  ;  as  even  apparent  imprudence,  nnd  its  troubles, 
are  better  than  sin  and  its  deplorable  consequences.  How  absurd  then 


must  vows  of  celibacy  nnd  perpetual  virginity  be  !  especially  in  young 
persons,  who  are  as  yet  incapable  of  forming  a  judgment  for  future 
years ;  and  are  probably  induced  to  do  it,  by  the  plans  of  others  con¬ 
cerning  them,  and  those  plans  often  formed  from  secular  motives,  and 
what  is  thought  the  most  desirable  way  of  settling  the  different  branches 
of  the  family.  The  general  consequence  of  them  will  be,  either  the  vio¬ 
lation  of  their  vows;  or  a  life  spent  amidst  temptation  and  mental 
defilement ;  or  still  worse.  This  was  man’s  policy.  How  different 
from  the  wisdom  ofGod,  even  in  this  ch. ;  which  contains  in  it  more  in 
favor  of  a  single  life,  than  all  the  rest  of  the  Scripture  taken  together 
does  ! — Believers,  when  under  no  other  restriction,  should  be  sure,  in 
contracting  marriage,  to  remember  the  limitation  made  by  the  apostle, 
‘only  in  the  Lord.’  What  miseries  have  many  endured  through  the 
remnant  of  their  lives,  and  what  bad  consequences  have  they  entailed 
on  their  families,  by  transgressing  it,  on  one  vain  pretence  or  other  ! 
Let  every  one  then  beware  in  time,  that  they  may  not  rashly  take  a 
step,  which  they  may  have  cause  deeply  to  bewail  to  the  end  of  life.  Sc. 


active  services,  for  the  glory  of  God  and  the  benefit  of  the  world.  Mat. 
5:14 — 16.  Yet  he  only  gave  them  this  counsel  for  their  profit  ;  nnd 
would  not  by  any  means  ‘  cast  a  snare  on  them,’  by  persuading  those  to 
a  single  life,  who  had  not  a  sufficient  command  over  their  own  passions. 
He  did  not  mean  that  this  was  required  of  them,  but  that  in  some  cases 
it  would  be  comely,  and  enable  them  tow-ait  upon  God  in  his  ordinances 
and  commandments,  without  having  their  thoughts  or  affections  divided 
nnd  distracted  by  other  cares  or  attachments.  Scott. 

(34  )  ‘  The  apostle  considers  marria.se  solely  as  to  its  cares'  Bl. 

(35.)  Snare.)  tirochon:  rope-snare,  lasso,  of  ancient  warfare.  Ed. 

V.  36—  33.  Hitherto  the  apostle's  meaning  has  been  evident;  but 
these  vs.  are  not  without  difficulty.  Some  explain  them  of  a  man’s 
resolutely  continuing  in  a  single  state;  supposing  the  ‘necessity’  men¬ 
tioned,  to  be  matter  of  personal  consciousness,  and  not  anything  arising 
from  the  conduct  of  another;  but  such  a  construction  of  the  original  is, 
N.  T.  VOL.  V.  36 


by  their  own  allowance,  without  example.  Others  would  refer  them  to 
the  case  of  a  man,  who  had  betrothed  a  virgin,  and  was  in  doubt  whether 
lie  should  complete  the  marriage  ;  but  ‘  to  marry  ’  is  not  the  same  ns  ‘  to 
give  in  marriage.'  It  seems  therefore  most  obvious  to  explain  the  pas¬ 
sage  of  a  parent,  or  guardian,  who  had  the  charge  of  a  virgin.  Scott. 

(36.)  ‘The  disgrace  which,  according  to  eastern  opinion,  ^I'kacy 
involved,  extended  from  the  virgin  to  her  father.  Ecclesiasticus  42.  ■ 
See  G  rot.  ‘There  is  no  authority  for  tr.  parthenon  “  virginity  ;  l®“j 
proposed  by  Henry  ;]  besides  that  it  is  at  variance  with  the  con  •  • 
Pass,  <fcc.l  If  she  be  past  a  marriageable  age.’  Bl.  / 

V.  39,  40.  The  language  employed  in  several  place*  of ^  this  cn  n 
led  most  expositors  to  conclude,  that  the  apostle  did  not  intimation* 
ration,  in  the  particulars  referred  to;  and  doubtless  'he  ,  > 

thus  understood,  would  rather  prove,  than  invahdate.  _  .  seemg 
inspiration  in  other  parts  of  his  writings.  2  5.7:1  4.  rggjj 


A.  D.  60. 


1  CORINTHIANS,  VIII. 


Of  things  offered  to  idols. 


CHAP.  VIII. 

1  To  abstain  from  meats  offered  to  idols.  8,  9  We  most 
not  abase  our  Christian  liberty,  to  the  offence  of  our 
brethren  :  11  but  must  bridle  our  knowledge  with  charity. 

NOW  as  touching  things  offered 
*  unto  idols,  we  know  that  we 
all  have  b  knowledge.  'Knowledge 
puffeth  up,  but d  charity  edifieth. 

2  And  'if  any  man  think  that  he 
knoweth  any  thing,  he  knoweth 
nothing  yet  as  he  ought  to  know. 

3  But  if  any  man  love  God,  the 
same  is  known  1  of  him. 

4  As  concerning  therefore  the 
eating  of  those  things  that  are  offer¬ 
ed  in  sacrifice  unto  idols,  we  know 
that  an  idol  *  is  nothing  in  the 
world,  and  that  there  is  none  other 
h  God  but  one. 

5  For  though  there  be  that  are 
1  called  gods,  whether  in  heaven  or 
in  earth,  (as  there  be  gods  many 
and  lords  many,) 


a  Ac.  15:10,19. 
b  Ro.  14:14.21. 
c  Is.  47:10. 
d  c.  Id. 


e  Ro.  11:25.  G a. 

6:3.  1  Ti.  6:3,4. 
f  Na.  1:7.  2  Ti. 
2:19. 


g  Ts.  41:24. 
h  De.  4:39. 

Is.  44:8,24. 
i  Jn.  l'J :34 ,35. 


the  widow  could  not  he  at  liberty  to  marry 
whom  she  pleased,  nor  to  marry  a  second 
time  at  all.  But  in  our  choice  of  relations, 
and  change  of  conditions,  we  should  always 
have  an  eye  to  God.  Marriages  are  then 
only  likely  to  have  God’s  blessing,  when 
they  are  made  in  the  Lord  S  when  persons 
are  guided  by  the  fear  of  God,  and  the  laws 
of  God,  and  act  in  dependence  on  the  prov¬ 
idence  of  God,  in  the  change  and  choice  of 
a  mate;  when  they  can  look  up  to  God,  and 
sincerely  seek  his  direction,  and  humbly 
hope  for  his  blessing  on  their  conduct.  But 
the  is  happier,  says  the  apostle,  if  she  so  abide, 
i.  e.  continue  a  widow,  in  my  judgment.  ; 
and  I  think  I  have  the  Spirit  of  God,  v.  40. 
At  this  juncture,  at  least,  if  not  ordinarily, 
it  will  be  much  more  for  the  peace  and  quiet 
of  such,  and  give  them  less  hindrance  in  the 
service  of  God,  to  continue  unmarried.  And 
this,  he  tells  them,  was  by  inspiration  of  the 
Spirit.  Change  of  condition  in  marriage  is 
so  important  a  matter,  that  it  ought  not  to 
be  made  but  on  due  deliberation,  after  care¬ 
ful  consideration  of  circumstances,  and  on 
very  probable  grounds,  at  least,  that  it  will 
he  a  change  to  advantage  in  our  spiritual 
concerns. 


Chap.  VIII.  V.  1 — 3.  The  apostle  comes  j 
here  to  the  case  of  things  that  had  been  of-  | 
fered  to  idols,  concerning  which  some  had 
sought  satisfaction.  For  belter  understand¬ 
ing,  it  must  be  observed,  that  it  was  a  cus¬ 
tom  among  the  heathens,  to  make  -  feasts 
on  their  sacrifices  ;  and  not  only  to  eat 
themselves,  but  invite  their  friends  to  par¬ 
take  with  them.  These  were  usually  kept 
in  the  temple,  where  tile  sacrifice  was  offered, 
v.  10.  and  if  anything  were  left  when  the 
feast  ended,  it  was  usual  to  carry  away  a 
portion  to  their  friends  ;  what  remained, 
after  all,  belonging  to  the  priest,  who  some¬ 
times  sold  it  in  tlie  markets.  See  ch.  10:  25. 
Nav,  feasts,  as  Athenreus  informs  ns,  were 
always  accounted,  among  the  heathen,  sa¬ 
cred  and  religions  tilings,  so  that  they  were 
wont  to  sacrifice  before  all  their  feasts;  and 
it  was  accounted  a  very  profane  thing  among 
them,  to  eat  at  their  private  tables  any  meat, 
whereof  they  had  not  first  sacrificed  on  such 
occasions. 

In  this  circumstance  of  things,  while 
Christians  lived  among  idolaters,  and  had 
occasion  to  eat  at  their  tables,  what  should 
they  do,  if  anything  that  had  been  sacrificed 
should  be  set  before  them  1  What,  if  they 
should  be  invited  to  feast  with  them  in  their 
temples  1  It  seems  some  of  the  Corinthians 
were  got  into  an  opinion,  that  even  this 
might  be  done,  because  they  knew  an  idol 
was  nothing  in  the  world,  v.  4.  The  apostle 
seeiiK  here  to  argue  on  supposition  of  their 
being  right  in  this  thought,  against  their 
abuse  of  their  liberty,  to  the  prejudice  of 
others;  but  plainly  condemns  such  liberty  in 
ch.  10.  lie  introduces  his  discourse  with 
some  remarks  about  knowledge,  that  seem 
to  carry  in  them  a  censure  of  such  pretences 
to  knowledge  as  I  have  mentioned  ;  We 
know,  says  lie,  that  we  all  have  knowledge, 
v.  1.  as  if  he  had  said,  We  who  abstain, 
know  as  much  as  you  of  the  vanity  of  idols, 
and  that  they  are  nothing;  but  we  know  too, 
that  the  liberty  you  take  is  very  culpable, 
and  that  even  lawful  liberty  must  be  used 
with  charity,  and  not  to  the  prejudice  of 
weaker  brethren.  Knowledge  puffeth  up,  but 
charity  edifieth,  v.  1.  Note,  The  preference 
of  charity  to  conceited  knowledge.  True 
love,  and  tender  regard  to  our  brethren,  will 
put  us  on  consulting  their  interest,  and  act¬ 
ing,  as  may  be  for  their  edification.  Ob¬ 
serve,  There  is  no  more  common  evidence 
of  ignorance  than  a  conceit  of  knowledge, 
t>.  2.  He  that  knows  most,  best  understands 
his  own  ignorance,  and  the  imperfection  of 


human  knowledge.  It  it  one  thing  to  know 
truth,  and  another  to  know  it  as  we  ought; 
so  as  duly  to  improve  our  knowledge.  Much 
may  be  known,  when  nothing  is  known  to 
any  good  purpose  ;  when  neither  ourselves 
nor  others  are  the  better  for  our  knowledge. 
But,  adds  tlie  apostle,  if  any  man  love  God, 
the  same  is  known  of  God.  If  any  man  love 
God,  and  is  thereby  influenced  to  love  his 
neighbor,  the  same  is  known  of  God  ;  i.  e. 
as  some  understand  it,  is  made  by  Him  to 
know,  is  taught  of  God;  or,  as  others,  shall 
be  approved  of  God  ;  He  will  accept  him, 
and  have  pleasure  in  him.  The  charitable 
person  is  most  likely  to  have  God’s  favor. 
They  who  love  God,  and  for  his  sake  love 
their  brethren,  are  likely  to  be  beloved  of 
God  :  and  how  much  better  is  it,  to  be  ap¬ 
proved  of  God,  than  to  have  a  vain  opinion 
of  ourselves  ! 

V.  4 — 6.  In  this  passage,  he  shows  the 
vanity  of  idols  ;  the  form  of  expression  in 
the  original,  is  elliptical,  but  the  meaning  in 
the  general  is,  that  heathen  idols  have  no 
divinity  in  them  ;  therefore  in  the  O.  T. 
they  are  commonly  called  lies  and  vanities, 
or  lying  vanities.  They  are  mere  imaginary 
gods,  many  of  them  no  belter  than  imaginary 
beings  ;  they  have  no  (lower  to  pollute  the 
creatures  of  God,  and  thereby  render  them 
unfit  to  be  eaten  by  a  child  or  servant  of 
God,  1  Tim.  4:  3. 

And  there  is  no  other  God  but  one.  Note, 
The  unity  of  the  Godhead  is  a  fundamental 
principle  in  Christianity,  and  in  all  right 
religion;  for  there  is  no  other  God  but  one. 
Others  may  be  called  gods,  but  they  are 
falsely  thus  called.  The  heathens  had  many 
such,  some  in  heaven,  and  some  on  earth  ; 
celestial  deities,  and  terrestrial  ones,  men 
made  into  gods,  to  mediate  for  men  with  the 
former,  and  deputed  by  them  to  preside  over 
earthly  affairs  ;  in  Scripture  commonly 
called  Baalim.  But  all  their  divinity  and 
mediation  were  imaginary.  For,  1.  To  us 
there  is  but  cne  God,  says  the  apostle  ;  not 
one  God  to  govern  one  part  of  mankind,  or 
one  rank  and  order  of  men,  and  another  to 
govern  another.  One  God  that  made  all, 
and  therefore  has  power  over  all.  All  things 
are  of  Him,  and  we,  and  all  iliings  else,  are 
fur  Him.  Called  the  Father,  here,  not  in 
contradistinction  to  the  other  persons  of  the 
sacred  Trinity,  and  to  exclude  them  from 
tlie  Godhead,  but  ill  contradistinction  to  all 
creatures  that  were  made  by  God,  and  whose 
I  formation  is  attributed  to  each  of  these  three 
I  in  other  places  of  Scripture,  and  not  appro- 


no  sufficient  ground  for  ilie  distinction;  sometimes  he  spoke  by  way  of 
‘permission,’  concerning  what  was  allowable  ;  sometimes  by  way  of 
‘  counsel,’  concerning  what  was  advisable  ;  and  at  other  times  1  by  com¬ 
mandment,’  concerning  what  was  absolutely  binding  on  their  con¬ 
sciences.  Hut,  in  all  this,  lie  might  lie,  and  doubtless  was,  guided  by 
the  Spirit  of  inspiration  ;  some  tilings  being  expressly  forbidden  ;  others 
as  expressly  commanded;  others  allowed,  as  far  as  expedient  or  ben¬ 
eficial.  Scott. 

Concluding  Note.  V.  40.  1  It  is  the  almost  universal  opinion  of  comtrs.,  that  the 

term,  rtoko  echein  [I  think  I  have],  is  an  emphatic  meiosis,  expressive  of  full  per¬ 
suasion  and  certainty.  ( Theod .  even  tr.  “  These  are  not  tnv  words,  lait  proceed  from 
tie  grace  of  the  H.  S.,  whose  organ  I  am.”)  So  Grot. .  Scl. ,  Beza ,  Wolf,  Whit.,  Pyle, 
Doddr. ,  and  Mack. ,  who  adduce  several  examples  of  this  sense,  both  from  the  scriptu¬ 
ral  and  classical  writers.  But  I  assent  to  Slade,  that  “  the  sense  of  dokein  does  not,  in 
any  of  these  instances,  so  clearly  denote  a  certainty,  ns  to  make  them  matter  of  indis¬ 
putable  authority.”  But  even  if  it  were  so  (observes  he),  there  is  yet  a  question, 
whether  the  context  leads  us  to  the  same  interpretation  of  it  here  :  and.  notwith¬ 
standing  the  great  weight  of  opinion  in  favor  of  this  sense,  it  is  proper  to  consider  what 
tnay  be  urged  against  it.  The  words  kata  ten  ernen  gnomen  [tr.  “  according  to  my 
opinion”),  do  not  suggest  any  idea  of  absolute,  infallible  assurance  fbut  the  contra- 
ry  Ed. )  ;  and  if  Paul  had  wished  his  decision  to  rest  upon  such  ground,  by  an  appeal 
to  the  certain  operation  of  the  Spirit,  it  appears  unlikely  that  lie  would  have  express- 
ed  it  by  the  ambiguous  phrese,  doko  echein.  Paul,  indeed,  though  he  had  no  doubt  of 
his  determinations  and  directions  being  conformable  to  the  will  of  God,  vet  might  not 
Ire  called  unequivocally  to  declare  that  he  was  speaking  from  immediate  inspiration. 
The  whole  subject,  indeed,  appears  to  be  treated  rather  in  the  language  of  private 
Judgment,  than  of  divine  authority  ;  see  especially  v.  6,  10,  25,  3-5 ,  and  notes.  The 
present  cl.  may  .re  t r  :  “  and  \  truet  that  I  also  (or,  even  I)  be ve  the  spirit  of  Gnd  *4 
I  e itt t rely  agree  with  this  judicious  commentator,  on  the  general  force  of  the  express- 
•on,  which  seems  to  have  been  similarly  understood  by  Tluoph  ,  ottr  venerable  Eng. 
Trs.,  also  Ham .  and  H/e.  Indeed  the  phrase,  kata  ten  emeu  gnomen.  “ought  to  have 
pievented  any  misapprehension  of  the  apostle’s  meaning,  since  it  is,”  as  Pa',  truly 
t  ctn arks,  ‘  ’  a  formula  of  one  modestly  interpret  in g  his  judgment  conccrnin  g  a  thing 
of  which  philological  commentators  give  several  examples,’  BloOMF. 

NOTES.  Chxp.  VIII.  V.  1.  ‘  Tillotson.  Pearce,  Wets.,  Sanr., 

Markl.,  Noess.,  Ros.,  Krause,  and  most  recent  intprs.,  consider  the  words 
“  we  know  we  all  have  knowledge,”  as  an  extract  from  the  letter  of  the 
Corinthians,  to  which  Paul  answers  in  tlie  following  words  :  “  Know¬ 
ledge,”  etc.  And  so  again  at  v. -1 — 6.  “we  know  that — by  Him,”  to 

which  I’  answers  ;  “  Uowbeit,”  &c.  And  again  at  v.  8.  “  lint  meat _ 

the  worse,”  to  which  P.  answers  “  Hut  take  heed,”  &c.  And  so  also 

[232] 


(adds  Markland)  R:12,15.  7:1.  10:23.  But  the  ancient  comtrs.  do  not 
countenance  this  hypothesis,  which  seems  too  bold,  leads  to  more  diffi¬ 
culties  than  it  removes,  and  is  not  necessary.’  Bl.  Knowledge  ]  ‘That 
all  idols  were  exceedingly  vain ,  and  which  they  carefully  concealed  from 
tlie  middle  and  lower  ranks  of  mankind.’  Mackn. 

(2.)  Any  who  conceitedly  pretends  thoroughly  to  know  a  science, 
or  doctrine,  or  rests  in  his  knowledge  without  jiutting  it  in  practice, has 
advanced  hut  little  in  true  moral  or  physical  knowledge,  each  step  on¬ 
ward  of  which  must  lie  attended  with  humility  and  a  compassion  of  igno¬ 
rance  ;  for  those  who  think  they  have  nothing  to  learn,  learn  nothing; 
and  Cod's  revealed  and  natural  laws  both  favor,  v.  3.  and  reward  this 
modest,  obedient,  fruitful  stule  of  inind,  with  progressive  knowledge  and 
hajtpiness.  See  .In.  7:17.  Ed. 

V.  4 — 6.  The  Lord  Jesus  cannot  here  he  spoken  of,  in  respect  of  his 
original  nature,  as  if  inferior  to  the  Father,  any  more  than  in  those 
texts,  which  more  directly  speak  of  his  mediatorial  Person,  character, 
office,  and  authority.  Jn.  14:27,28.  The  One  God,  even  the  Father, 
signifies  tlie  Godlie'ad,  as  the  sole  object  of  all  religious  xvorship  ;  and 
the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  denotes  tlte  Person  of  Emmanuel,  ‘God  manifest 
in  tlie  flesh,’  One  with  tlie  Father,  and  One  with  us,  the  appointed  Me¬ 
diator,  and  Lord  of  all ;  through  whom  we  come  to  the  Father,  and 
through  whom  the  Father  communicates  all  blessings  to  ns,  by  the  ope¬ 
rations  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  So  that  this  passage  proves,  that  Christ  the 
Mediator  is  the  Object  of  our  worship,  as  One  with  the  I’niher  and  Hie 
Spirit,  in  Hie  unity  of  the  Godhead  ;  and  ns  opposed  to  all  others  to 
whom  divine  adoration  was  rendered,  or  by  whom  it  was  claimed  ;  or  to 
whom  it  has  since  been  abundantly  and  idolatrously  rendered  by  profes¬ 
sed  Christians.  Col.  2:18 — 20.  ‘  For  Thou  only  art  holy  ;  Thou  only  art 
tlie  Lord;  Thou  only,  O  Christ,  with  the  Holy  Ghost,  art  most  high  in 
tlie  glory  of  God  the  Father.’  Communion  Service.  None  essentially 
holy,  no  creature  the  object  of  worship,  ns  Mediator,  none  else  exalted, 
with  the  Holy  Ghost,  in  the  glory  of  ‘God  the  Father,’  except  Jesus 
Christ.  John  5: 24 — 29.  Phil.  2:9 — 11.  This,  at  the  Reformation,  was  tx 
noble  protest  against  the  worship  of  saints  and  angels,  as  mediators,  by 
the  papists.  The  Gentiles  generally  acknowledged  one  Supreme  Deity; 
hut  they  surrounded  him  with  such  a  croup  of  inferior  gods  and  detnorn 
that  he  seemed  lost,  or  neglected  in  the  crowd.  Thus  it  has  been  in  U 


A.  D.  60. 


1  CORINTHIANS,  VIII. 


Of  things  offered  to  idols. 


6  But  to  us  J  there  is  but  one 
God,  the  Father,  of  whom  are  all 
things,  and  we  k  in  him;  and  one 
Lord  Jesus  Christ,  by  whom  1  are 
all  thi  ngs,  and  we  by  him. 

7  Howbeit  there  is  not  in  every 
man  that  knowledge  :  for  some, 
with  conscience  of  the  idol  unto 
this  hour,  eat  it  as  a  thing  offered 
unto  an  idol  ;  and  their  conscience 
being  weak  is  defiled. 

S  But  meat  m  commendeth  us 
not  to  God  ;  for  neither  if  we  eat, 
n  are  we  the  better ;  neither  if  we 
eat  not,  “are  we  the  worse. 

9  But  take  heed,  lest  by  any 
means  this  p  liberty  i  of  yours  be¬ 
come  a  stumbling-block  to  them 
that  are  weak. 

10  For  if  any  man  see  thee  which 
hast  knowledge  sit  at  meat  in  the 
idol’s  temple,  shall  not  the  con¬ 
science  of  him  which  is  weak  be 
r  emboldened  to  eat  those  things 
which  are  offered  to  idols  ; 

11  And  through  thy  knowledge 
shall  the  weak  brother  perish,  for 
whom  Christ  died  ? 

12  But 5  when  ye  sin  so  against 
the  brethren,  and  wound  their  weak 
conscience,  ye  sin  against  Christ. 

J  Mai.  2:10.  n  or,  have  we  the  q  Ro.  14:13,20. 

i£p.  4:6.  more.  Ga.  5:13. 

k  or,  for.  o  or,  have  we  the  r  edified. 

1  J n .  1:3.  He. 1:2.  less.  8  Mat.  25:40,  45. 

m  Ro.  14:17.  p  or,  power . 

priated  to  the  Father  alone.  God  the  Fath¬ 
er,  as  the  first  Person  in  the  Godhead,  stands 
here  for  the  Deity,  which  yet  comprehends 
all  three.  2.  There  is  to  us  but  one  Lord, 
one  Mediator  between  God  and  men,  even 


Jesus  Christ.  Not  many  mediators,  as  the 
heathen  imagined,  but  one  only,  by  whom 
all  things  were  created,  and  do  consist,  and 
to  whom  all  our  hope  and  happiness  are 
owing.  The  Man  Christ  Jesus;  but  a  Man 
in  personal  union  with  the  Divine  Word,  or 
God  the  Son.  This  very  Man  hath  God 
made  both  Lord  and  Christ,  Acts  2:  SG.  It 
is  the  great  privilege  of  us  Christians,  that 
we  know  the  true  God,  and  true  Mediator 
between  God  and  man  :  the  true  God,  and 
Jesus  Christ  whom  He  hath  sent,  John  17:  3. 

V.  7 — -13.  The  apostle,  having  granted, 
and  indeed  confirmed,  the  opinion  of  some 
among  the  Corinthians,  that  idols  were 
nothing,  proceeds  now  to  show  them,  that 
their  inference  from  this  assumption  was  not 
just,  namely,  That  therefore  they  might  go 
into  the  idol-temple,  and  eat  of  the  sacri¬ 
fices,  and  feast  there  with  their  heathen 
neighbors.  And  here  he, 

1.  Informs  them,  that  every  Christian 
man  at  that  time,  was  not  so  fully  convinced 
and  persuaded  that  an  idol  was  nothing, v.  7. 
Though  they  were  converts  to  Christianity, 
and  professed  the  true  religion,  they  were 
not  perfectly  cured  of  the  old  leaven,  but 
retained  an  unaccountable  respect  for  the 
idols  they  had  worshipped  before  :  and  so 
their  conscience,  being  weak,  was  defiled ;  they' 
contracted  guilt  ;  they  ate  out  of  respect  to 
the  idol,  with  an  imagination  that  it  had 
something  divine  in  it,  and  so  committed 
idolatry  :  whereas  the  design  of  the  Gospel 
was,  to  turn  men  from  dumb  idols  to  the  liv¬ 
ing  God.  This  seems  to  be  the  sense  of  the 
place  ;  though  some  understand  it  of  weak 
Christians  defiling  themselves,  by  eating 
what  was  offered  to  an  idol,  with  an  appre¬ 
hension,  that  thereby  it  became  unclean, 
and  made  them  so  in  a  moral  sense,  who 
should  eat  it;  every  one  not  having  a  knowl¬ 
edge  that  the  idol  was  nothing,  and  there¬ 
fore  that  it  could  not  render  what  was  of¬ 
fered  to  it,  in  this  sense,  unclean.  We  should 


be  careful  to  do  nothing  that  may  occasion 
weak  Christians  to  defile  their  consciences. 

II.  He  tells  them,  that  mere  eating  or 
drinking  had  nothing  in  them  virtuous  or 
criminal,  nothing  that  could  make  them  bet¬ 
ter  or  worse,  pleasing  or  displeasing  to  God, 
v.  8.  It  looks  as  if  some  of  the  Corinthians 
made  a  merit  of  their  eating  what  had  been 
offered  to  idols,  and  that  in  their  very  tem¬ 
ples  too,  v.  10.  because  it  plainly  showed 
that  they  thought  the  idols  nothing.  But 
eating  or  drinking  are  in  themselves  actions 
indifferent.  Flesh  offered  to  idols,  may  in 
itself  be  as  proper  for  food  as  any  other  ; 
and  the  bare  eating,  or  forbearing  to  eat, 
has  no  virtue  in  it.  It  is  a  gross  mistake, 
to  think  that  distinction  of  food  will  make 
any  distinction  between  men  in  God’s 
account. 

III.  He  cautions  them  against  abusing  the 
liberty  they  thought  they  had  in  this  matter. 
For  that  they  mistook  it,  and  had  no  allow¬ 
ance  to  sit  at  meat  in  the  idol’s  temple, 
seems  plain  from  ch.  10:20,  &o.  But  lie 
argues  here,  that  even  on  supposition  they 
had  such  power,  they  must  be  cautious  how 
they  use  it;  it  might  lie  a  stumbling-block  to 
the  weak,  v.  9.  it  might  occasion  their  fall¬ 
ing  into  idolatrous  actions,  perhaps  their 
falling  off'  from  Christianity,  and  revolting 
again  to  heathenism.  Such  an  occasion  of 
falling  they  should  be  careful  not  to  lay  be¬ 
fore  their  weak  brethren,  whatever  liberty 
or  power  they  themselves  had. 

This  caution  he  backs  with  two  considera¬ 
tions  ;  1.  The  danger  that  might  accrue  to 
weak  brethren,  even  those  weak  brethren 
for  whom  Christ  died,  v.  11.  Those  whom 
Christ  hath  redeemed  with  his  most  precious 
blood,  should  be  very  precious  and  dear  to 
us.  That  man  has  very  little  of  the  spirit 
of  a  Redeemer,  who  had  rather  his  brother 
should  perish,  than  himself  be  abridged,  in 
any  respect,  of  his  liberty.  2.  The  hurt  done 
to  them,  Christ  takes  as  done  to  Himself, 


corrupted  Christian  church,  in  respect  of  ‘  the  One  living  and  true  God,’ 
and  the  ‘  One  Mediator  between  God  and  man,  the  Man  Christ  Jesus.’ 
Though  acknowledged  in  words,  they  have  been  and  are  so  surrounded 
by  angels  and  saints,  as  mediators  and  objects  of  religious  worship,  that 
the  peculiar  honor  both  of  the  Father,  and  of  Christ  ‘the  Head,’  has 
been  and  still  is  given  almost  entirely  to  creatures.  Scott. 

(5.)  Heaven,  &.  c.]  ‘An  allusion  to  the  heathen  classification  of  gods 
into  celestial  and  terrestrial.’  Mackn.  ‘In  heaven,  the  sun,  moon, 
and  stars,  on  earth  deified  mortals.’  Bloomf.  ‘  Many  by  heathen  custom 
were  called  kurioi,  domini,  baalim  [lords].  In  Syria,  there  were  as 
many  as  of  regions,  nay,  of  cities,  almost.’  Ros.  ‘  The  title  first  of  demigods, 
then  of  tutelary  deities,  was  at  length  given  to  men,  as  Hercules,  &c. 
and  at  last  to  kings,  princes,  and  nobles.’  Rl.  but  this  is  little  more 
than  a  theory,  note,  end  of  Jer.  46.  Ed. 

V.  7 — 13.  Christians,  who  were  matured  in  knowledge  and  judg¬ 
ment,  knew  indeed  that  an  idol  was  the  senseless  representative  of  a 
nominal  deity,  which  had  no  existence.  But  not  every  professed  Chris¬ 
tian,  no,  nor  every  true  believer,  had  ‘  that  knowledge  ;’  so  that  some  of 
them,  even  to  that  time,  ventureil  to  eat  of  the  idol  sacrifices,  who  re¬ 
tained  a  superstitious  regard  to  the  supposed  invisible  object  of  worship. 
They  had  an  impression  on  their  minds,  through  an  association  of  ideas 
not  easily  dissolved,  that  they  were  joining  in  an  idolatrous  sacrifice; 
and  thus  ‘  their  consciences  being  weak  were  defiled.’  They  [who  had 
knowledge]  ought  therefore  to  be  far  more  cautious  and  circumspect,  in 
using  what  they  considered  as  their  liberty  and  privilege  ;  and  not  to 
act  in  such  a  self-confident  and  imprudent  manner,  as  tended  to  seduce 
those  into  sin,  who  were  weak  and  unconfirmed  in  the  faith.  The  word 
tr.  ‘emboldened,’  is  lit.  ‘edified;’  (Marg.)  and  thus  the  apostle  inti¬ 
mated,  that,  instead  of  edifying  their  weaker  brethren,  ‘in  their  most 
holy  faith,’  by  their  example  and  endeavors,  they  were  confirming 
them  in  the  superstitious  regard,  which  in  some  degree  they  still  retain¬ 
ed  for  idols  ;  and  even  inducing  them  to  join  in  those  idolatrous  rites,  by 
which  Ihe  worshippers  had  ‘  fellowship  with  devils.’  Thus  their  knowl¬ 
edge,  of  which  they  made  so  ostentations  a  display,  directly  tended  to 
the  ruin  of  ‘those  for  whom  Christ  died;’  ami,  whatever  might  be  the 
event,  through  the  special  grace  of  God  preventing  the  fatal  consequence, 
yet,  by  thus  giving  a  wound,  mortal  in  its  nature,  to  a  member  of 
Christ’s  mystical  body,  they  committed  a  very  heinous  sin  against  the 
Savior  Himself ;  which  would  not  pass  without  severe  rebukes. — The 
word  ‘  w'eak  ’  often  means  sick  or  diseased ;  and  some  learned  men  ex¬ 
plain  these  vs.  not  of  a  doubting  conscience,  but  of  an  erroneous  con¬ 
science  ;  i.  e.  not  of  one,  who  ate,  though  he  doubted  the  lawfulness  of 
so  doing;  but  of  one,  who  erroneously  thought  he  might  lawfully  par¬ 
take  of  the  sacrifices,  with  some  degree  of  regard  to  the  idol,  and  in  ex¬ 
pectation  of  some  advantage  to  himself  or  family.  Rom.  14:19 — 23. 
And,  indeed,  considering  the  inveterate  habits  of  such  as  had  been 
brought  up,  and  perhaps  grown  old  in  idolatry,  and  likewise  the  corrupt 
state  of  the  Corinthian  church,  it  is  not  unlikely,  that  some  professed 
Christians  retained  a  hankering  after  their  former  usages  ;  especially,  as 
feasting  with  their  neighbors  and  relations,  on  these  occasions,  would  in 
part  exempt  them  from  reproach  and  persecution.  The  apostle,  how¬ 
ever,  by  ‘  a  weak  brother,-*  seems  particularly  to  mean  the  man  with  a 
doubting  conscience ;  not  him  with  the  erroneous  one,  at  least,  not  ex¬ 


clusively. — (3)  The  better.)  Dr.  Whitby,  after  endeavoring  to  refute  the 
argument,  which  some  drew  from  these  vs.  against  conformity  to  the 
ceremonies  of  the  church  of  England,  because  they  doubted  the  lawful¬ 
ness  of  so  doing,  makes  the  following  important  remark  :  ‘Neverthe¬ 
less,  this  seemeth  to  press  hard  on  them,  who  believe  that  the  schism  of 
such  weak  persons,  will  finally  tend  to  their  ruin,  and  render  them  ex¬ 
iles  from  the  Hock  of  Christ;  and  yet,  for  things  indifferent,  will,  in  this 
dreadful  sense,  cause  their  weak  brother  to  offend  ;...  since  this  they  do 
for  that,  “which  commends  them  not  to  God,”  which  doing  they  “are 
not  the  better,  or  omitting  they  are  not  the  worse.”  (8)  For  if  schism 
and  idolatry  be  equally  damning  sins,  and  equally  “cause  my  brother  to 
offend,”  and  him  to  perish  for  whom  “  Christ  died  we  are  equally  to 
take  heed  in  both  cases,  lest  our  power  to  do  the  thing  indifferent,  be¬ 
come  “a  stumbling-block  to  the  weak,”  or  the  erroneous  in  their  judg¬ 
ment  of  these  things.  For  let  men  imagine  what  other  difference  they 
please  in  the  case,  while  the  sad  issue  or  event  is  in  general  the  same,  to 
wit,  the  perishing  of  my  brother,  and  my  power  to  have  abstained  from 
that,  which  through  his  erroneous  conscience  gave  occasion  to  it,  is  the 
same,  I  fear  the  guilt  will  be  the  same.’  This  cannot  easily  be  answer¬ 
ed,  by  those  who  think  non-conformity  a  fatal  schism,  and  yet  require 
things  allowedly  indifferent  as  terms  of  conformity.  Rom.  14:13 — 18. 
v.  14.  Scott. 

(7.)  Conscience.)  ‘  But  some  in  the  consciousness,  or  secret  opinion 
(so  the  word  Eccl.  10:20.  1  Cor.  10:28,29.  2  Cor.  4:2.  5:11)  of  the  idol, 
as  being  something  (i.  e.  a  real  being,  or  a  representation  of  one),  even 
yet  eat  of  the  food,  as  if  of  food  offered  to  some  really  existing  demon  ; 
and  their  perception  of  right  and  wrong  being  weak,  and  ill-informed, 
their  conscience  is  defiled,  and  they  feel  self-condemned.’  Bl.  See 
Wayland ,  on  injuring  conscience.  How  careful,  on  the  other  hand,  should 
teachers  be,  not  to  make  that  matter  of  conscience  which  is  not,  as  did 
the  Pharisees,  Mat.  23:4.  Comp.  Rom.  14:23.  Ed. 

(8.)  ‘  But  why  occasion  this  inconvenience  ?  The  great  God  does  not 
so  much  esteem  a  man  for  being,  or  disapprove  of  him  for  not  being,  su¬ 
perior  to  such  little  scruples  ;  but  the  tenderness  of  his  conscience,  to¬ 
gether  wiih  the  zeal  and  charity  of  his  heart,  are  the  grand  qualities  H# 
regards.’  Doddr. 

(9,10.)  Liberty.)  License.  See  BA  Sit  at  meat.)  Katakeimenon  ; 
a  word  appropriated  to  the  reclining  at  meals,  common,  as  some  other 
customs,  to  the  Greeks  xvith  the  Orientals.  The  cut  is  of  a  triclinium, 
disclosed  among  the  ruins  of  the  Grecian  colony  of  Pompeii,  buried 


bout  this  time  by  the  ashes  of  Vesuvius.  A  is  the  highest  seat  at  table, 
I  the  second,  C  the  third.  The  middle  of  each  seat  is  the  most  honor- 
ble.  See  figures.  Temple.)  Eiaoleion  :  comp,  the  Ramesseion ,  cut, 
K  7-2  Ed. 


A.  D.  60. 


13  Wherefore,  if  meat  make  my 
brother  to  ofFend,  I  will  eat  no  flesh 
while  the  world  standeth,  lest  '  I 
make  my  brother  to  ofFend. 

CHAP.  IX. 

1  He  sheweth  his  liberty,  7  and  that  the  minister  ought  to 
live  by  the  Gospel  :  15  yet  that  himself  hath  of  his  own 
accord  abstained,  18  to  be  either  chargeable  unto  them, 
32  or  offensive  unto  any,  in  matters  indifferent.  24  Our 
life  is  like  unto  a  race. 

AM  I  not  an  apostle  ?  am  I  not 
free  ?  have  not  I  seen  a  Jesus 
Christ  our  Lord  ?  are  not  ye  my 
work  b  in  the  Lord  ? 

2  If  I  be  not  an  apostle  unto  oth¬ 
ers,  yet  doubtless  I  am  to  you  :  for 
the  seal  of  mine  apostlesbip  are  ye 
in  the  Lord. 

3  Mine  answer  to  them  that  do 
examine  me  is  this  ; 

4  Have  we  not  power  to  eat  and 
to  drink  ? 

5  Have  we  not  power  to  lead 
about  a  sister,  a  c  wife,  as  well  as 
other  apostles,  and  as  the  brethren 
of  the  Lord,  and  Cephas  ? 

I  c.  9:22.  &  Ac.  9:3,17.  b  c.  4:15.  c  or,  woman. 

v.  12.  Injuries  done  to  Christians,  are  in¬ 
juries  to  Christ  :  especially  to  weak  Chris¬ 
tians  ;  and,  most  of  all,  involving  them  in 
guilt;  wounding  their  conscience,  is  wound¬ 
ing  Him.  He  has  a  particular  care  of  the 
lambs  and  flock.  Is.  40: 11.  Strong  Chris¬ 
tians  should  be  very  careful  to  avoid  what 
will  offend  weak  ones,  or  lay  a  stumbling- 
block  in  their  way. 


1  CORINTHIANS,  IX. 

IV.  He  enforces  all  with  his  own  exam¬ 
ple,  v.  13.  He  had  such  a  value  for  the  soul 
of  his  brother,  that  he  would  willingly  deny 
himself  in  a  matter  of  liberty,  and  forbear 
any  particular  food,  which  he  might  have 
lawfully  eaten,  and  might  like  to  eat,  rather 
than  lay  a  stumbling-block  in  a  weak  broth¬ 
er’s  way,  and  occasion  him  to  sin,  by  fol¬ 
lowing  his  example,  without  being  clear  in 
bis  mind  whether  it  were  lawful  or  no.  We 
should  be  very  tender  of  doing  anything  that 
may  be  an  oocasion  of  stumbling  to  others  ; 
though  it  may  be  innocent  in  itself.  When 
it  is  certainly  foreseen,  that  my  doing  what  I 
may  forbear,  will  occasion  a  fellow-Chris- 
lian  to  do  what  he  ought  to  forbear,  I  shall 
offend,  scandalize,  or  lay  a  stumbling-block 
in  his  way  ;  which  to  do  is  a  sin,  however 
lawful  the  thing  itself  he,  which  is  done. 
And  if  we  must  be  so  careful  not  to  occasion 
other  men’s  sins,  how  careful  should  we  be 
to  avoid  sin  ourselves.  If  we  must  not  en¬ 
danger  other  men’s  souls,  how  much  should 
we  he  concerned  not  to  destroy  our  own. 

Ciiap.  TX.  V.  1,  2.  Blessed  Paul,  in 
the  work  of  his  ministry,  not  only  met  with 
opposition  from  those  without,  but  discour¬ 
agement  from  those  within.  It  is  no  strange 
or  new  thing,  for  a  minister  to  meet  with 
very  unkind  returns  for  great  good-will  to  a 
people,  and  diligent  and  successful  services 
among  them.  Some  among  the  Corinthians 
questioned,  if  they  did  not  disown,  his  apos¬ 
tolical  character.  To  their  cavils  he  here 
answers,  and  in  such  a  manner  as  to  set 
forth  himself  as  a  remarkable  example  of 
that  self-denial,  for  the  good  of  others, 
which  he  had  been  recommending  in  the 
former  chapter. 


Rights  of  a  Christian  minister. 

And,  1.  He  asserts  his  apostolical  mission 
and  character,  v.  1.  To  be  a  witness  of 
Christ’s  resurrection  was  one  great  branch 
of  the  apostolical  charge.  ‘  Now,’  says  Paul, 
‘  have  not  I  seen  the  Lord  ;  though  not  im¬ 
mediately  after  his  resurrection,  yet  since 
his  ascent  1  Have  I  not  the  same  commis¬ 
sion,  and  charge, and  powers,  with  the  other 
apostles  1  What  respect  or  honor,  or  sub¬ 
sistence,  can  they  challenge,  which  I  am  not 
at  liberty  to  demand  as  well  as  they  V 

2.  He  offers  the  success  of  his  ministry 
among  them,  v.  1.  ‘  Through  the  blessing  of 
Christ  on  my  labors,  have  not  I  raised  a 
church  among  you  1  V  our  conversion  by  my 
means  is  a  confirmation  from  God  of  my 
mission.’ 

3.  He  justly  upbraids  the  Corinthians 
with  their  disrespect,  v.2.  ‘  I  have  labored  so 
long,  and  with  so  much  success,  among  you, 
that  you,  above  all  others,  should  own  and 
honor  my  character,  and  not  call  it  in  ques¬ 
tion.’  Near  two  years  he  had  labored  with 
happy  effect  for  their  good,  God  haring  much 
people  among  them.  See  Acts  8:10,  11.  It 
was  aggravated  ingratitude  for  this  people 
to  call  in  question  his  authority. 

V.  3 — 14.  Having  asserted  his  apostoli¬ 
cal  authority,  he  proceeds  to  claim  the  rights 
belonging  to  his  office,  especially  that  of 
being  maintained  by  it.  These  he, 

I.  States,  v.  3 — 6.  Though  Paul  was  at 
that  lime  single,  he  had  a  right  to  take  a 
wife  when  he  pleased,  and  to  expect  a 
maintenance  for  her,  as^ well  as  himself, 
from  the  churches.  Perhaps  Barnabas  had 
a  wife,  as  the  other  apostles  certainly  had, 
and  led  them  about  with  them.  The  apostle 
therefore  plainly  asserts,  he  had  a  right  to 
marry  as  well  as  other  apostles,  and  claim  <i 


PRACT.  OBS.  Satan  as  effectually  injures  some  men’s  souls,  by 
tempting  them  to  be  proud  of  their  intellectual  powers,  as  he  does  those 
of  others,  by  alluring  them  to  the  grossest  sensualities.  Without  holy 
affections  and  divine  love,  nil  human  knowledge  is  worthless,  and  far 
beneath  the  attainments  of  apostate  angels ;  hut  sanctifying  affections, 
and  humble,  grateful  love,  are  not  only  evidences  of  the  Lord’s  merciful 
acceptance,  hut  are  important  steps  to  a  ‘good  understanding  in  the 
way  of  godliness.’  The  proud  speculator  is  probably  at  the  top  of  his 
attainments:  but  the  loving  disciple,  though  comparatively  ignorant, 
shall  daily  be  edified  and  make  progress  in  heavenly  wisdom  ;  so  that 
he  shall  he  abundantly  enriched  from  the  fulness  of  Christ. — If  our  evi¬ 
dence  of  conversion  is  clear  and  decisive,  and  our  views  distinct  and 
satisfactory,  let  ns  bless  God  for  the  consolation  ;  but  let  us  not  suppose 
that  this  measure  of  knowledge  and  assurance  is  vouchsafed  to  all  be¬ 
lievers,  or  that  we  are  ‘  better’  in  ourselves,  or  more  beloved  of  God, 
than  our  weaker  brethren,  the  younger  children  of  the  same  family.  Let 
us  beware  of  self-preference  on  any  pretence,  and  vainglory,  and  self-in¬ 
dulgence,  and  of  despising  those  who  are  disquieted  by  needless  scru¬ 
ples  ;  who,  though  less  comfortable,  may  perhaps  serve  God  more  con¬ 
scientiously  and  humbly  than  we  do.  Rom.  14:2 — 12.  Such  Christians 


(13.)  ‘Paul  dpes  not  say,  if  my  brother  take  reasonable  cause  of  of¬ 
fence,  but  if  he  take  offence  any  how;  and  not  only,  1  will  not  eat 
idololhyta  [idol-oflerings],  hut  no  meat  at  all ;  and  not  for  a  day  or  two, 
hut,  for  all  my  life  ;  and  not  merely  that  1  may  not  destroy ,  but  not 
even  scandalize.'  Tiieoph.  in  Bl. 

NOTES.  Chap.  IX.  V.  1 — 3.  Some  expositors  think,  that  the 
apostle  here  began  a  new  subject;  and  entered  oil  a  formal  vindication 
of  his  conduct  among  the  Corinthians;  but  he  appears  rather  to  have 
digressed  a  little  from  his  main  subject,  in  order  to  illustrate  it  by  his 
own  example,  and  in  different  wavs;  and  accordingly  lie  resumed  and 
concluded  it  in  the  next  ell.  8:7—13.  10:15 — 33 — He  lmd  before  de¬ 
clared  his  readiness  to  deny  himself  ‘  the  eating  of  flesh  for  ever,’  rather 
than  ‘stumble  his  weak  brother;’  and  he  here  proceeded  to  show  what 
he  had  actually  done  in  this  respect,  to  promote  the  Gospel.  But  in 
order  to  state  this  clearly,  it  was  necessary  to  prove  his  apostolical 
office,  and  that  he  had  a  right  to  a  maintenance  and  other  privileges  in 
that  character.  The  Lord,  by  employing  his  ministry  for  their  conver¬ 
sion,  had  affixed  his  own  seal  to  Paul’s  apostolical  commission.  For 
lie  certainly  would  not  thus  have  attested  a  direct  imposture.  So  that 
they  were  the  last  persons,  who  ought  to  have  made  a  doubt  of  this; 
being  themselves  the  seal  and  demonstration  of  it.  Jn.  6:22 — 27.  2 
Cor.  3:1 — 3.  This  therefore  might  serve  as  a  brief  but  sullicieut  answer 
to  those,  who  examined  him  concerning  the  credentials  of  his  commis¬ 
sion — (3)  Mine  answer,  &c.]  ‘Namely,  what  is  said  in  the  preceding 
v. .  therefore  this  is  improperly  by  some  joined  to  the  next  v.  . .  He  adds 
this  by  the  way,  as  if  he  had  said,  So  far  should  you  he  from  doubting  of 
my  apostlesbip,  that  I  am  used  to  answer  those,  who  call  that  in  ques¬ 
tion,  by  declaring  what  the  Lord  hath  by  me  done  among  you.’  Beza. 

Scott. 

(1.)  Free.]  ‘  He  speaks  of  apostolical  liberty.  Light/.  Seen  Jesus.] 
Alluding  to  the  supernatural  vision,  Acts  0:22.  and  often  elsewjicre,  as 
Ac.  18:9.  24:10.  Ho  means  to  sav,  lie  is  thus  an  eyewitness,  which 
formed  a  material  part  of  the  apostolical  character.  So  Lu.  1:2.  1  Cor. 
15:18.  Comp.  Mat.  13:15.  He  had,  too ,  seen  Christ,  not  in  his  humili¬ 
ation,  but  in  his  glory.  2  Cor.  12:1,  Ac.’  Bloomf. 

(2.)  5>a/.]  ‘  Sphragi*  ;  it  meant,  properly,  the  impression  made  bv  a 
seal ;  which,  being  affixed  to  writings,  is  a  proof  and  evidence  of  their  att- 

[234] 


as  ‘have  knowledge,’  should  also  beware  of  abusing  their  liberty,  nr.d 
of  approaching  to  the  verge,  or  ‘  appearance,  of  evil  ,’  lest  by  any  means 
‘this  liberty  of  theirs  ’  should  prove  ‘  an  occasion  of  stumbling  others, 
and  so  of  guilt  to  themselves.  For,  should  a  weak  believer  see  one,  who 
is  reputed  to  have  knowledge,  sifting  at  some  of  those  feasts ,  or  in 
some  of  those  places  of  public  concourse,  for  Which  many  plead  ;  (about 
as  plausibly  as  the  Corinthians  did  in  behalf  of  eating  in  the  idol’s  tem¬ 
ple  ;)  might  he  not  be  tempted  to  do  the  same,  though  contrary  to  the 
convictions  of  his  own  conscience  ?  And  thus,  through  this  man’s  proud 
knowledge,  and  carnal  self-indulgence,  would  the  soul  of  a  weak  believer 
‘  for  whom  Christ  died,’ he  endangered,  and  his  conscience  wounded  ; 
nay,  many  who  were  hopefully  inquiring  after  salvation,  may  he,  and 
doubtless  are  turned  aside  and  utterly  perish.  How  can  men  thus  ‘  sin 
Against  their  brethren,’  and  violate  the  law  of  love,  without  deeply  of¬ 
fending  Christ,  and  endangering  their  own  souls  also  ?  What  evidence 
can  they  have  of  being  true  Christians,  seeing  they  act  in  a  manner, 
which  is  directly  contrary  to  the  spirit  of  the  apostle,  who  would  4  have 
ealen  no  flesh  to  the  end  of  life,  rather  than  cause  li is  weak  brother  to 
offend  ;’  and  to  the  mind  of  Him,  who  shed  his  precious  blood,  Ritd  pour¬ 
ed  out  his  dying  prayers,  for  his  misguided  murderers  ?  Scott. 


thority.  So  that  it  comes,  in  the  end,  to  signify,  generally,  a  demonstra¬ 
tion  ;  as  Plato,  135,  cited  by  Krause.'  Bl.  Cuts,  Dan.  6:17.  Ed. 

(3.)  Examine.]  ‘  Anabrinousin  :  a  forensic  term,  used  on  purpose  to 
hint  the  arrogance  of  those  who  questioned  his  divine  mission.’  Bl. 

V.  4,  5.  The  words  ‘a  sister,  a  wife.’  are  so  determinate,  that  they 
leave  no  doubt,  that  severrd  of  the  apostles  were  married,  and  took  their 
wives  with  them  to  those  places,  where  they  more  statedlyresided.  To 
render  them  ‘  a  sister,  a  woman,’  as  some  do,  would  form  an  unmean¬ 
ing  tautology,  or  rather  one  calculated  to  mislead  the  reader;  for.  ‘a 
sister’  must  be  a  ivomati ;  and  the  latter  word  would  be  wholly  redun¬ 
dant,  if  it  were  not  intended  to  show  in  what  relation  she  was  supposed 
to  stand  ;  namely,  that  of  ‘  a  wife,’  according  to  the  general  acceptation 
of  the  word.  ‘This  declares  in  effect,  that  l’eter  continued  to  live  with 
his  wife  after  he  became  an  apostle  ;  and  also  that  Peter  had  no  rights  as 
an  apostle,  which  were  not  common  to  Paul.  A  remark  utterly  subver¬ 
sive  of  popery,  if  traced  to  its  obvious  consequences.’  Doddr. —  ‘  Clem¬ 
ens  of  Alexandria  not  only  saith,  that  he  that  inarrieth  hath  the  apostles 
as  examples,  and  that  Peter  carried  his  wife  with  him  till  his  martyr¬ 
dom,  but  confutes  the  enemies  of  matrimony  from  these  words.  ..  . 
Adding,  that  they  carried  about  their  wives,  not  ns  wives,  but  as  sisters, 
to  minister  to  those  who  were  mistresses  offamilies,  that  so  the  doctrine 
of  the  Lord  might,  without  any  apprehension,  or  evil  suspicions,  enter 
into  the  apartments  of  the  women.’  V/hitby.  [‘Thus  they  were  made 
serviceable  to  rte  conversion  or  catechetical  instruction  of  females,  to 
whom,  according  lo  the  accustomed  forms  both  of  Grecian  and  Oriental 
society,  the  apostles  would  have  little  opportunity  of  seeing.  Vid. 
Suicer.’  Bl.  Modern  missionaries  judiciously  take  wives  with  them.  Ed.] 
The  former  part  of  this  quotation  [from  Clem.  A/ex.]  shows  what  the 
records  or  traditions  of  the  church  in  the  second  century  were;  the  lat¬ 
ter  is  a  proof  how  soon  antichristian  notions  about  marriage  began  to 
prevail.  Scott. 

(L)  Power.]  ‘  I.  e.  right ;  it  was  originally  granted  to  the  apostles 
by  Christ,  Mk.  10:7.  The  Jews  (see  Ros.)  permitted  their  teachers  to 
receive  a  provision  from  all  who  were  able  and  willing  to  supply  it. 
Krause  too  observes,  it  was  the  custom  of  all  nations  of  antiquity,  that 
the  publicly  constituted  teachers  of  religion  should  be  supported  bv  the 
contributions  of  those  whom  they  instructed.’  Bloomf. 


A.  D.  60. 


1  CORINTHIANS,  IX. 


liighls  of  a  Clu-istian  mijiisler. 


6  Or  I  only  and  Barnabas,  have 
not  we  d  power  to  forbear  working? 

7  Who  goeth  a  warfare  e  any 
time  at  his  own  charges  ?  who 
planteth  f  a  vineyard,  and  eateth 
not  of  the  fruit  thereof?  or  who 
feedeth  *  a  (lock,  and  eateth  not  of 
the  milk  of  the  flock  ? 

8  Say  I  these  things  as  a  man  ? 
or  saith  not  the  law  the  same  also  ? 

9  For  it  is  written  hin  the  law  of 
Moses,  Thou  shalt  not  muzzle  the 
mouth  of  the  ox  that  treadeth  out 
the  corn.  Doth  God  take  care  for 
oxen  ? 

10  Or  saith  he  it  altogether  for 
our  sakes  ?  For  our  sakes,  no 
doubt,  this  is  written  :  that  he  1  that 
plougheth  should  plough  in  hope  ; 
and  that  he  that  thresheth  in  hope 
should  be  partaker  of  his  hope. 

11  If  j  we  have  sown  unto  you 
spiritual  things,  is  it  a  great  thing 
if  we  shall  reap  your  carnal  things? 

12  If  others  be  partakers  of  this 

Knver  over  you,  are  not  we  rather? 

evertheless  k  we  have  not  used 
this  power ;  but  suffer  all  things, 
lest  we  should  hinder  the  gospel  of 
Christ. 

13  Do  ye  not  know,  that  they 
which  minister  about  holy  things 
1  live  of  the  things  of  the  temple  ? 
and  they  m  which  wait  at  the  altar 
are  partakers  with  the  altar  ? 

14  Even  so  hath  the  Lord  n  or¬ 
dained,  that  they  0  which  preach 
the  gospel  should  live  of  the  gospel. 

15  But  I  p have  used  none  of 
these  things  :  neither  have  I  writ¬ 
ten  these  things,  that  it  should  be 
so  done  unto  me  :  for  3  it  ivere  bet¬ 
ter  for  me  to  die  than  that  any  man 
should  make  my  glorying  void. 


d  2  Th.  3:8,9. 
e  1  Ti.  1:18. 
f  De.  20:6. 

Pr.  27:13. 
g  1  Pe.  5:2. 
h  De.  25:4. 


1  Ti.  5:18.  De.  18:1. 

i  2  Ti.  2:6.  n  Lu.  10:7. 

j  Ro.  15:27.  o  Ga.  6:S. 

k  2  L'o.l  1 :7 — 9.  12:14.  p  Ac.  20:34. 

\  or,  feed.  2  Th.  3.8. 

m  Nu.  18:8,  &c.  q  2  Co.  11:10. 


maintenance  for  li is  wife,  nay,  and  his  child¬ 
ren  too,  if  he  had  any,  from  the  churches, 
without  laboring  with  his  own  hands  to  pro¬ 
cure  it,  v.  6. 

II.  He  proceeds,  by  several  arguments,  to 
prove  his  claim.  1.  From  the  common  prac¬ 
tice  and  expectations  of  mankind.  Those 
who  addict  and  give  themselves  up  to  any 
way  of  business  in  the  world, expect  to  live 
out  of  it,  soldiers,  husbandmen,  and  shep¬ 
herds,  v.  7.  It  is  very  natural,  and  very 
reasonable,  for  ministers  to  expect  a  liveli¬ 
hood  out  of  their  labors.  2.  He  argues  it 
out  of  the  Jewish  law,  v.  S.  Is  this  merely  a 
dictate  of  common  reason,  and  according  to 
common  usage  only  1  No,  it  is  also  conso¬ 
nant  to  the  old  law.  God  had  therein  or¬ 
dered,  that  the  ox  should  not  he  muzzled,  or 
hindered  from  eating,  while  he  was  prepar¬ 
ing  the  corn  for  man’s  use,  and  treading  it 
out  of  the  ear.  But  this  law  was  not  chiefly 
given  out  of  God’s  regard  to  oxen,  or  con¬ 
cern  for  them,  but  to  teach  mankind,  that 
all  due  encouragement  should  be  given  to 
them  who  are  employed  by  us,  or  laboring 
for  our  good  ;  that  the  laborers  should  taste 
of  the  fruit  of  their  labors,  v.  10.  The  law 
saith  this  about  oxen  for  our  sakes.  They 
that  lay  themselves  out  to  do  our  souls  good, 
should  not  have  their  mouths  muzzled,  but 
have  food  provided  for  them.  3.  He  argues 
from  common  equity,  v.  11.  What  they  had 
sown  was  much  better  than  they  expected  to 
reap.  Those  who  enjoy  spiritual  benefits  by 
the  ministry  of  the  Word,  should  not  grudge 
a  maintenance  to  such  as  are  employed  in 
this  work.  If  they  have  received  a  real  ben¬ 
efit,  one  would  think  they  could  not  grudge 
them  this.  What,  get  so  much  good  by 
them,  and  yet  grudge  to  do  so  little  good  to 
them  !  Is  this  grateful  or  equitable  1  4.  He 
argues  from  the  maintenance  they  afforded 
others,  v.  12.  You  allow  others  this  main¬ 
tenance,  and  confess  their  claim  just  ;  but 
who  has  so  just  a  claim  as  I  from  the  church 
of  Corinth  !  ‘  Nevertheless,’  says  the  apos¬ 

tle,  ‘  we  have  not  used  this  power  ,*  but  suffer 
all  things,  lest  we  should  hinder  the  Gospel  of 
Christ.  We  have  not  insisted  on  our  right, 
but  have  rather  been  in  straits,  to  serve  the 
interests  of  the  Gospel,  and  promote  the 
salvation  of  souls.’  lie  denied  himself,  for 
fear  of  giving  offence  ;  yet  claims  his  right, 
lest  his  self-denial  should  prove  prejudicial  to 
the  ministry.  Note,  He  is  likely  to  plead 
most  effectually  for  the  rights  of  others,  who 


shows  a  generous  disregard  to  his  own.  It 
is  plain,  in  this  case,  that  justice,  and  not 
self-love  is  the  principle  by  which  he  is  acted. 
5.  He  argues  from  the  old  Jewish  establish¬ 
ment,  v.  13.  ‘And  if  the  Jewish  priesthood 
was  maintained  out  of  the  holy  things  that 
were  then  offered,  shall  not  Christ’s  minis¬ 
ters  have  a  maintenance  out  of  their  minis¬ 
try  V  6.  He  asserts  it  to  be  the  institution 
of  Christ,  v.  14.  It  is  the  people’s  duty  to 
maintain  their  minister,  by  Christ’s  appoint¬ 
ment,  though  it  he  not  a  duty  hound  on  every 
minister  to  call  for  or  accept  it.  He  may 
waive  his  right,  as  Paul  did,  without  being 
a  sinner  ;  but  they  transgress  an  appoint¬ 
ment  of  Christ,  who  deny  or  withhold  it. 

V.  15 — 18.  He  had,  notwithstanding, 
waived  his  privilege,  and  lays  down  his 
reason. 

I.  He  tells  them  lie  had  neglected  to  claim 
his  right  in  times  past,  v.  15.  He  neither 
ate  nor  drank  himself  at  their  cost,  nor  led 
about  a  wife  to  be  maintained  by  them,  nor 
forbore  working  to  maintain  himself.  From 
others  he  received  a  maintenance,  but  not 
from  them,  for  some  special  reasons.  Nor 
did  he  write  this,  to  make  his  claim  now  ; 
He  asserts  his  right,  yet  does  not  claim  his 
due  ;  but  denies  himself  for  their  sakes,  and 
the  Gospel. 

II.  He  assigns  the  reason  of  his  exercis¬ 
ing  this  self-denial.  He  would  not  have  his 
glorying  made  void,  v.  15.  This  glorying 
implied  nothing  of  boasting,  or  self-conceit, 
or  catching  at  applause,  but  a  high  degree 
of  satisfaction  and  comfort.  It  was  a  sin¬ 
gular  pleasure  to  him  to  preach  the  Gospel 
without  making  it  burdensome  ;  and  lie  was 
resolved,  that  among  them  lie  would  not  lose 
tli is  satisfaction.  His  advantages  for  pro¬ 
moting  the  Gospel  were  his  glory,  and  he 
valued  them  above  iTis  rights,  oi  his  very 
life ;  Better  frir  him  to  die  than  to  have  it  justly 
said,  he  preferred  his  wages  to  his  work. 
It  is  the  glory  of  a  minister,  to  prefer  the  suc¬ 
cess  of  his  ministry  to  his  interest,  and  deny 
himself,  that  he  may  serve  Christ  and  save 
souls.  Not  that  in  so  doing  he  does  more 
than  he  ought  ;  he  is  still  acting  within  the 
bounds  of  the  law  of  charity.  But  he  acts 
on  truly  noble  principles,  he  brings  much 
honor  to  God  in  so  doing  ;  and  those  that 
honor  Him  He  will  honor.  It  is  what  God 
will  approve  and  commend ;  what  a  man  may 
value  himself  for,  and  take  comfort  in,  though 
he  cannot  make  a  merit  of  it  before  God. 


V.  6.  The  apostle  further  inquired,  whether  he  1  and  Barnabas’  alone 
were  excluded  from  the  right  of  being  supported,  without  earning  their 
bread  by  labor.  These  two  eminently  useful  servants  of  Christ  were 
called  to  the  apostolical  office,  after  the  ascension  of  Christ ;  and  went 
forth  together  ‘to  preach  among  the  Gentiles.’  Acts  13:14.  The  cir¬ 
cumstances  in  which  they  found  themselves,  probably,  led  them  to  adopt 
the  method  of  subsisting  by  their  own  manual  labor,  in  order  to  pro¬ 
mote  the  Gospel ;  and  they  botli  persevered  in  it  after  they  separated. 
Acts  15:36 — 11.  But  the  other  apostles,  beginning  their  ministry  among 
the  Jews,  who  had  been  used  to  support  their  teachers,  were  generally 
maintained  bv  them  without  working;  and  were  supplied  when  t hey 
journeyed  to  other  places,  where  churches  had  not  been  planted.  Thus 
Paul  and  Barnabas,  by  not  requiring  a  support,  seemed  to  have  lost 
their  right,  to  one;  and  were  generally  left  to  labor,  and  struggle  with 
difficulties  and  necessities,  fur  want  of  adequate  assistance. — This  view 
of  these  vs.  rentiers  their  connexion  with  the  foregoing  ch.  very  clear. 
Tlie  apostle  was  preparing  lo  show  the  Corinthians:  how  he  waived  the 
exercise  of  his  liberty,  in  order  to  do  good  ;  that  they  might  see,  as  in  a 
glass,  the  impropriety'  of  their  selfish  exercise  of  their  liberty,  1  in  eating 
the  things  offered  unto  idols.’  13 — 18.  8:7 — 13.  Acts  18:1 — 6.  20:32 — 
35.  2  Cor.  11:1— 6.  12:11—15.  Scott. 

V.  7 — 12.  Had  the  Corinthians  objected,  as  some  suppose,  that  Paul, 
by  not  receiving  a  maintenance,  seemed  to  allow  that  he  was  not  an 
apostle;  it  would  have  been  needless  for  him  formally  to  prove  himself 
entitled  to  it ;  hut  this  was  absolutely  necessary,  if  lie  meant  tacitly  to 
instruct  them  by  his  example,  to  give  up  the  self-indulgent  exercise  of 
their  Christian  liberty,  or  privilege,  from  love  to  their  brethren.  1 — 3. 
8-7 — 13. — ‘  Chrysostom  and  Theophylact  observe,  that  he  sailh  not, 
Who  goeth  to  warfare,  and  is  not  rich  ?  Who  plants  a  vineyard,  and 
heaps  not  up  gold  of  the  fruits  of  it  ?  Who  feeds  a  llock,  and  makes  not 
a  merchandise  of  the  sheep  ?  Teaching  us,  that  the  spiritual  pastor 
should  he  content  with  little,  and  seek  only  what  is  necessary,  not  what 
is  superfluous.’  Whitby. — If  then  other  pastors,  and  even  the  false 
teachers  at  Corinth,  had  been  allowed  to  partake  of  this  privilege,  or 
authority  over  them,  much  more  was  this  due  to  the  apostle  and  li  is 
helpers,  who  first  preached  theGospel  among  them.  Nevertheless,  they 
had  not  availed  themselves  of  this  undoubted  right ;  but  had  chosen  to 
endure  unceasing  labor,  pinching  want,  and  every  extremity,  ‘lest  they 
should  give  any  hindrance  to  the  Gospel  of  Christ,’  and  prevent  its  suc¬ 


cess.  Yet  after  ail,  the  Corinthians  would  not  abridge  themselves  of 
the  indulgence  of  a  luxurious  meal,  out  of'love  to  their  weaker  brethren  ! 
This  is  evidently  the  contrast  intended  ;  and  a  most  striking  contrast  it 
was. — (9)  Thou  shalt  not  muzzle,  &c.]  Exactly  from  LXX. — (8)  Asa 
man. ]  See  on  3:3. — ‘This  phrase  in  the  N.  T.  doth  always  signify,  to 
speak,  and  act,  and  live,  after  the  manner  of  a  mere  natural  man,  not 
acting  by  the  guidance  of  divine  wisdom,  or  not  assisted  by  the  Holy 
Spirit.’  '  Whitby.  Scott. 

(7.)  C/iarge.?.]  Homan  soldiers  received  rations,  clothing,  and 
money,  so  much  per  month.  See  Adam.  At  first  it  was  disgraceful  with 
the  Greeks  to  receive  military  pay,  but  after  Pericles  introduced  it,  it 
became  the  custom  of  the  commonwealth.  Even  whole  troops  of  Gre¬ 
cians,  too,  served  foreign  states  for  pay.  See  Potter.  The  Egyptians 
(the  model-nation  of  antiquity)  maintained  their  soldiers  at  the  public 
expense,  note,  Ez.  30:  end.  Milk.]  So  the  shepherds  of  the  E.,  of  Ethio¬ 
pia,  and  of  modern  Greece  are  paid  ;  see  Bush.  Ed. 

(8 — 10.)  Muzzle.]  Note,  Dent.  25:4.  The  precept  is  still  generally 
observed  in  the  E.  The  ancients  had  4  kinds  of  threshing.  See  Schoctt. 
‘l)oth  God  by  this  [precept]  mean  (only)  to  consult  for  the  good  of 
oxen  (and  not  of  men  also)  ?’  Bl.  Rather,  ‘  Doth  God  take  care  of  oxen 
only,’  (Mackn.)  yea,  much  more  doth  He  care  for  men.  Altogether.] 
‘  Rather,  especially ;  i.  e.  may  not  men  learn  much  from  this  exam¬ 
ple  ?  Should. ]  Ought  to.  ..  And  he  that  reapeth  ought  to  partake  of 
(the  fruits  of)  his  hope.  Paul  means  to  say,  If  this  be  true  of  men,  i.  e. 
of  ail  who  labor  for  the  good  of  others,  it  is  still  more  so  of  ministers  of 
the  Gospel.’  Bl.  In. 

V.  13 — 13.  The  O.  T.  is  replete  in  every  part  with  instructions  to  us 
at  this  day,  though  no  one  thinks  of  obeying  the  ceremonial  law. — Prob¬ 
ably,  he  [Paul]  had  witnessed  some  things  in  the  disposition  of  the  Co¬ 
rinthian  Christians,  which  first  induced  him  to  decline  receiving  any 
support  from  them.  What  had  passed  since  he  left  them  still  more  eon- 
firmed  him  in  his  purpose;  he  thought  himself  unkindly  used  by  them, 
and  in  this  way  only  would  he  show  them  his  sense  of  their  misconduct. 
2  Cor.  11:7—12.  12:11 — 21 .  He  knew  that  the  false  teachers  wanted  an 
occasion  against  him  ;  but  this  disinterestedness  gave  him  an  advantage 
over  them  ;  and  it  was  very  important  that  his  example  should  tie  con¬ 
trasted  with  their  conduct,  which  could  not  otherwise  so  properly  ltaxo 
been  done.  For  he  had  been  called  to  this  ministry  in  so  singular  a 
manner,  that  1  a  necessity  was  laid  upon  him,’  and  he  could  not  decline 

[28o] 


A.  D.  60. 


1  CORINTHIANS,  IX. 


The  self-denial  of  Paul- 


16  For  though  I  preach  the  gos¬ 
pel,  I  have  nothing  to  glory  of:  for 
r  necessity  is  laid  upon  me;  yea, 
Avoe  is  unto  me  if  I  preach  not  the 
gospel. 

17  For  if  I  do  this  thing  willing¬ 
ly,  I  have  a  reward  :  hut  if  against 
my  will,  a  dispensation  5  of  the  gos¬ 
pel  is  committed  unto  me. 

18  What  is  my  reward  then  ? 
Verily  that,  when  I  preach  the 
gospel,  I  may  make  the  gospel  of 
Christ  without  charge  ;  that  I  abuse 
not  my  power  in  the  gospel. 

[Practical  Observations-] 

19  For  though  I  be  free  from  all 
men,  yet  have  I  made  myself  ser¬ 
vant  1  unto  all,  that  I  might  gain 
the  more. 

20  And  unto  the  Jews  I u  became 
as  a  Jew,  that  I  might  gain  the 
Jews  ;  to  them  that  are  under  the 
law,  as  under  the  law,  that  I  might 
gain  them  that  are  under  the  law; 

21  To  them  that  are  without  law, 
as  without  law,  (being  not  v  without 
law  to  God,  but  under  the  law  to 
Christ,)  that  I  might  gain  them  that 
are  without  law. 

22  To  the  weak  w  became  I  as 
weak,  that  I  might  gain  the  weak  ; 
1  x  am  made  all  things  to  all  men, 
that  y  I  might  by  all  means  save 
some. 


r  Je.  1:17.  20:9.  u  Ac.  16:3. 
8  Col.  1:25.  2l:23-*26. 

t  Ro.  1:14.  v  c.  7:22. 

Ga.  5:13.  w  Ro.  15:1. 


2  Co.  11:29. 
x  c.  10:33. 
y  Ro.  11:14. 


III.  He  shows  that  this  self-denial  was 
more  honorable  in  itself,  and  yielded  him 
much  more  content  and  comfort,  than  his 
preaching  did,  v.  16.  It  is  my  charge,  my 
business,  the  work  for  which  I  am  constitu- 


PRACT.  OBS.  V.  1—18. 


ted  an  apostle,  ch.  1:17.  a  duty  expressly 
bound  on  me,  not  in  any  degree  a  matter  ol 
liberty.  Those  who  are  set  apart  to  the 
office  of  the  ministry,  have  it  in  charge  to 
preach  the  Gospel.  Woe  be  to  them,  it  they 
do  not.  From  this  none  is  excepted.  But 
it  is  not  given  in  charge  to  all,  or  any 
preacher  of  the  Gospel,  to  do  li is  work  gra¬ 
tis,  to  preach,  and  have  no  maintenance  out 
of  it.  When  lie  renounces  his  right  for  the 
sake  of  the  Gospel,  ancf  the  souls  of  men, 
he  waives  his  privilege  and  right  ;  lie  does 
more  than  his  charge  and  office  in  general, 
and  at  all  times,  obliges  him  to.  Woe  be  to 
him,  if  he  do  not  preach  the  Gospel  ;  but  it 
may  sometimes  be  his  duty  to  insist  on  his 
maintenance  for  so  doing  ;  and  whenever  he 
forbears  to  claim  it,  he  parts  with  his  right; 
though  a  man  be  bound  to  do  so  sometimes, 
by  the  general  duties  of  love  to  God,  and 
charity  to  men.  It  is  a  high  attainment  in 
religion,  to  renounce  our  own  rights  for  the 
good  of  others  ;  God  will  peculiarly  recom¬ 
pense  it.  For, 

IV.  He  informs  us,  that  doing  our  duty 
with  a  willing  mind,  will  meet  with  a  gra¬ 
cious  recompense  from  God,  v.  17.  Indeed, 
it  is  willing  service  only  that  is  capable  of 
reward  from  God.  It  is  not  the  bare  doing 
any  duty,  but  the  doing  it  heartily,  willingly, 
and  cheerfully,  that  God  has  promised  to  re¬ 
ward.  They  must  preach  willingly,  who 
would  be  accepted  of  God  in  this  duty.  But 
whether  the  duty  of  the  office  be  done  wil¬ 
lingly,  or  with  reluctance  ;  whether  the 
heart  be  in  it,  or  averse  from  it  ;  all  in  of¬ 
fice  have  a  trust  and  charge  from  God,  for 
which  they  must  be  accountable.  Ministers 
have  a  dispensation  of  the  Gospel,  or  stew¬ 
ardship,  Luke  16:7.  committed  to  them. 
Note,  Christ’s  willing  servants  shall  not  fail 
of  a  recompense,  and  that  proportioned  to 
their  fidelity,  zeal,  and  diligence  ;  and  his 
slothful  and  unwilling  servants  shall  all  be 
called  to  an  account.  And  how  sad  an  ac¬ 
count  ! 

V.  The  apostle  sums  up  the  argument,  by 
laying  before  them  the  encouraging  hope  he 
had  of  a  large  recompense  for  his  remark- 


\  able  self-denial,  v.  18.  What  is  it  I  expect 
a  recompense  from  God  for  1  That  when  I 
preach  the  Gospel,  I  may  make  it  without  charge, 
that  I  abuse  not  my  power  in  the  Gospel.  Or, 
‘  not  so  to  claim  my  rights,  as  to  make  them 
destroy  the  great  intentions  and  ends  of  my 
office,  but  renounce  them  for  the  sake  of 
those.’  It  is  an  abuse  of  power,  to  employ 
it  against  the  very  endsforwhich  it  is  given. 
And  the  apostle  would  never  use  his  power, 
or  privilege  of  being  maintained  by  his 
ministry,  so  as  to  frustrate  the  ends  of  it, 
but  would  willingly  and  cheerfully  deny  him- 
!  self  for  the  honor  of  Christ,  and  the  inter- 
!  est  of  souls.  That  minister  who  follows  his 
■  example,  may  have  cheerful  expectations  of 
a  recompense. 

V.  19 — 23.  The  apostle  takes  occasion, 
from  what  he  had  before  discoursed,  to  men¬ 
tion  some  instances  of  his  self-denial,  and 
parting  with  his  liberty  for  the  benefit  of 
others. 

1.  He  asserts  his  liberty,  v.  19.  He  was 
free-born,  a  citizen  of  Rome,  in  bondage  to 
none,  nor  depended  on  any  for  his  subsist¬ 
ence  ;  [ free  also  to  assert  and  claim  his 
right  as  an  apostle  ;  ]  yet  he  made  himself  a 
servant  to  all. 

2.  He  specifies  some  particulars  wherein 
he  made  himself  a  servant  to  all.  He  ac¬ 
commodated  himself  to  all  sorts  of  people. 
In  innocent  things  he  could  comply  with 
people’s  usages,  or  humors,  for  their  advan¬ 
tage.  He  would  transgress  no  laws  of  Christ, 
to  please  or  humor  any  man  ;  but  he  would 
accommodate  himself  to  all  men,  where  he 
might  do  it  lawfully,  to  gain  some.  He  was 
the  apostle  of  the  Gentiles,  and  so,  one 
would  have  thought,  might  have  excused  him¬ 
self  from  complying  with  the  Jews  ;  yet,  to 
do  them  good,  and  win  them  over  to  Christ, 
he  did,  in  innocent  things,  conform  to  some 
of  their  usages  and  laws.  And  though  he 
might,  by  virtue  of  that  character,  have 
challenged  authority  over  the  Gentiles,  yet 
he  accommodated  himself,  as  much  as  he  in¬ 
nocently  might,  to  their  prejudices  and  ways 
of  thinking.  Doing  good  was  the  study  and 
business  of  his  life  ;  and,  so  that  he  might 


When  the  Lord  hears  the  prayers  of  his 
ministers,  and  blesses  their  labors  in  the  conversion  of  sinners,  He  sets 
his  seal  to  their  commission.  This  should  satisfy  conscientious  minis¬ 
ters  in  respect  to  their  own  call  to  the  work,  and  be  deemed  a  stulicient 
proof  to  others,  especially  to.  those  converted  by  them;  though  no  oc¬ 
casional  usefulness  will  prove  an  unholy  man  to  be  a  real  Christian,  or 
a  self-confident  boaster  to  be  a  1  faithful  steward  of  the  mysteries  of 
God.’— -Though  ministers  may  see  good,  in  some  circumstances,  to  labor 
for  their  bread,  they  have  an  undoubted  right  to  a  decent  maintenance 
for  themselves  and  families;  nor  ought  they,  who  reap  the  spiritual  ben¬ 
efit  of  the  minister’s  labors,  to  yield  a  proportion  of  their  temporal 
goods,  as  if  it  were  an  alms,  or  a  great  favor  conferred  on  him.  How 
should  it  be  evpectcd  that  men  will  give  up  the  prospect  of  lucrative 
employments,  and  creditable  professions,  to  engage  in  this  warfare  ;  if 
they  cannot  do  it  in  hope  of  living  by  their  profession  ?  How  can  they 
face  the  dangers  and  endure  the  hardships  of  ploughing  up  the  fallow 
ground,  by  preaching  to  the  ignorant,  careless,  and  profligate,  if  pinch¬ 
ing  want  be  their  only  prospect,  however  diligent  and  successful  thev 
may  be  ?  Or  how  can  they  minister  to  the  comfort  and  edification  of 


believers,  when  they  are  burdened  with  debts,  destitute  of  necessaries, 
surrounded  by  indigent  families,  compelled  to  place  their  children  in  un¬ 
suitable  situations,  or  driven  themselves  into  other  employments  for 
bread  ?  IIow  can  they  but  suspect,  that  their  hearers  are  deceiving  them¬ 
selves,  in  professing  to  love  Christ  and  the  Gospel,  while  they  enjoy 
plenty,  and  lay  up  for  their  children,  yet  leave  their  pastors  to  wear  out 
their  lives  in  distressing  poverty  ! — On  the  other  hand,  it  behooves  min¬ 
isters  to  be  as  disinterested  as  possible. — But  if  they,  to  whom  ‘a  dis¬ 
pensation  is  given  to  preach  the  Gospel,’  and  who  act  according  to  if, 
have  no  ground  of  glorying,  because  ‘  necessity  is  laid  upon  them,  and 
woe  is  to  them  if  they  do  not,’  what  will  he  the  case  of  those,  who 
willingly  assume  this  office,  and  seek  a  designation  to  it,  and  then  be¬ 
stow  no  pains  to  preach  the  Gospel,  or  to  preach  at  all ;  but  only  aim  to 
appropriate  to  themselves,  and  to  secure  to  their  children,  relatives,  or 
dependents,  as  much  as  possible  of  those  funds,  which  were  established 
for  the  maintenance  of  such  as  ‘  labor  in  the  Word  and  doctrine  ?’  Woe  ! 
woe!  to  such  ‘idol-shepherds,’  to  such  hireling  priests;  yea,  to  all  who 
encourage  and  reward  their  unfaithfulness  !  Is.  £6:9 — 12.  Zech.  11:15 — 
17.  Mai.  1:9 — 11.  Scott. 


the  service,  or  execute  it  unfaithfully,  without  incurring  the  heaviest 
condemnation.  If  indeed  he  had,  without  an  express  command,  (having 
previously  embraced  the  Gospel,!  deliberately  and  willingly  engaged  in 
the  work  of  the  ministry,  from  love  to  Christ  and  to  the  souls  of  sin¬ 
ners,  and  zeal  for  the  glory  of  God,  he  might  have  been  assured  of  a 
gracious  and  abundant  recompense.  But,  as  he  was  so  wonderfully  ar¬ 
rested,  when  violently  persecuting  the  church,  and  entrusted  with  a  dis¬ 
pensation,  or  stewardship,  without  any  previous  choice  or  willingness  ; 
a  line  of  conduct  of  a  peculiar  nature  was  requisite  for  him,  in  order  to 
show  that  he  was  not  actuated  by  slavish  fear,  or  mercenary  principles. 
Acts  9  1 — 22.  For,  if  this  had  been  the  case,  where  would  have  been  his 
reward?  Mat.  6:1 — 5,16 — 18.  Or,  how  could  he,  in  his  peculiar  cir¬ 
cumstances,  distinguish  himself  from  mercenary  teachers,  and  thus  have 
ground  of  glorying,  through  the  grace  of  God,  in  this  distinction?  Or 
how  might  he  possess  the  assurance  of  a  gracious  reward  ?  Truly,  by 
preaching  the  Gospel  freely,  without  putting  his  hearers  to  any  expense; 
and  by  enduring  poverty,  hunger,  and  labor,  rather  than  make  an  inex¬ 
pedient  and  improper  use  of  his  liberty  and  privilege,  as  an  apostle  of 
Christ.  Thus  he  evidenced,  that  he  acted  from  the  genuine  principles  of 
zeal  and  love,  and  so  enjoyed  much  comfort  and  assurance  of  hope  in  his 
own  soul. — Let  it  here  be  carefully  noted,  that  for  ministers  of  religion 
to  insist  on  their  due,  and  use  their  liberty,  when  this  hinders  their  use¬ 
fulness,  is  to  ‘  abuse  their  power  in  the  Gospel.’  7  29 — 31.  Scott. 

(13.)  Temple.]  ‘  He  does  not  say,  live  ofthe  offerers,  but  of  the  tem¬ 
ple  ;  that  neither  the  receivers  should  be  nshamed,  as  being  supported 
by  men,  nor  the  givers  elated.’  Tiieoph. 

(15.)  My  boasting.]  Better,  ‘  that  whereof  I  may  well  be  proud.’  Bl. 


(16.)  Necessity.]  ‘  I.  e.  if  1  would  avoid  the  penalty  of  disobedience.’ 

Sclater. 

(17.)  ‘  Ekbn  [tr.  willingly]  refers  to  his  preaching  gratuitously  ;  and 
akon  [tr.  against  my  will]  to  doing  it  for  recompense.'  See  lit.  Ed. 

(18.)  Reward]  I.  e.  cause  of  reward.  See  Bl.  Id. 

V.  19 — 23.  The  preceding  instance  was  not  the  onlv  one,  in  which 
the  apostle  thus  denied  himself  Though  he  ‘was  free’  from  every  obli¬ 
gation  to  comply  with  other  men’s  inclinations,  or  to  conform  to  their 
customs;  yet  he  had  voluntarily  become  as  ‘a  slave  to  all  men,’  or  to 
men  of  every  nation,  rank,  or  religious  opinion  ;  by  renouncing  all  per¬ 
sonal  considerations,  and  bearing  with  their  prejudices,  mistakes,  and 
infirmities,  as  far  as  he  could  consistently  with  his  duty  ;  in  order  that 
he  might  win  over  the  more  to  the  faith  of  Christ. — Nothing  could  be 
more  suited  to  shame  those  whom  he  addressed,  out  of  a  selfish  use  of 
their  liberty,  than  this  statement  of  his  own  principles  and  conduct;  or 
more  strongly  mark  the  surprising  change  which  had  taken  place  in 
him,  since  the  time,  when,  by  cruel  persecution,  ho  aimed  to  make  all 
the  Christians  everywhere  conform  to  his  own  sentiments  and  practice, 
in  the  great  concerns  of  religion.  Scott. 

(20.)  ‘  It  is  the  part  of  a  musician  to  put  his  instrument  in  tune,  and 
of  a  wise  and  well  instructed  man  to  accommodate  himself  to  every 
mind.’  Demophilus.  Bl.  See  Prof.  Park,  on  the  ‘  mode  of  exhibiting 
the  Truth,’  Bib.  Repos.,  No.  28.  Ed. 

(21,  22.)  Without  law.]  1 1.  e.  not  observing  the  Mosaic  ceremo¬ 
nies.  Weak.]  Theoph.  observes,  Paul  sometimes  kept  out  of  sight  doc¬ 
trines  at  which  he  thought  his  hearers  might  stumble.’  Bl.,  whom  see. 
Still,  he  could  ‘  withstand  ’  any  ‘  to  the  face,’  if  needful.  Id. 


A.  D.  60. 


1  CORINTHIANS,  IX. 


23  And  this  I  do  for  the  gospel’s 
sake,  that  I  might  be  partaker 
thereof  with  you. 

24  Know  ye  not  that  they  which 
run  in  a  race  run  all,  but  one  re- 
ceiveth  the  prize  ?  So  zrun,  that 
ye  may  obtain. 

25  And  every  man  that  striveth 
for  the  mastery  is  temperate  in  all 
things.  Now  they  do  it  to  obtain 
a  corruptible  crown  ;  but  we  an 
*  incorruptible. 

26  I  therefore  so  run,  not  as  un¬ 
certainly  ;  so  fight  I,  not  as  one 
that  beateth  the  air  : 

l  Phi.  2:16.  3:14.  2Ti.2:5.  1:12.  1  Pe.  5:4. 

1  Tl.  6:12.  a  2  Ti.  4:8.  Ja:  Re.  2:10.  3:11. 


reach  this  end,  he  did  not  stand  on  privi¬ 
leges  and  punctilios. 

He  was  willing  to  make  the  best  even  of 
the  weak,  v.  22.  He  did  not  despise  nor 
judge  them,  but  became  as  one  of  them, 
forbore  to  use  his  liberty  for  their  sake,  and 
was  careful  to  lay  no  stumbling-block  in  their 
way.  He  denied  himself  for  their  sakes, 
that  he  might  insinuate  into  their  affections, 
and  gain  their  souls.  In  short,  tie  became  all 
things  to  all  men,  that  he  might  by  all  means, 
all  lawful  means,  gain  some.  He  would  not 
sin  against  God,  to  save  the  soul  of  his 
neighbor,  but  he  would  very  cheerfully  and 
readily  deny  himself.  The  rights  of  God  he 
could  not  give  up,  but  he  might  resign  his 
own,  and  he  very  often  did  it  for  the  good 
of  others. 

3.  He  assigns  his  reason,  it.  23.  This  I 
do  for  the  Gospel’s  sake,  and  that  I  might  be 
partaker  thereof  with  you  ;  i.  e.  for  the  hon¬ 
or  of  Christ,  whose  the  Gospel  is,  and  for 
the  salvation  of  souls,  for  which  it  was  de¬ 
signed,  and  that  he  and  they  might  commu¬ 
nicate  in  the  privileges  of  it,  or  partake 
together  of  them.  For  these  ends  did  he 
thus  condescend  to  deny  himself  as  to  his 
liberty,  and  accommodate  himself  to  the  ca¬ 
pacities  and  usages  of  those  with  whom  he 
had  to  do,  where  he  lawfully  might.  Note, 
A  heart  warmed  with  zeal  for  God,  and 
breathing  after  the  salvation  of  men,  will 
not  plead  and  insist  on  rights  and  privileges 


in  bar  to  this  design.  They  manifestly  abuse 
their  power  in  the  Gospel,  who  employ  it 
not  to  edification,  but  destruction,  and  there¬ 
fore  breathe  nothing  of  its  spirit. 

V.  24 — 27.  In  these  vs.  the  apostle  hints 
at  the  great  encouragement  he  had  thus  to 
act.  He  had  a  glorious  prize,  an  incorrup¬ 
tible  crown,  in  view.  On  this  head,  he 
compares  himself  to  the  racers  and  com¬ 
batants  in  the  Isthmian  games,  an  allusion 
well  known  to  the  Corinthians,  because  they 
were  celebrated  in  their  neighborhood, 
v.  24.  ‘All  run,  at  your  games,  but  one 
only  gets  the  race,  and  wins  the  crown.’ 
And  here  he, 

I.  Excites  them  to  their  duty  ;  ‘  So  run, 
that  ye  may  obtain.  It  is  quite  otherwise  in 
the  Christian  race  than  in  your  races;  only 
one  wins  the  prize  in  them,  but  in  that  you 
may  all  run,  so  as  to  obtain.  You  have 
great  encouragement,  therefore,  to  persist 
constantly,  diligently,  and  vigorously,  in 
your  course.  You  cannot  fail,  if  you  run 
well.  I  make  it  my  endeavor  thus  to  run  ; 
so  do  you.  No  man  ever  more  heartily  pur¬ 
sued  the  prize  in  your  Isthmian  races,  than 
I  do  after  the  recompense  of  the  reward ;  so 
do  you,  as  you  see  me  go  before  you.’  It  is 
the  duty  of  Christians  to  follow  their  minis¬ 
ters  closely  in  the  chase  of  eternal  glory, 
and  the  honor  and  duty  of  ministers  to  lead 
them  in  the  way'. 

II.  He  di  rents  them  in  their  course,  by 

setting  more  fully  to  view  his  own  example, 
still  carrying  on  the  allusion.  1.  They  that 
run  in  their  games,  were  kept  to  a  set  diet, 
v.  25.  ‘  The  fighters  and  wrestlers  in  your 

exercises  do  not  indulge  themselves,  but  re¬ 
strain  themselves  from  the  food  they  might 
eat,  and  so  from  the  liberties  they  use  on 
other  occasions.  And  should  not  Christians 
much  more  abridge  themselves  of  their  lib¬ 
erty,  for  so  glorious  an  end  as  winning  the 
race,  and  obtaining  the  prize  set  before 
them  I  They  used  a  very  spare  diet,  and 
coarse  food,  and  denied  themselves  much,  to 
prepare  for  their  race  and  combat ;  so  do  I ; 
so  should  you,  after  my  example.  It  is  hard 
if,  for  the  heavenly  crown,  you  cannot  ab¬ 
stain  from  heathen  sacrifices.’  2.  They 
were  not  only  temperate,  but  inured  them¬ 
selves  to  hardships.  They  who  fought  with 
one  another  in  these  exercises,  prepared 


Prise  of  the  Christian  warfare . 

themselves  by  beating  the  air,  as  the  apostle 
calls  it,  or  by  throwing  out  their  arms,  and 
thereby  inuring  themselves,  beforehand,  to 
deal  about  their  blows  in  close  coinbat,  or 
brandish  them  by  way  of  flourish.  There  is 
no  room  for  any  such  exercise  in  the  Chris¬ 
tian  warfare.  Christians  are  ever  in  close 
combat ;  and  for  this  reason  they  must  never 
flag  or  faint  in  it.  They  must  fight,  not  as 
those  that  beat  the  air,  but  must  strive 
against  their  enemies,  with  all  their  might. 
One  enemy  the  apostle  here  mentions,  i.  e. 
the  body  ;  by  which  we  are  to  understand, 
fleshly  appetites  and  inclinations.  These 
the  apostle  set  himself  to  curb  and  conquer, 
and  in  this  the  Corinthians  were  bound  to 
imitate  him.  They  who  would  aright  pur¬ 
sue  the  interests  of  their  souls,  must  keep 
under  their  bodies.  They  must  combat  hard 
with  fleshly  lusts,  till  they  have  subdued 
them  ;  and  not  indulge  a  wanton  appetite, 
and  long  for  heathenish  sacrifices,  or  eat 
them,  to  please  their  flesh,  at  the  hazard  of 
their  brethren’s  souls.  The  body  must  be 
made  to  serve  the  mind,  not  suffered  to  lord 
over  it. 

III.  The  apostle  presses  this  advice  on 
the  Corinthians,  by  proper  arguments  drawn 
from  the  same  contenders.  1.  They  lake 
pains,  and  undergo  all  those  hardships,  to 
obtain  a  corruptible  crown,  v.  25.  but  we  an 
incorruptible.  They  who  conquered  in  these 
games,  were  crowned  only  with  the  w  ithering 
leaves  or  boughs  of  trees,  of  olive,  bays,  or 
laurel.  But  Christians  have  an  incorrup¬ 
tible  crown  in  view,  a  crown  of  glory  that 
never  fadeth  awmy,  an  inheritance  incorrup¬ 
tible,  reserved  in  heaven  for  them.  And 
would  they  yet  suffer  themselves  to  be  out¬ 
done  by  these  racers  or  wrestlers  I  2.  The 
racers  in  these  games  run  at  uncertainty  ; 
only  one  receives  the  prize,  v.  24.  so  every 
racer  is  at  a  great  uncertainty  whether  he 
shall  win  it  or  no.  But  every  Christian  ra¬ 
cer  may  be  sure  of  the  prize,  if  he  run  within 
the  lines,  and  keep  to  the  path  of  duty  pre¬ 
scribed,  which,  some  think,  is  the  meaning 
of  running  not  as  uncertainly ,  v.  26.  And 
shall  nut  then  Christians  be  much  more  ex¬ 
act  and  vigorous  1  3.  He  sets  before  him¬ 

self  and  them  the  danger  of  yielding  to 
fleshly  inclinations,  and  pampering  the  body, 
and  its  lusts  and  appetites,  v.  27.  Lest  by 


(23,  24.)  ‘Of  the  5  agones,  viz.  boxing,  running,  wrestling,  leaping, 
and  quoiting,  Paul  here  alludes  to  the  first  two.'  Be.  See  a  description 
of  the  Grecian  games  at  end  of  ch.  Race.]  Stadion.  Prize.]  Brabeion,  as 
adjudged  by  the  brabeutai :  note,  end  ofch.  Ed. 

V.  24 — 27.  This  did  not  imply,  that  the  apostle  doubted  of  his  accept¬ 
ance,  or  perseverance  ;  but  it  showed  the  Corinthians  the  nature  of  his 
assurance,  and  forcibly  cautioned  them  not  to  rest  in  such  hopes,  as 
were  consistent  with  indiscriminate  seif-indulgence,  even  in  things  law¬ 
ful.  He  had  abundant  occasions  and  methods  of  thus  ‘  keeping  under 
his  body,  and  bringing  it  into  subjection,’  without  using  the  tortures, 
austerities,  and  flagellations  of  the  papists;  while  he  willingly  endured 
hunger,  thirst,  fatigue,  and  imprisonment,  in  preaching  the  Gospel;  and 
was  frequently  ‘  in  watchings,  fastings,’  and  prayers,  as  well  as  habitu¬ 
ally  temperate  in  all  things.  2  Cor.  6:3 — 10,  11:21 — 27. — The  apostle 
seems  designedly  to  contrast  the  continence  and  temperance  of  the  hea¬ 
then  combatants,  for  a  fading  crown,  with  the  luxurious  self-indulgence 
of  the  Corinthian  Christians,  whom  no  motives,  either  taken  from  the 
good  of  their  brethren,  their  own  spiritual  advantage,  or  the  honor  of 
the  Gospel,  could  induce  to  deny  themselves  the  gratification  of  a  sensu¬ 
al  feast. — 1  The  body  ’  seems  here  to  be  meant  literally. — The  depraved 
nature,  ‘  the  body  of  sin  and  death,’  must  be  crucified  as  a  malefactor  ; 
Rom.  6:5—7.  7:22—25.  8:12,  13.  Gal.  5:22—26.  but  ‘the  body,’  or  ani¬ 
mal  frame,  the  exquisite  workmanship  of  the  great  Creator,  needs  only, 
by  wholesome  and  sometimes  sharp  discipline,  to  be  brought  under,  and 
kept  under,  as  a  well  educated  child.  The  unsuccessful  racers,  or  pugil¬ 
ists,  in  the  public  games,  at  most,  were  only  exposed  to  some  transient  dis¬ 
grace,  while  their  other  comforts  remained  to  them  ;  but  in  the  Chris¬ 
tian  conflict,  there  is  no  alternative  between  the  incorruptible  crown, 
and  everlasting  shame  and  misery.  Scott. 

(25.)  Corruptible,  i.  e.  farting  crown.]  ‘  That  gained  at  the  Olympian 
games  was  of  olive  ;  at  the  I’ythian,  of  laurel ;  at  the  Nemean,  of  pars¬ 
ley  ;  at  the  Isthmian,  of  pine  leaves,  then  of  dry  and  withered,  not  fresh 
parsley,  afterwards  of  pine  again.’  Potter. 

(26,  27.)  Uncertainly .]  *  For,  at  uncertainty,  as  if  the  result  were 

doubtful,  the  victory  dimly  seen  and  dubious.  So  Theod.,  Vulg..  Beza, 
Luther,  Hum.,  Wells,  Elsu.,  Wolf,  Kypke,  Hardy,  Ros.,  Sclil.,  Kr.,  SI., 
fee.  Elsn.  quotes  Lucian,  and  Kr.,  Xen.,  and  compares  Gal.  2:2.  The 
[full]  phrase  [epi  to  artclb]  is  frequent  in  the  best  Gr.  writers.  Beating 
the  atr.]  Either  in  private  exercise,  or  as  a  prelude  to  the  contest,  or  in 
the  contest,  missing  their  aim,  which  last  Paul  seems  to  mean.  See 
Faber,  Kypke.’  Bl.  He  would  fight  with  himself,  his  body,  his  animal  or 
lower  propensities,  ‘  not  striking  one  empty,  or  useless  blow.’  Ed.  Keep 
under.]  ‘  Lit.  strike  under  the  eye,  or  gills ;  fibbing,  I  think  pugilists  call 


it.  Now  as  this  kind  of  hitting  is  especially  punishing  (to  use  another 
technical  term)  to  the  adversary,  and  daunts  and  subdues  him,  so  the 
Gr.  came  at  length  to  mean  treat  with  severity  and  harshness  ;  subdue « 
any  one's  spirit  ;  so  here  it  denotes  repress  and  subdue  evil  inclinations, 
and  bring  the  disposition  under  the  dominion  of  virtue  and  religion. 
The  agonislical  metaphor  concludes  at  the  words  “subjection.”’  Bl. 

‘  This  passage,  in  which  the  strong  and  continued  exertions  necessary  for 
restraining  fleshly  appetites  are  described,  being  plainly  metaphorical, 
the  papists  have  erred  in  interpreting  it  literally,  and  in  founding  on  the 
lit.  sense  their  fist ings  and  scourgings,  and  bodily  penances,  whose  in¬ 
fluence,  it  is  well  known,  is  to  nourish  [gloom  and]  superstition,  and 
to  make  the  pretended  penitent  careless  of  real  holiness ;  but  by  no 
means  to  weaken  his  animal  passions,  or  to  correct  his  vicious  con¬ 
duct.’  _  Macknight. 


Concluding  Note.  Grecian  Public  Games.  V.  26,  27.  ‘  So  /  box ,  ns  not  beating 

the  air ,  alludes  to  the  exercise  with  the  gauntlet,  used  by  the  athletes,  for  the  purpose 
of  acquiring  agility  and  dexterity  in  boxing :  also  to  the  skiamnchin  (shadow-bottle], 
or  mock-baUie.  which  was  a  prelude  to  the  true  bottle.  Virg.  JEn.  5. — Heb.  12:4.  al¬ 
ludes  to  the  difference  between  this  propugme  and  the  real  battle.  Preached. j  Ke- 
ruxns  :  heralded,  proclaimed  as  kerux :  who.  at  the  opening  of  the  games,  publicly 
proclaimed  the  names  of  the  combatants  and  the  combat  in  which  they  weic  to  en¬ 
gage,  agreeably  to  a  register  kept  for  the  purpose,  by  the  judges,  :\ho  were  called 
Hellanodicks.  When  their  names  were  published,  the  combatants  appeared,  and 
were  examined,  whether  they  were  free  men,  and  Grecians,  and  of  unspotted  charac¬ 
ter.  Then  the  crier,  commanding  silence,  laid  his  hand  on  the  head  of  the  combat¬ 
ant,  and  led  Him  in  that  manner  along  the  stadium,  demanding  with  a  lend  voice,  of 
all  the  assembly,  “  Is  there  one  who  can  accuse  this  man  of  any  ctime  1  Is  he  a  rob¬ 
ber,  ora  slave,  or  wicked  and  depraved  in  his  life' and  manners  V'  Note,  1 1 :31 .  Then 
the  combatants  were  led  to  the  altar  of  Jupiter,  and  there,  with  their  relations,  sware 
they  would  not  be  guilty  of  any  fraud,  or  action,  tending  to  the  breach  of  the  laws  of 
the  sacred  games.  And,  to  excite  the  ardor  of  the  combatants,  the  crowns,  the  rewards  of 
victory,  and  palm  branches,  lay,  during  the  contest,  full  in  their  view,  on  a  tripod,  or 
table ,  placed  in  the  stadia  in.  Rut  P.  Faber  conjectures,  from  Chrys. ,  that  the  victors  in 
the  morning,  did  not  receive  theirfof  course  faded ,  v.  25.]  crown,  till  noon,  when  the 
spectators  were  dismissed  for  refreshment:  and  victors  of  the  afternoon,  not  till  eve¬ 
ning,  and  some  think  Ileh.  1 1 :40.  alludes  to  this;  (2  Tim.  4:8.  certainly  seems  to.) 
For  the  crowns  were  given  with  much  ceremony,  the  victors  being  summoned  tty  proc¬ 
lamation  to  the  tribunal  of  the  hellanodicks,  who  examined  their  conduct  in  the  com- 
bat.  Then  a  herald,  taking  the  chaplets  from  the  tripod,  placed  them  on  the  head  of 
such  of  the  conquerors  os  were  approved  :  and  putting  into  their  bands  the  palms  tea 
them  through  the  stadium,  preceded  by  a  trumpeter,  who  proclaimed,  with  *  loud 
voiee,  their  names. the  nnmes  of  their  fathers,  and  of  their  countries,  and  specinei  ieir 
combat.  As  they  passed  along,  they  were  saluted  with  the ^acclamations  ot  ltie  spec- 


io  me  comuat  ;  aectareu  us  smu  ;  m  -  , r.  . . 

laws.  Withal,  he  encouraged  the  combatants,  by  placing  the  crowns  and  palms  rull 

in  their  view.  [287} 


A.  D.  60. 

27  But b  I  keep  under  my  body, 
and  bring  it  into  subjection  ;  lest 
that  by  any  means,  when  1  have 
preached  to  others,  I  tnyself  should 
be  a  castaway. 

b  Ro.  8:13. 


1  CORINTHIANS,  IN. 

any  means  I  myself  should  be  a  cast-avoay * 
rejected,  disapproved,  one  to  whom  the  judge- 
umpire  of  the  race  will  not  decree  the  crown. 
The  allusion  to  the  games  runs  through  the 
whole  sentence.  Note,  A  preacher  of  salva¬ 
tion  may  yet  miss  it.  He  may  show  others 
the  way  to  heaven,  and  never  get  thither 


Appetite  subjected  to  principle. 

!  himself.  A  holy  fear  of  himself  was  neces¬ 
sary  to  preserve  the  fidelity  of  an  apostle  j 
|  and  how  much  more  necessary  is  it  to  our 
i  preservation  1  Holy  fear  of  ourselves,  and 
I  not  presumptuous  confidence,  is  the  best  se¬ 
curity  against  apostasy  from  God,  and  final 
rejection  by  Him. 


PRACT.  OBS.  V.  19—27.  A  mind  freed  from  narrow  bigotry,  en¬ 
larged  by  comprehensive  views  of  tiie  grand  object  of  the  Gospel,  and 
taught  to  keep  the  great  end  of  doing  good  continually  ill  view,  will 
know  when  to  waive  minute  discussions,  to  connive  at  less  dangerous 
prejudices,  and  to  venture  down  towards  the  ground  of  other  men,  in 
order  to  argue  with  them  on  their  own  principles,  and  to  bring  them  to 
saving  views  of  the  Gospel.  But  while  a  man  postpones,  or  subordi¬ 
nates,  every  other  thing  to  this  grand  object,  as  far  as  consists  with  im¬ 
portant  truth  and  duty,  that  he  may  gain  the  more,  to  share  with  him 
in  the  great  blessings  of  salvation  }  and  while,  on  the  other  hand,  he  will 
not  give  place  for  a  moment,  where  essential  truth  or  the  salvation  of 
souls  are  at  slake}  he  must  expect  to  be  deemed  a  time-server  by  big¬ 
ots-,  inconsistent  by  the  ignorant}  a  bigot  by  the  unprincipled  }  and  un¬ 
sound,  weak,  or  unfaithful  by  the  self-conceited.  2:14 — 16.  Indeed,  we 
should  always  watch  against  extremes.  If  we  have  to  do  with  those 

‘  H  the  judges  found  that  a  combatant  had  disobeyed  the  laws  of  the  combat  in  the 
least  particular,  he  was  cast,  the  term  for  which  was  ekkrineslhai,  11:31.  He  was  de¬ 
nied  the  crown,  and  sometimes  beaten  out  of  the  stadium  with  disgrace.  Such, 
whether  cast  before  or  after  the  combat,  were  adokimoi ,  not  approved,  [tr.  casd-away]. 
See  West'*  Piuda  .’  Macknight. 

4  There  were,’  says  Potter ,  ‘  four  public  games  esteemed  sacred,  viz.  the  Olympian, 
Pythian,  Nemean,  Isthmian,  as  instituted  in  honor  of  divinities,  begun  and  ended 
with  sacrifices,  and  held  in  high  esteem  by  all  Greece.  Vast  numbers  (locked  to  them, 
und  their  victo;s,  especially  the  Olympic,  were  universally  honored,  nay,  almost  ador¬ 
ed,  as  having  attained  to  the  utmost  felicity  human  nature  is  capable  of  :  an  Olympic 
victory,  says  Cic. ,  was  not  much  less  honorable  than  a  triumph  at  Rome.  His  family, 
and  even  city,  shared  the  victor's  honor.  Solon’s  laws  gave  every  successful  Athenian 
lOO  drachms,  if  at  the  Isthmian,  and  500  it  at  the  Olympian  games.  Afterwards,  the 
latter  had  their  maintenance  in  the  prytaneum,  or  public  hall  of  Athens.’ 

*  No  person  not  of  respectable  family  and  connexions  could  be  a  competitor,  no  ser¬ 
vant,  slave,  thief,  or  of  corrupt  morals  ;  and  to  prevent  such  from  entering  the  lists  at 
the  Olympic  games,  the  kerux  or  herald,  proclaimed  in  the  theatre,  as  the  combatant 
was  brought  forth,  “  Who  can  accuse  this  man  ?”  ’  Dr.  A.  C.  Those  appointed  to 
see  that  all  was  performed  according  to  custom,  decide  controversies  among  the  an¬ 
tagonists,  and  adjudge  the  prizes,  were  called  agonarcliai ,  brabeutai ,  [alluded  to  in  v. 
25.  J  rabdouchoi ,  &c.  A  public  herald  proclaimed  the  victor’s  name,  to  whom,  in  most 
places,  a  palm  branch  was  presented,  to  be  carried  in  their  hands  [an  emblem,  says 
Plut  ,  of  the  insuppressible  vigor  of  their  mind  and  body]:  hence  palm  an  dare  [lit. 
to  give  the  palm],  to  yield  the  victory.  [Victors  (says  Adam)  received  for  life  an  an¬ 
nual  stipend  from  the  public.] 

‘ Exercises .  The  principal  were,  1.  Running,  so  useful  in  attacking  gr  escaping  an 
enemy,  and  in  great  esteem  amongst  all  ancient  people  ;  so  much  so  with  the  Gre¬ 
cians,  that  they  used  means  to  burn  or  parch  their  spleen,  believing  this  would  render 
them  swifter.  Homer  calls  swiftness  one  of  the  most  excellent  endowments  of  man, 
and  coinp.  1  K.  1:23.  The  course  was  called  stadion ,  [v.  24.  J  as  being  that  measure, 
viz.  125  paces  in  length  ,  when  enlarged  it  was  called  dolichos,  which  Suidas  makes 
24  stadia,  others  1*2  ;  it  seems  to  have  been  variable.  Sometimes  they  ran  back  again 
[keeping  within  the  white  line,  which  marked  out  the  path  or  compass  in  which  they 
ran.  Dr.  A.  C.,  which  some  think  alluded  to  in  v.  26],  Sometimes  they  ran  in  armor. 
2.  Leaping ,  sometimes  with  weights  (usually  oval  with  holes)  on  the  head  or  shoul¬ 
ders,  or  iu  the  h  inds.  3.  Darting,  or  throwing  a  javelin,  rod,  or  other  large  instru¬ 
ment,  from  the  hand,  by  the  help  of  a  thong  tied  to  its  middle:  sometimes  an  arrow,  or 
little  javelin,  from  a  bow  or  sling.  4.  Quoiling ,  i.  e.  tossing  a  discus,  of  stone,  brass, 
or  iron,  square,  oblong,  or  oval,  by  the  help  of  a  thong  through  a  hole  in  its  middle, 
5.  Boxing  :  at  first  without,  in  later  times,  with  their  hands  and  arms  defended  by 
leather  thongs,  wound  round,  called  cestus,  first  to  the  wrists,  afterwards  to  the  el¬ 
bow,  and  even  shoulder.  In  time,  these  were  loaded  with  lead  and  iron  to  enforce  a 
blow.  Combatants  in  this  used  all  means  to  make  themselves  fat  and  fleshy,  the  bet¬ 
ter  to  endure  blows.  6.  Wrestling  ;  brought  to  an  art  by  Theseus.  In  later  ages,  all 
the  joints  and  members  were  soundly  rubbed,  fomented  and  suppled  with  oil,  to  pre¬ 
vent  strains.  He  who  gave  his  antagonist  three  falls,  was  victor.  Sometimes  they 
threw  themselves  on  the  ground,  and  continued  the  combat  by  pinching,  biting, 
scratching,  and  in  all  manner  of  ways  annoying,  till  one,  (often  the  stronger,)  was 
force!  to  yield,  which  he  confessed  by  liftinga  finger,  till  which  the  victory  was  not 
adjudged.  The  pagkration  thus  combined  wrestling  and  boxing.  7.  Horse-races, 
either  with  single  horses,  or  with  two,  on  one  of  which  they  rode,  and,  at  the  goal, 
leaped  on  the  other.  Or  with  2,  3,  4,  &c.,  horses  or  mules,  abreast,  in  a  chariot.  Af¬ 
terwards  only  the  two  middle  horses  were  attached  to  the  pole,  the  rest  being  gov¬ 
erned  by  the  reins.  The  principal  skill  was  in  turning  the  nussai  or  goals,  to  fail  in 
which,  incurred  danger  and  disgrace.  8.  Music,  poetry,  extempore  and  other  com¬ 
positions,  and  various  arts.  [At  the  Olympic  games,  for  instance,  Herodotus  read  his 
matchless  histories,  and  roused  to  emulation  the  youthful  Thucydides,  his  listener.] 

‘ Gymnasium  :  first  used  in  Lacedemonia,  afterwards  common  in  all  parts  of  Greece, 
imitated  and  very  much  augmented  and  improved  at  Rome.  They  were  a  knot  of  ca¬ 
pacious  buildings,  holding  many  thousands  at  once,  having  room  for  philosophers, 
rhetoricians,  and  the  professors  of  all  other  sciences,  to  lead  their  lectures;  and 
wrestlers,  dancers,  and  all  others  that  would,  to  exercise  at  the  same  time,  without 
the  least  disturbance  or  interruption.  Their  principal  parts  (see  cut)  were,  1.  Stood, 
the  porticos,  full  of  exedrai ,  and  side  buildings  fu  nished  with  seats,  and  fit  for  study 
or  discourse  ;  and  here,  probably,  the  scholars  used  to  meet.  2.  The  ephebaion,  where 
the  ophebi,  or  youths,  exercised  ;  ur  met  and  agreed  on  rules  of  exercise,  &c.  3.  The 

undressing  room.  4.  Elaiothesion,  where  wrestlers,  or  those  who  had  bathed,  anoint¬ 
ed.  [The  Roman  athletes  used  a  glutinous  ointment  called  ceroma  :  and  wore  draw¬ 
ers  in  wrestling,  &e.]  5.  Konisterion ,  where  the  dust  with  which  the  anointed 
were  sprinkled,  was  kept.  6.  Palaistra,  (sometimes  put  for  the  whole  gymnasium,) 
where  the  pentathla ,  or  5  kinds  of  exercise,  were  performed  :  its  bottom  was  covered 
with  dust  or  gravel.  Another  room  was  also  thus  prepared.  7.  Sphniristerion ,  for 
divers  exercises,  especially  the  ball.  8.  Spaces  between  the  well  and  porticos,  for 
light,  and  the  Peristulion,  or  piazza,  a  large  square,  for  walking,  leaping,  discus 
playing,  &c.  9.  Xustoi ,  covered  for  wrestlers  in  had  weather,  and  Xysta,  walks,  open 
at  top,  tor  summer  recreation,  and  in  mild  winter  weather.  10.  Baths,  of  different 
temperatures.  The  Greeks,  in  ancient  times,  use-1  the  hath  rarely,  except  after  great 
toil;  afterwards,  more  commonly.  11.  The  stadiumf  for  exercises:  built  with  steps 
for  spectators.  12.  The  stove,  Ac.*  Potter. 

The  cut  (of  a  Palffstra,  after  Vitruvius),  shows:  a.,  halls  for  the  philosophers;  b, 
Ephebeum,  or  boy’s  school;  c.  Coryceum.  or  hall  play-ground  ;  d ,  Conisterium,  or 
dust-place  ;  e,  Loutron,  or  cold  bath  ;  f .  Elarothesium,  or  place  of  oils  ;  g,  Frigida- 
rium.  or  Apodyterium,  place  of  undressing;  h.  arched  hot  stove  ;  i,  Laconicum,  or 
dry-stove  ;  k,  warm-bath  ,  l,  Propnigeum,  or  place  of  chimnevs  :  m.  ladder,  for  de¬ 
scending  to  the  furnaces  ;  n,  Xvste,  or  covered  place  of  exercise,  for  the  athletes  ;  o, 
stadium,  126  paces  long.  Ed. 

The  O’ympinn  Games.  The«e,  named  from  the  Olympian  Jupiter,  or  the  city  of  Olym¬ 
pia,  were  of  uncertain  origin  ;  see  Potter.  4  They  were  instituted,  says  one  account, 
l\v  Hercules  ;  hut  were  little  noticed  till  the  time  of  Iphitus.  contemporary  with  Lv- 
curgtts,  k.  of  Sp-uta,  who  reinstituted  the  solemnity  ahoot  408  years  after  the  Trojan 
war,  and  thus  Sol  inns  compute*  the  Olympiads.  After  Chorcebus  (who.  so  Phlegon, 
lived  in  the  28th  Olympiad  after  Iphitus)  they  were  constantly  celebrated,  i.  e.  really 
in  the  408th  year  or  the  Trojan  war,  or.  as  Eusebius,  the  405th.  They  were  held  at 
Eli*  every  50th  month,  (i.  <*.  the  21  month  after  4  years.)  beginning  on  the  11th  and 
ending  on  the  15th  of  the  lunar  month,  when  the  moon  was  nt  full.  Their  care  and 
management  belonged  sometimes  to  the  Pisseans,  hut  for  the  most  part  to  the  Eleans. 
First  I,  then  12,  8,  9.  and  lastly  It),  superintended,  till  Adrian’s  t Tine.  They  sat  naked, 
and  under  oath,  and  were  called  hrUanodicee,  hut  from  them  there  was  an  appeal  to 
the  Olympian  senate.  Certain  officers,  subordinated  to  a  president,  preserved  order. 
No  woman  was  allowed  to  be  present. 

4  Preparati >n*.  Every  combatant  must  spend  19  months,  at  the  public  gymnasium  nt 
Eli*,  in  preparatory  exercises, — the  last  39  days  in  going  through  the  games  precisely 


who  are  superstitious,  or  self-righteous ;  while  we  insist  on  the  necessi¬ 
ty  of  good  works,  and  connive  at  their  mere  external  forms;  we  must 
be  very  careful  to  warn  them  against  relying  on  their  own  performances, 
and  decided  in  leading  them  to  trust  in  Christ  alone.  If  we  have  to  do 
with  those,  who  seem  to  be  1  without  law,’  and  would  endeavor  to  show 
them,  that  true  religion  requires  of  us  no  injurious  or  useless  observan¬ 
ces  ;  we  must  still  remember,  that  we  are  1  not  without  law  to  God,  hut 
under  the  law  to  Christ;’  and  we  must  not  countenance  or  connive  at 
their  loose  principles  or  practices,  and,  in  condescending  to  the  weak 
and  injudicious,  we  must  not  tolerate  those  errors  or  faults,  which  may 
either  injure  them,  or  disgrace  the  Gospel.  Hut  a  simple  heart,  a  single 
eye,  and  an  habitual  reliance  on  God  for  heavenly  wisdom,  will  carry  a 
man  through  such  services,  and  past  such  dangers,  as  Cannot  be  direct¬ 
ed  or  guarded  against  by  any  rules.  Scott. 


as  they  were  to  be  exhibited.  No  apology  served  instead  of  this,  and  the  combatants 
must  lake  an  oath  they  had  thus  practised,  and  their  fathers  and  brethren  must  swear 
not  unlawfully  to  disturb  the  games.  Bribery  of  an  adversary  was  severely  fined.  [As 
to  the  discipline,  temperance,  (alluded  to  in  v.  25.)  and  abstinence  required,  Epictetus 
(in  Dr.  A.  C.)  says  to  the  contender,  if  he  would  win,  *  you  must  observe  a  strict  regi¬ 
men  ;  live  on  food  you  dislike;  abstain  from  all  delicacies  [and,  adds  Horace, from  wine 
and  venery]  ;  must  exercise  yourself  at  the  necessary  and  prescribed  limes,  both  in 
heat  and  in  cold  ;  drink  nothing  cooling ;  take  no  wine  as  formerly  :  in  a  word,  you 
must  put  yourself  under  the  directions  of  a  pugilist,  as  you  would  under  those  of  a 
physician  [comp,  the  ‘training’  of  English  athletes]  ;  and  afterwards  enter  the  lists. 
Here  you  may  get  your  arm  broken,  your  foot  put  out  of  joint,  be  obliged  to  swallow 
mouthfuls  of  dust,  to  receive  many  stripes,  and  after  all  be  conquered.’  So  that  after 
all  hardships  victory  was  uncertain,  [comp.  v.  26.]  Little  pellets,  lettered  in  pairs, 
one  pellet  to  each  athlete,  were  thrown  into  a  silver  urn,  and  being  drawn  out,  those 
two  who  had  the  same  letter,  wrestled  together,  and  if  there  were  an  odd  wrestler 
(called  ephedras,  as  coming  after  the  rest),  he  wrestled  last  of  all  with  him  that  had 
the  mastery. 

‘  The  Pythian  Games :  celebrated  (at  first  every  9,  afterwards  every  5  years,)  near 
Delphi,  of  uncertain  origin,  [see  Potter ,]  referred  variously  to  Amphictyon,  the  Am- 
phictyones,  Agamemnon,  Diomedes,  and  Apollo,  on  overcoming  t  he  Python  serpent,  or 
tyrant.  Tradition  says,  the  demigods  were  first  successful  in  them  ;  some  think  it  at 
first  only  a  musical  contention,  the  prize  being  then  of  silver  or  gold,  or  something  of 
value,  afterwards  a  garland.  The  amphictyones,  the  presidents,  introduced  (in  the  4th 
yr.  of  the  48th  Olympiad)  all  the  Olympian  exercises  ;  and  ordained,  that  none  hut 
boys  should  run.  They  also,  it  is  said,  gave  these  hitherto  nameless  games  the  name 
Pythia,  from  the  Pythian  Apollo. 

‘  The  Nemean  Games  :  named  from  the  village  Nemea,  where  they  were  held  every 
3  years.  The  presidents  were  elected  from  Corinth,  Argos,  and  Cleona\  and  habited 
in  black  ;  the  fames  being  a  funeral  ceremony,  in  honor  of  Opheltes,  whose  death  was 
a  prelude  to  the  bad  success  of  all  the  Theban  champions. 

4  The  Isthmian  Chimes:  [to  these  Paul  particularly  alludes.  They  were  held  on 
the  Isthmus  of  Corinth,  which  connects  the  Peloponnesus  or  Morea  with  Europe,  and 
between  sens  which  open  the  commerce  of  the  E  and  W.  ]  in  honor  of  Melicertes,  son 
of  the  k.  of  Thebes;  or,as  others, of  Neptune,  instituted  by  Theseus;  but  these  2  seem  to 
he  different  games,  those  of  Melicertes  beinsr  private,  and  at  night,  and  religious  cere¬ 
monies  rather.  They  were  observed  every  3d,  or  rather  5th  year,  and  held  most  sa¬ 
cred  and  inviolable.  They  were  not  even  discontinued  w  hen  Corinth  was  sacked  and 
totally  demolished,  by  the  Roman  Mummius.  tut  the  care  of  them  being  then  com¬ 
mitted  to  the  Sicyonians,  was  restored  to  the  Corinthians  on  the  rebuilding  of  Corinth.* 

Potter. 

Theae  notes  havo  been  thus  extended,  as  illustrating  institutions  which  had  a  fa¬ 
vorable,  governing  influence  (and  the  Olympic  games  lasted  a  thousand  years!)  upon 
ancient  civilization  :  though  love  of  notice,  or  ‘glory’,*  is  not  n  correct  basis  for  na¬ 
tional  feeling.  ‘Whoever  considers,  on  the  one  hand,  to  what  great  self-denial,  in 
articles  of  food,  sleep,  and  every  other  sensual  indulgence,  they,  who  were  to  contend 
in  their  games,  w  ere  obliged  ;  and  on  the  other,  of  how  great  importance  it  is,  that 
the  youth  of  the  community  should  be  formed  to  a  manly  taste  and  resolute  self- 
government,  will  undoubtedly  see  the  great  national  p  udence  of  the  G  eek*  in  the 
institution  and  support  of  these  games.’  Doddr.  It  becomes  teachers  of  youth,  es¬ 
pecially  in  a  republic  litre  ours,  where  so  much  may  depend  on  individual  exertion, 
to  consider  whether  some  general  system  of  physical  education,  public  and  private] 
might  not  assist  in  accomplishing  the  high  destiny  to  which  God  calls  our  nation. 

Ed. 


A.  D.  60. 


1  CORINTHIANS,  X. 


Paul  warns  the  Corinthians. 


CHAP.  X. 


1  The  sacraments  of  the  Jews  6  are  types  of  ours,  7  and 
their  punishments,  II  examples  for  us.  14  We  must  flee 
from  idolatry.  ‘21  We  must  n  it  make  the  Lord’s  table 
the  table  of  devils  :  24  and  in  things  indifferent  we  must 
have  regard  of  our  brethren. 

MOREOVER,  brethren,  I  would 
not  that  ye  should  be  ignorant, 
how  that  all  our  fathers  were  under 
*the  cloud,  and  ball  passed  through 
the  sea  ; 

2  And  were  all  baptized  unto 
Moses  in  the  cloud  and  in  the  sea  ; 

3  And  did  all  eat  the  same  spirit¬ 
ual  c  meat ; 

4  And  did  all  drink  the  same 
spiritual  i  drink  ;  for  they  drank  of 
that  spiritual  Rock  that  '  followed 
them  :  and  that  Rock  was  Christ. 

5  But  with  many  of  them  God 
was  not  well  pleased  ;  for  they 
were  overthrown  f  in  the  wilder¬ 


ness. 


6  Now  these  things  were  s  our 
examples,  to  the  intent  we  should 
not  lust  after  evil  things,  as  they 
h  also  lusted. 

7  Neither  be  ye  idolaters,  as 
were  some  of  them  ;  as  it  is  'writ¬ 
ten,  The  people  sat  down  to  eat 
and  drink,  and  rose  up  to  play. 

8  Neither  let  us  commit  fornica¬ 
tion,  as  some  J  of  them  committed, 
and  fell  in  one  day  three  and  twen¬ 
ty  thousand. 


a  Ex.  13:21,22. 

No.  9:18-22. 
b  Ex.  14:19  22:29. 
c  Ex.  16:15,35. 
Ne.  9:15,20. 

P . .  78:24,25. 


d  Ex.  17.6. 

Nil.  20:11. 
e  or,  went  with. 
f  Nil  14:29—35. 
26:64,65.  He.  3: 


17.  Jude,  5. 
g  the  1 inures . 
h  Null  1:4.  33:34. 
i  Ex.  32:6. 
j  Nu.  25:1— 9. 


Chap.  X.  V.  1 — 5.  In  order  to  dissuade 
the  Corinthians  from  communion  with  idol¬ 
aters,  and  security  in  any  sinful  course,  he 
sets  before  them  the  example  of  the  Jews, 
the  church  under  the  O.  T.  They  enjoyed 
great  privileges,  but  having  been  guilty  of 
heinous  provocations,  they  fell  under  very 
grievous  punishments.  In  these  vs.  he  reck¬ 
ons  up  their  privileges,  which,  in  the  main, 
were  the  same  with  ours. 


1.  He  prefaces  this  discourse  with  a  note 
of  regard,  v.  1.  Judaism  was  worthy  of 
tiieir  study,  it  was  Christianity  under  a  veil, 
wrapped  up  in  types  and  dark  hints.  The 
Gospel  was  preached  to  the  Jews,  in  their 
legal  rites  and  sacrifices.  And  the  provi¬ 
dence  of  God  toward  them,  and  what  hap¬ 
pened  to  them,  notwithstanding  these  priv¬ 
ileges,  may  and  ought  to  be  warnings  to  us. 

2.  He  specifies  some  of  their  privileges. 
(1.)  They  were  delivered  from  Egypt,  v.  1. 
They  were  miraculously  conducted  through 
the  Red  Sea,  a  proper  type  of  our  redemp¬ 
tion  by  Christ,  who  saves  us,  by  conquering 
and  destroying  his  enemies  and  ours.  (2.) 
They  were  brought  under  obligation  to  Mo¬ 
ses’  law  and  covenant,  as  we  are  by  baptism 
under  the  Christian  law  and  covenant,  v.  2. 
It  was  to  them  a  typical  baptism.  They  fed 
on  manna,  which  was  a  type  of  Christ  cru¬ 
cified,  the  Bread  which  came  down  from 
heaven,  of  which  whoso  eateth  shall  live  for 
ever.  Their  drink,  a  stream  from  a  Rock 
which  followed  them,  was  Christ,  in  type  and 
figure.  He  is  the  Rock  on  which  the  Chris¬ 
tian  church  is  built;  and  of  the  streams  that 
issue  from  Him  do  all  believers  drink,  and 
are  refreshed.  Now  all  these  great  privi¬ 
leges  the  Jews  had  ;  and  one  would  think 
this  should  have  saved  them  ;  that  all  who 
ate  of  that  spiritual  meat,  and  drank  of  that 
spiritual  drink,  should  have  been  holy  and 
acceptable  to  God.  Yet  was  it  otherwise, 
v.  5.  Men  may  enjoy  many  and  great  spir¬ 
itual  privileges  in  this  world,  and  yet  come 
short  of  eternal  life.  Many  who  were  baptized 
unto  Moses  in  the  cloud  and  sea,  i.  e.  had 
their  faith  of  his  divine  commission  con¬ 
firmed  by  these  miracles,  were  yet  over¬ 
thrown  in  the  wilderness,  and  never  saw 
the  promised  land.  Let  none  presume  on 
their  great  privileges,  or  profession  of  the 
truth  ;  these  will  not  secure  heavenly  hap¬ 
piness,  nor  prevent  judgments  hereon  earth, 
except  the  root  of  the  matter  be  in  us. 

V.  6 — 14.  The  apostle,  having  recited 
their  privileges,  proceeds  here  to  an  account 
of  their  faults  and  punishments,  their  sins 
and  plagues,  which  are  left  on  record,  for 
an  example  to  us  ;  a  warning  against  the 
like  sins,  if  we  would  escape  the  like  pun¬ 
ishments.  We  must  not  do  as  they  did,  lest 
we  suffer  as  they  suffered.  Several  of  their 
sins  are  specified,  as  cautions  to  us;  as. 


|  1.  We  should  shun  inordinate  desires  af¬ 

ter  carnal  objects,  v.  6.  God  fed  them  with 

'  manna,  but  they  must  have  flesh,  Num.  11 :4. 

:  They  had  food  for  their  supply,  but,  not  con¬ 
tent  with  that,  they  asked  meat  for  their  lusts, 
Ps.  106:  14.  Carnal  desires  get  head  bv 
indulgence,  therefore  should  be  observed  ’and 
checked  in  their  first  rise  :  if  once  they  pre¬ 
vail,  and  bear  sway  in  us,  we  know  not 
whither  they  will  carry  us.  This  caution 
stands  first,  because  carnal  appetites  in¬ 
dulged  are  the  root  and  source  of  much  sin, 
[see  end  of  Rom.  7.] 

2.  He  warns  against  idolatry,  v.  7.  The 
sin  of  the  golden  calf  is  referred  to,  Ex.  32: 
6.  They  first  sacrificed  to  their  idol,  then 
feasted  on  the  sacrifices,  and  then  danced 
before  it.  The  apostle  is  speaking  to  the 
case  of  the  Corinthians,  who  were  tempted 
to  feast  on  the  heathen  sacrifices,  things  of¬ 
fered  to  idols,  though  they  do  not  seem  to 
have  been  under  any  temptation  to  sacrifice 
themselves.  Even  eating  and  drinking  of 
the  sacrifices  before  the  idol,  and  as  things 
sacrificed,  was  idolatry,  which,  by  the  ex¬ 
ample  of  the  Israelites,  they  should  be 
warned  to  avoid. 

3.  He  cautions  against  fornication,  a  sin 
to  which  the  inhabitants  of  Corinth  were 

;  ip  a  peculiar  manner  addicted.  A  temple 

!  among  them  dedicated  to  Venus,  i.  e.  to  lust, 
had  above  a  thousand  priestesses  belonging 
to  it,  all  common  harlots.  How  needful  was 
a  caution  against  fornication,  to  those  who 
lived  in  so  corrupt  a  city,  and  had  been  used 
to  such  dissolute  manners,  especially  when 
they  were  under  temptations  to  idolatry  too  ! 
and  spiritual  whoredom  did  in  many  eases 
lead  to  bodily  prostitution.  Most  of  the 
gods  whom  the  heathens  served,  were  rep¬ 
resented  as  very  patterns  of  lewdness  ;  and 
much  lewdness  was  committed  in  the  very 
worship  of  many  of  them.  Many  of  the  Jew¬ 
ish  writers,  and  many  Christians  after  them, 
think  that  such  worship  was  paid  to  Baal- 
Peor  ;  and  that  fornication  was  committed 
with  the  daughters  of  Moab,  in  the  worship 
of  that  idol,  Num.  25.  which  brought  on  a 
plague,  that  in  one  day  slew  23,000,  beside 
those  who  fell  by  the  hand  of  public  justice. 
Note,  Whoremongers  and  adulterers  God 
will  judge,  in  whatever  external  relation 
they  may  stand  to  Him,  and  whatever  out¬ 
ward  privileges  He  may  bestow  on  them. 


NOTES.  Chap.  X.  V.  1 — ,5.  Thus  they  [the  nation  of'Israel]  were 
initiated,  as  by  baptism,  into  the  true  religion,  under  the  instruction  of 
Moses,  the  type  of  Christ ;  by  the  overshadowing  cloud,  and  by  the  wa¬ 
ters  of  the  sea ;  and  the  whole  nation,  men,  women,  and  children,  were 
acknowledged  as  the  visible  church  of  God  ;  in  a  manner  which  resem¬ 
bled  that  by  which  all  professed  Christians  were  admitted  into  the 
church  by  baptism.  Ez.  14:15.  Mat.  28:13,  20.  This  too  (those  waters, 
which  flowed  from  the  rock,  and  followed  them  ns  a  river,  through 
most  of  their  wanderjngs  in  the  wilderness)  might  be  called  ‘spiritual 
drink,’  for  it  typified  the  sacred  influences  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  as  given  to 
believers  through  Jesus  Christ. — Nothing  cun  more  clearly  show  the 
absurdity  of  forcing  figurative  language  into  a  literal  meaning,  and  so 
grounding  doctrines  on  it,  as  the  papists  have  done  in  the  monstrous  no¬ 
tion  of  transubstantiation,  than  this  text  does.  By  such  a  mode  of  con¬ 
struction  we  might  prove,  that  the  rock  was  literally  the  person  of 
Christ;  and  that  ‘  the  rock’  followed  the  Israelites  in  the  wilderness  ! 
Mat.  26:26 — 28.  Luke  22:19,  20. — (1)  Our  fathers.]  The  ancestors  of 
the  Jewish  nation. — (2)  Baptized.]  Certainly  not  by  immersion.  Mat. 
20:20—23.  Mark  7:3,  4.  Luke  11:37—10.  Acts  2:41.  Heb.  9:8— 10.  (4) 
The  same,  <&c.]  ‘  In  fact,  the  sacraments  of  the  ancients  were  the  same 
as  ours,  as  they  had  respect  to  Christ  alone.’  Beza.  Some  make  their 
sacraments  types  of  our  sacraments,  i.  e.  shadows  of  shadows  :  but  a 
sacrament  is  well  defined  to  he  ‘  an  outward  and  visible  sign  of  an 
inward  and  spiritual  grace.’  Jude ,  5 — 8.  Scott. 

(1.)  ‘Paul  having  described  how  he  mortified  his  own  lusts,  admon¬ 
ishes  the  Corinthians  to  the  same,  not  trusting  to  spiritual  gifls,  (as 
some  of  them  did,)  for  these  did  not  place  them  beyond  dnnger,  but  put 
them  under  greater  obligation  to  watchfulness.’  Grot.  ‘This  he  adum¬ 
brates  from  Ileb.  history,  in  which  the  wiser  Jews  recognised  a  type  of 
the  Messiah’s  times.’  Bloomf. 

(2.)  ‘7 'heoph.,  from  Chrys.,  explains:  “They  shared  with  Moses  in 
the  shade  of  the  cloud,  and  passage  through  the  sea;  for  seeing  him  first 
pass,  they  dared  the  waters.  So,  Christ  first  dying  and  rising,  we  also 
are  baptized,  imitating  death  in  descending,  and  resurrection  in  coming 
up,  [from  the  water.]  They,  therefore,  were  baptized  unto  Moses,  inas¬ 
much  as  they  had  him  as  a  leader  in  the  type  of  baptism,  i.  e.  the  being 
under  the  cloud,  and  the  passing  through -the  sea.”  So  (Ec.,  rhot., 
Greg.,  Ambr.,  Est.,  Tirin.,  Menoch.,  and  many  other  Roman  Catholic 
comtrs.,  also  Grot.,  Whit.,  and  Locke.  But  this  is  harsh.  See  other 
interpretations  in  Poole  and  Wolf.  Baptism  was  a  symbolical  rite,  by 
which  any  one  bound  himself  to  faith  and  obedience  to  any  teacher  of 
religion,  and  the  baptism  itself  was  a  form  of  initiation  and  inauguration 
N.  T.  VOL.  V.  37 


into  that  religion. — They  were,  by  passing  under  the  cloud,  and  through 
the  sea,  as  it  were  baptized,  or  initiated  into  the  religion  promulgated 
by  Moses ;  and  thus  thoroughly  recognised  his  divine  mission,  and 
bound  themselves  in  future  to  obey  his  injunctions.  And  so  Crell.,  and 
Ham.,  Vitr.,  Wolf,  Beng.,  Ros.,  Semler,  Kr.,  and  Schl.  Baptized.]  The 
material  of  the  cloud  and  sea,  suggested  the  word.  Orel/.  Cloud..]  By 
day,  and  light  by  night.  Pindar,  A.  Geilius,  Thucyd  ,  Macro!).,  have 
similar  expressions  concerning  AStna.’  Bloomf. 

(3,4.)  Spiritual.]  ‘Viz.  as  bestowed  by  divine  favor,  and  miracu¬ 
lously.  There  is  an  allusion  to  the  Lord’s  Supper.  Rock.]  Not  natu¬ 
ral,  but  spiritual.  Christ,  attending  them  with  his  omnipotent  and 
gracious  presence,  is  represented  as  the  Author  and  Fountain  of  the 
miraculously  produced  water.  Calv.,  Wolf,  Glass.,  and  Ros.,  who  thinks 
the  Jews’  tradition,  that  the  natural  rock  followed  the  Israelites,  meant 
only  to  express  this  sentiment.  Le  Clerc  says,  the  Jews  of  that  age  took 
all  their  comparisons  from  the  O.  T.  histories,  not  as  considering  them 
prefigurations,  but  because  this  was  thought  a  Jewish  elegance.  And 
so,  Ros.  thinks,  Paul  uses  this  Jewish  way  ;  but  this  idea  of  accommo¬ 
dation  must  be  cautiously  resorted  to,  and  in  no  case  are  we  unneces¬ 
sarily  to  entangle  ourselves  with  Rabbinical  dogmas,  or  Jewish  fancies.’ 


(5.)  Many.]  ‘  Rather,  most,  I.  e.  nearly  all,  (but  2  were  excepted,) 
so  the  Gr.,  by  a  scriptural  and  classical  idiom.  Overthrown.]  Lit. 
stretched  out,  or  strewed  dead  on  the  face  of  the  desert,  [as  still  happens 
in  the  Mecca  pilgrimage.]  It  is  an  awful  type  of  the  eternal  perdition 
of  the  wicked,  as,  in  fact,  is  suggested  by  the  words  following.’  In. 

V.  6—10.  Tile  apostle,  in  applying  his  subject,  next  observed,  that 
these  events  were  intended  to  be  instructive  examples  to  the  Christian 
church,  or  figurative  representations  of  God’s  dealings  with  his  professed 
worshippers,  in  all  ages;  that,  by  the  fatal  consequences  of  Israel’s 
disobedience  and  rebellion,  others  might  be  deterred  from  allowing  an 
evil  concupiscence  after  sinful  or  inexpedient  indulgences.  9:2-1  27. 

Num.  11:4— 9,  31—  34.  P*.  78:17— 31.  106:15.  Some  expositors  sup¬ 
pose  that  the  word,  rendered  ‘  to  play,’  signifies  to  commit  fornication  ; 
but  the  Israelites  are  not,  on  that  occasion,  charged  with  this  cn™®’ 
any  other  of  the  same  nature;  and  a  jovial,  festive  religion,  wi  1 
gross  and  scandalous  immorality,  is  peculiarly  congenial  l<>  1,1  , 

ture,  as  circumstanced  in  this  world.  For  regard  to  c  arn  . 

worldly  interest,  and  some  remaining  feeling  In  Hie  consc  ei  c  j  . 

verv  large  numbers  of  unconverted  persons,  from  direct  ‘L  ,  .  ’ 

especially  where  the  Word  of  God  is  so  far  know.q  as  t°  rendeMhose 
crimes  shameful,  and  -uneasy  to  the  conscience,  which  the  Lennys 


A.  D.  60. 


I  CORINTHIANS,  X. 


Caution  against  idolatry. 


9  Neither  let  us  tempt  k  Christ, 
as  some  of  them  also  tempted,  and 
were  destroyed  of ‘serpents. 

10  Neither  murmur  ye,  as  some 
of  them  also  “murmured,  and  were 
destroyed  of  the  “destroyer. 

11  Now  all  these  things  happen¬ 
ed  unto  them  for  0  ensamples  :  and 
they  are  written  for  our  admoni¬ 
tion,  upon  whom  the  ends  of  the 
world  are  come. 

12  Wherefore  Piet  him  thatthink- 
eth  he  standeth  take  heed  lest  he 
fall. 

13  There  hath  no  temptation 
taken  you  but  i  such  as  is  common 
to  man  :  but  God  is  faithful,  who 
'will  not  suffer  you  to  be  tempted 
above  that  ye  are  able  ;  '  but  will 
with  the  temptation  also  make  a 
way  to  escape,  that  ye  may  be  able 
to  bear  it. 

14  Wherefore,  my  dearly  belov¬ 
ed,  'flee  from  idolatry. 

15  1  speak  as  to  wise  men  ;  judge 
ye  what  I  say. 


k  Ex.  17:2,7. 

1  Nu.  21:6. 
m  Nu.  14:2,29. 
u  2  Sa.  24:10. 


o  or,  types. 
p  Pr.  28:14. 

Ro.  11:20. 
q  or,  moderate. 


r  Da.  3:17. 

2  Pe.  2:9. 
s  Ja.  5:11. 
t  1  Jn.  5:21. 


Let  us  fear  the  sins  of  Israel,  if  we  would 
shun  their  plagues. 

4.  He  warns  us  against  tempting  Christ, 
v.  9.  or  provoking  Him  to  jealousy,  v.  22. 
He  was  with  the  church  in  the  wilderness; 
the  Angel  of  the  covenant,  who  went  before 
them.  But  He  was  greatly  grieved  and  pro¬ 
voked  by  them  many  ways  ;  They  spake 
against  Him  and  Moses,  Wherefore  have  ye 
brought  us  out  of  Egypt  to  die  in  the  wilder¬ 
ness  ?  For  which  reason  God  sent  fiery  ser¬ 
pents  among  them,  Num.  21 :  5,  6.  by  which 
many  of  them  were  stung  mortally.  And  it 
is  but  just  to  fear,  that  such  as  tempt  Christ 
under  the  present  dispensation,  will  be  left 
by  Him  in  the  power  of  the  old  serpent. 

5.  He  warns  against  murmuring ;  Neither 
murmur  ye,  as  some  of  them  also  murmured, 
and  were  destroyed  of  the  destroys:,  v.  10.  by 
a  destroying  angel,  and  executioner  of  di¬ 
vine  vengeance.  They  quarrelled  with  God, 
and  murmured  against  Moses,  when  any  dif¬ 
ficulties  pressed  them.  They  were  very  apt 
to  fly  in  the  face  of  their  leaders  ;  were  for 


displacing  them,  and  going  back  to  Egypt, 
under  the  conduct  of  others  of  their  own 
choosing.  Similar  seems  to  have  been  the 
case  of  the  Corinthians  ;  they  murmured 
against  Paul  and  in  him  against  Christ,  and 
seem  to  have  set  up  other  teachers,  who 
would  indulge  and  soothe  them  in  their  in¬ 
clinations,  and  particularly  in  a  revolt  to 
idolatry.  Such  conduct  was  very  provoking 
to  God,  and  likely  to  bring  on  them  sw  ift 
destruction,  as  on  the  Israelites,  Num.  14: 
37.  Murmuring  against  divine  disposals 
and  commands,  is  a  sin  that  greatly  pro¬ 
vokes,  especially  when  it  grows  to  such  a 
head  as  to  issue  in  apostasy,  and  a  revolt 
from  God  and  his  good  ways. 

(1.)  The  apostle  subjoins  to  these  partic¬ 
ular  cautions  a  more  general  one,  v.  11. 
Not  only  the  law’s  and  ordinances  of  the 
Jews,  but  the  providences  of  God  toward 
them,  were  typical.  Their  sins  against  God, 
and  backslidings  from  Him,  were  typical  of 
the  infidelity  of  many  under  the  Gospel. 
God’s  judgments  on  them  were  types  of 
spiritual  judgments  now.  Their  exclusion 
from  the  earthly  Canaan  typified  the  exclu¬ 
sion  of  many  under  the  Gospel  out  of  the 
heavenly  Canaan,  for  their  unbelief.  Their 
history  was  written,  to  be  a  standing  mon¬ 
itory  to  the  church,  even  under  the  last  and 
most  perfect  dispensation.  Nothing  in 
Scripture  is  written  in  vain.  God  had  wise 
and  gracious  purposes  towards  us  in  leaving 
the  Jewish  history  on  record;  and  it  is  our 
wisdom  and  duty  to  receive  instruction  from 
it.  On  this  hint  the  apostle  grounds  a  cau¬ 
tion,  v.  12.  He  that  thinks  he  stands,  should 
not  be  confident  and  secure,  but  on  his 
guard.  Others  have  fallen,  and  so  may  we. 
And  then  we  are  most  likely  to  fall,  when 
we  are  most  confident  of  our  own  strength, 
and  thereupon  most  apt  to  be  secure,  and 
off  our  guard.  Distrust  of  himself,  putting 
him  at  once  on  vigilance  and  dependence  on 
God,  is  the  Christian’s  best  security  against 
all  sin.  God  has  not  promised  to  keep  us 
from  falling,  if  we  do  not  look  to  ourselves: 
his  protection  supposes  our  own  care  and 
caution. 

(2.)  But  to  this  word  of  caution  he  adds  a 
word  of  comfort,  v.  13.  Though  it  is  dis¬ 
pleasing  to  God  for  us  to  presume,  it  is  not 
pleasing  to  Him  for  us  to  despair.  We  must 
fear  and  take  heed,  yet  not  be  terrified  and 
amazed  ;  for  either  our  trials  will  be  propor¬ 
tioned  to  our  strength,  or  strength  shall  be 
supplied  in  proportion  to  our  temptations. 
Every  place,  condition,  relation,  employ¬ 


ment,  and  enjoyment,  abounds  with  shares; 
yet  what  comfort  may  we  fetch  from  such  a 
passage  !  For,  [1.]  ‘  No  temptation, ’  says 
the  apostle,  ‘  hath  yet  taken  you,  but  such  as 
is  common  to  man,  what  is  human  ;  i.  e.  such 
as  you  may  expect  from  men  of  such  princi¬ 
ples  as  heathens,  and  such  power  ;  or  else, 
such  as  is  common  to  mankind  in  the  pres¬ 
ent  state  ;  or  else,  such  as  the  spirit  and 
resolution  of  mere  men  may  bear  you 
through.’  [2.]  God  is  faithful.  Though 
Satan  be  a  deceiver,  God  is  true.  Men  may 
be  false,  and  the  world  false  ;  but  God  is 
faithful,  and  our  strength  and  security  are  in 
Him.  [3.]  He  is  wise  as  well  as  faithful, 
and  will  proportion  our  burden  to  our 
strength.  He  will  not  suffer  us  to  be  tempted 
above  what  we  arc  able.  He  knows  what  we 
can  bear  ;  and  He  will,  in  his  wise  provi¬ 
dence,  either  proportion  our  temptations  to 
our  strength,  or  make  us  able  to  grapple 
with  them.  We  need  not  perplex  ourselves 
with  the  difficulties  in  our  way,  when  God 
will  take  care  that  they  shall  not  be  too 
great  for  us  to  encounter  ;  especially,  [4.] 
When  He  will  make  them  to  issue  well.  He 
will  make  a  way  to  escape,  either  the  trial 
itself,  however  great,  or  at  least  the  mischief 
of  it. 

(3.)  And  on  this  argument  he  grounds 
another  caution  against  idolatry ;  Wherefore, 
my  dearly  beloved,  flee  from  idolatry.  It  is 
out  of  tender  affection  that  he  presses  this 
advice.  Idolatry  is  the  most  heinous  injury 
and  affront  to  the  true  God.  God  will  suc¬ 
cor,  therefore  be  not  guilty  of  any  idolatrous 
compliances.  We  have  all  the  encourage¬ 
ment  in  the  world  to  flee  sin,  and  prove 
faithful  to  God.  We  cannot  fall  by  a  tempt¬ 
ation,  if  we  cleave  fast  to  Him. 

V.  15 — 22.  The  apostle  urges  the  general 
caution  against  idolatry,  in  the  particular 
case  of  eating  the  heathen  sacrifices,  as  such, 
and  out  of  any  religious  respect  to  the  idol. 

1.  He  prefaces  his  argument  with  an  ap¬ 
peal  to  their  own  reason  and  judgment,  v.  15. 
It  is  no  dishonor  to  an  inspired  teacher,  nor 
disadvantage  to  his  argument,  to  appeal  for 
the  truth  of  it  to  the  reason  and  consciences 
of  his  hearers.  It  comes  on  them  with  the 
greater  force,  when  it  comes  with  this  con¬ 
viction. 

2.  He  lays  down  his  argument  from  the 
Lord’s  supper,  v.  16.  a  feast  on  the  sacrificed 
body  and  blood  of  the  Lord.  And  to  eat  of 
the  feast,  is  to  partake  of  the  sacrifice,  and 
so  to  be  his  guests,  to  whom  the  sacrifice 
was  offered,  and  this  in  token  of  friendship 


practised,  without  shame  or  remorse.  (9)  Tempt  Christ,  <fcc.]  This 
language  of  the  apostle  fully  confirms  the  point,  that  all  the  appearances 
recorded  in  the  O.  T.,  were  made  by  ‘  the  only  begotten  Son,  in  the 
form  of  God,’  and  adored  as  ‘  Jehovah,  the  God  of  Israel.’  Gen.  48:15, 
16.  Ex.  3:2,  4.  23:20—23.  Is.  63:9.  Acts  7:37— 43.  Heb-  11:24—26.— 
The  destroyer .]  Many  writers  suppose,  that  an  evil  angel  is  meant  by 
1  the  destroyer  ;  ’  but  this  is  not  probable;  for  holy  angels  are  contin¬ 
ually  represented  as  employed  by  the  Lord,  in  executing  vengeance  on 
his  enemies.  Scott. 

(7.)  Play.]  ‘The  Gr.  has  here  a  general  notion  (as  in  Herod.)  9:11 
1  Chr.  15:29.  3  Esdr.  5:3.  which  includes  leaping,  dancing,  singing,  and 
all  other  kinds  of  festal  sport,  not  excluding  lasciviousness ;  since,  prob¬ 
ably,  like  most  oriental  dances,  these  were  very  indecent. — Idolatry, 
connected  as  it  was  with  gluttony,  and  inebriety,  necessarily  led  [by 
exciting  a  proximate  propensity]  1o  fornication,  v.  8.’  Bloomf. 

(8.)  Tempt.)  ‘The  Gr.  properly  means,  to  make  trial  of  any  one’s 
ability,  also  patience.  They  did  it  by  demanding  signs  (Theoph.)  ;  by 
impatience  for  Gospel  benefits  and  rewards  {Chrys.) ;  impatience  under 
adversity,  and  despair  of  divine  assistance  {Kr.) ;  adhering  to  their 
vices,  to  see  if  God  would  support  Paul’s  authority  or  not  ( Ros .) ;  asking 
greater  spiritual  gifts  and  supernatural  favors,  while  not  duly  using  what 
they  had,  (as  others.)  The  opinion  of  Chrys.  and  Kr.  (and  Schoett., 
nearly)  seems  best.’  1D- 

(10.)  Destroyer.]  '■  Olofhreutos  :  the  destroying  angel,  death;  so 
often  mentioned  in  the  O.  T.  The  Jeics,  says  Light/.,  call  bad  angels 
destroyers ,  good  angels  minislrators,  and  ascribe  uncommon  deaths  to 
the  angel  of  death,  Samael.  Ros.  and  Kr.  think  it  said  “of  the  plague 
mentioned,  by  personification,  as  the  figure  is  applied  to  lightning  also.” 
A  very  exceptionable  notion.  The  principle,  indeed,  is  too  often  intro¬ 
duced  by  recent  commentators,  and  forms  part  of  a  system,  by  which 
the  truth  is  so  diluted,  lowered,  and  explained  away  by  critical  and 
grammatical  hocus-pocus,  that  little  or  nothing  stable  remains.’  In. 

V.  11,12.  The  apostle  further  observed,  that  those  things,  which 
seemed  so  severe  in  respect  of  Israel,  were  merciful  in  the  object;  being 
intended  as  ‘examples’  to  others,  warning  them  to  restrain  their  appe¬ 
tites  and  passions,  and  to  exercise  holy  caution  and  humble  fear.  6 _ 10. 

Especially  they  ‘  were  written  for  the  admonition  ’  of  Christians.  ‘  on 

[290] 


whom  tlie  completion  of  the  ages  was  come ;  ’  who  had  the  substance 
of  the  ancient  shadows,  and  the  accomplishment  of  all  the  prophecies  ; 
who  enjoyed  those  advantages,  which  were  the  end  and  perfection  of 
the  old  dispensation  ;  and  who  lived  under  the  light  of  the  last  and  most 
complete  revelation,  which  was  to  be  vouchsafed  to  the  world.  Rom. 
10:1—4.  15:4—7.  Heb.  11:39,  40.  1  Jn.  2:18,  19.  It  therefore  was 
proper,  that  every  tnan,  who  supposed  himself  to  stand  secure  in  the 
favor  of  God,  and  strong  in  the  faith  of  the  Gospel,  without  being  troub¬ 
led  by  weak  and  superstitious  scruples,  should  ‘  take  heed  that  he  did 
not  fall  ’  away  from  his  self-confident  profession,  and  at  last  lie  tinder 
the  righteous  condemnation  of  God,  having  only  ‘  the  form  of  godliness  ;  ’ 
or  lest  he  should,  (like  Peter,  when  through  self-confidence  he  neglected 
to  watch  and  pray,)  fall  into  grievous  sin,  and  thus  wound  his  con¬ 
science,  expose  himself  to  severe  rebukes,  disgrace  his  profession,  and 
injure  or  ruin  the  souls  of  others.  8-.1 — 3.  Prov.  11:2.  Mat.  26:30 — 35, 
69 — 75.  Rom.  11:16 — 21.  Scott. 

(11.)  End,  <fce.]  ‘I.  e.  the  last  of  the  Jewish  ages.  The  last  age, 
Pearce  tr.  How  long  to  last  Paul  says  not.  An  allusion  to  the  Jewish 
computation,  that  the  xvorld  was  to  last  6000  venrs;  dividing  it  into  3 
periods;  the  Patriarchal,  Mosaic,  and  Evangelical,  (or  Messianic,)  dis¬ 
pensation,  (alter  which,  no  new  law  or  revelation  would  be  made,)  called 
the  last  days,  the  last  times,  (Ac.  2:17.  2  Tim.  S:l.  Heb.  1:2.  1  Pet.  1 :5, 
20.)  and  the  fulness  of  time,  or  times,  in  Gal.  4:4.  Eph.  1:10.  Lightf., 
and  Schoett.,  Orel].,  Grot.,  Olear.,  Wolf,  .1.  Cappell,  Par.,  Locke,  Whit., 
Pearce,  and  Ros.,  satisfactorily  establish  this  sense.’  Bloomf. 

V.  13.  This  cannot  mean,  that  all  believers  should  be  rendered  victo¬ 
rious  over  every  particular  temptation  ;  because  in  that  case  they  must 
all  he  kept  from  nctual  sin,  which  is  contrary  to  fact  and  Scripture  ;  yet 
it  must  imply,  that  no  concurrence  of  circumstances  should  ever  cast 
them  into  such  temptation,  as  would  render  the  commission  of  sin  ab¬ 
solutely  unavoidable;  and  that  nothing  should  ever  occasion  their  final 

apostasy  and  condemnation.  Jn.  10:26 — SI.  Rom.  8:32 — 39. _ A  woy  to 

escape.)  ‘  A  metaphor,  taken  from  them,  who,  being  surrounded  by 
thieves,  are  in  danger  on  every  side.’  Pareus,  in  Leigh.  Scott. 

V.  14—17.  ‘  The  apostle  calls  it  ‘  the  cup  of  blessing,’  because  when 

we  have  it  in  our  hand,  we  praise  aid  bless,  with  admiration  of  his 
ineffable  gift,  Him  who  shed  his  blood  for  us  ;  and  not  only  shed  his 


A.  D.  60. 


i  CORINTHIANS,  X. 


Concerning  sacrifices  to  idols. 


16  The  cup  of  blessing  which  wo 
bless,  is  it  not  the  communion  of 
the  blood  of  Christ  ?  the  bread 
which  we  break,  is  it  not  the  com¬ 
munion  of  the  body  of  Christ  ? 

17  For  we,  being  many,  are  one 
bread,  and  one  body;  for  we  are 
all  partakers  of  that  one  bread. 

IS  Behold  Israel  after  0  the  flesh  : 
vare  not  they  which  eat  of  the  sac¬ 
rifices  partakers  of  the  altar  ? 

19  What  say  I  then  ?  that  the 
idol  w  is  any  thing  ?  or  that  which 
is  offered  in  sacrifice  to  idols  is  any 
thing  ? 

20  But  I  say,  that  the  things 
which  the  Gentiles  sacrifice,  they 
sacrifice  to  x  devils,  and  not  to 
God  :  and  I  would  not  that  ye 
should  have  fellowship  with  devils. 

21  Ye  cannot  drink  the  cup  of 
the  Lord,  and  the  cup  t  of  devils  : 
ye  cannot  be  partakers  of  tffe  Lord’s 
table,  and  of  the  table  of  devils. 

22  Do  we  z  provoke  the  Lord  to 
jealousy  ?  are  we  stronger  than  he? 

23  All  *  things  are  lawful  for  me, 
but  all  things  are  not  expedient  : 
all  things  are  lawful  for  me,  but  all 
things  edify  not. 

24  Let  b  no  man  seek  his  own, 
but  every  man  another’s  wealth. 

u  Ro.  4:1,13.  17.  Pa.  106:37.  9:4  El.  22:14. 

■v  c.  9:13.  y  De.  32:38.  a.  c.  6:1*2. 

w  c.  8:4.  z  De.  32:21.  Job  b  Phi.  2:4,21. 

x  Le.l7:7.  De.32: 

with  Him.  Thus  to  partake  of  the  Lord’s 
table,  is  to  profess  ourselves  his  guests,  and 
covenant  people.  This  is  the  very  purpose 
and  intention  of  this  symbolical  eating  and 
drinking  ;  it  is  holding  communion  with 
God,  and  partaking  of  those  privileges,  and 
professing  ourselves  under  those  obligations, 
which  result  from  the  death  and  sacrifice  of 
Christ  ;  and  this  in  conjunction  with  all 
true  Christians,  with  whom  we  have  com¬ 
munion  also  in  this  ordinance.  Because  the 
bread  is  one. ,  we,  being  many,  are  one  body, 
for  we  are  made  partakers  of  one  bread,  or  loaf, 
t>.  17.  which  I  think  is  thus  mote  truly  ren¬ 
dered;  ‘By  partaking  of  one  broken  loaf, 
the  emblem  of  our  Savior’s  broken  body, 
who  is  the  only  true  Bread  that  came  down 
from  heaven,  we  coalesce  into  one  body,  be¬ 
come  members  of  Him  and  one  another.’ 
Those  wdio  truly  partake  by  faith,  have  this 
communion  with  Christ,  and  one  another  : 
and  those  who  eat  the  outward  elements, 
make  profession  of  having  this  communion 
of  belonging  to  God,  and  the  blessed  frater¬ 


nity  of  his  people  and  worshippers.  This 
is  the  true  meaning  of  this  holy  rite. 

3.  He  confirms  this  from  the  Jewish  wor¬ 
ship  and  customs,  v.  18.  Those  who  were 
admitted  to  eat  of  the  offerings,  were  es¬ 
teemed  to  partake  of  the  sacrifice  itself,  as 
made  for  them,  and  to  be  sanctified  thereby; 
and  therefore  sure  to  worship  God,  and  be 
in  alliance  or  covenant  with  Him,  even  the 
God  of  Israel,  to  whom  the  sacrifice  was 
made  :  this  was  a  symbol  or  token  of  hold¬ 
ing  communion  with  Him. 

4.  He  applies  this  to  the  argument  against 
feasting  with  idolaters  on  their  sacrifices, 
and  to  prove  them  that  do  so,  idolaters. 
This  he  does,  (l.)  By  following  the  princi¬ 
ple  on  which  they  would  argue  it  to  be  law¬ 
ful,  namely,  that  an  idol  was  nothing,  d.  19. 
They  indeed  seemed  to  argue,  that,  because 
an  idol  was  nothing,  what  was  offered  was 
no  sacrifice,  but  common  and  ordinary  food, 
of  which  they  might  therefore  eat  with  as 
little  scruple.  Now  the  apostle  allows  the 
food  was  not  changed,  as  to  its  nature;  was 
as  fit  to  be  eaten  as  common  food,  where  it 
was  set  before  any  wdio  knew  not  of  its  hav¬ 
ing  been  offered  to  an  idol.  But,  (2.)  He 
proves,  that  eating  it,  as  a  part  of  a  heathen 
sacrifice,  was,  [1.]  A  partaking  with  them 
in  their  idolatry,  v.  20.  It  was  having  fel¬ 
lowship  with  devils  ;  because  what  the  Gen¬ 
tiles  sacrificed,  they  sacrificed  to  devils. 
And  to  feast  with  them  on  these  sacrifices, 
was  to  partake  in  the  sacrifice,  and  there¬ 
fore  to  worship  the  god  to  whom  it  was 
made,  and  have  fellowship  or  communion 
with  him  :  just  as  he  wdio  eats  the  Lord’s 
supper,  is  supposed  to  partake  in  the  Chris¬ 
tian  sacrifice  ;  or  as  they  w’ho  ate  the  Jew¬ 
ish  sacrifices,  did  partake  of  what  was 
offered  on  their  altar.  [2.]  It  was  a  vir¬ 
tual  renouncing  of  Christianity,  v.  21.  To 
partake  of  this  Christian  feast,  was  to  have 
communion  with  Christ  ;  to  partake  of  the 
feasts  made  out  of  honor  to  the  heathen 
idols,  and  made  of  things  sacrificed  to  them, 
was  to  have  communion  with  devils.  Now 
this  wms  to  compound  contraries;  it  was  by 
no  means  consistent.  And  what  a  manifest 
self-contradiction  must  that  man’s  conduct 
be,  that  would  partake  of  the  Lord’s  table, 
and  yet  partake  of  the  table  of  demons  ! 
God  and  Mammon  can  never  be  served  to¬ 
gether,  nor  fellowship  be  at  once  had  with 
Christ  and  Satan.  This  may  also  intimate, 
that  such  as  indulge  themselves  in  gluttony 
or  drunkenness,  and  by  so  doing  make  their 
own  table  the  table  of  devils,  or  keep  up 
fellowship  with  Satan  by  a  course  of  known 
and  wilful  wickedness,  cannot  partake  truly 
of  the  cup  and  table  of  the  Lord.  IIow  much 
reason  have  we  to  look  to  it,  that  every  sin 
and  idol  be  renounced  by  us,  when  we  eat 
and  drink  at  the  Lord’s  table. 

5.  He  warns  them,  on  the  whole,  against 


such  idolatry,  by  signifying  to  them  that  God 
is  a  jealous  God,  v.  22.  Very  probably 
many  of  the  Corinthians  made  light  of  being 
at  these  heathen  feasts,  and  thought  there 
was  no  harm  in  it.  But  the  apostle  bids 
them  beware,  assuring  them  that  God  can¬ 
not  endure  a  rival  in  matters  of  worship,  and 
that  it  is  dangerous. 

V.  23 — 33.  The  apostle  shows  in  what 
instances,  notwithstanding,  Christians  might 
lawfully  eat  what  had  been  sacrificed  to 
idols.  But, 

1.  He  cautions  against  abusing  our  lib¬ 
erty  in  lawful  things.  That  may  be  lawful, 
which  is  not  expedient,  will  not  edify.  A 
Christian  must  not  barely  consider  what  is 
lawful,  but  what  is  expedient,  and  for  the 
use  of  edification.  A  private  Christian 
should  do  so  even  in  his  piivate  conduct. 
lie  must  not  seek  his  own  only,  but  his  neigh¬ 
bor’s  wealth,  [i.  e.  weal .]  He  must  be  con¬ 
cerned  not  to  hurt  his  neighbor,  nay,  to 
promote  his  welfare;  and  must  consider  how 
to  act,  so  that  he  may  help  others,  and  not 
hinder  them,  in  their  holiness,  comfort,  or 
salvation.  They  who  allow  themselves  in 
everything  not  plainly  sinful  in  itself,  will 
often  run  into  what  is  evil  by  accident,  and 
do  much  mischief  to  others.  Circumstances 
may  make  that  a  sin,  which  in  itself  is  none. 
The  welfare  of  others,  as  well  as  our  own 
convenience,  must  be  consulted  in  many 
things  we  do,  if  we  would  do  them  well. 

2.  He  tells  them,  that  what  was  sold  in 
the  shambles,  they  might  eat  without  asking 
questions.  The  priest’s  share  of  heathen 
sacrifices  was  thus  frequently  offered  to  sale, 
after  it  had  been  offered  in  the  temple.  Now 
the  apostle  tells  them,  they  need  not  be  so 
scrupulous  as  to  ask  the  butcher  in  the  mar¬ 
ket,  whether  the  meat  he  sold  had  been  of¬ 
fered  to  an  idol.  It  was  there  sold  as  com¬ 
mon  food,  and  as  such  might  be  bought  and 
used  ;  for  the  earth  is  the  Lord’s,  and  thi 
fulness  thereof,  v.  26.  and  the  fruit  and  pro¬ 
ducts  of  the  earth  were  designed  by  Him, 
the  great  Proprietor,  for  the  use  and  subsis¬ 
tence  of  mankind,  and  more  especially  of 
his  own  children  and  servants,  1  Tim.  4:  4. 
To  the  pure  all  things  are  pure,  Tit.  1:  15. 
Though  it  is  sinful  to  use  any  food  in  an 
idolatrous  manner,  it  is  no  sin,  after  such 
abuse,  to  apply  it,  in  a  holy  manner,  to  its 
common  use. 

3.  He  adds,  that,  if  invited  by  any  heathen 
acquaintance  to  a  feast,  they  migkt  go,  and 
ectt  what  was  set  before  them,  without  asking 
questions,  v.  27.  nay,  though  they  knew 
things  sacrificed  to  idols  were  served  up  at 
such  entertainments,  as  well  as  sold  in  the 
shambles.  Christianity  does  by  no  means 
bind  us  up  from  the  common  offices  of  hu¬ 
manity,  or  allow  us  an  uncourteous  behavior 
to  any  of  our  own  kind,  however  they  may 
differ  from  us  in  religious  sentiments  or 


blood,  but  has  made  us  all  partakers  of  it.’  Ambrose. — ‘  These  words, 
“  the  bread  which  we  break,”  the  “  loaf,  or  bread,  is  one,”  and  we  all 
partake  of  one  loaf,  and  therefore  are  one  body,  show  how  grossly  the 
church  of  Rome  has  varied  from  Christ’s  institution,  in  distributing  to 
the  communicants,  severally,  an  unbroken  wafer;  so  that  they  are 
neither  partakers  of  one  loaf,  or  bread,  or  of  “  bread  broken.”  ’  Whit.  Sc. 

(17.1  ‘Eating  together  in  a  religious  manner,  has  been  in  almost  all 
ancient  nations  a  token  of  friendship.’  Doddr. 

V.  18 — 22.  Perhaps  some  might  suppose,  that  the  name  was  not 
essential,  and  that  God  was  worshipped  in  these  riles,  though  under 
another  tide  ;  (as  modern  speculators  have  asserted,  that  Jehovah,  or 
Jupiter,  are  virtually  the  same;  and  that  the  Supreme  Being  is  wor¬ 
shipped,  with  equal  acceptance,  ‘  in  every  age  and  every  clime  ;  ’)  but 
the  apostle  assured  them,  that  these  sacrifices  were  not  presented  to 
God,  but  to  the  determined  enemies  of  God  and  man;  and  he  would,  on 
no  account,  have  his  beloved  fellow  Christians  join  themselves  with 
demons  and  their  worshippers.  Indeed,  they  could  not  render  the 
ordinances  of  Christ  consistent  with  these  abominable  rites ;  and  if  they 
attempted  it,  they  would  provoke  the  Lord  to  jealousy,  by  this  famil¬ 
iarity  with  his  detested  rivals  ;  as  if  they  were  ‘  stronger  than  He,’  and 
could  defend  themselves  against  his  judgments :  even  as  a  woman, 
though  not  guilty  of  gross  adultery,  must  excite  the  suspicion  and  indig¬ 
nation  of  her  husband,  if  she  associated  lamiliarly  with  the  man,  of 
whom  lie  entertained  a  peculiar  jealousy.  Ex.  20:5.  The  apostle  joined 
liimself  in  these  inquiries,  to  show  how  greatly  he  abhorred  such  a  con¬ 
duct,  and  how  he  should  dread  the  consequences  of  being  seduced  into 
.t.  (20,21)  Devils.)  Lev.  17:1 — • 7,  v.  7.  I)eut.  32:17.  1  Tim.  4-1— 5. 

— Some  writers  contend,  that  this  simply  means  intermediate  beings, 
superior  to  man,  but  inferior  to  God.  But  are  holy  angels  here  included  ? 


Certainly  not.  Then  fallen  angels,  or  wicked  spirits,  must  exclusively 
be  intended  ;  and  the  worship  of  the  idolaters,  though  not  rendered  to 
1  the  devil,’  in  the  exact  scriptural  meaning  of  the  word,  which  distin¬ 
guishes  between  ‘  (he  devil,  and  his  angels,’  Mat.  2.5:41.  was  rendered  to 
evil  spirits,  not  perhaps  by  express  intention,  (though  the  character  and 
conduct  ascribed  to  the  objects  of  the  pagan  worship,  renders  even  this 
doubtful,)  yet  eventually  ;  evil  spirits  were  substituted  in  the  place  of 
God,  and  received  the  glory  due  to  Him. — The  Scripture,  knows  nothing 
of  demons ,  in  a  good  sense  ;  whatever  heathen  writers  did,  or  learned 
modern  divines  now  do.  Acts  17:18 — 25.  Scott. 

(20.)  1  Christians  present  at  heathen  sacrificial  feasts,  were  consid¬ 
ered  by  other  heathens,  as  persons  favorable  to  their  idolatrous  religions; 
as  those,  who  were  present  at  the  sacred  feasts  of  the  Christians,  there¬ 
by  declared  publicly  that  they  belonged  to  the  society  of  Christians.’ 
See  BL  To  say  ‘  but  the  idol  is  nothing,’  Paul  shows  to  be  a  mere 
quibble.  ‘  The  cup  of  demons,  alludes  to  the  cup  poured  out  at  the 
heathen  libations  to  the  gods,  and  drunk  at  the  sacrificial  leasts  ;  for,  says 
Mede,  the  heathen  thought,  the  supreme  and  celestial  deities  were  to  be 
worshipped  with  a  pure  mind,  accompanied  with  hymns,  and  praises; 
the  demons  with  sacrifices.  To  drink  of  this  libation-wine  was  strictly 
forbidden  by  the  Jewish  Rabbins,  and  considered  as  apostasy.’  Bl.  Ed. 

V.  23.  ‘Paul  now  returns  to  what  he  had  treated  of  at  ch.  8.  All 
things,”  I  repeat,  (from  6:12.)  “are  permitted  to  me.”  Expedient,  says 
Chrys.,  refers  to  his  own  destruction,  edify,  to  stumbling  a  brother. 
We  should  not  consider  our  own  gratification  af  all,  when  it  injures  the 
spiritual  good  of  our  neighbor,  and  in  all  cases  prefer  that  to  our  own. 
Bloomf.  A  wider  good  is  always  to  be  preferred  to  a  simply  selfish  one  ; 
the  evident  good  most;  the  will  of  the  All-knowing,  and  All-good,  will 
thus  be  our  supreme  motive.  roo  t  i 


A.  D.  60. 


1  CORINTHIANS,  X 


25  Whatsoever  c  is  sold  in  the 
shambles,  that  eat,  asking  no  ques¬ 
tion  for  conscience’  sake  : 

26  For  d  the  earth  is  the  Lord’s, 
and  the  fulness  thereof. 

27  If  any  of  them  that  believe 
not  bid  you  to  a  feast,  and  ye  be 
disposed  to  go  ;  whatsoever  •  is  set 
before  you,  eat,  asking  no  question 
for  conscience’  sake. 

28  But  if  any  man  say  unto  you, 
This  is  offered  in  sacrifice  unto 
idols,  eat  f  not,  for  his  sake  that 
shewed  it,  and  for  conscience’ sake: 
for  *  the  earth  is  the  Lord’s,  and 
the  fulness  thereof : 

29  Conscience,  I  say,  not  thine 
own,  but  of  the  other  :  for  why  is 
my  liberty  judged  of  another  man’s 
conscience  ? 

50  For  if  I  by  h  grace  be  a  par¬ 
taker,  why  am  I  evil  spoken  of  for 
that  for  which  I  give  *  thanks  ? 

31  Whether  J  therefore  ye  eat  or 
drink,  or  whatsoever  ye  do,  do  all 
to  the  glory  of  God. 

32  Give  k  none  offence,  neither 
to  the  Jews,  nor  to  the  1  Gentiles, 
nor  to  the  church  of  God  : 

33  Even  as  I  please  all  men  in 
all  things,  not  seeking  mine  own 
profit,  but  the  profit  of  many,  that 
they  may  be  saved. 

e  1  Ti.  4:4.  g  ver.  26.  1  Pe.  4:11. 

d  De.  10:14.  Ps.  h  or,  thanksgiw-  k  Ro.  14:13. 

24:1.  50:12.  ing.  2  Co.  6:3. 

e  Lu.  10:7.  1  Ro.  14:6.  1  Greeks, 

f  c.  8:10,12.  j  I  Co.  3:17. 

practices.  And  when  Christians  were  in¬ 
vited  to  feast  with  infidels,  they  were  not  to 
ask  needless  questions  about  the  food  set 
before  them,  but  eat  without  scruple.  Any¬ 
thing  fit  to  be  eaten,  that  was  set  before 
them  at  a  common  entertainment,  they  might 
lawfully  eat.  It  is  to  be  understood  of  civil 
feasting,  not  religious;  for  these  last, among 
the  heathens,  were  feasts  on  their  sacrifices, 
which  he  had  condemned  before,  as  a  par¬ 
ticipation  in  their  idolatrous  worship.  At 


a  common  feast  they  might  expect  common 
food;  and  they  needed  not  to  move  scruples 
in  their  own  minds,  whether  what  was  set 
before  them  was  otherwise  or  no.  Note, 
Though  Christians  should  be  very  careful  to 
know  and  understand  their  duty,  yet  they 
should  not,  by  needless  inquiries,  perplex 
themselves. 

4.  Yet  even  at  such  an  entertainment,  he 
adds,  if  any  should  say  it  was  a  thing  that 
had  been  offered  to  idols,  they  should  refrain ; 
Eat  not,  for  his  sake  that  showed  it,  and  for 
conscience-sake.  Whether  it  were  the  mas¬ 
ter  of  the  feast,  or  any  of  the  guests ;  wheth¬ 
er  it  were  spoken  in  the  hearing  of  all,  or 
whispered  in  the  ear  ;  they  should  refrain, 
for  his  sake  who  suggested  this  to  them, 
whether  he  were  an  infidel,  or  an  infirm 
Christian  ;  and  for  conscience-sake,  out  of 
regard  to  conscience,  that  they  might  show 
a  regard  to  it  in  themselves,  and  keep  up  a 
regard  to  it  in  others.  This  he  backs  with 
the  same  reason  as  the  former;  for  the  earth 
is  the  Lord’s.  There  is  food  enough  pro¬ 
vided  by  our  common  Lord,  of  which  we 
may  eat  without  scruple.  Note,  The  same 
doctrine  may  be  variously  improved,  as  here ; 
and  again,  Christians  should  be  very  cau¬ 
tious  of  doing  what  may  thus  prejudice  the 
conscience  of  others,  and  weaken  its  author¬ 
ity  with  them,  which  is  by  all  means  to  be 
kept  up. 

5.  He  urges  them  to  refrain,  where  they 
will  give  offence,  while  yet  he  allows  it  law¬ 
ful  to  eat  what  was  set  before  them  as  com¬ 
mon  food,  though  it  had  been  offered  in  sa¬ 
crifice.  ‘  Another  man’s  conscience  is  no 
measure  to  our  conduct.  What  he  thinks 
unlawful,  is  not  therefore  made  unlawful  to 
me,  but  may  be  a  matter  of  liberty  still  ; 
and  as  long  as  I  own  God  as  the  Giver  of 
my  food,  and  render  Him  thanks  for  it,  it  is 
very  unjust  to  reproach  me  for  using  it.’ 
This  must  be  understood  abstracted  from  the 
scandal  given,  by  eating  in  the  circumstance 
mentioned  :  though  some  understand  it  to 
mean,  *  Why  should  I,  by  using  the  liberty 
I  have,  give  occasion  to  those  who  are  scan¬ 
dalized,  to  speak  evil  of  me  1  ’  According 
to  that  advice  of  the  apostle,  Rom.  14:16. 
Let  not  your  good  be  evil  spoken  of.  Christians 
should  take  care  not  to  use  their  liberty  to 
the  hurt  of  others,  nor  their  own  reproach. 

6.  The  apostle  takes  occasion,  from  this 


Paul  alludes  to  his  own  example. 

discourse,  to  lay  down  a  general  rule  for 
Christians’  conduct,  and  apply  it  to  this 
particular  case,  v.  31,  32.  namely,  that  in 
eating  and  drinking,  and  in  all  we  do,  we 
should  aim  at  the  glorv  of  God,  at  pleasing 
and  honoring  Him.  This  is  the  fundamen¬ 
tal  principle  of  practical  godliness.  The 
great  end  of  all  practical  religion  must  direct 
us,  where  particular  and  express  rules  are 
wanting.  Nothing  must  be  done  against 
the  glory  of  God,  and  the  good  of  our  neigh¬ 
bors,  connected  with  it.  Nay,  the  tendency 
of  our  behavior  to  the  common  good,  and 
the  credit  of  our  holy  religion,  should  give 
direction  to  it.  And  therefore  nothing 
should  be  done  by  us,  to  offend  any,  whether 
Jew,  or  Gentile,  or  the  church,  v.  32.  The 
Jews  should  not  be  unnecessarily  grieved  or 
prejudiced,  who  have  such  abhorrence  of 
idols,  that  they  reckon  everything  offered  to 
them  thereby  defiled,  and  that  it  will  pol¬ 
lute  and  render  culpable  all  who  partake 
of  it;  nor  should  heathens  be  countenanced 
in  their  idolatry,  by  any  behavior  of  ours, 
which  they  may  construe  as  homage  or  honor 
done  to  their  idols;  nor  young  converts  from 
Gentilism  take  any  encouragement  from  our 
conduct,  to  retain  any  veneration  for  the 
heathen  gods  and  worship,  which  they  have 
renounced  :  nor  should  we  do  anything  that 
might  be  a  mean  to  pervert  any  members 
of  the  church  from  their  Christian  profession 
or  practice.  Our  own  humor  and  appetite 
must  not  determine  our  practice,  but  the 
honor  of  God,  and  the  good  and  edification 
of  the  church.  We  should  not  so  much  con¬ 
sult  our  own  pleasure  and  interest,  as  the 
advancement  of  the  kingdom  of  God  among 
men.  A  Christian  should  be  a  man  devoted 
to  God,  and  of  a  public  spirit. 

7.  He  presses  all  on  them  by  his  own 
example,  v.  33.  A  preacher  may  press  his 
advice  home  with  boldness  and  authority, 
when  he  can  enforce  it  with  his  own  exam¬ 
ple.  He  is  most  likely  to  promote  a  public 
spirit  in  others,  who  can  give  evidence  of  it 
in  himself.  And  it  is  highly  commendable 
in  a  minister  to  neglect  his  own  advantages, 
that  he  may  promote  the  salvation  of  his 
hearers.  This  shows  that  he  has  a  spirit 
suitable  to  his  function.  It  is  a  station  for 
public  usefulness,  and  can  never  be  faithful¬ 
ly  discharged  by  a  man  of  a  narrow  spirit 
and  selfish  principles. 


PRACT.  OBS.  Men  may  seem  to  be  converted  ;  they  may  give  a 
specious  account  of  convictions,  terrors,  and  comforts,  in  regular  suc¬ 
cession,  and  make  a  credible  profession  of  faith  ;  they  may  be  admitted 
members  of  the  visible  church,  where  the  strictest  discipline  is  exer¬ 
cised,  and  statedly  hear  the  most  faithful  instruction  ;  they  may  be 
greatly  distinguished  by  external  privileges  and  gifts  ;  they  may  be  bap¬ 
tized,  in  any  form,  and  receive  the  ‘spiritual  meat,’  and  ‘drink  ’  of  the 
Lord’s  supper,  in  the  purest  societies  ;  and  yet,  not  ‘  feeding  on  Christ 
Himself  in  their  hearts  by  faith,  with  thanksgiving,’  God  will  not  he  well 
pleased  with  them,  but  they  will  die  short  of  Canaan,  and  perish  with 
the  multitude  of  the  ungodly.  fleb.  3:14 — 19.  4:1,2. — So  vain  are  all, 
even  the  most  scriptural  outward  signs,  or  sacramental  pledges  of  sal¬ 
vation,  without  that  ‘inward  and  spiritual  grace,’  which  is  signified  by 
them  1 — In  these  quiet  times,  we  have  ‘no  temptation  ’  to  resist,  ‘but 
such  as  is  common  to  man  ;  ’  and  if  we  cannot  now  stand  our  ground 
against  the  world,  l he  flesh,  and  the  devil,  what  should  we  do  in  the 
fiery  trial  of  persecution  ? — Whether  the  world  smiles  or  frowns,  it  is  a 

V'.  25.  Shambles.]  ‘  Neither  regularly  built  shops,  nor  booths,  hut  only 
stalls,  set  out  in  a  certain  part  of  the  forum.  The  priests  sometimes  sold 
idol-meat  in  the  market.  Nay,  (so  Thenph.)  some  poor  or  mean  per¬ 
sons,  also,  used  sometimes  to  salt  it  and  lay  it  up  for  private  use.’  Bn. 
Questions.]  ‘The  Jews  vexed  themselves  with  innumerable  scruples  in 
their  entertainments,  as  to  the  food,  the  company,  the  mode  of  eating; 
•whether  the  fruits  and  condiments  of  the  table  were  rightly  titled,  sa¬ 
cred  or  profane,  clean  or  unclean ;  whether  the  meat  was  of  an  idol- 
offering,  or  lorn,  or  strangled,  or  improperly  slaughtered.  All  which 
the  Gospel  abolished.’  Lichtf. 

V.  26.  *  As  the  earth  is  the  Lord’s,  nothing  is  naturally  impure,  but 
only  so  in  the  opinion  of  any  one.’  Bloomf. 

V.  28.  Some  versions  and  manuscripts  omit  the  concluding  clause ; 
hut  there  appe.ars  to  me  a  peculiar  beauty  in  the  repetition,  and  it  is 
entirely  in  the  apostle’s  manner. — (26,  28]  The  earth,  &c.]  From  the 
LXX,  who  well  tr.  the  Heb.  Ps.  24:1.  Scott. 

(28.)  ‘But  if  any  one  present,  (v.  32.)  say  to  you,  this  dish  is  made 
of  flesh  sacrificed  to  an  idol,  insinuating  that  lie  considers  your  eating  of 
that  dish,  as  a  joining  in  the  worship  of  the  idol,  do  not  eat  of  it.  on  ac¬ 
count  of  not  offending  him  who  showed  it,  and  of  conscience.  For  the 
earth  is  the  Lord’s,  and  the  fulness  thereof.  Now  when  I  say  conscience, 
I  do  not  mean  thine  own  conscience;  for  thou  knowest  that  the  eating 
of  such  a  dish,  is  not  a  worshipping  of  the  idol ;  but  the  conscience  of 
the  other,  who  views  it  in  that  light. 

[292] 


dangerous  enemy  ;  hut  if  we  are  believers,  we  shall  be  enabled  to  over¬ 
come  it,  with  all  its  terrors  and  fascinations  :  Jn.  16:31 — 33.  1  Jn.  2:15 
— 17.  5:4,5.  nor  will  our  faithful  God,  who  ‘  keepeth  his  covenant  and 
mercy  to  them  that  fear  Him,  suffer  us  to  be  tempted  above  what  we 
are  aide.’ — In  all  cases,  we  should  ‘flee  from  temptation,’  nnd  every  oc¬ 
casion  of  sin  ;  and  not  foolishly  or  ostentatiously  parley  with  it. — If  we 
would  be  deemed  wise  and  prudent,  let  us  show  our  wisdom  by  a  cir¬ 
cumspect  conduct,  and  not  by  curious  speculations. — Nor  let  Christians 
venture  into  those  places,  and  join  in  those  sacrifices  to  ‘the  lust  of  the 
flesh,  the  lust  of  the  eye,  and  the  pride  of  life,’  1  Jn.  2:15 — 17.  which 
are  of  no  ill  repute  even  in  this  favored  land.  Let  us  not  he  amused  and 
imposed  on  with  ‘vain  words,’  about  the  innocence  of  this  or  the  other 
worldly  pleasure  :  these  apologies  are  seldom  grounded  in  trnth  }-but  if 
they  were,  are  such  indulgences  ‘expedient  ?  ’  l)o  they  tend  to  edifica¬ 
tion  ?  Do  they  consist  with  charity  ?  Might  not  the  time  and  money 
he  better  employed  ?  Does  not  the  example  grieve  or  mislead  others  ? 

Scott. 

‘Perhaps  thou  wilt  reply,  But  why  is  my  liberty  ruled  by  another’s 
conscience.  Besides,  if,  by  the  free  gifl  of  God,  to  whom  the  earth  be¬ 
longs,  I  be  allowed  to  partake  of  all  kinds  of  food,  why  am  1  spoken  of 
as  an  evil  doer,  for  eating  that  meat  for  which  I  give  thanks  to  God  ? 

‘  In  answer,  I  say,  for  this  very  reason,  that  ye  are  allowed  to  partake 
of  all  kinds  of  food,  whether  ye  eat  or  drink,  or  whatever  ye  do,  ye  are 
bound  to  do  all  to  the  glory  of  God,  by  doing  it  agreeably  to  his  will. 
By  your  meat,  therefore,  be  ye  no  occasion  of  sin,  neither  to  the  unbe¬ 
lieving  Jews,  by  lessening  their  abhorrence  of  idols,  nor  to  the  unbeliev¬ 
ing  Greeks,  by  confirming  them  in  their  idolatry,  nor  to  the  church  of 
God,  by  making  the  ignorant  think  yon  idolaters.  Even  ns  I  endeavor 
to  piease  all  men  in  all  things  innocent,  not  seeking  my  own  advantage 
only,  hut  that  of  the  many  also,  that,  by  rendering  myself  acceptable  to 
them,  1  may  promote  their  salvution,  to  the  great  glory  of  God.’ 

Macknight. 

This  reasoning  may,  doubtless,  with  great  propriety,  be  applied  to 
using  the  products  of  slave-labor.  Ed. 

V.  29—33.  We  may  explain  the  passage,  as  the  objection  of  the  Co¬ 
rinthians  to  tile  apostle’s  directions ;  but  it  may  be  understood  also  as 
his  inquiry  :  Why  should  they  so  incautiously  use  their  liberty,  as  to 
give  cause  for  its  being  condemned,  in  the  consciences  of  other  men  * 
Or  why  should  they  so  use  those  good  gifts  of  God,  which  they  received 
with  thanksgiving,  as  to  give  cause  for  slander  or  offence  f  Rom.  14: is 
— 18.  Scott. 


A.  D.  60. 


1  CORINTHIANS,  XI. 


The  Corinthians  reprehended. 


CHAP.  XI. 


1  Fie  reproveth  them,  because  in  holr  assemblies  4  their 
men  prayed  with  their  heads  covered,  and  6  women  with 
their  heads  uncovered,  17  and  because  generally  their 
meetings  were  not  for  the  better,  but  for  the  worse,  as, 
21  namely,  in  profaning  with  their  own  feasts  the  Lord’s 
supper.  23  Lastly,  he  calleth  them  to  the  first  institution 
thereof. 

BE  ye  followers  1  of  me,  even  as 
I  also  am  of  Christ. 

2  Now  I  praise  you,  brethren, 
that  bye  remember  me  in  all  things, 
and  keep  0  the  d  ordinances,  as  I 
delivered  them  unto  you. 

3  But  I  would  have  you  know,  that 
the  head  8  of  every  man  is  Christ  ; 
fand  the  head  of  the  woman  is  the 
man  ;  «  and  the  head  of  Christ  is 
God. 

4  Every  man  praying  or  proph¬ 
esying,  having  his  head  covered, 
dishonoreth  his  head. 

5  But  every  woman  h  that  pray- 
eth  or  prophesieth  with  her  head 
uncovered,  dishonoreth  her  head  : 
for  that  is  even  all  one  as  if  she 
were  shaven. 

6  For  if  the  woman  be  not  cov¬ 
ered,  let  her  also  be  1  shorn  ;  but  if 
it  be  a  shame  for  a  woman  to  be 
shorn  or  shaven,  let  her  be  covered. 

7  For  a  man  indeed  ought  not  to 
cover  his  head,  forasmuch  as  he  is 
the  J  image  and  glory  of  God  :  but 
the  woman  is  the  glory  of  the  man. 

8  For  k  the  man  is  not  of  the 
woman;  but  the  woman  of  the  man; 

9  Neither  was  the  man  created 
for  the  woman,  but  the  woman  for 
the  man. 

10  For  this  cause  ought  the  wo¬ 
man  to  have  1  power  on  her  head, 
because  of  the  angels. 


>  Ep.  5:1. 

1  Th  1:9. 
b  c.  4:17. 
c  liU.  1:6. 
d  tradition. 
e  Ep.  5:23. 
f  Ge.  3:16.  1 


3:1,5, 6. 
g  Jn.  14:28. 

c.  15:27,28. 
h  Ac.  21:9. 
i  Nu.  5:18. 

De.  21:12. 

)  Gc.  5:1. 


k  Ge.  2.18,22,  23. 
1  i.  e.  a  covering , 
in  sign  that  ehs 
is  under  the 
power  of  her 
husband.  Ge. 
24:65. 


Chap.  XI.  V.  1 — 16.  Paul,  having  an¬ 
swered  the  cases  put  to  him,  proceeds  in 
this  ch.  to  the  redress  of  grievances.  The 
first  v.  is  put,  by  those  who  divided  the 
epistle  into  chs.,  as  a  preface  to  the  rest  of 
the  epistle,  but  seems  to  have  been  a  more 
proper  close  to  the  last  ch.,  in  which  he  had 
enforced  the  cautions  he  had  given  against 
the  abuse  of  liberty,  by  his  own  example, 
v.  I.  and  the  way  of  speaking,  in  v.  2.  looks 
like  a  transition  to  another  subject.  But 
whether  it  more  properly  belongs  to  this,  or 
the  last  ch.  it  is  plain  from  it,  that  Paul  not 
only  preached  such  doctrine  as  they  ought  to 
believe,  but  led  such  a  life  as  they  ought  to 
imitate.  Ministers  are  likely  to  preach  most 
to  the  purpose,  when  they  can  press  their 
hearers  to  follow  their  example.  Christ’s 
pattern  is  a  copy  without  a  blot  ;  so  is  no 
man’s  else.  We  should  follow  no  leader 
farther  than  he  follows  Christ.  lie  passes 
next  to  reprehend  and  reform  an  indecency 
of  which  the  women  were  more  especially 
guilty. 

1.  He  begins  with  a  commendation  of 
what  was  praiseworthy  in  them,  v.  2.  and 
the  body  of  the  church  might,  in  the  main, 
have  continued  to  observe  the  ordinances  and 
institutions  of  Christ,  as  received  of  the 
apostle,  though  in  some  things  they  deviated 
from,  and  corrupted  them.  When  we  re¬ 
prove,  it  is  very  prudent  and  fit  also  to  com¬ 
mend  ;  it  will  show  the  reproof  is  not  from 
ill-will,  and  a  humor  of  censuring  and  find¬ 
ing  fault  ;  and  therefore  procure  more  re¬ 
gard. 

2.  He  lays  a  foundation  for  his  further 
reprehension,  by  asserting  the  superiority 
of  the  man  over  the  woman,  v.  3.  Christ, 
in  his  mediatorial  character  and  glorified 
humanity,  is  at  the  head  of  mankind.  He 
is  not  only  first  of  the  kind,  but  Lord  and 
Sovereign  :  so  the  man  is  the  head  of 
the  two  sexes  ;  not  indeed  with  such  do¬ 
minion  as  Christ  has  over  the  kind,  or 
God  has  over  the  Man  Christ  Jesus,  but  yet 
a  superiority  and  headship;  and  the  woman 
should  be  in  subjection,  and  not  assume  or 
usurp  the  man’s  place.  This  is  the  situation 
in  which  God  has  placed  her;  and  for  that 
reason  she  should  have  a  mind  suited  to  her 
rank,  and  not  do  anything  that  looks  like  an 
affectation  of  changing  places.  Somewhat 


j  like  this  the  women  of  the  church  of  Corinth 
'  seem  to  have  been  guilty  of,  who  were  under 
j  inspiration,  and  prayed  and  prophesied  even 
I  in  their  assemblies,  v.  5.  It  is  indeed  an 
apostolical  canon,  that  the  women  should 
keep 'silence  in  the  churches ,  ch.  14:34.  1 

Tim.  2:  12.  which  some  understand  without 
limitation,  and  seems  very  well  to  agree 
with  the  connexion  of  the  apostle’s  dis¬ 
course,  ch.  14.  but  others  with  a  limitation, 
in  case  of  inspiration.  Or,  though  a  woman 
might  not  preach  even  by  inspiration,  (be¬ 
cause  teaching  is  the  business  of  a  superior,) 
yet  she  might  pray,  or  utter  hymns  by  inspi¬ 
ration,  even  in  the  public  assembly.  She 
did  not  show  any  affectation  of  superiority 
over  the  man  by  such  acts  of  public  worship. 
It  is  plain,  the  apostle  does  not  in  this  place 
prohibit  the  thing,  but  the  manner  of  doing 
it.  And  yet  he  might  utterly  disallow  the 
thing,  and  lay  an  unlimited  restraint  on  the 
woman,  in  another  part  of  the  epistle. 
These  things  are  not  contradictory.  It  is  to 
his  present  purpose  to  reprehend  the  manner 
wherein  the  women  prayed  and  prophesied 
in  the  church,  without  determining,  in  this 
place,  whether  they  did  well  or  ill  in  so 
doing.  Note,  The  manner  of  doing  a  thing 
enters  into  the  morality  of  it.  We  must  not 
only  be  concerned  to  do  good,  but  that  it  be 
well  done. 

3.  The  thing  he  reprehends,  is,  the 
woman’s  praying  or  prophesying  uncovered, 
or  the  man’s  doing  either  covered,  v.  4,  6. 
To  understand  this,  it  must  be  observed, 
that  it  was  a  signification  either  of  shame 
or  subjection,  for  persons  to  be  veiled  or 
covered,  in  the  Eastern  countries,  contrary 
to  the  custom  of  ours,  where  the  being  bare¬ 
headed  betokens  subjection,  and  being  cov¬ 
ered,  superiority  and  dominion.  And  this 
will  help  us  the  better  to  understand, 

4.  The  reasons  of  his  reprehension.  (1.) 
The  man  that  prays  or  prophesies  with  his  head 
covered,  dishonoreth  his  Head,  i.  e.  Christ, 
the  Head  of  every  man,  v.  3.  by  appearing 
in  a  habit  unsuitable  to  the  rank  in  which 
God  has  placed  him.  We  should  even  in 
our  dress  and  habit,  avoid  everytning  that 
may  dishonor  Christ.  The  woman,  on  the 
other  hand,  who  prays  or  prophesies  with  the 
head  uncovered,  dishonoreth  her  head,  i.  e.  the 
man,  v.  3.  She  appears  in  the  dress  of  her 


NOTES.  Chap.  XI.  V.  1.  This  v.  is  most  evidently  connected 
with  the  conclusion  of  the  preceding  ch. ;  it  referred  to  what  the  apos¬ 
tle  had  written  concerning  his  own  conduct,  in  ch.  9.  and  it  concludes 
the  subject  which  began  in  ch.  8.  Scott. 

(1.)  ‘  Lest  he  might  seem  to  extol  his  own  example,  Paul  refers  it  to 
Christ.’  Rosenm. 

V.2 — 16.  The  apostle  here  entered  on  another  subject ;  and  began  to  dis¬ 
cuss  several  particulars  respecting  the  public  assemblies  of  the  Christians 
at  Corinth ;  which,  with  some  digressions,  lie  continued  to  tiie  end  of  ch. 
14.  Several  women  had  been  endued  with  the  Spirit  of  prophecy,  which 
enabled  them,  by  immediate  inspiration,  to  offer  prayers  for  the  congre¬ 
gation,  or  to  give  instructions,  or  even  to  predict  future  events  ;  for  it  is 
not  at  all  reasonable  to  suppose,  that  a  woman  could  be  said  to  ‘  proph¬ 
esy,’  merely  by  being  present  when  another  prophesied.  Ex.  15:20,  21. 
Judg.  4:4.  5:1.  1  S.  2:1—10.  2  K.  22:14.  Luke  2:36—38.  Acts  2:14—21. 
21:7 — 14,  vv.  8,  9.  This  seems  to  have  been  the  only  case,  in  which 
women  were  allowed  to  speak  in  public,  and  in  this  respect  some  abuses 
had  crept  in,  14:34,  35.  1  Tim.  2:11 — 14. — Some  think  these  prophetess¬ 
es  had  their  hair  dishevelled,  after  the  manner  of  the  Pythian  priestesses 
of  Apollo;  if  so,  it  would  be  an  additional  reason  for  the  apostle  thus 
strenuously  to  oppose  them  [in  this  thing], — Many  conjectures  have  been 
formed  concerning  the  meaning  of  the  following  expression,  ‘because  of 
the  angels  ;’  but,  probably,  the  apostle  referred  to  the  presence  of  holy 
angels,  who  had  witnessed  the  creation  of  man  as  spectators,  or  were 
even  in  some  respects  joint  worshippers  with  believers,  in  their  public 
assemblies;  which  therefore  ought  to  be  regulated  with  the  most  exact 
propriety,  that  these  heavenly  worshippers  might  not  witness  anything 
unbecoming  so  holy  an  occasion.  Job  38:4 — 7.  Scott. 

(2.)  Remember.]  Lit.  mind.  They  had  asked  his  directions.  Ed. 

(4.)  Head.]  ‘I.  e.  master,  chief :  so  the  classics.  In  v.  3.  however, 
God  is  said  to  be  the  Head,  as  being  the  cause  of  Christ,  say  the  Gr.  fa¬ 
thers  and  comtrs.’  Bloom/.  The  expression,  like  that  of ‘Father  and 
Son,’  Is  used  in  accommodation  to  the  inexplicable  relation  which  the 
Divine  and  human  bear  to  each  other  in  Emmanuel.  The  head  of  the 
woman,  &c.]  See  on  v.  11.  Id. 

(5.)  Prophesying.]  Bloom/,  thinks  this  cannot  certainly  mean  teach 
and  preach ,  as  the  apostle  expressly  forbids  this  to  women,  14:34,  35. 
He  suggests  that  they  might  be  permitted  to  improvise,  or  to  pronounce 
certain  poetical  praises,  like  Luke  1:67.  ‘where  the  very  term  is  used. 
Schl.  Comp.  1  K.  18:29.  1  S.  10:5,  6.  and  Philo ,  describing  Moses’  can¬ 
ticle  at  the  Red  Sea,  as  “  propheteia,  from  enthusiasm;”  and  in  Esth. 
6:12.’  Dishonoreth .]  For  a  man  to  be  covered,  seems  to  have  been  es¬ 
teemed  a  mark  of  a  kind  of  servitude ;  for  a  woman  to  be  uncovered  in 


public,  was,  and  still  is,  accounted  in  the  E.  a  disgraceful  impropriety, 
and  one  mark  of  a  prostitute.  For  a  woman  to  he  shorn,  was  account¬ 
ed,  so  antiquaries  and  philologists  prove,  the  greatest  dishonor  and  dis¬ 
figurement  to  a  female  ;  ‘  hence  it  was  only  adopted  as  a  sign  of  extreme 
grief  (see  Deut.  21:12.),  or  imposed  as  a  mark  of  infamy  and  disgrace  on 
adulteresses  and  harlots.  See  IVets.  and  Kyp.  Ros.  suspects  it  was 
usual  in  Greece,  for  the  women  to  be  unveiled  in  the  temples ;  and  thinks 
some,  through  hatred  of  Judaism,  wished  to  introduce  this  in  the  Corin¬ 
thian  church.  Selden  says,  a  neglect  of  being  veiled  in  public  was  a 
lawful  cause  of  divorce  with  the  Jews  :  and  from  the  earliest  antiquity, 
Gen.  24:65.  The  Greeks  thought  it  (so  IVets.  proves,  sn\sBt.)  a  flagrant 
impropriety.  Schoett.  says,  Light/,  proves,  that,  in  Jewish  worship, 
the  men  had  their  heads  covered,  (mitres  and  caps  were  part  of  the  Mo¬ 
saic  institution,)  and  the  women  theirs  uncovered  ;  and  adds,  what  is 
brought  forward,  of  veiling  the  head  in  worship,  refers  to  the  Romans,  not 
the,  Greeks.  See  Bloom/.  •  Ed. 

(7.)  Man,  invested  by  God  with  authority  over  the  whole  creation, 
may  be  considered  as  the  image  (and  so  Diog.  and  Lucian  express  it)  or 
type  of  God,  and  as  it  were,  a  ray  /rom  his  brightness  (Gr.  doxa,  glory, 
Heb.  keboil) ,  just  as  viceroys  and  rulers  are  sometimes  metaphorically 
said  to  he  images  of  their  sovereign.  So  Plut.,< Sec.  For,  says  Rosenm., 
‘man  is  placed  in  the  highest  rank  of  this  world,  and  in  respect  to  wo¬ 
man,  as  akjnd.of  secondary  god.’  [Comp.  Gen.  5:1.  2:23.  and  Ex.  4:16. 
where  Moses  is  to  be  to  Aaron,  in  n  certain  sense,  instead  of  God.  Id. 

(10.)  Power.]  ‘The  veil  married  women  wore  on  their  heads,  in 
token  of  subjection  to  their  husbands,  Gen.  24:65.  (called  radid,  says 
Goodwin,  from  radad ,  subjection ),  and  thus  the  dress  which  indicated 
she  considered  herself  subject ;  and  Chardin  [see  Bush]  says,  married 
women  in  Persia  wear  for  this  a  peculiar  habit.’  ‘A  sign  of  subjection 
would  not  he  called  power,  exousia ;  therefore  some  think  it  a  female 
ojnament  of  braids,  set  with  jewels,  see  Wolf;  others  a  veil,  but  denot¬ 
ing  the  superiority  of  the  married  over  the  maiden,  her  inferior  in  dig- 
nity  among  the  Jews,  also  in  the  E.  and  in  Europe,  which  her  name, 
domina,  mistress,  [Mrs.]  indeed  implies.  Thus  the  Sept,  calls  Sarah’s 
veil,  Gen.  20:16.  the  honor  of  her  face.  Comp.  Virg.  Aan.  7.  814.  Bp. 
Middleton  refers  it  to  the  power  or  license  the  veil  gave  the  wearer 

to  appear  in  public.’  Bl. - dnge/s.]  ‘  Neither  (see  Bl.)  young  ministers, 

[comp.  Rev.  1:20.]  lest  (female  beauty  should  ensnare  them,  still  es* 
it  ensnare  celestial  spirits,  (which  some  wildly  ground  on  Gen. 6:2.)  [noi* 
bishops  or  doctors  of  the  church  ;  some  think  unveiling  would  have  lnai, 
cated  want  of  respect  to  such.]  Whit,  understands,  evil  angels,  referring 
to  Eve’s  punishment,  Gen.  3:16.;  others,  spies,  [the  most  favorite  idea 
for  the  last  half  cent.,]  sent  by  the  heathens  to  observe  and  report  an y 


A.  D.  60. 


1  CORINTHIANS,  XI. 


Decorum  in  the  female  character . 


11  Nevertheless,  neither  is  the 
man  without  the  woman,  neither 
the  woman  without  the  man,  in  the 
Lord. 

12  For  as  the  woman  is  of  the 
man,  even  so  is  the  man  also  by 
the  woman:  but  all  m  things  of  God. 

13  Judge  in  yourselves  :  is  it 
comely  that  a  woman  pray  unto 
God  uncovered  ? 

14  Doth  not  even  nature  itself 
teach  you,  that  if  a  man  have  long 
hair,  it  is  a  shame  unto  him  ? 

15  But  if  a  woman  have  long 
hair,  it  is  a  glory  to  her  :  for  her 
hair  is  given  her  for  a  “covering. 

16  But  °if  any  man  seem  to  be 
contentious,  we  have  no  such  cus¬ 
tom,  neither  the  churches  of  God. 

17  Now  in  this  that  I  declare 
unto  you  I  praise  you  not,  that  ye 
come  together  not  for  the  better, 
but  for  the  worse. 

18  For  first, of  all,  when  ye  come 
together  in  the  church,  I  hear  p  that 
there  be  ’  divisions  among  you  ; 
and  I  partly  believe  it. 

19  For  there  must  r  be  also  “her¬ 
esies  among  you,  that  ‘  they  which 
are  approved  may  be  made  mani¬ 
fest  among  you. 

mRo.  11:36.  “  p  c.  1:11,12.  2  Pe.  2:1,2. 

u  op,  veil.  q  or,  schisnts.  s  or,  sects . 

o  1  Ti.  6:4.  r  Mai.  18.7.  t  Lu.  2:35. 

superior,  and  throws  off  the  token  of  her 
subjection.  She  might,  with  equal  decency, 
cut  her  hair  short,  or  cut  it  close,  the  com¬ 
mon  dress  of  the  man  in  that  age.  This 
would  be  a  manifest  affectation  of  that  su¬ 
periority  which  God  had  conferred  on  the 
other  sex.  And  this  was  properly  the  fault 
of  these  prophetesses  in  the  church  of  Cor¬ 
inth.  The  sexes  should  not  affect  to  change 
places.  The  order  in  which  Divine  Wis¬ 
dom  has  placed  persons  and  things,  is  best 
and  fittest  :  to  endeavor  to  amend  it,  is  to 
destroy  all  order,  and  introduce  confusion. 

Women  should  keep  to  the  rank  God  has 
chosen  for  them,  and  not  dishonor  their 
head  ;  for  this,  in  the  result,  is  to  dishonor 
God.  (2.)  Another  reason  against  this  con¬ 
duct  was,  that  the  man  is  the  image  and  glory 
of  God,  the  representative  of  that  glorious 

scandals  in  the  Christian  assemblies:  [and  such  we  know  were  some¬ 
times  sent.  ( Tertull .)  The  word  here,  aggelos,  however,  is  only  used,  says 
Bl.t  of  incorporeal  spirits]  and,  indeed,  their  presence  in  religious  as¬ 
semblies,  [to  which  also  Bl.  refers  the  text,  in  accordance  with  the  Jew¬ 
ish  opinion,  of  ministering  spirits  attendant  in  the  house  of  God,  and 
symbols  of  his  presence,]  is  favored  by  Eccles.  5:16.  [Tobit  22:15.]  and 
the  figures  of  cherubim  in  the  tabernacle  and  temple.’  Doddr.  Ed. 

(11.)  Man  and  woman  are  expletives  of  each  other:  and,  in  general, 
man  has  the  guiding  or  reflective  faculties  in  greater  proportion,  woman 
the  affective  ;  man  more  wisdom,  woman  more  love,  perhaps.  Some 
women  are,  indeed,  better  fitted  to  rule  than  some  men,  yet  it  is  the  ex¬ 
ception,  both  in  mind  and  body  :  but  when  the  views  and  feelings  of  the 
parties  are  as  they  always  should  be,  neither  will  desire  or  even  think  to 
domineer ,  for  the  will  is  identical,  as  it  were,  even  (it  is  the  apostle’s 
own  comparison,  v.  3.) as  Christ’s  and  God’s  will  are  the  same.  Would 
that  the  holiness,  the  profound  purpose  of  marriage,  were  better  under¬ 
stood  !  Id. 

(14,  15.)  Long  hair.]  Note,  1  Pet.  3:3.  and  Vol.  III.  p.  308,  note 
(40)  and  cut  (35).  The  modern  orientals  carry  this  idea  of  the  apostle  so 
far,  that  the  men  shave  all  the  head  but  a  scalp-lock,  young  women 
wear  it  hanging  even  to  the  ground,  and  for  a  young  man  to  wear  the  hair 
long,  is  infamous.  See  Bush,  on  vs.  10  and  15.  Both  the  Jews  (see 
Light f.  &c.  )  and  the  Greeks  (see  Wets.)  thought  long  hair  indecorous, 
and  cut  it  short.  The  Sarmatians  (as  their  descendants)  and  Lacedemo¬ 
nians,  wore  it  long.  ‘Perhaps  it  was  always  prevalent  in  the  cold  N.’ 
See  Bl.  ‘  The  hair  of  women  naturally  grows  to  greater  length  than 
that  of  men.’  Id. 

(16.)  Seems ,  &c.]  Thinks  good  to  dispute  this,  I  have  only  to  say, 
we  have  no  such  custom  here;  or,  we  apostles  have  no  such  custom  as 
this  ;  nor  in  any  other  of  the  churches  planted  by  myself,  or  the  other 
apostles.  So  Doddr.  Id. 

V.  17 — 22.  ‘  It  seems  evident  from  hence,  that  heresy  is  something 

wrorse  than  the  schism  abovementioned.’  Doddr. — It  is  almost  unac¬ 
countable  that  a  Christian  church,  in  a  short  time  alter  this  eminent 
apostle  had  left  them,  should  run  into  so  abominable  a  profanation  of 
this  sacred  institution.  But  the  public  feasts  of  the  Greeks  were  fre¬ 
quently  conducted  in  this  manner,  which  appears  to  us  as  inconsistent 

[294] 


propagation  of  a  race  of  mankind.  As  the 
woman  was  first  formed  out  of  the  man,  the 
man  is  ever  since  propagated  [glorious  priv¬ 
ilege]  by  the  woman,  v.  12.  all  by  the  divine 
wisdom  and  power  of  the  First  Cause  so 
ordaining  it.  The  authority  and  subjection 
should  be  no  greater,  than  are  suitable  to 
two  in  such  near  relation  and  close  union  to 
each  other.  As  it  is  the  will  of  God  that 
the  woman  know  her  place,  so  it  is  his  will 
also,  that  the  man  abuse  not  his  power. 

6.  He  enforces  his  argument  from  the 
natural  covering  provided  for  the  woman, 
v.  13 — 15.  ‘  Judge  in  yourselves ,  consult 
your  own  reason,  hearken  to  what  nature 
suggests;  Is  it  comely  for  a  woman  to  pray  to 
God  uncovered  ?  Should  there  not  be  a  dis¬ 
tinction  kept  up  between  the  sexes,  in  wear¬ 
ing  their  hair,  since  nature  has  made  one  1  ’ 
It  should  be  our  concern,  especially  in  Chris¬ 
tian  and  religious  assemblies,  to  make  no 
breach  on  the  rules  of  natural  decency. 

7.  He  sums  up  all,  by  referring  them  who 
were  contentious,  to  the  usages  and  customs 
of  the  churches,  v.  10.  He  does  not  silence 
the  contentious  by  mere  authority,  but  lets 
them  know,  that  they  would  appear  to  the 
world  as  very  odd  and  singular,  in  their  hu¬ 
mor,  if  they  would  quarrel  for  a  custom  to 
which  all  the  churches  of  Christ  were  at 
that  time  utter  strangers,  or  against  a  cus¬ 
tom  in  which  they  all  concurred,  and  that 
on  the  ground  of  natural  decency. 

V.  17 — 22.  Here  the  apostle  sharply  re¬ 
bukes  them  for  much  greater  disorders  than 
the  former,  in  their  partaking  of  the  Lord’s 
supper,  which  was  commonly  done  in  the 
first  ages,  as  the  ancients  tell  us,  with  a  tove- 
feast  annexed.  It  is  plain,  from  the  begin¬ 
ning  of  the  ch .  that  he  was  glad  to  commend 
as  far  as  he  could  But  such  scandalous 
disorders,  in  so  sacred  an  institution,  called 
for  sharp  reprehension.  They  quite  turned 
the  institution  against  itself.  The  ordinances 
of  Christ,  if  they  do  not  make  us  better,  will 
be  very  apt  to  make  us  worse ;  if  they  do 
not  melt  and  mend,  they  will  harden.  Cor¬ 
ruptions  will  be  confirmed  in  us,  if  the 
proper  means  do  not  cure  them. 

1.  He  tells  them,  that,  on  coming  togeth¬ 
er,  they  fell  into  divisions,  schisms.  There 
may  be  schism,  w'here  there  is  no  separation 
of  communion.  Uncharitableness,  alienation 
of  affection,  especially  if  it  grows  up  to  dis¬ 
cord,  and  feuds,  and  contentions,  constitute 
schism.  Christians  may  separate  from  each 
other’s  communion,  and  yet  be  charitable 
one  towards  another;  they  may  continue  in 

with  civility  as  with  piety.  The  self-conceited  Corinthian  teachers  car¬ 
ried  their  notions  of  Christian  liberty  to  an  excess,  almost  inconceiva¬ 
ble  at  present ;  they  not  only  joined  in  the  idolatrous  feasts  of  their 
neighbors,  but  they  introduced  the  customs  of  them  into  the  church,  and 
so,  perverted  this  sacred  feast ;  and  to  show  the  folly  of  man’s  wisdom, 
they  were  left  thus  to  disgrace  themselves  more  than  any  other  church, 
because  they  thought  themselves  wiser  than  others.  4:9 — 13. — It  is  also 
wonderful  that  the  apostle  should  express  so  favorahle  an  opinion  of  the 
professed  Christians  at  Corinth  in  general,  notwithstanding  these  gross 
abuses;  and  we  should  thence  learn  caution  in  condemning  whole  reli¬ 
gious  societies,  because  of  those  evils,  which  perhaps  but  few  fully  ap¬ 
prove,  though  numbers  are  seduced  to  connive  at  them. — ‘The  judaiz- 
ing  converts  thought  themselves  obliged  to  drink  plentifully  at  their  fes¬ 
tivals  ;  four  large  cups  of  wine,  saith  Lightf.,  at  the  paschal  supper;  and 
to  be  quite  drunk,  saith  Buxtorf,  at  the  feast,  of  Purlin. ’  Whitby.  Ksth. 
9:21 — 32.  If  such  sentiments  were  publicly  avowed,  at  the  time  when 
the  apostle  wrote,  our  astonishment  at  the  facts  advanced  may  be  abat¬ 
ed  ;  but  our  abhorrence  should  be  proportionaldy  increased. — ‘Though 
the  Corinthians  had  written  to  Paul,  requesting  his  . .  .  directions  in  sev¬ 
eral  points;  .  ..  yet  they  had  not  said  one  syllable  about  the  enormities 
which  had  crept  in  amongst  them,  and  in  the  blame  of  which  they  all 
shared  :  .  . .  his  information,  concerning  these  irregularities,  had  come 
to  him  from  other  quarters.  (1:11,  12.  5:1,2.)’  Paley.  Scott. 

(18,19.  Divisions.]  Schismata,  synonymous,  says  Bl.,  with  haireseis, 
heresies,  v.  19.  But  there  seems  a  distinction,  which  Milton  thus  draw*: 

‘  Sects  may  be  in  a  true  church  as  well  as  in  a  false,  when  men  follow 
the  doctrine  too  much  for  the  teacher’s  sake,  whom  they  think  almost 
infallible;  and  this  becomes,  through  infirmity,  implicit  faith;  and  the 
name  sectary  pertains  to  such  a  disciple. — Schism  is  a  rent  or  division  in 
the  church,  when  it  comes  to  the  separating  of  congregations,  and  may 
also  happen  to  a  true  church  as  well  as  to  a  false ;  yet  in  the  true  needs 
not  tend  to  the  breaking  of  communion,  if  they  can  agree  in  the  right 
administration  of  that  wherein  they  communicate,  keeping  their  other 
opinions  to  themselves,  not  being  destructive  to  faith.  . .  —  Heresy  is  in 
the  will  and  choice,  professedly  against  Scripture ;  error  is  against  the 
will,  in  misunderstanding  the  Scripture,  after  all  sincere  endeavors  to 
understand  it  rightly.  Hence  it  was  Bald  well,  by  one  of  the  ancients. 


dominion  and  headship  which  God  has  over 
the  world.  It  is  the  man  who  is  set  at  the 
head  of  this  lower  creation,  and  therein 
bears  the  resemblance  of  God.  The  woman, 
on  the  other  hand,  is  the  glory  of  the  man, 
v.  7.  she  is  his  representative.  Not  but 
she  has  dominion  over  the  inferior  creatures, 
as  she  is  a  partaker  of  human  nature,  and 
so  far  is  God’s  representative  too,  but  it  is 
at  second-hand.  She  is  the  image  of  God, 
inasmuch  as  she  is  the  image  of  the  man, 
v.  8.  The  man  was  first  made,  and  made 
head  of  the  creation  here  below,  and  therein 
the  image  of  the  divine  dominion  ;  and  the 
woman  was  made  out  of  the  man,  and  shone 
with  a  reflection  of  his  glory,  being  made 
superior  to  the  other  creatures  here  below, 
but  in  subjection  to  her  husband,  and  deriv¬ 
ing  that  honor  from  him  out  of  whom  she 
was  made.  (3.)  The  woman  was  made  for 
the  man,  to  be  his  help-meet,  and  not  the 
man  for  the  woman.  She  was  naturally, 
therefore,  made  subject  to  him,  because 
made  for  him,  for  his  use,  and  help,  and 
comfort.  And  she  who  was  intended  to  be 
always  in  subjection  to  the  man,  should  do 
nothing,  in  Christian  assemblies,  that  looks 
like  an  affectation  of  equality.  (4.)  She 
ought  to  have  power  on  her  head,  because  of  the 
angels.  Power,  i.  e.  a  veil,  the  token,  not 
of  her  having  power  or  superiority,  but  be¬ 
ing  under  the  power  of  her  husband,  sub¬ 
jected  to  him,  anti  inferior  to  the  other  sex. 
Rebekah,  when  she  met  Isaac,  and  was  de¬ 
livering  herself  into  his  possession,  put  on 
her  veil,  in  token  of  her  subjection,  Gen. 
24:50.  Thus  would  the  apostle  have  the 
women  appear  in  Christian  assemblies,  even 
though  they  spake  there  by  inspiration,  be¬ 
cause  of  the  angels,  i.  e.  say  some,  because 
of  the  evil  angels  ;  others,  because  of  the 
good  angels.  Jews  and  Christians  have  had 
an  opinion,  that  these  ministering  spirits  are 
many  of  them  present  in  their  assemblies. 
Their  presence  should  restrain  Christians 
from  all  indecencies  in  the  worship  of  God. 
We  should  learn  from  all,  so  to  behave  in  the 
public  assemblies  of  divine  worship,  as  to 
express  a  reverence  for  God,  and  a  content 
and  satisfaction  with  that  rank  in  which  He 
has  placed  us. 

5.  He  thinks  fit  to  guard  his  argument 
with  a  caution,  lest  the  inference  be  carried 
too  far,  v.  11,  12.  The  man  and  the  woman 
were  made  for  one  another,  and  made  to  be 
a  mutual  comfort  and  blessing,  not  one  a 
slave,  and  the  other  a  tyrant.  Both  were  to 
be  one  flesh,  Gen.  2:24.  and  this  for  the 


A.  D.  60. 


1  CORINTHIANS,  XI.  Nature  of  the  Lord's  Suppet. 


20  When  ye  come  together  there¬ 
fore  into  one  place,  u  this  is  not  to 
eat  the  Lord’s  supper. 

21  For  in  eating,  every  one  tak- 
eth  before  other  his  own  supper  : 
and  one  is  hungry,  and  v  another  is 
drunken. 

22  What  !  have  ye  not  houses 
to  eat  and  to  drink  in  ?  or  despise 
ye  the  church  of  God,  and  shame 
them  that  w  have  not  ?  What  shall 
I  say  to  you  ?  shall  I  praise  you  in 
this  ?  I  praise  you  not. 

23  For  XI  have  received  of  the 
Lord  that  which  also  I  delivered 
unto  you,  That  the  Lord  Jesus, 
y  the  same  night  in  which  he  was 
betrayed,  took  bread  : 

24  And  when  he  had  given 
thauks,  he  brake  it,  and  said,  Take, 
eat ;  this  is  my  body,  which  is  brok¬ 
en  for  you  :  this  do  *  in  remem¬ 
brance  of  me. 

u  or,  y%  cannot  Jude  12.  y  Mat.  26:20. 

cat.  w  are  poor.  i  ox.  for  a. 

▼  2  Pe.  2:13.  x  c.  15:3. 


the  same  communion,  and  yet  be  uncharit¬ 
able.  This  last  is  schism,  rather  than  the 
former.  The  apostle  had  heard  a  report  of 
the  Corinthians1  divisions,  and  he  tells  them 
he  had  too  much  reason  to  believe  it.  For, 
adds  he,  there  must  be  heresies  also  ;  not 
only  quarrels,  but  factions,  and  perhaps  such 
corrupt  opinions  as  strike  at  the  founda¬ 
tion  of  Christianity,  and  all  sound  religion. 
Not  that  men  are  necessitated  to  be  guilty 


of  them;  but  the  event  is  certain,  and  God 
permits  them,  that  they  who  are  approved, 
may  be  set  to  view,  and  appear  faithful  by 
their  constant  adherence  to  the  truths  and 
ways  of  God,  notwithstanding  the  tempta¬ 
tions  of  seducers.  Note,  The  wisdom  of 
God  can  make  the  wickedness  and  errors 
of  others  a  foil  to  the  piety  and  integrity  of 
the  saints.  2.  He  charges  them  not  only 
with  discord  and  division,  but  with  scanda¬ 
lous  disorder,  v.  21.  Heathens  used  to  drink 
plentifully  at  their  feasts  on  their  sacrifices. 
Many  of  the  wealthier  Corinthians,  seem  to 
have  taken  the  same  liberty  at  the  Lord’s 
table,  or  at  least  at  their  love-feasts.  They 
would  not  stay  for  one  another;  the  rich  de¬ 
spised  the  poor,  and  ate  and  drank  up  the 
provisions'  themselves  brought,  before  the 
poor  were  allowed  to  partake  ;  thus  some 
wanted,  while  others  had  more  than  enough; 
and  a  divine  ordinance,  which  should  have 
been  a  bond  of  mutual  amity  and  affection, 
was  made  an  instrument  of  discord  and  dis¬ 
union.  The  poor  were  deprived  of  the  food 
prepared  for  them,  and  the  rich  turned  a 
feast  of  charity  into  a  debauch  !  Thus  to  eat 
the  outward  elements,  was  not  to  eat  Christ’s 
body.  There  is  a  careless  and  irregular 
eating  of  the  Lord’s  supper,  which  is  as 
none  at  all;  it  will  but  increase  guilt.  It 
was  a  contempt  of  God’s  house,  or  of  the 
church,  v.  22.  thus  to  come  to  the  Lord’s 
table,  to  feast,  cabal,  and  quarrel,  and  keep 
the  poor  from  their  share.  .Religious  feasts 
should  be  attended  religiously,  and  it  is  a 
heinous  evil,  and  [a  sin]  severely  to  be  cen¬ 
sured,  for  Christians  to  treat  their  fellow- 
Christians  with  contempt  and  insolence,  but 
especially  at  the  Lord’s  table.  This  is  doing 
what  they  can  to  pour  contempt  on  divine 
ordinances.  Let  us  carefully  look  to  it,  that 


nothing  in  our  behavior  at  the  Lord’s  table 
have  this  appearance. 

V.  23 — 34.  To  rectify  these  gross  corrup¬ 
tions  and  irregularities,  the  apostle  sets  the 
sacred  institution  here  to  view.  This  should 
be  the  rule  in  the  reformation  of  all  abuses. 

I.  He  tells  us  how  he  came  by  the  knowl¬ 
edge  of  it,  v.  23.  He  was  not  among  the 
apostles  at  the  first  institution  of  it,  but  he 
had  the  knowledge  of  it  by  revelation  from 
Christ  :  and  what  he  had  received,  lie  com¬ 
municated,  without  varying  from  the  truth 
a  tittle,  without  adding  or  diminishing. 

II.  He  gives  us  a  more  particular  account 
of  the  institution,  than  we  meet  with  else¬ 
where;  an  account,  1.  Of  the  Author  ;  our 
Lord  Jesus  Christ.  The  King  of  the  church 
only  has  power  to  institute  sacraments.  2. 
The  time  of  the  institution,  the  very  night 
wherein  He  was  betrayed  ;  just  as  He  was 
entering  on  his  sufferings,  which  are  therein 
to  be  commemorated.  3.  The  institution 
itself;  our  Savior  took  bread,  and  when  He 
had  given  thanks,  or  blessed,  as  Mat.  26:26. 
He  brake,  and  said,  Take,  eat  ;  this  is  my 
body,  broken  for  you  this  do  in  remembrance 
of  Me.  And  in  like  manner  He  took  the  cup, 
when  He  had  supped,  saying,  This  cup  is  the 
New  Testament  in  my  blood  ;  this  do,  as  oft 
as  ye  drink  it,  in  remembrance  of  Me,  v.  24, 
25.  In  which  observe, 

(1.)  The  materials  of  this  sacrament  ; 
both,  [1.]  As  to  the  visible  signs,  bread  and 
the  cup,  the  former  called  bread  many  times 
over  in  this  passage,  even  after  what  the 
papists  call  consecration,  yea,  called  bread, 
though  it  be  at  the  same  time  said  to  be  the 
body  of  the  Lord;  a  plain  argument  that  the 
apostle  knew  nothing  of  their  monstrous  and 
absurd  doctrine  of  transubstantiation.  The 
latter  is  as  plainly  a  part  of  this  institution 


‘‘  err  I  may,  but  a  heretic  I  will  not  be.”  . .  It  is  a  human  frailty  to  err, 
and  no  man  is  infallible  here  on  earth.  But  so  long  as  all  [sects]  profess 
to  set  the  Word  of  God  only  before  them  as  the  rule  of  faith  and  obe¬ 
dience,  and  use  all  diligence  and  sincerity  of  heart,  by  reading,  by  learn¬ 
ing,  by  study,  by  prayer,  for  illumination  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  to  under¬ 
stand  the  rule  and  obey  it,  they  have  done  what  man  can  do.  God  will 
assuredly  pardon  them,  as  lie  did  the  friends  of  Job.’  Milton,  of  True 
Ilel.,  Heresy,  Schism,  Toleration.  Prose  IVorks,  Boston,  1826.  Ed. 


Plan  of  a  fireek  Home,  after  Vitruvius.  B,  husband’s  apartments  ;  A,  wife’s  d.o  j 
o,  entry,  or  first  gate,  on  the  S.,  and  on  the  public  stieet  (fiom  which  the  whole  edi¬ 
fice  is  isolated  by  a  dead  wall,  running  all  round)  ;  p,  alley,  cnlled  iter  by  Vitr.  ;  ij , 
second,  or  interior  gate  ;  r,  porter’s  lodges  {comp.  Acts  12-.13,  14.)  ;  s,  peristyle  .  /, 
porticos;  u,  vestibule;  v,  working  halls  ;  w,  bedchamber,  or  Thalamus;  x,  visit- 
chamber,  or  Amphi thalamus  ;  y,  eating-room  ;  s.  rooms  for  attendants,  domestics, 
Ac.  ;  2,  communication  between  the  husband ’s  and  w  ife’s  apartments  ,  a,  vestibules  ; 
b,  grand  peristyle  (columned  court)  ;  r,  porticos  ;  d,  Rhodian  portico  ;  e,  festival  hall 
(with  4  sets  of  tables,  cut,  8:10.)  ;  f.  libraries ;  g,  picture-gallery  ;  h ,  eating-hall  ;  i, 
audience  and  conversation -hall  ;  k ,  lodges  for  guests  ;  l,  stables  and  yard  ;  m ,  garden. 


(21.)  It  was  an  ancient  Grecian  custom,  at  the  feasts  of  Pluius,  and  of 
Peace,  for  the  rich  and  poor  to  partake  in  common,  each  person  bringing 
his  own  provision,  and  throwing  it  into  the  common  mess.  1  Common 
meals,  in  imitation  of  those  of  our  Lord  and  the  apostles,  were  (it  seems) 
instituted  after  divine  service,  on  the  Lord’s  day,  and  either  preceded 
(which  seems  most  probable)  or  (as  others  say)  followed  llie  euchariat.’ 
Bl.  In  these  agapoe,  founded  to  promole  a  feeling  of  Christian  equality, 
what  each  one  contributed  ceased  to  he  his  own,  but  selfishness  frustrat¬ 
ed  the  end  of  them.  Drunken .]  '■Drink  to  satiety.’’  Bloomf.  En. 

(22.)  Houses  to  eat  and  drink  in.]  By  their  conduct  the  rich  would 
‘put  to  shame  those  who,  if  they  must  contend  with  poverty,  ought 
to  be  left  to  bear  their  want  at  home,  and  not  to  he  shamed  with,  it 
abroad ,  and  insulted  (for,  as  Juv.  says,  the  hardest  part  of  poverty  is  ri¬ 
dicule)  by  so  rude  a  comparison  with  the  abundance  enjoj  ed  by  their 
richer  brethren,  especially  at  a  meal  intended  fo  put  all  on  the  same  foot¬ 
ing.’  Bl.  The  cut,  of  a  Grecian  house,  shows  the  luxury  to  which  the 
apostle  alludes:  and  may  serve  to  illustrate  the  manners  of  lhai  age. 
Great  wealth  is  not  favorable  to  gospel-feelings,  yet  all  seek  it  with 
avidity  !  ‘Seldom,’  says  Bickersteth,  ‘do  Christians  gain  a  large  meas¬ 
ure  of  riches  or  dominion,  of  science  or  learning,  without  suffering  in 
(heir  best  interests  ;  and  rather  need  our  prayers,  than  congratula¬ 
tions.’  Id. 

V.  23 — 28.  This  account  of  the  institution  of  the  Lord’s  supper  en¬ 
tirely  coincides  with  that  which  has  been  considered,  and  fully  confirms 
the  interpretation  given  of  it.  It  was  of  great  imporiance,  that  it  should 
be  here  repeated  and  enforced,  that  the  obligation  of  tlie  institution,  to 
the  end  of  the  world,  might  he  fully  ascertained.  The  words,  1  which  is 
broken  for  you,’  are  here  added,  to  those  recorded  by  Matthew  and 
Mark;  and  substituted  for  ‘  which  is  given  for  you,’ in  Luke’s  gospel. 
Mark  14:22—25.  Luke  22:19,  20.  Notes,  Mat.  26:26—29.  The  body  of 
Christ,  as ‘broken,’  in  his  sufferings  and  death,  is  represented  by  the 
bread  broken  ;  but  an  unbroken  wafer  does  not  represent  this  most  ma¬ 
terial  circumstance. — It  is  also  here  added,  that  as  ‘  oft  as  they  drank  of 
the  cup,’  they  ought  to  do  it  ‘  in  remembrance  of’  Christ ;  in  order  that 
the  frequent  recollection  of  his  love,  his  sufferings,  and  iheir  obligations 
to  Him,  might  have  a  proper  effect  on  their  henrts  and  lives.  Whenever 
they  attended  on  this  sacred  service,  they  would  1  show  the  Lord’s  death;’ 
i.  e.  profess  their  faith  in  it,  and  declare  its  end  and  efficacy,  till  He 
should  come  to  judgment.  To  evade  this  decisive  declaration,  by  say¬ 
ing,  till  the  time  when  Christ  should  come,  by  his  spiritual  illumination 
on  the  mind,  to  take  men  off  from  carnal  ordinances,  is  a  striking  in¬ 
stance  of  perverse  ingenuity,  used  in  defence  of  rooted  prejudices.-This 
[its  being  required  that  every  man  should  examine  himself  in  order  to 
attend  on  this  ordinance]  expressly  shows  it  to  lie  every  Christian's  du¬ 
ty  to  attend  on  this  sacrament  ;  and  that  both  the  bread  and  the  wine 
should  lie  administered  to  all  without  exception.  Indeed,  in  one  place, 
it  is  in  the  original,  ‘shall  eat  this  bread,  or  drink  this  cup,  Ac.’  (27)  ; 
and  the  needless  variation  in  our  version  has  caused  some  cavils  of  the 
papists  ;  yet  the  v.  would  as  readily  prove,  that  the  wine  alone,  as  that 
the  bread  alone  should  he  received  ;  hut,  in  fact,  it  only  shows,  that  both 
bread  and  wine  should  be  received,  in  a  serious,  believing,  and  reveren¬ 
tial  manner.  —  Much  has  been  written,  by  some  expositors,  concerning 
the  love-fensts,  supposed  to  have  accompanied  the  administration  o 
the  Lord’s  supper  in  primitive  times;  as  having  given  occasion 
disorders,  which  the  apostle  here  reproves  ;  but  it  is  not  certatn,  that  lie 
at  all  refers  to  them;  and  indeed,  it  is  not  certain,  or  ve  IP  .  ’ 

that  they  were  at  this  time  in  use.  2  Pet.  2:12  14.  Jude  11  ■  • 

[zyaj 


A.  D.  CO. 


1  CORINTHIANS,  XI. 


Self-examination  urged. 


25  After  the  same  manner  also 
he  took  the  cup,  when  he  had  sup¬ 
ped,  saying,  This  cup  is  the  New 
Testament  in  my  blood  :  this  do 
ye,  as  oft  as  ye  drink  it,  in  remem¬ 
brance  of  me. 

26  For  as  often  as  ye  eat  this 
bread,  and  drink  this  cup,  aye  do 
shew  the  Lord’sdeath  till  hebcome. 

27  Wherefore,  whosoever  shall 
eat  this  bread,  and  drink  this  cup 
of  the  Lord,  c  unworthily,  shall  be 
guilty  of  the  body  and  blood  of  the 
Lord. 

28  But  let  a  man  examine  d  him¬ 
self,  and  so  let  him  eat  of  that  bread, 
ahd  drink  of  that  cup. 

29  For  he  that  eateth  and  drink- 
eth  unworthily,  eateth  and  drinketh 
'damnation  to  himself,  not  discern¬ 
ing  the  Lord’s  body. 

30  For  this  cause  many  are  weak 
and  sickly  among  you,  and  many 
sleep. 

31  For  f  if  we  would  judge  our¬ 
selves,  we  should  not  be  judged. 

32  But  when  we  are  judged,  we 
s  are  chastened  of  the  Lord,  that 
we  should  not  be  condemned  with 
the  world. 

33  Wherefore,  my  brethren, 
when  ye  come  together  to  eat, 
tarry  one  for  another. 


R 

b 

c 


or,  show  ye. 
Re.  *22:20. 
J„.  6:63,64. 
c.  10:21. 


d  2  Co.  13:5. 

1  Jn.  3:20,21. 
e  judgment. 
Ro.  13:2. 


f  Ps.  32:5. 

1  Jn.  1:9. 
g  Pr.  94:12,13. 
He.  12:5—11. 


as  words  can  make  it.  Matthew  tells  us, 
our  Lord  bid  them  all  drink  of  it,  cA.  26:27. 
as  if  he  would,  by  this  expression,  lay  in  a 
caveat  against  the  papists’  depriving  the 
laity  of  the  cup.  Bread  and  the  cup  are 
both  made  use  of,  because  it  is  a  holy /east. 
Nor  is  it  here,  or  anywhere,  made  necessary, 
that  any  particular  liquor  should  be  in  the 
cup.  In  one  evangelist,  indeed,  it  is  plain 
wine  was  the  liquor  used  by  our  Savior, 
though  it  was,  perhaps,  mingled  with  water, 
according  to  the  Jewish  custom;  see  Light- 
foot  on  Mat.  26.  But  this  by  no  means  ren¬ 
ders  it  unlawful  to  have  a  sacrament,  where 


persons  cannot  come  at  wine.*  In  every 
place  of  Scripture  in  which  we  have  an  ac¬ 
count  of  this  part  of  the  institution,  it  is 
alvvavs  expressed  by  a  figure.  The  cup  is 
put  for  what  was  in  it,  without  once  speci¬ 
fying  what  the  liquor  was,  in  the  words  of 
the  institution.  [2.]  The  things  signified 
by'  these  outward  signs  ;  they  are  Christ’s 
body  and  blood,  his  body  broken,  his  blood 
shed,  together  with  all  the  benefits  which 
How  from  his  death  and  sacrifice  ;  it  is  the 
New  Testament  in  his  blood.  His  blood  is 
the  seal  and  sanction  of  all  the  privileges  of 
the  new  covenant  ;  and  worthy  receivers 
take  it  as  such,  at  this  holy  ordinance.  They 
have  the  New  Testament,  and  their  own  ti¬ 
tle  to  all  the  blessings  of  the  new  covenant, 
confirmed  to  them  by  his  blood. 

(2.)  The  manner  in  which  the  materials 
are  to  be  used;  our  Savior’s  actions,  which 
are,  taking  the  bread  and  cup,  giving  thanks, 
breaking  the  bread,  and  giving  about  both 
the  one  and  the  other  ;  the  actions  of  the 
communicants,  which  were,  to  take  the 
bread  and  eat,  to  take  the  cup  and  drink, 
and  both  in  remembrance  of  Christ.  But 
the  external  acts  are  not  the  whole,  or  the 
principal  part,  of  what  is  to  be  done  at  this 
holy  ordinance  ;  each  has  a  significancy. 
Our  Savior,  having  undertaken  to  make  an 
offering  of  Himself  to  God,  and  procure,  by 
his  death,  the  remission  of  sins,  with  all 
other  gospel-benefits,  for  true  believers,  did, 
at  the  institution,  deliver  his  body  and 
blood,  with  all  the  benefits  procured  by  his 
death,  to  his  disciples;  and  continues  to  do 
the  same,  every  time  the  ordinance  is  admin¬ 
istered  to  true  believers.  This  is  here  ex¬ 
hibited,  or  set  forth,  as  the  food  of  souls. 
And  as  food,  though  ever  so  wholesome  or 
rich,  will  yield  no  nourishment  without  be¬ 
ing  eaten,  here  the  communicants  are  to 
take  and  eat,  or  to  receive  Christ  and  feed 
on  Him,  his  grace  and  benefits,  and  by  faith 
convert  them  into  nourishment  to  their 
souls.  They  are  to  take  Him  as  their  Lord 
and  Life,  yield  themselves  up  to  Him,  and 
live  on  Him.  He  is  our  Life,  Col.  3:  4. 

(3.)  The  ends  of  this  institution.  [1.]  It 
was  appointed  to  be  done  in  remembrance  of 

*  The  common  red  wine  of  the  Levant  was  probably 
used,  and  if  any  other  liquid  be  substituted,  a  red  colored 
liquid  suggests  itself  as  most  impressive,  for  obvious  rea¬ 
sons.  Rev.  Mr.  Schau filer,  Missionary  to  Turkey,  in  a 
learned  article  in  the  Bib.  Repos.,  for  Oct.,  1836,  mentions 
‘  the  arguments  known  to  him  in  favor  of  our  Lord’s  hav. 
ing  used  must,  syrup,  and  water  in  the  institution  of  the 
Eucharist  ;  and  states  the  reasons  which  induce  him  to 
maintain,  that  common  fermented  wine  was  used.’  The 
question  does  not  seem  to  admit  of  certainty.  Ed. 


Christ,  to  keep  fresh  in  our  minds  an  ancient 
favor,  his  dying  fur  us,  as  well  as  to  remem¬ 
ber  an  absent  friend,  even  Christ  interced¬ 
ing  for  us,  in  virtue  of  his  death,  at  God’s 
right  hand.  [2.]  It  was  to  show  forth  Christ's 
death,  to  declare  and  publish  it.  It  is  not 
barely  in  remembrance  of  Christ  ;  of  w  hat 
He  lias  done  and  suffered,  that  this  ordinance 
was  instituted  ;  but  to  commemorate,  to 
celebrate,  bis  glorious  condescension  and 
grace  in  our  redemption.  VVe  declare  bis 
death  to  be  our  life,  the  spring  of  all  our 
comforts  and  hopes.  And  we  glory  in  such 
a  declaration  ;  we  show  forth  his  death,  and 
spread  it  before  God,  as  our  accepted  sacri¬ 
fice  and  ransom.  We  set  it  in  view  of  our 
own  faith,  fur  our  own  comfort  and  quick¬ 
ening  :  and  we  own,  before  the  world,  by 
this  very  service,  that  we  are  the  disciples 
of  Christ,  who  trust  in  Him  alone  for  salva¬ 
tion,  and  acceptance  with  God. 

It  is  moreover  hinted  here,  concerning 
this  ordinance,  1st.  That  it  should  be  fre¬ 
quent  ;  as  often  as  ye  eat  this  bread,  &c. 
The  ancient  churches  celebrated  this  ordi¬ 
nance  every  Lord’s  day,  if  not  every  day 
when  they  assembled  for  worship.  2dlv. 
That  it  must  be  perpetual.  It  is  to  be  cel¬ 
ebrated  till  the  Lord  shall  come,  the  second 
time.  This  is  our  warrant  for  keeping  this 
feast.  It  was  our  Lord’s  will  that  we  should 
thus  celebrate  the  memorials  of  his  death 
and  passion,  till  He  come  and  put  an  end  to 
the  present  state  of  tilings,  and  his  own  me¬ 
diatorial  administration,  by  passing  tile  final 
sentence.  The  Lord’s  supper  is  not  a  tem¬ 
porary,  but  a  stauding  and  perpetual,  ordi¬ 
nance. 

III.  He  lays  before  the  Corinthians  the 
danger  of  receiving  unworthily ;  of  prostitut¬ 
ing  this  institution  as  they  did,  and  using  it 
to  the  purposes  of  feasting  and  faction,  with 
intentions  opposite  to  its  designs,  or  a  tem¬ 
per  of  mind  altogether  unsuitable  to  it  ;  or 
keeping  up  the  covenant  with  sin  and  death, 
while  professedly  renewing  and  confirming 
their  covenant  with  God.  1.  Such  contract 
great  guilt,  guilty  of  the  body  and  blood  of  the 
Lord,  v.  27.  of  violating  this  sacred  institu¬ 
tion;  of  despising  his  body  and  blood.  2. 
They  run  a  great  hazard,  v.  29.  They  are 
likely  to  bring  down  punishment,  liable  to 
damnation,  to  spiritual  judgments,  and  eter¬ 
nal  misery.  But  fearful  [i.  e.  over-cautious] 
believers  should  not  be  discouraged  from 
attending  at  this  holy  ordinance,  by  the 
sound  of  these  words,  as  if  they  bound  on 


(23.)  Received.]  Bloomf.  shows,  this  can  mean  nothing  else  than  by 
revelation  from  Christ,  15:3.  Gal.  1:11,  12.  2  Cor.  12:1.  ‘This  epistle 
seems  to  have  been  written  before  any  of  the  gospels;  and  it  seems  to 
be  intimated,  Gal.  1:17,  <fcc.,  that  when  Paul  wrote  it,  he  had  seen  none 
of  the  apostles.  It  is  very  remarkable  this  institution  should  make  a 
part  of  that  immediate  revelation  with  which  Christ  honored  him  ;  and 
it  affords  a  strong  argument  for  its  perpetuity.  For  had  others  of  the 
apostles  (as  Barclay  presumes  to  insinuate)  mistaken  what  passed  at  the 
last  passover,  and  founded  the  observation  of  the  eucharist  on  that  mis¬ 
take,  surely  Christ  would  rather  have  corrected  this  error  in  his  new 
revelation  to  Paul,  than  have  administered  such  an  occasion  of  confirm¬ 
ing  Christians  in  it.’  Doddr.  See  some  admirable  remarks  on  this  v. 
in  Macknixht.  Ed. 

(24.)  This  i.».]  ‘I.  e.  signifies:  comp.  Mat.  26:26.  Gen.  41:26,27. 
Ez.  37:11.  Dan.  2:38.  4:19.  Mat.  13:37—39.  John  15:1 — 5.  1  Cor.  10:4. 
Gen.  17:10.  Ex.  12:11.’  Krause. 

(25.)  As  often  as,  <fcc.]  ‘  The  popish  interpretation  of  this  (see  Slade ) 
is  such,  as  none  but  persons  utterly  ignorant  of  the  force  of  the  expres¬ 
sion  would  ever  think  of,  and  none  hut  those  who  were  determined  to 
prevent  it,  would  ever  have  devised.’  Bloomf. 

(26.)  Shew.]  Both  celebrate  and  commemorate.  See  Bl.  Ed. 

(27)  And  drink.]  ‘Gr.  f,  pul  for  kai,  an  idiom  frequent  in  the  O. 
T.,  as  Gen.  3:22.  So  popular  use  in  most  languages.  Some  MSS.  read 
kai  ;  hut  that  seems  from  correction.  [But  see  Dr.  A.  C.,  IT.  end.]  So 
A  D.  several  verss.  too  ;  hut  such  are  questionable  evidence,  since  trs. 
are  not  bound  to  render  idioms  lit.  See  Whit.  The  Romanists’  argument, 
(like  theirs  in  v.  25.)  proves  too  much  ;  for  if  either  cup  or  bread  were 
“  whole  Christ”  by  itself,  it  would  authorize  ihe  separate  use  of  the  cup 
(which  they  never  presume  upon)  as  well  as  of  the  bread.  Of.]  Re¬ 
specting,  i.  e.  guilty  of  profaning  the  symbols.  So  also  Casaub.,  Light., 
(perhaps  Grot.,)  Locke,  Whit.,  and  most  recent  commentators.  Com¬ 
pare  James  2:10.’  Bloomf. 

V.  29 — 34.  The  scruples  and  consequent  neglect  of  numbers,  who 
seem  in  other  things  to  obey  Christ,  hnve  no  ground  in  this  passage,  ex¬ 
cept  in  the  apparent  harshness  of  our  tr.,  in  which  the  word  that  signi¬ 
fies  ‘judgment,’  is  ren.  damnation  ;  and  this  commonly  means  eternal 
punishment.  Indeed,  the  conscious  unworthiness,  and  lamented  infir¬ 
mities  of  those,  who  desire  to  express  their  gratitude  for  redeeming  love, 

[296] 


are  widely  different  from  the  profanations  of  these  Corinthians,  who  yet 
were  not  at  all  supposed  to  have  sinned  beyond  the  hope  of  pardon  ; 
and  generally  they,  who  deem  themselves  most  unworthy,  are  least 
likely  to  receive  ‘  unworthily  ;’  which  is  commonly  the  sin  of  the  care¬ 
less,  or  proud,  and  self-sufficient. — It  is  manifest,  that  the  custom,  which 
some  scrupulously  adhere  to,  as  a  matter  of  conscience,  often  to  the  in¬ 
jury  of  their  health,  of  receiving  the  Lord’s  supper  fasting,  has  not  the 
smallest  ground  in  Scripture,  and  is,  in  fact,  a  mere  superstition  ;  as  is 
the  still  much  more  common  notion,  that  irreverence,  or  even  involun¬ 
tary  defects  and  mistakes,  in  this  sacrament,  are  far  more  heinous  and 
perilous,  than  in  other  acts  of  worship  ;  or  even  in  administering  or  re¬ 
ceiving  baptism. — It  should  also  be  observed,  that  the  apostle  does  not 
speak  of  worthy  or  umvorthy  participants;  but  of  eating  and  drinking 
unworthily.  Not  the  character  of  the  person,  but  the  manner  of  receiv¬ 
ing  the  Lord’s  supper,  forms  his  direct  subject. — ‘  We  do  not  presume 
to  come  to  this  thy  table,  trusting  in  our  own  righteousness  ;  but  in  thy 
manifold  and  great  mercies.  We  are  not  worthy  so  much  as  to  gather 
up  the  crumbs  under  thy  table.’  Communion  service.  The  self-right¬ 
eous  must  then  receive  most  unworthily,  because  lie  proudly  thinks 
himself  worthy  ;  and  that  man  comes  in  the  most  worthy  manner,  who 
approaches  in  deep  humility,  profound  reverence,  simple  dependence  on 
the  merev  of  God,  through  ihe  atoning  blood  of  Christ,  and  lively  grati¬ 
tude  for  favors  so  entirely  undeserved.  Scott. 

(30.)  Sickly,  & c.]  ‘Similar  judgments  were  exercised  on  Christians 
for  other  heinous  offences.  1  Cor.  5:5.  1  Tim.  1:20.  1  John  5:16.  James 
5:14,  15.  Admitting  (what  seems  not  very  probable)  that  after  accounts 
of  the  sickness  and  death  of  those  who  had  profaned  the  sacrament,  aro 
all  fables,  will  not  prove  such  judgments  were  not  exercised  under  a 
dispensation  so  altogether  extraordinary  as  that  of  the  apostolic  age.’ 

Bloomf. 

(32.)  Chastened.]  As  children,  so  the  Greek  literally;  not  capri¬ 
ciously.  Ed. 

(33.)  ‘Again  he  adverts  to  the  insult  and  rejection  the  poor  had  sus¬ 
tained,  at  the  Agapa  and  Lord’s  supper.  “Receive  each  other  with 
hospitality,  and  treat  each  other  as  you  treat  private  guests.”  Rosenm., 
Mackn.  This,  of  course,  implies,  that  there  shall  be  a  perfect  commu¬ 
nity  between  the  rich  and  poor,  and  it  is  a  very  delicate  way  of  incul¬ 
cating  the  injunction.’  Bloomf.  Id. 


A.  D.  60. 


1  CORINTHIANS,  XII. 


Spiritual  gifts  considered. 


34  And  if  any  man  hunger,  let 
him  eat  at  home  ;  that  ye  come  not 
together  unto  h condemnation.  And 
the  rest  will  I  set  in  order  when  I 
come. 

CHAP.  XII. 

1  Spiritual  gifts  4  are  divers,  7  yet  all  to  profit  withal.  8 
And  to  that  end  are  diversely  bestowed:  1*2  that  by  the 
like  proportion,  as  the  members  of  a  natural  body  tend 
all  to  the  1G  mutual  decency,  2*2  service,  and  26  succor 
of  the  same  body;  27  so  we  should  do  one  for  another, 
to  make  up  the  mystical  body  of  Christ. 

IVT OW  concerning  spiritual  gifts, 
brethren,  I  would  not  have 
you  ignorant. 

2  Ye  know  that  ye  were  Gen¬ 
tiles,  carried  away  unto  these  dumb 
a  idols,  even  as  ye  were  led. 

3  Wherefore  I  give  you  to  un¬ 
derstand,  that  no  man  b  speaking 
by  the  Spirit  of  God  calleth  Jesus 
c  accursed  :  and  d  that  no  man  can 
say  that  Jesus  is  the  Lord,  but  by 
the  Holy  Ghost. 

h  judgment,  b  Mr.  9:39.  c  or,  anathema. 

a  1  Th.  1:9.  1  Jn.  4:2,3.  d  Mat.  16:17. 

themselves  the  sentence  of  damnation,  by- 
coming  to  the  table  of  the  Lord  unprepared  ; 
the  Holy  Spirit  never  indited  this  passage 
of  Scripture  to  deter  serious  Christians  from 
their  duty,  though  the  devil  has  often  made 
this  advantage  of  it,  and  robbed  them  of 
their  choicest  comforts.  The  Corinthians 
came  to  the  Lord’s  table  as  to  a  common 
feast,  not  discerning  the  Lord's  body,  not 
making  a  difference  or  distinction  between 
that  and  common  food  ;  nay,  they  used  much 
more  indecency  at  this  sacred  feast,  than 
they  would  at  a  civil  one.  This  was  very 
sinful  in  them,  and  very  displeasing  to  God, 
and  brought  down  his  judgments  on  them  ; 


some  were  punished  with  sickness,  and  some 
with  the  sleep  of  death.  Note,  A  careless 
and  irreverent  receiving  of  the  Lord’s  supper 
may  bring  temporal  punishments.  Yet  the 
connexion  seems  to  imply,  that  even  those 
who  were  thus  punished,  were  in  a  state  of 
favor  with  God,  at  least  many  of  them, 
v.  32.  divine  chastening  is  a  sign  of  divine 
love,  Heb.  12:  6.  It  is  kindness  to  use  the 
rod,  to  prevent  the  child’s  ruin,  and  better  to 
bear  trouble  in  this  world,  than  to  be  miser¬ 
able  to  eternity.  God  punishes  his  people 
now,  to  prevent  their  eternal  woe. 

IV.  lie  points  out  the  duty  of  those  who 
would  come  to  the  Lord’s  table.  1.  In  gen¬ 
eral,  v.  28.  Let  a  man  consider  the  sacred 
intention  of  this  holy  ordinance,  its  nature 
and  use;  and  compare  his  own  views  in  at¬ 
tending  on  it,  and  his  disposition  of  mind 
for  it  ;  and  when  he  has  approved  himself 
to  his  own  conscience  in  the  sight  of  God, 
then  let  him  attend.  Such  self-examination 
is  necessary  to  a  right  attendance  at 'this 
holy  ordinance.  2.  The  duty  of  those  who 
were  yet  unpunished  for  their  profanation 
of  this  ordinance,  v.  31.  If  we  would 
thoroughly  search  and  explore  ourselves,  and 
condemn  and  correct  what  we  find  amiss,  we 
should  prevent  divine  judgments.  We  must 
not  judge  others,  lest  we  be  judged.  Mat.  7: 
1.  but  we  must  judge  ourselves,  to  prevent 
our  being  judged  and  condemned  by  God. 
We  may  be  critical  as  to  ourselves,  but 
should  be  very  candid  in  judging  of  others. 

V.  He  closes  all  with  a  caution  against 

all  the  irregularities  of  which  they  were 
guilty,  v.  33,  34.  Our  holy  duties,  through 
our  own  abuse,  may  prove  matter  of  con¬ 
demnation.  A  sad,  but  serious  truth  !  Oh  !  | 
let  all  look  to  it,  that  they  do  not  come  to-  j 
gether  at  any  time  to  God’s  worship,  and  all 
the  while  provoke  Him,  and  bring  down  ■ 
vengeance  on  themselves.  ' 


What  else  was  amiss  in  this  matter,  he 
tells  them  he  would  rectify,  when  he  came 
to  them. 

Chap.  XII.  V.  1  — 11.  The  apostle 
comes  now  to  treat  of  spiritual  gifts,  which 
abounded  in  the  church  of  Corinth,  but  were 
greatly  abused.  Now  concerning  these  spir¬ 
itual  gifts,  i.  e.  the  extraordinary  powers 
they  had  received  from  the  Spirit, 

1.  He  would  not  have  them  ignorant, 
either  of  their  original  or  use.  They  came 
from  God,  and  were  to  be  used  for  Him. 
Right  information  is  of  great  rsc  to  all  reli¬ 
gious  practice. 

2.  He  puts  them  in  mind  of  the  sad  state 
out  of  which  they  had  been  recovered,  v.  2. 
If  they  well  understood  that,  they  could  not 
but  know,  tiiat  all  true  spiritual  yifts  were 
from  God.  Now  observe, 

(1.)  Their  former  character  ;  they  were 
Gentiles,  not  God’s  peculiar  people,  but  of 
the  nations  whom  He  had  in  a  manner  aban¬ 
doned.  The  Jews  were,  before,  his  chosen 
people;  to  them  the  knowledge  aijd  worship 
of  the  true  God  were  in  a  manner  confined, 
and  the  rest  of  the  world  were  in  a  manner 
without  God,  Eph.  2:  12.  Such  Gentiles 
were  the  body  of  the  Corinthian-,  before 
their  conversion  to  Christianity.  What  a 
change  was  here  !  Note,  It  is  of  great  use 
to  the  Christian,  to  think  what  once  he  was; 
Ye  were  Gentiles. 

(2.)  The  conduct  they  were  under  ;  car¬ 
ried  away  to  these  dumb  idols,  even  as  ye  were 
led.  They  were  hurried  on  to  the  grossest 
idolatry,  the  worship  even  of  stocks  and 
stones,  through  the  force  of  a  vain  imagina¬ 
tion,  and  the  fraud  of  their  priests,  practising 
on  their  ignorance  :  for  whatever  were  the 
sentiments  of  their  philosophers,  this  was 
the  practice  of  the  herd.  Miserable  ab¬ 
jectness  of  mind  !  And  those  who  despised 


PR  ACT.  OBS.  We  ought  to  imitate  no  man,  any  further  than  he 
imitates  Christ,  whose  example  alone  is  absolutely  perfect  ;  nor  should 
we  desire  that  others  should  follow  us,  except  as  we  are  enabled  to  fol¬ 
low  our  Lord  and  Master.  —In  order  to  know  our  duty  in  various  partic¬ 
ulars,  we  should  accurately  study  our  relations  to  Cod,  and  to  each  other, 
in  society,  and  in  the  church. —  Even  nature,  and  the  common  sense 
of  mankind,  require  that  men  and  women  should  preserve  a  due  distinc¬ 
tion  in  their  apparel,  behavior,  and  appearance;  and  the  contrary  to 
this  is  contemptible  and  odious.  The  particulars  by  which  this  distinc¬ 
tion  shall  be  expressed,  are  greatly  determined  by  custom ;  but,  how¬ 
ever  fashions  may  vary,  an  effeminate  man,  and  a  masculine  woman, 
will  alwavs  be  disgusting  and  disgraceful. — Not  only  should  our  sense 
of  the  Lord’s  special  presence,  influence  our  conduct  in  this  manner; 
but  even  that  of  the  holy  angels,  who,  in  our  assemblies,  must  witness 
many  things  unworthy  of  the  sacred  service,  and  which  ought  carefully 
to  be  avoided.  Alas  !  how  often  do  animosities  and  personal  or  party- 
contentions  divide  religious  societies,  and  corrupt  the  apparently  united 
worship  !  Indeed,  in  the  present  state  of  human  nature,  such  ‘schisms  ’ 
and  ‘  heresies  ’  cannot  altogether  be  avoided  ;  but,  while  we  adore  the 
wisdom  of  God  in  overruling  these  evils  for  the  manifestation  of  those 
who  are  approved,  by  Him,  we  must  by  no  means  palliate  the  guilt  of 
such  persons,  who  thus  divide  and  distract  the  church.  The  Lord,  in¬ 
deed,  can  take  occasion  from  the  most  aggravated  profanations,  to  estab¬ 
lish  regulations  the  most  beneficial,  of  which  this  ch.  gives  us  a  striking 
specimen  ;  but  that  display  of  his  wisdom  and  goodness  is  far  from 


excusing  the  criminals,  or  exempting  them  from  punishment.  Rom.  3:5 
—8.  We  should  rejoice,  that  we  are  under  no  temptation  to  pervert  the 
Lord’s  supper  to  an  intemperate  revel ;  but  we  may  seriously  inquire, 
whether  profanations,  equally  flagrant  and  expressive  of  contempt,  are 
not  common  among  us.  How  often  do  custom  and  ostentation  lend 
sinners  of  superior  rank  to  exhibit  their  petty  distinctions,  even  in 
attending  on  this  sacrament,  which  especially  requires  our  most  humble 
gratitude  1  How  often  is  it  made  the  support  of  Pharisaical  pride,  or  the 
cloak  with  which  hypocrites  cover  dishonesty,  or  secret  licentiousuess  1 
We  must  most  strenuously  and  decidedly  protest  against  them  ;  and 
pray  earnestly  and  constantly  to  God,  to  incline  those  who  have  au¬ 
thority,  to  use,  with  impartial  decision,  proper  and  effectual  methods  of 
terminating  such  scandalous  practices ;  doing  all  we  can  in  the  mean 
time,  in  our  several  places,  to  counteract  and  prevent  them  ;  without 
fearing  reproach  or  persecution — A  penitent  heart,  a  simple  reliance  on 
God’s  free  mercy  by  faith  in  Christ,  according  to  ‘the  new  covenant  in 
his  blood  ;’  a  thankful  recollection  of  his  sufferings  and  of  his  love;  a 
desire  ‘  to  show  his  death,’  to  profess  our  obligations  to  Him,  and  to  give 
up  ourselves  to  his  service,  in  doing  good  to  his  people,  and  t<5  all  men 
for  his  sake,  constitute  the  proper  preparation  for  acceptably  communi¬ 
cating.  All,  who  aim,  and  pray  to  be  enabled  to  come  in  this  frame  of 
heart  and  mind,  are  bound  in  gratitude,  and  by  their  professed  subjection 
to  Christ,  to  ‘show  the  I.ord's  death  till  He  come.’  There  should,  how¬ 
ever,  be  an  habitual  self-examination  ;  and  a  more  particular  one,  at 
those  times,  when  xve  have  opportunity.  Scott. 


(34.1  At  home.]  ‘Mr.  Amir  ant  and  Mr.  Cradock  think  this  a  prohibi¬ 
tion  of  love-feasts  ;  but  I  think  it  evident  from  antiquity,  they  were 
retained  in  the  church  long  after,  though  dubious  whether  they  prevail¬ 
ed  so  soon.’  Donmt. 

NOTES.  Chap.  XII.  V.  1 — 3.  The  Corinthians  were  favored  with 
a  rich  abundance  of  miraculous  gifts,  by  the  power  of  the  Holy  Spirit, 
which  they  exercised  principally  in  their  public  assemblies;  and,  ns 
they  were  divided  into  parties,  it  seems  that  they  vied  with  each  other, 
in  the  display  of  these  endowments.  {Notes,  14.)  This  gave  rise  to 
vainglory,  envy,  corrupt  emulation,  and  repinings,  which  were  equally 
opposite  to  piety  and  charity.  To  remedy  these  grievous  evils,  the 
apostle  began  his  observations  on  the  subject,  by  reminding  them  of 
what  they  had  been  a  short  time  before.  Gal.  4:8 — 11.  Eph.  2:11 — 13. 
These  [their  idols]  were  dumb  idols,  notwithstanding  all  that  was 
boasteil  concerning  their  oracles  ;  and  therefore  could  not  confer  on  their 
deluded  votaries  those  gifts  of  tongues,  and  that  utterance,  which  the 
converts  to  Christianity  had  now  received,  and  which  must  be  ascribed 
exclusively  to  the  sovereign  grace  and  power  of  God.  It  was  therefore 
proper  for  them  to  understand,  that  nil  such  gifts  were  confined  within 
the  limits  of  the  Christian  church.  The  context  leads  us  to  suppose  the 
apostle  meant,  that  this  confession,  [tlint  Jesus  is  Lord,]  from  the  mouth 
even  of  a  nominal  Christian,  being  made  under  the  impulse  of  the  Holy 
Spirit,  (as  wicked  Balaam  prophesied,)  was  ‘  a  spiritual  gift,’  which  might 
benefit  others,  though  it  should  prove  of  no  use  to  the  possessor.  The 
expression,  ‘say,  that  Jesus  is  the  Lord,’ more  obviously  signifies  the 
profession  of  the  true  doctrine  concerning  Christ,  than  the  exercise  of 
saving  faith  in  Him,  especially  in  a  discourse  concerning  ‘  spiritual  gifts  ;’ 
or,  as  some  tr.,  ‘spiritual  men,’  or  men  possessing  spiritual  gifts,  such 
as  are  afterwards  enumerated,  (8 — 10)  to  qualify  them  for  public  stations 
N.  T.  VOL.  V.  SS 


in  the  church  (28).  Many  have  ‘prophesied  in  the  name  of  Christ,’  as 
well  as  preached  and  defended  his  truth,  who  were  ‘  workers  of  iniquity  ;’ 
yet,  as  far  as  they  avowed  ‘  that  Jesus  was  the  Lord,’  they  spake  by  the 
Holy  Spirit.  13:1 — 3.  Mat.  7:21 — 23.  1  John  4:1 — 3 The  contrast  be¬ 
tween  saying  ‘  Jesus  is  an  accursed  thing,’ and  ‘Jesus  is  the  Lord,’ is 
very  emphatical.  Scott. 

(2.)  Dumb.]  ‘  AphSna,  voiceless  :  used,  say  Grot.,  Drus.,  mid  Kr., 

like  kOphet,  at  Heb.  2:18.  to  denote 
that  they  are  mere  stocks  and  stones.’ 
The  cut,  of  a  betulium,  borne  in  a 
chariot,  is  a  Sidonian  coin  ;  showing 
an  idol,  not  only  dumb,  but  shapeless, 
as  were  many  of  their  betu/ia  ;  sacred 
stones,  perhaps  aerolites.  Notes, 
Gen.  28:18.  Ac.  19:35.  The  inscrip¬ 
tion  of  the  cut  appears  to  be,  ‘imago 
of  sacred  Sidon,’ — Eilo  *  haetias  *  *  * 
Sid. — But  HI.,  as  Mosheim ,  Ee  Clerc, 
&.C.,  thinks  there  is  allusion  to  the 
cratl  of  priests  and  politicians,  which 
made  idols  utter  oracles,  and  return 
answers.  . 

.'3.)  I  give,  Sec ■  ]  1 1  give  you  this 
rule  to  distinguish.’  Br..  Accursed.] 
Comtrs.  think  there  is  allusion  to  ‘Jews  who  pretended  to  the  Holy 
Ghost,  and  vet  spoke  against  Jesus,  and  denied  the  Hojv  Gbos  was  e 
given  to  the  Gentiles.’  Ac.  10:45.  Also,  ‘  to  the  Jewish  ex°rcto  «,  a n 
heathen  priests  and  priestesses,  who  in  their  enthusias  tc  i  s  ^ 
Jesus.’  Comp.  1  Jn.  4:2.  [^97] 


A.  D.  60. 


1  CORINTHIANS,  XII. 


Harmonious  diversity  of  gifts. 


4  Now  there  are  diversities  c  of 
gifts,  but  the  same  Spirit. 

5  And  there  are  differences  of  f 
administrations,  but  the  same  Lord. 

6  And  there  are  diversities  g  of 
operations  ;  but  it  is  the  same  God 
which  worketh  all  in  all. 

7  But  the  manifestation  of  the 
Spirit  is  given  to  every  man  to 
profit  k  withal. 

8  For  to  one  is  given,  by  the 
Spirit,  the  word  of  f  wisdom  ;  to 

another  the  word  of  k  knowledge, 
by  the  same  Spirit ; 

9  To  another  faith,  ‘by  the  same 
Spirit ;  to  another  the  gifts  of  “ 
healing,  by  the  same  Spirit ; 

10  To  another  the  working  of 
miracles  ;  to  another  prophecy  ;  to 
another  discerning  of  “  spirits  ;  to 
another  divers  kinds  of  0  tongues  ; 
to  another  the  interpretation  of 
tongues  : 

11  But  all  these  worketh  that 
one  and  the  self-same  Spirit,  divid¬ 
ing  p  to  every  man  severally  as  he 
will. 


e  He.  2:4. 

1  Pe.  4:10. 
f  or,  rmnitiritB. 
g  Ro.  12: fl,  &c. 
h  Ep.  4:7. 


1  Ig.  11:2,3. 

1  c.  2:6,7. 
k  c.  13:2. 

1  Ep.  2:8. 
m  Ma.  16:18. 


Ja.  5:14. 
n  1  Jn.  4:1. 
o  Ac.  2:4,7—11. 
p  ver.  6. 


these  gross  conceptions  of  the  vulgar,  yet 
countenanced  them  by  their  practice.  O 
dismal  state  of  Gentilism  !  Could  the  Spirit 
of  God  be  among  such  stupid  idolaters,  or 
they  be  influenced  by  it!  How  did  the 
prince  of  this  world  triumph  in  the  blind¬ 
ness  of  mankind  !  How  thick  a  mist  had 
he  cast  over  their  minds  ! 

3.  He  shows  them  how  they  might  discern 
those  gifts  that  were  from  the  Spirit  of  God, 
true  spiritual  gifts.  Many  Jews,  exorcists 
and  magicians,  went  about,  pretending  to 
work  wonders  by  the  Spirit  of  God,  (Light- 
foot’s  Horae  in  loc.)  and  many  among  the 
Gentiles  pretended  to  inspiration.  Now  the 
apostle  tells  them,  none  could  act  under  the 
influence,  or  by  the  power  of  the  Spirit  of 
God,  who  disowned  and  blasphemed  Christ: 
for  the  Spirit  of  God  bore  uncontrollable 
witness  to  Christ,  by  prophecy,  miracles, 
his  resurrection  from  the  dead,  the  success 
of  his  doctrine  among  men,  and  its  effect  on 
them  ;  and  could  never  so  far  contradict  it¬ 


self,  as  to  declare  Him  accursed.  And,  on  r 
the  other  hand,  no  man  could  say  Jesus  was 
the  Lord,  (i.  e.  live  by  this  faith,  and  work 
miracles  to  prove  it,)  but  it  must  be  by  the 
Holy  Ghost.  To  own  this  truth  before  men, 
and  maintain  it  to  death,  and  live  under  the 
influence  of  it,  could  not  be  done  without  the 
sanctification  of  the  Holy  Ghost.  No  man 
can  call  Christ  Lord,  with  a  believing  sub¬ 
jection  to  Him,  and  dependence  on  Him, 
unless  that  faith  be  wrought  by  the  Holy 
Ghost.  No  evil  spirit  would  lend  assistance, 
if  it  were  in  his  power,  to  spread  a  doctrine 
and  religion  so  ruinous  to  the  devil’s  king¬ 
dom.  The  substance  of  what  the  apostle 
asserts  and  argues  here,  is,  that,  whatever 
pretences  there  were  to  inspiration  or  mir¬ 
acles,  among  those  who  were  enemies  to 
Christianity,  they  could  not  be  from  the 
Spirit  of  God  ;  for  no  man  could  believe  this 
with  his  heart,  or  prove  with  a  miracle  that 
Jesus  was  Christ,  but  by  the  Holy  Ghost. 
So  that  the  extraordinary  operations  and 
powers  among  them  did  all  proceed  from 
the  Spirit  of  God.  He  adds, 

4.  .These  spiritual  gifts,  though  proceed¬ 
ing  from  the  same  Spirit,  are  yet  of  various 
kinds.  A  free  cause  may  produce  variety 
of  effects  ;  the  same  giver  bestow  various 
gifts,  v.  4.  diversities  of  gifts,  such  as  revela¬ 
tions,  tongues,  prophecy,  interpretations  of 
tongues.  There  are  differences  of  adminis¬ 
trations,  or  different  offices,  and  officers  to 
discharge  them,  different  ordinances  and 
institutions,  seen.  28 — 30.  also  diversities  of 
operations,  or  miraculous  powers,  v.  10.  as 
here,  but  it  is  the  same  God  which  worketh 
all  in  all :  gifts,  administrations,  and  oper¬ 
ations,  however  different  they  inay  be  in 
themselves,  in  this  they  agree  ;  all  are  from 
God,  Father,  Son,  and  Holy  Ghost,  the 
Spring  and  Origin  of  all  spiritual  blessings 
and  bequests.  And  several  of  the  kinds  are 
here  specified,  v.  8 — 10.  Several  persons 
had  their  several  gifts,  some  one,  some 
another.  To  one  was  given  the  word  of 
wisdom,  i.  e.  say  some,  a  knowledge  of  the 
mysteries  of  the  Gospel,  and  ability  to  ex¬ 
plain  them  ;  an  exact  understanding  of  the 
design,  nature,  and  doctrines,  of  the  Chris¬ 
tian  religion.  Others  say,  an  uttering  of 
grave  sentences,  like  Solomon’s  proverbs. 
Some  confine  this  word  of  wisdom  to  the 
revelations  made  to  and  by  the  apostles.  To 
another,  the  word  of  knowledge,  by  the  same 
Spirit  ;  i.  e.  say  some,  the  knowledge  of 
mysteries,  ch.  2:13.  wrapped  up  in  the 
prophecies,  types,  and  histories  of  the  O.T.: 
say  others,  a  skill  and  readiness  to  give 


advice  and  counsel  in  perplexed  cases.  To 
another,  faith,  by  the  same  Spirit  ;  i.  e.  the 
faith  of  miracles,  or  a  faith  in  the  divine 
power  and  promise,  whereby  they  were  ena¬ 
bled  to  work  miracles;  or,  an  extraordinary 
impulse  from  above,  whereby  they  were 
enabled  to  trust  God  in  any  emergency,  and 
go  on  in  the  way  of  their  duty,  and  own  and 
profess  the  truths  of  Christ,  whatever  were 
the  difficulty  or  danger.  To  another,  the  gift 
of  healing,  by  the  same  Spirit  ;  i.  e.  healing 
the  sick,  either  by  the  laying  on  of  hands,  or 
anointing  with  oil,  or  with  a  bare  word. 
To  another,  the  working  of  miracles,  the  effi¬ 
cacies  of  powers;  such  as  raising  the  dead, 
restoring  the  blind  to  sight,  giving  speech  to 
the  dumb,  hearing  to  the  deaf,  and  the  use 
of  limbs  to  the  lame.  To  another,  prophecy, 
i.  e.  ability  to  foretell  future  events;  which 
is  the  more  usual  sense  of  prophecy  ;  or  to 
explain  Scripture  by  a  peculiar  gift  of  the 
Spirit.  See  ch.  14:  24.  To  another,  the  dis¬ 
cerning  of  spirits  i  power  to  distinguish  be¬ 
tween  true  and  false  prophets,  or  to  discern 
the  real  and  internal  qualifications  of  any 
person  for  an  office,  or  to  discover  the  in¬ 
ward  workings  of  the  mind  -by  the  Holy 
Ghost,  as  Peter  did  those  of  Ananias,  Acts 
5:3.  To  another,  divers  kinds  of  tongues,  or 
ability  to  speak  languages  by  inspiration. 
To  another,  the  interpretation  of  tongues,  or 
ability  to  render  foreign  languages  readily 
and  properly  into  their  own.  With  such 
variety  of  spiritual  gifts  were  the  first  min¬ 
isters  and  churches  blessed. 

5.  The  end  for  which  these  gifts  were 
bestowed,  v.  7.  They  were  not  distributed 
for  the  mere  honor  and  advantage  of  those 
who  had  them,  but  for  the  benefit  of  the 
church,  to  edify  the  body,  and  spread  and 
advance  the  Gospel.  Whatever  gifts  God 
confers  on  any  man,  He  confers  them,  (hat 
he  may  do  good  with  them,  whether  they 
be  common  or  spiritual;  and  the  more  he 
profits  others  with  them,  the  more  abun¬ 
dantly  will  they  turn  to  his  account  in  the 
end,  Philip.  4:  17.  Spiritual  gifts  are  be¬ 
stowed,  only  that  men  may  with  them  profit 
the  church,  and  promote  Christianity. 

6.  The  measure  and  proportion  in  which 
they'  are  given,  v.  8.  It  is  according  to  the 
sovereign  pleasure  of  the  Donor.  What 
more  free  than  a  gift  !  And  shall  not  the 
Spirit  of  God  do  what  He  will  with  his  own! 
May  He  not  give  to  what  persons  He  pleases, 
and  in  what  proportion  He  pleases  ;  one 
gift  to  one  man,  and  another  to  another;  to 
one  more,  and  another  fewer,  as  He  thinks 
fit  !  Is  He  not  the  best  Judge  how  his  own 


V.  4—11.  All  these  endowments  the  Holy  Spirit  freely  bestowed,  in 
that  measure  and  diversity  which  He  saw  good,  and  to  be  conducive  to 
the  common  advantage  of  the  church  ;  so  that  no  cne  had  any  ground 
of  glorying  over  others,  or  of  repining,  as  if  forgotten  in  this  distribution. 
— There  la  indeed  much  difficulty,  at  present,  in  determining  precisely 
what  the  apostle  meant  by  each  of  the  terms  here  used,  which  doubtless 
were  readily  understood  at  the  time  when  the  gifts  spoken  of  were  ex¬ 
ercised  ;  but  the  sense  which  appeared  most  probable  has  been  chosen ; 
and  great  exactness  on  such  a  subject  is  not  at  all  necessary. — 1  All  these 
worketh  that  one  and  the  self-same  Spirit ;  dividing  to  every  one  sev¬ 
erally  as  He  will’  (11);  compared  with,  ‘  It  is  the  same  God,  which 
worketh  all  in  all,’  suggests  a  conclusive  proof  of  the  Personality,  Sov¬ 
ereignty,  and  Deity  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  Eph.  1:9—12,  vv.  9,  11.  '  Sc. 

(4,  &c.)  On  this  passage  see  the  able  note  of  Bn.  Gifts.]  1  Charis¬ 
mata  :  all  the  gifts  of  free  grace  imparted  by  the  H.S.  Administrations.] 
Diakoniai :  meant  (and  so  Theoph.  and  Phot.)  to  suggest,  that  these 
endowments  carried  with  them  the  obligation  to  labor  for  the  spiritual 
good  of  others.  Diversities  of  operations.]  This  expression  need  cause 
no  perploxity  ;  though  the  recent  comtrs.,  solely  regarding  the  use  of 
this  term  and  its  cognate  words  in  the  classical  writers,  take  it  to  mean 
simply  works  and  operations.  But  its  true  force  was  distinctly  seen 
by  the  ancient  comtrs.,  especially  Theod.  ;  thus  ‘  he  again  calls  gifts,  en¬ 
ergies,  us  energized  by  the  divine  nature.’  And  so  Locke.  The  cncrgZ- 
mata  [tr.  operations]  undoubtedly  alludes  to  the  inward  impulse  of  the 
Spirit — Those  learned  persons  [most  German  theologians  since  Eich.] 
too  often  forget,  [as  in  their  view  of  this  passage,]  that  the  dispensation 
of  the  Gospel  was,  in  the  time  of  the  apostles,  altogether  extraordinary , 
supernatural,  and  miraculous ,  as  indeed  we  might  reasonably  expect, 
that  a  system  meant  to  work  such  a  mighty,  moral  regeneration  would 
be.’  Bl.  ,  En. 

(3.)  1  It  is  not  surprising  that  we  are  ignorant  of  the  proper  meaning 
of  these  words,  (8 — 10)  now  we  have  lost  the  things'  Paii.eus. 

(9.)  1  Faith,  as  an  extraordinary  gift,  in  this  connexion,  must  in  the 
general  signify,  a  firm  persuasion  of  being  called  out  by  God,  at  any  par¬ 
ticular  time,  to  perform  some  miracle,  and  accordingly  going  about  it 
without  any  suspicion  of  fear,  in  confident  dependence  on  a  correspon¬ 
ds] 


dent  divine  interposition.’  Doddr.  ‘Such  a  faith  as  would  make  them 
equal  to  any  extraordinary  exertion  which  circumstances  might  require, 
whether  of  teaching,  of  enduring  persecution,  of  ejecting  demons,  or  any 
other.’  Slade.  Mat.  17.20,  21.  Mk.  11:22.  1  Cor.  13:2.  Ja.  5:15.’  Bl. 

(10.)  ‘  Power  of  the  more  extraordinary  miracles  :  so  Whit.,  “  doing 
things  beyond  the  course  of  nature,  and  wrought  by  an  immediate  Di¬ 
vine  hand  ;  such  as  supplying  a  defective  member,  or  raising  the  dead  ; 
also  curing  diseases  by  a  shadow  passing  over  the  patient."  Some,  as 
Doddr.,  confine  it  to  dispossessing  demons.’  Id. 

‘  Such  [v.  8 — 10.]  were  the  supernatural  gifts  with  which  the  first 
preachers  and  ministers  of  the  Gospel  were  endowed  ;  and  by  which 
they  effectually  and  speedily  established  the  Gospel  in  the  most  popu¬ 
lous  provinces  of  the  Roman  empire.  But  these  gifts  were  equally  nec¬ 
essary  for  the  upholding  of  the  church.  For  the  greatest  part  of  the  first 
believers,  having  been  originally  heathens,  were  utterly  destitute  of  all 
spiritual  ideas,  and  had  but  very  imperfect  notions  of  morality  ;  many 
of  them  being  men  of  low  birth,  their  minds  were  not  much  cultivated 
by  education.  Few  of  them  were  acquainted  with  the  sacred  books  of 
the  Jews.  And  with  respect  to  the  writings  of  the  apostles  and  evan¬ 
gelists,  they  were  not  published  till  a  considerable  time  after  numerous 
churches  were  planted  in  many  countries  of  Asia  and  Europe.  In  these 
circumstances,  the  knowledge  of  the  Gospel  which  the  brethren  derived 
from  the  few  preachings  of  the  inspired  teachers,  which  they  had  an  op¬ 
portunity  to  hear,  could  not,  at  the  beginning,  be  either  accurate  or 
extensive.  And,  therefore,  to  remedy  that  defect,  the  converts  from 
idolatry  were  formed  into  churches,  and  appointed  to  assemble  together, 
for  their  mutual  instruction,  and  for  the  joint  worship  of  God.  And  lest, 
through  ignorance  or  prejudice,  they  might  have  misled  one  another,  the 
spiritual  gifts  were  bestowed  on  a  number  of  them,  to  fit  them  for  pre¬ 
siding  in  the  public  worship.  Others  of  them  had  an  inspiration  which 
qualified  them  for  speaking  to  the  edification,  exhortation,  and  comfort 
of  the  rest.  Others  were  lifted  to  lend  the  devotion  of  the  congregation, 
by  an  inspiration  which  furnished  them  with  prayers  and  hymns  for 
public  use.  Others,  by  the  gift  of  interpreting  foreign  tongues,  trans¬ 
lated,  into  the  common  languages,  such  parts  of  the  writings  of  Moses 
and  the  prophets,  as  were  read  in  their  public  meetings ;  as  also  the 


A.  D.  60. 


12  For  as  the  body  is  one,  and 
hath  many  members,  and  all  the 
members  of  that  one  body,  being 
many,  are  one  body  ;  so  *  also  is 
Christ. 

13  For  by  one  Spirit  are  we  all 
r  baptized  into  one  body,  whether 
we  be  Jews  or  *  Gentiles,  whether 
we  be  bond  or  free  ;  and  have  been 
all  made  to  1  drink  into  one  Spirit. 

14  For  the  body  is  not  one  mem¬ 
ber,  but  many. 

15  If  the  foot  shall  say,  Because 
I  am  not  the  hand,  I  am  not  of 
the  body ;  is  it  therefore  not  of 
the.  body  ? 

16  And  if  the  ear  shall  say,  Be¬ 
cause  I  am  not  the  eye,  I  am  not 
of  the  body  ;  is  it  therefore  not  of 
the  body  ? 

17  If  the  whole  body  were  an 
eye,  where  were  the  hearing  ?  If 
the  whole  were  hearing,  where 
were  the  smelling  ? 

13  But  now  hath  God  set  "the 
members  every  one  of  them  in  the 
body  as  T  it  hath  pleased  him. 

19  And  if  they  were  all  one 
member,  where  were  the  body? 

20  But  now  are  they  many  mem¬ 
bers,  yet  but  one  body. 

21  And  the  eye  cannot  say  unto 
the  hand,  I  have  no  need  of  thee  : 
nor  again,  the  head  to  the  feet,  I 
have  no  need  of  you. 

22  Nay  much  more,  those  w  mem¬ 
bers  of  the  body  which  seem  to  be 
more  feeble,  are  necessary  : 

23  And  those  members  of  the 
body  which  we  think  to  be  less 
honorable,  upon  these  we  x  bestow 
more  abundant  honor  ;  and  our 
uncomely  parts  have  more  abun¬ 
dant  comeliness. 

24  For  our  comely  parts  have  no 
need  :  but  God  hath  tempered  the 
•body  together,  having  given  more 
abundant  honor  to  that  part  which 
lacked  : 

25  That  there  should  be  no 
*  schism  in  the  body  ;  but  that  the 
members  should  have  the  same 
care  one  for  another. 


1  CORINTHIANS,  XII.  Ti 

26  And  whether  one  member 
suffer,  all  the  members  suffer  with 
it ;  or  one  member  be  honored,  all 
the  members  rejoice  with  it. 

[Practical  Observations.] 

q  ver.  27.  u  ver.  28.  9:14,15. 

r  Jn.l:16.  Ep.4:5.  v  Ro.l2:3.  ver.ll.  x  or,  put  on. 
s  Greek/t.  w  Ec.  4:9 — 12.  y  or,  division. 

t  Jn.  7:37—30. 

purposes  shall  be  served,  and  his  own  dona¬ 
tives  bestowed  1  The  Holy  Ghost  is  a  Di¬ 
vine  Person.  He  works  divine  effects,  and 
divides  divine  gifts,  as  He  will,  by  his  own 
power,  and  according  to  his  own  pleasure, 
without  dependence  or  control. 

V.  12 — 26.  The  apostle  here  makes  out 
the  truth  of  what  was  above  asserted,  and 
puts  the  gifted  men  among  the  Corinthians 
in  mind  of  their  duty,  by  comparing  the 
church  of  Christ  to  a  human  body. 

I.  One  body  may  have  many  members, 
and  the  many  members  of  the  same  body 
make  but  one  body,  v.  12.  and  the  body  is 
not  one  member  only,  but.  many.  So  also  is 
Christ,  that  is,  Christ  mystical,  as  divines 
commonly  speak,  Christ  and  his  church,  as 
head  and  members,  yet  but  one  bodv,  all  the 
members  baptized  into  the  same  body,  and 
made  to  drink  of  the  same  Spirit,  v.  13.  Jews 
and  Gentiles,  bond  or  free  :  the  Spirit’s  op¬ 
eration,  signified  by  the  outward  adminis¬ 
tration,  called  therefore  the  washing  of  regen¬ 
eration,  Tit.  3:  5.  makes  us  members  ;  and 
by  communion  at  the  other  ordinance  we  are 
sustained,  not  merely  by  drinking  the  wine, 
but  by  drinking  into  one  Spirit.  The  out¬ 
ward  administration  is  a  mean  appointed  of 
God  for  our  participation  in  this  great  ben¬ 
efit  ;  but  it  is  baptism  by  the  Spirit,  it  is 
internal  renovation,  and  drinking  into  one 
Spirit,  partaking  of  his  sanctifying  influence 
from  time  to  time,  that  makes  us  true  mem¬ 
bers  of  Christ’s  body,  and  maintains  our 
union  with  Him. 

II.  Each  member  has  its  particular  form, 
place,  and  use.  1.  The  meanest  member, 
though  less  useful,  makes  a  part  of  the  body, 
v.  15,  16.  So  every  member  of  the  body 
mystical,  though  it  cannot  have  the  same 
place  and  office,  yet  is  as  much  a  member, 
the  meanest  as  the  noblest,  and  as  truly  re¬ 
garded  by  Him.  All  his  members  are  dear 
to  Him.  2.  There  must  be  a  distinction  of 
members  in  the  body,  v.  17,  19.  They  are 
many  members,  and  for  that  reason  must 
have  distinction  among  them,  and  yet  are 
but  one  body,  v.  20.  One  member  of  a  body 
is  not  a  body  ;  this  is  made  up  of  many  ; 
and  among  these  many  there  must  be  a  dis¬ 
tinction;  difference  of  situation,  shape,  use, 


2  Church  compared  to  a  human  body. 

&c.  So  in  the  body  of  Christ;  itB  members 
must  have  different  uses,  and  therefore  have 
different  powers,  and  be  in  different  places, 
some  having  one  gift,  and  others  a  different 
one.  So  it  is  for  the  beauty  and  guod  ap¬ 
pearance  of  the  church,  that  there  should  be 
diversity  of  gifts  and  offices  in  it.  3.  The 
disposal  of  members  to  a  natural  body,  and 
their  situation,  are  as  God  pleases,  v.  18. 
We  may  plainly  perceive  the  divine  wisdom 
in  the  distribution  of  the  members  ;  but  it 
was  made  according  to  the  counsel  of  his 
will ;  He  distinguished  and  distributed  them 
as  He  pleased.  So  also  in  the  members  of 
Christ’s  body  :  they  are  chosen  out  to  such 
stations,  and  endued  with  such  gifts,  as  God 
pleased.  He  who  is  sovereign  Lord  of  all, 
disposes  his  favors  and  gifts  as  He  will. 
And  who  should  gainsay  his  pleasure  1  4. 

All  the  members  of  the  body  are,  in  some 
respect,  useful  and  necessary  to  each  other; 
nay,  those  members  of  the  body  which  seem 
to  be  more,  feeble  (the  bowels,  &c.)  are  neces¬ 
sary,  v.  21,22.  God  has  so  fitted  and  tem¬ 
pered*  them  together,  that  they  are  all  nec¬ 
essary  and  useful,  and  none  redundant,  but 
each  serves  some  good  purpose  or  other. 
Nor  is  there  a  member  of  the  body  of  Christ 
but  may  and  ought  to  be  useful  to  his  fellow- 
members,  and  at  some  times,  and  in  some 
cases,  is  needful  to  them.  Those  who  excel 
in  any  gift,  cannot  say  they  have  no  need  of 
them,  who  in  that  gift  are  their  inferiors, 
while  perhaps,  in  other  gifts,  they  exceed 
them.  Nay,  the  lowest  members  of  all  have 
their  use,  and  the  highest  cannot  do  well 
without  them.  5.  Such  is  the  man’s  con¬ 
cern  for  his  whole  body,  that  on  the  less  hon¬ 
orable  members  more  abundant  honor  is  be¬ 
stowed,  and  our  uncomely  parts  have  more 
abundant  comeliness.  Those  parts  which  are 
not  fit,  like  the  rest,  to  be  exposed  to  view, 
which  are  either  deformed  or  shameful,  we 
most  carefully  clothe  and  cover  ;  whereas 
the  comely  parts  have  no  such  need.  The 
wisdom  of  Providence  has  so  contrived  and 
tempered  things,  that  the  more  abundant 
regard  and  honor  should  be  paid  to  that 
which  most  wanted  it,  v.  24.  So  should  the 
members  of  Christ’s  body  behave  toward 
their  fellow-members  :  instead  of  despising 
them,  or  reproaching  them,  for  their  infir¬ 
mities,  they  should  endeavor  to  cover  and 
conceal  them,  and  put  the  best  face  on  them 
they  can.  6.  Divine  wisdom  has  contrived 
and  ordered  things  in  this  manner,  that  the 
members  of  the  body  should  not  be  schisma¬ 
tics,  divided  from  each  other,  and  acting  on 
separate  interests,  but  well  affected  to  each 
other  ;  tenderly  concerned  for  each  other, 
having  a  fellow-feeling  of  each  other’s  griefs, 


TRACT.  OBS.  V.  1 — 27.  Acute  speculators  are  often  most  ignorant 
of  practical  subjects  ;  those  who  are  most  elated  with  the  gifts  bestowed 
on  them,  are  commonly  most  forgetful  of  the  Giver,  and  the  proper  use 
of  them  ;  and  ‘spiritual  gifts’  have  frequently  been  the  support  of  spir¬ 
itual  pride. — There  have  been  many  who  advanced  a  claim  to  inspira¬ 
tion,  or  extraordinary  illumination  of  one  kind  or  oilier;  and  there  still 
are  those  who  advance  such  claims;  but  appearances  of  this  kind  must 
be  counterfeit  in  all,  who  refuse  the  Lord  Jesus  those  honors,  which  He 
demanded  to  Himself.  Even  a  capacity  of  speaking  in  a  proper  and 
scriptural  manner,  on  any  topic  of  religion,  will  not  profit  a  man  ;  ex¬ 
cept  lie  have  grace,  humbly  and  simply  to  improve  his  talent,  for  the 
edification  of  others,  without  seeking,  as  he  is  more  exposed  to  tempta¬ 
tion,  his  own  glory  or  emolument.  We  have  therefore  little  cause  to 
envy  those,  who  are  eminent  in  abilities  and  popularity,  to  covet  these 
dangerous  distinctions,  to  glory  in  any  measure  of  them  bestowed  on  us, 
or  to  despise  such  as  are  destitute  of  them.  Numbers  have  thus  been 
ruined  :  being  lifted  up  in  pride,  they  have  come  short  of  that  salvation, 
which  they  preached  to  others ;  or  they  have  been  betrayed  into  such 
evils,  as  have  caused  them  to  terminate  their  days  in  disgrace  and  dis¬ 
tress.  And  the  few,  who  have  not  been  apparently  injured,  by  emiiien- 
cy  in  gifts  and  popularity,  have  generally  had  more  to  relate  concerning 
‘  thorns  in  the  flesh,  and  messengers  of  Satan  to  buffet  them,’  than  their 
less  gifted  and  admired  brethren  had  any  conception  of.  We  ought 
most  earnestly  to  inquire,  as  our  grand  concern,  whether  we  have  been 
‘baptized  into  the  body  of  Christ,’  by  his  regenerating  grace;  and 
whether  we  are  ‘drinking  into  his  Spirit,’  bv  receiving  daily  from  his 

epistles  of  the  apostles,  and  the  gospels,  after  they  were  published.  These 
gifts  continued  in  the  church  til!  the  knowledge  of  the  Gospel  became  so 
general  among  the  disciples,  that  the  church  could  uphold  itself  by  the 
exertion  of  the  natural  faculties  of  its  members.  Eph.  4:13.’  M  xckn. 

V.  13.  Drink  into  one  Spirit,  j  Doubtless  he  alluded  to  the  wine 
used  in  the  Lord’s  supper;  us  before  to  baptism.  10:14 — 22.  Scott. 


fulness.  We  should  also  watch  against  pride,  ambition,  envy,  discon¬ 
tent.  selfishness,  contempt  of  olhers  ;  and  thus  seek  the  good  of  the 
church,  of  those  in  our  own  sphere  of  action,  arid  of  every  individual,  by 
properly  improving  our  talents,  and  performing  the  duty  of  our  station. 
If  situated  in  the  lowest  place,  we  should  not  disdain  its  services  as  be¬ 
neath  ns  ;  if  advanced  to  a  higher  station,  we  should  noi  imagine,  that 
we  do  not  stand  in  need  of  the  prayers  and  help  of  our  feeblest  and  most 
obscure  brethren ;  for  these  are  essential  to  the  perfection  of  the  whole. 
Nay,  we  should  guard  nnd  take  care  of  the  weak  and  feeble  believer; 
even  as  the  God  of  nature  has,  with  exquisite  skill  and  kindness,  de¬ 
fended  those  parts  of  the  body,  which,  though  essential  to  life  and  health, 
might  otherwise  easily  he  wounded  and  destroyed  ;  and  cover  with  af¬ 
fectionate  attention  the  infirmities  and  uncomeliness  of  those,  whom  we 
have  reason  to  regard  as  real  believers,  and  who  are  exposed  to  disgrace 
and  contempt  ;  that  so  ‘  the  more  abundant  honor  may  he  given  to  that 
part  which  lacked  ;  seeing  the  more  honorable  of  our  brethren  have  no 
need  of  such  particular  assistance  and  support  from  us.  Our  kind  Cre¬ 
ator  hath  effect  uMly  provided,  that  there  should  be  ‘no  schism  in  our 
natural  body;  but  Hellas  for  wise  reasons  seen  good  to  make  trial  of 
the  members  of  the  mystical  body  of  Christ,  in  this  respect;  and  through 
the  remainder  of  error  and  sin  in  ronl  Christians,  through  the  intrusion 
of  hypocrites,  and  the  artifices  of  the  enemy,  many  disgraceful  and  la¬ 
mentable  divisions  still  prevail;  which  we  should  pray  against,  and 
endeavor  to  heal,  to  the  utmost  of  our  power,  and  with  persevering 
earnestness.  Scott. 

V.  15 — 26.  From  the  preceding  illustration,  the  Corinthians  might  see 
the  folly  and  perniciousness  of  their  emulations,  covetings,  and  mur¬ 
murs.  The  very  idea,  of  every  member  coveting  to  be  the  most  honored 
part,  is  associated  with  that  of  the  destruction  of  the  body  ;  which  nec¬ 
essarily  consists  of  many  different  members,  so  formed  and  placed,  as  to 
become  one  regular  whole.  bc  TT‘ 


A.  D.  60. 


1  CORINTHIANS,  XIII. 


Christian  love  enjoined. 


27  Now  ye  are  the  body  of  Christ, 
and  members  zin  particular. 

28  And  God  hath  set  some  in 
the  church,  first,  *  apostles  ;  sec¬ 
ondarily,  b  prophets;  thirdly,  teach¬ 
ers  ;  after  that  c  miracles  ;  then  gifts 
of d healings,  'helps,  f governments, 
8 diversities  of'1  tongues. 

29  A  re  all  apostles  ?  are  all 
prophets  ?  are  all  teachers  ?  are 
all  1  workers  of  miracles  ? 

80  Have  all  the  gifts  of  healing  ? 
do  all  speak  with  tongues  ?  do  all 
interpret  ? 

81  But  covet  i  earnestly  the  best 
k  gifts  :  and  yet  shew  I  unto  you  a 
more  excellent  way. 

CHAP.  XIII. 


1  All  gifts,  2,  3  how  excellent  soever,  are  nothing  worth 
without  charity.  4  The  praises  thereof,  and  13  prelatiou 
before  hope  and  faith. 

THOUGH  I  speak  with  the 
tongues  of  men  and  of 'angels, 
and  have  not  b  charity,  I  am  become 
as  sounding  brass,  or  a  tinkling 
cymbal. 


7.  Ep.  5:30. 
a  Lu.  6:13. 
b  Ac.  13:1. 
c  ver.  10. 
d  vcr.  9. 


e  Nu.  11:17. 
f  He.  13:17,24. 
g  or,  ki'ids. 
h  Ac.  2:8—11. 
i  or,  potoer8. 


)  c.  14:39. 
k  Mat.  5:6. 

Lu.  10:42. 
a  2  Co.  1*2:4. 
b  1  He.  4.8. 


and  a  communion  in  each  other’s  pleasures 
and  joys,  v.  25,  26.  God  has  tempered  the 
members  of  the  body  natural  in  the  manner 
mentioned,  that  there  might  be  no  schism  in 
the  body,  v.  25.  no  rupture  or  disunion  among 
the  members,  nor  so  much  as  the  least  mu¬ 
tual  disregard.  This  should  be  avoided  also 
in  the  spiritual  body  of  Christ.  There  should 
be  no  schism  in  this  body,  but  the  members 
should  be  closely  united  by  the  strongest 
bonds  of  love.  All  decays  of  this  affection 
are  the  seeds  of  schism.  Where  Christians 
grow  cold  towards  each  other,  they  will  be 
careless  and  unconcerned  for  each  other. 
And  this  mutual  disregard  is  a  schism  begun. 
The  members  of  the  natural  body  are  made 
to  have  a  care  and  concern  for  each  other, 
to  prevent  a  schism  in  it.  So  should  it  be 
in  Christ’s  body ;  the  members  should  sym¬ 
pathize  with  each  other.  As  in  the  natural 
body,  the  pain  of  the  one  part  afflicts  the 
whole,  the  ease  and  pleasure  of  one  part 
affects  the  whole  ;  so  should  Christians 
reckon  themselves  honored  in  the  honors  of 
their  fellow-Christians,  and  should  suffer  in 


their  sufferings.  Note,  Christian  sympathy 
is  a  great  branch  of  Christian  duty.  So  far 
from  slighting  our  brethren’s  sufferings,  we 
should  suffer  with  them  ;  so  far  from  envying 
their  honors,  we  should  rejoice  with  them, 
and  reckon  ourselves  honored  by  them. 

V.  27 — 31.  Here  the  apostle  sums  up  the 
argument,  and  applies  this  similitude  to  the 
church  of  Christ.  Concerning  which,  ob¬ 
serve,  1.  The  relation  wherein  Christians 
stand  to  Christ,  and  one  another.  The 
church,  or  whole  collective  body  of  Chris¬ 
tians  in  all  ages,  is  his  body,  t’.  27.  and 
members  in  particular,  or  particular  mem¬ 
bers.  Each  stands  related  to  the  body  as  a 
part  of  it,  and  all  have  a  common  relation 
to  one  another,  dependence  on  one  another, 
and  should  have  a  mutual  care  and  concern. 
Note,  Mutual  indifference,  and  much  more 
contempt,  and  hatred,  and  envy,  and  strife, 
are  very  unnatural  in  Christians.  It  is  like 
the  members  of  the  same  body  being  desti¬ 
tute  of  all  concern  for  one  another,  or  quar¬ 
relling  with  each  other.  This  is  the  apos¬ 
tle’s  scope  in  this  argument,  lie  endeavors 
in  it  to  suppress  the  proud,  vaunting,  and 
contentious  spirit,  that  had  prevailed  among 
the  Corinthians,  by  reason  of  their  spiritual 
gifts.  2.  The  variety  of  offices  instituted  by 
Christ,  and  gifts  or  favors  dispensed  by  Him, 
v.  28.  First,  Apostles,  the  chief  ministers 
entrusted  with  all  the  powers  necessary  to 
found  a  church,  and  make  an  entire  revela¬ 
tion  of  God’s  will.  Secondarily ;  Prophets, 
or  persons  enabled  by  inspiration  to  proph¬ 
esy,  interpret  Scripture,  or  write  by  inspira¬ 
tion,  as  the  evangelists  did.  Thirdly,  Teach¬ 
ers,  those  who  labor  in  word  and  doctrine, 
whether  with  pastoral  charge,  or  without  it. 
After  that,  miracles,  or  miracle-workers. 
Then  gifts  of  healing,  or  those  who  had  pow¬ 
er  to  heal  diseases.  Helps,  or  such  as  had 
compassion  on  the  sick  and  weak,  and  min¬ 
istered  to  them.  Governments ,  or  such  as 
had  the  disposal  of  the  charitable  contribu¬ 
tions  of  the  church,  and  dealt  them  out  to 
the  poor.  Diversities  of  tongues,  or  such  as 
could  speak  divers  languages.  Concerning 
all  which  observe, 

(1.)  The  plenteous  variety  of  these  gifts 
and  offices.  What  a  multitude  !  (2.)  Their 
order.  They  are  here  placed  in  their  proper 
ranks  ;  those  of  most  value  first.  What 
holds  the  last  and  lowest  rank,  is,  diversity 
of  tongues.  And  yet  it  is  manifest,  from  ch. 
14.  that  the  Corinthians  valued  themselves 
exceedingly  on  this  gift.  How  proper  a 
method  it  is  to  beat  down  pride,  to  let  per¬ 
sons  know  the  true  value  of  what  they  pride  | 


themselves  in  !  Men  but  too  commonly  value 
themselves  most  on  what  is  least  worth  : 
and  it  is  of  great  use  to  bring  them  to  a  so¬ 
ber  mind,  by  letting  them  know  how  very 
greatly  they  mistakp.  (3.)  The  several  dis¬ 
tribution  of  these  gifts,  not  all  to  one,  nor  to 
every  one  alike.  All  members  and  officers 
had  not  the  same  rank  in  the  church,  nor  the 
same  endowments,  v.  29,  30.  This  were  to 
make  the  church  a  monster  ;  all  one,  as  if 
the  body  were  all  ear  or  all  eye.  We  must 
be  content  with  our  own  rank  and  share,  if 
they  be  lower  and  less  than  those  of  others. 
We  must  not  be  conceited  of  ourselves,  and 
despise  others,  if  we  are  in  the  higher  rank, 
and  have  greater  gifts.  Every  member  of 
the  body  is  to  preserve  its  own  rank, and  do 
its  own  office;  and  all  are  to  minister  to  one 
another,  and  promote  the  good  of  the  body 
in  general,  without  envying,  or  despising,  or 
neglecting,  or  ill-using,  any  one  particular 
member.  How  blessed  a  constitution  were 
the  Christian  church,  if  all  the  members  did 
their  duty  ! 

He  closes  this  ch.  with  an  advice,  (as  the 
generality  read  it,)  and  a  hint.  Grace  is 
therefore  to  be  preferred  before  gifts  ;  and 
of  gifts,  those  are  to  be  preferred,  which  are 
of  greatest  use;  and  true  charity  is  greatly 
to  be  preferred  to  the  most  glorious  gifts. 
To  have  the  heart  glow  with  mutual  love,  is 
vastly  better  than  to  glare  with  the  most 
pompous  titles,  offices,  or  powers. 

Chap.  XIII.  V.  I — 3.  Here  the  apostle 
shows,  what  more  excellent  way  he  meant  in 
the  close  of  the  former  ch.,  i.  e.  charily,  or, 
as  it  is  commonly  elsewhere  rendered,  love: 
not  what  is  meant  by  charity,  in  our  common 
use  of  the  word,  which  most  understand  of 
almsgiving,  but  love,  in  its  fullest  and  most 
extensive  meaning  ;  true  love  to  God  and 
man  ;  a  benevolent  disposition  of  mind  to¬ 
wards  our  fellow-Christians,  growing  out  of 
sincere  and  fervent  devotion  to  God.  This 
living  principle  of  all  duty  and  obedience  is 
the  more  excellent  way  of  which  the  apostle 
speaks;  preferable  to  all  gifts.  Nay,  with¬ 
out  this,  the  most  glorious  gifts  are  nothing, 
of  no  account  to  us,  of  no  esteem  in  the  sight 
of  God.  He  specifies, 

1.  The  gift  of  tongues,  v.  1.  Could  a 
man  speak  all  the  languages  on  earth,  with 
the  greatest  propriety,  elegance,  or  fluency; 
could  he  talk  like  an  angel,  and  yet  be  with¬ 
out  charity,  it  would  be  all  empty  noise, 
mere  unharmonious  and  useless  sound,  that 
would  neither  profit  nor  delight.  It  is  not 
talking  freely,  nor  finely,  nor  learnedly,  of 


PRACT.  OBS.  V.  27 — 31.  In  proportion  ns  the  members  of  Christ 
have  not  t lie  same  care  of  others  as  of  themselves,  very  injurious  conse¬ 
quences  will  manifestly  ensue.  [Indeed,  most  quarrels  among  Chris¬ 
tians  are  about  precedences.  Hi]  If  all  tilled  up  their  several  places  in 
entire  and  equal  love,  there  could  be  no  envyings,  jealousies,  murmurs, 
vainglory,  self-seeking,  or  disregard  of  others,  any  more  than  there  is  in 
heaven.  (Note,  Mat.  6:10.)  We  should,  in  that  case,  every  one  recip¬ 
rocally  care  for  all  the  rest;  we  should  sympathize  with  the  afflicted, 
tempted,  distressed,  or  fallen  believer,  and  help  him  as  we  could;  we 
should  feel  ourselves  sharers  in  the  disgrace  and  reproach  of  the  poor 


and  needy ;  deem  ourselves  honored  and  prospered,  in  the  reputation, 
success,  and  usefulness  of  our  more  distinguished  brethren  ;  and  rejoice 
in  the  consolation  of  such  as  were  glad  in  the  Lord.  The  meanest 
Christian  would  not  then  repine,  or  envy  the  most  exalted,  but  rejoice 
and  bless  God  on  his  account ;  the  most  eminent  would  not  disregard 
the  meanest,  but  would  peculiarly  endeavor  to  encourage  and  help  him. 
Thus  the  good  of  the  whole,  and  of  every  part,  would  be  the  uniform 
object  of  all,  in  every  station,  without  any  exception  ;  and  with  the  sub¬ 
ordination  of  all  personal  interests  and  satisfactions  to  this  superior  end. 

Scott. 


V.  28.  Prophets. ]  ‘These  seem  to  have  united  with  prescience,  and 
prediction  of  future  events,  interpretation  of  prophecies.  See  IVarb. — - 
I  cockers.]  Didaskaloi .-  only,  it  would  seem,  of  the  plain  and  funda¬ 
mental  truths  of  Christianity.  By  most  they  are  thought  to  be  those 
elsewhere  called  poimenes  [pastors],  appointed  to  have  a  settled  pas¬ 
toral  olllce  over  certain  congregations,  (see  Eph.  4:11.)  including,  as 
some,  not  only  presbyters,  but  bishops.  Though  it  is  more  probable 
they  had  the  exercising  of  ecclesiastiCiiTfflscipline.  Miracles ,  healing.] 
Persons  who  possessed  the  powers,  v.  9,  10.  Helps.]  Antillpseis,  i.  e. 
helpers  in  the  offlees  they  discharged  ;  thought  to  denote  those  afterwards 
called  deacons,  whose  office  it  was,  to  superintend  the  care  of  the  poor, 
the  sick  and  strangers,  the  widows  and  orphans,  and  to  administer  the 
effects  of  the  dead.  By  Light  f.,  Locke,  .V c .  these  “  helps,”  are  supposed 
to  have  been  the  vicars  or  deputies  of  the  apostles,  appointed  to  bap¬ 
tize,  catechise,  Jcc.  Probably  both  these  offices  were  united.  Govern¬ 
ments.]  Kubernlseis  :  managers  :  on  the  exact  nature  of  this  office, 
comtrs.  are  not  agreed.  Vitr.,  Mosh.,  Macku.,  Horsley,  think  it  corres¬ 
ponds  to  the  discerning  of  spirits,  before  mentioned  ;  and  the  an  til1  p- 
seis  to  the  interpretation  of  foreign  languages.  Chrys.,  and  all  the  Or. 
iutprs.,  consider  both  ns  importing  the  same  thing.  These  functionaries 
were,  I  imagine,  so  called,  with  reference  to  the  two  different  parts  of 
their  office  ;  the  “  helps,”  superintending  the  care  of  the  poor,  the  sick, 
and  strangers;  the  “governments,”  the  burial  of  life  dead,  and  the  ad¬ 
ministration  and  executorship  of  their  effects,  including  the  care  of 
widows  and  orphans.’  Bloomf 

[300] 


Gifts. 

‘  1.  The  word  of  wisdom  .... 

2.  The  word  of  knowledge  .  .  . 

3.  Faith  ...  - . 

4.  Miracles  • . 

5.  Healing1  ........ 

6.  Prophecies  or  Predictions  .  . 

7.  Discerning  of  Spirits  .  .  .  . 

8.  Tongues . >  .  . 

9.  Interpretation  of  tongues  J.  . 


OJicts. 

A  postles. 

Prophets  ,  i.  e.  Expounders  of  the  O.  T. 
Teachers  of  Christianity. 

Workers  of  Miracles. 

Healers. 

Helps;  such  as  Mark,  Tychicus,  Onesimus,  &c. 
Governments. 

Gifted  with  tongues  in  various  ways.’ 


Horsley. 

V.  31.  The  Christians  at  Corinth,  indeed,  ‘coveted  earnestly,’  or 
were  emulous  of  the  best  gifts,  or  such  as  were  deemed  most  splendid 
and  honorable  ;  but  the  apostle  was  about  to  show  them  a  more  excellent 
way,  even  that  of  love  ;  which  would  influence  them  to  be  content  with 
the  gifts  already  conferred,  and  to  be  principally  zealous  in  making  an 
useful  improvement  of  them.  Our  tr.,  indeed,  renders  the  cl.  as  an  ex¬ 
hortation  ;  but  it  may  with  equal  exactness  be  tr.,  ‘  Ye  do  covet  earn¬ 
estly,’  ,tc.  and  so  imply  a  reprehension  of  the  corrupt  emulation  of  the 
Corinthians  ;  and  this  certainly  coincides  fnr  better  with  the  argument 
of  the  apostle.  For  exhorting  them  to  ‘  covet  the  best  gifts,’  or  those 
that  were  most  valued,  which  the  Holy  Spirit  distributed  ns  lie  saw 
good,  would  have  sanctioned  that  ambitious  temper,  which  he  evidently 
aimed  to  repress.  Scott. 

NOTES.  Chap.  XIII.  V.  1 — 3.  The  more  effectually  to  expose  the 
radical  error  of  the  Corinthians,  in  overvaluing  spiritual  gifts,  and  seek¬ 
ing  their  own  credit  in  the  use  of  them,  without  due  regard  to  the  bene- 


A.  D.  60. 


1  CORINTHIANS,  XIII. 


Christian  love  characterized. 


2  And  though  I  'have  the  gift 
of  'prophecy,  and  understand  all 
mysteries,  and  all  knowledge  ;  and 
though  I  have  all  faith,  so  that  I 
could  remove  d  mountains,  and  have 
not  charity,  I  am  'nothing. 

3  And  though  fI  bestow  all  my 
goods  to  feed  the  poor ,  and  though 
8  I  give  my  body  to  be  burned,  and 
have  not  charity,  it  profiteth  me 
nothing. 


4  Charity  suffereth  h  long,  and  is 
kind:  charity  1  envieth  not;  chari¬ 
ty  i  vaunteth  not  itself,  is  not  puffed 
k  up> 

5  Doth  not  behave  itself  unseem¬ 
ly,  seeketh  not  1  her  own,  is  not 
“easily  provoked,  thinketh  no  evil: 

j  or,  t $  not  rash. 

k  r  '  •“ 


c  c.  14: i. 
d  Mat.  17:20. 
e  Mat.  21:19. 
f  Mat.  6:1,2. 


g  Mat.  7:22,23. 

Ja.  2:14. 
h  Hr.  10:12. 
i  Ja.  3  16. 


Col.  2:18. 
1  c.  10:24. 
m  Pr.  14:17. 


the  things  of  God,  that  will  save  ourselves, 
or  profit  others,  if  we  are  destitute  of  holy 
love.  It  is  the  charitable  heart,  not  the 
voluble  tongue,  that  is  acceptable  with  God. 
The  apostle  specifies  first  this  gift,  because 
hereupon  the  Corinthians  seemed  chietly  to 
value  themselves,  and  despise  their  brethren. 

2.  Prophecy,  and  the  understanding  of 
mysteries,  and  all  knowledge.  This,  with¬ 
out  charity,  is  as  nothing,  v.  2.  Had  a  man 
ever  so  clear  an  understanding  of  the  proph¬ 
ecies  and  types  under  the  old  dispensation, 
ever  so  accurate  a  knowledge  of  the  doc¬ 
trines  of  Christianity,  nay,  and  this  by 
inspiration  of  the  Spirit  of  God,  without 
charity  all  this  would  stand  him  in  no  stead. 
A  clear  and  deep  head  is  of  no  signification, 
without  a  benevolent  and  charitable  heart. 

3.  Miraculous  faith,  the  faith  of  miracles, 
or  the  faith  by  which  persons  were  enabled 
to  work  miracles;  the  most  wonder-working 
faith,  to  which  nothing  is  in  a  manner  im¬ 
possible,  is  itself  nothing  without  charity. 
Moving  mountains  is  a  great  achievement  in 
the  account  of  men  ;  but  one  dram  of  charity 
is,  in  God’s  account,  of  much  greater  worth 
than  all  the  faith  of  this  sort  in  the  world. 
They  may  do  many  wondrous  works  in 
Christ’s  name,  whom  yet  He  will  disown, 
and  bid  depart  from  Him,  as  workers  of 
iniquity,  Mat.  7:22.  Saving  faith  is  ever 
in  conjunction  with  charity,  but  the  faith  of 
miracles  may  be  without  it. 

4.  The  outward  works  of  charity,  v.  3. 
Should  all  a  man  has  be  laid  out  in  this 
manner,  if  he  had  no  charity,  it  would 
profit  nothing.  The  external  act  of  giving 
alms  may  proceed  from  a  very  ill  principle. 
Vainglorious  ostentation,  or  a  proud  conceit 
of  merit,  may  put  a  man  to  a  large  expense 
this  way,  who  has  no  true  love  to  God  or 
men.  Note,  If  we  leave  charity  out  of  reli¬ 
gion,  the  most  costly  services  will  be  of  no 


avail  to  us.  If  we  give  awny  all  we  have, 
while  we  withhold  the  heart  from  God,  it 
will  not  profit. 

5.  Even  sufferings,  and  those  of  the  most 
grievous  kind,  v.  3.  Should  we  sacrifice  our 
lives  for  the  faith  of  the  Gospel,  and  be  burnt 
to  death  in  maintenance  of  its  truth,  this  will 
stand  us  in  no  stead  without  charity,  unless 
we  are  animated  to  these  sufferings  by  a 
principle  of  true  devotion  to  God,  and  sin¬ 
cere  love  to  his  church  and  people,  and 
good-will  to  mankind.  It  is  possible,  that 
the  very  same  principle  [nay,  fanaticism, 
obstinacy,  party  zeal,  vainglory,  or  obsti¬ 
nate  attachment  to  one’s  own  system,  and 
other  selfish  motives]  may  have  worked  up 
some  to  resolution  enough  to  die  for  their 
religion,  who  never  heartily  believed  and 
embraced  it.  But  vindicating  religion,  at 
the  cost  of  our  lives,  will  profit  nothing,  if 
we  feel  not  the  power  of  it  :  and  true  char¬ 
ity  is  the  very  heart  and  spirit  of  religion. 
If  we  feel  none  of  its  sacred  heat  in  our 
hearts,  it  will  profit  nothing,  though  we  be 
burnt  to  ashes  for  the  truth.  How  strange 
a  way  of  recommending  themselves  to  God 
are  they  in,  who  hope  to  do  it  by  burning 
others,  by  murdering,  and  massacring,  and 
tormenting  their  fellow-Christians,  or  by 
any  injurious  usage  of  them  !  My  soul,  enter 
not  thou  into  their  secrets.  If  I  cannot  hope 
to  recommend  myself  to  God  by  giving  mine 
own  body  to  be  burnt  while  I  have  no  char¬ 
ity,  I  will  never  hope  to  do  it  by  burning  or 
maltreating  others,  in  open  defiance  to  all 
charity. 

V.  4 — 7.  The  apostle  gives  us  in  these  vs. 
some  of  the  properties  and  effects  of  charity, 
both  to  describe  and  commend  it,  that  we 
may  know  whether  we  have  this  grace,  and 
that,  if  we’ have  not,  we  may  fall  in  love  with 
what  is  so  exceedingly  amiable,  and  rest  not 
till  we  have  obtained  it.  It  is  an  excellent 
grace,  and  has  a  world  of  good  properties 
belonging  to  it.  As, 

1.  It  is  long-suffering.  It  can  endure  evil, 
and  injury,  and  provocation,  without  being 
filled  with  resentment,  indignation,  or  re¬ 
venge.  It  will  put  up  with  many  slights  and 
neglects  from  the  person  it  loves,  and  wait 
long.to  see  the  kindiy  effects  of  such  patience 
on  him. 

2.  It  is  kind  ;  is  benign,  bountiful,  cour¬ 
teous  and  obliging  ;  seeks  to  be  useful,  and 
not  only  seizes  on  opportunities  ofdoinggood, 
but  searches  for  them.  Under  these  two 
generals  all  the  particulars  of  the  character 
may  be  reduced. 

3.  Charity  suppresses  envy ;  is  not  grieved 
at  the  good  of  others,  neither  at  their  gifts, 
nor  at  their  good  qualities,  their  honors,  or 
their  estates.  If  we  love  our  neighbor,  his 
welfare,  bliss,  and  satisfaction  will  be  an  ad¬ 
dition  to  ours,  instead  of  impairing  or  less¬ 
ening  it.  This  is  the  proper  effect  of  kind¬ 
ness  and  benevolence  :  envy  is  the  effect  of 
ill-will.  The  mind  which  is  bent  on  doing 
good  to  all,  can  never  wish  ill  to  any. 


4.  Charity  subdues  pride  and  vainglory ; 
is  not  puffed  tip;  is  not  bloated  with  self-con¬ 
ceit,  nor  arrogant;  not  insolent,  apt  to  de¬ 
spise  others,  or  trample  on  them,  or  treat 
them  with  contempt  and  scorn.  Those  who 
are  animated  with  a  principle  of  true  broth¬ 
erly  love,  will  in  honor  prefer  one  anoiher, 
Rom.  12:  10.  They  will  do  nothing  out  of  a 
spirit  of  contention,  or  vainglory,  but  in 
lowliness  of  mind  wilt  esteem  others  better  than 
themselves,  Phil.  2:  3.  True  love  will  give 
us  an  esteem  of  our  brethren,  and  raise  our 
value  for  them;  and  this  will  limit  our  self¬ 
esteem,  and  prevent  the  tumors  of  self-con¬ 
ceit  and  arrogance,  [helping  us  to  look  up 
rather  than  down.]  The  Gr.  for  vaunteth 
itself,  bears  other  significations  ;  nor  is  the 
proper  meaning,  as  I  can  find,  settled  ;  but 
in  every  sense  and  meaning,  true  charity 
stands  in  opposition  to  it.  The  Syriac  ren¬ 
ders  it,  does  not  raise  tumults  and  distur¬ 
bances.  Charity  calms  the  angry  passions, 
instead  of  raising  them.  Others  render  it ,  It 
does  not  act  insidiously  with  any,  or  seek  to 
insnare  them,  or  tease  them  with  needless 
importunities  and  addresses.  Some  under¬ 
stand  it  of  dissembling  and  flattery,  when  a 
fair  face  is  put  on,  and  fine  words  said, 
[with  a  selfish  end,]  without  any  regard  to 
truth,  or  intention  of  good.  Charity  abhors 
such  falsehood  and  llattery.  Nothing  is 
commonly  more  pernicious,  [than  this  mode 
of  selfishness,]  nor  more  apt  to  cross  the 
purposes  of  true  love  and  good-will. 

5.  Charity  is  careful  not  to  pass  the 
bounds  of  decency ;  it  behaveth  not  unseemly, 
does  nothing  indecorous,  nothing  that  in  the 
common  account  of  men  is  base  or  vile;  be¬ 
haves  towards  all  men,  as  becomes  their 
rank  and  ours  ;  is  not  for  breaking  order, 
confounding  ranks,  bringing  all  men  [down] 
to  a  level  ;  but  for  keeping  up  the  distinc¬ 
tion  God  had  made  between  men,  and  acting 
decently  in  its  own  station,  and  minding  its 
own  business,  without  taking  on  it  to  mend, 
or  censure,  or  despise,  the  conduct  of  others. 
Charity  would  do  nothing  that  misbecomes  it. 

6.  Charity  is  an  utter  enemy  to  selfish¬ 
ness  ;  seeketh  not  its  own  ;  does  not  inordi¬ 
nately  desire  or  seek  its  own  praise,  honor, 
profit,  or  pleasure.  Indeed,  self-love,  in 
some  degree,  is  natural  to  all  men,  and  a 
reasonable  love  of  self  is  by  our  Savior  made 
the  measure  of  our  love  to  others,  that  char¬ 
ity  which  is  here  described,  Thou  shalt  love 
thy  neighbor  as  thyself.  The  apostle  does 
not  mean,  that  charity  destroys  all  regard  to 
self ;  he  does  not  mean,  that  the  charitable 
man  should  never  challenge  what  is  his  own, 
but  utterly  neglect  himself  and  all  his  in¬ 
terests.  Charity  must  then  root  up  that  prin¬ 
ciple  which  is  wrought  into  our  nature.  But 
charity  never  seeks  its  own  to  the  hurt  of 
others,  or  with  the  neglect  of  others.  It 
many  times  neglects  its  own  for  the  sake  of 
others  ;  prefers  their  welfare,  and  satisfac¬ 
tion,  and  advantage,  to  its  own ;  and  it  ever 
prefers  the  weal  of  the  public,  of  the  commu- 


fit  of  their  brethren,  the  apostle,  in  this  ch.,  declares  the  most  eminent 
of  these  gifts  to  be  comparatively  nothing,  and  '■love  ’  to  he  everything. 
2:3 — 5.  12:27 — 31.  14:1 — 5.  2  Cor.  10:7 — 11. — lie  meant  to  show,  in  the 
strongest  instances  imaginable,  that  nothing  could  prove  a  man  a  true 
believer,  who  had  not  love.  Some  of  the  cases  he  states  cannot  he  sup¬ 
posed  to  have  ever  existed. — Charity.]  Rather,  love,  as  the  original  tru¬ 
ly  means;  ‘  charity  ’  has  now  a  more  confined  sense,  but  ‘  must  here  be 
taken  in  the  noblest  sense,  for  such  a  love  to  the  whole  church,  and  the 
whole  world,  as  arises  from  principles  of  true  piety,  and  ultimately  cen¬ 
tres  in  God.’ — 1  Love,  which  most  directly  transforms  us  into  the  image  of 
God,  and  which  shall  continue  to  exert  its  influence,  when  faith  is  super¬ 
seded  by  sight,  and  hope  by  enjoyment ;  when  in  his  light  we  shall  see 
light,  and  when,  amidst  the  fullest  communications  of  his  love,  we  shall 
for  ever  love  Him  and  each  other,  with  ardors  which  the  best  hearts,  in 
their  best  moments  on  earth,  cau  neither  attaiu  nor  conceive.’  Doddr. 

Scott. 

Cl).  ‘  It  would  be  difficult  to  find  a  finer  passage  than  this  in  the  writ¬ 
ings  of  Demosthenes  himself.  Tongue  of  onsets.]  A  beautiful  hyper¬ 
bole  :  so  we  may  spare  dispute  what  this  language  was.  The  Jews  even 
thought  some  of  their  rabbins  had  attained  the  knowledge  of  it,  and  sup¬ 
posed  it  a  key  to  all  mysteries.’  111.  Am  become.]  Rather,  am  as  sound¬ 
ing  brass,  a  long-drawn,  monotonous  trumpet,  and  a  noisy  cymbal,  (cut, 
1  Chr.  15:16,  &c.,  and  note,  Eccl.  end,]  which  has  little  sense,  ‘express¬ 
ion,’  or  variety  of  sound.  See  Bloomf.  and  Locke.  Ed. 

(3.)  ‘  Paul  gives  an  example  of  two  of  the  most  remarkable  and 


striking  of  those  external  marks  of  religion,  in  its  two  principal  parts, 
love  torvards  God,  and  love  towards  man  ;  and  thus  to  show  that  if  ever 
these,  being  defective  therein,  are  of  no  worth,  it  must  d  fortiori  be  true 
of  others. — To  feed.]  It  was  at  that  time  considered  the  highest  charity 
to  dole  out  food  at  one’s  gate,  which  the  Gr.  here  refers  to.’  Bj.oomf. 

V.  4 — 7.  The  etlecls  of  ‘love,’  here  enumerated,  show  that  the  apos¬ 
tle  primarily  intended  those  exercises  of  that  holy  aflection,  which  re¬ 
spect  mankind.  Yet  it  is  equally  evident,  that  no  natural  benevolence, 
which  subsists  in  an  unbeliever’s  heart,  can  at  all  answer  to  the  descrip¬ 
tion  which  he  has  given.  Indeed  he  evidently  meant  that  love,  which  is 
‘  the  fruit  of  the  Spirit’  in  the  believer’s  heart,  and  by  which  especially 
‘  faith  worketh.’  Gal.  5:1—6,  v.  6,  22— 26, o.  22.  1  Pet.  1:22.  1  John  3: 
13—15.  4:7,  ll.  The  humble  penitent,  obtaining  pardon  and  peace  by  faith 
in  Christ,  finds  his  self  confidence  and  his  attachment  to  the  world  de¬ 
prived  of  dominion,  and  greatly  weakened  ;  he  is  also  taught  to  love  the 
perfections,  the  holiness,  and  the  cause  of  God  ;  the  person,  truth,  and 
precepts  of  Christ,  and  his  image  in  his  people  ;  to  love  his  neighbors, 
and  even  his  enemies,  after  the  example  of  Christ,  and  in  obedience  to 
his  commands;  and  he  now  desires,  that  they  should  all  be  happy,  and 
that  God  should  be  glorified  in  their  salvation.  This  love,  therefore,  in¬ 
cludes  all  parties,  nations,  and  characters,  in  its  expansive  exercise; 
though  still  capable  of  more  particular  attachments.  It  regaids  o 
the  temporal  and  eternal  interests  of  mankind,  and  the  externa  - 
fort,  as  well  as  spiritual  advantage,  of  believers  ;  and,  in  subordination 
to  the  love  of  God,  it  seeks  to  promote  the  benefit  of  mankind,  and  the 

(MHJ 


A.  D.  60. 


1  CORINTHIANS,  XIII. 


Christian  love  commended. 


6  Rejoiceth  n  not  in  iniquity,  but 
rejoiceth  °in  the  truth  ; 

7  Beareth  Pall  things,  believeth 
i  all  things,  hopeth  r  all  things,  en- 
dureth  •  all  things. 

[Practical  Observations .] 

8  Charity  never  faileth  :  but 
whether  there  he  prophecies,  they 
shall  fail;  whether  there  be  tongues, 
they  shall  cease  ;  whether  there  be 
knowledge,  it  shall  vanish  away. 

9  For  we  know  in  *  part,  and  we 
prophesy  in  part ; 

n  Ro.  1:32.  q  Ps.  119:66.  s  Job  13:15. 

o  or,  icith.  r  Ro.  8:24.  t  c.  8:2. 

p  Ro.  15:1. 

nity,  whether  civil  or  ecclesiastical,  to  its 
private  advantage.  [For]  it  would  not  ad¬ 
vance,  or  aggrandize,  or  enrich,  or  gratify 
itself,  at  the  cost  and  damage  of  the  public. 

7.  It  tempers  and  restrains  the  passions; 
is  not  easily  provoked, — exasperated.  It  cor¬ 
rects  a  sharpness  of  temper,  sweetens  and 
softens  the  mind,  so  that  it  does  not  suddenly 
conceive,  nor  long  continue,  a  vehement 
passion.  Charity  will  never  be  angry  with¬ 
out  a  cause,  and  will  endeavor  to  confine  the 
passions  within  proper  limits,  that  they  do 
not  exceed  the  measure  that  is  just,  either 
in  degree  or  duration.  Anger  cannot  rest  in 
the  bosom  w'here  love  reigns.  It  is  hard  to 
be  angry  with  those  we  love,  but  very  easy 
to  drop  our  resentments,  and  be  reconciled. 

8.  Charity  thinks  no  evil  ;  cherishes  no 
malice,  nor  gives  way  to  revenge,  so  some. 
It  is  not  soon,  nor  long  angry  ;  is  never 
mischievous,  nor  inclined  to  revenge  ;  does 
not  suspect  evil  of  others, — it  does  not  (so  the 
Gr.)  reason  out  evil,  charge  guilt  on  them  by 
inference  and  innuendo,  when  nothing  of  this 
sort  appears  open.  True  love  is  not  apt  to 
be  jealous  and  suspicious ;  it  will  hide  faults 
that  appear,  instead  of  hunting  and  raking 
out  those  that  lie  concealed;  it  will  never 
indulge  suspicion  without  proofs,  but  rather 
will  incline  to  darken  and  disbelieve  evi¬ 
dence  against  the  person  it  affects.  It  will 
hardly  give  into  an  ill  opinion  of  another, 
and  will  do  it  with  regret  and  reluctance 
when  the  evidence  cannot  be  resisted  ;  hence 
it  will  never  be  forward  to  suspect  ill,  and 


reason  itself  into  a  bad  opinion  on  mere  ap¬ 
pearances,  or  give  way  to  suspicion  without 
any.  It  will  not  make  the  worst  construction 
of  things,  but  put  the  best  face  that  it  can  on 
circumstances  that  have  no  good  appearance. 

9.  The  matter  of  its  joy  and  pleasure  is 
here  suggested  :  (1.)  Negatively ;  It  rejoiceth 
not  in  iniquity,  takes  no  pleasure  in  doing 
injury  or  hurt  to  any  ;  nor  in  the  faults  and 
failings  of  others.  The  sins  of  others  are 
rather  the  grief  of  a  charitable  spirit,  than 
its  sport  or  delight;  it  is  the  very  height  of 
malice,  to  take  pleasure  in  the  misery  of  a 
fellow-creature.  (2.)  Affirmatively;  It  re¬ 
joiceth  in  the  truth,  [all  truth,]  is  glad  of  the 
success  of  the  Gospel,  commonly  called  the 
truth,  by  way  of  emphasis,  in  the  N.  T. ; 
and  rejoices  to  see  men  moulded  into  an 
evangelical  temper  by  it,  and  made  good,  do 
well,  and  approve  themselves  men  of  probity 
and  integrity. 

10.  It  beareth  all  things,  it  endureth  all 
things.  Some  read  the  first,  covers  all  things. 
So  the  original  also  signifies,  1  Pet.  4:8. 
Charity  will  draw  a  veil  over  the  faults  of 
others,  as  far  as  it  can  in  consistence  with 
duty.  Thus  we  do  by  our  own  faults,  and 
thus  charity  w'ould  teach  us  to  do  by  the 
faults  of  others;  and  be  faithful  to  God  and 
toothers.  Or,  it  beareth  all  things;  will  pass 
by  and  put  up  with  injuries,  without  indulg¬ 
ing  anger,  or  cherishing  revenge  ;  will  be 
patient  on  provocation,  and  long  patient, 
holds  firm,  though  much  shocked,  and  borne 
hard  upon ;  sustains  all  manner  of  injury  and 
ill  usage,  and  bears  up  under  it,  and  perse¬ 
veres  in  this  firmness.  What  a  fortitude  and 
firmness  fervent  love  will  give  the  mind  ! 
What  cannot  a  lover  endure  for  the  beloved, 
and  for  his  sake  !  How  many  slights  and 
injuries  will  he  put  up  with  !  How  many 
hazards  will  he  run,  and  how  many  difficul¬ 
ties  encounter ! 

11.  Charity  believes  and  hopes  well  of 
others ;  believeth  all  things,  hopeth  all  things. 
Indeed,  charity  does  by  no  means  destroy 
prudence,  and,  out  of  mere  simplicity  and 
silliness,  believe  every  word,  Prov.  14:17. 
Wisdom  may  dwell  with  love,  and  charity 
be  cautious.  But  it  is  apt  to  believe  well  of 
all,  to  entertain  a  good  opinion  of  them  when 
there  is  no  appearance  to  the  contrary;  nay, 
to  believe  well  when  there  may  be  some 


dark  appearances,  if  the  evidence  of  ill  be 
not  clear.  All  charity  is  full  of  candor,  will 
judge  well,  and  believe  well,  as  far  as  it  can 
with  any  reason;  and  will  rather  stretch  its 
faith  beyond  appearances  for  the  support  of 
a  kind  opinion  ;  but  it  will  go  into  a  bad 
one  with  the  utmost  reluctance,  and  fence 
against  it  as  much  as  it  fairly  and  honestly 
can.  And  when,  in  spite  of  inclination,  it 
cannot  believe  well  of  others,  it  will  yet 
hope  well,  and  continue  to  hope  as  long  as 
there  is  any  ground  for  it.  How  well-natured 
and  amiable  a  thing  is  Christian  charity  ! 
How  lovely  a  mind  is  that  which  is  tinctured 
throughout  with  such  benevolence,  and  has 
it  diffused  over  its  whole  frame  !  Happy  the 
man  who  has  this  heavenly  fire  glowing  in 
his  heart,  flowing  out  of  his  mouth,  and  dif¬ 
fusing  its  warmth  over  all  with  whom  he  has 
to  do  !  How  lovely  a  thing  would  Chris¬ 
tianity  appear  to  the  world,  if  those  who 
profess  it  were  more  actuated  and  animated 
by  this  divine  principle,  and  paid  a  due  re¬ 
gard  to  a  command  on  which  its  blessed  Au¬ 
thor  laid  a  chief  stress!  A  new  commandment 
give  I  to  you,  that  ye  love  one  another  ;  as  1 
have  loved  you,  that  ye  also  love  one  another. 
Jn.  13:  34.  By  this  shall  all  men  know  that 
ye.  are  my  disciples,  v.  35.  Blessed  Jesus  ! 
let  thy  professed  disciples  be  distinguished 
and  marked  out  by  this  characteristic  ! 

V.  8 — 13.  Here  the  apostle  goes  on  to 
commend  charity,  and  show  how  much  pre¬ 
ferable  it  is  to  the  gifts  on  which  the  Corin¬ 
thians  were  so  apt  to  pride  themselves,  to 
the  utter  neglect,  and  almost  extinction,  of 
charity.  This  he  makes  out, 

1.  From  its  longer  continuance  and  dura¬ 
tion  ;  Charity  never  faileth  ;  is  permanent, 
perpetual,  lasting  as  eternity  ;  whereas  the 
extraordinary  gifts  on  which  the  Corinthians 
valued  themselves,  were  only  to  edify  the 
church  on  earth,  and  that  not  during  its 
whole  continuance  in  this  world  ;  but  in 
heaven  would  be  all  superseded,  which  yet  is 
the  very  seat  and  element  of  love.  Prophecy 
must  fail,  i.  e.  either  the  prediction  of  things 
to  come,  (which  is  its  most  common  sense,) 
or  the  interpretation  of  Scripture  by  imme¬ 
diate  inspiration.  Tongues  will  cease,  i.  e. 
the  miraculous  power  of  speaking  languages 
I  without  learning  them.  There  will  be  but 
I  one  language  in  heaven.  And  knowledge,  will 


PRACT.  OBS.  V.  1 — 7.  How  are  they  deluded,  who  expect  accep¬ 
tance  and  reward,  for  those  good  works,  which  are  as  scanty  in  their 
degree,  as  they  are  corrupt  and  selfish  in  their  principle  !  And  how  are 
even  true  Christians  often  fascinated,  to  overrate  ostentatious  eloquence, 
gifts,  and  abilities, and  to  undervalue  honest,  simple,  and  unadorned  love, 
which  seeks  only  to  do  them  good  ! — But  where  does  this  heavenly  love 
reside,  which  the  apostle  so  warmly  panegyfizes  ?  Is  she  returned  to 
heaven,  being  wearied  out  with  our  contentions  and  selfishness  on  earth? 
Or  does  she  dwell  in  some  obscure  retreat,  at  a  distance  from  the  dis¬ 
putes  of  the  world,  and  of  the  church  ?  Certainly  she  is  but  seldom 
seen  among  us;  she  has  but  few  votaries  and  little  influence;  and  is 
treated  with  strange  neglect  almost  everywhere.  Alas  !  numbers,  who 
might  be  supposed  ‘  to  be  somewhat,’  if  we  only  looked  at  their  talents, 
knowledge,  and  zeal ;  appear  to  be  ‘  nothing,’  or  very  little,  if  1  love  ’  be 
the  touchstone  of  their  characters. — Indeed,  this  ch.  may  be  considered 
as  an  answer  to  all  the  wrangling  pamphlets  of  angry  disputers  about 
religious  truth,  of  dilFerent  names  and  sentiments.  Many  of  these  seem 
incapable  of  long-suffering,  or  kindness,  to  any  but  their  own  party;  so 
that  envy,  boasting,  railing,  ridicule,  slander,  and  acrimony,  are  the 
prominent  features  of  the  portrait,  which  they  exhibit  to  the  view  of  the 
Public  !  In  the  most  unseemly  manner,  they  sound  their  own  praises ; 
vent  their  own  resentments  ;  expose  and  triumph  over  their  opponents  ; 

peace  and  prosperity  of  the  church,  as  its  grand  objects.  This  love  is 
the  unequivocal  evidence  of  regeneration;  and  it  is  a  better  touchstone 
of  men’s  professed  faith  in  Christ,  than  even  the  love  of  God  ;  because 
its  effects  may  more  easily  be  examined  and  ascertained,  and  there  is 
less  danger  of  false  affections  in  it.  1  John  3:16,  17.  4:20,  21.  It  was  also 
that  part  of  the  Christian  temper,  in  which  the  Corinthians  were  pecu¬ 
liarly  defective;  the  apostle  therefore  selected  this  subject,  to  show  them 
how  low  an  estimate  ought  to  be  matte  of  their  religion,  and  so  to  abate 
their  high  opinion  of  themselves.  —  We  must  further  observe,  that  he 
described  'Jove,’  as  a  man  would  gold,  by  enumerating  its  properties,  in 
the  abstract.  Wherever  it  subsisted,  it  had  those  properties,  wheth¬ 
er  its  quantity  were  small  or  great;  and  by  this  a  man  might  estimate 
his  own  attainments  in  real  religion.  Some  love  might  exist,  where 
great  remains  of  selfish  passions  obstructed  its  exercise;  as  a  little 
gold  may  be  mixed  with  a  large  alloy  *of  base  metal ;  but  it  would  then 
become  less  conspicuous,  and  the  man’s  state  more  doubtful. — It  is  ob¬ 
vious  to  everv  attentive  reader,  that,  in  this  beautiful  description  of  the 
properties  and  effects  of  love,  the  apostle  meant  to  show  the  Corinthi¬ 
ans,  that  their  conduct  had,  in  most  particulars,  been  an  entire  contrast 
to  it.  Gal.  5.13 — 18.  James  3:13 — 18. — lie  seems  also,  without  intend- 


forget  all  decent  regard  to  superiors ;  and  turn  religious  investiga¬ 
tion  into  a  vainglorious,  selfish,  if  not  scurrilous,  contest  for  victory  ! 
It  is  evident,  that  many  of  this  character  are  ‘easily  provoked,’  and 
hardly  pacified  ;  that  they  think  evil  of  others,  and  rejoice  in  detecting 
the  faults  and  follies  of  those  who  differ  from  them.  In  short,  the  at¬ 
tentive  observer  will  perceive  that  every  part  of  the  apostle’s  definition 
of  love  forms  a  complete  contrast  to  the  conduct  of  great  numbers,  who, 
in  different  ages,  have  had  numerous  admirers  for  their  zeal  and  ability, 
in  contending  for  the  sentiments  or  forms  of  their  own  sect  or  party. — 
But  alas  !  we  need  far  more  1  love  ’  than  is  generally  possessed,  to  ani¬ 
madvert  on  such  abuses,  without  being  betrayed  into  a  measure  of  imi¬ 
tation.  Let  us  then  rather  inquire,  whether  this  divine  love  inhabit  and 
influence  our  hearts  ?  . .  If  some  sparks  of  this  heavenly  flame  have  been 
kindled  in  our  hearts,  we  know  there  is  much  of  a  contrary  nature,  to 
counteract  its  efficacy.  Here  then  is  a  call  for  watchfulness,  diligence, 
and  prayer ;  that  our  ‘  love  may  abound  yet  more  and  more,  in  knowl¬ 
edge,  and  in  all  judgment ;’  and  that  our  selfish  nature  may  be  more  en¬ 
tirely  suddtied  and  mortified.  Phil.  1:9 — 11,  v.  9.  I  Thes.  4:9 — 11.  2 
Thes.  1:3,4.  1  Pet.  1:22,23.  Hence  we  shall  also  see  still  more  our 
need  of  the  cleansing  blood  of  Christ ;  and  shall  learn  to  walk  humbly 
before  God,  and  to  bear  with  others  ;  as  conscious  that  we  need  the  pa¬ 
tient  forbearance  both  of  the  Lord  and  of  our  brethren.  Scott. 

ing  it,  to  have  delineated  his  own  character,  as  a  successful  imitator  of 
the  Lord  Jesus,  the  perfect  pattern  of  this  holy  love.  [Note,  11:1.)  Love, 
as  exercised  by  Christians,  not  the  love  of  God  to  man,  must  be  meant ; 
and  the  ndmired  accommodation  of  it  to  the  latter  by  some  eloquent 
writers,  leads  the  reader  away  from  the  intended  instruction  of  the  pas¬ 
sage,  however  excellent  in  other  respects.  >  Scott. 

(4.)  Vauntelh.)  ‘  Rather,  act  precipitately,  inconsiderately,  rashly, 
thoughtlessly.  See  IPcts.  It  was  peculiarly  the  temper,  as  now,  of  the 
Greeks,  especially  the  northern.  See  Thueyd.  1,7.  “They  are  fond  of 
novelty,  eager,  hotheaded,  never  easy,  nor  permit  others  to  be,”  <fcc. 
also  eh.  3.  Comp.  Eccl.  6:2.  Prov.  19:2.’  Bloomf. 

(5.)  Unseemly.]  ‘The  Cynics,  it  is  well  known,  were  fond  of  setting 
at  nought  all  the  common  ideas  of  decency.  Some  Corinthians  set  at 
nought,  from  a  vain  affectation  of  superior  knowledge,  censures  about 
idol  meats,  &c.  Thinketh  no  emV.]  Rather,  does  not,  as  it  were,  enter 
it  in -a  note-book,  in  order  to  bear  it  in  mind,  as  matter  of  reproach  or 
vengeance.  See  Schl.,  and  so  CEc.  and  Theoph.,  Wolf,  Ros.,  Mede,  llomh., 
Olearitts.’  Id. 

(6.)  The  truth.]  ‘  Rather,  true,  sincere,  and  real  virtue.'  In. 

V.  8.  Fail.]  These  gills  seem  to  have  ceased  soon  after  this.  Ed. 


A.  D.  60. 


1  CORINTHIANS,  XIV.  Perpetuity  of  Christian  love , 


10  But  "when  that  which  is  per¬ 
fect  is  come,  then  that  which  is  in 
part  shall  be  done  away. 

11  When  I  was  a  child,  I  spake 
as  a  child,  I  understood  as  a  child, 
I  ’  thought  as  a  child  ;  but  when  I 
became  a  man,  I  put  away  childish 
things. 

12  For  now  we  see  through  a 
w  glass,  x  darkly  ;  but  then  face  to 
face  :  now  I  know  in  part  ;  but 
then  shall  I  know  even  as  also  I 
am  known. 

13  And  now  abideth  1  faith,  hope, 
charity,  these  three  ;  but  the  great¬ 
est  of  these  is  charity. 

CHAP.  XIV. 

1  Prophecy  is  commended,  2,  3,  4  and  preferred  hefore 
speaking  with  tongues,  6  bv  a  comparison  tit  awn  from 
musical  instruments.  12  Both  must  he  referred  to  edifi¬ 
cation,  22  as  to  their  true  and  proper  end.  26  The  true 
use  of  each  is  taught,  29  and  the  ubuse  taxed.  34  Wo¬ 
men  are  forbidden  to  speak  in  the  church. 

FOLLOW  after  charity,  and  de¬ 
sire  spiritual  1 gifts  ;  but  rather 
that  ye  may  prophesy. 

u  1  Jn.  3:2.  x  or,  in  a  riddle.  1  Pe.  1:21. 

▼  or,  reasoned.  y  He.  10:35,  39.  a  Hp.  1:3. 

w  2  Co.  3:18. 

vanish  away  ;  knowledge  to  be  bad  out  of 
the  common  way;  (see  ch.  14:  6.)  a  knowl¬ 
edge  of  mysteries  supernalurally  communi¬ 
cated.  Such  knowledge  was  to  vanish  away. 
Some,  indeed,  understand  it  of  common 
knowledge,  acquired  by  instruction,  taught 
and  learut.  But  it  is  plain,  the  apostle  is 
here  setting  the  grace  of  charity  in  opposi¬ 
tion  to  supernatural  gifts.  And  it  is  more 
valuable,  because  more  durable ;  it  shall  last, 
when  they  shall  be  no  more  ;  it  shall  enter 
into  heaven,  where  they  will  have  no  place, 
because  they  will  lie  of  no  use;  though,  in  a 
sense,  even  our  common  knowledge  may  be 
said  to  cease  in  heaven,  by  reason  of  the 
improvement  that  will  then  be  made  in  it. 
The  light  of  a  candle  is  perfectly  obscured 
by  the  sun  shining  in  its  strength. 

2.  He  hints,  that  these  gifts  are  adapted 
only  to  a  state  of  imperfection,  v.  9.  Our 
best  knowledge,  and  our  greatest  abilities, 
are  at  present,  like  our  condition,  narrow  and 
temporary.  Even  the  knowledge  they  had 
by  inspiration  was  but  in  part.  How  little 
a  portion  of  God,  and  the  unseen  world,  was 


heard  even  by  apostles  and  inspired  men  ! 
How  much  short  do  others  come  of  them  ! 
But  these  gifts  were  fitted  to  the  present  im¬ 
perfect  state  of  the  church,  valuable  in  them¬ 
selves,  but  not  to  be  compared  with  charity, 
because  they  were  to  vanish  with  the  imper¬ 
fections  of  the  church,  nay,  and  long  before, 
whereas  charity  was  to  last  for  ever. 

3.  He  takes  occasion  hence,  to  show  how 
much  better  it  will  be  with  the  church  here¬ 
after,  than  it  can  be  here.  A  state  of  per¬ 
fection  is  in  view,  v.  10.  When  the  end  is 
once  attained,  the  means  will  of  course  be 
abolished.  There  will  be  no  need  of  tongues, 
and  prophecy,  and  inspired  knowledge,  in  a 
future  life,  because  then  the  church  will  be 
in  a  state  of  perfection,  complete  both  in 
knowledge  and  holiness.  The  difference  be¬ 
tween  these  two  states  is  here  pointed  at  in 
two  particulars  ;  (1.)  The  present  state  is 
a  state  of  childhood,  the  future  that  of  man¬ 
hood,  v.  11.  Such  is  the  difference  between 
earth  and  heaven.  What  narrow  views, 
what  confused  and  indistinct  notions  of 
things,  have  children,  in  comparison  of 
grown  men  !  And  how  naturally  do  men, 
when  reason  is  ripened  and  matured,  despise 
and  relinquish  their  infant  thoughts,  put 
them  away,  reject  them,  esteem  them  as 
nothing  !  Thus  shall  we  think  of  our  most 
valued  gifts  and  acquisitions  in  this  world, 
when  we  come  to  heaven.  (2.)  Things  are 
all  dark  and  confused  now,  in  comparison  of 
what  they  will  be  hereafter,  v.  12.  Now 
we  can  only  discern  things  at  a  great  dis¬ 
tance,  as  through  a  telescope,  and  that  in¬ 
volved  in  clouds  and  obscurity ;  but  hereafter 
the  things  to  be  known  will  be  near  and 
obvious,  open  to  our  eyes  ;  and  our  knowl¬ 
edge  will  be  free  from  all  obscurity  and 
error.  1  Jn.  3:2.  We  shall  know  how  we 
are  known,  entering  into  all  the  mysteries 
of  divine  love  and  grace.  O  glorious  change! 
To  pass  from  darkness  to  light,  from  clouds 
to  the  clear  sunshine  of  our  Savior’s  face, 
and  in  God’s  own  light  to  see  light  !  Ps. 
36:9.  It  is  the  light  of  heaven  only,  that 
will  remove  all  clouds  and  darkness  from  the 
face  of  God.  It  is  at  best  but  twilight  while 
we  are  in  this  world  ;  there  it  will  be  per¬ 
fect  and  eternal  day. 

4.  To  sum  up  the  excellences  of  charity, 
he  prefers  it  not  only  to  gifts,  but  to  other 
graces,  to  faith  and  hope,  v.  13.  True 
grace  is  much  more  excellent  than  any  spir¬ 
itual  gifts  whatever.  And  faith,  hope,  and 


love,  are  the  three  principal  graces,  of  which 
charity  is  the  chief,  being  the  end  to  which 
the  other  two  are  but  means.  This  is  the 
divine  nature,  the  soul’s  felicity,  or  it  is 
complacential  rest  in  God,  and  holy  delight 
in  ail  his  saints.  And  it  is  everlasting  work, 
when  faith  and  hope  shall  be  no  more. 
Faith  fixes  on  the  divine  revelation,  and 
assents  to  that;  hope  fastens  on  future  fe¬ 
licity,  and  waits  for  that;  and  in  heaven, 
faith  will  be  swallowed  up  of  vision,  and 
hope  in  fruition.  There  is  no  room  to  be¬ 
lieve  and  hope,  when  we  see  and  enjoy. 
But  love  fastens  on  the  divine  perfections 
themselves,  and  the  divine  image  on  the 
creatures,  and  our  mutual  relation  both  to 
God  and  them.  These  will  all  shine  forth 
in  the  most  glorious  splendor  in  another 
world,  and  there  will  love  be  made  perfect; 
there  we  shall  perfectly  love  God,  because 
He  will  appear  perfectly  amiable  for  ever, 
and  our  hearts  will  kindle  at  the  sight,  and 
glow  with  perpetual  devotion.  And  there 
shall  we  perfectly  love  one  another,  when  all 
the  saints  meet  there,  when  none  but  saints 
are  there,  and  saints  made  perfect.  O  bles¬ 
sed  state  !  How  much  surpassing  the  best 
below  !  O  amiable  and  excellent  grace  of 
charity  !  How  much  does  it  exceed  the  most 
valuable  gift,  when  it  outshines  every  grace, 
and  is  the  everlasting  consummation  of 
them  !  When  faith  and  hope  are  at  an  end, 
true  charity  will  burn  for  ever,  with  the 
brightest  flame.  Note,  They  border  most 
on  the  heavenly  state  and  perfection,  whose 
hearts  are  fullest  of  this  divine  principle; 
and  burn  with  the  most  fervent  charity.  It 
is  the  surest  offspring  of  God,  and  bears  his 
fairest  impression.  For  God  is  Love,  1  Jn. 
4:8,16.  And  where  God  is  to  he  seen  as 
He  is,  and  face  to  face,  there  charity  is  in 
its  greatest  height;  there,  and  there  only. 
Will  it  be  perfected. 


Chap.  XIV.  V.  1 — 5.  The  apostle,  in 
the  foregoing  ch.,  had  himself  preferred,  and 
advised  the  Corinthians  to  prefer,  Chris¬ 
tian  charity  to  all  spiritual  gifts.  Here  he 
teaches  them,  among  spiritual  gifts,  which 
they  should  prefer,  and  by  what  rules  they 
should  make  comparison.  He  begins, 

I.  With  an  exhortation  to  charity,  v.  1. 
The  original,  for  follow  after,  here,  when 
spoken  of  a  thing,  signifies  a  singular  con¬ 
cern  to  obtain  it;  and  is  commonly  taken 
in  a  good  and  laudable  sense.  It  is  an  ex- 


PRACT.  OBS.  V.  8 — 13.  If  love,  as  before  described,  is  planted  in 
our  hearts,  though  as  an  exotic  in  an  unfriendly  soil  and  climate,  it  will 
‘  never  fail,’  but  certainly  grow  up  to  maturity  ;  and  it  will  flourish  abun¬ 
dantly,  when  prophecies  shall  cease,  when  human  science  and  eloquence 
shall  vanish  away ;  and  when  even  our  highest  attainments  in  divine 
knowledge,  in  this  present  world, will  appear  like  the  lispings,  the  imagina¬ 
tions,  and  the  reasonings  of  a  little  child. — But,  if  that  feeble,  indistinct 
view  which  we  obtain  by  faith,  when  looking  in  the  mirror  of  the  sacred 
Word,  be  so  delightful,  as  we  have  sometimes  found  it ;  with  what  rap¬ 
tures  shall  we  ‘see  face  to  face,’  and  ‘know  even  as  we  are  known!’ 
Let  us  then  ‘  put  away  the  childish  things,’  which  amused  us  in  an  un¬ 


converted  state ;  for  so  we  now  clearly  see  them  to  have  been ;  let  us 
learn  to  value  things  according  to  their  intrinsic  worth  ;  and  not,  as 
children,  admire  all  that  glitters,  whether  it  be  gold  or  tinsel ;  let  us 
cease  from  our  childish  pursuits  about  externals  and  non-esseritinls ; 
that  we  may  value  and  seek  an  increase  of  faith,  hope,  and  love  from  the 
Giver  of  all  good  gifts;  and  while  we  contend,  that  ‘  faith  alone  justifies’ 
the  sinner,  by  forming  his  relation  to  the  Savior ;  and  that  hope  only  can 
support  the  soul,  amidst  all  the  trials  of  life  and  death  ;  let  us  remember, 
that  love  is  still  greater  than  these  most  needful  graces,  being  the  evi¬ 
dence  of  our  title  to  eternal  life,  the  meetnessfor  that  holy  and  unspeak¬ 
able  felicity,  and  the  blessed  earnest  and  beginning  of  it.  Scott. 


V.  12.  Glass-]  ‘  Esoptrou  :  some  of  those  transparent  substances 
which  the  ancients  used  in  their  windows,  such  as  thin  plates  of  horn, 
transparent  stone,  and  the  like,  through  which  they  saw  indeed  the  ob¬ 
jects  without,  but  obscurely.  Windows  were  often  formed  of  the  lapis 
specularis  mentioned  by  Pliny ,  which  was  very  pellucid,  and  admitted 
of  being  split  into  thin  crustce,  though  some  were  much  more  obscure 
than  others.  See  Wets.  It  is  still  used  in  S.  America.’  Bn.  ‘Orien¬ 
tal  houses  had  windows  of  curtains  or  marble  trellis-work,  in  winter  of 
oiled  paper.  The  Homans  used  the  lapis  specularis ,  which  seems  to 
have  been  thin  leaves  of  talc,  the  rich  used  them  of  agate  and  marble, 
in  their  baths.  Fragments  of  glass  plates  have  been  found  at  Pompeii ; 
but  the  first  certain  information  of  the  use  of  glass  for  windows,  is  in 
the  4th  cent.,  A.  D.’  Enc.  Am.  Nor  can  mirrors  be  meant,  as  these  also 
do  not  show  things  obscurely.  Ed. 

V.  13.  Faith  cordially  and  practically  receives  the  ‘sure  testimony  of 
God,’  concerning  invisible  things,  appropriates  his  instruction,  and  thus 
welcomes  his  salvation, by  looking  to  the  divine  Redeemer,  and  relying  on 
Him,  and  the  promises  of  God  in  Him.  Jn.  3:27 — 36,  vv.  35,  36.  Heb.  11:1, 
2.  1  Jn.  5:9 — 12.  —  Hope,  with  longing  and  patient  waiting,  expects  the 
promised  blessings,  as  to  be  perfected  in  eternal  life ;  and  thus  it  is  the  ‘an¬ 
chor  of  the  soul,’  keeping  it  steadfast  in  obedience,  and  patient  waiting, 
amidst  every  kind  of  opposition  and  discouragement.  Heb.  6:16-20.  1  Jn. 
3:1-3.  And  love  to  God,  and  to  mankind  for  his  sake,  as  before  described, 
is  the  active  principle  of  all  those  willing  services,  in  which  the  Christian 
does  good  to  others,  according  to  the  will  of  God.  ‘  These  three  abide,’  and 
must  abide,  as  essential  to  godliness,  under  every  dispensation,  and  in  ev¬ 
ery  age ;  whatever  other  changes  take  place ;  but  ‘  the  greatest  of  these  is 


love.’  Not  that  love  can  do  the  office  of  faith,  in  justifying  the  sinner,  or 
do  anything  towards  it;  any  more  than  the  eye  can  perform  the  function 
of  the  ear  ;  nor  can  this  ‘  love  ’  be  found  in  any  man,  who  is  not  partaker 
of  faith  and  hope.  But  faith  and  hope  are  the  means,  or  the  intermediate 
acts  of  the  mind,  by  which  a  proud,  selfish,  carnal,  condemned  criminal, 
is  brought  to  love  a  reconciled  God,  and  to  love  men  in  general,  and  Chris¬ 
tians  in  particular,  for  his  sake.  Faith  and  hope  are  only  requisite  for  us, 
ns  sinners,  in  this  imperfect  state;  but  perfect  love  will  flourish  forever, 
the  business,  element,  joy,  and  glory  of  heaven  itself;  uniting  God  and 
all  holy  creatures  in  the  most  perfect  harmony  and  felicity,  without  the 
least  alloy  of  any  contrary  principle,  through  all  the  ages  of  eternity. 
Mk.  12:28—34.  Rom.  13:8—10.  Gal.  5:1—6,  22—26.  1  Jn.  4:7—12.  Sc. 

(13.)  ‘  Faith,  Hope,  and  Charity,  these  three  together  exist  in  the  pres¬ 
ent  scene  only  ;  but  in  the  future  world,  Faith  and  Hope  will  be  done 
away,  and  therefore  the  greatest  of  these  is  Charity.’  Bl.  But  in  the  heav¬ 
enly  state  is  there  not  a  continued  exercise  of  faith  and  confidence  in 
the  continuance  of  God’s  power,  goodness,  <fcc. ;  and  we  cannot  con¬ 
ceive  of  happiness  in  which  there  shall  not  be  a  pleasing  anticipation  or 
hope  of  its  increase  and  continuance.  En. 

NOTES.  Chap.  XIV.  V.  1—5.  By  ‘  the  gift  of  prophesying,’  the 
apostle  seems  to  have  intended,  an  immediate  communication  from  the 
Spirit  of  God,  concerning  the  meaning  of  the  Holy  Scriptures,  or  some 
point  of  doctrine  or  practice,  in  which  the  church  or  individuals  wanted 
instruction  at  the  time.  This  was  a  gift  bestowed  on  several,  by  which 
they  became  occasional  or  extraordinary  teachers  in  the  church ;  and  it 
appears  to  have  been  generally  accompanied  by  the  power  of  predicting 
future  events,  when  circumstances  required  it.  1  Thes.  5:16—  22,  n.  20. 


A.  D.  60. 


1  CORINTHIANS,  XIV. 


The  excellence  of  prophesying. 


2  For  he  that  speaketh  in  an  un¬ 
known  tongue,  b  speaketh  not  unto 
men,  but  unto  God:  for  'no  man 
d  understandeth  him  ;  howbeit  in 
the  spirit  he  speaketh  mysteries. 

3  But  he  that  prophesieth  speak¬ 
eth  unto  men  to  edification,  and 
exhortation,  and  comfort. 

4  He  that  speaketh  in  an  unknown 
tongue  edifieth  himself;  but  lie  that 
prophesieth  edifieth  the  church. 

5  I  would  that  ye  all  spake  with 
tongues,  but  rather  that  ye  prophe¬ 
sied  :  for  greater  is  he  that  prophe¬ 
sieth  than  he  that  speaketh  with 
tongues,  except  he  interpret,  that 
the  church  may  receive  *  edifying. 

6  Now,  brethren,  if  I  come  unto 
you  speaking  with  tongues,  what 
shall  I  profit  you,  except  I  shall 
speak  to  you  either  by  1  revelation, 
or  by  knowledge,  or  by  prophesy¬ 
ing,  or  by  doctrine  ? 

7  And  even  things  without  life 
giving  sound,  whether  pipe  or  harp, 
except  they  give  a  distinction  in 
the  *  sounds,  how  shall  it  be  known 
what  is  piped  or  harped  ? 

8  For  if  the  trumpet  h  give  an 
uncertain  sound,  who  shall  prepare 
himself  to  the  battle  ? 

9  So  likewise  ye,  except  ye  utter 
by  the  tongue  words  ‘  easy  to  be 
understood,  how  shall  it  be  known 
what  is  spoken  ?  for  ye  shall  speak 
into  the  air. 

10  There  are,  it  may  be,  so  many* 
kinds  of  voices  in  the  world,  and 
none  of  them  is  without  significa¬ 
tion. 

11  Therefore  if  I  know  not  the 
meaning  of  the  voice,  I  shall  be 
unto  him  that  speaketh  a  i  barba¬ 
rian  ;  and  he  that  speaketh  shall  be 
a  barbarian  unto  me. 

12  Even  so  ye,  forasmuch  as  ye 
are  zealous  of  k  spiritual  gifts,  seek 
that  ye  may  excel  to  the  edifying 
of  the  church. 

13  Wherefore  let  him  that  speak¬ 
eth  in  an  unknown  tongue,  pray 
that  he  may  interpret. 

b  Ac.  10:46.  f  ver.  26.  i  significant . 

c  Ac.  22:9.  g  or,  twins.  I  Ro.  1:14. 

tl  heartl'i.  h  Nil.  10:9.  k’  spirits, 

e  ver.  26. 


hortntion  to  get  this  excellent  disposition  of 
charity  on  any  terms,  whatever  pains  or 
prayers  it  may  cost. 

II.  He  directs  them  which  spiritual  gift  to 
prefer,  from  a  principle  of  charity;  ‘  Desire 
spiritual  gifts,  but  rather  that  ye  may  prophesy, 
or  chiefly  that  you  may  prophesy.  While 
they  made  charity  their  chief  scope,  they 
might  be  zealous  of  spiritual  gifts,  bpt  espe¬ 
cially  of  prophesying,  i.  e.  of  interpreting 
Scripture.  This  preference  would  most 
plainly  discover  that  they  were  indeed  on 
such  pursuit,  and  intent  upon  it. 

III.  lie  assigns  the  reasons  of  this  pre¬ 
ference.  And  it  is  remarkable  here,  that 
he  only  compares  prophesying  with  speak¬ 
ing  with  tongues,  the  gift  on  which  the  Co¬ 
rinthians  principally  valued  themselves.  This 
was  more  ostentatious  than  the  plain  inter¬ 
pretation  of  Scripture;  more  fit  to  gratify 
pride,  but  less  fit  to  pursue  the  purposes  of 
Christian  charity;  it  would  not  equally 
edify,  or  do  good  to,  the  souls  of  men.  For, 

1.  He  that  spake  with  tongues,  must 
wholly  speak  between  God  and  himself; 
none  of  his  own  countrymen  could  under¬ 
stand  him,  v.  2.  Note,  What  cannot  be 
understood,  can  never  edify;  but  he  that 
prophesies,  speaks  to  the  advantage  of  his 
hearers;  they  may  profit  by  his  gift.  Inter¬ 
pretation  of  Scripture  will  be  for  their  edi¬ 
fication;  they  may  be  exhorted  and  com¬ 
forted  by  it,  v.  3.  And  indeed  these  two 
must  go  together.  Duty  is  the  proper  way 
to  comfort;  and  they  that  would  be  comfort¬ 
ed,  must  bear  being  exhorted. 

2.  He  that  speaks  with  tongues,  may  edify 
himself,  v.  4.  so  every  minister  should  do; 
and  he  that  is  most  edified  himself,  is  in  the 
disposition  and  fitness  to  do  good  toothers; 
but  he  that  speaks  with  tongues,  or  language 
unknown,  can  only  etlify  himself;  others  can 
reap  no  benefit  from  his  speech.  Whereas 
the  end  of  speaking  in  the  church  is  to  edify 
the  church,  v.  4.  to  which  prophesying,  or 
interpreting  Scripture  by  inspiration,  or 
otherwise,  is  immediately  adapted.  Such  is 
prophesying,  or  preaching,  and  interpreting 
Scripture,  compared  with  speaking  in  an 
unknown  tongue. 

Indeed,  no  gift  is  to  be  despised,  but  the 
best  are  to  be  preferred.  I  could  wish,  says 
the  apostle,  that  yf  all  spake  with  tongues, 
but  rather  that  ye  prophesied,  v.  5.  Every 
gift  of  God  is  a  favor  from  God,  and  may  be 
improved  for  his  glory,  and  as  such  is  to  be 
valued  and  thankfully  received;  but  then 
those  are  to  be  most  valued,  that  are  most 
useful,  v.  5.  Benevolence  makes  a  man  truly 
great.  It  is  more  blessed  to  give  than  to  re¬ 
ceive.  And  it  is  true  magnanimity  to  study 
and  seek  to  lie  useful  to  others,  rather  than 
to  raise  their  admiration,  and  draw  their  es- 


It  seems,  that,  for  a  person  who  spake  with  tongues  to  be  also  endued 
with  the  gift,  of  interpreting  his  discourse  into  l lie  language  understood 
by  bis  hearers,  that  so  the  church  might  be  edified  by  what  he  spake,  was 
not  generally  the  case.  Or  perhaps,  to  counterpoise  a  gift,  which  was 
so  much  calculated  to  elate  the  possessors,  lie  might  be  left  incapable  of 
giving  utterance,  with  propriety,  perspicuity,  or  promptitude,  suited  to 
a  public  assembly,  even  in  his  native  tongue,  to  those  divine- truths 
which  he  spake  fluently  in  another  language,  under  the  influence  of  the 
Holy  Spirit;  and  another  man  might  bo  miraculously  enabled  to  under¬ 
stand,  and  interpret  into  the  language  of  the  audience,  what  was  thus 
spoken,  who  yet  himself  miglitbe  unable  to  speak  fluently,  in  the  language 
which  he  interpreted.  Even  in  ordinary  cases,  clearly  understanding 
a  language,  and  being  able  to  speak  fluently  in  it,  are  very  distinct  at¬ 
tainments. — ‘  Why  was  the  gift  of  tongues  conferred  ?  That  the  myste¬ 
ries  of  (Joil  might  be  openly  made  known  to  more  people  and  nations. 
Then  surely,  prophecy,  to  which  the  gill  of  tongues  was  intended  to  lie 
subservient,  must  he  of  superior  excellency.’  Beza.  ‘This,  therefore, 
was  a  great  abuse  of  this  gift,  that  wheii  they  had  a  mystery  revealed  to 
them,  they  did  not  utter  it  in  a  language  understood  by  tile  assembly,  but 
only  bv  themselves  ;  and  so  they  did  not  edify  the  church  by  it,  though 
it  was  given,  as  all  the  other  gifts  were,  for  edification.  (12:7.)’  Whit¬ 
by. — (1 )  Follow  after.']  Pursue  love.  Ifeb.  12:14.  ‘The  word  diOkete 
properly  signifies,  to  pursue  with  an  eagerness,  like  that  with  which  hun¬ 
ters  follow  their  game.  And  it  may  be  intended  to  intimate,  how  hard 
it  is  to  obtain,  and  preserve,  a  truly  benevolent  spirit  in  the  main  series 
of  life  ;  considering  on  the  one  hand  the  many  provocations  we  are  like 
to  meet  with,  and  on  the  other,  the  force  of  self-love,  which  will,  in  so 
many  instances,  be  ready  to  break  in  upon  it.’  Doddridge.  Scott. 

(1.)  ‘Vet  seek  after  and  studiously  cultivate  ..  .  hut  chiefly.’  ill.. 

V.  6—12.  ‘  At  this  day,  among  the  papists,  they  are  used,  in  their 

sermons,  always  to  quote  the  sacred  Scriptures  in  Latin,  without  ad- 

[304] 


teem.  Such  a  man  has  a  large  soul,  copious 
and  diffused,  in  proportion  to  his  benevo¬ 
lence,  and  bent  of  mind  for  public  good. 
Greater  is  he  who  interprets  Scripture  to 
edify  the  church,  than  lie  who  speaks  tongues 
to  recommend  himself.  And  what  other  end 
he  who  spake  with  tongues  could  have,  un¬ 
less  he  interpreted  what  he  spake,  is  not 
easy  to  see.  Note,  That  makes  most  for  the 
honor  of  a  minister,  which  is  most  for  the 
church’s  edification,  not  that  which  shows 
his  gifts  to  most  advantage.  He  acts  in  a 
narrow  sphere,  while  heaims  at  himself;  but 
his  spirit  and  character  increase  in  propor¬ 
tion  to  his  usefulness,  I  mean  his  own  inten¬ 
tion  and  endeavors  to  he  useful. 

V.  O' — 14.  In  this  paragraph  he  goes  on  to 
show,  how  vain  a  thing  that  ostentation  of 
speaking  unknown  and  unintelligible  lan¬ 
guage  must  be.  It  was  altogether  unedifying 
and  unprofitable,  v. 6.  Unintelligible  language 
is  like  piping  or  harping,  without  distinction 
of  sounds;  it  gives  no  more  direction  how  a 
man  should  order  his  conversation,  than  a 
pipe  with  but  one  stop,  or  a  harp  with  but  one 
string,  can  direct  a  dancer  how  he  should  or¬ 
der  his  steps,  v.  7.  Or,  it  is  like  a  trumpet 
giving  an  uncertain  sound,  a  sound  not  mani¬ 
fest;  either  not  the  proper  sound  for  the  pur¬ 
pose,  or  not  distinct  enough  to  be  discerned 
from  every  other  sound.  To  speak  words 
that  have  no  signifioancy  to  those  who  hear 
them,  is  to  leave  them  ignorant  of  what  is 
spoken  ;  it  is  speaking  to  the  air,  v.  9.  He 
compares  the  speaking  in  an  unknown 
tongue  to  the  gibberish  of  barbarians,  v.  10. 
Whatever  proper  signification  the  words  of 
any  language  may  have  in  themselves,  and 
to  those  who  understand  them,  they  are  per¬ 
fect  gibberish  to  men  of  another  language, 
who  understand  them  not,  r.  11. 

The  apostle,  having  thus  established  his 
point,  in  the  next  two  vs.  applies  it;  1.  By 
advising  them  to  be  chiefly  desirous  of  those 
gifts  that  were  most  for  the  church’s  edi¬ 
fication,  v.  12.  This  is  the  great  rule  he 
gives;  which,  2.  He  applies  to  the  matter  in 
hand,  that,  if  they  did  speak  a  foreign  lan¬ 
guage,  they  should  beg  of  God  the  gift  ofln- 
terpreting  it,  v.  13.  That  these  were  dif¬ 
ferent  gifts,  see  ch.  12:  10.  Let  him  there¬ 
fore  pray  for  the  gift  of  interpreting  what  he 
speaks  in  an  unknown  tongue  ;  or  rather 
covet,  and  ask  of  God,  the  gift  of  interpret¬ 
ing,  than  of  speaking  in  a  language  that 
needs  interpretation ;  this  being  most  for  the 
church’s  benefit,  and  therefore  among  the 
gifts  that  excel,  v.  12.  They  should  per¬ 
form  all  religious  exercises  in  their  assem¬ 
blies  so,  that  all  might  join  in  them,  and 
profit  by  them.  3.  He  enforces  this  advice 
with  a  proper  reason,  that,  if  he  prayed  in  an 
unknown  tongue,  his  spirit  might  pray ,  i.  e.  a 

ding  a  tr.  in  the  vulgar  tongue;  nor  do  they  use  any  other  method  in 
the  singing,  and  prayers.’  Beza.  Scott. 

(6.)  Revelation,  &c.)  Doddr.  and  Locke  despair  of  the  true  sense. 
Mackn.  paraphrases,  ‘revelation  peculiar  to  an  apostle;  or  by  the  word 
of  knowledge,  the  gift  of  a  superior  prophet;  or  hv  prophecy,  the  in¬ 
spiration  proper  to  an  inferior  prophet ;  or  by  doctrine,  the  inspiration 
proper  to  an  ordinary  pastor.’  This  Bloom/,  rather  prefers  to  others, 
objecting,  however,  to  ‘  peculiar,’  ‘  superior,’  and  ‘  inferior,’ as  ground¬ 
less.  He  suggests  the  omission  of  the  particle  5  (‘or’)  after  speak,  (which 
is  supported  by  ‘several  MSS.,  the  Syr.,  and  some  Eat.  verss.,  Tlieoph., 
and  I’hot.’)  and  proposes,  ‘Unless  I  shall  speak  distinctly,  and  with  an 
interpretation  of  what  I  say,  whether  tiiat  speech  be  in  the  way  of 
[knowledge]  gnosis  (12:8.),  [prophecy]  propheteia  (12:10.),  [doctrine] 
didaki.  (12:28.)’  '  Ed. 

(7.)  And  enen.]  ‘  So  the  Vulg.,  and  there  is  not  a  more  manifest  mis¬ 
take  ia  their  whole  tr.  than  our  Eng.  trs.  have  here  made:  homos  (it 
should  be  read  without  the  accent)  means  likewise,  as  the  Or.  comtra. 
tr.  [see  Bl .]  Distinction.]  Not  melody,  or  harmony,  but  intonation  is 
alluded  to.’  Bi-oomf. 

(8.)  ‘  The  ancients  used  wind  instruments  not  merely  to  direct  the 

steps  in  marching,  but  also  (and  especially  the  trumpet)  to  signify  to  the 
soldiers  vvliat  they  were  to  do,  whether  to  advance,  or  retreat,  take  to 
arms,  or  go  to  quarters ;  in  fact  to  do  all  that  is  now  done  by  the  trum¬ 
pets,  fifes,  drums.  There  were  even  names  for  the  different  tunes  (Po- 
lycen.  318.)  When,  however,  these  signals  became  known  to  the  ene¬ 
mies,  great  advantage  was  sometimes  thereby  obtained.  Herod.  78. 
Sometimes,  however,  a  counter-stratagem  was  employed,  and  with  even 
greater  eflect.  ( Polywn .)  That  the  trumpeter  dul  sometimes  give  an 
uncertain  sound,  see  Polyb.  and  Liv.  —  Battle.]  1.  e.  any  of  the  evolu¬ 
tions  of  ward  In. 

V.  13  —  19.  Had  the  apostle  lived  about  the  era  of  the  Reformation, 


A.  D.  60. 

14  For  if  I  pray  in  an  unknown 
tongue,  rny  spirit  prayeth  ;  but  my 
understanding  is  unfruitful. 

15  What  is  it  then  ?  I  will  pray 
with  the  1  spirit,  and  I  will  pray 
with  the  understanding  also  :  I  will 
sing  m  with  the  spirit,  and  I  will 
sing  with  the  understanding  "  also. 

16  Else,  when  thou  shalt.  bless 
with  the  spirit,  how  shall  he  that 
occupieth  the  room  of  the  unlearn¬ 
ed,  say  Amen,  at  thy  giving  of 
0  thanks  ?  seeing  he  understandeth 
not  what  thou  sayest. 

17  For  thou  verily  givest  thanks 
well,  but  the  other  is  not  edified. 

18  1  thank  my  God,  I  speak  with 
tongues  more  than  ye  all  : 

19  Yet  in  the  church  I  had  rather 
speak  five  words  with  my  under¬ 
standing,  that  by  my  voice  I  might 
teach  others  also,  than  ten  thousand 
words  in  an  unknown  tongue. 

20  Brethren,  be  not  p  children  in 
understanding  :  howbeit  in  malice 
be  iye  children,  but  in  understand¬ 
ing  be  r  *  men. 

21  In  the  law  ‘  it  is  written,  u 
With  men  of  other  tongues  and 
other  lips  will  I  speak  unto  this 
people  ;  and  yet  for  all  that  will 
they  not  hear  me,  saith  the  Lord. 

22  Wherefore  tongues  are  for 
a  vsign,  not  to  them  w  that  believe, 
but  to  them  that  believe  not  :  but 
prophesying  serveth  not  for  them 
that  believe  not,  but  for  them  which 
believe. 


I  Jn.  4:24. 
m  Ep.  5:19. 

Col.  3:16. 
n  P?.  47:7. 
o  c.  11:24. 
p  Ep.  4:14,15. 
He.  6:1—3. 


2  Pe.  3:18. 
q  Ps.  131:2.  Mat. 
18:3.  Ro.  16:19. 
1  Pe.  2:2. 
r  perfect,  or,  of 
a  ripe  age. 


s  Pa.  119.99. 
t  Jn.  10:34. 
u  Is.  28:11,12. 
v  Ma.  16:17. 

Ac.  2:6,  &c. 
w  l  Ti.  1:9. 


spiritual  gift  might  be  exercised  in  prayer, 
or  his  own  mind  might  be  devoutly  engaged, 
but  his  understanding  would  be  unfruitful ,  v. 
14.  i.  e.  the  sense  and  meaning  of  his  words 
would  be  unfruitful;  he  would  not  be  under¬ 
stood,  nor  therefore  would  others  join  in  his 
devotions.  It  should  be  the  concern  of  such 


1  CORINTHIANS,  XIV. 

as  pray  in  public,  to  pray  intelligibly,  not  in 
a  foreign  language,  nor  in  a  language  above 
the  level  of  the  audience.  Language  that  is 
most  obvious  and  easy  to  be  understood,  is 
the  most  proper  for  devotions,  and  other  re¬ 
ligious  exercises. 

V.  15 — 20.  The  apostle  here  sums  up  the 
argument  hitherto,  and, 

I.  Directs  them  how  they  should  sing  and 
pray  in  public,  v.  15.  He  does  not  forbid 
their  praying  or  singing  under  a  divine  affla¬ 
tus,  or  when  they  were  inspired  for  this  pur¬ 
pose,  or  had  such  a  spiritual  gift  communi¬ 
cated  to  them ;  but  he  would  have  them  per¬ 
form  both,  so  as  to  be  understood  by  others, 
that  others  might  join  with  them.  Public 
worship  should  be  performed  so  as  to  be  un¬ 
derstood. 

II.  lie  enforces  the  argument  with  seve¬ 
ral  reasons  : 

1.  That  otherwise  the  unlearned  could  not 
join  in  the  worship,  for  they  did  not  under¬ 
stand  it,  v.  16.  He  who  occupies  the  place 
of  the  unlearned,  i.  e.  as  the  ancients  inter¬ 
pret  it,  the  body  of  the  people,  who,  in  most 
Christian  assemblies,  are  illiterate,  how 
should  they  declare  their  consent  and  con¬ 
currence  1  i.  e.  say  Amen,  So  be  it.  God 
grant  the  thing  we  have  requested  !  All  should 
say  Amen,  inwardly;  and  it  is  not  improper 
to  do  it  audibly,  as  the  ancient  Christians 
did.  See  Just.  Mart.  apol.  2.  near  the  end. 
Now,  how  should  the  people  say  Amen  to 
what  they  did  not  understand  1  Note,  There 
can  be  no  concurrence  in  those  prayers  that 
are  not  understood.  The  intention  of  public 
devotions  is,  therefore,  entirely  destroyed,  if 
they  be  performed  in  an  unknown  tongue. 
He  who  performs,  may  pray  well,  and  give 
thanks  well,  but  not  in  that  time  and  place, 
because  others  are  not,  cannot  be,  edified, 
v.  17.  by  what  they  understand  not. 

2.  He  alleges  his  own  example,  to  make 
the  greater  impression.  Concerning  which, 
observe,  (1.)  He  did  not  come  behind  any  of 
them  in  this  spiritual  gift,  18.  It  was  not 
envy  at  their  better  furniture,  that  made 
Paul  depreciate  what  they  so  highly  valued; 
such  a  spirit  of  envy  is  too  common  in  the 
world.  But  he  took  care  to  guard  against 
this  misconstruction  of  his  purpose,  by  let¬ 
ting  them  know,  there  w'as  more  ground  for 
them  to  envy  him  on  this  head,  than  for  him 
to  envy  them.  Note,  When  we  beat  down 
men’s  unreasonable  value  for  themselves,  or 
any  .of  their  possessions  or  attainments,  we 
should  let  them  see,  if  possible,  that  this 


Paul's  example  as  to  worship. 

does  not  proceed  from  an  envious  and 
grudging  spirit,  else  we  miss  our  aim.  So 
Paul  did.  He  spake  more  languages  than 
they  all.  Yet,  (2.)  He  had  rather  speak  five 
words  with  understanding ,  i.  e.  so  as  to  be 
understood,  and  instruct  and  edify  others, 
than  ten  thousand  words  in  an  unknown 
tongue,  v.  19.  A  truly  Christian  minister 
will  value  himself  much  more  on  doing  the 
'  least  spiritual  good  to  men’s  souls,  than  on 
procuring  the  greatest  applause  and  com¬ 
mendation  to  himself.  This  is  true  gran¬ 
deur  and  nobleness  of  spirit;  it  is  acting  up 
to  his  character;  it  is  approving  himself  the 
servant  of  Christ,  and  not  a  vassal  to  his 
own  pride  and  vanity. 

3.  He  adds  a  plain  intimation,  that  the 
fondness  they  discovered  for  this  gift,  was 
but  too  clear  an  indication  of  the  immaturity 
of  their  judgment,  v.  20.  Children  are  apt 
to  be  struck  with  novelty,  and  strange  ap¬ 
pearances.  Do  not  you  act  like  them;  show 
a  riper  judgment,  and  act  a  more  manly 
part;  be  like  children  in  nothing  but  an  in¬ 
nocent  and  inoffensive  disposition.  A  double 
I  rebuke  is  couched  in  this  passage,  both  of 
'  their  pride  on  account  of  their  gifts,  and 
their  arrogance  and  haughtiness  towards 
each  other,  and  the  contests  and  quarrels 
proceeding  from  them.  Note,  Christians 
should  be  harmless  and  inoffensive  as  chil¬ 
dren,  but  should  have  wisdom  and  knowl¬ 
edge  ripe  and  mature.  They  should  not  be 
unskilful  in  the  word  of  righteousness,  Heb. 
5:  13.  though  unskilful  in  all  the  arts  of 
mischief. 

V.  21 — 25.  In  this  passage,  pursuing  the 
argument,  he  reasons  from  other  topics;  as, 

1.  Tongues,  as  the  Corinthians  used 
them,  were  rather  a  token  of  judgment  from 
God,  than  mercy  to  any  people,  v.  21.  Is. 
28:11.  Comp.  Deut.  28:46,49.  To  both 
these  places,  it  is  thought,  the  apostle  re¬ 
fers.  Both  are  delivered  by  way  of  threat¬ 
ening,  and  one  is  supposed  to  interpret  the 
other.  The  meaning  in  this  view,  is,  that 
it  is  an  evidence  that  a  people  are  abandon¬ 
ed  of  God,  when  He  gives  them  up  to  this 
sort  of  instruction,  to  the  discipline  of 
those  who  speak  in  another  language.  And 
should  Christians  covet  to  be  in  such  a 
state,  or  bring  the  churches  into  it  1  Yet 
thus  did  the  Corinthian  preachers  in  effect, 
who  would  always  deliver  their  inspirations 
in  an  unknown  tongue. 

2.  Tongues  were  rather  a  sign  to  unbe- 
i  lievers  than  to  believers,  v.  22.  The  gift 


and  written  expressly  against  the  church  of  Home,  he  could  not  more 
emphatically  have  exposed  the  absurdity,  and  wickedness,  of  worship¬ 
ping  God,  and  performing  all  public  services  in  Latin,  of  which  the 
common  people  understand  not  one  word.  No  wonder  the  rulers  of  that 
church  lock  up  the  Scriptures,  also,  in  an  unknown  tongue,  seeing  they 
must  otherwise  bear  too  evident  a  testimony  against  them.  — (15)  With 
the  understanding.]  That  is,  say  most  commentators,  so  as  to  be  un¬ 
derstood.  This,  indeed,  is  implied,  and  principally  intended ;  yet  an  ex¬ 
ample  of  such  an  use  of  the  words  cannot  easily  be  adduced.  Ilut  might 
not  the  apostle  mean,  that  they,  who  spoke  publicly  in  a  language  not 
understood  by  the  auditors,  however  fervent  their  affections,  or  excel¬ 
lent  their  gifts  might  be,  seemed  to  act  like  men  without  understanding, 
or  who  made  no  use  of  their  understanding,  seeing  no  man,  however  ir¬ 
rational  and  -enthusiastica!,  could  act  more  evidently  against  the  plain 
dictates  of  sober  reason  and  sound  judgment  ? — Poes  not  the  apostle’s 
argument  about  prayer,  without  any  preconceived  form,  fully  show,  that 
if  any  one  prayed,  or  gave  thanks,  in  a  language  understood  by  the 
congregation,  the  people  might,  if  nothing  else  prevented,  cordially  say 
Amen  to  his  words  ?  And  does  not  this  remark  sufficiently  answer  many 
common  objections  and  arguments  against  prayer  T>f  this  kind  ?  It,  how¬ 
ever,  by  no  means  decides,  whether  that,  or  a  liturgy,  as  to  public  wor¬ 
ship,  is  most  conducive  to  general  edification,  in  the  present  state  of  the 
church.  [See  B.  Jenks's  ‘  Liberty  of  Prayer.’]  Scott. 

(14.)  Spirit  . .  understanding.]  Pneuma  ■  ■  nous  :  ‘  my  mind  prayeth, 
(I  understand  what  I  am  praying,)  but  my  meaning  (the  meaning  of  my 
words)  does  not  profit  another,  who  understands  not  that  foreign  lan¬ 
guage.’  Ros.,  Bt.  Perhaps  here  is  an  intimation  of  what  is  now  clear¬ 
ly  seen  by  philosophers,  viz.  the  distinction  between  what  is  technical¬ 
ly  called  ‘  the  sentiments,’  or  ‘  affective  faculties,’  and  1  the  intellectual,’ 
or  ‘  perceptive  and  reflective  faculties,’ — at  least,  teachers,  moral,  poli¬ 
tical,  social,  and  religious,  and  parental,  would  do  well  to  bear  in  mind, 
that  feeling  without  intelligence,  confidence  instead  of  conviction,  blind 
impulse  instead  of  reasoning  knowledge,  is  not  only  a  cause  of  bigotry, 
intolerance,  and  persecution  in  religion,  as  well  as  censoriousness,  and 
tyranny  in  domestic  life,  but,  in  our  state  of  national  half-education,  al¬ 
lows  the  ruinous  triumphs  of  uncharitableness,  sectarism,  party-zeal, 
and  mobs,  over  brotherly  forbearance,  piety,  national  happiness,  truth, 
and  law.  And  how,  in  God’s  worship,  can  a  blind,  impulsive  sentiment, 
N.  T.  VOL.  V.  89 


excited  by  external  solemnities  and  pomps,  the  tones  of  an  organ,  or  the 
vagaries  of  imagination,  be  more  acceptable  to  the  Pure  Intelligence, 
than  the  unguided,  unreasoning  devotions  of  the  idolater  and  fanatic,  or 
the  necessary  actions  of  a  brute  ?  Ed. 

(15.)  The  best  to  be  done  is,  to  ask  of  God,  in  prayer,  to  be  enabled  to 
pray  with  the  Spirit,  &c.,  and  to  pray  with  meaning.  See  Bt.  and  Mack. 
— Sing.]  ‘  Psalo  ■■  here,  as  in- Rom.  15:19.  Eph.  5:19.  and  elsewhere, 
psallein  signifies,  to  celebrate  the  divine  praises  in  verse  ;  (see  Jas.  5:13. 
where  proseuchetai  and  psalleto,  are,  as  here,  antithetical ;)  whether  al¬ 
ways  in  a  regular  hymn,  is  not  clear.  I  conceive  it  was,  in  general, 
only  a  composition,  in  such  poetic  numbers  as  would  admit  of  being 
adapted  to  music,  though  I  imagine  it  was  often  only  recited.  This, 
Indeed,  would  especially  appear  front  the  passage  of  Ja.  We  may  also 
collect  from  the  term  psallein,  here  employed  (especially  in  compari¬ 
son  with  its  use  in  other  parts  of  the  SS.),  and  also  eulogEsls  [bless], 
just  after,  that  the  subject  of  the  speeches  of  those  who  had  the  gift  of 
tongues,  was  usually  prayers  to,  and  praises  of  God,  either  in  hymns,  or 
in  that  sorj  of  style,  half  prose  and  half  poetry,  so  characteristic  of  the 
genius  of  oriental  writing.’  Bloomf. 

(16.)  Unlearned.]  Note,  Acts  4:13.  ‘  It  also  denotes  hearers,  in  dis¬ 
tinction  from  teachers,  and  the  supernalurally  gifted .’  Mackn.  Ed. 

(18.)  1  Paul  had  this  great  variety  of  languages  given  him  by  inspira¬ 
tion,  that  he  might  be  able  immediately  to  preach  the  Gospel  to  all  na¬ 
tions,  without  spending  the  time  in  learning  their  languages.  But  it  was 
a  knowledge  for  common  use,  enabling  him  to  deliver  the  doctrines  of 
the  Gospel  clearly  and  properly;  and  not  such  a  knowledge  of  these  lan¬ 
guages  as  prevented  him,  in  speaking  and  writing,  from  mixing  foreign 
idioms  with  them,  especially  the  idioms  of  his  mother  tongue.  An  at¬ 
tention  to  such  trifles  was  below  the  grandeur  and  importance  of  the 
work  in  which  he  was  engaged,  and  tended  to  no  solid  use  ;  these  for¬ 
eign  idioms  being  often  more  expressive  and  emphatical  than  the  corres¬ 
pondent  classical  phrases.’  Macknight. 

V.  20—25.  These  repeated  intimations  of  the  ignorance  and  cnildisn 
conduct  of  the  Corinthians,  who  were  evidently  in  no  small  degree  dis¬ 
posed  to  self-wisdom,  are  well  worthy  of  notice.  4:8 — (21)  With  men , 
&c.l  Not  taken  from  the  Sept.,  from  which  it  varies  as  much  as  any 
words  can  differ  from  others,  where  the  general  meaning  is  similar.  It 
far  more  accords  to  the  Heb. ;  and  may  be  considered  as  taken  f^n  rt ; 


A.  D.  GO. 


1  CORINTHIANS,  XIV. 


Paul’s  directions  for  public  services. 


23  If  therefore  the  whole  church 
be  come  together  into  one  place, 
and  all  speak  with  tongues,  and 
there  come  in  those  that  are  un¬ 
learned,  or  unbelievers,  will  they 
not  say  that  ye  are  1  mad  ? 

24  But  if  all  prophesy,  and  there 
come  in  one  that  believeth  not,  or 
one  unlearned,  he  is  convinced  of 
all,  he  is  judged  of  all  : 

25  And  thus  are  the  secrets  of 
his  heart  made  manifest ;  and  so, 
falling  down  on  his  face,  he  will 
worship  God,  and  report  that  God 
is  }  in  you  of  a  truth. 

26  How  is  it  then,  brethren  ? 
when  ye  come  together,  every  one 
of  you  hath  a  psalm,  hath  a  z  doc¬ 
trine,  hath  a  tongue,  hath  a  revela¬ 
tion,  hath  an  interpretation.  Let 
*all  things  be  done  unto  edifying. 

27  If  any  man  speak  in  an  un¬ 
known  tongue,  let  it  be  by  two,  or 
at  the  most  by  three,  and  that  by 
course  ;  and  let  one  interpret. 

28  But  if  there  be  no  interpreter, 
let  him  keep  silence  in  the  church  ; 
and  let  him  speak  to  himself,  and 
to  God. 

29  Let  b  the  prophets  speak  two 
or  three,  and  let  the 'other  judge. 

30  If  any  thing  be  revealed  to 
another  that  sitteth  by,  let  the  c  first 
hold  his  peace. 

31  For  ye  may  all  prophesy  one 
by  one,  that  all  may  learn,  and  all 
may  be  comforted. 

32  And  the  spirits  d  of  the  proph¬ 
ets  are  subject  to  the  prophets. 

33  For  God  is  not  the  author  of 
•confusion,  but  of  peace,  as  f  in  all 
churches  of  the  saints. 

34  Let  *  your  women  keep  silence 
in  the  churches  :  for  it  is  not  per¬ 
mitted  unto  them  to  speak  ;  but 
they  are  commanded  to  be  h  under 
obedience,  as  also  saitli  1  the  law. 

%  Ac.  2:13.  ITh.  5:19,20.  g  T Ti.  2:11, 12. 

y  I*.  45:14.  c  Job  32:11.  b  Ep.  5:22.  Tit. 

Zee.  8:23.  d  1  Jn.  4:1.  2:5.  1  Pe.  3:1. 

z  ver  6.  e  tumult ,  or,  un -  i  Ge.  3:15. 

a  ver.  40.  quietness.  Nti.  30:3 — 12. 

b  ver.  39.  f  c.  11:16.  Est.  1:*0. 

of  tongues  was  necessary  to  spread  Christi¬ 
anity,  and  gather  churches;  it  was  proper 
and  intended  to  convince  unbelievers  of  that 
doctrine  which  Christians  had  already  em¬ 
braced  ;  but  prophesying,  and  interpreting 
Scripture  in  their  own  language,  were  most 
for  the  edification  of  such  as  did  already  be¬ 
lieve:  so  that  speaking  with  tongues  in 
Christian  assemblies  was  altogether  out  of 
time  and  place;  neither  one  nor  the  other 
was  proper  for  it. 


3.  The  credit  and  reputation  of  their  as¬ 
semblies  among  unbelievers,  required  them 
to  prefer  prophesying  before  speaking  with 
tongues.  For,  (1.)  If,  when  assembled  for 
Christian  worship,  ail  employed  should  talk 
unintelligible  language,  and  infidels  should 
drop  in,  they  would  conclude  them  to  be  no 
better  than  a  parcel  of  wild  fanatics.  Who 
in  their  right  senses  could  carry  on  religious 
worship  in  such  a  manner  1  Or  what  sort 
of  religion  is  that  which  leaves  out  sense 
and  understanding  1  Note,  Christian  reli¬ 
gion  is  a  sober  and  reasonable  thing  in  it¬ 
self,  and  should  not,  by  the  ministers  of  it, 
be  made  to  look  wild  or  senseless.  But,  on 
the  other  hand,  (2.)  If  instead  of  speaking 
with  tongues,  those  who  minister' plainly 
interpret  Scripture,  or  preach,  in  language 
intelligible  and  proper,  the  great  truths  and 
rules  of  the  Gospel,  a  heathen  or  unlearned 
person,  coming  in,  would  probably  lie  con¬ 
vinced,  and  become  a  convert  to  Christian¬ 
ity,  v.  24,  25.  Scripture-truth,  plainly  and 
duly  taught,  has  a  marvellous  aptness  to 
awaken  the  conscience,  and  touch  the  heart. 
Religious  exercises  in  Christian  assemblies 
should  be  such  as  are  fit  to  edify  the  faithful, 
and  convince,  affect,  and  convert  unbeliev¬ 
ers.  The  ministry  was  not  instituted  to 
make  ostentation  of  gifts  and  partsj  but  to 
save  souls. 

V.  26 — 33.1.  He  blames  them  for  the  con¬ 
fusion  they  introduced  into  the  assembly,  by 
ostentation  of  their  gifts,  v.  26.  i.  e.  either, 
‘  You  are  apt  to  confound  the  several  parts  of 
worship;  and  while  one  has  a  psalm  to  utter 
by  inspiration,  another  has  a  doctrine, or  rev¬ 
elation  ;  ’  or  else,  ‘  Y ou  are  apt  to  be  confused 
in  the  same  branch  of  worship,  many  of  you 
having  psalms  or  doctrines  to  propose  at  the 
same  time,  without  staying  for  one  another. 
Is  not  this  perfect  uproar  1  Can  this  be  edi¬ 
fying  1  And  yet ,  all  religious  exercises  in 
public  assemblies  should  be  done  to  edify¬ 
ing.’ 

2.  He  corrects  their  faults,  and  lays  down 
some  regulations  for  their  future  conduct.  As, 
(1.)  To  speaking  in  an  unknown  tongue, 
he  orders,  thar  no  more  than  two  or  three 
should  do  it  at  one  meeting,  and  this  not 
altogether,  nor  come  at  all,  unless  there  were 
some  one  to  interpret,  v.  27,  28.  some  other 
beside  himself,  who  spake;  for  to  speak  in 
an  unknown  tongue,  what  himself  was  after¬ 
ward  to  interpret,  could  only  be  for  ostenta¬ 
tion.  If  therefore  there  were  none  to  inter¬ 
pret,  he  was  to  be  silent,  and  only  exercise 
his  gift  between  God  and  himself,  v.  28.  i.  e. 
(as  I  think,)  in  private,  at  home;  for  all  who 
are  present  at  public  worship,  should  join  in 
it,  and  not  be  at  their  private  devotions  in 
public  assemblies.  (2.)  As  to  prophesying, 
lie  orders,  [1 .]  That  two  or  three  only  should 
speak  at  one  meeting,  v.  20.  and  this  suc¬ 
cessively,  not  all  at  once;  and  the  other 
should  examine  and  judge  what  he  deliver¬ 
ed,  i.  e.  discern  and  determine  concerning 
it,  whether  it  were  of  divine  inspiration  or 
not.  There  might  be  false  prophets,  mere 
pretenders;  and  the  true  prophets  were  to 
judge  of  these,  and  discern  and  discover  who 


was  divinely  inspired,  and  by  such  inspira¬ 
tion  interpreted  Scripture,  and  taught  the 
church,  and  who  was  not;  what  was  of  di¬ 
vine  inspiration,  and  what  was  not.  This 
seems  to  be  the  meaning  of  this  rule.  [2.] 
He  orders,  that,  if  any  assistant  prophet 
had  a  revelation,  while  another  was  prophe¬ 
sying,  the  other  should  hold  his  peace,  v.  30. 
before  the  inspired  assistant  uttered  his  rev¬ 
elation.  Indeed,  it  is  by  many  understood, 
that  the  former  speaker  should  immediately 
hold  his  peace.  But  this  seems  unnatural, 
and  not  so  well  to  agree  with  the  context. 
Nor  is  it  more  agreeable  to  the  context,  and 
the  reason  annexed,  v.  31.  That  all  might 
prophesy,  one  by  one,  or  one  after  another; 
which  could  not  be,  where  any  one  was  in¬ 
terrupted  and  silenced  before  he  had  done 
prophesying;  but  might  easily  be,  if  he, 
who  was  afterward  inspired, forbore  to  deliv¬ 
er  his  new  revelation,  till  the  former  proph¬ 
et  had  finished  what  he  had  to  say.  And 
to  confirm  this  sense,  the  apostle  quickly 
adds,  The  spirits  of  the  prophets  are  subject  to 
the  prophets,  v.  33.  i.  e.  the  spiritual  gifts 
they  have,  leave  them  still  possessed  of  their 
reason,  and  capable  of  using  their  own  judg¬ 
ment  in  the  exercise  of  them.  The  man  in¬ 
spired  by  the  Spirit  of  God,  may  still  act 
the  man,  and  observe  the  rules  of  natural 
order  and  decency  in  delivering  his  revela¬ 
tions.  His  spiritual  gift  is  thus  far  subject 
to  his  pleasure,  and  to  be  managed  by  his 
discretion. 

3.  The  apostle  gives  the  reasons  of  these 
regulations.  As,  (1.)  That  they  would  be 
for  the  church’s  benefit,  their  instruction  and 
consolation,  v.  31.  The  instruction,  edifi¬ 
cation,  and  comfort,  of  the  church,  is  that 
for  which  God  instituted  the  ministry.  And 
surely  ministers  should,  as  much  as  possible, 
fit  their  ministrations  to  these  purposes.  (2.) 
He  tells  them,  God  is  not  the  God  of  con¬ 
fusion,  but  of  peace  and  good  order,  v.  33. 
therefore  divine  inspirations  should  by  no 
means  break  through  all  rules  of  common 
decency;  which  yet  would  be  unavoidable, 
if  several  inspired  men  should  all  at  once 
utter  what  was  suggested  to  them  by  the 
Spirit,  of  God,  and  not  wait  to  take  their 
turns.  The  honor  of  God  requires,  that 
things  should  be  so  managed  in  Christian 
assemblies,  as  not  to  transgress  the  rules  of 
natural  decency,  and  no  unlovely  or  dishon¬ 
orable  notion  of  God  be  formed  in  the  minds 
of  observers.  (3.)  He  adds,  that  things 
were  thus  orderly  managed  in  all  the  other 
churches,  v.  33.  which  was  a  manifest  proof 
that  the  church  of  Corinth  might  observe 
the  same  regulations.  And  it  would  be  per¬ 
fectly  scandalous  for  them,  who  exceeded 
most  churches  in  spiritual  gills,  to  be  more 
disorderly  than  any  in  their  exercise. 

V.  34,  35.  Here  the  apostle, 

1.  Enjoins  silence  on  their  women  in 
public  assemblies,  and  to  such  a  degree,  that 
they  must  not  ask  questions  for  their  own 
information  in  the  church,  but  ask  their 
husbands  at  home,  v.  34.  1  Tim.  2:11,12. 

See  on  ch.  11:5.  They  are  not  permitted  to 
speak  in  the  church,  neither  in  praying  nor 


1  only  what  is  said  of  God,  in  tile  third  person,  in  the  Heh.,  is  here  ex¬ 
pressed  in  the  first  person,  with  the  addition  of,  saith  the  Loan.’  Ran¬ 
dolph.  Scott. 

(21.)  1  The  apostle  gives  the  substance  of  the  sense  ;  at  all  events,  it 
is  a  very  happy  accommodation.’  Bloomv. 

(24.)  ‘  He  is  convicted  by  all  (the  preachers)  of  sin  ami  Iniquity,  and 
error,  in  the  opinions  he  had  formed  of  the  Christian  doctrine.  Judged.] 
Anakrinetai :  a  favorite  term,  which  must  (as  Sc  hi.  admits)  involve  a 
notion  of  condemnation,  and  is  added  to  strengthen  the  sense.  And  v. 
25.  is  a  popular  description  of  the  workings  of  an  awakened  conscience 
In  a  heathen  hearer.’  In. 

V.  26.  1  What,  then,  is  to  be  done  (to  avoid  these  evils,  and  promote 
the  good  in  view  ?  Why,  tlds).  Each  ( l  will  suppose )  hath  some  gift  or 
other  ;  whether  lie  hath  a  psalm,  whether  he  hath,  Ac.  (Weil,  he  it  so, 
so  that  all  he  done  unto  edification.')  Keep  that  in  view.  Let  everything 
be  done  unto  edification.  Psalm.]  Perhaps  an  extemporaneous  and  in¬ 
spired  composition  in  poetic  numbers  (comp,  on  v.  15.),  adapted,  or 
suitable  to  music.  G'oi.  compares  the  hymn  of  Simeon  and  Hannah, 
Moses,  and  Maria,  [Miriam, 1  his  sister,  another  of  Moses,  and  that  of 
Deborah,  Hannah,  (wife  of  Elkanah,)  and  that  Is.  5.’  Id. 

V.  28.  If  there,  Ac.]  It  might  happen  that  some  person  should  speak 
-*■'  t.  .  -.gzie,  not  understood  by  the  assembly  ;  and,  though  able  to  inter¬ 
im 


pret  it  into  bis  own  native  tongue,  neither  he  nor  any  present  could 
render  what  he  had  spoken  into  the  language  of  the  auditory  ;  ns  dis¬ 
tinct  from  both  the  language  in  which  he  spake,  mid  from  his  native 
language.  Scott. 

V.  30.  Hold  his  peace.]  1  Conte  to  a  conclusion  :  and  so  not  prevent, 
by  his  undue  prolixity,  more  valuable  and  edifying  remarks  which  might 
occur  to  another  [temporary]  prophltes. — Revealed.]  Apokaluplein  is 
almost  always  used  in  the  N.  T.  (as  here)  of  supernatural  revelation.' 

Pt.OO.VtF. 

V.  34,  3.5.  To  reconcile  these  vs.  with  11:2 — 16.  it  seems  most  natural 
tosuppose,  that  some  of  the  Corinthian  women  were  used  tq  speak  pub- 
liclv,  when  not  under  any  immediate  or  extraordinary  impulse  of  the 
Holy  Spirit ;  and  perhaps  they  interrupted  the  other  speakers,  by  inqui¬ 
ries  or  objections,  according  to  the  disputations  spirit  which  prevailed. 
Tlte  apostle,  therefore,  laid  it  down  as  a  general  rule,  (to  which  the  fore¬ 
going  case  was  the  only  exception,)  that  women  must  not  he  allowed  to 
speak  in  the  public  congregation,  or  to  assume  the  olllce  of  Icaehers,  or 
disputants;  for  this  hv  no  means  consisted  with  that  subjection  to  their 
husbands,  which  the  law  of  God  inculcated.  Scott. 

(34,  35.)  ‘TheGr.  here  for  women  ( gunaikes )  properly  signifies  wives, 
matrons  ;  as  appears  from  v.  35.  That  virgins  should  speak,  the  apos¬ 
tle  did  not  (I  conceive)  contemplate  the  possibility  :  and,  indeed,  con- 


A.  D.  60. 


1  CORINTHIANS,  XIV.  Women  enjoined  silence  in  the  church. 


85  And  if  they  will  learn  any 
thing,  let  them  ask  their  husbands 
at  home  :  for  it  is  a  shame  for  wo¬ 
men  to  speak  in  the  church. 

36  What  ?  came  the  word  of  God 
out  from  you?  or  i  came  it  unto 
you  only  ? 

37  If  k  any  man  think  himself  to 
be  a  prophet,  or  spiritual,  let  him 
acknowledge  that  the  things  that  I 
write  unto  you  are  the  command¬ 
ments  of  the  Lord. 

38  But  if  any  man  be  ignorant, 
let  him  be  ignorant. 

39  Wherefore,  brethren,  covet 
to  prophesy,  and  forbid  not  to 
speak  with  tongues. 

40  Let  1  all  things  be  done  de¬ 
cently  and  in  order. 

J  c.  4:7.  k  2  Co.  10:7.  1  In.  4:6.  1  ver.  26,  33. 

prophesying.  The  connexion  seems  plainly 
to  include  the  last,  in  the  limited  sense  in 
which  it  is  taken  in  this  ch.,  i.  e.  for  preach¬ 
ing,  or  interpreting  Scripture  by  inspiration. 
And  indeed,  for  a  woman  to  prophesy  in 
this  souse,  were  to  teach,  which  does  not  so 


well  befit  her  state  of  subjection.  But  pray¬ 
ing,  and  littering  hymns  inspired,  were  not 
teaching.  And  seeing  tlieie  were  women 
who  had  spiritual  gifts  of  this  sort  in  that 
age  of  the  church,  see  Acts,  12:9.  and  might 
be  under  this  impulse  in  the  assembly,  must 
they  altogether  suppress  it-1  Or  why  should 
they  have  this  gift,  if  it  must  never  be  pub¬ 
licly  exercised  !  For  these  reasons,  some 
think,  that  these  general  prohibitions  are 
only  to  be  understood  in  common  cases;  but 
that  on  extraordinary  occasions,  when  wo¬ 
men  were  under  a  divine  afflatus ,  and  known 
to  be  so,  they  might  have  liberty  of  speech. 
Note,  As  it  is  the  woman’s  duly  to  learn  in 
subjection,  it  is  the  man’s  duty  to  keep  up 
his  superiority,  by  being  able  to  instruct 
her:  if  it  be  her  duty  to  ask  her  husband  at 
home,  it  is  his  concern  and  duty  to  endea¬ 
vor  at  least  to  lie  able  to  answer  her  inqui¬ 
ries;  if  it  be  a  shame  for  her  to  speak  in 
the  church,  w  here  she  should  be  silfent,  it  is 
a  shame  for  him  to  be  silent  when  he  should 
speak,  and  not  be  able  to  give  an  answer, 
when  she  asks  him  at  home. 

2.  We  have  here  the  reason  of  this  in¬ 
junction, — God’s  law  and  commandment,  v. 
34.  Woman  is  placed  in  subordination  to 
the  man;  and  it  is  a  shame  for  her  to  do 
anything  that  looks  like  an  affectation  of 


changing  ranks  :  so  the  apostle  concludes, 
she  should  not  speak  in  the  church,  in  the 
assembly.  Shame  is  the  mind’s  uneasy  re¬ 
flection  on  having  done  an  indecent  thing. 
And  what  more  indecent,  than  for  a  woman 
to  cjii i t  her  rank,  renounce  the  subordination 
of  her  sex,  or  do  what,  in  common  account, 
had  such  aspect  and  appearance  1  Note, 
Our  spirit  and  conduct  should  be  suitable  to 
our  rank.  The  natural  distinctions  God  has 
made,  we  should  observe.  The  woman  w  as 
made  subject  to  the  man,  and  she  should 
keep  her  station,  and  be  content  with  it. 
For  this  reason,  they  must  be  silent  in  the 
■churches,  not  set  up  for  teachers;  for  this  is 
setting  up  for  superiority  over  the  man. 

V.  36—40.  lie  closes  his  argument, 

1.  With  a  just  rebuke  of  the  Corinthians, 
for  their  extravagant  pride  and  self-conceit. 
Now,  says  he,  to  beat  down  this  arrogant 
humor,  ‘  Did  Christianity  come  out  of  Cor¬ 
inth  ;  was  its  original  among  you  1  Or,  if 
not,  is  it  now  limited  and  confined  to  you; 
are  you  the  only  church  favored  with  divine 
revelations,  that  you  will  depart  from  the 
decent  usages  of  all  other  churches  ;  and, 
to  make  ostentation  of  your  spiritual  gifts, 
bring  confusion  into  Christian  assemblies 
H  ow  intolerably  assuming  is  this  behavior  ! 
Pray  bethink  yourselves.’  Note,  They  must 


PRACT.  OB8.  All  our  pursuits  should  spring  from  ‘love,’  as  the 
grand  motive  ;  and  all  public  ordinances  should  be  conducted  in  that 
manner,  which  most  conduces  to  the  edification,  exhortation,  animation 
to  duty,  and  consolation  under  afflictions,  of  believers;  and  to  the  con¬ 
version  of  sinners.  Even  fervent,  spiritual  affections  must  be  govern¬ 
ed  by  the  sober  exercise  of  the  understanding;  or  else,  with  the  best 
intentions,  men  will  run  into  great  extravagances,  and  disgrace  the 
truth  which  they  mean  to  promote. — While  we  most  reasonably  ex¬ 
claim  against  prayers  and  worship  in  an  unknown  tongue,  and  thank 
God  for  emancipating  us  from  so  absurd  an  imposition,  we  should  in¬ 
quire,  whether  some,  who  speak  in  the  language  of  their  native  coun¬ 
try,  do  not  so  affect  elegant  phrases,  sonorous  words,  or  words  adopted 
from  other  languages,  and  learned  discussions,  as  to  render  themselves 
unintelligible  to  the  common  people  ;  and,  whether  this  be  not  quite  as 
irrational,  as  preaching  to  Britons  in  Greek  or  Latin  would  he.— But  if 
we  speak  in  plain,  simple,  and  perspicuous  language,  which  even  chil¬ 
dren  may  understand,  (and  this  does  not  imply  coarseness  and  vulgari¬ 
ty , )  we  may  be  sure,  that  the  more  intelligent  part  of  our  audience  will 

be  edified,  if  disposed  to  receive  instruction _ Whether  we  pour  out  our 

prayers,  sing  the  praises  of  God,  or  thank  Him  for  his  mercies,  we 
should  be  careful  to  unite  spiritual  affections  with  sober  judgment ;  and 
they,  who  lead  in  social  worship,  should  use  such  language,  as  may  af¬ 
fect  and  instruct  the  meanest  fellow-worshipper,  and  enable  him  to  add 
his  cordial  ‘  Amen  ’  to  what  is  spoken. — Though  the  conducting  of  pub¬ 
lic  worship  ought  to  be  peculiarly  directed  to  the  edification  of  believers, 
and  of  the  congregation,  yet  provision  should  also  be  made  for  those  un¬ 
believers,  or  curious  strangers,  who  may  come  among  us,  even  as  spies, 
to  make  remarks  ;  nor  should  anything  be  admitted  which  may'  reasona¬ 


bly  excite  their  disgust,  or  needlessly  confirm  their  prejudices.  This  has 
not  been  in  any  measure  sufficiently  attended  to ;  and  many  things  have 
been  said  and  done,  without  warrant  from  Scripture,  nay,  contrary  to 
its  plain  import,  and  the  gravity  and  discretion  which  it  inculcates  ;  and 
this  even  by  good  men,  who  have  sent  away  occasional  hearers  riveted 
in  their  prejudices  against  the  truth,  and  disposed  to  ridicule  it  in  every 
company  ;  so  that  the  mischief,  thus  done,  is  incalculable.  But  when 
the  Word  of  God  is  soberly  spoken,  with  an  address  both  to  the  under¬ 
standing  and  the  affections,  and  with  an  authoritative  application  to  the 
conscience,  occasional  hearers  are  often  unexpectedly  impressed;  being 
judged,  convinced,  and  arraigned  by  what  they  hear. —  When  professors 
of  evangelical  doctrine,  xvho  imagine  themselves  qualified  and  called  to 
be  teachers,  are  so  full  of  their  subject,  that  they  cannot  refrain  from 
speaking,  however  unadvised  or  irregular  their  conduct  may  be,  it  is 
evident  that  they  are  more  influenced  by  self-sufficiency  and  ambition, 
or  by  enthusiastic  impressions,  than  by  humble  zeal  and  love.  For  the 
Spirit  of  God  moves  the  will  and  affections,  in  a  manner  consistent  with 
the  exercise  of  sober  reason  and  discretion.  But  if  men  will  remain  ig¬ 
norant  of  such  things,  after  proper  instruction  and  warning,  it  is  not  ad¬ 
visable  to  be  always  debating  with  them. — However  valuable  miraculous 
gifts  were  in  the  primitive  church,  we  cannot  well  read  this'  epistle  with¬ 
out  cheerfully  acquiescing  in  the  will  of  God,  as  to  his  withholding  them 
from  us.  Man’s  heart  is  so  prone  to  pride,  ostentation,  and  folly,  that 
even  endowments,  of  this  kind,  were  made  occasions  of  grievous  sins 
and  offences  !  Our  vainglory  is  sufficiently  excited  by  inferior  and  or¬ 
dinary  gifts  or  abilities;  and  this  often  militates  greatly  against  our  use¬ 
fulness  and  peace  ;  and  requires  many  painful  and  distressing  remedies, 
to  prevent  its  more  fatal  effects.  2  Cor.  12:1 — 10.  Scott. 


sidering  Grecian  customs,  and  how  studiously  unmarried  females  xvere 
secluded,  ( Eurip .  Phcen.  8,  8.  Synes.  105.  1).  Thucyd.  2,  44.  Piut  ■  2,220.) 
they  seldom  attended. — The  Or.  means,  keep  silence  altogether,  not  only 
refraining  from  teaching,  but  interrogating;  the  former  of  which  is  ex¬ 
pressly  forbidden  in  this  v.  and  the  latter  indirectly  in  the  next.  Sr.lioelt. 
shows,  that  among  the  Jews  it  was  strictly  forbidden  for  a  woman  even 
to  ask  questions;  says  R.  Eliezer,  “  let  the  words  of  the  law  be  burnt 
up,  rather  than  delivered  to  women  ;”  “  women  ought  to  know  noth¬ 
ing  except  the  distaff-.”  see  Bammidbar  rabba.  Schoett.  also  shows, 
(on  Lu.  2:46.)  that  they  were  admitted  to  the  schools  of  the  Rabbins,  but 
only  to  hear ,  not  to  propound  questions.  The  Rabbins,  too,  forbade 
them  to  lead  in  the  synagogue-singing.  All  which  was  quite  agreeable 
to  the  customs  of  the  Greeks  also  :  see  Grot,  and  Wets.,  the  most  im¬ 
portant  of  whose  citations  are  Plaut.  “a  silent,  is  better  than  a  talking 
woman.”  Vat.  Max.  “  what  have  women  to  do  with  the  assembly  ?  if 
our  country’s  custom  is  kept  up,  nothing;”  Eurip. — Is  not  permitted .] 
The  pret.  pass,  is  here  put  (by  a  common  idiom,  especially  in  command¬ 
ing)  for  the  pres,  in  its  indefinite  sense.  The  reading  which  has  this 
pres,  (adopted  by  Pearce,  &c.)  is  a  mere  gloss. 

‘  The  words,  it  is  not  permitted  to  them  (women)  to  speak,  are,  I  think, 
meant  to  further  explain  Paul’s  meaning  in  the  preceding  words,  let 
them  keep  silence  in  the  churches  [or  assemblies'].  Many  moderns  (as 
Grot.,  Locke,  I)oddr.,  and  Benson)  think  it  wholly  forbids  womqn  to 
speak  at  all  in  the  congregation  ;  and  to  reconcile  this  with  the-seeming 
permission  at  11:5,  &c.  they  suppose  them  forbidden  only  when  they  had 
jio  supernatural  impulse  and  divine  revelation  :  [and  indeed  would  it  not 
have  been  arrogant  impiety  to  forbid  their  speaking  when  under  a  real 
impulse  of  this  kind  ?  A  ghostly  domineering  over  the  female  conscience, 
should  be  avoided.  Ed.]  But  (as  Mackn.  justly)  “  P.  had  been  all  along 
speaking  of  inspired  teaching  and  preaching,  and,  after  directions  for  the 
orderly  exercise  of  these  gifts,  subjoins  this  order  respecting  the  women: 
the  prohibition,  therefore,  standing  in  this  connexion,  implies,  that  the 
Corinthian  women  were  not  to  pray  and  prophesy  in  the  church,  as 
teachers,  on  pretence  of  being  inspired,  and  unable  to  restrain  the  mo¬ 
tions  of  the  Spirit.  Besides,  the  reasons  mentioned  by  P.,  show  the  pro¬ 
hibition  was  absolute  and  general.  Christ  had  not  permitted  women  to 
speak  in  the  church  as  teachers  of  the  men  ;  neither  had  the  law  of  Mo¬ 
ses  ;  for  it  commanded  them  to  be  in  subjection  to  the  men.  He  plainly 
tells  them,  that  whatever  inspirations  of  the  Spirit  they  might  be  favored 
with,  no  inspiration  was  given  them  to  enable  them  to  teach  publicly, 
or  lead  the  devotion  of  the  church.”  Mackn.  further  argues,  that  P.  did 


not  prohibit  the  women  from  speaking  in  the  church,  in  ch  -  11.  because 
his  sole  object  there  was  to  correct  the  abuse  of  their  officiating  with  the 
head  uncovered,  reserving  his  correction  of  the  other  abuse  to  this  place  : 
and  so  Whit.  And  others  think  in  ch.  11.  P.  only  intended  to  say  how 
they  should  speak,  if  they  spoke  at  all,  but  here  absolutely  to  forbid. 
But  (as  Doddr.)  we  can  hardly  suppose  P.  would  debate  and  adjust  the 
circumstances  of  doing  an  unlawful  action,  and  (as  Slade)  “  so  far  expose 
himself  to  the  danger  of  being  misunderstood,  as  to  condemn  the  man¬ 
ner  of  doing  what  was  wrong ,  without  giving,  at  the  same  time,  the 
slightest  intimation  of  its  impropriety.”  Upon  the  whole  (as  far  as  I 
can  presume  to  pronounce  on  so  nice  and  intricate  a  question),  the  sal¬ 
vo,  or  exception,  propounded  by  Grot.,  Locke,  &c.  seems  too  refined 
and  limited  ;  and,  besides,  leaves  an  opening  to  other  objections  and  dif¬ 
ficulties.  And  that  P.  would,  at  one  time,  indirectly  permit  what  at  an¬ 
other  he  absolutely  forbids,  nothing  but  necessity  will  induce  me  to  ad¬ 
mit.  [But  comp.  7:9.  <fcc.  £d.]  Yet  here  there  is  none.  Our  learned 
countrymen  have  not  enough  attended  to  the  sense  of  lalein  [tr.  speak], 
which  in  the  N.  T.  almost  invariably  signifies,  not  to  speak,  but  to  talk, 
discourse,  and  teach.  See  numerous  examples  in  Schl.  Lex.  To  recon¬ 
cile,  therefore,  the  two  passages,  we  have  only  to  suppose,  that  in  the 
former,  he  means  that  sort  of  prayer  and  propheteia  that  should  not  lead 
the  devotions  of  the  congregation.  Surely  the  proseuchesthai  may  there 
very  well  denote,  only  joining  in  prayer  ;  not  taking  the  lead  in  it ; 
much  less  are  xve  compelled,  with  Slade,  to  suppose  inspired  prayer : 
and  prophitenesthai  may  be  understood  of  the  recitation  of  certain  spir¬ 
itual  songs,  (whether  in  reading  or  extemporaneously,)  or  the  reading  of 
devotional  and  edifying  compositions  in  prose;  on  all  which  I  have  treat¬ 
ed  in  the  note  on  11:5.  Now  this  would  not  be  any  violation  of  Paul’s 
order,  for  the  woman  to  be  in  subordination. 

‘  Slade  would  suppose  11:5.  <fcc.  to  refer  to  smaller  and  more  private 
assemblies,  but  that  by  sunerchesthc  [tr.  come  together],  public  wor¬ 
ship  is  meant,  is  plain  from  what  P.  proceeds  to  say  of  the  Agapte  and 
the  Eucharist.  Indeed,  there  is  no  instance  of  the  Gr.  ever  being  used  in 
the  N.  T.  of  private  prayer  meetings. — The  Gr.  comtrs.  do  not  touch  on 
the  above  difficulties  ;  but  they  evidently  suppose  Paul  intends  absolute 
silence. — According  to  the  laio,  refers  to  Gen.  3:16.’  bloomk. 

V.  36—40.  To  adduce  this  text,  as  a  direct  argument  about  any  par¬ 
ticular  external  ceremonies,  used  in  divine  worship,  (whu.  i  a  •  j  * 
pear  decent  and  orderly  to  those  who  invent,  impose,  or  are  a  1 

them,  and  the  contrary  to  those  who  dissent  from  them,)  s 
wresting  it  from  its  proper  meaning.  Col.  2:5—7.  ["307] 


A.  D.  60. 


1  CORINTHIANS,  XV. 


The  value  of  the  Gospel. 


CHAP.  XV. 

3  By  Christ’*  resurrection,  12  he  proveth  the  necessity  of 
our  resurrection,  against  all  such  as  deny  the  resurrec¬ 
tion  of  the  body.  21  The  fruit,  35  and  manner  thereof, 
61  and  of  the  changing  of  them  that  shall  be  found  alive 
at  the  last  day. 

MOREOVER,  brethren,  ^de¬ 
clare  unto  you  the  gospel 
which  I  preached  unto  you,  which 
balso  ye  have  received,  and  where¬ 
in  cye  stand  : 

2  By  which  also  ye  are  saved,  if 
d  ye  e  keep  in  memory  f  what  I 
preached  unto  you,  unless  sye  have 
believed  in  vain. 

3  For  I  delivered  unto  you  first 
of  all  that  which  I  also  received, 
how  that  Christ  died  for  our  sins 
according  h  to  the  Scriptures  ; 


a  Ga.  1:11. 
b  c.  1:4—8. 
c  1  Pe  5:12. 
d  He.  3:6. 


e  or,  hold  fast. 
f  by  what  speech, 
e  Ga.  3:4. 
h  Ge.  3:15.  Ps.22: 


4,  &c.  Is.  53:1, 
&c.  Da.  9  :  26. 
Zee.  13:7.  Lu. 
24:26,46. 


be  reproved  and  humbled,  whose  spiritu¬ 
al  pride  and  self-conceit  throw  Christian 
churches  and  assemblies  into  confusion  ; 
though  such  men  will  hardly  bear  even  the 
rebukes  of  an  apostle. 

2.  He  lets  them  know,  that  what  he  said 
to  them  was  the  command  of  God,  v.  37. 
*  If  any  man  think  himself  a  prophet,  or  spir¬ 
itual,  let  him  acknowledge,  &c.  nay,  let  him 
be  tried  by  this  very  rule.  If  he  will  not 
own  what  I  deliver  on  this  head  to  be  the 
will  of  Christ,  he  himself  never  had  the 
Spirit  of  Christ.  The  Spirit  of  Christ  can 
never  contradict  itself ;  if  it  speak  in  me, 
and  in  them,  it  must  speak  the  same  things 
in  both.  If  their  revelations  contradict 
mine,  they  do  not  come  from  the  same  spir¬ 
it  ;  either  I  or  they  must  be  false  prophets. 
By  this,  therefore,  you  may  know  them.  But 
if  any  continue,  after  all,  through  prejudice 
or  obstinacy,  uncertain  or  ignorant  whether 
they  or  I  speak  by  the  Spirit  of  God,  they 
must  be  left  under  the  power  of  this  igno¬ 
rance.  If  their  pretences  to  inspiration  can 
stand  in  competition  with  the  apostolical 
character  and  powers  which  I  have,  1  have 


lost  all  my  authority  and  influence;  and  the 
persons  who  allow  of  this  competition 
against  me,  are  out  of  the  reach  of  convic¬ 
tion,  and  must  be  left  to  themselves.’  It  is 
just  with  God,  to  leave  them  to  the  blindness 
of  their  own  minds,  who  wilfully  shut  out 
the  light. 

3.  He  sums  up  all  in  two  general  advices. 
(1.)  That,  though  they  should  not  despise 
the  gift  of  tongues,  nor  altogether  disuse  it, 
under  the  mentioned  regulations,  yet  they 
should  prefer  prophesying,  (this  is,  indeed, 
the  scope  of  the  whole  argument,)  as  the 
more  useful  gift.  (2.)  He  charges  them  to 
let  all  things  be  done  decently  and  in  order, 
v.  40.  i.  e.  that  they  should  avoid  every¬ 
thing  manifestly  indecent  and  disorderly. 
Such  indecencies  and  disorders,  as  he  had 
remarked  upon,  were  especially  to  be  shun¬ 
ned.  They  must  do  nothing  that  was  mani¬ 
festly  childish,  v.  20.  or  that  would  give 
occasion  to  say  they  were  mad,  v.  22.  nor 
must  they  act  so  as  to  breed  confusion,  v. 
33.  But  they  were  to  do  things  in  order  ; 
and,  to  do  otherwise,  was  to  destroy  the  end 
of  a  Christian  ministry,  and  all  assemblies 
for  Christian  worship.  Every  part  of  divine 
worship  should  be  carried  on  in  a  manly, 
grave,  rational,  composed,  and  orderly  man¬ 
ner.  God  is  not  to  be  dishonored,  nor  his 
worship  disgraced. 


Chap.  XV.  V.  1 — 11.  In  this  cli.  the 
apostle  treats  of  that  great  article  of  Chris¬ 
tianity, —  the  resurrection  of  the  dead,  which 
some  of  the  Corinthians  flatly  denied,  v.  10. 
Whether  they  turned  this  doctrine  into  alle¬ 
gory,  as  did  Hymeneus  and  Philetus,  by  say¬ 
ing  it  was  already  past,  2  Tim.  2: 17,  18. 
and  several  of  the  ancient  heretics,  by  mak¬ 
ing  it  mean  no  more  than  a  changing  of  their 
course  of  life;  or  whether  they  rejected  it  as 
absurd,  on  principles  of  reason  and  science; 
it  seems  they  denied  it  in  the  proper  sense, 
and  disowned  a  future  state  of  recompense. 
Now  that  heathens  and  infidels  should  deny 
this  truth,  does  not  seem  so  strange  ;  but 
that  Christians  should  deny  it,  is  surprising, 
especially  when  it  is  a  truth  of  such  impor¬ 
tance,  and  so  plainly  revealed.  It  wrns  time 
for  the  apostle  to  confirm  them  in  this  truth. 


when  the  staggering  of  their  faith  in  it  was 
likely  to  shake  their  Christianity. 

He  begins  with  a  summary  of  the  Gospel, 
what  he  had  preached  among  them,  namely, 
the  death  and  resurrection  of  Christ.  On 
this  foundation  the  doctrine  of  the  resurrec¬ 
tion  of  the  dead  is  built.  Divine  truths  ap¬ 
pear  with  greatest  evidence,  when  looked 
upon  in  their  mutual  connexion.  The  foun¬ 
dation  may  be  strengthened,  that  the  super¬ 
structure  may  be  secured.  Observe, 

I.  What  a  stress  he  lays  on  the  Gospel, 
v.  1,2.  1.  It  was  what  he  constantly  preach¬ 
ed.  He  ahvays  preached  the  same  Gospel, 
and  taught  the  same  truth.  He  could  appeal 
to  his  hearers  for  this.  Truth  is,  in  its  own 
nature,  invariable;  and  the  infallible  teach¬ 
ers  of  divine  truth  could  never  be  at  vari¬ 
ance  with  themselves,  or  one  another.  2.  It 
was  what  they  had  received,  been  convinced 
of,  and  believed  in  their  hearts,  or  at  least 
made  profession  of  doing  so  with  their 
mouths.  It  was  no  strange  doctrine,  but 
that  very  Gospel  in  which,  or  by  which, 
they  had  hitherto  stood,  and  must  continue 
to  stand.  Note,  The  doctrine  of  Christ’s 
death  and  resurrection  is  at  the  foundation 
of  Christianity.  3.  It  was  that  alone  by 
which  they  could  hope  for  salvation,  v.  2. 
These  are  saving  truths;  the  crucifixion  of 
our  Redeemer,  and  his  conquest  over  death, 
are  the  very  source  of  our  spiritual  life  and 
hopes. 

II.  Observe,  what  this  Gospel  is,  on  which 
the  apostle  lays  such  stress;  that  doctrine 
which  he  had  received,  and  delivered  to 
them;  among  the  first,  the  principal  J  a  doc¬ 
trine  of  the  first  rank,  a  most  necessary 
truth,  That  Christ  died  for  our  sins,  and 
was  buried,  and  rose  again;  or,  in  other 
words,  that  He  was  delivered  for  our  offences, 
and  rose  again  for  our  justification,  Rom.  4:25. 
was  offered  in  sacrifice  for  our  sins,  and  rose 
again,  to  show  that  He  had  procured  forgive¬ 
ness  for  them,  and  was  accepted  of  God  in 
this  offering.  Note,  Christ’s  death  and 
resurrection  are  the  very  sum  and  substance 
of  evangelical  truth.  Hence  we  derive  our 
spiritual  life  now,  and  here  we  must  found 
our  hopes  of  everlasting  life  hereafter. 

III.  Observe,  how  this  truth  is  confirmed. 


NOTES.  Chap.  XV.  V.  1,  2.  Tlie  Corinthians  were  tinctured  with 
the  Sudducean  spirit  of  Jewish  skeptics;  or  rather  with  the  philoso¬ 
phizing  temper  of  the  Grecians,  who  derided  the  doctrine,  and  denied  the 
possibility,  of  a  resurrection ;  some  of  them  also  maintaining  that  vir¬ 
tue  was  its  own  reward,  and  that  the  expectation  of  a  future  recompense 
was  a  mean,  unworthy  motive.  So  that,  certain  persons  at  Corinth  be¬ 
gan  to  teach,  that  there  would  be  no  resurrection  ;  allegorizing,  or  ex¬ 
plaining  away,  what  had  been  revealed,  or  declared,  to  them  on  that 
subject.  2  Tim.  2:14 — 18.  It  does  not  however  appear,  that  they  de¬ 
nied  the  immortality  of  the  soul.  Scott. 

(1.)  ‘  In  this  treatise,  3  questions  are  solved.  I.  Whether  there  is 

any  resurrection  of  the  dead  ?  v.  1 — 35.  II.  With  what  body  will  the 
dead  rise  again  ?  v.  35 — 51.  III.  What  will  become  of  those  whom  the 
day  of  the  Lord  will  find  yet  alive  ?  v.  51 — end. — That  there  is  a  resur¬ 
rection,  P.  both  proves  and  illustrates.  Now  he  proves  it  in  two  ways. 
I.  by  Adducing  reasons,  derived  1st,  from  Scripture,  v.  1 — 4.  2d,  from 
eyewitnesses,  v.  5 — 12.  II.  By  showing  the  absurdities  which  a  denial 
of  this  resurrection  involves;  since  ihus,  1.  Christ  Himself  would  not 
have  risen  again,  v.  13.  2.  He  is  preached  in  vain,  and  in  vain  is  faith 
reposed  in  Him,  v.  14.  3.  The  apostles  would  be  false  witnesses,  v.  15. 

4.  The  faith  of  the  Corinthians  would  be  vain,  v.  16,  17.  5.  All  the 
faithful  who  have  died  in  Christ,  would  be  under  condemnation,  v.  18. 
6.  Believers  in  Christ  would  be  the  most  miserable  of  all  men,  v.  19.  7. 
Baptism  for  the  resurrection  of  the  dead  would  he  vain,  v.  29.  8.  The 
apostle  and  other  Christians  would  suffer  so  many  persecutions  to  no 
purpose,  v.  30 — 32. — He  illustrates  it  by  parity  of  reasoning,  v.  21,  22. 

‘  There  is,  moreover,  inserted,  by  Prolepsis,  an  answer  to  an  objection, 
from  some  one  of  the  adversaries  to  the  following  purport :  “  If  the 
resurrection  of  the  faithful  depends  on  Christ,  it  follows  that  they  have 
already  risen.”  But  P.  replies,  that  this  conclusion,  that  the  resurrection 
mast  have  already  taken  place,  is  false;  that  it  only  follows,  that  the 
faithful  shall  certainly  rise  again  :  for  that  the  divine  order,  described 
v.  23 — 28.  requires  that  Christ  should  precede,  and  the  rest  in  their  time 
follow.’  Schoett.  Bl. 

‘  It  is  plain,  that  P.  means  this  as  a  refutation  of  the  opinions  of  some 
at  Corinth,  who  denied  the  resurrection ;  though  against  whom  this  ref¬ 
utation  is  meant,  comtrs.  are  not  agreed.  Some  think,  they  were  hea¬ 
thens  ;  and  from  Ac.  18:32.  we  may  infer,  that  the  doctrine  was  by  the 
philosophers  accounted  as  not  merely  unfounded,  but  even  ridiculous,  as 
involving  various  absurdities.  Others  contend,  that  they  were  Chris¬ 
tians,  either  Jewish  Christians ,  who  had  formerly  been  Essenes,  or 
Sadducees.  Nor  are  there  wanting  those  who  think  they  were  Gentile 
Christians  ;  which  indeed  seems  more  probable.  There  can,  I  think,  bo 
no  doubt,  but  that  P.  wrote  principally  and  immediately  for  Christians, 
though  (as  in  the  case  of  the  Ep.  to  Rom.)  indirectly  for  heathens, 
such  as  might  he  induced  to  read  and  weigh  its  contents.  By  Christians, 

[30SJ 


I  mean  both  Jewish  and  Gentile  ones  ;  and  P.  (I  conceive)  wrote,  1st,  for 
the  instruction  and  comfort  of  sincere  believer $  in  the  doctrine  of  the 
resurrection  ;  2dly,  to  refute  those  who  denied,  and  confirm  those  who 
were  wavering  in  opinion.  The  second  class  would  (we  may  suppose) 
be  chiefly  composed  of  those  Jewish  Christians,  who  had  formerly 
been  Sadducees,  or  Essenes,  and  of  such  Gentile  Christians  as  had 
been  imbued  with  the  opinions  of  certain  philosophical  sects,  whose  ten¬ 
ets  were  especially  adverse  to  the  doctrine  in  question,  particularly  the 
Stoics  and  others.  It  is  not  surprising,  that  such  converts  should  have 
proved  in  this  respect  backsliders,  and  have  again  openly  professed,  or 
secretly  fostered,  their  former  opinions  on  the  subject  in  question.  This 
heresy  was  probably  maintained,  or  favored,  by  some  false  teachers  at 
Corinth.  For  we  find  by  2  Tim.  2:17.  that  a  very  few  years  afterwards 
it  was  supported  by  Hymeneus,  and  Philetus,  whose  error,  P.  says, 
“  eateth  away  as  doth  a  gangrene.”  And  we  learn  from  Tertu/.,  and 
other  ecclesiastical  historians,  that  some  of  the  earliest  of  the  heretics, 
as  Marcion,  Valentinus,  Apelles,  and  the  Gnostics,  followed,  in  this  re¬ 
spect,  the  errors  of  the  Sadducees.  These  persons,  as  we  may  collect 
from  the  above  passage  of  Tim.,  and  as  we  may  collect  from  the  eccle¬ 
siastical  historians,  and  Chrys.  in  loc.,  maintained,  that  the  resurrection 
promised  by  Christ,  was  only  to  be  understood  metaphorically,  of  a  res¬ 
urrection  of  the  soul  from  the  death  of  sin  ;  and  by  thus  refining  on  the 
doctrine,  they  explained  it  entirely  away  in  its  natural  and  most  impor¬ 
tant  sense-  They  made  it  (says  Grot.)  to  consist,  in  not  attending  to  the 
concerns  of  this  life,  and,  among  the  rest,  matrimony,  but  in  an  exclu¬ 
sive  devotion  to  meditation,  like  the  Essenes,  who  practised  celibacy  : 
the^-  accounted  this  as  a  new  life,  compared  with  which,  the  former  life 
was  death;  they  therefore  called  the  one  death,  and  the  other  resurrec¬ 
tion,  as  appears  from  2  Tim.  2:17,  18.  Clem.  Al.,  Iren.,  Tertul.  We 
may  observe,  however,  that  the  arguments  here  adduced,  only  apply  to 
sincere  believers  in  Jesus  Christ,  and  are  meant  only  of  the  resurrection 
of  the  just,  and  not  a  resurrection  in  general :  and  indeed  the  error 
prevalent  with  Christians,  justifies  the  course  of  Paul  here.  In  this, 
he  seems  to  have  followed  the  custom  of  the  Jews,  by  whom  (Jaspis 
observes)  that  alone  was  called  the  resurrection.  And  he  refers  (besides 
the  writings  of  the  Rabbins),  to  2  Mac.  12:43.  Lu.  2:55.  Jn.  6:39,  44,  54. 
Phil.  3:11.’  Bloomf. 

Stand.]  It  appears  to  have  been  said  from  politeness,  see  Theoph., 
and,  says  Bl.,  amounts  to,  ‘  1  trust  ye  stand  fast :  ’  A'r.  thinks  the  met¬ 
aphor  is  from  the  palcestra,  and  refers  to  16:13.  Gal.  5:1.  Philip.  1:27. 
4:1.  1  Th.  3:8.  2  Th.  2:15.  Eph.  4:11, 13,  14.  But  it  may  be  also  con¬ 
sidered  a  military  one.  Thucyd.  3:23.  See  Bloomf.  Ed. 

(2.)  Saved.]  ‘Brought  into  a  state  of  salvation  :  see  on  Mat.  2:23. 
Unless .]  The  Gr.  has  very  energetic  meaning,  q.  d.  “unless  indeed, 
which  I  am  unwilling  to  suppose,  or  contemplate.”  ’  Bloomf. 

V.  3 — 11.  James  (7),  probably  the  son  of  Alpheus,  who  wrote  the 


A.  D.  60. 


1  CORINTHIANS,  XV. 


4  And  that  he  was  buried,  and 
that  he  rose  again  the  third  day 
according  1  to  the  Scriptures  ; 

5  And  that  he  was  seen  of  1  Ce¬ 
phas,  then  of  the  twelve  : 

6  After  that,  he  was  seen  of 
above  five  hundred  brethren  at 
once  ;  of  whom  the  greater  part 
remain  unto  this  present,  but  some 
are  fallen  asleep. 

7  After  that  he  was  seen  of 
James;  then  of  all  the  apostles. 

8  And  last  k  of  all  he  was  seen 
of  me  also,  as  of  1  one  born  out  of 
due  time. 

9  For  I  am  the  least  “  of  the 
apostles,  that  am  not  meet  to  be 
called  an  apostle,  because  I  perse¬ 
cuted  the  church  of  God. 

10  But  by  the  grace  of  God  I  am 
what  I  am  :  and  his  grace  which 
was  bestowed  upon  me  was  not  in 
vain  ;  but  I  labored  more  abundant¬ 
ly  than  they  all  :  yet  no't  "  I,  but  the 
grace  of  God  which  was  with  me. 

11  Therefore,  whether  it  were  I 
or  they,  so  we  preach,  and  so  ye 
believed. 

12  Now  if  Christ  be  preached 
that  ha  rose  from  the  dead,  how 
°say  some  among  you  that  there  is 
no  resurrection  of  the  dead  ? 

13  But  if  p  there  be  no  resurrec¬ 
tion  of  the  dead,  then  is  Christ  not 
risen. 

i  Pa.  16:10.  k  Ac.  9:17.  n  Mat.  10:20. 

Ho.  6:2.  1  o rt  an  abortive,  o  Ac.  26:8. 

J  Lu.  24:34,  &c.  m  Ep.  3:7,8.  p  1  Th.  4:14. 

1.  By  O.  T.  predictions.  He  died  for  our 
sins,  according  to  the  Scriptures,  the  scrip¬ 
ture-prophecies,  and  scripture-types.  Sucli 
prophecies  as  Ps.  16: 10.  Is.  53:  4 — 6.  Deut. 
0:  26,  27.  Ilos.  6:  2.  Such  scripture-types 
as  Jonah,  Mat.  12:42.  as  Isaac,  who  is  ex¬ 
pressly  said,  by  the  apostle,  to  have  been  re¬ 
ceived.  from  the  dead  in  a  figure,  Heb.  11:19. 
It  greatly  confirms  our  faith  of  the  Gospel, 
to  see  how  it  corresponds  with  ancient  types 
and  prophecies.  2.  By  the  testimony  of 
many  eyewitnesses,  who  saw  Christ  after 
He  was  risen  from  the  dead.  He  reckons 
up  five  several  appearances,  beside  that  to 
himself.  He  was  seen  of  Cephas,  or  Peter, 
then  of  the  twelve,  (called  so,  though  JudaS 
was  no  longer  among  them,  because  this  was 
their  usual  number,)  then,  in  Galilee,  Mat. 
28:  10.  of  above  500  brethren  at  once,  many  of 
whom  were  living  when  the  apostle  wrote 


this  epistle;  after  that,  of  James,  singly,  and 
then  by  all  the  apostles,  when  He  was  taken 
up  into  heaven,  from  mount  Olivet,  Lu.  24: 
50.  Comp.  Ac.  1:2,5 — 7.  Note,  How  in- 
controvertably  evident  was  Christ’s  resur¬ 
rection  from  the  dead,  w  hen  so  many  eyes 
saw  Him  at  so  many  several  times  alive,  and 
when  He  indulged  the  weakness  of  one  dis¬ 
ciple  so  far,  to  put  his  resurrection-out  of 
doubt  !  And  what  reason  have  we  to  be¬ 
lieve  them  who  were  so  steady  in  maintain¬ 
ing  this  truth,  though  they  hazarded  all  that 
was  dear  to  them  in  this  world,  by  endeav¬ 
oring  to  assert  and  propagate  it  !  Even 
Paul  himself  was  last  of  all  favored  with  the 
sight  of  Him.  It  was  one’of  the  peculiar 
offices  of  an  apostle,  to  be  a  witness  of  our 
Savior’s  resurrection,  Lu.  24:48.  and  when 
Paul  was  called  to  the  apostolical  office,  he 
was  made  an  evidence  of  this  sort:  the  Lord 
Jesus  appeared  to  him  by  the  way  to  Da¬ 
mascus,  Acts  9: 17. 

Having  mentioned  this  favor,  he  takes  oc¬ 
casion  from  it  to  make  a  humble  digression 
concerning  himself.  He  was  highly  favored 
of  God,  but  he  always  endeavored  to  keep 
up  a  mean  opinion  of  himself,  and  to  express 
it.  So  here,  by  observing,  (1.)  That  he 
was  one  born  out  of  due  time,  v.  8.  an  abor¬ 
tive,  a  child  dead  born,  and  out  of  time. 
Paul  resembled  such  a  birth,  in  the  sudden¬ 
ness  of  his  new  birth,  in  that  he  was  not 
matured  for  the  apostolical  function,  as  the 
others  were,  who  had  personal  converse 
with  our  Lord.  He  was  called  to  the  office 
when  such  conversation  was  not  to  be  had; 
he  was  out  of  time  for  it.  He  had  not 
known  or  followed  the  Lord,  nor  been  form¬ 
ed  in  his  family,  as  the  others  were,  for  this 
high  and  honorable  function.  This  was,  in 
Paul’s  account,  a  very  humbling  circum¬ 
stance.  (2.)  By  owning  himself  inferior  to 
the  other  apostles;  not  meet  to  be  called  an 
apostle.  The  least,  because  the  last  of  them ; 
called  latest  to  the  office,  and  not  worthy  to 
be  called  an  apostle,  to  have  either  the  office 
or  the  title,  because  he  had  been  a  persecutor 
of  the  church  of  God,  v.  9.  Indeed,  he  tells 
us,  elsewhere,  that  he  was  not  a  whit  behind 
the  very  chiefest  apostles,  2  Cor.  11:5.  for 
gifts,  graces,  service,  and  sufferings,  inferi¬ 
or  to  none  of  them.  Yet  some  circumstances 
in  his  case  made  him  think  more  meanly  of 
himself  than  any  of  them.  A  humble  spirit, 
in  the  midst  of  high  attainments,  is  a  great 
ornament;  it  sets  good  qualities  off  to  much 
greater  advantage.  What  kept  Paul  low,  in 
an  especial  manner,  was  the  remembrance 
of  his  former  wickedness,  his  raging  and 
destructive  zeal  against  Christ  and  his  mem¬ 
bers.  How  easily  God  can  bring  a  good 
out  of  the  greatest  evil  !  When  sinners 
are,  by  divine  grace,  turned  into  saints,  He 
makes  the  remembrance  of  their  former  sins 


Certainty  of  Christ’s  resurrection. 

very  serviceable,  to  keep  them  humble,  and 
diligent,  and  faithful.  (3.)  By  ascribing  all 
that  was  valuable  in  him  to  divine  grace, 
v.  10.  It  is  God’s  prerogative  to  say,  I  am 
that  I  am;  our  privilege  to  be  able  to  say, 
‘  By  God’s  grace  we  are  what  we  are.’  All 
that  is  good  in  us,  is  a  stream  from  this 
fountain.  Paul,  though  conscious  of  his  own 
diligence,  and  zeal,  and  service,  so  that  he 
could  say  of  himself,  the  grace  of  God  was 
not  given  him  in  vain,  but  he  labored  more 
abundantly  than  they  all,  yet  thought  him¬ 
self  so  much  more  the  debtor  to  divine  grace; 
not  I,  but  the  grace  of  God  which  was  with  me. 
Those  who  have  the  grace  of  God,  should 
take  care  that  it  be  not  in  vain.  They 
should  cherish,  exercise,  and  exert,  this 
heavenly  principle.  So  did  Paul,  and  there¬ 
fore  labored  with  so  much  heart,  and  so 
much  success.  And  yet  the  more  he  labor¬ 
ed,  and  the  more  good  he  did,  the  more 
humble  was  he  in  his  opinion  of  himself,  and 
the  more  disposed  to  own  and  magnify  the 
favor  of  God  toward  him,  his  free  and  un¬ 
merited  favor.  A  humble  spirit  will  be  very 
apt  to  own  and  magnify  the  grace  of  God  : 
it  is  commonly  a  gracious  one.  Where 
pride  is  subdued,  there  it  is  reasonable  to 
believe  grace  reigns. 

After  this  digression,  the  apostle  returns 
to  his  argument,  and  tells  them,  v.  11.  that 
he  not  only  preached  the  same  Gospel  him¬ 
self,  at  all  times,  and  in  all  places,  but  that 
all  the  apostles  preached  the  same.  Wheth¬ 
er  Peter,  or  Paul,  or  any  other  apostle,  had 
converted  them  to  Christianity,  all  preached 
the  same  doctrine,  and  confirmed  it  by  the 
same  evidence.  All  agreed  in  this,  that 
Jesus  Christ,  and  He  crucified,  and  slain, 
and  then  rising  from  the  dead,  was  the  very 
sum  and  substance  of  Christianity  ;  and  this 
all  true  Christians  believe.  All  the  apostles 
agreed  in  this  testimony  ;  all  Christians 
agree  in  the  belief  of  it;  by  this  faith  they 
live,  in  this  faith  they  die. 

V.  12 — 19.  It  seems,  some  among  the  Co¬ 
rinthians,  as  the  heathens  commonly,  thought 
the  resurrection  an  impossibility.  But  against 
this  the  apostle  produces  an  incontestable 
fact,  i.  e.  the  resurrection  of  Christ;  and 
goes  on  to  argue  against  them  from  the  ab¬ 
surdities  that  must  follow  from  their  prin¬ 
ciple.  As, 

I.  If  there  be,  can  be,  no  resurrection  of 
the  dead,  then  Christ  is  not  risen,  v.  13.  and 
again,  ‘  If  the  dead  rise  not,  cannot  be  raised, 
or  recovered  to  life,  then  is  not  Christ  raised, 
v.  16.  And  yet  it  was  foretold,  in  ancient 
prophecies,  that  He  should  rise;  and  it  has 
been  proved,  by  multitudes  of  eyewitnesses, 
that  He  is  risen.  And  will  you  say,  will 
any  among  you  dare  to  say,  that  is  not,  can¬ 
not  be,  which  God  long  ago  said  shall  be, 
and  is  now  undoubted  matter  of  fact  T 


epistle  ;  but  we  have  no  other  account  of  this  appearance  of  Christ. 
Untimely  birth.]  ‘  Suet,  says,  that  there  were,  in  the  time  of  Augustus, 
an  enormous  number  of  senators,  . .  .  and  most  of  them  most  unworthy 
of  that  dignity,  having,  after  the  death  of  Cesar,  by  favor  and  bribery, 
gotten  to  be  elected.  These,  the  multitude  proverbially  styled  abortives.' 
Several  other  appearances  of  Christ,  after  his  resurrection,  have  been 
considered  as  recorded  by  the  evangelists,  but  this  account  mentions 
circumstances  not  before  stated,  Hnd  illustrates  that  important  subject. 

Scott. 

(3.)  First  of  all.]  1  Especially,  imprimis.’  IIi.oomf. 

(5.)  ‘  Since  the  resurrection  of  Christ  is  a  thing  founded  in  fact ,  and 
as  facts  can  be  proved  by  nothing  more  satisfactorily  than  by  the  au¬ 
thority  of  those  who  are  eyewitnesses  of  them,  therefore  P.  appeals  to 
several,  highly  worthy  of  credit,  to  whom  our  Lord  showed  Himself,  and 
who  all,  at  the  peril,  nay,  even  sacrifice  of  life,  bore  testimony  to  the 
actual  resurrection  of  Christ.  And  since  he  is  not  now  taking  in  hand 
for  the  first  time  to  show  this,  but  merely  means  to  recall  to  their  mem¬ 
ory  what  hnd  been  before  delivered  to  them,  he  does  not  adduce  all  the 
witnesses  (not,  for  instance,  the  women ,  who  were  the  first  witnesses 
of  the  resurrection),  but  only  the  more  important  ones.  Since,  too,  the 
authority  both  of  Peter  and  James  was  great  among  the  Corinthians,  he 
does  not.  content  himself  with  appealing  to  the  general  testimony  of  all 
the  apostles, <much  less  mentions  himself,)  but  urges  by  name  the  au¬ 
thority  of  Peter  and  James  ;  ( Krause  ;)  especially  as  Peter  had,  after  the 
women’s  report,  been  the  first  to  go  to  the  sepulchre.  See  John  20:3, 
<fec.’  Id. 

(6.)  500  at  once.]  ‘  } Vhit.  and  Mackn.  think,  on  the  occasion  which 
lie  appointed  with  the  women,  after  his  resurrection,  Mat.  28:10.  in 
consequence  of  which  the  11  went  to  a  mountain;  and  that  probably 
many  other  disciples  would  hear  of  the  appointment,  and  assemble  at 


the  same  time  and  place.  See  also  Mat.  26:32.  Mk.  16:7.  This  is  not 
recorded  in  the  gospels.  EL,  who  shows  the  probability  of  this  number. 
Prid.  and  Doddr.  urge  this  as  a  glorious  proof  of  Christ’s  resurrection. 
“Had  it  been  otherwise  (say  they)  so  many  false  hearts  and  tongues 
could  never  have  acted  in  concert ;  nor  would  they  all  have  kept  a  se¬ 
cret,  which  remorse,  interest,  and  perhaps  often  torture,  might  urge  them 
to  divulge ;  especially  as  there  had  been  one  traitor  among  the  12;  on 
account  of  which,  had  they  been  conscious  of  a  fraud,  a  general  suspi¬ 
cion  of  each  others’  secrecy  must  have  arisen.’  El.  Ed. 

(8.)  ‘  The  comparison  is  not  between  an  imperfect  and  dead  born  em¬ 
bryo,  and  a  mature  and  live  born  child  ;  since  P.  was,  at  length,  spir¬ 
itually  born  ;  but  between  a  child  born  before  its  time,  always  imperfect, 
and  one  that  has  come  to  maturity  before  its  birth.  Now,  such  as  the 
former  are  observed  to  be  usually  smaller  than  others,  and  inferior  in 
bodily  and  mental  endowments.  P.  then,  calls  himself  so,  as  being  not 
an  apostle  formed  and  perfected  in  the  way  the  other  apostles  were,  but, 
(as  CEc.)  “not  moulded  from  the  first  in  the  faith  of  Christ,”  and  be¬ 
ing  made  an  apostle  (so  Mackn.)  without  the  having  gone  through  that 
previous  and  regular  course  of  instruction,  experience,  and  preparation, 
which  the  other  apostles  enjoyed,  who  had  attended  Jesus,  during  his 
ministry  on  earth.  There  may  be  an  allusion  also  to  the  extraordinary 
manner  in  which  P.  was  converted,  and  brought  into  the  spiritual  life 
and  a  state  of  salvation  ;  since  in  children  immaturely  born,  life  is  pre¬ 
served  by  art  and  extraordinary  care.’  Bl.,  whom  see.  Id. 

(10.)  ‘  Notice  Paul’s  modesty  and  delicacy.  He  does  not  say,  I 

attained  more  success  than  them  all,”  but  merely,  “I  labored  more 
abundantly,"  &c.  And  even  that  he  lowers  by  the  next  words.  Bl. 

V.  12 — 18.  Probably  they  argued  against  the  possibility  or  credibility 
of  such  an  event ;  [the  resurrection  of  the  dead;]  and  then  endeavored  to 
put  a  figurative  construction  on  the  testimony  of  apostles  or  prophets 


A.  D.  60. 


1  CORINTHIANS,  XV.  Inferences  from  Christ’s  resurrection. 


14  And  if  Christ  be  not  risen, 
then  is  our  preaching  vain,  and 
your  faith  is  also  vain. 

15  Yea,  and  we  are  found  false 
witnesses  of  God  ;  because  we  have 
testified  of  God  that  he  raised  up 
Christ  :  whom  he  raised  not  up,  if 
so  be  that  the  dead  rise  not. 

16  For  if  the  dead  rise  not,  then 
is  not  Christ  raised  : 

17  And  if  Christ  be  not  raised, 
your  faith' is  vain;  ye  are  yet  in 
your  sins. 

18  Then  they  also  which  are 
fallen  asleep  in  Christ,  are  perished. 

19  If  in  this  life  only  we  have 
hope  in  Christ,  we  8  are  of  all  men 
most  miserable. 

[Practical  Observations."] 
q  Ac. 17:31.  r  Ro.4:25.  *  Ju.l6:2.  c.4:13.  2  Ti.3:12. 

II.  Th  is  would  destroy  the  principal  evi¬ 
dence  of  Christianity  ;  and  so,  (1.)  Make 
preaching  vain.  ‘  We  apostles  are  all  the 
while  deceivers,  liars  for  God,  if,  in  his 
name,  and  by  power  received  from  Him,  we 
go  forth,  and  publish  and  assert  a  thing  false 
in  fact,  and  impossible  to  be  true.  And 
does  not  ibis  make  us  the  vainest  men  in  the 
world,  and  our  office  and  ministry  the  vain¬ 


est  and  most  useless  thing  in  the  world  1  1 
What  end  could  we  propose  to  ourselves,  in 
undertaking  this  hard  and  hazardous  ser¬ 
vice,  if  we  knew  our  religion  stood  on  no  j 
better  foundation,  nay,  if  we  were  not  well 
assured  of  the  contrary  1  ’  (2.)  This  sup¬ 

position  would  make  the  faith  of  Christians 
vain,  as  well  as  the  labors  of  ministers,  v. 
16.  because  it  is  through  his  death  and  sac¬ 
rifice  for  sin  alone,  that  forgiveness  is  to  be 
had.  Eph.  1:7.  No  remission  of  sins  is  I 
to  be  had,  but  through  the  shedding  of  his 
blood.  And,  had  He  remained  under  the  j 


ered  us  from  its  power  1  Or,  what  evidence  ! 
could  we  have  had,  that  through  Him  we 
should  have  justification  and  eternal  life'll 
He  must  rise  for  our  justification,  who  was  j 
delivered  for  our  sins,  or  in  vain  we  look  for 
any  such  benefit  by  Him.  And  must  not  ; 
faith  in  Christ  be  vain,  and  of  no  significa-  I 
lion,  if  He  be  still  among  the  dead  1 

III.  Another  absurdity  following  from  j 
this  supposition,  is,  that  those  who  are  fallen 
asleep  in  Christ  are  perished.  If  there  be  no 
resurrection,  they  cannot  rise,  and  therefore 
are  lost,  even  those  who  have  died  in  the 
Christian  faith,  and  for  it.  It  is  plain  from 
this,  that  those  among  the  Corinthians,  wdio 
denied  the  resurrection,  meant  thereby  a 
state  of  future  retribution,  and  not  merely 
the  revival  of  the  flesh  :  they  took  death  to 
be  the  destruction  and  extinction  of  the  man, 


and  not  merely  of  the  bodily  life;  for,  oth¬ 
erwise,  the  apostle  could  not  infer  the  utter 
loss  of  those  who  slept  in  Jesus,  from  the 
supposition  they  would  never  rise  more,  or 
that  they  had  no  hopes  in  Christ  after  life; 
for,  they  might  have  hope  of  happiness  for 
their  minds,  if  these  survived  their  bodies; 
and  this  would  prevent  the  limiting  of  their 
hopes  in  Christ  to  this  life  only.  On  sup¬ 
position  there  is  no  resurrection,  in  your 
sense,  no  after-state  and  life,  then  dead 
Christians  are  quite  lost.  How  vain  a  thing 
were  our  faith  and  religion,  on  this  supposi¬ 
tion  !  And  this, 

IV.  Would  infer,  that  Christ’s  ministers 
and  servants  were  of  all  men  most  miserable , 
as  having  hope  in  Him  in  this  life  only,v.  19. 
which  is  another  absurdity  that  would  follow 
from  asserting  no  resurrection.  All  who 
believe  in  Christ,  have  hope  in  Him;  all 
who  believe  in  Him.  as  a  Redeemer,  hope 
for  redemption  and  salvation  by  Him;  but 
if  there  be  no  resurrection,  or  state  of  future 
recompense,  their  hope  in  Him  must  be  lim¬ 
ited  to  this  life;  and  if  all  their  hopes  in 
Christ  lie  within  the  compass  of  this  life, 
thev  are  in  a  much  worse  condition  than  the 
rest  of  mankind,  especially  at  that  time,  and 
under  those  circumstances,  in  which  the 
apostles  wrote;  for  then  they  had  no  coun¬ 
tenance  or  protection  from  the  rulers  of  the 
world,  but  were  hated  and  persecuted  by  all 
men.  Better  be  anything  than  a  Christian 


TRACT.  OBS.  V.  1 — 19.  When  the  faithful  minister  sees  his  be¬ 
loved  people  drawn  aside  to  embrace  dangerous  errors,  his  chief  com¬ 
fort,  under  the  trial,  must  arise  from  being  able  to  appeal  to  them,  that 
the  doctrine  which  he  preached  was  scriptural,  and  from  a  full  satisfac¬ 
tion,  that  they  who  received  it,  and  stand  fast  in  it,  will  be  certainly 
saved  ;  and  that  none  of  them  can  perish,  if  they  keep  in  remembrance 
the  instructions  he  gave  them,  unless  they  deceived  themselves  with  a 
vain,  a  dead,  and  inefficient  faith.  In  order  that  we  may  possess  this 
comfort,  we  must  be  careful  to  deliver  the  truths  of  revelation  pure,  as 
we  have  received  them,  and  in  that  order,  proportion,  and  connexion  in 
which  they  stand  in  the  Scriptures  ;  and  he  who  duly  attends  to  these 
sacred  oracles  will  know  assuredly,  that  the  ‘death  of  Christ  for  our 
sins,’  and  his  ‘resurrection  for  our  justification,’  are  essential  and  funda¬ 
mental  doctrines,  which  must,  in  all  places,  and  on  all  occasions,  be 
explicitly  and  strenuously  insisted  on. — The  most  eminent  Christians 
are  always  the  most  humble;  they  continually  reflect  on  the  aggravated 
sins  of  their  unconverted  stale;  especially  if  they  were  long  or  greatly 
set  in  opposition  to  the  Gospel.  The  more  evident  it  is,  that  God  has 
pardoned  them,  the  less  disposed  will  they  be  to  excuse  themselves. 
In  reality,  it  is  a  great  thing  for  a  man,  with  propriety,  humility,  and 
truth,  to  say,  ‘  By  the  grace  of  God,  I  am  what  I  am  ;  ’  the  declaration 
becomes  those  alone,  who  are  walking  under  the  influence  of  holy  prin¬ 
ciples,  and  live  a  holy  life  ;  and  is  utterly  unsuitable  to  the  character  of 
the  negligent  or  formal  professor  of  evangelical  truth. — With  what  va¬ 
ried,  subtle  devices  doth  Satan  bring  in  false  doctrines,  by  men  of  abili¬ 
ties,  learning,  or  eloquence,  in  a  covert  and  plausible  manner,  that  the 
6imple  may  suspect  no  danger  !  Heretical  teachers,  often  with  apparent 
modesty,  question  whether  we  have  rightly  understood  the  sacred  wri¬ 
ters,  and  whether  the  doctrine  which  they  oppose  be  contained  in  them. 


They  inquire,  whether  a  more  rational  interpretation  may  not  be  given 
to  this  and  the  other  text  1  whether  the  more  obvious  meaning  do  not 
involve  absurdity,  or  even  impossibility  ;  whether  any,  but  the  weak  and 
illiterate,  can  credit  such  mysteries,  or  absurdities,  and.  whether  we  had 
not  better  adopt  a  figurative  sense,  or  admit  some  other  reading,  or  even 
suppose  the  sacred  writer  to  be  mistaken,  than  assent  to  so  incompre¬ 
hensible ,  and  therefore  irrational,  a  doctrine.  If,  indeed,  they  could 
prove  the  mysteries,  which  they  oppose,  to  be  contrary  to  fact,  to  in¬ 
tuition,  or  to  demonstration,  their  principles  might  be  admitted;  but 
when  they  apply  them  to  doctrines,  which  are  merely  above  reason,  and 
contrary  to  their  supposed  probabilities,  and  vain  reasonings,  they  are 
perfectly  inadmissible  and  irrational ;  unless  man  be  wiser  than  his 
Maker.  The  dupes,  however,  of  such  specious  pretences  are  seldom 
aware,  whither  these  rational  improvements  of  the  creed,  and  of  the 
Scriptures  tend;  they  do  not  perceive,  that,  according  to  them,  man’s 
presumptuous  reason  sits  in  judgment  on  the  infinite  wisdom  of  God ; 
man’s  weakness  is  made  the  standard  of  omnipotence;  and  man’s  con¬ 
jecture,  the  measure  of  divine  revelation.  Indeed,  this  is  perfectly  con¬ 
sistent  with  those  economical  and  political  sentiments,  contended  for  by 
some  of  these  oracles  of  an  enlightened  age;  by  which  children  are  set 
to  judge,  whether  their  parents  are  fit  to  be  honored  and  obeyed,  or  not ; 
servants  are  called  on  to  determine  the  same  concerning  their  masters, 
and  subjects  concerning  their  rulers ;  and,  in  short,  not  only  is  all  subor¬ 
dination  virtually  destroyed,  but,  in  every  relation,  the  inferior  is  con¬ 
stituted  the  judge  of  his  superior,  xvithout  any  appeal  from  his  arrogant 
tribunal.  . .  .  To  what  then  must  the  tenets  of  those  lead,  who  indeed 
profess  to  believe  that  Christ  is  risen  ;  yet  deny,  explain  away,  or  over¬ 
look  those  great  doctrines,  which  He  especially  rose  again  to  establish 
and  demonstrate  ?  Scott. 


concerning  it.  This,  however,  amounted  to  a  denial  of  Christ’s  resur¬ 
rection  ;  for  that  authenticated  fact  demonstrated  the  possibility  of  the 
dead  being  raised  ;  it  confirmed  all  that  he  had  taught  about  that  doc¬ 
trine  ;  and  it  was  an  earnest  of  the  resurrection  of  all  believers ;  so  that, 
to  invalidate  the  resurrection  of  Jesus  would  subvert  Christianity  itself. 

Scott. 

(12.  j  ‘  P.  has  not  expressed  the  ideas  by  which  the  consequent,  in  this 
hypothetical  proposition,  is  connected  with  its  antecedent.  Christ 
promised  repeatedly,  in  the  most  express  terms,  that  lie  would  raise  all 
mankind  from  the  dead,  Mat.  8:16,  27.  Jn.  5:28,  29.  Wherefore,  if  there 
is  to  be  no  resurrection  of  the  dead,  Christ  is  a  deceiver,  whom  no  per¬ 
son,  in  his  right  senses,  can  suppose  God  to  have  raised,  and  to  have 
declared  his  Son.’  M.xckn. 

(15.)  ‘  False  witnesses  of,  i.  e.  against  God,  as  testifying  that  He  had 
confirmed  the  pretensions  of  an  imposter  with  the  highest  possible  ev¬ 
idence  ;  which  were  a  blasphemy.’  Maclcn.  Bi.oo.mf. 

(17.)  In  your  sins.]  ‘Recent  comtrs.'most  manifestly  pervert  the 
sense.  Some  take  hamartia  for  error  of  opinion.  Others  (partly  from 
Peng,  and  Schoett.)  take  the  phrase  as  equivalent  to  hamartblbn  einai, 
i.  e.  to  be  a  pagan  ;  q.d.  “  ye  are  no  better  off  than  pagans  (as  ye  were).” 
And  this  Kr.  labors  to  establish,  but  to  little  purpose  ;  it  is  a  gratuitous 
assumption  [see  /i/.j  :  nay,  there  is  no  instance  of  hamartiain  the  sense 
of  heathenism.  They  indeed  endeavor  to  prove  their  point  from  what 
they  call  the  contrary  expression,  to  be  in  the  truth,  i.  e.  to  be  a  Chris¬ 
tian,  at  Jn.  3:3,  4.  But  there  we  have  not  to  be,  but  to  walk,  which 
quite  alters  the  case.  Besides,  not  a  few  of  the  Corinthian  converts 
were  Jewish  Christians.  This  interpretation,  therefore,  must  be  aban¬ 
doned,  and  the  common  one  retained,  which  is  supported  by  all  the  an¬ 
cient  comtrs.,  and  the  modern  ones  up  to  the  last  half  century.— The 
expression  Is  plainly  idiotical,  and  perhaps  Hebraic.  Comp.  1  Tim.  2:14. 
liy  sin  is  meant  the  penalty  of  sin,  and  the  en  [m]  is  used  for  hupo,  I.  e. 
‘‘subject  to,  liable  to  the  penalty  of  sin,  and  ever  liable  to  punishment, 
notwithstanding  we  have  repented  of  our  sins.”  Here  there  is  (as  Chrys. 
points  out)  an  evident  allusion  to  the  atonement  made  for  our  sins  by 
the  death  of  Christ.  And  it  is  rightly  noticed,  by  Doddr.  and  Mackn., 
that  this  observation  shows,  that  “something  more  than  reformation  and 
liberation  from  the  power  of  sin  (which  many  of  the  Corinthians  no 

[310] 


doubt  had  experienced)  was  necessary  for  the  deliverance  of  penitents 
from  the  punishment  of  sin,  even  that  atonement,  the  sufficiency  of 
which  God  attested,  by  raising  our  great  Surety  from  the  grave.”  ’  Bl. 

V.  19.  It  does  not  follow,  that  Christians  would,  in  fact,  be  more  un¬ 
happy  than  other  men,  if  there  should,  in  the  event,  be  no  future  reward; 
for  even  then,  their  hopes  of  heaven,  and  that  consolation  which  is 
thence  derived,  would  far  more  than  counterbalance  their  peculiar 
trials,  self-denials,  and  hardships;  [note,  Job  34:1.  36:8 — 14.]  but  ifthis 
hope  and  consolation  were  taken  from  them,  they  would  indeed  be  more 
miserable  than  other  men  ;  having  lost  their  relish  for  those  vain  pleas¬ 
ures,  which  alone  could  be  hoped  for,  and  in  which  other  men,  with  a 
measure  of  success,  strive  to  forget  their  misery,  experiencing  earnest 
desires,  which  must  certainly  be  disappointed,  and  enduring  many  pe¬ 
culiar  evils,  without  any  peculiar  support  and  consolation. — The  fact 
however  is,  that  Christians  have  not  only  the  hope  of  a  future  felicity, 
but  also  the  earnests,  the  beginnings,  and  first-fruits  of  it,  in  those  holy 
affections  towards  God,  and  that  ‘joy  ’  in  Him,  ‘  which  a  stranger  inter- 
meddleth  not  with;’  and  therefore  they  are  so  far  from  being ‘of  all 
men  most  miserable,’  that  they  of  all  men  enjoy  the  most  solid  comfort, 
amidst  their  difficulties  and  trials,  and  even  in  the  seasons  of  the  sharp¬ 
est  persecutions. — Many  of  the  Corinthians  were  not  aware,  what  dan¬ 
gerous  inferences  were  fairly  deducible  from  the  tenets,  to  which  they 
had  listened,  and  their  false  teachers  would  doubtless  disavow  them  ; 
yet  it  was  proper  thus  to  expose  them,  that  they  might  be  put  on  their 
guard,  and  not  patronize  opinions  pregnant  with  such  mischief  to  the 
souls  of  men,  and  so  destructive  of  the  animating  hopes  and  comforts 
of  all  believers.  Scott. 

(19.)  ‘  In  that  age,  the  profession  of  Christianitv  was  exposed  to  nu¬ 
merous  persecutions,  trials,  self-denials,  and  sufferings;  more  indeed 
than  we  can  conceive.’  Bl.  For  which,  see  even  Gibbon,  who  labors  to 
prove  the  contrary.  Indeed,  let  any  Christian  try.  even  now,  to  five 
fully  up  to  Christ’s  precepts,  and  he  will  find  what  Christ  said  to  his  dis¬ 
ciples  to  be  still  true,  ‘in  this  world  ye  shall  have  tribulation.’  Our  own 
country  has  produced  its  martyrs,  even  to  the  Gospel,  and  in  do  country 
has  persecution,  for  honest,  yea,  gospel-opinion,  yet  ceased  ;  provided 
such  opinion  has  been  carried  out  into  life.  Miserable.]  But  comp,  on 
Job  34:1.  Ed. 


A.  D.  60. 


20  But  now  is  ‘Christ  risen  from 
the  dead,  and  become  the  first-fruits 
u  of  them  that  slept. 

21  For  T  since  by  man  came  death, 
w  by  man  came  also  the  resurrection 
of  the  dead. 

22  For  as  irvAdam  all  die,  even 
so  in  Christ  shall  all  be  made  alive. 

23  But  1  every  man  in  his  own 
order  ;  Christ  the  first-fruits;  after¬ 
ward  they  that  are  Christ’s,  at  his 
coming. 

24  Then  cometh  the  end,  when 
he  shall  have  delivered  up  the  king¬ 
dom  y  to  God,  even  the  Father; 
when  he  shall  have  put  down  all 
rule,  and  all  authority  and  power. 

25  For  z  he  must  reign,  till  he 
hath  put  all  enemies  under  his  feet. 

t  1  Pe  1:3.  w  Jn.  11:25.  z  Ps.  2:6—10.  43: 

u  Ac.  26:23.  x  1  Th  4:15—17.  3-6.  110:1.  Ep. 

Col.  1:18.  y  Da.  7:14,27.  1:22.  He.l:13. 

v  Ro.  5:12,17. 

on  these  terms;  for  in  this  world  they  are 
hated,  and  hunted,  and  abused,  stripped  of 
all  worldly  comforts,  and  exposed  to  all 
manner  of  sufferings  :  they  fare  much  harder 
than  other  men  in  this  life,  and  yet  have  no 
further  or  better  hopes.  And  is  it  not  ab¬ 
surd,  for  one  who  believes  in  Christ,  to  ad¬ 
mit  a  principle  that  involves  so  absurd  an 
inference  I 

V.  20 — 34.  The  apostle  establishes  the 
resurrection  of  the  dead,  the  holy  dead,  the 
dead  in  Christ, 

I.  On  the  resurrection  of  Christ.  1.  Be¬ 
cause  He  is  indeed  the  First-fruits  of  them  that 
slept,  ti.  20.  As  He  is  assuredly  risen,  so  in 
his  resurrection  there  is  as  much  an  earnest 
given,  that  the  dead  in  Him  shall  rise,  as 
there  was  that  the  Jewish  harvest  in  general 
should  be  accepted,  and  blessed,  by  the  offer¬ 
ing  and  acceptance  of  the  first-fruits.  He  is 
not  risen  men  ly  for  Himself,  but  as  Head  of 
the  body  of  the  church ;  and  those  that  sleep 
in  Him.  God  will  bring  with  Him,  1  Thess.  4: 
14.  Note,  Christ’s  resurrection  is  a  pledge 
and  earnest  of  ours,  if  we  are  true  believers 
in  Him  :  because  He  is  risen,  we  shall  rise. 
This  is  the  apostle’s  first  argument,  in  con¬ 
firmation  of  the  truth  ;  and  it  is,  2.  Illus¬ 
trated  by  a  parallel  between  the  first  and 
second  Adam,  v.  21,  22.  As  through  the  sin 


1  CORINTHIANS,  XV. 

of  the  first  Adam  all  men  became  mortal, 
because  all  derived  from  him  the  same  sinful 
nature,  so,  through  the  merit  and  resurrec¬ 
tion  of  Christ,  shall  all  who  are  made  to  par¬ 
take  of  the  Spirit,  and  the  spiritual  nature, 
revive,  and  become  immortal.  But  the 
meaning  is  not,  that,  as  all  men  died  in 
Adam,  so  all  men,  without  exception,  shall 
be  made  alive  in  Christ;  for  the  scope  of 
the  apostle’s  argument  restrains  the  general 
meaning.  Christ  rose  as  the  First-fruits  ; 
therefore  they  that  are  Christ’s,  v.  23.  shall 
rise  too.  Tiius  it  seemed  fit  to  the  Divine 
Wisdom,  that,  as  the  first  Adam  ruined  his 
posterity  by  sin,  the  second  Adam  should 
raise  his  seed  to  a  glorious  immortality. 
Before  he  leaves  the  argument,  he,  3.  Ob¬ 
serves,  That  there  will  be  an  order  observed 
in  their  resurrection.  What  that  precisely 
will  be,  we  are  nowhere  told,  but  in  the 
general  only  here,  that  there  will  be  order 
observed.  It  is  only  here  said,  that  the 
first-fruits  are  supposed  to  rise  first,  and 
afterward  all  who  are  Christ’s,  when  He 
shall  come  again.  Not  that  Christ’s  res¬ 
urrection  must  in  fact  go  before  the  resur¬ 
rection  of  any  of  his,  but  it  must  be  laid  as 
the  foundation.  See  Bp.  Patrick  on  Num. 
26:2.  The  offering  of  the  first-fruits  was 
what  made  the  lump  holy ;  and  the  lump 
was  made  holy  by  this  offering,  though  it 
was  not  made  before  the  harvest  was  gather¬ 
ed  in,  so  it  w'ere  set  apart  for  that  end,  and 
duly  offered  afterward.  So  Christ’s  resur¬ 
rection  must,  in  order  of  nature,  precede 
that  of  his  saints,  though  some  of  these 
might  rise  in  order  of  time  before  Him.  It 
is  because  He  is  risen,  that  they  rise. 

II.  He  argues  from  the  continuance  of  the 
mediatorial  kingdom  till  all  Christ’s  ene¬ 
mies  are  destroyed,  the  last  of  which  is 
death,  v.  24 — 26.  He  is  risen,  and,  on  his 
resurrection,  was  invested  with  sovereign 
empire,  had  all  power  in  heaven  and  earth  put 
into  his  hands.  Mat.  28:18.  had  a  name 
given  Him  above  every  name,  that  every  knee 
might  bow  to  Him,  and  every  tongue  confess 
Him  Lord,  Philip.  2:9 — 11.  And  the  ad¬ 
ministration  of  this  kingdom  must  continue 
in  his  hands,  till  all  opposing  power,  and  rule, 
and  authority,  be  put  down,  v.  24.  till  all  en¬ 
emies  are  put  under  his  feet,  v.  25.  and  till 
the  last  enemy  is  destroyed,  which  is  death, 
v.  26.  Now,  this  argument  implies  in  it  all 
these  particulars  :  1  That  our  Savior  rose 
from  the  dead,  to  have  all  power  put  into  his 


Truth  of  the  resurrection. 

hands,  and  have  and  administer  a  kingdom, 
as  Mediator,  Rom.  14:9.  2.  That  this 

mediatorial  kingdom  is  to  have  an  end,  at 
least  as  far  as  it  is  concerned  in  bringing 
his  people  safe  to  glory,  and  subduing  all  his 
and  their  enemies,  v.  24.  3.  That  it  is  not 

to  have  an  end,  till  all  opposing  power  be 
put  down,  and  all  enemies  brought  to  his 
feet,  v.  24,  25.  4.  That,  among  other  ene¬ 

mies,  death  must  be  destroyed,  v.  26.  or  its 
power  over  his  members  be  disannulled. 
Thus  far  the  apostle  is  express  ;  but  he 
leaves  us  to  make  the  inference,  that  there¬ 
fore  the  saints  must  rise;  else  death  and  the 
grave  would  have  power  over  them  ;  nor 
would  our  Savior’s  kingly  power  prevail 
against  the  last  enemy  of  his  people,  and 
annul  its  power.  The  saints  therefore  shall 
live  again,  and  die  no  more. 

This  is  the  scope  of  the  argument  ;  but 
the  apostle  drops  several  hints,  in  the  course 
of  it,  that  will  be  properly  noticed;  as,  (1.) 
That  our  Savior,  as  Man,  and  Mediator  be¬ 
tween  God  and  man,  has  a  delegated  royalty, 
a  kingdom  given,  v.  27.  As  Man,  all  his 
authority  must  be  delegated.  And  though 
his  mediation  supposes  his  divine  nature, 
yet,  as  Mediator,  He  does  not  so  explicitly 
sustain  the  character  of  God,  but  a  middle 
Person  between  God  and  man,  partaking  of 
both  natures,  human  and  divine,  as  He  was 
to  reconcile  both  parties,  God  and  man  ; 
and  receiving  commission  and  authority  from 
God  the  Father,  to  act  in  this  office.  The 
Father  appears,  in  this  whole  dispensation, 
in  the  majesty,  and  with  the  authority,  of 
God  :  the  Son,  made  Man,  appears  as  the 
Minister  of  the  Father,  though  He  is  God 
as  well  as  the  Father.  Nor  is  this  passage 
to  be  understood  of  the  eternal  dominion 
over  all  his  creatures,  which  belongs  to  Him 
as  God,  but  of  a  kingdom  committed  to  Him 
as  Mediator,  and  God-man,  and  that  chiefly 
after  his  resurrection,  when,  having  over¬ 
come,  He  sat  down  with  his  Father  on  his 
throne,  Rev.  3:21.  Then  was  the  predic¬ 
tion  verified,  I  have  set  my  King  upon  my 
holy  hill  of  Zirm,  Ps.  2:6.  placed  Him  on 
his  throne.  This  is  meant  by  the  phrase  so 
frequent  in  the  N.  T.  of  sitting  at  the.  right 
hand  of  God,  Mark  14:19.  Rom.  8:34. 
Col.  3:1,  &c.  on  the  right  hand  of  power, 
Mk.  16:62.  Lu.  20:69.  on  the  right  hand 
of  the  Majesty  on  high,  Heb.  1:3.  on  the 
right  hand  of  the  throne  of  God,  Heb.  32:2. 
on  the  right  hand  of  the  throne  of  the  Majesty 


V.  20 — 28.  Tlie  apostle,  having  established  the  fact  of  Christ’s  res¬ 
urrection,  from  that  fact  shows  the  certainty  of  our  resurrection,  and 
then,  from  the  important  questions  in  verse  35.  he  takes  occasion  to 
enlarge  on  the  glorious  change  which  shall  take  place  iu  the  bodies  of 
the  saints  ;  anil,  filially,  he  triumphs  over  death,  by  the  consideration  of 
a  resurrection  and  a  glorious  immortality.  This  is  the  plan,  or  method, 
and  the  coherence  of  the  parts,  in  this  noble  cli.  (21)  ‘For  since  by 
in  an,’ sin  and  death  entered  into  the  world  ;  so, 1  by  man,’  by  One  in 
human  nature,  ‘  came  the  resurrection  of  the  dead;’  and  as,  inconse¬ 
quence  of  their  relation  to  Adam,  all  men  are  born  mortal,  and  at  length 
die;  even  so,  in  and  by  Christ,  shall  all  be  made  alive.  Jn.  11:20 — 27. 
v».  26,  27.  Rom.  5:12 — 19.  All  men,  without  exception,  through  his 
undertaking,  being  placed  under  a  dispensation  of  mercy,  shall  he  raised 
from  the  dead,  that  their  future  stale  may  he  accordingly  determined  ; 
yet  none  will  he  flnallv  benefited,  except  those,  who  are  one  with  Him 
by  faith,  and  the  participation  of  his  life-giving  Spirit,  and  of  these  the 
apostle  particularly,  and  almost  exclusively,  treats  in  this  ch.  Jn.  5:28, 
23. — The  distinction  between  the  absolute ,  universal,  and  everlasting 
kingdom  of  Cod,  the  Governor  of  all,  and  the  mediatorial  kingdom  of 
Christ,  as  instituted  for  tlitf  benefit  of  fallen  man,  is  everywhere  implied 
in  Scripture.  The  Father,  as  the  Head  of  the  absolute  kingdom,  ceased 
Hot  to  reign,  when  the  Son  was  advanced  to  the  mediatorial  throne;  as 
that  authority  was  intended  to  endure  only  for  a  season,  in  order  to  ac¬ 
complish  certain  important  ends,  to  the  glory  of  God  in  man’s  salvation. 
Mat.  28:19.  Jn.  5:20—30.  After  the  (lav  ofjudgment,  this  kingdom  will 
be  terminated  ;  Christ,  having  executed  his  commission,  will  cease  to 
reign  ‘over  all  worlds,’  as  Mediator,  having  publicly  ‘delivered  up  the 
kingdom  to  God  ’  in  the  person  of  ‘  the  Father  ;  ’  yet  He  will  in  human 
nature  retain  a  peculiar  authority  over  his  redeemed  people,  and,  as  One 
with  the  Father,  He  will,  with  Him  and  the  Holy  Spirit,  reign  One  ‘God 
over  all,  blessed  for  evermore ;  ’  nor  will  He  any  more  cease  to  reign  in 
this  sense,  when  He  has  given  up  the  mediatorial  kingdom,  than  the 
Father  ceased  to  reign,  when  He  appointed  the  Son  to  that  kingdom. 
For  in  this  passage,  as  in  some  others,  the  person  of  the  Father  is  men¬ 
tioned.  as  filling  the  throne  and  appointing  the  Mediator,  in  order  to  dis¬ 
tinguish  the  absolute  authority  of  God,  from  the  delegated  authority  of 
the  Son  in  human  nature. — ‘  He  saith  not,  that  “  the  Father,”  mentioned, 
t>.  24.  but,  that  “  God  may  be  all  in  all ;  ”  and  so  he  seems  to  lead  us  to 
that  interpretation  of  the  Godhead,  which  comprehends  Father,  Sou,  and 


Holy  Ghost.  That  the  Godhead  may  govern  all  things  immediately  by 
Himself,  without  the  intervention  of  a  Mediator  between  Him  and  us,  to 
exact  our  obedience  in  his  name,  and  to  convey  to  us  his  favors  and  re¬ 
wards.  ...  So  that  as  now  Christ,  Theanthropos,  God-man,  is  “  all  in  all;” 
Col.  3:11.  because  the  Father  hath  put  all  things  into  his  hands,  does  all 
things,  and  governs  all  things,  by  Him  ;  when  this  economy  ceases,  the 
Godhead  will  he  “all  in  all,”  as  governing  and  influencing  all  things  by 
Himself  immediately.  “That  God  may  he  all  in  all,”  ..  .  by  a  full  com¬ 
munication  of  Himself  to,  and  an  intimate  union  with,  all  his  saints.  . .  . 
Though  it,  (the  kingdom  of  Christ,)  shall  have  no  such  end  as  the  pre¬ 
ceding  monarchies  had,  Luke  1:32:33.  by  giving  place  to  a  succeeding 
kingdom,  Dan.  7.14.  but  shall  be  an  eternal  kingdom,  in  the  same  sense 
in  which  ‘  He  is  a  Priest  for  ever,”  ..  .  Heb.  7:17,  24,  25.  yet,  as  that 
■priesthood  must  needs  cease,  xvhen  the  subject  of  it  ceaseth,  and  He  hath 
none  to  intercede  for,  so  must  his  kingly  office  cease,  when  all  his 
friends  have  that  eternal  life  conferred  on  them,  for  which  this  power 
was  committed  to  Him,  and  all  his  “  enemies  ure  become  his  footstool.” 
..  .  Though  the  Godhead  could  alone  enable  Him  to  execute  his  kingly 
office,  yet  was  He  thus  exalted,  this  power  and  judgment  were  conferred 
on  Him,  “  because  He  was  the  Son  of  man.”  Jn.  5:27.  He  intercedeth 
still  in  heaven,  by  virtue  of  his  blood,  all  favors  are  granted  to  the  church 
through  Him,  and  God  will  judge  the  world  “by  the  man  Christ  Jesus.” 
..  .  While  He  continued  on  earth,  and  acted  only  as  a  Prophet  sent  from 
God,  He  always  owned  that  He  could  “do  nothing  of  Himself,  but  as  the 
Father  gave  liim  commandment,  so  He  did,  and  so  He  spake.”  Jn.  5:30. 
8:38.  12:49. — Hut  being  exalted  to  he  Lord  of  all  things,  He  acted  as 
Lord  in  all  things,  which  relate  to  his  kingly  office  over  his  church.  ..  . 
The  exercise  of  this  authority  He  shall  then  lay  do\vn,  when  “  all  things 
are  subdued  to  Him  ;  ”  no  other  kingdom  or  dominion  being  to  he  exer¬ 
cised  in  the  celestial  state,  but  what  is  essential  to  the  whole  Godhead. 
And  though  He  shall  ever  so  far  reign,  as  to  be  still  at  the  right  hand  of 
God,  in  honor,  dignity,  and  beatitude  ;  . .  .  and  though  the  effects  ot  his 
kingly  power  shall  continue  for  ever,  his  enemies  being  destroyed,  and 
his  saints  reigning  in  bliss  for  ever ;  yet  the  exercise  of  that  kingly  power 
shall  then  cease,  and  He,  as  Man,  shall  be  subject  to  the  Father.  ..  .As 
Christ  before  was  “  all  in  all,”  in  reference  to  his  church,  and  *r°m  ""j 
fulness  they  did  all  receive  ;”  so  now  the  Godhead  may  be  all  in  nil,  aim 
fill  all  things  immediately  hy  Himself.’  Whitby. — No  doubt,  Christ,  as 
Man,  and  in  his  mediatorial  kingdom,  always  was  most  perfectly  snojcc. 


A.  D.  60, 


i  CORINTHIANS,  XV.  Truth  of  the  resurrection. 


26  The  last  enemy  that  shall  be 
destroyed  *  is  death. 

27  For  he  bhath  put  all  things 
under  his  feet.  But  when  he  saith, 
All  things  are  put  under  him  it  is 
manifest  that  he  is  excepted  which 
did  put  all  things  under  him. 

29  And  when  all  things  shall  be 
subdued  c  unto  him,  then  shall  the 
Son  also  himself  be  subject  unto 
him  d  that  put  all  things  under  him, 
that  God  may  be  all  in  all. 

29  Else  what  shall  they  do  which 
*  are  baptized  for  the  dead,  if  the 
dead  rise  not  at  all  ?  why  are  they 
then  baptized  for  the  dead  ? 

30  And  why  stand  we  in  f  jeop¬ 
ardy  every  hour  } 

a  Ho.  13:14.  2TI.  c  Phi.  3:21.  e  Ro.  6:3,4. 

1:10.  Re.  20:14.  d  c.  11:3.  f  2  Co.  11:26. 

b  Ps.  8:6. 

in  the  heavens ,  Heb.  8:  1.  Sitting  down  in 
this  seat,  is  taking  upon  Him  the  exercise 
of  his  mediatorial  power  and  royalty,  which 
was  done  on  his  ascension  into  heaven, 
Mark  16:19.  A  recompense,  Philip.  2: 
6 — 12.  On  his  ascension,  He  was  made 
Head  over  all  things  to  the  church,  and 
power  given  Him  to  govern  and  protect  it 
against  all  enemies,  and  in  the  end  destroy 
them,  and  complete  the  salvation  of  all  who 
believe  in  Him.  (2.)  That  this  delegated 
royally  must  some  time  be  delivered  up  to  the 
Father ,  from  whom  it  was  received,  v.  24. 
for  it  is  a  power  received  for  particular  ends 
and  purposes,  v.  25,  26.  And  when  these 
ends  shall  be  obtained,  namely,  the  salvation 
of  his  church,  and  the  destruction  of  his  en¬ 
emies,  then  will  He  deliver  up  the  power 
which  He  had  only  for  this  purpose,  though 
He  may  continue  to  reign  over  his  glorified 
church  and  body  in  heaven  ;  and  in  this 
sense  it  may  notwithstanding  be  said,  that 
He  shall  reign  for  ever  and  ever.  Rev.  11 :  15. 
that  He  shall  reign  over  the  house  of  Jacob  for 
ever,  and  of  his  kingdom  there  shall  be  no  end, 
Lu.  1 :  33.  that  his  dominion  is  an  everlasting 
dominion,  which  shall  not  pass  away,  Dan. 
7:14.  See,  also,  Mic.  4:  7.  (3.)  The  Re¬ 

deemer  shall  certainly  reign  till  the  very  last 
enemy  of  his  people  be  destroyed,  till  death 
itself  be  abolished,  till  his  saints  revive,  and 
recover  perfect  life,  never  to  be  in  fear  or 
danger  of  dying  any  more.  What  support 
should  this  be  to  his  saints  in  every  hour  of 
distress  and  temptation  !  He  is  alive,  who 


was  dead,  and  liveth  for  ever,  and  doth  reign, 
and  will  continue  to  reign,  till  the  redemp¬ 
tion  of  his  people  be  completed,  and  the 
utter  ruin  of  their  enemies  effected.  (4.) 
When  this  is  done,  and  all  things  are  put  un¬ 
der  his  feet,  then  shall  the  Son  become  subject 
to  Him,  that  put  all  things  under  Him,  that 
God  may  be  all  in  all,  v.  28.  The  meaning 
of  which  I  take  to  be.  That  then  the  Man 
Christ  Jesus,  who  has  appeared  in  so  much 
majesty  during  the  whole  administration  cf 
this  kingdom,  shall  appear,  on  the  giving  it 
up,  to  be  a  subject  of  the  Father.  Things 
are,  in  Scripture,  many  times  said  to  be, 
when  they  are  manifested  and  made  to  appear; 
and  this  delivering  up  of  the  kingdom  will 
make  it  manifest,  that  He  who  appeared  in 
the  majesty  of  the  sovereign  King,  was, 
during  this  administration,  a  subject  of  God ; 
so  it  will  appear  to  the  divine  glory,  that 
God  may  be  all  in  all,  that  the  accomplish¬ 
ment  of  our  salvation  may  appear  all  divine, 
and  God  alone  have  the  honor  of  it.  Though 
the  human  nature  must  be  employed  in  the 
work  of  our  redemption,  yet  God  was  all  in 
all  in  it. 

III.  He  argues  for  the  resurrection,  from 
the  case  of  those  who  were  baptized  for  the 
dead,  v.  29.  What  shall  they  do,  if  the 
dead  rise  not  1  What  have  they  done  1 
How  vain  a  thing  hath  their  baptism  been  ! 
Must  they  stand  by  it,  or  renounce  it  1  why 
are  they  baptized  for  the  dead,  if  the  dead 
rise  not  3  But  what  is  this  baptism  for  the 
dead  3  It  is  necessary  to  be  known,  that 
the  apostle’s  argument  may  be  understood; 
whether  it  conclude  for  the  thing  in  dispute 
universally,  or  only  against  the  particular 
persons  who  were  baptized  for  the  dead. 
But  who  shall  interpret  this  very  obscure 
passage,  it  being  not  agreed,  what  is  meant 
by  baptism;  whether  it  be  to  be  taken  in  a 
proper  or  figurative  sense ;  and  if  in  a  prop¬ 
er  sense,  whether  it  be  to  be  understood  of 
Christian  baptism,  properly  so  called,  or 
some  other  ablution.  And  as  little  is  it 
agreed,  who  are  the  dead,  or  in  what  sense 
the  preposition  for  is  to  be  taken.  Some, 
as  Whitby,  understand  the  dead,  of  our 
Savior  Himself.  Why  are  persons  baptized 
in  the  name  of  a  dead  Savior,  a  Savior 
who  remains  among  the  dead,  if  the  dead 
rise  not  3  But  it  is,  I  believe,  an  instance 
perfectly  singular,  for  ‘  the  dead  ’  (the  Gr. 
is  plural)  to  mean  no  more  than  one  dead 
person  ;  it  is  a  signification  which  the 
words  liave  nowhere  else.  And  the  bap¬ 
tized,  seem  plainly  to  mean  some  particular 
persons,  not  Christians  in  general  ;  which 


yet  must  be  the  signification,  if  the  dead  be 
understood  of  our  Savior.  Some  understand 
the  passage  of  the  martyrs  :  Why  do  they 
suffer  martyrdom  for  their  religion  3  This 
is  sometimes  called  the  baptism  of  blood  by 
the  ancients,  and,  by  our  Savior  Himself, 
baptism  indefinitely,  Mat.  20:22.  Lu.  12:  50. 
But  in  what  sense  can  they  that  die  martyrs 
for  their  religion,  be  said  to  be  baptized, 
i.  e.  die  martyrs  for  the  dead  3  Some  un¬ 
derstand  it,  of  a  custom  observed,  as  some 
of  the  ancients  tell  us,  among  many  who  pro¬ 
fessed  the  Christian  name  in  the  first  ages, 
of  baptizing  some  in  the  name  and  stead  of 
catechumens  dying  without  baptism.  But 
this  savored  of  such  superstition,  that,  if  the 
custom  had  prevailed  in  the  church  so  soon, 
the  apostle  would  hardly  have  mentioned  it, 
without  signifying  a  dislike  of  it.  Some 
understand  it,  of  baptizing  over  the  dead, 
which  was  a  custom,  they  tell  us,  that  early 
obtained;  and  this,  to  testify  their  hope  of 
the  resurrection.  This  sense  is  pertinent  to 
the  apostle’s  argument,  but  it  appears  not 
that  any  such  practice  was  in  use  in  the 
apostle’s  time.  Others  understand  it,  of 
those  who  have  been  baptized  for  the  sake 
or  on  occasion,  of  the  martyrs,  i.  e.  the 
constancy  with  which  they  died  for  their 
religion.  Some  were  doubtless  converted 
to  Christianity,  by  observing  this  ;  and  it 
would  have  been  a  vain  thing  for  persons  to 
have  become  Christians  on  this  motive,  if 
the  martyrs,  by  losing  their  lives  foe  religion, 
became  utterly  extinct,  and  were  to  live  no 
more.  But  the  church  at  Corinth  had  not, 
in  all  probability',  suffered  much  persecution 
at  this  time,  or  seen  many  instances  of  mar¬ 
tyrdom  among  them,  nor  had  many  converts 
been  made  by  the  constancy  and  firmness 
which  the  martyrs  discovered.  Not  to  ob¬ 
serve,  that  ‘  the  dead  ’  seems  to  be  too  gen¬ 
eral  an  expression,  to  mean  only  the  martyr¬ 
ed  dead.  It  is  as  easy  an  explication  of  the 
phrase  as  any  I  have  met  with,  and  as  per¬ 
tinent  to  the  argument,  to  suppose  ‘  the  dead  * 
to  mean  some  among  the  Corinthians,  who 
had  been  taken  -off  by  the  hand  of  God. 
We  read,  that  many  were  sickly  among  them, 
and  many  slept,  ch.  11:  38.  because  of  their 
disorderly  behavior  at  the  Lord’s  table. 
These  executions  might  terrify  some  into 
Christianity;  as  the  miraculous  earthquake 
did  the  jailer,  Ac.  16:29,30,  &c.  Per¬ 
sons  baptized  on  such  an  occasion,  might  be 
properly  said  to  be  baptized  for  the  dead, 
i.  e.  on  their  account.  And  the  baptized  and 
the  dead  answer  to  one  another  ;  and,  on 
this  supposition,  the  Corinthians  could  not 


to  the  Godhead,  referring  all  to  his  honor,  and  exercising  all  his  author¬ 
ity,  ‘  to  the  glory  of  God  the  Father  but  when  the  grand  designs  of 
that  kingdom  shall  be  illustriously  completed,  in  the  view  of  all  holy 
creatures  in  the  universe,  and  the  kingdom  delivered  up,  this  shall  ap¬ 
pear  ii\  the  most  conspicuous  manner,  and  so  as  far  to  exceed  all  our 
conceptions;  and  the  glory  of  the  Godhead,  Father,  Son,  and  Holy 
Spirit,  will  be  displayed  and  adored,  in  the  highest  possible  degree.  ‘The 
resurrection  of  all  that  “  are  Christ’s,”  is  to  be  at  this  very  advent;  but 
how  can  He  “deliver  up  his  kingdom  ”  and  yet  reign  on  earth  a  thousand 
years  ?  In  a  wrord,  if  all  that  are  his  must  be  raised,  at  his  coming  to 
the  final  judgment,  then  none  before  that  coming,  and  then  they  must  be 
all  raised  together,  not  some  a  thousand  years  before  the  rest.’  Whitby. 
Rev.  20:4 — 6.  (27)  He  hath  put,  &c.]  Both  in  the  LXX.  and  the  Heb. 
the  verb  is  in  the  second  person,  ‘  Thou  hast  put,  &c.’  Ps.  8:6,  4—9. 
Heb.  2.5 — 13.  Scott. 

(20.)  First.]  ‘  Of  them  who  rose  so  as  never  afterwards  to  die.’  Bl. 

(22.)  ‘  As  the  death  of  all  mankind  came  by  Adam,  so  the  resurrec¬ 
tion  of  all  men  came  by  Christ ;  the  wicked  shall  be  raised  by  Him  of¬ 
ficio  Judicis,  by  the  power  of  Christ,  as  their  Lord  and  Judge:  the 
righteous  shall  be  raised  beneficio  Mediatoris,  by  virtue  of  their  union 
with  Him  as  their  Head.’  Valpy,  Iren.,  Morus,  Mackn.'  In. 

(23.)  Order.]  ‘  Tagma  :  properly,  regiment :  comtrs.  are  not  agreed 
whether  time  (as  Theoph.,  Vorst.,  Menoch.,  Tirinus)  or  merit,  or  dig¬ 
nity  (as  Zon  ,  Pise.,  Tert.,  Est.,  Grot.,  ice.)  be  intended.  Mackn.  tr. 
“band,  or  class;”  Slade,  “assembly.”  The  first  seems  best,  and  to 
include  the  others  ;  since  priority  of  resurrection  would  cause  separation 
of  class,  and  imply  difference  of  rank.’  In. 

(24.)  Kingdom.]  ‘  Two  kingdoms  (says  Theoph.)  are  mentioned  in 
theSS.,  that  of  creation,  and  that  of  adoption.  Christ  is  the  King  of  all  na¬ 
tions,  Greeks  and  Jews,  by  creation,  whether  they  will  or  no.  He  reigns 
over  the  faithful  and  holy,  who  are  in  willing  subjection,  by  culoption 
and  appropriation.  See  Ps.  2:8.  Mat.  28:18.  This  kingdom  (continues 
Th.)  He  delivers  to  his  Father,  by  achieving  and  accomplishing  the  pur¬ 
pose  of  it.  Thus,  for  instance,  if  a  king  commits  to  his  son  the  manage¬ 
ment  of  a  wmr,  against  nations  that  have  rebelled,  when  the  war  is  fin¬ 
ished,  and  the  nations  are  again  reduced  to  subjection,  then  the  son  is 

[312] 


said  to  deliver  up  the  war  to  his  father,  i.  e.  show  that  he  has  accom¬ 
plished  the  work  committed  to  him.  The  kingdom  here  (as  Sclater)  is 
ceconomicum,  the  mediatorial  kingdom  and  government  of  Christ,  and 
the  dispensation  of  God  with  men  by  Christ.  See  Mackn.  Grot,  illus¬ 
trates  the  delivering  up  the  kingdom  to  God,  by  comparing  it  with  that 
of  the  presidents,  sent  out  by  the  Roman  emperors  to  govern  provinces, 
and,  on  the  expiration  of  the  period  of  their  government,  restoring  their 
pow»er  into  the  hands  of  the  sovereign.’  Bloomf. 

(25.)  ‘  By  Oriental  custom,  the  heir  apparent,  or  the  next  in  rank  to 
the  monarch,  sits  at  his  right  hand,  and  by  that,  likewise,  vanquished  en¬ 
emies  were,  as  it  were,  triumphed  over,  in  being  trampled  under  foot  by 
their  conquerors  ’  Bl.  Comp,  cuts  l,  at  end  of  Jer.  and  at  Ps.  110:1.  Ed. 

V.  29,  SO.  The  apostle,  having  shown  the  order  and  event  of  the  gen¬ 
eral  resurrection,  proceeds  to  evince  still  further  the  importance  of  a 
firm  belief  respecting  it. — The  expression  1  baptized  for  the  dead,’  has 
given  occasion  to  a  variety  of  ingenious  conjectures  and  learned  discus¬ 
sions.  The  following  interpretation,  however,  suggested  by  Dr.  Dod¬ 
dridge,  who  received  it  from  Sir  R.  Ellis,  appears  the  true  one.  The 
apostle  refers  to  the  case  of  those,  who  presented  themselves  for  bap¬ 
tism,  immediately  after  the  martyrdom  of  their  brethren,  or  at  their  fu¬ 
nerals;  as  if  fresh  soldiers  should  enlist  and  press  forward  to  the  assault, 
to  supply  the  places  of  those  w’ho  had  fallen  in  battle.  This  might  show 
the  Corinthian  speculators,  how  greatly  their  notions  tended  to  discour¬ 
age  men  from  professing  the  Gospel  in  times  of  persecution,  and  to  make 
them  afraid  and  ashamed  to  own  the  cause  of  Christ.  Scott. 

(29,  30.)  Baptized  for  the  dead.]  ‘  The  phrase  seems  idiotical,  and 
there  is  (populari  more)  an  ellipsis  of  the  word  “  resurrection.”  Thus 
the  sense  will  be  :  “baptized  in  the  confidence  and  expectation  of  a  res¬ 
urrection  from  the  dead.”  Of  course  are  meant,  by  dead,  those  who  die 
in  the  Lord,  and  a  resurrection  to  happiness.  Phil.  3:11.  Chrys.  estab¬ 
lishes  this  interpretation  beyond  all  doubt ;  and  so  Theoph.,  OEc.,  Phot., 
Theod.,  Ham.,  Wets.  All  the  Gr.  comtrs.  agree,  that  there  is  an  allusion 
to  the  form  of  baptism,  “  I  believe  in  the  resurrection  of  the  dead,”  to 
w’hich  is  added:  “  Wilt  thou  be  baptized  in  this  faith? — It  is  my  de¬ 
sire.”  After  which;  and  other  confessions,  according  to  Chrys.,  the  rite 
is  performed.’  Bloonif.,  whom  see  in  full.  ~  "  Ed. 


1  CORINTHIANS,  XV. 


Si  I  protest  by  *  your  rejoicing 
h  which  I*  have  in  Christ  Jesus  our 
Lord,  I  *  die  daily. 

32  If  )  after  the  manner  of  men 
I  have  fought  with  beasts  at  Ephe¬ 
sus,  what  advantageth  it  me,  if  the 
dead  rise  not  ?  Let  us  k  eat  and 
ddkik,  for  to-morrow  we  die. 

33  Be  not  deceived:  evil 'com¬ 
munications  corrupt  good  manners. 

34  Awake  “to  righteousness,  and 
sin  not ;  for  some  have  not  the 
knowledge  of  God  :  I  “  speak  this 
to  your  shame. 

35  But  some  man  will  say,  How 
“are  the  dead  raised  up  ?  and  with 
what  body  do  they  come  ? 

g  Some  read,  our.  a/er.  m  Uo.  13:11. 

h  Phi.  3:3.  It  Ec.  2:24.  En.  5:14. 

i  Ro.  8:36.  Is.  22:13.  n  c  6:5 

j  or,  to  speak  1  c.  5:6.  o  Eze.  37:3. 

mistake  the  apostle’s  meaning.  ‘Now,’ 
says  lie,  ‘  what  shall  they  do,  and  why  were 
they  baptized,  if  the  dead  rise  not  I  You 
have  a  general  persuasion  that  these  men 
have  done  right,  and  acted  wisely,  and  as 
they  ought,  on  this  occasion;  but  why,  if  the 
dead  rise  not,  seeing  they  may  perhaps  has¬ 
ten  their  death,  by  provoking  a  jealous  God, 
and  have  no  hopes  beyond  it  1  ’  But  wheth¬ 
er  tli is  be  the  meaning,  or  whatever  else  be, 
doubtless  the  apostle’s  argument  was  good, 
and  intelligible  to  the  Corinthians.  And 
his  next  is  as  plain  to  us. 

IV.  He  argues  from  the  absurdity  of  his 
own  and  other  Christians’  conduct,  on  this 
supposition  : 

1.  It  would  be  a  foolish  thing  for  them  to 
run  so  many  hazards,  v.  30.  ‘  Why  do  we 

expose  ourselves  to  continual  peril  ;  we 
Christians,  especially  we  apostles  1  ’  Every 
one  know's  that  it  was  dangerous  being  a 
Christian,  and  much  more  a  preacher  and 
apostle,  at  that  time.  Christianity  were  a 
foolish  profession,  if  it  proposed  no  hopes 
beyond  this  life,  at  least  in  such  hazardous 
times  as  attended  the  first  profession  of  it. 
And  is  this  a  character  of  his  religion,  fit  for  a 
Christian  to  endure  1  And  must  he  not  fix 
this  character  on  it,  if  he  gives  up  his  future 
hopes,  and  denies  the  resurrection  of  the 
dead  I  This  argument  the  apostle  brings 
home  to  himself,  v.  31.  He  was  in  contin¬ 
ual  danger  of  death,  and  carried  his  life,  ns 
we  say,  in  his  hand.  And  why  should  he 
thus  expose  himself,  if  he  hud  no  hopes  after 
life  1  He  had  encountered  very  great  diffi¬ 
culties,  and  fierce  enemies  ;  he  had  fought 
with  beasts  at  Ephesus,  v.  32.  and  was  in 
danger  of  being  pulled  to  pieces  by  an  en¬ 
raged  multitude,  stirred  up  by  Demetrius, 


and  the  other  craftsmen.  Acts  19:  2S.  though 
some  understand  this  literally,  of  Paul’s  be¬ 
ing  exposed  to  fight  with  wild  beasts  in  the 
amphitheatre,  at  a  Roman  show  in  that  city. 
And  Nicephoros  tells  a  formal  story  to  this 
purport,  and  ot  the  miraculous  complaisance 
ol  the  lions  to  him  when  they  came  near  him. 
But  so  remarkable  a  trial  and  circumstance 
of  his  life,  methinks,  would  not  have  been 
passed  over  by  Luke,  and  much  less  by  him¬ 
self,  when  he  gives  us  so  large  and  partic¬ 
ular  detail  of  his  sufferings,  2  Cor.  11:24 — 
33.  I  take  it,  therefore,  that  this  fighting 
with  beasts  is  a  figurative  expression  ;  the 
beasts  intended  were  men,  of  a  fierce  and 
ferine  disposition,  and  this  refers  to  the  pas¬ 
sage  above  cited.  ‘  Now,’  says  he,  ‘  what 
advantage  have  I  from  such  contests,  if  the 
dead  rise  not  1  And,  if  I  am  to  perish  by 
death ,  and  expect  nothing  after  it,  could  any¬ 
thing.  be  more  w’eak  1  ’  Was  Paul  so  sense¬ 
less  1  Could  anything,  but  the  sure  hopes 
of  a  better  life  after  death,  have  extinguish¬ 
ed  the  love  of  life  in  him  to  this  degree  1 
‘  What  advantageth  it  me,  if  the  dead  rise 
not  ?  What  can  I  propose  to  myself  1  ’  It 
is  very  lawful  and  fit  for  a  Christian  to  pro¬ 
pose  advantage  to  himself,  by  his  fidelity  to 
God.  Thus  did  Paul.  Thus  did  our  bles¬ 
sed  Lord  Himself,  Heb.  13:2.  And  thus 
we  are  bill  to  do  after  his  example,  and  have 
our  fruit  to  holiness,  that  our  end  may  be 
everlasting  life.  This  is  the  very  end  of 
our  faith,  even  the  salvation  of  our  souls, 
1  Pet.  1:9.  not  only  what  it  will  issue  in, 
but  what  we  should  aim  at. 

2.  It  would  be  a  much  wiser  thing  to  take 
the  comforts  of  this  life,  v.  32.  let  us  turn 
epicures.  Thus  this  sentence  means  in  the 
prophet,  Is.  22: 13.  Let  us  even  live  like 
beasts,  if  we  must  die  like  them.  This  pas¬ 
sage  also  plainly  implies,  as  I  have  hinted 
above,  that  those  who  denied  the  resurrec¬ 
tion  among  the  Corinthians,  were  perfect 
Sadducees,  who  say,  There  is  no  resurrection, 
neither  angel  nor  spirit,  Ac.  23:  8.  (i.  e.  ‘  Man 
is  all  body;  there  is  nothing  in  him  to  sur¬ 
vive  the  body,  nor  will  that,  wdten  once  he 
is  dead,  ever  revive  again;’)  otherwise,  his 
arguments  had  no  force  in  them,  as  I  have 
before  said.  Nothing  but  the  hopes  of  bet¬ 
ter  things  hereafter  can  enable  a  man  to 
forego  all  the  comforts  and  pleasures  hero, 
and  embrace  poverty,  contempt,  misery,  and 
death.  Thus  did  the  apostles  and  primitive 
Christians  ;  but  how  wretched  was  their 
case,  and  how  foolish  their  conduct,  if  they 
deceived  themselves,  and  abused  the  world 
with  vain  and  false  hopes  ! 

V.  lie  closes  w'ith  a  caution,  exhortation, 
and  reproof. 

1.  A  caution  against  tile  dangerous  con¬ 
versation  of  had  men,  men  of  loose  lives  and 
principles,  v.  33.  Possibly,  some  of  those 


Paul’s  hope  from  the  resurrection. 

who  said  that  there  was  no  resurrection  of 
the  dead,  were  men  of  loose  lives,  and  en¬ 
deavored  to  countenance  their  vicious  prac¬ 
tices  by  so  corrupt  a  principle  ;  and  had 
that  speech  often  in  their  mouths,  Let  us  eat 
and  drink,  for  to-morrow  ive  die.  Now,  the 
apostle  grants,  that  the  talk  was  to  the  pur¬ 
pose,  il  there  were  no  future  state.  But 
having  confuted  their  principle,  he  now 
warns  the  Corinthians  how  dangerous  such 
men’s  conversation  must  prove.  Bad  com¬ 
pany  and  conversation  are  likely  to  make 
bad  men.  Error  and  vice  are  infectious  ; 
and  it  we  would  avoid  the  contagion,  we 
must  keep  clear  of  those  who  have  taken  it, 
Prov.  13:  20. 

2.  An  exhortation  to  break  off  their  sins, 
and  rouse  themselves,  and  lead  a  ntoie  holy 
and  righteous  life,  v.  34.  The  disbelief  of 
a  future  state  destroys  all  virtue  and  piety. 
But  the  improvement  to  be  made  of  the 
truth  is,  to  cease  from  sin,  and  set  ourselves 
to  the  business  of  religion,  and  that  in  good 
earnest. 

3.  Here  is  a  reproof,  and  a  sharp  one,  to 
some,  at  least,  among  them  ;  Some  of  you 
have  not  the  knowledge  of  God  ;  I  speak  this 
to  your  shame.  It  is,  indeed,  a  shame  in 
Christians,  not  to  have  the  knowledge  of 
God ;  for  it  must  be  owing  to  their  own 
sloth ,  and  slight  of  God,  that  they  are  igno¬ 
rant  of  Him.  Note,  also,  It  must  he  igno¬ 
rance  of  God,  that  leads  men  into  the  disbe¬ 
lief  ol  a  resurrection  and  future  life.  Those 
who  know  God,  know  that  He  will  not 
abandon  his  faithful  servants,  leave  them  ex¬ 
posed  to  such  hardships  and  sufferings,  with¬ 
out  any  recompense  or  reward.  They  know 
He  is  not  unfaithful  or  unkind,  to  forget 
their  labor  and  patience,  their  faithful  ser¬ 
vices  and  cheerful  sufferings,  or  let  their 
labor  be  in  vain.  But  I  am  apt  to  think,  that' 
the  expression  has  a'  much  stronger  mean¬ 
ing  ;  that  there  were  atheistical  people 
among  them,  who  hardly  owned  a  God,  or 
one  who  had  any  concern  with,  or  took 
cognizance  of  human  affairs.  These  were, 
indeed,  a  scandal  and  shame  to  any  Chris¬ 
tian  church.  Note,  Real  atheism  lies  at  the 
bottom  of  men’s  disbelief  of  a  future  state. 

V.  35 — 50.  The  apostle  comes  now  to 
answer  a  plausible  and  principal  objection 
against  the  doctrine  of  the  resurrection  of 
the  dead  ;  concerning  which,  observe  the 
proposal  of  the  objection,  v.  35.  The  objec¬ 
tion  is  plainly  twofold ;  How  are  they  raised 
up  ?  implying  a  supposed  impossibility  in 
the  thing;  an  opinion  that  prevailed  much 
among  the  heathens,  and  the  Sadducees ;  and 
it  seetns,  also,  among  the  Corinthians.  The 
other  part  of  the  objection  is  about  the 
(jualily  of  their  bodies,  who  shall  rise  ; 

‘  With  what  body  will  they  come  ?  Will  it 
he  with  the  same  body  ;  with  like  shape. 


V.  at — 3t.  The  apostle  protested,  in  the  most  solemn  manner,  1  by 
their  rejoicing,’  or  his  rejoicing  with  them,  and  on  their  account,  as 
converted  by  his  ministry,  (several  copies  read  it,  '■our  rejoicing,’)  that 
he  ‘died  daily;’  lie  was  every  day  exposed  to  the  peril  of  martyrdom ; 
lie  expected  that  violent  death  continually,  and  his  manifold  hardships 
and  sufferings  rendered  his  life  a  kind  of  lingering  execution.  To  all 
this  he  had  nothing  to  oppose,  except  (lie  joyful  hope  and  blessed  earn¬ 
ests  of  future  felicity,  through  his  crucified  and  risen  Lord,  and  the  pleas¬ 
ure  of  bringing  others  to  share  the  same  ‘salvation  with  eternal  glory ;’ 
yet  this,  on  the  principles  which  lie  was  confuting,  must  prove  a  mere 
delusion.  ‘  Fought  with  beasts.’  Many  suppose  he  referred  to  the  tu- 
muit  at  Ephesus,  etcited  by  Demetrius  and  his  workmen,  Acts  19:23 — 
41.  but  lie  afterwards,  in  this  epistle,  expresses  his  purpose  of  continuing 
at  Ephesus  till  Pentecost;  (16:8  )  whereas  in  the  history  it  is  said,  that 
‘after  the  uproar  ceased,  he  . .  .  departed  to  go  into  Macedonia.’  Acts 
20:1.  Indeed,  tiis  whole  plan  seems  to  have  been  deranged  in  good  meas¬ 
ure  by  that  tumult.  16:5 — 9.  2  Cor.  1:15 — 20.  Had  lie,  in  this  short 

and  figurative  expression,  alluded  to  that  event,  in  writing  to  the  Corin¬ 
thians,  it  must  have  been  as  supposing  them  previously  acquainted  with 
it.  It  is  evident,  that  he  wrote  from  Ephesus,  and  that  he  intended  to 
remain  there  for  some  time  longer.  The  epistle  must  therefore  have 
been  written  before  that  tumult,  and  some  other  of  his  many  hardships 
at  Ephesus  must  lie  meant.  He  had  great  success,  and  many  adversa¬ 
ries  in  that  city  ;  and  it  is  plain,  that  only  a  small  part  of  his  sufferings 
lias  been  particularly  recorded.  2  Cor.  1 1 :21—  31. — ‘If  this  sense’ (the 
lit.  interpretation)  ‘  be  not  liked,  you  may  interpret,  “  after  t lie  manner 
of  men,”  according  to  the  intention  of  men,  it  being  the  intention  of  the 
men  of  Asia  to  deal  so  witli  him.  Note,  also,  that  cruel  and  bloody- 
minded  men  are  often  represented  under  this  metaphor  of  beasts.  So 
Ignatius,  when  he  was  carried  from  Syria  to  Rome,  under  a  band  of  sol- 
N.  T.  VOL.  V.  40 


diers,  who,  saitlt  lie,  are  the  worse  for  tile  kindness  I  show  them,  “  From 
Syria  to  Rome  I  fight  with  beasts.”  And  Herablitus  ...says,  “The 
Ephesians  were  turned  into  beasts,  because  they  slew  one  another.”  ’ 
IVhitby. — It  is  evident,  that  the  apostle  constantly  aimed  to  bring  the 
Corinthians  to  a  more  humble  opinion  of  themselves,  and  gradually  to 
draw  them  off  from  their  false  teachers  (02)  Let  us  eat,  & :c.)  From 
the  Sept.,  which  well  expresses  the  Heb.  Is.  22:13,  8 — 14.  Scott. 

(31.)  Your  rejoicing.]  ‘Mv  boasting  concerning  you.’  III.  Est., 
Mackn.,  Grot.,  Kyp.,  Pearce,  Ros.,  Kr.,  Jasp.  Daily.]  So  Livy.  ‘Daily 
our  city  is  taken,  daily  destroyed,’  i.  e.  exposed  to  be  so.  See  lit.  Ed. 

(32.)  Beasts.]  Literally,  see  Bl.,  who  truly  remarks,  that  ‘  this  inter¬ 
pretation  is  best  founded,  and  liable  to  fewest  difficulties,  and  immova¬ 
ble  as  yet.’  Id. 

(34.)  See  BL  ‘How  is  it  possible  for  the  different  parts  of  bodies 
which  have  been  resolved  to  dust,  and  the  elements  apparently  anni¬ 
hilated  by  fire,  devoured  by  beasts,  and  even  men,  or  become  so  mingled 
and  converted  into  the  nature  of  other  animals,  nay,  of  trees,  plants,  Sec., 
how  can  they,  after  having  been  so  often  shared  by  different  individuals, 
so  many  yrs.  thus  dissipated,  he  at  length,  and  under  an  entirely  different 
mode  of  existence,  reunited  and  coalesce  as  before  into  one  body  ?  It 
is  plainly  impossible  (v.  50).  To  which  P.  answers,  (popularly,)  it  will 
be  in  some  measure  the  same,  and  in  some  measure  not  the  same  body. 
This  reclothing  of  the  soul,  lie,  for  want  of  better  words,  calls  a  spiritual, 
a  glorified  body  :  a  certain  something,  experience  only  will  enable  us  to 
know.  Some  suppose  the  spirit  leaves  the  body  the  third  day.  i  10 
Scripture  nowhere  affirms,  that  the  same  numerical  body  shall  >e  raise  . 
(See  Mackn  ,  and  Slade  ;)  it  tenches,  that  the  dead  shall  be  raised,  ot. 
This  similitude  of  the  grain,  was  usual  with  the  rabbins.  '. 

V.  35— 38.  (36)  Except  it  die.]  Some  modern  jitMeh ihave ’  main¬ 
tained,  against  the  apostle,  that  the  seed  does  not  die  in  „  ^3)  gj 


A.  D.  60. 

36  Thou  fool  !  that  p  which  thou 
sowest  is  not  quickened,  except  it 
die  : 

37  And  that  which  thou  sowest, 
thou  sowest  not  that  body  that  shall 
be,  but  bare  grain,  it  may  chance 
of  wheat,  or  of  some  other  grain  : 

33  But  God  i  giveth  it  a  body  as 
it  hath  pleased  him,  and  to  every 
seed  his  own  body. 

39  All  flesh  is  not  the  same  flesh  : 
but  there  is  one  kind  of  flesh  of 
men,  another  flesh  of  beasts,  anoth¬ 
er  of  fishes,  and  another  of  birds. 

40  There  1  are  also  celestial  bod¬ 
ies,  and  bodies  terrestrial  :  but  the 
glory  of  the  celestial  is  one,  and 
the  glory  of  the  terrestrial  is  an¬ 
other. 

41  There  is  one  glory  of  the 
*  sun,  and  another  glory  of  the 
moon,  and  another  glory  of  the 
stars  :  for  one  star  differeth  from 
another  star  in  glory. 

42  So  also  is  the  resurrection  of 
the  dead.  It  is  sown  in  corruption ; 
it  is  raised  in  incorruption. 

43  It  ‘is  sown  in  dishonor  ;  it  is 
raised  in  glory:  it  is  sown  in  weak¬ 
ness  ;  it  is  raised  in  power  : 

44  It  is  sown  a  natural  body  ;  it 
is  raised  a  spiritual  body.  There 
is  a  natural  body,  and  there  is  a 
spiritual  u  body. 

45  And  so  it  is  written,  v  The 
first  man  Adam  was  made  a  living 
soul  ;  the  wlast  Adam  was  made  a 
quickening  spirit. 

46  Howbeit  that  was  not  first 
which  is  spiritual,  but  that  which  is 
natural  ;  and  afterward  that  which 
is  spiritual. 

47  The  “first  man  is  of  the  earth, 
earthy  :  the  second  man  is  the 
Lord  from  heaven. 

p  Jn.  12:24.  t  Da.  12:3.  Mat.  v  Ge.  2:7. 

q  Ge.  1:11,12.  13:43  Phi  3:21.  w  Jii.5:21.  6:33,40. 

r  Ge.  1:16  u  l.u.  24:31  a  Ju.  3:13,31. 

s  Ps.  19:4,5.  Jn.  20:19,26. 


1  CORINTHIANS,  XV. 

form,  stature,  members,  and  qualities,  or 
various  1  ’  The  former  objection  is  that  of 
those  who  opposed  the  doctrine,  the  latter 
the  inquiry  of  curious  doubters. 

1.  To  the  first,  the  apostle  answers,  by 
telling  them,  this  was  to  be  brought  about  by 
divine  power,  that  very  power  which  they 
had  all  observed  to  do  somewhat  very  like 
it,  vear  after  year,  in  the  dealh  and  revival 
of  the  corn  ;  and  therefore  it  was  an  argu¬ 
ment  of  great  weakness  and  stupidity,  to 
doubt  whether  the  resurrection  of  the  dead 
might  not  be  effected  by  the  same  power, 
v.  36. 

2.  lie  is  longer  on  the  second  inquiry  : 

(1.)  There  is  a  change  made  in  the  grain 

sown.  God  gives  it  such  a  body  as  He  will, 
and  in  such  way  as  He  will,  only  so  as  to 
distinguish  all  kinds  from  each  other.  Eve¬ 
ry  seed  sown  has  its  proper  body,  is  consti¬ 
tuted  of  such  materials,  and  figured  in  such 
a  manner,  as  are  proper  to  that  kind.  This 
is  plainly  in  the  divine  power,  though  we 
no  more  know  how  it  is  done,  than  we  know 
how  a  dead  man  is  raised  to  life  again. 

(2.)  There  is  a  great  variety  among  other 
bodies,  as  there  is  among  plants.  The 
true  glory  of  every  being  consists  in  its  fit¬ 
ness  for  its  rank  and  state.  Earthly  bodies 
are  not  adapted  to  the  heavenly  regions,  nor 
heavenly  bodies  fitted  to  the  condition  of 
earthly  beings.  Nay,  there  is  a  variety  of 
glory  among  heavenly  bodies  themselves, 
v.  41.  All  this  is  to  intimate,  that  the  bodies 
of  the  dead,  when  they  rise,  will  be  so  far 
changed,  that  they  will  be  fitted  for  the 
heavenly  regions;  and  that  there  will  be  a 
variety  of  glories  among  the  bodies  of  the 
dead,  when  they  shall  be  raised,  as  there  is 
among  the  sun,  and  moon,  and  stars,  nay, 
among  the  stars  themselves.  It  must  be  as 
easy  to  divine  power  to  raise  the  dead,  and 
recover  their  mouldered  bodies,  as  out  of  the 
same  materials  to  form  so  many  kinds  of 
flesh  and  plants,  and,  for  aught  we  know, 
celestial  bodies  as  well  as  terrestrial  ones. 
The  sun  and  stars  may,  for  aught  we  know, 
be  composed  of  the  same  materials  as  the 
earth  we  tread  on,  though  so  much  refined 
and  changed  by  the  divine  skill  and  power. 
And  can  He,  out  of  the  same  materials,  form 
such  various  beings,  and  yet  not  be  able  to 
raise  the  dead  !  Having  thus  prepared  the 
way,  he  comes, 

(3.)  To  speak  directly  to  the  point,  v.  42. 
And  here  he  specifies  some  particulars  ;  as, 


Of  the  resurrection  of  saints. 

[1.]  Burying  the  dead  is  like  sowing  them, 
like  committing  the  seed  to  the  earth,  that 
it  may  spring  out  of  it  again  :  our  bodies, 
which  are  sown,  are  corruptible,  will  putre¬ 
fy  and  moulder  to  dust  ;  but  when  we  rise, 
they  will  be  out  of  the  power  of  the  grave, 
and  never  more  be  liable  to  corruption.  [2.] 
Ours  is  at  present  a  vile  body,  Philip.  3:  21. 
Nothing  is  more  loathsome  than  a  dead 
body.  But,  at  the  resurrection,  a  glory  will 
be  put  upon  it  ;  it  will  be  made  like  the 
glorious  body  of  our  Savior  ;  it  will  be 
purged  from  all  the  dregs  of  earth,  and  re¬ 
fined  into  an  etherial  substance,  and  shine 
out  with  a  splendor  resembling  his.  [3.]  It 
is  laid  in  the  earth,  a  poor,  helpless  thing, 
wholly  in  the  power  of  dealh,  deprived  of 
all  vital  capacities  and  powers,  of  life  and 
strength  ;  it  is  utterly  unable  to  move  or 
stir.  But  when  we  rise,  our  bodies  will 
have  heavenly  life  and  vigor  infused  into 
them;  they  shall  be  hale,  firm,  durable, 
lively,  and  liable  no  more  to  any  infirmity, 
weakness,  or  decay.  [4.]  It  is  sown  a  nat¬ 
ural,  or  animal  body,  a  body  fitted  to  the 
low  condition,  and  sensitive  pleasures  and 
enjoyments  of  this  life,  which  are  all  gross, 
in  comparison  of  the  heavenly  state  and 
enjoyments.  But  when  we  rise,  it  will  be 
quite  otherwise;  our  body  will  rise  spiritual, 
purified  and  refined  ;  and,  though  not  chang¬ 
ed  literally  into  spirit,  yet  made  fit  to  be 
perpetual  associates  of  spirits  made  perfect. 
And  why  should  it  not  be  as  much  in  the 
power  of  God  to  raise  incorruptible,  glori¬ 
ous,  lively,  spiritual  bodies,  out  of  the  ruins 
of  those  vile,  corruptible,  lifeless,  and  ani¬ 
mal  ones,  as  first  to  make  matter  out  of 
nothing,  and  then,  out  of  the  same  mass  of 
matter,  produce  such  variety  of  beings,  both 
in  earth  and  heaven  1  To  God  all  things 
are  possible  ;  and  this  cannot  be  impossible. 

(4.)  He  illustrates  this  by  a  comparison 
of  the  first  and  second  Adam  :  There  is  an 
animal  body,  says  he,  and  there  is  a  spiritual 
body;  and  then  goes  into  the  comparison,  in 
several  instances.  [1.]  As  we  have  our 
natural,  animal  body  in  this  world,  from  the 
first  Adam,  we  expect  our  spiritual  body  from 
the  second.  This  is  implied  in  the  whole 
comparison.  [2.]  This  is  but  consonant  to 
the  different  characters  these  two  persons 
bear  :  The  first  Adam  was  made  a  living 
soul,  such  a  being  as  ourselves,  and  with  a 
power  of  propagating  such  beings  as  him¬ 
self,  and  conveying  to  them  a  nature  and 


cause  the  germen  lives,  and  expands  itself,  and  only  the  extraneous 
matter  corrupts.  But,  in  fact,  the  seed,  as  such,  does  die  :  it  ceases  to 
be  a  grain  of  corn  ;  though  a  part  of  it  springs,  as  it  were,  into  new  life, 
by  a  process  which  we  can  no  more  fully  comprehend,  than  we  can  the 
ninnner  of  the  resurrection.  Even  ‘  a  prophet  of  their  own,’  Lucretius, 
the  Epicurean  atheist,  says, — ‘Whatever  change  transfers  a  body  into  a 
new  class  of  beings,  may  be  justly  called  the  death  of  the  original  sub¬ 
stance  . .  For  what  is  changed  from  what  it  was,. .  .  that  dies.’  Creech. 
The  body  sown  is  not  the  same  which  will  exist,  when  it  has  sprung  up. 
The  identity  of  the  particles  of  matter,  as  necessary  to  the  resurrection 
of  the  same  body,  is  nowhere  mentioned  in  Scripture;  and  this  ch. 
strongly  militates  against  that  opinion.  God  has  many  other  ways  of 
preserving  personal  identity.  Exnctly  the  same  particles  do  not  consti¬ 
tute  our  bodies,  for  two  hours  together,  in  any  part  of  our  lives;  yet  we 
are  the  same  persons,  both  in  body  and  soul,  from  childhood  to  old  age. 
There  is,  then,  no  necessity  to  clog  the  doctrine  with  this  difficulty, 
which  furnishes  infidels  with  their  most  specious  objections  against  it. 
Many  of  the  philosophers,  and  afterwards  of  the  heretics,  considered  the 
body  as  the  prison  and  sepulchre  of  the  soul,  from  which  it  would,  at 
death,  lie  delivered.  Such  men,  indeed,  could  not  but  dislike  the  doc¬ 
trine  of  the  resurrection,  and  be  disposed  to  argue  against  it ;  yet  the 
passage  does  not  refer  to  objectors  of  this  kind ;  at  least,  there  is  no 
proof  that  it  does.  Scott. 

V.  39.  ‘  I  cannot  but  think  the  words  of  this  and  the  following  v.  allude 
to  some  graduated  difference  in  the  treatment  both  of  the  righteous  and 
the  wicked.’  See  Bl.,  and  see  Theoph. ;  also  Hardy  and  Schoett.  Ed. 

V.  40.  ‘  The  Gr.  comtrs.  here  again  urge  the  difference,  meant  to  be  de¬ 
noted,  in  the  condition  of  the  righteous  and  the  wicked,  and  the  compar¬ 
ative  difference  of  individuals  in  both.  Theoph.  says,  “glory,  ”  as  to 
sinners,  must  mean  situation.  And  Theod.  appeals  to  the  words  of 
our  Lord,  “  in  my  Father’s  house  are  many  mansions  ”  ’  ( Bl.);  each  indi¬ 
vidual  will  go  where  he  belongs,  ‘to  his  own  place.’  Glory.]  ‘Applied 
to  celestial  bodies  (so  Ar .),  both  the  tucidus  f algor,  and  the  external 
beauty  of  appearance,  ami  consequent  dignity  and  magnificence  ;  all 
which  is  included  in  the  Ileh.  phar  and  kebod,  both  tr.  in  the  Sept,  by 
the  Gr.  word  here.  As  applied  to  th e  terrestrial,  doxa  [glory]  will  de¬ 
note,  in  general,  all  such  dignity  as  results  from  grandeur  and  beauty  of 
appearance.’  Bl.  Id. 

V.  41.  ‘  Here  the  great  individual  difference  in  the  condition  both  of  the 

[S14] 


righteous  and  the  wicked  (notes  v.  39  and  40)  in  a  future  state,  is  also 
alluded  to.’  Bloomf. 

V.  43.  Weakness.]  ‘  The  manifold  frailties,  [destructibility,]  weaknesses, 
and  liabilities  to  sickness  which  flesh  is  heir  to.  Strength.]  That  ex¬ 
emption  front  sickness  as  well  as  death,  which  our  glorified  bodies  shall 
enjoy  :  and  Grot,  thinks  it  may  allude  to  new  senses  [faculties  ?]  of 
which  we  have  now  no  conception.  Upon  the  whole,  however,  no  clear 
ideas  can  we  have,  [incapable  as  we  are  of  comprehending  either  matter 
or  spirit, |  on  the  exact  difference  between  our  earthly  and  our  glorified 
bodies.  Indeed,  no  language  could  have  made  us  comprehend  that  dif¬ 
ference.  Let  it  be  sufficient  for  ns,  that  we  are  enabled  to  say,  in  the 
words  of  the  divine  Psalmist,  “When  I  awake  up  afier  thy  likeness,  I 
shall  be  satisfied  with  it.”  Animal  body.]  A  body,  to  the  animation  of 
which  the  presence  of  an  animal  soul  is  necessary  :  and  n  spiritual  body 
is  one  of  so  fine  a  contexture,  that  it  will  he  supported  merely  by  the  pres¬ 
ence  of  our  rational  spirit;  yet,  notwithstanding  this  great  difference, 
the  body  to  he  raised  will,  in  a  sound  sense,  be  the  same  with  the  body 
that  was  buried.  See  Mackn.'  Id. 

V.  44.  Natural  body.]  ‘  Rather  an  animal  body,  which  is  more  suit¬ 
able  to  the  propriety  of  the  Gr.,  and  to  the  apostle’s  meaning,  who  is 
here  showing,  that,  as  we  have  animal  bodies  now  (which  we  derived 
from  Adam)  endowed  with  an  animal  life,  which,  unless  supported  with 
a  constant  supply  of  food,  air,  [&<:.]  will  fail  and  perish,  and,  at  last,  do 
what  we  can,  will  dissolve,  and  come  to  an  end  ;  so,  at  the  resurrection, 
we  shall  have  from  Christ,  the  second  Adam,  “spiritual  bodies,”  which 
shall  have  an  essential  and  natural,  inseparable  life  in  them,  which  shall 
continue  and  subsist  perpetually  of  itself,  without  the  help  of  meat  ami 
drink,  or  air,  or  any  such  foreign  support;  without  decay,  or  any  ten¬ 
dency  to  a  dissolution  ;  of  which  our  Savior  speaking,  Lit.  20:35.  says, 
“They  who  shall  be  accounted  worthy  to  obtain  that  world,  and  the  res¬ 
urrection  from  the  dead,”  cannot  die  any  more;  for  they  are  equal  to  the 
angels,  i.  e.  of  an  angelical  nature  and  constitution.’  Locke. 

V.  45 — 49.  In  the  history  of  the  creation  it  was  written,  that  ‘the  first 
man,  Adam,  was  made  a  living  soul ;’  and  his  ‘  natural’  or  animal  life 
had  been  communicated  to  all  his  posterity,  but  without  the  spiritual 
liffc  originally  connected  with  it;  so  that,  ever  since  the  fall  of  Adam, 
all  his  descendants,  by  natural  generation,  are  ‘dead  in  sin;’  and  the 
very  mind  of  man  had  been  carnal,  as  well  as  his  body  mortal.  But 1  the 
last  Adam,’  the  last  Surety,  or  Covenant-head,  of  any  of  the  human  race, 


A.  D.  60. 


1  CORINTHIANS,  XT. 


Death  swallowed  up  in  victory. 


48  As  is  the  earthy,  such  are  they 
also  that  are  earthy  :  and  as  is  the 
heavenly,  such  are  they  also  that 
are  heavenly. 

49  And  as  we  have  borne  the 
image  of  the  earthy,  we  shall  also 
y  bear  the  image  of  the  heavenly. 

50  Now  this  I  say,  brethren,  that 
1  flesh  and  blood  cannot  inherit  the 
kingdom  of  God  ;  neither  doth  cor¬ 
ruption  inherit  incorruption. 

51  Behold,  I  shew  you  a  myste¬ 
ry  :  W  e  ’shall  not  all  sleep,  but 
we  shall  all  be  changed, 

52  In  a  b  moment,  in  the  twink¬ 
ling  of  an  eye,  at  the  last  trump  : 
for  the  'trumpet  shall  sound, ‘and 
the  dead  d  shall  be  raised  incorrup¬ 
tible,  and  we  shall  be  changed. 

53  For  this  corruptible  must  put 
on  incorruption,  and  this  mortal 
e  must  put  on  immortality. 

54  So  when  this  corruptible  shall 
have  put  on  incorruption,  and  this 
mortal  shall  have  put  on  immortal¬ 
ity,  then  shall  be  brought  to  pass 
the  saying  that  is  written,  Death 
fis  swallowed  up  in  victory. 

y  Ro.  8:29.  c  Zee.  9:14.  e  2  Co.  5:4. 

*  Jn.  3:3,5.  Mat.  24:31.  1  Jm.  3:2. 

a  1  Th.  4:15—17.  d  Jn.  5:25.  f  Is.  25:3. 

b  2  Pe.  3:10. 


animal  body  like  his  own,  but  none  other, 
nor  better.  The  second  Adam  is  a  quicken - 
in g  Spirit;  He  is  the  Resurrection  and  the 
Life,  Jn.  11:  25.  He  hath  life  in  Himself, 
and  quickeneth  whom  He  will,  Jn.  5:20, 
21.  The  first  man  was  of  the  earth,  made 
out  of  the  earth,  and  was  earthy;  his  body 
was  fitted  to  the  region  of  his  abode  ;  but 
the  second  Adam  is  the  Lord  from  heaven  ; 
He  who  came  down  from  heaven,  and  giv- 
eth  life  to  the  world,  Jn.  6:33.  He  who 
came  down  from  heaven,  and  was  in  heaven 
at  the  same  time,  Jn.  3:13.  the  Lord  of 
heaven  and  earth.  If  the  first  Adam  could 
communicate  to  us  natural  and  animal  bod¬ 
ies,  cannot  the  second  Adam  make  our  bod¬ 


ies  spiritual  ones  1  [3.]  We  must  first  have 
natural  bodies  from  the  first  Adam,  before 
W'e  can  find  spiritual  bodies  from  the  second, 
v.  49.  [4.]  Yet,  if  we  are  Christ’s,  true 
believers  in  11  im,  (for  tli is  whole  discourse 
relates  to  the  resurrection  of  the  saints,)  it 
is  as  .certain  that  we  shall  have  spiritual 
bodies,  as  it  is  now  that  we  have  natural  or 
animal  ones.  By  these  we  are,  as  the  first 
Adam,  earthy;  we  bear  his  image  :  by  those 
we  shall  be  as  the  second  Adam,  have  bodies 
like  his  own,  heavenly,  and  so  bear  his  im¬ 
age.  As  sure,  therefore,  as  we  have  had 
natural  bodies,  we  shall  have  spiritual  ones. 

(5.)  He  sums  up  this  argument,  by  assign¬ 
ing  the  reason  of  this  change,  v.  50.  The 
natural  body  is  flesh  and  blood  ;  and,  as 
such,  is  cBrruptihle,  and  appointed  to  disso¬ 
lution,  to  rot  and  moulder.  But  no  such 
thing  shall  inherit  the  heavenly  regions;  for 
this  were  for  corruption  to  inherit  incorrup¬ 
tion,  which  is  little  better  than  a  contradic¬ 
tion  in  terms.  The  heavenly  inheritance  is 
incorruptible, and  never  fadeth  away,  1  Pet. 
1 :  4.  The  sum  is,  the  bodies  of  the  saints, 
when  they  shall  rise  again,  will  be  greatly 
changed  from  what  they  are  now,  and  much 
for  the  better.  They  will  be  then  incorrupt¬ 
ible,  glorious,  and  spiritual,  fitted  to  the  ce¬ 
lestial  world  and  state,  where  they  are  ever 
afterward  to  dwell,,  and  have  their  eternal 
inheritance. 

V.  51 — 57.  To  confirm  this  change,  he 
here, 

I.  Tells  them  a  mystery,  what  had  been 
concealed  or  unknown  till  then,  —  that  all 
the  saints  should  not  die,  but  all  would  be 
changed.  They  that  are  alive  at  our  Lord’s 
coming,  will  be  caught  up  into  the  clouds, 
without  dying,  1  Thess.  4:  11.  But  it  is 
plain,  from  this  passage,  that  it  will  not  be 
without  changing  from  corruption  to  incor¬ 
ruption,  and  this  in  a  moment,  in  the  twink¬ 
ling  of  an  eye,  v.  52.  What  cannot  Almigh¬ 
ty  power  effect  1  This  is  the  mystery,  the 
thing  before  unknown,  which  the  apostle 
here  shows  the  Corinthians  ;  and  this  he 
tells  them  will  be  at  the  sound  of  the  last 
trump;  for,  as  he  tells  its  elsewhere,  1  Thes. 
4:16.  so  here,  the  trumpet  must  sound.  It 
is  the  loud  summons  of  all  the  living,  and  all 
the  dead,  to  come  and  appear  at  the  tribunal 
of  Christ.  At  this  summons  the  graves  shall 


I 


open  ;  the  dead  saints  shall  rise  in  an  incor¬ 
ruptible  state,  v.  52. 

II.  He  assigns  the  reason  of  this  change, 
v.  53.  How,  otherwise,  could  the  man  be 
a  lit  inhabitant  of  the  incorruptible  regions, 
or  be  fitted  to  possess  the  eternal  inherit¬ 
ance  1  This  corruptible  body  must  be  made 
incorruptible,  this  mortal  body  must  be 
changed  into  immortal,  that  the  man  may  be 
capable  of  enjoying  the  happiness  designed 
for  him. 

III.  He  lets  us  know  what  will  follow  on 
this  change  of  the  living  and  dead  in  Christ, 
v.  54.  Is.  25:  8.  mortality  shall  be  then  swal¬ 
lowed  up  in  life,  2  Cor.  5:  4.  death  perfectly- 
subdued  and  conquered,  and  saints  for  ever 
delivered  from  its  power;  therefore  will  the 
saints  hereupon  sing  their  song  of  triumph. 
Then,  when  this  mortal  shall  have  put  on 
immortality,  will  death  be  swallowed  up, 
for  ever  swallowed  up,  in  victory.  Christ 
hinders  it  from  swallowing  Ids  saints 
when  they  die  ;  but  wdien  they  are  risen 
again,  death  shall,  as  to  them,  be  swallowed 
up  for  ever.  And,  on  this  destruction  of 
death,  will  they  break  out  in  a  song  of 
triumph. 

1.  They  will  glory  over  this  great  and 
terrible  destroyer,  as  a  vanquished  enemy  : 
*  O  death,  where  is  thy  sting  ?  Where  is  now 
thy  sting,  thy  power  to  hurt  1  What  mis¬ 
chief  hast  thou  done  us  1  We  are  dead  ; 
but,  behold,  we  live  again,  and  shall  die  no 
more.  We  fear  no  further  mischiefs  from 
thee,  nor  heed  thy  weapons,  but  defy  thy 
power,  and  despise  thy  wrath.  And,  O 
grave,  where  is  thy  victory  ?  What  is  become 
of  it  1  Where  are  the  spoils  and  trophies 
of  it  1  Once  we  were  thy  prisoners,  but  the 
prison  doors  are  burst  open,  our  shackles 
are  knocked  off,  and  we  are  for  ever  releas¬ 
ed;  thy  triumphs,  grave,  are  at  an  end.’  In 
a  moment,  the  power  of  death,  and  the  con¬ 
quests  and  spoils  of  the  grave,  are  gone  ; 
and,  as  to  the  saints,  the  very  signs  of  them 
will  not  remain.  Where  are  they  1 

2.  The  foundation  for  this  triumph  is  here 
intimated,  (1.)  In  the  account  given  whence 
death  had  i  13  power  to  hurt;  i.  e.  from  sin, 
which  only  puts  it  into  the  power  of  death 
to  hurt  and  kill.  Sin  unpardoned,  and  noth¬ 
ing  else,  can  keep  any  under  his  power. 
And  the  strength  of  sin  is  the  law  ;  it  is  the 


1  was  a  quickening  Spirit ;  ’  the  Author  and  Source  of  spiritual  and  eter¬ 
nal  life  to  all  his  people,  by  the  supply  of  his  Holy  Spirit.  Gen.  2:7,  16, 
17.3:6.  John  1:4,  5.  5:20— 27.  11:20— 27. Rom.  5:12— 19.  6:1,  2.  Nor 
does  this  life-giving  energy  relate  only  to  their  souls;  for  lie  will  also 
‘  quicken,’  or  make  alive,  ‘  their  mortal  bodies,  by  his  Spirit  that  dwelieth 
in  them  ;  ’  and  this  is  here  principally  intended.  Rom.  8:10,  11 .  Thus 
all  philosophical  objections  were  shown  to  have  their  foundation  in 
ignorance  of  the  ‘Scriptures,  and  of  the  power  of  God.’  Mat.  22:23 — 33. 
(45)  The  last  Adam.]  ‘  The  second  Man,’ 47. — As  if  none  of  the  human 
race  had  existed,  except  Adam  and  Christ.  For  all  men  will  at  length 
be  considered  either  ns  in  Adam  or  in  Christ:  unbelievers  as  one  with 
fallen  Adam,  and  in  him  ;  all  believers  as  in  Christ,  and  one  with  Him. 
Rom.  5:12 — 21.  (45)  Was  made,  &c.]  From  the  Sept.,  which  accords 
to  the  Ileb. ;  but  ‘  the  first  man,  Adam,’  is  added  by  way  of  explanation. 
Gen.  2:7.  Scott. 

(45.)  ‘  As  P.  is  speaking  here  of  Christ,  afler  lie  received  his  glorified 
body,  he  calls  Him  (after  Jn.  5:29.)  a  vivifying  Spirit,  because  the  pres¬ 
ence  of  his  Spirit,  in  his  glorified  body,  is  all  that  is  requisite  to  preserve 
it  alive  for  ever  ;  and  because  He  will  communicate  the  same  power  to 
the  spirits  of  the  righteous,  with  respect  to  their  bodies,  after  the  resur¬ 
rection.’  Mvckn.  ‘  Nothing  was  more  common  with  the  Jew's,  than  to 
urge  these  very  expressions  (first  and  second  Adam,  &c.)  of  Adam  and 
the  Messiah.  See  Schoett.'  Bloomf. 

(49.)  Image.]  ‘  Eikona  used  properly  of  statues,  pictures,  or  other 
things  formed  after  an  archetype,  and  which  represent  it.’  Kypke. 

V.  50 — 54.  Speaking  of  tiie  whole  multitude  of  believers,  to  the  end 
of  time,  as  constituting  one  family,  to  which  he  and  the  Corinthian 
Christians  belonged,  he  might  say, 1  We  shall  not  all  sleep,’  or  die,  ‘  but 
we  shall  ull  be  changed.’  Yet  he  elsewhere  speaks  of  himself,  as  one  of 
those  who  should  be  ‘  raised  up  by  Jesus.’  2  Cor.  4:14.  So  that  there 
can  he  no  ground  for  the  supposition,  which  many  have  formed  from  his 
language,  that  he  expected  to  live  till  the  coming  of  Christ,  which  he 
judged  to  be  very  near.  The  notion  also  of  others,  that  he  alluded  to 
the  first  resurrection,  previous  to  the  millennium,  is  inconsistent  with 
the  language  of  the  passage  ;  for  those  who  have  died,  or  shall  die  before 
the  millennium,  as  truly  ‘sleep  in  Jesus,’  though  they  should  arise  im¬ 
mediately,  as  they  do,  who  shall  remain  in  the  state  of  the  dead  till  the 
general  resurrection.  Rev.  20.4 — 6.  The  nposfle  therefore  only  meant 
to  speak  of  himself  as  belonging  to  that  one  family,  of  whom  the  far 
greater  part  would  die  and  be  raised  again,  and  all  the  rest  must  ‘  be 
changed.’  The  apostle  showed  the  Corinthians  a  mystery,  by  informing 
them  of  the  event  that  would  take  place;  yet,  in  respect  to  the  manner 
in  which  it  would  be  effected,  it  still  remained  mysterious  and  incom¬ 


prehensible.  Thus  the  mysteries  of  the  Trinity,  and  of  the  incarnation 
of  ‘  the  Lord  from  heaven,’  are  revealed  to  us  as  certainly  true  ;  but  the 
manner  of  them  still  remains  inexplicable.  Mat.  13:10,  11.  1  Tim.  3:16. 
(54)  Death ,  &c.j  Much  nearer  to  the  Ileb.  than  to  the  LXX.  Is.  25:8. 

Scott. 

(50.)  Mystery.]  ‘Viz.,  that  all  must  undergo  this  change,  whether 
living  at  the  last  day  or  not,  a  thing  hitherto  unknown,  or  not  as  yet 
revealed.’  See  if  ox.  Ed. 

(52.)  Last.  1  See  Bl.  The  last  trumpet  that  will  ever  sound.  Trum¬ 
pet]  Comp.  1  Thess.  4:10.  Jn.  5:25.  The  Greek  is  often  used  of  the 
pealing  of  thunder ,  so  it  may  here  mean,  an  unusual  crash  of  thunder, 
■fee.  or  the  awful  roar  of  subterraneous  convulsions,  or  the  mighty  sound 
produced  by  the  commingling  of  celestial  and  terrestrial  elements,  when 
Christ  and  his  angels  descend  to  earth,  when  the  heavens  and  the 
earth  come  together,  and  are  changed  to  new.  Comp.  Mat.  24:30,  31. 
Hell.  12:19.  2  Pet.  3:10,  12,  13.  ‘The  best  comtrs.  (says  Bl.)  tell  us 
there  is  here  reference  to  the  rites  and  customs  of  the  Jews,  (as  we  find 
them  in  the  O.  T.)  among  whom  judgments  [comp.  Zech.  9:14.]  were 
held,  and  solemn  meetings  convened,  by  sound  of  trumpet.  And  indeed 
the  use  of  trumpets  for  such  purposes,  (especially  the  Olympic  games,) 
extended  to  the  Greeks  and  Romans.  At  the  Corinthian  games,  the  blast 
of  the  trumpet  gave  the  signal  to  start ;  and  we  find  from  Thucyd., 
that  trumpets  were  used  on  the  more  solemn  religious  occasions,  lint 
we  need  not  sink  the  tremendous  and  awful  circumstance,  the  Almighty’s 
signal  for  the  end  of  all  things,  into  mere  metaphor;  it  is  cautiously  to 
be  avoided.’  We.]  ‘Here,  as  often,  P.  uses  the  figure  metascMmatis- 
mos ,  and  speaks  not  in  his  own  person, Aiut  in  theirs  who  should  be  liv¬ 
ing  on  the  earth  at  the  last  day.  And  Doddr.  rightly  refuses  the  infer- 
e,  so  often  drawn  from  hence,  (and  unwarily  conceded  by  Grot.,  and 
.)  that  F.  expected  he  should  live,  till  Christ  appeared  for  judgment. 


ence. 

Ros 


Id. 


Bloomf.  , 

(54.)  In  victory.]  ‘ Eis  nikos  :  equivalent,  say  the  Gr.  and  many 
modern  comtrs.,  to  eis  telos,  i.  e.  eis  tin  aiona,  [to  the  end,  to  elermtv,] 
a  sense  very  frequent  in  the  Sept.,  and  so  it  answers  to  the  Ileb.  at  is. 
25:8,  Ac.  Bp.  Marsh  completely  proves,  that  eis  telos  mny  very  wen 
be  translated,  with  triumph,  victoriously  :  a  sense  I  would  give  t 
Mat.  12:23.  [20?]  Both  senses  come  to  the  same  thing,  as  Crete. 
shows,  whose  note  is  a  model  for  annotation  on  such  passages0 
N.  T.  as  quote  the  O.  T.’  Bloomf.  Death  can  be  ahsorbed.lost,  done 
away  with  for  ever  (as  the  prophet  has  it)  only  by  °‘*nf '  "  i  triumph 
ity  to  immortality,  which  is  a  victory  over  death,  «n  e  ^ 

See  Cre?/.,  and  Bloomf.  The  Ileb.  means  for  ever,  but  comes  from  a 

word  signifying  to  conquer.  [315] 


A.  D.  60. 


1  CORINTHIANS,  XVI.  Triumph  of  the  saints  over  death. 


55  O  =  death,  where  is  thy  sting? 
O  h  grave,  where  is  thy  victory  ? 

56  The  *  sting  of  death  is  sin  ; 
and  j  the  strength  of  sin  is  the  law. 

57  But  thanks  k  be  to  God,  which 
giveth  us  the  victory  1  through  our 
Lord  Jesus  Christ. 

58  Therefore,  my  beloved  breth¬ 
ren,  m  be  ye  steadfast,  un movable, 
always  abounding  in  the  work  of 
the  Lord,  forasmuch  as  ye  know 
that  your  labor  is  not  in  vain  in  the 
Lord. 

CHAP.  XVI. 

1  He  exhorteth  them  to  relieve  the  want  of  the  brethren  at 
Jerusalem:  10  commendeth  Timothy:  13  and,  after 
friendly  admonitions,  16  shutteth  tip  his  epistle  with 
divers  salutations. 

NOW  concerning  the  collection 
for  the  saints,  as  a  I  have  given 
order  to  the  churches  of  Galatia, 
even  so  do  ye. 

g  Ho.  13:14.  j  Ro.  4:13.  1  Jn.  5:4,5. 

h  or,  toll.  k  Ro.  7:25.  m  2  Pe.  3:14. 

i  Ro.  6:23.  1  Ro.8:37.  a  Ga.  2:10. 

divine  threatening  against  the  transgressors 
of  the  law,  the  curse  there  denounced,  that 
gives  power  to  sin.  Note,  Sin  is  the  parent 
of  death,  and  gives  it  all  its  hurtful  power, 
Rom.  5:12.  (2.)  In  ihe  account  given  of 

the  victory  saints  obtain  over  it  through  Je¬ 
sus  Christ,  v.  57.  the  curse  of  the  law  is  re¬ 
moved  by  iiur  Redeemer’s  becoming  a  Curse 
for  us ;  so  that  sin  is  deprived  of  its  strength 
and  sting,  through  Christ,  i.  e.  by  bis  incar¬ 
nation,  suffering,  and  death.  Bv  dying,  He 
conquered  death,  and  spoiled  the  grave  ; 
and,  through  faith  in  Him,  believers  become 
sharers  in  bis  conquests.  They  often  re¬ 
joice  beforehand,  in  the  hope  of  his  victory; 
arid,  when  they  rise  glorious  from  the  grave, 
will  boldly  triumph  over  death.  Note,  It  is 
altogether  owing  to  the  grace  of  God  in 
Christ,  that  sin  is  pardoned,  and  death  dis¬ 
armed.  It  is  by  the  grace  of  God,  through 
the  redemption  which  is  in  Christ  Jesus,  that 
we  are  freely  justified,  Rom.  3:  24.  It  is  no 
wonder,  therefore,  (3.)  IT  this  triumph  of 
the  saints  over  death  should  issue  in  thanks¬ 
giving  to  God,  v.  57.  The  way  to  sanctify 
all  our  joy  is,  to  make  it  tributary  to  the 


praise  of  God  :  this  really  improves  and  ex¬ 
alts  our  satisfaction.  And  what  can  be  more 
joyous  in  itself,  than  the  saints’  triumph 
over  death,  when  they  shall  rise  again  1 
Those  who  remain  under  the  power  of  death, 
can  have  no  heart  to  praise ;  but  such  con¬ 
quests  and  triumphs  will  certainly  tune  the 
tongues  of  the  saints  to  thankfulness  and 
praise;  praise,  for  the  victory,  (it  is  great 
and  glorious  in  itself,)  and  for  the  means 
whereby  it  is  obtained;  it  is  given  of  God 
through  Christ  Jesus;  not  given  because  we 
are  worthy,  but  because  Christ  is  so,  and 
Inis,  by  dying,  obtained  ibis  conquest  for  us. 
Must  not  this  circumstance  endear  the  vic¬ 
tory  to  us,  and  heighten  our  praise  to  God  I 
How  many  springs  of  joy  to  the  gpiuts,  and 
thanksgiving  to  God,  are  opened  by  the 
death  and  resurrection,  the  sufferings  and 
conquests,  of  our  Redeemer  !  With  what 
acclamations  will  saints,  rising  from  the 
dead,  applaud  Him  !  How  will  the  heaven 
of  heavens  resound  his  praises  for  ever  ! 
Thanks  be  to  God,  will  lie  the  burden  of 
their  song;  and  angels  will  join  the  chorus, 
and  declare  their  consent  with  a  loud  Amen, 
Hallelujah. 

V.  58.  In  this  v.  we  have  the  improve¬ 
ment  of  tile  whole  argument,  in  an  exhorta¬ 
tion,  enforced  by  a  motive  resulting  plainly 
from  it. 

I.  An  exhortation,  and  this  threefold.  1. 
That  they  should  be  steadfast, — firm,  fixed 
in  the  faith  of  the  Gospel,  that  Gospel  which 
he  had  preached,  and  they  had  received,  v. 
3,4.  and  fixed  in  the  faith  of  the  glorious 
resurrection  of  the  sanctified  dead,  which, 
as  he  had  shown,  had  so  near  and  necessary 
a  connexion  with  the  former.  Note,  Chris¬ 
tians  should  be  steadfast  believers  of  this 
great  article  of  the  resurrection  of  the  dead. 
It  is  evidently  founded  on  the  death  of 
Christ.  Because  JIc  lives,  his  servants  shall 
live  also,  Jn.  14:  19.  And  it  is  of  the  last 
importance  ;  a  disbelief  of  a  future  life  will 
open  a  way  to  all  manner  of  licentiousness, 
and  corrupt  men’s  morals  to  the  last  degree. 
It  will  be  easy  and  natural  from  hence  to 
infer,  that  we  may  live  like  beasts,  and  eat 
and  drink,  for  to-morrow  we  die.  2.  He 
exhorts  them  to  be  unmovable,  in  their  hope 
and  expectation  of  this  great  privilege,  of 
being  raised  incorruptible  and  immortal. 
Christians  should  not  be  moved  away  from 


|  this  hope  of  the  Gospel,  Col.  1 :  23.  this  glo¬ 
rious  and  blessed  hope  :  they  should  not  re- 
!  nounce  or  resign  their  comfortable  expecta¬ 
tions.  Should  they  part  with  their  hope  1 
j  Should  they  suffer  it  to  be  shaken  1  3.  He 

I  exhorts  them  to  abound  in  the  work  of  the 
Lord,  and  .that  always:  they  should  be  dili- 
j  gent  and  persevering  herein,  going  ever  on 
!  toward  perfection.  The  most  cheerful  duty, 
j  the  greatest  diligence,  the  most  constant 
I  perseverance,  become  those  who  have  such 
j  glorious  hopes.  What  vigor  and  resolution 
|  what  constancy  and  patience,  should  those 
|  hopes  inspire  ! 

II.  The  motive  resulting  from  the  former 
discourse  is,  that  their  labor  shall  not  be  in 
vain  in  the  Lord  ;  nay,  they  know  it  shall 
not.  They  have  the  best  grounds  in  the 
world  to  build  upon  ;  they  have  all  the  as¬ 
surance  that  can  rationally  be  expected  :  as 
sure  as  Christ  is  risen,  they  shall  rise  ;  and 
Christ  is  as  surely  risen  as  the  Scriptures 
arc  true,  and  the  Word  of  God.  Is  there 
any  room  to  doubt  a  fact  so  well  attested  1 
Note,  True  Christians  have  undoubted  evi¬ 
dence,  that  their  labor  will  not  be  in  vain  in 
the  Lord  ;  nay,  more  is  implied  than  is  ex¬ 
pressed  in  this  phrase.  It  means  that  they 
shall  be  abundantly  rewarded.  He  will 
never  be  found  unjust,  to  forget  their  labor 
of  love,  Heb.  6:  10.  Nay,  He  will  do  ex¬ 
ceeding  abundantly  above  what  they  now  ask 
or  think. 

Chap.  XVI.  V.  1 — 4.  In  this  ch.  Paul 
closes  this  long  epistle  with  some  particular 
matters  of  less  moment.  He  begins  with 
directing  them  about,  a  charitable  collection 
for  the  Christians  in  Judea,  whose  distresses 
and  poverty,  at  this  time,  were  extraordina¬ 
ry,  partly  through  the  general  calamities  of 
that  nation,  and  partly  through  particular 
sufferings.  In  this  he  desired  them  only  to 
conform  to  the  same  rules  he  had  given  other 
churches  on  the  like  occasion,  v.  1.  2  Cor. 
8  :  13.  lie  mentions  his  orders  to  the 
churches  of  Galatia,  to  excite  emulation,  and 
stir  them  up  to  liberality.  The  good  exam¬ 
ples  of  other  Christians  and  churches  should 
stir  in  us  a  holy  emulation.  The  church  of 
Corinth  should  not  be  outdone  in  this  ser¬ 
vice  of  love  by  the  churches  of  Galatia,  who 
do  not  appear  to  have  been  enriched  with 
equal  spiritual  gifts,  or  worldly  wealth. 


BRACT.  OBS.  V.  20 — 53.  Pleased  ho  God,  we  have  the  most  com¬ 
plete  and  satisfactory  proof,  that  Christ  both  ‘died  for  our  sins,'  ‘and 
rose  again  for  our  justification,’  and  as  ‘  the  First-fruits’  of  our  resurrec¬ 
tion  ;  that,  as  death  entered  by  man,  so  might  life  eternal  be  introduced 
by  One  in  our  nature. — Should  we  lose  sight  of  the  animating  prospect 
in  the  preceding  vs.  set  before  ns;  should  any  one  prevail  in  attempting 
to  argue  us  out  of  these  our  expectations  ;  how  must  our  zeal,  diligence, 
nnd  boldness  be  enervated,  and  our  rejoicing  damped  !  Let  its  then  fear 
associating  with  skeptical,  profligate,  or  ungodly  men;  let  its  warn  our 
children,  our  juniors,  our  hearers,  to  shun  them  ;  let  us  ‘  awake  to  right¬ 
eousness,  and  sin  not.;’  let  us  not  hearken  to  those,  who  know  not  God, 
in  whatever  science  else  they  may  excel;  being  assured  that  this  igno¬ 
rance  will  be  found  shameful,  in  proportion  to  the  abilities,  opportuni¬ 
ties,  confidence,  or  profession,  of  those  in  whom  it  is  found.  If  anv  are 
still  disposed  to  start  objections,  or  make  presumptuous  inquiries,  when 
truths  are  scripturallv  proposed,  let  them  remember  the  appellation  the 
apostle,  or  rather  the  Iloly  Spirit,  gives  to  such  ‘  wise  men  of'  this  world.’ 
For  they  may  thence  learn,  that  man’s  wisdom  consists  in  becoming  ‘  a 
little  child,’  and  simply  believing  his  Maker.  The  works  of  creation  and 
providence  read  us  daily  lectures  of  humility,  as  well  as  teach  us  to 
admire  the  variety  of  the  great  Creator’s  wisdom  and  goodness. — They, 
who  ‘  shall  he  accounted  worthy  ’  to  obtain  felicitv  in  the  heavenly  state, 

Y-  'Vith  the  glorious  prospect  before  the  eyes  of  his  faith 

and  hope,  the  apostle,  in  t lie  most  beautiful  and  animated  apostrophe, 
addressed  1  death  nnd  the  grave,’  or  the  unseen  state ,  as  real  persons, 
the  universal  and  most  terrible  conquerors  and  oppressors  of  the  human 
race-  Scott. 

(55.)  St  hi  :r.  |  Some  think,  the  allusion  is  derived  from  hunting. 
Others  refer  it  to  the  Jews’  representing  the  angel  of  death  with  an  up¬ 
lifted  dart,  or  spear.  But  tlte  sacred  writers  arm  him  with  a  sword; 
1  Chr.  21:15,  16.  Gen.  8:2!.,  and  teen  iron  r  tr.  sting]  is  never  used  of  a 
sword,  but  of  a  goad  ;  us  l’rov.  2T-3.  gir  S3:26.  a'c.  9  5.  It  was  prop¬ 
erly  used,  however,  of  the  spear  or  dart,  ns  many  peels,  ancient  and 
modern,  represent  death.  But  the  Or.  comtrs.  better  derive  it  from  the 
sting  of  serpents,  scorpions,  or  other  venomous  monsters,  Rev.  ti.lO. 
Hos.  13:14.  The  sting  of  such  constitutes  their  strength  ;  taken  awav 
their  power  to  hurl  is  gone  :  so  it  is  with  death  and  the  grave.  Grave'.] 
I  fades.  J 

(56.)  Law .]  1  Nomas  :  not  the  Mosaic,  particularly,  hut  all  law,  law 
in  general ;  ami  sin  means,  not  only  original,  (derived  from  our  first  pa¬ 
rents.;  but  actual  sin.  On  the  acquittal  of  the  righteous  at  the  judgment, 

[316J 


will  excel  in  glory  all  present  splendors,  fur  more  than  the  celestial 
bodies  transcend  the  terrestrial  ;  and  yet  they  shall  exceed  one  another 
in  glory,  as  ‘one  star  diflereth  from  another;’  while  Christ,  ‘  the  Sun 
of  righteousness,’  shall  infinitely  outshine  them  all.  Here  our  very  souls 
are  carnal ;  there  our  very  bodies  will  be  spiritual.  And  our  ‘second 
Adam,  the  I.ord  from  heaven,’  will  give  new  and  immortal  life,  as  ‘a 
quickening  Spirit,’  both  to  our  souls  and  bodies,  that  in  both,  according 

to  our  measure,  we  may  hear  liis  image  and  glorify  his  name _ I.et  us 

seek  the  full  assurance  of  faith  and  hope,  that  we  may  triiim;  li  in  the 
midst  of  pain,  and  in  the  prospect  of  dissolution. — But  ‘sin  is  tiie  sting 
of  death,’  and  who  can  disarm  that  ‘  king  of  terrors  ?  ’  For  ‘  the  law  is 
tlte  strength  of  sin,’  and  who  can  answer  its  demands,  endure  its  curse, 
or  expiate  his  own  transgressions  ?  Hence  the  terror  and  Hie  anguish  : 
hence  the  wretched  cleave  to  life,  save  when  infidelity,  despair,  and  re- 
hellion,  induce  madness  [or]  suicide.  Hence,  dcatli  is  justly  terrible  to 
the  unbelieving  and  impenitent ;  hence,  the  needless  alarms  of  the  weak 
and  trembling  believer.  ‘Thanks  be  to  God,’  that  there  is  deliverance* 
and  victory,  for  us  in  Christ  Jesus  1  Horn.  7:22 — 25.  May  lie  give  us 
faith  and  hope,  and  increase  our  faith  and  hope  ;  that  we  may  not  only 
lie  safe,  but  joyful  nnd  triumphant  !  Ami,  having  these  assurances,  let 
‘  ns  be  steadfast,  unniovahle,  always  abounding  in  the  work  of  the  Lord  ; 
ns  knowing  that  our  labor  is  not  it;  vain  in  the  I.ord.’  1  Jn.  8  1 — 3.  Sc. 

from  that  time  forth,  there  shall  lie  neither  sin  nor  law,  (says  Mucin.) 
with  the  penalty  of  death  annexed.’  Hloo.hf. 

(58.1  Abounding.]  ‘  Endeavoring  continually  to  make  progress.  Theoph. 
—  Work  of  the  I.onl.]  Doing  all  the  Lord  would  have  us  to  do,  as 
Christians,  including  virtue  (.(  every  kind.  So  the  Gr.  comtrs.,  and 
Vorst.  These  good  works,  it  seems,  many  (out  of  disbelief  or  distrust  of 
the  resurrection)  had  neglected.  Not  in  vain.]  1  incline  to  think  J’. 
made  use  of  this  expression,  purposely  to  hint  at  that  modesty  with 
which  all  human  works  should  ever  he  spoken  of  with  reference,  to  any 
reward.  In,  Ac.]  I.  e.  in  the  sight  of  God.’  In. 

NOTES.  Chap.  XVI.  V.  1,  2.  It  is  evident,  that  the  Corinthians 
had  been  previously  made  acquainted  with  the  apostle’s  intention,  of 
raising  a  contribution  from  the  Gentile  churches,  for  the  poor  Christians 
in  Judea;  and,  as  they  were  more  wealthy  than  most  of  their  brethren, 
he  did  not  intimate  even  a  doubt  of  their  liberality  in  that  good  work. 
Some  are  of  opinion,  that  the  sums,  thus  set  apart,  were  brought  to  the 
treasiir'  of  iite  church  at  the  time;  but  the  words  do  not  seem  to  admit 
of  that  interpretation;  ami  if  each  separately  laid  by  the  sum  which  he 
purposed  to  give,  the  whole  would  be  brought  together  at  once,  when 


A.  D.  60. 


1  CORINTHIANS,  XVI. 


Directions  about  contributions. 


2  Upon  the  first  b  day  of  the 

week  let  every  one  of  you  lay  by 
him  in  store,  as  God  hath  prosper¬ 
ed  him,  that  there  be  no  gatherings 
when  I  come.  . 

3  And  when  I  come,  whomsoever 
cye  shall  approve  by  your  letters, 
them  will  I  send  to  bring  your  d  lib¬ 
erality  unto  Jerusalem. 

4  And  if  it  be  meet  that  I  go  also, 
they  shall  go  with  me. 

5  Now  I  will  come  unto  you, 

'when  I  shall  pass  through  Mace¬ 
donia  :  for  I  do  pass  through  Mac¬ 
edonia. 

6  And  it  may  be  that  I  will  abide, 
yea,  and  winter  with  you,  that  ye 
may  bring  me  on  my  journey  whith¬ 
ersoever  1  go. 

7  For  I  will  not  see  you  now  by 
the  way  ;  but  I  trust  to  tarry  a 
while  with  you,  if  the  Lord  permit. 

b  Ac.  20:7.  c  2  Co.  8:19.  e  2  Co.  1:15,15. 

He.  1:10.  d  gift. 

1.  Ths  manner  of  the  collection,  v.  2. 

Every  one  should  lay  hy  as  he  could  spare, 
from  time  to  time,  and  by  that  method  make 
up  a  sum  for  it.  It  is  good  to  lay  up  in 
store  for  good  uses.  They  who  are  rich  in 
this  world,  should  be  rich  in  good  works, 

2  Tim.  6: 17,  18.  The  best  way  to  be  so, 
is,  to  appropriate  of  their  income,  and  have 
a  treasury  for  this  purpose;  by  this  mean 
they  will  be  ready  to  every  good  work  as 
the  opportunity  offers;  and  many  who  labor 
with  their  own  hands  for  a  livelihood,  should 
so  work,  that  they  may  have  to  give  to  him 
that  needeth,  Eph.  4:  28;  Their  treasury 
for  good  works  can  never  be  very  large ;  but 
the  best  way  in  the  world  for  them  to  get  a 
treasury  for  this  purpose,  is,  to  lay  by,  from 
time  to  time,  as  they  can  afford.  Some  of 
the  Greek  fathers  rightly  observe  here,  that 
this  advice  was  given  for  the  sake  of  the 
poorer  among  them.  They  were  to  lay  by, 
from  week  to  week,  and  not  bring  in  to  the 
common  treasury,  that,  by  this  mean,  their 
contributions  might  be  easy  to  themselves, 
and  yet  grow  into  a  fund  for  the  relief  of 
their  brethren.  Indeed,  all  our  charity  and 

necessary,  without  any  trouble  iu  soliciting  [petty]  contributions.  If 
this  [what  each  contributed!  was  kept  apart  by  each  person,  till  wanted, 
so  that  none  knew  what  others  gave,  ostentation  and  corrupt  emulation 
would  he  far  more  effectually  excluded,  than  if  each  brought  his  contri¬ 
bution  to  tiie  common  stock  every  week,  and  so  a  public  account  ’.vat 
taken  of  it.  It  was  especially  needful,  that  this  precaution  should  be 
taken  at  Corinth,  where  ostentation  and  emulation  greatly  prevailed ; 
and  it  is  evident,  that  the  apostle  intended,  as  much  as  possible,  to  leave 
every  one,  iu  this  respect,  to  determine  for  himself,  before  God,  what  he 
ought  to  do;  that  none  might  give  more  than  he  could  properly  spare, 
or  tlian  he  was  from  proper  motives  inclined  to,  either  to  acquire  ap¬ 
plause,  or  lo  escape  censure  and  contempt. — The  argument  from  this 
passage  for  the  observance  of  the  first  day  of  the  week,  as  ‘  the  Lord’s 
day,’  the  Christian  Sabbath,  is  very  conclusive;  for,  unless  that  were  the 
custom  in  apostolical  churches,  why  should  ‘the  first  day  of  the  week’ 
be  mentioned  iu  this  connexion  !  ‘On  Sunday,’  says  Justin  Martyr,  ‘ail 
Christians,  in  the  city  or  country,  meet  together,  because  that  is  the  day 
of  our  Lord's  resurrection;  and  then  we  read  the  writings  of  the  proph¬ 
ets  and  apostles.  This  being,  done,  the  president  makes  an  oration  to 
the  assembly,  exhorting  them  to  imitate  and  do  the  things  which  they 
have  heard,  then  we  till  join  in  prayer,  and  after  that  we  celebrate  the 
sacrament.’  Whitby.  Jn.  20:19 — 23.  Acts  20-7 — 12,  v.  7.  Rev.  1:9  — 
II,  v.  10.  Scott. 

(1.)  Collection.]  ‘Or  contribuli<m,  lit.  gleaning:  the  word  would 
thus  hint  to  them,  t hat  it  was  hut  a  slight  gleaning,  and  so  not  burden¬ 
some  to  any  individual.  Saints.]  Hagious , — simply,  Christians.  These 
were  (as  we  learn  from  other  quarters  the  Christians  iu  Palestine  (and 
such  collections  for  poor  and  learned  Palestine  Jews  had  been  in  frequent 
use),  who.  living  among  such  hitter  persecutors  as  were  the  Jews,  were 
often  spoiled  of  their  property,  or,  at  least,  were,  in  many  ways,  imped¬ 
ed  in  their  endeavors  to  gain  a  livelihood.  See  Zorn  ;  and  on  the  Jews’ 
mode  of  distributing  alms,  see  Vitr.,  Cwpz.,  &c.  Gwen  order.]  The 
Gr.  simply  implies, — directed,  enjoined,  appointed,  ordained,  by  ecclesi¬ 
astical  authority.’  Bloomp. 

(2.)  ‘ Tiie  Jews  (so  Grot.)  made  collections  in  the  we. eh,  and  distrib¬ 
uted  them  oil  the  S’thbalh.  Whit,  trill  v  observes,  that  til  is  text  evidences 
that  tiie  first  day  of  the  week  was  particularly  set  apart  by  tiie  Chris¬ 
tians  for  sacred  purposes.  So  Just.  Mar.,  Apol.  1,  93,  99.  ed.  Tilirlby. 
Ign.  ad  Magr.es.  §  9.  Clem.  Alex.,  Strom.,  p.  744,  ed.  i.utet.  Qrig., 
contra  Cels.  8.  p.  392.  ed.  Spencer.’  SI.  Jay  liy.]  ‘Any  one  is  sooner 
persuaded  to  contribute  small  sums  often,  than  a  great  deal  at  once;’ 
uud  thus,  too,  tiie  excellent  moral  habit  of  giving  is  gained,  by  benevo- 


benevolence  should  he  free  and  cheerful, and, 
for  that  reason,  should  he  made  as  easy  to 
ourselves  as  may  be.  And  what  more  likely 
way  to  make  us  easy  in  this  matter,  than 
thus  to  lay  by  I  We  may  cheerfully  give, 
when  we  know  we  can  and  have  been  laying 
by  in  store,  that  we  may  spare. 

2.  The  measure  in  which  they  are  to  kiy 
by,  as  Gael  hath  prospered  them.  All  our 
business  and  labor  are  that  to  us,  which  God 
is  pleased  to  make  them.  The  diligent  hand 
will  not  make  rich  by  itself,  without  the 
divine  blessing,  Prov.  10:4,22.  It  is  God’s 
bounty  aud  blessing  to  ■which  we  o*vc  till 
we  have  ;  and  whatever  we  have,  is  to  lie 
used,  and  employed,  and  improved,  for  Him. 
And  what  argument  more  proper  to  excite 
us  to  charity  to  the  people  and  children  of 
God  1  When  God  blesses  and  prospers  us, 
we  should  lie  ready  to  relieve  and  comfort 
his  needy  servants  ;  good  from  Him  should 
stir  us  up  to  do  good  to  others,  to  resemble 
Him  in  our  beneficence  ;  and  therefore  the 
more  good  vve  receive  from  God,  the  more 
we  should  do  good  to  others.  God  expects 
our  beneficence  to  others  should  hold  some 
proportion  to  his  bounty  to  us. 

3.  The  time  when  this  is  to  be  done.  Lit. 
24:1.  the  Lord’s  day,  when  public  assem¬ 
blies  were  held,  and  public  worship  was  cel¬ 
ebrated,  and  the  Christian  institutions  and 
mysteries, (as  the  anciertts  called  them,)  were 
attended  Upon  ;  then  let  every  one  iay  by 
him.  Works  of  mercy  are  the  genuine  fruits 
of  true  love  to  God,  and  therefore  are  a  prop¬ 
er  service  on  his  own  day.  God’s  day  is  a 
proper  season,  on  which  to  lay  up  for  chari¬ 
table  uses,  or  lay  out  in  them,  according  as 
He  has  prospered  its  :  it  is  paying  tribute 
for  the  blessings  of  the  past  week,  and  it  is 
a  proper  way  to  procure  his  blessing  on  the 
work  of  our  hands  for  the  next. 

4.  The  disposal  of  the  collections;  though 
the  apostle  would  have  everything  ready 
against  he  catne,  v.  2.  he  would  leave  it 
much  to  themselves,  as  was  fit.  Paul  pre¬ 
tended  not  to  lord  it  over  the  purses  of  his 
hearers  ;  he  would  not  meddle  with  their 
contributions  without  their  consent.  lie 
te II3  them,  (1.)  They  should  give  letters  of 
credence,  and  send  messengers  of  their  own 
with  their  liberality,  v.  2.  a  proper  testimony 
of  their  respect  and  brotherly  love  lo  their 
distressed  brethren  ;  and  it  would  argue, 


too,  that  they  were  very  hearty  in  this  ser¬ 
vice.  We  should  not  only  charitably  relieve 
our  poor  fellow-Christians,  but  do  it  in  such 
a  way  as  will  best  signify  our  compassion, 
and  care  of  them,  [and  respectful  consider¬ 
ation  of  their  feelings.]  (2.)  He  offers  to  go 
with  their  messengers,  if  they  thought  proper, 
v.  4.  lie  would  go,  rather  than  the  charity 
of  the  Corinthians  should  fail  of  a  due  effect. 
It  was  no  hindrance  to  his  preaching  work, 
but  a  great  furtherance  to  its  success,  to 
show  such  a  tender  and  benign  disposition 
of  rnintl.  Ministers  are  doing  their  proper 
business,  when  promoting  or  helping  in 
works  of  charity.  r 

V.  5—9.  In  this  passage,  the  apostle  no¬ 
tifies  and  explains  his  purpose  of  coming  to 
visit  them;  concerning  which,  observe, 

1.  His  purpose;  he  intended  to  pass  out  of 
Asia,  where  he  now  was,  see  v.  8 — 19.  and 
to  go  through  Macedonia  into  Achaia,  where 
Corinth  was,  and  to  stay  some  time  with 
them,  and  perhaps  the  winter,  v.  5,  C.  No 
wonder  Paul  was  willing  to  see  Corinth,  and 
stay  with  them  as  long  as  the  other  duties 
of  his  office  would  permit.  Though  some 
despised  him,  and  made  a  faction  against 
him,  doubtless  many  loved  him  tenderly,  and 
paid  him  all  the  respect  due  to  an  apostle, 
and  their  spiritual  father.  And  is  it  any 
wonder  he  should  he  willing  to  visit  them, 
and  stay  with  them  !  And  as  to  the  rest, 
who  now  showed  disrespect,  he  might  hope 
to  bring  them  to  a  better  temper,  and  there¬ 
by  rectify  wlmt  was  out  of  order  in  the 
church,  by  staying  among  them  for  some 
time.  It  is  plain  he  hoped  for  some  good 
effect,  because  he  says  he  intended  to  stay, 
that  they  might  bring  him  on  /.is  journey , 
ichithersoever  he  went,  v.  6.  i.  e.  furnish  him 
for  it,  help  and  encourage  him  to  it.  He  is 
to  he  understood,  of  being  brought  forward 
in  his  journey  after  a  godly  sort,  as  express¬ 
ed  3  John  ti.  6.  so  that  nothing  might  be 
wanting  to  him,  as  himself  speaks.  Tit. 
3:13. 

2.  Ilis  excuse  for  not  seeing  them  now  ; 
because  it  would  be  only  by  the  way,  v.  7.  a 
transient  visit  l  but  another  lime  lie  could 
tarry  longer. 

3.  The  limitation  of  this  purpose,  v.  7. 
It  is  to  be  understood,  not  of  a  purpose  pro¬ 
ceeding  from  any  extraordinary  motion  or 
impulse  of  the  Spirit  of  God,  but  of  a  com- 


lence  being  mure  often  exercised  ;  so  that  it  is  for  our  own  good,  also, 
that  we  still  have  ‘the  poor  always  with  us,’  it  being  ‘better  to  give 
than  receive.’  ‘Every  Jew  who  wished  to  be  of  any  esteem,’  says 
Schorlt.,  ‘  kept  a  certain  purse,  or  little  bag,  in  which  lie  laid  up  alms. 
Bp.  l’earce  thinks  the  Christians’  layings  up  were  weekly,  and  the  con¬ 
tributions  to  the  common  treasury  monthly.’  St.  Ed. 

V.  3,  4.  Everything  having  been  previously  arranged,  the  apostle, 
when  he  arrived  at  Corinth,  would  send  witli  the  bounty  of  the  Corinth¬ 
ians  such  persons  as  they  approved,  and  would  recommend  by  their  let¬ 
ters.  Or,  joining  the  words,  ‘  by  letters,’  with  the  latter  cl.,  whomsoever 
they  approved,  the  apostle  would  send,  with  letters  from  himself,  to  the 
apostles  and  elders  at  Jerusalem;  but  if  it  was  thought  more  satisfacto¬ 
ry  to  all  concerned,  he  himself  would  accompany  the  messengers  2  Cor. 
8:1G— 24.  Scott. 

(3.)  ‘  Them  with  letters  will  I  send.’  See  Bl.  Ed. 

(4.)  ‘If  the  sttm  collected  he  considerable  enough,  or  any  other  occa¬ 
sion  require  it,  I  will  accompany  them.’  Jaspis. 

V.  5 — 9.  Perhaps  he  intended  to  sail  from  Ephesus  to  Corinth  first ; 
then,  after  a  short  stay,  to  go  into  Macedonia,  and  afterwards  return  to 
winter  there.  It  is  evident,  from  the  concluding  salutation,  (hat  the 
apostle  wrote  this  epistle  from  Ephesus,  though  the  spurious  addition 
at  tiie  close  dates  it  from  Philippi.  It  is  probable,  that  the  tumult  made 
at  Ephesus  by  Demetrius,  hastened  tiie  apostle’s  departure  ;  {Notes,  Acts 
19:21 — 41.)  and  his  plan  seems,  in  other  respects,  to  have  been  circum¬ 
stantially  deranged.  (8)  Pentecost.]  ‘It  therefore  was  the  following 
Pentecost  that  he  hastened  to  be  at  Jerusalem.  Acts.  20:16.’  li'/iitby. 

Scott. 

(5.)  ‘lie  intends  to  pass  through  Macedonia  in  his  way  to  Corinth, 
and  after  having  left  it.  The  whole  sentence  is  idiotical  or  popular. — 
Of  this  journey  Luke  makes  no  mention  in  Acts,  for  what  is  mentioned 
20:3.  can  have  no  reference  thereto.  On  this  question  see  Est.,  Ligluf., 
Ber.a,  Grot.,  &c.,  who,  however,  bring  nothing  to  any  certainty.  Prob¬ 
ably  there  was  nothing  material  lo  record,  it  being  one  merely  of  ordi¬ 
nary  visitation  and  spiritual  confirmation.’  Bloomf. 

(6.)  That,  ye  may.]  I.  e.  ‘And  ye  shall.’  See  Bl.,  who,  with  (hrys. 
and  CEc.,  takes  the  phraseology  to  be  expressive  of  persuasive  familiarity, 
— fond  and  great  affection.  ‘It  may  be  proper  to  observe,  tlmt  this 
sending,  and  in  some  degree  accompanying  forward  the  teachers  of 
Christianity,  was  an  established  custom,  in  the  first  ages,  and  especially 
when  the  stay  was  of  any  duration.’  SI.  Comp.  Hash,  ini  Ac.  10-23. 
where  it  is  shown  to  be  still  a  part  of  th^.afiectiouate  manners  ol  the 
east  Ed- 

[317] 


A.  D.  60. 


1  CORINTHIANS,  XVI. 


Paul  commends  Timothy  to  them. 


8  But  I  will  tarry  at  Ephesus 
until  Pentecost. 

9  For  a  great f  door  and  effectual 
is  opened  unto  me,  and  there  are 
many  s  adversaries. 

10  Now  if  Timotheus  h  come,  see 
that  he  may  be  with  you  without 
fear  :  for  he  worketh  *  the  work  of 
the  Lord,  as  I  also  do. 

1 1  Let  no  man  therefore  despise 
1  him  :  but  conduct  k  him  forth  in 
peace,  that  he  may  come  unto  me  : 
for  I  look  for  him  with  the  brethren. 

[. Practical  Observations .] 

12  As  touching  our  brother  1 
Apollos,  I  greatly  desired  him  to 
come  unto  you  with  the  brethren  : 
but  his  will  was  not  at  all  to  come 
at  this  time;  but  he  will  come  when 
he  shall  have  convenient  time. 

13  W atch  m  ye,  stand  n  fast  in  the 
faith,  quit  you  like  0  men,  be  p strong. 


f  2  Co.  2:12. 

Re.  3:8. 
g  Phi.  3:18. 
h  Ac.  19:22. 


i  Phi.  2:19—22. 
j  1  Ti.  4:12. 
k  3  Jn.  6 
1  c.  1:12. 


m  1  Pe.  5:8. 
n  2  Th.  2:15, 
o  c.  14:20. 
p  Ep.  6:10. 


mon  purpose,  formed  in  his  own  spirit.  And 
concerning  all  our  purposes,  it  is  fit  we 
should  say,  ‘  We  will  execute  them,  if  the 
Lord  permit.’  We  should  say,  If  the  Lord, 
will,  we  shall  live,  and  do  this  and  that,  Ja. 
4:  15.  Heathens  have  concurred  in  acknowl¬ 
edging  this  concern  of  Providence  in  all  our 
actions  and  concerns  :  surely  we  should  read¬ 
ily  own  it,  and  seriously  attend  to  it. 

4.  His  purpose  expressed,  of  staying  at 
Ephesus  for  the  present,  till  Pentecost,  v.  8. 
It  is  very  probable  he  was,  at  the  time  of 
writing  this  epistle,  in  Ephesus,  from  this 
passage,  compared  with  v.  19.  where  he 
says,  The  churches  of  Asia  salute  you.  A 
proper  salutation  from  Ephesus,  but  hardly 
had  he  been  at  Philippi,  in  Macedonia,  as 
tile  subscription  to  this  epistle,  in  our  com¬ 
mon  copies,  has  it.  ‘  The  churches  of  Mace¬ 
donia  ’  had  then  been  much  more  proper. 

5.  The  reason  for  his  staying  at  Ephesus 
for  the  present,  v.  9.  great  success  among 
them,  and  a  fair  prospect  of  more.  There 
were  many  adversaries,  because  a  great 


door,  and  an  effectual,  was  opened  ;  but 
great  success  in  the  work  of  the  Gospel  com¬ 
monly  creates  many  enemies.  The  devil 
opposes  those  most,  and  makes  them  most 
trouble,  who  most  heartily  and  successfully 
set  themselves  to  destroy  his  kingdom. 
Some  think  he  alludes,  in  this  passage,  to 
the  custom  of  the  Roman  circus,  and  the 
doors  of  it,  at  which  the  charioteers  were  to 
enter,  as  their  antagonists  did  at  the  oppo¬ 
site  doors.  True  courage  is  whetted  by  op¬ 
position;  and  it  is  no  wonder  the  Christian 
courage  of  the  apostle  should  he  animated 
by  the  zeal  of  his  adversaries.  Success  will 
give  life  and  vigor  to  a  minister,  though  en¬ 
emies  rage,  and  blaspheme,  and  persecute. 
It  is  not  the  opposition  of  enemies,  hut  the 
hardness  and  obstinacy  of  his  hearers,  and  the 
backslidings  and  revolt  of  professors,  that 
damp  a  faithful  minister,  and  break  his  heart. 

V.  10 — 12.  In  this  passage, 

1.  He  recommends  Timothy  to  them,  in 
several  particulars.  As,  (1.)  He  bids  them 
take  care  that  lie  should  be  among  them,  with¬ 
out  fear,  v.  10.  Timothy  was  sent  by  the 
apostle  to  correct  abuses  among  them;  they 
were  all  in  factions,  and,  no  doubt,  mutual 
strife  and  hatred  ran  very  high  among  them  ; 
some  were  very  rich,  probably,  and  many 
very  proud,  on  account  both  of  their  wealth 
and  spiritual  gifts.  It  was  reasonable,  there¬ 
fore,  to  think  young  Timothy  might  he 
roughly  used  ;  hence  the  apostle  warns  them 
against  using  him  ill.  Christians  should 
bear  faithful  reproof  from  their  ministers, 
and  not  terrify  and  discourage  them  from 
doing  their  duty.  (  2.  )  He  warns  them 
against  despising  him,  v.  11.  He  was  but 
a  young  man,  Und  alone,  as  CEcumenius 
observes.  Not  that  he  distrusted  Timothy, 
hut  a  caution  was  but  too  necessary  for  the 
Corinthians.  Note,  Christians  should  be 
very  careful  not  to  contemn  any,  but  espe¬ 
cially  the  faithful  ministers  of  Christ.  These, 
whether  young  or  old,  are  to  be  had  in  high 
esteem  for  their  work’s  sake.  (3.)  He  tells 
them  they  should  give  him  all  due  encour¬ 
agement;  and,  as  aa  evidence  of  this,  they 
should  send  him  away  in  friendship,  and 
well  prepared  for  his  journey  back  again  to 
Paul.  This,  as  I  have  above  observed,  is 
the  meaning  of  bringing  him  on  his  journey 
in  peace,  v.  11.  [Comp,  on  Ac.  10  :  23.] 
Faithful  ministers  are  not  only  to  be  well 


received  by  a  people  among  whom  they  may 
for  a  season  minister,  but  are  to  be  sent 
away  with  due  respect. 

2.  He  assigns  the  reasons  why  they  should 
behave  thus  towards  Timothy.  (1.)  He  was 
employed  in  the  same  work  as  Paul,  and 
acted  in  it  by  the  same  authority,  v.  10. 
therefore  to  vex  his  spirit,  would  be  to  grieve 
the  Holy  Spirit;  to  despise  him,  would  be 
to  despise  Him  that  sent  him  ;  not  Paul, 
hut  Paul’s  Lord  and  theirs.  (2.)  Another 
reason  is  implied  ;  as  they  were  to  esteem 
him  for  his  work’s  sake,  so  also  fur  Paul’s 
sake,  who  had  sent  him  to  Corinth  ;  not  of 
his  own  errand,  indeed,  but  to  work  the 
work  of  the  Lord,  v.  11.  Paul  might  ex¬ 
pect  from  the  Corinthians,  that  a  messenger 
from  him,  on  such  an  errand,  should  be  re¬ 
garded,  and  well  treated.  ‘  I  and  the  breth¬ 
ren  expect  his  return,  wait  for  the  report  he 
is  to  make  ;  and  therefore  do  not  use  him 
ill,  but  respect  him,  regard  his  message,  and 
let  him  return  in  peace.’ 

3.  He  informs  them  of  Apollos’  purpose 
to  see  them.  (1.)  Though  one  party  among 
them  had  declared  for  Apollos,  against  Paul, 
if  that  passage  is  to  be  understood  literally, 
ch.  4:6.  yet  Paul  did  not  hinder  Apollos 
from  going  to  Corinth  in  his  own  absence, 
nay,  he  pressed  him  to  go  thither.  He  had 
no  suspicions  of  Apollos,  as  if  he  would  les¬ 
sen  Paul’s  interest  and  respect  among  them, 
to  the  advancement  of  his  own.  Note, 
Faithful  ministers  are  not  apt  to  entertain 
jealousies  of  each  other,  or  suspect  self-de¬ 
signs.  True  charity  and  brotherly  love  think 
no  evil.  (2.)  Apollos  could  not  he  prevailed 
on,  for  the  present,  to  come,  but  would  at  a 
more  convenient  season.  When  Paul’s  epis¬ 
tle  to  them,  and  Timothy’s  ministry  among 
them,  had  reduced  them  to  a  right  temper, 
he  might  conclude  a  visit  would  be  more 
proper.  But  as  it  is,  Paul  signifies  his  great 
regard  to  the  church  of  Corinth,  when  they 
had  used  him  ill,  by  entreating  Apollos  to 
go  to  them  ;  and  Apollos  shows  his  respect 
to  Paul,  and  his  concern  to  keep  up  his 
character  and  authority,  by  declining  the 
journey  till  the  Corinthians  were  in  better 
temper.  It  is  very  becoming  the  ministers 
of  the-  Gospel,  to  have  and  manifest  a  con¬ 
cern  for  each  other’s  reputation  and  use¬ 
fulness. 

V.  13 — 18.  I.  The  apostle  gives  some 


TRACT.  OBS.  V.  1 — 11.  It  is  incumbent  on  ministers  to  exhort 
their  people  to  liberal  charity,  especially  towards  their  brethren  in 
Christ,  and  to  direct  them  in  the  best  way  of  collecting  and  applying 
their  contributions — Those  weekly  collections,  therefore,  which  are 
made  by  several  excellent  societies,  and,  blessed  be  God,  are  becoming 
more  and  more  general ;  in  which  even  poor  mechanics  and  laborers, 
nay  children,  by  the  constant  payment  of  trivial  contributions,  raise 
annually  large  sums  for  the  relief  of  the  sick  and  destitute,  and  for  aiding 
the  distribution  of  the  Scriptures,  and  the  cause  of  missions  into  all  re¬ 
gions,  cannot  be  too  warmly  recommended.  Thus  habits  of  the  best 
and  most  useful  kind  are  formed,  which  conduce  eventually  likewise  to 
their  own  temporal  comfort  and  benelit,  while  an  excellent  example  is 
exhibited,  and  the  rich  are  excited  to  a  proportionable  liberality.  May 
such  societies  be  established  in  all  the  churches  of  Christ  ! — Ministers 
ought  not  readily  to  leave  those  places,  in  which  ‘great  and  effectual 

(9.)  Door.]  A  Hebraism,  used  by  the  rabbins.  See  Schoett.  Effect¬ 
ual .]  Full  of  employment.  ‘There  was  opportunity  for  effecting  great 
tilings,  and  accordingly  a  celebrated  church  was  founded  at  Ephesus; 
and  from  Eph.,  it  would  seem,  there  was  less  to  correct  in  this  than  in 
other  churches  written  to.’  See  BI-,  Ed.  ‘A >.  and  Rns.  think  P.  adverts 
to  what  is  mentioned,  Ac.  19.1 — 5.  of  the  disciples  of  John,  of  the  sepa¬ 
rating  of  the  Christians  from  the  Jews,  v.  9.  &c.  and  of  the  favor  of  cer¬ 
tain  Asiarchs,  v.  31.  Mackn.  obs.,  that  about  the  time  this  letter  was 
written,  P.’s  success  was  greater  than  common;  for  many  who  used 
curious  arts ,  the  arts  of  magic  and  divination,  were  converted,  and 
burned  their  books,  containing  the  secrets  of  these  arts,  Ac.  19:17—20. 
which  so  enraged  the  idolaters  at  Ephesus,  hut  especially  the  craftsmen, 
that  they  raised  the  great  tumult  described  in  Ac.  19:23 — 41.’  IIl. 

V.  10,  11.  Probably  Timothy  returned  to  Ephesus,  before  Paul  was 
driven  thence. — ‘  We  infer  that  Timothy  was  not  sent  with  ihe  epistle, 
for  had  he  been  the  hearer  of  the  letter,  would  St.  Paul  in  that  letter 
have  said,  “  IfTimothv  come  ?  ”  . .  .  If  he  was  with  the  apostle,  when  he 
wrote  the  letter,  could  he  say,  . .  .  “  I  look  for  him  with  the  brethren  ?  ” 
..  .  Timothy  was  sent  forth  upon  his  journey  before  the  letter  wus  writ¬ 
ten;  but  he  might  not  reach  Corinth  till  after  the  letter  arrived  there. 
Acts  19:21.’  Raley.  (11)  With  the  brethren .]  Either  those  who  had 
accompanied  Timothy  into  Macedonia,  or  some  whom  the  apostle 
expected  from  Corinth.  Scott. 

(10.)  Without  fear.]  ‘  Unmolestedly.  Grot.,  See..,  refer  to  the  scorn 
of  the  wealthy,  the  contempt  of  the  learned,  the  perverse  onposition  of 

[318] 


doors  are  opened  to  them,’  even  though  there  be  many  adversaries  ;  nay, 
this  circumstance  may  often  render  it  more  incumbent  on  them  to  con¬ 
tinue  in  their  post,  though  dangerous  and  difficult ;  that  they  may  estab¬ 
lish  and  encourage  the  weak  or  wavering.  Neh.  610 — 14.  Acts  6:1 — G. 
— It  is  wonderful,  that  those  who  attend  on  the  work  of  the  Lord,  in  the 
most  faithful  manner,  should  have  cause  for  fear,  even  among  professors 
of  the  Gospel,  or  he  in  danger  of  being  despised  ami  disquieted  by  them. 
Yet  the  prevalence  of  party,  the  influence  of  corrupt  teachers,  or  the  in¬ 
fection  of  antinomian  principles,  frequently  produce  this  effect;  espec¬ 
ially  when  those  who  are  required  to  ‘reprove,  rebuke,  and  exhort  with 
all  authority,’  are  young,  diffident,  or  deficient  in  external  accomplish¬ 
ments.  But  senior  ministers  should  use  their  influence  to  repress  this 
spirit ;  that  their  faithful  young  brethren  may  be  secured  from  contempt, 
enabled  to  do  their  work  in  peace,  and  receive  due  kindness  from  those 
among  whom  they  labor.  Scott. 

the  schismatics  (especially  the  anti-Pauline  faction),  and  such  other  re¬ 
pulses  as,  being  a  young  man,  he  might  experience.’  Worketh ,  <fcc.]  ‘  He 
is  as  much  a  divinely  commissioned  minister  of  God,  as  myself.’  Bl. 

(11.)  Brethren.']  ‘■Grot,  understands,  others  who  had  gone  on  the 
journey  to  Corinth  (through  Macedonia),  with  Timothy,  namely,  (as 
Mackn.,)  Ecastus,  who  had  been  sent  with  Timothy  to  Corinth,  Ac.  19: 
22.  and  Titus,  who  carried  this  letter,  and  another  brother,  whose  name 
is  not  mentioned  ;  (see  2  Cor.  12:17,18.)  perhaps,  also,  some  of  the  Co¬ 
rinthian  brethren,  whom  P.  had  desired  Titus  to  bring  with  him  to 
Ephesus,  having  need  of  their  assistance  there.’  Id. 

V.  12.  Brethren.]  ‘The  Latin  comtrs.  are  of  opinion,  that  Apollos, 
displeased  with  the  behavior  of  the  faction,  had  left  them,  as  incorrigible, 
and  had  returned  to  Ephesus,  from  whence  he  had  been  recommended 
to  the  brethren  of  Achnia,  Ac.  18:24,  27.  19  1.  But  the  messengers  from 
Corinth,  arriving  with  a  letter  to  P.,  full  of  respect,  he  answered  it  by 
Titus,  mid  requested  Apollos  to  accompany  him,  in  the  hope  that  lie 
might  be  usefli!  in  assisting  Titus  to  settle  the  disturbances  in  that 
church.  Ilot  Apollos  refused  to  go,  knowing  the  violent  temper  of  t lie 
faction.’  Mackn.  ‘  Kr.  and  Rns.,  regard  the  opinion  as  highly  probable, 
hill  yet  not  certain.  It  is,  I  think,  little  less  than  certain.  His  will,  Ac.] 
Lit.  there  was  not,  upon  the  whole,  to  him  an  inclination  to  go  now. 
The  Latin  fathers,  as  Hilary,  and  Jerome,  have  preserved  a  tradition,  that 
Apollos  did  afterwards  visit  the  Corinthian  church,  when  the  religions 
differences  had  been  settled.’  Id. 

V.  13.  Be  strong,]  ‘  Kratiousthai :  an  agonistic  metaphor;  lit.  to 


A.  D.  60. 


1  CORINTHIANS,  XVI. 


Paul  closes  with  salutations. 


14  Let  all  your  things  be  done 
with  charity. 

15  I  beseech  you,  brethren,  (ye 
kn  ow  the  house  of  Stephanas,  that 
it  is  r  the  first-fruits  of  Achaia,  and 
that  they  have  addicted  themselves 
to  the  ministry  of  the  saints,) 

16  That  ye  submit  ’yourselves 
unto  such,  and  to  every  one  that 
helpeth  with  us,  and  laboreth. 

17  1  ain  glad  of  the  coming  of 
Stephanas  and  Fortunatus  and 
Achaicus  :  for  that  which  was 
lacking  ‘on  your  part  they  have 
supplied. 

18  For  they  have  refreshed  my 
spirit  and  yours  :  therefore  ac¬ 
knowledge  uye  them  that  are  such. 

19  The  churches  of  Asia  salute 
you.  T  Aquila  and  Priscilla  salute 
you  much  in  the  Lord,  with  the 
w  church  that  is  in  their  house. 

20  All  the  brethren  greet  you. 
Greet  ye  one  another  with  an  holy 
kiss. 

21  The  salutation  of  me  Paul 
with  mine  own  hand. 

q  1  Pe.  4:8.  t  Phi.  2:30.  v  Ac.  18:26. 

r  Ho.  16:5.  ulTh.5:l2.  w  Ro.  16:5,15. 

s  He.  13:17. 


general  advices;  as,  1.  That  they  should 
watch,  j'.  13.  be  wakeful  and  on  their  guard. 
Th is  a  Christian  should  always  do,  and 
sometimes  especially.  The  Corinthians  were 
in  manifest  danger  on  many  accounts  :  their 
feuds  ran  high  ;  the  irregularities  among 
them  were  very  great;  there  were  deceivers 
got  among  them,  who  endeavored  to  corrupt 
their  faith  in  the  most  important  articles, — 
those,  without  which  the  practice  of  virtue 
and  piety  could  never  subsist.  And,  surely, 
in  such  dangerous  circumstances,  it  was  their 
concern  to  watch.  Note,  If  a  Christian 
would  be  secure,  he  must  be  on  his  guard  ; 
and  the  more  his  danger,  the  greater  vigi¬ 
lance  is  needful  for  his  security.  2.  He  ad¬ 
vises  them  to  stand  fast  in  the  faith,  to  adhere 
to  the  revelation  of  God,  and  not  give  it  up 
for  the  wisdom  of  the  world,  nor  suffer  it  to 
be  corrupted  by  it  ;  maintaining  the  faith, 
even  to  death  ;  and  so  abide  in  it,  and  feel 
and  yield  to  its  influence.  A  Christian 
should  be  fixed  in  the  faith  of  the  Gospel, 
and  never  desert  or  renounce  it.  By  faith 
alone,  he  will  be  able  to  keep  his  ground  in 
an  hour  of  temptation  :  by  faith  we  stand, 
2  Cor.  1:  24.  and  by  that  we  must  overcome 
the  world,  1  Jn.  5:4.  both  when  it  fawns 
and  when  it  frowns  ;  when  it  tempts,  and 
when  it  terrifies.  We  must  stand,  therefore, 
in  the  faith  of  the  Gospel,  if  we  would  main¬ 


tain  our  integrity.  3.  He  advises  them  to  ! 
act  like  men,  and  be  strong  ;  ‘  Be  manly, 
firm,  resolved,  in  opposition  to  the  bad  men  t 
who  would  divide  and  corrupt  you  ;  be  not 
terrified  or  inveigled  by  them  ;  but  show 
yourselves  men  in  Christ,  by  your  steadiness, 
sound  judgment,  and  firm  resolution.’  Chris¬ 
tians  should  be  manly  and  firm  in  all  their 
contests  with  their  enemies,  in  defending 
their  faith,  and  maintaining  their  integrity, 
especially  in  those  points  of  faith  that  iie  at  ■ 
the  foundation  of  sound  and  practical  reli¬ 
gion,  such  as  were  attacked  among  the  Cor-  \ 
inthians  :  these  must  be  maintained  with  ' 
solid  judgment,  and  strong  resolution.  4.  1 
He  advises  them  to  do  everything  in  chari-  j 
ty,  v.  14.  When  the  apostle  would  have  us  1 
play  the  man  for  our  faith  and  religion,  he 
puts  in  a  caution  against  playing  the  devil  for  j 
it  :  the  wrath  of  man  worketh  not  the  right¬ 
eousness  of  God,  Ja.  1:21.  Note,  Chris¬ 
tians  should  be  careful  that  charity  not  only 
reign  in  their  hearts,  but  shine  out  in  their 
lives,  tiay,  in  their  most  manly  defences  of 
the  Gospel.  There  is  a  great  difference  be¬ 
tween  constancy  and  cruelty,  between  Chris¬ 
tian  firmness  and  feverish  wrath  and  trans¬ 
port.  Christianity  never  appears  to  so  much 
advantage,  as  when  the  charity  of  Christians 
is  most  conspicuous  ;  when  they  can  bear 
with  their  mistaken  brethren,  and  oppose 
the  open  enemies  of  their  holy  faith,  in  love; 
when  everything  is  done  in  charity  ;  when 
they  behave  towards  one  another,  and  to¬ 
wards  all  men,  with  a  spirit  of  meekness 
and  good-will. 

II.  He  gives  some  particular  directions 
how  they  should  behave  toward  some  that 
had  been  eminently  serviceable  to  the  cause 
of  Christ  among  them. 

1.  He  gives  us  their  character.  (1.)  The 
household  of  Stephanas;  and  their  character 
is,  that  they  were  the  first-fruits  of  Achaia; 
the  first  converts  to  Christianity  in  that  re¬ 
gion  of  Greece  in  which  Corinth  was.  Note, 
It  is  an  honorable  character  to  any  man,  to 
be  early  a  Christian.  They  had,  moreover, 
addicted  themselves  to  the  ministry  of  the 
saints  ;  not  to.  the  ministry  of  the  Word, 
properly,  but  to  serving  them  in  other  re¬ 
spects,  both  in  their  temporal  and  spiritual 
concerns.  The  family  of  Stephanas  seems 
to  have  been  a  family  of  rank  and  impor¬ 
tance;  and  it  is  an  honor  to  such  to  devote 
themselves  to  the  service  of  the  saints.  (2.) 
H  e  mentions  Stephanas,  and  Fortunatus,  and 
Achaicus,  as  coming  to  him  from  the  church 
of  Corinth,  and  supplying  the  deficiencies  of 
the  church  toward  him,  and,  by  so  doing,  I 
refreshing  his  spirits  and  theirs,  v.  17,  18.  1 
They  gave  him  a  more  perfect  account  of 
the  state  of  the  church  than  he  had  had  by 
letter,  and  he  had  been  made  more  easy  by 
converse  with  them.  It  is  a  great  refresh¬ 
ment  to  the  spirit  of  a  faithful  minister,  to 
hear  better  of  a  people  by  wise  and  good 


men  of  their  own  body,  than  by  common  re¬ 
port;  and  the  greater  value  he  has  for  those 
who  give  him  this  information,  and  the  more 
he  can  depend  on  their  truth,  the  greater  is 
his  joy. 

2.  On  this  account  of  the  men,  he  directs 
how  they  should  behave  toward  them;  and, 
(1.)  He  would  have  them  acknowledged, 
t>.  18.  i.  e.  owned  and  respected.  They 
deserve  it  for  their  good  offices.  They  wdio 
discover  so  good  a  spirit,  cannot  easily  be 
overvalued.  (2.)  He  advises,  that  they 
should  submit  thetnselves  to  such,  and  to  all 
who  helped  with  the  apostles,  and  laboied,  v. 
16.  This  is  not  to  be  understood  of  subjec¬ 
tion  to  proper  superiors,  but  of  a  voluntary 
acknow  ledgment  of  their  worth.  They  were 
persons  to  whom  they  owed  peculiar  respect, 
and  w  hom  they  should  have  in  veneration. 
Note,  It  is  a  venerable  character  they  bear, 
who  serve  the  saints,  and  labor  hard  to  help 
the  success  of  the  Gospel;  who  countenance 
and  encourage  the  faithful  ministers  of 
Christ,  and  endeavor  to  promote  their  use¬ 
fulness.  Such  should  be  had  in  honorable 
esteem. 

V.  19 — 24.  The  apostle  closes  his  epistle, 

I.  With  salutations  to  the  church  of  Cor¬ 
inth:  first,  from  those  of  Asia,  from  Priscilla 
and  Aquila,  (who  seem  to  have  been,  at  this 
time,  inhabitants  ofEphesus,  Acts  17:26.) 
with  the  church  in  their  house,  v.  19.  and  from 
all  the  brethren,  v.  20.  at  Ephesus,  where,  it 
is  highly  probable,  at  least,  he  then  was. 
Christianity  does  by  no  means  destroy  civil¬ 
ity  and  good  manners.  Paul  could  find  room, 
in  an  epistle  treating  of  very  important  mat¬ 
ters,  to  send  the  salutations  of  friends.  Some 
of  these  salute  them  much  in  the  Lcjrd  ;  for 
Christian  salutations  tire  not  empty  compli¬ 
ments.  We  read,  also,  of  a  church  in  a 
private  family,  v.  19.  It  is  very  probable 
the  family  itself  is  called  the  church  in  their 
house.  Every  Christian  family  should,  in 
some  respects,  be  a  Christian  church.  To 
these  salutations  he  subjoins,  1.  An  advice, 
that  they  should  greet  one  another  with  a  holy 
kiss,  v.  20.  or  with  sincere  good-will, — a  tacit 
reproof  of  their  feuds  and  factions.  Note, 
The  love  of  the  brethren  should  he  a  power¬ 
ful  incentive  to  mutual  love.  When  the  oth¬ 
er  churches  of  Christ  love  us  all,  we  are  very 
culpable,  if  we  do  not  love  one  another.  2. 
He  subjoins  his  own  salutation,  t>.  21.  His 
amanuensis,  it  is  reasonable  to  think,  wrote 
the  rest  of  his  epistle  from  his  mouth  ;  but, 
at  the  close,  it  was  fit  that  himself  should 
sign  it,  that  they  might  know  it  to  be  genu¬ 
ine;  therefore  it  is  added,  2  Thess.  3: 17. 
Which  is  my  token  in  every  epistle  ;  the  mark 
of  its  being  genuine  ;  so  he  wrote  in  every 
epistle  which  he  did  not  wholly  pen,  ns  he 
did  that  to  the  Galatians,  Gal.  C:  11.  Note, 
Those  churches  to  whom  apostolical  letters 
were  sent,  were  duly  certified  of  their  being 
authentic  and  divine. 


string  up  one’s  nerves,  so  our  word  strength ,  corresponding  to  kratos, 
comes  from  the  verb  to  string.  And  so  the  Heb.  chzqh ,  strength,  from 
chzq ,  to  string.  Thus  a  strong  man  is  one  whose  nerves  are  well 
strung.'  Bloomf. 

V.  14.  ‘  It  is  deserving  of  remark,  that  exhortations  to  constancy  in 

doctrine  are  often,  as  here,  followed  up  with  an  admonition  to  keep  the 
unity  of  the.  Spirit  in  the  bond  of  peace.'  Id. 

V.  15.  ‘  Now,  I  entreat  you,  brethren,  that  for  as  much  as  ye  know 
that  the  family  of  Stephenas  is,  &c.  It  seems  that  all  the  members  of 
this  invaluable  family,  devoted  themselves  to  the  ministering  to  the 
wants,  and  promoting  the  comfort  of  all  their  fellow  Christians,  whether 
strangers  or  countrymen.’  Rl.  A  popular  writer  remarks,  ‘When  our 
family  communities  are  perfectly  organized,  the  millennium  will  have 
come.’  See  ‘  Live  and  Let  Live.'  Comp,  note,  end  of  Mai.  Ed. 

V.  16.  Submit.]  ‘Show  them  all  due  reverence,  deference,  and  re¬ 
spect.’  Grot.  Lacking,  <$rc.]  ‘  Gave  me  by  their  converse,  and  friendly 
offices,  that  consolation  which  I  might  justly  have  expected  from  you 
all,  had  1  enjoyed  an  opportunity  of  conversing  with  you.’  Doddh. 

V.  17.  Fortunatus  is  mentioned  by  Clemens  Rom.  long  after,  as  the 
bearer  of  his  epistle  from  Rome  to  the  church  at  Corinth  ;  but  it  is  not 
certain  or  even  probable  that  the  same  person  was  intended.  Scott. 

V.  19,  20.  Rom.  16:5 — 16,  21 — 23. — Aquila  and  Priscilla  had  returned 
to  Rome,  before  the  apostle  wrote  to  the  Christians  in  that  city.  Rom. 
16:3,  4.  Id. 

(19.)  ‘It  is  strange,  that  most  moderns,  as  Ham.,  Erasm.,Beza,  Est., 
Menooh.,  Grot.,  Doddr.,  Whit.,  and  recently  Kr.,  should  explain  this  of 
“  all  the  Christians  in  their  family.”  Grot,  thinks  it  may  signify,  “  a 


family,  consisting  wholly  of  Christian  converts,”  as  the  jailer’s  house, 
Ac.  16:31,  32.  and  that  of  Crispus,  18:8.  “  When  it  was  otherwise,  (says 
Whit.')  and  the  family  were  not  entirely  converted,  P.  alters  his  style, 
speaking  of  ‘them  of  his  household,’  Rom.  16:10,  11.  Phil.  4:22.  or 
‘  those  that  are  with  them,’  Rom.  16:14,  15.”  But  this  mode  of  interpre¬ 
tation  is  manifestly  harsh  and  improbable.  And  it  is  quite  gratuitous  to 
add,  (as  does  Doddr.)  ‘‘for  you  know  their  family  is  happy,  in  a  large 
number  of  Christian  converts.”  Far  more  natural  is  the  sense  assigned 
by  Chrys.,  and  all  the  Gr.  conitrs.,  and,  of  the  moderns,  Mede,  Wells, 
Pearce,  Slade,  and  Jaspis,  namely,  “the  congregation  that  was  accus¬ 
tomed  to  meet  for  divine  worship,  at  their  house  :  ”  [for  it  is  not  prob¬ 
able  the  Christians  were  yet  allowed  to  build  churches.]  And  this  sense 
has  the  advantage  of  including  the  other.  See  on  Rom.  16:5.’  Bn. 

(20.)  Kiss.]  ‘Still  a  usual  salutation,  even  with  males  in  S.  Europe. 
It  may  be  referred  to  the  general  Oriental,  and  especially  Jewish  cus¬ 
tom,  thus  illustrated  by  Schoett.  “  The  custom  of  kissing  was  so  com¬ 
mon  among  the  Jews,  as  to  become  a  salute  of  daily  politeness.  This 
the  SS.  everywhere  show.  But  the  primitive  Christians,  as  often  as 
their  assemblies  were  dismissed,  kissed  one  another,  in  sign  of  concord 
and  charity.”  Rightly,  says  Grot.,  was  the  kiss  of  peace  enjoined  on 
those,  who  xvere  now  in  so  much  danger  of  being  torn  asunder  by 
schisms.’  ,  _  / 

V.  21 — 24.  Some  Jewish  usages  are  supposed  to  be  referred  to ;  >u 
the  above  [as  in  Henry]  is  the  undoubted  meaning  ol  the  passage. 

‘  When  the  Jews  lost  the  power  of  life  and  death,  they  used  rev.™'' 
less  to  pronounce  an  anathema  on  persons,  who,  according  o  iei  isa  o 
law,  should  have  benji  executed  ;  and  such  a  person  became  ail 


1  CORINTHIANS,  XVI. 


A.  D.  60. 


He  solemnly  warns  and  blesses  them. 


22  If  any  man  love  ^not  the  Lord 
Jesus  Christ,  let  him  be  ?  anathema 
2  maranatha. 

23  The  grace  a  of  our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ  be  with  you. 

24  My  love  be  with  you  all  in 
Christ  Jesus.  Amen. 

IT  The  first  epistle  to  the  Corinth¬ 
ians  was  written  from  Philippi 
by  Stephanas,  and  Fortunatus, 
and  Achaicus,  and  Timotheus. 

x  Ep.  6:24.  y  Ga.  1:8,9.  z  Jude  14, 15.  a  Ru.  16:20. 


II.  Willi  a  very  solemn  warning  to  them, 
especially  their  seducers  and  corrupters,  v. 
22.  We  sometimes  need  words  of  threat¬ 
ening,  that  we  may  fear.  Holy  fear  is  a 
very  good  friend,  both  to  holy  faith  and  holy 
living.  And  how  much  reason  have  all 
Christians  to  fear  falling  under  this  doom  ! 
If  any  man  love  not  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  let 
him  be  Anathema,  Mar  an- atha.  1.  Professed 
Christians  will,  by  contempt  of  Christ,  and 
revolt  from  Him,  bring  on  themselves  the 
most  dreadful  destruction.  Some  understand 


the  words  as  they  lie,  in  their  plain  and  ob-  j 
vious  meaning,  for  such  as  are  without  holy 
and  sincere  affection  for  the  Lord  Jesus  ' 
Christ.  There  are  many  Christians  in  name, 
who  do  not  love  Christ  Jesus  the  Lord  in 
sincerity.  But  can  anything  be  more  crim-  , 
inal  or  provoking  J  Not  love  the  most  glo-  ; 
rious  Lover  in  the  world  !  2.  *  Let  such  a 

person  lie  under  the  heaviest  and  most  dread-  \ 
ful  curse.  Let  him  be  separated  from  the 
people  of  God,  from  the  favor  of  God,  and 
delivered  up  to  his  final,  irrevocable,  and 
inexorable  vengeance.’  Maran-atha  is  a 
Syriac  phrase,  and  signifies  The  Lord  com¬ 
eth.  That  very  Lord  whom  they  do  not  love, 
to  whom  they  are  inwardly  and  really  dis¬ 
affected,  whatever  outward  profession  they 
make,  He  is  coming  to  execute  judgment. 
And  to  be  exposed  to  his  wrath,  to  be  di¬ 
vided  to  his  left  hand,  to  be  condemned  by 
Him, — how  dreadful  !  If  He  will  destroy, 
who  can  save  I  Those  who  fall  under  his 
condemning  sentence,  must  perish,  and  that 
for  ever,  Jn.  3:  26. 

''III.  The  apostle  closes  all  with  his  good 
wishes,  and  expressions  of  good-will.  1. 
With  his  good  wishes,  v.  23.  As  much  as 
if  lie  had  said,  ‘Though  I  warn  you  against 


falling  under  his  displeasure,  I  heartily  wish 
you  au  interest  in  his  dearest  love,  and  his 
eternal  favor.’  The  most  solemn  warnings 
are  the  result  of  the  tenderest  affection  and 
the  greatest  good-will.  We  may  tell  our 
brethren  and  friends,  with  great  plainness 
and  pathos,  that,  if  they  love  not  the  Lord 
Jesus  Christ,  they  must  perish,  while  we 
heartily  wish  the  grace  of  Christ  may  be 
with  them.  Note,  also.  How  much  true 
Christianity  enlarges  our  hearts  ;  it  makes 
us  wish  those  whom  we  love,  the  blessings 
of  both  worlds  ;  for  this  is  implied  in  wish¬ 
ing  the  grace  of  Christ  to  be  with  them. 
And  therefore  it  is  no  wonder  that  he  adds, 
2.  The  declaration  of  his  love  to  them,  in 
Christ  Jesus,  v.  24.  He  had  dealt  very 
plainly  with  them,  told  them  of  their  faults 
with  just  severity  ;  but  to  show  that  he  was 
not  transported  with  passion,  he  makes  sol¬ 
emn  profession  of  his  love  to  them,  nay,  to 
them  all  in  Christ  Jesus,  i.  e.  for  Christ’s 
sake.  We  should  love  all  men,  and  wish 
them  well,  and  do  them  what  good  is  in  our 
power;  but  they  must  have  our  dearest  affec¬ 
tion,  who  are  dear  to  Christ,  and  lovers  of 
Him.  May  our  love  be  with  all  them  who 
are  in  Christ  Jesus  !  Amen. 


I’RACT.  OBS.  V.  12 — 24.  The  zealous  servants  of  Christ  are  com¬ 
monly  harmonious  among  themselves,  even  when  their  injudicious  hear¬ 
ers  place  them  in  competition  with  each  other. — Exhortations  to  vigi¬ 
lance,  constancy  in  duty,  steadfastness  in  the  faith,  and  mutual  love,  can 
never  be  unseasonable.  We  should  also  willingly  submit  to  those,  who 
are  experienced  and  mature  in  the  faith  of  Christ,  or  who  labor  to  pro¬ 
mote  that  cause,  for  which  the  apostles  spent  and  laid  down  their  lives. 
— Christians,  though  divided  by  seas  and  mountains,  and  though  they 
disapprove  of  some  things  in  each  other’s  creed  or  practice,  will  yet  cor¬ 
dially  love  and  pray  for  one  another.  Rut  they,  who  ‘  love  not  the  Lord 
Jesus  Christ,’  can  be  Christians  only  in  name,  and  they  must  certainly 

ma ; . .  .  and  to  express  their  faith,  that  God  would  in  one  way  or  other 
interpose  to  add  that  efficacy  to  his  own  sentence,  which  they  could  not 
give  it,  it  is  very  probable  that  they  might  use  the  word  Maran-atha, 
i.  e.  in  Syriac,  “  The  Lord  cometh and  He  will  put  the  sentence  in  ex¬ 
ecution.’  Doddr.  Scott. 


abide  under  an  awful  curse,  which  the  Lord  when  He  cometh  will  exe¬ 
cute.  P.  O.  Mat.  25:41 — 46.  Our  obligations  to  the  divine  Savior,  and 
our  reasons  for  loving  Him,  are  infinite;  yet  many,  who  are  called  by 
his  name,  who  profess  his  truth,  nay,  who  preach  his  Gospel,  are  stran¬ 
gers  to  this  holy  love,  and  only  seek  their  own  advantage,  credit,  ease, 
or  pleasure,  in  their  religious  performances.  Let  us  then  call  ourselves 
to  account  in  this  matter,  and  not  be  satisfied  with  any  religion,  which 
does  not  include  and  express  the  supreme  love  of  Christ,  earnest  desires 
of  his  salvation,  gratitude  for  his  mercies,  zeal  for  his  glory,  and  obe¬ 
dience  to  his  commandments.  Scott. 


(22  )  ‘  The  Jews  began  with  the  words  Anathema  Maran-atha,  their 
greater  excommunication,  whereby  they  not  only  excluded  sinners  from 
their  society,  [and  the  charities  of  life,]  but  delivered  them  up  to  the  di¬ 
vine  Cherem,  or  Anathema,  i.  e.  eternal  perdition.’  Mackn. 


ADDITIONAL  NOTE.  - 

The  sectarianism  Paul  noticed  with  great  grief  and  displeasure  among 
the  primitive  Christians,  needs  now  also  to  be  noticed  in  the  churches, 
who  are  invited  prayerfully  to  consider  the  following  extract  from  a 

‘  Fraternal  Appeal  to  the  American  Churches ,  together  with  a  Plan  for 
Catholic  Union  on  Apostolical  Principles.' 

‘When  the  sincere  nnd  unsophisticated  Christian  contemplates  the 
image  of  the  church  as  delineated  both  in  its  theory  and  practice  by  the 
Savior  and  his  apostles,  be  is  charmed  by  the  delightful  spirit  of  unity 
and  brotherly  love  by  which  it  is  characterized, — [l  growing  up  into  Him 
in  all  things  which  is  the  Head,  even  Christ :  from  whom  the  whole  body 
fitly  joined  together,  and  compacted  by  that  which  every  joint  supplieth, 
according  to  the  effectual  working  in  the  measure  of  every  part,  niak- 
eth  increase  of  the  body,  unto  the  edifying  of  itself  in  love.’]  When  he 
hears  the  beloved  disciple  declare  “God  is  love,  and  they  that  dwell  in 
love  dwell  in  God;”  and  again.  “  Reloved,  let  us  love  one  another,  for 
love  is  of  God,  and  every  one  that  loveth  is  born  of  God,  and  knoweth 
God.  He  that  loveth  not,  knoweth  not  God  ;  for  God  is  love  and  again, 
“  Reloved,  if  God  so  loved  us,  we  ought  also  to  love  one  another. — If  any 
man  sav  I  love  God,  and  hatetli  his  brother,  he  is  a  liar;  for  he  that  lov¬ 
eth  not  his  brother  whom  he  hath  seen,  how  can  lie  love  God  whom  he 
hath  not  seen  ?  And  this  commandment  have  we  from  Him,  that  he  who 
loveth  God,  love  his  brother  also.” — When  the  Christian  listens  to  such 
declarations  as  these,  and  numerous  others  of  similar  import;  when, 
forgetting  things  as  they  exist  around  him,  he  brings  his  whole  soul  un¬ 
der  the  influence  of  this  love  to  God  and  the  brethren  ;  he  perceives  the 
moral  beauty  of  these  sentiments,  and  finds  his  heart  vibrate  in  delight¬ 
ful  unison  with  them.  Rut  when  he  awakes  from  this  fascinating  dream, 
and  beholds  the  body  of  Christ  rent  into  different  divisions,  separately 
organized,  professing  different  creeds,  denouncing  each  other  as  in  error, 
and  oftentimes,  hating  and  being  hated  ;  his  spirit  is  grieved  within  him, 
and  he  asks,  how  can  these  things  be  among  brethren  ?  In  the  sacred 
record  he  looks  in  vain  for  the  sectarian  parties  which  now  constitute 
all  that  is  seen  of  the  church  of  the  Redeemer  ;  he  finds  nothing  there  of 
Lutherans,  of  Presbyterians,  of  Methodists,  of  Episcopalians,  of  Rap- 
tists.  Rut  he  sees,  that  when  the  formation  of  such  parties  was  attempt¬ 
ed  at  Corinth,  Paul  deemed  it  necessary  to  write  them  a  long  letter,  and 
besought  them,  by  the  name  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  to  have  no  divis¬ 
ions  among  them.  The  Christian  is,  therefore,  constrained  to  mourn  over 
the  desolations  of  Zion,  and  to  meet  the  solemn  inquiry,  cannot  a  balm 
be  found  for  the  ulcerous  divisions  which  deface  the  bqjly  of  Christ  ? 

‘Let  us  premise,  as  admitted,  that, 

a)  There  must  necessarily  be  different  forms  of  worship;  and 

b)  Different  congregations,  as  in  the  apostle’s  days. 

c)  That  all  the  several  denominations  termed  orlh’odox,  which  are  but 
clusters  of  such  different  congregations,  are  parts  of  the  true,  visible 
church  of  Christ ;  because,  in  the  Conscientious  judgment  of  all  enlight¬ 
ened  Christians,  they  hold  the  essentials  of  the  gospel-scheme  of  faith 
and  practice;  and  secondly,  because  the  Savior  Himself  has  acknowl¬ 
edged  them  as  such  by  the  seal  of  his  grace  and  Spirit.  “  When  James, 
Cephas,  and  John  perceived  the  grace  that  was  given  to  me,"  says  Paul, 
(Gal.  2:9.)  “  they  gave  to  me  and  Rarnabas  the  right  hand  of  fellowship.” 
And  where  is  the  bigot,  who,  at  the  present  day,  would  claim  his  to  be  the 
only  true  church,  and  thus  repudiate  all  others  as  Synagogues  of  Satan? 

[320] 


-CHRISTIAN  UNION. 

d)  These  denominations  hold  dissentient  views  on  some  non-essential 
points ;  but  the  pretension,  that  any  one  is  right  in  all  things,  and  all  oth¬ 
ers  in  error  so  far  as  they  diverge  from  this  one,  is  highly  improbable  in 
itself,  is  forbidden  by  Christian  humility,  by  a  knowledge  of  human  nature, 
nnd  by  the  amount  oftalent,  learning,  and  piety,  in  all  the  several  church¬ 
es  :  hence  some  error,  in  all  probability,  is  an  attribute  of  each  sect. 

e)  Finally,  we  premise,  that  ministers  and  laymen,  though  pious,  are 
fallible,  are  sanctified  but  in  part,  and  liable  to  temptation  from  secular 
motives  and  feelings,  even  in  things  pertaining  to  the  Redeemer’s  king¬ 
dom.  Hence,  they  are  all  under  obligation  (and  let  the  reader  and  writ¬ 
er  feel  deeply  impressed  with  this),  to  review  their  course  of  thought  and 
action,  and  ought  to  be  willing,  for  the  glory  of  their  God  and  Savior,  to 
retrace  and  amend  whatever  may  be  found  amiss. 

Reing,  then,  all  more  or  less  in  error,  is  it  right  that  these  diversities 
should  sever  the  bond  of  fraternal  love,  that  unity,  rending  Christ’s  body 
into  parts  ?  Should  not  Christians  then  endeavor  to  heal  these  divis¬ 
ions,  and  promote  unity  among  all  whom  they  profess  to  regard  as  disci¬ 
ples  of  Christ  ?  The  will  of  our  Master  will  become  apparent  to  us 
while  we  successively  consider, 

I.  The  Scriptural  injunctions. 

II.  The  example  of  the  apostles  and  primitive  Christians. 

III.  The  conser/uences  ivhich  these  divisions  produce. 

1.  ‘The  church  of  Corinth  had  been  planted  by  Paul,  watered  by 
Apollos,  and  blessed  by  Him,  from  whom  alone  can  come  any  genuine 
increase.  In  it  however  there  appeared  symptoms  of  the  spirit  of  sec¬ 
tarianism,  an  attempt  to  introduce  different  sects  or  religious  denomi¬ 
nations  into  the  church  of  Christ,  ranged  under  different  leaders,  such 
as  Paul,  Apollos,  Peter,  Luther,  Calvin,  Zuingli,  or  Wesley  ;  nnd  what 
are  the  feelings  of  the  noble-minded  Paul  ?  “  I  beseech  you,”  such  is  his 
powerful  and  decided  testimony  against  the  spirit  of  sectarianism,  11  I 
beseech  you  by  (the  hope  you  cherish  through)  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ 
(by  his  suffering,  his  blood),  that  there  be  no  schisms  ( schismata '•  or  sects 
among  you  ...  Is  Christ  (i.  e.  the  body  of  Christ)  divided  ?  Was  Paul 
(or  either  of  those  whose  names  ye  assume,  and  whom  ye  wish  to  place 
at  the  side  of  Christ,  as  leaders  or  heads  of  the  church)  crucified  for  you  ? 
Or  were  ye  baptized  into  the  name  of  Paul  ?”  (or  of  Apollos,  or  of  Peter, 
so  that  ye  were  received  into  their  church,  and  not  into  the  church  of 
Christ.).. 

‘  The  apostle  docs  not  even  introduce  into  his  argument  their  points 
of  diversity.  . .  .  The  simple  facts,  that  they  were  baptized  into  Christ, 
and  into  Christ  alone,  i.  e.  were  members  of  the  church  in  good  stand¬ 
ing,  and  that  Christ  must  not  be  divided,  are  the  only  arguments  he 
deems  requisite  to  prove  the  impropriety  of  their  divisions,  and  of  their 
assumption  of  different  names.  He  would  have  them  Christians  and 
nothing  but  Christians;  not  Paulian  Christians,  nor  Apolline,  nor  Ce- 
phine,  nor  Lutheran,  nor  Calvinistic,  nor  Wesleyan  Christians,  not  be¬ 
cause  he  had  any  antipathy  to  Apolios  or  Peter;  but  because  any  such 
divisions,  based  on  difference  of  opinions  or  personal  attachments,  nat¬ 
urally  tended  to  rend  asunder  the  body  of  Christ. ..  .  He  therefore  dis¬ 
tinctly  forbids  the  cutting  up  of  those  whom  he  would  acknowledge  as 
Christians  at  all,  into  different  parties  or  sects.  And  this  he  does  even 
by  anticipation,  for,  in  all  probability,  these  parties  had  not  yet  fully 
separated  from  one  another,  nor  renounced  ecclesiastical  inter-commu¬ 
nion  ....  ( Continued  on  p.  354.) 


AN  EXPOSITION 


OF  THE 


SECOND  EPISTLE  OF 

PAUL  TO  THE  CORINTHIANS, 

WITH 

PRACTICAL  OBSERVATIONS  AND  NOTES. 


( Henry*s  Exposition,  completed,  by  Mr.  D.  Mayo.) 


In  his  Former  epistle,  the  apostle  had  signified  his  intentions  of  corning  to  Corinth,  as  he  passed  through  Macedonia,  ch.  16: 
6.  but  being  providentially  hindered  for  some  time,  he  writes  his  second  epistle  to  them  about  a  year  after  the  former ;  and 
there  seem  to  be  these  two  great  urgent  occasions :  1.  The  case  of  the  incestuous  person,  who  lay  under  censure,  required 
that  with  all  speed  he  should  be  restored  and  received  again  into  communion.  This,  therefore,  lie  gives  directions  about, 
ch.  2.  and  afterward,  ch.  7.  he  declares  the  satisfaction  he  had  on  the  intelligence  he  received  of  their  good  behavior  in  that 
affair.  2.  There  was  a  contribution  now  making  for  the  poor  saints  at  Jerusalem,  which  he  exhorts  the  Corinthians  to  join 
in,  ch.  8,  9.  * 

There  are  divers  other  things  very  observable  ip  this  epistle  :  I.  The  account  the  apostle  gives  of  his  labors  and  success 
in  preaching  the  Gospel  in  several  places,  ch.  2.  II.  The  comparison  he  makes  between  the  Old  and  New  Test,  dispensa¬ 
tion,  ch.  3.  HI.  The  manifold  sufferings  he  and  his  fellow-laborers  met  with,  and  the  motives  and  encouragements  for  their 
diligence  and  patience,  ch.  4,  5.  IV.  The  caution  he  gives  the  Corinthians  against  mingling  themselves  with  unbelievers, 
ch.  6.  V.  The  way  and  manner  in  which  he  justifies  himself  and  his  apostleship  from  the  opprobrious  insinuations  and 
accusations  of  false  teachers,  who  endeavored  to  ruin  his  reputation  at  Corinth,  ch.  10 — 12.  and  throughout  the  whole 
epistle,  f  .  Henry. 

Having  heard  by  Titus,  that  his  first  epistle  had  produced  very  good  effects  on  many  of  the  Corinthians,!  Paul  wrote 
this  also,  in  order  to  prepare  the  way  more  completely  for  his  visit  to  them;  and  probably  sent  it  immediately  by  Titus  and 
some  others  who  accompanied  him.  2:12,13.  7:5 — 7.  —  These  epistles  may  appear,  to  some  readers,  less  interesting  than 
several  others,  because  they  mainly  refer  to  the  peculiar  circumstances  of  the  Corinthian  church  ;  but,  in  fact,  they  are 
the  more  instructive  on  that  very  account;  ||  as  directions  and  admonitions,  suited  to  many  of  the  more  ordinary  incidents 
of  life,  are  communicated  by  them  ;  which  could  not  have  been  so  advantageously  adduced,  in  a  more  general  discourse  on 
the  great  doctrines  and  duties  of  Christianity.  Scott. 


*  In  it  he  justified  himself  from  the  charge  of  levity,  or  worldly  poli¬ 
cy,  in  delaying  his  journey  to  Corinth  ;  and  assigned  those  reasons  for 
this  part  of  his  conduct,  which  could  not  have  been  disclosed  with  pro¬ 
priety,  till  the  effect  of  his  former  epistle  had  appeared.  Note,  1:15— 2d. 
lie  also  gave  directions  respecting  the  restoration  of  the  incestuous  per¬ 
son,  who  had  been  excommunicated.  2.  He  then  expatiated  on  his  own 
conduct  in  the  Christian  ministry,  intermixing  many  exhortations  with 
the  avowal  of  his  motives  and  fervent  affections,  in  his  sacred  work. 
3: — 7.  With  great  address  and  earnestness,  he  recommended  to  them 
the  collections  for  the  poor  Christians  at  Jerusalem,  and  showed  the 
manifold  advantages  of  such  services.  8:9.  At  length,  he  more  directly, 
yet  evidently  with  great  reluctance,  contrasted  hia  own  gills,  labors, 
sufferings,  anil  conduct,  with  the  pretences  of  their  false  teachers; 
and  showed  himself  ‘not  a  whit  ’  inferior  to  any  of  the  apostles.  He 
then  concluded  with  various  admonitions  and  affectionate  good  wishes 
or  prayers.  10: — 13.  Scott. 

t  The  most  remarkable  circumstance  in  this  epistle,  is  the  confidence 
of  the  apostle  in  the  goodness  of  his  cause,  and  in  the  power  of  God  to 
bear  him  out  in  it.  Opposed,  as  he  then  was,  by  a  powerful  and  saga¬ 
cious  party,  whose  authority,  reputation,  and  interest  were  deeply  con¬ 
cerned,  and  who  were  ready  to  seize  on  eveylhing  which  could  dis¬ 
credit  him,  it  is  wonderful  to  hear  him  so  firmly  insist  on  his  apostoli¬ 
cal  authority,  and  so  unreservedly  appeal  to  the  miraculous  powers, 
which  he  had  exercised  and  conferred  at  Corinth.  So  far  from  shrink¬ 
ing  from  the  contest,  as  afraid  of  some  discovery  being  made,  unfavora¬ 
ble  to  himself,  or  to  the  common  cause,  he,  with  great  modesty  and 
meekness,  indeed,  but  with  equal  boldness  and  decision,  expressly  de¬ 
clares,  that  his  opposers  and  despisers  were  ‘  the  ministers  of  Satan 
and  menaces  to  indict  on  them  miraculous  judgments,  when  us  many 
of  their  deluded  hearers  had  been  brought  to  repentance,  and  re-estab¬ 
lished  in  the  faith,  as  should  in  a  reasonable  time  be  influenced  by  the 
use  of  proper  means.  It  is  inconceivable  that  a  stronger  internal  testi¬ 
mony.  not  only  of  integrity,  but  of  divine  inspiration,  can  exist.  Had 
there  been  anything  of  imposture  among  the  Christians,  it  was  next  to 
impossible,  but  such  a  conduct  must  have  occasioned  the  disclosure  of 
it.  Id. 

‘To  understand  this  epistle  rightly,  the  reader  must  recollect,  that  ns 
Titus  spent  some  time  in  Corinth,  after  delivering  the  apostle’s  first  let¬ 
ter,  he  had  opportunity  to  make  himself  acquainted,  not  only  with  the 
slate  of  the  sincere  part  of  the  church,  but  with  the  temper  and  beha¬ 
vior  of  the  faction.  Wherefore,  when  he  gave  the  apostle  an  account  of 
the  good  disposition  of  the  church,  he,  no  doubt,  at  the  same  time  in¬ 
formed  him  concerning  the  faction,  that  some  of  them  still  continued  in 
their  opposition  to  him,  and  in  their  attachment  to  the  false  teacher; 
and  that  that  impostor  was  going  on  in  his  evil  practices.  Farther,  Titus, 
bv  conversing  with  the  faction,  having  learned  the  arguments  and  ob¬ 
jections  hv  which  their  leaders  endeavored  to  lessen  the  apostle’s  author¬ 
ity,  together  with  the  scoffing  speeches  which  they  used,  to  bring  him 
into  contempt,  we  may  believe  that  he  rehearsed  all  these  matters  to 
him.  Keing  thus  made  acquainted  with  the  state  of  the  Corinthian 
church,  Paul  judged  it  fit  to  write  to  them  this  second  letter.  And  that 
it  might  have  the  greater  weight,  he  sent  it  to  them  by  Titus,  the  bearer 
of  his  former  epistle.  2  Cor.  8:17,  18. 

‘  In  this  second  letter,  the  apostle  [with  great  skill]  introduced  the  argu¬ 
ments,  objections,  and  scoffing  speeches,  by  which  the  faction  were  en¬ 
deavoring  to  bring  him  into  contempt  ;  and  not  only  confuted  them  by 
the  most  solid  reasoning,  but  even  turned  them  against  the  false  teacher 
If.  T.  VOL.  V.  41 


himself,  and  against  the  faction,  in  such  a  manner  as  to  render  them  ri¬ 
diculous.  In  short,  by  the  many  delicate  hut  pointed  ironies  with  which 
this  epistle  abounds,  the  apostle  covered  his  adversaries  with  shame,  and 
showed  the  Corinthians  that  he  excelled  in  a  talent  which  the  Greeks 
greatly  admired. 

‘  But  while  Paul  thus  pointedly  derided  the  faction  and  its  leaders,  he 
bestowed  just  commendations  on  the  sincere  part  of  the  church  .  . .  And 
by  keeping  in  mind  this  fact,  that  the  apostle  suits  his  discourse,  now  to 
one,  and  now  to  the  other,  of  those  opposite  characters  which  composed 
the  Corinthian  church,  every  appearance  of  inconsistency  and  contradic¬ 
tion  in  this  epistle  will  be  removed.’  Macknight. 

j  ‘  When  the  apostle  sent  his  first  letter  to  the  church  at  Corinth,  he 
resolved  to  remain  in  Ephesus  till  the  following  Pentecost,  (1  Cor.  16:8.) 
that  Titus,  who  carried  his  letter,  might  have  lime  to  return,  and  bring 
him  an  account  of  the  manner  in  which  it  was  received  by  the  Corin¬ 
thians.  But  the  riot  of  Demetriushappeningsoon  after  it  was  sentaway, 
the  apostle  found  it  necessary  to  avoid  the  fury  of  the  rioters,  and  of  the 
idolatrous  rabble,  who  were  all  greatly  enraged  against  him,  for  hav¬ 
ing  turned  so  many  of  the  inhabitants  of  Asia  from  the  established  idol¬ 
atry.  Wherefore,  leaving  Ephesus,  he  went  to  Troas,  a  noted  seaport, 
N.  of  Ephesus,  where  travellers,  from  Europe  into  Asia,  commonly 
landed.  Here  he  proposed  to  employ  himself  in  preaching  (2  Cor.  2:12.) 
till  Titus  should  arrive  from  Corinth.  But  Titus  not  coming  at  the  time 
appointed,  Paul  began  to  fear  that  the  Corinthians  had  used  him  ill,  and 
had  disregarded  his  letter.  These  fears  so  distressed  him,  that,  notwith¬ 
standing  his  preaching  at  Troas  was  attended  with  uncommon  success, 
he  left  that  city,  and  went  forward  to  Macedonia,  expecting  to  find  Ti¬ 
tus.  But  in  this  he  was  disappointed.  Titus  was  not  in  Macedonia 
when  the  apostle  arrived.  He  therefore  resolved  to  wait  in  that  coun¬ 
try  till  Titus  should  come,  and  inform  him  how  the  Corinthians  stood 
affected  towards  their  spiritual  father.  It  seems,  he  judged  it  impru¬ 
dent  to  visit  them  till  he  knew  their  state.  —  In  Macedonia,  Paul  had 
many  conflicts  with  the  idolaters,  (2  Cor.  7:5  )  who  were  greatly  enrag¬ 
ed  against  him,  as  all  other  idolaters  were,  for  opposing  both  the  objects 
and  rites  of  their  worship.  These  fightings,  joined  with  his  fears  for 
Titus,  and  his  uncertainty  concerning  the  disposition  of  the  Corinthians, 
exceedingly  distressed  the  apostle  at  this  time.  But  his  uneasiness  was 
at  length  happily  removed  by  the  arrival  of  Titus,  and  the  agreeable  ac¬ 
counts  he  brought.’  Id. 

||  ‘  For  example,  in  answering  the  calumnies  by  which  the  faction  en¬ 
deavored  to  discredit  him  as  an  apostle,  he  was  led  to  mention  facts 
which  demonstrate  him  to  have  been  an  apostle,  commissioned  by  Christ, 
to  direct  the  faith  and  practice  of  all  the  members  of  the  church.  Such 
as  his  having  wrought  miracles  for  converting  the  Corinthians,  and  his 
having  impar^d  to  them  spiritual  gifts  after  they  believed  :  his  having 
preached  the  Gospel  to  them  without  receiving  any  reward  from  them, 
not  even  the  small  reward  of  maintenance  while  he  preached  to  them  ; 
his  having  endured  innumerable  hardships  in  the  long  journeys  which  he 
undertook,  to  spread  the  Gospel,  and  heavy  persecutions  in  every  coun¬ 
try,  from  enemies  and  opposers,  1  Cor.  4:11,  12.  2  Cor.  4.8.  Hj23-  His 
rapture  into  the  third  heaven,  with  a  variety  of  other  facts  and  clrcum- 
ptances  respecting  himself,  which  we.  should  not  have  known,  >ul  or 
the  calumnies  of  the  Corinthian  faction,  and  of  the  judaiztng  cnen- 
ers,  who  infested  the  church  at  Corinth,  and  other  churches,  (see  I  lef- 
ace  to  Galatians,)  but  which,  now  that  they  are  known,  give  us  the  lull- 
est  assurance  of  his  apostleship,  and  add  the  greatest  weight  o^h 

writings.’  [32  i] 


A.  D.  61. 


2  CORINTHIANS,  I. 


Paul’s  account  of  God’s  goodness. 


CHAP.  I. 

3  The  apostle  enroorageth  them  against  troubles,  by  the 
comforts  and  (lelivera ncea  which  God  had  given  him,  ns 
in  ali  his  afflictions,  8  so  particularly  in  his  late  danger  in 
Asia.  15  And  calling  both  his  own  conscience  and  theirs 
to  witness  of  his  sincere  manner  of  preaching  the  immu¬ 
table  truth  of  the  Gospel,  15  he  excuseth  his  not  coming 
to  them,  as  proceeding  not  of  lightness,  but  of  hid  lenity 
towards  them. 

PAUL,  an  apostle  a  of  Jesus 
Christ  by  the  will  of  God,  and 
Timothy  our  brother,  unto  the 
church  of  God  which  is  at  Corinth, 
with  all  the  saints  b  which  are  in 
all  Achaia  : 

2  Grace  c  be  to  you,  and  peace, 
from  God  our  Father,  and  from 
the  Lord  Jesus  Christ. 

3  Blessed  d  be  God,  even  the 
Father  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ, 
the  Father  of  mercies,  and  the  God 
of.  all  comfort ; 

4  Who  comforteth  us  in  all  our 
tribulation,  that  we  may  be  able  to 
comfort  them  which  are  in  any 
trouble,  by  the  comfort  wherewith 
we  ourselves  are  comforted  of  God. 

5  For  as  the  sufferings  e  of  Christ 
abound  in  us,  so  our  consolation 
also  aboundeth  by  Christ. 

6  And  whether  we  be  afflicted, 
it  is  for  fyour  consolation  and  sal¬ 
vation,  which  is  *  effectual  in  the 
enduring  of  the  same  sufferings 
which  we  also  suffer  :  or  whether 
we  be  comforted,  it  is  for  your 
consolation  and  salvation. 

7  And  our  hope  of  you  is  stead¬ 
fast,  knowing,  that  as  hye  are  par¬ 
takers  of  the  sufferings,  so  shall  ye 
be  also  of  the  consolation. 

8  For  we  would  not,  brethren, 
have  you  ignorant  of  our  trouble 
1  which  came  to  us  in  Asia,  that 
we  were  pressed  out  of  measure, 
above  strength,  insomuch  that  we 
despaired  even  of  life  : 

9  But  we  had  the  i  sentence  of 
death  in  ourselves,  that  we  should 
not  trust  kin  ourselves,  but  in  God 
which  raiseth  the  dead  : 


10  Who  ‘delivered  us  from  so 
great  a  death,  and  doth  deliver  :  in 
whom  we  trust  that  he  will  yet  de¬ 
liver  us  ; 


a  1  and  2  Ti.  1:1. 
b  Phi.  1:1.  Col. 
1:2. 

c  Ro.  1:7. 
d  Ep.  1:3. 


1  Pe.  1:3. 
e  Col.  1:24. 
f  c.  4:15. 
g  or,  wrought. 
h  Ro.  8:17. 


2  Ti.  2:12. 
i  Ac.  19:53,  &c. 
J  or,  answer. 

Ic  Je.  17:5,7. 

1  2  Pe.  2:9. 


Chap.  I.  V.  1,  2.  In  this  introduction, 
we  have, 

1.  The  inscription.  Paul,  the  writer  of 
it,  joins  Timotheus  with  himself,  dignifying 
him  with  the  title  of  brother ,  wherein  he 
shows  his  humility,  and  his  desire  to  recom¬ 
mend  Timothy,  though  young,  to  the  esteem 
of  (he  Corinthians,  and  give  him  a  reputa¬ 
tion  among  the  churches.  This  epistle  was 
sent  to  the  church  of  God  at  Corinth ;  and  not 
only  to  them,  but  also  to  all  the  saints  in  all 
Achaia,  i.  e.  to  all  the  Christians  who  lived 
in  the  region  round  about.  In  Christ  Je¬ 
sus,  no  distinction  is  made  between  the  in¬ 
habitants  of  city  or  country. 

2.  The  salutation,  or  apostolicaj  benedic¬ 
tion,  the  same  as  in  his  former  epistle;  and 
therein  the  apostle  desires  the  two  great  and 
comprehensive  blessings,  grace  and  peace, 
for  those  Corinthians  ;  and  both  of  them 
from  God  our  Father,  and  from  the  Lord  Je¬ 
sus  Christ,  who  is  the  Procurer  and  Dispen¬ 
ser  of  these  benefits  to  fallen  man,  and  is 
prayed  to  as  God. 

V.  3 — 6.  After  the  foregoing  preface, 
the  apostle  begins  with  the  narrative  of 
God’s  goodness  to  him  and  his  fellow-labor¬ 
ers,  in  their  manifold  tribulations ;  which  he 
speaks  of  by  way  of  thanksgiving  to  God, 
and  to  advance  the  divine  glory,  v.  3 — 6. 
and  it  is  fit  that,  in  all  things,  and  in  the 
first  place,  God  be  glorified.  Observe, 

1.  The  object  of  the  apostle’s  thanksgiv¬ 
ing.  (1.)  The  God  and  Father  of  our  Lord 
Jesus  Christ.  God  is  the  Father  of  Christ’s 
divine  nature  by  eternal  generation  ;  of  his 
human  nature  by  miraculous  conception  in 
the  womb  of  the  virgin  ;  and  of  Christ,  as 
God-man,  and  our  Redeemer,  by  covenant- 
relation;  and  in  and  through  Him  as  Me¬ 
diator,  our  God  and  our  Father,  Jn.  20: 
17.  (  2.  )  The  Father  of  mercies.  There 

are  a  multitude  of  lender  mercies  in  God 
essentially,  and  all  mercies  are  from  God 
originally,  Mic.  7  :  18.  (  3.  )  The  God 

of  all  comfort;  from  Him  proceedeth  the 


COMFORTER,  Jn.  15  :  26.  He  giveth 
the  earnest  of  the  Spirit  in  our  hearts, 
v.  20.  All  our  comforts  come  from  God, 
and  our  sweetest  comforts  are  in  Him. 

2.  The  reasons  of  the  apostle’s  thanks¬ 
givings  : 

(1.)  The  benefits  he  and  his  companions 
had  received  from  God,  v.  4.  In  the  world 
they  had  trouble,  but  in  Christ,  peace.  The 
apostles  met  with  many  tribulations,  but  they 
found  comfort  in  them  all,  v.  5.  because 
therein  Christ  sympathized  with  them.  (2.) 
The  advantage  others  might  receive  ;  for 
God  intended  that  they  should  be  able  to  com¬ 
fort  others  in  trouble,  v.  4.  by  communicating 
to  them  their  experiences  of  the  divine  good¬ 
ness  and  mercy  ;  and  the  sufferings  of  good 
men  have  a  tendency  to  this  good  end,  v.  6. 
when  they  are  endued  with  faith  and  pa¬ 
tience. 

V.  7 — 11.  In  these  vs.  the  apostle  speaks 
for  the  encouragement  and  edification  of  the 
Corinthians,  and  tells  them,  v.  7.  of  his  per¬ 
suasion,  or  steadfast  hope,  that  they  should 
receive  benefit  by  the  troubles  he  and  his 
companions  in  labor  and  travel  had  met 
with  ;  that  their  faith  should  not  be  weak¬ 
ened,  but  their  consolations  increased.  In 
order  to  this,  he  tells  them, 

1.  Their  sufferings,  v.  8.  It  was  con- 
venfent  for  the  churches  to  know,  what  were 
the  sufferings  of  their  ministers.  It  is  not 
certain  what  particular  troubles  in  Asia  are 
here  referred  to ;  this,  however,  is  evident, 
—  they  were  great  tribulations  ;  and  they 
thought  they  should  have  been  killed,  or 
have  fainted  and  expired. 

2.  In  their  distress.  They  trusted  in  God, 
v.  9.  God  often  brings  his  people  into  great 
straits,  that  they  may  apprehend  their  own 
insufficiency  to  help  themselves,  and  may  he 
induced  to  place  their  trust  and  hope  in  his 
all-sufficiency.  God’s  raising  the  dead  is  a 
proof  of  his  almighty  power.  If  we  should 
be  brought  so  low  as  to  despair  even  of  life, 
yet  we  may  then  trust  in  God,  who  can 
bring  back  not  only  from  the  gates,  but  from 
the  jaws  of  death. 

3.  Their  deliverance  ;  and  this  was  sea¬ 
sonable  and  continued.  Their  hope  and 
trust  were  not  in  vain,  nor  shall  any  who 
trust  in  Him  be  ashamed.  God  had  deliver¬ 
ed  them,  and  did  still  deliver  them,  v.  10. 
Ac.  26:22. 

4.  What  use  they  made  of  this  deliver¬ 
ance,  v.  10.  They  trusted  that  God  would 


NOTES.  Chap.  I.  V.  1 — 3.  Saints.]  All  professed  Christians,  who 
were  to  be  considered  as  saints,  in  the  judgment  of  charity;  yet  formal¬ 
ists  and  hypocrites  could  not  be  included,  or  conjoined  in  those  descrip¬ 
tions  of  character,  and  appropriation  of  privileges  and  promises,  which 
cannot  possiblv  belong  to  any  except  true  Christians.  Rom.  1:1- — 7.  1 
Cor.  1:1 — 3.  [The  term ,  hagioi,  (holy,  saints,)  was  employed  to  desig¬ 
nate  Christians,  as  hinting  to  them  what  their  solemn  engagements 
oblige  them  to  be;  and  if  some  individuals  were  otherwise,  it  must  be 
remembered  that  the  apostle  is  addressing  them  in  a  general  way.  Bl.] 
— (3)  Even  the  Father  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  &.  c.]  This  style  seems 
to  he  adopted  under  the  N.  T.,  to  distinguish  ‘the  one  living  nnd  true 
Cod,’  from  all  other  objects  of  worship,  without  excepting  the  Supreme 
Being  of  deists  and  infidels;  as  that  of  ‘the  God  of  Abraham,  Isaac, 
and  Jacob,’  had  been  under  the  O.  T.,  to  distinguish  Jehovah  from 
Ban],  or  Jupiter,  or  other  imagined  deities.  1  K.  13:18 — 21,  36 — 39.  22:6. 
None  was  the  true  God,  under  the  O.  T.,  but  ‘  the  God  of  Abraham,  Ac.’ 
none  under  the  New  is  the  true  God,  but  ‘  the  Father  of  our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ.’  Scott. 

(3.)  Blessed  he  God,  ,fcc.]  ‘  A  usual  formula  of  thanksgiving.’  Grot. 
‘  It  is  very  observable,  that  eleven  of  Paul’s  thirteen  epistles,  begin  with 
exclamations  of  joy,  praise,  and  thanksgiving.  As  soon  as  lie  thought 
of  a  Christian  church  planted  in  one  place  or  another,  there  seems  to 
have  been  a  flow  of  most  lively  affection  accompanying  the  idea,  in 
which  all  sensibility  of  his  temporal  affliction,  or  theirs,  was  swallow¬ 
ed  up,  and  the  fulness  of  his  heart  must  vent  itself  in  such  cheerful,  ex¬ 
alted,  and  devout  language.’  Domm. 

V.  4.  Comforteth •]  ‘  Parakaldn  :  this  sense,  which  has  occurred  (at 
least  conjointly)  at  Acts  16:40.  20:12.  and  several  times  in  the  gospels, 
and  which,  indeed,  is  frequent  in  the  N.  T.  (as  2  Cor.  2:6.  7:6.  Eph.  6: 
22.  Col.  4:8.  2Thes.2:17.  2  Cor.  13:11.)  is  supposed  tq.  lie  Ilellenistical, 
as  it  is  never  found  in  the  classical  writers.  It  signifies  lit.  “  to  bid  any 
one  take  comfort,  by  suggesting  such  motives  and  reasons  for  it  as  arc 
calculated  to  raise  the  spirits  of  the  sinking  sufferer;”  and,  from  the 
adjunct,  it  denotes  every  sort  of  comfort,  support,  and  assistance,  by 
which  he  is  revived  in  spirit,  and  restored  to  happiness.  Grot  observes, 
that  P.,  not  without  reason,  said  this  in  opposition  to  those  who  sup¬ 
posed  the  afflicted  to  be  objects  of  God’s  hatred.  Rom.  5:3.  8:35.  Throph. 
too,  remarks;  “he  does  not  say,  ‘who  doth  not  suffer  us  to  be  afflicted,’ 
but  ‘  who  comforteth  ns  in  affliction.’  ”  For  lie  suffers  us  to  be  afflicted, 
that  we,  by  patience,  may  obtain  the  reward.’  Bl.  Comp,  on  Job  34:1. 

[322] 


33:8 — 14.  Ed. — ‘Tile  parakaloumetha  [‘we  are  comforted ’]  must  not, 
I  think,  be  understood  (with  some)  of  the  comfort  which  the  repentance 
of  tlie  incestuous  person^gave  the  apostle,  after  the  affliction  he  had  en¬ 
dured  on  his  account ;  nor,  with  others,  (as  Grot.)  merely  of  the  gifts 
of  the  II.  S.  vouchsafed  to  him,  (though  the  possession  of  such  would 
he  a  source  of  great  consolation,)  but  also  of  that  spiritual  support 
breathed  into  his  soul  by  the  Great  Comforter,  the  Paraclete,  sent  from 
God,  and  who  is  God ;  or,  as  Doddr.  says,  the  general  consolation  aris¬ 
ing  from  the  pardon  of  sin,  an  interest  in  God,  an  assurance  that  noth¬ 
ing  should  separate  him  from  Christ,  that  afflictions  should  co-operate 
for  his  advantage*,  and  that  a  crown  of  glory,  heightened  by  these  trials, 
should  close  the  scene.’  Bloomf. 

V.  5.  ‘  The  consolation  of  which  P.  speaks,  was  derived  from  the  pres¬ 
ence  of  Christ  with  him  in  his  affliction  ;  from  a  sense  of  the  love  of 
Christ  shed  abroad  in  his  heart ;  from  the  joy  which  the  success  of  the 
Gospel  gave  him  ;  from  the  assured  hope  of  the  reward  which  was  pre¬ 
pared  for  him  ;  from  his  knowledge  of  the  influence  of  his  sufferings  to 
encourage  others  ;  and  from  the  enlarged  views  which  he  had  of  the  gov¬ 
ernment  of  God,  whereby  ail  things  are  made  to  work  for  good  to  them 
who  love  God  ;  so  that  he  was  entirely  reconciled  to  his  sufferings.’ 

Mackniciit. 

V.  8 — II.  Some  think  that  the  apostle  here  referred  to  his  sufferings 
at  Lystra,  in  Asia  Minor,  Jets  14:8— 12.  but  these  occurred  so  many 
years  before,  that  he  would  scarcely  have  thus  mentioned  them  on  this 
occasion.  He  seems  to  have  written  this  epistle  from  Philippi,  or  at 
least  when  lie  was  in  Macedonia;  Ephesus  was  the  chief  city  of  Asia, 
according  to  the  sense  in  which  the  apostle  always  uses  that  word  ;  Acts 
19:8  — 12.  and,  as  he  had  just  before  been  driven  away  from  Ephesus,  by 
Demetrius,  and  the  tumult  excited  by  him,  it  is  most  probable,  that  he 
referred  to  the  furious  persecutions  during  that  scene  of  riot  and  outrage. 
Acts  19:23—41. — ‘  It  may  he  said,  perhaps,  that  it  does  not  appear  from 
the  history,  that  any  danger  threatened  Paul’s  life,  in  the  uproar  at  Eph¬ 
esus,  so  imminent  ns  that,  from  which  in  (he  epistle  he  represents  himself 
to  have  been  delivered.  This  matter,  it  is  true,  is  not  stated  by  the  his¬ 
torian  in  form  i^but  the  personal  danger  of  the  apostle,  we  cannot  doubt, 
must  have  been  extreme,  when  the  whole  city  was  filled  with  confusion; 
when  the  populace  had  seized  his  companions  ;  when,  in  the  distraction 
of  his  mind,  he  insisted  on  coming  forth  amongst  them  ;  when  the  Chris¬ 
tians  who  were  about  him  would  not  suffer  him  ;  when  his  friends,  cer¬ 
tain  of  the  chief  of  Asia,  sent  to  him,  desiring  that  he  would  not  adven- 


A.  D.  61. 


2  CORINTHIANS,  I. 


lie  attests  his  integrity , 


11  Yc  also  helping  m  together  by 
prayer  for  us,  that  for  the  gift  be¬ 
stowed  upon  us  by  the  means  of 
many  persons,  thanks  may  be  given 
by  many  on  our  behalf. 

[Practical  Observations.] 

12  For  our  rejoicing  is  this,  the 
testimony  of  our  conscience,  that  in 
simplicity  and  godly  sincerity,  not 
“with  fleshly  wisdom,  but  by  the 
grace  of  0  God,  we  have  had  our 
conversation  in  the  world,  and  more 
abundantly  to  jmu-ward. 

13  For  we  write  none  other  things 
unto  you  than  what  ye  read  or  ac¬ 
knowledge  ;  and  I  trust  ye  shall 
acknowledge  even  to  the  end  ; 

14  As  also  ye  have  acknowledged 
us  in  part,  that  p  we  are  your  rejoic¬ 
ing,  even  as  ye  also  are  ours  in  the 
day  of  the  Lord  Jesus. 

15  And  in  this  confidence  I  wn§ 
minded  to  come  unto  you  before, 
that  ye  might  have  a  second  q  ben¬ 
efit  ; 

16  And  to  pass  by  you  into  Mac¬ 
edonia,  and  to  come  again  out  of 
Macedonia  unto  you,  and  of  you  to 
be  brought  on  my  r  way  toward 
Judea. 

17  When  I  therefore  was  thus 
minded,  did  I  use  lightness  ?  or  the 
things  that  I  purpose,  do  I  purpose 
according  s  to  the  flesh,  that  with 
me  there  should  be  yea,  yea,  and 
nay,  nay  ? 

m  Ro.  15:30.  n  1  Co.  2:4,13.  q  or,  grace. 

Phi  1:19.  o  1  Co.  15:10.  r  Ac.  21.5. 

J;i.  5:16 — 18.  j>  Phi.  4:1.  a  c.  10:2. 


deliver  to  the  end,  and  preserve  to  his  heaven¬ 
ly  kingdom.  Past  experiences  are  great  en¬ 
couragements  to  faith  and  hope,  and  they  lay 
great  obligations  to  trust  in  God  for  time  to 
come.  We  reproach  our  experiences,  if  we 
distrust  God  in  future  straits,  who  hath  de¬ 
livered  us  in  former  troubles.  David,  even 
when  young,  and  with  but  a  small  stock  of 
experiences,  argued  after  the  manner  of  the 
apostle  here,  1  Sa.  17:37. 

5.  W  hat  was  desired  of  the  Corinthians 
on  this  account,  v.  11.  Their  help,  by  so¬ 
cial  prayer,  agreeing  and  joining  together  in 
prayer  on  their  behalf.  Note,  Our  trusting 
in  God  must  not  supersede  the  use  of  any 
proper  and  appointed  means;  and  prayer  is 
one  of  those  means.  If  we  thus  help  one  an¬ 
other,  by  our  prayers,  we  may  hope  for  an 
occasion  of  giving  thanks  by  many  for  an¬ 
swer  of  prayer.  And  it  is  our  duty,  not  only 
to  help  one  another  with  prayer,  but  in 
praise  and  thanksgiving,  and  thereby  to 
make  suitable  returns  for  benefits. 

V.  12 — 14.  'I’he  apostle,  in  these  vs.,  at¬ 
tests  their  integrity  by  the  sincerity  of  their 
conversation.  This  he  does,  not  in  a  way 
of  boasting  and  vainglory,  buU-as  one  good 
reason,  the  more  comfortably  to  trust  in  God, 
Heb.  13:18.  and  for  the  necessary  vindica¬ 
tion  of  himself  front  the  aspersions  of  some 
persons  at  Corinth,  who  reproached  his  per¬ 
son,  and  questioned  his  apostleship. 

1.  He  appeals  to  conscience,  with  rejoicing, 
v.  12.  The  testimony  of  conscience  for  us, 
if  that  be  right,  and  on  good  grounds,  will  be 
matter  of  rejoicing,  at  all  times,  and  in  all 
conditions.  It  testified  concerning  their 
conversation ,  their  constant  course  and  tenor 
of  life,  the  nature  or  manner  of  their  conver¬ 
sation,  as  being  in  simplicity  and  godly  sin¬ 
cerity,  and  the  principle  they  acted  from  in  all 
their  conversation,  both  in  the  world,  and 
towards  these  Corinthians;  not  fleshly  wis¬ 
dom,  or  carnal  politics  and  worldly  views, 
hut  the  grace  of  God,  a  vital,  gracious  prin¬ 


ciple  in  their  hearts,  that  cometh  from  God, 
and  tendeth  to  God.  Then  will  our  conver¬ 
sation  be  well  ordered,  when  we  live  and 
act  under  the  influence  and  command  of 
such  a  gracious  principle  in  the  heart. 

2.  He  appeals  to  the  knowledge  of  the 
Corinthians  with  hope  and  confidence,  v. 
13,  14.  It  is  happy,  when  ministers  and 
people  rejoice  in  each  other  here  ;  and  this 
joy  will  he  complete  in  that  day,  when 
the  great  Shepherd  of  the  sheep  shall  ap¬ 
pear. 

V.  15 — 24.  The  apostle  vindicates  him¬ 
self  from  the  imputation  of  lev  ity  and  incon¬ 
stancy',  in  that  he  did  not  hold  his  purpose 
of  coming  to  them  at  Corinth. 

1.  Heavers  the  sincerity  of  his  intention, 
v.  lo — 17.  he  was s  so  minded,  or  did  really 
intend,  to  come  to  them;  not  that  he.,  hut  that 
they,  might  receive  a  second  benefit,  some 
further  advantage  by  bis  ministry.  He  tells 
them  he  had  not  herein  used  lightness ,v.  17. 
that,  as  he  aimed  not  at  any  secular  advan¬ 
tage  to  himself,  so  it  was.  not  a  rash  and 
inconsiderate  resolution  that  lie  had  taken 
up,  for  he  had  laid  his  measures  thus  of 
passing  by  them  to  Macedonia,  and  coming 
again  to  them  from  Macedonia ,  in  his  way  to 
Judea,  v.  16.  and  therefore  they  might  con¬ 
clude,  it  was  for  weighty  reasons  he  had 
altered  his  purpose;  and  that  with  him  there 
was  not  yea,  yea,  and  nay,  nay,  v.  17. 
Good  men  should  be  careful  to  preserve  the 
reputation  of  sincerity  and  constancy  ;  they 
should  not  resolve  hut  on  mature  delibera¬ 
tion,  and  will  not  change  their  resolves  but 
for  weighty  reasons. 

2.  He  would  not  have  the  Corinthians  in¬ 
fer,  that  his  Gospel  was  false  or  uncertain, 
or  contradictory  in  itself,  or  to  truth,  v.  18, 
19.  For  if  it  had  been  so,  that  he  had  been 
fickle  in  his  purposes,  or  even  false  in  his 
promises  of  coming  to  them,  (which  he  was 
not  justly  to  be  accused  of,  and  so  some  un¬ 
derstand  this  expression,  v.  18.  Our  word 


PRACT.  OBS.  V.  1 — 11.  The  church  of  God  is  his  peculiar  resi-  example  under  afflictions:  for  assuredly  we  shall  rejoice  in  heaven  on 
deuce,  in  which  He  displays  his  glory  and  communicates  his  grace  ;  He  account  of  the  sharpest  sufferings,  which  have  been  rendered  subservient 
is  1  the  Father  of  mercies  and  the  God  of  all  comfort ;  ’  nor  can  we  ex-  to  our  salvation,  and  that  of  any  of  those,  y£hom  our  gracious  Ford  owns 
pect  too  much  from  his  infinite  compassion  and  love,  or  too  highly  cel-  as  his  friends,  brethren,  and  near  relations. — The  Lord,  sometimes,  per- 
ebrate  the  praises  of  what  He  has  already  done  for  us. — We  must,  in-  niits  his  children  to  be  driven  almost  to  despair,  that  they  may  learn, 
deed,  expect  tribulations ;  they  are  needful  [to  moral  progress],  profita-  more  simply,  to  trust  in  his  almighty  power  and  all-sufficient  grace, 
hie,  and  unavoidable,  and  the  afflictions  and  consolations  of  ministers,  This  often  occurs  in  the  concerns  of  their  own  souls,  and  they  are  made 
especially,  are  often  intended  for  the  sake  of  the  people,  as  well  as  them-  to  feel,  that  infinite  mercy  and  omnipotent  grace,  alone,  can  preserve  them 
selves,  that,  by  their  own  example,  experience,  counsels,  and  exhorta-  from  the  most  terrible  downfalls,  nay,  even  from  final  ruin.  '  P.  O.  Job 
lions,  they  may  promote  ‘the  consolation  nnd  salvation  of  others  also.’  9.  In  such  scenes  of  conflict  and  terror,  especially,  we  feel  that  we  need 
This  should  reconcile  us  to  our  sorrows  and  trials,  and  teach  us  to  seek  the  prayers  of  our  brethren  ;  and  we  ought  thence  to  learn  to  pray  for 
benefit  from  them  ;  and  it  should  animate  us  to  more  earnest  prayer,  for  all  who  are  tried  and  tempted,  as  well  as  to  unite  in  thanksgivings  with 
proportionable  grace  and  consolation,  that  we  may  exhibit  an  edifying  such,  as  have  received  gracious  deliverances.  Scott. 


ture  himself  into  the  tumult ;  when,  lastly,  he  was  obliged  to  quit, 
immediately,  the  place  and  the  country  ;  and  “when  the  tumult  was 
ceased,  to  depart  into  Macedonia.”  .  ..  Nothing  could  be  more  expres¬ 
sive  of  the  circumstances,  in  which  the  history  describes  him  to  have 
been,  at  the  time  when  the  epistle  purports  to  have  been  written,  (than 
the  vs.  under  consideration.)  ...  It  is  the  calm  recollection  of  a  mind, 
emerged  from  the  confusion. of  instant  danger.  It  is  that  devotion  and 
solemnity  of  thought,  which  follow's  a  recent  deliverance.  There  is  just 
enough  of  particularity  in  the  passage,  to  show  that  it  is  to  he  referred  to 
the  tumult  at  Ephesus.’  Paley. —  In  all  this  he  spoke  in  the  plural  num¬ 
ber,  as  joining  his  fellow-laborers  with  him  ;  but  he  doubtless  meant  it 
with  special  reference  to  his  own  case.  Scott. 

(8.)  Trouble.]  ‘  1  incline,  with  Whit,  and  Mackn.,  to  think  it  refers  to 
his  actual  exposure  to  wild  beasts  at  Ephesus,  15:22.’  Bl.  ‘  Or  some  op¬ 
position  tie  met  witli  in  his  journey  through  Galatia  and  Phrygia,  (Acts 
18:23.)  of  which  no  particular  account  has  reached  us.’  boDDit. 

(9,  10.)  ‘By  the  Hebrews,  those  are  said  to  be  dead  who  are  quasi 
mojrtui ;  and  those  who  are  liberated  are  said  to  be  resuscitati.  Death.] 
Thanatos  :  here  it  denotes  a  peril  of  life..'  Bloomf. 

(11,  12.)  ‘  You  also  co-operating  with  us,  in  prayer  in  our  behalf. — 
One  cannot  but  admire  the  deep  humility,  and  exquisite  modesty  evinc¬ 
ed  in  these  words,  which  must,  too,  have  impressed  the  Christians  with 
a  very  favorable  opinion  of  Paul.  The  words  following  are  obscure,  by 
reason  of  the  imperfect  construction  of  the  sentence,  ail  which  may  fairly 
he  attributed  to  extreme  pathos,  and  perhaps  haste.  For  the  whole  epistle 
bears  the  marks  of  being  far  more  hastily  (and  perhaps  suddenly)  writ¬ 
ten  than  any  of  the  rest.  By  the.  means  of.]  Etc  :  here  it  signifies,  “  on 
the  part  of,”  procured  “  by  the  prayers  of.”  Charisma  (tr.  gift)  seems 
to  signify,  the  preservation  of,  or  deliverance  graciously  vouchsafed  to, 
us.  KauchVsis  [tr.  sometimes  “rejoicing,”  sometimes  boasting,  per- 
haps,  and  better,  exultation]  may  be  explained,  “  a  cause  of  just  boast¬ 
ing  and  rejoicing,”  “  something  on  which  one  may  reasonably  [value]  and 
comfort  one's  self,”  i.  e.  towards  men.  Simplicity,  Sec.]  Not  only  mean¬ 
ing  well  on  the  whole,  says  Doddr.,  but  declining  an  over-artful  way  of 
Prosecuting  a  good  end.  Fleshly  wisdom.]  Theoph.  well  explains  tiiis  : 
“  not  in  words  of  stirring  eloquence,  and  twistings  of  sophistries.”  For 
that  (he  adds)  was  the  usual  wisdom  on  which  they  prided  themselves, 
but  which  the  apostle  rejects.  So  CEc.'  Id. 


V.  12 — 14.  Though,  as  a  sinner,  he  could  only  ‘  rejoice  and  glory  in 
Christ  Jesus,’  1  Cor.  1:26 — 31.  yet,  as  a  believer,  he  might  rejoice  and 
‘glory  ’  in  his  inward  consciousness  of  being  truly  what  he  professed  nnd 
appeared  to  be;  and  especially  in  that  lie  had  been  enabled  to  exercise 
ins  sacred  ministry,  with  ‘simplicity’  and  singleness  of  heart,  aiming  at 
nothing  but  to  glorify  God  iiy  doing  good  to  men;  and  in  that ‘godly 
sincerity,’  that  unadulterated  integrity,  whicli  sprang  from  the  fear  and 
love  of  God,  and  approved  itself  to  Him.  This  had  been  bis  habitual 
conduct,  in  every  part  of  the  world,  ever  since  lie  had  been  called  to  pro¬ 
fess  and  preach  the  Gospel;  but  more  abundantly  in  his  whole  behavior 
toxvards  the  church  at  Corinth  ;  though  they  had  been  the  first  to  suspect 
him,  and  accuse  him  of  Die  contrary,  12:11 — 21.  They  had  indeed  ac¬ 
knowledged  him  ‘  in  part,’  or  ‘  part  of  them,’  to  have  been  the  instrument 
of  their  conversion,  and  avowed  that  they  rejoiced  and  gloried  in  their  re¬ 
lation  to  him,  and  in  his  attention  to  them  ;  nnd  this  was  no  more  than 
corresponded  to  his  rejoicing,  or  glorying  in  them,  and  on  their  account ; 
which  he  trusted  would  be  continued  even  unto  ‘  the  day  of  the  Lord 
Jesus,’  who  should  come  to  judge  the  world.  1  Cor.  15:31 — 34.  Scott. 

V.  15, 16.  This  shows,  lie  [the  apostle]  had  been  only  once  at  Corinth, 
at  this  lime.  12:14,15.  He  had  intended  to  pass  by  Corinth  in  his  way  to 
Macedonia,  and  to  call  as  he  went,  and  then  afterwards  to  return,  and 
niakea  longer  abode  with  them.  This  must  have  been  his  plan, for  Corinth 
was  out  of  his  way  into  Macedonia;  nor  could  it  be  supposed  that  he 
would  come  near  that  city,  except  in  order  to  visit  the  Christians  there. 
(Note,\  Cor.  16:5—9.)  Probably  he  had  given  some  other  intimation 
of  his  purpose  to  the  Corinthians,  than  that  which  is  contained  in  the 
former  epistle.  He,  however,  saw  reason  to  alter  his  plan,  and  to  go 
into  Macedonia  by  Troas.  Acts  20:1 — 6.  Id- 

(15.)  Second  benefit.]  ‘  Rather,  double  gratification ,  viz.  that  by  the 
first  epistle,  and  that  by  my  presence.  And  so  Phot.,  that  charin  is  for 
charan  ;  as  in  Phiiem.  7,  and  Tob.  7:20.  So  Wolf,  and  SchL,  whom 
see  for  examples  ;  and  it  is  confirmed  by  v.  24.  and  2:1,  2.  *  ,et  tnany 

moderns  tr.  gift,  benefit  ;  but  this,  though  it  may  be  justified,  is  not  so 
natural  a  sense.’  Bi.oomf. 

V.  17—20.  The  apostle’s  opponents,  at  Corinth,  seem  to  have  urged 
his  deviation  from  his  first  purpose,  ns  a  proof  that  he  was  an  inconstant 
and  unstable  man;  who  altered  his  conduct  and  doctrine, -ns  circum¬ 
stances  required,  and  as  suited  his  present  conveuiency.  But  . .  .  he  and 


A.  D.  61. 


2  CORINTHIANS,  I. 


Excellence  of  the  Christian  hope. 


18  But  as  God  is  true,  our  '  word 
toward  you  was  not  “yea  and  nay. 

19  For  the  T  Son  of  God,  Jesus 
Christ,  who  was  preached  among 
you  by  us,  even  by  me  and  Silvanus 
and  Timotheus,  was  not  yea  and 
nay,  but  in  him  was  yea. 

20  For  all  the  promises  of  God 
win  him  are  yea,  and  in  him  Amen, 
unto  the  glory  of  God  by  us. 

21  Now  he  which  stablisheth 
x  us  with  you  in  Christ,  and  hath 
anointed  y  us,  is  God  ; 

22  Who  hath  also  sealed  *us,  and 
given  the  earnest  of  the  Spirit* in 
our  hearts. 

23  Moreover  I  call  God  for  a 
record  upon  my  soul,  that,  to  spare 
you,  1  came  not  as  yet  unto  Corinth. 

t  or,  preaching.  He.  13:8.  Re.  3:18, 

li  Mat.  5:37.  x  2  Th  2:17.  l  Ep.  1:13,14. 

v  Ma.l:l.  Ro.l:4.  1  Pe.  5:11).  4:30.  2  Ti. 2:19. 

v  Ho.  15:8,9.  y  1  Jn.  2:20,27.  a  Ro.  8:9,14— 16. 


toward  you  was  not  yea  and  nay,)  yet  it  would 
not  follow,  that  the  Gospel  preached  by  him 


and  by  others  in  full  agreement  with  him, 
was  either  false  or  doubtful.  For  Ood  is  true, 
and  the  Son  of  God,  Jesus  Christ,  is  true, 
whom  the  apostle  preached,  not  yea  and  nay, 
but  yea,  v.  19.  nothing  but  infallible  truth. 
And  the  promises  of  God  in  Christ  are  not 
yea  and  nay,  but  yea  and  Amen,  v.  20. 
There  is  an  inviolable  constancy,  and  un¬ 
questionable  sincerity,  and  certainty,  in  all 
the  parts  of  the  Gospel  of  Christ.  If  in  the 
promises  ministers  make,  as  common  men, 
and  about  their  own  affairs,  they  see  cause 
sometimes  to  vary  from  them,  yet  the  prom¬ 
ises  of  the  gospel  -  covenant,  which  they 
preach,  stand  firm  and  inviolable.  Bad  men 
are  false ;  good  men  are  fickle;  but  God  is 
true,  neither  fickle  nor  false. 

Having  mentioned  the  stability  of  the  di¬ 
vine  promises,  he  makes  a  digression,  to 
illustrate  this  great  and  sweet  truth  ;  for 
they  are  the  promises  of  the  God  of  truth, 
made  in  Christ  Jesus,  v.  20.  the  Amen,  the 
true  and  faithful  Witness  :  He  hath  pur¬ 
chased  and  ratified  the  covenant  of  promises, 
and  is  the  Surety  of  the  covenant,  Heb.  7: 
22.  They  are  confirmed  by  the  Holy  Spirit, 
who  establishes,  anoints,  and  seals  Christians, 
and  is  given  as  an  earnest  in  their  hearts, 


'  v.  21,  22.  An  earnest  secures  the  promise, 
and  is  part  of  the  payment.  The  illumina¬ 
tion  of  the  Spirit  is  an  earnest  of  everlasting 
light;  the  quickening  of  the  Spirit  is  an  ear¬ 
nest  of  everlasting  life;  and  the  comforts  of 
the  Spirit  are  an  earnest  of  everlasting  joy. 
The  veracity  of  God,  the  mediation  of  Christ, 
and  the  operation  of  the  Spirit,  are  all  en¬ 
gaged,  that  the  promises  shall  be  sure  to  all 
the  seed,  and  the  accomplishment  of  them 
shall  be  to  the  glory  of  God,  v.  20.  for  the 
glory  of  his  rich  and  sovereign  grace,  and 
never-failing  truth  and  faithfulness. 

3.  The  apostle  gives  a  good  reason  why  he 
did  not  come  to  Corinth,  as  was  expected, 
v.  23.  It  was  that  he  might  spare  them.  He 
assures  them  this  was  the  true  reason,  after 
this  very  solemn  manner;  I  cull  God  for  a 
record  upon  my  soul  ;  a  way  of  speaking  not 
justifiable  where  used  in  trivial  matters;  but 
very  justifiable  here  in  the  apostle,  for  his 
necessary  vindication,  and  for  the  credit  and 
usefulness  of  bis  ministry,  w  hich  was  struck 
at  by  his  opposers.  He  adds,  to  prevent 
j  mistakes,  that  he  did  not  pretend  to  any  do¬ 
minion  over  their  faith,  v.  24.  Christ  only  is 
the  Lord  of  our  faith,  Heb.  12:2.  He  re¬ 
veals  to  us  wdiat  we  must  believe.  Paul  and 


his  fellow-laborers  had  not  said  first  ‘yea,’  and  then  ‘  nay,’  in  these 
grand  concerns  ;  but  had  constantly  declared,  that  all  salvation  was  to 
be  found  in  Him  alone  ;  and  that  the  covenant  of  grace,  and  all  its  engage¬ 
ments,  were  fully  confirmed  in  Him,  to  all  who  were  found  one  with  Him 
by  faith,  and  the  participation  of  his  litie-giving  Spirit.  In  these  doctrines, 
they  had  been  most  explicit  and  decided  ;  though  in  various  matters  of  less 
importance,  they  had  used  a  prudent,  self-denying  accommodation;  and 
had  been  careful  not  to  instruct  the  people  ill  the  deeper  mysteries  of 
Christianity,  before  they  were  able  to  bear  them.  1  Cor.  3:1 — 9.  Scott. 

(17.)  Yea,  &c.]  Bloomf.  thinks  the  idiom  proverbial  for  ‘  one  of  a 
headstrong,  self-willed  spirit,  which  will  either  do  things,  or  not  do 
them,  as  it  pleases,  without  giving  any  reasons.  Such  positive  persons 
as  say,  “  what  I  have  written,  I  have  written,”  &c.’  Luther  tr.  ‘  but 
with  us  is  yea  yea,  and  nay  is  nay,’  and  refers  to  Mat.  3:37.  See  other 
opinions  in  Bloomf.  Ed. 

(18.)  ‘  Theoph.  and  CEc.,  after  Chrys.,  rightly  observe,  that  an  objec¬ 
tion  is  here  anticipated  and  answered,  as  :  “  If  what  you  say  be  not  firm 
and  stable,  and  you  often  say  yes,  and  is  it  found  no,  may  we  not  fear  lest 
your  word,  doctrine,  and  preaching,  be  found  such  ?”  viz.  yes,  yes,  and 
no,  no,  i.  e.  unstable  and  wavering.  To  which  the  apostle  answers  : 
“  My  promising,  or  purposing  to  come,  was  my  own,  wherefore  I  at¬ 
tained  it  not.  But  my  preaching  is  of  God,  and  what  is  such  cannot 
deceive,”  <fcc.  So  Beza,  Ros.,  and  Storr .’  Bloomf. 

(19.)  Silvanus.]  ‘  I.  e.  Silas,  Acts  15:32.  where  he  is  said  to  be  a  chief 
man  among  the  brethren  at  Jerusalem,  and  one  of  the  Christian  proph¬ 
ets.  After  the  council  of  Jerusalem,  he  accompanied  Paul  in  journeys 
through  the  Lesser  Asia  and  Greece.  He  was  so  much  esteemed  by  the 
apostle’s  converts,  that  Paul  inserted  his  name  in  the  inscriptions  of  sev¬ 
eral  of  his  epistles.  By  him,  likewise,  the  apostle  Peter  sent  his  first 
epistle  to  the  brethren  of  Pontus,  Galatia,  Cappadocia,  Asia,  and  Bithy- 
nia,  1  Pet.  5:12.’  Macknight. 

(20.)  ‘Nothing  can  really  render  the  promises  of  God  more  certain 
than  they  are ;  but  God’s  giving  them  to  us  through  Christ,  assures  us 
that  they  are  indeed  his  promises,  as  in  Christ  there  is  such  a  real  evi¬ 
dence  of  his  conversing  with  men,  and  as  the  wonders  which  God  had 
actually  wrought  in  the  incarnation,  life,  resurrection,  and  ascension  of 
his  Son  (facts  in  themselves  much  stronger  than  any  of  the  glorious  con¬ 
sequences  to  follow),  tend  greatly  to  confirm  our  faith,  and  make  it  ea¬ 
sier  for  us  to  believe  such  illustrious  promises  ns  those  which  are  given 
us,  the  very  greatness  of  which  might  otherwise  have  been  an  impedi¬ 
ment  to  our  faith,  and  have  created  a  suspicion,  not  whether  God 
would  have  performed  what  He  has  promised,  but  whether  such  promi¬ 
ses  were  really  given  us.’  Doddr.  ‘  Bp.  Middleton  tr.  For  how  many 
soever  be  the  promises  of  God,  in  Him  (in  Christ)  is  the  yea,  and  in  Him 
the  Amen,  i.  e.  whatever  God  hath  promised,  He  will,  through  Christ, 
assuredly  fulfil.’  Bloomf. 

V.  21,  22.  Some  interpret  ‘the  anointing,’  of  miraculous  powers,  and 
‘  the  seal,’  of  Hie  sacraments;  but  without  any  satisfactory  proof;  and 
it  is  far  more  consistent  with  the  tenor  of  Scripture,  to  explain  ‘the 
anointing,’  of  such  divine  communications  as  belong  to  Christians  in 
general,  and  of  which  none  else  partake. — Sacraments  are  but  outward 
seals  of  the  covenant,  and  neither  distinguish  believers  from  others,  nor 
secure  salvation  to  all  who  partake  of  them  ;  Rom.  4:9 — 12.  and  mirac¬ 
ulous  powers  have  been  exercised  by  very  wicked  men,  and  have  long 
since  ceased  in  the  church ;  but  the  renewal  of  the  divine  image  on  the 
soul,  in  snnctification,  and  ‘  the  love  of  God  shed  abroad  in  the  heart  by 
tile  Holy  Spirit,’  form  through  every  age  a  seal,  and  earnest,  of  a  far  more 
distinguishing  and  permanent  nature.  Rom.  5:3 — 5.  Eph.  1 :13, 14.  4: 
30—32,  v.  30.  2  Tim.  2:19.  Scott. 

(21.)  ‘Having  before  said,  that  God  fulfils  his  promises,  Paul  now 
proves  it.’  Theoph.  in  Bl. 

(21,  22.)  ‘  The  strong  expressions  anoint,  tfeal,  earnest  of  the  Spirit , 
merit’ special  attention.  The  ancient  comtrs.,  dwell  much  on  their  im¬ 
port,  especially  chrisis  [anointing],  anointing  being  customary  in  the 
inauguration  of  kings,  prophets,  and  priests.  Theoph.  thinks  it  applica¬ 
ble  to  every  baptized  person  :  and,  indeed,  metaphors  of  this  kind,  as 
applicable  to  Christians  in  general,  are  to  be  found  in  the  N.  T.  :  yet 
when  we  consider  that  the  hemas  [us]  can  only  be  meant  for  himself, 
and  perhaps  the  other  apostles,  and  the  Corinthian  Christians,  it  seems 
unwarrantable  and  injudicious  to  extend  it  any  further.  Still  less,  (in  or¬ 
der  to  make  it  of  universal  application,)  can  it  be  justifiable  to  pare  down 
and  explain  away  the  solid  sense  comprehended  in  these  strong  terms  ; 
ns  is  done  by  the" recent  foreign  comtrs.,  particularly  Ros.,  who  remarks, 

[324] 


“this  inauguration  is  nothing  other  than  a  first  instruction  in  religion.” 

(1  Jn.  2:27.)  We  are  to  remember,  that  to  the  persons  here  especially 
meant,  had  been  vouchsafed  many  of  the  extraordinary  effusions  of  the 
H.  S.,  in  various  charismata  [gifts],  recorded  and  illustrated  in  3  chs.  of 
1  Cor.  To  them,  therefore,  the  expressions  are  highly  applicable  in  their 
full  extent,  but  to  no  other,  unless  with  qualification,  or  by  accommo¬ 
dation.  For,  although  in  Eph.  1:14.  we  have  something  like  the  present 
use  of  the  Gr.,  for  seal  and  earnest,  as  applied  to  the  Ephesians,  no  in¬ 
stance,  I  think,  can  be  found  of  chriein  [to  anoint]  used  of  Christians  in 
general,  nor,  perhaps,  of  any  of  its  derivatives.  For  though  Ros.,  <fcc., 
appeal  to  1  Jn.  2:20:  and  27.  yet  here  surely  we  cannot  but  recognise 
another  instance  of  the  extraordinary  gifts  of  the  Spirit  imparted  in  the 
apostolic  age  ;  and,  therefore,  this  will  not  prove  the  point  in  question. 
I  incline  to  think,  then,  that  by  an  accommodation  of  these  strong  terms, 
(the  first  and  chief  of  which,  chrisis,  is  nowhere  else  used  of  Christians 
in  general,)  the  apostle  had  reference  to  the  supernatural  charismata  of 
the  Corinthian  congregation.  Earnest.]  Arrhabon  ■■  from  iirbon,  pledge. 
Gen.  44:22.  It  denotes  that  (usually  small )  part  of  the  agreed  price  of 
any  article  purchased,  which  was  paid  down  by  the  purchaser  ns  an  en¬ 
gagement,  pledge,  or  security  for  ratifying  the  agreement ;  called  by  us 
earnest,  or  handsel,  from  the  German  handgeld.’  Bloomf. 

V.  23,  24.  Having  thus  vindicated  his  conduct,  and  doctrine,  from  the 
charge  of  inconsistency,  the  apostle,  in  the  most  solemn  manner,  called 
God  to  witness  the  truth  of  what  he  was  about  to  assert;  he  desired 
that  He  would  testify  for  him,  or  against  him,  as  He  saw  the  case  to  be  ; 
and  he  could  expect  nothing  but  awful  judgments  ‘on  his  soul,’ if  he 
spake  falsely  after  such  an  appeal.  With  this  most  awful  introduction, 
which  is  a  peculiarly  solemn  oath,  on  a  highly  important  occasion,"  Ear. 
20:7.  he  declared,  that  he  had  postponed  his  visit  to  Corinth,  in  order  to 
spare  them  those  censures  and  miraculous  judgments,  which  he  feared 
would  have  been  unavoidable,  if  he  had  gone  thither  immediately  on 
leaving  Ephesus.  lie  had  not  then  received  any  information  what  effect 
his  former  epistle  had  produced ;  be  was  aware,  that  time  would  be  re¬ 
quired  to  bring  their  affairs  into  a  better  state,  and  he  thought  it  more 
advisable  to  wait  a  little  longer,  that  he  might  at  length  come,  not  ‘  with 
a  rod,  but  in  love  and  in  the  spirit  of  meekness.’  2:1 — 4.  10:7 — 11.  12: 
17 — 21.  13:1 — 4.  1  Cor.  4:18 — 21,  v.  21.  He  did  not  mean  by  this  to 
claim  any  despotic  authority  in  dictating  to  them,  as  of  himself,  what 
they  should  believe;  or  even  to  insist,  in  a  dogmatical  manner,  on  their 
receiving  every  particular  which  he  taught  them  by  the  command  of 
Christ.  He  had  not  thus  usurped  dominion,  or  ‘lorded  it  over  them,  in 
respect  of  the  faith,’  as  the  clause  may  be  rendered,  but  had  acted  hith¬ 
erto,  and  was  still  disposed  to  act,  with  gentleness  and  forbearance,  as  a 
‘  helper  of  their  joy  ’  and  consolation  in  Christ,  by  his  instructions,  ad¬ 
monitions,  and  counsels.  Mat.  20:24 — 28.  Lu.  22:24—27.  Phil.  1:21  — 
26.  1  Pet.  5:1 — 4.  Vet  he  deemed  it  necessary,  as  the  servant  and  rep¬ 
resentative  of  Christ,  to  act  with  authoritative  decision,  and  even  sharp¬ 
ness,  against  such  as  perverted  the  Gospel,  and  corrupted  its  doctrines  ; 
for  ‘  by  faith  ’  believers  stood  accepted  with  God,  and  were  enabled  to 
stand  steadfast  amidst  trials  and  temptations.  5:5 — 8.  Rom.  5:1,2.  1 

Cor.  15:1,2.  Eph.  6:14 — 17.  1  Pet.  5:8,  9.  Those  persons,  therefore, 

who  perverted  the  faith,  by  false  doctrines  and  corrupt  practices,  were 
about  to  take  from  true  Christians  that  support,  by  which  they  stood  ; 
to  cause  them  to  fall  into  various  evils  ;  to  mar  their  joy.  and  to  do  them 
immense  mischief,  if  not  opposed.  As  ‘helpers  of  their  joy,’  therefore, 
the  apostle  and  his  friends  must  take  a  decided  part  against  these  ene¬ 
mies  to  their  holiness  and  comfort. — The  tenet,  that  we  are  at  first  in¬ 
deed  justified  by  faith,  but  are  preserved  in  a  justified  state  by  works,  is 
diametrically  opposite  to  this  apostolical  decision.  Scott. 

(23.)  ‘Ch.  2.  ought  to  commence  with  this  v.’  Chrys,  Ros.,  Bl. 

‘  Now  I  call  upon  God  as  a  witness  against  my  soul,  (if  I  speak  not  the 
truth.’)  Sghlichting,  Bl.,  &c.  ‘Nothing  hut  the  great  importance  of 
Paul’s  vindicating  his  character  to  such  a  church,  would  have  justified 
this  solemnity  of  the  oath,’  Doddr. 

(24.)  Have  dominion.]  Lord  it.  ‘  As  the  term  spare,  v.  23.  might 
have  seemed  over-authoritative,  or  to  savor  of  domineering  spirit,  this 
the  apostle  disclaims.  The  ancient,  and  most  modern  comtrs.  under¬ 
stand,  “in  the  faith,  ye,  upon  the  whole  stand;  though,  in  matters  of 
practice,  ye  have  erred,  and  do  err.”  Others  take  it  of  the  religion,  and 
interpret,  “  ye  are  still  firm  in  your  profession  of  the  religion  ;  only  let 
your  faith  be  consistent.”  Others,  again,  and  some  recent  editors,  place 
the  words  in  a  parenthesis :  which  I  cannot  approve.  It  seems  not 
enough  attended  to,  that  the  words  relate  strictly  to  what  immediately 


A.  D.  61. 


2  CORINTHIANS,  II. 


24  Not  for  that  we  have  b  domin¬ 
ion  over  your  faith,  but  are  helpers 
of  your  joy  :  for  by  c  faitli  ye  stand. 

CHAP.  II. 

I  Having  shewed  the  reason  why  be  came  not  to  them,  6 
he  requireih  them  to  forgive  and  to  comfort  that  excom¬ 
municated  person,  10  even  as  himself  also  upon  his  true 
repentance  had  forgiven  him:  12  declaring  withal  why 
he  departed  from  Troas  to  Macedonia,  14  and  the  happy 
success  which  God  gave  to  his  preaching  in  all  places. 

BUT  I  determined  this  with  my¬ 
self,  that  I  would  not  come 
again  to  you  in  1  heaviness. 

2  For  if  I  make  you  sorry,  who 
is  he  then  that  maketh  me  .glad, 
but  the  same  which  is  made  'sorry 
by  me  ? 

S  And  I  wrote  this  same  unto 
you,  lest,  when  I  came,  I  should 
have  sorrow  from  them  of  whom  I 
ought  to  rejoice  ;  having  confidence 
in  you  all,  that  iny  joy  isf  the  joy  of. 
you  all. 

4  For  out  of  much  affliction  and 
anguish  of  heart  I  wrote  unto  you 
with  many  tears  ;  not  that  ye  should 
be  grieved,  hut  that  ye  might  know 
the  love  b  which  I  have  more  abun¬ 
dantly  unto  you. 

5  But  if  c  any  have  caused  grief, 
he  hath  not  grieved  d  me,  hut  in 
part  :  that  I  may  not  overcharge 
you  all. 

6  Sufficient  to  such  a  man  is  this 
*  punishment,  which  was  inflicted 
(  of  many. 

7  So  ®  that  contrariwise  ye  ought 
rather  to  forgive  him,  and  comfort 
him,  lest  perhaps  such  an  one 
should  be  swallowed  up  with  over¬ 
much  sorrow. 

8  Wherefore  I  beseech  you  that 
ye  would  confirm  your  love  toward 
him. 

9  For  to  this  end  also  did  I  write, 
that  I  might  know  the  proof  of  you, 


Case  of  the  incestuous  person. 


whether  ye  be  obedient  h  in  all 
things. 

10  To  whom  ye  forgive  any 
thing,  I  forgive  also  :  for  if  I  for¬ 
gave  any  thing,  to  whom  I  forgave 
it,  for  your  sakes  forgave  I  it  in  the 
1  person  of  Christ ; 


)  1  Co.  3:5. 

1  Pe.  5:3. 

.  Ro.  11:20. 

1  Co.  15:1. 
i  c.  1:23.  12:20, 


21.  13:10. 
b  c.  11:2. 
c  Ga.  5:10. « 
d  Ga.  4:12. 
e  or,  censure. 


(  1  Co.  5:4,5. 

1  Ti.  S:2(J. 
g  Ga.  6:1. 
h  c.  7:15. 
i  or,  sight , 


A  polios,  and  the  rest  of  the  apostles,  were 
but  ministers  by  whom  they  believed,  1  Cor. 
3:  5.  and  so  the  helpers  of  their  joy,  even  the 
joy  of  faith.  For  by  faith  we,  stand  firm,  and 
live  safely  and  comfortably.  Our  strength 
and  ability  are  owing  to  faith,  and  our  com¬ 
fort  and  joy  must  flow  from  filing 


Chap.  II.  V.  1 — 4.  1.  He  proceeds  in 

an  account  of  the  reason  he  did  not  come  "to 
Corinth,  as  was  expected;  namely,  he  was 
unwilling  to  grieve,  or  be  grieved  by  them, 
v.  1,  2.  His  desire  was,  to  have  a  cheerful 
meeting,  and  not  to  have  it  imbittered  by 
any  unhappy  occasion  of  disagreeing. 

2.  He  tells  them  it  was  to  the  same  intent 
that  he  wrote  his  former  epistle,  v.  3,  4. 
and  that  he  had  written  to  them  in  confi¬ 
dence  of  their  doing  what  was  requisite,  in 
order  to  thejr  benefit  and  his  comfort.  The 
particular  thing  referred  to,  as  appears  by 
the  following  vs.,  was  the  case  of  the  inces¬ 
tuous  person,  about  whom  he  had  written  in 
the  first  epistle,  ch.  5.  Nor  was  the  apostle 
disappointed  in  his  expectation.  He  assures 
them  he  did  not  design  to  grieve  them,  but 
to  testify  his  love  to  them,  and  that  he  wrote 
to  them  with  much  anguish  and  affliction  in 
his  own  heart,  and  with  great  affection  to 
them.  Even  in  reproofs,  admonitions,  and 
acts  of  discipline,  faithful  ministers  show 
their  love.  Needful  censures,  and  the  exer¬ 
cise  of  church-discipline  towards  offenders, 
are  a  grief  to  tender-spirited  ministers. 

V.  5 — 11.  The  apostle' treats  concerning 
the  incestuous  person,  one  principal  cause 
of  his  writing  this  epistle. 

1.  He  tells  them  the  crime  of  that  person 


had  grieved  him  in  part ;  and  that  he  was 
grieved  also  with  a  part  of  them,  who,  not¬ 
withstanding  this  scandal  had  been  found 
among  them,  were  puffed  up,  and  ha.d  not 
mourned,  1  Cor.  5:2.  However,  he  was 
unwilling  to  lay  too  heavy  a  charge  on  the 
whole  church,  especially  seeing  they  had 
cleared  themselves  in  that  matter,  by  observ¬ 
ing  the  directions  he  had  formerly  given 
them. 

2.  He  tells  them,  that  the  punishment 
which  had  been  inflicted  on  this  offender 
was  sufficient,  v.  6.  The  desired  effect  was 
obtained,  for  the  man  was  humbled,  and 
they  had  shown  the  proof  of  their  obedience 
to  his  directions. 

3.  He  therefore  directs  them,  with  all 
speed,  to  restore  the  excommunicated  person, 
or  to  receive  him  again  to  their  communion, 
v.  7,  8.  This  is  expressed  several  ways  ; 
he  beseeches  them  to  forgive  him,  also  to 
comfort  him,  and  to  confirm  their  love  to  him; 
they  should  show  that  their  reproofs  and 
censures  proceeded  from  love  to  his  person, 
as  well  as  hatred  to  his  sin  ;  and  that  their 
design  was  to  reform,  not  to  ruin  him.  Or 
thus  :  If  his  fall  had  weakened  their  love  to 
him,  that  they  could  not  take  that  satisfaction 
in  him  as  formerly  ;  yet,  now  that  he  was 
recovered  by  repentance,  they  must  renew 
and  confirm  their  love  to  him. 

4.  He  used  several  weighty  arguments  to 

persuade  them  to  do  thus  ;  (1.)  The  case 
of  the  penitent  called  for  this,  v.  7.  He  was 
so  sensible  of  his  fault,  mid  so  much  afflicted 
under  his  punishment,  that  he  was  in  dan¬ 
ger  of  falling  into  despair.  (2.)  They  had 
showed  obedience  to  his  directions  in  passing 
a  censure  on  him,  and  now  he  wotdd  have 
them  comply  with  his  desire  to  restore  him, 
v.  9.  (3.)  He  mentions  his  readiness  to 

concur  in  the  forgiveness,  v.  10.  And  this 
he  would  do  for  their  sakes,  for  love  to  them, 
and  for  Christ’s  sake,  or  in  his  name,  as  his 
apostle;  and  in  conformity  t<^  his  doctrine 
and  example,  which  are  so  full  of  kindness 
and  tender  mercy  toward  all  them  who  truly 
repent.  (4.)  lie  gives  another  weighty  rea¬ 
son,  v.  11.  Not  only  was  there  danger  lest 
Satan  should  get  an  advantage  against  the 
penitent,  by  driving  him  to  despair  ;  but 


PRACT.  OBS.  V.  12 — 24.  If  we  would  have  comfort  amidst  troubles, 
reproaches,  suspicions,  and  slanders,  we  must  seek  for  ‘  the  rejoicing  in 
the  testimony  of  our  conscience.’  Yet  we  should  not  wonder,  if  we  are 
suspected  by  those  persons  to  whom,  and  for  those  actions  in  which,  we 
have  behaved  most  conscientiously.  Sometimes  ‘simplicity  and  godly 
sincerity’  may  require  that  line  of  conduct,  which,  to  superficial  or 
prejudiced  observers,  will  have  a  contrary  appearance;  and  a  man  may 
be  deemed  inconstant,  because  he  will  not  go  the  whole  length  of  a  party, 
and  coincide  with  them  in  their  follies,  mistakes,  and  sins.  1  Cor.  2:14 
— 10. — Ministers,  and  the  people  who  have  profited  by  their  labors,  ought 
now  to  rejoice  in  each  other,  as  they  may  expect  to  do  at  the  last  day. 
Whatever  interferes  with  this  reciprocal  joy  and  affection,  should  be 
guarded  against ;  and  believers  should  be  very  careful,  not  to  grieve,  by 
neglect  and  unkindness,  those  faithful  friends,  to  whom,  under  God,  they 
owe  their  eternal  salvation,  and  who  are  concerned  for  their  best  wel¬ 
fare,  with  all  the  tenderness  of  affectionate  parents. — It  is  very  unjust 
nnd  uncandid,  to  ascribe  every  alteration  in  a  man’s  purpose  or  con- 

precedes;  q.  d.  “And  this  joy  you  nre  (I  trust)  qualified  to  taste;  for 
(upon  the  whole)  ye  have  stood,  and  do  stnnd  firm  in  the  faith,  in  the 
profession,  in  the  practice  of  the  religion,  and  are  therefore  in  a  state  of 
salvation.”  Bp.  Mid.  paraphrases  thus  :  “  we  have  your  welfare  at  heart ; 
for  by  your  faith  alone,  that  faith  which  we  seek  to  strengthen  in  you, 
can  ye  attain  to  salvation.”  This  (he  thinks)  is  a  natural  and  reasona¬ 
ble  vindication,  not  only  of  the  threat  already  employed,  but  of  any  se¬ 
verities  to  which  Paul  might  afterwards  be  driven  in  the  discharge  of 
his  duty.’  Bl.  Ed. 

NOTES.  Chap.  II.  V.  1—4.  The  apostle  expected  he  should  pre¬ 
vail  with  them,  by  his  epistles,  to  exclude  such  as  remained  refractory, 
nnd  also  recover  many  who  had  been  drawn  aside ;  and  then  he  would 
be  able  to  go  among  them,  without  that  ‘heaviness’  and  distress  of 
mind  which  he  must  have  felt,  if  constrained  to  re-establish  his  authori¬ 
ty  by  censures  and  punishments.  And  he-was  confident  they  would  ap¬ 
prove  of  this  plan;  as  he  would  notallow  himself  to  doubt,  but  that 
‘  his  joy  was  the  joy  of  them  all.’  The  apostle  certainly  knew  that  this, 
admitted  of  exceptions ;  but  it  was  kind  and  prudent  in  him,  to  express 
his  liivorable  opinion  of  the  church  in  general ;  and  to  represent  the  dis¬ 
affected  party  to  be  so  small,  as  not  to  bear  any  proportion  to  his  friends 
and  adherents.  Scott. 

(1.)  ‘  “  1  determined  with  myself  not  again  to  come  to  you,  so  as  to 
give  myself  and  you  the  pain  of  censuring  irregularities.”  For  all  this 
seems  to  be  included  in  the  words  en  luptt  [in  heaviness].’  Bloomf. 

(2.)  ‘  The  simplest,  most  natural,  and  least  exceptionable  interpreta¬ 
tion,  is  that  of  Grot.,  Ros.,  and  Jaspis  (and,  as  it  seems,  Uoddr.  nnd 
Mackn.) ;  though  they  do  not  thoroughly  establish  the  sense,  and  clearly 


duct,  to  lightness,  instability,  duplicity,  or  carnal  policy;  especially 
when  his  general  character  bears  another  stamp,  and  when  there  may 
be  good  reasons  for  the  change  which  has  taken  place.  If  we  are  thus 
unjustly  censured  or  suspected,  we  must  make  our  appeal  (o  God  ;  yet 
it  behooves  us  to  he  steady  and  constant  in  our  conduct  and  profession, 
as  far  as  we  can,  that  we  may  avoid  ‘  the  appearance  of  evil,’  [particularly 
if  ministers.]— If  the  apostle  did  not  exercise  ‘  dominion  over  the  faith  ’ 
of  Christians,  we  should  by  no  means  ‘  call  men  master,’  or  ‘  father,’  or 
implicitly  submit  to  their  decisions  and  assertions;  nor  should  vve  ever 
attempt  ‘  to  lord  it,’  in  this  manner,  ‘  over  ’  any  part  of  ‘  God’s  heritage,1 
[male  or  female.]  Sometimes  genuine  love,  and  a  wise  desire  of  helping 
the  joy  of  believers,  will  dictate  sharp  rebukes  and  decided  censures  of 
those  who  would  deceive  and  corrupt  them.  It  is,  however,  best  to  use 
more  lenient  measures,  as  far  as  there  is  a  prospect  of  success;  and  to 
avoid  even  the  appearance  of  severity,  if  it  can  be  done  consistently  with 
prudence  and  faithfulness.  •  Scott. 


show  how  it  arises.  Ros.  expl.  thus  :  “  who  could  make  me  glad,  cause 
that  my  stay  among  you  should  be  pleasant,  as  is  usual  among  friends  ? 
Both  you  anu  I  would  have  been  sad.  Unless  you  were  made  sorrowful 
by  me.  And  none  else.  You  alone  were  those  who  at  Corinth  could 
make  me  glad  ;  but  if  you  yourselves  were  sad,  this  could  not  be  done. 
For  how  can  a  sorrowful  person  gladden  another  ?  ”  The  sound  part  of 
the  church  would  sympathize  with  the  unsound,  and  so  could  afford 
Paul  little  cordial  consolation  ;  the  unsound  could  not  be  expected  to  con¬ 
sole  him,  till  their  reformation,  which  he  could  not  stay  long  enough  to 
prove,  and  thus  his  comfort  with  them  could  be  but  small.’  Bloovif. 

V.  5.  ‘  Now  if  any  of  you  hath  occasioned  grief  to  the  rest  he  hath  not 
so  much  grieved  me,  as,  in  some  measure  (that  I  may  not  bear  too  hard 
upon  him)  all  of  you.  Tlieoph.,  from  Chrys.,  acutely  remarks,  Thus  the 
apostle  skilfully  brings  them  all  in  as  partakers  in  the  injury,  that  he 
might  have  them  all  partakers  in  the  absolution,  and  thus  he  be  absolved 
from  any  charge  of  inconstancy  and  mutability.’  In. 

V.  6.  Such  a  man.]  Toiouto  :  indefinite,  but  alluding  to  the  inces¬ 
tuous  person.  ‘  Undoubtedly,  by  a  peculiar  delicacy,  this  expression  is 
adopted  to  supply  a  rule  by  which  to  act  in  similar  cases,  when  the  pun¬ 
ishment  of  offenders  lias  been  already  severe,  and  their  penitence  un¬ 
doubted.  Many,]  Here  the  Gr.  must  mean  all,  i.  e.  all  the  rest  besides 
the  person.’  Bl.  ,n' 

V.  8.  Confirm.]  ‘TheGr.  properly 
firm ;  and  so  here  the  context  and  the 
“make  him  sure  of  your  love,”  “assn 
public  testimony  of  it,  i.  e.  the  annuln 
tion  ;  “  make  sure  that  reconciliation.’ 


eans,  to  corroborate,  to  make 
ciiinstances  require  the  sense, 
him  of  it,”  namely,  by  some 
it  of  the  act  of  excommumca- 
Bloomf. 

[325] 


A.  D.  61. 


2  CORINTHIANS,  If. 


Paul’s  account  of  his  laboYs. 


11  Lest  Satan  should  get  an  ad- 
vantage  of  us:  for  we  are  not  igno¬ 
rant  of  his  devices. 

12  Furthermore,  when  1  I  came 
to  Troas  to  preach  Christ’s  gospel, 
and  a  k  door  was  opened  unto  me 
of  the  Lord, 

13  1  had  no  rest  1  in  my  spirit, 
because  I  found  not  Titus  my  broth¬ 
er  :  but  taking  my  leave  of  them,  I 
went  from  thence  into  Macedonia. 

14  Now  thanks  be  unto  God, 
m  which  always  causeth  us  to  tri¬ 
umph  in  Christ,  and  maketh  mani¬ 
fest  the  savor  “of  his  knowledge 
by  us  in  every  place. 

15  For  we  are  unto  God  a  sweet 
savor  of  Christ,  in  them  “that  are 
saved,  and  in  them  that  perish  : 

16  To  p  the  one  we  are  the  savor 
of  death  unto  death;  and  to  the 
other  the  savor  of  life  unto  life. 
And  who  q  is  sufficient  for  these 


things 

? 

17 

F or  we  are 

not,  as  many, 

which 

’corrupt  the 

word  of  God  : 

but  as 

of  sincerity, 

but  as  ’  of  God, 

in  the 

sight  of  God,  speak  we 'in 

Christ 

_  V 

I  Ac.  16:8 

n  Ca.  1:3^^ 

0 

r*or,  deal  deceit¬ 

k  1  Co.  16: 

9.  o  1  Cn.  1:18. 

fully  with,  c.4: 2. 

1  c.  7:5,6. 

p  Jn  9:39.  1  Pe. 

2:7,8.  s  He.  11:27. 

m  Ro.  8:37 

q  c.  3:5,6. 

t  or,  of. 

against  die  churches,  also,  and  tlie  apostles 
or  ministers  of  Christ,  by  representing  them 
as  too  rigid  and  severe,  and  so  frighten 
people  from  coming  among  them. 

In  this,  as  in  other  things,  wisdom  is  prof¬ 
itable  to  direct,  so  to  manage  according  as  the 
case  may  Ire,  that  the  ministry  may  not  be 
blamed  for  indulging  sin  on  the  one  hand,  or 
for  too  great  severity  toward  sinners  on  the 
other  hand.  Satan  is  a  subtle  enemy,  and 
uses  many  stratagems  to  deceive  us  ;  and 
we  should  not  be  ignorant  of  his  devices  :  he 
is  also  a  watchful  adversary,  ready  to  take 
ail  advantages  ;  and  we  should  be  very  cau¬ 
tious  lest  we  give  him  any  occasion  so  to  do. 

V.  12 — 17.  After  these  directions  con¬ 
cerning  the  excommunicated  person,  the 
apostle  makes  a  long  digression,  to  give  the 
Corinthians,  an  account  of  his  travels  and 
labors  for  Sfe  furtherance  of  the  Gospel,  and 
what  success  he  had  had  therein  ;  declaring 
at  tiie  same  time  how  much  lie  was  concern¬ 
ed  for  them  in  their  affairs  ;  -how  he  had  no 
rest  in  his  spirit,  when  he  found  not  Titus  at 
Troas,  v.  13.  as  he  expected,  from  whom  he 
Imped  to  have  understood  more  perfectly 
how  it  fared  with  them.  And  we  find  after¬ 
ward,  oh.  7:5 — 7.  that  when  the  apostle 
was  come  into  Macedonia,  he  was  comfort¬ 
ed  by  the  coming  of  Titus,  and  the  informa¬ 
tion  he  gave  him  concerning  them.  So  that 
we  may  look  upon  all  that  we  read  from 
ch.  2:12.  to  ch.  7:  5.  as  a  kind  of  parenthesis. 

I.  Paul’s  unwearied  labor  and  diligence 
in  his  work,  v.  12,  13.  II.  His  success,  v. 
12.  He  lmd  a  great  deal  to  do,  wherever  he 
came,  and  had  good  success  in  it ;  for  God 


made  manifest  the  savor  of  his  knowledge  by 
him  in  every  place  where  he  came.  Acts  16: 
14.  and  lie  speaks  of  this  as  a  matter  of 
thankfulness  to  God,  and  of  rejoicing  to  his 
soul,  v.  14.  A  Reliever’s  triumphs  are  all 
in  Christ,  and  true  believers  have  constant 
cause  of  triumph  in  Christ,  for  they  are  more 
than  conquerors  through  Him  who  hath  lov¬ 
ed  them,  Rom.  8:  37.  III.  The  comfort  he 
and  his  companions  in  labor  found,  even 
j  when  the  Gospel  was  not  successful  to  the 
|  salvation  of  some  who  heard  it,  v.  15 — 17. 
Here  observe, 

1.  The  different  success  of  the  Gospel,  and 
1  its  different  effects  on  several  sorts  of  per¬ 
sons  iff  wIiuju  it  is  preached;  some  are  sav- 

!  ed  by  it,  offers  perish  under  it.  To  some  it 
is  a  savor  of  death  unto  death  ;  [because]  it 
stirs  up  their  corruptions,  and  exasperates 
their  spirits;  they  reject  it,  to  their  ruin, 
i  To  others  it  is  a  savor  of  life  unto  life.  To 
humble  and  gracious  souls  the  preaching  of 
|  the  Word  is«most  delightful  and  profitable, 
I’and  will  end  in  eternal  life. 

2.  The  awful  impressions  this  matter 
I  made  on  the  apostle,  and  should  also  make 
j  on  us,  v.  16.  Who  is  worthy  to  be  employ¬ 
ed  in  such  a  weighty  work;  'a  work  of  such 

i  vast  importance,  because  of  so  great  conse¬ 
quence  1  Who  is  able  to  perform  such  a  dif¬ 
ficult  work,  that  requires  so  much  skill  and 
industry  I  If  men  did  seriously  consider 
what  great  things  depend  on  the  preaching 
of  the  Gospel,  and  how  difficult  the  work  of 
the  ministry  is,  they  would  be  very  cautious 
how  they  enter  upon  it,  and  \ery  careful  to 
perform  it  well. 


PRACT.  OB8.  Wa  slumld  always  give  pain  reluctantly,  even  when 
it  must  be  done;  for,  if  we  are  of  a  truly  Christian  spirit,  we  shall  share 
the  grief  which  we  occasion.  That  part  of  an  affectionate  minister’s 
work  which  gives  most  offence,  is  often  performed  by  him  with  ‘great 
affliction  and  anguish  of  heart,  and  with  many  tears,’  and  by  a  kind  of 
painful  constraint.  So  far  is  lie  from  intending  to  grieve  his  beloved  peo¬ 
ple,  that  he  does  violence  to  his  own  feelings,  ami  ventures  their  dis¬ 
pleasure,  from  ‘his  abundant  affection  to  them;’  and  that  he  may,  even 
against  their  will,  preserve  them,  if  possible,  from  the  dangers,  to  which 
the  artifices  of  deceivers,  and  their  own  inexperience,  expose  them. 
Ministers  of  this  spirit  and  character  will  lie  careful  ‘  not  to  overcharge 
their  brethren,’  and  not  to  condemn  them  harshly  or  indiscriminately. 
No  man,  indeed,  has  a  right  to  exercise  dominion  over  the  faith  of  his 
brethren;  but,  as  far  as  ministers  act  according  to  the  commandments 
of  Christ,  they  are  authorized  to  expect  obedience  from  the  people;  and 
they  may  sometimes  properly  make  trial  of  it ;  yet  they  should  always 
he  ready  to  express  a  forgiving  disposition.  When  church-censures, 
ministerial  rebukes,  or  the  reconciliation  of  offenders,  nre  regnhited  ac¬ 
cording  to  the  word  of  Christ,  and  as  in  his  presence,  they  are  valid, 

even  as  if  He  were  present  in  person  to  ratify  them _ We  should  always 

be  upon  our  guard,  ‘  lest  Satan  get  an  advantage  against  us;  [and]  should 
therefore  study,  by  attention  to  the  Scriptures,  by  careful  observation, 
by  watching  our  own  experiences,  by  conferring  with  our  brethren,  and, 

V.  11.  Lest ,  <fec.]  ‘  His  reception  hack  to_the  church  being  put  off,  the 
Corinthians  being  well  affected  toward  him,  would  become  more  lax  in 
repelling  criminalities.’  See  llos.  Satan.]  ‘  Who,  under  pretence  of 
duty,  tempts  us  to  pass  severe  censures,  to  drive  offenders  to  despair, 
and  to  deter  unbelievers  from  receiving  the  Gospel.  Devices.]  Here 
Faul  seems  to  caution  against  the  principles  the  Novations  afterwards 
espoused,  who,  on  pretence  of  establishing  discipline,  and  preserving  file 
purity  of  the  church,  would  not  receive  into  their  communion  those  who 
had  apostatized  in  times  of  persecution,  however  penitent  they  might  be 
afterwards, — a  rule  which  anciently  occasioned  much  confusion,  mid  even 
bloodshed,  in  the  church.’  Mackn.  Rn. 

V.  12, 13.  After  Paul  had  been  driven  from  Ephesus,  he  went  to  Troas, 
in  his  way  to  Macedonia,  intending  to  remain  for  a  short  time  in  that  city, 
to  preach  the  Gospel,  of  which  a  very  favorable  opportunity  presented 
itself.  Acts  20:  1 — 6.  But,  not  meeting  Titus  there,  according  to  his  ex¬ 
pectation,  and  having  received  no  tidings  from  Corinth,  his  mind  was  so 
discomposed  about  the  affairs  of  that  church,  that  he  could  not  comfort¬ 
ably  continue  at  Troas.  He  therefore  hastened  into  Macedonia  to  meet 
Titus,  which  he  accordingly  did;  and  his  report  had  determined  him  to 
write  this  second  epistle,  and  then  to  proceed  leisurely,  through  the 
churches  of  Macedonia,  before  lie  visited  Corinth.  Scott. 

(13.)  No  rest.]  ‘Regretting  the  absence  of  Titus,  which  prevented  his 
making  the  most  of  the  door  now  opened  to  them  for  spreading  the  Gos¬ 
pel.’  So  BL,  &c.  ‘But,  however, (effecting  what  I  could  without  the  ben¬ 
efit  of  his  assistance,)  1  bid  the  Trojans  adieu,  and  went,’  <fcc.  Bl.  En. 

V.  14 — 17.  The  happy  turn  given  to  the  affairs  of  the  Corinthians  ;  the 
confidence  the  apostle  entertained  of  success  as  to  that  perplexing  busi¬ 
ness,  in  which  lie  had  been  engaged  respecting  them  ;  and  his  usefulness 
in  other  places,  caused  him  to  tirenk  forth  in  ‘  thanks  to  God,’  amidst  all 
his  difficulties  and  distresses.  He  had,  indeed,  sharp  conflicts  to  sustain; 
but  the  Lord  gave  him  such  multiplied  victories,  that  he  went  from  city 
to  city  as  a  triumphant  conqueror,  in  the  cause  of  Christ.  And,  as  iii 
triumphs,  abundance  of  odors  were  used,  so  the  name  and  salvation  of 
Jesus,  (‘as  ointment  poured  forth,’  Cant.  1:  3.)  was  a  ‘sweet  odor,’  dif¬ 
fused  by  him  in  every  place;  so  that  he,  and  his  fellow-laborers,  were 
pleasing  and  acceptable  to  God,  by  their  testimony  to  Christ,  and,  through 
liis  merits,  ns  a  sweet-smelling  savor,  Gen.  8:20 — 22,  v.  22.  Eph .  5:f2 
rhil.  4:14 — 20,  t).  18.  As, however,  such  infinitely  important  consequences 
[826] 


above  all,  by  fervent  prayer,  to  get  acquainted  with  1  his  devices,’  that  we 
may  be  competent  to  counteract  them.  It  is  perhaps  impossible,  in  this 
present  state,  to  separate  fervent,  active  zeal  from  an  over-anxious  solici¬ 
tude.  If,  however,  our  hearts  be  right  with  God,  our  disquietudes  will  ter¬ 
minate  in  thanksgivings,  our  conflicts  in  victories  and  triumphs ;  and  the 
labors  of  the  faithful  minister  will  he  accepted,  and  graciously  rewarded 
by  our  God,  whether  his  hearers  he  saved,  or  perish. — But  how  should 
the  consideration  of  the  consequences,  which  must  folloxv  on  our  preach¬ 
ing,  to  ourselves  and  our  hearers,  make  us  shrink  back,  as  it  were,  under 
the  consciousness  of  unworthrness  and  insufficiency  !  especially  as  so 
many  still  adulterate  and  ‘corrupt  the  Word  of  God,’  to  their  own  ruin, 
and  that  of  their  deluded  followers.  If  this  was  the  ease,  even  while  the 
apostles  were  living,  how  is  it  at  present?  and  what  would  holy  Raul's 
verdict  be  in  fliis  day,  concerning  an  immense  proportion  of  professed 
teachers  and  rulers  in  the  Christian  church  ?  May  we  then  inquirehow 
the  case  is  with  each  of  ns;  may  we  carefully  watch  ourselves  in  this 
matter;  and  seek  the  testimony  of  our  consciences,  under  the  teaching 
of  the  Holy  Spirit,  that,  ‘as  of  sincerity,  as  of  God,  in  the  sight  of  God, so 
we  may  speak  in  Christ  !  ’  May  the  Lord  also  send  forth  very  many 
faithful  and  able  ministers  into  his  church,  and  stop  the  mouths  of  all 
false  teachers ;  and  may  every  Christian  learn  to  distinguish  between 
genuine  shepherds,  and  all  kinds  of  wolves  and  foxes  in  sheep’s  clothing  ! 
Is.  56:9—12.  N at.  7:13—  20.  Scott. 

were  connected  with  the  snered  ministry  ;  and  as  faithfulness  alone  could 
render  it  acceptable  and  honorable  to  God,  or  profitable  to  men  ;  who, 
of  the  human  race,  could  of  himself  be  ‘sufficient’  for  such  a  service  ? 
Or  who  would  dare  to  engage  in  it  without  trembling  ?  3:4 — 6.  This 
obliquely  hinted  at  the  self-sufficiency  of  the  Corinthian  teachers;  hut 
they  were  more  immediately  intended  when  he  spake  of  ‘many  ’  who 
sophisticated  the  Word  of  God,  as  dishonest  vintners  do  their  wine  ; 
xvhen  they  preserve  something  of  the  color  mid  taste,  but  dilute  it,  or  mix 
it  up  with  other  liquids  which  weaken  it.  prevent  its  efficacy,  or  even 
render  it  poisonous,  in  order  to  enhance  their  profits.  Thus,  these  teach¬ 
ers  preserved  some  important  truths  in  their  preaching,  to  render  it  more 
specious  ;  hut  they  corrupted  it  by  human  inventions,  philosophical  con¬ 
jectures,  or  antinomian  opinions,  till  it  became  inefficacious,  and  even  per¬ 
nicious,  to  the  souls  of  men.  11:13 — 15.  Cot.  2:8,  9.  Learned  men  have 
differed  greatly  in  opinion,  about  these  corrupters  of  the  Gospel;  whether 
they  were  judaizing  Christians,  or  Gentile  converts,  or  heretics,  as  the 
Gnostics  in  particular  were  ;  but,  [perhaps  he  alludes  to  them  all,  and,] 
beyond  all  doubt,  there  were  corrupters  of  the  Gospel  at  that  time,  of 
different  descriptions,  who  perverted  it  in  various  ways.  Scott. 

(14.)  Always.]  ‘This  word  need  not  be  pressed.  Where  Paul  was 
least  successful,  there  was,  indeed,  always  some  kind  of  victory  obtained 
over  the  kingdom  of  Satan  and  sin.’  Bl.  Triumph.]  ‘  An  allusion  to  the 
triumphal  processions  of  victorious  generals.’  Mackn.,  fee.  The  verb, 
in  its  neuter  sense,  signifies,  to  be  borne  along  in  triumph.  Favor.] 
OsmS  :  ‘  some  refer  to  perftimes,  with  which  the  high  priest  was  scented  ; 
others,  to  the  union  of  Christ  and  the  church,  under  the  image  of  a  bride 
and  bridegroom,  Cant.  1 :3.  I  rather  accede  to  the  opinion  of  those,  who 
think  there  is  an  allusion  to  the  fragrant  odors  scattered  about  near  the 
conquerors  nt  a  triumph.  “  And  who  diffuseth,  by  ns,  everywhere,  the 
odor  of  his  divine  knowledge;”  the  grateful  and  salutiferous  influence 
of  the  Gospel,  everywhere  disseminated.’  Bl.  See  on  v.  15, 16.  Ep. 

(15,16.)  Sweet  saror.]  F.  ml  din  : — Savor.]  Osml .-  see  on  v.  14.  ‘In 
triumphs,  the  streets  through  which  the  victorious  generals  passed,  were 
strewed  with  flowers.  (Grid.)  The  people  also  threw  flowers  into  the 
triumphal  car,  as  it  passed  along.  This,  as  all  the  oilier  customs  observ¬ 
ed  in  triumphal  processions,  was  derived  from  t he  Greeks,  who,  in  that 
manner,  honored  the  conquerors  at  the  games,  when  they  entered  into 
their  respective  cities.  Flat,  tells  us,  that,  in  triumphal  processions,  the 


A.  D.  61. 


2  CORINTHIANS,  III. 


CHAP.  III. 


I  Lest  their  false  teacher*  shouhl  charge  him  with  vain¬ 
glory,  he  sheweth  the  faith  and  graces  of  the  Corinthians 
to  be  a  sufficient  commendation  of  his  ministry.  6 
Whereupon  entering  a  comparison  between  the  ministers 
of  the  law  and  of  the  gospel,  12  he  proveth  that  his  min¬ 
istry  is  so  far  the  more  excellent,  as  the  gospel  of  life  and 
liberty  i3  more  glorious  than  the  law  of  condemnation. 

DO  we  begin  again  to  commend 
a  ourselves  ?  or  need  we,  as 
some  others,  epistles  b  of  commen¬ 
dation  to  you,  or  letters  of  com¬ 
mendation  from  you  ? 

2  Ye  c  are  our  epistle,  written  in 
our  hearts,  known  and  read  of  all 
men  : 

3  Forasmuch  as  ye  are  manifestly 
declared  to  be  the  epistle  of  Christ 
ministered  by  us,  written  not  with 
ink,  but  with  the  Spirit  of  the  living 
God  ;  not  in  tables  of  d  stone,  but 
•in  fleshly  tables  of  the  heart. 

4  And  such  trust  have  we  through 
Christ  to  God -ward  : 

5  Not  that  we  are  sufficient  of 
f  ourselves  to  think  any  thing,  as 
of  ourselves;  but  *our  sufficiency 
is  of  God  ; 

6  Who  also  hath  made  us  able 
h  ministers  of  the  ’  New  Testament; 


a  e.  5:12. 
b  Ac.  18:27. 
c  l  Co.  9:2. 
d  Ex.  24:12. 


e  Je.  31:33. 

Eze.  11:19. 
f  Jn.  15:5. 
g  l  Co.  15:10. 


Phi.  2:i3. 

h  Ep.  3:7.  1  Ti.  1:12. 

1  Mnt.  26:28. 

He.  8:6—10. 


3.  The  comfort  the  apostle  had  under  this 
serious  consideration;  (L)  Because  faithful 
ministers  shall  be  accepted  of  God,  what¬ 
ever  their  success  he,  v.  15.  in  them  who  are 
saved,  and  in  them  also  who  perish.  God 
will  accept  of  sincere  intentions,  and  honest 
endeavors,  though  with  many  they  are  not 
successful,  Is.  49:  5.  (2.)  Because  his  con¬ 
science  witnessed  to  his  faithfulness,  v.  17. 
in  dispensing  the  Gospel,  as  he  received  it 
from  the  Lord,  and  had  no  secular  turn  to 
serve;  his  aim  was,  to  approve  himself  to 
God,  remembering  that  his  eye  was  always 
upon  him;  he  therefore  spake  and  acted  al¬ 
ways  as  in  the  sight  of  God,  and  therefore 
in  sincerity.  What  we  do  in  religion,  is  not 
of  God,  does  not  come  from  God,  will  not 
reacli  to  God,  unless  done  in  sincerity,  as  in 
the  sight  of  God. 


Chap.  III.  V.  1 — 5.  1.  The  apostle 

makes  an  apology  for  his  seeming  to  com¬ 
mend  himself.  He  thought  it  convenient 
to  protest  his  sincerity,  because  some  at 
Corinth  endeavored  to  blast  bis  reputation  ; 
yet  he  was  not  desirous  of  vainglory.  And 
lie  tells  them,  that,  as  to  himself  and  his  fel¬ 
low  apostles,  (1.)  They  neither  needed  nor 
desired  any  verbal  commendation  to  them 
nor  letters  testimonial  from  them,  as  some 
others  did,  meaning  the  false  apostles  or 
teachers,  tvl.  (2.)  The  Corinthians,  them¬ 
selves,  were  their  real  commendation,  and 
a  good  testimonial,  that  God  was  with 
them  of  a  truth,  v.  2.  This  was  the  tes- 


Jlll- sufficiency  is  of  God. 

timonial  they  most  delighted  in,  and  what 
was  most  dear  to  them, — they  were  written 
in  their  hearts;  and  this  they  could  appeal  to 
on  occasion,  fur  it  was,  or  might  he,  known 
and  read  of  all  men.  Note,  Nothing  is  more 
delightful  to  faithful  ministers,  or  more  to 
their  commendation,  than  the  success  of 
their  ministry,  evidenced  in  the  hearts  and 
lives  of  them  among  whom  they  labor. 

2.  The  apostle  is  careful  not  to  assume 
too  much  to  himself,  but  to  ascribe  all  the 
praise  to  God.  (1.)  They  were  the  epistle 
of  Christ,  v.  3.  Christ  was  the  Author  of  all 
the  good  that  was  in  them.  His  law  was 
written  in  their  hearts,  and  his  love  shed 
abroad  there.  This  was  the  good  hope  the 
apostle  had  concerning  them,  v.  4.  that  their 
hearts  were  like  the  ark  of  the  covenant, 
containing  the  tables  of  the  law  and  the  gos¬ 
pel,  written  with  the  finger,  i.  e.  by  the  Spir¬ 
it,  of  the  living  God.  (2.)  He  utterly  dis¬ 
claims  the  taking  any  praise  to  themselves, 
and  ascribes  all  the  glory  to  God,  v.  5.  We 
could  never  have  made  such  good  impres¬ 
sions  on  your  hearts,  or  on  our  own  ;  we 
cannot  of  ourselves  think  a  good  thought, 
much  less  raise  any  good  thoughts  or  affec¬ 
tions  in  other  men.  All  our  sufficiency  is  of 
God.  This  is  true  concerning  ministers  and 
all  Christians. 

V.  6 — 11.  Here  the  apostle  makes  a  com¬ 
parison  between  the  O.  T.  and  the  New, 
the  law  of  Moses  and  the  gospel  of  Jesus 
Christ ;  and  values  himself  and  his  fellow-la¬ 
borers  by  this,  that  they  were  able  ministers  of 


streets  were  “full  of  incense  and  perfumes.”  The  captives  of  greatest 
note  followed  the  triumphal  chariot,  in  chains,  and  some  of  them  had  their 
lives grnnted  to  them;  others  were  put  to  death  immediately  after  the 
procession  ended.  Wherefore,  lo  such,  the  smell  of  the  flowers,  and  of 
the  incense  with  which  the  procession  was  accompanied,  was  a  deadly 
smell,  ending  in  their  death.  Iiut  to  those  captives  who  had  their  lives 
granted  to  them,  this  was  a  smell  of  life,  a  vivifying  and  refreshing  smell, 
which  ended  in  life  to  them. — In  allusion  to  the  method  of  a  triumph, 
the  apostle  represents  Christ  as  a  victorious  general,  riding  in  a  triumphal 
procession  through  the  world,  attended  by  ids  apostles,  prophets,  evan¬ 
gelists,  and  other  ministers  of  the  Gospel,  and  followed  by  all  the  idola¬ 
trous  nations  as  his  captives.  Among  these,  the  preachers  of  the  Gospel 
diffused  the  smell  of  the  knowledge  of  Christ,  which,  to  those  who  be¬ 
lieved  on  Him,  was  a  vivifying  smell,  ending  in  life  to  them.  But,  to  the 
unbelievers,  the  smell  of  the  knowledge  of  Christ,  was  a  smell  of  death, 
ending  in  deatii,  if  they  continued  in  unbelief.’  Mackn.,  who,  however, 
as  Rl.  remarks,  carries  the  allusion  (and  it  is  no  more)  quite  too  fur,  espe¬ 
cially  on  v.  14.  Ed. 

4  Theoil.  and  Theoph.  well  paraphrase  :  “  We,  indeed,  bear  the  sweet 
odor  of  Christ’s  Gospel  to  all ;  but  all  who  participate  in  it,  do  not  expe¬ 
rience  its  salutiferous  effects.  Thus,  to  diseased  eyes,  even  the  light  of 
heaven  is  noxious;  yet  the  sun  does  not  bring  the  injury.  And  to  those 
in  a  fever,  honey  is  bitter;  yet  it  is  sweet,  nevertheless.  Vultures,  too, 
it  is  said,  fly  from  sweet  odors  of  myrrh  ;  yet  myrrh  is  myrrh,  though  the 
vultures  avoid  it.  Thus,  if  some  be  saved,  and  others  perish,  the  Gos¬ 
pel  retains  its  own  virtue,  and  we,  the  preachers  of  it,  remain  as  we  are  ; 
and  the  Gospel  retains  its  odoriferous  and  salutiferous  properties,  though 
some  may  disbelieve  or  abuse  it,  and  perish.”  It  is,  I  think,  a  miscon¬ 
ception  of  Doddr.,  to  suppose  there  is  here  allusion  to  the  different  effects 
of  strong  perfumes,  to  cheer  some,  and  to  throw  others  into  violent  dis¬ 
orders.’  Rl.  Death  unto  death.]  I.  e.  temporal  and  eternal.  Life  unto 
life.]  The  life  which  now  is,  and  that  which  is  to  come.  4  The  words,  unto 
death,  and  unto  life,  are  exegetical,  and  added  to  strengthen  the  sense. 
The  Rabbins  say,  the  law  is  the  aroma  of  life  to  those  who  study  it  prop¬ 
erly  ;  of  death  to  those  who  do  not ;  an  odor  of  life  to  Israelites,  of  death 
to  Gentiles.’  Bloomf. 

NOTES.  Cihp.  111.  V.  1 — 3.  The  Corinthians  themselves  were 
his  4  epistle  of  commendation ;  ’  it  was  4  written  in  their  hearts,’  (as  some 
read  it,  perhaps  without  sufficient  authority  from  manuscripts  or  copies,) 
and  legible  in  their  lives,  so  that  men,  of  every  nation  and  language, 
might  read  and  understand  the  import  of  it.  Or,  he  so  valued  this  test  i- 
monial,  and  so  loved  them,  as  ttie  seals  of  his  ministry,  that  he  had  this 
epistle,  as  it  were,  engraven  in  his  heart.  The  language  here  used  is  re¬ 
markable.  4  The  epistle  of  Christ,  ministered  by  us.’  Christ  wrote  it, 
by  the  apostle,  as  his  amanuensis  ; — 4  written  . .  .  with  (lie  Spirit  of  the 
living  God.’  What  the  Spirit  does,  is  done  by  Christ.  Rev.  2:fi,  7,  v.  7. 

Scott. 

(1.)  ‘This  is  meant  to  meet  an  objection,  such  as,  How  is  this,  Paul, 
thou  art  magnifying  thyself  by  saying  these  things  ?  Which  lie  refutes. 
The  interrogation  is  equivalent  to  a  strong  negation.’  Rl.  ;  who  reads, 
4  unless  (indeed)  you  will  say',  we  need,  as  some  do  ;  ’  adopting  the  read¬ 
ing  ei  (unless)  instead  of  e  for).  Some.]  4  The  false  teachers  at  Corinth, 
(so  nil  comtrs.)  who  had  originally  introduced  themselves  to  notice  by 
commendatory  letters,  both  there  and  elsewhere.  Epistles  of  commen¬ 
dation.]  Epistolai  sustatikai  :  these  were  much  in  use  in  the  primitive 
church,  and  were  derived,  as  some  think,  from  tiie  tessera  hospitalitatis 
of  the  Greeks  and  Romans.  This  was  a  tally,  or  piece  of  wood,  cut  in¬ 
to  two  parts,  of  which  each  party,  to  the  contract  of  mutual  hospitality, 
kept  one.  For  when  the  citizen  travelled  tibroad,  or  visited  the  country, 
as  there  were  no  proper  places  of  accommodation  for  travellers,  he  was 
obliged  to  lodge  with  a  friend,  whom,  in  turn,  he  lodged,  wtien  that 
friend,  or  foreigner,  visited  his  own  town  or  country.  This  sworn  rela¬ 
tion  was  esteemed  by  the  Romans  next  to  that  of  parents  and  clients.’ 
Adam.  1  But  it  has  been  proved,  that  the  custom  was  in  use  among  the 


Jews  also  ;  as  it  would  be  likely  to  be  in  every  country  where  letters 
were  known,  and  personal  communication  not  very  frequent.  These 
epistles  commendatory  were  properly  letters  of  introduction,  (which  is 
the  import  of  the  term,)  though  they,  no  doubt,  often  Had  recommenda¬ 
tory  matter.  Some  of  the  flnest  specimens  are  from  the  pens  of  Cicero 
and  Pliny.’  Bl.  Ed. 

(2.)  ‘The  epistle  here  meant  by  Paul,  was  plainly  the  reformed  mor¬ 
als,  and  good  conduct  of  the  Corinthian  converts,  which  might  be  said 
to  be  read  and  known  by  ail  men  ;  since  the  extensive  commerce  of  the 
Corinthians,  carried  the  inhabitants  of  that  city  everywhere,  and  dis¬ 
persed  everywhere  a  knowledge  of  what  was  there  done  :  and  all  this 
would  be  an  epistle  commendatory  of  the  apostle  ;  since,  as  Chrys.  and 
Theoph.  say,  44  the  virtue  of  the  pupil  adorns  his  teacher.”  Now  this 
reformation  was  indeed  not  known  lo  all  men  ;  but  it  must  have  been 
especially  imprinted  on  the  mind  of  the  apostle :  and  this,  therefore,  lie 
would  bear  ahout  with  him  everywhere,  just  as  the  knowledge  in  ques¬ 
tion  was  disseminated  everywhere.  Thus  Plato  speaks  of  knowledge, 
“  written  in  the  soul  of  the  learner.”  ’  Bloomf. 

(3.)  4  Ye  bear  the  commands  of  Christ  on  your  heart,  and  transcribe 
them  into  your  practice.  This  is,  as  it  were,  a  letter  dictated  by  Christ 
to  me,  and  by  me  written  on  your  hearts.  So  also  all  the  ancient  comtrs., 
and  Grot.,  and  Ros.  The  Gr.  tr.  .‘‘manifestly  declared,”  means,  (soRos.) 
to  use  any  one’s  ministry  in  performing  anything.  In  some  sense,  too, 
it  might  be  said,  they  were  a  letter  commendatory  of  Christ  and  the  Gos¬ 
pel  to  the  heathens.’  Bl.  Ink.]  Notes,  end  of  Jer.  32.  and  end  of  Jer. 
Tables.]  Plax  ••  a  tablet :  cuts  a  and  d,  end  of  Jer.  ;  Ez.  17:1.  Pref.  to 
Sam.;  and  Judg.  5:14.  Ed. 

V.  4.  If  the  new  is  so  superior  to  the  old  covenant,  then  the  minis¬ 
ters  of  the  new  are  superior  to  those  of  the  old  :  this  natural  conclusion 
lie  does  not  draw  out,  but  neutralizes  what  might  seem  boastful,  by 
ascribing  ail  this  superiority  to  God.  So  Theoph.  and  Rl.  Id. 

V.  5,  <3.  4  We  are  of  ourselves  unable  even  to  devise,  or  conceive  the 

mysteries  and  truths  of  the  Gospel,  much  less  to  give  them  the  effect  by 
which  the  Holy  Spirit  writes  and  imprints  them  on  the  hearts  of  men  ; 
hut  our  power  nnd  sufficiency  is  (alone)  from  God.  The  apostle  (obs.  Ros.) 
says,  that  he  could  not  have  discovered  this  mode  of  salvation,  but  that 
lie  hud  his  doctrine  by  divine  revelation.  And  so  Grot .’  Bloomf. 

V.  6.  This  is  commonly  understood  restrict ivelv,  of  the  legal  and 
evangelical  dispensations  contrasted  with  each  other,  and  the  context 
seems  to  favor  this  interpretation  ;  yet  it  is  not  satisfactory,  as  proposed 
in  a  general  manner,  for  the  Mosaic  dispensation  was  not  a  killing  letter 
to  all  who  were  under  it ;  nor  is  the  Gospel,  in  al!  cases,  attended  by  the 
life-giving  Spirit.  But  the- Mosaic  dispensation  derived  all  its  saving 
efficacy  from  the  Gospel,  to  which  it  referred,  and,  after  the  publication 
of  Christianity,  it  became  altogether  4  a  killing  letter’  to  those  who 
cleaved  to  it.  Gal.  4:21 — 31.  5:1 — 6.  For  the  Gospel  was  4  the  minis¬ 
tration  of  the  Spirit,’  and  the  only  doctrine  through  which  life  and  salva¬ 
tion  were  communicated  to  sinners,  ns  the  apostle  shows  more  fully  in 
the  next  vs.  The  moral  law,  indeed,  is  universally  4  found  unto  death,’ 
to  all  who  remain  under  it ;  but  the  ceremonies  and  types,  together  with 
the  prophecies,  gave  ancient  believers  a  general  or  indistinct  discovery 
of  mercy  and  grace,  through  the  promised  Savior ;  yet  these  institutions, 
to  unbelievers,  were  a  mere  lifeless  form,  which  left  them  under  the  con¬ 
demnation  of  the  moral  law,  and  even  added  to  it.  Rom.  5:20,  21.  7:1  — 
12.  But  then  it  was  to  be  remembered,  that  the  Gospel  itself,  and  its 
ministers,  are  4  a  savor  of  death  unto  death  ’  to  unbelievers,  who  often 
make  the  same  formal  use  of  some  evangelical  truths,  and  an  attendance 
on  Christian  ordinances,  which  the  Jews  did  of  the  Mosaic  ceremonies, 
and  the  traditions  of  the  elders;  ami  in  this  way  and  in  many  others, 

4  the  letter,’  even  of  the  N.  T., 4  kills,’  and  it  only  gives  life,  when  accom¬ 
panied  ‘by  the  Spirit  of  life  in  Christ  Jesus.'  2:14 — 17.  Rom.  8:1  4. 

— To  understand  4  the  letter  and  the  spirit,’  of  a  literal  and  an  allegori¬ 
cal  interpretation  of  Scripture,  is  both  foreign  to  the  apostle  s  argument 
and  also  palpably  absurd  and  extremely  dangerous.  Some  Parts  of 


A.  D.  61. 


2  CORINTHIANS,  III.  Excellency  of  the  New  Testament. 


not  of  the  >  letter,  but  of  the  spirit : 
for  the  k  letter  kiileth,  hut  1  the 
spirit  m  giveth  life. 

7  But  if  the  ministration  of  death, 
written  and  engraven  in  stones, 
was  glorious,  so  that  the  children 
of  Israel  could  not  steadfastly  be¬ 
hold  the  face  of  Moses  "  for  the 
glory  of  his  countenance  ;  which 
glory  was  to  be  done  away  ; 

8  How  shall  not  the  ministration 
of  the  Spirit  be  rather  glorious? 

9  For  if  the  ministration  of  con¬ 
demnation  be  glory,  much  more 
doth  the  ministration  of  righteous¬ 
ness  exceed  in  glory. 

10  For  even  that  which  was  made 
glorious  had  no  glory  in  this  respect, 
by  reason  of  the  glory  that  excel- 
leth. 

11  For  °if  that  which  is  done 
away  was  glorious,  much  more  that 
Which  remaineth  is  glorious. 

12  Seeing  then  that  we  have  such 
hope,  we  use  great  p  plainness  of 
speech  : 

13  And  not  as  Moses,  which  put 
a  vail  over  his  face,  that  the  child¬ 
ren  of  Israel  could  not  steadfastly 
look  to  the  end  q  of  that  which  is 
abolished  : 

14  But  their  minds  were  rblinded; 
for  until  this  day  remaineth  the 


same  vail  untaken  away  in  the  read¬ 
ing  of  the  Old  Testament:  which 
vail  is  done  away  in  Christ. 

i  Ro.  2:58,29.  m  or,  quickeneth.  p  or,  boldness. 

k  Ro.4;15.  7:9,10.  n  Ex.34:l,59— 35.  q  Ro.  10:4. 

1  Jn.6.63.  Ro.8:2.  o  Ro.  5:20,21.  r  Ro.  11:7,8,25. 

the  New  Testament,  that  God  had  made  them 
so,  v.  6.  This  hedoes  in  answer  to  the  accu¬ 
sations  of  false  teachers,  who  magnify  great- 1 
ly  the  law  of  Moses. 

1.  He  distinguishes  between  the  letter  and 
the  sjnrit,  even  of  the  N.  T.,  v.  6.  As  able 
ministers  of  the  N.  T.,  they  were  ministers 
not  merely  of  the  letter,  to  read  the  written 
Word,  or  to  preach  the  letter  of  the  Gospel 
only,  but  of  the  Spirit  also;  the  Spirit  of 
God  did  accompany  their  ministrations.  The 
letter  kiileth,  this  the  letter  of  the  law  does, 
for  that  is  the  ministration  of  death;  and  if  j 
we  rest  only  in  the  letter  of  the  Gospel,  we  j 
shall  be  never  the  better  for  so  doing,  for 
even  that  will  be  a  savor  of  death  unto  death ; 
but  the  Spirit  of  the  Gospel,  going  along  with 
the  ministry  of  the  Gospel,  giveth  life  spirit¬ 
ual,  and  life  eternal. 

2.  He  shows  the  difference  between  the  j 
O.  T.  and  the  New,  and  the  excellency  of 
the  gospel  above  the  law.  For,  The  law  j 
was  the  ministration  of  death, — of  condem¬ 
nation,  for  that  condemned  and  cursed  every 
one  who  continued  not  in  all  things  written  j 
therein,  to  do  them;  but  the  gospel  is  the  min-  : 
islration  of  life, — of  righteousness;  therein  the 
righteousness  of  God  by  faith  is  revealed; 
this  shows  us  that  the  just  shall  live  by  his  | 
faith;  this  reveals  the  grace  and  mercy  of 
God  through  Jesus  Christ,  for  the  obtaining  i 


of  remission  of  sins,  and  eternal  life.  Tbs 
Gospel  therefore  so  much  exceeds  in  glory, 
that  in  a  manner  it  eclipses  the  glory  of  the 
legal  dispensation,  v.  10.  Not  only  did  the 
glory  of  Moses’  face  go  away,  but  the  glory 
of  Moses’  law  is  done  away  also;  whereas 
the  gospel  shall  remain,  v.  11.  to  the  end  of 
the  world,  and  is  always  fresh  and  flourish¬ 
ing,  and  remains  glorious. 

V.  12 — 18.  He  draws  two  inferences  from 
what  he  had  said  about  the  O.  and  N.  T. 
dispensation. 

1.  Concerning  the  duty  of  the  ministers 
of  the  Gospel,  to  use  great  plainness  or  clear¬ 
ness  of  speech.  They  ought  not,  like  Moses, 
to  put  a  veil  on  their  faces,  or  obscure  and 
darken  those  things  that  they  should  make 
plain.  The  gospel  is  a  more  clear  dispen¬ 
sation  than  the  law  ;  the  things  of  God  are 
revealed  in  the  N.  T.,not  in  types  and  sha¬ 
dows;  and  ministers  are  much  to  blame,  if 
they  do  not  set  spiritual  things,  and  gospel- 
truth  and  grace,  in  the  clearest  light  pos¬ 
sible. 

2.  Concerning  the  greater  privilege  and 
advantage  of  those  who  enjoy  the  Gospel. 
For,  (1.)  Those  who  lived  under  the  legal 
dispensation,  had  their  minds  blinded,  v.  14. 
and  there  was  a  veil  on  their  hearts,  v.  15. 
especially  those  who  remained  in  judaism, 
after  the  coming  of  the  Messiah,  and  the 
publication  of  his  Gospel.  Nevertheless,  the 
apostle  tells  us,  a  time  is  coming,  when  this 
veil  also  shall  be  taken  away,  and  when  the 
body  of  that  people — shall  turn  to  the  Lord, 
v.  16.  Or,  when  any  particular  person  is 
converted  to  God,  then  the  veil  of  ignorance 
is  taken  away;  the  blindness  of  the  mind. 


Scripture  are  allegorical,  and  must  he  so  interpreted  ;  but  surely  laws, 
doctrines ,  promises ,  exhortations,  and  historical  facts ,  must  be  literally 
understood  by  all,  who  do  not  purposely  seek  to  misunderstand  them  ! 

Scott. 

(6.)  Letter — spirit .]  ‘I.  e.  not  a  religion  literal,  or  comprehended 
in  writing,  like  the  decalogue,  and  the  law  of  Moses,  but  spiritual.  This 
may  be  understood  in  a  twofold  way ;  first,  in  the  physical  sense,  since 
Christianity  was  at  first  promulgated  without  any  Divine  Scripture, 
(Paul  speaks  of  his  own  times;  afterwards  writings  were  highly  necessa¬ 
ry,  Ros.)  and  solely  by  the  II.  S.,  which  also  by  its  miraculous  charis¬ 
mata  [gifts]  extended  at  least  up  to  the  period  when  it  became  literal  as 
well  as  spiritual ;  and  by  its  ordinary  and  sanctifying  influences,  hath  ever 
since  enabled  true  Christians  to  perform  the  duties  which  the  Gospel 
enjoins;  and  secondly,  in  a  moral  sense,  as  being  raised  above  the  dry 
forms,  and  empty  shadow's  of  the  law ;  and  aiming  at  true  and  substan¬ 
tial  excellence.  “  Now  Moses  (ohs.  Grot.)  brought  the  writing  in  two 
stone  tables  to  the  people.  The  apostle’s  word  was  accompanied  with 
more  illustrious  signs  than  Moses  had  given,  even  with  tongues,  mirac¬ 
ulous  healings,  raising  the  dead,  nay,  and  with  the  power  of  conferring 
such  gifts  on  others  ;  which  had  been  utterly  without  example.”  Thus, 
it  is  remarked  by  (Ec.,  that  the  law  promulgated  the  writings  of  Moses  ; 
but  the  preaching  of  Christ  ministered  the  gifts  of  the  Spirit.  And 
Theoph.  obs.,  that  the  law  was,  in  a  certain  sense,  spiritual,  as  given  by 
the  Spirit,  but  did  not  confer  the  Spirit ,  as  did  the  new  covenant  ;  for 
not  only  did  the  apostles  teach  spiritual  and  divine  doctrines,  but  by  the 
laying  on  ofhands  gave  the  Spirit.  It  may  also  (as  IP  hit.  obs  )  be  called 
the  covenant  of  the  Spirit,  in  allusion  to  Jer.  3:33.  where  God  promises, 
under  the  new  covenant,  to  put  his  laws  in  the  inward  parts, -and  to 
write  them  in  the  hearts  of  his  people.  And  to  this  view  Jaspis  con¬ 
fines  it,  observing,  our  religion  is  called  Spirit,  for  it  looks  to  internals, 
with  their  effects  and  advantages,  the  Mosaic  pertaining  mostly  to  exter¬ 
nals.  He  then  with  great  taste,  as  wTell  as  truth,  observes,  “  Paul, 
indeed,  uses  a  more  elegant  and  figurative  st\le,  the  more  he  is  moved 
ill  mind,  which  is  an  indication  how  natural  this  elegance  is  to  him.”  ’  I!l. 

Kiileth  ..  giveth  life.]  ‘There  are  several  ways  in  which  this  will 
hold  good.  Hence  corntrs.  differ  according  to  the  views  they  take. 
Without  noticing  refinements  to  which  the  apostle  would  not  descend, 
(and  which  may  be  seen  in  the  Crir.  Sacr.,  Poole's  Syn.,  Wolf's  Cttrin, 
ice.),  some  here  recognise  a  Jewish  proverb,  expressing  the  superiority 
of  the  spiritual,  i.  e.  mystical,  interpretation  of  the  law  over  the  literal. 
But  (as  Doidr.  obs.)  this  is  a  very  arbitrary  and  unwarrantable  exposi¬ 
tion.  By  the  letter,  all  judicious  corntrs.  are  agreed,  is  meant  the  law 
of  Moses,  ntld  by  the  Spirit,  the  gospel,  the  former  of  which  may  be  said 
to  kill,  in  a  metaphorical  sense,  (ami  so  Grot.,)  as  being  merely  mina¬ 
cious  and  damnatory,  threatening  death,  and  leaving  to  it  those  who  dis¬ 
obeyed  ;  containing  no  promises  of  a  future  state,  even  to  those  who 
obeyed  it,  Jn.  6:49.  Gal.  3:21.  and  for  those  who  disobeyed  it  (as  all, 
from  the  frailty  of  human  nature  must  dol  there  could  be  no  hope.  Nay, 
it  not  only  denounced  punishment  and  death,  but  often  indirectly  occa¬ 
sioned  it,  bv  the  multiplicity,  the  minuteness,  and  the  difficulty  or  its  cer¬ 
emonial  rites;  thus,  as  the  apostle  says,  “taking  occasion  from  our 
concupiscence,  it  increased  sin,”  and  did  not  confer  anv  strength  to  per¬ 
form  its  injunctions,  being  destitute  of  all  the  assistances  of  grace.  Such 
is  the  mode  in  which  the  most  eminent  modern  corntrs.  explain. 

‘  On  the  contrary,  the  Spirit,  namely,  that  new  and  spiritual  system, 
the  Gospel,  giveth  life,  since  it  not  only  brings  life  and  immortality  to 
light,  but,  by  the  manifestations  of  the  Spirit,  enables  believers  to  per¬ 
form  its  injunctions.  See  more  in  Poole ,  and  Crit.  Sacr.  The  Gr.  is  so 
used  at  Gal.  3:21.  So  that  the  recent  foreign  corntrs.  err,  in  interpreting 
the  w’ord  solely  of  offering  felicity;  for  there  is  plainly,  in  both  passages, 


a  reference  to  that  expiatory  sacrifice,  by  which  the  vivification  is  ef¬ 
fected.  Perhaps,  too,  Paul  meant  expressly  to  contrast  the  two  dispen¬ 
sations,  by  considering  the  tendency  and  disposition  of  each.  The  chief 
end  and  purpose  of  the  laiv  was  punishment,  not  reward.  It  was  ex¬ 
treme  in  remarking,  and  severe  in  punishing  the  least  faults  :  whereas, 
the  chief  end  of  the  gospel  is,  in  every  sense,  life  and  happiness.  It 
deals  in  forgiveness,  and  never  spurns  the  penitent  and  reformed  sinner, 
but  washes  away  his  sins.  And  it  may  be  said  to  give  life,  as  “  quick¬ 
ening  those  who  were  dead  in  trespasses  and  sins,”  and  imparting  new 
life  by  the  sanctifying  graces  of  the  H.  S.  See  Eph.  2:1.’  Bloomf. 

V.  7 — 11.  The  Corinthians  undervalued  the  authority  of  the  apostle, 
as  ‘  the  minister  of  Christ;’  but  he  here  showed  them,  how  far  the  min¬ 
istry  of  the  N.  T.  excelled  that  of  the  Old. — From  this  argument  of  the 
apostle,  it  is  generally  concluded,  that  the  false  teachers  at  Corinth 
jitdaized ;  hut  it  lias  before  appeared,  that  their  leading  errors  were  of  a 
different  nature,  though" some  might  be  prone  to  run  into  that  extreme. 
Tlie  apostle,  however,  seems  to  have  principally  intended  ‘  to  magnify 
his  office,’  and  to  show,  from  the  example  of  Moses,  that  the  ministry  of 
the  N.  T.  was  honorable,  in  proportion  to  the  superior  glory  of  lhat  dis¬ 
pensation;  and  that  he,  as  immediately  entrusted  with  the  important 
stewardship  of  the  divine  mysteries,  as  an  inspired  apostle,  and  as  faith¬ 
ful  in  this  service,  had  a  right  to  demand  respect  and  deference  to  his 
authority  ;  which  his  opponents,  whoever  they  were,  refused  him,  and 
instructed  their  followers  to  refuse  him.  Scott. 

(7.)  Glory.]  ‘  Doxa  :  Heb.  qrn,  rays  proceeding  from  the  face.  See 
Carpz.,  and  comp.  Ac.  6:15.  Lu.  9:29.  Mat.  17:2.’  ‘The  Rabbins  say, 
the  face  of  Moses  shone  like  the  sun,  and  that  Adam  before  his  fall  had 
this  celestial  light,  and  all  prophets,  &c.,  with  whom  God  had  familiar 
interviews.  Eisner  shows  also  that  the  Mahometans  ascribed  to  their 
prophet,  and  the  Gentiles  to  their  heroes,  and  philosophers,  coruscant 
countenances.  Pausanias  relates,  that  from  that  of  TEsculupius,  when  a 
child  and  exposed,  proceeded  a  refulgence ,  whetlce  the  shepherd  who 
found  him  thought  it  something  divine;  and  Virg.  relates  something 
similar  of  Ascanius;  and  so  Pliny,  Plut.,  and  Dionys,,  ofServins  Tullius. 
To  other  divine  persons,  other  writers  ascribed  rays  upon  the  head. 
Philostr.  relates,  that  Apollonius  Tyan.  seemed  thus  like  an  angel: 
and  Porphyry  says,  of  Plotinus,  that,  while  speaking,  his  mind  shone 
forth,  till  a  lovely  light  shed  itself  visibly  over  his  countenance.  And 
Marinas  speaks  of  the  light  one  Rufinas  saw  shed  around  the  head  of 
Proclus.  Lucian  gives  such  an  honor  to  Timon.’  Eisner.  Bl.  thinks 
their  words  1  are  only  strongly  figurative ;  or  were  fictions  founded  on 
truth,  viz.  a  tradition  of  what  occurred  to  Moses  :  ’  which,  although  it  tie 
an  easy  way,  at  least,  of  accounting  for  it,  is  yet  unsatisfactory.  F.n. 
Abolished.]  ‘Done  away  by  death,  say  some;  others,  ceasing  with 
youth,  a  lowering  of  the  sense  not  to  be  tolerated.  The  best  opinion 
seems  to  be  that  of  the  Gr.  corntrs.,  lleza,  Ac.,  that  this  was  a  type  of 
the  abrogation  of  the  glory,  viz.  all  the  Levitical  Law.  At  leasi,  Paul 
seems  to  hint,  that  the  Schechinah’s  was  a  transitory,  the  Gospel’s  an 
ever  increasing  glory,  to  all  eternity.’  Bloomf. 

(9.)  Righteousness.]  ‘ Rather,  justification,  which  the  antithetical 
term,  condemnation,  absolutely  requires,  say  Vat.,  Vorst.,  and  the  Gr. 
corntrs.’  In. 

(10,  11.)  Had.  Ac.]  ‘  Was  in  a  manner,  or  comparatively,  inglorious. 
Is  done,  Ac  1  Was  (to  be',  or  should  be  done  away  ..  .  is  to  remain, 
Ac.’  '  Id. 

V.  13.  Abolished.]  ‘Such  an  oblique  manner  of  speaking  on  this  suh- 
ject  makes  the  argument  ..  .  peculiarly  striking.  It  is  taken  for  granted, 
as  a  thing  certainly  known,  and  quite  indisputable,  that  tile  Mosaic  dis¬ 
pensation  was  to  be  abolished.’  Doddr.  Scott. 

(13.)  The  end.]  1.  e.  Christ,  as  v.  14.  proves.  See  Bl.  Ed. 


A.  D.  61. 


2  CORINTHIANS,  IV, 


15  But  even  unto  this  day,  when 
Moses  is  read,  the  vail  is  upon  their 
heart. 

16  Nevertheless,  when  it  shall 
turn  to  the  Lord,  the  vail  shall  be 
taken  *  away. 

17  Now  the  Lord  'is  that  Spirit: 
and  where  the  u  Spirit  of  the  Lord 
is,  there  is  liberty. 

18  But  we  all,  with  open  face 
beholding  as  in  a  glass  v  the  glory 
of  the  Lord,  are  changed  into  the 
same  w  image,  x  from  glory  to  glory, 
even  as  *  by  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord. 

CHAP.  IV. 

1  He  decl&reth  how  he  hath  used  all  sincerity  and  faithful 
diligence  iu  preaching  the  Gospel,  7  and  how  the  trou¬ 
bles  and  persecutions  which  he  doily  endured  for  the  same 
did  redound  to  the  praise  of  God’s  power,  12  to  the  ben¬ 
efit  of  the  church,  16  and  to  the  apostle’*  own  eternal 
glory. 

THEREFORE,  seeing  we  have 
this  ministry,  as  we  have  re¬ 
ceived  *  mercy,  we  faint  not ; 

2  But  have  renounced  the  hidden 
things  of  b  dishonesty,  not  walking 
in  craftiness,  nor  handling  the  word 
of  God  'deceitfully,  but,  by  mani¬ 
festation  of-  the  truth,  commending 


ourselves  to  every  man’s  conscience 


in  the  sight  of  God. 


s  Is.  25:7. 
t  1  Co.  15:45. 
u  Ro.  8:2. 
v  1  Co.  13:12. 


w  Ro.  8:29.  a  1  Co.  7:25. 

x  Ps.  84:7.  b  shame. 

y  or,  of  the  Lord  c  c.  2:17. 
the  Spirit. 


and  the  hardness  of  the  heart,  are  cured. 
(2.)  The  condition  of  those  who  enjoy  and 
believe  the  Gospel  is  much  more  happy.  For, 
they  have  liberty,  v.  17.  freedom  from  the 
yoke  of  the  ceremonial  law,  and  from  the 
servitude  of  corruption;  liberty  of  access  to 
God,  and  freedom  in  prayer.  They  have 
light ;  for  with  open  face  we  behold  the  glory 
of  the  Lord,  v.  18.  The  Israelites  saw  the 
glory  of  God  in  a  cloud,  which  was  dark  and 
dreadful;  but  Christians  see  it  in  a  glass, 
more  clearly  and  comfortably.  It  was  the 
peculiar  privilege  of  Moses,  for  God  to  con¬ 
verse  with  him  face  to  face,  in  a  friendly 
manner ;  but  now  all  true  Christians  see  Him 
more  clearly'  with  open  face.  He  showeth 
them  his  glory.  This  light  and  liberty  arc 
transforming ;  we  are  changed  into  the  sar.it 
image,  v.  18.  from  one  degree  of  glorious 
grace  unto  another,  till  grace  here  be  con¬ 
summated  in  glory  for  ever.  How  much 
therefore  should  Christians  prize  and  im¬ 
prove  these  privileges  !  We  should  not  rest 
contented  without  an  experimental  knowl¬ 
edge  of  the  transforming  power  of  the  Gos- 


Genuine  liberty  in  true  religion. 

pel,  by  the  operation  of  the  Spirit,  bringing 
us  into  a  conformity  to  the  temper  and  ten¬ 
dency  of  the  glorious  Gospel  of  our  Lord 
and  Savior  Jesus  Christ.  * 

Chap.  IV.  V.  1 — 7.  The  apostle  had,  in 
the  foregoing  ch.,  been  magnifying  his  office, 
on  account  of  the  excellency  or  glory  of  that 
Gospel  about  which  he  [and  his  brethren] 
officiated;  and  now  in  this  ch.  his  design  is, 
to  vindicate  their  ministry  from  the  accusa¬ 
tion  of  false  teacher?,  vrno  charged  them  as 
deceitful  worker?,  r  endeavored  to  preju¬ 
dice  the  minds  of  t'r.e  people  against  them  on 
account  of  the"?  i-dciinga.  ‘  Seeing  we  have 
this  ministry,  are  ao  much  distinguished  and 
dignified,  we  do  not  take  stale  on  ourselves, 
nor  indulge  idleness,  but  are  excited  to  the 
better  performance  of  our  duty.’ 

1.  Their  constancy  and  perseverance  in 
their  work  are  declared,  v.  1.  And  this 
their  steadfastness  was  owipgp  to  the  mercy 
of  God.  From  the  same  mercy  and  grace 
that  they  received  the  apostles, ’.ip,  Rom.  1 :  5. 
they  received  strength  to  persevere  in  the 
work  of  that  office;  so  it  is  owing  to  the 
mercy  and  grace  ofGod,  if  we  continue  faith¬ 
ful,  and  persevere  in  our  work  with  dili¬ 
gence.  The  best  men  in  the  world  would 
faint  under  their  burdens,  if  they  did  not 
receive  mercy  from  God.  But  that,  mercy 
which  has  helped  us  out,  and  helped  us  on. 


PRACT.  OBS.  Even  the  appearance  of  self-commendation  is  painful 
to  the  humble  and  spiritual  Christian.  Yet,  alas  !  the  prominent  appear¬ 
ance  of  much  religious  profession  is  self-confidence,  boasting,  loquacity, 
censoriousness,  a  disputatious  temper,  bitterness,  and  clamor,  with  little 
strictness  in  the  general  conduct  !  But  when  professed  Christians  act 
consistently,  obeying  the  commands  and  [closely]  copying  the  example 
of  their  Lord,  they  honor  and  recommend  the  Gospel  and  the  preachers 
of  it,  and  are  instrumental  in  bringing  others  also  to  attend  on  the  truth 
without  prejudice.  Mat.  5:13 — 16.  Phil.  2:14 — 13.  1  Pet.  2:12.  3:1 — 4, 
13 — 16. — Success  in  this  blessed  work  should  inspire  our  minds  with  con¬ 
fidence  in  God.  The  holy  law  of  God,  though  excellent  and  glorious  in 
itself,  can  be  only  ‘the  ministration  of  death,’  and  ‘condemnation’  to 
fallen  man  ;  but  justifying  righteousness  and  sanctifying  grace  come  from 
Jesus  Christ  alone,  and  by  the  ministry  of  the  Gospel.  May  Christians 
then  learn  to  value  the  faithful  ministry*of  the  Gospel,  and  encourage 

V.  16.  Turn ,  &c.]  ‘These  words  (as  Chrys.  obs.)  suggest  the  only 
remedy  for  this  mental  blindness  and  stupidity,  and  the  only  mode  of 
restoration.  They  may  be  thus  tr.  “But  when  they  shall  turn  to  the 
Lord  (and  then  only)  the  veil  will  be  removed.”  It.]  Rather  Israel, 
from  v.  13.  and  which  is  referred  to  at  v.  14.  By  Lord,  is  meant  the 
Lord  Jesus,  the  true  Messiah.’  Bloomf. 

V.  17,  18.  The  preceding  argument  shows,  that  the  Lord  Jesus  ‘  is  that 
Spirit,’  or  animating  soul,  which  gives  life  to  the  letter  of  the  Scriptures, 
and  to  believers.  (6)  Without  Him,  doctrines,  promises,  ordinances, 
and  commandments,  are  a  mere  lifeless  body  of  religion  ;  the  power  and 
life  of  all  and  ofevery  part  must  wholly  be  derived  from  their  relation  to 
his  person,  mediation,  and  grace  ;  and,  without  faith  in  Him  ami  grace 
front  Him,  all  knowledge,  ordinances,  or  external  obedience,  constitute 
only  a  ‘  form  of  godliness.’  In  both  respects  He  is,  as  it  were,  the  soul 
which  animates  the  body,  and  gives  activity,  energy,  and  value  to  every 
part  of  it.  This  union  with  Christ  is  effected  by  the  indwelling  of  his 
‘  Holy  Spirit ;  ’  and  where  this  divine  Agent,  ‘  proceeding  from  the  Fa¬ 
ther  and  the  Son,’  and  One  with  the  Father  and  the  Son,  inhabits  the 
heart,  ‘  there  is  liberty.’  He  gives  freedom  from  sin  and  Satan,  from 
condemnation  and  slavish  principles,  front  the  love  of  the  world  and  the 
fear  of  men;  He  renders  the  will  free  from  the  bondage  of  corrupt  pas¬ 
sions  ;  He  enables  the  believer  to  find  liberty  in  willing  obedience,  and 
in  spiritually  worshipping  God.  Ps.  51:12,  13.  Rom.  8:1,2,14 — 17. 
2  Tim.  1:6 — 8.  Some  expositors  explain  the  ‘open,’  or  unveiled  ‘face,’ 
to  mean  the  Ihce  of  Christ,  rendering  the  words,  ‘  We  all,  in  an  unveiled 
face,  beholding  ns  in  a  glass  the  glory  of  the  Lord  &c.T  The  glory  ofGod 
in  the  face  of  Christ  is  certainly  the  object  contemplated.  The  veil  on 
the  face  of  Moses  implied,  that  this  glory  was  but  obscurely  shown  by 
his  ministration  ;  hut  the  veil,  by  the  1  ministration  of  righteousness  and 
of  the  Spirit,’  is  removed,  so  that  the  glory  of  God  in  the  face  of  Christ 
is  unveiled,  and  all  they,  from  whose  hearts  the  veil  of  prejudice,  pride, 
unbelief,  and  worldly  lusts,  is  taken  away,  see  it  clearly  and  distinctly. 
If  the  ‘  unveiled  face  ’  be  understood  of  the  beholders  this  latter  ‘  veil  ’  is 
meant,  and  the  contrast  is  between  them  and  the  unbelieving  Jews  ;  but 
if  it  be  understood  of  Christ,  then  the  contrast  is  between  the  obscure 
ministration  of  Moses,  and  the  clear  and  full  ministration  of  the  apostles. 
As  believers,  they  beheld  this  glory  ;  and  through  their  doctrine,  by  the 
teaching  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  all  Christians  did  and  still  do  behold  it.— 
The  holiness  of  God,  as  comprising  all  his  moral  perfections,  is  Ilia 
‘glory,’  and  the  renewal  of  our  souls,  from  those  sinful  propensities 
which  are  our  shame ,  to  increasing  degrees  of  conformity  to  the  divine 
holiness,  is  transformation  ‘  from  glory  to  glory,’  till  perfected  in  heaven. 

Scott. 

(17.)  ‘  Now  the  Lord  signifies  the  covenant  of  the  Spirit,  (i.  e.  accom¬ 
panied  with  the  inspiiation  of  the  Holy  Spirit,)  of  which  we  are  the 
ministers.  And  where  the  Spirit,  the  inspiration  of  the  Lord  is,  as  it 
is  with  us,  there,  <fcc.’  Mackn. 

(18.)  Glass.]  ‘  Katoptron.:  a  mirror  of  highly  burnished  metal.  So 
Xen.,  Eurip.,  Aesch.,  <fcc.  [cut,  Is.  3:17:  24.  fig.  5.  Comp,  the  cuts  of 
classic  antiquities,  from  Montfaucon.]  A  substance  of  this  sort  reflected 
images  with  great  distinctness  and  brilliancy.  So  Plut.,  Phi/ostr., 
Procop.,  Eurtp.  Thus  the  sense  is,  undoubtedly,  that  of  clear  and  dis- 
N.  T.  VOL.  V.  42 


their  ‘  preachers  to  use  great  plainness  of  speech,’  suited  to  the  doctrine 
with  which  they  are  entrusted  !  and  may  all  preachers  study  ?nd  en¬ 
deavor  after  this  great  plainness  and  boldness  of  speech,  in  all  thtir  min¬ 
istrations,  before  the  rich  and  powerful,  as  well  as  among  their  poorer 
brethren  ! — [Still  doth  the  glorious  glass  of  the  Gospel  stand  full  in  our 
view,  from  which  the  lustre  of  the  Redeemer’s  countenance  is  reflected. 
Let  us  daily  behold  his  image  there,  and  contemplate  it  with  dn  atten¬ 
tive  eye,  as  those  who  are  solicitous  that  '.ve  may  wear  some  of  those 
rays ;  yea  that  we  may  wear  them  with  still  increasing  lustre ;  that  we 
may  be  transformed  front  glory  to  glory,  and,  reflecting  those  rays,  shine 
as  lights  in  the  world.  Doddr.]  This  transformation  of  the  soul,  into 
conformity  to  Christ,  is  the  proper  evidence  and  test  of  spiritual  illumi¬ 
nation,  and  without  a  measure  of  it,  all  supposed  discoveries  and  revela¬ 
tions  are  mere  delusion  and  enthusiasm.  Scott. 


tinct  knowledge,  as  is  also  suggested  by  the  words  subjoined  :  “  Behold¬ 
ing  the  clear  and  brilliant  image  of  his  doctrine,  and  recognising  its  glory 
in  its  saving  efficacy  on  the  hearts  of  men,”  and  thus  having  our  minds 
enlightened  by  it  -.  for  (as  Parkh.  obs.)  as  the  ancient  mirrors  were  made 
of  metal,  highly  polished,  it  must  necessarily  happen,  that,  the  person 
who  looked  on  iiis  image  in  them,  would  have  his  face  strongly  illuminat¬ 
ed  by  the  reflected  rays.  Changed.]  Alluding  to  the  changing  of  the  face 
of  Moses  on  beholding  the  Schecliinah.  From  glory  to  glory.]  Implying 
that  the  more  we  behold  this  brilliant  and  glorious  light,  the  more  do  we 
reflect  hack  its  rays,  i.  e.  (casting  aside  the  figure)  the  more  we  contem¬ 
plate  the  great  truths  of  the  Christian  religion,  the  more  do  our  minds 
become  imbued  with  its  spirit.  “  We  go  on  (to  use  the  words  of  Ps.  8:  7. 
entirely  parallel)  from  strength  to  strength  ”...  Or,  (as  it  is  well  ex¬ 
plained  in  its  true,  spiritual  import,  by  Bp.  Horne,)  we  are  enubled  to 
proceed  from  one  degree  of  holiness  to  another,  until  wfe  come  to  the 
glorified  vision  ofGod  in  heaven  itself.’  Bloomf. 

*  Here  is  one  of  the  most  beautiful  contrasts  that  can  be  imagin'd. 
Moses  saw  the  Schecliinah,  and  it  rendered  his  face  resplendent,  so  that 
he  covered  it  with  a  veil,  the  Jews  not  being  able  to  bear  the  reflected 
light;  we  behold  Christ  as  in  the  glass  of  his  IVord,  and  (ns  the  reflec¬ 
tion  of  a  very  luminous  object  from  n  mirror,  gilds  the  face  on  which  the 
reverberated  rays  fall)  our  faces  shine  too ;  and  we  veil  them  not,  but 
diffuse  the  lustre,  which,  as  we  discover  more  and  more  of  his  glories  in 
the  Gospel,  is  continually  increasing.’  Doddr. 

NOTES.  Chap.  IV.  V.  I,  2.  ‘  What  reason  can  be  assigned  why 

they,  who  . . .  preached  the  Gospel  plainly,  should  write  the  same  things 
to  the  same  persons  obscurely  ?  .  . .  Eph.  3:4.  Phil.  3:1.  1  Pet.  1:13, 1  • 
3:1,2.  —  “  Whatsoever  things  were  written  of  old  time,  were  written 
for  our  learning;”  Rom.  15:4.  and  surely  they  who  wrote  afterwards  by  tne 
same  Spirit,  wrote  for  the  same  end,  that  they  to  whom  they  wrote  mig 
“  be  wise  to  that  which  is  good.”  Rom.  16:19. — And  if  they  wro 
our  learning  and  instruction,  to  be  sure  they  wrote  plainly  ai i  *  . 

as  to  them  ;  since  otherwise  they  wrote  not  so  as  to  j  ot- 

but  rather  to  confound  the  reader.  Seeing,  therefore,  the  ,.  iU(j  oj- 

writing  the  Scripture  was,  to  instruct  the  world  in  the  .  .  are  ftn 

God,  and  the  great  things  of  the  Christian  faith,  their  ’  . 

effectual  mean  to  obtain  it ;  which  yet  they  cannot  be,  unless  the>  are 
'Haiti  anil  rlnnr  ns  in  the  CTCHt  tilings  Of  rellglG 


plain  and  clear,  as  to  the  great  things  . •T/''"  „dln<r 'of  the  Serin- 

written  against  the  papists,  who  discourage  1  [329] 


l by.  This  was 


A.  D.  61. 


2  CORINTHIANS,  IV.  Christ’s  true  ministers  described. 


3  But  if  our  gospel  be  liid,  it  is 
hid  to  them  d  that  are  lost  : 

4  In  vvhonvthe  god  'of  this  world 
hath  blinded  the  minds  of  them 
which  believe  not,  lest  the  light  of 
the  glorious  gospel  of  Christ,  who 
is  the  image  fof  God,  should  shine 
unto  them. 

5  For  we  preach  not  ourselves, 
but  Christ  Jesus  the  Lord  ;  and 
ourselves  your  servants  for  Jesus’ 
sake. 

6  For  God,  who  commanded 
*  the  light  to  shine  out  of  darkness, 
h  hath  shined  in  our  hearts,  to  give 
the  light  of  the  knowledge  of  the 
glory  of  God  in  the  face  of  Jesus 
Christ. 

7  But  we  have  this  treasure  in 
earthen  vessels,  that  the  excellency 
‘  of  the  power  may  be  of  God,  and 
not  of  us. 

d  2  Th.  2:10.  f  Jn.  1:14,18.  h  it  is  he  icho  hath. 

e  Jn.  12:31,40.  g  Ge.  1:3.  i  1  Co.  2:5. 

hitherto,  we  may  rely  on  to  help  us  even  to 
the  end. 

2.  Their  sincerity  in  their  work  is  avouch¬ 
ed,  v.  2.  in  several  expressions.  The  things 
of  dishonesty  that  will  not  bear  the  light, 
and  of  which  those  who  practise  them  should 
be  ashamed,  they  did  not  allow,  but  did  re¬ 
nounce  and  avoid  with  indignation;  they 
practised  no  disguise,  art,  or  cunning,  had  no 
base  and  wicked  designs,  covered  with  fair 
and  specious  pretences  of  something  that 
was  good;  but  in  great  simplicity,  and  with 
open  freedom,  preached  the  Word,  as  he  said 
before,  with  great  plainness  of  speech.  Some 
think,  the  apostle  alludes  to  the  deceit  which 
treacherous  gamesters  use,  or  that  of  huck¬ 
sters  in  the  market,  who  mix  bad  wares 
with  good.  The  apostles  acted  not  like  such 
persons,  but  manifested  the  truth  to  every 


man’s  conscience ,  declaring  nothing  but  what 
in  their  own  conscience  they  believed  to  be 
true,  and  might  serve  for  the  conviction  of 
their  consciences  who  heard  them,  who  were 
to  judge  for  themselves,  and  to  give  an  ac¬ 
count  for  themselves.  And  all  this  they  did 
as  in  the  sight  of  God,  desiring  thus  to  com¬ 
mend  themselves  to  God,  and  to  the  conscien¬ 
ces  of  men,  by  their  undisguised  sincerity. 

3.  An  objection  is  obviated,  which  might 
be  thus  formed;  ‘  If  it  be  thus,  how  then 
does  it  come  to  pass,  that  the  Gospel  is  hid, 
and  proves  ineffectual,  as  to  some  who  hear 
it  V  To  which  the  apostle  answers,  by  show¬ 
ing  that  this  was  not  the  fault  of  the  Gospel, 
nor  of  the  preachers  thereof.  But  the  true 
reasons  of  this  were,  (1.)  They  are  lost  souls, 
to  whom  the  Gospel  is  hid, or  is  ineffectual, 
v.  3.  Christ  came  to  save  such.  Mat.  18:  11. 
and  if  the  Gospel  do  not  find  and  save  them, 
they  are  lost  for  ever;  for  there  is  no  other 
method  or  mean  of  salvation.  The  hiding  of 
the  Gospel  therefore  from  souls,  is  both  an 
evidence  and  cause  of  their  ruin.  (2.)  The 
god  of  this  world  hath  blinded  their  minds,  v. 

4.  They  are  under  the  influence  and  power 
of  the  devil,  here  called  the  god  of  this  world, 
and  elsewhere  the  prince  of  this  world,  be¬ 
cause  of  the  great  interest  he  has  in  this 
world,  the  homage  paid  to  him  by  multi¬ 
tudes,  and  the  great  sway  that,  by  divine 
permission,  he  bears  in  the  world.  As  he  is 
the  prince  of  darkness,  and  ruler  of  the  dark¬ 
ness  of  this  world,  so  he  darkens  the  under¬ 
standings  of  men,  by  blinding  their  minds 
with  ignorance,  error,  and  prejudices,  that 
they  should  not  behold  the  light  of  the  glorious 
Gospel  of  Christ,  who  is  the  image  of  God.  Ob¬ 
serve,  Christ’s  design  by  his  Gospel,  is,  to 
make  a  glorious  discovery  of  God  to  the 
minds  of  men;  but  the  devil’s  design  is,  to 
keep  men  in  ignorance;  and  when  he  can¬ 
not  keep  the  light  of  the  Gospel  out  of  the 
world,  to  keep  it  out  of  the  hearts  of  men. 

4.  A  proof  of  their  integrity  is  given,  v. 

5.  They  made  it  their  business  to  preach 
Christ,  and  not  themselves.  Self  was  not  the 


matter  or  the  end  of  the  apostles’  preaching; 
their  own  notions,  private  opinions,  passions 
and  prejudices,  nor  their  own  secular  inter¬ 
est  or  glorv ;  but  Christ  Jesus  the  Lord,  as 
thus  it  became  them,  being  Christ’s  ser¬ 
vants.  Their  business  was,  to  make  their 
Master  known  as  the  Messiah,  or  the  Christ 
of  God,  as  Jesus,  the  only  Savior  of  men,  and 
as  the  rightful  Lord,  and  to  advance  his 
honor  and  glory.  All  the  lines  of  Christian 
doctrine  centre  in  Christ;  and  in  preaching 
Christ,  we  preach  all  we  should  preach.  ‘  As 
to  ourselves,’  says  the  apostle,  ‘  we  preach, 
or  declare,  that  we  are  your  servants  for 
Jesus’  sake.’  This  was  no  compliment,  but 
a  real  profession  of  a  readiness  to  do  good  to 
their  souls,  and  that  for  Jesus’  sake,  not  their 
own,  but  Christ’s,  that  they  might  imitate 
his  great  example,  and  advance  his  glory. 
Ministers  should  be  servants  to  the  souls  of 
men;  yet,  at  the  same  time,  they  must  avoid 
becoming  the  servants  of  the  humors  or  the 
lusts  of  men  ;  if  they  should  thus  seek  to  please 
men,  they  would  not  be  the  servants  of  Christ, 
Gal.  1:  10.  And  there  was  good  reason, 

(1.)  Why  they  should  preach  Christ.  For 
by  gospel-light  we  have  the  knowledge  of  the 
glory  of  God,  which  shines  in  the  face  of 
Jesus  Christ,  v.  6.  As  light  was  the  first¬ 
born  of  the  first  creation,  so  it  is  in  the  new 
creation;  the  illumination  of  the  Spirit  is 
his  first  work  on  the  soul.  The  grace  of 
God  created  such  a  light  in  the  soul,  that 
they  who  were  sometimes  darkness,  are  made 
light  in  the  Lord,  Eph.  5:  8. 

(2.)  Why  they  should  not  preach  them¬ 
selves;  because  they  were  but  earthen  vessels; 
things  of  little  or  no  worth  or  value, — an  al¬ 
lusion  to  the  lamps  Gideon’s  soldiers  carried 
in  earthen  pitchers,  Judg.  7:  16.  Ministers 
of  the  Gospel  are  weak  and  frail,  subject  to 
like  passions  and'  infirmities  as  other  men, 
mortal,  and  soon  broken  in  pieces.  And 
God  has  so  ordered  it,  that  the  weaker  the 
vessel,  the  stronger  his  power  may  appear, 
that  the  treasure  itself  should  be  valued  the 
more. 


tures,  because  they  are  obscure,  lest  the  common  people  should  learn 
heresy  from  them ;  and  on  the  same  ground  they  rest  the  claims  of  the 
church  to  infallibility,  and  the  authority  of  their  traditions.  But  the 
reasoning  is  equally  conclusive  against  all  those  nominal  protestants, 
who  suppose  that  great  learning  and  skill  are  needful  to  understand  the 
Scriptures,  especially  the  apostolical  epistles;  otherwise  conclusions 
may  be  drawn  from  them,  which  they  think  heretical ;  and  this  is  a  con¬ 
sideration  which  is  become  of  very  great  importance,  in  the  strange 
and  anti-christian  controversy  of  late  excited,  even  among  protestant 
ministers  anil  rulers  of  the  church,  about  the  propriety  of  circulating  the 
Holy  Scriptures  alone  among  mankind  in  general  !  Scott. 

(2.)  ‘  We  have  (all  along)  renounced,  and  do  renounce.  Deceitfully, 
&c.]  The  phrase  is  synonymous  with  corrupting ,  &c.,  of  oh.  3.  and 
denotes  corrupting  the  Word  by  impure  admixtures  of  Gentile  philoso- 
phv,  or  Jewish  tradition;  or  by  intermixing  any  opinions  inconsistent 
with  its  purity,  and  introduced  for  the  sake  of  private  interest,  or  to 
flatter  the  passions  and  prejudices  of  men.  This  was  a  frequent  sense 
of  the  Greek  word  here.  Thus  we  say,  to  play  tricks  with  an  article.’ 

Bloomf. 


V.  3,  4.  If  then,  after  all,  the  gospel,  which  the  apostle  preached  so 
plainly,  Were  ‘  hidden,’  or  1  covered  with  a  veil,’  as  the  Mosaic  law  had 
been  ;  if  its  truth,  nature,  and  glorv,  were  concealed  from  any  who 
heard  it ;  those  persons  were  evidently  as  yet  in  a  lost  estate,  and  in  the 
most  imminent  danger  of  final  perdition;  and  the  veil  must  be  on  their 
hearts,  through  the  prevalence  of  pride,  prejudice,  and  ungodly  lusts. 
fote,  3:12 — 10.  For  Satan,  ‘  the  god  of  this  world,’ &c. — It  is  aston¬ 
ishing,  that  many  of  the  ancient  Christian  writers  understood  the  true 
God  to  lie  meant,  by  ‘  the  God  of  this  world.’— This  shows,  that  the 
authority  of  the  fathers,  as  expositors  of  Scripture,  is  not  implicitly  to 
be  depended  on  ;  and  that  the  concessions  of  the  first  reformers  in  this 
respect  greatly  embarrassed  their  cause,  in  arguing  against  the  papists. 

Scott. 

(3.)  Hid  or  obscure  to  them  that  are  lost,  i.  e.  reprobate,  the  true 
sense  of  the  Gr.  Grot,  renders:  “  those  who  deserve  to  perish;  who 
foster  their  vices,  and  will  not  see  the  truth,  which  condemns  those 
vices.”  And  this  comes  to  the  same  thing.  The  early  modern  para- 
phrasts  include  the  inference  which  necessarily  results  from  hence  ; 
namely:  “it  is  not  ours  nor  the  Gospel’s  fault,  if  thev  perish j  and  it 
is  no  proof  of  obscurity,  or  want  of  evidence,  that  thty  cannot  perceive 
k1"  Bi.oomf. 

(4.)  ‘  By  this  ivorld  is  meant  the  wicked  part  of  it,  the  mere  world¬ 
lings.  To  Satan,  ns  the  author  ami  continual  promoter  of  sin,  sinners 
are,  as  it  were,  bound  to  yield  obedience.  John  12:31.  14:30,  A.C.’  In. 

V.  5,  6.  The  apostle  seems  especially  to  have  adverted’ to  his  own 
extraordinary  conversion;  yet  he  evidently  meant  to  include  the  change 
wrought  in  the  minds  and  hearts  of  all  other  faithful  ministers  and  (rue 
believers  ;  which  is  similar  in  its  nature  and  effects,  and  ejected  by  the 
same  divine  power,  though  not  attended  by  the  same  miraculous  circum¬ 
stances. — (6)  Face.]  ‘  The  apostle  continually  alludes  to  the  face  of  Mo¬ 
ses,  which  was  not  uncovered,  (that  the  image  of  God  might  be  clear.) 

[330] 


but  covered.’  Beza.  The  face  of  Moses  gave  a  feeble  and  transient  re¬ 
flection  of  the  glory  of  God,  which  was  covered  with  a  veil  :  but  the 
face  of  Christ,  the  Image  of  God,  displays  it  fully  and  permanently  to 
those  who  are  divinely  illuminated.  3:7 — 16. — ‘  The  light  of  t he  Gospel 
of  the  glory  of  Christ  ’  (4),  and  ‘  the  light  of  the  knowledge  of  the  glory 
of  God’  (6),  are  spoken  of  as  the  same;  for  ‘Christ  and  the  Father 
are  One.’  Scott. 

15.)  ‘Paul  had  before  said,  “we  walk  not  in  craftiness,”  after  which 
he  inserted  something  concerning  unbelievers,  how  they  are  veiled. 
Now  then,  he  says:  “We  do  not  act  in  a  tricky  manner,  or  practise  base 
arts,  because  we  do  not  preach  ourselves,  as  do  the  false  teachers.”  For 
they  persuaded  their  disciples  to  name  themselves  after  them.  Preach .] 
The  Greek  signifies,  to  act  not  merely  as  a  herald,  but  also  as  an  ambas¬ 
sador  :  and  so  the  noun  is  used,  I  Tim.  2:7.  2  Tim.  1:11.  2  Pet.  2:3.  The 
sense  seems  to  be  :  We  do  not  act  in  this  business  as  principals,  (we  are 
rather  servants  to  you  therein,  v.  6.)  nor  despatch  as  if  it  were  a  busi¬ 
ness  of  our  own  :  we  merely  act  as  ambassadors  and  procurators  on  the 
part  of  another,  namely,  Jesus  Christ.  And  so  Grot.  Doddridxe's  sense, 
“  we  do  not  make  ourselves  the  end  of  our  preaching,”  may  be  included.' 

Bloomf. 

V.  7.  Eph.  3:8.  Col.  2:1 — 4.  Even  the  apostles  and  most  eminent 
evangelists  were  sinners,  by  nature  and  practice ;  their  bodies  were 
frail  and  mortal,  as  those  of  other  men  ;  nor  were  their  minds  less  sus¬ 
ceptible  of  fear,  sorrow,  anxiety,  and  disquietude,  than  those  of  their 
brethren  and  neighbors.  Acts  14:11 — 18,  v.  15.  Jam.  5:16 — 18.  They 
■were  also  conscious  of  many  defects  and  impediments;  and  destitute  of 
those  accomplishments  which  (he  world  generally  admires;  they  had  no 
wealth  or  authority  ;  they  made  no  show  of  superior  genius,  learning,  or 
eloquence  ;  nor  were  they  delivered  from  the  effects  of  indwelling  sin. 
So  far,  therefore,  from  being  such  illustrious  persons  as  to  attract  gene¬ 
ral  admiration,  they  were  treated  as  ‘  the  filth  of  the  world  ;’  8 _ 12.  1 

Cor.  4:9 — 13.  and  while  their  infirmities  often  rendered  them  less  accep¬ 
table  even  to  the  churches,  their  stripes  and  imprisonments  increased 
the  contempt  with  wltich  the  proud  «nd  self-wise  beheld  them.  This 
was  appointed  by  God  for  most  important  purposes  :  [especially  that 
fewer  corrupt  motives  might  influence  in  professed  conversion  ■]  and 
his  power  be  glorified.  Scott. 

(7.)  Earthen  vessels.]  1  Nothing  could  more  aptly  designate  the  hu¬ 
man  body.  The  Gr.  for  earthen  properly  signifies  testaceous,  as  being 
from  ostrakon,  a  shell ;  afterwards  a  piece  of  baked  earth.  The  Plato- 
uists  (says  Grot.)  made  two  bodies  of  a  man  ;  one  the  “  vehicle  of  the 
soul the  other  the  palpabile,  or  the  grosser,  carnal  part,  which  we 
touch;  and  that  they  call  the  ostrakon ,  from  its  standing  in  the  same 
relation  to  us  as  the  shell  to  the  fish.  The  Gr.  for  vessel,  skeuos,  (like 
the  Heh.  kly,  1  S.  21:6,  <fcc.,)  means  a  vessel  or  a  utensil.  In  both  these 
views  it  is  here  considered  :  the  former,  inasmuch  as  it  is  the  deposito¬ 
ry  of  the  soul  ;  the  latter,  as  being  the  organ,  or  utensil,  or  tool  by  wltich 
the  human  mind  acts.  So  the  Greek  philosophers  used  it;  and  the 
Latin,  vas,  a  vessel.  Excellency  of  the  power.]  Elegantly  put  for  ex¬ 
ceeding  great  power— might  evidently  appear  to  be.’  Bloomf. 


A.  D.  61. 


2  CORINTHIANS,  IV. 


The  apostle’s  courage  and  faith. 


8  We  are  troubled  I  on  every  side, 
yet  not  distressed  ;  we  are  perplex¬ 
ed,  but  k  not  in  despair  : 

9  Persecuted,  but  not  forsaken  ; 
cast  down,  but  not  destroyed  ; 

10  Always  bearing  1  about  in  the 
body  the  dying  of  the  Lord  Jesus, 
that  m  the  life  also  of  Jesus  might 
be  made  manifest  in  our  body. 

1 1  For  we  which  live  are  “  alway 
delivered  unto  death  for  Jesus’  sake, 
that  the  life  also  of  Jesus  might  be 
made  manifest  in  our  mortal  flesh. 

12  So  then  0  death  worketh  in  us, 
but  life  in  you. 

13  We  having  the  same  p  spirit 
of  faith,  according  as  it  is  written, 
q  I  believed,  and  therefore  have-  I 
spoken;  we  also  believe,  and  there¬ 
fore  speak  ; 

14  Knowing  rthat  he  which  rais¬ 
ed  up  the  Lord  Jesus,  shall  raise  up 
us  also  by  Jesus,  and  shall  present 
us  with  you. 

15  For  “all  things  are  for  your 
sakes,  that  the  abundant  grace 
*  might,  through  the  thanksgiving 
of  many,  redound  to  the  glory  of 
God. 

10  For  which  cause  "we  faint 
not  ;  but  though  our  outward  man 
perish,  yet  the  inward  T  man  is  re¬ 
newed  day  by  day. 

17  For  w  our  light  affliction, 
which  is  but  for  a  moment,  worketh 
for  us  a  far  more  exceeding  and 
eternal  weight  of  glory  ; 


c.  7:5. 

or,  not  alto¬ 
gether  without 
help  or  meant. 
1  Ga  6:17 
in  2  Ti.  2:11,12. 


n  1  Co.  15:31,49. 
o  c.  13:9. 
p  2  Pe.  1:1. 
q  Pa  116:10. 
r  c.  5:1 — 4. 


«  1  Co.  3:21,22. 
t  c.  8:19. 
u  l  Co.  15:59. 
v  Ro.  7:22. 
w  Ro.  8:18,34. 


V.  8 — 18.  In  these  vs.  lie  gives  an  ac¬ 
count  of  their  courage  and  patience  under  all 
their  sufferings.  Where  observe, 

I.  How  their  sufferings,  and  patience  under 
them,  are  declared, v.  8 — 12.  Note, Whatever 
condition  the  children  of  God  may  he  ia,  in 
this  world,  they  have  a  yet  not,  or  a  ‘  but  not  ’ 
to  comfort  themselves  with;  their  case  some¬ 
times  is  bad,  yea,  very  bad,  but  not  so  bad  as 
it  might  he.  The  apostle  speaks  of  their 
sufferings  as  constant,  and  as  a  counterpart 
of  the  sufferings  of  Christ,  v.  10.  Christ’s 
sufferings  were,  after  a  sort,  acted  over  in 
theirs;  thus  did  they  bear  about  the  dying  of 
the  Lord  Jesus  in  their  body,  setting  before 
the  world  [the  example  of  suffering  for  good¬ 
ness’  sake]  the  great  example  of  a  suffering 
Christ,  that  the  life  of  Jesus  might  also  be 
made  manifest,  that  people  might  see  the 
power  of  Christ’s  resurrection,  and  the  effi¬ 
cacy  of  grace  in  and  from  the  living  Jesus, 
manifested  in  and  toward  them,  who  did  yet 
live,  though  they  were  always  delivered  to 
death,  v.  11.  and  though  death  worked  in  them, 
v.  12.  they  being  exposed  to  death,  and  ready 
to  be  swallowed  up  by  death  continually. 
Thus  great  were  the  sufferings  of  the  apos¬ 
tles,  that,  in  comparison  with  them,  other 
Christians  were,  even  at  that  time,  in  pros¬ 
perous  circumstances.  Death  worketh  in  us; 
but  life  in  you,  v.  12. 

II.  What  kept  them  from  sinking  and 
fainting  under  their  sufferings,  v.  13 — 18. 

1.  Faith,  v.  13.  that  faith  which  is  of 
the  operation  of  the  Spirit;  the  same  faith  by 
which  the  saints  of  old  did  and  suffered  such 
great  things.  Note,  Faith  is  a  sovereign 
cordial  in  troublous  times;  and  as  we  re¬ 
ceive  help  and  encouragement  from  the  good 
words  and  examples  of  others,  so  we  should 
be  careful  to  give  others  a  good  example. 

2.  Hope  of  the  resurrection,  v.  14.  See 
1  Cor.  15.  The  hope  of  the  resurrection 
will  encourage  us  in  a  suffering  day,  and  set 
us  above  the  fear  of  death;  for  what  reason 
lias  a  good  Christian  to  fear  death,  that  dies 
in  hope  of  a  joyful  resurrection  1 

3.  The  consideration  of  the  glory  of  God 


j  and  the  benefit  of  the  church,  by  means  of 
their  sufferings,  v.  15.  ch.  1:  6.  and  this  did 
redound  to  God’s  glory.  For  when  the 
church  is  edified,  then  God  is  glorified;  and 
we  may  well  afford  to  bear  sufferings  pa¬ 
tiently  and  cheerfully,  when  we  see  others  are 
the  better  for  them, — instructed,  edified,  con¬ 
firmed,  and  comforted.  The  sufferings  of 
Christ’s  ministers,  as  well  as  their  preach¬ 
ing  and  conversation,  are  intended  for  the 
good  of  the  church,  and  the  glory  of  God. 

4.  The  thoughts  of  the  advantage  their 
souls  would  reap  by  the  sufferings  of  their 
bodies,  v.  16.  We  have  every  one  of  us  an 
outward  and  an  inward  man,  a  body  and  a 
soul.  If  the  outward  man  perish,  there  is  no 
remedy,  it  must  and  will  be  so,  it  was  made 
to  perish.  It  is  our  happiness,  if  the  decays 
of  the  outward  man  contribute  to  the  renew¬ 
ing  of  the  inward  man;  hut  the  best  of  men 
have  need  of  further  renewing  of  the  inward 
man,  even  day  by  day;  and  as  in  wicked 
men  things  grow  every  day  worse  and  worse, 
so  in  godly  men  they  grow  better  and  belter. 

5.  The  prospect  of  eternal  life  and  happi¬ 
ness  was  a  mighty  support  and  comfort.  (1.) 
The  apostle  and  his  fellow-sufferers  saw  their 
afflictions  working  toward  heaven,  and  that 
there  they  would  end  at  last,  v.  17.  where¬ 
upon,  they  found  their  afflictions  to  be  light, 
and  the  glory  of  heaven  to  be  a  far  more  ex¬ 
ceeding  weight.  That  which  sense  was  ready 
to  pronounce  heavy  and  long,  grievous  and 
tedious,  faith  perceived  to  be  light  and  short, 
but  for  a  moment.  On  the  other  hand,  the 
worth  and  weight  of  the  crown  of  glory,  as 
they  are  exceedingly  great  in  themselves,  so 
they  are  esteemed  to  be  by  the  believing 
soul, — they  far  exceed  all  his  expressions  and 
thought;  and  it  will  be  a  special  support,  in 
our  sufferings,  when  we  can  perceive  them 
appointed  as  the  way,  and  preparing  us  for 
the  enjoyment  of  the  future  glory.  (2.) 
Their  faith  enabled  them  to  make  this  right 
judgment  of  things,  v.  18.  It  is  by  faith  that 
we  see  God,  who  is  invisible,  Heb.  11:27. 
and  by  that  we  look  to  an  unseen  heaven  and 
hell,  and  faith  is  the  evidence  of  things  not 


V.  8.  1  The  true  key  to  this  [energetic  and  noble]  passage  (which  may 

seein  a  digression,  though  very  pertinent  to  the  apostle’s  purpose)  is 
ttiis,  that  he  aims  at  recovering  the  affections  of  these  Corinthians, 
which  were  much  alienated  from  him  ;  for  this  purpose  lie  freely  opens 
his  heart  towards  them,  and  tenderly  represents  the  many  and  grievous 
pressures  and  hardships  to  which  love  to  souls,  and  to  theirs  among  the 
rest,  exposed  him.’  Doddh.  ‘  The  allusions  are  military.’  Bloo.mf. 

V.  10.  ‘  “  Bearing  about  everywhere,  i.  e.  constantly  sustaining  and 

enduring”  (for  that  is  till  the  Gr.  means)  “mortal  perils  to  the  body,  as 
well  as  excessive  perturbations  of  mind  all  which  Jesus  suffered  even 
unto  death  itself.’  Bl.  ‘Only  a  general  comparison  is  intended;’  Paul, 
however,  had,  as  is  supposed,  by  most  eomlrs.,  suffered  death  at  Lvstra, 
Acts  14:19.  and  actually  died  at  last,  a  martyr,  at  Rome.  iJfe  .. 
manifest .)  ‘  The  argument  is  popular.’  Bl.  ‘  It  being  a  certain  demon¬ 
stration  that  Christ  is  risen,  and  still  lives,  that  we,  who  persuade  others 
to  believe  this,  are  enabled  to  do  such  mighty  wonders  in  his  name,  and 
patiently  and  constantly  to  suffer  such  fiery  trials  by  his  grace.’  Whitby. 

V.  11.  •‘Tliis-v.  is  entirely  explanatory  of  the  preceding.’  Blooxif. 

V.  12.  Death.  ‘To  be  here  taken  in  the  sense,  peril  of  death.  “The 
preaching  of  the  Gospel  exposes  us  to  death;  but  unto  you  it  brings 
eternal  life.”  So  most  corntrs.  ;  and  Has.  and  Valpy  think  it  the  sim¬ 
plest  interpretation.  Something  more  profound,  however,  seems  intend¬ 
ed.  Ros.  explains,  “  Wherefore,  the  fruit  of  (.onr)  deatli  is  seen  in  its, 
but  of  (our)  life  in  you.  Hence,  when  we  are  tossed  with  perils  of  death, 
that  is  rather  our  disadvantage;  but  when  we  are  freed  from  them,  that 
is  your  advantage.”  Jaspis  thus;  “These  perils  of  my  life  tend  to  your 
consolation,  that  you,  by  my  example,  may  learn  that  God  succors 
the  wretched  ;  and  that  I,  delivered  from  these  dangers,  can  still  profit 
nnd  leach  you.  Therefore  they  strengthen  your  faith  in  God.”  The 
true,  seems  that  of  Chrys.  :  “  that  in  us  tlte  Gospel  takes  effect  by  pro¬ 
ducing  trials  and  tribulations;  hut  in  you  ( thereby )  it  takes  its  effect,  by 
life,  i.  e.  a  comparative  freedom  from  those  perils  and  tribulations  which 
f.iH  to  our  lot.’”  Bl.  How  fitly  might  our  pilgrim  fathers  say  tilts  to  us, 
their  favored  descendants  !  Er>. 

V.  13 — 18.  The  apostle  and  his  fellow-sufferers  persevered  in  their 
ministry,  because  they  were  actuated  by  ‘tlte  same  spirit  of  faith,’ 
which  the  psalmist  had  expressed  ;  when,  amidst  imminent  dangers  and 
distressing  difficulties,  he  had  declared  his  confidence,  that  God,  accord¬ 
ing  to  his  promise,  would  deliver  him  out  of  them  all.  Ps.  1 16:10, 11. — The 
words  here  used  are  far  more  emphatica],  than  any  tr.  of  them  can  well  lie 
made.  There  is  a  repetition  of  the  word  hyperbole  :  by  which  is  generally 
meant,  a  person’s  exceeding  the  limits  of  exact  truth,  in  any  animated 
description  or  narration ;  hut  in  the  subject  on  which  the  apostle  spoke, 
the  boldest  figures  of  speech  must  come  short  of  the  mark.  If  a  man 
proceeded  from  one  apparent  hyperbole  to  another,  and  accumulated 
the  most  enekgetic  terms  as  much  as  possible,  lie  could  not  fully  express 
the  superlative  excellency  of  that  glory,  honor,  and  immortality,  in 
which  the  believer’s  sufferings  would  nssiiredlv  terminate.  Compared 
with  it,  all  temporal  afflictions  were  levity  itself,  ‘  a  momentary  light¬ 


ness  of  affliction;’  and  earthly  prosperity  mere  vanity  and  emptiness. 
This  glory  xvas  substantial,  weighty,  durable,  exceeding  description  and 
imagination;  and  human  language  must  labor  in  vain  to  convey  any 
suitable  ideas  of  it.  It  would  even  have  been  an  insupportable  ‘  weight’ 
to  them,  until  their  bodies  and  souls  were  prepared  bv  Omnipotence  to 
sustain  it.  It  was  a  ‘  weight  of  glory,’  a  fulness  of  God,  a  measure  of 
knowledge,  holiness,  dignity,  and  felicity,  in  his  favor  and  presence,  and 
according  to  his  glorious  excellency  and  beauty  ;  adequate  to  whatever 
they  should  he  made  capable  of  possessing  and  enjoying;  and  all  this 
would  he  unchangeable  and  eternal  [in  progress], — 1  \Vhat  an  influence 
Paul’s  Hebrew  had  on  his  Greek,  is  everywhere  visible.  Cabad,  in  He¬ 
brew,  signifies  to  be  heavy ,  and  to  be  glorious.  ..  .  Paul,  in  the  Greek, 
joins  them,  and  says,  “weight  of  glory.”’  Locke. — That  the  writers  of 
tlte  N.  T.  frequently  hebraize,  so  to  speak,  is  manifest ;  but  whether  this 
miaht  not,  in  some  cases,  he  intentional,  may  be  questioned.  Even  tho 
copious  Greek,  as  found  in  the  most  admired  pagan  writers,  could  not 
have  expressed,  in  full  energy,  many  of  the  apostle’s  exalted  conceptions, 
without  some  of  those  sublime  allusions  and  metaphors,  which  are  found 
only  in  the  Hebrew  scriptures,  or  in  the  N.  T.  exclusively.  Scott. 

‘  Let  tts  admire  the  beauty  cf  the  position,  anti  see  how  the  good  is 
set  ngainsl  the  evil,  like  two  scales  differently  filled.  Here  is  a  leather 
against  lead, — a  grain  of  sand  against  the  universe, — a  moment  against 
eternity.  Oil,  how  the  scale  that  contains  this  world’s  light  trouble  kicks 
the  beam,  when  set  in  competition  with  the  glory  which  shall  lie  reveal- 
eel  in  us  !’  Hannah  Mors. 

(13.)  ‘  Since  then  we  have  a  mind  and  disposition  animated  with  the 

same  faith  :  so  pneuina  [tr.  spirit]  is  used,  1  Cor.  7.19. ’  Bloom f. 

(lfj.)  Renewed .]  ‘This  has  nothing  to  do  with  the  renovation  impli¬ 
ed  by  u regeneration”  [blit  rather  imports  progressive  sanctification, 
which  follows  the  instantaneous  act  of  regeneration.  Ed.]  Chrys .  right¬ 
ly  e\ plains  it,  bv  a  holy  confidence  resulting  from  former  deliverances, 
and  an  implicit  faith,  united  with  an  anticipation  of  the  glory  that  shall 
be  revealed.’  Bl.  In  all  which  the  Holy  Spirit  co-operates.  Ed. 

(17.)  1  This  v.  and  the  next  contain  a  passage,  which,  in  energy  and 

beauty  of  expression,  is  little  inferior  to  any  one  of  Demosthenes  it'111" 
self,  to  whom,  indeed,  and  to  Thucydides,  in  his  orations,  the  style  of 
the  apostle,  when  it  rises,  as  here,  to  the  oratorical,  hears  no  slight  resem¬ 
blance.’  BL  ‘This  is  one  of  the  most  emphatic  passages  in  all  Paul  s 
writings,  in  which  he  speaks  as  much  like  an  orator ,  as  lie  does  as  an 
apostle.  '  The  lightness  of  the  trial  is  expressed  by  “  the  lightness  oj 
oar  affliction  as  if  he  had  said,  it  is  even  levity  itself  in  such  a  com¬ 
parison.  On  the  other  hand,  the  hath ’  huperbolZn  eis  huperbo  cn  j 

•  '  vnorhnioi  whirli  wo  render  far  more  jmi- 


hvperbole  to  hyperbole],  which  we  render  far  more 
nitely  emphatical,  and  cannot  he  folly  expressed  by  any  It 

thoughts  overleaping  the  limits  both  of  grammar  and  langi  g  -  -J  _ 
signifies,  that  all  hyperboles  fall  short  of  describing  a  *  .  ,  } 

mil  glory,  so  solid  and  lasting,  that  you ;  may  from  1 
perbole,  and  yet,  when  you  have  gained  tbe  last,  are  infinitely  he  ow  .  . 
Blackmail,  Doddr.,  Dr.  A.  Clarl.e. 


[S31] 


A.  D.  61. 


2  CORINTHIANS,  V. 


The  prospect  of  the  righteous. 


IS  While  we  look  not  at  the 
things  which  are  seen,  but  at  the 
things  which  are  not  xseen  :  for  the 
things  which  are  seen  are  temporal; 
but  the  things  which  are  not  seen 
are  eternal. 

CHAP.  V. 

1  That  in  his  assured  hope  of  immortal  glory,  9  and  in  ex¬ 
pectance  of  it,  and  of  the  general  judgment,  he  laboreth 
to  keep  a  good  conscience,  12  not  that  he  may  herein 
boast  of  himself,  14  but  as  one  that,  having  received  life 
from  Christ,  endeavoureth  to  live  as  a  new  creature  to 
Christ  only,  18  and  by  his  ministry  of  reconciliation  to 
reconcile  others  also  in  Christ  to  God. 

I  ['OR  we  know,  that  if  our  earth¬ 
ly  house  of  this  tabernacle 
*  were  dissolved,  we  have  a  build¬ 
ing  of  God,  an  house  bnot  made 
with  hands,  eternal  in  the  heavens. 

2  For  in  this  we  c groan,  earnest¬ 
ly  desiring  to  be  clothed  upon  with 
our  house  which  is  from  heaven  : 

3  If  so  be  that  being  clothed  we 
shall  not  be  found  d  naked. 

4  For  we  that  are  in  this  taber¬ 
nacle  do  groan,  being  burdened  : 
not  for  that  we  would  be  unclothed, 
but  clothed  upon,  that  mortality 
'might  be  swallowed  up  of  life. 

5  Now  he  that  hath  wrought  f  us 
for  the  self-same  thing,  is  God,  who 
also  hath  given  unto  us  the  earnest 
*  of  the  Spirit. 

x  He.  11:1.  blPe.  1:4.  e  1  Cn.  15:53. 

a  Job  4:19.  c  Ro.  8:23.  f  Is.  29:23.  Ep.  2:10. 

2  Pe.  1:13,14.  d  Re.  3:18.  16:15.  g  Ep.  1:14. 

seen.  By  faith  we  not  only  discern  these 
things,  and  the  great  difference  between  the 


seen  temporal,  and  the  unseen  eternal,  but 
take  our  aim  at  unseen  things,  and  chiefly 
regard  them,  and  make  it  our  end  and  scope, 
not  to  escape  present  evils,  and  obtain  present 
good,  both  of  which  are  temporal  and  tran¬ 
sitory;  but  to  escape  future  evil,  and  obtain 
future  good  things,  which,  though  unseen,  are 
real,  and  certain,  and  eternal;  and  faith  is 
the  substance  of  things  hoped  for,  as  well  as 
the  evidence  of  things  not  seen,  Heb.  11  : 1. 

Chap.  V.  V.  1 — 11.  The  apostle,  in 
these  vs.  pursues  the  argument  of  the  former 
ch.,  concerning  the  grounds  of  their  courage 
and  patience  under  afflictions.  And, 

I.  He  mentions  their  expectation,  and 
desire,  and  assurance,  of  eternal  happiness 
after  death,  v.  1 — 5.  Observe, 

1.  The  believer’s  expectation  ofeternal  hap¬ 
piness  after  death,  v.  1.  He  is  not  only  well 
assured  by  faith  of  the  truth  and  reality  of 
the  thing  itself,  that  there  is  another  and  a 
happy  life  after  this  present  life  is  ended  ; 
but  he  has  good  hope  through  grace  of  his  in¬ 
terest  in  that  everlasting  blessedness  of  the 
unseen  world.  Note,  Heaven  is,  in  the  eye 
and  hope  of  a  believer,  a  house,  or  habita¬ 
tion  ;  a  dwelling-place,  resting-place,  hid¬ 
ing  place  ;  our  Father's  house,  where  are 
many  mansions,  our  everlasting  home  ;  a 
house  in  the  heavens,  in  that  high  and  holy 
place,  which  as  far  excels  all  the  palaces  of 
earth,  as  the  heavens  are  high  above  the 
earth ;  a  building  of  God,  and  therefore  wor¬ 
thy  of  its  Author;  what  God  hath  prepared 
for  them  that  love  Him:  it  is  eternal  in  the 
heavens,  not  like  earthly  tabernacles,  the 
poor  cottages  of  clay,  in  which  our  souls  now 
dwell,  that  are  mouldering  and  decaying, 
whose  foundations  are  in  the  dust.  Further, 
This  happiness  shall  be  enjoyed  immediately 


after  death;  so  soon  as  our  house  of  this 
earthly  tabernacle  is  dissolved. 

2.  The  believer’s  earnest  desire  after  this 
future  blessedness,  which  is  expressed  by  this 
word  we  groan  ;  which  denotes,  (1.)  A 
groaning  of  sorrow  under  a  heavy  load;  so 
believers  groan  under  the  burden  of  life; 
in  this  we  groan  earnestly,  v.  2.  in  this  ta¬ 
bernacle  we  groan,  being  burdened,  v.  4. 
burdened  with  this  body  of  flesh,  the  calam¬ 
ities  of  life,  burdened  with  a  body  of  sin, 
and  many  corruptions  still  remaining  and 
raging.  Rom.  7:  24.  (2.)  Groaning  with 
desire  after  the  happiness  of  another  life,  ear¬ 
nestly  desiring  to  be  clothed  upon  with  our 
house  which  is  from  heaven,  v.  2.  to  obtain  a 
blessed  immortality,  that  mortality  might  be 
swallowed  up  of  life,  v.  4.  that  being  found 
clothed,  we.  shall  not  be  naked,  v.  3.  that,  if 
it  were  the  will  of  God,  we  might  not  sleep, 
but  be  changed;  for  death,  considered  mere¬ 
ly  as  a  separation  of  soul  and  body,  is  not  to 
be  desired,  [for  we  may  do  others  and  our¬ 
selves  much  good  in  life,]  but  dreaded  ra¬ 
ther;  yet,  considered  as  a  passage  to  glory, 
the  believer  is  willing  rather  to  die  than  live, 
to  be  absent  from  the  body  that  he  may  be  pres¬ 
ent  with  the  Lord,  v.  8.  to  leave  this  body, 
that  he  may  go  to  Christ,  and  to  put  off 
these  rags  of  mortality,  that  he  may  put  on 
the  robes  of  glory.  Note,  Death  will  strip 
us  of  all  the  comforts  of  life,  as  well  as  end  all 
our  troubles  here  below.  But,  (3.)  Gracious 
souls  are  not  found  naked  in  the  other  world  ; 
no,  they  are  clothed  with  garments  of  praise, 
with  robes  of  righteousness  and  glory,  wash¬ 
ed  white  in  the  blood  of  the  Lamb,  Rev. 
7:  14. 

3.  The  believer’s  assurance  of  his  interest 
in  this  future  blessedness,  on  a  double  ac¬ 
count;  (1.)  From  the  experience  of  the  grace 


PRACT.  OBS.  They  are  not  proper  persons  for  the  sacred  ministry 
of  ‘  the  N.  T.,’  who  do  not  expect  the  salvation  of  their  own  souls  from 
the  free  mercy  of  God  through  Jesus  Christ —  The  Lord  puts  the  treas¬ 
ure  of  heavenly  truth  into  mean,  earthen  vessels.  He  often  employs 
persons  of  infirm  bodies,  moderate  abilities,  or  low  rank  in  society,  even 
such  as  worldly  policy  would  reject  and  despise ;  for,  whatever  instru¬ 
ment  be  selected,  He  will  make  it  appear,  that  the  ‘  excellency  of  the 
power,’  by  which  the  Gospel  is  made  successful,  is  of  ‘God,  and  not  of 
men.’  (P.  O.  1  Cor.  2:1  —  9.)  He  therefore  uses  various  methods  to 
convince  his  most,  useful  servants  of  their  own  weakness  and  insufficien¬ 
cy  ;  and  sometimes  He  makes  their  infirmities  visible  to  others,  that 
they  may  not  give  them  undue  honor  and  respect.  12:7 — 10.  P.  O.  1 — 

10 _ In  oneway  or  other,  both  Christians  and  ministers  must  be  troubled ; 

and  sometimes  it  will  be  ‘  on  every  side.’  Yet  faith  and  grace  will  pre- 


NOTES.  Chap.  V.  V.  1— 4.  As  the  apostle  spoke  ofwhatwasto 
follow  immediately  on  the  dissolution  of  the  body  by  death,  he  must  be 
supposed  to  mean  the  state  of  the  immortal  soul,  before  as  well  as  after 
the  resurrection,  for  the  language  is  figurative,  and  must  not  be  confined 
by  too  literal  an  interpretation. — The  passage,  being  expressed  in  meta¬ 
phors  unusually  bold,  is  indeed  rather  difficult;  yet  the  above  [as  in 
Henry ]  seems  the  evident  meaning.  Nor  does  it  nppenr,  that  the  apostle 
intended  to  express  any  expectation,  that  the  day  of  judgment  and  the 
general  resurrection  were  at  hand  ;  or  to  determine  anything  concerning 
tl^manner,  as  to  external  circumstances,  in  which  the  soul  subsists, 
either  before  or  after  that  solemn  season. — The  word  ‘naked,’  may  al¬ 
lude  to  Adam  and  Eve,  after  they  had  eaten  the  forbidden  fruit,  and  lost 
the  robe  of  innocence ;  whereas  believers,  being  ‘  made  the  righteousness 
of  God  in  Christ,’ will  not  be  thus  ‘  found  naked,’  in  whatever  manner 
they  leave  this  world.  Gen.  3:7.  Is.  61:10,  11.  Gal.  3:26 — 29.  Phil.  3:8 
— 11.  Scott. 

(1.)  ‘  For  though  our  earthly,  <fcc.  be  to  be  dissolved.’  Bloomf. 

(3.)  1  As  the  Pythagoreans  compared  the  body  to  a  tent  (or  hut),  so 
did  the  Platonists  liken  it  to  a  vestment.  So  Paul  changes  the  metaphor 
here.’  Bl-  ‘  1.  The  Heb.  Ibsh,  signifies  surround  with  a  thing,  or  fur¬ 
nished.  2.  The  Jews  ascribe  to  the  soul  a  vestment  both  in  this  life  and 
the  next.  3.  They  maintain  the  pre-existence  of  both,  i.  e.  affirm  that 
the  soul  has  already  a  covering,  while  as  yet  hidden  under  the  throne  of 
God,  and  as  yet  not  clothed  with  a  body.  4.  This  vestment  is  no  other 
than  what  we  call  the  image  of  God ,  which  was  lost  by  the  fall,  and  is 
to  be  restored  in  the  next  life.  5.  After  the  fall,  Adam  and  all  men  are 
stripped  of  this,  as  long  as  they  remain  in  sin,  and  then  they  are  said  to 
be  naked.  6.  The  good  are  clothed  therewith,  as  soon  as  the  Shechinah 
begins  to  dwell  in  them.  7.  When  they  are  clothed  therewith,  then 
they  are  enabled  to  perform  good  works,  nay,  even  sometimes  to  work 
miracles.  8.  Hence  it  is  the  duty  of  every  one  to  preserve  this  vestment 
pure,  and,  as  far  as  lies  in  him,  xvithout  spot.  9.  In  life  eternal,  this  will 
be  a  vestment  for  the  soul,  or  rather  an  ornament  assigned  to  it  for  the 
virtues  practised  in  this  world.  10.  This  celestial  vestment  they  de¬ 
scribe  ns  lucid,  and  radiant,  such  as  on  this  earth  no  one  can  attain.  11. 
It  is  necessary  for  the  soul  to  be  clothed  with  this  vestment,  for,  til!  it  is 
clothed  therewith,  it  cannot  behold  the  majesty  of  God.  And  so  the 
apostle  himself,  1  Cor.  15.53.  says,  it  is  necessary  for  this  mortal  to  put 
on  immortality. — Since,  therefore,  P.  speaks  both  of  an  habitation,  und 
a  vestment,  with  xvhich  he  is  to  be  clothed,  it  is  obvious  lie  means,  not 
a  corporeal,  but  a  spirftual  vestment,  clothed  with  which  he  desires  to 
enter  the  heavenly  kingdom.’  Schoettgen. 


serve  them. — Nothing  can  be  done  in  the  spiritual  warfare  in  which  we 
are  engaged,  without  the  ‘  same  spirit  of  faith,’  which  animated  the  an¬ 
cient  prophets,  apostles,  and  martyrs  of  Jesus  ;  we  shall  be  timid,  hes¬ 
itating,  and  wavering  in  our  testimony,  unless  we  can  lirmly  say,  ‘  I  be¬ 
lieved,  and  therefore  have  I  spoken.’  But  when  we  are  fully  assured  of 
the  truth,  importance,  and  excellency  of  the  Gospel,  nothing  can  dura¬ 
bly  prevail  with  us  to  retract,  niter,  or  conceal  the  great  doctrines  which 
we  are  called  to  preach  or  profess.  Yet  true  religion  does  not  require 
us  to  neglect  our  real  interest.  —  But  if  the  apostle  call  his  heavy  and 
long-continued  trials,  ‘  light  affliction,  and  but  for  a  moment,’  what 
must  our  trifling  difficulties  appear  in  the  estimate  of  faith  and  grace  ? 
How  shameful  then  is  it,  that  we  complain  or  despond  under  them  ! 
What  powerful  supports  and  consolations  must  there  be  in  the  hope  and 
earnest  of  heaven,  beyond  what  we  have  hitherto  experienced  !  Scott. 


‘The  ancient  comtrs.  understand,  “if  indeed  it  may  so  be  that,  after 
assuming  this  corruptible  body,  we  shall  be  not  found  deprived  of  glory 
and  acceptance.  For  all  men  (say  they)  will  put  on  the  clothing  of  in¬ 
corruption,  but  all  will  not  partake  of  the  divine  glory.”  But  the  ellipsis 
required  here  is  too  arbitrary  :  and  so  of  Voddr.'s  “  naked,  and  exposed 
to  any  evil  or  inconvenience.”  To  tr.  (with  others)  “  be  found  clothed 
upon,  not  naked,”  destroys  the  construction.  The  v.  is  parenthetical, 
and  expressed  with  that  profound  and  heartfelt  humility  which  every¬ 
where  distinguishes  the  apostle  ;  yet  I  assent  to  the  ancients,  that  it  was 
meant  to  inculcate  a  lesson  of  humility  on  the  Corinthians,  and  so  com¬ 
pares  with  1  Cor.  9:27.  Naked.]  Gumnoi  :  some  (both  of  ancients  nnd 
moderns)  infer  from  this  term,  (and  not  without  countenance  from  (he 
context,)  that  the  wicked  will  be  left  not  only  gumnoi,  as  regards  the 
incorruptible  body,  but  even  as  regards  any  body,  at  all,  i.  e.  will  not 
be  clothed  with  their  former  mortal  body,  and  that  on  the  soul  (which 
alone  then  remains)  will  be  inflicted  such  punishments  as  God  shall  in 
justice  award.  And  so  I  once,  loo  arbitrarily,  tr.  “  (Hoping)  if  so  be  that 
after  having  put  off  (our  mortal  and  corruptible  body),  we  may  not  be 
found  (by  the  Lord  nt  the  day  of  judgment)  naked,  and  without  a  body, 
(as  the  wicked.”)  I  now  rather  assent  to  the  generality  of  ancient  and 
modern  comtrs.,  (see  Slade,)  who  think  the  term  does  not  necessarily 
imply,  that  the  unfaithful  and  rejected  will  have  no  bodies  at  all ;  only 
that  they  will  be  naked,  as  far  as  regards  a  heavenly  body,  that  they  will 
not  be  clothed  upon,  in  Paul’s  sense.  This  the  preceding  words  strongly 
countenance.  Hence  nothing  can  be  with  certainty  pronounced  on  the 
nature  of  the  resurrection  of  the  wicked  ;  at  least,  nothing  is  here  said 
with  any  reference  to  them.  Their  state  must  be  decided  by  other  pas¬ 
sages;  yet  we  may  observe,  there  is  no  occasion  to  suppose  their  bodies 
will  not  be  raised,  as  well  as  those  of  the  righteous.’  Bl.,  whom  see.  Ed. 

(4.)  1  For  (I  repeat)  while  we  are  in  this  hut,  or  shed,  though  groan¬ 
ing  under  the  weight  of  many  afflictions,  yet  our  wish  is  not  so  much  to 
put  off  this  body,  and  thereby  be  rid  of  these  evils,  but  rather  our  anxiety 
is  to  put  on  an  heavenly  garment,  even  our  incorruptible  body.’  Bl. 
‘  That  thus  the  mortal  principle  may  be  absorbed,  overcome,  and  anni¬ 
hilated  by  the  vivifying  and  immortal  one.’  Chrys.  See  Bl.,  also  ‘  Life 
and  Death.’  London,  1833.  And  ‘  Physical  Theory  of  Another  Life.’  Id. 

V.  5—8.  That  change  of  judgment  and  affections,  by  which  the  apos¬ 
tle  and  his  brethren  had  been  ‘  wrought,’  or  fashioned,  into  a  fitness  for 
their  perilous  and  suffering  employments,  and  to  a  willingness  to  die  for 
Christ’s  sake,  in  the  assurance  of  going  to  enjoy  felicity  in  his  favor,  was 
the  work  of  God  Himself,  and  could  have  been  effected  by  no  other 
agent.  Rom.  9:22,  23.  Col.  1:9 — 14. — This  is  an  express  testimony  to 


A.  D.  61. 

6  Therefore  ice  are  always  con¬ 
fident,  knowing  that,  whilst  we  are 
at  home  in  the  body,  we  are  absent 
from  the  Lord  ; 

7  (For  h  we  walk  by  faith,  not  by 
sight  ;) 

8  We  are  confident,  I  say,  and 
1  willing  rather  to  be  absent  from 
the  body,  and  to  be  present  with 
the  Lord. 

9  Wherefore  we  >  labor,  that, 
whether  present  or  absent,  we  may 
be  accepted  of  him. 

10  For  k  we  must  all  appear  be¬ 
fore  the  judgment-seat  of  Christ ; 
that  every  one  may  receive  1  the 
things  done  in  his  body,  according 
to  that  he  hath  done,  whether  it  be 
good  or  bad. 

1 1  Knowing  therefore  the  terror 
m  of  the  Lord,  we  persuade  men; 
but  "  we  are  made  manifest  unto 
God,  and  I  trust  also  are  made 
manifest  in  your  consciences. 

12  For  0  we  commend  not  our¬ 
selves  again  unto  you,  but  give  you 
occasion  to  glory  on  our  behalf, 
that  ye  may  have  somewhat  to  an¬ 
swer  them  which  glory  in  p  appear¬ 
ance,  and  not  in  heart. 

13  For  whether  we  t>e  beside 
q  ourselves,  it  is  to  God  :  or  wheth¬ 
er  we  be  sober,  it  is  for  your  cause. 

14  For  the  love  of  Christ  rcon- 
straineth  us;  because  we  thus  judge, 
that  if  one  died  for  all,  then  *  were 
all  dead  : 

15  And  that  he  died  for  all,  that 
*  they  which  live  should  not  hence¬ 
forth  live  unto  themselves,  but  unto 
him  which  died  for  them,  and  rose 
again. 

16  Wherefore  henceforth  know 
we  no  man  after  the  flesh  :  yea, 


h  Ro.  8:24, 25. 
i  Phi.  1:23. 

endeavor. 

Ro.  14:10. 

1  c.  7:3. 


I 


m  He.  10:31. 

Jude  23. 
n  c.  4:2. 
o  c.  3:1. 
p  the  face. 


q  c.  11:1,15,17. 
r  Ca.  8:6. 
e  Ro.  5:15. 
14:7—9. 

t  1  Co.  6:19,20. 


of  God,  in  preparing  and  making  him  meet 
for  this  blessedness,  v.  5.  All  who  are  de¬ 
signed  for  heaven  hereafter,  are  wrought  or 
prepared  for  heaven  while  here.  And  he 
that  hath  wrought  us  for  this,  is  God;  be¬ 
cause  nothing  less  than  a  divine  power  can 
make  a  soul  partaker  of  a  divine  nature.  A 
great  deal  is  to  be  done  to  prepare  our  souls 
for  heaven,  and  that  preparation  of  the  heart 
is  from  the  Lord.  (2.)  The  earnest  of  the 
Spirit  gave  them  this  assurance ;  for  an  ear¬ 


2  CORINTHIANS,  V. 

nest  is  part  of  payment,  and  secures  the  full 
payment. 

II.  An  inference  for  the  comfort  of  be¬ 
lievers,  in  this  world,  v.  6 — 8. 

1.  Their  present  state  and  condition;  they 
are  absent  from  the  Lord,  v.  6.  pilgrims  and 
strangers  in  this  world;  and  though  God  is 
with  us  here,  by  his  Spirit,  and  in  his  ordi¬ 
nances,  yet  we  are  not  with  Him  as  we  hope 
to  be,  i).  7.  We  have  not  the  vision  and 
fruition  of  God,  as  of  an  object  that  is  pres¬ 
ent  with  us,  and  as  we  hope  for  hereafter, 
when  we  shall  see  as  we  are  seen.  Faith  is 
for  this  world,  sight  for  the  other  world; 
and  it  is  our  duty,  and  will  be  our  interest, 
to  walk  by  faith,  till  we  come  to  live  by 
sight. 

2.  How  comfortable  and  courageous  we 
ought  to  be  in  all  the  troubles  of  life,  and  in 
the  hour  of  death,  v.  6.  and  again,  v.  8. 
We  are  confident  and  willing ,  rather,  to  be 
absent  from  the  body.  True  Christians,  if 
they  duly  consider  the  prospect  faith  gives 
them  of  another  world,  and  the  good  reasons 
of  their  hope  of  blessedness  after  death, 
would  be  comforted  under  the  troubles  of 
life,  and  supported  in  the  hour  of  death ; 
they  should  take  courage,  when  they  are  en¬ 
countering  the  last  enemy  ;  and  be  willing 
rather  to  die  than  live,  when  it  is  the  will  of 
God  that  they  should  put  off  this  tabernacle; 
it  is  but  being  absent  from  the  body,  and  we 
shall  very  soon  be  present  with  the  Lord; 
but  to  die,  and  be  with  Christ;  but  to  close  our 
eyes  in  this  world,  and  open  them  in  a  world 
of  glory.  Faith  will  be  turned  into  sight. 

III.  An  inference  to  excite  and  quicken 
himself  and  others  to  duty,  v.  9 — 11.  Well- 
grounded  hopes  of  heaven,  far  from  giving 
the  least  encouragement  to  sloth  and  sinful 
security,  should  stir  us  up  to  the  greatest  care 
and  diligence  in  religion;  Wherefore,  or  be¬ 
cause  we  hope  to  be  present  with  the  Lord, 
we  labor  and  take  pains,  t>.  9. — We  are  am¬ 
bitious,  and  labor  as  industriously  as  the  most 
ambitious  men  do  to  obtain  what  they  aim 
at.  Here  observe, 

1.  What  it  was  the  apostle  was  thus  am¬ 
bitious  of,  acceptance  with  God,  v.  9.  This 
[he  and  his  brethren]  coveted,  as  the  great¬ 
est  favor,  and  the  highest  honor;  it  was  the 
top  of  their  ambition. 

2.  What  further  quickening  motives  they 
had  to  excite  their  diligence,  from  the  con¬ 
sideration  of  the  judgment  to  come,  v.  10, 
11.  There  are  many  things  relating  to  this 
great  matter,  that  should  awe  the  best  of 
men  into  the  utmost  care  and  diligence  in 
religion ;  the  certainty  of  this  judgment,  for 
we  must  appear;  the  universality  of  it,  for 
we  must  all  appear;  the  great  Judge, before 
whose  judgment-seat  we  must  appear,  the 
Lord  Jesus  Christ,  who  Himself  will  appear 
in  flaming  fire;  the  recompense  to  be  then 
received,  for  things  done  in  the  body;  which 
will  be  very  particular  unto  every  one;  and 
very  just,  according  to  what  we  have  done, 


The  apostolic  ministry  described. 

whether  good  or  bad.  The  apostle  calls  this 
awful  judgment  the  terror  of  the  Lord,  v.  11. 
and,  by  the  consideration  thereof,  was  ex¬ 
cited  to  persuade  men  to  repent,  and  live  a 
holy  life,  that,  when  Christ  shall  appear  ter¬ 
ribly,  they  may  appear  before  Him  comfort¬ 
ably.  And  concerning  his  fidelity  and  dili¬ 
gence,  he  comfortably  appeals  unto  God, 
and  the  consciences  of  those  he  wrote  to, 
v.  11. 

V.  12 — 15.  Here  observe, 

1.  The  apostle  makes  an  apology  for 
seeming  to  commend  himself  and  his  fellow- 
laborers,  v.  12.  and  tells  them  it  was  not  for 
that,  that  he  had  spoken  of  their  fidelity  and 
diligence,  nor  was  he  willing  to  suspect  their 
good  opinion  of  him ;  but  he  would  put  an  ar¬ 
gument  in  their  mouths,  wherewith  to  answer 
his  accusers,  who  made  vain  boastings,  and 
gloried  in  appearances  only ;  he  would  give 
them  an  occasion  to  glory  on  their  behalf,  or 
to  defend  them  against  the  reproaches  of 
their  adversaries.  And  if  the  people  can  say 
the  Word  has  been  manifested  to  their  con¬ 
sciences,  and  been  effectual  to  their  conver¬ 
sion  and  edification,  this  is  the  best  defence 
they  can  make  for  the  ministry  of  the  Word, 
when  they  are  vilified  and  reproached. 

2.  He  gives  good  reasons  for  their  great  / 
zeal  and  diligence.  Some,  it  is  likely,  had 
reproached  him  for  his  zeal  and  fervor,  im¬ 
puting  it  all  to  enthusiasm,  as  the  Roman 
governor.  Acts  26:  24.  But  he  tells  them, 
(1.)  It  was  for.  the  glory  of  God,  and  the 
good  of  the  church,  that  he  was  thus  zealous 
and  industrious,  v.  13.  If  they  manifested 
the  greatest  ardor  and  vehemency  at  some 
times,  and  used  the  greatest  calmness  in 
strong  reasonings  at  other  times,  it  was  for 
the  best  ends;  and  in  both  methods  they 
had  good  reason  for  what  they  did.  For, 
(2.)  The  love  of  Christ  constrained  them, 
v.  14.  They  were  under  the  sweetest  and 
strongest  constraints  to  do  what  they  did. 
Our  love  to  Christ  will  have  this  virtue;  and 
Christ’s  love  to  us ,  which  was  manifested  in 
this  great  instance  of  his  dying  for  us,  will 
have  this  effect  on  us,  if  it  be  duly  consider¬ 
ed  and  rightly  judged  of.  For  observe,  bow 
the  apostle  argues  for  the  reasonableness  of 
love’s  constraints;  and  declares,  [1.]  What 
we  were  before,  and  must  have  continued  to 
be,  had  not  Christ  died  for  us,  v.  14.  the  de¬ 
plorable  condition  of  all  those  whom  Christ 
died  for;  they  were  lost  and  undone,  dead 
and  ruined.  [2.]  Such,  then,  should  live  to 
Him,  v.  15.  We  should  not  make  ourselves, 
but  Christ,  the  end  of  our  living  and  actions; 
and  it  was  one  end  of  Christ’s  death,  to  cure, 
us  of  this  self-love,  and  to  excite  us  always 
to  act  under  the  commanding  influence  of 
his  love. 

V.  16 — 21.  In  these  vs.  the  apostle  men¬ 
tions  two  things  that  are  necessary,  in  order 
to  our  living  to  Christ,  both  of  which  are 
the  consequences  of  Christ’s  dying  for  us, — 
regeneration,  and  reconciliation. 


the  Deity  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  by  whom  we  are  sanctified. — This  is  abso¬ 
lutely  decisive,  concerning  the  felicity  to  be  enjoyed  by  the  souls  of  be¬ 
lievers  when  ‘absent  from  the  body  ;  ’  and  it  also  shows  that  they  will 
possess  their  happiness  in  the  very  place  where  Jesus  displays  his  glo¬ 
rious  presence. — The  words  ‘  at  home,’  (6)  seem  not  well  chosen.  This 
world  is  not  the  believer’s  home,  but  the  place  of  sojourning  and  pil¬ 
grimage,  and  his  body  is  the  tabernacle  in  which  he  sojourns.  Scott. 

(5.)  Wrought,  <fcc.j  1  Created  us  originally  with  this  view.’  Bl. 

(7.)  Walk  by  faith.)  ‘  It  implies,  in  the  SS.,  conjunction  with  God,  and 
enjoymeitt  of  celestial  benefits,  as  opposed  to  beholding  the  Deity,  united 
with  perfect  beatitude.’  Wolf. 

V.  io.  Receive  (reward  or  punishment)  for  the  actions  of  life.  Ed. 

V.  11.  <  We  are  already  manifest  to  God,  and  I  trust,  I  am  so  (i.  e.  it 

is  also  manifest)  to  your  mind  and  judgments.’  Bloomf. 

V.  12.  ‘  He  anticipates  (so  Schlichting)  an  objection,  such  as  •.  Why, 
then,  if  your  views  be  so  manifest  to  us,  do  you  again  commend  yourself 
to  us  ?  To  which  the  answer  is  :  1  do  it,  not  for  the  sake  of  self-com¬ 
mendation,  but  I  commend  myself,  in  order  to  afford  you  matter  and 
cause  to  glory  of  me,  namely,  that  you  have  been  converted  by  a  true 
apostle.’  HI.  ‘It  is  clear  from  hence,  and  ch.  3.  that  the  Corinthians 
were  ready  to  misrepresent  the  care  Paul  took  to  vindicate  himself,  as 
pride  and  vainglory.  On  the  other  hand,  they  would  have  interpreted 
his  silence,  as  the  effect  of  guilt  and  confusion.  He  therefore  pininly, 
and  very  properly,  tells  them,  that  he  said  this  in  his  own  necessary 
defence,  and  to  furnish  his  friends  with  an  answer  to  those  whose  con¬ 
sciences  condemned  them,  while  they  endeavored  to  asperse  him.’  Doddr. 
Appearance.]  ‘  Those  superficial  outward  qualities,  which  raise  the  ad¬ 


miration  of  the  vulgar,  and  of  which  it  seems  the  false  teachers  boasted; 
whilst  deficient  in  the  qualities  of  the  heart,  viz.,  sincerity,  honesty,  dis¬ 
interestedness,  benevolence,  and  [supreme]  concern  for  the  glory  of 
God.’  Mackn. 

V.  13 — 15.  The  love  which  Jesus  had  manifested  towards  sinners  in 
the  great  work  of  redemption,  and  to  believers  in  calling  them  to  par¬ 
take  of  this  inestimable  blessing,  had  excited  in  their  hearts  such  recip¬ 
rocal  admiring  love,  and  adoring  gratitude  to  Him,  as  ‘  constrained  them,’ 
and  carried  them  on  with  invincible  energy  in  every  service,  by  which 
they  could  glorify  his  name  or  promote  his  cause ;  nor  could  any  fears, 
hopes,  affections,  or  interests  stop  their  progress,  when  actuated  by  this 
most  powerful  principle.  (14)  Constraineth .]  ‘  It  possesses  us  en¬ 

tirely,  and  as  seized  on  by  its  influence  (afflatu)  we  do  all  things.’  Beza. 

Scott. 

(13)  ‘You  say,  I  am  distracted  for  my  present  conduct;  but  this  is 
between  God  and  myself;  I  am  sure  you  Corinthians  ought  not  to  say 
it ;  for  all  my  sober  thoughts  and  most  painful  labors  are  for  you.’ 
Locke.  See,  however,  Bl.  Em 

(14-)  Of.]  ‘  I.  e.  similar  to  Christ  :  since  we  reason  and  think  thnt, 
ifOne  died  for  (i.  e.  in  the  place  of)  all,  as  an  expiation  and  atonement 
for  the  sins  of  all, — not  merely  for  the  moral  benefit  of  his  example,  like 
Socrates,  according  to  recent  glosses  !  ’  Blooms. 

(15.)  To  themselves.]  ‘  I.  e.  subservient  to  their  own  [simply  selfish 
or]  carnal  inclinations,  as  opposed  to  Christ’s  plans  for  their  spiritual 

regeneration.’  ,  .  .  , 

V.  16.  The  apostle  and  his  fellow-Iaborors,  therefore,  being  under 
such  immense  obligations,  influenced  by  such  strong  motives,  and  cn- 

I  I 


A.  D.  61. 


2  CORINTHIANS,  V. 


Reconciliation  with  God  urged. 


though  we  have  known  Christ  after 
the  flesh,  yet  now  henceforth  know 
we  him  no  more. 

17  Therefore  if  any  man  he  in 
Christ,  u  he  is  a  new  v  creature  : 
old  things  are  passed  away  ;  w  be¬ 
hold,  all  things  are  become  new. 

18  And  all  things  are  of  God, 
who  hath  reconciled  us  xto  himself 
by  Jesus  Christ,  and  hath  given  to 
us  the  ministry  of  reconciliation  ; 

19  To  wit,  that  God  was,  in 
Christ,  reconciling  the  world  unto 
himself,  not  imputing  their  tres¬ 
passes  y  unto  them  ;  and  hath  * 
committed  unto  us  the  word  of 
reconciliation. 

20  Now  then  we  are  a  ambassa¬ 
dors  for  Christ ;  as  though  God  did 
beseech  you  by  us,  we  pray  you  in 
Christ’s  stead,  Be  ye  reconciled  to 
God. 

u  let  himbe.  Re.  21:5.  z  put  in  us. 

v  Jn  3:3.  Ga.6:15.  x  Col.  1:20.  a  Job  33:23.  Mai. 

w  Is.  65:17.  y  Ro.  3:24,25.  2:7.  Ep.  6:20. 

I.  Regeneration,  which  consists  in, 

1.  Weanedness  from  the  world,  v.  16. 
We  do  not  own,  or  affect,  any  person  or  thing 
in  this  world  for  carnal  ends  and  outward 
advantage;  y’eare  enabled,  by  divine  grace, 
not  to  mind  or  regard  this  world,  or  the 
things  of  the  world,  but  to  live  above  it. 
Christians  must  enjoy  the  comforts  of  this 
life,  and  their  relations  in  this  world,  with 
a  holy  indifferency ;  Yea,  though  we  have 
known  Christ  after  the  flesh,  yet,  says  the 
apostle,  we  know  Him  no  more.  It  is  ques¬ 
tioned  whether  Paul  had  seen  Christ  in  the 
flesh; — but  the  rest  of  the  apostles  had,  and 


so  might  some  among  those  he  was  now 
writing  to.  However,  he  would  not  have 
them  value  themselves  on  that  account;  for 
even  the  bodily  presence  of  Christ  is  not  to 
be  doted  on,  but  we  must  live  on  his  spiritual 
presence.  Note,  Those  who  make  images 
of  Christ,  and  use  them  in  their  worship,  do 
not  take  the  way  God  has  appointed  -to 
strengthen  their  faith  and  quicken  their  af¬ 
fections;  for  it  is  the  will  of  God  that  we 
should  not  know  Christ  any  more  after  the 
flesh. 

2.  A  thorough  change  of  the  heart;  For 
if  any  man  be  in  Christ,  if  any  man  be  a 
Christian  indeed,  and  will  approve  himself 
such,  he  is,  or  he  must  be,  a  new  creature,  v. 

17.  (Some  read  it,  Let  him  be  a  new  crea¬ 
ture.)  And  so  great  is  the  change  the  grace 
of  God  makes  in  the  soul,  that,  as  it  follows, 
old  things  art  passed  away,  old  thoughts,  old 
principles,  and  o\A practices,  are  passed  away ; 
and  all  these  things  must  become  new.  Re¬ 
generating  grace,  creates  a  new  world  in  the 
soul ;  all  things  are  new.  The  renewed  man 
acts  from  new  principles,  by  new  rules,  with 
new  ends,  and  in  new  company. 

II.  Reconciliation;  here  spoken  of  under 
a  double  notion. 

1.  As  an  unquestionable  privilege,  v.  18, 
19.  Reconciliation  supposes  a  quarrel,  and 
sin  has  broken  the  friendship  between  God 
and  man.  The  heart  of  the  sinner  is  filled 
with  enmity  against  God,  and  God  is  justly 
offended  with  the  sinner.  Yet,  behold,  there 
may  be  a  reconciliation;  the  offended  Ma¬ 
jesty  of  heaven  is  willing  to  be  reconciled. 
And  observe,  (1.)  He  has  appointed  the 
Mediator  of  reconciliation, — Jesus  Christ,  v. 

18.  By  Him  God  has  reconciled  the  world  to 
Himself,  put  Himself  into  a  capacity  of  being 
actually  reconciled  to  offenders,  without  any 
wrong  or  injury  to  his  justice  or  holiness; 
and  does  not  impute  to  men  their  trespasses, 


but  recedes  from  the  rigor  of  the  first  cove¬ 
nant,  which  was  broken,  and  does  not  insist 
on  the  advantage  He  might  justly  take 
against  us  for  the  breach  of  that  covenant, 
but  is  willing  to  enter  into  a  new  treaty,  and 
into  a  new  covenant  of  grace,  and,  accord¬ 
ing  to  the  tenor  thereof,  freely  to  forgive  us 
all  our  sins,  and  justify  freely  by  his  grace 
all  those  who  do  believe.  (2.)  He  has  ap¬ 
pointed  the  ministry  of  reconciliation,  v.  18. 
the  Scriptures,  which  contain  the  Word  of 
reconciliation;  and  the  ministry,  which  is 
a  ministry  of  reconciliation;  ministers  are  to 
open  and  proclaim  to  sinners  the  terms  of 
mercy  and  reconciliation,  and  persuade  them 
to  comply  therewith.  For, 

2.  Reconciliation  is  here  spoken  of  as  our 
indispensable  duty,  v.  20.  As  God  is  wil¬ 
ling  to  be  reconciled  to  us,  we  ought  to  be 
reconciled  to  God',  and  this  is  the  great  end 
and  design  of  the  Gospel.  Faithful  ministers 
are  Christ’s  ambassadors ,  sent  to  treat  with 
sinners  on  peace  and  reconciliation;  they 
come  in  God’s  name,  with  his  entreaties,  and 
act  in  Christ’s  stead,  doing  the  very  thing  He 
did  on  earth,  and  what,  now  that  He  is  in 
heaven,  He  wills  to  be  done.  Wonderful  con¬ 
descension  !  Though  God  can  be  no  loser  by 
the  quarrel,  nor  gainer  by  the  peace,  yet  by 
his  ministers  He  beseeches  sinners  to  lay  aside 
their  enmity,  and  be  reconciled  to  Him,  to 
all  his  attributes,  laws,  providences;  to  be¬ 
lieve  in  the  Mediator,  accept  the  atonement, 
and  comply  with  his  Gospel,  in  all  the  parts 
of  it,  and  in  the  whole  design  of  it.  And  for 
our  encouragement  so  to  do,  the  apostle  sub¬ 
joins  what  should  be  well  known  and  duly 
considered  by  us,  v.  21.  namely.  The  purity 
of  .the  Mediator,  that  He  knew  no  sin;  the 
sacrifice  He  offered.  He  was  made.  Sin  for 
us,  not  a  sinner,  but  Sin,  a  Sin-offering,  a 
Sacrifice  for  sin;  the  end  and  design  of  all 
this,  that  we  might  be  made  the  righteousness 


couraged  by  such  animating  hopes,  and  assurances  of  assistance,  as  had 
been  stated,  were  powerfully  impelled  to  disregard  all  contrary  and  in¬ 
terfering  objects,  that  they  might  show  their  love  to  their  most  gracious 
I.ord  and  Savior.  So  that,  these  principles  having  been  matured  in 
them,  they  ‘  knew  no  man  after  the  flesh  ;  ’  they  had  no  respect  to  men’s 
persons,  because  of  nation,  sect,  rank,  or  personal  attachment,  when 
theii  obedience  to  Christ  was  concerned;  they  could  not  accommodate 
their  doctrine  or  conduct  to  the  humors  of  men,  from  any  worldly  prin¬ 
ciples,  or  because  of  outward  connexions  with  them,  or  obligations  to 
them.  Nay,  they  did  not  now  regard  their  external  relation  to  Christ 
Himself,  as  being  of  the  same  nation  with  Him,  or  otherwise  acquainted 
with  Him.  Even  such  of  the  apostles  and  evangelists  as  had  personally 
known  Him,  or  been  nearly  related  to  Him,  did  in  this  respect  disregard 
that  external  tie,  when  it  came  in  competition  with  their  union  with 
Him  as  believers,  and  their  obedience  to  Him  as  his  servants  and  min¬ 
isters.  They  could  not  warp  their  doctrine,  or  deviate  from  their  in¬ 
structions,  to  please  the  Jews,  or  the  nearest  relatives  of  Christ,  any 
more,  than  out  of  respect  to  their  own  friends,  or  to  the  philosophers,  or 
the  princes  of  the  Gentiles.  Deut.  33:9.  Mat.  12:46—50.  Mk.  3:31— 
35.  Lu.  11:27,  28.  1  Tim.  5:21,  22. — Many  suppose  the  apostle  here  re¬ 
ferred  to  the  Jewish  converts,  who  were  displeased  with  him  for  admit¬ 
ting  the  Gentiles  into  the  church,  and  being  earnest  for  their  conversion, 
which  (hey  deemed  a  kind  of  madness  (13);  but  the  Christians  at  Co¬ 
rinth  were  chiefly  Gentile  converts,  and  they  do  not  seem  to  have  been 
generally  disposed  tojudaize.  Scott. 

(16.)  ‘The  sense  of  this  v.  is  not  a  little  obscure,  from  brevity  of 
expression,  and  the  Hebraic  and  mystic  nature  oflhe  phraseology.  And, 
from  the  extreme  flexibility  of  the  terms,  it  is  easier  to  devise  a  tolerable 
sense,  than  to  ascertain  and  establish  the  true  one.  Most  moderns 
rightly  maintain,  t lie  words  are  to  he  understood  of  Paul,  or  at  most  his 
brother  apostles  who  had  forsaken  the  errors  of  Judaism.  After  the  flesh.] 
It  refers  (and  so  Grot.)  to  those  things  on  which  men,  nav,  even  teach¬ 
ers  of  religion,  sometimes  pride  themselves,  namely,  external  qualifica¬ 
tions,  as  of  form,  appearance,  learning,  eloquence,  wealth,  rank,  and  all 
other  carnal  advantages.  Others  take  it  to  refer  to  the  opinions  of  the 
apostles,  <Scc.  before  Christ’s  resurrection,  that  his  kingdom  was  tempo- 
ral.  Grot,  and  most  recent  comtrs.  render,  “  nay,  though  we  had  known 
Christ  in  the  flesh,  had  conversed  with  Him  on  earth,  and  enjoyed  the 
benefits  of  his  personal  instruction,  yet  we  should  now  recognise  Him  no 
longer  as  the  Jesus  we  knew,  hut  as  the  glorified  Savior  and  Judge  of 
men,  and  the  heavenly  King.”  Ros.  thinks  it  levelled  against  teachers  at 
Corinth,  who,  proud  of  having  had  the  personal  converse  of  Christ,  and 
perhaps  relationship,  affected  to  lord  it  over  others.  1  Cor.  1:12.  Jn 
Christ.]  I.  e.  admitted  (by  baptism)  into  the  society  of  Christ  and  his 
followers,  ingrafted  into  Christ  by  the  Spirit  of  Christ,  become  a  Chris¬ 
tian.’  ‘  Bloomf. 

V.  17.  The  judgment,  experience,  and  principles,  which  the  apostle 
had  stated,  should  not  l>e  regarded  as  peculiar  to  him  or  his  friends,  hut 
ns  the  standard  of  genuine  Christianity  ;  therefore,  1  if  any  man,’  whether 
Jew  or  Gentile,  was  ‘  in  Christ,’  as  a  justified  believer,  he  was  nlso  ‘  a 
iiew  creature,’  or  a  new  creation  ofGod.  Rom.  8:1,  2.  1  Cor.  1:26 — 31. 
P*  5110.  Gal.  6:15,  16.  Eph.  2:4 — 10.  By  spiritual  illumination,  and 
its  invariable  effects,  a  new  judgment  had  been  produced,  with  new  in¬ 
clinations,  new  affections,  and  purnoscs,  from  which  new  words  and 

[334] 


actions  must  proceed.  Rev.  21:1 — 8.  So  that  the  Christian  experienced 
new  hopes  and  fears,  joys  and  sorrows,  desires  and  aversions  ;  he  learned 
to  speak  a  new  language,  to  choose  new  companions,  to  act  from  new 
motives,  —  to  aim  at  new  objects,  and  to  attend  to  new  employments. 
Everything  was  now  cast  into  a  new  mould,  received  a  new  impres¬ 
sion,  and  took  a  new  direction,  from  the  knowledge  of  God,  from  faith 
in  Christ  and  love  to  Him  ;  from  humiliation  for  sin,  and  hatred  of  it, 
and  from  the  desire  of  holiness,  and  the  hope  of  eternal  life.  Ez.  11:17 — 
20.  18:30 — 32.  36:25 — 27.  Jn.  3:3 — 8.  Rum.  6:3,  4. — The  marg.  reading, 
‘ Let  him  be  a  new  creature,’  can  in  no  way  be  made  to  accord  with 
what  follows, ‘Old  things  are  passed  away;  behold,  all  things  are  be¬ 
come  new,  &c.’  Scott. 

V.  18 — 21.  As  the  change  above  described  had  been  wrought  hv  the 
power,  and  according  to  the  purpose  of  God,  so  it  bore  on  it  the  stamp 
of  his  holy  image,  and  led  to  a  proper  state  of  mind,  heart,  and  conduct 
towards  Him.  ‘God  was  in  Christ,’  (19)  ‘manifested  in  the  flesh.’ — The 
fulness  of  the  Deity  dwelt  in  and  was  displayed  by  the  human  nature, 
through  the  incarnation  of  the  eternal  Word  and  Son  of  God,  as  One 
with  the  Father;  that  so,  being  one  with  man  in  human  nature,  He 
might  ‘  reconcile  the  world  unto  Himself,’  by  his  atonement,  mediation, 
nnd  grace,  and  that  sinners  throughout  the  earth,  of  every  nation  and 
description,  might  thus  he  encouraged  to  hope  in  his  mercy,  ami  taught 
hv  his  grace  to  love  his  holy  perfections,  law,  worship,  and  service,  to 
which  their  carnal  minds  had  before  been  enmity.  Rom.  5:6 — 10.  8:5 — 
9.  V.  21.  contains  most  conclusive  arguments,  in  proof  of  the  vicarious 
sufferings  of  Christ,  ns  the  satisfactory  atonement  to  divine  justice  for 
our  sins,  of  the  imputation  of  his  perfect  righteousness  to  believers,  as 
their  title  to  eternal  life,  and  of  his  real  Deity,  whose  righteousness  be¬ 
comes  theirs  for  justification,  by  virtue  of  their  union  with  Him.  Per¬ 
haps  stronger  language  cannot  be.  used,  in  declaring  these  doctrines,  by 
those  who  most  zealously  contend  for  them. — The  preposition  here  used, 
is  tr.  ‘  instead,’  in  the  preceding  v.  ‘in  Christ’s  stead,’  or  instead  of 
Christ.  Thus  lie  suffered  instead  of  us.  1  Pet.  3:18.  Gr.— The  apostle 
doubtless  spoke  primarily  of  himself,  and  his  fellow-laborers,  as  ‘  the 
ambassadors  of  Christ.’ yet,  as  till  faithful  ministers  are  entrusted  with 
the  same  message,  by  the  same  authority,  so  they  too  are  ambassadors, 
or  envoys  and  messengers  for  Christ,  though  to  a  smaller  number  of 
their  fellow-sinners. — Some  of  the  professed  Christians  at  Corinth,  were 
supposed  by  Paul  to  be  unconverted,  mid  unreconciled  to  God,  nnd  he 
might  have  them  in  view,  when  he  spake  of  God’s  beseeching  sinners  by 
his  ministers.  But  he  was  evidently  giving  an  account  of  his  commis¬ 
sion  and  general  ministry,  through  the  nations  of  the  earth  ;  wherever 
he  came,  lie  addressed  sinners  in  this  pathetic  and  earnest  manner,  and 
while  ‘lie  prayed  them  in  Christ’s  stead  to  he  reconciled  to  God,’  it  was 
as  if  God  Ilimsclf.had  besought  them  to  lay  aside  their  enmity,  and  ac¬ 
cept  of  his  mercy. — The  change  of  the  language,  ‘ambassadors  for 
Christ,’  ‘God  beseeches  you,  we  pray  you  in  Christ’s  stead,  See..' 
shows  how  familiar  it  was  to  the  apostle  to  consider  his  divine  Lord  and 
Master,  as  One  with  tlte  Father,  in  Deity  and  authority.  Made  Him  to 
he  sin.]  Rom.  8:3."  Heb.  10:6,  8.  Ilamartia  is  often  used  in  the  LXX, 
for  ‘  a  sin-offering,’  which  circumstance  is  a  strong  corroboration  of  the 
doctrine  of  reciprocal  imputation,  as  most  emphatically  stated  in  this  v. 
our  sins  imputed  to  the  divine  Savior,  and  his  righteousness  imputed  to 
ail  true  believers. — Be  made.]  ‘  Become.’  Jn.  1:14.  Id. 


A.  D.  61. 


2  CORINTHIANS,  VI. 


Ministry  of  the  apostles. 


21  For  bhe  hath  made  him  to  he 
sin  for  us,  who  knew  no  sin  ;  that 
we  might  be  made  c  the  righteous¬ 
ness  of  God  in  him. 

CHAP.  VI. 

1  That  he  hath  approved  himself  a  faithful  minister  of 
Christ,  both  by  hi*  exhortations,  3  and  by  integrity  of 
life,  4  and  by  patiently  enduring  all  kinds  of  affliction  and 
disgraces  for  the  Gospel.  10  Of  which  he  speaketh  the 
more  boldly  among  them,  because  his  heart  is  open  to 
them,  13  and  he  expecteth  the  like  affection  from  them 
again  :  14  exhorting  to  flee  the  society  and  pollution  of 
idolaters,  ns  being  themselves  temples  of  the  living  God. 

WE  then,  as  workers  “together 
with  him ,  beseech  you  also 
that  ye  receive  not  the  grace  of  God 
in  b  vain. 

2  (For  he  saith, c  I  have  heard  thee 
in  a  time  accepted,  and  in  the  day 
of  salvation  have  I  succored  thee  : 
behold,  now  is  the  accepted  time  ; 
behold,  now  is  the  day  of  salvation.) 

3  Giving  no  d  offence  in  any  thing, 
that  the  ministry  be  not  blamed  : 

4  But  in  all  things  'approving 
ourselves  as  the  ministers  fof  God, 
in  much  patience,  in  afflictions,  in 
necessities,  in  distresses, 

b  I«.  53:6,9,12.  a  c.  5:20.  d  1  Co.  10:32. 

Ga.  3:13.  1  Pe.  b  He.  1*2:15.  e  commending. 

2:22/24  1  Jn.3:5.  *  c  Is.  49:8.  f  I  Co.  4:1. 

C  Ro.  5:19. 


of  God  in  Him,  might  be  justified  freely  by 
the  grace  of  God,  through  the  redemption 
which  is  ill  Christ  Jesus.  Note,  As  Christ, 
who  knew  no  sin  of  his  own,  was  made  Sin 
for  us,  so  we,  who  have  no  righteousness  of 
our  own,  are  made  the  righteousness  of  God 
in  Him.  Our  reconciliation  to  God  is  only 
through  Jesus  Christ,  and  for  the  sake  of  his 
merit;  on  Ilitn  therefore  we  must  rely,  and 
make  mention  of  his  righteousness,  and  his 
only. 

Chap.  VI.  V.  1 — 10.  In  these  vs.  we 
have  the  apostle’s  general  errand  and  exhor¬ 
tation  in  every  place  where  he  came,  with 
the  several  arguments  and  methods  he  used. 

I.  His  errand  or  exhortation,  namely,  to 
comply  with  the  gospel-offers  of  reconcili¬ 
ation,  v.  1.  And  as  it  is  the  duty  of  the 
ministers  of  the  Gospel  to  exhort  and  per¬ 
suade  their  hearers  to  accept  of  the  grace 
and  mercy  offered,  so  they  are  honored  with 
this  high  title,  of  co-workers  with  God.  1. 
They  must  work,  and  work  for  God,  and  with 
God,  yet  under  Him,  as  instruments  only; 
however,  if  faithful,  they  may  hope  to  find 
God  working  with  them,  anti  their  labor  will 
be  effectual.  2.  Observe  the  language  and 
way  of  the  spirit  of  the  Gospel;  it  is  not 
with  roughness  and  severity,  but  with  all 
mildness  and  gentleness,  to  beseech  and  en¬ 
treat,  to  use  exhortations  and  arguments,  in 
order  to  prevail  with  sinners,  and  overcome 


their  natural  unwillingness  to  be  reconciled 
to  God,  and  to  he  happy  for  ever. 

II.  His  arguments  and  method. 

1.  The  present  time  is  the  on'y  proper 
season  to  accept  of  grace  and  salvation. 
The  morrow  is  none  of  ours;  we  know  not 
what  will  be  on  the  morrow,  nor  where  we 
shall  be;  and  we  should  remember  that  pres¬ 
ent  seasons  of  grace  are  short  and  uncer¬ 
tain,  and  cannot  be  recalled  when  past.  It 
is  therefore  our  duty  and  interest  to  improve 
them  while  we  enjoy  them,  and  no  less  than 
our  salvation  depends  on  our  so  doing. 

2.  What  caution  they  used,  not  to  give  of¬ 
fence,  and  hinder  the  success  of  their  preach¬ 
ing,  v.  3.  When  qtliers  are  too  apt  to  take 
offence,  as  the  Jews  were  on  the  one  hand, 
and  the  Gentiles  on  the  other,  against  the 
apostles,  we  should  be  cautious  lest  we  give 
offence;  and  ministers  especially  should  be 
careful  lest  they  do  anything  that  may  bring 
blame  oil  their  ministry,  or  render  that  un¬ 
successful. 

3.  Their  constant  aim  and  endeavor  in  all 
things  to  approve  themselves  faithful,  as  be¬ 
came  the  ministers  of  God,  v.  4.  Ministers 
of  the  Gospel  should  look  upon  themselves  as 
God's  servants  or  ministers,  and  act  in  every¬ 
thing  suitable  to  that  character.  So  did  the 
apostle. 

(1.)  By  much  patience  in  afflictions,  of 
which  he  met  with  many,  often  in  necessities, 
wanting  the  conveniences,  if  not  the  neces- 


PRACT.  OBS.  It  is  most  animating  for  us  to  ‘  know,’  amidst  our 
sufferings,  temptations,  conflicts,  and  perils  of  death,  that  whenever  we 
die  we  shnll  enter  into  the  heavens,  and  he  admitted  to  an  unspeakable 
felicity  ;  and  this  evidently  may  be  known,  with  such  certainty,  as  to 
produce  habitual  courage  and  confidence,  even  in  the  greatest  dangers, 
and  most  evident  approaches  of  death,  in  its  most  formidable  appear¬ 
ances;  but  our  assurance  or  prevailing  hope  of  this,  must  be  proportioned 
to  the  evidence  of  our  conversion. — At  present  we  may  1  choose  whom 
we  will  serve,’  and  what  we  will  do  ;  but,  as  we  must  die,  so  we  must 
stand  in  judgment,  and  no  more  choice  will  be  left  us  than  is  left  to  the 
criminal,  whether  he  will  or  will  not,  be  tried,  condemned,  or  punished 
for  his  crimes.  The  expectation  of  this  solemn  time  of  righteous  retri¬ 
bution  should  render  all  men  earnest  and  diligent,  in  1  working  out  their 
own  salvation  with  fear  and  trembling,’  lest  any  ‘  should  seem  to  come 
short  of  it ;  ’  but  especially  it  should  excite  ministers  to  be  unwearied 
and  faithful  in  their  work  ;  and,  knowing  what  a  tremendous  day  it  will 
be  to  all  the  workers  of  iniquity,  they  should  be  the  more  earnest  and 
affectionate,  in  their  persuasions  and  warnings. — If  earnestness  bring  on 
us  the  charge  of  being  1  beside  ourselves,’  we  need  only  inquire,  whether 
our  conduct  be  warranted  by  the  Word  ofGod,  and  spring  from  a  regnrd 
to  his  authority  and  glory,  and  whether  our  most  vehement  affections 
and  addresses,  as  well  as  our  more  cool  and  temperate  reasonings,  are 
really  intended  to  promote  the  salvation  of  souls.  If  this  be  the  case, 
we  may  venture  to  disregard  the  contumely ;  and  we  should  pray  for 
our  revilers,  that  they  may  indeed  ‘  come  to  themselves,’  and  he  delivered 
from  that  insanity,  under  which  all  unbelievers  are  held. — All  partial¬ 
ities,  from  external  relations  or  connexions,  patronage,  or  obligations, 
hopes  or  fears,  which  tempt  the  minister  to  waver  in  his  testimony,  or 
the  Christian  in  his  obedience,  are  inconsistent  with  a  proper  regard  to 
the  Lord  Jesus  ;  and,  in  this  sense,  we  should  ‘  henceforth  know  no  man 
after  the  flesh,’  whatever  claim  he  may  seem  to  have  to  our  special  re¬ 
gard.  Mat.  10:37 — 39.  Ln.  14:25 — 27. — The  justified  believer  is  ‘a  new 

(21.)  Sin.]  ‘  I.  e.  sin-offering,  llos.  4:8.  Lev.  7:2.  Ps.  40:7.  Ex.  29: 
14.  Ham.,  Whit.,  Mackn.,  (Ec,  <fcc.,  treated  Him  as  a  sinner.  Horst., 
Schoettg.,  Bp.  Bull.’  Bl.  Righteousness,  Sec.]  ‘A  very  strong  phrase, 
to  signify  our  being  accepted  of  God,  and  treated  ns  perfectly  righteous, 
when  considered  as  by  faith  united  to  Him  who  was  perfectly  so.’ 
Dorblr.  ,  En. 

NOTES.  Chai\  VI.  V.  1,2.  The  word  tr.  ‘grace,’  signifies  any 
peculiar,  undeserved  favor;  and  when  it  is  used  for  the  regenerating  anil 
sanctifying  work  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  it  implies  that  this  is  a  special,  un¬ 
deserved  favor.  The  unspeakable  love  of  God  to  sinners,  in  the  redemp¬ 
tion  by  his  Son,  and  in  the  appointment  of  ‘  the  ministry  of  reconcilia¬ 
tion,’  and  the  mercy  shown  to  those,  whom  He  thus  ‘besought  to  be 
reconciled  to  Him,’  would  be  altogether  in  vain,  to  all  those  who  ‘  neg¬ 
lected  so  great  salvation.’  ( Heb .  2:1 — 4,  v.  3.)  The  apostle  feared,  that 
this  had  hitherto  been  the  case  of  some  professed  Christians  at  Corinth ; 
and  doubtless  many  such  would  at  length  read  or  hear  his  epistle ;  whom 
therefore,  he  most  earnestly  exhorted  nnd  entreated,  not  to  render  all 
the  advantages  set  before  them  ineffectual  to  themselves,  by  persisting 
in  unbelief;  hilt  that  they  would,  without  delay,  while  the  Word  of  God 
was  faithfully  preached  to  them,  embrace  the  proposals  of  mercy  and 
grace  set  before  them.  For  as  Jehovah  had  assured  the  Messiah,  ac¬ 
cording  to  the  revelation  made  by  the  prophet,  that  He  had  ‘  heard  Him 
in  an  acceptable  time,  and  succored  Him  in  a  day  of  salvation,’  with  a 
special  reference  to  his  intercession  for  the  Gentiles,  after  his  exaltation 
to  the  mediatorial  throne,  (Is.  49:7,8.)  so  the  present  season  of  abun- 
dnnt  spiritual  advantages  might  be  considered  by  the  Corinthians,  as  ‘an 
accepted  timp,  and  a  day  of  salvation  ’  to  all,  who  sought  an  interest  in 
the  blessings  of  the  Redeemer’s  kingdom.  But  those  xvho  refused  the 
embassy  of  peace,  or  were  satisfied  with  a  formal  assent,  a  dead  and  un¬ 
holy  faith,  might  expect  to  be  speedily  punished  as  the  enemies  of 
Christ.  •  Scott. 

(1.)  Grace.]  ‘  The  gracious  offer  of  salvation,  and  opportunity  there¬ 
of,  the  grace  contained  in  the  Gospel,  and  reconciliation  with  God,  offer¬ 
ed  through  Christ,  5:18 — 21.  Grace  of  every  kind,  both  ordinary,  as  in 


creature’  In  a  new  xvorld ;  his  new  relation  to  Christ,  to  the  church, 
and  to  heavenly  things,  together  with  his  new  obligations,  interests,  pur¬ 
suits,  principles,  and  satisfactions,  have  superseded  those,  which  for¬ 
merly  prevailed.  Even  the  same  actions  are  now  performed  from  new 
motives  and  in  a  new  manner,  from  what  they  before  were ;  his  atten¬ 
tion  to  relative  and  social  duties,  and  his  diligence  in  worldly  business, 
spring  from  new  purposes,  and  receive  a  new  direction.  Nav,  when, 
baffled  by  temptation,  he  falls  into  sin  ;  his  grief,  his  shame,  his  distress, 
and  remorse,  are  altogether  new,  and  such  as  before  he  never  had  expe¬ 
rienced.  His  heart  was  then  stone,  now  living  flesh  ;  and  sensibilities 
wholly  new  arise  from  this  important  change.— Every  good  gift  comes 
from  God,  and  to  Him  the  whole  glory  belongs.  Enmity  to  God  begun 
wholly  on  man’s  part;  but  the  reconciliation  was  entirely  devised,  re¬ 
vealed,  and  effected  by  his  offended  Sovereign  ;  and  the  language  of  our 
God  and  Savior,  by  his  ministers,  to  his  feeble  but  haughty  enemies, 
must  appear  wonderful  beyond  conception  to  the  holy  inhabitants  of 
heaven  ;  yet  the  reception  with  which  it  often  meets,  and  the  contempt 
and  disdain  which  it  excites,  must  exceedingly  increase  their  astonish¬ 
ment,  and  it  will  assuredly  satisfy  them,  concerning  the  propriety  and 
equity  of  punishing  the  irreconcilable  haters  of  God,  ‘  with  everlasting 
destruction  from  his  presence.’  Let  sinners  then  hear  the  voice  ofGod, 
‘beseeching  them  to  be  reconciled;’  let  the  trembling  penitent  rejoice 
in  the  assurance,  that  his  application  for  ‘  peace  with  God  will  not  be 
rejected.’  Let  professed  Christians  examine  their  supposed  interest  in 
Christ,  the  great  Reconciler,  by  inquiring  whether  they  are  become  the 
friends  of  God,  his  cause,  and  his  people;  let  ministers  not  only  ‘  warn 
men  by  the  terror  of  the  Lord,’  but  beseech  them  by  his  abundant  mer¬ 
cies,  to  repent  and  turn  unto  Him  ;  and  let  believers  consider,  whether 
God  can  now  withhold  anv  good  thing  from  them,  or  whether  they  can 
venture,  lose,  labor,  or  suffer  too  much,  for  Him  who  gave  his  beloved 
Son  lor  their  sins.  13 — 15.  Rom.  5:7 — 10.  8:28 — 31.  Scott. 


the  case  of  Christians  in  general,  and  extraordinary,  w  hich  was  confined 
to  the  apostolic  age.  See  the  able  note  of  Whitby,  here,  and  the  master¬ 
ly  Appendix,  in  which  he  has  successfully  shown  that  God,  in  every 
succeeding  age,  has  vouchsafed  to  men,  not  only  the  outward  dispensa¬ 
tions  of  his  Word,  to  be  the  ordinary  means  of  their  conversion  and  sanc¬ 
tification,  but  also  some  inward  assistances  and  operations  of  the  Holy 
Spirit.  In  this  he  shows,  that  these  assistances  may  be  so  explained,  ns 
to  be  no  more  unintelligible  than  are  all  the  influences  of  God,  on  the 
soul,  or  the  temptations  of  the  devil.’  Bl. — In  vain ]  ‘  Without  any  fruit 
or  benefit  to  you  :’  they  must  improve  every  gift  and  influence  of  the 
Spirit.  Bl.  expl.,  not  so  to  act,  as  to  seem  to  have,  received  grace  in  vain. 
Otiiers  differently,  but  the  above  seems  most  consonant  to  the  analogy 
of  Scripture.  En. 

(2.)  ‘The  words  of  the  prophet  (Is.  49:8.)  are  adduced  in  their  spirit¬ 
ual  and  mystical  sense,  such  as  has  nlwrays  been  assigned  to  them,  even 
by  the  Jewish  interpreters.  “  Now  is  (eminently)  the  accepted  time, 
and  the  day  of  salvation;  since  now  it  is  offered,  by  those  whose  divine 
mission  is  confirmed  by  signs  and  wonders,  and  mighty  deeds.”  Though, 
in  a  certain  sense,  the  present  is  the  only  accepted  time,  or  day  of  sal¬ 
vation,  because  on  the  future  we  cannot  calculate.  Heard.]  Epikousa : 
hearkened  to,  and  granted  help.  This  notion  of  listening  to  or  granting 
the  request,  seems  contained  in  the  epi,  which  is  expressed  in  our 
phrase,  “lend  an  ear.”  Thus  hearken  comes  from  hear,  and  ken,  (to 
know  or  mind.’)  Bloomf. 

V.  3 — 10.  The  whole  universe,  if  they  had  been  the  proprietors  of  it, 
could  have  afforded  them  nothing  more,  as  conducive  to  their  real  good, 
than  what  they  actually  enjoyed  or  expected.  (1  Cor.  3:18 — 23.)  Thus 
the  whole  of  their  temper  and  conduct,  in  tiie  varied  circumstances 
through  which  they  passed,  combined  to  show,  that  their  doctrine  had 
a  blessed  effect  on  their  own  souls;  nnd  rendered  (hern  holy,  beneficent, 
useful,  and  happy. — The  animation,  sublimity,  pathos,  and  energy  ot 
expression,  in  this  beautiful  passage,  have  been  generally  and  justly  ad¬ 
mired  ;  and  it  shows  how  full  the  apostle’s  heart  was  of  holy  anections  ; 
and  how  open  and  communicative,  in  speaking  on  these  interesting  lop- 


A.  D.  61. 


2  CORINTHIANS,  VI. 


Mihistry  of  the  apostles. 


5  In  *  stripes,  in  imprisonments, 
h  in  tumults,  in  labors,  in  watchings, 
imfastings  ; 

6  By  pureness,  by  knowledge,  by 
long-suffering,  by  kindness,  by  the 
Holy  Ghost,  by  love  unfeigned, 

7  By  the  word  '  of  truth,  by  the 
)  power  of  God,  by  the  armor  k  of 
righteousness  on  the  right  hand  and 
on  the  left, 

8  By  honor  and  dishonor,  by  evil 
report  and  good  report :  as  'deceiv¬ 
ers,  and  yet  true  ; 

9  As  m  unknown,  and  yet  well 
known  ;  as  dying,  and,  behold,  we 
live  :  "  as  chastened,  and  not  killed; 

10  As  sorrowful,  yet  alway  re¬ 
joicing  ;  as  poor,  yet  making  many 
rich  ;  as  having  nothing,  and  yet 
possessing  all  0  things. 

[Practical  Observations.] 

11  O  ye  Corinthians,  our  mouth 
is  open  unto  you,  p  our  heart  is  en¬ 
larged. 

g  c.  11:23, &c. 
h  or,  in  tossings 
to  and  fro. 
i  c.  4:2. 


Baries  of  life;  in  distresses,  being  straitened 
on  evqry  side,  hardly  knowing  what  to  do; 
in  stripes  often,  ch.  11:  24.  in  imprisonments, 
in  tumults  raised  by  the  Jews  and  Gentiles 
against  him,  in  labors,  not  only  in  preaching 
the  Gospel,  but  in  travelling  for  that  end,  and 
working  with  his  hands  to  supply  his  neces¬ 
sities;  in  watchings  and  in  fastings,  either 
voluntary  on  a  religious  account,  or  invol- 

PRACT.  OBS.  V.  1 — 10.  It  is  the  peculiar  honor  of  faithful  minis¬ 
ters  and  zealous  Christians,  most  willingly  to  labor  in  concert  with  their 
Lord,  and  with  each  other;  hut  tempters,  seducers,  false  teachers,  per¬ 
secutors,  scoffers,  and  all  who  oppose  or  disgrace  the  cause  of  God,  are 
fellow-workers  of  the  devil. — To  prevent  this  fatal  consequence  [failure 
of  salvation.],  as  far  as  we  are  able,  we  should  warn,  expostulate,  per¬ 
suade,  entreat,  and  exhort  men,  by  all  the  means  which  we  can  devise, 
to  attend  [at  once]  to  ‘  this  one  thing  needful.’  —  It  is  peculiarly  incum¬ 
bent  on  all  who  preach  this  great  salvation,  to  ‘  give  no  offence  in  any¬ 
thing,’  except  by  their  faithfulness,  ‘  that  the  ministry  be  not  blam¬ 
ed  ;’  and  in  all  things  to  approve  themselves,  as  the  ministers  of  God,’ 
who  are  sent  to  show  the  descendants  of  fallen  Adam  the  way  of  eter¬ 
nal  life.  1  Cor.  10:29 — 33. — But  alas  !  how  very  few  of  those,  who  wear 
the  garb  or  bear  the  office  of  ministers,  answer  this  description  (of  the 
apostle]  !  How  very  many  are  the  exact  reverse  of  it  !  How  often  do 
even  the  preachers  of  the  Gospel  give  such  offence,  and  cause  such 
scandals,  by  their  evident,  allowed,  and  habitual  misconduct,  that  ‘  the 


ticing;  yet  in  all  the  churches  of  Christ  they 
were  well  known,  and  of  great  account;  they 
were  looked  upon  as  dying,  being  killed  all 
the  day  long,  and  their  interest  as  a  dying 
interest;  ‘  and  yet  behold. ,’  says  the  apostle, 
*  we  live,  live  comfortably,  and  bear  up  cheer¬ 
fully  under  all  our  hardships,  and  go  on  con¬ 
quering  and  to  conquer;’  and  though  it  was 
thought  they  were  sorrowful,  a  company  of 
mopish  and  melancholy  men, always  sighing 
and  mourning;  yet  they  were  always  rejoic¬ 
ing  in  God,  and  had  the  greatest  reason  to 
rejoice  always.  They  were  despised  as  poor, 
on  account  of  their  poverty  in  this  world; 
and  yet  they  made  many  rich,  by  preaching 
the  unsearchable  riches  of  Christ.  They 
were  thought  to  have  nothing,  and  silver  and 
gold,  houses  and  lands  they  had  none;  yet 
they  possessed  all  things;  nothing  in  this 
world,  but  a  treasure  in  heaven,  nothing  in 
themselves,  but  all  things  in  Christ.  Such 
a  paradox  is  a  Christian’s  life,  and  through 
such  a  variety  of  conditions  and  reports  lies 
our  way  to  heaven ;  and  we  should  be  care¬ 
ful  in  all  these  things  to  approve  ourselves  to 
God. 

V.  11 — 18.  He  proceeds  to  address  him¬ 
self  more  particularly  to  the  Corinthians, 
and  cautions  them  against  mingling  with  un¬ 
believers.  The  caution  is  introduced  with 
a  profession,  in  a  very  pathetic  manner,  of 
the  most  tender  affection  to  them,  v.  11 — 13. 
Though  the  apostle  was  happy  in  a  great 
fluency  of  expressions,  yet  he  seemed  to 
want  words  how  to  signify  the  warm  affec¬ 
tions  he  had  for  these  Corinthians.  And  be¬ 
cause  his  heart  was  thus  enlarged  with  love 
to  them,  therefore  he  opened  his  mouth  so 
freely  to  them  in  kind  admonitions  and  ex¬ 
hortations;  and  all  he  wished  in  return  was, 
that  they  would  be  correspondently  affected 

ministry  is  blamed,’  and  men  are  fatally  prejudiced  against  the  truth  ! 
And  how  common  it  is  for  us  to  be  drawn  into  those  improprieties  of  con¬ 
duct,  which  prevent  the  usefulness  of  our  most  earnest  exhortations  ! 
We  should,  therefore,  continually  beseech  the  Lord  to  erase  every  unfa¬ 
vorable  impression,  which  any  past  misconduct  may  have  made  on 
men’s  minds,  and  to  prepare  us  for  serving  Him  more  unexceptiona- 
bly  for  the  future;  that  we  may  give  up  every  worldly  interest  and  in¬ 
dulgence,  and  be  willing  to  labor  and  suffer  in  the  cause  of  Christ.  We 
should  seek  to  be  made  ‘fruitful  in  good  works;’  to  be  endued  with 
‘  pureness  nnd  knowledge  ;’  to  be  strengthened  in  the  exercise  of  long- 
suffering  and  kindness  ;  to  be  ‘  armed  with  the  whole  armor  of  God ;’  to 
rejoice  in  the  midst  of  tribulation ;  to  be  far  more  desirous  of  making 
others  rich,  than  of  avoiding  poverty  in  our  own  circumstances  ;  to  leave 
our  character  and  concerns  in  the  Lord’s  hands;  and  to  count  ourselves 
‘  to  possess  all  things,’  In  his  all-sufllcient  favor,  and  exceedingly  great 
and  precious  promises.  Phil.  4:10 — 20.  Heb.  13:5,  6.  Scott. 


j  1  Co.  2:4. 
k  Ep.  6:1 1,  &c. 
1  Jn.  7:12,17. 
m  1  Co.  4:9. 


n  Ps.  118:18. 
o  Ps.  84:11. 
p  Ep.  6:8. 
Re.  22:12. 


untary  for  the  sake  of  religion ;  but  he  exer¬ 
cised  much  patience  in  all,  v.  4,  5.  Note, 
Faithful  ministers  are  often  reduced  to  great 
difficulties,  and  stand  in  need  of  much  pa¬ 
tience.  Those  who  would  approve  them¬ 
selves  to  God, must  approve  themselves  faith¬ 
ful  in  trouble  as  well  as  in  peace,  not  only  in 
doing  the  work  of  God  diligently,  but  also  in 
bearing  the  will  of  God  patient!}'. 

(2.)  By  acting  from' good  principles,  v.  6, 
7.  There  is  no  piety  without  purity,  a  care 
to  keep  ourselves  unspotted  from  the  world  ; 
zeal,  too,  without  knowledge,  is  but  madness. 
Nor  must  we  be  easily  provoked,  but  bear 
hard  treatment  even  from  those  to  whom  we 
kindly  endeavor  to  do  good.  So  Paul  acted, 
under  the  influence  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  from 
the  noble  principle  of  unfeigned  love,  accord¬ 
ing  to  the  rule  of  th  eWord  of  truth,  under  the 
supports  and  assistances  of  the  power  of  God, 
having  on  the  armor  of  righteousness,  a  con¬ 
sciousness  of  universal  righteousness  and  ho¬ 
liness;  which  is  the  best  defence  against 
the  temptations  of  prosperity  on  the  right 
hand,  and  of  adversity  on  the  left. 

(3.)  By  a  due  temper  and  behavior  under 
all  the  variety  of  conditions  in  this  world, 
v.  8 — 10.  We  must  expect  to  meet  with 
many  alterations  of  our  circumstances  and 
conditions  in  this  world;  and  it  will  be  a 
great  evidence  of  our  integrity,  if  we  pre¬ 
serve  a  right  temper  of  mind,  and  duly  be¬ 
have  ourselves,  under  them  all.  It  should 
seem  that  persons  differently  represented  the 
apostles;  some  represented  them  as  the  best, 
an d  others  as  the  worst,  of  men ;  some  counted 
them  deceivers,  and  run  them  down  as  such ; 
others  as  true,  preaching  the  Gospel  of  truth, 
and  true  to  the  trust  reposed  in  them.  Men 
of  the  world  slighted  them,  as  unknown, 
men  of  no  figure  or  account,  nor  worth  no- 


ics.  ‘  This  is  certainly  one  of  the  sublimest  passages  ever  written. — 
(10)  Making  many,  <fcc.]  We  arc  continually  enriching  many  with  treas¬ 
ures,  whicli  they  would  not  part  with  for  all  the  revenues  of  kings  and 
princes.’  Doddr.  Scott. 

(3.)  ‘We  are  continually  exhorting  you,  we  (I  say)  who  give  no 
offence, — who — who,  <fcc.’  Paul  enters  into  these  particulars,  thereby 
to  call  upon  them  for  greater  attention  to  his  exhortations,  and  also, 
that  they  may  in  several  respects,  follow  his  example:  .  .  .  otherwise 
this  long  and  affecting  paragraph  might  seem  to  savor  of  vainglory. 
Offence.]  Endeavoring  to  throw  no  stumbling-block  (Rom.  14:13  );  not 
intentionally  throwing  any.  Ed. 

(4 — 6.)  ‘Showing  and  proving  ourselves  to  be  (what  [false  teachers, 
or]  unbelievers  deny)  persons  to  whom  is  committed  a  divine  legation. 
Paul,  as  in  similar  lists,  distributes  the  particulars  in  groups  ••  after  the 
general  term,  denoting  endurance  of  hardships,  and  trials  of  every  kind, 
comes  the  first  group,  denoting  his  afflictions,  necessities,  and  pinch¬ 
ing  adversity,  (necessity,  dire  calamity,)  for  there  seems  a  climax.  The 
next  words  advert  to  actual  and  direct  persecutions;  then,  “ labors ,” 
•fee.,  may  well  refer  to  his  corporal  labor  at  his  trade  ;  the  watchings  to 
the  abridgment  of  his  nocturnal  rest,  occasioned  by  the  necessity  of 
making  up  at  over  hours,  and  in  the  night  time,  for  part  of  the  day  con¬ 
sumed  in  his  evangelical  labors ;  and  the  fastings  may  very  well  refer 
to  that  scanty  fare  which  a  trade,  followed  up  with  such  divided  atten¬ 
tion,  would  necessarily  occasion.  Some  ancient  comtrs.  understand 
these  as  the  apostle’s  voluntary  sufferings.  But  this  seems  an  unfound¬ 
ed  notion.  The  interpretation  was,  I  imagine,  devised  to  afford  a  coun¬ 
tenance  to  monkish  austerities.’  Bloomf. 

(6.)  Knowledge.]  ‘Prudence  or  skill  in  right  action ;  so  Ros.,  <fcc. 
Others,  a  firm,  stable,  unwavering  knowledge  and  persuasion.  Grot. 
tr.  a  knowledge  of  the  law,  literal  and  mystical.  I  prefer,  with  Chrys., 
“  the  wisdom  that  is  from  above,  the  only  true  wisdom.”  And  this  tr. 
is  placed  bevoiid  a  doubt,  by  Ja.  3:17.  Kindness.]  By  this  word  is  in¬ 
tended  an  opposition  to  superciliousness,  and  starched  austerity  of  man¬ 
ners.  By  the  Holy  Ghost.]  “  The  sanctifying  graces  and  aids  of  the  Holy 
Spirit,  to  which  the  apostle  ever  yielded.  Chrys."  ‘  And  these  amiable 
dispositions  we  cultivate  in  humble  dependence  on  [and  by  the  aid  of] 
the  sanctifying  influences  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  who  dwells  in  our  hearts, 
ns  a  continual  principle  of  that  undissembled  love,  which  wo  exercise 
without  limitation,  not  only  to  fViends  and  benefactors,  but  to  enemies 

[336] 


and  persecutors.’  L)oddr.  ‘  The  words  “  love  unfeigned,”  however,  more 
naturally  connect  with  the  words  following.  Most  recent  foreign  comtrs. 
unwarrantably  lower  the  sense.’  Bloomf. 

(7.)  ‘  Closely  connected  with  that  genuine  love  (not  the  dissembled 
and  self-interested  love  of  the  false  teachers),  is  the  next  quality,  name¬ 
ly,  abstaining  from  any  dissimulation,  or  suppression  of  the  truth  ;  or 
mixing  it  with  Gentile  philosophy,  or  Jewish  tradition,  &c.  Power,  &c.] 
I.  e.  of  working  miracles.  And  so  the  ancient  fathers  and  Gr.  comtrs. 
Next  Paul  seems  to  advert  to  human  means,  namely,  simply,  the  defen¬ 
sive  armor  of  righteousness.  The  words  on  the  right,  fee..,  allude  to  the 
armor  of  a  Grecian  hoplite  [heavy  armed],  who,  when  completely  un¬ 
cased,  was  said  to  be  amphidexios.  [I^ote  and  cuts,  Jer.  :  end.  The 
principal  part  of  the  armor,  the  thorax,  was  of  two  parts,  (one  for  the 
back,  the  other  for  the  breast,)  coupled  by  buttons,  <fcc.  at  the  sides.  See 
Potter.]  Paul  refutes  their  slanders  by  good  deeds.’  Id. 

(8,  9.)  Deceivers.]  1  Planoi  :  doubtless  it  referred  to  some  appella¬ 
tion,  which  had  already  been  given  him,  either  by  the  opposite  faction  at 
Corinth,  or  rather  by  the  Jewish  priests  and  heathen  philosophers  and 
priests  everywhere  ;  those  being  times  when  impostors  of  every  kind 
swarmed,  to  whom  was  commonly  applied  the  terms  pianos  and  planus. 
[See  Bl.  on  Mat.  27:63.]  Iu  Atheneus  it  is  joined  with  jugglers  and 
merry-andrews.  Comp,  also  the  use  of  the  word  in  Diod.,  l’etron.,  Cic., 
Ilor.  Unknown.]  With  some  we  are  in  great  estimation ;  others  do 
not  choose  to  know  us ;  affect  to  treat  us  as  obscure  nobodies.’  Id. 

(10.)  Having,  & c.]  ‘  To  be  taken  in  a  twofold  sense  ;  1st,  Physical, 
namely,  possessing  nothing,  and  yet, in  a  manner,  possessing  all  things; 
q.  d.  all  that  my  converts  possess,  being  at  my  disposal,  viz.  for  the 
benefit  of  others  :  for  he  has  not  self  in  view  in  this  wealth  at  all.  2d. 
Spiritual,  namely,  though  we  literally  have  no  property,  or  possessions, 
in  this  life,  we  in  fact  have,  in  the  glorious  promises  of  another  and  a 
better,  what  infinitely  outweighs  all  that  earth  can  give.  Phil.  4.18.  1 
Tim.  6:17.  Col.  3:11.  Epli.  1:3.  Rev.  21:7.  These  vs.  [Doddr.  rightly 
remarks)  contain  one  of  the  sublimest  passages  ever  written.  Indeed, 
in  the  long-sustained  point  and  antithesis,  I  know  of  none  compara¬ 
ble  to  it,  except  the  contrast  between  the  Lacedemonians  and  Atheni¬ 
ans,  in  Thucyd.'  Id. 

V.  11.  Rtvuth.]  ‘  It  refers  to  that  impassioned  strain  of  fervid  orato¬ 
ry,  in  the  preceding  vs.,  poured  forth  as  from  the  mouth  of  a  cataract. 
Thoughts  that  breathe,  easily  find  vent  in  words  that  burn.  Enlarged.] 


A.  D.  61. 


o 


CORINTHIANS,  VII. 


Exhortation  to  holiness. 


12  Ye  are  not  straitened  in  us, 
but  ye  are  straitened  in  your  own 
bowels. 

13  Now  for  a  recompense  in  the 
same,  (I  speak  as  unto  my  children,) 
be  ye  also  enlarged. 

14  Be  qye  not  unequally  yoked 
together  with  unbelievers:  for  what 
fellowship  hath  righteousness  with 
unrighteousness  ?  and  what  com¬ 
munion  hath  light  with  darkness  ? 

15  And  what  concord  hath  Christ 
with  Belial  ?  or  what  pai;t  hath  he 
that  believeth  with  an  infidel  ? 

16  And  what  agreement  hath  the 
temple  of  God  with  idols  ?  for  ye 
rare  the  temple  of  the  living  God  ; 
as  God  hath  said,  I  5  will  dwell  in 
them,  and  walk  in  them;  and  I  will 
be  their  God,- and  they  shall  be  my 
people. 

17  Wherefore  ‘come  out  from 
among  them,  and  be  ye  separate, 
saith  the  Lord,  and  touch  not  the 
unclean  thing  ;  and  I  will  receive 
you, 

IS  And  “will  be  a  Father  unto 
you,  and  ye  shall  be  my  sons  and 
daughters,  saith  the  Lord  Almighty. 

CHAP.  VII. 

1  He  proceedeth  in  exhorting  them  to  purity  of  life,  2  and 
to  bear  him  like  affection  as  he  dotfi  to  them.  3  Where¬ 
of  le3t  he  might  seem  to  doubt,  he  declareth  what  comfort 
he  took  in  his  afflictions,  by  the  report  which  Titus  gave 
of  their  godly  sorrow,  which  his  former  epistle  had 
wrought  in  them,  13  and  of  their  loving-kindness  and 
obedience  towards  Titus,  answerable  to  his  former  boast¬ 
ings  of  them. 

HAVING  therefore  these  “prom¬ 
ises,  dearly  beloved,  let  us 
cleanse  b  ourselves  from  all  filthi¬ 


ness  of  the  flesh  and  spirit,  perfect¬ 
ing  holiness  in  the  fear  of  God. 


q  De.  7:2,3. 

1  Go.  7  39. 
r  1  Co.  3:16,17. 

6:19  Ep  2:21,22, 
e  Kx  .  29:45.  Le. 
26:12.  Je.  31:1, 


83.  32:38.  Ex. 
11:20  36:28.  37; 
26 ,27..  Zee.  8:8. 
t  Is.  52:11.  c.7: 1. 

Re.  18:4. 
u  Jc.  31:9. 


Re.  21:7. 
a  c.  6:17,18. 

1  Jn.  3:3. 
b  Ps.  51:10. 

E7 .  36:25,26. 
1  Ju,  1:7,9. 


towards  him.  It  is  desirable  that  there 
should  he  a  [strong  and]  mutual  good  affec¬ 
tion  between  ministers  and  their  people,  and 
this  wotdd  greatly  tend  to  their  mutual  com¬ 
fort  and  advantage. 

The  exhortation  is,  not  to  mingle  them¬ 
selves  with  unbelievers,  not  to  be  unequally 
yoked  with  them,  v.  14.  Either, 

1.  Ill  stated  relations.  It  is  wrong  for 
good  people  to  join  in  affinity  with  the  wick¬ 
ed  and  profane;  these  will  draw  different 
ways,  and  that  will  be  galling  and  grievous; 
and  there  is  more  danger  that  the  bad  will 
damage  the  good,  than  hope  that  the  good 
will  benefit  the  bad. 

2.  In  common  conversation.  We  should 
not  yoke  ourselves  in  friendship  and  ac¬ 
quaintance  with  wicked  men  and  unbeliev¬ 
ers.  Though  we  cannot  wholly  avoid  seeing 
and  hearing,  and  being  with  such,  yet  we 
should  never  choose  them  for  our  bosom- 
friends. 

3.  Much  less  should  we  join  in  religious 
communion  with  them;  we  must  not  join 
their  idolatrous  services,  nor  concur  in  their 
false  worship,  nor  any  abominations;  we 
must  not  confound  together  the  table  of  the 
Lord  and  the  table  of  devils;  the  house  of 
God  and  the  house  of  Ritnmon.  The  apostle 
gives  several  good  reasons  against  this  cor¬ 
rupt  mixture. 

(1.)  It  is  a  very  great  absurdity,  v.  14, 
15.  as  bad  as  for  the  Jews  to  have  ploughed 
with  an  ox  and  ,an  ass,  or  to  have  sown 
divers  sorts  of  grain  intermixed.  What  an 
absurdity  to  think  of  joining  righteousness 
and  unrighteousness,  or  mingling  light  and 


darkness,  fire  and  water,  together  !  Yet  be¬ 
lievers  and  unbelievers,  Christ  and  Belial, 
are. equally  opposite.  It  is  absurd,  therefore, 
to  think  of  enlisting  under  both;  and  if  the 
believer  has  part  with  an  infidel,  he  does 
what  in  him  lies  to  bring  Christ  and  Belial 
together. 

(2.)  It  is  a  dishonor  to  the  Christian’s 
profession  ;  v.  16.  for  Christians  are  by  pro¬ 
fession,  and  should  be  in  reality,  the  temples 
of  the  living  God,  dedicated  to,  and  employ¬ 
ed  for,  the  service  of  God,  who  has  promised 
to  reside  in  them,  to  dwell  and  walk  in  them, 
to  stand  in  a  special  relation  to  them,  and 
take  a  special  care  of  them,  that  lie  will  be 
their  God,  and  they  shall  be  his  people.  Now 
there  can  be  no  agreement  between  the  tem¬ 
ple  of  God  and  idols. 

(3.)  There  is  great  danger  in  communi¬ 
cating  with  unbelievers  and  idolaters;  dan¬ 
ger  of  being  defiled,  and  of  being  rejected; 
therefore  the  exhortation  is,  v.  17.  to  avoid 
the  society  of  such,  and  not  to  touch  the  un¬ 
clean  thing,  lest  we  are  defiled.  We  rnus* 
take  care  not  to  defile  ourselves  by  converse 
with  those  who  [persist  to]  defile  themselves 
with  sin;  so  is  the  will  of  God,  as  we  evei 
hope  to  be  received,  and  not  rejected,  by 
Him. 

(4.)  It  is  base  ingratitude  to  God  for  all 
the  favors  He  has  bestowed  on  believers, 
and  promised  to  them,u.  18.  God  has  prom¬ 
ised  to  be  a  Father  to  them,  and  that  they 
shall  be  his  sons  and  his  daughters;  and  is 
there  a  greater  honor  or  happiness  1  How 
ungrateful  then  must  it  be,  if  such,  who  have 
this  dignity  and  felicity,  should  degrade  and 
debase  themselves  by  mingling  with  unbe¬ 
lievers  ! 


Chap.  VII.  V.  1 — 4.  These  vs.  con¬ 
tain  a  double  exhortation. 

1.  To  make  a  progress  in  holiness,  or  to 
perfect  holiness  in  the  fear  of  God,  v.  1.  in 
view  of  the  exceeding  great  and  precious 


PRACT.  OBS.  V.  11 — 18.  Evident  uprightness  and  enlarged  love 
give  confidence,  in  addressing  even  those  who  have  imbibed  prejudices  ; 
we  shall  be  far  more  grieved  when  they  close  their  minds  against  our 
instructions,  than  when  they  refuse  to  communicate  to  our  necessities  ; 
and  the  most  desired  1  recompense  ’  of  1  our  labor  of  love,’  will  be  their 
readiness  to  receive  the  truth  from  our  lips.  —  It  will  especially  be  near 
the  heart  of  such  pastors,  to  caution  their  ‘  beloved  children’  in  the  Gos¬ 
pel,  not  to  he  1  unequally  yoked  with  unbelievers.’  The  fatal  elFeots  of 
neglecting  the  scriptural  precept  in  this  matter  are  most  evident.  They, 
whose  trial  it  is  to  be  thus  connected,  without  their  wilful  fault,  may 
expect  peculiar  consolations  under  it;  but  when  believers  will  thrust 
themselves  into  these  disadvantageous  circumstances,  contrary  to  the 
express  warnings  of  God’s  Word,  they  may  expect  to  feel  great  and  of¬ 
ten  very  durable  additional  distress  ;  and  we  are  most  likely  to  do  good 
to  unbelievers,  when  we  stand  aloof  from  all  oilier  intercourse  with 


them,  besides  that  of  duty  and  compassion.  If  we  be  Christians  in¬ 
deed,  we  are  ‘  the  temples  of  the  living  God  ;’  [magnificent,  glorious 
thought ;]  and  ‘  what  have  we  then  to  do  any  more  with  idols  ?’  Let  us 
value  our  relation  to  Him,  and  not  profane  it ;  let  us  admire  his  conde¬ 
scending  promises,  of  ‘  dwelling  and  walking  in  us  ’  poor  sinners,  whom 
lie  hath  reconciled  to  Himself  by  Jesus  Christ.  Let  us  not  touch  any 
gain  or  indulgence  that  is  spotted  with  sin.  Let  us  remember,  that  the 
world,  though  called  Christian,  still  Mieth  in  wickedness,’  and  is  full  of 
unclean  tilings,  which  we  must  abhor.  Let  us  assure  ourselves  that  the 
Lord  will  receive  all  those,  who  come  in  his  appointed  way,  and  at  his 
call ;  and  that  He  ‘  will  be  a  Father  unto  them,’  and  take  them  for  his 
children  ;  and  if  it  be  so  envied  a  privilege,  to  be  the  son  or  daughter 
of  some  earthly  potentate,  who  can  express  the  dignity  and  felicity  of 
being  ‘  the  sons  and  daughters  of  the  Lord  Almighty  !’  1  John  3:1 — 3. 

Scott. 


In  joy,  and  other  impassioned  feelings,  the  heart  really  feels  as  if  loosen¬ 
ed  and  enlarged ;  whereas,  in  the  contrary  affections,  as  sorrow,  fear, 
alarm,  Sec.,  the  heart  seems  tightened .’  Bloomf. 

V.  13,  14.  Children.]  ‘To  suggest  the  ground  of  the  claim,  viz.  his 
paternity.  Make  me,  then,  v.  14.  this  return  of  affection,  and  as  a  proof 
of  it.  observe  my  admonitions,  especially  this,  he  not  a  yoke-fellow  (so 
the  Or.).  &c.  which  has  a  double  sense,  and  delicately  includes  marriage, 
(which  would  bring  a  Christian  into* close  contact  with  heathen  society,) 
while  condemning  all  habitual  intimacy.’  Id. 

V.  14 — 18.  The  apostle  especially  entreated  his  beloved  children,  not 
to  contract  marriages,  or  form  any  intimate  connexions,  with  unbeliev¬ 
ers,  fo  which  carnal  motives  might  induce  them. — (16)  /  wilt  dwelt ,  &c.[ 
With  some  variation  from  the  LXX,  and  also  from  the  Ileb. ;  but  it 
gives  the  general  meaning.  {Lev.  20:11,12.) — (17)  Come  out,  &c.\  The 
genera]  sense  of  the  passage,  but  not  exactly  either  from  the  Heb.  or 
LXX,  {Is.  52:11.)  Scott. 

(16.)  Ye.]  ‘I.  e.  each  one  of  you  Christians.  1  Cor.  G:19,  20,  &c. 
Nothing  can  be  more  harsh,  frigid,  and  devoid  of  foundation,  than  to  un¬ 
derstand  it,  of  ail  the  Corinthian  congregation;  taken  collectively,  and 
forming  u  church ,  as  do  some  recent  comtrs.  And  why  tin's  [system  ofj 
tortuous  interpretation  ?  Is  it  to  get  rid  of  the  doctrine  of  spiritual  in¬ 
fluences  altogether  ?  But  as  this  is  impossible,  why  haggle  about  a  few 
examples  of  it,  more  or  less  ?’  Bl.  Temple  of  God.]  ‘There  seems  a 
peculiar  strength  in  this  interrogation.  If  God  would  not  endure  idols 
iu  any  part  of  the  land  in  which  He  dwelt,  how  much  less  would  He  en¬ 
dure  them  under  his  own  roof.  Dwell,  in  the  most  intimate  manner, 
in  them.]  No  words,  I  know,  in  our  language,  can  equal  the  force  of  the 
original,  l  will  take  up  my  indwelling  in  them.  This  was  a  promise 
made  to  the  Jews  on  their  being  converted,  and  consequently  refers  to 
their  privileges,  as  members  of  the  Christian  church  ;  which  shows  the 
propriety  of  tiie  application.  .Ter.  31:33.  32:37,38.’  1)oddr.  God  hath 
sat'd.]  Doddr.  paraphrases,  1  Now  when  we  consider  the  constitution  of 
the  Christian  church,  we  cannot  possibly  imagine  that  God  is  less  favor¬ 
ably  present  with  it  than  He  was  with  the  Jewish.  We  may,  therefore, 
hear  God  calling  to  us,  as  to  Israel,  Come  out,  <tc.’  The  sense  (says  Bl.) 
is  :  ‘to  employ  and  apply  the  words  of  God  to  the  present  case.’  And 
he  adds,  ‘Can  anything  more  strongly  prove  the  divine  inspiration  of 
N.  T.  VOL.  V.  43 


the  O.  T.  (even  that  of  the  Pentateuch,  so  much  called  in  question)  than 
such  language  as  this  ;  so  decided,  and,  at  the  same  time,  thrown  out  in 
a  sort  of  way,  which,  least  of  all,  induces  us  to  suppose  that  the  N.  T. 
writers  meant  formally  to  enjoin  such  a  belief!’  Ed. 

(17.)  Separate.]  ‘  A  separation  of  counsels  and  plans,  not  accompa¬ 
nied  with  that  hatred,  in  which  tlte  Jew's  always  held  foreign  nations.’ 
Ros.  An  internal,  mental,  spiritual,  rather  than  an  external  non-inter¬ 
course  alone  :  for  ‘  this  more  perfect  disposition  of  mind,’  (says  Ros.) 
‘makes  us  more  united  to  God,’ and  more  fit  to  he  ‘ received  into  his 
especial  society,  as  the  Gr.  has  it.’  ‘  The  wiser  Jews  supposed  that,  by 
the  prohibition  not  to  touch  unclean  animals,  was  also  meant  abstinence 
from  society  with  idolaters.’  Grot.  Id. 

(18.)  ‘Not,  it  is  supposed,  found,  in  so  many  words,  in  any  one  pas¬ 
sage  of  the  O.  T. ;  though,  by  some,  referred  to  Jer.  81:1  or  9.  or  rather, 
2  S.  7:14.  Paul  meant  (I  think)  to  apply  that  very  passage,  though,  no 
doubt,  he  had  some  similar  ones  in  li is  mind.’  Bloomf. 

NOTES.  Chap.  VII.  V.  1.  This  v.  is  evidently  connected  with  the 
subject  of  the  former  ch.  6:14 — 18.  All  sin  is  ‘filthiness’  in  the  judg¬ 
ment  of  God,  because  contrary  to  his  holy  nature  and  law.  Sensual 
lusts  may  be  called  ‘filthiness  of  the  flesh  while  pride,  envy,  revenge, 
avarice,  idolatry,  and  all  ungodliness  may  lie  intended  by  the  ‘filthiness 
of  the  spirit;’  or  the  former  may  signify  the  outward  expression  of  sin 
by  tiie  body  in  xvord  or  deed  ;  the  latter,  its  inw  ard  workings  in  the  im¬ 
agination  and  affections.  It  should,  however,  be  noted,  that  the  apostle 
speaks  of  ‘  filthiness  of  the  spirit:’  whereas  modern  theologians  often 
speak  as  if  the  body  alone  were  the  seat  of  pollution.  Rom.  8:5 — 9.  Gal. 
5:16 — 21. — Perfecting,  &  c.[  ‘Still  making  progress  in  holiness.’  Whit¬ 
by.  If  any  were  perfect,  in  the  strict  sense  of  the  word,  the  exhorta¬ 
tion  would  not  suit  them.  It  would  not  be  properly  addressed  to  a  holy 
angel,  or  to  the  ‘spirits  of  just  men  made  perfect.’  Scott. 

(1.)  Filthiness,  or  pollution  of  the  flesh.]  I.  e.  improper  desires,  re¬ 
sulting  in  acts  ;  as  theft,  lying,  fraud,  drunkenness,  gluttony,  slander,  abus¬ 
ive  language,  fighting,  lasciviousness,  idolatry,  &c.  Of  the  spurt.)  n- 
dulgence  of  pride,  avarice,  malice,  impure  thoughts;  complacent  mex  • 
Ration  on  future  or  past  sins  ;’  all  such  (wilful)  ill-rcguiate  .  ,  ' 

as  lead  to  evil  actions  :  or  approval  of  any  of  those  thoughts  whichde- 

file  a  man  [SS7] 


A.  D.  61. 


2  CORINTHIANS,  VII. 


Repentance  of  the  Corinthians. 


2  Receive  us  ;  we  have  wronged 
no  man,  we  have  corrupted  no 
man,  c  we  have  defrauded  no  man. 

8  I  speak  not  this  to  condemn 
you  ;  for  I  have  said  d  before,  that 
ye  are  in  our  hearts  to  die  and  live 
with  you. 

4  Great  is  my  boldness  of  speech 
toward  you,  great  *  is  my  glorying 
of  you  :  I  am  filled  with  cpmfort, 
I  am  exceedingly  joyful  fin  all  our 
tribulation. 

5  For  when  we  were  come  into 
Macedonia  our  flesh  had  no  rest, 
but  we  were  troubled  on  every  side; 
without  8  were  fightings,  within 
were  fears. 

6  Nevertheless  God,  that  cora- 
forteth  those  that  are  cast  down, 
comforted  us  by  the  corning  of 
h  Titus  ; 

7  And  not  by  his  coining  only, 
but  by  the  consolation  wherewith 
he  was  comforted  in  you,  when  he 
told  us  your  earnest  desire,  your 
mourning,  your  fervent  mind  to¬ 
ward  me  ;  so  that  I  rejoiced  the 
more. 

8  For  though  I  made  you  sorry 
with  a  letter,  I  do  not  repent,  though 
I  *  did  repent  :  for  I  perceive  that 
the  same  epistle  hath  made  you 
sorry,  though  it  were  but  for  a 
season. 

9  Now  I  rejoice,  not  that  ye 
were  made  sorry,  but  that  ye  sor¬ 
rowed  to  repentance  :  for  ye  were 
made  sorry  >  after  a  godly  manner, 
that  ye  might  receive  damage  by  us 
in  nothing. 

clSa.  12:3,4.  c  1  Co.l:4. c.l:14.  h  c.  2:13. 

Ac.  20:33.  f  Phi.  2:17.  i  c.  2:4. 

c.  12:17.  Col.  1:24.  J  or,  according  to 

dc.  6:11,12.  g  De.  32:25.  God . 

promises  mentioned  in  the  former  ch.  The 
promises  of  God  are  strong  inducements  to 
sanctification,  in  both  the  branches  thereof, 
namely,  dying  unto  sin,  or  mortifying  our 


lusts  and  corruptions,  of  body  and  of  mind; 
and  living  unto  righteousness  and  holiness. 
We  must  endeavor  to  be  holy  as  God  is  holy, 
and  perfect  as  our  Father  in  heaven  is  per¬ 
fect,  and  not  be  contented  without  aiming  at 
sinless  perfection,  though  we  shall  always 
come  short  of  it,  while  in  this  world;  and 
this  we  must  do  in  the  [loving]  fear  of  God, 
which  is  the  root  and  principle  of  all  re¬ 
ligion,  and  there  is  no  holiness  without  it. 

2.  To  show  a  due  regard  to  the  ministers 
of  the  Gospel ;  Receive  us,  v.  2.  Those  who 
labor  in  the  word  and  doctrine,  should  be 
had  in  reputation,  and  be  highly  esteemed  for 
their  work’s  sake ;  and  this  would  be  a  help 
to  making  progress  in  holiness.  If  the  min¬ 
isters  of  the  Gospel  are  thought  contemptible 
because  of  their  office,  there  is  danger  lest 
the  Gospel  itself  be  contemned  also.  The 
apostle  did  not  think  it  any  disparagement 
to  court  the  favor  of  the  Corinthians;  and 
though  we  must  flatter  none,  yet  we  must  be 
gentle  towards  all. 

(1.)  He  had  done  nothing  to  forfeit  their 
esteem  and  good-will,  and  was  cautious  not 
to  do  anything  to  deserve  their  ill-will,  v.  2. 

I  have  coveted  no  man’s  silver,  or  gold,  or  ap¬ 
parel,  said  he  to  the  ciders  of  Ephesus, 
Acts  20:  33.  This  is  an  appeal  like  that  of 
Samuel,  1  S.  12.  Then  may  ministers  the 
more  confidently  expect  esteem  and  favor 
from  the  people,  when  they  can  safely  ap¬ 
peal  to  them,  that  they  are  guilty  of  nothing 
that  deserves  disesteem  or  displeasure. 

(2.)  He  did  not  herein  reflect  on  them 
for  want  of  affection  to  him,  v.  3,4.  and,  to 
prevent  any  insinuations  against  him  on  ac¬ 
count  of  what  he  had  said,  as  if  he  intended 
to  charge  them  with  wronging  him,  or  unjust 
accusations  of  him  for  having  wronged  them, 
he  assures  them  again  of  his  great  affection 
to  them,  insomuch  that  he  could  spend  his 
last  breath  at  Corinth,  and  live  and  die  with 
them,  if  his  business  with  other  churches, 
and  his  work  as  an  apostle,  would  permit  j 
him  to  do  so.  And  he  adds,  it  was  his  great 
affection  to  them,  that  made  him  use  such  J 
boldness  or  freedom  of  speech  toward  them,  | 
and  caused  him  to  glory,  or  make  his  boast3  I 
of  them,  in  all  places,  and  on  all  occasions,  I 
being  filled  with  comfort, and  exceeding  joyful 
in  all  [his]  tribulations. 

V.  5 — 11.  There  seems  to  be  a  con¬ 
nexion  between  ch.  2:  13.  and  v.  5.  of  this 


ch.,  and  so  great  was  the  apostle’s  affection 
to  the  Corinthians,  and  his  concern  about 
their  behavior  in  relation  to  the  incestuous 
person,  that  he  still  had  no  rest  till  he  heard 
from  them.  And  now  he  tells  them, 

1.  How  he  was  distressed,  v.  5.  He  was 
troubled  when  he  did  not  meet  with  Titus  at 
Troas,  ch.  2:13.  and  afterwards,  when  for 
some  time  he  did  not  meet  with  him  in 
Macedonia,  because  he  could  not  hear  what 
reception  he  met  with  at  Corinth,  or  how 
their  affairs  went  forward.  And  beside  this, 
they  had  other  troubles,  continual  opposi¬ 
tion,  from  Jews  and  Gentiles;  and  great 
concern  for  such  as  had  embraced  the  Chris¬ 
tian  faith,  lest  they  should  be  corrupted  or 
seduced,  and  give  scandal  to  others,  or  be 
scandalized. 

2.  How  he  was  comforted,  v.  6,  7.  The 
very  coming  of  Titus,  and  his  company,  was 
some  comfort  to  him;  but  the  good  news 
Titus  brought  concerning  the  Corinthians, 
was  matter  of  greater  consolation,  especially 
when  he  acquainted  him  with  their  earnest 
desire  to  give  good  satisfaction  in  the  things 
about  which  the  apostle  had  written  to  them  ; 
and  of  their  mourning  for  the  scandal  found 
among  them,  and  the  great  grief  they  had 
caused  to  others;  and  their  fervent  mind,  or 
great  affection,  toward  the  apostle,  who  had 
dealt  so  faithfully  with  them  in  reproving 
their  faults.  And  he  ascribes  all  his  com¬ 
fort  to  God  as  the  Author,  even  the  God 
of  all  comfort,  v.  6.  We  should  look  above 
and  beyond  all  means  and  instruments,  unto 
God,  as  the  Author  of  all  the  consolation 
and  good  we  enjoy. 

3.  How  greatly  he  was  rejoiced  at  their 
repentance,  and  its  evidences.  He  was  sorry 
some  among  them  laid  to  heart  very  greatly 
what  he  said  in  his  former  epistle,  or  that  it 
was  needful  he  should  make  them  sorry, 
whom  he  had  rather  have  made  glad,  v.  8. 
But  now  he  rejoiced,  when  he  found  they 
had  sorrowed  to  repentance,  v.  9.  for  now  it 
appeared  they  had  received  damage  by  him 
in  nothing;  their  sorrow  was  but-for  a  sea¬ 
son;  it  was  turned  into  joy,  and  that  joy 
was  durable.  Observe  here, 

(1.)  The  antecedent  of  true  repentance  is 
godly  sorrow,  that  worketh  repentance.  The 
offender  had  great  sorrow,  and  the  society 
was  greatly  sorrowful,  which  before  was 
puffed  up;  and  this  sorrow  of  theirs  was 


V.  2 — 4.  The  apostle  here  returned  to  his  more  immediate  purpose 
of  re-establishing  his  authority  among  the  Corinthians.  G:  1 1 — 13.  He 
called  on  them,  to  ‘  receive  ’  him  and  his  brethren  as  (he  ambassadors  of 
Christ.  There  could  be  no  reason  for  a  contrary  conduct ;  as  they  had 
‘injured  no  man,’ in  his  person  or  connexions;  ‘corrupted  no  man,’  in 
his  principles  or  morals;  and  ‘defrauded  no  man’  in  regard  (o  his  prop¬ 
erty  ;  or  in  any  respect  coveted  ought  belonging  to  them.  —  Indeed  he 
was  so  confident  that  they  would  submit  to  his  apostolical  authority, 
that  he  addressed  them  with  great  freedom  and  boldness,  not  fearing  but 
they  would  take  it  in  good  part ;  and  he  even  gloried  among  his  friends 
concerning  their  conduct  in  the  late  transactions  ;  yea,  he  was  filled  with 
such  comfort  on  that  account,  as  abundantly  counterbalanced  all  his 
trials. — We  have  defrauded..]  See  on  2:10.  ‘The  word  ..  .  signifies,  to 
indulge  a  covetous  temper,  and  make  a  prey  of  others  by  it ;  and  per¬ 
haps  intimates,  that  the  false  teachers,  of  whom  he  had  so  much  reason 
to  complain,  had  done  it.  (4)  /  am  exceeding  joyful.]  See  on  Rom.  5'- 
20. — ‘It has  an  inexpressible  energy;  and  is,  if  I  mistake  not,  a  word  of 
the  apostle’s  own  making.’  Doddr.  ,  Scott. 

(2.)  ‘A  continuation  of  the  metaphorical  language  at  6:11 — 13.  for 
the  words  following,  in  vs.  14 — 18.  are  an  independent  paragraph,  con¬ 
taining  the  admonition  to  abstain  from  heathen  society.  The  sense, 
therefore,  seems  to  be  this  :  “  give  us  a  large  place  in  your  affections,  and 
(which  is  connected  therewith)  observe  these  onr  earnest  and  affection¬ 
ate  admonitions.  We  may  claim  to  possess,  or  retain  this  place  in  your 
affections,  for  we  have  injured  none  of  you,”  Arc.— as  the  false  teachers 
had.  Corrupted.]  Wasted  no  one’s  substance  by  extorting  gifts.’  Bt„ 

(3.)  ‘  I  say  not  this  to  hint  any  reproach  of  illiberality  to  me  ;  but  I 
speak  merely  to  show  my  claim  to  a  large  place  in  your  affections  (us 
ye  have  in  mine) ;  for,  as  I  have  said  before,  <fcc.’  Bt„  Die  and  live, 
Ac  ]  This  is  thought  a  proverbial  expression,  and  similar  are  quoted  from 
Ath.  and  Hor.  :  perhaps  Paul  had  in  mind  the  fraternization  oath  of  the 
Greciaa  ‘sacred  band,’  imitated  by  individuals,  still,  in  modem  Greece, 
who  solemnly  swear,  to  share  with  and  to  stand  by  each  other,  money 
for  money,  blood  for  blood,  life  for  life.  The  custom  may  have  been  ns 
ancient  as  the  apostle’s  time.  Ed. 

(4.)  ‘“Out  of  the  love  1  bear  to  yon  (and  which  is,  I  trust,  in  some 
degree,  mutual),  I  venture  to  use  this  freedom  of  speech,  not  from  any  ill 
opinion  of  you,  for  great  is  my  boasting  [exultationlconcerning  you,  but 
rather  for  your  good,  and  spiritual  improvement.”  The  words  following 
seem  added  by  way  of  climax  ;  q.d.  not  only  do  I  boast  of  you  to  others, 
but  your  spiritual  progress  gives  me  the  greatest  private  comfort  in  all 
mv  afflictions.’  Bl.  Exceeding.]  The  fervenev  of  the  apostle’s  tempera- 

[338] 


meat,  here  induces  him  to  make  a  word  of  his  own,  says  Doddr.,  xvhich 
Bioomf.  calls  ‘very  rare,  occurring  only  iu  Paul.’  Ed 

V.  7.  ‘lie  draws  no  invidious  distinctions  between  them,  [separate¬ 
ly  addressing  the  ill  and  well  affected,]  but  makes  both  the  encomiums 
and  the  censures  common,  and  in  medio,  leaving  it  to  the  conscience  of 
each  to  appropriate  to  himself  what  belonged  to  him.’  Tiieoph. 

V.  8.  The  inspiration  of  the  Holy  Spirit  did  not  supersede  the  exer¬ 
cise  of  the  understanding  and  faculties,  in  the  sacred  writers ;  and  the 
apostle’s  excess  of  concern,  about  the  consequences  of  his  former  epis¬ 
tle,  seems  to  have  rendered  his  mind  greatly  disquieted,  as  to  some  ex¬ 
pressions  in  it,  lest  they  should  counteract  his  grand  design.  If,  indeed, 
he  actually  ‘repented’  of  having  written  so  sharply,  as  well  as  had  felt 
an  after  carefulness  about  it,  as  the’word  implies;  this  must  not  be  as¬ 
cribed  to  the  things  written,  as  if  they  had  not  been  divinely  inspired  ; 
but  to  infirmity,  as  not  being  fully  sanctified,  or  freed  from  a  propensity 
to  excess  of  anxiety  and  solicitude. — A  physician,  in  full  confidence  that 
the  case  requires  it,  may  give  a  powerful  remedy  to  a  sick  friend  ;  and  yet 
his  anxiety  about  the  event,  arising  from  concurring  circumstances,  may 
induce  him  sometimes  to  wish  he  had  not  given  it.  —  Some,  however, 
render  the  passage,  perhaps  more  accurately,  ‘  Even  if  I  had  repented,  I 
should  not  now  repent.’  Rom.  9:1 — 3.  Scott. 

(8.)  ‘  Wherefore,  if  I  ever  did  pain  your  feelings  in  the  epistle  (which 
I  wrote  to  you)  I  do  not  (now)  repent ;  though  I  did  repeut  (during  the 
time  after  I  had  sent  it  off,  and  before  I  saw  Titus).  On  the  sense  of 
these  words  it  is  not  necessary  to  refine  minutely  or  press.  For,  af¬ 
ter  making  due  allowance  for  the  laxity  of  popular  phraseology,  it  can¬ 
not  be  inferred,  because  the  apostle  felt  regret,  that  he  had  written  with 
undue,  or  unjust  severity.  The  warm-hearted  kindness  of  his  disposi¬ 
tion  might  generate  that  feeling,  though,  strictly  speaking,  it  were  un¬ 
warranted.  When,  however,  he  found  the  good  his  well-meant  rebukes 
had  done,  he  would  abandon  all  feelings  of  regret.’  Be.  Repent.]  ‘  It 
may  also  signify  a  kind  of  misgiving  of  heart,  natural,  when  the  reproof, 
however  necessary,  is  given  to  a  person  one  tenderly  loves,  where  the 
event  is  dubious,  as  in  this  instance  it  might  be.’  Doddr. 

V.  9 — 11.  Some  are  of  opinion,  that  the  word,  rendered  ‘  not  to  he  re¬ 
pented  of,’  should  be  referred  to  ‘salvation,’  rather  than  to  ‘  repentance;’ 
in  the  same  sense  as  it  is  applied  to  ‘  the  gifts  and  calling  of  God,’  in  the 
only  placp,  where  the  same  word  occurs  in  the  N.  T.,  signifying  its  un- 
changeable.ness  ;  or  denolinga  salvation,  which  will  infinitelv  more  than 
compensate  all  that  may  be  endured  in  attaining  it;  and  tiie  construc¬ 
tion,  in  the  original,  seems  to  favor  this  opinion.  —  ‘The  sorrow  of  the 
world,’  is  the  certain  way  to  desperation,  unless  ‘  God  prevent  it ;  as  it 


A.  D.  61. 

• 

10  For  godly  sorrow  k  worketh 
repentance  to  salvation  not  to  be 
repented  of:  but  the  sorrow  of  the 
world  1  worketh  death. 

11  For  behold  this  self-same 
thing,  that  ye  sorrowed  after  a 
godly  m  sort,  what  carefulness  n  it 
wrought  in  you,  yea,  what  clearing 
0  of  yourselves,  yea,  what  t  indig¬ 
nation,  yea,  what  *>  fear,  yea,  what 
vehement  r desire,  yea,  what  zeal, 
yea,  what  ’revenge  !  In  all  things 
ye  have  approved  1  yourselves  to  be 
clear  in  this  matter. 

12  Wherefore,  though  I  wrote 
unto  you,  I  did  it  not  for  his  cause 
that  had  done  the  wrong,  nor  for 
his  cause  that  suffered  wrong,  but 
that  our  care  for  “you  in  the  sight 
of  God  might  appear  unto  you. 

13  Therefore  we  were  comforted 
in  your  comfort  :  yea,  and  exceed¬ 
ingly  the  more  joyed  we  for  the  joy 
of  Titus,  because  his  spirit  was 
refreshed  v  by  you  all. 

14  For  if  I  have  boasted  any 
thing  to  him  of  you,  I  am  not  asham¬ 
ed  ;  but  as  we  spake  all  things  to 
you  in  truth,  even  so  our  boasting, 
which  I  made  before  Titus,  is  found 
a  truth. 

15  And  his  w  inward  affection  is 
more  abundant  toward  you,  whilst 
he  remembereth  the  obedience  of 
you  all,  how  with  x  fear  and  trem¬ 
bling  ye  received  him. 

16  I  rejoice,  therefore,  that  I 


2  CORINTHIANS,  VII. 


have  confidence  in 
things. 

you  y  in  all 

k  Je.  31:9. 

p  Ep.  4:26. 

11  c.  2:4. 

Eze.  7:16. 

q  He.  4:1. 

v  Ro.  15:32. 

1  Pr.  17:22. 

r  Ps.  42:1.  130:6. 

w  bowels. 

in  Is.  66:2. 

s  Re.  3:19. 

x  Phi.  2: 12.  • 

u  Tit.  3:8. 

Mat.  5:29,30. 

V  2  TJi.  3:4. 

o  Ep.  5:11. 

t  Ro.  14:18. 

Phil.  8:21. 

after  a  godly  manner,  or  according  to  God, 
(as  it  is  in  the  original,)  according  to  the 
will  of  God,  tending  to  his  glory,  and 
wrought  by  his  Spirit,  a  godly  sorrow,  be¬ 
cause  a  sorrow  for  sin,  as  an  offence  against 
God.  This  sorrow  produces  repentance  and 
reformation,  and  will  end  in  salvation;  but 
worldly  sorrow  worketh  death;  sorrow  of 
worldly  men  for  worldly  things,  and  such  a 
sorrow  even  for  sin  as  Judas  had,  will  have 
fatal  consequences.  Repentance  will  be 
attended  with  salvation.  Therefore,  True 
penitents  will  never  repent  that  they  have 
repented,  nor  of  anything  that  was  conducive 
thereto.  Further, -humiliation and  godly  sor¬ 
row  are  previously  necessary  in  order  to  re¬ 
pentance,  and  both  are  from  God,  the  Giver 
of  all  grace. 

(2.)  The  happy  fruits  and  consequences  of 
true  repentance  are  mentioned,  v.  11.  The 
Corinthians  made  it  evident  their  sorrow 
was  a  godly  sorrow,  and  such  as  wrought  re¬ 
pentance,  because  it  wrought  in  them  great 
carefulness  about  their  souls,  to  avoid  sin 
and  please  God  ;  also  a  clearing  of  themselves , 
by  endeavors  to  put  away  the  accursed 
thing,  and  so  free  themselves  from  the  just 
imputation  of  approving  the  evil  that  had 
been  done.  It  wrought  indignation  at  sin, 
at  themselves,  the  tempter  and  his  instru¬ 
ments;  it  wrought  fear,  an  awful  fear  of 
God,  a  cautious  fear  of  sin,  and  a  jealous 
fear  of  themselves.  It  wrought  vehement  de¬ 
sire  after  a  thorough  reformation,  and  recon¬ 
ciliation  with  God,  nay,  zeal,  a  mixture  of 


'The  apostle  comforts  them . 

love  and  anger,  a  zeal  for  duty  and  against 
sin.  It  wrought,  lastly,  revenge  against  sin 
and  their  own  folly,  by  endeavors  to  make 
all  due  satisfaction  for  injuries  done  thereby. 
And  thus  in  all  things  had  they  approved 
themselves  to  be  clear  in  that  matter.  Not  that 
they  were  innocent,  but  penitent,  and  there¬ 
fore  clear  of  guilt  before  God,  who  would 
pardon  and  not  punish  them;  and  they  ought 
no  longer  to  be  reproved,  much  less  re¬ 
proached,  by  men,  for  what  they  had  truly 
repented  of. 

V.  12 — 16.  In  these  vs.  he  endeavors  to 
comfort  the  Corinthians,  on  whom  his  ad¬ 
monitions  had  had  so  good  effect. 

1.  He  had  a  good  design  in  his  former 
epistle,  which  might  be  thought  severe,  v.  12. 
It  was  not  chiefly  for  his  cause  that  did  the 
wrong,  not  only  for  his  benefit,  much  less 
merely  that  he  should  be  punished;  nor  yet 
was  it  only  for  his  cause  that  suffered  wrong, 
namely,  the  injured  father,  and  that  he 
might  have  what  satisfaction  could  be  given 
him;  but  it  was  also  to  manifest  his  great 
and  sincere  concern  and  care  for  them,  the 
whole  church,  lest  that  should  suffer  by  let¬ 
ting  such  a  crime,  and  the  scandal  thereof, 
remain  among  them  without  due  remark  and 
sensibility. 

2.  lie  acquaints  them  with  the  joy  of 
Titus  as  weil  as  of  himself,  on,  account  of 
their  repentance  and  good  behavior,  v.  13. 
and  as  Titus  was  comforted  while  he  was 
with  them,  so  when  he  remembered  his  re¬ 
ception  among  them,  expressing  their  obedi¬ 
ence  to  the  apostolical  directions,  and  their 
fear  and  trembling  at  the  reproofs  given 
them,  the  thoughts  of  these  things  inflamed 
and  increased  his  affections  to  them,  v.  15. 
Great  comfort  and  joy  follow  on  godly  sor¬ 
row  ;  here  Paul  was  glad,  and  Titus  glad, 
and  the  Corinthians  were  comforted ;  and  the 
penitent  ought  to  be  comforted;  and  well  may 


PRACT.  OBS.  The  promises  of  God  should  excite  and  direct  us  in 
‘  following  alter  holiness.’  His  grace  alone  can  efficaciously  ‘  purify  ’  us  ; 
but  it  is  our  duty  earnestly  to  use  the  means  which  He  has  appointed  ; 
and,  depending  on  that  grace,  to  search  out  and  cleanse  away  all  ‘filthi¬ 
ness  of  the  flesh  and  spirit,’  as  abhorred  by  God  and  all  his  people.-If  the 
ambassadors  or  messengers  of  Christ  would  be  received  in  that  charac¬ 
ter  [of  true  piety]  ;  they  must  be  careful  ‘  to  wrong  no  man,  to  corrupt 
no  man,  to  defraud  no  man  or  in  any  way  to  manifest  a  propensity 
to  covetousness;  Is.  5G‘.9 — 12.  Jer.  6:13 — IS.  1  Tim.  3:3.  1  Pet.  5:1 — 4. 
and  they  who  reject  those  ministers  of  Christ,  whose  conduct  and  doc¬ 
trine  are  thus  uncorrupt,  will  greatly  offend  Him  that  sent  them.  But 
we  ought  not  to  expect  much  ‘  rest  to  our  flesh,’  in  this  evil  world  ;  and 
if  inward  ‘fears’  concur  with  outward  opposition,  to  distress  us;  we 
only  taste  that  cup,  of  which  far  wiser  and  better  men  have  drunk  more 
abundantly. — We  cannot  sufficiently  admire  the  compassion  and  conde¬ 
scension  of  our  God,  in  revealing  Himself  as  ‘  the  Comforter  of  those 
that  are  cast  down.’  He,  however,  generally  works  by  second  causes 
and  instruments  ;  the  converse  of  some  pious  friend  ;  or  a  good  account 
of  those  about  whom  we  are  anxious  ;  or  the  affection  of  such  as  we 
feared  were  alienated,  are  often  sources  of  relief  and  consolation,  in 
which  the  kindness  of  the  Lord  should  be  acknowledged  with  much 
thankfulness. — Through  anxiety  about  the  event  of  his  labors,  even  the 
faithful  minister  may  be  tempted  to  repent  of  his  best  intended  and  most 
scriptural  endeavors  to  do  good.  Thus  a  man  may  be  much  disquieted 
for  having  done  his  duty,  and  afraid  of  doing  it  on  another  occasion ;  and 
this  should  be  carefully  watched  against  with  humble,  persevering  prayer. 


Indeed,  we  should  be  reluctant  to  cause  sorrow ;  but  we  should  rejoice 
in  bringing  men  to  that  ‘  godly  sorrow,  which  worketh  repentance;’  as 
their  grief  will  be  transient,  and  the  benefit  eternal. — The  loss  of  an 
earthly  friend,  the  displeasure  of  a  powerful  superior,  or  other  secular 
misfortunes,  excite  men’s  sorrow,  and  they  think  they  have  cause  to 
mourn  ;  how  then  should  they  be  grieved  for  having  offended  their  Creator, 
dishonored  his  name,  incurred  his  frown,  and  deserved  eternal  misery  1 
The  objects  of  worldly  sorrow  are  trivial  ;  its  exercise  is  commonly  una¬ 
vailing  ;  and  it  tends  to  death  in  diverse  and  most  awful  ways  ;  we  should 
therefore  be  peculiarly  careful  not  to  indulge  it.  Unless  sin  lie  mourned 
over  [and  forsaken],  as  the  cause  of  men’s  sufferings,  and  God  be  regard¬ 
ed,  as  the  righteous  and  merciful  Author  of  them  ;  their  sorrow  under 
afflictions  anti  calamities  leads  to  increasing  enmity,  to  distraction,  des¬ 
pair,  and  blasphemy.  Rev.  16:8 — 11.  We  should,  therefore,  endeavor  to 
turn  all  our  mourning  into  a  religious  channel,  that  we  may  ‘  sorrow  af¬ 
ter  a  godly  sort.’  But  even  sorrow  about  sin,  and  our  eternal  concerns, 
will  lie  of  no  use  to  us,  unless  it  ‘  worketh  repentance  ;’  and  even  re¬ 
pentance  itself  may  be  counterfeited  or  spurious,  and  so  not  be  ‘  unto 
salvation.’  Of  all  deceptions  this  is  most  to  be  feared  ;  as  immense 
multitudes  are  quieted  without  true  repentance,  by  a  groundless  notion 
that  they  have  repented,  or  do  repent.  But  deep  humiliation  before 
God,  hatred  and  dread  of  all  sin,  attended  by  faith  in  the  righteousness, 
atonement,  and  intercession  of  Christ,  a  new  heart  and  a  new  life,  con¬ 
stitute  ‘  repentance  unto  salvation  never  to  be  repented  of.’  May  the 
Lord  bestow  it  on  every  one  of  us  !  [and  proceed  to  bestow  the  precious 
gift  on  all  the  millions  of  our  fallen  race.]  Scott. 


appears  from  the  horrid  examples  of  Cain,  Saul,  Ahithophel,  and  Judas  ; 
but  the  written  tears  of  David  give  the  clearest  example  of  the  other 
kind  of  sorrow.’  Beza. — As  v.  11.  relates  to  the  conduct  of  a  Christian 
society  in  particular  circumstances,  and  probably  some  of  the  clauses  to 
one  part  and  some  to  another  of  this  society ;  so  the  several  particulars 
adduced  can  be  applied,  only  by  accommodation,  to  the  repentance  of  an 
individual.  Scott. 

(9.)  Now,  <fcc.]  ‘  A  sentiment  more  delicate  than  this  is  not  (as  far 
as  1  remember)  to  be  found  in  the  whole  range  of  classical  literature. 
Ckrys.  observes,  that  Paul  ascribes  the  making  sorry  to  the  epistle,  yet 
does  not  expressly  say,  “  but  I  rejoiced  that  it  benefited  you;”  though 
that  was  true ;  but  gives  such  a  delicate  turn  to  the  expression,  as  rather 
ascribes  it  to  their  own  good  feeling.  This  remark,  indeed,  is  in  the 
spirit  of  true  criticism,  such  as  it  was  professed  in  the  school  of  Longi¬ 
nus,  and  the  other  mighty  Aristarchi  of  ancient  times.’  Bloomf. 

(10.)  Of  the  world.]  I.  e.  not  connected  with  our  moral  progress.  Ed. 

(11.)  ‘  It  is  a  strange  error  to  suppose  these  vs.  to  contain  [the]  seven 
distinct  marks  of  true  repentance,  to  be  found  in  every  sincere  penitent, 
whereas,  (as  Doddr.  obs.)  these  are  not  characters  of  the  temper  of  each, 
but  of  different  persons,  according  to  the  part  they  respectively  acted  in 
the  affair  in  question.  And  so  Mackn.  Clear.]  tVhitby,  after  Sclater,  re¬ 
marks,  that  true  repentance  clears  us  from  the  guilt,  not  only  in  the 
sight  of  God,  but  man;  so  that  it  is  both  uncharitable  and  unchristian 
to  stigmatize  or  reproach  any  man  for  the  Bin  which  we  know  or  be¬ 
lieve  he  hath  truly  repented  of.a  Bloomf. 

V.  12.  Truly  (I  wrote),  not  so  much  (so  the  Greek)  on  his  account,’ 
&c.  Id. 


V.  13 — 16.  There  was  great  address  in  this  part  of  the  epistle;  and 
his  kind  acceptance  of  what  had  been  done,  and  the  confidence  which 
he  expressed  in  the  church,  were  in  general  well  suited  to  excite  them 
to  a  more  entire  reformation ;  to  withstand  the  party  formed  against 
him  ;  to  deliver  them  from  the  fascinations  of  the  false  teachers  ;  to  re¬ 
establish  the  apostle’s  authority ;  and  to  prepare  the  way  for  his  subse¬ 
quent  exhortations,  warnings,  expostulations,  and  direct  accusations  and 
denunciations  of  the  principal  offenders,  and  of  all  who  continued  im¬ 
penitent.  For  they  implied,  that  not  the  church,  as  a  society,  but  mere¬ 
ly  a  few  corrupt  intruders  were  the  subjects  of  these  severe  addresses. 

Scott. 

(13.)  ‘  His  own  joy  was  much  increased  by  the  evident  satisfaction 
which  Titus  felt,  at  his  reception  among  them.  The  expressions  have 
great  energy,  as  well  as  simplicity  and  beauty.’  Bloomf. 

(16.)  ‘  “1  rejoice  that,  from  the  experience  I  have  had  of  you,  1  may 
in  everything  feel  confidence  in  your  ready  obedience  to  all  my  admoni¬ 
tions  or  suggestions.”  This  forms  a  very  easy  and  natural  transition  to 
the  subject  he  now  enters  upon,  nnd  which  forms  the  second  part  of  the 
epistle,  viz.  the  contributions.’  Bl.  ‘These  he  urges,  because,  (1)  The 
Macedonians  had  afforded  them  liberally,  8:1 — 3.  (2)  The  Corinthians 

would  thus  testify  their  firm  faith,  7,  8.  (3)  They  wonlil  thus  im  - 

tate  Christ,  9.  (4)  They  had  before  been  liberal,  10.  (5)  They  will  tnus 
confirm  the  authority  of  the  apostle  in  what  he  had  boasted  ot  t  tem,  : 
3—5.  (6)  The  divine  blessing  would  compensate  all  they  bestow,  6— II. 
(7)  Because  others  would  on  that  account  praise  God,  and  intercede  w ith 
Him  in  their  behalf,  v.  12-14.’  [339] 


2  CORINTHIANS,  VIII. 


A.  D.  61. 


Exhortation  to  charily. 


CHAP.  VIII. 

1  He  stirreth  them  up  to  a  liberal  contribution  for  the  poor 
saints  at  Jerusalem,  by  the  example  of  the  Macedonians, 
7  by  commendation  of  their  former  forwardness,  9  by 
the  example  of  Christ,  14  and  by  the  spiritual  profit  that 
•hall  redound  to  themselves  thereby  :  16  commending  to 
them  the  integrity  and  willingness  of  Titus,  and  those 
other  brethren,  who,  upon  his  request,  exhortation,  and 
commendation,  were  purposely  come  to  them  for  this 
business. 

1\  MOREOVER,  brethren,  we  do 
you  to  wit  of  the  grace  of  God 
bestowed  on  the  churches  o&a  Mac¬ 
edonia  ; 

2  How  that,  in  a  great  trial  of 
affliction,  the  abundance  of  their 
joy  and  their  deep  b  poverty  abound¬ 
ed  unto  the  riches  of  their  c  liberal¬ 
ity. 

3  For  to  their  power,  (I  bear 
record,)  yea,  and  beyond  their  pow¬ 
er,  they  were  willing  of  themselves; 

4  Praying  us  with  much  in  treaty 
that  we  would  receive  the  gift,  and 
lake  upon  us  the  fellowship  dof  the 
ministering  to  the  saints. 

5  And  this  they  did,  not  as  we 
hoped,  but  first  gave  their  own 
selves  to  the  Lord,  and  unto  us  by 
the  will  of  God. 

6  Insomuch  that  we  desired  Ti¬ 
tus,  that  as  he  had  begun,  so  he 
would  also  finish  in  you  the  same 
•  grace  also. 

7  Therefore,  as  ye  abound  fin 
every  thing,  in  faith,  and  utterance, 
and  knowledge,  and  in  all  diligence, 
and  in  your  love  to  us,  see  that  ye 
abound  in  this  grace  also. 

8  I  speak  not  s  by  commandment, 
but  by  occasion  of  the  forwardness 
of  others,  and  to  prove  the  sinceri¬ 
ty  of  your  love. 

a  c .  9:2,4.  d  Ac.  11:29  f  1  Co.  1:5. 

b  Ms.  12:44.  Uo.  15:25,26.  g  1  Co.  7:6. 

c  simplicity.  e  or,  gift. 

ail  this  joy  he  on  earth,  when  there  is  joy  in 
heaven  over  one  sinner  that  repenteth. 

3.  He  concludes  this  whole  matter  with 
expressing  his  entire  confidence  in  them, 
v.  14.  for  he  was  not  disappointed  in  his 
expectation  concerning  them,  which  he  sig¬ 
nified  to  Titus  ;  and  he  could  now,  with 
great  joy,  declare  what  confidence  he  still  had 
in  them  as  to  their  good  behavior,  in  all 
things,  for  the  time  to  come.  It  is  a  great 
comfort  and  joy  to  a  faithful  minister,  to 
have  to  do  with  a  people  in  whom  lie  can 
confide,  and  who,  he  lias  reason  to  hope, 
will  comply  with  everything  he  proposes  to 
them,  that  is  for  the  glory  of  God,  the  credit 
of  the  Gospel,  and  their  advantage. 


Chap.  VIII.  In  this  and  the  following 
ch.  Paul  is  exhorting  and  directing  the  Co¬ 
rinthians  about  a  particular  work  qf charity, 
— to  relieve  the  necessities  of  the  poor  saints 
at  Jerusalem  and  in  Judea.  Rom.  15:  26. 
The  Christians  at  Jerusalem,  through  war, 
famine,  and  persecution,  were  grown  poor, 
many  of  them  fallen  into  decay,  and  perhaps 
most  of  them  were  but  poor  when  they  first 
embraced  Cliristianit)’.  Now  Paul,  though 
the  apostle  of  the  Gentiles,  had  a  tender 
regard,  and  kind  concern,  for  those  among 
the  Jews  who  were  converted  to  the  Chris¬ 
tian  faith;  and  though  many  of  them  had  not 
so  much  affection  to  the  Gentile  converts  as 
they  ought  to  have,  yet  he  would  have  the 
Gentiles  kind  to  them,  and  stirred  them  up 
to  contribute  liberally  for  their  relief.  On 
this  subject  he  is  very  large  and  copious, 
and  writes  very  affectingly. 

V.  1 — 6.  The  apostle  takes  occasion  from 
the  good  example  of  the  churches  of  Mace¬ 
donia,!.  e.  of  Philippi, Thessalonica,  Berea, 
and  others  of  Macedonia,  to  exhort  the  Co¬ 
rinthians,  and  the  Christians  in  Achaia,  to 
the  good  work  of  charity.  And, 

1.  He  acquaints  them  with  their  great 
liberality,  called  the  grace  of  God  bestowed 
on  the  churches,  v.  1.  Some  tr.  the  gift  of 
God  given  in  or  by  the  churches.  He  cer¬ 
tainly  means  the  charitable  gifts  of  these 
churches,  called  the  grace  or  gifts  of  God, 
either  because  very  large,  or  rather  because 
their  charity  to  the  poor  saints  did  proceed 
from  God  as  the  Author,  and  was  accom¬ 
panied  with  true  love  to  God,  which  also 
was  manifested  this  way. 

2.  He  commends  the  charity  of  the  Mace¬ 

donians,  and  sets  it  forth  with  good  advan¬ 
tage.  (  1.  )  In  but  a  low  condition,  and 
themselves  in  distress,  yet  they  contributed 
to  the  relief  of  others,  v.  2.  R  was  a  time 
of  great  affliction  with  them,  as  may  be  seen, 
Acts  16.  and  17.  (2.)  They  gave  very 

largely,  with  the  riches  of  liberality,  v.  2.  i.  e. 
as  liberally  as  if  they  had  been  rich;  they 
made  a  large  contribution,  all  things  con¬ 
sidered;  it  was  according  to,  yea,  beyond 
their  power,  v.  3.  as  much,  if  not  more  than 
could  well  be  expected  from  them.  (3.) 
They  were  very  ready  and  forward  to  this 
good  work,  willing  of  themselves,  v.  3.  and 
so  far  from  needing  Paul  should  press  them 
with  arguments,  that  they  prayed  him  with 
much  entreaty  to  receive  the  gift,  v.  4.  It 
seems  Paul  was  backward  to  undertake  this 
trust,  he  would  give  himself  to  the  Word  and 
prayer;  or,  it  may  be,  lie  was  apprehensive 
bow  his  enemies  might  take  a  handle  against 
him  on  account  of  so  large  a  sum  deposited 
in  his  hands,  to  suspect  or  accuse  him  of  in¬ 
discretion  and  partiality  in  the  distribution, 
if  not  of  some  injustice.  Ministers  should 
be  cautious,  especially  in  money-matters,  not 
to  give  occasion  to  them  who  seek  occasion 


to  speak  reproachfully  !  (4.)  Their  charity 
was  founded  in  true  piety,  and  this  was  its 
great  commendation;  they  performed  this 
good  work  in  a  right  method  ;  first  they  gave 
themselves  to  the  Lord,  and  then  gave  unto  us 
their  contributions,  by  the  will  of  God,  v.  5. 
i.  e.  according  as  it  was  the  will  of  God 
they  should  do,  or  to  be  disposed  of  as  the 
will  of  God  should  be,  and  for  bis  glory. 
They  solemnly,  jointly,  and  unanimously, 
made  a  fresh  surrender  of  themselves,  and 
all  they  had,  unto  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ. 
They  had  done  this  before,  and  now  do  it 
again  on  this  occasion;  sanctifying  their 
contributions  to  do  God  honor,  by  first  giv¬ 
ing  themselves  to  the  Lord.  We  cannot 
bestow  ourselves  better;  all  we  give  or  be¬ 
stow  for  charitable  uses,  will  not  be  accept¬ 
ed,  or  turn  to  our  advantage,  unless  we  first 
give  ourselves  to  the  Lord. 

He  further  acquaints  them,  that  Titus  was 
desired  to  go  and  make  a  collection  among 
them,  v.  6.  and  Titus,  he  knew,  would  be 
acceptable.  Beside,  Titus  had  already  be¬ 
gun  this  work  among  them,  therefore  ho 
was  desired  ty  finish  it.  It  is  wisdom,  to 
use  proper  instruments  in  a  work  we  desire 
to  do  well;  and  the  work  of  charity  will 
succeed  the  best,  when  the  most  proper  [ac¬ 
customed]  persons  are  employed  to  ask  for 
it,  and  dispose  of  it. 

V.  7 — 15.  In  these  vs.  the  apostle  uses 
several  cogent  arguments  to  stir  up  to  this 
good  work  of  charity. 

1.  He  urges  the  consideration  of  tlteir 
eminence  in  other  gifts  and  graces,  v.  7. 
Great  address  and  much  holy  art  are  here 
used  by  the  apostle,  when  he  would  persuade 
the  Corinthians  to  this  good  thing.  He  com¬ 
mends  them  for  other  good  things  that  were 
found  in  them.  Observe,  here,  what  it  was 
the  Corinthians  abounded  in.  Faith,  men¬ 
tioned  first,  as  the  root,  Heb.  11:6.  next, 
utterance,  which  is  an  excellent  gift,  and  re¬ 
dounds  much  to  the  glory  of  God,  and  the 
good  of  the  church,  particularly  when  united, 
as  here,  with  abundance  of  knowledge.  They 
abounded  also  in  all  diligence.  Often,  those 
who  have  great  knowledge  and  ready  utter¬ 
ance  are  not  the  most  diligent;  but  these 
Corinthians  were  diligent  to  do,  as  well  as 
know,  and  talk  well.  And  further,  they  had 
abundant  love  to  their  ministers;  and  were 
not  like  too  many,  who,  having  gifts  of  their 
own,  are  but  too  apt  to  slight  their  ministers, 
and  neglect  them.  Now  to  all  these  good 
things  the  apostle  desires  them  to  add  this 
grace  also ;  to  abound  in  charity  to  the  poor ; 
that,  where  so  much  good  was  found,  there 
should  be  found  yet  more  good. 

Before  proceeding  to  another  argument, 
he  takes  care  to  prevent  any  misapprehen¬ 
sions  of  his  design  to  impose  on  them,  or  to 
bind  heavy  burdens  on  them  by  his  au¬ 
thority;  and  tells  them,  v.  8.  he  did  not 


NOTES.  Chap.  VIII.  V.  1 — 5.  The  mention  the  apostle  had  made 
of  his  confidence  in  the  Corinthians,  gave  him  an  occasion  of  again  in- 
troducinglhe  subject  of  the  collection  he  was  making,  for  the  Christians 
in  Judea,  which  takes  up  this  and  the  following  eh.  Rom.  15:22—29 
1  Cor.  16:1,  2.  With  great  delicacy  and  propriety,  he  brought  this  for¬ 
ward,  by  1  informing  ’  them,  as  an  article  of  interesting  intelligence,  con¬ 
cerning  the  admirable  conduct  of  the  churches  in  Macedonia.  The  word 
rendered  grace,  is  no  doubt  sometimes  tr.  gift ;  but  to  interpret  ‘  the 
grace  of  God  towards  the  churches,  &c.’  to  signify  the  large  subscription 
for  the  poor  Christians  in  Judea,  as  some- learned  men  do,  is  wholly 
unprecedented  ;  and  the  obvious  meaning,  viz.  that  their  bounty  to  their 
poor  brethren,  was  the  effect  of  the  abundant  grace  of  God  conferred  on 
them,  agrees  far  better  with  the  simple  and  reasonable  language  of 
Scripture  on  these  subjects.  Scott. 

(1.)  ‘  I  have  to  announce  to  you,  brethren,  &c.  Grace,  of  God.)  The 
cause  is  put  for  the  effect,  says  Grot.,  in  order  to  show,  that  all  that  is 
done  by  Christians,  is  owing  solely  to  the  goodness  of  God,  who  hath 
remitted  so  many  sins,  hath  revealed  his  will  so  openly,  hath,  of  his  own 
good  pleasure,  called  to  Him  those  that  were  alienated,  and  hath  con¬ 
firmed  this  call  by  so  many  miracles.  These  are  the  causes  why  so  much 
more  is  said  of  grace  in  the  New,  than  in  the  O.  T.  So  Wolf,  Doddr., 
I.ocke,  Hardy,  and  perhaps  rightly.  The  name  denoting  these  alms 
may,  however,  be  regarded  as  a  compound  appellative ;  q.  d.  God's 
gift,  i.  e.  something  given  for  God's  sake.  Ami  this  seems  confirmed 
bv  the  prep,  en  [»'e,  tr.  on]  following.  The  alms  were  so  called,  ns 
Theoph.  suggests,  out  of  delicacy.’  Bi.oomf. 

(2.)  Poverty.)  ‘  The  Gr.  properly  signifies  beggary,  and  we  also  use 
that  term,  as  the  Gr.  is  here  used,  comparatively.  Probably,,  the  con¬ 
verts  were  persons  chiefly  of  the  lower  orders,  and  the  poorer  classes. 

[340] 


Grot,  thinks  they  had  become  poor  by  confiscation,  and  by  the  desertion 
of  the  rich  converts.  But  this  is  little  more  than  mere  speculation. 
Their  deep  poverty  redounded  to,  tended  to,  ended  in,  their  rich  liberal¬ 
ity.  Ros.  expl.,  tlteir  liberality  appeared  much  greater,  than  could  be 
expected  from  persons  so  poor.’  Buoomf. 

(3.)  ‘The  Gr.  words  tr.  “we  would  receive,”  are  omitted  in  very 
many  excellent  MSS.,  almost  all  the  versions,  all  the  Gr.  comtrs.,  and 
many  fathers,  and  linve  been  rejected  by  the  best  critics.’  III.,  who  tr. 
‘  They  asked  of  us  to  do  them  the  favor  of  taking  part  in  the  trouble  of 
conveying  this  collection,’  &c.  En. 

(5.)  ‘  This  v.  is  very  energetic,  and  somewhat  hyperbolical.  The 
sense  seems  to  Ite  :  “They  not  only  gave  more  than  we  expected,  for 
the  use  of  the  poor,  but  they  gave  and  devoted  themselves  first  to  the 
Lord,  to  do  his  will  in  every  good  work,  and  then  to  us.  to  fulfil  all  our 
wishes,  and  observe  our  admonitions.”  V.  6.  The  result  of  this  unex¬ 
pected  success  with  the  Macedonians  xvas,  that  (fearing  lest  you  should 
be  outstripped  by  the  Macedonians)  we  desired  Titus,  &c.  V.  7.  Now 
then,  as  ye,’  &c.  *  Bloomf. 

V.  6 — 9.  If  the  poor  and  persecuted  Macedonians  had  exceeded  expec 
tation  ‘  in  the  riches  of  their  liberality,’  the  prosperous  and  affluent 
Christians  at  Corinth  would  doubtless  fully  answer  the  apostle’s  hopes 
of  them.  When  Titus  had  before  been  there,  he  had  begun  this  good 
work  among  them,  and  Paul  had  therefore  desired  him  to  go  again  and 
complete  it. — By  ‘  the  same  grace  also’  most  expositors  understand  the 
benefaction  itself;  and,  indeed,  the  word  may  signify  ll\e free  gift  of  man, 
as  well  as  that  of  God;  yet  it  seems  more  consonant  to  the  apostle’s 
language,  to  explain  it  of  the  gracious  influence  of  the  Holy  Spirit  on 
their  hearts,  [inducing  them  to  act  out  their  Christian  principles  in  giv¬ 
ing.,]  than  of  the  gift  itself,  or  their  act  of  grace  towards  their  brethren. 


A.  D.  61. 


2  CORINTHIANS,  VIII. 


Arguments  in  favor  of  charity. 


9  For  ye  know  the  grace  of  our 
Lord  Jesus  Christ,  that,  though  he 
was  h  rich,  yet  for  your  sakes  he 
became  1  poor,  that  ye  through  his 
poverty  might  be  1  rich. 

10  And  herein  I  give  my  advice  : 
for  this  is  expedient  for  you,  who 
have  begun  before,  not  only  to  do, 
but  also  to  be  k  forward  a  year  ago. 

11  Now  therefore  perform  ‘the 
doing  of  it  ;  that  as  there  was  a 
readiness  to  will,  so  there  may  be  a 
performance  also  out  of  that  which 
ye  have. 

12  For  if  m  there  be  first  a  willing 
mind,  it  is  accepted  according  to 
that  a  man  hath,  and  not  according 
to  that  he  hath  not. 

13  For  I  mean  not  that  other  men 
be  eased,  and  you  burdened  : 

14  But  by  an  equality,  that  now 
at  this  time  your  abundance  may  be 
a  supply  for  their  want,  that  their 
abundance  also  may  be  a  supply 
for  your  want,  that  there  may  be 
equality  : 

15  As  it  is.  written,  n  He  that  had 
gathered  much  had  nothing  over  ; 
and  he  that  had  gathered  little  had 
no  lack. 

16  But  thanks  be  to  God,  which 
put  the  same  earnest  care  into  the 
heart  of  Titus  for  you. 

17  For  indeed  he  accepted  the 
“exhortation;  but  being  more  for¬ 
ward,  of  his  own  accord  he  went 
unto  you. 

13  And  we  have  sent  with  him 
the  p  brother,  whose  praise  is  in  the 
gospel  throughout  all  the  churches; 

19  And  not  that  only,  but  who 
was  also  chosen  9  of  the  churches 
to  travel  with  us  with  this  r  grace, 
which  is  administered  by  us  to  5  the 
glory  of  the  same  Lord,  and  decla¬ 
ration  of  your  ready  mind  : 


h  Jn.  1:1. 

1  l,u.  9:53. 

Phi.  i:6.7. 
)  He.  3:13. 
k  willing. 


1  1  Ti.  6:19.  Me. 
13:16.  Jh.2:15, 

16 

m  Lu.  21:3 
ii  Ex.  16:18. 


o  ver.  6 
p  c.  12:13. 
q  1  Co.  16:3,4. 
r  or,  gift. 

8  c.  4:15. 


speak  by  commandment,  or  in  a  way  of  au¬ 
thority;  I  give  my  advice,  v.  10.  He  took 
occasion,  from  the  forwardness  of  others,  to 
propose  what  would  be  expedient  for  them, 


and  would  prove  the  sincerity  of  their  love,  or 
be  the  genuine  effect  and  evidence  thereof. 
A  great  difference  should  be  made  between 
plain  and  positive  duty,  and  the  improve¬ 
ment  of  a  present  opportunity  of  doing  or 
getting  good.  Many  a  thing  which  is  good 
for  us  to  do,  yet  cannot  be  said  to  be,  by 
express  and  indispensable  commandment, 
our  duty  at  this  or  that  time. 

2.  Another  argument  is  taken  from  the 
consideration  of  the  grace  of  our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ,  v.  9.  The  best  arguments  for  Chris¬ 
tian  duties  are  those  that  are  taken  from 
the  love  of  Christ,  that  constraineth  us.  The 
example  of  the  churches  of  Macedonia  was 
such  as  the  Corinthians  should  imitate;  but 
the  example  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  should 
have  much  greater  influence.  This  is  a 
good  reason  why  we  should  be  charitable  to 
the  poor  out  of  what  we  have,  because  we 
ourselves  live  on  the  charity  of  the  Lord 
Jesus  Christ. 

3.  Another  argument  from  their  good 
purposes,  and  their  forwardness  to  begin 
this  good  work.  (1.)  It  was  expedient  for 
them  to  perform  what  they  purposed,  and 
finish  what  tjiey  had  begun,  v.  10,  11. 
What  else  did  their  good  purposes  and  good 
beginnings  signify  1  Good  purposes,  indeed, 
are  good  things;  they  are  like  buds  and 
blossoms,  pleasant  to  behold,  and  give  hopes 
of  good  fruit;  but  they  are  lost,  and  signify 
nothing,  without  performances.  So  good 
beginnings  are  amiable;  but  we  shall  lose 
the  benefit,  unless  there  be  perseverance, 
and  we  bring  forth  fruit  to  perfection.  See¬ 
ing  therefore  the  Corinthians  had  showed  a 
readiness  to  will,  he  would  have  them  be 
careful  also  in  the  performance,  according  to 
their  ability.  For,  (2.)  This  would  be  accep¬ 
table  to  God.  This  willing  mind  is  accepted, 
v.  12.  when  accompanied  with  sincere  en¬ 
deavors,  according  to  our  ability.  But 
note,  here,  this  Scripture  will  by  no  means 
justify  those,  who  think  good  meanings,  or 
good  purposes,  and  the  profession  of  a  wil¬ 
ling  mind,  are  sufficient  to  save  them.  It  is 
accepted,  indeed,  where  there  is  a  perform¬ 
ance  as  far  as  we  are  able,  and  when  Provi¬ 
dence  hinders  the  performance,  as  in  David’s 
case,  concerning  building  a  house  for  the 
Lord,  2  S.  7.  [but  not  further.] 

4.  Another  argument  is  taken  from  the 
discrimination  Divine  Providence  makes,  in 
the  distribution  of  the  things  of  this  world, 
and  the  mutability  of  human  affairs,  v.  13 — 
15.  The  force  of  the  arguing  seems  to  be 
this;  Providence  gives  to  some  more  of  the 
good  things  of  this  world,  and  to  some  less, 
and  that  with  this  design;  that  those  who 
have  a  greater  abundance,  might  supply  them 
who  are  in  want  ;  that  there  might  be  room 


for  charity,  [and  thus  the  better  nature  of 
each  be  called  out.]  And  each  may  in  turn 
need.  It  is  the  will  of  God,  by  our  mutual 
supplying  one  another,  that  there  should  be 
some  sort  of  equality ;  notan  absolute  equality, 
indeed,  or  such  a  levelling  [downwards]  as 
would  destroy  property,  for  in  such  a  case 
there  could  be  no  exercise  of  charity.  But 
as  in  works  of  charity  there  should  be  an 
equitable  proportion  observed,  that  the  bur¬ 
den  should  not  lie  too  heavy  on  some,  while 
others  are  wholly  eased,  so  all  should  think 
themselves  concerned,  to  supply  those  who 
are  in  want.  This  is  illustrated  by  the  in¬ 
stance  of  gathering  and  distributing  manna 
in  the  wilderness,  concerning  which  Fee 
Ex.  16.  it  was  the  duty  of  all  to  gather 
what  they  could;  which,  when  gathered, 
was  put  into  some  common  receptacle  for 
each  family,  whence  the  master  of  the  family 
distributed  to  every  one  as  he  had  occasion; 
to  some,  more  than  they  were  able,  through 
age  and  infirmity,  to  gather  up;  toothers, 
less  than  they  gathered,  because  they  did 
not  need  so  much;  and  thus,  he  that  had 
gathered  much,  (more  than  he  had  occasion 
for,)  had  nothing  over,  when  a  communica¬ 
tion  was  made  to  him  that  had  gathered  little, 
who  by  this  method  had  no  lack.  Such  is 
the  condition  of  men  in  this  world,  that  we 
mutually  depend  on  one  another,  and  should 
help  one  another  ;  those  who  have  ever  so 
much  of  tli is  world,  have  no  more  than  food 
and  raiment;  and  those  who  have  but  a 
little  of  this  world,  seldom  want  those;  nor, 
indeed,  should  those  who  have  abundance 
suffer  others  to  want,  but  be  ready  to  a  fiord 
supply. 

V.  16 — 24.  The  apostle  commends  the 
brethren  who  were  sent  to  them  to  collect 
their  charity;  and,  as  it  were,  gives  them 
letters  credential,  that,  if  any  should  be 
inquisitive  or  suspicious  concerning  them, 
v.  23.  it  might  he  known  w  ho  they  were, 
and  how  safely  they  might  be  trusted. 

1.  He  commends  Titus,  and  another  broth¬ 
er,  sent  with  Titus,  who,  it  is  generally 
thought,  was  Luke.  He  is  commended,  as  a 
man  whose  ministerial  services  were  well 
known,  v.  18.  and  approved;  one  chosen  of 
the  churches,  v.  19.  and  joined  with  the 
apostle  in  his  ministration.  This  was  done, 
most  likely,  at  the  motion  and  request  of 
Paul  himself;  for  this  reason,  that  no  man 
might  blame  him  in  that  abundance  which  was 
ministered  by  him,  v.  20.  So  cautious  was 
he  not  to  give  occasion  to  any  to  accuse 
him  of  injustice  or  partiality  in  this  affair, 
v.  21.  Note,  all  Christians  ought  to  act  so 
prudently  as  to  prevent,  as  far  as  possible, 
all  unjust  suspicions,  and  all  occasions  of 
scandalous  imputations.  We  live  in  a  cen- 


1 — 5.  1  Cor.  15:3 — 11.  Eph.  3:8.  In  tlte  judgment  of  the  apostle,  Jesus 
was  rich  before  He  was  poor  ;  and  it  was  voluntarily  and  graciously 
that  lie  became  poor  for  our  sakes,  &c.  But  indeed  as  Man  He  was 
born  and  educated  in  poverty,  He  was  poor  all  his  life,  and  ‘had  not 
where  to  lay  his  head,’  and  only  became  ricli  after  his  death  and  resur¬ 
rection  ;  therefore  if  lie  was  no  more  than  man,  He  certainly  was  poor 
before  He  was  rich,  not  rich  before  He  was  poor.  The  sincerity.]  Phil. 
4:3.  1  Tim.  1:2.  771.1:4.  ‘Genuineness.’  Some  copies  read,  ‘  our  love 
but  it  was  the  genuineness  of  the  love  professed  by  the  Corinthians, 
which  was  made  trial  of.  1  Pel.  1:6,  7.  Scott. 

(9.)  ‘The  interpretation,  that  [Christ]  was  rich  in  power  and  in  the 
Holy  Ghost,  has  no  force  at  all  ;  this  might  be  said  of  the  apostles  as 
well  as  of  Christ;  neither  would  there  be,  in  this  case,  any  remarkable 
contrast  between  rich  and  poor ,  nor  anything  in  the  circumstance  pecu¬ 
liar  to  Christ ;  since  it  was  usual,  at  that  time,  for  all  who  were  rich  in 
miraculous  endowments,  to  lead  a  life  of  poverty.  The  context  furnishes 
no  argument  in  favor  of  such  an  hypothesis  :  Christ  became  poor,  that 
the  Corinthians  might  become  rich.  Now  this  is  addressed  to  the  con¬ 
verts  at  large,  for  all  were  concerned  in  the  apostle’s  exhortation.  In 
what  sense,  then,  were  all  the  disciples  of  Christ  to  be  made  rich  ?  not 
merely  in  spiritual  gifts,  but  also  in  the  eternal  “  recompense  of  reward 
rich  in  glory,  rich  in  heaven.  It  is  consistent,  therefore,  to  interpret 
“rich,”  when  applied  to  Christ,  in  a  similar  manner,  viz.  of  the  “glory 
He  had  with  the  Father  before  the  world  was.”  Jn.  17-.5.’  Slade.  Bl. 

V.  10.  To  be  forward.]  ‘The  Gr.  is  difficult,  from  its  Ileb.  or  idiotic 
phraseology,  ami  must  be  understood  of  free  will  and  zeal,  (as  t.  11.) 
“  to  do  ”  being  repeated  nfter  it.  And  so  all  the  ancient  and  some  mod¬ 
ern  comtrs.’  Id. 

V.  13,  14.  ‘  Rather,  “  my  meaning  is  not,  that  they  should  be  relieved 

by  you  from  distress,  so  as  to  occasion  distress  to  yourselves ,  but  that 
you  should  give  what  you  can  spare.  That,  at  the  present  time,  your 
abundance  may  serve  for  the  supply  of  their  want,  so  that  (at  another 


time)  their  abundance  may  be  for  tile  supply  of  your  want;  that  there 
may  be  an  equal  reciprocity,  of  giving  and  receiving,  or  of  good  offices, 
between  you.”  By  not  attending  to  the  context  and  to  the  real  sens© 
of  isotes ,  [tr.  equality,]  certain  comtrs.  have  assigned  to  it  senses  most 
wild,  (as  if  an  equalization  of  property  were  meant  to  be  inculcated,)  con¬ 
trary  to  the  context  of  the  apostle,  and  at  variance  with  the  course  of 
tilings,  which  must  ever  subsist  in  the  world.  What  Paul  says,  is  meant 
of  Judea  and  Corinth,  and  not  to  be  extended  to  the  case  of  individuals, 
except  with  careful  accommodation.’  Bloomf. 

V.  14.  ‘  So  far  Christianity  seems  to  require  this  equality,  as  that  we 
shrfhld  not  suffer  others  to  lack  the  necessaries  of  this  present  life,  while 
we  abound  in  them.’  Whitby ■ — The  Christians  at  Corinth  had  al¬ 
so  been  made  partakers  of  the  inestimable  spiritual  blessings  of  their 
Jewish  brethren,  nnd  at  their  expense;  and  it  was  equal  or  equitable, 
that  they  should  impart  to  them,  in  return,  of  their  carnal  things.  Rom. 
15:22 — 29.  Gal.  6:6 — 10. — How  urgently  the  apostle  pleads  in  behalf  of 
his  poor  brethren  while  he  would  receive  nothing  for  himself!  11:7 — 12. 
12:11 — 15. — (15)  He  that  had  gathered  much.  Sic.]  A  tr.  of  the  Ileb., 
not  exactly  the  same  as  the  Sept.  Ex.  16:18.  Scott. 

V.  15.  *  As  the  manna  gathered  was  from  heaven,  and  the  gift  of 
God,  and  therefore  to  be  equally  distributed,  so  the  riches  which  men 
“  heap  up  ”  and  “enther”  are  also  the  gift  of  God,  and  therefore  to  be 
communicated  to  those  that  are  in  need.’  Bloomf. 

V.  17.  Went,  (and  v.  18.)  have  sent.]  ‘  These  past  tenses  are  meant, 
with  reference  to  the  time  when  the  Corinthians  would  read  the  letter 
lie  was  about  to  send.’  . 

V.  18—24.  The  brother  who  was  sent  with  him  is  generally  supposed 
to  have  been  Luke,  ‘  whose  praise  was  in  all  the  churches,’  on  account 
of  the  Gospel  he  had  written,  and  for  many  zealous  services  in  the  > 

yet  this  is  on  many  accounts  uncertain.  (22)  Our  brother.]  Pome 
Apollos  is  meant,  but  this  is  not  probable,  for  he  wanted  no  r  ™ 
dations  to  the  Christians  at  Corinth;  indeed  curiosity  rather  than  emn- 

L341i 


A.  D.  61. 


2  CORINTHIANS,  IX. 


Honesty  to  be  joined  with  charily. 


20  Avoiding  this,  that  no  man 
should  blanic  us  in  this  abundance 
which  is  administered  by  us  : 

21  Providing  for  honest  *  things, 
not  only  in  the  sight  of  the  Lord, 
but  also  in  the  sight  of  men. 

22  And  we  have  sent  with  them 
our  brother,  whom  we  have  often¬ 
times  proved  diligent  in  many 
things,  but  now  much  more  diligent, 
upon  the  great  confidence  which  u  I 
have  in  you. 

23  Whether  any  do  inquire  of 
Titus,  he  is  my  partner  and  fellow- 
helper  concerning  you  :  or  our 
brethren  be  inquired  of,  they  are 
the  messengers  v  of  the  churches, 
and  the  glory  of  Christ. 

24  Wherefore  shew  ye  to  them, 
and  before  the  churches,  the  proof 
of  your  love,  and  of  our  boasting 
w  on  your  behalf. 

CHAP.  IX. 

1  He  yiekleth  the  reason  why,  though  he  knew  their  for¬ 
wardness,  yet  he  sent  Titus  and  his  brethren  beforehand. 
6  And  he  proceeded!  in  stirring  them  up  to  a  bountiful 
alms,  a8  being  hut  a  kind  of  sowing  of  seed,  10  which 
Bhall  return  a  great  increase  to  them,  13  and  occasion  a 
great  sacrifice  of  thanksgivings  unto  God. 

FOR  as  touching  the  ministering 
1  to  the  saints,  it  is  superfluous 
for  me  to  write  to  you. 

2  For  I  know  the  forwardness  of 
your  mind,  for  which  I  boast  of  you 
to  them  of  Macedonia,  that  Achaia 
was  ready  a  year  ago  ;  and  your 
zeal  hath  provoked  very  many. 


3  Yet  have  I  sent  the  brethren, 
lest  our  boasting  of  you  should  be 
in  vain  in  this  behalf;  that,  as  I 
said,  ye  may  be  ready  : 

4  Lest  haply  if  they  of  Macedo¬ 
nia  come  with  rne,  and  find  you 
unprepared,  we  (that  we  say  not, 
ye)  should  be  ashamed  in  this  same 
confident  b  boasting. 

5  Therefore  I  thought  it  neces¬ 
sary  to  exhort  the  brethren,  that 
they  would  go  before  unto  you,  and 
make  up  beforehand  your  0  bounty, 
d  whereof  ye  had  notice  before,  that 
the  same  might  be  ready,  as  a  mat¬ 
ter  of  bounty,  and  not  as  of  covet¬ 
ousness. 


t  Ro.  12:17.  Phi.  wc.  7:14. 

4:8.  1  Pe.2:l2.  a  c.  8:4,  &e. 

u  or,  he  hath.  b  c.  8:24. 

v  Phi.  2:25.  c  blessing. 


d  or,  which  hath 
been  so  much 
spoken  of  be - 
fort. 


sorious  world,  and  should  cut  off  occasion 
from  them  who  seek  occasion  to  speak  re¬ 
proachfully. 

2.  He  commends  also  another  brother  join¬ 
ed  with  the  two  former,  thought  to  be  Apol- 
los.  Whoever  he  was,  he  had  approved 
himself  diligent  in  many  things, — and  there¬ 
fore  was  fit  to  be  employed  in  this  affair, 
v.  22. 

3.  He  concludes  this  point  with  a  gene¬ 
ral  good  character  of  them  all,  v.  23.  as 
fellow-laborers  with  him  for  their  welfare;  as 
the  messengers  of  the  churches;  as  die  glory 
of  Christ,  who  were  to  Him  for  a  name  and 
a  praise,  who  brought  glory  to  Christ  as 
instruments,  and  had  obtained  honor  from 
Christ  to  be  counted  faithful,  and  employed 
in  his  service. 


Wherefore,  on  the  whole,  he  exhorts  them 
to  show  their  liberality,  answerable  to  the 
great  expectation  others  had  of  them  at 
this  time ;  that  these  messengers,  and  the 
churches  themselves,  might  see  a  full,  proof 
of  their  love  to  God,  and  to  their  afflicted 
brethren ;  and  that  it  was  with  good  reason 
the  apostle  had  even  boasted  on  their  behalf, 
v.  24.  The  good  opinion  others  entertain  of 
us,  should  be  an  argument  with  us  to  do  well. 


PRACT.  OBS.  By  ascribing  all  ‘good  works’  to  ‘the  grace  of  God,’ 
we  not  only  give  the  glory  to  Him  whose  due  it  is,  but  we  also  show 
men  where  their  strength  lies,  and  enable  humble  believers  to  read  the 
Lord’s  special  love  to  them,  in  the  fruits  of  their  love  to  Him  and  to  his 
people.  Lu-  7:44 — 50.  1  Jn.  4:19. — Abundant  spiritual  joy  not  only 
supports  the  soul  under  great  trials  of  afflictions,  but  enlarges  the  heari, 
so  that  joyful  Christians  do  more  than  could  have  been  conceived  in 
their  power,  and  manifest  a  still  more  enlarged  good-will. — Remarkable 
examples  of  piety  and  charity  should  be  brought  forward,  in  order  to 
excite  others  to  a  holy  emulation,  especially  when  the  inferiority  in  out¬ 
ward  things,  of  those  who  exhibit  them,  renders  it  less  likely  that  they 
should  be  noticed  ;  and  such  instances  will  commonly  be  found  very 
efficacious  to  this  end,  among  those  who  are  partakers  of  divine  grace. 
‘  If  there  be  first  a  willing  mind,  it  is  accepted,’  is  an  universal  rule  ;  the 
sinner’s  ‘  ready  mind  ’  to  repent,  to  believe  in  Christ,  to  love  and  obey 
Him,  and  to  do  good  to  others  for  his  sake,  springs  from  divine  grace; 
and  where  this  is  first  produced,  the  defective  attempts  of  the  believer 
to  glorify  God,  will  be  accepted  and  graciously  rewarded,  though,  in 

cation,  is  concerned  in  determining  these  questions. — It  may  here  again 
be  observed,  that  there  is  not  the  least  reason  to  doubt,  but  that  the  mes¬ 
sengers,  entrusted  with  the  contributions  of  the  Christians  for  their  Jew¬ 
ish  brethren,  were  chosen  by  the  suffrage  of  the  churches  ;  how  then  is 
it,  that  so  little  satisfactory  scriptural  proof  can  be  adduced,  that  the 
spiritual  pastors  were  elected  in  the  same  manner  ?  Acts  6:2 — 6.  14:21 
— 23.  1  Cor.  16:3,  4.  ‘  It  would  have  been  a  most  ready  calumny  against 
Paul,  to  have  said,  that  he  greatly  desired  the  care  of  these  contributions, 
that  he  might  sacrilegiously  convert  the  consecrated  money  to  his  own 
use,  had  he  not  by  every  mean  guarded  against  it.  But  who,  during 
these  thousand  years,  and  more,  has  followed  this  truly  apostolical  ex¬ 
ample  ?  ’  Beza.  (17)  Of  his  own  accord.  ‘  Here  we  see  the  sweet 
harmony  there  is  betwixt  the  grace  of  God,  and  our  persuasion  and  free 
will. — Titus  was  moved  to  this  work,  by  Paul’s  exhortation,  and  was 
also  “  willing  of  his  own  accord,”  and  yet  “  God,”  saith  the  apostle, 
“  put  this  earnest  care  into  his  heart.”  ’  Whitby.  1  It  is  God  who  Work- 
eth  in  us  both  to  will  and  to  do.’  Concerning  free  will,  in  this  sense,  we 
have  no  controversy. — All  men,  however  their  wills  are  enslaved  by 
their  lusts,  have  free  agency.  (23)  Messengers.  Gr.  apostoloi.  Christ 
was  the  Apostle  of  the  Father,  Heb.  3:1.  the  twelve  were  his  apostles, 
these  were  1  the  apostles  of  the  churches.’  Scott. 

(19.)  Chosen  ]  ‘  Cheirotonctheis  :  elected  is  its  original  sense,  with 

allusion  to  the  ancient  custom  of  publicly  voting  by  the  extension  of  the 
right  hand:  here  denoting  appointed,  constituted,  ns  Ac.  14:23.’  Bl. 

(20.)  ‘  Lest  any  should  have  a  handle  for  slander  or  calumny,  as  if  I 
appropriated  any  part  to  my  private  use.’  Bl.  This  may  hint  to  us,  that 
the  disbursements  of  charitable  societies  and  committees  should  be  ex¬ 
plained  to  the  public,  or  brotherhood,  as  minutely  as  is  practicable,  to 
avoid  scandal ;  since  interested  motives  are  most  readily  ascribed  to  such, 
by  the  mass  ,  whether  as  judging  from  their  own  selfishness,  or  as  think¬ 
ing  the  suspicion  indicates  shrewdness,  and  knowledge  of  the  world. 
And  so  the  accusation  is  always  popular.  Ed. 

(23.)  ‘If  it  is  necessary  to  speak  of  Titus  <fcc.  So  the  ancients  sup¬ 
ply.  Paul  seems  to  have  felt,  that  after  having  made  such  honorable 
mention  of  I.uke  and  Apollos,  he  must  say  something  of  Titus  (whom  he 
before  mentions,  7:6.  in  a  way  to  excite  their  reverence),  and  the  breth¬ 
ren  who  were  going  with  him  to  Jerusalem.  Or.]  I.  e.  if  our  brethren 
nre  to  be  spoken  oft  Messengers .]  Apostoloi  :  to  be  taken  in  its  proper 

[342] 


Chap.  IX.  V.  1 — 5.  In  these  vs.  the 
apostle  speaks  very  respectfully  to  the  Co¬ 
rinthians,  and  with  great  skill;  and,  while 
he  seems  to  excuse  his  urging  them  so  ear¬ 
nestly  to  charity,  still  presses  them  thereto, 
and  shows  how  much  his  heart  was  set  on 
this  matter. 

1.  He  tells  them  it  was  needless  to  press 
them  with  further  arguments  to  afford  relief 
to  their  poor  brethren,  v.  1.  For,  he  knew 
their  forwardness  to  every  good  work,  and 
how  they  had  begun  this  a  year  ago.  Inso¬ 
much  that  he  had  boasted  of  their  zeal  to  the 
Macedonians,  and  this  had  provoked  many 
of  them  to  do  as  they  had  done. 

2.  He  seems  to  apologize  for  sending  Ti¬ 
tus  and  the  other  brethren.  Unwilling  they 
should  be  offended  at  him  for  this,  as  if  he  was 
too  earnest, and  pressed  too  hard  on  them,  he 
tells  the  true  reasons  why  he  sent  them,  name¬ 
ly,  that,  having  this  timely  notice,  they  might 
be  fully  ready,  v.  3.  not  surprised  with  hasty 
demands,  when  he  should  come ;  and  that  he 
might  not  be  ashamed  of  his  boasting  of  them, 
if  they  should  be  found  unready,  v.  3,  4.  He 
intimates,  that  some  from  Macedonia  might 
haply  come  with  him  ;  and  if  the  collection 
should  not  then  be  made,  this  would  make 
him,  not  to  say  them,  ashamed,  considering 
his  boasting  of  them.  Thus  careful  was  he 
to  preserve  their  reputation  and  his  own. 

strict  justice,  according  to  the  perfect  and  holy  law,  they  merit  condem¬ 
nation. — ‘  The  grace  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  ’  was  not  declared  in  kind 
words  only  ;  and  they,  who  truly  know  and  experience  the  happy  effects 
of  his  grace,  will  show  their  love  to  Him  and  his  people,  by  good  works, 
and  not  merely  by  a  cheap  profession ;  though  a  clear  character,  as  well 
as  a  pure  conscience,  is  necessary  to  extensive  usefulness.  But  alas  ’ 
we  may  easily  estimate  the  small  degree,  in  which  most  of  us  ‘  know  the 
grace  of  Christ,’  by  considering  how  small  a  proportion  of  our  superflu¬ 
ities  we  retrench,  and  how  little  we  deny  ourselves,  submit  willingly  to 
privations,  forego  the  prospect  of  wealth,  endure  inconveniences,  and 
stoop  to  men  of  low  estate,  from  love  to  his  name.  Doubtless,  this  is  the 
proper  standard  of  our  spiritual  knowledge  of  Christ.  In  proportion  to 
our  views  of  his  glory,  we  shall  bear  his  image  ;  and  if  this  change  were 
more  fully  effected,  we  should  embrace  poverty,  endure  hardship,  and 
even  ‘  lay  down  our  lives  ’  for  the  good  of  his  people,  when  properly 
called  to  it,  and  at  last,  we  should  deem  all  this  as  nothing,  when  com¬ 
pared  with  our  obligations  to  his  infinite  love.  Scott. 


sense,  i.  e.  simply,  one  sent  out  as  on  any  mission,  as  a  legate,  to  dis¬ 
charge  business  for  others.  The  glory  of  Christ.]  I.  e.  (by  metonymy) 
instruments  for  spreading  and  promoting  the  glory  of  Christ,  and  the 
Gospel.’  Bloomf. 

(24.)  Before.]  ‘I.  e.  in  the  presence  of  the  churches:  not  only  be¬ 
cause  Titus  would  proclaim  it  wherever  he  went,  but  because  Corinth 
was  in  all  respects  placed  in  excelso  [in  a  lofty  and  conspicuous  posi¬ 
tion];  and,  from  its  perpetual  communication  with  all  parts  of  the  civil¬ 
ized  world,  [note,  end  of  Acts,]  the  tidings  would  soon  spread  to  all  the 
churches,  i.  e.  the  Gentile  churches,  planted  by  Paul.’  Id. 

NOTES.  Chap.  IX.  V.  1 — 5.  Beza  explains  the  ‘ministering  to 
the  saints,’  not  of  the  money  contributed,  but  of  the  office  and  duty  of 
those  persons,  who  were  chosen  to  take  charge  of  it,  and  the  care  of 
the  church  at  Corinth  in  selecting  them  ;  the  context,  however,  does 
not  seem  to  favor  this  interpretation,  at  least  ns  exclusive. — The  whole 
transaction,  from  the  first  thought  and  proposal  of  thus  relieving  the  poor 
Christians  in  Judea,  to  the  completion  of  the  design,  in  the  distribution 
of  the  money  among  them,  by  the  apostles  and  elders  at  Jerusalem,  may 
be  included  in  this  general  term.  12 — 15.  8:1 — 5. — ‘The  apostle  calls 
that  “covetousness,”  which  is  done  sordidly,  and  as  extorted  from  a 
covetous  person.’  Beza. — ‘To  give  alms  out  of  shame,  or  to  satisfy  the 
importunity  of  others,  rather  than  out  of  love  and  good-will,  is  a  symp¬ 
tom  of  a  covetous  temper.’  Whitby.  The  word  rendered  ‘  bounty,’ 
signifies  a  blessing  ;  which  may  either  intimate,  that  it  should  be  given 
as  an  expression  of  gratitude  to  God,  and  as  an  act  of  praise  and  thanks¬ 
giving  to  Him  ;  or  that  it  should  spring  from  love,  and  a  disposition  to 
bless  and  do  good  to  their  brethren.  Scott- 

(2  )  Achaia.]  Here  put  for  Greece,  of  which  Corinth  was  then  the 
capital,  and  this  use  of  the  word,  says  BL,  is  fully  justified.  Ed. 

(5.)  Bounty.]  ‘Eulogia:  [lit.  benediction,  thanks:]  this  may  be  num¬ 
bered  with  the  euphemisms  which  the  delicacy  of  the  apostle  so  often 
employs,  especially  in  terms  denoting  alms,  (or  what  we  call  charity,) 
for  which  he  substitutes  names  which  spare  the  feelings  of  the  receiver, 
and  remind  the  giver  that  he  is  exercising  a  duly  toward  God.  We  may 
comp,  this  use  of  eu/ogia,  in  1  Cor.  10:16.  and  here  render  it  a  thanks- 
gift ,  a  gift  bestowed  on  man  in  grateful  thanks  to  God  for  his  goodness. 
[And  we  may  remark,  in  passing,  how  much  oftener  the  apostle  exhorts 
to  good  deeds,  from  motives  of  love  and  gratitude  to  God,  as  v.  14-  than 


A.  D.  61. 


2  CORINTHIANS,  IX.  Bountifulness  inculcated > 


6  But  this  I  say,  He  •  which  sow¬ 
eth  sparingly  shall  reap  also  spar¬ 
ingly  ;  and  he  which  soweth  boun¬ 
tifully  shall  reap  also  bountifully. 

7  Every  man  according  as  he 
purposeth  in  his  heart,  so  let  him 
give  ;  not  f  grudgingly,  or  of  neces¬ 
sity  :  for  God  loveth  a  cheerful 
s  giver. 

8  And  h  God  is  able  to  make  all 
grace  abound  toward  you  :  that  ye, 
always  having  all  sufficiency  in  all 
things,  may  abound  to  every  good 
work  : 

9  (As  it  is  written,  '  He  hath  dis¬ 
persed  abroad ;  he  hath  given  to 
the  poor  :  his  righteousness  re- 
maineth  for  ever. 

10  Now  he  j  that  ministereth  seed 
to  the  sower  both  minister  bread 
for  your  food,  and  multiply  your 
seed  sown,  and  increase  the  fruits 
k  of  your  righteousness  :) 

1 1  Being  enriched  in  every  thing 
to  all  ‘bountifulness,  which  111  caus- 
eth  through  us  thanksgiving  to  God. 

12  For  the  administration  of  this 
service  not  only  supplieth  n  the  want 
of  the  saints,  but  is  abundant  also 
by  niany  thanksgivings  unto  God  ; 

13  Whiles  by  the  experiment  of 
this  ministration  they  glorify  0  God 
for  your  professed  subjection  unto 
the  gospel  of  Christ,  and  for  your 
liberal  distribution  unto  them,  and 
unto  all  men  ; 

14  And  by  their  prayer  for  you, 
which  long  after  you  for  the  ex¬ 
ceeding  p  grace  of  God  in  you. 


e  P».  41:1—3.  Pr. 
11:24,25.  19:17. 
22:9.  Ga.6:7,9. 
f  De.  15:7,8. 
g  Ex. 35:5.  Ho.  12:3. 


h  Phi.  4:19. 
i  Ps.  112:9. 
j  la.  55:10. 
k  Ho.  10:12. 

1  simplicity, 


or,  liberality. 
me.  1:11.  4:15. 
n  c.  8:14. 
o  Mat.  5:16. 
p  c.  8:1. 


Christians  should  consult  the  reputation  of 
their  profession,  and  endeavor  to  adorn  the 
doctrine  of  God  our  Savior. 

V.  6 — 15.  T.  Proper  directions  about  the 
right  and  acceptable  manner  of  bestowing 
charity;  and  it  is  of  great  concernment,  that 
we  do  what  is  required,  so  as  is  commanded. 

1.  It  should  be  bountifully  J  and  he  offers 
to  their  consideration,  that  the  harvest  usu¬ 
ally  is  proportionable  to  what  is  sowed,  v.  6. 

2.  It  should  be  deliberately ,  v.  7.  Works 
of  charity,  like  other  good  works,  should  be 
done  with  thought  and  design,  with  purpose 
of  heart,  not  as  by  accident,  or  importunity 
of  others,  and  to  be  lepeuted  of  afterward. 
Due  deliberation,  as  to  our  own  circum¬ 
stances,  and  those  of  them  we  are  about  to 
relieve,  will  be  very  helpful  to  direct  us  how 
liberal  we  should  be  in  our  contributions  for 
charitable  uses. 

3.  It  should  be  freely,  be  it  more  or  less; 
not  grudgingly ,  or  of  necessity,  but  cheerfully, 
v.  7.  Persons  sometimes  will  give  merely 
to  satisfy  the  importunity  of  thos£  who  ask 
their  charity,  and  what  they  give  is  in  a  man¬ 
ner  squeezed  or  forced  from  them,  and  this 
unwillingness  spoils  all  they  do.  We  ought 
to  give  more  freely  than  the  modesty  of  some 
necessitous  persons  will  allow  them  to  ask  : 
we  should  not  only  deal  out  bread,  but  draw 
out  our  souls  to  the  hungry,  Is.  58:  10.  We 
should  give  liberally,  with  an  open  hand,  and 
cheerfully,  with  an  open  countenance  ;  being 
glad  we  have  ability,  and  an  opportunity,  to 
be  charitable. 

II.  Good  encouragement  to  do  thus. 

1.  They  themselves  would  be  no  losers,  by 
what  they  gave  in  charity.  Many,  who  are 
ready  to  think  they  may  want  what  they  give 
away,  should  consider  that  what  is  given  to 
the  poor,  in  a  right  manner,  is  far  from  being 
lost  ;  for  it  will  spring  up,  and  bear  fruit : 
the  sower  shall  receive  it  again  with  increase, 
v.  6.  For, 

(1.)  God  loveth  a  cheerful  giver,  v.  7.  and 
what  may  not  they  hope  to  receive,  who  are 
the  objects  of  the  divine  love  1  May  not  such 
a  one  be  sure,  that  he  shall  some  way  or  other 
be  a  gainer  1  Nay,  are  not  the  love  and  favor 


of  God  better  than  all  other  things,  better  than 
life  itself  1 

(2.)  God  is  able  to  make  our  charity  re¬ 
dound  to  our  advantage,^.  8.  fit  cultivates 
the  most  gracious  and  enduring  affections  in 
us.]  We  have  no  reason  to  distrust  the  good¬ 
ness  of  God,  and,  surely,  none  to  question  his 
power;  He  is  able  to  make  all  grace  [which 
grows  with  exercise]  abound  towards  us,  and 
in  us  ;  to  give  a  large  increase  of  spiritual 
and  temporal  good  things.  He  can  make  us 
to  have  a  sufficiency  in  all  things;  to  be  con¬ 
tent  with  what  we  have  ;  to  make  up  what 
we  give;  to  make  us  able  to  give  yet  more ; 
as  it  is  written,  Ps.  112:9.  of  the  charitable 
man,  He  hath  dispersed  abroad.  He  hath  given 
to  the  poor.  His  righteousness,  i.  e.  his  alms¬ 
giving,  endureth  for  ever.  The  honor  of  it  is 
lasting,  the  reward  of  it  eternal,  and  he  is 
still  able  to  live  comfortably  himself,  and  to 
give  liberally  to  others. 

(3.)  The  apostle  puts  up  a  prayer  to  God 
in  their  behalf,  that  they  might  be  gainers, 
and  not  losers,  v.  10,  11.  to  that  God  who 
giveth  such  an  increase  of  the  fruits  of  the 
earth,  that  we  have  not  only  bread  sufficient 
to  eat  for  one  year,  but  enough  to  sow  again 
for  a  future  supply  ;  or  to  God,  who  giveth 
us  not  only  a  competency  for  ourselves,  but 
that  also  wherewith  we  may  supply  the  wants 
of  others,  and  so  should  be  as  seed  to  be 
sown.  Works  of  charity,  so  far  from  impov¬ 
erishing,  are  the  proper  means-truly  to  en¬ 
rich  us,  or  make  us  truly  rich. 

2.  The  poor  distressed  saints  would  be 
gainers,  and  they  no  losers  ;  for  this  service 
would  supply  their  wants,  v.  12. 

3.  This  would  redound  to  the  praise  and 
glory  of  God.  Many  thanksgivings  would 
be  given  to  God  on  this  account,  by  the  apos¬ 
tle,  and  by  them  who  were  employed  in  this 
ministration,  v.  11.  These  would  bless  God, 
who  made  them  happy  instruments  in  so  good 
a  work,  and  successful  in  it :  others,  also, 
would  be  thankful ;  the  poor,  who  were  sup¬ 
plied  in  their  wants  ;  and  all  who  wished 
well  to  the  Gospel  would  glorify  God  for  this 
experiment,  or  proof,  of  subjection  to  the  Gos¬ 
pel  of  Christ,  and  true  love  to  all  men,  v.  13. 


from  any  more  immediately  selfish  motive,  as  future  rewards,  or  recipro¬ 
city  of  the  same  benefits,  at  a  lime  of  our  own  need,  as  8:14,  &c.  Comp. 
Col.  3:23.]  The  clause,  with  eulogia  immediately  alter,  I  would  render  : 
“  so  that  it  may  be  ready  (as  it  onghj  to  be),  being  thus  (as  it  is)  a  thanks- 
gift,  and  not  as  it  were  a  parsimony,  niggardliness,  or  a  niggardly  gift, 
or  as  something  wrung  from  any  one,  as  no  such  gift  ought  to  be.”  Nig¬ 
gardliness  is  the  daughter  of  avarice.’  Bloomf. 

V.  6 — 7.  God,  in  his  providence,  often  frowns  on  the  undertakings  of 
him  who  gives  sparingly,  and  by  concurring  causes  keeps  him  poor  ;  the 
evidence  of  his  conversion  must  thus  be  rendered  proportionably  dubi¬ 
ous ;  if  he  be  a  real  Christian,  his  consolations  will  be  scanty,  accord¬ 
ing  to  his  penurious  conduct  towards  his  brethren  ;  and  his  final  recom¬ 
pense  will  be  proportioned  to  the  small  measure  of  his  present  fruitful¬ 
ness. —  ‘Two  things  are  excluded  by  the  apostle,  namely,  grief  and 
necessity,'  (Gr.)  ‘  when,  for  instance,  any  person  gives  indeed,  but  with 
a  grudging  and  illiberal  mind,  or  even  unwillingly,  because  he  would  not 
be  evil  spoken  of  among  others;  else  he  would  not  give  at  all.’  Heza.  S. 

(6.)  ‘  Paul  seems  to  answer  some  such  suggestion  as,  “  Well,  then,  as 
the  gilt  is  to  be  voluntary,  and  only  from  our  superfluity,  we  may  give 
sparingly  this  the  apostle  denies.  Soweth.]  Among  the  Arabs,  also, 
spargers,  [to  scatter,  as  in  sowing,]  in  the  sense  of,  to  distribute  copi¬ 
ously,  is  used  of  alms  and  benefits  ;  [notes,  v.  9.  and  Ps.  145:16.]’  Bn. 

V.  9.  ‘  Thus  the  saying  of  Scriplure  will  be  made  good,  He  hath  dis¬ 
persed,  expended  for,  given  to  the  poor:  skorpizd  properly  signifies  to 
scatter,  as  in  sowing ;  for  the  same  metaphor  seems  employed  at  v.  17. 
Or  rather,  as  in  the  Psalm  (112:9.)  he  quotes,  there  may  be  an  allusion 
to  the  oriental  custom  of  scattering  money  among  an  assembled  multi¬ 
tude  of  paupers,  or  others.  Prov.  11:24.  Righteousness.]  The  best 
comtrs.  are  agreed,  that  it  signifies  beneficium,  (as often  in  theO.  T.  and 
in  Mat.  6:1.  &c.)  Remainelh.]  I.  e.  in  its  fruits  or  consequences  for 
ever,  i.  e.  both  in  this  world,  from  the  blessing  of  Him  that  was  ready 
to  perish,  a  blessing  attendant  both  on  the  giver,  and  his  posterity  [and 
that  good-will  of  others  which  cheerfully  helps,  nor  desires  to  thwart, 
his  schemes,  nor  envies  his  success] ;  and  in  the  next  world,  in  the  re¬ 
wards  of  heaven.’  Bl.  Others,  as  Doddr.  and  Ros.,  (preferably,  says  111.,) 
take  the  meaning  to  be,  (by  a  sort  of  oxymoron,)  that  ‘  the  sums  so  dis¬ 
tributed  will,  as  it  were,  remain  with  him  perpetually,  inasmuch  as,  by 
the  blessing  of  God,  be  shall  never  want  wherewithal  to  supply  future 
liberality.’  At  least,  the  results  of  the  exercise  of  benevolence  and  love 
to  God  will  be,  habits  and  exercises  of  those  best  feelings  which  will 
make  the  benevolent  Christian  happier  now  and  always.  En. 

V.  10.  May  be  thus  lit.  tr. :  ‘May  He  who  supplieth  seed  to  the  sow¬ 
er,  and  bread  for  food,  supply  and  multiply  your  seed,  and  increase  the 
productions  of  your  righteousness.’  The  sense  is  thus  rendered  more 
obvious,  but  it  is  not  materially  altered.  —  The  word  rendered  ‘seed 
sown,’  more  properly  signifies  ‘seed  for  sowing,’  i.  e-  enabling  those 
spoken  of  to  sow  plentifully  for  a  future  harvest,  ftmm  the  increase  of 
that  which  they  had  sown  before.  Scott. 


(10.)  ‘  The  sentence  is  couched  in  the  form  of  a  pious  wish,  but  it  seems 
to  partake  of  the  predictive  as  well  as  the  optative.  The  predictive 
may  be  engrafted  on  the  optative;  but  not  the  contrary.’  Bl.  He  that, 
&c.]  ‘A  beautiful  periphrasis  of  God,  i.  e.  the  good  Being  (for  so  the 
word  God  means),  and  taken,  as  Theoph.  obs.,  from  Is.  55:10.  Multiply, 
dec.]  To  wish  the  increase  of  beneficence  in  the  charitable,  is  equivalent 
to  wish  them  an  increase  of  the  means,  since  their  benevolent  princi¬ 
ples  [and  indulged  habits  of  benevolent  feeling  and  action]  will  always 
impel  them  [more  and  more  strongly]  to  give  in  proportion  to  those 
means.’  Bloomf. 

V.  11.  To  all  bountifulness.]  I.  e.  that  ye  may  have  the  means  of 
exercising  the  largest  and  most  freehearted  liberality.  Thanksgiving.] 
‘The  apostle  here  means  to  show  the  peculiar  benefit  of  this  charis,  [tr. 
grrtcc,]  or  God's  gift,  namely,  that  it  not  only  supplies  the  necessities  of 
the  poor,  (and  that,  from  its  ver>*nature  liberally,  for  the  very  idea,  v. 
6.  of  a  thanks-gift  for  God's  sake,  carries  with  it  that  of  a  bounteous 
one,)  but  also  excites  and  nourishes  religion  in  the  hearts  of  the  poor, 
since  ihey  have  to  thank  God,  as  well  as  their  fellow-creatures,  for  what 
the  apostle  further  on  calls  this  unspeakable  gift.'  Bl.  Ed. 

V.  12—15.  This  consideration  [namely,  the  happy  change  in  their 
state  and  condition,  through  the  influence  of  the  Gospel]  caused  the 
apostle  to  break  out  in  thanks  to  God,  for  the  unspeakable  grace  of  the 
Gospel,  and  the  gift  of  his  Son  to  be  the  Savior  of  sinners  ;  hv  whom 
idolatrous  Gentiles  had  been  thus  brought  to  glorify  Him  ;  a  foundation 
had  been  laid  for  the  mutual  love  of  Jews  and  Gentiles,  as  members 
of  one  church,  and  children  of  one  family ;  and  the  most  effectual  mo¬ 
tives,  encouragements,  and  example,  had  been  afforded,  to  excite  men  to 
‘love  and  good  works.’  ‘The  admirable  charity,  by  which  God  is  so 
much  glorified,  the  Gospel  receives  such  credit,  others  are  so  much  ben¬ 
efited,  and  you  will  be  so  plentifully  by  God  rewarded.’  Whitby.  ‘If 
we  understand  thus,  it  will  be  as  remarkable  a  text  ns  most  in  the  Bible, 
to  show  that  every  good  affection,  in  the  human  heart,  is  to  be  ascribed 
to  a  divine  influence.  ..  .  But  I  am  ready  to  think,  the  apostle’s  mind,  to 
which  the  idea ’of  the  invaluable  gift  of  Christ  was  so  familiar,  rather, 
by  a  strong  and  natural  transition,  glanced  on  that.’  Doddr.  Scott. 

(13.)  Professed.]  ‘  Rather,  consentaneous  ;  since  those  who  were  lib¬ 
eral  to  other  Christians,  by  that  very  thing  publicly  professed  their  con¬ 
sent  with  them  in  the  faith.  And  so  Reza,  Sclater,  Ros.’  Bl.  Thus 
that  union,  v.  14.  of  Jew  and  Gentile  Christians,  to  which  the  former 
were  so  averse,  Gal.  2:12.  would  be  exceedingly  helped  ;  comp,  also  Rom. 
15:31.  where  he  asks  the  Roman  Christians’  prayers,  that  the  Gentile 
contribution  may  be  received  with  proper  feelings,  by  the  Palestine 
Christians.  See  Mackn.  An  admirable  method  is  this  of  the  apostle, 
to  keep  bright  the  links  of  harmony  in  the  church,  prayer  ami  benem- 
cence;  and  which  may  be  xvell  recommended,  for  mutual  benefit,  to  the 
rich  and  poor  of  all  lands  and  all  times.  *:,D- 

(14.)  ‘It  will  also  (he  says)  tend  to  excite  their  prayers  for  you. 
Grace-]  ‘  The  benignity  of  God  [notes,  v.  5.  8:1.]  :  the  apostle  means 

[343] 


A.  D.  61. 


2  CORINTHIANS,  X. 


Paul’s  apostolical  authority. 


15  Thanks  be  unto  God  for  his 
unspeakable  rgift. 

CHAP.  X. 

Against  the  false  onostles,  who  disgraced  the  weakness  of 
his  person  and  boaily  presence,  he  settelh  out  the  spiritual 
might  and  authority,  with  which  he  is  armed  against  all 
adversary  powers,  7  assuring  them  that  at  his  coming  he 
will  be  found  as  mighty  in  word,  as  he  is  now  in  writing 
being  absent,  12  and  withal  taxing  them  for  reaching  nut 
themselves  beyond  their  compass,  and  vaunting  them¬ 
selves  into  other  men’6  labors. 

NO W  I  Paul  myself  beseech 
1  you  by  the  meekness  and 
gentleness  of  Christ,  who  bin  pres¬ 
ence  cam  base  among  you,  but  being 
absent  am  bold  toward  you  : 

2  But  I  beseech  you,  that  I  may 
not  be  bold  when  I  am  present  with 
that  confidence,  wherewith  d  I  think 
to  be  bold  against  some,  which 
e  think  of  us  as  if  we  walked  ac¬ 
cording  to  the  flesh. 

3  For  though  we  walk  in  the 
flesh,  we  do  not  war  after  f  the 
flesh  ; 

q  Ja.  1:17.  appearance.  c.  13:2,10. 

r  Jn.  3:16.  c  vet.  10.  e  or,  reckon. 

a  Ro.  12:1.  d  1  Co.  4:21.  f  Ro.  8:13. 

b  or,  in  outward 

—  «* 

Note,  (1.)  True  Christianity  is  a  subjec¬ 
tion  to  the  Gospel,  a  yielding  ourselves  to 
the  commanding  influence  of  its  truths  and 


laws.  (2.)  We  must  evidence  the  sincerity 
of  this  subjection,  by  works  of  charity.  (3.) 
This  will  he  for  the  creditof  our  profession, 
and  to  the  praise  and  glory  of  God.  (4.) 
We  should  recompense  the  kindnesses  we  re¬ 
ceive,  when  not  in  a  capacity  of  recompens¬ 
ing  any  other  way  those  who  have  aided  us, 
by  prayer  to  God  for  them,  v.  14.  and  as  this 
is  the  only  recompense  the  poor  can  make, 
so  it  is  often  greatly  for  the  advantage  of  the 
rich. 

Lastly,  The  apostle  concludes  this  whole 
matter  with  this  doxology,  v.  15.  Some 
think,  by  this  unspeakable  gift  he  means  the 
gift  of  grace  bestowed  on  the  churches,  in 
making  them  able  and  willing  to  supply  the 
necessities  of  the  saints,  which  would  be  at¬ 
tended  with  unspeakable  benefit  both  to  the 
givers  and  receivers.  It  should  seem  rather, 
that  he  means  Jesus  Christ,  who  is  indeed 
the  unspeakable  Gift  of  God  unto  this  world  ; 
a  gift  we  have  all  reason  to  be  very  thank- 
fpl  for. 

Chap.  X.  V.  1 — 6.  The  apostle  Paul 
nowhere  met  with  more  opposition  from  false 
apostles  than  at  Corinth.  Let  not  the  min¬ 
isters  of  Christ  think  strange,  if  they  meet 
with  perils,  not  only  from  enemies,  but  from 
false  brethren  ;  for  blessed  Paul  himself, 
though  so  blameless  and  inoffensive,  so  con¬ 
descending  and  useful  to  all,  yet  had  occa¬ 
sion  to  vindicate  himself  against  (hose  who 
envied ‘him,  and  did  all  they  could  to  under¬ 


mine  him,  and  lessen  his  interest  and  repu¬ 
tation. 

I.  Observe  the  mild  and  humble  manner 
in  which  he  addresses  the  Corinthians,  and 
how  desirous  he  is  that  no  occasion  might 
be  given  him  to  use  severity. 

1.  He  addresses  himself  to  them  in  a  very 
mild  and  humble  manner,  v.  1.  In  the  in¬ 
troduction  to  this  epistle,  he  joined  Timothy 
with  himself ;  but  now  he  speaks  only  for 
himself,  against  whom  the  false  apostles  had 
particularly  levelled  their  reproaches  ;  and 
mark  how  he  regards  the  meekness  and  gen¬ 
tleness  of  Christ,  and  desires  this  great  ex¬ 
ample  might  have  the  same  influence  on  the 
Corlml  tiaiiB.  When  we  find  ourselves  tempt¬ 
ed,  or  inclined  to  beeouglvand  severe  towards 
anybody,  we  should  think  of  the  meekness 
and  gentleness  of  Christ,  in  the  days  of  his 
flesh,  and' in  all  the  acts  of  his  grace  toward 
poor  souls.  How  humbly,  also,  this  great 
apostle  speaks  of  himself !  We  should  be 
sensible  of  our  own  infirmities,  and  think 
humbly  of  ourselves,  even  when  men  reproach 
us  for  th^m. 

2.  He  is  desirous  that  no  occasion  might 
be  given  to  use  severity,  v.  2.  or  to  exercise 
his  authority  against  them  in  general,  as  he 
had  resolved  to  do  against  some  who  unjust¬ 
ly  charged  him  as  walking  according  to  the 
flesh,  i.  e.  regulating  his  conduct,  even  in  his 
ministerial  actions,  according  to  carnal  pol¬ 
icy,  or  with  worldly  views.  This  was  what 
he  had  renounced  ;  this  is  contrary  to  the 


PRACT.  OBS.  The  duty  of  ‘  ministering  to  the  saints,’  is  so  obvious, 
that  it  might  be  deemed  superfluous  to  exhort  Christians  to  it;  yet  they 
are  so  apt  to  forget  their  principles  and  obligations,  and  the  remains  of 
unbelief  and  carnal  self  love  war  so  powerfully  against  the  1  constrain¬ 
ing  love  of  Christ,’  in  their  hearts,  that  it  is  in  general  necessary  ‘  to 
stir  up  their  minds  by  way  of  remembrance.’ — Many  an  intended  good 
work  has  been  neglected,  or  rendered  useless,  by  delay ;  it  is,  therefore, 
proper  to  exhort  men  to  be  prompt  in  doing  what  they  have  shown  a 
willingness  to  engage  in.  Prov.  3:27,  28.  Ec.  9:10.  Works  of  piety 
and  charity  should  flow  spontaneously,  as  water  out  of  a  fountain,  from 
the  gralitude  and  benevolence  of  a  believing  heart,  and  not  require  ex¬ 
torting  by  importunity _ It  is  spiritual  policy  for  us  to  spend  lesson 

every  kind  of  indulgence,  and  to  lay  by  less  for  our  families,  that  we 
may  give  more  to  the  needy  for  Christ’s  sake  ;  for  this  will  be  far  the 
best  secured  and  most  productive.  Even  persons  in  moderate  circumstan¬ 
ces  may  sow  much  of  this  seed  ;  if  by  various  little  savings  and  self- 
denials,  they  will  hut  study  to  spare  something  to  relieve  their  distressed 
brethren  ;  and  this  they  will  do,  if  ‘  faith  and  love  abound  in  their 
hearts.’  With  these  truths  before  our  eyes,  men  must  be  left  to  ‘  do  as 
they  have  purposed  in  their  hearts ;’  for  they  who  give  in  a  reluctant. 


sorrowful,  or  grudging  manner,  and  ‘of  necessity,’  have  little  reason  to 
expect  the  acceptance  of  God,  ‘who  loveth  a  cheerful  giver.’  £c.ll:l — 
6. — There  are  a  few  Christians  still  to  be  found  ‘  who  scatter,  and  yet 
increase,’  but  there  are  far  more,  even  among  those  who  are  zealous  for 
evangelical  doctrines,  ‘who  withhold  more  than  is  meet,  and  it  tendeth 
to  poverty  ;’  for  ‘  God  is  able  to  make  all  grace  to  abound’  to  those,  whose 
hearts  are  enlarged  with  kindness  to  their  brethren  ;  and  it  should  be  re¬ 
membered,  that  He  gives  us  everything  far  more  ‘  freely,’ than  we  can 
give  aims  to  the  meanest  beggar.  If  He  sees  it  good  for  us,  He  can  so 
prosper  us,  that,  having  all-sufficiency  in  ail  things,  ‘  we  may  abound  unto 
every  good  work;’  and  they,  who,  from  love  to  Him,  ‘scatter  abroad 
and  give  to  the  poor,’  have  ‘a  righteousness  that  endureth  forever.’  He 
can  easily  give  us  enough  to  use,  and  enough  to  disperse ;  that  we  may 
have  more,  sow  more,  and  reap  more;  and  so,  ‘  increase  the  fruits  of  our 
righteousness;’  that,  being  ‘enriched  in  everything  unto  all  bountiful¬ 
ness,’  we  may  be  happy  in  ourselves,  blessings  to  others,  and  instru¬ 
ments  of  promoting  his  glory.  But  alas  !  the  faithfulness  of  our  God,  in 
this  respect,  is  little  known,  even  among  professed  Christians,  because 
so  few  fairly  venture  to  make  the  experiment.  Scott. 


to  inculcate  strongly,  that  the  chief  thanks  are  due  to  God  ,  it  being  his 
pleasure  that  it  should  oe  so;  which  would  suggest  to  the  Corinthians 
the  strongest  [and  best]  motive  for  contributing  to  their  utmost  ability.’ 

Bloomf. 

NOTES.  Ch.vp.  X.  V.  1 — 6  Having  concluded  other  subjects,  the 
apostle  here  begins  to  speak  more  directly  against  the  false  teachers, 
who  opposed  him  at  Corinth.  11:13 — 15.  (5)  Casting  dou^i,  &c.]  ‘The 
so ul,  seeing  its  fortifications  demolished,  submits  to  the  Conqueror,  and 
every  thought,  every  reasoning,  takes  law  from  Him — Christ  is  ac¬ 
knowledged  as  absolute  Master. — The  former  clause  shows,  how  ready 
men  are  to  fortify  themselves  against  it,  and  to  raise,  as  it  were,  one 
barrier  behind  another,  to  obstruct  h*is  entrance  into  the  soul.’  Doddr. 
As  no  outward  .miracle  could  effect  this  change,  without  new-creating 
grace,  so  we  may  be  sure,  that  the  power  of  God,  in  regenerating  and 
renewing  the  heart,  was  principally,  though  not  exclusively,  intended 
by  the  apostle  ;  yet  many  expositors  almost  wholly  confine  it  to  the 
miracles  wrought  by  Him. — Thus  the  apostle  and  his  fellow-soldiers 
waged  war  against  their  opposers.  By  faithful  preaching,  disinterested 
labors,  patipnt  sufferings,  holy  lives,  and  fervent  prayers,  they  sought  to 
change  their  enemies  into  friends  to  them  and  their  divine  Master  ;  and 
thus  they  prevailed  against  Satan,  to  the  subversion  of  his  strong-holds 
and  the  revolt  of  his  subjects. — (6)  To  revenge,  &c-]  The  apostle  pur¬ 
posed,  and  was  in  readiuess,  by  miraculous  judgments,  to  avenge  the 
cause  of  Christ  on  those  disguised  enemies,  who  persisted  in  their  diso¬ 
bedience,  as  lie  had  on  Elymas  and  others  :  Acts  13:6 — 12.  but  he  waited 
to  bring  hack  such  as  had  been  deluded  by  them  to  their  former  obe¬ 
dience,  and  to  complete  that  work  of  love,  before  he  proceeded  to  use 
severer  methods. — Many  expositors  seem  to  confine  the  interpretation 
of  these  vs.  almost  entirely  to  the  divine  power ;  by  which  the  apostles 
were  enabled  to  confound  all  open  opposers,  as  well  as  to  inflict  judg¬ 
ments  on  those  professed  Christians, who  by  their  persevering  misconduct 
exposed  themselves  to  the  censures  of  the  church.  But  it  appears  evi¬ 
dent,  that  ‘the  Gospel,  as  the  power  of  God  unto  salvation,’  is  primarily 
intended,  and  that  the  conversion  of  opponents,  and  the  restoring  of 
lapsed  Christians  to  obedience,  were  the  first  objects  aimed  at.  But 
when  all  proper  means  had  failed,  in  respect  of  the  latter,  then  not  so 
much  the  censures  of  the  church,  as  miraculous  punishments,  denounced 
by  apostolical  authority,  and  made  effectual  by  the  power  of  God,  were 
the  weapons  to  which  they  had  recourse.  Scott. 

U.)  ‘  Now  commences  the  third  part  of  this  epistle,  in  which  Paul 
vindicates  himself  against  the  false  teachers,  and  those  that  calum¬ 
niated  him.  For  there  had  come  to  the  Corinthians  certain  false 
teachers  (1J:13.),  from  among  the  Jews  (11:22.),  who  had  calumniated 
the  apostle,  had  invidiously  depreciated  his  gifts,  and  denied  his  pre¬ 
eminences,  and  had  even  accused  him  of  profanity  and  hypocrisy; 

[344J 


(10:2.)  while,  on  the  other  hand,  they  had  bestowed  on  themselves  the 
most  unqualified  praises.  To  these,  therefore,  the  apostle  adverts  in 
what  follows,  in  which  he  says,  (1.)  That  he  had  come  to  the  Corin¬ 
thians,  with  no  other  but  divine  powers,  10:4 — 7.  (2.)  That  he  does  not 
boast,  except  of  the  promotion  of  God’s  glory,  v.  8 — 18.  (3.)  That  his 
affection  for  the  Corinthians  is  greater  than  that  of  false  teachers,  11:1  — 
15.  (4.)  And  lastly,  he  compares  himself  with  them,  11:16 — 21.  12,13.’ 

Schoettg. 

‘  On  this  portion  of  the  epistle,  many  modern  cnmtrs.  run  into  strange 
speculations.  From  a  certain  change  which  may  here  be  observed  in 
the  phraseology,  some  have  fancied  that  it  was  another  epistle,  which 
was  in  process  of  time  tacked  to  the  first ;  but  there  is  no  appearance 
of  another  epistle  having  commenced,  nor  have  we  here  any  of  the  in¬ 
troductory  matter,  observable  at  the  commencement  of  all  the  other 
epistles  ;  and  moreover  the  Gr.  particle  de  [the  second  word  of  this  ch.], 
which  is  never  proemial,  utterly  discountenances  the  notion.  As  to  the 
slight  difference  of  style,  it  may  easily  be  accounted  for,  from  the  dif¬ 
ference  of  subject,  and  perhaps  front  the  difference  of  situation  in  which 
it  was  written.  The  preceding  chs.  (I  think)  bear  some  marks  of  haste, 
and  slight  incoherency,  as  if  written  on  the  spur  of  the  occasion,  in  the 
course  ofjourneying  from  place  to  place*  The  following  portion  is  more 
elaborate,  and  was  probably  written  at  some  fixed  place,  and  with 
[greater]  deliberation.  Base.]  As  it  appears  from  v.  10.  that  Paul  is 
here  adopting  the  language  of  his  detractors,  both  the  epithets  must  be 
somewhat  modified.’  Bloomf. 

(2.)  According  o  theflesh.]  ‘  The  sense  (comp.  1:17.)  seems  to  be,  “  to 
act  merely  from  the  dictates  of  frail  and  corrupt  human  nature,”  such  as 
levity,  inconstancy,  boasting  when  absent,  and  timid  when  present,  and, 
in  a  general  way,  “  being  guided  by  personal  interests,  and  carnal  and 
worldly  views  of  ambition,  avarice,  or  sensuality'.”  The  phrase,  upon 
the  whole,  strongly  implies  the  absence  of  every  supernatural  endow¬ 
ment,  and  divine  commission,  such  as  Paul  claimed  ;  which  I  conceive 
to  be  the  full  sense  of  the  expression.’  Id. 

(3 — 5.)  fVar.]  ‘  The  Gr.  ( strateuesthai )  signifies,  “  to  go  out  on  a 
commissioned  warfare,”  so,  by  a  military  allusion,  it  may  denote,  “  to 
hold  a  commission,  and  exercise  an  office.”  “  Carnal  weapons ,”  refers 
to  those  human  aids  and  supports,  by  which  the  plans  of  men  are  car¬ 
ried  into  effect,  as  riches,  fame,  eloquence,  and  human  policy  of  every 
kind.  It  is  God  who  energizes  (says  Tkeoph.)  and  wars,  though  we 
wear  the  armor.’  Bl.  ‘  All  the  terms  in  these  two  vs.  (5,  6.)  are  mili¬ 
tary.  Allusion  is  made  to  a  strongly  fortified  city,  when  the  enemy  had 
made  his  last  stand ;  entrenching  himself  about  the  walls  ;  strengthen¬ 
ing  nil  his  redoubts  and  ramparts  ;  raising  castles,  towers,  and  various 
engines  of  defence  and  offence  upon  the  walls;  and  neglecting  nothing 
that  might  lend  to  render  his  strong-hold  impregnable  !  The  army  of 


A.  D.  61. 


2  CORINTHIANS,  X.  Paul's  apostolical  authority. 


4  (For  the  weapons  s  of  our 
h  warfare  are  not  carnal,  but  mighty 
’through  i  God  to  the  pulling  down 
of  k strong  holds  ;) 

5  Casting  down  1  m  imaginations, 
and  every  high  "thing  that  exalteth 
itself  against  the  knowledge  of  God, 
and  bringing  into  captivity  0  every 
thought  to  p  the  obedience  of  Christ; 

6  And  having  in  a  readiness  to 
revenge  all  disobedience,  when  your 
obedience  qis  fulfilled. 

[Practical  Observations.] 


7  Do  ye  look  on  things  after  the 
outward  "appearance  ?  if  any  man 
trust  to  himself  that  he  is  Christ’s, 
let  him  of  himself  think  this  again, 
that,  as  he  is  Christ’s,  even  so  are 
we  Christ’s. 

8  For  though  I  should  boast 
somewhat  more  of  our  *  authority, 
which  the  Lord  hath  given  us  for 
'edification,  and  not  for  your  de¬ 
struction,  1  should  not  be  ashamed: 


g  Ep.  6:13. 

1  Th.  5:8. 
h  1  ti.  1:18. 

i  or,  to. 
j  c.  13.3,4. 
k  Je.  1:10. 


1  or,  reasonings. 
m  l  Co  1:19. 
n  Ps.  18:27. 

Ez.  17:24. 
o  Mat.  11:29,30. 
p  Ge.  8:21.  Mat. 


15:19.  He. 4:12. 
q  c.  7:15. 
r  Jn.  7:24. 
s  c.  13:2,3. 
t  c.  13:8. 


spirit  and  design  of  the  Gospel,  and  was  far 
from  being  his  aim  and  design.  Hereupon, 
If.  He  asserts  the  power  of  his  preach¬ 
ing,  and  to  punish  offenders. 

1.  The  power  of  his  preaching,  v.  3 — 5. 
Where  observe,  (1.)  The  ministry  is  a  war¬ 
fare,  not  after  the  flesh,  indeed,  but  spiritual, 
with  spiritual  enemies,  and  for  spiritual  pur¬ 


poses.  And  though  ministers  walk  in  the 
flesh,  or  live  in  the  body,  and,  in  the  common 
affairs  of  life,  act  as  other  men,  [and  are  im¬ 
perfect,  like  other  men,]  yet,  in  their  work 
and  warfare  they  must  not  go  by  the  maxims 
of  the  flesh,  nor  should  they  design  to  please 
the  flesh. 

(2.)  The  doctrines  of  the  Gospel,  and  dis¬ 
cipline  of  the  church,  are  the  weapons  of  this 
warfare,  and  these  are  not  carnal;  outward 
force,  therefore,  is  not  the  method  of  the 
Gospel,  but  strong  persuasions,  by  the  power 
of  truth,  and  the  meekness  of  wisdom.  A 
good  argument  this  against  persecution  for 
conscience-sake  :  conscience  is  accountable 
to  God  only  ;  and  people  must  be  persuaded 
to  God  and  their  duty,  and  not  driven  by  force 
of;  inns.  And  so  the  weapons  of  our  warfare 
are  mighty,  or  very  powerful;  the  evidence 
of  truth  is  convincing  and  cogent  ;  this,  in¬ 
deed,  is  through  God,  or  owing  to  Him,  be¬ 
cause  they  are  his  institutions,  and  accompa¬ 
nied  with  his  blessing,  which  makes  all  op¬ 
position  to  fall  before  his  victorious  Gospel. 
Where  we  may  observe,  [1.]  The  opposition 
made  against  the  Gospel,  by  the  powers  of 
sin  and  Satan,  in  the  hearts  of  men  :  igno¬ 
rance,  prejudices,  beloved  lusts,  are  Satan’s 
strong-holds  in  the  souls  of  some  ;  vain 
imaginations,  carnal  reasonings,  and  high 
thoughts,  or  proud  conceits,  in  others  :  by 
these  the  devil  endeavors  to  keep  men  from 
faith  and  obedience  to  the  Gospel,  and  se¬ 
cures  his  possession  of  their  hearts  as  his  own 
house  or  property'.  But  then  observe,  [2.] 
The  conquest  the  Word  of  God  gains.  These 
strong-holds  ar e  pulled  down,  by  the  Gospel, 
as  the  means,  through  the  grace  and  power 
of  God  accompanying  it  as  the  principal, 
eflicient  cause.  The  conversion  of  the  sold 
is  thff  conquest  of  Satan  in  that  souk 


2.  The  apostle’s  power  to  punish  off enders 
(and  that  in  an  extraordinary  manner)  is 
asserted  in  v.  6.  He  speaks  not  of  personal 
revenge,  but  of  punishing  disobedience  to 
the  Gospel,  and  disorderly  walking  among 
church-members,  by  inflicting  church  cen¬ 
sures.  Note,  Though  the  apostle  showed 
meekness  and  gentleness,  yet  he  would  not 
betray  his  authority ;  and  therefore  intimates, 
that  when  he  would  commend  them  whose 
obedience  was  fulfilled  or  manifested,  others 
would  fall  tinder  severe  censures. 

V.  7 — 11.  In  these  vs.  he  proceeds  to  rea¬ 
son  the  case  with  the  Corinthians,  in  oppo¬ 
sition  to  those  who  despised  him,  judged 
him,  and  spake  hardly  of  him.  In  outward 
appearance,  he  was  mean  and  despicable  with 
some  ;  but  this  was  a  false  rule  to  make  a 
judgment  by.  It  should  seem,  some  boasted 
mighty  things  of  themselves,  and  made  a 
fair  show;  but  there  are  often  false  appear- 
a fices  :  a  man  may  seem  to  be  learned,  who 
has  not  learned  Christ,  and  appear  virtuous, 
who  has  not  a  principle  of  grace  in  his 
heart.  How'ever,  the  apostle  asserts  two 
things  of  himself : 

1.  His  relation  to  Christ,  v.  7.  It  should 
seem  by  this,  that  Paul’s  adversaries  boasted 
of  their  relation  to  Christ,  as  his  ministers 
and  servants.  And  he  reasons  thus  with 
them  :  ‘  Suppose  you  do  belong  to  Christ, 
yet  you  ought  also  to  allow  this  to  us,  that 
we  also  are  Christ’s.’  Note,  It  would  help 
to  heal  the  differences  among  Christians,  if 
they  would  remember,  that  how  confident 
soever  we  may  be  that  we  belong  to  Christ, 
yet,  at  the  same  time,  we  must  allow  that 
they  who  differ  from  us  may  belong  to  Christ 
too,  and  therefore  should  be  treated  accord¬ 
ingly,  This  we  may  plead  for  ourselves, 
against  those  wdto  judge  us  and  despise  us, 


PRACT.  OBS.  V.  1 — 6.  They  who  meet  with  unjust  and  ungrate¬ 
ful  usage  from  those,  to  whom  they  are  laboring  to  do  good,  should  fre¬ 
quently  and  intensely  meditate,  on  ‘the  meekness  and  gentleness  of 
Christ.’  They  should  then  endeavor  to  go  on  patiently  and  quietly, 
after  his  example,  and  to  ‘overcome  evil  with  good  and,  even  when 
constrained  by  duty  to  reprove  and  correct,  or  to  exercise  authority  with 
firmness  and  decision,  they  should  do  it  with  reluctance,  show  a  desire 
to  avoid  the  painful  necessity,  and  manifest  a  loving  and  forgiving  spirit, 
that  all  may  see  how  dear  ‘  the  meekness  and  gentleness  of  Christ  ’  are 
to  them. — Though  encompassed  with  infirmities  and  temptations,  and 
subject  to  manifold  imperfections,  the  servants  of  Christ  are  engaged  in 
a  warfare,  which  cannot  he  waged  ‘alter  the  flesh.’  Worldly  wisdom, 
affected  eloquence,  dissimulation,  compulsion,  angry  disputation,  slan¬ 
ders,  revilings,  and  ridicule,  are  carnal  weapons ;  and,  however  power- 

God  comes  against  the  place  and  attacks  it ;  ih e  strong-holds,  (ocliurG- 
rnata.)  all  the  fortified  places,  arc  curried.  Tile  imaginations,  (Ingtf- 
moi ,)  engines,  and  whatever  the  imagination  or  skill  of  man  could  raise; 
are  speedily  taken  and  destroyed.  Every  high  thing  (pan  hupsoma ),  all 
the  castles  and  towers,  are  sapped,  thrown  down,  and  demolished  ;  the 
walls  are  battered  into  breaches;  and  the  besieging  army,  carry  ing  every¬ 
thing  at  the  point  of  the  sword,  enter  the  city,  storm  and  take  the  cit¬ 
adel.  Everywhere  defeated,  the  conquered,  submit,  and  are  brought  into 
captivity  ! aichmalotizonles ),  are  led  away  captives  ;  and  thus  the  whole 
government  is  destroyed.’  The  cut,  is  of  engines  in  use  in  that  age; 


comp,  cuts,  2  Chr.  2G:14,  IS.  Is.  29:3,  4.  Jer.  32:24.  Ez.  4:2.  26:8.  Ez.: 
end.  Is.  56:5.  Pref.  to  Sam.,  and  2  K.  17:6.  Ed. 

(5.)  Imaginations  ..  .thought.]  HI.  ‘  cannot,  with  Has.  Scht.,  &.C., 
recognise  a  military  metaphor;’  the  former  ( logismous )  he  refers,  ‘with 
Theoph.  and  Wets.,  to  the  syllogisms  and  rhetorical  strophje,  of  the 
false  teachers,  who  were  proud  of  their  Gentile  learning  ;  the  latter 
( nolma )  seems  used  like  logismous,  and  to  be  meant  of  vain  imagina¬ 
tions.  High  thing,  is  like  strong-hold,  a  military  metaphor;  and  as 
logismous  refers  to  false  teachers,  and,  perhaps,  hostile  Jewish  doctors, 
so  hupsbma  (h ’i « h  thing)  may,  (as  Strigel  obs.,)  be  meant  for  the  heathen 
philosophers;  since  the  pride  of  philosophy  was  the  greatest  impediment 
to  the  reception  of  the  “  knowledge  of  God,”  against  which  it  raised  it¬ 
self  like  a  rampart,  to  prevent  its  entering  the  heart.  Leading  captive, 
and  not  merely  conquering.]  This  seems  meant  for  the  learned  heathen 
at  Corinth,  who  found  it  more  difficult  to  subject  their  imagination  and 
reason  to  the  obedience  of  Christ,  than  their  actions.  Against  this,  the 
pride  of  human  reason  has  ever  rebelled.  Thus  it  has  been  in  every  age  ; 

N.  T.  VOL.  V.  44 


ful  they  may  seem  to  numbers,  they  will  he  found  useless  as  straw  and 
stubble  in  this  war  ;  and  rather  fortify  and  garrison  Satan's  strong-holds, 
than  pull  them  down.  For  success  against  the  kingdom  of  darkness 
must  be  expected,  ‘  not  from  might,  or  power,  but  from  the  Spirit  of 
God.’  The  appointed  means,  however  feeble  they  appear  to  unbelief, 
will  be  ‘  mighty  through  God;’  who  works  by  his  own  appointments, 
and  makes  ‘  his  people  willing  in  the  day  of  his  power,’  and  gradually 
perfects  them  in  obedience,  and  in  the  beauties  of  holiness.  Yet  while 
the  gracious  Savior  is  ever  ready  to  forgive,  and  delights  in  mercy,  lie  is 
‘in  readiness  to  avenge  the  disobedience’  of  the  impenitent  and  unbe¬ 
lieving,  especially  that  of  hypocrites  and  false  teachers,  who  corrupt  the 
church,  and  dishonor  his  name ;  and  He  will  at  length  ‘  make  them  as  a 
fiery  oven  in  the  day  of  his  wrath.’  Scott. 


and  such  is  the  case  at  tho  present  day.  Of  those  who  reject  the  Gos¬ 
pel,  few  are  indisposed  to  admit  the  excellence  of  its  moral  precepts,  but 
against  any  subjection  of  the  thoughts  or  reason  of  men  they  loudly  pro¬ 
test.’  Bi..  Pride ,  the  inordinate  activity  of  the  blind  impulse  of  self¬ 
esteem,  cannot,  more  than  the  impulse  of  the  blind,  religious  feelings,  be 
predicated  of  reason.  We  cannot  properly  speak  of  a  proud  reason, 
more  than  we  can  of  a  religious  reason  ;  though  the  intellectual  and 
reflecting  faculties  may  be  exercised  under  the  influence  of  either  or  all 
of  those  sentiments.  All  superstitions,  too,  equally  claim  exemption 
from  the  control  of  reason,  and  the  consequence  of  this  yielding  to  va¬ 
rious  blind  impulses,  instead  of  truth,  is,  millions  upon  millions  cf  fanatic 
heathen,  and  a  sufficient  number  of  fanatic  Christians,  to  split  Christian¬ 
ity  into  scores  of  jealous  sects.  The  intellect  must  decide  what  is  re¬ 
vealed,  before  the  affections  be  allowed  implicitly  to  embrace  and  flow 
forth  toward  it:  conviction  must  accompany  faith.  Rom.  1:28.  I.u.  12: 
57.  We  must  then  be  careful  how  our  reason  is  biassed,  taking  care  to 
govern  our  wills  (or  affections)  by  what  it  sees  to  be  God’s  revelation  : 
for  both  reason  and  will  go  right  or  wrong  together.  Ed. 

‘And  thus  (v.  5.)  we  go  on  in  our  conquest ;  for  we  are  continually 
casting  dorm  the  fallacious  and  sophistical  reasonings,  by  which  vain 
men  are  endeavoring  to  expose  our  doctrine  to  contempt,  and  every  high 
thing  which  exalteth  itself  against  the  knowledge  of  God  [that  we 
teach,  and  by  our  miracles  prove  to  you  to  be  his  revelation.  Ed.],  all 
the  proud  imaginations  which  men  have  entertained  of  themselves,  with 
regard  to  their  natural  or  moral  excellences,  in  consequence  of  which 
they  neglect  the  Gospel,  ami  are  indeed  ready  to  live  without  God  in  the 
world.  And  thus  we  are  enabled  to  bring  every  thought,  every  proud, 
haughty  notion  which  men  have  entertained,  into  an  humble  and  wilting 
captivity  to  the  obedience  of  Christ,  the  great  Captain  of  our  salvation.’ 
..  .  ‘  The  soul,  seeing  its  fortifications  demolished,  submits  to  the  Con¬ 
queror;  and  then  every  thought,  every  reasoning,  takes  law  from  Him. 
Nothing  is  admitted  that  contradicts  the  Gospel ;  Christ  being  acknowl¬ 
edged  as  absolute  Master.  The  former  clause  shows,  how  ready  men 


are  to  fortify  themselves  against  it,  and  to  raise,  ns  it  were,  one  barrier 

behind  another,  to  obstruct  his  entrance  into  the  soul.  Rom. 

’  -  Doddb. 

V.  7—11.  It  is  recorded,  (I  determine  not  how  truly,]  that  the  apostle 
was  of  low  stature,  crooked,  and  bald  ;  some  add,  that  he  had  ai  I  - 
iment  in  his  speech,  that  his  voice  was  shrill  an<*  uJ'r>  e"*a"  . 

delivery  ungraceful.  12:7 — 10.  1  Cor.  2:3 — 5.  Gat.  4:12  16.  «  . 

this  might  be,  for  probably  it  is  not  quite  correct,  his  set ■p  J 

tion  of  the  studied  ornaments  of  the  Grecian  eloquence,  and  hi  ’ 


A.  D.  61.  2  CORINTHIANS,  X.  Self-commendation  renounced. 


9  That  I  may  not  seem  as  if  I 
would  terrify  you  by  letters. 

10  For  his  letters,  usay  they,  are 
weighty  and  powerful  ;  but  his 
bodily  presence  is  weak,  and  his 
speech  contemptible. 

11  Let  such  an  one  think  this, 
that,  such  as  we  are  in  word  by 
letters  when  we  are  absent,  such 
will  we  be  also  in  deed  when  we 
are  present. 

12  For  T  we  dare  not  make  our¬ 
selves  of  the  number,  or  compare 
ourselves  with  some  that  commend 
themselves  :  but  they  measuring 
themselves  by  themselves,  and 
comparing  themselves  among  them¬ 
selves,  'v  are  not  1  wise. 

IS  But  we  will  not  boast  of  things 
without  our  measure,  but  according 
to  the  measure  of  the  y  rule  which 
God  hath  distributed  to  us,  a  meas¬ 
ure  to  reach  even  unto  you. 

14  For  we  stretch  not.  ourselves 
beyond  our  measure,  as  though  we 
reached  not  unto  you  :  for  we  are 
come  as  far  as  to  you  also 'm  preach¬ 
ing  the  gospel  of  Christ : 

15  Not  boasting  of  things  without 
our  measure,  that  is,  of 1  other  men’s 
labors  ;  but  having  hope,  when 
your  faith  is  increased,  that  we 
shall  be  a  enlarged  by  you  according 
to  our  rule  abundantly, 

16  To  preach  the  gospel  in  the 
regions  beyond  you,  and  not  to 
boast  in  another  man’s  b  line  of 
things  made  ready  to  our  hand. 


17  But  c  he  that  glorieth,  let  him 
glory  in  the  Lord. 

u  saith  he.  x  Pr.  26:12.  you. 

v  c.  3:1.  y  or,  line.  b  or,  rule. 

w  understand  it  z  Ro.  15:20.  .  c  Je.  9:24. 

not.  a  or,  magnified  in 

that,  liow  weak  soever  we  are,  yet,  as  they 
are  Christ’s,  so  are  we:  we  profess  the  same 
faith,  we  walk  bv  the  same  rule,  we  build  on 
the  same  foundation,  and  hope  for  the  same 
inheritance. 

2.  His  authority  from  Christas  an  apostle. 
This  he  had  mentioned  before,  v.  6.  and  now 
he  tells  them  that  he  might  speak  of  it  again, 
and  with  some  sort  of  boasting,  seeing  it  was 
a  truth,  that  the  Lord  had  given  it  to  him,  and 
it  was  more  than  his  adversaries  could  justly 
pretend  to.  It  was  certainly  what  he  should 
not  be  ashamed  of,  v.  8. 

Of  which,  observe,  (1.)  The  nature  of  his 
authority;  it  was  for  edification,  and  not  for 
destruction.  This  indeed  is  the  end  of  all  au¬ 
thority,  civil  and  ecclesiastical,  and  was  the 
end  of  that  extraordinary  authority  which  the 
apostles  had,  and  of  all  church  discipline. 

(2.)  The  caution  with  which  he  speaks 
of  his  authority,  professing  his  design  was 
not  to  terrify  them  with  big  words,  nor  by  an¬ 
gry  Utters,  v.  9.  Thus  he  seems  to  obviate 
an  objection  that  might  have  been  formed 
against  him,  v.  10.  But  the  apostle  declares 
he  did  not  intend  to  frighten  them  who  were 
obedient,  nor  did  he  write  anything  in  his 
letters,  that  he  was  not  able  to  make  good, 
by  deeds,  against  the  disobedient  ;  and  he 
would  have  his  adversaries  know  this,  v.  11. 
that  he  would,  by  the  exercise  of  his  apos¬ 
tolical  power  committed  to  him,  make  it 
appear  to  have  a  real  efficacy. 

V.  12 — 13.  1.  The  apostle  refuses  to  jus¬ 
tify  himself,  or  to  act  by  such  rules  at  the 
false  apostles  did,  v.  12.  They  were  pleased, 
and  did  pride  themselves,  in  their  own  at¬ 
tainments,  and  never  considered  those  who 


far  exceeded  them  in  gifts  and  graces,  in 
power  and  authority  ;  and  this  made  them 
imughty  and  insolent.  The  apostle  woidd 
not  be  of  the  number  of  such  vain  men  :  let 
us  resolve  that  we  will  not. 

2.  He  fixes  a  better  rule  for  his  conduct; 
namely ,  not  to  boast  of  things  without  his  meas¬ 
ure,  which  was  the  measure  God  had  dis¬ 
tributed  to  him,  v.  13.  His  meaning  is,  either 
that  he  would  not  boast  of  more  gifts  or 
graces,  or  power  and  authority,  than  God 
had  really  bestowed  on  him;  or  rather,  that 
he  would  not  act  beyond  his  commission  as 
to  persons  or  things,  nor  go  beyond  the  line 
prescribed  to  him  ;  which  lie  plainly  inti¬ 
mates  the  false  apostles  did,  while  they 
boasted  of  other  men’s  labors. 

3.  He  acted  according  to  this  rule,  v.  14. 
particularly  in  his  preaching  at  Corinth,  and 
in  the  exercise  of  his  apostolical  authority 
there  ;  lie  came  thither  by  divine  direction, 
and  there  converted  many  to  Christianity  ; 
therefore,  in  boasting  of  them  as  his  charge, 
he  acted  not  contrary  to  his  rule,  he  boasted 
not  of  other  men’s  labors,  v.  15. 

4.  He  declares  his  success  in  observing 
this  rule.  His  hope  was,  that  their  faith  was 
increased,  and  that  others  beyond  them,  even 
in  the  remoter  parts  of  Acliaia,  would  em¬ 
brace  the  Gospel  also  ;  and  in  all  this  he 
exceeded  not  his  commission,  nor  acted  in 
another  man’s  line. 

5.  He  seems  to  check  himself  in  this  mat¬ 
ter,  as  if  afraid  of  boasting,  or  taking  any 
praise  to  himself,  therefore  he  mentions  two 
things  which  ought  to  be  regarded  :  (1.)  He 
that  glorieth,  should  glory  in  the  Lord,  v.  17. 
Ministers,  in  particular,  must,  he  careful  not 
to  glory  in  their  performance,  but  must  give 
God  the  glory  of  their  work,  and  of  the  suc¬ 
cess  of  it.  (2.)  Not  he  that  commendeth  himself 
is  approved,  but  whom  the  Lord  commendeth , 
v.  18.  Of  all  flattery,  self-flattery  is  the 

i  worst  ;  and  self-applause  is  seldom  better 


modest,  and  unaffected  address, would  render  ‘his  speech  contemptible 
with  many  persons  at  Corinth,’  where  these  decorations  were  high ly 
valued  ;  though  his  subjects  were  ever  so  judiciously  discussed,  and  his 
delivery  every  way  suitable  to  the  occasion.  Indeed  the  very  meanness 
of  his  apparel,  [note,  1  Cor.  4:11.]  would  render  his  appearance  despised 
by  numbers.  But  he  warned  such  as  ventured  to  speak  thus  of  him,  to 
expect  that  he  would  act  as  decidedly  when  he  arrived  at  Corinth,  as  he 
now  wrote;  and  would  show  them,  that  he  was  able  to  assume  a  firmer 
tone,  and  act  with  more  authority,  and  even  severity,  when  he  saw  oc¬ 
casion  ;  though  he  preferred  1  beseeching  them  in  the  meekness  and 
gentleness  of  Christ.’  Scott. 

(7.)  Outward  appearance .]  ‘The  false" teachers,  in  person,  manners, 
learning,  eloquence,  the  influence  of  wealth,  birth,  rank,  and  all  other 
outward  advantages,  were  greatly  superior  to  Paul.  Is  Christ's .]  Some 
seem  to  have  boasted  of  being  especially  Christ’s,  as  having  seen  Him. 
with  their  own  eyes.  And  to  this  there  seems  allusion  :  and  so  Thenph. 
Comp,  on  1  Cor.  7:8.’  Bi.oomf. 

(8.)  ‘Nay,  if  I  should  even  make  greater  claims  than  I  have  already 
done  to  a  divine  commission,  (alluding  to  that  exousia  given  him  by  the 
personal  revelation  of  Jesus  Christ,)  1  should  not  be  convicted  of  false¬ 
hood,  i.  e.  feel  the  shame  which  accompanies  the  detection  of  false¬ 
hood.’  Id. 

(9.)  ‘  It  appears  from  the  wmrds  following,  that  these  were  the  very 

words  of  the  false  teachers,  upon  which  the  apostle  here  sarcastically 
plays.’  In. 

(10.)  Weak.]  ‘  It  alludes  to  some  bodily  imperfections,  most  probably 
to  the  apostle’s  very  diminutive  stature,  and  ungracious  [ungraceful  ?] 
air  and  manner.  Pseudo  Lucian  [A.  1).,  130  to  180  ? J,  in  his  Philopa- 
tris,  gives  the  following  description  of  him  :  “  corpore  eral  parvo,  con- 
tracto,  ineurvo,  tricubitali,”  i.  e.  a  petty,  crooked  shriveling,  of  four  feet 
and  a  half.  There  is  little  doubt,  however,  but  tricubitali  [44  ft.]  is  no 
more  to  be  taken  for  the  exact  measure,  than  triobolarius  necessarily 
signifies  of  the  exact  value  of  3  oboles.  It  seems  to  have  been  a  prover¬ 
bial  exaggeration  for  one  of  very  diminutive  stature ■  Considering,  too, 
the  hand  which  drew  this  sketch,  there  can  be  no  doubt  that  it  is  en 
caricature.  Speech  contemptible .]  Some  think,  Paul  had  a  very  weak, 
squeaking  voice;  others,  that  he  had  an  impediment  in  his  speech. 
Both,  indeed,  maybe  conjoined;  or  we  may  suppose  a  mean  address, 
and  a  great  defect  in  elocution  :  and,  considering  the  little  power  which 
he  possessed  of  Creek  style,  and  that  his  phraseology  was,  no  doubt, 
idiotical,  provincial,  and  popular,  the  expression  (especially  when  con¬ 
sidered  as  the  satirical  exaggeration  of  an  adversary,  and  bearing  in  mind 
the  fastidiousness  of  the  Greeks  in  such  respects)  will  not  seem  strange.’ 

,  -  Id. 

(11.)  Think.]  ‘  The  Or.  is  well  expl.  by  Theoph.,  “  know.'"’  Id. 

V.  12 — 16.  ‘  To  the  apostles  God  allotted  the  charge  of  converting  the 
world,  and  endued  them  with  gifts  suited  to  the  greatness  of  the  work. 
To  them  therefore  it  belonged,  to  form  their  converts  into  churches,  and 
to  appoint  rules  for  their  government.  ..  .The  province  assigned  to  the 
evangelists,  and  other  inferior  ministers,  xvas,  to  assist  the  apostles,  to 
build  on  the  foundation  laid  by  them,  to  labor  in  the  Gospel  under  their 
direction,  and  in  all  things  to  consider  themselves  as  subordinate  to  the 
apostles.  According  to  this  view  of  the  matter,  the  false  teacher  at 

[346] 


Corinth,  who  was  but  at  best  an  inferior  minister  of  the  Gospel,  had  in 
many  things  acted  out  of  the  hounds  in  which  he  ought  to  have  labored.’ 
Mackn.  Kanbn  [tr.  rule,  v.  13.]  is  the  instrument  by  which  builders  try 
their  work,  whether  exactly  straight  or  not.  The  Scripture  is  the  canon, 
by  which  all  instruction  must  be  tried.  Scott. 

(12.)  By  themselves.]  ‘  And  not  by  the  true  apostles.’  Bloomf. 

(13.)  ‘I  will  not  boast,  or  seek  glory  in  respect  to  any  pans  further 
than  the  limits  God  hath  assigned  to  my  evangelical  labors.  ( Kanun , 
says  Ros.,  after  Moms,  hei£,  is  the  certain  space  marked  out  to  a  teach¬ 
er,  i.  e.  his  dicBcesis.)  And  these  limits  extend  so  as  to  reach  even  to 
you.  Of  you,  therefore,  I  may  justly  boast.  In.  v.  14.  he  plainly  al¬ 
ludes  to  the  right  of  pre-occupancy.'  Bl.,  whom  see,  and  also  Ros.  Ed. 

(15.)  Enlarged.]  ‘Rather,  “gain  fame  and  glory  by  you,”  namely, 
as  the  teacher  justly  may  by  the  improvement  of  his  pupils.  In  the  use 
of  the  Gr.  meaning,  “to  be  praised  for,”  “get  honor  by,”  there  is  a  sort 
of  Hebraism,  ns  in  Ac.  19:17.  Phi!.  1:20.  and  sometimes  in  the  O.  T.  See 
Scht. — According  to  our  rule.]  Rather,  “  within  my  limits,”  and  ac¬ 
cording  to  my  just  right.’  Bloomf. 

(16.)  ‘  The  result  which  I  hope  for,  this  abundant  success  of  my  labors 
among  you,  is,  to  spread  the  Gospel  to  the  parts  beyond  you,  i.  e.  chiefly, 
I  incline  to  think,  the  rest  of  the  Peloponnesus,  beyond  the  Isthmus,  and 
perhaps  Acarnnnia  and  Epirus,  which  had  a  close  connexion  with  Co¬ 
rinth.  Mackn.,  however,  thinks  Italy  and  Spain  are  meant,  observing, 
that  “Paul  had  already  preached  in  Laconia,  Arcadia,  and  the  other 
countries  of  Peloponnesus,  which  composed  the  Roman  province  of 
Achaia,  as  is  plain  from  the  inscription  of  both  his  letters  to  the  Corin¬ 
thians.”  Yet  Doddr.  denies,  that  there  is  “  anything  to  be  found  in  the 
N.  T-,  of  planting  churches  in  these  parts  of  the  Peloponnesus.”  I  am 
certainly  not  aware  of  any  such.’  Bl.  ‘Paul  expresses  the  hope,  that 
in  his  next  visit  to  the  Corinthians,  he  might  “  preach  the  Gospel  in  the 
regions  beyond  them,”  implying  that,  in  his  first  visit,  lie  xvent  no  far¬ 
ther  W.  than  their  city.  This  first  visit  was  prolonged  a  year  and  a  half. 
His  second  continued  only  3  months;  and  considering  how  much  he 
probably  found  to  “set  in  order”  in  the  Corinthian  church,  how  much 
preaching  and  conversation  he  would  find  necessary,  and  also  the  impor¬ 
tant  instructions  for  disciples  abroad,  which  we  know  he  here  com¬ 
mitted  to  xvriting, — it  may  be  doubled  whether  he  then  penetrated  any 
farther  into  the  peninsula.’  Rev.  Ur.  Anderson. 

V.  17,  18.  ‘If  any  teacher  boast,  let  him  boast  of  having  performed 
his  dutv,  in  the  manner  the  Lord  hath  appointed.’  Mackn.  Surely  this 
is  widely  different  from  ‘glorying  in  the  Lord  !  ’  Jer.  9:23,  24.  1  Cor. 

1:26 — 31,  tin.  30,  31. — The  apostle  was  constrained  to  speak  of  his  own 
labors  and  success ;  but  he  must  remind  the  Corinthians,  that  every  matt 
who  ‘  gloried,’  ought  ‘  to  glory  in  God,’  as  his  portion,  and  in  the  Lord 
Jesus  as  his  xvhole  Salvation,  and  the  Giver  of  all  his  hopes,  grace,  en¬ 
dowments,  and  usefulness,  to  whom  all  the  honor  of  them  was  due.  If 
a  man  could  not  thus  ‘  glory  in  the  Lord,’  all  other  glorying  must  be  vain¬ 
glory,  and  end  in  shame  and  misery. — Many  expositors  suppose,  that  the 
commendation  here  mentioned,  was  given  when  God  enabled  a  man  to 
work  miracles,  or  exercise  spiritual  gifts.  But  many  wrought  miracles 
and  prophesied,  xvho  were  ‘  workers  of  iniquity.’  Mat.  7:21  —23.  1  Cor. 
13:1 — 3.  and  it  could  not  be  properly  said,  that  ‘the  Lord  commended’ 
them.  The  evident  usefulness  of  a  minister’s  labors,  is  a  less  equivocal 


A.  D.  61. 

18  For  not  he  that  coinmendeth 
himself  is  approved,  but  d  whom 
the  Lord  coinmendeth. 

CHAP.  XI. 

1  Out  of  his  jealousy  over  the  Corinthians,  who  seemed  to 
make  more  account  of  the  false  apostles  than  of  him,  he 
entereth  into  a  forced  commendation  of  himself,  5  of  his 
equality  with  the  chief  apostles,  7  of  his  preaching  the 
Gospel  to  them  freely,  ami  without  any  their  charge,  13 
shewing  that  he  was  not  inferior  to  those  deceitful  work¬ 
ers  in  any  legal  prerogative,  23  and  in  the  service  of 
Chiist,  and  in  all  kind  of  sufferings  for  his  ministry,  far 
superior.  , 

WOULD  to  God  ye  could  bear 
with  me  a  little  in  my  folly  : 
and  indeed  *  bear  with  me. 

2  For  I  am  jealous  over  you  with 
godly  jealousy :  for  I  have  espoused 
you  b  to  one  husband,  that  I  may 
present  you  as  a  chaste  virgin  c  to 
Christ. 

3  But  I  fear,  lest  by  any  means, 
as  the  serpent  beguiled  Eve  through 
his  subtilty,  so  your  minds  should 
be  corrupted  from  the  simplicity 
that  is  in  Christ. 

4  For  if  he  that  cometh  preach- 
eth  another  Jesus,  whom  we  have 
not  preached,  or  J^ye  receive  anoth¬ 
er  spirit,  which  ye  have  not  receiv¬ 
ed,  or  another  d  gospel,  which  ye 
have  not  accepted,  ye  might  well 
bear  e  with  him. 

5  For  I  suppose  I  f  was  not  a 
whit  behind  the  very  chiefest  apos¬ 
tles. 

6  But  though  s  I  he  rude  in  speech, 


2  CORINTHIANS,  XI. 

yet  not 11  in  knowledge;  but  we  have 
been  thoroughly  made  manifest  ' 
among  you  in  ail  things. 

d  Ro.  2:59  a  On.  1:7,8  g  !  Co.  1:17. 

a  or,  ye  do  h  ar.  e  or,  wit’i  me.  2:1,13. 

b  Ho.  2:19.20.  f  1  Co.  15:10.  1  li  Ep.  3:4. 

c  I.c.21:13.  c.  12:11.  i  c.  12:12. 


than  self-flattery  and  self-deceit:  at  the  best, 
self-commendation  is  no  praise;  it  is  often¬ 
times  as  foolish  and  vain  as  it  is  proud  : 
therefore,  instead  of  praising  or  commending 
ourselves,  we  should  strive  to  approve  our¬ 
selves  to  God,  and  his  approbation  will  be 
our  best  commendation. 


Chap.  Xf.  In  ibis  ch.  the  apostle  goes 
on  with  his  discourse,  in  opposition  to  the 
false  apostles,  who  were  very  industrious  to 
lessen  his  interest  and  reputation  among  the 
Corinthians,  and  had  prevailed  too  much  by 
their  insinuations. 

V.  1 — 4.  1.  His  apology  for  going  about 
to  commend  himself.  He  is  loath  to  do  it, 
v.  I.  and  calls  it  folly ,  because  too  often  it 
is  really  no  better;  in  bis  case  it  was  neces¬ 
sary;  yet,  seeing  others  might  apprehend  it 
to  he  folly  in  him,  he  desires  them  to  bear 
with  it.  Note,  It  is  no  pleasure  to  a  good 
man  to  speak  well  of  himself,  yet  in  some 
cases  it  is  lawful,  when  as  here  it  is  for  the 
advantage  of  others,  or  for  one’s  own  neces¬ 
sary  vindication. 

2.  H  is  reasons  for  what  he  did; 

(1.)  To  preserve  the  Corinthians  from  be¬ 
ing  corrupted  by  the  insinuations  of  the  false 
apostles,  v.  2,  3.  lie  tells  them,  he  was 
afraid  lest  their  faith  should  he  weakened  by 
hearkening  to  such  suggestions  as  tended  to 
lessen  their  regard  to  his  ministry,  by  which 


Paul's  justification. 

they  were  brought  to  the  Christian  faith. 
He  had  espoused  them  to  one  Husband,  con¬ 
verted  them  to  Christianity,  and  lie  was  de¬ 
sirous  to  present  them  as  a  chaste  virgin,  pure 
and  spotless,  and  faithful,  not  having  their 
minds  corrupted  with  false  doctrines,  by  false 
teachers;  so  as  Eve.  was  beguiled  by  the  sub 
tle.ly  of  the  serpent.  This  godly  jealousy  in 
the  apostle,  was  a  mixture  of  love  arid  fear; 
and  faithful  ministers  cannot  but  be  afraid 
and  concerned  for  their  people,  lest  they 
should  lose  that  which  they  have  received, 
and  turn  from  what  they  have  embraced,  es¬ 
pecially  when  deceivers  have  gone  abroad,  or 
have  crept  in  among  them. 

(2.)  To  vindicate  himself  against  the  false 
apostles,  v.  4.  Had  they  preached  another 
Jesus,  or  another  Spirit,  there  had  been 
some  color  of  reason  to  bear  with  them,  or  to 
hearken  to  them.  But  seeing  there  is  but  one 
Jesus,  one  Spirit,  one  Gospel,  that  is,  or  at 
least  that  ought  to  be,  preached,  and  receiv¬ 
ed  ;  what  reason  could  there  be  why,  by  the 
artifices  of  any  adversary,  they  should  be 
prejudiced  against  him  who  first  converted 
them  to  the  faith  1  It  was  a  just  occasion  of 
jealousy,  that  such  persons  designed  to  preach 
another  Jesus,  another  Spirit,  and  another 
Gospel. 

V.  5 — 15.  After  the  foregoing  preface,  the 
apostle  mentions, 

1.  His  equality  with  the  other  apostles,  v.  5. 
The  apostleship,  as  an  office,  was  equal  in  all 
the  apostles  ;  but  the  apostles,  like  other 
Christians,  differed  one  from  another?  Paul 
was  indeed  eminent ;  yet  he  speaks  modestly 
of  himself,  supposes  it  only,  and  humbly  owns 
li  is  personal  infirmity,  that  lie  had  not  a 
graceful  delivery.  Some  think,  he  was  of  a 
very  low  stature,  and  his  voice  proportiona- 


PRACT.  OB3.  V.  7 — 18.  It  is  peculiarly  unsuitable  to  the  charac¬ 
ter  of  Christians,  though  lamentably  common,  to  judge  of  men,  or  look 
on  things,  after  ‘the  outward  appearance;’  as  if  learning,  eloquence, 
atiluence,  n  graceful  person  and  address,  or  elegant  attire,  were  evidences 
of  a  man’s  holiness  and  heavenly  wisdom,  or  the  seal  of  Christ  to  his 
ministerial  character  !  Or  as  if  the  want  of  such  embellishments  proved 
a  man  not  to  be  an  eminent  Christian,  or  an  able,  faithful  minister  of 
the  lowly  Savior  !  Even  Paul  was  ‘base,’  in  the  judgment  of  the  self- 
sulficicru  nnd  accomplished  Corinthians;  so  that  Satan’s  emissaries  far 
excelled  him  in  exterior  recommendations.  Tiiis  should  teach  us,  not  to 
judge  of  gold  merely  by  its  glitter,  in  which  tinsel  often  exceeds  it,  but 
to  tiring  it  to  the  balance  and  weigh  it. — When  professors,  or  preachers 
of  the  Gospel,  are  so  confident  that  they  belong  to  Christ,  that  they  can 
hardly  allow  those  who  do  not  coincide  in  their  views,  or  sanction  their 
conduct,  to  be  Christians,  ami  when  they  treat  the  most  approved  char¬ 
acters  with  supercilious  contempt  and  revilings,  their  very  confidence 
should  excite  our  suspicions  ;  for  it  far  more  accords  to  that  of  1  the  de¬ 
ceitful  workers’  at  Corinth,  than  to  that  of  Paul  and  his  fellow-laborers, 
which  was  modest,  humble,  and  candid.  Some  men  appear  to  he  en¬ 


tirely  out  of  their  element,  when  they  are  not  boasting  of  themselves, 
and  menacing  divine  judgments  on  all  who  oppose  them,  as  if  they 
would  terrify  every  one  into  silence  and  submission.  Rut  we  should 
humbly  ‘compare  ourselves’  with  the  Word  of  God,  and  the  example 
of  prophets  and  apostles,  and  ‘  measure  ourselves  by  the  rule  ’  of  our 
duty,  the  obligations  conferred  on  us,  and  the  work  assigned  us ;  we 
should  he  diligent,  and  1  study,  yen,  be  ambitious  to  be  quiet,  and  mind  our 
own  business,’  though  in  an  obscure  situation,  and  thankful  for  success, 
according  to  the  measure  and  rule  which  God  has  distributed  to  us, 
whether  called  to  preach  the  Gospel,  or  to  serve  Christ  in  any  other 
way,  without  intermeddling  with  other  men’s  labors,  or  boasting  in  ser¬ 
vices  performed  by  them.  We  ought  likewise  to  hope  for  the  increase 
of  the  faith  anil  grace,  even  of  those  who  have  most  failed  in  their  duty 
to  us,  to  he  zealous  and  hold,  in  a  humble,  patient,  prudent,  loving,  and 
self-denying  manner,  and  rather  to  be  desiro'us  of  doing  abundant  good, 
than  of  acquiring  great  reputation  ;  and,  instead  of  commending  our¬ 
selves,  or  seeking  the  praise  of  men,  let  us  desire  and  aspire  after  ‘  that 
honor,  which  coineth  from  God  only.’  Scott. 


testimony;  yet  the  final  account,  the  ‘  Well  done,  good  and  faithful  ser¬ 
vant,’  and  ‘  the  rejoicing  in  the  testimony  of  conscience  ’  in  the  mean 
while,  seem  especially  intended.  1.12 — 14.  5.9 — 12.  Mat.  25:19 — 23. 
1  Cor.  3:10 — 15.  4:3 — 5.  SCOTT. 

(17.)  ‘The  apostie  concludes  with  a  most  weighty  diet,  which  would 
be  especially  valuable  to  nil  such  as  were  in  the  ministry,  (for  whom  it 
is  evidently  meant  )  hut  which  is  also  introduced,  (very  judiciously,)  in 
order  to  lessen  the  feeling  of  disgust,  which  is  apt  to  rise  on  hearing  any 
one  excessively  commend  himself.’  Bloomf. 

(13.)  Approved.]  ‘  Dokimos :  accepted:  a  metaphor,  taken  from 
coins,  which  are  approved  by  the  prince,  and  accepted  by  the  subject, 
and  pass  current.'  Id. 

NOTES.  Chap.  XI.  V.  1— 6.  Indeed,  if  any  man  could  possibly 
have  preached  ‘  another  Jesus,’  a  more  gracious  nnd  precious  Savior  than 
1’aul  had  declared  to  them,  or  could  have  conferred  on  them  .‘another 
Spirit,’  whose  gifts  and  influences  were  more  excellent  than  those, 
which  the  Holy  Spirit,  through  Paul’s  ministry,  had  bestowed  on  them, 
or  if  ‘  another’  and  more  suitable  ‘  Gospel  had  been  preached,  than  that 
which  they  had  embraced,’  there  might  have  .been  some  reason  for  their 
bearing  with  the  new  teachers,  pr  even  preferring  them.  Yet,  even  in 
that  case,  it  would  have  become  them,  to  have  borne  with  the  infirm¬ 
ities  of  theirTirst  instructer  in  .Christianity.  But  the  contrary  was  man¬ 
ifest.  He  had  indeed  appeared  among  them  ‘  rude  in  speech,’  and  as  a 
person  of  ordinary  education,  ignorant  of  the  rules  of  eloquence,  nnd 
careless  respecting  them  ;  (this  might  be  the  case,  though  his  discourses 
xvere  replete  with  natural  pathos,  and  sound  argument;)  yet  he  had 
shown  himself  competent  in  knowledge,  to  instruct  his  hearers  in  every 
part  of  Christianity. — Paul’s  declaration,  that  he  ‘  was  not  a  whit  behind 
the  very  chiefest  apostles,’  when  carried  to  its  consequences,  is  totnlly 
subversive  of  the  enormous*,  baseless  fabric  of  popery,  which  rests  entire¬ 
ly  (as  distinguished  from  the  rest  of  the  professed  Christian  church)  on 
the  vain  imagination,  that  Peter  was  supreme  over  all  the  apostles,  and 
that  the  pope,  or  (lie  Roman  church,  or  both,  inherit,  in  some  unaccoun¬ 
table  manner,  and  by  some  unknown  title,  that  supremacy. — Many  ex¬ 
positors  suppose,  that  the  expressions,  used  hv  the  apostle  in  respect  of 
liis  espousing  tiie  believers  at  Corinth  to  Christ,  are  taken  from  Grecian 
customs,  but  the  language  of  the  O.  T.  seems  referred  to.  Ps.  45:9 — 17. 
Cant.  1:2.  Is.  54:5—10.  62:1—5.  Ez.  16:9— 14.  II OS.  2:13—20.  John  3: 


27 — 36,  v.  29.  Olliers  conclude,  that  one  false  teacher,  and  lie  a  Jew, 
was  the  author  of  the  disturbances  at  Corinth.  But  the  false  teachers, 
13 — 15.  seem  to  have  corrupted  the  Gospel  rather  with  heathenism,  than 
Judaism.  1  Cor.  5:  6:  8:  10:18—31.  11:17—34.  Scott. 

(1.)  ‘As  v.  17.  of  the  preceding  ch.  was  intended  to  deprecate  the  to 
phortikon ,  or  indignation,  which  arises  at  hearing  self-praise,  so  is  the 
present  v.,  where  it  was  the  more  necessary,  since  he  had  to  subjoin 
more  of  such  praise;  though  this  praise  was  compulsory,  and  for  their 
good.  The  words  may  he  rendered  :  would  that  ye  could  bear  with  me 
a  little  in  my  folly  (of  boasting).  Now  do  bear  with  me  !  ’  Bloomf. 

(2.)  For,  &c.j  ‘Rather,  I  ardently  love  you  with  a  divine  affection  ; 
i.  e.  not  through  any  human  motive,  but  solely  for  the  sake  of  God. 
Tli is  metaphor  suggested  to  the  apostle’s  mind  the  comparison  which 
follows,  of  which  the  imagery  and  cast  is  Jewish  and  Oriental,  and 
therefore  not  very  distinct  to  our  western  conceptions.  I  have  espoused.] 
Tiie  question  is,  whether  by  the  Gr.  Iiermosamen ,  the  apostle  alludes  to 
the  harmostai,  those  friends  who  made  and  procured  the  marriage  forthe 
bridegroom.  So  tiie  Gr.  comtrs.,  our  Eng.  trs.,  and  Wets.,  Raph.,  Eis¬ 
ner,  and  Wolf;  and  in  this  sense  the  word  often  occurs  in  the  classical 
writers,  also  in  Prov.  19:14.  See  also  Rom  7:4.  Or,  whether  Paul  has 
an  allusion  to  persons  who,  like  the  harmosunoi ,  among  the  Lacedemo¬ 
nians,  formed  the  lives  and  manners  of  virgins,  making  them  virtuous 
and  discreet,  and  so  prepared  them  for  marriage.  It  should  seem  better 
not  to  press  on  the  nuptial  allusion  in  the  term.  If  there  be  any  met¬ 
aphorical  allusion  in  hSrmosamcn,  it  may  be  not  so  much  to  W\e  harmos¬ 
unoi,  as  to  the  offices  of  guardian  and  preceptor.'  Bl.  Comp,  note,  t 
p.  231,  Vol.  III.  .  Ed. 

(5.)  ‘  (No,  yon  can  pretend  to  no^nch  thing;  they  have  not  found  you 

another  and  better  Savior,  more  ample  endowments  of  the  Holy  »P'nti 
nor  have  promulgated  better  doctrines  than  those  ye  have  received  trorn 
me;  nor  can  any  others), for  I  account  myself  to  lie  nothing  inferior  o 
the  first  apostles.  Tlieoph.  remarks  on  the  modesty  of  the  expresMo  , 
which  is  not  directly  affirmative.  By  the  “  chief  apostles,”  the  ai icae  t 
comtrs.  justly  conclude,  are  meant  Peter,  James,  and  John.  •  i 
2:9.  they  are  called  the  pillars  of  the.  churchy  "*  “ 

die  ~ 

was  a  fan.}  av  ,..w  .  . . --  -  Bloomf. 

r  c 


He  had  (1  think)  Peter 


ij.  iiirv  me  enneu  me  ■uuauvvj 

iiefly  in  view  ;  since  it  appears  from  1  Cor.  1:12.  mid  23:12.  that  the  e 
as  a  party  at  Corinth,  who  were  followers  of  Cephas,  i.  e. 1 .f  'f  ' 


A.  D.  61. 


2  CORINTHIANS,  NI. 


He  vindicates  his  own  character. 


7  Have  I  committed  an  offence 
in  abasing  myself  that  ye  might 
be  exalted,  because  I  have  preached 
to  you  the  gospel  of  God  freely  ? 

8  I  robbed  other  churches,  taking 
wages  of  them ,  to  do  you  service. 

9  And  when  I  was  present  with 
you,  and  wanted,  I  J  was  chargea¬ 
ble  to  no  man  :  for  that  which  was 
lacking  to  me,  the  k  brethren  which 
came  from  Macedonia  supplied : 
anti  in  all  thmgs  I  have  kept  myself 
from  being  burdensome  unto  you, 
and  so  will  I  keep  myself. 

10  As  the  truth  of  Christ  is  in 
me,  'no  man  shall  stop  me- of  this 
boasting  in  the  regions  of  Achaia. 

11  Wherefore  ?  because  I  love 
you  not  ?  God  knoweth. 

12  But  what  I  do,  that  I  will  do, 
that  I  may  cut  off  occasion  from 
them  m  which  desire  occasion  ;  that 
wherein  they  glory,  they  may  be 
found  even  as  we. 

13  For  such  are  false  n  apostles, 
deceitfid  0  workers,  transforming 
themselves  into  the  apostles  of 
Christ. 

14  And  no  marvel;  for  Satan 
p  himself  is  transformed  into  an 
angel  of  light. 

15  Therefore  it  is  no  great  thing 
if  his  ministers  also  be  transformed 
as  the  ministers  of  righteousness ; 
whose  end  9  shall  be  according  to 
their  works. 

16  1  say  again,  Let  no  man  think 
me  a  r  fool  ;  if  otherwise,  yet  as  a 
fool  5  receive  ine,  that  I  may  boast 
myself  a  little. 

17  That  which  I  speak,  I  speak 
it  ‘not  after  the  Lord,  but  as  it  were 


foolishly,  in  this  confidence  u  of 


boasting. 

j  Ac.  18:3 
1  Th.  5:9. 
k  Plii.  4:10,15. 

1  this  boasting 
shall  not  be 
stopped  in  me. 
m  Ga.  1:7. 


Phi.  1:15,  Si c.  Re.  12:9. 

n  Ga.  2:4  2  Pe.  q  I  hi  3:19. 

2:1.  1  Jn.  4:1.  r  c  12:6,11. 

Re.  2:2.  s  or,  suffer, 

o  Phi.  3:2.  Tit.  t  1  Co.  7:12. 

1:10,11.  u  c.  9:4. 

p  Ge.  3:1,5. 


bly  small  ;  others,  that  he  might  have  had 
some  impediment  in  his  speech,  perhaps  a 
stammering  tongue.  However,  he  was  not 
rude  in  knowledge  j  not  unacquainted  with 
tlie  best  rules  of  oratory,  and  art  of  persua¬ 
sion,  much  less  ignorant  of  the  mysteries  of 
the  kingdom  of  heaven,  as  had  been  thor¬ 
oughly  manifested  among  them. 

2.  His  equality  with  the  false  apostles  in 
this  particular, — the  pl  eaching  of  the  Gospel 
unto  them  freely,  without  wages,  v.  7 — 10. 
He  had  proved  at  large,  in  his  former  epis¬ 
tle  to  them,  the  lawfulness  of  ministers  re¬ 
ceiving  maintenance  from  the  people,  and 
the  duty  of  the  people  to  give  them  an  honor¬ 
able  maintenance ;  and  here  he  says,  he  him¬ 
self  had  taken  wages  of  other  churches,  v.  8.  so 
that  he  had  a  right  to  have  asked  and  re¬ 
ceived  from  them  :  yet  he  waived  his  right, 
and  chose  rather  to  abase  himself,  by  work¬ 
ing  with  his  hands  in  the  trade  of  tent-mak¬ 
ing,  to  maintain  himself,  than  be  burdensome 
to  them,  that  they  might  be  exalted,  or  en¬ 
couraged  to  receive  the  Gospel,  which  they 
had  so  cheap  ;  yea,  he  chose  rather  to  he 
supplied  from  Macedonia,  than  to  be  charge¬ 
able  unto  them. 

He  informs  them  of  the  reason  of  this  his 
conduct  among  them;  it  was  not  that  he  did 
not  love  them,  v.  11.  or  was  unwilling  to  re¬ 
ceive  tokens  of  their  love;  but  it  was  to  avoid 
offence,  that  he  might  cut  off  occasion  from 
them  that  desired  occasion.  He  would  not  give 
occasion  for  any  to  accuse  him  of  worldly 
designs  in  preaching  the  Gospel,  or  that  he 
intended  to  make  a  trade  of  it,  to  enrich  him¬ 
self;  and  that  others  who  opposed  him  at 
Corinth,  might  not  in  this  respect  gain  an 
advantage  against  him  :  that  wherein  they 
gloried,  as  to  this  matter,  they  might  be  found 
even  as  he,  v.  12.  It  is  not  improbable,  that 


the  chief  of  the  false  teachers. at  Corinth,  or 
some  among  them,  were  rich,  and  taught  (or 
deceived)  the  people  gratis,  and  might  accuse 
the  apostle  or  his  fellow-laborers  as  merce¬ 
nary  men,  who  received  hire  or  wages,  and 
therefore  the  apostle  kept  to  his  resolution 
not  to  be  chargeable  t  >  any  of  the  Columbians. 

3.  The  false  apostles  are  charged  as  de¬ 
ceitful  workers,  v.  13.  and  that  because  they 
would  transform  themselves  into  the  likeness 
of  the  apostles  of  Christ,  and  though  they 
were  the  ministers  of  Satan,  would  seem  to 
be  the  ministers  of  righteousness.  They  would 
be  as  industrious  and  as  generous  in  promot¬ 
ing  error,  as  the  apostles  were  in  pleaching 
truth ;  they  would  endeavor  as  much  to  un¬ 
dermine  the  kingdom  of  Christ,  as  the  apos¬ 
tle  did  to  establish  it.  There  were  counter¬ 
feit  prophets,  under  the  O.  T.,  who  wore  the 
garb,  and  learned  the  language,  of  ihe  proph¬ 
ets  of  the  Lord,  So  there  were  counterfeit 
apostles  under  the  N.T.  who  seemed  in  many 
respects  like  the  true  apostles  of  Christ.  A"d 
no  marvel ;  (says  the  apostle;)  hypocrisy  is 
a  thing:  not  to  he  much  wondered  at  in  this 
world,  especially  when  we  consider  the  great 
influence  Satan  has  on  the  minds  of  many, 
who  rules  in  the  hearts  of  the  children  of  dis¬ 
obedience.  As  he  can  turn  himself  into  any 
shape,  and  put  on  almost  any  form,  and  look 
sometimes  like  an  angel  of  light,  in  order  to 
promote  his  kingdom  of  darkness,  so  he  will 
teach  his  ministers  and  instruments  to  do  the 
same.  But  it  follows,  Their  end  is  according 
to  their  works,  v.  15.  the  end  will  discover 
them  to  be  deceitful  workers,  and  their  work 
will  end  in  ruin  and  destruction. 

V.  16 — 21.  A  further  excuse  for  what  he 
was  about  to  say  in  his  own  vindication. 

1.  He  would  not  have  them  think  he  was 
guilty  of  folly,  in  saying  what  he  said  to  vin¬ 
dicate  himself,  v.  16.  Ordinarily,  indeed,  it 
is  unbecoming  a  wise  man  to  be  much  speak¬ 
ing  his  own  praise;  boasting  of  ourselves  is 
usually  not  only  a  sign  of  a  proud  mind,  but 
a  mark  of  folly  also ;  however,  says  the  apos¬ 
tle,  vet  as  a  fool  receive  mej  if  ye  do  count  it 
folly  in  me  to  boast  a  little,  yet  give  due  re- 
I  gurd  to  what  I  shall  say. 


V.  7 — 12.  The  new  teachers  at  Corinth  were  distinguished  from  the 
apostle,  by  what  they  received,  as  well  as  what  they  imparted. — It  is 
generally  supposed,  that  the  false  teachers  affected  the  praise  of  preach¬ 
ing  the  Gospel  freely-,  hut  the  language,  which  the  apostle  afterward 
uses,  clearly  proves  that  this  was  not  the  case  (20>.  They  seem  rather 
to  have  despised  Paul,  as  degrading  himself  and  as  acting  inconsistently 
with  the  dignity  of  an  apostle,  in  laboring,  and  enduring  jfbvertv,  instead 
of  demanding  a  maintenance. — As  Corinth  was  a  rich  city,  his  long  con¬ 
tinuance  there  might  have  been  ascribed  to  mercenary  motives,  had  he 
not  adopted  this  plan:  1  Cor.  9:1 — 23.  and  as  the  Christians  in  Mace¬ 
donia,  though  far  poprer  than  the  Corinthians,  yet  in  part  maintained 
the  apostle  when  laboring  at  Corinth,  it  might  in  some  sense  be  said, 
that  they  were  robbed  to  exalt  their  more  prosperous  brethren.  (9)  / 
was  chargeable.]  12:13,  14. — I  stunned  none  of  them  with  my  com¬ 
plaints,”  I  importuned  none  of  them  to  supply  my  wants.’  IPhit. — ‘lie 
was  none  of  those  idle  drones,  who,  by  their  laziness,  do  even  chill,  and 
benumb,  and  deaden  the  charity  of  well  disposed  persons.’  Eeizh.  (10) 
No  man  shall  stop  me  of  this  boasting.]  ‘This  boasting  shall  not  be 
stopped  in  me.’  Scott. 

(7.)  Abasing.]  ‘Humbling,  i.  e.  by  laboring  with  my  hands,  sub¬ 
mitting  to  a  voluntary  poverty,  and  by  not  claiming  the  privileges  of  my 
equals,  tints,  as  it  were,  tacitly  admitting  inferiority.  Exalted.]  Paul 
had  chiefly  in  view,  herein,  the  fame  and  reputation  which  Ihe  church 
of  Corinth  sustained  among  the  Christians,  from  the  pre-eminence  of 
the  spiritual  gifts  of  its  members,  and  which  might  fairiy  be  ascribed  to 
the  labors  of  the  apostle.’  HloOMF. 

(8.)  Chargeable.]  ‘  KatenarkSsa  :  did  not  lie  a  tlead  weight;  prop¬ 
erly,  affect  any  one  with  torpor,  from  nurki,  a  fish,  possessing  that 
power,  and  kata ,  down.  Thus  it.  merely  signifies,  to  weigh  any  one 
down  with  an  overpowering  load,  like  that  of  the  torpedo,  or  incubus. 
The  word  is  thought  by  Jerome  to  be  a  Ci'icism.'  In. 

(9.)  ‘  Theoph.  remarks,  that  this  is  as  much  as  to  say  :  “  I  mention 
not  this  in  order  that  I  may  henceforward  receive  of  you.”  There  is 
something,  too,  very  cutting;  q.  d.  “I  cannot  so  far  rely  on  you  as  to 
take  aught  of  you.’”  In. 

(12.)  ‘  That  Wherein  they  boast,  not  really  act,  namely,  in  teaching 

gratis,  that  they  may  be  found  to  do  even  as  we  do,  (viz.  if  they  would 
aim  at  the  reputation  we  have,)  i.  if  “to  take  nothing,  which  noiv  they 
are  not  found  to  do:”  for,  (as  he  proceeds  to  say,  further  on,)  they 
shamefully -pillaged  the  converts.’  In. 

V.  13 — 15.  It  was  not  to  be  expected  that  the  persons,  to  whom  Paul 
referred,  would  in  this  respect  he  found  like  him ;  ns  they  were  indeed 
‘false  apostles,’  who  in  a  lying  manner  pretended  to  he  sent  by  Christ, 
in  this  and  other  things  ‘  working  deceitfully,’  acting  with  duplicity,  and 
varnishing  over  their  hypocrisy  and  selfish  intentions,  by  specious  pro¬ 
fessions;  so  that  their  style,  manner,  and  conduct,  were  an  affected  im¬ 
itation  of  those  of  the  apostles;  hut  their  ministry  tended  to  dishonor 
God,  and  to  deceive  souls.  2:14 — 17.  4:1,2.  Jer.  23.13 — 27.  Ez.  IGA — 

[343] 


1G.  2  Pet.  2:1 — 3.  Satan,  their  master,  could  disguise  himself,  and.tempt 
men,  in  the  form  of  a  holy  angel,  a  messenger  from  the  world  of  light, 
instead  of  appearing  as  the  prince  of  darkness.  Mat.  4:3,  4.  16:21 — 23. 
Gal.  1:6 — 10.  lie  can  delude  men  with  professions  of  extraordinary  il¬ 
lumination,  high  affections,  evangelical  truth,  revelations,  singular  sanc¬ 
tity,  deadness  to  the  world,  austerity,  or  sublimity  of  devotion,  and  in 
various  other  ways;  that  so  he  might  undermine  or  disgrace  the  whole 
religion  of  Christ  ;  hurry  men  into  absurdities  and  extravagances  ;  lead 
them  to  neglect  the  plain  rule  of  the  written  Word,  and  change  them 
into  enthusiasts,  atuinomians,  or  superstitious  formalists.  It  was  not, 
therefore, ‘anything  great,’  or  difficult,  nr  ‘marvellous,’  that  ‘his  min¬ 
isters  should  be  transformed,’  and  assume  the  appearance  of  ‘the  minis¬ 
ters  of  righteousness,’  that  by  them  this  chief  deceiver  might  impose  on 
men  to  their  destruction  ;  for  if  they  appeared  openly,  ns  opposers  of  the 
Gospel,  and  patrons  of  vice  and  impiety,  they  could  not  do  near  so  much 
mischief;  even  ns  depredators  succeed  best,  when  disguised  like  honest 
men,  and  reputed  to  be  such.  lint,  whatever  their  professions  might  be,  and 
however  they  might  he  admired  and  applauded  ;  yet  their  end  would  ac¬ 
cord,  not  to  their  popularity,  confidence,  eloquence,  or  sentiments;  but 
to  their  works,  their  conduct  itt  the  sight  of  God,  and  the  effect  of  their 
principles  among  men.  Mat.  7:15 — 20. — The  plural  number  used  in 
these  vs.,  in  which  the  apostle  directly  speaks  out  on  a  subject,  to  which 
he  hnd  nil  along  covertly  referred,  does  by  no  means  favor  the  opinion, 
that  one  false  teacher  was  exclusively  meant,  though  one  might  possess 
greater  influence  than  the  others.  Scott. 

(13.)  IVorkers.]  ‘  Teachers  :  as  Mat.  2:37,38.  Phil.  3:2.  and  Schol.  on 
Aristopli.’  Bloomf. 

V.  16 — 29.  Having  tints  openly  decided  against  those  who  persisted 
in  opposing  his  authority  at  Corinth,  the  apostle  returned  to  his  subject. 
He  desired,  tltat  no  one  would  ‘  think  him  a  fool,  or  a  vainglorious  man, 
on  account  of  what  he  said  in  his  own  hehalf,  when  the  importance  of 
the  occasion  peremptorily  demanded  it  of  him  ;  yet,  if  they  would  form 
so  unfavorable  a  conclusion,  let  them  at  least  receive  him  in  that  char¬ 
acter,  while  ‘he  boasted  himself  a  little,’  for  a  short  time,  and  as  to  a  few 
tilings  in  which  he  was  really  distinguished ;  for  he  sought  their  good, 
and  not  his  own  credit,  in  what  he  said.  He  did  not  indeed  speak  on 
this  occasion,  according  to  the  general  precepts  or  example  of  the  Lord, 
or  what  was  proper  to  be  imitated  in  ordinary  cases  ;  nor  was  it  an  im¬ 
mediate  revelation  which  he  was  about  to  declare  ;  but  he  followed  that 
‘  same  confidence  of  boasting,’  which  their  conduct  had  imposed  upon 
him,  and  which  the  example  of  some  among  them  seemed  to  authorize, 
though  they  would  perhaps  deem  it  foolish  in  him  to  do  it.  As,  howev¬ 
er,  many  of  them,  both  the  deceivers  anti  the  deceived,  were  in  this  hab¬ 
it  of ‘glorying  after  the  flesh,’  ‘he  would  glory  also;’  hut  on  other 
grounds,  and  in  another  manner,  in  order  to  counteract  the  pernicious 
tendency  of  their  vain  confidence. —  Well  satisfied  with  their  own  wis¬ 
dom,  they  were  accustomed  to  bear,  with  a  self-complacent  joy,  the  con¬ 
duct  of  those  Who  acted  foolishly ;  and  had,  no  doubt,  oflen  looked  down 


A.  D.  61. 


2  CORINTHIANS,  XI. 


He  mentions  his  advantages. 


18  Seeing  T  that  many  glory  after 
the  flesh,  I  will  glory  also. 

19  For  ye  suffer  fools  gladly,  see¬ 
ing  ye  yourselves  are  wise. 

20  For  ye  suffer,  if  a  man  bring 
you  into  bondage,  if  a  man  devour 
you,  if  a  man  take  of  you,  if  a  man 
exalt  himself,  if  a  mail  smite  you 
on  the  face. 

[ Practical  Observations.] 

21  I  speak  as  concerning  re¬ 
proach,  as  though  we  had  been 
weak.  Howbeit,  whereinsoever 
any  is  bold,  (I  speak  foolishly,)  I 
am  bold  also. 

22  Are  they  Hebrews  ?  so  am 
I.  Are  they  Israelites  ?  so  am  I. 
Are  they  the  seed  of  Abraham  ?  so 
am  I. 

23  Are  they  ministers  of  Christ? 
(1  speak  as  a  fool)  I  am  more  ;  in 
w  labors  more  abundant,  in  1  stripes 
above  measure,  in  prisons  more 
frequent,  in  y  deaths  oft. 

v  Phi.  3:3,4.  w  l  Cu.  15:10.  21:11. 

1  Co.  4:10.  x  Ac.  3:16.  ‘-0:23.  y  1  Co.  15:30—32. 


2.  IIo  mentions  a  caution,  to  prevent  the 
abuse  of  what  he  should  say,  v.  17.  He 
would  not  have  them  think,  that  boasting  of 
ourselves,  or  glorying  in  what  we  have,  is  a 
thing  commanded  by  the  Lord  in  genera! 
unto  Christians,  nor  yet  always  necessary  in 
our  cui'ii  vindication  ;  Christians  should 
rather  humble  and  abase  themselves  ;  yet 
prudence  must  direct  in  vvlial  circumstances 
it  is  needful  to  do  that  which  we  may  do 
lawfully,  even  speak  of  what  God  has 
wrought  for  us,  and  in  us,  and  liy  us  too. 

3.  He  gives  a  good  reason  why  they  should 
sufl'er  him  to  boast  a  little  ;  namely,  because 
they  suffered  others  to  do  so,  who  had  less 
reason,  t>.  18.  But  be  would  not  glory  in 
those  things,  carnal  privileges,  or  outward 
advantages  and  attainments,  though  he  had 
as  much  or  more  reason  than  others  to  do  so. 
But  he  gloried  in  his  infirmities,  as  he  tells 
them  afterward.  The  Corinthians  thought 
themselves  wise,  and  might  think  it  an  instance 
of  wisdom,  to  bear  with  the  weakness  of  oth¬ 
ers,  and  therefore  suffered  others  to  do  what 
might  seem  folly ;  therefore  the  apostle  would 
have  them  bear  with  him.  Or  v.  19.  may  be 
ironical,  and  then  the  meaning  is  this,  *  Not¬ 
withstanding  all  your  wisdom,  ye  willingly 
puffer  yourselves  to  he  brought  into  bondage 
under  the  Jewish  yoke,  or  suffer  others  to 


TRACT.  OBS.‘  V.  1 — 20.  Ministers  of  the  Gospel  may  he  ‘jeal¬ 
ous  over  ’  the  people,  with  such  an  affectionate  earnestness,  as  carries 
them  beyond  ordinary  rules  or  personal  considerations,  while  they  ap¬ 
prehend  that  their  beloved  children  are  in  danger  of  being,  by  any  means, 
‘  corrupted  from  the  simplicity  of  Christ and  that,  conduct,  which  many 
censure,  may  be  ihe  effect  of  pure  and  holy  affections  superior  to  those 
of  other  men. — Satan  has  agents  of  all  descriptions,  who  are  continual¬ 
ly  and  artfully  imposing  on  the  unstable  and  unwary.  If  then  the  faith¬ 
ful  minister  seem  over  suspicions,  and  become  troublesome  by  his  watch¬ 
fulness  and  warnings;  his  people  ought,  notwithstanding,  to  bear  with 
him.  And  they  should  not  endure  those  who,  without  sufficient  cause, 
would  alienate  them  from  the  instruments  of  God  in  their  conversion. — 
Yet  so  exceedingly  injudicious  are  many  professed  Christians,  that  high 
confidence,  and  the  language  of  importance  and  authority,  often  go  fur¬ 
ther  than  the  most  humble,  meek,  unassuming,  nnd  disinterested  deport¬ 
ment  !  Tbe  minister,  who  is  content  to  be  poor,  to  fare  hardly,  to  ‘be 
abased,’  or  to  earn  his  bread,  that  he  ‘  may  exalt  others,’  by  freely  preach¬ 
ing  the  Gospel  to  them,  is  often  consigned  to  neglect,  as  if  guilty  of  some 
great  offence  !  While  others,  who  assume  a  magisterial  tone,  and  exalt 
themselves,  are  admitted  to  that  consequence  which  they  assume  ;  pro¬ 
vided  they  have  popular  [feelings,  propensities,  and]  abilities,  whatev¬ 
er  their  character  in  other  respects  may  be.  —  But  whatever  fair  show 
deceivers  may  make,  they  will  seldom  appear  like  faithful  ministers,  in 
laboring  without  any  hope  of  worldly  advantage  or  honor,  from  pure 
love  to  Christ  and  the  souls  of  men.  This  is  a  part  of  the  apostolical 
character  and  office,  which  by  no  means  accords  to  the  designs  of  ‘  false 
apostles  and  deceitful  workers.’  —  The  plausibility  of  deceivers,  and  the 
attractive  form  which  they  assume,  to  seduce  men  ‘  from  the  simplicity 

on  him  with  this  mixture  of  pity  mid  contempt.  1  Cor.  4: G — 13.  Yet  they 
had  not  greatly  shown  their  wisdom,  in  bearing  with  the  false  teach¬ 
ers ;  for  they  endured  it  without  complaint,  at  least  without  being  un¬ 
deceived,  if  any  one  brought  them  into  an  abject  dependence  on  him,  and 
enslaved  their  consciences  to  his  unwarranted  impositions,  [v.  20.] 
Doubtless,  (his  refers  to  facts  known  to  the  apostle,  in  which  the  violent, 
litigious,  ambitious,  selfish  temper,  of  ‘  the  false  apostles,’  had  been  evi¬ 
dent  to  all  men  ;  yet  they  were  still  allowed  to  retain  iheir  influence, 
through  the  fascination  of  their  eloquence,  and  confidence,  and  the  crafty 
management  of  their  deluded  admirers  ! — Glory  after  the  flesh.]  This  is 
by  most  expositors,  without  any  proof,  explained  of  the  false  teachers 
glorying  in  their  Jewish  extraction,  and  in  circumcision.  But  the  ex¬ 
pression,  ‘  after  the  flesh,’  according  to  the  apostle’s  language,  implies 
everything  which  an  unregeiierate  man  can  possess ;  so  that  learning, 
eloquence,  and  various  other  distinctions  may  be  meant,  whether  Jew¬ 
ish  extraction  and  circumcision  he  included  or  not.  10:1 — 6,  17,  18.  Is. 
40: K— 8.  1  Cor.  Ir26 — 31.  3:18—22.  Phil.  3: 1—7.  1  Pet.  1:23— 25.— 1  If 
subjection  to  (be  Jewish  riles  had  been  that,  which  the  apostle  was  so 
zealous  against,  he  would  have  spoken  more  plainly  and  warmly,  as  we 
see  in  the  epistle  to  the  Galatians;  and  not  have  touched  it  only  bv  the 
bye,  slightlv,  in  a  doubtful  expression.  Besides,  it  is  plain,  that  no  such 
thing  was  vet  attempted  openly,  only  Taul  was  afraid  of  it.’  I.ncke.  Sc. 

(16.)  That  /.]  ‘Gr.  that  I  also,  i.  e.  as  well  as  some  other  people.’ 

Bloomf. 

(17.)  ‘The  apostle  is  not  speaking  seriously  ;  as  both  the  v.  preceding, 
and  that  following,  are  ironical  and  sarcastical,  so  is  this  ;  and  we  are  to 
repeat  the  formula,  he  it  so,  which  is  implied,  ns  we  have  seen,  in  the  v. 
preceding.  Be  it  so,  if  you  [say,  or]  think  that  what  I  speak,  I  speak 
not  according  to  the  Lord,  or  with  a  view  to  serve  the  purpose  of  his 
religion,  but,  <fcc.’  III.,  whom  see.  Ed. 

(13.)  ‘This  is,  perhaps,  the  most  sarcastic  sentence  ever  penned  by 
Paul.  Yet  what  he  said  was  as  just  as  it  was  severe.  It  was,  indeed, 
folly  and  sottishness  in  the  extreme,  for  persons  so  well  informed  as  were 
the  Corinthians,  to  bear  with  the  boasting,  hypocrisy,  and  arbitrary  con¬ 
duct  of  the  false  teachers.’  Bi.oo.mf. 

(20.)  ‘  A  slap  on  the  face  was  the  greatest  ignominy  ;  and  Paul’s  ex¬ 
pression.  smite  on  the  face,  implies  t lie  greatest  disgrace.  1  K.  22:24. 
Mat.  5:39.  It  therefore  seems  to  denote  the  most  violent,  injurious  treat¬ 
ment,  like  that  employed  by  brutal  pedagogues  toward  their  pupHs,  op 
cruel  masters  towards  their  slaves.  No  doubt,  this  has  reference  to  the 
violent  means  whereby  they  supported  the  rites  and  ceremonies  they 
enjoined,  and  the  severity  with  which  they  punished  any  breach  of  their 


tyrannize  over  you;  nay,  to  devour  you,  or 
make  a  prey  of  you,  and  take  of  you  hire  for 
their  own  advantage,  and  to  exalt  themselves 
above  you,  and  lord  it  over  you;  nay,  even 
to  smite  you  on  the  face,  or  impose  on  you  to 
your  very  faces,  v.  20.  upbraiding  you  while 
they  reproach  me,  as  if  ye  had  been  very  weak 
in  showing  regard  to  me,’  v.  21.  Seeing  this 
was  the  case,  that  the  Corinthians,  or  some 
among  them,  could  so  easily  bear  all  this 
from  the  false  apostles,  it  was  reasonable  for 
the  apostle  to  desire,  and  expect,  they  should 
hear  with  w hat  might  seem  to  them  ail  indis¬ 
cretion  in  him,  seeing  the  circumstances  of 
the  case  were  such  as  made  it  needful,  that 
whereinsoever  any  were  bold,  he  should  he  bold 
also,  v.  21. 

V.  22 — 33.  Here  the  apostle  gives  a  large 
account  of  his  own  qualifications,  labors,  and 
sufferings  ;  (not  out  of  pride  or  vainglory, 
hut  to  the  honor  of  God,  who  had  enabled 
him  to  do  and  suffer  so  much  for  the  cause 
of  Christ;)  and  wherein  he  excelled  the  false 
apostles,  who  would  lessen  his  character  and 
usefulness  among  the  Corinthians.  Observe, 
1.  Fie  mentions  the  privileges  of  Iii3  birth, 
v.  22.  which  were  equal  to  any  thev  could 
pretend  to.  It  should  seem  from  hence,  that 
the  false  apostles  were  of  the  Jewish  race, 
who  gave  disturbance  to  the  Gentile  converts. 

of  Christ,’  should  not  excite  our  wonder;  for  Satan  is  continually 
‘transformed  into  an  angel  of  light,’  that,  under  the  most  specious  pre¬ 
tences,  he  may  fill  the  earth  with  infidelity,  heresy,  and  ungodliness  ;  and, 
under  the  mask  of  philosophy,  morality,  or  extraordinary  austerity,  su¬ 
perstition,  enthusiasm,  or  new  revelations,  he  does  far  more  extensive 
and  permanent  mischief,  than  merely  by  tempting  men  to  gross  enormi¬ 
ties. — We  have  great  reason  for  thankfulness,  that  the  apostle  was  con¬ 
strained,  though  with  many  retractions,  to  ‘boast  himself  a  little;’  for, 
whatever  he  might  fear,  or  his  enemies  might  say,  his  ‘confidence  in 
boasting’  has  thrown  such  light  on  his  ministry,  character,  and  history, 
as  will  be  instructive  to  the  church  to  the  end  of  the  world.  Doubtless 
the  Holy  Spirit  guided  his  pen,  though  he  seemed  not  to  ‘  speak  after  the 
Lord  ;’  for  he  did  not  glory  in  a  carnal,  a  proud,  or  a  false  manner,  as 
many  do.  Had  the  Corinthians  been  as  wise  as  they  thought  them¬ 
selves,  he  would  have  had  no  occasion  to  apologize  to  them  for  his  con¬ 
duct;  for  he  did  not  require  those  indulgences,  which  they  granted  to 
their  false  teachers.  — Indeed,  if  faithful  ministers,  who  flatter  no  man, 
and  pay  no  court  to  any  man’s  passions,  should  attempt  to  treat  their 
people,  as  some  do,  who,  for  their  own  ends,  are  in  other  things  more 
complaisant,  it  would  never  be  endured.  It  is  astonishing,  to  see  how 
some  men  bring  their  followers  into  bondage  ;  how  ‘  they  devour  and 
take  of  them  ;’  how  they  insult  and  reproach  them,  as  well  as  others  ;  and 
yet  how  all  this  is  borne  with,  excused,  or  palliated.  For,  indeed,  their 
doctrine  suits  the  lives  and  consciences  of  their  hearers,  and  their  exam¬ 
ple  encourages  them  to  similar  conduct  towards  others.  Sometimes  it 
may  be  necessary  to  take  notice  of  the  reproaches  of  such  men,  but  we 
must  never  imitate  their  spirit  or  conduct.  Scott. 


orders.  Devour.]  It  may  be  understood,  of  those  various  devices  of  ra¬ 
pacity  which  they  practised,  by  wheedling  the  superstitious  out  of  valu¬ 
able  presents  of  money  or  goods,  or  eating  at  their  tables,  and  thus  living 
upon  them,  and  (to  use  our  common  expression)  eating  them  up.'  Bl. 

V.  21 — 23.  Comtrs.  generally  suppose,  that  in  what  follows,  he  meant 
to  compare  himself  with  the  false  teacher,  or  teachers,  at  Corinth,  and 
infer,  that  these  were  Hebrews,  and  wanted  to  impose  the  law  on  the 
Gentile  converts  ;  of  which  no  trace  is  found  in  either  epistle.  12:17 — 
21 .  But  I  apprehend,  that  the  whole  passage  will  appear  fir  more  natu¬ 
ral  and  animated,  if  we  understand  jj,  with  reference  to  ‘  the  very  chief- 
est  of  the’  true  ‘  apostles  ;’  and  the  words,  ‘whereinsoever  any  is  bold,’ 
obviously  lead  to  tikis  interpretation.  1  —  6.  All  the  apostles  were  de¬ 
scended  from  Abraham,  Isaac,  and  Jacob.  They  were  neither  Hellenists 
nor  proselytes  ;  nnd  Paul  was  not  inferior  to  them  in  this  respect,  though 
his  birth  at  Tarsus  might  give  some  persons  occasion  to  conclude  that  he 
was.  Phil.  3:1 — 7.  lie  had  declared,  that  his  opposers  at  Coriuth  were 
not  ‘ministers  of  Christ,’  but  of  Satan;  13 — 15.  and  he  could  scarcely 
seem  to  speak  ‘foolishly,’  in  magnifying  his  office,  and  declaring  that  ho 
was  more  than  they  ;  but  it  had.  indeed,  this  appearance,  when  he  pro¬ 
ceeded  to  show,  that  in  some  respects  lie  was  more  distinguished,  as  the 
minister  of  Christ,  than  any  other  person,  even  among  the  apostles 
themselves;  not  by  superior  authority,  abilities,  miraculous  powers, 
zeal,  or  holiness;  but  by  his  more  abundant  labors  nnd  sufferings,  in 
which  he  evidently  far  exceeded  all  other  ‘  ministers  of  Christ,’  on  earth. 
The  false  apostles  had  labored  comparatively  very  little  ;  and,  instead  of 
suffering  for  the  Gospel,  it  is  very  probable  that  they  had  risen  to  emi¬ 
nence,  affluence,  and  authority,  by  means  of  it;  but  by  thus  showing 
himself,  in  these  things,  to  be  distinguished  above  all  the  other  apostles, 
he  tacitly  pointed  out,  to  the  false  teachers  and  their  followers,  in  what 
true  pre-eminence  consisted,  and  by  the  contrast  made  it  appear,  that 
those  things,  in  which  they  gloried,  were  indeed  their  shame.  Mat.  20: 
21 — 28. — (23)  1  speak  as  a  fool.]  ‘  I  speak,  as  one  exceeding  in  folly.’ 
This  confirms  the  above  interpretation. — In  prisons,  <fec.]  1  Cor.  15:31 
— 34.  This  occurred  before  Paul’s  imprisonment  at  Jerusalem,  Cesarca, 
and  Rome.  Acts  22: — 28.  Scott. 

(21.)  ‘  I  speak  this  with  reference  to  the  reproach  cast  on  me,  and 

to  excite  you  to  make  a  comparison  of  their  conduct  with  mine  in  sucli 
respects,  that  you  may  see  how  little  similitude  they  bear  to  me  as  au 
apostle,  and  that  you  may  determine  which  party  has  the  better  claim  to 
the  title  of  real  apostle.  They  could  domineer,  eat  up,  &c  ,  but  in  these 
tilings  he  confesses  he  was  weak.  So  some.’  Bl.,  whom  see.  Ed. 

(23.)  Deaths.]  ‘I.  e.  mortal  perils,  as  1:9,  10.’ 


Bloomf. 

[349] 


A.  D.  61 


2  CORINTHIANS,  XI. 


He  dwells  on  his  sufferings, 


24  Of  the  Jews  five  times  receiv¬ 
ed  I  forty  stripes  zsave  one. 

25  Thrice  was  1  beaten  a  with 
rods,  once  was  I  b  stoned,  thrice  I 
c  suffered  shipwreck,  a  ‘  night  and  a 
day  I  have  been  in  the  deep  ; 

26  In  journeyings  often,  in  perils 
of  waters,  in  perils  of  robbers,  in 
perils  d  by  mine  own  countrymen, 
in  perils  by  the  heathen,  in  perils 
in  the  city,  in  perils  in  the  wilder¬ 
ness,  in  perils  in  the  sea,  in  perils 
among  false  brethren  ; 

27  In  weariness  and  painfulness, 
in  watchings  '  often,  in  f  hunger  and 
thirst,  in  fastings  often,  in  cold  and 
nakedness. 

28  Beside  those  things  that  are 
without,  that,  which  coineth  upon 
me  daily,  the  care  s  of  all  the 
churches. 

29  Who  h  is  weak,  and  I  am  not 
weak  ?  who  is  offended,  and  I  burn 
not  ? 

30  If  I  must  needs  glory,  I  will 
'glory  of  the  things  which  concern 
mine  infirmities. 

31  The  j  God  and  Father  of  our 
Lord  Jesus  Christ,  which  kis  bless¬ 
ed  for  evermore,  knoweth  ‘that  I 
lie  not. 

32  In  Damascus  m  the  governor 
under  Aretas  the  king  kept  the  city 
of  the  Damascenes  with  a  garrison, 
desirous  to  apprehend  me  : 


33  And  through  a  window  in  a 
basket  was  I  let  down  by  the  wall, 
and  escaped  his  hands. 


z  De.  25  3. 
z  Ac.  16:22. 
b  Ac.  14:19. 
c  Ac.  c.  ‘-7. 
tl  Ac.  14:5. 


c  Ac.  2(^o  1. 
f  1  Co.  4:11. 
g  Ac.  15:36 — 40. 
h  1  Co.  9:22. 
i  c.  12:5,9,10. 


j  Ga.  1:3. 
k  Ro.  9:5. 

1  1  Th  2:5. 
m  Ac.  9:24,25. 


2.  He  makes  mention  also  of  liis  apostle- 
ship ;  that  he  was  more  than  an  ordinary  min¬ 
ister  of  Christ,  v.  23.  God  had  counted  him 
faithful,  and  had  put  him  into  the  ministry  : 
he  had  been  a  useful  minister  of  Christ  unto 
them;  they  had  found  full  proofs  of  his  min¬ 
istry  ;  Are  they  ministers  of  Christ?  I  am  more  I 
so. 

3.  He  chiefly  insists  on  this,  that  he  had  j 
been,  an  extraordinary  sufferer  for  Christ:  | 
and  this  was  what  he  gloried  in,  or  rather  he  j 
gloried  in  the  grace  of  God  that  had  enabled 
him  to  be  more  abundant  in  labors,  and  to 
endure  very  great  sufferings,  such  as  stripes 
above  measure,  frequent  imprisonments,  and  of¬ 
ten  the  dangers  of  death,  v.  23.  Note,  When 
the  apostle  would  prove  himself  an  extraordi¬ 
nary  minister,  he  proves  that  he  had  been  an 
extraordinary  sufferer.  See  Deut.  25:3.  It  ; 
was  usual  with  Jews,  that  they  might  not  ex¬ 
ceed,  to  abate  one  at  least  of  the  number  for¬ 
ty.  And  to  have  the  abatement  of  one  only, 
was  all  the  favor  that  ever  Paul  received  from 
them.  The  Gentiles  were  not  tied  tip  to  that 
moderation. 

Thus  he  was  all  his  days  a  constant  con¬ 
fessor;  perhaps  scarcely  a  year  of  his  life, 
after  his  conversion,  passed  without  suffering 
some  hardship  or  other  for  his  religion  ; 
wherever  he  went,  he  went  in  perils ;  he  was 
exposed  to  perils  of  all  sorts.  He  was  in 
peril  not  only  among  avowed  enemies,  but 


among  them  also  who  called  themselves 
brethren,  but  were  false  brethren,  v.  26. 

Beside  all  this,  he  had  great  weariness  and 
painfulness  in  his  ministerial  labors,  and 
these  are  things  that  will  come  into  account 
shortly,  and  people  will  be  reckoned  with  for 
all  the  care  and  pains  of  their  ministers  con¬ 
cerning  them.  Paul  was  a  stranger  to  wealth 
and  plenty,  power  and  pleasure,  preferment 
and  ease,  v.  27.  Thus  was  he,  who  was  one 
of  the  greatest  blessings  of  the  age,  used  as 
if  he  had  been  the  burden  of  the  earth,  and 
the  plague  of  his  generation.  And  yet  this  is 
not  aH;  for,  as  an  apostle,  the  care  of  all  the 
churches  lay  on  him,  v.  28.  He  mentions  this 
last,  as  if  this  lay  the  heaviest  on  him,  and  as 
if  he  could  belter  bear  all  the  persecutions 
of  his  enemies,  than  the  scandals  in  the 
churches  he  had  the  oversight  of,  v.  29. 
There  was  not  a  weak  Christian,  with  whom 
he  did  not  sympathize;  nor  any  one  scanda¬ 
lized,  but  he  was  affected  therewith.  Nor 
was  he  ashamed  of  all  this,  but,  on  the  con¬ 
trary,  it  was  what  lie  accounted  bis  honor  ; 
and  therefore,  much  against  the  grain  as  it 
was  with  him  to  glory,  yet,  says  he,  if  I  must 
needs  glory,  if  my  adversaries  will  oblige  me 
to  it,  in  my  own  necessary  vindication,  I  will 
glory  in  these  my  infirmities ,  v.  30.  Note, 
Sufferings  for  righteousness-sake  will,  the 
most  of  anything,  redound  to  our  honor. 

In  the  last  two  vs.  he  mentions  one  par¬ 
ticular  part  of  his  sufferings  out  of  its  place, 
as  if  he  had  forgotten  it  before,  or  because 
the  deliverance  God  wrought  for  him  was 
most  remarkable.  This  is  recorded,  Acts  9: 
24,  25.  This  was  his  first  great  danger  and 
difficulty,  and  the  rest  of  his  life  was  of  a 
piece.  And  it  is  observable,  that,  lest  it 
should  be  thought  he  spake  more  than  was 
true,  he  confirms  this  narrative  with  a  sol- 


PRACT.  OBS.  V.  21 — 33.  What  mere  man  ever  united  such  and  so 
many  grounds  ‘of  glorying,’  as  this  apostle  did  ?  flow  does  it  fill  our 
minds  with  astonishment,  to  meditate  on  this  brief  enumeration  of  his 
labors,  hardships,  perils,  and  sufferings,  during  along  course  of  years ; 
of  his  patience,  perseverance,  diligence,  cheerfulness,  and  usefulness,  in 
the  midst  of  them  ;  and  of  his  attentive  and  fervent  affection  towards 
nil  the  churches,  and  every  individual  believer!  Next  to  the  history  of 
Christ  Himself,  the  dangers,  persecutions,  cruelty,  and  treachery,  which 
litis  most  excellent  and  most,  useful  servant  of  God,  everywhere,  and 
from  all  sorts  of  persons,  met  with,  and  the  unkindness  even  of  his  own 
converts,  form  the  severest  stricture  on  the  folly  and  wickedness  of  man¬ 
kind,  that,  ever  was  published.  —  We  may  here  see  what  are  the  chief 
preferments  in  the  true  church  of  Christ  ;  and  we  may  ask  ourselves, 
Whether,  on  suck  terms ,  we  should  be  willing  to  be  ‘  not  a  whit  behind 
tlie  very  chiefest  apostles.’  In  this  glass,  our  utmost  diligence  and  ser¬ 
vices  appear  too  minute  to  be  noticed,  and  our  difficulties  and  trials  can 

V.  24 — 27.  The  other  apostles  had  indeed  been  scourged  and  impris¬ 
oned  for  Christ’s  sake;  Acts  4:1 — 3.  5  17 — 25,  40.  yet  Paul  had  endured 
tliis  pain  and  disgrace  ‘  more  frequently  ’  than  they,  and  had  been  in  dan¬ 
ger  of  death  on  far  more  occasions. — (25)  Thrice  1  suffered  shipwreck .] 
At  one  time  die  continued  a  njght  and  a  day  in  the  sea,  probably  on  a 
pnrt  of  the  wreck,  in  much  suffering  and  peril.  Tiiis  was  previous  to 
liis  voyage-to  Rome,  when  he  was  again  shipwrecked.  Acts  27.  Indeed, 
liis  other  sufferings,  recorded  in  the  Acts,  from  chap.  19:  to  the  end,  were 
subsequent  to  the  writing  of  this  epistle;  and  hence  we  may  perceive, 
how  very  many  of  liis  trials  and  sufferings,  as  well  as  of  his  labors,  with 
tile  success  of  them,  are  nowhere  recorded,  save  in  the  book  of  God’s 
remembrance.  — Thus  his  life  was  spent  in  wenriness,  pain,  and  suffer¬ 
ing;  his  incessant  labor  in  preaching  the  Gospel,  conversing  with  the 
people  from  house  to  house,  writing  his  epistles,  earning  his  bread,  and 
attending  to  his  devotions,  frequently  forced  him  to  pass  whole  nights 
without  rest.  Yet  he  still  persevered,  without  fainting,  in  liis  ‘work  of 
faith  and  labor  of  love.’  6:3—10.  1  Cor.  4-9 — 13.  Scott. 

(21,  25.)  ‘  Cater  rightly  puts  these  vs.  into  a  parenthesis.’  Bloomf. 

(26.)  ‘  The  passage  of  broad  and  deep  niter.?,  in  their  petty  boats,  was 
dangerous;  and  robbers  at  that  time  swarmed  eveu  in  the  most  thickly 
inhabited  parts  of  Europe.’  Id. 

V.  28 — 31.  Beside  the  things  above  mentioned,  which  ‘were  with¬ 
out,'-  and  mainly  related  to  the  apostle’s  bodily  sufferings,  his  mind  was 
worn  down  by  a  multiplicity  of  affairs,  which  came  upon  him  daily, 
witli  the  force  "f  a  multitude;  by  the  care  of  all  the  churches  of  the 
Gentiles,  planted  by  him  and  others.  This  lay  upon  him,  filled  him  with 
constant  solicitude,  and  employed  him  perpetually,  in  forming  and  exe¬ 
cuting  plans,  to  promote  their  pence  and  prosperity,  to  counteract  the 
designs  of  false  teachers,  and  to  order  all  their  concerns  for  the  best.  Sc. 

(31.)  ‘  The  oath  is  to  confirm  the  truth  of  the  foregoing  statement.’ 

13  LOOM  F. 

(32.)  The  Jews,  it  seems,  Acts  9:23.  were  at  the  bottom  of  Aretas’ 
measures,  having  persuaded  him.  perhaps,  that  Paul  was  a  Roman  spy. 
Note,  end  of  Acts.  Aretas.]  ‘Three  distinct  kings  of  this  name  ruled 
tlie  Arabs.  The  first,  mentioned  2  Mac.  5:8.  the  second,  by  Jos.  Ant. 
13,  15.  2,  16.  1,  4.  The  third  (that  of  this  v.),  was  tlie  father-in-law  of 
Herod  Antipas  ;  who  divorced  liis  wife,  A.’s  daughter,  and  had  sustained 
a  defeat  of  his  forces.  Hence  Vitellius  was  sent  by  Tiberius  (whom  Herod 
had  informed  by  letter  ofhis  father-in-law's  insolence)  to  bring  the  Arab  to 
terms,  taking  him  alive,  or  fetching  his  head  to  Rome.  Vitellius  delay¬ 
ed  a  long  time  on  his  way  ;  Tiberius  dies ;  Aretas  sees  himself  unetpect- 

[350] 


scarcely  be  perceived ;  the  prospect  may  well  shame  us  out  of  all  our 
boastings  and  complaints,  and  lead  us  to  inquire,  whether  we  be  really  en¬ 
gaged  in  the  spiritual  warfare,  or  are  only  called  the  soldiers  of  Christ. 
Here  we  may  study  patience,  fortitude,  meekness,  and  perseverance  in 
well-doing,  and  confidence  in  God  to  protect,  deliver,  and  comfort  us,  in 
every  possible  suffering  or  danger.  Here  we  may  learn  to  think  less  of 
our  own  ease,  interest,  indulgence,  or  reputation,  and  more  of  the  great 
concerns  of  godliness,  and  to  sympathize  with  the  lighter  sorrows  of  onr 
brethren,  even  when  more  heavily  afflicted  ourselves.  Here  we  may 
look,  till  poverty,  reproach,  hunger,  thirst,  watchings,  fastings,  cold,  na¬ 
kedness,  stripes,  and  imprisonment,  appear  honorable,  and  even  special 
privileges,  when  sustained  in  a  good  cause,  and  with  a  constant  mind. 
Here  we  may  learn  to  be  content  with  food  and  raiment,  thankful  for 
mean  and  scanty  provisions,  indifferent  about  all  worldly  tilings,  ardent¬ 
ly  desirous  of  doing  good  to  others,  and  animated  with  the  hope  of  suc¬ 
cess  in  this  work,  notwithstanding  our  manifold  infirmities.  Scott. 

edlv  freed  from  imminent  danger.  Jos.  Ant.  18.  ch.  5.  What  Aretas  then 
did,  or  what  measures  he  adopted,  writers  do  not  mention  ;  yet  it  is  not 
improbable,  that,  learning  Tiberius’  death,  not  to  lose  so  favorable  an 
occasion,  lie  suddenly  invaded  Syria,  and  occupied  Damascus.  It  it  not 
agreed  whether  this  “  ethnarch ”  of  Aretas  [so  lie  is  here  called],  was 
prefect  of  the  Damascenes,  or  only  of  the  Jews  dwelling  in  Damascus.  It 
would  seem  of  the  Jews  ;  for  tliis  word  ethnarch  is  generally  used  of  the 
prefects  of  Judea,  as  is  seen  in  Jos.,  &c. ;  the  Jews,  moreover,  had  their 
own  ethnarchs  in  the  more  noble  cities  out  of  Palestine ;  nor  is  it  prov¬ 
ed,  that  those  who  were  appointed  over  Damascus,  either  by  the  empe¬ 
rors,  or  the  3  kings  of  Arabia,  were  named  ethnarchs.  Paul  calls  him  the 
ethnarch  of  king  Aretas,  because,  we  may  suppose,  lie  was  set  over  the 
Jews  by  Aretas,  (the  former  one  being  dismissed,)  and  was  to  be  distin¬ 
guished  from  the  Roman,  or  the  one  appointed  by  the  Romans.’  Ros. 

V.  33.  Basket.]  ‘  Sargane  :  from  srg,  to  twist,  or  braid.’  Bl.,  who  thinks 


it  ‘  a  large  wicker  fish-hamper,  or  rather  a  sort  of  very  stiff  net  work,  of 
stout  cord,  for  catching  fish  and  refers  to  Athen.  In  Acts  it  is  called 
spuridi.  A  cut  is  given,  of  strong  baskets  made  of  wisps  of  straw,  or  grass, 
«fcc.,  still  in  use  in  Syria.  Thev  would  be  large  enough,  as  only  the  feet 
needed  a  rest.  It  is  curious,  that  the  monks  of  Sinai  hoist  their  visiters 
in  a  basket  into  the  window  of  their  convent,  the  door  being  shut  on 
account  of  plundering  Arabs.  ‘The  expedient  was  common.  By  or 
through  an  aperture,  and  so  down  along  the  wall .’  Bl  ,  whom  see.  A 
place,  said  to  be  the  scene  of  this,  is  still  shown  at  Damascus,  Ed. 


2  CORINTHIANS,  XII. 


A.  D.  61. 


Paul  speaks  of  God's  favor  to  him. 


CHAP.  XII. 


1  For  commending  of  his  apostle?hip,  though  he  might  glory 
of  his  wonderful  revelations,  9  yet  he  rather  chooseth  to 
glory  ot  his  infirmities,  11  blaming  thorn  for  forcing  him 
to  thi3  vain  boasting.  14  He  promiaeth  to  come  to  them 
again  :  but  yet  altogether  in  the  affection  of  a  father,  20 
although  he  feareth  he  shall,  to  his  grief,  find  many  of¬ 
fenders,  and  public  disorders  there. 

TT  i.s  not  expedient  for  me  doubt- 
-I-  less  to  glory.  1 1  will  come  to 
visions  and  revelations  of  tbe  Lord. 

2  I  knew  a  man  in  b  Christ  about 
'fourteen  years  ago,  (whether  in 
the  body,  I  cannot  tell;  or  wdiether 
out  of  the  body,  I  cannot  tell  :  God 
knoweth,)  such  an  one  caught  up 
to  the  third  heaven. 

8  And  I  knew  such  a  man, 
(whether  in  the  body,  or  out  of  the 
body,  I  cannot  tell  :  God  knoweth,) 

4  How  that  he  was  caught  up 
into  d  paradise,  and  heard  unspeak¬ 
able  words,  which  it  is  not  'lawful 
for  a  man  to  utter. 

5  Of  such  an  one  will  I  glory  : 
yet  f  of  myself  I  will  not  glory,  but 
in  mine  infirmities. 

6  For  though  I  would  desire  to 
glory,  I  shall  not  be  a  fool  ;  for  I 
will  say  the  truth  :  but  now  I  for¬ 
bear,  lest  any  man  should  think  of 
me  above  that  which  he  seeth  me 
to  be,  or  that  he  heareth  of  me. 

7  And  lest  I  should  be  exalted 
above  measure  through  the  abun¬ 
dance  of  the  revelations,  there  was 
given  to  me  a  thorn  sin  the  flesh, 
the  h  messenger  of  Satan,  to  buffet 
me,  lest  I  should  be  exalted  above 
measure. 

8  For  this  1  thing  I  besought  the 
Lord  thrice,  that  it  might  depart 
from  me. 


a  For  I  will, 
h  Ro  16:7. 
c  A.  D.  46. 

Ac.  22:17. 
d  Lu.  23:43. 
Re.  2:7. 


e  or,  possible, 
f  c.  11:30. 

ver.  9,  10. 
g  Ere.  23:24. 

Ga.  4:14. 
h  Job  2:7. 


Lu.  13:16. 
i  De.  3:23—27. 
Pa.  77:2—11.  * 
La.  3:8. 

Mat.  26:44. 


emn  oath,  or  appeal  to  the  omniscience  of  ] 
God,  v.  31.  It  is  a  great  comfort  to  a  good 
man,  that  the  God  and  Father  of  our  Lord  Je¬ 
sus  Christ,  who  is  an  omniscient  God,  knows 
the  truth  of  all  he  says,  and  knows  all  he 
does,  and  all  he  suffers  for  his  sake. 


Chap.  XII.  In  this  eh.  the  apostle  pro¬ 
ceeds  in  maintaining  the  honor  of  his  apos- 
tleship. 

V.  I — 10.  I.  lie  narrates  the  favors  God 
had  shown  him,  and  honor;  for  doubtless  he 
is  the  man  in  Christ,  of  whom  he  speaks. 
Notice, 

1.  The  honor,  v.  2.  When  or  how  he  was 
thus  caught  up,  we  cannot  say,  whether  du¬ 
ring  those  three  days  he  lay  without  sight  at 
his  conversion,  or  at  some  other  time  after¬ 
ward  ;  but  it  was  certainly  a  very  extraor¬ 
dinary  honor  done  him  .  in  some  sense  he 
was  caught  up  into  the  third  heaven,  the  heav¬ 
en  of  the  blessed,  called  paradise ,  v.  4.  in 
allusion  to  the  earthly  paradise,  also  the  par¬ 
adise  of  God,  Rev.  2:7.  signifying,  that  by 
Christ,  we  are  restored  to  all  the  joys  and 
honors  we  lost  by  sin,  yea,  to  much  better. 
The  apostle  does  not  mention  what  be  saw 
there,  but  tells  us,  that  he  heard  tmspeakable 
words,  such  are  the  sublimity  of  the  matter, 
and  our  unacquaintedness  with  tbe  language 
of  the  upper  world  :  and  words  it  was  not 
lawful  to  utter,  because,  in  this  world,  we 
have  a  more  sure  word  of  prophecy  than  such 
visions  and  revelations,  2  Pel.  1:19.  This 
account  should  check  our  curious  desires  af¬ 
ter  forbidden  knowledge,  and  teach  us  to  im¬ 
prove  the  revelation  God  has  given  us  in  his 
Word.  Paul,  himself,  who  had  been  in  the 
third  heaven,  did  not  publish  to  the  world 
what  he  had  heard  there,  but  adhered  to  tbe 
doctrine  of  Christ  :  on  that  foundation  the 
church  is  built,  and  on  that,  we  must  build 
our  faith  and  hope. 

2.  The  modest,  humble  manner  in  which 
lie  mentions  it.  One  would  think  he  should 
have  boasted  of  bis  visions,  &c. ;  but  no, 
this  was  not  expedient,  v.  I.  and  be  did  not 
mention  them  till  above  14  years  after,  v.  2. 
and  then  only  as  be  was  forced  to.  He  speaks 
of  himself  in  the  third  person.  Again,  bis 
humility  appears  by  the  check  he  seems  to 


put  on  himself,  v.  6.  which  plainly  shows  that 
lie  delighted  not  to  dwell  on  this  theme.  It  is 
an  excellent  thing  to  have  a  lowly  spirit,  in 
the  midst  of  high  advancements  ;  and  those 
who  humble  themselves,  shall  be  exalted. 

II.  11  is  account  of  tile  methods  God  took 
to  keep  him  humble;  and  this  he  speaks  of, 
to  balance  the  account  of  his  visions  and  rev¬ 
elations.  When  God’s  people  communicate 
their  experiences,  let  them  always  remember 
to  notice  what  God  has  done  to  keep  them 
humble,  as  well  as  what  He  has  done  to  ad¬ 
vance  them. 

1.  He  was  pained  with  a  thorn  in  the  flesh, 
and  buffeted  with  a  messenger  of  Satan,  v.  7. 
We  are  much  in  the  dark  what  this  was, 
whether  some  great  trouble,  or  some  great 
temptation.  However  it  was,  God  often 
brings  this  good  out  of  evil,  that  the  re¬ 
proaches  of  our  enemies  help  to  hide  pride 
from  us  ;  and  this  is  certain,  that  what  the 
apostle  calls  a  thorn  in  his  flesh,  was  for  a 
time  very  grievous  to  him  :  hut  the  thorns 
Christ  wore  for  us,  and  with  which  He  was 
crowned,  sanctify  and  make  easy  all  the 
thorns  in  the  flesh  we  may  at  any  time  be  af¬ 
flicted  with  ;  for  He  suffered,  being  tempted, 
that  He  might  be  able  to  succor  them  that  are 
tempted. 

2.  Its  design  was,  to  keep  the  apostle  hum¬ 
ble,  lest  he  should  be  exalted  above  measure, 
v.  7.  If  God  love  us,  He  will  keep  us  from 
being  exalted  above  measure;  and  spiritual 
burdens  are  ordered,  to  cure  spiritual  pride. 
This  thorn  in  the  flesh  is  said  to  he  a  mes¬ 
senger  of  Satan  ;  he  sent  it  with  ill  inten¬ 
tions,  to  discourage  the  apostle,  (who  had 
been  so  highly  favored  of  God,)  and  hinder 
him  in  his  work.  But  God  designed  and 
overruled  it  for  good,  and  made  it  a  help. 

3.  The  apostle  prayed  earnestly  to  God 
for  the  removal  of  this  sore  grievance  ;  for 
prayer  is  a  remedy  for  every  malady  ;  and 
when  afflicted  with  thorns  in  the  flesh,  We 
should  give  ourselves  to  prayer.  Therefore  we 
are  sometimes  tempted,  that  we  may  learn 
to  pray.  The  apostle  besought  the  Lord  thrice, 
that  it  might  depart  from  him,  v.  8.  Though 
afflictions  are  sent  for  our  spiritual  benefit,  yet 
we  may  pray  to  God  for  their  removal,  de¬ 
siring  that  they  may  reach  the  end  for  which 


NOTES.  Chap.  XII.  V.  1 — 6.  This  language  evidently  proves, 
that  the  apostle  most  firmly  believed  the  soul  to  be  distinct  from  the 
body,  and  capable  of  perception,  activity,  and  enjoyment,  in  a  state  of 
separation.  1  These.  5:23 — 28,  v.  23. — Many  approved  comtrs.  suppose 
these  to  have  been  two  distinct  visions  ;  that  paradise  is  a  different  place 
from  ‘  the  third  heaven;’  that  in  the  latter,  he  saw  Jesus  at  the  right  hand 
of  the  Father,  nnd  in  the  former,  lie  conversed  with  departed  saints. 
But,  as  the  happiness  of  the  ‘spirits  ofjust  men  made  perfect,’  consists 
in  being  ‘  present  with  tbe  Lord.’  there  seems  to  be  no  scriptural  ground 
for  this  distinction.  5:5 — 8.  Lu.  23:39 — 43.  Phil.  1:21 — 2G.  The  lan¬ 
guage  is  indeed  varied,  yet  only  one  vision  appears  to  be  intended,  but 
in  that  one  vision  he  doubtless  had  ‘  abundance  of  revelations.’ — The 
vision  seems  to  have  been  vouchsafed  to  him,  especially  for  his  own 
support  and  encouragement,  amidst  his  various  labors  and  sufferings  ; 
and,  as  no  revelation  of  divine  truth,  needful  to  be  known  and  believed 
by  Christians,  or  ministers,  was  made  to  him,  it  was  not  only  impossible, 
but  even  unlawful ,  if  it.  could  have  been  done,  to  relate  what  he  bad 
heard  and  seen. — As  two  distinct  words  are  used,  it  is  most  natural  to 
suppose,  that  they  were  intended  to  convey  two  distinct  ideas.  Scott. 
.  (1.)  ‘  As  11:32,  33.  seem  a  supplement,  so  do  chs.  12:  and  13:  also 
seemingly  written  at  a  different  time;  and  it  treats  of  things  quite  of 
another  kind,  viz.  supernatural  gifts  and  revelations.  BloOMF. 

(2.)  ‘  If  this  epistle  was  written  in  the  year  58,  as  we  suppose  it  was, 

this  vision  must  have  fallen  out  in  44,  which  was  so  long  after  his  con¬ 
version,  as  to  prove  it  quite  different  from  the  trance  mentioned,  Ac.  9: 
9.  with  which  some  have  confounded  it.’  Dodlr.  Dr.  Benson  thinks  the 
vision  was  while  praying,  Ac.  11:30.  22:17.  and  intended  to  encourage 
him  against  the  difficulties  he  was  to  encounter  in  preaching  to  the  Gen¬ 
tiles.  I  must  here  imitate  Doddridge’s  modesty,  in  speaking  of  the  mode 
of  what  is  here  related.  Due  reverence,  in  such  mysterious  cases,  ought 
to  restrain  us  from  a  vain  curiosity  on  suclt  points,  as  it  is  not  granted 
to  our  human  faculties  fully  to  comprehend.  Third  heaven .]  The  Jews, 
in  the  apostolic  age,  divided  the  heavens  into  three.  1.  The  aerial,  in¬ 
cluding  the  clouds  and  the  atmosphere.  2.  The  sidereal.  3.  The  hab¬ 
itation  of  Coil,  and  his  angels.  The  names  of  these  are  thus  detailed  by 
}fTets.,  from  the  Rabbins,  many  of  wtiose  passages  lie  quotes,  (chiefly 
from  Schoett.):  1.  Velum.  2.  expansum.  3.  nubes.  4.  habitaculum. 
5.  habitutio.  6.  sedes  fixa.  7.  Araboth.’  Id. 

(4.)  Paradise.]  ‘The  place  of  departed  souls,  so  the  ancients,  who 
think  this  was  another  vision.  So  Grot.,  Bull,  Whit.,  Doddr.,  Mackn., 
Ros. — Beza,  llam.,  <fcc.,  think  the  same  circumstance  is  meant :  it  was 
probably  a  different  part  of  the  same.’  In. 

(5.)  Such  an  one. J  ‘  Rather,  thing  ;  as  is  plain  from  what  follows.’  In. 

(6.)  ‘Here  Paul  delicately  appropriates  those  high  visions  and  revela¬ 
tions.’  Forbear.]  Since  to  claim  merit  for  what  had  not,  and  could 


nut  fall  under  the  observation  of  men,  would  have  been  too  much  like^ 
the  false  apostles.’  Bloomf. 

V.  7 — 10.  The  expressions  here  employed,  have  occasioned  comtrs. 
much  perplexity  ;  but  had  it  seemed  good  to  the  Holy  Spirit,  that  our 
curiosity  should  be  fully  gratified  in  this  respect,  He  would  have  led  the 
writer  to  be  more  explicit;  and  the  general  statement  is  more  suited  for 
edification,  than  if  tile  particular  trial  bad  been  specified.  Gen.  32:25 — 
31.  P.  O.  13 — 32. — ‘A  thorn,’  fixed  and  rankling  in  the  flesh,  would  give 
great  and  constant  pain,  and  some  particular  trials  of  the  apostle,  which 
began  or  were  augmented,  after  this  remarkable  vision,  caused  a  contin¬ 
ual  uneasiness  to  his  mind  of  a  similar  nature.  Probably,  these  arose 
from  the  personal  defects,  of  which  he  was  conscious,  which  gave  his 
enemies,  especially  the  false  apostles,  a  color  for  reviling  and  deriding 
him.  11:13 — 15.  These  things  seemed  to  him  likely  to  obstruct  his 
usefulness,  and  they  continually  reminded  him  of  his  weakness,  and  in¬ 
ability  to  do  ‘anything  as  of  himself.’  Thus  they  were  exceedingly 
uneasy  and  mortifying  to  him,  and  doubtless  they  afforded  ‘  Satan  and  his 
angels,’  an  opportunity  of  tempting  him  to  impatience,  and  discouraging 
him  in  his  labors,  as  well  as  of  exciting  carnal  men  to  insult  and  injure 
him.  This  (his  beseeching  that  the  thorn  might  depart]  seems  to  prove, 
that  he  did  not  mean  his  persecutions,  but  thuse  infirmities  which  em¬ 
boldened  his  enemies  and  the  false  teachers.  10:7 — 11.  Gal.  4:12 — 16. 
The  Lord,  however,  did  not  see  good  to  grant  his  request ;  as  He  knew 
that  this  sharp  trial  was  needful  to  keep  him  humble,  and  even  to  illus¬ 
trate  tiie  power  of  his  own  grace. — This  passage  contains  a  most  express 
example  of  prayer  to  Christ,  and  of  confiding  and  glorying  in  Him,  as 
the  source  of  grace  and  power.  Ps.  146:3.  Jer.  17:5—8. — Had  ‘the 
thorn  in  the  flesh  ’  consisted  of  disorders  brought  on  ihe  apostle,  by  the 
effect  of  the  visions  on  his  animal  frame,  he  must  have  ‘  known  that  he 
was  in  the  body.'  1 — 6. — He  could  hardly  have  rejoiced  in  the  contin¬ 
uance  of  those  gross  temptations,  of  which  many  of  the  fathers  ground¬ 
lessly  suppose  him  to  speak.  1  Cor.  7:6 — 9, t>.  7. — -The  ‘messenger  also 
of  Satan,’  is  so  involved  with  ‘  the  thorn  in  the  flesh,’  in  the  narration, 
in  tbe  prayer,  and  in  our  Lord’s  answer,  that  it  must  mean,  either  the 
source  whence  his  infirmities  arose,  Job  2:6 — 8.  or  the  inward  tempta¬ 
tions  which  accompanied  them. — A  messenger  of  Satan.]  Mat.  25:41. 
Rev.  12:7. — Some  think,  the  reproaches  and  insuits  of  l Ire  principal  false 
apostle  were  exclusively  intended.  11:13 — 15.  But  as  in  the  case  of  Job, 
so  in  that  of  the  apostle,  tbe  inward  assault  of  evil  spirits  combined 
with  the  outward  trials]  to  harass  ami  distress  him.  Scott. 

(7.)  Bi.  (whom  see)  concludes  the  thorn  must  have  been  a  nervous 
disorder  of  the  face,  ‘from  excessive  and  constant  ferment  of  mind,  like 
the  lic-douloureux  perhaps  :  and  thinks  the  mention  of  it  introduced,  to 
allay  the  envy  and  ill-will  from  hearing  of  his  high  Privileges.  “D. 

(S.)  ‘  Considering  [certain  quoted]  passages  of  Eunp.,  ilor.,  and  don. 


2  CORINTHIANS,  XII. 


His  own  disinterestedness. 


A.  D.  61. 

9  And  he  said  unto  me,  My  gi-ace 
is  sufficient  for  thee :  for  my  strength 
is  made  perfect  in  weakness.  Most 
gladly  therefore  will  I  rather  glory 
Jin  my  infirmities,  that  the  power 
k  of  Christ  may  rest  upon  me. 

10  Therefore  I  take  pleasure  in 
infirmities,  in  reproaches,  in  neces¬ 
sities,  in  persecutions,  in  distresses 
for  Christ’s  sake  :  for  when  I  am 
weak,  then  am  I  strong. 

[Practical  Observations .] 

Ill  am  become  a  fool  in  glory¬ 
ing  :  ye  have  compelled  me  ;  for  I 
ought  to  have  been  commended  of 
you  :  for  1  in  nothing  am  I  behind 
the  very  chiefest  apostles,  though 
m  I  be  nothing. 

12  Truly  the  signs  n  of  an  apostle 
were  wrought  among  you  in  all 
patience,  in  signs,  and  wonders, 
and  mighty  deeds. 

13  For  what  is  it  wherein  ye 
were  inferior  to  other  churches, 
except  it  be  that  I  “myself  was  not 
burdensome  to  you  ?  forgive  me 
this  wrong. 

14  Behold,  the  third  time  I  am 
ready  to  come  to  you  ;  and  I  will 
not  be  burdensome  to  you  :  for  p  I 
seek  not  yours,  but  you  :  for  the 
children  ought  not  to  lay  up  for  the 
parents,  but  the  parents  for  the 
children. 

15  And  I  will  very  gladly  spend 
and  be  spent  for  <>you  ;  though  the 
more  abundantly  I  love  you,  the 
less  I  be  loved. 

16  But  be  it  so,  I  did  not  burden 
you  :  nevertheless,  being  crafty,  I 
caught  you  with  guile. 

17  Did  1  make  a  gain  of  you  by 
any  of  them  whom  I  sent  unto  you  ? 

18  I  desired  r  Titus,  and  with 
him  I  sent  a  8  brother:  did  Titus 
make  a  gain  of  you  ?  walked  we 
not  in  the  same  spirit  ?  walked  we 
not  in  the  same  steps  ? 

19  Again,  think  ye  that  we  ex¬ 
cuse  ourselves  ‘unto  you?  we  speak 
Before  God  in  Christ  :  but  we  do 
all  things,  dearly  beloved,  for  your 
edifying. 

20  For  I  fear,  lest,  when  “I  come, 


I  shall  not  find  you  such  as  I  would, 
and  that  I  shall  be  found  unto  you 
such  as  ye  would  not  :  lest  there  be 
debates,  envyings,  wraths,  strifes, 
backbitings,  whisperings,  swellings, 
tumults  : 


j  ver.  5. 
k  1  Pe.  4:14. 
1  c  11:5. 
m  Lu.  17:10. 
1  Co.  3:7. 
Ep.  3:8. 


n  1  Co.  9:2. 
o  c.  11:9. 
p  1  Co.  10:33. 

I  Th.  2:8. 
q  your  souls. 


r  c.  7:2. 

8  C.  8:6. 

t  c.5:12. 
u  1  Co.  4:21. 
c.  13:2,19. 


they  are  designed.  If  an  answer  be  not  given 
to  the  first  prayer,  nor  to  the  second,  vve  must 
stiir  pray,  till  we  receive  an  answer.  Christ 
Himself  prayed  to  his  Father  thrice.  As 
troubles  are  sent,  to  teach  us  to  pray,  so  they 
are  continued,  to  teach  us  to  continue  instant 
in  prayer. 

4.  We  have  an  account  of  the  answer  ; 
that,  although  the  trouble  was  not  removed, 
yet  an  equivalent  should  be  granted  ;  grace 
sufficient.  (1.)  God  accepts  the  prayer  of 
faith,  yet  does  not  always  answer  it  in  the 
letter;  as  He  sometimes  grants  in  wrath,  so 
He  sometimes  denies  in  love.  (2.)  When 
God  does  not  remove  our  troubles  and  temp¬ 
tations,  yet,  if  He  gives  us  grace,  sufficient 
for  us,  we  have  no  reason  to  complain.  It  is 
a  great  comfort  to  us,  whatever  thorns  in  the 
flesh  we  are  pained  with,  that  God’s  grace 
is  sufficient  for  us.  Grace  signifies  two 
things :  the  good-will  of  God  towards  us, which 
is  enough  to  enlighten,  enliven,  strength¬ 
en  and  comfort  us,  in  all  distresses;  and  the 
good  work  of  God  in  us,  the  grace  we  receive 
from  the  fulness  that  is  in  Christ  our  Head; 
and  from  Him  there  shall  be  communicated 
that  which  is  suitable,  seasonable,  and  suf¬ 
ficient  for  his  members. 

III.  The  use  he  makes  of  this  dispensa¬ 
tion,  v.  9,  10.  He  gloried  in  his  infirmities, 
not  his  sinful  infirmities,  but  his  reproaches, 
necessities,  persecutions ,  and  distresses  for 
Christ’s  sake,  v.  10.  And  the  reason  was, — 
They  were  fair  opportunities  for  Christ  to 
manifest  the-  power  and  sufficiency  of  his 
grace  resting  upon  him,  by  which  he  had  so 
much  experience  of  the  strength  of  divine 
grace,  that  he  could  say,  When  I  am  weak, 
then  am  I  strong. 

V.  11 — 21.  In  these  vs.  he  addresses  him¬ 
self  to  the  Corinthians,  two  ways  : 

I.  He  blames  them  that  they  had  not  stood 
up  in  his  defence  as  they  ought,  and  so  made 
it  the  more  needful  for  him  to  insist  so  much 
on  his  own  vindication,  v.  11.  He  tells  them 
further,  that  they  in  particular  had  good  rea¬ 
son  to  speak  well  of  him,  as  being  in  nothing 
behind  the  very  chiefest  apostles,  because  he  had 
given  them  full  proof  and  evidence  of  his 
apostleship,  v.  12.  Note,  1.  It  is  a  debt  we 


owe  good  men,  to  stand  up  in  defence  of  their 
reputation  ;  and  we  are  under  special'obli- 
gations  to  those  we  have  received  benefit  by, 
especially  spiritual  benefit,  to  own  them  as 
instruments  in  God’s  hand  of  good  to  us,  and 
to  vindicate  them  when  calumniated.  2. 
How  much  soever  we  are,  or  ought  to  be, 
esteemed  by  others,  we  ought  always  to  think 
humblv  of  ourselves.  See  an  example  of  this 
in  this  great  apostle. 

II.  He  gives  a  large  account  of  his  beha¬ 
vior  and  kind  intentions  toward  them  ;  in 
which  observe  the  characters  of  a  faithful 
minister. 

1.  He  was  not  willing  to  be  burdensome 
to  them,t).  13,  14.  He  sought  not  to  enrich 
himself,  but  to  save  their  souls  :  he  did  not 
desire  to  make  a  property  of  them  to  him¬ 
self,  but  to  gain  them  over  to  Christ,  w  hose 
servant  he  was.  Note,  Those  who  aim  at 
clothing  themselves  with  the  fleece  of  the 
flock,  and  take  no  care  of  the  sheep,  are 
hirelings,  and  not  good  shepherds. 

2.  He  would  gladly  spend  and  be  spent  for 
them,  n.  15.  he  was  willing  to  take  pains  and 
to  suffer  loss  for  their  good. 

3.  He  did  not  abate  in  his  love  to  them, 
notwithstanding  their  unkindness  and  ingrat¬ 
itude,  v.  15.  This  is  applicable  to  other  re¬ 
lations  :  if  others  be  wantiug  in  their  duty 
to  us,  it  does  not  follow  therefore  that  we 
may  neglect  ours  to  them. 

4.  He  was  careful  not  only  that  he  himself 
should  not  be  burdensome,  but  that  none  he 
employed  should.  This  seems  to  be  the  mean¬ 
ing  of  v.  16 — 18.  If  any  should  object,  that 
though  he  did  not  himself  burden  them,  yet 
that  he,  being  crafty,  caught  them  with  guile, 
that  is,  sent  those  among  them  who  pillaged 
from  them,  and  afterward  shared  in  the 
profit,  ‘  This  was  not  so,’  says  he  ;  ‘I  did 
not  make  a  gain  of  you  myself,  nor  by  any 
of  them  I  sent;  nor  did  Titus,  nor  any  oth¬ 
ers.  We  walked  by  the  same  Spirit,  and  in 
the  same  steps’  Or,  this  may  be  read  with 
an  interrogation,  as  utterly  disclaiming  any 
guile,  in  himself  and  others,  toward  them. 

5.  He  was  a  man  who  did  all  things  for 
edifying,  v.  19.  This  was  his  great  aim  and 
design,  to  do  good,  to  lay  the  foundation 
well,  and  then  with  care  and  diligence  to 
build  the  superstructure. 

6.  He  would  not  shrink  from  his  duty,  for 
fear  of  displeasing  them,  though  so  careful  to 
make  himself  easy  to  them.  Therefore  he 
was  resolved  to  be  faithful  in  reproving  sin, 
though  he  was  therein  found  to  be  such  as  they 
would  not,  v.  20.  The  apostle  here  mentioned 
several  sins  too  common  among  professors 
of  religion,  and  they  are  very  reprovable;  and 
though  those  who  are  guilty  of  these  sins, 
can  hardly  bear  to  be  reproved  for  them,  yet 
faithful  ministers  must  not  fear  offending  the 


PRACT.  OBS.  V.  1 — 10.  When  we  cannot  avoid  speaking  such 
things  concerning  ourselves,  as  seem  to  imply  boasting,  we  should  use 
every  method  of  rendering  our  conduct,  in  so  doing,  consistent  with 
modesty  and  humility. — However  painful  the  process  may  be,  the  wise 
Christian  will  be  thankful  to  he  kept  from  being  ‘exalted  above  meas¬ 
ure,’  and  he  wiil  be  more  ready  to  speak  of  his  sins  and  follies,  than  of 
his  extraordinary  discoveries  and  consolations;  for  he  will  not  desire, 
that  ‘  any  one  should  think  of  him  above  what  he  seeth  him  to  be.' — 
Whatever  there  is  in  any  man’s  experience,  whether  of  outward  trials, 
or  of  inward  conflicts  and  temptations,  which  serves  to  counterbalance 
more  encouraging  circumstances  and  events,  and  mortify  pride;  he  may 
very  properly  consider  it  as  a  ‘  thorn  in  the  flesh,’  given  to  him  to  pre¬ 
vent  far  worse  consequences.  And  it  is  especially  matter  of  gratitude, 

•fee.,  it  should  seem  to  have  been  an  ancient  maxim  with  the  Israelites, 
to  prefer  prayers  to  God  as  far  as  thrice  (and  no  farther)  for  deliverance 
from  danger.  From  them  it  appears  to  have  passed,  together  with  some 
other  Jewish  notions,  [see  Townsend’s  Sacr.  Chron.,]  to  the  Greeks,  and 
so  to  the  Romans.’  Bloomf. 

V.  li.  Though  I  am,  it  seems,  a  nothing,”  as  10:10.’  Id. 

V.  13.  ‘  A  finer  mixture  of  sarcasm  and  irony  than  any  in  Demosth.’ 

Id. 

V.  14,  IS.  A  more  excellent  frame  of  mind  can  scarcely  be  conceived, 
than  that  which  is  described  in  these  emphalical  words.  Rom.  12.17 — 
21 .  Scott. 

(14.)  Children,  & c.]  ‘  An  ndagial  sentence,  not  to  he  pressed.’  Bl. 

V.  1G.  Many  preachers  and  writers,  without  hesitation,  [absurdly, 
and  in  some  cases,  wickedly,]  quote  this  v.,  as  the  words  of  the  apostle, 
giving  an  account  of  his  own  management ;  and  it  is  to  be  feared,  that 
it  is  often  used  to  excuse  [‘ pious,’ jesuitical  frauds],  or  commend  du- 
jdicitv,  in  a  variety  of  ways,  by  which  men  allow  themselves  to  impose 
[352] 


when  this  prevention  is  effected,  without  his  being  left  to  commit  actual 
sin,  or  to  dishonor  the  Gospel. — We  must  not  conclude  that  our  prayers 
are  rejected,  when  the  desired  deliverance  is  delayed,  as  God  may  see 
those  conflicts  salutary,  whicli  we  deem  ruinous. — Nor  let  it  be  forgot¬ 
ten,  that  whatever  religious  instruction  or  principle  leads  men  to  think, 
that  they  have  any  strength  in  themselves,  proportionably  renders  them 
wealc,  in  the  hour  of  temptation  ;  while  the  humbling  consciousness, 
that  there  is  no  health,  or  help,  or  strength  in  [or  of]  ns,  as  connected 
with  a  constant  reliance  on  the  all-sufficient  grace  of  Christ,  and  fervent 
prayer  for  his  effectual  assistance,  conduces  proportionably  to  make  us 
‘strong  in  the  grace  of  our  Lord,’  for  service,  suffering,  conflict,  and 
triumph.  Scott. 


on  others,  by  false  appearances  and  pretexts,  in  order  to  promote,  what 
they  think  the  cause  of  truth  and  of  God,  [and  do  evil  that  good  may 
come.]  Rom.  3:5 — 8.  But  nothing  can  be  more  foreign  to  the  true 
meaning  of  the  passage,  as  it  stands  in  the  context ;  for  it  is  undeniably 
the  objection,  which  the  apostle  supposed  his  opposers  at  Corinth  would 
make,  to  the  account  which  he  had  given  of  his  own  disinterested  con¬ 
duct.  In  this,  indeed,  conitrs.  of  every  kind  are  almost  unanimous.  Sc. 

(16.)  ‘lie  adverts  to  a  possible  charge,  that  his  not  taking  a  stipend 
of  them  was  but  a  piece  of  refined  policy,  the  more  effectually  to  attain 
the  same  purpose  by  another.’  Bloomf. 

V.  17 — 21.  These  last  vs.  show,  to  what  dreadful  excesses  the  self- 
sufficient  teachers  had  drawn  aside  their  deluded  followers  ;  and  that 
the  incestuous  person,  who  had  been  brought  to  repentance,  was  only 
one  of  a  considerable  number,  who  had  committed  crimes  of  a  similar 
nature,  and  who  persisted  so  obstinately  in  them,  that  there  was  a  dan¬ 
ger  lest  they  should  unite  against  the  apostle’s  authority,  and  so  con¬ 
strain  him  to  use  great  severity.  This  surely  gives  us  the  idea  of  Gen- 


A.  D.  61. 


2  CORINTHIANS,  Xlli. 


21  And  lest,  when  I  come  again, 
my  God  will  humble  v  me  among 
you,  and  that  I  shall  bewail  many 
which  have  sinned  already,  and 
have  not  repented  wof  the  unclean¬ 
ness,  and  1  fornication,  and  lascivi¬ 
ousness  which  they  have  commit¬ 
ted. 


CHAP.  XIII. 


1  lie  threateneth  severity,  and  the  power  of  his  apostleship 
against  obstinate  sinners.  5  And  advising  them  to  a  trial 
of  their  faith,  7  and  to  a  reformation  of  their  sins  before 
his  coming,  11  he  concludeth  his  epistle  with  a  general 
Exhortation  and  prayer. 


THIS  is  the  third  time  I  am  com¬ 
ing  to  you.  In  a  the  mouth  of 
two  or  three  witnesses  shall  every 
word  be  established. 

2  I  told  you  before,  and  foretell 
you,  as  if  I  were  present,  the  second 
time  ;  and  being  absent  now  I  write 
to  them  b  which  heretofore  have 
sinned,  and  to  all  other,  that,  if  I 
come  again,  I  will  not  spare  : 

3  Since  ye  seek  a  proof  of  Christ 
speaking  in  me,  which  to  you-ward 
is  not  weak,  but  is  mighty  'in  you. 

4  For  though  d  he  was  crucified 
through  weakness,  yet  he  liveth  by 
the  power  of  God.  For  we  also 
are  weak  'in  him,  but  we  shall  live 
with  him  by  the  power  of  God  to¬ 
ward  you. 

5  Examine  f  yourselves,  whether 
ye  be  in  the  faith  ;  prove  your  own- 
selves.  Know  ye  not  your  own- 
selves,  how  that  Jesus  Christ  sis  in 
you,  except  ye  be  h  reprobates  ? 

6  But  I  trust  that  ye  shall  know 
that  we  are  not  reprobates. 

7  Now  I  pray  to  God  that  ye  do 
ho  evil ;  not  that  we  should  appear 
approved,  but  that  ye  should  do 
that  which  is  honest,  though  we  be 
as  reprobates. 


tc.  2:1  b  c.  12:21. 

w  Re.  2:21.  c  1  Co.  9:2. 

x  1  Co.  5:1.  d  Phi.  2:7,8 

a  De.  19:15.  1  Pe.  3:18 

He.  10:28,  29.  e  or,  uith. 


f  1  Co.  11:28. 

1  Jn.  3:20,21. 

g  Ro.  8:10  Ga.  4:19. 
h  l  Co.  9:27. 

2  Ti.  3:8. 


guilty  by  sharp  reproofs,  as  they  are  needful, 
in  public  and  in  private. 

7.  He  was  grieved  at  the  thought  of  find¬ 
ing  scandalous  sins  among  them,  not  duly 
repented  of.  This  would  cause  great  humil¬ 
iation  and  lamenting.  (1.)  The  falls  and  mis¬ 
carriages  of  professors,  cannot  but  be  a  hum¬ 
bling  consideration  to  a  good  minister;  and 
God  sometimes  takes  this  way,  to  humble 
those  who  might  be  under  temptation  to  be 
lifted  up;  I  fear  lest  my  God  will  humble  me 
among  you.  (2.)  If  any  have  not,  as  yet, 
grace  to  mourn  and  lament  their  own  case, 
their  case  is  the  more  lamentable,  v.  21.  and 
those  who  love  God,  and  love  them,  should 
mourn  for  them. 


Chap.  XIII.  V.  1  —  6.  1.  The  apostle 
here  threatens  to  be  severe  against  obstinate 
sinners,  when  he  should  come  to  Corinth. 
Notice,  (1.)  His  caution  in  censures  :  he 
was  not  hasty  in  using  severity,  but  gave  a 
first  and  second  admonition.  So  some  un¬ 
derstand  his  words,  v.  1.  This  is  the  third  time 
I  am  coming  to  you;  referring  to  his  first  and 
second  epistles,  by  which  he  admonished 
them,  as  if  he  were  present  with  them,  though 
in  person  he  was  absent,  v.  2.  According  to 
this  interpretation,  these  two  epistles  are  the 
witnesses  he  means  in  v.  1.  referring  rather 
to  Mat.  18:  16.  concerning  the  manner  how 
Christians  should  deal  with  offenders  before 
they  proceed  to  extremity,  than  to  the  law, 
Deut.  17:6.  19:5.  for  the  behavior  of  judges 
in  criminal  matters.  We  should  go,  or  send, 
to  our  brother,  once  and  again,  to  tell  him 
of  his  fault;  as  did  the  apostle  to  these  Co¬ 
rinthians.  Others  think,  he  had  designed 
and  prepared  for  his  journey  to  Corinth  twice 
already,  but  was  providentially  hindered,  and 
now  informs  them  of  his  intentions  a  third 
time  to  come.  (2.)  The  threatening,  That 
if  (or  when)  he  came  again,  (in  person,)  he 
would  not  spare  obstinate  sinners,  and  such  as 
were  impenitent,  in  their  scandalous  enormi¬ 
ties  ;  but  would  inflict  church-censures  on 
them,  which  are  thought  to  have  been  accom¬ 
panied,  in  those  early  times,  with  visible  and 
extraordinary  tokens  of  divine  displeasure. 
It  is  God’s  gracious  method  to  bear  long 
with  sinners,  yet  He  will  not  bear  always  ; 
but  will  come,  and  will  not  spare. 

2.  The  apostle  assigns  a  reason  why  he 
would  be  thus  severe,  namely,  for  a  proof  of 


He  urges  self-cxaminatiott > 

Christ  speaking  in  him,  which  they  sought 
after,  v.  3.  The  evidence  of  his  apostleship 
was  necessary  for  the  credit,  confirmation, 
and  success,  of  the  Gospel  he  preached  ; 
therefore,  such  as  denied  that  were  justly  and 
severely  to  be  censured.  The  false  teachers 
designed  to  make  the  Corinthians  call  this 
matter  into  question,  of  which  yet  they  had 
not  weak,  but  strong  or  mighty  proofs,  v.  3. 
notwithstanding  the  mean  figure  he  had  made 
in  the  world,  and  the  contempt  some  cast  on 
him  :  even  as  Christ  Himself  was  crucified 
through  weakness,  or  appeared  in  his  cruci¬ 
fixion  as  weak  and  contemptible,  but  liveth 
by -the  power  of  Godt  or  in  his  resurrection 
and  life  manifests  his  divine  power,  v.  4.  So 
the  apostles,  how  mean  and  contemptible  so¬ 
ever  they  appeared  to  the  world,  did  yet,  as 
instruments,  manifest  the  power  of  God,  and 
particularly  the  power  of  his  grace,  in  con¬ 
verting  the  world  to  Christianity.  There¬ 
fore,  as  a  proof  unto  those  who  among  the 
Corinthians  sought  a  proof  of  Christ’s  speak¬ 
ing  in  the  apostle,  he  puts  them  on  proving 
their  Christianity,  v.  5.  intimating,  that 
if  they  could  prove  their  own  Christianity, 
this  would  be  a  proof  of  his  apostleship;  for 
if  they  were  in  the  faith,  if  Jesus  Christ  was 
in  them,  this  was  a  proof  that  Christ  spake  in 
him,  because  it  was  by  his  ministry  they  did 
believe ;  and  it  could  not  be  imagined,  that  a 
divine  power  should  go  along  with  his  min¬ 
istrations,  if  he  had  not  his  commission  from 
on  high.  If  therefore  they  could  prove  them¬ 
selves  not  to  be  reprobates,  not  to  be  rejected 
of  Christ,  he  trusted  they  should  know  that  he 
was  not  a  reprobate,  v.  6.  not  disowned  by 
Christ. 

What  the  apostle  here  says  of  the  duty  of 
the  Corinthians,  to  examine  themselves,  &c. 
with  the  particular  view  already  mentioned, 
is  applicable  to  the  great  duty  of  all  who  call 
themselves  Christians,  to  examine  themselves 
concerning  their  spiritual  state.  It  is  a  mat¬ 
ter  in  which  we  may  be  easily  deceived,  and 
wherein  a  deceit  is  highly  dangerous  :  we 
are  therefore  concerned  to  prove  our  own 
selves,  to  put  tile  question  to  our  own  souls, 
whether  Christ  be  in  us,  or  not;  and  Christ 
is  in  us,  except  we  be  reprobates:  so  that  either 
we  are  true  Christians,  or  great  cheats ;  and 
what  a  reproach  for  a  man  not  to  know  him¬ 
self,  nor  his  own  mind  ! 

V.  7 — 10.  1.  Here  is  the  apostle’s  prayer 


PRACT.  OBS.  V.  11 — 21.  They,  who  do  not  give  proper  commen¬ 
dation  to  such  as  have  faithfully  labored  for  their  good,  but  prefer  every 
new  voice  to  that  of  their  own  pastors,  often  compel  them  to  glory,  and 
then  perhaps  censure  them  for  it. — It  is  a  great  thing  for  ministers  to  be 
warranted  in  saying,  before  God  and  to  the  people,  1  we  seek  not  yours 
but  you'  not  your  properly,  but  your  souls.  Alas  !  in  what  numerous 
or  rather  numberless  instances  must  the  words  be  transposed,  in  order 
to  be  true,  as  the  preachers  seek  only  the  property,  and  not  the  salvation, 
of  their  hearers  !  But  the  more  disinterested  our  labors  are,  the  more 
apostolical  they  must  be  allowed  to  be ;  and  it  is  generally  desirable  to 
avoid  being  burdensome  to  our  congregations,  for  far  more  will  ‘  forgive 
us  this  wrong,  than  the  very  appearance  of  being  mercenary. — But  how 
very  difficult  is  it,  ‘most  gladly  to  spend  and  be  spent’  for  those,  who 
make  unkind  returns,  and  who  seem  tn  love  those  least  who  most  love 
them  !  We  are,  alas,  soon  vanquished  in  contests  of  this  kind,  and  may 
hence  infer,  how  far  short  we  are  of  the  apostle’s  measure  of  grace,  who 


tiles,  who  professed  Christianity,  and  corrupted  it  with  heathen  specu¬ 
lations  and  licentiousness,  rather  than  of  those,  who  attemptecT  to  impose 
the  law  of  Moses  on  the  Gentile  converts.  Scott. 

(19.)  1  Excuse  ourselves,  i.  e.  out  of  timidity,  or  selfishness.’  Bl. 

NOTES.  Chap.  XIII.  V.  1 — 4.  The  language  here  used  to  the  re¬ 
fractory  Corinthians,  contains  the  strongest  proof  imaginable,  that  the 
apostle  was  conscious,  that  he  spake  and  acted  by  divine  authority  ;  and 
that  he  feared  no  detection,  and  was  certain  that  his  Lord  would  put  all 
his  opposers  to  confusion. — (1)  In  the.  mouth ,  &c.]  ‘  This  is  taken  from 
the  Alexandrian  copy  of  the  LXX,  only  a  little  abridged,  which  is  an  ex¬ 
act  translation  of  the  Hebrew.’  Randolph.  Scott. 

(1.)  Two  witnesses.]  His  own  hdmonitory  epistles.  See  B/.  Ed. 

(2.)  ‘  I  have  (just)  signified,  and  (hereby)  say  it  beforehand.’  Bi,. 

(4.)  ‘For  though  He  was  crucified  through  (the)  weakness  (of  that 
human  nature  which  He  took  upon  Him,  and  in  that  appeared  to  others 
ns  weak),  yet  He  liveth  (and  discovers  efficaciously  that  He  doth  so)  by 
the  power  of  Cod  (so  gloriously  attending  the  invocation  of  his  name, 
and  faith  in  Him);  we  also  (Gr.  and  so  we  also )  are  (as  yet  in  your  appre¬ 
hension)  weak  in  Him,  but  we  shall  (appear  to)  live  by  the  power  of 
God  (exerting  itself  by  us)  towards  you.’  Whit.  Id. 

V.  5,6.  Some  expositors  render  the  clause,  ‘Christ  is  among  you, 
except.  Ac.’  but  this  conveys  no  definite  idea.  The  apostle  could  not 
mean  to  intimate,  tlmt  Christ  was  not  at  all  present  in  the  church  at  Co¬ 
rinth  ;  for  this  would  have  contradicted  all  the  declarations  he  made  con- 
N.  T.  VOL.  V.  45 


yet,  long  after  this,  confessed,  that  ‘  he  had  not  already  attained.’  Phil. 
3:12 — 14.  and  thus  we  may  be  excited  to  pray  for  an  increase  of  faith, 
love,  and  patience. — No  excellency  of  spirit  or  conduct  can  silence  cal¬ 
umny  ;  and  if  we  were  even  as  holy  as  Paul,  some  would  revile  us  as 
‘  crafty  men,  who  took  others  by  guile.’  It  is  well  when  we  can  disprove 
such  slanders,  and  when  fellow-laborers  ‘walk  in  the  same  spirit  and 
steps.’ — But  how  can  faithful  ministers  be  expected  to  prove  such  as 
their  people  desire,  when  they  witness  among  them  those  contentions, 
envies,  slanders,  whisperings,  boastings,  and  tumults,  which  not  only 
grieve  and  humble  them,  but  also  disgrace  the  Gospel  ?  Yet  we  need 
not  despond  on  this  account,  for  it  was  so  even  in  the  apostle’s  days. 
But  while  xve  observe,  that  ‘the  enemy  hath  done  this,’  we  should  not 
forget  to  add,  that  it  was  by  means  of  antinomian  and  self-conceited 
teachers,  and  perhaps  through  our  own  unwalchfulness,  or  carnal  and 
undecided  conduct.  Scott. 


cerning  them  ;  and  the  presence  of  Christ  among  them  could  not  prove 
that  those  individuals  whom  he  warned  were  true  believers,  and  ap¬ 
proved  by  God  ;  yet  this  was  the  precise  point  which  he  exhorted  them 
personally  to  examine.  (6)  Reprobates.]  ‘  Thus  the  apostle  calls,  in  this 
place,  not  those  who  are  divinely  elected  to  eternal  life,  (for  they  who 
still  continue  in  their  sins,  not  being  yet  effectually  called,  are  not  di¬ 
rectly  to  be  considered  as  “vessels  of  wrath  nor  those  who,  after  their 
calling,  fall  into  grievous  sins,)  bui  such  as  are  not  at  present  approved.' 
Beza.— It  does  not  appear  that  either  the  original  word,  or  our  English 
word  ‘reprobates,’  is  ever  in  Scripture  used  as  the  opposite  to  ‘elect,’ 
or  indeed  with  direct  reference  to  election  ;  and  as  to  reprobation,  it  is, 
I  apprehend, a  scriptural  idea,  (for  those  who  are  not  ‘chosen,’  must  be 
rejected,  or  passed  by,)  but  not  a  scriptural  word  in  any  sense.  10:17,  18. 
Jer.  6:27—30.  1  Cor.  9:24—27.  Scott. 

(5.)  Reprobates.]  ‘Adokimoi  :  it  may  have  here  a  middle  sense,  be¬ 
tween  tile  primitive  one,  not  genuine,  or  adulterated,  and  reprobate, 
viz.  rejectanei.  Wherever  else  Paul  uses  the  word,  he  has  intended  by 
it,  corrupt,  worthless,  good  for  nothing.  All  the  ancient  comtrs.,  and 
the  most  judicious  modern  ones,  are  agreed,  that  the  apostle  has  refer¬ 
ence  solely  to  the  corrupt  lives  of  some,  and  those  vices  he  had  charged 
on  them  elsewhere,  and  at  12:21.  The  context  shows,  he  refers  them  to 
the  miraculous  powers  in  some,  and  the  total  reformation  ot  tile  in  out¬ 
ers,  as  a  proof  of  the  divine  authority  by  which  he  imparted  the  one  and 
produced  the  other.’ 


Bi-oomf. 

[353] 


A.  D.  61. 


2  CORINTHIANS,  XIII. 


He  closes  with  his  blessing. 


8  For  *  we  can  do  nothing  against 
the  truth,  but  for  the  truth. 

9  For  we  are  glad,  when  we  are 
weak,  and  ye  are  strong  :  and  this 
also  we  wish,  even  j’our  >  perfection. 

10  Therefore  I  write  these  things 
being  absent,  lest  being  present  I 
should  use  k  sharpness,  according 
'  to  the  power  which  the  Lord  hath 
given  me  to  edification,  and  not  to 
destruction, 

1 1  Finally,  brethren,  farewell.  Be 
m  perfect,  be  of  good  comfort,  be  “  of 
one  mind,  live  in  peace:  and  the  God 
of  love  and  peace  shall  be  with  you. 

12  Greet  0  one  another  with  an 


holy  kiss. 

13  All  the  saints  salute  you. 

14  The  p  grace  of  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ,  ami  the  love  of  God,  and 
the  q  communion  of  the  Holy  Ghost, 
be  with  you  all.  Amen. 

II  The  second  epistle  to  the 
Corinthians  was  written  from 
Philippi,  a  city  of  Macedonia, 
bv  Titus  and  Lucas. 


{  Pl\  21:31). 

}  1  Th  3:10. 

He  6:1. 
k  Tit.  1:13. 


1  c.  10:3. 
m  ver.  9. 
n  Ro.  12:16.  15:5. 
Ep.  4:3.  Pin.  2: 


2.  1  Pe.  3:8. 

o  Ro.  16:16. 
p  Ro.  16:24. 
q  Phi.  2:1. 


on  behalf  of  the  Corinthians,  that  they  might 
do  no  evil,  v.  7.  This  is  the  most  desirable 
thing  we  can  ask  of  God,  botli  for  ourselves 
and  our  friends,  to  be  kept  from  sin,  that  we 
and  they  may  do  no  evil  ;  and  it  is  most 
needful,  that  we  often  pray  to  God  for  his 
grace  to  keep  us,  because  without  that  we 
cannot  keep  ourselves.  We  are  more  con¬ 
cerned  to  pray  that  we  may  not  do  evil,  than 
that  we  may  not  suffer  evil. 

2.  The  reasons  of  this  prayer;  which  have 
a  special  reference  to  their  case,  and  the 
subject  matter  of  his  writing. 

(1.)  It  was  not  so  much  for  his  own  per¬ 
sonal  reputation,  as  for  the  honor  of  religion, 
o.  7.  Note,  The  great  desire  of  faithful  min¬ 


isters  of  the  Gospel,  is,  that  the  Gospel  they 
preach  may  be  honored,  however  their  per¬ 
sons  be  vilified.  The  best  way  to  adorn  our 
holy  religion,  is^to  do  what  is  honest,  and  of 
good  report;  to  walk  as  becomes  the  Gospel. 

(2.)  Another  reason  was,  that  they  might 
be  free  from  all  blame  and  censure  when  he 
should  come  to  them,  intimated  v.  8.  If  they 
did  not  evil,  nor  act  contrary  to  their  pro¬ 
fession  of  the  Gospel,  the  apostle  had  no 
power  or  authority  to  punish  them.  He  had 
said  before,  ch.  10:8.  and  says  here,  v.  10. 
The  power  which  the  Lord  has  given  me,  xvas 
to  edification ,  not  to  destruction.  So  that,  al¬ 
though  he  had  great  powers  committed  to 
him  for  the  credit  and  advancement  of  the 
Gospel,  yet  he  could  not  do  anything  to  the 
disparagement  of  the  truth,  or  the  discour¬ 
agement  of  them  who  obeyed  it.  *  We  are 
glad ,’  says  he,  v.  9.  ‘ when  we  are  weak,  and 
ye  are  strong;  i.e.  that  we  have  no  power  to 
censure  those  who  are  strong  in  faith,  and 
fruitful  in  good  works.’  Some  understand 
this  passage  thus  ;  ‘Though  we  are  weak 
through  persecutions  and  contempt,  we  bear 
it  patiently,  and  also  joyfully,  while  we  see 
that  ye  are  strong,  ye  are  prosperous  in  holi¬ 
ness,  and -persevering  in  well  doing.’  For, 

(3.)  He  desired  their  perfection,  v.  9.  i.  e. 
that  they  might  be  sincere,  and  aim  at  per¬ 
fection  ;  or  else  he  wished  them  a  thorough 
reformation.  He  not  only  desired  they  might 
be  kept  from  sin,  but  also  might,  grow  in 
grace,  and  holiness  ;  and  that  all  that  was 
amiss  among  them  might  be  rectified  and  re¬ 
formed.  This  was  the  great  end  of  his  writ¬ 
ing  this  epistle,  and  that  freedom  he  used 
with  them  by  writing  these  things,  those 
friendly  admonitions  and  warnings,  being  ab¬ 
sent,  that  so,  being  present,  he  should  not  use 
sharpness,  v.  10.  not  proceed  to  the  utmost 
extremity  in  the  exercise  of  the  power  given 
him  as  an  apostle,  to  [punish]  all  disobe¬ 
dience,  ch.  10:  6. 

V.  11 — 14.  Thus  he  concludes  with, 

1.  A  valediction.  (1.)  Giving  them  sev¬ 
eral  good  exhortations.  [1.]  To  he  perfect,  ' 
or  knit  together  in  love,  which  would  tend 
greatly  to  their  benefit  and  advantage,  as  a  j 
church,  or  Christian  society.  [2.]  To  be  of 


good  comfort  under  all  the  sufferings  and  per¬ 
secutions  they  might  endure,  or  any  calami¬ 
ties  and  disappointments  they  might  meet 
w  ith.  [3.]  To  be  of  one  mind,  which  would 
greatly  tend  to  their  comfort,  with  their 
brethren.  The  apostle  would  have  them,  as 
far  as  was  possible,  to  be  of  the  same  opin¬ 
ion  and  judgment;  however,  if  this  could  not 
be  attained  to,  yet,  [4.]  He  exhorts  them  to 
live  in  peace;  that  difference  in  [mere]  opin¬ 
ion  should  not  cause  an  alienation  of  affec¬ 
tions.  (2.)  Encouraging  them  with  the 
promise  of  God’s  presence,  v.  11.  God  is 
the  God  of  love  and  peace,  and  He  will  be 
with  them  who  live  in  love  and  peace.  Such 
shall  have  God’s  gracious  presence  here,  and 
be  admitted  to  his  glorious  presence  here¬ 
after.  (3.)  He  directs  them  to  salute  each 
other,  and  sends  kind  salutations  to  them 
from  those  who  were  with  him,  v.  12,  13. 
He  would  have  them  testify  their  affection  to 
one  another  by  the  sacred  rite  of  a  kiss  of 
charity,  then  used,  but  now  disused,  to  pre¬ 
vent  occasions  of  wantonness  and  impurity. 

2.  The  apostolical  benediction,  v.  14. 
Thus  the  apostle  concludes  his  epistle,  and 
thus  it  is  usual  and  proper  to  dismiss  wor¬ 
shipping  assemblies.  This  plainly  proves  the 
doctrine  of  the  Gospel,  and  is  an  acknowl¬ 
edgement,  that  Father,  Son,  and  Spirit,  are 
three  distinct  Persons,  yet  but  one  God  ;  and 
herein  the  same,  that  they  are  the  Fountain 
of  all  blessings  to  men.  It  likewise  speaks 
our  duty,  which  is,  to  have  an  eye  by  faith  to 
Father,  Son,  and  Holy  Ghost  ;  to  live  in  a 
continual  regard  to  the  three  Persons  in  the 
Trinity,  into  whose  name  we  were  baptized, 
and  in  whose  name  we  are  blessed. 

This  is  a  very  solemn  benediction,  and  we 
should  give  all  diligence  to  inherit  this  bless¬ 
ing  ;  the  grace  of  Christ  as  Redeemer,  the 
love  of  God  who  sent  the  Redeemer,  and  all 
the  communications  of  this  grace  and  love, 
which  come  to  us  by  the  Holy  Ghost;  it  is 
the  communications  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  that 
qualify  us  for  an  interest  in  the  grace  of 
j  Christ,  and  the  love  of  God  :  and  we  can 
j  desire  no  more  to  make  us  happy,  than  the 
|  grace  of  Christ,  the  love  of  God,  and  the 
communion  of  the  Holy  Ghost.  Amen. 


l’RACT.  OBS.  All  rigorous  measures  should  be  preceded  by  long  pa¬ 
tience  and  many  warnings;  when  the  case  will  admit  of  them,  and  with 
caution  and  deliberation,  on  sure  grounds,  and  with  firmness  of  mind.— 
Those  who  will  not  be  convinced  by  the  abundant  evidences  already 
afforded,  that  Christ  speaks  by  his  faithful  ministers,  will  at  length  ex¬ 
perience  a  very  awful  demonstration  of  it.  We  should,  therefore,  dili¬ 
gently  anil  impartially,  ‘  examine  ourselves  whether  we  are  in  the  faith  ;’ 
1  Cor.  11:23 — 28.  and,  instead  of  imagining,  that  it  is  always  unbelief 
to  doubt  of  our  acceptance ,  we  should  daily  bring  the  whole  of  our 
faith,  experience,  motives,  comforts,  affections,  words,  and  works, 
to  be  assayed  by  the  touchstone  of  the  Scriptures  ;  that  we  may  get 
well  acquainted  with  ourselves;  obtain  an  assurance  that  will  not 
shrink  from  investigation,  and  possess  that  ‘hope,  which  maketh  not 
ashamed,  becattse  the  love  of  God  is  shed  abroad  in  our  hearts  by  the 

V.  10.  ‘  Rosenm.,  unwarrantably,  limits  this  power  to  imprecation 
ad  terrorem,  and  excommunication,  either  temporary  or  final  :  whereas, 
it  is  clear  from  various  passages  of  both  these  epistles,  as  well  as  from 
Acts,  that  it  extended  to  the  actual  infliction  of  disorders,  as  temporal 
punishments  for  sin.’  Bloomf. 

V.  11.  Be  perfect .]  ‘I.e.  strive  after  reformation  and  perfection.’ 

Id. 


( Note  on  Christian  Union,  Continued  from  p.  320.) 

‘  The  crime  which,  in  the  judgment  of  Paul,  merited  casting  out  [of 
communion),  he  designates  (Ti.  3:10.)  by  the  term  heretical  ( haireticon ), 
which,  in  the  English  language,  distinctly  refers  to  one  who  denies  a  fun¬ 
damental  doctrine  of  Christianity.  The  original  word,  also,  sometimes 
seems  to  have  this  sense  ;  but  more  frequently  it  signifies  a  schismatic, 
one  who  makes  a  division,  or  forms  a  sect.  . .  .  Paul  wholly  repudiates 
those  divisions,  grounded  on  diversity  of  sentiment,  which  would  render 
it  possible  for  a  brother  Christian,  when  ejected  from  one  portion  of 
the  Savior’s  church,  to  find  admission  to  another.  ..  . 

The  primitive  import  of  the  Greek  word  hairesis  (heresy)  is,  selec¬ 
tion.  choice ,  [note,  1  Cor.  11:19.]  Thus  it  is  used  by  many  ancient 
Greek  writers  :  ns  the  expression  of  jEschines  Socrat.  (dial,  ii,  3.) 
appropriately  exemplifies  :  ei  de  tis  soi  didoie  hairesin  toutoin, 
poteron  an  bouloio,  [i.  e.  if  one  should  give  you  your  choice,  of  or  from 
them,  which  would  you  rather  have.]  In  this  sense  it  is  used  by 
the  Sept.  (Lev.  27:18,  21.)  as  equivalent  to  the  Ileb.  ndbh,  free  will, 
voluntarily.  It*  is  also  employed  to  designate  a  peculiar  kind  of 
discipline,  or  mode  of  living,  that  has  been  voluntarily  assumed.  But 
its  more  common  signification  is  schism,  division,  sect.  Thus  Dion. 
Hal.  (ep.  i.  ad  Ammteum,  c.  7.)  says,  of  Aristotle  :  He  was  not  the  leader 
or  head  of  a  school ;  nor  did  he  form  a  sect  (hairesin)  of  his  own.  It  is 
used  by  classic  writers,  to  designate  the  several  philosophic  sects,  the 

[354] 


Holy  Ghost.’  Rom.  5. 3 — 5.  For  except  ‘  Jesus  Christ  be  in  us,’  by  his 
Spirit,  his  image,  and  the  governing  power  of  his  love,  our  faith  is  dead, 
and  we  are  as  yet  disapproved  by  our  Judge.  While  ministers  give 
these  warnings,  they  should  also  look  well  to  themselves.  For  nothing 
can  be  imagined  equally  dreadful  with  the  case  of  those,  who  have  in¬ 
structed,  warned,  reproved,  and  expostulated  with  others  on  these  infi¬ 
nitely  important  subjects,  and  have  been  eventually  successful  in  their 
endeavors,  if  they  themselves  should  be  found  reprobates,  and  be  final¬ 
ly  rejected  as  hypocrites.  May  God  preserve  all  of  us  from  this  awful 
doom  ! — And  may  we  at  all  times,  when  these  [concluding  words  of  ben¬ 
ediction]  are  on  our  lips,  or  spoken  in  our  hearing,  so  enter  into  the 
meaning  of  them,  with  fervent  affections,  and  enlarged  desires  and  ex¬ 
pectations,  that  the  blessings  prayed  for  by  them  may  be  upon  us  and 
all  our  fellow-worshippers,  now  and  for  evermore  1  Amen.  Scott. 

V.  13.  ‘The  remarkable  analogy  the  latter  clause  bears  to  each  of  the 
two  preceding,  must  naturally  lead  us  to  understand,  that  the  Holy  Ghost 
is  not  here  spoken  of  as  a  mere  quality,  or  agent.’  Slade.  Bloomf. 

V.  14.  This  most  comprehensive  benediction  has  generally  been 
adopted  in  the  worship  of  Christians,  when  about  to  separate ;  but  alas, 
it  is  too  evident,  that  most  in  our  congregations,  not  to  say  of  the  offi¬ 
ciating  ministers,  regard  it  as  a  mere  form.  Scott. 


Stoics,  the  Epicureans,  the  Peripatetics,  &c.  It  occurs  9  times  in  the 
N.  T.,  and  in  the  majority  of  cases  it  is  tr.  sect,  in  the  com.  vers.  In 
the  other  cases,  it  might  with  equal  propriety  be  rendered  in  the  same 
way,  (2  Pet.  2:1.  1  Cor.  11:9.)  as  indeed  it  is  by  many  distinguished 

translators.  In  its  primitive  and  most  current  signification,  therefore, 
the  word  ( hairesis )  conveys  no  reproach.  It  is  used  to  designate  the 
sect  of  Pharisees  (Ac.  15:5.  25:6.),  the  sect  of  the  Sadducees  (5:17.),  and 
the  sect  of  the  Nazarenes  or  Christians,  (24:5, 14.  28:22.)  In  all  the 
passages  where  it  is  rendered  sect,  in  the  com.  vers,  it  signifies  a  party 
of  persons  who  have  separated  themselves  from  others  professedly  pur¬ 
suing  the  same  end,  over  whom  they  profess  to  have  some  advantages. 
Here  we  have  sects  substantially  corresponding  to  those  of  our  days; 
sects  based  not  on  geographical  lines,  but  on  doctrinal  diversities  like 
our  own,  and  yet  what  does  Paul  say  concerning  such  sects  in  the 
church  of  Christ  ?  Using  the  very  same  word  by  which  he  designated 
the  sect  of  the  Pharisees,  (in  an  adjective  form,)  he  declares,  him  that  is 
a  sectarian  man,  ( haireticon  anthrOpon ,)  an  originator  or  supporter  of 
sects  in  the  Christian  church,  after  the  first  and  second  admonition,  re- 
ject,  exclude  from  your  communion  and  intercourse ,  avoid.  Here  we 
have  the  apostle  again  distinctly  condemning  the  formation  of  sects  in 
the  Christian  church,  using  the  very  identical  term  by  which  the  Phar¬ 
isees  and  Sadducees  are  designated  in  the  N.  T.  and  the  several  sects  of 
their  philosophers  by  classic  Greeks.  ..  .  ( Continued  on  p.  377.) 


PAUL’S 


AN  EXPOSITION 

01 

EPISTLE  TO  THE  GALATIANS, 

WITH 

PRACTICAL  OBSERVATIONS  AND  NOTES. 

(Henry's  Exposition  completed  by  Mr.  Bayes.) 


It  is  supposed,  that  the  Galatians  retained  their  native  language  and  customs,  at  the  time  when  the  Gospel  was  first 
preached  among  them.  Learned  men  have  shown  it  to  be  probable ,  that  this  was  during  the  first  progress  of  Paul  and 
Barnabas  through  those  regions,  Acts  14.  for  though  Galatia*  is  not  mentioned,  yet  ‘  the  regions  round  about  Lycaonia,’ 
may  be  supposed  to  include  Galatia.  But  some  attempts  to  fix  the  date  of  their  conversion  to  an  earlier  period,  are  wholly 
destitute  of  scriptural  proof,  and  unsupported  by  any  solid  argument. — It  is  plain,  that  the  Galatians  were  generally  idola¬ 
trous  Gentiles,  before  their  conversion.  The  apostle  was  not  able  to  spend  much  time  among  them,  because  of  his  multi¬ 
plied  engagements;  yet  he  asserts,  in  a  way  which  challenges  refutation,  that  he  conferred  miraculous  gifts  on  them,  3:1  — 
5.  The  way  in  which  he  opposes  the  false  gospel,  [of  the  judaizing  teachers,]  shows,  that  he  considered  the  very  life  and 
soul  of  Christianity  to  be  at  slake.  Yet  his  opposition  to  this  self-righteous  perversion  of  Christianity  does  not,  in  the 
smallest  degree,  lead  him  to  overlook  its  holy  and  practical  tendency;  and,  in  this  respect,  (he  epistle  before  us  forms  a 
striking  contrast  to  the  over  zealous  and  vehement  earnestness  of  numbers,  for  a  part  of  Christianity,  while  another  part 
ot  equal  importance  is  overlooked,  if  not  disparaged.  Learned  men  maintain  opinions  differing  [though  but  by  a  few  years], 
as  to  the  time  when  this  epistle  was  written.]  Scott. 

‘Christianity  was  very  early  planted  in  Galatia  by  Paul  himself,  (Gal.  1:8,  11.  3:1.  &c.,)  and  it  appears  from  the  Acts, 
that  he  visited  its  churches  more  than  once.  Two  distinct  visits  are  clearly  marked,  viz.  the  first  about  the  year  50,  (Acts 
IG:6.)  and  the  second  about  the  year  54  or  55,  (Acts  18:23.)  It  is  avident  this  epistle  was  written  early,  Gal.  1:6.  and 
its  warmth  induced  Tcrtullian  to  think  it  was  written  when  Paul  was  himself  a  neophyte,  or  novice,  in  the  Christian  faith. 
The  genuineness  of  the  epistle  was  never  doubted.  It  is  cited  by  the  apostcflic  fathers,  Clement  of  Rome,  Hermas,  Igna¬ 
tius,  and  Polycarp  ;  and  is  declared  to  be  authentic  by  Irenseus,  Clement  of  Alexandria,  Tertullian,  Caius,  Origen,  and  by 
all  subsequent  writers.  It  was  acknowledged  to  be  genuine  by  the  heretic  Marcion,  who  reckoned  it  the  earliest  written 
of  all  Paul’s  letters.’  Horne. 

Unlike  the  others,  this  epistle  is  directed  to  a  country,  or  province  ;  and  it  is  very  probable,  that  these  Galatians  were  first 
converted  under  Paul’s  ministry  ;  at  least  he  had  watered  them,  as  the  epistle-  shows,  and  also  Acts.  Now  when  he  was 
with  them,  they  had  expressed  the  greatest  esteem  and  affection,  both  for  his  person  and  ministry ;  but  he  had  not  been 
long  absent,  before  some  judaizing  teachers  1  got  in  among  them,  by  whose  arts  and  insinuations  they  were  soon  drawn  into  a 
meaner  opinion  both  of  the  one  and  the  other. —  What  these  false  teachers  chiefly  aimed  at,  was,  to  draw  them  off  from 
the  truth,  particularly  in  the  great  doctrine  of  justification,  which  they  grossly  perverted,  by  asserting  the  necessity  of 
joining  the  observance  of  the  law  of  Moses  with  faith  in  Christ,  in  order  toil;  and  the  better  to  accomplish  this  their 
design,  they  did  all  they  could  to  lessen  the  character  and  reputation  of  the  apostle,  and  to  raise  up  their  own  on  the  ruins 
of  his;  representing  him  as  one,  who,  if  he  was  to  be  owned  as  an  apostle,  yet  was  much  inferior  to  others,  and  particularly 
Peter,  James,  and  John,  whose  followers,  it  is  likely,  they  pretended  to  be;  and  in  both  these  attempts  they  had  but  too 
great  success. 

This  occasioned  the  epistle;  wherein  he  expresses  his  great  concern,  that  they  had  suffered  themselves  to  be  so  soon 
turned  aside  from  the  faith  of  the  Gospel;  vindicates  his  own  character  and  authority,  as  an  apostle,  against  the  aspersions 
of  his  enemies;  showing  that  his  mission  and  doctrine  were  both  divine,  and  that  he  was  not,  on  any  account,  behind  the 
very  chirfest  of  the  apostles,  2  Cor.  11:5.  He  then  asserts  and  maintains  the  great  gospel-doctrine  of  justification  by  faith, 
without  the  works  of  the  law,  and  obviates  some  difficulties  that  might  arise  in  their  minds  concerning  it;  having  done 
this,  he  exhorts  them  to  stand  fast  in  the  liberty  wherewith  Christ  had  made  them  free  ;  cautions  them  against  the  abuse  of 
this  liberty,  gives  them  several  very  needful  counsels  and  directions;  and  then  concludes,  with  giving  them  the  true  charac¬ 
ter  of  those  false  teachers,  by  whom  they  had  been  insnared,  and,  on  the  contrary,  his  own  temper  and  behavior  also  ;  in  all 
which,  his  great  scope  and  design  were,  to  recover  those  who  had  been  perverted,  to  settle  those  who  might  be  wavering, 
and  to  confirm  such  among  them  as  had  kept  their  integrity.  Henry. 

‘  Some  of  Paul’s  epistles  are  framed  in  a  regular  and  connected  manner.  Their  full  meaning  cannot  be  perceived, 
unless  they  are  studied  as  a  whole.  In  order  to  reap  the  full  advantages  of  this  mode  of  study,  particular  attention  must  be 
given  to  the  connectives,  or  small  particles,  which  have  been  termed  the  joints  and  bands  of  a  discourse.  To  understand  why 
they  are  inserted,  or  what  the  particular  relation  or  thought  is,  which  they  suggest,  is  absolutely  necessary,  in  order  to  gain 
a  tolerable  acquaintance  with  such  books  as  the  epistles  to  the  Romans,  Galatians,  or  Hebrews.’ 

Prof.  Edwards,  ‘  Notes  on  Galatians,’  1835. 


*  ‘Galatia  was  a  province  in  the  N.  part  of  Asia  Minor,  having  Bithy- 
nia  and  Paphlagonia  on  the  N.  ;  Pontus  and  Cappadocia  on  the  E.  ;  Ly¬ 
caonia  on  the  S.,  and  Phrygia  on  the  W.  It  lay  a  little  N.  by  W.  of 
Tarsus  in  Cilicia,  and  Antioch  in  Syria.  Its  S.  border  was  about  190 
miles  from  Tarsus,  and  240  from  Antioch.  It  was  a  fertile  province, 
with  a  pleasant  climate,  and  distinguished,  at  various  times,  for  wealth 
and  commerce.  About  B.  C.  250,  3  tribes  from  the  N.  of  Europe,  (2 
from  Gaul  and  1  from  Germany,)  but  perfectly  alike  in  language  and. 
manners,  conquered  the  country,  which  by  them  was  called  Galatia  or 
Gallogrmcia.  They  were  all,  perhaps,  of  German  origin.  Their  chief 
was  named  Lutarius.  In  their  new  country,  they  became  acquainted 
with  the  Greek  language,  specimens  of  which,  in  public  documents  and 
inscriptions,  yet  remain.  The  Celtic,  their  original  language,  however, 
continued  to  be  spoken  for  600  yrs.  afler  their  migration.  The  emigrants 
preserved  their  native  religion,  though  they  blended  with  it  some  of  the 
rites  of  the  ancient  inhabitants  of  the  country,  among  which  was  the 
worship  of  Cybele,  or  the  reputed  mother  of  the  gods.  This  goddess 
was  pictured  with  turrets  on  her  heath  She  had  a  famous  statue  at  Pes- 
sinus,  and  temples  wrere  erected  to  her  honor.  The  Corybantes  were 
her  priests,  who  worshipped  her  by  the  sound  of  drums,  tabors,  pipes, 
and  cymbals.  The  principal  cities  of  Galatia  were,  Ancyra,  Tavium,  and 
Pessinus.  The  Jews  were  drawn  to  this  province  in  considerable  numbers. 
A  record  of  the  liberties  they  were  permitted  to  enjoy,  was  deposited  in 
the  temple  of  Augustus,  at  Ancyra,  under  Augustus,  26  B.  C.  Galatia 
was  reduced  to  a  Roman  province,  under  a  proprsetor.  It  has  long  been 
under  the  Turkish  government.  Angera,  the  ancient  Ancyra,  is  on  a 
very  elevated  plain,  and  contains  from  20,000  to  60,000  inhabitants.  The 
streets  are  wide,  and  paved  with  blocks  of  granite.  Some  fine  remains 
of  antiquity  are  preserved.  The  inhabitants  are  chiefly  Armenians. 
See  Texitr's  travels.’  Notes  on  Galatians.  Prof.  B.  B.  Edwards. 

t  ‘  Weingart  supposes,  in  A.D.  48  ;  Mich.  40 ;  Cappell,  51;  Bp.  Pearson, 
57;  Mill,  Fabricius,  Moldenhauer,  <Vc.,50;  Van  Til,  Doddr.,Ld.  Barrington, 


Benson,  Lardner,  53  ;  Beausobre,  Ros.,  Dr.  A.  C..  52  or 53  ;  and  Bp.  Tom¬ 
line,  in  52,  Theod.,  Lightf.,  <fcc.,  imagine  it  written  when  Paul  was  in 
bonds  at  Rome,  but  nothing  is  said  in  it  of  bonds,  which  are  often  men¬ 
tioned  in  letters  known  to  have  been  written  at  that  time.  Besides,  it 
speaks  of  the  speedy  backsliding  of  the  Galatians,  and  Paul’s  first  visit 
to  Rome  was  ten  years  after  their  conversion.’  Horne.  Most,  indeed, 
agree,  that  the  apocryphal  postscript  which  dates  it  from  Rome,  con¬ 
tains  a  direct  untruth,  [for,  says  Horne,  Paul’s  first  journey  to  Rome  was 
not  till  10  years  after  the  conversion  of  the  Galatians.)  It  was  probably 
written  during  the  apostle’s  residence  at  Corinth;  [as  it  intimates  but 
one  visit,  and  his  second  visit  to  them  was  after  leaving  Corinth  ;]  though 
some  fix  the  date  of  it  to  the  time,  during  which  he  abode  at  Antioch,  after 
his  first  progress  through  Asia  Minor  with  Barnabas,  and  after  the  coun¬ 
cil  at  Jerusalem  ;  but  before  he  set  off  the  second  time,  with  Silas  and 
Timothy,  when  the  decrees  were  delivered  to  the  churches.  Acts  15:30 
— 41.  16:1 — 5.  The  former  opinion  is,  however,  more  generally  main¬ 
tained;  indeed,  it  is  not  certain,  that  the  apostle  had  been  in  Galatia, 
before  his  second  progress  through  Asia  Minor ;  Acts  16:6 — 12.  and  the 
objectiih  to  the  epistle’s  being  written  at  a  later  period,  arising  from  the 
decrees  which  had  been  sent  by  the  apostles  to  the  churches,  which 
might,  it  is  thought,  have  superseded  the  necessity  of  it,  seems  of  little 
weight.  The  apostles  had  indeed  decided  against  the  ceremonial  law 
being  imposed  on  the  Gentile  converts ;  but  they  had  not  shown,  that 
the  Gentiles,  by  voluntarily  submitting  to  it,  went  about  to  ‘establish 
their  own  righteousness,’  and  virtually  renounced  the  Gospel.  Scott. 

J  Horne  thinks,  from  Gal.  5:9 — 10.  that  only  one  judaizing  teacher  is 
referred  to,  and  adds,  ‘  from  6:12,  13.  it  appears  he  was  a  man  of  immor¬ 
al  character,  who  acted,  not  from  any  [truly]  religious  views  or  motives, 
but  from  vainglory  and  fear  :  that  he  might  conciliate  the  favor  ot  the 
Jew's,  by  increasing  the  number  of  proselytes,  and  so  escape  the  perse¬ 
cutions  raised  by  the  unbelieving  Jews  against  Paul,  and  those  who 
adhered  to  his  doctrines.’ 

[855] 


A.  D.  56. 


GALATIANS,  I. 


Introduction  to  the  epistle. 


CHAP.  I. 

6  He  wondereth  that  they  have  so  soon  left  him  and  the 
Gospel,  8  and  accnrseth  these  that  preach  any  other 
Gospel  than  he  did.  II  He  learned  the  Gospel  not  of  men, 
but  of  God  :  13  and  sheweth  what  he  was  before  his  call¬ 
ing:,  17  and  what  he  did  presently  after  it. 

PAUL,  an  apostle,  (not  of  men, 
neither  by  man,  but  1  by  Jesus 
Christ,  and  God  the  Father,  who 
b  raised  him  from  the  dead,) 

2  And  all  the  brethren  which 
are  with  me,  unto  the  c’hurches  of 
c  Galatia  : 

S  Grace  d  be  to  you,  and  peace 
from  God  the  Father,  and  from  our 
Lord  Jesus  Christ, 

4  Who  gave  '  himself  for  our 
sins,  that  he  might  deliver  us  ffrom 
this  present  evil  ®  world,  according 
h  to  the  will  of  God  and  our  Father: 

5  To  whom  he  glory  for  ever 
and  ever.  Amen. 

6  I  marvel  that  ye  are  so  soon 
removed  1  from  him  that  called  you 
into  the  grace  of  Christ  unto  an¬ 
other  gospel : 

7  Which  J  is  not  another  ;  but 
there  be  some  that  trouble  you,  and 
would  pervert  k  the  gospel  of  Christ. 

8  But  though  we,  or  an  angel 
from  heaven,  preach  any  other  gos¬ 
pel  unto  you  than  that  which  we 
have  preached  unto  you,  let  ‘him 
be  accursed. 

a  Ac.  9:6,15.  f  Jn.  17:14.  )  2  Co.  11:4. 

b  Ac.  2:24.  g  1  Jn.  2:16.  k  2  Co.  2:17. 

c  Ac.  16:6  18:23.  h  Ro.  8:27.  c.  5:10,12. 

d  Ro.  1:7,  Ac,  j  c.  5:4, 7, 8.  1  1  Co.  16:22. 

e  Jn.  10:17. 

Chap.  I.  V.  1 — 5.  In  these  prefatory 
vs.  observe, 

1.  From  whom  this  epistle  is  sent, — from 
Paul  an  apostle,  and  all  the  brethren  with  him. 
(1.)  Paul  only  was  the  penman.  And  be¬ 
cause  some  among  the  Galatians  endeavored 
to  lessen  his  character  and  authority,  he  in 
the  very  front  of  it  gives  a  general  account, 
both  of  his  office,  and  of  the  manner  in 
which  he  was  called  to  it;  which  afterward, 
in  this  and  the  following  cli.,  he  enlarges 
more  upon.  As  to  his  office,  he  was  an 
apostle,  and  to  let  them  see  that  he  did  not 
assume  this  character  without  just  ground, 
he  acquaints  them  how  he  was  called  to  this 
dignity  and  office, — that  it  was  not  of  men, 
neither  by  man ;  but  by  an  extraordinary 
call  from  heaven;  for  he  was  an  apostle  by 
Jesus  Christ,  had  his  instructions  and  com¬ 
mission  immediately  from  Him,  and  conse¬ 
quently  from  God  the  Father,  who  was  one 
with  Him,  in  respect  of  his  divine  nature, 
and  who  had  appointed  Him,  as  Mediator, 
to  be  the  Apostle  and  High  Priest  of  our 
profession,  and  as  such  to  authorize  others 


to  this  office.  He  adds,  Who  raised  Him 
from  the  dead;  both  to  acquaint  us,  that 
herein  God  the  Father  gave  a  public  testimo¬ 
ny  to  Christ’s  being  his  Son,  and  the  prom¬ 
ised  Messiah  ;  and  also,  that  as  his  call  to 
the  apostleship  was  immediately  from  Christ, 
so  it  was  after  his  resurrection  from  the 
dead,  and  when  He  was  entered  on  his  ex¬ 
alted  state;  so  that  he  had  reason  to  look 
upon  himself,  not  only  as  standing  on  a  level 
with  the  other  apostles,  but  as  in  some  sort 
preferred  above  them.  Thus  does  the  apos¬ 
tle,  being  constrained  to  it  by  his  adversa¬ 
ries,  magnify  his  office;  which  shows  that 
though  men  should  by  no  means  be  proud  of 
any  authority  they  possess,  yet,  at  certain 
times,  and  on  certain  occasions,  it  may  be 
needful  to  assert  it.  But,  (2.)  He  joins  all 
the  brethren  that  were  with  him,  in  the  inscrip¬ 
tion  of  the  epistle,  and  writes  in  their  name 
as  well  as  his  own;  i.  e.  either  the  Chris¬ 
tians  in  common  of  that  place  where  he  now 
was,  or  such  as  were  employed  as  ministers 
of  the  Gospel;  and  in  doing  this,  as  he 
shows  his  own  great  modesty  and  humility, 
and  how  remote  he  was  from  an  assuming 
temper,  so  he  might  do  it  to  dispose  these 
churches  td*  a  greater  regard  to  what  he 
wrote;  since  hereby  it  would  appear,  that  he 
had  their  concurrence  with  him  in  the  doc¬ 
trine  which  he  had  preached,  and  was  now 
about  to  confirm,  and  that  it  was  no  other 
than  what  was  both  published  and  professed 
by  others  as  well  as  himself. 

2.  To  whom  it  is  sent, — to  the  churches  of 
Galatia.  It  should  seem  there  were  several 
at  that  time  in  this  country,  and  that  they  all 
were  more  or  less  corrupted,  through  the 
arts  of  those  seducers  who  had  crept  in 
among  them;  though,  no  doubt,  there  were 
some  among  them,  who  still  continued  in  the 
faith,  and  Paul  writes  not  without  hope  that 
others  might  be  recovered  to  it. 

3.  The  apostolical  benediction,  v.  3.  the 
usual  blessing  wherewith  he  blesses  the 
churches.  Grace  includes  God’s  good-will 
towards  us,  and  his  good  work  upon  us; 
and  peace  implies  all  that  inward  comfort, 
or  outward  prosperity,  which  is  really  need¬ 
ful  for  us;  they  come  from  God  the  Father, 
as  the  Fountain,  through  Jesus  Christ,  as  the 
Channel  of  conveyance;  but  we  may  ob¬ 
serve,  first  grace,  and  then  peace,  for  there 
can  be  no  true  peace  without  grace.  Hav¬ 
ing  mentioned  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  he 
cannot  pass  without  enlarging  on  his  love, 
v.  4.  one  great  end  of  whose  sacrifice,  was, 
not  only  to  redeem  us  from  the  wrath  of 
God,  and  the  curse  of  the  law,  but  also  to 
recover  us  from  the  corruption  that  is  in  the 
world  through  lust,  and  to  rescue  us  from 
the  vicious  practices  and  customs  of  it,  unto 
which  we  are  naturally  enslaved;  and  pos¬ 
sibly  also  to  set  us  free  from  the  Mosaic 
constitution,  for  so  this  world  is  used,  1  Cor. 
2:  6,  8.  This  present  world  is  an  evil 
world;  become  so  by  the  sin  of  man,  and  is 


so  on  the  account  of  the  sin  and  sorrow  with 
which  it  abounds,  and  the  many  snares  and 
temptations  to  which  we  are  exposed,  as 
long  as  we  continue  in  it.  But  Jesus  Christ 
has  died  to  deliver  us  from  it,  not  presently 
to  remove  his  people  out  of  it,  but  to  rescue 
them  from  the  power  of  it,  to  keep  them 
from  the  evil  of  it,  and  in  due  time  to  pos¬ 
sess  them  of  another  and  better  world.  This, 
the  apostle  informs  us,  He  has  done  accord¬ 
ing  to  the  will  of  God  and  our  Father;  i.  e. 
He  acted  by  the  appointment  of  the  Father, 
as  well  as  with  his  own  free  consent;  and 
therefore  we  have  the  greatest  reason  to  de¬ 
pend  on  the  efficacy  and  acceptableness  of 
what  He  has  done  and  suffered  for  us;  yea, 
from  hence  we  have  encouragement  to  look 
upon  God  as  our  Father,  for,  being  Father  of 
our  Lord  Jesus,  so,  in  and  through  Him,  He 
is  also  the  Father  of  all  true  believers,  John 
20: 17. 

The  apostle,  having  thus  noticed  the 
great  love  wherewith  Christ  hath  loved  us, 
concludes  this  preface  with  a  solemn  ascrip¬ 
tion  of  praise  and  glory  to  Him,  v.  5.  Inti¬ 
mating,  that  on  this  account  He  is  justly 
entitled  to  our  highest  esteem  and  regard. 
Or,  this  doxology  may  be  considered  as  re¬ 
ferring  both  to  God  the  Father  and  our  Lord 
Jesus  Christ,  from  whom  he  had  just  before 
been  wishing  grace  and  peace.  Both  are 
the  proper  objects  of  our  worship  and  ado¬ 
ration,  and  all  honor  and  glory  are  perpet¬ 
ually  due  to  both,  on  the  account  of  their 
own  infinite  excellences,  and  also  on  the 
account  of  the  blessings  we  receive  from 
them. 

V.  6 — 9.  He  comes  to  the  body  of  the 
epistle;  and  begins  with  a  more  general  re¬ 
proof  of  these  churches  for  their  unsteadi¬ 
ness  in  the  faith,  which  he  afterward  enlarges 
more  upon. 

I.  His  concern  at  their  defection;  I  mar¬ 
vel,  & c.  It  at  once  filled  him  with  the 
greatest  surprise  and  sorrow.  Theirsin  and 
folly  were,  that  they  did  not  hold  fast  the 
doctrine  of  Christianity,  as  it  had  been 
preached  to  them,  but  suffered  themselves  to 
be  removed  from  the  purity  and  simplicity 
of  it.  And  several  things  greatly  aggra¬ 
vated  their  defection;  1.  They  were  re¬ 
moved  from  Him  that  called  them;  not  only 
from  the  apostle,  but  from  God  Himself;  so 
that  herein  they  had  been  guilty  of  a  great 
abuse  of  his  kindness  and  mercy  toward 
them.  2.  They  had  been  called  into  the 
grace  of  Christ,  i.e.  the  Gospel,  and  thereby 
to  partake  of  the  greatest  blessings  and  bene¬ 
fits,  such  as  justification,  and  reconciliation 
with  God  here,  and  eternal  life  and  happi¬ 
ness  hereafter;  therefore,  in  proportion  to 
the  greatness  of  the  privilege  they  enjoyed, 
such  were  their  sin  and  folly  in  deserting  it, 
and  suffering  themselves  to  be  drawn  off 
from  the  established  way  of  obtaining  these 
blessings.  3.  They  were  so  soon  removed. 
i.  e.  gave  over  the  hope  of  justification  by 


NOTES  Chap.  I.  V.  1,  2.  Ananias  baptized  Paul,  but  he  neither 
appointed  him  to  the  apostleship,  nor  instructed  him  for  it. — With  him, 
all  the  brethren  (probably  the  ministers  were  intended)  who  were  then 
with  ti,.-.  apostle,  joined  in  this  epistle,  ns  testifying  the  facts,  and  con¬ 
curring  in  the  doctrines,  contained  in  it. — ‘  Perhaps  the  apostle  meant 
to  distinguish  himself  from  those,  who  were  constituted  by  the  apostles 
. .  .  and  sent  by  them  to  different  places,  being  peculiarly  named  evange¬ 
lists.  Of  this  kind,  were  Timothy,  Titus,  Luke,  and  other  companions 
of  Paul,  who  were  celebrated  in  his  epistles,  and  the  Acts.’  Reza. — The 
\epistle  was  addressed  to  ‘the  churches  of  Galatia,’  but  he  did  not  call 
them  ‘saints,’  perhaps  because,  as  they  had  departed  from  the  faith  in 
the  fundamental  article  of  justification,  ‘  he  stood  in  doubt  of  them.’ 
4:17 — 20.  .  SCOTT. 

V.  3 — 5.  Rom.  1:5 — 7.  1  Cor.  1:3.  Some,  indeed,  interpret  the  words, 
which  we  render  ‘  this  present  evil  world,’  of  the  Mosaic  dispensation, 
.. .  but  the  preceding  explanation  [that  in  Henry]  is  far  more  extensive 
and  natural ;  most  of  the  Galatians  were  Gentiles,  before  their  conver¬ 
sion,  and  even  the  ritual  law  of  Moses  is  never  called  '■evil,'  in  Scrip¬ 
ture,  much  less  the  whole  Mosaic  dispensation;  so  that  the  interpreta¬ 
tion  is  wholly  inadmissible.  Id. 

V.  6 — 10.  It  is  remarkable,  in  how  different  a  manner  the  apostle 
addressed  the  Galatians,  than  he  did  the  Corinthians.  It  has  been 
shown,  that  he  used  the  utmost  caution,  and  the  most  delicate  and  con¬ 
summate  management,  [skill,]  in  undermining  the  influence,  and  coun¬ 
teracting  the  delusions,  of  the  false  teachers  at  Corinth.  (Pre/.  1  Cor.) 
but  he  at  once  and  abruptly  attacked  the  error  of  the  Galatians,  in  a  di- 

[356] 


rect  and  open  manner,  without  any  circumlocution.  The  Corinthians 
had  indeed  ‘  built  wood,  hay,  stubble,’  on  ‘the  good  Foundation,’  but 
the  Galatians  were  attempting  to  lay  a  wrong  foundation.  The  former 
‘might  be  saved  as  by  fire,’  notwithstanding  errors  and  abuses,  but  the 
latter  must  perish,  unless  recovered  from  their  infatuation.  1  Cor.  3:10 
— 15.  In  the  former  case,  the  errors  had  been  introduced  more  plausi¬ 
bly,  and  had  diffused  their  baleful  influence  more  gradually ;  the  tares 
were  so  mingled  with  the  wheat,  that  they  could  not  be  plucked  up  by 
a  rough  hand,  without  the  greatest  danger,  and  much  caution  was  re¬ 
quisite,  lest  Satan  should  get  still  further  advantages.  Mat.  13:36 — 43. 
2  Cor.  2:5 — 11.  But  in  Galatia,  the  error  was  simple  and  fundamental, 
it  was  a  virtual  renunciation  of  the  Gospel,  and  destructive  in  its  very 
nature.  The  persons,  who  propagated  ‘another  Gospel,’  in  Galatia, 
were  as  determined  enemies  to  true  Christianity,  as  *  the  false  apostles,’ 
at  Corinth,  and  more  evidently  so ;  but  they  were  not  equal  to  them  in 
ingenuity.  2  Cor.  11:13 — 15.  The  detection  of  their  error,  also,  lay 
within  a  small  compass,  their  example  was  of  a  most  dangerous  tenden¬ 
cy,  their  progress  was  likely  to  be  very  rapid,  unless  effectually  checked, 
and  therefore  the  apostle  opened  his  subject,  in  the  language  ofastonish- 
metit  at  the  conduct  of  the  Galatians.  (10)  Should  not  be,  Sec.]  ‘This 
is  a  cutting  reproof  to  all  those  ministers,  who  either  alter  or  conceal 
the  doctrines  of  the  Gospel,  for  fear  of  displeasing  their  hearers,  or  to 
gain  popularity.’  Mackn.  Scott. 

(7.)  Trouble,  <fec  ]  ‘Harass  your  minds  with  vain  doubts,  whether 
the  Mosaic  law  is  to  be  retained  in  the  gospel  of  Christ.’  Pervert.]  ‘  Not 
ODly  corrupt ,  but  also  overturn.  So  Mackn.'  Bloomf. 


A.  D.  56. 


GALATIANS,  I. 


Paul  proves  his  apostleship. 


9  As  we  said  before,  so  say  I 
now  again,  If  any  man  preach  any 
other  m gospel  unto  you  than  that 
ye  have  received,  let  him  be  ac¬ 
cursed. 

10  Fordo  I  now  persuade  men, 
or  God  ?  or  do  I  seek  to  n  please 
men  ?  for  if  I  yet  pleased  men,  I 
should  not 0  be  the  servant  of  Christ. 

11  But  I  certify  you,  brethren, 
that  the  gospel  which  was  preached 
of  me  is  not  after  man. 

12  For  pI  neither  received  it  of 
man,  neither  was  I  taught  it,  but 
by  the  revelation  *>of  Jesus  Christ. 

13  For  ye  have  heard  of  my  con¬ 
versation  in  time  past  in  the  Jews’ 
religion,  how  that  beyond  measure 
I  persecuted  the  church  rof  God, 
and  wasted  it ; 

14  And  profited  in  the  Jews’  re¬ 
ligion  above  many  my  8  equals  in 
mine  own  nation,  being  ‘more  ex¬ 
ceedingly  zealous  of  the  traditions 
°  of  my  fathers. 

15  But  when  it  pleased  God, 
v  who  separated  me  from  my  moth¬ 
er’s  womb,  and  called  me  by  his 
grace,  _ 

16  To  reveal  w  his  Son  in  me, 
that  x  I  might  preach  him  among 
the  heathen  ;  immediately  I  confer¬ 
red  not  with  flesh  and  y  blood  : 

17  Neither  went  I  up  to  Jerusa¬ 
lem  to  them  which  were  apostles 
before  me  ;  but  I  went  into  Arabia, 
and  returned  again  unto  Damascus. 

18  Then  z  after  three  years  I 
*  went  up  to  Jerusalem  to  see  Peter, 
and  abode  with  him  fifteen  days. 

19  But  other  of  the  apostles  saw 
I  none,  save  James  b  the  Lord’s 
brother. 


m  De.  4:2. 

Re.  22:18. 
n  2  Co.  12:19. 

1  Th.  2:4. 
o  Ja.  4:4. 
p  1  Co.  15:1 — 3. 
q  Ep.  3:3. 
r  Ac. 8:1, 3.  9:1,2. 


26:9. 

s  equal  in  years. 
t  Ac.  22:3. 

Phi.  3:6. 
u  Ma.  7:5—13. 
v  Is.  49:1.  Je.  1:5. 
Ac.  13:2.  22:14, 


15.  Ro.  1:1. 
w  2  Co.  4:6. 
x  Ac.  9:15. 
y  2  Co.  5:16. 
i  Ac.  9:26. 
a  or,  returned. 
b  Ma.  6:3. 


faith  in  Christ,  and  fell  in  with  those  who 
taught  justification  by  the  works  of  the  law, 
as  many  did,  who  had  been  bred  up  in  the 
opinions  of  the  Pharisees,  which  they  min¬ 
gled  with  the  doctrine  of  Christ,  and  so  cor¬ 
rupted  it;  and  this,  as  it  was  an  instance 
of  their  weakness,  so  it  was  a  further  aggra¬ 
vation  of  their  guilt.  4.  They  were  remov¬ 
ed  to  another  Gospel,  the  doctrine  of  these 


judaizing  teachers,  called  another  Gospel,  be¬ 
cause  it  [pretended  to]  open  a  different  way 
of  justification  and  salvation  from  that  re¬ 
vealed  in  the  Gospel ;  namely,  by  works,  and 
not  by  faith  in  Christ;  and  yet  not  another; 
not  really  another  Gospel,  but  the  perverting 
of  the  Gospel  of  Christ;  it  intimates,  the  great 
folly  and  sin  of  those  who  go  about  to 
establish  any  other  way  to  heaven,  than  what 
the  Gospel  of  Christ  has  revealed. 

Thus  he  endeavors  to  impress  on  these 
Galatians  a  due  sense  of  their  guilt  in  for¬ 
saking  the  gospel-way  of  justification  ;  yet 
at  the  same  time  he  tempers  his  reproof 
with  mildness  and  tenderness,  and  repre¬ 
sents  them  as  rather  drawn  into  it  by  the 
arts  and  industry  of  some  that  troubled  them, 
than  as  coming  into  it  of  their  own  accord; 
hereby  he  teaches  us,  that  in  reproving 
others,  as  we  should  be  faithful,  so  we 
should  also  be  gentle,  and  endeavor  to  re¬ 
store  them  in  the  spirit  of  meekness,  ch.  6:1. 

II.  His  confidence,  that  the  Gospel  he  had 
preached  to  them  was  the  only  true  Gospel; 
he  was  so  fully  persuaded  of  this,  that  he 
pronounces  an  anathema  on  those  who  pre¬ 
tended  to  preach  any  other  Gospel,  n.  8.  and, 
to  let  them  see  that  it  did  not  proceed  from 
any  rashness  or  intemperate  zeal  in  him,  he 
repeats  it  again,  v.  9.  This  will  not  justify 
our  thundering  out  [uninspired]  anathemas 
against  those  who  differ  from  us  in  less 
things.  He  puts  the  case;  noj  as  if  it  were 
possible  for  an  angel  from  heaven  to  be  the 
messenger  of  a  lie;  .but  it  is  expressed  so, 
the  more  to  strengthen  what  he  was  about 
to  say.  ‘  If  you  have  any  other  Gospel 
preached  to  you  by  any  other  person,  under 
our  name,  or  under  color  of  having  it  from 
an  angel  himself,  you  must  conclude  that  you 
are  imposed  on  ;  and  whoever  preaches  an¬ 
other  Gospel,  lays  himself  under  a  curse, 
and  is  in  danger  of  laying  you  under  it  too.’ 

V.  10 — 24.  Paul  having  more  generally, 
in  the  preface  of  this  epistle,  declared  him¬ 
self  to  be  an  apostle  of  Christ,  here  he  comes 
more  directly  to  support  his  claim.  Some 
in  Galatia  were  prevailed  with  to  call  it  in 
question ;  they  who  preached  up  the  cere¬ 
monial  law,  did  all  they  could  to  lessen  his 
reputation;  therefore  he  here  sets  himself 
to  prove  the  divinity  both  of  his  mission  and 
doctrine.  This  he  gives  sufficient  evidence  of, 

I.  From  the  scope  and  design  of  his  min¬ 
istry,  which  was  not  to  persuade  men,  but 
God,  &c.  i.  e.  in  his  preaching  the  Gospel 
he  did  not  act  in  obedience  to  men,  but  God, 
who  had  called  him  to  this  work  and  office; 
or  his  aim  therein  was  to  bring  persons  to 
the  obedience,  not  of  men,  but  of  God.  He 
did  not,  in  his  doctrine,  accommodate  him¬ 
self  to  the  humors  of  persons,  either  to  gain 
their  affection,  or  to  avoid  their  resentment ; 
but  his  great  care  was  to  approve  himself  to 
God.  The  judaizing  teachers,  by  whom 
these  churches  were  corrupted,  had  discov¬ 


ered  a  very  different  temper;  they  mixed 
works  with  faith,  and  the  law  with  the  gos¬ 
pel,  only  to  please  the  Jew's,  whom  they 
were  willing  to  court  and  keep  in  with,  that 
they  might  escape  persecution.  But  Paul 
would  not  alter  the  doctrine  of  Christ,  either 
to  gain  their  favor,  or  to  avoid  their  fury . 
And  he  gives  this  very  good  reason  for  it; 
that,  if  he  yet  pleased  men,  he  should  not  be 
the  servant  of  Christ.  lie  would  not  need¬ 
lessly  displease  any,  yet  he  dares  not  allow 
himself  to  gratify  men  at  the  expense  of  his 
faithfulness  to  Christ.  Thus,  from  the  sin¬ 
cerity  of  his  aims  and  intentions  in  the  dis¬ 
charge  of  his  office,  he  proves  that  he  was 
truly  an  apostle  of  Christ.  But  if  this  argu¬ 
ment  should  not  be  thought  sufficient,  he 
goes  on  to  prove  his  apostleship, 

II.  From  the  manner  in  which  he  re¬ 
ceived  the  Gospel;  concerning  which  he  as¬ 
sures  them,  v.  11,  12.  that  he  had  it  not  by 
information  from  others,  but  by  revelation 
from  heaven.  Ordinary  ministers,  as  they 
receive  their  call  to  preach  the  Gospel  by  the 
mediation  of  others,  so  it  is  by  means  of  the 
instruction  and  assistance  of  others  that  they 
are  brought  to  the  knowledge  of  it.  But 
Paul  acquaints  them,  that  he  had  his  knowl¬ 
edge  o(  the  Gospel,  as  well  as  his  authority  to 
preach  it,  directly  from  the  Lord  Jesus;  the 
Gospel  he  preached  was  not  after  man  ;  he. 
neither  received  it  of  man,  nor  was  he  taught 
it  by  man,  but  by  immediate  inspiration,  or 
revelation  from  Christ  Himself.  This  he 
was  concerned  to  make  out,  to  prove  him¬ 
self  an  apostle;  and  to  this  purpose, 

1.  He  tells  them  what  his  education  was, 
and  what,  accordingly,  his  conversation  in 
time  past  had  been,  v.  13, 14.  Particularly, 
he  acquaints  them,  that  he  had  been  brought 
up  in  the  Jewish  religion,  and  had  been  ex¬ 
ceedingly  zealous  of  such  doctrines  and  cus¬ 
toms  as  had  been  invented  by  their  fathers, 
and  conveyed  down  from  them;  yea,  he  had 
been  not  only  a  rejecter  of  the  Christian 
religion,  but  a  persecutor  of  it,  too,  even 
beyond  measure.  This  Paul  often  notices, 
for  the  magnifying  of  that  free  and  rich 
grace,  which  had  wrought  so  wonderful  a 
change  in  him,  whereby  of  so  great  a  sinner 
he  was  made  a  sincere  penitent,  and  from  a 
persecutor  was  become  an  apostle.  And  it 
was  very  fit  to  mention  it  here;  for  front 
hence  it  would  appear,  that  he  was  not  led 
to  Christianity,  as  many  are,  purely  by  edu¬ 
cation;  and  they  might  reasonably  suppose, 
it  must  be  something  very  extraordinary, 
which  had  made  so  great  a  change  in  him, 
and  brought  him  not  pnly  to  profess,  but  to 
preach,  that  doctrine,  which  he  had  before 
so  vehemently  opposed. 

2.  In  how  wonderful  a  manner  he  was 
turned  from  the  error  of  his  ways,  brought 
to  the  knowledge  and  faith  of  Christ,  and 
appointed  to  the  office  of  an  apostle,  v.  15, 
16.  This  was  done  in  an  extraordinary 


(10.)  Persuade. ,  <fcc.]  ‘  Many  eminent  modern  comtrs.,  as  Luther, 
Erasm.,  Vat.,  Crell.,  L’Enfant,  <fcc.,  tr.  divine  suadeo,  an  humand  !  [do  I 
persuade  divinely  or  humanly  ?]  Theoph.  and  Chry.,  think  he  means 
to  say,  he  thinks  it  not  worth  while  to  apologize  to  men  for  his  doctrine, 
but  is  careful  to  approve  himself  to  God  in  it.  With  CEc.,  Theod.,  Grot., 
Ham.,  Eisner,  Wolf,  Krebs,  Wets.,  Koppe,  Ros.,  Schl.,  Borger,  &c.  I 
greatly  prefer  the  sense,  “  Do  I  seek  to  conciliate  the  favor  of  men  or  of 
God.”  For  if,  <fcc.]  For  if  I  had  yet  (or  then)  strove  to  please  men,  I 
should  not  have  become  a  servant  of  Christ,  nor,  bidding  adieu  to  friends 
and  fortune,  subjected  myself  to  the  various  miseries,  to  which  the  pro¬ 
fession  of  religion  has  rendered  me  obnoxious.’  Bloomf. 

V.  11 — 14.  ‘A  revelation  of  the  facts  and  doctrines  of  Christianity, 
immediately  from  Christ  Himself,  without  the  assistance  of  any  human 
teacher,  so  wonderfully  agreeing  in  all  its  branches  with  that  which 
Christ  had  taught  on  earth,  both  before  and  after  his  resurrection,  was 
so  extraordinary  an  event,  and  of  so  great  importance  to  those  whom 
Ht.  Paul  visited,  and  to  whom  he  wrote,  that  one  cannot  wonder  he 
should  think  proper  to  assert  it  in  so  solemn  a  manner.’  Doddr. — The 
marked  distinction  between  being  ‘  taught  by  man,’  and  ‘by  the  revela¬ 
tion  of  Jesus  Christ,’  is  a  clear  proof  of  our  Lord’s  Deity. — ‘  In  this  re¬ 
spect,  Paul  seems  to  have  been,  in  a  measure,  superior  to  the  other 
apostles,  whom  Christ  instructed  on  earth,  after  the  manner  of  men.’ 
lieza.  (11)  The  Gospel  which  was  preached.]  8.  This  emphatical  lan¬ 
guage  cannot  well  be  tr.  literally,  but  it  [the  Gr.]  shows  how  much  the 
idea  of  ‘  glad  tidings  ’  possessed  the  writer’s  mind  and  heart.  The 
Jews'  religion.]  ‘  This  does  not  signify  the  religion  taught  by  Moses, 
but  that  which  was  practised  among  the  Jews  at  this  time,  and  much 
of  it  built  on  the  traditions  of  the  elders.’  Doddr.  Scott. 


(14.)  Profited.]  ‘The  Gr.  properly  signifies  to  cut  one's  way  for¬ 
ward,  to  advance,  to  make  a  proficiency  :  and  here  the  term,  I  think, 
designates  both  progress  in  the  knowledge  of  the  Jewish  literature,  and 
a  forwardness  in  defending  the  interests  of  the  Jewish  religion.’  Bl. 

V.  16 — 19.  (16)  In  me.]  This  may  be  rendered,  ‘Tome.’  The  same 

preposition  is  used  just  after,  and  tr.  ‘  among,’  it  might  be,  ‘  to  the  hea¬ 
then.  The  apostle,  however,  spealfs  of  immediate,  prophetical  revela¬ 
tion,  and  not  of  ordinary  divine  teaching. — ‘Since  we  are  told,  ( Acts  9: 
19.)  (hat  after  Saul  recovered  his  sight  and  strength,  he  was  certain  days 
with  ihe  disciples  at  Damascus,  during  which  he  preached  Christ  in  the 
synagogues  ;  . .  .  we  must  admit,  that  ...  he  spent  a  tew  days  in  preach¬ 
ing  at  Damascus,  and  then  retired  into  Arabia,  ...  to  receive  further 
revelations.’  ISTaclcn.  (19)  James  the  brother,  &c.]  Probably,  James 
was  tlie  son  of  Cleopas,  or  Alpheus,  and  Mary  the  sister  of  our  Lord’s 
mother.  13:55.  Mb.  6:3.  Scott. 

(16.)  In  me.]  The  force  of  this  is  best  seen  by  the  ancient  comtrs. 
Thus  Theoph. :  “he  does  not  say  revealed  to  me,  but  in  me;  showing 
that  he  had  not  learned  by  word  only,  but  by  the  Spirit.”  Flesh  and 
blood.]  ‘I.  e.  any  man.  Mat.  16:17.  Is.  4:43.’  Bl.  Mackn. 

(17.)  Arabia,  &c.j  Here  see  Bl.,  who  reconciles  Paul  and  Luke.  Ld. 

(19.)  The  Lord's  brother .]  ‘  After  a  careful  examination  of  what  has 
been  written  on  this  obscure  point,  especially  the  long  and  elaborate 
annotation  of  Borger,  I  cannot  but  acquiesce  (as  he  does)  in  the  opinion 
of  almost  all  the  ancient  and  most  modern  comtrs.,  that  this  James  was 
a  cousin  of  our  Lord,  and  a  son  of  Alpheus.  The  arguments  s  a  e  > 
Borger,  are  these  :  1st.  There  is  no  necessity  for  taking  the  Gr.  [ode  p  o  J 
of  a  brother.  It  may  be  understood  of  a  near  bins  man.  See  beat.  ta. 
Of  James  and  Joses,  who,  at  Mat.  13:55.  are  said  to  be  brothers  of  Jesus, 

l_OD/J 


A.  D.  56. 


GALATIANS,  II. 


His  account  of  himself. 


20  Now  the  things  which  I  write 
unto  you,  behold,  before  God,  I  lie 
not. 

21  Afterwards  I  'came  into  the 
regions  of  Syria  and  Cilicia  ; 

22  And  was  unknown  by  face 
unto  the  churches  d  of  Judea  which 
were  in  Christ  : 

23  But  they  had  heard  e  only, 
That  he  which  persecuted  us  in 
times  past,  now  preachel  h  the  faith 
which  once  he  destroyed. 

24  And  they  glorified  f  God  in  me. 

CHAP.  II. 

1  He  sheweth  when  he  went  up  again  to  Jerusalem,  anti  for 
what  purpose  :  3  and  that  Titus  was  not  circumcised  : 
II  and  that  he  resisted  Peter,  and  told  him  the  reason, 
14  why  he  and  other,  being  Jews,  do  believe  in  Christ  to 
be  justified  by  laith,  and  not  by  works  :  23  and  that  they 
live  not  in  sin,  who  are  so  justified. 

THEN  fourteen  years  1  after,  I 
went  up  again  to  Jerusalem 
with  Barnabas,  and  took  Titus 
with  me  also. 

2  And  I  went  up  by  revelation, 
and  communicated  unto  them  that 
gospel  which  I  preach  among  the 
Gentiles  ;  but  b  privately  to  them 
which  were  of  reputation,  lest  by 
any  means  I  c  should  run,  or  had 
run,  in  yain. 

c  Ac.  9.30.  1  Ti.  1:13 — 16.  b  or,  severally. 

d  1  Th.  2:14.  f  Ac.  21:19,20.  c  Phi.  2:16. 
e  Ac.  9:13,26.  a  Ac.  15:2,  &c. 


manner,  in  pursuance  of  a  divine  purpose 
concerning  him,  whereby  he  was  appointed 
to  be  a  Christian  and  an  apostle,  before  he 
came  into  the  world,  or  had  done  either  good 
or  evil.  He  was  called  by  his  grace.  All 
who  are  savingly  converted,  are  called  by 
the  grace  of  God;  but  there  was  something 
peculiar  in  the  case  of  Paul,  both  in  the  sud¬ 
denness  and  in  the  greatness  of  the  change 
wrought  in  him,  and  also  in  the  manner 
wherein  it  was  effected,  which  was  not  by 
the  mediation  of  others,  as  the  instruments 
of  it,  but  by  Christ’s  personal  appearance 
tj  him,  and  immediate  operation  on  him, 


whereby  it  was  rendered  a  more  special  and 
extraordinary  instance  of  divine  power  and 
favor.  He  had  Christ  revealed  in  him.  It 
will  but  little  avail  us  to  have  Christ  re¬ 
vealed  to  us,  if  He  is  not  also  revealed  in 
us.  He  is  brought  to  the  knowledge  of 
Christ  and  his  Gospel  by  special  and  imme¬ 
diate  revelation;  with  this  design,  that  he 
should  preach  Him  among  the  heathen;  not 
only  embrace  Him  himself,  hut  preach  Him 
to  others;  so  that  he  was  both  a  Christian 
and  an  apostle  by  revelation. 

3.  He  acquaints  them  how  he  behaved 
himself  hereupon,  v.  16.  to  the  end;  being 
thus  called  to  this  work  and  office,  he  did 
not  consult  men,  even  at  Jerusalem,  as 
though  he  needed  to  be  approved  by  them, 
or  to  receive  instructions  or  authority  from 
them;  but  instead  of  that,  lie  went  into 
Arabia,  either  as  a  place  of  retirement  prop¬ 
er  for  receiving  further  divine  revelations, 
or  in  order  to  preach  the  Gospel  there  among 
the  Gentiles;  thence  he  returned  again  to 
Damascus,  where  he  had  first  begun  his 
ministry,  and  from  wlvence  he  had  with  dif¬ 
ficulty  escaped  the  rage  of  his  enemies, 
Acts  9.  In  short,  it  could  not  well  be  pre¬ 
tended  that  he  was  indebted  to  any  other, 
either  for  his  knowledge  of  the  Gospel,  or  his 
authority  to  preach  it;  but  it  appeared  that 
both  his  qualifications  for,  and  his  call  to, 
the  apostolic  office  were  extraordinary  and 
divine.  This  account  being  of  importance, 
to  establish  his  claim  to  this  office,  to  re¬ 
move  the  unjust  censures  of  his  adversaries, 
and  to  recover  the  Galatians  from  the  im¬ 
pressions  they  had  received  to  his  prejudice, 
he  confirms  it  by  a  solemn  oath,  v.  20.  de¬ 
claring,  as  in  the  presence  of  God,  that 
what  he  had  said  was  strictly  true,  and  that 
he  had  not  in  the  least  falsified  in  what  he 
had  related;  which,  though  it  will  not  jus¬ 
tify  us  in  solemn  appeals  to  God  on  every 
occasion,  yet  shows  that,  in  matters  of 
weight,  and  moment,  this  sometimes  tnay 
not  only  be  lawful,  but  duty.  After  this  lie 
acquaints  them,  that  he  came  into  the  regions 
of  Syria  and  Cilicia;  having  made  this  short 
visit  to  Peter,  he  returns  to  his  work  again; 
he  had  no  communication  at  that  time  with 
the  churches  of  Christ  in  Judea,  they  had  not 
so  much  as  seen  his  face;  only,  they  had 


heard  of  his  remarkable  conversion,  which 
the  very  report  of,  as  it  filled  them  with  joy, 
so  it  excited  them  to  give  glory  to  God  on 
the  account  of  it. 


Chap.  II.  The  apostle,  in  this  ch.,  con¬ 
tinues  the  relation  of  his  past  life  and  con¬ 
duct;  and,  by  some  further  instances  of  what 
had  passed  between  him  and  the  other  apos¬ 
tles,  makes  it  appear  that  he  was  not  be¬ 
holden  to  them,  either  for  his  knowledge  of 
the  Gospel,  or  his  authority  as  an  apostle,  as 
his  adversaries  would  insinuate;  but,  on  the 
contrary,  that  lie  was-  owned  and  approved 
even  by  them,  as  having  an  equal  commis¬ 
sion  with  them  to  this  office. 

V.  1 — 10.  It  should  seem,  by  Paul’s  ac¬ 
count  of  himself  in  this  ch.,  that  from  the 
very  first  preaching  and  planting  of  Chris¬ 
tianity,  there  was  a  difference  of  apprehen¬ 
sion  between  those  Christians  who  had  first 
been  Jews,  and  those  who  had  first  been 
Gentiles.  Many  of  the  former,  strove  to 
keep  up  the  reputation  of  the  ceremonial 
law;  while  the  latter  had  no  regard  to  this, 
but  took  pure  Christianity  as  perfective  of 
natural  religion,  and  resolved  to  adhere  to 
that.  Peter  was  the  apostle  of  the  circum¬ 
cision  ;  and  the  ceremonial  law,  though  dead 
with  Christ,  yet  not  being  as  yet  buried,  he 
connived  at  the  respect  kept  up  for  it.  Paul 
was  the  apostle  of  the  Gentiles;  and  though 
a  Hebrew  of  the  Hebrews,  yet  he  adhered  to 
pure  Christianity.  Now  he  tells  us  what 
passed  between  him  and  the  other  apostles, 
and  particularly  Peter,  hereupon,  on  an¬ 
other  journey  hetook  to  Jerusalem,  v.  1 — 11. 
And  here  he  acquaints  us,  with, 

I.  Some  circumstances  relating  to  this 
his  journey.  1.  The  time  of  it;  not  till  14 
years  after  the  former,  mentioned  ch.  1: 18. 
or,  as  others  choose,  from  his  conversion,  or 
from  the  death  of  Christ.  And  it  was  some 
evidence  he  had  no  dependence  on  the  other 
apostles,  but  an  equal  authority  with  them, 
that  he  had  been  so  long  absent  from  them, 
and  all  the  while  employed  in  preaching  and 
propagating  pure  Christianity,  without  being 
called  into  question  by  them  for  it;  which 
they  would  have  done,  had  he  been  inferior, 
and  his  doctrine  disapproved,  2.  His  com¬ 
panions  in  it,  Barnabas  and  Titus.  II  th© 


PRACT.  OBS.  All  authority  and  ability  to  preach  the  Gospel  must 
come  1  from  Jesus  Christ,  and  from  God  the  Father  who  hath  raised  Him 
from  the  dead.’  We  ought  also  to  pray  for  ‘  grace  ami  peace  from  God 
the  Father  and  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,’  in  behalf  of  those,  of  whom  we 
doubt  whether  they  he  true  saints. — The  consciousness  of  being  rescued 
and  separated  from  those,  who  were  our  companions  in  sin,  made  victo¬ 
rious  over  the  fear  of  men,  and  the  love  of  the  world,  enabled  to  refuse 
conformity  to  it,  and  to  live  a  spiritual  and  heavenly  life  on  earth,  forms 
tlie  proper  evidence  of  justification  in  the  righteousness  of  Christ,  and 
through  faith  in  Ilim;  yet  numbers,  who  profess  evangelical  doctrines, 
seem  to  have  no  inclination  to  this  part  of  God’s  salvation.  But,  as  they 
are  not  ‘delivered  from  this  present  evil  world,’  by  the  sanctification 
of' tlie  Spirit,  it  is  presumptuous  in  them  to  expert  exemption  from  its 
condemnation  by  the  blood  of  Jesus. — While  we  strenuously  maintain, 
that  every  kind  and  degree  of  antinomianism,  eventually  and  powerfully 
fends  to  dishonor  Christ,  and  destroy  true  religion,  we  must  also  declare, 
in  the  most  decided  manner,  that  all  dependence  on  good  works,  real  or 
supposed,  for  justification,  is  still  more  fatal  to  the  individuals  who  per¬ 
sist  in  it,  at  least  after  the  truth  has  been  fully  and  repeatedly  set  before 
them.  No  wonder,  that  the  preachers  of  morality  and  gooil  works,  as 
tire  foundation  for  the  sinner’s  hope  of  acceptance,  or  in  anv  degree  con¬ 
ducive  to  his  justification,  are  so  evidently  unsuccessful  in  their  attempts 
to  make  men  virtuous. — While  we  zealously  preach  and  diligently  prac¬ 
tise  ‘good  works.’  for  evangelical  purposes,  let  us  be  even  sli II  more 
careful,  if  possible,  not  to  put  anything  which  we  do,  in  the  place  of 
‘  that  righteousness  of  God  which  is  unto  and  upon  all  that  believe,’  and 
not  to  advance  anything,  which  may  betray  others  into  so  fatal  a  delu¬ 
sion.  Rom.  3:21 — 26.  Phil.  3:8 — 11.  Scott. 

‘  Righteousness  by  works  ’  is  the  sum  of  the  doctrine  of  tire  devil  and 
of  tire  world  from  the  beginning.  Gen.  3:5.  4:8.  ..  .  Wherefore  I  do  ad¬ 
monish  you,  especially  such  as  shall  become  instructors  und  guides  of 
consciences,  and  also  every  one  apart,  rhat  ye  exercise  yourselves  con- 

t tic  mother  was  Mary.  (See  Mat. 27: 56.  Mk.  15.40.  where  James  is  called 
the  little,  by  way  of  distinction  from  James,  son  ofZebedee.)  Now  this 
Mary  was  a  sister  of  Mary,  tlie  mother  of  Jesus,  and  wife  of  Cleophas, 
who  is,  witli  great  probability,  supposed  to  have  been  tlie  same  with 
Alpheus.  SJly.  Among  the  brothers  of  Jesus,  are  mentioned  James, 
Simon,  and  Jude,  at  Mat.  13  55.  Tlie  same  names,  also,  ttiree  of  the 
apostles  bear,  in  Ac.  1:13.  Ja  nes,  son  of  Alpheus,  Simon  Zelotes,  and 
Jude,  son  of  James.  It  is  indeed,  possible,  that  three  brothers  of  our 
Lord,  and  three  of  his  apostles  might  hear  the  same  names,  and  yet  bd 
different  persons;  hut  it  would  be  a  very  strange  coincidence,  and  not 
easv  to  be  explained,  if  we  suppose  that  those  brothers  were  no  others 

[358] 


tinually,  by  study,  by  reading,  by  meditation  of  the  Word,  and  by  prayer, 
that  in  the  time  of  temptation  ye  may  be  able  to  instruct  and  comfort 
both  your  own  consciences  and  others,  and  to  bring  them  from  the  law 
to  grace  ;  from  Moses  to  Christ ;  from  the  active  and  working  righteous¬ 
ness,  to  the  passive  and  received  righteousness.  ..  .  When  I  have  this 
[latter]  righteousness  reigning  in  my  heart,  I  descend  from  heaven,  as 
the  rain  making  fruitful  the  earth,  i.  e.  I  come  forth  into  another  king¬ 
dom,  and  I  do  good  works,  how  and  wheresoever  occasion  is  offered ;  if 
I  he  n  minister  of  the  Word,  I  preach,  1  comfort  the  broken-hearted,  I 
administer  the  sacraments  ;  if  I  be  a  householder,  I  govern  my  house  and 
my  family,  I  bring  up  my  children  in  the  knowledge  and  fear  of  God  ;  if 
1  be  a  magistrate,  the  charge  that  is  given  me  from  above,  I  diligently 
execute;  ifl.be  a  servant,  I  do  my  Master’s  business  faithfully  ;  to  con¬ 
clude,  whosoever  lie  be  that  is  assuredly  persuaded  that  Christ  is  his 
righteousness,  doth  not  only  cheerfully  and  gladly  work  well  in  his  vo¬ 
cation,  but  also  submitteth  himself  through  love  to  the  magistrates,  and 
to  their  laws;  yea,  though  they  be  severe,  sharp,  and  cruel,  and  (if  ne¬ 
cessity  do  so  require  ;  to  all  manner  of  burdens,  and  to  all  dangers  of  this 
present  life,  because  he  knoweth  that  this  is  the  will  of  God  ;  and  that 
this  obedience  pleaseth  Him.’  Luther. 

Ministers  should  be  careful  not  to  receive  or  preacii  a  carnalized  Gos¬ 
pel  [nor  a  Gospel  of  the  lower  propensities],  and  not  to  rest  in  human 
teaching,  but  to  study  the  written  revelation  of  Jesus  Christ,  and  to  pray 
continually  for  ’  the  Spirit  of  wisdom  and  revelation’  in  tlie  knowledge 
of  Him,  that  they  may  ‘please  men’  only  for  their  good,  and  to  their 
edification,  and  not  desire  to  please  them  any  further. — Though,  in  ordi¬ 
nary  cases,  it  would  be  presumptuous  for  new  converts,  or  young  min¬ 
isters,  to  disregard  the  counsels  of  such  as  have  before  been  employed  in 
the  work  of  Christ,  yet  that  love  to  Christ  and  the  souls  of  men,  which 
renders  them  superior  to  lucrative  considerations,  and  ready  to  endure 
hardships  in  order  to  spread  the  Gospel,  is  a  good  evidence,  that  the 
Lord  is  preparing  them  for  future  usefulness.  Scott. 

than  th8  apostles.  But  if  this  be  true,  it  is  clear  that  James,  the  brother 
of  our  Lord,  was  James,  son  of  Alpheus,  an  apostle  of  Jesus,  and  like¬ 
wise  his  cousin.  That  an  apostle  must  be  understood,  is  plain  from  2:9. 
and  is  required  by  Ac.  9:27,  28.’  Bloomf. 

NOTES.  Chap.  II.  V.  1 — 5.  It  appears  from  the  history,  that  Paul 
and  Barnabas  went  up  from  Antioch  to  carry  the  aims  of  the  Christians 
in  that  city  to  the  elders  at  Jerusalem.  But  they  had  at  that  time  no  spe¬ 
cial  business  with  the  apostles,  and  it  is  not  certain  that  they  saw  any  of 
them.  Acts  11:27 — SO.  The  journey,  however,  here  mentioned,  most 
evidently  is  that  recorded  by  the  historian,  when  they  went  up  on  pur¬ 
pose  about  tlie  very  question,  which  Paul  was  here'debating  with  the 


A.  D.  56. 


GALATIANS,  II. 


His  interview  with  Peter, 


3  But  neither  Titus,  who  was 
with  me,  being  a  Greek,  was  com¬ 
pelled  to  be  circumcised  : 

4  And  that  because  of  false  d 
brethren  unawares  brought  in,  who 
came  in  privily  to  spy  out  our  lib¬ 
erty  "which  we  have  in  Christ  Je¬ 
sus,  that  they  might  bring  us  into 
f bondage  : 

5  To  whom  we  gave  place  by 
subjection,  no,  not  for  an  hour ; 
that  the  truth  of  the  gospel  might 
continue  with  you. 

6  But  of  those  who  seemed  s  to 
be  somewhat,  whatsoever  they 
were,  it  maketh  no  matter  to  me  : 
God  h  accepteth  no  man’s  person  : 
for  they  who  seemed  to  be  somewhat, 
in  conference  added  nothing  to  me; 

7  But  contrariwise,  when  they 
saw  that  the  gospel  of  the  uncir¬ 
cumcision  was  committed  unto  ‘me, 
as  the  gospel  of  the  circumcision 
was  unto  Peter  ; 

3  (For  he  that  wrought  effectu¬ 
ally  in  Peter  to  the  apostleship  of 
the  circumcision,  the  same  was 
mighty  in  me  toward  the  Gentiles;) 

9  And  when  James,  Cephas,  and 
John,  who  seemed  to  he  i  pillars, 
perceived  the  grace  kthat  was  given 
unto  me,  they  .gave  to  me  and  Bar¬ 
nabas  the  right  hands  of  fellowship; 
that  we  should  go  unto  the  heathen, 
and  they  unto  the  circumcision. 

10  Only  they  would  that  we 
should  remember  the  poor  ;  the 
$ame  which  I  1  also  was  forward  to 
do. 


d  Ac.  15:1,24. 
e  c.  5:1,13. 
f  2  Co  1 1 :20. 

c.  4:3,9. 
g  c.  6:3. 


h  Ac.  10:34. 

Ro.  2:11. 
i  1  Th.  2:4. 

1  Ti.  *2:7. 
j  Mai.  16:18.  ' 


Ep.  2:20. 
k  Ro.  1:5.  12:3,6. 
I  Ac.  11:30. 

Ro.  15:25. 


journey  here  spoken  of  was  the  same  with 
that  recorded  Acts  15.  as  many  think,  then 
we  have  a  plain  reason  why  Barnabas  went 
along  with  him;  for  he  was  chosen  by  the 
Christians  at  Antioch,  to  be  his  companion 
and  associate  in  the  affair  he  went  about. 
But  as  it  does  not  appear  that  Titus  was 
put  into  the  same  commission  with  him,  so 
the  chief  reason  of  his  taking  him  along  with 
him,  seems  to  have  been,  to  let  them  at  Je¬ 
rusalem  see,  that  he  was  neither  ashamed 
nor  afraid  to  own  the  doctrine  he  had  con¬ 
stantly  preached;  for  though  Titus  was  now 
become  not  only  a  convert  to  the  Christian 
faith,  but  a  preacher  of  it  too,  yet  he  was 
by  birth  a  Gentile,  and  uncircumcised;  and 
therefore,  by  his  making  him  his  companion. 


it  appeared  that  his  doctrine  and  practice 
were  of  a  piece ;  and  that  as  he  had  preach¬ 
ed  the  non-necessity  of  circumcision,  and 
observing  the  law  of  Hoses,  so  he  was  ready 
to  own  and  converse  with  those  who  were 
uncircumcised.  3.  The  reason  of  it;  he 
went  up  by  revelation ,  not  of  his  own  head, 
much  less  as  being  summoned  to  appear 
there,  but  by  special  order  and  direction 
from  heaven.  It  was  a  privilege  this  apos¬ 
tle  was  often  favored  with,  to  be  under  a 
special  divine  conduct  in  his  motions  and 
undertakings;  and  though  this  is  what  we 
have  no  reason  to  expect,  yet  it  should 
teach  us,  in  everything  of  moment  we  go 
about,  to  endeavor,  as  far  as  we  are  capable, 
to  see  our  way  made  plain  before  us,  and  to 
commit  ourselves  to  the  guidance  of  Provi¬ 
dence. 

II.  Ilis  behavior  while  at  Jerusalem; 
such  as  made  it  appear  that  he  was  not  in 
the  least  inferior  to  the  other  apostles  in 
authority  or  qualifications. 

1.  His  account  of  his  doctrine  and  labors; 
in  relation  to  which,  observe  both  his  faith¬ 
fulness  and  prudence.  He  gave  a  free  and 
fair  account  of  the  doctrine  he  had  all  along 
preached  among  the  Gentiles,  and  was  still 
resolved  to  preach,  —  that  of  pure  Chris¬ 
tianity,  free  from  all  mixtures  of  Judaism; 
yet  he  chooses  rather  to  do  it  in  a  more 
private  than  in  a  public  way,  and  to  them  that 
were  of  reputation,  i.  e.  to  the  apostles  them¬ 
selves,  or  to  the  chief  among  the  Jewish 
Christians,  rather  than  more  openly  and 
promiscuously  to  all ;  because,  when  he  came 
to  Jerusalem,  there  were  multitudes  that  be¬ 
lieved,  and  yet  continued  zealous  for  the  law, 
Acts  21:20.  And  the  reason  of  this  his 
caution,  was,  lest  he  should  run,  or  had  run, 
in  vain;  lest  he  should  stir  up  opposition 
against  him,  and  thereby  either  the  success 
of  his  past  labors  should  be  lessened,  or  his 
future  usefulness  be  obstructed :  for  nothing 
more  hinders  the  progress  of  the  Gospel, 
than  differences*  of  opinion  about  its  doc¬ 
trines;  especially  when  they  occasion  quar¬ 
rels  and  contentions  among  professors,  as 
they  too  usually  do.  It  was  enough  to  his 
purpose,  to  have  his  doctrine  owned  by 
those  who  were  of  greatest  authority,  wheth¬ 
er  it  was  approved  by  others  or  not.  This 
conduct  of  the  apostle  may  teach  all,  and 
especially  ministers,  how  much  need  they 
have  of  prudence,  and  how  careful  they 
should  be  to  use  it  on  all  occasions,  as  far  as 
is  consistent  with  their  faithfulness. 

2.  Ilis  firm  adherence  to  the  doctrine  he 
had  preached.  He  had  Titus  with  him,  who 
was  a  Greek,  yet  he  would  not  suffer  him 
to  be  circumcised,  because  he  would  not 
betray  the  doctrine  of  Christ,  as  he  had 
preached  it  to  the  Gentiles.  It  does  not 
appear  that  the  apostles  at  all  insisted  on 
this;  for  though  they  connived  at  the  use  of 
circumcision  among  the  Jewish  converts, 
they  were  not  for  imposing  it  on  the  Gen¬ 


tiles.  Some  others  did,  whom  the  apostle 
here  calls  false  brethren;  and  Concerning 
whom  he  informs  us,  that  they  were  una¬ 
wares  brought  in,  i.  e.  into  the  church,' or 
into  their  company,  and  that  they  came  only 
to  see  whether  Paul  would  defend  that  free¬ 
dom  from  the  ceremonial  law,  which  he  had 
taught  as  the  doctrine  of  the  Gospel,  and  re¬ 
presented  as  the  privilege  of  those  who  em¬ 
braced  the  Christian  religion.  Their  design 
was,  to  bring  them  into  bondage,  which  they 
would  have  effected,  could  they  have  gained 
their  point;  for  had  they  prevailed  with 
Paul  and  the  other  apostles  to  circumcise 
Titus,  they  would  easily  have  imposed  cir¬ 
cumcision  on  other  Gentiles,  and  so  have 
brought  them  under  the  bondage  of  the  law 
of  Moses.  But  Paul,  seeing  their  design, 
would  by  no  means  yield  to  them  ;  no,  not  for 
an  hour,  not  even  in  this  one  single  instance; 
and  the  reason  was,  that  the  truth  of  the  Gos¬ 
pel  might  continue  with  them;  that  the  Gentile 
Christians,  and  particularly  the  Galatians, 
might  have  it  preserved  to  them  pure  and 
entire,  and  not  corrupted  with  the  mixtures 
of  Judaism.  Circumcision  was  at  that  time 
a  thing  indifferent,  and  what  in  some  cases 
might  be  complied  with  without  sin;  as 
even  Paul  himself  gave  way  to  it  in  the  case 
of  Timothy,  Acts  16:  3.  But  when  it  is  in¬ 
sisted  on  as  necessary,  and  his  consenting  to 
it,  though  only  in  a  single  instance,  was 
likely  to  be  improved  as  giving  countenance 
to  such  an  imposition,  he  has  too  great  a 
concern  for  the  purity  and  liberty  of  the  Gos¬ 
pel,  to  submit  to  it;  he  would  not  yield  to 
those  who  were  for  the  Mosaic  rites  and 
ceremonies,  but  would  stand  fast  in  the  lib¬ 
erty  wherewith  Christ  hath  made  us  free. 
Which  conduct  of  his  may  give  us  occasion 
to  observe,  That  what  under  some  circum¬ 
stances  may  lawfully  be  complied  with,  yet, 
when  that  cannot  be  done  without  betraying 
the  truth,  or  giving  up  the  liberty,  of  the 
Gospel,  it  ought  to  be  refused. 

3.  His  interview  with  the  other  apostles, 
and  its  result,  v.  6 — 10.  He.  grants  they 
were  deservedly  in  repute,  and  looked  upon 
by  all  as  pillars  of  the  church,  and  that  on 
some  accounts  they  might  seem  to  have  the 
advantage  of  him,  in  that  they  had  seen 
Christ  in  the  flesh,  which  he  had  not,  and 
were  apostles  before  him,  yea  even  while. he 
continued  a  persecutor.  But  yet,  whatever 
they  were,  this  was  no  prejudice  to  his  being 
equally  an  apostle  with  them;  for  God  does 
not  accept  the  persons  of  men  on  the  account 
of  any  such  outward  advantages;  and  in 
conference  they  added  nothing  to  him,  told  him 
nothing  but  what  he  before  knew  by  revela¬ 
tion,  nor  could  they  except  against  the  doc¬ 
trine  he  communicated  to  them ;  from  whence 
it  appeared,  that  he  was  not  at  all  inferior 
to  them,  but  was  as  much  called  and  quali¬ 
fied  to  be  an  apostle,  as  they  themselves 
were.  And  they  were  not  only  satisfied  with 
his  doctrine,  but  saw  a  divine  power  attend- 


Galatians.  Acts  15:1 — 11. — Most  expositors  date  this  journey  14  years 
alter  the  apostle’s  conversion,  which  scarcely  allows  sufficient  time  tor 
all  the  intervening  transactions,  and  it  seems  more  obvious  to  compute 
the  years,  from  the  first  journey  before  mentioned.  1:15 — 24.  There 
is,  however,  but  little  certainty  in  the  computation  of  times,  even  by 
the  most  learned  chronologers,  as  to  the  date  of  the  apostle’s  conver¬ 
sion,  subsequent  history,  and  the  writing  of  his  epistles  ;  and  exactness 
in  this  respect  is  comparatively  of  little  importance.  Scott. 

(1.)  After  the  lapse  of  14  years.]  ‘It  would  seem  there  is  no  reason 
to  take  the  words  otherwise  than  in  their  plain  and  obvious  sense,  as 
they  were  understood  by  the  ancient  and  earlier  modtsrn  comtrs.,  name¬ 
ly,  as  calculated  from  his  last  journey  to  Jerusalem.  And  so  Borger  ; 
i.  e.  A.  1).  49  will  be  the  year  of  the  visit  of  this  v.  If  calculated  from 
his  conversion,  it  will  be  in  52.  The  best  comtrs.  agree  it  is  the  same 
tecorded  Acts  15.  the  circumstances  being  the  same.  See  Koppe ,  who 
remarks,  that  it  is  no  wonder  the  apostle  makes  no  mention  of  the  de¬ 
cree  of  the  Jerusalem  synod,  since  he  did  not  wish  the  Galatians  to  rest 
on  the  authority  of  any  apostle  but  himself,  and  also,  because  his  doc¬ 
trine  on  .the  subject  of  non-observance  of  the  Mosaic  law,  went  much 
further  than  that  decree.’  Bloomf. 

(2.)  There  were  many  reasons  why  Paul  should  not  accept  the  ap¬ 
pointment  of  the  Anliochians,  to  go  up  to  Jerusalem;  see  Mich.  Paul 
here  tells  us  he  was  induced  to  it  by  revelation.  See  Bl.,  Sec.  In  vain.] 
'Lest  I  should  be  really  thought  to  labor,  or  have  labored  in  vain,  i.  e. 
erroneously  and  under  mistake  :  as  his  calumniators  pretended.  And  so 
Chrys.,  Tbeoph.,  GEc.,  and  Theod.’  Bl.  Er>. 


(3.)  ‘  These  words  are  parenthetical.’  Borger,  Jaspis.  Bloomf. 
(4.)  Connecting  this  v.  with  v.  2.  all  is  made  cleaT.  See  Bl.  Ed. 

V.  9.  Pillars .]  A  common  simile,  both  orientnl  and  occidental  ;  sea 
Wets.,  &c.  Right  hands.]  In  sign  of  apos¬ 
tolical  association.  Lev.  6:2.  Jer.  50:15. 
The  symbol  was  in  nse  both  in  barbarous 
and  civilized  nations.  Wets.,  Bl.  The  cut, 
from  a  painting  in  Herculaneum,  in  Dr. 
Harris's  Masonic  discourses,  shows  the 
oath  of  fellowship  in  hospitality,  and  the 
arrha  hospitalis.  See  his  Dissertation, 
illustrative  ofRev.  2:17.  Id. 

V.  10.  ‘  The  Jews’  superiority  being  done 
away,  it  might  be  feared  the  poor  of  the 
parent  country  would  be  neglected  ;  and 
this  x^mld  have  been  both  detrimental  to 
the  welfare  of  the  church,  and  peculiarly 
hard.  For  they  bore  the  chiefbrunt  of  the 
hostility  and  persecution  from  Jews  to 
Jewish  Christians  (even  to  the  stripping 
them  of  all  their  property,  and  reducing 
them  to  beggary);  and  as  the  Gentiles  might 
be  said  to  reap  the  benefit  of  this  strenu¬ 
ous  testimony  to  the  truth  of  the  Gospel, 


so  it  was  but  right  i 
common  cause.’ 


Bi.oomf. 

[359] 


A.  D.  56. 


GALATIANS,  II. 


Paul’s  interview  with  Peter. 


11  But  when  Peter  was  come  to 
m  Antioch,  I  withstood  him  to  the 
face,  because  he  was  to  be  blamed. 

12  For  before  that  certain  came 
from  James,  he  did  eat  n  with  the 
Gentiles  :  but  when  they  were 
come,  he  withdrew  and  separated 
himself,  fearing  them  which  were 
of  the  circumcision. 

13  And  the  other  Jews  dissem¬ 
bled  likewise  with  him  ;  insomuch 
that  Barnabas  also  was  carried 
away  with  their  dissimulation. 

14  But  when  I  saw  that  they 
walked  not  uprightly,  according  to 
the  truth  0  of  the  gospel,  I  said  unto 
Peter  p  before  them  all,  If  thou, 
being  a  Jew,  livest  after  the  man¬ 
ner  of  Gentiles,  and  not  as  do  the 
Jews,  why  compellest  thou  the 
Gentiles  to  live  as  do  the  Jews  ? 

15  We  who  are  Jews  by  nature, 
and  not  sinners  q  of  the  Gentiles, 

16  Knowing  that  ra  man  is  not 
justified  by  the  works  of  the  law, 
but  by  the  faith  5  of  Jesus  Christ, 
even  we  have  believed  in  Jesus 
Christ,  that  we  might  be  justified 
by  the  faith  of  Christ,  and  not  by 
the  works  of  the  law  :  for  *  by  the 
works  of  the  law  shall  no  flesh  be 
justified. 

17  But  if,  while  we  seek  to  be 
justified  by  Christ,  we  "ourselves 
also  are  found  sinners,  is  therefore 
Christ  the  minister  of  sin  ?  God 
forbid. 


m  Ac.  15:35. 
n  Ac.  11:3. 
o  ver.  5. 
p  1  Ti.  5:20. 


q  Ep.  2:3,12. 
l*  Ac.  13:38,39. 

Ro.  3:20. 
s  Ro.  5:1. 


c.  3:11,24. 
t  Ps.  143:2. 

He.  7:18,19. 
u  1  Jn.  3:9,10, 


ing  him,  both  in  preaching  it,  and  in  work¬ 
ing  miracles  for  the  confirmation  of  it;  from 
which  they  justly  concluded,  that  the  Gospel 
of  the  uncircumcision  was  committed  to  Paul, 
as  the  Gospel  of  the  circumcision  was  to 
Peter.  Therefore,  perceiving  the  grace  given 
to  him;  that  he  was  designed  to  the  honor 
and  office  of  an  apostle,  as  well  as  them¬ 
selves;  they  gave  unto  him  and  Barnabas  the 
right  hands  of  fellowship,  a  symbol  whereby 
they  acknowledged  their  equality  with  them, 
and  agreed  that  these  should  go  to  the  heathen, 
ivhile  they  continued  to  preach  to  the  circum¬ 
cision;  as  judging  it  most  agreeable  to  the 
mind  of  Christ,  and  most  conducive  to  the 
interest  of  Christianity,  so  to  divide  their 
work.  And  thus  this  meeting  ended  in  an 
entire  harmony  and  agreement;  they  ap¬ 
proved  both  Paul’s  doctrine  and  conduct, 
they  were  fully  satisfied  in  him,  heartily  em¬ 
braced  him  as  an  apostle  of  Christ,  and  had 
nothing  further  t<}  add,  only  that  they  would 
remember  the  poor,  which  of  his  own  accord 


he  was  very  forward  to  do.  The  Christians 
of  Judea  were  at  that  time  laboring  under 
great  wants  and  difficulties;  and  the  apos¬ 
tles,  out  of  their  compassion  to  them,  and 
concern  for  them,  recommend  their  case  to 
Paul,  that  he  should  use  his  interest  with 
the  Gentile  churches  to  procure  a  supply  for 
them.  And  he  very  readily  falls  in  with 
it,  whereby  be  showed  his  charitable  and 
catholic  disposition  ;  how  ready  he  was  to 
own  the  Jewish  converts  as  brethren,  though 
many  of  them  could  scarcely  allow  the  like 
favor  to  the  converted  Gentiles}  and  that 
mere  difference  of  opinion  was  no  reason 
with  him,  why  he  should  not  endeavor  to 
relieve  and  help  them.  Herein  he  has  given 
us  an  excellent  pattern  of  Christian  charity, 
and  has  taught  us,  that  we  should  by  no 
means  eonfine  it  to  those  who  are  just  of  the 
same  sentiments  with  its*  but  be  ready  to 
extend  it  to  all  whom  we  have  reason  to  look 
upon  as  the  disciples  of  Christ. 

V.  11 — 21.  Here,  to  give  the  greater 
weight  to  what  he  had  already  said,  and 
more  fully  to  fortify  the  Galatians,  against 
the  insinuations  of  the  judnizing  teachers, 
Paul  acquaints  them  with  another  interview 
he  had  with  Peter  at  Antioch,  v.  11 — 14. 
There  is  no  color  of  reason  for  supposing 
that  Peter  was  bishop  of  Antioch.  Had  he 
been,  surely  Paul  would  not  have  withstood 
him  in  his  own  church,  as  here;  but,  on  the 
contrary,  it  is  here  spoken  of  as  an  occa¬ 
sional  visit  Peter  made  thither.  In  their 
other  meeting,  Peter  and  the  other  apostles 
had  both  acknowledged  Paul’s  commission, 
and  approved  his  doctrine,  and  they  parted 
very  well  agreed.  But  in  this  Paul  finds 
himself  obliged  to  oppose  Peter,  for  he  was  to 
be  blamed;  a  plain  evidence  that  Paul  was 
not  inferior  to  him,  and,  consequently,  of  the 
weakness  of  the  pope’s  pretence  to  supre¬ 
macy  and  infallibility,  as  the  successor  of 
Peter. 

I.  Peter’s  fault.  When  he  came  among 
the  Gentile  churches,  he  complied  with  them, 
and  did  eat  with  them,  though  they  were  not 
circumcised;  agreeably  to  the  instructions 
given  in  particular  to  him,  Acts  10.  when  he 
was  warned  by  the  heavenly  vision,  to  call 
nothing  common  or  unclean.  But  when  there 
came  some  Jewish  Christians  from  Jerusa¬ 
lem,  he  grew  more  shy  of  the  Gentiles,  only 
to  humor  them  of  the  circumcision,  and  for 
fear  of  giving  them  offence,  which  doubtless 
was  to  the  great  grief  and  discouragement 
of  the  Gentile  churches.  Then  he  withdrew, 
and  separated  himself.  His  fault  herein  had 
an  ill  influence  on  others,  for  the  other  Jews 
also  dissembled  with  him;  though  before  they 
might  be  better  disposed,  yet  now,  from  his 
example,  they  took  on  them  to  scruple  eat¬ 
ing  with  the  Gentiles,  and  pretended  they 
could  not  in  conscience  do  it,  because  they 
were  not  circumcised.  And  Barnabas  him¬ 
self,  one  of  the  apostles  of  the  Gentiles,  was 
carried  away  with  their  dissimulation.  Here 
note,  the  weakness  and  inconstancy  of  the 
best  of  men,  when  left  to  themselves,  and 
the  great  force  of  bad  examples,  especially 


of  great  and  good  men,  such  as  are  in  repu¬ 
tation  for  wisdom  and  honor. 

II.  The  rebuke  Paul  gave  him  for  his 
fault.  Notwithstanding  Peter’s  character, 
yet,  when  he  observes  him  thus  behaving 
himself,  to  the  great  prejudice  both  of  tire 
truth  of  the  Gospel  and  the  peace  of  the 
church,  he  is  not  afraid  to  reprove  him  for 
it.  Paul  adhered  resolutely  to  his  princi¬ 
ples,  when  others  faltered  in  theirs.  One 
part  of  Peter’s  conduct  was  a  contradiction 
to  the  other;  for  if  he,  who  was  a  Jew, 
could  himself  sometimes  dispense  with  the 
use  of  the  ceremonial  law,  and  live  after  the 
manner  of  the  Gentiles,  this  showed  that  he 
did  not  look  on  the  observance  of  it  as  still 
necessary,  even  for  tiie  Jews  themselves; 
and  therefore,  that  he  could  not,  consist¬ 
ently  with  his  own  practice,  impose  it  on  the 
Gentile  Christians.  And  yet  Paul  charges 
him  with  this,  yea,  represents  him  as  com¬ 
pelling  the  Gentiles  to  live  as  did  the  Jews; 
not  by  open  force  and  violence,  but  this  was 
the  tendency  of  what  he  did;  for  it  was  in 
effect  to  signify  this,  that  the  Gentiles  must 
comply  with  the  Jews,  or  else  not  be  admit¬ 
ted  into  Christian  communion. 

Paul  having  thus  established  his  character 
and  office,  and  sufficiently  shown  that  he 
was  not  inferior  to  any  of  the  apostles,  no* 
not  to  Peter  himself,  from  the  account  of  the 
reproof  he  gave  him,  he  takes  occasion  to 
speak  of  that  great  fundamental  doctrine  of 
the  Gospel, — justification  only  by  faith  in 
Christ,  and  not  by  the  works  of  the  Law, 
(though  some  think  ail  he  says,  to  the  end  of 
the  ch.,  is  what  he  said  to  Peter  at  Antioch,) 
which  doctrine  condemned  Peter  for  his 
svmbolizing  with  the  Jews.  For  if  it  was 
the  principle  of  his  religion.  That  the  gos¬ 
pel  is  the  instrument  of  our  justification,  and 
not  the  law;  then  he  did  very  ill  in  counte¬ 
nancing  them  who  kept  up  the  law,  by  mix¬ 
ing  it  with  faith  in  the  business  of  our  justi¬ 
fication.  This  was  the  doctrine  Paul  had 
preached  among  the  Galatians,  which  he 
still  adhered  to, and  which  is  the  great  busi¬ 
ness  of  this  epistle.  Paul  acquaints  us, 

1.  With  the  practice  of  the  Jewish  Chris¬ 
tians  themselves,  v.  15.  ‘  We,’  says  he, 
‘  who  are  Jews  by  nature,  who  have  been  born 
and  bred  in  the  Jewish  religion,  and  not 
among  the  impure  Gentiles,  knowing  that  a 
man  is  not  justified  by  the  works  of  the  law, 
but  by  the  faith  of  Jesus  Christ,  even  we  our¬ 
selves  have  believed  in  Jesus  Christ,  that  we 
might  be  justified  by  the  faith  of  Christ,  and 
not  by  the  works  of  the  law.  Why  then  should 
we  hamper  ourselves  with  the  law  1  What 
did  we  believe  in  Christ  fori  Was  it  not, 
that  we  might  be  justified  by  the  faith  of 
Christ!  And  if  it  would  be  wrong  in  us, 
I  who  are  Jews  by  nature,  to  return  to  the 
law,  and  expect  justification  by  it,  woidd  it 
not  be  much  more  so  to  require  this  of  the 
Gentiles,  who  were  never  subject  to  it,  since 
|  by  the  works  of  the  law  no  flesh  shall  be  justi- 
j  fed  ?’  To  give  the  greater  weight  to  this, 
he  adds,  v.  17.  ‘  But  if,  while  we  seek  to  be 
i  justified  by  Christ,  we  ourselves  also  are  found 


V.  11 — 1G.  The  wisdom  of  God,  in  permitting  the  transaction  here 
recorded,  is  very  conspicuous  ;  for  it  demonstrably  proves  the  pope’s 
pretended  infallibility  and  supremacy,  as  derived  from  Peter,  (no  one 
Can  tell  in  what  manner,)  to  be  the  most  groundless  fiction  imaginable, 
and  it  tends  exceedingly  to  establish  the  doctrine  of  justification  by  faith 
alone — This  [Peter’s  conduct]  sufficiently  proved  him  to  be  both  fallible 
and  sinful  in  himself;  though  he  was  guided  by  the  Spirit  of  God  to  de- 
•liver  the  Gospel  to  'mankind,  free  from  error  or  corrupt  mixture.  Mat.. 
16:18,  19.  As,  however,  he  was  so  evidently  blameable,  Paul,  though 
probably  a  much  younger  man,  and  railed  to  the  apostleship  long  after 
Peter,  deemed  himself  bound  openly  to  withstand  him.  (16)  By  the 
works  of  the  law ,  <fcc.]  Tito  occasion  of  this  declaration  was  doubtless 
taken  from  the  ceremonial  law;  bu* the  argument,  as  it  respects  justifi¬ 
cation,  is  equally  conclusive  against  all  dependence  on  the  works  of  the 
moral  law,  as  absolutely  inconsistent  with  the  method  of  justification, 
according  to  the  Gospel.  —  This  certainly  took  place  same  years  before 
the  apostle's  last  journey  to  Jerusalem,  as  recorded  hy  I.uke;  and  it  is 
an  additional  argument,  in  support  of  the  view  before  given  of  Paul’s 
conduct  at  that  juncture.  Acts  21ri7— 26. — The  conduct  of  Peter,  on 
this  trying  occasion,  seems  to  have  been  peculiarly  excellent. —  15)  Sin¬ 
ners  of  the  Gentiles.]  As  distinguished  from  ‘sinners’  who  were  not 
‘  Gentiles.’  Lu.  15:1,  2.  ‘  The  word  in  the  scripture-phrase  signifies,  a 
great  and  habitual  sinner;  and  because  the  Gentiles  were  by  the  Jewish 

[360] 


nation  slill  esteemed  such,  and  generally  xvere  so,  therefore  the  word  is 
used  for  the  Gentiles  who  knew  not  God.’  Whitby.  Scott. 

(11.)  To  the  face.]  ‘Comp.  1  K.  1:23.  Ps.  50:21.  IIos.  5:5.  It  im¬ 
plies  not  doing  it  in  an  underhand  way,  and  also  not  afraid  of  remon¬ 
strating  witli  him,  as  not  conscious  of  any  apostolical  inferiority.’  Ur.. 
Blamed.]  ‘  Though  their  inspiration  secured  the  apostles  from  error  in 
doctrine,  it  did  not  preserve  them  from  ail  imprudence  and  sin  in  con¬ 
duct.’  Macknicht. 

(1 !.)  Before  a//.]  ‘  It  being  a  public  affair,  affecting  many.’  Doddr. 
05.)  Sinners  of  the  Gentiles.]  ‘  A  periphrasis  for  Gentiles.’  Bi„ 

V.  17 — 21.  It  is  not  agreed  among  expositors,  whether  the  apostle's 
address  to  Peter  continues  to  the  end  of  the  ch.,  or  where  it  terminates 
if  it  does  not;  hut  the  doctrine  is  the  same,  however  this  may  he  decid¬ 
ed. — If,  then,  while  the  apostles,  and  their  converts  from  among  the 
Jews,  renounced  their  legal  confidence,  and  sought  to  be  justified  by 
Christ,  it  should  at  length  he  found,  that  they  were  yet  sinners,  unpar¬ 
doned,  unjustified,  through  the  insufficiency  of  his  righteousness  and 
atonement  to  justify  them,  or  of  faith  to  give  them  nu  interest  in  it, 
except  they  returned  back  to  the  law,  and  taught  the  Gentile  converts 
to  judaize,  it  would  follow,  that  Christ  was  ‘the  minister  of  sin,’  anil 
the  Gospel,  the  ‘ministration  of  condemnation.’  instead  of  ‘  the  mrnis- 
traiion  of  the  Spirit,’  and  ‘of  righteousness.’  1  Co~.  15:12 — 18.  2  Cor. 
3:7 — 11. — But  ‘Cod  forbid,’  that  such  things  should  le  spoken  of  Christ 


A.  D.  56. 


GALATIANS,  II. 


18  For  if  I  build  again  the  things 
which  I  destroyed,  I  make  myself 
a  transgressor. 

19  For  I  T  through  the  law  am 
dead  to  the  law,  that  I  might  live 
w  unto  God. 

20  I  am  crucified  x  with  Christ  : 
nevertheless  I  live  ;  yet  not  I,  but 
Christ  liveth  in  One  :  and  the  life 
which  I  now  live  in  the  flesh,  I  live 
by  the  faith  of  the  Son  of  God,  who 
loved  me,  and  gave-  himself  1  for 
me. 

21  I  do  not  frustrate  the  grace  of 
God  :  for  if  *  righteousness  conie  by 
the  law,  then  Christ  is  dead  in  vain. 

v  Ro.  7:4,10.  8:2.  x  c.  5:24.  6:14.  z  Jii.  10:11. 

w  Ro.  6:11,14.  y  1  Til.  5:10.  Eu.  5:2. 

2  Co.  5:15.  IPe.  4:2.  a  He.  7:11. 


sinners,  found  giving  countenance  or  indul- 
gence'to  sin,  or  rather  are  accounted  sinners 
of  the  Gentiles,  and  such  as  it  is  not  fit  to 
have  communion  with,  unless  we  also  observe 
the  law  of  Moses  ;  Is  Christ  the  minister  of 
sin  ?  Will  it  not  follow,  that  He  engages 
us  to  receive  a  doctrine  that  gives  liberty  to 
sin,  or  by  which  we  are  so  far  from  being 
justified,  that- we  remain  impure  sinners,  and 
unfit  to  be  conversed  with  V  This,  he  inti¬ 
mates,  would  be  the  consequence,  but  he  re¬ 
jects  it  with  abhorrence.  This  would  be 
very  dishonorable  to  Christ,  and  very  inju¬ 
rious  to  them  also.  ‘  For,’  says  he,  v.  18. 

‘  if  I,  or  any  other,  who  have  taught  that  the 
observance  of  the  Mosaic  law  is  not  neces¬ 
sary  to  justification,  should  now,  by  word  or 
practice,  teach  or  intimate  that  it  is  neces¬ 
sary,  I  own  myself  to  be  still  an  impure  sin¬ 
ner,  and  to  remain  under  the  guilt  of  sin, 
notwithstanding  my  faith  in  Christ;  or  I 
shall  be  liable  to  be  charged  with  deceit  and 


prevarication,  and  acting  inconsistently  with 
myself.’  THus  does  the  apostle  argue  for  the 
great  doctrine  of  justification  by  faith  with¬ 
out  the  works  of  the  law,  from  the  principles 
and  practice  of  the  Jewish  Christians  them¬ 
selves,  and  from  the  consequence  that  would 
•attend  their  departure  from  it;  whence  it 
appeared,  that  Peter  and  the  other  Jews 
were  much  in  the  wrong  in  this. 

2.  His  own  judgment  and  practice. 

(1.)  He  was  dead  to  the  law.  Whatever 
account  others  might  make  of  it,  yet,  forhis 
part,  he  was  dead  to  it.  He  knew  the  moral 
law  denounced  a  curse  against  all  that  con¬ 
tinue  not  in  all  things  written  therein ,  to  do 
them;  therefore  he  was  dead  as  to  all  hope 
of  justification  and  salvation  that  way.  And 
as  for  the  ceremonial  law,  he  also  knew  that 
was  now  superseded  by  the  coming  of  Christ; 
therefore,  lie  was  thus  dead  to  the  law, 
through  the  law  itself;  it  discovered  itself  to 
be  at  an  end  ;  by  considering  the  law  itself, 
he  saw  that  justification  was  not  to  lie  ex¬ 
pected  by  the  works  of  it,  (since  none  could 
perform  a  perfect  obedience  to  it,)  and  that 
there  was  now  no  further  need  of  the  sacri¬ 
fices  and  purifications  of  it,  since  they  were 
done  away  in  Christ,  by  his  offering  up  Him¬ 
self  a  Sacrifice  for  us;  and  therefore  the  more 
he  looked  into  it,  the  more  he  saw  that  there 
was  no  occasion  for  keeping  up  that  regard 
to  if,  which  the  Jews  pleaded  for.  But 
though  he  was  thus  dead  to  the  law,  yet  he 
does  not  look  upon  himself  as  without  law; 
he  was  far  from  thinking  himself  discharged 
from  his  duty  to  God;  on  the  contrary,  he 
was  dead  to  the  law,  that  he  might  live  unto 
God.  The  doctrine  of  the  Gospel,  which  he 
had  embraced,  instead  of  weakening  the 
bond  of  duty  on  him,  did  but  the  more 
strengthen  and  confirm  it;  therefore,  though 
he  was  dead  to  the  law,  yet  it  was  only  in 
order  to  his  living  a  new  and  better  life  to 
God,  as  Rom.  7:4,6.  such  a  life  as  would 


His  judgment  and  practice. 

be  more  agreeable  and  acceptable  to  God 
than  his  observance  of  the  Mosaic  law  could 
now  be,  i.  e.  a  life  of  faith  in  Christ,  and, 
under  the  influence  thereof,  of  holiness  and 
righteousness  toward  God.  Agreeably  here¬ 
unto,  he  acquaints  us, 

(2.)  That,  as  he  was  dead  to  the  law,  so 
he  was  alive  unto  God  through  Jesus  Christ, 
v.  20.  And  here,  in  his  own  person, he  gives 
us  an  excellent  description  of  the  mysterious 
life  of  a  believer.  [1.]  He  is  crucified,  and 
yet  lives,  Rom.  6:6.  he  is  dead  to  the  world, 
dead  to  the  law,  yet  alive  to  God  and  Christ ; 
sin  is  mortified,  and  grace  quickened.  [2.] 
He  lives,  end  yCt  not  he;  this  is  strange,  but 
he  lives  in  the  exercise  of  grace;  yet  that  is 
not  from  himself,  but  from  another.  Be¬ 
lievers  see  themselves  living  in  m  Mate  of  de¬ 
pendence.  [3.]  He  is  crucified  with  Christ, 
yet  Christ  lives  in  him  ;  this  results  from  his 
mystical  union  with  Christ,  by  means  of 
which  he  is  interested  in  the  death  of  Christ, 
so  as  by  virtue  of  that  to  die  «mt«>  sin;  and 
yet  interested  in  the  life  of  Christ,  so  as  by 
virtue  of  that  to  live  unto  God.  [4.]  He 
lives  in  the  flesh,  and  yet  lives  by  faith;  to 
outward  appearance  he  lives  as  other  people 
do,  his  natural  life  is  supported  as  others’ 
are  ;  yet  he  has  a  higher  and  nobler  princi¬ 
ple  that  supports  and  actuate*  him,  that  of 
faith  in  Christ,  and  especially  as  eyeing  the 
wonders  of  his  love  in  giving  Himself  for  him; 
hence  it  is,  that  though  he  lives  in  the  flesh, 
yet  he  does  not  live  after  the  flesh.  Note, 
They  who  have  true  faith,  live  by  that  faith; 
and  the  great  thing  faith  fastens  ooy  is, 
Christ’s  loving  us,  and  giving  Himself  for 
us.  The  great  evidence  of  Cln  i.-l’s  loving 
us,  is,  his  giving  Himself  for  us;  and  this  is 
what  we  are  chiefly  concerned  to  mix  faith 
with,  in  order  to  our  living  to  Him. 

The  apostle  concludes  this  discourse  with 
acquainting  us,  that  by  the  doctrine  of  justi¬ 
fication  by  faith  in  Christ,  without  the  works 


TRACT.  OBS.  Whilst  we  simply  depend  on  God  to  prosper  our 
labors,  we  should  use  every  prudent  method  of'  obviating  misapprehen¬ 
sions,  and  counteracting  the  designs  of  opposers,  ‘  lest,  by  any  means,  we 
should  run  in  vain  and  this  may  commonly  he  connected  with  decid¬ 
ed  firmness  in  important  cases. — False  brethren  and  teachers  are  gener¬ 
ally  ‘brought  in  unawares.'1  We  must  expect  spies  in  our  congrega¬ 
tions,  who  come  on  purpose  to  find  something  to  cavil  at,  or  object  to, 
in  order  to  deprive  us  of  our  Christian  liberty,  by  bringing  us  into  bon¬ 
dage  to  human  impositions,  or  groundless  fears,  or  through  extravagant 
notions  of  liberty,  to  keep  men  in  slavery  to  sin  and  Satan.  We  must 
not  ‘give  place,’  in  such  matters,  by  way  of  subjection,’  in  any  meas¬ 
ure,  lest  ‘  the  truth  of  the  Gospel’  should  he  obscured  or  disgraced. — 
‘False  brethren’  ofien  profess  an  undue  regard  to  ministers  of  establish¬ 
ed  reputation,  in  order  to  disparage  others  perhaps  of  equal  ability  and 
faithfulness,  whose  line  of  duty  requires  them  to  proceed  in  a  somewhat 
different  manner.  But  the  question  is  not,  Who  said  or  who  did  such 
and  such  things  ?  but  merely,  What  was  said  and  done  ?  and,  Did  it 
accord  to  the  Word  of  God,  or  not  ? — ‘  The  fear  of  man  bringeth  a  snare  ’ 
to  an  extent  which  few  are  fully  ayvare  of ;  and  we  need  not  wonder 
to  see  pious  persons  ashamed,  or  afraid,  openly  to  countenance  those 
whom  they  inwardly  favor,  or  boldly  to  avow  themselves  on  controvert¬ 
ed  points,  when  their  opinions  are  unpopular;  for  Peter  himself, even  at 
an  advanced  period  of  his  most  zealous,  bold,  and  useful  ministry,  was 
induced  thus  to  prevaricate.  But  even  a  man  equal  to  an  apostle,  who 
‘  walks  not  uprightly  according  to  the  Gospel,’  is  to  be  blamed  and  con¬ 


demned,  in  this  respect,  when  the  matter  is  evident  and  important. 
Christ  is  the  only  infallible  Head  of  his  church  ;  all  pretenders  to  this 
title  on  earth  are  antichrists,  and  they  who  cannot  endure  to  be  blamed, 
or  to  acknowledge  themselves  mistaken,  are  of  a  very  unchristian  tem¬ 
per. — Men  are  seldom  aware  of  the  magnitude  or  fatal  consequences  of 
their  errors  or  carnal  compliances.  This  conviction,  that  ‘  b\  'be  works 
of  the  law  shall  no  flesh  be  justified,’  has  led  us  to  believe  in  Christ,  and  re¬ 
ly  on  Him,  that  we  ‘  might  be  justified  by  faith’  in  Him  ;  and  v.  bile  v  r  ad- 
’  here  to  this  principle,  all  our  most  spiritual  worship,  and  devoted,  zealous 
obedience,  will  he  entirely  disregarded  by  us  in  the  grand  concern  uf  justi¬ 
fication,  and  he  wholly  performed  from  other  motives  and  to  other  pnriKis- 
es ;  namely,  to  show  the  sincerity  of  our  grateful,  adoring  love,  to  1  adorn 
the  Gospel  of  God  our  Savior,’  to  glorify  God,  and  to  do  what  good  »  e  can 
to  onr  brethren  and  to  all  men.  —  And  we  make  ‘  Christ,  the  Minister  of 
sin,’  if  we  suppose  that  his  righteousness  and  atonement  are  insufficient 
to  justify  the  believer;  even  as  others  make  Him  the  ‘Minister  of  sin,’  by 
allowing  themselves  in  disobedience,  from  a  presumptuous  confidence  of 
being  justified  by  his  righteousness,  and  saved  without  being  sanctified. 
— This  proposition,  ‘  that  if  righteousness  come  hy  the  law,  then  Christ 
is  dead  in  vain,’  is  the  bane  of  all  self-justifying  schemes,  however  r«  fin¬ 
ed  or  ingenious  they  be ;  and  all  who  cleave  to  them  would  certainly 
have  deemed  his  language  to  be  enthusiasm,  if  the  apostle  had  not  used 
it  concerning  his  own  experience,  and  if  it  had  first  been  spoken  by  some 
zealous  modern  defender  of  the  doctrine  of  grace  against  the  objections 
of  Pharisees,  and  the  perversions  of  Anlinomians.  Scott. 


and  his  Gospel  !  This  appears  to  be  the  meaning  of  the  v.,  as  it  stands 
connected  in  the  apostle’s  argument.  At  first  sight,  indeed,  it  may  seem 
rather  to  relate  to  the  sins,  ighich  are  found  in  those  who  profess  to  he 
justified  by  Christ.  These  should  not  be  charged  on  the  doctrine,  or  on 
the  insufficiency  of  his  grace  to  sanctify  them,  as  if  He  were  ‘  the  minis¬ 
ter  of  sin,’  and  allowed  men  to  continue  in  it;  or  as  if  there  was  any 
neei}  to  go  back  to  the  law  on  that  account.  The  former  interpre¬ 
tation,  however,  is  most  approved,  and,  indeed,  justly,  ‘  Christ  is 
then  “  the  Minister  of  sin,”  and  not  of  justification.’- — ‘Must  it  not 
follow  that  He  is  so,  if  He  hath  introduced  an  imperfect  dispensation, 
which  will  not  sufficiently  ensure  the  happiness  of  those  that  follow 
it  ?  Yea,  doth  He  not  indeed  teach  sin,  if  justification  indeed  can¬ 
not  be  obtained  without  the  law,  in  teaching  men  to  renounce  all 
dependence  on  it,  as  it  is  certain  by  his  Gospel  He  doth  ?’  Doildr. — So 
that  the  life  he  then  ‘lived  in  the  fiesh,’  surrounded  with  worldly  oh-’ 
jecls  and  temptations,  was  not  conducted  on  carnal  principles,  or  by  a 
regard  to  external  things,  but  ‘  by  the  faith  of  the  Son  of  God,’  as  he  de¬ 
pended  on  Him  for  all  things,  and  aimed  to  do  all  according  to  his  will, 
and  in  subserviency  to  his  glory.  2  Cor.  513 — 15.  10:1 — 6.  Col.  3:16, 
17.  And  to  this  he  was  influenced  hy  the  consideration,  that  this  glorious 
Savior  had  loved  him,  when  a  bitter  persecutor,  and  had  given  Himself 
to  the  death  on  the  cross,  as  a  sacrifice  for  his  sins.  So  that,  while  he 
neglected  no  acceptable  obedience,  and  declined  no  self-denying  service, 
yet  he  attended  to  all  his  duties,  from  such  principles,  and  for  such  pur¬ 
poses,  that  ‘he  did  not  frustrate,’  or  set  aside  ‘the  grace  of  God,’  bv  at¬ 
tempting  in  any  measure  to  justify  himself  by  his  works,  being  fully 
assured,  that  if  righteousness  could  have  been  obtained  by  any  obedience 
N.  T.  VOL.  V.  46 


of  man  ‘  to  law,’  of  whatever  kind,  consistently  with  the  glory  of  God, 
then  Christ  had  died  without  any  necessity,  and  to  no  purpose.  As, 
therefore,  no  Christian  could  suppose,  that  so  stupendous  a  plan  a»  Unit 
of  redemption  was  formed  and  executed,  without  any  occasion,  it  o  ust 
also  be  concluded,  that  righteousness  could  in  no  degree  be  obtained  by 
a  sinner,  on  account  of  his  obedience  to  any  law.  This  holds  equally 
true  of  the  moral,  as  of  the  ceremonial  law,  and,  indeed,  of  ever  rule 
which  can  he  prescribed  for  tiie  conduct  of  men  in  any  age  or  nation.  It 
was  of  small  moment  whether  men  observed  the  ritual  law  or  not,  ex¬ 
cept  as  they  depended  on  it;  and  the  concluding  part  of  the  apostle's 
argument  related  to  the  moral  law,  at  least  equally  with  tile  ceremonial. 
— ‘I  through  the  law  have  died  by  law  ;  so  that  I  must  live  by  God.’  (19) 
— ‘  We  all,  througli  breaking  law,  have  died  by  the  curse  of  law  ;  so  ihat, 
if  we  live,  we  must  live  by  ihe  free  gift  of  God,  and  not  by  law.’  M'n-in. 
If  tills  learned  and  laborious  wriler  had  made  it  intelligible  what  he 
meant  by  ‘  have  died  by  Die  curse  of  the  law,’  his  novel  interpret  *«tiou 
would  have  required  further  notice.  But  the  author  owns  liimseil  una¬ 
ble  to  alilx  any  precise  meaning  to  Ihe  words  used,  in  this  and  in  »e*e.  *.I 
places  of  liis  tr.  and  paraphrase.  ‘I  have  died  to  the  law,*  is  ex  t>  lam¬ 
ed  by  ‘  I  have  been  crucified  with  Christ.’  Si  o.  ». 

(18.)  ‘He  skilfully  retorts  and  inverts  the  accusation ;  ferns  they  nact 
called  the  non-observance  of  the  law  a  breach  of  it,  so  he  f 

servance  of  the  law  a  transgression.’  Theod.  u  1  1  '  , 

(20.)  Liveth ,  Ac.]  ‘  Christ,  ids  love,  life,  death,  doctrine  example,  sal¬ 
vation,  glorv,  is  to  me,  as  it  were,  the  vital  principle,  which  '  1 

to  do  what  I  do.  I  amientirelv  occupied  with  the  religion  o*  Ch  i-t, 
i  preaching  the  Christian  doctrine  a  it  -  • 

[**'  .1 


spend  my  whole  life  in 


A.  D.  56. 


GALATIANS,  III. 


CHAP.  III. 

I  He  aslceth  what  mnved  them  to  leave  the  faith,  and  hang 
upon  the  law  ?  6  They  that  believe  are  justified,  9  and 
blessed  with  Abraham.  10  Aud  this  he  sheweth  by  many 
reasons. 

O  FOOLISH  a  Galatians,  who 
b  hath  bewitched  you,  that  ye 
should  not  obey  the  truth,  before 
whose  eyes  Jesus  Christ  hath  been 
evidently  set  forth,  crucified  among 
you  ? 

2  This  only  would  I  learn  of  you, 
Received  c  ye  the  Spirit  by  the 
works  of  the  law,  or  d  by  the  hear¬ 
ing  of  faith  ? 

8  Are  ye  so  foolish  ?  having  “be¬ 
gun  in  the  Spirit,  are  ye  now  made 
perfect  by  fthe  flesh  ? 

4  II  ave  ye  suffered  *  so  many 
things  in  b  vain  ?  if  it  be  yet  in  vain. 

5  He  therefore  that  ministereth 
'  to  you  the  Spirit,  and  wbrketh 
miracles  among  you,  doeth  he  it  by 
the  works  of  the  law,  or  by  the 
hearing  of  faith  ? 

[Practical  Observations.] 

a  Mat.  7:26.  d  Ro.  10:17.  g  or,  great. 

b  c.  5:7.  e  c.  *1:9.  h  2  Jn.  8. 

c  Ep.  1:13.  f  He.  9:10.  i  2  Co.  3:8. 

of  the  law,  he  avoided  two  great  difficulties, 
which  the  contrary  opinion  was  loaded  with; 
he  did  not  frustrate  the  grace  of  God,  which 
the  doctrine  of  justification  by  the  works  of 
the  law  did;  so  he  argues,  Rom.  11:6.  nor 
did  he  frustrate  the  death  of  Christ. ;  whereas 
if  righteousness  come  by  the  law,  then  it  must 
follow  that  Christ  is  dead  in  vain  ;  for  if  we 
look  for  salvation  by  the  law  of  Moses,  then 
we  render  the  death  of  Christ  needless  :  for 
to  what  purpose  should  lie  be  appointed  to 
die,  if  we  might  have  been  saved  without  it ! 

Chap.  III.  V.  1 — 5.  The  apostle  is  here 
dealing  with  those  who,  having  embraced  the 
faith  of  Christ,  still  continued  to  seek  for 
justification  by  their  own  obedience  to  the 
moral  precepts,  as  their  righteousness  before 


God,  and,  wherein  that  was  defective,  had 
recourse  to  the  legal  sacrifices  *nd  purifica¬ 
tions,  to  make  it  up.  These  he  first  sharply 
reproves,  and  then  endeavors,  by  the  evidence 
of  truth,  to  convince. 

His  reproof  is  very  close  and  warm  ;  he 
calls  them  foolish,  v.  1.  Yea,  he  represent^ 
them  as  bewitched,  or  enchanted,  by  the  arts 
and  snares  of  their  seducing  teachers,  and  so 
far  deluded  as  to  act  very  unlike  themselves. 
Their  fault  was,  they  did  not  obey  the  truth, 
did  not  adhere  to  the  gospel-way  of  justifi¬ 
cation,  wherein  they  had  been  taught,  and 
which  they  had  professed  to  embrace.  Sev¬ 
eral  tilings  proved  and  aggravated  their  folly. 

1.  Jesus  Christ  had  been  evidently  set  forth 
as  crucified  among  them  ;  i.  e.  they  had  had 
the  doctrine  of  the  cross  preached  to  them, 
and  the  sacrament  of  the  Lord’s  supper  ad¬ 
ministered  among  them,  in  both  which  Christ 
crucified  had  been  set  before  them.  Now, 
it  was  the  greatest  madness  for  them  who 
had  had  acquaintance  with  such  sacred  mys¬ 
teries,  and  admiltanofc  to  such  great  solem¬ 
nities,  not  to  obey  the  truth  which  was  thus 
published  to  them,  and  signed  and  sealed  in 
that  ordinance. 

2.  He  appeals  to  their  experiences  of  the 
working  of  the  Spirit  on  their  souls,  v.  2.  he 
puts  them  in  mind,  that,  on  their  becoming 
Christians,  they  had  received  the  Spirit,  that 
many  of  them  at  least  had  been  made  parta¬ 
kers,  not  only  of  the  sanctifying  influences, 
but  of  the  miraculous  gifts,  of  the  Holy 
Spirit;  which  were  eminent  proofs  of  the 
truth  of  the  Christian  religion,  and  the  sev¬ 
eral  doctrines  of  it,  and  especially  of  this, 
that  justification  is  by  Christ  only,  not  by 
works  of  law,  one  of  its  peculiar  and  funda¬ 
mental  principles.  To  convince  them  of  fol¬ 
ly,  he  desires  to  know,  how  they  came  by 
these  gifts  and  graces  ;  Was  it  by  the  works 
of  the  law,  i.  e.  tiie  preaching  of  the  necessity 
of  these  in  order  to  justification!  This  they 
could  not  say,  for  that  doctrine  had  not  then 
been  preached  to  them,  nor  had  they,  as  Gen¬ 
tiles,  any  pretence  to  justification  that  way. 
Or,  was  it  by  the  hearing  of  faith,  i.  e.  the 
preaching  of  the  doctrine  of  faith  in  Christ, 
as  the  only  way  of  justification  !  This,  if 


The  Galatians  reproved. 

they  would  say  the  truth,  they  were  obliged 
to  own,  and  therefore  must  be  very  unreason¬ 
able  to  reject  a  doctrine,  whose  good  effects 
they  had  had  such  experience  of.  Note,  The 
Spirit  is  usually  communicated  by  the  min¬ 
istry  of  the  Gospel.  And  they  are  very  un¬ 
wise,  who  suffer  themselves  to  be  turned 
away  from  the  ministry  and  doctrine  which 
have  been  blessed  to  their  spiritual  advan¬ 
tage. 

3.  He  calls  on  them  to  consider  their  past 
and  present  conduct,  and  thence  to  judge 
whether  they  were  not  acting  very  weakly 
and  unreasonably,  v.  3,4.  He  tells  them,  they 
had  embraced  the  doctrine  of  the  Gospel,  by 
means  of  which  they  had  received  the  Spirit, 
wherein  only  the  true  way  of  justification  is 
revealed;  thus  they  had  begun  well.  But 
now  they  were  turning  to  the  law,  and  ex¬ 
pected  to  be  advanced  to  higher  degrees  of 
perfection,  by  adding  the  observance  of  it  to 
faith  in  Christ,  in  order  to  their  justifica¬ 
tion,  which  could  end  in  nothing  but  their 
shame  and  disappointment  ;  hereby  they 
were  pulling  down,  with  one  hand,  what  they 
had  built  with  the  other,  and  undoing  what 
they  had  hitherto  done  in  Christianity.  Yea, 
he  further  reminds  them,  that  they  had  not 
only  embraced  the  Christian  doctrine,  but 
suffered  for  it,  too  ;  therefore  their  folly 
would  be  the  more  aggravated,  if  now  they 
should  desert  it;  for  in  this  case  all  that 
they  had  suffered  would  he  in  vain;  it  would 
appear  that  they  had  been  foolish  in  suffer¬ 
ing  for  what  they  now  deserted,  and  their 
sufferings  would  be  altogether  in  vain,  and 
of  no  advantage  to  them. 

4.  He  puts  them  in  mind,  that  they  had 
had  ministers  among  them,  particularly  him¬ 
self,  who  came  with  a  divine  seal  and  com¬ 
mission;  and  he  appeals  to  them,  whether 
the  doctrine  preached  by  them,  and  con¬ 
firmed  by  the  miraculous  gifts  and  operations 
of  the  Spirit,  was  that  of  justification  by  the 
works  of  the  law,  or  by  the  faith  of  Christ; 
they  very  well  knew  it  was  the  latter;  there¬ 
fore  they  must  needs  be  inexcusable  in  for¬ 
saking  a  doctrine  so  signally  owned  and  at¬ 
tested,  for  one  that  had  received  no  such 
attestations. 


TRACT.  OBS.  V.  t — 5.  The  faithful  preaching  of  the  Gospel  so 
exhibits  ‘  Christ  crucified,’  as  the  great  Object  of  the  Christian’s  faith, 
hope,  and  admiring  love  and  gratitude,  and  so  shows  the  nature,  glory, 
and  efficacy  of  his  sufferings,  from  love  to  our  souls,  that  He  is,  as  it 
were,  ‘  evidently  set  forth  before  men’s  eyes,’  as  dying  on  the  cross  for 
their  sins.  But  how  very  small  a  portion  of  the  preaching  in  Christ¬ 
endom  answers  this  description,  or  tends  thus  to  excite  men’s  affec¬ 
tions  towards  the  gracious  Redeemer,  needs  not  be  told.  Alas  !  who 
has  infatuated  and  bewitched  men’s  minds,  that  they  should  so  generally 
turn  away  from  this  fundamental  doctrine,  to  listen  to  metaphysical  sub¬ 
tleties,  fabulous  and  absurd  legends,  moral  harangues,  superstitious  ob¬ 
servances  and  forms,  or  enthusiastical  reveries:*  It  is  plain,  that  ‘the 
god  of  this  world,’  by  various  instruments,  who  reciprocally  despise  each 
otiter,  has  ‘blinded  men's  eyes,  lest  the  Gospel  of  the  glory  of  Christ 
should  shine  into  them,’  and  lest  they  should  learn  to  trust  in  a  crttci- 


NOTES.  Chap.  III.  V.  1 — -5.  The  argument  might  be  reduced  to 
a  very  compendious  decision;  the  apostle  only  desired  to  know  from 
them,  whether  they  had  received  the  miraculous  gifts  of  the  Holy  Spirit, 
by  the  laying  on  of  the  hands  of  those  preachers,  who  proselyted  them 
to  the  Jewish  law,  or  from  him,  who  brought  them  the  joyful  report  of 
free  salvation  l>y  faith  in  Christ  ?  Rom.  10:5 — 17.  This  open  appeal  (5) 
to  the  Galatians,  who  were  under  the  inituence  of  those,  who  opposed 
the  apostle’s  authority,  is  a  full  demonstration,  that  these  gifts  (miracu¬ 
lous  powers)  were  actually  communicated  to  them  by  his  ministry. 
Tiie  abruptness  and  repetitions  of  his  questions  also  prove,  that  his  mind 
vvas  greatly  agitated  by  their  misconduct,  and  show  how  important 
he  deemed  their  mistake,  and  we  cannot  doubt  that  he  regarded  all  their 
profession,  and  sufferings  in  consequence  of  it,  to  be  altogether  in  vain, 
in  case  they  persisted  in  it. — This  is  of  the  greatest  importance  in  the 
argument ;  for  submission  to  tiie  ceremonial  law,  though  burdensome, 
would  not  have  been  a  renunciation  of  the  Gospel,  if  it  had  not  implied 
a  dependence  on  their  own  works,  instead  of  the  righteousness  and  pro¬ 
pitiatory  sacrifice  of  Chri.-t,  and  this  dependence  must  be  equally  incom¬ 
patible  with  the  grace  of  the  Gospel,  even  when  the  obedience  itself  is 
necessary  from  other  motives,  and  for  other  purposes.  Scott. 

(1.)  Foolish.]  Without  consideration,  and  stupid,  ns  to  this  particu¬ 
lar  matter  :  for,  otherwise,  Themistoc/es  calls  them,  '■sharp  and  quick- 
wilted ns  indeed  were  their  ancestors  the  Galli,  who  had  also  a  charac¬ 
teristic  levity  and  inconstancy.  See  lit  ‘  Having  established  his  commis¬ 
sion,  Paul  now  speaks  with  full  authority.’  Bewitched.)  ‘  Ebaskane  • 
lit.  bewitched,  fascinated,  or  rather,  in  a  metaphorical  sense,  seduced, 
deceived  .•  and  so  used  by  Plat.  It  occurs  not  elsewhere  in  the  N.  T. 
nor,  in  this  sense,  in  the  classics;  the  Gr.  conitrs.  derive  it  from  phaos 
and  ka;nein,  and  it  seems  they  thought  the  evil  was  communicated 
through  the  eyes ;  as  serpents  are  said  to  fascinate  birds.  “Those  are 
[362] 


fied  Savior,  ‘  God  manifested  in  the  flesh.’  2  Cor.  4:3 — 6.  1  Tim.  3:16. 
But  we  must  observe,  with  equal  grief  and  astonishment,  the  folly  of 
numbers,  who  have  often  heard  the  Gospel,  most  faithfully  and  patheti¬ 
cally  preached  ;  and  yet  have  at  length  been  fascinated,  by  plausible  de¬ 
ceivers,  to  refuse  obedience  to  the  truth. — They  who  have  begun  to  fear 
God,  to  seek  mercy,  to  pray,  and  to  renounce  sin,  under  the  preaching 
of  the  Gospel,  must  be  foolish  indeed,  if  they  think  to  make  further  pro¬ 
ficiency  by  returning  to  legal  dependences,  or  resting  on  external  observ¬ 
ances.  It  is  most  grievous  to  see  those  who  have  gone  through  sharp 
convictions,  and  even  endured  persecutions,  for  attending  on  the  Gospel, 
afterwards  turning  aside,  and  giving  cause  to  fear,  that  they  have  ‘suf¬ 
fered  so  many  things  in  vain.’  Indeed,  any  affliction  endured,  without 
profit  derived  from  it,  should  be  considered  as  a  cause  for  sorrow  and 
humiliation;  and  if  the  Lord  loveth  us,  we  may  be  assured,  that  further 
and  sharper  chastisements  will  follow.  Scott. 


properly  said  to  fascinate,  who  so  impose  on  the  human  senses,  and  es¬ 
pecially  the  sight,  that  the  thing  appears  under  some  other  than  its  real 
form.”  Hyperius.  Koppe  derives  it  from  baskein  (for  phaskein)  equiv¬ 
alent  to  kakologein,  to  calumniate,  envy.  Paul  (I  apprehend)  only 
means  it  in  the  sense  seduce ,  deceive ,  lit.  talk  you  over  ;  as  conjurors  or 
mountebanks  do.’  Bl .  As  to  the  reality  of  witching,  or  witchcraft,  a 
discussion  of  it  would  here  be  out  of  place,  as  Paul  does  not  allude  di¬ 
rectly  to  it.  Set  forth.]  ‘The  Gr.  was  used  to  denote  things  written 
on  tables,  and  hung  up  to  public  view  ’  Mackn.  ‘  Represented  before 
your  minds’  eyes  (as  in  a  picture)  crucified.’  Bl.  Ed. 

(5.)  Miracles.]  ‘All  the  ancient  comtrs.  rightly  understand  this,  of 
the  supernatural  and  miraculous  gifts  of  the  apostolic  age.  Nor  do  the 
moderns  deny  this,  except  some  recent  ones,  who  refer  it  to  Paul's  mir¬ 
acles,  contrary  to  the  context,  which  refers  to  the  Spirit ,  given  to  and 
received  by  the  Galatians.  So  Borger  acknowledges.  Besides,  energein 
en  [the  Gr.  here]  never  means  pair  are  inter  [manifest  among],  either  in 
the  N.  T.  or  classics  :  whereas,  though  it  often  occurs  in  Scripture, 
yet  it  is  always  in  the  sense  of,  to  work  or  produce  effects  in  any  one, 
and,  almost  always,  miraculous  ones.  So  Mat.  14:2.  Mk.  6:19.  2  Cor. 
2:8.  1  Cor.  12:6.  1  Thess.  2:13.  2  Thess.  2:7.  And  numerous  are  the 
passages  where  en  following  energein  signifies  in,  not  among.  This 
and  other  such  passages,  in  which  the  apostles  make  mention  of  mira¬ 
cles,  of  which  those  to  whom  they  wrote  were  witnesses,  are  calculated 
powerfully  to  establish  and  confirm  the  divine  origin  of  the  Christian 
religion.  (Comp.  2  Cor.  12:12.  1  Thess.  1:5,  &c.)  But  if  this  be  the 
case,  what  must  we  think  of  the  judgment  or  the  intentions  of  those 
who  (as  most  recent  foreign  comtrs.)  have  the  temerilv  to  adopt  modes 
of  interpretation,  destructive  of  this  glorious  evidence  of  the  truth  of  the 
Gospel  ?  ’  Bl.  Ami  see  Baxter,  in  Doddr.,  who  illustrates  the  provi¬ 
dence  of  God,  in  educing  early  testimony  to  the  truth.  Id. 


A.  D.  56. 


GALATIANS,  III. 


6  Even  as  Abraham  J  believed 
God,  and  it  was  k  accounted  to  him 
for  righteousness. 

7  Know  ye,  therefore,  that  they 
which  arc  of  faith,  the  same  are 
the  children  1  of  Abraham. 

8  And  the  Scripture,  foreseeing 
that  God  would  justify  mthe  heathen 
through  faith,  preached  before  the 
gospel  unto  Abraham,  saying,  n  In 
thee  shall  all  nations  be  blessed. 

9  So  then  0  they  which  be  of 
faith  are  blessed  with  faithful  Abra¬ 
ham. 

10  For  as  many  as  are  of  the 
works  of  the  law,  are  under  the 
curse  :  for  it  is  written,  p  Cursed  is 
every  one  that  continueth  not  in  all 
things  which  are  written  in  the 
book  of  the  law  to  do  them. 

11  But  that  no  man  is  justified 
by  the  law  in  the  sight  of  God,  it  is 
evident :  for,  The  qjust  shall  live 
by  faith. 

12  And  the  law  ris  not  of  faith  : 
but,  The  8  man  that  doeth  them 
shall  live  in  them. 

13  Christ 'hath  redeemed  us  from 
the  curse  of  the  law,  being  made  a 
curse  for  us  :  for  it  is  written,  u 
Cursed  is  every  one  that  hangeth 
on  a  tree  : 

14  That  v  the  blessing  of  Abra¬ 
ham  might  come  on  the  Gentiles 


through  Jesus  Christ  ;  that  we 
might  receive  the  promise  w  of  the 

sr 


)irit  through  faith. 


j  Ge.  15:6. 
k  or,  imputed. 

1  J n.  8:39. 

Ro.  4:11—16. 
m  ver. 

li  Ge.  1*2:3.  ‘2*2:18. 


Ac.  3:55. 
o  c.  4:28. 
p  De.  ‘27:26. 
q  Hub.  2:4. 
r  Ro.  10:5,6. 
s  Le  18:5. 


Ere.  20:11. 
t  2  Co  5:21.  c.4:5. 
u  De.  21:23. 
v  Ro.  4:9,16. 
w  Is  41:3.  Kze.  3S: 
27.  Joel  2:23,29. 


V.  6 — 18.  The  apostle  largely  proves  the  j 
doctrine  he  had  reproved  them  for  rejecting; 
namely,  that  of  justification  by  faith  without 
the  works  of  the  law. 

1.  From  the  example  of  Abraham’s  justi¬ 
fication,  v.  G.  an  argument  he  uses,  Rom.  4.  j 
Abraham  believed  God,  and  that  was  accounted  j 
to  him  for  righteousness;  his  faith  fastened  on  j 
the  promise  of  God,  and  on  his  believing  he 
was  owned  and  accepted  of  God  as  a  right- 
eous  man;  on  this  account  he  is  represented  J 
as  the  Father  of  the  faithful,  who  are  the  chil-  \ 
dren  of  Abraham,  v.  7.  not  according  to  the 
flesh ,  but  according  to  the  promise;  and,  j 
consequently,  are  justified  in  the  same  way  ! 
he  was,  by  faith.  To  confirm  this,  the  apos-  ! 
lie  acquaints  us,  that  the  promise  made  to 
Abraham,  Gen.  12:3.  had  a  reference  here¬ 
unto,  v.  8.  The  Scripture  is  said  to  foresee, 
because  He  that  indited  the  Scripture,  did 
foresee,  that  God  would  justify  the  heathen 
world  in  the  way  of  faith;  therefore  in  Abra¬ 
ham,  i.  e.  in  the  Seed  of  Abraham,  which 
is  Christ,  not  the  Jews  only,  but  the  Gen¬ 
tiles  also,  should  be  blessed;  not  only  bles¬ 
sed  in  the  seed  of  Abraham,  but  blessed  as 
Abraham  was,  .being  justified  as  he  was. 
This  the  apostle  calls  preaching  the  Gospel  to 
Abraham;  and  from  thence  infers,  v.  9.  that 
they  i  uho  are  of  faith,  i.  e.  true  believers,  of 
what  nation  soever  they  are,  are  blessed  with 
faithful  Abraham. 

2.  He  shows,  that  we  cannot  be  justified 
but  by  faith  fastening  on  the  Gospel,  because 
the  law-  condemns  us,  v.  10.  and  Dent.  27: 
26.  The  condition  of  life,  by  the  law,  is, 
perfect,  personal, and  perpetual,  obedience; 
the  language  of  it  is.  Do  this,  and  live;  or, 
as  v.  12.  The  man  that  doeth  them  shall  live  | 
in  them;  and  for  every  failure  herein  the  law  j 
denounces  a  curse.  The  curse  is  wgath  re-  i 
veuled,and  ruin  threatened  ;  a  separation  unto  ! 
all  evil  :  and  this  is  in  full  force,  power,  and  | 
virtue,  against  all  sinners,  and  therefore  j 
against  all  men,  for  all  have  sinned,  and  if,  1 
as  transgressors  of  the  law,  vve  are  under  the  ( 
curse  of  it, "it  must  be  vain  to  look  for  justi-  ! 


Of  justification  by  faith. 

fication  by  it.  Rut.  yet  the  apostle  acquaints 
us,  how  we  may  escape, and  regain  the  favor 
of  God,  namely,  through  faith  in  Christ, 
i>.  13.  By  a  strange  method  Christ  hath  re¬ 
deemed  us,  being  Himself  made  Sin  for  us, 
and  so  a  Curse  for  us;  laid  for  the  present 
under  that  infamous  token  of  the  divine  dis¬ 
pleasure,  which  the  law  of  Moses  had  put  a 
particular  brand  upon,  Deut.  21 :  23.  and  all, 
that  the  blessing  of  Abraham  might  come  on 
the  Gentiles  through  Jesus  Christ;  that  all 
who  believed  on  Christ,  whether  Jews  or 
Gentiles,  might  become  heirs  of  Abraham’s 
blessing,  and  particularly  of  that  great  prom¬ 
ise  of  the  Spirit,  which  was  peculiarly  re¬ 
served  for  the  times  of  the  Gospel  lienee 
it  appeared,  that  it  was  not  by  putting  them¬ 
selves  under  the  law,  but  by  faith  in  Christ, 
that  they  became  the  people  of  God,  and 
heirs  of  the  promise. 

3.  To  prove  that  justification  is  by  faith, 
and  not  by  the  works  of  the  law,  he  alleges 
the  express  testimony  of  the  O.  T.  v.  11. 
Hab.  2:4.  quoted,  Rom.  1:17.  and  Heb.  10: 
38.  The  design  of  it  is,  to  show  that  they 
only  are  just  or  righteous,  who  do  truly  live, 
who  are  freed  from  death  and  wrath,  and 
restored  into  a  state  of  life  in  the  favor  of 
God  ;  and  that  it  is  only  through  faith  that 
persons  become  righteous,  and,  as  such,  ob¬ 
tain  life  and  happiness;  that  they  are  accept¬ 
ed  of  God,  and  enabled  to  live  to  Him  now, 
and  are  entitled  to  ai/ eternal  life  in  the  en¬ 
joyment  of  Him  hereafter,  lienee  the  apostle 
says.  It  is  evident  that  no  man  is  justified  by 
the  law  in  the  sight  of  God,  whatever  he  may 
be  in  the  account  of  others:  for  the  law  is  not 
of  faith  ;  that  says  nothing  concerning  faith 
in  the  business  of  justification,  nor  does  it 
give  life  to  those  who  believe  ;  but  the  lan¬ 
guage  of  it  is,  The  man  that  doeth  them,  shall 
live  in  them,  as  Lev.  18:  5.  It  requires  per¬ 
fect  obedience  as  the  condition  of  life,  and 
therefore  now  can  by  no  means  be  the  rule 
of  our  justification  :  this  argument  may  give 
us  occasion  to  remark,  That  justification  by 
faith  is  no  new  doctrine,  but  was  established 


V.  6 — 9.  (8)  The  Scripture  foreseeing.  Sec.]  What  can  this  mean, 
unless  ‘the  Scripture’  is  considered  as  ‘  the  Word  of  God,’  who  fore¬ 
saw,  and  thus  revealed  his  determinate  purpose  and  foreknowledge  in 
this  particular  dels  2:22 — 35. — In  thee,  &c..]  Not  exactly  from  either 
the.  I.XX.  or  the  Ileh.  Gen.  12:3.  Scott. 

(G.)  ‘This  proof,  from  Abraham,  was  calcnlaiod  to  produce  the 
greatest  effect  on  the  Jews  and  Judaizers.  See  the  Rabbins,  &c.’  El. 
Accounted.]  ElogisthC.  ‘  Imputed .-  set  down  to  his  account  as  an 
evidence  pf  his  being  a  righteous  person.’  Dnddr.  Righteousness .]  l)i- 
kaiosunc.  ‘Abraham  gave  a  double  and  illustrious  proof  of  faith  ;  1st. 
in  reposing  entire  confidence  in  the  promise  of  God,  that  he  should  have 
offspring  in  extreme  old  age.  Gen.  15:5,  G.  2dly.  in  not  hesitating  to 
sacrifice  the  child  of  his  age,  and  source  of  his  hopes.  Gen. 22.  Ja  5:21  — 
23.  Hence,  the  expressions  of  Paul  and  James  are  easily  to  be  reconciled. 
Paul  speaks  of  the  former  evidence  of  Abraham’s  faith  ;  James,  of  the 
latter,  inasmuch  as  this  was  shown  in  deeds.'  El.  Ed. 

(7.)  ‘  Know  ye  therefore,  and  infer  from  hence,  that  as  faith  was  the 

brightest  part  of  the  character  of  tilts  illustrious  patriarch,  so  all  they 
who  [are)  of  faith,  all  that  have  the  same  principle  working  in  their 
hearts,  and  engaging  them  to  receive  the  gospel-dispensation,  the  some 
arc,  and  show  themselves  by  a  like  disposition  to  be,  the  children  of 
Abraham,  mid  may  expect  to  inherit  the  same  blessings  with  him,  as,  by 
embracing  the  Gospel,  they  manifest  the  same  principle  and  temper.’ 

Dod:>«. 

(8.)  In  thee.  Sec.]  ‘  Made  up  from  Gen.  12:3.  and  22:13.’  Bonosn. 

(9.)  ‘To  repress  this  fear  of  being  accursed,  if  they  kept  not  to  the  law, 
Pan!  shows  them  that,  on  the  contrary,  they  shall  be  blessed  by  leaving 
it,  and  coming  to  the  faith,  as  faithful  Abraham  was  blessed.’  Theoph. 

V.  10 — 14.  The  passage  here  quoted,  follows  a  variety  of  curses  de¬ 
nounced  against  transgressors  of  the  moral  law,  which  shows  that  this 
was  principally  referred  to.  Indeed,  t he  legal  dispensation,  considered 
as  a  covenant  of  works,  was  intended  ;  believers  were  always  under  t lie 
covenant  of  srace,  by  faith  in  the  Savior,  as  promised  from  the  begin¬ 
ning,  and  prefigured  especially  by  the  sacrificing  of  innocent  animals; 
unbelievers  ahvuvs  made  the  whole  law  a  complex  covenant  of  works, 
and  the  nation  of  Israel  was  under  the  Sinai-covensnt,  in  respect  of  ihe 
land  of  Canaan,  and  their  peculiar  privileges.  Ex.  19:5.  29:1.  lint  after 
the  promulgation  of  the  Gospel,  the  whole  became  entirely  a  covenant 
of  works,  even  as  much  as  that  of  Adam.  4:21 — 31.  Tinder  a  covenant 
of  this  kind,  in  one  form  or  other,  all  men  continue,  as  the  rational  and 
accountable  creatures  of  God,  and,  being  transgressors  of  his  law,  even 
according  to  their  own  obscure  notions  of  it,  they  are  exposed  to  the 
curse  and  wrath  of  God,  and  remain  under  it,  unless  they  believe  in 
Christ.  Rom.  2:12 — 16.  But  as  the  apostle  was  arguing. with  Judni- 
ters,  he  led  their  attention  to  the  written  law  itself:  which  could  not 
confer  the  blessing,  bill  must  denounce  [lie  curse  on  them  :  for  "they  had 
not  ‘  confirmed  it,’  or  ‘  continued  ’  from  the  beginning  of  their  lives  to 
that  day,  and  would  not  to  the  end  of  life  continue,  ‘  in  all  things  written 
in  the  law,’  so  as  to  perform  a  perfect  obedience  to  them. — it  was  there¬ 
fore  evident,  at  the  first  glance,  that  no  man  could  be  justified  by  a  law, 


which  peremptorily  demanded  an  obedience  so  absolute  and  perfect,  ns 
no  mere  man  ever  yet  rendered  to  it.  But  it  was  further  evident,  ns  God 
bad  declared  another  way  of  justification  and  eternal  life.  Hab.  2:4. 
Rom.  1:17.  Heb.  10:35 — 39. — The  apostle  evidently  supposed  the  Gen¬ 
tiles  to  be  ‘under  the  curse  of  the  law,’  ns  well  as  the  Jews,  but  in 
another  form,  else  they  would  not  have  needed  this  redemption  and  jus¬ 
tification.  (11)  The  just,  & c.]  Or,  t  the  just  by  faith  shall  live.’  This 
is  the  more  exact  tr.  ;  and  as  ‘  the  righteousness  of  faith  ’  does  not  se¬ 
cure  men  from  temporal  death,  in  any  form,  or  at  any  time,  so  deliver¬ 
ance  from  eternal  condemnation,  and- to  eternal  life  in  heaven,  must  be 
intended. — (13)  Curse  of,  <kc.]  As  Christ  died,  not  to  deliver  us  from 
temporal  death,  but  from  ‘  the  wrath  to  come,’  it  is  manifest,  that.  ‘  the 
curse  of  the  law,’  whether  the  law  of  Moses,  or  any  law  under  which 
men  are  supposed  to  be,  is  eternal  damnation, pud  not  temporal  or  tem¬ 
porary  punishment.  Christ,  indeed,  did  not  suffer  eternal  damnation; 
lor.  being  God  as  well  as  man,  his  temporary  sufferings  constituted  an 
infinite  satisfaction  to  divine  justice,  and  the  fullest  display  of  the  evil 
of  sin,  and  the  honor  of  the  divine  law  which  can  be  conceived. — Many 
expositors,  who  contend  against  the  imputation  of  Christ’s  t  ighteousuess 
to  believers,  in  disputing  against  Socinians,  argue  for  the  vicarious  suf¬ 
ferings  of  Citrist  in  our  stead.  Now  wlint  is  this  but  imputation  7  lie, 
though  perfectly  holy,  paid  the  debt  which  we  sinners  had  contracted. 
‘It  was  exacted,  and  He  became  answerable.’  We  sinners,  on  believ¬ 
ing,  are  ‘  made  the  righteousness  of  God  in  Him,’  and  receive  the  inher¬ 
itance  which  He  merited.  Thus  there  is  a  reciprocal  imputation.  Is. 
53:4—12.  2  Cor.  5:18—21,  V.  21.  1  Pet.  2:18—25,  V.  24.  3:17,  18.  Yet, 
as  the  imputation  of  sill  did  not  render  the  Savior  either  Criminal  or  pol¬ 
luted,  but  had  its  effect  merely  in  his  receiving  the  punishment  we 
deserved,  so  the  imputation  of  liis  righteousness  does  not  render  ns  free 
either  from  criminality  or  pollution,  but  merely  entitles  ns  to  the  reward 
of  bis  righteousness.  We  have  still  the  same  need  of  humiliation  and 
repentance,  of  sanctification,  and  persona!  obedience  and  holiness,  with¬ 


out  which  we  have  no  evidence  that  we  are  made  the  righteousness  of 
God  in  Him. — ‘I  wonder  that  Jerome  and  Erasmus  should  labor,  and 
seek,  for  I  know  not  what  figure  of speech,  to  (show  that  Christ  was  not 
called  “accursed.”  Truly  in  this  is  placed  all  our  hope;  in  this  the 
infinite  love  of  God*is  manifested  ;  in  this  is  placed  our  salvation,  that 
our  God,  properly  and  without  any  figure,  poured  out  all  his  wrath  on 
his  own  Son,  ..  .  caused  Him  ...  to  be  accursed,  that  He  might  receive 
its  into  favor.  Finally,  without  any  figure,  “  Christ  was  made  a  Curse 
for  us,”  in  such  a  manner,  that,  unless  He  had  been  truly  God,  He  must 
have  remained  under  the  curse  for  ever,  from  which  for  our  sakes  He 
emerged.  For,  indeed,  if  the  obedience  of  the.  Soli  of  God  be  figurative 
and  imaginary,  so  must  our  hope  of  glory  be.’  Ileza. — (14)  The  Spirit. ] 
The  departure  of  the  Spirit  of  life  and  holiness,  when  Adam  sinned,  left 
him  spiritually  dead,  and  proved  him  a  condemned  criminal;  (lie  gut 
of  the  Spirit  of  life  and  holiness,  in  Christ  Jesus,  is  the  source  ot  spiritual 
life,  and  the  seal  of  his  justification  —'Ihe  miraculous  or  extraordinary 
gifts  of  the  Spirit  cannot,  therefore,  be  exclusively  meant,  yet  they  are 
specially  referred  to.  (Hole,  1-5.)  (10)  Cursed  is  every  one,  &c.j 

1  oVO  I 


A.  D.  56. 


GALATIANS,  III. 


Nature  and  tenor  of  the  Law. 


15  Brethren,  I  speak  after  the 
manner  of  men  ;  Though  it  he  but 
a  man’s  x  covenant,  yet  if  it  he  con¬ 
firmed,  no  man  disannulled,  or 
addeth  thereto. 

16  Now  to  f  Abraham  and  his 
seed  were  the  promises  made.  He 
saith  not,  And  to  seeds,  as  of  many; 
but  as  of  one,  And  to  thy  seed, 
which  is  Christ. 

17  And  this  I  say,  That  the  cov¬ 
enant,  that  was  confirmed  before  of 
God  in  Christ,  the  law,  which  Mvas 
four  hundred  and  thirty  years  after, 
cannot  disannul,  that  it  should  make 
the  promise  of  none  effect. 

18  For  if  “the  inheritance  he  of 
the  law,  it  is  no  more  of  promise  : 
but  God  gave  it  to  Abraham  by 
promise. 

19  Wherefore  then  serveth  the 
law  ?  b  It  was  added  because  of 
transgressions,  till  the  seed  c  should 
come  to  whom  the  promise  was 
made  ;  audit  was  ordained  by  an¬ 
gels  d  in  the  hand  eof  a  mediator. 

20  Now  a  mediator  is  not  a  me¬ 
diator  of  one,  but  God  fis  one. 

x  or,  testament.  b  Ro.  5:20.  e  Ex.  20:19—22. 

y  Ge.  12:3,7.  17:7.  c  ver.  16.  De.  5:22 — 31. 

i  JE*.  12:40,41.  cl  Ac.  7:53.  f  De.  6:4. 

*  Ro.  4:14.  He.  2:2. 

and  taught  in  the  church,  long  before  the 
times  of  the  Gospel.  Yea,  it  is  the  only  way 
wherein  any  sinners  ever  were,  or  can  be, 
justified. 

4.  To  this  purpose,  he  urges  the  stability 
of  the  covenant  God  made  with  Abraham, 
which  was  not  vacated  or  disannulled  by  the 
giving  of  the  law  to  Moses,  v.  15.  &c.  Faith 
had  the  precedence  of  the  law,  for  Abraham 
was  justified  by  faith.  It  was  a  promise  that 
he  built  upon,  and  promises  are  the  proper 
objects  of  faith.  God  entered  into  covenant 
with  Abraham,  v.  8.  and  this  covenant  was 


firm  and  steady  ;  even  men’s  covenants  are 
so,  therefore  much  more  his.  When  a  deed 
is  executed,  or  articles  of  agreement  are  seal¬ 
ed,  both  parties  are  bound,  and  it  is  too  late 
then  to  settle  things  otherwise  ;  therefore  it 
is  not  to  be  supposed,  that,  by  the  subsequent 
law,  the  covenant  of  God  should  be  vacated. 
The  original  word,  diatheke,  signifies  both  a 
covenant  and  a  testament.  Now  the  prom¬ 
ise  made  to  Abraham,  was  rather  a  testa¬ 
ment  than  a  covenant.  When  a  testament 
is  becopie  of  force  by  the  death  of  (he  testa¬ 
tor,  it  is  not  capable  of  being  altered  ;  there¬ 
fore  the  promise  that  was  given  to  Abraham, 
being  of  the  nature  of  a  testament,  it  remains 
firm  and  unalterable.  But  if  it  should  be  said, 
that  a  grant  or  testament  may  be  defeated 
for  want  of  persons  to  claim  the  benefit  of 
it,  v.  16.  he  shows  that  there  is  no  danger 
of  that  in  this  case.  Abraham  is  dead,  and 
the  prophets  are  dead,  but  the  covenant  is 
made  with  Abraham  and  his  seed.  And  he 
gives  us  a  very  surprising  exposition  of  that. 
We  should  have  thought  it  had  been  meant 
only  of  the  people  of  tile  Jews.  ‘  Nay,’  says 
the  apostle,  ‘  it  is  in  the  singular  number, 
and  points  at  a  single  person, — that  Seed  is 
Christ .’  So  that  the  covenant  is  still  in  force  ; 
for  Christ  abideth  for  ever  in  his  Person,  and 
in  his  spiritual  seed,  who  are  his  by  faith. 
And  if  it  be  objected,  that,  the  law,  which 
was  given  by  Moses,  did  disannul  this  cove¬ 
nant,  because  that  insisted  so  much  on  works, 
and  there  was  so  little  in  it  of  faith,  or  of 
the  promised  Messiah  ;  he  answers,  that  the 
subsequent  law  could  not  disannul  the  pre¬ 
cedent  covenant  or  promise,!).  IS.  If  the  in¬ 
heritance  be.  of  the  law,  it  is  no  more  of  promise 
but,  says  he,  God  gaveit  to  Abraham  by  prom¬ 
ise  ;  and  therefore  it  would  be  inconsistent 
with  his  holiness,  wisdom,  and  faithfulness, 
by  any  subsequent  act  to  set  aside  the  prom¬ 
ise,  and  so  alter  the  way  of  justification, 
which  he  had  thus  established.  If  the  inher¬ 
itance  was  given  to  Abraham  by  promise, 
and  thereby  entailed  on  his  spiritual  seed, 
we  may  be  sure  that  God  would  not  retract 
that  promise;  for  lie  is  not  a  man,  that  lie 
should  repent. 


V.  19 — 29.  The  apostle,  having  just  be¬ 
fore  been  speaking  of  the  promise  made  to 
Abraham,  and  representing  that  as  the  rule 
of  our  justification,  and  not  the  law,  lest  they 
should  think  he  did  too  much  derogate  from 
the  law,  and  render  it  altogether  useless, 
thence  takes  occasion  to  discourse  of  the  de¬ 
sign  and  tendency  of  it,  and  to  acquaint  us 
for  what  purpose  it  was  given.  It  might  be 
asked,  ‘If  tjiat  promise  was  sufficient  for 
salvation,  wherefore  then  serveth  the  law  1 
Or  why  did  God  give  the  law  by  Moses  1’ 
To  this  he  answers  ; 

I.  The  law  was  added  because  of  transgres¬ 
sions,  v.  19.  not  to  disannul  the  promise,  and 
to  establish  a  different  way  of  justification 
from  that  settled  by  the  promise  ;  but  the 
Israelites,  though  chosen  to  be  God’s  pe¬ 
culiar  people,  being  sinners  as  well  as  oth¬ 
ers,  the  law  was  given  to  convince  them  of 
their  sin,  and  obnoxiousness  to  the  divine 
displeasur  e  ;  for  by  the  law  is  the  knowledge 
of  sin,  Rom.  3:  20.  and  the  law  entered,  that 
sin  might  abound,  Rom.  5:20.  it  was  also 
intended  to  restrain  them  from  the  commis¬ 
sion  of  sin,  to  awe  their  minds,  and  curb 
their  lusts  ;  yet,  at  the  same  time,  to  direct 
them  to  the  true  and  only  way  whereby  sin 
was  to  be  expiated,  and  pardoned,  namely, 
through  the  death  and  sacrifice  of  Christ, 
which  was  the  special  use  for  which  life  law 
of  sacrifices  and  purifications  was  given. 

The  apostle  adds,  that  the  law  was  given 
for  this  purpose,  till  the  Seed  should  come  to 
whom  the  promise  was  made  ;  i.  e.  either  till 
Christ  should  come,  the  principal  Seed 
referred  to,  or  till  the  gospel-dispensation 
should  take  place,  when  Jews  and  Gentiles, 
without  distinction,  should,  on  believing,  lie- 
come  the  seed  of  Abraham.  But  when  the 
Seed  was  come,  and  a  fuller  discovery  of 
divine  grace  in  the  promise  was  made,  then 
the  law,  as  given  by  Moses,  was  to  cease, 
Heb.  8:7,  S.  And  though  the  law,  consid¬ 
ered  as  the  law  of  nature,  is  always  in  force, 
to  convince  of  sin,  and  to  restrain  from  it  ; 
yet  we  are  now  no  longer  under  the  bondage 
and  terror  of  that  legal  covenant.  The  law, 
then,  was  not  intended  to  discover  another 


Nearly  from  the  LXX,  which  adds  pasi  [to  all]  to  what  is  found  in  the 
Heb.,  which  does  not  at  all  alter  the  meaning.  (Note,  Deut.  26:26.) — 
(11)  The  just,  <fcc.]  Nearly  from  the  LXX.  (Hab.  2:4. — (13)  Cursed 
is  every  one,  &c.]  This  varies  considerably  from  the  LXX,  but  it  con¬ 
veys  the  evact  meaning  of  the  passage.  Deut.  21:23.  Scott. 

(10)  ‘Until  the  text  of  the  Sept,  be  regularly  formed,  we  cannot  fully 
sscertain  how  far  the  apostle  followed  or  deserted  that  version.’  Bl. 

(13.)  Redeemed.]  ‘  Exegorasen  :  bought  us  off;  the  Gr.  signifies  lit. 
to  liberate  a  captive  by  paying  a  ransom.’  Bl.  Us.]  Both  .lews  and 
Gentiles.  So  Doddr.  and  Mackn.  ;  whom  see.  Law.]  Of  Moses,  to  the 
Jews,  and  of  that  more  ancient  law  of  works,  under  which  Adam  fell, 
to  both  Jews  and  Gentiles.  See  Mackn.,  and  also  on  the  words  curse 
and  tree.  Ed. 

V.  15—18.  The  unbelieving  descendants  ofjacob,  were  no  more  inter¬ 
ested  in  the  most  valuable  promises,  than  the  posterity  of  Ishmael  and 
Esau  were;  while  all  believers,  though  ofGemile  extraction,  being  one 
wilh  Christ,  were  included  in  the  Abrahamic  covenant,  without  any 
concern  in  the  Mosaic  law,  or  the  Sinai-covenant.  (18)  Crane  it.]  See 
on  T.U.  7:21.  This  word  always  implies  a  free  gift.  Scott. 

(16.)  Seed.]  ‘Most  of  the  recent  foreign  comtrs.,  as  Nnesselt  and 
Ros.  venture  to  assert,  that  by  seed  is  here  meant  not  Ihe  Messiah,  but 
Christians  in  general :  and  this  in  direct  contradiction  to  the  apostle 
himself!’  Bloom/.,  whom  see  :  and  also  Beza,  Whitby,  Wolf,  l’oole,  &c. 

Ed. 

(17.)  430.]  ‘  Paul  computes  not  from  the  ratification,  but  from  the 

original  institution  of  the  covenant  in  Gen.  12:3,4.  when  Abraham  was 
75  years  old,  from  which  period  to  the  birth  of  Isaac  there  were  ihe  25 
years,  which  are  required  to  make  up  the  number  430.  Ami  so  most  of 
our  English  interpreters.’  Bloomf. 

(18.)  Gave.]  ‘  Gr.  graciously  gave.’  Id. 

Y  10—22.  Ordained,  <kc.]  ‘A  Mediator’  was  not  appointed  to  act 
merely  in  behalf  of  one  party,  in  any  covenant,  but  of  two  at  least ;  yet 
only  one  party  in  the  Abrahamic  covenant,  was  present  when  the  law 
was  given,  even  God  Himself.  For  the  nation  of  Israel  was  not  the 
other  contracting  party  in  that,  covenant unbelievers  among  them  had 
no  share  in  the  principal  blessings  of  it,  and  all  believers  in  every  age 
an  )  nation  were  Concerned  in  it,  by  virtue  of  their  union  with  ‘  the 
Sfred,’  to  whom  the  promise  was  made.  2G— 29.  Moses  might  indeed 
mediate  a  covenant  between  God  and  Israel  ;  but  he  was  not  authorized 
to  alter  or  disannul  the  Abrahamic  covenant,  which  therefore  continued 
in  force  with  all  believers,  after  the  giving  of  the  law,  exactly  as  before. 
Dr.  19:5.  201. — This  does  not  imply,  that  Christ  was  not  present,  as 
Jehovah,  and  the  great  Agent  in  the  giving  of  the  law;  but  only  that 
Hr  acted  in  h:»  legislative,  and  not  iri  his  mediatorial  character,  or  as 
repTaenting  the  whole  h.vdy  if  lielievers. —  21)  Given  life.]  See  on  ./>. 
5:21. — 1  f  acre  r*  ao  place  in  the  .V  T.,  in  which  it  doth  not  signify,  To 
receive  life  which  (My'one  had  not.'  Leigh.  The  use  of  this  word  in 
this  connexion  implies,  that  no  law  can  cither  rescue  the  condemned 

[364] 


criminal  from  that  death  to  which  he  is  doomed,  or  raise  ‘  the  dead  in 
sin’  to  ‘newness  of  life.’ — All  under  st'n.]  ‘All  men,  and  whatever 
can  proceed  from  man,  so  that  it  is  more  empliatical,  than  if  it  had  been 
masculine.’  Beza.  Scott. 

(19.)  For  transgression.]  ‘1.  To  restrain  them ;  and  if  a  man  do 
not  sin,  simply  because  a  law  will  punish  him,  his  motive  to  obedience 
is  fear;  he  abstains  from  sin,  not  willingly,  nor  from  the  love  of  virtue, 
and  can  this  justify  him  ?  2.  To  increase  transgressions,  Rom.  8.  i.  e.  to 

reveal  unto  a  man  his  sins,  his  blindness,  his  misery,  his  impiety,  igno¬ 
rance,  hatred,  and  contempt  of  God,  death,  hell,  the  judgment,  and  de¬ 
served  wrath  of  God  ;  all  the  reverse  of  justification.’  Luther.  ‘  Their 
transgressions  not  only  of  the  ceremonial,  but.  of  the  moral  precepts, 
would  appear  more  exceeding  sinful  and  dangerous,  in  proportion  to  the 
perspicuity  of  those  precepts,  and  the  awful  solemnity  wilh  which  they 
were  delivered.’  Doddr.  ‘So  ..  they  might  be  constrained  to  have  re¬ 
course  to  the  covenant  with  Abraham,  in  which  justification  was  prom¬ 
ised  through  faith,  as  it  is  now  promised  in  the  Gospel.’  Mackn.  ‘It  is 
here  shown,  that  the  law  was  intended  to  discover  transgressions,  and 
their  punishment,  that  the  Scripture  had  concluded  all  men  under  sin, 
v.  10.’  Whitby.  ‘  That  the  .Tews  might  either  be  preserved  from  idola¬ 
try  and  other  crimes,  or  convicted  of  their  guilt  in  them,  and  so  be 
taught  to  seek  after  a  more  effectual  method  of  obtaining  pardon,  with 
an  earnestness  proportionable  to  the  discovery  it  made,  of  the  maligni¬ 
ty  of  their  guilt.’  Doddr.  Added  ]  ‘  To  the  previous  law  of  nhture. 

Every  fresh  law  may  be  said  to  lie  an  addition  to  the  law,  or  body  of 
law.’  Bloomf.  By  angels.]  See  on  Ac.  7:53.  Bl.  ‘  That  the  law  was 
given  by  the  ministration  of  angels,  is  apparent  from  many  passages  of 
the  SS.,  fcomp.  Ps.  68:17.  Acts  7:53.  Heb.  2:2.)  though  the  Logos  did 
undoubtedly  preside  among  them,  and  it  was  in  his  name  that  the  proc¬ 
lamation  was  made  by  angels,  as  his  heralds  and  attendants.’  Doddr. 
Mediator.]  Mesitls  ••  ‘  and  so  the  Rabbins,  and  Philo,  frequently  call 
Moses.’  Bloomf. 

(20.)  ‘No  passage  has  so  much,  and  to  so  little  purpose,  exercised 
the  ingenuity  of  comtrs.’  Bloomf.  ‘  Not  of  one  only,  for  the  word  me¬ 
diator  necessarily  comprchendelh  two,  offender  and  offended,  at  variance, 
of  whom  the  one  needeth  intercession,  the  other  none.  But  God  offend- 
eth  no  man,  and  therefore  needeth  no  mediator;  we  offend  God,  and 
have  need  of  one. — After  his  digression,  Paul,  then,  in  v.  21.  returns  to 
his  purpose.’  Luther.  Mackn.  would  thus  fill  out  the  apostle’s  syllogisms. 

‘  The  law  was  given  in  the  hand  of  a  mediator,  v.  19.  Now  a  mediator 
is  not  employed  between  parties  in  friendship,  v.  20.  Wherefore  He 
who  gave  thjs  law  to  the  Israelites  hv  angels,  in  the  hand  of  a  mediator, 
was  not  in  friendship  with  them.  But  God  is  in  friendship  (is  one )  with 
all  w  ho  are  righteous  :  therefore  the  Israelites  were  not  righteous.’  ‘  But 
Col  is  only  one  parry  ia  that  covenant  made  with  Abraham,  of  which 
we  have  hern  speaking,  and  Abraham  and  his  seed,  including  all  that 
believe,  both  Jews  and  Gentiles,  are  the  other.  But* ns  Moses  only  stood 
between  Got'  and  Israel, .  ..  nothing  in  the  [Mosaic]  covenant  could  af- 


A.  D.  56. 


GALATIANS,  III. 


The  Law  introduces  the  Gospel. 


21  Is  the  law  then  against  *the 
promises  of  Goil  ?  God  forbid  :  for 
if  h  there  had  been  a  law  given 
which  could  have  given  life,  verily 
righteousness  should  have  been  by 
the  law. 

22  But  the  Scripture  hath  con¬ 
cluded  all  1  under  sin,  that  the 
promise  >  by  faith  of  Jesus  Christ 
might  be  given  to  them  that  believe. 

23  But  before  faith  came,  we 
were  kept  under  the  law,  shut  up 
unto  the  faith  which  should  .after¬ 
wards  be  revealed. 

24  Wherefore  the  law  k  was 
our  schoolmaster  to  bring  us  unto 
Christ,  that  we  might  be  justified 
by  faith. 

25  But  after  that  faith  is  come, 
we  are  no  longer  under  a  school¬ 
master. 

26  For  ye  are  all  the  children  'of 
God  by  faith  in  Christ  Jesus. 

27  For  m  as  many  of  you  as  have 
been  baptized  into  Christ  have  put 
on  Christ. 

g  Mat.  5:17.  ]  Ro  4:11,12,16.  1  Jn.  1:12. 

it  c.  2:21.  k  Col.  2:17.  1  Jn.  3:1,2. 

i  Ro.  3:9,19,23.  lie.  9:9,10.  m  Ro.  6:3. 


way  of  justification,  different  from  that  re¬ 
vealed  by  the  promise,  but  only  to  lead  men 
to  see  their  need  of  the  promise,  by  showing 
them  the  sinfulness  of  sin,  and  to  point  them 
to  Christ,  through  whom  alone  they  could  be 
pardoned  and  justified. 

Asa  farther  proof  that  the  law  was  not 
designed  to  vacate  the  promise,  the  apostle 
adds,  It  was  given  to  different  persons,  and 
in  a  different  manner  from  the  promise,  and 
therefore  for  different  purposes.  The  prom¬ 
ise  was  made  to  Abraham,  and  all  his  spir¬ 
itual  seed,  including  believers  of  all  nations, 
even  of  the  Gentiles  as  well  as  Jews  ;  but 
the  law  was  given  to  the  Israelites  as  a  pe¬ 
culiar  people,  and  separated  from  the  rest 
of  the  world.  And  whereas  the  promise  was 
given  immediately  by  God  Himself,  the  law 
was  given  by  the  ministry  of  angels,  and  the 
hand  of  a^nediator.  Hence  it  appeared,  that 
the  law  could  not  be  designed  to  set  aside 
the  promise  ;  for,  v.  20.  A  mediator  is  not  a 
mediator  of  one,  of  one  party  only  ;  but  God 
is  one,  but  one  party  in  the  promise  or  cov¬ 
enant  made  with  Abraham  ;  therefore  it  is 
not  to  be  supposed,  that,  by  a  transaction 
which  passed  only  between  Him  and  the  na¬ 
tion  of  the  Jews,  He  should  make  void  a 
promise  which  He  had  long  before  made  to 
Abraham  and  all  his  spiritual  seed,  whether 
Jews  or  Gentiles.  This  would  not  have  been 
consistent  with  his  wisdom,  or  with  his  truth 
and  faithfulness.  Moses  was  only  a  media¬ 
tor  between  Got^  and  the  Israelites,  not  be¬ 


tween  God  and  the  spiritual  seed  of  Abra¬ 
ham ;  and  therefore  the  law,  that  was  given 
by  him,  could  not  affect  the  promise  made 
them,  much  less  be  subversive  of  it. 

II.  The  law  was  given  to  convince  men 
of  the  necessity  of  a  Savior.  The  apostle 
asks,  v.  21.  as  what  some  might  be  ready  to 
object,  ‘  Is  the  Into  then  against  the  promises 
of  God  ?  Do  they  really  clash  and  interfere 
with  each  other  1  Or  do  ye  not  set  the  cov¬ 
enant  wi ill  Abraham,  and  the  law  of  Moses, 
at  variance  with  one  another  V  To  this  he 
answers,  God  forbid  ;  lie  was  far  from  en¬ 
tertaining  such  a  thought,  nor  could  it  be 
inferred  from  what  he  had  said;  that  conse¬ 
quence  would  much  rather  follow  from  their 
doctrine  than  from  his  ;  for  if  there  had  been 
a  law  given,  that  coidd  have  given  life,  verily 
righteousness  should  have  been  by  the  law  ;  and 
in  that  case  the  promise  would  have  been 
superseded,  and  rendered  useless.  But  that, 
in  our  present  state,  could  not  he,  for  the 
Scripture  hath  concluded  all  under  sin,  v.  22. 
or  declared  that  all,  both  Jew  and  Gentile, 
are  in  a  state  of  guilt,  and  therefore  unable 
to  attain  to  righteousness  and  justification 
by  the  works  of  the  law.  That  discovered 
their  wounds,  but  could  not  afford  them  a 
remedy  :  it  showed  they  were  guilty,  because 
it  appointed  sacrifices  and  purifications, 
which  were  manifestly  insufficient  to  take 
away  sin  ;  therefore  the  great  design  of  it 
was,  that  the  promise  by  faith  of  Jesus  Christ 
might  be  given  to  them  that  believe  ;  that,  be¬ 
ing  convinced  of  their  guilt,  and  the  insuffi¬ 
ciency  of  the  law  to  effect  a  righteousness 
for  them,  they  might  be  persuaded  to  believe 
on  Christ,  and  so  obtain  the  benefit  of  the 
promise. 

III.  The  law  was  designed  for  a  school¬ 
master,  to  bring  men  to  Christ,  v.  24.  In  the 
foregoing  v.  the  apostle  acquaints  us  with 
the  state  of  the  Jews  under  the  Mosaic  econ¬ 
omy  ;  that  before  faith  came,  or  before  Christ 
appeared,  and  the  doctrine  of  justification 
by  faith  in  Him  was  tnoie  fully  discovered, 
they  were  kept  under  the  law,  obliged,  under 
severe  penalties,  to  a  strict  observance  of  the 
various  precepts  of  it;  and  at  that  time  they 
were  shut  up,  held  under  the  terror  and  dis¬ 
cipline  of  it,  as  prisoners  in  a  state  of  con¬ 
finement  :  the  design  of  this  was,  that  here¬ 
by  they  might  be  disposed  more  readily  to 
embrace  the  faith  which  should  afterward  be 
revealed,  or  be  persuaded  to  accept  Christ 
when  He  came  into  the  world,  and  to  fall  in 
with  the  better  dispensation  He  was  to  in¬ 
troduce,  whereby  they  were  to  be  freed  from 
bondage  and  servitude,  and  brought  into  a 
state  of  greater  light  and  liberty.  Now,  in 
that  state,  he  tells  them,  the  law  was  their 
schoolmaster ,  to  bring  them  to  Christ,  that  they 
might  be  justified  by  faith.  As  it  declared 
the  mind  and  will  of  God  concerning  them, 
and  at  the  same  time  denounced  a  curse 
against  them  for  every  failure  in  their  duty, 
so  it  was  proper  to  convince  them  of  their 
lost  and  undone  condition  in  themselves,  and 


to  let  them  see  the  weakness  and  insufficien¬ 
cy  of  their  own  righteousness  to  recommend 
them  to  God.  And  as  it  obliged  them  to  a 
variety  of  sacrifices,  &o.  which,  though  they 
could  not  of  themselves  take  away  sin,  were 
typical  of  Christ,  and  of  the  great  sacrifice 
He  was  to  offer  up  for  the  expiation  of  it,  so 
it  directed  them  (though  in  a  more  dark  and 
obscure  manner)  to  Him,  as  their  only  Re¬ 
lief  and  Refuge.  And  thus  it  was  their  school¬ 
master,  to  instruct  and  govern  them  in  their 
state  of  minority,  or,  as  the  word  paidagogos 
[ child-leader ]  most  properly  signifies,  their 
servant,  to  lead  and  conduct  them  to  Christ, 
(as  children  were  wont  to  be  led  to  school 
by  those  servants  who  had  the  care  of  them,) 
(hat  they  might  be  more  fully  instructed  by 
Him  as  their  Schoolmaster,  in  the  true  way 
of  justification  and  salvation,  w  hich  is  only 
by  faith  in  Him,  and  which  He  was  appoint¬ 
ed  to  give  the  fullest  and  clearest  discoveries 
of.  But  lest  it  should  be  said,  If  the  law  was 
of  this  use  and  service  under  the  Jewish, 
why  may  it  not  continue  to  be  so  under  the 
Christian  state  too;  the  apostle  adds,  v.  25. 
that  after  faith  is  come,  and  the  gospel- 
dispensation  had  taken  place,  under  which 
Christ,  and  the  way  of  pardon  and  life, 
through  faith  in  Him,  are  set  in  the  clearest 
light,  we  are  no  longer  under  a  schoolmaster  ; 
we  have  no  such  need  of  the  law  to  direct  us 
to  Him,  as  there  was  then. 

In  closing  the  ch.  he  acquaints  us  with 
our  privilege  by  Christ  : 

(1.)  That  we  are  the  children  of  God  by 
faith  in  Jesus  Christ,  v.  26.  And  here,  ob¬ 
serve,  [1-]  The  great  privilege  real  Chris¬ 
tians  enjoy  under  the  Gospel  ;  they  are  the 
children  of  God  ;  no  longer  accounted  ser¬ 
vants,  but  sons  ;  not  now  kept  at  such  a  dis¬ 
tance,  and  under  such  restraints,  as  the  Jews 
were,  but  allowed  a  nearer  and  freer  access 
to  God  ;  yea,  admitted  into  the  number,  and 
having  a  right  to  all  the  privileges,  of  his 
children.  [2.]  How  they  come  to  obtain 
this  privilege,  and  that  is,  by  faith  in  Christ 
Jesus  ;  having  accepted  Him  as  their  Lord 
and  Savior,  and  relying  on  Him  alone  for 
justification  and  salvation,  they  are  hereup¬ 
on  admitted  into  this  happy  re latifhi  to  God, 
and  are  entitled  to  the  privileges  of  it  ;  for, 
Jn.  1:  12.  as  many  as  received  Him,  to  them 
gave  He  power  to  become  the  sons  of  God,  even 
to  them  that  believe  on  his  name. 

And  this  faith  in  Christ,  whereby  they 
become  the  children  of  God,  he  reminds  us, 
v.  27.  was  what  they  professed  in  baptism  ; 
for  he  adds ,  As  many  of  you  as  have  b  n 
baptized  into  Christ,  have  put  on  Christ.  H .. .  - 
ing  in  baptism  professed  their  faith  in  Him, 
they  were  thereby  devoted  to  Him,  and  had, 
as  it  were,  put  on  his  livery,  and  declared 
themselves  to  be  his  servants  and  disciples; 
and  being  thus  become  the  members  of  Christ, 
they  were  through  Him  owned  and  account¬ 
ed  as  the  children  of  God.  Here  note,  1st. 
Baptism  is  now  the  rite  of  admission  into  the 
Christian  church,  as  circumcision  was  into 


feet  the  rights  accruing  to  any  from  a  prior  engagement,  in  which  Gen¬ 
tiles  were  concerned  as  well  as  Israelites.’  Doddr.  Others,  hut  feebly, 
interpret,  ‘God  is  consistent  with  Himself,  and  remains  the  same,  i.  e. 
always  stands  to  his  promises.’  •  Ed. 

(22,  23.)  Concluded.]  ‘Sin  is  represented  ns  a  jailor,  holding  the 
whole  human  race  in  durance.’  B/oomf.  ‘This  law  of  faith,  or  method 
of  justification,  came  at  the  fall;  it  was  then  established:  and  till  it 
came,  Adam  was  kept  in  ward  without  hope,  under  the  law  he  had 
broken.  In  like  manner  the  Gentiles,  under  the  law  of  nature,  and  the 
Jews,  under  the  law  of  Moses,  were  kept  in  ward  as  criminals,  and  had 
no  hope  of  pardon,  but  what  the  law  of  faith  gave  them,  as  made  known 
obscurely  in  the  first  promise,  Gen.  3:15.  and  afterwards  in  the  covenant 
with  Abraham.’  Macknioht. 

V.  23 — 25.  This  admits  of  an  obvious  accommodation  to  the  believer’s 
experience,  and  the  first  use  of  the  moral  law,  in  bringing  men  to  Christ: 
but  the  above  [as  in  Henry]  is  the  evident  scope  of  the  apostle’s  argu¬ 
ment. —  God  also  tolly  pardoned  the  sins  of  t lie  upright  Jews,  and  freed 
them  from  the  punishments  of  the  other  life;  hut  not  by  virtue  of  the  blood 
of  bulls  and  goats,  .  ..  but  by  virtue  of  their  faith  in  the  Messiah,  own¬ 
ed  by  them  to  he  the  Messiah  their  Righteousness.’  Whitby.  Scott. 

(24.)  Schoolmaster.]  Paidagbgos  ••  ‘the  servant  [often  a  freed  man, 
sometimes  a  slave,  B/.]  who  attended  the  children  of  great  men  to  their 
exercises  and  to  schools;  also  the  servant  who  taught  children  their  let¬ 
ters,  and  superintended  their  behavior.  They  were  generally  persons  of 
rigid  manners.’  Mackn,  iff.  conjectures,  they  also  ‘superintended  the 


study  of  their  lessons,  and  assisted  them  in  preparing  for  the  master 
( epitropos ).’  They  also  attended  them  at  public  spectacles.  See  iff. 

Ed. 

V.  26 — 29.  It  is  generally  supposed,  that  the  apostle  alludes  to  the  cus¬ 
tom  of  baptized  persons  putting  off  their  old  garments;  and  putting  on 
new,  clean,  or  white  raiment,  after  they  had  been  baptized  ;  but  it  is  by  no 
means  certain,  that  this  custom  prevailed  at  so  early  a  period  ;  at  least  the 
sacred  writers  do  not  mention  it.  Indeed  the  connexion  of  v.  27.  with  that 
which  precedes,  shows,  that  ‘the  faith  in  Christ,’  which  was  publicly  pro¬ 
fessed  in  baptism, and  not  the  mere  outward  administration,  (whether  the 
baptized  person  had  faith  or  not,)  was  especially  intended. — ‘God  now 
looking  on  them,  there  appears  nothing  but  Christ;  they  are,  as  it  were, 
covered  all  over  with  Him,  ns  a  man  is  with  the  clothes  that  he  hath  put 
on,  and  hence,  in  the  next  v.  it  is  said,  they  are  all  one  in  Christ  Jesus,  us 
if  there  were  but  that  one  person.’  Locke.  The  learned  writer  indeed 
connects  this  high  privilege  with  the  profession  of  the  Gospel  ;  but 
certainly  it  cannot  belong  to  a  hypocritical  profession.  —  ‘Baptism, 
under  the  Gospel,  as  the  rite  of  initiation,  is  as  effectual  for  making  us 
the  sons  of  God,  as  circumcision  was  under  the  law-’  Mackn.  We  may 
also  add,  ‘And  no  more  effectual.’  Rom.  2:25 — 29  G:3,  4.  1  Cor.  12  12 
—14.  Col.  2:11,12.  Tit.  3:4 — 7.  1  Pet.  3:21,22.  From  the  lime,  when 
any  persons  1  believe  in  their  hearts  unto  righteousness,  and  with  their 
mouths  make  confession  to  salvation,’  all  other  distinctions  vanish; 
they  are  all  members  of  the  mystical  body  of  Christ,  anti  entitled  to 
all  its  blessings,  without  any  need  of  the  Mosaic  law.  I  he  question. 

[36oJ 


A.  I).  56. 


GALATIANS,  IV. 


28  There  is  n  neither  Jew  nor 
Greek,  there  is  neither  bond  nor 
free,  there  is  neither  male  nor  fe¬ 
male  :  for  ye  are  all  one  in  Christ 
Jesus. 

29  And  if  ye  be  Christ’s,  then 
“are  ye  Abraham’s  seed,  and  heirs 
p  according  to  the  promise. 

CHAP.  IV. 

I  We  were  under  the  law  till  Christ  came,  ns  the  heir  is 
under  b:s  guardian  till  he  he  of  age.  5  But  Christ  freed 
U3  from  the  law:  7  therefore  we  are  servants  no  longer 
to  it.  14  He  remembe  eth  their  good  will  to  him,  and 
his  to  them,  2 2  and  sheweth  that  we  are  the  sons  of 
Abmha a  by  the  freewoman. 

OW  I  say,  That  the  heir,  as 
long  as  he  is  a  child,  differed! 
nothing  from  a  servant,  though  he 
be  lord  of  all  ; 

2  But  is  under  tutors  and  gover¬ 
nors  until  the  time  appointed  of  the 
father. 

n  Col.  3:11.  o  ver.  7.  p  Ro.  8:17. 

that  of  the  Jews.  Our  Lord  Jesus  appoint¬ 
ed  it  to  be  so,  in  the  commission  He  gave  to 
his  apostles.  Mat.  28:  19.  and  accordingly 
>'  was  their  practice  to  baptize  those  whom 
l  ley  had  discipled  to  the  Christian  faith  ; 
and  perhaps  the  apostle  might  notice  their 
baptism  here,  and  their  becoming  the  chi I- 
drenof  God  through  faith  in  Christ,  profess- 
e-'  therein,  to  obviate  a  further  objection, 
v‘  ch  tile  false  teachers  might  be  apt  to  urge 
in  favor  of  circumcision.  They  might  he 
ready  to  say,  ‘  Though  it  should  be  allowed 
that  the  law,  as  given  at  mount  Sinai,  was 
abr  iguted  by  the  coming  of  Christ,  the  prom¬ 
ised  Seed;  yet  why  should  circumcision  he 
set  aside  too,  when  that  was  given  to  Abra¬ 
ham,  together  with  the  promise,  and  long 
before  the  giving  of  the  law  by  Moses  1  ’ 
But  this  difficulty  is  sufficiently  removed, 
when  the  apostle  says.  They  who  are  baptized, 
into  Christ,  have  put  on  Christ  ;  for  from 
thence  it  appears,  that,  under  the  Gospel, 


baptism  comes  in  the  room  of  circumcision, 
and  that  they  who  by  baptism  are  devoted  to 
Christ,  and  do  sincerely  believe  in  Him, are, 
to  all  intents  and  purposes,  as  much  admit¬ 
ted  into  the  privileges  of  the  Christian  stale, 
as  the  Jews  were  by  circumcision  into  those 
of  the  legal,  Phil.  3:3.  and  therefore  there 
was  no  reason  why  the  use  of  that  should 
still  be  continued.  Note,  2« I ly ,  in  our  bap¬ 
tism  we  put  on  Christ;  therein  we  profess 
our  discipleship  to  Him,  and  are  obliged  to 
behave  ourselves  as  his  faithful  servants  ; 
being  baptized  into  Christ,  we  are  baptized 
into  his  death,  that,  as  He  died  and  rose 
again,  so,  in  conformity  thereunto,  we  should 
die  unto  sin,  and  walk  in  newness  of  life, 
Rom.  6:  3,  4.  It  would  be  of  great  advan¬ 
tage  to  us,  did  we  oftener  remember  this. 

(2.)  That  this  privilege  of  being  the  chil¬ 
dren  of  God,  and  of  being  by  baptism  devot¬ 
ed  to  Christ,  is  now  enjoyed  in  common  by 
all  real  Christians.  The  law,  indeed,  made 
a  difference  between  Jew  and  Greek,  giving 
the  Jews,  on  many  accounts,  the  pre-emi¬ 
nence;  but  it  is  not  so  now  ;  all  stand  on 
the  same  level,  and  are  one  in  Christ  Jesus, 
are  accepted  of  H im,  and  become  the  children 
of  God  through  faith  in  Him. 

(3.)  That,  being  Christ's,  we.  are  Abra¬ 
ham's  seed,  and  heirs  according  to  the  promise. 
Their  judaizing  teachers  would  make  them 
believe  that  they  must  be  circumcised,  and 
keep  tile  law  of  Moses,  or  they  could  not  be 
saved.  ‘  No,’  says  the  apostle,  ‘  there  is  no  j 
need  of  that ;  for,  if  ye  be  Christ's,  if  ye  sin¬ 
cerely  believe  on  Him,  who  is  the  promised  j 
Seed,  in  whom  all  the  nations  of  the  earth 
were  to  be  blessed,  ye  thereby  become  the  ! 
true  seed  of  Abraham,  the  father  of  the  faith¬ 
ful,  and,  as  such,  are  heirs  according  to  the 
promise,  and  consequently  are  entitled  to  the  1 
great  blessings  and  privileges  of  it.’ 

Therefore,  on  the  whole,  since  it  appeared 
that  justification  was  not  to  be  attained  by 
the  works  of  the  law,  but  only  by  faith  in 
Christ,  and  that  the  law  of  Moses  was  a 
temporary  institution,  given  for  such  pur¬ 
poses  as  were  only  subservient  to,  and  not 


Excellence  of  the  gospel-slate. 

subversive  of,  the  promise  ;  and  that  now, 
under  the  Gospel,  Christians  enjoy  much 
greater  ami  heller  privileges  than  the  Jews 
did  under  that  dispensation,  it  must  needs 
follow,  that  they  were  very  unreasonable  and 
unwise,  in  hearkening  to  those,  who  at  once 
endeavored  to  deprive  them  of  the  truth  and 
liberty  of  the  Gospel. 

Chap.  IV.  V  1 — 7.  The  apostle,  in  this 
cli . ,  is  still  carrying  on  the  same  general 
design  as  in  the  former  ;  and, 

I.  He  acquaints  us  with  the  state  of  the 
O.  T.  church  :  it  was  like  a  child  under 
age  ;  the  3Iosaic  economy,  which  they  were 
under,  was  what  they  could  not  fully  under¬ 
stand  the  meaning  of,  2  Cor.  3:  13.  As  that 
was  a  dispensation  of  darkness,  so  it  was  of 
bondage  too  ;  for  they  were  tied  to  a  great 
number  of  burdensome  rites  and  observan¬ 
ces,  by  which,  as  by  a  kind  of  first  rudi¬ 
ments,  tbev  were  taught  and  instructed, and 
kept  in  a  state  of  subjection,  like  a  child 
under  tutors  and  governors. 

II.  He  acquaints  us  with  the  much  hap¬ 
pier  state  of  Christians  under  the  gospel- 
dispensation,  v.  4 — 7.  The  Person  em¬ 
ployed  to  introduce  this  new  dispensation, 
was  no  other  than  the  Son  of  God  Himself, 
the  only  begotten  of  the  Father  ;  He  who 
was  truly  God,  for  our  sakes  became  man  ; 
and  He  who  was  Lord  of  all,  consented  to 
come  into  a  state  of  subjection,  and  to  take 
on  H  im  the  form  oT  a  servant ;  and  one  great 
end  of  all  this,  was.  To  redeem  them  that 
were  under  the  law;  to  save  us  from  that 
intolerable  yoke,  and  to  appoint  gospel- 
ordinances  more  rational  and  easy.  He 
bad,  indeed,  something  more  and  greater  in 
bis  view,  for  He  came  to  suffer  and  Hie  for 
us,  that  hereby  He  might  redeem  us  from 
the  wrath  of  God,  and  from  the  curse  of  the 
moral  law,  which,  as  sinners,  we  all  lay 
under.  But  that  was  one  end  of  it,  and 
then  the  more  servile  state  of  the  church 
was  to  come  to  a  period,  and  a  better  to 
succeed  in  the  place  of  it;  for  He  was  seat 
to  redeem  us,  that  ive  might  receive  the  adop- 


PtlACTV  OBS.  V.  6 — 29.  We  should  aim  in  ever)'  good  tiling  to  be 
‘  follo'-'e-s  of  those,  who  through  faith  and  patience  inherit  the  prom¬ 
ises,’  i_-  J  have  1  obtained  a  good  report and  for  this  end,  we  ought  to 
study  tile  object,  nature,  and  effects  of  Abraham’s  faith.  Gen.  22:1 — 10. 

O.  1— 12.  Rom.  4.  Ile.b.  6:13— 15.  11:8— 19.  Jam.  2:21—  24.  Those 
who  partake  of  his  faith,  shall  surely  inherit  his  blessing,  and  if  we  can 
ascertain  that  this  is  our  case,  we  may  be  sure  of  sharing  all  his  priv¬ 
ileges.  But  who  can,  ill  any  other  way,  escape  the  curse  of  the  holy 
law  i  The  sufferings  of  this  ‘holy  One  of  God  ’  more  loudly  warn  sin¬ 
ners  to  ‘  flee  from  the  wrath  to  come,’  than  all  the  terrors  of  Sinai,  nr 
the  curses  of  the  law  itself ;  for  how  can  it  he  expected,  that  ‘  God  will 
spare  ’  any  mat.  to  whom  sin  is  imputed,  seeing  ‘  lie  spared  not  his  own 
Son,’  when  our  sins  were  imputed  to  Him?  (Ps.  32:1,2.  Rom.  4:6 — 
8.  8:92 — 34,  v.  32.  2  Cor.  5:18 — 21.)  Yet,  at  the  same  time,  Christ,  as 
from  the  cross,  and  from  the  throne  of  glory,  most  graciously  beseeches 
sinners  to  take  refuge  in  Him. — No  subsequent  transactions,  or  external 
alterations,  can  ‘disannul  or  add  to  that  covenant,’  which  engages  eter- 
zial  life  to  every  heliever.  Yet  let  us  not  think,  that  the  law  was  given 
in  vain.  The  Sinai-covenant,  and  the  ceremonies  of  the  law,  have  an¬ 
swered  their  end,  and,  being  fulfilled  in  Christ,  are  no  more  in  force ;  yet 
are  they  still  replete  with  instruction  to  believers;  and  as  the  law  of 
Moses  was  never  contrary  to  the  promises  of  God,  to  Abraham  and  his 
seed  ;  so  it  would  he  most  absurd  to  suppose,  that  the  holy,  just,  and 
good  Law  of  God,  the  universal  standard  of  duty,  is  contrary  to  the  Gos¬ 
pel  of  Christ,  as  it  is  in  every  way  subservient  to  it,  when  properly  un¬ 
derstood  and  used. — Men  in  general,  even  under  the  Gospel,  continue 
•shut  up  as  in  a  dungeon,  as  loving  their  chains;  being  blinded,  inioxi- 


concerning  the  baptism  of  infants,  is  not  at  all  affected  by  the  apostle’s 
language  in  this  passage  ;  for  the  same  way  of  arguing,  by  which  some 
have  attempted  to  prove,  that  they  ought  not  to  he  baptized  because 
incapable  of  believing,  would  also  prove  them  incapable  of  salvation  ; 
filk.  19:14 — 1G.  and  also  prove,  that  the  male  infants  of  Israel  ought  not 
to  have  been  circumcised. — The  mention  of  ‘male  and  female,’  in  this 
connexion,  and  here  alone,  evidently  refers-  to  the  difference  between 
circumcision,  as  restricted  to  the  males,  and  baptism  which  is  adminis¬ 
tered  to  females  also  1  Cor.  7:10—14.  Cot.  3:7—11. — ‘Slaves  are  now  the 
Lord’s  freemen,  and  freemen  the  Lord’s  servants  ;  and  this  consideration 
makei}  the  free  humble,  and  the  slave  cheerful.’  l)oddr.  1  Cor.  7:17 — 
24.  Scott. 

NOTES.  Chat.  IV.  V.  1 — 3.  The  heir  of  an  estate,  during  his  mi¬ 
nority,  is  excluded  from  the  possession  of  it,  and  even  kept  in  subjection. 
And  i'  s  continues  till  the  time  ‘  appointed  by  his  father,’  in  his  will  or 
otherwise,  for  his  coming  of  age,  and  being  put  in  possession  of  the  es¬ 
tate.  Titus  the  church  was  held  in  a  degree  of  bondage  under  the  Mosaic 
law,  till  the  coming  of  Christ;  ns  being  in  its  childhood,  and  under  tui¬ 
tion.  These  observances  are  called  ‘  the  elements  of  this  world.’  They 
taught  the  simplest  rudiments  of  religious  knowledge,  as  the  alphabet 


catod,  and  lulled  asleep  by  Satan,  through  worldly  pleasures,  interests, 
and  pursuits.  But  the  awakened  sinner  discovers  his  dreadful  condition. 
Tile  more  he  examines,  or  labors  to  escape,  the  fuller  conviction  lie  re¬ 
ceives  that  lie  cannot,  effect  his  own  deliverance;  then  he  learns,  that 
the  mercy  and  grace  of  God  form  his  only  hope,  and,  though  his  doctri¬ 
nal  knowledge  may  be  scanty,  he  is  ‘  shut  up  to  the  faith,  that  will 
shortly  by  revealed’  to  him.  Eph.  5,8 — 14.  v.  14.  The  precepts  and 
sanction  of  the  law  urge  him  on  to  duty,  and  restrain  him  from  sin,  even 
while  they  discourage  him,  and  fill  him  with  terrors;  and  thus,  by  a  kind 
and  beneficial  severity,  the  law  is  made  use  of  by  the  convincing  Spirit, 
to  show  him  his  need  of  Christ,  and  to  bring  him  to  rely  on  his  right¬ 
eousness,  propitiation,  and  mediation,  ‘  that  lie  may  be  justified  by  faith.’. 
Then  he  ceases  to  he  under  the  tuition  of  the  law,  as  ‘  a  schoolmaster,’ 
and  to  be  alarmed  by  its  terrors,  except  as  lie  lives  beneath  his  priv¬ 
ileges ;  vet  the  precept  becomes,  by  the  teaching  of  the  Spirit  of  Christ, 
his  guide  in  ttie  delightful  path  of  evangelical  obedience,  his  beloved  rule 
of  duty,  and  his  standard  of  daily  self-examination.  In  this  use  of  it,  he 
learns  continually  to  depend  more  simply  on  the  Savior,  and  it  puts 
energy  into  his  prayers,  and  endears  the  promises  to  his  soul.  Tints 
sinners  ‘  become  the  children  of  God  by  faith  in  Christ,’  and,  being 
‘baptized  into  Him,’  by  the  converting  grace  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  they 
put  on  Christ,  and  stand  ncceptcd  in  Him;  and  all,  who  thus  belong  to 
Him,  and  are  one  with  Him,  are  ‘  the  children  of  Abraham,  and  heirs  ac 
cording  to. the  promise.’  Rom.  4:9 — 17.  11:16 — 21.  Bui  no  outward 
forms  or  profession  can  ensure  these  blessings,  for  ‘  if  any  man  have  not 
the  Spirit  Gf  Christ,  he  is  none  ofliis.’  Rom.  8:5—9.  Scott. 


contains  the  first  principles  of  science.  Heb.  5:11 — 14.  6  1 — 3.  And  the 
external  ceremonies  of  that  dispensation  were  suited  to  the  ideas  of 
worldly  men,  and  in  many  things  similar  to  the  rites  of  other  nations, 
rather  than  the  most  suitable  means  of  spiritual  worship,  nr  adapted  to 
those,  who  were  matured  in  spiritual  judgment  and  Affections.  The 
splendid  temple,  the  priests  in  their  sacred  vestments,  the  multiplied 
sa-rifieps  and  religions  festivals,  and  other  things  of  the  same  kind, 
when  their  typical  meaning  and  use  were  undiscerned  or  neglected, 
were  coincident  with  the  gross  apprehensions  of  carnal  men  concerning 
God  and  his  worship.  Unbelievers  had  always  thus  perverted  them,  and 
even  believers  were  held  in  comparative  darkness  and  bondage,  hv  so 
many  external  observances.  Scott. 

(2.)  Tutors. |  ‘  Epitropoi.  Governors.]  Oikonomoi :  if  there  was  a 

differenee,  the  former  are  thought  to  lie  guardians  by  law,  Ihe  latter 
those  appointed  by  parents.  Others  think  the  former  synonymous  with 
paidagOstoi,  [persons  set  over  children,]  and  the  latter,  to  mean  those 
aged  servants,  to  whom  was  committed,  together  with  the  care  of  tiie 
domestic  affairs,  the  superintendence  of  the  education  of  the  children 
It  is  perhaps  unnecessary  to  press  on  the  exact  sense  of  these  terms,  e.nd 
their  difference.’  CL  Comp.  Gen*.  24:1.  15:2.  Ed. 


A.  D.  56. 


GALATIANS,  IV. 


8  Even  so  we,  when  we  were 
children,  were  in  bondage  under 
the  ‘elements  of  the  world  : 

4  But  when  the  fulness  of  the 
time  was  come,  God  sent  forth  his 
Son,  made  of  a  woman,  made  un¬ 
der  the  law, 

5  To  redeem  them  that  were 
under  the  law,  that  we  might  re¬ 
ceive  the  adoption  of  sons. 

6  And  because  ye  are  sons,  God 
hath  sent  forth  the  Spirit  b  of  his 
Son  into  your  hearts,  crying,  Abba, 
Father. 

7  Wherefore  thou  art  no  more  a 
servant,  but  a  son  ;  and  if  a  son, 
then  an  heir  of  God  through  Christ. 

8  Howbeit  then,  when  ye  knew 
not  God,  ye  did  service  unto  them 
which  by  nature  are  no  gods. 

9  But  now,  after  that  ye  have 
known  God,  or  rather  are  known 
of  God,  how  turn  ye  c  again  to 
the  weak  and  beggarly  d  elements, 
whereunto  ye  desire  again  to  be  in 
bondage  r 

10  Ye  observe  days,  and  months, 
and  times,  and  years. 

11  I  am  afraid  of  you,  lest  I  have 
bestowed  upon  you  labor  in  vain. 

[Practical  Observations.] 

12  Brethren,  I  beseech  you,  be 
as  I  am  ;  for  I  am  as  ye  are  :  ye 
have  not  injured  me  at  all. 

a  or,  rudiments.  b  Ro.  8:15,17.  d  or,  rudiments. 

Col.  2:8, '^0.  c  or,  back. 

tion  of  sons  ;  that  we  might  no  longer  be  ac¬ 
counted  and  treated  as  servants,  but  as  sons 
grown  up  to  maturity,  who  are  allowed 
greater  freedoms,  and  admitted  to  larger 
privileges,  than  while  under  tutors  and  gov¬ 
ernors.  This  the  course  of  the  apostle’s 
argument  leads  us  to  notice,  as  one  thing 
intended  by  this  expression,  though,  no 


doubt,  it  may  also  be  understood  as  signify¬ 
ing  that  gracious  adoption  which  the  Gos¬ 
pel  so  often  speaks  of,  as  the  privilege  of 
those  who  believe  in  Christ.  Israel  was 
God’s  son,  his  first-born,  Rom.  9:  4.  But 
now,  under  the  Gospel,  particular  believers 
receive  the  adoption  ;  and,  as  an  earnest 
and  evidence  of  it,  they  have  together  there¬ 
with  the  Spirit  of  adoption,  putting  them 
on  the  duty  of  prayer,  and  enabling  them  in 
prayer  to  eye  God  as  a  Father,  v.  6.  And 
lie  reupon,  the  apostle  concludes  this  argu¬ 
ment,  by  adding,  v.  7.  that  now,  under  the 
gospel-state,  we  are  no  longer  under  the 
servitude  of  the  law,  but,  on  our  believing 
hi  Christ,  become  the  sons  of  God,  are  ac¬ 
cepted  of  Him,  and  adopted  by  Him;  and, 
being  the  sons,  are  also  heirs  of  God,  and 
entitled  to  the  heavenly  inheritance,  Rom. 
8:  17.  so  that  it  must  needs  be  the  greatest 
weakness  and  folly  to  turn  back  to  the  law, 
and  to  seek  justification  by  the  works  of  it. 

V.  8 — 11.  In  these  vs.  the  apostle  puts 
them  in  mind  of  what  they  were  before  their 
conversion,  and  what  a  blessed  change  that 
had  made  on  them ;  thence  he  endeavors  to 
convince  them  of  their  great  weakness  in 
hearkening  to  those  who  would  bring  them 
under  the  bondage  of  the  law  of  Moses. 

1.  They  were  grossly  ignorant  of  the  true 
God, and  the  way  wherein  He  is  to  be  wor¬ 
shipped;  they  were  under  the  worst  of  sla¬ 
veries,  employed  in  a  great  number  of  super- 
stitious  and  idolatrous  services  to  those, 
who,  though  accounted  gods,  were  yet  really 
no  gods,  but  mere  creatures,  perhaps  of  their 
own  making,  and  therefore  utterly  unable  to 
hear  and  help  them. 

2.  Now  they  had  known  God;  they  were 
brought  to  the  knowledge  of  the  true  God, 
and  of  his  Son  Jesus  Christ,  whereby  they 
were  recovered  out  of  their  former  ignorance 
and  bondage;  or  rather  were  known  of  God; 
it  was  not  owing  to  themselves,  but  to  Him ; 
it  was  the  effect  of  his  free  and  rich  grace 
toward  them,  and  as  such  they  ought  to  ac¬ 
count  it;  therefore—hereby  they  were  laid 
under  the  greater  obligation  to  adhere  tothe 
liberty  wherewith  He  had  made  them  free. 
All  our  acquaintance  with  God  begins  with 


Happy  effect  of  the  Gospel. 

Him  ;  we  know  Him,  because  we  arc  known 
of  Him. 

3.  Hence  he  infers  the  unreasonableness 
and  madness  of  their  suffering  themselves  to 
be  brought  again  into  a  state  of  bondage; 
he  speaks  of  it  with  surprise  and  deep  con¬ 
cern  of  mind,  that  such  as  they  should  do  so, 
v.  9.  They  had  the  less  reason  for  it,  since 
they  had  never  been  under  the  law  of  Moses, 
as  the  Jews  had  been;  therefore  they  were 
more  inexcusable  than  the  Jews  themselves, 
who  might  be  supposed  to  have  some  fond¬ 
ness  for  that  which  had  been  of  so  long 
standing  among  them.  Besides,  what  they 
suffered  themselves  to  be  brought  into  bon¬ 
dage  to,  were  such  things  as  had  no  power 
in  them  to  cleanse  the  soul,  or  to  afford  any 
solid  satisfaction  tothe  mind,  and  were  only 
designed  for  that  state  of  pupillage  under 
which  the  church  had  been,  and  which  was 
now  come  to  a  period  ;  therefore  their  weak¬ 
ness  and  folly  were  the  more  aggravated,  in 
submitting  to  them,  and  in  symbolizing  with 
the  Jews  in  observing  their  various  festivals, 
here  signified  by  days,  and  months,  and  times , 
and  years. 

4.  Hereupon  he  expresses  his  fears.  lie 
had  been  at  great  pains  in  preaching  the 
Gospel  to  them,  and  endeavoring  to  confirm 
them  in  the  faith  and  liberty  of  it;  but  now 
they  were  giving  up  these,  and  thereby  ren¬ 
dering- his  labor  fruitless  and  ineffectual,  and 
this  could  not  but  deeply  affect  him.  Those 
will  have  a  great  deal  to  answer  for,  on 
whom  the  faithful  ministers  of  Jesus  Christ 
bestow  labor  in  vain. 

V.  12 — 16.  That  these  Christians  might 
be  the  more  ashamed  of  their  defection  from 
the  truth  of  the  Gospel,  Paul  here  reminds 
them  of  the  great  affection  they  formerly  had 
for  him  and  his  ministry,  and  puts  them  on 
considering  how  very  unsuitable  their  present 
behavior  was  to  what  they  then  professed. 

1.  How  affectionately  he  addresses  them; 
and  thus  he  endeavors  to  mollify  their  spirits 
toward  him,  that  so  they  might  the  better 
receive  the  admonitions  he  was  giv ing  them  ; 
teaching  us,  that,  in  reproving  others,  we 
should  take  care  to  convince  them  that  our 
reproofs  do  not  proceed  from  any  private 


PRACT.  OBS.  V.  1 — 11.  While  we  are  or  ought  to  be  thankful  for  evince  our  adoption  ;  and  may  ‘  the  Iloly  Spirit  thus  witness  with  our 
the  light,  liberty,  and  privileges  of  the  Gospel,  we  should  cheerfully  sub-  Spirit,  that  we  are  the  children  and  heirs  of  God.’ — Idolatry  consists,  in 
mit  to  ihe  restraints  and  corrections  of  our  heavenly  Father,  in  this  our  ‘  worshipping  what,  by  nature,  is  no  God  surely  then  the  worship  of 
state  of  education  for  perfect  felicity,  and  patiently  wait  for  the  time  saints  and  angels  is  turning  again  to  heathenism  ;  and  every  scriptural 
appointed  by  Him  for  our  admission  to  it;  and  we  ought  to  delight  in  example  of  worship  rendered  to  Christ,  demonstrates,  that  He  is,  ‘  by 
the  ‘easy  yoke’  of  our  Redeemer,  whose  ‘service  is  perfect  freedom.’  nature,’  ‘  God  over  all,  blessed  forevermore.’  Scott. 

Hint.  11:28 — 30.  May  we,  by  a  filial  temper  and  conduct,  at  all  times 


(3.)  Of  the  world.]  Kosmou,  material,  physical,  natural.  Ed.  ‘All 
not  Christians.  Elements  of  religion,  especially  titled  lo  Ihe  capacities 
of  ignorant  and  uncivilized  persons,  such  as  are  usually  delighted  with 
external. ceremonies.  Heb.  5:2.  'Col.  2:8,  20.’  Bl.  ‘  Tiie  Jewish  rituals 
might  be  called  worldly  elements ,  not  only  on  account  of  the  relation 
which  they  had  to  worldly  things,  by  which  they  were  adapted  to  the 
low  conceptions  of  children,  who  are  most  afTected  with  sensible  ob¬ 
jects,  and  have  no  taste  for  spiritual  and  heavenly  things;  but  also 
because  the  same  kind  of  things  had  before  obtained  in  the  world,  and 
were  in  use  among  the  heathens,  though  under  the  Mosaic  law  they 
were  directed  to  a  better  object  and  end. — Some  refer  it  to  the  unfitness 
of  the  Israelites,  in  the  infancy  of  their  commonwealth,  for  receiving  a 
more  rational  and  sublime  plan  of  religion,  having  been  used  in  Egypt 
to  so  many  pompous  ceremonies.’  Doddr.  Christian  !  Dost  thou  re¬ 
ceive  the  religion  of  Christ  in  Spirit  and  in  truth  ?  Ed. 

V.  4 — 7.  Made  of  a  woman.]  By  his  miraculous  conception  in  the 
womb  of  the  virgin,  made,  or  born,  (as  Some  copies  read  it,)  of  a  wo¬ 
man,  and  emphatically  her  seed,  by  receiving  li is  human  flesh  of  her 
substance.  Thus  He  was  also  ‘  made  under  the  law,'  being  born  of  a 
Jewess,  and  the  reputed  Son  of  a  Jew,  and  circumcised  ;  that  so,  being 
‘  under  the  law,’  as  a  covenant  of  works,  He  might,  as  the  Surety  of  the 
church,  in  every  way  answer  its  full  demand.  He  was  pleased,  for  be¬ 
tween  30  and  40  years,  to  tabernacle  here  on  earth,  in  perfect  obedience 
to  the  whole  law ;  and  at  length  to  give  Himself,  a  spotless  sacrifice  of 
infinite  value,  ‘to  redeem  those,  who  were  under  the  law,’  and  its 
righteous  curse  or  condemnation,  from  that  awful  curse.  3:10 — 14.  Sc. 

(6.)  ‘  Selden  brings  a  very  pertinent  quotation  from  the  Bab>  Ionian 

Gemara,  to  prove,  that  it  was  not  allowed  to  slaves  [v.  1.]  to  use  the  title 
of  Ablia,  in  addressing  the  master  of  a  family  to  which  they  belonged,  or 
the  correspondent  title  of  Imma ,  or  mother,  when  speaking  to  the  mis¬ 
tress  of  it.’  Doddr. 

V.  8 — 11.  The  preceding  argument  fully  proved,  that  even  Jewish 
converts  were  redeemed  from  the  yoke  of  the  ceremonial  law,  as  well 
as  from  the  curse  of  the  covenant  of  works.  How  absurd  then  would  it 
be,  for  Gentiles  to  adopt  that  abrogated  system  i  In  this  sense  alone 
could  the  Galatians  be  said  ‘to  turn  again  to  the  weak  and  beggarly 
elements;’  (for  they  had  not  before  been  under  the  ceremonial  law;)  in 
that,  when  delivered  from  idolatry,  they  were  about  to  substitute  the  ab¬ 


rogated  ceremonial  law,  in  the  place  of  the  heathen  superstitions,  and 
to  bring  themselves  into  bondage  to  judaizing  teachers  and  Pharisaical 
traditions,  after  having  been  emancipated  from  the  pagan  priests.  (9) 
Beggarly,  & c.]  ‘Thus  he  calls  these  rites  in  themselves,  and  consid¬ 
ered  apart  from  Christ.’  Beza.  ‘  Paul  calls  them  “  weak  and  beggarly 
elements,”  whereby  it  should  seem,  they  were  empty  of  all  spiritual 
meaning.  I  answer,  such  they  were  become,  indeed,  when  Christ  was 
once  come,  . .  .  when  the  grace  signified  in  them  was  brought  out  into 
the  light,  when  the  inwrapped  promises  were  unfolded  and  revealed, 
they  were  then  as  empty  shells,  and  like  carcasses  whose  soul  was  gone. 
So  long  as  a  shell  contains  a  kernel  unseen,  so  long  it  is  full ;  when  it 
comes  forth  to  outward  view,  then  the  shell  is  empty.  Even  so  it  is 
with  the  elements  of  the  law.’  Mede. —  The  best  illustration  of  the  ab¬ 
surd  conduct,  which  the  apostle  ascribes  to  the  Galatians,  may  be  found 
in  the  church  of  Rome,  in  which  the  worship  of  saints  and  angels  suc¬ 
ceeded  to  that  of  the  inferior  deities  ;  the  superstitious  and  often  licen¬ 
tious  festivals  multiplied  among  them,  to  those  which  had  been  used  in 
pagan  Rome.  In  short,  almost  every  part  of  the  idolatrous  worship  of 
pagan  Rome,  has  its  counterpart  in  that  of  antichristian  Rome-  this 
may  be  clearly  perceived  by  any  man  who  will  take  the  pains  to  com¬ 
pare  many  passages  in  Virgil,  and  other  Latin  and  Greek  poets,  with 
the  rituals  of  the  church  of  Rome.  [See  Dr.  Middleton's  ‘  Popery  Un¬ 
masked.’  Ed.]  Scott. 

(9.)  Known  of  &. c.]  ‘Brought  by  God  to  a  knowledge  of  Him,  as 
I  Cor.  8:3.’  Beza,  Schl.,  &.C.  ‘  Recognised  as  God’s  own  sons,  and  ap¬ 

proved  by  spiritual  gifts  already  imparled  to  some  of  them.’  Grot.,Bt. 
IVeak.]  ‘As  having  no  sufficient  power  to  cleanse  the  soul  from  sin, 
andjustify  the  sinner  in  God’s  sight.  Beggarly ,]  or  poor,  as  they  could 
not  confer  the  spiritual  riches  of  the  Gospel,  pardon,  peace,  and  the  as¬ 
surance  of  enjoying  life  and  happiness.’  Doddr. 

(11.)  Afraid.]  ‘  Some  give  one  reason  for  this  fear,  that,  as  the  San¬ 
hedrim  regulated  the  feasts,  &c„  they  would  be  brought  immediately 
under  their  power,  and  so  their  Christianity  be  altogether  endangered. 

Id. 

V.  12 — 16.  ‘The  apostle  tempers  whatever  he  might  seem  to  have 
said  more  sharply  than  usual,  by  an  admirable,  and  therefore  no  doubt  a 
divine  management;  so  declaring  his  good-will  to  the  Galatians,  that 
when  they  read  it,  unless  they  were  wholly  desperate,  they  could  not 


A.  D.  55. 


GALATIANS.  IV. 


The  character  of  false  teachers. 


18  Ye  know  how  through  in¬ 
firmity  of  the  flesh  I  preached  the 
gospel  unto  you  at  the  first  : 

14  And  my  temptation  which 
was  in  my  flesh  ye  despised  not, 
nor  rejected  :  but  received  me  as 
an  angel  fof  God,  even  as  *  Christ 
Jesus. 

15  h  Where  is  then  the  blessed¬ 
ness  ye  spake  of?  for  I  bear  you 
record,  that,  if  it  had  been  possible, 
ye  would  have  plucked  out  your 
own  eyes,  and  have  given  them  to 
me. 

16  Am  I  therefore  become  your 
enemy,  because  I  tell  you  the  truth? 

17  They  zealously  affect  you, 
but  1  not  well  ;  yea,  they  would  ex¬ 
clude  1  you,  that  ye  might  affect 
them. 

18  But  it  is  good  to  be  zealously 
affected  always  k  in  a  good  thing , 
and  not  only  when  I  am  present 
with  you. 

19  My  'little  children,  of  whom 
I  travail  in  birth  again  until  Christ 
be  formed  in  you, 

20  I  desire  to  be  present  with 
you  now,  and  to  change  my  voice  ; 
for  m  I  stand  in  doubt  of  you. 

[Practical  Observations.] 

e  1  Co.  2:3.  h  or,  t chat  was.  I  1  Co.  4:15. 

f  2  Sa.  19:27.  i  Ro.  10:2.  m  or,  /  am  per- 

Mai.  2:7.  i  or,  us.  plexed  for  you. 

g  Mat.  10:40.  k  1  Co.  15:58. 

pique  or  resentment,  but  from  a  sincere  re¬ 
gard  to  the  honor  of  God  and  religion,  and 
their  truest  welfare;  for  then  they  are  likely 
to  he  most  successful,  when  they  appear  to 
be  most  disinterested. 

2.  Ho  w  he  magnifies  their  former  affec¬ 
tion  to  him,  that  hereby  they  might  be  the 
more  ashamed  of  their  present  behavior  to¬ 
ward  him.  To  this  purpose,  (1.)  He  puts 
them  in  mind  of  the  difficulty  he  labored  un¬ 
der,  when  became  first  among  them,  v.  13. 
Wlrat  his  infirmity  was,  which  in  the  follow¬ 
ing  words  he  expresses  by  his  temptation  in 
his  flesh,  (though,  no  doubt,  it  was  well 
known  to  the  Galatians,)  we  have  no  cer¬ 
tain  knowleige;  some  take  it  to  have  been 
the  persecutions  he  suffered  ;  others,  to  have 
been  something  in  his  person,  or  manner  of 
speaking,  which  might  render  his  ministry 
less  acceptable,  referring  to  2  Cor.  10:  10. 
and  to  ch.  12:  7 — 9.  But,  whatever  it  was, 
it  seems  it  made  no  impression  on  them  to 
his  disadvantage.  For,  (2.)  He  notices, 


that,  notwithstanding  his  infirmity,  they  did 
not  despise  or  reject  him  on  the  account  of  it, 
but,  on  the  contrary,  showed  him  [the  very 
highest]  respect;  even  as  though  an  angel  of 
God,  or  Jesus  Christ  Himself,  had  preached 
to  them.  Yea,  so  great  was  their  esteem 
of  him,  that,  if  it  would  have  been  any  ad¬ 
vantage  to  him,  they  could  have  plucked  out 
their  own  eyes,  and  have  given  them  to  him. 
Ilow  uncertain  the  respects  of  people,  and 
how  easily  they  are  drawn  into  a  contempt 
of  those  for  whom  they  once  had  the  greatest 
esteem  and  affection  !  We  should  therefore 
labor  to  be  accepted  of  God,  for  it  is  a  small 
thing  to  be- judged  of  man’s  judgment,  1 
Cor.  4:  3. 

3.  How  earnestly  he  expostulates  with 
them  hereupon,  v.  15.  As  if  he  had  said, 
‘  Time  was,  when  you  expressed  the  great¬ 
est  joy  and  satisfaction  in  the  glad  tidings 
of  the  Gospel,  and  were  very  forward  in 
pouring  out  your  blessings  on  me,  as  the 
publisher  of  them  ;  whence  is  it  that  you  are 
now  so  much  altered,  that  you  have  so  little 
relish  of  them,  or  respect  for  me!  You  once 
thought  yourselves  happy  in  receiving  the 
Gospel;  have  you  now  any  reason  to  think 
otherwise!’  The  more  to  impress  on  them  a 
just  shame  of  their  present  conduct,  he  again 
asks,  v.  16.  ‘  How  is  it  that  I,  who  was 
heretofore  your  favorite,  am  now  accounted 
your  enemy  !  Can  you  pretend  any  other 
reason  for  it,  than  that  I  have  told  you  the 
truth,  endeavored  to  acquaint  you  with,  and 
to  confirm  yon  in,  the  truth  of  the  Gospel  ! 
And  if  not,  how  unreasonable  must  your  dis¬ 
affection  bo  !’  It  is  no  uncommon  tiling  for 
men  to  account  those  their  enemies,  who  are 
really  their  best  friends;  and  ministers  may 
create  enemies  to  themselves  by  the  faithful 
discharge  of  their  duty.  Yet  they  must  not 
forbear  speaking  the  truth,  for  fear  of  offend¬ 
ing  others,  and  drawing  their  displeasure 
on  them.  And  lastly,  they  may  be  easy  in 
their  own  minds,  when  conscious,  that,  if 
others  are  become  their  enemies,  it  is  only 
for  telling  them  the  truth. 

V.  17,  IS.  The  apostle  having,  just  be¬ 
fore,  been  expostulating  with  the  Galatians 
about  the  change  of  their  behavior  toward 
him,  he  here  gives  them  the  character  of 
those  false  teachers  who  made  it  their  busi¬ 
ness  to  draw  them  away;  which,  if  they 
would  attend  to,  they  might  soon  see  how 
little  reason  they  had  to  hearken  to  them; 
he  tells  them  they  were  designing  men,  who 
were  aiming  to  set  up  themselves,  and  who, 
under  their  specious  pretences,  were  more 
consulting  their  own  interest  than  theirs  ; 
*  They  zealously  affect  yon,’  says  he;  ‘  they 
show  a  mighty  respect,  and  pretend  a  great 
deal  of  affection  for  you,  but  not  well;  not 
with  any  good  design,  for  they  would  exclude 


you,  to  engage  your  affections  to  them, 
draw  them  off'  from  me,  and  from  the  truth, 
that  so  they  may  engross  you  to  themselves.’ 
Observe,  It  is  the  usual  way  of  seducers,  to 
insinuate  themselves  into  people’s  affections, 
and  so  draw  them  into  their  opinions.  What¬ 
ever  pretences  such  may  make,  they  have 
usually  more  regard  to  their  own  interest 
than  that  of  others,  and  will  not  stick  at 
ruining  the  reputation  of  others,  if  by  that 
mean  they  can  raise  their  own.  On  this  oc¬ 
casion  the  apostle  gives  us  an  excellent  rule, 
v.  IS.  What  our  tr.  renders,  in  a  good  thing, 
some  render,  to  a  good  man,  and  so  consider 
the  apostle  as  pointing  to  himself;  this 
sense,  they  think,  is  favored  both  by'  the 
preceding  context,  and  the  following,  and 
not  only  when  I  am  present  with  you;  which 
may  be  as  if  he  had  said,  ‘  Time  was,  when 
ye  were  zealously  affected  toward  me;  ye 
once  took  me  for  a  good  man,  and  have  now 
no  reason  to  think  otherwise  of  me;  surely 
then  it  would  become  you  to  show  the  same 
regard  to  me,  now  I  am  absent,  which  ye 
did  when  I  was  present.’  But  if  we  adhere 
to  our  own  tr.,  the  apostle  here  furnishes  us 
with  a  very  good  ride  to  direct  and  regulate 
us  in  the  exercise  of  our  zeal ;  two  things  to 
this  purpose  he  more  especially  recommends 
to  us;  (1.)  That  it  be  exercised  only  on 
that  which  is  good;  And,  (2.)  That  herein 
it  he  constant  and  steady.  Happy  would  it 
he  for  the  church  of  Christ,  if  this  rule  was 
better  observed  among  Christians  ! 

V.  19,  20.  That  the  apostle  might  the 
!  better  dispose  these  Christians  to  bear  with 
him,  in  the  reproofs  he  was  obliged  to  give 
them,  he  here  expresses  his  great  affection 
to  them,  and  very  tender  concern  for  their 
welfare;  he  still  bore  the  same  respect  to 
them  he  had  formerly  done;  (notwithstand¬ 
ing  their  fickleness ; )  nor  was  he  like  their 
false  teachers,  hut  his  concern  was  sincere, 
for  their  good  ;  he  sought  not  theirs,  but 
them.  He  assures  them  be  was  their  friend; 
nay,  had  the  bowels  of  a  parent  toward 
them.  He  calls  them  his  children,  as  he 
justly  might,  since  he  had  been  the  instru¬ 
ment  of  their  conversion;  yea,  he  styles 
them  his  little  children,  which  denotes  a 
greater  degree  of  tenderness  and  affection  to 
them,  and  possibly,  that  in  their  present  be¬ 
havior  they  showed  themselves  too  like  little 
children,  who  are  easily  wrought  on  by  the 
arts  and  insinuations  of  others.  He  expres¬ 
ses  his  earnest  desire  of  their  welfare  and 
soul-prosperity,  by  the  pangs  of  a  travailing 
woman;  and  the  great  thing  he  was  ia  so 
much  pain  about,  and  so  earnestly  desirous 
of,  was,  that  Christ  might  be  formed  in  them ; 
that  they  might  become  Christians  indeed, 
and  he  more  confirmed  and  established  in 
the  faith  of  the  Gospel.  Whence  note,  1. 


PR/VCT.  OBS.  V.  12 — 23.  It  behooves  us,  when  we  think  ourselves 
unkindly  treated,  to  recollect  the  instances,  in  which  we  experienced 
the  candor  and  affection  of  our  heareks,  and  when  they  overlooked  those 
infirmities  and  defects,  if  not  instances  of  misconduct,  which  we  feared 
would  have  occasioned  the  rejection  of  our  message.  We  may  also  re¬ 
mind  them,  when  they  seem  about  to  turn  aside,  of  those  tender  and 
sweet  seasons,  when  they  welcomed  the  Gospel  as  preached  by  such 
poor  worms;  and  when  their  hearts  were  so  full  of  ‘  blessedness, ’  that 
they  scarcely  knew  how  sufficiently  to  express  their  gratitude,  even  to 
the  instruments  of  their  hopes  and  consolations.  Contrasting  these 
happy  seasons  with  that  coldness  and  disaffection,  which  too  frequently 
follow,  without  any  apparent  reason,  we  may,  with  efficacy,  inquire, 


‘  what  is  become  of  their  blessedness,  and  whether  we  he  looked  on  as 
enemies,  because  we  tell  them  the  truth.  Alas  !  this  is  often  the  case, 
not  only  with  false  professors  of  the  Gospel,  but  even  with  misguided 
believers. —  At  such  times,  the  most  affectionate  warnings,  and  scriptural 
arguments,  generally  give  offence,  and  increase  alienation.  This  is  a 
most  trying  situation  to  the  faithful  minister.  lie  cannot  cease  to  feel 
for  his  deluded  children,  and  to  long  after  them.  Though  he  could  bear 
to  lose  their  affections ,  he  cannot  be  willing  that  they  should  lose  their 
souls ;  lie  must  remind  them,  that  their  zealous  affections  should  he  to¬ 
wards  more  substantial  good,  than  new  notions  and  new  teachers,  ns  in 
the  sight  of  God,  and  not  merely  in  the  presence  of  their  ministers. 

Scott. 


bu  t  acknowledge  his  lenity  with  tears.’  Beza. — Being  desirous  of  consid¬ 
ering  the  Galatians  ns  his  brethren  in  Christ,  he  affectionately  entreated 
them  to  ‘  be  as  he  was,’  as  cordial  in  their  love  to  him,  as  lie  was  in  his 
love  to  them ;  or  rather,  of  one  mind  with  hirn,  respecting  justification 
and  the  Mosaic  law;  for  ‘  he  was  as  they  were,’  though  he  had  been 
‘zealous  for  the  law,’  (as  tiiey  were  now  become  !)  yet  he  now  trusted 
only  in  Christ,  and  put  no  more  confidence  in  the  law,  than  if  he  had 
been  a  Gentile;  and  he  entreated  them  in  this  to  imitate  him.— Doubt¬ 
less  the  apostle  here  spake  of  t  his  thorn  in  the  flesh,’  which  must  there¬ 
fore  have  been  some  perceivable  infirmity,  that  exposed  him  to  inward 
temptations,  and  to  the  contempt  of  bits  enemies  ;  and  indeed  it  is  absurd 
to  explain  this  of  his  persecutions,  which  were  no  plausible  reason  why 
he  should  he  despised,  but  the  coutrary.  Scott. 

(12.)  ‘This  v.  is  obscure  from  its  extreme  brevity.  Morus,  Mackn., 
Grot.,  Wolf,  and  Whit.,  think  there  is  here  a  description  of  mutual  love  ; 
since  the  beloved  object  is  another  self.  But  I  assent  to  Koppe  and 
Itorger,  that  this  sense  cannot  be  elicited  from  the  words.  The  follow¬ 
ing  sense  (of  the  Syr.  and  Arab.,  Ham.,  Starck,  Zeltuer,  Beausohre, 


Wells,  l)oddr.,  Wets.,  Ros.,  Semler,  and  Sclil.)  seems  least  exception¬ 
able.  ‘Follow  my  example,  who  was  once  zealous  for  it,  in  renounc¬ 
ing  the  law  for  the  gospel,  and  now  live,  as  do  the  Gentiles,  released 
from  the  law.’  Bloomf. 

(15.)  The  blessedness  ye  spake  of.]  I.it.  your  happiness,  blessed¬ 
ness,  i.  e.  which  you  felt  at  having  such  a  teacher  •.  the  Gr.  has  no  word 
for  ‘  spake  of.’  See  Doddr.,  &c.  Ed. 

V.  17 — 20.  Exclude,  &c.]  Yea,  they  would  even  ‘exclude  them,' 
from  the  liberty  and  salvation  of  Christ,  in  order  to  confirm  them  in  a 
blind  attachment  to  their  own  doctrine  and  party.  Some  copies  read, 
‘  they  would  exclude  us.’  Scott. 

(17.)  You.  1  ‘So  the  most  approved  critics  read.’  Bl.,  who  (after  the 
Gr.  comtrs.,  Vulg.,  Wells,  Koppe,  and  Borger)  tr.  ‘  they  imitate  and  copy 
your  zeal,  but  with  dissimulation,  with  evil  intention.’  Exclude ,  i.  e. 
throw  you  out  of  that  more  perfect  spiritual  state  and  knowledge  ye 
have  entered,  that  you  might  go  back  into  their  prison-house  ol  sense 
and  forms,  and  copy  them.  For  spiritual  tyranny  best  serves  its  pur¬ 
poses  by  multiplying  forms,  am]  articles  of  faith.  Ed. 


A.  D.  56. 


GALATIANS,  IV. 


21  Tell  me,  ye  that  desire  to  be 
under  the  law,  do  ye  not  hear  the 
law  ? 

22  For  it  is  written,  That  Abra¬ 
ham  had  two  sons,  the  one  n  by  a 
bondmaid,  the  other  0  by  a  free- 
worn  an. 

23  But  he  who  was  of  the  p  bond- 
woman  was  born  after  the  flesh  ; 
but  he  of  the  freewoman  was  by 
promise. 

24  Which  things  are  an  i  allego¬ 
ry  :  for  these  are  the  two  Cove¬ 
nants  ;  the  one  from  the  mount  8 

Sinai,  which  gendereth  to  bon¬ 
dage,  which  is  Agar. 

25  For  this  Agar  is  mount  Sinai, 
in  Arabia,  and  u  answereth  to  Jeru¬ 
salem  which  now  is,  and  is  in  bon¬ 
dage  with  her  children. 

26  But  Jerusalem  5  which  is  above 
is  free,  which  is  the  mother  of  us 
all. 

27  For  it  is  written,  w  Rejoice, 
thou  barren  that  bearest  not;  break 
forth  and  cry,  thou  that  travailest 
not ;  for  the  desolate  hath  many 
more  children  than  she  which  hath 
an  husband. 

28  Now  Mve,  brethren,  as  Isaac 
was,  are  the  children  of  promise. 

29  But  as  then,  he  Chat  was  born 
after  the  flesh  persecuted  him  that 
was  born  after  the  Spirit,  even  so 
1  it  is  now. 

30  Nevertheless  what  saith  8  the 
Scripture  ?  Cast  out  the  bond¬ 
woman  and  her  son  :  for  the  son  of 
the  bondwoman  shall  not  be  heir 
with  the  son  of  the  freewoman. 

31  So  then,  brethren,  we  are  not 


children  of 
the  free. 


the  bondwoman,  but  of 


n  Ge.  16:15. 
o  Ge.  21:1,8. 
p  Ro.  9:7,8. 
q  l  Co.  10:11. 
r  or,  testaments. 
s  Sina. 


t  De.  33:2. 
u  or,  is  in  the 
same  rank  with. 
v  He.  12:22. 

Re.  21:2,10. 
w  I*.  54:1. 


x  Ac.  3:25. 

c.  3:29. 
y  Ge.  >1:9 
z  Jn.  15;  19 
a  Ge.  21:10,12. 


The  very  tender  affection  faithful  ministers 
bear  toward  those  among  whom  they  are 
employed.  2.  The  chief  thing  they  long  and 
even  travail  in  birth  for,  on  their  account,  is, 
not  so  much  that  they  may  gain  their  affec¬ 
tions,  much  less  make  a  prey  of  them,  but 
that  they  may  be  renewed  in  the  spirit  of 
their  minds,  wrought  into  the  image  of 
Christ,  and  more  fully  settled  in  the  Chris¬ 
tian  faith  and  life;  and  how  unreasonably 
must  those  people  act,  who  suffer  themselves 
to  be  prevailed  upon  to  desert  or  dislike  such 
ministers  !  3.  Christ  is  not  fully  formed  in 
men  till  they  are  brought  off  from  trusting  in 
their  own  righteousness,  and  made  to  rely 
only  on  Him  and  his  righteousness. 

As  a  further  evidence  of  his  affection  and 
concern,  he  adds  his  desire  to  be  with  them, 
that  thereupon  he  might  find  occasion  to 
change  his  voice  toward  them ;  for  at  present 
he  was  not  so  fully  acquainted  with  their 
state,  as  to  know  how  to  accommodate  him¬ 
self  to  them;  he  was  full  of  fears,  but  would 
be  glad  to  find  matters  better  with  them  than 
he  feared,  and  that  he  might  have  occasion 
to  commend  instead  of  thus  reproving  and 
chiding. 

V.  21 — 31.  In  these  vs.  the  apostle  illus¬ 
trates  the  difference  between  believers  who 
rested  in  Christ  only,  and  those  judaizers 
who  trusted  in  the  law,  by  a  comparison 
taken  from  the  story  of  Isaac  and  Ishmael. 
Since  they  were  so  very  fond  of  being  under 
the  law,  he  would  have  them  duly  to  con¬ 
sider  what  is  written  therein,  referring  to 
Gen.  chs.  16.  and  21.  which  if  they  would 
do,  they  might  soon  see  how  little  reason 
they  had  for  it.  And  here, 

1.  He  sets  before  them  the  history  itself, 
v.  22,  23.  Here  he  represents  the  different 


History  of  Isaac  and  Ishmael. 

state  and  condition  of  these  two  sons  of 
Abraham;  that  the  one  was  by  a  bondmaid , 
and  the  other,  by  a  freewoman  ;  and  that 
whereas  the  former  was  born  after  the  flesh , 
or  by  the  ordinary  course  of  nature,  the  other 
was  by  promise,  when  in  the  course  of  nature 
there  was  no  reason  to  expect  that  Sarah 
should  have  a  son. 

2.  He  acquaints  them  with  the  meaning 
and  design  of  this  history,  or  the  use  he  in¬ 
tended  to  make  of  it,  v.  24 — 27.  These  things, 
says  lie,  are  an  allegory,  wherein,  beside  the 
literal  add  historical  sense  of  the  words,  the 
Spirit  of  God  might  design  to  signify  some¬ 
thing  further  to  us,  and  that  was,  That  these 
two,  Agar  and  Sarah,  are  the  two  covenants, 
or  were  intended  to  typify  and  prefigure  the 
two  different  dispensations  of  the  covenant. 
The  former.  Agar,  represented  that  which 
was  given  from  Sinai,  which  though  a  dis¬ 
pensation  of  grace,  yet,  in  comparison  of  the 
gospel-state,  was  a  dispensation  of  bondage, 
and  became  more  so  to  the  Jews,  through 
their  mistake  of  the  design  of  it,  and  ex¬ 
pecting  to  be  justified  by  the  works  of  it. 
For  this  Agar  is  mount  Sinai  in  Arabia, 
(mount  Sinai  was  then  called  Agar  by  the 
Arabians,)  and  it  answereth  to  Jerusalem 
which  now  is,  and  is  in  bondage  with  her  chil¬ 
dren;  that  is,  it  justly  represents  the  present 
state  of  the  Jews,  who,  continuing  in  their 
infidelity,  and  adhering  to  that  covenant,  are 
still  in  bondage  with  their  children.  But 
the  other,  Sarah,  was  intended  to  prefigure 
Jerusalem  which  is  above,  or  the  state  of 
Christians  under  the  new  and  better  dispen¬ 
sation  of  the  covenant,  which  is  free  both 
from  the  curse  of  the  moral  and  the  bondage 
of  the  ceremonial  law,  and  is  the  mother  of 
us  all;  a  state  into  which  all,  both  Jews  and 
Gentiles,  are  admitted,  on  their  believing  in 
Christ.  And  to  this  greater  freedom  and 
enlargement  of  the  church  under  the  Gospel 
dispensation,  which  was  typified  by  Sarah, 
the  mother  of  the  promised  seed,  the  apostle 
refers,  Is.  54:  1. 

3.  He  applies  the  history  thus  explained, 
to  the  present  case,  v.  28.  Now  we,  brethren, 


PRACT.  OB8.  V.  21 — 31.  Not  only  do  allegories  and  types  instruct 
us,  but  the  plainest  language  imaginable  declares  the  two  covenants, 
that  from  Sinai,  and  that  of  Christ,  to  be  perfectly  distinct,  and  even  of 
opposite  tendency,  to  those  who  now  are  under  them.  They  who  are 
‘  born  of  the  flesh,’  whether  of  Jewish  or  Christian  parents,  but  not  1  of 
the  Spirit,’  John  3:3 — 11.  and  who  in  any  degree  depend  for  justification 
on  circumcision,  baptism,  or  any  personal  obedience  whatsoever,  or  even 
on  creeds,  however  scriptural,  or  on  being  members  of  this  or  the  oth¬ 
er  church,  however  excellent,  are  under  the  covenant  of  works,  mere 
Ishmaelites,  bond-slaves,  citizens  of  the  earthly  Jerusalem,  but  under 
condemnation.  But  those  who  ‘  are  born  of  the  Spirit,’  and  so  believe 


in  Christ,  trusting  only  in  his  merits  and  grace,  are  the  ‘  children  of  the 
promise,’  and  of  the  heavenly  Jerusalem  ;  they  possess  true  liberty,  and 
are  the  heirs  of  everlasting  felicity.  Millions  have  already  been  thus 
‘  born  of  God,’  in  the  Gentile  world,  which  once  lay  desolate;  and  we 
should  pray,  and  do  what  we  can  in  every  way,  that  such  places  as  still 
continue  barren,  (alas,  how  numerous  and  extensive  !)  may  speedily 
produce  far  more  converts,  than  have  yet  been  made  in  the  most  flour¬ 
ishing  churches  ;  [encouraged  as  we  are  by  God’s  gracious  promises,  and 
‘  the  signs  of  the  times ;’]  and  especially,  that  Israel  may  speedily  be  gath¬ 
ered  from  his  abject  state,  which  shall  be  ‘  as  life  from  the  dead  ’  to  the 
nations  of  the  earth.  Scott. 


(20.)  Change  my  voice. j  ‘  Adapting  my  language,  so  as  to  accommo¬ 
date  myself  to  the  spiritual  state  31111  character  of  each  of  you,  ns  I  could 
if  present.’  See  Crellius.  Ed. 

V.  21 — 31.  We  should  not,  perhaps,  have  discovered  this  allegory,  in 
the  history  of  Sarah  and  Hagar,  if  the  apostle  had  not  shown  it  to  us  ; 
and  much  sobriety  and  discretion  ought  to  be  used  in  thus  applying 
scriptural  narrations;  yet  this  transaction  was  so  remarkable,  the  coin¬ 
cidence  so  exact,  and  the  illustration  so  instructive,  that  we  cannot  doubt 
it  originnlly  was  intended  by  the  Holy  Spirit,  as  an  allegory  and  type  of 
those  things,  to  which  the  inspired  apostle  referred  it;  and  it  should  be 
observed,  that  it  was  adduced,  as  an  illustration  of  the  subject  under 
consideration,  and  not  as  a  direct  argument,  or  proof  of  it.  —  (27)  Re¬ 
joice  thou  barren ,  <fcc.]  From  the  LXX,  which  accords  to  the  lleb.  Ts. 
54:1. — (30)  Cast  out ,  Ac.)  This  varies  in  things  not  material  to  the 
sense,  both  from  the  LXX,  and  from  the  lleb.  Gen.  21:10.  ‘  An  allego¬ 

ry  is,  when  one  thing  is  spoken  in  words,  but  another  is  intended  in 
meaning.’  Schleusner.  Scott. 

(23.)  1  It  was  intended  to  verify  the  somewhat  impossible  assertion 
he  had  before  made,  that  they  (the  Galatians)  were  sons  of  Abraham ;  q. 
d.  Ye  are  such,  though  not  after  the  flesh;  just  as  Isaac  was  the  more 
genuine  son  of  Abraham,  though  himself  not  born  after  the  flesh,  but 
formed  by  the  Spirit,  according  to  the  divine  promise;  whereas  Ishmael 
was  born  in  the  common  course  of  nature ;  and  yet  he  that  was  after 
the  flesh  was  a  slave,  and  had  no  participation  in  the  inheritance ;  but 
he.  that  was  after  the  Spirit  was  the  master  and  heir.  What  then  is  to 
hinder  you  from  being  Abraham’s  genuine  sons,  since  you  have  become 
such  by  regeneration  in  baptism  ?’  Theoph.,  Chrys.,  Bloomf.  But  see 
the  note  of  Scott  on  3:26 — 29.  Ed. 

(24.)  Borger ,  in  Bloomf.,  ‘  gives  the  following  scheme  of  correspond¬ 
ence.  A.  The  Jews  are  servile,  as  the  offspring  of  Hagar  was  servile. 
11.  The  Jews  are  sons  after  the  flesh,  ns  Ishmael  was  after  the  flesh. 
A.  Christians  are  free,  as  the  offspring  of  Sarah  was  free.  B.  Chris¬ 
tians  are  sons  through  the  promise,  as  Isaac  was  through  the  promise. 
Or,  with  a  reference  to  the  image  of  a  mother ,  thus  :  A.  The  Jewish 
religion  is,  like  Hagar,  the  mother  of  slaves.  A.  The  Christian  religion, 
like  Sarah,  is  the  mother  of  a  free  posterity.’  ‘I  would  choose,  (says 
N.  T.  VOL.  V.  47 


Dodtlr.)  to  explain  this  passage  of  Paul  as  an  allusion,  rather  than  an 
argument :  which  frees  it  from  many  objections  and  embarrassments  to 
which  it  would  otherwise  have  appeared  liable.  If  any  should  urge,  that 
such  glosses  are  of  little  importance,  it  may  be  sufficient  to  reply,  that 
they  were  much  in  the  Jewish  taste,  and  that  we  may  assure  ourselves, 
that  (he  apostles  were  preserved  from. anything  in  them  which  was 
not  perfectly  agreeable  to  the  mind  of  the  Spirit.  On  the  whole,  I  en¬ 
tirely  agree  with  Mr.  Chandler,  that  this  part  of  the  epistle  was  not  in¬ 
tended  to  prove  Christianity,  but  to  illustrate  thedifferent  genius  of  that 
and  Judaism,  and  to  show,  that  not  all  the  carnal  descendants  of  Abra¬ 
ham,  but  the  spiritual  offspring  only,  were  heirs,  even  according  to  the 
principles  which  the  Jews  themselves  readily  admitted.’  Doddr.  ‘This 
way  of  reasoning  was,  to  the  judaizing  zealots,  familiar  and  conclusive.’ 

OWEX. 

(24.)  A  long  list  of  comtrs.  in  Bl.  ‘  understand  the  Gr.,  to  Agar,  as 
not  the  name  of  the  bondwoman,  Hagar,  but  the  Arabic  word,  Hagar, 
a  rock  or  rocky  mountain,  as  Sinai  is,  and  was  eminently  called.  That 
it  bore  the  name  Hagar,  is  attested  by  all  the  ancient  commentators,  and 
especially  Chrys.,  himself  a  native  of  the  E.  And  so  many  modern  trav¬ 
ellers  ;  see  Busching.  El-hagar,  also,  is  the  name  given  to  Arabia  Petrosa.’ 

Ti'.  n 


(26.)  Jerusalem  from  above.]  ‘The  Christian  church,  the  economy 
of  the  N.  T.  ( Schoettg .,  IVcts.,  Chrys.,  <fcc.) ;  the  most  common  opinion, 
however,  is,  that  it  signifies  the  heatenly  Jerusalem  :  which,  however, 
I  Bee  not  how  we  can  understand  otherwise  than  of  the  gospel-dispen¬ 
sation,  as  the  earthly  Jerusalem  represented  the  old.  So  I  would  com¬ 
bine  both  senses.’  Bloomf. 

(29.)  Persecuted.]  ‘Vexed;  the  Gr.  denotes  injurious  treatment  of 
everv  kind,  both  by  words  as  well  as  deeds  ;  as  in  Gen.  21:9.  See  also 
the  Rabbins  in  IVets.  From  Gen.  21:10.  &c.,  it  appears,  that  Ishmael 
not  only  mocked  Isaac,  but  claimed  a  share  of  the  inheritance  with  him, 
which  (as  he  had  no  just  title  [in  law]  to  it,  and  derided  the  pretensioi  3 
of  the  lawful  heir)  was  a  persecution,  and  thus  typified  the 
and  violence  with  which  the  Jews,  the  natural  seed  ol  Abra  a  ,  - 

their  claim  to  a  spiritual  inheritance,  deriding  and  excluding  10 
expected  justification  by  faith.’  [369] 


A.  D.  56. 


GALATIANS,  V. 


Exhortation  to  maintain  g o sp el-lib erty. 


CHAP.  Y. 

1  He  movnh  them  to  stand  in  their  liberty,  3  and  not  to 
observe  circumcision  :  13  but  rather  love,  which  is  the 
Rum  of  the  law.  19  He  reckoneth  up  the  works  of  the 
flesh,  22  and  the  fruits  of  the  Spirit,  25  and  exhorteth 
to  walk  in  the  Spirit. 

STAND  *  fast  therefore  in  the 
b  liberty  wherewith  Christ  hath 
made  us  free,  and  be  not  entangled 
again  with  the  yoke  of  bondage. 

2  Behold,  I  Paul  say  unto  you, 
That  if  ye  be  circumcised,  Christ 
shall  profit  you  nothing. 

3  For  I  testify  again  to  every 
man  that  is  circumcised,  that  he  is 
a  debtor  to  do  the  whole  law. 

4  Christ  is  become  of  no  effect 
c  unto  you,  whosoever  of  you  are 
justified  by  the  law  :  ye  are  fallen 
d  from  grace. 

5  For  we  through  the  Spirit  wait 
efor  the  hope  of  righteousness  fby 
faith. 

n  Ep.  6:14.  cRo.  9:31,32.  e  Ro.  8:25. 

b  Jii.  8.32,36.  Ro.  d  He.  12:15.  f  2  Ti.  4:8. 

6:18.  Ac.  15:10. 


says  he,  we  Christians,  who  haye  accepted 
Christ,  and  rely  on  Him,  and  look  for  justi¬ 
fication  and  salvation  by  Him  alone,  as 
hereby  we  become  the  spiritual,  though  not 
the  natural,  seed  of  Abraham,  so  we  are 
entitled  to  the  promised  inheritance,  and 
interested  in  its  blessings.  But  lest  these 
Christians  should  he  stumbled  at  the  oppo¬ 
sition  they  might  meet  with  from  the  Jews, 
who  were  so  tenacious  of  their  law  as  to  be 
ready  to  persecute  those  who  would  not  sub¬ 
mit  to  it,  he  tells  them  that  this  was  no  more 
than  was  pointed  to  in  the  type;  for  as  then, 
he  that  was  born  after  the  flesh  persecuted  him 
that  was  born  after  the  Spirit,  they  mffst  expect 
it  would  be  so  now.  But,  for  their  comfort 
in  this  case,  he  desires  them  to  consider 
what  the  Scripture  saitli,  Gen.  21: 10.  Cast 
out  the  bond-woman  and  her  son,  for  the  son 
of  the  bond-woman  shall  not  be  heir  icith  the 
son  of  the  free-woman.  Though  the  judaizers 
should  persecute  and  hate  them,  yet  the  issue 
would  be,  that  Judaism  would  sink,  and 
wither,  and  perish;  but  true  Christianity 
should  flourish  and  last  for  ever.  And  then, 
as  a  general  inference  from  the  whole,  or 
the  sum  of  what  he  had  said,  he  concludes, 
v.  31.  So  then,  brethren,  we  are  not  children 
of  the  bond-woman,  but  of  the  free . 

Chap.  V.  In  this  ch.  the  apostle  comes 
to  make  application  of  his  foregoing  dis¬ 
course. 

V.  1 — 12.  This  ch.,  or  these  vs.  in  par¬ 
ticular  are,  as  it  were,  the  general  inference 
or  application  of  all  that  discourse  in  the 
last  ch.  Since  then  we  can  be  justified  only 
by  faith  in  Christ,  and  not  by  the  righteous¬ 
ness  of  the  law;  and  that  the  law  of  Moses 
was  no  longer  in  force,  nor  Christians  under 


any  obligation  to  submit  to  it;  therefore  he 
would  have  them  to  stand  fast  in  the  liberty 
wherewith  Christ  hath  made  us  free, 'and  not  to 
be  again  entangled  with  the  yoke  of  bondage. 
Here  observe,  1.  Under  the  Gospel  we  are 
enfranchised;  freed  from  the  yoke  of  the 
ceremonial  law,  and  from  the  curse  of  the 
moral  law;  so  that  we  are  no  longer  tied  to 
the  observance  of  the  one,  nor  tied  up  to  the 
rigor  of  the  other,  which  curses  every  one 
that  continues  not  in  all  things  written 
therein  to  do  them,  ch.  3:  10.  2.  We  owe 

this  liberty  to  Jesus  Christ;  by  his  merits 
He  has  satisfied  the  demands  of  the  broken 
law,  and  by  his  authority  as  a  King  He  has 
discharged  us  from  the  obligation  of  those 
carnal  ordinances  which  were  imposed  oil 
the  Jews.  And,  3.  It  is  therefore  our  duty 
constantly  and  faithfully  to  adhere  to  the 
Gospel,  and  to  the  liberty  of  it,  and  not  to 
suffer  ourselves,  on  any  considerations,  to  be 
again  entangled  with  the  yoke  of  bondage, 
or  persuaded  to  return  back  to  the  law  of 
Moses.  This  general  caution,  or  exhorta¬ 
tion,  the  apostle  enforces,  in  the  following 
verses,  by  several  arguments.  As, 

I.  That  their  submitting  to  circumcision, 
and  depending  on  the  works  of  the  law  for 
righteousness,  was  an  implicit  contradiction 
of  their  faith  as  Christians,  and  a  forfeiture 
of  all  their  advantages  by  Jesus  Christ, 
v.  2 — 4.  This  he  declares  with  great  solem¬ 
nity,  and  much  assurance,  v.  2,  3.  He  is 
not  speaking  of  mere  circumcision,  nor  was 
it  his  design  to  say,  that  none  who  are  cir¬ 
cumcised  could  have  any  benefit  by  Christ; 
for  all  the  O.  T.  saints  had  been  circum¬ 
cised,  and  he  himself  had  consented  to  the 
circumcising  of  Timothy.  But  he  is  to  be 
understood  as  speaking  of  circumcision  in 
the  sense  in  which  the  judaizing  teachers  did 
impose  it,  who  taught,  that  except  they  were 
circumcised,  and  kq>t  the  law  of  Moses,  they 
could  not  be  saved.  Acts  15:  1.  That  this  is 
his  meaning,  appears  from  v.  4.  where  he 
expresses  the  same  thing  by  their  being  jus¬ 
tified  by  the  law,  or  seeking  justification  by 
the  works  of  it.  Now,  in  this  case,  if  they 
submitted  to  circumcision  in  this  sense,  he 
declares  that  Christ  would  profit  them  nothing; 
that  they  were  debtors  to  do  the  whole  law; 
(which  required  such  an  obedience  as  they 
were  not  capable  of;  [and  never  would  per¬ 
form;]  denouncing  a  curse  against  those  who 
failed  [in  the  least  article],  and  condemned 
them  [irremediably]  ;)  so  that  Christ  was  be¬ 
come  of  no  effect  to  them;  and  that  they  were 
fallen  from  grace.  Therefore  there  was  the 
greatest  reason  why  they  should  steadfastly 
adhere  to  that  doctrine  they  had  embraced, 
and  not  suffer  themselves  to  be  brought  un¬ 
der  this  yoke  of  bondage.  Note,  Though 
Jesus  Christ  is  able  to  save  to  the  uttermost, 
yet  there  are  multitudes  to  whom  He  shall 
profit  nothing.  All  who  seek  to  be  justified 
by  the  law,  do  thereby  render  Christ  of.no 
effect  to  them ;  by  building  their  hopes  on 
the  works  of  the  law,  they  forfeit  ali  their 


hopes  from  Him,  for  He  will  not  be  the  Sa¬ 
vior  of  any  who  do  notown  and  rely  on  Him 
as  their  only  Savior. 

II.  To  persuade  them  to  steadfastness  in 
the  doctrine  and  liberty  of  the  Gospel,  he 
sets  before  them  his  own  example,  and  that 
of  other  Jews  who  had  embraced  the  Chris¬ 
tian  religion,  v.  5.  Though  Jews  by  nature, 
they  looked  for  justification  and  salvation 
only  by  faith  in  Christ;  and  therefore  it 
must  needs  be  the  greatest  folly  in  those  who 
had  never  been  under  the  law,  to  suffer 
themselves  to  be  brought  into  subjection  to  it, 
and  to  found  their  hopes  on  its  works.  Here 
observe,  1.  What  Christians  wait  for,  the 
hope  of  righteousness,  i.  e.  chiefly,  the  happi¬ 
ness  of  the  other  world,  called  the  hope  of 
Christians,  as  being  the  great  object  of  their 
hope  above  everything  else,  and  the  hope  of 
righteousness,  as  their  liopes  of  it  are  founded 
on  righteousness,  not  their  own,  but  that  of 
our  Lord  Jesus;  for  though  a  life  of  righte¬ 
ousness  is  the  way  that  leads  to  this  happi¬ 
ness,  yet  the  righteousness  of  Christ  alone 
has  procured  it  for  us,  and  we  can  expect  it 
only  on  account  of  that.  2.  How  they  hope 
to  obtain  this  happiness,  by  faith  in  our 
Lord  Jesus  Christ,  not  by  the  works  of  the 
law,  or  anything  they  can  do  to  deserve  it, 
but  only  by  faith,  receiving  and  relying  on 
Him  as  the  Lord  our  Righteousness.  And,  3. 
Whence  it  is  they  thus  wait  for  the  hope  of 
righteousness,  through  the  Spirit;  herein  they 
act  under  the  direction  and  influence  of  the 
Holy  Spirit;  by  his  assistance  they  are  both 
persuaded  and  enabled  to  believe  on  Christ, 
and  to  look  for  the  hope  of  righteousness 
through  Him. 

III.  He  argues  from  the  nature  and  de¬ 
sign  of  the  Christian  institution,  which  was 
to  abolish  the  difference  between  Jew  and 
Gentile,  and  to  establish  faith  in  Christ,  as 
the  way  of  our  acceptance  with  God.  He 
tells  them,  v.  6.  that  in  Christ  Jesus,  or  un¬ 
der  the  gospel-dispensation,  neither  circum¬ 
cision  availeth  anything,  nor  uncircumcision. 
While  the  legal  state  lasted,  there  was  a  dif¬ 
ference  between  Jew  and  Greek,  between 
those  who  were,  and  those  who  were  not, 
circumcised ;  but  now  it  was  neither  here 
nor  there  whether  a  man  was  circumcised  or 
uncircumcised,  neither  the  one  nor  the  other 
would  recommend  him  to  God ;  therefore 
their  judaizing  teachers  were  very  unreason¬ 
able  in  imposing  circumcision  on  them,  and 
they  very  unwise  in  submitting  to  them  here¬ 
in.  But  he  acquaints  them  what  would 
avail,  and  that  is,  faith;  such  faith  in  Christ 
as  discovers  itself  to  be  true,  and  genuine, 
by  a  sincere  love  to  God  aud  our  neighbor. 
If  they  had  this,  it  mattered  not  whether 
they  were  circumcised  or  uncircumcised,  but 
without  it  nothing  else  would  stand  them  in 
any  stead. 

IV.  To  recover  them  from  their  backslid- 
ings,  and  engage  them  to  greater  steadfast¬ 
ness  for  the  future,  he  puts  them  in  mind  of 
their  good  beginnings,  and  calls  on  them  to 


NOTES.  Chap.  V.  V.  1 — 6.  He  [the  apostle]  did  not  oppose  the 
observance  of  the  ceremonial  law,  ns  evil  in  itself;  but  ns  their  depen¬ 
dence  on  it  was  wholly  incompatible  with  the  method  of  justification 
revealed  in  the  Gospel. — ‘  It  is  to  be  noted,  that  circumcision  is  here  to 
be  considered,  partly  from  the  circumstances  of  the  times,  (when  it  had 
ceased  to  be  “  the  seal  of  the  righteousness  of  faith,”  ns  by  baptism  it 
was  abolished,)  and  partly  front  the  sentiments  of  those  adversaries,  who 
were  desirous  to  connect  it  with  Christ,  as  if  some  part  of  salvation  re¬ 
sided  in  it.’  Behn.  ‘  If  the  whole  confidence  of  the  soul  do  not  rest  on 
Him  for  salvation,  He  will  reject  those  divided  regards  which  are  offered 
to  Him,  and  interpret  them  as  nn  affront,  rather  than  an  acceptable 
homage.’  Doldr. — ‘It  is  not  casv  to  perceive,  how  they  should  have 
justification  and  salvation  from  Him,  from  whom,  after  ihe  revelation 
made  of  Him,  they  did  not  expect  it ;  nor  have  faith  in  Him  for  justifica¬ 
tion,  by  whom  they  thought  not  they  should  be  justified.’  Whit.  Sc. 

(1.)  Liberty.]  Even  ‘among  the  Jews  the  Messiah’s  reign  was 
[thought]  to  be  a  reign  of  liberty.’  See  Dr.  A.  C.  Ed. 

(3.)  Again.]  ‘  I.  e.  furthermore,  on  the  other  hand.  Whole  law.] 
“  For  circumcision  demands  sacrifices,  and  observes  days  :  sacrifice  re¬ 
quires  plane,  and  mode,  and  purifications.  Purification,  again,  requires 
oilier  observances,  nil  having  a  necessary  connexion;  so  that,  if  you 
undertake  a  little  of  the  law,  you  submit  to  the  burden  of  the  whole.” 
Theoph.'  IIloomf. 

(4.)  Become  of  no  iffect,  «fcc.]  ‘The  Gr.  signifies,  properly,  “  to  be 

[370] 


freed  from,  no  longer  bound  to,”  as  Ro.  7:2.  ami  6.  It  must  here  simply 
denote  separation  from.  Thus  the  sense  is:  “ye  are  separated  from 
nil  community  with,  and  consequently  al!  benefit  from,”  &c.  So  Theoph. 
Justified.]  Seek  to  be  justified.  So  CEc.  The  words  following  tes 
charitos  [tr.  from  grace]  are  added  by  way  of  explanation,  and  the  sense 
is:  “  ye  miss  of  justifying  grace."  See  Wets.  Or,  as  Borger  explains, 
(with  u  reference  to  us,  vs.  5,  6.)  “  ye  no  longer  profess  the  Christian  reli¬ 
gion,  and  therefore  are  not  to  be  accounted  Christians  at  all.”’  Bi„ 
1  Yea,  by  this  mean,  whatever  your  profession  may  have  been  of  a  re¬ 
gard  to  Christ,  ye  are  indeed  fallen  from  the  grace  of  the  Gospel,  and 
have  in  effect  renounced  your  expectations  from  it.’  Donnu. 

(5.)  Spirit.]  ‘  We  (Christians)  do  not  expect  or  hope  for  salvation 
by  any  external  rites,  but  by  the  internal  feelings,  i.  e.  by  faith.  So 
Borger,  Ros.,  Par.,  Grot.  But  this  seems  a  very  frigid,  feeble,  ami  forced 
sense.  Far  preferable  is  that  of  Wolf,  who  explains  pneumati  of  the 
doctrine  of  the  Gospel,  or  the  economy  of  the  new  covenant,  as  opposed 
to  the  flesh,  just  called  the  law.  And  to  this  Koppe  inclines,  thinking  it 
equivalent  to  through  grace  ;  ns  at  4:20.  by  the  Spirit  is  equivalent  to 
by  the  promise.  But  after  all,  I  see  no  reason  to  desert  the  ancient  and 

common  opinion,  that  pneuma  here  signifies  the  Holy  Spirit. _ Wait 

for.]  The  Gr.  is  very  energetic,  denoting  anxious  longing  and  earnest 
hoping,  thrusting  and  stretching  forward  the  neck,  as  it  were;  and 
Paul  seems  to  have  had  in  mind' the  beautiful  passage,  Deut.  23:32. 
Comp.  Ro.  8:19.’  Bloomk. 


A.  D.  56. 


GALATIANS,  V. 


Caution  against  backsliding. 


6  For  in  Jesus  Christ  neither 
R  circumcision  availeth  any  thing, 
nor  uncircumcision;  but  faith  which 
h  worketh  by  love. 

7  Ye  did  run  well;  who  did  '  hin¬ 
der  you,  that  ye  should  not  obey 
the  truth  ? 

8  This  persuasion  cometh  not  of 
him  that  calleth  you. 

9  A  little  >  leaven  leaveneth  the 
whole  lump. 

10  I  have  confidence  in  you 
through  the  Lord,  that  ye  will  be 
none  otherwise  minded  :  but  he 
that  troubleth  you  shall  bear  k  his 
judgment,  whosoever  he  be. 

1 1  And  I,  brethren,  if  I  yet  preach 
circumcision,  why  do  I  yet  suffer 
‘persecution?  then  is  the  offence 
“of  the  cross  ceased. 

12  I  would  they  were  even  cut 
off  which  trouble  you. 

[ Practical  Observations.] 

g  I  Co.  7:19.  back.  ]r  2  Co.  10:6. 

h  1  Tli.  1:3.  j  Mat.  13:33.  1  c.  6:12. 

J».  2:18-22.  1  Co.  5:6.  m  1  Co.  1:23. 

i  or,  drive  you 


consider  whence 'it  was  they  were  so  much 
altered  from  what  they  had  been,  v.  7.  1. 
He  tells  them,  that  at  their  first  setting  out 
in  Christianity  they  had  discovered  a  be¬ 
coming  zeal  in  it;  they  did  run  well,  lived  up 
to  their  profession.  But  they  had  been  ob¬ 
structed  in  their  progress,  and  were  either 
turned  out  of  the  way,  or  at  least  made  to 
flag  and  falter  in  it.  2.  Therefore,  though 
he  well  knew,  he  asks  them,  and  calls  on 
them  to  ask  themselves.  Who  did  hinder 
them?  He  would  have  them  seriously  con¬ 
sider,  whether  they  had  any  good  reason  to 
hearken  to  those  who  gave  them  this  dis¬ 
turbance,  and  whether  what  they  olfered  was 
sufficient  to  justify  their  present  conduct. 
Note,  Young  converts  must  expect  that  Sa¬ 
tan  will  be  doing  all  he  can  to  divert  them 
from  the  course  they  are  in ;  but  whenever 
they  find  themselves  in  danger  of  being  turn¬ 
ed  out  of  it,  they  will  do  well  to  consider 
who  hinders  them.  Whoever  they  were  that 
hindered  these  Christians,  the  apostle  tells 
them,  that  by  hearkening  to  them,  they  were 
kept  from  obeying  the  truth,  and  thereby  in 
danger  of  losing  the  benefit  of  what  they  had 
done  in  religion.  If  therefore  they  should 
suffer  themselves  to  be  drawn  away,  they 
must  needs  be  guilty  of  the  greatest  weak¬ 
ness  and  folly.  Note,  The  truth  is  not  only, 
to  be  believed,  but  to  be  obeyed;  to  be  re¬ 
ceived,  not  only  in  the  light  of  it,  but  in  the 
love  and  power  of  it.  They  do  not  rightly 
obey  the  truth,  who  do  not  steadfastly  adhere 
to  it.  There  is  the  same  reason  for  our 


obeying  the  truth  that  there  was  for  our  em¬ 
bracing  it;  therefore  they  act  very  unrea¬ 
sonably,  who,  when  they  have  begun  to  run 
well  in  the  Christian  race,  suffer  themselves 
to  be  hindered,  so  as  not  to  persevere  in  it. 

V.  He  argues  for  their  steadfastness  in 
the  faith  and  liberty  of  the  Gospel,  from  the 
ill  rise  of  that  persuasion,  whereby  they 
were  drawn  away  from  it,  v.  8.  The  opin¬ 
ion  or  persuasion  he  here  speaks  of,  was, 
no  doubt,  that  of  the  necessity  of  their  being 
circumcised,  and  keeping  the  law  of  Moses, 
or  of  their  mixing  the  works  of  the  law  with 
faith  in  Christ,  in  the  business  of  justifica¬ 
tion.  This  persuasion  did  not  come  of  Him 
that  called  them,  i.  e.  either  of  God,  by 
whose  authority  the  Gospel  had  been  preach¬ 
ed  to  them,  and  they  had  been  called  into  the 
fellowship  of  it;  or  of  the  apostle  himself, 
who  had  been  employed  as  the  instrument  of 
calling  them  hereunto  :  not  from  God,  for  it 
was  contrary  to  that  way  of  justification 
and  salvation  He  had  established  ;  nor  from 
Paul  himself;  for,  whatever  some  might 
pretend,  he  had  all  along  been  an  opposer 
of  circumcision;  and  if  in  any  instance  he 
had  submitted  to  it  for  the  sake  of  peace, 
yet  he  had  never  pressed  the  use  of  it  on 
Christians,  much  less  imposed  it  on  them  as 
necessary  to  salvation.  Thus,  he  leaves  them 
to  judge  whence  it  must  arise;  and  suffi¬ 
ciently  intimates,  that  it  could  be  owing  to 
none  but  Satan  and  his  instruments,  who  by 
this  mean  were  endeavoring  to  overthrow 
their  faith,  and  obstruct  the  progress  of  the 
Gospel;  and  therefore  that  the  Galatians  had 
every  reason  to  reject  it,  and  to  continue 
steadfast  in  the  truth  they  had  before  em¬ 
braced.  Note,  1.  In  order  to  our  judging 
aright  of  the  different  persuasions  in  religion 
there  are  among  Christians,  it  concerns  us 
to  inquire,  whether  they  come  of  Him  that 
calleth  us,  whether  or  no  they  are  founded  on 
the  authority  of  Christ  and  his  apostles.  2. 
If,  on  inquiry,  they  appear  to  have  no  such 
foundation,  how  forward  soever  others  may 
be  to  impose  them  on  us,  we  should  by  no 
means  submit  to  them,  but  reject  them. 

VI.  The  danger  there  was  of  the  spread¬ 
ing  of  this  infection,  and  the  ill  influence  it 
might  have  on  others,  is  a  further  argument 
the  apostle  urges  against  their  complying 
with  their  false  teachers,  in  what  they  would 
impose  on  them.  To  extenuate  their  fault, 
they  might  say,  there  were  but  few  of  those 
teachers  among  them,  who  endeavored  to 
draw  them  into  this  persuasion  ;  or,  that 
they  complied  only  in  some  less  matters.  Or, 
they  might  further  say,  there  were  but  few 
among  them,  who  had  done  so,  and  therefore 
he  needed  not  be  so  much  concerned  about 
it.  Now,  to  obviate  such  pretences,  and  to 
convince  them  there  was  more  danger  in  it 
than  they  were  aware  of,  he  tells  them,  v.  9. 
that  a  little  leaven  leaveneth  the  whole  lump  ; 
that  the  whole  of  Christianity  may  be  taint¬ 


ed,  and  corrupted,  by  one  such  erroneous 
principle;  or  the  whole  of  the  Christian 
society  be  infected  by  one  member  of  it  ; 
therefore,  that  they  were  greatly  concerned 
not  to  yield  in  this  single  instance  ;  or,  if 
any  had  done  so,  to  endeavor  by  all  proper 
methods  to  purge  out  the  infection  from 
among  them.  Note,  It  is  dangerous  for 
Christian  churches  to  encourage  those  among 
them,  who  entertain,  especially  who  set 
themselves  to  propagate,  destructive  errors. 

VII.  T1  tat  he  might  conciliate  the  greater 
regard  to  what  he  had  said,  he  expresses  his 
hopes  concerning  them,  v.  10.  He  had  many 
fears  and  doubts  about  them,  yet  he  hoped 
that,  through  the  blessing  of  God  on  what  he 
had  written,  they  might  be  brought  to  be  of 
the  same  mind  with  him,  and  to  own  and 
abide  by  that  truth,  and  that  liberty  of  the 
Gospel,  which  he  had  preached  to  them,  and 
was  now  endeavoring  to  confirm  them  in. 
Herein  he  teaches  us,  that  we  ought  to  hope 
the  best,  even  of  those  concerning  whom  we 
have  cause  to  fear  the  worst.  That  they 
might  be  the  less  offended,  and  sooner  re¬ 
formed,  by  the  reproofs  he  had  given  them, 
for  their  unsteadfastness  in  the  faith,  he  lays 
the  blame  of  it  more  on  others  than  them¬ 
selves  ;  possibly  he  may  point  to  some  one 
man,  who  was  more  busy  and  forward  than 
others,  and  the  chief  instrument  of  the  dis¬ 
order  among  them  ;  and  this  may  give  us 
occasion  to  observe,  that  in  reproving  sin  and 
error,  we  should  always  distinguish  between 
the  leaders  and  the  led.  But  as  for  him  or 
them  that  troubled  them,  whoever  he  or  they 
were,  he  did  not  doubt  but  God  would  deal 
with  them  according  to  their  deserts  ;  and 
out  of  his  just  indignation  against  them,  as 
enemies  of  Christ  and  his  church,  he  wishes 
that  they  were  even  cut  off }  not  from  Christ, 
and  all  hopes  of  salvation  by  Him,  but  by  the 
censures  of  the  church,  which  ought  to  wit¬ 
ness  against  those  teachers,  who  thus  cor¬ 
rupted  the  purity  of  the  Gospel.  Those, 
whether  ministers  or  others,  who  set  them¬ 
selves  to  overthrow  the  faith  of  the  Gospel, 
and  disturb  the  peace  of  Christians,  do  there¬ 
by  forfeit  the  privileges  of  Christian  com¬ 
munion,  and  deserve  to  be  cut  off  from  them. 

VIII.  To  dissuade  these  Christians  from 
hearkening  to  their  judaizing  teachers,  and 
to  recover  them  from  their  ill  impressions, 
he  represents  them  as  men  who  had  used  very 
base  and  disingenuous  methods  to  compass 
their  designs,  for  they  had  misrepresented 
him,  the  more  easily  to  gain  their  ends  on 
them.  They  had  given  out,  that  Paul  him¬ 
self  was  a  preacher  of  circumcision,  v.  11.  It 
plainly  appears  that  they  had  reported  him 
to  have  done  so,  and  that  they  had  made  use 
of  this,  as  an  argument  to  prevail  with  them 
to  submit  to  it.  Probably  they  grounded  this 
report  on  his  having  circumcised  Timothy, 
Acts  16:3.  To  prove  the  injustice  of  this 
charge  on  him,  he  offers  such  arguments,  as, 


TRACT.  OB8.  V.  1 — 12.  While  so  many  are  struggling  for  person¬ 
al  and  political  liberty,  or  disputing  about  it,  as  the  greatest  of  earthly 
blessings,  let  us  aspire  after  and  ‘stand  fast  in  the  liberty  wherewith 
Christ  has  made  his  people  free ;’  that  walking  before  God  with  the  hum¬ 
ble  and  obedient  confidence  of  children,  we  may  steadfastly  reject  every 
‘yoke  of  bondage,’  with  which  Satan  or  his  ministers  tnuy  attempt  to 
entangle  us.  Especially  we  should  regard  the  apostle’s  warnings,  to  keep 
clear  of  all  dependence  on  our  own  works  for  justification;  as  in  that 
case  ‘Christ  will  profit  us  nothing.’  It  is  to  be  feared,  that  very  largo 
numbers  impose  on  themselves  in  this  matter;  they  imagine  that  the 


merits  of  Christ  will  make  up  for  their  deficiencies,  while  their  real  de¬ 
pendence  is  placed  on  their  own  morality,  aims,  devotions,  or  supersti¬ 
tions.  May  we  then  keep  at  a  distance  from  this  fatal  rock,  and  lie  of 
that  number,  who  ‘  through  the  Spirit  wait  for  the  hope  of  righteous¬ 
ness  by  faith  !’  Yet  many,  who  ‘seemed  to  run  well  ’  in  this  evangeli¬ 
cal  race,  have  been  hindered  from  obeying  the  truth,  by  those  who  per¬ 
plexed  them  with  refined  notions,  or  labored  to  proselyte  them  to  some 
new  sect  or  form  ;  so  that,  instead  of  ‘the  work  of  faith,  and  labor  of 
love,  ami  patience  of  hope,’  they  have  turned  aside  to  vain  jangling,  and 
zeal  for  trifling  distinctions,  and  the  ‘shibboleths  ’  of  a  party.  Scott. 


(6.)  In  ■ .  Christ.]  ‘  I.  e.  in  the  eoonomy  of  Christ,  in  the  Christian 
religion.’  Whit.  Love.]  ‘  To  Cod,  and  to  man  for  God’s  sake.’  Hi,. 

V.  7 — 12.  Wliy  did  lie  not  command  the  Galatians  to  excommunicate 
them,  ns  he  had  required  the  Corinthians  to  deliver  the  incestuous  per¬ 
son  to  Satan  ?  1  Cor.  5:1 — 5,  9 — 13.  2  Cor.  2:5 — 11.  It  is  probable,  be¬ 
cause  the  infection  had  spread  so  wide  in  the  churches  of  Galatia,  the 
persons  to  be  censured  possessed  so  great  influence,  and  so  very  mnny 
were  concerned  in  some  degree,  that  (here  was  little  prospect,  except  by 
t lie  intervention  of  miracles,  that  such  a  command  would  be  obeyed. 
Their  crime,  likewise,  however  ruinous  to  themselves  and  others,  was 
of  a  more  plausible  nature,  than  the  scandalous  conduct  of  the  incestuous 
Corinthian. — It  is  also  to  be  noted,  that  the  apostle  did  not  command 
the  Corinthians  to  excommunicate  the  false  teachers,  though  he  most 
decidedly  testified  against  them.  2  Cor.  1T.13 — 15.  In  both  cases,  hav¬ 
ing  intimated  their  duty,  he  waited  a  more  favorable  opportunity  of 
interposing  his  own  authority.  Cut  off]  Mk.  9:43,  45.  Jn.  18:10,  26. 


Ac.  27:32.  Cutting  off  by  excommunication  is  evidently  meant,  as  a 
mortified  limb  is  separated  from  the  body,  to  stop  the  fatal  progress  of  a 
gangrene.  2  Tim.  2:14 — 18.  This  did  not  in  itself  imply  any  degree  of 
persecution,  or  further  punishment ;  though  sometimes  accompanied  by 
miraculous  judgments.  1  Cor.  4:18 — 21.  2  Cor.  10:1 — 6.  13:1 — 4. 

J  6  Scott. 


(7.)  Run  welt.]  An  agonistical  metaphor,  note,  1  Cor.  9:  end.  En. 
in'ler.]  ‘  The  Gr.  signifies  one’s  going  across  the  race-course,  so  ns  to 
stle  and  stop  another  who  is  running.’  ,  t 

(8.)  Persuasion.]  ‘Craftiness  in  persuading  others,  pliability,  ana 
tedience,  or  deceivableness.’  ' 

(9. )  ‘  They  might  say,  “  This  rite  is  but  a  little  matter  ;  whicti  sup- 

)sed  objection  the  apostle  answers.’  .  .  , 

(10.)  He,  &c.]  ‘  The  sing,  is  used  collectively  ;  so  the  best  comtrs. 

\idcment.]  Krima:  the  result  of  trial,  punishment.  nV00^!/ 

(12.)  On  an  objectionable  view  of  some  comtrs.  here,  see  at.  rm. 


A.  D.  56. 


GALATIANS,  V. 


Exhortation  to  practical  godliness. 


13  For,  brethren,  ye  have  been 
called  unto  liberty  ;  only  use  not 
"  liberty  for  an  occasion  to  the  flesh, 
but  by  love  “serve  one  another. 

14  For  all  the  law  is  fulfilled  in 
one  word,  even  in  this,  I’Thou  shalt 
love  thy  neighbor  as  thyself. 

15  But  if  ye  bite  and  devour  one 
another,  take  heed  that  ye  be  not 
consumed  one  of  another. 

16  This  I  say  then,  Walk  'Gn 
the  Spirit,  and  rye  shall  not  fulfil 
the  lust  of  the  flesh. 

17  For*  the  flesh  lusteth  against 
the  Spirit,  and  the  Spirit  against  the 
flesh  ;  and  these  are  contrary  •  the 
one  to  the  other;  so  that  “ye  cannot 
do  the  things  that  ye  would. 

13  But  if  vye  be  led  of  the  Spirit, 
ye  are  not  under  the  law. 


[Practical  Observations.] 

19  Now  the  works  of  the  flesh 
w  are  manifest  ;  which  are  these  ; 
Adultery,  fornication,  uncleanness, 
lasciviousness, 


n  1  Co.  8:9.  q  Ro.  8:1,4,13. 

1  Pe.  2:16.  r  or,  fulfil  not. 

o  1  Jn.  3:18.  e  Ro.  7:21—23. 

p  Le.  19:18.  Mat.  t  Ro.  8:6,7. 

22:39,40.  Ja.2:8.  u  Ro.  7.15,19. 


v  Ro.  6:14.  8:2. 
w  Mat.  15:19. 
£p.5:3 — 6.  Col. 
3:5,6.  Re. 22: 15. 


if  they  would  allow  themselves  to  consider, 
could  not  fail  to  convince  them  of  it.  It  was 
evident,  he  was  hated  and  persecuted  by  the 
Jews  ;  but  what  account  could  be  given  of 
their  behavior  toward  him,  if  he  had  so  far 
symbolized  with  them  as  to  preach  circum¬ 
cision,  and  the  observance  of  the  law  of 
Moses,  as  necessary  to  salvation  1  For  this 
great  point  they  were  contending.  He  ac¬ 
quaints  us,  1  Cor.  1:23.  that  the  preaching 
of  the  cross  of  Christ,  (or  the  doctrine  of 
justification  and  salvation  only  by  faith  in 
Christ  crucified,)  was  to  the  Jews  a  stumbling- 
block.  What  they  were  most  offended  at  in 
Christianity,  was,  that  thereby  circumcision, 
and  the  whole  frame  of  the  legal  adminis¬ 
tration,  were  set  aside,  as  no  longer  in  force. 
Now  if  Paul  and  others  could  have  given 
into  this  opinion,  that  circumcision  was  still 
to  be  retained,  and  the  observance  of  the 
law  of  Moses,  joined  with  faith  in  Christ,  as 
necessary  to  salvation,  their  offence  against 
it  would  have  been  in  a  great  measure  re¬ 
moved,  and  they  might  have  avoided  the  suf¬ 
ferings  they  underwent  for  its  sake.  But 
though  others,  and  particularly  those  who 
were  so  forward  to  asperse  him,  could  easily 
come  into  it,  yet  he  rather  chose  to  hazard 
his  ease  and  his  credit,  yea,  his  very  life  it¬ 


self,  than  thus  to  corrupt  the  truth,  and  give 
up  the  liberty  of  the  Gospel.  Thus  the  apos¬ 
tle  clears  himself  from  the  unjust  reproach 
his  enemies  had  cast  on  him,  and  at  the 
same  time  shows,  how  little  regard  was  due 
to  those  men  who  could  treat  him  in  such  an 
injurious  manner,  and  how  much  reason  he 
had  to  wish  that  they  were  even  cut  oft'. 

V.  13 — 26.  Here  the  apostle  comes  to  ex¬ 
hort  these  Christians  to  serious,  practical 
godliness,  as  the  best  antidote  against  the 
snares  of  the  false  teachers.  Two  things 
especially  he  presses  on  them  : 

1.  That  they  should  not  strive  with  one 
another,  but  love  one  another,  v.  13.  He 
would  have  them  very  careful  not  to  indulge 
themselves  in  any  corrupt  affections  and 
practices,  and  particularly  such  as  might 
create  distance  and  disaffection,  and  be  the 
ground  of  quarrels  and  contentions  among 
them  :  but,  on  the  contrary,  he  would  have 
them  maintain  that  mutual  love  and  affec¬ 
tion,  which,  notwithstanding  any  less  dif¬ 
ferences  there  might  be  among  them,  would 
dispose  them  to  all  those  offices  of  respect 
and  kindness  to  each  other,  which  the  Chris¬ 
tian  religion  obliged  them  to.  Note,  1. 
Christian  liberty  is  not  a  licentious  liberty  : 
Christ  has  redeemed  us  from  the  curse  of  the 
law,  yet  not  from  the  obligation  of  it  ;  the 
Gospel  is  a  doctrine  according  to  godliness, 
1  Tim.  6:  2.  and  so  far  from  giving  the  least 
countenance  to  sin,  it  lays  us  under  the 
strongest  obligations  to  avoid  and  subdue  it. 
2.  Though  we  ought  to  stand  fast  in  our 
Christian  liberty,  yet  we  should  not  insist  on 
it  to  the  breach  of  Christian  charity  J  we 
should  not  use  it  as  an  occasion  of  strife  and 
contention  with  our  fellow  Christians,  who 
may  be  differently  minded  from  us  ;  but 
should  always  maintain  such  a  temper  to¬ 
wards  each  other,  as  may  dispose  us  by  love 
to  serve  one  another.  This  the  apostle 
endeavors  to  persuade  these  Christians  to, 
from  two  considerations.  (1.)  Love  is  the 
sum  of  the  whole  law,  v.  14.  As  love  to  God 
comprises  the  duties  of  the  first  table,  so  love 
to  our  neighbor  those  of  the  second.  The 
apostle  notices  the  latter  here,  because  he 
was  speaking  of  their  behavior  to  one  an¬ 
other  ;  and  when  he  uses  this  as  an  argument 
to  persuade  them  to  mutual  love,  he  inti¬ 
mates,  both  that  this  would  be  a  good  evi¬ 
dence  of  their  sincerity  in  religion,  and  also 
the  most  likely  means  of  rooting  out  their 
dissensions  and  divisions.  (2.)  The  sad  and 
dangerous  tendency  of  a  contrary  behavior, 
v.  15.  Note,  Mutual  strifes  among  breth¬ 
ren,  if  persisted  in,  are  likely  to  prove  a 
common  ruin.  Christian  churches  cannot  be 
ruined  but  by  their  own  hands  ;  but  if 
Christians,  who  should  be  helps  to  one 
another,  and  a  joy  one  to  another,  be  as 


brute  beasts,  biting  and  devouring  each 
other,  what  can  be  expected  but  that  the  God 
of  love  should  deny  his  grace  to  them,  and 
the  Spirit  of  love  should  depart  from  them, 
and  that  the  evil  spirit,  who  seeks  the  de¬ 
struction  of  them  ail,  should  prevail  1 

II.  That  they  should  all  strive  against  sin  f 
and  happy  would  it  be  for  the  church,  if 
Christians  would  let  all  their  quarrels  be 
swallowed  up  of  this,  even  a  quarrel  against 
sin;  if,  instead  of  biting  and  devouring  one 
another,  on  the  account  of  their  different 
opinions,  they  would  all  set  themselves 
against  sin,  in  themselves,  and  the  places 
where  they  live.  This  is  what  we  are  chiefly 
concerned  to  fight  against,  and  that  which 
above  everything  else  we  should  make  it  our 
business  to  oppose  and  suppress.  To  excite 
Christians  hereunto,  and  to  assist  them 
herein,  the  apostle  shows, 

1.  That  there  is  in  every  one  a  struggle 
between  the  flesh  and  the  spirit,  v.  17.  the 
corrupt  and  carnal  part  of  us,  and  the  re¬ 
newed  part  of  us,  the  one  opposing  the  will 
and  desire  of  the  other  :  hence  it  comes  to 
pass,  that  we  cannot  do  the  things  that  we 
would ;  as  the  principle  of  grace  in  us  will 
not  suffer  us  to  do  all  the  evil  which  our 
corrupt  nature  would  prompt  us  to,  so 
neither  can  we  do  all  the  good  that  we 
would,  by  reason  of  the  oppositions  we  meet 
with  from  that  corrupt  and  carnal  principle. 
Even  as  in  a  natural  man  there  is  something 
of  a  struggle  between  conscience  [&c.*j 
and  the  corruption  of  the  heart;  so  in  a  re¬ 
newed  man,  there  is  a  struggle  between  the 
old  nature  and  the  new  nature,  the  remain¬ 
ders  of  sin  and  the  beginnings  of  grace ;  and 
this  Christians  must  expect  will  be  their  ex¬ 
ercise,  as  long  as  they  continue  in  this  world. 

2.  That  it  is  our  duty  and  interest,  in  this 
struggle,  to  side  with  the  better  part,  our 
convictions  against  our  corruptions,  and  our 
graces  against  our  lusts,  v.  16.  By  the  Spirit, 
here,  may  be  meant,  either  the  Holy  Spirit 
Himself,  who  condescends  to  dwell  in  the 
hearts  of  those  whom  He  has  renewed  and 
sanctified,  to  guide  and  assist  them  in  the 
way  of  their  duty ;  or  that  gracious  principle 
which  He  implants  in  the  souls  of  his  people, 
and  which  lusts  against  the  flesh,  the  corrupt 
principle  which  still  remains  in  them.  Ac¬ 
cordingly,  the  duty  here  recommended,  is, 
that  we  set  ourselves  to  act  under  the  gui¬ 
dance  and  influence  of  the  blessed  Spirit, 
and  agreeably  to  the  motions  and  tendency 
of  the  new  nature  in  us  ;  and  if  this  be  our 
care  in  the  ordinary  course  and  tenor  of  our 
lives,  we  may  depend  on  it,  that,  though  we 
may  not  be  freed  from  the  stirrings  and  op- 

*  For  we  see  bad  men  sometimes  doing  good  actions,  not 
only  of  justice ,  but  of  benevolence,  and  even  devotion ,  of  a 
certain  kind,  though  not  from  the  motive  of  supreme  love  to 
God.  Ed. 


TRACT.  OBS.  V.  13 — 18.  It  becomes  us  most  steadfastly  to  main-  mandment,  we  shall  most  effectually  promote  our  own  comfort,  and  the 
tain  the  pure  Gospel  of  a  crucified  Savior,  whatever  offence  mav  be  happiness  of  families,  of  the  church,  and  thecommunity. — The  most  em- 
taken,  or  persecution  endured  by  means  of  it.  1  By  love’  we  should  be-  inent  Christians,  indeed,  do  not  attain  to  all  that  they  desire  and  aim  at, 
come  the  willing  servants  of  one  another  and  of  all  men,  and  in  ‘loving  yet  those  ‘who  are  led  by  the  Spirit,’  habitually  oppose,  subdue,  ar.d 
our  neighbor  as  ourselves,’  according  to  the  requirement  of  fhe  holy  com-  mortify  those  sinful  workings,  which  they*  cannot  wholly  extirpate.  Sc. 


V.  16 — 18.  ‘  According  to  his  manner,  the  apostle  calls  that  part  of  a 
man  “  the  Spirit,”  which  is  newly  quickened  by  the  Holy  Spirit,  which 
is  “dead  unto  sin,  and  alive  unto  God,”  ..  .  and  “  the  flesh,”  whatever 
in  man  is  not  renewed  by  grace,  through  Christ,  as  apprehended  by 
faith,  lie  here  justly  adds,  that  in  the  same  regenerate  man  is  both 
“flesh  and  spirit,”  the  conflict  between  which  is  copiously  shown  Rom. 
ch.  7.’  Beza. — Tim  apostle,  in  his  epistle  to  the  Romans,  says,  ‘As  many 
as  are  led  by  the  Spirit  of  God,  they  are  the  sons  ofGod.’  Here  he  says, 
‘  11  ye  be  led  by  the  Spirit,  ye  are  not  under  the  law.’  Hence  it  follows, 
that  they,  who  are  ‘not  under  the  law,’  are  ‘the  sons  of  God.’  ‘  Ve 
will  not  gratify  the  lusts  of  your  animal  nature,’  (says  Mackn.)  But  all 
sin  has  its  source  and  seat  in  the  soul,  and  the  body,  even  in  gross,  sen¬ 
sual  indulgences,  is  only  ‘the  instrument  of  unrighteousness  to  sin.’ 
Mat.  15:15—20.  Rom.  6:12,  13,  16—19.  (16)  Walk  in  the  Spirit.]  5:25. 

— As pneumati  is  without  the  article,  it  properly  signifies,  as  Beza  ex¬ 
plains  it,  that  which  ‘  is  born  of  the  Spirit,  and  is  spirit ;’  yet  this  does 
not  alter  the  meaning  of  the  exhortation,  as,  when  we  are  influenced  by 
this  new  principle,  we  walk  ill  dependence  on  the  Holy  Spirit,  who 
both  communicated  it,  preserves  it,  and  works  in  and  by  it.— (17)  Are 
contrary.]  See  on  Luke,  21:15.  Scott. 

(17.)  ‘As  it  is  plain  that  by  the./? esh,  which  is  the  same  with  what 
the  apostle  elsewhere  calls  the  body  of  sin,  and  the  old  man,  (Ro.  6:6.) 
we  are  to  understand,  that  riatura/  corruption,  and  depravity,  which  is 
the  ruling  principle  in  a  state  of  nature,  and  has  so  far  infected  all  the 
faculties  of  man,  that  even  the  regenerate  are  troubled  still  with  the  re- 

[372] 


mainders  of  it,  and  find  it  working  in  tiie  motions  of  indwelling  sin  with 
them  :  so  by  the  Spirit,  which  is  here  set  in  opposition  to  it,  and  is  else¬ 
where  expressed  by  the  new  man,  that  is  put  on  by  such  as  are  renewed 
in  the  spirit  of  their  mind ,  (Eph.  4,  23:  24.)  we  are  to  understand,  that 
supernatural  principle  of  grace,  which  is  imparted  from  above  to  the 
renewed  soul,  to  overcome  the  passions  of  the  carnal  mind,  to  set  ns  fVee 
from  the  dominion  of  our  lusts,  and  to  inspire  us  with  a  love  to  holiness ; 
which  divine  and  heavenly  principle  being  communicated  to  us  by  the 
Holy  Spirit,  has  frequently  the  title  of  the  Spirit  given  to  it,  as  it  is 
plainly  the  effect  and  fruit  of  it ;  for  that  which  is  born  of  the  Spirit,  is 
Spirit ,  (Jn.  3:6.)  And  there  is  such  a  contrariety  in  these  two  princi¬ 
ples,  that  they  are  continually  opposing  one  another  in  their  desires  and 
tendency,  so  that  (as  the  apostle  adds)  ye  do  not  the  things  that  ye 
would,  (for  so  it  is  expressed  in  the  original,  and  not,  ye  cannot  do,  &c.) 
ye  do  them  not  without  doing  violence  to  the  opposite  principle,  that 
would  be  drawing  you  another  way  ;  which  is  agreeable  to  Ro.  7:19.  the 
good  l  would,  I  do  not,  the  evil  I  would  not ,  1  do  '  Doddr. 

V.  19 — 21.  Several  of  the  sins  here  specified,  as  ‘the  works  of  the 
flesh,’  have  no  connexion  with  [what  are  usually  termed]  the  bodily 
appetites;  which  proves,  that  we  are  not  to  understand,  by  ‘flesh  and 
Spirit,’  the  animal  part  of  man,  as  distinguished  from  the  intellectual, 
but  the  whole  of  our  fallen  nature,  ns  opposed  to  the  new  nature  com¬ 
municated  by  regeneration,  and  the  gracious  influence  of  the  Holy  Spirit 
acting  upon  it  and  by  it.  Rom.  8:5 — 9.  There  can  be  no  doubt  about 
‘adultery,  fornication,  <kc.’  being,  in  every  sense,  ‘works  of  the  flesh.’ 


A.  D.  '56. 


GALATIANS,  V.  TVorks  of  the  flesh ,  and  fruits  of  the  Spirit. 


20  Idolatry,  witchcraft,  hatred, 
variance,  emulations,  wrath,  strife, 
seditions,  heresies, 

21  Envyings,  murders,  drunken¬ 
ness,  revellings,  and  such  like  :  of 
the  which  I  tell  you  before,  as  I 
have  also  told  you  in  time  past, 
that  they  which  do  such  things  shall 
not  inherit  the  kingdom  of  God. 

22  But  the  fruit  xof  the  Spirit 
is  love,  joy,  peace,  long-suffering, 
gentleness,  goodness,  faith, 

x  Jn.  15:5.  Ep.  5:9. 

positions  of  our  corrupt  nature,  we  shall  be 
kept  from  fulfilling  it  in  the  lusts  thereof;  so 
that  (hough  it  remain  in  us,  yet  it  shall  not 
obtain  a  dominion  over  us.  Note,  The  best 
antidote  against  the  poison  of  sin,  is,  to 
walk  in  the  Spirit.  And  this,  too,  would  be 
good  evidence  that  they  were  Christians  in¬ 
deed,  v.  18.  If,  in  the  prevailing  bent  and 
tenor  of  your  lives,  you  are  led  by  the  Spirit; 
if  you  act  under  the  guidance  and  govern¬ 
ment  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  and  of  that  spiritual 
nature  and  disposition  He  has  wrought  in* 
you  ;  if  you  make  the  Word  of  God  your 
rule,  and  the  grace  of  God  your  principle  ; 
it  will  hence  appear,  that  you  are  not  under 
the  law  ;  not  under  the  condemning ,  though 
you  are  still  under  the  commanding,  power 
of  it.  Rom.  8: 1 — 14. 

3.  The  apostle  specifies  the  works  of  the 
flesh,  which  must  be  watched  against  and 
mortified,  and  the  fruits  of  the  Spirit,  which 


must  be  cherished  and  brought  forth,  v.  19, 
&c.,and  by  specifying  particulars  he  further 
illustrates  what  he  is  here  upon. 

(1.)  The  works  of  the  flesh ,  past  dispute, 
are  tile  product  of  corrupt  and  depraved 
nature;  and  most, here  mentioned,  are  con¬ 
demned  by  the  light  of  nature  itself,  and 
all,  by  the  light  of  Scripture.  Some  are 
sins  against  the  seventh  commandment, 
such  as  adilltery,  fornication,  uncleanness, 
lasciviousness  ;  not  only  the  gross  acts  of 
these  sins,  but  all  such  thoughts,  words, 
or  actions,  as  have  a  tendency  toward  the 
great  transgression.  Some  are  sins  against 
the  first  and  second  commandments,  as  idol¬ 
atry,  and  witchcraft;  others  are  sins  against 
the  royal  law  of  brotherly  love,  such  as 
hatred,  variance,  emulations,  wrath,  strife, 
which  too  often  occasion  seditions,  heresies, 
envyings,  and  sometimes  break  out  into  mur¬ 
ders,  not  only  of  the  names  and  reputation, 
but  even  of  the  very  lives,  of  our  fellow- 
creatures.  Others  are  sins  against  our¬ 
selves,  such  as  drunkenness  and  revellings  ; 
and  he  concludes  the  catalogue  with  an  et 
ccetera ,  and  gives  fair  warning  to  all  to  take 
care  of  them,  as  they  hope  to  see  the  face 
of  God  with  comfort.  These  are  sins  which 
will  undoubtedly  shut  men  out  of  heaven. 
The  world  of  [happy]  spirits  can  never  be 
comfortable  to  such  as  plunge  themselves  in 
the  filth  of  the  flesh;  nor  will  the  righteous 
and  holy  God  admit  such  into  his  favor  and 
presence,  unless  they  are  first  washed  and 
sanctified,  and  justified  in  the  name  of  our 
Lord  Jesus,  and  by  the  Spirit  of  our  God,  1 
Cor.  6:11. 


(2.)  He  specifies  the  fruits  of  the  Spirit, 
or  the  renewed  nature,  which  as  Christians 
we  are  concerned  to  bring  forth,  v.  22,  23. 
And  as,  before,  he  had  chiefly  specified  those 
works  of  the  flesh,  which  are  not  only  hurt¬ 
ful  to  men  themselves,  but  tend  to  make 
them  so  to  one  another,  so  here  he  chiefly 
notices  those  fruits  of  the  Spirit,  which  have 
a  tendency'  to  make  Christians  agreeable  one 
to  another,  as  well  as  easy  to  themselves: 
and  this  was  very  suitable  to  the  caution  or 
exhortation  he  had  before  given,  v.  13.  that 
they  should  not  use  their  liberty  as  an  occa¬ 
sion  to  the  flesh,  but  by  love  serve  one  another. 
He  particularly  recommends  to  us,  Love,  to 
God  especially,  and  to  one  another  for  his 
sake,  —  Joy,  by  which  may  be  understood 
cheerfulness,  in  conversation  with  our  friends, 
or  rather  a  constant  delight  in  God, — Peace, 
with  God  and  conscience,  or  a  peaceableness 
of  temper  and  behavior  towards  others, — 
Long-suffering,  patience  to  defer  anger,  and 
a  contentedness  to  bear  injuries, — Gentle¬ 
ness,  such  a  sweetness  of  temper,  and  espe¬ 
cially  towards  our  inferiors,  as  disposes  us 
to  be  affable  and  courteous,  and  easy  to  be 
entreated  when  any  have  wronged  us, —  Good¬ 
ness,  kindness  and  beneficence,  which  shows 
itself  in  a  readiness  to  do  good  to  all  as  we 
have  opportunity, — Faith,  fidelity,  justice, 
and  honesty  in  what  we  profess  and  promise 
to  others, — Meekness,  wherewith  to  govern 
our  passions  and  resentments,  so  as  not  to  be 
easily  provoked,  and,  when  we  are  so,  to 
be  soon  pacified, — and  Temperance,  in  meat 
and  drink,  and  other  enjoyments  of  life,  so 
as  not  to  be  excessive  and  immoderate  in 


1  Cor.  6:18 — 20.  Idolatry  also  is  1  a  work  of  the  flesh,’  as  it  springs  from 
man’s  carnal  enmity  to  the  holy  character,  worship,  and  service  of  God, 
in  the  stead  of  whom  he  deifies  imaginary  beings  more  congenial  to 
himself,  and  worships  them  in  a  manner  more  suited  to  his  pride  and 
lusts.  Ex.  20:3.  Rom.  1:21 — 27.  1  Witchcraft,’  (implying  all  kinds  of 
sorcery,  charms,  divinations,  incantations,  fortune-telling,  and  attempted 
intercourse  with  evil  spirits,  real  or  pretended,)  is  ‘  a  work  of  the  flesh,’ 
as  it  results  from  man’s  carnal  dislike  of  submission  to  God,  and  depen¬ 
dence  on  Him,  and  a  desire  of  seeking  help  and  information  from  other 
quarters;  by  both  these,  men  virtually  worship  the  devil.  Ex.  22:18. 
‘Hatred  and  variance’  are  also  ‘  works  of  the  flesh,’  and  ‘emulations’ 
seem  in  this  connexion  to  signify  that  ambition  of  pre-eminence,  and 
thirst  for  glory,  which  excite  men  to  vie  with  one  another,  and  eagerly 
to  aspire  after  distinction,  according  to  the  nature  of  their  objects  and 
pursuits.  Poets,  orators,  historians,  philosophers,  moralists,  and  all 
men,  who  do  not  attend  to  the  Bible,  deem  this  the  noblest  principle  of 
human  activity  ;  yet  it  springs  from  unmingled  pride  [vanity]  and  sel¬ 
fishness,  and  is  nearly  allied  to  envy.  When  the  object  of  emulation  is 
evil,  its  effects  are  dreadful ;  when  the  object  is  good,  the  glory  of  man 
is  sacrilegiously  substituted  in  the  place  of  the  glory  of  God  ;  and  this 
thirst  for  human  applause,  has  caused  more  horrible  violations  of  the 
law  of  love,  and  done  more  to  desolate  the  earth,  than  even  the  grossest 
sensuality  ever  did.  Jam.  3:13 — 16.  Along  with  ‘  strife,  and  seditions,’ 
by  which,  schisms  in  the  church  and  factions  in  the  state  may  be  meant, 
‘  heresies  ’  are  called  ‘  works  of  the  flesh.’  Pride,  ambition,  avarice,  or 
other  carnal  affections,  induce  men  to  pervert  the  truth  of  God’s  Words, 
and,  espousing  some  pernicious  error,  to  seek  distinction  by  propagating 
it.  Hence  arise  contentions,  separations,  and  the  most  fetal  effects  to 
individuals  and  to  the  church.  1  Cor.  11:17 — 22.  2  Pet.  2:1 — 3.  These 
were  therefore  joined  by  the  apostle  along  with  adulteries,  and  unnatu¬ 
ral  lusts,  drunkenness,  envy,  revellings,  seditions,  and  even  murders,  as 
equally  the  result  of  a  carnal  heart,  and  marks  of  unregeneracy.  Many 
more  he  might  have  mentioned  ;  for  covetousness,  and  the  sins  con¬ 
nected  with  it,  are  elsewhere  mentioned,  1  Cor.  6:9 — 11.  but  these  ‘  and 
such  like’  would,  without  repentance  and  its  fruits,  certainly  exclude 
men  from  ‘  inheriting  the  kingdom  of  God,’  as  the  apostle  had  formerly 
declared  to  them,  and  now  again  forewarned  them. — The  word  tr. 
‘  witchcrafts,’  is  by  some  rendered  poisonings  ;  as  if  the  apostle  in  this 
compendium  would  pause  to  distinguish  one  kind  of  murderfrom  another, 
when  the  difference  did  not  at  all  alter  the  nature  or  degree  of  the  crime  ! 
‘  Witchcrafts  ’  had  the  name  used  in  the  original,  from  the  magical  com¬ 
positions  of  certain  ingredients,  which  attended  these  diabolical  practices. 
— ‘Revellings’  were  such  feasts,  as  were  accompanied  with  music  and 
dancing,  and  whatever  could  promote  hilarity  and  sensual  gratification. 
The  Greeks  and  Romans  had  an  imaginary  god,  called  Comus,  (from  the 
Greek  word  here  used,)  who  was  supposed  to  preside  over  these  feasts, 
and  was  in  that  character  worshipped  by  hymns,  oblations,  and  liba¬ 
tions.  Rom.  13:11 — 14.  Eph.  5:3 — 7.  i  i’et.  4:3 — 5.  The  word  ren¬ 
dered  ‘lasciviousness’  (19),  is  used  by  Demosthenes,  in  describing  the 
enormous  ambition  and  rapacity  of  Philip,  king  of  Macedon.  It  seems 
to  denote  the  exorbitancy  of  any  passion,  which  is  left  without  re¬ 
straint;  though  in  Scripture  it  is  generally  used  of  unbridled  sensual 
indulgence.  Scott. 

(19.)  Works  of  the  flesh  ..  'comp.  v.  22.)  ..fruits  of  the  Spirit.] 
‘ Evil  works  come  from  ourselves  alone;  therefore  they  are  called  the 
t corks  of  the  flesh  .-  but  virtuous  ones  require,  not  our  own  exertions 
alone,  but  the  co-operating  aids  from  above  ;  therefore  the  apostle  calls 
them  the  fruits  of  the  Spirit ,  the  seed  (namely,  the  intention)  being 
from  ourselves  [in  a  sense,  Ed.],  but  the  fruit  resting  with  God.’  Chrys., 
Theoph.,  Bloomf.  The  flesh.]  ‘That  natural  corruption  (note,  v.  17.) 
which  has  infected  all  the  faculties  of  man,  and  so  extends  to  all  the  pow¬ 
ers  of  the  mind,  as  well  as  to  the  appetites  of  the  body  that  corruption, 


by  means  of  which,  even  the  mind  and  conscience  is  defiled.  Tit.  1:15.’ 
Doddr.  The  whole  group  of  vices  in  this  verse,  are  abuses,  in  different 
degrees,  of  the  amative  propensity  (common  to  man  and  other  animals), 
assisted  by  the  intellectual  faculties,  and  the  body.  Ed. 

(20.)  1  Idolatry  is  rightly  numbered  among  the  xvorks  of  the  flesh, 
since  it  originates  in  a  grovelling  and  sensual  mind,  which  cannot  wor¬ 
ship  God  in  Spirit,  but  brings  Him  down  to  the  senses,  and  represents  Him 
to  corporal  eyes  by  images.  Thus  idolatry  originally  arose  from  sens¬ 
uality,  and  tended  ever  to  produce  and  perpetuate  it.’  Bl.  Idolatry  is 
the  direction  of  the  religious  feelings  or  sentiments  towards  improper 
objects  ;  and  we  know  that  gods  were  worshipped,  of  characters  fitted 
solely  to  the  selfish,  animal  propensities  of  our  nature  in  abuse ;  as  Mars, 
the  god  of  fighting  and  destroying;  Comus,  the  god  of  gluttony,  &c. ;  Bac¬ 
chus,  of  drunkenness;  Venus,  the  goddess  of  animal  love  ;  Mercury,  the  god 
of  covetousness ;  Vulcan,  the  god  of  mechanical  ingenuity,  &c. ;  all  gods 
of  animalism  and  selfishness.  Witchcraft ,  too,  was  the  art  of  propitiat¬ 
ing  the  capricious  favor,  and  averting,  or  directing  to  malicious  ends,  the 
capricious  wrath  of  deities  ;  and,  as  being  the  offspring  of  fear,  revenge, 
<fec.,  and  not  of  virtuous  principle,  is  well  put  in  with  other  selfish  and 
animal  propensities.  In  the  next  group,  we  find  the  abuses  of  the  same 
elementary  propensities  as  are  seen  in  beasts,  to  fight  and  destroy,  unit¬ 
ed  with  the  more  strictly  (though  not  exclusively)  human  sentiments 
of  pride  and  vanity.  Doddr.  paraphrases  ‘  enmities,  outrageous  strifes, 
and  quarrels  ;  inordinate  transports  of  ill-placed  and  ill-proportioned 
zeal-,  deep  resentments,  treasured  up  in  the  mind ;  clamorous  contentions, 
vented  with  eagerness,  and  obstinately  carried  on  ;  together  with  the 
keen  divisions  of  a  party-spirit,  among  those  who  ought  to  be  united  in 
one  interest  and  affection  :  yea,  sometimes,  these  ill  principles  proceed 
so  far  as  to  produce  seditions  in  the  state,  and  heresies  also  in  religious 
communities,  by  which  professing  Christians  are  induce"!  to  separate 
from  each  other,  and  to  form  sects,  who,  instead  of  maintaining  true  can¬ 
dor  and  benevolence,  renounce  and  condemn  each  other.’  Note,  Titus 
3:10.— Sectarisin  is,  indeed,  of  the  lower  propensities.  Ed.  ‘  Heresy, 
according  to  the  Scripture  notion,  being  not  a  pure  mistake  of  judgment, 
but  [of  will  also,  in]  an  espousing  of  false  doctrine  out  of  disgust,  pride, 
or  envy,  or  from  worldly  [selfish]  principles,  or  to  avoid  persecution  or 
trouble  in  the  flesh,  may  well  be  ranked  among  carnal  lusts.’  Whitby. 
‘Heresies  in  the  ecclesiastical  sense,  as  distinguished  from  the  scriptu¬ 
ral,  may  generally  be  said  to  be  works  of  the  flesh  ;  as  bad  inclinat  ions 
of  mind  naturally  lead  to  bad  opinions,  and  to  a  haughty,  [sectarian,] 
and  factious  manner  of  obtruding  them  on  others.’  Doddr. 

(21.)  Envyings  arise  from  selfishness,  with  malice  :  and,  with  mur¬ 
der,  arise  from  propensities  shared  by  men  with  animals,  combined  with 
faculties  more  peculiarly  human.  Drunkenness  and  rex'ellings,  too,  are 
abused  animal  appetites.  Ed. — ‘No  sin  has  fewer  apologies  than  in¬ 
temperance.  The  suffrage  of  the  world  is  against  it;  and  yet  there  is 
no  sin  so  naked  in  its  character,  and  whose  commencement  and  pro¬ 
gress  is  indicated  by  so  many  signs,  concerning  which  there  is  among  man¬ 
kind  such  profound  ignorance.  All  reprobate  drunkenness  ;  and  yet,  not 
one  of  the  thousands  who  fell  into  it,  dreams  of  danger  when  he  enters 
the  way  that  leads  to  it.’  Dr.  Beecher. 

V.  22 — 26.  The  holy  affections,  and  the  conduct  resulting  from  them, 
as  here  enumerated,  are  not  called  ‘  the  works  of  a  believer,’  but  ‘  the 
fruit  of  the  Spirit,’  dwelling  in  the  new  nature  and  working  by  it,  which 
He  has  produced  by  regeneration.  Eph.  5:8 — 14,  v.  9.  ‘  Love  ’  ol  God 

and  man,  of  the  Savior,  his  people,  and  all  men,  for  his  sake,  and  accord¬ 
ing  to  his  command  and  example;  a  joyful  frame  of  mind  in  the  salva¬ 
tion  and  service  of  God  ;  a  peaceful  conscience,  and  a  submissive  will, 
leading  to  a  peaceable  conduct  towards  man  ;  n  disposition  to  bear  inju¬ 
ries  and  affronts,  without  seeking  revenge,  or  expressing  resentment ;  a 
mild,  unassuming,  inoffensive  deportment,  united  with  beneficence  and 
philanthropy  ;  truth,  sincerity,  fidelity,  and  integrity  to  man,  springing 

LJ/3J 


A.  D.  56. 


GALATIANS,  VI. 


Instructions  to  Christians. 


23  Meekness, temperance :  against 
7  such  there  is  no  law. 

24  And  they  that  are  Christ’s 
have  crucified  the  flesh  with  the 
1  affections  and  lusts. 

25  Ifawe  live  in  the  Spirit,  let 
us  also  walk  in  the  Spirit. 

26  Let  b  us  not  be  desirous  of 
vain  glory,  provoking  one  another, 
envying  one  another. 

CHAP.  VI. 

1  He  moveth  them  to  deal  mildly  with  a  brother  that  hath 
slipped,  2  and  to  bear  one  another’s  burden  :  6  to  b6 
liberal  to  their  teachers,  9  and  not  weary  of  well  doing. 
12  He  sheweth  what  they  intend  that  preach  circumci¬ 
sion.  14  He  glorieth  in  nothing,  save  in  the  cross  of 
Christ. 

II RETHREN, 3  if  a  man  be  ovei-- 
J  taken  in  a  fault,  ye  which  are 
spiritual  restore  b  such  an  one  in 
the  spirit  of  meekness;  considering 
thyself,  lest  thou  also  be  tempted. 

2  Bear  c  ye  one  another’s  bur¬ 
dens,  and  so  fulfil  the  law  of  Christ. 

3  For  if  a  man  think  himself  to 
be  something,  when  he  is  nothing, 
be  deceiveth  himself. 

y  1  Ti.  1:9.  b  Phi.  2:3.  b  Ja.  5:19,20. 

z  or,  pensions.  a  or,  although.  c  Ro.  15:1. 

a  Ro.  8:4,5. 

their  use.  Concerning  these  things,  or  those 
in  whom  these  fruits  of  the  Spirit  are  found, 
the  apostle  says,  There  is  no  law  against 
them,  to  condemn  and  punish  them.  Yea, 
hence  it  appears,  that  they  are  not  under  the 
law,  but  under  grace;  for  these  fruits  of  the 
Spirit,  in  whomsoever  they  are  found,  plain¬ 
ly  show,  that  such  are  led  by  the  Spirit,  and, 
consequently,  that  they  are  not  under  the  law, 
as  v.  18. 

And  as,  by  specifying  these  works  of  the 
flesh,  and  fruits  of  the  Spirit,  the  apostle  di¬ 
rects  us  both  what  we  are  to  avoid  and  op¬ 
pose,  and  what  we  are  to  cherish  and  culti¬ 
vate;  so,  v.  24.  he  acquaints  us,  that  this  is 
the  sincere  care  and  endeavor  of  all  real 
Christians;  they  have  crucified  the  flesh  with 
the  affections  and.  lusts.  They  have  not  yet 
obtained  a  complete  victory,  but  sin  does  not 
now  reign  in  them,  Rom.  6:  12.  and  they  are 
seeking  the  utter  ruin  and  destruction  of  it. 
Note,  If  we  would  approve  ourselves  to  be 
Christ’s,  we  must  make  it  our  constant  care 
and  business  to  crucify  the  flesh  with  its  cor¬ 
rupt  affections  and  lusts.  No  doubt,  it  is 
also  here  implied,  that,  on  the  other  hand, 
we  should  show  forth  those  fruits  of  the 
Spirit  which  he  had  just  before  been  speci¬ 


fying;  this  is  no  less  our  duty  than  that,  nor 
is  it  less  necessary  to  evidence  our  sincerity 
in  religion.  It  is  not  enough  that  we  cease 
to  do  evil,  but  we  must  learn  to  do  well.  II, 
therefore,  we  would  make  it  appear  that  we 
do  indeed  belong  to  Christ,  this  must  be  our 
sincere  care  and  endeavor,  as  well  as  the 
other:  and  that  it  was  the  design  of  the 
apostle  to  represent  both  the  one  and  the 
other  of  these  as  our  duty,  and’ as  necessary 
to  support  our  character  as  Christians,  may 
be  gathered  from  what  follows,  v.  25.  He 
had  before  told  us,  that  the  Spirit  of  Christ 
is  a  privilege  bestowed  on  all  the  children 
of  God,  ch.  4:  6.  ‘  Now,’  says  he,  ‘  if  we 

profess  to  be  of  this  number,  and  as  such  to 
liave  obtained  this  privilege,  let  us  shore  it 
by  a  temper  and  behavior  agreeable  hereun¬ 
to;  let  us  evidence  our  good  principles  by 
good  practices.  Our  conversation  will  al¬ 
ways  be  answerable  to  the  principle  we  are 
under  the  guidance  and  government  of. 
Rom.  8:  5. 

The  apostle  concludes  this  ch.  with  a 
caution  against  pride  and  envy,  v.  26.  He 
had  before  been  exhorting  these  Christians 
by  love  to  serve  one  another,  v.  13.  and  had  put 
them  in  mind  of  what  would  be  the  conse¬ 
quence,  if,  instead  of  that,  they  did  bite  and 
devour  one  another,  v.  15.  Now,  as  a  mean 
of  engaging  them  to  the  one,  and  preserving 
them  from  the  other,  he  here  cautions  them 
against  being  desirous  of  vainglory,  or  giv¬ 
ing  way  to  an  undue  affectation  of  the  esteem 
and  applause  of  men;  because  this,  if  it 
were  indulged,  would  certainly  lead  them  to 
provoke  one  another,  and  to  envy  one  another. 
This,  therefore,  the  apostle  would  have  us  by 
all  means  to  watch  against.  An  undue  regard 
to  the  approbation  and  applause  of  men,  is 
one  great  ground  of  the  unhappy  strifes  and 
contentions  that  are  among  Christians. 

Chaf.  VI.  V.  1 — 10.  This  ch.  chiefly 
consists  of  two  parts.  In  the  former  the 
apostle  gives  us  several  plain  and  practical 
directions,  which  more  especially  tend  to 
instruct  Christians  in  their  duty  to  one 
another,  and  to  promote  the  communion  of 
saints  in  love;  in  the  latter  he  revives  the 
main  design  of  the  epistle,  which  was  to 
fortify  the  Galatians  against  the  arts  of  their 
judaizing  teachers,  and  confirm  them  in  the 
truth  and  liberty  of  the  Gospel. 

The  apostle,  having,  in  the  foregoing  ch., 
exhorted  Christians  by  love  to  serve  one  anoth¬ 
er ,v.  13.  and  also  cautioned  us,r.  26.  against 
a  temper,  which,  if  indulged,  would  hin¬ 
der  us  from  showing  the  mutual  love  and 
serviceableness  he  had  recommended,  here 
proceeds  to  give  us  some  further  directions, 


which,  if  duly  observed,  would  both  pro¬ 
mote  the  one,  and  prevent  the  other  of  these, 
and  render  our  behavior  both  more  agree¬ 
able  to  our  Christian  profession,  and  more 
useful  and  comfortable  to  one  another:  par¬ 
ticularly, 

I.  We  here  are  taught  to  deal  tenderly 
with  persons  overtaken  in  a  fault,  v.  1.  who 
are  brought  to  sin  by  the  surprise  of  temp¬ 
tation,  not  by  contrivance  and  delibeihtion, 
and  full  resolution  in  sin.  By  they  who  are 
spiritual ,  is  meant,  not  only  ministers,  but 
other  Christians,  especially  those  of  the 
higher  form  in  Christianity.  Here  observe, 
1.  The  duty, — to  restore  such;  Gr .  to  set  in 
joint,  as  a  dislocated  bone;  we  should  en¬ 
deavor  to  set  them  in  joint  again,  to  bring 
them  to  themselves,  by  convincing  them  of 
their  sin  and  error,  persuading  them  to  re¬ 
turn  to  their  duty,  comforting  them  in  a 
sense  of  pardoning  mercy  thereupon,  and, 
having  thus  recovered  them,  confirming  our 
love  to  them.  2.  The  manner  wherein 
this  is  to  be  done, — with  the  spirit  of  meek¬ 
ness;  not  in  wrath  and  passion,  as  those 
who  triumph  in  a  brother’s  falls,  but  with 
meekness,  as  those  who  rather  mourn  for 
them.  3.  A  very  good  reason  why  this 
should  be  done  in  meekness, — considering  thy¬ 
self,  lest  thou  also  be  tempted.  We  ought  to 
deal  very  tenderly  with  those  who  are  over¬ 
taken  in  sin,  [as]  we  none  of  us  know  but 
it  may  gome  time  or  other  be  our  own  case. 

II.  We  are  here  directed  to  bear  one  anoth¬ 
er’s  burdens,  v.  2.  This  may  be  considered 
either  as  referring  to  what  goes  before,  or 
as  a  more  general  precept,  directing  us  to 
sympathize  with  one  another,  under  the  va¬ 
rious  trials  and  troubles  we  may  meet  with, 
and  to  be  ready  to  afford  each  other  the 
comfort  and  counsel,  the  help  and  assistance, 
which  our  circumstances  may  require.  And 
hereunto  the  apostle  adds,  by  way  of  mo¬ 
tive,  that  so  we  shall  fulfil  the  law  of  Christ. 
This  is  to  act  agreeably  to  the  law  of  his 
precept,  and  would  be  also  agreeable  to  his 
pattern  and  example,  which  have  the  force 
of  a  law  to  us.  Note,  Though  as  Christians 
we  are  freed  from  the  law  of  Moses,  yet  we 
are  under  the  law  of  Christ;  and  therefore, 
instead  of  laying  unnecessary  burdens  on 
others,  (as  those  who  urged  the  observance 
of  Moses’  law  did,)  it  much  more  becomes 
us  to  fulfil  the  law  of  Christ,  by  bearing 
one  another’s  burdens. 

The  apostle,  being  aware  how  great  a 
hindrance  pride  would  be  to  the  mutual  con¬ 
descension  and  sympathy  he  had  been  re¬ 
commending,  and  that  a  conceit  of  ourselves 
would  dispose  us  to  censure  and  contemn 
our  brethren,  instead  of  bearing  with  their 


TRACT.  OES.  V.  19 — 26.  The  apostle  has,  indeed,  repeatedly  anil 
plainl »  forewarned  us,  that  they  1  who  do  such  things,’  as  are  here  men¬ 
tioned,  or  others  of  a  similar  nature,  ‘shall  not  inherit  the  kingdom  of 
God;’  yet,  what  numbers  of  professed  Christians  live  habitually  in  the 
grossest  of  them,  and,  notwithstanding  their  adultery,  fornication,  shame¬ 
ful  uncleanness,  or  secret  lasciviousness,  still  hope  for  heaven,  in  neglect 
of  evangelical  repentance  and  faith  !  Nor  can  the  most  idolatrous  cov¬ 
etousness,  the  most  exorbitant  pride,  ambition,  and  emulation,  the  most 
notorious  malice,  wrath,  hatred,  envy,  or  even  the  murders,  committed 
in  revengeful  duels,  deprive  them  of  their  presumptuous  confidence.  For 
‘  he  that  believeth  not,  hath  made  God  a  liar.’  Nay,  some  even  attempt 
to  revive  the  worship  of  Satan,  by  various  divinations  and  prognostica¬ 
tions,  who  would,  nevertheless,  be  offended  to  be  denied  the  name  of 

from  faith  in  God  and  faithfulness  to  Him  ;  a  humble,  teachable,  unam¬ 
bitious  temper  am!  demeanor,  and  an  evident  moderation  about  earthly 
objects,  and  in  respect  to  every  animal  indulgence;  these,  and  such  like, 
are  ‘the  fruits  of  the  Spirit  ;’  and  ‘against  these  there  is  no  law,’  for 
they  are  what  the  moral  law  requires.  1  Cor.  13:4—7.  Jam.  3  17,  18.  2 
Pet.  1:5—7.  So  that  obedience  to  the  law,  as  a  rule,  and  as  ‘  written  in 
the  heart’  by  the  Holy  Spirit,  with  delight  and  satisfaction,  and  earnest 
desires  after  more  exact  conformity  to  it,  is  the  apostolical  evidence  of 
deliverance  from  the  law,  as  a  covenant  of  works.  ‘  If  we  live  in,’  or  by, 
‘  the  Spirit,’  as  regenerate  persons  ;  ‘let  us  also  walk  in  the  Spirit,’  and 
order  our  daily  conversation  according  to  that  holy  influence,  and  in  de¬ 
pendence  on  the  guidance,  and  powerful  assistance  of  the  Holy  Spirit ;  es¬ 
pecially  in  mortifying  the  desire  of  ‘  vainglory  ’  and  human  applause,  and 
refraining  from  whatever  may  tend  to  exasperate  the  minds  of  other  men; 
or  manifest  envy  of  their  gills,  reputation,  or  prosperity.  The  ‘  body,'  as 
meaning  the  animal  nature,  must  be  ‘  kept  under  and  brought  into  subjec¬ 
tion,’  by  proper  discipline,  as  a  child  ;  but  ‘  the  flesh’ must  be  crucified,  as 
an  enemv  and  malefactor,  which  is  doomed  to  inevitable  destruction. 
Rom.  6:5—7.  8:3,  4,  12,  13.  1  Cor.  9:24—27.  (25)  Let  us  walk.]  See  on 

[374] 


Christians  1  Many,  also,  who  are  zealous  for  the  apostle’s  doctrine  of  jus¬ 
tification,  and  suppose  themselves  ‘not  to  be  under  the  law,’  are  so  far  from 
being  ‘  led  by  the  Spirit,’  that  they  are  evidently  and  habitually  ‘  fulfilling 
the  lusts  of  the  flesh  ;’  though  the  feeble  remonstrances  of  a  conscience, 
not  totally  callous,  deceives  them  into  an  imagination,  that  they  are  en¬ 
gaged  in  the  conflict  of  the  flesh  and  spirit  !  But  let  us  never  forget, 
that  those  ‘who  are  not  under  the  law’  for  condemnation,  are  ‘  led  by 
the  Spirit  ’  into  the  love  of  its  precepts,  and  an  earnest  desire  to  obey 
them.  If  we  bring  forth  ‘  the  fruits  of  the  Spirit,’  as  here  described,  in 
our  habitual  temper  and  conduct,  we  can  have  no  objection  to  the  daily 
examination  of  ourselves  by  that  perfect  standard  of  sin  and  holiness; 
that  our  love  may  be  exercised  ‘  in  knowledge,  and  in  all  judgment for 
‘against  such  things  there  is  no  law.’  Scott. 

Rom.  4:12. — ‘To  march,  as  soldiers  do.  step  by  step,  in  their  ranks,  by 
rule,  and  by  the  word  of  command.’  Scott. 

(22,23.)  All  the  virtues  here  mentioned  are  more  or  less  practised  by 
all  men  ;  heathen,  Jew,  Mohammedan,  or  Christian  ;  as  they  are  the  re¬ 
sults  of  endowments  common  to  the  race  :  in  the  true  Christian  alone 
are  they  habitually  dominant ,  under  the  Holy  Spirit.  Ed. 

NOTES.  Chap.  'VI.  V.  1 — 5.  The  apostle,  having  concluded  the 
argumentative  part  of  the  epistle,  added  some  particular  admonitions 
before  he  closed  it. — The  word  rendered  ‘spiritual,’  when  applied  to 
persons,  seems  to  denote  the  spirituality,  or  heavenly  mind  and  judg¬ 
ment,  of  those  who  are  thus  distinguished  :  1  Cor.  2:12 — 16.3:1 — 3.  12: 

1 — 3.  and  is  never  used,  as  I  recollect,  of  men  endued  with  miraculous 
gifts.  All  rulers,  teachers,  and  workers  of  miracles,  were  not  ‘spirit¬ 
ual,’  spiritually  minded,  ‘led  by  the  Spirit,’  and  filled  with  ‘  the  fruits 
of  the  Spirit,’  and  many  private  Christians  were.  The  doty  of  restor¬ 
ing  the  fallen  might  belong  to  the  teachers  and  rulers  primarily,  but  not 
exclusively. — Some  indeed  suppose,  that  persons  endued  with  spiritual 
gifts  superintended  the  churches  for  some  time,  without  any  regular  ap¬ 
pointment,  and  that  there  were  no  other  bishops  or  elders  in  Galatia  at 


A.  D.  56. 


GALATIANS,  VI. 


Instructions  to  Christians . 


4  But  let  every  man  prove  d  his 
own-work,  end  then  shall  he  have 
rejoicing  in  himself  "alone,  and  not 
in  another  ; 

5  For  every  man  shall  bear  his 
own  burden. 

6  Let  f  him  that  is  taught  in  the 
word  communicate  unto  him  that 
teacheth  in  all  good  things. 

7  Be  not  deceived  ;  God  is  not 
mocked  :  for  whatsoever  a  man 
soweth,  that  shall  he  also  reap. 

8  For  he  that  soweth  to  his  s flesh, 
shall  of  the  flesh  reap  corruption  ; 
but  he  that  soweth  to  the  h  Spirit, 
shall  of  the  Spirit  reap  life  ever¬ 
lasting. 

9  And  let  '  us  not  be  weary  in 
well  doing  :  for  in  due  season  we 
shall  reap,  i  if  we  faint  not. 

10  As  we  have  therefore  k  oppor¬ 
tunity,  let  us  do  good  unto  all  'men, 
especially  to  them  m  who  are  of  the 
household  of  faith. 

d  2  Co.  13:5.  h  Pr.  11:18.  k  Ec.  9:10. 

c  Pr.  14:14.  Ja.  3:18.  I  Mai.  5:43. 

f  1  Co.  9:11—14.  i  1  Co.  15:53.  Tit.  3:8. 

g  Job  4:8.  Pr.  22:  j  He.  10:36.  m  1  Jn.  3:14. 

8.  Ho.  8:7.  lie.  2:10. 


infirmities,  and  endeavoring  to  restore  them 
when  overtaken  with  a  fault,  takes  care,  v. 
3.  to  caution  us  against  this;  he  supposes 
it  very  possible  for  a  man  to  look  upon  him¬ 
self  as  wiser  and  better  than  other  men,  and 
as  fit  to  prescribe  to  them,  when  in  truth  he 
has  nothing  of  substance  or  solidity  in  him, 
or  that  can  be  a  ground  of  confidence  and  su¬ 
periority.  To  dissuade  us  from  giving  way 
to  this  temper,  he  tells  us  that  such  an  one, 
while  he  imposes  on  others,  by  pretending 
to  what  he  has  not,  puts  the  greatest  cheat 
on  himself,  as  sooner  or  later  he  will  find. 
Note,  Self-conceit,  as  it  is  inconsistent  with 
that  charity  we  owe  to  others,  1  Cor.  13:  4. 
so  it  is  a  cheat  on  ourselves;  and  there  is 
not  a  more  dangerous  cheat  in  the  world. 
As  a  mean  of  preventing  this  evil, 

III.  We  are  advised,  Every  one  to  prove 
his  own  work,  v.  4.  i.  e.  chiefly  our  own  ac¬ 
tions  or  behavior.  These  the  apostle  di¬ 
rects  us  to  prove,  i.  e.  seriously  and  impar¬ 
tially  to  examine,  by  the  rule  of  God’s  Word, 
to  see  whether  or  no  they  are  agreeable  lo 
it,  and  therefore  such  as  God  and  conscience 
approve.  The  better  we  are  acquainted 
with  our  own  hearts  and  ways,  the  less  lia¬ 
ble  shall  we  be  to  despise,  and  the  more  dis¬ 
posed  to  compassionate  and  help,  others, 
under  their  infirmities  and  afflictions. 

1.  This  is  the  way  to  have  rejoicing  in 
ourselves  alone.  If  we  set  ourselves  in  good 
earnest  to  prove  our  own  work,  and,  on  trial, 
can  approve  ourselves  to  God,  as  to  our  sin¬ 
cerity  and  uprightness  towards  Him,  then 
may  we  expect  to  have  comfort  in  our  own 


souls,  2  Cor.  1:  12.  and  this,  he  intimates,  i 
would  be  a  much  better  ground  of  joy  and 
satisfaction,  than  to  be  able  to  rejoice  in  j 
another;  either  in  the  good  opinion  others  J 
may  have  of  us,  or  in  having  gained  over 
others  to  our  opinion,  which  the  false  teach¬ 
ers  were  wont  to  glory  in,  as  we  see,  v.  13.  j 
or  by  comparing  ourselves  with  others,  as, 
it  should  seem,  some  did,  who  were  ready 
to  think  well  of  themselves,  because  they 
Were  not  so  bad  as  some  others.  Note,  If 
we  have  the  testimony  of  our  consciences, 
that  we  are  accepted  of  God,  we  need  not 
much  concern  Ourselves  about  what  others 
think  or  say  of  us;  and  without  tin's  the 
good  opinion  of  others  will  stand  us  in  little 
stead. 

2.  The  other  argument  the  apostle  uses, 
to  press  this  duty  of  proving  our  own  work, 
is,  That,  every  man  shall  bear  his  own  burden, 
v.  5.  i.  e.  that  at  the  great  day  every  one 
shall  be  reckoned  with  according  as  his 
behavior  here  has  been.  He  declares  that 
then  the  judgment  will  proceed,  and  the  sen¬ 
tence  pass,  not  according  to  the  sentiments 
of  the  world  concerning  us,  or  any  unground¬ 
ed  opinion  we  may  have  had  of  ourselves, 
or  on  our  having  been  better  or  worse  than 
others,  but  according  as  our  state  and  be¬ 
havior  have  really  been  in  the  sight  of  God. 
And  if  there  be  such  an  awful  time  to  be 
expected,  surely  we  ought  to  be  often  calling 
ourselves  to  an  account  here,  to  see  whether 
or  no  we  are  such  as  God  will  own  and  ap¬ 
prove  then:  and  as  this  is  our  duty,  so,  if  it 
were  more  our  practice,  we  should  entertain 
more  becoming  thoughts  both  of  ourselves 
and  our  fellow-Christians ;  and  instead  of 
bearing  hard  on  one  another,  on  account 
of  any  mistakes  or  failings,  we  should  be 
more  ready  to  fulfil  that  law  of  Christ,  by 
which  we  must  be  judged,  in  bearing  one 
another’s  burdens. 

IV.  Christians  are  here  exhorted  to  be 
free  and  liberal  in  maintaining  their  minis¬ 
ters,  v.  6.  1.  The  apostle  speaks  of  it  as 

a  thing  known  and  acknowledged,  that,  as 
there  are  some  to  be  taught,  so  there  are 
others  who  are  appointed  to  teach  them. 
The  office  of  the  ministry  is  a  divine  insti¬ 
tution,  which  does  not  lie  open  in  common 
to  all,  but  is  confined  to  those  only  whom 
God  has  qualified  for  it,  and  called  to  it; 
even  reason  itself  directs  us  to  put  a  differ¬ 
ence  between  the  teachers  and  the  taught; 
for  if  all  were  teachers,  there  would  be  none 
to  be  taught,  and  the  Scriptures  sufficiently 
declare  that  it  is  the  will  of  God  we  should 
do  so.  2.  Ministers  are  to  teach  and  preach 
the  Word  of  God,  2  Tim.  4:  2.  to  declare  his 
counsel,  Acts  20:  27.  and  it  is  the  duty  of 
those  who  are  taught  in  the  Word,  to  sup¬ 
port  those  who  are  appointed  to  teach  them. 
Ministers  are  to  give  attendance  to  reading, 
to  exhortation,  lo  doctrine,  1  Tim.  4:  14.  they 
are  not  to  entangle  themselves  with  the  affairs 
of  this  life,  2  Tim.  2:4.  and,  therefore,  it  is 
but  fit  and  equitable,  that,  while  they  are 
sowing  to  others  spiritual  things,  they  should 


reap  their  carnal  things.  And  this  is  the 
appointment  of  God  Himself,  1  Cor.  9:  11, 
13,  14. 

V.  A  caution  to  take  heed  of  mocking 
God,  or  of  deceiving  ourselves,  by  imagin¬ 
ing  that  He  can  be  imposed  on  by  mere 
pretensions  or  professions,  v.  7.  This  may 
be  considered  as  referring  to  the  foregoing 
exhortation ;  or  it  may  be  taken  in  a  more 
general  view,  as  respecting  the  whole  busi¬ 
ness  of  religion,  and  so  as  designed  to  take 
men  off"  from  entertaining  any  vain  hopes 
of  enjoying  its  rewards,  while  they  live  in 
the  neglect  of  its  duties.  The  apostle  di¬ 
rects  us  to  lay  it  down  as  a  rule  to  ourselves, 
that  according  as  we  behave  ourselves  now, 
so  will  our  account  Ire  in  the  great  day. 
And  he  further  acquaints  us,  v.  8.  that  as 

]  there  are  two  Sorts  of  seedness,  sowing  to 

j  the  flesh,  and  sowing  to  the  Spirit,  so  ac¬ 
cordingly  will  the  reckoning  be  hereafter. 
They  who  live  a  carnal,  sensual  life,  must 
expect  no  other  fruit  of  such  a  course  than 
corruption;  a  mean  and  short-lived  satisfac¬ 
tion  at  present,  and  ruin  and  misery  at  the 
end  of  it.  But  they  that,  under  the  guid¬ 
ance  and  influence  of  the  Spirit,  do  live  a 
holy  and  spiritual  life,  a  life  of  devotedness 
to  God,  and  of  usefulness  and  serviceablenesa 
to  others,  may  depend  on  it,  they  shall  have 
the  truest  comfort  in  their  present  course, 
and  an  eternal  life  and  happiness  at  the 
end  of  it.  Hypocrisy  in  religion  is  the 
greatest  folly,  as  well  as  wickedness. 

VI.  A  further  caution  given  us,  not  to  be 
weary  in  well  doing,  v.  9.  There  is  in  all 
of  us  too  great  a  proneness  hereunto;  this, 
therefore,  the  apostle  would  have  us  careful¬ 
ly  to  watch  and  guard  against;  and  he  gives 
this  very  good  reason  for  it,  because  in  due 
season  we  shall  reap  if  we  faint  not, — if  not 
in  this  world,  yet  undoubtedly  in  the  next; 
if  we  hold  on  and  hold  out  in  well-doing. 
Though  our  reward  may  be  delayed,  yet  it 
will  surely  come,  and  will  be  so  great  as  to 
make  us  an  abundant  recompense  for  all  our 
pains  and  constancy.  Perseverance  in  well¬ 
doing  is  our  wisdom,  for  to  this  only  is  the 
reward  promised. 

VII.  An  exhortation  to  all  Christians  to 
do  good  in  their  places,  v.  10.  It  is  not 
enough  that  we  be  good  ourselves,  but  we 
must  do  good  to  others,  if  we  would  approve 
ourselves  to  be  Christians  indeed.  The  duty 
here  recommended,  is,  the  same  as  that 
spoken  of  in  the  foregoing  vs. ;  and  as  there 
the  apostle  exhorts  us  to  sincerity  and  per¬ 
severance  in  it,  so  here  he  directs  its  both  as 
to  its  objects  and  rule.  1 .  The  objects  are 
more  generally  all  men;  all  who  partake  of 
the  same  common  nature  with  us,  and  more 
especially  the  household  of  faith,  or  those  who 
profess  the  same  common  faith,  and  are 
members  of  the  same  body  of  Christ,  with 
us:  though  others  are  not  to  be  excluded,  yet 
these  are  to  be  preferred.  2.  The  rule  we 
are  to  observe  in  doing  good  to  others,  is, 

I  as  we  have  opportunity;  while  life  lasts,  the 

1  only  season  wherein  we  can  do  good  to  otli- 


this  time,  as  little  mention  is  made  of  them  (6);  but  this  by  no  means 
agrees  with  the  history,  which  mentions  the  ordaining  of  elders  by  the 
apostles,  ‘  in  every  city,’  either  personally,  if  they  had  leisure,  or  by 
apostolical  men,  or  evangelists,  (as  Timothy,  Titus,  and  others,)  if  com¬ 
pelled  previously  to  leave  the  new  converts.  ’It  is,  however,  probable, 
that  these  elders,  and  the  deacons,  also,  were  generally  chosen  from 
among  those  who  had  been  endued  with  miraculous  powers  by  the  laying 
on  of  the  hands  of  the  apostles.  Acts  8:14 — 17.  14:21 — 23.  19:  1  Tim. 

5:21,22,24,25.  Tit.  1:5 — 9.  Scott. 

(4.)  ‘Paul  is  still  occupied  in  lowering  their  pride;  and  as,  at  v.  2. 
he  shows  them  how  empty  is  all  vain  boasting,  so  here  he  tells  them, 
that  not  even  when  any  one,  on  examination,  has  found  anything  to  au¬ 
thorize  boasting,  ought  be  to  make  a  boast  of  it,  (that  he  is  better  than 
another,  to  that  other’s  injury,  say  Grot.,  <fcc.)’  Borger.  Bloomf. 

(5.)  '■Koppe  tr.  “for  each  has  frailties  enow  of  his  own  to  wrestle 
with  but  (as  Borg.)  the  future  tense  is  at  variance  with  this  tr.  nor  is 
it  agreeable  to  the  context.’  In. 

V.  7.  Koppe  thinks  there  is  reference  to  contumely  shown  by  .rich 
converts  to  the  teachers,  whom  they  kept  in  poverty  ;  Doddr.,  that  the 
various  petty  subterfuges  the  covetous  use,  to  excuse  themselves  from 
liberality,  are  glanced  at.  See  Bloomf.  En. 

V.  8.  ‘  Sowing  to  the  flesh,  is  equivalent  to  living  to  the  flesh,  the  fruit 
of  which  will  be  corruption  and  mortality,  namely,  spiritual  death,  i.  e. 
eternal  punishment.  On  the  contrary,  he  that  sows  to  the  Spirit,  i.  e. 


lives  to  the  Spirit,  will  reap  the  fruits  in  eternal  life,  i.  e.  eternal  happiness. 
“  He  that  lays  out  his  substance,  time,  and  thoughts,  only  for  his  own 
gratifications,  for  his  own  necessities  and  conveniences,  shall  at  the  har¬ 
vest  find  the  fruit  and  product  of  such  husbandry  to  be  corruption  ;  but 
he  who  applies  his  capacities,  abilities,  and  possessions,  to  that  which  is 
spiritual,  to  promote  the  interests  of  religion,  shall  inherit  eternal  glory, 
and  be  fully  recompensed  at  the  resurrection  of  the  just,  (Lu.  14:14.) 
when  all  the  hope  of  the  sinner  is  perished.”  Valpy.'  Bloomf. 

V.  9.  ‘Persons  of  known  benevolence  are  not  only  more  frequently 
called  on  for  charity  than  others,  but  (what  is  still  more  calculated  to 
disgust  and  tire  them  out),  they  are  liable  to  frequent  impositions,  abus¬ 
es  of  their  charity,  and  ungrateful  returns  ;’  but  let  them  not  weary,  their 
harvest  is  in  eternity.  See  Bloomf.  And  the  disinterestedly  benevolent 
will  recollect  Luke  6:32,  33.  Ed. 

V.  10.  ‘  Borger  thus  ably  recapitulates  wlmt  Paul  has  said  on  Chris¬ 

tian  liberty,  its  use  and  abuse.  “  ITe  had  taught,  that  those  who  are  sub¬ 
ject  to  the  Mosaic  law,  lead  a  life  of  servitude,  and  are  themselves  slaves, 
3:23—26.  44—3,7—9.  that  from  this  subjection  to  the  law,  Christians 
indeed  are  freed,  but  still  are  in  a  state  of  servitude,  though  an  easier  and 
more  gentle,  inasmuch  as  we  are  by  love  to  serve  one  another,  5:13.  He 
had  declared,  that  the  force  and  efiicacy  of  the  Mosaic  law  is  broken  and 


[875] 


A.  D.  56. 


GALATIANS,  VI. 


The  temper  and  behavior  of  Paul. 


11  Ye  see  how  large  a  letter  I 
have  written  unto  you  with  mine 
own  hand. 

12  As  many  as  desire  to  make  a 
fair  shew  in  the  flesh,  they  con¬ 
strain  you  to  be  circumcised  ;  only 
lest  they  should  suffer  persecution 
for  the  cross  of  Christ. 

13  For  neither  they  themselves 
who  are  circumcised  keep  the  law ; 
but  desire  to  have  you  circumcised, 
that  they  may  glory  in  your  flesh. 

14  But  n  God  forbid  that  l  should 
glory,  save  in  the  cross  of  our  Lord 
Jesus  Christ,  0  by  whom  the  world 
is  crucified  p  unto  me,  and  I  unto 
the  world. 

15  For  q  in  Christ  Jesus  neither 
circumcision  availeth  any  thing,  nor 
uncircumcision,  but  a  r  new  crea¬ 
ture. 

o  Phi.  3:3, 7, 8.  p  c.  2:20.  r  2  Co.  5:17. 

u  or,  whereby.  q  c.  5:6. 

ers.  Too  many  defer  it  till  they  come  to 
die,  under  a  pretence  of  doing  something  of 
this  nature  then:  but  we  cannot  be  sure  that 
we  shall  then  have  an  opportunity  for  it; 
neither,  if  we  should,  have  we  any  ground 
to  expect  that  what  we  do  will  be  so  accep¬ 
table  to  God,  much  less  that  we  can  atone 
for  our  past  neglects,  by  leaving  something 
behind  us  for  the  good  of  others,  when  we 
can  no  longer  keep  it  ourselves.  But  we 
should  take  care  to  do  good  in  our  lifetime, 
yea,  to  make  this  the  business  of  our  lives. 
Whenever  fresh  occasions  offer,  as  far  as 
our  capacity  reaches,  we  should  be  ready  to 
embrace  them,  too,  Eccl.  11:  2.  Note,  As 
God  has  made  it  our  duty  to  do  good  to  oth¬ 
ers,  so  He  takes  care  in  bis  providence  to 
furnish  us  with  opportunities  for  it,  Mat.  26: 
11.  and  He  expects  we  should  improve  each 
according  to  our  capacity  and  ability.  But 
we  have  need  of  godly  wisdom  and  discretion 
to  direct  us  in  the  exercise  of  our  charity. 

V.  11 — 18.  The  apostle,  having  at  large 
established  the  doctrine  of  the  Gospel,  and 
endeavored  to  persuade  these  Christians  to 
a  behavior  agreeable  to  it,  seems  as  if  he 
intended  here  to  end  the  epistle;  especially 
when  he  had  acquainted  them,  that,  as  a 
particular  mark  of  his  respect  to  them,  he 
had  written  this  large  letter  with  his  own 
hand;  but  such  were  his  affection  to  them, 
and  concern  to  recover  them  from  the  ill 
impressions  made  on  them  by  their  false 
teachers,  that  he  cannot  break  off,  till  he  has 
once  again  given  them  the  true  character  of 
those  teachers,  and  an  account  of  his  own 
contrary  temper  and  behavior  ;  that,  by 
comparing  these  together,  they  might  the 
more  easily  see  how  little  reason  they  had 
to  depart  from  the  doctrine  he  had  taught 
them,  and  to  comply  with  theirs. 

I.  He  gives  them  the  true  character  of 


those  teachers,  in  several  particulars.  As, 

1.  They'  were  men  who,  v.  12.  were  very 
zealous  for  the  externals  of  religion;  for¬ 
ward  to  observe,  and  to  oblige  others  to 
observe,  the  rites  of  the  ceremonial  law, 
though  at  the  same  time  they  had  little  or 
no  regard  to  real  piety ;  for,  as  the  apostle 
says  of  them  in  the  following  v'.,  neither  do 
they  themselves  keep  the  law:  frequently  those 
have  least  of  the  substance  of  religion,  who 
are  most  solicitous  to  make  a  show  of  it. 

2.  They  were  men  who  were  afraid  of  suf¬ 
fering,  for  they  constrained  the  Gentile  Chris¬ 
tians  to  be  circumcised,  only  lest  they  should 
suffer  persecution  for  the  cross  of  Christ.  It 
was  not  so  much  out  of  a  regard  to  the  law, 
as  to  themselves.  And,  3.  Another  part  of 
their  character  was,  that  they  were  men  of 
a  party-spirit,  and  who  had  no  further  zeal 
for  the  law  than  as  it  subserved  their  carnal 
and  selfish  designs ;  for  they  desired  to  have 
these  Christians  circumcised,  v.  13.  only  that 
they  might  say,  they  had  made  proselytes  of 
them,  of  which  they  carried  the  mark  in  their 
flesh.  And  thus  while  they  pretended  to 
promote  religion,  they  were  the  greatest  en¬ 
emies  of  it;  for  nothing  has  been  more  de¬ 
structive  to  the  interest  of  religion  than  tnen- 
siding  and  party-making.  Note,Ti.  3:  10. 

II.  He  acquaints  us,  on  the  other  hand, 
with  his  own  temper  and  behavior;  partic¬ 
ularly, 

1.  That  his  principal  glory  was  in  the 
cross  of  Christ,  v.  14.  here  meant  of  his 
sufferings  and  death  on  the  cross,  or  the 
doctrine  of  salvation  by  a  crucified  Re¬ 
deemer.  The  cross  of  Christ  is  the  Chris¬ 
tian’s  chief  glory,  and  there  is  the  greatest 
reason,  for  to  it  we  owe  all  our  joys  and 
hopes. 

2.  That  he  was  dead  to  the  world.  By 
Christ,  or  by  the  cross  of  Christ,  the  world 
ivas  crucified  to  him,  and  he  to  the  world;  he 
had  experienced  the  power  and  virtue  of  it 
in  weaning  him  from  the  world,  and  this 
was  one  great  reason  of  his  glorying  in  it. 
The  false  teachers  were  men  of  a  worldly 
temper,  their  chief  concern  was  about  their 
secular  interests,  therefore  they  accommo¬ 
dated  their  religion  thereunto.  But  Paul 
was  a  man  of  another  spirit;  he  was  got 
above  both  the  smiles  and  the  frowns  of  the 
world,  as  one  who  is  a-dying  out  of  it.  This 
is  a  temper  of  mind  all  Christians  should 
be  laboring  after;  and  the  best  way  to  at¬ 
tain  it,  is,  to  converse  much  with  the  cross 
of  Christ ;  the  higher  esteem  we  have  of 
Him,  the  meaner  opinion  shall  we  have  of 
the  world ;  and  the  more  we  contemplate  the 
sufferings  our  dear  Redeemer  met  with  from 
the  world,  the  less  likely  shall  we  be  to  be 
in  love  with  it. 

3.  That  he  did  not  lay  the  stress  of  his 
religion  on  one  side  or  other  of  the  contest¬ 
ing  interests,  but  on  sound  Christianity, 
v.  15.  There  was  at  that  time  an  unhappy 
division  among  Christians;  circumcision  and 
uncircumcisivn,-  ch.  2:  9,  12.  The  false 
teachers  were  very  zealous  for  circumcision ; 


yea,  to  that  degree,  as  to  represent  it  as  ne¬ 
cessary  to  salvation.  But  Paul  made  very 
little  account  of  it.  It  was  indeed  of  great 
importance  to  the  interests  of  Christianity, 
that  circumcision  should  not  be  imposed  on 
the  Gentile  converts,  and  therefore  this  he 
had  set  himself  with  the  utmost  vigor  to  op¬ 
pose:  but  as  for  mere  circumcision  or  un¬ 
circumcision,  whether  those  who  had  em¬ 
braced  the  Christian  religion  had  been  Jews 
or  Gentiles;  and  whether  they  were  for  or 
against  continuing  the  use  of  circumcision, 
so  that  they  did  not  place  their  religion  in 
it, — this  was  comparatively  a  matter  of  little 
moment  with  him;  for  he  very  well  knew, 
that  in  Jesus  Christ,  in  his  account,  or  under 
the  Christian  dispensation,  neither  circumcis¬ 
ion  availed  anything,  nor  uncircumcision,  as 
to  men’s  acceptance  with  God,  but  a  new 
creature.  Here  he  acquaints  us,  both  where¬ 
in  real  religion  does  not,  and  wherein  it 
does  consist;  it  does  not  consist  in  circum¬ 
cision  or  uncircumcision,  in  our  being  in  this 
or  the  other  denomination  of  Christians; 
but  it  consists  in  our  being  new  creatures; 
not  in  having  a  new  name,  or  putting  on  a 
new  face,  but  in  our  being  renewed  in  the 
spirit  of  our  minds,  and  having  Christ  formed 
in  us.  If  we  compare  this  text  with  some 
others,  we  may  more  fully  see  what  it  is  that 
renders  us  most  acceptable  to  God,  and 
which  therefore  we  should  be  chiefly  con¬ 
cerned  about.  Here  we  are  told,  that  it  is 
a  new  creature;  and  ch.  5:  6.  that  it  is  faith 
which  worketh  by  love,  and,  1  Cor.  7:  19. 
that  it  is  the  keeping  the  commandments  of 
God:  from  all  which  it  appears,  that  it  is  a 
change  of  mind  and  heart,  whereby  we  are 
disposed  and  enabled  to  believe  in  the  Lord 
Jesus,  and  to  live  a  life  of  devotedness  to 
God  ;  and  that  where  this  inward,  vital, 
practical  religion  is  wanting, no  outward  pro¬ 
fessions,  or  particular  names,  will  ever  stand 
us  in  any  stead,  or  be  sufficient  to  recom¬ 
mend  us  to  Him.  Were  Christians  duly 
concerned  to  experience  this  in  themselves, 
and  to  promote  it  in  others;  if  it  did  not 
make  them  lay  aside  their  distinguishing 
names,  yet  it  would  at  least  take  them  off 
from  laying  so  great  a  stress  on  them  as  they 
too  often  do.  Note,  Christians  should  take 
care  to  lay  the  stress  of  their  religion  where 
God  has  laid  it,  i.  e.  on  those  things  which 
are  available  to  our  acceptance  with  Him; 
so  we  see  the  apostle  did,  and  it  is  our 
wisdom  and  interest  herein  to  follow  his 
example. 

The  apostle  having  shown  what  was  of 
chief  consideration  in  religion,  and  what  he 
laid  the  greatest  stress  on,  that  is,  a  sound 
and  saving,  change,  here,  v.  16.  pronounces 
a  blessing  on  all  who  walk  according  to  this 
rule;  i.  e.  either  more  generally  the  whole 
Word  of  God,  which  is  the  complete  and 
perfect  rule  of  faith,  and  life;  or  that  doc¬ 
trine  of  the  Gospel,  or  way  of  justification 
and  salvation,  which  he  had  laid  down  in 
this  epistle,  by  faith  in  Christ  without  the 
works  of  the  law;  or,  as  more  immediately 


lence  remains  to  be  observed  by  them,  5:14.  this  is  the  law  of  Christ, 
6:2.  The  apostle  had  said,  that  by  the  works  of  the  law  shall  no  flesh  be 
justified,  2:16.  And  yet  (he  warns  them)  it  does  not  follow  from  thence 
that  Christians  may  do  what  they  please,  and  basely  abuse  their  liberty  ; 
for,  as  by  the  works  of  the  law,  so  by  the  works  of  the  Jlesh,  shall  no 
one  attain  felicity,  5:19 — 21.  But  that  it  is  necessary  to  follow  after  vir¬ 
tue;  every  one  must  prove  his  own  work,  6:4.  on  Cfiristians  it  is  in¬ 
cumbent  to  do  good,  6:9, 19.  That  salvation  and  felicity,  indeed,  do  not 
depend  on  the  Mosaic  law  (2:16.  21:3.  11:12,  18,  24.)  ;  yet  those  err 
grievously  who  abuse  this  liberty  into  utter  disregard  of  virtue,  as  if  to 
the  attainment  of  felicity  nothing  on  our  part  were  necessary,  but  to  fol¬ 
low  the  usual  routine  of  life;  for  that  this  present  existence  contains 
the  commencement,  and,  as  it  were,  seeds  of  a  future  one;  which  seed 
will  produce  fruits,  either  of  joy  or  sorrow,  to  be  gathered  at  the  general 
harvest,  6:7,  8,  9.’”  Blooxif. 

V.  11 — 14.  The  words  here  tr.  ‘how  large  a  letter,’  are  supposed  by 
many  to  signify,  with  what  kind  of  letters,  referring  to  the  apostle’s  want 
of  skill  and  readiness  in  writing  Greek.  lie  had,  however,  bestowed 
great  pains  to  write  the  epistle  ‘  with  his  own  hand,’  either  because  he 
had  not  an  amanuensis  with  him,  or  rather  because  he  did  not  choose  to 
employ  one ;  but  he  wrote  the  whole  himself,  that  he  might  convince 
the  Galatians  of  his  love  to,  and  anxiety  about  them. — His  [Paul’s]  view 
of  the  cross  of  Christ,  and  of  the  obligations,  motives,  and  instructions 
connected  with  it,  had  crucified  the  world  to  him  and  him  to  the  world. 

[376] 


‘So  that  he  viewed  the  world,  as  little  impressed  by  all  its  charms,  as 
a  spectator  would  be,  by  anything  that  had  been  graceful  in  the  counte¬ 
nance  of  a  crucified  person,  when  he  beholds  it  blackened  in  the  agonies 
of  death,  and  was  no  more  affected  by  the  objects  around  him,  than  one 
that  is  expiring  would  be  struck  with  any  of  those  prospects,  which  his 
dying  eyes  might  view  from  the  cross,  on  which  he  was  suspended.’ 
Doddr.  „  Scott. 

(12.)  Persecution .]  ‘This  seems  to  open  the  main,  secret  spring  of 
that  zeal  for  the  Jewish  ceremonies,  in  some  who  professed  themselves 
Christians,  which  occasioned  so  much  uneasiness  in  the  apostolic 
churches.  The  persecuting  edicts  of  the  Jewish  Sanhedrim,  the  influ¬ 
ence  of  which  extended  to  remote  synagogues,  had  induced  many  who 
secretly  believed  in  Christ,  to  decline  an  open  acknowledgment  of  Ilim 
(Jn.  9:22.  12:42.  19:38. },  which  yet  our  Lord  Himself  bad  so  expressly 
required,  that  their  consciences,  during  this  state  of  dissimulation ,  must 
be  in  great  anxiety.  (See  Mark  8:38.)  But  afterwards,  when  a  scheme 
arose,  of  extending  Judaism  with  Christianity,  it  may  be  supposed  that 
this  would  abate  the  edge  of  persecution  against  those  who  fell  in  witfi 
it,  and  especially  against  those  who  urged  the  Gentile  converts  to  such 
complete  proselytism,  though  it  might  sharpen  it  against  other  Chris¬ 
tians;  and  this  might,  perhaps,  weigh  more  with  some  titan  they  them¬ 
selves  were  aware,  in  concurrence  with  the  desire  of  making  disciples, 
and  to  the  prejudices  of  education,  which  must  naturally  be  supposed 
to  have  their  share.  Comp.  5:11.’  Doddr. 


A.  D.  56. 


GALATIANS,  VI. 


An  apostolical  benediction. 


16  And  as  many  as  walk  accord¬ 
ing  to  this  rule,  peace  *  be  on  them, 
and  mercy,  and  upon  the  Israel  of 
God. 

17  From  henceforth  let  no  man 
trouble  me  ;  for  *  I  bear  in  my  body 
the  marks  of  the  Lord  Jesus. 

IS  Brethren,  the  "grace  of  our 
Lord  Jesus  Christ  be  with  your 
spirit.  Amen. 

IT  Unto  the  Galatians,  written 
from  Rome. 

<  Pi.  125:5.  t  Col.  1:21.  u  2  Ti.  4:22.  Phil.  25. 

referring  to  the  new  creature,  which  he  had 
just  before  been  speaking  of.  The  blessings 
he  desires  for  those  who  walk  according  to 
this  rule,  are,  peace,  and  mercy, — peace  with 
God  and  conscience,  and  all  the  comforts  of 
this  life,  as  far  as  they  are  needful  for  them, 
— and  mercy,  that  is,  an  interest  in  the  free 
love  and  favor  of  God  in  Christ,  which  are 
the  spring  and  fountain  of  all  other  blessings. 
These,  he  declares,  shall  be  the  portion  of 
all  the  Israel  of  God,  i.  e.  all  sincere  Chris¬ 
tians,  whether  Jews  or  Gentiles;  all  who 
are  Israelites  indeed,  who,  though  they  may 
not  be  natural,  yet  are  become  the  spiritual 
seed  of  Abraham.  The  Jews  and  judaizing 
teachers  were  for  confirming  these  blessings 
only  to  such  as  were  circumcised,  and  kept 


the  law  of  Moses;  but  the  apostle  declares 
that  they  belong  to  all  who  walk  according 
to  the  rule  of  the  Gospel,  or  of  the  new 
creature,  even  to  all  the  Israel  of  God ;  in¬ 
timating,  that  those  only  are  the  true  Israel 
of  God-,  who  walk  according  to  this  rule, 
and  not  that  of  circumcision,  which  they  in¬ 
sisted  so  much  on;  and  therefore  that  this 
was  the  true  way  to  obtain  peace  and  mercy. 

4.  That  he  had  cheerfully  suffered  perse¬ 
cution  for  the  sake  of  Christ  and  Christian¬ 
ity,  v.  17.  while  the  false  teachers  were 
afraid  of  it,  and  so  were  zealous  for  circum¬ 
cision,  as  we  see,  v.  12.  But  this  was  the 
least  of  Paul’s  concern ;  he  was  not  moved 
at  any  of  the  afflictions  he  met  with,  Acts 
20:  24.  lie  had  already  suffered  much  in 
the  cause  of  Christ,  for  he  bare  in  his  body 
the  scars  of  those  wounds  he  had  sustained 
from  persecuting  enemies,  for  his  steady  ad¬ 
herence  to  Him,  and  that  doctrine  of  the 
Gospel  which  he  had  received  from  Him. 
As  hence  it  appeared  he  was  firmly  persuad¬ 
ed  of  the  truth  and  importance  of  it,  and  far 
from  being  a  favorer  of  circumcision,  as 
they  had  falsely  reported  him  to  be;  so, 
hereupon,  with  a  warmth  and  vehemence 
suitable  to  his  authority  as  an  apostle,  and 
to  the  deep  concern  he  was  under,  he  insists 
on  it,  that  no  man  should  henceforth  trouble 
him,  by  opposing  his  doctrine  and  authority, 
or  by  any  such  calumnies  and  reproaches  as 
had, been  cast  on  him;  for  as,  both  from 


what  he  had  said,  and  what  he  had  suffered, 
they  appeared  to  be  highly  unjust  and  inju¬ 
rious,  so  also  they  were  very  unreasonable, 
who  either  raised  or  received  them. 

The  apostle,  having  now  finished  what  he 
intended  to  write  for  the  conviction  and  re¬ 
covery  of  the  churches  of  Galatia,  concludes 
the  epistle  with  his  apostolical  benediction, 
v.  18.  His  usual  farewell,  as  wc  see,  Rom. 
16:  20,  24.  and  1  Cor.  16:  23.  He  prays 
that  they  might  enjoy  the  favor  of  Christ, 
receive  from  Him  all  the  grace  needful  to 
guide  them  in  their  way,  to  strengthen  them 
in  their  work,  establish  them  in  their  Chris¬ 
tian  course,  and  encourage  and  comfort  them 
under  all  the  trials  of  life,  and  the  prospect 
of  death  itself.  This  is  fitly  called  the 
grace  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  as  He  is  both 
the  sole  Purchaser  and  the  appointed  Dis¬ 
penser  of  it:  and  though  these  churches  had 
done  enough  to  forfeit  it,  by  suffering  them¬ 
selves  to  be  drawn  into  an  opinion  and  prac¬ 
tice  highly  dishonorable  to  Christ,  as  well 
as  dangerous  to  them;  yet,  out  of  his  great 
concern  for  them,  and  knowing  of  what  im¬ 
portance  it  was  to  them,he  earnestly  desires  it 
on  their  behalf;  yea,  that  it  might  bewilhtheir 
spirit,  that  they  might  continually  experience 
the  influences  of  it  on  their  souls,  disposing 
and  enabling  them  to  act  with  sincerity  and 
uprightness  in  religion.  We  need  desire 
no  more  to  make  us  happy,  than  the  grace 
of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  Amen. 


PRACT.  OBS.  The  reality  and  degree  of  our  spirituality  should  be 
evinced,  by  tender  and  compassionate  endeavors  to  restore  the  fallen, 
and  confirm  the  weak,  ‘in  the  spirit  of  meekness;’  conscious  that  we 
too  are  liable  to  be  tempted,  and  have  need  of  humble  watchfulness,  and 
constant  dependance  on  God. — Our  Christian  liberty  is  enjoyed,  in  pro¬ 
portion  as  we  ‘  fulfil  the  law  of  Christ,’  in  loving  the  brethren,  and  ‘  bear¬ 
ing  one  another’s  burdens’  with  compassion  and  self-denial.  —  If  hith¬ 
erto  any  man  have  ‘  sown  to  the  flesh,’  and  is  afraid,  that  ‘of  the  flesh 
he  shall  reap  corruption,’  let  him  begin,  by  repentance,  faith,  and  prayer, 
to  ‘sow  to  the  Spirit,’  that  he  may  at  length  reap  everlasting  life. — If  we 
then  are  ‘  in  Christ,  new  creatures,’  we  have  the  kernel  and  the  substance 
of  religion,  and  may  leave  others  to  contend  about  the  shell  or  the  shadow 


of  it. — They  are  peculiarly  blameable,  who  trouble  and  grieve  those  sol¬ 
diers  of  Christ,  that  ‘bear  in  their  bodies  ’  the  scars  of  the  wounds  they 
have  received  in  ‘fighting  the  good  fight  of  faith;’  but  we  should  not 
wonder,  or  be  disconcerted,  should  our  most  disinterested  and  self-deny¬ 
ing  labors  meet  with  this  recompense  alone,  from  those  whom  we  have 
most  loved.  There  have  always  been  professors  and  teachers  of  reli¬ 
gion,  who  ‘  desired  to  make  a  fair  show  in  the  flesh,’  to  render  religion 
subservient  to  worldly  interests  or  distinctions,  and  to  escape  the  cross. 
But  the  consistent  Christian  is  nobly  disdainful  of  such  low  aims;  he 
glories  in  the  cross  of  Christ  alone,  and  desires  to  ‘  live  no  longer  to  him¬ 
self,  but  to  Him  who  died  for  him,  and  rose  again.’  1  Cor.  1:26—31,  vv. 
30,  31.  3:18—23.  2  Cor.  5:13—16.  10:17,  18.  Scott. 


V.  16.  Rule.]  ‘  Kanbn  is  both  a  builder’s  perpendicular  line,  or  plum¬ 
met,  and  a  carpenter’s  rectangular  rule.’  Bloomf. 

V.  17,  18.  Some  think,  that  the  marks  which  slaves  and  soldiers  re¬ 
ceived,  showing  to  what  master  or  commander  they  belonged,  are  al¬ 
luded  to.  But  the  scars  of  the  stripes  and  wounds  which  he  had  receiv¬ 
ed  for  Christ’s  sake,  are  indisputably  meant.  Scott. 

(17.)  Trouble  me,  Ac.]  ‘It  seems  most  natural  to  understand,  with 
the  ancient  comtrs.  and  Jaspis,  Paul’s  fixed  determination.  So  Chrys. 
and  Theoph.  observe,  that  the  apostle  says  this  as  giving  them  to  under¬ 
stand,  that  the  rules  he  has  laid  down  are  immovably  fixed,  and  that  they 
need  not  expect  anything  else  from  him,  but  receive  this  from  him  as  an 
absolute  determination,  once  for  all.  Yet,  I  think,  he  means  also  to  hint, 
that  he  had  had  trouble  and  chagrin  enough  on  this  question  already. 
“  For,  (says  he)  v.  12.  I  have  trouble  enow  :  I  bear,”  <fcc.’  In  bear,  &c., 


I  see  no  reference  to  a  triumph,  as  the  ancients  suppose ;  nor  do  I  think 
(as  do  Potter,  Dey/ing,  Wets.,  &c.)  there  is  a  reference  to  a  custom  of 
the  ancients,  by  which  tlio.se  who  were  dedicated  to  the  service  of  any 
god,  had  a  brand  stamped  on  them.  See  Herod,  [and  notes  and  cut,  De. 
32:6.  Ps.  18:5.]  Paul,  in  the  word  stigmata,  rather  refers  to  the  weals, 
bruises,  and  scars,  left  by  the  scourgings,  beatings,  and  stonings  he  had 
received.’  Bloomf.,  and  so  Dr.  J.  C.,  who  adds,  ‘or  to  the  stigmata  or 
marks  with  which  servants  and  slaves  were  often  impressed,  to  show 
whose  they  were.’  Soldiers  are  also  said  to  have  had  the  names  of  their 
corps,  or  general,  imprinted  on  their  hands.  The  common  way  of  stig¬ 
matizing,  in  the  E.,  was,  by  burning  the  member  with  a  red-hot  iron, 
marked  with  certain  letters,  till  a  fair  impression  was  made,  and  then 
pouring  ink  into  the  furrows.’  See  Bush's  ‘  Illustrations,’  &e.  on  Rev. 
13:16.  Is.  44:5.  and  comp,  modern  tattooing.  Ed. 


( Note  on  Christian  Union,  Continued  from  p.  354.) 

Comp.  1  Cor.  3:3,  4.  Gal.  5:20.  Rom.  16:17.  1  Cor.  12:12.  Eph.  4:3— 
6.  Gal.  2:11,  14.  [In  most  of  which  places,  Paul  asserts  sectarianism  to 
be  ‘carnal,’  ‘of  the  flesh,’  i.  e.  of  the  lower  propensities,  under  the  di¬ 
rection  of  self-esteem,  and  other  kinds  of  selfishness.]  It  would  seem, 
therefore,  to  be  irresistibly  evident,  that  the  unity  of  the  church  ought 
to  be  sacredly  preserved  by  all  who  love  the  Lord  Jesus  ;  and  without 
stopping,  at  this  stage  of  our  investigation,  to  ascertain  all  the  precise 
features  of  this  unity,  which  will  hereafter  appear,  it  is  evident,  that  the 
union  inculcated  by  the  apostle  is  such  as  is  inconsistent  with  the  divis¬ 
ions  which  he  reprobates ;  and  such  divisions  substantially  are  those  of 
the  present  dav,  which  are  all  based  on  some  difference  of  doctrine, 
forms  of  government,  or  mode  of  worship  among  acknowledged  Chris¬ 
tians. 

II.  Obligation  to  preserve  the  unity  of  the  church,  is  evident  from 
the  example  of  t’/e  anosttes,  of  the  apostolic  and  subsequent  age. 

It  would  be  superfluous  to  affirm,  that  no  one  of  the  apostles  or  their 
fellow-laborers  established  any  sects  in  the  Christian  church.  The  bare 
supposition  of  the  contrary,  is  absurd  and  revolting  to  every  mind  ac¬ 
quainted  with  the  inspired  record.  Yet  what  ample  ground  was  there 
for  such  a  course,  if  it  had  been  thought  lawful  ?  There  was  a  differ¬ 
ence  of  opinion  among  the  apostles,  and  difference  among  the  lirst  Chris¬ 
tians  :  hut  neither  was  regarded  as  a  cause  for  schism  or  division  in  the 
church.  Paul  differed  from  Peter,  and  disapproved  of  his  conduct  so 
much,  that  he  says,  (Gal.  2:11—14.)  “  nt  Antioch,  1  withstood  him  to 
the  face,  for  he  was  to  he  blamed  :  ”  yet  neither  of  the  n  dreamed  of 
forming  a  sect  for  the  defence  and  propagation  of  his  distinctive  views. 
Paul  and  Barnabas  differed  about  their  arrangements  for  missionary 
operations,  and  when  the  contention  grew  sharp,  each  took  as  fellow- 
laborers  those  whom  he  preferred,  and  thus  prosecuted  his  work  ;  but  it 
never  entered  into  their  minds  to  form  different  sects  in  the  church.  In 
the  apostolic  age,  there  existed  differences  of  opinion  and  practice  be¬ 
tween  the  Jewish  and  Gentile  converts,  far  greater  than  those  which 
divide  some' of  the  religious  denominations  of  our  land.  Ac.  15:5.  Gal. 
4:10.  Yet  they  did  not  divide  the  church  into  different  sects,  under  the 
guidance  of  the  apostles.  On  (lie  contrary,  the  apostle  enjoined  mutual 
forbearance,  tto.  1 1:5—10.  N'o  -did  any  schism  actually  arise  from  these 
N.  T.  VOL.  V.  43 


differences,  till  the  apostles  had  gone  to  their  rest,  when,  in  direct  oppo¬ 
sition  to  this  advice,  the  Nazareans,  in  the  reign  of  Adrian,  separated 
from  the  body  of  Christians,  who  however  strongly  disapproved  of  their 
conduct.  It  is  certain,  too,  that  during  several  hundred  years,  there 
continued  to  he  persons  in  the  church,  who  exhibited  a  lingering  attach¬ 
ment  to  the  Mosaic  ceremonial  observances,  yet  they  were  not  excluded, 
nor  advised  to  form  themselves  into  a  separate  sect.  The  observance 
of  the  Lord’s  day  or  Christian  Sabbath  was  universal  (see  Justin  Mar- 
trys’  apology)  ;  but  some  Christians,  during  several  centuries,  continued 
also  to  observe  the  Jewish  Sabbath  as  a  sacred  day.  The  time  for  the 
observance  of  Easter  was  another  point  of  difference,  and  even  of  warm 
controversy  ;  yet,  excepting  some  intolerant  individuals,  neither  party 
seriously  thought  of  dividing  the  church,  or  disowning  their  brethren  on 
this  ground  ;  see  Euseb.  Book  v.  ch.  24.  Had  these  differences  existed 
m  our  time,  who  can  doubt,  not  only  that  separate  sects  would  have 
grown  out  of  them,  but  that  their  formation  would  be  approved  by 
Christians  generally  ?  . .  .  Christians  were,  in  those  days,  called  nothing 
hut  Christians.  This  ought  certainly  to  be  a  solemn  fact  to  those,  who 
have  taken  it  for  granted,  that  sectarian  divisions  of  the  church  are 
right;  that  they  were  doing  God  service  by  their  utmost  efforts  to  per¬ 
petuate  them,  by  inscribing,  on  the  tender  and  infant  mind,  the  linea¬ 
ments  of  their  denominational  peculiarity.  One  thing  does  appear  un¬ 
deniable.  If  the  sectarian  form  of  Christianity  be  its  best  mode  of 
development,  the  blessed  Savior  Ilimself, — with  reverence  he  it  spoken  ! 
— the  Savior  and  his  apostles  failed  to  enjoin  it ;  on  the  contrary  enjoined 
and  practised  directly  the  reverse  1  !  The  writer  does  not,  from  these 
facts,  infer  the  obligation  of  Christians  immediately  to  renounce  their 
present  organizations,  and  all  merge  into  one  church.  Difficulties  now 
exist,  arising  from  honest  diversity  of  views  on  church  government, 
which  did  not  exist  in  the  apostolic  age,  and  which  render  it  impossible 
for  persons,  thus  differing,  to  nnite  geographically  ;  but  the  essence  ol 
Christian  union  may  exist,  and  ought  to  be  promoted  immediately,  as 
will  be  seen  in  a  subsequent  stage  of  this  discussion.  As  to  a  union  of 
all  the  churches  of  the  land  in  one  compact  ecclesiastical  system  of 
judicature,  such  a  one  did  not  exist  in  the  apostolic  age,  is  undesirable, 
and  dangerous. 

(Continued  on  p.  422.) 


EPHESUS. 


AN  EXPOSITION 

OF 

PAUL’S  EPISTLE  TO  THE  EPHESIANS, 

WITH 

PRACTICAL  OBSERVATIONS  AND  NOTES. 

( Henry's  Exposition ,  completed  by  Mr.  Roswell.) 

* 

Some  think  this  epistle  to  the  Ephesians  was  a  circular  letter,  sent  to  several  churches;  and  that  the  copy  directed  to  the 
Ephesians,  happened  to  be  taken  into  the  canon.  The  reason  is,  that  this  is  the  only  one  of  all  Paul’s  epistles,  that  has 
nothing  in  it  peculiar  to  the  state  or  case  of  that  particular  church,  but  much  of  common  concern  to  all  Christians,  especially 
Gentile  Christians.  But  it  maybe  observed,  on  the  other  hand,  the  epistle  is  expressly  inscribed,  ch.  1:1 .  to  the  saints  at 
Ephesus ;  and,  in  the  close  of  it,  he  tells  them,  that  he  had  sent  Tychicus  unto  them,  whom,  in  2  Tim.  4:12.  he  says,  he  had 
sent  to  Ephesus.  * 

It  bears  date  out  of  a  prison  ;  and  some  have  observed,  that  it  has  tire  greatest  relish  and  savor  in  it  of  the  things  of  God. 
When  his  tribulations  did  abound,  his  consolations  and  experiences  did  much  more  abound.  Whence  we  may  observe,  that 
the  afflictive  exercises  of  God's  people ,  and  particularly  of  his  ministers,  often  tend  to  the  advantage  of  others,  as  i cell  as  to 
their  own.  . 

The  apostle’s  design  is,  to  settle  the  Ephesians  in  the  truth  ;  and  further  to  acquaint  them  with  the  mystery  of  the  Gos¬ 
pel,  in  order  to  it.  t  In  the  former  part,  he  represents  the  great  privilege  of  the  Ephesians,  who,  having  been  in  time  past 
idolatrous  heathens,  were  now  converted  to  Christianity,  and  received  into  covenant  with  God,  which  he  illustrates  from 

*  ‘  Although  it  does  not  ap-pear  to  have  been  disputed,  that  the  epis¬ 
tle  before  us  was  written  by  Paul,  yet  it  is  well  known  a  doubt  has  long 
been  entertained  concerning  the  persons  to  whom  it  was  addressed. 

The  question  is  founded  on  some  ambiguity  in  the  external  evidence. 

Marcion,  a  heretic  of  the  second  century,  as  quoted  by  Tertullian,  . .  . 
calls  it  the  epistle  to  the  Laodiceans. — The  name  Ephesus,  in  the  first 
v.,  on  which  word  singly  depends  the  proof  that  the  epistle  was  written 
to  the  Ephesians,  is  not  read  in  all  the  manuscripts  now  extant.  I  admit, 
however,  that  the  external  evidence  preponderates,  with  a  manifest 
excess,  on  the  side  of  the  received  reading.’  Paley.  The  same  learned 
writer  proceeds  to  argue,  from  internal  evidence,  that  the  epistle  could 
hardly  be  written  to  a  people,  with  whom  the  apostle  had  resided  three 
years.  Acts  19:8 — 12.  20:29 — 31.  and  it -must  be  acknowledged,  that  in 
this  respect  it  more  resembles  the  epistle  to  the  Romans,  and  that  to  the 
Colossians,  than  those  epistles  which  the  apostle  wrote  to  the  Corin¬ 
thians,  Galatians,  Philippians,  and  Thessalonians,  in  which  there  are 
constant  allusions  and  appeals  to  what  had  past  when  he  resided  among 
them.  As,  however,  the  ‘external  evidence  preponderates,  with  a  man¬ 
ifest  excess,  in  favor  of  the  received  reading,’  [note,  1:1.]  and  ns  Ur. 

Paley  seems  to  be  mistaken  in  supposing,  that  the  word  Ephesus  was 
wanting  in  any  manuscript  extant,  (see  Middleton,  on  the  Gr.  nrticle,  p. 

510,)  it  is  in  this  exposition  adhered  to  :  though  it  may  be  observed,  that 
the  change  of  the  word  Ephesus  for  Laodicea,  or  the  total  omission  of 
it,  would  in  no  respect  deduct  from  the  abundant  instruction,  contained 
in  the  epistle  itself. — ‘It  has  been  said,  that  if  this  epistle  was  directed 

[878] 


to  the  Ephesians,  it  is  difficult  to  understand  how  the  apostle  contented 
himself  with  giving  them  a  general  salutation,  without  mentioning  any 
of  his  numerous  friends  and  acquaintance,  with  whom  he  had  been  inti¬ 
mate  during  his  long  residence  at  Ephesus.  But  the  answer  is,  . .  .  there 
are  no  particular  salutations,  in  the  epistles  to  the  Galatians,  the  Philip¬ 
pians,  the  Thessalonians,  and  to  Titus;  because,  to  have  sent  particular 
salutations  to  individuals,  in  churches  where  the  apostle  was  so  gen¬ 
erally  and  intimately  acquainted,  ...  might  have  offended  those  who 
were  neglected.  . .  .  And  to  have  mentioned  every  person  of  note  in  those 
churches,  would  have  taken  up  too  much  room.  In  writing  to  the  Ro¬ 
mans,  the  case  was  different.  The  apostle  was  personally  unknown  to 
most  of  them  ;...  and  therefore  he  could,.,  .without  offence  to  the 
rest,  take  particular  notice  of  all  his  acquaintance.’  Mackn.  Scott.  For 
the  present  state  of  Ephesus,  see  notes,  end  of  Acts,  and  Pref.  to  Rev.  Ed. 

f  ‘  Paul’s  design  was,  “  to  establish  the  Ephesians  in  the  faith  ;  and  to 
this  end  to  give  them  more  exalted  views  of  the  eternal  love  of  God,  and 
of  the  glorious  excellence  and  dignity  of  Christ ;  to  show  them  they 
were  saved  by  grace  ;  [as  ‘  destined  by  gratuitous  election,  and  adoption,’ 
says  Calvin,  ‘  to  eternal  life,  before  they  were  born ;  ’]  and  howsoever 
wretched  they  were  once,  the  Gentiles  [so  wretched  before]  now  have 
et) ual  privileges  with  the  Jews ;  to  encourage  them,  by  declaring  with 
what  steadfastness  he  suffered  for  the  truth,  and  with  what  earnestness 
he  prayed  for  their  establishment  and  perseverance  in  it ;  and  finally,  in 
consequence  of  their  profession,  to  engage  (hem  to  the  practice  of  those 
duties  that  became  their  character  as  Christians.”  ’  Doddb. 


A.  D.  64. 


EPHESIANS,  I. 


Paul’s  thanksgivings  to  God. 


a  view  of  their  deplorable  stale  before  their  conversion,  ch.  1 — 3.  In  the  latter  part  (which  we  have  in  the  4th,  5th,  and 
6th  chs.)  he  instructs  them  in  the  principal  duties  of  religion,  both  personal  and  relative  ;  and  exhorts  a.nd  quickens  them  to 
the  faithful  discharge  of  them.  kSanchy  observes,  that  we  have  here  an  epitome  of  the  whole  Christian  doctrine,  and  of 
almost  all  the  chief  heads  of  divinity.  *  Henry. 

The  apostle  wrote  this  epistle,  some  years  after  his  charge  to  the  elders  of  Ephesus  at  Miletus,  during  his  imprisonment 
at  Rome,  probably  near  the  close  of  it;  (G:20.)  to  establish  them  in  the  great  doctrines  of  the  Gospel,  guard  them  against 
errors,  excite  them  to  a  holy  conversation,  and  animate  them  in  their  Christian  warfare.  —  This  epistle,  and  the  two 
that  follow  it,  which  were  also  written  during  his  imprisonment,  and  probably  about  the  same  time,  are  remarkable  for  a 
peculiar  pathos  and  ardor,  or  rapture,  as  some  have  called  it ;  and  this  is  generally  ascribed  to  the  extraordinary  consolations 
enjoyed  by  the  apostle,  during  his  sufferings  for  Christ’s  sake.  But  his  mind  was  doubtless  enlarged  to  a  remarkable  degree 
in  writing  to  those,  whom  he  had  no  occasion  to  rebuke,  and  with  whom  he  was  not  under  the  necessity  of  engaging  in 
controversy  ;  so  that,  entire  confidence  of  affection  took  place  of  the  caution,  reserve,  or  sharpness,  which  were  requisite 
in  the  three  preceding  epistles. — Learned  men,  according  to  their  different  hypotheses,  suppose,  that  the  apostle  continually 
refers,  in  this  epistle,  to  the  mysteries  of  Diana,  to  the  Gnostics,  or  to  tho  judaizing  teachers  ;  but  it  may  fairly  be  questioned, 
whether,  writing  with  an  inexpressible  flow  of  holy  affections,  on  the  great  subjects  which  rejoiced  his  heart,  he  had  ex¬ 
press  reference  to  any  of  those  things,  which  expositors,  more  coldly  speculating  on  his  words,  have  imagined. —Perhaps 
lie  had  some  general  regard  to  the  judaizing  corrupters  of  the  Gospel  ;  t  but,  as  the  epistle  to  the  Colossians,  which  was 
written  about  the  same  time,  and  in  other  respects  greatly  resembles  this,  is  far  more  explicit  on  that  subject,  it  may  be 
supposed  that  the  Ephesians  were  less  in  danger  from  that  quarter.  Scott. 


*  ‘  This  epistle  Dr.  Goodwin  considers,  as  the  richest  and  noblest  of 
all,  and  thinks  U  was  peculiarly  intended  to  be  so,  to  reward  the  gene¬ 
rous  zeal  of  the  Ephesians  in  burning  their  curious  books,  by  a  book  of 
divine  knowledge,  incomparably  more  valuable  than  any  or  all  of  them. 
A  thought,  as  Doddr.  says,  most  remarkable  and  ingenious  :  though, 
with  a  prudence  which  I  cannot  but  commend,  he  declines  instituting 
any  comparison  of  the  excellency  of  the  epistle,  with  that  of  others.’ 
Bl ■  See  a  full  analysis  of  the  epistle  in  Doddr.'s  Pref.  to  Eph.  Ed. 

t  ‘It  is  likely,  Paul  feared,  lest  false  apostles,  thinking  them  but  half 
instructed,  should  disturb  their  faith.  For  they  were  Gentiles,  and  hav¬ 
ing  embraced  pure  Christianity,  had  heard  nothing  of  ceremonies  or  cir¬ 
cumcision.  Put  those  who  were  obtruding  the  law  upon  Christians, 
clamored,  that  all  were  profane  who  were  not  initiated  to  God  by  cir¬ 


cumcision  ;  for  this  was  the  burden  of  their  cry,  that  no  one  was  to  be 
deemed  of  God’s  people,  but  the  circumcised  :  that  all  the  Mosaic  rites 
were  to  be  kept.  Now,  they  calumniated  Paul,  as  making  Christ  com¬ 
mon  to  Jews  as  well  as  Gentiles:  and  asserted,  that  his  apostleship  was 
a  profanation  of  the  heavenly  doctrine,  as  it  prostituted  the  covenant  of 
grace,  to  impure  men,  indiscriminately.  Therefore,  lest  the  Ephesians, 
urged  by  such  calumnies,  should  slip,  he  comes  to  their  aid  ;  contending 
that  they  also  were  thus  diligently  called  to  the  Gospel,  because  they 
were  elected  before  the  creation  of  the  world  :  and  on  the  other  hand, 
he  forbids  them  to  think  that  the  Gospel  was  brought  to  them  rashly,  by 
the  will  of  man,  or  had  flown  to  them  by  chance,  because,  the  preaching 
of  Christ  among  them,  was  nothing  else  than  the  publication  of  his 
eternal  decree.’  Calvin. 


CHAP.  I. 

1  After  the  salutation,  3  and  thanksgiving  for  the  Ephe¬ 
sians,  4  he  treateth  of  our  election,  6  and  adoptiou  by 
grace,  11  which  is  the  true  and  proper  fountain  of  man’s 
salvation.  13  And  because  the  height  of  this  mystery 
cannot  be  easily  attained  unto,  16  he  prayeth  that  they 
may  come  18  to  the  full  knowledge,  and  20  possession 
thereof  in  Christ. 

PAUL,  an  apostle  of  Jesus  Christ 
by  the  will  of  God,  to  the  a 
saints  which  are  at b  Ephesus,  and 
to  the  faithful  cin  Christ  Jesus  : 

2  Grace  e  be  to  you,  and  peace, 
from  God  our  Father,  and  from  the 
Lord  Jesus  Christ. 

S  Blessed  d  be  the  God  and  Fath¬ 
er  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  who 
hath  blessed  us  with  all  spiritual 
blessings  in  heavenly  f  places  in 
Christ  ; 

a  Ro.  1:7-  d  Ga.l:3.  Tit. 1:4.  f  or,  things. 

b  Ac.  c.  19,20.  e  2  Co  1:3.  He.  9:23. 

c  Col.  1:2.  1  Pe.  1:3. 


Chap.  I.  V.  1,  2.  Here  is,  1.  Paul’s 
title,  an  apostle  of  Jesus  Christ,  &c.  one  of 
his  messengers  to  the  sons  of  men,  furnished 
witli  extraordinary  gifts,  and  the  immediate 
assistance  of  the  Spirit.  Such  an  one  Paul 
was,  and  that  not  by  tfce  viill  of  man,  or  by 
his  own  intrusion;  hut  by  the  will  of  God, 
very  expressly  and  plainly  signified  to  him; 
he  being  immediately  called  (as  the  other 
apostles  were)  by  Christ  Himself  to  the 
work.  2.  The  persons  to  whom  this  epis¬ 
tle  is  sent, — the  saints  at  Ephesus,  the  Chris¬ 
tians,  members  of  the  church  at  Ephesus, 
tile  metropolis  of  Asia;  saints  in  profession, 
find  bound  to  be  in  truth  and  reality,  as  many 
of  them  were,  faithful  in  Christ,  believing 
in  Him,  firmly  adhering  to  Him,  [devotedly 
true  to  God’3  service,  and]  to  the  profession 
they  make  of  relation  to  their  Lord,  even 
Christ  Jesus,  from  whom  they  derive  all  their 


grace  and  spiritual  strength,  and  in  whom 
their  persons,  and  all  that  they  perform,  are 
made  accepted.  3.  The  apostolical  bene¬ 
diction, —  Grace  be  to  you,  &c.  the  token  in 
every  epistle;  it  speaks  the  apostle’s  good¬ 
will  to  his  friends,  and  a  real  desire  of  their 
welfare.  By  grace  we  are  to  understand, 
the  free  and  undeserved  love  and  favor  of 
God,  and  those  graces  of  the  Spirit  which 
proceed  from  it;  by  peace,  all  other  bles¬ 
sings,  spiritual  and  temporal,  tile  fruits  and 
product  of  the  former  These  proceed  from 
God,  not  as  a  Creator,  but  as  a  Father,  by 
special  relation:  and  they  come  from  our 
Lord  Jesus  Christ,  who,  having  purchased 
them  for  his  people,  has  a  right  to.  bestow 
them  on  them.  Indeed  the  saints,  and  the 
faithful  in  Christ  Jesus,  had  already  receiv¬ 
ed  grace  and  peace ;  but  the  increase  of  these 
is  lo  be  earnestly  prayed  for,  both  for  our¬ 
selves  and  others ;  for  the  best  saints  stand 
in  need  of  fresh  supplies  of  the  Spirit,  and 
cannot  but  desire  to  improve  and  grow. 

After  this  short  introduction,  he  comes 
to  tile  matter  and  body  of  the  epistle;  and 
though  it  may  seein  somewhat  peculiar  in  a 
letter,  yet  the  Spirit  saw  fit  his  discourse 
of  divine  things  in  this  ch.  should  lie  cast 
into  prayers  and  praises  :  solemn  addresses 
to  God,  yet  conveying  weighty  instructions 
to  others.  Prayer  may  preach  J  and  praise 
may  do  so  too. 

V.  3 — 14.  He  begins  with  thanksgivings 
and  praise,  and  enlarges,  with  great  fluency 
and  copiousness  of  affection,  on  the  exceed¬ 
ing  great  and  precious  benefits  we  enjoy  by 
Jesus  Christ.  For  the  great  privileges  of 
our  religion  are  very  aptly  recounted  and 
enlarged  on  in  our  praises  to  God. 

In  general,  v.  3.  he  blesses  God  for  spir¬ 
itual  blessings  ;  where  lie  styles  Him  the 
God  and  Father  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ : 
for,  as  Mediator,  the  F ather  was  his  God  ; 
as  God,  and  the  second  Person  in  the 


NOTES.  Chap.  1.  V.  1.  I}/,  says,  the  genuineness  of  the  words, 
‘  those  who  are  in  Ephesus ,’  lias  been  called  in  question,  but  success¬ 
fully  defended;  referring  to  1  Slade's  note,  Koppe's  Introd.  to  Eph., 
Ros.,  Mich.,  Hug,  or  Horne's  Introd.  Horne  coincides  with  Mack- 
night’s  opinion,  1  that  Paul  sent  the  Ephesians  word  by  Tycliicus,  who 
carried  their  letter,  to  send  a  copy  of  it  to  the  Laodiceans,  with  an  order 
to  them  to  communicate  it  lo  the  Colossians.’  See  also  the  remarks  on 
Eph.,  in  t lie  ‘Supplement  to  the  Comprehensive  Commentary.’  Ed. 

Faithful,  Ac  ]  ‘1  cannot  think,  with  Locke  and  Wells,  that  it  signi¬ 

fies  those,  who  kept  (lie  doctrine  of  Christ,  free  from  the  corrupt  admix¬ 
tures  of  Judaism,  or  (wilh  Grot.)  those  who  persevered  in  the  profession 
of  that  doctrine.  A  criticism  which  Doddr.  rightly  rejects,  observing, 
that  Paul  uses  the  same  title  to  the  Colossians,  (Col.  1:2.)  whom  yet  he 
reproves  on  this  very  account,  (Col.  2:1G,  20.)  It  should  rather  seem  to 


blessed  Trinity,  God  was  his  Father.  All 
blessings  come  from  God,  as  the  Father  of 
our  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  No  good  can  be 
expected  from  a  righteous  and  holy  God  to 
sinful  creatures,  but  by  his  mediation.  He 
hath  blessed  us  with  all  spiritual  blessings  : 
whom  God  blesses  with  some,  He  blesses 
with  all  spiritual  blessings  ;  not  so  with 
temporal  blessings  ;  some  are  favored  with 
health,  and  not  with  riches  ;  some  with 
riches  and  not  with  health,  &c.  Spiritual 
blessings  in  heavenly  places ;  i.  e.  say  some, 
in  the  church,  distinguished  from  the  world, 
and  called  out  of  it.  Or  it  may  be  read,  in 
heavenly  things,  such  as  come  from  heaven, 
and  are  designed  to  prepare  men  for  it,  and 
to  secure  their  reception  into  it.  These  we 
are  blessed  with  in  Christ :  for  as  all  our 
services  ascend  to  God  through  Christ,  so 
all  our  blessings  are  conveyed  to  us  the 
same  way;  He  being  the  Mediator  between 
God  and  us.' 

The  particular  spiritual  blessings  we  are 
blessed  with  in  Christ,  and  for  which  we 
ought  to  bless  God,  are  (many  of  them)  here 
enumerated  and  enlarged  upon. 

1.  Election  and  predestination,  which  are 
the  secret  springs  whence  the  others  flow, 
v.  4,  5,  II.  the  former  respects  that  lump  or 
mass  of  mankind,  out  of  which  some  are 
chosen,  from  which  they  are  separated  and 
distinguished;  the  latter,  the  blessings  they 
are  designed  for  ;  particularly  the  adoption 
of  children  :  it  being  the  purpose  of  God, 
that  in  due  time  we  should  become  his 
adopted  children,  and  so  have  a  right  to  an 
the  privileges,  and  to  the  inheritance,  of 
children.  We  have  here  the  date  of  this 
act  of  love  ;  it  was  before  the  foundation  of 
the  world:  not  only  before  God’s  people  had 
a  being,  but  before  the  world  had  a  begin¬ 
ning  ;  for  they  were  chosen  in  the  counsel 
of  God  from  all  eternity  ;  which  magnifies 
God’s  love.  Alms  to  beggars,  at  your  doors, 

mean,  as  Whitby  and  Mackn.  interpret,  believers  in  general .  See  Schl- 
Lex.  Both  this,  and  “  saints ,  ”  are  simply  a  designation  of  Christians  ; 
since  that  appropriate  term  was  then  not  yet  come  into  use.  Some¬ 
times,  Paul  simply  says,  “  those  in  Christ.”  ’  Bloomf. 

V.  2.  Grace.]  ‘  Charis  ■■  all  spiritual  blessings  ;  Peace,  {eirSnefleb. 
shlom,)  i.  e.  all  temporal  blessings.’  Id. 

V.  3 — 8.  Vs.  3 — 14.  properly  speaking,  form  one  sentence.  The  apos¬ 
tle’s  mind  was  so  full  of  his  subject,  that  he  was  not  very  exact  about 
his  style,  and  this  renders  a  double  degree  of  attention  requisite  in  those 
readers,  who  would  fully  enter  into  his  meaning.— Reflecting  on  the 
great  things  God  had  done  for  him,  and  by  him,  especially  among  the 
Gentiles,  the  apostle  broke  out  into  the  most  rapturous  praises  and 
thanksgivings  unto  God  on  that  account.  (3)  Blessed,  Ac.]  W  hen  we 
bless  God,  we  speak  well  of  Him,  when  He  blesses  us,  He  powerfully 


A.  D.  64. 


EPHESIANS,  I. 


Condition  of  the  children  of  God. 


4  According  as  he  hath  chosen 
c  us  in  hi  in  before  the  foundation  of 
the  world,  that  we  should  be  h  holy, 
and  without  blame  before  him  in 
love  : 

5  Having  predestinated  '  us  unto 
the  adoption  of  >  children  bv  Jesus 
Christ  to  himself,  according  to  the 
good  k  pleasure  of  his  will, 

6  To  the  praise  'of  the  glory  of 
his  grace,  wherein  he  hath  made 
us  accepted  in  m  the  Beloved  : 

7  In  whom  "  we  have  redemption 
through  his  blood,  the  forgiveness 
of  sins,  according  to  the  riches  of 
his  grace  ; 

8  Wherein  he  hath  abounded 


toward  us  in  all  wisdom  and  pru¬ 
dence  ; 

9  Having  made  known  unto  us 
the  mystery  of  his  will,  according 
to  his  good  pleasure  which  he  hath 
“purposed  in  himself : 

10  That  in  the  dispensation  of 
ihe  fulness  of  times,  he  might  gath¬ 
er  together  in  one  all  things  in 
Christ,  both  which  are  in  p  heaven 
and  which  are  on  earth  :  even  in 
him, 

11  In  whom  also  we  have  obtain¬ 
ed  an  ''inheritance,  being  predesti¬ 
nated  according  to  the  purpose  of 
him  who  worketh  all  things  after 


the  counsel  of  his  own  will  : 


g  1  Pe.  1:2. 

E  Lu.  1:75. 

Col.  1 :22. 

1  Ro.  8:29,30. 
j  Jn.  1:12. 


k  Lu.  12:32. 
1  1  Pe.  2:9. 
m  1  Pe.  2:5. 
it  He.  9:12. 


1  Pe.  1:18,19. 
o  2  Ti.  1:9. 
p  the  heavens. 
q  Ac.  20:32. 


proceed  from  a  sudden  resolve  ;  but  the 
provision  a  parent  makes  for  his  children, 
is  the  result  of  many  thoughts,  and  is  put 
into  his  last  will  and  testament  with  a  great 
deal  of  solemnity.  God  acts  in  pursuance 
of  his  eternal  purpose  in  bestowing  spiritual 
blessings  on  his  people.  He  hath  blessed  us, 


— according  as  He  hath  chosen  us  in  Him,  in 
Christ,  the  great  Head  of  the  election,  who 
is  emphatically  called,  God’s  Elect,  his 
Chosen  ;  and,  in  the  chosen  Redeemer,  an 
eye  of  favor  was  cast  on  them.  Observe, 
here,  one  great  end  and  design  of  this 
choice;  chosen, — that  we  should  be  holy  j  not 
because  He  foresaw  they  would  be  holy,  but 
because  He  determined  to  make  them  so. 
All  who  are  chosen  to  happiness  as  the  end, 
are  chosen  to  holiness  as  the  means.  Their 
sanctification,  a3  well  as  their  salvation,  is 
the  result  of  the  counsels  of  divine  love. 
And  without  blame  before  Him  ;  that  their 
holiness  might  not  be  only  external  and  in 
outward  appearance,  so  as  to  prevent  blame 
from  men  ;  but  internal  and  real,  and  what 
God  Himself  will  account  such,  who  looketh 
at  the  heart  ;  such  holiness  proceeding  from 
love  to  God,  and  to  our  fellow-creatures  ; 
this  charity  being  the  principle  of  all  true 
holiness.  The  original  word  signifies,  such 
an  innocence  as  no  man  can  carp  at;  there¬ 
fore  some  understand  it,  of  that  perfect  holi¬ 
ness  which  the  saints  shall  attain  to  in  the 
life  to  come,  which  will  be  eminently  before 
God  ;  they  being  in  his  immediate  presence 
for  ever. 

H  ere  is  also  the  rule,  and  the  fontal  cause 
of  God’s  election  ;  it  is  according  to  the  good 
pleasure  of  his  will,  v.  5.  not  for  the  sake  of 
anything  in  them  foreseen,  but  because  it 
was  his  sovereign  will,  and  a  thing  highly 
pleasing  to  Him.  It  is  according  to  the  pur¬ 
pose,  the  fixed  and  unalterable  will,  of  Him 
who  worketh  all  things  after  the  counsel  of  his 
own  will,v.  11.  who  powerfully  accomplishes 
whatever  concerns  his  elect,  as  He  has 
wisely  and  freely  foreordained  and  decreed: 
the  last  and  great  end  and  design  of  all 
which,  is,  his  own  glory.  To  the  praise  of 
the  glory  of  his  grace,  v.  6.  That  we  should 
be  to  the  praise  of  his  glory,  v.  12.  that  we 
should  live  and  behave  ourselves  in  such  a 
manner  that  his  rich  grace  might  be  magni¬ 
fied,  and  appear  glorious,  and  worthy  of  the 
highest  praise.  All  is  of  God,  and  from 
Him,  arid  through  Him,  and  therefore  all 
must  be  to  Him,  and  centre  in  his  praise. 
Note,  The  glory  of  God  is  his  own  end,  and 
it  should  be  ours,  in  all  that  we  do.  The 


next  spiritual  blessing  the  apostle  notices, 
is, 

2.  Acceptance  with  God  through  Jesus 
Christ  ;  Wherein,  or  by  which  grace,  He 
hath  marfe  us  accepted  in  the  Beloved,  v.  6. 
Jesus  Christ  is  the  Beloved  of  his  Father, 
Mat.  3:  17.  as  wrell  as  of  angels  and  saints. 
It  is  our  great  privilege  to  be  accepted  of 
God,  w  hich  implies  his  love  to  us,  and  his 
taking  us  under  his  care,  and  into  his  fami¬ 
ly.  We  cannot  be  thus  accepted  of  God, 
but  in  and  through  Jesus  Christ.  He  loves 
his  people  for  the  sake  of  the  Beloved. 

3.  Remission  of  sins,  and  redemption, 
through  the  blood  of  Jesus,  v.  7.  No  re¬ 
mission  without  redemption.  We  were 
captivated  by  reason  of  sin  ;  and  cannot  be 
released  but  by  the  remission  of  our  sins. 
This  redemption  we  have  in  Christ,  and  this 
remission  through  his  blood.  The  guilt  and 
the  stain  of  sin  could  be  no  otherwise  re¬ 
moved,  than  by  the  blood  of  Jesus.  This 
great  benefit,  which  comes  freely  to  us,  was 
dearly  bought  and  paid  for  by  our  blessed 
Lord:  and  yet  it  is  according  to  the  riches  of 
God’s  grace.  Christ’s  satisfaction  and  God’s 
rich  grace  are  very  consistent  in  the  great 
affair  of  man’s  redemption.  God  was  sat¬ 
isfied  by  Christ  as  our  Substitute  and  Sure¬ 
ty ;  but  it  was  rich  grace  that  would  accept 
of  a  surety,  when  He  might  have  executed 
the  severity  of  the  law  on  the  transgressor  ; 
and  it  was  rich  grace  to  provide  such  a 
Surety  as  his  own  Son,  and  freely  to  deliver 
Him  up,  when  nothing  of  that  nature  could 
have  entered  into  our  thoughts,  or  have  been 
any  otherwise  found  out  for  us.  In  which 
instance  He  has  not  o*uly  manifested  riches 
of  grace,  but  hath  abounded  toward  us  in  all 
wisdom  and  prudence,  v.  8.  wisdom,  in  con¬ 
triving  the  dispensation,  and  prudence,  in 
executing  the  counsel  of  his  will,  as  He  has 
done. 

4.  Another  privilege  the  apostle  here 
blesses  God  for,  is,  divine  revelation,  v.  9. 
This  we  owe  to  Christ,  who,  having  lain  in 
the  bosom  of  the  Father  from  eternity,  came 

!  to  declare  his  will  to  men.  According  to  his 
|  good  pleasure,  his  secret  counsels  concerning 
man’s  redemption,  which  He  had  purposed,  or 
:  resolved  upon,  merely  in  and  from  Himself, 


confers  blessings  on  us. — (4)  Chosen,  Sc c.]  ‘He  speaks  of  whole  soci¬ 
eties  in  general,  as  consisting  of  saints, . .  .  because  this  wras  the  promi¬ 
nent  character.  ..  .  Nor  did  he  always  judge  it  necessary  to  make  excep¬ 
tions,  in  reference  to  a  lew  hypocrites  who  had  crept  in  among  them, 
any  more  than  Christ  judged  it  so,  to  speak  of  .ludas  as  excluded,  when 
he  mentions  the  12  thrones  on  which  the  apostles  should  sit.  Mat.  19: 
23. — In  this  view,  he  says  of  them  in  general,  that  they  were  chosen,  . .  . 
not  to  those  present  privileges,  which  they  as  all  professed  Christians 
enjoy,  but  to  real  holiness  and  everlasting  glory.’  Voddr. — (5)  Predes¬ 
tinated,  &c.]  ‘Predestination  to  the  adoption  of  children,’  should  be 
carefully  distinguished  from  actual  adoption,  which  is  subsequent  to  re¬ 
generation  and  actual  believing,  and  makes  way  for  the  Spirit  of  adoption. 
John  1:10 — 13.  Rom.  8:14 — 17.  SdOTT. 

(3.)  Us.]  ‘  Himself  and  the  Ephesians,  most  of  whom  were  Gentile 
converts.  By  thus  beginning  with  thanks,  he  at  once  declares  his  firm 
persuasion  of  the  calling  of  the  Gentiles ,  and  his  hearty  joy  in  it.  With 
all,  Ac.]  The  apostle  everywhere  represents  the  graces  of  the  Spirit, 
as  so  much  preferable  to  its  gifts,  it  appears  very  surprising,  that  Whitby 
should  refer  the  words  entirely  to  those  gifts.  [Bt.,  with  the  ancient 
comtrs.,  Hr.  Wells,  Ac.,  understands  the  latter,  chiefly,  though  not  to  the 
exclusion  of  the  former.]  The  phrase  manifestly  takes  in  every  spiritual 
blessing  (so  the  Gr.),  and  principally  must  refer,  not  to  extraordinary  and 
miraculous  gifts,  but  to  the  sanctifying  and  saving  graces  of  the  Spirit; 
such  as  effectual  culling,  justification  by  grace,  the  adoption  of  children, 
the  illumination  of  the  Spirit,  and  all  the  graces  of  the  Christian  life, 
which  are  common  unto  all  believers,  and  are  communicated  to  them  in 
all  their  several  branches.  And  these  are  blessings  in  the  heavenlies  (so 
the  Gr.  lit.),  or  in  heavenly  things  [nnd  so  BI.  tr.],  as  they  are  things  that 
have  a  manifest  relation  and  respect  to  heaven,  and  have  a  tendency  to 
fit  us  for  it,  and  to  lead  us  not  to  seek  after  the  enjoyments  of  this  pres¬ 
ent  world,  but  to  be  conversant  about,  and  to  be  waiting  for,  those  of 
the  heavenly  state.’  Doddr.  Schoettgen  says,  ‘  the  ajjostle  opposes 
spiritual  and  celestial  things  to  Paganism  and  Judaism,’  with  their  vain, 
or  merely  typical  externalities  ;  and  he  refers  to  his  ‘  l)iss.  on  the  heav¬ 
enly  Jerusalem,’  5,  2  and  3.  See  Bl.  Ed. 

(4.)  ‘The  Jews  imagined,  none  were  elect  but  themselves,  nnd  that 
for  them  alone  the  world  was  created,  2  Esdras  6:55 — 59.’  Wells,  in  Bl. 
‘Steadfastness  and  purity  of  faith,  the  ancients  rightly  understand  by 
“  holy,”  and  by  “  without  blame,”  purity  of  morals.  The  wmrds,  in 
love,  ire  united  by  the  ancients  and  most  eminent  modern  critics,  to  the 
next  r.  yet  it  seems  awkward  to  unite  it  with  predestinated,  and 
Koppe,  more  naturally,  takes  it  with  chosen.'  Bloomf. 

(8.)  Wisdom,  ..  prudence.]  ‘  Certainly  not  “  their  own  prudent  re¬ 
turns  to  be  made  to  divine  goodness  but  it  refers  to  God’s  having,  with 
infinite  wisdom,  contrived  a  way  to  glorify  all  his  attributes  in  the  sal- 

[380] 


vation  of  men,  even  those  which  seemed  to  have  the  most  different 
claims;  dispensing  mercy  in  a  way  of  judgment,  and  awakening  a  humble 
awe  and  reverence  [and  wonderfully  exciting  the  superior  sentiments  to 
action,  Ed.]  in  the  soul,  by  the  very  method  used  for  granting  pardon 
and  peace.’  Bloomf. 

V.  9 — 12.  The  blessings  before  mentioned  were  communicated  to 
believers,  by  the  Lord’s  ‘  making  knoxvn  to  them  the  mystery  of  his 
will,’  respecting  tlie  method  of  redemption  and  salvation,  and  the  ad¬ 
mission  of  sinners  into  his  family  by  faith  in  Christ,  whether  Jews  or 
Gentiles.  All  these  arrangements  had  been  made  ‘  according  to  his  good 
pleasure,  which  He  had  purposed  in  Himself;’  for,  as  He  advised  with 
no  counsellor,  so  lie  gave  no  account  of  his  holy,  wise,  and  righteous 
appointments.  Notes,  Job  33:12,  13.  Rom.  11:33 — 36.  Having  revealed 
these  things  to  the  apostles,  nnd  by  them  t»  the  church,  his  divine 
teaching  had  led  those  whom  ‘He  had  chosen,’  to  see  the  glory  of  those 
truths,  which  others  were  left  to  blaspheme.  Thus  were  they  made  to 
‘  know  the  mystery  of  his  will,’  and  to  understand,  that  ‘in  the  dispen¬ 
sation  of  the  fulness  of  times,’  which  at  length  had  been  introduced,  the 
Lord  purposed  to  gather  together  in  one  kingdom  or  family,  in  his  be¬ 
loved  Son,  and  under  his  government,  ‘  all  things  in  heaven  and  earth.’ 
So  that  not  oidy  Jews  and  Gentiles  would  become  one  church,  not  only 
were  the  saints,  who  had  before  gone  to  heaven,  to  be  considered  as  one 
body  under  one  Head,  with  believers  on  earth  ;  but  even  holy  angels,  and 
all  the  inhabitants  of  heaven,  as  confirmed  in  Christ,  nnd  his  worship¬ 
pers  and  subjects,  would  form  one  kingdom  with  redeemed  sinners,  and 
join  with  them  in  adoration,  love,  and  obedience.  Scott. 

(9.)  Mystery.]  ‘As  impervious  to  human  knowledge,  not  being  at¬ 
tainable  by  natural  religion  (Ro.  11:25.  16:25.  Col.  1:26.);  nay,  not 
perfectly  known  even  to  the  angels.  J  l’et.  1:2.’  Koppk.  Ros.  Bl. 

(10.)  Dispensation.]  Oikonomia  :  ‘a  similitude  from  a  family,  in 
which  the  father,  or  his  substitute,  measures  out,  to  each,  what  is  taken 
from  the  common  store-room.’  Grot.  ‘God,  in  Christ,  unites  the  earthly 
familr  to  the  upper  family,  bis  family  in  heaven,  v.  21.  nnd  3.15.  which 
families,  says  Theoph.  “had  been  split  and  separated,  and  had  not  one 
head.  God  determined  to  unite  them  in  one  Head,  even  Christ ;  over  the 
angels  by  bis  incorporeal,  over  men  according  to  his  incarnate  nature.” 
Bl.  Gather  together.]  ‘  Lit.  unite  again,  under  one  head.’  Doddr., 
whom  see.  Ed. 

(11.)  We,  Ac.]  ‘  Lotke  (alluding  to  He.  32:9  )  refers  this  to  the  ad¬ 
mission  of  tlie  Gentiles  into  the  church,  which  is  God's  heritage  :  hut 
as  we  in  this  and  the  next  v.  seems  opposed  to  you,  in  v.  13.  it  must  sig¬ 
nify  the  Jews  who  first  tru  sted  in  Christ,  or  the  body  of  the  Christian 
church,  incorporated  long  before  the  Ephesians  were  brought  into  it. 
Worketh,  Ac.]  God  takes  such  methods  to  answer  his  purposes  as  He 
knows  will  be  effectual.  But  it  does  not  prove  anything  like  an  over- 


A.  D.  G4. 


EPHESIANS,  I. 


Paul's  prayer  for  the  Ephesians. 


12  That  we  should  be  to  the 
praise  of  his  glory  who  first  r  trust¬ 
ed  in  Christ. 

13  In  whom  ye  also  trusted,  after 
that  ye  heard  •  the  word  of  truth, 
the  gospel  of  your  salvation  :  in 
whom  also,  after  that  ye  believed, 
ye  were  sealed  '  with  that  holy 
Spirit  of  promise, 

14  Which  is  the  earnest u  of  our 
inheritance,  until  the  redemption 
v  of  the  purchased  w  possession,  unto 
the  x  praise  of  his  glory. 

15  Wherefore  I  also,  after  I 
heard  of  your  faith  in  the  Lord 
Jesus,  and  love  unto  all  the  saints, 

10  Cease  not  to  give  thanks  for 
you,  making  mention  of  you  in  my 
prayers  ; 

r  or,  hoped.  u  2  Co.  5:5.  w  Ac.  20:28. 

c  Ro.  10:17.  v  Ro.  8:23.  x  ver.  6.12. 

t  2  Co.  1:22. 

and  not  for  anything  in  them.  In  this  rev¬ 
elation,  and  in  his  making  known  unto  us  the 
mystery  of  his  will,  the  wisdom  and  the  pru¬ 
dence  of  God  do  abundantly  shine  forth. 
It  is  described,  v.  13.  as  the  Word,  of  truth, 
and  the  Gospel  of  our  salvation.  It  contains 
and  instructs  us  in  the  most  weighty  and  im¬ 
portant  truths,  and  is  confirmed  and  sealed 
by  the  very  oath  of  God  ;  from  whence  we 
should  learn  to  betake  ourselves  to  it  in  all  our 
searches  after  divine  truth.  It  is  the  Gospel  of 
our  salvation  :  it  publishes  the  glad  tidings 
of  salvation,  and  contains  the  offer  of  it.: 
it  points  out  the  way  that  leads  to  it  ;  and 
the  blessed  Spirit  renders  the  reading  and 
the  ministration  of  it  effectual  to  the  salva¬ 
tion  of  souls.  Oh,  how  we  ought  to  prize 
this  glorious  Gospel,  and  to  bless  God  for  it ! 

5.  Unio’n  in  and  with  Christ,  is  a  great 


privilege,  a  spiritual  blessing,  and  the  foun¬ 
dation  of  many  others,  v.  10.  All  religion 
centers  in  Him.  Jews  and  Gentiles  were 
united  to  each  other,  by  being  both  united 
to  Christ.  Things  in  heaven,  and  things  on 
earth,  am  gathered  together  in  Him  ;  peace 
made,  correspondence  settled,  between  heav¬ 
en  and  earth,  through  Him.  The  innumer¬ 
able  company  of  angels  become  one  with  the 
church  through  Christ:  this  God  purposed  in 
Himself,  and  it  was  his  design  in  that  dis¬ 
pensation  which  was  to  be  accomplished  by 
his  sending  Christ  in  the  fulness  of  time,  at 
the  exact  time  that  God  had  prefixed  and 
settled. 

6.  The  eternal  inheritance  is  the  great 
blessing  with  which  we  are  blessed  in 
Christ,  v.  11.  Heaven  is  the  inheritance, 
the  happiness  of  which  is  a  sufficient  portion 
for  a  soul  :  it  is  conveyed  in  the  way  of  an 
inheritance;  being  the  gift  of  a  Father  to 
his  children.  If  children,  then  heirs.  Chris¬ 
tians  are  said  to  have  obtained  this  inherit¬ 
ance,  as  they  have  a  present  right  to  it ;  and 
even  actual  possession  of  it,  in  Christ,  their 
Head  and  Representative. 

7.  The  seal  and  earnest  of  the  Spirit  are 
of  the  number  of  these  blessings.  We  are 
said  to  be  sealed  with  that  holy  Spirit  of  prom¬ 
ise,  v.  13.  The  blessed  Spirit  is  holy  Him¬ 
self,  and  He  makes  us  holy.  He  is  called 
the  Spirit  of  promise,  as  He  is  the  promised 
Spirit.  By  Him  believers  are  sealed  ;  i.  e. 
separated  and  set  apart  for  God,  and  dis¬ 
tinguished  and  marked  as  belonging  to  Him. 
The  Spirit  is  the  Earnest  of  our  inheritance, 
v.  14.  The  earnest  is  part  of  payment,  and 
it  secures  the  full  sum  :  so  is  the  gift  of  the 
Holy  Ghost  ;  all  his  influences  and  opera¬ 
tions,  both  as  a  Sanctifier  and  a  Comforter, 
are  heaven  begun,  glory  in  tlie  seed  and 
bud.  He  is  said  to  be  the  Earnest,  until 
the  redemption  of  the  purchased  possession.  It 
may  be  called  here  the  possession,  because 


this  earnest  makes  it  as  sure  to  the  heirs  as 
though  they  were  already  possessed  of  it  ; 
and  it  is  purchased  for  them  by  the  blood  of 
Christ.  The  redemption  of  it  is  mentioned, 
because  it  was  mortgaged  and  forfeited  by 
sin;  and  Christ  restores  it  to  us,  and  so  is 
said  to  redeem  it,  in  allusion  to  the  law  of 
redemption.  Observe,  from  all  this,  what 
a  gracious  promise  that  is,  which  secures 
the  gift  of  the  Holy  Ghost  to  them  who  ask 
Him. 

The  apostle  mentions  the  great  end  and 
design  of  God  in  bestowing  all  these  spir¬ 
itual  privileges  ;  that  we  should  be  to  the 
praise  of  his  glory,  ivho  first  trusted  in  Christ, 
as  Rom.  16:  7.  they  who  have  for  a  longer 
time  experienced  the  grace  of  Christ,  are 
under  more  special  obligations  to  glorify 
God.  They  should  be  strong  in  faith,  and 
more  eminently  glorify  Him;  but  this  should 
be  the  common  end  of  all.  For  this  we  were 
made,  and  for  this  we  were  redeemed;  this 
is  the  great  design  of  our  Christianity,  and 
of  God,  in  all  that  He  has  done  for  us;  unto 
the  praise  of  his  glory,  v.  14.  He  intends 
that  his  grace  and  power,  and  other  perfec¬ 
tions,  should  by  this  mean  become  conspic¬ 
uous  and  illustrious,  and  that  the  sons  of 
tnen  should  magnify  Him. 

V.  15 — 23.  We  are  coine  to  the  last  part 
of  this  ch.  which  consists  of  Paul’s  earnest 
prayer  to  God  in  behalf  of  these  Ephesians. 
Note,  We  should  pray  for  those  for  whom 
we  give  thanks. 

One  inducement  to  pray  for  them,  was, 
the  good  account  he  had  of  them,  of  their 
faith  in  the.  Lord  Jesus,  and  love  unto  all  the 
saints,  v.  15.  Faith  in  Christ,  and  love  to 
the  saints,  will  be  attended  with  all  other 
graces.  Another  inducement  was,  because 
they  had  received  the  earnest  of  the  inher¬ 
itance:  this  we  may  observe,  from  the  words 
being  connected  with  the  preceding  ones  by 
the  particle  wherefore.  ‘  Perhaps  yon  will 


bearing  impulse  on  men’s  minds,  to  determine  them  in  such  a  manner  as 
to  destroy  the  natural  freedom  of  their  volitions,  and  so  to  prevent  their 
being  justly  accountable  to  God  for  such  actions.’  Doddr. — ‘The  orig¬ 
inal  reference  is  still  kept  up  here,  in  the  word  prooristhentes ,  being 
predestinated ;  as  in  the  word  pro  oris  as,  v.  5.  (from  pro,  before,  and 
orizo,  1  define,  finish,  bound,  or  terminate .)  And  as  Paul  speaks  of 
obtaining  the  inheritance,  he  most,  evidently  refers  to  that  of  which  the 
Promised  Land  was  the  type  and  pledge.  And  ns. that  land  was  assigned 
to  the  Israelites  by  limit  and  lot,  both  of  which  were  appointed  by  God 
so  the  salvation  now  sent  to  tile  Gentiles  was  as  expressly  their  lot  or 
portion,  as  the  Promised  Land  was  that  of  the  people  of  Israel.  All  this 
shows,  that  the  Israelites  were  atypical  people ;  their  land,  the  manner 
of  possessing  it,  their  civil  and  religious  code,  fee.  <fec.  all  typical ;  and 
that  in,  by,  and  through  them,  God  had  fore-determined,  fore-described, 
and  fore-ascertained,  a  greater  and  more  glorious  people,  among  whom 
the  deepest  counsels  of  his  wisdom  should  be  manifested  ;  and  the  most 
powerful  works  of  his  eternal  mercy,  grace,  holiness,  goodness,  and 
truth,  be  fully  exhibited.  Thus  there  was  nothing  fortuitous  in  the 
“Christian  scheme;  all  was  the  result  of  infinite  counsel  and  design  ;  God 
deriving  all  the  reasons  of  his  conduct  from  his  own  eternal  benevolence, 
v.  5.  his  own  infinite  goodness.’  Dr.  A.  Clarke. 

V.  13,  14.  Sealed  by  the  Hfly  Spirit,  Arc.]  'This  cannot,  with  any 
propriety,  be  explained  of  miraculous  powers.  These  were  not  the 
‘earnest,’  pledge,  and  foretaste  of  heaven,  as  this  ‘seal’  is  declared  to 
have  been  ;  for  many  unsanctified  persons  exercised  miraculous  powers, 
lint  the  sanctifying  and  comforting  influences  of  the  Holy  Spirit  seal 
believers,  as  the  children  of  God  aud  heirs  of  heaven  ;  they  are  the  first- 
fruits  of  that  holy  felicity,  ami  they  impress  the  holv  image  of  God  upon 
their  souls.  {Notes,  4:30— 32.  2 Cor.  1:21,  22.)— Thus  the  Ephesian 
converts  were  preserved,  supported,  and  comforted,  and  would  he,  du¬ 
ring  their  time  of  trial  and  suffering,  in  life  and  death,  till  they  should  at 
lust  be  put  in  full  possession  of  that  complete  redemption,  which  Christ 
had  ensured  to  his  ‘  purchased  people;’  or  till  the  inheritance,  which 
sin  had  forfeited,  hut  whicli  Christ  had  ‘purchased’  for  them,  should 
be,  so  to  speak,  fully  rescued  from  the  hands  of  their  enemies,  and  they 
put  in  complete  possession  of  it,  at  the  resurrection  of  the  dead,  to  be  for 
ever  monuments  erected  ‘  to  the  praise  of  the  glory  of  God.’  All  these 
things  are  so  evidently  distinguishing  of  true  Christians,  and  so  inappli¬ 
cable  to  collective  bodies  of  professors  of  Christianity,  that  we  must  con¬ 
clude  the  apostle  spoke  of  election,  as  gratuitous,  as  personal,  aud  not 
national,  and  of  effectual  vocation  as  inseparably  connected  with  eter¬ 
nal  life  ;  and  learned  men  need  far  more  ingenuity,  than  has  yet  been 
employed  in  the  argument,  to  make  the  apostle’s  words  speak  any  other 
language,  consistently  with  the  rules  of  grammar  and  of  common  sense. 
Pom.  8:28 — 31.  9:1 — 5.  11:1 — 6.  Scott. 

(13.)  ‘  By,  or  through,  whom  ye  (Gentiles)  having  heard  the  Word  of 
truth,  the  Gospel  of  your  salvation,  and  having  believed,  were  sealed 
with  the  Spirit  of  the  promise,  (even!  the  Holy  Spirit.’  ‘So  R03.,  and 
formerly  Grot.,  and  so  the  ancient  comtrs.,  nnd  well ;  for  to  insert  some 
verb  after  “ye  also,”  as  “trusted,”  “hoped,”  or  “inherited,”  is  too 
violent,  and  breaks  up  the  whole  construction,  Seal.]  “Though  the 
extraordinary  gifts  of  the  Spirit,  whereby  the  believing  Jews  and  Gen¬ 
tiles,  in  the  first  age,  were  sealed  as  heirs  of  the  promises,  have  long  ago 
been  withdrawn,  the  ordinary  influences  of  the  Spirit  of  God  still  re¬ 


main;  and  if  they  produce  in  any  man  a  new  nature,  he  is  thereby 
marked,  or  declared  to  be,  God’s  son  ;  and  that  mark,  or  seal,  is  to  him 
n  stronger  evidence  of  his  title  to  the  inheritance,  than  if  he  possessed 
the  miraculous  gifts  ;  nay,  than  if  an  angel  from  heaven  assured  him  of 
his  title-”  Macin'  Bloomf. 

(14.)  Which.]  //os.,  ‘  Rather,  who  is  the  Earnest,  <fcc.’  Doddr. — 
‘  Here  hos,  [mase.  who,]  is  put,  by  a  common  idiom,  for  ho,  [neut.  which,] 
and  used  by  Paul,  from  his  considering  the  Holy  Spirit  a^  one  of  the  per¬ 
sons  of  the  Godhead  ;  and  therefore,  by  association  of  ideas,  he  accom¬ 
modated  the  gender  accordingly.  This,  then,  affords  a  strong,  though 
indirect  and  undesigned  proof  of  the  personality  of  the.  Iloly  Spirit. 
And  so  (Ecum .  Purchased  possession,  &c.]  Peripoieseos  :  ‘The 
construction  is  very  harsh,  and  quite  Hebraic,  and  so  contort  and  ob¬ 
scure,  that  I  see  not  how  it  can  he  reconciled  with  the  usus  loi/uendi,  or 
accounted  for  by  the  ordinary  rules  of  construction.  Comtrs.  are  exceed¬ 
ingly  divided  ns  to  the  sense.  Whitby  understands,  redemption  of  life  ; 
and  quotes  many  texts  from  the  Sept.,  where  the  Gr.  means,  to  save 
alive:  observing,  lliat  there  are  two  redemptions,  or  grand  deliverances  ; 
(for  that  is  plainly  his  idea  of  redemption  ;)  the  one,  that  of  justification, 
consequent  upon  believing;  the  other,  that  by  which  we  are  delivered 
from  death,  and  nil  the  other  penal  consequences  of  sin,  in  the  redemp¬ 
tion  of  the.  body  from  corruption,  that  it  may  partake  of  eternal  file. 
Comp.  Ro.  8:23.  This,  adds  Doddr.,  nearly  coincides  with  Beza’s  inter¬ 
pretation,  who  would  tr.  till  the  redemption  of  vindication,  i.  e.  till  we 
are  set  at  liberty,  and  receive  complete  deliverance  and  salvation.  Bos 
tr.  “  of  salvation ,”  but  this  is  obscure  and  unauthorized.  Doddr.  expl. 
the  people  whom  Christ  has  purchased ,  to  be  his  peculiar  property  ;  as 
“  very  agreeable  to  the  signification  elsewhere.”  Slade  explains,  “  prop, 
erty  acquired  by  any  valuable  consideration,”  comparing  the  Heb.  silk, 
peculium.  He  tr.  “  for  the  final  deliverance  of  the  people  purchased  (by 
his  blood).  Thus  Dr.  Wells ,  “For  the  redemption  of  the  purchased  pos¬ 
session.”  But  I  confess,  I  do  not  see  anything  here  that  approaches  to 
probability :  and  further  than  that  no  interpretation  can  well  rise.  I 
subjoin  two  others  which  seem  to  approximate  the  truth:  1.  that  of 
Hos.,  and  Schl.,  who  understand,  liberation  from  this  life,  nnd  all  its 
evils.  The  sense  will  then  be,  “with  the  complete  liberation  of  Chris¬ 
tians  from  all  their  miseries,  until  their  departure  from  this  earth,  when 
they  will  receive  the  promised  inheritance;”  or,  as  ScliL  tr.  :  “until 
the  time  when  Christ  shall  deliver  his  worshippers  (whom  He  purchased 
by  his  blood,  Ac.  20:28.1  from  this  body.”  2.  that  of  Hoppe,  who  re¬ 
gards  the  phrase  as  the  Heb.  status  conslructvs,  in  the  place  of  a  parti¬ 
ciple,  joined  to  a  noun  substantive,  put  for  “which  is  purchased  and 
obtained  for.”  lie  comp.  1  Th.  6:9.  2  Th.  214.  He.  20:39.  and  observes 
a  similar  construction  at  v.  18.  and  1  Tet.  2:9.  This  mode  is  somewhat 
confirmed  by  the  ancient  comtrs.  See  Thcoph.,  between  whom  nnd 
Koppe  the  truth  seems  to  lie.’  Bloomf.  Calvin  understands,  till  the 
day  of  tl*e  full  redemption  of  the  church ;  the  judgmgnt-day.  See  his 
comment.  Ed. 

V.  15 — 23.  The  apostle  had,  for  some  time,  witnessed  the  conduct  of 
the  Ephesians  ;  but,  h;%  ing  been  absent  from  them  at  legst  6  or  7  years, 
he  had  again  heard  of  ‘  their  faith  in  Christ,  and  love  to  all  lus  saints, 
which  excited  him,  without  ceasing,  to  thank  God  for  his  grace  and  mer¬ 
cy  towards  them,  and  animated  him  in  mentioning  them  expressly  by 
name,  in  all  his  secret  and  social  prayers.  It  is  remarkable,  that  t ho 

13811 


A.  D.  64.  . 


EPHESIANS,  I. 


17  That  the  God  y  of  our  Lord 
Jesus  Christ,  the  Father  of  glory, 
may  give  unto  you  the  Spirit  of 
2  wisdom  and  revelation  a  in  the 
knowledge  of  him  : 

18  The  eyes  b  of  your  under¬ 
standing  being  enlightened  ;  that 
ye  may  know  what  is  the  hope  cof 
his  calling,  and  what  the  riches  dof 
the  glory  of  his  inheritance  in  the 
saints, 

19  And  what  is  the  exceeding 
greatness  of  his  power  eto  us-ward 
who  believe,  according  to  the  work¬ 
ing  {  of  his  mighty  power, 

20  Which  he  wrought  in  Christ, 
when  he  s  raised  him  from  the  dead, 
and  set  him  at  his  own  right  hand 
in  the  heavenly  places, 

21  Far  h  above  all  principality, 
and  power,  and  might,  and  domin¬ 
ion,  and  every  name  that  is  named, 
not  only  in  this  world,  but  also  in 
that  which  is  to  come  ; 

22  And  hath  put  *  all  things  under 
his  feet,  and  gave  him  to  be  the 
head  over  all  things  to  the  church, 

23  Which  is  his  >  body,  the  ful¬ 
ness  of  him  that  filleth  all  in  all. 

y  Jn.  20:17.  d  c.  3:16.  h  Phi.  2:9. 

z  Col.  1:9.  e  Ps.  110:3.  Col.  2:10. 

a  or,  fir  the  ac-  f  the  might  of  his  i  Ps.  8:6. 

knoioledgment.  pjwtr.  Mat.  28:18. 

b  la.  42:7.  g  Ac.  2:24,33.  i  1  Co.  12:12. 

cc.  4:4.  Col.  1:18,24. 

think,  that,  having  received  the  earnest, 
it  should  follow,  therefore,  ye  are  happy 
enough,  and  take  no  further  care  :  you  need 
not  pray  for  yourselves,  nor  I  for  you.  No, 
quite  the  contrary.  Wherefore , — I  cease  not 
to  give  thanks  for  you,  making  mention  of  you 
in  my  prayers ,’  v.  16.  While  he  blesses 
God  for  giving  them  the  Spirit,  he  ceases 
not  to  pray  that  He  would  give  unto  them  the 
Spirit,  v.  17.  greater  measures  of  the  Spirit. 
Observe,  Even  the  best  of  Christians  need 
to  be  prayed  for,  that  they  may  abound  and 
increase  yet  more  and  more. 

Now  Paul  prays,  not  that  they  might  be 
freed  from  persecution  ;  nor  that  they  might 
possess  the  riches,  honors,  or  pleasures  of 


the  world;  but  the  great  thing  he  prays  for, 

is,  that  their  knowledge  might  increase  and 
abound  :  he  means  it  of  a  practical  and  ex¬ 
perimental  knowledge.  Tile  graces  and 
comforts  of  the  Spirit  are  communicated  to 
the  soul  by  the  enlightening  of  the  under¬ 
standing.  In  this  way  He  gains  and  keeps 
possession.  Satan  takes  a  contrary  way  ; 
HE  GETS  POSSESSION  BY  THE  SENSES 
AND  PASSIONS  ;  CHRIST,  BY  THE  UN¬ 
DERSTANDING.  Observe, 

1.  Whence  this  knowledge  must  come  j» 
from  the  God  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and 
the  Father  of  glory ,v.  17.  It  is  a  Hebraism, 
God  is  infinitely  glorious  in  Himself ;  all 
glory  is  due  to  Him  from  his  creatures,  and 
He  is  the  Author  of  all  that  glory  with 
which  his  saints  are,  or  shall  be,  invested. 
Now  He  gives' knowledge,  by  giving  the 
Spirit  of  knowledge  ;  for  the  Spirit  of  God 
is  the  Teacher  of  the  saints  ;  the  Spirit  of 
wisdom  and  revelation.  We  have  the  revelation 
of  the  Spirit  in  the  Word  :  but  need  also  the 
wisdom  of  t he  Spirit  in  the  heart;  the  knowl¬ 
edge  of  Him;  not  only  a  speculative  knowledge 
of  Christ,  and  of  what  relates  to  Him,  but  an 
acknowledgment  of  Christ’s  authority  by  an 
obedient  conformity  to  Him,  which  must  be 
by  the  help  of  the  Spirit  of  wisdom  and  rev¬ 
elation.'  This  knowledge  is  first  in  the  un¬ 
derstanding.  He  prays  that  the  eyes  of  their 
understanding  may  be  enlightened,  v.  18. 
Observe,  Christians  should  not  think  it 
enough  to  have  warm  affections,  but  they 
should  labor'to  have  clear  understandings  ; 
they  should  he  ambitious  of  being  knowing 
Christians,  and  judicious  Christians. 

2.  What  he  more  particularly  desires 
they  should  grow  in  the  knowledge  of. 
(1.)  The  hope  of  his  calling,  v.  18.  Chris¬ 
tianity  is  our  calling.  God  has  called  us  to 

it,  and  on  that  account  jt  is  said  to  be  his 
calling.  And  it  is  desirable  to  know  what 
this  hope  of  our  calling  is,  to  have  such  an 
acquaintance  with  the  immense  privileges 
of  God’s  people,  and  the  expectations  they 
have  from  God,  and  with  respect  to  the 
heavenly  world,  as  to  be  quickened  thereby 
to  the  utmost  diligence  and  patience  in  the 
Christian  course.  (2.)  The  riches  of  the 
glory  of  his  inheritance  in  the  saints.  Besides 
the  heavenly  inheritance  prepared  for  the 
saints,  there  is  a  present  inheritance  in  the 
saints:  grace  is  glory  begun,  and  holiness  is 
happiness  in  the  bud.  There  is  a  glory  in 


Paul’s  prayer  for  the  Ephesians. 

this  inheritance  f  riches  of  glory,  rendering 
the  Christian  more  excellent  and  more  truly 
honorable  titan  all  about  him  :  and  it  is  de¬ 
sirable  to  know  this  experimentally  ;  to  be 
acquainted  with  the  principles,  pleasures, 
and  powers,  of  the  spiritual  and  divine  life. 
It  may  be  understood  of  the  glorious  inher¬ 
itance  in  or  among  the  saints  in  heaven, 
where  God  does,  as  it  were,  lay  forth  all  his 
riches,  to  make  them  happy  and  glorious, 
and  where  all  that  the  saints  are  in  posses¬ 
sion  of  is  transcendently  glorious  :  as  the 
knowledge  that  can  be  attained  of  this  on 
earth,  is  very  desirable,  and  must  be  ex¬ 
ceedingly  entertaining  and  delightful.  Let 
us  endeavor,  then,  by  reading,  contempla¬ 
tion,  and  prayer,  to  know  as  much  of  heaven 
as  we  can,  that  we  may  be  desiring  and 
longing  to  be  there.  (3.)  The  exceeding 
greatness  of  God’s  power  toward  them  who 
believe,  v.  19.  The  practical  belief  of  the 
all-sufficiency  of  God,  and  of  the  omnipo¬ 
tence  of  divine  grace,  is  absolutely  neces¬ 
sary  to  a  close  and  steady  walking  with 
Him.  It  is  a  desirable  thing  to  know  ex¬ 
perimentally  the  mighty  power  of  that  grace 
beginning  and  carrying  on  the  work  of  faith 
in  our  souls.  It  is  a  difficult  thing  to  bring 
a  soul  to  believe  fully  in  Christ,  and  to  ven¬ 
ture  its  all  on  his  righteousness,  and  on  the 
hope  of  eternal  life.  It  is  nothing  less  than 
an  almighty  power  that  will  work  this  in  us. 
The  apostle  speaks  here  with  a  mighty  flu¬ 
ency  and  copiousness  of  expression,  and  yet, 
at  the  same  time,  as  if  he  wanted  words  to 
express  the  exceeding  greatness  of  God’s  al¬ 
mighty  power,  that  power  which  God  exerts 
toward  his  people,  and  by  which  He  raised 
Christ  from  the  dead,  v.  20.  That,  indeed, 
was  the  great  proof  of  the  truth  of  the  Gos¬ 
pel  to  the  world  :  but  the  transcript  of  that 
in  ourselves,  (our  sanctification,  and  rising 
from  the  death  of  sin,  in  conformity  to 
Christ’s  resurrection,)  is  the  great  proof  to 
us.  Many  understand  the  apostle  here  aa 
speaking  of  that  exceeding  greatness  of  power, 
which  God  will  exert  for  the  raising  of  the 
bodies  of  believers  to  eternal  life,  even  the 
same  mighty  power  which  He  wrought  in 
Christ  when  He  raised  Him,  & c.  And  how 
desirable  a  thing  must  it  be  to  become  at 
length  acquainted  with  that  power,  by  being 
raised  out  of  the  grave  thereby- unto  eternal 
life  ! 

Having  said  something  of  Christ  and  his 


PRACT.  OBS.  Faith  in  Christ,  and  faithfulness  to  Him,  unite  in 
forming  the  character  of  his  saints;  and  to  the  sovereign  grace  ot‘  God 
we  wholly  owe  it,  if  we  are  either  true  believers,  or  approved  ministers. 
The  appointment  of  the  eternal  Son  of  the  Father,  as  the  Suretv  for  fallen 
man,  in  the  divine  foreknowledge,  is  the  source  of  all  the  hopes  and 
comforts  of  those  who  1  were  chosen  in  Him  before  the  foundation  of  the 
world,  that  they  should  he  holy,  and  without  blame  before  Him  in  love.’ 
— The  mysteries  of  God,  in  man’s  redemption,  must  have  been  for  ever 
hidden  from  us,  if  He  had  not  made  them  known  to  us  by  his  Gospel,  and 
his  Spirit  of  truth.  Thus,  in  every  respect,  lie  dispenses  his  blessings 
according  to  ‘  the  good  pleasure,  which  He  hath  purposed  in  Himself.’ 
We  need  not  wonder  that  self-wise  and  self-sufficient  men  deride,  and 
dispute  against,  these  humbling  and  spiritual  mysteries;  nor  is  it  at  till 
desirable,  that  they  should  embrace  them  as  a  scheme  of  doctrine,  in  a 
proud,  carnal  mind.  But,  that  humble. believers,  who  allow  their  own 
hearts  to  he  as  evil  (except  as  renetyed  by  divine  grace)  as  those  of  their 
most  irreligious  neighbors,  should  -fie  afraid  of  tracing  back  their  present 
experience  of  that  grace,  to  the'sovereign  purpose  and  electing  love  of 
God  in  Christ,  that  in  giving  Him  the  whole  glory  of  having  ‘made  them 
to  differ,’  they  may  also  possess  a  ground  of  assurance  of  li is  perfecting 

apostle  seems  here  studiously  to  have  exhausted  the  utmost  vigor  of  the 
Greek  language  to  express,  by  a  beautiful  accumulation  of  energetic 
words,  the  omnipotence  of  God,  as  effecting  the  believer’s  conversion 
and  salvation;  continuing,  as  it  were,  that  exertion  of  it,  bv  which  the 
Redeemer  was  raised  from  the  dead..  2:4—10.  3:20,21.  fPet.  1:3 — 5. 
— Our  version  well  renders  the  passage ;  yet  the  emphasis  of  the  original 
is  not  preserved,  nor  perhaps  can  he,  in  a  translation.  Scott. 

(15J  Heard.]  He  had  never  visited  those  he  is  addressing,  ns  it  was 
now  5  or  G  years  since  he  quitted  Ephesus.  See  Marten.,  or  Dodds.  Ed. 

(17.)  Got  of  oar  Lord.]  ‘  When  this  rare  expression  is  used  of  men,’ 
says  fCoppe.  “  (as  the  God  of  Abraham),  it  denotes  the  object  of  worship, 
and  the  source  qf  benefit.  And  this  may  be  suitable  to  the  man,  Jesus 
(see  Jn.  20:17.) ;  hut  since  Jesus  was  Son  of  God ,  and,  on  that  account, 
united  to  the  Father,  in  a  peculiar  manner,  who  will  venture  to  sav,  that 
some  profounder  sense  is  not  intended  hv  the  apostle  ?”  It  is  sufficient, 
with  the  ancient  comtrs.  and  most  judicious  modern  ones,  to  consider 
Christ  as  here  spoken  of  in  his  human  nature  ;  as  when  lie  speaks  of 
his  God,  Jn.  2017.  1  Co.  113.  3:23.  f?'i  that  the  Unitarians  have  here 
no  argument  at  all  against  the  deitv  of  Jes  ts  Christ,  since  this  passage 

[382] 


his  good  work  in  their  souls  ;  this,  I  say,  is  matter  of  surprise  to  those, 
xvho  find  the  sweetest  animation  and  encouragement  from  the  glorious 
review  and  prospect,  and  in  every-  past  and  present  mercy  possess  a 
pledge  and  earnest  of  future  and  eternal  felicity.  If  any,  who  appear  to 
have  ‘  faith  in  the  Lord  Jesus,  and  love  to  all  the  saints,’  are  dazzled  by 
the  saolime  mysteries  above  stated ;  their  more  established  brethren 
should  not  forget,  ‘  who  has  made  them  to  differ  ’  in  this  respect  also ; 
and,  instead  of  forming  rash  judgments,  and  engaging  in  angry  disputa¬ 
tions,  they  should  thank  God,  for  what  He  has  done  for  them,  and  pray 
always  for  those  whom  they  deem  mistaken.  We  shall  do  far  more,  in 
this  way,  towards  bringing  believers  to  ‘be  of  one  mind  and  judgment,’ 
than  by  eager  and  acrimonious  controversies,  however  ably  conducted  ; 
‘  for  a  man  can  receive  nothing,  except  it  be  given  him  from  above and 
high  confidence,  on  one  side  of  the  question,  commonly  excites  the  same 
on  the  other  side,  with  all  its  hateful  consequences.  But,  if  we  disputed 
xvilh  less  earnestness,  and  prayed  with  greater  fervency  for  each  other, 
‘  the  eyes  of  our  understandings  being  enlightened,’  xve  should  daily  see 
more  and  more  ‘  what  is  the  hope  of  our  calling,  and  the  riches  of  God’s 
glory,  in  the  inheritance  of  his  saints.’  "  Scott. 


will  only  prove  that  He  had  a  human  nature  as  well  as  a  divine  one; 
which  we  readily  admit.’  Bloomf. 

(13.)  Understanding.]  ‘  Dianoias  :  rather  kardias,  so  numerous  MSS. 
of  various  recensions,  as  also  versions,  fathers,  and  ancient  comtrs.’  In. 

(21.)  ‘  These  worils  plainly  indicate,  that  the  apostle  has  reference  to 

dignities  and  authorities  in  heaven,  as  well  as  in  earth  (for  what  else 
can  ‘■‘■in  the  world  to  come,"  mean) :  and  such  has  ever  been  the  unva¬ 
ried  mode  of  interpretation,  adopted  by  comtrs.  and  theologians  from 
the  earliest  ages.  It  is  strange,  therefore,  that  the  recent  foreign  comtrs. 
should  dispute  this.  Not  so,  however,  Koppe,  who  admits  the  reality 
of  the  doctrine,  both  here  and  at  Col.  1:16.  and  he  refers  to  3:14.  6:12. 
1  Co.  15:24.  Uo.  8:38.  Jaspi «,  too,  acknowledges  this.’  Bn.  ‘Angels 
are  thus  designated,  because  God,  by  their  hand,  exercises  his  power, 
virtue,  and  dominion.  For  He  is  wont,  in  as  far  as  He  communicates 
his  own  qualities  to  creatures,  to  ascribe  his  name  to  them,  wherefore 
they  are  called  elohim.  Besides,  there  were  different  ranks  of  angels  : 
xvhich  to  inquire  subtilly  into,  «fcc.,  would  be  folly,  rashness,  impious, 
and  dangerous  curiosity.’  Calvin. 

(23  )  Fulness.]  ‘  Plcruma  :  an  immense  multitude,  which,  not  con- 


A.  D.  64, 


EPHESIANS,  II.  Miserable  stale  of  unrenewed  men. 


CHAP.  II. 

1  By  comparing  what  we  were  by  3  nature,  with  what  we 
are  5  by  grace,  10  he  declareth  that  we  are  made  for 
good  works,  And  13  being  (nought  near  by  Christ,  should 
not  live  as  11  Gentiles,  and  12  foreigners  in  time  past, 
hut  as  19xitizens  with  the  saints,  and  the  family  of  God. 

AND  you  *  hath  he  quickened , 
who  were  dead  in  trespasses 
and  sins  ; 

2  Wherein  bin  time  past  ye  walk¬ 
ed  according  to  the  course  of  this 
world,  according  to  the  prince  c of 
the  power  of  the  air,  the  spirit  that 
now  worketh  in  the  children  d  of 
disobedience  : 

.  Jn.  5:24.  b  Ac.  19:35.  d  Col.  3:6. 

Col.  2:13.  c  c.  6:12. 


resurrection,  the  apostle  [in  the  fulness  of 
his  heart]  digresses  a  little,  to  make  some 
further  honorable  mention  of  the  Lord  Jesus 
and  his  exaltation,  v.  20,  21.  Jesus  Christ 
is  advanced  above  all,  and  He  is  set  in  au¬ 
thority  over  all,  they  being  made  subject  to 
H  im.  The  Father  hath  put  all  things  under 
his  feet ,  v.  22.  according  to  the  promise, 
Ps.  110:  1.  All  must  either  yield  Him  sin¬ 
cere  obedience,  or  fall  under  the  weight  of 
his  sceptre,  and  receive  their  doom  from 
Him.  God  GA  VE  Him  to  be  Head  overall 
thihgs.  It  was  a  gift  to  Christ,  considered 
as  Mediator,  to  be  advanced  to  such  domin¬ 
ion  and  headship,  and  to  such  a  mystical 
body  prepared  for  Him  ;  and  it  was  a  gift 
to  the  church,  to  be  provided  with  a  Head, 
endued  with  so  much  power  and  authority. 
God  gave  Him  to  be  the  Head  over  all  things. 
He  gave  Him  all  power,  both  in  heaven  and 
in  earth.  But  what  completes  the  comfort 
of’this,  is,  that  He  is  the  Head  over  all 
things  to  the  church  ;  He  is  therefore  intrusted 
with  all  power,  that  He  may  dispose  of  all 
the  affairs  of  the  providential  kingdom,  in 
subserviency  to  the  designs  of  his  grace  con¬ 
cerning  his  church.  With  this  therefore  we 


may  answer  the  messengers  of  the  nations, 
that  the  Lord  hath  founded  Zion.  The  same 
power  that  supports  the  world,  supports  the 
church  ;  and  we  are  sure  He  loves  his 
church,  for  it  is  his  body,  v.  23.  his  mystical 
body,  and  He  will  care  fur  it.  It  is  the 
fulness  of  Him  that  filleth  all  in  all.  Jesus 
Christ  filleth  all  in  all  ;  He  supplies  all  de¬ 
fects  in  all  his  members,  filling  them  with 
his  Spirit,  and  even  with  the  fulness  of 
God,  ch.  3: 19.  And  yet  the  church  is  said 
to  be  his  fulness ;  because  Christ,  as  Medi¬ 
ator,  would  uot  be  complete  if  He  had  not  a 
church. 


Chap.  II.  The  apostle  endeavors  to  affect 
them  with  a  due  sense  of  the  wonderful 
change  divine  grace  had  wrought  in  them  ; 
and  this  is  very  applicable  to  what  the  same 
grace  works  in  all  who  are  brought  into  a 
state  of  grace.  So  that  we  have  here  a 
lively  picture  both  of  the  misery  of  unre¬ 
generate  men,  and  of  the  happy  condition 
of  converted  souls  ;  enough  to  awaken  and 
alarm  those  who  are  yet  in  their  sins,  and 
to  put  them  on  hastening  out  of  that  state  ; 
and  to  comfort  and  delight  those  whom  God 
hath  quickened,  with  a  consideration  of  the 
mighty  privileges  with  which  they  are  in¬ 
vested  . 

V.  1 — 3.  The  miserable  condition  of  the 
Ephesians  by  nature,  is  here  in  part  de¬ 
scribed.  Observe, 

1.  Unregenerate  souls  are  dead  in  tres¬ 
passes  and  sins;  all  sorts  of  sins,  habitual 
and  actual;  sins  of  heart  and  of  life.  Sin¬ 
ners  are  dead  in  state,  being  destitute  of  the 
principles  and  powers  of  spiritual  life ;  and 
cut  off  from  God,  the  Fountain  of  life:  and 
they  are  dead  in  laiv,  as  a  condemned  male¬ 
factor  is  said  to  be  a  dead  man. 

2.  A  state  of  sin  is  a  state  of  conformity 
to  this  world,  v.  2.  In  v.  1.  he  speaks  of 
their  internal  state,  in  this  of- their  outward 
conversation  ;  Wherein,  in  which  tres¬ 


passes  and  sins,  in  time  past,  ye  walked  :  ye 
lived  and  behaved  yourselves  as  men  of  the 
world. 

3.  We  are  by  nature  bond-slaves  to  sin 
and  Satan,  the  prince  of  the  power  of  the  air, 
the  devil,  or  the  prince  of  devils,  Mat.  12  : 
24,  26.  The  legions  of  apostate  angels  are 
as  one  power,  united  under  one  chief ;  there¬ 
fore,  what  is  called  the,  powers  of  darkness, 
elsewhere,  is  here  spoken  of  iii  the  singular 
number,  and  the  air  is  represented  as  the  seat 
of  his  kingdom.  It  was  the  opinion  of  both 
J.ews  and  heathens,  that  the  air  is  full  of 
spirits,  and  that  there  they  exercise  and  ex¬ 
ert  themselves.  But  wicked  men  are  slaves 
to  Satan,  for  they  walk  according  to  him, 
according  to  his  suggestions,  and  in  com¬ 
pliance  with  his  temptations;  they  are  sub¬ 
ject  to  him,  and  are  led  captive  by  him  at 
his  will  ;  whereupon  he  is  caljed  the  god  of 
this  world,  and  the  spirit  that  now  worketh  in 
the  children  of  disobedience.  The  children  of 
disobedience  are  such  as  choose  to  disobey 
God,  and  to  serve  the  devil  ;  in  these  he 
works  very  powerfully  and  effectually.  The 
apostle  adds,  Among  whom,  also,  we  all  had 
our  conversation  in  times  past  ;  which  words 
refer  to  thq  Jews,  whom  he  signifies  here  to 
have  bee}), in  the  like  sad  and  miserable  con¬ 
dition  by  nature,  and  to  have  been  as  vile 
and  wicked  as  the  unregenerate  Gentiles 
themselves;  and  whose  natural  state  he  fur¬ 
ther  describes  in  the  next  words. 

4.  We  are  by  nature  drudges  to  the  flesh, 
and  to  our  corrupt  affections,  v.  3.  Vry  ful¬ 
filling  the  desires  of  the  flesh  and  of  the  mind, 
men  contract  that  filthiness  of  flesh  and 
spirit  which  the  apostle  exhorts  Christians 
to  cleanse  themselves  from,  2  Co.  7: 1.  The 
fulfilling  the  desires  of  the  flesh  and  of  the 
mind,  includes  all  the  sin  and  wickedness 
that  are  acted  in,  and  by,  both  the  inferior 
and  the  higher  and  nobler  powers  of  the 
soul.  Fulfilling  [the  wills']  of  the  flesh,  & c. 
so  the  word  may  be  rendered;  denoting  the 


fining  itself  to  its  own  territory,  spreads  far  and  near,  and  thus  fills  various 
regions.  Ps.  24:1.’  Rosenm. 

NOTES.  Chap.  II.  V.  1,  2.  The  words,  ‘  hath  He  quickened,'  seem 
to  have  been  properly,  from  v.  5.  supplied  by  our  trs. ;  as,  in  the  origi¬ 
nal,  that  v.  appears  to  take  up  and  conclude  the  sentence  here  begun, 
merely  by  changing  you  into  us,  entirely  in  the  apostle’s  manner.  To 
be ‘dead  in  trespasses  and  sins,’  implies  an  utter  incapacity  for  spiritual 
employments  and  satisfactions  ;  the  want  of  all  desire  after  that  felici¬ 
ty,  which  holy  creatures  enjoy  in  the  favor  and  service  of  God,  and  a 
moral  inability  of  worshipping  and  obeying  Him  with  love  and  delight ; 
even  as  a  dead  man  is  utterly  incapable  of  the  business  and  enjoyments 
of  life.  The  employments  and  pleasures  of  animal  nature,  and  even 
those  of  a  rational  being,  are  within  the  capacities  of  a  man  who  is 
‘dead  in  sin;’  but  he  cannot  relish  or  desire  spiritual  pleasures.  He 
may  be  nn  epicure,  or  a  philosopher,  but  he  cannot  find  satisfaction  in 
[the  will  of  God]  the  peculiar  employments  of  a  saint.  For  while  ‘dead 
in  sin,’  he  must  be  ‘  carnal,’  and  ‘  the  carnal  mind  is  enmity  against  God,’ 
and  opposition  to  the  holy  law.  Jn.3-.3.  Rom.  5:12 — 14.  8:5 — 9.  Such 
a  man,  therefore,  must  be  an  apostate  and  an  idolater,  who  seeks  happi¬ 
ness  in  the  creature,  not  in  the  Creator  ;  and  he  lives  only  to  disobey,  to 
pursue  worldly  tilings,  to  corrupt  himself  and  others,  and  to  aggravate 
his  condemnation  as  a  transgressor  of  the  divine  law.  ‘  According  to  the 
course  of  this  world,’  and  according  to  the  will  of  the  devil;  a  dreadful 
advance  on  the  preceding  clause,  though  evidently  conlained  in  it. 
Whether  [the  prevalent  opinion  as  to  air-genii  and  demons]  is  to  be  un¬ 
derstood  literally  or  figuratively,  was- sufficient  for  the  apostle’s  purpose. 
There,  ‘in  the  air,’  Satan  and  the.  legions  of  fallen  angels,  which  are  sub¬ 
ordinate  to  him,  continually  wait  their  opportunity  of  tempting  men 
to  sin,  by  keeping  from  their  minds  good  thoughts,  and  serious  im¬ 
pressions,  or  quenching  them,  and  exciting  the  enmity  of  their  hearts 
against  them,  and  by  suggesting  others  of  a  contrary  tendency.  In 
this  way,  the  devil  maintains  his  dominion,  and  men  in  general  copy  his 
example  of  rebellion,  enmity,  and  contemptuous  defiance  of  God  ;  of 
pride,  ambition,  envy,  malice,  deceit,  and  destruction  ;  or  they  gratify  his 
malignity,  by  destroying  themselves  and  each  other,  through  gross  sen¬ 
sualities,  or  by  horrid  war,  and  murder,  committed  in  various  ways,  and 
under  many  plausible  pretences;  or  his  ambition,  by  idolatry,  impiety,  and 
infidelity.  Thus  he  rules  in  man’s  heart ;  he  possesses,  as  it  were,  all  uu- 
belifevers,  and  he  prompts,  and,  as  it  were,  inspires  with  wit  and  ingenu¬ 
ity,  the  advocates  for  vice,  impiety,  and  infidelity,  by  whom  he  main¬ 
tains  his  empire  in  the  world.  Mat.  12:29,  30.  Lu.  11:14 — 26.  1  Jn.  4: 
4 — 6.  5-.19.  Worketh.]  See  on  1:11.  ‘It  expresses  the  influence  of  Sa¬ 
tan  over  them,  as  if  they  were  inspired  and  possessed  by  him.  —  It  is 
well  known,  the  word,  energoumenoi,  among  the  ancients,  signified  the 
same  with  demoniacs .’  Doddr.  Scott. 

(1.)  Deoil.]  ‘  The  philosophers  called  backsliders  from  philosophy, 
and  those  who  again  yielded  themselves  to  the  dominion  of  animal  pas¬ 
sions,  dead.  See  Wets. ;  but  the  allusion  seems  not  the  same.’  Bl.,  who 
defends  the  present  division  of  the  ch.,  condemning  Doddr. 's  method  of 
joining  v.  1.  with  1:23.  and  objecting  to  connecting  ‘ you  ’  with  v.  IS 
and  19.  as  entirely  too  harsh.  Ed. 

(2.)  Course  of  this  world.]  ‘Aiuna  tou  kosmou:  here  aiSna  denotes  (as 
often),  like  the  Latin  eevtim  and  seculum,  the  manner  of  life.  Rosenm. 


compares  [the  classic]  g-enas  seculi,the  way  of  the  world.  He  might 
more  aptly  have  cited  Tacitus,  (Germ.  c.  19.)  “  to  corrupt  and  be  cor¬ 
rupted,  is  called  the  age  (seculum).'”  By  this  world  is  plainly  meant  the 
wicked  of  that  time.  Prince,  &c.]  The  Jews  and  heathens,  especially 
the  Pythagoreans,  thought  the  air  thickly  peopled  with  spirits  and  de¬ 
mons.  See  ll'cts.  Thus  Philo  speaks  of  the  most  holy  troop  of  bodi¬ 
less  souls  in  the  air,  and  in  many  other  passages,  representing  them  as 
equal  in  number  to  the  stars,  i.  e.  innumerable.  [Compare  Milton’s 
“Millions  of  spiritual  creatures  walk  the  earth,  Unseen,  both  when 
we  wake,  and  when  we  sleep;”  &c.]  Manilius,  2.  18.  speaks  of 
“deities  flying  thick  through  the  vast  universe.”  Diog.  Laert.  8. 
32.  “all  the  airs  are  filled  with  souls,  and  these  are  thought  to  be 
demons  and  heroes.”  And  Porphyry  ascribes  the  lusts  of  the  flesh  to 
these  demons.  Plutarch  speaks  of  such  powerful  spirits  of  the  air,  p. 
2,  3C1  b.  Also  Apuleius  and  Lucan.  And  Koppe  cites,  among  the  rab¬ 
binic  writings,  Pirke  Aboth,  fol.  83.  p.  2.  “  You  must  know,  that  from 

tlie  earth,  even  lo  the  firmament,  all  is  full  of  troops  and  prefects,  and 
below  are  many  creatures,  injuring  and  accusing,  and  all  stand  and  fly 
about  in  the  air  ;  nor  is  any  place  void,  but  all  are  fully  preoccupied  ;  of 
whom  some  excite  to  good,  some  to  bad;  some  to  life,  some  to  death.”  And 
so  Ignatius,  (Ad  Ephesios.  §  13.)  “  In  which  [i.  e.  the  air]  ail  war  is  car¬ 
ried  on,  of  spirits  on  the  earth  and  aerial.” — Wets,  remarks,  tiiat  “  Paul 
only  speaks  thus  according  to  the  principles  of  the  Pythagorean  philoso¬ 
phy,  with  which  those  to  whom  lie  wrote  were  imbued,  but  does  not 
give  it  as  a  part  of  the  doctrine  revealed  to  him  by  Christ,  and  to  be  be¬ 
lieved  by  ali.”  Yet  Paul  not  only  expresses  no  disapprobation  of  it, 
but  the  expression,  “  spirit  now  energizing,”  &c.,  seems  to  profess  his 
belief  of  the  reality  of  Satan's  agency,  and  the  term  archontn  [ruling] 
implies  others.  Yet  it  should  be  remembered,  that  the  other  words, 
“ power  of  the  air,”  do  not  indicate  how  far  the  apostle's  belief  on  that 
subject  extended.  Nor  are  we  to  ascribe  to  him  nil  the  dreams  of  the  rab¬ 
bins.  On  tlie  other  hand,  to  exclude,  as  many  do,  the  influence  of  this 
demoniacal  agency  altogether,  and  to  represent  Paul  himself,  as  disbeliev¬ 
ing  it,  and  yet  countenancing  it  for  temporary  purposes,  is  not  only  doing 
the  greatest  injustice  to  Paul,  but  is  running  counter  to  the  testimony 
both  of  Paul  and  tlie  other  sacred  writers.  Indeed,  to  suppose,  because 
there  is  no  appearance  of  demoniacal  influence  now,  that  there  was  none 
in  tlie  apostolic  age,  is  as  irrational  ns  to  suppose,  that  because  no  mira¬ 
cles  are  now  worked  in  proof  of  the  Gospel,  none  were  then  worked. 
That  were  to  confound  the  ordinary  and  the  extraordinary  dispensations 
of  Providence ;  which  would  he  unphilosophical  ns  well  ns  presumptu¬ 
ous.  It  should  seem  that  the  Almighty  permitted,  and,  as  it  were,  let 
loose  [the  minds  and  hearts  of  men  having  then  so  far  depraved  them¬ 
selves]  those  demons  to  exercise  their  power  to  oppose  the  spread  of 
the  Gospel,  in  order  thereby  to  put  to  the  proof  the  obedience  of  his 
faithful  servants,  and  evince  the  divine  mission  of  the  preachers  of  the 
Gospel,  by  enabling  them  to  cure  evilsxvhich  heretofore  had  admitted  of 
no  remedy.  And  the  “  now  ”  may  he  thought  to  favor  this  opinion.  On 
the  kinds  of  demons,  see  Grot. — Disobedience.]  I.  e.  of  the  will  of  God, 
and  the  moral  law;  as  was  the  case  with  the  great  bulk  of  both  Gen¬ 
tiles  and  Jews,  in  whom  Satan  effectually  worked.  Though  he  often 
energized  in  the  good,  yet  he  did  not  prevail,  because  they ’were  not 
children  of  disobedience.’ 


A.  D.  64. 


EPHESIANS,  II. 


Change  wrought  in  the  Ephesians. 


3  Among  whom  also  we  "all  had 
our  conversation  in  times  past  in 
the  lusts  of  our  flesh,  fulfilling  the 
f  desires  of  the  flesh  and  of  the  mind; 
and  were  by  s  nature  the  children 
of  wrath,  even  as  others. 

4  But  God,  who  is  rich  in  mercy, 
for  his  great  love  wherewith  he 
loved  us, 

5  Even  h  when  we  were  dead  in 
sins,  hath  quickened  us  together 
with  Christ,  (by  '  grace  i  yq,  are 
saved,) 

6  And  hath  raised  k  us  up  togeth¬ 
er,  and  made  us  sit  together  in 
heavenly  places  in  Christ  Jesus  ; 

7  That  in  the  ages  to  come  he 
might  shew  the  exceeding  riches  of 
his  grace,  in  his  kindness  1  toward 
us  through  Christ  Jesus. 

e  1  Pe.  4:3.  h  Ro.  5:6,8,10.  k  Col.  2:12. 

f  wills.  i  by  whose.  1  Tit.  3:4. 

g  l’s.  51:5.  j  Ro.  3:24. 

[plurality  and]  efficacy  of  these*  lusts,  and 
what  power  they  have  over  those  who  yield 
themselves  up  unto  them. 

5.  We  are  by  nature  the  children  of  wrath, 
even  as  others.  The  Jews  were  so,  as  well 
as  the  Gentiles;  and  one  man  is  as  much  so 
as  another  by  nature,  not  only  by  custom  and 
imitation,  but  from  the  time  when  we  began 
to  exist,  and  by  reason  of  our  natural  incli¬ 
nations  and  appetites.  What  reason  have 
sinners  then  to  be  looking  out  for  that 
grace  that  will  make  them,  of  children  of 
wrath,  children  of  God  and  heirs  of  glory  ! 

V.  4 — 13.  Here  the  apostle  begins  his 


account  of  the  glorious  change  wrought  in 
them  by  converting  grace. 

I.  By  whom,  and  how.  1.  Negatively; 
not  of  yourselves,  v.  8.  Our  faith,  our  con¬ 
version,  and  our  eternal  salvation,  are  not 
the  mere  product  of  any  natural  abilities,  or 
of  any  merit  of  our  own,  v.  9.  There  is  no 
room  for  any  man’s  boasting,  as  though  he 
had  done  anything  that  might  deserve  such 
immense  favors  from  God.  2.  Positively, 
v.  4.  God  Himself  is  the  Author  of  this 
great  and  happy  change,  and  his  great  love 
is  the  spring  and  fontal  cause  of  it  ;  thence 
He  resolved  to  show  mercy.  Love  is  his 
inclination  to  do  us  good, considered  simply 
as  creatures;  Mercy  respects  us  as  apostate 
and  as  miserable  creatures.  Observe,  God’s 
eternal  love  or  good-will  toward  his  crea¬ 
tures,  is  the  fountain  wdience  all  his  mercies 
vouchsafed  to  us  proceed  ;  and  that  love  of 
God  is  great  love,  and  that  mercy  of  his  is 
rich  mercy ;  inexpressibly  great  and  inex¬ 
haustibly  rich.  Then,  by  grace  ye  are  saved, 
v.  5.  and  that  through  faith, — It  is  the  gift 
of  God,  v.  8.  the  free,  undeserved  goodness 
and  favor  of  God  ;  both  faith  and  salvation 
are  his  gift.  The  great  objects  of  faith  are 
made  known  by  divine  revelation,  and  made 
credible  by  the  testimony  and  evidence  God 
hath  given  us;  .and  that  we  believe  to  salva¬ 
tion,  and  obtain  salvation  through  faith,  is 
entirely  owing  to  divine  assistance  and 
grace. 

II.  This  change  consists  in  several  par¬ 
ticulars,  answering  to  the  misery  of  our  nat¬ 
ural  state;  some  enumerated  in  this  section, 
others  below.  1.  We  who  were  dead  are 
quickened,  v.  5.  saved  from  the  death  of  sin, 
and  have  a  principle  of  spiritual  life  im¬ 
planted  in  us.  Grace  in  the  soul  is  a  new 
life  in  the  soul.  Sin,  like  death  to  the  nat-  | 


ural  senses,  seals  up  the  soul’s  faculties:  but 
a  regenerate  sinner  becomes  a  living  soul  : 
he  lives  a  life  of  sanctification,  being  born 
of  God  ;  and  he  lives  in  the  sense  of  the 
law,  being  delivered  from  the  guilt  of  sin 
by  pardoning  and  justifying  grace.  He 
hath  quickened  us  together  with  Christ  ;  our 
spiritual  life  results  from  our  union  with 
Christ  ;  in  Him  we  live  :  Because  I  live  ye 
shall  live  also.  2.  We  who  were  buried, are 
raised  up,  v.  6.  What  remains  yet  to  be 
done,  is  here  spoken  of  as  passed  ;  though 
indeed  we  are  raised  up  in  virtue  of  our 
union  with  Him  whom  God  hath  raised 
from  the  dead.  When  He  raised  Christ 
from  the  dead,  He  did  in  effect  raise  up  all 
believers  together  with  Him,  He  being  their 
common  Head;  and  when  He  placed  Him 
at  his  right  hand,  in  heavenly  places.  He  ad¬ 
vanced  and  glorified  them  in  and  with  Him, 
their  raised  and  exalted  Head  and  Fore¬ 
runner.  And  made  us  sit  together  in  heavenly 
places  in  Christ  Jesus.  This  may  be  under¬ 
stood  in  another  sense  ;  sinners  roll  them¬ 
selves  in  the  dust  ;  sanctified  souls  sit  in 
heavenly  places,  are  raised  above  the  world; 
the  world  is  as  nothing  to  them,  compared 
with  what  it  has  been,  and  compared  with 
what  the  other  world  is.  Saints  are  not 
only  Christ’s  freemen,  but  assessors  with 
Him  ;  by  the  assistance  of  his  grace  they 
have  ascended  with  Him  above  this  world 
to  converse  with  another,  and  they  live  in 
the  constant  expectation  of  it. 

III.  Observe,  what  is  the  great  design 
and  aim  of  God  in  producing  and  effecting 
this  change  :  And  this,  1.  With  respect  to 
others,  v.  7.  that  He  might  give  a  specimen 
and  proof  of  his  great  goodness  and  mercy, 
for  the  encouragement  of  sinners  in  future 
time.  God  having  this  in  his  design,  poor 


V.  3.  The  apostle  before  spoke  of  the  Gentile  converts  exclusively, 
or  at  least  principally  *  but  here  (in  the  same  manner  as,  in  the  epistle 
to  the  Romans,  he  proved  the  Jews  also  to  be  under  sin)  he  turns  his 
discourse,  and  includes  both  himself,  and  all  the  converts  from  his  na¬ 
tion,  among  those  who  once  were  ‘dead  in  sin,’  and  slaves  to  Satan; 
and  he  proceeds  to  use  the  first  person  plural  to  the  end  of  v.  7.  and 
then  he  again  addresses  the  Gentile  converts — ‘  He  could  not  mean  the 
Jews,’  say  many  learned  men,  ‘  because  they  had  not  been  idolaters.’ 
But  had  the  apostle  at  all  mentioned  idolatry  ?  and.is  there  no  way  of 
conforming  to  the  world,  and  serving  the  devil,  except  by  gross  idolatry? 
To  suppose  that  the  apostle  spake  of  himself,  as  one  of  the  Gentiles,  or 
one  of  the  church  of  Rome,  where  he  then  was,  as  chiefly  consisting  of 
Gentile  converts,  is  so  absurd  in  itself,  so  unsuitable  to  his  argument,  so 
needless,  after  what  he  had  said  of  the  Gentiles,  and  so  contrary  to  his 
language,  and  that  of  the  most  eminent  saints  in  other  parts  of  Scrip¬ 
ture,  that  nothing,  it  may  fairly  be  presumed,  could  have  reconciled 
learned  writers  to  it,  but  the  necessity  of  adopting  it,  in  order  to  avoid 
the  doctrine  of  ‘  original  sin,’  in  the  full  and  proper  meaning  of  the  terms, 
as  true  of  all  men  Jew,  Gentile,  or  Christian,  as  ‘naturally  engendered 
of  Adam’s  race,’  and  so  to  avoid  also  the  doctrine  of  ‘regeneration,’  or 
a  real  new  creation  of  the  soul,  by  the  power  of  the  Holy  Spirit.— The 
author  of  these  notes  was  once  deeply  engaged  in  this  scheme,  [sec  in 
the  Supplement  to  this  Commentary,  the  life  of  l)r.  Scott.  £d.]  being 
strongly  attached  to  Mr.  Locke's  views  ;  but  this  very  text  shook  his 
whole  system  to  the  foundation.  Much  above  40  yrs.  have  elapsed  since 
that  time;  and  he  has  had  abundant  time,  and  lias  bestowed  no  little 
pains,  in  reconsidering  the  subject;  but  is  more  and  more  deeply  con¬ 
vinced,  that  the  interpretation  is  wholly  unscriptural,  and  that  it  tends 
to  evaporate  the  meaning  of  the  sacred  oracles,  as  if  we  had  little  con¬ 
cern  in  the  greatest  part  of  them.  —  Not  only  were  the  idolatrous  Ephe¬ 
sians  thus  ‘dead  in  sin,’  and  under  the  power  of  Satan,  but  the  apostle, 
and  all  other  Christians  then  on  earth,  had  ‘in  times  past  their  conver¬ 
sation  among  them,’  as  alienated  from  God,  and  disobedient  to  Him.  So 
that  the  Jews,  as  well  as  the  Gentiles,  and  the  Christians,  as  well  ns 
those  who  remained  unconverted,  were  ‘by  nature’  ‘dead  in  sin,’  ‘und 
children  of  wrath,’  one  as  well  as  another.  For,  being  born  of  Adam’s 
fallen  race,  averse  to  good  and  prone  to  evil,  they  were  alike,  in  the  tem¬ 
per  of  their  hearts,  and  the  conduct  of  their  lives,  deserving  of  the  wrath 
of  God,  and  meet  objects  of  it.  Rom.  9:22,  23. -Great  pains,  as  it  has  been 
observed,  have  been  employed  to  prove,  that  ‘  nature’  may  signify  cus¬ 
tom,  or  habitual  practice.  But  the  attempt  has  been  evidently  baffled 
in  the  critical  argument.  A!  the  same  time,  stubborn  facts  prove,  that 
men  Called  Christians  are  ‘dead  in  sin,’  as  much  as  the  Gentiles  were, 
anti  that  the  children  of  believers  are  as  prone  to  evil,  and  averse  to 
good,  as  those  of  idolaters.  And  surely  no  one  can  suppose,  that  ‘world¬ 
ly  lusts’  are  more  excusable  in  Christians,  than  in  heathens!  —  The 
word  rendered  *  by  nature,’  seems  never  to  have  been  used  for  any  other 
customs,  than  such  as  resulted  from  innate  propensities  [note,  end  of 
Ro.  7:] ;  and  the  whole  tenor  of  the  Scripture,  as  w<  1!  as  the  experience 
and  confessions  of  the  most  pious  persons  who  ever  lived,  confirm  the 
interpretation,  and  expressly  contradict  that  more  flattering  one,  which 
some  have  attempted  to  substitute;  in  its  place.  Scott. 

(3.)  //re,  &c.)  ‘  Thus  the  apostle  delicately  spares  their  feelings.’  (Tie., 
Bloomf.  Desires.]  Paul  includes  intellectual,  moral,  and  animal,  in 
fine,  total  depravity.  He  includes  himself,  his  former  sins  ‘  were  those 
of  the  mind,  spiritual  pride,  and  disobedience  to  God’s  w  ill,  so  clearly 
revealed  by  Jesus.’  ‘  The  apostle  intended  to  show  the  utter  depravity 

[S34J 


of  the  natural  man,  ouden  pneumatikon  phronbn,  [minding  nothing 
spiritual.]’  Chrys.,Theoph.,  Beza,  Bloomf.  The  difficulty  attending  the 
reconciliation  of  this  doctrine  with  that  of  free  will,  has  been  fruitful 
of  controversy,  and  is  well  answered,  in  these  words  of  a  respected  and 
beloved  friend  :  ‘This  [Jn.  6:6.  &c.]  is  a  hard  saying,  —  who  can  hear 
it  ?  This  sentence  means,  not  that  a  sinner  has  no  power  to  hear  the 
humbling  doctrine  of  total  depravity  ?  but,  who,  ns  we  say,  can  bear  it, 
i.  e.  be  willing, — lie  pleased  with  it  ?  From  that  time  many  of  Christ’s 
disciples  went  back,  and  walked  no  more  with  Him.  It  was  those  that 
could  not  hear  such  sayings.  Comp,  the  expressions  of  natural  inabili¬ 
ty,  Ex.  33:20.  2  S.  12:23.  J.u.  6:26.  <fcc.  with  those  which  mean,  at ersa- 
tion  of  will,  moral  inability,  from  disinclination  or  contrary  choice,  Mat. 
19:20.  with  Tit.  1:2.  He.  6:18.  1  S.  15:29.  ;  Is.  1:13.  with  15.  ;  Jn.  4:4. 
Mk.  6:5. ;  Mat.  9:15.  Mk.  10:38.  26:39.  1:40.  ;  Josh.  24:19.  with  21.  ;  Jn. 
5:44.  1  Co.  2:14.  with  2  Co.  4:3.  Jn.  6:44.  The  carnal  mind  is  enmity 
against  God,  not  subject  to  the  law  of  God,  neither  indeed  can  be.  If 
this  means  a  natural  inability,  how  does  regeneration  help  the  matter, 
as  it  includes  the  creation  of  no  new  natural  powers  or  faculties?  But 
if  it  means,  that  the  carnal  mind  is  one  which,  by  its  friendship  for  the 
world,  is  at  enmity  with  God,  then  it  is  plain,  that  the  mind  which  pre¬ 
fers  tile  creature  to  God,  cannot,  at  the  same  time,  prefer  God  to  the  crea¬ 
ture  ;  though  the  hindrance  is  not  natural,  but  the  inability  of  the  will, — a 
moral  inability, — a  duty  prevented  by  a  contrary  choice. ..  These  examples 
[adduced  above],  to  which  thousands  might  be  added,  decide,  that  the 
Scriptures  of  the  O.  and  N.  T.,  given  by  inspiration  of  God,  do  main¬ 
tain  the  distinction  between  things,  whose  existence  is  perverted  for  want 
of  sufficient  capacity  in  the  agent,  and  things  which  lie  within  the  lim¬ 
its  of  his  capacity,  and  are  only  prevented  by  his  choice, — and  that  both 
are  expressed  by  the  terms,  cannot,  impossible,  unable,  Sec., — leaving  it 
to  the  nature  and  connexions  of  the  subject,  to  indicate  the  peculiar 
meaning, — and  never,  except  in  theological  controversy,  nr  the  cavillings 
of  sinners,  leading  to  any  mistake.’  [Comp,  notes,  Ro.  7  18 — 21.  8:6,  7.] 
Views  in  Theology.  Dr.  Beecher. 

Children  of  viralh.]  ‘  By  this,  understand  simply,  lost,  and  worthy  of 
eternal  death.  So  the  judgment  of  God  signifies  :  so  that,  the  rhi/dren 
of  wrath,  means  the  same  as,  condemned  before  God.  Such,  Pant  here 
teaches,  were  the  Jews,  and  whoever  excelled  in  the  church  ;  nnd  that, 
by  nature  itself,  i.  e.  from  the  very  origin  nnd  womb  of  the  parent.  A 
famous  place  against  t he  Pelagians,  and  all  who  deny  original  sin  ;  for 
what  is  naturally  in  all,  is  certainly  original.’  Calvin. 

By  nature.]  ‘The  original  apostasy  and  corruption,  in  consequence  of 
w  hich  men  do,  according  to  the  course  of  nature,  fall  early  into  personal 
guilt,  and  so  become  obnoxious  to  divine  displeasure.’  Ponnn. 

V.  6,  7.  ‘  By  means  of  that  relation  between  Him  and  us,  which  di¬ 

vine  grace  has  established,  we  may  look  upon  his  resurrection  and  ex¬ 
altation  to  the  right  hand  of  God,  ns  the  certain  pledge  and  security  of 
ours,  and  may  be  said  to  share  in  those  felicities  and  dignities,  which  are 
conferred  on  Him.’  Dodilr.  Jn.  14:18  —  20.  The  apostle  would,  there¬ 
fore,  repent  nr.d  enlarge  on  the  hint  before  given,  that  1  they  had  been 
saved  by  grace.’  —  Their  disposition  and  ability  to  love  God,  and  to  do 
good  works,  should  be  considered  as  a  part  of  their  salvation,  not  as  the 
cause  of  it  ;  for  it  was  the  purpose  of  God,  that  his  redeemed  people 
should  habitually  walk  in  good  works,  from  their  conversion  till  they 
finished  their  course  :  and  their  holy  lives  were  the  effect.  evidence,  and 
recommendation  of  their  salvation  by  grace. — ‘Both  faith  •  i.d  works 
are  God’s  workmanship,  both  are  necessary  ;  but  the  one  the  fruit  of  the 
other.’  Maclaurin.  Scott. 


/ 


A.  D.  64. 


EPHESIANS,  II.  Privileges  of  converted  Jews  and  Gentiles. 


8  For  by  grace  m  are  ye  saved, 
through  n  faith  ;  and  that  not  0  of 
yourselves  :  it  is  the  gift  of  God  : 

9  Not  of  works,  lest  any  man 
should  boast. 

10  For  we  are  his  workmanship, 
created  in  Christ  Jesus  unto  good 
works,  which  p  God  hath  before 
i  ordained  that  we  should  walk  in 
them. 

[Practical  Observations.] 

1 1  Wherefore  remember,  that  ye 
being  in  time  past  Gentiles  in  the 
flesh,  who  are  called  Uncircumci¬ 
sion  by  that  which  is  called  the 
Circumcision  in  the  flesh  made  by 
hands ; 

12  That  at  that  time  ye  were 
without  Christ,  being  aliens  from 
the  commonwealth  of  Israel,  and 
strangers  from  the  covenants  of 
promise,  having  no  hope,  and  with¬ 
out  God  in  the  world  : 

13  But  now,  in  Christ  Jesus,  ye 
who  sometimes  were  far  off,  are 
made  nigh  by  the  blood  rof  Christ. 

14  For  he  6  is  our  peace,  who 
hath  made  both  1  one,  and  hath 
broken  down  the  middle  wall  of 
partition  between  us  ; 

m  2  Ti.  1:9.  p  c.  1:4.  s  Mi.  5:5. 

u  Ro.  4:16.  q  or,  prepared.  t  Jn.  10:16. 

o  Ju.  6:44,65.  r  He.  9:12.  Ga.  3:28. 

sinners  should  take  great  encouragement 
from  it.  And  what  may  we  not  hope  for 
from  such  grace  and  kindness,  from  riches 
of  grace,  and  from  exceeding  riches  of  grace, 
to  which  this  change  is  owing  1  Through 
Christ  Jesus,  by  and  through  whom  God 
conveys  all  his  favor  and  blessings  to  us. 
2.  With  respect  to  the  regenerated  sinners 
themselves,  v.  10.  It  appears  that  all  is  of 
grace,  because  all  our  spiritual  advantages 
are  from  God.  We  are  his  workmanship  ; 
he  means  in  respect  of  the  new  creation  ; 
not  only  as  men,  but  as  saints.  The  new 


man  is  a  new  creature  ;  and  God  is  its  i 
Creator.  I?l  Christ  Jesus,  on  the  account 
of  what  He  has  done  and  suffered,  and  by 
the  influence  and  operation  of  his  blessed  ! 
Spirit.  Unto  good  works,  &c.  The  apostle  ' 
having  before  ascribed  this  change  to  divine 
grace,  in  exclusion  of  works,  lest  he  should 
seem  thereby  to  discourage  good  works, 
here  observes,  that  though  the  change  is  to 
be  ascribed  to  nothing  of  that  nature,  yet 
God,  in  this  new  creation,  has  designed  and 
prepared  us  for  good  works,  with  a  design 
that  we  should  be  fruitful  in  them.  Wher¬ 
ever  God  by  his  grace  implants  good  prin¬ 
ciples,  they  are  intended  to  be  for  good 
works.  Which  God  hath  before  ordained, 
decreed  and  appointed.  Or,  the  words 
may  read,  To  which  God  hath  before  prepared 
us,  by  blessing  us  with  the  knowledge  of  his 
will,  and  with  the  assistance  of  his  Holy 
Spirit;  and  by  producing  such  a  change  in 
us.  That  we  should  walk  in  them,  glorify 
God  by  an  exemplary  conversation,  and  by 
our  perseverance  in  holiness. 

The  apostle  proceeds,!).  11,  12.  in  his 
account  of  the  miserable  condition  of  these 
Ephesians  by  nature,  which  he  would  have 
them  remember,  v.  11.  as  all  converts  ought 
frequently  to  reflect  on  the  sinfulness  and 
misery  of  the  estate  they  were  in  by  nature. 
They  were  called  uncircumcision  by  that,  &c. 
i.  e.  were  reproached  and  upbraided  by  the 
formal  Jews,  who  made  an  external  profes¬ 
sion,  and  who  looked  no  further  than  the 
outward  ordinance.  The  apostle  describes 
the  misery  of  their  case  in  several  particu¬ 
lars,  v.  12.  They  were  Gentiles,  and  in  an 
unconverted  state,  without  the  knowledge 
of  the  Messiah,  without  any  saving  interest 
in  Him,  or  relation  to  Him  ;  so  all  uncon¬ 
verted  sinners  are;  a  sad  and  deplorable 
thing.  Being  without  Christ,  they  did  not 
belong  to  his  church,  and  had  no  communion 
with  it,  that  being  confined  to  the  Israel- 
itish  nation.  It  is  no  small  privilege  to 
share  with  the  members  of  the  church  in  the 
advantages  peculiar  to  it.  They  were  stran¬ 
gers  from  the  covenants  of  promise.  The 
covenant  of  grace  has  ever  been  the  same 
for  substance  ;  but,  having  undergone  vari¬ 
ous  additions  and  improvements  in  the  sev¬ 


eral  ages  of  the  church,  it  is  called  cove¬ 
nants  ;  and  the  covenants  of  promise,  because 
it  is  made  up  of  promises,  and  particularly 
contains  the  great  promise  of  the  Messiah, 
and  of  eternal  life  through  H  iin.  Now  the 
Ephesians,  in  their  gentilism,  were  strangers 
from  this  covenant,  having  never  had  any 
information  or  overture  of  it;  and  all  unre¬ 
generate  sinners  are  strangers  to  it,  as  they 
have  no  interest  in  it.  They  had  no  hope, 
none  beyond  this  life  ;  no  well-grounded 
hope  in  God;  no  hope  of  spiritual  and  eter¬ 
nal  blessings.  They  were  in  a  state  of  dis¬ 
tance  and  estrangement  from  God;  Without 
God  in  the  world;  not  without  some  general 
knowledge  of  a  deity,  for  they  worshipped 
idols  ;  but  living  without  any  due  regard 
to  Him,  any  acknowledged  dependence  on 
Him,  and  any  special  [communion  with,  or 
confidence,  or]  interest  in  Him.  The  words 
are,  atheists  in  the  world. 

The  apostle  proceeds  further,!;.  13.  to  illus¬ 
trate  the  happy  change  made  in  their  state. 
‘  From  being  far  off,  on  your  conversion,  by 
virtue  of  union  with  Christ,  and  interest  in 
Him  by  faith,  you  are  made  nigh.’  They 
were  brought  home  to  God,  received  into 
the  church,  taken  into  the  covenant,  and 
possessed  of  all  other  privileges  consequent. 
Note,  The  saints  are  a  people  near  to  God. 
Salvation  is  far  from  the  wicked  ;  but  God  is 
a  Help  at  hand  to  his  people  ;  and  this  is 
by  the  blood  of  Christ,  by  the  merit  of  his 
sufferings  and  death.  Every  believing  sin¬ 
ner  owe3  his  nearness  to  God,  and  his  in¬ 
terest  in  his  favor,  to  the  death  and  sacrifice 
of  Christ. 

V.  14 — 22.  Between  the  Jews  and  the 
Gentiles  there  had  been  a  great  enmity  ;  so 
there  is  between  God  and  every  unregen¬ 
erate  man.  Now  Jesus  Christ  is  our  peace, 
v.  14.  He  made  peace  by  the  sacrifice  of 
Hirnself  ;  and  came  to  reconcile,  1.  Jews 
and  Gentiles  to  each  other  ;  taking  away 
the  binding  power  of  the  ceremonial  law,  so 
removing  that  cause  of  enmity  and  distance 
between  them  ;  and  forming  one  church  of 
believers,  whether  they  had  been  Jews  or 
Gentiles.  Thus  He  made  in  Himself  of 
twain  one  new  man.  He  framed  both  these 
parties  into  one  new  society,  or  body  of 


PRACT.  OBS.  V.  1 — 10.  We  cannot  duly  value  the  Gospel,  unless 
convinced  that  we  are  in  ourselves  ‘dead  in  trespasses  and  sins,’  and 
that  we  must  have  perished,  if  God  had  left  us,  as  He  most  justly  might 
have  done.  Yet,  when  we  had  neither  title  to  happiness,  nor  capacity 
for  it,  when  we  were  unable  to  help  ourselves,  and  unwilling  to  at¬ 
tempt  it ;  when  we  were  utterly  insensible  of  our  danger,  ready  to  vin¬ 
dicate  our  conduct,  and  perhaps  proud  of  our  wisdom,  strength,  and 
goodness,  the  love  and  mercy  of  God  were  extended  to  us  ! — The 
4  prince  of  the  power  of  the  air  ’  illudes  his  numerous  votaries  with  gay 
phantoms  of  fancied  good,  and  enables  them  to  build  magnificent  palaces 
in  his  unsubstantial  element,  that  they  may  neglect  ‘the  gift  of  God, 
which  is  eternal  life,  through  Jesus  Christ  our  Lord.’  Thus  millions 


copy  his  example  of  rebellion,  and  do  as  he  would  have  them.  There  is 
no  doubt  a  black  inspiration  ;  and  Satan  and  his  angels  working  on  the 
hearts  of  ungodly  men,  teach  them  to  invent,  propagate,  and  ingeniously 
defend,  impious  or  infidel  notions,  and  to  excuse  or  palliate  their  ungod¬ 
liness  and  worldly  lusts. — When  we  reflect  on  the  infinite  majesty  of 
God,  the  immensity  of  the  creation,  the  meanness  and  wickedness  and 
deep  depravity  of  man,  and  the  stupendous  plan  of  redemption,  we  shall 
not  be  able  to  account  for  such  favor  shown  to  [repentant  sinners],  ex¬ 
cept  we  also  consider,  that  ‘  the  exceeding  riches  of  divine  grace,’  will 
be  proportionably  displayed  and  glorified,  in  the  view  of  the  whole  crea¬ 
tion,  on  account  of  each  of  these  circumstances,  and  of  very  many  oth¬ 
ers,  to  eternal  ages  !  Scott. 


V.  8.  That  not.]  If  this  be  understood  of  the  whole  of  salvation,  faith 
must  be  included.  Jn.  1:10—13. — The  term  ‘good  works,’  is  never  used, 
in  the  N.  T.,  for  ritual  obedience  or  moral  virtue,  ns  practised  by  unbe¬ 
lievers,  or  for  any  other  works  than  ‘the  fruits  of  the  Spirit.’  If  any  one 
doubt  of  this,  let  him  consult  a  good  concordance.  The  only  text,  which 
seems  an  exception,  is  Rom.  13:3.  and  that  means  ‘works  good  before 
God,’  primarily,  though  perhaps  not  exclusively.  Without  doubt,  re¬ 
generation  and  sanctification  by  the  Spirit  of  Christ,  are  as  much  a  part 
of  our  salvation,  as  redemption  and  justification.  Scott. 

(8.)  Grace.]  ‘  Not  only  is  faith  the  gift  of  God,  but  the  being  saved 
by  faith.’  Theoph.  in  Bloomf. 

V.  li — 13.  Having  spoken  of  the  general  state  of  fallen  man,  and  the 
salvation  of  all  believers,  by  the  rich  grace  and  mercy  of  God,  the  apos¬ 
tle  next  proceeded  to  show  the  Gentile  converts  the  peculiarities  of 
their  case,  which  had  placed  them  much  further  out  of  the  way  of  mer¬ 
cy  than  the  Jews  had  been. — How  rude  and  affronting  would  a  compa¬ 
ny  of  unhumbled,  impenitent  sinners,  especially  in  a  superior  station  of 
life,  consider  it,  should  a  friend  in  a  letter,  or  a  minister  in  a  sermon,  at 
present  address  them  in  this  language  ! — If,  indeed,  ‘  no  man  knoweth 
the  Father,  but  he  to  whom  the  Son  reveals  him  ;  ’  all  men,  who  reject 
the  Gospel,  whether  idolaters,  unbelieving  Jews,  Mohammedans,  deists, 
or  Socinians,  must  be  ‘  without  God,’  according  to  the  apostle’s  mean¬ 
ing  in  that  expression.  Mat.  11:27.  Lu.  10:21,22.  Jn.  5-. 20—23.  2  Cor. 
1:1 — 7.  1  Jn.  2:20 — 25.  ‘Separate  from  Christ,’  ‘having  no  hope,’ 
4  atheists  in  the  world.’  What  was  the  apostle’s  view  of  the  state  of 
the  Gentiles,  in  respect  of  salvation  ?  What  his  judgment  as  to  the  duty 
of  seeking,  by  all  scriptural  means,  their  conversion  to  Christianity  ? 
Ro.  1:16— 20.  2:12—18.  10:14—17.  1  Th.  2:12— 16.  \  Pet.  2:9,10  ‘The 
Gentiles  had  no  God,  to  whom  they  prayed  for  eternal  life,  as  the  fath¬ 
ers  often  remonstrate.’  Doddr.  Scott. 

(12.)  ‘  Though  several  of  the  heathens  speak  of  their  Jupiter,  in  terms 
properly  applicable  to  the  one  selt-existent  and  eternal  Deity  only,  yet 
N.  T.  VOL.  V.  49 


they  taught  and  believed  other  things  of  him  quite  inconsistent  with 
such  perfections  ;  and  those  who  had  some  knowledge  of  one  supreme, 
eternal  Cause,  yet  practically  disregarded  him.’  Doddr.  Perhaps  the 
same  may  be  said  of  the  Hindoos’  magnificent  description  of  Bramn.  Ed. 
Afar .  .ninth.]  ‘An  allusion  to  the  Jewish  custom  of  allowing  different 
degrees  of  approach  to  the  presence  of  God  in  his  tabernacle  or  temple, 
according  to  the  character  of  the  worshipper.  Le.  10:3.  Ps.  65:4.  148: 
14.’  Whitby. — No  hope.]  ‘  That  the  heathens  had  among  them  the 
doctrine  of  a  future  state,  and  that  it  was  popularly  taught  and  gener¬ 
ally  believed  by  the  common  people,  must,  I  think,  appear  incontesti- 
ble  to  any  who  are  at  all  acquainted  with  antiquity.  [Note,  end  of  Pr., 
and  cuts,  Han.  5:27.  &c.]  But  it  is  as  apparent,  that  they  reasoned 
very  weakly  upon  the  subject,  that  they  had  no  well  grounded  hope  of 
future  happiness,  and  that  they  were  but  very  little  impressed  with  it; 
so  that  they  had  no  deity  to  which  they  prayed  for  eternal  life,  [ns  hns 
been  already  remarked,  and  see  Supplement,  pt.  4.]  And  by  far  the 
greater  part  of  their  most  learned  philosophers  either  expressly  denied, 
in  private  lectures  to  their  own  pupils,  the  doctrine  future  rewards 
and  punishments,  or  taught  principles  quite  inconsistent  with  it  !  as 
must,  I  think,  plainly  appear  to  any  one  who  will  impartially  peruse 
what  Warburton  has  written  upon  the  subject,  so  judiciously  defended 
in  the  Critical  Review.’  Doddr. 

(13.)  ‘  One  cannot  help  observing  how  studiously  the  apostle  intro¬ 

duces,  wherever  it  is  possible,  the  fundamental  doctrine  of  the  atone- 
MENT.’  BLOOMF. 

V.  14 — 18.  In  every  sense,  Christ  was .  to  be  considered  as  ‘the 
Peace1  of  all  Christians ;  the  Author,  Centre,  and  Substance  of  recon¬ 
ciliation  to  God,  and  of  the  union  of  Gentile  converts  with  Jewish 
believers  in  one  church.  To  the  ceremonial  law  the  f.entiles  were 
extremely  averse,  even  when  otherwise  favorable  to  the  worship  of 
Jehovah  ;  and  the  Jews  were  tenacious  and  proud  of  this  partition- 
wall,  to  a  degree  of  disgusting  bigotry.  But  Christ,  by  assuming 

[hSoj 


A.  D.  64. 


Ephesians;  hi. 


Privileges  of  believers  in  Christ. 


15  Having  abolished  "in  his  flesh 
the  enmity,  even  the  law  of  com¬ 
mandments  contained  in  ordinan¬ 
ces;  for  to  make  in  himself  of  twain 
one  new  man,  so  making  peace  : 

16  And  that  he  might  reconcile 
T  both  unto  God  in  one  body  bv  the 
cross,  having  slain  the  enmity  w 
thereby; 

17  And  came  and  preached  peace 
to  you  x  which  were  afar  off,  and  to 
them  that  were  nigh. 

18  For  through  *  him  we  both 
have  access  by  one  Spirit  unto  the 
Father. 

19  Now  therefore  ye  are  no  more 
strangers  and  foreigners,  but  fellow- 
citizens  2  with  the  saints,  and  of  the 
household  a  of  God  ; 

20  And  are  built  b  upon  the  c 
foundation  of  the  apostles  and 
prophets,  Jesus  Christ  himself  be¬ 
ing  the  chief  d  corner-sfone  ; 

21  In  whom  all  the  building,  fitly 
framed  together,  groweth  unto  an 
holy  "temple  in  the  Lord  : 

22  In  whom  ye  also  are  builded 
f  together  for  an  habitation  of  God 
through  the  Spirit. 

CHAP.  III. 

5  The  hidden  mystery,  6  that  the  Gentiles  should >be  saved, 
3  was  made  known  to  Paul  hy  revelation  :  8  and  to  him 
was  that  grace  given,  that.  9  he  should  preach  it.  13  He 
desireth  them  not  to  faint  for  his  tribulation,  14  and 
prayeth  19  that  they  may  perceive  the  great  love  of  Christ 
toward  them. 


FOR  this  cause  I  Paul,  the  pris¬ 
oner  of  Jesus  Christ  for  you 
Gentiles, 


u  Col.  2:14. 
y  Col.  1:20—22. 
w  or,  in  himself, 
x  Ac.  2:39. 
y  Jn.  14:6. 


1  Pe.  3:18. 

'  z  He.  12.22,23. 
a  c.  3:15. 
b  1  Co.  3:9,10. 
c  Mat.  16:18. 


Pe.  21:14. 
d  Is.  28:16. 
e  l  Co.  3:17. 

2  Co.  6:16. 
f  1  Pe.  2:4,5. 


God’s  people,  uniting  them  to  Himself  as 
their  common  Head;  they  being  renewed  by 
the  Holy  Ghost,  and  now  concurring  in  a 
new  way  of  gospel- worship  :  so  making 
peace  between  these  two  parties  who  were 
so  .much  at  variance  before.  2.  God  and 
sinners,  whether  Jews  or  Gentiles  ;  Christ 
came  to  reconcile  both  to  God,  v.  16.  and 
this  by  the  cross  ;  or  by  the  sacrifice  of 
Himself  on  the  cross:  having  slain  the  enmi¬ 
ty  thereby.  He,  being  slain  or  sacrificed, 
slew  the  enmity  there  was  between  God  and 
sinners.  The  apostle  proceeds  to  illustrate 
tlie  great  advantages  both  parties  gain  hy 
tlie  mediation  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ, 
v.  17.  Christ,  who  purchased  peace  on  the 
cross,  came,  partly  in  his  own  Person,  as  lo 
tlie  Jews,  who  are  here  said  to  have  been 
high  ;  and  partly  in  bis  apostles,  whom  He 
commissioned  to  preach  the  Gospel  to  the 
Gentiles,  who  are  said  to  have  been  afar  off , 
in  the  sense  that  has  been  given  before. 
And  preached  peace,  or  published  the  terms 
of  reconciliation  with  God,  and  of  eternal 
life.  Now  the  effect  of  this  peace  is,  the 
free  access  which  botli  Jews  and  Gentiles 
have  unto  God,  v.  18.  the  throne  of  grace  is 
erected  for  us  to  come  to ;  and  liberty  of  ap¬ 
proach  to  that  throne  is  allowed  us.  Our 
access  is  by  the  Holy  Spirit ;  Christ  pur¬ 
chased  for  us  leave,  and  the  Spirit  gives  .us  a 
heart  and  strength  to  come,  even  grace  to 
serve  God  acceptably.  Tlie  Ephesians,  on 
their  conversion,  having  such  an  access  to 
God,  as  well  as  tlie  Jews,  and  hy  tlie  same 
Spirit,  the  apostle  tells  them,  Now  therefore 
ye  are  no  more  strangers  and  foreigners,  &c. 
v.  9.  This  he  mentions  by  way  of  opposi¬ 
tion  to  what  he  had  observed  of  them  in 
their  heathenism*,  as  being  aliens  from  the 
commonwealth  of  Israel.  Observe,  here,  Tlie 
church  is  compared  to  a  city,  and  every  con¬ 
verted  sinner  is  free  of  it  ;  to  a  house,  and 
every  converted  sinner  is  one  of  tlie  domes¬ 
tics,  one  of  the  family  ;  a  servant,  and  a 
child  in  God’s  house  ;  to  a  building,  v.  20. 


and  the  foundation  of  that  building  are  the 
apostles  and  prophets,  so  called  in  a  secondary 
sense,  Christ  Himself  being  liie  primary 
Foundation  ;  but  we  are  rather  to  under¬ 
stand  it  of  the  doctrine  delivered  by  the 
prophets  of  the  O.  T.,  and  the  apostles  of  tlie 
New.  It  follows,  Jesus  Christ  Himself  being 
the  chief  Corner-stone.  In  Him  both  Jews 
and  Gentiles  meet,  and  constitute  one 
church  ;  and  Christ  supports  tlie  building 
by  his  strength,  v.  21.  All  believers,  of 
whom  it  consists,  being  united  to  Christ  by 
faith,  and  among  themselves  by  Christian 
charity,  grow  unto  a  holy  temple,  become  a 
sacred  society,  in  which  there  is  much  com¬ 
munion  between  God  and  his  people,  as  in 
the  temple;  they  worshipping  and  serving 
Him,  He  manifesting  Himself  unto  them  ; 
they  offering  up  spiritual  sacrifices  to  God, 
and  He  dispensing  his  blessings  and  favors 
to  them.  Thus  the  building,  for  tlie  nature 
of  it,  is  a  temple,  a  holy  temple  ;  and  it  be¬ 
comes  such  a  temple,  by  grace  and  strength 
derived  from  Himself,  in  the  Lord.  The 
universal  church  being  built  on  Christ  as  the 
Foundation-stone,  and  united  in  Christ  as 
tlie  Corner-stone,  comes  at  length  to  lie 
glorified  in  Him  as  the  Top-stone,  v.  22. 
Observe,  Not  only  the  universal  church  is 
called  the  temple  of  God,  but  particular 
churches  ;  and  even  every  true  believer  is  a 
living  temple,  is  a  habitation  of  God  through 
the  Spirit :  an  earnest  of  dwelling  with 
Him  to  eternity. 

Chap.  III.  V.  1 — 13.  Here  we  have 
Paul’s  account  to  the  Ephesians  of  himself, 
as  appointed  by  God  apostle  of  the  Gen¬ 
tiles. 

I.  Tlie  tribulations  and  sufferings  lie  en¬ 
dured  in  the  discharge  of  that  office,  a.  1. 
The  first  clause  refers  to  the  preceding  ell. , 
and  may  be  understood  either,  1.  ‘  For  hav¬ 
ing  preached  tlie  doctrine  contained  in  tlie 
foregoing  ch.,  that  tlie  great  privileges  of  the 
Gospel  belong  not  only  to  the  Jews,  Hut  to 


PRACT.  OBS.  V.  11 — 22.  Besides  the  genera]  ruined  state  of  all 
men,  every  one  of  us  should  recollect  those  peculiarities  of  situation, 
character,  and  disposition,  which  set  us  at  a  greater  distance  from  sal¬ 
vation,  than  others  of  our  fellow-sinners. —  How  harmoniously  should 
we  live  together  as  members  of  one  body,  and  children  of  one  family  ! 
May  his  grace  reconcile  all,  who  profess  his  truth,  lo  God  and  to  each 
other! — We  have  no  ‘law  of  commandments  contained  in  ordinances,’ 
to  keep  us  in  bondage,  to  drive  us  to  a  distance,  or  to  excite  enmity 
among  brethren  ;  except  such  as  are  of  human  invention.  The  institut¬ 
ed  ordinances  of  worship,  appointed  by  our  Savior,  as  well  as  his  moral 
precepts,  are  suited  to  aid  and  encourage  our  approach  to  God,  and  our 
walk  with  Him  ;  to  excite  holy  affections,  and  to  conduce  to  our  peace 
with  one  another,  when  properly  understood  and  attended  on.  Let  us 
then  inquire,  whether  we  are  4  builded  on  this  foundation,’  whether  our 

nature,  and  fultllling,  ill  his  priestly  character,  especially  by  his  sacrilice 
on  the  cross,  these  typical  institutions,  had  abolished  them.  So  that 
this  law,  (the  commands  of  which  consisted  of  external  ordinances,) 
having  lost  all  its  use  and  obligation,  the  Gentiles  were  admitted  into 
the  Christian  church,  without  submitting  to  the  yoke  of  the  ceremonial 
law,  or  being  deemed  unclean  because  uncircumciscd.  Notes,  Ac. 
10:9 — 19:27 — 33.  Thus  they  became  ‘one  body'  .with  the  believing 
Jews ;  that  so  Christ  might  create,  as  it  were,  4  one  new  man,’  consist¬ 
ing  of  regenerate  persons,  both  Jews  and  Gentiles,  united  to  Himself  the 
Head,  quickened  by  his  Spirit,  ‘walking  in  newness  of  life,’  harmonious 
in  worship  and  obedience,  and  mutually. loving  and  doing  good  to  one 
another.  Notes,  4-.il— 13.  Is.  11:6— 9.'  Ro.  12:3— 5.  1  Co.  12:12— 31. 
Gal.  3:26 — 29.  The  ceremonial  law  implied  man’s  state  of  condemna¬ 
tion,  pollution,  and  enmity  against  God  ;  to  whom  he  could  not  ap¬ 
proach,  except  on  an  external  mercy-seat,  and  by  priests,  sacrifices,  in¬ 
cense,  and  purifications;  being,  after  all,  kept  at  a  great  distance  from 
Him  ;  but  the  death  of  Christ  upon  the  cross  took  away  the  guilt  which 
was  the  cause  of1  the  enmity,’  that  so  a  holy  God  might  honorably  par¬ 
don  and  be  reconciled  to  his  rebellious  creatures.  And  it  made  way  for 
the  communication  of  the  Holy  Spirit  to  regenerate  sinners,  and  so  to 
destroy  ‘  the  enmity’  of  their  hearts  against  the  holy  character,  wor¬ 
ship,  and  service  of  God.  Having  finished  this  great,  design,  He  came, 
by  his  apostles  and  ministers,  to  preach  the  Gospel,  or  glad  tidings,  even 
peace,  with  God  and  with  each  other,  to  the  Gentiles  who  4  had  been 
far  off.’  and  to  the  Jews  who  were  outwardiv  4  nigh  ’  to  God.  Notes, 
Is.  57:19.  Ac.  10:36 — 13.  2  C'o.  5. 17— 21.  2  Th.  2:13,  14.  For  through 
the  Person,  sacrifice,  and  me.diatinn  of  Christ,  believers  of  ail  descrip¬ 
tions  were  allowed  access  to  God,  as  a  Father,  and  were  introduced 
with  acceptance  into  his  presence,  with  their  worship  and  services, 
tinder  the  immediate  teaching  anil  influence  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  as  one 
with  the  Father  and  the  Son,  in  this  great  work  of  salvation,  as  well  as 
in  the  unity  of  the  Godhead.  Access.]  See  on  Ro  5:2.  4  He  alludes  lo 
princes’  courts;  one  must  not  press  into  the  presence-chamber,  hut  he 
brought  in  by  some  courtier.’  Leigh.  Ro.  5:1,2.  1  Pet.  3:17,18.  Scott. 

(14.)  4  The  Jews  call  the  Messiah,  shlom,  peace,’  Schoett.  Wat!.] 
4  An  allusion  to  the  middle  or  partition  wall  of  the  temple,  [engraving, 
enu  of  Ac.]  which  separated  the  court  of  the  Gentiles  from  that  of  the 

[386J 


hopes  are  fixed  oil  Christ,  according  to  the  doctrine  of  his  Word  ;  whether 
we  have  devoted  ourselves  to  God  through  Him  ;  whether  we  be  spirit¬ 
ually  minded,  and  bring  forth  4  the  fruits  of  the  Spirit.’  If  this  is  our 
experience  and  privilege,  let  us  take  care  not  to  defile  the  temple  of 
God,  nor  to  grieve  our  holy  Comforter;  let  us  earnestly,  ami  with  fer¬ 
vent,  constant  prayer,  desire  his  gracious  presence  with  us,  and  his  in¬ 
fluence  on  our  hearts  ;  let  us  endeavor  to  fill  up  the  place  assigned  tis, 
to  the  glory  of  God  ;  and  let  ns  study  to  promote  the  peace  and  purity 
of  the  holy  temple,  to  which  we  belong,  and  to  forward  that  work  by 
which  it  is  continually  approaching  towards  its  full  perfection.  Espe¬ 
cially,  let  us  seek,  and  pray,  and  improve  to  the  uttermost  our  influ¬ 
ence,  he  it  more  or  less,  for  the  conversion  of  Jews  and  Gentiles,  who 
are  still  4  without  Christ  and  without  hope.’  Scott. 


Jews,  and  into  which  it  was  death  for  any  foreigner  to  enter.  See 
IVets.'  Bloomf. 

(15.)  Enmity.]  1 1.  e.  its  cause  ;  and  such  the  law  was,  since  it  gen¬ 
erated  an  antisocial  and  haughty  spirit  on  the  part  of  the  Jews,  which 
was  amply  returned  by  hatred  and  contempt  on  the  part  of  the  Gen¬ 
tiles.  See  Mackn.’  Id. 

(16.)  Body.]  I.  e.  society,  the  mystical  body  of  Christ.’  Grot.,  &c. 

V.  19 — 22.  By  the  continual  conversion  of  sinners,  and  the  progres¬ 
sive  sanctification  of  believers ;  while  each  individual,  in  his  proper 
place,  conduces  to  the  stability  and  proportion  of  the  whole,  and  is  him¬ 
self  consecrated  and  preserved  by  being  a  part  of  it ;  the  spiritual  tem¬ 
ple  is  erecting  from  age  to  age,  and  will  be  till  its  full  completion  in 
heaven.  Thus  Gentiles  became  a  part  of  the  temple,  together  wi’h 
Jewish  believers.  Ps.  118:19 — 24.  Is.  28:16.  Zch.  3.9,10.  6:12 — 15. 
Mat.  21:40—44.  Ac.  4:5—12.  1  Co.  3:16,17.  2  Co.  6:14—18.  fie.  21:9— 
21. — This  is  a  most  decisive  testimony  to  the  divine  inspiration  of  the 
prophets  and  apostles.  .  Scott. 

(19.)  Strangers .  .foreigners .  .felloiv-citizens.]  4  Xenoi.  .paroikoi. . 
sumpolitai.  Xenoi  is  properly  used  of  a  city  or  country  ;  paroikoi,  of  a 
family.  That  Paul  meant  these,  in  their  proper  sense,  is  clear  from  the 
context,  which  is  exegetical.  But  Sell/,  thinks  there  is  allusion  to  the 
three  orders  of  Grecian  inhabitants,  potitai,  paroikoi,  and  xenoi.  But 
those  of  the  second  class  were  called  epoikoi.  Doddr.  refers  it  to  so¬ 
journing  strangers  among  tlie  Jews,  who  were  called  proselytes  of  the 
gate.'  Bloomf. 

(29.)  Built,  &c.]  4  Is  not  our  faith  confirmed,  while  our  taste  is  grat¬ 
ified,  when  Paul,  addressing  the  Ephesians,  seizes  their  attention  and 
captivates  their  fancy,  by  reiteraled  and  splendid  allusion  to  that  temple 
which  was  the  glory  of  their  city?  See  also,  v.  21,  22.  4:12,15,16. 

where  is  an  accumulation  of  architectural  terms.’  In. 

(21.)  ‘There  are  in  the  church,  and  have  ever  been,  various  degrees 
through  which  (as  in  the  human  body  is  the  case  with  the  head  and 
heart,  in  respect  to  the  arteries  and  veins,  muscles,  and  nerves)  the 
Spirit  of  God  flows  even  to  the  most  minute  parts."  Grot. 

NOTES.  Chap.  III.  V.  1 — 7.  Some  expositors  suppose,  that  all 
between  the  v.  1.  and  the  beginning  of  the  next  ch  is  a  Kind  of  paren¬ 
thesis;  but  it  seems  more  obvious  to  render  the  sentence,  ‘For  this 


A.  D.  64. 


EPHESIANS,  III. 


2  (If  ye  have  heard  of  the  dis¬ 
pensation  *  of  the  grace  b  of  God 
which  is  given  me  to  you-ward  : 

3  How  that  by  revelation  c  he 
made  known  unto  me  the  mystery; 
(as  I  wrote  d  afore  in  few  words  ; 

4  Whereby,  when  ye  read,  ye 
may  understand  my  knowledge  in 
the  *  mystery  of  Christ ;) 

5  Which  in  other  ages  was  not 
finade  known  unto  the  sons  of  men, 
as  it  is  now  revealed  unto  the  holy 
apostles  and  prophets  by  the  Spirit; 

6  That  the  Gentiles  should  be 
fellow-heirs,  and  of  the  same  body, 
and  partakers  of  his  promise  in 
Christ  by  the  gospel  ; 

7  Whereof  I  was  made  a  minis¬ 
ter,  according  to  the  gift  of  the 
grace  of  God  given  unto  me  by  the 
effectual  *  working  of  his  power. 

8  Unto  me,  who  am  less  ''than 
the  least  of  all  saints,  is  this  grace 
given,  that  I  should  preach  among 
the  Gentiles  the  unsearchable  rich¬ 
es  1  of  Christ  ; 

a  Col.  1:25.  e  c.  1:9.  g  la.  43:13. 

b  Ro.  12:3.  f  Mat.  13:17.  c.  1:19. 

c  Ga.  1:12.  Ro.  16.25.  h  1  Co.  15:9. 

d  or,  a  little  before.  1  Pe.  1:10— 12.  I  Col.  1:27. 

believing  Gentiles,  also,  though  not  circum¬ 
cised  ;  for  this  cause  I  am  now  a  prisoner:  but 
a  prisoner  of  Jesus  Christ,  as  I  suffer  in  his 
cause,  and  for  his  sake,  and  continuing  his 
faithful  servant,  and  the  object  of  his  special 
protection  and  care,  while  I  am  thus  suffer¬ 
ing  for  Him.’  Christ’s  servants,  if  they 
come  to  be  prisoners, are  his  prisoners;  and 
He  despises  not  his  prisoners.  For  you 
Gentiles;  the  Jews  did  therefore  persecute 
and  imprison  him,  because  he  was  the  apos- 
tte  of  the  Gentiles,  and  preached  the  Gos¬ 
pel  to  them.  We  may  learn  hence,  that  the 
faithful  ministers  of  Christ  are  to  dispense 
bis  sacred  truths,  however  disagreeable  they 
may  be  to  some,  and  whatever  they  them¬ 
selves  may  suffer  for  doing  so.  Or,  2.  ‘  For 


this  cause,  since  ye  are  no  more  strangers  and  | 
foreigners,  (as  ch.  2  :  19.)  but  united  to 
Christ,  and  admitted  into  communion  with 
his  church,  I,  the  prisoner  of  Jesus  Christ, 
pray  that  you  may  be  enabled  to  act  as  be¬ 
comes  persons  thus  favored  by  God.’  To 
this  purport,  v.  14.  where,  after  the  digres¬ 
sion  contained  in  the  several  vs.  intervening, 
he  proceeds  with  what  he  begun  in  this 
first  verse. 

He  speaks  again  of  his  sufferings,  v.  13. 
He  suffered  much  in  prison;  and  though  on 
their  account,  yet  he  would  not  have  them 
discouraged  nor  dismayed  at  this,  seeing  God 
had  done  such  great  things  for  them  by  his 
ministry.  What  a  tender  concern  was  here 
for  these  Ephesians  !  The  apostle  seems  to 
have  been  more  solicitous  lest  they  should 
be  discouraged  and  faint  on  his  tribulations, 
than  about  what  he  himself  endured:  and  to 
prevent  this,  he  tells  them,  that  his  sufferings 
were  their  glory ;  and  so  far  from  being  a 
real  discouragement,  ministered,  if  duly  con¬ 
sidered,  cause  to  them  for  glorying  and  re¬ 
joicing;  as  this  discovered  the  great  esteem 
and  regard  God  bore  to  them,  in  that  He 
not  only  sent  his  apostles  to  preach  the  Gos¬ 
pel  to  them,  but  even  to  suffer  for  them,  and 
to  confirm  the  truths  they  delivered,  by  the 
persecutions  they  underwent. 

II.  The  apostle  informs  them  of  God’s 
appointing  him  to  the  office;  and,  by  a  spe¬ 
cial  revelation,  eminently  fitting  and  qualify¬ 
ing  him  for  it. 

The  original  particle  for  if,  here,  is  some¬ 
times  affirmative,  and  we  may  read  it, 
Since  ye  have  heard,  &c.  He  styles  the 
Gospel  the  grace  of  God,  here,  (as  in  other 
places,)  because  it  is  the  gift  of  divine 
grace  to  sinful  men ;  and  also  the  great  in¬ 
strument  in  the  hands  of  the  Spirit,  by  which 
God  works  grace  in  the  souls  of  men.  He 
speaks  of  the  dispensation  of  this  grace  given 
to  him;  he  means, as  he  was  authorized  and 
commissioned  by  God  to  dispense  the  doc¬ 
trine  of  the  Gospel;  which  commission  and 
authority  were  given  to  him,  chiefly  for  the 
service  of  the  Gentiles;  to  you-ward.  And 
again,  speaking  of  the  Gospel,  he  says, 
Whereof  I  was  made  a  minister,  &c.  v.  7. 
Here  he  again  asserts  his  authority.  He 


Paul's  account  of  himself. 

was  MADE  a  minister,  he  did  not  make 
himself  such;  and  he  was  made  such  accord¬ 
ing  to  the  gifts  of  the  grace  of  God  unto  him, 
God  supplied  and  furnished  him  for  his  work ; 
and  in  the  discharge  of  it  suitably  assisted 
and  helped  him,  and  that  by  the  effectual 
working  of  his  power;  in  himself  more  es¬ 
pecially  ;  and  also  in  great  numbers  of  those 
to  whom  he  preached;  by  which  means  his 
labors  among  them  were  successful. 

He  mentions  both  the  mystery  revealed, 
and  its  revelation,  which  qualified  him. 

The  mystery  revealed  is,  that  the  Gentiles 
should  be  joint-heirs,  with  the  believing  Jews, 
of  the  heavenly  inheritance,  and  be  members 
of  the  same  mystical  body,  be  received  into 
the  church  of  Christ,  and  interested  in  the 
gospel-promises,  as  well  as  the  Jews;  par¬ 
ticularly  in  that  great  promise  of  the  Spirit. 
And  this  in  Christ,  being  united  to  Christ, 
in  whom  all  the  promises  are  yea  and  amen: 
by  the  Gospel,  i.  e.  in  the  times  of  the  Gos¬ 
pel,  so  some,  or  by  the  Gospel  preached  to 
them;  which  is  the  great  instrument  -and 
mean  by  which  God  works  faith  in  Christ. 

Of  the  revelation  of  this  truth,  he  speak.--, 
v.  3 — 5.  It  is  called  a  mystery,  because 
the  several  circumstances  and  peculiarities 
of  it  (such  as  time,  manner,  means)  were 
concealed  and  kept  secret  in  God’s  own 
breast,  till  bv  an  immediate  revelation  He 
made  them  known  to  his  servant.  See  Ac. 
26:  16 — 18.  And  it  is  called  the  mystery 
of  Christ,  because  it  was  revealed  by  Him, 
Gal.  1:  12.  and  because  it  relates  so  very 
much  to  Him.  Of  this  the  apostle  had  given 
some  hints  afore,  or  a  little  before ;  i.  e.  in  the 
preceding  ch.  Whereby  when  ye  read;  or, 
as  those  words  may  be  read,  Unto  which  at¬ 
tending,  ye  may  understand  my  knowledge  in 
the  mystery  of  Christ;  so  as  to  perceive  how 
God  had  fitted  and  qualified  him  to  be  an 
apostle  to  the  Gentiles,  which  might  be  to 
them  an  evident  token  of  bis  divine  author¬ 
ity.  This  mystery,  he  says,  in  other  ages 
was  not  made  known  unto  the  sons  of  men,  as 
it  is  now  revealed  unto  his  holy  apostles  and 
prophets  by  the  Spirit,  v.  5.  i.  e.  it  was  not 
so  fully  and  clearly  discovered  in  the  ages 
before  Christ,  as  it  was  now  revealed  unto 
the  prophets  of  that  age,  the  prophets  of  the 


cause,  I  Paul,  am  the  prisoner  of  Jesus  Christ.’  The  apostle’s  zealous 
preaching  to  the  Gentiles,  and  openly  admitting  them  into  the  Christian 
church,  without  circumcision,  or  observance  of  the  ritual  law,  which 
implied  the  abrogation  of  the  Mosaic  dispensation,  had  so  irritated  the 
Jews,  that  they  had  apprehended  him  at  Jerusalem;  in  consequence  of 
which  he  was  at  this  time  a  prisoner  at  Rome,  in  the  cause  of  Christ, 
and  for  the  sake  of  the  Gentiles.  Those  who  had  statedly  attended  on 
the  ministry  of  the  apostle,  during  his  residence  at  Ephesus,  must  often 
have  heard  from  him  concerning  ‘  the  dispensation  of  the  grace  of  God 
which  was  given  to  him,’  ill  behalf  of  the  Gentiles  (2) ;  but  numbers  out 
of  the  adjacent  regions,  coming  to  Ephesus,  heard  the  Gospel  from  him, 
many  of  whom,  it  is  highly  probable,  returning  home,  both  professed 
and  preached  it;  and  these  might  need  more  full  information  on  this 
subject,  which  was  so  peculiarly  interesting  to  the  Gentiles. — Peter  was 
sent  to  Cornelius,  the  first  Gentile  convert ;  but  it  does  not  appear,  that 
the  whole  design  of  God,  respecting  the  union  of  uncircumcised  and 
idolatrous  Gentiles,  when  converted  to  Christianity,  in  one  church  with 
Jewish  believers,  was  so  clearly  revealed  to  him,  as  it  was  soon  after  to 
Paul.  At  least,  the  latter,  with  his  coadjutors,  proclaimed  this  doctrine, 
so  encouraging  to  the  Gentiles  and  offensive  to  the  Jews,  far  more 
avowedly,  and  to  immensely  greater  numbers,  than  any  other  of  the 
apostles,  of  whom  we  read  in  Scripture. — Some  indeed  imagine,  that  the 
apostle  meant  to  show,  that  the  value  of  the  Christian  revelation  was 
vastly  greater,  than  that  of  the  curious  books  the  Ephesians  had  burned, 
{Ac.  19:19.)  and  than  the  mysteries  of  the  initiated  in  the  worship  of 
Diana.  Hut  if  the  former  were  indeed  ‘the  oracles’  of  Satan,  and  the 
latter  probably  no  better,  we  can  hardly  conceive  that  the  apostle  would 
disgrace  ‘  the  oracles  of  God,’  by  sucli  a  comparison.  The  same  may 
fairly  be  said  of  several  other  comparisons  or  allusions,  which  learned 
men  suppose  the  apostle  to  have  intended. — The  mystery  here  spoken 
of,  seems  very  improperly  confined ,  by  many  expositors,  to  the  calling 
of  the  Gentiles;  whereas,  the  mysterious  salvation,  by  Emmanuel’s 
righteousness  and  atonement,  through  faith,  and  by  the  new  creation  of 
his  Spirit  unto  holiness,  which  the  Gentiles  were  called  to  partake  of,  in 
common  with  the  Jews,  and  on  which  the  apostle  had  before  enlarged, 
and  to  which  he  was  about  tolreturn  (9)  ;  was  also  evidently  intended. 
The  former,  as  exclusive,  is  at  best  but  a  meagre  interpretation,  the  lat¬ 
ter  perfectly  agrees  with  the  apostle’s  manner,  when  speaking  on  a  sub¬ 
ject,  of  which  his  heart  was  full.  Scott. 

(1.)  Chrys.,  Theod.,  the  Syr.,  Whit.,  Doddr.,  Wolf,  Hos.,  Mackn., 
Koppe,  insert  ‘  am,'  to  supply  the  much  debated  connexion;  to  which 
Middleton  and  Bl.  strongly  object ;  the  latter  thinks  it  1  involves  far  less 
difficulty  to  suppose  v.  1 — 14.  parenthetical,  and  the  thread,  of  the  reas¬ 
oning  resumed  at  v.  14.  by  bpanalcpsis.  Ed. 

(2.)  'Since,  I  well  know,  you  have  heard.'  Doddr. 


(5.)  ‘  That  the  Gentiles  should  be  added  to  the  church,  was  known 
long  before,  but  not  that  they  should  be  admitted  on  an  equal  footing, 
heirs  of  the  same  inheritance,  and  partakers  of  the  promise  of  the 
Spirit.  The  Jews  rather  thought  of  their  being  slaves  to  them  ;  least 
of  all  did  they  imagine  the  ceremonial  wall,  circumcision,  &c.,  should  be 
broken  down.  Ac.  10:45.  11:18.’  Whit.,  Doddr.,  Ros.'  Hloomf. 

(6.)  ‘  Epithets  and  similes  are  here  accumulated,  to  show  that  there 
is  no  difference  whatever  between  the  Jews  and  Gentiles.’  Koppe.  Ros. 

V.  8.  The  apostle  here  formed  a  new  word,  to  express  the  deep  sense 
he  had  of  his  own  unworthiness  ;  this  is  very  properly  rendered,  ‘  less 
than  the  least  of  nil  the  saints.’  He  does  not  seem  to  have  adverted  ex¬ 
clusively  or  principally  to  his  former  conduct,  as  a  persecutor  and  blas¬ 
phemer.  That  indeed  made  him  deem  himself  1  the  chief  of  sinners,’ 
but  here  he  speaks  of  himself  as  ‘a  saint,’  though  most  mean  and  un¬ 
worthy  of  that  title.  1  Cor.  15:3 — 11,  vv.  8,9.  1  Tim.  1:12 — 16.  In 
general,  this  must  be  ascribed  to  his  unaffected  humility,  his  self-knowl¬ 
edge,  acquaintance  with  the  holy  law,  near  communion  with  God,  and 
candor  towards  his  brethren  ;  and  perhaps  those  humiliating  infirmities, 
of  which  he  repeatedly  spoke,  were  in  some  degree  taken  into  the  ac¬ 
count.  Hut  the  consideration  of  his  peculiarly  aggravated  crimes  before 
conversion,  and  the  unparalleled  mercy  and  favor,  whioh  had  been  shown 
him,  gave  him  such  a  sense  of  his  immense  obligations,  and  of  the  returns 
of  love,  gratit  ude,  zeal,  and  holiness,  which  became  him,  that  he  regarded 
his  disproportioned  attainments  and  experience  much  more  beneath  the 
proper  standard,  than  those  of  any  other  true  Christian.  This  did  not, 
however,  lead  him  to  doulit  of  his  being  a  saint,  but  only  to  stand  more 
amazed  at  the  love  of  the  Lord  toward  him  ;  and  under  this  impression, 
he  uttered  the  feelings  of  his  heart  in  such  energetic  language,  as  very 
few  can  use  with  propriety  or  sincerity;  though  many  employ  the 
words,  rather  as  expressive  of  what  they  ought  to  mean,  than  of  what 
they  really  feel  concerning  themselves,  and  some,  no  doubt,  as  affecting 
the  praise  of  humility  ! — On  so  great  a  sinner,  and  so  unworthy  a  be¬ 
liever,  was  this  astonishing  grace  conferred,  that  he  should  be  employed 
as  an  apostle,  to  preach  among  the  idolatrous  Gentiles,  through  many 
nations,  ‘  the  unsearchable  riches  of  Christ  I  ’  The  immensity  of  the 
divine  Redeemer’s  condescension  and  mercy,  the  preciousness  of  ms 
blood  and  salvation  ;  the  fulness  laid  up  in  Him,  and  the  freeness  wit  t 
which  it  was  bestowed  ;  the  privileges  of  his  people,  and  their  glorious 
inheritance  ;  those  ‘  riches  of  Christ,’  which  were  not  provided  for  - 
self,  or  for  holy  creatures,  but  purchased  for  the  chief  o I  sinners,  o 
payment  of  their  debts,  the  ransom  of  their  souls,  and  the  en  g 
them  to  all  eternity,  which  sufficed  for  all  the  multitudes  th 
come,  or  should  come  to  Him  for  them,  how  many  soe  .  J  ,  I 
which  never  could  be  exhausted  or  diminished,  by  t lie  ln,°*t  1  “n<| 

profuse  communication  of  them,  or  leave  the  glonouB  a 


A.  D.  64. 


EPHESIANS,  III. 


His  prayer  for  the  Ephesians. 


9  And  to  make  all  men  see,  what 
is  the  fel  owship  of  the  j  mystery, 
which  from  the  beginning  of  the 
world  hath  been  hid  in  God,  who 
created  all  things  by  k  Jesus  Christ: 

10  To  the  intent  that  now  unto 
the  principalities  and  powers  in 
heavenly  places  might  be  known, 
by  the  church,  the  manifold  wisdom 
1  of  God, 

1 1  According  to  the  eternal 
m  purpose  which  he  purposed  in 
Christ  Jesus  our  Lord  : 

12  In  whom  we  have  "boldness 
and  access  with  confidence  by  the 
faith  of  him. 

13  Wherefore  I  desire  that  ye 
faint  not  at  my  tribulations  for  you, 
which  0  is  your  glory. 

14  For  this  cause  I  bow  my 
knees  unto  the  Father  of  our  Lord 
Jesus  Christ, 

rer.  4,5.  He.  1:2.  m  c.  1:9. 

1  Ti.  3:16.  1  Ro.  11:33.  n  He.  4:16. 

t  Ps.  33:6.  Jn.  1  Co.  2:7.  o  2  Co.  1:6. 

1:3.  Col.  1:16. 


N.  T.,  who  were  immediately  inspired  and 
taught  by  the  Spirit.  And  observe,  how 
much  we  ourselves  are  interested  in  this  af¬ 
fair;  not  only  as  we  live  in  a  time  in  which 
the  mystery  is  revealed,  but  particularly  as 
we  are  a  part  of  the  nations  which  in  times 
past  were  foreigners  and  strangers,  and  lived 
in  gross  idolatry;  but  are  now  enlightened 
with  the  everlasting  Gospel,  and  partake  of 
its  promises  ! 

III.  The  apostle  acquaints  them  how  he 
was  employed  in  this  office.  1.  With  re¬ 
spect  to  the  Gentiles,  v.  8.  How  humbly  he 
speaks  of  himself,  how  highly  of  Christ  ! 
I  am  less  than  the  least  of  all  saints.  He 
was,  in  his  own  esteem,  as  little  as  he  could 


be.  What  can  be  less  than  the  least  1 
Those  whom  God  advances  to  honorable 
employments,  He  humbles,  and  makes  low 
in  their  own  eyes;  and  where  God  gives 
grace  to  be  humble,  He  gives  all  other  grace: 
observe,  also,  in  what  a  different  manner  the 
apostle  speaks  of  himself,  and  of  his  office, 
magnifying  that.  How  highly  he  speaks  of  Je¬ 
sus  Christ;  The  unsearchable  riches  of  Christ ; 
in  whom  a  mighty  treasury,  of  mercy,  grace, 
and  love,  is  laid  up,  for  Jews  and  Gentiles 
both.  Or,  the  riches  of  the  Gospel  are 
here  spoken  of  as  the  riches  of  Christ:  the 
riches  Christ  purchased  for,  and  bestows  on, 
all  believers.  And  they  are  unsearchable 
riches,  of  which  we  cannot  find  the  bottom; 
which  human  sagacity  could  never  have  dis¬ 
covered;  and  men  could  no  otherwise  know 
but  by  revelation.  The  apostle’s  employ¬ 
ment  was,  to  preach  these  unsearchable  riches 
among  the  Gentiles ,  a  favor  he  greatly  val¬ 
ued,  as  an  unspeakable  honor.  It  is  also 
an  unspeakable  favor  to  the  Gentile  world, 
though  many  are  not  enriched  with  these 
riches;  which,  if  we  be  not,  it  is  our  own 
fault. 

2.  With  respect  to  all  men,  v.  9.  to  make 
all  men  see;  to  publish  and  make  known  to 
the  whole  world,  what  is  the  fellowship  of 
the  mystery ,  that  the  Gentiles,  hitherto  stran¬ 
gers  to  the  church,  shall  be  admitted  to 
communion  with  it, — which  from  the  begin¬ 
ning  of  the  world  hath  been  h'ul  in  God;  kept  se¬ 
cret  in  his  purpose;  who  created  all  things  by 
Jesus  Christ,  as  Jn.  1:  3.  No  wonder  He 
saves  Gentiles  as  well  as  Jews;  for  He  is 
the  common  Creator  of  them  both:  see,  too, 
how  both  the  first  creation,  when  God  made 
all  tilings  out  of  nothing,  and  the  new  crea¬ 
tion,  whereby  sinners  are  made  new  crea¬ 
tures  by  converting  grace,  are  of  God,  by 
Jesus  Christ.  The  apostle  adds,  v.  10.  that  i 
this  was  one  thing,  among  others,  which  God  j 
had  in  his  eye  in  revealing  this  mystery,  that  j 
the  good  angels,  who  have  a  pre-eminence  I 
in  governing  the  kingdoms  and  principalities  1 


of  the  world,  and  who  are  indued  with  great 
power  to  execute  the  will  of  God  on  this 
j  earth,  may  be  informed,  from  what  passes 
|  in  the  church,  and  is  done  in  and  by  it,  of 
the  manifold  wisdom  of  God,  of  the  great 
:  variety  with  which  God  wisely  dispenses 
things;  or  of  his  wisdom  manifested  in  the 
j  many  methods  He  takes,  in  ordering  his 
church  in  its  several  ages,  and  especially  in 
receiving  the  Gentiles  into  it.  The  holy 
!  angels,  who  look  into  the  mystery  of  our  re- 
|  demption  by  Christ,  could  not  but  notice  this 
branch  of  that  mystery,  that  among  the 
Gentiles  is  preached  the  unsearchable  riches 
of  Christ.  And  this  is  according  to  the  eter¬ 
nal  purpose  which  He  purposed  in  Christ  Jesus 
our  Lord,  v.  11.  Some  tr.,  According  to 
the  fore-disposing  of  the  ages  He  made,  &c. 
So  Whitby,  &c.  ‘  In  the  first  of  the  ages,’ 

says  he,  ‘  his  wisdom  seeing  fit  to  give  the 
promise  of  a  Savior  to  a  fallen  Adam:  in 
the  second  age,  to  typify  and  represent  Him 
to  the  Jews  in  sacred  persons,  rites,  and 
sacrifices:  and  in  the  age  of  the  Messiah, 
or  tlie  last  age,  to  reveal  Him  to  the  Jews, 
and  preach  Him  to  the  Gentiles.’  Others 
understand  it,  according  to  our  tr.,  of  the 
eternal  purpose  God  purposed  to  execute  in 
and  through  Jesus  Christ  :  the  whole  of 
what  Hehas  done  in  the  great  affair  of  man’s 
redemption,  being  in  pursuance  of  his  eter¬ 
nal  decree  about  that  matter.  The  apostle, 
having  mentioned  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ, 
subjoins  concerning  Him,  In  whom  we  have 
boldness  and  access  with  confidence  by  ths 
faith  of  Him,  v.  12.  i.  e.  *  By,  or  through, 
whom  we  have  liberty  to  open  our  minds 
freely  to  God,  as  to  a  Father,  and  a  well- 
grounded  persuasion  of  audience  and  of  ac¬ 
ceptance  with  Him;  and  this  by  means  of 
■  the  faith  we  have  in  Him,  as  our  great  Me¬ 
diator  and  Advocate.’ 

V.  14 — 21.  We  have  here  a  devout  and 
affectionate  prayer  for  his  beloved  Ephesians. 

For  this  cause.  This  may  be  referred  to 
v.  13.  That  ye  faint  not,  &c.  or  rather,  he 


prietor  less  rich  than  before,  to  the  ages  of  eternity  ;  these  are  4  the 
unsearchable  riches  of  Christ,’  and  they  baffle  the  powers  of  computa¬ 
tion,  nay,  even  of  imagination ;  they  are  incomprehensible  and  infinite. 
Jn.  1:16.  2  Cor.  8:6 — 9,  v.  9.  Col.  2:1 — 4,  v.  3.  This  was  the  great  sub¬ 
ject  of  the  apostle’s  ministry. — It  may  be  very  useful  to  compare  the 
animated  language  of  this  cli.,  with  the  cold  reasonings  of  modern  the¬ 
ologians,  and  their  extreme  caution  lest  they  should  speak  too  highly  of 
Christ  and  his  salvation. — The  labors,  perils,  and  sufferings  of  the  apos¬ 
tle,  in  his  preaching  to  the  Gentiles,  were  so  many  and  great,  that  nature 
would  have  deemed  it  an  intolerably  hard  and  perilous  service,  and  de¬ 
clined  it  by  every  possible  mean  ;  but  grace,  inspiring  him  with  love  of 
Christ,  zeal  for  his  glory,  and  a  longing  desire  for  the  salvation  of  souls, 
made  him  think  it  an  unspeakable  privilege.  Ac.  20:18 — 21.  2  Cor.  5- 13 
— 15.  What  an  example,  for  modern  missionaries  !  And  what  a  view 
does  it  give  ns  of  the  desirableness,  the  importance,  and  the  honor  of 
that  service.  Scott. 

(8.)  Less,  Ac.)  ‘  Incomparably  the  least.  See  We ts.'  Bloomf. 

V.  9 — 12.  This  ‘preaching  of  the  Gospel,  concerning  the  unsearcha¬ 
ble  riches  of  Christ,’  was  appointed,  that  men  of  all  nations  and  descrip¬ 
tions  might  perceive  the  happy  1  fellowship,’  or  partnership ,  (so  to 
speak,)  of  Jews  and  Gentiles  in  the  blessings  of  salvation,  according  to 
the  mysterious  plan,  which  had  been  formed  from  the  beginning  in  the 
counsels  of  God,  but  had  been  hidden  from  his  creatures  in  general,  save 
ns  fie  had  given  some  previous  intimation  of  it  ‘  by  his  prophets,’  and 
had  at  length  more  fully  discovered  it  by  Jesus  Christ,  by  whom,  as  the 
eternal  Word,  He  at  first  created  all  things,  and  was  now  effecting  a 
glorious  new  creation.  Jn.  1:1 — 3.  Col.  1:15 — 17.  Ileb.  1:1 — 2.  To  the 
intent  that  angels  and  archangels,  even  4  the  principalities  and  powers,’ 
who  were  around  the  throne  of  God,  4  in  heavenly  places,’  and  had, 
from  the  beginning,  witnessed  and  adored  the  displays  of  his  wisdom,  in 
the  works  of  creation  and  providence,  should  now  discover  still  more 
surprising  and  most  gloriously  and  beautifully  varied  displays  of  it,  in 
his  church  of  redeemed  sinners;  while  they  beheld  rebels  changed  into 
spiritual  worshippers,  all  the  persons  and  perfections  of  the  Godhead 
more  abundantly  glorified,  even  by  means  of  man’s  apostasy  ;  Satan’s 
devices  turned  against  him,  and  the  most  discordant  characters  united 
in  one  loving  family,  or  as  1  one  body  in  Christ.’  All  this  was  effected 
•  according  to  the  purpose  of  God,’  which  from  eternity  lie  had  con¬ 
ceived  in  his  infinite  mind,  of  saving  sinners  by  Christ.  Scott. 

(9.)  Fellowship.]  1  K'ninSnia :  rather  read  oikonomia,  dispensation  , 
so  most  critics,  MS9.,  veras.,  fathers,  Ac.’  Bl. — 4  Communication.  Hid.] 
An  allusion  to  burying  a  treasure,  as  Jos.  7:21.  Mat.  13:44.  Though 
something  is  now  known  concerning  this  glorious  mystery,  yet  there  is 
an  incomparably  greater  part,  concerning  which  we  only  know,  in  the 
general,  that  it  is  a  rick  treasure ,  without  particularly  knowing  cither 
what,  how  much,  or  where  it  is.  Created,  Ac.)  Locke  pleads,  after  Di- 
odati,  that  this  refers,  not  to  the  creation  of  the  world,  but  to  its  reno¬ 
vation  ;  and  so  may  be  considered  as  an  intimation,  that  God  always 
intended  Christ  should  have  the  honor  of forming  a/l  things  anew,  and 
therefore  concealed  the  mystery  in  Himself,  till  after  Christ  was  come. 
But  the  words,  if  taken  in  the  most  extensive  sense,  contain  both  a  cer- 

[388] 


tain  and  a  pertinent  truth  ;  [for  by  and  in  Christ  alone,  hath  the  Infinite 
united  with  and  become  at  all  known  to  the  finite.]'  Doddr.  And 
Dwight  remarks,  of  a  similar  mystery,  4  On  this,  and  every  other  ques¬ 
tion,  concerning  the  nature  of  the  Divine  Existence,  and  of  the  existence 
of  finite  minds,  we  cannot  even  begin  to  form  ideas  ;  but  must  be 
indebted  for  whatever  facts  we  either  know,  or  believe,  to  the  testimony 
of  God. ’  •  Pres.  T.  Dxvight. 

(10.)  Manifold.]  4  Lit.  immensely  diversified,  and  manifold.  By.] 
I.  e.  by  the  founding,  propagating,  and  governing  of  the  church.  1  Pet. 
1:12.’  Bl.  4  Thus  the  angels  understood  the  divine  wisdom,  just  as  we 
mortals  understand  it,  by  considering  and  surveying  the  course  of 
events.’  Ros. — 4  The  O.  T.  prophecies  gaxre  strong  intimations,  at  least, 
of  the  intended  calling  of  the  Gentiles  ;  and  the  angels  seem  expressly 
to  refer  to  it,  Lu.  2:10, 14.  1  apprehend,  therefore,  that  the  apostle  here 

would  lead  the  thoughts  of  his  readers  to  the  series  of  divine  dispensa¬ 
tions,  as  gradually  opening  this  great  discovery,  and  not  merely  to  what 
he  pleached  concerning  it;  though  to  be  sure,  that  greatly  illustrated 
the  scheme.  It  is  strangely  unnatural  to  explain  this  clause,  as  Locke 
would  do,  of  the  Jewish  principalities  and  powers;  by  which  he  is 
driven  to  the  hard  shift  (as  the  first  reading  of  the  original  will 
show)  of  connecting  “in  the  heavenly  places”  to  “wisdom  of  God.’” 

Doddr. 

(11.)  According  to,  Ac.)  1  Locke  would  tr.  according  to  that  predis¬ 
position  of  the  ages,  or  several  dispensations  which  lie  made  in  Christ 
Jesus,  wliich,  by  the  preordination  of  God’s  purpose,  were  all  regulated 
and  constituted  in  Him ;  and  Whitby ,  taking  it  in  the  same  sense,  ex¬ 
plains  it  of  his  being  promised  in  the  first  age  to  Adam,  typified  in  the 
second  to  the  Jews,  and  in  the  last  age  preached  to  all  the  world.  But 
perhaps  this  interpretation  may  coincide  more  with  a  sense  they  are  so 
solicitous  to  avoid,  than  either  of  these  learned  authors  was  aware.’ 

In. 

V.  is.  As  so  great  honors  redounded  to  God,  and  blessings  so  rich 
and  abundant  were  conferred  on  men,  through  the  preaching  of  the  Gos¬ 
pel  to  the  Gentiles ;  the  apostle  was  well  satisfied  with  his  sufferings  on 
that  account :  and  he  entreated  his  brethren  at  Ephesus,  not  to  be  dis¬ 
couraged,  or  to  turn  aside  from  their  profession,  on  account  of  them, 
either  for  fear  of  being  exposed  to  similar  persecutions  from  the  Jews, 
or  through  the  insinuations  of  judaizing  teachers,  who  might  attempt  to 
prove,  that  l’aul  had  done  wrong  in  disregarding  the  legal  ceremonies, 
and  tints  had  needlessly  exposed  himself  to  persecution.  Whereas,  his 
constant  and  patient  endurance  of  sufferings,  in  defence  of  the  liberty  of 
the  Gentile  churches,  was  indeed  an  honor  to  them;  it  manifested  the 
importance  of  their  cause,  in  his  judgment,  and  it  showed  the  temper  of 
the  bigoted  Jews  ;  it  should  therefore  animate  the  Gentile  converts  to 
stand  fast  in  the  liberty  of  the  Gospel.— The  v.  may  indeed  be  tr.,  ‘I 
pray  not  to  faint,  at  my  tribulations  for  you ;  ’  but  the  sense  given  in  our 
version,  and  by  most  expositors,  is  far  more  energetic,  and  far  more  in 
the  manner  of  the  apostle.  Phil.  1:12 — 14.  2:14 — 18.  1  Th.  3:1 _ 5.  8c. 

V.  14 — 19.  The  apostle  could  not  go  from  place  to  place,  as  formerly, 
to  establish  the  churches  by  his  personal  exhortations,  but  his  affection¬ 
ate  desire  of  their  prosperity  was  unabated  ;  so  that,  during  his  impris- 


A.  D.  64. 


EPHESIANS,  III. 


Paul’s  prayer  for  the  Ephesians. 


15  Of  whom  the  whole  family  in 
heaven  and  earth  is  named, 

16  That  he  would  grant  you,  ac¬ 
cording  to  the  riches  p  of  his  glory, 
to  be  4  strengthened  with  might  by 
his  Spirit  in  the  inner  rman  ; 

17  That  Christ  may  dwell  ‘in 
your  hearts  by  faith  :  that  ye,  being 
'rooted  and  grounded  in  love, 

18  May  be  able  to  comprehend 
with  all  saints,  what  is  the  breadth, 
and  length,  and  depth,  and  height  ; 

19  And  to  know  the  love  of  Christ, 
which  passeth  knowledge,  that  ye 
might  be  filled  with  all  the  fulness 
0  of  God. 

20  Now  7  unto  him  that  is  able  to 
do  exceeding  abundantly  above  all 
that  we  ask  or  think,  according  to 
the  power  that  worketh  in  us, 

21  Unto  him  be  glory  in  the 
church  by  Christ  Jesus,  throughout 
all  ages,  world  without  end.  Amen. 

p  Phi.  4:19.  >  Jn.  14:23.  v  Ro.  16:25. 

q  c.  6:10.  c.  2:22.  He.  13:20,21. 

Col.' 1:11.  t  Col.  2:7.  Jude  24. 

r  Ro.  7:22.  u  Jn.  1:16. 


resumes  what  he  began  at  v.  1.  from  which 
he  had  digressed.  Observe,  to  whom  he 
prays, — to  God,  as  the  Father  of  our  Lord 
Jesus  Christ,  of  which,  see  ch.  1:  3.  Ob¬ 
serve,  further,  his  outward  posture,  humble 
and  reverent;  1  bow  my  knees.  When  we 
draw  nigh  to  God,  we  should  reverence  Him 
in  our  hearts,  and  express  it  in  the  most 
suitable  and  becoming  behavior  and  gesture. 
And  here,  having  mentioned  Christ,  he  can¬ 
not  pass  without  an  honorable  encomium  of 
his  love,  v.  15.  The  universal  church  de¬ 
pends  on  the  Lord;  Of  whom  the  whole  fam¬ 
ily  in  heaven  and  earth  is  named.  The  Jews 
were  wont  to  boast  of  Abraham  as  their 
father;  but  now  Jews  and  Gentiles  both  are 
denominated  from  Christ;  so  some.  Others 
understand  it  of  the  saints  in  heaven,  who 
wear  the  crown  of  glory,  and  of  saints  on 
earth,  who  are  going  on  in  the  work  of 
grace  here.  Both  make  but  one  family,  one 
household;  and  from  Him  they  are  named 


CHRISTIANS,  as  they  realty  are  such; 
acknowledging  their  dependence  on,  and 
their  relation  to,  Christ. 

Observe,  what  he  asks  of  God  for  these 
his  friends,  —  spiritual  blessings;  the  best 
blessings,  and  the  most  earnestly  to  be  sought 
and  prayed  for  by  every  one  of  us,  both  for 
ourselves  and  for  our  friends. 

I.  Spiritual  strength,  v.  16.  To  be  strength¬ 
ened  with  might,  is  to  be  mightily  strength¬ 
ened,  much  more  than  at  present;  to  be 
endued  with  a  high  degree  of  grace,  and 
spiritual  abilities  for  discharging  duty,  re¬ 
sisting  temptations,  enduring  persecutions, 
&c.  And  the  apostle  prays  that  this  may 
be  according  to  the  riches  of  his  glory,  or  ac¬ 
cording  to  his  glorious  riches,  answerable 
to  that  great  abundance  of  grace,  mercy, 
and  power,  which  resides  in  God,  and  is 
his  glory:  and  this  by  his  Spirit,  who  is  the 
immediate  Worker  of  grace  in  the  souls  of 
God’s  people.  Observe,  from  these  things, 
that  strength,  from  the  Spirit  of  God,  in  the 
inner  man,  is  the  best  and  most  desirable 
strength;  strength  in  the  soul;  the  strength 
of  faith  and  other  graces;  strength  to  serve 
God  and  to  do  our  duty,  and  to  persevere 
in  our  Christian  course  with  vigor  and  with 
cheerfulness.  And  further,  observe,  as  the 
work  of  grace  is  first  begun,  so  it  is  continued 
and  carried  on,  by  the  blessed  Spirit  of  God. 

II.  The  indwelling  of  Christ  in  our  hearts, 
v.  17.  Christ  is  said  to  dwell  in  his  people, 
as  He  is  always  present  with  them  by  his 
gracious  influences  and  operations.  Ob¬ 
serve,  It  is  desirable  to  have  Christ  dwell 
in  our  hearts;  and  if  the  law  of  Christ  be 
written  there,  and  the  love  of  Christ  be  shed 
abroad  there,  then  Christ  dwells  there. 
Where  his  Spirit  dwells,  there  He  dwells; 
and  He  dwells  in  the  heart  by  faith;  by 
means  of  the  continual  exercise  of  faith  on 
Him.  Faith  opens  the  door  of  the  soul,  to 
receive  Christ,  admits  Him,  and  submits  to 
Him.  By  faith  we  are  united  to  Christ, 
and  have  an  interest  in  Him. 

III.  The  fixing  of  pious  and  devout  af¬ 
fections  in  the  soul;  That  ye,  being  rooted 
and  grounded  in  love, steadfastly  fixed  in  your 
love  to  God,  the  Father  of  our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ,  and  to  all  the  saints,  the  beloved  of 
our  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  Some  understand 
it  of  their  being  settled  and  established  in 


I  the  sense  of  God’s  love  to  them ;  which 
|  would  inspire  them  with  greater  ardors  of 
holy  love  to  Him,  and  to  one  another.  And 
j  how  very  desirable  is  it  to  have  a  settled, 
fixed  sense  of  the  love  of  God  and  Christ  to 
|  our  souls;  so  as  to  be  able  to  say  with  the 
apostle,  at  all  times.  He  has  loved  me  !  Now 
the  best  way  to  attain  this  is,  to  be  careful 
that  we  maintain  a  constant  love  to  God  in 
our  souls;  this  will  be  the  evidence  of  the 
love  of  God  to  us.  We  love  Him,  because  He 
first  loved  us.  In  order  to  this,  he  prays, 

IV.  For  their  experimental  acquaintance 
with  the  love  of  Jesus  Christ,  v.  18,  19. 
Christians  should  aim  more  clearly  to  un¬ 
derstand,  and  firmly  to  believe,  the  wonder¬ 
ful  love  of  Christ  to  his,  which  the  saints  do 
understand  and  believe  in  some  measure,  and 
shall  understand  more  hereafter:  we  should 
desire  to  comprehend  with  all  saints,  not 
above  all  saints,  to  have  so  much  knowledge 
of  the  subject  as  the  saints  are  allowed  to 
have  in  this  world. 

It  is  observable,  how  magnificently  the 
apostle  speaks  of  the  love  of  Christ.  The 
dimensions  of  redeeming  love  are  admira¬ 
ble.  By  enumerating  them,  the  apostle  de¬ 
signs  to  signify  the  exceeding  greatness,  the 
unsearchable  riches  of  the  love  of  Christ, 
Job  11 :  8,  9.  Some  describe  the  particulars 
thus:  by  its  breadth,  understand  its  extent, 
to  all  ages,  nations,  and  ranks  of  men;  by 
its  length,  its  continuance  from  everlasting 
to  everlasting;  by  its  depth,  its  stooping  to 
the  lowest  condition,  with  a  design  to  re¬ 
lieve  and  save  those  who  are  sunk  into  the 
depths  of  sin  and  misery;  by  its  height,  its 
entitling,  and  raising  us  up,  to  the  heavenly 
happiness  and  glory.  We  should  desire  to 
comprehend  this  love:  it  is  the  character  of 
all  the  saints  that  they  do  so;  for  they  all 
have  a  complacency  and  a  confidence  in  the 
love  of  Christ.  We  must  pray  and  endeav¬ 
or  to  know  something,  and  should  still  covet 
and  strive  to  know  more  and  more  of  it, 
though,  after  the  best  endeavors,  none  can 
fully  comprehend  it:  in  its  full  extent  it 
passeth  knowledge.  The  love  of  Christ 
may  be  better  perceived  and  known  by 
Christians  than  it  generally  is,  yet  it  cannot 
be  fully  understood  on  this  side  heaven. 

V.  He  prays  that  they  might  be  filled  with 
all  the  fulness  of  God.  It  is  a  high  ex- 


PRACT.  OBS.  Should  we  be  called  to  suffer,  even  unto  bonds,  in 
the  cause  of  truth,  and  1  as  the  prisoners  of  Christ,’  we  may  hope  to  en¬ 
dure  the  cross  with  that  cheerfulness  and  satisfaction,  which  holy  l’aul 
expressed  ;  but  our  feelings  would  be  very  different,  if  we  should  ‘  suffer 
as  evil-doers,  or  busy-bodies  in  other  men's  matters.’  This  should  teach 
Christians  in  general,  and  ministers  especially,  not  to  leave  their  proper 
employment,  to  which  the  dispensations  of  Providence,  and  of- divine 
grace  have  called  them,  and  to  seek  continual  instructions  from  the 
Lord,  both  as  to  1  the  mysteries  ’  of  the  Gospel,  and  the  path  of  duty  : 
that  so  their  profiting  in  the  knowledge  of  Christ,  and  their  competency 
for  the  office  assigned  them,  may  be  evident  to  all  men. — We  enjoy  very 
great  advantages  for  these  studies  ;  as  the  mysteries  of  redeeming  love 
were  not  made  known  even  to  ancient  prophets,  so  clearly,  as  they  now 
are  to  those  believers  in  general,  who  are  well  acquainted  with  the 
Word  of  God  1  Pet.  1:10 — 12.  and  our  encouragement  is  proportiona- 
bly  great.  When  we  consider  our  own  sinfulness  by  nature  and  prac¬ 
tice,  and  contrast  the  poverty  of  our  attainments,  the  coldness  of  our 
affections,  and  the  manifold  defilements  of  our  conduct,  with  our  obliga¬ 
tions  and  opportunities,  and  the  glorious  theme  on  which  we  ought  to 
insist  continually  ;  we  may  well  tremble  at  the  thoughts  of  preaching, 
in  the  name  of  so  holy  and  exalted  a  Savior,  even  to  the  meanest  of  our 
fellow-rebels.  But  those  ‘unsearchable  riches  of  Christ,’  which  we 
would  recommend  to  others,  may  give  ample  encouragement  to  our  own 


hearts  ;  and  our  deepest  humiliation  will  not  abate  our  confidence  of 
hope,  if  we  duly  advert  to  the  power  and  love  of  our  Redeemer. — Men 
of  generous  minds,  often  consider  more  the  effects  their  sufferings  may 
have  on  others,  than  their  own  feelings  under  them  ;  and  they  who 
know  human  nature  will  fear,  lest  others  ‘should  faint,’  on  account  of 
those  trials  endured  by  themselves  for  their  sake,  which  are  indeed  their 
glory. — The  instructions  and  admonitions  of  ministers,  or  others,  should 
always  be  watered,  as  it  were,  with  fervent  prayers ;  and  we  may  serve 
our  brethren  or  relatives  in  this  way,  when  precluded  from  all  other 
methods.  Nor  can  we  do  better,  than  often  to  enlarge  on  the  petitions 
before  us,  whether  we  are  praying  for  ourselves,  or  our  fellow-Chris- 
tians.  In  asking  for  enlarged  blessings,  for  ourselves  and  for  all  our 
brethren,  we  should  not  be  straitened  in  our  own  minds,  as  we  are  not 
in  our  gracious  God.  Let  us  then  enlarge  our  expectations,  [according  to 
the  ‘  exceeding  great  and  precious  promises,’  made  in  Christ,]  and  multi¬ 
ply  our  supplications;  encouraged  by  what  lie  has  already  done  for  his 
church,  and  by  his  regenerating  and  upholding  our  souls;  being  assured 
that  the  conversion  of  sinners,  and  the  increasing  light,  holiness,  and 
comfort  of  believers,  will  redound,  in  more  abundant  adorations  and 
thanksgivings,  to  his  ‘glory  by  Christ  Jesus,’  in  his  whole  church,  and 
to  all  the  ages  of  eternity.  Amen,  so  be  it.  Let  thy  name,  O  Lord,  be 
thus  hallowed  on  earth,  as  it  is,  and  ever  shall  be,  in  thy  holy  habitation 
above!  Mat.  6:9,  10,  13.  Rev.  5:8— 14.  19:1—6.  Scott. 


onment,  he  ‘bowed  his  knees,’  in  constant  prayer  for  them,  ‘unto  the 
Father  of  our  Lord  Jesus  ;  of  whom  the  whole  family  ’  of  believers  on 
earth,  nnd  saints  and  angels  in  heaven,  ‘  are  named,’  and  considered  as 
th#  children  of  God,  being  gathered  together  in  one,  in  Christ.  1:9 — 12. 
To  ‘  the  Father  of  the  Lord  Jesus,’  and  of  the  whole  family,  the  apostle 
prayed,  that,  ‘  according  to  the  riches  of  his  glory,’  his  plenteous  mercy 
which  was  emphatically  ‘his  glory,’  lie  would  grant  them  to  be  pow¬ 
erfully  ‘strengthened  by  his  Spirit,’  in  all  the  holy  dispositions  of  their 
renewed  souls,  in  faith,  reverential  fear,  love,  gratitude,  hatred  of  sin, 
hope,  patience,  that  thus  they  might  be  steadfast,  amidst  temptations 
and  persecutions,  enjoy  comfort,  and  glorify  God  in  everv  situation  and 
duty.  Ps.  138:S.  Is.  40:27— 31.  2  Cor.  12:7— 10.  Phil.  4:10— 13,  v.  13. 
Col.  1:9 — 14,  v.  11 — ‘  The  whole  family  in  heaven  and  earth,’  (15)  may 
include  all  holy  creatures  ;  but,  certainly,  none  of  the  obstinate  enemies 
of  God.  Perhaps  the  redeemed  from  among  men  are  exclusively  meant ; 
nnd  Christ,  as  the  immediate  antecedent,  is  He  from  whom  this  family 
is  named  Christians. — 1  The  height,  <fcc.’  is  here  explained,  as  connected 
with  ‘  the  love  of  Christ,’  mentioned  in  the  following  v.  But  the  glo¬ 


rious  plan  of  redemption,  in  general,  may  be  meant ;  this,  however,  does 
not  materially  alter  the  sense.  Scott. 

(15.)  Whole.}  ‘Levelled  (so  Koppe)  against  that  narrow  notion  of  the 
Jews,  that  they  alone  were  entitled  to  the  names  people  of  Jehovah ,  sons 
of  Jehomh.  So  that  the  sentiment  of  v.  16—19.  (comp.  Col.  2:1—10.) 
is,  May  He,  by  his  divine  Spirit,  produce  in  you  the  firm  persuasion,  that 
ye  are  the  temple  of  Christ,  built  by  the  divine  goodness  ;  so  that  ye 
may  comprehend,  and  be  sensible  of,  the  vast  extent  of  this  temple,  to 
which  all  the  pious  and  good  belong,  and  feel  how  great  is  his  goodness, 
who  willed  that  ye  should  be  joined  to  the  same  temple.’  Bloomf. 
‘The  Jewish  writers  call  heaven  the  upper,  and  earth  the  lower  family 
of  God.’  .  ,  Doddb. 

f  18)  Height.]  ‘  I.  e.  of  the  great  mystery  of  redeeming  love.  In. 

V.  20,  21.  The  apostle  added,  to  his  most  enlarged  petitions,  an  act 
of  adoration,  suited  still  more  to  exalt  the  expectations  of  the  readers. 
In  attempting  to  explain  such  portions  of  Scripture,  it  is  almos  impos¬ 
sible  to  avoid  comparative  flatness  and  insipidity  ;  an  tnspirH  writer 
alone  could  do  justice  to  them.  C[389] 


A.  D.  64. 


EPHESIANS,  IV. 


Exhortations  to  mutual  love. 


CHAP.  IV. 

1  He  exhorteth  (o  unity,  7  and  declareth  that  God  there¬ 
fore  giveth  divers  11  gifts  unto  men,  that  his  church 
might  he  13  edified  and  16  grown  up  in  Christ.  18  He 
calleth  them  from  the  impurity  of  the  Gentiles,  24  to  put 
on  the  new  man,  **5  to  ca3t  off  lying,  and  29  corrupt 
communication. 

T  THEREFORE,  the  prisoner 
-L  a  of  the  Lord,)  beseech  you  that 
ye  walk  b  worthy  of  the  vocation 
wherewith  ye  are  called, 

2  With  all  'lowliness  and  meek¬ 
ness,  with  long-buffering,  forbear¬ 
ing  one  another  in  love  ; 

8  Endeavoring  to  keep  the  unity 
of  the  Spirit  in  the  bond  of  peace. 

4  There  is  one  body,  and  one 
Spirit,  even  as  ye  are  culled  in  one 
hope  of  your  calling  ; 

5  One"  Lord,  one  faith,  one  bap¬ 
tism, 

6  One  God  and  Father  of  all, 
who  is  above  all,  and  through  all, 
and  in  you  all. 

a  or,  in.  b  Col.  1:10.  c  Mat.  11:29. 

rressioi),  like  those  others,  of  being  parta¬ 
kers  of  a  dvint  nature,  and  of  being  perfect, 
as  our  Father  in  heaven  is  perfect.  We  are 
to  understand  it,  of  bis  fulness  as  a  God  in 
covenant  with  us;  as  a  God  to  his  people: 
such  a  fulness  as  God  is  ready  to  bestow, 
who  is  willing  to  fill  everyone  to  the  utmost 
of  his  capacity,  and  that  with  all  those  gifts 
and  graces  which  He  sees  they  need.  They 
who  receive  grace  for  grace  from  Christ’s 
fulness,  may  be  said  to  he  filled  with  the 
fulness  of  Gad,  according  to  their  capacity: 
all  which  is  in  order  to  their  arriving  at  the 
highest  degree  of  the  knowledge  and  enjoy¬ 
ment  of  God,  and  an  entire  conformity  to 
Him. 

The  apostle  closes  the  eh.  with  a  doxolo- 
gv,  v.  20,  21.  It  is  proper  to  conclude  our 
prayers  with  praises.  Our  blessed  Savior 
has  taught  us  to  do  so.  Notice  how  he  de¬ 
scribes  God;  and  how  he  ascribes  glory  to 
Him.  There  is  boundless  fulness  of  grace 
and  mercy  in  God,  which  the  prayers  of  all 
the  saints  can  never  exhaust.  Whatever 
we  think  to  ask,  [in  our  stinted  faith,]  God  is 
able  to  do  more,  abundantly  more,  exceed¬ 
ingly  abundantly  more.  In  our  applications 
to  God,  we  should  encourage  our  faith  by  a 
consideration  of  his  all-sufficiency,  and  al¬ 
mighty  power.  According  to  the  power  which 
w/rketh  in  us.  As  if  he  had  said,  we  have 
already  had  a  proof  of  this  power  of  God, 
in  what  He  hath  wrought  in  us,  and  done 
for  us,  having  quickened  us  by  his  grace, 
and  converted  us  to  Himself.  The  power 
that  still  worked)  for  the  saints,  is  according 
to  that  power  that  hath  wrought  in  them. 
Wherever  God  gives  of  his  faithfulness.  He 
gives  to  experience  his  power.  Having  thus 
described  God,  he  ascribes  glory  to  Him: 


in  this  we  ascribe  all  excellences  and  per¬ 
fections  to  Him,  glory  being  the  eftulgency 
and  result  of  them  all.  Observe,  The  seat 
of  God’s  praises  is  in  the  church.  That  lit¬ 
tle  rent  of  praise  which  God  receives  from 
this  world,  is  from  the  church:  a  sacred  so¬ 
ciety,  constituted  for  the  glory  of  God  :  every 
particular  member  of  which,  both  Jew  and 
Gentile,  concurs  in  this  work  of  praising 
God.  The  Mediator  of  these  praises  is  Je¬ 
sus  Christ.  All  God’s  gifts  come  from  Him 
to  us  through  the  hand  of  Christ;  and  all 
our  praises  pass  from  us  to  Him  through  the 
same  hand.  And  God  should  and  will  be 
praised  thus  throughout  all  ages,  world  with¬ 
out  end:  for  He  will  ever  have  a  church  to 
praise  Him,  and  He  will  ever  have  his  trib¬ 
ute  of  praise  from  his  church.  Amen. 

Chap.  IV.  The  former  part  of  this 
epistle  consists  of  several  important  doctri¬ 
nal  truths;  the  latter,  on  which  we  now  en¬ 
ter,  has  in  it  the  most  weighty  and  serious 
exhortations  that  can  he  given.  Observe, 
in  this,  as  in  most  others  of  Paul’s  epistles, 
the  former  part  is  doctrinal,  fitted  to  inform 
the  minds  of  men  in  the  great  truths  and 
doctrines  of  the  Gospel;  the  latter  practi¬ 
cal,  designed  for  the  direction  of  their  lives 
and  manners;  all  Christians  being  obliged 
to  endeavor  after  soundness  in  the  faith,  and 
regularity  in  life  and  practice.  The  best 
way  to  understand  the  mysteries,  and  par¬ 
take  of  the  privileges,  of  which  we  have 
read  before,  is,  conscientiously  to  practise 
the  duties  prescribed  to  us  in  what  follows: 
as,  on  the  other  hand,  a  serious  considera¬ 
tion  and  belief  of  the  doctrines  that  have 
been  taught  us  in  the  foregoing  chs.,  will  be 
a  good  foundation  for  the  practice  of  the 
duties  prescribed  in  those  yet  before  us. 
Christian  faith  and  Christian  practice  mu¬ 
tually  befriend  each  other. 

V.  1.  This  v.  1.  is  a  general  exhortation 
to  walk  as  becomes  our  Christian  profession. 
Paul  was  now  a  prisoner  at  Rome;  the  pris¬ 
oner  of  the  Lord,  or  in  the  Lord,  which  sig¬ 
nifies  as  much  as  for  the  Lord.  See,  of  this, 
ch.  3:  1.  He  mentions  this  once  and  again, 
to  show  that  he  was  not  ashamed  of  his 
bonds,  well  knowing  that  he  suffered  not  as 
an  evil-doer:  and  likewise  to  recommend 
what  he  wrote  to  them,  with  the  greater 
tenderness,  and  with  some  special  advan¬ 
tage.  We  have  here  Paul’s  petition,  as  if 
he  had  said:  ‘  Considering  what  God  has 
done  for  you,  and  to  what  a  state  and  con¬ 
ditio))  He  has  called  you,  as  has  been  dis¬ 
coursed  before,  I  now  earnestly  request  you, 
(not  to  send  me  relief,  or  to  use  your  interest 
to  obtain  my  liberty,  the  first  thing  poor  pris¬ 
oners  are  wont  to  solicit  from  their  friends, 
hut,)  that  you  would  approve  yourselves  good 
Christians,  and  live  up  to  your  profession 
and  calling.  Observe,  Being  called  Chris¬ 
tians,  we  must  answer  that  name,  and  live 
like  [Christ]. 


(18,19.)  ‘To  comprehend  the  length  and  breadth,  and  depth  and 
height,  of  the  love  of  Christ,  we  must  first  take  the  dimensions  of  our 
own  sins.’  Adams. 

(20.)  Ask,  &c.]  Few  texts  are  so  frequently  misquoted,  as  this, — the 
insertion  of  the  word  ‘  can,’  being  far  from  unusual ;  and  even  the  accu¬ 
rate  Doddr.  has  himself  given  it,  in  a  parenthesis.  But  is  it  not  evident, 
that  we  ‘  can  ’  ask  any  absurdity  ?  The  apostle  alludes  to  the  deficiency 
of  our  faith,  ami  to  our  almost  habitual  distrust  of  God.  Ed. 

(21.)  Throughout,  &c.]  ‘Through  all  the  successions  of  an  endless 
eternity,  comes  something  near  Paul’s  self-invented  and  most  expressive 
phrase  :  hut  even  this,  emphatical  as  it  may  seem,  falls  vastly  short  of 
the  sublimity  of  the  original.’  Doddr. 

NOTES.  Chap.  IV.  V.  1 — 6.  The  privileges  and  prospects,  to 
which  the  grace  of  God  had  called  them,  from  a  state  of  abjem  idolatry, 
ignorance,  and  vice  ;  the  obligations  conferred  on  them  ;  the  plain  and 
full  instructions,  the  motives  and  encouragements  afforded  them,  and 
everything  in  the  doctrine  and  love  of  Christ,  as  well  as  the  nature  of 
their  future  inheritance,  required  of  them  a  peculiar  temper  and  con¬ 
duct,  which  he  was  about  to  point  out  to  them  in  various  particulars.  Sc. 

(1.)  1  This  epistle,  as  it  sets  forth,  in  the  preceding  part  of  it,  the  gra¬ 
cious  design  of  God  in  the  gospel-dispensation,  and  represents  the  bene¬ 
fits  and  privileges  that  belong  to  all  the  faithful  in  Christ  Jesus,  as  well 
to  Gentiles  as  to  Jews,  is  cast  into  a  strain  of  thanksgiving  and  prayers, 
and  written  (as  it  were)  all  in  a  rapture,  in  a  sublime  and  elevated  style, 
as  flowing  from  a  mind  transported  with  the  consideration  of  the  un¬ 
searchable  wisdom  and  goodness  of  God  in  the  work  of  redemption,  and 
of  the  amazing  love  displayed  in  Christ  towards  the  Gentile  world.  And 

[890] 


V.  2 — 16.  This  section  contains  the  ex¬ 
hortation  to  mutual  love  and  unity;  with  the 
proper  means  and  motives  to  promote  them. 
Observe, 

I.  The  means  of  unity,  v.  2.  By  lowli¬ 
ness,  understand  humility,  low  thoughts  of 
ourselves;  it  is  opposed  to  pride.  By  meek¬ 
ness,  that  disposition  which  makes  men 
unwilling  to  provoke  others,  and  not  easily 
to  be  provoked  or  offended  themselves;  it 
is  opposed  to  angry  resentments  and  peev¬ 
ishness.  Long-suffering  implies  a  patient 
bearing  of  injuries,  without  seeking  revenge. 
Forbearing  one  another  in  love,  signifies  bear¬ 
ing  each  other’s  infirmities  out  of  a  princi¬ 
ple  .of  love;  and  so  as  not  to  cease  to  love 
one  another  on  account  of  these.  The  best 
Christians  have  need  to  bear  one  with  an¬ 
other,  and  to  make  the  best  one  of  another; 
to  provoke  one  another’s  graces,  not  pas¬ 
sions.  We  find  much  in  ourselves,  which  it 
is  hard  to  forgive  ourselves;  therefore  we 
must  not  think  it  much  if  we  find  that  in 
others,  we  think  hard  to  forgive;  yet  we 
must  forgive  them  as  we  forgive  ourselves; 
and  without  these  things  unity  cannot  he 
preserved.  The  first  step  towards  nnity,  is, 
humility  ;  without  that  there  will  he  no 
meekness,  no  patience,  or  forbearance;  and 
without  these  no  unity.  Pride  and  passion 
break  the  peace,  and  make  all  the  mischief. 
Humility  and  meekness  restore  the  peace, 
and  keep  it.  Only  by  pride  comes  contention  ; 
only  by  humility  comes  love.  The  more 
iowly-mindedness,  the  more  like-minded- 
ness.  We  do  not  walk  worthy  of  our  vo¬ 
cation,  if  we  he  not  meek  and  lowly  of 
heart:  for  He  by  whom  we  are  called.  He  to 
whom  we  are  called,  was  eminent  for  meek¬ 
ness  and  lowliness  of  heart,  and  has  com¬ 
manded  us  therein  to  learn  of  Him. 

II.  An  account  of  the  nature  of  that  unity 
which  the  apostle  prescribes,  the  unity  of  the 
Spirit,  v.  3.  The  seat  of  Christian  unity  is 
in  the  heart  or  spirit,  not  in  one  set  of 
thoughts,  or  in  one  form  and  mode  of  wor¬ 
ship,  hut  in  one  heart  and  one  soul.  This 
unity  of  heart  and  affection  may  he  said  to 
be  of  the  Spirit  of  God ;  it  is  wrought  by 
Him,  and  is  one  of  the  fruits  of  the  Spirit. 
This  we  should  endeavor  to  keep.  Endeavor¬ 
ing  is  a  Gospel  word.  We  must  do  our 
utmost.  If  others  will  quarrel  with  us,  vve 
must  take  all  possible  care  not  to  quarrel 
with  them.  If  others  will  despise  and  hate 
us,  we  must  not  despise  and  hate  them.  In 
the  bond  of  peace.  Peace  is  a  bond,  as  it 
unites  persons,  and  makes  them  live  friendly 
one  with  another;  whereas  discord  and 
quarrel  disband  and  disunite  them.  The 
bond  of  peace  is  the  strength  of  society.  Not 
that  it  can  be  imagined  that  all  good  people, 
and  all  the  members  of  societies,  should  be 
in  everything  of  just  the  same  length, and  the 
same  sentiments,  and  the  same  judgment; 
but  the  bond  of  peace  unites  them  all  to¬ 
gether,  with  a  non  obstante  to  these.  As 

the  remaining  part  of  it  is  no  less  admirable,  for  the  engaging  manner 
in  which  he  improves  what  he  had  before  delivered,  urging  the  duties 
which  became  their  character  with  the  greatest  tenderness,  in  express¬ 
ions  full  of  love  and  endearment,  adding  the  strongest  arguments  to  en¬ 
force  them,  and  making  mention  of  his  bonds  to  recommend  his  exhor¬ 
tations.’  Doddr. 

(2.)  ‘  Meekness  may  be  said  to  be  the  result  of  lowliness,  since  the 
Gr.  signifies  such  a  lowly  opinion  of  one’s  own  merit  and  claims,  as  will 
effectually  produce  a  temper  of  mildness  and  indulgence,  not  requiring 
too  much  from  our  brethren,  who  are  encompassed  with  the  same  frail¬ 
ty  as  ourselves ;  it  is  obvious,  how  requisite  this  is,  in  those  who  should 
feel  how  equally  unmerited  by  all  is  the  grace  of  God.’  Bi.oomjj. 

(3.)  ‘Anxiously  striving  after  the  unity  of  the  Spirit  by  a  strong  bond, 
even  the  study  of  peace,’  Bl. ;  who  justly  reprobates  that  license  of  in¬ 
terpretation,  which  (contrary  to  ancient  and  early  modern  comtrs.,  and 
to  the  use  of  the  article)  degrades  the  meaning  of  pneumatos  to  mind. 

Ed. 

(4.)  ‘  There  is  one  body,  or  church,  which  comprehends  you  all,  and 
one  Spirit,  which  animates  that  body  by  its  gifts.’  Mackj(. 

(6.)  Above  all,  and  through  all,  and  in  all.]  ‘  The  three  expressions 
are  treated  by  Koppe ,  as  merely  synonymous,  i.  e.  “  to  whom  you  oxve 
everything.”  But  I  can  never  cease  to  protest  against  this  slovenly  way 
of  wrapping  up  matters,  into  which  the  recent  comtrs.  so  often  fall,  and 
which  is  the  other  extreme  to  that  of  the  excessively  minute,  and  some¬ 
times  fanciful,  distinctions  into  which  the  earlier  modern  comtrs.  ran. — 
For  a  sufficient  answer  to  the  Socinian  perversion  of  the  “  ivho  is  above 
all,”  see  the  able  note  of  Whitby.’  Bloomf 


A.  D.  64. 


EPHESIANS,  IV. 


'The  grace  bestowed  on  Christian 


7  But  unto  every  one  of  us  is 
given  grace  according  to  the  d  meas¬ 
ure  of  the  gift  of  Christ. 

8  Wherefore  he  saith,  'When  he 
ascended  up  on  high,  he  led  f  cap¬ 
tivity  captive,  and  gave  gifts  unto 
men. 

9  (Now  that  he  ascended,  what 
is  it  but  that  he  also  descended  first 
into  the  lower  parts  of  the  earth  ? 

10  He  that  descended  is  the  same 
also  that  ascended  up  far  above  all 
heavens,  that  he  might  s  fill  all 
things.) 

11  And  hhe  gave  some,  apostles  ; 
and  some,  prophets  ;  and  some, 
evangelists  ;  and  some,  pastors  and 
teachers  ; 

d  Ro.  12:3.  f  or,  a  multitude  g  or ,  fulfil. 

e  Pa.  68:18.  of  captives.  h  1  Co.  12:28. 

in  a  bundle  of  rods,  they  may  be  of  different 
lengths,  and  different  strength;  but  when 
they  are  tied  together  by  one  bond,  they  are 
much  stronger  than  any,  even  than  the  thick¬ 
est  and  strongest  were  of  themselves. 

III.  Motives  proper  to  promote  this  Chris¬ 
tian  unity  and  concord.  He  urges, 

1.  The  many  unities  there  are,  that  are 
the  joy  and  glory  of  our  Christian  profession. 
There  should  be  one  heart;  for  there  is  one 
body,  and  one  Spirit,  v.  4.  If  there  be  but 
one  body,  all  that  belong  to  that  body  should 
have  one  heart.  The  church  universal  is 
one  mystical  body  of  Christ,  and  all  good 
Christians  make  up  but  one  body,  incorpo¬ 
rated  by  one  charter,  that  of  the  Gospel ; 
animated  by  one  Spirit,  the  same  Holy  Spir¬ 
it,  who,  by  his  gifts  and  graces,  quickens, 
enlivens,  and  governs,  that  body ;  even  as  ye 
are  called  in  one  hope  of  your  calling.  Hope 
is  here  put  for  its  object,  the  thing  hoped 
for,  the  heavenly  inheritance;  to  the  hope 
of  which  we  are  called.  All  Christians  are 
called  to  the  same  hope  of  eternal  life. 
There  is  one  Christ  that  they  all  hope  in, 
one  heaven  that  they  are  all  hoping  for; 
therefore  they  should  bo  of  one  heart.  One 
Lord,  v.  5.  i.  e.  Christ,  the  Head  of  the 
church,  to  whom,  by  God’s  appointment,  all 
Christians  are  immediately  subject.  One 
faith,  i.  e.  the  Gospel,  containing  the  doc¬ 
trine  of  the  Christian  faith:  or,  it.  is  the 
same  grace  of  faith,  faith  in  Christ,  where¬ 


by  all  Christians  are  saved.  One  baptism, 
by  which  we  profess  our  faith;  being  bap¬ 
tized  in  the  name  of  the  Father,  Son,  and 
Holy  Ghost;  and  so  the  same  sacramental 
covenant,  whereby  we  engage  ourselves  to 
the  Lord  Christ.  One  God  and  Father  of 
all,  v.  6.  One  God,  who  owns  all  the  true 
members  of  the  church  for  his  children ;  for 
He  is  the  Father  of  all  such  by  special  rela¬ 
tion;  as  He  is  the  Father  of  all  men  by  cre¬ 
ation:  and  He  is  above  all,  by  his  essence, 
and  with  respect  to  the  glorious  perfections 
of  his  nature;  and  as  He  has  dominion  over 
all  creatures,  and  especially  over  his  church: 
and  through  all;  by  his  providence  uphold¬ 
ing  and  governing  them:  and  in  you  all;  in 
all  believers,  in  whom  He  dwells,  as  in  his 
holy  temple,  by  his  Spirit  and  special  grace. 

If  then  there  be  so  many  ones,  it  is  pity, 
but  there  should  be  one  more;  one  heart,  or 
one  soul. 

2.  The  variety  of  gifts  Christ  has  be¬ 
stowed  among  Christians,  v.  7.  Unto  every 
one  of  us  Christians  is  given  grace,  some  gift 
of  grace,  in  some  kind,  or  degree,  or  other, 
for  the  mutual  help  of  one  another.  Unto 
every  one  of  us  ministers  is  given  grace;  to 
some  a  greater  measure  of  gifts,  to  others' 
a  less  measure.  The  different  gifts  of 
Christ’s  ministers  proved  a  great  occasion 
of  contention  among  the  first  Christians; 
One  was  for  Paul,  and  another  for  Apollos. 
The  apostle  shows  that  they  had  no  reason 
to  quarrel  about  them,  but  all  the  reason  in 
the  world  to  agree  in  the  joint  use  of  them, 
for  common  edification  ;  because  all  was 
given  according  to  the  measure  of  the  gift  of 
Christ,  in  such  a  measure  as  seemed  best  to 
Christ  to  bestow  on  every  one.  Observe, 
All  the  ministers,  and  all  the  members  of 
Christ,  owe  all  their  gifts  and  graces  to  Him : 
and  this  is  a  good  reason  why  we  should  love 
one  another,  because  to  every  one.  of  us  is  giv¬ 
en  grace.  All  to  whom  Christ  has  given 
grace,  and  on  whom  He  has  bestowed  his 
gifts,  (though  they  are  of  different  sizes, 
different  names,  and  different  sentiments, 
yet,)  ought  to  love,  one  another. 

The  apostle  takes  this  occasion  to  specify 
some  of  the  gifts  Christ  bestowed.  And 
that  they  were  bestowed  by  Christ,  he  makes 
appear,  v.  8.  by  those  words  of  David, where¬ 
in  he  foretold  this,  Ps.  68:  18.  David  proph¬ 
esied  of  the  ascension  of  Christ;  and  the 
apostle  descants  on  it  here,  and  in  the  three 
following  vs.  On  high,  we  may  understand 


both  of  the  place  into  which  Christ  ascended 
in  his  human  nature,  i.  e.  the  highest  heav- 
ens;  and  particularly  of  the.  state  to  which 
He  was  advanced,  He  being  then  highly  ex¬ 
alted,  and  eminently  glorified,  by  his  Father. 
Allusion  is  had  to  the  manner  in  which  con¬ 
querors  rode,  in  triumph,  attended  with 
the  most  illustrious  of  their  captives  led  in 
chains,  when  they  were  wont  to  scatter  their 
largesses  and  bounty  among  the  soldiers,  and 
other  spectators.  Leading  captivity  captive, 
is  a  phrase  used  in  the  Old  Test.,  to  signify 
a  conquest  over  enemies,  especially  over 
such  as  formerly  had  led  others  captive;  see 
Jud.  5:  12.  Captivity  here  signifies  all  our 
spiritual  enemies,  who  brought  us  into  cap¬ 
tivity  before  ;  such  as  sin,  the  devil,  and 
death.  And  He  gave  gifts  unto  men:  in  the 
psalm  it  is,  He  received  gifts  for  men.  He 
received,  that  He  might  give ;  and  particu¬ 
larly,  He  enriched  his  disciples  with  the  gift 
of  the  Holy  Ghost.  The  apostle,  thus  speak¬ 
ing  of  the  ascension  of  Christ,  notices,  that 
He  descended  first,  v.  9.  As  much  as  if  he 
had  said,  when  David  speaks  of  Christ’s 
ascension,  he  intimates  the  know  ledge  he  had 
of  Christ’s  humiliation  on  earth.  Into  the 
lower  parts  of  the  earth,  may  refer  either  to  his 
incarnation,  Ps.  139: 15.  or,  to  his  burial,  Ps. 
63:9.  He  calls  his  death  (say  sonie  fathers) 
his  descent  into  the  lower  parts  of  the  earth. 

Thev  apostle  next  tells  us,  what  were 
Christ’s  gifts  at  his  ascension,  v.  11.  In¬ 
deed,  He  sent  forth  some  apostles  before  his 
ascension,  Mat.  10:  1,  2,  5.  But  one  was 
then  added,  Ac.  1:26.  and  all  were  more 
solemnly  installed,  and  publicly  confirmed 
in  their  office,  by  his  visible  pouring  forth 
of  the  Holy  Ghost  in  an  extraordinary  man¬ 
ner  and  measure  upon  them.  Note,  The 
great  gift  Christ  gave  to  the  church  at  his 
ascension,  was  that  of  the  ministry  of  peace 
and  reconciliation.  The  gift  of  the  minis¬ 
try  is  the  fruit  of  Christ’s  ascension.  And 
ministers  have  their  various  gifts,  all  from 
the  Lord  Jesus. 

The  officers  Christ  gave  his  church  were 
of  two  sorts  ;  extraordinary ,  as  apostles, 
prophets,  and  evangilists ;  ordinary,  as  pas¬ 
tors  and  teachers;  two  names,  so  some,  to 
signify  one  office,  implying  the  duties  of  rul¬ 
ing  and  teaching  belonging  to  it ;  or,  as  oth¬ 
ers,  two  distinct  offices,  both  ordinary,  and  of 
standing  use  in  the  church;  and  then  pastors 
are  such  as  are  fixed  at  the  head  of  particu¬ 
lar  churches,  with  design  to  guide,  instruct. 


V.  7 — 10.  lie,  whose  name  is  Emmanuel,  received  at  his  ascension, 
from  the  Father,  those  gifts  which  He  conferred  on  men,  his  brethren. 
The  death  and  burial  of  Christ,  as  well  as  his  incarnation,  seem  intend¬ 
ed. — (8)  Ht  led  captivity  captive .]  ‘He  led  a  multitude  of  captives.’  S. 

(8.)  ‘  The  sum  of  the  argument  is  this.  “In  the  .lewish  sacred  books 
some  one  is  said  to  have  ascended  up  unto  heaven,  and  from  thence  to 
have  distributed  gifts  unto  men.  nut  since  God  Himself  cannot  he  said 
to  have  ascended  into  heaven,  inasmuch  as  He  always  is  in  heaven,  and 
never  descended  from  it,  the  prophet  must  necessarily  have  had  in  mind 
some  other  person,  who,  after  He  had  descended  from  heaven  to  earth,  af¬ 
terwards  ascended  from  thence  unto  heaven.  An<l  He  can  be  no  other 
than  Jesus  the  Messiah,  whom  we  know  to  have  descended  from,  and 
again  ascended  to  heaven.”  The  argument  proceeds  on  these  two  rea¬ 
sons  :  1.  that  God  Himself  cannot  properly  he  said  to  have  descended 
from  heaven  ;  2.  that  on  high,  in  the  Ps.  is  to  be  interpreted  of  heaven  ; 
and  dicing  gifts  to  men,  of  the  gifts  of '.he  Holy  Spirit.  ( Kop .)  Though 
the  Ps.  may  not,  in  its  original  and  primary  sense,  have  reference  to 
the  Messiah,  yet  in  a  secondary  and  mystical  one  it  may.  And  the  Jews, 
it  seems,  have  always  interpreted  part  of  this  Ps.  of  the  Messiah.  Kop. 
well.observes  :  “  we  should  confide  in  the  wisdom  and  divine  authority 
of  the  apostle;  that  he  would  not  have  used  this  passage  unless  he  well 
knew  that  its  interpretation  of  the  Messiah,  and  his  ascent  to  heaven, 
was  received  and  approved  by  the  Jews  of  his  time.”  If  this  be  not  ad¬ 
mitted,  it  must  be  considered  as  an  accommoaation  of  this  part  of  the 
Ps.  to  the  present  purpose.  So  Doddr :  “I  cannot  undertake  to  prove, 
that  the  passage  here  referred  to  is,  strictly  speaking,  a  prediction  of 
Christ's  aocension,  and  of  his  shedding  down  the  gifts  and  graces  of  the 
Spirit.  The  Psalmist,  celebrating  a  late  victory,  goes  back,  in  rapturous 
meditation,  to  God’s  victory  over  the  Egyptians,  and  the  spoils  with 
which  He  enriched  the  Israelites,  ungrateful  and  rebellious  as  they  Had 
been,  and  by  which  He  prepared  for  Himself,  in  the  course  ofhis  prov¬ 
idence,  a  dwelling  among  them  ;  for  the  tabernacle  was  built  principal¬ 
ly  with  those  spoils.  And  the  apostle  beautifully  accommodates  the 
words  to  the  triumph  of  an  ascending  Savior,  and  to  the  royal  donative 
of  the  Spirit ;  which  He  shed  down  on  his  church,  into  which  many,  who 
had  once  been  rebellious,  were  admitted,  and  whereby  it  was  fitted  to 
be  his  habitation-'”  Bloomf. 

‘Christ  might  poetically  be  said,  to  lead  captivity  captive ,  when  He 
triumphed  over  those  that  had  subdued  his  people,  and  acquired  such  a 
power  over  the  infernal  spirits,  as  a  conqueror  has  over  a  captive  that 


he  drags  at  his  chariot  wheels.’  Doddr.  ‘  Captivity  is  here  a  collective 
term  for  captive  enemies;  it  therefore  signifies,  simply,  that  God  will  re¬ 
duce  enemies  to  his  power  :  which  is  more  fulfilled  in  Christ  than  ever 
otherwise.  Nor,  indeed,  did  He  alone  prostrate  Satan,  sin,  and  death; 
but  daily  makes  of  rebels  an  obedient  people,  when  l>y  his  Word  he 
tames  the  lust  of  our  flesh.’  Calvin. 

(9.)  Lower ,  &c.]  ‘  Bp.  rearson  (on  the  Creed)  has  shown,  how  very 
precariously  this  text  is  urged  in  support  of  the  opinion  that  Christ  went 
down  into  hell.’  Doddr.  ‘  The  most  judicious  adopt  one  of  two  opin¬ 
ions  :  some  tr.  grave,  Hades.  Ps.  68:10.  Ez.  26:10.  32:18.  and  are  support¬ 
ed  by  the  usus  loquendi,  and  (so  Koppe )  by  the  modes  of  thinking  and 
speaking,  prevalent  in  that  age,  by  which  the  mansions,  both  of  demons 
and  the  dead,  were  placed  under  ground.  See  Philo,  2:20.  and  1  Pe.  3:19. 
But  how  can  heaven  and  grave  be  well  opposed  to  each  other  ?  I  there¬ 
fore  accede  to  many  eminent  moderns,  that  the  phrase  means  the  earth 
itself,  i.  e.  the  lower  parts,  the  earth.’  Bl.,  whom  see.  ‘  Vainly  do  some 
twist  this  to  mean  limbo,  or  hell,  [lymbnm  ..  inferosl:  since  Paul  is 
speaking  only  of  the  condition  of  this  present  life.  Anil  their  argument 
from  the  use  of  the  comparative  is  too  weak ;  for  one  part  of  the  earth 
is  not  compared  with  another,  but  the  whole  earth  with  heaven.’  In. 

V.  11 — 13.  Christ,  having  been  exalted  to  his  glory  in  heaven,  first 
plenteously  poured  out  the  Holy  Spirit  on  his  chosen  ‘apostles,’  as  his 
invaluable  ‘gifts  to  men,’  that,  through  their  ministry,  and  by  the  laying 
on  of  their  hands,  sinful  men  might  be  made  partakers  of  his  salvation, 
and  of  abundant  spiritual  gifts  and  miraculous  powers;  and  that,  from 
them,  as  the  grand  repository,  the  church,  in  all  future  ages,  might  re¬ 
ceive  all  divine  truth,  especially  by  those  sacred  oracles  which  were 
written  by  them,  and  under  their  inspection,  to  be  the  standard  of  Chris¬ 
tianity.  He  next  qualified  and  raised  up  ‘prophets,’  or  extraordinary 
teachers,  endued  with  the  gift  of  prophecy,  and  acting  in  subordination 
to  the  apostles,  in  making  known  his  Gospel  in  the  world  ;  others  he 
qualified  to  be  ‘evangelists,’  to  preach  from  city  to  city,  as  assistants  to 
the  apostles,  and  observing  their  directions.  He  also  qualified  and  ap¬ 
pointed  stated  ‘pastors  and  teachers,’  in  the  different  churches,  to  carry 
on  the  work  begun  by  the  apostles  and  evangelists.  Thus  the  ascent  e 
Savior,  by  sending  forth  able  and  faithful  ministers,  gave  gi  s 
men,’  as  through  their  labors  He  communicated  the  Spirit  o!  file  atm 
holiness’  to  mankind.-(ll)  Evangelists.]  ‘Under  this  name  they  are 
to  be  understood,  whom  the  apostles  used  as  their  attendan  s,  it  p 
forming  their  office,  because  they  were  not  sufficient  for  everything.  ... 

[3J1 J 


A.  D.  64. 


EPHESIANS,  IV. 


Objects  to  be  effected  by  this  grace. 


12  For  the  perfecting  of  the 
saints,  for  the  work  of  the  ministry, 
for  the  edifying  of  the  body  of 
Christ : 

13  Till  we  all  come  '  in  the  unity 
3  of  the  faith,  and  of  the  knowledge 
of  the  Son  of  God,  unto  a  perfect 
k  man,  unto  the  measure  of  the 
1  stature  of  the  fulness  of  Christ  : 

i  or,  into.  j  Col.  2:2.  k  1  Co.  14:20.  1  or,  age. 

and  feed  them,  in  the  manner  appointed  by 
Christ;  therefore  frequently  called  biskops 
and  elders:  and  the  teachers  were  such,  whose 
work  it  was  also  to  preach  the  Gospel,  and 
to  instruct  the  people  by  way  of  exhortation. 
But  this  brings  to  the  third  argument. 

3.  Christ’s  great  end  and  design  in  giving 
gifts  unto  men,  v.  12.  for  the  perfecting  of  the 
saints,  that  is,  according  to  the  import  of  the 
original,  to  bring  them  into  an  orderly, 
spiritual  state  and  frame,  who  had  been,  as 
it  were,  dislocated  and  disjointed  by  sin  ; 


and  then  to  strengthen,  confirm,  and  advance 
them  therein  :  that  so  each,  in  his  proper 
place  and  function,  might  contribute  to  the 
good  of  the  whole.  For  the  work  of  the  min¬ 
istry  ;  or,  dispensation;  that  they  might 
dispense  the  doctrines  of  the  Gospel,  and 
successfully  discharge  the  several  parts  of 
their  ministerial  function.  For  the  edifying 
of  the  body  of  Christ,  to  build  up  the  church, 
which  is  Christ’s  mystical  body,  by  increase 
of  their  graces,  and  an  addition  of  new 
members.  All  are  designed  to  prepare  us 
for  heaven,  v.  13.  Some  of  the  gifts  and 
offices  are  to  continue  in  the  church  till  the 
saints  be  perfected,  which  will  not  be  till 
they  all  come,  in  the  unity  of  the  faith,  till  all 
true  believers  meet  together,  by  means  of 
the  same  precious  faith,  and  of  the  knowledge 
of  the  Son  of  God  :  not  a  bare  speculative 
knowledge,  or  acknowledging  of  Christ  to 
be  the  Son  of  God,  and  the  great  Mediator; 
but  such  as  is  attended  with  appropriation 
and  affection,  with  all  due  honor,  trust,  and 
obedience.  Unto  a  perfect  man,  to  our  full 


growth  of  gifts  and  graces,  free  from  those 
childish  infirmities,  that  we  are  subject  to  in 
the  present  world.  Unto  the  measure  of  the 
stature  of  the  fulness  of  Christ,  so  as  to  be 
Christians  of  a  full  maturity  and  ripeness,  in 
all  the  graces  derived  from  Christ’s  fulness  : 
or,  according  to  the  measure  of  that  stature 
which  is  to  make  up  the  fulness  of  Christ, 
which  is  to  complete  his  mystical  body. 
Lightfoot  understands  the  apostle  as  speak¬ 
ing  here  of  Jews  and  Gentiles  knit  in  the 
unity  of  the  faith,  and  of  the  knowledge  of 
the  Son  of  God  ;  so  making  a  perfect  man, 
and  the  measure  of  the  stature  of  the  ful¬ 
ness  of  Christ. 

The  apostle  further  shows,  in  the  follow¬ 
ing  vs.  God’s  design  in  his  sacred  institu¬ 
tions,  and  what  effect  they  ought  to  have  on 
us.  As, 

(1.)  That  we  henceforth  be  no  more  chil¬ 
dren,  &c.  v.  14.  i.  e.  in  knowledge,  faith, 
and  judgment  ;  easily  yielding  to  every 
temptation,  readily  complying  with  every 
one’s  humor,  and  being  at  everyone’s  beck. 


Of  this  kind  were  Timothy,  Titus,  Silvanus,  Apollos,  whom  Paul  joined 
with  himself  in  the  inscription  of  the  epistles,  yet  so  as  to  call  himself 
alone  an  apostle.  This  office,  therefore,  was  only  temporary.’  Beza. 
The  opinion  of  this  venerable  Reformer,  in  the  last  clause,  seems  not 
well  founded.  The  office  of  ‘Evangelists,’  in  the  primitive  times,  was 
in  most  respects  similar  to  that  of  missionaries,  in  subsequent  times. 
They  were  preachers  of  the  Gospel,  without  full  apostolical  authority,  and 
without  any  stated  charge  ;  going  among  the  heathen  to  found  churches, 
while  the  apostles  lived,  under  their  personal  direction  ;  and  afterwards 
according  to  their  doctrine  and  methods  of  proceeding;  or,  visiting  the 
churches  already  planted,  ‘  to  set  in  order  such  things  as  were  wanting,’ 
to  supply  the  deficiencies,  or  aid  the  labors,  of  stated  pastors;  and  to 
stimulate  them  to  greater  earnestness  in  discharging  their  duty.  When 
zeal  for  propagating  the  Gospel  subsided,  this  office  sunk  into  disuse,  and 
thus,  for  ages,  the  heathen  have  been  in  a  great  measure  neglected  ;  and 
it  seems  to  have  been  one  grand  defect  at  the  Reformation,  that  no  part 
of  the  funds,  which  had  been  appropriated  to  religious  purposes,  was  re¬ 
served  for  the  special  object  of  supporting  evangelists  to  the  heathen 
world  ;  but,  in  one  form  or  other,  the  office  of1  evangelist,'  or  something 
of  the  same  nature,  must  revive,  along  with  the  spirit  of  evangelizing 
the  nations. — ‘  These,  when  they  ’  (the  persons  above  mentioned)  ‘  were 
employed  in  preaching  the  Gospel  to  those  who  had  not  yet  received  it, 
the  Scripture  calls  evangelists.’  Hammond.  Acts  21:7 — 14.  2  Tim.  4: 
1 — 5. — It  might  have  previously  been  expected,  in  the  present  lamenta¬ 
bly  divided  state  of  the  church,  that  the  zealots  of  each  division  would 
find  out  their  own  plan  of  church-government,  and  their  own  orders  of 
ministers,  exclusively,  in  this  passage;  but  it  is  probable,  that  none  of 
them  would  be  satisfied  with  so  general  a  statement,  were  they  called 
to  write  their  sentiments  on  the  subject. — It  appears  to  me,  that  ‘  bish¬ 
ops,’  however  the  word  may  be  understood,  are  included  under  the  gen¬ 
eral  terms,  ‘  pastors  and  teachers,’  as  the  principal  resident  rulers  and 
teachers  of  the  church.  Ayts  20:17.  1  Tim.  3:1.  Rev.  2:1. — Were  dio¬ 
cesan  bishops  more  constantly  resident,  and  more  ‘instant  in  preaching 
the  Word,’  as  well  as  in  ruling  the  flock  as  ‘shepherds,’  their  authority 
would  be  more  reverenced,  and  their  usefulness  allowed.  Note,  Jn  21: 
15 — 17.  Scott. 

(11.)  Evangelists.]  ‘  The  term  occurs  (only  in  Acts  21:8.  2  Tim.  4:5. 
and  here)  too  seldom,  and  is  used  in  too  general  a  way,  to  enable  us  to 
judge  of  the  exact  nature  of  the  office.  But  we  learn  from  the  fathers, 
and  early  eccles.  historians  (see  Suicer,  Thes.  1, 1234),  what  is,  of  itself, 
highly  probable,  that  the  name  was,  in  the  apostolic  age,  given  to  those 
Christian  teachers,  and  assistants  of  the  apostles,  who  were  not  appoint¬ 
ed  to  the  charge  of  any  particular  church,  but  were  itinerant,  and  sent 
by  the  apostles  to  such  congregations  as  might  be  most  in  need  of  their 
labors ;  and  it  is  supposed,  that  they  did  not  commence  the  work  of  con¬ 
version,  but  followed  up  the  rudiments  first  communicated  by  the  apos¬ 
tles. 

‘  As  to  poimencs  [shepherds,  pastors]  and  didaskaloi  [teachers],  Doddr. 
thinks  they  would  have  been  expressed  distinctly  [by  the  repetition  of 
the  article],  as  were  the  others;  but  (as  Koppe  obs.)  in  so  irregular  a 
writer  as  Paul,  this  is  a  very  precarious  principle.  The  most  eminent  in¬ 
terpreters,  ancient  and  modern,  admit,  that  by  the  poimenes  are  meant, 
such  as  are  called  episcopoi,  Acts  20:28.  and  (it  seems)  presbuteroi,  1 
Pet.  5:1,  2.  The  word,  indeed,  carries  with  it  far  more  of  meaning  and 
dignity  than  didaskalos.  For  it  was  originally  applied  to  kings,  gener¬ 
als,  and,  indeed,  prrefecti  in  general  :  a  use  found  in  the  earliest  Gr.  au¬ 
thors,  prohably  derived  from  oriental  phraseology,  since  it  often  occurs 
in  the  O.  T. ;  as  Je.  3:15.  And  thus,  (as  Kop.  obs.  from  Grot,  and  Vitr.,) 
these  poimenes  seem  to  have  been  similar  to  the  governors  of  syna¬ 
gogues,  who  were  called  prnsym.  In  1  Pet.  1:25.  the  two  terms  are 
conjoined.  Theod.  and  Schl.  think  the  poimenes  had  charge  of  cities  ; 
and  the  didaskaloi,  of  villages.  Which  may  have  been  the  case  origin¬ 
ally,  but,  from  their  more  important  situations,  those  would  acquire  a 
sort  of  influence  and  authority  over  the  country  pastors.  From  the  dif¬ 
ference  of  appellation,  however,  we  may  presume  a  difference  of  situa¬ 
tion  ;  though  we  are  not  to  suppose,  but  that  the  poimenes  discharged 
all  the  offices  of  the  didaskaloi,  as  teaching,  preaching,  <fcc. ;  yet  we 
may  imagine  some  duties,  to  which  the  didaskaloi  were  not  appointed. 

‘  No  commentator  has  so  well  treated  on  this  subject  as  Whitby  ;  thus: 
— “  Thnt  these  pastors  and  teachers  were,  in  the  first  ages,  men  of  ex¬ 
traordinary  gifts,  is  evident  from  this  very  place ;  for  the  preceding 
words,  He  gave  gifts  unto  men,  some  apostles,  some  prophets,  <tc.,  show, 
that  all  the  persons  mentioned  here  were  partakers  of  the  gifts  which 
Christ,  ascending  up  on  high,  and  sending  down  the  Holy  Spirit,  gave  to 
inen.  Hence,  among  the  different  charismata,  gifts,  of  the  Holy  Ghost, 
are  reckoned  didaskalia,  teaching,  Rom.  12:6,  7.  and,  among  the  gifts  ex¬ 
ercised  in  their  assemblies,  didachl,  doctrine,  1  Cor.  14:6,  26.  Among 

[S92] 


the  persons  who  had  received  the  diversities  of  gifts,  are  reckoned,  after 
prophets,  didaskaloi,  teachers,  1  Cor.  12:28.  Rom.  12:6,  7.  and  here.  And 
so  Tertullian  makes  mention  of  them,  as  persons  educated  with  the  grace 
of  knowledge.  The  pastors  seem,  probably,  the  same  with  the  kuber- 
ncseis,  governments,  1  Cor.  12:28.  and  the  proestotes  [over-standers, 
he  that  ruleth ],  Rom.  12:8.  And  it  is  evident,  from  both  these  places,  that 
they  were  also  men  endued  with  those  spiritual  gifts  there  mentioned. 
Hence,  it  is  observable  of  those  doctors,  that,  when  the  extraordinary 
gifts  to  the  church  ceased,  their  very  names  grew  out  of  use,  they  being 
very  rarely  mentioned  in  the  succeeding  ages  of  the  church.’”  Bl. 

Apostles.]  ‘The  12,  including  Paul.  Evangelists.]  Next  to  the  12, 
and  with  an  office  nearly  similar  :  only  in  rank,  inferior  :  such  were 
Timothy,  &c.,  to  whom  Paul  gives  the  name.  Between  these  2  kinds 
Paul  interposes  —  Prophets.]  These,  as  doctrine  is  here  the  matter  in 
hand,  I  prefer  to  interpret,  not  those  xvho  are  powerful  (as  Agabus, 
for  instance)  in  the  gift  of  vaticination,  but  excelling  interpreters  of 
prophecy,  accommodating  it  to  present  time  by  a  singular  gift  of  revela¬ 
tion  :  but  so  that  the  gift  of  prophesying,  so  far  as  it  was  annexed  to  doc¬ 
trine,  be  not  excluded.  Teachers  and  pastors,  some  think  one  and  the 
same  office,  because  the  disjunctive  particle  is  not  between,  as  between 
the  others.  So  Chrys.  and  Aug.  However,  I  think  the  pastors  were 
those  to  whom  the  care  of  a  particular  flock  was  committed.  They 
might  be  culled  doctors  ;  only  let  it  be  understood,  there  is  another  kind 
of  doctors,  who  preside  as  well  over  the  formation  of  pastors  as  over  the 
teaching  of  the  whole  church.  Not  but  that  the  same  may  be  pastor 
who  is  doctor  :  but  because  their  powers  [facultates]  are  diverse.  Only 
the  last  two  offices  are  perpetual.’  Calvin. 

A  distinction  between  pastors  and  teachers  was  early  attempted  by 
the  New  England  churches,  but  was  not  long  maintained.  See  Cam¬ 
bridge  Platform,  1648.  Prest.  T.  Dwight  makes  no  distinction  between 
the  two.  Theol.  Serm.  150.  Doddr.  says,  ‘I  shall  not  take  upon  me 
to  determine  whether  two  different  officers  are  intended  here,  of  which 
the  former  were  intrusted  with  the  care  and  oversight  of  particular 
churches,  whereas  the  latter  only  were  employed  in  instructing  the  peo¬ 
ple  by  the  way  of  exhortation,  without  being  called  to  the  pastoral  of¬ 
fice  ;  though,  if  this  were  the  case  [and  so  Dwight,  &c.  argue],  it  seems 
most  probable  they  would  have  been  expressed  distinctly,  as  the  others 
are,  and  some,  pastors  ;  and  some,  teachers.  —  But  if  diocesan  bishops 
were  the  very  remedy  by  which  the  Holy  Ghost  designed  to  prevent  or 
to  heal  those  schisms,  of  which  the  Ephesian  church  was  in  such  appa¬ 
rent  danger,  (Acts  20:29,  30.)  it  is  very  strange,  there  should  be  no  men¬ 
tion  of  them  amidst  all  these  ecclesiastics,  which  are  here  enumerated, 
though  some  of  them  inferior  to  the  supposed  bishop  in  dignity.’  Doddr. 

‘  The  pastoral  office  is  the  first,  in  the  church,  both  for  dignitv  and  use¬ 
fulness.  Rom.  11:13.  The  person  who  fills  this  office,  hath,  in  Scripture, 
obtained  different  names,  expressive  of  his  various  duties.  As  he  has  the 
oversight  of  the  flock  of  Christ,  he  is  termed  bishop.  Acts  20:29.  As  he 
feeds  them  with  spiritual  food,  he  is  termed  pastor.  Jer.  3:15.  1  Pet.  5:2 
— 4.  As  he  serves  Christ,  in  his  church,  he  is  termed  minister.  1  Cor.  4:1. 
2  Cor.  3:6.  As  it  is  his  duty  to  be  grave  and  prudent,  and  an  example  of 
the  flock,  and  to  govern  well  in  the  house  and  kingdom  of  Christ,  he  is 
termed  presbyter  or  elder.  1  Pet.  5:1.  Ti.  1:3.  1  Tim.  5:1,  17,  19.  As 
he  is  the  messenger  of  God,  he  is  termed  the  angel  of  the  church.  Mai. 
2:7.  Rev.  2:1.  1:20.  3:1,7.  As  he  is  sent  to  declare  the  will  of  God  to 
sinners,  and  to  beseech  them  to  be  reconciled  to  God  through  Christ,  he 
is  termed  ambassador.  2  Cor.  5:20.  Eph.  6:20.  And,  as  he  dispenses  Ihe 
manifold  grace  of  God,  and  the  ordinances  instituted  by  Christ,  he  is  term¬ 
ed  steward  of  the  mysteries  of  God.  I.uke  12:42.  1  Cor.  4:1,  2.’  Consti¬ 
tution  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  in  the  United  States. 

On  the  various  offices  of  church  government,  appointed  in  the  several 
religious  denominations,  see  the  Encyclopedia  of  Religious  Knowledge  ; 
in  the  distinct  articles,  severally.  Ed. 

(12.)  Ministry.  ]  *  Diakonia  :  office  undertaken  for  the  good  of  Chris¬ 
tians.  Schl.,  Wahl.'  Bloomf. 

(13.)  ‘Paul  is  exhorting  the  teachers  of  each  congregation  to  mind 
and  endeavor,  that  all  and  every  one  of  the  Christians  therein,  be  car¬ 
ried  forward  in  knowledge,  till  none  remain  quite  ignorant ;  so  that  all 
and  each,  one  as  well  as  another,  may  be  confirmed  in  faith,  until  no 
one  be  left  who  is  in  doubt,  or  fluctuates  in  uncertainty,  or  does  not 
know  more  of  the  Christian  doctrine  than  he  formerly  did.’  Morus, 
understanding  parity  rather  than  unity.  So  Valpy.  But  Bloomf.  rejects 
this,  though  ‘ingenious  and  acute,’  and  apprehends,  that  Paul  ‘only 
means,  they  should  earnestly  strive  to  promote  this  unity  of  faith  and 
knowledge  in  all  the  essential  and  fundamental  doctrines  of  the  Gospel: 
for  that  seems  the  sense  of  knowledge  of  the  Son  of  God. — Whitby  well 
lavs  down  the  sense,  So  ns  to  be  Christians  of  a  full  maturity  and  ripe¬ 
ness,  in  all  the  graces  derived  from  Christ  Jesus  to  the  body.’  Ed. 


A.  D.  64. 

14  That  we  henceforth  be  no 
more  children,  tossed  to  and  fro, 
and  carried  m  about  with  every  wind 
of  doctrine,  by  the  sleight  of  men, 
and  cunning  craftiness,  whereby 
they  lie  in  wait  to  deceive  ; 

15  But,  “speaking  the  truth0 in 
love,  may  grow  up  into  him  in  all 
things,  which  is  the  p  head,  even 
Christ  : 

16  From  ‘’whom  the  whole  body 
fitly  joined  together,  and  compacted 
by  that  which  every  joint  supplieth, 
according  to  the  effectual  working 
in  the  measure  of  every  part,  mak- 
eth  increase  of  the  body  unto  the 
edifying  of  itself  in  love. 

17  This  I  say  therefore,  and  tes¬ 
tify  in  the  Lord,  that  ye  henceforth 
walk  not  as  other  Gentiles  walk,  in 
the  vanity  of  their  mind, 

18  Having  the  understanding  r 
darkened,  being  alienated  from  the 
life  of  God  through  the  ignorance 
that  is  in  them,  because  of  the 
■blindness  of  their  heart  : 

19  Who  being  past  feeling,  have 
‘given  themselves  over  unto  lasciv¬ 
iousness,  to  work  all  uncleanness 
with  greediness. 

20  But  ye  have  not  so  learned 
Christ ; 

21  If  so  be  that  ye  have  heard 
him,  and  have  been  taught  by  him, 
as  the  truth  is  in  Jesus  : 

22  That  ye  put  “  off,  concerning 
the  former  conversation,  the  old 
’man,  which  is  corrupt  according 
to  the  deceitful  lusts  ; 


m  Ju.  1:6. 
n  or,  being  sin¬ 
cere. 

o  2  Co.  4:2. 


p  Col.  1:18,19. 
q  Jn.  15:5. 
v  Ac.  26:18. 
s  or,  haidness. 


t  Ro.  1:24,26. 
u  Col.  3:8,9. 
v  Ro.  6:6. 


By  the  sleight  of  men,  is  a  metaphor  taken 
from  gamesters,  and  signifies  the  mischiev¬ 
ous  subtlety  of  seducers  ;  as  cunning  crafti¬ 
ness  means  their  skilfulness  in  finding  out 
ways  to  seduce  and  deceive.  How  wicked 
those,  who  set  themselves  to  seduce  and  de¬ 
ceive  others  into  false  doctrines  !  The  best 
method  to  fortify  ourselves  against  such,  is, 
to  study  the  sacred  oracles,  and  to  pray  for 
the  illumination  and  grace  of  the  Spirit  of 
Christ,  that  we  may  know  the  truth  as  it  is 
in  Jesus,  and  be  established  in  it. 

(2.)  That  we  should  speak  the  truth  in 
love,  v.  15.  or  follow  the  truth  in  love;  or  be 
sincere  in  love  to  our  fellow-Christians. 
While  we  adhere  to  the  doctrine  of  Christ, 
which  is  the  truth,  we  should  live  in  love 
one  with  another  :  truth  and  peace  should 
go  together. 

(3.)  That  we  should  grow  up  into  Christ 
in  all  things.  Into  Christ,  so  as  to  be  more 
deeply  rooted  in  Him.  In  all  things ;  in 


EPHESIANS,  IV. 

knowledge,  love,  faith,  all  the  parts  of  the 
new  man.  We  should  grow  up  toward  ma¬ 
turity  ;  which  is  opposed  to  the  being  chil¬ 
dren.  Those  are  improving  Christians,  who 
grow  up  into  Christ,  into  an  acquaintance 
with  Him,  faith  in  Him,  love  to  Him,  de¬ 
pendence  on  Him.  He  is  the  Head  ;  and 
we  should  thus  grow,  that  we  may  thereby 
honor  our  Head.  The  Christian’s  growth 
tends  to  the  glory  of  Christ. 

(4.)  We  should  be  assisting  and  helpful 
one  to  another,  as  members  of  the  same 
body,  v.  16.  Here  the  apostle  makes  a 
comparison  between  the  natural  body  and 
Christ’s  mystical  body,  and  observes,  that 
as  there  must  be  communion  and  mutual 
communications  of  the  members  of  the  body 
among  themselves,  in  order  to  their  growth 
and  improvement,  so  there  must  be  mutual 
love  and  unity,  together  with  the  proper 
fruits  of  these,  among  Christians,  in  order 
to  their  spiritual  improvement  and  growth 
in  grace.  From  whom,  says  he,  i.  e.  from 
Christ  their  Head,  who  conveys  influence 
and  nourishment  to  every  particular  mem¬ 
ber,  the  whole  body  of  Christians,  filly  joined 
together  and  compacted,  being  orderly  and 
firmly  united  among  themselves,  every  one 
in  his  proper  place  and  station,  Ay  that  which 
every  joint  supplies,  by  the  assistance  which 
every  one  of  the  parts,  thus  united,  gives  to 
the  whole:  or  by  the  Spirit,  faith,  love,  sac¬ 
raments,  &c.  which  (like  the  veins  and  ar¬ 
teries  in  the  body)  serve  to  unite  Christians 
to  Christ  their  Head,  and  to  one  another  as 
fellow-members.  According  to  the  effectual 
working  in  the  measure  of  every  part  :  i.  e.  say 
some,  according  to  the  power  the  Holy 
Ghost  exerts  to  make  God’s  appointed 
means  effectual  for  this  great  end  ;  in  such 
a  measure  as  Christ  judges  to  be  sufficient 
and  proper  for  every  member,  according  to 
its  respective  place  and  office  in  the  body. 
Or,  .as  others,  according  to  the  power  of 
Christ,  who,  as  Head,  influences  and  enli¬ 
vens  every  member.  Or,  according  to  the 
effectual  working  of  every  member,  in  com¬ 
municating  to  others  of  what  it  has  received, 
nourishment  is  conveyed  to  all  in  their  pro¬ 
portions,  and,  according  to  the  state  and 
exigence  of  every  part,  makes  increase  of  the 
botly,  such  an  increase  as  is  convenient  for 
the  body.  Observe,  Particular  Christians 
receive  their  gifts  and  graces  from  Christ 
for  the  sake  and  benefit  of  the  whole  body. 
Unto  the  edifying  of  itself  in  love.  W e  may 
understand  this  two  ways.  Either,  that  all 
the  members  of  the  church  may  attain  to  a 
greater  measure  of  love  to  Christ  and  to 
one  another.  Or,  that  they  are  moved  to 
act  in  the  manner  mentioned,  from  love  to 
Christ  and  to  one  another.  Observe,  Mu¬ 
tual  love  among  Christians  is  a  great  friend 
to  spiritual  growth  :  it  is  in  love  that  the 
body  edifies  itself :  whereas,  A  kingdom, 
divided  against  itself,  cannot  stand. 

V.  17 — 32.  The  apostle  now  exhorts  to 
Christian  purity,  and  holiness  of  heart  and 
life;  ami  that  both  more  general,  v.  17 — 24. 
and  in  several  particular  instances,  v.  25 — 32. 
This  is  solemnly  introduced  ;  *  This  I  say 


Exhortation  to  purity  and  holiness 

therefore,  and  testify  in  the,  Lord  ;  i.  e.  see¬ 
ing  ye  are  members  of  Christ’s  body,  and 
partakers  of  such  gifts;  this  I  urge  on  your 
consciences,  and  bear  witness  to  as  your 
duty  in  the  Lord’s  name,  and  by  virtue  of 
the  authority  I  have  derived  from  Him.’ 
And  then,  the  more  general  exhortation  to 
purity  and  holiness  of  heart  and  life,  begins 
thus;  ‘  That  ye  henceforth  walk  not  as  other 
Gentiles  walk.’  Here  he  takes  occasion  to 
describe  the  wickedness  of  the  Gentile 
world,  out  of  which  regenerate  Christians 
were  snatched. 

I.  Their  understandings  were,  darkened, 
v.  18.  void  of  all  saving  knowledge  ;  yea, 
ignorant  of  many  things  concerning  God, 
which  the  light  of  nature  might  have  taught 
them  :  and  by  their  ignorance  they  were 
alienated  from  the  life  of  God.  They  were 
estranged  from,  and  had  a  dislike  and  aver¬ 
sion  to,  a  life  of  holiness  ;  which  begins  in 
light  and  knowledge.  And  what  was  the 
cause  1  The  blindness,  or  the  hardness  of 
their  heart ;  not  that  God  did  not  make 
Himself  known  to  them  by  his  works,  but 
they  would  not  admit,  the  instructive  rays  of 
the  divine  light.  They  were  ignorant  be¬ 
cause  they  would  be  so.  Their  ignorance 
proceeded  from  their  obstinacy,  and  the 
hardness  of  their  hearts  ;  they  resisting  the 
light,  and  rejecting  all  the  means  of  illu¬ 
mination  and  knowledge. 

II.  Their  consciences  were  debauched 
and  seared;  Who  being  past  feeling,  v.  19. 
They  had  no  sense  of  their  sin,  or  of  the 
misery  and  danger  of  their  case  by  means 
of  it  ;  whereupon,  they  gave  themselves  over 
unto  lasciviousness.  They  indulged  them¬ 
selves  in  their  filthy  lusts  ;  and,  yielding 
themselves  up  to  the  dominion  of  these,  they 
became  the  slaves  and  drudges  of  sin  and 
the  devil  ;  working  all  uncleanliness  with 
greediness.  They  made  it  their  common 
practice  to  commit  all  sorts  of  uncleanness, 
and  even  the  most  unnatural  and  monstrous 
sins,  and  that  with  insatiable  desires.  [See 
the  relics  of  Pompeii  and  Herculaneum.] 
Observe,  When  men’s  consciences  are  once 
seared,  there  are  no  bounds  to  their  sins. 
When  they  set  their  hearts  on  the  gratifica¬ 
tion  of  their  lusts,  what  can  be  expected, 
but  the  most  abominable  sensuality  and 
lewdness,  and  that  their  horrid  enormities 
will  abound  1 

This  was  the  character  of  the  Gentiles  ; 
but  these  Christians  must  distinguish  them¬ 
selves  from  such  Gentiles  ;  Ye  have  not  so 
learned  Christ,  v.  20.  It  may  be  read.  But 
ye  are  not  so  »'  ye  have,  learned  Christ.  The 
meaning  is,  ‘  Ye  have  not  so  learned  Chris¬ 
tianity, — the  doctrines  of  Christ,  and  the 
rules  of  life  prescribed  hy  Him.  Not  so,  as 
to  do  as  others  do.  If  so  be,  or  since,  that 
ye  have  heard  Him,  v.  21.  have  heard  his 
doctrine  preached  by  us,  and  have  been 
taught  by  Him,  inwardly  and  effectually. 
As  the  truth  is  in  Jesus.  This  may  be  un¬ 
derstood  two  ways  ;  either,  1.  ‘  Ye  have 
been  taught  the  real  truth,  as  held  forth  hy 
Christ  Himself,  both  in  his  doctrine  and  in 
his  life.’  Or,  2.  Thus,  ‘The  truth  has 


V.  14 — 16.  This  shows  the  intent,  tendency,  and  duties  of  the  several 
stations  of  Christians  in  the  church;  and  if  these  were  more  attended  to 
the  resemblance  would  be  more  manifest,  and  the  effects  unspeakably 
beneficial.  Scott. 

(14.)  Tossed,  &c.]  The  apostle’s  life  well  accounts  for  this  nautical 
metaphor:  Ed.  If'ind.]  ‘  Oust  of  wind;  such  are  common  in  the 
Mediterranean.’  Bl.  Sleight.]  Kubeia ;  lit.  dice-playing,  fYom  kubos, 
[a  cube,]  a  die  or  cubic  tessera,  or  psephos.  So,  as  dice-players,  &o. 
were  usually  cheats,  it  came  to  denote  cralt  or  treachery,  such  as  load¬ 
ing  the  dice,  &c.  It  also  refers  perhaps  to  keeping  the  minds  of  the 
taught  in  an  unsettled  state,  by  cither  promulgating,  or  suppressing,  or 
altering  doctrines  at  pleasure,  just  as  dicers  change  the  places  anil  faces 
of  the  dice  as  they  please.  See  Morus  and  Bl.  Ed. 

(16.)  1  As  from  the  head  [the  grand  repository  of  nervous  matter  and 
vital  energy]  all  the  other  parts  of  the  body  derive  life,  vigor,  and  mo¬ 
tion,  so  that  each  by  their  mutual  ministry  assist  one  another ;  so  the 
universal  body  of  Christ  is  so  conjoined  by  that  virtue  which  it  derives 
from  Christ  as  its  Head,  that  each  part  may  in  its  own  way  lend  its  vigor 
to  another,  hy  which  the  whole  may  grow  and  thrive.  Ros.  Accord¬ 
ing,  <fcc.)  By  the  operation  or  working  of  each  individual  part  or  mem¬ 
ber,  according  to  the  measure  (of  its  power).  For,  as  Rns.  obs..  Christ 
does  not  carry  forward  his  congregation  Ilimseif  without  the  interven- 
N.  T.  VOL.  V.  50 


tion  of  man,  but  by  ministers,  whose  cooperation  He  employs,  and 
whom  love  should  prompt  to  exert  their  whole  powers,  to  bring  about 
what  lie  willeth,  namely,  the  building  up  of  Himself  (i.  e.  the  body)  in 
love.’  Bl. 

V.  17.  Other,  Sic.  ]  This  shows  us  the  apostle’s  judgment  concerning 
the  Gentile  world  at  large.  Scott. 

(17.)  1  Paul  depicts  that  voluntary,  self-engendered  and  insatiable 
sensuality ,  [and  animalism,]  which  blunted  all  the  feelings  of  virtue, 
deadened  the  force  of  conscience,  and  darkened  the  understanding  and 
moral  perceptions,  so  that  tiiey  neither  knew  nor  cared  aught  for  the 
living  God.’  '  . 

V.  20—24.  (22)  The  old  man.]  That  sinful  nature  derived  from  fallen 
Adain,  ami  whic’^  is  corrupt  in  all  its  principles  and  affections,  accord¬ 
ing  to  those  various  inordinate  desires  of  worldly  things,  which  moc  c 
men’s  expectations,  deceive  their  souls,  and  make  them  deceive! s  o 
each  i 
of  daceit. 
habits 
pruved 
main 

tiOIl,  me  uiu  man  j  anu  mw  w«/«»***  .v..-v.  .  ..  .  i  j 

needful  to  the  end,  till  ‘  the  body  of  sin  should  be  abolished.  ^ 


A.  D.  64. 


EPHESIANS,  IV. 


Righteousness  and  benevolence  urged . 


23  And  be  renewed  w  in  the  spirit 
of  your  mind  ; 

24  And  that  ye  put  on  the  new 
man,  which  after  God  is  created  xin 
righteousness  and  i  true  holiness. 

25  Wherefore  putting  away  lying, 
speak  every  man  truth  z  with  his 
neighbor  :  for  we  *  are  members 
one  of  another. 

26  Be  ye  angry  and  sin  not;  let 
b  not  the  sun  go  down  upon  your 
wrath  : 

27  Neither  c  give  place  to  the 
devil. 

23  Let  him  that  stole  steal  no 
more  :  but  rather  let  d  him  labor, 
working  with  his  hands  the  thing 
which  is  good,  that  he  may  have  to 
'give  to  him  that  needeth. 

w  Ro.  12:2.  truth.  Jn.  17:17.  c  Ja.  4:7. 

x  Ga.  6:15.  z  Zee.  8:16.  d  Ac.  20:35. 

c.  2:10.  a  Ro.  12:5.  e  or,  distribute, 

y  or,  holiness  of  b  be.  7:9. 


man  to  lead  a  new  life  ;  that  life  of  right¬ 
eousness  and  holiness  which  Christianity 
requires.  This  new  man  is  created,  or  pro¬ 
duced,  out  of  confusion  and  emptiness,  by 
God’s  almighty  power,  whose  workmanship 
it  is,  truly  excellent  and  beautiful.  After 
God  ;  in  imitation  of  Him,  and  in  confor¬ 
mity  to  that  grand  Exemplar  and  Pattern. 
The  loss  of  God’s  image  on  the  soul,  was 
both  the  sinfulness  and  misery  of  man’s 
fallen  state;  and  that  resemblance  which  it 
bears  to  God,  is  the  beauty,  the  glory,  and 
the  happiness,  of  the  new  creature.  In 
righteousness  toward  men,  including  all  the 
duties  of  the  second  table  and  in  holiness 
toward  God,  signifying  a  sincere  obedience 
to  the  commands  of  the  first  table  :  true  holi¬ 
ness,  in  opposition  to  the  outward  and  cer¬ 
emonial  holiness  of  the  Jews.  We  are  said 
to  put  on  this  new  man,  when,  in  the  use  of 
all  God’s  appointed  means,  we.  are  endeav¬ 
oring  after  this  divine  nature,  this  new 
creature. 

This  is  the  more  general  exhortation  to 
purity  and  holiness  of  heart  and  life.  The 
apostle  proceeds  to  some  things  more  par- 
ticular. 

[1.]  Take  heed  of  lying,  and  be  ever  care¬ 
ful  to  speak  the  truth,  v.  25.  Of  this  sin 
the  heathens  were  very  guilty,  affirming  that 
a  profitable  lie  was  better  than  a  hurtful 
truth;  therefore  the  apostle  exhorts  them  to 
cease  from  lying,  from  everything  that  is 
contrary  to  truth.  It  is  the  character  of 
God’s  people,  that  they  are  children  who  will 
not  lie,  who  dare  not  lie,  who  hate  and  ab¬ 
hor  lying.  All  who  have  grace,  make  con¬ 
science  of  speaking  the  truth,  and  would 
not  tell  a  deliberate  lie  for  the  greatest  gain 
and  benefit  to  themselves.  The  reason  here 
given  for  veracity,  is,  We  are  members  one 
of  another.  Truth  is  a  debt  we  owe  one 
another  :  and  if  we  love  one  another,  we 
shall  not  deceive  or  lie  one  to  another.  We 
belong  to  the  same  society  or  body,  which 
falsehood  and  lying  tend  to  dissolve  :  there¬ 
fore  we  should  avoid  that,  and  speak  truth. 
Observe,  Lying  is  a  very  great  sin  ;  a  pe¬ 
culiar  violation  of  the  obligations  Christians 
are  under,  and  very  injurious  and  hurtful  to 
Christian  society. 

[2.]  ‘  Take  heed  of  anger  and  ungov¬ 
erned  passions.  Be  ye  angry  and  sin  not,' 
v.  26.  This  is  borrowed  from  the  LXX  tr. 
of  Ps.  4:  4.  where  we  rendgr  it,  Stand  in 


awe,  and  sin  not.  Here  is  an  easy  conces 
sion  ;  for  as  such  we  should  consider  if 
rather  than  as  a  command.  Be  ye  angry. 
This  we  are  apt  enough  to  be  ;  but  we  finu 
it  difficult  enough  to  observe  the  restriction. 
and  sin  not.  If  we  would  be  angry,  and 
not  sin,  (says  one,)  we  must  be  angry  at 
nothing  but  sin  :  and  we  should  be  more 
jealous  for  the  glory  of  God,  than  for  any 
interest  or  reputation  of  our  own.  One 
great  and  common  sin  in  anger,  is,  to  suffer 
it  to  burn  into  wrath,  and  then  to  let  it  rest; 
therefore  we  are  here  cautioned  against  that: 
‘  let  not  the  sun  go  down  upon  your  wrath. 
If  it  burn  into  wrath,  see  that  you  suppress 
jt  speedily.’  Observe,  Though  anger  in  it¬ 
self  is  not  sinful,  yet  there  is  the  utmost 
danger  of  its  becoming  so,  if  it  be  not  care¬ 
fully  watched,  and  speedily  suppressed. 
Therefore,  though  anger  may  come  into  the 
bosom  of  a  wise  man,  it  rests  only  in  the 
bosom  of  fools.  Neither  give  place  to  the 
devil,  v.  27.  they  who  persevere  in  sinful 
anger  and  in  wrath,  let  the  devil  into  their 
hearts,  and  suffer  him  to  gain  on  them,  till 
he  bring  them  to  malice,  mischievous  mach¬ 
inations,  &c.  ‘  Neither  give  place  to  the  ca¬ 
lumniator,  or  the  false  accuser  ;’  (so  some 
read  the  words ;  )  ‘let  your  ears  be  deaf  to 
whisperers,  tale-bearers,  and  slanderers.’ 

[3.]  We  are  here  warned  against  the  sin 
of  stealing,  and  advised  to  honest  industry, 
and  to  beneficence,  v,  28.  It  is  a  caution 
against  all  manner  of  wrong-doing,  by  force 
or  fraud  :  and  not  only  must  we  not  steal, 
but  we  must  labor,  working  with  our  hands  the 
thing  that  is  good.  Idleness  makes  thieves; 
so  Chrysostom.  They  who  will  not  work, 
and  are  ashamed  to  beg,  expose  themselves 
greatly  to  temptations,  to  thievery,  [over¬ 
reaching,  &c.]  Men  should  therefore  be 
diligent  and  industrious,  not  in  any  unlawful 
way,  but  in  some  honest  calling.  Working 
the  thing  which  is  good.  But  there  is  anoth¬ 
er  reason  why  a  man  ought  to  be  industrious ; 
That  he  may  have  to  give  to  him  that  needeth. 
Observe,  even  those  who  get  their  living  by 
their  labor,  should  be  charitable  out  of  their 
little  to  those  who  are  disabled  for  labor. 
Observe,  further.  Those  alms  that  are  likely 
to  be  acceptable  to  God,  must  not  be  the 
produce  of  unrighteousness,  but  of  honesty 
and  industry. 

[4.]  We  are  here  warned  against  corrupt 
communication  ;  and  directed  to  that  which 


made  such  an  impression  on  your  hearts,  in 
your  measure,  as  corresponds  to  the  exem¬ 
plification  of  it  in  Him.’  The  truth  of 
Christ  then  appears  in  its  beauty  and  power, 
when  it  appears  as  in  Jesus. 

Another  branch  of  the  general  exhortation 
follows,  v.  22 — 24.  Here  the  apostle  ex¬ 
presses  himself  in  metaphors  taken  from 
garments.  The  principles,  habits,  and  dis¬ 
positions  of  the  soul  must  be  changed,  before 
there  can  be  a  saving  change  of  the  life. 

(I.)  The  old  man  must  be  put  off.  The 
corrupt  nature  is  called  a  man,  because, 
like  the  human  body,  it  consists  of  divers 
parts, naturally  supporting  and  strengthening 
one  another.  It  is  old,  as  derived  from 
Adam,  and  brought  into  the  world  with  us. 

It  is  said  to  be  corrupt,  for  sin  in  the  soul  is 
the  corruption  of  its  faculties,  and  tends 
to  destruction.  The  deceitful  lusts,  are  sin¬ 
ful  inclinations  and  desires,  which  promise 
happiness,  but  beget  misery,  and  betray  to 
destruction,  if  not  subdued  and  mortified. 

Their  former  conversation,  is  their  state  of 
unregeneracy  and  heathenism. 

(2.)  The  new  man  must  b e  put  on.  By  the 
new  man,  is  meant  the  new  nature,  the  new 
creature,  which  is  actuated  by  a  new  prin¬ 
ciple,  even  regenerating  grace,  enabling  a 

19 — 21.  1  Pei.  1:13 — 21.  2:1 — 3.  If  ‘  the  old  man,’  means  no  more  than 
bad  habits ,  as  many  explain  it,  how  does  it  come  to  pass,  that  these  bad 
habits  have  always  been  so  general,  not  to  say  universal ;  while  good 
habits  have  been  exceedingly  rare,  if  any  instances  can  be  adduced, 
which  never  yet  have  been,  in  a  satisfactory  manner  ?  We  never  read 
of  bad  habits,  in  any  degree,  among  lioly  angels  :  nor  would  they  have 
been  heard  of  among  men,  if  they  had  not  apostatized  from  God,  and 
become  ‘dead  in  sin,’  and  ‘by  nature  children  of  wrath.’  2:1 — 3. — The 
state  of  the  unconverted  Gentiles  is  indeed  here  particularly  adverted  to: 
yet  it  is  most  certain,  that  the  nature  of  the  unregenerate  (nay,  their 
practice,  also,  except  in  respect  of  gross  idolatry,  and  some  of  its  abom¬ 
inable  appendages)  is  similar,  even  in  those  who  are  called  Christians. 

Scott. 

(21.)  Doddr.,  Mackn.,  Ros.,  and  Bl.,  infer,  ‘  that  there  was  a  certain 
manner  of  teaching  and  of  learning  the  Christian  doctrine  n6t  quite  in¬ 
consistent  with  such  irregularities  ;  and  that  this  may  glance,  like  some 
other  passages  in  the  apostle’s  writings,  at  those  Christian  teachers, 
who  took  too  little  care  to  inculcate  the  duties  of  practical  morality. 
Now  this  we  know,’  adds  Bl.,  ‘was  much  the  case  at  Corinth  ;  and  it 
seems  to  have  been  so,  though  in  a  less  degree,  at  Ephesus.  And  no 
wonder,  since  the  two  cities  were  supposed  to  be  the  most  vicious  and 
depraved  of  any  in  the  world.  Indeed,  the  morals  of  the  Ionians  were 
almost  proverbially  depraved.  See  Mitscherlich,  on  Horace,  Carm.  3, 
6,21.’  Ed. 

(22.)  Deceitful .]  For  lusts  delude  the  judgment  and  conscience; 
lulling  them,  while  the  consciousness  is  occupied  with  present  pleasure, 
ending  in  disappointment  and  shame  on  the  review,  when  consciousness 
returns  to  seat  itself  in  the  judgment.  But  this  right  feeling  is  less  and 
less  clear,  till  vice  and  sin  comes  to  be  thought  harmless,  even  that 
which  will  at  length  destroy.  Comp.  He.  3:13.  In. 

(23.)  ‘  Mind  (nous)  may  be  put  for  the  whole,  soul,  and  pneuma  (the 
Spirit)  for  its  intellectual  and  leading  faculty  [faculties],  on  which  the 
Spirit  of  God  might  chiefly  operate,  yet  not  exclusive  of  some  influence 
on  the  inferior  powers.’  Doddr.  (21)  After.)  I.  e.  after  the  example  of, 
(Col.  3:9.)  or  in  conformity  to  the  will  of  God.  Righteousness  means 
duties  to  men  ;  holiness,  those  to  God.  See  Bl.  Id. 

V.  25.  ‘  Whitby  hath  well  shown,  in  his  note  on  this  passage,  that 
several  of  the  best  of  the  heathen  moralists  thought  lying  might  in  many 
cases  be  justified  :  and  I  wish  that  none  but  heathens  had  ever  taught 
so  loose  and  dangerous  a  doctrine.’  Doddr.  Scott.  See  h'ayland's 
Elts.  Mor.  Science.  Id. 


V.  26,  27.  Great  stress  seems,  in  many  places,  to  be  laid  on  this,  [the 
relief  of  the  sick  and  aged,]  which,  in  a  very  striking  manner,  shows  to 
what  an  extent  charitable  communications,  from  the  substance  or  gains 
of  Christians,  in  every  station  of  life,  for  the  relief  of  their  brethren,  and 
of  others,  for  Christ’s  sake,  ought  to  be  Carried.  But  alas  !  those  who 
are  not  eager  to  amass  wealth,  as  most  in  these  days  are,  spend  very 
far  too  much  [time  and  money]  on  themselves  and  their  families,  to 
spare  a  due  proportion  for  beneficent  purposes  :  and  a  degree  of  liberal¬ 
ity7,  even  far  beneath  the  scriptural  and  primitive  standard,  is  now  re¬ 
garded  rather  as  a  prodigy  to  be  wondered  at,  than  an  example  to  be 
imitated.  Acts  2:44—47.  9:36—43.  P.  O.  32—43.  Notes,  11:27—30. 
Scott.  See  ‘  Mammon,’  n  Prize  Essay.  Ed. 

f27.)  Devi/.]  ‘  Strange,  that  almost  all  the  recent  interpreters,  ns 
Ros.  and  Schl.,  should  take  diabolos  to  mean  the  adversary,  the  calum¬ 
niator,  and  the  former  call  it  the  more  natural  and  easy  sense  !  Such 
indeed  I  grant  it  xvould  have  been  to  a  Pagan ,  who  had  accidentally 
taken  up  the  N.  T.  ;  but  not  to  a  Christian,  who  has  learnt  from  the 
sacred  writings,  of  the  existence  of  a  being  who,  by  himself  and  his 
agents,  tempts  men  to  the  commission  of  sin,  and  who  is  ever  ready  to 
assault  us  when  the  more  violent  passions  of  any  kind  are  in  commo¬ 
tion.  Besides,  the  sense  which  those  comtrs.  here  introduce  is  not  only 
harsh,  hut  very  rarely  found  in  Scripture,  and  scarcely  ever  with  the 
article,  as  here.  Even  Koppe  (sufficiently  prone  to  innovation)  admits 
that  the  common  interpretation  is  supported  by  the  tenor  of  Scripture, 
which  represents  Satan  as  the  author  and  exciter  of  all  bad  passions. 
And  from  Schoettgen's  note,  it  appears,  the  Rabbins  thought  violent 
anger  was  excited  by  the  devil.'  Bn.  Give  not  place  then  to  the 
devil,  by  over-indulgence  of  any  propensity  ;  lest,  being  thus  a  recipient 
of  hellish  influences,  and,  by  habitual  indulgence  of  evil,  fitted  for  hell, 
you  go  to  his  and  your  own  place  there  !  Id. 

(28.)  Theft  is  generally,  especially  when  on  a  small  scale,  the  vice  of 
the  poorer  classes,  among  whom  most  of  the  Christians  were  then 
gathered.  It  arises  from  an  over-active  propensity  to  ncquire,  or  from 
want,  occasioned  by  indulged  appetite  or  idleness;  in  either  case,  the 
best  remedy  is  that  the  apostle  suggests,  habitual  industry,  a  busy  head 
and  busy  hands  ;  ‘  for  Satan  finds  some  mischief  still  for  idle  hands  to  do 
and  charity  to  others,  that  selfish  lusts  may  be  denied,  and  better  im¬ 
pulses  become  habitual.  Ed.  ‘Among  all  those,  who,  xvithin  my 
knowledge,  have  appeared  to  become  sincerely  penitent  nnd  reformed,  I 
recollect  only  a  single  lazy  man  :  and  this  man  became  industrious  from 
the  moment  of  his  apparent,  and,  I  doubt  not,  real  conversion.’  Dwight. 


A.  D.  64. 


EPHESIANS,  V. 


Caution  against  grieving  the  Spirit. 


29  Let f  no  corrupt  communica¬ 
tion  proceed  out  of  your  mouth, 
but  that  which  is  good  8  to  the  use 
of  edifying,  that  itjnay  minister 
grace  unto  the'hearers. 

50  And  grieve  h  not  the  holy  Spir¬ 
it  of  God,  whereby  ye  are  sealed 
'  unto  the  day  of  redemption. 

51  Let  all  j  bitterness,  and  wrath, 
and  anger,  and  clamor,  and  k  evil¬ 
speaking,  be  put  away  from  you, 
with  all  malice  : 

32  And  be  ye  kind  one  to  another, 
tender-hearted,  forgiving  1  one  an¬ 
other,  even  as  God  for  Christ’s  sake 
hath  forgiven  you. 

CHAP.  V. 

2  After  general  exhortation*,  to  lore,  3  to  flee  fornication, 
4  and  all  uncleanness,  7  not  to  converse  with  the  wicked, 
15  to  walk  warily,  and  to  be  18  filled  with  the  Spirit,  22 
he  descendeth  to  the  particular  duties,  how  wives  ought 
to  obey  their  husbands,  25  and  husbands  ought  to  love 
their  wives,  32  even  as  Christ  doth  his  church. 

BE  ve  therefore  followers  of  God, 
as  dear  children  ; 

2  And  walk  in  “love,  as  Christ 
also  hath  loved  us,  and  hath  given 

f  Col.  4:6.  h  Is. 63:10.  k  Tit.  3:2. 

g  or,  to  edify  i  c.  1:13,14.  1  Ma.  11:25,26. 

profitably.  j  Col.  3:8.  a  Jn.  13:34. 

is  useful  and  edifying,  v.  29.  It  may  be 
taken  in  general,  for  all  that,  on  the  one 
hand,  which  provokes  the  lusts  and  pas¬ 
sions  of  others  ;  and  all  that,  on  the  other, 
which  is  good  to  the  use  of  edifying.  The 
great  use  of  speech  is,  to  edify  those  with 
whom  we  converse.  Observe,  It  is  the 
great  duty  of  Christians  to  take  care  that 
they  offend  not  with  their  lips  ;  and  that 
they  improve  discourse  and  converse,  as 
much  as  may  he,  for  the  goqtl  of  others. 

[5.]  Here  is  another  caution  against 
wrath  and  anger;  and  further  advice  to  mu¬ 
tual  love,  and  kindly  dispositions  towards 
each  other,  v.  31,  32.  By  bitterness,  wroth, 
and  anger,  are  meant  violent,  inward  resent¬ 
ment  and  displeasure  against  others:  and  by 


clamor,  big  words,  loud  threalenings,  and 
other  intemperate  speecltes,  by  which  bit¬ 
terness,  wrath,  and  anger,  do  vent  them¬ 
selves.  Christians  should  not  entertain  these 
vile  passions  in  their  hearts,  nor  be  clamor¬ 
ous  with  their  tongues.  Evil-speaking  sig¬ 
nifies,  all  railing,  reviling,  and  reproachful 
speeches,  against  such  as  we  are  angry  with. 
And  by  malice  we  are  to  understand,  that 
rooted  anger  which  prompts  men  to  design 
and  to  do  mischief  to  others. 

The  contrary  to  all  this  follows  ;  Be.  ye 
kind  one  to  another.  This  implies  the  prin¬ 
ciple  of  love  in  the  heart,  and  the  outward 
expression  of  it,  in  an  affable,  humble, 
courteous  behavior  and  carriage.  It  be¬ 
comes  the  disciples  of  Jesus  to  be  kind  one 
to  another;  as  those  who  have  learned,  and 
would  teach,  the  art  of  obliging.  Tender¬ 
hearted ;  merciful,  and  having  a  tender  sense 
of  the  distresses  and  sufferings  of  others,  so 
as  to  be  quickly  moved  to  compassion  and 
pity.  Forgiving  one  another.  Occasions  of 
difference  will  happen  among  Christ’s  dis¬ 
ciples;  and  therefore  they  must  be  placable, 
and  ready  to  forgive  ;  therein  resembling 
God  Himself,  who  for  Christ’s  sake  hath  for¬ 
given  them,  and  that  more  than  they  can 
forgive  one  another.  Now, 

We  may  observe,  concerning  all  these 
particulars  the  apostle  has  insisted  on,  that 
they  belong  to  the  second  table;  whence 
Christians  should  learn  the  strict  obligations 
they  are  under  to  the  duties  of  the  second 
table  ;  and  that  lie  who  does  not  conscien¬ 
tiously  discharge  them,  can  never  fear  or 
love  God  in  truth  and  in  sincerity,  whatever 
He  may  pretend  to. 

In  the  midst  of  these  exhortations  and 
cautions  the  apostle  interposes  that  general 
one,  Arid  grieve  not  the  Holy  Spirit  of  God, 
v.  30.  By  looking  to  what  precedes,  and 
to  what  follows,  we  may  see  what  it  is  that 
grieves  the  Spirit  of  God.  In  the  vs.  before 
it  is  intimated,  that  all  lewdness  and  filthi¬ 
ness,  lying,  and  corrupt  communications 
that  stir  up  filthy  appetites  and  lusts,  grieve 
the  Spirit  of  God.  In  what  follows  it  is  in¬ 
timated,  that  those  corrupt  passions  of  bit¬ 
terness,  wrath,  anger,  clamor,  evil-speak¬ 


ing,  and  malice,  grieve  this  good  Spirit. 
Not  that  that  blessed  Being  could  properly 
be  grieved  or  vexed,  as  we  are  :  but  it  is 
spoken  after  the  manner  of  men  ;  and  it  is 
a  great  good  reason  why  we  should  not 
grieve  Him,  because  by  Him  we  are  sealed 
unto  the  day  of  redemption,  the  resurrection- 
day,  when  God’s  people  will  be  delivered 
from  all  sin  and  misery,  and  their  full  and 
complete  happiness  commence.  All  true 
believers  are  sealed  to  that  day.  God  has 
distinguished  them  from  others,  having  set 
his  mark  on  them  :  He  gives  them  the  ear¬ 
nest  and  assurance  of  a  joyful  and  a  glorious 
resurrection  :  and  the  Spirit  of  God  is  the 
Seal.  Wherever  that  blessed  Spirit  is,  as 
a  Sanctifier,  He  is  the  Earnest  of  all  the 
joys  and  glories  of  (lie  redemption-day;  and 
we  should  he  undone,  should  God  take  away 
his  Holy  Spirit  from  us. 

Chap.  V.  V.  1,  2.  Here  we  have  the 
exhortation  to  mutual  love,  or  Christian 
charity.  ‘  Because  God,  for  Christ’s  sake, 
has  forgiven  you,  (4  :  32.)  therefore  be  ye 
followers  of  God,  or  imitators  of  Him  ;’  for 
so  the  word  signifies.  Pious  persons  should 
imitate  the  God  whom  they  worship,  as  far 
as  He  has  revealed  Himself  as  imitable  by 
them.  This  puts  a  great  honor  on  practical 
religion,  that  it  is  the  imitation  of  God. 
Especially  should  they  resemble  Him  in  his 
love,  and  in  his  pardoning  goodness.  As 
children  usually  resemble  their  parents  in 
the  lineaments  and  features  of  their  faces, 
and  in  the  dispositions  and  qualities  of  their 
minds  ;  so  the  character  we  bear  of  God’s 
children,  obliges  us  to  resemble  Him,  es¬ 
pecially  in  his  love  and  goodness,  in  his 
mercy  and  readiness  to  forgive.  And  they 
only  are  God’s  dear  children,  who  imitate 
Him  in  these.  It  follows,  And  walk  in  love, 
v.  2.  This  Godlike  grace  should  conduct 
and  influence  our  whole  conversation,  which 
is  meant  by  walking  in  it  ;  and  we  should 
be  more  careful  to  give  proof  of  the  sincer¬ 
ity  of  our  love  one  to  another.  As  Christ 
also  hath  loved  us.  Here  the  apostle  directs 
us  to  the  example  of  Christ,  in  whom  we 
have  an  instance  of  the  most  free  and  gen- 


PRACT.  OBS.  1  The  mind  that  was  in  Christ’  will  teach  those  who 
suffer  for  his  sake,  to  be  more  desirous  that  Christians,  and  those  espe¬ 
cially  with  whom  they  are  peculiarly  connected,  should  ‘walk  worthy 
of  their  vocation,’  than  of  their  own  exemption  from  the  cross  :  anil 
though  we  can  do  nothing  towards  our  own  justification  ;  yet,  by  the 
grace  of  God,  we  may  do  a  great  deal  for  Hie  honor  of  the  Gospel,  and 
the  benefit  of  mankind.  If  all  who  profess  the  Gospel  did  indeed  thus 
‘endeavor  to  keep  the  unity  of  the  Spirit  in  the  bond  of  peace,’  what  a 
different  face  would  file  riliurch  of  God  assume  !  But  alas  !  how  griev¬ 
ously  do  the  remaining  ignorance,  bigotry,  and  disproportionate  zeal 
about  comparative  trifles,  even  in  good  men;  the  designing  ambition 
and  furious  passions  of  bad  men;  and  the  artifices  of  the  devil,  defeat 
the  endeavors  of  those  who  labor  for  peace ;  and  perpetuate,  yea,  multi¬ 
ply,  divisions  and  dissensions  among  those  who  are  agreed  in  the  great 
essentials  of  Christianity  !  Let  us,  however,  persevere  in  seeking  and 
praying  for  the  peace  of  the  church  ;  for  ‘  blessed  are  the  peace-makers:’ 
and,  whatever  eager  zealots  may  say  of  us,  we  shall,  in  so  doing,  ‘he 
called  the  children  of  God.’ — While  Christians  should  he  exhorted  to 
value  the  failhful  ministry  of  the  Gospel,  as  tile  precious  gift  of  Christ, 
and  fhe  principal  means  of  salvation  to  their  souls;  ‘pastors  and  teach¬ 
ers,’  however  distinguished,  should  be  reminded  of  the  grand  purpose 
for  which  they  were  appointed,  even  ‘for  t lie  perfecting  of  the  saints, 
and  for  the  work  of  the  ministry,’  and  not  for  the  emolument  or  reputa¬ 
tion  or  rank  ill  society  connected  with  it;  and  for  the  edification  of  t he 
body  of  Christ,  not  for  the  indulgence  of  themselves,  or  the  advance¬ 
ment  of  their  families  to  wealth  or  preferment,  with  the  treasures  or 
patronage  intrusted  to  their  stewardships,  that  with  them  they  may  pro¬ 
mote  the  cause  of  true  religion,  and  of  which  stewardship  they  must  at 
length  give  a  strict  account. — We  should  indeed  ‘hold  the  truth  with 
firmness,’  but  it  should  also  he  ‘in  love:’  otherwise  zeal  for  orthodoxy 
may  dictate  such  violent  measures,  as  shall  more  distract  the  church, 
and  injure  the  cause  of  Christ,  than  false  teachers  themselves  could  do. 
I.et  all  ministers  ‘testify  in  the  Lord,’  with  all  solemnity  and  authority, 
against  unchristian  tempers  and  practices,  as  well  as  against  false  doc- 

V  30 — 32.  When  a  father  has  done  everything  proper  for  the  benefit 
of  his  son,  he  ‘is  grieved  ’  if  his  son  acts  in  an  unbecoming  manner; 
and,  consequently,  will  not  be  free  and  cheerful  in  his  company;  but 
will  either  shun  him,  or  frown  on  him. — As  a  kind  and  wise  Friend,  the 
Holy  Spirit  watched  over  the  Ephesian  converts  for  their  good,  with  in¬ 
finite  condescension  and  love:  all  their  hope,  wisdom,  strength,  and  joy 
were  from  Him;  and  the  only  return  lie  required,  was  a  ready  com¬ 
pliance  with  his  holy  suggestions,  nnd  a  watchfulness  against  everything 
■of  a  contrary  tendency.  None  but  true  believers,  persons  really  par¬ 
taking  of  the  regenerating,  sanctifying  Spirit  of  Christ,  could  feel  the 
energy  of  this  exhortation.  Scott. 


trines ;  nnd  insist  on  it,  that  believers  must  not  ‘  walk  as  others  do,’  who 
are  Gentiles  in  conduct,  though  Christians  in  name:  for  the  difference 
between  heretofore  ami  ‘henceforth,’  is  of  immense  importance  in  this 
grand  concern.  Indeed,  there  are  many  professors  of  evangelical  truth, 
who  have  so  perversely  received  the  Gospel,  as  not  to  be  convinced  of 
the  necessity  of  mortifying  their  corrupt  nature  and  its  deceitful  lusts, 
of  being  ‘  renewed  in  the  spirit  of  their  minds,’  and  of  ‘  putting  on  the 
new  man,  which  is  created  after  God  in  righteousness  and  true  holiness  !’ 
— Those  who  most  carefully  watch  over  and  examine  themselves,  will 
most  clearly  perceive  the  extreme  difficulty  of  adhering  to  exact  ‘  truth’ 
and  sincerity  in  all  their  conversation,  and  of  avoiding  every  kind  and  de¬ 
gree  of  falsehood  :  t hey  also  find  it  very  dillicult  to  feel  and  express  anger, 
on  the  most  justifiable  occasions,  and  to  perform  the  duties  of  parents, 
masters,  or  ministers,  without  falling  into  sin,  and  dishonoring  their 
profession.  —  Even  exact  and  scrupulous  honesty  in  all  tilings  is  far  more 
uncommon,  than  is  generally  imagined  ;  nay,  many  truly  pious  persons 
do  things  not  strictly  just,  for  waul  of  being  instructed  and  admonished 
after  the  apostolical  manner.  But,  though  thieves  and  robbers  are  as 
welcome,  when  t hey  come  to  the  Savior  by  penitent  faith,  as  their  more 
moral  neighbors,  yet,  thenceforth  they  must ‘steal  no  more,’  whatever 
hard  labor  may  be  necessary  for  a  mean,  frugal,  and  honest  livelihood. 
What  then  shall  we  think  of  those  professed  Christians,  who  grow  rich 
and  live  in  luxury,  by  various  frauds  and  oppressions,  by  excessive  pro¬ 
fits,  [speculations  which  hazard  other  men’s  property,]  smuggling,  and 
other  acts  of  injustice,  without  restitution  or  amendment !  And  if  the 
poor  laborer  ought  to  ‘give  to  him  that  needeth,’  what  shall  we  think 
of  those,  whose  large  revenues,  and  immense  expenses  or  hoardings,  are 
far  out  of  all  proportion  to  their  penurious  and  scanty  aims  ? — WJien 
we  in  any  degree  or  respect  neglect  these  rules,  we  ‘grieve  the  Ifoly 
Spirit  of  God,’  lose  our  comfort  and  evidence,  and  even  bring  our  state 
into  doubt  and  suspicion.  Let  ns  then  watch  against  all  the  evils  here 
stated,  and  against  all  anger  and  malice,  and  every  violent  and  malignant 
temper;  and  in  all  things  copy  diligently  the  loving  example  of  our  God 
and  Savior.  Scott. 


V'OTF.S.  Chap.  V.  V.  1,  2.  Not  that  the  Father  could  take  pleas- 
:  in  beholding  the  intense  sufferings  ‘of  his  beloved  Son,’  in  whom 
s  soul  delighted,’  on  their  own  account  ;  but  his  justice  and  holiness 
re  thus  glorified,  and  a  way  w  as  opened  for  the  honorable  exercise  of 
rcy,  towards  those  who  deserved  li is  awful  vengeance,  and  in  this 
play  of  his  glory  He  w  as  well  pleased. —  Compassion  for  the  deserved- 
miserahie,  condescension  to  the  mean  and  vile,  a  readiness  to  forgive 
nries,  self-abasement,  self-denial,  nnd  enlarged  beneficence,  all  ,in  ,u' 
•fection,  were  most  illustriously  manifested  in  that  love,  which  is  Here 
iposed  as  the  pattern  for  our  imitation.  bc°TT. 

2.)  Walk.  ‘  Peripateite  :  it  expresses  habit,  perpetual  tenor  ol I  fife. 


A.  D.  64. 

himself  for  us,  an  offering  and  a 
sacrifice  to  God  for  a  '’sweet-smell¬ 
ing  savor. 

3  But  c  fornication,  and  all  un- 
cleanness,  or  covetousness,  let  it 
not  be  once  d  named  among  you,  as 
becometh  saints  ; 

4  Neither  filthiness,  nor  foolish 
talking,  nor  jesting,  Avhich  eare  not 
convenient :  but  rather  giving  of 
thanks. 

5  For  this  ye  know,  that  f  no 
whoremonger,  nor  unclean  person, 
nor  covetous  man,  who  g  is  an  idol¬ 
ater,  hath  any  inheritance  in  the 
kingdom  of  Christ  and  of  God. 

6  Let  no  man  deceive  hyou  with 
vain  words  :  for  because  of  these 
things  cometh  the  wrath  of  God 
upon  the  children  of 1  disobedience. 

b  Le.  1:9  e  Ro.  1:28.  g  Col.  3:5. 

c  1  Co.  6:18.  f  He.  13:4.  b  Je.  29:8,9. 

1  Tb.  4:3.  Re.  22:15.  i  or t  unbelief. 

d  ver.  12. 

erous  love  that  ever  was  ;  that  great  love 
wherewith  He  hath  loved  us.  The  apostle 
designedly  enlarges  on  the  subject;  for  what 
can  yield  us  more  delightful  matter  for  con¬ 
templation  than  this!  Christ  gave  Himself 
to  die  for  us  ;  and  the  death  of  Christ  was 
the  great  sacrifice  of  atonement.  Some 
observe,  that  the  sin-offerings  were  never 
said  to  be  of  a  sweet-smelling  savor  :  but 
this  is  said  of  the  Lamb  of  God,  which 
taketh  away  the  sin  of  the  world.  As  He 
offered  Himself  with  a  design  to  be  accept¬ 
ed  of  God,  so  God  did  accept,  was  pleased 
with,  and  appeased  by,  that  sacrifice. 

V'.  3 — 20.  These  vs.  contain  a  caution 
against  all  manner  of  uncleanness,  with 
proper  arguments  and  remedies  proposed  : 
some  further  cautions  are  added,  and  other 
duties  recommended.  Fornication  is  folly 
committed  between  unmarried  persons.  All 
uncleanness  includes  all  other  sorts  of  filthy 
lusts,  which  were  too  common  among  the 
Gentiles.  Or  covetousness ;  which,  being 


EPHESIANS,  V. 

thus  connected,  and  mentioned  as  a  thing 
which  should  not  be  once  named,  some  un¬ 
derstand  of  unnatural  lusts  ;  while  others 
take  it,  in  the  common  sense,  for  an  immod¬ 
erate  desire  of  gain,  or  an  insatiable  love 
of  riches,  which,  estranging  the  affections 
from  God,  is  spiritual  adultery.  Now  these 
sins  must  be  dreaded  and  detested,  in  the 
highest  degree.  Let  it  not  be  once  named 
among  you,  never  in  a  way  of  approbation, 
and  without  abhorrence,  as  becometh  saints, 
holy  persons,  who  are  separated  from  the 
world,  and  dedicated  unto  God.  The  apos¬ 
tle  not  only  cautions  against  the  gross  acts 
of  sin,  but  against  what  some  may  be  apt  to 
make  light  of,  and  think  to  be  excusable. 
Neither  filthiness,  v.  4.  By  which  may  be 
understood  all  wanton  and  unseemly  gestures 
and  behavior.  Nor  foolish  talking ,  obscene 
and  lewd  discourse  ;  or,  more  generally, 
such  vain  discourse  as  betrays  much  folly 
and  indiscretion,  and  is  far  from  edifying 
the  hearers.  Nor  jesting.  The  Greek  word 
is  the  same  that  Aristotle,  in  his  Ethics, 
uses  for  pleasantness  of  conversation,  mak¬ 
ing  it  a  virtue.  And  there  is,  no  doubt,  an 
innocent  and  inoffensive  jesting,  which  we 
cannot  suppose  the  apostle  here  forbids. 
Some  understand  it,  of  such  scurrilous  and 
abusive  reflections  as  tend  to  expose  others, 
and  to  make  them  ridiculous.  This  is  bad 
enough:  but  the  context  seems  to  restrain  it 
to  such  pleasantry  of  discourse  as  is  filthy 
and  obscene  ;  which  he  may'  also  design  by 
that  corrupt,  or  putrid  and  rotten,  communi¬ 
cation  he  speaks  of,  ch.  4  :  29.  Of  these 
things  he  says,  They  are  not 'convenient  :  the 
meaning  is,  they  do  not  become  Christians, 
and  are  very  unsuitable  to  their  profession 
and  character.  Christians  are  allowed  to 
be  cheerful  and  pleasant  ;  but  they  must  be 
merry  and  wise.  The  apostle  adds,  but 
rather  giving  of  thanks.  Note,  1.  We  should 
take  all  occasions  to  render  thanksgivings 
and  praises  to  God  for  his  kindness  and 
favors  to  us.  2.  A  grateful  reflection  on 
the  grace  and  goodness  of  God  to  us,  with 
a  design  to  excite  our  thankfulness  to  Him, 
is  proper  to  refresh  and  delight  the  Chris¬ 
tian’s  mind,  and  to  make  him  cheerful.  Dr. 


Caution  against  uncleanness. 

Hammond  thinks  gracious,  pious,  religious 
discourse  in  the  general  may  be  meant  ;  by 
way  of  opposition  to  what  the  apostle  con¬ 
demns.  If  men  abounded  more  in  good 
and  pious  expressions,  they  would  not  be 
so  apt  to  utter  ill  and  unbecoming  words. 
To  fortify  us  against  the  sins  of  uncleanness, 
&c.  the  apostle  urges  several  arguments, 
and  prescribes  several  remedies,  in  what 
follows. 

I.  lie  urges  several  arguments.  As, 

1.  Consider  that  these  are  sins  which 
shut  persons  out  of  heaven,  v.  5.  They 
knew  it,  being  informed  of  it  by  the  Chris¬ 
tian  religion.  By  a  covetous  man,  some  un¬ 
derstand  a  lewd,  lascivious  libertine,  who 
indulges  himself  in  those  vile  lusts  which 
were  accounted  the  certain  marks  of  a 
heathen  and  an  idolater.  Others  understand 
it  in  the  common  acceptation  of  the  word  ; 
and  such  a  man  is  an  idolater,  because  there 
is  spiritual  idolatry  in  the  love  of  this 
world.  A  covetous  man  makes  a  god  of  his 
money  ;  sets  those  affections  upon  it,  and 
places  that  hope,  confidence,  and  delight,  in 
worldly  good,  which  should  be  reserved  for 
God  only.  Heaven  is  here  described  as  a 
kingdom,  (as  frequently  elsewhere,)  with 
respect  to  its  eminency  and  glory,  its  [or¬ 
der,]  fulness,  sufficiency,  &c.  In  this  king¬ 
dom,  the  saints  and  servants  of  God  have 
an  inheritance  ;  for  it  is  the  inheritance  of  the 
saints  in  light.  But  those  who  are  impeni¬ 
tent,  and  allow  themselves,  either  in  the 
lusts  of  the  flesh  or  the  love  of  the  world, 
are  not  Christians  indeed,  and  so  belong 
i5ot  to  the  kingdom  of  grace,  nor  shall  they 
ever  come  to  the  kingdom  of  glory.  Let  us 
then  be  excited  to  be  on  our  guard  against 
those  sins  which  would  exclude  from  heaven. 

2.  These  sins  bring  the  wrath  of  God  on 
those  who  are  guilty  of  them,  tx  6.  1  ‘  Let 
none  flatter  you,  as  though  such  things  were 
not  very  provoking  and  offensive  to  God  ; 
or,  as  though  you  might  indulge  yourselves 
in  them,  and  yet  escape  with  impunity. 
These  are  vain  words.’  Observe,  They  who 
flatter  themselves  and  others  with  hopes  of 
impunity  in  sin,  do  but  cheat.  By  children 
of  disobedience,  may  be  meant  the  Gentiles, 


Koppe  here  remarks  on  the  constant  and  perpetual  opinion  of  men,  that 
no  sure  hope  of  pardon  could  be  conceived  without  the  death  of  a  vic¬ 
tim.  Also,  that  prosphora  [offering],  and  thusia  [sacrifice],  are  not  sy¬ 
nonymous;  the  former,  (which  answers  to  the  Heb.  mnchh ,  [note,  Lev. 
1:2.])  being  used  of  any  gifts  offered  to  procure  the  favor  of  the  Deity, 
unbloody  sacrifices;  the  latter,  (which  answers  to  the  Heb.  zbchh,)  be¬ 
ing  used  solely  of  victims,  as  Heb.  10:3.  Dr.  Bates  thinks,  that  the 
prosphora  refers  to  the /icacc-offering  ;  and  the  thusia  to  tile  sirs -offer 
ing.  He  that  as  it  may,  they  seem  conjoined  as  Doddr.  obs.)  to  signify 
the  completeness  of  the  sacrifice.  Sweet-smelling.]  1  Grateful,  accep¬ 
table  :  and  this  was  all  the  plira.se  came  to  .signify ;  it  was  derived  (so 
Koppe)  from  the  opinion,  that  the  Deity  was  Himself  present  at  the  sa¬ 
crifice,  and  ate  the  flesh,  or  inhaled  the  fumes  and  nidor.  Hence,  the 
most  fragrant  sacrifice  was  deemed  the  most  acceptable.’  Hi,. 

V.  3,  4.  The  degree,  in  which  1  fornication,’  in  particular,  and  other 
kinds  of  licentiousness,  were  practised  and  even  allowed,  nay,  excused 
or  vindicated,  not  only  by  poets,  lint  even  by  grave  philosophers  of  the 
Gentiles,  can  hardly  be  conceived  by  those  who  are  not  conversant  with 
their  writings.  The  exhortation,  therefore,  as  it  respects  these  vices, 
needs  little  comment ;  but  many  learned  men  maintain,  that  the.  word 
rendered  ‘covetousness,’  means  an  insatiable  craving  after  more  and 
more  of  these  Sensual  indulgences.  Now,  it  cannot  be  denied,  that  the 
word  sometimes  has  that  sense,  yet  it  can  hardly  be  supposed,  that  the 
apostle  would,  in  so  general  a  way,  have  added  to  his  warning  against 
fornication,  the  mention  of  that  ‘  uncleanness  with  greediness,’  which 
he  before  hud  stated,  as  the. excess  of  Pagan  blindness,  and  hardness  of 
heart.  4:17 — 19.  On  the  other  hand,  can  it  be  thought,  that  ‘covetous¬ 
ness,’  should  here,  and  in  all  other  exhortations  of  a  similar  nature, 
which  the  apostle  addressed  to  the  churches,  he  almost  if  not  entirely 
overlooked  ?  For  those  who  explain  the  word  in  this  text,  o (greediness 
in  lewduess,  put  the  same  construction  on  it  in  mnn\  other  places  where 
it  occurs. — No  doubt  ‘covetousness,’  or  the  eager  desire  of  gain,  whether 
to  hoard,  or  to  support  extravagance,  is  as  contrary  to  vital  Christianity 
as  the  grossest  sensualities,  though  more  plausible  and  not  so  easily  de¬ 
fined.  It  also  supplies  the  means,  in  many  cases,  of  silencing  or  soften¬ 
ing  the  reproofs  of  those,  who  would  firmly  protest  against  1  fornication,’ 
and  even  prosecute  the  offenders  with  the  censures  of  the  church. — Tiie 
clause,  ‘  Let  it  not  once  he  named,  Ac.’  may  only  mean,  ‘Let  it  not  be 
said,  tliat  a  Christian  is  ‘guilty  of  such  crimes.’  Hut,  if  understood  of 
the  discourse,  in  which  the  ‘naming’  licentious  practices,  in  a  manner 
too  common,  tends  to  pollute  the  imaginations,  or  inflame  the  passions 
of  the  hearers ;  it  cannot  pe  coubted,  that  tiie  conversation  of 

THOSE,  WHO  SPEAK  AS  IF  EVERYTHING  WAS  VALUABLE  IN  PROPOR¬ 
TION  AS  MONEY  CAN  BE  GOT  OR  SAVED  BY  IT,  CORRUPTS  THE  JUDG¬ 
MENT  AND  PRINCIPLES  OF  MEN,  THOUGH  IN  ANOTHER  WAY,  YET.  AS 

effectually  as  oB.-cE.NE  DI-COURSE.  It  seems  also  to  be  with  pe- 

[S96] 


cnliar  propriety,  that  the  apostle  joined  this  odious  vice  with  these 
others,  more  generally  scandalous.  Col.  3:5,6.  1  Tim.  6:6 — 10.  Sc. 

(3.)  Covetousness-]  Pleonexia:  all  inordinacy  of  selfish  propensity, 
whether  to  animal  love,  acquisition,  alimentation,  opposition,  destruc¬ 
tion,  or  malice.  But  Paul  had  in  mind,  probably,  only  the  union  of  the 
first  two  ;  and  /?/.  remarks,  that  ‘as  the  word  is  joined  with  illicit  ven- 
ery ,  most  recent  comtrs.  agree,  that  it  denotes  prostitution,  [of  ail  kinds; 
and  few,  the  Ed.  hopes,  in  this  country,  are  aware  how  many  kinds  exist,] 
for  lucre’s  sake  ;  not,  however,  to  the  exclusion  of  all  false  methods  of 
money-getting,  as  that  of  bauds,  procurers,  Ac.,  which  Grot,  thinks, 
was  a  necessary  admonition,  [to  the  lower  classes,  especially,]  of  a  dis¬ 
solute  trading  place,  like  Ephesus.  Thus  it  would  answer  to  the 
aischroker  teia ,  [gains  of  shame,]  of  which  Theophrastus  gives  so  mas¬ 
terly  a  sketch.’  Yet  lit.  inclines  to  think,  with  Hilary,  Est.,  Ham., 
Heins.,  Whit.,  Locke,  Olearius,  Franckius,  Doddr..  Ac.,  that  the  term 
here  signifies  intemperance,  even  in  lawful  indulgence;  for  if  covetous¬ 
ness,  or  base  gains  be  meant,  xvhy  should  Paul  direct  them  not  even 
to  be  '■named.'  But  the  Ed.  sees  little  force  in  this  objection;  for  the 
phrase  seems  to  inculcate  such  a  horror,  as  will  render  them  so  disgust¬ 
ing,  that  they  will  not  he  made  topics  of  conversation  ;  which  alone, 
as  lit.  remarks,  ‘  is  pernicious  to  morals,’  and  so  it  is  better  they  should 
not  be  mentioned  at  all.  Ed. 

(4.)  Immodesty  in  speech,  or  nction,  smuttiness,  indecent  talking, 
coarse  jokes,  scurrility,  double  entendre,  &c.,  are  forbidden.  See  Bl. 
‘And  that  the  Gr.  should  abound  in  such  euphemisms,  is  a  proof,  as  al¬ 
ways,  of  corrupt  ion  of  manners.’  Ed.  Convenient.]  ‘  Suitable,  i.  e.  to 
our  Christian  calling,  and  onr  engagements  as  professors  of  a  religion, 
which  was  especially  promulgated  to  suppress  all  such  abominations.’ 

Bloomf. 

V.  5 — 7.  The  apostle  here  supposed  his  readers  to  know,  ihat  ‘for¬ 
nicators,  unclean  persons,  and  covelous  men,’  were  out  of  the  way  to 
heaven.  ‘The  eovetous,’  though  often  more  favored  than  debauched 
characters,  were,  in  the  strictest  sense,  ‘idolaters;’  seeing  they  loved, 
trusted,  and  expected  happiness  from  wealth,  rather  than  from  God  ;  and 
sought  to  increase  or  secure  their  treasures,  instead  of  seeking  first  his 
favor,  image,  and  glory.  Ex.  20:3.  Ps.  10:2 — 11.  1  Tim.  3:3.  6:6 — 10, 
vv.  9, 10.  Tit.  1:5— 9. 'l  Pet.  5:1—4.  2  Pet.  2:1—3,  12—14.  They  were 
not  therefore  truly  converted  ;  and,  not  being  subjects  of  Christ’s  king¬ 
dom  on  earth,  they  could  not  he  entitled  to  ‘  inherit  ’  his  heavenly  king¬ 
dom.  Some  might  indeed  argue  against  this  declaration  ;  and,  palliating 
these  evils,  or  amusing  themselves  with  speculations  oil  the  mercy  of 
God  and  the  freeness  of  salvation,  might  persuade  others,  that  they  were 
not  absolutely  inconsistent  with  a  state  of  acceptance.  But  let  none 
suffer  any  man  to  ‘deceive  them  with  vain  words,’  as  these  very  crimes- 
brought  ihe  wrath  of  God  on  ‘the  children  of  disobedience,’  or  those 
who  persisted  in  unbelief,  impenitence,  and  the  allowed  practice  of  sin. 


A.  D.  64. 


EPHESIANS,  V. 


The  obligations  resting  on  Christians 


7  Be  not  ye  therefore  partakers 
with  them. 

8  For  i  ye  were  sometimes  dark¬ 
ness,  but  now  are  ye  light  kin  the 
Lord  :  walk  as  children  1  of  light ; 

9  (For  the  fruit  m  of  the  Spirit  is 
in  all  goodness  and  righteousness 
and  truth  ;) 

10  Proving  "what  is  acceptable 
unto  the  Lord. 

1 1  And  have  0  no  fellowship  with 
the  unfruitful  works  of  darkness, 
but  rather  reprove  p  them. 

12  For  it  is  a  shame  even  to 
speak  of  those  things  which  are 
done  of  them  in  secret. 

c.  2:1 1.12.  m  Ga.  5:22,  4c.  o  l  Co.  5:9, U. 

1  Th.  5:5.  n  Ru.  12:2.  p  1  Ti.5;20. 

1  J  ii.  12:36. 


who  disbelieved,  and  refused  to  comply  with, 
and  to  submit  themselves  (o  the  Gospel:  or, 
more  generally,  all  obstinate  sinners,  who 
will  not  be  reclaimed,  but  are  given  over  to 
disobedience.  The.  wrath  of  God,  comes  upon 
such,  because  of  their  sins  ;  sometimes  in 
this  world,  but  more  especially  in  the  next. 
And  dare  we  make  light  of  that  which  will 
lay  us  under  the  wrath  of  God  1  Oh  no, 
v.  7.  ‘  l)o  not  partake  with  them  in  their 

sins,  that  ye  may  not  share  in  their  punish¬ 
ment.’  VVe  partake  with  other  men  in  their 
sins,  not  only  when  we  live  in  the  same  sin¬ 
ful  manner  they  do,  and  comply  with  their 
temptations  and  solicitations  to  sin,  but 
when  we  encourage  them  in  their  sins,  or 
do  not  prevent  them,  as  far  as  in  our  power. 

3.  Consider  what  obligations  Christians 
are  under  to  live  at  another  rate  than  such 
sinners  do,  v.  8.  The  apostle  calls  their 
former  condition  darkness,  in  the  abstract,  to 
express  the  great  darkness  they  were  in. 
They  lived  wicked  and  profane  lives,  being 
destitute  of  the  tight  of  instruction  without, 
and  of  the  illumination  and  grace  of  the 


blessed  Spirit  within.  A  state  of  sin  is  a 
state  of  darkness.  But  the  grace  of  God 
had  produced  a  mighty  change  in  their 
souls  ;  Now  are  ye  light  in  the  Lord ,  saving¬ 
ly  enlightened,  by  the  Word  and  Spirit  of 
God.  Children  of  light,  according  to  the 
Hebrew  dialect,  are  those  who  are  in  a 
state  of  light,  enclued  with  knowledge  and 
holiness.  ‘  Now,  being  such,  let  your  con¬ 
versation  be  suitable  to  your  condition  and 
privileges,  v.  10.  examining  and  searching 
diligently  what  God  has  revealed  to  be  his 
will ;  and.tnaking  it  appear  that  ye  approve 
it  by  conforming  yourselves  to  it.’  Observe, 
We  must  not  only  dread  and  avoid  what  is 
displeasing  to  God,  but  inquire  and  consider 
what  will  be  acceptable  to  Him  ;  searching 
the  Scriptures  with  this  view;  thus  keeping 
at  the  greatest  distance  from  these  sins. 

II.  He  prescribes  some  remedies. 

1.  We  must  bring  forth  the  fruit  of  the. 
Spirit,  v.  9.  This  is  expected  from  the 
children  of  light  ;  that,  being  illuminated, 
they  he  also  sanctified  by  the  Spirit,  and 
thereupon  bring  forth  Ids  fruit,  which  is  in 
all  goodness,  an  inclination  to  do  good  and 
to  show  mercy  ;  and  righteousness,  which 
signifies  justice  in  our  dealings  :  or,  more 
generally,  all  religion  is  goodness  and  right¬ 
eousness.  And  in,  and  with,  these  must  be 
truth,  sincerity,  and  uprightness  of  heart. 

2.  We  must  have  no  fellowship  with  sin 
or  sinners,  v.  11.  Sinful  works  are  works 
of  darkness  ;  they  come  from  the  darkness 
of  ignorance,  they  seek  the  darkness  of  con¬ 
cealment,  and  they  lead  to  the  darkness  of 
hell.  They  are  unfruitful  j  whatever  profit 
is  pretended,  sin  issues  in  the  utter  ruin  and 
destruction  of  the  impenitent  sinner.  We 
must  therefore  have  no  fellowship  with  these 
unfruitful  works  ;  not  practise  them  our¬ 
selves,  nor  countenance  them  in  others.  If 
we  share  others’  sin,  we  must  expect  to 
share  their  plagues.  But  we  must  rather 
reprove  them  ;  implying,  that  if  we  do  not, 
we  have  fellowship  with  them.  We  must 
prudently,  and  in  our  places,  witness  against 


the  sins  of  others,  and  especially  by  abound¬ 
ing  in  the  contrary  duties.  One  reason 
given,  is,  v.  12.  they  are  so  filthy  and 
abominable,  that  it  rs  a  shame  to  mention 
them,  except  in  a  way  of  reproof  ;  much 
more  must  it  be  a  shame  to  have  any  fellow¬ 
ship  with  them.  The  things  which  are  done 
of  them  in  secret.  The  apostle  seems  to  speak 
here  of  the  Gentile  idolaters,  and  of  their  hor¬ 
rid  mysteries,  which  abounded  with  detest¬ 
able  wickedness, and  which  none  were  per¬ 
mitted  to  divulge,  on  pain  of  death.  Observe, 
A  good  man  is  ashamed  to  speak  that  which 
many  wicked  people  are  not  ashamed  to 
act:  but,  as  far  as  their  wickedness  appears, 
it  should  be  reproved  by  good  men.  There 
follows  another  reason  for  such  reproof,  v.  13. 
The  meaning  of  which  may  be  ;  ‘  All  those 
unfruitful  works  of  darkness  which  ye  are 
called  on  to  reprove,  are  laid  open,  and 
made  to  appear  in  their  proper  colors  to  the 
sinners  themselves,  by  the  ligtit  of  doctrine, 
or  of  God’s  Word  in  your  mouths,  as  faith¬ 
ful  reprovers  ;  or  by  that  instructive  light 
which  is  diffused  by  the  holiness  of  your 
lives,  and  by  your  exemplary  walk.’  Ob¬ 
serve,  the  light  of  God’s  Word,  and  the  ex¬ 
emplification  of  it  in  a  Christian  conversa¬ 
tion,  are  proper  means  to  convince  sinners 
of  their  sin  and  wickedness.  It  follows, 
For  whatsoever  doth  make  manifest  is  light  ; 
i.  e.  it  is  the  light  that  discovers  what  was 
concealed  before  in  darkness  ;  and  accord¬ 
ingly  it  becomes  those  who  are  children  of 
light,  who  are  light  in  the  Lord,  to  discover 
to  others  their  sins,  and  to  endeavor  to  con¬ 
vince  them  of  the  evil  and  danger  of  them, 
thus  shining  as  lights  in  the  world.  The 
apostle  further  urges  this  duty  from  the  ex¬ 
ample  of  God  or  Christ,  v.  14.  as  if  he  had 
said,  ‘  In  doing  this,  you  will  copy  after  the 
great  God,  who  has  set  Himself  to  awaken 
sinners  from  their  sleep,  and  to  raise  them 
from  the  death  of  sin,  that  they  might  re¬ 
ceive  light  from  Christ.’  He  saith.  The 
Lord  is  constantly  saying  in  his  Word  what 
is  more  particularly  expressed,  Is.  60:  1. 


(Note,  2:1,  2.) — Indeed,  'vain  words,’  of  various  kinds,  by  which  men 
deceive  themselves  and  each  other,  might  be  adduced,  did  our  limits 
permit.  Ttie  common  principles  which  prevail,  in  eountries'professing 
Christianity,  among  those  who  think  themselves  far  removed  from  an 
antinoniian  perversion  of  evangelical  truth,  dictate  'vain  words,’  which 
deceive  vast  multitudes  ;  while  they  consider  Christians  as  under  a  rem¬ 
edial  law,  which  does  not  require  that  strictness,  which  the  holy  moral 
law  of  God  does,  that  faith  compensates  for  failures  even  in  this  relaxed 
obedience,  and  that  they  may  safely  indulge  in  such  tilings,  under  the 
Gospel,  as  they  must  not  venture  on,  if  they  were  '  under  the  law.’ — A 
smattering  of  vain  philosophy,  also,  united  with  these  common  notions, 
leads  numbers  to  conclude,  that  God  will  not  punish  men  for  indulging 
their  natural  inclinations,  however  irregularly.  Many  popular  writers, 
of  late,  have  spoken  of  ‘  fornication,’  and  even  the  seduction  of  an  un¬ 
married  woman,  as  no  crime,  or,  merely  as  ‘  indulging  the  most  amia¬ 
ble  weakness  of  human  nature  !’  In  these,  and  in  various  other  ways, 
ingenious  men,  and  even  philosophers,  by  ‘  moral  essays,’  (so  called,)  in 
modern  times,  deceive  millions  ‘  with  vain  words ;’  and,  no  doubt,  (lie 
grand  deceiver  of  mankind  had  prophets  of  a  similar  stamp  in  ancient 
days. —  5)  Whoremonger.]  1  Co.  5:9 — 11.  6:9.  1  Ti.  1:10.  He.  16.  13.4. 
Rc.  21:8.  22:15.  See  on  Lit.  15:30. — The  word  being  generally  used  of 
the  most  prolligate  fornicators,  by  no  means  conveys  a  just  view  of  this 
most  extensive  and  energetic  decision,  on  the  case  of  all,  however  va¬ 
ried,  included  in  the  term. — Covetous  man.]  Pleonektcs.  See  1  Co. 
5:10. — Why  should  pteonektcs ,  especially,  be  an  idolater,  if  the  word  be 
nearly  synonymous  with  pornos  ?  Scott. 

15.)  ‘  G.  Sharpe ,  Dr.  Wordsworth ,  and  Bp.  Middleton ,  would  render, 
“Of  Him  who  is  the  Christ  and  God.”  See  Calpy.'  Bcoomf. 

(6.)  Deceive,  &o.)  'It  should  appear  (as  Theoph.  obs.),  that  some 
had  suggested,  that  God  issued  heavy  threatenings  with  respect  to  these 
comparatively  light  offences,  but  never  meant  to  put  them  in  execution. 
And  I  ain  the  more  ready  to  believe  this,  since  I  have  known  men,  nay, 
even  churchmen,  of  great  ability  and  extensive  learning,  avow  the  same 
opinion.  Where  then  is  the  wonder,  that  persons  who,  though  convert¬ 
ed,  still  retained  the  leaven  of  vain  philosophy,  should  have  so  reasoned?’ 
Bl.  And  since  the  human  heart  is  still  ‘deceitful  above  all  tilings,’ 
where  is  the  wonder,  that  hundreds  of  thousands  at  this  day,  in  this  land, 
should  be  brought  to  forget  God’s  taws,  under  pretence  of  reverencing 
that  love,  which  made  those  very  laws,  and  maintain,  that  the  soul  that 
simieth  shall  not  die,  and  that  the  children  of  disobedience  will,  somehow, 
onedav  escape  that  wrath  revealed  from  heaven  against  all  unrighteous¬ 
ness  of  men  ?  And  that,  too,  because  Christ  died  to  support  God's  Law! 
Header,  let  no  man  deceive  you,  by  building  for  you  so  slender  a  parapet 
of  vain  words,  upon  the  very  edge  of  that  precipice,  which  overliafigs 
the  bottomless  abyss  of  God’s  and  your  enemies  1  En. 

Pain. |  '  I  cannot  agree  with  t lie  recent  comtrs.,  who  maintain,  that 

Paul  refers  to  those  philosophers  who  thought  there  was  nothing  wrong 
in  fornication,  adultery,  incest,  sodomy,  and  egregious  cheating.  This 
is,  I  think,  doing  an  injustice  to  the  philosophers;  who,  whatever  might 
be  their  practice,  never  held  such  opinions,  except,  perhaps,  us  to  forni¬ 


cation,  in  young  men.  But  the  truth  is,  that  the  apostle  has  reference 
to  Christians,  who  wavered  between  the  Gospel  and  heathenism.’  Bl.. 
This,  however,  seems  not  to  be  the.  whole  truth  ;  for,  as  Dwight  remarks, 
after  Lardner,  on  the  heretic  subtleties  Paul  was  obliged  again  and  again 
to  combat,  ‘Heretics  were,  in  the  general,  men  of  a  curious  and  inquis¬ 
itive  turn  of  mind,  and  greatly  indulged  this  disposition,  which  led  them 
to  speculate  on  many  points  of  doctrine.  .  When  the  Scriptures  were 
in  some  cases  inconsistent  with  their  notions,  they  were  for  making 
them  yield  to  their  philosophical  opinions.  Thus  the  simplicity  of  truth 
was  banished,  and  endless  divisions  arose.1  Tertullian,  also,  savs,  ‘  that 
heresies  are  derived  from  philosophy  ;  and  that  secular  wisdom  is  a 
rash  (or  fool  hardy)  interpreter  of  the  divine  nature,  and  disposition.’ 
These  observations  (adds  l)r.  I).)  'are,  with  equal  force  and  justice,  ap¬ 
plicable  to  heresies  of  modern  days,  [see  note,  above,]  and  those  of  the 
ancients;  and  few  of  either  will  be  found  to  have  arisen  from  any  other 
source  beside  a  philosophy,  too  proud,  or  too  knowing,  to  submit  im¬ 
plicitly  to  the  testimony  of  God.’  Theol.  Serin.  42.  '  A  little  philos¬ 

ophy  (well  says  Raconj  will  make  a  man  an  atheist,  but  a  great  deal 
will  make  him  a  Christian.’  Serin.  3.  Ed. 

V.  8.  Ye.  were  darkness,  &c.]  What  then  is  that  ‘  light  of  nature,’ 
of  which  some  speak  as  sufficient,  without  the  Gospel,  to  lead  the  Gen¬ 
tiles  to  heaven  ? — Surely,  this  one  text  ought  for  ever  to  silence  the  vain 
speculations  of  those,  xvhn,  arguing  from  figurative  expressions,  concern¬ 
ing  the  state  of  sinners  ns  asleep,  nay,  'dead  in  sin,’  not  only  object  to, 
but  absolutely  condemn,  as  heresy,  the  most  scriptural  addresses  and 
calls  on  them  to  repent  and  turn  to  Gcd,  and  believe  in  Christ,  and  seek 
salvation  1  Scott. 

(8.)  Children  of  light.]  ‘  The  studious  of  light  and  knowledge.’  I’.t,. 

V.  9.  Goodness.]  ‘Of  every  kind,  as  regards  man  ;  righteousness,  vir¬ 
tue  to  God  ami  man  ;  and  truth  seems  to  stand  in  the  place  of  an  adjec¬ 
tive,  qualifying  both  the  preceding.  See  Schl.  or  Wahl.'  Id. 

V.  12.  A  shame  lo  speak  of,  &o.]  '  See  Whitby’s  note  on  this  text, 

concerning  the  impure  and  abominable  nature  of  some  religious,  noctur¬ 
nal  mysteries  of  the  heathen.  Its  quotations,  to  which  many  might  be 
added,  plainly  prove,  that  if  (ns  the  learned  JVarburton  supposes)  the 
lower  sort  of  mysteries,  among  them,  were  first  intended,  by  the  magis¬ 
trates,  to  impress  the  minds  of  the  people  with  the  belief  and  sense  of 
future  rewards  and  punishments,  and  the  higher  sort  of  them  to  instruct 
persons  of  more  reflection  and  penetration  than  the  rest,  in  the  knowl¬ 
edge  of  tlte  true  God  and  the  other  great  principles  of  natural  religion, 
they  were,  long  before  the  apostle’s  time,  greatly  corrupted  and  degraded 
to  the  most  detestable  purposes  ;  so  that  some  persons  in  public  char¬ 
acters,  by  no  means  remarkable  for  the  purity  of  their  own  morals, 
thought  it  absolutely  necessary,  in  order  to  prevent  the  most  scandalous 
and  profligate  disorders,  to  prohibit  their  celebration.  Saurin  observes 
a  sarcasm,  seldom  attended  to ;  as  if  it  were  insinuated  here,  they  are 
called  aporrheta,  things  not  to  be  spoken  off  ;  true,  says  Paul,  they  are 
properly  so  ;  things  not  too  sacred,  but  too  infamous  to  be  mentioned. 
Doddu.  On  tlie  ‘  heathen  mysteries,’  see  the  controversy  of  II  arour  ton 
and  Leland  in  Mackn.,  pref.  to  Eph,  rotvri 


A.  D.  64. 


EPHESIANS,  V. 


Intemperance  rebuked. 


13  But  all  things  that  are  ^  re¬ 
proved  are  made  manifest r  by  the 
light  :  for  whatsoever  doth  make 
manifest  is  light. 

14  Wherefore  8 he  saith,  ‘Awake, 
thou  that  sleepest,  and  arise  from 
the  dead,  and  Christ  shall  give  thee 
light. 

[Practical  Observations.] 

15  See  then  that  ye  walk  "cir¬ 
cumspectly,  not  as  fools,  but  as 
wise, 

16  Redeeming  the  time,  because 
the  days  are  v  evil. 

17  Wherefore  be  ye  not  unwise, 
but  understanding  what  "  the  will 
of  the  Lord  is. 

18  And  be  not  drunk  *  with  wine, 
wherein  i^  excess  ;  but  be  filled 
with  the  Spirit ; 

19  Speaking  to  yourselves  in 
y  psalms  and  hymns,  and  spiritual 

q  or,  discovered.  t  Is.  60:1. 
r  Jn.  3:20,21.  u  Col.  4:5. 

8  oi ,  it.  v  Ps.  37:19. 

Or,  Christ,  by  his  ministers,  who  preach 
the  everlasting  Gospel,  is  continually  calling 
on  sinners  to  this  effeot  ;  Awake,  thou  that 
steepest,  and  arise,  from  the.  dead.  The  same 
thing  in  the  main  is  designed  by  these  dif¬ 
ferent  expressions ;  and  they  serve  to  remind 
us  of  the  great  stupidity  and  the  wretched 
security  of  sinners;  how  insensible  they  are 
of  their  danger,  ami  how  unapt  they  natu¬ 
rally  are  to  spiritual  motions,  sensations, 
ami  actions.  When  God  calls  on  them  to 
awake,  and  to  arise,  his  meaning  is,  that  they 
would  break  off  their  sins  by  repentance, 
and  enter  on  a  course  of  holy  obedience; 
and  He  encourages  them  to  do  their  utmost 
that  way,  by  that  gracious  promise  ;  And 
Christ  shall  give  thee  light  ;  or,  Christ  shall 
enlighten  thee,  or,  shall  shine  upon  thee.  ‘  He 
shall  bring  thee  into  a  state  of  knowledge, 
holiness,  and  comfort  ;  assisting  thee  with 
.  is  grace,  and  refreshing  thy  mind  with  joy 

PRACT.  OBS.  V.  1 — 14.  Wicked  men  follow  the  example  of 1  their 
father  the  devil,’  and  may  be  known  as  his  progeny.  Jn.  8:41 — 47.  1  Jn. 
3:7--10.  Surely,  then,  the  ‘beloved  children  of  God’ should  imitate  his 
holiness,  and  ought  especially  to  walk  in  love  witli  their  brethren  and 
their  neighbors,  and  even  with  their  enemies,  ‘as  Christ  hath  loved 
them.’  Tile  perfection  and  obligations  of  this  example  are  infinite :  so 
that  there  is  no  kind  or  degree  of  self-denying,  liberal,  laborious,  patient, 
or  forgiving  love,  to  which  it  will  not  direct  and  animate  the  grateful 
believer. — We  should  always  keep  in  mind  our  character  as  Christians, 
and  inquire,  whether  this  or  the  other  part  of  our  conduct  ‘beeometh 
saints,’  the  redeemed,  sanctified,  and  devoted  worshippers  of  God.  Onr 
social  intercourse  ought  to  be  conducted  entirely  in  subserviency  to  mu¬ 
tual  improvement ;  which  will  best  be  promoted  by  declaring  the  loving- 


rath^r,  ‘  as  they 'are  troublesome  and  dan¬ 
gerous  times  to  you  who  live  in  them.’ 
Those  were  times  of  persecution  wherein 
the  apostle  wrote  this:  the  Christians  were 
in  jeopardy  every  hour.  When  the  days 
are  evil,  we  have  one  sttperadded  argument 
to  redeem  time  ;  especially,  because  we 
know  not  how  soon  they  may  be  worse. 
People  are  very  apt  to  complain  of  bad 
times  ;  it  were  well  if  that  would  stir  them 
up  to  redeem  time.  'Wherefore,'  says  the 
apostle,  v.  17.  *  because  of  the  badness  of 
the  times,  he  ye  not  unwise,  ignorant  of  your 
duty,  and  negligent  about  your  souls  ;  but 
understanding  what  the  will  of  the  Lord  is. 
Study,  consider,  and  further  acquaint  your¬ 
selves  with,  tile  will  of  God,  as  determining 
your  duty.’  Observe,  Ignorance  of  our 
duty,  and  neglect  of  our  souls,  are  evidences 
of  the  greatest  folly  ;  while  an  acquaintance 
with  the  will  of  God,  and  a  care  to  comply 
with  it,  bespeak  the  best  and  truest  wisdom. 

The  three  following  vs.  warn  against 
some  other  particular  sins,  and  urge  some 
other  duties. 

(1.)  The  sin  of  drunkenness,  v.  18.  a  sin 
very  frequent  among  the  heathens,  particu¬ 
larly  on  occasion  of  the  festivals  of  their 
gods,  and  more  especially  in  their  Baccha¬ 
nalia  :  when  all  manner  of  inordinate  lusts 
were  consequent  upon  it  ;  therefore  the 
apostle  adds,  wherein,  or  in  which  drunken¬ 
ness,  is  excess.  The  word  may  signify  lux¬ 
ury  or  dissoluteness ;  and  certainly  drunken¬ 
ness  is  no  friend  to  chastity,  and  purity  of 
life  ;  but  it  virtually  contains  all  manner  of 
extravagance,  and  [by  exciting  the  neigh¬ 
boring  propensities]  transports  men  into 
gross  sensuality,  [violence,]  and  other  vile 
enormities.  Note,  Drunkenness  is  a  sin 
that  seldom  goes  alone,  is  very  provoking  to 
God,  and  a  great  hindrance  to  the  spiritual 
life.  The  apostle  may  design  all  such  in¬ 
temperance  and  disorder  as  are  opposite  to 
the  sober  and  prudent  demeanor  he  intends 
in  his  advice,  to  redeem  the  time. 

(2.)  Instead  of  being  filled  with  wine,  he 
exhorts  them  to  be  filled  with  the  Spirit.  The 
meaning  is,  that  men  shpuld  labor  for  a 
plentiful  measure  of  the  graces  of  the  Spirit, 


kindness  of  the  Lord,  and  celebrating  his  praises. — The  holy  converse 
and  conduct  of  a  consistent  Christian  is  of  the  nature  of  light :  it  mani¬ 
fests  that  tile  contrary  conduct  of  others  is  inexcusable  ;  and  his  very 
silence  is  often  most  emphatically  eloquent  and  convincing.  After  the 
example  therefore  of  prophets  and  apostles,  we  should  call  on  those, 
who  are  ‘  asleep  and  dead  ’  in  sin,  to  ‘  awake  and  arise,  that  Christ  may 
give  them  light:’  and  the  Lord  will  employ  such  [living]  warnings  and 
invitations  to  ‘quicken’  with  divine  life  some  or  many  of  the  ignorant, 
the  careless,  the  self-satisfied  among  our  hearers,  and  so  guide  them  into 
the  ways  of  peace  and  salvation,  even  as  He  uses  the  further  instructions 
of  his  ministers,  to  guide  the  converted  in  the  paths  of  holy  and  joyful 
obedience.  Is.  42:13 — 17.  Scott. 


and  peace  here,  and  rewarding  thee  with 
eternal  glory  at  length.’  Observe,  When 
we  are  endeavoring  to  convince  sinners, 
and  to  reform  them  from  their  sins,  we  are 
imitating  God  and  Christ,  in  that  which  is 
their  great  design  throughout  the  Gospel. 
Some,  indeed,  understand  this  as  a  call  to 
sinners  and  to  saints  :  to  sinners,  to  repent, 
and  turn;  to  saints,  to  stir  tip  themselves  to 
their  duty.  The  former  must  arise  from 
their  spiritual  death  ;  and  the  other  must 
awake  from  their  spiritual  deadnes3. 

3.  Another  remedy  against  sin,  is,  cir¬ 
cumspection,  care,  and  caution,  v.  15.  This 
may  be  understood,  either  with  respect  to 
what  immediately  precedes  ;  or  else,  we 
have  here  another  remedy,  or  rather  pre¬ 
servative  from  the  before-mentioned  sins  ; 
and  this  I  take  to  be  the  design  of  the  apos¬ 
tle  ;  it  being  impossible  to  maintain  purity 
and  holiness  of  heart  and  life  without  great 
circumspection  and  care.  Walk  circum¬ 
spectly  I  or,  as  the  word  signifies,  accurate¬ 
ly,  exactly,  in  the  right  way  :  in  order  to 
which,  we  must  be  frequently  consulting  our 
rule,  and  the  directions  we  have  in  the  sa- 
x  r  u  21-34  cred  oracles.  Not  as  fools,  who  walk  at  all 
y  Col.  3.16.  adventures,  and  who  have  no  understanding 
of  their  duty,  or  of  the  worth  of  their  souls; 
and  through  neglect,  supineness,  and  want 
of  care,  fall  into  sin,  and  destroy  them¬ 
selves  :  but  as  wise  ;  as  persons  taught  of 
God,  and  endued  with  wisdom  from  above. 
Circumspect  walking  is  the  effect  of  true 
wisdom  ;  but  the  contrary  of  folly.  It  fol¬ 
lows,  redeeming  the  time,  v.  16.  literally, 
buying  the  opportunity.  It  is  a  metaphor 
taken  from  merchants  and  traders,  who  dil¬ 
igently  observe  and  improve  the  seasons  for 
merchandise  and  trade.  It  is  a  great  part 
of  Christian  wisdom  to  redeem  the  time. 
Our  time  is  a  talent  given  us  by  God  for 
some  good  end,  and  it  is  misspent  and  lost 
when  it  is  not  employed  according  to  his 
design.  If  we  have  lost  our  time  hereto¬ 
fore,  we  must  endeavor  to  redeem  it,  by 
doubling  our  diligence  in  doing  our  duty  for 
the  future.  The  reason  given,  is,  because 
the  days  are  evil:  either  by  reason  of  the 
wickedness  of  those  who  dwell  in  them;  or, 


V.  13.  Bl.  suggests,  that  Paul  alluded  to  Mat.  5:14.  as  that  Gospel  was 
published  long  before ;  whether,  with  Owen,  Townson,  Tomline,  Home, 
we  date  it  in  37  or  33  ;  or,  with  others,  in  41,  43,  or  43.  Ed. 

V.  14.  ‘The  ancients  and  most  moderns  think  P.  quotes  Is.  60:1 — 3. 
(which  is  clearly  alluded  to  in  “  Christ  shall  give  thee  light or  26: 
19.  (to  which  awake,  arise  from  the  dead,  may  allude) ;  or  to  both  pas¬ 
sages.  Surenhusius  fixes  on  Is.  40:1,  2.  See  his  masterly  work  on  the 
quotations  from  the  O.  in  the  N.  T.,  upon  which  subject  the  two  Vitrin- 
gas,  and  Owen,  deserve  to  be  consit.ted.’  Bi.oomf. 

V.  16.  ‘  Few  passages  have  more  exercised  corntrs.,  on  few  are  opin¬ 
ions  more  various.  Some  ancient  corntrs.,  and  Grot.,  Ham.,  Whit., 
Locke,  Mackn.,  expl.  “  using  all  prudent  means  to  prolong  your  lives, 
because  the  days  in  which  you  live  are  evil,  and  therefore  perilous,  and 
such  as  will  require  much  wisdom  to  preserve  you  from  dangers.”  I.  e. 
of  tile  caution  to  he  observed  in  avoiding  persecution,  that  so  they 
might  draw  out  their  time, ,  as  long  ns  possibly  they  could,  and  not  pro¬ 
voke  their  enemies  to  cut  them  ofT.  Comp.  Dan.  2:8.  See  Whit.  “  This,” 
Doddr.  adds,  “  was  certainly  their  duty,  and  it  had  been  well  if  the 
zeal  of  some  primitive  Christians  had  regarded  t he  precept  in  this  sense. 
But  it  expresses  only  part  of  that  Christian  diligence  and  prudence  Paul 
directs  ami  exhorts  to.”  I  could  add  to  their  examples  of  this  sense  of 
the  fir.,  but,  though  it  seems  countenanced  by  Col.  4:5.  I  cannot  recon¬ 
cile  it  witli  the  context,  which  demands  the  sense  (given  by  the  ancient 
and  many  recent  corntrs.,  as  Ros.,Kop., Slade),  “using  the  opportunity  we 
have,  of  living  holily,  righteously,  and  godly,  in  this  present  time,  though 
it  be  evil  and  wicked,  and  this  be  especially  arduous,  on  account  of  the 
peculiar  trials  under  which  we  labor,  from  the  temptations  and  persecu¬ 
tions  to  which  we  are  exposed.”  I  think,  too,  witli  Doddr.,  that  there  is 
also  allusion  to  the  time  lost  in  heathen  life.’  Id. 

V.  to.  Drunk.]  ‘A  vice  the  Greeks,  both  Asiatic  and  European, 
were  proverbial  for :  whence  the  phrase  to  Grecise,  i.  e.  to  get  drunk.’ 
See  Bl.  Ed. — ‘  Probably  there  is  allusion  to  those  dissolute  ceremonies 

[S93] 


called  the  Bacchanalia,  in  honor  of  the  god  of  wine.  While  they  con¬ 
tinued,  men  and  women  made  it  a  point  of  religion  to  intoxicate  them¬ 
selves,  and  ran  about  the  streets,  fields,  and  vineyards,  singing  and 
shouting,  in  a  wild  and  tumultuous  manner;  in  opposition  to  which  ex¬ 
travagant  vociferations,  the  use  of  devout  psalmody  is  with  great  pro¬ 
priety  recommended.  Plato  somewhere  tells  us,  that  there  was  hardly 
a  soher  person  to  lie  found  in  the  whole  Attican  territories,  during  the 
continuance  of  these  detestable  solemnities.’  Doddr. — ‘  A  multitude  of 
persons,  who  are  not  accounted  drunkards,  create  disease  and  shorten 
their  days,  by  what  they  term  “  a  prudent  use  of  ardent  spirit.”  Let  it 
therefore  be  engraven  upon  the  heart  of  every  man,  that  the  daily  use 
OF  ARDENT  SPIRIT,  IN  ANY  FORM,  OR  DEGREE,  IS  INTEMPERANCE. 
Its  effects  are  certain,  and  deeply  injurious,  though  its  results  may  be 
slow,  and  never  ascribed  to  the  real  cause.  This  war  upon  the  human 
constitution, — like  the  letting  out  of  waters,  by  little  and  little,  the 
breach  widens,  till  life  itself  is  poured  out.  If  all  the  diseases  which  ter¬ 
minate  in  death,  could  speak  out  at  the  grave,  or  tell  their  origin  on  the 
coffin  lid,  we  should  witness  the  most  appalling  disclosures.  Happy  the 
man  who  shortens  not  his  days,  by  what  he  may  call  “  the  prudent  use 
of  ardent  spirit.”  ’  Dr.  Beecher. 

V.  19.  ‘Adverting  (according  to  his  custom)  to  the  opposite  vice, 
while  he  is  inculcating  any  virtue,  Paul  means  to  admonish  them,  when, 
in  society,  they  feel  themselves  elevated  beyond  ordiimry  conversation 
to  give  vent  to  this  cheerfulness,  not  (as  did  the  heathens)  in  dissolute 
scolia,  or  drinking  catches,  and  such  incentives  to  vice;  but  in  reciting 
aloud  to  each  other  psalms,  hymns,  and  spiritual  songs;  or, when  incli¬ 
nation  and  opportunity  served,  singing  and  playing  on  musical  instru¬ 
ments,  to  such  psalms,  Sic.,  in  a  heartfelt  manner,  to  the  honor  of  God. 
The  verse  has  been  strangely  misunderstood.’  Bloomf. 

Speaking.]  ‘Thought,  by  Koppe ,  synonymous  with  singing ;  1  rather 
think  it  refers  to  the  words  being  always  recited  (which  would  equally 
promote  mutual  edification,  Col.  3:16.)  by  some,  previously  to  being 


A.  D.  64. 


EPHESIANS,  V. 


Directions  respecting  relative  duties. 


songs,  z  singing  and  making  melody 
in  your  1  heart  to  the  Lord  ; 

20  Giving  thanks  b always  for  all 
things  unto  God  and  the  Father  in 
the  name  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ; 

21  Submitting  yourselves  one  to 
another  in  the  fear  of  God. 

22  c  Wives,  submit  yourselves 
unto  your  own  husbands,  as  unto 
the  Lord. 

23  For  the  husband  is  the  head 
of  the  wife,  even  as  Christ  is  the 
head  of  the  church  :  and  he  is  the 
Savior  of  the  body. 

24  Therefore  as  the  church  is 
subject  unto  Christ,  so  let  the  wives 
be  to  their  own  husbands  in  every 
thing. 

25  Husbands,  love  your  wives, 
even  as  Christ  also  loved  the  church, 
and  gave  himself  for  it ; 

26  That  he  might  sanctify  and 
cleanse  it  with  the  washing  d  of 
water  by  the  word  : 

27  That  he  might  present  eit  to 
himself  a  glorious  church,  not  hav¬ 
ing  fspot,  or  wrinkle,  or  any  such 
thing  ;  but  that  it  should  be  holy 
and  without  blemish. 

i  Pa.  147:7.  c  1  Pe.  3:1,  &c.  e  Jude  24. 

a  Ps.  57:7,8.  Col.  3:18,  &c.  f  Ca.  4:7. 

b  Is.  63:7.  d  Tit.  3:5. 


that  would  fill  their  souls  with  holy  joy, 
strength,  and  courage;  which  things  sensual 
men  expect  their  wine  should  inspire  them 
with.  Now,  by  this  mean,  being  filled  with 
the  Spirit,  we  shall  come  to  understand  ivhat 
the  will  of  the  Lord  is;  for  the  Spirit  of 
God  is  given  as  a  Spirit  of  wisdom  and  of 
understanding.  And  because  those  who  are 
filled  with  the  Spirit  will  be  carried  out  in 
acts  of  devotion,  and  all  the  proper  expres¬ 
sions  of  it,  therefore  the  apostle  exhorts, 
(3.)  To  sing  unto  the  Lord,!).  19.  The 
Christian’s  jov  should  express  itself  in  songs 
of  praise.  In  these,  Christians  should 
speak  to  themselves  in  their  assemblies  and 


meetings  together,  for  mutual  edification. 
By  psalms  may  be  meant  David’s  psalms,  or 
such  composures  as  were  fitly  sung  with 
musical  instruments;  by  hymns,  such  others 
as  were  confined  to  matter  of  praise,  as 
those  of  Zacharias,  Simeon,  &c.  Spiritual 
songs  may  contain  a  greater  variety  of  mat¬ 
ter,  doctrinal,  prophetical,  historical,  &c. 
Observe,  here,  Singing  of  psalms  and  hymns 
is  a  gospel-ordinance :  an  ordinance  of  God, 
and  appointed  for  his  glory.  Though  Chris¬ 
tianity  is  an  enemy  to  profane  mirth,  yet  it 
encourages  joy  and  gladness,  and  the  proper 
expressions  of  these  in  the  professors  of  it. 

(4.)  Thanksgiving  is  another  duty  the 
apostle  exhorts  to,  v.  20.  We  are  not  al¬ 
ways  singing,  but  we  should  be  always  giv¬ 
ing  thanks;  we  should  never  want  a  disposi¬ 
tion  for  this  duty,  as  we  never  want  matter 
for  it.  We  should  give  thanks  for  all  things; 
not  only  for  spiritual  blessings  enjoyed,  and 
eternal  ones  expected  ;  but  for  temporal  mer¬ 
cies,  too:  not  only  for  our  comforts,  but  also 
for  our  sanctified  afflictions  ;  not  only  for 
what  immediately  concerns  ourselves,  but  for 
the  instances  of  God’s  kindness  and  favor  to 
others  also.  It  is  our  duty  in  everything  to 
give  thanks  unto  God  and  the  Father  ;  to 
God  as  the  Father  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ, 
and  our  Father  in  Him;  in  whose  name  we 
are  to  offer  up  all  our  prayers  and  praises, 
and  spiritual  services,  that  they  may  be 
acceptable  to  God. 

V.  21—33.  Here  the  apostle  begins  his 
exhortation  to  the  discharge  of  relative  du¬ 
ties.  As  a  general  foundation  for  these,  he 
lays  down  that  rule,  v.  21.  Christians  owe 
a  mutual  submission  one  to  another,  of  which 
Paul  was  an  example,  who  became  all  things 
to  all  men;  and  where  there  is  this  mutual 
condescension  and  submission,  the  duties  of 
all  relations  will  be  the  better  performed. 
From  v.  22.  to  the  end,  he  speaks  of  the 
duties  of  husbands  and  wives ;  and  he  speaks 
of  these  in  a  Christian  manner,  setting  the 
church  as  an  example  of  the  wife’s  subjec¬ 
tion,  and  Christ  as  an  example  of  love  in 
husbands. 

1.  The  duty  prescribed  to  wives,  is,  sub¬ 
mission  to  their  husbands  in  the  Lord,  v.  22. 
which  submission  includes  the  honoring  and 
the  obeying  them,  and  that  from  a  principle  of 


sung.  Psalms .]  Psa/moi :  not  simply  David’s,  for  then  the  article 
would  have  been  used.  Kop.  understands,  any  carmina.  The  truth 
may  lie  between.  It  should  seem  they  chiefly  consisted  of  David’s,  the 
thlym ,  but  certainly  comprehended  other  compositions,  also,  adapted  (as 
they  were)  to  instruments  and  voices,  i.  e.  consisting  of  compositions  in 
parts,  accompaniments,  &c.  (as  our  verse  anthems  and  instrumental  an¬ 
thems.  1  Cor.  14:26.  See  liurney's  Music.  Diet.)  Of  course,  this  in¬ 
cluded  th e  anti phonia,  or  singing  alternatim ,  as  in  cathedral  services; 
which  Bp.  Bull  thinks  is  denoted,  by  the  speaking  to  or  with  yourselves. 
And,  hut  for  Col.  3:16.  I  should  agree  with  him.  That  th e  psa/moi  were 
thus  performed,  is  also  shown  by  a  passage  of  Pliny,  in  his  letter  to  Tra¬ 
jan,  “  Curmen  quod  Christo  quasi  Deo  dicere  secum  invicem ,”  [one  to 
the  other.]  Hymns.]  Humnoi:  probably,  plainer  compositions,  (chiefly 
.n  praise  of  God,)  both  in  words  and  set  to  music,  and  perhaps  in  one 
part  (called  homophonia)  without  instrumental  accompaniments  (so 
Justin  says  the  Christians  of  his  lime  sung).  Some  think,  these  were 
extemporaneous;  but  of  this  there  is  no  proof,  nor  is  it  probable.  That 
seems  rather  to  apply  to  the  songs;  Odai :  which  (and  so  the  ancient 
and  best  modern  comlrs.)  must  signify,  not  merely  religious,  or  spiritual 
and  edifying,  in  opposition  to  the  carnal  and  impure  songs  at  the  heathen 
festivals,  <fcc.  like  the  scolia,  but  suggested  by  the  Holy  Spirit.  So 
Zauchy  and  Ham.  These,  perhaps,  were  sung  by  the  person  alone,  like 
our  solo  anthems.  Probably,  too,  (from  Col.  3:16.)  they  were  sometimes 
recited-,  and  if  so,  the-  spiritual  songs  would  be  something  like  the 
strains  of  the  Italian  Improvisatore,  in  that  sort  of  composition,  half 
poetry,  half  prose,  so  characteristic  of  the  oriental  style;  such  are  those 
of  Elizabeth,  Mary,  and  Zecharias,  Lu.  1.  None,  probably,  but  those 
who  had  the  spiritual  charisma  [gift]  were  allowed  to  sing  :  and  the  sub¬ 
jects  were  perhaps  more  diversified  than  those  of  the  hymns  and  psnlms ; 
containing  not  only  the  praises  of  God,  hut  (as  Zanchy)  exhortations,  doc¬ 
trines,  prophecies,  and,  indeed,  all  religious  subjects  whatsoever.  [May 
poetry  and  song  one  day  be  fully  restored  to  their  legitimate  use,  the 
beautiful  and  elevated  expression  of  the  best  thoughts,  and  the  best 
affections,  in  the  best  manner  !  Ed.] — There  is  no  reason  why  the  same 
routine  should  not  he  adopted  also  in  public  worship,  and  1  Cor.  12:13, 
14.  renders  it  highly  probable  that  it  was,  while  this  is  placed  beyond  a 
doubt  by  the  passage  of  Tertul/ian  :  ut  quisque,  de  Scripturis  sanctis, 
(which  must  mean  the  Pss.)  vel  de  proprio  ingenio  (which  must  refer  to 
the  oilai),  potest,  provocalur  in  medium  Deo  canere.’  Bloomf. 

V.  20.  All.]  ‘For  his  sparing  mercies,  Ps.  103:3,4.  his  preventing 
mercies,  Eph.  1:4.  Ti.  1:2.  his  distinguishing  and  peculiar  mercies,  He. 
2:16.  for  his  common  mercies  and  benefits  daily  bestowed,  as  well  as  his 
extraordinary  favors  ;  for  past  mercies,  to  be  celebrated  by  annual  festi¬ 
vals,  Ex.  12:14, 17,24.  Le.  23:21.  for  the  mercies  we  hope  for,  1  Pet.  1:3,4. 


love  to  them,  nnd  in  compliance  with  God’s 
authority,  who  has  commanded  it,  which  is 
doing  it  as  unto  the  Lord.  Or,  it  may  bo 
understood  by  way  of  similitude  and  like¬ 
ness;  that  the  sense  may  be,  ‘  as,  being  de¬ 
voted  to  God,  you  submit  yourselves  to  Him.’ 
The  apostle  assigns  the  reason  of  this  sub¬ 
mission,  v.  23.  The  metajfhor  is  taken  from 
the  head  in  the  natural  body,  which,  being 
the  seat  of  reason,  and  the  fountain  of  sense 
and  motion,  is  more  excellent  than  the  rest 
of  the  body.  God  has  given  the  man  live 
pre-eminence,  and  a  right  to  direct  and  gov¬ 
ern  by  creation,  and  in  that  original  law  of 
tlie  relation.  Thy  desire  shall  be  to  thy  hus¬ 
band,  and  he  shall  rule  over  thee.  Whatever 
there  is  of  uneasiness',  in  that,  it  is  an  effect 
of  sin  coming  into  the  world.  Generally, 
too,  the  man  has,  (what  he  ought  to  have,) 
a  superiority  in  wisdom  and  knowledge.  He 
is,  therefore,  the  head  ;  even  as  Christ  is  the 
Head  of  the  Church.  There  is  a  resemblance 
of  Christ’s  authority  over  the  church,  in  that 
superiority  and  headship  which  God  has  ap¬ 
pointed  to  the  husband.  The  apostle  adds, 
and  He  is  the  Savior  of  the  body.  Christ’s 
authority  is  exercised  over  the  church  for  the 
saving  her  from  evil,  and  the  supplying  her 
with  everything  good  for  her.  In  like  man¬ 
ner  should  the  husband  be  employed  for  the 
protection  ami  comfort  of  I ■  is  spouse;  and 
therefore,  she  should  the  more  cheerfully  sub¬ 
ject  herself  to  him.  So  it  follows, Therefore  as 
the  church  is  subject  unto  Christ,  v.  24.  with 
cheerfulness,  with  fidelity,  with  humility, 
so  let  the  wives  be  to  their  own  husbands  in 
everything ;  everything  lawful,  and  consistent 
with  duty  to  God. 

2.  The  duty  of  husbands,  on  the  other 
hand,  is,  to  love  their  wives,  v.  25.  for  without 
this  they  would  abuse  their  superiority  and 
headship:  and  wherever  this  prevails  as  it 
ought  to  do,  it  will  infer  the  other  duties  of 
the  relation;  it  being  a  special  and  peculiar 
affection  that  is  required  in  her  behalf.  The 
love  of  Christ  to  the  church  is  proposed  as  an 
example  of  this;  which  love  of  his  is  a  sin¬ 
cere,  a  [lure,  an  ardent,  and  a  constant  af¬ 
fection;  and  that,  notwithstanding  t he  im¬ 
perfections  and  failures  she  is  guilty  of. 
While  such  exemplars  are  offered  to  both, 
and  so  much  required  of  each,  neither  has 

for  adverse  as  well  as  prosperous  events,  blessing  Him  who  doth  thus 
give  us  warning,  Ps.  16:7.  hut  chiefly  for  spiritual  blessings.’  Whitby. 
God  and,  tec.]  Doddr.  better  tr.  ‘  God,  even  tlie  Father.’  Ed. 

V.  21.  Submit.]  22,24.  1:22.  Lu.  2:51.  See  on  Ro  8:7.  Tlie  kind 
and  compliant  conduct  of  the  superior  relations  may  he  enjoined  in  an 
indirect  way,  but  it  cannot  lie  directly  meant  by  this  word.  Ex.  20:12  Sc. 

(21.)  ‘  Pniil«incideates  the  order  and  subordination  wilh  which  even 
private  religious  exercises,  as  well  as  public,  should  be  conducted.’  Bl. 

V.  22.  ‘Paul  begins  with  the  lower  relations,  for  the  duties  of  inte¬ 
riors  are  commonly  most  apt  to  Ire  objected  to,  as  what  are  thought 
most  diilicult  to  be  complied  with  ;  and  where  these  are  well  and  faith¬ 
fully  performed,  the  correspondent  duties  of  superiors  will  be  more  read¬ 
ily  attended  to,  and  more  effectually  secured.’  Doddr.  Besides,  infe¬ 
riors  are,  in  all  communities,  bv  far  the  most  numerous  class;  and 
further,  ‘  not  many  ’  great  ones  of  the.  earth  were  then  ‘  called.’  Ed. 

V.  23.  ‘The  terms  in  the  Greek  and  Latin,  aner  and  vir,  neither  very 
significative,  seem  to  derive  their  application  from  the  Heh.  oysh,  a 
man  ;  though  that  language  to  express  husband  has  another  term,  bat, 
which  signifies  master.  So  the  German  ehe-weiber,  a  high  man.  The 
Germ,  weifer,  English,  wife,  probably  signifies  no  more  than  woman,  by 
way  of  eminence,  like  the  Greek  gun l ;  or  perhaps  it  comes  from 
weilier,  to  unite,  conjoin,  like  the  Latin  maritus  and  marita.  I  know 
no  term,  in  any  language,  so  significant,  or  so  expressive  of  the  duties  an¬ 
nexed  to  that  state,  as  our  husband ,  1.  e.  the  house-band,  or  bond  of  the 
family.’  Bl. 

V.  25.  ‘This  love  (as  Ros.  obs.)  comprises  every  kind  of  care  for  the 
safety  and  welfare  of  the  wife;  and,  in  the  case  of  Christ,  as  respects  the 
church.  It,  however,  imports  something  more,  namely,  an  affectionate 
demeanor,  ami  a  magnanimous  indulgence  to  the  frailties  of  the  weaker 
sex.  So  Thcoph.'  Bl.  Note,  Mk.  10:6 — 9.  En. 

V.  26.  Washing.]  1  From  original  sin,  Ac.  2:38.  Eisner  and  Doddr., 
not  improbably,  think  the  terms  allude  to  the  custom,  Esth.  2:3.  9:12. 
Ez.  10:7—14.’  Bl. 

V.  27.  ‘  In  this  description,’  says  Mackn.,  ‘  may  not  the  perfections  of 
the  bodies  of  the  saints  he  included,  as  well  as  the  perfection  of  their 
minds  ?’  Spot,  Arc.]  ‘How  bright  an  idea  does  this  give  us  of  the  grand 
plan  and  design  of  Christianity,  to  bring  all  tl.e  millions  of  which  the 
church  consists  to  such  a  state  of  perfect  virtue  and  glory,  that,  when 
the  penetrating  eye  of  Christ,  its  great  and  holy  Bridegroom,  shall  sur¬ 
vey  it,  there  shall  not  be  one  spot  or  wrinkle ,  or  anything  like  ft,  in 
the  least  to  impair  its  beauty  or  offend  his  sight  !  Where  is  such  a 
scheme  or  thought  to  be  found  in  the  world,  hut  in  the  New  I  estament, 
and  those  who  have  been  taught  by  it  ?’  Doddr.  God  grant  the  writer 
and  reader  to  share  this  glorious  consummation  !  room 


A.  D.  64.  EPHESIANS,  V.  Holiness  of  marriage  illustrated. 


28  So  ought  men  to  love  their 
wives  as  their  own  bodies  ;  he  that 
loveth  his  wife  loveth  himself. 

29  For  no  man  ever  yet  hated 
his  own  flesh  ;  but  nourisheth  and 
cherisheth  it ;  even  as  the  Lord  tho. 
church  : 

50  For  we  are  members  s  of  his 
body,  of  his  flesh,  and  of  his  bones. 

51  For  h  this  cause  shall  a  man 
leave  his  father  and  mother,  and 
shall  be  joined  unto  his  wife,  and 
they  two  ‘shall  be  one  flesh. 

32  This  is  a  great  mystery  :  but 
I  speak  concerning  Christ  and  the 
church. 

S3  Nevertheless,  let  every  one  of 
you  in  particular,  so  love  his  wife 
even  as  himself;  and  the  .wife  see 
that  she  reverence  her  husband. 

g  1  Co.  12:27.  h  Ge.  2:24.  i  1  Co.  6:16. 

reason  to  complain  of  the  divine  injunctions. 

The  love  God  requires  from  the  husband  in 
behalf  of  his  wife,  will  make  an  amends  for 
the  subjection  Tie  demands  from  her  to  her 
husband:  and  the  prescribed  subjection  of  the 
wife,  will  be  an  abundant  return  for  that 
love  of  the  husband  which  God  has  made 
her  due. 

The  apostle,  having  mentioned  Christ’s 
love  to  the  church,  enlarges  upon  it;  assign¬ 
ing  the  reason  why  He  gave  Himself  for  it, 

That  He  might  sanctify  it  in  this  world,  and 
glorify  it  in  the  next,  v.  26,  27.  The  in¬ 
strumental  means  whereby  this  is  effected, 

PRACT.  OBS.  V.  15 — 33.  By  the  light  of  divine  truth  we  should 
walk  with  accuracy  and  ‘circumspection;’  ‘redeeming  our  time’  from 
sloth,  needless  sleep  or  recreation,  and  impertinent  visits,  for  useful  and 
important  purposes;  because  life,  health,  liberty,  and  the  use  of  our 
senses  and  understandings,  are  at  all  times  uncertain.  The  world  also 
is  full  of  misery  and  iniquity  ;  and  there  is  ‘  no  work  nor  counsel ...  in 
the  grave,  whither  we  are  going.’  Let  us  then  acquaint  ourselves  with 
the  will  of  our  Lord,  attend  to  his  work,  and  wait  for  his  coming, — 
1  filled  with  the  Spirit.’  Thus  we  shall  be  animated  to  ‘  speak  to  each 
other  in  psalms,  and  hymns,  and  spiritual  songs;’  instead  of  those  vain 
songs,  in  praise  of  war,  sensual  love,  hunting,  drinking,  and  such  like, 
which  are  in  use  among  men  called  Christians,  just  as  odes  to  Mars, 
Venus,  Bacchus,  or  Diana  were  among  the  Gentiles.  Let  us  at  least,  with 
the  melody  of  a  grateful  heart,  ‘  give  thanks  always,  for  all  things,  to  onr 
God  and  Father,  in  the  name  of’  his  beloved  Son  :  and  thus  we  shall 
anticipate  the  joys  of  heaven,  in  the  communion  of  the  saints  on  earth. 
— If  we  all  were  ‘  subject  one  to  another  in  the  fear  of  God,’  and  ac¬ 
cording  to  our  several  relations  in  life,  society  would  appear  like  a 
well  organized  body,  and  every  individual  would  share  the  advantages. 


the  church:  as  the  Lord  nourishes  and  cher¬ 
ishes  the  church,  which  He  furnishes  with 
all  things  He  sees  needful  or  good  for  her, 
with  whatever  conduces  to  her  everlasting 
happiness  and  welfare.  The  apostle  adds. 
For  we.  are  members  of  his  body,  of  his  flesh, 
and  of  his  bones,  v.  30.  He  assigns  this  as 
a  reason  why  Christ  nourishes  and  cherishes 
his  church, — because  all  who  belong  to  it, 
are  members  of  his  mystical  body.  Or,  we 
are  members  out  of  his  body:  all  the  grace 
and  glory  the  church  has,  are  from  Christ; 
as  Eve  was  taken  out  of  the  man.  But  (as 
one  observes)  it  being  the  manner  of  the 
sacred  writings  to  express  a  complex  body 
of  the  enumeration  of  its  several  parts;  as 
the  heaven  and  earth  for  the  world;  evening 
and  morning,  for  the  natural  day;  so  here, 
by  body,  flesh,  and  bones,  we  are  to  under¬ 
stand  Himself ;  the  meaning  of  the  verse 
being,  that  we  are  members  of  Christ.  For 
this  cause,  because  they  are  one,  as  Christ 
and  his  church  are  one,  shall  a  man  leave  his 
father  and  mother;  the  apostle  refers  to  the 
w’ords  of  Adam,  w  hen  Eve  was  given  to  him 
for  a  meet-help,  Ge.  2:  24.  We  are  to  un¬ 
derstand  by  them,  only,  that  this  relation  is 
to  he  preferred  to  all  others;  there  being  a 
nearer  union  between  these  two,  than  be¬ 
tween  any  others;  that  the  man  must  rather 
leave  any  of  his  relatives  than  his  wife. 
And  they  two  shall  be  one  flesh,  i.  e.  by  vir¬ 
tue  of  the  matrimonial  bond.  This  is  a  great 
mystery,  v.  32.  Those  w  ords  of  Adam,  just 
mentioned  by  the  apostle,  are  spoken  literal¬ 
ly  of  marriage;  but  they  have  also  a  hidden, 
mystical  sense  in  them,  relating  to  the  union 
between  Christ  and  his  church,  of  which 
the  conjugal  union  between  Adam  and  the 

— Every  relative  duty  should  be  enforced  by  evangelical  motives  and 
examples. — The  most  entire  submission  of  wives  to  their  own  husbands 
will  be  no  infringement  of  their  liberty,  if  performed  ‘  for  the  Lord’s 
sake;’  and  after  the  example  of  the  church’s  obedience  to  Him  :  espe- 
pecially  if  ‘  husbands  also  love  their  wives,’  after  the  pattern  of  Christ's 
love  to  his  chosen  people.  He  died  for  them,  ‘  that  He  might  sanctify 
and  cleanse  them,’  to  be  to  Him  for  an  honor  and  praise  to  all  eternity, 
and  that  He  might  be  glorious  in  making  them  happy.  While  we  adore 
and  rejoice  in  this  condescending  love,  and  press  forward  to  that  perfect 
holiness  which  is  intended  for  us  ;  and  while  we  reverence  both  the 
mystery  of  this  sacred  union  with  the  Lord,  and  his  loving  authority 
over  us,  let  husbands  hence  learn  how  to  love  their  wives,  and  wives 
hence  learn  to  obey  and  ‘  reverence  their  husbands.’  If  the  original  ap¬ 
pointment  of  marriage,  and  the  subject  before  us,  were  duly  attended  to, 
all  harshness,  tyranny,  and  unfaithfulness  must  be  excluded.  In  short, 
were  Christianity  general,  and  Christians  more  attentive  to  the  precepts 
of  their  Lord  ;  harmony  and  affectionate  confidence  would  sweeten  do¬ 
mestic  life,  without  anv  material  interruption  or  alloy,  [and  happy  fami¬ 
lies  would  expand  into  happy  nations,  and  a  happy  world.]  Scott. 


are,  the  instituted  sacraments,  particularly 
the  washing  of  baptism,  and  the  preaching 
and  reception  of  the  Gospel.  And  that  He 
might  present  it  to  Himself,  &o.  v.  27.  Dr. 
Lightfoot  thinks,  the  apostle  alludes  here  to 
the  Jews’  extraordinary  care  in  their  wash¬ 
ings  for  purification,  that  there  should  be  no 
wrinkle  to  keep  the  flesh  from  the  water, 
and  no  spot  or  dirt  not  thoroughly  washed. 
Others  understand  him  as  alluding  to  a  gar¬ 
ment  come  new  out  of  the  fuller’s  hand, 
purged  from  spots,  stretched  from  wrinkles. 
That  He  might  present  it  to  Himself,  that  He 
might  perfectly  unite  to  Himself  in  the  great 
day,  a  glorious  church,  perfect  in  knowledge 
and  in  holiness,  not  having  spot  or  wrinkle,  or 
any  such  thing ;  nothing  of  deformity  or  defile¬ 
ment  remaining,  but  entirely  amiable  and  j 
pleasing  in  his  eye;  holy,  and  without  blem-  j 
ish ,  free  from  the  least  remains  of  sin.  The  ! 
church  in  general,  and  particular  believers,  | 
will  not  be  without  spot  or  wrinkle  till  they  | 
come  to  glory.  From  this  and  the  former 
v.  together,  we  may  notice,  that  the  glorify¬ 
ing  of  the  church  is  intended  in  the  sancti¬ 
fying  of  it:  and  that  those,  and  those  only, 
who  are  sanctified  now,  shall  be  glorified  i 
hereafter.  So  ought  men  to  love  their  wives  1 
as  their  own  bodies,  &c.  v.  28.  The  wife  j 
being  civilly,  relatively,  [and  spiritually,] 
made  one  with  her  husband,  this  is  an  argu¬ 
ment  why  he  should  love  her  as  cordially 
and  ardently  as  he  loves  himself.  For  no 
man  ever  yet  hated  his  own  flesh,  v.  29.  how¬ 
ever  deformed,  or  whatever  his  imperfections 
might  be:  so  far  from  it,  that  he  uses  him¬ 
self  with  the  greatest  care  and  tenderness;  j 
and  is  industrious  to  supply  himself  with  ! 
every  convenience,  & c.  even  as  the  Lord  | 


V.  28 — 31.  The  apostle,  having  described  in  the  most  affecting  man¬ 
ner  ‘  the  love  of  Christ  to  his  church,’  and  the  subjection  of  the  church 
to  his  authority,  here  shows,  that  men  ought  to  love  their  wives  with  a 
wise,  holy,  constant,  and  tender  affection,  in  conformity  to  that  perfect 
pattern  :  in  everything  seeking  their  comfort  and  advantage,  sympa¬ 
thizing  in  their  sorrows,  bearing  with  their  infirmities,  and  endeavoring 
to  promote  their  salvation  and  sanctification. — What  an  affecting  view 
does  this  give  of  Christ’s  love  to  his  people  !  ‘  lie  loves,  and  nourishes, 

and  cherishes  them,’  as  a  man  does  his  own  body  !  Scott. 

(28.)  ‘  Sunt  enim  conjuges  iinum  quid  per  individuam  vitte  societa- 
tem.  The  wife  is  the  other  part  of  the  homo  [maul,  who  consists  of 
man  and  woman.  So  they  say,  a  man  without  a  wile  is  only  n  semi- 
homo,  or  a  man  halved.’  See  Drusius.  Cleanse .|  ‘The  husband’s 
true  love  leads  him  also  to  cleanse  h is  wife,  i.  e.  to  form  her  mind,  and 
assist  her  progress  in  virtue,  thus  promoting  his  own  happiness  too  in 
the  best  manner.’  Mackn. 

(30.)  ‘  We  are  represented  as  related  by  blood  to  Christ,  because  lie 
assumed  our  human  nature,  and  was  in  all  respects  made  like  as  we  are, 
only  without  sin.  Heb.  2:14.’  Ros.  See  Bp.  Horne ,  Serms.  En. 

V.  32,  33.  It  is  obvious,  that  there  must,  in  all  cases,  be  manifold 
defects  and  failures  on  both  sides,  in  the  present  state  of  human  nature; 
and  often  grievous  offences  may  be  committed :  yet  this  does  not  mate¬ 
rially  alter  the  duty  of  the  injured  party,  except  in  some  cases  elsewhere 
provided  for — It  is  observable,  that  the  apostle  says,  ‘  let  every  one  love 
his  wife,’  not  rvives  ;  so  that  polygamy  is  not  even  supposed  bv  the  ex¬ 
hortation  to  exist  among  Christians. — (32)  Mystery .j  The  Vulgate,  or 
old  Latin  version,  exclusively  used  by  the  church  of  Rome,  renders  this, 
sacrament  ;  which  is  the  only  scriptural  reason,  or  shadow  of  reason, 
for  the  absurdity  of  numbering  marriage  among  the  sacraments ;  even 
while  that  church  considers  the  married  state  inconsistent  with  high 
attainments  in  holiness,  forbids  its  priests  to  marrv,  and  discourages 
marriage  in  various  other  wavs ! — Many  have  enlarged  on  this  mystery, 
namely,  the  appointment  of  marriage  in  the  garden  of  Edeii,  as  a  type 
or  emblem  of  Christ  and  his  church;  for  so  they  understand  it.  The 
following  quotation  gives  the  substance  of  ancient  and  modern  exposi¬ 
tions  of  the  passage,  in  this  particular. — ‘Adam,  in  whom  the  whole 
human  race  began,  was  a  natural  image  of  Christ,  in  whom  the  human 
race  was  to  be  restored  :  and  his  deep  sleep,  the  opening  of  his  side,  and 
the  formation  of  Eve  of  a  rib  taken  out  of  his  side,  were  fit  emblems  of 

[400] 


Christ’s  death,  of  the  opening  of  his  side  on  the  cross,  and  of  the  regen¬ 
eration  of  believers  by  his  death.  The  love  which  Adam  expressed 
towards  Eve,  and  his  union  with  her  by  marriage,  were  lively  emblems 
of  Christ’s  love  to  believers,  and  of  his  eternal  union  with  them  in  one 
society  after  the  resurrection.  And  Eve  herself,  who  was  formed  of  a 
rib  taken  from  Adam’s  side,  was  a  natural  image  of  believers,  who  are 
regenerated,  both  in  their  body  and  mind,  by  the  breaking  of  Christ’s 
side  on  the  cross.  ..  These  circumstances ...  xve  may  suppose...  to 
prefigure  that  great  event;  and  by  prefiguring  it,  to  show  that  it  was 
decreed  of  God  from  the  beginning.’  Mackn. — The  mystery,  in  reality 
is,  that  He,  ‘who  is  God  over  all,  blessed  for  evermore,’ should,  from 
most  free  love  of  Adam’s  fallen  race,  become  Man,  Emmanuel,  and  thus 
‘  purchase  the  church  with  his  ow  n  blood  ;’  and  should  love  this  church 
of  redeemed  sinners,  with  a  love  immensely  exceeding  that  of  the  most 
endeared  relations  among  men.  Scott. 

(32.)  Mystery.]  ‘  This  union  of  Adam  and  Eve,  ns  relating  to  Christ 
and  his  church,  is  a  great  mystery,  containing  important  truths  and 
illustrations,  for  ages  [and  still]  imperfectly  understood.’  Slade. 

‘The  mystery  certainly  was,  that  the  eternal  Son  of  God,  receiving 
the  degenerate  race  of  men  into  an  union  with  Himself,  should  have 
loved  them  with  an  affection  exceeding  that  to  he  found  among  the  most 
intimate  human  relations.  This  sublime  doctrine  had  long  been  con¬ 
cealed.  and  cannot  now  be  perfectly  comprehended  ;  and  therefore  may, 
with  the  greatest  propriety,  be  called  a  mystery,  in  every  sense  of  the 
word.’  Doddic 

‘  On  the  shameful  blunder  of  the  Vulg.  translator  solely,  (in  tr.  mus- 
terion  here,  by  sacramentum.)  do  the  Romanists  found  their  doctrine 
of  marriage  being  a  sacrament.  Valpy  obs.,  that  sacramentum  was  long 
used  very  indefinitely  by  ecclesiastical  writers;  it  came  at  length  to  ac¬ 
quire  a  meaning  more  precise  and  fixed.’  Bl. 

‘  Ur.  Alien,  in  Whitby ,  says,  it  was  a  Jewish  notion,  that  the  union  of 
Adam  was  a  type  of  that  betw'een  the  Messiah  and  his  church.  Tims, 
the  Jews  say,  (so  k'oisin,' i  and  the  mystery  of  Adam  is  the  mystery  of 
the  Messiah,  who  is  the  Bridegroom  of  the  church.  These  two  writers 
therefore,  says  tVhitby,  confirm  the  remark  of  Munster,  “That  the  crea¬ 
tion  of  the  woman  from  the  rib  of  the  man,  was  made  by  the  Jews  to 
signify  the  marriage  of  the  celestial  man  who  is  blessed,  or  of  the  Mes¬ 
siah,  with  the  church  ;”  w  hence  Paul  applies  the  very  w'ords  Adam  said 
of  Eve,  to  those  Christians  who  are  the  Spouse  of  Christ,  v.  30.’  Id. 


A.  D.  64. 


EPHESIANS,  VI. 


Duties  of  children  to  their  parents. 


CHAP.  VI. 

1  The  duly  of  children  towards  their  parents,  5  of  servants 
towards  their  masters.  10  Our  life  is  a  warfare,  1*2  not 
only  against  flesh  and  blood,  but  also  spiritual  enemies. 
13  The  complete  armor  of  a  Christian,  18  and  how  it 
ought  to  be  used.  21  Tychicus  is  commended. 

CHILDREN,  ‘obey  your  parents 
in  the  Lord  :  for  this  is  right. 

2  Honor  b  thy  father  and  mother, 
(which  is  the  first  commandment 
with  promise,) 

3  That  it  may  be  well  with  thee, 
and  thou  rnayest  live  long  on  the 
earth. 

a  Pr.  23:22.  Col.  3:20,  4c.  b  Ex.  20:12. 

mother  of  us  all,  was  a  type:  though  not  in¬ 
stituted  or  appointed  by  God  to  signify  this, 
yet  it  was  a  kind  of  natural  type,  as  hav¬ 
ing  a  resemblance  to  it;  I  speak  concerning 
Christ  and  the  church. 

After  this,  the  apostle  concludes  this  part 
of  his  discourse  with  a  brief  summary  of  the 
duty  of  husbands  and  wives,  v.  33.  ‘ Never¬ 
theless, ;  though  there  be  such  a  secret,  mys¬ 
tical  sense,  yet  the  plain,  literal  sense  con¬ 
cerns  you.  Let  every  one  of  you  in  particular 
so  love  his  wife  even  as  himself,  with  such  a 
sincere,  peculiar,  singular,  and  prevailing 


affection  as  that  is  which  he  bears  to  him-  j 
self.  And  the  wife  See  that  she  reverence  her 
husband .’  Reverence  consists  of  love  and 
esteem,  which  produce  a  care  to  please;  and 
of  fear,  which  awakens  a  caution  lest  just 
offence  be  given.  That  the  wife  thus  rever¬ 
ence  her  husband,  is  the  will  of  God,  and  the 
law  of  the  relation. 


Chap.  VI.  V.  1 — 9.  Here  we  have  fur¬ 
ther  directions  concerning  relative  duties, 
in  which  the  apostle  is  very  particular. 

I.  The  duty  of  children  to  their  parents, 
v.  1.  Parents  being  the  instruments  of  the 
being  of  their  children,  God  and  nature  has 
given  them  an  authority  to  command  them, 
in  subserviency  to  God  ;  and  if  children 
will  be  obedient  to  their  pious  parents, 
they  will  be  in  a  fair  way  to  be  pious  as 
they  are.  Some  take  in  the  Lord,  as  a  lim¬ 
itation,  and  understand  it  thus,  ‘  as  far  as  is 
consistent  with  your  duty  to  God.’  We 
must  not  disobey  our  heavenly  Father  in 
obedience  to  earthly  parents;  for  our  obli¬ 
gation  to  God  is  prior  and  superior  to  all 
others.  I  take  it  rather  as  a  reason:  ‘  Chil¬ 
dren,  obey  your  parents;  for  the  Lord  has 
commanded  it:  obey  them  therefore  for  the 
Lord’s  sake,  and  with  an  eye  to  Him.’  Or 


it  may  be  a  particular  specification  of  the 
general  duty:  ‘Obey  your  parents,  espe¬ 
cially  in  those  things  which  relate  to  the 
Lord.  Your  parents  teach  you  good  man¬ 
ners,  and  what  is  for  your  health,  and  in  all 
i  this  you  must  obey  them:  but  the  chief  tilings 
j  in  which  you  are  to  do  it,  are,  the  things 
!  pertaining  to  the  Lord.’  Religious  parents 
!  charge  their  children  to  keep  the  ways  of 
the  Lord,  Gen.  18:  19.  A  general  reason 
is  given;  fir  this  is  right,  there  is  a  natural 
equity  in  it,  God  has  enjoined  it,  and  it 
highly  becomes  Christians.  For  the  proof 
of  this,  the  apostle  quotes  the  law  of  the 
5th  commandment,  v.  2.  which  implies  the 
obligation  of  honor,  reverence,  obedience, 
and  relief  and  maintenance,  if  these  be 
needed.  The  apostle  adds,  which  is  the  first 
commandment  with  promise.  Here,  some, 
who  plead  for  the  lawfulness  of  images, 
bring  this  as  a  proof  that  we  are  not  obliged 
by  the  second  commandment.  But  the  argu¬ 
ment  is  of  no  force.  The  second  com¬ 
mandment  has  not  a  particular  promise;  but 
only  a  general  declaration  or  assertion, which 
relates  to  the  whole  law,  of  God’s  keeping 
mercy  for  thousands.  And  then  by  this  is 
not  meant  the  first  commandment  of  the 
decalogue  that  has  a  promise;  for  there  is 


NOTES.  Chap.  VI.  V.  1 — 4.  The  apostle  next  exhorts  believers, 
who  had  parents  living,  to  be  obedient  to  them,  1  in  the  Lord,’  for  his 
sake,  from  gratitude  to  Him,  in  obedience  to  his  commands,  and  for  the 
honor  of  his  Gospel.  Col.  3:16,  17,  v.  16.  The  Lord  Jesus  seems  espe¬ 
cially  intended.  This  general  exhortation  must  be  limited,  according  to 
tile  ages  and  particular  circumstances  of  children.  Some,  it  is  probable, 
had  Gentile  parents,  and  they  ought  not  to  obey  them,  when  their  com¬ 
mands  contradicted  those  of  Christ ;  yet,  it  would  be  peculiarly  incum¬ 
bent  on  them,  to  give  up  their  own  will  in  all  things  lawful,  for  the  cred¬ 
it  of  Christianity.  The  obedience  of  children  to  their  parents,  thus 
limited,  is  in  itself  ‘right,’  equitable,  and  reasonable,  a  debt  due  to  the 
instruments  of  their  existence,  and  the  tender  guardians  of  their  infan¬ 
cy,  and  generally  conducive  to  their  good.  Indeed,  the  sentiments  of  all 
nations  coincide  in  this,  and  the  law  of  God  expressly  commands  chil¬ 
dren  ‘  to  honor  ’  the  persons  and  authority  of  both  father  and  mother, 
and  to  requite  their  kindness  as  they  have  opportunity  and  ability.  This 
was  placed  in  the  decalogue,  as  ‘the  first  commandment’  of  the  second 
table,  being  the  first  of  the  relative  duties,  and  the  source  of  all  the  oth¬ 
ers.  Indeed,  it  lias  been  observed,  in  every  age,  that  those  who  havedis* 
tinguished  themselves  by  filial  obedience  were  remarkably  prospered. 
Gen.  9:20  —  23.  Ex.  20:12.  Lev.  19:3.  Prov.  1:8.  Mat.  15:3  —  6—  The 
apostle  also  exhorted  parents  (for  though  fathers  only  are  mentioned, 
doubtless  mothers  also  were  intended)  to  use  their  authority  without 
rigor,  lest  their  children  should  be  discouraged  ;  prejudiced  against  Chris¬ 
tianity,  or  provoked  to  obstinacy  and  disobedience,  which  would  always 
prove  painful  to  the  parents,  anil  often  ruinous  to  the  children.  Ex.  21: 
15—17.  P.  O.  12—36.  De.  21:18— 21.  Prov.  29:17.  30:17.  The  restraints, 
reproofs,  and  corrections  of  parents,  ought,  therefore,  always  to  be  used 
in  a  meek,  affectionate,  and  forgiving  disposition;  while  they  diligently 
educate  their  children  in  such  a  manner,  and  with  such  instructions,  a3 
may  best  initiate  them  in  the  knowledge  of  Christ  and  true  religion,  and 
give  them  such  friendly  admonitions,  as  may  guard  them  against  the  va¬ 
rious  snares  of  the  world,  and  the  temptations  of  Satan.  Prov.  13:24. 
Col.  3:20,  21. — In  these  exhortations  the  inferior  relation  is  constantly- 
mentioned  first ;  perhaps  because  the  duty  of  it  is  most  contrary  to  cor¬ 
rupt  nature  ;  yet  it  ought  to  be  attended  to,  even  when  the  superiors 
neglect  theirs. — ‘Instruct  them  in  the  principles  of  piety  towards  God, 
and  faith  in  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  . .  .  Make  them  to  read  the  Scriptures, 
says  Theophylact,  which  is  the  duty  of  all  Christians;  for  is  it  not  a 
shame  to  instruct  them  in  heathen  authors,  whence  they  may  learn 
bad  things,  and  not  to  instruct  them  in  the  oracles  of  God  ?’  Whitby. 
This  is  an  important  remark  ;  but  immensely  more  is  required,  in  cate¬ 
chizing  and  otherwise  instructing  children,  in  reproof,  rnild  correc¬ 
tion,  example,  conversation,  watchfulness  against  everything  in  word  or 
deed  unbecoming  in  their  presence,  seizing  every  opportunity  of  draw¬ 
ing  their  attention  to  the  great  truths  and  duties  of  religion,  and  illus¬ 
trating  the  effects  of  wickedness,  the  love  of  God,  and  the  state  of  the 
world.  Indeed,  immensely  more  than  can  be  even  hinted  at  in  a  note, 
is  implied  in  this  brief  exhortation.  Scott. 

(2,  3.)  With  promise .]  See  Bloomf.  or  Doddr.  The  feelings  awaken¬ 
ed  towards  parents  are  those  due  in  a  higher  degree,  to  God,  and  pro¬ 
mote  such.  The  experience,  too,  of  parents,  if  thoroughly  educated  for 
God,  intellectually,  morally,  and  physically,  could  give  such  lessons  to 
obedient  children  as  would  preserve  them,  in  obedience  to  God’s  natural 
laws,  from  excess  of  any  kind,  and  so  secure  to  them  long  life  ;  a  nation, 
also,  of  such  parents  and  children,  thus  educated  to  reverence  the  pater¬ 
nal  authority  of  its  lawgivers  and  law’s,  would  be  united  and  invincible, 
and  so  long-lived  in  their  land.  Thus  the  text  may  be  taken  in  its  broad¬ 
est  sense,  of  all  the  blessings,  temporal  and  eternal,  which  flow  from  the 
proper  use  of  the  family  relation  :  indeed,  ‘  more  is  implied  in  the  reli¬ 
gious  obligations  involved  in  the  family  tie ,  than  is  ordinarily  recogniz¬ 
ed.’  See  the  ‘Family  at  Home,’  republished  by  G.  D.  Abbot,  in  1834. 

‘The  principle  of  devoted  obedience  to  the  parent  has  been  a  most 
imperative  rule  of  conduct ;  one  against  which  no  appeal  has  been  dream¬ 
ed  of,  from  the  foundation  of  its  monarchy,  probably  by  a  grandson  of 
Noah,  in  that  singular  community  the  Chinese  family;  comprising  by 
very  far  the  most  populous  empire  and  people  existing.  Its  political 
government  turns  entirely  on  the  duties  of  fathers  toward  their  chil¬ 
dren,  and  of  children  towards  their  fathers ;  and  as  the  highest  functions 
and  authority  are  concentrated  in  the  emperor,  who  calls  himself  the 
great  father,  and  the  son  of  heaven,  [for,  says  Baines,  ‘  God  is  the  Father 
of  all  fatherhoods,’]  and  whom  the  Chinese  call  sometimes  the  father, 
N.  T.  VOL.  V.  51 


and  the  mother  of  his  people,  they  affirm,  that  he  is  not  only  the  empe¬ 
ror  to  govern,  and  the  pontiff  to  sacrifice,  but  is  also  the  master  of  in¬ 
struction.  The  governors  of  cities  and  provinces  rule  them  respectively 
ns  their  fathers,  &c.  All  punishment,  therefore,  is  indicted  as  a  fatherly 
chastisement;  ruling  as  God  does,  by  the  affections,  Mat.  6:9.  which  re¬ 
moves  the  feeling  of  disgrace,  all  objection  to  its  being  summary,  and  all 
questions  as  to  its  equality.  Every  officer  of  state,  from  the  9th  degree 
up  to  the  4th,  can  punish  his  inferior  with  the  bamboo,  the  traditional 
mode,  Dent.  25:2.  and  the  emperor  thus  corrects,  when  it  seems  good  to 
him,  his  ministers,  and  the  four  higher  classes.  The  vitality  of  this  pa¬ 
triarchal  principle  has  been  put  to  the  strongest  test,  by  frequent  rebel¬ 
lions,  internal  conxmlsions,  and  changes  of  dynasty,  and  twice  by  foreign 
conquest;  but,  the  Chinese  changing  the  unfatherly  for  paternal  rulers, 
again  and  again,  its  Simplicity  and  efficacy  have  triumphed  to  this  day. 
Indeed,  the  stability,  says  Sir  G.  Staunton,  “  of  the  Chinese  govern¬ 
ment,  the  few  changes  that  have  been  made  in  its  civil  institutions,  for 
such  a  number  of  ages  [see  Chron.  tables,  in  Supplement],  the  vast  ex¬ 
tent  of  empire,  and  immense  population,  forming  one  society,  guided  by 
the  same  laws,  [and  written  language,]  and  governed  by  the  will  of  a 
single  individual,  offer  the  grandest  collective  object  that  can  be  pre¬ 
sented  for  human  contemplation  or  research;”  [especially,  now  that 
the  Gospel  is  at  last,  by  the  living  voice,  and  translated  Word,  offering 
to  its  hundreds  of  millions]  ..  .  Descended  from  a  dutiful  son  of  Noah, 
the  ancestor  of  China  migrated,  before  faith  in  the  promise  to  filial  obe¬ 
dience  would  have  been  staggered  by  the  early  prosperity  of  the  race  of 
Ham,  upon  which  the  malediction  did  not  fully  come  for  some  centuries. 
..  Now,  in  the  question  of  obedience  or  disobedience  to  this  primeval 
law  to  reverence  the  parent,  under  which  Ham  was  probably  punished, 
nothing  can  be  well  imagined  to  do  more  honor  to  the  perfect  rule  of 
God,  than  that  mankind  should,  during  ages  and  ages,  see  the  blessings 
and  the  curses  attached  to  this  ordinance,  in  continued  and  uninterrupted 
operation  ;  and  we  must  be  entirely  assured  that  the  nlmighty  wisdom, 
in  all  justice,  reason,  and  policy,  will  act  upon  the  same  principles  of 
reward  as  well  as  of  punishment,  in  the  aggregate  as  individually,  to¬ 
wards  nations  as  towards  men ;  and  that  blessings  attached  to  the  ob¬ 
servance  of  the  5th  commandment,  which,  being  of  the  moral  law,  was 
unquestionably  of  the  highest  antiquity,  would  as  certainly  be  granted 
to  a  state,  which  should  make  it  its  rule  of  conduct,  as  it  would  be  to 
any  one  of  its  citizens.  [Note,  *  p.  844.  Vol.  II.]  And,  indeed,  the  Al¬ 
mighty,  in  his  wisdom  and  his  mercy,  appears  to  design  to  attach  a  very 
esfiecial  importance  to  the  obedience  of  large  bodies  of  men,  and  to 
give  a  value  to  acts  which  bear  the  character  of  national  reverence  of, 
and  submission  to  Him,  very  far  above  any  which  we  could  presume 
them  to  possess.  And  if,  in  the  reward  of  its  filial  piety,  this  nation  has 
very  long,  and  in  great  riches,  and  extraordinary  numbers,,  enjoyed  the 
land  given  to  it,  a  beautiful  illustration  of  the  heavenly  wisdom  is  af¬ 
forded  to  us,  because  we  see,  that  the  conduct  approved  by  God,  neces¬ 
sarily  carries  with  it,  and  works  out,  the  blessing  pronounced  by  Him  as 
attached  to  it.  The  strength  and  simplicity  of  the  principle  of  filial 
obedience,  is  admirably  calculated  to  ensure  permanency  and  stability 
to  each  family,  and  to  each  aggregation  of  families  built  upon  it. 

‘  Thus  it  is,  that  whilst  w  e  see  Africa,  the  first  ancestor  of  whose  na¬ 
tions  was  accursed  for  irreverence  to  his  father,  bearing  still  the  pecu¬ 
liar  punishment  attached  to  his  crime,  and  a  servant  of  servants,  through 
that  father’s  curse,  ratified  by  the  Almighty  ;  we  behold  the  Chinese  na¬ 
tion,  the  fundamental  principle  of  whose  rule,  laws,  and  policy,  is,  that 
of  reverence  to  the  parent,  and  was  undoubtedly  such  from  the  very  cra¬ 
dle  of  the  monarchy,  in  a  wonderful  dfegrce  prolonging  its  days  in  the 
land  which  the  Lord  its  God  hath  given  it.  In  these  opposite,  predes¬ 
tined  fortunes  of  the  human  race,  placed  at  vast  distances  from  each 
other,  prevailing  through  thousands  of  years,  xve  see  perhaps  one  of  the 
most  beautiful,  permanent,  and  instructive  of  God’s  dispensations  exist¬ 
ing  on  a  gigantic  scale,  proportioned  to  the  period  of  its  duration  ’.. . 
Sir  G.  H.  Rose,  Script.  Researches.  Americans  !  may  the  example  not 
be  lost  upon  us!  — ‘All  the  schools,  and  houses  of  reformation,  in 
Prussia,  do  not  cost  the  government  ns  much  as  old  England  is  obliged 
to  expend  in  prisons  and  constables,  for  the  regulation  of  that  pnrt  ot  her 
population  for  which  the  government  provides  no  schools  but  the  hulks 
and  the  jnils ;  and  I  leave  it  to  any  one  to  say,  which  arrangement  pro¬ 
duces  the  greatest  amount  of  public  happiness/— Prof,  stowe  ,  see  18 
highly  important  Report  to  the  government  of  Ohio,  on  I  russian  publio 
education.  r 

[401] 


A.  D.  64. 


4  Arul  ye  fathers,  provoke  not 
your  children  to  wrath  :  but  bring 
them  up  in  the  nurture  and  admo¬ 
nition  of  the  Lord. 

5  *  Servants,  be  obedient  to  them 
that  are  your  masters  according  to 
the  flesh,  with  fear  and  trembling, 
in  singleness  of  your  heart,  as  unto 
Christ ; 

6  Not  with  ejm-service,  as  men- 
pleasers ;  but  as  the  servants  of 
Christ,  doing  the  will  of  God  from 
the  heart ; 

7  With  good-will  doing  service, 
as  to  the  Lord,  and  not  to  men  ; 

8  Knowing  that  whatsoever  good 
thing  any  man  doeth,  the  same  shall 
he  receive  of  the  Lord,  whether  he 
be  bond  or  free. 

9  And  ye  masters,  do  the  same 
things  unto  them, d forbearing  threat¬ 
ening  :  knowing  that  eyour  Master 
also  is  in  heaven  ;  neither  is  there 
respect  'of  persons  with  him. 

10  Finally,  my  brethren,  be  strong 
in  the  Lord,  and  in  the  power  of 
his  might. 

c  1  Pe.  2:18,  &c.  e  Some  read,  both  f  Ro.  2:11. 
d  or,  moderating.  your  and  their. 

no  other  after  it  that  has,  therefore  it  would 
b&  improper  to  say  it  is  the  first:  but  the 
meaning  may  be  this,  ‘  This  is  a  prime  or 
chief  commandment,  and  it  has  a  promise; 
it  is  tlie  first  commandment  in  the  second 
table.  The  promise  is,  That  it  may  be  well 
with  thee,’’  &c.  v.  3.  Observe,  Whereas  the 
promise  in  the  commandment  has  reference 
to  the  land  of  Canaan,  the  apostle  hereby 
shows,  that  that  and  other  promises  in  the 
O.  T.  relating  to  the  land  of  Canaan,  are  to 
be  understood  more  generally.  That  you 
may  not  think  that  the  Jews  only  were  bound 
by  the  5th  commandment,  he  here  gives  it  a 
further  sense,  That  it  may  be  well  with  thee, 
&c.  Outward  prosperity  and  long  life  are 
blessings  promised  to  those  who  keep  this 
commandment:  ordinarily  it  is  thus  reward¬ 
ed;  and  where  it  is  not  it  is  made  up  with 
something  better.  Observe,  1.  The  Gospel 
has  its  temporal  promises,  as  well  as  spirit¬ 
ual  ones.  2.  Although  the  authority  of  God 
be  sufficient  to  engage  us  in  our  duty,  yet 
we  are  allowed  to  have  respect  to  the  prom¬ 
ised  reward:  and,  3.  Though  it  contains 
some  temporal  advantage,  even  that  may  be 
considered  as  a  motive  and  encouragement 
to  our  obedience. 

II.  The  duty  of  parents,  v.  4.  1.  ‘Do  not 
provoke  your  children  to  wrath.  Though  God 
has  given  you  power,  you  must  not  abuse 
that  power;  remembering  that  your  chil¬ 
dren  are,  in  a  particular  manner,  pieces  of 
yourselves,  and  therefore  ought  to  be  gov¬ 
erned  with  great  tenderness  and  love.  Be 
not  impatient  with  them;  use  no  unreason¬ 
able  severities,  and  lay  no  rigid  injunctions 
on  them.  When  you  caution  them,  when 


EPHESIANS,  VI. 

you  counsel  them,  when  you  reprove  them, 
do  it  in  such  a  manner  as  not  to  provoke  them 
to  wrath.  In  all  such  cases  deal  prudently 
and  wisely  with  them,  endeavoring  to  con¬ 
vince  their  judgments,  and  to  work  on  their 
reason.’  2.  ‘Bring  them  tip  well;  in  the 
nurture  and  admonition  of  the  Laid;  in  the 
discipline  of  proper  and  of  compassionate 
correction;  and  in  the  knowledge  of  that 
duty  which  God  requires  of  them,  and  by 
which  they  may  become  better  acquainted 
with  Him.  Give  them  a  good  education. 
Let  them  have  a  religious  education.  In¬ 
struct  them  to  fear  smSjjJjg;  and  inform  them 
of,  and  excite  them  to,  the  whole  of  their 
duty  toward  God.’ 

III.  The  duty  of  servants;  that  also  is 
summed  up  in  one  word,  which  is ,  obedience. 
He  is  largest  on  this  article;  as  knowing 
there  was  the  greatest  need  of  it.  These 
servants  were  generally  slaves,  and  they  may 
be  the  Lord’s  freemen,  who  are  slaves  to 
men,  masters  according  to  the  flesh,  v.  5.  of 
the  bodies,  not  of  the  souls  and  conscience. 
Now  with  respect  to  servants,  he  exhorts, 

1.  That  they  obey  with  fear  and  trembling. 
They  are  to  reverence  those  who  are  over 
them;  fearing  to  displease  them,  and  trem¬ 
bling  lest  they  should  justly  incur  their  anger 
and  indignation. 

2.  That  they  be  sincere  in  their  obedi¬ 
ence;  in  singleness  of  heart ;  not  pretending 
obedience  when  they  design  disobedience, 
but  serving  them  with  faithfulness. 

3.  They  should  have  an  eye  to  Jesus 
Christ,  in  all  their  service,  v.  5 — 7.  doing 
service  as  to  the  Lord,  and  not  to  men ;  not  to 
men  only  or  principally.  To  have  an  eye  to 
Christ,  is  to  remember  that  He  sees  them, 
and  is  ever  present  with  them;  and  that  his 
authority  obliges  them  to  a  faithful  and  con¬ 
scientious  discharge  of  the  duties  of  their 
station. 

4.  They  must  not  serve  their  masters  with 
eye-service ,  v.  6.  i.  e.  only  when  their  mas¬ 
ters’  eye  is  on  them  ;  but  be  as  conscientious 
in  the  discharge  of  their  duty,  when  they 
are  absent;  because  then  their  Master  in 
heaven  beholds  them ;  therefore  they  must 
not  act  as  men-pleasers ;  as  though  they  had 
no  regard  to  the  pleasing  of  God,  and  ap¬ 
proving  themselves  to  Him,  if  they  can  im¬ 
pose  on  their  masters.  Observe,  A  steady  re¬ 
gard  to  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  will  make  men 
faithful  and  sincere  in  every  station  of  life. 

5.  What  they  do  they  must  do  cheerfully; 
doing  the  will  of  God  from  the  heart;  serving 
their  masters,  as  God  wills  they  should,  not 
grudgingly  or  by  constraint,  but  from  a  prin¬ 
ciple  of  love  to  them  and  their  concerns. 
This  is  doing  it  with  good-will,  v.  7.  which 
will  make  their  service  easy  to  themselves, 
pleasing  to  their  masters,  and  acceptable  to 
the  Lord  Christ.  There  should  be  good-will 
to  their  masters;  good-will  to  the  families 
they  are  in;  and  especially  a  readiness  to 
do  their  duty  to  God.  Observe,  Service, 
performed  with  conscience,  and  from  a  re¬ 
gard  to  God,  though,  it  be  to  unrighteous 
masters,  will  be  accounted  by  Christ  as  ser¬ 
vice  done  to  Himself. 

6.  Let  faithful  servants  trust  God  for  their 


Duties  of  parents,  servants,  masters. 

wages,  while  they  do  their  duty  in  his  fear; 
Knowing  that  whatsoever  good  thing,  v.  8. 
how  poor  and  mean  soever  it  may  be,  con¬ 
sidered  in  itself,  the  same  shall  he  receive  of 
the  Lord,  i.  e.  (by  a  metonymy)  the  reward 
of  the  same.  Though  his  master  on  earth 
should  neglect  or  abuse  him,  instead  of  re¬ 
warding  hint,  he  shall  certainly  be  rewarded 
by  the  Lord  Christ;  whether  he  be  bond  or 
free,  whether  he  be  a  poor  bond-servant,  or 
a  free  man  or  master.  Christ  regards  not 
these  differences  of  men  at  present;  nor 
will  He  in  the  great  and  final  judgment. 
And  what  can  be  said  more  proper,  both  to 
engage  and  to  encourage  servants  to  their 
duty"? 

IV.  The  duty  of  masters,  v.  9.  they  must 
act  after  the  same  manner.  Observe,  Mas¬ 
ters  are  under  as  strict  obligations  to  dis¬ 
charge  their  duty  to  their  servants,  as  ser¬ 
vants  are  to  be  obedient  and  dutiful  to  them. 

*  Forbearing  threatening ;  moderating  threat¬ 
ening,  and  remitting  the  evils  you  threaten 
them  with.  Remember  that  your  servants 
are  made  of  the  same  mould  with  yourselves, 
and  therefore  be  not  tyrannical  and  imperi¬ 
ous  over  them,  knowing  that  your  Master  also 
is  in  heaven ;’  some  copies  read,  both  your 
and  their  Master.  Neither  is  there  respect  of 
persons  with  Him.  He  will  call  masters 
and  servants  to  an  impartial  account  for  their 
conduct  one  to  another;  and  will  neither 
spare  the  one,  because  they  are  more  advanc¬ 
ed,  nor  be  severe  toward  the  other,  because 
they  are  inferior  and  mean  in  the  world. 
If  masters  and  servants  would  consider 
both  their  relation  and  obligation  to  God, 
and  the  account  they  must  shortly  give 
to  Him,  they  would  be  more  careful  of  their 
duty  to  each  other. 

Thus  the  apostle  concludes  his  exhortation 
to  relative  duties. 

V.  10 — 18.  Here  is  a  general  exhorta¬ 
tion  to  constancy  in  our  Christian  course, 
and  courage  in  our  Christian  warfare.  Chris¬ 
tians  are  soldiers  for  Jesus  Christ;  and  if 
soldiers  then  they  must, 

I.  Have  a  good  heart  for  it.  This  is  pre¬ 
scribed  here;  Be  strong  in  the  Lord,  strong 
for  service,  for  suffering,  for  fighting.  Let 
a  soldier  be  ever  so  well  armed  without,  if 
he  have  not  within  a  good  heart,  his  armor 
will  stand  him  in  little  stead.  Note,  Spir¬ 
itual  strength  and  courage  are  very  necessa¬ 
ry  for  our  spiritual  warfare.  Be  strong  in 
the  Lord;  either  in  his  cause,  and  for  his 
sake;  or  rather,  in  his  strength.  We  have 
no  sufficient  strength  of  our  own;  but  all 
our  sufficiency  is  of  God.  We  should  stir 
up  ourselves,  therefore,  to  resist  temptations, 
in  a  reliance  on  God’s  all-sufficiency,  and 
the  omnipotence  of  his  might. 

II.  Be  well  armed,  v.  11.  Observe, 
They  who  would  approve  themselves  to  have 
true  grace,  must  aim  at  all  grace;  the  whole 
armor.  It  is  called  the  armor  of  God,  be¬ 
cause  He  both  prepares  and  bestows  it.  This 
armor  is  prepared  for  us,  but  w’e  must  put 
it  on;  we  must  pray  for  grace;  we  must  use 
the  grace  given  us,  and  draw  it  out  into  act 
and  exercise,  as  there  is  occasion.  The  rea¬ 
son  assigned,  why  the  Christian  should  be 


(4.)  Nurture.]  ‘  Paideia :  the  whole  of  the  disciplina  puerilis.  the 
instruction,  whether  by  example,  benefits,  admonitions,  or  punishment ; 
synonymous  with  nouthesia  [admonition],  which,  like  Hch.tx.sd,  signifies 
training  to  virtue.  1  S.  3:13.’  Koppg. — llovv  few  are  found  to  be  con¬ 
verted  in  after  life,  except  of  those  who  had  some  religious  instruction 
when  young  !  Ed. 

V.  5—  9.  In  general,  the  servants  at  that  time  were  slaves,  the  prop- 
ertv  of  their  masters,  and  were  oflen  treated  with  great  severity,  though 
seldom  with  that  systematic  cruelty  which  commonly  attends  slavery 
in  these  days.  Hut  the  apostles  were  ministers  of  religion,  not  politi¬ 
cians  ;  they  had  not  that  influence  among  rulers  ami  legislators,  which 
would  have  been  requisite  for  the  abolition  of  slavery.  Indeed,  in  that 
state  of  society,  as  to  other  things,  this  would  not  have  been  expedient ; 
Got!  did  not  please  miraculously  to  interpose  in  the  case,  and  they  were 
not  required  to  exasperate  their  persecutors,  hv  expressly  contending 
against  the  lawfulness  of  slavery.  Vet  both  ‘  the  law  of  love,’  and  the 
gospel  of  graee,  tend  to  its  abolition,  as  far  as  they  are  known  and  re¬ 
garded  ;  and  the  universal  prevalence  of  Christianity  must  annihilate 
shivery,  with  many  other  evils,  which  in  the  present  state  of  things  can¬ 
not  wholly  be  avoided.  Ex.  21:20.  1  Cor.  7:17 — 24. — ‘In  the  wisdom 

[402] 


of  God,’  the  apostles  were  left  to  take  such  matters  as  they  found  them, 
and  to  teach  servants  and  masters  their  respective  duties ;  in  the  per¬ 
formance  of  which  the  evil  would  be  mitigated,  till  in  due  time  it  should 
be  extirpated  by  Christian  legislators.  Scott. 

(7.)  As  to  the  Lord  and  not  to  men.]  How  very  far  is  this  from 
giving  the  light  to  hold  slaves  as  property  !  See  Charming  and  Way- 
land  ;  also  every  precept  Christ  ever  uttered.  Ed. 

(9.)  To  illustrate  what  slaveholders  and  other  masters  are  to  do,  l’aul 
instances,  says  SI.,  ‘what  they  are  not  to  do  :  adverting  to  a  fault  in 
masters,  xvhich  is  inconsistent  with  any  sense  of  responsibility  towards 
a  common  master,  namely,  a  minatory,  objurgatory,  and  passionate  de¬ 
meanor,  since  it  tends  to  destroy  that  well-affecledness  which  is  the 
most  powerful  of  all  human  motives  to  fidelity  of  service.’  Id. 

V.  10 — 13.  The  apostle  here  draws  his  practical  instructions  to  a 
close,  by  a  figurative  exhortation,  taken  from  military  affairs.  In  the 
fulness  of  Christ,  and  in  the  promised  influences  and  assistance  of  the 
Holy  Spirit,  a  ‘panoply,’  or  complete  suit  of  armor,  was  provided  for 
every  believer  :  this  the  Lord  held  out,  as  it  were,  to  the  Christians  ut 
Ephesus  and  all  others;  that,  receiving  it  from  Him,  by  tlie  prayers  of 
faith,  they  might  put  it  on  daily,  in  a  diligent  and  watchful  use  of  the 


A.  D.  61. 


EPHESIANS,  VI. 


Christian  courage  and  constancy  urged. 


1 1  Put  on  the  whole  armor  *  of 
God,  that  ye  may  be  able  to  stand 
against  the  wiles  of  the  devil. 

12  For  we  wrestle  not  against 
h  flesh  and  blood,  but  against  ‘  prin¬ 
cipalities,  against  powers,  against 
the  rulers  of  the  darkness  of  this 
world,  against  J  spiritual  wickedness 
in  khigh  places. 

13  Wherefore  take  unto  you  the 
whole  armor  of  God,  that  ye  may 
be  able  to  withstand  in  the  evil  day, 
and,  having  'done  all,  to  stand. 

g  Ro  13:12.  i  Ro.  8:33.  k  or,  heavenly,  as 

2  Co.  6:7.  j  o r,  wicked  c.  1:3. 

h  blojil  dnd  JUsh.  spirit  j.  1  or,  uocrcomc. 

completely  armed,  is,  that  ye  may  he.  able  to 
stand  against  the  wiles  of  the  devil;  to  hold 
out,  and  to  overcome,  notwithstanding  all 
his  assaults,  both  of  force  and  fraud.  This 
the  apostle  enlarges  on  here,  and  shows, 

1.  W  hat  our  danger  is,  and  what  need  we 
have  to  put  on  this  whole  armor:  considering 
what  sort  of  enemies  we  have  to  deal  with, 
— the  devil,  and  all  the  powers  of  darkness, 
v.  12.  The  combat  for  which  we  are  to  be 
prepared,  is  not  against  ordinary  human 
enemies;  nor  against  our  own  corrupt  na¬ 
tures,  singly  considered ;  but  against  the  sev¬ 
eral  ranks  of  devils,  who  have  a  government 
they  exercise  in  this  world.  We  have  to  do, 
(1 .)  With  a  subtle  enemy ;  an  enemy  who 
uses  wiles  and  stratagems,  as  v.  11.  hence 
called  a  serpent,  for  subtlety ;  an  old  serpent, 
experienced  in  the  art  and  trade  of  tempting. 

(2.)  A  powerful  enemy ;  principalities,  and 
powers,  and  rulers.  They  are  numerous,  vig¬ 
orous,  ruling  in  the  heathen  nations  that  are 
yet  in  darkness  :  yea,  over  all  men  who  are 
yet  in  astute  of  sin  and  ignorance.  Satan’s 
is  a  kingdom  of  darkness;  whereas  Christ’s 
is  a  kingdom  of  light. 


(3.)  They  are  spiritual  enemies,  spiritual 
wickedness  ;  or  wicked  spirits,  as  some  tr. 
They  are  wicked  spirits,  and  chiefly  annoy 
the  saints  with,  and  provoke  them  to,  spir¬ 
itual  wickednesses,  pride,  envy,  malice,  &c. 
They  are  said  to  be  in  high  places,  or  in 
heavenly  places,  so  the  word  is  ;  the  whole 
expansum,  or  spreading  out  of  the  air  be¬ 
tween  the  earth  and  the  stars.  Or  the  mean¬ 
ing  may  be,  ‘  We  wrestle  about  heavenly 
places,  or  heavenly  things  ;  ’  so  some  of  the 
ancients.  Our  enemies  strive  to  prevent 
our  ascent  to  heaven,  to  deprive  us  of  heav-* 
enly  blessings,  and  to  obstruct  our  commun¬ 
ion  with  heaven.  They  assault  us  in  the 
things  that  belong  to  our  souls,  and  labor  to 
deface  the  heavenly'  image  in  our  hearts  ; 
therefore,  we  need  be  on  our  guard  against 
them.  We  need  faith  in  our  Christian  war¬ 
fare,  because  we  have  spiritual  enemies  to 
grapple  with,  as  well  as  faith  in  our  Chris¬ 
tian  work,  because  we  have  spiritual  strength 
to  fetch  in.  Thus  you  see  your  danger. 

2.  What  our  duty  is ;  to  take  and  put  on 
the  whole  armor  of  God,  and  then  to  stand 
our  ground,  aiid  withstand  our  enemies. 

-  (1.)  We  must  withstand,  v.  13.  not  yield 
to,  but  oppose,  the  devil’s  allurements  and 
assaults.  Satan  is  said  to  stand  up  against 
us,  1  Chr.  21 :  1.  If  he  stand  up  against  us, 
we  must  stand  against  him  ;  and  to  stand 
against  Satan,  is  to  strive  against  sin.  That 
ye  may  be  able  to  withstand  in  the  evil  day,  in 
temptation,  or  any  sore  affliction. 

(2.)  We  must  stand  our  ground  ;  And 
having  done  all,  to  stand  ;  resolve,  by  God’s 
grace,  not  to  yield  to  Satan.  If  we  give 
hack,  he  will  gel  ground.  If  we  distrust, 
either  our  cause  or  our  Leader,  or  our  ar¬ 
mor,  we  give  him  advantage.  Our  present 
business  is,  to  xvithstand  the  assaults  of  the 
devil,  and  to  stand  it  out;  and  then,  having 
done  all,  that  is  incumbent  on  the  good  sol¬ 
diers  of  Jesus  Christ,  our  warfare  will  be 


accomplished,  and  we  shall  be  finally  vic¬ 
torious. 

(3.)  We  must  stand  armed  ;  and  this  is 
here  most  enlarged  on.  Here  is  a  Chris¬ 
tian  in  complete  armor:  and  the  armor  is 
divine.  Armor  of  God.  Armor  of  light, 
Rom.  13  :  12.  Armor  of  righteousness,  2 
Cor.  6  :  7.  The  apostle  specifies  the  par¬ 
ticulars  of  this  armor,  both  offensive  and  de¬ 
fensive.  Here  is  the  military  girdle  or  belt; 
the  breast-plate  ;  the  greaves,  or  soldier’s 
shoes;  the  shield  ;  the  helmet,  and  the  sword. 
It  is  observable,  among  them  all,  there  is 
none  for  the  back ;  if  we  turn  our  back  on 
the  enemy,  we  lie  exposed. 

[L]  T  'ruth,  or  sincerity,  is  our  girdle,  v. 
14.  It  was  prophesied  of  Christ,  Is.  11  : 
5.  that  righteousness  should  be  the  girdle  of 
his  loins,  and  faithfulness  the  girdle  of  his 
reins.  What  Christ  was  girt  with,  all  Chris¬ 
tians  must  be  gil  t  with.  God  desires  truth, 
i.  e.  sincerity,  in  the  inward  parts.  Some 
understand  it  of  the  doctrine  and  the  truths 
of  the  Gospel:  they  should  cleave  to  us,  as 
the  girdle  does  to  the  loins.  Je.  13:  11. 
This  will  restrain  from  all  libertinism  and 
licentiousness,  as  a  girdle  restrains  and  keeps 
in  the  body.  This  is  the  Christian  soldier’s 
belt  :  ungirt  with  this,  he  is  unblessed. 

[2.]  Righteousness  must  be  our  breast¬ 
plate.  The  breast-plate  shelters  the  vitals. 
Christ’s  righteousness,  imputed  to  us,  is  our 
breast-plate  against  the  arrows  of  divine 
wrath;  and  his  righteousness,  implanted 
in  us,  our  breast  plate  to  fortify  the  heart 
against  the  attacks  of  Satan  against  us. 
The  apostle  explains  this  in  1  Th.  5:  S. 
Putting  on  the  breast-plate  of  faith  and  love. 
Faith  and  love  include  all  Christian  graces: 
for  by  faith  we  are  united  to  Christ,  and  by 
love  to  our  brethren.  These  will  infer  a 
diligent  observance  of  our  duty  to  God,  and 
a  righteous  deportment  toward  men,  in  all 
the  offices  of  justice,  truth,  and  charity. 


appointed  means.  —  (12)  '■Spiritual  wickedness  in  high  places evil 
spirits  holding  their  empire  in  the  air,  according  to  the  general  opinion, 
(.Note,  2:1,  2.)  and  tempting  men  to  wickedness,  especially  in  their  reli¬ 
gion,  and  also  as  being  the  authors  of  all  idolatry.  Indeed,  they  became 
proud  rebels,  and  apostates,  even  ‘in  heavenly  places'  Having  been 
‘spiritual  wickednesses’  in  that  holy  world,  they  were  cast  out  thence; 
and  had  from  the  beginning  opposed  man’s  entrance  into  heaven  by 
every  mean,  which  malice,  sagacity,  and  subtlety  could  suggest.  2  Pet. 
2:4 — 9.  Ju.  5 — 8.  Rev.  12:7 — 12.  They  must  be  prepared  every  day 
for  the  conflict,  and  would  continually  be  called  to  resist  their  foes  :  but 
some  days  would  peculiarly  encourage  or  give  advantage  to  Satan’s  as¬ 
saults.  They  could  not  however  know  beforehand,  when  such  occasions 
would  be  afforded  him,  and  permission  granted  him  :  Job  1:9 — 12.  2:6. 
JLu.  22:31 — 34.  they  must,  [therefore,]  as  vigilant  and  valiant  soldiers, 
be  always  ready.  Scott. 

(11.)  Wiles  of  the  Devil.]  ‘  (1.)  He  cometh  and  closetb  as  a  friend  ; 
insinuating,  as  if  he  bare  us  more  good-will  than  God,  Gen.  3.  So  to 
Christ,  “  Master,  spare  Thyself:  ”  but  mark  what  Christ  replielh,  Go 
behind  me,  Satan.  So  lie  cometh  to  another,  what?  He  hath  abused 
thee;  do  not  let  Him  do  thee  that  wrong,  others  will  he  heartened  to  do 
thee  the  like.  So  when  lie  persuades  covetousness.  You  must  have  more 
than  this.  You  have,  and  may  have  a  great  charge.  So  to  him  that 
would  double  his  diligence,  What  need  you  so  to  disease  yourself?  God 
forbid,  none  but  such  great  painstakers  should  come  to  heaven.  Thus  he 
would,  with  a  friendly  parley,  with  a  Joab’s  kiss,  utterly  betray  us.  (2.) 
He  hath  sometimes  taken  on  him  the  person  of  an  angel  of  light,  in 
words  which  he  can  speak  good,  Mk.  1:24.  5:7.  Thou  art  the  Son  of 
God.  The  maid  with  the  spirit  of  divination,  (Ac.  16:16.)  saith,  you  are 
the  servants  of  the  most  high  God;  but  he  profnneth  the  words,  and 
useth  them  unto  evil  ends,  to  win  himself  credit  in  his  lying,  or  weaken 
the  truth  of  them  by  his  confessing:  So  in  nomihe  Dei  [‘in  the  name 
of  God’]  beginneth  much  wickedness.  (3.)  He  will  set  us  unseasonably 
and  busy  us  about  good  works,  and  thus  he  did  Martha,  Lu.  10:40. 
making  iier  so  busy  in  the  entertainment,  that  she  had  no  leisure  for  the 
better  work,  that  which  Mary  chose.  This  is  his  wickedness,  and  he 
always  doth  it  either  to  justle  out  a  better  work,  or  to  draw  in  with 
that  good  some  greater  evil.  So  in  the  church,  many  read  often  and  are 
thinking  of  good  things,  but  the  devil  doth  draw  them  to  this,  that  they 
might  not  attend  the  work  in  hand.  (4.)  He  will  persuade  to  evil  under 
the  show  of  good  :  thusHie  will  make  us,  under  the  pretence  of  discretion 
and  moderation,  be  like  those  who  were  neither  hot  nor  cold,  fit  for 
nothing  but  to  be  spued  out  of  God’s  mouth  :  he  will  with  a  show  of 
zeal  fetch  us  off  to  murder,  Lu.  9:54.  He  did  the  disciples,  and  thus  he 
beguileth  such  who  will  reform  without  authority  [and  separatists]  :  so, 
by  persuading  providence,  be  doth  fill  the  heart  with  covetousness  :  so, 
by  persuading  perfection,  he  foileth  in  will-worship  ;  so  those  doctrines  of 
devils,  forbidding  meats,  marriage,  religiously, are  broached  under  pretence 
of  chastity,  abstinence ;  invocation  of  angels,  and  doubting,  under  pretence 
of  humility,  Col.  2.  and  unwritten  truths,  with  curious  questions,  under 
pretence  of  profound  learning  :  such  like  doctrine,  ltev.  2:24,  so  styled, 
is  therefore  called  the  depth  of  Satan.  (5.)  By  dissuading  that  which  is 
truly  good,  as  if  it  were  a  vice  :  thus  repenting,  and  leading  new  lives,  and 
taking  up  the  orders  of  God,  this  is  njwfiingledness,  and  levity  :  thus 
doing  any  duty  that  is  not  so  generally  received,  is  dissuaded  as  singu¬ 


larity  and  pride;  thus  zeal  is  madness,  as  in  Christ’s  practice  censured, 
Mk.  3:21.  And  Paul  was  thought  to  be  mad  through  much  learning: 
thus  the  lawful  remedy  is  calumniated  as  uncleanness  ;  depending  on 
God’s  providence  is  counted  tempting  Him,  as  in  that  example  of  Ahnz, 
Is.  7:12.  Particular  faith  is  pride,  &c.  And  thus  he  doth  set  fine  colors 
on  foul  clothes,  and  like  an  angel  of  light  dotii  beguile  us.’ .  . . 

‘  He  dissembleth  his  strength  [to  be  less  apparent  in  his  attacks]  ; 
sometimes  elevating  or  lessening  his  power:  as  when  our  Lord  hath 
foiled  him  in  us,  he  will  make  as  if  lie  were  easily  withstood,  that  we 
might  after  a  sort  command  him,  that  then  we  might  wax  secure  and 
be  betrayed.  Second,  by  dissembled  flight,  like  the  stratagem,  Josh.  7. 
.Tud.  20.  He  will  seem  as  fled,  but  then  he  playeth  the  Parthian,  he 
fightelh  most  dangerously  :  Thus  many  that  have  been  prodigal,  given 
to  women,  are  grown  better  husbands,  and  become  new  men  ;  the  devil 
seemeth  to  lie  fled  :  but  if  they  he  not  new  creatures  indeed,  having  new 
hearts,  hungering  after  righteousness,  and  the  knowledge  of  God  in 
Christ,  the  devil  hath  them  far  surer  than  before.’  Baines. 

(11-  17.)  Whole  armor.]  ‘  Panoplia  the  complete  apparatus  of 
arms  for  an  oplite,  whether  offensive  or  defensive.’  Bl,.  The  cut,  of  a 
trophy,  sometimes  set  up  after  victory,  shows  the  several  pieces  of  ar¬ 


mor  in  use  in  Paul’s  time.  The  soldier  is  one  represented  on  the  column 
of  Trajan,  in  Contest  with  barbarians.  Devil.]  ‘  It  is  remarkable  how 
studious  the  recent  comtrs.  are,  to  remove  from  this  passage,  as  well  as 
others,  all  notion  of  demoniacal  agency.  The  Jews  applied  •  lie  term  kos- 
mokralOr  [world-ruler],  not  only  to  sovereigns,  as  theemperors  of  Rome, 
Persia,  <fcc,,(as  the  k.  of  Egypt  is  called  by  Aristoph..  and  Pan  and  Apollo 
are  named  bv  Orpheus ,)  but  likewise  to  the  devil,  called  the  prince  of  this 
world,.!  11.12:31.  Wrestle.]  Agnnistical  are  mixed  with  military  metaphors.’ 
Bl.  Loins  girt.]  The  Hebrews, like  the  modern  Persians, when  underta  king 
extraordinary  muscular  exercise,  as  running, &c.,  girt  about  them  leather 

[403] 


A.  D.  64. 


EPHESIANS,  VI. 


The  Christian  armor  described. 


or  prone  to  quarrel ;  but  show  all  gentle¬ 
ness,  and  all  long-suffering,  to  all  men;  and 
this  will  as  certainly  preserve  you  from 
many  great  temptations  and  persecutions,  as 
did  those  shoes  of  brass  the  soldiers  from 
those  gall-traps,’  &c. 

[4.]  Faith  must  be  our  shield,  v.  16.  This 
is  more  necessary  than  any  of  them.  The 
breast-plate  secures  the  vitals  ;  but  with  the 
shield  we  turn  every  way.  This  is  the  vic¬ 
tory  over  the  world,  even  our  faith.  W e  are 
to  be  fully  persuaded  of  the  truth  of  all  God’s 
promises  and  threatenings  ;  such  a  faith 
being  of  great  use  against  temptations. 
Consider  faith,  as  it  is  the  evidence  of  things 
not  seen,  and  the  substance  of  things  hoped 
for;  and  it  will  appear  to  be  of  admirable 
use  for  this  purpose.  Faith,  as  receiving 
Christ,  and  the  benefits  of  redemption,  so 
deriving  grace  from  Him,  is  like  a  shield, 
a  sort  of  universal  defence.  Our  enemy  the 
devil,  is  here  called  the  wicked  one.  He  is 
wicked  himself,  and  he  endeavors  to  make 
us  wicked.  His  temptations  are  called 
darts,  because  of  their  swift  and  undiscerned 
flight,  and  the  deep  wounds  they  give  ; 
fiery  darts,  by  way  of  allusion  to  the  poi¬ 
sonous  darts  which  were  wont  to  inflame 
the  parts  wounded  with  them,  and  therefore 
were  so  called;  as  the  serpents  with  poison¬ 
ous  stings  are  called  fiery  serpents.  Vio¬ 
lent  temptations,  by  which  the  soul  is  set 
on  fire  of  hell,  are  the  darts  Satan  shoots 
at  us.  Faith  is  the  shield,  with  which  we 
must  quench  these  fiery  darts  ;  wherein  we 
should  receive  them,  and  so  render  them  in¬ 
effectual,  that  they  may  not  hit  us,  or  at  least, 
not  hurt  us.  Observe,  Faith,  acted  on  the 
Word  of  God,  and  applying  that,  acted  upon 
the  grace  of  Christ,  and  improving  that, 
quenches  the  darts  of  temptations. 

[5.]  Salvation  must  be  our  helmet,  v.  17. 
that  is,  Hope,  which  has  salvation  for  its  ob¬ 
ject  ;  so  1  Th.  5  :  8.  The  helmet  secures 
the  head.  A  good  hope  of  salvation,  well 
founded  and  well  built,  will  both  purify  the 
soul,  and  keep  it  from  being  defiled  by  Satan : 
and  it  will  comfort  the  soul,  and  keep  it 
from  being  troubled  and  tormented  by  Satan. 
He  would  tempt  us  to  despair  ;  but  good 
hope  keeps  us  trusting  in  God,  and  rejoicing 
in  Him. 

[6.]  The  Word  of  God  is  the  sword  of  the 
Spirit.  It  is  called  the  sword  of  the  Spirit, 
because  it  is  of  the  Spirit’s  inditing:  and 
He  renders  it  efficacious  and  powerful,  and 
sharper  than  a  two-edged  sword.  Scripture- 


arguments  are  the  most  powerful  arguments 
to  repel  a  temptation  with.  Christ  Himself 
resisted  Satan’s  temptations  with.  It  is  writ¬ 
ten,  Mat.  4  :  1,2,  &c.  This,  being  hid  in 
the  heart,  will  preserve  from  sin,  Ps.  119: 
11.  and  mortify  and  kill  the  lusts  and  cor¬ 
ruptions  latent  there. 

[7.]  Prayer  must  buckle  on  all  the  other 
parts  of  our  Christian  armor,  v.  18.  We 
must  join  prayer  with  all  these  graces,  and 
pray  alwa.ys.  Not  as  though  we  were  to  do 
nothing  else  ;  hut  we  should  keep  up  con¬ 
stant  times  of  prayer,  and  he  constant  lo 
them.  We  must  always  keep  up  a  disposition 
to  prayer  ;  and  should  intermix  ejaculatory 
prayers  with  our  duties,  and  with  common 
business.  Set  and  solemn  prayer  may  some¬ 
times  he  unseasonable,  yet  pious  ejaculations 
can  never  be  so.  We  must  ‘pray  with  all 
prayer  and  supplication  ;  with  all  kinds  of 
prayer,  public,  private,  and  secret  ;  social 
and  solitary  ;  solemn  and  sudden  ;  with  all 
the  parts  of  prayer;  confession  of  sin,  peti¬ 
tion  for  mercy,  and  thanksgivings  for  favois 
received.  We  must  pray  in  the  Spirit  ;  out- 
spirits  must  he  employed  in  the  duty  ;  and 
we  must  do  it  by  the  grace  of  God’s  good 
Spirit.  We  must  watch  thereunto,  endeav¬ 
oring  lo  keep  our  hearts  in  a  praying  frame; 
and  take  all  occasions,  and  improve  all  op¬ 
portunities,  for  the  duty:  we  must  watch  all 
the  motions  of  our  own  hearts  toward  the 
duty.  When  God  says,  Seek  ye  my  face, 
our  hearts  must  comply,  Ps.  27  :  8.  This 
we  must  do  with  all  perseverance.  We  must 
abide  by  the  duty  of  prayer,  whatever  change 
there  maybe  in  our  outward  circumstances; 
and  we  must  continue  in  it  as  long  as  we 
live  in  the  world.  We  must  persevere  in  a 
particular  prayer ;  not  cutting  it  short,  when 
our  hearts  are  disposed  to  enlarge,  and  there 
is  time  for  it,  and  our  occasions  call  for  it. 
We  must  likewise  persevere  in  particular  re¬ 
quests,  notwithstanding  some  present  dis¬ 
couragements  and  repulses.  And  we  must 
prav  with  supplication,  not  for  ourselves  onlv, 
but  for  all  saints;  for  we  are  members  one 
of  another  :  and  none  are  so  much  saints, 
and  in  so  good  a  condition  in  this  world, 
but  they  need  our  prayers. 

The  apostle  passes  to  the  conclusion. 

V.  19 — 24.  I.  He  desires  their  prayers 
for  him,  r.  19.  Having  mentioned  supplica¬ 
tion  for  all  saints,  he  puts  himself  into  the 
number.  We  must  pray  for  all  saints,  and 
particularly,  for  God’s  faithful  ministers. 
Observe,  what  lie  would  have  them  pray  for 


14  Stand,  therefore,  having  your 
loins  girt  m  about  with  truth,  and 
having  on  the  breast-plate  of  right¬ 
eousness  ; 

15  And  your  feet  “shod  with  the 
preparation  of  the  gospel  of  peace; 

16  Above  all,  taking  the  shield 
of  °  faith,  wherewith  ye  shall  be 
able  to  quench  all  the  fiery  darts  of 
the  wicked. 

17  And  take  the  helmet  f  of  sal¬ 
vation,  and  the  sword  q  of  the  Spir¬ 
it,  which  is  the  word  of  God  : 

18  Praying  r  always  with  all 
prayer  and  supplication  in  the 
Spirit,  and  watching  ‘  thereunto 
with  all  perseverance  and  suppli¬ 
cation  for  all  saints  : 

19  And  for  1  me,  that  utterance 
may  be  given  unto  me,  that  I  may 
open  my  mouth  boldly,  to  make 
known  the  mystery  of  the  gospel, 

mis.  11:5.  pis.  59:17.  a  Mai.  26:41. 

n  Ca.  7:1.  q  He.  4:12.  t  2  Th.  3:1. 

o  1  Ju.  5:4.  r  Lu.  13:1 . 


[3.]  Resolution  must  he.  as  the  greaves  to 
our  legs,  v.  15.  Shoes,  or  greaves  of  brass, 
or  the  like,  were  formerly  part  of  the  mili¬ 
tary  armor,  1  S.  17:  6.  to  defend  the  feet 
against  gall-traps,  and  sharp  sticks,  wont  to 
he  laid  privily  in  the  way,  to  obstruct  tiie 
march  of  the  enemy  ;  they  who  fell  on  them 
being  unfit  to  inarch.  The  preparation  of 
the  Gospel  of  peace,  signifies  a  prepared  and 
resolved  frame  of  heart,  to  adhere  to  the 
Gospel,  and  abide  by  it;  which  will  enable 
us  to  walk  with  a  steady  pace  in  the  way  of 
religion,  notwithstanding  the  difficulties  and 
dangers  that  may  be  in  it.  It  is  styled  the 
Gospel  of  peace,  because  it  brings  all  sorts 
of  peace;  peace  with  God,  with  ourselves, 
ami  with  one  another.  It  may  also  be  meant 
of  that  which  prepares  for  the  entertainment 
of  the  Gospel;  i.e.  repentance.  With  this 
our  feet  must  be  shod:  for  by  living  a  life  of 
repentance,  we  are  armed  against  tempta¬ 
tions  to  sin,  and  the  designs  of  our  great 
enemy. 

Dr.  Whitby  thinks  the  sense  may  be, 

‘  That  ye  may  he  ready  for  the  combat,  be 
ye  shod  with  the  Gospel  of  peace;  endeavor 
after  that  peaceable  and  quiet  mind  which  the 
Gospel  calls  for.  Be  not  easily  provoked, 

thongs  so  tight,  that  it  is  dangerous,  nay,  mortal,  for  them  even  to  stoop. 
Comp,  cut  of  a  Roman  chariot-victor,  in  the  Concordance,  (forming  part 
of  tiie  Supplement  to  this  Com.,  under  I  lie  word  gird,)  with  the  soldier, 
given  at  p.  403.  Hr  east-plate.  I  Thorax  :  note,  and  cuts,  end  of  Jer. 
feet  shod  ]  See  the  war-sandals,  &c.,  given  at  end  of  Jer.,  and  also 
note,  Is.  9:5.  which  text  is  thought  to  allude,  as  does  Paul,  perhaps,  to 
the  spiked  sandal,  or  iron  shoe.  Bl.  preferring,  as  he  says,  ‘  systemati¬ 
cally,  the  most  extensive  sense  any  words  will  hear,’  paraphrases  :  1  and, 
(like  as  soldiers  have  their  feet  shod  with  sandals,  armed  with,iroti,  as  n 
preparation  or  defence  against  the  roughness,  and  security  against  the 
slipperiness  or  miriness  of  the  roads,)  so  do  ye  arm  yourselVes  against 
the  roughness,  and  secure  yourselves  against  the  slippery  temptations 
of  your  Christian  course,  by  being,  as  it  were,  shod  with  the  preparation 
and  defence  supplied  by  the  Gospel  of  pence,  even  the  strong  motives 
to  constancy  in  religion,  and  a  holy  life,  supplied  by  the  Gospel  of  sal¬ 
vation.  Peace.]  Between  God  and  the  soul,  Ro.  5:1.  Phil.  4:7.’ 
Dodiir.  and  Slade  understand,  that  peaceful  temper  the  Gospel  inculcates, 
that  mild  and  moderate  demeanor,  so  important  to  protect  the  early 
Christians  from  the  fury  and  malice  of  persecution.  Shield.]  ‘  T/iureon : 
an  ample,  door-like  (so  the  Gr.  lit.)  shield,  used  by  the  liopiites.  Fiery 
darl.c.]  Small,  slender  spicula  of  cane,  thrown  from  a  very  weak  bow 
to  set  wooden  buildings,  walls,  or  tents  on  fire.  See  Wets.'  Bl.J  Missiles 
with  burning  flax,  Ac.,  were  also  used.  See  Raphelius.'  Uonhf.  Hel¬ 
met .1  Perilcephateion  :  cuts,  end  of  Jer.  ‘  Take  ak  an  helmet  “  the  hope 
of  salvation.”  ’  Bl.  Sword.]  Machaira  :  cuts,  wrongly  placed  at  p.  648, 
Vol.  Ill  ;  described  p.  643.  Of  the.  Spirit.]  ‘  I.  e  the  6.  and  N.  T.  reve¬ 
lations,  and  the  promulgation  of  the  Gospel  with  such  glorious  power 
in  that  age.  Now  this  would  supply  tlte  best  offensive  weapon  against 
all  attacks  of  adversaries,  as  supplying  abundant  matter  to  refute  all 
their  objections.’  [See  note,  2  Tim.  2:3,4.]  Blooms. 

(11 — 18.)  ‘The  armor  with  which  Satan  furnishes  his  followers  is 
directly  the  reverse  of  the  Christian  armor,  described  by  Paul.  Instead 
of  the  girdle  of  truth,  he  girds  the  sinner  with  error  and  deceit.  Instead 
of  the  breast-plate  of  Christ’s  righteousness,  he  furnishes  him  with  one 
of  his  own  fancied  righteousness.  Instead  of  tlte  shield  of  faith,  the 
sinner  has  the  shield  of  unbelief,  witli  which  he  defends  himself  against 
the  curses  of  the  law  and  the  arrows  of  conviction.  Instead  of  the 
sword  of  the  Spirit,  Satan  teaches  the  sinner  to  wield  the  sword  of  a 
[404] 


tongue  set  on  fire  of  hell,  and  furnishes  him  with  a  magazine  of  cavils, 
excuses,  and  objections,  with  which  to  attack  religion  and  defend  him¬ 
self.  He  builds,  too,  for  his  soldiers  many  refuges  of  lies,  in  which,  as  in 
strong  castles,  they  proudly  hope  to  shelter  themselves  from  the  wrath 
of  God.’  Rev.  I)r.  Payson. 

V.  14 — 17.  The  minds  of  Christian  soldiers  ought  to  be  fortified,  and 
prepared  for  the  assault,  by  conscious  sincerity  in  their  profession,  and 
by  an  habitual  and  conscientious  obedience  to  the  various  command¬ 
ments  of  God,  which  would  defend  them  from  tatal  wounds  in  the  clay 
of  conflict :  wherens,  conscious  negligence  and  disobedience  would  ren¬ 
der  them  afraid  to  face  persecution  or  death,  in  the  cause  of  Christ.  To 
stand  their  ground  in  difficult  or  slippery  situations,  or  to  march  forward 
in  rugged  paths,  ‘their  feet  must  he  shod  with  the  preparation  of  the 
Gospel  of  peace,’  that  is,  their  motives  and  encouragements  to  obedience, 
amidst  temptations  and  persecutions,  must  be  derived  from  a  clear  and 
comprehensive  knowledge  of  the  Gospel ;  through  which  (tod  is  revealed 
as  'in  Christ,  reconciling  the  world  unto  Ilimself,’ and  actually  at  peace 
with  every  believer,  notwithstanding  past  transgressions,  and  present 
defects  and  infirmities.  Rom.  5:1,  2.  8:1,  2.  This  assurance  would 
make  obedience  delightful,  though  self-denying;  and  animate  the  estab¬ 
lished  believer  to  resist  temptation,  to  endure  tribulation,  and  to  march 
through  difficulties  and  enemies,  in  the  cause  of  Christ  and  in  the  way 
to  heaven.  De.  33:25.  Lu.  15:22 — 24,  v.  22.  The  suggestions  of  the 
tempter  would  indeed  often  resemble  ‘  fiery  darts  ;’  so  they  would  inflame 
the  anger,  pride,  sensual  passions,  avarice,  or  other  corrupt  propensities 
of  the  heart,  unless  immediately  intercepted  and  quenched  by  ‘  the  shield 
of  faith,’  resting  on  the  promises,  and  the  truth,  power,  ami  mercy  of 
God,  to  perform  them.  Uen.  39:8 — 10. — This  clause  [(16)  Quench,  tVc.] 
is  often  interpreted  exclusively  of  those  harassing  temptations,  by  which 
hard  thoughts  of  God,  and  horrid  or  desponding  conclusions  concerning 
themselves,  are  excited  in  men’s  minds.  These  lead  to  immense  distress, 
and  eventually  to  guilt ;  and  faith  in  the  promises  of  God  must  extin¬ 
guish  them  :  yet  the  upostle  evidently  meant  the  words  in  a  more  com¬ 
prehensive  sense.  Scott. 

V.  13 — 20.  The  reader,  who  is  acquainted  with  what  has  been  co¬ 
piously  written  on  this  subject,  will  perceive  that,  in  a  few  particulars, 
the  exposition  here  given  of  the  Christian  panoply  rather  varies  from 
that  of  some  approved  writers.  Zeal  for  particular  doctrines  oflen  ren- 


A.  D.  64. 


EPHESIANS,  VI. 


Paul  asks  an  interest  in  their  prayers. 


20  For  which  I  am  an  ambas¬ 
sador  in  n  bonds  :  that  v  therein  I 
may  speak  boldly,  as  I  ought  w  to 
speak. 

21  But  that  ye  also  may  know 
my  affairs,  and  how  I  do,  x  Tychi- 
cus,  a  beloved  brother  and  faithful 
minister  in  the  Lord,  shall  make 
known  to  you  all  things  : 

22  Whom  y  I  have  sent  unto  you 
for  the  same  purpose,  that  ye  might 
know  our  affairs,  and  that  he  might 
comfort  your  hearts. 

23  Peace  z  be  to  the  brethren,  and 
love  with  faith,  from  God  the  Fa¬ 
ther,  and  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ. 

24  Grace  be  with  all  them  that 
love  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  xin  sin¬ 
cerity.  Amen. 

Written  from  Rome  unto  the 
Ephesians  by  Ty  chic  us. 

«  or,  a  chain.  x  Ac.  £0:4.  a  or,  with  incor - 

v  or,  thereof.  y  Col.  4:7,8.  ruplion. 

w  Is.  58:1.  z  1  Pe.  5:14. 


in  Ids  behalf  ;  ‘  that  utterance  may  be  given 
unto  me  ;  that  I  mav  be  enlarged  from  my 
present  restraints,  and  so  have  liberty  to 
propagate  the  faith  of  Christ  ;  that  I  may 
have  ability  to  express  myself  in  a  suitable 
and  becoming  manner,  and  that  I  may  open 
my  mouth  boldly ;  that  I  may  deliver  the 
whole  counsel  of  God,  without  any  base  fear, 
shame,  or  partiality.’  The  mystery  of  the 
Gospel,  some  understand  of  that  part  of  the 
Gospel  which  concerns  the  calling  of  the 
Gentiles,  which  had  hitherto,  as  a  mystery, 
been  concealed.  But  the  whole  Gospel  was 
a  mystery,  till  made  known  by  divine  reve¬ 
lation  ;  and  it  is  the  work  of  Christ’s  minis¬ 
ters  to  publish  it.  Observe,  Paul  had  a 
great  command  of  language;  they  called  him 
Mercury,  because  lie  was  the  chief  speaker, 
Acts  14:  12.  yet  be  would  have  his  friends 


ask  of  God  the  gift  of  utterance  for  him. 
He  was  a  man  of  great  courage,  and  often 
signalized  himself  for  it;  yet  he  would  have 
them  pray  that  God  would  give  him  bold¬ 
ness.  He  knew  as  well  what  to  say  as  any 
man ;  yet  lie  desires  them  to  pray  for  him, 
that  he  may  speak  as  he  ought  to  speak.  The 
argument  with  which  lie  enforces  his  re¬ 
quest,  is,  that  for  the  sake  of  the  Gospel  he 
was  an  ambassador  in  bonds,  v.  20.  He  was 
persecuted  and  imprisoned  for  preaching  the 
Gospel  ;  though,  notwithstanding,  lie  con¬ 
tinued  in  the  embassy  committed  to  him  by 
Christ;  and  persisted  in  preaching  it.  Ob¬ 
serve,  1.  It  is  no  new  tiling  for  Christ’s 
ministers  to  he  in  bonds.  2.  It  is  a  hard 
thing  for  them  to  speak  boldly,  when  that  is 
their  case.  And,  lastly.  The.  best,  and  most 
eminent  ministers  have  need  of,  and  may 
receive  advantage  by,  the  prayers  of  good 
Christians;  and  therefore  should  earnestly 
desire  them. 

Having  thus  desired  their  prayers, 

II.  Me  recommends  Tychicus  to  them,  v. 
21,  22.  lie  sent  him  with  this  epistle,  that 
lie  might  acquaint  them  with  what  other 
churches  were  informed  of,  i.  e.  how  lie.  did, 
and  what  lie  did  ;  how  he  was  used  by  the 
Romans  in  his  bonds  ;  and  how  lie  behaved 
himself  in  his  present  circumstances.  It  is 
desirable  to  good  ministers,  both  that  their 
Christian  friends  should  know  their  state, 
and  likewise  to  he  acquainted  with  the  con¬ 
dition  of  their  friends  ;  for  by  this  mean 
they  may  the  better  help  each  other  in  their 
prayers.  And  that  he  might  comfort  their 
hearts:  by  giving  such  an  account  of  his 
sufferings,  of  the  cause  of  them,  and  of  the 
temper  of  his  mind,  and  his  behavior  under 
them,  as  might  prevent  their  fainting  at  his 
tribulations,  and  even  minister  matter  of 
joy  and  thanksgiving  unto  them.  He  tells 
them,  that  Tychicus  was  a  beloved  brother, 
and  faithful  minister  in  the  Lord  :  lie  was 
very  dear  to  Paul  :  which  makes  his  love  to 
these  Christian  Ephesians  the  more  observ¬ 
able,  in  that  lie  should  now  part  with  so 


good  and  dear  a  friend  for  their  sakes, 
when  his  company  and  conversation  must 
have  been  peculiarly  delightful  and  servicea¬ 
ble  to  himself.  But.  the  faithful  servants  of 
Jesus  Christ  are  wont  to  prefer  the  public 
good  to  their  own  private  or  personal  in¬ 
terests. 

III.  He  concludes  with  his  good  wishes 
and  prayers  for  them;  and  not  for  them  only, 
hut  for  all  the  brethren,  v.  23,  24.  His 
usual  benediction  was,  grace  and  peace:  here 
it  is,  Peace  be  to  the  brethren,  and  love  with 
faith.  By  peace,  vve  are  to  understand  all 
manner  of  peace,  and  all  outward  prosperi¬ 
ty  is  included  in  the  word  ;  as  if  he  had 
said,  ‘  I  wish  the  continuance  and  increase 
of  all  happiness  to  you.’  And  love  with  faith. 
This  in  part  explains  what  he  means  in  the 
following  v.  by  grace:  not  only  grace  in  the 
fountain,  or  the  love  and  favor  of  God;  but 
grace  in  the  streams,  (lie  grace  of  the  Spirit 
flowing  from  that  divine  principle;  faith  and 
love  including  all  the  rest.  It  follows, 
from  God  the  Father,  &c.  All  grace  and 
blessings  are  derived  to  the  saints  from  God, 
through  the  merit  and  intercession  of  Jesus 
Christ  our  Lord. 

The  closing  benediction  is  more  extensive 
than  the  former;  for  in  this  lie  prays  for  all 
true  believers  at  Ephesus,  and  everywhere 
else.  It  is  the  undoubted  character  of  all 
the  saints,  that  they  sincerely  love  our  Lord 
Jesus  Christ.  The  words  may  he  read, 
Grace  be  with  all  them  who  love  our  Lord  Je¬ 
sus  Christ  in  incorruption ,  who  continue  con¬ 
stant  in  their  love  to  Him,  so  as  not  to  be 
corrupted  out  of  it  by  any  baits  or  seductions 
whatsoever;  and  whose  love  to  Him  is  un¬ 
corrupted  by  any  opposite  lust,  or  tile  love 
of  anything  displeasing  to  Him.  Grace, 
i.  e.  the  favor  of  God,  and  all  good,  spiritual 
and  temporal,  i.  e.  the  product  of  il,  is,  and 
shall  be,  with  all  them  who  thus  love  our 
Lord  Jesus  Christ.  And  it  is,  or  ought  to 
he,  the  desire  and  prayer  of  every  lover  of 
Christ,  that  it  maybe  so  with  all  his  fellow- 
Cliristians.  Amen. 


TRACT.  OBS.  When  children  ‘  honor  and  obey  their  parents,1  they 
take  a  proper  method  to  obtain  temporal  comfort  and  prosperity  ;  and 
when  they  do  it  ‘  in  the  Lord,’  from  faith  and  love,  it  forms  an  evidence 
of  their  interest  in  his  promises,  which  will  be  fulfilled  in  their  everlast¬ 
ing  felicity.  Similar  motives  should  induce  parents,  to  attend  diligently 
to  the  education  of  their  children,  with  meekness,  firmness,  prudence, 
mid  affection;  that  they  may  ‘not  provoke  them  to  wrath,’  or  tempt 
them  to  sin,  hut  ‘bring  them  up  in  the  nurture  and  admonition  of  the 
Lord.’  But  alas  !  how  grievously  is  this  duty  neglected,  even  among 
those  who  are  zealous  for  the  great  doctrines  of  the  Gospel  !  How 
many  parents  1  seem  to  he  religious,’  and  are  strict  in  some  things  ;  yet 
by  their  imprudence,  violent  passions,  harshness,  or  unforgiving  temper 
and  conduct,  disgust  their  children,  prejudice  them  against  religion,  ren¬ 
der  them  uncomfortable  in  their  presence,  and  consequently  induce 
them  to  prefer  almost  any  other  company  !  This  does  not  indeed  ex¬ 
cuse  the  children’s  disobedience,  but  it  awfully  occasions  it.  On  the 
other  hand,  how  commonly  do  we  see  more  regard  paid  to  every  kind 
of  instruction,  or  trifling  embellishment,  than  to  the  religious  principles 
and  conduct  of  young  persons  !  So  that,  too  often,  the  education  given  to 
children  leads  them  to  those  habits,  notions,  or  connexions,  which  make 
way  for  their  subsequent  ungodliness,  infidelity,  dissipation,  licentious¬ 
ness,  or  avarice,  by  which  they  ruin  themselves,  and  propagate  impiety, 
vice,  and  misery,  in  an  accumulating  progression.  Those  who  fear  God, 
and  love  their  children,  should  watch  and  pray,  even  with  trembling, 
that  they  may  not  thus  prove  the  occasion  of  condemnation  lo  their 
own  offspring  ;  for,  though  God  alone  can  change  the  heart,  yet  He  com¬ 
monly  does  it,  by  the  good  instructions  and  example  of  parents,  the 
means  which  they  use  for  their  children’s  spiritual  good,  and  in  answer 
to  their  fervent  prayers.  Gen.  18:18,  19. — The  grand  maxim  to  be  laid 
down,  as  most  of  nil  giving  a  scriptural  ground  to  expect  the  blessing, 
is  this;  ‘Decidedly  “seek,”  for  your  children  as  well  as  yourselves, 


“first  the  kingdom  of  God,  and  his  righteousness  and  steadily  subor¬ 
dinate  all  regard  to  temporal  advantage,  and  external  accomplishment, 
and  even  proficiency  in  learning,  to  this  great  concern.  Desire  mid  aim 
“  first  of  all,”  that  your  children  may  be  true  Christians,  and  form  all 
your  plans  in  entire  subserviency  to  this  main  object.’  Whereas  they, 
whose  chief  anxiety  seems  to  be,  that  their  children  may  he  wealthy, 
polite,  learned,  [famous,]  or  accomplished,  whatever  be  (he  event  to 
their  souls,  or.  who  suffer  these  things  materially  to  influence  their  plan 
of  education,  and  to  interfere  with  their  children  being  ‘  brought  up  in 
the  nurture  and  admonition  of  the  Lord,’  can  have  no  scriptural  ground 
to  expect  his  blessing  on  them _ Again,  it  is  probable,  that  hut  few  mas¬ 

ters  will  refuse  their  approbation  to  the  injunctions  here  laid  on  their 
servants,  or  servants  their  approbation  to  the  exhortations  given  to 
their  masters ;  but  alas  !  those  who  ought  to  obey  the  precept  are  ex¬ 
ceedingly  prone  to  object  to  if,  or  to  explain  it  slightly.  The  greater 
advantages,  however,  servants  now  enjoy  to  what  slaves  of  old  did,  or 
slaves  in  many  countries  now  do,  the  more  cheerfully  should  they  j  ieid 
obedience  and  perform  service  ‘  to  their  own  masters,’  and  the  greater 
caution  should  they  use  not  to  dishonor  the  Gospel  by  a  negligent,  re¬ 
fractory,  contentions,  or  unfaithful  behavior.  The  same  principles  will 
render  ‘masters  ’  considerate,  kind,  gentle,' and  conscientious,  in  their 
whole  deportment;  ‘remembering  that  they  also  have  a  Master  in 
heaven,’  who  ‘is  no  Respecter  of  persons.’  And  what  orderly,  and 
happy  families  will  those  be,  where  relative  duties  nre  thus  on  all  sides 
constantly  and  circumspectly  attended  to  ! — We  should  consider  ail  the 
saints,  wherever  they  live,  as  fellow-soldiers  in  our  spiritual  warfare, 
though  divided  into  different  battalions,  distinguishable  by  a  few  unim¬ 
portant  externals;  and  we  must  help  them  all  with  our  supplications  : 
for  general  success  against  the  powers  of  darkness,  the  kingdom  of  Sa¬ 
tan,  as  well  as  personal  victory,  should  be  our  noble  ambition. 

Scott. 


ders  pious  men  too  apt  to  explain  every  expression  in  support  of  them  •. 
though  it  weakens  the  general  proof  of  them,  makes  one  part  of  the 
Scriptures  coincide  with  the  other  by  a  needless  repetition,  and  leaves 
out  other  matters  equally  important.  Indeed,  it  may  he  apprehended, 
that  by  adducing  everything  which  can  lie  thought  of,  in  explaining 
metaphors,  many  things  are  supposed  to  lie  contained  in  them  which 
were  entirely  out  of  the  writer’s  mind  when  he  wrote  them. — (20)Bonds.] 
Or,  ‘ill  a  chain.’ — ‘The  apostle  was  allowed  to  live  at  Rome,  with 
a  soldier  that  kept  him. — To  this  soldier  lie  was  tied  with  a  chain,  fixed 
on  his  right  wrist,  and  fastened  to  the  soldier’s  left  arm  ;  and  the  chain 
being  of  a  convenient  length,  the  two  could  walk  together  with  ease.  .  .. 
The  soldiers,  who  were  thus  employed,  no  doubt,  reaped  great  benefit 
from  the  apostle’s  conversation  and  preaching.’  Mackn.  This  is  prob¬ 
able,  and  the  thought  is  worthy  of  attention  ;  hut  the  words,  ‘  no  doubt,’ 
imply  more  than  we  know  on  the  subject.  Scott. 

(18.)  Prayer .]  ‘The  mode  of  making  their  “ sword”  effectual.  There 
seems  a  pleonasm,  usually  ascribed  to  Hebrew  idiom,  but  (as  often)  it  is 


occasioned  by  intense  fervor  of  mind  in  the  sacred  writer.  There  is  a 
climax.’  ®L- 

(20.)  ‘He  thought  soon  to  be  brought  to  a  hearing.  Ac.  26.’  Id. 
(21.)  Tychicus.]  '  Mentioned  also  Col.  4:7.  2  Tim.  4:12.  Ti.  3:12. 
one  of  Paul’s  diakonoi,  or  assistants,  in  propagating  the  Gospel ;  born  in 
Proconsular  Asia,  Ac.  20:4.  ’  ’D- 

(23.)  ‘  Faith  and  love,  united  have  the  hope  of  eternal  life.’  Hardy. 

‘The  apostle  prays,  that,  with  their  faith,  there  might  be  peace  and 
love.  These  are  the  genuine  effects  of  true  faith,  and  from  these  spring 
religious  comfort,  and  joy.  Love  first  produces  inward  peace.  It  extin¬ 
guishes  malice,  envy,  hatred,  wrath,  revenge,  and  every  unfriendly  pas¬ 
sion, — every  unsocial  feeling.  It  operates,  by  meekness  under  provoca¬ 
tions, — by  the  forgiveness  of  injuries, — by  condescension  m  cases  ot  con¬ 
troversy, — by  compassion  to  the  afflicted, — by  beneficence  to  t  le  neny, 
—by  righteousness  in  dealings,— by  tenderness  of  men  s  characters,— by 
joy  in  the  prosperity  of  neighbors,  and  by  a  promptitude  in  reUeving  t  i- 
distresses,  and  promoting  the  happiness  of  mankind.  Dr.  J.Lat 


AN  EXPOSITION 


OP 


PAUL’S  EPISTLE  TO  THE  P  H I  L IPPIANS, 


WITH 


PRACTICAL  OBSERVATIONS  AND  NOTES. 

( Henry's  Exposition ,  completed  by  Dr.  W.  Harris.) 


Philippi  was  a  chief  city  of  the  western  part  of  Macedonia,  Acts  16:12.  It  took  its  name  from  Philip,  the  famous  king 
of  Macedon,  who  repaired  and  beautified  it ;  and  it  was  afterward  made  a  Roman  colony.  Near  this  place  were  the  Cumpi 
Philippici,  remarkable  for  the  famous  battles  between  Julius  Cesar  and  Pompey  the  Great;  and  that  between  Augustus 
and  Antony  on  one  side,  and  Cassius  and  Brutus  on  the  other.  But  it  is  most  remarkable  among  Christians  for  this  epis¬ 
tle,  which  was  written  when  Paul  was  prisoner  at  Rome,  A.  D.  G2.  * 

Paul  seems  to  have  had  a  very  particular  kindness  for  the  church  at  Philippi,  which  he  himself  had  been  instrumental  in 
planting  [A.  D.  50.  says  Horne ]  ;  and  though  he  had  the  care  of  all  the  churches,  he  had,  on  that  account,  a  particular 
fatherly,  tender  care  of  this.  Those  whom  God  has  employed  us  to  do  any  good  to,  we  should  look  upon  ourselves  both 
encouraged  and  engaged  to  study  to  do  mure  good  to.  I.  He  was  called  in  an  extraordinary  manner  to  preach  the  Gospel  at  Phil¬ 
ippi,  Acts  16:!).  He  saw  God  going  before  him,  and  was  encouraged  to  .use  all  means  for  carrying  on  the  good  work  begun 
among  them.  II.  At  Philippi  he  suffered  hard  things,  Acts  16:33.  yet  he  had  not  the  less  kindness  for  the  place.  We  must 
never  love  our  friends  the  less  for  the  ill-treatment  our  enemies  give  us.  III.  The  beginnings  of  that  church  were  very 
small ;  yet  that  did  not  discourage  him.  If  good  be  not  done  at  first,  it  may  be  done  afterward  ;  and  the  last  works  maybe 
more  abundant.  We  must  not  be  discouraged  by  small  beginnings.  IV.  It  seems,  by  many  passages  in  this  epistle,  t  that 
this  church  at  Philippi  grew  into  a  flourishing  church  ;  and,  particularly,  was  very  kind  to  Paul.  [Sending  him  money, 
too,  again  and  again,  though,  says  Horne,  but  a  small  community.]  Pie  had  reaped  of  their  temporal  things,  and  he  made  a 
return  in  spiritual  things.  He  acknowledges  the  receipt  of  cl  present  they  had  sent  him,  ch.  4:18.  and  that  when  no  church 
communicated  with  him  as  concerning  giving  and  receiving  besides,  v.  15.  and  he  gives  them  a  'prophet's,  and  an  apostle's 
reward,  in  this  epistle,  which  is  of  more  value  than  thousands  of  gold  and  silver.  Henry. 

The  apostle  had  visited  Philippi  a  second  time,  [A.  D.  57,  so  Ilornc,']  though  few  particulars  are  recorded.  Acts  20:1 
— 6.  As  this  epistle  was  manifestly  written  from  Rome,  and  during  the  latter  part  of  the  apostle’s  first  imprisonment  in  that 
city,  nearly  12  years  had  passed  since  he  first  preached  at  Philippi ;  but  the  conduct  of  the  Christians  there  had  uniformly 
been  so  exemplary,  and  their  grateful  affection  to  him  so  fully  evinced,  that  he  had  only  to  rejoice  over  them  with  heartfelt 
gratitude,  while  he  poured  out  his  prayers  for  them,  and  affectionately  animated  them  to  persevere  and  press  forward  in  their 
heavenly  course.  Some  cautions,  indeed,  against  deceivers  of  different  descriptions,  3:17 — 19.  whose  base  conduct  and  aw¬ 
ful  doom  he  declares,  in  most  expressive  terms,  are  joined  with  his  exhortations.  Not  one  censure,  however,  is  passed  or 
implied  on  any  of  the  Philippians,  but  unqualified  commendation  and  confidence,  Rev.  2:8 — 11. — The  subjects  treated  on, 
and  the  instructions  to  be  deduced  from  them,  need  not  be  anticipated.  ‘  The  apostle’s  design  in  this  epistle,  (which  is  quite 
of  the  practical  kind,)  seems  to  be,  to  comfort  the  Philippians  under  the  concern  they  had  expressed  at  the  news  of  his  im¬ 
prisonment;  to  check  a  party  spirit,  that  appears  to  have  broke  out  among  them,  and  to  promote,  on  the  contrary,  an  entire 
union  and  harmony  of  affection ;  to  guard  them  against  being  seduced  from  the  purity  of  the  Christian  faith,  by  judaizing 
teachers  ;  to  support  them  under  the  trials  with  which  they  struggled  ;  and,  above  all,  to  inspire  them  with  a  concern  to 
adorn  their  profession,  by  the  most  eminent  attainments  in  the  divine  life.’  Doddr.  1  The  genuineness  of  this  letter  was 
never  questioned.’  Horne.  Scott. 


*  It  is  undeniable,  that  the  epistle  was  sent  not  long  before  the  2  years 
of  the  apostle’s  imprisonment  at  Rome  were  ended,  which  the  Oxford 
Bible  supposes  to  have  taken  place  about  the  close  of  A.  D.  65.  —  Ac¬ 
cording  to  this  I  have  dated  the  epistle,  (though  many  affix  an  earlier 
date,)  on  a  full  conviction,  that  more  years  were  spent  in  the  various  la¬ 
bors  of  this  great  apostle,  than  are  generally  supposed  ;  yet,  at  the  same 
time,  not  considering  the  subject  as  of  great  importance.  Scott.  ‘  From 
1:7,  13.  4--22.  it  appears,  Paul  was  now  prisoner  at  Rome ;  and  from  the 
expectation  he  discovers,  of  being  soon  released  and  restored  to  them, 
as  well  as  from  the  intimations,  1:12.  2:26.  that  he  had  been  some  time 
at  Rome,  he  probably  wrote,  near  the  close  of  his  first  imprisonment,  at 
the  end  of  62,  or  beginning  of  63.’  Horne. 

t  It  is  evident,  that  Epaphroditus,  who  had  been  sent,  with  a  supply  of 
money  to  the  apostle  at  Rome,  and  who  seems  to  have  been  a  pastor, 
and  perhaps  the  principal  pastor,  of  the  church,  conveyed  the  epistle  to 
Philippi.  He  had,  either  by  his  journey  to  Rome,  or  by  his  zealous  la¬ 
bors  in  assisting  the  apostle,  when  in  that  city,  brought  a  dangerous 
sickness  on  himself,  the  tidings  of  which  so  afflicted  the  Philippians,  and 
their  sorrow,  when  made  known  to  Epaphroditus,  so  distressed  him, 
that  the  apostle  was  induced  to  send  him  back  sooner  than  he  had  in¬ 
tended,  though  to  his  own  inconvenience.  2:24 — SO.  Scott.  ‘  When 
the  Gospel  was  first  preached  in  Macedonia,  no  church  but  the  Philip¬ 
pian  contributed  anything  to  Paul’s  support;  while  he  was  preaching 


A.  D.  65. 

CHAP.  I. 

3  He  lestifieth  his  thankfulness  to  God,  and  his  love  toward 
them,  for  the  fruits  of  their  faith,  and  fellowship  in  his 
sufferings,  9  daily  praying  to  Him  for  their  increase  in 
grace.  12  He  sheweth  what  good  the  faith  of  Christ  had 
received  by  his  troubles  at  Rome,  21  and  how  ready  he  is 
to  glorify  Christ  either  by  his  life  or  death,  27  exhorting 
them  to  unity,  28  and  to  fortitude  in  persecution. 

~jT)AUL  and  Timotheus,  the  ser- 
-A-  vants  of  Jesus  Christ,  to  all  the 
saints  in  Christ  Jesus  which  are  at 
*  Philippi,  with  the  bishops  and 
deacons  : 

a  Ac.  16:12,  &c. 


NOTES.  Chap.  I-  V.  1.  As  Paul’s  apostleship  lmd  never  been 
called  in  question  at  Philippi ;  and  as  he  wrote  this  epistle,  not  only  in 
his  own  name,  but  in  that  of  Timothy,  [Paul’s  companion  in  each  jour¬ 
ney  to  Philippi,]  who  was  then  at  Rome  with  him,  he  styles  himself  and 
Timothy  ‘  the  servants  of  Jesus  Christ.’  Jn.  12:23 — 26.  13:12 — 17.  Col. 
3:22 — 25.  Ja.  1:1.  2  Pet.  1:1,  2.  lie  addressed  himself  to  ‘  the  saints  at 
Philippi,  with  the  bishops  and  deacons;’  hence  we  learn,  that  the  dis¬ 
tinction  between  bishops  and  presbyters  was  not  then  generally  estab- 

[406] 


at  Thessalonica,  they  sent  him  money  twice,  that  the  success  of  the 
Gospel  might  not  be  hindered  by  its  preachers  becoming  burdensome  to 
the  Thessalonians,  4:15,  16.  The  same  they  did,  and  for  the  same  rea¬ 
son,  while  Paul  preached  at  Corinth.  2  Cor.  11:9.  And  when  they  heard 
he  was  confined  at  Rome,  they  showed  the  same  affectionate  concern  for 
him  ;  and  sent  Epaphroditus  with  a  present,  lest  he  should  want  neces¬ 
saries  during  his  imprisonment.  Phil.  2:25.  4:10,  14 — 18.  The  more 
immediate  occasion  of  this  epistle  was,  Epaphroditus’  return,  by  whom 
Paul  sent  it,  as  a  grateful  acknowledgment  of  their  kindness,  in  sending 
him  supplies  of  money.  From  the  manner  in  which  Paul  expressed  him¬ 
self,  it  appears,  he  was  in  great  want  of  necessaries  before  their  contri¬ 
butions  arrived  ;  for  as  he  had  not  converted  the  Romans,  he  did  not 
consider  himself  as  entitled  to  receive  supplies  from  them.  Being  a  pris¬ 
oner,  he  could  not  work  as  formerly  ;  and  it  was  his  rule  never  to  receive 
anything  from  the  churches  where  factions  had  been  raised  against  him. 
It  also  appears,  that  the  Philippians  were  the  only  church  from  whom 
he  received  any  assistance,  and  that  he  conferred  this  honor  upon  them, 
because  they  loved  him  exceedingly,  had  preserved  the  Christian  doc¬ 
trine  in  purity,  and  had  always  conducted  themselves  as  sincere  Chris¬ 
tians.  It  is  remarkable,  that  this  is  the  only  epistle  of  Paul,  in  which 
not  one  censure  is  expressed  or  implied  against  any  member  of  the 
church.  Its  style  is  singularly  animated,  affectionate,  and  pleasing.’ 

Horne. 

The  inscription. 

II.  The  persons  to  whom  it  is  directed. 

1.  All  the  saints  in  Christ  at  Philippi.  He 
mentions  tiie  church  before  the  ministers,  be¬ 
cause  ministers  are  for  the  church,  for  their 
edification  and  benefit  ;  not  the  churches  for 
the  ministers,  their  dignity,  dominion,  or 
wealth.  The  Christians  here  are  called 
saints;  set  apart  for  God,  or  sanctified  bv 
bis  Spirit,  either  by  visible  profession  or  real 
holiness.  And,  it  is  directed  to  all  thesaints, 
one,  as  well  as  another,  even  the  meanest, 
the  poorest,  and  those  of  the  least  gifts. 
Christ  makes  nadifferenco;  the  rich  and  the 

lished,  but  that  the  pastors  of  the  church  were  distinguished  from  th.) 
deacons,  who  managed  the  secular  matters  and  the  charities  of  the 
church.  Acts  6:1— 6.  20:17.  1  Tim .  3: 1  —  7.  Much  labor  and  learning 
have  indeed  been  employed,  to  set  aside  this  conclusion,  but  with  little 
success,  even  by  the  allowance  of  decided  Episcopalians,— ‘  Though  it  be 
generally  resolved,  that  the  word  ‘bishop,’  and  “elder,’  are  equivalent 
in  Scripture;  yet  this  is  not  to  be  understood  so,  that  either,  or  both  of 
them,  signifies  indiflerently  those  whom  we  now  call  presbyters,  but 


Chap.  I.  V.  1,  2.  The  inscription  and 
benediction. 

I.  Tiie  persons  writing  tile  epistle.  Paul 
joins  Timothy  with  himself,  to  express  his 
own  humility,  and  to  honor  Timothy.  The 
aged,  strong,  and  eminent,  should  support 
tiie  reputation  of  those  who  are  younger,  and 
weaker,  and  of  less  note.  The  servants  of 
Jesus  Christ;  not  only  common  disciples,  but 
an  apostle,  and  an  evangelist.  Tiie  highest 
honor  of  tiie  greatest  apostles,  and  most  em¬ 
inent  ministers,  is,  to  lie,  not  the  masters  of 
tile  churches,  but  the  servants  of  Christ. 


A.  D.  65. 


PHILIPPIANS,  I.  PauVs  apostolic  benediction. 


2  Grace  b  be  unto  you,  and  peace, 
from  God  our  Father,  and  from  the 
Lord  Jesus  Christ. 

3  I  thank  my  God  upon  every 
'remembrance  of  you, 

4  Always  in  every  prayer  d  of 
mine  for  you  all  making  request 
with  joy, 

5  For  your  fellowship  in  the  gos¬ 
pel,  from  the  first  day  until  now  ; 

6  Being  'confident  of  this  very 
thing,  that  he  f  which  hath  begun  a 
good  B  work  in  you  will  h perform  it 
until  the  day  1  of  Jesus  Christ  : 

7  Even  as  it  is  meet  for  me  to 
think  this  of  you  all,  because  >  I 
have  you  in  my  heart ;  inasmuch 
as  both  in  my  bonds,  and  in  the 
k  defence  and  confirmation  of  the 
gospel,  ye  all  are  partakers  1  of  my 
grace. 


b  Ro.  1:7. 
c  or,  mention. 
d  Ep.  1:14,  &c. 

1  Th.  1:2. 
e  He.  10:35. 


f  Ps.  133:8. 
g  Jn.  6:29. 
h  or,  finish. 
i  2Pe.  3:10. 
j  or,  ye  have  me 


in  your. 
k  ver.  17. 

1  or,  with  me  of 
grace. 


poor  meet  together  in  Him  :  and  the  minis¬ 
ters  must  not  make  a  difference  in  their 
care  and  tenderness  on  these  accounts,  Ja. 

2  :  1.  Saints  in  Christ  Jesus  ;  saints  are 
accepted  only  by  being  in  Christ  Jesus,  or 
as  they  are  Christians.  Out  of  Christ,  the 
best  saints  are  sinners,  unable  to  stand  be¬ 
fore  God. 

2.  The  ministers,  or  church-officers,  the 
bishops  and  deacons.  The  bishops  or  elders, 
in  the  first  place,  whose  office  it  was  to  teach 
and  rule  ;  and  the  deacons,  or  overseers  of 
the  poor,  who  took  care  of  the  outward 
business  of  the  house  of  God  ;  the  place, 
the  furniture,  the  maintenance  of  the  minis¬ 
ters,  and  provision  for  the  poor.  These " 
were  all  the  offices  then  known  in  the  church, 
and  of  divine  appointment.  The  apostle, 
in  the  direction  of  his  epistle  to  a  Christian 
church,  acknowledges  but  two  orders,  which 
he  calls  bishops  and  deacons.  And  whosoev¬ 
er  shall  consider,  that  the  same  characters 
and  titles,  the  same  qualifications,  the  same 
acts  of  office,  and  the  same  honor  and  re¬ 
spect,  are  everywhere  ascribed  throughout 
the  N.  T.  to  those  who  are  called  bishops 
and  presbyters,  (as  Dr.  Hammond  and  other 
learned  men  allow,)  will  find  it  difficult  to 
make  them  a  different  office,  or  distinct  ai¬ 
der  of  ministry  in  the  scripture-times. 

III.  The  apostolical  benediction,  v.  2.  It 


is  the  same,  almost,  in  all  the  epistles  ;  we 
must  not  be  shy  of  forms,  though  we  are  not 
to  be  tied  to  them,  especially  such  as  are 
not  scriptural.  The  only  form  in  theO.T. 
is  that  of  a  benediction,  Ntt.  6:  23 — 26.  So 
in  the  N.  T.,  the  good  wished,  is  spiritual 
good,  grace  and  peace;  the  free  favor  and 
good-will  of  God;  and  all  the  blessed  fruits 
and  effects  of  it  :  and  that  from  God  our 
Father,  and  from  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  ; 
jointly  from  them  both,  though  in  a  differ¬ 
ent  way:  from  God  our  Father,  but  in  and 
through  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  ;  Christ,  as 
Mediator,  and  the  Channel  of  conveyance. 

V.  3 — 6.  The  apostle  proceeds  to  thanks¬ 
giving  ;  he  tells  them  he  thanked  God  on 
their  account.  Observe, 

1.  Paul  remembered  them:  he  bore  them 
much  in  thought,  though  at  a  distance  from 
them.  As  he  often  thought  of  them,  so  he 
often  spake  of  them  ;  and  the  very  mention 
of  them  was  grateful  to  him  :  it  is  a  pleas¬ 
ure  to  hear  of  the  welfare  of  an  absent 
friend. 

2.  He  remembered  them  with  joy.  At 
Philippi  he  was  evil-entreated,  scourged,  put 
into  the  stocks,  and  for  the  present  saw 
little  fruit  of  his  labor  ;  yet  he  remembers 
Philippi  with  joy.  He  looked  upon  his 
sufferings  for  Christ  as  his  credit,  com¬ 
fort,  crown  ;  so  far  was  he  from  being 
ashamed,  or  loth  to  hear  of  the  scene  of  his 
sufferings. 

3.  He  remembered  them  in  prayer,  v.  4. 
the  best  remembrance  of  our  friends.  Paul 
was  much  in  prayer  for  all  his  friends,  for 
these  particularly.  It  should  seem,  he  men¬ 
tioned  at  the  throne  of  grace  the  several 
churches  he  was  interested  in,  particularly, 
and  by  name.  God  gives  us  leave  to  be 
thus  free -with  Him  ;  though,  for  our  com¬ 
fort,  He  knows  whom  we  mean,  when  we 
do  not  name  them. 

4.  He  thanked  God  on  every  joyful  re¬ 
membrance  of  them.  Thanksgiving  must 
have  a  part  in  every  prayer;  and  whatsoever 
is  the  matter  of  our  rejoicing,  ought  to  be 
the  matter  of  our  thanksgiving.  He  thanked 
God,  as  well  as  made  requests  with  joy.  It 
encourages  us  in  prayer,  and  enlarges  the 
heart  in  praise,  to  see  every  mercy  coming 
from  the  hand  of  God,  as  our  God.  But, 

(1.)  He  thanks  God. for  the  comfort  he 
had  in  them,  v.  5.  Gospel-fellowship  is  a 
good  fellowship  ;  the  meanest  Christians 
have  fellowship  with  the  greatest  apostles  ; 
for  the  Gospel  salvation  is  a  common  salva¬ 
tion,  Jude  3.  and  they  obtain  like  precious 
faith  with  them,  2  Pet.  1:1.  The  Chris¬ 
tian  has  fellowship  in  the  Gospel,  is  inter¬ 


ested  in  all  the  promises  and  privileges  of 
the  Gospel,  from  the  first  day  of  his  becom¬ 
ing  such.  Until  now.  Observe,  It  is  a 
great  comfort  to  ministers,  when  they  who 
begin  well,  hold  on  and  persevere. 

Some,  by  their  fellowship  in  the  Gospel, 
understand,,  their  liberality  toward  propa¬ 
gating  the  Gospel,  and  tr.  koinonian,  not 
communion  but  communication.  But,  com¬ 
paring  it  with  Paul’s  thanksgiving  on  the 
account  of  other  churches,  it  rather  seems 
taken  more  generally,  for  the  fellowship  they 
had,  in  faith  and  hope,  and  holy  love,  with 
all  good  Christians;  a  fellowship  in  gospel- 
promises,  ordinances,  privileges,  and  hopes; 
and  this  from  the  first  day  until  now. 

(2.)  For  the  confidence  he  had  concern¬ 
ing  them,  v.  6.  Paul  speaks  with  much 
confidence  concerning  the  good  estate  of 
others;  hoping  well  concerning  them  in  the 
judgment  of  charity,  and  being  confident 
in  the  judgment  of  faith,  that,  if  sincere, 
they  should  be  happy. 

Observe  here,  1.  The  work  of  grace  is  a 
good  work ,  a  blessed  work ;  because  it  makes 
us  good,  and  is  an  earnest  of  good  to  us. 
2.  Wherever  this  goocT  work  is  begun,  it 
is  of  God’s  beginning.  We  could  not  be¬ 
gin  it  ourselves,  for  we  are  by  nature  dead 
in  trespasses  and  sins  :  It  is  God  who  quick¬ 
ens  them  who  are.  thus  dead,  Eph.  2:  1.  Col. 
2:  13.  3.  The  work  of  grace  is  hut  begun 

in  this  life;  as  long  as  we  are  in  this  im¬ 
perfect  state,  there  is  more  to  be  done.  4. 
If  the  same  God  who  begins  the  good  work, 
did  not  undertake  to  finish  it,  it  wozdd  never 
be  finished.  5.  We  may  he  confident  God 
will  not  forsake,  but  will  finish  and  crown, 
the  work  of  his  own  hands.  For,  as  for  God, 
his  work  is  perfect.  6.  The  work  of  grace 
will  never  be  perfected  till  the  day  of  Jesus 
Christ,  the  day  of  his  appearance,  when  He 
shall  come  to  judge  the  world,  and  finish 
his  mediation;  then  He  will  complete  it. 
We  have  the  same  expression,  v.  10. 

V.  7,  8.  The  apostle  expresses  the  ar¬ 
dent  affection  he  had  for  them,  and  his  con¬ 
cern  for  their  spiritual  welfare,  v.  7.  He 
loved  them  as  his  own  soul.  Observe, 

1.  Why;  They  had  received  benefit  by 
his  ministry,  were  partakers  of  that  grace 
of  God,  which,  through  him,  was  communi¬ 
cated  to  them.  Receiving  benefit  by  their 
ministry,  makes  people  dear  to  their  min¬ 
isters.  Or,  They  were  partakers  of  his 
affliction  by  sympathy  and  concern,  and 
readiness  to  assist  him.  This  he  calls  being 
partakers  of  his  grace:  for  they  who  suffer 
with  the  saints,  are,  and  shall  be,  comforted 
with  them.  He  loved  them  because  they 


that  they  both  signify  bishops,  one  settled  in  each  church  by  the  apos¬ 
tles;  there  being  no  use  of  the  second  order  in  the  church,  till  the  num¬ 
bers  of  believers  increased.’  Hammond.  Beyond  doubt,  the  apostle 
ordained  more  than  one,  either  bishops  or  presbyters,  in  some  of  the 
churches.  Acts  14:23.  20:17.  Indeed  the  address  fully  proves  it,  as  to 
4  the  bishops.’  But  this  learned  expositor  did  not  perceive,  that  one 
bishop,  without  any  presbyters  under  him,  comes  to  precisely  the  saute 
tiling,  as  one  presbyter,  without  any  bishop  over  him.  Till  the  churches 
were  multiplied,  the  bishops  and  presbyters  were  the  same ;  but  after¬ 
wards,  probably  in  the  times  of  the  apostles,  the  senior  or  more  eminent 
presbyter,  was  called  episcopus,  or  overseer,  not  of  the  church  only,  but 
also  of  its  pastors.  [Comp.  1  Pet.  5:1,2.  Gr.]  Scott. 

(1.)  Bishops,  & c.]  ‘On  this,  as  on  most  occasions,  I  see  no  reason 
to  forsake  our  venerable  guides,  the  ancient  comtrs.,  who  inform  us,  that 
these  episkopoi  were  the  presbyters  of  the  several  congregations  of 
Christians  in  Philippi,  (and,  I  would  add,  its  vicinity,  to  some  distance.) 
On  this,  see  JVhitby's  long  and  able  Diss.,  who  says  :  “  The  Gr.  and  Lat. 
fathers,  with  one  consent,  declare,  that  the  apostle  here  calls  their  pres¬ 
byters  their  bishops.  So  Chrvs.,  Theod.,  CEc.,  Theoph.,  among  the 
Greeks;  and  among  the  Latins,  Jer.,  Pseud-Ambrose,  Pelagius,  and  Prima- 
sius  ;  and  that,  not  only  because  there  could  be  but  one  bishop,  properly 
so  called,  in  one  city ;  but  for  another,  alleged  by  them  all,  viz.,  that 
then  the  names  were  common  to  both  orders,  the  Bishops  being  called 
Presbyters,  and  the  Presbyters  Bishops.”  ’  Bl. — 1  This  proves  there 
must  have  been  more  than  one  bishop  at  Philippi.’  Doddr. — 4  Of  conse¬ 
quence,  the  primitive  church,  under  the  apostles,  differed  from  modern 
episcopacy,  where  there  is  but  one  bishop  in  a  diocese.  Stiil  more  im¬ 
portant  :  those  bishops  and  deacons  are  included  with  the  saints  in 
Christ  Jesus,  the  whole  forming  the  body  of  the  church  of  Christ ;  con¬ 
sequently,  had  experienced  the  regenerating  power  of  the  Holy  Ghost ; 
and  surely,  to  suppose  elders,  bishops,  and  deacons,  engaged  as  instru¬ 
ments,  under  the  Holy  Ghost,  for  the  conversion  of  others,  while  uncon¬ 
verted  themselves,  would  be  most  preposterous.’  Hawker. — 4  The  apos¬ 
tle  diil  not  mention  the  bishops  and  deacons  in  the  inscription  of  his 
other  epistles,  for  they  were  all  concerning  points  of  faith  and  practice ; 


but  this  was  a  letter  of  thanks  to  the  church  at  Philippi  for  tiieir  present 
to  him  ;  in  collecting  which,  the  deacons  and  bishops  may  have  showed 
suclt  forwardness,  as  to  merit  this  mark  nf  respect  and  gratitude.’ 
Mackn. — Servants.]  ‘So  all  ministers  employed  in  preaching  the  Gos¬ 
pel  are  called-’  Ros.  4  The  term  is  also  found  in  the  classics,  applied  to 
priests  of  heathen  gods.’  Bloomf. 

V.  5.  Fellowship.]  Some  tr.  4  communication  toward  the  Gospel,’ 
and  understand,  the  liberality  the  Philippians  Had  shown  the  apostle. 
.(Notes,  4:10 — 20.)  But  this,  in  itself,  was  a  far  inferior  cause  of  grati¬ 
tude  to  God,  than  the  conversion  of  very  many  souls,  to  partake  of  all  the 
blessings  and  salvation  of  Christ ;  the  sentiment  is  not  at  all  in  the  apos¬ 
tle’s  manner  in  other  epistles,  or  even  in  the  other  parts  of  the  epistle, 
where  he  mentions  that  subject  openly  and  perspicuously  ;  the  word 
here  used,  more  frequently  means  participation,  than  communication, 
and  even  when  it  has  the  latter  meaning,  it  implies  that  the  giver  made 
the  receiver  his  partner,  or  a  sharer  with  him  in  his  abundance.  Sc. 

(5.)  Fellowship.]  Koinbnia:  1  participation  of  Christian  doctrine 
by  having  embraced  the  Christian  faith,’  so  Cre.Il.,  Whit.,  Grot.,  Me- 
noch.,  Heinr.,  Ros.,  our  com.  vers,  and  most  Eng.  trs.  Gal.  2:9.  1  Cor. 
2:9.  Yet  there  is  no  occasion  lo  abandon  the  common  interpretation  of 
the  Gr.  comtrs.,  also  Pierce,  Gilder,  Mich.,  Weils,  Pyle,  Hardy,  Storr,  and 
Slade,  viz.  4  for  your  liberality  in  contributing  for  tile  furtherance  of  the 
interests  of  the  Gospel,’  a  sense  of  koinbnia,  found  Ro.  15:26.  2  Co.  8:4. 
9:13.  Of  this  they  had  given  striking  proofs,  [note,  t  pref.]  So  that  at 
4:15.  Patti  uses  the  same  word.  This  interpretation  is  also  required  by 
tite  words  following;  and  so  Phot,  and  Theod.  tr.’  Bloomf. 

V.  6.  He  which  hath  begun,  Ac.  will  perform.]  4  This  may  be  un¬ 
derstood  either  of  the  church,  or  of  individual  believers.  The  objection, 
that  confidence  of  success  has  a  tendency  to  produce  carelessness  and 
indifference,  is  so  contrary  to  general  experience,  that  we  cannot  but 
wonder  when  we  see  it  mentioned.  What  so  much  animates  and  en- 
encourages  any  person  in  the  progress  of  a  great  and  good  work,  as  the 
persuasion  that  he  shall  be  enabled  to  complete  it  ?’  Williams. 

V.  7.  Defence.]  4  Apologia  ;  supposed  to  have  been  when  he  plead¬ 
ed  before  Nero,  against  his  Jewish,  enemies.  Ac.  28:17,  Ac.  Grace.j 


A.  D.  65. 


PHIL1PPIANS,  I. 


His  ajfeclion  for  the  Phiiippians. 


8  For  God  is  my  record,  how 
greatly  I  long  after  you  all  in  the 
bowels  of  Jesus  Christ. 

9  And  this  I  pray,  that  your  love 
may  -abound  m  yet  more  and  more 
in  knowledge  and  in  all  "judgment; 

10  That  °ye  may  p  approve  things 
that  are  excellent ;  that  ye  may  be 
r  sincere  and  without  offence  till 
the  day  of  Christ ; 

1 1  Being  filled  with  the  fruits  of 
righteousness,  which  arc  by  Jesus 
Christ  unto  the  8  glory  and  praise 
of  God. 

[Practical  Observations.] 

12  But  I  would  ye  should  under¬ 
stand,  brethren,  that  the  things 
which  happened  unto  me  have  fall¬ 
en  out  rather  unto  the  furtherance 
of  the  gospel  ; 

13  So  that  my  bonds  ‘in  Christ 
are  manifest  in  all  “the  palace,  and 
v  in  all  other  places  •, 


m  1  Til.  3:12. 

2  Pe.  3:18. 
n  or,  sense, 
o  Ro.  2:18. 


p  or,  try. 
q  or,  differ, 
r  Ep.  5:27. 
s  Jn.  15:8. 


t  or,  for. 
u  or,  Cesar's 
court,  c.  4:22. 
v  or, To  all  others. 


adhered  to  him  in  his  bonds,  and  in  the  de¬ 
fence  and  confirmation  of  the  Gospel  :  they 
were  as  ready  to  appear  in  their  places,  and 
according  to  their  capacity,  for  the  defence 
of  the  Gospel,  as  the  apostle  was  in  his  ; 
therefore  he  had  them  in  his  heart ;  or,  (‘  as 
it  may  he  rendered,’  says  Scott,  ‘  more  ob¬ 
viously,  and  in  equal  consistency  with  the 
idiom  of  the  language,’)  you  have  me  at 
heart.  The  truest  mark  of  respect  towards 
our  ministers,  is,  receiving  and  abiding  by 
the  doctrine  they  preach. 

2.  The  evidence’of  it ;  It  is  meet  forme, 
&c.  By  this  it  appeared,  that  he  had  them 
in  his  heart,  because  he  had  a  good  opinion 
of  them,  and  good  hopes  concerning  them. 
Observe,  It  is  very  proper  to  think  as  well 
as  we  can  of  other  people,  in  all  cases. 

3.  An  appeal  to  God  concerning  the  truth 
of  this,  v.  8.  eitiier  lie  longed  to  see  them, 
or  to  hear  from  them,  or  he  longed  for  their 


spiritual  welfare,  and  their  increase  and 
improvement  in  knowledge  and  grace.  He 
longed  after  them  all,  even  the  meanest  and 
poorest  ;  longed  greatly  after  them,  or  with 
strong  affection  and  great  good-will ;  and  this 
in  the  bowels  of  Jesus  Christ,  with  that  tender 
concern  Christ  Himself  has,  and  has  shown, 
Oh,  how  infinitely !  to  precious  souls.  Paul 
was  herein  a  follower  of  Christ,  and  all  good 
ministers  should  aim  to  be  so.  Shall  not 
we  pity  and  love  those  souls  whom  Christ 
had  such  a  love  and  pity  fori  For  this  he 
appeals  to  God  ;  God  is  my  record.  He  ex¬ 
pressed  an  inward  disposition  of  mind,  which 
God  only  was  Witness  to  the  sincerity  of, 
therefore  to  Him  he  appeals. 

V.  9 — 11.  These  vs.  contain  Paul’s 
prayers  for  them.  It  is  an  encouragement 
to  us,  to  know  that  we  are  prayed  for  by  our 
friends,  who,  we  have  reason  to  think,  have 
an  interest  at  the  throne  of  grace.  It  was 
intended  likewise  for  their  direction  in 
their  walk,  and  that  they  might  labor  to 
answer  his  prayers  for  them;  for  by  that  it 
would  appear  God  had  answered  them.  It 
is  an  inducement  to  us  to  do  our  duty,  that 
we  may  not  disappoint  the  expectations  of 
praying  friends  and  ministers.  He  prays, 

1.  That  they  might  be  a  loving  people, 
and  that  good  affections  might  abound  among 
them,  v.  9.  He  means  it  of  their  love  to 
God,  one  another,  and  all  men.  Observe, 
They  who  abound  much  in  any  grace,  need 
abound  more  and  more  ;  because  something 
is  slill  wanting  in  it,  and  we  are  imperfect 
in  our  best  attainments. 

2.  That  they  might  be  a  knowing,  judi¬ 
cious  people.  We  must  love  God,  because 
of  his  infinite  excellence  and  loveliness ;  and 
love  our  brethren,  because  of  vvliat  we  see 
of  his  image  on  them.  Strong  passions, 
without  knowledge  and  a  settled  judgment, 
will  not  make  us  complete  in  the  will  of 
God,  and  sometimes  So  more  hurt  than  good. 
Rom.  10:2.  Jn.  16:2. 

3.  That  they  might  be  a  discerning  people, 
v.  10.  that  we  may,  on  trial,  approve  the 
things  which  are  excellent,  and  discern  their 
difference  from  other  things.  The  truths 
and  laws  of  Christ  are  excellent;  and  every 
one  should  approve,  and  esteem  them  such, 
and  will  do  so,  if  candid  and  discerning. 


4.  That  they  might  be  an  honest,  upright- 
hearted  people  ;  That  ye  may  tie  sincere. 
Sincerity  is  that  in  which  we  should  have 
our  conversation  in  the  world,  and  the  glory 
of  all  our  graces. 

5.  That  they  might  be  an  inoffensive  peo¬ 
ple;  without  offence  until  the  day  of  Christ: 
not  apt  to  take  offence;  and  very  careful  not 
to  give  offence  to  God  or  their  brethren;  so 
Paul  himself,  Acts  23:  1.  24:  16.  And  we 
must  continue,  that  we  may  be  presented 
blameless,  at  the  day  of  Christ,  Eph.  5  :  27. 
Jude  24. 

6.  That  they  might  be  a  fruitful,  useful 
people,  v.  11.  From  God  is  our  fruit  found, 
therefore  from  Him  it  must  he  asked.  The 
fruits  of  righteousness  are  the  evidences  and 
effects  of  our  sanctification  ;  and  these  fruits 
should  really  fill  us,  and  wholly  take  us  up. 
Fear  not  beingemptied  by  bringing  forth  the 
fruits  of  righteousness,  for  you  will  he  filled 
with  them.  These  fruits  are  by  Jesus  Christ, 
by  his  strength  and  grace,  for  without  Him  we 
can  do  nothing.  He  is  the  Root  of  the  good 
olive,  from  which  it  derives  its  fatness.  We 
are  strong  in  the  grace  which  is  in  Christ  Jesus, 
2  Tim.  2:  1.  and  strengthened  with  might  by 
his  Spirit,  Eph.  3:  16.  and  they  are  unto  the 
glory  and  praise  of  God.  JVe  must  not  aim 
at  our  own  glory  in  our  fruitfulness,  but  at 
the  praise  and  glory  of  God;  that  God  may 
be  glorified  in  all  things,  1  Pet.  4:  11.  and 
whatsoever  we  do,  we  must  do  oil  to  the  glory 
of  God,  1  Cor.  10:  31.  It  is  much  for  the 
honor  of  God,  when  Christians  are  not  only 
good,  hut  do  good,  and  abound  in  good  works. 

V.  12 — 20.  The  apostle  being  now  a  pris¬ 
oner  at  Rome,  takes  pains,  lest  they  should 
be  stumbled  at  it,  to  show  how  bis  sufferings 
were  reconcilable  to  God’s  wisdom  and 
goodness  in  employing  him. 

I.  He  suffered  by  the  sworn  enemies  of 
the  Gospel;  hut  they  should  not  be  stumbled 
at  this,  for  it  tended  to  further  the  Gospel, 
v.  12. 

1.  It  alarmed  those  without,  v.  13.  ‘The 
emperor,  the  courtiers, the  magistrates, know 
I  do  not  suffer,  as  an  evil-doer,  but  ns  an 
honest  man,  with  a  good  conscience.  They 
know  that  I  suffer  for  Christ,  and  not  for 
any  wickedness.’  Paul’s  sufferings  made 
him  known  at  court,  where,  perhaps,  lie 


PRACT.  OBS.  V.  1 — 11.  Alas!  how  often  are  faithful  pastors  con¬ 
strained  to  make  request  ‘with  tears,’  instead  of  1  with  joy,’  for  those 
in  whom  they  once  were  confident,  but  for  whom  they  now  tremble  ! 
We  may,  however,  be  always  confident,  that  God  *  will  perform  his 
good  work  ’  in  every  soul,  in  which  He  has  really  begun  it,  by  regenera¬ 
tion  ;  though  we  should  warn  men  not  to  trust  in  superficial  appearan¬ 
ces,  sudden  emotions,  external  reformation,  change  of  sect  or  sentiment, 
or  in  anything  short  of  ‘  a  new  creation  ’  unto  holiness. — We  cannot,  in 
general,  pray  for  ourselves,  and  in  behalf  of  those  who  possess  that  ‘faith 

Bonds,  imprisonment,  and  persecutions,  accounted  by  Paul,  ns  marks 
of  divine  favor.  And  so  the  ancient  comtrs.,  and  Grot.,  Ham.,  Noesselt, 
Storr,  Jaspis.’  Bloomf. 

V.  9.  Judgment.]  ‘  Epignosis  :  discernment,  so  Theoph. ;  that  nat¬ 
ural  sense,  says  Heinr.,  by  which  they  discern  and  feel  what  is  true, 
right,  and  excellent  in  Christian  doctrine.  “  Perception  or  discrimination 
of  right  and  wrong.”  Slade.  Whitby  says,  the  word  is  so  used  20  times  in 
Prov.  and  refers  to  Heb.  5:14.  The  prayer,  Heinr.  thinks,  is,  that  the  in¬ 
crease  of  their  love  may  have  added  to  it  a  perpetual  increase  of  knowl¬ 
edge.  [Or,  as  Dr.  Dwight  somewhere,  it  is  believed,  uses  the  phrase  ; 
might  not  only  know  that  they  loved  God,  but  know  that  they  knew  it. 
I.  e.,  that  feeling,  mere  blind,  impulsive  feeling, which  so  many  are  apt  to 
mistake  for  religion,  might  be  united  witli  intellectual  appreciation,  and 
conscientious  approval,  intelligent  conviction.  Ed.]  Ros.  remarks,  that 
love  is  increased  by  divine  knowledge  and  understanding  ;  since  the 
more  we  understand  of  the.benefits  of  God  and  Christ,  and  the  more  we 
experience  the  force  of  heavenly  truths  [and  know  of  heavenly  laws  and 
universal  relations],  the  more  [if  we  begin  right]  is  our  love  to  God  and 
Christ  augmented.  This  maybe  true;  but  I  think  it  is  not  the  truth 
Paul  means  -.  and  that  the  ancients  were  right  in  supposing  he  meant  to 
pray,  that  their  knowledge  and  understanding  might  keep  pace  with 
that  increase  of  love  ami  affection  :  since,  by  that  mean,  Christian  love 
produces  better  fruits.  [Could  this  prayer  take  effect  on  the  church 
now,  how  soon  would  the  dreadful  results  of  sectarism  cease  !]  The 
Phiiippians  had,  it  seems,  been,  from  the  first,  docile,  well-disposed,  and 
kind-hearted.  But,  as  would  appear  from  the  words  following,  their 
simplicity  had  been  somewhat  abused  by  crafty  false  teachers,  chiefly 
Judaiiers, &c.  Bl.  Knowledge  and  judgment.]  ‘  The  former  is  explained 
of  speculative,  and  the  latter  of  practical  knowledge;  but  1  think  the 
idea  belter  preservetf  by  rendering  the  original,  perception,  or  inward 
sensation.  He  wishes  they  might  not  only  know  the  principles  which 
recommend  candor  and  benevolence,  but  feel  their  influence  on  their 
hearts.’  Doddr. 

V.  H).  Approve.]  The  marginal  reading,  ‘Try,’  or pnve,  ‘things 

[403] 


which  worketh  by  love,’  in  a  better  manner,  than  by  copying  the  exam¬ 
ple  before  us,  and  requesting,  that  ‘our  love  may  abound  yet  more  and 
more,’  and  be  exercised  ‘  in  knowledge  and  in  all  judgment,’  tiiat  we 
and  they  may  ‘  discern  between  things  that  differ,’  and  know  how  to 
choose  the  good  and  refuse  the  evil;  that  we  may  be  sincere  and  diligent 
disciples,  preserved  from  all  scandals  and  offences,  and  ‘filled  with  Ihe 
fruits  of  righteousness,  which  are,  through  Christ,  to  the  praise  and 
glory  of  God.’  Scott. 


which  differ,’  is  more  exact  than  the  text;  but  it  is  evident,  that  ‘to 
distinguish  things  which  differ,’  was  especially  intended,  and  to  guard 
against  counterfeit  revelations,  false  affections,  and  all  those  specious 
errors  and  evils,  by  which  Satan  and  his  ministers  imposed  on  the  un¬ 
wary.  Scott. 

(10.)  ‘  Howe  introduces  this  text  to  show,  that  we  need  the  light  of 
the  Spirit  to  help  us  to  apprehend,  to  consider,  to  judge,  and  determine 
our  actions  agreeably  to  that  judgment.’  Doddr ,—T hin gs  that  are  ex¬ 
cellent.]  ‘  Paul  intimates,  that  a  knowledge  of  men  and  things,  and  a 
delicate  sensibility,  or  “  moral  feeling,”  was  necessary  to  guard  the 
Phiiippians  against  being  imposed  upon.’  Williams. 

V.  11.  Unto..  God.]  For  the  heathen,  say  Chrys.  and  Theoph., 
claimed  the  praise  of  performing  that  part  of  di/caiosunc  [tr.  righteous¬ 
ness]  which  regards  men;  hut  it  was  done  through  vainglory,  and  to 
gain  human  approbation,  and  not  in  the  way  Christ  would  have  it, 
namely,  to  the  praise  and  glory  of  God.’  Bl.  How  much  of  modern 
Christianity  would  stand  the  test  of  this  precept  ?  IIow  uncommon  is 
it,  to  do  everything  we  do  from  supreme  love  and  regard  to  God  and 
his  will !  Ed. 

V.  12 — 14.  The  apostle  had  probably  been  informed,  that  the  Philip- 
pians  feared  lest  his  imprisonment  should  check  the  progress  of  the  Gos¬ 
pel,  and  intimidate  others  from  preaching  or  embracing  it;  and  no  doubt 
Satan  and  his  servants  desired  and  expected  this  effect  from  it.  Scott. 

(13.)  ‘  So  that  it  is  manifest,  that  my  bonds  and  imprisonment,  suffer¬ 
ed  on  account  of  Christ’s  religion  only,  and  not  for  any  fault,  are  become 
plain  to  all  the  Piietorians,  and  to  ull  other  persons.’  Pierce,  RIackn., 
Ros.,  Heinr.  Bl.  Indeed,  as  the  government  was  military,  and  the  inter¬ 
course  between  Rome  and  the  provinces  was  kept  up,  over  military 
roads,  and  by  military  couriers,  and  interchange  of  captains  and  govern¬ 
ors,  and  as  Paul  was  now  at  the  head-quarters  and  focus  of  this  Roman 
intelligence  and  intercourse,  he  could  not  have  been  placed  in  circum¬ 
stances  better  calculated  to  have  his  case  and  the  Gospel  known  and 
talked  of,  in  an  empire  without  newspapers.  Ed. 

Palace.]  Praitorion  :  it  may  signify,  lit.  the  Pnetorian  camp  or  pal- 


A.  D.  65. 


PHILIPPIANS,  I.  The  good  derived  from  his  sufferings. 


14  And  many  of  the  brethren  in 
the  Lord,  waxing  confident  by  my 
bonds,  are  much  more  bold  to  speak 
the  word  without  fear. 

15  Some  indeed  preach  Christ 
even  of  envy  and  strife,  and  some 
also  of  good  will. 

16  The  one  preach  Christ  of 
contention,  not  sincerely,  supposing 
to  add  aflliction  to  my  bonds  ; 

17  But  the  other  of  love,  know¬ 
ing  that  I  am  set  for  the  defence  of 
the  gospel. 

18  What  then  ?  notwithstanding 
every  way,  whether  in  pretence  or 
in  truth,  Christ  is  preached  ;  and  I 
therein  do  rejoice,  yea,  and  will 
rejoice. 

19  For  I  know  that  this  w  shall 
turn  to  my  salvation  through  xyour 
prayer,  and  the  supply  of  the  Spirit 
of  Jesus  Christ, 

20  Accoi'ding  to  my  earnest  ex¬ 
pectation  and  my  hope,  that  in  no¬ 
thing  I  shall  be  f  ashamed,  but  that 
with  all  1  boldness,  as  always,  so 
now  also,  Christ  shall  be  magnified 
in  my  body,  a  whether  it  be  by  life, 
or  by  death. 

[Practical  Observations .] 

21  For  to  me  to  live  is  Christ, 
and  to  die  b  is  gain. 

w  Ro.  8:28.  v  Ro.  5:5.  a  Ro.  14:7,8. 

x  2  Co.  1:11.  tEp.  6:19,20.  b  Re.  14:13. 

would  never  have  otherwise  been  known  ; 
hence,  some  might  inquire  after  the  Gospel 
for  which  he  suffered,  who  might  otherwise 
have  never  heard  of  it.  When  his  bonds 
were  manifest  in  the  palace,  they  were  mani¬ 
fest  in  all  other  places.  The  sentiments  of 
the  court  have  a  great  influence  on  the  senti¬ 
ments  of  all  people. 

2.  It  imboldened  those  within,  v.  14.  As 
his  enemies  were  startled,  so  his  friends  were 


heartened.  Upright  men  shall  be  astonished 
at  this,  and  the  innocent  shall  stir  up  himself 
against  the  hypocrite.  The  righteous  also  shall 
hold  on  his  way,  and  he  who  hath  clean  hands 
shall  be  stronger  and  stronger.  Job  17:  S,  9. 
When  his  friends  saw  Paul  imprisoned 
for  Christ,  they  were  so  far  from  being  de¬ 
terred  from  preaching  Christ,  and  praising 
his  name,  that  it  made  them  the  more  bold; 
they  could  gladly  suffer  in  Paul’s  company. 
Besides  the  comfort  Paul  had  in  his  suffer¬ 
ings, his  extraordinary  consolations,  received 
from  Christ,  greatly  encouraged  them.  They 
were  more  fully  satisfied  and  persuaded  by 
what  they  saw.  Observe  the  power  of  di¬ 
vine  grace;  what  was  intended  by  the  enemy 
to  discourage  the  preachers  of  the  Gospel, 
was  overruled  for  their  encouragement. 
And  are  much  more  bold  to  speak  the  Word 
without  fear:  they  see  the  worst  of  it,  there¬ 
fore  are  not  afraid  to  venture.  Their  con¬ 
fidence  gave  them  courage,  and  their  cour¬ 
age  preserved  them  from  fear. 

II.  Paul  suffered  from  false  friends,  as 
well  as  from  enemies,  v.  15,  16.  and  they 
thought  to  grieve  his  spirit,  and  make  him 
afraid  of  losing  his  interest,  uneasy  under 
his  confinement,  and  impatient  for  release. 
This  might  stumble  some;  and  it  is  sad, 
that  there  should  be  men  who  should  preach 
the  Gospel  through  party  strife. 

However,  others  were  animated  by  Paul’s 
suffering,  to  preach  Christ  the  more  vigor¬ 
ously,  and  from  sincere  affection.  They 
knew  Paul  was  appointed  to  support  and 
propagate  the  Gospel,  and  were  afraid  lest 
it  should  suffer  by  his  confinement.  This 
made  them  the  more  bold  to  preach  the  Word, 
and  supply  his  lack  of  service  to  the  church. 

It  is  very  affecting  to  see  how  easy  the 
apostle  was,  in  the  midst  of  all,  v.  18.  so 
far  from  envying  those  who  had  liberty  while 
he  was  in  confinement,  he  rejoiced  in  the 
preaching  of  the  Gospel,  even  by  those  who 
did  it  in  pretence,  and  not  in  truth.  How 
much  more  then  should  we  rejoice  in  the 
preaching  of  the  Gospel,  by  them  who  do  it 
in  truth,  yea,  though  it  should  bo  with  much 
weakness,  and  some  mistake! 

He  rejoices  in  the  preaching  of  the  Gospel: 


1.  As  tending  to  the  salvation  of  the  souls 
of  men,  v.  19.  What  reward  can  they  ex¬ 
pect,  who  preach  Christ  out  of  strife,  and 
envy,  and  contention,  and  to  add  affliction  to 
a  faithful  minister’s  bonds  ;  who  preach  in 
pretence,  and  not  in  truth  1  And  yet  even 
this  may  turn  to  the  salvation  of  others; 
and  Paul’s  rejoicing  in  it  turned  to  his  sal¬ 
vation,  too.  This  noble  spirit  appeared  in 
John  the  Baptist,  at  the  first  public  preach¬ 
ing  of  Christ,  Jn.  3:29,  30.  ‘Let  Him 
shine,  though  I  am  obscured;  and  his  glory 
be  exalted,  though  on  my  ruins.’  Others 
understand  it  of  the  malice  of  his  enemies 
being  defeated,  and  contributing  toward 
his  deliverance  from  his  confinement  ; 
through  your  prayers,  and  the  supply  of  the 
Spirit  of  Christ.  Note,  Whatever  turns  to 
our  salvation,  is  by  the  supply,  or  the  aids 
and  assistance  of,  the  Spirit  of  Christ;  and 
prayer  is  the  appointed  means  of  fetching  in 
that  supply. 

2.  It  would  turn  to  the  glory  of  Christ, 
v.  20. _ where  he  takes  occasion  to  mention 
his  own  entire  devotedness  to  the  service 
and  honor  of  Christ.  His  great  desire  was, 
as  it  is  of  every  true  Christian,  that  Christ 
may  be  magnified  and  glorified  ;  that  his 
name  may  be  great,  and  his  kingdom  come 
that  Christ  may  be  magnified  with  every 
member  of  his  body,  Rom.  6:  13.  as  well 
as  faculty  of  his  soul.  In  nothing  would  he 
be  ashamed  of  Christ;  but  would  serve  Him 
boldly,  with  freedom  and  liberty  of  mind, 
and  without  discouragement.  The  boldness 
of  Christians  is  the  honor  of  Christ  ;  and 
Paul,  if  Christ  may  be  magnified  in  his 
body,  will  maintain  a  holy  indifference, 
whether  it  be  by  life  or  by  death.  He  refers 
it  to  Him,  which  way  He  will  make  him 
serviceable  to  his  glory,  whether  by  labor  or 
suffering;  by  diligence  or  patience ;  by  liv¬ 
ing  to  his  honor  in  working  for  Him,  or  dy¬ 
ing  to  his  honor  in  suffering  for  Him. 

V.  21 — 26.  We  have  here  an  account  of 
the  life  and  death  of  blessed  Paul :  his  life 
was  Christ,  and  his  death  gain.  It  might 
be  thought,  if  death  was  his  gain,  he  would 
be  weary  of  life,  and  impatient  for  death. 
No,  says  he,  v.  22.  If  I  live  in  the  flesh,  this 


PRACT.  OBS.  V.  12 — 20.  The  consideration,  that  the  Lord  ‘work- 
eth  all  things  after  the  counsel  of  his  own  will,’  should  reconcile  us  even 
to  those  afflictive  dispensations,  which  seem  to  preclude  us  from  useful¬ 
ness.  He  often  works  by  apparent  contraries;  and  his  most  able  min¬ 
isters  have  been  immured  in  prisons,  that  their  1  bonds  in  Christ’  might 
bring  the  knowledge  of  his  truth  into  the  courts  of  justice,  nay,  even  into 
the  palaces  of  princes  ;  and  the  blood  of  the  martyrs  has  more  abun¬ 
dantly  made  fruitful  the  good  seed  of  the  Word  of  God.  Nay,  the  ex- 
tremest  sufferings  and  cruel  death  of  his  saints,  instead  of  intimidating, 
have  infused  courage  into  their  brethren,  while  they  witnessed  the 
triumphant  consolations  of  the  happy  sufferers.  Indeed,  Satan  will  en¬ 
deavor  to  prevent  these  blessed  effects,  even  by  stirring  up  men  1  to 
preach  the  Gospel’  from  unworthy  motives;  and  Christ  and  his  truth 
have  often  been  preached,  in  order  to  grieve,  perplex,  or  expose  to  enmi- 

ace,  says  Bloomf. ;  who,  however,  thinks  it  too  harsh  to  supply  places, 
and  read  all  other  places  :  and  so  prefers,  ‘  with  most  recent  comtrs.,  to 
take  praitorion  for  the  Prtetorians  themselves,  the  whole  camp,  and  (by 
their  means)  to  all  others,  i.  e.  to  the  public  at  large.  Some  [see  Mackn.] 
take  praitbrion  to  denote  the  palace,  called  by  the  provincials,  Prtetorium, 
since  that  was  the  name  given  to  the  residence  of  the  provincial,  military 
governors.  But  it  is  observed,  by  Heinr.  and  Ros.,  the  custody  of  the 
emperor’s  prisons  (over  which  he  who  was  placed  in  command,  bore  the 
title  of  prffifectus  pnetorii)  was  called  praitorion.  Hence,  by  meton¬ 
ymy,  the  same  name  was  applied  to  the  praetorian  camp,  situated  at 
Rome.  [Map  in  pref.  to  Romans,  and  cut  ( d )  end  of  Ezek.]  See  Acts 
23:16.  where  it  is  related,  that  Paul  was  delivered  in  charge  to  the  prae- 
fecttis  pnetorii,  and  bound  with  a  chain  to  a  soldier.^  Bl.  From  his 
situation,  being  frequently  present  at,  or  habitually  hearing  talk  about 
the  military  exercises,  &c.  of  the  camp,  (note,  end  of  Eph_,)  Paul  seems 
to  have  borrowed  some  striking  allusions,  comp.  2  Tim.  2:3 — 5.  Eph.6-.11 
-17.  Ed.  ‘  In  Rome,  the  public  hall,  where  the  praetor  determined  causes ; 
or  more  commonly  a  place  without  the  city,  where  the  praetorian  cohorts, 
[comp,  plan  of  Rome,  pref.  to  Rom.]  or  regiments  of  guard,  were  sta¬ 
tioned  :  in  the  provinces,  the  governor’s  palace,  Mk.  15:16.  Acts  23:35. 
both  because  the  governors  administered  justice  there,  and  there  had 
also  their  guards  stationed.  Tire  apostle,  though  writing  from  Rome, 
yet  writing  to  those  in  the  provinces,  uses  the  word  here  in  the  provin¬ 
cial  sense.’  Macknight. 

(14.)  Persecution  helps  what  it  would  hinder,  as  it  always  excites  nur 
best  sympathies  in  favor  of  the  persecuted.  Hence  the  proverb,  ‘  The 
blood  of  tire  martyrs  is  the  seed  of  the  church.’  Ed. 

V.  15.  It  is  not  certain  who  these  preachers  [who  preached  Christ 
out  of  envy  and  strife]  were,  or  whether  they  meant  to  excite  divisions 
between  the  Jewish  and  Gentile  converts,  or  to  stir  up  the  persecuting 
rage  of  idolaters  against  the  apostle,  for  boldly  propagating  a  doctrine 
N.  T.  VOL.  V.  52 


ty  and  persecution,  his  faithful,  suffering  servants  !  So  varied  are  the  ef¬ 
fects  of  human  depravity!  The  painfhl  and  vexatious  circumstances, 
which  sometimes  attend  these  transactions,  will  ‘turn  to  our  salvation,’ 
if  we  bear  them  in  a  proper  manner,  through  ‘  the  supply  of  the  Spirit 
of  Christ,’  granted  in  answer  to  the  prayers  made  for  us,  and  by  us. 
Our  ‘earnest  expectation  and  hope’  should  be,  not  to  be  honored  by 
men,  or  to  escape  the  cross,  but  to  be  so  upheld  amidst  contempt  and 
affliction,  that  we  may  not  be  put  to  shame,  or  disgrace  the  cause  of  God, 
and  that  we  may  act  with  such  boldness  and  constancy,  amidst  dangers 
and  enemies,  that  ‘  Christ  may  be  magnified  in  our  bodies,’  whether  by 
our  laborious  services  and  protracted  sufferings,  or  by  the  honorable  con¬ 
clusion  of  our  work  and  warfare.  Rom.  6:12,  13,  16 — 19.  12:1.  1  Con, 
6:13 — 20.  Scott. 


subversive  of  idolatry,  or  that  of  the  emperor  and  statesmen  against 
him,  for  ‘  preaching  another  King,  one  Jesus.’  But  the  whole  tenor  of 
his  writings  and  conduct  shows,  that  if  the  doctrine  which  they  taught 
had  been  materially  erroneous,  lie  would  have  opposed  them,  instead  of 
rejoicing  in  the  success  of  the  preachers.  Gal.  1:6 — 10.  2:1 — 5.  Scott. 

(15.)  Some  from  envy  and  strife.]  ‘  Who  ?  Not  surely  regenerated 
men  ?  Yet,  is  it  not  possible  ?  May  not  jealousy  appear  [even]  in  the 
ministry  f  Alas  1  where,  or  in  what  state  on  earth,  is  a  child  of  God  ex¬ 
empt  from  corruption,  in  all  that  pertains  to  the  flesh  ?  As  to  those  who 
preached  Christ  out  of  good-will,  there  is  something  very  blessed  in  it. 
But  what  we  have  most  to  admire  here  is,  that  the  great  soul  of  the 
apostle  rejoiced  at  everything,  and  in  everything,  provided  Christ  was  the 
one  glorious  subject  of  all  preaching.’  Hawker. 

V.  16.  To  add,  &c.]  By  ruining  Paul’s  reputation,  and  so  strengthen¬ 
ing  his  enemies;  also,  bv  exciting  the  fury  of  the  ignorant  multitude,  or 
rulers,  against  him  ;  and  to  increase  the  severity  of  his  bonds,  by  malig. 
nantly  preaching  Christ  with  excessive  publicity!  See  Doddr.  and  Bl. 

Ed. 

(18.)  What,  then,  signifies  saying  more  ?  Paul  thinks,  it  was  better 
the  heathens  and  Jews  should  have  some,  than  no  knowledge  of  Christ. 
See  Rosenm.  and  Bloomf.  Let  those  consider  this,  who  object  to  mis¬ 
sions,  and  withhold  their  aid,  because  they  are  not  in  their  view  perfect, 
or  precisely  such  as  they  w'ould  have  them.  In. 

V.  19.  Salvation .]  The  connexion  between  ‘salvation,’  and  the  ‘sup¬ 
ply  of  the  Spirit  of  Christ,’  fully  proves,  that  eternal  salvation  and  not 
temporal  deliverance  was  meant.  Rom.  3:11 — 14.  Scott. 

(19.)  ‘  Some  refer  this  to  a  temporal  deliverance  ;  but  Doddr.  observes, 
that  such  an  event  could  not  be  said  to  proceed  from  the  supply  of  the 
Spirit  of  Christ.'  ,  .  Henry,  abr. 

v.  21 — 26.  With  peculiar  animation,  the  apostle  here  declared  the 
happy  frame  of  hia  mind,  in  his  perilous  situation.  He  had  no  other 


A.  D.  65. 


PHILIPPIANS,  I. 


He  exhorts  to  holiness  and  courae-e. 

O 


22  But  if  I  live  in  the  llesh,  this 
is  the  fruit  of  my  labor  :  yet  what 
I  shall  choose  I  wot  not. 

23  For  1  am  in  a  strait  betwixt 
two,  having  a  desire  c  to  depart, 
and  to  be  with  Christ ;  which  is 
far  d  better  : 

24  Nevertheless  to  abide  in  the 
flesh  is  more  needful  for  you. 

25  And  having  this  confidence,  I 
know  that  I  shall  abide  and  con¬ 
tinue  with  you  all,  for  your  further¬ 
ance  and  joy  of  faith  ; 

26  That  your  rejoicing  may  be 
more  abundant  in  Jesus  Christ  for 
me,  by  my  coming  to  you  again. 

27  Only  e  let  your  conversation 
be  as  it  "becometh  the  gospel  of 
Christ ;  that,  whether  I  come  and 
see  you,  or  else  be  absent,  I  may 
hear  of  your  affairs,  that  ye  f  stand 
fast  in  one  spirit,  with  one  mind, 
striving  &  together  for  the  faith  of 
the  gospel ; 

23  And  in  nothing  terrified  b  by 
your  adversaries  :  which  '  is  to 
them  an  evident  token  of  perdition, 
but  Jto  you  of  salvation,  and  that 
of  God. 

29  For  unto  you  it  is  given,  k  in 
the  behalf  of  Christ,  not  only  to 
believe  on  him,  but  also  to  suffer 
for  his  sake  ; 

30  Having  the  same  conflict 
which  ye  saw  1  in  me,  and  now 
hear  to  be  in  me. 

c  2  Co.  5:8.  g  Jude  3.  ]  Ro.  8:17. 

d  Ps.  16:11.  h  Is.  51:7,12.  it  Ac.  5:41. 

e  Ep  4:1.  c.  3:20.  M»t.  10:28.  1  Ac.  16:19. 

f  c.  4:1.  i  2  Th.  1:5.  1  Th.  2:2. 

is  the  fruit  of  my  labor,  i.  e.  Christ  is.  It 
is  worth  while  for  a  good  Christian  and  a 
good  minister  to  live  in  the  world,  as  long 
as  he  can  glorify  God,  and  do  good  to  his 


church.  Yet  Paul  was  in  a  strait  betwixt 
two,  not  two  evil  things,  but  two  good  things, 
two  blessings, — living  to  Christ,  and  being 
with  Him.  Here  we  have  him  reasoning 
with  himself  on  the  matter. 

I.  His  inclination  was  for  death.  See 
the  power  of  faith  and  ol  divine  grace  ;  it 
can  make  us  willing  to  die,  though  death  is 
the  greatest  natural  evil,  v.  23.  having  a  de¬ 
sire  to  depart,  and  to  be  with  Christ.  Observe, 
1.  It  is  being  with  Christ,  which  makes  a 
departure  desirable  to  a  good  man.  2.  As 
soon  as  ever  the  soul  departs,  it  is  immedi¬ 
ately  with  Christ,  Lu.  23:  43.  2  Cor.  5:8. 
and  this  is  far  better,  very  much  exceeding,  or 
vastly  preferable  :  for  if  we  come  to  be  with 
Christ,  farewell  sin  and  temptation,  fare¬ 
well  sorrow  and  death,  for  ever  ! 

II.  His  judgment  was,  rather  to  live  a 
while  longer  in  this  world,  for  the  service 
of  the  church,  v.  24.  Observe,  They  who 
have  most  reason  to  desire  to  depart,  should 
be  willing  to  continue  in  the  world  as  long 
as  God  has  any  work  for  them  to  do.  Thus, 
to  advance  the  interest  of  Christ  and  his 
church,  Paul  chose  rather  to  tarry  here, 
wdiere  he  met  with  oppositions  and  difficul¬ 
ties,  and  to  deny  himself  for  a  while  the 
satisfaction  of  his  reward.  Nay,  he  had 
confidence,  that  he  should  abide  and  continue 
with  them  all  for  their  furtherance  and  joy  of 
faith,  v.  25.  He  had  great  confidence  that 
Divine  Providence  would  order  all  for  the 
best  to  him;  for  whatsoever  is  best  for  the 
church,  we  may  be  sure  God  will  do.  Ob¬ 
serve,  what  ministers  are  continued  for:  for 
our  furtherance  and  joy  of  faith,  our  further 
advancement  in  holiness  and  comfort.  VVhat 
promotes  our  faith,  and  joy  of  faith,  is  very 
much  for  our  furtherance  in  the  way  to 
heaven.  There  is  need  of  a  settled  minis¬ 
try,  not  only  for  the  conviction  and  conver¬ 
sion  of  sinners,  but  for  the  edification  of 
saints,  and  their  furtherance  in  spiritual  at¬ 
tainments. 

So  the  apostle  would  add  to  the  joy  of 
the  Philippians  in  his  hope  of  coming  to 
them  again,  v.  26.  Observe,  The  continu-' 
ance  of  ministers  with  the  church,  ought  to 
be  the  rejoicing  of  all  who  wish  well  to  its  i 


interests.  All  our  joys  should  terminate  in 
Christ.  Our  joy  in  good  ministers  should 
be  our  joy  in  Christ  Jesus  for  them  ;  for  they 
are  but  the  friends  of  the  Bridegroom,  and 
are  to  be  received  in  his  name,  and  for  his 
sake. 

V.  27 — SO.  The  ch.  concludes  with  two 
exhortations  :  , 

I.  To  strictness  of  conversation,  v.  27. 
Observe,  They  who  profess  the  Gospel  of 
Christ,  should  have  their  conversation  as 
becomes  the  Gospel,  or  in  a  suitableness  and 
agreeableness  to  it.  It  is  an  ornament  to 
our  profession,  when  our  conversation  is  of 
a  piece  with  it.  He  had  spoken,  in  v.  26. 
of  his  coming  to  them  again,  and  had  spoken 
it  with  some  assurance,  though  now  a  pris¬ 
oner  ;  but  he  would  not  have  them  build  on 
that.  Our  religion  must  not  be  bound  up  in 
the  hands  of  our  ministers  ;  ‘  Whether  I 
come  or  no,  let  me  hear  well  of  you,  and  do 
you  stand  fast  J  Whether  ministers  come 
or  no,  Christ  is  always  at  hand,  Ja.  5  :  8. 
Let  me  hear  of  you,  that  you  stand  fast  in 
one  spirit,  with  one.  mind  striving  together  for 
the  faith  of  the  Gospel.  Three  thing's  he 
desired  to  hear  of  them  ;  and  they  are  all 
such  as  become  the  Gospel. 

1.  It  becomes  those  who  profess  the  Gos¬ 
pel,  to  strive  for  it,  to  use  a  holy  violence  in 
taking  the  kingdom  of  heaven.  A  man  may 
sleep  and  go  to  hell  ;  but  he  who  will  go  to 
heaven,  must  look  about  him  and  be  dil¬ 
igent. 

2.  The  unity  and  unanimity  of  Christians 
become  the  Gospel  ;  Strive  together,  not  one 
with  another:  all  of  you  must  strive  against 
the  common  adversary.  There  rnav  be  a 
oneness  of  heart  and  affection  among  Chris¬ 
tians,  where  there  is  diversity  of  judgment 
and  apprehensions  about  many  things. 

3.  Steadfastness  becomes  the  Gospel  ; 
Stand  fast,  &c.  It  is  a  shame  to  religion 
when  the  professors  of  it  are  off  and  on, 
unstable  in  their  minds  ;  such  will  never 
excel. 

II.  He  exhorts  them  to  courage  and  con¬ 
stancy  in  suffering,  v.  28.  Our  great  care 
must  be  to  keep  close  to  our  profession, 
whatever  oppositions  we  meet  with ;  consid- 


PRACT.  OBS.  V.  21 — 30.  We  are  most  of  us  very  far  from  having 
made  that  progress  in  the  divine  life  which  holy  Paul  had  ;  yet,  if  true 
believers,  we  habitually  consider  Christ  as  ‘  our  Life.’  Our  main  inter¬ 
est,  work,  honor,  and  comfort  in  this  world,  are  centered  in  linn,  and 
his  glory  is  the  great  end,  to  which  we  would  direct  all  our  conduct.  In 
proportion  to  the  depth  of  our  experience  in  this  respect,  should  be  our 
well-grounded  assurance,  that  to  ‘die  will  be  our  gain.’  If  we  have 
this  earnest  of  our  inheritance,  death  can  take  us  away  from  nothing  but 
what  is  vain,  vexatious,  defiling,  ensnaring,  and  utterly  insufficient  for 
our  felicity  ;  and  it  will  convey  us  to  the  fountain-head  of  those  holy 
joys,  which  here  we  relished,  and  from  time  to  time  had  tastes  of,  but 
were  never  able  to  participate  without  alloy  or  interruption;  and  what 
a  blessedness  must  that  be,  which  can  render  death  the  richest  gain,  and 
make  us  long  earnestly  for  the  approach  of  1  the  king  of  terrors,’  as  the 
messenger  of  our  Father,  to  put  us  in  possession  of  our  eternal  inheri¬ 
tance  ! — How  cold  and  heartless,  compared  with  this,  are  philosophy’s 
applauded  antidotes  against  the  fear  of  death  I  We  cannot  read  even 


business,  interest,  honor,  or  pleasure,  for  which  ‘  to  live,’  but  Christ, 
and  his  glory,  service,  and  favor. — ‘Christ  is  gain  to  me  living  and  dy¬ 
ing,’  (21).  Thus  Bezn,  and  many  others,  tr.  and  understand  the  words; 
but  the  antithesis  between  the  two  parts  of  t he  v.  is  thus  destroyed  ; 
the  meaning  is  comparatively  cold,  nay,  selfish ;  and,  though  I  would 
speak  diffidently,  after  such  eminently  learned  critics,  the  original  seems 
incapable  of  this  construction. — ‘The  original  is  the  highest  superlative 
which  it  is  possible  to  form  in  any  language.’  Mackn.  ‘  Better,  bevond 
all  comparison  and  expression.’  Doddr.  ‘Could  Paul  think  a  state  of 
insensibility  much  better  than  a  life  tending  so  much,  ns  his  did,  to  the 
glory  of  (,od,  to  the  propagation  of  the  Gospel,  and  to  the  furtherance 
ol  the  joy  ol  Christians?’  Whitby  — The  doctrine  of  tlie  soul's  imme¬ 
diate  happiness,  with  Christ  in  glory,  is  here  declared,  beyond  almost 
the  possibility  of  doubt,  except  as  men  disbelieve  the  apostle’s  testimo¬ 
ny.  2  Cor.  5:1 — 8.  Scott. 

(21,  22.)  ‘Life  has  its  enjoyments,  and  is  not  the  contemptible  thing  we 
make  it,  but  heaven  on  earth,  when  it  is  conducted  on  right  principles, 
directed  to  a  right  end,  arid  devoted  to  the  will  of  God.  What  would 
we  have  more,  when  the  way  to  heaven  Is  through  heaven  ;  if  quiet  pas¬ 
sions,  regular  desires,  contented  minds,  pure  wills,  well-grounded  hopes, 
holy  longings,  happy  foretastes,  communion  with  God,  and  reconciliation 
to  death,  can  make  it  so.’  Advms. 

(22.)  ‘  But  if  mv  life,  in  the  flesh,  be  of  use  to  the  Gospel  (he  it  so,  1 

sav  im  more),  verily  what  1  shall  choose,  1  see  and  know  not.’  Bi . 

(23.)  In  a  strait.]  ‘A  nautical  phraseology,  in  allusion  to  a  ship’at 
anchor,  and  yet  likely  to  be  forced  to  sea  by  the  winds  ;  which  represents 
Paul’s  attachment  to  his  position  in  the  church,  and  the  vehemence  of 
his  desire  to  be  unbound,  for  so  the  Gr.’  Poddr.— ‘  This  plainly  proves, 

[410J 


Cicero  on  this  subject,  without  feeling  that  his  vigorous  genius  languishes 
for  want  of  interesting  topics,  and  that  he  at  last  advances  nothing  which 
can  at  all  satisfy  the  mind,  in  the  prospect  of  dissolution,  and  of  an  unex¬ 
plored,  eternal  state.  Yet  it  can  hardly  be  expected,  that  all  believers 
should  be  found  thus  superior  to  the  love  of  life,  and  the  fear  of  death  ; 
and  thus  willing  to  live  and  sutler,  from  love  to  their  brethren,  when  as¬ 
sured  of  their  own  salvation.  Nor  should  we  ‘despise  the  day  of  small 
tilings,’  either  in  ourselves  or  others,  though  we  should  press  forward  to 
this  full  assurance  of  hope,  this  fervor  of  longing,  grateful  love,  and  this 
entire  submission  to  the  Lord’s  will.  This  should  be  our  primary,  per¬ 
sonal  concern  ;  and  all  the  company  of  believers,  however  divided  and 
subdivided,  should  consider  themselves  as  one  great  army;  and  endeav¬ 
or  to  ‘stand  fast  in  one  spirit,  with  one  mind,  striving  together  for  the 
faith  of  the  Gospel,’  and  to  recommend  the  salvation  of  Christ  to  ail 
around  them,  and  diffuse  the  knowledge  of  it  to  ‘every  creature  under 
heaven,’  as  far  as  possible;  [and,  blessed  be  God,  the  facilities  forex- 
tending  his  kingdom  multiply  daily.]  Scott. 

that  the  separate  spirits  of  good  men  are  with  Christ,  in  such  a  manner 
that  their  state  is  far  better  than  while  they  continue  in  this  world; 
which  a  state  of  insensibility  cannot  possibly  be.  But  Fleming  very 
justly  observes,  that  it  will  not  at  all  disprove  that  large  accession  of 
happiness  after  the  resurrection,  which  other  Seriutures  nlnii  !v  declare. 
The  Gr.  is  here  tr.  far  better ;  I  know  not  how  more  justly  to  express 
it,  than  to  render  better ,  beyond  all  expression.’  Doddr. 

(2-1.)  Needful.]  As  if  he  said,  There  is  no  need  of  my  going  to  heav¬ 
en  wnv,  but  there  is  need  of  my  doing  my  duty,  now  and  always.  En. 

(25.)  Know.]  ‘  “  I.  e.  have  strong  confidence  of  being  spared  to  you 
till  God  raise  another  in  my  place.”  See  Slade.  The  expression,  abide 
and  continue  with  you,  is  a  strong  one,  indicating,  not  continuance  in 
life,  but  occasional  enjoyment  of  their  society  ;  a  beautiful  trait  of  the 
overflowing  kindness  of  the  apostle's  heart.’  Bi.oomf. 

V.  27 — 30.  The  Gr  tr.  ‘conversation,’  denotes  the  conduct  of  citi¬ 
zens,  when  it  accords  to  their  privileges,  and  tends  to  the  credit,  safetv, 
peace, -and  prosperity  of  the  city.  Thus,  having  been  most  graciously 
made  citizens  of  the  heavenly  Jerusalem,  they  ought  to  act  suitably  to 
that  high  character,  and  to  seek  the  honor  of  the  Gospel,  and  the  wel¬ 
fare  of  the  church,  in  all  their  actions. — Many  expositors  are  very  exact, 
in  this  and  other  passages,  tn  distinguishing  between  the  perser  ntions, 
which  the  apostle  and  the  churches  were  exposed  In  from  the  Jews,  and 
those  which  they  endured  fiom  the  Gentiles.  But  this  rather  embarrass¬ 
es  than  clears  the  interpretation;  and  the  practical  instruction,  if  not 
lost  sight  of,  is  the  same  in  either  case.  No  doubt,  the  Je'vs  excited 
most  of  the  persecutions,  to  which  the  apostle  was  exposed:  red  his 
zeal  for  the  admission  of  the  Gentiles  into  the  rhurch,  without  circum¬ 
cision;  or  regard  to  the  ritual  law,  rendered  him  peculiarly  obi  o.uous 


A.  D.  65. 


PHILIPPIANS,  II. 


Unity  and  humility  recommended. 


CHAP.  II. 

1  He  exhorteth  them  to  unity,  and  to  all  humbleness  of 
mind,  by  the  cxam)*le  of  Christ’s  humility  and  exalta¬ 
tion  :  1*2  to  a  careful  proceeding  in  the  way  of  salvation, 
that  they  be  ns  lights  to  the  wicked  world.  16  ami  com¬ 
forts  to  him  their  apostle,  who  is  now  ready  to  be  offered 
up  to  God.  19  He  hopelh  to  send  Timothy  to  them, 
whom  he  greatly  commendeth,  25  as  Epaphroditus  also, 
whom  he  presently  sendeth  to  them. 

IF  there  be  therefore  any  conso¬ 
lation  in  Christ,  if  any  comfort 
of  love,  if  any  fellowship  of  the 
Spirit,  if  any  a  bowels  anil  mercies, 
2  Fulfil  b  ye  my  joy,  that  ye  be 
c like-minded,  having  the  same  love, 
being  of  one  accord,  of  one  mind. 

3  Let  nothing  d  be  done  through 
strife  or  vain  glory  ;  but  in  lowli¬ 
ness  of  mind  let  each  'esteem  other 
better  than  themselves. 

4  Look  not  every  man  on  his 
[  own  things,  but  every  man  also  on 
the  things  of  others. 

5  Let  this  *  mind  be  in  you,  which 
was  also  in  Christ  Jesus  : 

6  Who,  being  h  in  the  form  of 
God,  thought  it  not  robbery  to  be 
equal  1  with  God  : 


*  Col.  3:12. 

J a.  3:14. 

1  Pe  2:21. 

b  Jn.  3:-9. 

e  1  Pe.  5:5. 

1) 

Jn  1:1,2. 

c  2  Co  13:11. 

f  1  Co  13:5. 

Col.  1:15. 

1  Pe.  3:8. 

g  Jn.  13:14. 

i 

Jn.  5:18. 

d  (ia.  5:26. 

ering  the  condition  of  the 

persecuted  mi 

better  and 

more  desirable 

than 

that  of 

persecutors 

i.  Opposers  of 

the 

Gospel 

marked  out  for  ruin  ;  but  being  persecuted, 
is  a  token  of  .salvation.  Not  a  certain  mark; 
many  hypocrites  have  suffered  for  their  re¬ 
ligion;  but  it  is  a  good  sign  vve  are  in  good 
earnest  in  religion,  and  designed  for  salva¬ 
tion,  when  we  are  enabled  in  a  right  man¬ 
ner  to  suffer  for  the  cause  of  Christ. 

V.  29.  For  to  you  it  is  given  on  the  behalf 
of  Christ ,  not  only  to  believe,  but  also  to  suffer 
for  his  name.  Here  are  two  precious  gifts 
given,  and  both  on  the  behalf  of  Christ  ; 
not  only  the  blessedness  which  is  the  object 
of  faith,  but  the  grace  of  faith  itself  :  the 
ability  and  disposition  to  believe  is  from 
God.  To  suffer  for  the  sake  of  Christ,  is  a 
valuable  gift,  too,  a  great  honor,  a  great  ad¬ 
vantage;  for  we  may  be  very  serviceable  to 
the  glory  of  God,  which  is  the  end  of  our 


creation,  and  encourage  and  confirm  the 
faith  of  others.  And  there  is  a  great  re¬ 
ward  attending  it,  too,  Mat.  5  :  11,  12. 
2  Tint.  2:  12.  always  provided  we  behave 
under  our  sufferings  with  the  genuine  tem¬ 
per  of  the  martyrs  and  confessors,  v.  30. 
‘  Hewing  the  same  conflict  which  ye  saw  in 
me,  and  now  hear  to  Le  in  me  ;  you  suffering 
in  the  same  manner  as  you  saw,  and  now 
hear  of  me  that  I  suffer.’  It  is  not  simply 
the  suffering,  but  the  cause  ;  and  not  only 
the  cause  but  the  spirit,  which  makes  the 
martyr. 


Chap.  II.  V.  1 — 11.  The  apostle  here 
further  exhorts  to  Christian  duties. 

I.  The  great  gospel-precept  to  love  one 
another.  This  he  represents,  v.  2.  We 
are  of  a  like  mind  when  we  have  the  same 
love.  Christians  should  be  one  in  affection  ; 
it  is  always  in  their  power,  always  their 
duty,  and  the  likeliest  way  to  bring  them 
nearer  in  judgment.  Having  the  same  love. 
Christian  love  ought  to  be  mutual  love. 
Love,  and  you  shall  be  loved  :  Being  of  one 
accord,  &c.  not  crossing  and  thwarting,  or 
driving  on  separate  interests  ;  but  unani¬ 
mously  agreeing  in  the  great  things  of  God, 
and  keeping  the  unity  of  the  Spirit  in  other 
differences.  Observe, 

1.  The  pathetic  pressing  of  the  duty. 
The  inducements  to  brotherly  love  are: 

Consolation  in  Christ.  ‘  Have  you  experi¬ 
enced  consolation  in  Christ  1  Evidence  that 
experience  by  loving  one  another.5  Or 
‘  Do  we  expect  consolation  in  Christ'?  If  we 
w'ould  not  be  disappointed,  we  must  love 
one  another.5 

Comfort  of  love.  ‘If  there  is  any  comfort 
in  God’s  love  to  you,  in  your  love  to  God, 
or  in  your  brethren’s  love,  be  ye  like- 
minded.’ 

Fellowship  of  the  Spirit.  ‘  If  there  is 
such  a  thing  as  communion  with  God  and 
Christ,  by  the  Spirit,  such  a  thing  as  the 
communion  of  saints,  by  virtue  of  their  be¬ 
ing  animated  and  actuated  by  one  and  the 
same  Spirit;  be  ye  like-minded  :  for  Chris¬ 
tian  love  and  like-mindedness  will  preserve 
to  us  our  communion  with  God,  and  with 
one  another.5 

Any  bowels  and  mercies,  in  God  and 
Christ  toward  you.  ‘  If  ye  expect  the  ben¬ 
efit  of  God’s  compassions  to  yourselves,  be 


ye  compassionate  one  to  another.  If  there 
is  such  a  thing  as  mercy  among  the  follow¬ 
ers  of  Christ;  if  all  who  are  sanctified  have 
a  disposition  to  lady  pity  ;  make  it  appear 
this  way.’ 

Another  argument  he  insinuates,  is,  the 
comfort  it  would  be  to  him  ;  Fulfil  ye  my 
joy.  It  is  the  joy  of  ministers  to  see  peo¬ 
ple  like-minded,  and  living  in  love. 

2.  Some  means  to  promote  it. 

Do  nothing  through  strife  and  vainglory, 
v.  3.  There  is  no  greater  enemy  to  Chris¬ 
tian  love,  than  pride  and  passion.  If  we 
do  things  in  contradiction  to  our  brethren, 
that  is  doing  them  through  strife  ;  if  we  do 
them  through  ostentation  of  ourselves,  that 
is  doing  them  through  vainglory  ;  both  are 
destructive  of  Christian  love,  and  kindle 
unchristian  heats. 

We  must  esteem  others,  in  lowliness  of  mind, 
better  than  ourselves  ;  be  severe  on  our  own 
faults,  and  charitable  in  our  judgment  of 
others  ;  quick  to  observe  our  own  defects, 
but  ready  to  overlook,  or  make  favorable 
allowances  for,  those  of  others.  We  must 
esteem  the  good  in  others  above  that  in  our¬ 
selves  ;  FOR  WE  BEST  KNOW  OUR  OWN 
UNWORTHINESS  AND  IMPERFECTIONS. 

We  must  interest  ourselves  in  the  con¬ 
cerns  of  others,  not  in  a  way  of  curiosity 
and  censoriousness,  or  as  busy-bodies  in 
other  men's  matters,  but  in  Christian  love 
and  sympathy,  v.  4.  A  selfish  spirit  is  de¬ 
structive  of  Christian  love.  We  must  love 
our  neighbor  as  ourselves,  and  make  bis  case 
our  own. 

II.  Here  is  a  gospel-pattern  proposed  to 
our  imitation,  and  that  is  the  example  of 
our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  v.  5.  Christians 
must  be  of  Christ’s  mind,  Rom.  8:  9.  Now 
what  was  bis  mind  1  Eminently  bumble,  and 
this  we  are  peculiarly  to  learn  of  Him,  Mat. 
11  :  29.  If  lowly-minded,  we  should  be 
like-minded  ;  and  if  like  to  Christ,  lowly- 
minded.  Now  here  we  have  the  two  na¬ 
tures,  and  the  two  states,  of  our  Lord  Jesus. 
Observe,  The  apostle,  having  occasion  to 
mention  the  Lord  Jesus,  and  the  mind  which 
was  in  Him,  takes  the  hint  to  enlarge  on  his 
Person,  and  to  give  a  particular  description 
of  Him.  It  is  a  pleasing  subject,  and  a 
gospel-minister  needs  not  think  himself  out 
of  the  way  when  upon  it;  any  fit  occasion 
should  be  readily  taken. 


to  them.  But  it  is  also  evident,  that  zeal  for  idolatry  and  for  local  cus¬ 
toms,  and  fear  of  innovations  and  insurrections,  joined  with  enmity 
against  God  and  holiness,  disposed  the  Gentiles  generally  to  concur,  and 
often  to  take  the  lead  in  persecution.  Acts  19.23 — 41. — Striving  togeth¬ 
er .]  Contending  like  wrestlers,  earnestly,  but  in  concert  with  each  oth¬ 
er,  against  their  common  antagonists.  (29)  It  is  given.]  ‘To  suffer  for 
Christ’s  sake,  is  grace  and  favor  (7).’  Whitby.  If  so,  then  ‘to  believe  in 
Christ,’  is  grace,  the  free  gift  of  God,  though  not  unconnected  with  our 
exertions,  attendance  on  the  means  of  grace,  and  prayers.  Scott. 

(27.)  On/y,  &c..\  ‘On  this  passage,  so  finely  representing  his  own 
views  and  hopes,  and  their  glorious  Christian  prospects,  Paul  skilfully 
engrafts  an  admonition  which,  from  the  frailty  of  human  nature  can  nev¬ 
er  lie  unseasonable,  and  is  here  introduced  most  impressively. —  Come.] 
It  will  lie  observed,  lie  does  not  say  he  shall  come,  nor  indicate  any  time 
at  which  he  should  be  present.’  Bloomf. 

(28.)  Terrified ,  &c.]  ‘  Hence,  and  from  several  other  passages  in  this 
epistle,  it  evidently  appears,  the  Pliilippians  were  now  in  a  sufi’ering  state, 
a  circumstance  to  he  borne  in  mind,  as  it  illustrates  several  masterly 
strokes  in  the  apostle’s  address  to  them.’  Doddr. 

NOTES  Chip.  II.  V.  1—4.  {Notes,  1:27— 30.  Epli.  4:1—  6.)  The 
apostle  evidently  deemed  harmony  among  Christians  essential  to  ‘  a  con¬ 
versation  liecoming  the  Gospel.’ — Consolation.]  The  original  word  sig¬ 
nifies  exhortation,  as  well  as  consolation,  or  rather  an  encouraging  and 
animating  exhortation.  The  authority  of  Christ,  speaking  by  his  apos¬ 
tle,  as  well  as  i lie  consolation  derived  from  Him,  seems  implied.  The 
expressions  which  follow  are  varied  to  include  all  that  can  he  imagined, 
in  i he  most  cordial  amity,  unity,  and  sympathy.  Let  them  live  together 
as  members  of  one  body,  animated  by  one  soul.  1  Cor.  12:12 — 26.  13: 
4 — 7.  Scott. 

(1.)  ‘If  ve  would  give  me  any  consolation  in  my  straits,  any  love-be¬ 
gotten  comfort;  if  ye  will  show  that  ye  have  any  fellowship  with  me  in 
spirituals,  and  as  to  Christ;  if  ye  pity,  and  your  bowels  yearn  over  me 
for  my  sufferings;  recompense  me  all  these  hv  loving  one  another.’ 
Theoph.  and  so  Theod.,  Chrys.,  (Ee..,  and  the  Syr.  Tr.  But  Bl.  prefers 
to  tr.  koinon’a  pneumatos,  ‘  unity  of  mind.5  Ed. 

V.  5—8.  To  illustrate  and  enforce,  in  the  most  effectual  manner,  that 
conduct  which  he  had  recommended,  the  apostle  here  called  on  Chris¬ 
tians,  to  cultivate  and  manifest  the  same  mind,  judgment,  and  disposi¬ 
tion,  which  had  been  so  conspicuous  in  Christ  Jesus.  Rom.  8:5 — 9.  The 
example  can  never  be  done  justice  to  by  human  language,  and  all  our 
imitation  of  such  immense  condescension,  compassion,  self-abasement, 


self-denial,  and  liberal,  laborious,  forgiving,  patient,  suffering  love,  must 
necessarily  fall  infinitely  short  of  it.  In  this  view  of  the  subject,  how 
important  and  energetic  is  the  apostle's  argument !  How  striking  is  the 
illustration  ! — But  Socinians  and  others  have  labored  to  prove,  that  the 
apostle  only  meant,  lhat  ‘the  Man  Jesus,  though  He  acted  as  the  A  rulins- 
sador  and  Representative  of  God,  did  not  think  of  robbing  Him  of  his 
glory,  by  claiming  equality  with  God  !  ’  Now  this  would  sink  the 
meaning,  not  only  into  insipidity,  hut  absurdity:  for  it  would  propose 
as  an  example  of  the  most  perfect  love,  self-denial,  and  humility,  a  hare 
exemption  from  the  most  horrible  impiety  and  ambition  imaginable  !  as 
certainly  it  must  he  such,  for  a  mere  creature,  in  any  possible  circum¬ 
stances,  to  harbor  a  thought  of  aspiring  to  equality  in  honor  and  majes¬ 
ty  with  the  infinite  God.  Indeed,  this  sense  cannot  he  consistent  with 
our  Lord’s  frequent  and  most  express  declarations  concerning  liimself. 
(Jn.  5:17,  18,  23.  8:58.  10:30 — S3.  14:9,10.)  Nny.  the  whole  interpre¬ 
tation  of  the  passage  must  he  forced  and  unnatural :  the  reality  of  our 
Lord’s  human  nature,  ‘  in  the  likeness  of  man,’  and  ‘  in  fashion  as  a  man,’ 
might  as  justly  he  questioned,  as  the  reality  of  his  Deity  ;  who  ‘was  in 
the  form  of  God,’  and  his  ‘  taking  upon  Him  tile  form  of  a  servant,’  and 
‘becoming  obedient,’  are  unmeaning  words,  on  the  Sooinian  interpreta¬ 
tion,  hut  exceedingly  etnphalical  on  lhat  [see  Henry,  above]  before  pro¬ 
posed.— On  a  portion  of  Scripture  of  so  great  importance,  both  in  respect 
of  its  general  import,  and  also  in  the  argument  concerning  our  Lord’s 
Deity  ;  and  which,  at  the  same  time,  has  been  perplexed  by  discordant 
interpretations,  more  than  most  other  passages;  something  additional 
may  be  properly  adduced.  ‘  Who  does  not  perceive,  that  Paul  declares 
what  Christ  was,  before  He  assumed  “the  form  of  a  servant  ?”... 
Christ  Himself,  when  He  was  God,  and  consequently  in  lhat  glory  and 
majesty  which  belong  to  God  alone;  and  when  He  did  not  think  that 
He  usurped  anything  not  belonging  to  Him  ;  yet,  as  laying  aside  this 
glory,  abased  liimself,  even  so  far  as  to  become  such  as  the  servants  of 
God  are,  i.  e-  to  “become  man  :  ”  yea,  and  then  also  lie  conducted  Him¬ 
self  towards  the  Father,  not  as  towards  his  equal,  but  his  Lord  ;  so  that 
He  voluntarily  submitted  to  undergo  the  most  ignominious  deatli  !  And 
shall  not  we,  mortal  and  mean  slaves,  he  ashamed  of  our  arrogance,  in 
acting  as  if  xve  excelled  our  brethren  ?  This,  I  say,  is  Fan)  s  argument, 
than  wliieh  nothing  can  be  more  weighty  and  forcible.  . .  .  He ,,  u"  jvl 
it  not  robbery.”  Or,  ns  a  most  learned  interpreter  renders  it,  He  did 
not  think  it  a  prey  to  be  seized  on .”  For  He  refers  that  which  follow, 
to  Hie  manifestation  made  in  the  flesh  ;  that  this  should  be  the  meaning, 
Christ,  as  God,  possessed  of  eternal  glory  and  majesty,  knew  indeed  thaj 


A.  D.  65. 


PHILIPP1ANS,  II. 


The  humility  of  Christ. 


7  But  j  made  himself  of  no  repu¬ 
tation,  and  took  upon  him  the  form 
of  a  k  servant,  and  was  made  in 
the  1  likeness  of  men  : 

8  And  being  found  in  fashion  as 
a  man,  he  humbled  himself,  and 
became  “obedient  unto  death,  even 
the  death  of  the  cross. 

)  Ps.  22:6.  k  Lu.  22:27.  1  or,  habit.  m  He.  12:2. 


1.  The  two  natures  of  Christ. 

(1.)  His  divine  nature  ;  in  the  form  of 
God,  v.  6.  This  agrees  with  Jn.  I:  1.  and 
of  the  same  import  are  Cob  1  :  15.  and 
Heb.  1 :  3.  lie  thought  it  not  robbery  to  be 
equal  with  God;  did  not  think  Himself  guiity 
of  any  invasion  of  what  did  not  belong  to 
Him,  or  assuming  another’s  right,  Jn.  10  : 
30.  It  is  (lie  highest  robbery  for  any  mere 
man  [any  creature]  to  pretend  to  be  equal 


with  God,  or  profess  Himself  one  with  the 
Father.  This  is  for  a  man  to  rob  God,  not 
in  tithes  and  offerings,  but  of  the  rights  of 
i  his  Godhead,  Mai.  3:  8. 

Some  understand  being  in  the  form  of 
God,  of  bis  appearance,  in  a  divine  majestic 
glory,  to  the  patriarchs,  and  the  Jews,  under 
the  O.  T. ;  often  called  the  glory,  and  the 
Shechinah.  The  word  is  used  in  such  a  sense 
by  the  LXX,  and  in  the  N.  T.;  Mk.  16: 


It  was  just  and  lawful  for  Him  to  appear,  not  in  humble  flesh,  but  with 
a  dignity  worthy  of  God  :  but  He  chose  rather  to  abase  Himself.  . .  But 
1  think  that  this  also  belongs  to  the  pristine  glory  of  Christ,  which  He 
mentions,  Jn.  17:5.  and  that  this  is  the  meaning:  Christ,  when  possess¬ 
ed  of  that  eternal  glory  of  Deity,  was  not  ignorant,  that  in  this  thing, 
(i.  e.  in  being  coequal  with  God  the  Father,)  He  did  no  injury  to  any 
one,  but  used  bis  own  right:  nevertheless  He,  as  it  were,  receded 
from  his  right,  when  He  reduced  Himself  even  to  nothing,  by  “taking 
on  Him  the  form  of  a  servant.”  ’  Beza. — The  word,  rendered  robbery, 
is  not  found  in  any  other  place  in  the  N.  T.,  and  but  very  seldom  in  oth¬ 
er  writers;  yet  the  derivation  of  it  fives  it  to  the  meaning  given  to  it  in 
our  tr.  The  word  rendered  equal,  is  isa,  not  ison ;  and  many  have  ar¬ 
gued  from  this  circumstance,  that  similitude,  not  equality  is  meant ;  but 
the  learned  Bp.  Pearson  has  shown,  that  isa,  especially  used  with  einni, 
may  express  equality  as  well  as  ison. —  Socinus  inquires,  ‘  How  can  God 
be  said  to  be  equal  to  Himself?  ’  To  this,  it  may  be  answered,  that  the 
Son  may  be  equal  to  the  Father,  in  the  unity  of  the  Godhead,  which  is 
all  that  the  apostle’s  language  implies,  and  all  that  Trinitarians  contend 
for:  nor  can  this  be  denied,  without  begging  the  question,  and  denying 
that  there  is  any  distinction  of  Persons  in  the  unity  of  the  Godhead. — 
‘He  emptied  Himself,  taking  the  form  of  a  servant ;  being  made  in  the 
likeness  of  men.’  Thus  Bp.  Pearson  literally  tr.  v.  7.- — If  any  man  doubt 
how  Christ  ‘emptied  Himself,’  the  text  will  satisfy  him  ;  By  ‘taking  on 
Him  the  form  of  a  servant  :  ’  and  if  any  still  question,  how  ‘  He  took  on 
Him  the  form  of  a  servant,’  he  has  the  apostle’s  answer;  By  ‘being 
made  in  the  likeness  of  men.’ — Here  it  may  be  observed,  that  if  Christ 
had  originally  been  a  creature  of  God,  He  must  have  been  also  his  ser¬ 
vant,  before  his  incarnation  :  and  this  is  conclusive  against  the  Arians, 
as  well  as  the  Socinians. — So  afterwards,  ‘Being  found  in  fashion  as  a 
man,  He  humbled  Himself,  becoming  obedient  unto  death,  even  the  death 
of  the  cross.’  As  therefore  his  humiliation  consisted  in  his  obedience 
unto  death  ;  so  his  emptying  Himself,  consisted  in  ‘  taking  on  Him  the 
form  of  a  servant,’  and  that  in  the  nature  of  man.  The  clauses  are  con¬ 
nected  in  the  original,  not  by  way  of  conjunction,  in  which  there  might 
be  some  diversity  ;  but  by  way  of  opposition,  which  signifies  a  clear 
identity.  The  grand  point,  in  order  to  understand  the  passage,  is  this, 
to  determine  in  what  sense  Christ  ‘was  in  the  form  of  God,’  and  how 
‘He  emptied  Himself;’  and  the  above  remarks,  suggested  by  Bp.  Pear¬ 
son’s  learned  and  able  disquisitions  on  the  passage,  and  sometimes  in 
his  words,  give,  as  it  appears  to  me,  the  most  complete  satisfaction. 
{Note,  Mat.  17:1,  2.) — The  passage  indeed  is  full  to  the  point,  as  to  our 
Lord’s  Deity;  and  all,  who  oppose  this  construction  of  it,  are  evidently 
baffled  in  the  argument :  so  that,  after  all  their  efforts,  it  stands  unmoved, 
as  the  deep-rooted  rocks  amidst  the  raging  billows.  But,  had  some 
deeper  impression  been  made  on  it,  the  Bible  would  still  afford  the  hum¬ 
ble  believer  abundant  proof  of  this  ‘great  Mystery  of  godliness,’  on 
which  every  well-grounded  human  hope  must  be  established.  1  Tim. 
3:16.  Scott. 

V  5 — 11.  L*l  this  mind  be  in  you,  which  was  also  in  Christ  Jesus  :  (Mat.  11:29.  20:26 
—28.  Lu.  22:27.  Jn.  13:15.  Ac.  10:38.  20:35.  Ro.  14:l&.  15:3,5.  1  Co.  10:33.  11:1.  Eph. 
6:2.  1  Pe.  2:21.  4:1.  1  Jn.  2:6  )  who  being  in  the  form  of  God ,  (Ts.  7:14.  8:8.  9:6.  Jer.  23: 
6.  Mic.  5:2.  Mat.  T:23.  Jn.  1:1.2,18.  17:5.  Ro.  9:5  2  Cor.  4:4.  Col.  1:15,16.  1  Ti.  1:17. 
3:16.  Ti.2:l3.  He.  1:3, 6, 8.  13:8  )  thousht  it  not  robbery  to  be  equal  with  God  ;  (Gen.  32: 
24 — 30.  48:15,16  Ex  3:2—6.  Jos.  5:13— 15.  Hos.  12:3—5.  Zech.  13:7,  Jn.  5:18,23.  8:58, 
69  10:30,38.  14:9  20:28  Rpv.  1:17,18.  21:6)  bat  made  Himself  of  no  reputation,  (Ps. 
22:6.  Is.  49:7  50:5,6  52:14  53:2,3.  Dan.  9:26.  Zch.  9:9.  Mk.  9:12.  Ro.  15:3  2  Cor.  8:9. 
He.  2:9 — 18  12:2.  13:13 .)  cind  took  upon  Him  the  form  of  a  servant,  (Is.  42:1.  49  3.  52: 
13  53.11.  E/.  34:23,24.  Zech  3:8  Mat.  12:18.  20:28.  Mk.  10:44,45.  Lu.  22:27.  Jn.  13:3 
— 14.  Ro.  15:8.)  and  ioa*  male  in  the  likeness  (mar*,  habit)  of  men  :  (Jn.  1:14.  Ro.  8:3. 
Gal.  4:4.  He.  2:14 — 17.  4:15 .)  and,  bring  found  in  fashion  as  a  man,  (Mat.  17:2.  Mk  9: 
2.3.  Lu.  9:29.)  He  humbled  Himself  (Pr.  15:33  Ac  8:33.  l'eh.5.5 — 7.  12;2  )  and  became 
obedient  unto  death.  (Ps  40:6 — 8.  Is.  50.5,6.  Jn.  4:34.  15:10.  He.  5:8,9.  10:7 — 9.)  even 
the  death  of  the  cross.  (De  21:23.  Jn.  10:18.  12:28—32.  14:31.  (ial.  3:13.  Ti.2-14.  He. 
12:2.  1  Pe.  2:24.  3:18  Wherefore  God  also  hath  highly  exalted.  Him,  (He.  3:15.  Ps.  2:6 — 
12.8.5—8  45:5,7.  6.9:29,30.  72:17—19.  91:14.  110:1—5.  Is.  9  7.  49:6—8.52:13  53:12. 
Dan.  2:44,45  7:14.  Mat.  11:27  28:18.  Ln.  19:22.  Jn.  3:35,36.  5:22— 27.  13:3  17:1—3,5. 
Ac.  2:32—36.  5:31.  Ro  14:9—11.  1  Cor.  15:24— 27.  He  2:9  12:2  2  Pe.  1:17.  Rev.  1:5. 

5:12  11:15.  19:16  )  and  given  Him  a  name,  which  is  above  every  name  :  (Ps.  89:27.  Eph. 
1:20—23  Col.  1:18.  He.  1:4.  1  Pc  3:22  )  that  at  the  name  of  Jesus  every  knee  should 
bow,  (Gen  41:43.  Is.  45:23— 25  Mat.  27:29.  Ro  11:4.  14:10.11.  Eph.  3:14.  He.  1:6.  Rev. 
4. In.  20:13  )  of  things  in  heaven,  and.  things  in  earth ,  and  things  under  the  earth  ;  (Mat. 
12:40.  Jn  5:28,29.  Eph.  4:9  Rev.  20:13  )  and  that  every  tongue  should  confess ,  (Ps.  18: 
49  marg.  Mat.  IQ-32.  Jn.  9:22  12:42.  Ro.  10:9.  15:9.  1  Jn .4:2,15.  SJn.7.  Rev.  3:5  ) 
that  Jesus  Chri'tU  Lord.  (Ps  110:1  Je.23:6.  Ln.  2:11.  Jn.  20:23.  Ac.  2:36.  10.3S.  Ro. 
10:9—12  14:1!  1  Co.  8:5.  12:3  \5A1.)  to  the  glory  of  God  the  Father.  (Jn.  5:'13.  13:31, 

32.  14:13,23.  15:14,15.  17:1.  1  Pe.  1:21.)  In. 

(6.)  Brins  in  the  form  of  God.]  ‘  En  morph !  Thenu  huparchOn  : 
Whit.,  Wolf,  Carpz.,  Ellis,  Mackn.,  very  ingeniously  interpret  thus: 
“As  Paul  is  speaking  of  what  Christ  was,  before  lie  took  the  form  of  a 
bondman,  die  form  of  God,  of  which  He  is  said  in  v.  7.  to  have  divested 
Hiin*rlf  when  lie  became  man,  cannot  be  anything  which  He  possess¬ 
ed,  during  his  incarnation,  or  in  his  divested  state;  consequently,  neith¬ 
er  Erasmus’  opinion,  that  the  form  of  God  consisted  in  those  sparks  of 
divinity,  by  which  Christ,  during  his  incarnation,  manifested  his  God¬ 
head,  nor  the  opinion  of  the  Socinians,  that  it  consisted  of  the  power  of 
working  miracles,  is  well  founded.  For  Christ  did  not  divest  Himself 
either  of  the  one  or  the  other,  hut  possessed  both  during  the  whole  time 
of  his  public  ministry.  In  like  manner,  the  opinion  of  those  who,  bv 
the  form  of  God,  understand  the  divine  nature  and  the  government  of 
the  world,  cannot  be  admitted;  since  Christ,  when  He  became  man, 
could  not  divest  Himself  of  tile  nature  of  God ;  and,  with  respect  to  the 
government  of  the  world,  we  are  led  bv  Heb.  1:3.  to  believe  He  did  not 
part  even  with  that,  but,  in  his  divested  state,  still  upheld  all  things  by 
the  word  of  lii-s  power.  Wherefore  the  opinion  of  Whithv,  &c.,  adds 
Mac.kn.,  seems  better  founded,  who  by  the  form  of  God,  understand,  the 
visible  glorious  light,  in  which  the  Deity  is  said  to  dwell,  1  Tim.  6  16. 
nnd  by  which  He  manifested  Himself  to  the  patriarchs  of  old,  Do.  5:22, 
24.  which  was  commonly  accompanied  with  a  numerous  retinue  of  angels, 
P».  69:17.  and  which  is  called  the  similitude  of  the  Lord,  Nu.  12:8.  the 

[412] 


face,  Ps.  31:16.  the  presence,  Ex.  33:15.  and  the  shape,  Jn.  5:37.  Tins 
interpretation  is  supported  by  the  term  morphs,  here,  which  signifies  a 
person’s  external  shape,  or  appearance,  and  not  his  nature  or  essence. 
Thus  Mk.  16:12.  Mat.  17:2.  This  form  He  had  with  the  Father  before 
the  world  was,  Jn.  18:5.  Heb.  1:3.  and  He  will  appear  again  with  it  at 
the  last  day,  Mat.  16:27.  Lastly,  the  sense  of  morphl  Theou  is  con¬ 
firmed  by  the  sense  morphen  doulou ,  [form  of  a  servant,]  v.  7.  which  ev¬ 
idently  denotes  the  appearance  and  behavior  of  a  bondman,  not  that 
Christ  was  really  any  person’s  bondman  or  slave.” 

‘  Yet  the  proofs  of  this  interpretation  seem  not  such  as  should  induce 
us  to  abandon  that  of  the  ancients  and  early  moderns,  which  has  also 
been  maintained  by  many  eminent  comtrs.  for  the  last  century  and  a 
half;  and  among  the  rest,  the  great  Bp.  Pearson,  Bull,  Burnet,  Eisner, 
<fcc.  in  Wolf,  and  recently  Schl.  and  the  venerable  Bp.  Burgess,  also  Bp. 
Tomline,  and  Abp.  Magee,  who  explain  morphe,  by  metonymy,  the 
very  nature  and  essence,  th  e  phusis  and  ousia.  So  Valpv  :  “being  in 
the  form  and  nature  of  God,”  i.  e.  being  really  God.  Of  this  significa¬ 
tion  several  examples  are  produced  by  Eisner  and  Schl.,  as  Plato,  de 
Rep.  2  p.  431.  I  am  not  willing,  I  confess,  to  desert  our  ancient  and 
venerable  guides,  who,  in  points  regarding  the  Divinity  of  our  blessed 
Savior,  the  Trinity,  &c.,  rise  far  above  the  moderns.  Indeed,  front 
whence  have  the  mighty  champions  of  orthodoxy  in  modern  times  de¬ 
rived  their  most  powerful  arms,  but  from  this  quarter,  as  the  works  of 
Bps.  Pearson  and  Bull  prove.  See  D’Oyley  nnd  Mant.  Bp.  Bull  (in 
Burgess)  says,  this  passage  is  almost  sufficient  for  the  refutation  of  all 
heresies  respecting  the  Person  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ;  as  Chrys., 
Tbeoph.,  and  Phot.,  had  before  said. 

‘  The  interpretation  of  the  Socinians,  though  supported  by  the  acute¬ 
ness  of  Crelh,  and  the  learning  of  Grot.,  Le  Clerc,  and  Ros.,  will  not  bear 
examination,  and  has  been  completely  refuted  by  many  moderns;  see 
Wolf.  Bp.  Burnet  (in  Doddr.)  well  observes,  that  “  it  is  extremely  cold 
and  insipid,  as  if  it  were  a  mighty  argument  of  humility,  that  though 
Christ  wrought  miracles, which  they  strangely  think  signified  by  '■being 
in  the  form  of  God,'  yet  He  did  not  set  up  for  supreme  deity  !  ”  Hu- 
parchon,  some  (as  Suidas )  think,  imports  pre-existence  ;  hut  it  seems  suf¬ 
ficient  to  suppose  the  word  may  import  subsisting  in  the  real  form  of 
God,  one  with,  and  equal  to,  the  Father.'  Bloomf. 

As  to  thought  it  not  robbery.  Sec. ,  Bl.  prefers  (with  Greg.,  Naz.,  Bp. 
Middleton,  the  ancients,  and  Ros.  and  Schl.,  in  part)  the  explanation  of 
Theoph.  and  Chrys.  ‘He  did  not  eagerly  seize  and  tenaciously  hold  ; 
thus  says  Theoph.  “  When  any  one  seizes  anything,  he  is  afraid 
to  lay  it  down,  lest  he  should  lose  it,  as  being  not  his  own  :  but  when 
any  one  has  anything  by  nature,  he  can  very  well  disregard  it,  knowing 
that  he  has  something  which  he  cannot  lose;  and  if  he  chooses  to  lay 
it  down,  he  can  take  it  up  again.  Paul  therefore  means  to  say,  ‘  The 
Son  of  God  was  not  afraid  to  descend  from  his  own  dignity,  since  lie  had 
not  this  by  rapine,  namely,  the  being  equal  with  God  the  Father,  but 
knew  it  was  his  natural  dignity.  Therefore  He  chose  even  to  humble 
Himself,  as,  even  in  his  humiliation,  still  retaining  his  exaltedness. ’”  So 
Theod.  Ed. 

‘  As  to  the  words,  to  be  equal  with  God  (to  ernai  isa  Theb),  few  things 
ever  more  surprised  me,  on  seriously  applying  myself,  with  the  appara¬ 
tus  of  very  many'  years  of  classical  study,  to  the  interpretation  of  the 
N.  T.,  than  to  find  that  so  many  eminent  moderns  (after  Whitby),  main¬ 
tain  isa  to  signify  not  equality  with,  but  similarity  to  ;  a  signification  of 
which  there  are  many  examples  in  the  classics,  but  none,  I  think,  in 
such  a  context  as  the  present.  It  is  a  frivolous  argument  (of  Whitby), 
that,  if  Pnul  had  meant  equality  with,  he  would  have  written  ison, 
as  Jn.  5:18.  for  Paul  is  not  John,  nnd  often  uses  greater  liberties  than 
this.  Indeed,  I  see  no  reason  to  desert  the  universal  opinion  of  the  an¬ 
cients  and  early  moderns,  that  isa  is  put  for  ison.  And  so  that  learned 
nnd  accurate  scholar  Schl.  revives  this  opinion, though  scouted  by  the  Ger¬ 
man  comtrs.;  and  gives,  ns  examples,  Job  5:4.  10-10.  15:16.  Hippocr. 
Jureju.  col.  i.  p.  42.  jElian,  V.  H.  8,  38  ;  referring  also  to  Glass,  Phil. 
Sacr.  p.  65.  I  have  also  met  with  several  instances  in  the  classics,  and 
I  think  isa  is  put  for  lal’  isa  merf,  at  equal  shares,  on  an  equal  footing, 
equality.  Doddr.  and  Slade  tr.  “to  be  even  as  God,  assuming  the  high¬ 
est  divine  names,  titles,  and  attributes,  by  which  God  has  made  Himself 
known,  nnd  receiving  from  his  servants  divine  honors  and  adoration.” 
This  is  the  same  sense,  hut  liable  to  perversion.  Finally,  Sr.hl.  renders, 
“non  rapinatn  duxit,  Dei  personam  sustincre,  seu  ccqualem  it  a  l  uri  et 
majestnte  Deo  esse.”  ’  Bloomf. 

(6—8.)  ‘The  word  translated  "■robbery,”  J.  P.  Smith  would  render, 
with  many  of  the  lathers,  “an  object  to  be  caught  at;”  considering  the 
sense  to  he,  that  our  Lord  did  not  ostentatiously  show,  or  glory  anil  boast, 
of  his  being  equal  with  God.  He  adds  :  “  whether  this  allusion  tie  ad¬ 
mitted  or  not  is  of  little  importance;  as  in  any  case  the  idea  is  plainly 
indicated,  that  the  object  intended  would  not  hnx’e  been,  to  Jesus  Christ, 
an  act  of  seizure,  a  usurpation,  a  thing  to  which  He  had  no  right,  but 
on  the  contrary  that  to  which  He  had  a  just  claim,  to  waive  which  is 
shown  by  this  passage  to  have  been  an  act  of  the  most  gracious  conde¬ 
scension  and  humiliation.” — “In  the  form  of  God,”  J.  P.  Smith  consid¬ 
ers  may  be  expressed  as  having  the  characteristics  of  God.  He  observes, 
that,  with  respect  to  this  contrast,  ‘if  the  characteristics  of  human 
nature  mark  the  Savior  incontrovertihly  to  be  man,  so  the  distinguishing 
characteristics  of  God  must  denote  that  which  is  peculiar  and  distinc¬ 
tive  to  the  Divine  Being.  “He  humbled  Himself.”  The  idea  is,  that 
of  reduction  from  a  previous  stale  of  fulness  or  excellency,  referring  to 
a  pre-existent  state  of  dignity  and  glory.’  J.  P.  Smith.  ‘“He  humbled 
Himself  ”  J.  P.  Smith  considers  this  is  to  be  understood  in  the  sense 
of  the  O.  T.  phrase,  “  to  afflict  the  soul,”  an  expression  applied  to  per¬ 
sons  who  underwent  voluntary  sufferings  from  religious  motives.  He 
remarks  on  all  the  parts  of  the  passage,  “  that,  under  every  variety  of  fair 
interpretation,  none  appears  tenable  which  does  not  recognize  a  nature 


A.  D.  65. 


PHlLIPPfANS,  If. 


Christ' 


s  glory.  Christians  exhorted. 


9  Wherefore  n  God  also  hath 
highly  exalted  him,  and  given  him 
a  name  which  is  above  every  name: 

10  That  at  the  name  of  Jesus 
“every  knee  should  bow,  of  things 
in  heaven,  and  things  in  earth,  and 
things  under  the  earth  ; 

1 1  And  that  every  tongue  should 
confess  that  Jesus  Christ  is  p  Lord, 
to  the  glory  of  God  the  Father. 

12  Wherefore,  my  beloved,  as 
ye  have  always  obeyed,  not  as  in 
my  presence  only,  but  now  much 
more  in  my  absence,  work  q  out 
vour  own  salvation  with  r  fear  and 


trembling 

l>  Tie.  2:9. 

Re.  3:1. 

0  I:  45:13. 

Re.  5.13. 


pJu.  13:13.  27-29  He.4:l  1. 

Ro.  14:9.  2Pe  1:5— 10. 

q  Pr.  10:16.  Jn.6:  r  Ep.  6:5. 


12.  He  appeared  to  the  two  disciples,  in  an¬ 
other  form  :  Mat.  17:  2.  He  was  transfigured 
before  them.  And,  He  thought  it  not  robbery 
to  be  equal  with  God ;  He  did  not  greedily 
catch  at,  or  covet  and  affect  to  appear  in 
that  glory  ;  lie  laid  aside  the  majesty  of  his 
former  appearances,  while  here  on  earth  ; 
which  is  supposed  the  sense  of  the  peculiar 
expression.  Vid.  Bp.  Bull’s  Def.  cap.  2. 
sect.  4.  ft  alibi,  and  Whitby  in  locum,  [and 
Macknight.j 

(2.)  H  (s  human  nature ;  He  was  made  in 
the  likeness  of  men,  and  found  in  fashion  as  a 
man.  He  was  really  and  truly  man  ;  took 
part  of  our  flesh  and  blood  ;  appeared  in  the 
nature  and  habit  of  man,  and  voluntarily. 
Herein  He  emptied  Himself ;  divested  Him¬ 
self  of  the  honors  and  glories  of  the  upper 
world,  and  of  his  former  appearance. 

2.  H  is  two  estates. 

(1.)  Of  humiliation.  He  not  only  took 


the  likeness  of  a  man,  but  the  form  of  a  ser- , 
vant,  i.  e.  a  man  of  mean  estate.  One 
would  think  He  should  have  been  a  Prince, 
in  splendor.  But  quite  the  contrary  ;  lie 
took  the  form  of  a  servant.  This  was  the 
humiliation  of  his  life.  But  the  lowest  step 
was  his  dying  on  the  cross  ;  He  became  obe¬ 
dient  to  death,  even  the  death  of  the  cross.  He 
not  only  suffered,  but  was  actually  and  vol¬ 
untarily  obedient,  Jn.  10:  18.  And  He  was 
made  under  the  law,  Gal.  4:  4.  Emphasis  is 
laid  on  the  manner  of  his  dying,  which  had 
in  it  all  the  humbling  circumstances  possi¬ 
ble  ;  even  the  death  of  the  cross,  a  cursed, 
painful,  shameful  death  ;  a  death  accursed 
by  the  law  ;  full  of  pain,  the  body  nailed 
through  the  nervous  parts,  and  hanging  with 
all  its  weight  on  the  cross  ;  and  the  death 
of  a  malefactor  and  a  slave,  not  of  a  free¬ 
man  ;  exposed  as  a  public  spectacle.  Such 
was  the  condescension  of  I  he  blessed  Jesus! 

(2.)  His  exaltation,  v.  9.  This  was  the 
reward  of  his  humiliation;  because  He  hum¬ 
bled  Himself,  God  exalted  Him,  his  whole 
Person  ;  as  respects  the  divine  nature,  it 
could  only  he  a  recognizing  his  rights, or  the 
display  and  appearance  of  the  glory  He  had 
with  the  Father  before  the  world  was,  Jn.  17:  5. 
not  any  new  acquisition  of  glory  ;  and  so 
the  Father  Himself  is  said  to  be  exalted. 
But  the  proper  exaltation  was  of  his  human 
nature,  which  alone  seems  to  he  capable  of 
it,  thpugh  in  conjunction  with  the  divine. 
II  is  exaltation  here  is  made  to  consist  in 
honor  and  power.  In  honor  ;  so  He  had  a 
name  above  every  name;  a  tide  of  dignity 
above  all  the  creatures,  men  or  angels. 
And  in  power,  Every  knee  must  bow  to  Him. 
The  whole  creation  must  be  in  subjection  to 
Him  ;  things  in  heaven,  in  earth ,  and  under 
the  earth ;  the  inhabitants  of  heaven  and 
earth,  the  living  and  the  dead.  At  the  name 
of  Jesus,  i.  e.  the  authority  of  Jesus  ;  all 
should  pay  a  solemn  homage.  And  that 


every  tongue  should  confess  that  Jesus  Christ 
is  Lord  ;  every  nation  and  language  should 
publicly  own  the  universal  empire  of  the 
exalted  Redeemer  ;  and  that  all  power  in 
heaven  and  earth  is  gir-en  to  Him,  Mat.  28  : 
18.  Observe,  the  vast  extent  of  the  king¬ 
dom  of  Christ  ;  it  reaches  to  heaven  and 
earth,  and  to  all  the  creatures  in  each  ;  lo 
angels  as  well  as  men,  and  to  the  dead  as 
well  as  the  living.  To  the  glory  of  God  the 
Father.  Observe,  It  is  lo  the  glory  of  God 
the  Father,  to  confess  that  Jesus  Christ  is 
Lord  ;  for  it  is  his  will,  that  all  men  should 
honor  the  Son,  as  they  honor  the  Father,  Jn. 
5:23.  W  hatever  respect  is  paid  to  Christ, 
redounds  to  the  honor  of  the  Father  ;  He 
who  receiveth  Me,  receiveth  Him  who  sent  Ale. 
Mat.  10:  40. 

V.  12, 13.  He  exhorts  them  to  diligence 
and  seriousness  in  the  Christian  course  ; 
Work  cut  your  own  salvation.  It  is  the  sal¬ 
vation  of  our  souls,  1  Pet.  1 :  9.  our  eternal 
salvation,  Heb.  5  :  9.  deliverance  from  all 
evil,  and  the  possession  of  all  good.  It  is 
our  own  salvation,  the  salvation  of  our  own 
souls;  though  we  must  promote  the  common 
salvation,  Jude  3.  as  much  as  \\ e  can,  jet  we 
must  on  no  account  neglect  our  own.  We 
are  required  to  work  out  our  salvation  ;  the 
word  signifies  working  thoroughly  at  a 
thing,  arid  taking  true  pains.  Salvation  i: 
the  great  thing  we  should  mind,  and  set  out 
hearts  upon;  and  we  cannot  attain  salvatior 
without  the  utmost  care  and  diligence.  He 
adds,  With  fear  and  trembling,  i.  e.  witl 
great  care  and  circumspection,  Heb.  4:  1 
Fear  is  a  great  guard  and  preservative  fron 
evil.  He  urges  this  from  the  consideratiot 
of  their  readiness  always  to  obey  the  Gos 
pel,  v.  12.  They  were  not  merely  awed  b; 
the  apostle’s  presence,  hut  obeyed  even  mud 
more  in  his  absence.  And  because  it  i. 
God  who  worketh  in  you,  do  ye  work  on 
1  your  salvation.  It  should  encourage  us  t( 


in  the  Messiah  distinct  from  the  human, — pre-existent,  superior  to  all  that 
is  glorious  and  excellent  in  dependent  existence,  and  really  divine.”  ’ 
Henry  Abr.  To  be  equal  ]  ‘  To  be  and  appear  as  God.  So  the  original 
words  are  most  exactly  rendered.’  Doddr. 

V.  9 — 1 1 .  When  the  eternal  Word,  1  the  Son  of  God,’  had  fulfilled  his 
engagements  as  our  incarnate  Surety  ;  God  the  Father  ‘  most  highly  ex¬ 
alted  Him,’  in  our  nature,  by  advancing  Him  to  the  mediatorial  throne. 
For  the  two  circumstances,  that  it  is  Christ,  as  Man,  who.is  thus  exalt¬ 
ed,  and  that  He  is  exalted  as  Mediator,  renders  this  perfectly  consistent 
with  his  eternal  glory  and  dominion,  as  ‘God  over  all,  blessed  forever¬ 
more.’  (Kef. — Notes,  Jn.  5:20—23.)  The  absolute  kingdom  of  the 
Creator,  and  the  mediatorial  kingdom  of  the  Redeemer,  established  for 
the  benefit  mid  salvation  of  rebels  against  the  Creator,  who  are  con¬ 
demned  by  his  law,  must  he  distinguished.  (Note,  1  Cor.  15:20 — 28.) 
It  was  in  consequence  of  the  engagements  of  the  eternal  Son,  that  the 
reign  of  mercy  was  introduced.  (Note,  Jn.  1:17.)  For  this  ‘joy  set 
before  Him,  He  endured  the  cross,  *.c.’  (Note,  Heb.  12:2,  3.)  Nothing 
could  be  deducted  from  his  authority  as  God,  nor  anything  added  to  it  : 
but  it  did  not  consist  with  the  honor  of  the  divine  law,  and  justice,  to 
deal  with  men,  except  through  a  Mediator,  who  was  One  with  the  Fa¬ 
ther  ;  and  One  with  them,  their  Surety,  Sacrifice,  and  Intercessor.  The 
mediatorial  kingdom  alone  was  ‘  given  ’  to  Christ,  and  given  to  Him  as 
Man:  but  had  He  not  heeu  God  also.aiul  possessed  of  all  divine  perfections, 
liow  could  He  possibly  have  administered  it  !  (Note,  Mat.  28:18.)  Thus 
God  the  Father  ‘gave  Him  a  name,’  and  a  degree  of  honor  and  authori¬ 
ty,  above  that  of  every  other  name  ;  so  that  no  created  being  ever  was 
or  could  be  so  honored,  ns  He  was,  who  had  been  ‘  the  Man  of  sorrows,’ 
and  was  crucified  between  two  thieves)  (Kef. — Notes,  Eph.  1:9 — 12, 
15 — 23.)  Insomuch  that,  ‘at  the  name  of  Jesus,’  the  name  given  to  a 
poor  Babe,  born  in  a  stable,  and  laid  in  the  manger,  (because  that  Babe 
was  Emmanuel,  ‘God  with  us,’ that  Child  born,  that  Son  given,  was 
the  ‘  mighty  God,’)  ‘  every  knee  should  bow,’  in  submission  and  adora¬ 
tion.  (Notes,  Alat.  1:20 — 23.  Lu  2:8 — 14.  Ren.  5:11 — 14.)  I.  e.  all  ra¬ 
tional  creatures  should  eiiher  willingly  adore  Him  ;  or  he  punished  as 
the  enemies  of  God  and  his  kingdom  This  includes  angels  and  saints 
in  heaven,  men  on  earth,  the  bodies  of  the  dead  who  are  under  the  earth, 
the  souls  of  the  wicked  in  a  separate  state  ;  and  indeed  all  the  princi¬ 
palities  and  powers  of  darkness.  In  short,  ‘  every  tongue  shall  confess,’ 
every  creature  must,  one  way  or  another, acknowledge,  ‘  that  Jesus  Christ 
is  Lord,’  the  Lord  of  all,  ‘  the  Lord  of  glory,’  yea,  Jehovah  the  Savior  ; 
and  this  will  be  so  far  from  interfering  with  the  honor  of  God  the  Fa¬ 
ther  (as  Anti Trinitarians  object)  that  it  will  be  to  his  glory.  For  ‘  He 
and  the  Father  are  One;’  and  the  whole  Deity  is  more  displayed  and 
glorified,  in  the  Person  and  Redemption  of  Christ,  before  the  whole  uni¬ 
verse,  than  by  all  other  divine  operations  and  discoveries;  so  that  all 
the  honor  and  worship  which  is  rendered  to  the  Person  of  the  Son,  as 
‘God  manifest  in  the  fiesh,’  is  virtually  rendered  to  the  Godhead  through 
the  medium  of  his  humanity,  hv  which  alone  sinners  can  know,  ap¬ 
proach,  or  worship  the  infinite  God.  (Ref.— Notes,  1:9—11.  v.  11.  Ps. 
2:10 — 12.  Is.  45:20 — 25.  Ro.  14:10 — 12.)— ‘  Surely  in  Jehovah  have  I 
righteousness  and  strength.’  This  is  the  language,  which  both  here  and 
in  the  parallel  passage  in  Rom.,  Paul  applies  to  Jesus;  when  lie  says, 
‘  Every  tongue  shall  confess  that  Jesus  Christ  is  Lord.’  Can  his  mean¬ 
ing  be  doubted  f  Scott. 


(9.)  ‘  Nothing  can  be  more  evident  Ilian  that  He  who  was  exalted  was 
humbled,  and  consequently  that  there  was  a  proper  change  made  in  the 
state  and  condition  of  Christ,  by  that  emptying  Himself  spoken  of,  v. 
7.’  Doddr.  Name  above  every  name.]  ‘  The  name  of  Jesus.  Even 
the  name  of  Creator  is  inferior  to  this  name  ;  inasmuch  as  it  was  a 
greater  exertion  of  goodness  in  the  Son  of  God  to  save  men  by  his  hu¬ 
miliation  and  death,  than  to  create.’  Mackn. 

(10.)  Things,  &c.J  ‘  Epouranion,  epigeion,  kntachthonion  :  lit.  heav- 
enlies,  earthlies,  under-earthlies  ;  ‘  it  means,  all  the  persons  in  the  whole 
universe.  Most  of  the  ancients  expl.  angels,  men,  and  devils  ;  the  best 
moderns,  however,  expl.  katachlhonibn  of  the  departed,  which  seems 
preferable.’  Bl.  Ed.  That  at  the  name,  &.c.\  ‘  In  the  name, — in  hum¬ 
ble  subjection  to  his  authority  and  command.’  Doddr. 

V.  12.  Work  out  (3:13,14.  Pr.  10:16.  13:4.  Mat.  11:12,29.  Lu.  13:23,24.  Jn.  6:27—29. 
Ro.  2:7.  1  Cor.  9:24  — 27.  15:58.  Gal.  6:7—9.  t  Tb.  1:3.  Hr.  4:11  6.10,11.  12:1  2  Pe.  1:5 
— 10.  3:18.)  your  own  salvation  (2:19  Ro.  13:11  — 14.  1  Cor.  9:20 — *.3.  2  Ti  2:10.)  with, 
far  an-/  trembling  :  (Ezra  10:3.  Ps  2:11  119:120.  Is.  66:2,5  Ac.  9:6  16:k9.  1  Cor  2:3. 
2  Cor.  7:15.  Eph.  6.5.  Me.  4:1  12:28,29.)  for  it  is  God  which  worketh.  in  you ,  (2  Chr. 

30:12.  Is.  26:12  Jer.  31:33.  32:39.  Jn.  3:27.  Ac.  11:U.  2  Cor.  3:5.  He.  13:21  Ja.  1:16— 
18  )  bo'h  to  will  and  to  do  (t  K.  8:58.  1  Chr.  29:14 — 18.  Ezra  1:1,5  7:27  Ne.  2:4.  Pa. 
110:3.  1 1 9: 3S  1-11:4.  Pr.2l:l.  Jo.  6:45,65  Eph.  2:4,5.  2  Th.  2:13,14.  Ti.  3:4,5  I  Pe.  1:3.) 
of  his  good  pleasure.  (Lu.  12:32.  Ro. 9:11,16.  Eph.  1:5,9,11.  2:8.  2Th.l:tL  2  Tim  t:9.) 

Scott. 

V.  12,  13.  ‘  The  phrase,  (“  with  fear  and  trembling,”)  in  other  places 

of  these  books,  seems  to  imply,  . .  .  not  only  lowliness  of  mind,  but  dil¬ 
igence,  and  caution,  and  solicitude,  and  fear  of  displeasing.’  Ham. 
( Marg.Ref.k .) — ‘  Though  we  are  freely  saved  in  Christ  alone,  appre¬ 
hended  by  faith;  yet  we  must  press  forward  unto  salvation  in  the  way 
of  righteousness,  seeing  that  the  sons  of  God  are  led  by  the  Spirit  of 
Him  by  whom  they  are  justified,  that  they  may  walk  in  good  works.’ 
Beza. — ‘  Salvation,’  here,  signifies,  not  justification,  either  exclusively  or 
primarily,  hut  deliverance  from  sin  and  nil  its  consequences,  which 
must  be,  and  will  be,  diligently  and  vigilantly  labored  for  bv  all  the  re¬ 
generate,  as  long  as  any  sin  remains  in  them,  and  this  salvation  will  not 
he  in  all  things  completed,  till  ‘death  shall  be  swallowed  up  in  victory.’ 
(Note,  Ro.  13:11 — 14,  v.  11.)  The  righteousness,  atonement,  and  me¬ 
diation  of  Christ,  have  made  ‘all  tilings  ready’  for  our  salvation  ;  the 
Gospel  calls  us  to  partake  of  it ;  the  regenerating  Spirit  of  Christ  quick¬ 
ens  us,  when  dead  in  sin,  and  brings  us  to  repentance  and  faith.  Thus 
excited  and  animated,  we  first  diligently  seek  for  an  interest  in  Christ  ; 
next,  to  ‘  make  our  calling  and  election  sure ;’  and  then,  for  ‘  tfie  full  as¬ 
surance  of  hope  unto  the  end.’  (Notes,  Heb.  6:11,  12.  2  Pet.  1:5 — 11.) 
In  this  way  of  diligence  we  also  receive  daily  more  and  more  of  ‘  salva¬ 
tion  ’  itself,  by  liberty  from  sin,  victory  over  it,  peace  and  communion 
with  God,  and  the  earnests  of  heavenly  felicity  :  (Note,  1  Pel.  1:8,  9.) 
and  at  the  same  time  we  glorify  God,  adorn  Ihe  Gospel,  are  useful  to  our 
brethren,  and  ‘  shine  as  lights  in  the  world.’ — (13)  To  will,  tec..]  ‘\Ae 
are  not  therefore  stocks,  but  are  willing  in  doing  xvell  ;  not  that  God 
helps  the  imbecility  of  our  will,  hut  that  from  being  evil  He  makes  it 
good,  and  that  wholly  of  his  grace.’  Beza. —  And  to  do.]  ‘He  does  not 
say,  that  we  may  have  the  faculty  of  willing,  and  doing  well  if  tee  will ; 
but  he  says,  that  the  efficacious  gift  of  willing  and  doing  well  is  bestow¬ 
ed  on  us.’  Beza.  This  shows  the  nature  of  divine  influences  on  the 
mind,  according  to  the  constitution  of  the  rational  nature,  and  not 
against  it,  by  producing  in  us  ‘a  willing  mind,’  lo  use  all  means  or  ob- 


A.  D.  65. 


PHILIPPIANS,  II. 


Diligence  and  blamelessness  urged. 


13  For  it  is  Grtd  ‘which  vvorketh 
in  you  both  to  will  and  to  do  of  his 
good  pleasure. 

14  Do  all  things  without  ‘mur- 
murings  and  "disputings  ; 

15  That  ye  may  be  blameless  and 
v  harmless,  the  sons  w  of  God,  with¬ 
out  rebuke,  in  the  midst  of  a  1  crook¬ 
ed  and  perverse  nation,  among 
whom  r  ye  shine  as  lights  z  in  the 
World  ; 

16  Holding  forth  the  word  of 
life  ;  that  I  may  rejoice  in  the  day 
of  Christ,  that  I  have  not  run  in 
4  vain,  neither  labored  in  vain. 

17  Yea,  and  if  I  be  b  offered  c 
upon  the  sacrifice  and  service  of 
your  faith,  I  joy,  and  rejoice  with 
you  all. 


s  He.  13:21. 
t  1  Co.  10:10, 
u  Ro.  14:1. 
v  or,  sincere. 


w  Mat.  5:45. 

Ep.  5:1. 

*  De.  32:5. 
y  or,  shine  ye. 


i  Mat.  5:14,16. 
a  1  Co.  9:26. 
b  poured  forth. 
c  2  Ti.  4:6. 


do  our  utmost,  because  our  labor  shall  not  be 
in  vain.  God  is  ready  to  concur  with  his 
grace,  and  assist  our  faithful  endeavors. 
Observe,  Though  we  must  work  out  our  sal¬ 
vation,  yet  still  we  must  do  it  in  depend¬ 
ence  on  the  grace  of  God.  His  grace 
works  in  us  in  a  way  suitable  to  our  natures, 
and  in  concurrence  with  our  endeavors  ; 


and  its  operations  in  us  are  so  far  from  ex¬ 
cusing,  that  they  are  intended  to  quicken 
and  engage,  our  endeavors  :  for  He  workcth 
in  you.  All  our  working  depends  on  his 
working  in  us.  It  is  the  grace  of  God 
which  inclines  the  will  to  that  which  is 
good  :  and  then  enables  us  to  perforin  it, 
and  to  act  according  to  our  principles. 
Thou  hast  wrought  all  our  works  in  us,  Is. 
26:  12.  Of  his  good  pleasure.  As  there  is 
no  strength  in  us,  so  there  is  no  merit  in  us. 
As  we  cannot  act  without  God’s  grace,  so 
we  cannot  claim  it,  or  pretend  to  deserve  it. 
God’s  good-will  to  us,  is  the  cause  of  his 
good  work  in  us  ;  and  He  is  under  no  en¬ 
gagements  to  his  creatures,  but  those  of  his 
gracious  promise. 

V.  14 — 18.  The  apostle  here  exhorts  them 
to  adorn  their  Christian  profession  by  a  suit¬ 
able  temper  and  behavior.  1.  By  cheerful 
obedience  to  the  commands  of  God,  v.  14. 
God’s  commands  were  given  to  be  obeyed,  not 
to  be  disputed.  This  greatly  adorns  our  pro¬ 
fession,  and  shows  we  serve  a  good  Master, 
whose  service  is  freedom,  and  whose  work 
is  its  own  reward.  2.  By  peaceableness, 
and  love  one  to  another.  Do  all  things 
without  disputmgs,  wrangling,  or  debating 
one  with  another;  the  light  of  truth  and  the 
life  of  religion  are  often  lost  in  the  heats 
and  mists  of  disputation.  3.  By  a  blame¬ 
less  conversation  towards  all  men,r.  15.  not 
injurious  to  any  in  word  or  deed ;  Blameless 
and  sincere;  so  some.  Blameless  before  men. 


sincere  toward  God.  The  sons  of  God. 
The  children  of  God  should  differ  from  the 
sons  of  men.  Without  rebuke, — amometa. 
Momus  was  a  carping  deity  among  the 
Greeks,  mentioned  by  Hesiod  and  Lucian, 
who  did  nothing  himself,  and  found  fault 
with  every  body  and  every  thing.  From 
him  all  carpers  at  other  men,  and  rigid 
censurers  of  their  works,  were  called  Momi. 
The  sense  of  the  expression  is,  1  Walk  so 
circumspectly ,  that  Momus  himself  may  have 
no  occasion  to  cavil  at  you,  that  the  severest 
censurer  may  find  no  fault  with  you.’  In  the 
midst  of  a  crooked  and  perverse  generation; 
i.  e.  among  the  heathens,  and  those  who  are 
without.  Where  there  is  no  true  religion, 
we  should  be  careful  to  keep  ourselves  blame¬ 
less  and  harmless,  Gen.  13:  7.  Among  whom 
ye  shine  as  lights  in  the  world.  Or  it  may 
be  read  imperatively,  Among  whom  shine  ye 
as  lights;  Comp.  Mat.  5:  16.  Christians 
should  not  only  approve  themselves  to  God, 
but  recommend  themselves  to  others,  that 
they  may  also  glorify  God.  They  must  shine 
as  well  as  be  sincere. 

Holding  forth  the  Word  of  life,  v.  16.  The 
Gospel  is  called  the  Word  of  life,  because  it 
reveals  and  proposes  to  us  eternal  life  through 
Jesus  Christ,  2  Tim.  1 :  10.  It  is  our  duty, 
not  only  to  hold  it  fast  for  our  own  benefit, 
but  to  hold  it  forth  for  the  benefit  of  others. 
This  Paul  tells  them  would  be  his  joy,  not 
only  their  steadfastness,  but  their  usefulness. 
He  would  have  them  think  his  pains  well 


taining  help  and  deliverance,  and  not  by  driving  or  constraining  us 
against  our  will.  By  the  regenerating  work  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  the  mind 
and  heart  are  prepared  to  discern  and  love  truth  and  holiness  ;  the  Gos¬ 
pel  sets  objects  before  us,  and  proposes  them  to  us,  suited  to  this  new 
state  of  mind  and  heart,  and  we  accordingly  ‘choose’  them,  without 
the  least  infringement  of  our  liberty.  We  feel  no  force,  we  are  perfectly 
voluntary  ;  we  act  according  to  our  present  feelings  and  desires,  as  if  the 
whole  were  from  ourselves  ;  and  perhaps  it  is  not  till  long  after,  that  we 
learn  from  what  Author  and  Source  the  revolution  in  our  judgment  and 
affections,  which  led  to  1  newness  of  life,’  originated ;  nay,  numbers 
cannot  clearly  discern  this,  during  their  subsequent  earthly  course.  In 
short,  1  the  carnal  mind  is  enmity  against  God  all  are  by  nature  ‘  car¬ 
nally  minded,’  none  are  of  themselves  ‘willing’  to  repent  and  believe 
the  Gospel,  according  to  the  Word  of  God  ;  none  can  be  compelled  to 
do  these  things  against  their  will;  but  ‘God  works  in  us  to  will  and  to 
do  of  his  good  pleasure.’  ‘  The  grace  of  God  by  Christ  preventing  us, 
that  we  may  have  a  good  will,  and  working  with  us,  when  we  have  that 
good  will.’  (Art.  x.)  If  the  opposers  of  the  doctrine,  improperly  called 
Calvinistic,  in  former  and  later  times,  had  been  willing  and  able,  to  un¬ 
derstand  those  against  whom  they  have  contended  and  still  contend,  it 
would  have  saved  them  immense  labor,  in  combating  sentiments,  which 
few  comparatively  maintain,  in  the  sense  which  they  seem  to  suppose. 
One  of  these  opposers,  however,  has  repeatedly  quoted,  operatur  in 
vobis  velle,  as  one  of  Calvin’s  dreadful  dogmas,  when  it  is  the  Vulgate 
translation,  and  an  exact  version  of  Paul’s  words,  which  we  render, 
‘  worketh  in  us  to  will  !  ’  In  fact,  our  zealous  opponents  are  not  unfre- 
quently  betrayed  into  similar  mistakes.  ‘  He  worketh  in  us  effectually  ; 
...that  we  may  effectually  work.’  —  The  man,  in  whom  God  has 
wrought  effectually  to  will,  and  who  yet  cannot  fully  accomplish  what 
He  wills,  but  earnestly  cries  to  God  to  help  and  deliver  him,  is  evidently 
described  by  the  apostle.  Notes,  Rom.  7:12 — 25.  Scott. 

(12.)  Fear.]  Not  of  hell  only,  but  of  sin  chiefly .  Note,  1  Pet.  3:15. 

Ed. 

(12.  13  )  ‘  Sophists  sweat  much  in  their  schools,  to  reconcile  free  will 
with  God’s  grace;  pretending  it  is  flexible  by  its  own  motion,  and  has  a 
proper  and  separate  faculty,  with  which  God’s  grace  co-operates:  (I  dis¬ 
pute  not  about  names,  but  the  reality  :)  that  as  God  indeed  re-begets  in 
us  free  choice,  by  which  we  can  will  well,  so,  they  say,  the  faculty  of 
well  willing  is  received  from  God,  but  assign  good  will  to  man.  But 
this  Paul  pronounces  without  exception  to  be  the  work  of  God.  He  does 
not  sav,  that  our  hearts  are  only  turned  or  incited,  or  that  the  infirmity 
of  good  will  is  helped;  but  that  good  will  is  entirely  effected  by  God. 
Their  calumny,  that  we  make  men  to  be  like  stones,  in  teaching  that  they 
have  no  good  but  from  mere  grace,  is  impudent.  We  confess  we  have 
will  by  nature,  but  that  since  it  is  evil  by  the  corruption  of  sin,  it  then  be¬ 
gins  to  be  good  when  reformed  by  God.  Nor,  say  we,  can  man  do  any 
thing  good  unless  willing  ;  but  then  when  his  will  is  ruled  by  the  Spirit 
of  God.  Unless  God  net  efficaciously  in  us,  lie  would  not  be  said  to 
effect  a  good  will.’  Calvin.  But,  not  being  God,  we  cannot  explain  (as 
heretofore  remarked),  how  God  acts  in  us  while  we  are  left  with  free 
will,  even  in  the  most  ordinary  action  of  life,  and  yet  we  perform  all  our 
natural  functions  without  settling  the  metaphysical  subtilties  involved 
in  every  act.  Henry,  above,  has  sufficiently  explained  the  text,  by  re¬ 
peating  it;  and  the  attempt  to  go  further  has  roused  the  sectarian  and 
selfish  corruptions  of  the  heart,  to  the  disgrace  of  the  name  of  Christian : 
one  party  sinking,  with  materialists,  >kc.  into  Turkish  fatalism,  the  other 
soaring,  with  atheists,  &c.  into  unknown  regions  of  bewilderment,  ac¬ 
cording  as  they  found  their  system  on  external  observation  or  self-revolv¬ 
ing  consciousness  :  both  lead  away  from  practical  godliness.  It  seems 
as  if  this  controversy  should  close.  Ed — Work  out.  &c.  for  it  is  God, 
dec.]  ‘If  I  be  asked  in  what  sense  1  accept  this  scripture;  I  humbly 
answer  ..  .The  work  I  am  working  out,  is  not  the  work  of  labor,  or  of 
merit,  or  of  justification,  or  of  recommendation  to  God,  but  simply  an 
employment,  in  a  constant  attendance  upon  it,  and  that  of  such  earn¬ 
estness  and  anxiety,  as  men  of  the  world,  when  engaged  in  an  arduous 

[414] 


concern,  are  fearful  and  trembling  in,  lest  they  should  fail  of  success. 
Not  a  bondage  fear,  but  an  holy,  childlike  fear.  Not  a  fear  of  the  loss 
of  divine  love,  for  the  adoption  of  children  prevents  such  apprehensions, 
and  the  faithful  covenant  promises  of  God  in  Christ,  render  it  impossi¬ 
ble.  But  the  fear  of  an  unholy  weariness  in  the  path  of  grace,  as  those 
who  rejoice  in  the  full  assurance  of  faith,  but  rejoice  with  trembling. 
Beholding  the  wreck  of  our  fallen  nature,  in  the  instance  of  the  floating 
carcases  all  around,  we  bless  the  God  of  our  salvation,  that  He  has 
brought  us  by  his  grace  safe  on  shore,  while  we  tremble  to  look  back 
and  see  the  tremendous  storm  from  whence  we  have  escaped.  If  this 
be  the  meaning  of  the  passage,  it  is  truly  blessed,  and  in  exact  conform¬ 
ity  to  the  whole  tenor  of  Scripture.  I  find,  through  grace,  the  Lord 
working  in  me.  He  worketh  in  me,  to  show  me  my  total  helplessness 
in  myself,  and  my  complete  all-sufficiency  in  Christ.  Conscious  of  the 
infinite  importance  of  salvation,  I  feel  the  Lord’s  grace  prompting  me 
to  an  unceasing  desire  after  the  Lord,  so  that  I  am  working  from  life, 
not  for  life ;  from  grace,  not  for  grace.  And  thus  I  am  going  humbly 
and  softly  all  my  days,  as  one,  who  hath  an  object  of  such  infinite  mo¬ 
ment  before  bim,  that,  while  rejoicing,  I  am  trembling  in  myself.’  Haw¬ 
ker. — ‘  Claude  deduces  from  the  words  the  following  theological  prop¬ 
ositions  :  1.  God,  by  his  Holy  Spirit,  illuminates  the  understandings  of 
men  ;  for  working  in  us  to  will,  must  necessarily  be  by  illuminating  the 
understanding.  2.  That  operation  of  grnce  which  illuminates  the  un¬ 
derstanding  is  practical,  and  not  barely  speculative,  but  descends  even 
to  the  heart.  Paul  says,  God  works  in  us  to  do.  3.  The  first  disposi¬ 
tions  to  conversion  are  effects  of  grace,  as  well  as  conversion  itself : 
for  Paul  not  only  says  God  works  in  us  to  do  ;  but  adds  that  lit:  worketh 
in  us  to  will ;  now  this  will  consists  in  dispositions  to  conversion.  4. 
This  operation  of  grace,  does  not  consist  in  putting  us  in  a  stale  capable 
of  converting  ourselves,  but  actually  converts ;  for  the  apostle  says, 
“  God  worketh  in  us  to  will  and  to  do.”  5.  The  operation  ol  this  grace 
which  converts  us,  is  of  victorious  efficacy,  and  obtains  its  end  in  spite 
of  all  the  resistances  of  nature;  for  Paul  says,  “«God  effectually  work¬ 
eth  in  us  to  will  and  to  do;”  which  means,  that  when  He  displays  this 
grace,  nothing  can  [effectually]  resist  Him.  6.  When  God  converts  us, 
whatever  irresistible  there  is  in  his  grace,  He  display  s  it,  nevertheless, 
in  a  way  which  neither  destroys  our  nature,  nor  offers  any  violence  lo 
our  will ;  for  Faul  says,  “  God  worketh  in  us  to  will :  ”  that  is,  lie  con¬ 
verts  us  by  inspiring  us  with  love  for  his  Gospel,  in  gentle  ways,  suited 
to  the  faculties  of  our  souls.’  Williams. 

V.  14 — 18.  Nothing  can  exceed  the  genuine  magnanimity  and  disin¬ 
terested  love,  expressed  in  this  most  beautiful  passage.  The  Athenian 
who  came  mortally  wounded  from  the  battle  of  Marathon,  with  news 
of  a  glorious  victory,  and  having  said  to  the  rulers,  ‘  Rejoice  ye,  we  re¬ 
joice,’  ( chairete ,  chairomen ,)  then  dropped  down  dead  before  them,  has 
been  greatly  admired,  and  justly,  as  a  patriot  and  a  hero;  hut  in  the 
view  of  a  future  and  eternal  world,  it  docs  not  appear  that  his  jov  was 
rational.  ‘He  did  it  for  a  corruptible  crown,’  the  apostle,  for  ‘an  in¬ 
corruptible,’  to  himself  and  multitudes.  Scott. 

(14.)  Murmurings,  disputings.)  ‘  Grumbling,  and  that  spirit  of 
excuse  or  subterfuge  in  which  the  muttering  usually  finds  vent,  namely, 
a  disposition  which  seeks  out  doubts,  and  magnifies  difficulties,  [as  is 
very  common  on  matters  connected  with  v.  13.  Ed  ]  ever  seizing  any 
flimsy  reason  wherein  to  justify  neglect  of  what  is  required.’  Bl. 

(15.)  Shine  as  lights.]  ‘As  elevated  lights,  [alluding  after  Saurin  to] 
light-houses,  the  most  illustrious  of  which  [in  those  days],  was  built  by 
Ptolemy  Philadelphus,  on  the  island  of  Pharos,  where  a  light  was  al¬ 
ways  kept  burning,  to  light  mariners  in  entering  the  port  of  Alexandria.’ 
Doddr.  Bl.,  however,  thinks  this  injudicious,  and  that  the  allusion  is 
to  the  heavenly  luminaries,  as  the  Gr.  has  this  meaning, Gen.l  1 4.16,  &e. 
An  ancient  custom  is  still  kept  up  in  China,  of  telegraphing,  as  it  were, 
by  signals  of3  fires,  at  intervals,  on  lofty  hills.  Comp.  Jer.  6:1.  En. 

(17.)  ‘  Parkhurst  well  remarks,  that  the  apostle  compares  the  faith 
of  the  Philippians  to  the  sacrificial  victim,  and  his  own  martyrdom  to 
the  libation.’  Greenfield. 


A.  D.  65. 


PHILIPPIANS,  II.  Timothy  and  Epaphroditus  cotnmendedi 


18  For  the  same  cause  also  do 
ye  joy,  and  rejoice  with  me. 

[Practical  Observations.] 

19  d  But  I  trust  in  the  Lord  Jesus 
to  send  Tirnotheus  e  shortly  unto 
you,  that  I  also  may  be  of'  good 
comfort,  when  I  know  your  state. 

20  For  I  have  no  man  f  like- 
minded,  who  will  naturally  care  for 
your  state. 

21  For  all  seek  their  s  own,  not 
the  things  which  are  Jesus  Christ’s. 

22  But  ye  know  the  proof  of 
him,  that,  as  a  son  with  the  father, 
he  hath  served  with  me  in  the 
gospel. 

23  Him  therefore  I  hope  to  send 
presently,  so  soon  as  I  shall  see 
now  it  will  go  with  me. 

24  But  h  I  trust  in  the  Lord  that 
I  also  myself  shall  come  shortly. 

25  Yet  I  supposed  it  necessary 
to  send  to  you  'Epaphroditus,  my 
brother,  and  companion  in  labor, 
and  J  fellow-soldier,  but  your  mes¬ 
senger,  and  he  that  ministered  to 
my  wants. 

26  For  he  longed  after  you  all, 
and  was  full  of  heaviness,  because 
that  ye  had  heard  that  he  had  been 
sick. 

27  For  indeed  he  was  sick  nigh 
unto  death  :  but  God  had  mercy  on 
him  ;  and  not  on  him  only,  but  on 
me  also,  lest  I  should  have  sorrow 
upon  sorrow. 

28  I  sent  him  therefore  the  more 
carefully,  that,  when  ye  see  him 
again,  ye  may  rejoice,  and  that  I 
may  be  the  less  sorrowful. 

d  moreover.  g  2Ti.  3:2.  i  c.  4:18. 

e  l  Th.  3:2.  h  c.  1:25.  J  Phil.  2. 

f  or,  80  dear  unto  me. 


bestowed,  and  that  he  had  not  run  in  vain, 
nor  labored  in  vain. 

Observe,  the  work  of  the  ministry  re¬ 
quires  the  putting  forth  of  the  whole  man. 
Running  denotes  vehemence,  vigor,  and  con¬ 
tinual  pressing  forward;  laboring  denotes 
constancy  and  close  application. 

It  is  a  great  joy  to  ministers,  when  they 
perceive  that  they  have  not  run  in  vain,  nor 
labored  in  vain;  and  it  will  be  their  rejoicing 
in  the  day  of  Christ,  when  their  converts 
will  he  their  crown.  1  Th.  2:  19. 

The  apostle  not  only  ran  and  labored  for 
them  with  satisfaction,  but  shows  that  he 
was  ready  to  suffer  for  their  good,  v.  17. 
He  could  reckon  himself  happy,  if  he  could 
promote  the  honor  of  Christ,  the  edification 
of  the  church,  and  the  welfare  of  the  souls 
of  men;  and  is  not  that  worth  our  labor, 
which  he  thought  worth  his  life  1  He  was 
ready  to  be  offered,  poured,  out  as  the  wine 
of  the  drink-offerings,  2  Tim.  4:  6.  And  if 
the  minister  loves  the  people,  and  is  willing 
to  spend  and  be  spent  for  their  welfare,  the 
people  have  reason  to  love  the  minister,  and 
to  joy  and  rejoice  with  him,  v.  18. 

V.  19 — SO.  Paul,  though  himself  a  great 
apostle,  took  all  occasions  to  respect  his  in¬ 
feriors.  He  speaks, 

I.  Of  Timothy,  w  hom  he  intended  to  send 
to  the  Philippians,  that  he  might  have  an 
account  of  their  state.  Many  good  minis¬ 
ters  were  in  care  for  the  souls  of  those  for 
whom  they  preached;  but  none  comparable 
to  Timothy;  a  man  of  an  excellent  spirit 
and  tender  heart,  a  genuine  son  of  blessed 
Paul.  None  were  like  him;  he,  as  Paul, 
cared  for  the  churches,  and  did  so  naturally, 

1.  e.  sincerely,  not.  in  pretence  oidy:  with  a 
willing  heart  and  upright  view,  so  agreea¬ 
bly  to  the  make  of  his  mind.  Note,  1.  It 
is  the  duty  of  ministers  to  care  for  the  state 
of  their  people,  and  be  concerned  for  their 
welfare,  not  yours,  but  you,  2  Cor.  12:  14. 

2.  It  is  a  rare  thing  to  find  one  who  does  it 
naturally:  such  a  one  is  remarkable,  and 
distinguished  among  his  brethren. 

All  seek  their  own,  not  the  things  which  are 
Jesus  Christ's,  v.  21.  All;  he  means  the 


generality;  all,  either  the  most,  or  all  in 
comparison  of  Timothy.  Note,  Set  king  our 
own  interest,  with  the  neglect  of  Jesus 
Christ’s,  is  a  very  great  and  common  sin 
among  Christians  and  ministers.  We  are 
apt  to  prefer  our  own  credit,  ease,  and  safe¬ 
ty,  before  truth,  holiness,  and  duty;  the 
things  of  our  own  pleasure,  [power,]  and 
reputation,  before  the  things  of  Christ’s  king¬ 
dom,  and  his  honor  and  interest  in  the  world: 
but  Timothy  was  none  of  those. 

Ye  know  the  proof  of  him,v.  22.  Timo¬ 
thy  was  a  man  who  had  been  tried,  and  had 
made  full  proof  of  his  ministry,  2  Tim.  4: 
5.  and  was  faithful  in  all  which  befell  him. 
He  was  Paul’s  assistant  in  many  places 
where  he  preached,  and  served  with  him  in 
the  Gospel  with  all  the  dutiful  respect,  and 
with  all  the  love  and  cheerfulness,  of  a  child 
to  his  father.  Their  ministrations  together 
were  with  great  respect  on  the  one  side,  and 
great  tenderness  and  kindness  on  the  other, 
— an  admirable  example  to  elder  and  young¬ 
er  ministers,  joined  in  the  same  service. 

Paul  designed  to  send  him  shortly,  v.  23. 
He  w'as  now  a  prisoner,  and  did  not  know 
what  would  be  the  issue;  but,  according  as 
it  turned,  he  would  dispose  of  Timothy. 
Nay,  he  hoped  to  come  himself,  v.  24.  and 
soon.  I  trust  in  the  Lord.  He  expresses 
his  hope  and  confidence  of  seeing  them,  with 
a  humble  dependence  and  submission  to  the 
divine  will,  1  Cor.  4:  19.  Ja.  4:  15.  so  Acts 
18:  21.  and  Heb.  6:  3. 

II.  Of  Epaphroditus,  whom  he  calls  his 
brother,  and  companion  in  labor,  and  fellow- 
soldier,  and  their  messenger,  one  sent  by 
them  to  him  ;  probably,  to  consult  him  about 
some  affairs  relating  to  their  church,  or  to 
bring  a  present  from  them  for  his  relief;  for 
he  adds,  and  him  who  ministered  to  my  wants. 
He  seems  to  he  the  same  who  is  elsewhere 
called  Epuphras,  Col.  4:  12.  He  had  an 
earnest  desire  to  come  to  them,  and  Paul 
was  willing  he  shoidd.  But  it  seems,  he  had 
been  sick,  v.  26,  27.  which  the  Philippians 
were  exceedingly  sorry  to  hear  of ;  though 
it  pleased  God  to  recover  and  spare  him,  v. 
27.  The  apostle  owns  it  is  a  great  mercy 


PRACT.  OBS.  V.  1 — 18.  All  our  consolations,  hopes,  and  expe¬ 
rience  of  ‘  tile  fellowship  of  the  Spirit,  and  the  bowels  and  mercies  1  of 
God  our  Savior,  as  well  as  all  our  regard  to  our  own  peace,  should  en¬ 
gage  us  to  be  ‘  of  one  mind  ’  with  our  brethren,  and  so  4  to  fulfil  the  joy  ’ 
of  all  wise  and  faithful  ministers  and  Christians.  [Note,  end  of  l  Cor.] 
Nothing  so  honors  Christ,  defeat-:  the  machinations  of  his  enemies,  or 
fills  the  soul  with  consolation,  as  this  holy  love  ;  but  envy,  contention, 
and  ambition,  not  only  disturb  the  peace  of  the  church,  but  torture  the 
sotd  which  entertains  them.  Neither  inward  nor  outward  peace  can  be 
enjoyed,  except  in  proportion  as  ‘in  lowliness  of  mind  we  esteem  oth¬ 
ers  better  than  ourselves,  and  look  at  the  things  of  others  as  well  as  at 
our  own.’  These  are  hard  sayings  to  the  proud  and  carnal  heart  of  man. 
Many  have  learned  the  doctrines  of  the  Gospel  very  accurately,  who 
have  not  ‘  thus  learned  Christ.’  Note,  E/)lt.  4:20 — 24.  — Let  us  examine 
whether  we  do  indeed  reverence,  love,  obey,  and  worship  the  incarnate 
Son  of  God,  or  whether  we  are  yet  among  those  enemies,  who  must  be 
bruised  under  his  feet  shortly,  i  Cor.  15:20 — 28. — Even  those  professed 


Christians,  of  whom  we  have  the  most  favorable  opinion,  should  be  ex¬ 
horted,  not  only  to  4  be  obedient,’  as  in  the  presence  of  their  pastors; 
but  to  increase  in  circumspection,  when  removed  from  under  their  faith¬ 
ful  care.  —  Surely  some  zealous  advocates  for  evangelical  truths  have 
never  read  this  cl).,  for  they  can  do  nothing  4  without  murmurings  and 
disputings  !’  These  are  their  element  ;  these  are  the  unhallowed  4  weap¬ 
ons  of  their  warf.re.’  How  can  they  be  ‘blameless  and  harmless,’  on 
this  plan,  when  4  envy  and  strife  ’  are  inseparable  fl'Otn  ‘confusion  and 
every  evil  work!’  Anti  how  can  they  think  themselves  the  ‘chil¬ 
dren  of  God,’  who,  in  so  many  features,  bear  the  express  image  of  Sa¬ 
tan  ?  But  let  us  pray  [for  them  and  ourselves]  to  be  made  peaceable, 
humble,  unambitious,  and  inoffensive,  both  in  the  church  and  in  the 
community,  that  4  by  well  doing  we  may  pul  to  silence  ’  the  calumnies 
of  ungodly  men  ;  and  that  we  may  be  4  without  rebuke,’  in  the  midst  of 
this  our  nation  ;  which,  alas  !  is  proved  to  be  4  crooked  and  perverse,’  by 
the  prevalence  of  infidelity,  impiety,  and  every  kind  of  immorality,  under 
a  Christian  profession,  and  abundant  means  of  religious  instruction!  Sc. 


V.  19 — 23.  Probably,  this  [seeking  their  own]  was  wholly  the  case 
with  several,  who  had  offered  their  assistance  to  Paul,  but  had  declined 
difficult  and  perilous  services;  others,  perhaps,  had  rendered  themselves 
suspected,  by  the  same  selfish  conduct,  and  most  concerned  had  given 
the  apostle  cause  for  dissatisfaction,  by  preferring  easier  and  more  se¬ 
cure  services,  to  those  of  far  greuter  importance,  but  connected  with 
more  self-denial,  labor,  and  peril.  It  may  be  supposed,  that  several  of 
his  most  approved  helpers  were  absent  on  other  services,  and  others 
might  be  fully  employed  at  Rome;  but,  after  nil  deductions  and  limita¬ 
tions,  the  apostle’s  complaint  must  stand,  as  a  lamentable  testimony  to 
the  selfishness  of  human  nature. — The  words,  1  trust  in  the  Lord  Jesus,’ 
as  introduced  with  reference  to  a  providential  concern,  and  not  any¬ 
thing  immediately  relating  to  his  salvation  and  grace,  should  not  pass 
unnoticed.  Perhaps  the  most  satisfactory  assurance  of  our  Lord’s 
Deity,  may  be  obtained  bv  carefully  noting  such  xvords,  as  seem  to  drop 
without  design  from  the  pen  of  the  sacred  writers,  and  which  are  seldom 
noticed  in  the  controversy  ;  but  which  can  in  no  other  way  be  reconciled 
to  the  other  Scriptures.  [Notes.  Ps.  146:3,  4.  Jer.  17:5 — 8.  Eph.  1:9 — 
14.)  This  shows,  that  Timothy  had  been  at  Philippi  with  the  apostle; 
yet  the  history  does  not  expressly  mention  it.  (Notes,  Acts  16:6 — 40.) 
but,  by  carefully  comparing  one  part  of  the  narrative  with  another,  this 
appears  evidently  to  have  been  the  case.  (Acts  16:1 — 3.  17:14,  15.) 
Undesigned  coincidences  of  this  kind,  between  the  history  and  the  epis¬ 
tles,  [see  Supplement  to  Comp.  Com.  and  Palsy's  Hor®  Paulin®,] 
prove  that  both  are  genuine,  and  if  genuine,  then  inspired.  Scott. 

(20.)  Naturally.]  GnSsiOs  1  germand.’  Calvin.  4  With  the  same 
paternal  feelings  as  myself.’  So  Theoph.  too.  Comp.  1  Tim.  1,  2.’ 
Bloomf.  Will  it  interfere  too  much  with  theological  dogmas,  to 
suppose  Timothy’s  good  natural  disposition  is  also  meant  ?  Pecu¬ 


liarities  of  character  are  certainly  innate.  Ed. 

(21.)  All  seek,  &  c.]  4  The  “all”  of  whom  the  apostle  here  speaks, 

were  the  teachers  who  preached  Christ  from  envy  and  strife,  as  men¬ 
tioned  ch.  1:16.’  Macknight. 

V.  24 — 30.  Probably,  Epaphroditus  was  a  pastor  of  the  church  at 
Philippi,  and,  being  absent  from  his  stated  charge,  4  he  longed  after’  the 
people,  and  his  labors  of  love  among  them  ;  especially  he  4  was  in  heavi¬ 
ness,  because  they  had  heard’  of  his  sickness,  and  the  thought  of  their 
sorrow,  on  his  account,  was  more  painful  to  him  than  his  own  sickness! 
What  a  beautiful  and  admirable  instance  of  genuine  sensibility  and  af¬ 
fection  is  here  most  simply  exhibited  !  In  what  book,  except  the  Scrip¬ 
tures,  do  we  meet  with  such  ?  —  It  does  not  appear,  that  any  miracle 
was  wrought  in  this  case;  and  we  may  thence  infer,  that  the  gift  of  mir¬ 
acles  could  only  be  exercised  on  particular  occasions,  of  which  those 
endued  with  them  had  some  previous  intimation.  This  is  clearly  indi¬ 
cated  ;  and  it  shows,  that  the  apostle  was  as  ready  to  own  his  want  of 
power,  when  truth  required  it,  as  to  speak  of  his  miracles  when  need¬ 
ful. — As  Philippi  lay  at  a  great  distance  from  Rome,  Epaphroditus  must 
have  continued  with  the  apostle  a  considerable  time,  or  the  report  of  his 
sickness  at  Rome  could  not  have  reached  Philippi,  and  that  of  their  sor¬ 
row  have  reached  Rome  before  Epaphroditus  left  that  city;  mid  conse¬ 
quently  the  epistle  must  have  been  written  towards  the  close  of  the 
apostle’s  two  years’  imprisonment. 

(25.)  Messenger.]  Apostolon  :  and  so  111.  (whom  see,  or  Dodar.) 
translates,  with  ‘some  ancients  and  moderns,’  as  Jn.  13:16.  Ed. 

(27.)  Sic*.]  ‘So  that  the  gift  of  healing  could  not  be  exercised  at 
pleasure,  but  by  special,  divine  impulse;  not  being  for  recovery  of  he 
sick,  but  to  convince  unbelievers.’  See  fVhitby.  D- 

(28.)  Carefully.]  Rather,  more  hastily.  So  the  Vulg.,  ic.  Bixuamf. 


A.  D.  65. 


PHILIPPIANS,  III. 


Caution  against  false  teachers. 


29  Receive  him  therefore  in  the 
Lord  with  all  gladness  ;  and  k  hold 
such  in  reputation  : 

30  Because  for  the  work  of  Christ 
he  was  nigh  unto  death,  not  regard¬ 
ing  his  life,  1  to  supply  your  lack  of 
service  toward  me. 

CHAP.  III. 

\  He  warneth  them  to  beware  of  the  false  teachers  of  the 
circumcision,  4  shewing  that  himself  hath  greater  cause 
than  they  to  trust  in  the  righteousness  of  the  law  :  7  which 
notwithstanding  he  counteth  as  dung  and  loss,  to  gain 
Christ  and  his  righteousness,  12  therein  acknowledging 
his  own  imperfection.  15  He  exhorteth  them  to  be  thus 
minded.  17  and  to  imitate  him,  IS  and  to  decline  the 
ways  of  carnal  Christians. 

FINALLY,  my  brethren,  rejoice 
a  in  the  Lord.  To  write  the 
same  b  things  to  you,  to  me  indeed 
is  not  grievous,  but  for  you  it  is 
safe. 

2  Beware  of  c  dogs,  beware  of 
devil  workers,  beware  of  the  'con¬ 
cision. 

3  For  we  fare  the  circumcision, 
which  worship  God  in  the  spirit, 
and  rejoice  in  Christ  Jesus,  and 
have  no  confidence  in  the  flesh  : 

4  Though  I  might  also  have  con- 
fidence  in  the  flesh.  If  any  other 
man  thinketh  that  he  hath  whereof 
he  might  trust  in  the  flesh,  I  more  : 

5  Circumcised  the  eighth  day,  of 
the  stock  of  Israel,  of  the  tribe  of 
Benjamin,  an  Hebrew  of  the  He¬ 
brews  ;  as  touching  the  law  a 
8  Pharisee  ; 

6  Concerning  h  zeal,  persecuting 
the  church;  touching  the  righteous¬ 
ness  which  is  in  the  law,  *  blameless. 

k  or,  honor  such.  c  la.  55:10,11.  g  Ac.  23:6. 

1  Co.  16:18.  Re.  2*2:15.  h  Ac.  22:3,4. 

1  1  Co.  16.17.  d  Pa.  119:115.  Ga.  1:13,14. 

a  1  Th.  5:16.  e  Ga.  5:1—3.  i  Lu.  1:6. 

b  2  Pe.  1:12—15.  f  Ro.  2:28,29. 

to  himself,  as  well  as  to  Epaphroditus  and 
others.  Though  the  church  was  blessed  at 
that  time  with  extraordinary  gifts,  they  could 
even  then  ill  spare  a  good  minister.  Epa- 
phroditus  was  willing  to  make  a  visit  to  the 
Philippians,  that  he  might  be  comforted  with 
those  who  had  sorrowed  for  him  when  he 
was  sick,  v.  28.  He  gave  himself  the  pleas¬ 
ure  of  comforting  them  by  the  sight  of  so 
dear  a  friend. 

Paul  recommends  him  to  their  esteem  and 
affection,  v.  29.  It  seems,  he  had  caught  his 
illness  in  the  work  of  God,  v.  30.  The 
apostle  does  not  blame  him  for  his  indiscre¬ 


tion  in  hazarding  his  life,  but  reckons  they 
ought  to  love  him  the  more  on  that  account. 
They  were  to  receive  him  with  joy,  as  newly 
recovered  from  sickness.  It  is  an  endearing 
consideration,  to  have  our  mercies  restored 
to  us  after  danger  of  removal;  and  should 
make  them  the  more  valued  and  improved. 
What  is  given  us  it)  answer  to  prayer,  should 
be  received  with  great  thankfulness  and  joy. 

Chap.  III.  V.  1—3.  It  seems,  the  church 
at  Philippi,  though  faithful  and  flourishing, 
was  disturbed  by  judaizing  teachers,  who 
endeavored  to  keep  up  the  law  of  Moses, 
and  mix  its  observances  with  the  doctrine  of 
Christ  and  his  institutions.  lie  here  warns 
against  these  seducers. 

1.  He  exhorts  them  to  rejoice  in  the  Lord, 
v.  1.  to  rest  satisfied  in  the  interest  they  had 
in  Him,  and  the  benefit  they  hoped  for  by 
Him.  The  joy  of  the  Lord  is  our  strength, 
Neb.  8:  10. 

2.  He  reiterates  a  caution  to  take  heed 
of  those  false  teachers,  v.  2.  It  is  good  of¬ 
ten  to  revive  the  remembrance  and  strength¬ 
en  the  impression  of  tilings  of  importance. 
It  is  a  wanton  curiosity  to  desire  always  to 
hear  some  new  thing. 

The  prophet  calls  the  false  prophets  dumb 
dogs,  Is.  56:  10.  to  which  the  apostle  here 
seems  to  refer.  Dogs,  for  their  malice 
against  the  faithful  professors  of  the  Gospel 
of  Christ,  barking  at  them  and  biting  them. 
They  cried  up  good  works  in  opposition  to 
the  faith  of  Christ;  but  Paul  calls  them  evil 
workers:  they  boasted  themselves  to  be  of 
the  circumcision;  but  he  calls  them  the  con¬ 
cision:*  they  rent  the  church  of  Christ,  and 
contended  for  an  abolished  rite. 

3.  He  describes  true  Christians,  who  are 
indeed  the  spiritual  circumcision,  the  pecu¬ 
liar  people  of  God,  in  covenant  with  Him, 
as  the  O.  T.  Israelites  were,  v.  3.  They 
worshipped  in  the  spirit,  in  opposition  to  the 
carnal  ordinances  of  the  O.  T.  which  con¬ 
sisted  in  meats  and  drinks,  and  divers  wash¬ 
ings,  &c.  The  work  of  religion  is  to  no 
purpose,  any  further  than  the  heart  is  em¬ 
ployed  in  it,  Jn.  4:  24.  2  Cor.  3:  8.  They 
rejoice  in  Christ  Jesus,  not  in  the  peculiar 
privileges  of  the  Jewish  church,  or  what  an¬ 
swers  to  them  in  the  Christian  church, — 
mere  outward  enjoyments  and  performances. 
They  rejoice  in  their  [spiritual  progress, 
their]  relation  to  Christ,  and  interest  in 
Him.  They  have  no  confidence  in  the  flesh, 
those  carnal  ordinances  and  outward  per¬ 
formances.  We  must  he  taken  off  from 
trusting  in  ourselves,  that  we  may  build  only 

*  Concisors,  or  sectarians,  whether  for  an  external  rite, 
or  an  inexplicable  dogma,  would  do  well  conscientiously 
to  reconsider  their  disunion,  and  to  recollect  tlmt  the  spirit 
of  splitting  has  no  end,  while  human  hate  and  pride  hist. 
See  Rom.  ch.  14.  and  note,  end  of  1  Cor.  Ed. 


on  Christ;  our  confidence,  as  well  as  our 
joy  must  be  in  Him. 

V.  4 — 8.  The  apostle  here  proposes  him¬ 
self  for  an  example  of  trusting  in  Christ 
only,  and  not  in  his  privileges  as  an  Israelite. 

I.  He  shows  what  he  had  to  boast  of  as 
a  Jew  and  Pharisee;  and  that  he  had  as 
much  cause  to  boast  as  any  man,  v.  4.  He 
was  not  a  proselyte,  hut  a  native  Israelite; 
A  Hebrew  of  the  Hebrews,  by  father  and 
mother,  and  from  one  generation  to  another ; 
none  of  his  ancestors  had  matched  with 
Gentiles.  He  had  the  token  of  God’s  cov¬ 
enant  in  the  flesh,  was  circumcised  the  very 
day  God  had  appointed.  For  learning,  he 
was  a  Pharisee,  a  scholar  learned  in  all  the 
learning  of  the  Jews;  taught  according  to 
the  perfect  manner  of  the  law  of  the  fathers, 
Acts  22:  3.  He  had  a  blameless  conversa¬ 
tion;  as  far  as  the  Pharisees’  exposition  of 
the  law  went,  and  as  to  the  mere  letter  and 
outward  observance,  he  could  acquit  himself 
from  all  breach  of  it.  He  had  been  an  ac¬ 
tive  man  for  his  religion,  so  as  even  to  per¬ 
secute  those  whom  he  looked  upon  as  ene¬ 
mies  to  it.  He  showed  he  was  in  good 
earnest,  though  he  had  a  zeal  without  knowl¬ 
edge,  Acts  22:  3,  4.  All  this  was  enough 
to  have  made  a  proud  Jew  confident,  and 
stock  sufficient  to  set  up  with  for  his  justifi¬ 
cation.  But, 

II.  The  apostle  tells  us,  here,  how  little 
account  he  made  of  these,  in  comparison  of 
his  interest  in  Christ,  and  his  expectations 
from  Him,  v.  7.  He  counted  them  loss; 
not  only  insufficient  to  enrich  him,  hut  what 
would  certainly  impoverish  and  ruin  him,  if 
he  trusted  to  them,  in  opposition  to  Christ. 
Observe,  The  apostle  did  not  persuade  them 
to  do  anything  hut  what  he  himself  did;  to 
quit  anything  but  what  he  had  quitted  him¬ 
self  ;  or  venture  on  anything  but  what  he 
himself  had  ventured  his  immortal  soul  upon. 

Yea,  doubtless,  and  I  count  all  things  but 
loss,  for  the  excellency  of  the  knowledge  of 
Christ  Jesus  my  Lord,v.  8.  Here  the  apos¬ 
tle  explains  himself. 

1.  He  tells  us  what  it  was  he  reached  af¬ 
ter;  the  knowledge  of  Christ  Jesus  his  Lord, 
a  believing,  experimental  acquaintance  with 
Christ  as  Lord,  not  a  mere  notional  and 
speculative,  but  a  practical  and  efficacious 
knowledge  of  Him.  So  knowledge  is  some¬ 
times  put  for  faith,  Is.  53:  11.  And  it  is 
the  excellency  of  knowledge.  There  is  a 
transcendent  excellency  in  the  Christian  re¬ 
ligion,  above  all  the  knowledge  of  nature, 
and  improvements  of  human  wisdom;  it 
is  suited  to  the  case  of  fallen  sinners,  and 
furnishes  them  with  all  they  need,  all  they 
can  desire  and  hope  for,  with  all  saving 
wisdom  and  saving  grace. 

2.  He  shows  how  he  had  quitted  his  priv- 


PltACT.  OBS.  V.  19 — 30.  Alas  !  in  the  best  times,  how  few  are 
‘like-minded’  with  the  apostles,  and  ‘ naturally  care ’  for  the  state  of 
the  church  and  of  their  feilow-Christians  !  For  while  numbers,  evident¬ 
ly  and  wholly,  seek  their  own  interest,  reputation,  ease,  or  indulgence, 
‘  and  not  the  things  of  Jesus  Christ,’  we  are  all  too  attentive  to  person¬ 
al  concerns,  and  often  allow  them  to  interfere  with  our  usefulness.  So 
that  a  man,  who  is  ready  to  engage,  even  in  a  service  of  great  impor¬ 
tance,  where  no  emolument  or  credit  can  he  expected,  and  in  which 
losses,  hardships,  perils,  and  sufferings  must  be  encountered,  is  deemed 
a  prodigy,  and  rather  an  object  of  astonishment,  not  to  say  censure 
and  pity,  than  of  imitation.  —  If  then  the  apostle  made  this  grievous 
complaint  concerning  the  ministers  of  Christianity,  in  his  days,  what 
would  he  say,  were  he  now  on  earth,  to  witness  and  give  his  sentiments 
and  judgment  on  the  whole  body  of  professed  Christian  ministers,  of  all 
ranks,  and  titles,  and  names,  in  these  degenerate  limes  !  What  language 
could  do  justice  to  his  deep  but  mingled  feelings  ! — What  an  ingenuous 
spirit  does  the  Gospel  inspire  !  The  most  eminent  ministers,  who  most 

(30.)  ‘  Heiyr.  and  Rosenm.  most  ingeniously,  and  with  probability, 
conjecture,  that  the  peril  oj  life,  of  which  Paul  speaks,  was  brought  on 
by  Epaphroditus’  hastening  forward  to  reach  Rome,  to  fulfil  his  com¬ 
mission,  in  spite  of  a  severe  Jit  of  illness ,  which  seized  him,  and  with 
which  he  struggled  so  as  to  reach  his  destination  and  fulfil  his  commis¬ 
sion,  though  nearly  at  the  expense  of  his  life ;  since  the  disorder  was  so 
aggravated  as  to  become  nearly  mortal.’  Bloomf.  Supply,  <fcc.j  Per¬ 
forming  all  those  kind  offices  of  sympathy,  that  I  should  have  enjoyed 
if  in  the  midst  of  you.  See  Doddr.  or  Bloomf.  Ed. 

NOTES.  Chap.  III.  V.  2.  Dogs.]  1  KuHn.  in  the  plain-spoken 
phraseology  of  ancient  times,  both  in  the  E.  and  W.,  was  employed  to 
characterize  impudence,  petulance,  and  greediness.  [Note,  Ps.  59:i-l,15.] 
See  Suicer;  also,  Is.  56:11.  Ps.  22:16.  Mat.  15:26.  Rev.  22:15.  It  is  used 

[41 6] 


simply  ‘  trust  the  Lord  Jesus  ’  for  everything,  will  yet  frankly  acknowl¬ 
edge  their  obligations  for  temporal  assistance  to  those,  who  owe  their  sal¬ 
vation  to  their  labors  of  love.  The  affectionate  pastor  will  be  more  full 
of  heaviness  for  the  grief  of  Ills  people  on  his  account,  than  for  his 
own  pain  apd  sickness;  and  he  will  ‘long  after  them,’  and  to  renew  his 
labors  among  them,  as  a  tender  mother  does  after  her  beloved  infant. — 
The  Lord  often  afflicts  such  zealous  and  affectionate  Christians,  to  man¬ 
ifest  the  excellency  of  their  disposition  ;  but  He  ‘  will  have  mercy  upon 
them,’  and  not  let  them  ‘have  sorrow  upon  sorrow  ;’  and  they  will 
readily  put  themselves  to  inconveniences  to  remove  the  grief  or  increase 
the  comfort  of  their  brethren,  rejoicing,  though  at  a  distance,  in  the 
thoughts  of  their  joy,  as  an  alleviation  of  their  own  sorrow.  Those  min¬ 
isters  who  thus  spend  their  strength,  and  disregard  even  life  and  health 
in  his  cause,  and  to  ‘supply  the  lack  of  service’  of  those  who  are  in¬ 
capable  of  performing  it,  should  be  peculiarly  honored  by  the  church, 
and  by  every  Christian  ;  yet  none  should,  without  necessity,  he  kept 
very  long  from  the  people  of  their  own  peculiar  charge.  Scott. 

by  the  most  dignified  characters  of  the  Iliad  ;  and  was  applied  to  a  whole 
class  of  philosophers,  who  seem  to  have  been  little  sensible  to  any  dis¬ 
grace.  See  Laertes’  life  of  Diogenes ;  also,  IVets.  Theoph.  well  ob¬ 
serves,  that  as  the  Jews  applied  this  term  to  the  Gentiles  fas  the  Mo¬ 
hammedans  do  now  to  the  Christians),  so  there  was  a  peculiar  proprie¬ 
ty  in  the  term.  Concision.]  As  if  he  had  said,  Beware  of  this  cutting 
and  hacking  the  flesh  ;  for  it  is  no  more.  So  also,  Schl.  and  Heinr.,  who 
remark,  that  the  expression  is  ironical  and  contemptuous,  to  show 
indignation  at  the  fancy,  that  no  one  could  be  made  a  Christian  but 
by  means  of  such  an  insignificant  rile.’  Bcoomf.  —  Beware  of  do xs.] 
‘The  Romans  chained  their  dogs  at  tile  door  of  their  house,  with  this 
inscription  over  them,  Beware  of  this  dog,  to  which  this  seems  to  al¬ 
lude.’  L'Enfant.  Doddr. 


A.  D.  65. 


PHILIPPIANS,  III. 


Paul's  desire  to  cleave  to  Christ. 


7  But  what  things  were  gain  to 
me,  those  I  counted  loss  >  for  Christ. 

S  Yea,  doubtless,  and  I  count  all 
things  but  loss  for  k  the  excellency 
of  the  knowledge  of  Christ  Jesus 
my  Lord  :  for  whom  I  have  'suffer¬ 
ed  the  loss  of  all  things,  and  do 
count  them  but  dung,  that  I  may 
win  Christ, 

9  And  be  found  in  him,  not  hav¬ 
ing  mine  own  “righteousness,  which 
is  of  the  law,  but  that  which  is 
through  the  faith  of  Christ,  the 
righteousness  n  which  is  of  God  by 
faith  : 

10  That  I  may  know  him,  and 
the  power  of  his  resurrection,  and 
the  0  fellowship  of  his  sufferings, 
being  made  conformable  unto  his 
death  ; 

11  If  by  any  means  I  might  Pat- 
tain  unto  the  resurrection  of  the 
dead. 

12  Not  as  though  I  had  already 
attained,  either  were  already  4  per¬ 
fect  :  but  I  follow  after,  if  that  I 
may  apprehend  that  for  which  also 
I  am  apprehended  of  Christ  Jesus. 

13  Brethren,  I  count  not  myself 
to  have  apprehended  :  but  this  one 
thing  I  do,  forgetting  r  those  things 
which  are  behind,  and  reaching 
forth  unto  those  things  which  are 
before, 

1  Mat.  13:44.  1  2  Co.  11:25,27.  p  Ac.  26:7. 

k  Is.  53:11.  Je.  9:  m  Ro.  10:3,5.  q  He.  12:23. 

23,24.  Jn.  17:3.  n  Ro.  1:17.3:21,22.  r  Ps.  45:10. 

1  Co.  2:2.  o  1  Pe.  4:13.  He.  6:1. 


ileges  as  a  Jew  and  a  Pharisee;  his  ex¬ 
pression  rises  with  a  holy  triumph.  There 
are  five  particles  in  the  original;  But  indeed 
even  ditto  do  I  count  all  things  but  loss.  He 
had  spoken  before  of  those  things;  his  Jew¬ 
ish  privileges;  here  he  speaks  of  all  things, 
all  worldly  enjoyments  and  outward  privi¬ 
leges  whatsoever,  which  could  stand  in  com¬ 
petition  with  Christ  for  the  throne  in  his 
heart,  or  pretend  to  merit  and  desert.  He 
had  said  he  did  count  them  but  lossp  but  it 
might  be  asked,  what  he  would  do  when  he 
came  to  the  trial.  And  he  tells  us,  he  had 
himself  practised  according  to  this  estimate 
of  the  case ;  For  whom  I  have  suffered  the  loss 
of  all  things.  Nay,  he  not  only  counted 
them  loss,  but  offals,  thrown  to  dogs;  they 
are  not  only  less  valuable  than  Christ,  but 
in  the  highest  degree  contemptible,  when 
they  come  in  competition  with  Him. 

Note,  The  New  Testament  never  speaks 
of  saving  grace  in  any  terms  of  diminution. 


but,  on  the  contrary,  represents  it  as  the 
fruits  of  the  divine  Spirit,  and  the  image  of 
God  in  the  soul  of  man ;  as  a  divine  nature, 
and  the  seed  of  God:  and  faith  is  called pre- 
cious  faith;  and  meekness  is  in  the  sight  of 
God  of  great  price,  1  Pet.  3:  4.  2  Pet.  1: 
1,  &c. 

V.  9 — 14.  We  have  heard  what  the  apos¬ 
tle  renounced  ;  let  us  now  see  what  he  laid 
hold  on,  and  resolved  to  cleave  to,  and  that 
was,  Christ  and  heaven. 

I.  He  had  his  heart  on  Christ,  as  his 
Righteousness. 

1.  He  desired  to  win  Christ;  and  an  un¬ 
speakable  gainer  he  would  reckon  himself, 
if  he  had  but  an  interest  in  Christ  and  his 
righteousness,  and  if  Christ  became  his 
Lord  and  his  Savior.  The  expression  in¬ 
timates,  that  we  need  to  strive  for  Him, 
and  reach  after  Him. 

2.  That  he  might  be.  found  in  Him,  v.  9. 
as  the  manslayer  in  the  city  of  refuge,  safe 
from  the  avenger  of  blood,  Num.  35  :  25. 
[as  Noah  in  the  ark.  Scott.]  Or, 
it  alludes  to  a  judicial  appearance  ;  so 
we  are  to  be  found  of  our  Judge  in  peace, 
2  Pet.  3:  14.  We  are  undone,  without  a 
righteousness  wherein  to  appear  before  God, 
for  we  are  guilty.  Righteousness  is  provi¬ 
ded  for  us  in  Jesus  Christ,  complete  and 
perfect  ;  but  to  have  interest  or  benefit  by 
it,  we  must  come  off  from  confidence  in 
ourselves,  and  believe  heartily  in  Him.  ‘  IVot 
having  my  own  righteousness,  which  is  of  the 
law;  not  thinking  my  outward  observances 
and  good  deeds  able  to  alone  for  my  bad 
ones  ;  or  that,  by  setting  the  one  over 
against  the  other,  1  can  balance  accounts 
with  God.  No,  the  righteousness  I  depend 
on,  is  that  which  is  through  the  faith  of  .Christ: 
not  legal,  but  evangelical.  The  righteous¬ 
ness  of  God  by  faith,  ordained  and  appointed 
of  God.’  The  Lord  Jesus  Christ  is  the 
Lord  our  Righteousness,  Is.  45  :  24.  Had 
He  not  been  God,  He  could  not  have  been 
our  Righteousness  ;  the  transcendent  excel¬ 
lence  of  the  divine  nature  put  such  a  value 
on,  and  such  a  virtue  into,  his  sufferings, 
that  they  became  sufficient  to  satisfy  for  the 
sins  of  the  world,  and  to  bring  in  a  right¬ 
eousness  which  will  be  effectual  to  all  who 
believe.  Faith  is  the  ordained  means  of 
actual  interest  and  saving  benefit  in  all  the 
purchase  of  his  blood.  It  is  by  faith  in  his 
blood,  Rom.  3:  25. 

3.  That  he  might  know  Christ,  v.  10. 
Faith  is  called  knowledge.  Is.  53:  11.  Know¬ 
ing  Him,  here,  is  believing  Him  :  it  is  an 
experimental  know  ledge  of  the  power  of  his 
resurrection  and  fellowship  of  his  suffering,  or 
feeling  the  transforming  efficacy  and  virtue 
of  them. 

4.  That  he  might  be  conformable  unto  Him, 
is  also  meant  of  his  sanctification.  We  are 
then  made  conformable  to  his  death,  when 
we  die  to  sin,  as  Christ  died  for  sin  ;  when 


we  are  crucified  with  Christ,  the  flesh  and 
affections  of  it  mortified,  and  the  world  is 
crucified  to  us,  and  we  to  the  world,  by  virtue 
of  the  cross  of  Christ. 

II.  The  apostle  had  his  heart  on  heaven, 
as  his  happiness,  v.  11.  here  called  the  res¬ 
urrection  of  the  dead,  because,  though  the 
souls  of  the  faithful,  when  they  depart,  are 
immediately  with  Christ,  yet  their  happi¬ 
ness  will  not  be  complete  till  the  general 
resurrection  of  the  dead,  at  the  last  day,  w'hen 
soul  and  body  shall  be  glorified  together. 
Anastasis  sometimes  signifies  the  future 
state.  This  the  apostle  had  his  eye  on  ; 
this  he  would  attain.  The  joyful  and  glo¬ 
rious  resurrection  of  saints,  a  return  to  life, 
and  bliss,  and  glory,  is  called  the  resurrec¬ 
tion,  by  eminence,  because  it  is  in  virtue  of 
Christ’s  resurrection,  as  their  Head  and 
First-fruits  ;  whereas  the  wicked  shall  rise 
from  the  grave,  by  the  power  of  Christ,  as 
their  Judge,  only  to  return  to  a  second  death. 
It  is  called  the  resurrection  of  the  just,  and 
the  resurrection  of  life,  Jn.  5:  29.  and  they  are 
counted  worthy  to  obtain  that  worhJ,  and  the 
resurrection  from  the.  dead,  Lu.  20:  35. 

This  joyful  resurrection  the  apostle  pressed 
toward.  He  was  willing  to  do,  or  suffer 
anything,  that  he  might  attain  that  resur¬ 
rection.  The  hope  and  prospect  of  it  car¬ 
ried  him  with  courage  and  constancy  through 
all  the  difficulties  he  met  with  in  his  work. 
Observe,  1.  lie  speaks  as  if  they  w'ere  in 
danger  ol  missing  it,  and  coming  short  of  it. 
A  holy  fear  of  coming  .short,  is  an  excellent 
mean  of  perseverance.  Observe,  2.  His 
care  to  be  found  in  Christ,  was  in  order  to 
his  attaining  it.  He  did  not  hope  to  at¬ 
tain  it  through  his  own  merit  and  righteous¬ 
ness,  but  through  the  merit  and  righteous¬ 
ness  of  Jesus  Christ. 

He  looks  upon  himself  to  be  in  a  state  of 
imperfection  and  trial,  v.  12.  Observe, 
The  best  men  will  readily  own  their  imper¬ 
fection  in  the  present  state.  If  Paul  had 
not  attained  to  perfection,  much  less  have 
we.  Again,  Brethren,  I  count  not  myself  to 
have  apprehended,  v.  13.  ‘  I  thus  reason  with 
myself.’  They  who  think  they  have  grace 
enough,  give  proof  that  they  have  little 
enough,  or  rather,  none  at  all  ;  because, 
wherever  there  is  true  grace,  there  is  a  de¬ 
sire  of  more  grace,  and  a  pressing  toward 
the  perfection  of  grace.  Observe,  here, 

(I .)  The  apostle’s  actings  under  this  con¬ 
viction  :  he  pressed  forward,  t>.  12. — Ipursue 
with  vigor,  as  one  following  after  the  game. 
I  endeavor  to  get  more  grace  [make  more 
progress  in  spiritual  affections],  and  do  more 
good.  Observe,  Our  grace  comes,  not  from 
our  laying  hold  of  Christ  first,  but  his  lay¬ 
ing  hold  of  us,  1  Jn.  4:  19.  Not  our  keep¬ 
ing  hold  of  Christ,  but  his  keeping  hold  of 
us,  is  our  safety,  1  Pet.  1  :  5.  Observe, 
The  happiness  of  heaven  is,  to  apprehend 
that  for  which  we  are  apprehended  of  Christ. 


V.  7.  IVhat  was  my  gain.]  1 1.  e.  these  were  such  as  to  bring  me  into 
great  credit  with  our  ecclesiastical  rulers  (see  Acts) ;  these  made  my 
reputation  considerable  (Acts  0:1)  ;  and  would  have  led  to  [further]  dig¬ 
nities  and  emoluments,  an  introduction  into  the  Sanhedrim,  &c. ;  but 
all  these  opportunities  of  gain  I  (on  my  change  of  views  and  conversion 
to  Christ)  no  more  regarded  than  if  they  had  been  sources  of  loss.  .  .. 
And  not  these  things  only,  but  all  other  things  thought  honorable  and 
prolitable,  did  1  despise.  Nay,  to  the  present  time,  I  continue  to  think 
all  things  but  loss,  &c.,  and  such  they  appear,  because  of  the  evcellency 
of,  ice.'  Bloomf. 

V.  8 — 11.  ‘The  present  time  is  to  be  noted  ;  ...  so  that  the  apostle, 
as  to  what  relates  to  justification  before  God,  excludes  all  works;  those 
which  follow,  as  well  as  those  which  precede  faith.’  Beza. — The  apostle 
not  only  had  judged  at  his  first  conversion,  that  his  legal  righteousness, 
and  his  worldly  prospects,  were  ‘loss  to  him,’  compared  with  Christ; 
but,  after  many  years  spent  in  successfully  preaching  the  Gospel,  with 
apostolical  authority,  abundant  miraculous  gifts,  immense  labors,  extra¬ 
ordinary  success,  multiplied  sufferings,  and  most  exemplary  holiness,  he 
decidedly  ‘  counted  all  these  things  to  be  loss,’  in  comparison  of  ‘  the  most 
excellent  knowledge  of  Christ,’  from  revelation,  by  faith,  and  subsequent 
experience  in  the  glory  of  his  Person  and  redemption.  —  It  is  evident, 
that  the  apostle  speaks,  not  of  the  resurrection  in  general,  for  this  will 
be  both  ‘  of  the  just  and  of  the  unjust ;’  but  of  ‘  the  resurrection  to  eter¬ 
nal  life,’  in  that  glorious  view  of  it,  which  is  afterwards  given.  Note, 
20:21. — -When  the  sinner  believes  in  Christ,  he  is  immediately  ‘justified 
by  faith,  and  has  peace  with  God  ;’  yet  he,  ‘  through  the  Spirit,  waits  for 
the  hope  of  righteousness  by  faith  ;’  for  at  the  day  of  judgment,  when 
living  faith  will  be  distinguished  by  its  fruits  from  dead  faith,  the  sentence 
N.  T.  VOL.  V.  53 


of  justification  will  not  only  be  confirmed,  but  proclaimed  to  the  whole 
assembled  world.  Mat.  15:34 — 46.  Gal.  5:1 — 6,  v.  6.  Ja.  2:19—24.  Sc. 

(3.)  All.]  ‘  Lost  all  opportunity  of  gaining.  .Dung'.]  Skubala  :  it 
sometimes  means  the  twrec/^thrown  out  by  the  sea  (as  in  Achilles  Tat.), 
and  stubble ,  such  ns  in  farm-yards  is  trampled  under  foot  by  the  cattle, 
and  thus  converted  into  dung.  The  expression  may  be  Englished  by  “  a 
mere  drug  "  ’  Bloomf.  Suffered  the  loss,  &c.]  ‘  Goddr.  thinks  it  not 
improbable  (we  think  it  almost  certain)  that  Paul  had  been  laid,  by  his 
unbelieving  brethren,  under  the  great  excommunication,  which  forfeited 
all  his  property.’  Williams. 

(11.)  If,  &c.]  ‘  FApbs  :  it  often,  in  the  Hellenistic  style,  at  least,  im¬ 
plies  no  doubt.  See  Glass  and  IVolf.  So  Ho.  1:10.  11:14,  21.  2  S.  16: 
12.  Paul  seems  to  say  i his,  less  with  a  reference  to  himself  than  as  a 
delicate  admonition  to  them.’  Bloomf. 

V.  12 — 14.  When  we  consider  what  the  apostle  had  actually  attain¬ 
ed  ;  (Notes,  8 — 11.  1:19—26.  4:0 — 13.)  even  so  much  genuine  holiness, 
that  very  few  can  endure  a  comparison  of  their  own  attainments  with 
his;  and  yet  consider  him  as  acknowledging  that  he  had  not  attained, 
and  as  ‘  pressing  forward  ’  at  something  far  higher;  we  may  form  our 
judgment  of  every  modern  pretence  to  sinless  perfection,  as  well  as  ol 
our  own  exceedingly  inferior  proficiency.  Rom ■  7:13 — 25.  Scott. 

(12.)  Attained.]  ‘  TetelgiOmai  :  an  agonistic  metaphor,  for  arriving 

at  the  goal,  and  obtaining  the  prize.  See  Schl.  and  Mac  bn.  And  sim¬ 
ilar  metaphors  are  used  in  vs.  13,  14.  ns  diOko,  pursue,  follow  after,  ana 
katalabr, ,  overtake,  apprehend,  &c. ;  in  apprehended  (katalephthcn)  there 
is  not,  however,  as  Doddr.  supposes,  allusion  to  the  honorable 
duction  of  candidates  [note,  1  Cor.  9:  end  ]  ;  the  very  nature  of  the 
term  will  not  permit  this;  it  seems  rather  to  refer  to  pressing,  or  mi- 


A.  D.  65. 


PH1LIPPIANS,  III. 


14  I  press  'toward  the  mark  for 
the  prize  of  the  high  1  calling  of 
God  in  Chi'ist  Jesus. 

15  Let  us  therefore,  as  many  as 
be  °  perfect,  be  thus  y  minded  :  and 
if  in  any  thing  ye  be  otherwise 
minded,  God  shall  reveal  even  this 
unto  you. 

16  Nevertheless, whereto  we  have 
already  attained,  let  us  walk  by  the 
same  w  rule,  let  us  mind  the  same 
thing. 

17  Brethren,  be  followers  *  to¬ 
gether  of  me,  and  mark  them  which 
walk  so,  as  ye  have  us  y  for  an  en- 
sample. 

18  (For  many  walk,  of  whom  I 
have  told  you  often,  and  now  tell 
you  even  weeping,  that  they  are  the 
enemies  zof  the  cross  of  Christ  ; 

19  Whose  3  end  is  destruction, 
whose  b  God  is  their  belly,  and 
whose  c  glory  is  in  their  shame,  who 
mind  earthly  things.) 

20  For  our  d  conversation  is  in 
heaven  ;  from  whence  also  we  look 
e  for  the  Savior,  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ ; 

w  Ga.  6:16. 
x  1  Th.  1:6. 


s  1  Co.  9:24 
lie.  12:1. 
t  He.  3:1. 
u  1  Co.  2:6. 
v  Ga.  5:10. 


y  1  Pe.  5:3. 

•/.  Ga,  1:7.  6:12. 
a  2  Co.  11:15. 


2  Pe.  2:1. 
b  1  Ti.  6:5. 
c  Ho.  4:7. 
d  Ep.  2:6,19. 
e  He.  9:28. 


When  Christ  laid  hold  of  us,  it  was  to 
bring  us  to  heaven  ;  and  to  apprehend  that 
for  which  He  apprehended  us,  is  to  attain 
the  perfection  of  our  bliss. 

He  adds,  further,  v.  13.  This  one  thing  I 
do  ;  this  [only]  was  his  great  care  and  con¬ 
cern.  There  is  a  sinful  forgetting  of  past 
sins  and  past  mercies,  which  ought  to  be 
remembered  for  the  exercise  of  constant 
repentance  and  thankfulness  to  God.  But 
he  forgot  the  things  behind,  so  as  not  to  be 
content  with  present  measures  of  grace:  he 
was  still  for  having  more  and  more.  So  he 
reached  forth,  stretched  himself  forward,  [as 
a  racer  earnestly  stretches  forward  the 
neck,]  bearing  toward  his  point  :  expres¬ 
sions  of  a  vehement  concern. 

(2.)  The  apostle’s  aim,  in  these  actings, 
v.  14.  He  pressed  toward  the  mark.  The 
fitter  we  grow  for  heaven,  the  faster  we 
must  press  towards  it.  Heaven  is  called 
here  the  mark,  because  every  good  Chris¬ 
tian  has  it  in  his  eye,  as  the  archer  the  mark 
he  designs  to  hit.  A  Christian’s  calling  is 
a  high  calling  ;  from  heaven,  as  its  original  ; 
to  heaven,  in  its  tendency.  Heaven  is  the 
prize  of  the  high  calling,  the  prize  we  fight 


Paul  speaks  of  himself  as  an  example. 


for,  run  for,  wrestle  for  ;  what  we  aim  [to 
be  fit  for]  in  all  we  do,  what  will  reward  all 
our  pains.  It  is  of  great  use  in  the  Chris¬ 
tian  course,  to  keep  our  eye  on  heaven. 
This  is  proper  to  give  us  measures  in  all 
our  service,  and  to  quicken  us  every  step  we 
take;  and  it  is  of  God,  from  Him  we  are  to 
expect  it,  Rom.  6:  23.;  but  in  Christ  Jesus, 
through  his  hand  it  must  come,  to  ns,  as  it  is 
procured  for  us  by  Him.  There  is  no  get¬ 
ting  to  heaven  as  our  home,  but  by  Christ  as 
our  Way. 

V.  15 — 16.  The  apostle,  having  proposed 
himself  as  an  example,  urges  the  Philippians 
to  follow  it. 

1.  He  shows,  that  this  was  the  thing 
wherein  all  good  Christians  were  agreed  ; 
to  make  Christ  all  in  all,  and  set  their 
hearts  on  another  world.  '  To  win  Christ, 
and  to  be  found  in  Him,  is  our  happiness 
both  here  and  hereafter.  Therefore,  let  us 
walk  by  the.  same  rule,  and  mind  the  same 
thing.  Let  us  agree  to  press  toward,  the  mark, 
and  make  heaven  our  end. 

2.  That  this  is  a  good  reason  why  Chris¬ 
tians  who  differ  in  less  matters,  should 
yet  bear  with  one  another,  because  they  are 
agreed  in  the  main  matter;  ‘If  in  anything 
ye  be  otherwise  minded;  if  ye  differ  from  one 
another,  as  to  meats  and  days,  and  other 
matters  of  the  Jewish  law  ;  yet  judge  not 
one  another,  while  ye  all  meet  now  in 
Christ,  as  your  Centre,  and  hope  to  meet 
shortly  in  heaven,  as  your  home.  As  for 
other  matters  of  difference,  lay  no  great 
stress  on  them,  God  shall  reveal  even  this  unto 
you.  Whatever  it  is  wherein  ye  differ,  ye 
must  wait  till  God  give  you  a  better  under¬ 
standing,  which  He  will  do  in  his  due  time. 
In  the  mean  time,  as  far  as  ye  have  attained, 
ye  must  go  together  in  the  ways  of  God, 
join  together  In  all  the  great  things  in  which 
ye  are  agreed,  and  wait  for  further  light  in 
the  less  things  wherein  ye  differ. 

V.  17 — 21.  He  closes  the  ch.  with  warn¬ 
ings  and  exhortations. 

I.  He  warns  them  against  following  the 
examples  of  seducers  and  evil  teachers, 
v.  18, 19.  Observe,  Many  called  by  Christ’s 
name,  are  yet  enemies  to  Christ’s  cross. 
Their  walk  is  a  surer  evidence  what  they 
are,  than  their  profession,  Mat.  7:  20.  The 
apostle  warns  people  against  such  :  /  have 
told  yore  often.  We  so  little  heed  warnings, 
that  we  need  to  have  them  repeated.  To 
write  the  same  things  is  safe,  v.  1.  He  warns 
them  feelingly  and  affectionately;  I  now  tell 
you  weeping.  Paul  was,  on  proper  occa¬ 
sions  a  weeping  preacher,  as  Jeremiah  a 
weeping  prophet.  Observe,  What  we  say 
often,  we  may  say  again,  if  affectionately, 
and  under  the  power  of  it.  He  gives  the 
characters  of  those  who  were  the  enemies  of 
the  cross  of  Christ.  They  mind  nothing 


but  their  sensual  appetites  ;  the  same  ob¬ 
servance  good  people  give  to  God,  epicures 
give  to  their  appetites,  Rom.  16: 18.  They 
not  only. sinned,  but  boasted  of  it,  and  glo¬ 
ried  in  what  they  ought  to  be  ashamed  of. 
Christ  came  by  his  cross  to  crucify  the  world 
to  us,  and  us  to  the  world  ;  but  they  mind 
earthly  things,  directly  contrary  to  the  cross 
of  Christ,  and  this  great  design  of  it.  He 
gives  them  this  character,  to  show  how  ab¬ 
surd  it  would  be  for  Christians  to  follow  the 
example  of  such,  or  be  led  away  by  them. 
To  deter  all  from  it,  he  reads  their  doom  • 
Their  way  seems  pleasant,  but  death  and 
hell  are  at  the  end  of  it,  Rom.  6:  21.  Per¬ 
haps  he  alludes  to  the  total  destruction  of 
the  Jewish  nation. 

II.  He  proposes  himself  and  his  brethren 
for  an  example,  in  opposition  to  these  evil 
examples,  v.  17.  Mark  them  for  your  pat¬ 
tern.  He  explains  himself,  v.  20.  by  their 
regard  to  Christ  and  heaven:  for  our  conver¬ 
sation  is  in  heaven.  Observe,  Good  Chris¬ 
tians,  even  while  here  on  earth,  have  their 
conversation  in  heaven,  their  citizenship  there, 
so  the  word  is;  because  our  citizenship  is 
there,  our  conversation  is  there  ;  being  re¬ 
lated  to  that  world,  we  keep  up  a  corres¬ 
pondence  with  it. 

The  apostle  had  pressed  them  to  follow 
him,  and  other  ministers  of  Christ  ;  it  is 
good  having  fellowship  with  those  who  have 
fellowship  with  Christ,  and  conversation 
with  those  whose  conversation  is  in  heaven. 

1.  Because  we  look  for  the  Savior  from 
thence,  v.  20.  He  is  not  here.  He  is  as¬ 
cended,  He  is  entered  within  the  veil  for  us; 
and  we  expect  his  second  coming  from  thence, 
to  gather  in  all  the  citizens  of  that  New  Je¬ 
rusalem  to  himself. 

2.  Because  at  the  second  coming  of  Christ 
we  expect  to  be  happy  and  glorified  there. 
There  is  a  glory  reserved  for  the  bodies  ol 
the  saints,  in  which  they  will  be  instated 
at  the  resurrection,  v.  21.  The  body  is  now 
at  the  best  a  vile  body, — the  body  of  our  hu¬ 
miliation,  often  the  occasion  and  instrument 
of  much  sin,  which  is  called  the  body  of  this 
death,  Rom.  7:24.  Or  it  may  be  under¬ 
stood  of  its  vileness  when  it  lies  in  the  grave  ; 
at  the  resurrection  it  will  be  found  a  vile 
body,  Eccl.  12:  7.  But  it  will  be  made  a 
glorious  body  ;  and  not  only  raised  again  to 
life,  but  raised  to  great  advantage.  Observe, 
(1.)  The  sample  of  this  change,  the  glorious 
body  of  Christ  ;  when  He  was  transfigured 
on  the  mount,  his  face  did  shine  as  the  sun, 
and  his  raiment  was  white  as  the  light.  Mat. 
17:  2.  He  went  to  heaven  clothed  with  a 
body,  that  He  might  take  possession  of  the 
inheritance  in  our  nature,  and  be  not  only 
the  First-born  from  the  dead,  but  the  First¬ 
born  of  the  children  of  the.  resurrection.  We 
shall  be  conformed  to  the  image  of  his  Son, 


pressing,  into  the  public  service,  as  Thucyd.  6:22.  uses  the  word. 
Reaching  forth,  epekteinomenos  ;  pressing  tnxvard  ;  mark-,  skopon  ; 
prize,  brabeion  ;  high-catting,  and  klcseos,  calling  up,  are  all  agonistic 
metaphors,  [note,  1  Cor.  9:  end.]  The  last  two  are  supposed  to  have 
allusion  to  the  brabeutai,  org-asbnothetai,  ^vho  sat  on  an  elevated  seat, 
and  catted  forward  the  candidates  for  the  brabeion.  or  prized  III.. 

V.  15,  16.  This  exhortation  (Note,  12 — 14.1  implies,  that  the  temper 
and  conduct,  before  described,  form  the  Christian's  highest  perfection  in 
this  world. — The  word  here  rendered  ‘  perfect,'  may  signify  the  sound 
character  of  the  established  believer,  the  man  who  is  matured  in  judg¬ 
ment  and  experience,  and  has  made  great  progress  in  Christinnitv.  It 
is  used  in  the  Greek  authors,  especially  Xenophon,  for  men  of  full  age, 
(about  30,)  ns  distinguished  from  boys  and  young  men,  and  the  apostle 
conveys  a  similar  idea  bv  it  in  other  passages.  Rom.  16:1.  1  Cor.  2  6. 
Ja.  1:4.  Jn.  2  5,  <fcc.  (Note,  ffeb.  5: 11 — 14.) — In  this  way  Christians 
xvould  best  wait  for  further  instruction;  and  if  any  were  otherwise 
minded  than  their  brethren,  or  than  the  apostle,  being  under  some  mis¬ 
take  or  misapprehension,  by  thus  avoiding  disputation,  and  diligently 
practising  what  they  knew,  from  evangelical  principles,  they  might  hope 
that  God  would  make  known  to  them  those  things,  of  which  they  still 
remained  ignorant ;  and  I  heir  stronger  brethren  ought  to  bear  with  their 
prejudices,  till  they  were  in  this  manner  obviated.  Rom.  14:1  —  1.  15: 
1 — 3.  Scott. 

(15.)  Perfect.]  ‘  Te.leioi :  sometimes  applied  metaphorically  to  de¬ 
note  one  advanced  in  the  knowledge  of  any  art  or  science,  as  religions 
knowledge,  whence  it  was  used  of  those  who  were  initiated  into  the 
heathen  mysteries,  [see  Mackn.  pref.  to  Eph.]  and  so  most  comtrs.  un¬ 
derstand  it  here,  as  in  1  Cor.  2:6. — God  shall,  &c.]  I.  e.  as  to  that 
wherein  ye  think  otherwise,  and  continue  in  prejudice  and  error,  God 
[418]  ' 


will,  in  his  own  good  time,  and  by  various  means,  show  you  your  error, 
and  let  in  truth  on  your  minds.’  Bl. — As  many  ns  be  perfect  ]  ‘That 
is,  all  who  have  attained  to  any  proficiency  in  the  Christian  life. — “  be 
thus  minded," — thus  earnest  in  persevering,  thus  eager  to  win  the  prize!’ 

_  •  Williams. 

(16.)  On  the  slight  diversity  of  readings  here,  see  Bl.  ‘Only  (mind 
this)  to  walk  by  that  degree  of  knowledge  whereunto  we  have  attained.’ 
Bl.  Ed. 

V.  17 — 19.  Some  expositors  explain  this,  almost  exclusively,  of  the 
Judnizing  teachers  and  their  followers,  but  others  suppose  the  Gnostics 
to  be  especially  meant,  and  doubtless  many  among  each  of  these  were 
of  this  stamp.  Yet  t here  were  others  also  who  perverted  the  Gospel  ; 
and  the  apostle’s  words  at  least  equally  point  out  licentious  Antinomian 
professors,  whether  Jews  or  Gentiles,  of  which  we  cannot  doubt  that 
many  sprang  up  in  every  part  of  the  church.  Nor  is  it  prudent  to  rep¬ 
resent  all  the  danger  to  lie  on  one  side  when  the  opposite  extreme  is 
equally  fatal.  (17)  lie  followers  together.]  Here  only.  ‘Imitate  me 
among  others  who  imitate  me.’  Erasmus.  Scott. 

(18.)  ‘As  the  promulgator  of  doctrines  too  spiritual  for  their  grovel¬ 
ling  dispositions,  some  Jews  and  Gentiles  were,  of  course,  enemies  to 
Paul  ami  the  cross  of  Christ,  i.  e.  to  ail  those  pure  and  spiritual  doc¬ 
trines  by  which  we  are  enjoined  to  crucify  vicious  inclinations,  to  con¬ 
quer  unruly  appetites,  anil  resist  temptations  to  worldly  gain.’  Pee  lit. 

En. 

HO.'  Mini.]  ‘Rather,  whose  minds  arc  given  up  to,  as  Col.  3:2.’  Bl. 

V.  26.  21.  The  contrast  between  ‘  the  body  of  our  humiliation,’  and 
the  ‘  body  of  bis  glory,’  into  the  likeness  of  which  Jesus  will  change 
our  bodies,  is  remarkable.  There  seems  to  be  a  reference  to  the  trans¬ 
figuration.  Mat.  17:1— 8.— If  omnipotence  is  tut  incommunicable  divine 


A.  D.  65. 


PHILIPPIANS,  IV.  Exhortations  to  several  Christian  duties. 


21  Who  shall  change  1  our  vile 
body,  that  it  may  be  fashioned  like 
unto  his  glorious  body,  according 
to  the  working  *  whereby  he  is  able 
even  h  to  subdue  all  things’  unto 
himself. 

CHAP.  IV. 

1  From  particular  admonitions  4  he  proceedeth  to  general 
exhortations,  10  shewing  how  he  rejoiced  at  their  liber¬ 
ality  towards  him  lying  in  prison,  not  so  much  for  the 
supply  of  his  own  wants,  hr  for  the  grace  of  God  in  them. 
19  And  so  he  concludeth  with  prayer  and  salutations. 

rpHEREFORE,  my  brethren 
dearly  beloved  and  longed  for, 
my  joy  and  crown,  so  stand  fast  in 
the  Lord,  my  dearly  beloved. 

2  I  beseech  Euodias,  and  beseech 
Syntyche,  that  they  be  of  the  same 
mind  in  the  Lord. 

3  And  1  entreat  thee  also,  true 
yoke  -  fellow,  help  those  women 
which  labored  with  me  in  the  gos¬ 
pel,  with  Clement  also,  and  with 
other  my  fellow- laborers,  whose 
names  are  in  the  book  of  life. 

4  Rejoice  a  in  the  Lord  alway  : 
and  again  I  say,  Rejoice. 

f  1  Co.  15:43,  &c.  g  Ep.  1:19.  a  c  3:1. 

I  Jn.  3:2.  h  1  Co.  15:26,27. 

that  He  might  be  the  First-born  among  many 
brethren,  Rain.  8:  29.  Observe,  (2.)  The 
power  by  which  this  change  will  be  wrought: 
according  to  the  working ,  &c.  There  is  an 
efficacy  of  power,  an  exceeding  greatness 
of  power,  and  the  working  of  mighty  power, 
Eph.  1  :  19.  Let  (his  confirm  our  faith 
of  the  resurrection,  that  we  not  only  have 
the  Scriptures,  which  assure  us  it  shall  be, 
but  we  know  the  power  of  God,  which  can 
effect  it,  Mat.  22  :  29.  As  Christ’s  res¬ 
urrection  was  a  glorious  instance  of  the  di¬ 
vine  power,  and  therefore  He  is  declared  to 
be  the  Son  of  God  with  power,  by  the  resur¬ 
rection  from  the  dead,  Rom.  1 :  4.  so  will  our 


resurrection  be  :  and  his  resurrection  is  a 
standing  evidence,  as  well  as  pattern,  of 
ours.  And  then  all  the  enemies  of  tlie'Re- 
deemer’s  kingdom  will  be  completely  con¬ 
quered.  Not  only  lie  who  had  the.  power  of 
death,  i.  e.  the  devil,  Heb.  2:  14.  but  the 
last  enemy  shall  be  destroyed,  i.  e.  death,  1 
Cor.  15:  26.  Death  will  be  swallowed  up  in 
victory,  v.  54. 


Chap.  IV.  V.  1 — 9.  The  apostle  begins 
with  exhortations  to  divers  Christian  duties. 

I.  To  steadfastness  in  our  Christian  pro¬ 
fession,  t>.  1.  It  is  inferred  from  the  close 
of  the  foregoing  ch.  Seeing  our  conversa¬ 
tion  is  in  heaven,  and  we  look  for  the  Savior 
from  thence  to  fetch  us  thither:  therefore,  let 
us  stand  fast.  Note,  The  believing  hope 
and  prospect  of  eternal  life  should  engage 
us  to  be  steady,  [consistent,]  even,  and  con¬ 
stant,  in  our  Christian  course.  Observe,  here, 

1.  The  compellations  are  very  endearing; 
My  brethren,  dearly  beloved,  and  longed  for, 
my  joy  and  crown  ;  and  again,  My  dearly 
beloved.  Thus  he  expresses  the  pleasure  he 
took  in  them,  the  kindness  he  had  for  them, 
to  convey  his  exhortations  to  them  with  so 
much  the  greater  advantage.  Warm  affec¬ 
tions  become  ministers  and  Christians  to¬ 
ward  one  another.  Brotherly  love  must 
always  go  along  with  the  brotherly  relation. 
Never  was  proud  ambitious  man  more  pleas¬ 
ed  with  the  ensigns  of  honor,  titan  Paul  was 
with  the  evidences  of  the  sincerity  of  the 
faitli  and  obedience  of  tlte  Philippians.  All 
this  is  to  prepare  his  way  to  greater  regard. 

2.  The  exhortation  itself;  So  stand  fast  in 
the  Lord.  Being  in  Christ,  they  must  stand 
fast  in  Him,  even  and  steady  in  their  walk 
with  Him,  and  close  and  constant  unto  the 
end.  Or,  To  stand  fast  in  the  Lord,  is  to 
stand  fast  in  his  strength,  and  by  bis  grace; 
not  trusting  in  ourselves,  and  disclaiming 
any  sufficiency  of  our  own  ;  we  must  be 
strong  in  the  Lord,  and  in  the  power  of  his 
migjit,  Eph.  6:  10. 

II.  He  exhorts  them  to  unanimity  and 


mutual  assistance,  v.  2,3.  This  is  directed 
to  some  particular  persons.  Euodias  and 
Syntyche,  it  seems,  were  at  variance,  either 
one  with  the  other,  or  with  the  church  ; 
either  on  a  civil  or  on  a  religious  account  ; 
it  may  be  they  were  of  different  opinions 
and  sentiments. 

Ilis  exhortation  to  mutual  assistance,  v. 
3.  is  also  to  particular  persons.  Who  this 
true  yoke-fellow  was,  is  uncertain.  Some 
think  Epaphroditus,  supposed  to  be  one  of 
tile  pastors  of  the  Philippian  church.  Oth¬ 
ers  think  some  eminent  good  woman,  per¬ 
haps  Paul’s  wife,  because  he  exhorts  his 
yoke-fellow  to  help  the  women  which  labored 
with  him.  It  seems,  there  were  women  who 
labored  with  Paul  in  the  Gospel;  not  in  the 
public  ministry  ;  for  the  apostle  expressly 
forbids  that,  1  Tim.  2  :  12.  hut  by  enter¬ 
taining  the  ministers,  visiting  the  sick,  in¬ 
structing  the  ignorant,  and  convincing  the 
erroneous. 

With  Clement,  also ,  and  other  my  fellow- 
laborers.  Paul  had  a  kindness  for  all  his 
fellow-laborers  ;  lie  says  of  them,  Whose 
names  are  in  the  book  of  life ;  either  they 
were  chosen  of  God  from  ail  eternity,  or 
registered  and  enrolled  in  the  corporation 
and  society  to  which  the  privilege  of  eternal 
life  belongs,  alluding  to  the  custom  among 
the  Jews  and  Gentiles,  of  registering  the 
inhabitants  or  the  freemen  of  a  city.  So 
we  read  of  their  names  being  written  in  heav¬ 
en,  Luke  10:  20.  not  blotting  his  name  out  of 
the  book  of  life,  Rev.  3:5.  and  of  them  who 
are  written  in  the  Lamb’s  book  of  life.  Rev. 
21:27.  Observe,  There  is  a  book  of  life; 
there  are  names  in  that  book,  and  not  char¬ 
acters  and  conditions  only.  Whose  names 
are  written  there  we  cannot  know  ;  but  we 
may  conclude,  they  who  labor  in  the  Gospel, 
and  are  faithful  to  tlie  interests  of  Christ  and 
souls,  have  their  names  in  the  book  of  life. 

III.  He  exhorts  to  holy  joy  and  delight 
in  God,  v.  4.  All  our  joy  must  terminate 
in  God,  and  our  thoughts  of  God  must  he 
delightful.  Observe,  It  is  our  duty  and 


PRACT.  OBS.  We  ought  to  be  ‘zealous  of  good  works,’  but  to 
rejoice  in  the  Lord’  alone.  —  We  cannot  too  earnestly  guard  men 
against  those,  who  either  oppose  or  pervert  the  doctrine  of  salvation 
by  mercy  and  grace  alone ;  we  should  also  protest  against  ‘  evil 
workers,’  of  every  description,  with  decision  and  impartiality.  The 
true  Christian  will  be  aware  of  them,  he  ‘  worships  God  in  the  Spirit, 
glories  in  Christ  Jesus,’  has  1  the  circumcision  of  the  heart,’  and  confides 
in  nothing  of  which  unregenerate  men  are  capable.  Jer.  9:23,  24.  Col. 
2:10 — 12.  1  Pet.  1:23—25. — But  how  far  short  do  many,  who  ‘have 

confidence  in  the  tlesh,’  come  of  the  attainments  of  Saul  the  persecutor! 
Their  birth  of  Christian  parents,  early  baptism,  and  ‘form  of  godliness,’ 
can  scarcely  be  imagined  superior  to  his  distinctions  of  a  similar  nature; 
but  where  is  their  strictness,  their  zeal,  their  morality,  and  their  blame¬ 
less  conduct  ?  Yet  they  trust  in  their  pobr,  scanty,  worthless  forms 
and  duties,  and  count  them  too  valuable  to  be  exchanged  for  Christ  and 
his  salvation  !  But  if  they  ever  1  come  to  themselves,’  and  become  ac¬ 
quainted  with  God,  his  law,  and  their  own  characters  ;  they  wiil  ‘  count 
all  their  gain,’  to  be  ‘lost  for  Christ ;  ’  and  deprecate,  as  sure  destruc¬ 
tion,  having  their  eternal  state  in  any  measure  decided  according  to 
their  own  righteousness  ;  they  will  desire  above  all  things  to  have  ‘  that 
righteousness  which  is  through  the  faith  of  Christ,  even  the  righteous¬ 
ness  which  is  of  God  by  faith.’  They  will  see,  that  no  additions  need  be 
made  to  his  ‘  unsearchable  riches,’  no  security  added  to  his  sure  refuge, 
no  appendages  to  his  robe  of  righteousness.  Tlius  they  will  account 
themselves  rich,  safe,  and  happy,  in  proportion  to  their  assurance  of 
being  1  found"  in  Christ,’  and  ‘  made  the  righteousness  of  God  in  Him  ;  ’ 
but,  in  seeking  for  this  assurance,  ns  well  as  in  order  to  glorify  so  boun¬ 
teous  and  beloved  a  Friend,  they  will  also  earnestly  desire,  and  aim  at, 

perfection,  the  apostle’s  language  doubtless  attests  his  Deity,  in  the 
most  emphatical  language.  1  Cor.  15:50 — 54.  Scott. 

(21.)  ‘  Christ  is  here  said  to  subdue  all  things  to  Himself  by  his  own 
strong  working,  notwithstanding  the  same  subjection  of  all  tilings  is  as¬ 
cribed  to  the  Father,  1  Co.  15:25.  He.  2:8.  As  Ro.  4:17.  Ac.  26:6.  Eph. 
1:19.  So  Christ  is  said  to  raise  Himself  from  the  dead,  Jn.  2:19.  and  to 
he  raised  by  the  Father,  Ro.  4:24.  &c.  The  inference  is  plain,  [that,  in 
his  own  words,  He  and  the  Father,  “are  One.”]  Slade,'  Mackn.’  Bl. — 
Vile  body.]  ‘  Literally  the  body  of  our  humiliation,  <fcc..,  i.  e.  this  body 
in  the  form  of  sinful  flesh,  humbled  and  degraded  as  at  present  it  is,  and 
so  different  from  what  the  body  of  Adain  originally  was.’  Doddb. 

NOTES.  Chap.  IV.  V.  1.  This  v.  is  principally  remarkable  for  the 
variety  of  expressions,  in  which  the  apostle  poured  out  the  affection  of 
his  heart  towards  his  brethren,  or  rather  children,  at  Philippi-  Scott. 

(1.)  ‘ Joy ,  i.  e.  object  of  joy;  crotvn,  i.  e.  cause  of  reward,  Pr.  12:4.’ 

Bl. — So  stand  fast,  &c.]  ‘  There  is  no  more  reason  for  making  this  the 

beginning  of  a  new  ch."  than  there  would  be  for  disjoining  the  last  v.  of 
1  Cor.  15.  in  sense  exactly  parallel  to  this,  from  the  preceding  discourse 
on  the  resurrection,  witli  which  it  is  so  beautifully  and  properly  con¬ 
nected.’  Doddb. 

Y.  2,  3.  It  is  probable,  Euodias  and  Syntyche  were  women  of  note  at 


a  more  transforming  ‘knowledge  of  Christ,’  a  deeper  experience  of  the 
power  of  his  resurrection,  and  a  nearer  conformity  to  Him  in  his  suffer¬ 
ings  and  death,  by  dying  to  sin,  and  crucifying  the  flesh  with  its  affec¬ 
tions  and  lusts.  And,  at  the  same  time,  the  love  of  Christ  will  constrain 
them,  if  called  to  it,  to  suffer,  vea,  to  die  with  Him,  that  they  may  be 
also  glorified  together ;  if  so  be  they  may,  by  any  means,  be  partakers 
of  tlie  resurrection  to  eternal  felicity  in  heaven.  Thousands,  and  ten 
thousands,  yea,  millions,  have  testified,  that  the  above  is  the  judgment 
and  experience  of  true  Christians  ;  nor  can  any  measure  of  personal  ho¬ 
liness  or  self-denying  labors  satisfy  the  man,  who  ‘counts  all  but  loss 
that  lie  may  win  Christ,’  and  be  justified  by  faith  in  Him  alone. — Those 
who  are  most  ‘  perfected  and  matured  ’  in  tlie  life  of  faith  and  grace, 
still  needs  exhortations  to  be  thus  minded  ;  they  who  are  newly  set  out, 
should  be  called  on  to  emulate  such  honorable  examples;  and  while 
they  judge  and  act  in  this  manner,  as  to  these  grand  concerns,  the  Lord 
will  guide  them  into  the  further  knowledge  of  his  truth  and  will.  For 
satisfactory  views  of  divine  things  are  far  better  acquired  by  peaceable 
meditation  and  diligent  obedience,  than  by  eager  and  angry  disputations. 
(Notes,  John  7:14—17.  8:30—36.)  We  should,  however,  be  very  care¬ 
ful  not  to  grow  remiss  and  languid,  in  those  things  ‘  to  which  we  have 
already  attained;’  but  still  continue  to  ‘walk  by  the  same  rule,  and 
mind  tlie  same  things,’  that  we  may  make  a  perpetual  progress  in  the 
divine  life,  and  secure,  as  it  were,  every  post  of  which  we  have  got  pos¬ 
session.  Let  us  then  assiduously  endeavor  to  walk  after  the  example  of 
apostles  and  evangelists,  that  our  conduct  may  be  meet  for  others  to 
copy  with  advantage;  (Note,  1  Th.  1:5 — 8.)  for  alas  !  in  every  age,  there 
are  professors  of  the  Gospel,  of  whom  the  humble,  zealous  Christian  can 
scarcely  think  or  speak,  without  sorrow  and  weeping.  Scott. 


Philippi.  The  ‘  true  yoke-fellow,’  or  genuine  associate  in  the  work  of 
Christ,  whom  the  apostle  addressed  without  naming,  was  doubtless 
well  known  at  Philippi,  though  our  conjectures  respecting  him  must  be 
precarious.  Some  think,  he  was  husband  to  one  of  tlie  women  above 
mentioned,  others  that  he  was  some  eminent  minister  at  Philippi. 
— Clement  ]  It  is  not  certain  that  this  was  Clemens  Romanos,  an 
epistle  of  whose  writing  is  yet  extant ;  but  it  is  generally  supposed  that 
the  apostle  meant  him. — '3)  True  yoke-fellow.]  The  words  may  be 
used  in  the  feminine  ;  but  they  far  more  naturally  lead  the  mind  to  think 
of  a  male  associate.  Labored.]  See  on  1:27.  (Note,  1:27 — 30.)  It  sig¬ 
nifies  to  wrestle  together,  to  make  painful,  earnest,  and  perilous  exer¬ 
tions,  witli  union  and  concert,  in  order  to  accomplish  an  important 
object.  Scott. 

(3.)  ‘  Unworthy  members  might  be  erased  from  the  list.  Rev.  3 .5. 

Bl.— Whose,  names.]  ‘As  I  have  reason  in  charity  to  hope;  and  we 
have  no  reason  to  conclude  Paul  had  any  particular  reveiatio  a 
these  friends,  as  certainly  destined  to  salvation.’  Doddb.  u< 


inv.jo  It  tlO  LV/lVttllWj  uvotnivv*  ■  M  •  .  Al*  J1C  TP- 

(in  Williams )  understands  it  of  God’s  servants,  not  as  elect, 
deemed,  or  as  called,  but  as  his  professed  followers.  .  ' 

V.  4.  The  Lord.)  The  Lord  Jesus,  or  ‘  God  in  Christ,  God  become  our 
Salvation,’  is  especially  meant,  in  all  these  animating  calls  to  rejoice.  Sc. 

[4iyj 


A.  D.  65. 


PHILIPPIANS,  IV. 


True  virtue,  in  all  respects ,  obligatory. 


5  Let  your  moderation  bbe  knowfi 
unto  all  men :  The  Lord  cis  at  hand. 

6  Be  careful  dfor  nothing;  but 
in  every  thing  by  prayer  and  sup¬ 
plication,  with  thanksgiving,  let 
your  requests  be  made  known  unto 
God  : 

7  NAnd  the  peace  8  of  God,  which 
passeth  all  understanding,  shall 
keep  your  hearts  and  minds  through 
Christ  Jesus. 

8  Finally,  brethren,  whatsoever 
things  are  f  true,  whatsoever  things 
are  s  h  honest,  whatsoever  things 
are  1  just,  whatsoever  things  are 
5  pure,  whatsoever  things  are  k  love¬ 
ly,  whatsoever  things  are  of  good 
‘  report ;  if  there  be  any  m  virtue, 
and  if  there  be  any  n  praise,  think 
on  these  things. 

9  Those  things,  which  ye  have 
both  learned,  and  received,  and 
heard,  and  seen  in  me,  do  :  and 
the  God  0  of  peace  shall  be  with 
you. 

[Practical  Observations.] 

10  But  I  rejoiced  in  the  Lord 
greatly,  that  now  at  the  last  your 
care  of  me  p  hath  flourished  again  ; 
wherein  ye  were  also  careful,  but 
ye  lacked  i  opportunity. 


b  1  Co.  9:25. 
e  Re.  22:7, SO. 
d  Mat.  6:25. 

1  Pe.  5:7. 
e  Is.  26:3. 

Jn.  14:27. 
f  Ep.  4:25. 


g  or,  venerable. 
L  2  Co.  8:21. 

1  De.  16:20. 

Is.  26:7. 

)  Ja.  3:17. 

I  Jn.  3:3. 
k  l  Co.  c.  13. 


1  Col.  4:5. 

He.  11.2. 
m  2  Pe.  1:3,4. 
n  Ro.  13:3. 
o  He.  13:20. 
p  or, is  revived. 
q  2  Co.  6,7. 


privilege  to  rejoice  in  God,  and  to  rejoice  in 
Him  always;  at  all  times,  in  all  conditions; 
even  when  we  suffer  for  Ilim,  or  are  afflict¬ 
ed  by  Him.  There  is  enough  in  God  to 
furnish  us  with  matter  of  joy  in  the  worst 
circumstances  on  earth.  He  had  said  it  be¬ 
fore,  ch.  3:  1.  Here  he  says  it  again.  Joy 


in  God  is  a  duty  of  great  consequence  in  the 
Christian  life  ;  and  Christians  need  to  be 
again  and  again  called  to  it.  If  good  men 
have  not  a  continual  feast,  it  is  their  own 
fault. 

IV.  We  are  here  exhorted  to  candor, 

gentleness,  and  good  temper  towards  our 
brethren,  v.  5.  1  In  things  indifferent,  do 

not  run  into  extremes  ;  avoid  bigotry  and 
animosity;  judge  charitably  concerning  one 
another.’  The  word  signifies  a  good  dispo¬ 
sition  towards  other  men;  and  this  modera¬ 
tion  is  explained,  Rom. 14.  Some  understand 
it  of  patiently  bearing  afflictions,  or  sober 
enjoyment  of  worldly  good  ;  and  so  it  well 
agrees  with  the  following  v.  The  reason  is. 
The  Lord  is  at  hand.  The  consideration  of 
our  Master’s  approach,  and  our  final  ac¬ 
count,  should  keep  us  from  smiting  our 
fellow-servants,  support  us  tinder  present  suf¬ 
ferings,  and  moderate  our  affections  to  out¬ 
ward  good. 

V.  Here  is  a  caution  against  disquieting, 
perplexing  care,  v.  6.  the  same  expression 
with  that,  Mat.  6:25.  Take  no  thought  for 
your  life,  i.  e.  anxious  care  and  distracting 
thoughts  in  the  wants  and  difficulties  of  life. 
Observe,  The  duty  and  interest  of  Chris¬ 
tians,  is,  to  live  without  care.  A  care  of 
diligence  is  our  duty,  and  consists  in  a  wise 
forecast  and  due  concern;  but  a  care  of  dif¬ 
fidence  and  distrust  is  our  sin  and  folly,  and 
only  perplexes  and  distracts  the  mind. 

VI.  As  a  sovereign  antidote  against 
perplexing  care,  he  recommends  constant 
prayer  ;  In  everything  by  prayer  and  sup¬ 
plication,  with  thanksgiving,  let  your  requests 
be  made  known  to  God.  Observe,  1.  We 
must  pray  not  only  at  stated  times,  but  on 
every  particular  emergence.  2.  We  must 
join  thanksgiving  with  our  prayers  ;  grate¬ 
ful  acknowledgments  of  what  we  have,  ar¬ 
gue  a  right  disposition  of  mind,  and  are 
prevailing  motives  for  further  blessings. 
3.  Prayer  is  offering  up  our  desires  to  God, 
or  making  them  known  to  Him  ;  not  that 
God  needs  to  be  told  either  our  wants  or  de¬ 
sires  ;  but  He  will  know  them  from  us,  have 
us  [be  constantly  in  this  spiritual  state] 


show  our  regards,  and  express  our  value  of 
the  mercy,  and  sense  of  our  dependence  on 
Him.  4.  The  effect  of  this  will  be  tbo 
peace  of  God  keeping  our  hearts,  v.  7.  the 
comfortable  sense  of  our  reconciliation  to 
God,  and  interest  in  his  favor,  and  the  hope 
of  blessedness,  and  enjoyment  of  God  here¬ 
after,  which  passeth  all  understanding,  a 
greater  good  than  can  be  sufficiently  valued 
or  duly  expressed. 

VII.  We  are  exhorted  to  get  and  keep  a 
good  name;  a  name  for  good  things  with 
God  and  good  men,  v.  8.  a  regard  to  truth 
in  our  words  and  engagements,  and  to  de¬ 
cency  and  becomingness  in  our  behavior, 
snitable  to  our  circumstances  and  condition 
of  life  ;  justice  and  righteousness  in  our 
dealings  with  men;  without  the  impurity  or 
mixture  of  sin  ;  things  that  will  render  us 
beloved,  and  make  us  well  spoken,  as  well 
as  well  thought  of,  by  others.  If  there  is 
any  virtue,  any  praise,  anything  really  vir¬ 
tuous  and  worthy  of  commendation,  think 
on  these  things,  imitate  them.  Virtue  has 
its  praise,  and  will  have.  We  should  walk 
in  all  her  ways,  and  abide  therein  ;  then, 
whether  our  praise  be  of  men  or  no,  it  will 
be  of  God,  Rom.  2:'29. 

In  these  things  he  proposes  himself  for 
an  example,  v.  9.  Paul’s  doctrine  and  life 
were  of  a  piece.  What  they  saw  in  him, 
was  the  same  thing  with  what  they  heard 
from  him.  He  eould  propose  himself  as 
well  as  his  doctrine  to  their  imitation.  It 
gives  great  force  to  what  we  say  to  others, 
vvhen’we  can  appeal  to  what  they  have  seen 
in  us.  And  this  is  the  way  to  have  the 
God  of  peace  with  us, — to  keep  close  to  our 
duty  to  Him.  The  Lord  is  with  us  while  we 
are  with  Him , 

V.  10 — 19.  In  these  vs.  the  apostle, 

I.  Acknowledges  their  former  kindnesses 
to  him,  v.  15, 16.  Paul  had  a  grateful  spirit : 
his  friends  did  nothing  for  him  in  compari¬ 
son  of  what  he  deserved  from  them ;  yet  he 
speaks  of  their  kindness  as  if  it  had  been  a 
generous  charity,  when  it  was  really  far 
short  of  a  just  debt.  Surely  never  was  a 
present  so  well  repaid. 


PRACT  OBS.  V.  1 — 9.  Affectionate  ministers,  like  tender  parents, 
can  scarcely  find  words  empbatical  enough  to  express  their  love,  and 
their  fervent  desires  after  the  felicity  of  those,  whom  they  regard  as  their 
present  ‘joy,’  and  their  future  ‘crown.’  They  so  love  the  blessed  of¬ 
fice  of  peace-makers,  that  they  will  even  supplicate,  by  name,  their 
own  children,  to  ‘be  of  one  mind  in  the  Lord  ;’  and  they  so  much  de¬ 
sire  liie  success  of  every  good  work,  that  they  use  all  their  influence  to 
excite  every  one  ‘  to  help  ail  those,  who  labor’  in  any  way  to  promote 
the  Gospel,  and  thus  give  assurance  that  ‘their  names  are  written  in 
the  book  of  life.’  This  affectionate  spirit  should  be  cultivated,  and 
sought  in  constant  prayer,  by  all  ministers,  as  peculiarly  conducive  to 
usefulness. — Believers  have  always  ground  of  ‘  rejoicing  in  the  Lord,’ 
though  they  are  not  always  able  to  rejoice  ;  the  perfection  of  their  duty, 
and  the  full  enjoyment  of  their  privilege,  are  precisely  the  same ;  their 
disconsolations  arise  from  weakness  of  faith  and  grace,  and  they  should 
be  called  upon  to  ‘  rejoice  in  the  Lord  ahvav,’  though  they'  be  not  able 
to  come  up  to  the  standard  that  they  may  aim  high  :  for  the  nearer  they 
come  to  it,  the  more  will  God  be  glorified  in  and  by  them.  Living  upon 
these  holy,  satisfying,  and  substantial  joys,  vve  should  make  it  appear, 

V.  5 — 7.  Peace  of  Uod.]  This  peace  is  ‘my  peace,’  says  Jesus;  it 
is  the  ‘  fruit  of  the  Spirit ;  ’  it  is  ‘  the  peace  of  God.’ — (5j  Moderation.] 
‘It  means,  meekness  under  provocation, readiness  to  forgive  injuries, 
equity  in  the  management  of  business,  candor  in  judging  characters  and 
actions,  ..  .sweetness  of  disposition,  and  the  entire  government  of  the 
passions.’  Mackn.  ‘Equity,  a  mind  moderate  as  to  the  things  of  this 
life,  and  by  no  means  strictly  exacting  what  is  justly  due.’  Beza. — ‘The 
Lord  is  at  hand,’  (5)  or  near.  Some  understand  the  clause  of  his  being 
a  present  help  in  trouble.  Others  suppose  the  apostle  meant,  that  the 
Lord  would  speedily  come  to  destroy  Jerusalem,  and  deprive  the  Jews 
of  that  power  and  influence,  by  which  they  became  the  general  instiga¬ 
tors  of  persecution.  Probably  this  interpretation  wns  adopted,  lest  it 
should  be  inferred,  that  the  apostle  erroneously  supposed  the  day  of 
judgment  to  be  near  at  hand  ;  but  it  is  by  no  means  satisfactory.  It  is, 
however,  the  manner  of  the  sacred  writers,  to  consider  all  temporal 
things  as  short,  mid  the  end  of  them  as  ‘  at  hand,’  and  ‘  the  Judge  as  at 
the  door;’  and,  seeing  death  is  the  same,  in  a  great  measure,  to  indi¬ 
viduals,  as  judgment  will  be  to  the  world  at  large,  their  language  is  in 
this  respect  highly  suitable  and  proper. — (C)  With  thanks  giving.]  ‘  Tims 
David,  very  often  beginning  with  lamentations  and  tears,  concludes  with 
thanksgiving.’  Beza. — The  mind  and  heart  are  distinguished.  ‘The 
peace  of  God,’  and  the  happy  experience  ofit,  fortifies  nnd  garrisons  the 
intellectual  faculties,  against  the  cavils,  objections,  and  vain  reasonings 
of  infidels,  skeptics,  philosophers,  and  heretics,  and  the  affections  against 
the  allurements  and  terrors  of  worldly  objects,  and  both  mind  and  heart 
against  nil  the  temptations  of  the  devil.  Scott. 

V.  8,  9.  The  substance  of  the  practical  exhortations,  which  the  apos¬ 
tle  had  further  to  give,  might  be  comprised  in  few  words.  Whatsoever 

[420] 


that  we  are  not  of  this  world.  The  transient  joys  and  sorrows  of  the 
present  scene  are  not  worth  our  solicitude  ;  all  our  temporal  and  eternal 
interests  are  in  the  Lord’s  hands ;  xve  should  therefore  be  ‘  careful  for 
nothing,’  except  to  know  the  state  of  our  souls,  and  the  path  of  duty. 
In  all  our  sorrows,  fears,  wants,  or  trials,  we  should  ‘  make  our  requests 
known  unto  God  ;  ’  for,  though  He  knows  them  beforehand,  He  loves  to 
hear  them  from  us.— All  our  privileges,  and  salvation,  originate  xvholly 
fi-om  the  free  mercy  of  God,  yet  the  actual  enjoyment  of  them  is  inti- 
mntely  connected  with  our  holy  conversation.  Therefore,  ‘  whatsoever 
things  are  true,’  venerable,  just,  pure,  loving,  ‘  lovely,  or  of  good  report,’ 
whatsoever  is  virtuous  and  commendable;  whatsoever  prophets,  apos¬ 
tles,  or  martyrs  have  exemplified  ;  whatsoever  excellency  we  have 
heard  and  read  of,  or  xvilnessed,  in  the  conduct  of  the  saints  ;  nay,  what¬ 
ever  things  the  world,  on  good  grounds,  regards  and  approves  as  vir¬ 
tuous  and  commendable;  these  things  we  should  continually  think  of, 
and  diligently  practice,  and  in  this  way  we  may  confidently  expect,  and 
shall  doubtless  experience,  tbe  presence  and  blessing  of  the  God  of  peace 
and  love,  in  every  circumstance  of  life  and  death.  Scott. 


tempers,  words,  or  actions,  in  any  way  expressed  truth,  candor,  sincer¬ 
ity,  or  fidelity;  whatsoever  appeared  grave,  ‘venerable,’  or  respectable  ; 
whatsoever  was  just  and  upright,  stamped  with  probity  and  integrity; 
whatsoever  evinced  purity,  chastity,  and  temperance;  whatsoever  was 
amiable,  or  friendly  ;  whatsoever  was  justly  of  good  report,  and  ap¬ 
proved  ns  virtuous  or  commendable,  among  men  ;  let  the  I’hilippiaus 
continually  ‘  think  of  these  things,’  form  a  due  estimate  of  the  value  of 
each,  adopt  such  as  were  really  good,  and  manifest  them  in  every  part 
of  their  conduct.  (M.  R.  b — k.)  In  short,  let  them  practice  what  he 
had  taught  them,  and  what  they  had  receded  as  teachable  scholars ; 
what  they  had  heard  from  him,  and  witnessed  in  his  example;  then  he 
could  confidently  assure  them  of  the  comforting  and  protecting  presence 
of  their  reconciled  God, 'fas  the  Author  of  inward  and  outward  peace,) 
with  their  souls  and  in  their  assemblies.  Scott. 

V.  8.  Honest.]  ‘  Grave  and  venerable.  Lardner  well  expresses  the 
apostle’s  design  ;  “  they  should  avoid  unbecoming  levity  in  word,  action, 
habit,  and  outward  behavior,  which  tends  to  render  men  despicable.” — 
Lovely ,  friendly,  and  kind ;  this  seems  more  exact  than  lovely,  though 
there  is  certainly  a  lovely  charm  in  such  friendly  things.’  liurimt- 

V.  10—13.  (11)  Learned ,  <fec.j  lie  seems  to  have  learned  these 

things,  by  a  deep  sense  of  his  own  unworthiness,  and  his  obligations  to 
the  Lord,  by  continually  contemplating  the  poverty,  abasement,  and  suf¬ 
ferings  of  Christ,  by  a  believing  confidence  in  the  wisdom,  faithfulness, 
nnd  love  of  God,  who  ordered  all  this  concern  in  the  best  manner  possi¬ 
ble,  by  a  lively  hope  of  immortal  felicity,  and  an  ardent  desire,  by  any 
labors  or  sufferings,  to  promote  the  cause  of  Christ  in  the  world. — It  ap 
pears  to  us  wonderful,  that  the  apostle,  in  so  affluent  a  city  as  Rome, 
where  a  flourishing  church  of  Christ  had  been  for  a  considerable  time 


A.  D.  65. 


PHILIPPIANS,  IV. 


Paul's  grateful  acknowledgment i. 


11  Not  that  I  speak  in  respect  of 
want :  for  I  have  learned,  in  what¬ 
soever  state  I  am,  therewith  to  be 
'content. 

12  I  know  both  how  to  be  abased, 
and  I  know  how  to  abound  :  every 
where,  and  in  all  things,  1  am  in¬ 
structed,  both  to  be  full  and  to  be 
hungry,  both  to  abound  and  to  suf¬ 
fer  need. 

13  I  can  .  do  all  things  through 
•Christ  which  strengthened]  me. 

14  Notwithstanding,  ye  have  well 
done  that  ye  did  communicate  with 
my  affliction. 

15  Now,  ye  Philippians,  know 
also,  that  in  the  beginning  of  the 
gospel,  when  I  departed  from  Mac¬ 
edonia,  no  'church  communicated 
with  me  as  concerning  giving  and 
receiving,  but  ye  only. 

16  For  even  in  Thessalonica  ye 
sent  once  and  again  unto  my  ne¬ 
cessity. 

17  Not  because  I  desire  a  gift ; 
but  I  desire  fruit  that  may  abound 
to  your  account. 

18  But  u  I  have  all,  and  abound  : 

I  am  full,  having  received  of  Epaph- 
roditus  the  things  which  were  sent 
from  you,  an  odor  of  a  sweet  smell, 
a  sacrifice  ’  acceptable,  well-pleas¬ 
ing  to  God. 

19  But  my  God  shall. supply  w  all 
your  need,  according  to  his  riches 
*in  glory  by  Christ  Jesus. 

20  Now  y  unto  God  and  our 
Father  be  glory  for  ever  and  ever. 
Amen. 

21  Salute  every  saint  in  Christ 
Jesus.  The  brethren  which  are 
with  me  greet  you. 

r  He.  13:5.  u  or,  have  receiv-  w  Pa.  23:1. 

a  J».  15:5.  ed.  x  Ep.  3:16. 

2  Co.  12:9.  v  He.  13:16.  y  Ro.  16:27. 

t  2  Co.  11:8,9. 


He  reminds  them,  how  they  not  only 
maintained  him  comfortably  while  with 
them,  but  sent  tokens  of  their  kindness  after 
him,  when  he  departed  from  Macedonia;  and 
this,  when  no  other  church  did  so  besides, 
v.  15.  It  redounded  so  much  the  more  to 
their  honor,  that  they  were  the  only  church 
who  were  thus  just  and  generous.  Even  in 
Thessalonica  (after  he  was  departed  from 
Macedonia)  ye  sent  once  and  again  to  my 
necessity ,  v.  16.  It  is  an  excellent  thing  to 
see  those  to  whom  God  has  abounded  in  the 


gifts  of  his  grace,  abounding  in  grateful  re¬ 
turns  to  his  people  and  ministers,  according 
to  their  own  ability,  and  their  necessity  ; 
Ye  sent  once  and  again.  Many  people  ex¬ 
cuse  their  charity,  that  they  have  given  once ; 
but  the  Philippians  often  relieved  and  re¬ 
freshed  Paul  in  his  necessities.  He  makes 
this  mention  of  their  former  kindness,  not 
.only  in  his  own  gratitude,  but  for  their 
encouragement. 

II.  He  excuses  their  neglect  of  late.  It 
seems,  fur  some  time,  thev  had  not  sent  to 
inquire  after  him,  or  sent  him  anv  present  ; 
but  now,  at  the  last,  their  care  of  him  flour¬ 
ished  again,  v.  10.  like  a  tree  in  the  spring, 
which  seemed  all  the  winter  to  be  quite 
dead.  They  might  have  sent  a  messenger 
on  purpose.  But  the  apostle  is  willing  to 
suppose,  in  favor  of  them,  that  they  would 
have  done  it  if  a  fair  opportunity  had  offered. 
How  contrary  is  this  to  the  conduct  of  many 
to  their  friends,  by  whom  neglects,  which 
really  are  excusable,  are  resented  very 
heinously. 

III.  He  commends  their  present  liberal¬ 
ity,  v.  14.  It  is  good  to  help  a  good  min¬ 
ister  in  trouble.  Here  see  the  nature  of 
true  Christian  sympathy  ;  not  only  to  be 
concerned  for  our  friends  in  their  troubles, 
but  to  do  what  we  can  to  help  them,  Ja. 
2:16.  He  rejoiced  greatly  in  it,  v.  10.  be¬ 
cause  it  was  an  evidence  of  their  affection 
to  him,  and  the  success  of  his  ministry 
among  them. 

IV.  He  obviates  the  ill  use  some  might 
make  of  his  taking  so  much  notice  of  what 
was  sent  him.  It  did  not  proceed  either 
from  discontent  and  distrust,  v.  11.  or  from 
covetousness,  and  love  of  the  world,  v.  12. 

1.  Not  from  discontent,  or  distrust  of 
Providence,  v.  11.  not  in  respect  of  any 
want  he  felt,  or  of  any  he  feared.  As  to 
the  former,  he  was  content  with  the  little  he 
had  ;  as  to  the  latter,  he  ^upended  on  the 
providence  of  God  to  provide  for  him  from 
day  to  day.  We  have  here  an  account  of 
Paul’s  learning,  not  what  he  got  at  the  feet 
of  Gamaliel,  but  of  Christ.  He  was  in 
bonds,  and  imprisonments,  and  necessities, 
often;  but  in  all  he  had  learnt  to  be  content, 
to  bring  his  mind  to  his  condition,  and  to 
make  the  best  of  it,  v.  12.  This  is  a  spe¬ 
cial  act  of  grace,  to  accommodate  ourselves 
to  every  condition  of  life,  and  carry  an  equal 
temper  of  mind  through  all  the  varieties  of 
our  state.  In  prosperity,  not  to  be  proud 
and  secure,  is  as  hard,  as,  in  adversity,  not 
to  lose  comfort  in  God,  and  distrust  his 
providence.  And  how  must  we  learn  it  1 
v.  13.  We  need  strength  from  Christ,  to 
enable  us  to  perform  not  only  those  duties 
which  are  purely  Christian,  but  even  those 
which  are  the  fruit  of  moral  virtue.  We 
need  his  strength  to  teach  us  to  be  content 
in  every  condition.  The  apostle  had  seemed 


to  boast  of  himself,  and  of  his  own  strength, 
v.  12.  but  here  transfers  all  praise  to  Christ. 
The  word  in  the  original  is  a  participle  of 
the  present  tense,  and  denotes  a  present  and 
continued  act  ;  ‘  Through  Christ,  strength¬ 
ening  me  continually,  by  his  constant,  re¬ 
newed  strength,  I  am  enabled  to  act  in  every¬ 
thing  ;  I  wholly  depend  on  Him  for  all  my 
spiritual  power.’ 

2.  Not  fro*  covetousness,  or  an  affection 
to  worldly  wealth;  Not  because  I  desire  a  gift, 
v.  17.  i.e.‘  I  welcome  your  kindness,  not  be¬ 
cause  it  adds  to  my  enjoyments,  but  because 
it^adds  to  your  account.’  He  desired  it  not 
so  much  for  his  own  sake,  but  theirs  ;  fruit 
that  may  abound  to  your  account  ;  it.  is  not 
with  any  design  to  draw  more  from  you,  but 
to  encourage  you  to  such  an  [habitual]  ex¬ 
ercise  of  beneficence,  as  will  [be  its  own] 
glorious  reward  hereafter.  ‘  For  my  part,’ 
says  he,  ‘  I  have  all,  and  abound,'  v.  IS. 
They  sent  him  a  small  token,  and  he  de¬ 
sired  no  more  ;  he  was  not  solicitous  for  a 
present  superfluity,  or  a  future  supply  ;  I 
am  full,  having  received  from  Epaphroditus 
the  things  which  were  sent  from  you.  Note, 
A  good  man  will  soon  have  enough  of  this 
world  ;  not  only  of  living  in  it,  but  of  re¬ 
ceiving  from  it.  A  covetous  worldling,  if 
he  has  ever  so  much,  would  still  have  more; 
but  a  heavenly  Christian,  though  he  has 
little,  has  enough. 

V.  The  apostle  assures  them,  that  God 
did  accept,  and  would  recompense,  their 
kindness  to  him. 

1.  He  did  accept  it  ;  It  is  an  odor  of  a 
sweet  smell ;  a  sacrifice,  acceptable,  t cell- 
pleasing  to  God.  Not  a  sacrifice  of  atone¬ 
ment,  for  none  makes  atonement  for  sin  but 
Christ;  but  a  sacrifice  of  acknowledgment, 
and  well-pleasing  to  God.  It  was  more  ac¬ 
ceptable  to  God  as  the  fruit  of  their  grace, 
than  to  Paul  as  the  supply  of  his  want. 
With  such  sacrifices  God  is  well  pleased, 
Heb.  13: 16. 

2.  He  would  recompense  it,  v.  19.  1  He 

shall  do  it,  not  only  as  your  God,  but  as  my 
God,  who  takes  what  is  done  to  me  as  done 
to  Himself.  You  supplied  mv  needs,  accord¬ 
ing  to  your  poverty  ;  and  He  shall  supply 
yours,  according  to  his  riches.’  But  still 
it  is  by  Christ  Jesus:  through  Him  we  have 
grace  to  do  that  which  is  good,  and  through 
Him  we  must  expect  the  reward  of  it.  Not 
of  debt,  but  of  grace;  for  the  more  we  do 
for  God,  the  more  we  are  indebted  to  Him, 
because  we  receive  the  more  from  Him. 

V.  20 — 23.  The  apostle  concludes: 

1.  With  praises  to  God,  v.  20.  as  our 
Father,  a  relation  of  great  condescension  in 
God,  and  of  great  encouragement  to  us  ;  we 
should  look  upon  God.under  all  our  weakness 
and  fears,  not  as  a  tyrant  or  an  enemy,  but  as 
a  Father,  who  is  disposed  to  pity  and  help  us. 
2.  With  salutations  to  his  friends  at  Phi- 


established,  and  even  after  his  imprisonment  for  the  Gospel  had  excited 
very -great  attention,  among  large  multitudes,  should  want  the  necessa¬ 
ries  or  comforts  of  life.  But  the  Gentiles,  in  general,  were  little  in  the 
habit  of  giving  to  the  poor,  or  contributing  to  the  support  of  the  minis¬ 
ters  of  religion;  and  the  apostle,  like  Elisha  in  respect  of  Naamnn, 
would  be  extremely  careful  not  to  excite  their  prejudices,  or  interrupt 
the  success  of  the  Gospel,  by  his  own  concerns  ;  so  that,  probably,  it 
was  not  generally  known  that  he  was  in  want.  The  Christians  at 
Rome,  as  in  other  places,  were,  it  may  be  supposed,  chiefly  of  the  lower 
orders,  and  they  had  already  to  provide  for  their  own  pastors,  the  poor, 
and  the  expenses  of  their  religious  worship.  Yet,  after  all  these  consid¬ 
erations  have  been  allowed  their  full  weight,  not  only  the  disinterested¬ 
ness  of  the  apostle,  but  the  inattention,  to  say  no  more,  of  the  Christians, 
cannot  but  excite  our  astonishment  ! — [  am  instructed.]  A  reference  is 
made  to  the  initiation  of  select  persons  into  certain  concealed  mysteries, 
among  the  heathen.  There  is  reason  to  believe,  that  these  celebrated 
mysteries  contained  much  evil,  and  little  or  no  good  ;  but  the  mystery 
of  the  life  of  faith,  submission  to  God,  and  reliance  on  Him,  was  of  a 
higher  and  nobler  nature. — (11)  To  he  content.]  The  seat  of  his  satis¬ 
faction  is  in  himself,  independent  of  creatures,  but  derived  from  God, 
and  sustained  by  Him.  Scott. 

(10.)  HI.  remarks  here  the  dignified  delicacy  of  the  apostle;  also  at 
v.  11.  such  a  mixture  of  dignity  and  delicacy  as  is  rarely  to  be  met  with 
in  the  most  finished  compositions.  Ed. — 1  The  apostle  likened  the  Pliil- 
lippians’  care  of  him  to  a  plant,  which  withers  and  dies  in  winter,  but 
growelh  in  the  following  year ;  or  to  trees,  which,  after  their  leaves 
drop  in  the  autumn,  put  them  forth  again  in  spring.  Lest,  however,  the 
Philippians  might  think  this  expression  insinuated  a  complaint,  that  they 
had  been  negligent  latterly,  the  apostle  immediately  added,  that  they 


had  always  been  careful  to  supply  his  wants,  but  had  not  bad  an  oppor¬ 
tunity  till  now.’  Macknight. 

V.  14 — 20.  Nothing  could  more  fully  show  the  peculiar  confidence 
the  apostle  had,  concerning  the  Christians  at  Philippi,  (as  well  as  the 
fervor  of  his  prayer  for  them,)  than  this  conduct  in  receiving  support 
from  them,  and  so  long  after  thus  acknowledging  it.  Thessalonica  was 
indeed  a  larger  city  than  Philippi,  but  probably  the  converts  to  Chris¬ 
tianity  were  poorer,  and  perhaps  they  had  not  been  so  fully  proved, 
when  he  was  driven  from  them,  as  the  Philippians  had  been  2  Cor.  8: 
1 — 5. — As  Thessalonica  was  the  chief  city  of  Macedonia,  at  which  Paul 
continued  some  time,  it  has  been  supposed  that  the  clause,  ‘  when  1  de¬ 
parted  from  Macedonia,’  relates  to  a  supply  sent  to  him,  alter  he  was 
gone  into  Achaia,  distinct  from  what  had  been  sent  him  in  Thessalonica. 
—The  language  used,  concerning  the  conduit  of  the  Philippians,  being 
in  the  most  emphatical  terms  the  same  which  is  used  concerning  the 
atonement  of  Christ,  ( Eph .  5:2.)  is  wonderful ;  and  it  shows  how  pleas¬ 
ing  real  good  works,  ‘  the  fruits  of  the  Spirit,’  are  to  God,  through  Jesus 
Christ.  Hcb.  6:9,10.  13.15,16.  Scott. 

(15.)  Giving  and  receiving. |  ‘  Doseos,  llpseBs:  mercantile  terms  ot 

credit  and  receipt.  If  anything  was  given,  it  was  not  worth  noting  or 
putting  down,  i.  e.  in  the  account  book,  denoted  by  logon,  as  at  v.  11.’ 
See  Bl.  .  .  E»- 

V.  21,22.  ‘The  brethren,’  may  here  either  mean  the  ministers  at 
Rome,  or  such  of  the  apostle's  friends,  as  were  come  from  other  parts  to 
be  with  him. — There  were  true  ‘  saints  in  Nero’s  household,  who  kept 
their  places,  and  served  Christ  in  that  most  perilous  and  ensnaring  situ¬ 
ation,  as  Daniel  did  In  the  court  of  Nebuchadnezzar  and  Darius.  Dan. 
4 — 6. — It  is  probable,  that  they  were  generally  in  inferior  stations. 

Scott. 

[421] 


A.  D.  63. 


PHILIPPIANSj  IV. 


Salutation  and  benediction. 


22  All  the  saints  salute  you,  chiefly 
they  that  are  of  Cesar’s  household. 

23  The  grace  of  our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ  be  with  you  all.  Amen. 

IT  It  was  written  to  the  Philippians 
from  Rome,  by  Epaphroditus. 


lippi,  v.  21.  lie  desires  remembrances,  not 
only  to  the  bishops  and  deacons,  and  the 
church  in  general,  but  to  every  particular 
saint.  Paul  had  a  kind  affection  to  all  good 
Christians.  3.  He  sends  salutations  from 
those  who  were  at  Rome  ;  all  the  saints, 
chiefly  the  Christian  converts  who  belonged 
to  the  emperor’s  court.  The  Gospel  early  | 


obtained  among  some  of  the  rich  and  great. 
Chiefly  they,  &c.  Observe,  They,  being 
bred  at  court,  were  more  complaisant  than 
the  rest.  See  what  an  ornament  to  religion 
sanctified  civility  is.  4.  The  apostolical 
benediction,  as  usual  :  ‘  the  free  favor  and 
good-will  of  Christ  be  your  portion  and 
|  happiness  !’ 


TRACT.  OBS.  V.  10—23.  S#en  those  who  on  the  whole  prosper  in 
religion,  have  their  winters,  as  well  as  their  spring  seasons  ;  sometimes 
their  zeal  and  love  seem  to  languish,  and  then  again  at  last  they  'flour¬ 
ish  ’  more  abundantly.  Yet  they  often  ‘  lack  opportunity,’  when  they 
perhaps  are  judged  inattentive  ;  and  faithiul  ministers  may  sometimes 
suspect  or  mourn  over  them,  when,  if  they  knew  all,  they  might  be  re¬ 
joicing  greatly  in  the  Lord  for  them.  We  should,  however,  confide  in 
God  alone,  for  human  friendships  are  precarious.— It  is  a  great  and  ex¬ 
ceedingly  rare  and  difficult  attainment,  to  ‘  learn,  in  whatever  state  we 
are,  therewith  to  he  content.’  Pritle,  unbelief,  a  vain  hankering  after 
something  unpossessed,  a  fickle,  sickly  disrelish  of  present  comforts,  and 
tlie  tedious  repetition  of  the  same  actions  and  scenes  which  no  longer 
give  pleasure,  render  men  naturally  discontented  in  the  most  favorable 
circumstances;  and  their  continual  shiftings,  from  one  thing  to  another, 
resemble  the  tossing  to  and  fro  of  a  man  in  a  fever,  who  imputes  his 
restlessness  to  his  posture ,  rather  than  to  his  disease.  The  discontented 
spirit,  then,  is  the  effect  of  inward  disease ,  not  of  outward  circum¬ 
stances  ;  and  content  must  spring  from  inward  health  of  soul,  even  from 
holiness.  It  requires  much  humility,  spirituality,  faith,  and  resigna¬ 
tion,  to  render  us  contented  in  our  appointed  situations.  Probably,  few 
Christians,  who  even  enjoy  liberty  and  plenty,  can  sincerely  and  unre¬ 
servedly  adopt  the  language  of  Paul,  the  indigent  prisoner  of  Jesus 
Christ.  We  ought,  however,  to  study  this  important  lesson;  we  can 
indeed  of  ourselves  ‘  do  nothing  ;  ’  but  we  may  do  all  things  through 


Christ,  who  inwardly  strengthens  his  people,  in  proportion  as  they  sim¬ 
ply  depend  on  Him.  He  can  teach  and  enable  his  ministers  to  live  in 
poverty  among  the  affluent,  without  grudging,  envying,  coveting,  or  re¬ 
pining,  even  when  they  have  an  equitable  claim  on  them  for  a  portion 
of  their  abundance.  Indeed,  we  should  peculiarly  aim  at  this,  if  we 
would  be  examples  to  the  flock,  and  convince  the  wealthy  that  we 
‘seek  not  theirs  but  them.’ — Notwithstanding  this,  the  people  should  be 
taught,  that  ‘they  do  well  in  communicating  to  the  wants’  of  their 
faithful  pastors,  who  are  justly  entitled  to  liberal  assistance,  in  propor¬ 
tion  as  they  are  willing  to  1  endure  all  things,  rather  than  hinder  the 
Gospel  of  Christ.’  (Note,  I  Cor.  9:7 — 23.)  And  those  who  distinguish 
themselves  in  such  services,  from  pure  motives,  shall  be  1  had  in  ever¬ 
lasting  remembrance.’ — Pride,  rather  than  disinterestedness;  sometimes 
induces  men,  when  in  actual  straits,  to  refuse  or  decline  such  help,  as  is 
offered  them  in  the  most  unexceptionable  manner;  but  still  more  evi¬ 
dently,  it  is  this  evil  principle,  which  makes  them  unwilling  to  acknowl¬ 
edge  the  favors  they  have  received. — Whether  saints  reside  in  palaces, 
cottages,  or  dungeons,  communion  should  be  maintained  among  them,  by 
mutual  prayers,  salutations,  and  kindnesses.  The  Lord  will  have  some 
to  honor  Him  in  every  situation,  and  He  can  preserve  them  unhurt  in 
their  proper  places,  however  perilous,  by  the  power  which  protected  the 
three  young  men  in  the  fiery  furnace,  Dan.  3:  for  ‘  the  grace  of  our  Lord 
Jesus  Christ’  will  be  with  all  his  true  people,  wherever  dispersed,  or 
however  distinguished,  and  prove  eventually  ‘ sufficient  for  them.’  Sc. 


(21,22.)  The  brethren  ...  all  the  saints.]  ‘From  this  distinction,  I  Rapliel,  so  some;  others,  with  more  probability,  explain,  Cesar’s  [i.  e. 
conclude  that  it  is  highly  probable,  the  ministers  at  Rome  were  called  the  Roman  emperor’s]  domestics  and  ministers,  especially  freed-men. 
brethren.’  Doddr.  after  Pierce.  See  Jos.  and  Philo.  The  domus  Ccsaris  often  occurs  in  the  inscrip- 

(22.)  Of  Cesar's  house.]  ‘  Kaisaros  oikias  ••  relatives  of  Cesar,  see  lions,  and  the  oikia  Kaisaros  in  the  Greek  historians,  as  Dio  Cass.’  Bl. 


(Note  on  Christian  Union,  Continued  from  p.  377.) 

III.  ‘  The  importance  and  duty  of  unity  is  further  demonstrated,  by  the 
baneful  effects  of  sectarian  divisions. 

‘  They  tend  to  destroy  that  community  of  interest,  and  sympathy  of 
feelinx  which  the  Savior  and  his  apostles  so  urgently  inculcate.  How 
fervently  does  our  blessed  Lord  supplicate  (Jn.  17:20,  21.)  for  the  unity 
of  all  his  followers  !  “  Neither  pray  I  for  these  (the  apostles)  alone,  but 

for  them  also  who  believe  on  Me  through  their  word ;  that  they  may  all 
be  one,  as  Thou  Father  art  in  .  Me  and  I  in  Thee,”  —  that  there  may  be 
among  them  that  unity  of  counsel,  of  feeling,  of  purpose,  of  action, 
which  exists  between  the  Father  and  the  Son.  What  can  be  more  rea¬ 
sonable  ?  If  all  his  disciples,  all  who  “believe  in  Him  through  the 
Word,”  are  hereafter  to  inhabit  the  same  heaven,  to  surround  the  same 
throne  ofGod  and  the  Lamb!  No!  sectarianism  is  an  acknowledged  and, — 
ala3  that  it  should  be  so, — a  cherished  trait  of  the  church  on  earth,  which 
will  never,  never  be  admitted  into  heaven.  And  who  can  doubt,  that  the 
nearer  we  can  bring  the  church  on  earth  to  the  character  of  the  church 
in  heaven,  the  more  pleasing  will  she  be  to  Him  that  purchased  her  with 
his  blood.  1  Cor.  12:25.  But,  gracious  Lord!  ...  does  not  the  great 
mass  of  the  several  religious  denominations  of  our  land  exhibit  anything 
else  than  “  the  same  care  ”  for  the  other  members  of  Christ’s  body  ?  If 
one  denomination  suffers,  fails  of  success,  or  meets  with  disgrace  in  some 
of  its  unworthy  members,  do  not  surrounding  denominations  rather  at 
least  tacitly  and  cheerfully  acquiesce,  if  not  rejoice,  hoping  that  thus 
more  room  will  be  made  and  facility  offered  for  their  own  enlargement  ? 
We  do  not  find  that  members  of  the  same  family  thus  cordially  acqui¬ 
esce  or  triumph  in  each  other’s  misfortune  or  disgrace.  If  one  brother  is 
visited  bj>  any  calamity,  if  he  falls  a  victim  to  intemperance,  and  bears 
about  in  his  bloated  face  the  ensign  of  his  disgrace,  do  we  not  rather  sym¬ 
pathize,  feel  hurt  ourselves,  and  mourn  over  his  downfall  ?  Thus  ought 
it  to  be  among  all  who  deserve  the  name  of  Christ.  Thus  would  it  be, 
if  the  community  of  interest,  in  the  Savior’s  family,  had  not  been  im¬ 
paired  by  sectarian  divisions,  which  place  several  distinct  religious  fami¬ 
lies  on  the  same  ground,  with  separate  pecuniary  interests,  with  con¬ 
flicting  prejudices,  with  rival,  sectarian  aims  !  In  the  apostolic  age,  and 
for  centuries  after  it,  only  one  Christian  church  occupied  the  same  field, 
and  thus  three  fourths  of  the  causes  which  orisinate  contention  among 
modern  Christians,  were  avoided.  Again,  sectarian  divisions  impede 
the  impartial  study  of  the  sacred  volume ,  by  ministers  and  laymen. 
[See  Guide  to  Study  of  Bible,  (Supplement  to  Comp.  Com.)  p.  23.]  The 
doctrines  believed  by  what  are  termed  the  orthodox  churches,  as  well  as 
their  forms  of  government  and  worship,  may  be  divided  into  two  class¬ 
es,  those  which  are  undisputed,  and  held  by  all  in  common,  and  those 
which  are  disputed  by  some  of  them,  and  which  distinguish  the  sects 
from  eaclvother.  The  sectarian  principle  builds  a  wall  of  defence  around 
the  peculiar  opinions  of  each  sect.  It  enlists  all  Christians  in  defence 
of  the  peculiarities  of  their  denominations,  and  creates  powerful  motives 
of  a  self-interested  and  unholy  character  in  vindication  of  these  peculiar¬ 
ities,  rather  than  of  the  grand  truths  of  Christianity,  which  are  essential 
to  the  salvation  of  all ;  motives  which  appenl  to  the  pride  of  some,  [the 
love  of  power  in  others,]  she  avarice  of  others,  and  the  ambition  [and 
vanity]  of  a  fourth  class.  Each  member  is  taught  by  the  very  princi¬ 
ples  of  his  [selfish  and]  sinful  nature,  to  feel  identified  with  the  peculiar 
interests  of  his  sect.  His  xranity  is  flattered  by  the  supposed  respecta¬ 
bility  of  his  sect,  his  ambition  is  at  least  tempted  by  the  prospect  of  ex¬ 
haled  influence,  [admiration,]  or  distinction  in  the  ministry,  or  as  a  lay¬ 
man  in  the  ecclesiastical  councils  of  his  extensive  and  respectable  church; 
and  his  avarice  is  concerned  in  diminishing  his  own  expenses,  by  the  in¬ 
creasing  numbers  of  his  fellow-members  ;  or,  if  a  minister,  by  the  ample 
support  he  may  obtain.  We  would  not  insinuate,  that  all  Christians  are 
influenced  by  these  unamiable  motives;  nor  that  any  true  disciple  of  the 
Savior  is  mainly  actuated  by  them.  But  we  fear,  that  the  majority  of 
professors  in  the  church  are  more  influenced  hy  these  secular  considera¬ 
tions,  than  they  themselves  are  aware.  Accordingly,  the  peculiarities 
of  sect  acquire  a  factitious  importance,  are  often  inculcated  with  as 
much  assiduity,  as  the  great  and  cardinal  doctrines  of  the  Gospel.  End¬ 

[422] 


less  and  useless  controversies  about  these  points  agitate  the  church,  and 
disturb  her  peace.  These  peculiarities  are  instilled  into  the  tender  minds 
of  children,  and  are  often  represented  as  involving  the  marrow  of  salva¬ 
tion.  Prejudices  are  raised  in  their  behalf.  The  tenets  of  other  denomina¬ 
tions  are  often  kept  out  of  view,  [unknown,  misrepresented,]  or  stated  in 
a  manner  but  ill  calculated  for  an  impartial  investigation  of  God’s  truth. 
The  antipathies  of  the  social  circle  are  sometimes  arrayed  in  opposition, 
and,  may  I  say,  sometimes,  in  ridicule  of  other  denominations  ;  and  even 
the  gentler  sex,  sisters  of  her  of  Bethany,  who,  sitting  at  her  Master’s 
feet,  imbibed  the  [effluences]  of  his  love;  sisters  of  them,  who,  true  to 
their  affection,  were  “  Last  at  the  cross,  and  earliest  at  the  grave,”  have 
hated  [for  hatred  of  something  is  but  too  natural  to  every  human  heart] 
even  that  Savior,  in  the  person  of  his  followers,  because  they  wore  not 
the  badge  of  their  sect !  have  forgotten  that  their  religion  is  love, — that 
charity,  divine  charity,  is  the  brightest  ornament  of  their  nature  !  tin¬ 
der  such  circumstances,  doubts  of  the  sectarian  peculiarities  inculcated, 
would  expose  the  ingenuous  youth,  who  should  avow  them,  to  social  in¬ 
conveniences,  to  parental  disapprobation  ;  and  rarely  does  he  enjoy  am¬ 
ple  opportunity  for  impartial  investigation,  before  adult  age.  The  fact, 
that,  almost  invariably,  young  persons  adopt  and  prefer  the  peculiar  sec¬ 
tarian  views  of  their  parents,  is  a  demonstrative  proof  that  their  pref¬ 
erence  is  not  built  on  argument,  that  the  mode  of  religious  education, 
in  the  different  churches,  is  unfavorable  to  impartial  investigation.  The 
simple  circumstance  of  parental  belief,  is  assuredly  no  satisfactory  proof 
of  the  creed  which  we  adopt  on  account  of  it.  For  the  same  reason,  we 
would  have  been  Mahornmedans,  if  born  in  Turkey;  Papists,  in  Italy, 
and  worshippers  of  the  Grand  Lama,  in  Thibet.  And  ministers  of  the 
Gospel  have  still  greater  obstacles  to  surmount,  ns  their  disbelief  of  the 
peculiarities  of  their  sect  tarnishes  their  reputation  [and  injures  their 
proper  influence]  with  their  associates;  yea,  not  unfrequently  excludes 
them  from  their  pastoral  charge,  and  their  families  from  daily  bread  ! 

‘Lastly,  the  principle  of  sectarian  divisions  powerfully  retards  the 
spiritual  conquests  of  Christianity  over  the  world.  Who  "that  knows 
aught  of  the  divine  life,  can  doubt,  that  in  proportion  as  he  permits  pride, 
envy,  jealousy,  hatred,  to  arise  in  his  heart,  the  spirit  of  piety  languish¬ 
es,  his  graces  decline,  and  his  sense  of  the  divine  presence  is  impair¬ 
ed  ?  But  sectarianism,  by  which,  in  this  discussion,  we  [mean  gene¬ 
rally]  the  principle  of  divisions  on  the  ground  of  difference  in  non-essen¬ 
tials,  among  those  who  profess  to  regard  each  other  as  fellow-Chris- 
tians,  sectarianism  indubitably  creates  various  conflicting  interests,  pre¬ 
sents  numerous  occasions  and  temptations  to  envy,  hatred,  jealousy, 
slander,  and  creates  an  atmosphere  around  the  Christian,  in  which  the 
flame  of  piety  cannot  burn  with  lustre,  and  not  unfrequently  expires. 

‘What  observer  of  transpiring  scenes  can  doubt,  that  the  sectarian 
strife,  and  animosity  between  the  churches,  deter  many  sinners  from 
making  religion  the  subject  of  their  chief  concern,  and  from  being  con¬ 
verted  to  God?  The  Savior  prayed:  “That  they  all  maybe  one,  as 
Thou  Father  art  in  Me,  and  I  in  Thee;  that  they  may  also  be, one  in 
us ;  that  the  world  may  believe  that  Thou  has  sent  Me.”  Here,  then, 
the  Savior  Himself  informs  us,  what  influence  unity  among  his  followers 
was  designed  to  effect ;  history  tells  us,  that  when  surrounding  heathen 
were  constrained  to  say,  “See  how  these  Christians  love  one  another,” 
the  moral  influence  of  their  example  was  amazing  :  and  who  can  doubt, 
that  inverse  causes  produce  inverse  effects. 

‘  How  often  does  not  the  principle  of  sect,  exclude  the  blessed  Savior 
front  our  villages,  and  sparsely  populated  sections  of  country,  in  which 
united  Christians  might  support  the  Gospel;  but,  cut  up  into  jealous  and 
discordant  sects,  and  bating  one  another  as  though  each  believed  a  dif¬ 
ferent  Christ,  all  remain  destitute  of  the  stated  means  of  grace  !  The 
occasional  visits  of  ministers  of  different,  sects,  serve  to  confirm  each 
party  in  its  own  predilections,  and  thus  we  often  witness  the  melan¬ 
choly  spectacle  of  the  Savior  excluded  from  such  places  by  the  dissen¬ 
sions  of  his  professed  friends,  and  sinners  shut  out  from  the  sanctuary  of 
God,  because  snints  cannot  agree  whether  Paul,  or  Apollos,  or  Cephas 
shall  minister  unto  them. 

(Continued  on  p.  438.) 


KHONOS,  THE  ANCIENT  COLOSSE. 


AN  EXPOSITION 

OF 

PAUL’S  EPISTLE  TO  THE  COLOSSIANS, 

WITH 

PRACTICAL  OBSERVATIONS  AND  NOTES. 

_  {Henry's  Exposition ,  completed  by  Dr.  W.  Harris.) 


Colosse  was  a 'considerable  city  of  Phrygia,  probably  not  far  from  Laodicea  and  Hierapolis  ;  we  find  these  three  men¬ 
tioned  together,  chap.  4:13.  It  is  now  buried  in  ruins,  [see  the  cut,  from  Arundell ,]  and  the  memory  of  it  chiefly  preserved  in 
this  epistle.  *  Paul  professes  a  great  satisfaction  in  their  steadfastness  and  constancy,  and  encourages  them  to  perseverance. 
It  was  written  about  the  same  time  with  the  epistles  to  the  Ephesians  and  Philippians,  A.  D.  62,  and  in  the  same  place, 
while  he  was  now  prisoner  at  Rome.  He  was  not  idle  in  his  confinement,  and  the  Word  of  God  was  not  hound. 

[The  immediate  occasion  of  this  epistle,  says  Horne,  was  Epaphras’  requesting  Paul’s  advice,  and  perhaps  the  Laodicean 
letter,  4:16.]  Like  that  to  the  Romans,  it  was  written  to  those  whom  Paul  had  never  seen.  The  church  was  not  planted 
by  Paul’s  ministry,  but  by  the  ministry  of  Epaphras,  or  Epaphroditus,  f  an  evangelist,  one  whom  he  delegated  to  preach  the 
Gospel  among  the  Gentiles  ;  and  yet,  I.  There  was  a  flourishing  church  at  Colosse,  and  one  eminent  and  famous  among 
the  churches.  Gnd  is  sometimes  pleased  to  use  the  ministry  of  those  who  are  of  less  note,  and  lower  gifts,  for  doing  great 
service  to  his  church  ;  He  is  not  tied  to  those  of  note,  that  the  excellence  of  the  power  may  appear  to  he  of  God,  and  not  oj 
men,  2  Cor.  4:7.  II.  Though  Paul  had  not  the  planting  of  this  church,  yet  he  did  not,  therefore,  neglect  it;  nor,  in  writing 
his  epistles,  does  he  make  any  difference  between  that  and  other  churches.  The  Colossians,  who  were  converted  by  the 
ministry  of  Epaphras,  were  as  dear  to  him,  and  he  as  much  concerned  for  their  welfare,  as  the  Philippians,  or  any  others 
who  were  converted  by  his  ministry.  Thus  he  put  an  honor  on  an  inferior  minister,  and  teaches  us  not  to  be  selfish,  or  think 
all  that  honor  lost,  which  goes  beside  ourselves.  We  learn  in  his  example  not  to  think  it  a  disparagement,  to  us  to  icuter 
what  others  have  planted;  or  build  on  the  foundation  others  have  laid:  as  he  himself,  as  a  wise  master-builder,  laid  the 
foundation,  and  another  huilded  thereon,  1  Cor.  3:10.  Hen  nr. 

There  is  a  great  similarity  between  this  epistle,  and  that  to  the  Ephesians;  [  and  it  is  generally  supposed,  they  were 
written  about  the  same  time,  and  sent  by  the  same  messenger,  even  Tychicus;  though  Onesimus,  being  a  Colossian,  who 
accompanied  Tychicus,  is  not  mentioned  in  the  epistle  to  the  Ephesians.  4:7 — 14,  v.  9. — The  apostle  had  probably  heard 
of  some  teachers,  who,  grafting  hekthen  philosophy,  along  with  the  tradition  of  the  Pharisees,  on  the  ritual  law  of  Moses, 
had  corrupted  the  Gospel  by  this  heterogeneous  mixture,  and  were  attempting  to  draw  aside  the  Colossians.  He  therefore 
particularly  warned  them  against  these  deceivers,  and  against  all  who,  either  by  superstitious  observances,  or  philosophy, 
attempted  to  seduce  them  from  ‘the  simplicity  of  Christ,’  in  whom  alone  ‘  they  were  complete,’  and  had  everything  they 
could  possibly  want,  or  imagine,  as  really  conducive  to  their  edification  and  salvation.  These  cautions  and  exhortations  are 
introduced,  and  connected  with  the  most  exalted  views  of  the  personal  and  mediatorial  dignity  of  Christ,  and  the  fulness 
and  freeness  of  his  salvation  ;  which  many  suppose  to  have  been  directed  against  some  of  those  heretical  sects,  which  sprang 
up  at  an  early  period  in  the  church,  the  leaders  of  which  sought  to  exalt  themselves,  by  derogating  from  the  glory  of  the 
divine  Savior. — It  appears,  however,  that  the  church  at  Colosse  was.  on  the  whole,  in  a  very  flourishing  state  ;  and  accord¬ 
ingly  the  epistle  abounds  far  more  in  thanksgivings  to  God,  commendations,  and  animating  exhortations,  than  in  reproofs 
and  warnings. — Epaphras  was,  probably,  when  the  apostle  wrote,  confined  as  a  prisoner  at  Rome.§  Phil.  23.  Scott. 


•  *  Colosse  was  situated  nearly  midway  between  Laodicea  and  Hierapolis,  on  an  em¬ 

inence  S.  of  the  river  Meander,  near  where  the  river  Lycos  enters  the  earth.  All  these 
cities  were  destroyed  by  an  earthquake  in  the  10th  year  of  Nero,  and  about  a  year  af¬ 
ter  the  writing  of  this  epistle.  Colosse  is  [proved]  to  have  occupied  a  site  now  cover¬ 
ed  with  ruins,  near  the  village  of  Konous ,  or  Khonas ,  about  3  hours  from  Laodicea.  hut 
on  the  other  side  of  the  river,  supposed  the  Lycus,  and  about  20  miles  N.  W.  of  Deg- 
mzln*  Williams. 

t  This  has  of  late  been  much  controverted,  yet  (the  general  testimony  of  antiquity 
fa vors  Jt.  and)  my  decided  opinion  is,  that  the  evidence  against  the  apostle’s  having 
been  at  Colosse  [comp.  2:1.]  is  far  greater  than  any  adduced  on  the  affirmative  side  S. 

I  *  Whoever,  says  M"ich.,  would  understand  the  Fphesians  and  Colossians,  must 
read  them  together  :  one  being,  in  most  places,  a  commentary  on  the  other,  and  paral¬ 
lel  passages  interpret  each  other.  Yet  in  Colossians  there  is  much  not  in  Ephesians, 
especially  as  to  worship  of  angels,  and  many  single  points  which  appear  to  be  Essene, 
and  might  prevail  at  Colosse. 


‘  Parallel  passages  in  Ephesians  and  Colossians. 


Ephesians, 

i  i.  2. 

1:6.  .  . 
1:10.  .  . 
1:15,  16. 
1:17—21. 


Colossians 

1:1,  2. 

1:13. 

1:19,  20. 

1:3,  4. 
1:9—15. 


1:22.  3:10, 11.  1:16—18. 
1:19.2:1—5.  2:12,13. 

2:1 . 1:21. 

2:13—16.  .  .  1:20.  2:14. 

3:1 .  1:24  ,  25. 


|4:17— 21.  . 

14:29.  .  .  , 
4:32.  .  .  . 
4:31.  .  .  . 
15:5. 


Colossians. 

3:6. 

3:7,  8. 

4:5. 

3:16,  17. 
3:18—25.  4:1. 


|  Ephesians.  Colossians.  Ephesians. 

3:3.  &c.  .  .  1:26—29.  5:6 . 

4:2—4.  .  .  .  2:12—15.  5:7,  8.  .  .  . 

4:16 . 2:19.  5:15,  16.  .  . 

'4:22 — 25.  .  .  3:9,  10.  5:18—20.  .  . 

C  1:21.  2:6.  3:8  5:21— 23.  6:  > 

J-10.  1-9.  $ 

4-6  6:18-20.  .  . 

3:12,  13.  6:21,  22.  .  . 

3:8. 

.  . 3:5. 

§  *  On  the  undesigned  coincidences  between  Colossians  and  Acts,  see  Paley’s  Hor« 
Paulina,  chapter  8.*  £423  J 


4:2—4. 

4:7—9.’ 


Horne. 


A.  D.  64. 


COLOSSIANS,  I. 


CHAP.  I. 


1  After  salutation  he  thanketh  God  for  their  faith,  7  con- 
firmeth  the  doctrine  of  Epaiihras,  9  prayeth  farther  for 
their  increase  in  grace,  14  aescrihcth  the  true  Christ,  21 
encourageth  them  to  receive  Jesu«  Christ,  and  commeud- 
eth  his  own  ministry. 


PAUL,  *  an  apostle  of  Jesus 
Christ,  by  the  will  of  God,  and 
Timotheus  our  brother, 

2  To  the  saints  b  and  faithful 
brethren  in  Christ  which  are  at 
c  Colosse  :  Grace  be  unto  .you,  and 
peace,  from  God  our  Father,  and 
the  Lord  Jesus  Christ. 

3  We  d  give  thanks  to  God  and 
the  Father  of  our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ,  praying  always  for  you, 

4  Since  we  heard  of  your  faith 
in  Christ  Jesus,  and  of  the  love 
which  ye  have  to  all  the  saints  ; 

5  For  the  hope  which  is  laid  up 
6  for  you  in  heaven,  whereof  ye 
heard  before  in  the  word  of  the 
truth  of  the  gospel ; 

6  Which  is  come  unto  you,  as  it 
is  in  all  fthe  world;  and  bringeth 
6  forth  fruit,  as  it  doth  also  in  you, 
since  the  day  ye  heard  h  of  it,  and 
knew  the  '  grace  of  God  in  j  truth. 

7  As  ye  also  learned  of  kEpaph- 
ras  our  dear  fellow-servant,  who  is 
for  you  a  faithful  minister  of  Christ; 

8  Who  also  declared  unto  us 
your  love  'in  the  Spirit. 

9  For  this  cause  we  also,  since 
the  day  we  heard  it,  do  not  cease 
to  pray  for  you,  and  to  desire  that 
ye  might  be  filled  with  the  knowl¬ 
edge  of  his  m  will,  in  all  n  wisdom 
and  spiritual  0  understanding. 

10  That  ye  might  walk  p  worthy 
of  the  Lord  unto  all  i  pleasing, 
r  being  fruitful  in  every  good  work, 
and  increasing  8  in  the  knowledge 


of  God  ; 

a  Ep.  1:1. 
b  i  s.  16:3. 
c  Ga.  1:3. 
d  Ep.  1:15,16. 
c  2  Ti.  4:8. 

1  Pe.  1:4. 
f  ver.  23. 


g  Jn.  15:16. 
h  Ro.  10:17. 
i  Tit.  2:11,12. 
j  Jn.  4:23. 
k  Phil.  23. 

1  Ro.  15:30. 
m  Ro.  12:2. 


Ep.  5:10,17. 
n  Ps.  119:99. 
o  1  Jn.  5:20. 
p  Phi.  1:27. 
q  1  Th.  4:1. 
r  Jn.  15:8,16. 
6  2  Pe.  3:18. 


Chap.  I.  V.  1,  2.  The  inscription  of 
this  epistle  is  much  the  same  with  the  rest; 
only  it  is  observable, 

1.  That  he  calls  himself  an  apostle  of  Je¬ 
sus  Christ  by  the  will  of  God.  He  attributes 
this  not  to  his  own  merit,  strength,  or  suf¬ 
ficiency  ;  but  to  the  free  grace  and  good-will 
of  God. 

2.  He  joins  Timothy  with  himself ;  in  his 
humility  he  calls  him  his  son,  2  Tim.  2:  1. 


yet  here  his  brother;  an  example  to  elder  and 
more  eminent  ministers,  towards  the  young¬ 
er  and  more  obscure. 

3.  He  calls  the  Christians.at  Colosse  saints, 
and  faithful  brethren  in  Christ.  Note,  Faith¬ 
fulness  runs  through  every  character  and  re¬ 
lation  of  the  Christian  life,  and  is  the  crown 
and  glory  of  them  all. 

4.  The  apostolical  benediction  is  the  same 
as  usual.  He  wishes  them  grace  and  peace, 
the  free  favor  of  God,  and  all  the  blessed 
fruits  of  it;  all  kinds  of  spiritual  blessings, 
and  that  from  God  our  Father  and  the  Lord 
Jesus  Christ;  jointly  from  both,  and  distinct¬ 
ly  from  each  ;  as  in  the  former  epistle. 

V.  3 — 8.  Here  he  proceeds  with  thanks¬ 
giving  to  God  for  what  he  had  heard  of 
them,  though  he  had  no  personal  acquaint¬ 
ance  with  them,  and  knew  their  state  and 
character  only  by  report.  Observe, 

I.  Whom  he  gives  thanks  to,  v.  3.  In 
our  thanksgiving  we  must  have  an  eye  to 
God  as  God,  and  as  the  Father  of  our  Lord 
Jesus  Christ,  in,  and  through  whom,  all 
good  comes  to  us. 

II.  What  he  gives  thanks  to  God  for, 
v.  4,  5.  Faith,  hope,  and  love,  the  three 
principal  graces  in  the  Christian  life,  and 
proper  matter  of  our  prayer  and  thanksgiv¬ 
ing.  We  must  believe  in  Jesus  Christ,  love 
Christian  brethren,  and  be  looking  for  the 
blessed  hope  of  heaven  hereafter.  Some 
understand  the  love  here  of  their  charity  to 
the  saints  in  necessity  :  the  happiness  of 
heaven  is  called  their  hope,  because  it  is  the 
thing  hoped  for,  Tit.  2:13.  Having  blessed 
God  for  these  graces,  he  blesses  God  for 
the  means  of  grace  which  they  enjoyed. 
They  heard  of  the  hope  laid  up  in  heaven 
in  the  word  of  the  truth  of  the  Gospel,  v.  6. 

‘  This  Gospel  is  preached,  and  bringeth  forth 
fruit  in  other  nations  ;  it  is  come  to  you,  as 
it  is  in  all  the  world,  according  to  the  com¬ 
mission,  Go  preach  the  Gospel  in  all  the  na¬ 
tions,  and  to  every  creatureJ  He  takes  this 
occasion  to  mention  the  minister  by  whom 
they  believed,  v.  7,  8.  He  mentions  him 
with  great  respect,  to  engage  their  love  to 
him.  He  calls  him  his  fellow-servant ;  to  sig¬ 
nify  not  only  that  they  served  the  same  Mas¬ 
ter,  but  that  they  were  engaged  in  the  same 
work.  He  calls  him  his  dear  fellow-servant: 
it  is  an  endearing  consideration  to  the  ser¬ 
vants  of  Christ,  that  they  are  engaged  in  the 
same  service.  He  represents  him  as  one 
who  was  a  faithful  minister  of  Christ  to 
them.  Observe,  Christ  is  our  proper  Mas¬ 
ter,  and  we  his  ministers.  He  does  not  say, 
your  minister  ;  but  the  minister  of  Christ  for 
you.  It  is  by  Christ’s  authority,  but  for  the 
people’s  service.  He  represents  him  as  one 
who  gave  them  a  good  word,  v.  8.  He  rec¬ 
ommends  him  to  their  affection,  from  the 
good  report  he  made  of  their  sincere  love 
to  Christ  and  all  his  members,  which  was 
wrought  in  them  by  the  Spirit,  and  isagree- 


Inscription,  salutation,  and  prayer. 

able  to  the  Spirit  of  the  Gospel.  Faithful 
ministers  are  glad  to  be  able  to  speak  well 
of  their  people. 

V.  9 — 11.  The  apostle  proceeds  in  these 
vs.  to  pray  for  them.  He  heard  they  were 
good,  and  prayed  they  might  be  better.  He 
was  constant  in  this  prayer.  Observe, 
What  he  begs  of  God  for  them. 

1.  That  they  might  be  knowing,  intelli¬ 
gent  Christians ;  filled  with  the  knowledge  of 
his  will,  in  all  wisdom  and  spiritual  under¬ 
standing.  The  knowledge  of  our  duty  is 
the  best  knowledge.  Our  knowledge  of  the 
will  of  God  must  be  always  practical.  Our 
knowledge  is  then  a  blessing  indeed,  when 
it  is  in  wisdom ;  when  we  know  how  to  apply 
our  general  knowledge  to  our  particular  oc¬ 
casions,  and  to  suit  it  to  all  emergencies. 
Christians  should  endeavor  to  be  filled  with 
knowledge;  not  only  to  know  the  will  of 
God,  but  to  know' more  of  it,  and  to  increase 
in  the  knowledge  of  God,v.  10.  2  Pet.  3: 18. 

2.  That  their  conversation  might  be  good. 
Good  knowledge,  without  a  good  life,  will 
not  profit.  Our  understanding  is  then  a 
spiritual  understanding,  when  we  exemplify 
it  in  our  way  of  living  — That  ye  might  walk 
worthy  of  the  Lord  unto  all  pleasing,  v.  10. 
that  is,  as  becomes  the  relation  we  stand  in 
to  Him,  and  the  profession  we  make  of  Him. 
The  agreeableness  of  our  conversation  to 
our  religion,  is  pleasing  to  God,  as  well  as 
to  good  men.  This  is  what  we  should  aim 
at.  Good  words  will  not  do  without  good 
works.  We  must  abound  in  good  works,  in 
every  good  work :  not  in  some  only,  but  in 
all,  and  in  every  instance  of  them.  There 
must  be  a  regular,  uniform  regard  to  all  the 
will  of  God.  And  the  more  fruitful  we  are 
in  good  works,  the  more  we  shall  increase  in 
the  knowledge  of  God,  Jn.  7:  17. 

3.  That  they  might  be  strengthened  ; 
strengthened  with  all  might,  according  to  his 
glorious  power,  v.  11.  fortified  against  the 
temptations  of  Satan,  and  furnished  for  all 
their  duty.  To  be  strengthened,  is  to  be 
furnished  by  the  grace  of  God  for  every  good 
work,  and  fortified  by  that  grace  against 
every  evil  one:  it  is  to  be  enabled  to  do  our 
duty,  and  still  to  hold  fast  our  integrity.  Of 
this  strength,  the  blessed  Spirit  is  the  Au¬ 
thor,  Eph.  3  :  16.  the  Word  of  God  the 
mean,  and  the  method,  prayer:  so  the  apos¬ 
tle  obtained  sufficient  grace.  Observe,  He 
prays  they  might  be  strengthened  with  might: 
i.  e.  might  be  mightily  strengthened,  or 
strengthened  with  might  derived  from  anoth¬ 
er;  with  all  might:  he  means,  all  we  have 
occasion  for,  to  enable  us  to  discharge  our 
duty,  or  preserve  our  innocence ;  the  grace 
sufficient  for  us  in  all  the  trials  of  life,  and 
to  help  us  in  time  of  need.  It  is  according 
to  his  glorious  power.  He  means,  the  grace 
of  God:  which  in  believers  is  the  power  of 
God;  and  there  is  a  glory  in  it;  it  is  an  ex¬ 
cellent  and  sufficient  [tower  ;  the  communi- 


NOTES.  Chap.  I.  V.  1,2.  ‘I  cannot  think,  they  are  called  holy 
and  faithful  brethren,  on  account  of  their  adhering  to  the  purity  of  the 
Christian  faith,  in  opposition  to  those  that  urged  the  necessity  of  observ¬ 
ing  the  Jewish  law.  This  was  indeed  one  instance  of  their  fidelity,  but 
1  think  it  greatly  impoverishes  and  debases  the  sense  of  such  an  exten¬ 
sive  phrase,  to  reduce  it  within  such  narrow  bounds.  Many  scores  of 
criticisms  of  some  modern  commentators  of  reputation  are  liable  to  the 
same  exception.’  Doddr. —  The  author  quotes  this  passage,  as  exactly 
conveying  his  own  opinion  on  several  learned  expositions,  both  before  and 
since  the  time  of  the  pious  Doddridge.  They  give  you  a  bucket  of  water, 
and  speak  ns  if  they  had  emptied  the  well.  Scott. 

(2.)  Saints .]  ‘I  would  beg  the  reader  not  to  overlook,  that  here, 
as  in  all  others  of  Paul’s  inspired  writings,  [the  epistle  is]  directed  to 
the  church  of  God,  and  to  that  church  only.’  Hawkish. — ‘It  is  plain 
there  may  be  saints  in  this  life,  —  on  earth  :  this  confutes  the  papists, 
who  acknowledge  no  saints  till  canonized  by  the  pope,  and  it  must  be 
one  hundred  years  after  they  are  dead.’  Byfield,  in  Henry ,  abr. 

V.  3.  To  God  and  the  Father.]  ‘The  God  and  Father.’  Doddr.  and 
Mackn. — Always .]  ‘  It  may  be  joined  with  either  giving  thanks ,  as  by 
the  more  recent  commentators  ;  or  with  praying,  as  by  the  ancient,  and 
earlier  moderns.  The  latte»is  more  natural : — but  it  may  be  said  lo  be¬ 
long  to  both.’  Bloomk. 

V.  4.  Faith.]  1  The  steadfastness,  constancy,  and  perseverance  of 
their  faith.’  Hewlett.  —  Faith  and  love.]  ‘The  former  denotes  the 
profession  of  the  Christian  religion;  the  latter,  kindness  and  charity 
towards  the  poor  brethren. —  But  the  full  sense  of  faith  and  heard 
[here]  will  depend  on  the  determination  of  the  question,  whether  or 

[424J 


not  Paul  founded  the  church  at  Colosse, — which,  however,  probnbly,  he 
did  not.’  Bloomf. 

V.  6.  In  all  the  ivor/d.]  ‘In  all  the  provinces  of  the  Roman  empire, 
as  the  phrase  often  signifies.’  Doddr.  ‘Thus  understood,  the  apos¬ 
tle’s  affirmation  is  no  hyperbole.’  Mackn.  ‘  The  best  commentators 
are  agreed  it  may  be  regarded  as  a  popular  hyperbole.  Rom.  1:8.’  HI. 
In  all  the  ivorld  .  ..  comp.  v.  23.  Gospel  ..  preached  to  every  creature 
under  heaven.]  Being  preached  at  Rome,  whence  was  constant  commu¬ 
nication,  from  Parthia  to  Britain,  from  the  Baltic  to  Ethiopia,  it  might 
be  said  to  be  beard  of  throughout  that  space.  Some  of  the  apostles,  we 
know,  though  we  have  the  lives  of  but  few,  (see  Cave,)  travelled  to  Bab¬ 
ylon,  India,  Parthia,  Tartary,  Persia,  «fcc.,  but  the  records  of  their  labors 
are  mostly  buried  in  the  obscurity  of  heathenism,  and  so  can  not  much 
confirm,  certainly  not  contradict,  the  assertion  of  Paul.  The  Chinese 
had  intercourse,  in  the  century  before  Christ,  with  foreigners  dealing  in 
‘  pearls  and  merchandise,’  some  coming  ‘  on  a  voyage  of  4  or  5  months,’ 
ns  their  records  evince  (see  Morrison) ;  and  also,  expressly  with  ‘  India,’ 
the  ‘Great  West,’<fcc.,  in  173  to  195  A.  D.  Obscure  traditions,  too,  are 
said  to  exist,  both  among  the  Chinese  and  Japanese,  of  the  preaching  of 
the  Gospel  among  them,  by  the  middle  of  the  1st  century,  A.  D.  So  that, 
very  possibly,  Paul’s  language  is  not  mere  hyperbole  :  the  subject,  indeed, 
is  well  worthy  of  further  investigation.  Ed. 

V.  9 — 14.  The  apostle  joined  himself  (12 — 14.)  and  the  Jewish  con¬ 
verts  along  with  the  Gentiles  in  these  things  ;  and  doubtless  all  are  the 
subjects  of  the  prince  of  darkness,  of  whatever  nominal  religion  they 
are,  till  inward  conversion  translates  them  into  the  kingdom  of  Christ. 
Mat.  12:43—45.  Jn.  8:41 — 17.  Eph.  2:1—3.  Tit.  3:4—7.  1  Jn.  5:19.  Rev. 


A.  D.  64. 


COLOSSIANS,  I. 


Summary  of  Christian  doctrine. 


11  Strengthened  *  with  all  might, 
according  to  his  glorious  power, 
unto  all  “  patience  and  long-suffer¬ 
ing  with  vjoyfulness  ; 

12  Giving  thanks  unto  the  Fa¬ 
ther,  which  hath  made  us  meet  w  to 
be  partakers  of  the  inheritance  x  of 
the  saints  in  light  : 

13  Who  hath  delivered  us  from 
the  power  of  1  darkness,  and  hath 
translated  us  into  the  kingdom  of 
*  his  dear  Son  ; 

14  In  1  whom  we  have  redemp¬ 
tion  through  his  blood,  even  the 
forgiveness  of  sins  ; 

15  Who  is  the  image  b  of  the  in¬ 
visible  God,  the  first-born  of  every 
creature  : 

16  For  by  c  him  were  all  things 
created,  that  are  in  heaven,  and 
that  are  in  earth,  visible  and  invis¬ 
ible,  whether  they  be  thrones,  or 
dominions,  or  principalities,  or 
powers  :  all  things  were  created 
by  d  him,  and  for  him  : 

17  And  he  is  before  e  all  things, 
and  by  him  all  things  consist. 

t  Is.  45:24.  Jt  Ac.  20:32.  b  He.  1:3. 

u  Ja.  1:4.  y  1  Pe.  2:9.  c  Jn.  1:3. 

v  Ro.  5:3.  z  the  son  of  his  love.  d  Ro.  11:36. 

w  Re.  22:14.  a  Ey.  1:7.  e  Jn.  1:1. 

cations  of  strength  are  not  according  to  our 
weakness,  to  whom  the  strength  is  commu¬ 
nicated,  but  according  to  his  power,  from 
whom  it  is  received.  The  special  use  of 
this  strength  was  for  suffering  work,  v.  11. 


He  prays,  not  only  that  they  might  be  sup¬ 
ported  under  their  troubles,  but  strengthened 
for  them  :  there  is  work  to  be  done,  even 
when  suffering.  And  they  who  are  strength¬ 
ened  according  to  his  glorious  power,  are 
strengthened  not  only  to  bear  troubles  pa¬ 
tiently,  but  to  receive  them  as  gifts  from 
God,  and  be  thankful  for  them,  Ja.  1  :  4. 
To  you  it  is  given  to  suffer,  Phil.  1  :  29. 
The  same  reason  for  bearing  one  trouble, 
will  hold  for  bearing  another.  All  patience, 
includes  all  kinds  of  it  ;  not  only  bearing 
patience,  but  waiting  patience.  This  is 
even  unto  long-suffering,  patience  drawn  out 
to  bear  trouble,  as  long  as  God  pleases  to 
continue  it.  It  is  with  joyfulness  that  we 
are  counted  worthy  to  suffer  for  his  name ;  to 
have  joy  as  w'ell  as  patience  in  the  troubles 
of  life.  This  we  could  never  do  by  any 
strength  of  our  own,  but  as  we  are  strength¬ 
ened  by  the  grace  of  God. 

V.  12 — 29.  Here  is  the  summary  of  the 
doctrine  of  the  Gospel  concerning  the  great 
work  of  our  redemption  by  Christ,  coming 
in  here  as  the  matter  of  a  thanksgiving,  v. 
12.  not  in  the  natural  order,  the  purchase 
first,  aiftl  afterward  the  application  ;  but  ! 
here  he  inverts  the  order,  the  application 
before  the  purchase.  The  order  and  con¬ 
nexion  of  the  apostle’s  discourse,  may  be 
considered  in  the  following  manner  : 

I.  He  speaks  of  the  operations  of  the 
Spirit  of  grace  on  us.  We  must  give  thanks 
for  them,  because  by  these  we  are  qualified 
for  an  interest  in  the  mediation  of  the  Son, 
v.  12,  13.  It  is  spoken  of  as  the  work  of 
the  Father,  because  the  Spirit  of  grace  is 
the  Spirit  of  the  Father,  and  the  Father 
works  in  us  by  his  Spirit. 

1.  He  hath  delivered  us  from  the  power  of 


darkness,  v.  13.  He  hath  rescued  us  from 
the  state  of  heathenish  darkness  and  wicked¬ 
ness  ;  saved  us  from  the  dominion  of  sin, 
which  is  darkness,  1  Jn.  1 :  6.  from  the  do¬ 
minion  of  Satan,  the  prime  of  darkness, 
Eph.  6:  12.  from  the  damnation  of  hell, 
which  is  utter  darkness.  Mat.  25:  30.  They 
are  called  out  of  darkness,  1  Pet.  2:9. 

2.  He  hath  translated  us  into  the  kingdom 
of  his  dear  Son,  brought  us  into  the  gospel- 
state,  and  made  us  members  of  the  church 
of  Christ,  which  is  a  state  of  light  and  puri¬ 
ty,  Eph.  5:  8.  1  Pet.  2:  9.  The  conversion 
of  a  sinner,  is  the  translation  of  a  soul  into 
the  kingdom  of  Christ,  out  of  the  kingdom 
of  the  devil.  The  power  of  sin  is  shaken 
off,  and  the  power  of  Christ  submitted  to. 
The  law  of  the  Spirit  of  life  in  Christ  Jesus, 
makes  them  free  from  the  law  of  sin  and 
death;  and  it  is  the  kingdom  of  his  dear  Son, 
of  the  Son  of  his  peculiar  love,  his  beloved 
Son,  Mat.  3:  17.  and  eminently  the  Beloved, 
Eph.  1 :  6. 

3.  He  hath  not  only  done  this,  but  hath 
made  us  meet  to  partake  of  the  inheritance  of 
the  saints  in  light,  v.  12.  prepared  us  for  the 
eternal  happiness  of  heaven,  and  given  us 

|  the  earnest  and  assurance  of  it.  This  he 
mentions  first,  because  it  is  the  first  indica¬ 
tion  of  future  blessedness,  that,  by  the  grace 
of  God,  we  find  ourselves  in  some  measure 
prepared  for  it.  God  gives  grace  and  glory, 
and  w'e  are  here  told  what  they  both  are. 
The  glory  is  the  inheritance  of  the  saints  in 
light,  an  inheritance  which  belongs  to  them 
1  as  children,  the  best  security,  and  thesweet- 
|  est  tenure,  Rom.  8:17.  an  inheritance  of 
I  the  saints, — proper  to  sanctified  souls,  an  in- 
I  heritance  in  light;  the  perfection  of  knowl- 
|  edge,  holiness,  and  joy,  by  communion  with 


12:7 — 12.  And  to  interpret  it  of  the  deliverance  of  the  Gentile  con- 
verts_from  idolatry,  and  of  the  happy  state  of  the  Jewish  converts, 
as  1  the  saints  in  light,’  is  totally  to  enervate  this  highly  animated  pas¬ 
sage. — The  ‘glorious  power,’  here  spoken  of,  is  sometimes  ascribed  to 
the  Father,  or  to  God  absolutely,  sometimes  to  the  Holy  Spirit,  and  fre¬ 
quently  to  Christ.  For  ‘  these  three  are  One.’  Notes,  Ps.  138:3.  2  Cor. 
12:7—10.  Eph.  3:14—19,  v.  16.  Phil.  4:10—13,  v.  13.  Scott. 

(9.)  ‘  dualities,  &c.,  are  not,  in  the  N.  T.,  denominated  spiritual ,  be¬ 
cause  they  relate  to  things  which  are  immaterial.  But  it  is,  in  relation  to 
the  Spirit  of  God.  The  word  spirit,  as  used  to  designate  the  third  per¬ 
son  in  the  Trinity,  is  the  substantive,  from  which  is  formed  the  adjective 
spiritual.  Christians  are,  therefore,  denominated  spiritual,  because  they 
are  horn  of  the  Spirit  of  God.  Things  are  called  spiritual,  as  they  stand 
related  to  the  Spirit  of  God.’  Edwards. 

V.  15 — 17.  Being  possessed  of  all  divine  perfections,  as  ‘One  with 
the  Father,’  [Christ]  appeared  on  earth,  displaying  those  perfections,  and 
performing  all  divine  operations,  through  the  medium  of  the  human  na¬ 
ture.  Thus,  He  made  the  invisible  God  known  to  mankind,  as  his  ‘ex¬ 
press  Image;’  lie  represented  the  Father,  and  manifested  his  glory. 
[Indeed,  how  else  could  God  have  been  otherwise  than  a  mere  infinite 
abstraction  to  us  finite  beings?  Ed.]  In  and  through  Him,  as  ‘God 
manifest  in  the  flesh,’  sinners,  believing  ‘  the  sure  testimony  of  God,’ 
might  know,  approach,  trust,  and  worship  Him  with  acceptance,  which 
otherwise  they  could  not  have  done. — It  seems  evident,  that  Christ  is  not 
called  ‘the  Image  of  God,’  in  respect  of  his  divine  nature,  as  many,  es¬ 
pecially  the  ancient  expositors,  supposed  ;  and  so,  by  their  illustrations, 
weakened  or  perplexed  the  argument  for  his  real  Deity  ;  for  the  divine 
essence  is  no  more  visible  in  the  Person  of  the  Son,  than  in  that  of  the 
Father,  and  therefore  the  One  cannot  be  ‘  the  Image,’  or  visible  represen¬ 
tation,  of  the  other.  1  Tim.  6:13 — 16.  But  the  Person  of  Christ,  as 
God  in  human  nature,  is  the  visible ,  or  sensible,  discovery  of  the  invisi¬ 
ble  God  ;  and  ‘  He  that  hath  seen  Him  hath  seen  the  Father.’  Jn.  12:44 
— 50.  14:7 — 14,0.9.  15:22 — 25. — The  apostle  further  declared  Christ  to 
he  ‘  the  First-born  of  the  whole  creation ;’  for  so  the  words  may  be  lite¬ 
rally  rendered.  Christ  is  called  the  ‘  First-begotten,’  or  ‘  Only  begotten,’ 
of  the  Father;  and  it  has  been  shown,  that  these  expressions  must  be 
understood,  of  the  mysterious  union  in  the  sacred  Trinity,  and  the  rela¬ 
tion  of  the  second  Person  to  ihe  first,  in  the  divine  subsistence;  for  [he 
grand  display  of  the  love  of  God  to  the  world,  consisted,  in  ‘giving  his 
own  Son'  to  become  man,  in  order  to  die  for  our  sins,  rnther  than  in 
giving  Him,  when  incarnate,  to  death  for  us.  The  expression  here  used 
seems  (o  be  of  the  same  import ;  He  was  qualified  to  be  ‘  the  Image  of 
the  invisible  God  ’  to  men,  by  reason  of  his  original  and  essential  glory. 
( M. .  R.  y,  z.-Notes ,  Jn.  1 :14, 18.  1  Jn.  4:9-12.)  Existing,  as  the  co-eter¬ 
nal  Son  of  the  Father,  before  the  creation  of  the  world,  lie  appeared  as 
the  ‘  First-begotten  Son  of  God,’  to  he  ‘the  Heir  of  all  things,’  when 
they  were  called  into  existence,  as  the  first-born  is  the  heir  of  the  estate 
or  kingdom.  The  reason,  or  proof,  adduced  by  the  apostle,  demon¬ 
strates,  that  he  meant  the  words  in  this  sense;  ‘for,’  says  he.  ‘by  Him 
all  things  were  created.’  He  then  proceeds  to  mention  all  creatures  in 
heaven  and  earth;  and  hy  the  terms  of  ‘thrones,  dominions,  principali¬ 
ties,  nnd  powers,’  clenrlv  including  the  highest  created  dignity  and  ex¬ 
altation,  he  evidently  intended  to  declare,  in  the  most  emphatical  terms, 
that  every  creature  of  God,  however  distinguished,  was  created  by 
Christ,  as  one  in  Deity  and  operation  with  the  Father  and  the  Holy  Spirit. 
Nav,  he  added,  that  they  were  all  ‘  created  for  Him,’  for  the  display  of 
his  glory,  and  to  do  Him  service  ;  (M.  R.  a— d.— Notes,  Prov.  8:22—33. 
16:4.  Is.  42:8,  9.  44:24.  Jn.  1:1 — 3.  that  ‘He  was  before  all  things,’  yen, 
N.  T.  VOX,.  V.  54 


that  ‘  all  things  by  Him  consist,’  or  are  preserved  in  being  and  order ;  so 
that  without  his  sustaining  power,  they  must  fall  into  confusion,  or  non¬ 
existence.  ( M .  R.  e,  f. — Note,  Rom.  11:33 — 36.) — It  is,  perhaps,  impossi¬ 
ble  to  use  stronger  language,  to  express  creating  and  upholding  Power, 
universal  Sovereignty,  and  real  Deity,  than  is  here  employed,  to  which  the 
Socinians  can  only  say,  that  it  is  all  figurative,  and  means  no  more  than 
the  introduction  of  the  gospel-dispensation,  as  a  kind  of  new  creation  ; 
hut  nothing  can  be  more  absurd.  Or  they  may  say,  that  the  apostle  was 
mistaken  ;  and  to  such  obstinate  infidelity,  we  oppose  the  demonstrative 
evidences  of  the  divine  inspiration  of  the  Scriptures.  In  fact,  we  find 
language  in  some  respects  similar,  almost  in  every  part  of  the  N.  T. — 
It  should  also  be  observed,  that,  however  we  may  interpret  the  expres¬ 
sion,  ‘Tlie  First-born  of  every  creature,’  no  man  can  infer  from  it,  that 
Christ  is  a  sort  of  supra-angelic  creature,  (according  to  the  inconsistent 
opinion  of  the  Arians,)  without  expressly  opposing  Paul’s  inference  from 
his  own  doctrine,  or  rather  the  argument  hy  which  he  confirms  it,  in 
which  he  evidently  shows,  that  he  meant  Christ  was  before,  above,  and 
distinct  from  all  creatures,  yea,  the  Author,  Proprietor,  and  Supporter, 
of  all  ranks  and  orders  of  them  in  the  universe. —  18)  The  first-born.] 
Prototokos.  Mat.  1:25.  Luke  2:7.  Rom.  8:29.  Neb.  1:6.  11:28.  12:23. 
Rev.  1:5.  Ps.  89:28.  Sept.  By  using  this  wortl,  and  not  ‘  First-created,’ 
Prbtnktistos ,  the  apostle  marks  the  distinction,  between  the  eternal  Son 
of  God  and  the  most  exalted  of  those  creatures  which  derived  their  ex¬ 
istence  from  Him.  Scott. 

(15.)  First-born  of  every  creature.]  ‘Or,  “chief  of  all  the  creation.” 
In  the  early  ages,  tlie  first-born  son  possessed  extraordinary  privileges 
and  honors.  lienee  the  Hel>.  term,  and  its  correspondent  word  in  other 
languages,  acquired  the  secondary  meaning  of  that  which  is  chief  and 
most  excellent.  Of  this  there  are  many  examples  in  the  Scriptures  ;  and 
in  Jewish  phraseology,  the  holy  and  biessed  God  is  called  the  First-born 
of  the  world,  to  signify  his  supremacy  over  all  created  beings.  The  just 
inference  is,  that  Christ  is  superior  to  al!  creatures,  and  consequently, 
that  in  his  proper  and  original  nature,  He  cannot  be  a  creature.’  .1.  I’. 
Smith,  in  Henry  abr.  —  ‘  According  to  the  Arians,  “  the  first-horn  of  the 
whole  creation”  is  the  first-made  creature.  But  the  reason  advanced  to 
prove  the  Son  the  First-born  of  the  whole  creation,  overturns  that  sense 
of  this  passage.  For  surely,  the  Son’s  creating  all  things,  doth  not  prove 
Him  to  be  the  first-made  creature,  unless  his  power  of  creating  till  things 
originated  from  li is  being  the  first-made  creature  ;  which  no  one,  I  think, 
will  affirm.  As  little  does  the  Son’s  creating  all  tilings  prove,  that  He 
first  of  all  created  Himself.  Yet  all  these  absurdities  will  be  established 
by  the  apostle’s  reasoning,  if  “  the  first-born  of  the  whole  creation  ”  sig¬ 
nifies  the  first-made  creature.’  Macknight. 

(15—17.)  Of  the  two  different  views  which  have  been  taken  of  this 
passage,  the  one  literal ,  referring  to  the  natural  creation  of  all  things, 
by  Christ,  and  the  other  figurative ,  referring  to  a  neto  moral  and  spir¬ 
itual  creation,  in  the  establishment  of  tlie  Christian  church,  Rloomf., 
tiiougti  he  admits  there  is,  from  the  connexion,  plausibility  in  the  latter 
view,  yet  prefers  the  former, as  ‘yielding  an  unobjectionable  sense:’  and, 
concerning  the  favor  the  former  seems  to  have  from  the  connexion,  he 
remarks,  ‘  that  it  must  be  remembered,  that  in  so  irregular  a  writer  as 
Paul,  even  that  is  a  principle  of  no  very  certain  application.  As  to 
parallel  passages,  he  says,  ‘  they  are,  most  of  them,  not  really  sue  ,  or 
at  least  doubtful;  and  in  the  interpretation  of  them  the  present  passage 
is  appealed  to,  which  is  reallv  reasoning  in  a  circle.  Besides,  no  expo¬ 
sition  in  question,’  he  adds,  ‘  though  it  may  he  justified,  as  far  as  the  use 
of  the  original  word  for  create  is  concerned,  ;  et,  in  o  ler  respi  c  s,  i 
involves  greuter  difficulties  than  the  common  one.  >■  uitby  s  reasons 

[42.5J 


A.  D.  64. 


COLOSSIANS,  I. 


13  And  he  is  the  head  fof  the 
body,  the  church  ;  who  is  the  be¬ 
ginning,  s  the  first-born  from  the 
dead  ;  that  h  in  all  things  he  might 
have  the  pre-eminence. 

19  For  it  pleased  the  Father  that 
in  him  ‘should  all  fulness  dwell  ; 

20  And,  j  having  made  k  peace 
through  the  blood  of  his  cross,  by 
him  to  reconcile  all  things  unto 
himself;  by  him,  I  say,  whether 
they  be  things  in  earth,  or  things  in 
heaven. 

[Practical  Observations .] 

21  And  you,  that  were  sometime 
alienated,  and  enemies  1  in  your 
mind  m  by  wicked  works,  yet  now 
hath  he  reconciled, 

22  In  the  body  of  his  flesh  through 
death,  to  present  n  you  holy  and  un¬ 
blamable  and  unreprovable  in  his 
sight ; 

f  Ep.  5:23.  1  Jn.  1:16.  1  or,  by. 

g  1  Go.  15:20.  |  or,  making.  m  or,  in. 

h  anions  all.  k  Ep.  2:14 — 16.  n  Jude  24. 


God,  who  is  light,  and  the  Father  of  lights, 
Ja.  1 :  17.  1  Jn.  1:5.  The  grace  is  a  meet- 
ness  for  the  inheritance;  a  fitness  for  the 
heavenly  state,  by  a  proper  temper  and  habit 
of  soul,  by  the  powerful  influence  of  his  Spir¬ 
it.  It  is  the  effect  of  the  divine  power  to 
change  the  heart,  and  make  it  heavenly. 
Observe,  All  who  are  designed  for  heaven 
hereafter,  are  prepared  for  heaven  now. 
They  who  have  the  inheritance  of  sons, 
have  the  education  and  disposition  of  sons  : 
they  have  the  Spirit  of  adoption,  whereby  they 
cry,  Abba  Father,  Rom.  8:  15.  Gal.  4:  6. 

This  meetness  for  heaven,  is  the  earnest 
of  the  Spirit  in  our  hearts;  part  of  payment, 


and  assures  the  full  payment.  They  who 
are  sanctified  shall  be  glorified,  Rom.  8  :  30. 
and  will  be  for  ever  indebted  to  the  grace 
of  God,  which  hath  sanctified  them. 

II.  Of  the  Person  of  the  Redeemer.  '  Glo¬ 
rious  things  are  here  said  of  Him;  blessed 
Paul  was  full  of  Christ,  and  took  all  occa¬ 
sions  to  speak  honorably  of  Him.  He  speaks 
of  Him  distinctly  as  God,  and  as  Mediator. 
As  God,  he  speaks  of  Him,  v.  15 — 17. 

1.  He  is  the  Image  of  the  invisible  God. 
Not  as  man  made  so,  Gen.  1 : 26.  in  his  nat¬ 
ural  faculties  and  dominion  over  the  crea¬ 
tures:  no,  He  is  the  express  Image  of  his  per¬ 
son,  Heb.  1:  3.  so  the  Image,  as  the  Son  is 
of  his  Father ,  who  has  a  natural  likeness  to 
Him;  and  [so]  as  he  who  has  seen  Him,  has 
seen  the  Father;  and  his  glory  was  the.  glory 
of  the  only  begotten  of  the  Father,  Jn.  1:  14. 
14:9. 

2.  He  is  the  First-born  of  every  creature. 
Not  that  He  is  Himself  a  creature;  for  the 
Greek  is, — born  or  begotten  before  all  the  cre¬ 
ation,  or  any  creature  was  made;  which  is 
the  scripture-way  of  representing  eternity, 
and  by  which  the  eternity  of  God  is  repre¬ 
sented  to  us,  Pr.  8  :  23 — 26.  It  signifies 
his  dominion  over  all  things  ;  as- the  first¬ 
born  in  a  family  is  heir  and  lord  of  all,  so 
He  is  the  Heir  of  all  things,  Heb.  1 :  2.  The 
word,  with  only  the  change  in  the  accent, 
signifies,  actively,  th e  first  begetter  or  producer 
of  all  things,  and  so  it  well  agrees  with  the 
following  clause  :  Vid.  Isidor.  Pelus.  cpist. 
30.  lib.  3. 

3.  He  is  so  far  from  being  Himself  a 
creature,  that  He  is  the  Creator,  v.  16.  He 
made  all  things  of  nothing;  the  highest  angel 
in  heaven,  as  well  as  men  on  earth,  Jn.  1:  3. 
He  speaks  as  if  there  were  several  orders 
of  angels,  thrones,  dominions,  principalities, 
powers:  which  must  signify  either  different 
degrees  of  excellence,  or  different  offices  and 
employment.*  Angels,  authorities,  and  pow- 

*  Both,  doubtless,  each  being  fit  for  bis  place.  Ed. 


PRACT.  OBS.  V.  1 — 20.  All  spiritual  blessings,  ‘from  God  the  Fa¬ 
ther  anti  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,’  belong  to  ‘  the  saints  and  faithful  breth¬ 
ren  in  Christ,’  wherever  they  are  dispersed.  May  we  be  found  of  that 
number ! — The  hope  of  real  Christians  is  ‘laid  up  for  them  in  heaven,’  out 
of  the  reach  of  enemies  and  disappointments ;  they  have  been  called  to 
partakftof  it,  by  ‘  the  word  of  the  truth  of  the  Gospel ;’  and,  blessed  be 
God,  the  joyful  message  is  ‘  come  to  us,’  in  this  far  distant  region  ! — If 
we  have  ‘  known  the  grace  of  God  in  truth,’  it  ‘  bringeth  forth  fruit,’  in 
our  holy  fives  and  spiritual  worship;  but  if  it  has  in  no  degree  this  ef¬ 
fect  on  us,  it  will  only  aggravate  our  condemnation.  This  may  be  learn¬ 
ed  from  ‘all  the  fellow-servants’  of  our  common  Lord,  who  faithfully 
minister  in  different  parts  of  his  church  ;  for  they  all  declare,  that  ‘  love 
in  the  Spirit,’  love  of  Christ,  of  holiness,  and  of  the  people,  ordinances, 
and  commandments  of  God,  and  the  unreserved  obedience  of  love,  are 
inseparable  from  saving  faith. — It  is  not  enough  that  we  understand  the 
grand  outlines  of  divine  truth;  but  we  should  also  pray  for  ourselves, 
and  for  one  another,  while  we  use  diligently  all  proper  means,  that  we 
may  be  ‘perfected  id  the  knowledge  of  the  Lord’s  will,  in  all  wisdom 
and  spiritual  understanding;’  in  order  that  we  may  ‘  walk  worthy  of  our 
vocation,’  please  God  in  every  part  of  our  conduct,  and  produce  every 
kind  of  holy  fruit  in  abundance.  —  Indeed,  we  may  well  be  very  joyful 
and  thankful  to  the  ‘Father,’  if  we  have  ‘the  witness  in  ourselves,’ 
1  Jn.  5:9,  10.  that  ‘  we  are  made  meet  for  the  inheritance  of  the  saints 

(in  Bloomf.  and  confirmed  by  him)  for  understanding  the  passage  in  the 
natural  sense,  are  :  1.  The  things  here  spoken  of  are  such  as  are  not  ca¬ 
pable  of  a  moral  creation;  since  alt  must  comprehend  inanimate  sub¬ 
stances;  and  to  the  angels,  good  or  bad,  it  can  by  no  means  apply.  2. 
The  words  in  this  sense  were  far  from  being  true  when  the  apostle 
spoke  them ;  for  only  a  very  small  remnant  of  t lie  Jews  were  ihen  con¬ 
verted  to  the  Christian  faith;  and  yet  the  apostle  plainly  speaks  of  a 
creation  wholly  past  already.  3.  The  apostle  afterwards  enters  on  the 
moral  creation  at  vs.  1 8 — 20.  "  -Ed. 

(16.)  ‘  Davenant  considers,  that  the  exposition  of  those,  who  apply  the 
terms  used  in  this  passage  exclusively  to  heavenly  and  invisible  beings, 
is  most  correct.’  '  Henry,  abr. 

V.  18 — 20.  The  same  glorious  Person,  of  whose  original  majesty  such 
sublime  language  had  been  employed,  was  next  declared  to  be  *  the 
Head  of  the  body,  the  church.’  This  manifestly  related  to  his  mediato¬ 
rial  character,  which  He  voluntarily  assumed,  and  sustained  in  human 
nature.  —  For  ‘it  pleased  the  Father,  that  in  Him  should  all  fulness 
dwell.’  It  seemed  good  to  Him,  that  all  the  plenitude  of  divine  power, 
authority,  wisdom,  knowledge,  holiness,  justice,  truth,  mercy,  grace, 
even  all  ‘  the  fulness  of  God,’  should  dwell  in  the  Person  of  Christ,  and 
be  exercised  and  communicated,  through  his  human  nature,  by  virtue  of 
the  union  of  the  Deity  and  humanity  in  his  mysterious  Person.  Thus 
‘  it  pleased  all  Fulness,’  the  original,  infinite,  inexhaustible  Fulness  of 
Being  and  perfection,  or  of  the  Deity,  ‘  to  dwell  in  ’  Christ,  for  the  ben¬ 
efit  of  his  church. — (20)  Reconcile,  iefi  ‘  The  spirits  of  just  men  ’  then 
in  heaven,  owed  their  reconciliation  to  the  Savior’s  undertaking  for  them ; 
and  nil  on  earth,  whether  Jews  or  Gentiles,  who  believed  in  Christ,  were 
reconciled  unto  God,  through  their  union  with  Him,  and  their  interest 
in  the  atonement  of  his  blood.  Rom.  3:21 — 26.  Thus  the  whole  became 

[426] 


Summary  of  Christian  doctrine. 

ers,  1  Pet.  3:  22.  Christ  is  the  eternal  Wis¬ 
dom  of  the  Father,  and  the  world  was  made 
in  wisdom.  He  is  the  eternal  Word,  and  the 
world  was  made  by  the  Word  of  God.  All 
things  are  created  by  Him  and  for  Him. 
Being  created  by  Him,  they  were  created 
for  Him  ;  being  made  by  his  power,  they 
were  made  according  to  his  pleasure,  and 
for  his  praise.  He  is  the  End,  as  well  as 
the  Cause  of  all  things,  Rom.  11:  36. 

4.  He  is  before  all  things,  v.  17.  He  had 
a  being  before  the  world  was  made  ;  before 
the  beginning  of  time,  and  therefore  from  all 
eternity,  Prov.  8  :  22.  Jn.  1:1.  He  not 
only  had  a  being  before  He  was  born  of  the 
virgin,  but  before  all  time. 

5.  By  Him  all  things  consist:  by  the  word 
of  his  power  they  are  still  upheld  in  their 
order  and  dependencies,  Heb.  1 :  3.  The 
whole  creation  is  kept  together  by  the  power 
of  the  Son  of  God,  and  made  to  consist  in 
its  proper  frame. 

He  is  a  Mediator,  v.  18,  19. 

The  Head  of  the  body,  the  church:  not  only 
a  Head  of  government  and  direction,  but  a 
Head  of  vital  influence,  as  the  bead  in  the 
natural  body:  all  grace  and  strength  are  de- 
rived  from  Him  ;  the  church  is  his  body, 
the  fulness  of  Him  who  filleth  all  in  all,  Epil. 
1 :  22,  23.  *  He  is  the  Beginning,  the  First¬ 
born  from  the  dead.  All  our  hopes  and  joys 
take  their  rise  from  Him  who  is  the  Author 
of  our  salvation.  Not  that  He  was  the  first 
who  ever  rose  from  the  dead,  hut  the  first 
and  only  one  who  rose  by  his  own  power, 
and  was  declared  to  be  the  Son  of  God,  and 
Lord  of  all  things.  [‘  First  who  rose  to  die 
no  more.’  »Sco<L]  And  He  is  the  Head  of 
the  resurrection,  and  has  given  us  an  exam¬ 
ple  and  evidence  of  our  resurrection  from 
the  dead.  He  rose  as  the  First-fruits,  1  Cor. 
15:20.  He  hath  in  all  things  the  pre-emi¬ 
nence  ;  is  preferred  above  angels,  and  all  the 
powers  in  heaven,  Heb.  1:  4.  and  in  all  the 
affairs  of  the  kingdom  of  God  among  men, 

in  light;’  having  acquired  a  relish  for  those  contemplations,  and  that 
holy  worship,  society,  and  felicity,  in  which  the  blessed  spirits  before 
the  throne  are  incessantly  engaged.  Rev.  4-.C — 11.  5:8 — 14.  7:9—17. — 
When  admitted  into  heaven,  and  not  before,  we  shall  have  some  ade¬ 
quate  conceptions  of  ‘  the  great  mystery  of  godliness  ;’  and  shall  under¬ 
stand,  in  another  manner  than  we  now  do,  the  import  of  the  apostle’s 
energetic  language  concerning  the  Lord  Jesus.  Let  us  then  at  present 
adore  these  mysteries,  in  humble  faith  ;  and,  instead  of  wanting  mate¬ 
rial  images  ‘of  the  invisible  God,’  or  framing  gross  notions  of  Him,  let 
us  contemplate  the  glory  of  our  God  in  Christ  Jesus,  ‘  the  express  Im¬ 
age  ’  of  his  essential  excellency.  Here  we  may  learn  humble  confidence, 
reverential  fear,  and  filial  love,  and  he  prepared  for  spiritual  worship, 
joyful  communion  with  God,  mid  growing  conformity  to  his  holiness,  as 
dwelling  in  our  nature,  reconciling  the  world  unto.  Himself;  here  we  may 
become  acquainted  with  the  harmonioitslv  glorious  perfections  of  our 
God,  and  may  approach  Him,  and  have  fellowship  with  Him,  notwith¬ 
standing  our  exceedingly  great  guilt, and  pollution,  and  infirmity.  For  it  has 
pleased  the  infinitely  glorious  God,  that  ‘all  fulness  should  dwell  in  Christ,’ 
both  to  relieve  our  weak  apprehensions,  and  our  guilty  consciences,  in  our 
discoveries  of  his  glorious  majesty  and  holiness,  through  so  encouraging 
a  medium,  as  the  Person  of  Emmanuel,  ‘making  peace  by  the  blood  of 
his  cross,’  and  reconciling  all  things  in  heaven,  and  on  earth,  to  Himself 
and  to  each  other,  in  this  most  gracious  and  astonishing  manner.  Sc. 

one  church  and  one  body  in  Him;  and  they  all  will  at  length  he  trans¬ 
lated  to  heaven,  there  to  continue  for  ever  in  a  state  of  perfect  reconcil¬ 
iation  to  God,  and  friendship  with  Him  and  each  other.  This  seems  to 
be  what  is  meant  by  ‘all  tilings  in  heaven  and  earth  ;’  for,  though  holy 
angels  become  one  family  through  Christ  with  redeemed  sinners,  yet 
they  cannot  he  said  to  he  reconciled  unto  God,  as  they  never  were  in  a 
state  of  enmity  against  Him. — Some  commentators  would  wholly  con¬ 
fine  tlie  meaning,  to  man’s  being  reconciled  to  God  and  -his  service  ;  oth¬ 
ers  eiplain  it  wholly  of  God’s  being  reconciled  to  his  offending  creatures  ; 
hut  why  should  not  both  he  included  1  For  the  atonement  of  Christ 
procured  for  ail  believers  both  pardon  of  Fin  and  new-creating  grace ; 
that  they  might  walk  witli  God,  ill  a  state  of  mutual  peace,  and  recipro¬ 
cal  friendship  and  love.  Scott. 

(20.)  By  Him.  ‘  Whether  God  or  Christ  he  meant,  commentators  are 
not  agreed  :  the  latter  seems  preferable. — All  things.]  The  best  found¬ 
ed  opinion  on  these  words  seems  to  be  that  of  Ham.,  and  the  most  emi¬ 
nent  interpreters  since  his  times,  that  the  neuter  gender  is  here  put  for 
the  masculine,  as  often  ;  and  that  by  all  things,  as  far  as  regards  the 
things  in  earth,  may  be  understood  Jews  and  Oevti/es.'  Bloomf. 

V.  21 — 23.  The  Lord  had  commanded,  that  titis  Gospel  should  be 
‘  preached  to  every  creature  under  heaven;’  it  had  actually  been  pub¬ 
lished  very  widely,  among  Jews  and  Gentiles,  without  distinction  of  na¬ 
tion,  or  previous  character  ;  [bull  he  uses  a  general  term,  ‘  under  heav¬ 
en,’  commonly  employed  on  similar  occasions,  the  import  of  which  may 
he  learned  from  other  places.  1  In  all  the  creation,  which  is  under  the 
heaven.’  See  on  Rom.  8:19. — This  last  v.  may  he  rendered,  ‘Since  ye 
continue.  Jfcc.’  implying  a  confidence  of  the  sincerity  of  the  Colossians, 
as  evidenced  by  their  steadfastness.  But  our  tr.  is  more  obvious  ami  lit¬ 
eral,  and  perfectly  consistent  with  the  apostle’3  doctrine  concerning  per 


A.  D.  64. 


COLOSSIANS,  I. 


23  If  ye  continue  °in  the  faith 
grounded  and  settled,  and  be  not 
moved  away  from  the  hope  of  the 
gospel,  which  ye  have  heard,  and 
which  was  preached  to  every  p  crea¬ 
ture  which  is  under  heaven;  where¬ 
of  I  Paul  am  made  a  minister  ; 

24  Who  now  rejoice  in  my  suf¬ 
ferings  for  you,  and  fill  up  that 
which  is  behind  of  the  afflictions 
q  of  Christ  in  my  flesh  for  his  body’s 
sake,  which  is  the  church  ; 

25  Whereof  I  am  made  a  minis¬ 
ter,  according  to  the  dispensation 
of  God  which  is  given  to  me  for 
you,  rto  fulfil  the  word  of  God  ; 

26  Even  the  mystery  *  which  hath 
been  hid  from  ages  and  from  gene¬ 
rations,  but  now  ‘is  made  manifest 
to  his  saints  : 

27  To  whom  God  would  make 
known  what  is  the  riches  of  the 
glory  of  this  mystery  among  the 
Gentiles  ;  which  is  Christ  “in  you, 
the  v  hope  of  glory  : 

28  Whom  we  preach,  warning 
w  every  man,  and  teaching  x  every 
man  in  all  wisdom  ;  that  y  we  may 
present  every  man  perfect  in  Christ 
Jesus  : 

29  Whereunto  1  I  also  labor, 
striving  according  to  his  working, 
which  worketh  in  me  mightily. 


o  He.  10:33. 

I>  Mat.  --4:14. 

Ma.  16:15. 
q  Plii.  3:10. 
f  or,  fully  to 


preach. 
s  E\>.  3:9. 
t  2Ti.  1:10. 
u  or,  among. 
v  1  Ti.  1:1. 


w  Ac.  20:28,31. 
r  2  Ti.  2:2-1,25. 
y  2  Co.  11:2. 

2  1  Co.  15:10. 


lie  should  have  the  pre-eminence.  He  has 
tlie  pre-em.inen.ce  in  the  hearts  of  his  people 
above  the  world  and  the  flesh;  and  by  giv¬ 
ing  Him  the  pre-eminence,  we  comply  with 
the  Father’s  will,  That  all  men  should  hon¬ 
or  the  Sun,  even  as  they  honor  the  Father,  Jn. 
5:23.  All  fulness  dwells  in  Him,  and  it 
pleased  the  Father  it  should  do  so,  v.  19.  a 
fulness  of  merit  and  righteousness, of  strength 
and  grace  for  us.  As  the  head  is  the  seat 
and  source  of  the  animal  spirits,  so  is  Christ 
of  all  graces  to  his  people  ;  and  we  may 
have  free  resort  to  Him  for  all  that  grace 
which  we  have  occasion  for.  He  not  only 
intercedes  for  it,  but  is  the  Trustee  in  whose 


hands  it  is  lodged  to  dispense  to  11s.  Of  his 
fulness  we  receive,  and  grace  for  grace;  grace 
in  us  answering  to  that  grace  which  is  in 
Him,  Jn.  1  :  16  and  He  fills  all  in  all,  Eph. 
1:  23. 

HI.  Of  the  work  of  redemption,  which 
consists  in  remission  of  sin,  i>.  14.  Eph.  1 :  7. 
and  in  reconciliation  to  God,  v.  20.  and  is 
procured  by  the  Mediator  through  the  blood 
of  his  cross.  The  Gentiles,  who  were  alien¬ 
ated,  and  enemies  in  their  minds  by  ivicked 
works,  yet  now  hath  He  reconciled,  v.  21.  By 
nature  they  were  estranged  from  God,  and 
at  enmity  with  God:  but  now  this  enmity  is 
slain,  and,  notwithstanding  this  distance, 
we  are  now  reconciled.  The  greatest  ene¬ 
mies  to  God  may  be  reconciled,  if  it  is  not 
their  own  fault.  It  was  the  blood  which  made 
an  atonement  ;  for  without  the  shedding  of 
blood  there  is  no  remission,  Heb.  9:  22.  Such 
was  the  value  of  Christ’s  shedding  his  blood, 
that, on  that  account,  God  was  willing  to  deal 
witli  men  on  new  terms,  and  bring  them 
under  a  covenant  of  grace ;  and,  for  his  sake, 
to  pardon,  and  accept  to  favor,  all  who  com¬ 
ply  with  them. 

IV.  Of  the  preaching  of  this  redemption. 

It  was  preached  To  every  poor  creature  under 
heaven,  v ■  23.  so  Mk.  16: 15.  The  Gospel 
excludes  none  who  do  not  exclude  them¬ 
selves.  More  or  less  it  has  been,  or  will  be, 
preached  to  every  nation  ;  though  many  have 
sinned  away  the  light  of  it,  and  some  never 
yet  enjoyed  it.  It  was  preached  by  Paul, 
and  according  to  the  dispensation  of  God,  v. 
25.  though  an  apostle,  yet  a  minister,  as  his 
highest  honor;  arid  for  you,  for  your  benefit: 
ourselves  your  servants  for  Jesus’  sake,  2  Cor. 
4:  5.  Christ’s  ministers  for  the  good  of  bis 
people  :  to  fulfil  the  Word  of  God,  fully  to 
preach  it,  of  which  you  will  have  the  greater 
advantage.  What  kind  of  a  preacher  Paul 
was,  is  particularly  represented.  1.  He 
was  a  suffering  preacher,  v.  24.  not  by  way 
of  expiations  for  sin,  as  the  sufferings  of 
Christ  were  ;  but  Paul,  and  other  good 
ministers,  made  themselves  conformable  to 
Christ,  and  followed  Him  in  his  suffering 
state  :  so  they  are  said  to  fill  up  what  was 
behind  of  the  sufferings  of  Christ.  Or  it 
may  be  meant  not  of  Christ’s  sufferings,  hut 
of  the  apostle’s  suffering  for  Christ.  He 
filled  up  that  which  was  behind.  lie  had  a 
certain  rate  and  measure  of  suffering  fur 
Christ  assigned  him;  and  as  his  sufferings 
were  agreeable  to  that  appointment,  so  he 
was  still  filling  up  more  and  more  what  was 
behind,  or  remained  of  them  to  his  share. 


Grand  object  of  evangelical  labors. 

2.  He  was  a  close  preacher,  v.  28.  Every 
man  has  need  to  be  warned  and  taught,  and 
therefore  let  every  man  have  his  share.  Ob¬ 
serve,  Warning  and  teaching  must  go  togeth¬ 
er.  Men  must  he  warned  and  taught  in  alt 
wisdom.  We  must  choose  the  fittest  seasons, 
and  use  the  likeliest  means,  and  accommo¬ 
date  ourselves  to  the  different  circumstances, 
capacities  [and  spiritual  state],  of  those  we 
have  to  do  with,  and  teach  them  as  they  are 
able  to  bear.  What  he  aimed  at,  was,  to 
present  every  man  perfect  in  C/irist  Jesus ; 
either  perfect  in  the  knowledge  of  the  Chris¬ 
tian  doctrine,  Phil.  3:  15.  2  Tim.  3:  17.  or 
else  crowned  with  a  glorious  reward  here¬ 
after,  when  He  will  present  to  Himself  a  glo¬ 
rious  church,  Eph.  5:  27.  and  bring  them  to 
the  spirits  of  just  men  made  perfect,  Heb.  12: 
23.  Observe,  M misters  ought  to  aim  at  the 
improvement  and  salvation  of  every  particu¬ 
lar  person  who  hears  them.  3.  lie  was  a 
laborious  preacher,  and  one  who  took  pains, 
v.  29.  Observe,  As  Paul  laid  out  himself 
to  do  much  good,  so  he  had  this  favor,  that 
the  power  of  God  wrought  in  him  the  more 
effectually.  The  more  we  labor  in  the  work 
of  the  Lord,  the  greater  measure  of  help  we 
may  expect  from  Him  in  it,  Eph.  3:  7. 

Tlie  Gospel  preached.  We  have  an  ac¬ 
count  of  that,  v.  26,  27.  Observe,  The 
mystery  of  the  Gospel  was  long  hidden, 
concealed  from  ages  and  generations,  the 
several  ages  of  the  church  under  the  O.  T. 
dispensation,  but  is  now,  in  the  fulness  of 
time,  made  manifest  to  tlie  saints.  2  Cor. 
3:14.  Eph.  3:  4,  5.  And  what  is  this  mys¬ 
tery  1  The  riches  of  God’s  glory  among  the 
Gentiles,  the  peculiar  doctrine  of  the  Gos¬ 
pel,  was  a  mystery,  which  was  before  hid, 
and  is  now  made  manifest  and  made  known. 
But  the  great  mystery  here  referred  to,  is,  the 
preaching  tlie  Gospel  to  the  Gentile  world, 
and  making  them  partakers  of  the  privileges 
of  the  gospel-state,  who  before  lay  in  igno¬ 
rance  and  idolatry,  Eph.  3  :  6.  Which 
mystery,  thus  made  known,  is,  Christ  in  you, 
the.  hope  of  glory,  or  among  you.  Observe, 
Christ  is  the  hope  of  glory.  The  ground 
of  our  hope  is  Christ  in  the  Word,  or  the 
gospel-revelation,  declaring  the  nature  and 
methods  of  obtaining  it.  The  evidence  of 
our  hope  is  Christ  in  the  heart,  or  the  sanc¬ 
tification  of  the  soul,  and  its  preparation 
for  the  heavenly  glory. 

The  duty  of  those  who  nre  interested  in 
this  redemption,  v.  23.  is,  to  continue  in 
the  faith  grounded  and  settled,  and  not  be 
moved  away  from  the  hope  of  the  Gospel  ; 


PItACT.  OBS.  V.  21 — 29.  If  we  be  convinced,  that  once  we  were 
‘alienated  from  God,  and  enemies  in  our  minds  hy  wicked  works;’  and 
if  we  are  now  reconciled  to  Him,  by  tlie  incarnation,  sacrifice,  and  grace 
of  Christ ;  we  shall  not  attempt  to  explain  away,  or  presumptuously  ex¬ 
ited  to  comprehend,  these  deep  mysteries  ;  but  we  shall  see  a  glory  and 
suitableness  in  this  plan  of  redemption,  as  uniting  tlie  honor  of  the  di¬ 
vine  law  and  government  with  the  hope  of  guilty,  perishing  sinners, 
though  mucli  vet  remains  fir  above  and  out  of  the  reach  of  our  low  ca¬ 
pacities,  and  feeble  conceptions  of  spiritual  things  ;  and,  while  we  long 
to  lie  ‘presented  holy,  unblamable,  and  tmrepmvable  in  the  sight  of 
God,’  it  will  be  impossible  for  11s  to  abuse  or  pervert  his  grace,  to  en- 

scverance ;  for  many  specious  professors  of  true  religion  are  ‘  moved 
away  from  die  hope  of  the  Gospel,’  ‘having no  root  in  themselves;’  fear 
of  coining  short  is  one  grand  mean  of  the  true  believer's  perseverance, 
and  it  was  frequently  the  apostle’s  manner,  by  such  intimations,  to  cau¬ 
tion  his  readers  to  beware  of  deceiving  themselves. — (21)  Mind,  <&i;.]  In 
the  higher  powers  of  the  soul,  the  intellect  and  reasoning  faculty,  as 
well  as  the  will  and  affections,  man  is  ‘  an  enemy  to  God  ;’  so  vain  is  tlie 
notion,  that  the  opposition  of  reason  to  tlie  sensual  appetites,  is  the 
conflict  1  between  flesh  and  spirit,’  of  which  tlie  apostle  elsewhere  dis¬ 
courses  I  Rom.  7:12 — 25.  Gal.  5:16 — 13.  Scott. 

(23.)  Preached  to  every  creature  . .  uniter  heaven.]  Note,  v.  6.  Er>. 

V.  21.  Filled  up,  Sec.]  The  sufferings  of  Christ  perfectly  sufficed  for 
the  redemption  of  ‘  his  body  the  church,’  and  were  an  atonement  of  in¬ 
finite  value.  But  his  atonement  must  lie  received.  It  is  received  by 
faith;  ‘faith  eoines  by  hearing;’  hearing  by  preaching;  and  preaching 
was  in  those  days  inseparable  from  suffering;  so  that  the  apostle’s  suf¬ 
ferings  in  his  flesh,  for  the  benefit  of  the  church,  were  necessary  in  their 
place,  and  could  not  be  dispensed  with.  Rom.  10:12 — 17.  2  Tiles.  2:13, 
1 1.  2  Tim.  2:8 — 13.  By  them  he  ‘  filled  up  what  was  behind  of  tlie  af¬ 
flictions  01  Christ,’  ns  the  sufferings  of  martyrs,  confessors,  and  believers 
in  general,  form  one  aggregate  of  pain  and  distress,  with  those  of  the 
Head  of  the  church,  all  of  which  is  conducive  a  id  necessary,  in  differ¬ 
ent  ways,  to. the  complete  salvation  of  the  whole  bodv.  But  the  apos¬ 
tle  might,  with  tiie  more  propriety,  say  this,  as  he  suffered  in  the  same 
cause,  from  the  same  persons,  or  those  of  tlie  same  character,  in  the 


courage  ourselves  in  sin.  Many  things,  indeed,  must  try  the  faith  of  pro¬ 
fessed  Christians;  but  every  trial  which  we  stand,  and  every  temptation 
which  we  resist,  without  1  being  moved  away  from  tlie  hope  of  tlie  Gos¬ 
pel ;’  and  every  event  which  shows  that  we  ‘continue  in  the  faith, 
grounded  and  settled, ’  tends  to  assure  us,  that  we  shall  soon  ‘  be  pre¬ 
sented  faultless  before  our  God,  with  exceeding  joy.’  (Notes,  Jude  20 — 
25.)  May  this  Gospel  then  be  [speedily  and]  successfully  ‘preached  to 
every  creature  that  is  under  heaven  !’ — And  as  Christ  is  preached  among 
us,  let  us  seriously  inquire,  whether  He  dwells  and  reigns  in  us,  which 
alone  can  warrant  our  assured  hope  of  his  glory.  Scott. 


same  meek  and  patient  manner,  and  from  the  same  spirit  of  zeal  and  love, 
with  his  divine  Master;  so  that  his  afflictions  resembled  those  of  tlie  Sa¬ 
vior  in  everything,  except  that  tlie  Savior’s  alone  were  expiatory.  Christ 
is  also  represented,  as  sympathizing  ill  tlie  sufferings  of  his  disciples; 
and  many  think,  the  apostle  had  in  view,  the  words,  with  Which  the 
Lord  addressed  him,  in  the  way  to  Damascus;  ‘Saul,  Saul,  why  perse- 
cutest  thou  Me  ?  ’  lu  this  sense,  (lie  sufferings  of  every  part  of  tlie  Lord’s 
mystical  body,  are  his  sufferings  ;  the  former  sense,  however,  is  by  far  the 
most  suitable  to  the  tenor  of  the  passage.  18:20.  Eph.  1:15—23.  Scott. 

V.  25 — 27.  Not  only  was  Christ,  the  promised  Messiah,  ‘God  mani¬ 
fest  in  the  flesh,’  preached  among  tlie  Gentiles,  1  Tim.  3:10.  not  only 
did  He  reign  among  them  ;  hut  He  actually  dwelt  in  the  hearts  of  true 
believers,  ‘in’  the  hearts  of  multitudes  of  ihe  Gentiles,  by  faith,  and  the 
power  of  his  Spirit ;  implanting  his  love,  renewing  his  image,  and  writ¬ 
ing  his  law,  which  fully  scaled  and  warranted  their  hope  of  eternal  glo¬ 
ry. —  Indeed,  it  cannot  be  made  intelligible,  how  ‘  Christ,  among  the 
Gentiles,’  according  to  the  interpretation  of  some  learned  expositors, 
could  give  individuals  a  warranted  ‘  hope  of  glory-’  2  Cor.  1:20,  21.  3: 
17,  18.  4:13 — 13.  13:5,6.  Eph.  1:13,  14.  1  Pel.  5  10,  11.  .  *}>• 

V.  23.  According  to  his  working,  i.  e.  of  a  divine  power  on  his  (the 
apostle’s]  soul,  which  ‘wrought  mightily  in  him;’  exciting  fervent  de¬ 
sires  after  God,  and  the  salvation  of  souls;  communicating  vigor  jo  all 
hoi V  affections  ;  raising  him  above  ull  low  and  selfish  aims ;  and  sup¬ 
porting  him  in  constancy,  patience,  and  cheerful  fortitude,  amidst  all 
di.TLultiea  and  persecutions.  Some  would  explain  this  power,  to  mean 


A.  D.  64. 


C0L0SS1ANS,  II. 


Paul's  concern  for  the  Colossians. 


CHAP.  II. 


1  lie  still  exhorteth  them  to  be  constant  in  Christ,  8  to 

beware  of  philosophy,  and  vain  traditions,  18  worship¬ 
ping  of  angels,  20  and  legal  ceremonies,  which  are  ended 

in  Christ. 

Tj'OR  I  would  that  ye  knew  what 
-1-  great  a  conflict  I  have  for  you, 
and  for  them  at  b  Laodicea,  and  for 
as  many  as  have  not  seen  my  face 
in  the  flesh  ; 

2  That  their  hearts  might  he 
comforted,  being  knit  together  in 
c  love,  and  unto  all  riches  of  the  full 
d  assurance  of  understanding,  to  the 
acknowledgment  of  the  mystery 
eof  God,  and  of  the  Father,  and 
of  Christ ; 

3  f  In  whom  are  hid  all  the  treas¬ 
ures  of  wisdom  and  knowledge. 

4  And  this  I  say,  lest  any  man 
should  beguile5 you  with  enticing 
words. 

5  For  though  I  be  absent  in  the 
flesh,  yet  am  I  with  you  in  the 
Spirit,  joying  and  beholding  your 
order,  and  the  steadfastness  of  your 
faith  in  Christ. 

6  As  ye  have  therefore  received 
Christ  Jesus  the  Lord,  so  walk  h  ye 
in  him  : 

7  Rooted  1  and  built  up  in  3  him, 
and  stablished  in  the  faith,  as  ye 
have  been  taught,  abounding  there¬ 
in  with  thanksgiving. 

8  Beware  k  lest  any  man  spoil 
you  through  philosophy  and  vain 
deceit,  after  the  tradition  of  men, 
after  the  1  rudiments  of  the  world, 
and  not  after  Christ. 


a  or,  fear,  or, 
care. 

b  Re.  3:1-1,  &c. 
C  C.  3:14 
d  Is.  32:17. 


He.  6:11. 
e  1  Jn.  5;7. 
f  or,  wherein. 
g  Ma.  13:22. 
h  1  Jn.  2:6. 


1  Ep.  3:17. 
j  Jn.  15:4,5. 
k  Ro.  16:17.  Ep. 

5:6  lie.  13:9. 

1  or,  elements. 


i.  e.  we  must  be  so  well  fixed  in  our  minds, 
as  not  to  be  moved  from  it  by  any  tempta¬ 
tions,  1  Cor.  15  :  58.  Heb.  10  :  23.  Then , 
only,  can  we  expect  the  happy  end  of  our 
faith,  when  we  continue  in  the  faith,  and  are 
so  far  grounded  and  settled  in  it,  as  not  to 
be  moved  from  it,  lleb.  10  :  39.  We  must 
be  faithful  to  death ,  through  all  trials,  that 
we  may  receive  the  crown  of  life,  and  receive 
the  end  of  our  faith ,  the  salvation  of  our  souls, 
1  Pet.  1:  9. 


Chap.  II.  V.  1 — 3.  Paul  had  a  great  con¬ 
cern  for  the  Colossians,  and  other  churches, 
not  personally  known  to  him.  He  had  never 
been  at  Colosse,  and  the  church  there  was 
not  of  his  planting  ;  yet  he  had  as  tender  a 
care  of  it,  as  if  it  had  been  the  only  people 
of  his  charge,  v.  1.  His  care  amounted  to 
a  conflict,  a  sort  of  agony,  wherein  he  was 
a  follower  of  his  Master,  who  was  in  an 
agony  for  us.  See  how  we  can  think,  and 
pray,  and  be  concerned  for  one  another,  at  the 
greatest  distance  ;  and  how  those  we  never 
saw  in  the  flesh,  we  tnay  hope  to  meet  in 
heaven. 

But  what  was  it  the  apostle"  desired  for 
them'?  v.  2.  It  was  their  spiritual  welfare; 
not  that  they  may  be  healthy  and  merry,  and 
rich  and  great,  and  prosperous  ;  but  that 
their  hearts  might  be  comforted.  Note,  The 
prosperity  of  the  soul  is  what  we  should  be 
most  solicitous  about  for  ourselves  and  oth¬ 
ers.  We  have  here  a  description  of  soul- 
prosperity. 

1.  When  our  knowledge  grows  to  an  un¬ 
derstanding  of  the  mystery  of  God,  and  of  the 
Father,  and  of  Christ  ;  either  what  was  be¬ 
fore  concealed,  but  is  now  made  known  con¬ 
cerning  the  Father  and  Christ  :  or,  the 
mystery  before-mentioned,  of  calling  the 
Gentiles  into  the  Christian  church,  as  the 
Father  and  Christ  have  revealed  it  in  the 
Gospel  ;  then  the  soul  prospers. 

2.  When  our  faith  grows  to  a  full  assur¬ 
ance,  and  bold  acknowledgment  of  this 
mystery  ;  and  we  not  only  believe  with  the 
heart,  but  are  ready,  when  called  to  it,  to 
make  confession  with  our  mouth  ;  and  are 
not  ashamed  of  our  Master  and  our  holy 
religion,  under  the  frowns  and  violence  of 
their  enemies.  This  is  called  the  riches  of 
the  full  assurance  of  understanding.  Great 
knowledge  and  strong  faith  make  a  soul 
rich.  This  is  being  rich  toward  God,  and 
rich  in  faith,  and  the  true  riches,  Lu.  12:21. 
James  2:  5. 

3.  It  consists  in  the  abundance  of  com¬ 
fort  in  our  souls  ;  That  their  hearts  might  be 
comforted.  The  soul  then  prospers,  when  it 
is  filled  with  joy  and  peace,  Rom.  15  :  13. 
and  has  a  satisfaction  within,  which  all  the 
troubles  without  cannot  disturb ;  and  is  able 
to  joy  in  the  Lord,  when  all  other  comforts 
fail,  Hah.  3: 17,  IS. 

4.  The  more  intimate  communion  we  have 
with  our  fellow-Christians,  the  more  the 
soul  prospers  ;  Being  knit  together  in  love. 
The  stronger  our  faith  is,  and  the  warmer 
our  love,  the  more  will  our  comfort  he. 
Observe,  The  treasures  of  wisdom  are  hid. 


not  from  us,  but  for  us,  in  Christ,  v.  2,  3. 
They  who  would  be  wise  and  knowing, 
must  apply  to  Christ.  Pie  is  the  Wisdom, 
of  God,  and  is,  of  God,  made  unto  us  Wis¬ 
dom,  &c.  1  Cor.  1:24*30. 

His  concern  for  them  is  repeated,  v.  5. 
lie  iiad  heard  of  the  Colossians,  that  they 
were  orderly  and  regular  ;  and  though  he 
had  never  seen  them,  nor  was  present  with 
them,  he  tells  them  he  could  easily  think 
himself  among  them,  and  look  with  pleas¬ 
ure-on  their  good  behavior.  The  order  and 
steadfastness  of  Christians  are  matter  of 
joy  to  ministers  ;  the  more  steadfast  our 
faith  in  Christ  is,  the  better  order  there  will 
be  in  our  whole  conversation  ;  for  we  live 
and  walk  by  faith,  2  Cor.  5:  7.  Heb.  10:  38. 

V.  4 — 12.  The  apostle  cautions  the  Co¬ 
lossians  against  deceivers,  v.  4.  and  v.  8. 
He  insists  so  much  on  the  perfection  of 
Christ  and  the  gospel-revelation,  to  preserve 
them  from  the  insnaring  insinuations  of 
those  who  would  corrupt  their  principles. 
Note,  Satan  and  his  agents  spoil  men,  by 
beguiling  them  with  enticing  words.  See 
the  danger  of  enticing  words  ;  how  many 
are  ruined  by  the  flattery  of  those  who  lie  in 
wait  to  deceive  ;  and  by  the  false  disguises, 
and  fair  appearances,  of  evil  principles  and 
wicked  practices.  Observe, 

I.  A  sovereign  antidote  against  seducers, 
v.  6,  7.  the  reception  of  Christ.  Here, 
note,  1.  All  Christians  have  received  Jesus 
Christ  the  Lord  ;  received  Him  as  the  great 
Prophet  of  the  church,  anointed  by  God  to 
reveal  his  will  ;  as  the  great  High  Priest, 
and  Savior  from  sin  and  wrath,  by  the  ex¬ 
piatory  sacrifice  of  Himself  ;  and  as  Lord, 
or  Sovereign  and  King,  whom  we  are  to 
obey  and  be  subject  to.  2.  The  great  con¬ 
cern  of  those  who  have  received  Christ,  is, 
to  walk  in  Him;  to  make  their  practices 
conformable  to  their  principles,  and  their 
conversations  agreeable  to  their  engage¬ 
ments.  3.  The  more  closely  we  walk  with 
Christ,  the  more  we  are  rooted  and  established 
in  the  faith.  A  good  conversation  is  the 
best  establishment  of  a  good  faith.  If  we 
walk  in  Him,  we  shall  be  rooted  in  Him  ; 
and  the  more  firmly  we  are  rooted  in  Him, 
the  more  closely  we  shall  walk  in  Him  ; 
rooted  and  built  up.  Being  established  in 
the  faith,  we  must  abound  therein,  and  im¬ 
prove  in  it  more  and  more  ;  and  this  with 
thanksgiving.  We  must  join  thanksgiving 
to  all  our  improvements,  and  be  sensible  of 
the  mercy  of  all  our  privileges  and  attain¬ 
ments.  Observe, 

II.  The  fair  warning  given  us  of  our 


exclusively  the  miracles  which  the  apostle  wrought ;  but  every  one  must 
perceive,  that  this  wholly  destroys  the  energy,  and  darkens  the  sense  of 
the  passage.  Scott. 

NOTES.  Chap.  II.  V.  2 — 4.  The  apostle ...  especially,  wrestled 
most  earnestly  with  God  in  prayer,  that  their  hearts  might  be  encour¬ 
aged  by  divine  consolations,  in  every  part  of  their  duty  ;  and  that,  in 
order  to  this,  they  might  be  united  together  in  the  most  perfect  love  of 
one  another-,  that  so  all  envies,  resentments,  suspicions,  and  competi¬ 
tion  might  he  excluded  ;  which  y/ould  otherwise  certainly  burden  their 
consciences,  inflame  their  passions,  ‘grieve  the  Holy  Spirit,’  and  inter¬ 
rupt  their  comfort.  (3:12—15.  Eph.  4:1—6,  14— 16,' 30— 32.  Phil.  2:1  — 
4-)  (2)  Mystery ,  &c  ]  ‘  The  mystery  of  God,  even  of  the  Father  and 

of  Christ,’  his  beloved  Son,  as  One  with  Him,  according  to  ‘the  great 
mystery  of  godliness,  God  manifest  in  lire  flesh-,’  1  Tim.  3:16.  ‘in 
whom  ’  (or  in  which  mystery )  were  ‘  hidden  ail  the  treasures  of  wisdom 
and  knowledge.’  These  treasures  were  indeed  hidden  from  the  eyes  of 
unbelievers :  but  the  infinite  wisdom  and  knowledge  of  God  were  more 
displayed  in  the  Person  and  redemption  of  Christ,  than  in  all  his  other 
works.  All  true  wisdom  and  knowledge  consisted  in  a  believing,  and 
practical,  and  experimental  understanding  of  these  mysteries,  and  such 
instructions  as  are  dedticible  from  t hem  :  yea  from  this  treasury  all  (rue 
wisdom  and  knowledge  must  be  derived  by  faith  and  prayer;  ami  all 
science  or  philosophy  contrary  to  this  are  worthless.  ‘  It  grieved  the 
apostle  to  think,  how  incapable  he  was  rendered  of  serving  them,  other¬ 
wise  than  by  his  letters  and  prayers.  Oh  !  that  such  language  might 
inspire  every  minister  who  reads  it,  with  a  desire  to  use  liis  liberty  to 
the  best  purposes,  ami  to  exert  himself,  as  under  such  confinement  he 
would  wish  he  had  done  J  ’  Dodlr. — (3)  All  the  treasures,  Ac.]  ‘Let 
this  be  the  firmest  argument  against  cavillers,  that  without  Christ  there 
is  no  true  wisdom.’  Reza. — The  language  of  the  first  v.  renders  it  at 
least  highly  probable,  that  the  apostle  had  not  been  at  Colosse.  (1)  What 
great  conflict .j  ‘  Fear,  or  care.' — F.arnest  prayer  seems  here  spe¬ 
cially  intended.  (3)  In  whom.]  ‘Wherein.’  Marg.  As  ‘Christ’  is 
the  more  immediate  antecedent,  the  version  of  the  text  is  more  obvi- 
vions,  and  Indeed  in  every  respect  preferable. — Hid.]  Mk.  4:22.  Lu.  8: 

[4-8] 


17.  Mat.  11:25. — (4)  Beguile.]  ‘  Deceive  by  fallacious  reasoning.’  Jam. 
1:22.  Not  elsewhere. —  Enticing  words.]  Here  only.  Persuasive,  plau¬ 
sible,  but  sophistical  oratory.  Scott. 

(1.)  Seen  my  face.]  ‘  Or,  “seen  me  in  person."..  .  Possibly,  he  may 
intend  to  intimate,  that  lie  was  not  only  concerned  for  those  whom  he 
personally  knew,  but  likewise  for  others,  to  whom  he  was  a  stranger, 
and  who  might  have  been  converted  after  he  left  them  ;  yet  I  think  this 
epistle  contains  no  argument  front  whence  it  can  certainly  be  inferred 
that  he  was  acquainted  with  these  Christians.’  Dodds. 

(2.)  ‘  The  mystery  referred  to,  is,  God  revealed,  not  merely  in  the  uni¬ 
ty  of  his  character,  but  in  the  plurality  of  Persons,  the  Son  as  well  as 
the  Father, — God  in  Christ,  reconciling  the  world  unto  Himself.’  [See  the 
copious  Expos,  of  Bp.  Davenant.]  Schole field,  in  Henry ,  abr. 

(3.)  In  ivhom.]  ‘  1.  e.  Christ ;  so  Wolf ,  with  the  ancients,  most  mod¬ 
erns,  and,  recently,  Hein.  It  respects,  so  Whitby ,  the  Person  of  Christ 
as  Mediator,  the  knowledge  of  whom,  the  apostle  says,  hath  ail  excel¬ 
lency  beyond  all  other  knowledge.  Phil.  3:8.’  Bi.oomf. 

V.  5 — 7.  Some  think,  that  he  had  an  immediate  revelation  concern¬ 
ing  tlie  prosperous  stale  of  their  church  ;  as  Elisha  hud  of  Geha/.i’s  con¬ 
duct  in  following  Naaman.  2  K.  5:26,  27.  6:8 — 12.  Scott. 

(7.)  Rooted,  Ac.]  ‘Rooted  and  well  founded  in  it,  as  Jude  20.  like 
the  immense  stones,  without  cement,  which  formed  the  foundations  of 
the  edifices  of  the  ancients.’  Bi.oomf. 

V.  8,  9.  It  was  especially  requisite  for  the  Christians  at  Colosse  to 
be  on  their  guard,  that  no  man  might  'rob  them,’  (as  victorious  armies 
plunder  the  vanquished,)  of  their  hope  and  comfort,  or  turn  them  aside 
from  Christ,  by  philosophical  subtleties,  and  vain,  delusive  speculations, 
opposed  to  the  simple  faith  of  the  Gospel.  These  ^ere  ‘  traditions  of 
men,’  delivered  from  tiie  heads  and  teachers  of  the  several  sects  of  phi¬ 
losophers,  and  so  handed  down  from  age  to  age:  they  formed  ‘  the  ele¬ 
ments,’  or  first  principles,  of  a  supposed  wisdom,  suited  to  the  proud, 
curious,  speculating,  and  carnal  temper  of  the  world;  but  which  was 
totally  incompatible  with  the  doctrine  of  Christ. — The  Judaizing  teach¬ 
ers  seem  To  have  blended  their  systems  with  speculations  borrowed 
from  the  Pagans,  and  their  different  sects  of  philosophers  :  thus  the  tra- 


A.  D.  61. 


COLOSSIANS,  II. 


Caution  ag  .inst  false  teachers. 


9  For  in  him  m  dwelleth  nil  the 
fulness  of  the  Godhead  bodily. 

10  And  ye  are  complete  ”  in  him, 
which  is  the  head  °of  all  principal¬ 
ity  and  power  ; 

11  In  whom  also  ye  are  circum¬ 
cised  with  the  circumcision  pmade 
without  hands,  in  putting  off  the 
body  of  the  sins  of  the  flesh  by  the 
circumcision  of  Christ; 

12  Buried  8  with  him  in  baptism, 
wherein  also  ye  are  risen  with  him 
through  the  faith  of  the  operation 
r  of  God,  who  hath  raised  him  from 
the  dead. 

m  c.  1:19.  o  1  Pe.  3:22.  q  Ro.  6:4,5. 

n  He.  5:9.  p  Je.4:4.  Phi.3:3.  r  Ep.  1:19. 

danger,  v.  8.  There  is  a  philosophy  which 
nobly  exercises  our  reasonable  faculties,  and 
highly  promotes  religion  ;  such  a  study  of  the 
works  of  God,  as  leads  to  the  knowledge  of 
God,  and  confirms  our  faith  in  Him.  But 
there  is  a  vain  and  deceitful  philosophy’, 
prejudicial  to  religion,  and  that  sets  up  the 
wisdom  of  man  in  competition  with  the 
wisdom  ol  God  ;  as  nice  and  curious  spec¬ 
ulations  about  things  above  us,  or  of  no  use 
to  us ;  or  a  care  of  words  and  terms  of  art, 
which  have  only^  an  empty,  and  often  a 
cheating,  appearance  of  knowledge.  After 


tradition,  after  the  rudiments  of  the  world:  as 
the  Jews  governed  themselves  by  the  tra¬ 
ditions  of  their  elders,  and  the  Gentiles 
mixed  maxims  of  philosophy  with  their 
Christian  principles  ;  and  both  alienated 
their  minds  from  Christ. 

The  deceivers  were  especially  the  Jewish 
teachers,  who  endeavored  to  keep  up  the  law 
of  Moses  in  conjunction  with  the  gospel  of 
Christ,  but  really  in  competition  with  it,  and 
contradiction  to  it.  Here  the  apostle  shows, 

1.  That  we  have  in  Christ  the  substance 
of  all  the  shadow's  of  the  ceremonial  law'  : 
for  example,  (1.)  Had  they  then  the  She- 
chinah,  or  special  presence  of  God,  called 
the  glory,  from  the  visible  token  of  it  1  So 
have  we  now  in  Jesus  Christ,  v.  9.  Now  the 
presence  of  God  dwells,  not  between  the 
cherubim,  in  a  cloud  covering  the  mercy- 
seat,  but  in  the  Person  of  our  Redeemer,  who 
partakes  of  our  nature,  and  has  more  clear¬ 
ly  declared  the  Father  to  us.  It  dwells  in 
11  im  bodily  ;  not  as  the  body  is  opposed  to 
the  spirit,  but  as  the  body  is  opposed  to  the 
shadow.  The  fulness  of  the  Godhead  dwells 
in  Christ,  really,  and  not  figuratively,  for  He 
is  both  God  and  Man.  (2.)  Had  they  cir¬ 
cumcision,  which  was  the  seal  of  the  cove¬ 
nant  1  In  Christ  u'e  are  circumcised  with  the 
circumcision  made  without  hands,  v.  1 1 .  by 
the  work  of  regeneration  in  us,  which  is  the 
spiritual  or  Christian  circumcision,  Rom.  2: 
29.  This  is  owing  to  Christ,  and  belongs 


to  the  Christian  d  spensation.  It  is  made 
without  hands  ;  net  by  the  power  of  ary 
creature,  but  by  :ae  power  of  the  blessed 
Spirit  of  God,  Jn.  3:  5.  Ti.  3:  5.  It  con¬ 
sists  inrputting  off  the  body  of  the  sins  of  the 
flesh;  in  renouncing  sin,  and  reforming  our 
lives,  not  in  mere  external  rites.  It  is  not 
the  putting  away  the  filth  of  the  flesh,  but  lh* 
answer  of  a  good  conscience  toward  If  :, 
1  Pet.  3:  21.  Rom.  6  :  6.  Christ  was  cir¬ 
cumcised,  and,  by  virtue  of  our  union  to 
Him,  we  partake  of  that  effectual  grace 
which  puts  off  the  body  of  the  sint  of  the 
flesh.  Again,  The  Jews  thought  them¬ 
selves  complete  in  the  ceremonial  law  ;  but 
we  are  complete  in  Christ,  v.  10.  That  was 
imperfect  and  defective,  Ileb.  8  :  7.  10  l. 
But  all  the  defects  of  ii  are  made  up  in  ,..<s 
Gospel  of  Christ,  (by  the  complete  sacrifice 
for  sin,)  and  revelation  of  the  will  of  Goo, 
who  is  the  Head  of  all  prii:  ipality  und  oower. 
As  the  O.  T.  priesthood  t>ad  its  pci  d.lio'i 
in  Christ,  so  likewise  had  the  ki  3  cm  of 
David,  which  was  the  eminent  principality 
and  power  under  the  O.  T.  and  which  the 
Jews  valued  themselves  so  muca  upon.  And 
He  is  the  Lord  and  Head  of  all  the  powers 
in  heaven  and  earth,  of  angels  and  men. 
1  Pet.  3:22. 

2.  We  have  communion  with  Christ  in 
his  whole  undertaking,  v.  12.  We  are  both 
buried  and  rise  with  Him,  and  both  are  sig¬ 
nified  by  our  baptism;  not  that  tin  re  is  any 


dilions  of  tile  sages,  and  those  of  the  Pharisees,  were  incorporated  ;  and 
the  ‘worldly  elements’  of  heathen  superstition,  or  philosophy,  were 
blended  W'ith  legal  and  traditionary  external  observances.  Unless  some¬ 
thing  of  this  kind  be  supposed,  it  will  be  found  difficult  to  understand 
the  apostle’s  discourse:  for  he  spoke  of  philosophical  delusions  and  legal 
ceremonies  at  the  same  time  ;  he  argued  against  botlt  of  them  at  once ; 
but  lie  levelled  his  reasonings  chiefly  against  the  Judaizing  teachers. 
(Mat.  15:1 — 6.! — To  what  he  had  before  advanced,  lie  ’here  added,  that 
‘in  Christ  all  the  fulness  of  the  Godhead  dwelleth  bodily.’  ..  .  All  the 
divine  perfections  are  exercised  by  Christ,  as  ‘  God  manifest  in  the  flesh,’ 
through  the  mysterious  Union  of  the  divine  and  human  nature  in  one 
Person.  When  the  apostle  spoke  of  believers  being  ‘  filled  with  all  the 
fulness  of  God  ;  ’  Eph.  3:1  4— 19.  he  evidently  meant  it  of  their  receiving 
a  rich  abundance  of  all  divine  communications  from  God;  and  his  in- 
dwelling  in  his  people  refers  to  his  gracious  and  powerful  presence  with 
(belli.  But  ‘  all  the  fulness  of  the  Godhead  dwelling  bodilv  ’  in  Christ, 
is  language  unspeakably  stronger,  and  evidently  refers  to  his  being  con¬ 
stituted  the  repository  of  all  spiritual  blessings,  from  whose  fulness  all 
believers  receive.  John  1:14 — 16.  For  God,  dwelling  in  human  nature 
as  in  a  temple,  exercises  all  divine  perfections,  performs  all  divine  op¬ 
erations,  and  communicates  all  benefits  to  man,  through  that  medium. 
1— 4,  v.  3.  1:15—20.  John  5:20—23.  14:18—20.  2  Cor.  5:18—21. 

‘  Christ  is  not  here  said  to  be  “  filled  with  all  the  fulness  of  God ;  ”  . .  . 
but  the  whole  fulness  of  the.  Godhead  is  said  to  reside  in  Him.  Now, 
theiottts  and  to  theion,  never  signify  the  gifts  of  God,  or  the  doctrine  of 
the  Gospel,  hut  the  divine  nature  only;  nor  can  the  will  or  revelation 
of  God  be  said  to  “  dwell  bodily  ”  in  any  person.’  Whitby. — If  the  union 
of  Deity  and  manhood  in  one  person  can  be  expressed  in  human  lan¬ 
guage,  without  doubt  this  verse  does  express  it.  1  Tim.  3:16.  [Comp, 
also  Davrnant's  Exp.  by  Allport,  1831.]  Scott. 

(8.)  Through  philosophy  and  vain  deceit.]  ‘Sophistical  and  falla¬ 
cious  philosophy.  So  most  commentators.  For  the  apostle,  they  say, 
does  not  absolute/!/  condemn  philosophy,  but  only  comparatively  [when 
it  is]  out  of  its  limits,  &c.  But  I  rather  apprehend  he  meant  to  censure 
the  Grecian  philosophy  in  general.’  Bloomf. 

(9.)  Godhead.]  ‘A  plain  Anglicism,  equivalent  to  Deity.  Comp. 
Ac.  17  29.  I  cannot  think  these  wonderful  words  are  intended  merely 
to  signify,  that  God  hath  lodged,  in  the  hands  of  Christ,  a  fulness  of 
gifts  to  he  conferred  on  men,  as  if  the  passage  were  merely  parallel  to 
Eph.  3:19.  and  Jn.  1:16,  17.  I  assuredly  believe  it  refers  to  the  adorable 
mystery  of  the  union  of  the  divine  and  human  natures  in  the  person  of 
the  glorious  Emmanuel,  which  makes  Him  such  an  object  of  our  hope 
and  confidence,  as  the  most  exalted  creature,  with  the  most  glorious 
endowments,  could  never  of  himself  be.'  Doddr. 

‘  The  ancients,  and  earlier  moderns,  recognize  here  a  strong  evidence 
of  the  Deitv  of  Christ.  ..  .Whitby  observes,  the  apostle  does  not  di¬ 
rectly  say  Christ  is  God,  but  expresses  his  divine  nature  thus,  partly  to 
represent  to  the  Jews  the  divinity  of  Christ,  with  allusion  to  tire  God  of 
Israel  dwelling  in  the  temple,  partly  to  oppose  Him  to  the  plerbma  of 
the  Gnostics,  and  to  the  partial  deities  of  the  heathen.  We  may,  1  think, 
conclude,  with  Whithv,  adopting  the  words  of  the  council  of  Antioch, 
that  i he  body  born  of  the  Virgin,  receiving  the  whole  fulness  of  the  God¬ 
head  bodily,  was  immutably  united  to  the  Divinity,  and  deified,  which 
made  the  same  person,  Jesus  Christ,  both  God  and  Man.’  Bl. 

V.  10.  As  Christ  was  completely  qualified  for  his  mediatorial  work, 
by  ‘  all  the  fulness  of  the  Godhead  dwelling  in  Him  bodily,’  so  believers 
are  completely  supplied  with  all  they  want,  by  their  mystical  union 
with  Him  :  ..  .ail  their  instruction,  acceptance,  holiness,  deliverance, 
liberty,  victory,  ami  happiness,  are  derived  from  Him  by  faith,  in  the 
use  of  tiis  appointed  means,  and  they  want  nothing,  which  they  have  not 
in  Him.  They  therefore  can  have  no  need  to  seek  any  additional  in¬ 
struction,  wisdom,  help,  or  encouragement,  either  from  Jewish  ordi¬ 
nances  and  traditions,  or  from  heathen  sages. — As  Christ  is  also  ‘  the 
Head  of  ajl  principality  nnd  power,’  all  angels  being  his  willing  servants, 
and  the  whole  creation  being  subjected  to  Hint  ;  so  Christians  have  no 
cause  to  fear  any  creatures,  or  reason  to  seek  help  from  them.  Rom.  8: 
28 — 39.  1  Cor.  1:26—31.  Eph.  1:15—23.  Phil.  2:9—11.  1  Pet.  3:21—22. 


— The  Judaiz.ing  teachers  seem  to  have  imbibed,  and  new  mm'clled,  tiie 
Pagan  notions  of  subordinate  deities,  and,  applying  it  to  ths  scriptural 
doctrine  of  angels,  to  have  introduced  the  mediatorial  worship  of  them  ; 
with  which  they,  at  an  early  period,  attempted  to  corrupt  the  Christian 
church,  and  not  wholly  without  success.  To  this,  the  apostle  here  ev¬ 
idently  refers,  as  well  as  in  what  is  said  afterwards.  ( jv  te.  20—23.) 
But  Christians  could  have  no  occasion  to  pay  homage  ol  at. .  kind  to 
those  creatures,  who,  however  exalted,  were  subjected  to  C.irist,  their 
Lord  and  Redeemer.  Scott. 

V.  11,12.  ‘  The  circumcision  of  Christ,’  seems  rather  to  s'  jnify  his 
work  in  the  believer’s  soul,  than  his  own  personal  .circumcision  ,  ‘though 
that  was  a  part  of  his  mediatorial  humiliation,  by  which  the  true  cir¬ 
cumcision  was  procured  for  them,  and  in  which  they  are  rendered  con¬ 
formable  to  Him. — The  baptism  of  Jews  and  Gentiles,  when  converted 
to  Christianity,  implied  their  ‘death  unto  sin,  and  new  birth  unto  right¬ 
eousness,’  their  entrance  into  the  church  and  kingdom  of  <  liris"  the 
washing  away  of  the  guilt  and  pollution  of  their  sins,  and  their  tie,.  ca¬ 
tion  to  ihe  service  of  God,  the  Father,  the  Son,  and  the  Holy  S"iri,,  in 
whose  name,  as  the  God  of  their  salvation,  they  were  baptized.  Note, 
Mat.  28:19,  20,  v.  19.)  The  same  inward  change  had  been  signified  Ly 
circumcision,  which  was  administered  to  adult  proselytes,  and  then  to 
their  infant  offspring;  so  that  no  argument  can  hence  he.  d"duced 
against  the  baptism  of  infants.  (Notes,  Gen.  17:9 — 12.  Rom.  4;  —12.) 
— This  conformity  to  the  crucified  and  risen  Savior  was  eflected, 
‘  through  the  faith  of  the  ojieratiou  of  God,  who  raised ,Him  from  the 
dead,’  or,  by  a  believing  reliance  on  that  effectual  saving  power  o‘  God, 
as  displayed  in  the  resurrection  of  Christ.  Eph.  1.15 — 23.  It  is,  no 
doubt,  an  important  scriptural  truth,  that  the  faith,  by  which  we  receive 
all  other  blessings,  is  itself  the  gift  and  work  of  God  :  (Notes,  Jn  110 
— 13.  Eph.  2.4 — 10)  and  this  has  induced  some  expositors,  an  v 
many  preachers,  to  explain  the  clause  to  mean,  ‘  the  faith  which  God 
has  wrought  in  the  heart.’  This  was  the  author’s  view,  when  he  wrote 
the  first  edition  of  this  work.  But  a  careful  examination  of  the  s  '  ject 
has  convinced  him,  that  this  is  rather  imposing  a  sense  on  die  ap  tile’s 
words,  than  inquiring  alter  the  true  meaning  of  them.  The  ablest '  reek 
scholars  are  decided,  that  the  idiom  of  the  language  will  not  admit  of 
that  construction;  and  certainly  there  is  no  instance  in  the  N.  T.,  iu 
which  a  similar  mode  of  expression  can  fairly  be  thus  interpreted. 
(M/r.  11:22.  Jets  3:16.  Rom.  3:22,  26.  Gal.  2: 16,  20.  3:22.  Eph.  3:12. 
Phil.  1:27.  3:9.  2  Thes.  2:13.  Jam.  2:1.  Rev.  2:13.  14:12.  Gr.)  It 
should  however  be  observed,  that  though  the  clause  does  not  allirm  faitn 
to  he  the  work  and  gift  of  God,  it  neither  teaches  nor  implies  anything 
to  the  contrary.  Indeed,  this  is  taught,  in  the  subsequent  v.  In. 

(12.)  See  Woods  on  Baptism,  page  159  and  onward.  See  also  St:  art 
on  this  passage,  in  Bib.  Repos,  article,  *  Is  the  mode  of  llap.  prescribed 
ill  the  Bible  V  See  Wardlaw,  on  Bap.  p.  117.  published  by  Win.  Pierce. 
‘  In  regard  to  the  parallel  passage  in  Roin.  6:4.  Dwight  remarks,  ‘  in  l lie 
next  v.  it  is  said,  “  For  if  we  are  planted  together  in  the  likeness  of  his 
death.”  My  antagonists  (the  Baptists)  are  hound  to  show,  that  this  fig¬ 
urative  expression,  which  refers  to  the  same  thing,  does  not  ns  stric’  / 
signify  the  mode  in  which  baptism  is  received,  as  the  word  “buried,1 
and,  if  it  does,  to  point  out  the  particular  mode  of  administering  baptism 
denoted  by  the  word  “  planted.”  ’  Dxt  ght. 


(12.)  Buried  toith  Him  in  baptism.)  Pr.  Stuart  (on  the  parnllet  passage,  Rool  6:4.) 
says  •  ‘JVIost  comirs.  have  maintained,  that  sunclophtmcn  [buried  with,  or  like]  haa 
here  a  necessary  reference  to  lire  mode  of  li  ternl  bapt  ism,  a  inch,  t  hey  say,  w  as  by  im¬ 
mersion  ;  nnd  this,  they  ihink,  affords  ground  for  lire  employment  of  the  image  used 
by  the  apostle,  because  immersion  (underwater)  may  he  compared  to  burial  (tinder 
the  earth) .  It  is  difficult,  per  traps,  to  procure  a  patient  rehearing  of  rite  subject,  so 
long  regarded  by  some  ns  being  out  of  fair  dispute.  Nevertheless,  ns  my  own  convic¬ 
tion  is  not,  after  prot racted  and  repeated  examinations,  accordant  here  with  that  of 
commentators  in  general,  I  feel  constrained  briefly  to  state  my  reasons. 

*  The  first  is.  that  in  the  v.  before  ns  there  is  a  plain  antithesis  ;  one  so  plain,  that 
it  is  impossible  to  overlook  it.  If  now  sunetaphemen  is  to  he  interpreted  in  n  physical 
way,  i.  e.  as  meaning  baptism  in  a  physical  sense,  where  is  the  corresponding  pnt/st- 
cnl  idea,  in  the  opposite  ptirlof  the  antithesis  or  comparison  ?  Plainly,  tlieie  is  n<>  snctl 
physical  idea  or  reference  in  the  other  part  of  the  antithesis.  1  he  resurrection  t  rere 
spoken  of,  is  entirely  a  moral,  spiritual  one;  for  it  is  one  which.!- h nations  have  already 
experienced,  during  the  present  life  ;  ns  may  he  fully  seen  liy  comparing  lioin.  o.b,  11. 
I  take  it  for  granted,  that  after  hemeis,  in  v.  4.  egert/icntes  ts  implied;  Btnce  ttm  na  ore 

[4i9J 


A.  D.  64. 


COLOSSIANS,  If. 


The  privileges  of  Christians. 


13  And  5 you,  being  dead  in  your 
sins  and  the  uncircumcision  of  your 
flesh,  hath  he  quickened  together 
with  him,  having  forgiven  you  all 
trespasses  ; 

14  B'otting  'out  the  handwriting 
of  ordinances  that  was  against  us, 
which  was  contrary  to  us,  and  took 
it  out  of  the  way,  nailing  it  to  his 
cross  ; 

15  And  having  “spoiled  princi¬ 
palities  and  powers,  he  made  a 
shew  of  them  openly,  triumphing 
over  them  in  vit. 

16  Let  no  man  therefore  judge 
wyou  x  in  meat,  or  in  drink,  or  in 
y  respect  of  an  holy  day,  or  of  the 
new  moon,  or  of  the’sabbath  days ; 


6  Ep.  2:1.5,11. 
t  Ep,  2:15.16. 
u  Pp.  68:18.  Is. 
53:12.  Lu.  10: 


18.  11:22.  Jn. 

12:31* 

v  or,  himself. 
w  Ru.  14:10,13. 


x  or,  for  eating 
and  drinking, 
y  or ,  part. 


thing-  in  the  sign  or  ceremony  of  baptism, 
which  represents  this  burying  and  rising, 
any  more  than  the  crucifixion  of  Christ  is 
represented  by  any  visible  resemblance  in 
the  Lord’s  supper  :  and  he  is  speaking  of 
tl'.e  circumcision  made  without  hands  ;  and 
says,  it  is  through  the  faith  of  the  operation  of 
God.  But  the  thing  signified  by  our  bap¬ 
tism,  is,  that  we  are  buried  with  Christ,  as 
baptism  is  the  seal  of  the  covenant,  and  an 
obligation  to  our  dying  to  sin  ;  and  that  we 
are  risen  with  Christ,  as  it  is  a  seal  and 
obligation  to  our  living  to  righteousness,  or 
n.  ivitess  of  life.  God  in  baptism  engages  to 
be  to  us  a  God,  and  we  engage  to  be  his 
people,  and  by  his  grace  to  die  to  sin,  and  to 
live  to  righteousness,  or  put  off  the  old  man, 
and  put  on  the  new. 

V.  13—15.  The  apostle  here  represents 
tlte  privileges  of  Christians. 

1.  Christ’s  death  is  our  life,  v.  13.  A 


state  of  sin  is  a  state  of  spiritual  death. 
They  who  are  in  sin,  are  dead  in  sin,  in 
separation  from  God  and  his  favor,  morally 
impotent,  though  possessed  of  natural  power, 
or  the  power  of  a-  reasonable  creature.  The 
Gentile  world  lay  in  wickedness,  and  were 
dead,  Eph.  2:11, 12.  dead  in  their  sins.  It 
may  be  understood  of  the  spiritual  uncir- 
cuincision  or  corruption  of  nature  ;  and  so 
it  shows  that  we  are  dead  in  law,  and  dead 
in  state.  The  sinner  has  no  spiritual  power, 
till  he  has  the  divine  life,  or  renewed  nature. 
An  unsanctified  heart  is  called  an  uncircum¬ 
cised  heart:  this  is  our  state.  Now,  through 
Christ,  we,  who  were  dead  in  sins,  are 
quickened;  effectual  provision  is  made  for  the 
taking  away  of  the  guilt  of  sin,  and  break¬ 
ing  the  power  and  dominion  of  it.  Quick¬ 
ened  together  with  Him  ;  by  virtue  of  our 
union  to  Him,  and  in  conformity  to  Him. 
Christ’s  death  was  the  death  of  our  sins  ; 
Christ’s  resurrection  is  the  quickening  of 
our  souls. 

2.  Through  Him  we  have  the  remission  of 
sin  ;  Having  forgiven  you  all  trespasses. 
This  is  onr  quickening.  The  pardon  of 
the  crime  is  the  life  of  the  criminal  :  and 
this  is  owing  to  the  resurrection  of  Christ, 
as  well  as  his  death ;  for  as  He  died  for  our 
sins,  so  He  rose  again  for  our  justification, 
Rom.  4:  25. 

3.  Whatsoever  is  in  force  against  us,  is 
taken  out  of  the  way.  He  has  obtained  for 
us  a  legal  discharge  from  the  handwriting 
of  ordinances,  which  was  against  us,  v.  14. 
which  may  be  understood,  (1.)  Of  that  obli¬ 
gation  to  punishment,  in  which  consists  the 
guilt  of  sin.  The  curse  of  the  law  is  the 
handwriting  against  us,  like  the  handwriting 
on  Belshazzar’s  wall.  This  was  removed 
when  He  redeemed  us  from  the  curse  of  the  law, 
being  made  a  Curse  for  us.  Gal.  3  :  13.  He 
cancelled  the  obligation  for  all  who  repent 
and  believe.  He  vacated  and  disannulled 
the  judgment  which  was  against  us.  And 
our  indwelling  corruption  is  crucified  with 


Christ,  and  by  the  virtue  of  his  cross.  Or, 
rather,  (2.)  It  must  be  understood  of  the 
ceremonial  law  ;  the  handwriting  of  ordi¬ 
nances,  the  ceremonial  institutions,  or  the  law 
of  commandments  contained  in  ordinances, 
Eph.  2:  15.  which  was  a  yoke  to  the  Jews, 
and  a  partition-wall  to  the  Gentiles.  This 
the  Lord  Jesus  disannulled,  that  till  might,  be 
satisfied  it  was  no  more  binding,  2  Cor.  3: 
13.  Heh.  8  :  13.  The  expressions  are  in 
allusion  to  the  ancient  methods  of  cancelling 
a  bond,  either  by  crossing  the  writing,  or 
striking  it  through  with  a  nail. 

4.  He  has  obtained  a  glorious  victory  for 
us  over  the  powers  of  darkness,  v.  15.  re¬ 
deemed  us  from  the  power  of  Satan,  with  a 
high  hand.  He  led  captivity  captive.  The 
devil,  and  all  the  powers  of  hell,  were  con¬ 
quered  and  disarmed  by  the  dying  Redeem¬ 
er.  The  first  promise  pointed  at  this,  Gen. 
3:  15.  The  expressions  are  lofty  and  mag¬ 
nificent  :  let  us  turn  aside,  and  see  this  great 
sight.  The  Redeemer  conquered  by  dying. 
See  his  crown  of  thorns  turned  into  a  crown 
of  laurels.  He  spoiled  them,  broke  the  dev¬ 
il’s  power,  and  conquered  and  disabled  him, 
and  made  a  show  of  them  openly;  exposed 
them  to  public  shame,  and  made  a  show  of 
them  to  angels  and  men  :  triumphing,  either 
in  his  cross  and  by  1) is  death  ;  or,  as  some 
read  it,  in  Himself,  by  his  own  power  ;  for 
He  trod  in  the  wine-press  alone,  and  of  the 
people  there  was  none  with  Him. 

V.  16 — 23.  The  apostle  concludes  with 
exhortations  to  proper  duty,  which  he  infers 
from  the  foregoing  discoursq. 

I.  Here  is  a  caution  to  take  heed  of  Juda- 
izing  teachers,  or  those  who  would  impose 
on  Christians  the  yoke  of  the  ceremonial 
law,  v.  16.  It  appears  by  Rom.  14.  there 
were  such,  who  were  for  keeping  up  those 
distinctions  :  hut  here  the  apostle  shows, 
that  since  Christ  is  come,  and  has  cancelled 
the  ceremonial  law,  we  ought  not  to  keep  it 
up.  And  this  the  rather,  because  these 
things  were  shadows  of  things  to  come,  v.  17. 


of  the  comparison,  the  preceding  hos  egerlhe  Christos ,  and  v.  5,  make  this  entirely 
plain. 

‘  If  we  turn  now  to  the  passage  in  Col. -2:12.  (altogether  parallel,)  we  shall  there 
find  mote  conclusive  reason  still,  to  argue  ns  above,  respecting  the  nature  of  the  anti- 
t  Am.*  presente  l.  “We  have  been  boried  with  Him  (Christ)  in  baptism."  What 
iu»w  is  the  opposite  of  this?  What  is  the  kind  of  resurrection  from  this  grave  in 
"Inch  Christians  have  been  buried?  The  apostle  tells  us  :  ‘  We  have  risen  with  Him 
(Christ)  Ly  faith  wrought  by  the  power  of  God,  (tes  energeias  tou  T/ieou,)  who  raised 
Him  (Christ)  from  the  dead.’’  Here,  then ,  is  a  resurrection  by  f ailh,  i.  e.  a  spiril- 
ual,  mo-  il  one.  Why  then  should  we  look  for  a  physical  meaning  in  the  antithesis  ? 
Il  one  part  of  the  antithesis  is  to  be  construed  in  a  manner  entirely  moral ,  or  spirit¬ 
ual^  why  should  we  not  construe  the  other  in  the  like  manner?  To  understand  sune- 
tuphemcn ,  then,  of  a  literal  burial  under  watery  is  to  understand  it  in  a  manner  which 
the  laws  of  interpretation  forbid. 

‘  (b)  Nothing  can  be  plainer,  than  t  hat  the  word  sunetaphemen,  in  Rom .6:4.  is  equiva¬ 
lent  in  sense  to  the  wo-il  apethannmen  in  v.  8.  It  seems  to  lie  adopted  merely  for  the  sake 
ot  rendeiiug  more  strikingthc  image  of  a  resurrecli  on, which  the  apostle  employs  in  the 
ether  part  ol  the  antithesis.  A  resurrection  from  the  grave  is  a  natural  phrase,  when 
one  is  speaking  with  respect  to  the  subject  of  a  resurrection  ;  see  Jn.  5:28,29.  comp. 
Dan.  12:*.  lu  accordance  with  this  statement,  the  context  does  most  plainly  spealc, 
both  in  respect  to  Rom. 6:1.  ami  Col.  2:12.  For  in  respect  to  Rom.  6:4.  the  apostle  ,<roes 
on  in  the  very  next  v.,  (as  is  usual  with  him,)  to  present  the  same  idea  which  is  con¬ 
tained  in  v.  4.  in  a  different  costume.  V.  5.  (which  is  a  mere  epexegesis  of  v.  4.) 
s  ivs:  if  we  have  bten  homogeneous  ( sumphutoi ,  like,  of  the  same  kind)'trt;A  Christ 
IN  HIS  DBA TH,  then  shall  toe  be  in  hie  resurrection.  The  same  idea  and  explana¬ 
tion  is  repeated  in  v.  8. — npclhanomen, — sit  zes  omen ,  and  the  whole  is  summarily  ex¬ 
plained  in  v.  11.  So  reckon  ye  yourselves  to  be  ntkrous  men  te  hamartia,  zuntas  de 
to  Theo. 

‘  Exactly  in  the  same  manner  has  the  apostle  gone  on  to  explain  suntaphentes  in 
Col.  12:12.  In.  v.  13.  he  adds  :  l/  You  nekrous  in  your  offences  .  .  .  sunezoop->iese}  has 
lit  (God)  made  alive  with  Him  (Christ),  having  forgiven  us  all  our  offence*." 

‘  There  can  he  no  real  ground  forquestion,  then,  that  by  sunetaphemen ,  in  both  cases, 
is  meant  neither  more  nor  less  than  by  apothanomen ,  nekroi ,  &c.  The  epexegesis  ad¬ 
ded  in  both  cases  seems  to  make  this  quite  plain. 

I  The  only  reason,  then,  which  I  can  find,  why  sunetaphemen  is  preferred  in  Rom.  6: 
4.  and  in  Col.  2:12.  is.  as  has  been  suggested  above,  that  the  language  may  be  a  fuller 
antithesis  of  the  word  resurrection ,  which  is  employed  in  the  corresponding  part  of 
the  comparison.  “  Yon  who  were  (dead)  buried  with  Christ,”  gives  energy  to  the 
expression. 

(c)  But  mv  principal  difficulty  in  respect  to  the  usual  exegesis  of  sunetaphemen  is, 
that  the  image  or  figure  of  immersion ,  baptism ,  is,  so  far  ns  I  know,  nowhere  else  in 
Scriptn  e  employed  as  a  symbol  of  burial  in  the  grave.  Nor  can  I  think  that  it  is  n  very 
natu  ral  symbol  of  burial.  The  obvious  import  of  washing  with  water ,  or  immersing  in 
water,  is,  that  it  is  symbolical  of  purity,  cleansing,  pu rification.  Rut  how  will  this  apt¬ 
ly  signify  burying  in  the  grave,  the  place  of  coriupiion,  loathsomeness,and  destruction? 

*  For  these  reasons  l  feel  inclined  to  doubt  the  usual  exegesis  of  the  passage  before 
us,  and  to  believe  that  the  apostle  had  in  view  only  a  burying  which  is  moral  and  spir¬ 
itual  ;  for  the  same  reasons,  that  he  had  a  moral  and  spiritual  (not  a  physical)  resur¬ 
rection  in  view,  in  the  corresponding  part  of  the  antithesis. 

‘  Indeed,  what  else  but  a  moral  burying  can  be  meant,  when  the  apostle  goes  on  to 
say:  We  are  buried  with  Him  (not  by' baptism  only,  but)  by  baptism  INTO  HIS 
DEATH  ?  Of  course,  it  will  not  be  contended,  that  a  literal  physical  burying  is  here 
meant,  but  only  amoral  one.  And  although  the  words,  into  his  death,  are  not  insert¬ 
ed  in  Col.  2:1*2.  yet,  ns  the  following  v.  there  shows,  they  are  plainly  implied.  In 
fact,  it  is  plain,  that  reference  is  here  made  to  baptism,  been  use,  when  that  rite  was  per¬ 
formed,  the  Christian  promised  to  renounce  sin  and  to  mortify  all  his  evil  desires,  and 
thus  to  die  unto  sin,  that  he  mi^ht  live  unto  God.  I  cannot  see,  therefore,  that  there 
is  any  more  necessary  reference  to  the  modus  of  baptism,  than  there  is  to  the  modus  of 
the  resurrection.  The  one  may  as  well  he  maintained  as  the  other. 

I I  am  aware,  however,  that  one  may  say,  “  I  admit  that  burial  with  Christ  has  a 
moral  sense,  and  only  such  a  one  ;  but  then  the  language  in  which  this  idea  is  con¬ 
veyed  (sunetaphemen) ,  is  evidently  borrowed  from  the  custom  of  immersion.”  In  re¬ 
ply  to  this,  I  would  refer  to  the  considerations  under  (e)  above.  The  possibility  of  the 
usa  re  1  admit  ;  but  to  show  that  the  image  isnatural,  and  obvious,  and  that  it  is  a  part 

[430] 


of  Scripture  usage  else  w  he  re,  is  what  seems  import  a  ill,  in  order  to  prod  a  ce  entire  satis¬ 
faction  tofiie  mind  of  a  philological  inquirer.  At  any  rate,  I  cannot  at  present  think 
the  case  to  be  clear  enough,  to  emit  le  any  one  to  employ  this  passage  with  confidence, 
in  a  contest  respecting  the  inode  of  baptism.’  Stuart. 

V.  13 — 15.  Tli is  ‘ handwriting  was  against’  the  .lews,  and  contrary 
to  them,  as  well  as  to  the  Gentiles  ;  for  it  is  observable,  that  the  apostle 
changed  the  person,  when  he  came  to  speak  on  litis  subject,  saying 
‘  against  us,'  not  you.  Mat.  5:17,18.  Jn.  1:17-  Eph.  2:14 — 18.  Heb.  7: 
18,19.  8:7 — 13.  9:1; — 14,18 — 23.  10:1 — 18.  Not  only  was  the  ritual 
law  a  heavy  yoke  for  them  to  bear,  Acts  15:7 — 11.  but  all  its  sacrifices 
and  ablutions  testified,  that  they  were  guilty  and  polluted  ;  yet  these 
typical  expiations-  could  not  take  away  sins.  So  that  the  bond  could 
never  have  been  discharged,  except  Christ  had  come  and  made  payment 
of  it ;  and  unbelievers  among  the  Jews  were  under  condemnation,  by 
the  testimony  even  of  the  ceremonial  law,  us  well  as  for  the  additional 
sins  which  the  multiplying  of  precepts  necessarily  occasioned.  Rom.  5: 
20,  51.  At  the  same  lime,  the  Gentiles,  who  had  not  so  much  as  these 
ty picul  expiations,  were  under  condemnation  as  transgressors,  and  were 
excluded  by  them  even  from  the  visible  church.  Eph.  2:11 — 13.  But 
Christ,  ..  .  hy  satisfying  the  justice  of  God  for  sin,  had  removed  the 
cause  of  fallen  man’s  subjection  to  Satan,  and  made  way  for  Ihe  preach¬ 
ing  of  the  Gospel  to  tlte  nations,  ‘  with  (lie  Holy  Spirit  sent  down  from 
heaven,’  to  make  it  successful.  (14 )  Against  us.]  ‘  Circumcision  pob- 
licly  testified  innate  depravity  ;  Ihe  purifications,  the  pollutions  of  sin, 
and  Ihe  sacrifices,  that  its  guilt  deserved  death,  to  which  tlte  remarkable 
saying  of  Augustine  refers.  In  those  ceremonies  there  was  rattier  the 
confession,  than  the  removal  of  sin.’  Beza. — The  silencing  of  the  hea¬ 
then  oracles  and  the  gradual,  yet  rapid  subversion  of  the  Grecian  and 
Roman  idolatry,  in  consequence  of  the  death  of  Christ,  are  fixed  on  by 
some  commentators,  as  almost  the  exclusive  meaning  of  the  clause, 
‘triumphing  over  them  in  it;’  but  these,  however  important,  consti¬ 
tuted  only  a  small  part  of  that  victory  over  ‘the  powers  of  darkness,’ 
which  Christ  obtained  on  the  cross,  and  of  his  subsequent  triumphs. 
Of  these  triumphs,  the  salvation  of  the  dying  thief  may  be  considered  as 
an  earnest.  Lu.  23:39—43. — (15)  Having  spoiled  1  3:9.  Not  else¬ 

where.  See  on  11.  ‘He  disarmed  them,  ...and  left  them  naked, 'and 
spoiled  of  all  power  to  do  hurt.’ — He  made  a  show  of  them.]  Here  onlv. 
—  ‘Conquerors  ..  .  lead  their  captives  chained  together  slier  their  tri¬ 
umphal  chariot  into  the  city,  with  great  pomp,  the  people  looking  on 
ami  applauding.’  Leigh.  Scott. 

V.  16,  17.  iloubtless,  this  last  [sabbath  days]  related  principally  lo 
the  weekly  Sabbath,  which,  as  observed  on  the  7th  day,  was  now  be¬ 
come  a  part  of  the  abrogated  Jewish  law.  For  the  Sabbath,  under  the 
Mosaic  dispensation,  was  a  ceremonial,  and  a  judicial,  as  well  as  a 
moral  requirement;  the  morality  of  it  had  tm  necessary  connexion  with 
the  7th  day,  in  preference  to  all  others,  save  as  that  was  appointed  du¬ 
ring  that  dispensation  ;  hut  the  appropriation  of  a  part  of  our  time  for 
Die  [special]  worship  and  service  of'God,  is  of  moral  and  essentially  im¬ 
mutable  obligation.  (Marg.  Ref.  f—  k  —  Ex.  20:8— 10.  ‘The  first  day 
of  the  week,’  ‘the  Lord’s  day,’  was  the  time  kept  holy  bv  Ciiristians, 
in  remembrance  of  Christ’s  resurrection,  and  ‘tlte  Sabbath,’  in  the  N. 
1.,  always  signifies  the  7th  day,  the  observance  of  which  the  Judaizing 


A.  D.  64. 


COLOSSIANSj  II. 


Caution  against  judaizing  teachers. 


17  Which  are  a  shadow 1  of  things 
to  come  ;  but  the  body  is  of  Christ. 

18  Let  *  no  man  b  beguile  you  of 
your  reward,  'in  a  voluntary  humil¬ 
ity  and  worshipping  of  angels,  in¬ 
truding d  into  those  things  which  he 
hath  not  seen,  vainly  puffed  up  by 
his  fleshly  mind  ; 

19  And  not  holding  the  'Head, 
from  which  all  the  body  by  joints 
and  bands  having  nourishment 
ministered,  and  knit  together,  iu- 
creaseth  with  the  increase  of  God. 

20  Wherefore,  if  ye  be  dead  with 
Christ  from  the  f  rudiments  of  the 
world,  why,  as  though  living  in 
the  world,  are  ye  subject  to  ordi¬ 
nances, 

21  (Touch  not;  taste  not;  han¬ 
dle  not  ; 

22  Which  all  are  to  perish  with 
the  using,)  after  the  command¬ 
ments  and  doctrines  of  men  ? 

z  He.  8:5.  c  being  a  vo/uri •  Job  38:2. 

a  Re.  3:11.  tary  in  humility,  e  Ep  4:15,16. 

b  or,  judge  d  De.  29:^9.  f  or ,  elements . 

against  you. 


intimating,  that  they  had  no  intrinsic  worth 
in  them,  and  that  they  are  now  done  away: 
the  body  is  of  Christ.  Observe,  the  advan¬ 
tages  we  have  under  the  gospel,  above  what 
they  had  under  the  law:  they  had  the  shad¬ 
ows,  we  the  substance. 

II.  He  cautions  them  to  take  heed  of 
those  who  would-  introduce  the  worship  of 
angels  as  mediators  between  God  and  them, 


as  the  Gentile  philosophers  did,  v,  18.  It 
looked  modest  to  do  so ;  but  though  it  has  a 
show  of  humility,  it  is  a  voluntary,  not  a 
commanded  humility;  and  therefore  not  ac¬ 
ceptable,  yea,  not  warrantable:  it  is  taking 
that  honor  which  is  due  to  Christ  only,  and 
giving  it  to  a  creature.  Besides,  the  notions 
on  which  this  practice  was  grounded,  were 
merely  the  inventions  of  men,  and  not  by 
divine  revelation;  the  proud  conceits  of  hu¬ 
man  reason,  which  makes  men  presume  to 
dive  into  things,  and  determine  them  without 
sufficient  knowledge  anil  warrant;  pretend¬ 
ing  to  describe  the  orders  of  angels,  and 
their  respective  ministries,  which  God  has 
hidden  from  us;  and,  therefore,  though  there 
was  a  show  of  humility  in  the  practice, 
there  was  a  real  pride  in  the  principle. 
Pride  is  at  the  bottom  of  a  great  many  er¬ 
rors  anil  corruptions,  and  even  of  many  evil 
practices,  which  have  a  great  show  and  ap¬ 
pearance  of  humility.  They  who  do  so,  do 
not  hold,  the  Head.,  v.  19.  They  did,  in 
effect,  disclaim  Christ,  the  only  Mediator 
between  God  and  man.  It  is  the  highest 
disparagement  to  Christ,  who  is  the  Head 
of  the  church,  for  any  of  the  members  of  it 
to  make  use  of  any  intercessors  with  God 
but  Him.  When  men  let  go  their  hold  of 
Christ,  they  catch  at  that  which  is  next 
them,  and  will  stand  them  in  no  stead.  Ob¬ 
serve,  1.  Jesus  Christ  is  not  only  a  Head  of 
government  over  the  church,  but  a  Head  of 
vital  influence  to  it.  2.  The  church  is  a 
growing  body  ;  the  nature  of  grace  is  to 
grow,  where  there  is  not  an  accidental  hin¬ 
drance.  Increase  of  God,  is  an  increase 
from  God  as  its  Author ;  or,  in  a  usual  Hebra¬ 
ism,  a  large  and  abundant  increase.  That 
ye  may  be  filled  with  all  the  fulness  of  God, 


Eph.  3  :  19.  See  a  parallel  expression, 
Eph.  4: 15,  16. 

He  takes  occasion  from  hence  to  warn 
them  again,  v.  20.  ‘If,  as  Christians,  ye 
are  dead  to  the  observances  of  the  ceremo¬ 
nial  law,  why  are  ye  subject  to  11161)11  v.  21, 
22.  Under  the  law,  there  was  a  ceremonial 
pollution  contracted  by  touching  a  dead 
body,  or  anything  offered  to  an  idol;  or  by 
tasting  any  forbidden  meats,  &e.,  which  oil 
are  to  perish  with  the  using  ;  having  no  in¬ 
trinsic  worth  in  themselves  to  support  them; 
and  they  who  used  them,  saw  them  perish¬ 
ing  and  passing  away  :  or,  which  tend  to 
corrupt  the  Christian  faith,  having  no  other 
authority  than  the  traditions  and  injunctions 
of  men.  Which  things  have,  indeed,  a  show 
of  wisdom  in  will-worship  and  humility.  They 
thought  themselves  wiser  than  their  neigh- 
hors,  in  observing  the  law  of  Moses,  togetli- 
er  with  the  gospel  of  Christ,  that  they  might 
be  sure,  in  one  at  least,  to  be  in  the  right  ; 
but  ajas,  it  was  but  a  show  of  wisdom,  a 
mere  invention  and  pretence.  So  they  seem 
to  neglect  the  body,  by  abstaining  from  such 
and  such  meats,  and  mortifying  their  bodily 
pleasures  and  appetites;  but  there  is  noth¬ 
ing  of  true  devotion  in  these  things,  for  the 
Gospel  teaches  us  to  worship  God  in  spirit 
and  truth,  and  not  by  ritual  observances; 
ami  through  the  mediation  of  Christ  alone, 
and  not  of  any  angels.  Subjection  to  ordi¬ 
nances,  or  [mere]  human  appointments  in 
the  worship  of  God,  is  highly  blamable, 
and  contrary  to  the  freedom  and  liberty  of 
the  Gospel.  The  apostle  requires  Christians 
to  stand  fast  in  the  liberty  with  which  Christ 
hath  made  them  free,  and  not  be  entangled 
again  with  the  yoke  of  bondage,  Gal.  5:  1. 
and  the  imposition  is  invading  the  authority 


teachers  wanted  to  impose  on  the  Gentile  converts;  and  ‘the  Lord’s 
day,’  not  the  ‘  Sabbath,’  is  the  scriptural  term  for  this  day  of  sacred 
rest.  Jn.  20:19 — 23.  Ac.  20:7— 12,  v.  7.  Rev.  1:9— U,  v.  10.  Drink.] 
— ‘In  tlie  law,  no  kind  of  drink  was  forbidden,  except  to  the  Nazarites. 
..  .  Now  ...  it  is  not  improbable,  that  the  elders,  who  pretended  to 
have  received  from  Moses  and  the  prophets,  by  tradition,  many  precepts 
not  written  in  the  law,  might  enjoin  abstinence  from  wine  and  strong 
drink,  to  such  of  their  disciples  as  aimed  at  superior  holiness.’  Mackn.  S. 

(16.)  Sabbath  days.]  '■Dwight,  in  answer  to  Patey,  states,  that  the 
passage  refers  to  the  ordinary  holidays  of  the  Jews,  or  at  most  to  the  7th 
day  only,  and  not  at  all  to  the  Christian  Sabbath,  especially  as  the  latter 
is  not,  in  the  Scriptures,  and  was  not,  by  the  primitive  church,  called  the 
Sabbath,  lint  “  the  first  day  of  the  week,”  and,  “  the  Lord’s  day.” — The 
Sabbath,  under  the  Mosaic  dispensation,  was  a  ceremonial ,  as  well  as  a 
moral  requirement.’  Henry,  abr. 

V.  18,  19.  Beguile.]  The  original  word  seems  to  he  taken  from  the 
office  of  those,  who  presided  in  the  Olympic  and  Isthmian  games,  and 
decided  to  whom  the  prize  belonged.  Now,  if  any  man  usurped  author¬ 
ity  of  ibis  kind  among  Christians,  lie  would  mislead  all  who  willingly 
submitted  to  Him,  as  well  as  domineer  over  their  consciences. — It  1ms 
before  been  intimated,  that  the  Jews  seem  to  have  borrowed  some  of 
the  Pagan  notions,  and  applied  them  to  the  scriptural  doctrine  of  angels; 
by  these  means,  the  Judaizing  teachers  had  begun  to  corrupt  Christian¬ 
ity  witli  a  new  and  refined  species  of  idolatry.  To  what  lengths  the 
same  principles  afterwards  carried  professed  Christians,  in  the  worship 
of  departed  saints,  real  or  imaginary,  and  the  worship  of  images,  as  well 
as  that  of  angels,  especially  in  the  church  of  Rome,  is  well  known  ;  and 
indeed  it  continues,  in  very  many  places,  unimpaired  to  this  day.  But 
the  whole  has  always  been  done  in  direct  defiance  to  the  apostle's  testi¬ 
mony,  which  fully  proves  all  such  practices  to  be  ns  contrary  to  the 
honor  of  Christ  in  the  gospel,  as  the  most  gross,  or  rather  acknowl¬ 
edged  idolatry  is  to  the  honor  of  God  ill  the  law. — Many  expositors  be¬ 
stow  great  pains,  in  showing  what  heretics,  or  heretical  teachers,  the 
apostle  had  in  view,  and  what  sects  of  the  philosophers  had  supplied,  so 
to  speak,  the  materials  for  these  corruptions  of  the  Gospel.  Cut  it  ap¬ 
pears  to  me,  that  if  Ceriiithns,  or  the  Gnostics,  or  any  other  heretics, 
had  been  then  known,  as  avowing  anti-Christian  tenets;  the  apostle 
would  no  more  have  scrupled  to  name  them,  than  lie  did  to  name  ‘  Hv- 
meneus  and  Philelns ;  ’  unless  he  had  thought  that  by  naming  some,  he 
should  he  supposed  to  exculpate  others,  who,  with  some  shades  of  dif¬ 
ference,  were  equally  corrupting  the  Gospel.  In  like  manner,  the  Stoics 
and  Epicureans  are  named  by  the  sacred  historian’,  in  the  same  way  as 
the  Pharisees  and  Saddueees  are:  Acts  17:18.  and  if  Christianity  had 
been  corrupted,  exclusively,  by  the  speculations  of  Pvlhagoreans  or  Pia- 
tonists,  it  does  not  appear,  why  the  apostle  should  omit  to  protest 
against  them.  Cut,  if  all  the  sects  of  the  philosophers  held  notions 
suited  to  corrupt  Christianity,  then  the  reason  is  evident,  why  the  apos¬ 
tle  names  no  one;  and  it  is  equally  strong  against  our  interpreting  his 
words  of  any  one  exclusively.  In  fact,  it  is  of  immensely  more  impor¬ 
tance  for  us  to  know  what,  than  whom,  he  opposed  ;  for  if  our  intention 
be  engrossed  by  the  danger  of  ancient  Christians,  from  this  or  the  other 
sect,  either  of  heretics  or  philosophers,  we  shall  probably  be  led  to  for¬ 
get  our  own  danger,  from  papists,  Socinians,  philosophizing  infidels,  ra¬ 
tional  Christians,  fns  some  falsely  call  themsel.ves,)  and  all  the  varieties 
of  superstitions  and  enthusiastical  deceivers,  against  all  of  whom  the 
apostle’s  words,  as  explained  in  an  enlarged  sense,  most  solemnly  warn 
us.  In  a  voluntary  humility.]  ‘  Being  a  voluntary  in  humilitv.’  The 
deceiver  was  voluntary  in  humility.  Scott. 


(18.)  ‘  It  is  justly  remarked  by  Bp.  Burnet,  that,  had  it  been  the  apos¬ 
tle’s  intention  to  give  the  least  encouragement  to  any  religious  addresses 
to  saints  and  angels,  this  would  have  been  a  very  natural  occasion  of 
introducing  the  subject,  and  adjusting  its  proper  boundaries.’  Doddr. — 
1  Some  suppose,  there  is  a  reference  here  and  in  the  following  vs.  to  the 
doctrines  ami  overscrupnlousness  of  the  Essenes,  who,  among  other  sin¬ 
gularities,  had  peculiar  views  respecting  angels.  From  affected  humil¬ 
ity,  some  field,  that  direct  access  to  God  in  prayer  was  presumptuous, 
and  that  prayers  could  only  he  presented  and  accepted  through  the  me¬ 
diation  of  angels.  The  worship  of  angels  afterwards  prevailed  so  much 
in  that  country,  that  it  was  found  necessary  expressly  to  condemn  it,  at 
a  council  held  at  Laodicea,  A.  D.,  363.’  Henry,  abr. 

V.  20 — 23.  The  next  words  [which  all  are  to  perish]  are  differently 
interpreted.  But  the  more  general,  and,  as  it  appears  to  me,  the  best 
founded  interpretation,  supposes  the  npostle  to  refer  to  our  Lord’s 
words  concerning  the  traditions  of  the  Pharisees,  and  implies,  that  ab¬ 
staining  from  such  things,  when  not  divinely  prohibited,  as  supported 
the  body  by  perishing  themselves,  could  do  nothing  towards  the  salva¬ 
tion  of  the  soul ;  as  all  such  things  perish  with  the  using,  and  could  com¬ 
municate  no  real  defilement.  Mat.  15:10 — 20.  1  Cor.  6:12 — 17.— The 
last  clause  is  differently  interpreted. — ‘Nor  are  they  of  any  value,  as 
they  regard  those  things  by  which  the  flesh  is  gratified  or  pampered).’ 
Beza.  By  ‘the  flesh,’  he  means  ‘the  carnal  mind,’  which  is  gratified 
xvith  everything  that  affords  nutriment  to  pride,  self-preference,  ami 
contempt  of  others. — ‘  “  Not  by  any  provision  for  satisfying  the  flesh  ;  ” 
time  ’  (honor)  1  sometimes,  in  Scripture,  signifies  the  food  and  clothing 
necessary  for  the  body!  ..  .Titus  the  provision  of  the  necessaries  and 
conveniences  of  life,  made  for  parents,  elders,  and  widows,  is  called 
time.  (1  Tim.  5:17.)  The  body  is  as  real  a  part  of  our  nature  as  the 
soul,  and  ought  to  have  such  food  and  recreation,  as  are  necessary  to  its 
health  and  vigor.  [So  essential  also  to  a  sound  mind.]  .-  .  The  wisdom 
which  teaches  the  “  neglecting  of  tite  body,”  is  not  wisdom,  lint  folly.’ 
Mackn. — ‘Forbidding  marriage,  which  “is  honorable  in  nil.” — And 
allowing  no  honorable  means  of  satisfying  those  desires,  which  are  im¬ 
planted  by  nature,  ..  .brought  them  to  all  dishonorable  lusts.’  Ham.  If 
this  last  meaning  could  be  cirarly  made  out,  and  established,  it  would 
very  well  suit  the  context.  For  it  can  hardly  he  doubted,  that  the  Holy 
Spirit  led  the  apostle  to  speak  against  the  corruptions,  by  which  certain 
Judaizing  and  speculating  teachers,  grafting  the  heathen  philosopher,  so 
to  speak,  on  the  superstitious  Pharisee,  attempted  to  corrupt  the 
church,  in  language  strictly  prophetical  of  the  subsequent  corruptions 
of  the  ‘man  of  sin,’  the  papal  antichrist.  (Note,  1  Tim.  4:1 — 5.) — But 
it  can  hardly  he  supposed,  that  the  xvords  tr.  ‘satisfying  tlie  flesh,’ 
which  seems  to  imply  full  gratification,  even  to  repletion,  would  have 
been  used  by  the  apostle  in  this  connexion  ;  so  that,  on  the  whole,  the 
first  interpretation  appears  to  me  tlie  most  satisfactory.  *  While  it 
puffed  up  men  with  a  vain  conceit  oftheir  own  sanctity,  it  might  rather 
be  said  to  tend  to  the  dishonorable  satisfying  “  of  the  flesh,”  though  it 
seemed  most  to  afflict  it  ;  for  that  self-complacency,  ostentation,  and 
contempt  of  others,  with  which  these  severities  are  often  attended,  is 
indeed  a  carnal  principle;  nor  could  the  grossest  sensualities  be  more 
contrary  to  the  will  of  God,  and  the  genius  of  true  religion.’  Doddr. 
(22)  To  perish  with  the  using.]  2  Pet.  1:4.  2  12, 19.  See  on  Rom.  8:21. 
‘All  these  tilings  tend  to  the  corruption  of  that  excellent  religion,  into 
which  you  are  initiated.’  Doddr. — This  accords  to  one  meaning  of 
phthura,  but  does  not  suit  the  context. —  Commandments,  tec.]  Kntal- 
mala.  ‘This  word  occurs  but  thrice  in  llieN.  T.  (Mat.  15:9.  Mk.  7:7.) 

. .  .  In  all  these  places  it  is  joined  with  anthropdn,  of  men,  and  is  men- 

[431] 


A.  D.  64. 


C3  AVhich  things  have  indeed  a 
shew  of  wisdom  in  will  -  worship, 
and  humility,  and  K  neglecting  of 
the  body;  not  in  any  honor  to  the 
satisfymg  of  the  flesh. 


CHAP.  III. 

1  FT*  ahew*th  where  we  should  seek  Christ.  5  He  exhort* 
ein  to  mortification,  10  to  put  o(T the  old  man,  and  to  put 
on  Christ,  12  exhorting  to  charity,  humility,  and  other 
several  duties. 

IF  ye  then  be  risen  *  with  Christ, 
seek  those  things  which  are 
above,  where  Christ  bsitteth  on  the 
right  hand  of  God. 

2  Set  your  'affection  on  things 
alx've,  not  d  on  things  on  the  earth. 

3  For  “ye  are  dead,  and  your 
life  is  hid  with  Christ  in  God. 

4  When  f  Christ,  who  is  *  our 
life,  shall  appear,  then  shall  ye.  also 
appear  with  him  in  glory. 

5  Mortify  h  therefore  your  mem¬ 
bers  which  are  upon  the  earth  ; 


g  or,  punishing, 
or,  not  sparing. 
a  c  2:1 2. 
b  R«».  8:31. 


c  or,  mind. 
d  1  Jn.  2:15. 
e  Ro.  6:2 
f  1  Jn.  3;2. 


g  Jn.  11:25.  14:5. 
fa  Ro.  8:13.  G.x. 
5:24.  F'p.  5:3 


of  Christ ,  the  Head  of  the  church,  and  in¬ 
troducing  another  law  of  commandments  con¬ 
tained  in  ordinances,  when  Christ  hns  abolish¬ 
ed  the  old  one,  Eph.  2:  15.  Observe,  Such 
things  have  only  a  show  of  wisdom,  but  are 
really  folly.  True  wisdom  is,  to  keep  close 
to  tile  appointment  of  the  Gospel  ;  and  an 
entire  subjection  to  Christ,  the  only  Head 
of  the  church. 


Chap.  III.  V.  1 — 4.  The  apostle,  hav¬ 
ing  described  our  privileges  by  Christ,  in 
the  former  part  of  the  epistle,  and  our  dis¬ 
charge  from  the  yoke  of  the  ceremonial  law, 
cotnes  here  to  press  our  duty  inferred  from 


COLOSSIANS,  III.  Exhortation  to  mortify  sins. 


thence.  He  begins  with  exhorting  them  to 
set  their  hearts  on  heaven,  and  take  them 
off  from  this  world.  It  is  otir  privilege, 
that  we  are  risen  with  Christ,  have  benefit 
bv  the  resurrection  of  Christ,  and,  by  virtue 
of  our  union  and  communion  with  Him,  are 
justified  and  sanctified,  anti  shall  be  glori¬ 
fied.  From  hence  he  infers,  that  we  must 
seek  those  things  which  are  above,  seek  the 
favor  of  God,  and  make  it  0111* constant  care 
and  business  to  secure  our  title  to  the  heav¬ 
enly  bliss.  And  the  reason  is,  because 
Christ  sits  at  the  right  hand  of  God.  He 
who  is  our  best  Friend,  and  our  Head,  is 
advanced  to  the  highest  dignity  and  honor 
in  heaven,  and  is  gone  before,  to  secure  to 
us  the  heavenly  happiness  ;  therefore,  we 
should  seek  and  secure  what  He  has  pur¬ 
chased  at  so  vast  an  expense,  and  is  taking 
so  much  care  about.  \Ve  must,  according 
to  our  capacities,  live  such  a  life  as  Christ 
lived  here  on  earth,  and  lives  now  in  heaven. 

He  explains  the  duty,  v.  2.  Observe,  To 
seek  heavenly  things,  is,  to  set  our  affection 
on  them,  love  them,  and  let  out  our  desires 
toward  them.  This  is  to  be  spiritually  mind¬ 
ed,  Rom.  8:6.  and  to  seek  and  desire  a  better 
country,  that  is,  a  heavenly,  Heb.  11:  14, 16. 
Things  on  earth,  are  here  set  in  opposition 
to  things  above  ;  for  heaven  and  earth  are 
contrary  one  to  the  other,  and  a  supreme  re¬ 
gard  to  botli  is  inconsistent;  and  the  preva¬ 
lence  of  our  affection  to  one, will  proportiona- 
bly  weaken  and  abate  our  affection  to  the  oth¬ 
er.  He  assigns  three  reasons  for  this,  v.  3,  4. 

1.  We  are  dead;  i.  e.  to  present  things, 
and  as  onr  portion.  We  are  so  in  profes¬ 
sion  and  o\r\\gnUon,  buried  with  Christ,  plant¬ 
ed  into  the  likeness  of  his  death,  crucified  unto 
the  world,  and  the  world  unto  us,  Gal.  6:  14. 
And  if  dead  to  the  earth,  having  renounced 
it  as  our  happiness,  it  is  absurd  for  us  to  set 
our  affection  oil  it,  and  seek  it.  We  should 
be  like  a  dead  thing  to  it,  unmoved  and  un¬ 
affected  towards  it. 


2.  Onr  true  life  lies  in  the  other  world, 
v.  3.  The  new  man  has  its  livelihood  from 
thence.  It  is  horn  and  nourished  from  above ; 
and  the  perfection  of  its  life  is  reserved  for 
that  state  ;  hid  with  Christ.  Because  I  live 
ye  shall  live  also,  Jn.  14 1  19.  Christ  is  at 
present  a  hidden  Christ,  or  orte  whom  wi 
have  not  seen  ;  but  this  is  our  comfort,  that 
our  life  is  hid  with  Him,  and  laid  up  safe 
with  Him  :  we  love  Him  whom  we  have  not 
seen,  1  Pet.  1  :  8.  and  a  happiness  out  of 
sight  is  reserved  in  heaven  for  us. 

3.  Because,  at  the  second  coining  of  Christ, 
we  hope  for  the  perfection  of  our  happiness. 
If  we  live  a  life  of  Christian  purity  and  de¬ 
votion  now,  when  Christ,  who  is  our  Life, 
shall  appear,  we  shall  also  appear  with  Him 
in  glory,  v.  4.  Observe,  (1.)  Christ  is  a 
believer’s  life,  Gal.  2:  20;  the  Principle  and 
End  of  it,  Phil.  I  :  21.  (2.)  Christ  will 

appear  again.  He  is  now  hid;  and  the 
heavens  must  contain  Him;  hilt  lie  will  ap¬ 
pear  in  nil  the  pomp  of  the  upper  world, 
will)  his  holy  angels,  anil  his  own  glory,  and 
his  Father's  glory,  Mk.  8  :  38.  Lu.  9:  26. 
(3.)  We  shall  then  appear  with  Him  in 
glory.  It  will  be  his  glory  to  have  his  re¬ 
deemed  with  Him,  2Tliess.  1:  10.  and  their 
glory  to  come  with  Him,  and  lie  with  Him 
for  ever.  At  the  second  coining  of  Christ, 
there  will  he  a  general  meeting  of  all  the 
saints;  and  they  whose  life  is  now  hid  with 
Christ,  shall  then  appear  with  Christ  in  th  at 
glory  He  Himself  enjoys,  J11.  17:  24.  Do 
w'e  look  for  such  a  happiness  as  that,  and 
should  we  not  set  our  affection  011  that  world, 
and  live  above  this  1  What  is  there  here 
to  make  us  fond  of  it'?  What  is  there  nut 
there  to  draw  our  hearts  to  it? 

V.  5 — 11.  The  apostle  exhorts  the  Colos- 
sians  to  the  mortification  of  sin,  the  great 
hindrance  to  seeking  the  things  above.  It 
is  our  duty  to  mortify  our  members  which  are 
upon  the  earth,  which  naturally  incline  us  to 
the  things  of  the  world.  ‘  Subdue  the  vicious 


PRACT.  OBS.  They,  who  in  some  good  measure  know  the  worth 
of  immortal  souls,  will  seek  and  pray  for  the  salvation  of  sinners  all 
over  the  earth :  and  such  as  greatly  love  their  brethren,  will  earnestly 
strive  for  the  establishment  and  progress  even  of  those  whom  they  have 
not  seen  ;  and  when  they  can  do  nothing  else,  they  may  ‘  wrestle  with 
God  ’  in  prayer  for  them. — We  cannot  comprehend  *  the  mystery  of  God, 
even  of  the  Father  and  of  Christ;’  but  we  may  believe,  acknowledge, 
contemplate,  and  adore.  Thus  we  shall  derive,  from  the  treasures  laid  up 
in  our  Emmanuel,  supplies  of  wisdom  and  knowledge,  far  more  valuable 
than  all  man’s  boasted  science  and  philosophy  :  but  these  treasures  are 
‘hidden’  from  the  proud  and  unbelieving,  and  can  be  discovered  and 
appropriated  only  by  faith.  We  have  peculiar  need  to  insist  on  these 
things  in  the  present  day,  when  so  many  are  employed  in  ‘  beguiling  men 
with  enticing  words; ’  extolling  the  powers  of  human  reason,  and  de¬ 
preciating  revelation;  deriding  theology,  and  idolizing  philosophy; 
boasting  of  demonstration  and  experiment  in  natural  science;  rejecting 
unanswerable  evidences  of  the  divine  inspiration  of  the  Scriptures  ;  and 
treating  all  experience  of  the  power  of  divine  grace  irt»  the  heart  with 
the  most  sovereign  contempt. — Let  young  persons  and  inquirers  after 
the  truth,  especially  beware,  ‘lest  any  man  spoil  them  through  philoso¬ 
phy.’  They  may  depend  on  it,  that  all  the  boasted  knowledge,  which 
is  opposed  to  the  mysteries  of  the  Person  and  redemption  of  Christ,  is 
‘a  vain  deceit,’  a  ‘worldly  wisdom;’  like  that  of  Jewish  Scribes  who 
crucified  Christ,  or  that  of  heathen  philosophers  who  counted  the 
preaching  of  the  cross  to  he  foolishness.  Men  cannot  follow  such  vain 
delusions,  and  he  the  disciples  of  Christ  :  for  ‘in  Ilim  dwelleth  all  the 
fulness  of  the  Godhead  bodily.’  All  true  Christians  glory  in  this  ‘great 
mystery  of  godliness;’  and  all  who  oppose  it  are  strangers  to  the  life 


of  faith,  and  the  way  to  the  Father.  Mat.  11:27.  Jn.  14:4 — G,  v.  6. — 
Without  union  and  communion  with  Christ,  and  with  the  Father 
through  Him,  by  ‘the  supply  of  his  Spirit,’  we  can  do  nothing:  Note, 
Jn.  15:3 — 5. — but  true  Christians  are  ‘complete  in  Him.’  If  we  enter 
into  the  spirit  of  genuine  Christianity,  we  have  no  occasion  either  for 
Jewish  ceremonies  or  newly-invented  superstitions.  We  want  no  oth¬ 
er  wisdom,  righteousness,  strength,  holiness,  liberty,  or  victory,  than 
those  which  Christ  bestows.  We  need  not  regard  those,  who  ‘judge  us 
in  respect  of  meats  and  drinks,  and  holy-days,’  or  other  human  tradi¬ 
tions,  which  are  not  so  much  as  ‘a  shadow  of  things  to  come,’  as  Jew¬ 
ish  ceremonies  once  were:  but  vve  enjoy  the  substance  in  Chr*ist,  living 
by  faith  in  Him,  and  walking  in  bis  ordinances  and  commandments 
blameless. — Having  one  all-sufficient  ‘  Advocate  with  the  Father,’  we 
want  no  other  mediators;  and  must  not  by  any  means  abase  ourselves 
to  worship  fellow-servants,  to  the  great  dishonor  of  our  common  Lord. 
The  church  has  long  enough  been  corrupted,  and  souls  deceived,  with 
these  gross  delusions,  with  human  inventions,  ‘will-worship,’  and  self- 
imposed  austerities  :  men  have  long  enough  been  misled  by  those  who 
said,  ‘  Touch  not,  taste  not,  handle  not ;  ’  concerning  such  ‘  things  as 
perish  with  the  using.’  Let  us  then  not  depart  from  the  simplicity  of 
our  dependence  on  the  Lord  Jesus,  and  obedience  to  Him.  As  ‘dead 
with  Him’  to  the  world,  and  its  wisdom  and  maxims,  let  11s  willingly 
bear  his  yoke,  anil  steadily  assert  our  liberty  from  human  impositions. 
What  he  lias  left  indifferent,  let  us  regard  as  such,  and  leave  others  to 
the  like  freedom;  and,  remembering  the  transient  nature  of  earthly 
things,  let  us  endeavor  to  glorify  God  by  a  temperate,  thankful,  and 
charitable  use  of  them.  '  Scott. 


tinned  with  evident  disapprobation,  and  contrasted,  by  implication,  with 
the  commandments  of  God,  which  are  called  entulai.'  Campbell.  Sc. 

Concluding  Note.  V.  12.  1  A  Iter  all,  what  resemblance  is  there  between  n  man’s 

being  (tipped  or  plunged  in  water,  and  Christ’s  being  laid  in  a  sepulchre  hewn  out  of 
a  rock  ? — The  common  manner  of  burial  among  us  is  very  ditfeient  from  that  in  which 
Christ  was  buried,  and  may  have  been  the  occasion  of  misleading  the  judgment  of 
common  readeis.  There  are  still  remaining  in  the  neighborhood  of  Jerusalem,  many 
ancient  tombs,  which  clearly  show  the  manner  of  interment  formerly  practised.  A 
chamber  or  excavation  was  made  in  a  rock,  and,  at  the  sides,  niches  were  fir  med  for 
the  reception  of  dead  bodies.  The  body  of  Jesus  was  wrapped  in  linen  and  laid  in 
one  of  these  niches.  Now  what  resemblance  is  there  between  a  body's  being  cariied, 
— not  let  down,  ns  into  ti  grave,  hut  carried  into  such  a  chamber  or  excavation  in  a 
rock,  and  lying  there  3davs  in  one  of  the  niches  at  the  side,  and  the  plunging  of  a  liv. 
ing  person,  for  a  moment,  in  water?  If  there  is  any  resemblance,  is  it  nut  too  remote 
and  fanciful  to  be  regarded  by  the  apostle?’  Rev  Dr.  Woods.  Sec  his  Treatise  on 
infant  Baptism,  in  which  he  justifies  it  from  its  suitableness  to  the  relation  between 
parents  and  children,  from  its  administration  being  decidedly  implied  in  the  N.  T., 
though  not  directly  enjoined,  because,  being  n  substitute  for  circumcision,  no  question 
arose  rendering  its  injunction  necessary  :  also  from  considerations  founded  on  1  Cor. 
7:14.1:16.  Is.  66:23.  Rom.  1 1 :16.  &c. ,  &c.  He  further  points  out  its  utility;  and  the 
fact  of  its  use  by  the  primitive  Christians,  proved,  from  the  direct  testimony  of  t)ri- 
gen,  Cyprian.  Optntus,  Gregory  Nar.ianzen,  &£. .  and  the  expressions  of  Justin  Mar¬ 
tyr,  Tertutlian,  Irenteue,  &c.  See  the  Notes  on  Ileb.  6:2.  9:10.  Ed. 

NOTES.  Chap.  III.  V.  1 — 4.  Hid,  Ac.]  The  Fountain  of  their 
life,  ami  the  nature,  supports,  anil  principles  of  it,  were  ‘  hidden  ’  from 
carnal  men,  who  could  not  understand  what  were  the  secret  springs  of 

[432] 


their  active  diligence  and  joyful  patience,  in  opposition  to  all  temporal 
interests  and  satisfactions.  Rev.  2:17.  This  life  was  likewise  secured,  as 
‘a  hidden  treasure,’  from  wicked  men  pud  fallen  spirits,  who  could  by 
no  means  deprive  them  of  it;  nor  was  it  in  their  own  keeping,  but  in 
that  of  Christ,  by  whom  it  was  sustained,  anti  who  was  Himself  the  un¬ 
failing  Source  of  it.  Thus  it  was  ‘with  Christ  in  God,’  through  the 
union  of  the  Deity  with  his  human  nature,  and  so  the  immutable  pow¬ 
er,  faithfulness,  wisdom,  and  love  of  God  secured  it  for  them.  Scott. 

(1.)  SeeE]  1  Seek,  in  Scripture,  denotes  the  constant  employing  of 
one’s  thoughts  and  endeavors  fur  obtaining  the  object  of  one’s  desires 
Mat.  6:33.’  Macknight. 

(2.)  Things  above.]  ‘  CaMn  lakes  this  of  the  sublime  doctrines  of 
Christianity,  as  opposed  to  the  rudiments  of  the  world,  ch.  2  20.  yet 
Dodtlr.  objects,  that  those  nre  not  in  heaven.  This,  however,  seems  not 
very  conclusive.  It  is  plain,  the  words  must  be  taken  in  tbeir  popular 
acceptation,  and  in  all  that  extent  of  signification  which  a  plain  Chris¬ 
tian  would  assign  to  them.  And  it  is  well  observed  by  Dotldr.,  that  Paul 
proceeds  on  the  principles  he  had  laid  down,  to  grail  a  most  important 
practical  exhortation,  different  from  any  he  had  advanced  before,  v.  5. 
than  which  nothing  could  more  effectually  tend  to  take  them  off  from 
those  bigoted  attachments,  of  which  he  was  solicitous  to  cure  them.’  I1l. 

V.  5,  6.  The  exhortations  here  given  are  similar  to  those  already  con¬ 
sidered.  Eph.  4:17 — 32.  5:1 — 7. — In  the  detail  of  particulars  here  ad- 


A.  D.  64. 


COLOSSIANS,  III. 


Exhortation  to  mutual  love. 


fornication,  uncleanness,  inordinate 
affection,  evil  concupiscence,  and 
covetousness,  which  is  idolatry  : 

6  For  which  things’  sake  the 
wrath  of  God  cometh  on  the  child¬ 
ren  of  disobedience  : 

7  In  1  the  which  ye  also  walked 
sometime,  when  ye  lived  in  them. 

8  But  now  ye  also  put  off  all 
these  ;  anger,  wrath,  malice,  blas¬ 
phemy,  filthy  communication  out 
of  your  mouth. 

9  Lie  not  one  to  another,  seeing 
that  ye  have  put  off  the  old  man 
with  his  deeds  ; 

10  And  have  put  on  the  new  man, 
which  is  renewed  J  in  knowledge 
after  the  image  of  him  that  created 
him  : 

11  Where  k  there  is  neither 
Greek  nor  Jew,  circumcision  nor 
uncircumcision,  Barbarian,  Scythi¬ 
an,  bond  nor  free  :  but  Christ  is 
all,  and  in  all. 

12  Put  on  therefore,  as  the  elect 
of  God,  holy  and  beloved,  bowels 

i  Tit.  3:3.  J  Ep.  4:23,24.  k  Ro.  10:12. 

lmbits  of  mind  which  prevailed  in  your 
Gentile  state ;  suppress  them,  destroy  them, 
as  an  enemy  which  fights  against  you  and 
wounds  you.’  Your  members  which  are  upon 
the  earth;  either  the  members  of  the  body,  or 
the  corrupt  affections  of  the  mind,  the  mem¬ 
bers  of  l  he  body  of  death,  Rom.  7:  24.  He 
specifies  the  lusts  of  the  fiesh,  for  which  they 
were  before  so  notorious  ;  fornication,  un¬ 
cleanness,  inordinate  affection,  evil-concupis¬ 
cence  ;  also,  the  love  of  the  world  ;  and 
covetousness,  which  is  idolatry;  an  inordinate 
love  of  present  good,  and  outward  enjoy¬ 
ments.  Observe,  Covetousness  is  spiritual 
idolatry:  it  is  giving  that  love  and  regard 
to  worldly  wealth,  which  is  due  to  God  only ; 
and  carries  a  greater  degree  of  malignity 
in  it,  and  is  more  highly  provoking  to  God, 
than  is  commonly  thought:  it  is  very  observ¬ 
able,  that  among  all  the  other  instances  of 


sin,  which  good  men  are  recorded  in  the 
Scripture  to  have  fallen  into,  there  is  no 
instance  in  all  the  Scripture  of  any  good 
man  charged  with  covetousness. 

He  proceeds  to  show  how  necessary  it  is 
to  mortify  sins,  v.  6,  7. 

1.  Because,  if  we  do  not  kill  them,  they 
will  kill  us,  v.  6.  See  what  we  all  are  by 
nature,  more  or  less;  children  of  disobedience, 
under  the  power  of  sin,  and  naturally  prone 
to  disobey,  Ps.  58:  8.  And,  being  children 
of  disobedience,  we  are  children  of  wrath, 
Eph.  2:  3.  The  wrath  of  God  comes  on  all 
the  children  of  disobedience.  The  sins  he 
mentions  were  their  sins  in  their  heathen 
and  idolatrous  state,  and  they  were  then 
especially  the  children  of  disobedience.  ;  yet 
these  sins  brought  judgments  on  them,  and 
exposed  them  to  the  wrath  of  God. 

2.  We  should  mortify  these  sins,  because 
they  have  lived  in  us,  v.  7.  Observe,  The 
consideration  that  we  have  formerly  lived  in 
sin,  is  a  good  argument  why  we  should  now 
forsake  it.  We  have  walked  in  by-paths, 
therefore  let  us  walk  in  them  no  more,  Job 
34:  32.  1  Pet.  4:  3.  When  ye  lived  among 
them  who  did  such  things,  (so  some  under¬ 
stand  it,)  then  ye  walked  in  those  evil  prac¬ 
tices.  It  is  as  hard  to  live  among  them  who 
do  the  works  of  darkness,  and  not  have  fel¬ 
lowship  with  them,  as  it  is  to  walk  in  the 
mire,  and  contract  no  soil.  Let  us  keep  out 
of  the  way  of  evil-doers. 

And  as  we  are  to  mortify  inordinate  ap¬ 
petites,  so  we  are  to  mortify  inordinate  pas¬ 
sions,  v.  8.  anger,  wrath,  malice  :  for  these 
are  contrary  to  the  design  of  the'Gospel,  as 
well  as  grosser  impurities;  and  though  more 
spiritual,  have  not  less  malignity.  For  the 
Gospel  introduces  a  change  of  the  higher  as 
well  as  the  lower  powers  of  the  soul,  and 
supports  the  dominion  of  right  reason  and 
conscience,  over  appetite  and  passion. 

And  as  corrupt  principles  must  be  cut  off, 
so  must  the  product  of  them  :  as  blasphemy, 
which  seems  here  to  mean,  not  so  much 
speaking  ill  of  God,  as  giving  ill  language  to 
men,  or  raising  ill  repots  of  them,  and  in¬ 
juring  their  good  name  by  any  evil  arts  and 
filthy  communication  :  all  lewd  and  wanton 
discourse,  which  comes  from  a  polluted  mind 
in  the  speaker,  and  propagates  the  same  de- 


|  filements  in  the  hearers.  Lying,  v.  9.  is 
I  contrary  both  to  the  law  of  truth  and  the 
law  of  love  ;  is  both  unjust  and  unkind, 
and  naturally  tends  to  destroy  all  faith  and 
;  friendship  among  mankind.  Lying  makes 
|  us  like  the  devil,  the  father  of  lies,  and  is  a 
I  prime  part  of  the  devil’s  image  on  our  souls. 
Therefore,  we  are  cautioned  against  this  sin 
by  that  general  reason ;  seeing  ye  have  put 
off  the  old  man  with  his  deeds,  and  have  put 
on  the  new  man.  Thej'  who  have  put  off  the 
old  man,  have  put  it  off  with  its  deeds  ;  and 
they  who  have  put  on  the  new  man,  must  put 
on  all  its  deeds.  The  new  man  is  said  to  be 
renewed  in  knowledge  ;  because  an  ignorant 
soulcannot  be  a  goodsoul.  Without  knowl¬ 
edge,  the  heart  cannot  be  good,  Prov.  19:  2. 
The  grace  of  God  works  on  the  will  and 
afi’ections,  by  renewing  the  understanding. 
Light  is  the  first  thing  in  the  new,  as  it  was 
in  the  first,  creation:  after  the  image  of  Him 
who  created  him.  It  was  the  honor  of  man, 
in  innocence,  that  he  was  made  after  the 
image  of  God  ;  but  that  image  was  defaced 
and  lost  by  sin,  and  is  renewed  by  sanctify¬ 
ing  grace:  so  that  a  renewed  soul  is  some¬ 
thing  like  what  Adam  was  in  the  day  he 
was  created. 

In  the  privilege  and  duty  of  sanctification, 
there  is  now  no  difference  arising  from  dif¬ 
ferent  country,  or  different  condition  and 
circumstance  of  life,  v.  11.  it  is  as  much  the 
duty  of  the  one  as  of  the  other,  to  be  holy ; 
and  as  much  the  privilege  of  the  one  as  of 
the  other,  to  receive  from  God  the  grace  to 
be  so.  Christ  came,  that  all  might  stand 
on  the  same  level  before  God,  both  in  duty 
and  privilege.  And  for  this  reason, because 
Christ  is  all  in  all.  Christ  is  a  Christian’s 
all,  his  only  Lord  and  Savior,  and  all  his 
Hope  and  Happiness.  And  to  those  who 
are  sanctified,  one  as  well  as  another,  and 
whatever  they  are  in  other  respects,  He  is 
All  in  all,  the  Alpha  and  Omega,  the  Begin¬ 
ning  and  the  End  :  He  is  All  in  all  things 
to  them. 

V.  12  — 17.  The  apostle  proceeds  to 
exhort  to  mutual  love  and  compassion, 
v.  12.  The  argument  used  to  enforce  the 
exhortation,  is  very  affecting;  Put  on,  as  the 
elect  of  God,  holy  and  beloved.  The  holy, 
are  the  elect  of  God;  and  the  elect  of  God, 


duced,  we  may  observe,  that  ‘inordinate  affection’  may  relate  to  inex¬ 
pedient  and  excessive  desires,  after  even  lawful  indulgences  of  any  kind  ; 
though  some  understand  it  of  unnatural  crimes.  ‘Evil  concupiscence,’ 
signifies  the  sensuality  of  the  heart  and  imagination,  which  must  be  mor¬ 
tified,  or  gross  crimes  will  follow.  Hut  several  expositors  explain  the 
word  rendered  ‘  covetousness,’  as  denoting  rather  t lie  excessive  desire  of 
sensual  gratification,  than  the  love  of  riches.  Eph.  5:3 — 7.  TU>s  ap¬ 
pears  to  me  a  most  dangerous  misconstruction;  for,  by  this  mean, sens¬ 
uality  is  supposed  to  be  forbidden  with  a  needless  redundancy  of  words, 
and  ‘covetousness’  escapes  without  the  least  rebuke;  whereas,  ‘the 
love  of  money  is  the  root  of  all  ’  kinds  of  ‘evil,’  and  both  the  Scripture 
and  matter  of  fact,  show  it  to  be  one  of  the  greatest  possible  hindrances 
to  men’s  salvation,  and  the  greatest  of  all  snares  to  the  professors  of  the 
Gospel;  nor  can  any  vice  so  properly  be  called  ‘idolatry,’  as  avarice. 

‘  As  heathens  place  their  confidence  in  idols,  so  the  avaricious  man  doth 
his  in  gold  and  silver.  .  ..  The  covetous  person,  though  lie  doth  not  in¬ 
deed  believe  his  riches  or  his  money  to  be  a  god  ;  yet  by  so  loving  and 
trusting  in  them,  as  God  alone  ought  to  be  loved  and  trusted  in,  he  is  as 
truly  guilty  of  idolatry,  as  if  lie  so  believed.’  Whitby.  —  By  ‘  the  chil¬ 
dren  of  disobedience,’  some  understand  wicked  men  in  general ;  others 
seem  to  confine  the  interpretation  to  idolaters.  Hut  the  word  rendered 
‘disobedience’  often  signifies  ‘  unbelief.’  (Note,  Rom.  11  ;25— 32.) — ‘It 
eignifleth  the  want  of  the  obedience  of  faith.’  Leigh. — And  ‘  the  chil¬ 
dren  of  disobedience’  are  doubtless  ail  those,  however  distinguished, 
who  do  not  believe  and  obey  the  Gospel,  while  the  most  profligate  and 
abandoned,  believing  and  obeying  the  Gospel,  become  the  ‘children  of 
obedience.’  Eph.  2:1,  2..  5:5 — 7.  1  Pet.  1:13 — 16. — The  rites  of  Bac¬ 
chus  and  Cybele  were  peculiarly  observed  at  Colosse,  the  chief  city  of 
Phrygia,  and  conduced  exceedingly  to  deprave  the  morals  of  the  inhab¬ 
itants,  in  many  of  the  things  here  spoken  of;  but  alas  !  the  case  of  im¬ 
mense  multitudes,  even  in  professed  Christian  countries,  requires  pre¬ 
cisely  the  same  warnings  and  exhortations.  Scott. 

(5.)  Covetousness,  which  is  idolatry.]  Paul  enumerates  some  disgust¬ 
ing  fruits  of  selfish  propensity,  and  sums  them  up  with  covetousness, 
note,  2  Tim.  3:2.  which  is  idolatry,  the  worst  form  of  sin  he  could  think 
of!  For,  says  Harris,  in  his  admirable  essay,  ‘Self,  self  is  the  idol  to 
which  [wel  are  perpetually  sacrificing;  the  master,  whose  ravenous  ap¬ 
petite  [we]  are  perpetually  feasting,  und  which  eats  up  nearly  all  [we] 
iiave.  So  great  is  the  cost  of  dressing  and  decorating  this  idol,  of  serv¬ 
ing  and  feasting  it,  of  consulting  its  voracious  appetites,  and  ministering 
to  its  various  gratifications,  that  but  little  is  left  for  the  cause  of  Christ. 
It  is  (says  Howe)  “  a  soul-wasting  monster,  that  is  fed  and  sustained  at 
a  dearer  rate,  and  with  more  costly  sacrifices  and  repasts,  than  can  be 
paralleled  by  sacred  or  profane  history  ;  that  hath  made  more  desolation 
N.  T.  VOL.  V.  55 


in  the  souls  of  men,  than  ever  was  made  in  their  towns  and  cities,  where 
idols  were  served  with  only  human  sacrifices,  or  monstrous  creatures, 
satiated  only  with  such  food  ;  or  where  the  lives  and  safety  of  the  ma¬ 
jority'  were  to  be  purchased  by  ihe  constant  tribute  of  the  blood  of  not 
a  few  !  that  hath  devoured  more,  and  preyed  more  cruelly  upon  human 
lives,  than  Moloch  or  the  Minotaur  !’’  [IIow  many  millions  have  been 
sacrificed  to  one  attribute  of  it,  covetousness,  alone  1  Call  to  mind  the 
millions  killed  in  this  new  world,  for  wealth  !  —  the  hundreds  stranded 
yearly  on  our  coast,  or  blown  up  in  steamboats,  in  the  pursuits  of  com¬ 
merce,  who  would  have  been  ridiculed  as  enthusiasts,  had  they  perished 
in  tile  missionary  cause.  Yes,  self  is,  indeed,]  ‘  Dives  in  the  mansion, 
dollied  in  purple,  and  faring  sumptuously  everyday,  —  the  cause  of 
Christ,  is  Lazarus,  lying  at  his  gate,  and  fed  only  with  crumbs  which  fail 
from  his  table.’  Mammon,  a  Prize  Essay,  of  which,  could  room  be  spar¬ 
ed,  the  Ed.  would  gladly  quote  the  whole,  in  the  aim  to  rouse  the  church 
to  cast  off  the  worship,  in  all  his  forms,  of  that  ‘demon  of  selfishness, 
whose  nniue  is  Legion  ;’  and  which,  in  every  age,  has  been  the  great  an¬ 
tagonist  of  tiie  Gospel,  threatening  at  times  even  to  drive  from  the  world 
the  principle  of  benevolence ;  ‘  to  reinstate  which,  in  the  hearts  of  man, 
the  ocean  of  divine  love  was  stirred  to  its  utmost  depths,  and  its  infinite 
treasures  lavished  on  the  world  in  the  “unspeakable  gift”  of  Jesus 
Christ,  the  embodied  love  of  the  adorable  Godhead  !  “  Herein  fs  love  !” — 
love  defying  all  computation.  How  should  the  very  mention  of  it  sur¬ 
charge  our  hearts  with  gratitude,  impress  us  with  infinity,  and  replace 
our  selfishness  with  a  sentiment  of  the  most  generous  and  diffusive  be¬ 
nevolence.’  Harris.  Ed.  —  ‘The  acquisition  and  selfish  appropria¬ 
tion  of  wealth  has  a  tendency  to  strengthen  all  onr  earthly  passions,  and 
so  to  exclude  God  and  eternity  from  our  minds.  Now,  if  Christians  will 
take  a  part  of  that  which  has  been  the  nutriment  of  their  selfish  pas¬ 
sions,  and  has  withdrawn  their  hearts  from  God,  and  will  devote  it  to 
his  honor,  and  the  good  of  iris  church;  they  will  directly  counteract  this 
spirit  of  covetousness.  Christians  who  hold  large  estates,  sel¬ 
dom  attain  to  eminent  tiety  ;  and,  for  the  most  part,  they  are  desti¬ 
tute  of  those  elevated  enjoyments  in  religion,  which  are  so  often  granted 
to  others,  By  giving,  the  poison  is  extracted  from  riches ,  —  the  curse 
is  remove:!. ’  Rev.  Dr.  Woods. 

(6.)  Wrath.]  Both  in  this  world  and  the  next.  Disobedience.]  Dis¬ 
obedience  of  any  of  God’s  laws  draws  after  it  some  appropriate  pun¬ 
ishment.  “?* 

V.  7 — 11.  The  word  tr.  ‘blasphemy,’  may  signify  slanders  and  re- 
vilings,  as  well  as  profane  speeches  respecting  God  and  holy  things,  be. 

(8.)  Filthy  communications.)  ‘  Lewd  conversation,  obscene  or  im¬ 
pure  words.’  ,  ..  .doddr. 

V.  12.  Kindness.]  ‘  Properly,  that  sweetness  of  disposition,  which 

[433] 


A.  D.  64. 


COLOSSIANS,  III. 


Knowledge  of  the  Scriptures  urged. 


of  mercies,  kindness,  humbleness 
of  mind,  meekness,  long-suffering  ; 

13  Forbearing  1  one  another,  and 
forgiving  m  one  another,  if  any  man 
have  a  n  quarrel  against  any  :  even 
as  Christ  forgave  you,  so  also  do  ye. 

14  And  above  all  these  things  put 
on  0  charity,  which  is  p  the  bond  of 
perfectness. 

15  And  let  the  peace  qof  God 
rule  in  your  hearts,  to  the  which 
also  ye  are  called  in  one  body;  and 
be  ye  thankful. 

16  Let  the  word  r  of  Christ  dwell 
in  you  richly  in  all  wisdom  ;  teach¬ 
ing  and  admonishing  one  another 
in  ‘  psalms  and  hymns  and  spiritual 
songs,  singing  with  grace  in  your 
hearts  to  the  Lord. 

17  And  whatsoever  '  ye  do  in 
word  or  deed,  do  all  in  the  name 
of  the  Lord  Jesus,  giving  thanks 
to  God  and  the  Father  by  him. 

|  Mi.  11:23.  olPe.  4:8.  r  Ps.  119:11. 

Ep.  4:2,32.  p  1  Co.  13:2,8,13.  s  Ep.  5:19. 

m  Mat.  6:14,15.  q  Phi.  4:7.  t  1  Co.  10:31. 

n  or,  complaint.  _ _ 

and  holy,  are  beloved,  ;  beloved  of  God,  and 
ought  to  be  of  all  men.  They  ought  to  con¬ 
duct  themselves,  in  everything,  as  becomes 
them,  and  so  as  not  to  lose  the  credit  of  their 
holiness,  or  the  comfort  of  their  being  cho¬ 
sen  and  beloved.  Observe,  What  we  must 
put  on  in  particular.  1.  Compassion  toward 
the  miserable;  bowels  of  mercy,  the  tetider- 
est  mercies;  merciful,  as  your  Father  is  mer¬ 
ciful,  Lu.  6  :  36.  2.  Kindness  toward  our 

friends,  and  those  who  love  us ;  a  courteous, 
soft,  sweet  disposition  :  the  design  of  the 
Gospel  is,  to  promote  friendship  and  benev¬ 
olence  among  men,  as  well  as  reconciliation 
with  God.  3.  Humbleness  of  mind ,  in  sub¬ 
mission  to  those  above  us,  and  condescen¬ 
sion  to  those  below  us  ;  not  only  a  humble 
carriage,  but  a  humble  mind.  Learn  of  Me, 
for  lam  meek  and  lowly  in  heart.  Mat.  11  : 
29.  4.  Meekness  toward  those  who  have 

provoked  us,  or  been  any  way  injurious  to 


us.  We  must  not  be  transported  into  re¬ 
sentment,  but  prudently  bridle  our  anger, 
and  patiently  bear  that  of  others.  5.  Long- 
suffering  toward  those  who  continue  to  pro¬ 
voke  us.  Charity  suffereth  long,  as  well  as 
is  kind,  1  Cor.  13  :  4.  If  G  od  is  long- 
suffering  to  us,  under  all  our  provocations  of 
Him,  we  should  exercise  long-suffering  to 
others  in  like  cases.  6.  Mutual  forbearance, 
in  consideration  of  the  infirmities  and  de¬ 
ficiencies  we  all  labor  under;  forbearing  one 
another.  We  all  have  something  which 
needs  to  be  borne  with  ;  and  that  is  a  good 
reason  why  we  should  bear  with  others  in 
what  is  disagreeable  to  us.  7.  A  readiness 
to  forgive  injuries  ;  forgiving  one  another,  if 
any  man  have  a  quarrel  against  any.  While 
we  are  in  this  world,  where  there  is  so 
much  corruption  in  our  hearts,  and  so  much 
occasion  of  difference  and  contention,  quar¬ 
rels  will  sometimes  happen,  even  among  the 
elect  of  God,  who  are  holy  and  beloved,  Acts 
15:39.  Gal.  2:  14.  But  it  is  our  duty  to 
forgive  one  another  in  such  cases  ;  not  to 
bear  any  grudge,  but  put  up  with  the  af¬ 
front,  and  pass  it  by.  And  the  reason  is, 
the  consideration  that  we  are  forgiven  by 
Christ  so  many  offences,  Mat.  6:  12. 

Now,  in  order  to  all  this,  we  are  ex¬ 
horted  here  to  several  things  : 

1.  To  clothe  ourselves  with  love,  t>.  14. 
Above.,  over  all  things,  put  on  charity.  Let 
this  be  the  upper  garment,  the  robe,  the  live¬ 
ry,  the  mark  of  our  dignity  and  distinction. 
Or,  Let  this  be  principal  and  chief,  as  the 
whole  sum  and  abstract  of  the  second  table, 
2  Pet.  1:5 — 7.  He  lays  the  foundation  in 
faith,  and  the  top-stone  in  charity,  which  is 
the  bond  of  perfectness,  the  cement  and  cen¬ 
tre  of  all  happy  society.  Christian  unity 
consists  in  unanimity  and  mutual  love. 

2.  To  submit  ourselves  to  the  government 
of  the  peace  of  God,  v.  15.  Let  the  peace  of 
God  rule  in  your  hearts,  e.  God’s  being  at 
peace  with  you,  and  the  comfortable  sense 
of  his  acceptance  and  favor  :  or,  a  disposi¬ 
tion  to  peace  among  yourselves,  a  peaceable 
spirit,  that  keeps  the  peace,  and  makes 
peace.  This  is  called  the  peace  of  God  > 
because  it  is  of  his  working  in  all  who  are 
his.  We  are  called  to  this  peace,  to  peace 


with  God,  as  our  privilege,  and  peace  with 
our  brethren,  as  our  duty.  Being  united  in 
one  body,  we  are  called  to  be  at  peace  one 
with  another,  as  the  members  of  the  natural 
body  ;  for  we  are  the  body  of  Christ,  and 
members  in  particular,  1  Cor.  12:  27.  ‘  In¬ 

stead  of  envying  one  another,  on  account  of 
any  particular  favors  and  excellence,  be 
thankful  for  his  mercies,  which  are  common 
to  all.’ 

3.  To  let  the  Word  of  Christ  dwell  in  us 
richly,  v.  16.  The  Gospel  is  the  Word  of 
Christ,  which  must  dwell  in  us,  not  as  a  ser¬ 
vant  in  a  family,  under  control,  but  as  a 
master,  to  prescribe  and  direct.  It  must 
dwell  in  us;  be  always  ready  and  at  band  in 
everything,  and  have  its  due  influence  and 
use.  We  must  be  familiarly  acquainted 
with  it,  and  know  it  for  our  good.  Job  5  :  27. 
It  must  dwell  in  us  richly  :  not  only  keep 
house  in  our  hearts,  but  keep  a  good  house. 
Then  the  soul  prospers,  when  we  have 
abundance  of  the  Word  of  God  in  us,  and 
are  full  of  the  Scriptures,  and  of  the  grace 
of  Christ.  And  this  in  all  wisdom.  The 
Word  of  Christ  must  dwell  in  us,  not  in  all 
notion  and  speculation,  to  make  us  doctors, 
but  in  all  wisdom,  to  make  us  good  Chris¬ 
tians,  and  enable  us  to  conduct  ourselves  in 
everything  as  becomes  Wisdom’s  children. 

4.  To  teach  and  admonish  one  another . 
This  would  contribute  very  much  to  further 
us  in  all  grace;  for  we  sharpen  ourselves  by 
quickening  others,  and  improve  our  knowl¬ 
edge  by  communicating  it  for  their  edifica¬ 
tion.  We  must  admonish  one  another  in 
psalms  and  hymns.  Observe,  Singing  of 
psalms  is  a  gospel-ordinance  ;  this  was  in¬ 
stead  of  their  lewd  and  profane  songs  in 
their  idolatrous  worship.  Religious  poesy 
seems  countenanced  by  these  expressions, 
and  is  capable  of  great  edification.  But 
when  we  sing  psalms,  we  make  no  mldody 
unless  we  are  suitably  affected  with  what  we 
sing,  and  go  along  in  it  with  true  devotion 
and  understanding.  Singing  of  psalms  is  a 
teaching  ordinance,  as  well  as  a  praising  or¬ 
dinance  ;  and  we  are  not  only  to  quicken 
and  encourage  ourselves,  but  to  teach  and 
admonish  one  another. 

5.  All  must  be  done  in  the  name  of  Christ, 


leads  men  to  comply  with  the  innocent  inclinations  of  others,  and  to 
speak  to  them  courteously.’  Macknight. 

V.  12 — 15.  ‘  Our  obedience  must  not  consist  in  the  mere  negatives ; 

it  must  include  the  positives  of  religion.  Sins  of  omission  are  breach¬ 
es  of  the  commands  of  Gqd,  as  much  as  sins  of  commission.  (Mat.  25.) 
A  man  is  not  universally  oHtedient,  only  because  he  is  no  thief  or  drunk¬ 
ard  ;  he  must  be  pious,  humble,  forgiving,  charitable,  ,fcc.’  Edwards. 

(14.)  Bond  of  perfectness.]  ‘  An  elegant  allusion  to  the  girdle  of  the 
orientals,  which  was  not  only  ornamental  and  expensive,  but  was  put 
on  last,  serving  to  adjust  the  other  parts  of  the  dress,  and  to  keep  the 
whole  together.’  Hewlett. 

V.  16,  17.  By  ‘  the  Word  of  Christ’  the  whole  of  the  sacred  Scrip¬ 
ture  seems  to  be  meant,  which  was  all  from  Him,  as  ‘  the  Light  of  the 
world,’  and  the  personal  ‘Word  of  God,’  and  which,  in  one  way  or 
other,  all  related  to  Him.  Rev.  19:9,  10. — It  [the  singing  of  songs  on  fes¬ 
tive  occasions!  has  always  been  the  case,  in  every  country  ;  and  the 
popular  songs  have  an  immense,  but  generally  a  most  pernicious,  effect 
on  the  people.  They  are  learned  in  early  life,  and  not  soon  forgotten; 
and  often  are  considered  as  proverbial  or  oracular. — Let  then  Christians, 
excluding  those  polluting  vanities,  labor  to  get  their  memories  and  minds 
richly  replenished  with  hymns  and  songs  of  praise  to  God,  and  poems 
Of  every  kind,  which  are  suited  to  prepare  them  for  the  worship  of  heav¬ 
en,  and  to  anticipate  its  Joys;  and  let  them  use  these  hymns  and  songs 
constantly,  not  on  public  occasions  alone,  but  in  social  meetings  also  ; 
and  even  when  alone  in  their  houses,  or  when  journeying,  and,  indeed, 
in  any  other  situation.  (Note,  Eph.  5:15—20,  v.  13.)  This  will  also 
render  them  edifying  and  animating  companions  to  their  fellow-Chris- 
tians. — In  general,  whatever  they  nre  employed  about,  whether  in  con¬ 
versation,  in  public  acts  of  adoration,  in  social  worship,  in  their  secu¬ 
lar  or  domestic  concerns,  in  everything  relative  to  the  place  of  their 
abode,  their  removal  to  other  residences,  their  employment  in  life,  the 
connexions  they  form,  for  themselves  or  their  children,  as  well  as  in 
every  work  of  piety  or  charity;  let  them  ‘do  all  in  the  name  of  the 
Lord  Jesus;’  in  a  believing  dependence  on  his  merits  and  grace,  out  of 
love  to  Him,  in  obedience  to  his  precepts,  and  for  the  honor  of  his  name, 
‘giving  thanks  to  God,  even  the  Father,  by  Him.’  For  ewyi  the  best 
services  can  be  accepted  from  sinners,  only  through  h-is  irwercession : 
and  nothing  ought  to  be  ventured  on  or  engaged  in  by  them  or  any  Chris¬ 
tians,  which  cannot  thus  be  done  ‘  in  the  name  ’  and  for  the  sake  of  Je¬ 
sus  the  Savior.  Scott. 

(16.)  ‘I  see  not  the  authority  for  supposing  all  these  words  refer  to 
David’s  poetical  pieces,  and  think  it  much  more  reasonable  to  believe, 
that  by  hymns  and  spiritual  songs,  he  means  such  poetical  compositions 
ns,  under  the  influence  of  the  Spirit,  were  written  or  uttered.  For  it 
would  be  very  absurd  to  suppose,  that  when  there  was  such  a  gift  in  the 

[434] 


church  as  we  are  sure  there  was,  (comp.  1  Cor.  14:15, 16.)  they  should  be 
confined  to  the  words  of  David,  in  all  their  devotions  of  this  kind.  And  it 
would  certainly  be  as  reasonable  for  ns,  in  these  latter  ages,  to  explode 
all  kinds  of  prayer  in  public,  but  liturgies  collected  from  the  words  of 
Scripture,  as  well  as  sacred  songs  in  divine  worship,  but  literal  transla¬ 
tions  from  what  is  called  the  Book  of  Psalms.  Numberless  passages  of 
the  O.  and  N.  T.  are  equally  capable  of  furnishing  ns  with  sacred  an¬ 
thems.  Doddr.  So  Mackn.,  and  modern  divines  in  general.  And  Wil¬ 
liams  here  refers  to  that  well  known  passage  in  Pliny, concerning  the  early 
Christians,  that  they  used  ‘to  meet  before  day  light, and  sing  hymns  to  Christ 
as  to  God.’  He  refers  also  to  the  musical  historian,  Burney,  in  proof  that 
inspiration  is  not  necessary  to  these  sacred  hymns  and  songs,  since  as  B. 
testifies,  ‘  the  gondoliers  (or  bargemen  of  Venice)  are  wont  to  address  and 
challenge  one  another  in  extemporaneous  stanzas.’  Rich  observed  the 
harvesters  of  Kurdistan  thus  singing  at  t Heir  work.  Comp.  Is.  9:3.  16:9. 
Eo.-Sacreci  music  is  a  very  important  part  of  Christian,  as  it  was  of  Jew¬ 
ish  public  worship.  (Notes,  Eph.  5:19.  Ja.  5:13.)  But  it  is  one  which  is 
too  much  neglected  in  nearly  all  our  churches,  and  considered  rather  as  a 
religious  performance,  by  the  choir,  than  a  solemn,  and  devotional  exer¬ 
cise,  in  the  spirit  of  which  all  are  bound  to  participate,  as  much  as  in  that 
of  the  prayers.  Very  little  pains  are  taken  in  most  of  our  churches,  to  im¬ 
prove  ami  sustain  the  singing,  it  being  generally  left  to  a  few  persons, 
usually  of  the  younger  class,  who  volunteer  to  perform  the  service,  while 
the  great  mass,  even  of  the  members  of  the  church,  are  as  regardless  of 
the  subject  as  though  it  were  no  part  of  the  services  of  God’s  house. 
But  there  is  no  good  reason  why  it  should  not  be  considered  absolutely 
essential  in  these  services,  and  therefore  provision  should  be  made  and 
care  taken  that  it  be  properly  sustained  and  conducted,  as  well  as  the 
preaching.  Not  by  the  employment  of  theatrical  performers,  and  other 
persons,  of  notoriously  irreligious  character,  but  bv  liberally  support¬ 
ed  schools,  for  the  instruction  of  the  young,  in  the  science,  and  by  prop¬ 
er  care  on  the  part  of  the  officers  of  the  church,  to  provide  a  sufficient 
number  of  competent  persons,  who  will  properly  lead  in  the  exercise, 
‘  singing  with  the  spirit  and  with  the  understanding,'  and  ‘  with  grace 
in  their  hearts.’  The  principal  singer,  or  leader,  at  least,  of  the  choir, 
he  who  gives  character  and  tone  to  the  whole  exercise,  should  be  a  re¬ 
ligious  man,  and  both  he  and  bis  assistants  should  feel  a  special,  reli¬ 
gious  responsibility  for  this  part  of  the  worship  of  the  sanctuary  ;  and 
every  member  of  the  church  ought  to  feel,  that  he  is  bound  to  do  all  in 
his  power,  by  his  efforts  and  example,  to  promote  an  increased  regard 
for,  and  interest  in,  this  important  exercise.  Oh,  could  our  churches 
catch  something  more  of  that  spirit  which  animates  their  redeemed 
brethren  in  heaven,  as  they  sing  ‘  the  song  of  Moses  and  the  Lamb,’  how 
would  their  feelings  of  devotion  be  kindled,  and  their  hearts  bow  with 
humble  adoralion,  when  assembled  for  the  worship  of  God  !  Ed. 


A.  D.  64. 


COLOSSIANS,  III. 


Exhortations  to  relative  duties. 


13  «W  ives,  submit  yourselves 
unto  your  own  husbands,  us  it  is 
lit  in  the  Lord. 

19  Husbands,  love  your  wives, 
and  be  not  bitter  against  them. 

20  ’Children,  obey  your  parents 
in  all  things  :  for  this  is  well  pleas¬ 
ing  i  nto  the  Lord. 

21  Fathers,  provoke  not  your 
children  to  anger ,  lest  they  be'  dis¬ 
couraged. 

22  w  Servants,  obey  in  all  things 
your  masters  according  to  the  flesh: 
not  with  eye-service,  as  men-pleas- 
ers ;  but  in  singleness  of  heart, 
fearing  God  : 

23  And  whatsoever  ye  do,  do  it 
heartily,  as  to  the  Lord  and  not 
unto  men  ; 

24  Knowing,  that  of  the  Lord  ye 
shall  receive  the  reward  of  the  in¬ 
heritance  :  for  ye  serve  the  Lord 
Christ. 

25  But  he  that  doeth  wrong  shall 
receive  for  the  wrong  which  he 
hath  done  :  and  there  is  no  respect 
of  persons. 

u  Ep.  5:22,  &c.  1  Pe.  3:1,  tec.  w  l  Pe.  2:18. 

Tit.  2:4,5.  v  Ep.  6:1,  &c. 


v.  17.  according  to  his  command,  in  com¬ 
pliance  with  his  authority,  by  strength  de¬ 
rived  from  Him,  with  an  eye  to  his  glory, 
and  depending  on  his  merit  for  the  accept¬ 
ance  of  what  is  good,  and  pardon  of  what 
is  amiss  ;  Giving  thanks  to  God  and  the 
Father  by  Him,  Observe,  We  must  give 
thanks  in  all  things  ;  whatsoever  we  do, 
Epli.  5:20.  The  Lord  Jesus  must  be  the 
Mediator  of  our  praises  as  well  as  of  our 
prayers  ;  in  the  name  of  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ ,  Epli.  5:20.  They  who  do  all  things 
in  Christ’s  name,  will  never  want  matter  of 
thanksgiving  to  God,  even  the  Father. 


V.  18 — 25.  The  apostle  concludes  with 
exhortations  to  relative  duties,  as  in  Ephe-  1 
sians.  The  epistles  most  taken  up  in  dis¬ 
playing  the  glory  of  the  divine  grace,  and  j 
magnifying  the  Lord  Jesus,  are  most  panic-  ' 
ular  and  distinct  in  pressing  the  duties  of  i 
the  several  relations.  We  must  never  sep¬ 
arate  the  privileges  and  duties  of  the  Gos¬ 
pel. 

I.  He  begins  with  the  duties  of  wives 
and  husbands,  v.  IS.  Submission  is  the  duty  \ 
of  wives;  the  same  word  is  used  to  express 
our  duty  to  magistrates,  Rom.  13:  1.  and 
for  subjection  and  reverence,  Eph.  5:  24,33.  : 
See  1  Tim.  2  :  13,  14.  1  Cor.  11  :  3,  8,  9.  j 
It  is  agreeable  to  the  order  of  nature  and  j 
the  reason  of  things,  as  well  as  the  appoint¬ 
ment  and  will  of  God.  But  then  it  is  sub-  j 
mission,  not  to  a  rigorous  lord,  or  absolute 
tyrant,  who  may  do  his  will,  and  is  without 
restraints  ;  but  to  a  husband,  her  own  hus¬ 
band,  who  stands  jn  the  nearest  relation, 
and  is  under  strict  engagements  to  proper 
duty  too.  And  this  is  fit  in  the  Lord  :  it  is 
becoming  the  relation,  and  what  they  are 
bound  in  duty  to  do,  as  an  instance  of  obe¬ 
dience  to  the  authority  and  law  of  Christ. 

On  the  other  hand,  husbands  must  love 
their  wives,  and  not  be  bitter  against  them, 
v.  19.  They  must  love  them  with  tender 
and  faithful  affection,  as  Christ  loved  the 
church,  and  as  their  oum  bodies  ;  and  even  as 
Himself,  Eph.  5:  25,  28,  33.  with  a  love  pe¬ 
culiar  to  the  nearest  relation  and  the  great¬ 
est  comfort  and  blessing  of  life.  And  they 
must  not  be  bitter  against  them;  or  use  them 
unkindly,  with  harsh  language,  or  severe 
treatment;  but  be  kind  and  obliging  to  them 
in  all  things,  1  Cor.  11 :  9, 11,  12. 

II.  The  duties  of  children  and  parents, 
v.  20.  Children  must  be  willing  to  do  all 
their  parents’  lawful  commands,  and  be  at 
their  direction  and  disposal  ;  as  those  who 
have  a  natural  right,  and  are  fitter  to  direct 
them  than  themselves.  The  apostle,  Eph. 

6  :  2.  requires  them  to  honor,  as  well  as 
obey,  their  parents  ;  their  obedience  must 
proceed  from  esteem.  This,  also,  is  well¬ 


pleasing  to  God,  or  acceptable  to  Him  ;  for 
it  is  the  first  commandment,  with  promise, 
Eph.  6:  2.  an  explicit  promise  ;  and  dutiful 
children  are  the  most  likely  to  prosper  in  the 
world,  and  enjoy  long  life. 

But  parents  must  be  tender,  as  well  as 
children  obedient,  v'.  21.  ‘  Let  not  your  au¬ 
thority  be  with  rigor  and  severity,  but  with 
kindness  and  gentleness ;  lest  you  raise  their 
passions,  and  discourage  them  in  their  duty, 
and,  by  holding  the  reins  too  strait,  you 
make  your  children  fly  out  with  the  greater 
fierceness.’  The  ill-temper  and  example  of 
imprudent  parents  often  prove  a  great  hin¬ 
drance  to  their  children,  and  a  stumbling- 
block  in  their  way;  see  Eph.  6:4.  And  it 
is  by  the  tenderness  of  parents,  and  dutiful¬ 
ness  of  children,  that  God  ordinarily  fur¬ 
nishes  his  church  with  a  seed  to  serve  Him, 
and  propagates  religion  from  age  to  age  ; 
[for,  as  is  often  remarked,  most  converts 
are  from  those  who  have  had  some  early 
impressions  of  religion.] 

ill.  Servants  and  masters,  v.  22.  Ser¬ 
vants  must  do  the  duty  of  the  relation  in 
which  they  stand,  and  obey  their  masters’ 
commands  in  all  things,  consistent  with  their 
duty  to  God,  their  heavenly  Master  :  not 
only  when  their  master’s  eye  is  on  them, 
but  when  they  are  from  under  it.  They 
must  be  both  just  and  diligent  ;"  without 
selfish  designs,  or  hypocrisy  and  disguise, 
as  those  who  fear  God,  and  stand  in  awe  of 
Him.  Observe,  The  fear  of  God,  ruling  in 
the  heart,  will  make  people  good  in  every 
relation,  Gen.  20  :  11.  Neh.  5  :  15.  ‘  And 

whatsoever  ye  do,  do  it  heartily ,  v.  23.  with 
diligence,  not  idly  and  slothlully  :’  or,  ‘  Do 
it  cheerfully,  not  discontented  at  the  provi¬ 
dence  of  God  which  put  you  in  that  rela¬ 
tion.’  As  to  the  Lord  and  not  as  to  men. 
Observe,  We  are  really  doing  our  duty  to 
God,  when  we  are  faithful  in  our  duty  to 
men.  And  for  servants’  encouragement,  let 
them  know,  that  a  good  and  faithful  servant 
is  never  the  further  from  heaven  for  his  be¬ 
ing  a  servant,  v.  24.  Serving  your  masters 
according  to  the  command  of  Christ,  you 


PRACT.  OBS.  The  sincerity  of  our  professed  faith  and  love  must  bo 
evidenced  by  a  consistent  temper  and  conduct.  Thus  we  shall  know 
our  interest  in  the  atonement  of  the  Savior,  by  the  life  which  we  have 
derived  from  Him  ;  Rom.  8:5 — 9.  and  may  be  assured,  that  ‘when  Christ, 
who  is  our  Life,  shall  appear,  then  shall  we  also  appear  with  Him  in 
glory.’  Having  such  hopes  and  comforts,  we  should  daily  employ  our¬ 
selves  in  mortifying  every  carnal  affection,  and  in  seeking  a  more  entire 
deliverance,  not  only  from  all  hankering  after  forbidden  gratifications, 
hut  from  every  desire  of  sensual  indulgence  even  if  lawful,  if  in  any  way 
inexpedient;  and  from  that  idolatrous  ‘covetousness,  which  God  abhor- 
retli:  ’  for  ‘because  of  these  things  cometh  the  wrath  of  God  on  the 
children  of  disobedience.’  Let  us  also  put  off  anger,  malice,  slander, 
revilings,  irreverent  words  concerning  God,  polluting  discourse,  and  all 
kinds  and  degrees  of  insincerity.  Having  therefore  ‘  put  off  the  old  man 
and  his  deeds,’  and  ‘  put  on  Christ,’  and  being  ‘  renewed  in  knowledge 
after  his  image,’  let  us  study  more  and  more  to  copy  his  example,  to 
have  the  same  mind  which  was  in  Him,  and  to  act  consistently  with  our 
rank  and  character.  We  may  well  he  indifferent  to  all  other  interests  and 
distinctions,  if  we  he  indeed  true  believers,  seeing  ‘Christ  is  all  and  in 
all  ••  ’  but  we  should  be  earnestly  desirous  of  evidencing  that  we  are  ‘  the 
elect  of  God,  holy  and  beloved,’  by  cultivating  every  benign,  friendly, 
humble,  and  gentle  temper;  by  copying  the  forgiveness  through  which 
we  are  saved  ;  and  by  putting  on  that  ‘  love  which  is  the  bond  of  per¬ 
fectness,’  that  it  may  above  all  appear  in  every  part  of  our  conduct; 
while  ‘  we  follow  peace  with  all  men,’  and  are  of  one  mind  with  those 
who  belong  to  the  Lord’s  body. — We  should  also  seek  to  be  enriched  in 

V’.  13,  19.  Christian  wives  would,  at  that  time,  in  many  cases  be  re¬ 
quired  to  obey  idolatrous  husbands;  and  Christian  husbands  to  love 
heathen  wives.  (19)  Be  not  bitter .]  ‘Thou  art  not  a  lord,  but  a  hus¬ 
band;  thou  hast  not  got  a  maid-servant,  but  a  wife:  God  would  have 
thee  the  ruler  of  the  inferior  sex,  not  the  tyrant.’  Ambrose.  [It  will  be 
recollected,  that  the  oriental  wives,  as  now,  ‘stood  before,’  (Gen.  2:18. 
tnarg.)  their  husbands  while  the  latter  sat  eating,  eat  separately,  &c.] 
Gen.  2:21—24.  3:16.  Deut.  24:1—4.  Mai.  2:13—16.  Mat.  19:7,  9.— ‘  In 
this  precept,  fidelity  to  the  marriage-covenant  is  enjoined;  as  well  as 
care  to  provide  for  the  wife  such  conveniences,  as  may  be  necessary  to 
her  happiness,  agreeably  to  the  husband’s  station.’  Mackn.  Scott. 

(19.)  ‘  It  is  a  great  injury  to  a  man  to  be  an  unkind  and  disobliging 
husband  ;  it  injures  him  in  his  inner  man,  [in  his  spiritual  habits,] — 
in  ways  which  he  does  not  suspect ;  whereas,  the  smallest  acts  that  in¬ 
dicate  the  submission  of  his  own  feelings  to  those  of  bis  wife  in  certain 
cases  have  a  good  influence  upon  him,  by  [fixing  habits  of  feeling  that] 
make  him  a  better  and  happier  man.’  Rev.  Neh.  Adams. 

V.  20,  21 .  Provoke  not.]  A  manifestation  of  the  lusts  of  power  and  dis¬ 
tinction.  and  the  fighting  propensity,  so  common  in  parents  while  pun¬ 
ishing  children,  only  excites  fear,  the  lowest  and  most  selfish  principle  of 
duty,  arousing  the  hereditary  propensities  in  the  child  cognate  to  those 
the  parent  sets  in  example  before  him.  And  so  the  punishment  excites 


divine  ‘knowledge  and  wisdom,’  by  a  comprehensive  acquaintance  with 
‘  the  Word  of  Christ ;  ’  that,  being  familiarly  versed  in  the  Holy  Scrip¬ 
tures,  we  may  be  ‘  thoroughly  furnished  unto  every  good  work.’  By 
these  means,  our  ordinary  employments  and  relative  conduct  will  he 
sanctified,  and  made  a  spiritual  sacrifice.  Thus  the  disobedient  and  dis¬ 
obliging  behavior  of  wives,  and  the  bitter  words  and  harsh  conduct  of 
husbands,  will  alike  he  precluded  ;  children  will  learn  obedience  to  their 
parents;  parents  will  learn  to  exercise  their  authority  with  prudence 
and  gentleness  ;  not  exasperating  their  children  by  violent  anger  or  dur¬ 
able  resentment,  nor  discouraging  them,  by  disapproving  of  their  endeav¬ 
ors  to  please  ;  and  servants  will  learn  to  be  faithful,  diligent,  and  conscien¬ 
tious  in  obeying  their  masters,  front  fear  of  God,  and  regard  to  his  au¬ 
thority  and  all-seeing  eye  upon  them.  In  short,  true  religion  will  teach 
every  man  to  do  the  work  of  his  station,  from  his  soul,  to  the  best  of 
his  ability,  and  with  cheerful  diligence,  in  obedient  faith,  as  the  servant 
of  Christ,  expecting  from  Him  the  gracious  reward  of  the  heavenly  in¬ 
heritance ;  and  fearing,  when  tempted  to  do  wrong,  lest  he  should  come 
short  of  that  inheritance,  or  expose  himself  to  the  displeasure  of  God, 
who  is  ‘no  Respecter  of  persons.’  These  principles,  and  these  alone, 
will  render  men  universally  conscientious  in  all  places  and  circumstan¬ 
ces,  from  love  to  Christ,  zeal  for  his  glory,  a  desire  of  recommending  the 
Gospel,  and  of  possessing  the  assurance  that  they  are  interested  in  its 
blessings.  Let  us  then  earnestly  pray  for  grace,  to  enable  us  ‘  to  adorn 
the  doctrine  of  God  our  Savior,’  in  these  and  in  nil  other  things  :  that  the 
sincerity  of  our  love  may  be  evinced,  beyond  all  reasonable  ground  of 
doubt,  either  in  our  own  consciences,  or  in  those  of  other  men.  Sc. 

instead  of  correcting,  selfish  habits  and  lusts.  Yet  there  should  he  in 
the  parent  a  sufficient  manifestation  of  feeling,  to  show  his  child  he  has 
caused  disturbance  and  unhappiness  to  the  parent ;  then  his  better  na¬ 
ture  is  exercised,  and  thus  the  end  of  punishment,  ns  to  the  individual, 
attained.  Ed.  (21)  Lest  they  be  discouraged.]  When  parents  are  contin¬ 
ually  finding  fault  with  their  children,  and  confounding  the  distinction  be¬ 
tween  wilful  offences,  obstinate  disobedience,  or  immoral  conduct,  and 
the  lieedlessness  or  inadvertencies  of  youth  ;  and  when  they  sharply  re¬ 
prove  even  the  defects  of  their  endeavors  to  obey,  without  commend¬ 
ing  what  is  right ;  children  imbibe  the  notion,  that  it  is  impossible  to 
please  their  parents,  and  so  discouragement  renders  them  careless.  They 
then  count  their  parents  harsh  and  unfriendly  :  they  shun  their  compa¬ 
ny,  and  prefer  the  society  of  others  ;  and  in  consequence  are  exposed  to 
numberless  and  powerful  temptations.  Scott. 

V.  22—25.  (22)  Singleness ,  &c.]  He  who  simply  aims  to  please  one 
master,  will  serve  him  with  an  open,  liberal ,  and  free  heart.— Thus  the 
poor  slave,  who  singly  aimed  to  please  his  gracious  Lord  and  Savior,  in 
obeying  even  the  unreasonable  commands  of  a  harsh  and  severe  master, 
would  do  it  cheerfully  and  willingly,  to  ihe  best  of  his  ability,  as  singly 
aiming  to  honor  and  obey  Christ,  and  adorn  his  Gospel :  and  he  would 
never  want  a  powerful  motive  to  faithful  obedience,  even  to  an  idola¬ 
trous,  iniquitous,  and  cruel  master ;  as  ‘  his  Musler  in  heaven  abundant- 


A.  D.  64. 


COLOSSIANS,  IV. 


Several  virtues  and  duties  urged. 


CHAP.  IV. 

1  He  exhorteth  them  to  be  fervent  in  prayer,  5  to  walk 
wisely  toward  them  that  are  not  yet  come  to  the  true 
knowledge  of  Christ.  1U  He  saluteih  them,  and  wisheth 
them  all  prosperity. 

TyrASTERS,  a  give  unto  your 
-LVX  servants  that  which  is  just 
and  equal  ;  knowing  that  ye  also 
have  a  Master  in  heaven. 

2  Continue  bin  prayer,  and  watch 
c  in  the  same  with  thanksgiving  ; 

3  Withal  praying  also  for  us, 
that  God  would  open  d  unto  us  a 
door  of  utterance,  to  speak  the 
mystery  of  Christ,  for  which  I  am 
also  in  bonds  : 

4  That  I  may  make  it  manifest, 
as  1  ought  to  speak. 

5  Walk  in  wisdom  e  toward  them 
that  are  without,  redeeming  the 
time. 

6  Let  your  speech  be  alway  with 
grace,  seasoned  f  with  salt,  that  ye 
may  know  how  ye  ought  to  answer 
every  man. 

[Practical  Observations .] 
a  Ep.  6:9,  &c.  d  2  Th.  3:1.  Ep.  5:15.16. 

b  Lu.  18:1.  e  Ps.  90:12.  f  Ma.  9:50. 

c  Ma.  19:33. 


serve  Christ,  and  will  have  a  glorious  re¬ 
ward  at  last.  But,  on  the  other  hand.  He 
who  doeth  wrong,  shall  receive  for  the  wrong 
lohich  he  hath  done,  v.  25.  There  is  a  right¬ 
eous  God,  who,  if  servants  wrong  their 
masters,  will  reckon  with  them  for  it, 
though  they  may  conceal  it  from  their  no¬ 
tice;  and  so  of  masters,  if  they  wrong  their 
servants.  The  righteous  Judge  of  the  earth 
will  be  impartial,  and  carry  it  with  an  equal 
hand  toward  master  and  servant  ;  the  one 
and  the  other  will  stand  on  a  level  at  his 
tribunal. 

It  is  probable  the  apostle  has  a  particular 
respect,  in  all  these  instances  of  duty,  to 
the  case  mentioned,  1  Cor.  7.  of  relations 
of  a  different  religion,  as  a  Christian  and 
heathen,  a  Jewish  convert  and  uncircum¬ 
cised  Gentile  ;  where  there  was  room  to 
doubt,  whether  they  were  obliged  to  the 
proper  duties  of  their  several  relations  to 
such  persons.  And  if  it  hold  in  such  cases, 
it  is  much  stronger  on  Christians,  one  to- 


wards  another,  and  where  both  are  of  the 
same  religion.  And  how  happy  would  the 
Gospel  make  the  world,  if  it  everywhere 
prevailed  ;  and  how  much  would  it  influ¬ 
ence  every  state  of  things,  and  every  rela¬ 
tion  of  life  ! 


Chap.  IV.  V.  1.  The  apostle  proceeds 
with  the  duty  of  masters  to  their  servants, 
which  might  have  been  joined  to  the  fore¬ 
going  ch.  and  is  a  part  of  that  discourse. 

1.  Justice  is  required  of  them,  v.  1.  not 
only  strict  justice,  but  equity  and  kindness. 
Be  faithful  to  your  promises  to  them,  and 
perform  your  agreements  ;  not  defrauding 
them  of  their  dues,  or  keeping  back  by  fraud 
the  hire  of  the  laborers,  Ja.  5  :  4.  Require 
no  more  than  they  can  perform.  Provide 
for  them  what  is  fit,  and  allow  them  such 
liberties  as  may  enable  them  the  better  for 
cheerful  service,  and  make  it  the  easier  to 
them. 

2.  A  good  reason  for  this  regard  ;  ‘Know¬ 
ing  ye  also  have  a  Master  in  heaven.  Deal 
with  your  servants  as  you  expect  God  should 
deal  with  you  ;  and  as  those  who  believe 
you  must  give  an  account.  Ye  are  both 
servants  of  the  same  Lord,  in  the  different 
relations  in  which  you  stand, and  are  equal¬ 
ly  accountable  to  Him  at  last.  Knowing 
that  your  Master,  also,  is  in  heaven,  neither 
is  there  respect  of  persons  with  Him ,’  Eph. 
6:  9. 

V.  2 — 4.  If  this  be  considered  as  con¬ 
nected  with  the  foregoing  v.  then  we  may 
observe,  that  it  is  part  of  the  duty  of  mas¬ 
ters  to  their  servants,  to  pray  with  them, 
and  daily,  or  to  continue  in  prayer  ;  be  con¬ 
cerned  for  their  souls  as  well  as  their  bodies ; 

‘  as  parts  of  your  charge,  and  under  your 
influence.’  And  this  is  the  duty  of  every 
one  ;  to  continue  in  prayer.  Christians 
should  seize  all  opportunities  for  prayer,  I 
choose  the  fittest  seasons,  and  keep  their  j 
minds  lively  in  the  duty.  With  thanksgiving,  I 
or  solemn  acknowledgment  of  the  mercies 
received.  Thanksgiving  must  have  a  part 
in  every  prayer. 

Withal  praying  also  for  us,  v.  3.  People 
must  ever  pray  particularly  for  their  minis¬ 
ters,  Eph.  6:19.  1  Thess.  5:25.  Heb.  13:  I 
18.  That  God  would  open  to  them  a  door  j 
of  idterance ;  either  afford  opportunity  to- 
preach  the  Gospel,  1  Cor.  16  :  9.  or  give  | 
ability  and  courage,  to  do  it  with  freedom  j 


and  faithfulness ;  so  Eph.  6:19.  The  mys¬ 
tery  of  Christ,  i.  e.  either  the  deepest  doc¬ 
trines  of  the  Gospel,  of  which  Christ  is  the 
principal  Subject,  Eph.  6  : 19.  or  else  the 
preaching  of  the  Gospel  to  the  Gentile 
world,  which  he  calls  the  mystery  hid  from 
ages,  ch.  1  :  26.  and  the  mystery  of  Christ, 
Eph.  3  :  4.  For  this  he  was  now  in  bonds, 
a  prisoner  at  Rome,  by  the  violent  opposi¬ 
tion  of  the  malicious  Jews.  He  would 
have  them  pray  for  him,  that  he  might  not 
be  discouraged  in  this  work,  or  driven  from 
it  by  his  sufferings,!!.  4.  ‘  That  I  may  make 
this  mystery  known  to  those  who  have  not 
heard  of  it  ;  make  it  plain  to  their  under¬ 
standing,  in  such  a  manner  as  I  ought  to  do.’ 
He  had  been  particular  in  telling  them  what 
he  prayed  for  them,  ch.  1.  Here  he  tells 
them  particularly  what  he  would  have  them 
pray  for  him.  The  best  and  most  eminent 
Christians  need  the  prayers  of  less  Chris¬ 
tians,  and  are  not  above  asking  them.  The 
chief  speakers  need  prayer,  that  God  would 
give  them  a  door  of  utterance,  and  that  they 
may  speak  as  they  ought  to  speak. 

V.  5,6.  The  apostle  exhorts  them  further, 
to  a  right  conduct  towards  the  heathen 
world,  among  whom  they  lived,  v.  5.  They 
must  be  careful  not  to  contract  any  of  their 
customs  ;  and  not  to  increase  their  preju¬ 
dices  against  religion,  and  give  them  an  oc¬ 
casion  of  dislike.  Redeeming  the  time; 
either  improving  every  opportunity  of  doing 
them  good;  or  else,  walking  cautiously  and 
with  circumspection,  so  as  not  to  give  them 
advantage,  or  be  exposed  to  their  malice 
and  ill-will,  Eph.  5:  15,  16. 

And  towards  others,  or  those  who  are 
within,  as  well  as  those  who  are  without  ; 
‘  Let  your  speech  be  always  with  grace,  v.  6. 
Let  all  your  discourse  be  as  becomes  Chris¬ 
tians,  and  with  a  deference  to  your  profes¬ 
sion  ;  savory,  discreet,  seasonable.’  That 
ye  may  knoiv  how  ye  ought  to  answer  every 
man.  One  answer  is  proper  for  one  man, 
and  another  for  another  man,  Prov.  26:  4,  5. 
We  have  need  of  great  wisdom  and  grace 
to  give  proper  answers  to  every  man  ;  par¬ 
ticularly  in  answering  the  questions  and  ob¬ 
jections  of  adversaries  against  our  religion  ; 
giving  the  reasons  of  our  faith,  and  showing 
the  unreasonableness  of  their  exceptions 
and  cavils,  to  the  best  advantage  for  our 
cause,  and  least  prejudice  to  ourselves. 
1  Pet.  3:15. 


PRACT.  OBS.  V.  1 — 6.  There  ‘is  no  respect  of  persons’  with 
God  ;  and  his  ministers  must  act  witli  similar  impartiality,  and  instruct 
and  exhort  masters  as  well  as  servants,  the  rich  as  well  ns  the  poor,  and 
rulers  as  well  as  their  subjects,  when  opportunity  is  given  them,  in  the 
duties  of  their  several  stations.  ..  . — None  of  these  duties  can  be  per¬ 
formed  aright,  except  we  ‘persevere  in  prayer,’  ‘and  watch  unto  it 
with  thanksgiving.’ — Those  who  love  the  Gospel  should  always  remem¬ 
ber  faithful  ministers  in  their  prayers,  beseeching  the  Lord  to  assist  and 
prosper  all  their  labors,  and  to  enable  them,  with  suitable  plainness  and 
boldness,  to  declare  ‘  the  mystery  of  Christ ;  ’  (Notes,  2  Cor.  3:12 — 16. 
4:1 — 4.)  and  they  who  are  exposed  to  peculiar  dangers  or  sufferings,  in 


ly  deserved  it  at  his  hands.  (24)  Serve  the  Lord  Christ.]  ‘  We  are 
(saith  Schlichtingius,  a  Socinian)  to  serve  Christ  as  our  heavenly  Lord, 
which,  saith  lie,  comprehends  faitli  in  Him,  obedience  to  Him,  and 
worship  anil  adoration  of  Him.’  Whitby. — (2 5J  He  that  doeth  wrong, 
Ac.]  The  misconduct  of  the  servant  would  not  excuse  the  cruelty  and 
injustice  of  the  master ;  and  the  idolatry,  wickedness,  or  severity  of 
the  master  would  not  exempt  the  slothful,  dishonest,  or  disobedient 
servant  from  punishment.  Scott. 

NOTES.  Ch  vp.  IV.  V.  1.  3:22 — 25.  The  obligation  here  of  mas¬ 
ters  toward  their  servants,  implies  the  duty  of  rare  for  them  in  sickness, 
provision  in  old  age,  and  proportionable  rewards  for  extraordinary  fideli¬ 
ty  and  exertions.  In. 

(1.)  Glue.]  ‘Yield  in  turn.  Do  as  you  would  be  done  by.  The 
phrase  seems  to  suggest  all  that  was  necessary  ;  and  it  required  no 
CEdipus  to  see  why  Paul  should  be  brief  and  delicate  on  this  head,  con¬ 
sidering  that  slaves  formed  so  very  considerable  a  part  of  the  popula¬ 
tion,  in  some  places  far  exceeding  the  free  persons.’  Bl. — Just  and 
equal.]  To  their  fearful  responsibility,  as  in  subjection  to  God,  and  to 
their  conscience,  as  awakened  and  enlightened  by  this  and  similar  pas¬ 
sages  of  his  Word,  those  who  sustain  the  relation  of  master  to  slaves, 
most  ultimately  be  left.  But  how,  in  view  of  the  divine  requirements, 
can  any  man  or  body  of  men,  acknowledging  Christian  obligation,  syste¬ 
matically  withhold  the  SS.  from  the  slave  ?  The  Lord  show  them  the 
path  of  duty,  and  enable  them  to  walk  in  it  1  Ed. 

V.  2 — 4.  In  order  to  the  suitable  performance  of  all  the  before-men¬ 
tioned  duties,  the  apostle  exhorted  the  Colossians  to  persist  steadily  in 
prayer.  Scott. 

(3,  4.)  That  God  would  open,  &c.  ..  as  l  ought.]  ‘  Give  him  a  fur- 

[436] 


the  cause  of  the  Gospel,  should  be  especially  remembered  in  the  suppli¬ 
cations  of  their  brethren. — Great  wisdom  and  circumspection  are  re¬ 
quired  in  al!  our  conduct,  ‘towards  those  that  are  without,’  with  whom 
we  are  often  connected  in  relative  life,  and  engaged  in  secular  concerns. 
They  will  certainly  watch  and  scrutinize  our  whole  behavior,  and  some¬ 
times  artfully  endeavor  to  persuade,  entice,  or  provoke  us  to  sin,  that 
they  may  charge  the  blame  on  our  religions  principles;  and  they  will 
make  little  or  no  allowance  for  our  faults. — We  ought  then  to  ‘redeem 
the  time,’  that  we  may  employ  it  in  seeking  wisdom  from  the  Word 
and  Spirit  of  God,  as  well  as  in  using  it  for  the  benefit  of  mankind. 

Scott. 


ther  and  more  favorable  opportunity  of  preaching  the  Gospel,  by  setting 
him  at  liberty.  That  such  is  the  sense,  is  clear  from  what  follows, 
where  he  alludes  to  this  liberty,  in  relation  to  what  he  felt  to  be  his  ob¬ 
ligation,  being  an  apostle  of  the  Gentiles.’  Bloomf. 

V.  5,  6.  ‘  Wisdom  toward  them  that  were  without,’  might  perhaps 
he  intended  to  include  a  prudent  caution,  not  to  expose  themselves  need¬ 
lessly  to  their  persecutors,  to  which  some  expositors  in  a  great  measure 
restrict  it.  But  the  words  contain  a  general  rule  of  great  extent  and 
importance. — (61  Salt.]  The  wit,  smartness,  or  ingenuity,  often  accom¬ 
panied  with  polluting  or  profane  allusions,  which  was  customary  and 
admired  among  the  Greeks,  was  called  Attic  salt.  Probably,  the  apos¬ 
tle  refers  to  this,  but  shows  his  readers  a  far  more  excellent  way.  8c. 

(5.)  ‘  Christ  is  nn  example  of  entering  mixed  society.  Hut  a  feeble 
man  must  avoid  danger.  If  one  can  go  into  society  as  Christ  did,  let 
him  go:  let  him  attend  marriage-feasts  and  Pharisees’  houses.  Yet  if  a 
Christian  falls  in  with  a  mere  worldling,  it  must  be  like  the  meeting  of 
two  persons  in  rain, — they  part  hastily.  To  love  such  company,  is  an 
evil  symptom.’  Cecil. 

(6.)  JLith  grace,  &c.]  ‘Salt  was  the  emblem  of  wisdom  and  virtue. 
Its  well  known  effects  in  preventing  corruption  from  taking  place,  and 
in  communicating  a  pleasing  relish  to  almost  every  kind  of  animal  and 
vegetable  food,  render  the  metaphorical  use  of  salt,  peculiarly  significant 
and  happy.’  Hewlett. — HI.  with  other  ‘eminent  moderns,’  understands 
it,  of  the  mode  in  which  any  conversation  with  the  heathens  should  he 
maintained,  and  interprets  it  in  ‘u  moral  not  religious  sense,’  of  ‘  that 
prudence  and  discretion  which  regards  place,  time,  and  persons-’  Ed. — 
‘  Paley,  here,  notices  a  minute  coincidence,  which  should  not  be  passed 
over.  Some  names  being  mentioned  as  of  the  circumcision,  or  Jews, 


A.  D.  64. 


COLOSSIANS,  IV. 


Paul's  testimony  of  his  friends. 


7  All  *  my  state  shall  Tychicus 
declare  unto  you,  who  is  a  beloved 
brother,  and  a  faithful  minister  and 
fellow-servant  in  the  Lord  : 

8  Whom  I  have  sent  unto  you 
for  the  same  purpose,  that  he  might 
know  your  estate,  and  comfort  your 
hearts  ; 

9  With  h  Onesimus,  a  faithful 
and  beloved  brother,  who  is  one  of 
you.  They  shall  make  known  un¬ 
to  you  all  things  which  are  done 
here. 

10  ‘  Aristarchus  my  fellow-pris¬ 
oner  saluteth  you,  and  J  Marcus, 
sister’s  son  to  Barnabas;  (touching 
whom  ye  received  commandments: 
if  he  come  unto  you,  receive  him  ;) 

11  And  Jesus,  which  is  called 
Justus  ;  who  are  of  the  circumci¬ 
sion.  These  only  are  my  fellow- 
workers  unto  the  kingdom  of  God, 
which  have  been  a  comfort  unto 
me. 

12  Epaphras,  who  is  one  of  you, 
a  servant  of  Christ,  saluteth  you, 
always  k  laboring  1  fervently  for  you 
in  prayers,  that  ye  may  stand  "’per¬ 
fect  and  "complete  in  all  the  will 
of  God. 

18  For  I  bear  him  record,  that 
he  hath  a  great  zeal  for  you,  and 
them  that  are  in  Laodicea,  and 
them  in  Hierapolis. 

14  "Luke,  the  beloved  physician, 
and  Demas,  greet  you. 

15  Salute  the  brethren  which  are 
in  Laodicea,  and  Nyrnphas,  and 
the  p  church  which  is  in  his  house. 

16  And  when  i  this  epistle  is  read 
among  you,  cause  that  it  be  read 
also  in  the  church  of  the  Laodice- 
ans  ;  and  that  ye  likewise  read  the 
epistle  from  Laodicea. 


g  Ep.  6:21,22. 
h  Phil.  10. 
i  Ac.  27:2. 
i  Ac.  15:37. 

2  Ti.  4:11. 


k  or,  striving. 
1  Ja.  5:16. 
m  Mai.  5:48. 

He.  6:1. 
n  or,  filled. 


o  2  Ti.  4:10,11. 
p  Ro.  16:5. 

1  Co.  16:19. 
q  1  Th.  5:27. 


V.  7 — 18.  In  the  close  of  this  epistle  the 
apostle  does  several  of  his  friends  the  honor 
to  leave  their  names  on  record,  with  some 


testimony  of  his  respect,  which  will  be 
spoken  of  wherever  the  Gospel  comes,  and 
last  to  the  end  of  the  world. 

1.  Tychicus,  v.  7.  liy  him  this  epistle 
was  «ent  ;  and  he  gives  them  no  account  in 
writing'  of  his  present  state,  because  Tychi¬ 
cus  would  do  it  by  word  of  mouth  more 
fully  and  particularly.  lie  gives  him  the 
character  of  a  beloved,  brother,  faithful  minis¬ 
ter,  and  a  f elloiv-servant  in  the  Lord.  Faith¬ 
fulness  in  any  one  is  truly  lovely,  and  ren¬ 
ders  him  worthy  our  affection  and  esteem  ; 
and  it  adds  much  to  the  beauty’  and  strength 
of  the  gospel-ministry,  when  ministers  are 
thus  loving  and  condescending  one  to  anoth¬ 
er,  and  by  all  just  means  support  and  ad¬ 
vance  one  another’s  reputation. 

2.  Onesimus,  v.  9.  He  was  sent  back 
from  Rome  with  Tychicus,  probably,  with 
the  epistle  to  Philemon,  to  introduce  him 
again  into  his  master’s  family.  Observe, 
Though  he  was  a  poor  servant,  and  had  been 
a  bad  man,  yet,  being  now  a  convert,  Paul 
calls  him  a  faithful  and  beloved  brother.  The 
meanest  circumstances  of  life,  and  greatest 
wickedness  of  former  life,  make  no  differ¬ 
ence  in  the  spiritual  relation  among  sincere 
Christians  :  they  partake  of  the  same  priv¬ 
ileges,  and  are  entitled  to  the  same  regards. 
Perhaps  this  was  sometime  after  he  was 
converted,  and  sent  back  to  Philemon;  and 
by  this  time  he  had  entered  into  the  minis¬ 
try,  because  Paul  calls  him  a  brother. 

3.  Aristarchus,  a  fellow-prisoner.  They 
who  join  in  services  and  sufferings,  should 
be  thereby  engaged  to  one  another  in  holy 
love,  and  endeared  to  one  another.  Paul 
had  a  particular  affection  for  his  fellow- 
servants  and  his  fellow-prisoners. 

4.  Marcus,  sister's  son  to  Barnabas.  This 
is  supposed  to  be  the  same  who  wrote  the 
gospel  which  bears  his  name.  Paul  is  not 
only  reconciled  to  him  himself,  Acts  15:  38. 
but  recommends  him  to  the  respect  of  the 
churches,  and  gives  a  great  example  of  a 
truly  Christian  and  forgiving  spirit.  If 
men  have  been  guilty  of  a  fault,  it  must  not 
be  always  remembered  against  them.  We 
must  forget  as  well  as  forgive,  Gal.  6:  1. 

5.  Here  is  one  called  Jesus,  which  is  the 
Greek  name  for  the  Hebrew  Joshua,  Heb. 
4  :  S.  Who  is  called  Justus.  Probably  he 
changed  it  for  the  name  of  Justus,  in  honor 
to  the  name  of  the  Redeemer.  Or  else  Jesus 
was  his  Jewish  name,  for  he  was  of  the  cir¬ 
cumcision  ;  and  Justus  his  Roman  or  Latin 
name.  Observe,  what  comfort  the  apostle 
had  in  the  communion  of  saints  and  minis¬ 
ters.  One  is  his  fellow-servant,  another  his 


|  fellow-prisoner,  and  all  his  fellow-workers, 
who  were  working  out  their  own  salvation, 
and  endeavoring  to  promote  the  salvation 
of  others.  Good  ministers  take  great  com¬ 
fort  in  those  who  are  their  fellow-workers 
tin  to  the  kingdom  of  God.  Their  friend¬ 
ship  and  converse  together  are  a  great  re¬ 
freshment  under  the  sufferings  and  difficul¬ 
ties  in  their  way. 

6.  Epaphras, v.  12.  the  same  with  Epnph- 
rodilus.  He  is  one  of  you,  one  of  your 
church  ;  he  salutes  you,  or  sends  his  service 
to  you,  and  his  best  affections  and  wishes. 
Always  laboring  fervently  for  you  in  prayers. 
Epaphras  had  learned  of  Paul  to  be  much 
in  prayer  for  his  friends.  Observe,  He 
labored  in  prayer,  fervently,  and  always  for 
them.  They  who  would  succeed  in  prayer, 
must  take  pains  in  prayer  ;  and  we  must  be 
earnest  in  prayer,  not  only  for  ourselves,  but 
for  others,  also,  Ja.  5:  16.  v.  17. 

His  prayer  was,  That  ye  may  stand  per¬ 
fect  and.  complete  in  all  the  will  of  God  ;  in 
the  will  of  his  precepts,  by  a  universal 
obedience  ;  and  in  the  will  of  his  provi¬ 
dence,  by  a  cheerful  submission  to  it  ;  and 
perfect  and  complete  in  both,  by  constancy 
and  perseverance  unto  the  end.  The  apos¬ 
tle  was  witness  for  Epaphras,  that  he  had  a 
great  zeal  for  them  ;  and  his  zeal  extended 
to  all  about  them  ;  to  them  who  are  in  Lao¬ 
dicea  and  Hierapolis.  He  had  a  great  con¬ 
cern  for  the  Christian  interest  in  the  neigh¬ 
boring  places,  as  well  as  among  (hem. 

7.  Luke  is  another  here  mentioned,  whom 
he  calls  the  beloved  physician.  This  is  he 
who  wrote  the  gospel  and  Acts,  and  was 
Paul’s  companion.  Observe,  He  was  both 
a  physician  and  an  evangelist.  Skill  in 
physic  is  a  usefu1.  accomplishment  in  a  min¬ 
ister,  [a  missionary  peculiarly,]  and  maybe 
improved  to  more  extensive  usefulness  and 
greater  esteem  among  Christians. 

8.  Demas.  Whether  this  was  written 
before  the  second  epistle  to  Timothy,  or 
after,  is  not  certain,  2  Tim.  4:  10.  Some 
have  thought  it  was  written  after;  and  then 
it  is  an  evidence,  that  though  Demas  forsook 
Paul,  yet  he  did  not  forsake  Christ,  or  but 
for  a  time,  and  recovered  himself  again, 
and  Paul  forgave,  and  owned  him  as  a 
brother.  But  others  think,  this  epistle  was 
written  before  the  other;  this  in  anno  62, 
that  in  66,  and  then  it  is  an  evidence  how 
considerable  a  man  Demas  was,  who  yet 
afterward  revolted. 

9.  The  brethren  in  Laodicea  are  here  men¬ 
tioned,  as  living  in  the  neighborhood  of 
Colosse;  and  Paul  sends  salutations  to  them, 


the  others,  it  is  inferred,  were  not  so.  Among  the  latter,  is  Luke,  the 
penman  of  the  Acts,  anil  in  Ac.  1:19.  we  find  an  observation  apparently- 
by  the  historian,  who,  speaking  of  the  Heb.  language,  calls  it  “  their 
proper  tongue,”  an  expression  not  likely  to  have  been  used  by  a  Jew, 
but  suitable  to  a  Gentile  writing  of  Jews.’  Henry,  abr. 

V.  7,  8.  (M.  R. —  Note,  Eph.  6:21 — 24.)  These  vs.  compared  w’ith 
the  parallel  passage  in  Ephesians,  show  that  the  two  epistles  were 
written  about  the  same  lime,  and  sent  by  the  same  persons. — (7)  Minis¬ 
ter .]  Diakonos.  ‘  A  deacon  of  your  church.’  Doddr.  In  Eph.  he  par¬ 
aphrases  it,  ‘  a  minisier  and  fellow-servant.’  Tychicus  was  rather  an 
assistant  of  the  apostle.  like  Timothy  and  Titus.  The  word  diakonos  is 
used  witli  great  latitude,  and  the  apostle  uses  it  of  himself.  1:23,25. 
1  Cor.  3:5.  nay,  of  Ghrist  his  Lord.  Rom.  15:8.  Scott. 

V.  9 — 14.  Onesimus,  of  whom  we  read  elsewhere,  Vhilem.  8 — 21. 
had  been  formerly  an  inhabitant  of  Colosse.  Aristarchus  continued 
with  Paul  during  his  imprisonment,  hut  it  is  not  certain,  whether  this 
was  voluntary,  or  whether  he  was  confined  with  him  for  the  sake  cf  the 
Gospel;  the  latter,  however  is  probable.  Acts  19:23 — 31.  20:1 — 6.  27:1, 
2.  Probably,  the  Colossians  had  formerly  received  some  injunction  from 
the  apostle,  not  to  countenance  Mark  ns  a  minister,  but  he  now  reversed 
it;  for  he  and  Aristarchus,  wi'h  one  called  Jesus,  (a  common  name 
among  the  Jews,)  and  snrtmmed  ‘  Justus,’  because  of  his  integrity,  were 
the  only  ministers  ‘  cf  the  circumcision,’  who  had  cordially  united  with 
him  in  preaching  the  kingdom  of  God  among  the  Gentiles,  and  who  had 
been  a  comfort  to  him,  by  their  animating  converse,  hearty  counsel,  and 
zealous  concurrence  or  assistance,  in  all  his  designs.  This  is  generally 
and  justly  urged,  as  absolutely  conclusive  against  the  traditions  of  the 
papists,  that  the  apostle  Peter  was  at  this  time  bishop  of  Rome,  where 
lie  resided  25  years  !  It  also  renders  it  highly  probable,  that  Luke  was 
not  a  Jew,  or  a  circumcised  proselyte.  (Pref.  to  Luke.) — Epaphras,  a 
Colossinn,  a  pastor  of  the  church,  and  probably  its  founder,  sent  his  sal¬ 
utations  to  them.  (Note, ,1:3 — 8.)  (11)  Comfort.]  Paregoria.  Here 

only.  It  implies  animating  and  encouraging  exhortation,  such  as  de¬ 
lights  and  solaces  the  soul. — (12)  Laboring  fervenlhj.]  Agunizomenos. 
1:29.  *  In. 

(13.)  ‘ Laodicea  was  situated  near  the  Lycus ;  about  63  miles  E.  of 


Ephesus  ;  it  is  now  called  Eski-hissar,  the  old  castle.  When  visited  by 
Chandler,  all  was  silence  and  solitude ;  and  a  fox,  first  discovered  by  his 
ears  peeping  over  a  brow,  was  the  only  inhabitant.  [Note,  pref.  to  Rev.] 
— Hierapolis,  now  Pambouk-Kalesi,  was  situated,  according  to  the 
Itinerary,  6  miles  N.  of  Laodicea;  and  its  ruins  are  now  about  a  mile 
and  a  half  in  circumference.’  Greenfield. 

V.  15,  16.  Nvmphas  seems  to  have  been  an  eminent  Christian  at 
Laodicea,  whose  well-ordered  family  might  properly  be  called  a  Chris¬ 
tian  church,  or  a  society  by  whom  the  Lord  was  statedly  worshipped. 
Mat.  18:15 — 13.— This  direction  [that  about  the  letter]  has  given  rise  to 
various  conjectures ;  but,  probably,  the  apostle  had  written  to  the  La- 
odiceans,  though  the  epistle  was  not  preserved. — ‘For  all  the  epistles, 
which  the  apostles  ever  wrote,  are  not  preserved,  any  more  than  all  the 
words  and  actions  of  our  blessed  Lord.’  Doddr. — Some  lhink,  that  the 
epistle  to  tit#  Ephesians  was  intended  to  be  a  kind  of  circular  letter,  and 
that,  by  private  direction,  a  copy  of  it  was  sent  to  Laodicea,  to  be  thence 
forwarded  to  Colosse.  Indeed,  that  epistle  contains  so  little  peculiar  to 
the  church  at  Ephesus,  and  so  much  important  instruction  of  general 
interest,  that  this  opinion,  though  probably  unfounded,  is  not  destitute 
of  plausibility.  (Pref.  to  Eph.)  Scott. 

(16.)  Epistle  from  Laodicea.)  ‘Those  who  contend  that  Paul  wrote 
to  the  Laodiceans,  understand  this  of  that  epistle,  to  be  received  from 
them,  which  seems  an  unnatural  construction.  Edwards,  therefore, 
suggests,  that  it  was  the  epistle  to  Timothy  to  which  the  apostle  refers, 
and  which,  by  the  superscription,  appears  to  have  been  written  from 
that  city.  This  we  consider  as  much  the  most  easy  and  natural  solution 
of  the  difficulty.’  Williams. — ‘The  question  here  is  for  the  epistle.  1. 
There  is  a  writing  extant,  called  Paul’s  epistle  to  the  Laodiceans,  but  it 
is  an  evident  forgery.  2.  Some  suppose,  an  epistle  which  has  been  lost 
is  referred  to;  but  there  is  nothing  to  support  this  but  conjecture;  and 
had  the  apostle  written  expressly  for  the  Laodiceans,  he  would  in  that 
have  sainted  Nvmphas,  who  was  a  Laodicean,  rather  than  when  writing 
to  the  Colossians.  3-  The  best  and  most  general  explanation  seems  to 
be,  that  the  epistle  referred  to  was  written  partly,  but  not  solely,  for  the 
use  of  the  Laodiceans.  This  epistle,  in  all  probability,  is  that  to  the 
Ephesians,  for  Laodicea  was  within  the  circuit  of  which  Ephesus  was 


A.  D.  64. 

17  And  say  to  r  Archippus,  ’Take 
heed  to  the  ministry  which  thou 
hast  received  in  the  Lord,  that  thou 
fulfil  it. 

18  The  'salutation  by  the  hand 
of  me  Paul.  Remember  "  my  bonds. 
Grace  be  with  you.  Amen. 

TT  Written  from  Rome  to  the  Colos- 
sians  by  Tychicus  and  Qnesimus. 

r  Phil.  2.  t  2  Th.  3:17.  u  He.  13:3,25. 

i  1  Ti.  4:14. 


and  orders  that  this  rpistle  should  be  read  in 
the  church  of  the  Laodiceans,  v.  16.  Some 
think  lie  sent  another  epistle  at  this  time  to 
Laodicca,  and  ordered  them  to  send  for  that 
from  Laodicea,  and  read  it  in  their  church  ; 
And  that  ye  likewise  read  the  epistle  from  La- 


COLOSSIANS,  IV.  His 

odicea.  If  so,  that  epistle  is  now  lost,  and 
did  not  belong  to  the  canon  ;  for  all  the 
epistles  the  apostles  ever  wrote,  were  not 
preserved,  any  more  than  all  the  words  and 
actions  of  our  blessed  Lord,  Jn.  2J  :  25. 
But  some  think  it  was  the  epistle  to  the 
Ephesians  [also],  which  is  still  extant. 

10.  Nymphas  is  mentioned,  v.  15.  as  one 
who  lived  at  Colosse,  and  had  a  church  in 
his  house ;  either  a  religious  family,  where 
the  several  parts  of  worship  were  daily  per¬ 
formed  ;  or  some  part  of  the  congregation 
met  there,  when  they  had  no  public  places 
of  worship  allowed,  and  they  were  forced 
to  assemble  in  private  houses  for  fear  of 
their  enemies,  Jn.  20:  19.  Acts  28:23,  30. 
In  the  former  sense  it  showed  his  exemplary 
piety  ;  in  the  latter  his  zeal  and  public 
spirit. 

11.  Archippus,  who  was  one  of  their  min- 


charge  to  Archippus,  and  salutation. 

ist.ers  at  Colosse,  v.  17.  Observe,  They 
who  have  received  the  ministry,  must  fulfil 
it,  and  people  may  put  their  ministers  in 
mind  of  their  duty,  and  excite  them  to  it  ; 
Say  to  Archippus,  Take  heed  to  the  ministry ; 
though,  no  doubt,  with  decency  and  respect, 
not  from  pride  and  conceit. 

12.  Paul  himself,  v.  IS.  lie  had  a  scribe 
to  write  all  the  rest  of  the  epistle,  but  these 
words  he  wrote  with  his  own  hand  ;  Re¬ 
member  my  bonds  ;  not  ‘  I  am  a  prisoner, 
and  send  me  supply;’  but,  ‘  Remember  I  am 
in  bonds  as  the  apostle  of  the  Gentiles,  and 
let  that  confirm  your  faith  in  the  Gospel  of 
Christ:’  it  adds  weight  to  his  exhortation  ; 
I,  therefore,  the  prisoner  of  the  Lord,  beseech 
you  to  walk  worthy,  Eph.  4:  1.  ‘  Grace  be 

with  you.  The  free  favor  of  God,  and  all 
good,  the  blessed  fruits  and  effects  of  it,  be 
with  you,  and  your  portion.’ 


PRACT.  OBS.  V.  7 — 18.  Christians  should  desire  to  know  one 
another’s  state  ;  and  mutual  visits,  or  friendly  correspondence,  among 
faithful  ministers  and  fellow-servants  of  Christ,  may  help  forward  this 
‘communion  of  saints,’  excite  their  prayers  for  each  other,  and  conduce 
to  tile  comfort  of  their  hearts. — What  amazing  changes  does  divine 
grace  ltiake  in  men’s  characters  !  Dishonest  and  worthless  servants 
thus  become  1  faithful  and  beloved  brethren.’  Often  ‘  the  first  becomes 
last,  and  the  last  first,’  in  the  visible  church.  Mat.  19:29,  30.  20:1 — 16, 
v.  16.  Lu.  13:22 — 30,  v.  30.  our  fears  of  some  who  have  misbehaved  are 
removed,  and  they  become  ‘fellow-workers  who  are  a  comfort  to  us;’ 
while  our  hopes  oif  others  are  grievously  disappointed.  But  ‘  the  Lord 
knoweth  them  that  are  his ;  ’  and  we  should  always  ‘  labor  fervently  in 


the  metropolis.  See  T.  H.  Horne.  Doddr.  remarks,  that  this  supposi¬ 
tion  may  the  rather  be  adopted,  as  the  epistle  to  the  Ephesians  has 
nothing  peculiarly  referring  to  the  state  of  that  church,  but  much  of 
common  concern  to  all  Christians,  particularly  Gentile  converts.  Bl. 
considers  it  to  have  been  in  some  measure  a  circular  epistle.’ 

Henry,  abr. 

V'.  17.  Some  suppose  Archippus  to  have  been  the  bishop  of  Colosse. 
— 1  That  he  should  have  been  then  bishop  of  Colosse,  and  that  Pan! 
should  not  write  one  word,  or  send  one  salutation  to  him,  but  send  to 
the  people  at  Colosse  to  admonish  him  ofhis  duty,  is  not  very  credible.’ 
JVkitby _ ‘  Archippus  being  old  and  infirm,  . .  .  received  this  encourage¬ 

ment  from  the  apostle,  to  strengthen  him.’  Bengeiius.  It  is  far  more 
probable,  that  he  had  been  newly  appointed  to  the  ministry,  and  showed 
some  symptoms  of  timidity  or  negligence  ;  the  apostle  therefore  sent  a 
message  to  him  in  particular,  charging  him  to  take  heed  to  his  sacred 
ministry  ;  and.  to  perform  fully  the  several  duties  of  it,  with  diligence, 
faithfulness,  boldness,  and  zealous  affection,  for  the  edification  of  believ¬ 
ers  and  the  conversion  of  sinners,  by  sound  doctrine,  a  holy  example, 
fervent  prayers,  unwearied  labors,  and  every  mean  in  his  power.  For 
he  had  ‘  received  it  from  the  Lord,’  being  accountable  to  Him  for  his 
conduct  in  itj  he  was  warranted  to  expect  his  assistance  in  his  endeav¬ 
ors  to  act  by  his  authority,  and  he  was  bound  to  seek  his  glory,  in  a 


prayer,’  for  those  connected  with  us,  ‘that  they  may  stand  perfect  and 
complete  in  the  whole  xvill  of  God,’  in  this  manner  testifying  our  zeal 
for  them,  when  unable  to  render  them  other  help. — Ministers,  especifjly 
when  they  first  enter  on  their  office,  or  when  they  seem  wavering  in  it, 
should  be  seriously  and  affectionately  exhorted,  ‘  to  take  heed  to  their 
ministry,  which  they  have  received  of  the  Lord,  that  they  fulfil  it.’  Let 
such  persons  ‘  take  heed  to  themselves  and  to  their  doctrine,’  us  ihose 
who  serve  the  Lord  Jesus;  let  them  remember  the  counsel  of  Paul,  his 
bonds  for  Christ,  and  his  laborious,  self-denying  faithfulness  even  unto 
death  ;  for  in  preaching  his  doctrine,  imbibing  his  spirit,  and  copying  his 
example,  we  may  expect  that  the  favor  and  blessing  of  God  will  be  with 
our  souls,  and  prosper  all  the  labors  of  our  hand.  1  Tim.  4:11 — 16.  Sc. 


decided  preference  to  his  own  ease,  security,  interest,  reputation,  or 
accommodation.  Scott. 

CONCLUDING  Note.  Ch.  3:9.  Lie  not.J  In  Davenant*  s  Exp.  of  Col.  many 
things  are  argued  against  the  church  of  Rome,  with  which  \Vas  the  leading  controver¬ 
sy  of  his  day.  His  editor,  in  carrying  out  those  views,  appends  the  following  impor¬ 
tant  note  to  the  ch.  on  3:9,10.  ‘The  doctrine  of  the  church  -of  Rome,  concerning 
equivocations,  mental  reservations,  and  the  lawfulness,  or  rather  obligation,  of 
concealing,  with  the  most  solemn  oaths,  what  lias  been  revealed  under  the  seal  of 
confession,  has,  perhaps,  some  affinity  with  the  doctrine  of  the  Priscillianisls,  which 
overspread  and  disturbed  Europe  in  the  5th  cent.,— a  sect  which  inculcated  on  their 
proselytes  the  dreadful  maxim,  “  Swear,  forswear,  but  never  betray  a  secret .  ”  The 
defence  set  up  by  the  Romish  divines  for  such  a  notion,  is,  “That  what  is  only 
known  under  the  seal  of  confession,  is  not  known  to  a  man,  but  to  God,  represented 
by  a  man,  i.  e.  to  the  priest,  or  confessor  ;  nnd,  therefore,  the  priest  may,  with  a  safe 
conscience,  affirm,  even  upon  oath,  that  he  knows  not  what  he  thus  knows.  It  is  by 
recurring  to  this  doctrine,  that  F.  Daniel  Bartoh,  in  his  Hist,  of  Engl.,  or  rather  of  the 
Jesuits  in  Engl.,  endeavors  to  justify  the  conduct  of  the  Jesuit  Garnet,  in  not  discov¬ 
ering  the  gunpowder  plot,  to  which  he  supposes  him  to  have  been  privy.  But  as  it 
was  disclosed  to  hint  in  confession,  he  would  have  sinned  grievously  Ly  discovering  it, 
though  by  such  a  discovery  he  might  have  saved  awhole  nation  from  destruction.  So 
that,  violating  under  such  a  seal,  is  a  far  greater  evil,  than  the  loss  of  so  many  lives, 
— than  the  utter  ruin  of  an  entire  nation  :”  — a  doctrine  evidently  repugnant  to  the 
dictates,  both  of  reitson  and  humanity,  horrible  in  its  own  nature,  and  awfully  danger¬ 
ous  in  its  consequences  wherever  it  is  held.  See  Bower’s  Hist,  of  the  Popes,  Vol.  I. 
p.  150.’  Allport’s  Day.  °n  Coiossians. 


( Note  on  Christian  Union. — Concluded  from  p.  422.) 

‘  Nor  is  the  principle  of  sect  less  unfriendly  to  the  spread  of  the  Gos¬ 
pel  in  heathen  lands.  By  often  stationing  on  the  same  ground,  at  home, 
more  men  than  are  necessary,  or  <5an  be  supported,  laborers  are  improp¬ 
erly  withdrawn  from  the  destitute  portions  of  the  field,  which  is  “  tire 
world;”  conflicting  interests  unavoidably  arise  among  the  ministers 
and  churches  thus  crowded  together  :  as  all  cannot  long  continue,  a 
struggle  for  existence  is  carried  on,  more  or  less  openly,  nnd  with  dif¬ 
ferent  degrees  of  violence,  until"  the  failure  of  one  or  more  drives  them 
from  the  field,  and  makes  room  for  others.  Nor  is  this  conflict  to  be 
attributed  so  much  to  the  want  of  piety  in  the  parties,  as  to  that  actual 
conflict  of  interests  which  unavoidably  results  from  the  influence  of 
seels.  But  certainly  every  true  Christian  must  deplore  this  stale  of 
things,  and  i.t  is  the  writer’s  deliberate  conviction,  that  one  of  the  many 
bitter  ingredients  in  the  cup  of  ministerial  sorrow,  in  many  portions  of 
our  land,  is  this  unholy  and  unhappy  strife  among  brothers.  In  short, 
it  is  a  solemn  and  mournful  truth,  that  sectarianism,  the  principle  of 
sect,  in  a  great  measure  changes  the  direction  in  which  the  energies  of 
the  church  are  applied,  transfers  the  seal  of  war  from  pagan  to  Chris¬ 
tian  lands ,  from  the  territory  of  Christ’s  enemies  into  the  very  family 
ofhis  friends  !  In  the  beginning,  the  church  of  the  Redeemer,  nt  pence, 
at  home,  directed  all  her  surplus  energies  against  the  world  around  her, 
nnd  the  world  of  Jews  and  Gentiles  in  foreign  lands.  The  war  was 
■waged,  not  by  one  portion  of  Christ’s  family  against  another,  but  em¬ 
phatically  and  distinctly  by  the  church  against  the  world  ;  such  was  the 
almighty  force  of  the  spiritual  artillery  wielded  in  this  holy  war,  that,  in 
about  300  years,  the  little  band,  of  fishermen  and  tentmakers,  fought 
their  way  to  the  utmost  bounds  of  the  Roman  empire,  [and  perhaps  the 
world  ?]  and  the  banner  of  King  Jesus,  first  unfurled  in  the  valleys  of 
Judea,  was  waving  in  triumph  over  the  palace  of  the  Cesars.  But  who 
can  deny,  that  a  large  portion  of  the  energies  of Tlhrislian  sects,  is  now 
expended  in  contending  with  each  other,  in  building  up  walls  of  parti¬ 
tion,  in  fortifying  and  defending  those  peculiar  views  by  which  they  are 
kept  asunder  ?  The  war  is  no  longer  a  foreign,  it  is  an  intestine  one. 
How  large  a  portion  of  the  periodical  literature  of  the  day,  is  occupied 
in  these  family  feuds,  and  consists  of  mere  “doubtful  disputations?” 
How  large  a  portion  of  ministerial  talent  is  placed  in  requisition  to  sus¬ 
tain  this  conflict  ?  How  many  precious  hours  of  time  are  thus  applied  ? 
If  all  the  time,  and  talent,  and  effort,  spent  by  the  orthodox  Protestant 
churches,  in  disputing  with  one  another,  about  the  poiuts  of  their  differ¬ 

[438] 


ence,  since  the  blessed  Reformation,  had  been  devoted  to  the  projects 
of  benevolent  enterprise  for  the  unconverted,  heathen  world,  who  can 
calculate  the  progress  that  might  have  been  made  in  evangelizing  the 
Gentile  nations  ?  Let  every  true  disciple  of  the  Savior,  inquire,  why  do 
COO  millions  of  our  fellow-men  languish  in  the  shadows  of  death,  1800 
years  after  the  blessed  Gospel  has  been  entrusted  to  Christian  hands  for 
them  ?  [Note,  Lu.  24:3R — 48.]  Four  and  fifty  times  has  the  entire  pop¬ 
ulation  of  the  globe  been  swept  into  eternity,  since  the  Savior  commis¬ 
sioned  bis  disciples  to  publish  the  glad  tidings  to  every  creature.  Who 
that  has  witnessed  the  prompt,  and  overwhelming  blessing  of  God,  on 
the  efforts  of  the  little  band  of  Christians  in  Europe  and  America,  during 
the  last  30  years;  who  that  has  seen  a  nation  new-created  almost  in  a 
day,  in  the  isles  of  the  Pacific,  and  witnessed  the  standard  of  the  cross 
erected  in  Africa,  in  Greece,  in  Turkey,  in  llindoostan,  in  Ceylon,  in 
China,  and  many  other  places ;  and  the  glorious  Gospel  of  the  Son  of 
God,  translated  into  about  150  languages  ;  who  that  reflects  on  the  mil¬ 
lions  of  Bibles,  and  the  tens  of  millions  of  tracts,  which  the  united 
bands  of  liberal-minded  Christians  have  sent  forth,  can  doubt,  that  if  the 
Christian  church  had  not  become  secularized  by  the  unhappy  union  with 
the  civil  government,  under  Constantine,  in  the  4th  century,  the  world 
had  been  long  ago  evangelized  ?  '  Or,  if  the  Protestant  church  had  not 
been  split  into  so  many  parts  by  adopting  the  new,  and  we  must  believe 
unauthorized  and  pernicious  doctrine,  that  they  had  a  right  to  adopt 
for  themselves,  and  require  of  others  as  terms  of  communion,  not  only 
the  fundamental  doctrines  which  were  required  in  the  earlier  centuries, 
and  were  supposed  sufficient  for  hundreds  of  years  after  the  apostolic 
age,  hut  also  as  mnny  additional  and  disputed  points  os  they  pleased, 
tints  dividing  the  body  of  Christ,  and  creating  internal  dissensions  ;  who 
that  is  acquainted  with  her  history,  can  doubt,  that  greater,  far  greater, 
inroads  would  have  been  made  into  the  dominions  of  the  papal  beast, 
and  the  glorious  Gospel  of  the  Son  of  God,  in  the  three  centuries  since 
the  Reformation,  have  been  carried  to  the  ends  of  Hie  earth? 

1  Such  then  being  the  mournful  consequences  of  that  disunion,  against 
which  the  Savior  and  his  apostles  so  urgently  admonished  their  follow¬ 
ers,  we  feel,  with  double  force,  that  the  church  has  been  guilty  of  suicidal 
error,  and  that  it  is  the  solemn  duty  of  every  friend  of  Jesus,  sincerely 
to  inquire,  Lord  what  wouldst  Thou  have  me  to  do,  to  heal  the  wounds 
of  thy  dismembered  body?’  Rev.  Prof.  Schmucker,  in  Bib.  Repos., 
Jan.,  1838.  See,  further,  a  plan  of  Christian  Union,  detailed, &c.,  in  the 
Jan.  and  April  Nos.  of  the  Bib.  Repos.  Ed. 


AN  EXPOSITION 

OF  THE 

FIRST  EPISTLE  OF 

PAUL  TO  THE  THESSALONIANS, 

WITH 

PRACTICAL  OBSERVATIONS  AND  NOTES. 

{Henry's  Exposition ,  completed  by  Mr.  D.  Mayo.) 


Tr  iessalonica,  formerly  the  metropolis  of  Macedonia,  is  now  [under  the  Turks,  and]  called  Salonicha,  and  is  the  best 
peopled,  and  one  of  the  best  towns  for  commerce,  in  the  Levant.  Paul,  being  diverted  from  his  design  of  going  into  the 
provinces  of  Asia,  properly  so  called,  and  directed,  after  an  extraordinary  manner,  to  preach  the  Gospel  in  Macedonia,  Acts 
16:9,  10.  in  obedience  to  the  call  of  God,  went  from  Tarsus  to  Samothracia,  thence  to  Neapolis,  and  thence  to  Philippi, 
where  he  had  good  success  in  his  ministry  ;  but  met  with  hard  usage,  being  cast  into  prison  with  Silas,  his  companion  in 
travel  and  labor  ;  Trotn  whence,  being  wonderfully  delivered,  they  comforted  the  brethren  there,  and  departed.  Passing 
through  Amphipolis  and  Apollonia,  they  came  to  Thessalonica,  where  the  apostle  planted  a  church,  that  consisted  of  some 
believing  Jews,  and  many  converted  Gentiles,  Acts  17: 1 — 4.  But  a  tumult  being  raised  in  the  city  by  the  unbelieving  Jews, 
and  the  lewd  and  baser  sort  of  inhabitants  ;  Paul  and  Silas,  for  safetjr,  were  sent  away  by  night  to  Berea:  and  afterwards 
Paul  was  conducted  to  Athens,  leaving  Silas  and  Timotheus  behind,  but  sent  them  directions  to  come  to  him  with  all  speed. 

When  they  were  come,  Timotheus  was  sent  to  Thessalonica,  to  inquire  after  their  welfare,  and  to  establish  them  in  the 
fa.th,  1  Thess.  3:2.  who  returned  to  Paul  at  Athens,  and  was  sent  again,  with  Silas,  to  visit  the  churches  in  Macedonia. 
So  that  Paul,  being  left  at  Athens  alone,  1  Thess.  3:1.  departed  thence  to  Corinth,  where  he  continued  a  year  and  a  half; 
in  which  time  Silas  and  Timotheus  returned  to  him  from  Macedonia,  Acts  18:5.  and  then  he  wrote  this  epistle  to  the  church 
of  Christ  at  Thessalonica;  which,  though  placed  after  Paul’s  other  epistles,  is  supposed  to  be  first  in  time  of  them  all,  and 
to  have  been  written  about  A.  D.  51.  The  main  scope  is,  to  express  the  apostle’s  thankfulness  for  his  good  success  in  preach¬ 
ing  among  them,  establish  them  in  the  faith,  and  persuade  them  to  a  holy  conversation.  [See  the  ‘  Supplement.’]  Henry. 

In  the  notes  on  the  concise  narrative  of  the  apostle’s  labors  at  Thessalonica,  it  has  been  shown  to  be  at  least  highly  prob¬ 
able,  that -he  continued  there  a  considerable  time,  preaching  to  the  Gentiles,  beyond  the  ‘  three  Sabbath  days,’  on  which  Jie 
‘reasoned  with  the  Jews  in  the  synagogues;’  and  that  he  was  peculiarly  successful.  (Notes,  Acts  17:1—9.)  He  was, 
however,  at  length  constrained,  by  the  persecution  of  the  zealots  for  the  Mosaic  law,  and  the  zealots  for  idolatry,  who  had 
formed  a  most  unnatural  coalition  against  him,  to  leave  the  newly  planted  church  under  heavy  trials,  and  destitute  of  many 
advantages;  for  though  it  seems  clear,  that  pastors  had  been  appointed  over  them,  yet  the  pastors  themselves  must  have 
been  new  and  inexperienced  converts.  (Note,  5:12 — 15.)  The  apostle  was,  on  this  account,  peculiarly  solicitous  about 
them  ;  and  Timothy  having  come  to  him  at  Athens,  according  to  his  appointment,  he  chose  to  be  left  alone  in  that,  city,  that 
he  might  send  this  his  faithful  coadjutor  to  Thessalonica,  (Notes,  3:1 — 10.  Acts  17:10 — 15.  18:1 — 6.)  But  Timothy,  return¬ 
ing  to  him  at  Corinth,  brought  him  so  good  an  account  of  them,  that  he  was  filled  by  it  with  joy  and  gratitude.  He,  indeed, 
exceedingly  longed  to  visit  them  ;  but,  having  been  repeatedly  disappointed  in  his  plans  for  that  purpose,  he  at  length  wrote 
this  epistle,  which  breathes  a  peculiar  spirit  of  paternal  love  and  affection,  and  shows,  that  he  considered  the  Christians  at 
Thessalonica,  as  at  least  equal,  in  faith  and  holiness,  to  those  of  any  church  to  which  he  wrote. — It  is  clear  from  these  partic¬ 
ulars,  that  this  epistle  was  written  from  Corinth,  and  not  from  Athens,  according  to  the  spurious  postscript,  but  probably 
soon  after  the  apostle  arrived  at  Corinth.  This  is  supposed,  by  some  expositors,  to  have  been  as  early  as  A.  D.  51 ;  [as  above  ;] 
by  others,  A.  D.  54  ;  but,  for  reasons  before  given,  a  rather  later  date  is  here  assigned  to  it.  (Note,  Acts  15:1 — 6.  Prefi. 
1  Cor. — Note,  Gal.  2:1 — 5.)  It  is,  however,  generally  agreed,  that  it  was  written  before  any  other  of  the  apostolical  epis¬ 
tles  .-  and  some  think,  probably  without  sufficient  reason,  before  any  other  part  of  the  New  Testament.  . 

As  it  was  the  apostle’s  design,  to  confirm  the  Thessalonians  in  the  faith,  and  animate  them  to  a  courageous  profession  of 
the  Gospel,  and  the  practice  of  all  the  duties  of  Christianity,  notwithstanding  their  persecutions  and  trials,  he  mentions, 
with  high  approbation,  the  manner  in  which  they  had  received  the  Gospel  from  him  ;  which  led  him  to  speak  of  his  ministry 
and  conduct  among  them,  in  a  way  peculiarly  instructive  to  the  ministers  of  the  Gospel,  in  every  age  and  place. — ‘  With 
much  address  he  improves  the  influence  his  zeal  and  fidelity  in  their  service  gave  him,  to  inculcate  on  them  the  precepts  of 
the  Gospel,  and  persuade  them  to  act  agreeably  to  their  sacred  character.  This  grand  point  he  always  kept  in  view,  to 
which  everything  else  was  made  subservient.  Nothing  appears,  in  any  part  of  his  writings,  like  a  design  to  establish  his 
own  reputation,  or  to  use  his  ascendency  over  Christian  friends,  to  answer  any  secular  purposes  of  his  own.  On  the  contrary, 
in  this  and  in  his  other  epistles,  he  discovers  a  most  generous,  disinterested  regard  for  their  welfare,  expressly  disclaiming 
all  authority  over  their  consciences,  and  appealing  to  them,  that  he  had  chosen  to  maintain  himself  by  the  labor  of  his  own 
hands,  rather  than  prove  burdensome  to  the  churches,  or  give  the  least  color  of  suspicion,  that,  under  zeal  for  the  Gospel, 
and  concern  for  their  improvement,  he  was  carrying  on  any  private,  sinister  view. — The  discovery  of  so  excellent  a  temper, 
must  carry  with  it  a  strong,  presumptive  argument  in  favor  of  the  doctrines  he  taught. .  .  .  And,  indeed,  whoever  reads  Paul’s 
epistles  attentively,  and  enters  into  their  spirit,  will  discern  such  intrinsic  characters  of  their  genuineness,  and  the  divine  au¬ 
thority  of  the  doctrines  they  contain,  as  will,  perhaps,  produce  in  him  a  stronger  conviction,  than  all  external  evidence.’  Doddr. 
These  remarks  are  well  grounded  and  important ;  but  to  suppose,  with  Dr.  Macknio-ht,  that  the  apostle’s  main  object  was,  to 
prove  the  divine  authority  of  Christianity,  by  regular  arguments  against  the  several  objections,  which  the  heathen  philoso¬ 
phers  are  supposed  to  have  advanced  against  him,  seems  foreign  to  the  nature  of  the  epistle  ;  and  also  to  be  grounded  on  a 
mistake,  that  the  philosophers  deigned,  at  so  early  a  period,  to  enter  into  a  regular  disputation  with  the  Christians,  when,  in 
fact,  they  derided  them  as  enthusiasts,  and  their  doctrine  as  ‘  foolishness.’ — The  apostle,  in  writing  this  first  epistle,  found 
very  much  to  commend,  which  he  does  unreservedly,  and  scarcely  anything  to  blama,;  though  he  saw  it  needful  to  intermix 
cautions  and  warnings  with  his  exhortations.  —  The  exact,  though  manifestly  undesigned,  coincidence  of  this  epistle  with 
the  history  contained  in  the  Acts  of  the  Apostles,  which  it  tends  to  elucidate  and  confirm,  is  worthy  of  special  notice.* — It 
appears,  that  afterwards  the  apostle  visited  Thessalonica  ;  (Note,  Acts  20: 1 — G.)  but  nothing  further  is  found  in  Sdipture 
concerning  this  flourishing  church,  except  the  second  epistle  which  the  apostle  wrote  to  it. — ‘  Our  epistle  concludes  with  a 
direction,  that  it  should  be  publicly  read  in  the  church  to  which  it  was  addressed.  ...  The  existence  of  this  clause  ...  is  an  evi¬ 
dence  of  its  authenticity  ;  because,  to  produce  a  letter,  purporting  to  have  been  publicly  read  in  the  church  at  Thessalonica, 
when  no  such  letter  had  been  read  or  heard  of  in  that  church,  would  be  to  produce  an  imposture  destructive  of  itself.  .  . . 
Either  the  epistle  was  publicly  read  in  the  church  of  Thessalonica,  during  Paul’s  lifetime,  or  it  was  not.  If  it  was,  no  pub¬ 
lication  could  be  more  authentic,  no  species  of  notoriety  more  unquestionable,  no  method  of  preserving  the  integrity  of 
the  copy  more  secure. ...  If  it  was  not,  the  clause  . . .  would  remain  a  standing  condemnation  of  the  forgery,  and,  one  would 
suppose,  an  invincible  impediment  to  its  success.’  Paley. — It  may  also  be  added,  that  the  circumstance  of  this  injunction 
being  given,  in  the  first  epistle  which  the  apostle  wrote,  implied  a  strong  and  avowed  claim  to  the  character  of  an  inspired 
writer,  as,  in  fact,  it  placed  his  writings  on  the  same  ground  with  those  of  Moses  and  the  ancient  prophets.  _ Scott. 

*  ‘  Patty  remarks,  that  the  accordance  between  tliis  epistle  and  the  epistle,  but  not  mentioned  in  the  Acts,  as  a  visit  Paul  had  intended  to  pay 

history  in  the  Acts  of  the  Apostle3,  is  circumstantial  and  complete  in  them,  ch.  2:18.  3:10,  11.  and  observes,  that  a  person  conscious  of  Ins 
many  points.  Thus,  the  snITVrings  of  the  apostle  and  his  companioifs  at  own  purpose,  may  probably  mention  it  in  a  letter,  though  his  historian 
Philippi,  Ac.  1G.  are  mentioned,  ch.  2:2.  The  tumult  at  Thessalonica,  is  likely  to  be  silent,  if  not  ignorant  respecting  it.  1  bus  it  is  evident, 
Ac.  17:5.  see  ch.  3:4.  Paul,  Silas,  and  Timothy  were  together  at  Thes-  the  materials  of  neither  of  these  writings  were  derived  from  the  other, 
salonica,  Ac.  18:5.  see  ch.  2:17.  He  also  refers  to  facts  noticed  in  the  IIenhy,  aor. 


Thanksgiving  to  God. 


A.  D.  55. 


1  THESSALONIANS,  I. 


CHAP.  I. 

1  The  Theasalonians  are  given  to  understand  both  how 
mindful  of  them  St.  Paul  was  at  all  times  in  thanlrsgiv* 
ing,  and  prayer  :  5  and  also  how  well  he  was  persuaded 
of  the  truth  and  sincerity  of  their  faith,  and  conversion 
to  God. 

PAUL,  and  1  Silvanus,  and  Tim- 
otheus,  unto  the  church  of  the 
b  Thessalonians,  ivhicli  is  in  God 
the  Father  and  in  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ  :  Grace  c  be  unto  you,  and 
peace,  from  God  our  Father,  and 
the  Lord  Jesus  Christ. 

2  We  give  thanks  to  God  always 
for  you  all,  making  mention  of  you 
in  our  prayers  ; 

3  Remembering  without  ceasing 
your  work  d  of  faith,  and  labor  “of 
love,  and  patience  fof  hope  in  our 
Lord  Jesus  Christ,  in  the  sight  of 
God  and  our  Father  ; 

4  Knowing,  brethren  °  beloved, 
your  election  of  God. 

5  For  our  gospel  came  h  not  unto 
you  in  word  only,  but  also  in  *  pow¬ 
er,  and  in  the  j  Holy  Ghost,  and  in 
much  k  assurance  ;  as  ye  know 
what  manner  of  men  we  were 
among  you  for  your  sake. 

6  And  ye  became  1  followers  of 
us,  and  of  the  Lord,  having  receiv¬ 
ed  the  word  in  much  affliction,  with 
joy  m  of  the  Holy  Ghost; 


a  1  Pe.  5:12. 
b  Ac.  17:1,  &c. 
c  Bp.  1:  2. 
d  Jn.  6:29. 

2  Th .  idl. 
e  He.  6:10. 


f  Ro.  12:12. 
g  or,  beloved  of 
God ,  your  elec¬ 
tion. 

h  13.  55:11. 

Ma.  16:20. 


i  l  Co.  2:4. 
j  2  Co.  6:6. 
k  He.  2:3. 

1  2  Co.  8:5. 
in  Ac.  13:52. 


Chap.  1.  V.  1.  Paul,  the  inspired  wri¬ 
ter  of  this  epistle,  though  he  makes  no 
mention  here  of  his  apostleship,  which  was 
not  doubted  by  the  Thessalonians,  or  op¬ 
posed  by  any  false  apostles  among  them,  yet, 
in  his  humility,  joins  Silvanus  [or  Silas] 
and  Timotheus  with  himself,  who  were 
now  come  to  him  with  an  account  of  the 
prosperity  of  the  churches  in  Macedonia. 

The  persons  to  whom  he  writes,  are  the 
church  of  the  Thessalonians,  the  converted 
Jews  and  Gentiles  in  Thessalonica  :  said  to 
be  in  God  the  Father,  and  in  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ ;  Gentiles  turned  to  God  from  idols, 
and  Jews  among  them  believing  Jesus  to  be 
the  promised  Messias;  all  devoted  and  ded¬ 
icated  to  God  the  Father  and  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ  :  to  God  as  their  chiefest  Good  and 
highest  End  :  to  Jesus  Christ  ns  their  Lord, 
and  Mediator  between  God  and  man. 

Grace  and  peace,  as 'in  the  salutations  in 
the  other  epistles,  arc  here  well  joined  to¬ 
gether;  for  the  free  grace  and  favor  of  God 
are  the  spring  and  fountain  of  all  the  peace 
and  prosperity  we  do  or  can  enjoy  ;  and 
where  there  are  gracious  dispositions  in  us, 
we  may  hope  for  peaceful  thoughts  in  our 


own  breasts  :  no  good  can  be  hoped  for  by 
sinners,  but  from  God  in  Christ,  and  the  best 
good  may  be  expected  from  God,  as  our 
Father,  for  the  sake  of  Christ. 

V.  2 — 5.  I.  The  apostle  begins  with 
thanksgiving  to  God.  God  is  the  Object 
of  all  religious  worship,  of  prayer,  and 
praise.  And  thanksgiving  to  God  is  a  great 
duty,  to  be  performed  constantly:  even  when 
we  do  not  actually  give  thanks  to  God  by 
our  words,  we  should  have  a  grateful  sense 
of  his  goodness  on  our  minds;  and  not  only 
he  thankful  for  the  favors  we  ourselves  re¬ 
ceive,  but  for  benefits  bestowed  on  others, 
our  fellow-creatures  and  fellow-Christians. 
The  apostle  gave  thanks  for  all. 

II.  He  joined  prayer  with  his  praise  or 
thanksgiving.  So  we  should  do,  Phil.  4  : 
6.  We  may  sometimes  mention  names  ;  at 
least,  we  should  have  persons  and  circum¬ 
stances  in  our  minds  ;  remembering  them 
without  ceasing. 

Note,  As  there  is  much  that  we  ought  to 
he  thankful  for  on  the  behalf  of  ourselves 
and  our  friends,  so  there  is  much  occasion 
of  constant  prayer  for  further  supplies  of 
good. 

III.  He  mentions  the  particulars  for 
which  he  was  so  thankful  to  God  ;  namely, 

1.  The  saving  benefits  bestowed  on  them. 

(1.)  Their/atf(t,  and  work  of  faith.  This, 
v.  8.  was  very  famous,  and  spread  abroad, 
Jam.  2:  18. 

(2.)  Their  love,  and  the  labor  of  love. 
Faith  works  by  love,  love  to  God,  and  love  to 
our  neighbor. 

(3.)  Their  hope,  and  the  patience  of  hope. 
This  grace  is  compared  to  the  soldier’s 
helmet,  and  sailor’s  anchor  ;  and  wherever 
there  is  a  well-grounded  hope  of  eternal  life, 
that  will  appear  by  the  exercise  of  patience ; 
in  a  patient  bearing  of  the  calamities  of  the 
present  time,  and  a  patient  waiting  for  the 
glory  to  be  revealed. 

The  apostle  not  only  mentions  these  three 
cardinal  graces,  faith,  hope,  and  love,  but 
also  the  Object  and  efficient  Cause  of  them, 
— our  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  He  notices  the 
sincerity  of  them, — being  in  the  sight  of  God, 
even  our  Father.  The  great  motive  to  sin¬ 
cerity,  is,  the  apprehension  of  God’s  eye  as 
always  upon  us.  Then  is  the  work  of  faith, 
and  labor  of  love,  and  patience  of  hope, 
sincere,  when  it.  is  done  as  under  the  eye 
of  God.  He  mentions  the  fountain  whence 
these  graces  flowed, — God’s  electing  love, 
v.  4.  Some  would  understand,  only  the 
temporary  separation  of  the  Thessalonians 
from  the  unbelieving  Jews  and  Gentiles  in 
their  conversion;  but  this  was  according  to 
the  eternal  purpose  of  Him,  who  worketh  all 
things  according  to  the  counsel  of  his  own  will, 
Eph.  1:11.  Speaking  of  their  election,  he 
calls  them,  brethren  beloved  :  for  the  original 
of  the  brotherhood  between  Christians,  and 
the  relation  they  stand  in  one  to  another,  is, 
election.  The  election  of  the  Thessaloni- 
ans  was  known  to  the  apostle,  and  might  be  to 
themselves,  and  that  by  the  fruits  thereof, — 


NOTES.  Ciivp.  I.  V.  1 — 4.  Silas,  or  Silvanus,  did  not  come  to  the 
apostle  when  driven  from  Thessalonica  and  Berea,  till  after  his  arrival 
at  Corinth,  nor  did  Timothy  continue  with  him  in  that  citv,  being  speed¬ 
ily  sent  hack  to  Thessalonica.  3:1—5.  Acts  17:10 — 15.  18:1— 6.  so  that 
the  epistle  could  not  be  written  from  Athens.  These  graces  and  duties 
they  attended  to,  as  ‘  in  the  sight  of  God,’  even  their  reconciled  Father, 
and  the  apostle  was  satisfied,  from  what  lie  had  witnessed,  that  they 
were  his  ‘brethren  beloved,’  and  ‘the  elect  of  God’  in  Jesus  Christ. 
This  he  did  not  speak  as  a  matter  of  immediate  revelation  ;  but  his  fa¬ 
vorable  conclusion  respecting  them  was  drawn,  by  tracing  back  the 
effects  of  divine  grace  in  their  conversion,  to  the  source  of  them  in 
‘  their  election  of  God.’  (Marg.  Ref.  n. — Notes,  Phil.  1:3 — 8.  2  Pet.  1: 
5 — 11.) — The  purpose  of  God,  in  calling  the  Gentiles  collectively,  could 
not  be  known  in  this  manner,  and,  indeed,  some  of  the  Thessalonians 
were  Jewish  converts.  And  in  what  sense  a  remnant  of  Thessalonians, 
(that  is,  a  small  proportion  of  the  inhabitants  cf  one  city,)  could  prove 
the  national  election  of  the  Macedonians,  those  who  adopt  this  opinion 
would  do  well  to  inform  us.  Some  explain  the  words  to  mean,  election 
to  external  privileges,  as  Israel  had  been  chosen.  Rom.  9:6 — 23.  but  an 
external  profession  of  Christianity  was  sufficient  to  prove  this  ;  wherens 
the  apostle  grounds  his  confidence,  respecting  the  Thessalonians,  on 
‘  their  work  of  faith,  and  labor  of  love,  and  patience  of  hope,’  1  things 
which,’  no  doubt,  ‘accompany  salvation.’  (Notes,  Rom.  8:28 — 31. 
2  Thes.  2:13,  14.  Heb.  6:9—12.) — He  had  once  indeed  had  his  fears  of 

[440] 


their  sincere  faith,  anil  hope,  and  love. 
Observe,  All  those  who,  in  the  fulness  of 
tiiue,  are  effectually  called  and  sanctified, 
were  from  eternity  elected  and  chosen  to 
salvation.  The  election  of  God  is  of  his 
own  good  pleasure  and  mere  grace,  not  for 
the  sake  of  any  merit  in  them  who  are 
chosen;  and  it  is  to  be  known  by  the  fruits 
thereof.  Whenever  we  give  thanks  to  God 
for  his  grace,  either  to  us,  or  others,  we 
should  run  up  the  streams  to  the  fountain, 
and  thank  God  for  his  electing  l^ye,  by 
which  we  are  made  to  differ. 

2.  Another  ground  or  reason  of  the  apos¬ 
tle’s  thanksgiving,  is,  the  success  of  his  min¬ 
istry  among  them.  He  had  the  seal  and 
evidence  of  his  apostleship  hereby,  anil  great 
encouragement  in  bis  labors  and  sufferings. 

(1.)  The  Gospel  came  to  them  not  in 
word  only,  but  in  power;  they  not  only  heard 
the  sound  of  it,  but  submitted  to  the  power 
of  it  ;  it  affected  their  hearts  :  a  divine 
power  went  along  with  it,  convincing  their 
consciences  and  amending  their  lives. 

(2.)  It  came  in  the  Holy  Ghost,  that  is, 
witli  the  powerful  energy  of  the  divine 
Spirit.  Note,  Wherever  the  Gospel  comes 
in  power,  it  is  to  be  attributed  to  the  opera¬ 
tion  of  the  Holy  Ghost  ;  and  unless  the 
Spirit  of  God  accompanies  the  Word  of 
God,  to  render  it  effectual  by  his  power,  it 
will  be  to  us  but  as  a  dead  letter  ;  and  the 
letter  killeth,  the  Spirit  giveth  life. 

(3.)  It  came  in  much  assurance.  Thus 
did  they  entertain  it  by  the  power  of  the 
Holy  Ghost.  They  were  fully  convinced  of 
the  truth  of  it,  willing  to  leave  all  for  Christ, 
and  to  venture  their  souls  and  everlasting 
condition  on  the  verity  of  the  gospel-revela¬ 
tion.  Their  faith  was  the  evidence  of  things 
not  seen  ;  and  the  Thessalonians  thus  knew 
what  manner  of  men  the  apostle  and  his 
fellow-laborers  were  among  them,  and  what 
they  did  for  their  sake,  and  with  what  good 
success. 

V.  6 — 10.  In  these  words  we  have  the 
evidence  of  the  apostle’s  success  among  tne 
Thessalonians. 

I.  They  were  careful  to  imitate  the  good 
examples  of  the  apostle  and  ministers  of 
Christ,  v.  6.  Herein  they  became  also  fol¬ 
lowers  of  the  Lord,  who  is  the  perfect  exam¬ 
ple  we  must  strive  to  imitate;  and  we  should 
be  followers  of  others  no  further  than  they 
are  followers  of  Christ,  1  Cor.  11:  1.  Per¬ 
haps  their  trials  and  sufferings  made  the 
Word  more  precious,  being  dear-bought; 
and  the  examples  of  the  apostles  shined  very 
bright  under  their  afflictions  ;  so  that  the 
Thessalonians  embraced  the  Word  cheerful¬ 
ly,  and  followed  the  example  of  the  suffering 
apostle. with  joy;  such  solid, spiritual,  last¬ 
ing  joy,  as  the  Holy  Ghost  is  the  Author  of, 
who,  when  our  afflictions  abound,  makes 
our  consolations  much  more  abound. 

II.  Their  zeal  prevailed  to  that  degree, 
that  they  were  themselves  examples  to  all 
about  them,  v.  7,  8.  Their  example  was 
very  effectual  to  make  good  impressions  on 

them,  but  subsequent  tidings  from  them  had  fully  satisfied  him.  (3:5 — 
7.)  yet,  if  any  individuals  did  not  show  the  same  ‘  active  faith,  laborious 
love,  and  patient  hope,’  as  the  rest  did,  they  were  exceptions  also  to 
the  apostle’s  general  confidence,  respecting  the  professed  Christians  at 
Thessalonica.  »  Scott. 

(1.)  The  church,  Sec.  which,  <&c.]  ‘The  sense  seems  to  be,  “who 
are  founded  in  and  joined  to  Christ.”  See  1  Jn.  5:20-’  Bi.oo-.if. 

(2,  3.)  We,  <kc.]  ‘  The  plural  throughout  the  epistle,  is  to  be  referred 
to  Faul  only  :  though  Timothy  and  Silvanus  are  joined  in  the  saluta¬ 
tion.’  Bloomfield,  after  Koppe. — Work  of  faith,  Sc.  c.]  ‘  Plainly  Jlebra- 
ism.-r  for  active  faith,  laborious  love,  and  patient  hope.'  l)ODD:t. 

(4,5.)  ‘It  is  a  most  decided  mark,  whereby  we  know  our  election 
of  God,  when  we  cannot  receive  false  doctrines,  nor  follow  teachers  un¬ 
sent  of  the  Lord.  The  glorious,  and  discriminating  truths  of  grace,  the 
elect  of  Goil  delight  in.  They  know  from  theft"  own  experience,  what 
manner  of  men  they  are  who  hold  up  Christ,  as  the  one  only  ordinance 
of  heaven  ;  who  inculcate  among  their  people  salvation  in  his  blood  and 
righteousness  without  works ;  determined  to  know  nothing  among  men 
but  Jesus  Christ  and  Him  crucified.’  Hawked. 

V.  5 — 8.  In  power,  and  in  the  Holy  Ghost,  &c.]  This  cannot  relate 
to  miracles  exclusively;  for  numbers  saw  miracles,  who  notwithstanding 
continued  unbelievers;  hut  the  new-creating  power  of  the  Holy  Spirit, 
accompanying  the  Word  of  God,  had  produced  such  a  full  conviction  of 
its  nature  and  importance,  and  such  an  assurance  of  faith  and  hope,  as 


A.  D.  55. 


I  THESSALONIANS,  II. 


7  So  that  ye  were  ensamples  to 
all  that  believe  in  Macedonia  and 
Achaili. 

8  For  from  you  sounded  n  out  the 
word  of  the  Lord,  not  only  in  Mac¬ 
edonia  and  Achaia,  but  also  in  eve¬ 
ry  place  "your  faith  to  God-ward  is 
spread  abroad  ;  so  that  we  need 
not  to  speak  any  thing. 

9  For  they  themselves  shew  of 
us  what  manner  of  entering  in  we 
had  unto  you,  and  how  ye  turned 
to  God  p  from  idols,  to  serve  the 
living  and  true  God  ; 

10  And  to  wait  q  for  his  Son  from 
heaven,  whom  he  raised  from  the 
dead,  even  Jesus,  which  delivered 
us  from  the  wrath  r  to  come. 


CHAP.  II. 


1  In  what  manner  the  Gospel  was  brought  and  preached  to 
the  Thessalonians,  and  in  what  sort  alsd  they  received  it. 
18  A  reason  is  rendered,  both  why  St.  Paul  was  so  long 
absent  from  them,and  also  why  he  was  so  desirous  to  see 
them. 

FOR  yourselves,  brethren,  know 
our  entrance  in  unto  you,  that 
it  was  not  in  vain  : 

2  But  even  after  that  we  had 
suffered  before,  and  were  shame¬ 
fully  entreated,  as  ye  know,  at 
1  Philippi,  we  were  b  bold  in  our 
God  to  speak  unto  you  the  gospel 
of  God  with  much  'contention. 

3  For  our  exhortation  was  not  of 
d  deceit,  nor  of  uncleanness,  nor  in 
guile  : 

4  But  as  we  were  allowed  of 
God  to  be  put  in  trust  8  with  the 
gospel,  even  so  we  speak  ;  not  as 
pleasing  men,  but  God,  which  trieth 
our  hearts. 


n  Ro.  10:18. 
o  2  Th.  1:4. 
p  1  Co.  12:2. 
Ga.  4:8. 


q  Plii.  3:20. 
r  Mat.  3:7. 

Ro.  5:9. 

a  Ac.  16:12,  &c. 


b  Ac.  17:2,3. 
c  Jude  3. 
d  2  Pc.  1:16. 
e  1  Ti.  1:11,12. 


many  others.  They  were  tupoi,  stamps,  or 
instruments  to  make  impression  with. 

Their  influence  reached  even  to  all  Mace¬ 
donia,  and  further,  in  Achaia  ;  the  Pliilip- 
pians,  and  others  who  received  the  Gospel 


before  the  Thessalonians,  were  edified  by 
their  example.  The  Word  of  the  Lord,  or 
its  wonderful  effects  on  the  Thessalonians, 
was  famous  and  well  known,  in  the  regions 
round  about  that  city,  and  in  every  place  ; 
not  strictly  everywhere ,  but  here  and  there, 
up  and  down  in  the  world  :  so  that,  from 
the  good  success  of  the  Gospel  among  them, 
many  others  were  encouraged  to  entertain 
it,  and  to  be  willing,  when  called,  to  suffer 
for  it. 

The  readiness  of  their  faith  was  famed. 
They  embraced  the  Gospel  as  soon  as  it  was 
preached  to  them  ;  so  that  every  body  took 
notice  what  manner  of  entering  in  among 
them  the  apostles  had  ;  that  there  were  no 
such  delays  as  at  Philippi,  where  it  was  a 
great  while  before  much  good  was  done. 

The  effects  of  their  faith  were  noted.  They 
quitted  their  idolatry,  in  which  they  had 
been  educated,  gave  themselves  up  to  serve 
the  living  and  true  God,  and  wait  for  his 
Son  from  heaven,  v.  10.  And  this  is  one  of 
the  peculiarities  of  our  holy  religion,  to  wait 
for  Christ’s  second  coming,  as  those  who 
believe  He  will  come,  and  hope  He  will  come 
to  our  joy.  Believers  under  the  Old  Test, 
waited  for  the  coming  of  the  Messiah,  and 
believers  now  wait  for  his  second  coming  ; 
He  is  yet  to  come.  And  there  is  good  rea¬ 
son  to  believe  He  will  come,  because  God 
has  raised  Him  from  the  dead,  which  is  a  full 
assurance  unto  all  men,  that  He  will  come 
to  judgment,  Acts  17  :  31.  And  there  is 
good  reason  to  hope  and  ivait  for  his  coming, 
because  He  has  delivered  us  from  the  wrath  to 
come  ;  from  that  wrath  which  is  yet  to  come 
on  unbelievers;  and  which,  when  it  is  once 
come,  will  be  yet  to  come„because  it  is  ever¬ 
lasting fi re,  prepared  for  the  devil  and  his 
angels,  Mat.  25:  41. 


Chap.  II.  V.  1 — 6.  Here  we  have  an 
account  of  Paul’s  manner  of  preaching,  and 
his  comfortable  reflection  on  his  entrance  in 
among  the  Thessalonians.  As  he  had  the 
testimony  of  his  own  conscience  witnessing 
to  his  integrity,  so  he  could  appeal  to  the 
Thessalonians  how  faithfully  he,  and  Silas, 
and  Timotheus,  his  helpers  in  the  work  of 
the  Lord,  had  discharged  their  office,  v.  1. 
He  here  comforts  himself  either  in  the  suc¬ 
cess  of  his  ministry,  that  it  was  not  fruitless 
or  in  vain,  or,  as  others  think,  reflecting  on 
the  sincerity  of  his  preaching,  that  it  was 


The  success  of  Paul's  ministry . 

not  vain  and  empty,  or  deceitful  and  treach¬ 
erous.  The  subject-matter  of  his  preaching 
was  not  vain,  but  sound,  solid  truth,  such  as 
was  most  likely  to  profit  his  hearers.  A 
good  example  this  is,  to  be  imitated  by  all 
the  ministers  of  the  Gospel.  Much  less  was 
his  preaching  vain  or  deceitful,  2  Cor.  4:  2. 
lie  had  no  sinister  or  worldly  design  in  his 
preaching  ;  and  he  puts  them  in  mind  how 
it  was, 

I.  With  courage  and  resolution,  v.  2.  He 
had  met  with  ill  usage  at  Philippi,  as  they 
well  knew  ;  there  he  and  Silas  were  put  in 
the  stocks  ;  yet  no  sooner  were  they  set  at 
liberty  than  they  went  to  Thessalonica,  and 
preached  the  Gospel  with  as  much  boldness 
as  ever,  nay,  with  contention,  with  great  ag¬ 
ony  :  which  denoted  either  the  apostles’ 
striving  in  their  preaching,  or  their  striving 
against  the  opposition  they  met  with.  This 
was  Paul’s  comfort ;  he  was  neither  daunted 
in  his  work,  nor  driven  from  it. 

II.  With  great  simplicity,  and  godly 
sincerity,  v.  3.  This,  no  doubt,  was  matter 
of  the  greatest  comfort  to  the  apostle, — 
his  conscious  sincerity;  and  was  one  reason 
of  his  success.  The  Gospel  he  preached 
was  pure  and  holy,  worthy  of  its  holy  Au¬ 
thor,  tending  to  discountenance  all  manner 
of  impurity  ;  and  as  the  matter  of  his  ex¬ 
hortation,  so  the  manner  of  his  speaking 
was  without  guile.  He  not  only  asserts  his 
sincerity,  but  subjoins  the  reasons  and  evi¬ 
dences  thereof.  The  reasons  are  contained, 
v.  4. 

1.  They  were  stewards,  in  trust  with  the 
Gospel,  who  must  be  called  to  an  account, 
when  they  must  be  no  longer  stewards. 

2.  Their  design  was  to  please  God,  and 
not  men.  The  Gospel  is  not  accommodated 
to  the  fancies  and  lusts  of  men:  but,  on  the 
contrary,  is  designed  to  mortify  corrupt  af¬ 
fections,  and  deliver  from  the  power  of 
fancy,  that  we  may  be  brought  under  the 
power  of  faith,  Gal.  1:  10. 

3.  They  acted  under  the  consideration  of 
God’s  omniscience,  as  in  the  sight  of  Him 
who  tries  our  hearts. 

The  evidences  of  the  apostle’s  sincerity 
follow;  and  they  are  these  :  He  avoided, 

(1.)  Flattery,  v.  5.  He  and  his  fellow- 
laborers  were  far  from  that.  They  did  not 
flatter  men  in  their  sins  ;  nor  tell  them,  if 
they  would  be  of  his  party,  they  might  live 
as  they  listed. 


PRACT.  OBS.  It  excites  cordial  Joy  and  fervent  gratitude,  In  faith¬ 
ful  ministers,  when  they  witness  ‘the  work  of  faith,  and  labor  of  love, 
and  patience  of  hope  in  the  Lord  Jesus,’  of  those  among  whom  they 
have  preached  the  Gospel.  . .  .  But  faith  which  works  not  obedience,  pro¬ 
fessed  love  that  declines  self-denying  labor,  and  hope  which  is  separated 
from  ‘  patient  continuance  in  well-doing,’  can  never  prove  a  man’s 
‘election  ;’  all  other  ways  of  proving  it  are  vain  and  delusory,  and  this 
scriptural  medium  is  not  capable  of  being  perverted. — Alas  !  even  the 
Gospel,  which  the  apostle  preached,  often  ‘comes  in  word  only,’  and 
thus  men  continue  impenitent,  and  slaves  to  sin,  or,  at  most,  become  only 
notional  formalists  and  mere  professors  of  the  Gospel.  This  should  ex¬ 
cite  all  who  preach,  and  all  who  love  the  Gospel,  to  ‘  pray  without  ceas¬ 
ing,’  that  it  may  everywhere,  and  at  all  times,  be  attended  by  the  divine 
power  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  producing,  in  the  minds  and  hearts  of  men, 
that  ‘full  assurance’  of  its  truth  and  importance,  which  alone  can  pre¬ 
vail  w  ith  them  to  break  through  all  hindrances,  and  make  all  sacrifices, 
that  they  mav  follow  Christ  and  be  partakers  of  liis  salvation.  ( Notes , 
Rom.  1:13—16.  1  Cor.  1:25.  2:3—5.  2  Cor.  4:7.  10:1—6.)  This  is  ‘the 
work  of  God,’  hut  He  works  by  means  ;  and  when  great  numbers  of 
careless,  ignorant,  and  immoral  persons,  are  turned  from  their  idols  and 
iniquities,  their  worldly  pursuits  and  connexions,  ‘  to  serve  the  living 


and  true  God,’  to  believe  In  and  obey  the  Lord  Jesus,  to  ‘  deny  ungodli¬ 
ness  and  worldly  lusts,  to  live  soberly,  righteously,  and  godly  in  this 
present  world,’  and  to  ‘wait  for  the  Lord  Jesus  from  heaven ;  ’  there 
needs  little  pains  to  spread  the  report,  for  it  is  a  work  of  God  which  will 
he  sure  to  be  known,  and  rendered  conspicuous  by  its  own  light.  May 
He  then  send  forth  ministers  into  all  parts  of  the  world,  attended  by  his 
power,  and  thus  made  abundantly  successful,  in  the  conversion  of  the 
nations  to  the  worship  of  the  living  God,  and  the  obedience  of  faith  in 
his  beloved  Son  ! — But  let  us  remember,  ‘  that  the  wrath  of  God  is  re¬ 
vealed  from  heaven  against  ail  ungodliness  and  unrighteousness  of  men.’ 
Rom.  1:18 — 20.  None  but  Jesus  can  deliver  any  man  from  this  merited 
condemnation;  all  who  believe  in  Him,  with  an  obedient  faith,  are  de¬ 
livered  from  it,  and  oil  all  others  ‘  the  wrath  of  God  still  abideth.’  Lei 
us  then  ‘give  diligence  to  make  our  calling  and  election  sure,’  and  if  we 
have  obtained  this  assurance,  let  us  remember  the  price  our  deliverance 
cost  the  great  Redeemer,  that  humble  love  may  constrain  us  devotedly 
to  obey  Him,  and  cheerfully  to  suffer  for  Him.  But,  if  any  are  conscious 
that  they  havo  not  experienced  this  deliverance,  let  them  take  warning, 
without  delay,  ‘  to  flee  from  the  wrath  to  come,’  mid  to  seek  refuge  in 
Christ  and  his  salvation.  TIcb.  6:16 — 20.  Scott. 


had  induced  the  Thessalonians,  at  all  events,  to  embrace  and  profess  the 
Gospel ;  even  as  a  ship  is  carried,  by  a  full  tide  and  a  fair  wind,  over 
every  obstacle,  into  the  haven.  ‘  A  metaphor  taken  from  ships,  when 
they  are  carried  on  under  full  sails.’  Leigh.  Scott. 

-(5 — 8.)  ‘For  ages,  the  true  method  of  promoting  religion  had  been 
sadly  misunderstood.  And  when  Providence  placed  the  church  in  Amer¬ 
ica  on  its  own  resources,  the  general  expectation  was,  that  we  should 
become  a  nation  of  infidels.  And  even  now,  thousands  in  the  world 
imagine  that  religion  cannot  live  and  flourish,  without  the  fostering  care 
of  civil  government.  America,  therefore,  owes  it  to  the  universal  inter¬ 
ests  of  the  church,  and  to  that  method  of  promoting  religion  which 
must  be  everywhere  adopted  before  religion  can  have  universal  sway,  to 
be  very  holy,  very  zealous,  very  benevolent, — to  undertake  enterprises 
on  a  scale  which  measures  the  earth,  and  to  demonstrate  that  they  can 
be  accomplished  by  the  power  of  truth  and  love.  The  church,  in  this 
country,  must  not  only  sustain  herself  and  purify  the  nation,  but  she 
must  stretch  out  her  arms,  and  make  the  whole  world  feel  the  strong 
embrace  of  her  benevolence.’  Rev.  Dr.  Rice. 

N.  T.  VOL.  V.  56 


V.  9.  ‘  I  do  not  hesitate  to  say,  having  well  considered  the  import 
of  my  words,  that  men  are  not  so  mean  (I  must  use  the  word)  to  any 
cause,  as  Christians  in  general  are  to  Christ’s  cause.  They  give  more 
sparingly  to  it  than  to  any  other.  Some  Christians  will  give  more  to 
promote  a  political  election,  than  to  [serne  the.  living  God,  by]  helping 
on  the  conversion  of  the  world.’  Rev.  Dr.  Nevins. 

NOTES.  Chap.  II.  V.  1.  In  vain.]  ‘Many  ancients  interpret  it 
free  of  danger  and  fear  ;  ”  but  the  sense  is  inapposite.  Most  moderns 
explain  it  '■'■false,  lying  ;  ”  but  this  is  harsh.  If  the  connexion  be  traced 
it  must  be  taken  in  the  sense  of  unfruitful ,  to  which  I  am  more  inclined. 

J  Bloomf. 

V.  3.  Exhortation.]  ‘Here  it  must  signify  teaching,  and  compre¬ 
hend  the  whole  of  the  apostle’s  religious  instruction.  Ac.  13H5.  • 

Deceit.]  ‘It  may  denote  either  imposture  nnd  seduction  :  as  Lph.  •  • 

2Thess.  2:11.  1  Jn.  4:6.2  Pet.  3:17.  or  error,  self-deceit,  enthusiasm; 
as  Rom.  1:27.  Ja.  2:13.’  So  Rloomf. ,  who  reports  Benson  as  ad°Pll'’S 
the  former  ;  but  he  himself,  after  Koppe,  Mackn.,  Schl.,  Ros.,  and  most 
commentators,  adopts  the  latter.  [441] 


56 


A.  D.  55. 

5  For  neither  fat  any  time  used 
we  flattering  words,  as  ye  know, 
nor  a  cloak  of  covetousness  ;  God 
is  witness  : 

6  Nor  of  men  e  sought  we  glory, 
neither  of  you,  nor  yet  of  others, 
when  we  might  have  h  been  1  bur¬ 
densome,  as  the  apostles  of  Christ. 

7  But  we  were  gentle  among 
you,  even  as  a  nurse  cherisheth 
her  children  : 

8  So,  being  affectionately  desir¬ 
ous  of  you,  we  were  willing  to  have 
J  imparted  unto  you,  not  the  gospel 
of  God  only,  but  also  our  own  souls, 
because  ye  were  dear  unto  us. 

9  For  ye  remember,  brethren, 
our  k  labor  and  travail:  for  laboring 
night  and  day,  because  we  would 
not  be  chargeable  unto  any  of  you, 
we  preached  unto  you  the  gospel 
of  God. 

10  Ye  are  witnesses,  and  God 
also,  how  holily  and  justly  and  un- 
blamaldy  we  behaved  ourselves 
among  you  that  believe  : 

11  As  ye  know  how  we  exhorted 
and  comforted,  and  charged  every 
one  of  you,  as  a  father  doth  his 
children, 

12  That  ye  would  walk  'worthy 
of  God,  who  m  hath  called  you  unto 
his  kingdom  and  glory. 

[Practical  Observations .] 

13  For  this  cause  also  thank  we 
God  without  ceasing,  because,  when 
ye  received  the  word  of  God  which 
ye  heard  of  us,  ye  received  it  not 

f  2  Co.  2:17.  ilv.  2  Th.  3:7,8. 

g  Jn.  3:41—  44.  i  2  Co.  12:13— 15.  1Eij.4:1. 

Ga.  1:10.  1  Ro.  1:11.  m  1  Co.  1:9. 

h  or,  used  author-  k  Ac.  20:34,35. 

(2.)  Covetousness,  v.  5.  His  desigtj  was 
not  to  enrich  himself  by  preaching  the  Gos¬ 
pel  ;  so  far  from  that,  he  did  not  condition 
with  diem  even  for  bread.  He  was  not  like 
the  false  aposlles,  who,  through  covetousness, 
with  feigned  words  made  merchandise  of  the 
people,  2  Pet.  2 :  3. 

(3.)  Ambition  and  vainglory,  v.  6.  He 
expected  neither  people’s  purses  nor  their 
caps,  neither  to  he  enriched  by  them,  nor 
caressed  and  adored  by  them,  and  called 
Rabbi,  ch.  5:26.  1 1  is  ambition  was  to  ob¬ 

tain  that  honor  which  comes  from  God,  John 
5:44. 


1  THESSALONIANS,  II. 

He  tells  them,  they  might  have  used 
greater  authority  as  apostles,  and  expected 
greater  esteem,  and  demanded  maintenance, 
which  is  meant  by  the  phrase  of  being  bur¬ 
densome  ;  because,  perhaps,  some  would 
have  thought  this  too  great  a  burden  for 
them  to  bear. 

V.  7 — 12.  He  here  reminds  them  of  the 
manner  of  their  conversation  among  them. 
He  and  his  fellow-laborers  were, 

I.  Gentle  in  their  behavior,  v.  7.  He 
showed  great  mildness  and  tenderness,  who 
might  have  acted  with  the  authority  of  an 
apostle  of  Christ.  Though  he  abhorred 
flattery,  yet  he  was  most  condescending  to 
all  men.  He  showed  the  kindness  and  care 
of  a  nurse  that  cherishes  her  chilrlren.  This 
is  the  way  to  win  people,  rather  than  to  rule 
with  rigor.  The  Word  of  God  is  indeed 
powerful  ;  and  as  it  comes  often  with  awful 
authority  on  the  minds  of  men,  as  it  always 
has  enough  in  it  to  convince  every  impartial 
judgment,  so  it  comes  with  the  more  pleas¬ 
ing  power,  when  the  ministers  of  the  Gos¬ 
pel  recommend  themselves  to  the  affections 
of  the  people.  And  as  a  nursing  mother 
bears  with  frowardness  in  a  child,  and  con¬ 
descends  to  mean  offices  for  its  good,  and 
cherishes  it  in  her  bosom  ;  so  in  like  man¬ 
ner  should  the  ministers  of  Christ  behave 
toward  their  people,  2  Tim.  2  :  24.  This 
gentleness  and  goodness  the  apostle  ex¬ 
pressed  several  ways. 

1.  By  the  most  affectionate  desire  of  their 
welfare,  v.  8.  He  sought  them,  not  theirs  ; 
their  spiritual  and  eternal  welfare  was  what 
he  was  earnestly  desirous  of. 

2.  By  great  readiness  to  do  them  good, 
v.  8.  See  here  the  manner  of  Paul’s 
preaching.  He  spared  no  pains,  was  will¬ 
ing  to  run  hazards,  and  venture  his  soul,  or 
life,  willing  to  spend  and  be  spent  ;  and  as 
they  who  give  bread  to  the  hungry  from  a 
charitable  principle,  are  said  to  impart  their 
souls  in  what  they  give,  Isa.  58:  10.  so  did 
the  apostles  in  giving  forth  the  bread  of 
life  ;  so  dear  were  these  Thessalonians  in 
particular  to  this  apostle,  and  so  great  was 
his  love  to  them. 

3.  By  bodily  labor  to  prevent  their  charge, 
v.  9.  He  denied  himself  the  liberty  be  had 
of  taking  wages  from  the  churches.  To  the 
labor  of  the  ministry  he  added  that  of  his 
calling,  as  a  tentmaker,  that  he  might  get 
his  own  bread  ;  not  that  he  spent  the  whole 
night  and  day  in  bodily  labor  ;  but  lie  was 
willing  to  forego  his  rest  in  the  night,  that 
he  might  have  opportunity  to  do  good  to  the 
souls  of  men  in  the  daytime:  a  good  exam¬ 
ple  for  ministers  of  the  Gospel,  to  be  indus¬ 
trious  for  the  salvation  of  men’s  souls  ; 
though  it  will  not  follow  that  they  are  al- 


Paul’s  manner  of  conversation. 

ways  obliged  to  preach  freely  :  no  general 
rule  is  to  be  drawn  from  this,  that  ministers 
may  at  no  time  work  with  their  hands,  for 
supply  of  their  outward  necessities,  or  that 
they  ought  always  so  to  do. 

4.  By  the  holiness  of  their  conversation , 
concerning  which,  he  appeals  not  only  to 
them,  but  to  God  also,  v.  10.  They  were 
observers  of  their  outward  conversation  in 
public  before  men,  and  God  was  witness  not 
only  of  their  behavior  in  secret,  but  of  the 
inward  principles  from  whence  they  acted. 
Herein,  said  this  apostle,  do  Iextrcise  myself, 
to  have  always  a  conscience  void  of  offence 
toward  God,  and  toward  men.  Acts  24:  16. 

II.  He  mentions  their  faithful  discharge 
of  the  work  and  office  of  the  ministry, 
v.  11,  12.  Concerning  this  also,  he  could 
appeal  to  them  as  witnesses.  Paul  exhorted 
the  Thessalonians,  not  only  informing  them 
in  their  duty,  but  exciting  and  quickening 
them  to  the  performance  of  it,  by  proper 
motives  and  arguments.  He  comforted  them, 
also,  endeavoring  to  cheer  and  support 
their  spirits,  under  difficulties  and  discour¬ 
agements  they  might  meet  with.  And  this 
he  did  not  only  publicly,  but  privately  also, 
and  from  huuse  to  house,  Acts  20:  20.  and 
charged  every  one.  of  them  by  personal  ad¬ 
dresses  :  this,  some  think,  is  intended  by 
the  similitude  of  a  father’s  charging  his  chil¬ 
dren.  As  my  beloved  sons,  I  warn  you, 
1  Cor.  4:  14. 

The  manner  of  this  apostle’s  exhortation 
ought  to  be  regarded  by  ministers  in  partic¬ 
ular  for  their  imitation  ;  and  the  matter  of 
it  is  greatly  to  be  regarded  by  them  and  all 
others ;  namely,  that  they  would  walk  worthy 
of  God,  who  hath  called  them  to  his  king¬ 
dom  and  glory,  v.  12.  Observe,  1.  Our 
great  gospel-privilege, — God  has  called  us  to 
his  kingdom  and  glory.  2.  Our  great  gos¬ 
pel-duty, — that  we  walk  worthy  of  God  ; 
that  the  temper  of  our  minds,  and  tenor  of 
our  lives,  be  answerable  to  this  call,  and 
suitable  to  this  privilege. 

V.  13 — 16.  Here  observe, 

I.  The  apostle  mentions  the  success  of  his 
ministry  among  these  Thessalonians,  v.  13. 
expressed, 

1.  By  the  manner  of  their  receiving  the 
Word  of  God,  v.  13.  Where,  note,  The 
Gospel  is  preached  by  men  like  ourselves, 
yet  it  is,  in  truth,  the  Word  of  God  ;  from 
the  apostles,  by  divine  inspiration  ;  from 
others,  as  in  the  Scriptures  :  and  they  are 
greatly  to  blame,  who  give  out  their  own 
fancies  or  injunctions  for  the  Word  of  God: 
this  is  the  vilest  way  of  imposing  on  people, 
and  to  deal  unfaithfully.  They  are  also  to 
blame,  who,  in  hearing  the  Word,  look  no 
further  than  to  the  ministry  of  men,  or  the 


PRACT.  OB3.  V.  1 — 12.  Confidence  in  God,  zeal  for  his  glory,  love 
to  the  souls  of  men,  and  conscious  integrity,  will  support  faithful  min¬ 
isters  amidst  manifold  hardships  and  sufferings. — All  ministers  should 
be  careful,  that  their  preaching  be  far  removed  from  fallacy,  deceit,  and 
a  licentious  tendency  ;  and  that  Iheir  motives  he  equally  pure  from  all 
artful  designs  of  advancing,  enriching,  or  indulging  themselves,  by  means 
of  their  ministry.  For  such  scandalous  discoveries  have  been  made,  re¬ 
specting  priests  of  different  religions,  anti  even  the  more  plausible  and 
earnest  of  them  ;  that  men  are  very  apt  to  suspect  some  fraud,  or  cor¬ 
rupt  intention,  lurking  under  a  great  appearance  of  zeal  and  devotion. 
It  is  in  vain  to  oppose  arguments  to  this  deep-rooted  suspicion,  except 
they  are  corroborated  by  manifest  facts. — We  should  by  no  means 
‘seek  to  please  men;’  but  simply  study  to  ‘approve  ourselves  to  God, 
who  trielh  the  hearts.’  Even  the  approbation  of  pious  men  may  be  fal¬ 
lacious,  and  may  interfere  with  our  simplicity,  in  aiming  to  please  the 
Lord  by  faithfulness  to  our  trust.  A  man  may,  indeed,  by  harshness  and 
severity,  in  his  manner  of  stating  the  truth,  prevent  his  own  usefulness; 
but  selfish  principles  will  far  more  generally  lead  men  to  temporize,  to 
palliate,  and  to  ‘speak  smooth  things.’  This  strain  tends  to  Iirptg  the 
iiearers  into  a  good  humor  with  themselves,  and  that  makes  them  friend¬ 


ly  to  the  preacher;  which  may  he  greatly  conducive  to  his  popularity 
and  secular  advantage,  and  for  a  time  even  add  to  his  reputation.  It  is 
therefore  a  very  great  tiling  indeed,  for  a  minister  to  be  able  on  good 
grounds  to  say,  ‘Neither  at  anytime  used  we  flattering  words,  as  ye 
know,  or  a  eloke  of  covetousness,  God  is  witness  ;  nor  of  men  sought 
we  glory  :  ’  and  to  be  able  to  appeal,  both  to  the  Lord  and  to  men,  that 
he  has  constantly  receded  even  from  his  equitable  claims,  out  of  love  to 
the  souls  of  his  hearers,  and  lest  he  should  be  ‘burdensome  to  them.’ 
Hut,  when  this  decided  faithfulness,  this  unambitious,  disinterested  and 
self-denying  ‘  plainness  of  speech,’  on  all  occasions,  unites  with  equal 
tenderness  and  affection  ;  so  that  the  same  persons  can  sav,  ‘  We  were 
gentle  among  you.  even  as  a  nursing  mother  cherisheth  her  own  chil¬ 
dren  :  so,  being  affectionately  desirous  of  you,  we  were  willing  to  have 
imparted  unto  you,  not  the  Gospel  of  God  only,  but  also  our  own  souls, 
because  ye  were  dear  unto  us;’  then  the  servants  of  Christ  come  hs 
near  to  the  mind  of  their  Lord,  as  can  be  conceived  attainable  by  mortal 
men.  There  are,  however,  but  few,  if  any,  who  are  not  warped,  either 
one  way  or  the  other,  by  constitution,  habit,  or  circumstances  :  it  be¬ 
hooves  us  therefore  to  search  out  onr  spirits,  to  be  open  to  conviction, 
and  to  guard  against  our  own  peculiar  weakness.  Scott. 


V.  .5 — 3.  (5)  Flattering .]  ‘Because  men  flatter  for  the  snke  of  the 
belly.’  Leigh.  Utr  children.}  ‘  Her  own. children,’  as  distinguishing 
the  nursing  mother,  from  the  hired  nurse  of  another  woman’s  child. — 
(8)  Being  affectionately  desirous,.  ..  we  were  wilting ,  <Ac.]  Here  onlv. 
‘  Longing  after  you,  we  took  pleasure.’  The  clause  can  harulv  be  done 
justice  to  in  a  translation ;  and  tile  original  throughout  is  peculiarly  ten¬ 
der  and  pnthetic.  Scott. 

(6.)  Burdensome.]  ‘  The  apostle  evidently  refers  to  his  right  of  being 
maintained  at  their  charge.  Comp.  v.  9.  2  Cor.  11:9.  1  Tim.  5:13.  1 
Cor.  9.  throughout.  But  he  was  acting  now  on  the  same  maxims  at 

[442]- 


Corinth,  whence  he  wrote  this  epistle,  by  which  he  had  governed  him¬ 
self  at  Thessalonioa.  See  Ac.  18:3.’  Doddr. 

V.  9,  10.  ‘  Paley  shows,  that  although  Ac.  17.  only  mentions  Paul’s  re¬ 
sort  to  the  synagogue  at  Thessalonioa  on  three  Sabbath-days,  vet  there  is 
nothing  which  shows  that  he  did  not  remain  and  exercise  his  ministry 
there,  among  the  Gentiles,  for  a  longer  period,  as  the  passage  implies.’ 

Henry,  Abr. 

V.  13— 1G.  The  apostle  and  his  friends  thanked  God  continually,  be¬ 
cause  the  Christians  at  Thessalonica,  when  they  received  ‘  the  Word  of 
God,  which  they  had  heard  from  them,  did  not  receive  it  as  the  word  of 


A.  D.  55. 


1  1  HESSALONIANb,  III.  Success  of  Paul’s  ministry. 


"  as  the  word  of  men,  hut,  as  it  is 
in  truth,  the  word  of  God,  which 
effectually  worketh  0  also  ill  you 
that  believe. 

14  For  ye,  brethren,  became  fol¬ 
lowers  of  the  churches  of  God 
which  in  Judea  are  in  Christ  Jesus: 
for  ye  also  have  suffered  like  things 
of  your  own  countrymen,  even  as 
they  have  of  the  Jews  ; 

15  Who  both  killed  the  Lord 
Jesus  and  their  p  own  prophets,  and 
have  q  persecuted  us  ;  and  they 
please  not  God,  and  are  contrary 
to  all  men  ; 

16  Forbidding  rus  to  speak  to 
the  Gentiles  that  they  might  be 
saved,  to  fill  5  up  their  sins  alway  ; 
for  the  wrath  is  come  upon  them  to 
the  '  uttermost. 

17  But  we,  brethren,  being  taken 
from  you  for  a  short  time  in  pres¬ 
ence,  not  in  heart,  endeavored  the 
more  abundantly  to  see  your  face 
with  great  desire. 

19  Wherefore  we  would  have 
come  unto  you,  even  I  Paul,  once 
and  again  ;  but  Satan  hindered  us. 

19  For  what  is  our  hope,  or  joy, 
or  crown  of  “  rejoicing  ?  Are  not 
even  yevin  the  presence  w  of  our 
Lord  Jesus  Christ  at  his  1  coming  ? 

20  For  ye  are  our  glory  and  joy. 


CHAP.  III. 


1  Paul  testifieth  his  great  love  to  the  Thessalonians,  part¬ 
ly  by  senriiog  Timothy  unto  them  to  strengthen  and 
comfort  them  :  partly  by  rejoicing  in  their  well  doing: 
10  and  partly  by  playing  for  them,  and  desiring  a  safe 
coming  unto  them. 


WHEREFORE  when  we  could 
no  longer  forbear,  we  thought 
it  good  to  be  left  at  Athens  alone  ; 


d  Mat.  10:40. 

2  Pe.  3:2. 
o  Ja.  1:18. 

1  Pe  1 :23. 
p  Ac.  7:52. 
q  or,  chased  us 


out. 

r  Ac.  17:5,13. 
18:12. 

b  Ge.  15:16. 

Mat.  23:32. 
t  Re.  92:11. 


u  or,  glorying. 
v  2  Co.  1:14. 

Phi.  4:1. 
w  Jude  24. 
x  Re.  1:7. 


words  of  men  ;  who  are  only,  or  chiefly, 
pleased  with  the  elegance  of  the  style,  or 
the  beauty  of  the  composition,  or  the  voice 
and  manner  in  which  the  Word  is  preached, 


and  expect  to  receive  their  advantage  here¬ 
in.  We  should  receive  the  Word  of  God 
as  the  Word  of  God,  with  affections  suita¬ 
ble  to  the  holiness,  wisdom,  verity,  and 
goodness  thereof. 

2.  By  tlie  wonderful  operation  of  this 
Word  they  received,  v.  13.  They  who  by 
faitli  receive  the  Word,  find  it  profitable  : 
it  converts  tlteir  souls,  enlightens  their  minds, 
rejoices  their  hearts,  Ps.  19.  and  such  as 
have  tli is  inward  testimony  of  the  truth  of 
tlie  Scriptures,  have  the  best  evidence  to 
themselves  of  their  divine  original. 

II.  He  mentions  tlie  good  effects  of  his 
preaching, 

1.  On  himself  and  fellow-laborers.  It 
was  a  constant  cause  of  thankfulness,  v.  13. 
The  apostle  expresses  his  thankfulness  to 
God  so  often  on  this  account,  that  he  seems 
to  think  he  never  could  be  sufficiently  thank¬ 
ful  that  God  had  counted  him  faithful,  and 
put  him  into  the  ministry,  and  made  his 
ministrations  successful. 

2.  On  themselves.  Tlie  Word  wrought 
effectually  in  them,  not  only  to  be  examples 
to  others  in  faith  and  good  works,  but  also  in 
constancy  and  patience  under  sufferings  and 
trials  for  the  sake  of  the  Gospel,  v.  14. 
Note,  The  cross  is  the  Christian’s  mark  : 
if  we  are  called  to  suffer,  we  are  called  only 
to  be  followers  of  the  churches  of  God, 
Mat.  5: 12.  It  is  a  good  effect  of  the  Gos¬ 
pel,  when  vve  are  enabled  to  suffer  for  its 
sake.  Tlie  churches  in  Judea  first  heard  the 
Gospel,  and  they  first  suffered  for  it  :  for 
the  Jews  were  the  most  bitter  enemies  Chris¬ 
tianity  had,  and  were  especially  enraged 
against  their  countrymen  who  embraced  it. 
They  were  the  ringleaders  of  persecution 
in  all  places,  particularly  at  Tliessalonica, 
Acts  17 :  5.  The  apostle  gives  their  charac¬ 
ter,  v.  16.  enough  to  justify  their  final  re¬ 
jection,  and  the  ruin  of  their  place,  and 
church,  and  nation,  which  was  now  ap¬ 
proaching.  Murder  and  persecution  are 
most  hateful  to  God  ;  and  they  had  an  im¬ 
placable  enmity  to  the  Gentiles  ;  they  envied 
them  the  offers  of  the  Gospel.  Nothing 
provoked  them  more,  than  our  Savior’s 
speaking  to  them  at  any  time  concerning 
this  matter  ;  and  so  of  Paul,  when  he  told 
them  he  was  the  apostle  of  the  Gentiles, 
Acts  22  :  21.  Thus  did  the  Jews  fill  up 
their  sins  ;  and  for  the  sake  of  these  things, 
wrath  is  come,  upon  them  to  the  uttermost  ;  it 
was  not  many  years  after  this,  that  Jerusa¬ 
lem  was  destroyed,  and  the  Jewish  nation 


]  cut  off  by  the  Romans.  Note,  When  the 
|  measure  of  any  man’s  iniquity  is  full,  and 
lie  lias  sinned  to  the  uttermost,  then  comes 
wrath,  and  that  to  the  uttermost. 

V.  17-20.  In  these  words,  the  apostle  apol¬ 
ogizes  for  liis  absence.  He  and  his  brethren 
were  involuntarily  forced  from  them,  v.  17. 
He  was  unwillingly  sent  away  by  night,  to 
Berea,  Acts  17:  10.  But  though  absent  in 
body,  yet  lie  was  present  in  heart.  He  had 
still  a  remembrance  of  them,  and  great  care 
for  them. 

Even  his  bodily  absence  was  but  for  a 
short  time ;  (the  time  of  an  hour.)  All  our 
time  on  earth  is  short  and  uncertain,  wheth¬ 
er  we  are  present  with  our  friends,  or  abseut 
from  them.  It  is  in  heaven  that  holy  souls 
shall  meet,  and  never  part  more. 

He  earnestly  desired,  and  endeavored  to 
see  them  again,  v.  17.  So  lie,  at  least,  in¬ 
tended  his  absence  should  be  but  fur  a  short 
time.  But  men  of  business  are  not  masters 
of  their  own  time.  Paul  did  his  endeavor, 
and  could  no  more,  v.  18. 

He  tells  them,  Satan  hindered  his  return, 
v.  18.  that  is,  either  some  enemy  or  enemies, 
or  the  great  enemy  of  mankind,  w  ho  stirred 
up  opposition  to  Paul,  either  in  his  return  to 
Tliessalonica,  when  he  intended  to  return 
thither,  or  stirred  up  such  contentions  or  dis¬ 
sensions  in  those  places  whither  lie  went,  as 
made  his  presence  necessary.  Note,  Satan 
is  a  constant  enemy  to  the  work  of  God, 
and  does  all  he  can  to  obstruct  it. 

He  assures  them  of  his  affection  and  high 
esteem  for  them,  though  not  able,  as  yet,  to 
be  with  them  according  to  bis  desire.  Tlipy 
were  bis  hope,  and  joy,  and  crown  of  rejoic¬ 
ing;  his  glory  and  joy.  These  are  expres¬ 
sions  of  great  and  endeared  affection  and 
high  estimation. 

Tlie  apostle  here  puts  the  Thessalonians 
in  mind,  that  however  it  might  be  with 
him,  yet  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  will  come, 
nothing  shall  hinder  that.  And  further, 
when  He  shall  come,  all  must  appear  in  his 
presence,  or  before  Him;  ministers  and  peo¬ 
ple  ;  and  faithful  people  will  be  the  glory 
and  joy  of  faithful  ministers  in  that  great 
and  glorious  day. 

Chap.  III.  V.  1 — 5.  In  these  words  the 
apostle  gives  an  account  of  his  sending 
Timothy  to  the  Thessalonians.  Observe, 

I.  The  character  he  gives  of  Timothy, 
u.  2.  Elsewhere  he  calls  him  his  son;  here 
brother.  This  was  an  instance  of  the  apos- 


PRACT.  OBS.  V.  13 — 20.  It  is  incumbent  on  us,  to  1  give  thanks  to 
God  without  ceasing,’  in  behalf  of  tiiose  who  receive  tlie  Gospel  from  us, 
not  as  the  opinion  of  fallible  men,  but  as  the  ‘  sure  testimony  of  the  Lord," 
which  makelh  wise  the  simple.’  This  it  most  certainly  is,  as  far  as  any 
man  preaches  according  to  the  Scriptures  ;  however  unlearned,  obscure, 
or  frail  he  may  he.  When  thus  received  with  reverent  faith  and  obe¬ 
dient  attention,  it  ‘  works  effectually  ’  an  entire  change  in  the  judgment, 
disposition,  and  characters  of  men  :  they  become  not  so  much  followers 
of  this  or  the  other  leader  of  a  sect,  as  imitators  of  the  primitive  Chris¬ 
tians,  and  so  of  Christ  Himself.  But  they  who  would  forbid  us  thus  to 
preach  to  ‘  the  chief  of  sinners,’  and  to  those  who  are  dead  in  sin,  and 
to  send  or  carry  tlie  Gospel,  and  the  Word  of  God  to  the  heathen,  ‘  that 

men.’  This  might  he  disputed  against,  rejected,  or  even  derided;  or  it 
might  he  received  and  believed  in  part.  The  morose  and  unsocial  big¬ 
otry  of  the  Jews,  respecting  all  Gentiles,  from  the  time  when  (hey  ceas¬ 
ed  to  copy  their  idolatries,  is  largely  insisted  on  by  commentators  in 
general ;  and  the  testimony  of  Gentiles  is  adduced  in  proof  of  it.  This 
evidence,  however,  is  not  much  to  lie  regarded  :  for  if  tlie  Jews  had 
shown  the  most  compassionate,  liberal,  and  friendly  attention  to  idola¬ 
ters  in  temporal  things  ;  while  they  steadily  adhered  to  the  divine  law, 
by  separating  from  them  in  ail  tilings  relating  to  religion  ;  tlie  clamor  of 
the  Gentiles  against  their  bigotry  would  not  have  been  silenced,  if  it  had 
been  even  abated.  The  steady  refusal  of  what  some  have  called  an  in¬ 
tercommunity  of  deities  and  religious  rites,  would  have  sufficed  to  keep 
up  the  prejudice  against  Jews,  arid  the  disdain  of  them,  among  the  proud 
Greeks  ami  Romans;  for  the  same  reasons,  that  no  philanthropy  or  lib¬ 
erality  can  exempt  those  from  contempt  and  reproach,  even  among  pro¬ 
fessed  Christians,  who  unreservedly  avow  their  attachment  to  the  doc¬ 
trines  of  the  Gospel  as  their  rule  oif  faith,  and  tile  precepts  of  Christ  as 
their  rule  of  conduct.  The  Jews  were,  however,  in  this  respect  very 
blamable ;  and  so  are  many  Chrisiians:  but  the  grand  point,  which 
here  demands  consideration,  is  this  ;  that  the  determined  opposition  of 
the  Jewish  nation,  to  the  preaching  of  the  Gospel  among  the  Gentiles, 
was  the  immediate  cause  of  ‘  wrath  coming  on  them  to  the  uttermost.’ 
Let  Britain,  let  America,  let  every  inhabitant  of  every  Christian  land, 
tremble  at  the  thought,  of  opposing  tlie  cause  of  missions  among  the 
heathen,  as  loo  many  are  disposed  to  d-o, 1  lest  wrath  come  upon  us  also 


they  may  be  saved,’  do  not  ill  this  ‘  please  God,  and  they  are  contrary  to 
all  men.’  Tlie  object  and  motives  of  those  in  general,  who  would  hin¬ 
der  the  publishing  of  the  Gospel,  in  any  part  of  tlie  world,  are  manifest : 
I  hey  idolize  worldly  interests,  care  litt  le  for  tlie  temporal  good,  and  no¬ 
thing  for  the  souls  of  men,  and  either  hate  or  slight  the  genuine  and  un¬ 
adulterated  Word  of  God.  But  it  is  grievous  to  think,  that  some  appa¬ 
rently  pious  men,  misled  by  an  undue  attachment  to  system,  should  in 
any  way  or  degree,  countenance  tlie  conduct  of  those,  who  in  every  age 
are  actuated  bv  tlie  same  worldly,  proud,  bigoted,  and  selfish  spirit, 
which  influenced  the  Jews  of  old,  when  filling  up  the  measure  of  their 
sins,  ‘till  wrath  came  upon  them  to  the  uttermost.’  Scott. 


to  the  uttermost.’ — 1  They  who  obstruct  tlie  progress  of  the  Gospel,  and 
persecute  the  promoters  of  it,  are  tlie  ministers  of  Satan,  and  therefore 
bear  his  name.’  (18.)  Whitby. — It  should  also  be  distinctly  noted,  that 
the  apostle  does  not  give  the  least  intimation,  that  the  Gentiles  could  lie 
saved  by  Christ,  or  in  any  other  way,  unless  the  Gospel  were  preached 
to  them.  Rom.  10  12 — 17.  Eph.  2.11,  12.  Scott. 

(14.)  ‘  We  learn  from  Ac.  17:5.  that  the  Jews  stirred  up  the  Gentiles 
at  Tliessalonica  against  the  Christians.’  Paley. 

(15.)  Contrary  to  all  men.]  ‘  The  Jews  in  general  entertained  invin¬ 
cible  prejudices  against  ail  other  nations.’  Doddr.  after  Eisner,. from 
Tacitus. — ‘  This  hatred  was  directly  contrary  to  tlie  law  of  Moses, 
which  enjoined  humanity  to  strangers.’  [Ex.  22:27.]  Mackn. 

(1G.)  Wrath,  &c.]  ‘Chiefly  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem,  yet  vast 
numbers  of  Jews  were  soon  destroyed  in  other  provinces  of  the  Roman 
empire,  particularly  under  Trajan  and  Adrian.’  Doddr. — Alway.]  ‘It 
signifies  every  way.'  Bloomf. 

V.  17—20.  Tlie  fervor  of  affection,  and  the  animation  with  which  it 
is  expressed,  in  this  chapter,  are  incomparable.  Scott. 

(17.)  Short  time.]  ‘  It  was  several  years  before  the  apostle  returned 
to  them,  but  his  mind  was  full  of  the  ideas  of  eternity,  which  did,  as 
it  were,  annihilate  anv  period  of  mortal  life.’  Doddr. 

NOTES.  Chap.  HI.  V.  1— 5.  Acts  17:10-15.  18:1—6.  Timothy 
came  from  Berea  to  Athens,  while  Paul  was  there;  but  it  seems  that 
Silas  did  not.— The  apostle,  being  anxious  about  the  new  converts  at 
Thessalonica,  could  not  endure  to  remain  any  longer  in  suspense,  or  to 


A.  D.  55. 

2  And  sent  *  Timotheug,  our 
brother,  and  minister  of  God,  and 
our  fellow-laborer  in  the  gospel  of 
Christ,  to  establish  you,  and  to 
comfort  you  concerning  your  faith; 

8  That  b  no  man  should  be  mov¬ 
ed  by  these  afflictions  :  for  your¬ 
selves  know  that  we  care  appointed 
thereunto. 

4  For  verily,  when  we  were  with 
you,  we  told  you  before  that  we 
should  suffer  tribulation  ;  even  as 
it  came  to  pass,  and  ye  know. 

5  For  this  cause,  when  dI  could 
no  longer  forbear,  1  sent  to  know 
your  faith,  lest  c  by  some  means  the 
tempter  have  tempted  you,  and  our 
labor  { be  in  vain. 

6  But  now  when  Timotheus  came 
from  you  unto  us,  and  brought  us 
good  tidings  of  your  faith  and  char¬ 
ity,  and  that  ye  have  good  remem¬ 
brance  of  us  always,  desiring  sgreat- 
ly  to  see  us,  as  we  also  to  see  you  ; 

7  Therefore,  brethren,  we  were 
comforted  h  over  you,  in  all  our 
affliction  and  distress,  by  your  faith: 

8  For  now  we  live,  if  ye  stand 
fast  '  in  the  Lord. 

9  For  what  thanks  can  we  render 
to  God  again  for  you,  for  all  the 
joy  wherewith  we  joy  for  your 
sakes  before  our  God  ; 

10  Night  and  day  praying  ex¬ 
ceedingly  that  we  might  see  your 
face,  and  might  perfect  ithat  which 
is  lacking  in  your  faith  ? 

fi  Ac.  17:15.  d  ver.  1.  i  Ep.  6:13,14. 

b  Ep.  3:13.  e2Co.  11:2,8.  Phi.  4:1. 

c  Jn.  16:2.  1  Co.  f  Ga.  4:11.  J  2  Co.  13:9,11. 

4:9.  2  Ti.  3:12.  g  Phi.  1:8.  Col.  4:12. 

1  Pe.  2:21.  h  2  Co.  7:6,7. 

tie’s  humility,  and  showed  his  desire  to 
honor  Timothy,  and  to  recommend  him  to 
the  esteem  of  the  churches.  He  calls  him 
also  a  minister  of  God,  also  his  fellow-laborer 
in  the  Gospel  of  Christ.  Note,  Ministers  of 
the  Gospel  must  look  upon  one  another  as 
fellow-laborers ;  and  should  therefore  love 
one  another,  and  strengthen  one  another’s 
hands,  not  strive  and  contend  one  with  an¬ 
other. 


1  THESSALONIANS,  III. 

II.  Paul’s  end  and  design  in  sending 
Timothy,  v.  2.  He  was  desirous  they  might 
be  confirmed  and  comforted  ;  confirmed  in 
the  choice  they  had  made  of  the  Christian 
religion,  and  comforted  in  the  profession  and 
practice  of  it;  concerning  the  object  of  their 
faith,  the  truths  of  the  Gospel  ;  and  partic¬ 
ularly  that  Jesus  Christ  was  the  Savior  of 
the  world,  and  so  wise  and  good,  so  power¬ 
ful  and  faithful,  that  they  might  relv  on 
Him  :  concerning  the  recompense  of  faith, 
which  was  more  than  sufficient  to  balance 
all  their  losses,  and  reward  all  their  labors. 

III.  His  motives:  a  godly  fear  or  jealousy, 
lest  they  should  be  moved  from  the  faith  of 
Christ,  v.  3.  He  apprehended  there  was 
danger,  and  feared  the  consequence. 

1.  There  was  danger,  by  reason  of  his 
afflictions,  v.  3.  They  might  possibly  stum¬ 
ble  at  them ;  also,  those  who  made  profession 
of  the  Gospel  were  persecuted,  and  without 
doubt  these  Thessalouiaus  themselves  were 
afflicted. 

2.  By  reason  of  the  tempter's  subtlety  and 
malice,  v.  5.  The  devil  is  subtle  and  un¬ 
wearied,  seeks  opportunity  to  beguile  and 
destroy,  and  takes  all  advantages  against 
us,  both  in  prosperity  and  adversity  ;  we 
have  reason,  therefore,  to  be  jealous  over 
ourselves  and  others,  lest  we  be  insnared 
by  him. 

The  consequence  the  apostle  feared,  was, 
lest  his  labor  should  be  in  vain.  And  thus  it 
would  have  been,  if  the  tempter  had  tempt¬ 
ed  them,  and  prevailed  against  them,  to 
move  them  from  the  faith.  Note,  It  is  the 
devil’s  design,  to  hinder  the  good  fruit  and 
effect  of  the  preaching  of  the  Gospel.  Note, 
also,  Faithful  ministers  are  much  concerned 
about  the  success  of  their  labors  ;  and  are 
loath  to  spend  their  strength,  and  pains,  and 
time,  for  nought. 

To  prevent  this  danger,  with  its  bad  con¬ 
sequence,  the  apostle  tells  them  what  care 
he  took  in  sending  Timothy.  (I.)  To  put 
them  in  mind  of  what  he  had  told  them  be¬ 
fore,  concerning  suffering  tribulation,  v.  4. 
It  only  came  to  pass  according  as  God  had 
determined  ;  so  that  they  should  not  think 
it  strange,  and,  being  fore-warned,  should 
be  fore-armed.  Besides,  it  might  prove  a 
confirmation  of  their  faith,  when  they  per¬ 
ceived,  that  it  only  happened  to  them  as 
was  predicted  before. 

(2.)  To  knots  their  faith:  that  so  he  might 
inform  the  apostles,  whether  they  remained 
steadfast  under  all  their  sufferings,  whether 


Account  of  Timothy Js  mission. 

their  faith  failed  or  not.  Because,  if  their 
faith  did  not  fail,  they  would  be  able  to 
stand  their  ground  against  the  tempter  and 
all  his  temptations  :  their  faith  would  be  a 
shield,  to  defend  them  against  all  the  fiery 
darts  of  the  wicked,  Eph.  6:  16. 

V.  6 — 10.  Here  we  have  Paul’s  great 
satisfaction,  on  the  return  of  Timothy  with 
good  tidings  from  the  Thessalonians.  In’ 
which  we  may  observe, 

I.  The  good  report  Timothy  made  of  them, 
v.  6.  Without  question,  he  was  a  willing 
messenger  of  these  good  tidings.  As  to  their 
faith,  they  were  steadfast,  not  shaken  in 
mind,  nor  turned  aside  from  the  profession 
of  the  Gospel.  Their  love  also  continued  ; 
their  love  to  the  Gospel,  and  the  minis¬ 
ters  of  the  Gospel;  for  they  remembered  the 
apostles,  constantly,  or  always,  and  desired 
greatly  to  see  them  again,  and  receive  some 
spiritual  gift  from  them  ;  and  there  was  no 
love  lost,  for  the  apostle  was  as  desirous  to 
see  them.  It  is  happy  where  there  is  such 
mutual  love  between  minister  and  people. 

II.  The  great  comfort  and  satisfaction  (he 
apostle  had  in  this  good  report  concerning 
them,  v.  7,  8.  The  apostle  thought  this 
sufficient  to  balance  all  the  troubles  he  met 
with.  Thus,  he  was  not  only  comforted, 
but  greatly  rejoiced  also,  v.  8.  It  would 
have  been  a  killing  thing  to  the  apostles,  if 
the  professors  of  religion  had  been  unsteady, 
or  proved  apostates,  whereas  nothing  was 
more  encouraging  than  their  constancy. 

III.  The  effects  of  this  were  thankfulness 
and  prayer  to  God  on  their  behalf. 

1.  Observe,  How  thankful  the  apostle 
was,  v.  9.  When  we  are  most  cheerful,  we 
should  be  most  thankful.  Paul  speaks,  as 
if  he  could  not  tell  how  to  express  his 
thankfulness  to  God,  or  his  joy  and  rejoic¬ 
ing  for  their  sakes.  His  heart  was  enlarged 
with  love  to  them,  aud  with  thanksgiving  to 
God. 

2.  He  prayed  for  them  night  and  day, 
v.  10.  evening  and  morning,  or  very  fre¬ 
quently;  in  the  midst  of  the  business  of  the 
day,  or  slumber  of  the  night.  Thus  we 
should  pray  always.  And  Paul’s  prayer  was 
fervent  prayer.  He  prayed  exceedingly ,  and 
was  earnest  in  his  supplication.  There  was 
something  still  lacking  in  their  faith  ;  Paul 
desired  that  this  might  be  perfected,  and  to 
see  their  face  in  order  thereunto.  Note, 

(I.)  The  best  men  have  something  want¬ 
ing  in  their  faitli  ;  in  the  matter  of  it,  there 
being  some  mysteries  or  doctrines  not  suffi- 


act  as  if  he  were  unconcerned  for  tlieir  welfare.  2  Cor.  2:12,  13.  7:5 — 7. 
he  therefore  decidedly  chose,  and  submissively  acquiesced,  to  be  left  alone 
at  Athens,  though  that  must  have  been  very  inconvenient  to  him;  and 
he  sent  back  Timothy  to  Thessalonica,  to  establish  the  Christians  of 
that  city  in  the  faith;  by  suitable  instructions,  which  lie  was  eminently 
qualified  to  give  them,  and  to  exhort  and  encourage  them  to  hold  fast 
their  profession,  whatever  opposition  they  might  meet  with,  by  assuring 
them  of  peculiar  protection,  consolation,  and  reward. — Some  would  ex¬ 
plain  vvhat  the  apostle  here  speaks  concerning  persecution,  exclusively 
of  himself  and  the  other  apostles  and  evangelists,  as  if  the  enemies 
pleaded  this  argument  against  the  divine  original  of  Christianity;  and  as 
if  the  danger  of  the  Thessalonians  arose,  not  from  any  persecutions  to 
which  they  themselves  xvere  exposed,  but  from  the  vain  reasonings  of 
their  heathen  neighbors,  respecting  those  which  the  apostle  endured, 
and  his  leaving  Thessalonica  on  account  of  them.  But  the  Thessalonians 
were  themselves  exposed  to  persecution,  as  all  must  expect  to  he  ‘  who 
live  godly  in  Christ  Jesus ;  ’  and  what  they  suffered  or  dreaded  would 
be  at  least  as  likely  to  ‘  move  them,’  as  any  reasonings  of  their  enemies; 
and  such  reasonings  of  philosophical  opposers  do  not  appear  to  have 
existed  at  so  early  a  period.  Pref.—Ads  14:21—23.  2  Thes.  1:3,  4. 
(1)  We  thought  it  good.]  Mat.  3:17.  17:5. — The  apostle  here  speaks  in 
the  plural,  having  Timothy  with  him,  in  consulting  xvhat  to  do  ;  but 
afterwards  he  uses  the  sintrutar,  5. — (3)  Be  moved.]  It  includes  the 
effects  of  persuasions  and  allurements,  as  well  as  those  of  terror.  Sc. 

(1.)  Left  alone.]  ‘  From  this  circumstance  it  appears,  Silas  was  ab¬ 
sent  from  Paul,  while  that  apostle  was  at  Athens, — though  others  have 
been  of  a  different  opinion.  Comp.  Ac.  18:5.  which  seems  farther  to 
confirm  the  fact.’  Donnn. 

(2.)  Sent  Timotheus.]  ‘It  appears  from  Ac.  17:14.  that  Timothy 
had  been  in  those  parts  before,  as  Paul's  fellow-laborer,  and  so  no  doubt 
be  was  known  to  the  Thessalonians,  and  his  coming  on  this  occasion, 
would  he  the  more  agreeable  to  them.’  Id. — Our  brother.]  1  Onr  broth¬ 
er-minister,  or  colleague.  See  Col.  1:1.  This  is  not  a  mere  term  of 
affection. — Minister  of  God.]  ‘  A  general  term,  denoting  all  teachers  of 
religion,  nay,  even  apostles  themselves.  Seel  Cor.  3  5.  By  all  these 
terms,  the  apostle  means  to  hint,  that  he  hud  supplied  his  absence  by  an 
able  substitute. — Establish  ..  and  comfort.]  The  most  natural  sense, 
and  that  most  agreeable  to  the  adjunct  “  concerning  your  faith,"  is, 

[444] 


teach,  instruct ;  as  in  v.  2,  3.  and  Ac.  15:20.  where  the  two  are  likewise 
joined.  It  may,  however,  signify  both  teach  and  admonish;  since  the 
senses  are  cognate.  The  Thessalonians  had,  it  seems,  been  wavering 
for  want  of  instruction  and  admonition.’  Bloomf. 

(3.)  For  yourselves  know ,  &c]  ‘  I  would  here  compare  Job  5:7.  and 
2  Tim.  3:12.  Commentators  are  not  agreed,  whether  the  words  are  to 
l>e  referred  to  the  apostles,  or  extended  to  the  Thessalonians ,  or  to  ail 
Christians.  It  should  seem,  that  they  are  here  meant  only  of  the  apos¬ 
tles  and  Thessalonians,  but  they  are  applicable  to  all  Christians,  accord¬ 
ing  to  the  circumstances  of  the  Gospel.’  In. — 1  The  people  of  God  have 
the  same  need  of  affliction  as  our  bodies  have  of  physic  ;  that  our  trees 
have  of  pruning  ;  that  gold  and  silver  have  of  the  furnace ;  that  liquors 
have  of  straining;  that  iron  hath  of  the  file;  aud  that  the  child  hath  of 
the  rod.’  Philip  Henry. 

(5.)  1  Here  we  have  a  resumption  of  what  was  said  v.  1,  and  2.  The 

best  modern  commentators  have  (after  Grotius)  taken  tempted  to  signify, 
tempt  with  effect,  successfully  to  tempt ,  citing  Ga.  6:1.  Jn.  1:13.’  Bn. 

V.  6 — 10.  During  Timothy’s  absence,  Paul  departed  from  Athens  to 
Corinth,  whither  Timothy  and  Silas  also  returned  to  him.  The  tidings 
which  he  received  from  Thessalonica,  concerning  the  faith  and  love  of 
the  brethren  in  that  city,  and  their  affectionate  remembrance  of  him,  and 
earnest  reciprocal  desire  to  see  him,  were  so  entirely  satisfactory,  that 
they  not  only  relieved  his  mind  from  anxiety,  but  abundantly  compen¬ 
sated  for  all  his  other  trials  and  distresses,  and  filled  his  benevolent 
heart  with  consolation.  Nor  could  he  find  language  sufficiently  energetic 
to  express  the  gratitude  which  he  owed  to  God,  and  the  thanks  which 
he  was  excited  to  render  Him,  on  their  account,  and  for  that  overflow¬ 
ing  joy,  with  which  this  inspired  his  heart  before  God.  —  ‘  Estius  ob¬ 
serves,  from  the  9th  verse,  that  both  the  apostles' joy,  and  their  faith 
and  constancy,  were  the  gift  of  God  ;  ...  for  giving  of  thanks  is  not  ex¬ 
cept  for  benefits  received.  He  might  also  have  observed,  the  excellent 
pattern  the  apostle  here  gives  to  all  the  bishops  and  pastors  of  the 
church,  to  be  continually  solicitous  to  know  of  the  welfare  of  their  flock, 
incessantly  praying  for  it,  blessing  God  daily  for  it,  and  looking  upon  it 
as  the  very  felicity  of  their  own  lives.’  Whitby.  Scott. 

(8.)  Live.]  ‘  It  is  well  known  that,  in  the  sacred  xvritings,  life  is  put 
for  happiness.  I.et  it  be  the  life  of  ministers,  to  see  [the  flocks  of  their 
charge]  standing  fast  in  the  Lord.’  Doddr. 


A.  D.  55. 


1  THESSALONIANS,  IV. 


Exhortation  to  holiness. 


11  Now  God  himself  and  our 
Father,  and  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ, 
k  direct  our  way  unto  you. 

12  And  the  Lord  make  you  to 
increase  and  abound  in  love  1  one 
toward  another,  and  toward  all 
men,  even  as  we  do  toward  you  : 

13  To  the  end  he  may  stablish 
your  hearts  m  unblamable  in  holi¬ 
ness  before  God,  even  our  Father, 
at  the  coming  n  of  our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ  with  all  his  saints. 

CHAP.  IV. 

1  He  exhorteth  them  to  go  forward  in  all  manner  of  god¬ 
liness,  6  to  live  holily  and  justly,  9  to  love  one  another, 
11  and  quietly  to  follow  their  own  business  :  13  and  last 
of  all  to  sorrow  moderately  for  the  dead.  15  And  unto 
this  last  exhortation  is  annexed  a  brief  description  of  the 
resurrection,  and  second  coming  of  Christ  to  judgment. 

Furthermore  then  we  » 

beseech  you,  brethren,  and 
b  exhort  you  by  the  Lord  Jesus,  that 
as  ye  have  received  of  us  how  ye 
ought  to  walk  c  and  to  please  God, 
so  ye  would  abound  d  more  and 
more. 

2  For  ye  know  what  command¬ 
ments  we  gave  you  by  the  Lord 
Jesus. 

3  For  this  is  the  will  of  God,  even 
your  sanctification,  that  eye  should 
abstain  from  fornication  : 

4  That  every  one  of  you  should 
know  how  to  possess  his  vessel  in 
sanctification  and  honor  ; 


k  or,  guide. 

1  1  Jn  4:7—12. 
m  2  Th.  2:17. 

1  Jn.  3:20,21. 


n  Zee.  14:5. 

Jude  14. 
a  or,  request. 
b  or,  beseech. 


c  Col.  1:10. 
d  1  Co.  15:53. 
e  l  Co.  6.15,18. 


ciently  known  or  believed  by  them  ;  or,  in 
the  clearness  and  certainty  of  it,  there  being 
some  remaining  darknesses  and  doubtings  ; 
or,  at  least,  as  to  the  effects  and  operations  of 
it,  these  being  not  so  conspicuous  and  per¬ 
fect  as  they  should  be.  And, 

(2.)  The  ministry  of  the  word  and  ordi¬ 
nances  is  helpful,  and  to  be  desired  and  used 
for  the  perfecting  of  that  which  is  lacking  in 
our  faith. 

V.  11 — 13.  In  these  words  we  have  the 
earnest  prayer  of  the  apostle.  In  which, 
observe, 

I.  Whom  he  prays  to,  namely,  God  and 
Christ;  to  God  only;  to  God,  even  the  Father 
and  our  F.ather ;  and  to  Christ,  even  our  Lord 
Jesus  Christ.  Therefore,  Jesus  Christ  our 
Lord  is  God,  even  as  God  our  Father  is 
God.  Prayer  is  to  be  offered  to  God  as  our 
Father.  So  Christ  taught  his  disciples  to 
pray  ;  and  so  the  Spirit  of  adoption  prompts 
them  to  pray,  to  cry  Abba,  Father.  Prayer 
is  not  only  to  be  offered  in  the  name  of 


Christ,  but  to  Christ  Himself,  as  our  Lord 
and  our  Savior. 

II.  What  he  prays  for,  with  respect  to 
himself  and  his  fellow-laborers,  then  on  be¬ 
half  of  the  Thessalonians. 

1.  He  prays  that  they  might  have  a  pros¬ 
perous  journey  to  them  by  the  will  of  God, 
v.  11.  The  taking  of  a  journey,  one  would 
think,  is  a  thing  depending  so  much  on  a 
man’s  own  will,  and  lies  so  much  in  his  own 
power,  that  Paul  needed  not  by  prayer  to  go 
to  God  about  it.  But  the  apostle  knew  that 
we  depend  on  God  in  all  our  motions  and 
actions,  as  well  as  for  the  continuance  of 
life  and  being.  Our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  in  a 
particular  manner,  directs  the  motion  of  his 
faithful  ministers,  those  stars  which  He  holds 
in  his  right  hand.  Let  us  acknowledge  God 
in  all  our  ways,  and  He  will  direct  our  paths. 

2.  He  prays  for  the  prosperity  of  the 
Thessalonians,  whether  he  should  have  an 
opportunity  of  coming  to  them  or  not  :  two 
things  he  desired  for  them: 

(1.)  That  they  might  increase  and  abound 
in  love,  v.  12.  love  to  one  another,  and  love 
to  all  men.  Love  is  of  God,  and  the  fulfil¬ 
ling  of  the  gospel  as  well  as  of  the  law. 
Timothy  brought  good  tidings  of  their  faith, 
and  charity,  and  love,  yet  the  apostle  prays 
that  that  might  increase  and  abound.  Note, 
We  have  reason  to  desire  to  grow  in  every 
grace,  have  need  of  the  Spirit’s  influence  in 
order  to  it,  and  the  way  to  obtain  that  is 
prayer.  And  to  our  prayer  we  must  add 
endeavor.  To  excite  this  in  the  Thessalo¬ 
nians,  the  apostle  again  mentions  his  love, 
his  abounding  love,  toward  them.  The  more 
we  are  beloved,  the  more  affectionate  we 
should  be. 

(2.)  That  they  might  be  established  un¬ 
blamable  in  holiness,  v.  13.  This  spiritual 
benefit  is  mentioned  as  an  effect  of  increas¬ 
ing  and  abounding  love  :  to  the  end tAat  He, 
the  Lord,  may  establish  your  hearts.  Our 
desire  should  be,  to  have  our  hearts  estab¬ 
lished  in  holiness  before  God,  and  be  pre¬ 
served  safe  to  the  coming  of  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ  ;  and  that  we  may  be  unblamable 
before  God,  even  the  Father,  now,  and  be 
presented  blameless  before  the  throne  of  his 
glory,  when  the  Lord  Jesus  will  come  with 
all  his  saints.  Note,  The  Lord  Jesus  will 
certainly  come,  and  come  in  his  glory. 
When  He  comes,  his  saints  will  come  with 
Him  :  and  then  the  excellency,  as  well  as 
the  necessity  of  holiness,  will  appear  ;  be¬ 
cause,  without  this,  no  hearts  shall  be  estab¬ 
lished  at  that  day,  nor  shall  any  one  be 
unblamable,  or  avoid  everlasting  condem¬ 
nation.  _ 

Chap.  IV.  V.  1 — 8.  Here  we  have, 

I.  An  exhortation  to  abound  more  and 
more  in  holiness,  v.  1,  2.  In  which,  we  may 
observe, 


1.  The  manner  of  the  exhortation, — very 
affectionate.  The  apostle  entreats  them  as 
brethren  ;  he  is  unwilling  to  take  any  deni¬ 
al,  and  repeats  his  exhortation  again  and 
again. 

2.  The  matter  of  his  exhortation  ;  that 
they  would  abound  more  and  more  in  holy 
walking,  or  excel  in  those  things  that  are 
good,  in  good  works.  We  must  not  only 
persevere  to  the  end,  but  grow  better,  and 
walk  more  evenly  and  closely  with  God. 

3.  The  arguments  with  which  he  enforces 
his  exhortation.  They  had  been  informed 
of  their  duty,  and  could  not  plead  their  ig¬ 
norance  as  an  excuse.  Observe,  The  de¬ 
sign  of  the  Gospel  is,  to  teach  men  not.  only 
what  they  should  believe,  but  also  how  they 
ought  to  live  :  not  so  much  to  fill  men’s 
minds  with  notions,  as  to  regulate  their 
temper  and  behavior.  The  apostle  taught 
them  how  to  walk,  not  how  to  talk.  To 
talk  well  without  living  well,  will  never 
bring  us  to  heaven  :  for  the  character  of 
those  who  are  in  Christ  Jesus,  is  this;  They 
walk  not  after  the  flesh,  but  after  the  Spirit. 
Another  argument  is,  he  taught  and  exhort¬ 
ed  them  in  the  name,  or  by  the  authority,  of 
the  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  He  was  Christ’s 
nfinister  and  ambassador,  declaring  to  them 
what  was  the  will  and  command  of  the 
Lord  Jesus.  Again,  Herein  they  would 
please  God.  God  is  glorious  in  holiness. 
This  ought  to  be  the  aim  and  ambition  of 
every  Christian,  to  please  God,  and  to  be 
accepted  of  Him.  Again,  The  rule  accord¬ 
ing  to  which  they  ought  to  walk  and  act, 
was  an  argument, — the  commandments  they 
had  given  them  by  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ. 
The  apostles  were  only  commissioned  by 
Him,  to  teach  men  to  observe  all  things 
whatsoever  He  had  commanded  them.  Mat. 
28:  20. 

II.  A  caution  against  uncleanness,  that 
being  a  sin  directly  contrary  to  sanctifica¬ 
tion,  or  that  holy  walking  he  so  earnestly 
exhorts  them  to.  This  caution  is  expressed 
in  these  words;  That  ye  should  abstain  from 
fornication,  v.  3.  By  which,  understand, 
all  uncleanness  whatsoever,  either  in  a  mar¬ 
ried  or  unmarried  state.  Adultery  is,  of 
course,  included,  though  fornication  is  par¬ 
ticularly  mentioned.  And  other  sorts  of  un¬ 
cleanness  are  also  forbidden,  of  which,  it  is 
a  shame  even  to  speak,  though  they  are  done 
by  too  many  in  secret.  All  that  is  contra¬ 
ry  to  chastity  in  heart,  speech,  and  be¬ 
havior,  is  contrary  to  the  command  of  God 
in  the  decalogue,  and  contrary  to  that  holi¬ 
ness  which  the  gospel  requires. 

Several  arguments  enforce  this  caution. 
As,  1.  This  branch  of  sanctification,  in  par¬ 
ticular,  is  the  will  of  God,  v.  3.  God  re¬ 
quires  holiness-in  the  heart,  and  purity  in  our 
bodies,  and  that  we  should  cleanse  ourselves 
from  all  filthiness  both  of  flesh  and  spirit, 


PRACT.  OBS.  The  love  which  zealous  ministers  of  Christ  bear  to 
their  people,  and  the  longing  desires  after  their  salvation  which  they  ex¬ 
perience,  and  desire  to  cherish,  cannot  wholly  be  separated  from  painful 
solicitude  on  their  account. — In  the  most  peaceful  times,  every  Christian 
should  ‘count  his  cost,’  and  remember  that  the  followers  of  Christ  are 
1  appointed  to  suffer  ’  affliction:  Luke  14:25 — 33.  and  ministers  should 
not  shun  to  forewarn  their  hearers,  that  they  may  be  prepared  for  the 
cross,  and  meet  every  trial  with  watchfulness  and  prayer;  as  in  this 
manner  they  will  best  be  preserved  constant  and  ‘  steadfast  in  the  faith.’ 
So  many  indeed,  who  for  a  time  made  a  creditable  profession  of  the  Gos¬ 
pel,  have  been  overcome  in  the  day  of  trial,  that  the  experienced  minis¬ 


ter  will  generally  feel  a  degree  of  anxiety;  and  he  will  not  fail  to  caution 
the  people  to  be  on  their  guard,  1  lest  by  any  means  the  tempter  should 
tempt  them,  and  his  labor  should  be  in  vain.’  But  in  proportion  to  these 
solicitudes  will  be  his  rejoicing,  when  he  finds  that  his  beloved  children 
.‘stand  fast  in  the  faith,’  and  walk  in  love,  and  that  their  remembrance 
of  him,  and  affection  to  him,  correspond  with  his  feelings  towards  them. 
..  .  — May  the  Lord  make  all,  who  are  called  the  ministers  of  Christ, 
partakers  of  this  faithful,  loving,  diligent,  and  disinterested  spirit  !  May 
He  prosper  all  their  labors  and  ‘comfort  their  hearts’  with  numbers  of 
converts  like  these  Thessalonians,  and  may  He  send  forth  numbers  of 
such  laborers  into  all  the  nations  of  the  earth  1  Scott. 


V.  11 — 13.  ‘This  invocation  of  Him,’  (Christ,)  by  all  Christians,  in 
all  places,  must  suppose  Him  omniscient,  omnipresent,  and  the  Searcher 
of  all  hearts,  and  these  are  the  properties  of  God  alone.’  Whitby.  Sc. 

(11.)  Now  God  Himself  and  our  Father,  &c.]  1  God  Himself,  even 

our  Father,’  <&c.  Doddr.  and  Bloomf. — Direct  our  way.]  1  An  elegant 
way  of  saving  :  “May  God  cause  us  to  come  unto  you  ;  ”  this  being  a 
sort  of  prayer  to  the  Father  and  the  Son.  Thus  we  have  here  an  exam¬ 
ple  of  prayer  addressed  to  Christ;  as  2  Thess.  2:16,  17.  and  3:5.  &c. 
Benson  contends,  the  prayers  are  addressed  to  Christ  as  Mediator.  But 
I  apprehend  this  to  be  a  mistake,  and  a  most  umvarrantable  refinement. 
Prayer,  offered  up  by  all  Christians,  in  all  places,  implies  omniscience, 
omnipresence,  and  a  searching  of  all  hearts  in  the  Being  so  addressed  ; 
therefore,  as  this  implies  Deity,  prayers  must  be  offered  to  Him  in  that 
capacity  :  it  were  frivolous  then  to  address  Him  as  Mediator.’  Bl. 

(13.)  At  the  coming,  &c.]  ‘Some  ancients  and  some  eminent  mod¬ 
erns,  as  Grot.,  Wolf,  Koppe,  and  Rosenm-,  interpret  it,  the  angels,  ac¬ 


cording  to  the  usual  description  of  the  day  of  judgment.  But  most 
ancients,  including  the  Vul.,  and  most  moderns,  our  Eng.  Trans.,  Beza, 
and  Benson,  [also  Doddr.,]  take  it  to  denote  all  faithful  Christians,  as 
2  Thess.  1:10.  Phil.  5.  Perhaps  both  may  be  meant.’  Bl.  Unblamable 
in  holiness.]  ‘Hypocrites  long  for  discoveries,  more  for  the  present 
comfort  of  them,  and  from  a  notion  that  they  are  aAuanifestation  of  the 
love  of  God,  than  for  their  sanctifying  influence.  But  neither  longings 
after  discoveries,  nor  for  the  love,  of  God  ;  nor  desiring  to  be  in  heaven, 
or  to  die,  is  so  distinguishing  a  mark  of  true  piety,  as  earnest  desires 
after  holiness  of  heart  and  life.’  Edwards. 

NOTES.  Chap.  IV.  V.  4.  His  vessel.]  ‘  I.  e.  his  body.  The  wo¬ 
man  beingselsewhere  called  “the  weaker  vessel,”  implies  that  the  man 
is  a  vessel  also.  1  Pet.  3:7.  And  our  apostle,  himself,  speaks  of  himselt 
and  brethren  as  “earthen  vessels.”  2  Cor.  4:7.’  Williams.  Bloomfield 
also  savs,  ‘his  own  body,’  is  ‘the  only  interpretation  that  will  bear 
examining.’  £44^ 


1 


A.  D.  55. 


1  THESSALONIANS,  IV. 


Of  brotherly  love,  and  quietness. 


5  Not  in  the  lust  of  concupis¬ 
cence,  even  as  the  Gentiles  { which 
know  not  God  : 

6  That  no  man  go  beyond  and 
*  defraud  his  brother  in  h  any  mat¬ 
ter  ;  because  that  the  Lord  is  the 
avenger  of  all  such,  as  we  also  have 
forewarned  you  and  testified. 

7  For  God  hath  not  called  us  un¬ 
to  uncleanness,  but  1  unto  holiness. 

8  He  therefore  that  J  despiseth, 
despiseth  not  man,  but  God,  who 
hath  also  given  unto  us  his  holy 
Spirit. 

[Practical  Observations.] 

9  But  as  touching  brotherly  love, 
ye  need  not  that  I  write  unto  you  ; 
for  ye  yourselves  are  taught  k  of 
God  to  love  one  another. 

10  And  indeed  ye  do  it  toward 
all  the  brethren  which  are  in  all 
Macedonia  :  but  we  beseech  you, 
brethren,  that  ye  increase  more 
and  more  : 

1 1  And  that  ye  study  to  be  quiet, 
and  to  1  do  your  own  business,  and 
to  work  with  your  own  hands,  as 
we  commanded  you  ; 

f  Ep.  4:17,18.  1  Le.  11:44.  He.  j  or,  rcfecteth. 

g  ort  oppress,  or,  12: 1 4 .  1  He.  1 : 14  k  Jn.  15:12,17. 

overreach.  — 16.  1  1  Pe.  4:15. 

h  or,  in  the. 

2  Cor.  7: 1.  Anri  as  chastity  is  one  branch 
of  our  sanctification,  so  this  is  one  thing 
God  commands  in  his  law,  and  what  his 
grace  effects  in  all  true  believers.  2.  This 
will  be  greatly  for  our  honor:  so  much  is 
plainly  implied,  v.  4.  Whereas  the  con¬ 
trary  will  be  a  great  dishonor,  Prov.  6:  33. 
The  body  is  here  called  the  vessel  of  the 
soul,  that  dwells  therein,  so  1  Sam.  21:  5. 
and  that  must  b6  kept  pure  from  defiling 
lusts.  What  can  be  more  dishonorable,  than 
for  a  rational  soul  to  be  enslaved  by  bodily 
affections  and  brutal  appetites  1  3.  To  in¬ 
dulge  the  lust  of  concupiscence,  is  to  live 


and  act  like  heathens  ;  even  as  the  Gentiles 
who  know  not  God,  v.  5.  It  is  not  so  much 
to  be  wondered  at,  if  Gentiles  indulge  their 
fleshly  appetites  and  lusts  ;  but  Christians 
should  not  walk  as  unconverted  Gentiles,  in 
lasciviousness,  lusts,  excess  of  wine,  revellings, 
banquetings,  &c.  1  Pet.  4  :  3.  for  they  who 
are  in  Christ  have  crucified  the  flesh,  with  its 
affections  and  lusts.  4.  The  sin  of  unclean¬ 
ness,  especially  adultery,  is  a  great  injustice, 
that  God  will  be  the  Avenger  of;  so  we  may 
understand  those  words.  That  no  man  go  be¬ 
yond  or  defraud  his  brother,  v.  6.  in  any  mat¬ 
ter, — in  this  matter,  namely,  the  sin  of  un¬ 
cleanness.  Some  understand  it,  as  a  further 
warning  and  caution  against  injustice  and 
oppression,  all  fraud  and  deceit  in  our  deal¬ 
ings  with  men,  which  are  certainly  criminal 
and  contrary  to  the  Gospel.  But  the  mean¬ 
ing  may  rather  be,  to  show  the  injustice  and 
wrong  that  in  many  cases  are  done  by  the 
sin  of  uncleanness.  Not  only  are  fornica¬ 
tion  and  other  acts  of  uncleanness  sins 
against  his  own  body  who  commits  them, 
1  Cor.  6  :  IS.  but  sometimes  they  are  very 
injurious,  and,  no  less  than  defrauding,  acts 
of  injustice  to  others  ;  particularly  to  them 
who  are  joined  together  in  the  marriage- 
covenant,  and  to  their  posterity.  And  as 
this  sin  is  of  such  a  heinous  nature,  so  it 
follows,  that  God  will  be  the  Avenger  of  it. 
Heb.  13:4.  Ro:n.  1:18.  5.  The  sin  of 

uncleanness  is  contrary  to  the  nature  and 
design  of  our  Christian  calling,  v.  7.  The 
law  of  God  forbids  all  impurity,  and  the 
gospel  requires  the  greatest  purity ;  it  calls 
us  from  uncleanness  unto  holiness.  6.  The 
contempt,  therefore,  of  God’s  law  and  gos¬ 
pel,  is  the  contempt  of  God  Himself.  He 
that  despises,  despises  God,  not  man  only. 
Some  might  possibly  make  light  of  the  pre¬ 
cepts  of  purity  and  holiness,  because  they 
heard  them  from  men  like  themselves  ;  but 
tlte  apostle  lets  them  know  they  were  God's 
commands,  and  to  violate  them  was  no  less 
than  to  despise  God.  He  adds,  God  hath 
given  Christians  his  Spirit  intimating,  that 
all  sorts  of  uncleanness  especially  grieve 
the  Holy  Spirit,  and  provoke  Him  to  with¬ 
draw  from  us  ;  and  also  the  Holy  Spirit  is 
given  unto  us,  to  arm  us  against  these  sins. 


and  to  help  us  to  mortify  these  deeds  of  the 
body,  that  we  may  live,  Rom.  8: 13. 

V.  9 — 12.  Here  we  have  the  great  duty, 

I.  Of  brotherly  love.  This  he  exhorts 
them  to  increase  in  yet  more  and  more. 
The  exhortation  is  introduced,  not  with  a 
compliment,  hut  with  a  commendation;  be¬ 
cause  they  were  remarkable  in  the  exercise 
of  it,  which  made  it  less  needful  he  should 
write  to  them  about  it,  v.  9.  Note,  we 
should  notice  that  in  others  which  is  good, 
to  their  praise,  that  by  so  doing  we  may  lay 
engagements  on  them  to  abound  therein 
more  and  more.  Observe,  the  apostle  com¬ 
mends  in  them,  not  so  much  their  own  virtue 
as  God’s  grace ;  yet  he  notices  the  evidence 
they  showed  of  grace,  v.  9.  All  who  are 
savingly  taught  of  God,  are  taught  to  love 
one  another.  Note,  also,  The  teaching  of 
the  Spirit  exceeds  the  teaching  of  men  ; 
none  can  teacli  so  effectually  as  He  teaches; 
and  men’s  teaching  is  vain  and  useless,  un¬ 
less  God  teach  also.  The  Thessaloniana 
gave  good  evidence  of  their  being  taught 
of  God,  v.  10.  They  not  only  loved  those 
of  their  own  city  and  society,  or  such  as 
were  near  them,  and  just  of  their  own  sen¬ 
timents;  but  their  love  was  extensive.  And 
a  true  Christian’s  is  so  to  all  the  saints, 
though  distant  from  him  in  place,  and  differ¬ 
ing  from  him  in  some  opinions  or  practices 
of  less  moment. 

The  exhortation  itself  is,  to  increase  more 
and  more  in  this  great  grace  and  duty  of 
brotherly  love,  v.  10.  Though  these  Tlies- 
salonians  had  in  some  sense  no  need  of  an 
exhortation  to  brotherly  love,  as  if  it  were 
wholly  wanting;  yet  they  must  lie  exhorted 
to  pray  and  labor  for  more.  None  on  this 
side  heaven  are  perfect  in  love. 

II.  Of  quietness  and  industry  in  their 
callings.  Observe, 

1.  The  apostle  exhorts  to  these  duties, 
v.  11.  It  is  most  desirable  to  have  a  calm 
and  quiet  temper,  and  to  be  of  a  peaceable 
and  quiet  behavior.  This  tends  much  to 
our  own  and  others’  happiness,  and  we 
should  study  how  to  be  calm  and  quiet  in 
our  own  minds,  and  toward  others  ;  or  of  a 
meek,  mild,  gentle,  peaceable  disposition, 
not  given  to  strife,  contention,  or  division. 


PRACT.  OBS.  V.  1 — 8.  The  ministers  of  Christ  are  bound  to  in¬ 
struct  their  flocks,  not  only  in  the  great  doctrines  and  promises  of  the  Gos¬ 
pel,  hut  also  in  every  part  of  their  duty,  that  they  may  ‘  know  how  they 
ought  to  walk  and  to  please  God ;  ’  and  Christians  should  as  readily  re¬ 
ceive  these  instructions,  as  they  do  the  most  encouraging  declarations 
of  saving  grace,  and  everlasting  love.  They  should  also  take  in  good 
part,  the  earnest,  repeated,  affectionate,  and  authoritative  exhortations 
of  their  pastors,  when  they  1  beseech  and  charge  ’  them  to  abound  ‘  more 
and  more  ’  in  every  good  work,  according  to  ‘  the  commandments  given 
thorn  in  the  name  of  the  Lord  Jesus.’ — It  is  a  deep  disgrace  to  a  rational 
creature  to  be  a  slave  to  his  animal  inclinations,  and  to  act  contrary  to 
his  better  judgment,  his  true  interest,  or  the  welfare  of  his  neighbor,  for 
the  sake  of  gratifications,  of  which  t lie  beasts  are  equally  capable  ;  hut 
it  is  far  more  dishonorable  for  a  spiritual  man,  a  child  of  God,  a  member 
of  Christ,  a  temple  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  and  an  heir  of  heaven,  to  have  his 
mind  and  body  polluted,  or  unfitted  for  communion  with  God,  by  unlaw¬ 
ful  or  inexpedient  gratifications,  or  even  by  improper  thoughts  and  de¬ 
sires.  Yet  in  many  cases  this  will  not  be  avoided,  without  very  strict 
watchfulness,  and  fervent,  persevering  prayer;  without  diligence  in 


every  mean  of  grace,  and  a  constant  care  to  shun  all  temptations  or 
occasions  of, evil.  It  is  equally  inconsistent  with  the  character  of  a 
Christian,  to  "go  oeyona  or  defraud  his  brother  in  any  matter,’  or  to 
injure  him  in  his  property,  reputation,  or  connexions.  This  too  calls  tor 
the  most  diligent  care,  and  the  most  impartial  scrutiny  into  every  part  of 
our  conduct ;  for  self-love,  and  the  customs  of  the  world,  and  even  former 
habits  will  otherwise  lead  us,  without  reflection,  in  some  measure,  to 
violate  the  golden  rule  of ‘doing  to  others,  as  we  would  they  should 
do  unto  us.’  If  a  believer  he  led  to  commit  offences  of  this  kind,  the  Lord 
will  surely  chastise  him,  and  thus  bring  him  to  repent  and  forsake  them. 
. . .  For  the  Lord  has  not  called  us  into  a  state  of  peace  with  Him,  that 
we  may  go  on  in  the  polluting  practice  of  xvorldlv  lusts,  but  that,  de¬ 
pending  on  his  promises,  ‘  we  may  cleanse  ourselves  from  all  filthiness 
of  flesh  and  spirit,  perfecting  holiness  in  the  tear  of  God.’  (Note,  2  Cor. 
7:1.)  And  let  it  he  remembered,  that  he  who  despises  such  admonitions, 
does  not  so  much  despise  him  who  enforces  them  from  the  pulpit  or  the 
press,  ns  that  God  by  whose  Spirit  they  were  originally  dictated  ;  yea, 
he  as  really  despises  God,  as  that  man  does,  who  contemns  the  message 
of  salvation  by  the  grace  of  the  Gospel.  (Note,  1  Sam.  12:9,  10.)  Sc. 


V.  G — 8.  In  like  manner,  the  apostle  warned  the  Thessalonians,  not 
to  overreach,  or  defraud,  their  brethren  or  neighbors  in  any  transaction, 
either  by  taking  advantage  of  their  ignorance,  necessity,  or  credulity;  by 
exacting  immoderate  profits,  or  by  any  of  those  artifices  and  subterfuges, 
which  selfishness  devises  to  impose  upon  the  unwary,  without  ruining 
men’s  credit,  or  incurring  punishment  by  human  laws.  (Marg.  Ref. — 
Notes,  Ex.  20:15.  1  Cor.  6:7 — 11.)  Such  disjionest  persons  might  not  be 
detected,  or  could  not  be  called  to  account,  by  men  ;  hut  the  Lord  would 
not  suffer  their  hypocrisy  and  injustice  to  escape  witlt  impunity,  being 
Himself  ‘  the  Avenger  of  all  ’  clandestine  frauds  and  impositions,  as  well 
as  of  open  injustice  and  oppression.  ( Marg .  Ref.  s.)— -The  word  1  tin- 
cleanness,’  here  used,  has  led  many  learned  expositors  to  explain  the 
sixth  verse  of  clandestine  adultery.  But,  if  fornication  were  forbidden, 
adultery  must  be  of  course;  for  even  the  Gentiles  condemned  adultery, 
while  they  connived  at  fornication  ;  nay,  in  fact,  they  sanctioned  it, 
when  committed  only  with  slaves  and  courtezans;  as  it  is  evident  from 
the  writings  of  Demosthenes,  Cicero,  and  others.  This  interpretation  is 
far  from  the  most  obvious  meaning  of  the  passage;  dishonesty  is  as  in¬ 
consistent  with  Christianity  as  licentiousness,  and,  in  this  overreach¬ 
ing,  frudulent  manner,  perhaps  even  more  common  ;  and  the  word 
‘  uncleanness,’  may  either  he  referred  to  what  went  before, %r  be  under¬ 
stood  as  a  general  word  for  wickedness,  all  xvhich  is  filthiness  in  Hie 
sight  of  God. — Notwithstanding  the  excellent  state  of  the  Thessalonian 
church,  some  might  have  found  admission  into  it,  who  would  speak  of 
the  doctrines  and  comforts  of  Christianity,  and  yet  affect  to  despise 

[446] 


these  practical  exhortations,  as  inconsistent  with  the  grace  and  liberty 
of  the  Gospel  ;  hut  the  apostle  reminded  them,  that  in  so  doing,  they  did 
not  despise  him,  or  Silvanus,  or  Timothy,  hut  God  Himself,  who  had 
given  them  his  Holy  Spirit,  by  whose  inspiration  these  exhortations 
lmd  been  written. — ‘  In  this  passage,  Paul  asserts  his  oxvn  inspiration,  in 
the  strongest  terms,  and  with  the  greatest  solemnity.’  Mackn.  Sc- 

(6.)  Go  beyond  and  defraud,  &c.]  ‘Injuring  their  neighbor’s  bed  is 
no  doubt  included,  hut  I  see  no  reason  for  limiting  the  clause  to  such  a 
sense.’  Doddk. — Bloomfield  expresses  his  surprise,  that  Doddr.  should 
‘  unite  both  senses,’  and  adds  :  ‘  Almost  all  the  Greek  fathers  and  com¬ 
mentators,  and.  of  the  Latin  ones,  Jerome  and  Hilary,  and  many  modern 
ones,  refer  this  to  adultery  ;  which  was  formerly  my  own  opinion,  and 
certainly  is  much  countenanced  by  the  context  from  v.  4.  But  when 
we  turn  to  the  phraseology,  there  appears  little  to  countenance  the  in¬ 
terpretation  It  is  well  remarked  by  Koppe,  that  the  expression  of  all, 
[Avenger  of  all  such,  i.  e.  vices,]  intimates,  that  the  apostle  xvas  speak¬ 
ing  of  more  titan  one  vice,  namely,  fornication.  And  it  is  xvortliy  of 
observation,  that  the  apostle  elsewhere,  ns  in  Eph.  5:5.  and  Heb.  3:4. 
associates  the  vices  of  fornication  and  covetousness,  as  being,  we  may 
conceive,  the  txvo  especially  prevalent.’  Ed. 

V.  11.  Do  your  own  business.]  ‘  An  exhortation  peculiarly  proper  to 
the  Thessalonians,  as  there  seems  to  have  been  a  meddling,  pragmatical 
temper  prevailing  among  some  of  them,  2Thess.  3:11.  xvhich  tended  much 
to  the  reproach  of  their  profession.’  Doddr.  See  excellent  considerations 
on  this  subject  in  IVayland's  ‘  Limitation  of  Human  Responsibility.’  Ed, 


A.  D.  55. 


1  THESSALONIANS,  IV.  Paul  comforts  the  Thessalonians, 


12  That  ye  may  walk  honestly 
m  toward  them  that  are  without, 
and  that  ye  may  have  lack  of  n  no¬ 
thing. 

13  But  I  would  not  have  you  to 
be  ignorant,  brethren,  concerning 
them  which  are  asleep,  that  ye 
sorrow  not,  even  as  others  which 
have  no  hope. 

14  For  if  we  believe  that  Jesus 
died  and  rose  again,  even  so  “them 
also  which  sleep  in  Jesus  will  God 
bring  with  him. 

•  15  For  this  we  say  unto  you  by 

the  word  of  the  Lord,  that  we 
which  are  alive,  and  remain  unto 
the  coming  of  the  Lord,  shall  not 
prevent  them  which  are  asleep. 

16  For  p  the  Lord  himself  shall 
descend  from  heaven  with  a  shout, 
with  the  voice  of  the  archangel, 
and  with  the  trump  of  God  :  and 
the  dead  in  Christ  shall  rise  q  first: 

17  Then  we  which  are  alive  and 
remain,  shall  he  caught  up  together 
with  them  in  r  the  clouds,  to  meet 
the  Lord  in  the  air  :  and  so  shall 
we  ever  be  ’with  the  Lord. 

m  Ro.  13:13.  p  Mat.  24:30,  31.  q  Re.  50:5,8. 

n  or,  n>  max.  Ac  1:11  r  Re.  11:12. 

o  1  Co.  15:k.O,  &c.  2  Th.  1:7.  s  Jn.  14:3. 


Satan  is  very  busy  to  disquiet  us  ;  and  we 
have  that  in  our  own  hearts,  that  disposes 
us  to  be  unquiet;  therefore,  let  ns  study  to  be 
quiet.  It  follows.  Do  your  own.  business; 
when  we  go  beyond  that,  we  expose  our¬ 
selves  to  great  inquietude.  Those  who 
meddle  in  other  men’s  matters,  generally 
have  but  little  quiet  in  their  own  minds, 
and  cause  great  disturbances  among  their 
neighbors  ;  at  least,  they  seldom  mind  the 
oilier  exhortation,  to  be  diligent  in  their 
own  calling,  to  wrrk  with  their  own  hands  : 
yet  this  the  apostle  commanded  them,  and 
it  is  required  of  us  also.  Christianity  does 
not  discharge tjs  from  the  work  and  duty  of 
our  particular  callings,  but  teaches  us  to  be 
diligent  therein. 

2.  The  exhortation  is  enforced  with  a 
double  argument  :  namely,  (1.)  So  we 
shall  live  creditably,  walking  honestly,  or 
decently,  toward  them  that  are  without, 
v.  12.  a  great  ornament  to  a  religion.  (2.) 
We  shall  live  comfortably ,  and  luck  nothing, 
v.  12.  People  often  by  their  slothfulness 
reduce  themselves  to  great  straits,  when 
such  as  are  diligent  in  their  own  business. 


live  comfortably,  and  have  lack  of  nothing. 
They  are  not  burdensome  to  their  friends, 
nor  scandalous  to  strangers.  They  earn 
their  own  bread,  and  have  the  greatest 
pleasure  in  so  doing. 

V.  13 — 18.  In  these  words  the  apostle 
comforts  the  Thessalonians,  who  mourned 
for  the  death  of  their  relations  and  friends 
that  died  in  the  Lord.  His  design  is,  to 
dissuade  them  from  excessive  grief,  or  inor¬ 
dinate  sorrow,  on  that  account.  All  grief 
for  the  death  of  friends  is  far  front  being 
unlawful ;  yet  we  must  not  be  immoderate  or 
excessive  in  our  sorrows;  because, 

I.  This  looks  as  if,  like  the  Gentiles,  we 
had  no  hope,  v.  13.  wdtereas,  we  Christians 
have  a  most  sure  hope,  the  hope  of  eternal 
life  after  this,  which  God,  who  cannot  lie, 
hath  promised  Us ;  this  hope  should  more 
than  balance  all  our  griefs  on  account  of 
any  crosses  of  the  present  time. 

II.  This  is  an  effect  of  ignorance  con¬ 
cerning  those  who  are  dead,  v.  13.  Some 
things  we  cannot  but  be  ignorant  of,  con¬ 
cerning  them;  for  the  land  they  are  removed 
to,  is  a  land  of  darkness.  Death  is  an  un¬ 
known  thing,  and  the  state  of  the  dead,  or 
the  state  after  death,  we  are  much  in  the 
dark  about  ;  yet  some  things  concerning 
them,  especially,  who.  die  in  the  Lord,  we 
need  not,  and  ought  not,  to  be  ignorant  of: 
and  if  those  things  are  rightly  understood 
and  duly  considered,  they  wifi  be  sufficient 
to  allay  our  sorrow  concerning  them. 

1.  They  sleep  in  Jesus,  v.  13.  1  Cor.  15: 
18.  Death  is  but  a  sleep  to  them  ;  their 
rest,  an  undisturbed  rest.  They  are  retired 
out  of  this  troublesome  world,  to  rest  from 
all  their  labors  and  sorrows,  and  they  sleep 
in  Jesus,  v.  14.  in  union  with  Him,  and  un¬ 
der  his  special  care  and  protection;  so  that 
they  are  not  lost,  nor  are  they  losers,  but 
great  gainers,  by  death,  and  their  removal 
out  of  this  world  is  into  a  better. 

2.  They  shall  be  raised  up  from  the  dead, 
and  awakened  out  of  their  sleep,  for  God 
will  bring  them  with  Him,  v.  14.  The  doc¬ 
trine  of  the  resurrection,  and  the  second 
coming  of  Christ,  is  a  great  antidote  against 
the  fear  of  death,  and  inordinate  sorrow  for 
the  death  of  Christian  friends  ;  and  this 
doctrine  we  have  a  full  assurance  of,  be¬ 
cause  we  believe  that  Jesus  died  and  rose 
again,  v.  14. 

3.  Their  state  and  condition  shall  be  glo¬ 
rious  and  happy  at  the  second  coming  of 
Christ.  The  resurrection  of  the  dead,  and 
future  state  of  blessedness,  though  a  part  of 
the  creed  of  the  O.  T.  saints,  yet  is  much 
more  clearly  revealed  in  and  by  the.  Gospel, 
this  Word  of  the  Lord,  v.  15. 

(1.)  The  Lord  Jesus  will  ?ome  from 


heaven,  v.  16.  will  descend  into  this  our  air, 
v.  17.  The  appearance  will  be  with  pomp 
and  power,  with  a  shout, — as  of  a  King,  and 
a  mighty  Conqueror,  with  the  voice  of  the  arch¬ 
angel  ;  an  innumerable  company  of  angels 
will  attend  Him  ;  perhaps  one,  as  general 
of  those  hosts  of  the  Lord,  shall  give  notice 
of  his  approach;  and  the  glorious  appear¬ 
ance  of  this  great  Redeemer  and  Judge 
shall  be  proclaimed  and  ushered  in,  by  the 
trump  of  God.  For  the  trumpet  shall  sound, 
and  that  will  wake  them  that  sleep  in  the 
dust  of  the  earth,  and  shall  summon  all  the 
world  to  appear.  For, 

(2.)  The  dead  shall  be  raised,  The  dead 
in  Christ  first,  v.  16.  so  those  who  shall  then 
be  found  alive, -shall  not  prevent  them  that  are 
asleep ,  v.  15.  The  first  care  of  the  Re¬ 
deemer  in  that  day,  will  be  about  his  dead 
saints  ;  He  will  raise  them  before  the  great 
change  passes  on  them  that  shall  be  found 
alive  ;  so  that  those  who  did  not  sleep  in 
death,  will  have  no  greater  privilege  or  joy 
at  that  day  than  those  who  fell  asleep  in 
Jesus. 

(3.)  They  that  shall  be  found  alive,  will 
then  be  changed.  They  shall  be  caught  up 
together  with  them  in  the  clouds,  to  meet  the 
Lord  in  the  air,  v.  17.  At,  or  immediately 
before,  this  rapture  into  the  clouds,  those 
who  are  alive  will  undergo  a  mighty  change, 
that  will  be  equivalent  to  dying.  This 
change  is  so  mysterious,  that  we  cannot 
comprehend  it,  1  Cor.  15:51.  Only  we 
know,  in  the  general,  this  mortal  must  put  on 
immortality ;  and  these  bodies  be  made  fit  to 
inherit  the  kingdom  of  God,  which  fleshand 
blood,  in  its  present  state,  are  not  capable 
of.  This  change  will  be  in  a  moment, 
1  Cor.  15  :  52.  in  the  very  instant,  or  not 
long  after  the  raising  up  of  them  that  sleep 
in  Jesus.  And  those  who  are  raised,  and 
thus  changed,  shall  meet  together  in  the 
clouds,  and  there  meet  with  their  Lord,  to 
congratulate  Him  on  his  coming,  to  receive 
the  crown  of  glory  He  will  then  bestow  on 
them,  and  to  be  assessors  with  Him  in 
judgment,  approving  and  applauding  the 
sentence  He  will  then  pass  on  the  prince  of 
the  power  of  the  air,  and  all  the  wicked, 
who  shall  be  doomed  to  destruction  with  the 
devil  and  his  angels. 

(4.)  Here  is  the  bliss  of  the  saints  at  that 
day;  they  shall  be  ever  with  the  Lord,  u.  17. 
It  will  be  some  part  of  their  felicity,  that 
they  all  shall  meet  together,  and  remain  to¬ 
gether  for  ever:  but  the  principal  happiness 
of  heaven  is  this,  to  be  with  the  Lord,  to  see 
Him,  live  with  Him,  and  enjoy  Him,  for 
ever.  This  should  comfort  the  saints  on 
the  death  of  their  pious  friends  :  that,  al¬ 
though  death  has  made  a  separation,  y'et 


V.  13—18.  ( Notes ,  1  Cor.  15:20 — 28,  50—54.)  Perhaps  the  apostle 

heard,  that  some  of  the  Thessalonian  believers  had  lately  died,  orsutTered 
martyrdom,  and  that  their  relatives  and  brethren  were  greatly  dejected 
about  them,  not  duly  attending  to  the  consolations  suggested  by  the 
Gospel. — Some  suppose,  that  the  apostle  expected  to  live  till  the  day  of 
judgment,  because  he  spoke  in  the  first  person  plural,  concerning  those 
who  should  be  alive  at  that  lime;  but  he  elsewhere  spoke  of  being  ab¬ 
sent  from  the  body,  and  of  being  ‘raised  up  with  Jesus.’  2  Cor.  4:14. 
5:8.  He  was  one,  who  remained  alive  after  others  had  been  removed; 
his  faith  and  hope  annihilated,  as  it  were,  the  intervening  space ;  his 
love  made  him  consider  the  cause  of  the  whole  multitude  ns  his  own, 
and  it  is  evident  that  he  did  not  speak  it  personally  of  himself;  for  when 
the  Thessalonians  imagined  that  ‘  the  day  of  judgment  was  at  hand,’  he 
diligently  set  himself  to  rectify  that  mistake.  2  Thes.  2:1,2.  As  the 
apostle  expressly  declares,  that  he  spake  ‘  by  the  xvord  of  the  I.ord,’  or 
by  divine  inspiration,  the  consequences  of  allowing  him  to  be  mistaken 
in  what  he  said,  should  very  seriously  be  considered.  Similar  expres¬ 
sions  may  be  found  in  other  parts  of  Scripture.  Ps.  66:6.  81:5.  Hos.  12: 

4.  Some  suppose,  that  Christ  llimself  was  meant  by  ‘the  archangel,’ 
being  1  the  ruler  of  all  angels,’  but  as  we  must  understand  the  words 
‘  the  I.ord,’  of  Him,  it  seems  not  natural  to  explain  another  term  in  the 
same  sentence  of  Him  likewise  ;  and  many  intimations  are  given  of  dif¬ 
ferent  ranks  and  orders  among  the  holv  angels.  (Comp.  2  Pet.  2:11. 
Jude  9.— Notes,  Eph.  1:15—23,0.  21.  3:9—12.  1  Pet.  3:21,  22,  V.  21. 
Jude  9:10.) — The  resurrection  of  believers  is  exclusively  meant,  as  every 
attentive  reader  must  perceive;  therefore  all  speculations  concerning 
the  bodies  with  which  the  wicked  shall  arise,  (a  matter  on  which  the 
Scripture  observes  a  profound  silence,)  must  be  wholly  foreign  to  the 
subject.  (Notes,  Eph.  1:21.  3:9.  1  Pet.  3:22.)  The  notions  which  pre¬ 
vailed  among  the  Gentiles,  left  them  totally  destitute  of  a  firm,  well- 
grounded,  and  animating  hope  of  again  meeting  their  deceased  friends, 
in  a  state  of  happiness;  and  so  do  the  notions  on  these  subjects  of 
merely  nominal  Christians. — Some  expositors  have  said,  that  the  ex¬ 


pression  ‘  So  shall  we  ever  be  with  the  Lord,’  implies-that  the  souls  of 
believers  are  not  previously,  at  least  not  permanently,  with  Him  ;  but 
has  not  the  apostle  expressly  assured  us  of  the  contrary  ?  2  Cor.  5:8. 

Phil.  1:23,  24.  (15)  By  the  word  of  the  Lord.}  1  Kings  13:1. — In  the 

air.]  See  on  Eph.  2:2. — Christ  shall  ‘come  in  the  clouds;’  ‘the  air’ 
here  means  the  same,  and,  however  understood,  has  no  reference  to  the 
reality  of  that  kingdom,  which  his  saints  shall  then  inherit.  Scott. 

(15.)  The  word  of  the  Lord.]  ‘  Express  word  of  the  Lord,  on  the  au¬ 
thority  of  an  immediate  revelation  from  Christ  Himself.’  Doddr. — Re¬ 
main  alive.]  ‘This  has  been  understood  by  many,  as  an  intimation, 
that  the  apostle  expected  to  be  found  alive  at  the  day  of  judgment ;  and, 
on  that  interpretation,  some  have  urged  it  as  an  instance  of  his  enter¬ 
taining,  at  least  for  a  time,  mistaken  notions  on  that  hend,  as  if  the  day 
of  the  Lord  were  nearly  approaching.  But  this  is  directly  contrary  to 
his  own  explication  of  the  matter,  2  Thess.  2:1,  <fcc.  as  well  as  other 
passages,  in  which  he  expresses  his  expectation  of  death.  Comp.  Phil. 
1:20.  and  1  Cor.  6:14.  2  Cor.  4:14.  2  Tim.  4:6.  Others  have  pleaded 
this  passage  in  favor  of  the  doctrine  of  the  resurrection  of  some  of  the 
most  eminent  saints,  before  the  main  body  of  believers,  to  share  with 
Christ  in  the  glories  and  felicities  of  his  personal  reign  on  earth.  But  to 
me  it  seems  most  natural  to  suppose,  Paul  here  speaks  as  one  of  the 
Christian  body,  though  he  was  not  one  of  that  particular  number,  con¬ 
cerning  whom  he  directly  asserts  what  is  here  said.’  Doddr. 

(16.)  The  dead  in  Christ  shall  rise  first.]  ‘It  has  generally  been 
inferred  hence,  that,  good  men  shnll  rise  before  the  wicked,  and  1  Cor. 
15:23.  seems  to  favor  it.  But  this  text  only  asserts  their  rising  before 
the  saints,  who  are  found  alive  shall  be  changed.’  Doddr. — ‘  As  the  best 
commentators  are  agreed,  nothing  is  either  here,  or  at  1  Cor.  15.  said  of 
the  wicked,  dead  or  living;  as  the  description  of  their  case  could  have 
been  no  consolation  to  Christians  under  the  loss  of  friends.  Isloomf. 

(17.)  Clouds .]  ‘Clouds  sometimes  signify  great  multitudes  of  peo¬ 
ple.  See  Ileb.  12:1.  According  to  this  sense,  the  meaning  will  be, 
“  caught  up  in  great  numbers  at  once.”  ’  Hewlett. 

[447] 


A.  D.  55. 


1  THESSALQNIANS,  V.  Duties  urged,  in  view  of  the  judgment. 


18  Wherefore  ‘comfort  one  an¬ 
other  with  these  words. 

CHAP.  V. 

1  He  proceedeth  in  the  former  description  of  Christ’9  com¬ 
ing  to  judgment,  16  and  giveth  diverg  precepts,  23  and 
so  conclndeth  the  epistle. 

BUT  of  the  times  and  the  sea¬ 
sons,  brethren,  ye  have  no 
need  that  I  write  unto  you. 

2  For  yourselves  know  perfectly 
that  the  day  of  the  Lord  so  cometh 
•as  a  thief  in  the  night. 

3  For  when  they  shall  say,  Peace 
and  safety  ;  then  sudden  destruction 
cometh  upon  them,  as  travail  bupon 
a  woman  with  child;  and  they  shall 
not  escape. 

4  But  cye,  brethren,  are  not  in 
darkness,  that  that  day  should  ovei-- 
take  you  as  a  thief. 

5  Ye  are  all  the  children  of  light, 
and  the  children  of  the  day  :  we 
are  not  of  the  night,  nor  of  dark¬ 
ness. 

6  Therefore  d  let  us  not  sleep,  as 
do  others  ;  but  let  us  watch  and  be 
'  sober. 

7  For  they  that  sleep,  sleep  in 
the  night ;  and  they  that  be  drunk¬ 
en,  are  drunken  in  the  night. 

8  But  let  us,  who  are  of  the  day, 
be  sober,  putting  on  the  breast- 
plate  fof  faith  and  love;  and  for 
an  helmet,  the  hope  of  salvation. 

9  For  God  hath  not  appointed 
*  us  to  wrath,  but  to  obtain  salva¬ 
tion  by  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ, 


t  or,  exhort. 
a  I.u.  12:39,40. 
2  Pe.  3:10. 
Re.  16:5. 
b  Je.  13:21. 


c  Ep.  5:8. 

1  Jn.  2:8. 
d  Mat.  25:5. 
Ro.  13:12,13. 


e  1  Pe.  5:8. 
f  Is.  59:17. 
g  Ro.  9:22. 
1  Pe.  2:8. 


their  souls  and  bodies  will  meet  again  ;  we, 
and  they,  with  all  the  saints,  shall  meet  our 
Lord,  and  be  with  Him  for  ever.  The  apos¬ 
tle  would  have  us  comfort  one  another  with 
these  words,  v.  18.  We  should  endeavor  to 
support  one  another  in  times  of  sorrow, 
by  serious  consideration  and  discourse  on 
the  many  good  lessons  to  be  learned  from  the 
doctrine  of  the  resurrection  of  the  dead,  the 
second  coming  of  Christ,  and  the  glory  of 
the  saints  in  that  day. 

Chap.  V.  V.  1 — 5.  In  these  words, 
observe, 

1.  The  apostle  tells  the  Thessalonians,  it 


was  useless  to  inquire  about  the  particular 
time  of  Christ’s  coming,  v.  1.  The  thing  is 
certain,  Christ  will  come,  and  a  certain  time 
is  appointed  for  his  coming  ;  but  he  need 
not  write  about  that,  and  therefore  had  no 
revelation  about  it  ;  nor  should  they  or  we 
inquire  into  this  secret,  which  the  Father  has  j 
reserved  in  his  own  power.  Of  that  day  and 
hour  knoweth  no  man.  There  are  times  and 
seasons  for  us  to  do  our  work  in ;  these  it  is 
our  duty  and  interest  to  know  and  observe; 
but  the  time  and  season  when  we  must  give 
up  our  account,  we  know  not,  nor  is  it  need¬ 
ful  we  should. 

2.  He  tells  them  the  coming  of  Christ 
would  be  sudden,  and  a  great  surprise  to 
most  men,  v.  2.  And  this  is  what  they  knew 
perfectly,  or  might  know,  because  our  Lord 
Himself  had  so  said,  Mat.  24  :  44.  So 
Mark  13  :  35,  36.  And  no  doubt  the  apos¬ 
tle  had  told  them,  as  of  the  coming  of 
Christ,  so  also  of  his  coming  suddenly, 
which  is  the  meaning  of  his  coming  as  a 
thief  in  the  night,  Rev.  16:  15.  The  knowl¬ 
edge  of  this  will  be  more  useful  than  to 
know  the  exact  time,  because  this  should 
awaken  us  to  stand  on  our  watch,  that  we 
may  be  ready  whenever  He  cometh. 

3.  He  tells  them  how  terrible  Christ’s 
coming  would  be  to  the  ungodly,  v.  3.  The 
righteous  God  will  bring  ruin  on  his,  and 
his  people’s  enemies  ;  and  this,  their  de¬ 
struction,  as  it  will  be  total  and  final,  so  it 
will  be  sudden,  and  unavoidable  ;  there  will 
be  no  means  possible  for  them  to  avoid  the 
terror  or  the  punishment  of  that  day, — no 
shelter  from  the  storm,  or  shadow  from  the 
burning  heat  that  shall  consume  the  wicked. 

4.  He  tells  them  how  comfortable  this  day 
will  be  to  the  righteous,  v.  4,  5.  They  are 
not  in  darkness  ;  but  are  the  children  of  the 
light,  &c.  This  was  the  happy  condition 
of  the  Thessalonians,  and  is  of  all  true 
Christians.  They  were  not  in  a  state  of  sin 
and  ignorance,  as  the  heathen  world.  They 
were  sometime  darkness,  but  were  made  light 
in  the  Lord.  And  this  was  their  great  ad¬ 
vantage,  that,  on  this  account,  that  day 
should  not  overtake  them  as  a  thief,  v.  4. 
They  had  fair  warning  and  sufficient  helps 
to  provide  against  that  day,  and  might  hope 
to  stand  with  comfort  and  confidence  before 
the  Son  of  man.  This  would  be  a  time  of 
refreshing  to  them,  from  the  presence  of  the 
Lord,  who,  to  them  that  look  for  Him,  will 
appear  without  sin  unto  their  salvation,  and 
will  come  to  them  as  a  friend  in  the  day, 
not  as  a  thief  in  the  night.' 

V.  6 — 10.  On  what  had  been  said,  the 
apostle  grounds  seasonable  exhortations  to 
several  needful  duties. 


I.  To  watchfulness  and  sobriety,  v.  6. 
duties  distinct,  yet  mutually  befriending  one 
another.  For  while  we  are  compassed 
about  with  so  many  temptations  to  intem¬ 
perance  and  excess,  we  shall  not  keep  sober, 
unless  we  be  on  our  guard  ;  and  unless  we 
keep  sober,  we  shall  not  long  watch.  The 
generality  of  men  are  too  careless  of  their 
duty,  and  regardless  of  their  spiritual  ene¬ 
mies.  Either  they  do  not  consider  the 
things  of  another  world  at  all,  because  they 
are  asleep  ;  or  they  do  not  consider  them 
aright,  because  they  dream.  But  let  us 
watch,  and  act  like  men  that  are  awake, 
and  that  stand  on  their  guard. 

Let  us  also  be  sober,  or  temperate  and 
moderate.  Sobriety  is  usually  opposed  to 
excess  in  meats  and  drinks,  and  here,  par¬ 
ticularly,  it  is  opposed  to  drunkenness  :  but 
it  also  extends  to  all  other  temporal  things. 
Thus  our  Savior  warned  his  disciples,  Luke 
21  :  34.  Our  moderation,  then,  as  to  all 
temporal  things,  shoidd  be  known  to  all  men, 
because  the  Lord  is  at  hand. 

Beside  this,  watchfulness  and  sobriety 
are  most  suitable  to  the  character  and  privi¬ 
lege  of  Christians,  as  being  children  of  the 
day,  v.  7.  What  !  shall  Christians,  who 
have  the  light  of  the  blessed  Gospel  shining 
in  their  faces,  be  careless  about  their  souls, 
and  unmindful  of  another  worldl  They  who 
have  so  many  eyes  on  them,  should  conduct 
themselves  with  peculiar  propriety. 

II.  To  be  well  armed,  as  well  as  watch¬ 
ful  :  to  put  on  the  whole  armor  of  God. 
And  this  is  necessary,  in  order  to  such  so¬ 
briety  as  becomes  us,  and  will  be  a  prepara¬ 
tion  for  the  day  of  the  Lord ;  because  our 
spiritual  enemies  are  many,  mighty,  and 
malicious;  draw  many  to  their  interest,  and 
keep  them  in  it,  by  making  them  careless, 
secure,  and  presumptuous,  by  making  them 
drunk  ;  drunk  with  pride  and  passion,  and 
giddy  with  self-conceit ;  drunk  with  the  grat¬ 
ifications  of  sense  :  so  that  we  have  need  to 
arm  ourselves  against  their  attempts,  by  put¬ 
ting  on  the  spiritual  breast-plate,  to  keep  the 
heart,  and  the  spiritual  helmet,  to  secure 
the  head  ;  and  this  spiritual  armor  consists 
of  the  three  great  graces  of  Christians, 
faith,  love,  and  hope,  v.  8.  Faith  will  keep 
us  watchful  and  sober.  If  we  believe  the 
eye  of  God  is  always  upon  us,  that  we  have 
spiritual  enemies  to  grapple  with,  that  there 
is  a  world  of  spirits  to  prepare  for,  we  shall 
see  reason  to  watch  and  be  sober.  Love, 
also,  will  be  our  defence.  True  and  fervent 
love  to  God,  and  the  things  of  God,  will 
keep  us  watchful  and  sober,  and  hinder  our 
apostasy  in  times  of  trouble  and  temptation. 
And  we  must  make  salvation  our  hope,  for 


TRACT.  OBS.  V.  9 — 18.  All  true  believers  are  ‘  taught  of  God  to 
love  one  another,’  as  brethren  in  Christ,  and  from  love  to  his  name  : 

1  Jn.  2:7 — 11.  3:13 — 15,  18 — 24.  4:7,  8.  5:1 — 3.  by  practice  they  acquire 
habits  of  kindness,  compassion,  forbearance,  and  forgiveness,  and  they 
feel  an  expansive  benevolence  to  all  mankind;  yet,  it  is  very  proper  to 
exhort  them  to  ‘increase’  in  these  things  ‘more  and  more.’— Chris¬ 
tianity  does  not  forbid,  grace  does  not  extinguish,  our  natural  affections ; 
but  only  teaches  us  to  regulate  and  moderate  them.  Indeed,  inconsola¬ 
ble  sorrow,  however  admired  by  the  world,  is  rebellion  against  the  ap¬ 
pointment  of  God,  and  the  offspring  of  unbelief;  grief  should  no  more  be 
indulged  and  cherished,  than  our  anger  or  other  passions.  Nor  shall 
such  of  us,  as  endure  the  stroke  of  death,  be  eventually  less  favored  and 

NOTES.  Chap.  V.  V.  1 — 3.  As  the  hour  of  death  is  the  same  to 
each  person,  which  judgment  will  be  to  mankind  in  general,  so  the, 
same  remarks  and  illustrations  equally  answer  to  both  cases;  and  when’ 
sinners  are  flattering  themselves  with  the  hope  of  ‘  peace  and  safety,’ 
then  sudden  destruction  will  come  upon  them.  As  the  woman  with  child, 
often,  when  she  is  thinking  of  something  else,  is  suddenly  seized  with  her 
travailing  pangs,  which  will  unavoidably  increase  upon  her;  so  ungodly 
men  have  abundant  reason  to  look  forward  with  terror  to  death  and  judg¬ 
ment  ;  yet  they  are  employed  and  amused  by  so  many  other  matters,  that 
they  are  suddenly  surprised  with  those  solemn  events,  when  they  least  ex¬ 
pect  them,  and  this  first  astonishment  xvill  be  followed  with  increasing 
misery,  from  which  it  will  be  impossible  for  them  ever  to  escape.  The  for¬ 
mer  ch.  ends  with  a  special  revelation,  concerning  the  Lord’s  coining  to 
judgment ;  and  the  beginning  of  this  ought  certainly  to  be  interpreted  of 
the  same  grand  events.  Scott. 

(1.)  ‘  As  the  apostle  had  treated  of  the  second  coming  of  Christ,  of 
the  resurrection  of  the  pious  dead,  of  the  transformation  of  fhe  living, 
and  of  their  being  all  made  happy  with  Christ;  some  might  inquire, 
when  shall  these  things  be  ?  and  what  shall  be  the  sign  ?  He,  therefore, 
v.  1 — 11.  endeavors  to  divert  their  minds  from  such  an  improper  inquiry, 

[443] 


happy  than  those,  who  will  be  ‘  found  alive  at  the  coming  of  the  Lord,’ 
that  great  event,  to  which  we  should  continually  look  forward.  For 
when  the  incarnate  Lord  of  ail  worlds  shall  appear,  in  ‘his  own  glory, 
and  in  that  of  the  Father,  with  all  his  holy  angels,’  at  his  summons, 
attended  ‘with  the  voice  of  the  archangel,  and  the  trump  of  God,’  ‘the 
dead  in  Christ  shall  rise  first,’  and,  being  joined  by  their  brethren  then 
living  on  the  earth,  ‘they  shall  meet  their  Lord  in  the  air,’  with  unut¬ 
terable  joy,  and  be  for  ever  with  Him  in  the  regions  of  perfect  felicity. 
May  we,  by  realizing  faith  and  hope,  continually  anticipate  that  solemn 
but  joyful  period,  and  comfort  ourselves  and  each  other  with  these 
words  of  truth  and  love  !  P.  O.  1  Cor.  15:41 — 58.  Scott. 


to  something  of  more  moment,  viz.  that  they  should  so  live  as  to  be  al¬ 
ways  prepared  for  the  coming  of  Christ.’  Bloomf.  —  Times  and  sea¬ 
sons.]  ‘  The  time  and  exact  season  of  Christ’s  coming.’  Id. — ‘  Times  de¬ 
note  periods  of  considerable  duration  ;  seasons  denote  particular  portions 
of  these  periods,  when  some  important  events  connected  with  them  take 
place.’  Davidson,  in  Henry,  abr. 

(3.)  Destruction.]  1  Not  so  much  destruction ,  as  perdition ,  and  that 
judicial ;  as  appears  from  the  nature  of  the  thing,  and  from  2  Thess.  1: 
9. — Also,  it  should  seem  to  give  a  limit  with  respect  to  the  fate  of  the 
wicked  at  the  great  day,  who  were  not  adverted  to  in  the  preceding  pas¬ 
sage  on  the  resurrection.’  Bloomf. 

V.  4 — 11.  The  apostle  judged  it  needful  to  give  these  warnings,  for 
the  benefit  of  those  who  were  negligent  in  preparing  for  ‘  the  coming 
of  the  Lord  ;’  yet  he  was  well  satisfied  as  to  the  Christians  at  Thessa- 
lonica  in  general.  Scott. 

(6.)  ‘  Watching  is  a  point  of  much  importance,  and  is  frequently  in 
Scripture  joined  with  prayer.  Our  hearts  are  a  tinder-box,  ready  to 
take  fire  from  every  spark  ;  and  the  whole  atmosphere  around  us  is  filled 
ivith  scintillations  as  from  a  furnace.  Without  the  most  constant 
watchfulness,  some  flame  will  secretly  kindle,  that  will  burn  up  the 


A.  D.  55. 


1  THESSALONIANS,  V. 


Exhortations  to  several  duties. 


10  Who  died  for  us,  that,  whether 
h  we  wake  or  sleep,  we  should  live 
together  with  him. 

11  Wherefore  '  comfort  your¬ 
selves  together,  and  .edify  one  an¬ 
other,  even  as  also  ye  do. 

[Practical  Observations .] 

12  And  we  beseech  you,  breth¬ 
ren,  to  know  them  J  which  labor 
among  you,  and  are  over  you  in 
the  Lord,  and  admonish  you  ; 

13  And  to  esteem  them  very 
highly  in  love  for  their  work’s 
sake.  And  be  k  at  peace  among 
yourselves. 

14  Now  we  'exhort  you,  breth¬ 
ren,  warn  them  that  are  m  unruly, 
"comfort  the  feeble-minded,  sup¬ 
port  the  0  weak,  be  patient  p  toward 
all  men. 

15  See  that  none  render  9  evil 
for  evil  unto  any  man;  but  ever 
follow  r  that  which  is  good,  both 
among  yourselves,  and  to  all  men. 


h  Ro.  14:8,9. 

2  Co.  5: 15. 
i  or,  exhort. 

\  He.  13:7.17. 
lc  Ma.  9:50. 


1  or,  beseech. 
in  or,  disorderly . 
n  He.  12:12. 
o  Ro.  15:1. 
p  Ep.  4:2. 


q  Pr.20:22.  24:29. 
Mat.  5:39,44. 

1  Pe  3  9. 
r  Ga.  6.10. 


this  good  hope ,  through  grace ,  of  eternal  life, 
will  be  as  a  helmet  to  defend  the  head,  and 
hinder  our  being  intoxicated  with  the  pleas¬ 
ures  of  sin,  which  are  but  for  a  season. 

Having  mentioned  salvation  and  the  hope 
of  it,  the  apostle  shows  what  grounds  and 
reasons  Christians  have,  to  hope  for  this 
salvation  ;  as  to  which,  observe,  he  says 
nothing  of  their  meriting  it.  But  our  hopes 
are  to  be  grounded,  1.  On  God’s  appoint¬ 
ment,  n.  9.  if  we  would  trace  our  salvation 
to  the  first  cause,  that  is  God’s  appointment. 
And  the  sureness  and  firmness  of  the  divine 
appointment  are  the  great  support  and  en¬ 
couragement  of  our  hope.  Were  we  to  ob¬ 
tain  salvation  by  our  own  merit  or  power, 
we  could  have  but  little  or  no  hope  of  it  : 
but  seeing  we  are  to  obtain  it  by  virtue  of 
God’s  appointment,  which,  we  are  sure, 
cannot  be  shaken,  on  that  we  build  unsha¬ 
ken  hope,  especially  when  we  consider,  2. 
Christ’s  merit  and  grace,  and  that  salvation 
is  by  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  who  died  for  us. 
Our  salvation,  therefore,  is  owing  to,  and 
our  hopes  of  it  grounded  on,  Christ’s  atone¬ 
ment,  as  well  as  God’s  appointment:  and  as 
we  should  think  on  God’s  gracious  design 
and  purpose,  so  also  on  Christ’s  death  and 
sufferings,  for  this  end,  that  whether  we  wake 
or  sleep,  whether  we  live  or  die,  for  death  is 
but  a  sleep  to  believers,  (as  the  apostle  had 
before  intimated,)  we  should  live  together  with 
Christ,  live  in  union  and  in  glory  with  Him 
for  ever.  And,  as  the  salvation  Christians 
hope  for,  is,  to  be  for  ever  with  the  Lord,  so 


one  foundation  of  their  hope  is,  their  union 
with  Him. 

V.  11 — 15.  In  these  words  the  apostle 
exhorts  to  several  duties. 

I.  Toward  those  who  were  nearly  related 
one  to  another. 

1.  They  must  comfort  or  exhort  themselves 
and  one  another;  for  the  original  word  may 
be  rendered  both  these  ways.  And  the  way 
to  have  comfort  ourselves,  or  to  administer 
comfort  to  others,  is,  by  compliance  with 
the  exhortation  of  the  Word.  Note,  We 
should  not  only  be  careful  about  our  own 
comfort  and  welfare,  but  to  promote  the 
comfort  and  welfare  of  others  also. 

2.  They  must  edify  one  another,  by  fol¬ 
lowing  after  those  things  whereby  one  may 
edify  another,  Rom.  14:19.  We  should,  every 
one  of  us,  study  what  is  for  the  edification 
of  those  with  whom  we  converse;  please  all 
men  for  their  real  profit,  communicate  our 
knowledge  and  experiences  one  to  another, 
join  in  prayer  and  praise  one  with  another, 
and  set  a  good  example  one  before  another  : 
it  is  the  duty  of  those  especially  who  live  in 
the  same  vicinity  and  family,  thus  to  com¬ 
fort  and  edify  one  another  ;  and  this  is  the 
best  neighborhood,  the  best  means  to  answer 
the  end  of  society.  This  the  Thessalonians 
did,  ( which  also  ye  do,)  and  this  is  what  they 
are  exhorted  to  continue  and  increase  in 
doing.  Note,  Those  who  do  good,  need 
further  exhortations  to  do  more  good. 

II.  He  shows  them  their  duty  toward 
their  ministers,  v.  12,  13.  Though  the  apos¬ 
tle  himself  was  driven  from  them,  yet  they 
had  others  who  labored  among  them,  and  to 
whom  they  owed  these  duties.  The  apostle 
here  exhorts  them  to  observe, 

1.  How  the  ministers  of  the  Gospel  are 
described  by  the  work  of  their  office.  Min¬ 
isters  are  those  who  must  labor  among  their 
people,  labor  with  diligence,  and  unto  wea¬ 
riness,  so  the  original  imports  ;  labor  in  the 
Word  and  doctrine,  1  Tim.  5: 17.  labor  with 
their  people,  to  instruct,  comfort,  and  edify 
them.  Ministers  are  to  rule  their  people, 
also,  so  the  word  is  rendered,  1  Tim.  5: 17. 
not  with  rigor,  but  with  love.  They  are  over 
the  people  in  the  Lord,  to  distinguish  them 
from  civil  magistrates,  and  to  denote,  also, 
that  they  are  but  ministers  under  Christ, 
appointed  by  Him,  and  must  rule  the  people 
by  Christ’s  laws,  and  not  by  laws  of  their 
own.  This  may  also  intimate  the  end  of 
their  office  and  all  their  labor  ;  namely,  the 
service  and  honor  of  the  Lord.  They  must 
also  admonish  the  people,  and  that  not  only 
publicly,  but  privately,  as  there  may  be  oc¬ 
casion.  They  must  instruct  them  to  do  well, 
and  should  reprove,  them  when  they  do  ill. 

2.  What  the  duty  of  the  people  is  toward 
their  ministers.  They  must  know  them. 
As  the  shepherd  should  know  his  flock,  so 
the  sheep  must  know  their  shepherd.  They 
must  know  him  for  their  pastor,  regard  his 
teaching,  ruling,  and  admonitions.  They 
must  esteem  their  ministers  highly  in  love  ; 


greatly  value  the  office  of  the  ministry,  and 
show  all  proper  esteem  and  affection  for  the 
persons  of  their  ministers,  and  this  for  their 
work’s  sake,  because  their  business  is  to  pro¬ 
mote  the  honor  of  Christ,  and  the  welfare 
of  men’s  souls.  Note,  The  work  of  the 
ministry  is  so  far  from  being  a  disgrace  to 
them  who  on  other  accounts  deserve  esteem, 
that  it  puts  an  honor  on  them  who  are  faith¬ 
ful  and  diligent,  which  otherwise  they  coidd 
lay  no  claim  to;  and  will  procure  them  that 
esteem  and  love  among  good  people,  which 
otherwise  they  could  not  expect. 

III.  He  gives  divers  other  exhortations 
touching  the  duty  Christians  owe  to  one 
another. 

1.  To  be  at  peace  among  themselves ,  v.  13. 
Some  understand  this  (so  some  copies)  as 
referring  to  the  people’s  duty  to  their  minis¬ 
ters,  to  live  peaceably  with  them;  and  min¬ 
isters  and  people  should  avoid  everything 
that  tends  to  alienate  their  affections  one 
from  another.  And  the  people  should  be  at 
peace  among  themselves,  doing  all  they  can 
to  hinder  any  differences  from  rising  or 
continuingamong  them,  and  using  all  proper 
means  to  preserve  peace  and  harmony. 

2.  To  warn  the  unruly ,  n.  14.  There  will 
lie  in  all  societies  some  who  walk  disorderly , 
who  go  out  of  their  rank  and  station  :  and 
it  is  not  only  the  duty  of  ministers,  hut  of 
private  Christians  also,  to  warn  and  admon¬ 
ish  them.  Such  should  be  put  in  mind  of 
what  they  should  do,  and  be  reproved  for 
doing  otherwise. 

3.  To  comfort  the  feeble-minded,  v.  14. 
By  these,  are  intended  the  timorous  and 
faint-hearted,  or  such  as  are  dejected  and 
of  a  sorrowful  spirit  :  we  should  not  de¬ 
spise  them,  but  comfort  them  ;  and  who 
knows  what  good  a  kind  and  comfortable 
word  may  do  them  1 

4.  To  support  the  weak,  v.  14.  It  is  the 
grace  of  God,  indeed,  that  must  strengthen 
and  support  such  ;  but  we  should  tell  them 
of  that  grace,  and  endeavor  to  minister  of 
that  grace  to  them. 

5.  To  be  patient  towards  all  men,  v.  14. 
We  must  bear  and  forbear.  We  must  be 
long-s'uffering ,  and  suppress  our  anger,  if  it 
begins  to  rise  on  the  apprehension  of  affronts 
or  injuries  ;  at  least,  we  must  not  fail  to 
moderate  our  anger,  and  this  duty  must  be 
exercised  towards  all  men,  good  and  bad, 
high  and  low. 

6.  Not  to  render  evil  for  evil  to  any  man, 
v.  15.  This  we  must  look  to,  and  be  very 
careful  about,  that  is,  we  must  by  all  means 
forbear  to  avenge  ourselves.  If  others  in¬ 
jure  us,  that  will  not  justify  us  in  doing  the 
same  to  them.  It  becomes  us  to  forgive,  as 
those  that  are,  and  hope  to  be  forgiven  of 
God. 

7.  Ever  to  follow  that  which  is  good,  v.  15. 
We  must  always  endeavor  to  be  beneficent, 
and  instrumental  to  promote  the  welfare  of 
others,  both  among  oursilves,  (in  the  first 
place  to  them  that  are  of  the  household  of 


PRACT.  OB3.  V.  1 — 11.  Curious  inquiries  about  ‘times  and  sea¬ 
sons,’  are  commonly  unprofitable  and  vain.  ‘  Behold,  now  is  the  ac¬ 
cepted  time  ;  behold,  now  is  the  day  of  salvation  ;’  ihe  present  time  we 
omrht  to  redeem,  the  present  seasop  of  obtaining  peace  with  God  by 
faith  in  Christ,  and  of  doing  his  will,  we  ought  to  embrace  ;  and  then 
we  shall  be  safe  and  happy  at  all  events.  No  man  is  sure  that  death  and 
judgment  will  not  surprise  him,  unless  he  continually  expect  and  prepare 
for  those  approaching  events.  ‘Numbers,  at  this  very  hour,  are  speak¬ 
ing  peace  and  safety  to  themselves,  over  whose  heads  instantaneous  de¬ 
struction  is  hovering.’  Doddr.  And  how  dreadful  will  be  the  astonish¬ 
ment  and  consternation  of  the  scornful  infidel,  the  careless  profligate, 
the  proud  Pharisee,  or  the  hardened  hypocrite,  when  sudden  destruction 
shall  thus  seize  on  him,  and  no  possible  method  of  escape  can  he  found!  As 
yet  we  are  in  the  land  of  light,  of  hope,  of  prayer,  of  forgiveness,  though 

whole  frame  of  a  heavenly  mind  Keep  tliy  heart.  Turn  not  thine  eye 
away  ;  let  it  be  constantly  fixed  on  that  moving  thing  within  thee. 
Have  the  arm  of  thy  resolution  near  thee,  to  seize  it  the  moment  it  at¬ 
tempts  to  fly.  If  you  were  set  to  keep  a  bird,  unfastened  upon  the 
palm  of  your  hand,  you  would  know  what  is  meant  by  keeping  the 
heart  with  all  diligence.’  Dtx  Griffin. 

V.  12 — 15.  It  is  evident  that  the  apostle,  either  personally,  or  hy  Tim¬ 
othy,  Titus,  and  others  of  his  fellow-laborers,  used  to  ‘ordain  elders  in 
every  city  Acts  14:21— 23.  20:17—28.  1  Tim.  5:21, 22.  2  Tim.  2:1, 2.  Ti. 
1:5 — 9.  and,  though  no  mention  is  made  of  this,  either  in  the  brief  histo¬ 
id  T.  VOL.  V.  ,  57 


we  might  justly,  long  before  this,  have  been  ‘  cast  into  outer  darkness.’ 
Nor  are  we  enveloped  with  pagan,  Mohammedan,  or  anti-Christian  dark¬ 
ness  and  delusion  ;  we  have  the  light  of  the  Gospel,  and  the  Holy  Scrip¬ 
tures  afforded  us,  and  we  have  been  led  to  pay  some  attention  to  them. 
If  then  we  be  yet  so  in  darkness,  ‘  that  the  day  of  the  Lord  would  over¬ 
take  us  as  a  thief’  our  guilt  must  be  peculiarly  aggravated.  Let  us, 
therefore,  seriously  inquire,  whether  we  really  be  ‘  the  children  of  the 
light,  and  of  the  day,’  by  divine  illumination,  and  by  an  obedient  faith.  Let 
us  seek  to  render  this  evident,  as  well  as  to  act  consistently  with  our 
profession.  Thus  our  evidence  will  continually  increase,  that  ‘  God  hath 
not  appointed  us  to  wrath,  but  to  obtain  salvation  by  the  Lord  Jesus;’ 
and  that  ‘  whether  we  wake  or  sleep,  we  shall’  surely  ‘live  together 
with  Him.’  2  Cor.  5:1 — 8.  Scott. 


ry  of  his  labors  at  Thessalonica,  or  in  the  opening  of  the  epistle,  there 
can  be  no  reasonable  doubt,  that  he  had  appointed  elders  over  the  church 
in  that  city  also.  Scott. 

(12.)  Are.  over  you.]  ‘  Preside  over,  or  moderate  in,  your  assemblies  ; 
so  the  word  may  signify.  Many  were  endowed  with  miraculous  gifts  in 
this  church,  and  there  might  have  been  danger  of  irregularities,  as  in 
the  church  at  Corinth,  if  some  had  not  been  appointed  to  preside  over 
the  rest  in  the  time  of  public  exercises.  It  is  evident,  ministers,  by  vir¬ 
tue  of  their  general  office,  may  be  said  to  preside  over  Christian  assem¬ 
blies,  even  though  there  were  no  such  need  of  their  interposition  to 


A.  D.  55. 


1  THESSALONIANSj  V.  Concluding  instructions . 


16  Rejoice  '  evermore. 

17  Pray  1  without  ceasing. 

18  In  "every  thing  give  thanks  : 
for  this  is  the  will  of  God  in  Christ 
Jesus  concerning  you. 

19  Quench  "not  the  Spirit. 

20  Despise  w  not  prophesyings. 

21  Prove1  all  things;  hold  J  fast 
that  which  is  good. 

^22  Abstain  "from  all  appearance 
of  evil. 

[Practical  Observations.] 

b  Phi.  4:4.  v  Ep.  4:30.  y  Phi.  4:8. 

t  Ro.  11:12.  »  l  Co.  14:1,39.  z  Ib.33:15. 

u  Ep.  5:20.  x  1  Jn.  4:1. 

faith,)  and  then,  as  we  have  opportunity,  unto 
all  men.  Gal.  6:  10. 

V.  16 — 22.  Here  we  have  divers  short 
exhortations. 

1.  Rejoice  evermore,  v.  16.  This  must  he 
understood  of  spiritual  joy :  for  we  must  re¬ 
joice  in  creature-comforts  as  if  .we  rejoiced 
not,  and  must  not  expect  to  live  many  years, 
to  rejoice  in  them;  but  if  we  rejoice  in  God, 
we  may  do  that  evermore.  If  we  are  sor¬ 
rowful  on  any  worldly  account,  yet  still  we 
may  always  rejoice,  2  Cor.  6:  10.  Note,  A 
religious  life  is  a  pleasant  life,  a  life  of  con¬ 
stant  joy. 

2.  Pray  without  ceasing,  v.  17.  This  is  in 
order  to  rejoicing  evermore.  We  should 
rejoice  more,  if  we  prayed  more.  We  should 
keep  up  stated  times  for  prayer,  and  continue 
instant  in  it.  We  should  pray  always,  and 
not  faint,  till  we  come  to  that  world  where 


prayer  shall  be  swallowed  up  in  praise. 
The  meaning  is  not,  that  men  should  do 
nothing  but  pray,  but  that  nothing  else  we 
do  should  hinder  prayer  in  its  proper  sea¬ 
son.  Prayer  will  help  forward,  and  not 
hinder,  all  other  lawful  business,  and  every 
good  work. 

3.  In  everything  give  thanks,  v.  18.  If  we 
pray  without  ceasing,  we  shall  not  want 
matter  for  thanksgiving, in  everything.  We 
should  be  thankful  in  every  condition  ;  it  is 
never  so  bad  with  us,  but  it  might  be  worse: 
the  apostle  says,  This  is  the  will  of  God  in 
Christ  Jesus  concerning  us,  that  we  give 
thatiks,  seeing  God  is  reconciled  to  us  in 
Christ  Jesus  ;  in  Him,  through  Him,  and 
for  his  sake,  He  allows  us  to  rejoice  ever¬ 
more,  and  appoints  us  in  everything  to  give 
thanks.  It  is  pleasing  to  God. 

4.  Quench  not  the  Spirit,  v.  19.  This 
Spirit  of  grace  and  supplication  helpeth  our 
infirmities,  and  assisteth  us  in  our  prayer  and 
thanksgivings.  Christians  are  said  to  be 
baptized  with  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  with  fire. 
He  worketh  as  fire,  by  enlightening,  enliven¬ 
ing,  and  purifying  the  souls  of  men.  We 
must  be  careful  not  to  quench  this  holy  fire. 
As  fire  is  put  out  by  withdrawing  fuel,  so 
we  quench  the  Spirit,  if  we  do  not  stir  up 
all  within  us,  to  comply  with  the  motions  of 
the  good  Spirit;  and  as  fire  is  quenched  by 
pouring  water,  or  putting  a  great  quantity 
of  dirt  on  it,  so  we  must  be  careful  not  to 
quench  the  Holy  Spirit,  by  indulging  carnal 
lusts  and  affections,  or  minding  only  earthly 
things. 

5.  Despise  not  prophesyings,  v.  20.  By 


prophesyings,  here,  understand,  the  preaching 
of  the  Word,  the  interpretation  and  applying 
of  the  Scriptures;  this  we  must  not  despise, 
but  prize  and  value,  because  it  is  the  ordi¬ 
nance  of  God,  appointed  of  Him  to  further 
and  increase  our  knowledge  and  grace,  and 
holiness  and  comfort.  We  must  not  de¬ 
spise  it,  though  plain,  and  no  more  than 
what  we  knew  before.  It  is  useful  and 
many  times  needful,  to  have  our  minds 
stirred  up  to  what  we  knew  before  to  be  our 
interest  and  our  duly. 

6.  Prove  all  things,  but  hold  fast  that 
which  is  good,  v.  21.  This  is  a  needful  cau¬ 
tion  ;  we  must  value  preaching,  yet  not  take 
things  on  trust,  but  try  them  by  the  law  and 
the  testimony.  We  must  search  the  Scrip¬ 
tures,  not  believe  every  spirit,  but  try  the  spir¬ 
its.  But  we  must  not  be  always  trying,  al¬ 
ways  unsettled  ;  no,  at  length  we  must  be 
settled,  and  hold  fast  that  which  is  good. 
Note,  The  doctrines  of  human  infallibility, 
implicit  faith,  and  blind  obedience,  are  not 
the  doctrines  of  the  Bible.  Every  Chris¬ 
tian  has,  and  ought  to  have,  the  judgment 
of  discretion,  and  should  have  his  senses  ex¬ 
ercised  in  the  discerning  between  good  and  evil, 
truth  and  falsehood,  Heb.  5: 13,  14.  And 
proving  all  things  must  be  in  order  to  the 
holding  fast  that  which  is  good. 

7.  Abstain  from  all  appearance  of  evil, 
v.  22.  This  is  a  good  mean  to  prevent  our 
being  deceived  with  false  doctrines,  or  un¬ 
settled  in  our  faith.  Corrupt  affections  in¬ 
dulged  in  the  heart,  and  evil  practices  allowed 
of  in  the  life,  will  greatly  tend  to  promote 
fatal  errors  in  the  mind  :  whereas,  purity  of 


PRACT.  OBS.  V.  12 — 22.  Faithful  pastors  should  be  carefully  dis¬ 
tinguished  from  slothful,  ambitious,  or  mercenary  men,  who  have  the 
name  and  garb  of  ministers  ;  and  they  are  highly  culpable,  who  despise 
the  admonitions,  reject  the  authority,  and  refuse  respect  and  affection 
to  the  persons,  of  faithful  ministers  ;  hut  such  as  expect  the  reputation, 
esteem,  authority,  or  emolument,  of  the  ministry,  without  a  diligent  at¬ 
tention  to  its  various  and  laborious  duties,  are  even  still  more  crimi¬ 
nal.  Outward  respect  may  indeed  he  paid  them;  but  it  is  impossible  for 
intelligent  Christians  ‘to  esteem  them  very  highly  in  love  for  their 
work’s  sake;’  though  they  will  compassionately  mourn  over  and  pray 

moderate  or  direct  the  exercise  of  the  gills  of  those,  who  were  officiating 
in  public.’  Doddr. 

V.  16 — 22.  Many  have  explained  ‘  quenching  the  Spirit,’  of  restrain¬ 
ing  the  exercise  of  spiritual  gifts,  in  themselves  or  others  ;  but  doubtless 
it  relates  principally  to  the  sanctifying  and  comforting  influences  of  the 
Holy  Spirit,  in  the  hearts  of  believers,  not  excluding  his  strivings  and 
convictions  in  the  hearts  and  consciences  of  sinners.  These  sacred  in¬ 
fluences  lend  to  kindle  a  flame  of  sacred  love  in  the  soul  ;  but  they  may 
be  quenched,  by  evil  tempers,  by  procrastination,  by  worldly  cares,  by 
inexpedient  indulgencies,  by  trifling  company,  or  by  negligence.  Thus 
convictions  are  often  finally  extinguished,  and  the  Holy  Spirit  will  ‘  no 
more  strive  with  men  ;’  Gen.  6:3.  and  thus  believers  often  greatly  damp 
the  holy  ardor  of  their  souls,  mar  their  own  comfort,  and  impede  their 
growth  in  grace,  by  not  giving  themselves  up  without  delay  to  those 
spiritual  affections,  which  are  excited  by  the  Holy  Spirit,  and  by 
‘  quenching’  them  in  the  manner  before-mentioned  ;  and  this  is  the  di¬ 
rect  opposite  to  1  quenching  the  fiery  darts  of  the  wicked  one.’ — (19)  The 
Spirit.]  ‘That  is,  the  afflatus  and  light  of  God  shining  into  our  minds, 
lint,  some  one  will  say,  if  that  he  never  extinguished  in  the  elect,  this  is 
commanded  in  vain.  This,  however,  I  strenuously  deny.  Nay,  for  this 
reason  it  is  not  extinguished  in  the  elect,  because  they  cherish  it ;  and 
they  are  induced  by  these  exhortations  to  cherish  it.  For  He,  who  hath 
determined  never  wholly  to  extinguish  his  Spirit  in  the  elect,  hath  also 
made  known  bv  what  means  He  will  cherish  it,  namely,  by  the  progress  of 
his  people  in  piety.’  Beza. —  (20'  Prophesyings. j  Those  instructions, 
and  intimations  of  the  divine  will,  which  were  given  by  the  prophets,, 
either  in  explaining  the  Scriptures,  or  from  immediate  suggestions  of  the 
Spirit.  (Af.  R.  c —  Notes,  1  Cor.  14.)  The  exhortation  may  also  fairly 
include  the  more  ordinary  preaching  of  God’s  Word.  —  Yet,  as  there 
would  be  many  false  teachers,  and  erroneous  doctrines  propagated  by 
them,  they  must  be  careful  to  ‘  prove,’  or  try,  both  the  teachers  and  their 
Instructions,  by  the  Word  of  God,  that  they  might  reject  what  was  spu¬ 
rious,  and  adhere  to  what  was  good  and  excellent. — No  doubt,  cases  of¬ 
ten  arise,  in  which  we  are  required  to  do  those  things,  that  appear  evil 
to  misinformed,  prejudiced,  and  unreasonable  men,  in  order  to  obey  the 
commands  of  God,  and  to  follow  the  clear  dictates  of  our  own  conscien¬ 
ces.  But  these  are  exceptions  to  the  general  rule,  which  could  not  be 
particularized  in  so  compendious  an  exhortation  :  and  they  seem  to  be 
the  only  exceptions.  For  it  is  better  to  avoid  what  appears  evil  tooth¬ 
ers,  though  lawful  in  itself,  if  it  can  be  done  with  a  safe  conscience,  than, 
by  an  uncharitable  exercise  of  our  Christian  liberty,  to  cause  our  weak 
brother  to  offend,  or  to  prejudice  others  against  the  Gospel. — (21)  Prove, 
&c.]  ‘The  apostle  does  not  here  bid  the  guides  of  the  church  try  all 
things,  and  the  people  hold  fast  that  which  they  delivered  to  them,  but 
gives  an  injunction  common  to  all  Christians,  having  “their  senses  exer¬ 
cised  to  discern  good  and  evil;’’  to  all,  who  are  obliged  “to  hold  fast 
that  which  is  good,”  and  not  to  believe  false  prophets  ;  which  is  a  strong 
argument  for  the  perspicuitv  and  sufficiency  of  Holy  Scripture  for  this 
work,  and  against  the  necessity  of  a  living  judge.  For  he  that  must  “  try 
all  things,”  must  also  try -the  doctrine  of  this  living  judge,  and  therefore 
till  he  hath  made  this  trial-  must  not  admit  his  doctrine  as  an  article  of 

[450] 


for  them.  —  Our  love  of  ‘peace  among  ourselves,’  should  not  induce  us 
to  connive  at  sin  ;  but  we  must  ‘warn,’  reprove,  and  censure  ‘  the  un¬ 
ruly,’  as  well  as  tenderly  soothe  and  ‘comfort  the  feeble-minded,  and 
support  the  weak’  in  body  or  soul.  —  Even  when  we  are  injured  in  the 
most  atrocious  manner,  we  must  ‘  see  to  it,  that  ’  we  on  no  account  ‘  ren¬ 
der  evil  for  evil  to  any  man  ;’  but  must  learn  ‘  to  follow,’  with  persever¬ 
ing  constancy,  ‘  that  which  is  good  ’  and  friendly,  ‘  both  among  ourselves, 
anil  to  all  men ;’  as  knowing  what  patience  and  mercy  we  have  expe¬ 
rienced,  and  still  continually  need  from  God.  Scott. 


Christian  faith.  For  these  words  plainly  leach,  that  what  we  must  hold  fast 
must  first  be  tried.  Hearers,  says  Basil,  who  are  instructed  in  the  Scrip¬ 
tures,  ought  to  try  the  things  spoken  by  their  teachers  ;  . .  .  and  receive 
those  doctrines  which  are  consonant,  and  reject  those  things  which  are 
alien  from  the  Holy  Scriptures.’  Whitby.  Scott. 

(16.)  ‘  If  our  religion  does  not  make  us  happy,  how  do  we  do  our  du¬ 

ty  ?  We  are  commanded  to  rejoice.  It  is  a  part  of  practical  Christian¬ 
ity  to  be  happy.  It  belongs  to  a  doer  of  the  Word.  Moreover,  how  are 
we  to  have  satisfactory  evidence,  that  we  possess  true  religion,  if  we 
have  not  joy  in  it?  Suppose  we  had  not  love ,  would  we  be  Christians 
then?  No,  certainly  ;  for  without  charity  a  man  is  nothing.  But  why 
can  we  not  be  Christians  without  love  ?  Because  it  is  the  fruit  of  the 
Spirit.  If  love  is  the  first  named  of  the  nine,  joy  is  the  second.  “  The 
fruit  of  the  Spirit  is  love,  joy,  &c.”  Gal.  5:22  and  23.  And  these  are  not 
said  to  be  the  fruits; — the  plural  is  not  used; — they  are  not  distinct 
productions  ; — they  are  all  one  cluster, — “  the  fruit  of  the  Spirit.”  While 
there  are  many  things  that  may  and  do  diminish  our  joy,  they  do  not 
annihilate  it.  There  xvas  much  to  interfere  in  the  case  of  those  to  whom 
Peter  wrote.  They  were  in  “heaviness  through  manifold  temptations;” 
nevertheless  they  rejoiced  greatly.'  Rev.  Dr.  Nevins. — ‘There  is  a 
class  of  Christians  who  appear  taciturn,  unsocial,  and  even  sad.  This 
is  inconsistent  with  the  spirit  of  religion.  Christians  ought  to  appear 
cheerful  and  happy  ;  to  appear  to  receive  with  pleasure  and  gratitude  all 
the  lawful  enjoyments  bestowed"  by  their  heavenly  Father.  A  gloomy 
deportment  does  not  honor  religion,  but  causes  those  whom  we  wish  to 
win  to  the  ways  of  pleasantness  and  peace,  to  feel,  that  religion  is  a  mel¬ 
ancholy,  unsocial,  and  forbidding  subject.  All  professors  of  religion 
should  endeavor  to  have  such  views  of  God,  his  love,  providence,  and 
care,  and  should  so  live,  as  to  be  cheerful  and  happy,  and  appear  so.  But 
trifling  and  levity  is  quite  as  inconsistent  and  injurious  as  the  former. 
Let  the  Christian  distinguish  between  cheerfulness  and  levity.' 

Rev.  Dr.  Beecher. 

(17.)  Without  ceasing.]  ‘  Incessantly,  i .  e.  at  all  proper  seasons.  So 
the  burnt-offering  presented  every  morning  and  evening  is  called  perpet¬ 
ual.  Lev.  6:20.  Comp.  Luke  24:53.  with  Acts  2:46,  47.  also  John  18:20.’ 
Doddr. — ‘Prayer  is  living  with  God;  and,  if  founded  on  right  principles 
of  religion,  puts  us  on  searching  the  heart,  leads  us  to  the  knowledge  of 
our  wants  and  weakness,  and  fixes  us  in  dependence  on  God.  Nothing 
is  more  easy,  as  a  bare  duty  or  lip  service,  and  nothing  more  difficult 
than  the  performance  of  it  in  truth  and  sincerity.’  Adams. — ‘  If  persons 
are  much  engaged  in  social  religion,  and  but  little  in  that  of  the  closet  ; 
and  but  little  moved  when  alone  with  God,  there  is  reason  to  doubt 
the  reality  of  their  religion.’  Edwards. — ‘Does  any  one,  not  in  the 
habitual  and  daily  practice  of  secret  devotion,  pretend  to  be  a  Christian  ? 
It  is  but  pretence.  lie  may  believe  the  creed  of  the  Christian,  he  cer- 
'tainly  does  not  pursue  the  practice,  nor  possess  the  spirit  of  the  Chrit*- 
tian.  Breathing  is  essential  to  living,  and  prayer  is  the  Christian’s  vital 
breath.  Does  he  xvalk  with  God  who  never  converses  with  Him  ?  Oh, 
how  an  hour  in  the  morning,  spent  with  God,  prepares  us  pleasantly  and 
profitably  to  pass  the  other  hours  of  the  day  with  men,  and  at  night,  what 
so  composing  as  communion  with  God  !  Has  any  one  become  remiss  in 


1  THESSALONIANS,  V 


A.  D.  55. 


Paul  prays  for  and  blesses  them. 


23  And  the  very  God  of  peace 
sanctify  you  wholly  :  and  I  pray 
God  your  whole  spirit  and  soul  and 
body  be  preserved  blameless  *  unto 
the  coming  of  our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ. 

24  Faithful  is  he  b  that  calleth 
you,  who  also  will  do  it. 

25  Brethren,  pray  for  us. 

26  Greet  all  the  brethren  with 
an  holy  kiss. 

27  I  c  charge  you  by  the  Lord, 
that  this  epistle  be  read  unto  all  the 
holy  brethren. 

28  The  grace  of  our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ  be  with  you.  Amen. 

The  first  epistle  unto  the  Tliessa- 

lonians  was  written  from  Athens. 

a  1  Co.  1:8,9.  b  1  Co.  10:13.  2  Th.  3:3.  c  or,' adjure 

heart,  and  integrity  of  life,  will  dispose 
men  to  receive  the  truth  in  the  love  of  it. 
We  should,  therefore,  abstain  from  evil,  and 
all  appearances  of  evil  :  he,  who,  shy  of  the 
appearances,  shuns  not  the  occasions  of  sin, 
and  who  avoids  not  the  temptations  and  ap¬ 
proaches  to  sin,  will  not  long  abstain  from 
the  actual  commission  of  sin. 

V.  23 — 23.  These  words  conclude  this 
epistle. 

1.  Paul’s  prayed  for  them,  v.  23.  No¬ 
tice,  To  whom  the  apostle  prays,  namely. 


The  very  God  of  peace.  lie  is  the  God  of 
grace,  from  whom,  as  the  Author,  those 
things  would  best  be  obtained,  which  he 
prays  for.  What  he  prays  for,  is,  their 
sanctification,  that  God  would  sanctify  them 
wholly :  and  their  preservation,  that  they 
might  be  preserved  blameless  :  we  should  pray 
for,  and  press  toward,  complete  sanctifica¬ 
tion.  Where  the  good  work  of  grace  is 
begun,  it  shall  be  carried  on,  be  protected 
and  preserved  ;  and  all  those  who  are  sanc¬ 
tified  in  Christ  Jesus,  shall  be  preserved  to 
the  coming  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ. 

2.  His  comfortable  assurance  that  God 
would  hear  his  prayer,  v.  24.  The  kind¬ 
ness  and  love  of  God  had  appeared  to  them 
in  calling  them  to  the  knowledge  of  his 
truth,  and  the  faithfulness  of  God  was  their 
security,  that  they  should  persevere  to  the 
end  ;  therefore,  the  apostle  assures  them, 
God  would  do  what  He  desired,  would  ef¬ 
fect  what  He  had  promised,  would  accom¬ 
plish  all  the  good  pleasure  of  his  goodness 
toward  them.  Note,  Our  fidelity  to  God 
depends  on  his  faithfulness  to  us. 

3.  His  request  of  their  prayers,  v.  25. 
We  should  pray  for  one  another;  and  breth¬ 
ren  should  thus  express  brotherly  love.  Min¬ 
isters  need  their  people’s  prayers  ;  and  the 
more  people  pray  for  their  ministers,  the 
more  good  may  ministers  have  from  God, 
and  the  people  receive  by  their  ministry. 

4.  His  salutation,  v.  26.  from  himself, 
Silvanus,  and  Timotheus  ;  and  he  would 
have  them  salute  each  other  in  their  names  : 
thus  he  would  have  them  signify  their  mu¬ 


tual  love  and  affection  to  one  another  by  the 
kiss  of  charity ,  1  Pet.  5  :  14.  here  called  a 
holy  kiss,  to  intimate,  how  cautious  they 
should  be  of  all  impurity  in  the  use  of  this 
ceremony,  then  commonly  practiced  ;  as  it 
should  not  be  a  treacherous  kiss  like  that  of 
Judas,  so  not  a  lascivious  kiss  like  that  of 
the  harlot,  Prov.  7: 13. 

5.  His  solemn  charge  for  the  reading  of 
this  epistle,  v.  27.  This  is  not  only  an  ex¬ 
hortation,  but  an  adjuration  by  the  Lord. 
And  this  epistle  was  to  be  read  to  all  the 
holy  brethren.  It  is  not  only  allowed  to  the 
common  people,  to  read  the  Scriptures,  and 
what  none  should  prohibit,  but  it  is  their  in¬ 
dispensable  duty,  and  what  they  should  lie 
persuaded  to  do.  In  order  to  this,  these 
holy  oracles  should  not  be  kept  concealed  in 
an  unknown  tongue,  but  translated  into  the 
vulgar  languages  ;  that  all  men,  being  con¬ 
cerned  to  know  the  Scriptures,  may  be  able 
to  read  them,  and  be  acquainted  with  them. 
The  public  reading  of  the  law  was  one  part 
of  the  worship  of  the  Sabbath  among  the 
Jews  in  their  synagogues,  and  the  Scrip¬ 
tures  should  be  read  in  the  public  assem¬ 
blies  of  Christians  also. 

6.  The  apostolical  benediction,  usual  in 
other  epistles,  v.  28.  We  need  no  more  to 
make  us  happy,  than  to  know  that  grace 
which  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  has  manifested, 
be  interested  in  that  grace  which  He  has  pur¬ 
chased,  and  partake  of  that  grace  which 
dwells  in  Him  as  the  Head  of  the  church. 
This  is  an  ever-flowing  and  over-flowing 
fountain  of  grace,  to  supply  all  our  wants. 


PRACT.  OB9.  V.  23 — 28.  The  exhortations  above  given,  show  us 
what  we  ought  to  be  and  to  do  ;  but  we  must  remember,  that  our  hearts 
are  naturally  opposite  to  them  ;  nor  can  any  inward  and  abiding  change 
be  wrought  in  us,  save  by  a  divine  power.  As,  therefore,  ministers  should 
pray  for  their  people,  as  well  as  exhort  them,  every  individual  should  turn 
the  precepts  and  promises  of  God  into  prayers,  for  himselfand  his  breth¬ 
ren  ;  and,  while  he  uses  every  other  mean  of  grace,  and  vigilantly  shuns 
all  hindrances  and  temptation,  he  should  still  beseech  ‘  the  God  of  peace 
Himself,  to  sanctify  him  wholly,  and  that  his  spirit,  and  soul,  and  body, 

secret  devotion  ?  What  1  tired  of  God  ?  weary  of  communion  with 
Him  ?  How  sad  the  state  of  such  a  soul  !’  Nevins. 

(22.)  ‘The  very  doubtfulness  (of  propriety)  which  rests  upon  so  many 
practical  questions  of  every  day  occurrence,  is  an  admirable  arrangement 
in  the  divine  economy.  It  is  evidently  designed  to  try  men’s  hearts, 
and  to  keep  their  consciences  tender  and  awake.  Could  we  know  pre¬ 
cisely,  and  in  all  cases,  where  the  line  is,  there  would  be  little  need  of 
caution.  It  is  the  danger  of  treading  upon  forbidden  ground,  ere  we  are 
aware  of  it,  that  makes  circumspection  so  necessary  ;  and  who  can  es¬ 
timate  the  value  of  this  habit,  in  forming  a  truly  virtuous  character  ? 
Our  safety  lies  in  standing  off  wide  from  the  rocks  and  quicksands,  or 
In  plainer  language,  in  abstaining  from  all  appearance  of  evil.  The 
text  includes  two  ideas.  1.  It  requires  every  person  most  scrupulously 
to  avoid  whatever  appears  to  him  sinful,  or  even  of  doubtful  character. 
2.  As  far  as  he  can  to  shun  whatever  may  carry  the  appearance  of  sin  to 
others,  even  where  the  motive  is  right,  and  the  action,  in  itself  consid¬ 
ered,  would  be  entirely  unexceptionable.’  Rev.  Dr.  Humphrey. 

V,  23 — 28.  The  apostle  subjoined  to  his  exhortations  fervent  prayers 
to  God,  knowing  that  his  efficacious  grace  alone  could  produce  ‘  the  will 
and  power’  to  do  all  the  things  to  which  he  exhorted  them.  He  be¬ 
sought  the  ‘very  God  of  peace,’  ‘  as,  in  Christ,  reconciling  the  world  un¬ 
to  Himself,’  and  as  actually  reconciled  to  believers,  and  the  Author  of 
all  their  inward  and  outward  peace  ;  that  He  would  sanctify  them  whol¬ 
ly,  and  in  respect  of  their  entire  nature,  ns  consisting  of  a  rational  and 
immortal  soul,  an  animal  life,  with  its  various  sensitive  appetites,  and  a 
material  body  ;  that  every  sense,  member,  organ,  and  faculty,  might  be 
completely  purified,  and  devoted  to  the  service  of  God;  nnd  that  thus 
they  might  he  preserved  blameless  till  the  coming  of  Christ.  ( M .  R.  g — i. 
— Note,  3:11 — 13.)  —  He  was  confident  that  the  church  at  Thessalonica 
consisted  in  general  of  true  believers  ;  and,  as  he  was  assured  of  the 
Lord’s  faithfulness  to  his  promises,  and  covenant  engagements  to  his 
people,  whom  He  had  called  by  his  grace;  so  he  was  satisfied  that  He 
would  fully  grant  his  prayer  for  them.  (M.  R.  k — n. — Notes ,  1  Cor.  1:4 
— 9.  10:13 — 17.  Phil.  1:3 — 8.) — Having,  therefore,  desired  them  also  to 
pray  for  him,  and  solemnly  charged  them,  by  the  authority  of  the  Lord 
Jesus,  to  let  this  epistle  be  read  to  all  the  holy  brethren,  the  saints  that 
formed  their  church,  he  concluded  with  his  usual  salutations  and  bene¬ 
dictions.  (A/.  R.  o — t.)  —  (23)  The  very  God  of  peace.]  Notes,  2  Cor. 


may  be  preserved  blameless,  until  the  coming  of  our  Lord  Jesus-. ’ — The 
most  eminent  servants  of  Christ  want  and  value  the  prayers  of  their 
weakest  brethren — Let  us  be  thankful  that  these  excellent  epistles  are 
reserved  for  our  perusal  also  ;  and  while  we  remember,  that  the  apostle 
‘  charged  ’  the  Thessalonians,  by  the  authority  of  the  Lord  Jesus,  to  let 
them  be  read  to  all  the  holy  brethren,  some  of  whom  might  not  be  able 
to  read  (hem  for  themselves,  we  may  be  sure  that  an  Antichrist  alone 
would  forbid  the  laity  to  read  the  Scriptures,  lest  they  should  lead  them 
into  heresy.  Scott. 

5:18  —  21.  2  Thess.  3:16.  Heb.  13:20,  21 .  —  (27)  Charge  you ,  &c/j  Ft 

seems  evident,  that  this  was  addressed  to  the  pastors  of  the  church,  and 
not  to  believers  in  general ;  else  the  persons  charged,  and  they  for  whose 
benefit  the  charge  was  given,  would  have  been  precisely  the  same. — The 
original  is,  ‘I  adjure  you.’ — The  solemn  charge  implies,  likewise,  a  most 
decided  claim  to  divine  inspiration  ;  for  it  evidently  places  this,  and  con¬ 
sequently  the  apostle’s  other  epistles,  on  the  footing  of  the  ancient  Scrip¬ 
tures,  ‘the  oracles  of  God,’  (Note,  Col.  4:15,  16.)  It  likewise  shows, 
both  that  oaths  and  adjurations  are  in  some  cases  lawful ;  and  that  the 
subject,  concerning  which  the  apostle  wrote,  was  considered  by  him  as 
peculiarly  important.  This  is  worthy  of  the  most  serious  consideration 
of  all  those,  even  among  protestants,  who  do  not  make  the  reading  of 
Scripture  a  part  of  the  service,  when  they  meet  in  the  worship  of  God, 
or  who  read  them  in  a  careless  and  indistinct  manner.  The  advantage 
to  illiterate  people,  to  the  multitude  who  cannot  read,  or  who  can  read 
but  imperfectly,  of  an  audible,  distinct,  and  emphatica!  reading  of  the 
Scriptures  in  public,  can  scarcely  be  calculated.  It  will  soon  render 
even  the  best  preaching  more  fully  understood,  and  it  will,  in  some  de¬ 
gree,  supply  the  deficiency  in  other  cases.  Scott. 

(23.)  Wholly.]  ‘  In  all  parts  of  your  nature. — Spirit,  soul,  and  body.  1 
Your  whole  constitution.  It  signifies,  the  whole  frame  of  nature  allottea 
to  you.  The  apostle  very  evidently  refers  to  a  notion  which  prevailed 
among  the  rabbies  as  well  as  the  philosophers,  that  the  person  of  a  man 
is  constituted  of  three  distinct  substances,  the  rational  spirit,  the  ani¬ 
mal  soul,  and  the  visible  body.  He  seems  to  suppose,  Ileb.  4:12.  the 
two  former  may  be  separated  ;  and  some  have  thought  he  intimates,  I 
Cor.  14:14,  15.  that  one  may  know  what  the  other  does  not.’  Doddr. 

(27.)  ‘  It  is  probable,  that,  from  the  beginning  of  the  Christian  dispen¬ 
sation,  the  Scriptures  of  the  O.  T.  were  read  in  every  assembly  for  divine 
worship.  Paul,  knowing  the  plenitude  of  the  apostolic  commission, 
now  demands,  that  the  same  respect  should  be  paid  to  his  writings  which 
had  been  given  to  those  of  the  ancient  prophets.  This,  therefore,  is  a 
proper  direction  to  be  inserted  in  the  first  epistle  written  by  him.’  T.  H. 
Horne,  in  Henry,  abr.  —  ‘  This  clause  is  an  evidence  of  the  authenticity 
of  the  epistle.  If  it  was  read  in  the  church  of  Thessalonica,  during 
Paul’s  lifetime,  no  publication  could  be  more  authentic.  If  not  read,  the 
existence  of  this  clause  would  condemn  it  as  not  authentic,  and  be  an 
invincible  impediment  to  its  success.  See  Pai.ey.’  Henry,  abr. 


ADDITIONAL  NOTE.  — ROMAN  MILITARY  DISCIPLINE. 


Paul  was  a  prisoner  under  military  care,  Ac.  28:16.  and  whether  he  was  at  first,  or  when 
more  closely  confined  afterwards,  in  the  pretorian  camp,  (see  plan  of  Rome,  at  head 
of  Romans,  and  comp.  cut.  Ez.  :  end,)  or  under  military  guard  in  the  prison  of  the 
palace,  he  had  frequent  opportunity  to  observe  the  discipline  of  the  soldiers,  as  is 
evident  from  the  metaphors  he  uses,  1  Thess.  5:6,  8.  Eph.  6:10 — 17,  and  especially  2 
Tim.  2:3,  4,  5.  The  following  account  of  the  Roman  military  discipline,  from  Gibbon, 
will  illustrate  such  allusions. 

‘  In  the  purer  ages  of  the  commonwealth,  the  use  of  arms  was  reserved  for  those 
ranks  of  citizens  who  had  a  country  to  love,  a  property  to  defend,  and  some  share  in 
enacting  those  laws,  which  it  was  their  interest,  as  well  as  duty  to  maintain  ;  but  in 
after  ages,  though  the  officers  were  mostly  of  iiberal  birth  and  education,  the  com¬ 
mon  soldiers  were  drawn  from  the  meanest,  and  very  frequently  from  the  most  profli¬ 
gate  of  mankind. — That  public  virtue,  which,  among  the  ancients,  was  denominated 
patriotism,  is  derived  from  a  strong  sense  of  our  own  interest  in  the  preservation  and 
prosperity  of  the  free  government  of  which  we  are  members.  Such  a  sentiment,  which 
bad  rendered  the  legions  of  the  republic  almost  invincible,  could  make  but  a  feeble 
impression  on  the  mercenary  servants  of  a  despotic  prince  ;  and  it  became  necessary 


to  supply  that  defect  by  other  motives,  of  a  different,  but  not  less  forcible  nature  ; 
honor  and  religion.  The  peasant,  or  mechanic,  imbibed  the  useful  prejudice,  that  he 
was  advanced  to  the  more  dignified  profession  of  arms,  in  which  hiBrank  and  reputation 
would  depend  on  his  own  valor:  and  that,  although  the  prowess  of  a  private  soldier 
must  often  escape  the  notice  of  fame,  his  own  behavior  might  sometimes  confer  glory  or 
disgrace  on  the  company,  the  legion,  or  even  the  army, to  w hose  honors  he  was  associat¬ 
ed.  On  his  first  entrance  into  the  service,  an  oath  (annually  renewed  on  the  1st  Jan.) 
was  administered  to  him,  with  every  circumstance  of  solemnity.  He  promised  never 
to  desert  his  standard,  to  submit  his  own  will  to  the  commands  of  his  leaders,  (2Tim. 
2:3,  4.)  and  to  sacrifice  his  life  for  the  safety  of  the  emperor  and  the  empire.  The  at¬ 
tachment  of  the  Roman  troops  to  their  standard,  was  inspired  by  the  united  influence 
of  religion  and  of  honor.  The  golden  eagle,  (cut,  p.  643  or  616,  Vol.  III.J  which  glit¬ 
tered  in  front  of  the  legion,  was  the  object  of  their  fondest  devotion  ;  nor  was  it  es¬ 
teemed  less  impious,  than  it  was  ignominious,  to  abandon  that  sacred  ensign  in  the 
hour  of  danger.  Tacitus  calls  the  Roman  eagles,  Bellorum  Decs  (war-gods).  They 
were  placed  in  a  chapel  in  the  camp,  and  with  the  other  deities  received  the  religious 
worship  of  the  troops.  (Comp.  Deut.  28:49.  Mat,  24:28,  15.  j  (Continued  on  p.  481.) 


AN  EXPOSITION 


OF  THE 

SECOND  EPISTLE  OF 

PAUL  TO  TIIE  THESSALONIANS, 

WITH 

PRACTICAL  OBSERVATIONS  AND  NOTES. 

{Henry's  Exposition ,  completed  by  Mr.  D.  Mayo.) 


This  second  Epistle  was  written  soon  after  the  former,  and  seems  to  be  designed  to  prevent  their  running  into  a  mistake 
which  might  arise  from  some  passages  in  the  former  epistle,  concerning  the  second  coming  of  Christ ;  as  if  it  were  near 
at  hand.*  The  apostle  in  this  epistle  is  careful  to  prevent  any  wrong  use  which  some  among  them  might  make  of  those  ex¬ 
pressions  of  his,  that  were  agreeable  to  the  dialect  of  the  prophets  of  the  Old.  Test.  ;  and  informs  them,  that  there  were 
many  intermediate  counsels  yet  to  be  fulfilled  before  that  day  of  the  Lord  shall  come,  though,  because  it  is  sure,  he  had 
spoken  of  it  as  near.  There  are  other  things  he  writes  about,  for  their  consolation  under  sufferings,  and  exhortation  and 
direction  in  duty.  Henry. 

This  epistle  is  commonly  supposed  to  have  been  written  from  Corinth,  not  very  long  after  the  foregoing,  because  Silva- 
nus  and  Timothy  still  continued  with  Paul  ;  but  the  evidence  is  not  very  conclusive,  and  some  difficulties  attend  this 
opinion.  1:3,  4.  It  is,. however,  certain,  that  it  was  not  sent  from  Athens,  according  to  the  spurious  postscript.  —  Amidst 
a  number  of  instructive  warnings,  exhortations,  and  encouragements,  it  contains  a  most  remarkable  prophecy,  2:3 — 12.  the 
exact  fulfilment  of  which  is  a  full  demonstration  of  the  divine  inspiration,  by  which  the  apostle  wrote  his  epistles. — ‘  Besides 
the  general  marks  of  its  genuineness,  and  divine  authority,  which  it  bears  in  common  with  the  rest  of  the  epistles,  it  has 
one  peculiar  to  itself,  from  the  exact  representation  it  contains  of  the  papal  power,  under  the  characters  of  “  the  man  of 
sin,”  and  “  the  mystery  of  iniquity.”  For,  considering  how  directly  opposite  the  principles  here  described  were  to  the 
genius  of  Christianity,  it  must  appear,  at  the  time  when  this  epistle  was  written,  highly  improbable,  to  all  human  apprehen¬ 
sion,  that  they  should  ever  prevail  in  the  Christian  church ;  and  consequently  a  prediction  like  this,  which  answers  in  every 
particular  so  exactly  to  the  event,  must  be  allowed  to  carry  its  own  evidence  with  it,  and  to  prove  that  the  author  of  it 
wrote  under  a  divine  influence.’  Doddridge.  Scott. 

‘  This  epistle  may  be  regarded  as  a  supplement  to  the  former.’  Bloomfield. 


*  Oil  the  genuineness  of  2  Thess.  the  Ed.  quotes  a  passage  from  Pa- 
ley’s  Horan  Pnulinse,  (a  work  which  should  be  more  common ,)  to  show 
one  specimen  of  his  ingenious  method  of  adding  to  exernal  and  direct 
testimony,  that  of  undesigned  coincidence.  '  From  1  Thess.  4:15,  17. 
and  5:4.  it  should  seem,  that  the  Thessalonians,  or  some,  however, 
amongst  them,  had  conceived  an  opinion  (and  that  not  very  unnatural¬ 
ly)  that  the  coming  of  Christ  was  to  take  place  instantly  [hoti  enestS- 
ken ,  is  at  hand,  i.  e.  now,  this  year]  ;  and  that  this  persuasion  had  pro¬ 
duced,  as  it  well  might,  much  agitation  in  the  church.  The  apostle, 


therefore,  now  writes,  amongst  other  purposes,  to  quiet  this  alarm,  and 
to  rectify  the  misconstruction  ;  as  2  Thess.  2:1,2.  If  it  be  admitted,  that 
this  passage  in  the  second  epistle  relates  to  the  passage  in  the  first,  it 
amounts  to  a  considerable  proof  of  the  genuineness  of  both  epistles.  I 
have  no  conception,  because  I  know  of  no  example,  of  such  a  device  in 
a  forgery,  as  first  to  frame  an  ambiguous  passage  in  a  letter,  then  to  rep¬ 
resent  the  persons  to  whom  the  letter  is  addressed  as  mistaking  the 
meaning  of  the  passage,  and  lastly,  to  write  a  second  letter  in  order  to 
correct  this  mistake.’  Paley. 


A.  D.  56. 

CHAP.  T. 

1  Paul  certifieth  them  of  the  good  opinion  which  he  had 
of  their  faith,  love,  and  patience:  11  and  therewithal 
useth  divers  reasons  for  the  comforting  of  them  in  perse¬ 
cution,  whereof  the  chiefest  is  taken  from  the  righteous 
judgment  of  God. 

PAUL,  and  Silvanus,  and  Timo- 
theus,  unto  athe  church  of  the 
Thessalonians  in  God  our  Father 
and  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  : 

2  Grace  b  unto  you,  and  peace, 
from  God  our  Father  and  the  Lord 
Jesus  Christ. 

3  We  are  bound  to  thank  God 
always  for  you,  brethren,  as  it  is 
meet,  because  that  your  faith  grow- 
eth  exceedingly,  and  the  charity  of 
every  one  of  you  all  toward  each 
other  aboundeth  : 

4  So  that  we  ourselves  glory  c  in 
you  in  the  churches  of  God,  for 
your  patience  and  faith  in  all  your 
persecutions  and  tribulations  that 
ye  d  endure  : 

5  Which  is  e  a  manifest  token  of 
the  righteous  judgment  of  God,  that 
ye  may  be  counted  worthy  of  the 
kingdom  of  God,  for  which  ye  also 
1  suffer  : 

a  ITh.  1:1,4c.  1  Th.  2:19,20.  f  1  Th.  2:14.  He. 

b  1  Co.  1:3.  dJa.  5:11  10:32,33. 

c  2  Co.  9:2.  e  Phi.  1:28. 


Chap.  I.  V.  1 — 4.  Here  we  have  the 
introduction,  v.  1,  2.  in  the  same  words  as 
in  the  former  epistle,  which  shows,  that 
ministers  ought  not  so  much  to  regard  the 
variety  of  expression,  and  elegance  of  style, 
as  the  truth  and  usefulness  of  the  doctrines 
they  preach.  The  high  esteem  the  apostle 
had  for  them,  is  expressed,  v.  3,  4.  He 
chooses  rather  to  speak  of  what  was  praise¬ 
worthy  in  them,  in  a  way  of  thanksgiving 
to  God,  than  by  commendation  of  them  ; 
and  it  is  our  duty,  to  be  thankful  to  God  for 
all  the  good  that  is  found  in  us  or  others. 

The  apostle  never  flattered,  but  he  took 
pleasure  in  commending  his  friends,  and 
speaking  well  of  them,  to  the  glory  of  God, 
and  for  the  excitement  and  encouragement 
of  others;  it  all  centred  here,  in  the  praise 
and  glory  of  God. 

He  esteemed  them,  and  thanked  God  for 
the  increase  of  their  faith,  and  love,  and 
patience,  not  only  that  they  were  true  Chris¬ 
tians,  but  growing  Christians.  Note,  Where 
there  is  the  truth  of  grace,  there  will  be  in¬ 
crease  of  it.  The  path  of  the  just  is  as  a 
shining  light,  which  shines  more  and  more, 
unto  the  perfect  day.  The  matter  of  the 
apostle’s  thanksgiving  and  glorying  on  be¬ 
half  of  the  Thessalonians,  was,  1.  That 
their  faith  grew  exceedingly,  v.  3.  The 
growth  of  their  faith  appeared  by  the  works 
of  faith  ;  and  where  faith  grows,  all  other 
graces  grow  proportionably.  2.  Their  char¬ 
ity  abounded,  v.  3.  their  love  to  God  and 


Comfort  under  persecutions. 

man.  There  were  no  such  divisions  among 
them  as  in  some  other  churches.  3.  Their 
patience  as  well  as  faith  increased,  in  all  their 
persecutions  and  tribulations.  And  then  pa¬ 
tience  has  its  perfect  work,  when  it  extends 
itself  to  all  trials.  Many  persecutions  the 
Thessalonians  endured  for  the  sake  of  right¬ 
eousnesses  well  as  other  troubles;  yet  they 
endured  all  these,  by  faith  seeing  Him  that  is 
invisible,  and  looking  to  the  recompense,of  re¬ 
ward  ;  and  endured  them  with  patience,  not 
with  an  insensibility  under  them,  but  with 
patient  bearing  them,  and  that  from  Chris¬ 
tian  principles,  which  kept  them  quiet 
and  submissive,  and  afforded  them  inward 
strength  and  support. 

V.  5 — 10.  Having  mentioned  the  perse¬ 
cutions  and  tribulations  they  endured  for  the 
cause  of  Christ,  the  apostle  proceeds  to 
offer  several  things  for  their  comfort  under 
them  :  As, 

I.  He  tells  them  of  the  present  happiness 
and  advantage  of  their  sufferings,  v.  5. 
Their  sufferings  were  a  manifest  token,  that 
they  were  worthy,  or  meet  to  lie  accounted 
Christians  indeed,  seeing  they  could  suffer 
for  Christianity.  Besides,  from  their  pa¬ 
tient  suffering,  it  appeared  that,  according 
to  the  righteous  judgment  of  God,  they 
should  be  counted  worthy  of  the  heavenly 
glory:  not  that  they  could  merit  heaven,  but 
they  were  made  meet  for  heaven.  We  can¬ 
not  by  all  our  sufferings,  any  more,  than  by 
our  services,  merit  heaven  as  a  debt  ;  but  by 


NOTES.  Chap.  1.  V.  3,  4.  The  apostle,  since  he  wrote  the  fore¬ 
going  epistle,  had  received  further  accounts  concerning  the  church  at 
Thessalonica,  which  were  so  fully  satisfactory  that  he  deemed  himself 
bound  to  return  continual  thanks  to  God  in  their  behalf.  1  Thes.  1:1 — 
8. — This  [his  glorying  in  them  in  the  churches]  may  induce  a  doubt 
whether  the  epistle  were  written  from  Corinth  or  not ;  for,  on  that  sup¬ 
position,  Paul  had  visited  no  other  churches  since  he  wrote  the  former 
epistle,  except  such  as  had  been  planted  in  that  vicinity ;  and  we  can 
hardly  suppose,  that  he  only  referred  to  what  Timothy  or  Silvanus  had 
said  of  them,  if  indeed  they  had  left  him  for  a  season  to  visit  other 
churches,  and  then  returned.  ( Preface  to  1  Thes.)  Scott. 

[452] 


(3.)  We.}  ‘  Here,  and  throughout  this  epistle,  as  in  the  former,  to  be 
interpreted  of  Paul  only.’  Bloomfield,  after  Koppe. 

V.  5 — 10.  He  permitted  his  servants  to  be  afflicted,  in  order  to  prove 
and  manifest  their  faith  and  grace,  and  to  increase  in  them  all  holy  dis¬ 
positions  and  affections.  Scott. 

(5.)  Token.  1 A  glorious  and  advancing  display  of  the  righteous 
judgment  of  God.  Perhaps  the  [original]  word  may  further  imply,  that 
the  sufferings  of  good  men,  and  the  triumphant  prosperity  of  their  per¬ 
secuting  enemies,  should  not  only  terminate  in  such  a  display  of  divine 
vengeance,  but  that  these  seeming  irregularities  do  even  now  declare 
that  there  shall  be  such  a  day  of  retribution.  Doddr _ ‘  Suppose  God  to 


A.  D.  56. 


2  THESSALONIANS,  I.  The  punishment  of  persecutors. 


6  Seeing  *  it  is  a  righteous  thing 
with  God  to  recompense  tribulation 
to  them  that  trouble  you  ; 

7  And  to  you  who  are  troubled, 
b  rest  with  us  ;  when  the  Lord  Je¬ 
sus  'shall  be  revealed  from  heaven 
with  J  his  mighty  angels, 

8  In  k  flaming  fire, 1  taking  ra  ven¬ 
geance  on  them  that  H  know  not 
God,  and  “that  obey  not  the  gospel 
of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  : 

9  Who  shall  be  punished  with 
everlasting  destruction  f  from  the 
presence  of  the  Lord,  and  from  the 
glory  ’of  his  power; 

10  When  he  shall  come  to  be 
r  glorified  in  his  saints,  and  to  be 
admired  ’in  all  them  that  believe 
(because  our  testimony  among  you 
was  believed)  in  that  day. 


g  Re  6:10. 
h  Re.  14:3. 
i  1  Th.  4:16. 

Jude  14. 

\  the  aigelt  of 
his  power. 


k  He.  10:27. 

2  Pe.  3:7. 

1  or,  yielding. 
m  De.  32:41,43. 
q  Ps.  79:6. 
Zep.  1-6. 


o  Ro.  2:8. 
p  Phi.  3:19. 

2  Pe.  3:7. 
q  Is.  2:19. 
r  Mat.  25:31 
s  Ps.  68:35. 


our  patience  under  our  sufferings,  we  are 
tjualified  for  the  joy  promised  to  patient 
sufferers  in  the  cause  of  God. 

II.  He  tells  them  next  of  the  future  rec¬ 
ompense  that  shall  be  given  to  persecutors, 
and  persecuted. 

1.  There  will  be  a  punishment  inflicted 
on  persecutors ,  v.  6.  Nothing  more  infalli¬ 
bly  marks  a  man  for  eternal  ruin,  than  a 
spirit  of  persecution,  and  enmity  to  the 
name  and  people  of  God  :  as  ihe  faith,  pa¬ 
tience,  and  constancy  of  the  saints  are  to 
them  an  earnest  of  everlasting  rest  and  joy, 
so  the  pride,  malice,  and  wickedness  of 
their  persecutors  are  to  them  an  earnest  of 
everlasting  misery  :  for  every  man  carries 
about  with  him,  and  carries  out  of  the 
world  with  him,  either  his  heaven  or  his 
hell.  God  will  recompense,  and  has  some¬ 
times  in  this  world  :  witness  the  dreadful 
end  of  many  persecutors;  but  especially  this 
He  will  do  in  the  other  world,  where  the 
portion  of  the  wicked  must  be  weeping  and 
waiting  and  gnashing  of  teeth. 

2.  There  is  a  reward  for  the  persecuted, 
v.  7.  a  rest  remains  for  the  people  of  God,  a 
rest  from  sin  and  sorrow;  and  the  future  rest 
will  abundantly  recompense  all  their  present 
troubles.  The  sufferings  of  this  present 


time  are  not  worthy  to  be  compared  with 
the  glory  that  shall  be  revealed.  The  mean¬ 
est  Christian  shall  rest  with  the  greatest 
apostle:  nay,  what  is  far  more,  if  we  suffer 
for  Christ,  we  shall  also  reign  1 vith  Him, 
2  Tim.  2:  12.  Concerning  this  future  rec¬ 
ompense,  we  are  further  to  observe, 

(1.)  The  certainty  of  it,  proved  by  the 
righteousness  and  justice  of  God,n.  6.  The 
thought  should  lie  terrible  to  wicked  men 
and  persecutors,  and  a  great  support  to  the 
righteous,  and  such  as  are  persecuted. 

(2.)  The  time  when  this  righteous  recom¬ 
pense  shall  be  made,  v.  7.  When  God  will 
judge  the  world  in  righteousness  by  that 
Man  whom  He  hath  appointed,  even  Jesus 
Christ,  the  righteous  Judge.  The  Scripture 
has  made  known  to  us  the  judgment  to 
come,  and  we  are  bound  to  receive  the  rev¬ 
elation  here  given  concerning  Christ.  As, 

[1.]  That  He  will  in  that  day  appear  from 
heaven.  Now  the  heavens  retain  Him, 
they  conceal  Him  ;  but  then  He  will  be  re¬ 
vealed  and  made  manifest.  He  will  come 
in  all  the  pomp  and  power  of  the  upper 
world,  from  whence  we  look  for  the  Sa¬ 
vior.  t 

[2.]  He  will  be  revealed  with  his  mighty 
angels,  v.  7.  or  the  angels  of  his  power : 
these  will  attend  on  H  im,  to  grace  the  so¬ 
lemnity  of  that  great  day  of  his  appearance; 
they  will  be  the  ministers  of  his  justice  and 
mercy  in  that  day  ;  they  will  summon  the 
criminals  to  his  tribunal,  and  gather  in  the 
elect,  and  be  employed  in  executing  his 
sentence. 

[3.]  He  will  come  in  flaming  fire,  v.  8. 
The  earth,  and  all  the  works  that  are  there¬ 
in,  shall  be  burnt  up,  and  the  elements  shall 
melt  with  fervent  heat.  This  will  be  a  try¬ 
ing  fire,  to  try  every  man’s  works ;  a  refining 
fire,  to  purify  the  saints  ;  a  consuming  fire 
to  the  wicked. 

[4.]  The  effects  of  this  appearance  will 
be  terrible  to  some,  and  joyful  to  others. 

1st.  Terrible  to  some  ;  He  will  then  take 
vengeance  on  the  wicked. 

1.  On  those  that  sinned  against  the 
principles  of  natural  religion,  and  rebelled 
against  the  light  of  nature  ;  that  know  not 
God,  v.  8.  though  the  invisible  things  of 
Him  are  manifested  in  the  things  that  are 
seen. 

2.  On  those  that  rebel  against  the  light 
of  revelation,  that  obey  not  the  Gospel  of  our 
Lord  Jesus  Christ.  And  this  is  the  con¬ 
demnation,  that  light  is  come  into  the  world, 
and  men  love  darkness  rather  than  light. 


This  is  the  great  crime  of  multitudes,  and 
to  such,  the  revelation  of  our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ  will  be  terrible,  because  of  their 
doom,  which  is  mentioned,  v.  9.  Where, 
Observe, 

(1.)  They  will  then  be  punished.  Though 
sinners  may  be  long  reprieved,  yet  they  will 
be  punished  at  last. 

(2.)  Their  punishment  will  be  no  less 
than  destruction,  not  of  their  being,  but  of 
their  bliss  ;  not  that  of  the  body  alone,  but 
both  as’  to  body  and  soul. 

(3.)  This  destruction  will  be  everlasting. 
They  shall  be  always  dying,  yet  never  die. 
It  must  needs  be  so,  since  the  punishment  is 
inflicted  an  eternal  God,  fastening  on  an 
immortal  soul,  set  out  of  the  reach  of  divine 
mercy  and  grace. 

(4.)  This  destruction  shall  come  from  the 
presence  of  the  Lord,  that  is,  immediately 
from  God  Himself.  Here,  God  punishes 
sinners  by  creatures,  by  instruments  ;  but 
then  He  will  take  the  work  into  his  own 
hands. 

(5.)  It  shall  come  from  the  glory  of  his 
power,  or  from  his  glorious  power.  Not  only 
the  justice  of  God,  but  his  almighty  power, 
will  be  glorified  in  the  destruction  of  sin¬ 
ners  ;  and  who  knows  the  power  of  his 
anger  1  He  is  able  to  cast  into  hell. 

2dly.  It  will  be  a  joyful  day  to  some,  even 
to  the  saints,  unto  them  that  believe  and  obey 
the  Gospel.  And  then  the  apostle’s  testimo¬ 
ny  concerning  this  day,  will  be  confirmed 
and  believed,  v.  10.  In  that  bright  and  bles¬ 
sed  day, 

1.  Christ  Jesus  will  be  glorified  and  ad¬ 
mired  by  his  saints.  They  shall  behold  his 
glory,  admire  it  with  pleasure,  sing  halle¬ 
lujahs  to  Him  in  that  day  of  his  triumph, 
for  their  complete  victory  and  happiness. 

2.  Christ  will  be  glorified  and  admired  in 
them.  His  grace  and  power  will  then  be 
manifested  and  magnified,  when  it  shall 
appear  what  He  has  purchased  for,  and 
wrought  in,  and  bestowed  upon,  all  those 
who  believe  in  Him.  Note,  Christ’s  deal¬ 
ings  with  those  who  believe,  will  be  what 
the  world  one  day  shall  wonder  at.  Now, 
they  are  a  wonder  to  many  :  but  how  will 
they  be  wondered  at  in  this  great  and  glori¬ 
ous  day;  or,  rather,  how  will  Christ,  whose 
name  is  Wonderful,  be  admired,  when  the 
mystery  of  God  shall  be  finished  !  Christ 
will  not  be  so  much  admired  in  the  glorious 
esteem  of  angels  that  He  will  bring  from 
heaven  with  Him  ;  as  in  the  many  saints, 
the  many,  sons,  He  will  bring  to  glory. 


be  just,  I  know  no  stronger  proof  of  a  righteous  judgment  to  come,  than 
the  persecutions  of  good  men,  and  the  present  triumphs  of  the  wicked.’ 
Benson,  in  Bloomf. — ‘  If  we  hold  this  principle  of  faith,  that  God  is  the 
just  Judge  of  the  world,  and  that  it  is  his  office  to  reward  every  one  ac¬ 
cording  to  his  work,  this  other  principle  must  beyond  dispute  follow, 
that  the  present  disorder  is  proof  that  there  will  be  a  judgment,  which 
does  not  yet  appear.  God,  therefore,  to  excite  us  to  the  hope  of  a  future 
judgment,  now  only  judges  a  portion  of  the  world.’ 

Calvin,  in  Henry,  abr. 

(7.)  When  the  Lord  Jesus,  <fcc.]  ‘That  the  subject  here  is  the  final 
advent  of  Christ  to  judgment,  appears  from  a  comparison  with  1  Thes. 
1:10.  3:13.  4:15.  seqq.  5:2,  and  23.  To  interpret  it,  therefore,  ns  some 
do,  of  Christ’s  advent  to  destroy  Jerusalem,  seems  merely  a  device  re¬ 
sorted  to,  to  avoid  the  difficulties  at  ch.  2.’ 

Bloomf.,  with  Koppe  and  Rosenm. 

(8.)  In  flaming  fire.]  ‘Commentators  are  not  agreed  on  what  is 
signified  here.  The  ancients  and  earlier  moderns,  as  Est.,  think  it  means 
the  fire  of  hell,  i.  e.  the  fire  of  conflagration,  which  shall  usher  in  the 
day  of  judgment.  Theoph.  and  others  construe  the  words  with  taking 
vengeance ,  &c  ,  or  with  shall  be  revealed,  &c.,  v.  7.  but  the  latter  con¬ 
struction  is  the  more  natural.  Most  recent  commentators,  from  Benson 
downwards,  take  it  to  denote  the  glory  in  which  our  Lord  shall  be 
clothed  at  the  great  day.  Koppe  understands  it  of  awful  lightning  and 
thunder ;  which  is  very  consistent  with  the  former.  Ham.  understands 
it  of  the  angels;  and  Grot,  sinks  it  into  a  sort  of  rhetorical  ornament. 
On  the  whole,  there  is  no  great  objection  to  the  interpretation  of  Bens,  and 
ICop.  but  I  see  no  sufficient  reason  to  abandon  the  common  one,  which 
is  confirmed  by  the  unanimous  authority  of  the  ancients.’  Bl. — Them 
that  know  not ,  &c.)  ‘I  see  no  reason  to  abandon  the  common  opinion, 
that  all  non-Christians  are  meant,  of  course  implying  such  as  have  had 
the  means  of  knowing,  and  have,  neglected  them,  and  whose  ignorance 
is  voluntary  (see  Horn  2:16.);  and  by  them  that  obey  not,  &c.,  those 
who,  after  having  embraced  the  Gospel,  do  not  fulfil  its  injunctions.  It 
is  plain  that  two  sorts  of  persons  are  meant.’  Id. 

(9.)  ‘  It  is  plain  the  apostle  is  speaking  of  the  general  judgment ,  and 

the  punishment  of  all  the  wicked,  not  merely  of  those  who  have  perse¬ 
cuted  Christians.’  Id. — Everlasting  destruction.]  ‘The  very  nature 


of  the  expressive  [original]  term  perdition,  suggests  the  idea  of  utter 
and  irrecoverable  ruin  and  destruction.  As  to  everlasting,  the  common 
device  to  which  the  Unitarians  and  others  resort,  namely,  that  of  rep¬ 
resenting  the  term  as  meaning  no  more  than  age, — lasting,  is  only  fit 
for  sciolists,  and  those  who  wish  to  be  deceived.’  Bl. — From  the  pres¬ 
ence  of  the  Lord.]  ‘The  phrase  expresses  not  only  that  they  shall  be 
expelled  from  that  joy  and  glory  which  reign  in  the  presence  of  Christ, 
bnt  that  his  presence  shall  appear  active  in  the  infliction  of  their  pun¬ 
ishment,  so  that  they  shall,  as  it  were,  be  blasted  by  the  lightning  of  his 
eye.’  Bp.  Hopkins,  in  Doddr.  Bloomfield,  remarks,  that  no  interpreta¬ 
tion  hears  the  stamp  of  truth,  but  the  commonly  received  one,  which  is 
ably  supported  by  Koppe.  He  adds,  that  the  from  signifies,  ‘  far  removed 
from  the  Lord,  and  the  glorious  majesty  of  iiis  kingdom.’  This  he  con¬ 
firms  by  reference  to  Gen.  4:14.  and  Is.  2:10,  19.  and  remarks,  ‘  that  the 
wicked  and  reprobate  will  pass  their  miserable  existence  in  quite 
another  place  from  the  habitations  of  the  accepted,  is  the  perpetual  doc¬ 
trine  of  Christ  and  his  apostles,  as  Mat. 25:41.’  Ed. — ‘  Everlasting  destruc¬ 
tion  is  not  annihilation  ;  for  their  being  continues  ;  and  as  the  destruc¬ 
tion  is  everlasting,  it  is  an  eternal  continuance,  and  presence  of  substan¬ 
tial  evil,  and  absence  of  all  good.  The  everlasting  destruction  of  the 
ungodly,  is  a  subject  that  should  he  continually  placed  before  men.’  A. 
Clarke,  in  Henry,  abr. — ‘Some  persons  endeavor  to  convince  them¬ 
selves  that  the  doctrine  of  everlasting  punishment  is  untrue,  (contrary 
to  the  express  declaration  of  God’s  Word,)  because  they  cannot  see  how 
on  human  principles  it  can  be  just.  “  But  it  is  murder  in  a  parent  to 
drown  his  child  ;  while  it  was  right  in  God  to  drown  a  wicked  world. 
Lot  could  not  lawfully  destroy  his  sons-in-law  ;  but  God  did  it  in  right¬ 
eousness.”  These  things  teach  us,  not  to  compare  God  with  ourselves ; 
nor  think  that  He  must  be  governed  by  our  views  and  feelings.’ 

Rev.  Dr.  Church. 

(10.)  ‘It  is  well  remarked  by  Benson,  that  whilst  the  saints  are  de¬ 
spised,  insulted,  and  persecuted,  Christ  is  not  glorified  in  them,  nor  at  - 
mired  for  his  regard  to  them.  But,  when  He  shall  punish  t‘[e'r  P  f  .' 
eutors,  raise  his  saints  from  the  dead,  deliver  them  out  of  a 
troubles,  and  make  them  completely  glorious  and  happy  ;  ®n _  * 
be  glorious  and  admirable  in  the  eyes  of  the  whole  worl  . 

‘He  will  show  Himself  wonderful  in  giving  reat,  joy,  glory,  j 


A.  D.  56. 


2  THESSALONIANS,  II.  Paul's  earnest  prayer  for  them. 


11  Wherefore  also  we  pray  al¬ 
ways  for  you,  that  our  God  would 
'count  you  worthy  u  of  this  calling, 
and  fulfil  all  the  good  pleasure  of 
his  goodness,  and  the  work  of  faith 
with  power  ; 

12  That  vthe  name  of  our  Lord 
Jesus  Christ  may  be  glorified  in 
you,  and  ye  in  him,  according  to 
the  grace  of  our  God  and  the  Lord 
Jesus  Christ. 

CHAP.  II. 

1  He  willeth  them  to  continue  steadfast  in  the  truth  receiv¬ 
ed,  3  sheweth  that  there  shall  be  a  departure  from  the 
faith,  9  and  a  discovery  of  antichrist,  before  the  day  of 
the  Lord  come.  15  And  thereupon  repea  teth  his  former 
exhortation,  and  prayeth  for  them. 

NOW  we  beseech  you,  brethren, 
by  the  coming  of  our  Lord 
Jesus  Christ,  and  by  our  gathering 
together  unto  him, 

2  That  ye  be  not  soon  shaken  in 
mind,  or  be  troubled,  neither  by 
spirit,  nor  by  word,  nor  by  letter, 
as  from  us,  as  a  that  the  day  of 
Christ  is  at  hand. 

t  or,  vouchsafe.  Re.  3:4.  a  Mat.  24:4 — 6. 

u  Col.  1:12.  v  1  Pe.  1:7. 

V.  11,  12.  In  these  verses  the  apostle 
again  tells  the  Thessalonians  of  his  earnest 
and  constant  prayer  for  them.  They  were 
much  on  his  thoughts,  he  wished  them  well, 
and  could  not  express  his  good  will  and 
good  wishes  to  them  better,  than  in  earnest, 
constant  prayer  to  God  for  them.  Note, 
The  believing  thoughts  and  expectation  of 
the  second  coming  of  Christ,  should  put  us 
upon  prayer  to  God  for  ourselves  and  others, 
Luke  21:  36.  Observe, 

1.  What  .the  apostle  prayed  for,  v.  11. 
(1.)  That  God  would  begin  his  good  work 
of  grace  in  them  ;  so  we  may  understand 
this  expression  ;  That  our  God  would  count 
you  (or,  as  it  might  be  read,  make  you) 
worthy  of  this  calling.  We  are  called  with 
a  high  and  holy  calling  ;  and  if  so,  our  great 
concern  should  be,  to  be  worthy  of  it  ;  and 


because  we  have  no  worthiness  of  our  own, 
but  what  is  owing  purely  to  the  grace  of 
God,  we  should  pray  that  He  would  make 
ns  worthy,  and  then  count  us  worthy  of  this 
calling,  or,  that  He  would  make  us  meet  to 
partake  of  the  inheritance  of  the  saints  in 
light,  Col.  1 : 12. 

(2.)  That  God  would  carry  on  the  good 
work  that  is  begun,  and  fulfil  all  the  good 
pleasure  of  his  goodness.  The  good  pleasure 
of  God,  denotes  his  gracious  purposes  to¬ 
ward  his  people,  which  flow  from  his  good¬ 
ness,  and  are  full  of  goodness  toward  them ; 
and  it  is  from  thence  that  all  good  comes  to 
us.  Several  good  works  of  grace  are  be¬ 
gun  in  the  hearts  of  God’s  people,  which 
proceed  from  this  good  pleasure  of  his 
goodness,  and  we  should  desire  that  they 
may  be  completed  and  perfected.  In  par¬ 
ticular,  the  apostle  prays,  that  God  would 
fulfil  in  them  the  work  of  faith  with  power. 
Note,  The  fulfilling  the  work  of  faith  is  in 
order  to  the  fulfilling  of  every  other  good 
work,  and  it  is  the  power  of  God,  that  not 
only  begins,  but  carries  on,  and  perfects, 
the  work  of  faith. 

2.  Why  the  apostle  prayed  for  these 
things,  v.  12.  That  the  name  of  the  Lord 
Jesus  may  be  glorified  ;  this  end  we  should 
aim  at  in  everything  we  do  and  desire, — 
that  God  and  Christ  in  all  things  may  be 
glorified.  And  this  is  the  great  end  and 
design  of  the  grace  of  our  God,  and  the 
Lord  Jesus  Christ,  which  is  manifested  to 
us,  and  wrought  in  us;  our  own  happiness 
and  that  of  others  should  be  subordinate  to 
this  ultimate  end  ;  or  thus,  it  is  according 
to  the  grace  of  God  and  Christ,  it  is  an 
agreeable  thing,  considering  the  grace  that 
is  manifested  to  us,  and  bestowed  on  us,  by 
God  and  Christ,  that  we  direct  all  we  do, 
to  the  glory  of  our  Creator  and  Redeemer. 

Chap.  II.  V.  1 — 3.  Some  among  the 
Thessalonians  had  mistaken  the  apostle’s 
meaning  in  what  he  had  written  in  his  for¬ 
mer  epistle  about  the  coming  of  Christ,  by 
thinking  that  it  was  near  at  hand.  Or,  it 
may  be,  some  pretended  they  had  knowledge 
respecting  it,  by  particular  revelation  from 


the  Spirit:  hereupon, he  is  careful  to  rectify 
this  mistake,  and  to  prevent  the  spreading 
of  this  error.  Observe, 

I.  How  very  earnest  and  solicitous  he 
was,  to  prevent  mistakes,  v.  1.  He  entreats 
them  as  brethren,  who  might  have  charged 
them,  as  a  father  his  children  :  he  shows 
great  kindness  and  condescension  ;  and  in¬ 
sinuates  himself  into  their  affections.  He 
obtests,  and  even  conjures  them  in  the  most 
solemn  manner.  By  the  coming  of  Christ,  See. 
The  words  are  in  the  form  of  an  oath ;  and 
his  meaning  is,  that  if  they  believed  Christ 
would  come,  and  if  they  desired  He  would 
come,  and  rejoiced  in  the  hope  of  his  com¬ 
ing,  they  should  be  careful  to  avoid  the  er¬ 
ror,  and  the  evil  consequence  hereof,  that 
he  was  now  cautioning  them  against.  From 
this  form  of  obtestation  used  by  the  apostle, 
we  may  observe, 

1.  It  is  most  certain  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ  will  come  to  judge  the  world,  that 
He  will  come  in  all  the  pomp  and  power  of 
the  upper  world  in  the  last  day,  to  execute 
judgment  upon  all.  This  has  been  the  faith 
and  hope  of  all  Christians,  in  all  ages  of  the 
church  ;  nay,  it  was  the  faith  and  hope  of 
the  Old  Test,  saints,  ever  since  Enoch,  the 
seventh  from  Adam,  who  said,  Behold,  the 
Lord  cometh,  &c.  Jude  v.  14. 

2.  At  the  second  coming  of  Christ,  all  the 
saints  will  be  gathered  together  to  Him,  which 
show's,  that  the  apostle  speaks  of  Christ’s 
coming  to  judgment  at  the  last  day,  and  not 
of  his  coming  to  destroy  Jerusalem. 

(1.)  They  all  shall  be  gathered  together. 
There  will  then  be  a  general  meeting  of  all 
the  saints,  and  none  but  saints  ;  all  the  Old 
Test,  saints,  and  all  the  New  Test,  saints, 
they  will  all  be  gathered  together. 

(2.)  They  shall  be  gathered  together  to 
Christ.  He  will  be  the  great  Centre  of 
their  unity.  They  shall  be  gathered  togeth¬ 
er  to  Him,  to  be  attendants  on  Him,  to  be 
assessors  with  Him,  to  be  presented  by  Him 
to  the  Father,  to  be  with  Him  for  ever,  and 
altogether  happy  in  his  presence  to  all  eter- 
nity. 

(3.)  The  doctrine  of  Christ’s  coming, 
and  our  gathering  together  to  Him,  is  of 


FRACT.  OB9.  Those  who  have  already  distinguished  themselves  by 
4  the  work  of  faith,  and  the  labor  of  love,  and  the  patience  of  hope,’  are 
yet  capable  of  1  growing  exceedingly  ’  in  all  these  things  ;  for  the  high¬ 
est  attainments  of  saints  on  earth  fall  far  beneath  full  perfection.  Phil. 
3:12 — 14. — The  patient  sufferings  of  exemplary  Christians,  and  the  pros¬ 
perity  of  ungodly  men  and  cruel  persecutors,  fully  demonstrate  a  future 
judgment;  when  all  shall  ‘discern  between  the  righteous  and  the 
wicked,  between  him  that  serveth  God,  and  him  that  serveth  Him  not.’ 
Mai.  3:13 — 18,  v.  18.  This  assists  us  in  explaining  those  mysteries  of 
Providence,  which  would  otherwise  greatly  perplex  us  ;  and  we  per¬ 
ceive,  that  the  devoted  worshippers  and  beloved  children  of  God  are 
roved  and  purified  in  the  fiery  furnace  of  tribulation,  ‘  that  they  may 
e  accounted  worthy  of  that  kingdom  for  which  they  suffer;’  and  that 
wicked  men  are  permitted  to  prosper,  that  their  rancorous  enmity 
against  God  may  be  manifested,  and  the  measure  of  their  crimes  filled 
up,  and  that  all  may  see  the  glory  of  that  justice,  which  consigns  them 
to  the  punishment  intended  for  them.  2  Pet.  2:4—9.  It  must  indeed  at 
length  appear  evident  to  all  rational  creatures,  that  ‘it  is  righteous  in 
God  to  recompense  tribulation  to  those  who  trouble’  his  people,  from 
hatred  to  his  holy  truth  and  service,  and  that  it  is  honorable  to  all  his 
perfections  to  give  ‘  rest  ’  and  felicity  to  those,  who  hnve  been  troubled 
for  his  sake,  and  for  their  love  to  his  cause  and  worship.  Faith,  antici¬ 
pating  the  grand  decisive  day,  is  enabled  by  the  light  of  revelation  to 
read,  and,  in  a  measure,  to  understand  the  book  of  Providence,  and  thus 
to  wait  with  composure  and  comfort  for  the  coming  of  the  Lord.  That 
will  be  indeed  1  the  day  of  wrath  and  of  the  revelation  of  the  righteous 
judgment  of  God  ;  ’  then  the  Savior,  once  ‘  a  Man  of  sorrows,’  and  gen- 

lasting  blessedness,  to  all  who  love  his  truth,  and  believe  in  Him.’ 

lip.  Jewel. 

V.  11.  The  good  pleasure  of  his  goodness.]  ‘This  is  the  shortest 
and  most  charming  representation  anywhere  found  of  that  infinite  good¬ 
ness,  which  surpasses  all  expression,  but  was  never  so  happily  and 
properly  expressed  ns  here.’  Blackwall. — ‘The  original  seems  at 
once  to  express  that  it  is  sovereign  pleasure ,  and  also  that  He  feels,  as 
it  were,  a  sacred  complacency  in  the  display  of  it.’  Doddr. 

NOTES.  Chap.  II.  V.  1,  2.  It  would  at  least  take  them  off  from 
the  duties  of  their  several  callings  in  society,  and  their  conduct,  expec¬ 
tations,  and  disappointment  might  eventually  render  them  the  derision 
of  their  unbelieving  neighbors.  Several  learned  men  would  explain  this, 
of  our  Lord's  coming,  in  providence,  to  destroy  Jerusalem,  and  termi¬ 
nate  the  persecutions  excited  by  the  Jews;  but  that  coming  was  very 
near,  and  the  apostle  earnestly  warned  his  readers  against  supposing, 
that  the  coming  of  which  he  spake  was  at  band.  If,  however,  this  had 
not  been  the  case,  what  could  there  be,  in  the  near  approach  of  divine 
judgments  on  Judea,  to  excite  any  extraordinary  commotion,  among  the 

[454] 


eraliy  despised,  rejected,  and  disobeyed,  will  ‘  be  revealed,  with  his 
mighty  angels,  in  flaming  fire,  taking  vengeance,’  not  only  on  cruel  op¬ 
pressors,  persecutors,  and  murderers,  or  on  scandalous  profligates  and 
depredators,  but  ‘  on  all  who  knew  not  God,  and  obeyed  not  the  Gospel 
of  his  Son,’  whether  infidels,  Pharisees,  scoffers,  hypocrites,  enthusiasts, 
or  antinomians,  or  however  they  might  otherwise  be  denominated  or 
distinguished.  The  majesty  of  that  countenance,  which  was  once  defiled 
with  blood  and  spitting,  and  the  glory  of  his  power,  who  was  once  cru¬ 
cified  in  apparent  weakness,  shall  be  intolerable  to  all  the  multitudes  of 
the  wicked,  and  they  will  be  wholly  incapable  of  making  the  least  resis¬ 
tance,  when  with  tremendous  frown  He  shall  say  to  them,  ‘Depart,  ye 
cursed,  into  everlasting  fire,  prepared  for  the  devil  and  his  angels  !  ’ 
But,  at  that  awful  season.  He  will  come  especially  ‘  to  be  glorified  in  his 
saints,’  who  have  here  believed  the  testimony  of  God  by  his  apostles 
concerning  Him,  and  thus  learned  to  trust,  love,  obey,  and  rejoice  in 
Him  whom  they  have  not  yet  seen  ;  and  to  know  and  worship  God  the 
Father  in  and  through  Him.  (Notes,  John  20:24 — 20,  vv.  28,  29.  1  Pet. 
1:8,  9.)  No  words  can  possibly  express  the  admiring  and  adoring  grati¬ 
tude  and  love,  which  will  unite  with  the  exulting  joy  and  triumph  of 
that  happy  period.  All  hopes  and  imaginations  must  fall  immensely 
beneath  those  unutterable  glories,  and  the  holy  affections  with  which 
they  will  be  contemplated  and  adored.  May  we  diligently  seek  to  ob¬ 
tain  and  possess  the  full  assurance,  that  this  shall  be  our  felicity  ;  and 
may  we  now  do  all  in  our  power  to  promote  and  recommend  the  Gos¬ 
pel,  and  to  do  good  to  our  fellow-sinners  and  fellow-Christians.  For 
thus  glorifying  Him  on  earth,  we  may  be  sure  of  being  for  ever  glorified 
with  Him  in  heaven  !  Scott. 

converts  at  Tlicssalonica,  in  Macedonia,  nearly  a’  thousand  miles  distant 
from  Judea,  and  these  chiefly  from  the  Gentries  ?  (1)  By  the  coming.] 
8,  9.  See  on  1  Thes.  5:23.  John  G:51.  11:4.  Rom.  8:26,  31.  1  Cor.  15:3. 
2  Cor.  7:4.  8:23.  This  (original)  preposition  is  never  thus  used,  ns  imply¬ 
ing  an  adjuration,  which  some  suppose  to  be  here  meant.  Scott. 

(1.)  By  the  coming,  &c.)  ‘Concerning  the  coming.  Though  the 
other  sense  is  an  unquestionable  one,  yet,  on  consideration  of  the  whole 
passage,  taken  in  connexion  with  ch.  4.  of  the  former  epistle,  it  appears 
less  suitable  here.  The  apostle  is  going  to  speak  to  them  on  a  subject, 
concerning  which  they  had  been  troubled.’  Schole.,  in  Henry ,  abr. 
Howe  (in  Doddr.)  takes  it  in  the  sense  of  adjuration ;  but  Doddr.,  Bloonif. 
and  others,  as  here.  The  coming,  says  Bl.,  all  the  best  commentators, 
ancient  and  modern,  understand  of  ‘  Christ's  second  advent.’  Ed. 

(2.)  ‘Some  have  thought  this  verse  implies,  that  epistles  had  been 
shown  to  the  Thessalonians,  falsely  purporting  to  have  been  written  by 
Paul.  Paley  does  not  consider  this  to  have  been  the  case,  and  states 
the  references  which  exist  to  the  first  epistle,  as  a  considerable  proof  of 
the  genuineness  of  both.’  Henry,  abr. 


A.  D.  56. 


2  THESSALONIANS,  II.  J1  general  apostasy  foretold. 


3  Let  no  man  deceive  you  by 
any  means  :  for  that  day  shall  not 
come,  except b  there  come  a  falling 
away  first,  and  that  man  of  sin  c  be 
revealed,  the  dson  of  perdition  : 

4  Who  opposeth  and  exalteth 
'  himself  above  all  that  is  called 
God,  or  that  is  worshipped  ;  so  that 
he,  as  God,  sitteth  in  the  temple  of 
God,  shewing  himself  that  ne  is 
God. 

[Practical  Observations .] 

5  Remember  ye  not,  that,  when 
I  was  yet  with  you,  I  told  you  these 
things  ? 

blTi.  4:1.  d  Jo.  17:12.  e  Is.  14:13.  Re.  13:6. 
c  Da.  7:25. 


great  importance  to  Christians  ;  otherwise, 
it  would  not  be  the  proper  matter  of  the 
apostle’s  obtestation.  We  ought  therefore 
not  only  to  believe  these  things,  but  highly 
to  account  of  them  also,  and  look  upon 
them  as  things  we  are  greatly  concerned  in, 
and  should  be  much  affected  with. 

II.  The  thing  itself  the  apostle  cautions 
the  Thessalonians  against,  is,  that  they 
should  not  be  deceived  about  the  time  of 
Christ’s  coming,  and  so  be  shaken  in  mind, 
or  be.  troubled.  Note,  Errors  weaken  our 
faith,  and  cause  us  trouble  ;  and  the  weak 
in  faith  are  often  deceived,  and  fall  a  prey 
to  seducers. 

1.  He  would  not  have  them  be  deceived, 
v.  3.  Many  lie  in  wait  to  deceive,  and 


have  many  ways  of  deceiving,  we  have  rea-' 
son,  therefore,  to  be  cautious,  and  stand  on 
our  guard.  Some  will  pretend  new  revela¬ 
tions,  others  misinterpret  Scripture,  and 
others  be  guilty  of  gross  forgeries  ;  divers 
means  and  artifices  of  deceit,  men  will  use; 
but  we  must  be  careful  that  no  man  deceive 
us  by  any  means.  The  particular  matter 
in  which  the  apostle  cautions  them  not  to  be 
deceived,  is  about  the  near  approach  of 
Christ’s  coming,  as  if  it  was  to  have  been 
in  the  apostle’s  days  ;  and  harmless  as  this 
error  might  have  seemed  to  many,  yet,  be¬ 
cause  it  was  indeed  an  error,  it  would  have 
proved  of  bad  consequence  to  many  per¬ 
sons.  Therefore, 

2.  He  warns  them,  and  would  not  have 
them  soon  shaken  in  mind,  or  be  troubled. 

(1.)  He  would  not  have  their  faith  weak¬ 
ened.  There  was  danger  lest  the  Thessalo¬ 
nians,  if  they  apprehended  the  coming  of 
Christ  was  just  at  hand,  on  finding  they,  or 
others,  whom  they  too  much  regarded,  were 
mistaken  as  to  the  time,  should  thereupon 
question  the  truth  or  certainty  of  the  thing 
itself ;  whereas,  they  ought  not  to  waver  in 
their  minds,  as  to  this  great  thing,  which  is 
the  faith  and  hope  of  all  the  saints.  Then, 

(2.)  He  would  not  have  their  comforts 
lessened,  that  they  should  not  be  troubled,  or 
affrighted  with  false  alarms.  It  is  probable 
the  coming  of  Christ  was  represented  in  so 
much  terror,  as  to  trouble  many,  though  in 
itself  matter  of  the  believer’s  hope  and  joy; 
or  many  might  be  troubled  with  the  thought, 
how  surprising  this  day  would  be,  or  with 
the  fear  of  their  unpreparedness,  or  reflec¬ 


tion  on  their  mistake  about  the  time  of 
Christ’s  coming:  we  should  always  watch 
and  pray,  but  must  not  be  discouraged,  or 
uncomfortable  at  the  thought  of  Christ’s 
coming. 

V.  3 — 12.  Here  the  apostle  confutes  the 
error  he  had  cautioned  them  against,  and 
gives  the  reasons  why  they  should  not  expect 
the  coming  of  Christ  as  just  at  hand.  There 
were  several  events  previous  to  the  second 
coming  of  Christ  ;  in  particular,  he  tells 
them, 

I.  There  would  be  a  general  apostasy,  a 
falling  away  first,  v.  3.  understand  a  defec¬ 
tion  from  sound  doctrine,  instituted  worship, 
and  church  government,  and  a  holy  life. 
The  apostle  speaks  of  some  very  great  apos¬ 
tasy,  such  as  should  be  very  general,  though 
gradual,  and  should  give  occasion  to  the 
revelation  or  rise  of  antichrist,  that  man  of 
sin.  This,  he  says,  v.  5.  he  had  told  them 
of  when  with  them,  with  design,  no  doubt, 
that  they  should  not  take  offence  or  be 
stumbled  at  it.  And,  observe,  no  sooner 
was  Christianity  planted  and  rooted,  than 
there  began  to  be  a  defection  in  the  Chris¬ 
tian  church.  It  was  so  in  the  Old  Test, 
church  ;  soon  after  the  promise,  there  was 
revolting  ;  soon  after  men  began  to  call  on 
the  name  of  the  Lord,  all  flesh  corrupted 
their  way  ;  soon  after  the  covenant  with 
Noah,  the  Babel-builders  bade  defiance  to 
heaven;  soon  after  the  covenant  with  Abra¬ 
ham,  his  seed  degenerated  in  Egypt  ;  soon 
after  the  Israelites  were  planted  in  Canaan, 
when  the  first  generation  was  worn  off,  they 
forsook  God,  and  served  Baal  ;  soon  after 


PRACT.  OBS.  V.  1 — 4.  It  is  peculiarly  incumbent  on  ministers,  to 
caution  men  against  expectations  not  warranted  by  Scripture ;  but 
grounded  on  impressions,  pretended  revelations,  and  perversions  of  the 
Word  of  God  ;  for  Satan  makes  immense  use  of  these  delusions,  not  only 
to  unsettle  men’s  minds,  and  fill  them  with  needless  apprehensions,  but 
even  to  shake  the  foundations  of  their  faith  and  hope,  to  draw  them  off 
from  their  duty,  and  to  expose  the  Gospel  itself  to  ridicule  and  con¬ 
tempt,  from  scoffers  of  all  descriptions. — But  let  us  observe,  that  Satan 


does  most  mischief  by  those,  who,  like  Judas,  profess  themselves  disci¬ 
ples  and  apostles,  and  sell  Christ  for  money  ;  these  are  emphatically 
‘sons  of  perdition,’  and  ‘  men  of  sin.’  [Notes,  Is.  56:9 — 12.  P.  O.  9 — 14. 
Mat.  21:12,  13.  P.  O.  12— 16.  Ret).  18:11— 19.  P.  O.  9— 19.)— Avarice, 
pride,  and  ambition  are  always  hateful,  but  they  are  most  diabolical, 
when  employed  about  spiritual  things;  and  there  have  indeed  been 
many  antichrists;  yet  no  one  has  been  so  mischievous,  as  he  ‘who 
seated  himself  in  the  temple  of  God.’  Scott. 


V.  3,  4.  Doubtless  many  apostasies  occurred,  in  the  primitive  ages, 
under  different  heresiarchs ;  but  all  the  circumstances  of  this  prediction 
were  never  verified,  except  in  that  departure  from  the  faith,  and  that 
usurpation  and  spiritual  tyranny  connected  with  it,  which  took  place  by 
means  of  the  church  of  Rome  ;  and  the  manifest  absurdity  of  all  other 
interpretations,  as  clearly  shown  in  the  controversies  of  those  who  con¬ 
tend  for  one  or  another  of  them  against  their  opponents,  abundantly 
proves  this.  No  apostasy  of  equal  magnitude  and  duration,  no  delusions 
equally  pernicious  and  abominable,  have  taken  place,  since  the  apostle’s 
days.  The  imposture  of  Mohammed  alone  can  be  at  all  compared  with 
it,  and  this  could  not  be  here  intended  ;  for  that  impostor  and  his  suc¬ 
cessors  were  not  placed  ‘  in  the  temple  of  God,’  the  visible  church, 
Rev.  11:1,  2.  but  without  it,  and,  in  direct  opposition  to  the  very  name 
of  Christianity,  they  propagated  their  delusions  mainly  by  the  sword, 
and  not  by  ‘lying  miracles  ;’  8 — 12.  and  indeed  the  impieties  of  Moham¬ 
med  never  equalled  the  blasphemies  here  predicted. — In  connexion  with 
this  apostasy  ‘  the  man  of  sin  would  be  revealed.’  In  the  language  of 
prophecy,  a  king  generally  signifies  a  succession  of  monarchs,  of  the 
same  family  or  dynasty,  carrying  on  the  same  design.  Dan.  7:15 — 27. 
Thus  ‘  the  man  of  sin  ’  does  not  mean  a  single  person,  but  a  succession 
of  men,  impious  in  themselves,  and  conducting  the  same  wicked  design 
of  corrupting  Christianity,  in  doctrine,  worship,  and  practice  ;  establish¬ 
ing  an  intolerable  tyranny  on  religious  pretences,  and  using  all  kinds  of 
seduction,  iniquity,  and  cruel  persecution,  to  induce  mankind  to  adopt 
the  antichristian  system. — ( Marg .  Ref.  i. — Notes ,  Rev.  13.)  This  ‘  man 
of  sin  ’  would  be  ‘  the  son  of  perdition,’  John  17:12.  a  genuine,  descen¬ 
dant  of  Judas,  the  apostle  and  the  traitor,  who  sold  his  Lord  for  money, 
and  betrayed  Him  with  a  kiss ;  a  peculiar  factor  and  agent  of  Satan,  in 
destroying  the  souls  of  men,  and  finally  sinking  himself  into  perdition  as 
his  inheritance.  Rev.  17:7 — 14.  It  is  manifest,  that  no  succession  of 
men  have  yet  appeared  on  earth,  to  whom  this  description  fully  accords, 
except  that  of  the  Roman  pontiffs,  as  in  succession  the  visible  head  of 
the  popish  church. — This  deceiver  would  ‘oppose  and  exalt  himself 
above  all  that  is  called  God,  or  is  worshipped,’  either  by  Christians  or 
Pagans;  thus  the  Roman  pontiffs  have  opposed  the  truths,  command¬ 
ments,  and  disciples  of  Christ,  in  every  age  and  by  every  mean  ;  they 
have  opposed  the  prophetical  office  of  Christ,  by  teaching  human  inven¬ 
tions;  his  priestly  office,  by  the  doctrine  of  human  merits  and  created 
intercessors,  and  his  kingly  office,  by  changing  and  dispensing  with  his 
laws.  Dan.  11:34 — 45.  1  Tim.  4:1 — 5.  1  John  2:18,  19. — They  have 
‘exalted  themselves  above  all  that  is  called  God, and  is  worshipped,’  by 
claiming  authority  to  forgive  sins,  even  in  those  who  manifestly  continue 
impenitent,  by  granting  indulgences  to  men  to  break  the  commandments 
of  God,  by  dispensing  with  his  laws,  and  placing  their  own  decrees 
above  them,  as  if  of  superior  validity,  and  by  presuming  to  give  meaning 
and  authority  to  the  Scriptures  themselves  ;  which  must  not  be  under¬ 
stood  in  any  other  sense,  than  what  they  impose  on  them.  (Marg.  Re  f. 
k— m.) — Moreover,  this  ‘  man  of  sin’  ‘  sits  as  God  in  the  temple  of  God,’ 
and  we  must  therefore  look  for  him  within  the  visible  church ;  there  he 
blasphemously  usurps  the  throne  of  God,  showing  himself  to  be  God. 
Many  Roman  emperors  affected  divine  honors  and  demanded  adoration; 
but  there  was  no  antecedent  ‘apostasy,’  from  Christianity  or  the  wor¬ 
ship  of  Jehovah,  and  they  might  rather  be  said  to  sit  in  the  temple  of 


Jupiter  or  Mars,  than  in  that  of  God,  whose  temple  must  be  considered 
to  be  among  his  professed  worshippers,  and  not  among  avowed  hea¬ 
thens.  But  the  Roman  pontiff',  claiming  to  be  the  universal  head  of  the 
whole  church  of  God,  called  by  his  flatterers  ‘  Vice-God,’  ‘  a  God  upon 
earth,’  arrogating  the  title  of  ‘his  Holiness,’  boasting  of  ‘infallibil¬ 
ity,’  claiming  a  right  to  depose  kings,  and  bestow  kingdoms  on  whom 
he  pleases,  with  those  impious  claims  before  mentioned,  answers  so  ex¬ 
actly  to  the  description  here  given,  that  we  cannot  reasonably  doubt  for 
whom  it  was  designed.  While  the  Roman  pontiff  opposes  the  worship 
of  God,  by  enjoining  the  worship  of  images,  and  of  saints  and  angels,  and 
the  authority  of  his  laws,  to  enforce  subjection  to  his  own  edicts,  he 
himself  may  be  called  the  great  idol,  as  well  as  the  great  tyrant,  of  the 
Romish  church:  Rev .  13:13 — 17.  as  he  demands  the  most  abject  sub¬ 
mission,  and  prostration  from  all  men,  both  in  body  and  soul,  and  pours 
contempt  on  all  authority  human  and  divine.  But  particulars  cannot 
here  be  more  fully  insisted  on.  It  suffices  to  show,  that  the  Roman  pon¬ 
tiffs  answered,  and  still  do  answer  to  this  description,  as  the  person 
intended  is  the  archetype  of  an  excellent  portrait,  and  we  may  venture 
to  assert,  that  no  other  succession  of  men  ever  did  thus  accord  to  it, 
perhaps  no  single  individual  within  the  visible  church. — The  apostles, 
at  least  after  the  Gospel  was  preached  to  the  Gentiles,  never  spoke  of 
the  temple  at  Jerusalem  as  the  temple  of  God,  but  the  Christian  church 
in  general,  or  believers  in  particular,  are  always  denoted  by  that  phrase. 
— The  striking  coincidence  of  this  extraordinary  prediction,  xvith  many 
parts  of  the  prophecy  of  Daniel,  and  of  the  revelation  of  John,  may  be 
seen  to  advantage,  by  consulting  the  marginal  references,  and,  as  far  as 
the  author’s  views  of  them  are  concerned,  by  examining  the  notes  on 
the  passages  referred  to  in  those  prophecies. — (4)  IVho  opposeth ,  &c.] 
‘  That  adversary.’  ‘  Opposed  to  Christ  diametrically.’  Rullinger.  ‘Bv 
a  determined,  perpetual  purpose  “he  opposeth  God.’”  Grotius. — (3)  A 
falling  away.]  ‘  The  apostasy.’  Acts  21:21.  Not  elsewhere.  ‘Neither 
do  I  see  the  necessity  for  denying,  that  the  article  has  here  its  proper 
force  ;  since  apostasy,  however  long-continued,  might  fitly  be  called  the 
apostasy,  the  several  acts  marking  its  progress  being  considered  as  one 
whole.’  Bp.  Middleton.  Scott. 

(4.)  IVho  opposeth,  <fco,.]  ‘  There  seems  to  be  an  allusion  to  him  who 
is  called  antichrist  in  the  apocalypse. — How  closely  this  [his  being  called 
God ]  corresponds  to  the  Roman  pontiffs,  every  attentive  reader  of  his¬ 
tory,  ecclesiastical  or  civil,  must  perceive.’  Bloomf. — Above  all  that  is 
called  God.]  ‘If  these  words  are  not  applicable  to  the  usurpation  of 
papacy  in  divine  things,  it  is  difficult  to  say  who  there  ever  has  been  or 
can  be  to  whom  they  should  belong.’  Doddr. 

V.  5 — 7.  The  Roman  empire,  united  under  one  potent  government, 
and  extremely  jealous  of  all  other  power  and  authority,  prevented  the 
establishment  of  that  spiritual  tyranny  and  usurpation,  by  which  Satan 
was  attempting  to  make  his  grand  effort  against  Christianity  ;  but  it 
would  not  have  been  prudent  for  the  apostle  explicitly  to  mention  it,  in 
an  epistle  for  general  perusal ;  nor  xvould  it  have  accorded  to  me  sty  e 
of  prophecy  ;  however,  most  of  the  fathers  so  far  understood  him, ,  as i  to 
declare,  that  Antichrist  would  not  come,  till  after  the  downfall 
Roman  empire.  Hud  it  not  been  for  this  obstacle,  the  evil  would  have 
broken  out  much  sooner  ;  for  even  when  this  xvas  written,  t  ie  J  '  y 
of  iniquity  did  already  work.’  But  the  Roman  empire,  which^Uien 


A.  D.  56. 


2  THESSALONIANS,  II. 


Revelation  of  1  the  man  of  s  in.’ 


6  And  now  ye  know  what  f  with- 
holdeth,  that  he  might  be  revealed 
in  his  time. 

7  For  the  mystery  of  iniquity 
doth  already  g  work  :  only  he  who 
now  letteth,  will  let,  until  he  be 
taken  out  of  the  way. 

8  And  then  shall  that  Wicked  be 
revealed,  whom  the  Lord  shall  h 
consume  with  the  spirit  1  of  his 
mouth,  and  shall  destroy  J  with  the 
brightness  of  his  coming. 

9  Even  him,  whose  coming  is 
after  the  working  of  Satan,  with 
all  power  and  signs  and  lying  won¬ 
ders, 

10  And  with  all  deceivableness 
of  k  unrighteousness  in  them  that 
perish  ;  because  they  received  not 
the  love  1  of  the  truth,  that  they 
might  be  saved. 

f  or %holdelh.  i  Ts.  11:4.  k  He.  3:13. 

g  1  Jn.  4:3.  Re.  19:15,21.  1  1  Co.  16:22. 

h  Da.  7:10,11.  J  He.  I0:fc7. 

God’s  covenant  with  David,  his  seed  re¬ 
volted,  and  served  other  gods  ;  soon  after 
the  return  out  of  captivity  there  was  a  gen¬ 
eral  decay  of  piety,  as  appears  by  the  story 
of  Ezra  and  Nehemiah  ;  therefore,  it  was 
no  strange  thing,  that  after  the  planting  of 
Christianity,  there  should  [from  the  selfish¬ 
ness  of  our  naturepcotne  a  falling  away. 

II.  There  would  be  a  revelation  of  that 
man  of  sin,  v.  3.  antichrist  would  take  his 
rise  from  this  general  apostasy.  He  after¬ 
ward  speaks  of  the  revelation  of  that  wicked 
one,  v.  8.  intimating  the  discovery  which 
should  be  made  of  his  wickedness,  in  order 
to  his  ruin  :  here  he  seems  to  speak  of  his 
rise,  which  should  be  occasioned  by  the  gen¬ 
eral  apostasy  he  had  mentioned  ;  and  to  in¬ 
timate,  that  all  sorts  of  false  doctrines  and 
corruptions  should  centre  in  him.  Great 
disputes  have  been,  who  or  what  is  intended 
by  this  man  of  sin  and  son  of  perdition  ; 


and  if  it  is  not  certain  that  the  papal  power  | 
and  tyranny  are  principally,  or  only  intend-  ] 
ed,  yet  this  is  plain  :  what  is  here  said 
does  very  exactly  agree  thereto.  For,  ob¬ 
serve, 

1.  The  names  of  this  person,  or  rather 
the  state  and  power  here  spoken  of.  He  is 
called  the  man  of  sin,  to  denote  his  egregi¬ 
ous  wickedness ;  not  only  he  practices  wick¬ 
edness  himself,  but  he  also  promotes,  coun¬ 
tenances,  and  commands  it  in  others  ;  and 
he  is  the  son  of  perdition,  because  he  him¬ 
self  is  devoted  to  certain  destruction,  and  is 
the  instrument  of  destroying  many  others, 
both  in  soul  and  body.  These  names  may 
properly  be  applied,  for  these  reasons,  to 
the  papal  state ;  and  thereto  agree  also, 

2.  The  characters  here  given,  v.  4. 

Thus  have  the  bishops  of  Rome  not  only 

opposed  God’s  authority,  and  that  of  the 
civil  magistrate,  who  are  called  gods,  but 
have  exalted  themselves  above  God,  and 
earthly  governors,  in  demanding  greater  re¬ 
gard  to  their  commands  than  to  the  com¬ 
mands  of  God  or  the  magistrate.  Also,  as 
God  was  in  the  temple  of  old,  and  worship¬ 
ped  there,  and  is  in  and  with  his  church 
now  ;  so  the  antichrist,  here  mentioned,  is 
some  usurper  of  God’s  authority  in  the 
Christian  church,  who  claims  divine  honors; 
and  to  whom  can  this  better  apply  than  to 
the  bishops  of  Rome,  to  whom  the  most 
blasphemous  titles  have  been  given,  as,  Our 
Lord  God  the  Pope  ;  Another  God  on  earth 
The  dominion  of  God  and  the  Pope  is  the 
same  ? 

3.  His  rise  is  mentioned,  v.  6,  7.  of  which, 
observe  two  things  : 

(1.)  Something  hindered,  or  withheld,  or 
let,  until  it  was  taken  away.  This  is  sup¬ 
posed  to  be  the  power  of  the  Roman  empire, 
which  the  apostle  did  not  think  fit  to  men¬ 
tion  more  plainly  at  that  time;  and  it  is  no¬ 
torious,  that,  while  this  power  continued,  it 
prevented  the  advances  of  the  bishops  of 
Rome  to  that  height  of  tyranny,  which  soon 
afterward  they  arrived  to. 

(2.)  This  mystery  of  iniquity  was  grad¬ 
ually  to  arrive  at  its  height  ;  and  so  it  was 


in  effect  in  the  Romish  church  ;  and  thus  the 
mystery  of  iniquity  did  the  more  easily,  and 
almost  insensibly,  prevail.  The  apostle 
justly  calls  it  a  mystery  of  iniquity,  because 
wicked  designs  and  actions  were  concealed 
under  false  shows  and  pretences,  at  least 
they  were  concealed  from  the  common  view 
and  observation.  By  pretended  devotion, 
superstition  and  idolatry  were  advanced  ; 
and  by  a  pretended  zeal  for  God  and  his 
glory,  bigotry  and  persecution  were  promo¬ 
ted.  And  he  tells  us,  This  mystery  of  ini¬ 
quity  did  even  then  begin,  or  did  already 
work;  while  the  apostles  were  yet  living, 
there  were  then  the  deeds  of  the  Nicolai- 
tans,  persons  who  pretended  zeal  for  Christ, 
but  really  opposed  Him.  [Selfishness  and 
its  forms  of]  pride,  ambition,  and  worldly 
interest  of  church-pastors  and  church-rulers, 
as  in  Diotrephes,  and  others,  were  the  early 
working  of  the  mystery  of  iniquity,  which, 
by  degrees,  came  to  the  prodigious  height 
visible  in  the  church  of  Rome. 

4.  The  fall  or  ruin  of  the  antichristian 
state  is  declared,  v.  8.  The  head  is  called 
that  wicked  one,  or  that  lawless  person  who 
sets  up  a  human  power  in  competition  with, 
and  contradiction  to,  the  divine  dominion 
and  power  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ:  but  as 
he  would  thus  manifest  himself  to  be  the 
man  of  sin, so  the  revelation  or  discovery  of 
this  to  the  world  would  be  the  sure  presage 
and  the  means  of  his  ruin.  The  consuming 
of  him  precedes  his  final  destruction,  and 
that  is  by  the  pure  Word  of  God,  accompa¬ 
nied  with  the  Spirit  of  God  :  this  will  dis¬ 
cover  the  mystery  of  iniquity,  and  make  the 
power  of  antichrist  to  consume  and  waste 
away  ;  and  in  due  time  it  shall  be  totally 
and  finally  destroyed,  and  this  will  be  by  the 
brightness  of  Christ’s  coming.  Note,  The 
coming  of  Christ  to  destroy  the  wicked  will 
be  with  peculiar  glory,  and  eminent  lustre 
and  brightness. 

5.  The  apostle  further  describes  the  reign 
and  rule  of  this  man  of  sin.  Where,  ob¬ 
serve, 

(1.)  The  manner  of  his  coming  or  ruling, 
and  working:  in  general,  that  it  is  after  the 


‘letted’  or  hindered  its  full  effect,  by  keeping  the  church  under  perse¬ 
cution,  and  curbing  all  authority  but  its  own,  would  continue  to  retard 
this  event,  until  it  should  be  removed  out  of  the  way.  The  conversion 
of  the  Roman  emperors  to  Christianity,  in  the  beginning  of  the  fourth 
century,  tended  greatly  to  prepare  things  for  this  apostasy,  by  giving 
scope  to  the  ambition  and  avarice  of  the  ecclesiastics,  and  by  multiply¬ 
ing  exceedingly  merely  nominal  Christians  ;  but  it  was  not  till  the  sub¬ 
version  of  the  western  empire  by  the  northern  nations,  and  the  division 
of  it  into  ten  kingdoms,  that  way  was  made  for  the  full  establishment 
of  the  papal  usurpation  at  Rome,  the  capital  city  of  the  empire.  Rev. 
8:11: — 14:  SCOTT. 

(5.)  I  told  you.']  ‘  Benson  remarks  on  the  propriety  with  which  the 
apostle  here  uses  the  singular  number  ;  since  this  was  doubtless  re¬ 
vealed  to  him  only,  and  not  to  Silvanus  and  Timothy.’  Bloomf. — 
‘  Paley  shows,  that  this  reference  to  a  conversation  the  apostle  had  held 
with  the  Thessalonians,  but  the  purport  of  which  is  not  here  explained, 
is  a  strong  proof  of  the  authenticity  of  the  epistle.’  IIenry,  abr. 

V.  8 — 12.  The  obstacle  above  mentioned,  having  been  taken  out  of 
the  way,  ‘  that  wicked,’  or  lawless  one ,  would  be  revealed,  and  would 
display  the  deformity  of  his  character  without  disguise,  by  endeavoring 
to  exalt  himself  above  all  laws,  human  and  divine.  But  though  this 
great  usurper  would  ‘  practise  and  prosper,’  yet  the  Lord  would  at 
length  consume  him  by  ‘  the  spirit,’  or  the  breath,  of  his  mouth.  (Marg. 
Ref.  u— y .—Notes,  Job  4:7—11.  Is.  11:2—5.  Rev.  19:11—16.)  Accord¬ 
ing  to  the  predictions  of  his  Word,  and  by  the  preaching  of  his  Gospel, 
attended  by  the  influences  of  his  Spirit.  He  would  gradually  waste  and 
consume  this  antichristian  tyranny,  and  terminate  all  his  corruptions 
of  the  Gospel.  This  He  has  been  accomplishing,  during  the  space  of 
above  three  hundred  years,  since  the  first  dawnings  of  the  Reformation; 
He  will  shortly  destroy  the  whole  papal  authority,  and  all  obstinately 
attached  to  it,  ‘  by  the  brightness  of  his  coming’  to  spread  the  Gospel 
through  the  nations;  (Notes,  Rcu.  18: — 20:1 — 6.)  and  He  will  finally 
condemn,  and  punish  with  everlasting  destruction,  all  the  actors  in  this 
grand  delusion,  when  He  shall  come  to  Judge  the  world.  (Note,  Rev. 
20: 1 1 — 15.)  Such  will  certainlv  be  the  doom  of  this  1  lawless  one,’  this 
‘  man  of  sin,’  this  1  son  of  perdition,’  whose  coming  would  be  attended, 
and  whose  success  obtained,  not  by  open  force,  but  bv  the  deep  subtlety 
and  peculiar  ‘  energy  of  Satan.’  It  implied,  that  Godv would  act  in  this 
matter,  according  to  the  general  rule,  of  giving  tip  those  who  obstinately 
hated  the  truth  through  love  of  sin,  lobe  blinded  by  Satan;  and  that 
there  would  be  a  remnant,  even  under  the  deepest  darkness  of  this  im¬ 
postor’s  reign,  of  another  character  and  description. — Nothing  can  more 
exactly  coincide  with  the  system  of  popery,  as  it  prevailed  in  the  Ro¬ 
man  church,  and  under  the  Roman  pontiff  for  many  ages,  than  this  pas¬ 
sage  does.  Even  their  boasted  pretensions  to  miraculous  powers,  and 
the  imposture  or  ambiguity  of  every  instance,  is  the  grand  proof  of  all, 
that  they  were  marked  out  by  the  Holy  Spirit.  And  the  adherence  of 
the  church  of  Rome,  even  to  the  present  day,  to  the  gross  worship  of 


images,  saints,  and  angels,  and  to  the  doctrine  of  authoritative  absolu¬ 
tions,  dispensations,  penances,  purgatory,  transubstatitiation,  and  the 
merit  of  good  works,  proves  that  ‘  the  man  of  sin,’  though  consuming 
by  the  Spirit  and  the  word  of  Christ,  is  yet  very  far  from  being  de¬ 
stroyed  ‘  by  the  brightness  of  his  coming.’ — It  is  very  wonderful,  that 
any  reflecting  persons  should  ever  think  this  prophecy  applicable  to  the 
antichristian  delusions  of  modern  infidels  or  atheists,  who  have  apos¬ 
tatized  from  a  profession  of  Christianity  ;  when  the  single  expression, 
‘signs  and  lying  wonders,’  demonstrates  that  they  could  not  be  meant. 
Antichrist,  indeed,  has  made  strenuous  efforts  as  an  unmasked  infidel  ; 
yet  these  short-lived  appearances  must  not  be  compared  with  the  per¬ 
manent  and  wide-spread  mischiefs  of  one  thousand  three  hundred  years. 
The  original  words  may  mean,  either  false  and  lying  pretences  to  the 
power  of  working  miracles,  and  the  impostures  by  which  they  are  ren¬ 
dered  plausible,  or  they  may  relate  to  things  really  supernatural,  when 
performed  in  support  of  false  doctrine,  and  claims  to  a  divine  authority, 
in  propagating  it.  (Notes,  Ex.  7:11,  12.  Dent.  13:1 — 5.  2  Tim.  3:6 — 9.) 
— (12)  Damned.]  The  original  is  judged,  as  in  several  other  places, 
and,  in  such  awful  declarations,  a  needless  and  ungrounded  asperity  of 
language,  in  the  translation,  only  gives  occasion  to  objections,  and  so 
weakens  the  general  effect.  Vet,  in  this  place  the  meaning  is  unequiv¬ 
ocal,  and  judging  such  characters,  ns  are  here  described,  at  the  coming 
of  the  Lord,  must  terminate  in  Iheir  eternal  condemnation.  But  this  is 
not  always  the  case,  when  the  same  word  is  used.  (Note,  1  Cor.  11:29 
_ 34.)  Scott. 

(8.)  ‘  The  apostle’s  principal  design,  v.  3 — 12.  is,  not  to  give  a  descrip¬ 
tion  of  things  then  existing,  but  a  prediction  of  some  remarkabl  e  future 
events.  When  the  obstructing  power  is  taken  away,  then  it  shall  no 
longer  be  a  mystery  of  iniquity,  or  operate  secretly  ;  but  then  shall  that 
wicked  one  be  openly  and  publicly  revealed.’  Benson,  in  Rloomf. 

(9  )  Even  him.]  ‘  I.  e.  that  wicked,  v.  8.’  Bloomf. — With  at /  power , 
&c.]  ‘Nothing  seems  so  natural  as  to  refer  the  whole  to  the  fictitious 
miracles  of  the  church  of  Rome,  which  have  grown  to  such  a  degree 
of  extravagance  and  effrontery,  as  even  to  make  their  own  popes 
ashamed.’  Doddr. 

(10.)  ‘  Amidst  all  the  variety  of  shapes  which  infidelity  assumes,  that 
of  our  times  is  peculiar.  It  is  not  the  open,  gross,  unmasked,  and  daring 
infidelity  of  Voltaire  and  his  day.  It  is  now  subtle,  and  refined, — clothed 
in  all  the  attractions  of  taste  and  eloquence ;  it  even  comes  to  us 
clothed  in  tile  garb  of  religion  and  virtue,  and  is  therefore  the  more  to 
he  feared.  Some  of  Ihe  most  popular  novelists,  and  other  writers  of  the 
day,  sanction  profanity,  adultery,  duelling,  revelling,  and  other  vieps, 
not  openly  and  directly,  but  under  peculiar  circumstances ;  yet  in  such 
a  manner  as  lo  break  down  ail  the  barriers  of  religion  and  virtue. 
What  guilt  are  those  men  accumulating,  who,  as  booksellers  and  pub¬ 
lishers,  are  deluging  the  community  with  such  works, — who  are,  in 
effect,  bartering  the  souls  of  their  fellow-men  for  money  1  ’ 

Remarks  of  Rev.  Dr.  Tyno,  at  Cincinnati. 


A.  D.  56. 


2  THESSALONIANS,  II. 


11  And  for  this  c.^use  God  shall 
send  them  strong  m  delusion,  that 
they  should  believe  a  lie  : 

12  That  n  they  all  might  be 
damned  who  believed  not  the  truth, 
but  had  pleasure  in  unrighteous¬ 
ness. 

[Practical  Observations.] 

13  But  we  0  are  bound  to  give 
thanks  alway  to  God  for  you,  breth¬ 
ren  beloved  of  the  Lord,  because 
God  hath  from  the  beginning  cho¬ 
sen  p  you  to  salvation  through  sanc¬ 
tification  of  the  Spirit,  and  belief  of 
the  truth  ; 

14  Whereunto  ’  he  called  you  by 
our  gospel,  to  the  obtaining  of  the 
glory  r  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ. 

15  Therefore,  brethren,  stand 
fast,  and  hold  the  traditions  which 
ye  have  been  taught,  whether  by 
word  or  our  epistle. 

m  Ere.  14:9.  o  c.  1:3.  q  1  Pe.  5:10. 

Ho  1:24.  p  Ep.  1:4.  1  Th.  rjn.  17:83. 

n  De.  3*35.  1:4.  1  Pe.  1:2. 


example  of 'Satan,  the  grand  enemy  of  souls, 
the  great  adversary  of  God  and  man.  More 
particularly,  it  is  with  satanical  power  and 
deceit  :  a  divine  power  is  pretended  for  the 
support  of  this  kingdom,  but  it  is  only  after 
the  working  of  Satan  ;  signs  and  wonders, 
visions  and  miracles,  are  pretended  ;  by 
these  the  papal  kingdom  was  first  set  up, 
and  has  all  along  been  kept  up,  but  they 
have  false  signs  to  support  false  doctrines  ; 
and  lying  wonders,  or  only  pretended  mira¬ 
cles  that  have  served  their  cause,  things 
false  in  act,  and  fraudulently  managed,  to 
impose  on  the  people  :  and  the  diabolical 
deceits  with  which  the  antichristian  slate 
has  been  supported  are  notorious.  The 
apostle  calls  it  all  deceiuableness  of  unright¬ 
eousness,  v.  10.  Others  may  call  them  pious 
frauds,  but  the  apostle  called  them  unright¬ 
eous  and  wicked  frauds;  and,  indeed,  all 
fraud,  being  contrary  to  truth,  is  an  impi¬ 
ous  thing.  Many  are  the  subtle  artifices  the 
man  of  sin  has  used,  and  various  are  the 
plausible  pretences  by  which  he  has  beguiled 
unwary  and  unstable  souls  to  embrace  false 
doctrines,  and  submit  to  his  usurped  domin¬ 
ion.  [Comp,  a  terrible  instance,  Col.:  end.] 
(2.)  The  persons  are  described,  who  are 
his  willing  subjects,  or  most  likely  to  become 
such,  v.  10.  They  are  such  as  love  not  the 
truth,  that  they  may  he  saved.  They  could 


not  bear  sound  doctrine,  and  therefore  easi¬ 
ly  imbibed  false  doctrines  ;  had  they  loved 
the  truth,  they  would  have  persevered  in  it, 
and  been  preserved  by  it;  but  no  wonder  if 
they  easily  parted  with  what  they  never  had 
any  love  to  [:  true  faith  includes  the  heart]. 
And  of  these  persons  it  is  said,  that  they 
perish,  or  are  lost  :  are  in  a  lost  condition, 
in  danger  to  be  lost  for  ever.  For, 

6.  We  have  the  sin  and  ruin  of  the  subjects 
of  antichrist’s  kingdom  declared,  v.  11,  12. 

(1.)  Their  sin  is,  They  believed  not  the 
truth,  but  had  pleasure  in  unrighteousness ,  did 
not  love  the  truth,  and  therefore  they  did  not 
believe  it;  and  because  they  did  not  believe 
it,  therefore  they  had  pleasure  in  unright¬ 
eousness,  or  in  wicked  actions,  and  were 
pleased  with  false  notions.  Note,  An  erro¬ 
neous  mind  and  vicious  life  often  go  togeth¬ 
er,  and  help  forward  one  another. 

(2.)  Their  ruin  is  thus  expressed  ;  God 
shall  send  them  strong  delusions,  to  believe  a 
lie.  Thus  He  will  punish  men,  for  their  un¬ 
belief  and  dislike  of  the  truth,  and  love  to 
sin  and  wickedness  ;  not  that  God  is  the 
author  of  sin,  but  in  righteousness  He  some¬ 
times  withdraws  his  grace  from  such  sinners 
as  are  here  mentioned,  and  leaves  them  to 
themselves  ;  and  then  sin  will  follow  of 
course,  yea,  the  worst  of  wickedness,  that 
shall  end  at  last  in  eternal  damnation.  God 
is  just  when  He  inflicts  spiritual  judgments 
here,  and  eternal  punishments  hereafter,  on 
those  who  have  no  love  to  the  truths  of  the 
Gospel,  who  will  not  believe  them,  or  live 
suitably  to  them,  but  indulge  false  doctrines 
in  their  minds,  and  wicked  practices  in 
their  lives  and  conversations. 

V.  13 — 15.  Here  observe, 

1.  The  consolation  the  Thessalonians 
might  take  against  the  terrors  of  this  apos¬ 
tasy,  v.  13,  14.  Thev  were  chosen  to  salva¬ 
tion,  and  called  to  obtain  glory.  The  apos¬ 
tle  reckoned  himself  bound  in  duty  to  be 
thankful  to  God  on  this  account  ;  we  are 
bound  to  give,  thanks  to  God  always  for  you. 
This  preservation  of  the  saints  is  owing, 

(1.)  To  the  stability  of  the  election  of 
grace,  v.  13.  God  had  chosen  them  from  the 
beginning,  had  loved  them  with  an  everlasting 
love.  His  election  was  eternal  in  its  date, — 
from  the  beginning  ;  not  of  the  Gospel,  but 
of  the  world,  before  the  foundation  of  the 
world,  Eph.  1 :  4.  The  end  to  which  they 
were  chosen  was  salvation,  complete  and 
eternal,  from  sin  and  misery,  and  the  full 
fruition  of  all  good.  The?ne<i».«  in  order  to 
obtaining  this  end, — sanctification  of  the  Spir¬ 
it,  and  belief  of  the  truth.  The  decree  of 
election  therefore  connects  the  end  and  the 


Exhortation  to  perseverance. 

means,  and  these  must  not  be  separated. 
W  e  are  not  elected  of  God,  because  we  were 
holy,  but  that  we  might  be  holy.  Sanctifi¬ 
cation  is  by  the  operation  of  the  Holy  Spirit 
as  the  Author,  and  by  faith  on  our  part. 
There  must  be  the  belief  of  the  truth,  with¬ 
out  which  there  can  be  no  true  sanctifica¬ 
tion,  or  perseverance  in  grace,  or  obtaining 
of  salvation.  Faith  and  holiness  must  be 
joined  together,  as  well  as  holiness  and  hap¬ 
piness  ;  therefore,  our  Savior  prayed  for 
Peter,  that  his  faith  might  not  fail,  Luke22: 
32.  and  for  his  disciples,  John  17:  17. 

(2.)  To  the  efficacy  of  the  gospel-call, 
v.  14.  As  they  were  chosen  to  salvation,  so 
they  were  called  thereunto  by  the  Gospel, 
Rom.  8:30.  The  outward  call  of  God  is 
by  the  Gospel ;  and  this  is  rendered  effectu¬ 
al  by  the  inward  operation  of  the  Spirit.  It 
is  a  call  to  honor  and  happiness,  even  the 
glory  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  the  glory  He 
has  purchased,  and  is  possessed  of,  a  glory 
to  be  communicated  unto  them  who  believe 
in  Him,  and  obey  his  Gospel:  such  shall  be 
with  Christ,  to  behold  his  glory,  and  they 
shall  be  glorified  with  Christ,  and  partake 
of  his  glory.  Hereupon,  there  follows, 

2.  An  exhortation  to  steadfastness  and 
perseverance,  v.  15.  Observe,  he  does  not 
say,  ‘  Ye  are  chosen  to  salvation,  and  there¬ 
fore  ye  may  be  careless  and  secure  ;  ’  but 
therefore  stand  fast.  So  the  apostle  John, 
having  told  those  whom  he  wrote  to,  that 
they  had  received  the  anointing  which  should 
abide  in  them,  and  that  they  should  abide  in 
Him,  (in  Christ,)  subjoins  this  exhortation, 
Now  abide  in  Him,  1  John  2  :  27,  28.  The 
Thessalonians  are  exhorted  to  steadfastness 
in  their  Christian  profession,  or  to  hold 
fast  the  traditions  they  had  been  taught,  the 
doctrine  of  the  Gospel,  which  had  been  de¬ 
livered  by  the  apostle,  by  word  or  epistle. 
As  yet,  the  canon  of  Scripture  was  not 
complete  ;  therefore,  some  things  were  de¬ 
livered  by  the  apostles,  in  their  preaching, 
under  the  guidance  of  the  infallible  Spirit, 
which  Christians  were  bound  to  observe  as 
coming  from  God  ;  other  things  were  after¬ 
ward  by  them  committed  to  writing,  as  the 
apostle  had  written  a  former  epistle  to  these 
Thessalonians  ;  and  these  epistles  were 
written,  as  the  writers  were  moved  by  the 
Holy  Ghost.  Note,  There  is  no  argument 
from  hence  for  regarding  oral  traditions  in 
our  davs,  now  that  the  canon  of  Scripture  is 
complete,  as  of  equal  authority  with  the  sa¬ 
cred  writings.  Such  doctrines  and  duties 
as  were  taught  by  the  inspired  apostles,  we 
must  steadfastly  adhere  to  ;  but  we  have  no 
certain  evidence  of  anything  delivered  by 


PR  ACT.  OBS.  V.  5 — 12.  Every  event  takes  place  in  the  appointed 
season,  and,  aller  all  the  mysterious  devices  of  iniquity  which  Satan  or 
wicked  men  can  frame,  ‘  the  counsel  of  God  shall  stand,  and  lie  will  do 
all  his  pleasure,’  nay,  one  antichristian  power  has  often  been  employed, 
far  besides  his  purpose,  to  stop  the  progress  of  another,  still  more  pes¬ 
tiferous. — It  will  at  last  appear  that  none  were  deceived  bv  any  ‘  energy 
of  delusion,’  who  were  not,  at  heart,  enemies  to  the  truth  and  will  of 
God,  and  who  continued  to  ‘take  pleasure  in  unrighteousness;’  He  is 
constantly  permitting  the  devil  to  seduce  persons  of  this  character  into 
the  belief  of  some  lie,  by  which  they  are  held,  as  with  fetters  of  iron,  till 


they  receive  their  merited  condemnation.  To  avoid  this  fatal  doom, 
men  should  lake  heed  not  to  repress  their  convictions  from  love  of  sin, 
but  to  reverence  the  dictates  and  admonitions  of  conscience,  by  which 
God  speaks  to  them  emphatically,  and  with  special  application.  They 
should  pray  earnestly  for  ‘the  love  of  the  truth,’  and  for  saving  faith  as 
inseparably  connected  with  it  ;  for  many  fall  away  and  perish,  who 
have  ‘  the  knowledge  of  the  truth,’  but  ‘  the  love  of  the  truth,’  ‘accom¬ 
panies  salvation,’  and  never  tails. — They  should  also  use  every  mean 
of  obtaining  that  humble  and  spiritual  mind,  which  is  the  best  and  the 
only  security  against  every  fatal  delusion.  Scott. 


(11.)  ‘All  the  best  commentators,  ancient  and  mod  rn,  are  agreed, 
we  are  here  to  resort  to  that  idiom  by  which  God  is  figuratively  said  to 
do  a  thing,  which  He  only  permits  to  be  done  ’  Bloomf. — A  lie.]  ‘  The 
lie,  i.  e.  that  they  have  taught.’  Hoddr. — ‘The  monstrous  lie  of  tran- 
substantiation.'  Mackn. — ‘The  whole  system  of  falsehood,  promul¬ 
gated  by  the  man  of  sin  and  his  adherents ;  though  it  is  true,  transub- 
stantiation  is  th e  fundamental  '■'■lie,''  from  which  have  proceeded  most 
others  of  the  church  of  Rome.’  Bi.oo.mf. 

(12.)  Had  pleasure  in  unrighteousness.]  Hoddr.  thinks,  this  ‘refers 
to  many  of  the  priests  and  <*hers  in  the  Romish  church,  who  impose  on 
the  people  known  delusions,  merely  out  of  regard  to  secular  interest  ;’ 
yet  Bloomfield  suggests,  that  ‘  to  others  also  the  words  of  Peter  respect¬ 
ing  Balaam  may  be  too  applicable:  ‘  He  loved  the  wages  of  unrighteous¬ 


ness.”  ’  Church-worhiliness  is  not  confined  to  Rome. 


Ed. 


V.  13,  14.  Some  contend,  that  the  apostle  meant,  the  beginning  of 
the  Gospel  being  preached  to  litem,  but  he  plainly  distinguished  this 
choice  of  them,  from  their  calling ,  and  spoke  of  the  latter  as  the  effect 
of  the  former  — The  doctrine  of  election  has  been  repeatedlv  considered. 
( Marg .  Ref.  m— p.— Notes.  Rom.  8:28 — 31.  9:10—14.  Eph.  1:3—12) 
We  may  here  add,  that  if  the  ‘calling’  of  the  Thessalonians,  was  the 
efTect  of  any  preceding  choice,  of  them,  it  comes  to  the  same  thing, 
whether  that  choice  was  made  the  preceding  day,  or  from  ‘  before  the 
foundation  of  the  world,’  or  from  eternity,  except  as  the  immutable  per¬ 
fections  and  purposes  of  God  and  his  absolutely  perfect  prescience  are 
N.  T.  VOL.  V.  59 


concerned.  Otherwise,  if  He  acted  wisely  and  righteously  in  choosing 
them ,  rather  than  their  companions  in  idolatry  and  vice,  it  was  equally 
wise  and  righteous  to  choose  them  from  eternity,  as  at  the  very  hour  or 
moment  preceding  their  regeneration. — ‘How  wisely  and  happily  does 
the  apostle  unite  the  views  of  the  grace  of  God  and  the  duties  of  men  ! 
while  he  represents  our  choice  to  salvation  in  a  light  so  worthy  of  God, 
since  this  salvation  is  still  to  be  obtained,  “  through  sanctification  of  the 
Spirit,  and  belief  of  the  truth.”  ’  Hoddr.  Scott. 

(13.)  Hath  chosen.]  ‘The  only  interpretation  that  has  the  stamp  of 
truth  is  that  of  the  ancients,  and  almost  all  the  early  moderns,  who  refer 
it  to  the  eternal  purposes  of  God,  in  the  election  and  calling  of  the  Tlies- 
salonians  to  the  Christian  faith.’  Bloomf. 

V.  15.  Doubtless  the  apostle’s  oral  ‘  traditions  ’  were  worthy  of  cre¬ 
dence  and  obedience,  but  how  should  we,  at  this  day,  know  anything  ot 
them,  except  as  they  were  written  for  our  benefit?  It  is  therefore  a 
singular  instance  of  the  ‘  deceivableness  of  unrighteousness  in 
man  of  sin,’  to  attempt  the  support  of  his  corrupt  system,  by  a  auig  c 
word  in  that  very  ch.,  which  most  fully  exposes  his  devices.  0  ' 

traditions,  of  equal  authority  to  the  written  Word,  being  the  u  • 

interpretation,  and  committed  to  the  keeping  of  the  church,  (  >  . 

the  Romish  clergy,!  has  been  the  grand  support  of  popery  <>  -  ’ 

of  this  fundamental  principle  they  have  no  better  scriptura  I  ' 
this  single  word,  and  one  or  two  more  of  similar  tmpo  Scott 

20-  '  L*7] 


A.  D.  56. 


2  THESSALONIANS,  III.  Encouragement  to  trust  in  God. 


He  asks  of  God  for  them, — that  He  would 
comfort  their  hearts ,  and  establish  them,  in  every 
good  word  and  work,  v.  17.  It  is  observable 
how  comfort  and  establishment  are  here 
joined  together.  Note,  Comfort  is  a  mean 
of  establishment;  and  onr  establishment  in 
the  ways  of  God  is  a  likely  mean  in  order  to 
comfort  ;  whereas,  if  we  are  wavering  in 
faith,  and  of  a  doubtful  mind,  or  if  we  are 
halting  and  faltering  in  our  duty,  no  won¬ 
der  if  we  are  strangers  to  the  pleasures  and 
jovs  of  religion.  We  must  be  established 
in  every  good  word  and  work,  in  the  word  of 
truth  and  the  work  of  righteousness:  Christ 
must  be  honored  by  our.  good  works  and 
good  words;  and  they  who  are  sincere  will 
endeavor  to  do  both  ;  and  in  so  doing  they 
may  hope  for  comfort  and  establishment, 
till  at  length  their  holiness  and  happiness  be 
completed.  _ 

Chap.  III.  V.  1 — 5.  In  these  words, 
observe, 

I.  The  apostle  desires  the  prayers  of  his 
friends,  v.  1.  He  always  remembered  them, 
and  would  not  have  them  forget  him  and  his 
fellow-laborers.  Note,  This  is  one  way  the 
communion  of  saints  is  kept  up,  by  their 
praying  with  one  another,  arid  for  one  anoth¬ 
er,  when  absent  one  from  another  :  they 
who  are  at  a  great  distance,  may  meet  to¬ 
gether  at  the  throne  of  grace  ;  and  they 
who  are  not  capable  of  doing  or  receiving 
any  other  kindness,  may'  yet,  this  way,  do 
and  receive  real  and  very  great  kindness. 
People  should  pray  for  their  ministers;  and 
ministers  should  desire  the  prayers  of  their 
people,  after  the  humble,  engaging  example 
of  this  great  apostle.  Observe,  what  he 
desires  and  directs  them  to  pray  for. 

1.  For  the  success  of  the  gospel-minis¬ 
try,  v.  1.  This  was  the  great  thing  blessed 
Paul  was  most  solicitous  about.  All  the 
forces  of  hell  were  then,  and  still  are,  more 
or  less,  raised  and  mustered  to  oppose  the 
Word  of  the  Lord  ;  we  should  pray,  there¬ 
fore,  that  oppositions  may  be  removed,  that 
so  the  Gospel  may  have  free  course  to  the 
ears,  the  hearts,  and  the  consciences  of 
men,  that  it  may  be  glorified  in  the  convic¬ 
tion  and  conversion  of  sinners,  the  confuta¬ 
tion  of  gainsayers,  and  the  holy'  conversa¬ 
tion  of  the  saints.  Paul  was  now  at  Ath¬ 
ens,  or,  as  some  think,  at  Corinth,  and 
would  have  the  Thessalonians  pray  that  he 
might  have  as  good  success  there,  as  he 
had  at  Thessalonica,  that  it  might  be  as 
well  with  others  even  as  it  was  with  them. 

2.  For  the  safety  of  gospel-ministers. 
He  asks  their  prayers,  not  for  preferment, 
but  for  preservation,  v.  2.  Note,  They  who 
are  enemies  to  the  preaching  of  the  Gospel, 
and  persecutors  of  the  faithful  preachers  of 
it,  are  unreasonable  and  wicked  men.  They 


act  against  all  the  rules  and  laws  of  reasoi 
and  religion,  and  are  guilty  of  the  great 
est  absurdity  and  impiety.  Faithful  minis¬ 
ters  need  protection  as  well  as  assistance  ; 
for  standard-bearers  are  most  struck  at  ; 
therefore,  all  who  wish  well  to  the  interest 
of  Christ  in  the  world,  should  pray  for 
them.  For  all  men  have  not  faith;  many  do 
not  believe  the  Gospel;  will  not  embrace  it, 
and  are  restless  and  malicious  in  their  en¬ 
deavors  to  oppose  it,  decry  the  ministry, 
and  disgrace  the  ministers  of  the  Word  : 
and  too  many  have  not  common  faith  or 
honesty;  we  can  safely  put  no  confidence  in 
them  ;  from  such  we  should  pray  to  be  de¬ 
livered.  We  may  sometimes  be  in  as  much 
or  more  danger  from  false  and  pretended 
friends,  as  from  open  and  avowed  enemies. 

II.  He  encourages  them  to  trust  in  God. 
We  should  not  only  pray  to  God  for  his 
grace,  but  also  trust  and  confide  in  his  grace, 
and  humbly  expect  what  we  pray  for.  Ob¬ 
serve, 

1.  The  best  Christians  need  establishment 
and  preservation  from  evil.  This  the  apos¬ 
tle  had  prayed  for  on  their  behalf,  ch.  2:17. 
and  now  he  encourages  them  to  expert  this 
favor  :  we  as  much  need  the  grace  of  God 
for  our  perseverance  to  the  end,  as  for  the 
beginning  of  the  good  work. 

2.  What  encouragement  we  have  to  de¬ 
pend  on  the  grace  of  God  ;  The  Lord  is 
faithful.  When  once  the  promise  is  made, 
performance  is  sure  and  certain.  He  is  a 
faithful  God,  a  faithful  Friend  ;  we  may 
depend  on  his  filling  up  all  the  relations  He 
stands  in  to  his  people.  Let  it  be  our  care 
to  be  true  and  faithful  in  our  promises,  and 
to  the  relations  we  stand  in  to  this  faithful 
God.  He  adds, 

3.  A  further  ground  of  hope  that  God 
would  do  this  for  them,  seeing  they  did  and 
would  do  the  things  they  were  commanded, 
v.  4.  The  apostle  had  this  confidence  in 
them,  and  that  was  founded  on  his  confidence 
in  God;  for  there  is  otherwise  no  confi¬ 
dence  in  man:  and  it  is  one  ground  to  hope, 
that  whatsoever  we  ask  of  God,  we  shall  re¬ 
ceive  of  Him,  because  we  keep  his  command¬ 
ments,  and  do  those  things  that  are  pleasing  in 
his  sight,  1  John  3:  32. 

III.  He  makes  a  short  prayer  for  them, 
v.  5.  a  prayer  for  spiritual  blessings.  Two 
things  of  the  greatest  importance  he  prays 
for:  1.  That  their  hearts  might  be  brought 
into  the  love  of  God,  as  the  most  excellent 
and  amiable  Being,  which  is  not  only  most 
reasonable  and  necessary  in  order  to  our 
happiness,  but  is  our  happiness  itself ;  and 
this  we  never  can  attain,  unless  God,  by 

j  his  grace,  direct  our  hearts  aright,  for  our 
love  is  apt  to  go  astray  after  other  things. 
Note,  We  sustain  great  damage  by  mispla¬ 
cing  our  affections  on  wrong  objects.  If 


16  Now  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ 
himself,  and  God  even  our  Father, 
which  *  hath  loved  us,  and  hath 
given  us  everlasting  consolation 
and  good  hope  *  through  grace, 

17  Comfort  your  hearts,  and 
stablish  you  in  every  good  word 
and  work. 

CHAP.  III. 

1  He  ernveth  their  prayers  for  himself,  3  testifieth  what 
confidence  he  hath  in  them,  5  maketh  request  to  God  in 
their  behalf,  6  giveth  them  divers  precepts,  especially  to 
shun  idleness,  and  ill  company,  16  and  last  ol  all  con* 
cludeth  with  prayer  and  salutation. 

FINALLY,  brethren,  pray  for 
us,  that  the  word  of  the  Lord 
may  ^  have  free  course,  and  be  glo¬ 
rified,  even  as  it  is  with  you  : 

2  And  that  we  may  be  delivered 
from  b  unreasonable  and  wicked 
men  ;  for  all  men  have  not  faith. 

3  But  the  Lord  c  is  faithful,  who 
shall  stablish  you,  and  keep  dyou 
from  evil. 

4  And  we  have  confidence  'in 
the  Lord  touching  you,  that  ye 
both  do  and  will  "do  the  things 
which  we  command  you. 

s  Jn.  13:1.  a  run.  d  Jn.  17:15. 

Re.  1:5.  b  absurd.  e  2  Co.  7:16. 

t  1  Pe.  1:3.  c  1  Co.  1:9. 

them,  more  than  what  we  find  contained  in 
the  Holy  Scriptures. 

V.  1G,  17.  Here  we  have  the  apostle’s 
earnest  prayer  for  them,  to  our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ  Himself,  and  God,  even  our  Father. 

We  may,  and  should,  direct  our  prayers, 
not  only  to  God  the  Father,  through  the 
mediation  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  but 
also  to  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  Himself ;  and 
should  pray  in  his  name  unto  God,  not  only 
as  his  Father,  but  as  our  Father  in  and 
through  Him. 

He  takes  encouragement  in  his  prayer, — 
from  the  consideration  of  what  God  had  al¬ 
ready  done  for  him  and  them,?'.  16.  Where, 
observe,  The  love  of  God  is  the  spring  and 
fountain  of  all  the  good  we  have  or  hope 
for  ;  our  election,  vocation,  justification, 
and  salvation.  From  this  fountain  in 
particular  all  our  consolation  flows.  And 
the  consolation  of  saints  is  an  everlasting 
consolation,  founded  on  the  hope  of  eter¬ 
nal  life,  that  good  hope,  which  is  grounded 
on  the  love  and  promise  of'  God,  and 
the  experience  they  have  had  of  the  power, 
goodness,  and  faithfulness  of  God  ;  and 
it  is  good  hope  through  grace,  the  free 
grace  and  mercy  of  God,  and  not  through 
any  worth  or  merit  of  their  own. 

PRACT.  OBS.  V.  13 — 17.  Many  can  well  remember  the  time,  when 
they  despised  or  hated  the  doctrines  of  Scripture,  and  preferred  soothing 
errors,  nay,  some  of  us  seemed  awfully  to  provoke  God  ‘to  send  ns 
strong  delusion  to  believe  a  lie,’  and  we  should  certainly  have  held  it 
fast,  if  we  had  been  left  to  ourselves.  If  then  it  lie  now  otherwise,  we 
may  thankfully  ascribe  it  to  the  love  of  God,  to  his  special  unmerited 
mercy  and  grace,  who  from  the  ‘beginning  chose  us  unto  salvation, 
through  sanctification  of  the  Spirit,  and  belief  of  the  truth.’  But  let 
none  conclude  themselves  chosen  and  called,  who  are  strangers  to  the 
‘sanctification  of  the  Spirit  unto  obedience,  and  sprinkling  of  the  blood 
of  Jesus.’  [Pfoles,  H»Tim.  1:9.  1  Pet.  1:1,2.)  Let  none  place  saving 


faith  in  anything,  but  real,  efficacious  ‘  belief  of  the  truth,’  as  revealed  in 
Scripture.  This  ‘  belief  of  the  truth  ’  brings  the  sinner  to  rely  on  Christ, 
and  thus  to  love  and  obey  Him  ;  it  is  sealed  by  the  Holy  Spirit  on  His 
heart,  and  it  prepares  him  for  the  glory  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  in 
heaven.  Let  us  then  stand  fast  in  this  doctrine  of  the  apostles,  and  re¬ 
ject  all  spurious  additions  from  every  quarter;  let  us  not  hesitate  to 
pray  ‘to  our  Lord  Jesus  Himself,’  as  well  as  to  our  loving  ‘God  and 
Father,’  that  our  interest  in  his  ‘everlasting  consolation,  and  good  hope 
through  grace,’  may  be  proved,  not  only  by  his  ‘comforting  our  hearts,’ 
hut  by  bis  ‘  establishing  us  in  every  good  word  and  work.’  Scott. 


V.  16, 17.  ‘  From  its  simplicity,  the  Gospel  derives  advantages  in  con¬ 
solation.  Grief,  whether  in  the  learned  or  illiterate,  is  always  simple. 
A  man  bowed  down  under  calamity,  lias  no  relish  for  investigation.  His 
powers  relax.  He  leans  upon  his  Comforter ;  his  support  must  be.  with¬ 
out  toil,  or  his  spirit  faints.  Conformably  to  these  reflections,  we  see, 
on  the  one  hand,  that  the  unlearned  compose  the  bulk  of  Christians ; 
the  lite  ol  whose  souls  is  in  the  substantial  doctrines  of  the  cross, — and 
on  llie  other,  that,  in  the  time  of  affliction,  even  the  careless  lend  (heir 
ear  to  the  voice  of  revelation.  Precious  at  all  times  to  the  believer,  it  is 
doubly  so  in  the  hour  of  trial.  These  things  prove,  not  only  that  the 
Gospel,  when  understood,  gives  a  peculiar  relief  in  trouble,  but  that  it  is 
readily  apprehended ;  being  most  acceptable  when  we  are  least  inclined 
to  critical  research.’  Rev.  Ur.  J.  M.  M  vkon. 

NOTES.  Ctivp.  III.  V.  1 — 5.  Unreasonable,  &c.j  Perverse  and 
wicked  men,  such  as  the  Jewish  zealots  were;  the  blind  devotees  of  the 
pagan  idolatry,  whom  the  Jews  stirred  up  to  aid  their  persecutions,  may 
also  be  intended.  Notwithstanding  the  abundance  of  miracles,  anil 

[453] 


the  fulfilment  of  prophecies,  which  evinced  the  truth  of  the  Gospel, 
‘all  men  had  not  faith’  to  believe  it,  that  being  the  effect  of  a  divine 
power  on  l he  heart,  which  overcame  the  carnal  pride,  obstinacy,  and 
enmity  of  fallen  nature.  Probably,  some  Aiduizing  Christians  secretly 
concurred  with  more  open  enemies,  in  attempting  the  life  of  the  apos¬ 
tle  ;  and  these  false  brethren,  having  no  real  faith  in  Christ,  were  also 
destitute  of  faithfulness ,  in  their  professed  friendship  to  hint  and  his  fel¬ 
low-laborers,  so  that  no  confidence  could  be  placed  in  them.  As  it  is  the 
work  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  to  direct  and  lead  the  soul  into  these  holy  tem¬ 
pers,  and  a  consistent  conduct;  and  as  ‘the  Lord’  is  here  mentioned, 
distinct  from  God,  and  from  Christ,  it  has  been  supposed,  with  some 
probability,  that  the  apostle  addressed  this  prayer  personally  to  the  Holy 
Spirit,  ‘  the  Lord  the  Spirit,’  the  third  person  in  the  adorable  Trinity.  S. 

(2.)  Faith.]  ‘  That  upright  and  candid  disposition  which  would  en¬ 
gage  men  to  receive  the  testimony  of  the  apostles.’  2:10  12.  Doddr. 

(3.)  Evil.]  ‘  The  evil  one,  and  all  his  works.’  Id.  Sin’s  rule.  Ed. 

(4.)  ‘God  will  cause  that  my  labor  be  not  in  vain.’  Bp.  Jewel. 


v 


A.  D.  56. 


2  THESSALONIANS,  III. 


Paul's  commands  and  counsels. 


5  And  the  Lord  direct  f  your 
hearts  into  the  love  of  God,  and 
e  into  the  patient  waiting  for  Christ. 

[Practical  Observations.] 

6  Now  we  command  you,  breth¬ 
ren,  in  the  name  of  our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ,  that  ye  h  withdraw  your¬ 
selves  from  every  brother  '  that 
walketh  disorderly,  and  not  after  the 
tradition  which  ye  received  of  us. 

7  For  yourselves  know  how  ye 
ought  to  follow  us  :  for  we  behav¬ 
ed  not  ourselves  disorderly  among 
you  ; 

8  Neither  did  we  eat  any  man’s 
bread  for  nought ;  but  wrought 
j  with  labor  and  travail  night  and 
day,  that  we  might  not  be  chargea¬ 
ble  to  any  of  you  : 

9  Not  because  we  have  not 
k  power,  but  to  make  ourselves  an 
ensample  unto  you  to  follow  us. 

10  For  even  wheii  we  were  with 
you,  this  we  commanded  you,  that 
1  if  any  would  not  work,  neither 
should  he  eat. 

11  For  we  hear  that  there  are 
some  which  walk  among  you  dis¬ 
orderly,  working  not  at  all,  but  are 
“  busy-bodies. 

12  Now  them  that  are  such  we 
command  and  exhort  by  our  Lord 
Jesus  Christ,  that  with  quietness 
they  "  work,  and  eat  their  own 
bread. 

flCh.  28:18.  il  Co.  5:11,13.  m  1  Ti.  5:13. 
g  or,  patience  of  j  Ac.  18:3  20:34.  1  Pe.  4:15. 

Christ.  k  1  Co.  9:6.  n  Eu.  4:28. 

h  1  Ti.  6:5.  1  Ge.  3:19. 


God  direct  our  love  aright  on  Himself,  the 
rest  of  the  affections  will  thereby  lie  recti¬ 
fied.  2.  That  a  patient  waiting  for  Christ 
might  be  joined  with  this  love  of  God. 
Waiting  for  Christ  supposes  our  faith  in 
Him,  that  we  believe  He  came  once  in  flesh, 
and  will  come  again  in  glory  :  and  this  we 
must  expect,  and  be  careful  lo  get  ready  for, 
enduring  with  courage  and  constancy  all 
that  we  may  meet  with  in  the  mean  time  : 
and  we  have  need  of  patience,  need  of  divine 
grace,  to  exercise  Christian  patience,  the 
patience  of  Christ,  (so  some,)  patience  for 
Christ’s  sake,  and  after  Christ’s  example. 

V.  6 — 15.  The  apostle,  having  commend¬ 
ed  their  obedience  for  the  time  past,  and 
mentioned  his  confidence  in  it  for  the  time  to 
come,  proceeds  to  command  and  direct  some 
who  were  faulty.  Observe,  The  best  society 
may  have  faulty  persons  in  it:  but  evil  man¬ 
ners  beget  good  laws  ;  the  disorders  Paul 
heard  of  as  existing  among  the  Thessaloni- 
ans, occasioned  the  good  laws  we  find  in  these 
vs.,  which  are  of  constant  use  to  us,  and  all 
others  whom  they  may  concern.  Observe, 

I.  What  was  amiss  among  the  Thessalo- 
nians,  v.  6.  Some  were  guilty  of  disorderly 
walking;  not  living  regularly,  or  agreeably 
to  their  profession  of  religion.  In  particular, 
some  were  idle, — busy-bodies,  v.  11.  This 
the  apostle  was  so  credibly  informed  of,  that 
he  had  sufficient  reason  to  command  and 
direct,  with  relation  to  such,  how  they  ought 
to  behave,  and  how  the  church  should  act 
toward  them. 

It  does  not  appear,  that  they  were  gluttons 
or  drunkards,  but  idle,  and  therefore  disor¬ 
derly.  Probably,  they  had  a  notion  (by 
misunderstanding  some  passages  in  the  for¬ 
mer  epistle)  of  the  near  approach  of  Christ’s 
coining,  which  served  them  for  a  pretence 
to  leave  their  callings,  and  live  in  idleness. 
Note,  It  is  an  abuse  of  religion,  to  make  it 
a  cloak  for  idleness,  or  any  other  sin.  If 


we  were  sure  the  day  of  judgment  were  ever 
so  near,  we  must,  notwithstanding,  do  the 
work  of  the  day  in  its  day,  that  when  our 
Lord  comes,  He.  may  find  us  so  doing.  Or, 
it  may  he,  these  disorderly  persons  pre¬ 
tended,  that  the  liberty  wherewith  Christ 
hud  made  them  free,  discharged  them  from 
the  services  and  business  of  their  particular 
callings  and  employments  in  the  world  : 
whereas,  they  were  lo  abide,  in  the.  same  call¬ 
ing  wherein  they  were  called  of  God,  and 
therein  abide  with  God,  1  Cor.  7  :  20,  24. 
Industry  in  our  particular  callings  as  men,  is 
a  duty  required  of  us  by  our  general  calling 
as  Christians.  Or,  perhaps,  the  general 
charity  that  was  then  among  Christians  to 
their  poor  brethren, encouraged  some  to  live 
in  idleness,  as  knowing  the  church  would 
maintain  them  :  whatever  was  the  cause, 
they  were  much  to  blame. 

It  may  seem  a  contradiction,  that  the  same 
persons  who  were  idle,  were  busy-bodies 
also;  but  most  commonly  persons  who  have 
no  business  of  their  own,  or  who  neglect 
that,  busy  themselves  in  other  men’s  mat¬ 
ters.  If  we  are  idle,  the  devil  and  a  cor¬ 
rupt  heart  will  soon  find  us  somewhat  todo. 
Tlie  mind  of  man  is  a  busy  thing  ;  if  it  be 
not  employed  in  doing  good,  it  will  be  doing 
evil.  Note,  Busy-bodies  are  disorderly 
walkers,  curious, and  impertinent, meddling 
with  things  that  do  not  concern  them,  and 
troubling  themselves  and  others  witli  other 
men’s  matters.  The  apostle  warns  Timothy, 
1  Tim.  5: 13.  to  beware  of  such. 

II.  The  good  laws  occasioned  by  these  evil 
manners.  Concerning  which  we  may  notice, 

1.  Whose  laws  they  are  :  viz.  those  of 
the.  apostles  of  our  Lord.,  given  in  the  name 
of  their  Lord  and  ours,  v.  6,  12.  The 
apostle  uses  words  of  authority  and  entreaty  ; 
and  where  disorders  are  to  be  rectified  or 
prevented,  there  is  need  of  both.  The  au¬ 
thority  of  Christ  should  awe  our  minds  to 


PRACT.  OBS.  V.  1 — 5.  The  success  of  the  Gospel  is  as  really  pro¬ 
moted  by  fervent  prayer,  as  by  faithful  preaching.  —  Our  whole  depen¬ 
dence  must  he  on  the  faithfulness  of  God  to  his  promises,  who  will  sure¬ 
ly  establish  those,  who  humbly  rely  on  Him  by  obedient  faith,  and  pre¬ 
serve  them  from  every  fatal  snare,  to  his  heavenly  kingdom.  If,  by  I) is 
special  grace,  we  have  that  faith,  which  multitudes  have  not,  our  obliga¬ 


tions  to  Him  are  immense;  and  we  should  earnestly  apply  to  Ilim  to 
incline  and  enable  us,  perseveringly,  and  without  reserve,  to  obey  all  his 
commands,  and  that  ‘  the  Lord  the  Spirit  ’  may  ‘  direct,  our  hearts  into 
the  love  of  God,  and  the  patience  of  Christ,’  and  persevering  diligence 
in  every  good  work.  Jude  20,21.  Scott. 


(.5.)  Patient  waiting  for  Christ.]  ‘  Not  the  patience  itself  of  Christ, 
in  bearing  calamities,  but  a  patient  endurance,  suffering  for  righteous¬ 
ness,  after  the  example  of  Christ;  or  a  patient  waiting  for  Christ.’  Bl. 
So  Doddr.  Ed. 

V.  G — 9.  The  church  at  Thessalonica  was  in  general  deserving  of 
high  commendation;  but  the  apostle  had  occasion  to  speak  with  author¬ 
ity  and  implied  reproof,  in  one  particular,  of  which  lie  hud  before  given 
some  intimation.  1  Thess.  4:9 — 12. — (G)  Withdraw .]  *  It  is  taken  from 
sailors,  who,  by  a  bended  course,  avoid  a  rock.  To  refrain  from  that  to 
which  the  eagerness  of  the  mind  carries  one  forward.’  Erasmus.  Thus 
Joseph,  while  his  heart  was  full  of  love  to  his  brethren,  refrained  him¬ 
self,  and  spake  roughly  to  them,  for  their  good.  Scott. 

(8.)  ‘  This  declaration  is  confirmed  by  the  apostle’s  statement,  Phil. 
•115.  that  he  had  not  received  anything  from  any  church  of  Macedonia, 
except  that  of  Philippi.’.  Henry ,  ahr.  —  For  nought. ]  1  At  free  cost.’ 

Doddr.  ‘  Nought,  here,  denotes  “  without  working  for  it.”  1  Br.ooMF. 

(9.)  Follow  us.]  ‘  Imitate  us  in  a  frugal  and  industrious  life.’  Doddr. 

V.  10 — 12.  Perhaps  the  apostle  had  perceived  a  disposition,  in  some 
persons  at  Thessalonica,  to  make  religion  a  pretence  for  indolence, 
and  for  subsisting  on  the  hospitality  and  liberality  of  their  brethren, 
without  working  at  their  own  trades  or  occupations. — ■*  How  they  might 
fall  into  this  evil  is  easy  to  conceive.  Persons  all  alive  to  God  and  his 
Christ,  and  knowing  little  of  the  decsitfulness  of  the  heart,  and  the  or"f!s 
of  Satan,  might  find  it  irksome  to  attend  to  the  concerns  of  this  life.  It 
was  a  fault  indeed,  and  very  dangerous  if  persisted  in,  hut  ns  it  was  soon 
r.orreeted,  in  all  probability,  and  in  part  occasioned  bv  tile  strength  of 
heavenly  affections,  one  cannot  be  very  severe  in  censuring  it.  ...  It  may 
he  worth  while  for  those,  who  feel  themselves  much  irritated  against 
similar  evils,  attending  on  the  outpouring  of  the  Holv  Spirit  in  our  days, 
to  consider,  whether  they  do  not  exercise  more  candor  toward  the  Thes- 
salouians,  and  respect  them  as  real  Christians,  while  they  scorn  those, 
who  walk  in  their  steps,  as  enthusiasts.’  Jos.  Milner ,  E~..  History. — 
The  apostle,  however,  being  fully  aware  of  the  consequences,  had  when 
he  was  with  them  commanded  them,  not  to  maintain  iu  idle such 
us  could  work  mid  would  not,  either  by  private  or  public  clian^;  that, 
being  left  to  endure  the  pinching*  of  hunger  and  want,  they  might  be 
compelled  to  attend  to  their  proper  duty.— God  gives  everything  to  man 
in  the  way  of  labor;  and,  in  fact,  in  all  cases,  the  industrious  part  of 
every  community  maintains  the  slothful.  (AX.  II.  c,  d.)  The  words  may 
indeed  signify,  ‘  If  any  man  refuse  to  work,  he  ought  bv  all  means  to 
live  without  food;  but,  if  that  be  impossible,  let  him  thence  learn  to 
consider  how  unreasonable  and  iniquitous  idleness  is bv  which  a  man, 
who  cannot  but  consume,  does  nothing  to  replenish  the  stores,  which  are 
thus  exhausted.  The  expression  was  for  substance  a  proverb  among  the 
Jews. — ‘They  state  it  wrong,  who  render  it,  Let  him  not  eat  who  does 
not  work  ;  fur  none  are  more  deserving  of  relief  from  others,  Mini  thev, 
who,  through  some  just  and  necessary  impediment,  cannot  labor  though 


they  greatly  desire  it.’  Bcza. —  This  venerable  reformer  here  takes  oe 
ctision  to  expose  the  mendicant  monks  and  friars,  as  exactly  answering 
the  character  described  by  St.  Paul. — How  far  relieving  vagrant  beggars, 
of  whose  character  or  incapacity  for  labor,  we  know  nothing,  can  con¬ 
sist  with  this  rule,  is  worthy  of  inquiry.  Certainly  t lie  money  might  be 
almost  always  better  employed.  Duke  13:35 — 43. — Whatever  rank  men 
sustain,  they  are  mere  drones  in  the  hive,  unless  they  fill  up  tile  duties 
of  their  station  for  the  common  benefit.  Christians,  therefore,  should 
not  countenance  such  evident  injustice,  especially  as  this  has  always 
been  one  of  the  slanders  raised  against  the  professed  worshippers  of 
God.  Ex.  5:8,  9,  15 — 23.  P.  O.  1 — 9. — The  kindness  required  from  be¬ 
lievers,  and  to  which  they  are  propense,  ns  under  the  influence  of  holy 
love,  often  gives  slothful  persons  an  opportunity,  on  various  pretences, 
to  seek  exemption  from  labor,  by  which  they  become  useless  and  mis¬ 
chievous;  they  and  their  families  are  often  reduced  to  great  distress; 
debls  are  contracted  which  they  cannot  pay  ;  and  that  bounty  is  divert¬ 
ed  into  a  wrong  channel,  which  should  encourage  tlie  industrious  poor, 
and  support  the  sick  ami  afflicted.  Tlie  apostle  therefore  reminded  his 
beloved  children  at  Thessalonica  of  this  rule,  because  he  heard,  that 
tltere  were  some  of  these  ‘disorderly’  persons  among  them,  who  did 
not  work  at  their  own  trades  or  callings,  but  expected  to  be  maintained 
in  idleness  by  their  brethren.  These  would  naturally  contract  a  saun¬ 
tering,  gossiping  habit,  and  would  indulge  a  talkative,  curious,  and  con¬ 
ceited  temper,  and,  having  much  leisure,  they  would  intermeddle  with 
other  men’s  concerns,  to  the  disturbance  of  families,  by  exciting  suspi¬ 
cions  and  jealousies  among  neighbors;  and  to  the  injury  of  men’s  char¬ 
acters.  But  the  apostle  commanded,  and  charged  them,  in  the  mime  cf 
Christ,  and  as  they  would  stand  accepted  before  his  tribunal,  lo  cease  from 
this  offieiousness,  and  to  attend  to  their  own  labor,  with  humility,  mod¬ 
esty,  contentment,  and  peaceable  industry  ;  that,  thus  subsisting  on  flieir 
own  earnings,  they  might  ‘eat  their  own  bread,’  and  not  consume  what 
properly  belonged  to  others.  Ex.  20:15.  hint.  6:11.  The  dillicnltv, 
which  modern  missionaries,  in  most  parts  of  the  world,  find,  in  bringing 
those  among  whom  they  labor  to  habits  of  regular  industry,  the  abso¬ 
lute  necessity  of  doing  this  in  order  to  any  permanent  success,  and  the 
very  great  impediments  which  indolence,  as  to  regular  daily  employ¬ 
ment,  places  in  their  way,  well  illustrates  the  necessity  and  importance 
of  the.  apostle’s  charge  in  this  particular.  In  all  places,  where  missions 
have  permanently  succeeded,  ihe  converts,  however  indolent  in  mind  or 
body  before,  have  become  industrious  in  some  regular  employment.  Sc. 

(10.1  Not  work.  ..shall  not.  eat.]  See  Way  'end's  Mor.  Sci.  p.  421  — 
7.  ‘  He  that  doth  nothing  is  ill  occupied.  Water  is  clear  and  fair,  Iresli 

and  comfortable;  yet  if  it  stand  still  ill  a  hole,  or  he  kept  long  in  a  ves¬ 
sel,  whence  it  hath  no  issue,  it  will  rot  and  swell,  and  be  unwholesome. 
Even  so  it  fareth  with  the  sons  of  Adam  ;  if  they  have  nothing  to  do,  no 
way  to  bes’inv  their  vvit.  thev  will  rot  and  prove  unwholesome,  and  <!•- 
vi mischief  all  ihe  day  long.  What  else  filleth  (lie  prisons,  and  bring- 


A.  D.  56. 


2  THESSALONIANS,  III. 


Direction  and  benediction. 


13  But  ye,  brethren,  0  be  not 
p  weary  in  well-doing. 

14  And  if  any  man  obey  not  our 
word  i  by  this  epistle,  note  that 
man,  and  have  r  no  company  with 
him,  that  he  may  be  ashamed. 

15  Yet  count  him  not  as  an  ene¬ 
my,  but  admonish  him  as  a  ’  brother. 

16  Now  the  Lord  'of  peace  him¬ 
self  give  you  peace  always  by  all 
means.  The  Lord  be  with  you  all. 

17  The  salutation  “of  Paul  with 
mine  own  hand,  which  is  the  token 
in  every  epistle  :  so  I  write. 

18  The  "grace  of  our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ  be  with  you  all.  Amen. 

II  The  second  epistle  to  the  Thessa- 

lonians  was.  written  from  Athens. 

o  or,  faint  not,  tie.  t  Ro.  16:20. 

p  l  Co.  15:58.  r  Mat.  18:17.  u  1  Co.  16:21. 

q  or,  signify  that  vei*.  6.  v  Ro.  16:24. 

man  by  an  epis-  s  Le.  19:17. 


obedience,  and  bis  grace  and  goodness 
should  allure  us. 

2.  What  the  good  laws  and  rules  are. 
The  apostle  commands  and  directs  the  whole 
church  how  they  should  behave  towards  dis¬ 
orderly  persons,  v.  6.  We  must  be  very 
cautious  in  church-censures  and  church-dis¬ 
cipline.  We  must  Note  that  man  ;  that  is, 
have  sufficient  proof  of  his  fault  before  we 
proceed  further.  Next,  we  must  Admonish 
him,  in  a  friendly  manner,  and  this  privately. 
Mat.  18:  15.  Then,  if  he  will  not  hear,  we 
must  Withdraw  from  him,  and  not  keep 
company  with  him,  that  is,  we  must  avoid 
his  familiar  converse  and  society  ;  for  two 
reasons,  namely,  that  we  may  not  learn  his 
evil  ways  ;  and  may  shame,  and  so  reform 
him.  Love  should  be  the  motive  of  our 
withdrawing  ;  for  if  those  who  are  under 
the  censures  of  the  church,  be  reclaimed  and 
reformed  thereby,  they  will  recover  their 
credit  and  comfort,  and  right  to  church- 
privileges  as  brethren.  The  general  con¬ 


duct  and  behavior  of  the  church,  should  ac-  | 
cord  with  the  good  example  which  the  apos¬ 
tle,  and  those  who  were  with  him,  had  given 
them,  v.  7.  particularly  in  diligence,  so  dif¬ 
ferent  from  the  disorderly  walkers.  He  took 
pains  in  his  ministry  to  get  his  own  living, 
v.  8.  lie  might  justly  have  demanded  a 
maintenance,  because  they  who  preach  the 
Gospel  may  of  right  expect  to  live  by  the 
Gospel,  v.  9.  but  he  waived  his  right  from 
affection  to  them,  and  for  the  sake  of  the 
Gospel,  and  that  he  might  be  an  example 
for  them,  v.  9.  that  they  might  learn  how  to 
fill  up  time,  and  always  be  employed  in 
somewhat  that  would  turn  to  good  account. 

He  commands  and  directs  those  that  lived 
idle  lives,  to  reform,  and  set  themselves  to 
their  business,  v.  10.  It  was  a  proverbial 
speech  among  the  Jews,  lie  who  does  not  la¬ 
bor,  does  not  deserve  to  eat.  It  is  the  will  of 
God,  that  every  man  should  have  a  calling, 
and  make  his  business  of  it,  and  not  live 
like  a  useless  drone  in  the  world.  It  was 
not  the  mere  humor  of  the  apostle,  but  the 
command  of  Jesus  Christ,  that  with  quiet- 
ness  we  work,  and  eat  our  own  bread,  v.  12. 
Men  ought,  some  way  or  other,  to  earn  their 
own  living,  otherwise  they  do  hot  eat  their 
own  bread.  Observe,  There  must  be  work 
or  labor,  in  opposition  to  idleness  ;  and 
quietness,  in  opposition  to  being  busy-bodies 
in  other  men’s  matters.  We  must  study  to 
be  quiet,  and  do  our  own  business.  This  is 
an  excellent  but  rare  composition,  to  be  of 
an  active,  yet  quiet  spirit  ;  active  in  our 
own  business,  yet  quiet  as  to  other  people’s. 

He  exhorts  those  that  did  well,  not  to  be 
weary  in  well-doing ,  v.  13.  ‘Go  on  and  pros¬ 
per.  The  Lord  is  with  you  while  you  are 
with  Him.  See  that  whatever  you  do,  that  is 
good,  you  persevere  in.  You  must  never 
give  over,  or  tire  in  your  work.  It  will  be 
time  enough  to  rest  when  you  come  to  heav¬ 
en,  that  everlasting  rest  which  remains  for  the 
people  of  God.’ 

V.  16 — 18.  In  this  conclusion  of  the 
epistle  we  have  the  apostle’s  benediction 
and  prayers  for  these  Thessalunians.  Let 


us  desire  them  for  ourselves  and  our  friends. 
Three  blessings  are  pronounced  on  them,  or 
desired  for  them  : 

1.  That  God  would  give  them  peace,  i.  e. 
all  manner  of  prosperity,  in '  particular, 
peace  with  God  ;  peace  in  their  own  minds 
and  consciences  ;  peace  among  themselves , 
and  peace  with  all  men.  This  is  desired  for 
them  always,  or  in  everything  ;  and  by  all 
means  :  peace  ie  often  difficult,  as  it  is  al¬ 
ways  desirable.  If  we  have  any  peace  that 
is  desirable,  God  must  give  it,  who  is  the 
Author  of  peace,  and  Lover  of  concord.  V\  e 
shall  neither  have  peaceable  dispositions  our¬ 
selves,  nor  find  men  disposed  to  be  at  peace 
with  us,  unless  the  God  of  peace  give  us  both. 

2.  That  the  presence  of  God  might  be 
with  them.  We  need  nothing  more  to  make 
us  safe  and  Jiappv,  nor  can  we  desire  any¬ 
thing  better  for  ourselves  and  our  friends, 
than  to  have  God’s  gracious  presence  with 
us  and  them.  His  presence  makes  heaven 
to  be  heaven,  and  w  ill  make  earth  to  be  like 
to  heaven.  No  matter  where  we  are,  il  God 
be  with  us;  nor  who  is  absent,  if  Gotl  be 
present  with  us. 

3.  That  the  grace  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ 
might  be  with  them.  This  grace  is  all  in  all 
to  make  us  happy.  ■  This  is  what  the  apos¬ 
tle  admired  and  magnified  on  all  occasions, 
what  he  delighted  and  trusted  in  ;  and  by 
this  salutation  or  benediction,  written  with 
his  own  hand,  as  the  token  of  every  epistle, 
(when  the  rest  was  written  by  an  amanuen¬ 
sis,)  he  took  care,  lest  the  churches  he  wrote 
to  should  be  imposed  on  by  counterfeit  epis¬ 
tles,  a  thing  of  dangerous  consequence. 

Let  us  be  thankful  that  we  have  the  canon 
of  Scripture  complete,  and,  by  the  wonder¬ 
ful  and  special  care  of  Divine  Providence, 
preserved  pure  and  uncorrupt  through  so 
many  successive  ages  ;  aud  not  dare  to  add 
to  it,  or  diminish  from  it.  Let  us  believe 
the  divine  original  of  the  sacred  Scriptures, 
and  conform  our  faith  and  practice  to  this 
our  sufficient  and  only  rule,  which  is  able  to 
I  make  us  wise  unto  salvation,-  through  faith 
I  which  is  in  Christ  Jesus.  Amen. 


PRACT.  OBS.  V.  6 — 18.  rious  men  are  often  betrayed  into  a  dis¬ 
regard  to  this  rule,  through  humility  and  tenderness;  by  which  means 
the  misconduct  of  one  professed  believer  turns  to  the  scandal  of  his  pro¬ 
fession,  and  he  himself  is  soothed  into  carnal  security,  by  an  ill-judged 
and  unkind  lenity. — When  difficulties  occur  respecting  public  discipline, 
believers  of  every  denomination  might  agree,  in  separating  from  disor¬ 
derly  walkers,  with  proper  admonitions  and  expostulations;  that  thus 
being  ‘  put  to  shame  ’  they  might  be  brought  to  repentance.— It  is  pecu¬ 
liarly  incumbent  on  ministers,  to  show  the  tendency  of  their  doctrine  in 
their  own  conduct,  that  the  people  may  perceive  ‘  how  they  ought  to 
imitate  them.’  It  is  not,  indeed,  required,  or  generally  expected,  that 
they  should  ‘  labor  and  toil,  night  and  day,  to  avoid  being,  chargeable  ’ 
to  the  people.  Yet  they  should  be  very  careful  to  avoid  every  appear¬ 
ance  of  selfishness,  indolence,  or  an  encroaching  spirit ;  aud  they  m'iist 


often  give  up  their  own  interest,  indulgence,  and  inclination,  to  make 
themselves  an  example  to  the  people,  and  to  give  energy  to  their  in¬ 
structions. — It  would  indeed  be  deemed  rigorous,  should  we  enforce 
the  apostle’s  rule, 1  that  if  any  willeth  not  to  work,  neither  shall  he  eat ;’ 
yet;  in  fact,  it  is  founded  in  equity  and  love.  It  is  injustice  to  the  indi¬ 
gent,  the  weak,  and  the  industrious,  when  the  bounty  of  their  brethren 
is  wasted  on  the  indolent  and  extravagant.  The  greatest  kindness, 
which  can  he  shown  to  the  latter,  is  to  constrain  them,  if  possible,  1  to 
labor, -working  with  their  own  hands  the  thing  which  is  good  ;’  this  alone 
can  preserve  them  from  mischief,  temptation,  and  misery.  Eph.  4:28. 
Persons  of  this  description  ought,  therefore,  to  be  discountenanced,  re¬ 
buked,  ‘commanded  from  the  Lord  Jesus,  with  quietness  to  labor  and 
eat  their  own  bread,’  and,  if  they  refuse,  censured,  noted,  [starved,]  and 
shunned  by  all  believers,  till  brought  to  repentance.  Scott. 


eth  to  the  gallows,  and  causeth  the  bewailing  of  so  many  untimely 
deaths  ?  What  causeth  so  many  diseases  in  the  body  !  Whereof  rise 
mutterings  in  the  city  against  magistrates?  Whereof  rise  rebellions  in 
kingdoms  ?  You  can  give  no  greater  cause  thereof  than  idleness.  “  Be¬ 
hold  (saith  the  Lord,  Ez.  16:49.),  this  was  the  iniquity  of  thy  sister  Sod¬ 
om,  pride,  fulness  of  bread,  and  abundance  of  idleness.”  This  called  for 
fire  from  heaven,  and  wasted  so  many  cities  into  ashes,;  If  we  shall 
make  account  for  our  idle  words,  (Mat.  12.)  what  shall  We  do  for  our 
idle  hands,  for  our  idle  feet,  for  our  idle  body,  for  our  idle  soul  ?  What 
account  for  all  our  idleness,  shall  we  make  at  the  day  of  judgment  ?  “  If 
any  will  not  work,  the  same  shall  not  eat,”  is  a  hard  saying.  Yet,  saith 
Paul,  I  have  kept  it.  lie  doth  not  say,  If  any  be  sick,  or  weak,  or  im¬ 
potent,  and  cannot  work;  but  if  any  be  idle,  and  froward,  and  will  not 
work,  to  such  an  one  give  not  to  eat ;  that  so  he  may  see  the  danger  of 
idleness,  [and  feeling  Cod’s  punishment  for  its  transgression,  may  learn 
his  law  ot  labor,]  and  “  work  with  his  hands,  that  he  may  give  him  that 
needeth.”  (Eph.  4.) — But  you  will  say,  kings,  and  counsellors,  bishops, 
preachers,  and  till  other  sorts  of  learned  men,  neither  plough,  nor  sow, 
nor  hedge,  nor  ditch,  nor  use  such  painful  labor  of  the  body  ;  they  sit  at 
rest  and  live  idly.  They  that  so  think  are  deceived:  the  toil  which 
princes  take,  ami  the  great  cares  wherewith  they  are  occupied,  pass  all 
other  cares. ...  If  a  bishop,  or  minister,  study  the  Scriptures,  preach  the 
Gospel,  catechize  tfie  children,  and  take  a  care  of  the  souls  of  God’s 
people  ;  if  he  sow  the  Lord’s  Held,  feed  the  Lord’s  (lock,  thresh  the  Lord’s 
corn,  and  walk  before  the  people  carefully;  if  he  have  the  care  of  the 
churches,  and  can  say  With  the  apostle  (2  Cor  11.);  “  Who  is  weak,  and 
I  am  not  weak  ?  who  is  jOfleitded,  and  I  burn  not  ?’’  any  offence  that  is 
given  to  my  brother,,  is  to  me  as  a  fire,  or  as  a  torment :  if  he  be  instant 
in  season  and  out  of  season  ;  if  he  do  the  work  of  an  evangelist,  and 
make  his  ministry  fully  known,  be  shall  find  himself  occupied. . .  .  The 
master  of  the  ship  soemeth  to  be  idle,  to  sit  still  and  do  nothing;  be 
stirreth  not  the  pump,  he  driveth  not  the  oars,  be  sonndelh  not  the  deep, 
he  ridelh  not  the  ropes,  he  scaleth  not  the  shrouds,  he  runneth  not  hith¬ 
er  ami  thither,  forward  and  backward,  under  the  hatches  or  above;  he 

[460] 


sitteth  still,  holdeth  his  peace,  and  looketlt  upon  the  loadstar,  and  in 
appearance  doth  nothing.  But  his  labor  passeth  all  the  rest  ;  without 
it' all  the  pains  the  other  mariners 1  take  were  lost.  Even  so  fareth  it  in 
the  state  of  princes  and  their  counsellors. . . .’  Bp.  Jewell. 

V.  13.  As  the  bad  use,  which  some  individuals  made  of  the  liberality 
and  hospitality  of  their  brethren,  tended  to  damp  the  ardor  of  Christian 
charity,  the  apostle  thought  it  necessary  to  caution  them  against  ‘growing 
weary  in  well  doing,’  in  this  or  in  any  other  instance.  Gal.  6:6 — 10.  Sc. 

(13.)  Not  weary ,  &c.|  ‘  Diodati  gives  this  ait  excellent  turn  :  though 
some  may  abuse  your  liberality,  be  not  deterred  thereby  from  works  of 
charity.’  Doddr. 

V.  14,  15.  (14)  By  this  epistle,  note  that  •man.]  ‘  Signify  that  man  by 

att  epistle.’  The  article  before  epistle  seems  to  exclude  this  construction. 
‘Set  a  mark  or  brand  of  disgrace  on  him,  that  all  may  know  and  avoid 
him.’  as  the  Roman  censors  used  to  brand  ignominious  citizens. — Haie 
no  company.]  See  on  1  Cor.  5:9C — That  he  rr\ay  he  ashamed.]  Tit.  2:8. 
See  on  Mat.  21:37. — (15)  Admonish  him  as  a  ’bfotltetl]  1  Thes.  5:12,  14. 
See  on  Acts  20:31 — ‘  1.  These  exhortations  are  evidently  atldressed  to 
all  the  brethren  in  general.  ...2.  The  apostle  exhorts  them  to  own 
them  as  Christian  brethren,  (which  they  at  present  did 'not,)  who  by  ex- 
comiiiu(jfcption  are  excluded  from  the  church.’  fVhit.  It  indded  is  proba¬ 
ble,  tha^Roommunication  was  not  meant;  but  such  tokens  of  general 
disapprobation,  as  came  short  of  that  solemn  exclusion,  which  was  re¬ 
served  for  the  public  censure  of  the  church  by  its  ministers  on  more  scan¬ 
dalous  offenders,— Thus  the  Corinthians  were  charged  to  excommunicate 
the  incestuous  person,  and  him  only,  though  there  were  others,  with 
whom  they  were  forbidden  even  to  eat.  1  Cor.  5:1 — 5,9 — 13.  Scott. 

i  15.)  ‘Few  admonitory  precepts  better  speak  the  mild,  gentfe,  and 
forgiving  spirit  of  the  Gospel  than  this.’  Hewl.— ‘  The  end  of  excommu¬ 
nication  is,  not  to  drive  from  the  church  such  as  have  fallen,  but  to  win 
theiii  to  the  church  by  amendment.  Bishop's  Bible,  in  Henry,  abr. 

V.  16.  See  this  ‘ peace  of  God,’  explained,  in  Dwight.  Serm.  84.  Ed. 

V.  17.  It  is  not  unlikely,  that  lib  dictated  his  epistles,  while  laboring 
at  his  trade  ns  a  lentmaker.  Scott. 


AN  EXPOSITION 


OF  THE 

FIRST  EPISTLE  OF 

PAUL  T  O  T  I  M  O  T  II  Y, 

WITH 

PRACTICAL  OBSERVATIONS  AND  NOTES. 

(Henry's  Exposition ,  completed  by  Mr.  Atkinson.) 


Hitherto  Paul's  epistles  were  directed  to  churches;  now  follow  some  to  particular  persona ;  as  Timothy,  Titus,  and 
Philemon  ;  all  three  ministers.  Timothy  and  Titus  were  evangelists,  an  inferior  order  to  the  apostles,  as  appears  by  Eph. 
4:1  L.  Their  commission  and  work  was  much  the  same  with  that  of  the  apostles,  to  plant  and  water  churches  ;  accordingly 
they  were  itinerants.  Timothy  was  first  converted  by  Paul,  Acts  16:3.  therefore  Paul  calls  him  his  own  son  in  the  faith. 

The  scope  of  these  two  epistles,  is,  to  direct  Timothy  how  to  discharge  his  office  as  an  evangelist  at  Ephesus,  where  he 
now  was,  and  where  Paul  ordered  him  for  some  time  to  reside,  to  perfect  the  good  work  he  had  begun  there.  As  for  the 
ordinary  pastoral  charge  of  that  church,  he  had  very  solemnly  committed  it  to  the  Presbytery,  as  appears  from  Acts  20:28. 
where  he  charges  the  presbyters  to  feed  the  flock  of  God,  ichich  He  lind  purchased  icith  his  own  blood.  Henry. 

The  time,  when  this  epistle  was  written,  constitutes  the  principal  difficulty  respecting  it.  *  It  was  long  the  general 
opinion,  that  the  apostle  wrote  it  soon  after  he  was  driven  from  Ephesus,  on  account  of  the  tumult  excited  by  Demetrius 
and  his  craftsmen.  Jicts  19:21 — 40.  20:1.  As  the  difficulties  of  this  ancient  opinion  seem  far  less  than  those  of  the  other, 
(see  note  t,)  I  adhere,  though  with  diffidence,  to  it,  and  shall  comment  on  the  epistle  accordingly. — The  history,  in  the  Acts 
of  the  Apostles,  implies,  that  Timothy  continued  with  the  apostle,  during  his  progress  through  Macedonia,  and  his  abode 
at  Corinth  ;  and  that  he  returned  with  him  through  Macedonia  into  Asia.  But  Timothy  is  not  afterwards  mentioned,  as 
accompanying  the  apostle,  either  to  Jerusalem,  or  in  his  subsequent  imprisonment  at  Cesarea,  or  in  his  voyage  to  Rome; 
and  it  is  probable,  that  he  abode  in  Asia;  and,  accompanying  the  elders  of  Ephesus,  when  they  parted  from  the  apostles, 
he  settled  at  that  city  for  some  years,  according  to  the  ancient  records  of  the  church  concerning  him. — But,  when  four  years  or 
nearly  had' passed,  it  seems  that  he  went  to  the  apostle  at  Rome,  and  was  imprisoned  with  him,  but  was  soon  set  at  liberty, 
and  sent  to  Philippi.  (Phil.  2:19.  Hch.  13:23.)  —  In  respect  to  Timothy,  it  is  sufficient  to  refer  to  the  account  before  given 
of  his  appointment  to  be  Paul’s  companion  in  travel.  (Notes,  Jicts  16:1 — 5.)  Having  been  trained  up  under  the  apostle's 
immediate  care,  he  imbibed,  in  an  extraordinary  degree,  his  spirit  and  principles,  and  was  peculiarly  beloved  by  him.  The 
apostle,  when  suddenly  driven  from  Ephesus,  had  left  Timothy  behind  him  to  settle  the  concerns  of  that  chuich,  in  the 
best  manner  he  could  ;  and  wrote  this  epistle  to  him  for  his  direction  in  so  doing. — Whether  the  above  conjecture  (for  we 
have  no  authentic  records  to  direct  us),  of  Timothy’s  return  to  Ephesus,  and  residence  there,  be  well  grounded,  or  not, 
these  directions  would  not  be  in  vain  ;  for  the  substance  of  them  would  be  equally  applicable  in  any  other  church,  to  which 
he  might  be  sent,  or  in  which  he  might  have  resided.  — Indeed,  it  does  not  appear,  that  the  apostle  intended  to  give  Timothy 
instructions  exclusively,  or  even  principally, respecting  the  Ephesian  church  ;  but  rather  general  counsels  for  his  conduct  in 
the  churches  of  Christ ;  and  for  that  of  all  others,  when  called  to  act  in  similar  circumstances. — ‘  Having  done  the  work  for 
which  he  was  bid  to  stay  at  Ephesus,  he  might  go  oft  to  other  places,  doing  the  work  of  an  evangelist,  and  settling  ordinary 
church-goverrrors,  bishops,  presbyters,  and  deacons,  where  they 'were  wanting,  and  doing  all  other  things  mentioned  in  this 
epistle,  as  things  to  be  performed  in  the  church  of  God.’  Whit. — The  epistle  contains  cautions  against  false  teachers  ;  directions 
concerning  the  worship  of  God,  and  behavior  of  believers ;  the  character  and  conduct  to  be  required  in  bishops  rind  deacons, 
and  their  families;  exhortations  to  Timothy,  concerning  his  private  and  public  behavior,  especially  in  ordaining  ministers, 
censuring  offenders,  and  settling  the  other  affairs  of  the  church  ;  admonitions  against  several  sins  and  temptations  ;  solemn 
charges  to  faithfulness,  and  various  doctrinal  and  practical  counsels  and  instructions  interwoven  with  them.  This,  and  the  two 
following  epistles,  are  peculiarly  replete  with  instruction  to  ministers,  and  should  be  continually  studied  and  njeditated  on, 
by  all  who  bear  that  sacred  character,  or  are  preparing  for  the  good  work  of  the  ministry.  —  The  postscript  dates  the  epistle 
from  Laodicea  ;  but  it  is  almost  certain  the  apostle  had  never  visited  that  city  when  lie  wrote  this  epistle.  Col.  2:1.  ScpT.T. 


*  Respecting  its  date,  Doddr.,  alter  Athanasius,  Theotl.,  Baronins,  Cap- 
pellus,  Ulondel,  Ham.,  Grot.,  Salrri asius,  Light.,  and  Henson,  inclines  to 
the  earlier,  i.  e.  56  or  58 ;  and  Mackn.,  after  Le  Clerc,  L’Enfant,  Cave, 
Fabricius,  Mill,  Whilby,  and  others,  to  (he  later,  i.  e.  64  or  65  :  in  which 
also  accords  Ron.,  and  Horne,  whom  see;  as  also  Supplement.  Ed. 

t  'But  several  very  learned  and  respectable  men  have,  in  modern 
times,  started  objections  against  this  opinion,  which  they  think  insur¬ 
mountable.  —  There  is  no  reasonable  doubt,  that  the  Second  Epistle  to 
the  Corinthians  was  written,  during  the  apostle’s  abode  in  Macedonia, 
after  he  came  thither  from  Ephesus.  But  it  is  evident  that  Timothy 
was  with  him  when  he  wrote  that  .epistle;  for  his  name  is  inserted  in 
the  superscription.  (2  Cor.  1:1.  Note,  2  Cor.  2:12,  18.) — How  then, 
say  they,  could  he  have  been  left  at  Ephesus,  and  entreated  to  abide 
there  ?  (1:3.)  “  And  as  to  the  only  solution  of  the  difficulty,  which  can 
be  thought  of,  viz.  that  Timothy  might  follow  .  .  v  so  soon  after  as  to  be 
with  the  apostle  in  Macedonia,  when:  he  wrote  his  epistle  to  the  Corin¬ 
thians,  that  supposition  is  inconsistent  with  the  terms  and  tenor  of  the 
epistle  throughout.  For  the  writer  speaks  uniformly  of  his  intention  to 
return  to  Timothy  at  Ephesus;  and  not  of  his  expecting  Timothy  to 
come  to  him  in  Macedonia.  (3:14,  15.  4:13.) — Therefore  I  concur  with 
Bp.  Pearson,  in  placing  the  date  of  the  epistle,  and  the  history  referred 
to  in  it,  at  a  period  subsequent  to  Paul’s  first  imprisonment,  and  conse¬ 
quently  subsequent  to  the  era,  up  to  which  the  Acts  of  the  Apostles 
bring  his  history.’  Pa/ey.  This  is  a  fair  statement  of  the  main  objec¬ 
tion  ;  though  some  things  of  inferior  moment  will  require  a  little  atten¬ 
tion.  It  may,  however,  be  questioned,  whether  the  conclusion  here  de¬ 
duced,  does  not  lie  open  to  still  more  insuperable  objections.  Some 
regard  may  be  due  to  the  total  silence  of  the  Scripture,  as  to  any  subse¬ 
quent  visit  of  the  apostle  to  Ephesus,  and  his  departure  thence  to  Mace¬ 
donia.  —  It  is,  indeed,  allowed,  that  during  his  imprisonment  at  Rome, 
he  mentions,  in  his  epistles,  a  purpose  of  visiting  several  places  in  the 
eastern  regions.  {Phil.  2:24.  Phi  term.  22.  Ileb.  13:19,  23.)  And  in  2 
Tint.,  it  appears,  that  he  had  been  at  several  piaces  in  the  neighborhood 
of  Ephesus.  Still,  however,  there  is  no  intimation  that  he  visited  Ephe¬ 
sus.  He  observes,  in  the  close  of  this  epistle,  that  he  had  sent  Tychicns 
to  Ephesus;  which  maj? imply,  he  had  not  gone  thither  himself. -Indeed, 
whether  it  be  allowed,  according  to  historical  records,  which  are  not 
very  satisfactory,  that  he  hastened  from  Crete  to  Rome,  hearing  accounts 
which  induced  him  to  think  his  presence  there  necessary  ;  or  whether 
his  persecutors  seized  on  him,  . and  conveyed  him  to  Rome,  in  art  unex¬ 
pected  manner  ;  it  sefems  evident,  that  he  was  hurried  out  of  these  re¬ 
gions,  before  he  had  time  to  accomplish  his  purposes,  in  the  manner  he 
wished.  {Notes,  2  Tim.  4:12  20.)  It  might  also  be  brought  as  an  ob¬ 

jection  to  this  opinion,  that  Timothy,  lifter  the  conclusion  of  Paul’s  first 
imprisonment  at  Rome,  must;  on  any  computation,  have  been  above  30 
years  of  age  ;  and  though,  at  that  time  of  life,  the  exhortation  to  Ilee  youth¬ 
ful  lusts  might  not  be  unseasonable;  (2  Tim.  2:22.)  yet  the  caution, 
‘Let  no  man  despise  thy  youth,’  (4*12.)  seems  not  so  consistent. — But 
the  grund  difficulty  arises  from  the  words  of  the  apostle  to  the  Ephesiun 


elders  at  Miletus;  ‘And  now,  behold,  1  know  that  ye  all,  among  whom 
1  have  gone  preaching  the  kingdom  of  God,  shall  see  my  face  no  more.’ 
It  is  evident,  that  the  persons  present  understood  this,  not  as  a  conjec¬ 
ture,  or  as  a  ‘  desponding  inference,’  but  sis  a  prediction.  When  the  apos¬ 
tle  perceived  the  overwhelming  sorrow  it  had  excited  in  them,  he  neither 
retracted  nor  qualified  it  ;  and  it  seems  unquestionable  that  the  histo¬ 
rian  records  it  as  a  prophecy.  {Notes,  Acts  20  25 — 27,  36 — 38.)  The 
words  ‘  Ye  all,  <fcc.’  confine  the  interpretation  to  the  persons  present  ; 
the  prediction,  therefore,  would  be  exactly  fulfilled,  though  the  apostle 
visited  many  places  in  that  neighborhood;  nay,  though  he  purposed 
(which  is  not  likely)  to  visit  Ephesus,  provided  he  did  not  actually  giy 
thither,  or  meet  any  of  the  elders  to  whom  he  gave  the  charge  at  Mile¬ 
tus. — It  can  hardly  be  supposed,  that  after  an  absence  of  perhaps  rather 
more  than  ten  years,  the  apostle,  revisiting  Ephesus,  found,  that  all  the 
elders  whom  lie'  addressed  at  Miletus  were  dead.  But,  except  on  this 
very  improbable  supposition,  or  on  that  of  the  words  before  adduced  be¬ 
ing  a  mere  conjecture,  in  which  the  event  proved  the  apostle  to  have 
been  mistaken  ;  we  must  adhere  to  the  old  opinion,  that  this  epistle  was 
written  immediately  after  the  apostle  had  left  Ephesus  to  go  into  Mace¬ 
donia;  because  it  is,  oil  every  other  supposition,  almost,  if  not  absolute¬ 
ly  certain,  he  never  alter  left  Ephesus  to  go  into  Macedonia.  But  let  us 
next  consider,  whether  tpe  objections  above  so  cogently  stated,  against  the 
ancient  opinion,  may  not  be  satisfactorily  answered. — Tlte  apostle  musj 
have'  spent  some  considerable  fiirie  in  Macedonia,  after  he  left  Ephesus, 
and  before  he  went  to  Corinth,  for  ‘he  went  over  those  parts,  andgavg 
them  much  exhortation.’  (Acts  29:2.)  Now,  it  is  not  in  the  least  im¬ 
probable,  that  unforeseen  circumstances  might  indtt.ee  Timothy  to  leave 
Ephesus,  sooner  than  either  he  or  the  npostle  hat)  intended.  The  viru¬ 
lence  of  the  persecutors  might  drive  him  thence,  or  he  might  need  some 
counsel  and  instruction,  in  respect  of  the  false  teachers,  or  on  some  spe¬ 
cial  points,  which  had  occurred  to  him  concerning  the  state  of  the 
church. — Various  circumstances,  indeed,  might  render  it  inexpedient  for 
him  to  continue  at  iSpltesus,  according  to  the  pipit  at  first  formed.  On 
the  other  hand,  it  is  probable,  the  apostle  wrote  this  epistle  ns  soon  as  he 
arrived  in  Macedonia,  and  at  that  time  lie  might  fully  purpose, "and  con¬ 
fidently  hope,  to  go  IT)  Timothy  at,  Ephesus,  and  yet  be  disappointed. — • 
Thus,  lie’ had  ‘’nnce'anil  again’  purposed  to  return  to  Thessalonica ; 
‘hut  Satan  Hindered  him.’  ((  Thes.  2:18.)  Thus  he  had  seen  cause 
to  alter  his  plan,  in  res’pect  of  going  to  Corinth,  even  after  giving  some 
intimations  of  it.  {Notes,  2  Cor,  L15--20.) — It  may  not  improbably  be 
conjectured,  that  when  he  left.  Ephesus,  he  expected  Timothy  would 
abide  there,  l  ill  he  had  accomplished  his  business  in  Macedonia  and 
Achaia,  and  should. go  to  him  at  Ephesus,  as  he  took  bis  voyage  to  Je¬ 
rusalem  with  the  conti’ibutions  of  the  churches;  hut,  having  been  in¬ 
duced,  by  the  malicious  designs  of  the  Jews,  to  go  from  Corinth  through, 
Macedonia,  so  much*tlrfSe  hail  elapsed,  that  he  found  it  necessaiy  in  sail 
past  Ephesus,  lest  he  should  not  arHve  at  Jerusalem  by  the  least  oflen- 
tecost.  This  might  derdnge  one  pitff  of  his  plan,  and  I  imothy  s  depart¬ 
ure  from  Ephesus  would  defeat  another.  (Acts  20:1  6,  13  16-) 

[46 1 J- 


A.  1).  60, 


i  TIMOTHY,  I. 


PauVs  charge  io  Timothy. 


CHAP,  L 

1  Timothy  la  ptlt  in  mind  of  the  charge  which  tfas  given 
unto  him  by  Paul  at  his  going  to  Macedonia.  5  Of  the 
right  use  and  end  of  the  law*  11  Of  Paul’s  calling  to 
be  an  apostle,  20  and  of  Hymeneus  and  Alexander. 

PAUL,  an  apostle  of  Jesus  Christ, 
*  by  the  commandment  of  God 
our  Savior,  and  Lord  Jesus  Christ, 
which  is  our  b  hope  ; 

2  Unto  '  Timothy,  my  own  son 
d  in  the  faith  :  e  Grace,  mercy,  and 
peace,  from  God  our  Father  and 
Jesus  Christ  our  Lord. 

3  As  I  besought  thee  to  abide 
still  at  Ephesus,  when  I  went  finto 
Macedonia,  that  thou  mightest 
charge  some  that  they  teach  no 
other  doctrine, 

4  Neither  give  heed  s  to  fables 
and  endless  genealogies,  which 
minister  questions,  rather  than 
godly  edifying  which  is  in  faith  : 
so  do. 

5  Now  the  end  h  of  the  command¬ 
ment  is  charity,  out  of  a  pure  1 
heart,  and  of  a  good  conscience, 
and  of  faith  unfeigned  : 

3  From  which  some  1  having 
k  swerved  have  turned  aside  unto 
vain  jangling  ; 

7  Desiring  to  be  teachers  of  the 
1  w;  understanding  ‘neither  what 
they  say,  nor  whereof  they  affirm. 


a  Ac.  9:15. 
b  Col.  1:27. 
c  Ac  1S:1. 
d  Tit.  1:4. 
e  Ga.  1:3. 


1  Pe.  1:2. 
f  Ac.  20:1,3. 
g  c.  6:3,4,20. 
h  Ro.  13:8,10. 
Ga.  5:14. 


i  2  Ti.  2:22. 
j  or,  not  aiming 
at. 

k  2  Ti.  4:10. 

1  Ro.  1:22. 


Chap.  I.  V.  1 — 4.  Here  is, 

1.  The  inscription  of  the  epistle  ;  from 
whom  it  is  sent, — Paul,  an  apostle  of  Jesus 
Christ,  constituted  an  apostle  by  the  com¬ 
mandment  of  God  our  Savior,  and  Lord  Jesus 
Christ ;  a  preacher  of  the  Gospel  of  Christ, 
and  a  minister  of  the  kingdom  of  Christ. 
He  calls  Timothy  his  oum  son,  because  he 
had  been  an  instrument  of  his  conversion, 
and  In-  had  served  with  him  in  the  Gospel, 
Phil.  2:  22. 

2.  The  benediction  is,  grace,  mercy,  and 


peace,  from  God  our  Father ,  Some  have 
observed,  that  whereas,  in  all  the  epistles  to 
the  churches,  the  apostolical  benediction  is 
grace  and  peace  ;  in  these  two  to  ’I  imothy, 
and  that  of  Titus,  it  is  grace ,  mercy,  and 
peace  :  as  if  ministers  had  more,  need  ot 
God’s  mercy  than  other  men:  and  il  Tim¬ 
othy,  so  eminent  a  minister,  must  be  indebt¬ 
ed  to  the  mercy  of  God,  and  needed  the  in¬ 
crease  and  continuance  of  it,  bow  much 
more  do  we  ministers,  in  these  times,  who 
have  so  little  of  bis  excellent  spirit  ! 

3.  Paul  tells  Timothy  what  was  the  end 
of  his  appointing  him  to  this  office  ;  I  lie- 
sought  thee  to  abide  at  Ephesus.  Timothy 
had  a  mind  to  go  with  Paul,  was  loath  to  go 
from  him  ;  hut  Paul  would  have  it  so,  it 
was  necessary  for  the  public  service  ;  I  be¬ 
sought  thee,  says  lie.  His  business  was,  to  fix 
both  the  ministers  and  people  of  that  church. 

Ministers  must  not  only  he  charged  to 
preach  tile  true  doctrine  of  the  Gospel,  but 
charged  to  preach  no  other  doctrine.  Gal. 
1:  8. 

In  the  times  of  the  apostles  there  were 
attempts  made  to  corrupt  Christianity,  2 
Cor.  2  :  17.  otherwise  this  charge  to  Timo¬ 
thy  might  have  been  spared. 

He  must  not  only  see  to  it,  that  lie  did 
not  preach  any  other  doctrine,  but  he  must 
charge  others  that  they  might  not  add  any¬ 
thing  of  their  own  to  the  Gospel,  or  take 
anything  from  it,  hut  that  they  preach  it 
pure  and  uncorrupt.  As  among  the  Jews 
there  were  some  who  brought  Judaism  into 
Christianity  ;  so  among  the  Gentiles  there 
were  some  who  brought  Paganism  into 
Christianity.  These  he  must  guard  against. 
What  ministers  questions,  is  not  for  edify¬ 
ing  ;  what  gives  occasion  for  doubtful  dis¬ 
putes,  pulls  down  the  church  rather  than 
builds  it  up.  And  I  think  everything  that 
ministers  questions  rather  than  godly  edify¬ 
ing,  should  he  disclaimed  and  disregarded 
by  us,  such  as  an  uninterrupted  succession  in 
the  ministry  from  t lie  apostles  down  to  these 
times,  the  necessity  of  episcopal  ordination, 
and  the  intention  of  the  minister  to  the  effi¬ 
cacy  and  validity  of  the  sacraments  lie  ad¬ 
ministers.  These  are  as  had  as  Jewish 
fables  and  endless  genealogies,  for  they  in¬ 
volve  us  in  inextricable  difficulties,  and  tend 
only  to  shake  the  foundations  of  a  Chi  is- 
tian’s  hope,  and  to  fill  his  mind  with  per¬ 


plexing  doubts  and  fears  :  whereas,  godly 
edifying  is  the  end  ministers  should  aim 
at  iu  all  their  discourses,  that  Christians 
may  improve  in  godliness,  and  grow  up  to  a 
greater  likeness  to  the  blessed  God.  Observe, 
further,  Godly  edifying  must  he  in  faith:  we 
build  on  tile  Gospel;  it  is  by  faith  we  come 
to  God  at  first,  Heb.  11  :  6.  and  in  the 
same  way,  and  by  the  same  principle,  we 
must  be  edified.  Again,  Ministers  should 
avoid,  as  much  as  may  be,  what  will  occa¬ 
sion  disputes  ;  and  would  do  well  to  insist 
on  the  great  and  practical  points  of  religion, 
about  which  there  can  be  no  disputes  ;*  for 
even  disputes  about  great  and  necessary 
truths  draw  off  the  mind  from  the  main  de¬ 
sign  of  Christianity,  and  eat  out  the  vitals 
of  religion,  which  consist  in  practice  and 
obedience,  as  well  as  in  faith,  that  \Ve  may 
not  hold  the  truth  in  unrighteousness,  hut 
may  keep  the  mystery  of  the  faith  in  a  pure 
conscience. 

V.  5 — 11.  Here  the  apostle  instructs 
Timothy  howto  guard  against  the  judaizing 
teachers,  or  others  who  mingled  fables  and 
endless  genealogies  with  the  Gospel.  He 
shows  the  use  of  the  law,  and  glory  of  the 
gospel. 

1.  The  end  of  the  law  is  to  promote  love, 
Rom.  13:  8,  10.  The  main  scope  and  drift 
of  the  divine  law  are,  to  engage  us  to  the 
love  of  God,  and  one  another;  and  surely 
the  gospel,  which  obliges  us  to  love  our  en¬ 
emies,  to  do  good  to  them  that  hate  us,  Mat. 
5:  44.  does  not  design  to  lay  aside  or  super¬ 
sede  a  commandment,  the  end  whereof  is 
love  ;  so  far  from  it,  that,  on  t lie  other 
hand,  we  are  told,  that  though  we  had  all 
advantages,  and  wanted  charity,  we  are  hut 
as  sounding  brass  and  a  tinkling  cymbal, 
1  Cor.  13:1.  John  13:35.  Those,  there¬ 
fore,  who  boasted  of  their  knowledge  of 
the  law,  but  used  it  only  as  a  color  to  dis¬ 
turb  tlih  preaching  of  the  gospel,  under 
pretence  of  zeal  for  the  law,  dividing  the 
church,  and  distracting  it;  defeated  the  very 
end  of  the  commandment,  love  out  of  a  pure 
heart,  a  heart  purified  by  faith,  purified  from 
corrupt  affections.  Those  who  are  careful 
to  keep  a  good  conscience,  from  a  real  be¬ 
lief  of  the  truth  of  the  Word  of  God,  which 
enjoins  it,  here  called,  a  faith  unfeigned ; 
those  answer  the  end  of  the  commandment. 

*  What  church  ever  split  on  a  point  of  pure  morality  !  Ed. 


NOTES.  Chap.  I.  V.  ],2.  In  this  address,  Paul  called  himself 
1  >n  apostle  of  Jesus  Christ,  by  the  commandment  of  Cod  our  Savior,’ 
by  which,  in  this  connexion,  the  Person  of  the  Father  seems  intended, 
as  purposing  salvation  for  sinners,  forming  the  plan  of  it,  and  giving  his 
own  Soil  to  be  in  human  nature  their  Savior;  hut  the  Lord  Jesus  was 
joined  in  granting  this  commission,  as  being  one  with  the  Father,  in  es¬ 
sence,  authority,  and  counsel.  The  apostle  called  ‘  the  Lord  Jesus  our 
Ilntie,’  as  all  his  hope  of  salvation  and  eternal  happiness  was  fixed  on 
the  Person,  righteousness,  atonement,  and  mediation  of  Christ. — From 
the  exuberance  of  his  love  to  Timothy,  he  added  the  word  ‘  mercy  ’  to 
liis  usual  salutation,  or  perhaps  because  his  peculiar  trials  ami  services 
would  require  peculiar  consolations,  from  the  compassion  and  mercy  of 
the  Lord  towards  him.  {Marie.  Ref.  e — g.) — (1)  God  our  Savior. \  ‘The 
Father  saves  us,  as  reconciled  to  Him  in  the  Son,  and  the  Soil  saves  us, 
as  reconciled  in  his  flesh.’  Beza.  Scott. 

(2.)  My  oum  son.]  Ros.  thinks,  from  2  Tim.  3:10.  that  Timothy  had 
been  from  his  earliest  years  committed  to  Paul,  to  be  trained  up  after 
his  example,  which  Bt.  seems  to  favor,  and  regards  it  as  an  evidence 
that  Timothy  was  his  convert ;  but  Doddr.  says,  it  is  not  certain,  from 
the  history,  that  Timoihy  was  first  converted  by  Paul,  and  suggests,  that 
he  calls  him  liis  son,  chiefly  to  express  the  parental  affection  lie  had  for 
him,  and  the  complacency  he  found  in  that  assistance  he  had  received 
from  him  in  the  work  of  the  ministry,  and  in  the  filial  reverence  and 
affection  which  he  expressed  to  the  apostle.  Ed. 

V.  3,  4.  The  apostle  left  Timothy  at  Ephesus,  when  he  went  thence 
into  Macedonia;  ( Pref .)  that  lie  might  solemnly  and  constantly  charge 
certain  persons  to  teach  no  other  doctrines,  than  what  he  had  done. 
( Note ,  Gat.  1  6 — 10.)  The  Judaizers  would  he  sure  to  take  the  opportu¬ 
nity  of  Paul’s  absence  to  propagate  their  tenets  ;  and  lie  knew  them  to 
be  zealous  for  the  traditions  and  fabulous  pretences  of  the  elders  and 
Pharisees,  as  well  as  for  the  Mosaic  law.  Rut  the  Ephesians  must  be 
warned  not  lo  notice  such  fables,  or  their  genealogies,  relating  to  their 
descent  from  Abrahatn,  or  the  patriarchs,  or  from  Aaron,  or  David,  by 
which  they  imagined  themselves  entitled  to  peculiar  privileges. — Some 
imagine,  that  ‘endless  genealogies’  denote  the  extravagant  and  indeed 
unintelligible  notions  of  the  Gnostics  and  other  heretics,  (see  on  the  Gos¬ 
pel  of  John,  in  Supplement,]  about  the  origin  of  the  world,  and  various 
fictions  and  vain  imaginations,  Tit.  3:9.  hut  the  context  seems  to  de¬ 
termine  in  favor  of  the  interpretation  before  given,  and  it  may  well  be 
questioned,  whether  any  of  these  heretics  had,  at  so  early  a  period, 
openly  propagated  their  incoherent  qgd  profane  jargon.  Scott. 

14.)  Fables.]  ‘Both  Jews  and  Gentiles  abounded  with  fabulous 

[432] 


tales,  connected  with  their  several  superstitions.’  Williams. — ‘These 
muthoi  relate  to  the  interpretations  of  the  rabhies.’  Bl. — Genealogies.] 
‘  Not  asons,  as  some  understand,  hut  tables  of  lineal  descent,  by  which 
the  Jews  endeavored  to  prove  their  right  as  priests  and  I.evites,  or  their 
alliance  to  the  house  of  David.’  Doddii. — So  Btoomf.  witlt  Schoettg. 
Wets,  understands  it  of  Timothy’s  own  genealogy ;  and  others  still,  of 
cabalistical  failles.  En. 

V.  5.  The  word  rendered  ‘commandment,’  is  by  some  explained  of 
the  moral  law,  the  scope  and  substance  of  which  is  ‘  charity,’  or  ‘  love,’ 
towards  God  and  man.  Others  understand  it  to  mean,  the  revelation  of 
God  to  tnen,  by  the  gospel,  the  end  of  which  is  to  restore  fallen  sinners 
to  the  love  required  hy  the  law ;  and  this  better  suits  the  context.  But 
others  explain  it  of  1  the  charge  ’  given  to  Timothy  by  the  apostle,  and 
this  seems  to  be  the  right  interpretation,  for  thus  it  had  reference  both 
to  tile  law  as  the  rule  of  duty,  and  to  the  grand  design  of  the  gospel. — 
The  several  characteristics  of  love,  here  given,  admirably  distinguish  it 
front  t lie  spurious  charity  which  is,  in  modern  time,  the  favorite  virtue 
of  the  world.  Scott. 

(5.)  The  commandment.]  ‘  The  Gospel  declaration.’  Donna. 

V.  6,  7.  From  this  love,  and  purity,  and  conscientiousness,  some  pro¬ 
fessed  Christians  had  swerved,  or  deviated,  out  of  zeal  for  external  dis¬ 
tinctions,  legal  observances,  and  human  traditions.  Thus  they  turned 
aside  from  the  faith  also,  and  got  engaged  in  vain  Janglings,  and  angry 
controversies,  about  doubtful  points  of  small  consequence.  For  they 
were  desirous  of  being  ‘  teachers  or  doctors  of  the  law,’  and  to  exercise 
that  office  among  Christians,  in  order  to  acquire  a  reputation  for  learn¬ 
ing,  and  to  he  called  Rabbi.  {Notes,  Mat.  23:5 — 10.)  but  they  ‘  neither 
understood  what  they  said,  nor  whereof  they  affirmed,’  with  full  and 
unqualified  confidence.  They  declaimed,  in  a  perplexed  and  inconclu¬ 
sive  maimer,  on  general  topics;  not  understanding  the  spiritual  nature 
and  uses  of  the  moral  law,  which  they  attempted  to  explain,  nor  the 
tvpical  import  of  those  abrogated  ceremonies,  which  they  enforced. 
{Notes,  8— 11.  20:1.  John  1:17.  Scott. 

(7.)  Teachers  of  the  late.]  ‘  They  could  not  he  the  Gnostics,  who 
declared  an  aversion  to  the  law;  not  to  insist  on  the  argument  of 
Iren® us,  Clement,  and  Jerome,  in  placing  Valentinus,  Carpocrates,  Ba- 
silides,  the  founders  of  that  sect,  much  lower.’  Doddr. — Ros.  thinks,  they 
were  Judaizing  teachers  ;  and  takes  to  be,  in  the  sense  of  desiring  to  he 
thought  to  be. ,  or  affecting  to  be.  Bloomf.  suggests,  further,  that  Chris¬ 
tian  teachers  who  united  instruction  in  the  law  to  that  of  the  gospel, 
may  be  meant ;  and  the  old  term  he  used,  because  such  teachers  were 
‘likely  to  cling  to  it.’  Ed. 


A.  D.  60.  1  TIMOTH1,  I.  His  thankfulness  for  being  called. 


8  But  we  know  that  the  law  is 
“good,  if  a  man  use  it  lawfully  ; 

9  Knowing  this,  that  D  the  law  is 
not  made  for  a  righteous  man,  but 
for  the  lawless  and  disobedient,  for 
the  ungodly  and  for  sinners,  for 
unholy  and  profane,  for  murderers 
of  fathers  and  murderers  of  moth¬ 
ers,  for  manslayers, 

10  For  whoremongers,  for  them 
that  defile  themselves  with  man¬ 
kind,  for  men-stealers,  for  liars,  for 
perjured  persons,  and  if  there  be 
any  other  thing  that  is  contrary  to 
sound  “doctrine; 

11  According  to  the  glorious 
gospel  of  the  blessed  p  God,  which 
q  was  committed  to  my  trust. 

[Practical  Observations.] 

12  And  1  thank  Christ  Jesus  our 
Lord,  who  hath  r  enabled  me,  for 
that  he  counted  me  5  faithful,  put¬ 
ting  ‘me  into  the  ministry  : 

13  Who  was  before  *  a  blas¬ 
phemer,  and  a  persecutor,  and 
injurious  :  but  I  obtained  mercy, 
because  I  did  it  ignorantly  v  in  un¬ 
belief. 

m  Ro.  7:12.  p  c.  6:15.  t  Col.  1:25. 

n  Ga.  5:23.  q  1  Co.  9:17.  u  Ac.  8:3. 

o  2  Ti.  4:3.  r  1  Co.  15:10.  1  Co.  15:9. 

Tit.  1:9.  s  1  Co.  7:25.  v  Lu»  23:34. 

Here  we  have  the  concomitants  of  that 
excellent  grace,  charity  ;  a  pure  heart,  a 
good  conscience,  Acts  24:  16.  and  faith  un¬ 
feigned.  Some  swerved  from  the  very  end 
of  the  commandment  :  they  set  up  for  dis¬ 


putes,  but  their  disputes  proved  vain  jan¬ 
gling  ;  set  up  for  teachers,  but  they  pretend¬ 
ed  to  teach  others  what  they  themselves  did 
not  understand.  Observe,  men  intrude  into 
the  ministry  while  they  are  yet  very  ignorant 
of  those  things  about  which  they  are  to  speak  ; 
they  understand  neither  what  they  say,  nor 
whereof  they  affirm,  and  are  profitless  teach¬ 
ers.  The  law  was  good,  but  the  Jews  used 
it  as  an  engine  to  divide  the  church,  a  veil 
to  the  malicious  opposition  they  made  to  the 
gospel  of  Christ  ;  they  set  it  up  for  justifi¬ 
cation,  and  so  used  it  unlawfully.  We  must 
not  therefore  think  to  set  it  aside,  but  use 
it  lawfully,  for  the  restraint  of  sin  :  when  a 
divine  appointment  has  been  abused,  call  it 
back  to  its  right  use  ;  the  law  is  still  very 
useful  as  a  rule  of  life,  to  teach  us  what  is 
sin  and  what  is  duty.  It  is  not  made  for  a 
righteous  man,  it  is  not  made  for  those  who 
observe  it,  but  for  wicked  persons,  to  re¬ 
strain  and  check  them,  and  stop  vice  and 
profaneness.  It  is  the  grace  of  God  that 
changes  men’s  hearts  ;  but  the  terrors  of  the 
law  may  be  of  use,  to  tie  their  hands  and 
restrain  their  tongues.  A  righteous  man 
does  not  want  those  restraints  which  are 
necessary  for  the  wicked  ;  or  at  least  the 
law  is  not  made  primarily  and  principally  for 
the  righteous,  but  for  sinners  of  all  sorts, 
whether  in  a  greater  or  less  measure,  v.  9, 
10.  In  this  black  roll  of  sinners,  he  partic¬ 
ularly  mentions  breaches  of  the  second  table 
duties  ;  and  then  he  closes  his  account  with 
this,  and  if  there  be  any  other  thing  that  is 
contrary  to  sound  doctrine.  Some  understand 
this  as  an  institution  of  a  power  in  the  civil 
magistrate  to  make  laws  against  such  noto¬ 
rious  sinners  as  are  specified,  and  to  see 
those  laws  put  in  execution. 

2.  He  shows  the  glory  and  grace  of  the 


Gospel.  Paul’s  epithets  are  expressive,  sig¬ 
nificant  ;  and  frequently  every  one  is  a  sen¬ 
tence  ;  as  here,  v.  11.  According  to  the.  glo¬ 
rious  Gospel  of  the  blessed  God.  Learn,  hence, 
that  God  is  infinitely  happy  in  the  enjoyment 
of  Himself  and  his  own  perfections;  that  the 
Gospel  too  is  glorious,  for  so  it  is  :  much  of 
the  glory  of  God  appears  in  the  works  of 
creation  and  providence,  but  much  more  in 
the  Gospel,  where  it  shines  in  the  face  of  Je¬ 
sus  Christ. 

Note,  here,  The  ministry  is  a  trust  ;  the 
Gospel  was  committed  to  this  apostle;  hence 
ministers  are  called  steviards,  1  Cor.  4:  1. 

It  is  a  glorious  trust,  a  trust  of  very  great 
importance  ;  God’s  glory  is  very  much  con¬ 
cerned  in  it.  Lord  !  what  a  trust  is  com¬ 
mitted  to  us  !  How  much  grace  do  we  want, 
to  be  found  faithful  in  this  great  trust  ! 

V.  12 — 17.  Here  he  returns  thanks  to 
Jesus  Christ  for  putting  him  into  the  minis¬ 
try.  Observe, 

I.  It  is  Christ’s  work  to  put  men  into  the 
ministry.  Acts  26:  16,  17.  Ministers,  prop¬ 
erly  speaking,  cannot  make  ministers,  much 
less  can  persons  make  themselves  ministers; 
it  is  Christ’s  work,  as  King  and  Head, 
Prophet  and  Teacher  of  his  church. 

Ii.  Whom  He  puts  into  the  ministry  He 
enables  for  it  ;  whom  He  calls  He  qualifies. 
Ministers  who  are  no  way  fit  for  their  work, 
nor  have  ability  for  it,  are  not  of  Christ’s 
putting  into  the  ministry,  though  there  are 
different  qualifications  as  to  gifts  and  graces. 

III.  Christ  gives  not  only  ability,  but 
fidelity,  to  those  whom  He  puts  into  the  min¬ 
istry  :  He  counted  me  faithful ;  and  none 
are  counted  faithful  but  those  whom  He 
makes  so  :  they  ought  to  be  trusty  who  have 
so  great  a  trust  committed  to  them. 

IV.  A  call  to  the  ministry  is  a  great  favor, 


TRACT.  OBS.  V.  1 — 11.  Apostles  themselves,  as  well  as  the  most 
eminent  ministers  in  every  age,  who  have  evidently  been  commissioned 
by  ‘God  our  Savior,  and  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,’  have  had  no  other 
ground  of  hope,  as  to  the  salvation  of  their  own  souls,  than  what  they 
possessed  in  common  with  their  meanest  brethren,  lie,  however,  who 
appointed  them,  has  always  been  ready  to  uphold  and  help  them,  and 
his  strength  is  perfected  in  their  weakness. — The  design  of  the  Gospel  is 
not  answered  by  speculation,  and  solving  abstract  questions,  or  ‘giving 
heed  to  fables  and  endless  ’  disputation  ;  but  when  sinners,  through 
‘  repentance  towards  God,  and  faith  towards  Christ  Jesus, ’  are  brought 
to  the  habitual  exercise  of  holy  ‘  love,  out  of  a  pure  heart,  a  good  con¬ 
science,  and  faith  unfeigned.’— But  alas!  in  how  many  ways  do  men 
swerve  from  this  plain  and  simple  statement  of  the  truth,  and  ‘  turn 
aside  unto  vain  jangling  !  ’  Many,  called  Christian  ministers,  ‘  desire  to 
be  teachers  of  the  law,  knowing  neither  what  they  say,  nor  whereof 
they  affirm  ;  ’  and  thus  a  few  fragments  of  morality  are  substituted,  in 
the  place  of  the  holy  Law,  and  the  blessed  ‘  Gospel  of  God  our  Savior  !  ’ 
Others  know  not,  or  acknowledge  not,  that  the  ‘  law  is  good  when  used 

V.  8 — 11.  As  believers  were  righteous  persons  in  God’s  appointed 
way,  both  as  to  their  justified  state  and  obedient  conduct,  the  law  was 
not  enacted  against  them.  Indeed,  laws  in  general  were  not  made  to 
coerce  the  well-disposed  subject,  but  the  ill-affected  ;  and  the  case  was 
the  same  in  respect  of  the  divine  law.  ‘The  law  is  not  made  against 
the  righteous.’  This  seems  a  fair  translation,  and  certainly  is  the  mean¬ 
ing  of  the  words. — ‘  If  a  man  use  it  lawfully,’  ‘  that  is,’  says  Theodoret, 

‘  if  he  comply  with  the  scope  of  it,  which  is  to  bring  him  to  Christ.  . .  . 
The  law  was  not  made  to  condemn  the  just  man  ;  for  against  such  there 
is  no  law  condemning  them.  Gal.  5.23.  but  it  lies  against  the  lawless  to 
condemn  them.’  Whitby. — After  the  general  terms  of  ‘  lawless  and  dis¬ 
obedient,’  which  relate  to  the  disregard  and  contempt  of  God’s  com¬ 
mandments,  as  manifested  in  the  outward  conduct,  the  apostle  mentions 
the  ‘ungodly  and  sinners,’  or  those  who  neglect  their  duties  to  God  and 
their  neighbors,  and  ‘  unholy  and  profane,’  which  may  refer  to  the  gross 
sensuality  and  debauchery  of  multitudes,  and  that  daring  impiety  com¬ 
monly  connected  with  it.  He  then  enumerates  some  particular  crimes 
of  the  most  atrocious  nature.  Doubtless  numerous  instances  of  each 
were  found  among  the  Gentiles,  and  some  perhaps  among  the  bigoted 
Jews,  who  depended  on  the  law,  or  on  some  laxv,  and  yet  scandalously 
broke  their  own  rule  of  conduct.  (Rom.  2:12 — 29.)  ‘  Men  stealers  ’  are 
inserted  among  these  daring  criminals,  against  whom  the  law  of  God  di¬ 
rected  its  awful  curses.  (Note.  Ex.  21:15 — 17.)  These  were  persons 
who  kidnapped  men  to  sell  them  for  slaves  ;  and  this  practice  seems 
inseparable  from  the  other  iniquities  and  oppressions  of  slavery,  nor  can 
a  slave-dealer  by  any  means  keep  free  from  this  atrocious  criminality, 
if  indeed  ‘  the  receiver  be  as  bad  as  the  thief.’ — ‘  They  who  make  war 
for  the  inhuman  purpose  of  selling  the  vanquished  for  slaves,  as  is  the 
practice  among  African  princes,  are  really  man-stealers.  And  they  who, 
like  African  traders,  encourage  their  unchristian  traffic,  by  purchasing 
that  which  they  know  to  be  thus  unjustly  acquired,  are  partakers  in 
their  crimes.’  Mackn. — The  clause  should  have  been,  ‘  know,  or  have 
reason  to  suspect.’  This  is  the  only  species  of  theft  which  is  punishable 
with  death,  by  the  law  of  God.  Ex.  21:16. — The  apostle  did  not  mean, 
that  none  but  persons  of  so  infamous  a  character  lay  under  ‘  the  curse 
of  the  law,’  but  that  it  was  directed  against  all  other  practices,  which 
were  ‘  contrary  to  sound  doctrine,’  or  the  snlutarv  nature  and  tendency 
of  the  Christian  revelation.  (A/.  R.  p. — Note,  Tit.  2:1,2.)  According 


lawfully,’  and  they  declaim  in  so  general  a  manner  against  the  law  and 
good  works,  that  many  conclude  ihe'commandinents  of  God  to  lie  evil, 
or  void  of  obligation  in  themselves,  or  of  authority  as  the  rule  of  a  be¬ 
liever’s  conduct  ' — It  is  allowed,  that  few,  in  comparison,  have  been 
guilty  of  actual  murder,  parricide,  men-stealing,  or  perjury  ;  that  many 
are  free  from  the  guilt  of  adultery,  and  other  still  baser  practices,  and 
even  of  fornication.  Yet  the  same  corrupt  nature  is  in  us  all;  and  our 
enmity  against  God,  and  ingratitude  to  Him  ;  our  disposition  to  disobey 
and  despise  parental  authority,  to  hate  and  quarrel  with  our  neighbors, 
to  please  ourselves,  regardless  of  their  good  and  the  glory  of  God,  and  a 
variety  of  polluted  thoughts  and  affections,  lying  and  other  vain  words, 
and  very  many  other  things  ‘contrary  to  sound  doctrine,’  would  expose 
us  to  the  wrath  of  God,  and  justify  Him  in  our  final  condemnation. 
Unless,  therefore,  we  are  ‘  mnde  righteous  by  faith  in  Christ,’  and  truly 
repent,  and  forsake  every  sin,  we  are  yet  ‘  under  the  curse  of  the  law,’ 
even  ‘  according  to  the  gospel  of  the  blessed  God,’  preached  by  Paul, 
and  at  the  same  time  we  are  unmeet  to  share  the  holy  felicity  of  heaven. 

Scott. 


to  this,  every  impenitent  sinner,  every  man  who  allowed  himself  in  the 
practice  of  any  known  transgression,  remained  under  the  covenant  nnd 
curse  of  the  law.  This  accorded  to  ‘  the  gospel  of  the  glory  of  the 
blessed  God,’  (Notes,  2  Cor.  4:3 — 6)  as  entrusted  to  the  apostle,  by 
which  He  displayed  all  his  perfections  in  the  most  honorable  and  harmo¬ 
nious  manner,  by  saving  believers  from  their  sins,  as  well  as  from  wrath  ; 
[Note,  Rom.  212 — 16.)  for,  being  ‘  the  blessed  God,’  the  Perfection  and 
Source  of  felicity,  as  well  as  of  holiness,  He  had  devised  to  render  fallen 
men  partakers  of  his  happiness,  by  renewing  them  to  the  participation 
of  his  holiness.  Ps.  119:12.  Heb.  12:9— 11.  Scott. 

(9.)  ‘  The  thought  seems  evidently  to  be  this  :  that  a  law  (for  there 

is  no  article  to  determine  or  confine  it  to  the  Jews)  is  chiefly  intended 
to  restrnin  men  from  actions  injurious  to  the  public.  What  it  says, 
therefore,  relates  chiefly  to  crimes  and  their  punishments.’  Doddr. 

(10.)  Horsley  shows,  that  the  word  rendered  “  men-stealers  ”  means 
a  person  who  deals  in  men,  literally,  “  a  slave-trader.”  He  maintains, 
that,  this  text  condemns  and  prohibits  the  slave-trade,  in  all  its  modes. 
It  ranks  the  slave-trade  next  after  parricide  and  homicide.  Bloomf. 
says,  that  all  the  crimes  here  mentioned  are  of  the  worst  kind,  and  this 
seems  as  put  for  robbery,  of  the  worst  sort.  ‘Let,  then,  the  slave-traders 
of  our  times  tremble;  for  all  who  any  wav  participate  in  that  abomina¬ 
ble  traffic,  uphold  a  system  which  perpetually  engenders  man-stealing.’ 

Henry,  abr. 

V.  12 — 14.  This  xvas,  in  all  respects,  most  astonishing  grace. — Ilis 
ignorance  and  unbelief,  indeed,  amidst  such  abundant  means  of  informa¬ 
tion  and  conviction,  were  the  result  of  a  self-sufficient,  obstinate,  and 
contemptuous  prejudice  against  the  truth  ;  but  there  were  others,  who 
were  hurried  on  by  malice,  ambition,  and  selfishness,  to  act  in  direct 
opposition  to  the  dictates  of  their  own  consciences,  and  thus  to  ‘sin 
against  the  Holy  Spirit,’  by  maliciously  ascribing  his  undeniable  opera¬ 
tions  to  human  imposture,  or  sat  an  i  cal  influence.  Mat.  12:31,32.  Heb. 
6:4—6.  10:26—31.  1  John  5:16—18.  It  is  remarkable,  that  many  per¬ 
sons  have  supposed  Paul’s  proud  and  wilful  ignorance,  and  his  conse¬ 
quent  unbelief,  (two  sins,  in  themselves  deserving  of  divine  wrath, 
though  in  his  circumstances  they  just  preserved  him  from  the  unpardon¬ 
able  sin,)  to  have  been  a  kind  of  meritorious  cause  of  his  obtaining  mer- 
cv,  especially  when  joined  with  his  sincerity  in  opposing  the  Gospel  . 
2  Cor.  1:12—14,  v.  12.  They  imagine  that,  in  some  manner  or  measure, 

.  I4®0] 


A.  D.  60. 


1  TIMOTHY,  I. 


He  renews  his  charge. 


14  And  the  grace  of  our  Lord, 
was  exceeding  abundant,  with  faith 
and  love  which  is  in  Christ  Jesus. 

15  This  is  a  faithful  w  saying, 
and  worthy  of  all  acceptation,  that 
Christ  Jesus  came  xinto  the  world 
to  save  sinners;  of  whom  I*am 
chief. 

16  Howbeit  for  this  cause  I  ob¬ 
tained  mercy,  that  in  me  first  Jesus 
Christ  might  shew  forth  all  long- 
suffering,  for  a  pattern  1  to  them 
which  should  hereafter  believe  on 
him  to  life  everlasting. 

17  Now  unto  the  King  1  eternal, 
•immortal,  b invisible,  the  only  wise 
c  God,  be  a  honor  and  glory  for  ever 
and  ever.  Amen. 

18  This  charge  I  commit  unto 
thee,  son  Timothy,  according  'to 
the  prophecies  which  went  before 
on  thee,  that  thou  by  them  mightest 
war  a  good  warfare  ; 

w  2  Ti  9:11.  v  Ro.  15:4.  c  Ro.  16:27. 

Ti.  3.8.  i  Ps  10:16.  d  l  Ch.  29:11. 

x  Mut.  9:13.  a  c  6:15,18.  c  c.  4:14. 

Lu.  19:10.  b  Jn.  I; IS. 


for  which  those  who  are  so  called  ought  to 
give  thanks  to  Jesus  Christ.  Now,  the  more 
to  magnify  the  grace  of  Christ  in  putting 
him  into  the  ministry,  he  gives  an  account 
of  his  conversion. 

1.  What  he  was  before  his  conversion, — 
a  blasphemer,  a  persecutor,  and  injurious,  Acts 
9:1.  8:3.  Frequently  those  who  are  design¬ 
ed  for  great  and  eminent  services,  are  left  to 
themselves  before  their  conversion,  to  fall 
into  great  wickednesses  ;  that  the  mercy  of 
God  may  be  the  more  glorified  in  their  re¬ 
mission,  and  tiie  grace  of  God  in  dieir  re¬ 
generation. 


Observe  here,  (1.)  Blasphemy,  persecution, 
Anti,,  injuriousness,  are  very  great  and  hein¬ 
ous  .sins,  and  those  who  are  guilty  of  them 
are  sinners  before  God  exceedingly.  (2.)  T  rue 
penitents,  to  serve  a  good  purpose,  will  not 
be  backward  to  own  their  former  condition, 
before  they  were  brought  home  to  God;  this 
good  apostle  often  confessed  what  his  former 
life  had  been,  as  Acts  22:  4.  26:  10,  11. 

2 4  See  the  great  favor  of  God  to  him  ; 
But.  I  obtained  mercy.  This  was  a  blessed, 
but,  indeed,  a  great  favor,  that  so  notorious 
a  rebel  should  find  mercy  with  his  Prince. 
Note, 

(1.)  Ignorance,  in  some  cases,  will  exten¬ 
uate  a  crime,  though  it  do  not  take  it  away, 
Luke  12:  40.  (For  no  man  can  say  lie  has 
used  to  the  utmost  every  mean  of  knowl¬ 
edge  which  has  or  might  have  been  in  bis 
power  ;  and  men  are  accountable  for  the 
stale  and  habits  of  their  conscience.]  (2.) 
Unbelief  is  at  the  bottom  of  what  sinners  do 
ignorantly  :  they  do  not  believe  God’s  threat- 
enings,  otherwise  they  could  not  do  as  they 
do.  (3.)  For  these  reasons  Paul  obtained 
mercy. 

Here  he  notices  I  he  abundant  grace  of 
Jesus  Christ,  v.  14.  The  conversion  and 
salvation  of  great  sinners  are  owing  to  the 
grace  of  Christ,  his  exceeding  abundant  grace, 
even  that  grace  of  Christ  which  appears  in 
his  glorious  Gospel,  v.  15.  Here  we  have 
the  sum  of  the  whole  Gospel, — that  Jesus 
Christ  came  into  the  world,  John  1: 14.  came 
not  to  call  the  righteous,  but  sinners  to  repent¬ 
ance,  Mat.  9:  13.  His  errand  into  the  world 
was  to  seek  and  find,  and  so  save  them  that 
were  lost,  Lu.  19:  10.  The  ratification  of 
this  is,  that  it  is  a  faithful  saying,  and  wor¬ 
thy  of  all  acceptation.  In  the  close  of  the 
verse  Paul  applies  it  to  himself  ;  Of  whom  1 
am  chief.  Paul  was  a  sinner  of  the  first  rank  ; 
so  he  acknowledges  himself  to  have  been  ; 
chief,  that  is,  of  pardoned  sinners.  It  is  an 
expression  of  his  great  humility  ;  lid  that 


elsewhere  calls  himself  the  least  of  all  saints, 
Eph.  3:  8.  here  calls  himself  the  chief  of  sin¬ 
ners.  Observe,  The  mercy  Paul  found  with 
God,  notwithstanding  his  great  wickedness 
before  his  conversion,  be  speaks  of, 

[1.]  For  the  encouragement  of  others  to 
repent  and  believe,  v.  16.  It  was  an  instance 
of  tile  long-suffering  of  Christ,  that  He  would 
bear  so  much  with  one  who  had  been  so  very 
provoking  ;  and  it  was  designed  for  a  pat¬ 
tern  to  all  others,  that  (be  greatest  sinners 
might  not  despair  of  mercy  with  God.  Note, 
Those  who  obtain  mercy,  believe  on  the 
Lord  Jesus  Christ  ;  for  without  faith  it  is 
impossible  to  please  God,  Heb.  11:6. 

[2.]  He  mentions  it  to  the  glory  of  God  : 
having  spoken  of  the  mercy  he  had  found 
with  God,  he  could  not  go  on  with  his  letter 
without  inserting  a  thankful  acknoudedg- 
menl  of  God’s  goodness  to  him,  v.  17.  Ob¬ 
serve,  The  grace  we  have  the  comfort  of, 
God  must  have  the  glory  of.  When  we  have 
found  God  good,  vve  must  not  forget  to  pro¬ 
nounce  Him  great  ;  and  his  kind  thoughts 
of  us  must  not  at  all  abate  our  high  thoughts 
of  Him,  but  rather  increase  them.  He  is 
supreme,  eternal,  without  beginning  of  days, 
or  end  of  life,. or  change  of  time  ;  the  An¬ 
cient  of  days,  Dan.  7:9.  He  is  immortal, 
and  the  Original  of  immortality,  1  Tim.  6: 
16.  for  He  cannotdie.  He  is  invisible,  dwell¬ 
ing  in  the  light  which  no  man  can  approach 
unto,  whom  no  man  hath  seen  or  can  see. 
He  is,  1  Tim.  6:  16.  the  only  wise  God,  Jude 
25.  lie  only  is  infinitely  wise,  and  the  Foun¬ 
tain  of  all  wisdom.  ‘  To  Him  be  glory  for 
ever  and  ever .’  Let  me  be  for  ever  employed 
in  giving  honor  and  glory  to  Him,  as  tlie 
thousands  of  thousands  do,  Rev.  5:  12,  13. 

V.  18 — 20.  Here  is  his  charge  to  Timo¬ 
thy,  v.  IS.  Observe,  The  Gospel  is  a  charge 
committed  to  the  ministers  of  it  ;  committed 
to  their  trust,  to  see  that  it  be  duly  applied 
according  to  the  intent  and  meaning  of  it, 
and  the  design  of  its  great  Author.  It  seems 


he  deserved  mercy  more  than  any  who  are  left  to  perish.  This  they 
must  mean,  if  they  mean  anything  to  the  purpose;  (or,  though  his  guilt 
might  be  less  than  that  of  some  Jews,  who,  sinning  against  clearer  light 
and  with  more  deliberate  malice,  were  given  up  to  final  obduracy,  yet, 
those  who  maintain  the  doctrine  of  salvation  by  grace  suppose,  that 
many  perish  in  their  sins,  whose  criminality  is  far  less  than  his  was, 
that  he  might  most  justly  have  thus  been  left  to  perish,  and  that  no  rea¬ 
son  can  by  us  be  assigned  for  his  salvation  in  preference  to  others,  who 
had  not  committed  the  sin  against  the  Holy  Spirit,  except  the  sovereign 
grace  of  God,  ‘  who  hath  mercy  on  whom  lie  will  have  mercy,  and 
whom  He  will  He  hardeneth,’  and  the  other  reason,  which  the  apostle 
himself  next  assigns,  namely,  ‘the  praise  of  the  glory  of  his  grace.’ 
Rom.  5-. 20,21.  9:15 — 23.  Eph.  1:3— 8.  For  he  evidently  confesses,  that 
he  should  have  righteously  perished,  if  the  Lord  had  dealt  with  him  ac¬ 
cording  to  strict  justice,  nay,  if  his  grace  and  mercy  had  not  been  ‘  ex¬ 
ceedingly  abundant,’  beyond  all  expectation,  estimation,  or  conception, 
not  only,  in  that  He  was  ready  to  forgive,  bless,  ami  employ  him,  when 
he  repented,  believed,  and  was  prepared  for  obedience,  but,  ‘  in  quick¬ 
ening  him  when  dead  in  sin,’  and  so  working  faith  and  love  to  Jesus 
Christ  in  his  heart,  that  he  might  he  ‘found  in  Him,  and  be  partaker  of 
his  righteousness.’  ‘“Faith  and  love,”  which,  by  the  influence  of  his 
Spirit,  were  implanted  in  my  heart.’  Doddr. — (13)  A  blasphemer.]  See 
on  Mat.  12:31.  Acts  26:11.  ‘The  word  ought  to  have  been  rendered 
defamer.’  Campbell.  But  whom  did  Saul  defame  ?  Did  he  not  speak 
of  Jesus  as  a  deceiver  ?  Did  he  not  do  all  that  he  could  to  induce  others 
to  do  the  same  !  And  is  not  Jesus  1  God  manifest  in  the  flesh  ?  ’  This 
crime  therefore  was  ‘  blasphemy,’  though  not  against  the  Holy  Ghost.  Sc. 

(12.)  ‘  It  was  not  as  an  apostle ,  but  as  a  believer,  that  Paul  cherished 
so  triumphant  a  hope,  and  sung  so  sweet  a  song,  in  the  house  of  his 
pilgrimage.’  Dr.  J.  M.  Mason. 

(13.)  Did  it  ignorantly.]  ‘I  did  not  therein  contradict  the  senti¬ 
ments  of  my  conscience:  whereas,  if  I  had  knowingly  opposed  what  I 
apprehended  to  be  truth,  out  of  regard  to  secular  [or  selfish]  interest,  I 
should  doubtless  have  been  left  to  perish  under  a  judicial  blindness  of 
mind,  and  hardness  of  heart.’  Doddr. — ‘  It  implies,  that,  had  he  done  it 
knowingly,  his  would  have  been  the  unpardonable  sin.’  Williams. 

V.  15,  16.  The  conversion,  justification,  and  reconciliation  of  so  vir¬ 
ulent  a  persecutor,  might  be  considered  as  a  most  striking  illustration 
of  the  nature  of  the  Gospel,  and  of  the  abundant  riches  of  the  mercy  of 
God  in  Christ  Jesus.  It  is  indeed  ‘  a  faithful  saying,’  authenticated  by 
every  evidence  which  proves  Christianity  to  he  ‘  the  Word  of  God,  who 
cannot  lie,’  and  it  was  ‘  worthy  to  be  received,’  with  humble  and  thank¬ 
ful  faith  and  cordial  affection,  by  men  of  all  nations  and  descriptions,  as 
all  are  sinners,  and  none  can  be  saved  in  any  other  way,  Hnd  as  none  are 
excluded  from  salvation  who  seek  it  in  this  way,  John  6:36 — 40.  Acts 
4:5 — 12,  v.  12.  ‘that  Jesus,’  Emmanuel,  the  Son  of  God,  the  Messiah, 
‘came  into  the  world  to  save  sinners,’  voluntarily,  with  this  express  de¬ 
sign,  and  for  this  single  purpose.  (Mary.  Ref.  g — i.)  ‘  The  Word,’ 
who  ‘  was  God,  and  was  with  God,’  the  Creator  and  Upholder  of  all 
worlds,  the  Lord  of  all  creatures,  ‘became  flesh,’  that  He  might  be  ‘  the 
second  Adam,’  the  Surety  of  the  new  covenant,  to  ‘fulfil  all  righteous¬ 
ness,’  and  to  offer  an  infinitely  valuable  atonement  for  sin,  in  order 
that,  being  risen  and  ascended,  He  might  be  an  Advocate  and  High- 


priest,  and  reign  over  all  worlds  for  the  benefit  of  his  church  and  of  man¬ 
kind.  ‘  To  save  sinners,’  of  every  people  and  character,  from  condem¬ 
nation,  sin,  Satan,  the  world,  and  death,  even  all,  without  exception, 
who  came  to  Him  by  faith  for  this  salvation,  to  ‘  the  praise  of  the  glory 
of  God,’  was,  and  is  the  only  end  proposed  in  this  grand  and  most  won¬ 
derful  transaction.  Of  these  sinners,  Paul  judged  himself  ‘the  chief,’ 
the  greatest  enemy  of  Christ,  and  the  most  deserving  of  divine  ven¬ 
geance,  of  all  who  ever  were,  or  would  he  saved  . by  Him.  ( Marg .  Ref. 
k.) — This  seems  the  purport  of  the  expression  ;  but,  it  is  not  impossible, 
that  he  supposed  his  actual  crimes  to  be  so  numerous  and  enormous, 
that  his  guilt  even  exceeded  that  of  those,  who  had  sinned  more  entirely 
against  their  own  convictions,  and  so  had  been  given  up  to  final  intpen- 
itency.  Instead  of  imagining,  that  there  was  something  meritorious  in 
his  blind  and  obstinate  sincerity,  (as  some  have  maintained,  in  direct  op¬ 
position  to  his  own  statement  !)  he  considered  himself  as  one  selected 
on  purpose,  because  he  was  more  guilty  than  any  other  person  in  the 
world,  (those  only  excepted,  who  had  committed  the  unpardonable  sin, 
if  even  they  were  excepted,)  ‘that  in  him  first'  or  the  chief  sinner, 
‘Jesus  Christ  might  exhibit,’  with  the  greatest  lustre  imaginable,  that 
degree,  in  which  He  can  hear  with  and  pardon  his  most  violent  and  en¬ 
raged  enemies,  and  the  most  atrociously  criminal  of  mankind.  That  so 
it  might  stand  on  record  to  the  end  of  lime,  for  the  encouragement  of  all 
others,  in  every  age  and  nation,  who  believe  in  Christ,  and  rely  on  his 
merits  and  grace,  for  the  pardon  of  their  sins,  and  the  gift  of  eternal  life, 
to  prevent  their  being  bowed  down  in  discouragement  by  a  retrospective 
view  of  the  number,  nature,  and  heinousness  of  their  crimes.  (16)  Pat¬ 
tern.]  2  Tim.  1:13.  Not  elsewhere. — ‘  It  is  an  information,  or  demon¬ 
stration  of  anything  or  doctrine,  so  clear,  so  evident,  as  if  it  were  exhib¬ 
ited  by  the  pencil  or  colors.  A  metaphor  taken  from  painters,  who 
draw  after  a  ‘  pattern,  or  a  carpenter  who  works  by  rule.’  Leigh.  Sc. 

(15.)  ‘  We  are  apt  foolishly  and  impiously  to  harden  ourselves  against 

the  comfort  of  Scripture,  bv  poring  over  our  sins.  It  is  as  true  that 
Christ  died  for  sin.  as  that  the  wages  of  sin  is  death;  and  it  is  full  as 
dangerous  to  disbelieve  one  ns  the  other  1  ’  Adams. 

V.  17.  Some  expositors  suppose  this  doxology  to  he  addressed  per¬ 
sonally  to  Christ  as  God,  because  the  apostle  had  before  been  speaking 
of  Him  ,  but  it  seems  rather  to  he  addressed  to  the  Godhead,  without 
distinction  of  persons,  ‘The  Father,"  and  the  Son,  and  the  Holy  Spirit,’ 
three  Persons  in  the  Unity  of  the  Godhead,  ‘  the  God  of  Salvation,’  con¬ 
stitute  the  Object  of  all  our  worship,  which  Person  soever  we  immedi¬ 
ately  address.  To  God,  as  ‘the  King  eternal,’  in  every  age  and  under 
every  dispensation,  the  universal,  and  everlasting,  invisible  Sovereign, 
the  inexhaustible  Source  of  all  wisdom,  he  ascribed  all  the  glory  of  his 
conversion,  salvation,  endowments  for  service,  faithfulness,  nnd  useful¬ 
ness  ;  and  he  desired  earnestly,  that  God  might  be  honored,  in  all  his  per¬ 
fections  and  wonderful  works,  by  all  rational  creatures,  for  ever  and 
ever,  Anten.  Scott. 

(17.)  Now  unto  the  King  eternal,  <fcc.]  ‘The  true  construction 
is,  to  the  eternal  King,  the  immortal  invisible,- only  xvise  God.’  So 
Bp  Middleton.  Eo. — ‘  When  repeating  over  this  passage,  Pres.  Edwards 
experienced  that  birth  of  which  the  Savior  speaks,  Jn.  3:3.’  Williams. 

V.  18—20.  The  apostle  here  referred  to  what  he  had  before  spoken. 
5,8 — 11,  v.  II.  The  trust,  committed  to  him  by  Jesus  Christ,  as  his 


A.  D.  GO. 


1  TIMOTHY,  II. 


19  Holding  f  faith,  and  a  good 
conscience,  which  some  having  put 
away,  concerning  faith  have  made 
shipwreck  : 

20  Of  whom  is  Hymeneus  and 
Alexander;  whom  I  have  delivered 
g  unto  Satan,  that  they  may  learn 
not  to  blaspheme. 

CHAP.  II. 

1  That  it  is  meet  to  nrsv  and  give  thanks  for  all  men,  and 
the  reason  why.  9  How  women  f»!ioulJ  he  attired.  12 
They  are  not  permitted  to  teach.  15  They  shall  be  saved, 
notwithstanding  the  testimonies  of  God’s  wrath,  in  child¬ 
birth,  if  they  continue  in  faith. 

T  1  RXHO RT  therefore,  that,  first 
J-  of  all,  supplications,  prayers,  in¬ 
tercessions,  and  giving  of  thanks, 
be  made  for  all  men  ; 

f  c.  3:9.  g  1  Co.  5:5.  a  or,  desire. 

there  had  been  prophecies  that  he  should 
prove  eminent  in  the  work.  Observe, 

The  ministry  is  a  warfare,  a  good  warfare 
against  sin  and  Satan  ;  in  this  the  Lord  Je¬ 
sus  is  the  Captain,  Heb.  2:  10.  and  in  his 
cause,  and  against  his  enemies,  ministers 
are  in  particular  engaged.  They  must,  too, 
execute  their  office  diligently  and  courage¬ 
ously,  notwithstanding  oppositions  and  dis¬ 
couragements.  Moreover,  the  good  hopes 
others  have  entertained  concerning  us,  should 
excite  us  to  our  duty  ;  that  thou,  by  them, 
mightest  war  a  good  warfare. 

V.  19.  Holding  faith  and  a  good  conscience  ; 
those  that  put  away  a  good  conscience,  will 
soon  make  shipwreck  of  faith.  A  renewed, 
enlightened  conscience,  a  conscience  not  de¬ 


bauched  by  any  vice  or  sin,  will  be  a  mean 
of  preserving  ns  sound  in  the  faith  ;  and  the 
mystery  of  the  faith  must  be  held  in  a  pure 
conscience,  ch.  3:9.  Two,  who  had  made 
a  profession  of  the  Christian  religion,  lvtd 
quitted  that  profession  ;  and  Paul  had  de¬ 
clared  them  to  belong  to  the  kingdom  of  Sa¬ 
tan  ;  and,  as  some  think,  had,  by  an  extraor¬ 
dinary  power,  delivered  them  to  he  terrified 
or  tormented  by  Satan,  that  they  might  learn 
not  to  blaspheme,  not  to  contradict  or  revile 
tlie  doctrine  of  Christ,  and  the  good  ways  of 
the  Lord.  Observe,  The  primary  design  of 
the  highest  censures  in  the  primitive  church 
was,  to  prevent  further  sin,  and  to  reclaim 
the  sinner.  In  this  case  it  was  for  the  de¬ 
struction  of  the  flesh,  that  the  spirit  might* 
he  saved  in  the  day  of  the  Lord  JeSus,  1  Cor. 
5:5.  Observe, 

Those  who  love  the  service  and  work  of 
Satan,  are  justly  delivered  over  to  the  pow¬ 
er  of  Satan  ;  whom  I  have  delivered  to  Satan. 
God  can,  if  Me  pleases,  work  by  contraries: 
H  ymcneus  and  Alexander  are  delivered  to 
Satan,  that  they  may  learn  not  to  blaspheme, 
when  one  would  rather  think  they  would 
learn  of  Satan  to  blaspheme  the  more.  Those 
who  have  put  away  a  good  conscience,  and 
made  a  shipwreck  of  faith,  will  not  stick  at 
anything,  blasphemy  not  excepted.  There¬ 
fore  let  us  hold  faith  and  a  good  conscience, 
if  we  would  keep  clear  of  blasphemy  ;  for 
if  we  once  let  go  our  hold  of  these,  we  do 
not  know  where  we  shall  stop. 

Chap.  II.  V.  1 — 8.  Here  is, 

I.  A  charge  given  to  Christians,  to  pray 
for  all  men  in  general,  and  particularly  for 


Exhortation  to  prayer  for  all  men. 

all  in  authority.  Timothy  must  take  care 
that  this  was  done.  Paul  does  not  send  him 
any  prescribed  form  of  prayer,  as  we  have 
reason  to  think  he  would,  ifhe  had  intended 
ministers  should  be  tied  to  that  way  of  pray¬ 
ing;  but,  in  general,  that  they  should  make 
supplications,  prayers,  intercessions,  and  giv- 
ing  of  thanks  ;  supplications ,  for  the  averting 
of  evil  ;  prayers,  for  the  obtaining  of  good  ; 
intercessions,  for  others*,  and  thanksgivings, 
for  mercies  already  received.  Paul  thought 
it  enough  to  give  them  general  heads  ;  they 
having  the  Scripture  to  direct  them  in  pray¬ 
er,  and  the  Spirit  of  prayer  poured  out  on 
them,  needed  not  any  further  directions.  Ob¬ 
serve,  the  design  of  the  Christian  religion  is 
to  promote  prayer  ;  and  the  disciples  of 
Christ  must  L>e  proving  people,  Eph.  6:  18. 
we  must  pray  for  ourselves  ;  this  is  implied; 
we  must  also  pray  for  all  men.  See  how 
far  the  Christian  religion  was  from  being 
a  sect,  when  it  taught  men  this  diffusive 
charity'.  Pray  fur  kings,  v.  2.  The  kings, 
at  this  time,  were  heathens, enemies  to  Chris¬ 
tianity,  and  persecutors  of  Christians  ;  yet 
they  must  he  prayed  for,  because  it  is  for  the 
public  good  that  there  should  he  civil  gov¬ 
ernment,  and  proper  persons  intrusted  with 
the  administration  of  it,  whom  therefore  we 
ought  to  pray  for,  yea,  though  we  ourselves 
suffer  under  them.  For  kings,  and  all  that 
are  in  authority,  that  is,  inferior  magistrates ; 
that  we  may  lead  a  quiet  and  peaceable,  life  in 
all  godliness  and  honesty.  Here  see  what  we 
must  desire  for  kings, — that  God  will  so  turn 
their  hearts,  and  direct  them, and  make  use 
of  them,  that  we,  under  them,  may  lead  a 
quiet  and  peaceable  life.  lie  does  not  say, 


PRACT.  OBS.  V.  12 — 20.  It  is  peculiarly  encouraging,  to  recollect 
what  manner  of  persons  have  been  converted,  pardoned,  1  counted  faith¬ 
ful,  put  into  the  ministry,’  eminently  qualified  for  that  sacred  service, 
and  made  instruments  of  great  good  to  mankind.  These,  in  their  day, 
bare  witness  to  that  ‘  faithful  saving,’  which  we  now  would  earnestly 
recommend  to  universal  acceptation,  even  ‘  that  Jesus  Christ  came  into 
tile  world  to  save  sinners.’  And  it  always  has  been  greatly  encouraging 
to  trembling  penitents,  when  the  preachers  of  this  rich  grace  were 
themselves  evident  and  affecting  illustrations  of  their  own  doctrine, 
‘  chief  sinners,’  yet  pardoned  and  changed,  sent  to  declare  to  others  the 
long-suffering  and  mercy  of  Christ  to  them,  ‘as  a  pattern  to  all  who 


apostle,  he  ‘  had  committed  to  his  son  Timothy.’  Hymeneus  and  Alex¬ 
ander,  with  whom  Timothy  had  doubtless  been  acquainted,  the  apostle 
had  found  it  needful  openly  to  e.xeommunicnte,  and  cast  out  of  the 
church,  into  the  visible  kingdom  of  Satan  ;  that  they  might  he  instructed 
hy  this  discipline,  ‘not  to  blaspheme’  Christ,  or  disgrace  his  Gospel  by 
their  impious  tenets.  It  does  not  appear,  that  either  of  them  were  re¬ 
covered. — It  has  ofien  been  justly  observed,  that  these  severe  censures, 
which  the  apostle  inflicted  on  those,  who  had  once  been  professors  or 
ministers  of  Christianity,  and  publicly  recorded  with  their  names  an¬ 
nexed,  constitute  a  most  conclusive  proof,  that  lie  had  no  dread  lest 
they  should  be  provoked  to  disclose  any  secret,  or  give  information  of 
evil  practices,  which  they  had  witnessed  among  Christians.  His  con¬ 
duct  implied  a  public  challenge  to  them,  iu  this  respect,  and  was  t lie 
genuine  expression  of  conscious  integrity,  and  the  courage  which 
springs  from  it. — Some  think,  that  Timothy  was  chosen  to  the  minis¬ 
try,  bv  the  prophecies  respecting  him  (18) ;  and  that  this  was  the  way, 
in  which  the  pastors  and  teachers,  in  the  newly  planted  churches,  were 
usually  selected  ;  but  this  opinion,  ns  to  the  general  plan,  does  not  ap¬ 
pear  to  be  supported  by  sufficient  proof  (20)  They  may  learn.]  ‘  Be 
taught,  or  disciplined  hy  correction  and  instruction,  as  boys  are  ed¬ 
ucated.’  See  on  Luke.  23:16.  Scott. 

(18.)  Prophecies.]  The  most  approved  commentators  understand 
it,  in  the  natural  sense,  of  predictions  of  holy  men,  who  knew  Timothy  in 
younger  life,  and  were  inspired  to  foretell  his  future  usefulness  as  a 
Christian  minister.  May  it  not  argue  his  early  niety,  and  that  of  li is 
mother  and  grand-mother,  even  before  they,  any  of  them,  embraced  the 
Gospel  ?  Ed. 

(19.)  Alexander.]  ‘  Probaldv  mentioned  Ac.  1 9: S3.’  Doddh. 

NOTES.  Chap.  II.  V.  1.  The  litany  of  the  church  of  England  ac¬ 
cordingly  beseeches  God  ‘to  have  merev  upon  all  men  ;’  yet  even  this 
scriptural  petition  has  been  censured  as  inconsistent  with  submission  to 
the  sovereignty  of  Gorl  I  But  whatever  Paul  understood  by  ‘all  men,’ 
that  we  understnn  1  by  ‘  all  men  -,’  if  we  pray  in  respect  of  them  at  all ; 
and  we  must  pray  God  ‘  to  have  mercy  on  them,’  unless  we  mean  to 
imprecate  vengeance  on  them.  The  command,  to  ‘  love  our  neighbor  ns 
ourselves,’  is  our  rule  of  conduct,  and  should  dictate  our  prayers.  God 
will  hear  our  supplications  for  temporal  benefits,  or  eternal  salvation,  in 
behalf  of  those  on  whom  He  sees  good  iu  his  sovereign  wisdom  to  be¬ 
stow  them  ;  and  in  other  cases,  our  ‘prayer  will  return  into  our  own 
bosom’  [by  the  spiritual  benefit  attendant  on  the  habitual  feeling  which 
gave  rise  to  the  prayer].  But  how  can  we  pray  for  enemies  and  perse¬ 
cutors,  (whom  we  cannot  possibly  know  to  belong  to  1  the  election  of 
grape,’)  without  equally  appearing  to  interfere  xvitli  God’s  sovereignty  ? 
How  can  we  pray  for  our  children,  relatives,  or  neighbors,  or,  indeed, 
for  any  unconverted  person,  or  for  those  whom  we  are  not  sure  nrecon- 
X'erled,  without  violating  the  same  imaginary  rule  ?  The  malignity  of 
an  apostate,  indeed,  may  he  so  excessive,  that  it  would  not  be  proper  to 
pray  for  him  ;  ( Soles ,  2  Tim.  4:14, 15.  1  John  5:16—18.)  but  such  ex- 

pr.  t.  rot.  v.  59 


should  believe  on  Hint  to  everlasting  life.’  Indeed,  no  man,  with  Paul’s 
example  before  his  eyes,  can  reasonably  question  the  love  and  power  of 
Christ  to  save  hirn.  whatever  his  sins  have  been,  if  he  really  desire  and 
endeavor  to  trust  in  Him,  as  the  incarnate  Soil  of  God,  who  once  died 
on  the  cross,  and  now  reigns  on  the  throne  of  glory,  in  order  to  save 
‘  all  who  come  to  God  through  Him.’  Heb.  7:23 — 25.  Let  us  then  seek 
and  hope  for  this  salvation  ;  and,  in  humble  consciousness  of  our  un- 
worthiuess,  let  us  admire  and  praise  the  grace  of  ‘  God  our  Savior,’  and 
ascribe  to  ‘tile  King  eternal,  immortal,  invisible,  the  only  wise  God,  all 
honor  and  glory  for  ever  and  ever.  Amen.’  Scott. 


ceedingly  rare  exceptions,  to  a  general  rule,  in  no  way  interfere  with  our 
praying  even  for  the  salvation  of  all  men,  that  now  are  or  ever  shall  live 
on  earth.  This  is  no  more  than  the  Lord’s  prayer  teaches  us,  Mat.  6:9, 10. 
and  if  there  he  any  individual,  for  whom  we  cannot  pray,  that  ‘  the  Lord 
would  h  ive  mercy  on  him,’  and  convert  him,  the  inability  must  arise 
from  sin,  even  the  sin  of  not  ‘  loving  our  neighbors  as  ourselves.’  Noth¬ 
ing  can  tend  more  to  perplex  theological  subjects,  to  prejudice  men's 
minds  against  the  doctrines  of  grace,  nay,  to  bring  them  into  odium  and 
contempt;  nothing  can  more  narrow  and  harden  the  heart  against  the 
human  species  in  general ;  than  this  method  of  making  the  secret  decrees 
of  God,  in  any  degree  or  way,  our  rule  of  conduct,  instead  of  adhering 
to  his  revealed  will.  We  know  not,  and  cannot  know,  who  are  elect, 
and  who  are  nor ;  we  are  hound  to  love  all  men,  to  pray  for  them,  and 
to  do  them  good,  and  then  leave  it  to  God  to  govern  the  universe  in  his 
sovereign  wisdom,  justice,  and  mercy,  as  He  sees  good.  De.  29:29.  3c. 

(1.1  Supplications  be  made.]  ‘  That  any  man  should  ever  have  sup¬ 
posed  Timothy  charged  here  to  compose  a  liturgy  for  the  use  of  the 
clergy  and  people  of  Ephesus,  as  Bp.  Hull  has  done,  is  very  surprising, 
and  an  instance  of  weak  and  pitiable  attachment  to  party  prejudices.’ 

Doddr. 

(1,2.)  ‘  Supplications  (i.  e.  deprecations  of  impending  judgments) ; 

prayers  (petitions  for  temporal  and  spiritual  good  things);  interces¬ 
sions  (that  God  would  defend  and  support  the  faithful,  or  convert  and 
save  their  enemies);  clothed  with  authority  'all  that  are  in  office,  legis¬ 
lative,  executive,  judicial,  civil,  or  military).’ — ‘  The  early  Christians  felt 
this  law  to  be  continually  binding,  and,  therefore,  scrupulously  prayed 
for  all  in  authority,  whether  Pagan,  Arian,  or  Christian.  The  custom 
is  mentioned  by  many  of  the  fathers  ;  is  mentioned  in  the  early  litur¬ 
gies;  and  was  referred  to  by  (lie  early  apologists,  as  n  proof  of  loyalty. 
—Praying  for  all  iu  authority  will  contribute  to  preserve  us  trom  sinning 
against  them.  In  tin's  country  there  are  peculiar  temptations  to  disre- 
spe.ct  and  insubordination.  Here  the  ruler  comes  not  forward  with 
all  the  venerableness  of  hereditary  honors.  Elections  are  frequent.  Yes¬ 
terday  the  ruler  was  himself  a  subject  among  us, — to-day  he  “  is  the  min¬ 
ister  of  God.”  The  press  is  licentious,  and  lie  comes  into  ofiire  covered 
with  party  scandal,  and  scarce  all  object  of  respect.  Christians  have 
their  political  connexions  and  choice,  and  are  insensibly  involved  in  the 
feelings  of  those  around  them.  But  let  their  feelings  be  constantly  drawn 
forth  in  praver  lo  God,  in  behalf  of  all  rulers,  and  they  will  be  more  sen¬ 
sible  of  improprieties ;  more  on  their  guard  against  temptation;  and 
their  submission  will  be  more  conscientious,  cheerful,  and  exemplary.— 
Prayer  for  all  in  authority  will  render  Christians  more  punctual  and 
conscientious  in  the  discharge  of  the  elective  franchise.  In  this  coun¬ 
try  there  is  less  danger  of  the  incapacity  than  the  sins  of  rulers.  When 
the  Christian  has  abused  his  privilege,  and  retires  to  pray  for  the  atheist, 
idolater  of  this  world,  or  the  profane  swearer,  or  the  duellist,  he  feels  nis 
inconsistency  and  presumption. — The  discharge  of  this  duty  will  tend  to 
moderate  the  spirit  of  partv. — It  would- also  promote  in  the  public  mind 

[4ba] 


A.  D.  60. 


1  TIMOTHY,  II. 


The  reasons  for  prayer . 


f  He.  9:15. 
g  Mat.  20:28. 
h  or,  a  testimony . 


well  as  for  ourselves.  Prayer  consists  of  va¬ 
rious  parts, — of  supplications,  intercessions, 
and  thanksgivings.  All  men, yea  kings  them¬ 
selves,  and  those  who  are  in  authority,  are 
to  he  prayed  for  :  they  need  our  prayers,  for 
they  have  many  difficulties  to  encounter,  many 
snares  to  which  their  exalted  stations  expose 
them.  In  praying  for  our  governors,  we  lake 
the  most  likely  course  to  lead  a  peaceable  and 
quiet  life.  The  Jews  at  Babylon  were  com¬ 
manded  to  seek  the  peace  of  t lie  city,  whither 
the  Lord  had  caused  them  to  be  carried  cap¬ 
tives,  and  to  pray  to  the  Lord  for  it;  for  in 
the  peace  thereof  they  should  have  peace, 
Jer.  29:7.  If  we  would  lead  a  peaceable 
and  quiet  life,  we  must  live  in  all  godliness 
and  honesty  ;  we  must  do  our  duty  to  God 
and  man,  1  Pet.  3:10,11. 

Now  the  reason  he  gives  for  this  is,  be¬ 
cause  this  is  good  in  the  sight  of  God  our  Sav¬ 
ior ;  the  Gospel  of  Christ  requires  this.  That 
which  is  acceptable  in  the  sight  of  God  our 
Savior,  we  should  do,  and  should  abound  in. 

II.  As  a  reason  why  we  should,  in  our 
prayers,  concern  ourselves  for  all  men,  he 
shows  God’s  love  to  mankind  in  general,  v.  4. 

1.  One  reason  why  all  men  are  to  be  pray¬ 
ed  for  is,  because  there  is  one  God,  and  that 
God  bears  a  good  will  to  all  mankind.  This 
one  God  will  have  all  men  to  be  saved,  v.  5. 
Ez.  33:  11.  Not  that  He  has  decreed  the 
salvation  of  all,  fir  then  all  would  be  saved  ; 
but  He  has  a  good  will  to  the  salvation  of  all, 
and  none  perish  but  by  their  own  fault,  Mat. 
23:  37.  lie  will  have  all  to  be  saved,  and 
to  come  to  the  knowledge  of  the  truth  ;  to  be 
saved  in  the  way  He  has  appointed, and  not 


|  otherwise.  It  concerns  us  to  get  the  knowl¬ 
edge  of  the  truth,  because  that  is  the  way  to 
be  saved  ;  Christ  is  the  Way,  and  the  Truth, 
\  and  so  He  is  the  Life , 

2.  There  is  one  Mediator,  and  that  Medi¬ 
ator  gave  Himself  a  Ransom  for  all.  As  the 
mercy  of  God  extends  itself  to  all  his  works, 
so  the  mediation  of  Christ  extends  itself 
thus  far  to  all  the  children  of  men,  that  He 
paid  a  price  sufficient  for  the  salvation  of  all 
men:  He  gave  Himself  a  Ransom.  Observe, 
The  death  of  Christ  was  a  ransom,  a  coun¬ 
ter-price  ;  He  gave  Himself  a  Ransom  vol¬ 
untarily,  a  Ransom  for  all  ;  so  that  all  men 
are  put  in  a  better  condition  than  that  of 
devils.  A  mediator  supposes  a  controversy. 
Sin  had  made  a  quarrel  between  us  and  God  ; 
Jesus  Christ  is  a  Mediator  who  undertakes 
to  make  peace,  to  bring  God  and  man  to¬ 
gether,  in  the  nature  of  an  Umpire  or  Arbi¬ 
trator,  Job  9:  33.  He  is  a  Ransom  that  was 
to  be  testified  in  due  time  i.  e.  in  the  O.  T. 
times,  his  sufferings,  and  the  glory  that  should 
follow,  were  spoken  of  as  things  to  be  re- 
|  vealed  in  the  last  times,  1  Pet.  1:10,  11. 

;  And  they  are  accordingly  revealed,  Paul 
:  himself  having  been  ordained  a  preacher  and 
\  an  apostle,  to  publish  to  the  Gentiles  the  glad 
tidings  of  redemption  and  salvation  by  Jesus 
j  Christ,  Mk.  16:  15.  Besides  his  general  call 
!  to  the  apostleship,  he  was  commissioned  par¬ 
ticularly  to  preach  to  the  Gentiles,  in  faith 
and  truth,  faithfully  and  truly. 

It  is  observable,  that  the  unity  of  God  is 
asserted,  and  joined  with  the  unity  of  the 
Mediator  ;  and  the  church  of  Rome  might 
as  well  maintain  a  plurality  of  Gods  as  a 


2  For b  kings,  anti  for  all  that  are 
in  'authority  :  that  we  may  lead  a 
quiet  and  peaceable  life  in  all  god¬ 
liness  and  honesty. 

S  For  this  is  good  and  acceptable 
in  the  sight  of  God  our  Savior  ; 

4  Who  d  will  have  all  men  to  be 
saved,  and  to  come  unto  the  knowl¬ 
edge  of  the  truth. 

5  For  there  tVone  '  God,  and  one 
mediator  f  between  God  and  men, 
the  man  Christ  Jesus  ; 

6  Who  gave  himself  a  ransom 
s  for  all,  to  h  be  testified  in  due  time. 

b  Ro.  13:1,  &c.  cl  Jn.  3:15.16. 

c  or,  eminent  2  Pe.  3  9. 

place.  e  Ro.  3:3J. 

‘  get  preferments,  grow  rich,  and  be  in  honor 
and  power  under  them  no,  the  top  of  the 
ambition  of  a  good  Christian  is,  to  lead  a  quiet 
and  peaceable  life,  to  get  through  the  world 
unmolested,  in  a  low,  private  station.  We 
should  desire  that  vve  and  others  may  lead  a 
peaceable  life,  in  all  godliness  and  honesty  ; 
implying  that  we  cannot  expect  to  be  kept 
quiet  and  peaceable,  unless  we  keep  in  all 
godliness  and  honesty.  Here  we  have  ottr 
duty  as  Christians  summed  up  in  two  words; 
godliness,  i.e.  the  right  worshipping  of  God; 
and  honesty,  i.  e.  a  good  conduct  toward  all 
men. 

Here,  observe,  Christians  are  to  be  men 
much  given  to  prayer.  In  our  prayers  we 
are  to  have  a  generous  concern  for  others  as 

a  favorable  impression  towards  Christianity. — When  Christians  pray  to 
Christ,  as  King  of  kings,  in  behalf  of  ail  in  authority,  they  contemplate 
earthly  powers  as  subordinate,  and  Christ  as  Supreme.  While  the 
Christian  prays  thus,  he  arrests  the  atheism  and  disloyalty  of  a  revolted 
world.  Let  this  spirit  pervade  the  church,  and  the  prayer  for  all  in  au¬ 
thority  go  up  from  iter  ten  thousand  altars,  and  she  will  then  be  indeed 
the  light  of  the  world.’  Rev.  Dr.  L.  Halsey. 

V.  2.  It  was  a  proper  expression  of  benevolence,  for  Christians  to 
pray  for  all  orders  and  conditions  of  men  ;  and  to  interest  themselves  in 
the  calamities  and  deliverances  of  their  neighbors,  of  the  community, 
and  of  the  human  species.  This  would  soften  the  prejudices,  and  con¬ 
ciliate  the  favor  of  those  around  them,  especially  when  they  persevered 
in  such  supplications  and  thanksgivings,  notwithstanding  the  persecutions 
which  they  endured.  It  would  likewise  conduce  very  much  to  silence 
the  accusations  of  those,  who  charged  them  with  disaffection  to  the 
civil  government,  and  with  being  troublers  of  the  city,  if  they  not  otdy 
behaved  with  quiet  subjection  to  the  laws,  in  all  tilings  consistent  with 
their  duty,  and  conscientiously  paid  tribute  and  custom  ;  but  were  also 
known  to  pray  for  ‘  kings,  and  all  in  authority’  over  them,  for  their  pres¬ 
ervation,  and  success  in  all  their  lawful  undertakings,  for  the  protection 
and  peace  of  the  community,  and  for  all  blessings  upon  their  persons  and 
families,  and  that  the v  opposed  no  other  weapons  than  these  to  the  in¬ 
juries  which  they  suffered. —  The  Ephesians,  and  others  among  whom 
Timothy  was  called  to  ‘do  the  work  of  an  evangelist,’  were  under  the 
Roman  emperor,  who  was  a  monster  of  tyranny  and  cruelty  ;  the  apos¬ 
tle,  however,  used  the  word  ‘  kings,’  in  the  plural  number,  whence  we 
learn,  that  the  Holy  Spirit  intended  this  direction  for  other  places  and 
ages,  according  to  the  different  governments  established  in  Providence. 
1  Pet.  2:13 — 17.  All  the  kings  and  rulers  on  earth  were  nt  that  time 
strangers  or  enemies  to  Christianity  ;  so  that  no  distinction  or  exception, 
in  this  case,  could  possibly  be  intended. — These  prayers  were  to  he  made, 
in. order  that  Christians  might  ‘lead  a  quiet  and  peaceable  life,  in  all  god¬ 
liness  and  honesty,’  conscientiously  attending  on  all  their  duties  to  God 
and  mail,  without  being  molested  either  by  public  calamities  or  by  per¬ 
secutions.  This  object  they  were  to  aim  at,  and  with  this  ‘quietness 
and  security’  to  lie  satisfied.  This  differs  widely  from  desiring  and 
praying  for  the  success  of  those  enterprises,  which  [seem  to]  serve  to  ag¬ 
grandize  one  country,  by  the  depression  and  miseries  of  other  countries, 
[a  principle  as  false  in  political  economy  as  in  morals.]  These,  indeed, 
are  not  lawful  undertakings,  and  we  may  pray  for  the  peace  ami  welfare 
of  our  governors  and  country,  without  so  much  as  appearing  to  favor 
these  measures.  The  disposition  to  lead  a  quiet,  peaceable,  and  pious 
life,  submitting  to  hu  nan  authority,  as  far  as  consistent  with  godliness, 
tends  to  procure  favor  to  the  true  worshippers  of  God,  and  it  may  he  ex¬ 
pected  that  lie  will  answer  their  prayers,  (so  far  ns  good  for  them,)  by 
inclining  their  rulers  to  tolerate,  protect,  and  countenance  them.  So. 

V.  3,  4.  As  God  lias  provided  for  the  salvation  of  mankind,  without 
distinction  of  rank,  or  nation,  or  even  previous  character,  and  can  hon¬ 
orably,  and  will  certainly,  save  every  individual,  who  comes  to  Him  in 
his  appointed  way  ;  in  this  sense,  He  ‘  willeth  that  all  men  should  he  sav¬ 
ed  ;’  Ez.  13:23.  35:11.  2  Pet.  3  9  and  it  is  his  good  pleasure,  nay,  his 
express  and  repeated  command,  that  we  should  do  all  in  our  power  to 
bring  them ‘to  the  knowledge  of  the  truth.’  The  Gospel  should  he 
1  preached  to  every  creature  ;’  vve  are  required  to  assure  all  whom  we 
can  address,  that  the  Lord  is  able  and  willing  to  save  any  sinner  who 
believes. — But  as  all  men  do  not  in  fact  ‘  eome  to  the  knowledge  of  the 
truth,’  which  God  wills  in  the  same  sense  as  ‘  that  all  men  should  lie 
saved  so  the  difficulty,  if  there  be  any,  presses  equally  on  Calvinists 
and  Ar.ninians,  so  called,  and  even  on  such  ns  deduce  universal,  actual 
salvation,  from  this  text  and  a  few  similar  ones,  for  they  cannot  say, 
‘  that  all  men,’  without  exception,  actually  do  ‘  come  to  the  knowledge 
of  the  truth.’  If  the  clause,  therefore,  be  explained  to  mean  anything 

[466] 


more,  than  the  willingness  of  God  to  save  all,  of  every  description,  who 
truly  believe;  and  his  command,  that  we  should  preach  to  all  men,  and 
pray  for  all  men,  without  distinction  ;  it  must  follow',  that  He  wills,  or 
purposes,  what  He  does  not  effect. — It  is,  however,  equally  improper  to 
say,  with  many  expositors,  that  ‘  all  men,’  signifies  ‘  some  of  all  sorts ;’ 
because  it  is  obvious  to  answer,  that  it  may  with  equal  propriety  be  said, 
‘  He  willeth  that  all  men  should  be  damned  ;’  for,  doubtless,  some  of  all 
nations,  ranks,  and  orders  will  be  left  to  perish  in  their  sins,  ‘vvhereunto 
also  they  were  appointed.’  Jn.  1:29.  3:6.  1  Jn.  2:1,  2.  Scott. 

(4.)  ‘The  meaning  seems  to  be,  that  God  has  made  sufficient  provis¬ 
ion  for  the  salvation  of  all,  and  that  it  is  to  be  considered  as  the  general 
declaration  of  his  will,  that  all  who  know  the  truth  themselves  should 
publish  it  to  all  around  them,  so  far  as  their  influence  can  extend.’ 

Doddr. 

V.  5 — 7.  The  apostle  designed  to  excite  Christians  to  intercessory 
prayers  ;  and  he  draws  one  argument  for  this,  from  the  relation  which 
God  Ilimself,  and  the  great  Mediator,  bear  to  those,  in  behalf  of  whom 
these  supplications  should  he  offered.  —  ‘One  God,’  in  this  passage  does 
not  denote  the  Person  of  the  Father  exclusively ,  hut  the  Deity  ;  the 
manhood,  therefore,  of  Christ  intervenes  between  a  just  and  holy  God 
and  us  sinners;  but.  this  Manhood  is  essentially  and  inseparably  united 
to  the  Godhead,  in  the  Person  of  the  Son,  who  thus  mediates  between 
God  his  Father,  and  men  Ills  brethren. — This  provision  and  appointment 
has  been  made  and  revealed,  for  the  common  benefit  of  the  human  race, 
botlt  Jews  and  Gentiles  of  every  nation,  that  aU  who  are  willing  may 
come,  in  this  way,  to  the  mercy-seat  of  a  pardoning  God,  to  seek  recon 
ciliation  to  Him.  3:16.  Is.  55:1 — 3.  Jn.  4T0 — 15.  7:37—39.  Rev.  22: 
16,  17.  — No  pious  nnd  considerate  man  will  assert,  that  Christ  so  gave 
Himself  a  ransom  for  all,  as  actually  to  intend  the  salvation  of  all  those 
who  never  believe  in  Him;  and  that  He  thus  failed  of  his  purpose,  and 
suffered  in  vain.  On  the  other  hand,  there  are  but  few,  even  of  those 
who  limit  such  expressions  to  ‘some  of  all  sorts,’  who  do  not  allow  the 
all-sufficiency  of  Christ’s  atonement,  and  admit  that  all  men  should  he  in¬ 
vited  and  commanded  to  believe  in  Him,  and  that  all  who  do  believe  will 
be  saved  by  Him.  It  is,  therefore,  important,  far  beyond  the  importance 
of*  doubtful  disputations,’  to  observe  carefully,  that  none  will  he  saved  by 
the  ransom  of  Christ  without  true  faith  ;  that  true  faith  is  ‘  the  gift  of'God,’ 
and  the  effect  of  regeneration,  Jn.  1:10-13,  u.  13.  Eph.  2:4-19.  that  ‘known 
tinlo  God  are  all  his  works,  from  before  the  foundation  of  the  world;’ 
and  that  all  will  certainly  be  saved,  who  were  ‘given  unto  Christ,’  and 
whom  lie  specially  intended  to  save,  when  He  became  the  Surety  of  his 
people.  Jn.  6:36 — 49.  These  propositions  are  capable  of  clear,  scriptu¬ 
ral  proof;  and  when  they  are  established,  we  may  safely  leave  such  ex¬ 
pressions,  as  that  here  used,  to  hear  their  most  obvious  import.  Indeed, 
divine  wisdom  and  love  are  peculiarly  shown,  in  this  general  way  of 
stating  the  truths  of  Christianity,  as  far  more  suitable  to  inquirers  and 
unestablished  persons,  titan  a  systematical  arrangement  would  lie. — (6) 
J  ransom.]  Here  only. — ‘Grotius  observes,  that  the  preposition  anti, 
even  in  composition,  always  signifies  either  opposition  or  commutation. 
As  there  can  be  no  opposition ,  when  Christ  is  said  to  have  given  “  Him¬ 
self  for  us,”  antilutron,  it  must  necessarily  signify  commutation,  or 
compensation.  When  we  read  ophlhalmon  anti  ophthalmou ,  no  one 
doubts  tlte  meaning. —  Why,  therefore,  may  we  not  conclude  that  Christ 
was  crucified  in  our  place  and  stead,  when  He  said,  that  “  He  came  to 
give  his  life,”  lutrnn  anti  potion  ?’  Arrowsmith,  Tactica  sacra.  Scott. 

(6.)  IVhn  gave  Himself.]  ‘  Comp.  Mat.  20:28.  This  shows  the  mode 
in  which  the  mediation  was  effected.’  Bloomf. — The  Man,  Christ  Je¬ 
sus.]  •  Though  the  union  of  the  divine  nature  with  the  human ,  qualified 
Christ  for  the  office  of  Mediator,  yet  this  plainly  shows,  that  it  is  in  his 
human  nature,  we  are  to  consider  Him  as  discharging  it.’  Doddr.— 
From  this  v.  it  plainly  appears,  that  the  principal  notion  of  Mediator,  as 
applied  to  Christ,  is  that  of  atonement.’  Henry,  abr. 


A.  D.  60. 


1  TIMOTHY,  II. 


7  Whereunto  I  am  ordained  a 
preacher,  and  an  apostle  ;  (l  speak 
the  truth  in  Christ,  and  lie  not ;)  a 
teacher  of  the  Gentiles  in  faith  and 
verity. 

8  I  will  therefore  that  men  'pray 
every  where,  lifting  up  holy  i  hands, 
without  wrath  and  doubting. 

[Practical  Observations.] 

9  In  like  manner  also,  that  wo¬ 
men  adorn  themselves  in  modest 
apparel,  with  shamefacedness  and 
sobriety  ;  not  with  k  broidered  hair, 
or  gold,  or  pearls,  or  costly  array  ; 

10  But  (which  becometh  women 
professing  godliness)  with  good 
works. 

11  Let  the  woman  'learn  in  si¬ 
lence  with  all  subjection. 

12  But  I  suffer  not  a  woman  to 
teach,  nor  to  usurp  authority  over 
the  man,  but  to  be  in  silence. 

13  For  Adam  was  first  formed, 
then  Eve. 

14  And  Adam  was  not  deceived, 
but  the  woman  being  deceived,  was 
in  the  transgression. 

i  Jn.  4:21.  k  or,  plaited.  1  1  Co.  14:34. 

j  He.  10:22.  1  Fe.  3:3. 


plurality  cf  Mediators.  lie  that  13  a  Medi¬ 
ator  in  tlie  New  Testament  sense,  gave  Him¬ 
self  a  Ransom.  Vain  then  is  the  pretence  of 
the  Romanists,  that  there  is  but  one  Media¬ 
tor  of  satisfaction,  but  many  of  intercession ; 
for,  according  to  Paul,  Christ’s  giving  Him¬ 
self  a  Ransom,  was  a  necessary  part  of  the 


A  direction  how  to  pray. 


Mediator’s  office  ;  and,  indeed,  this  lays 
the  foundation  for  his  intercession.  Paul 
was  ordained  a  minister,  to  declare  1  his  to 
the  Gentiles,  that  Christ  is  the  one  Mediator 
between  God  and  men,  who  gave  Himself  a 
Ransom  for  all.  This  is  the  substance  of 
which  all  ministers  are  to  preach,  to  the  end 
of  the  world  ;  and  Paid  magnifies  his  office, 
as  he  was  the  apostle  of  the  Gentiles,  Rom. 
11:13. 

ill.  A  direction  how  to  pray,  v.  8. 

1.  Under  the  Gospel,  prayer  is  not  to  be 
confined  to  any  one  particular  house  of 
prayer,  but  men  must  pray  everywhere:  no 
one  place  is  more  acceptable  to  God  than 
another,  John  4 :  21 .  Pray  everywhere.  We 
must  pray  in  our  closets,  in  our  families,  at 
our  meals,  when  on  journeys,  and  in  the 
solemn  assemblies,  whether  more  public  or 
private. 

2.  It  is  the  will  of  God,  that  in  prayer 
we  should  lift  up  holy  or  pure  hands,  pure 
from  the  pollution  of  sin,  washed  in  the 
fountain  opened  for.  sin  and  uncleanness,  Ps. 
26:  6. 

3.  We  must  pray  in  charity;  without 
wrath,  or  malice,  or  anger  at  any  person. 

4.  We  must  pray  in  faith,  without  doubt¬ 
ing,  Jam.  1:6.  or,  as  some  read  it,  without 
disputing;  and  then  it  falls  under  the  head 
of  charity. 

V.  9 — 15.  He  charges  women,  who  pro¬ 
fess  the  Christian  religion,  to  be  modest,  so¬ 
ber,  silent,  and  submissive,  as  becomes  their 
place. 

1.  They  must  be  very  modest  in  their 
apparel,  not  affecting  gaudiness,  gayety,  or 
costliness;  (you  may  read  the  vanity  of  a 
person’s  mind  in  the  gayetv  and  gaudiness 
of  their  habit;)  because  they  have  better 
ornaments  with  which  they  should  adorn 
themselves,  as  becomes  women  professing  god- 


1  Uness ,  with  good  works.  Note,  Good  works 
arc  the  best  ornaments;  these  are,  in  the 
sight  of  God,  of  great  price.  Th>se  that 
profess  godliness  should,  in  their  dress,  as 
well  as  other  things,  act  as  becomes  their  pro - 
|  fession;  instead  of  laying  out  their  money 
!  on  fine  clothes,  they  must  lay  it  out  in  works 
I  of  piety  and  charity,  which  are  properly 
called  good  works. 

2.  Women  must  learn, — learn  the  princi- 
|  pies  of  their  religion,  learn  Christ,  learn  the 

Scriptures;  they  must  not  think  that  tlieir 
sex  excuses  them  from  that  learning  which 
is  necessary  to  salvation. 

3.  They  must  be  silent,  submissive,  and 
subject,  and  not  usurp  authority.  The  rea- 

|  son  given  is,  because  Adam  was  fret  form- 
j  ed,  then  Eve  out  of  him,  to  denote  her  sub¬ 
ordination  to  him,  and  dependence  on  him; 

I  and  that  she  was  made  for  him,  to  be  a  help 
meet  for  him.  And  Adam  was  not  deceived, 
i.  e.  not  first;  the  serpent  did  not  immedi¬ 
ately  set  on  him,  but  die  woman  was  first  in 
die  transgression,  2  Cor.  11:  3.  and  it  was 
part  of  the  sentence,  Thy  desire  shall  be  to 
thy  husband,  and  he  shall  rule  over  thee,  Gen. 
3:  16. 

But  it  is  a  word  of  comfort,  v.  15.  that 
J  they  who  continue  in  sobriety,  shall  be  saved 
I  in  child-bearing,  or  with  child-bearing.  The 
Messiah,  who  was  born  cf  a  woman,  should 
break  the  serpent’s  bead,  Gen.  3:15.  or, 
the  sentence  they  are  under  for  sin,  shall  be 
no  bar  to  their  acceptance  with  Christ,  if 
they  continue,  in  faith,  and  charily,  and  holi¬ 
ness  with  sobriety. 

Here  observe,  The  extensiveness  of  the 
rules  of  Christianity ;  they  reach  not  only  to 
men,  but  to  women,  not  only  to  their  per¬ 
sons,  hut  also  to  their  dress,  and  outward 
I  deportment.  Women  are  to  profess  godli- 
|  ness  as  well  as  men;  and,  to  their  honor  be 


TRACT.  OBS.  V.  1 — 8.  It  is  a  most  important,  though  much  neg¬ 
lected  duty,  for  Christians  to  pray  and  return  thanks  ‘  for  all  men,’  ac¬ 
cording  to  the  different  relations,  in  which  they  stand  to  them,  and  as 
their  circumstances  require.  Thus  they  may  show  their  love  to  those 
whom  they  cannot  otherwise  serve,  and  do  them  a  most  important  ben¬ 
efit,  and  also  evince,  that  they  interest  themselves  in  the  happiness  of 
mankind  in  general. — In  proportion  as  we  learn  thus  to  1  worship  in 


spirit  and  truth,’  with  awful  reverence,  holy  love,  pure  zeal,  and  lively 
faith,  ( John  4  21 — 24.)  we  shall  find  our  minds  freed  from  narrow  pre¬ 
judices  and  resentment,  and  our  benevolence  towards  ail  men  greatly 
enlarged,  and  we  shall  more  fervently  and  intelligently  pray  to  our  heav¬ 
enly  Father,  saying,  ‘Hallowed  be  thy  name,  thy  kingdom  come,  thy 
will  be  done  in  earth  as  it  is  in  heaven  ‘  for  thine  is  the  kingdom,  and 
the  power,  and  the  glory,  for  ever  and  ever.  Amen.’  Mat.  6:9,10,13.  Sc. 


V.  8 — 10.  [Notes,  1 — 4.)  The  expression  may  indeed  include  prayers 
in  the  closet,  in  the  family,  and  in  social  meetings;  but  the  chapter  es¬ 
pecially  relates  to  the  manner  of  conducting  public  assemblies,  in  what 
place  soever  these  were  held  ;  for  ‘  Where  two  or  three  are  met  togeth¬ 
er,  there,’  says  our  Savior,  ‘  I  am  in  the  midst  of  you.’  Mat.  18:19,  20. 
28:19,  20,  verse  20.  Heb.  10:23  —  25.  ‘As  the  apostle  is  speaking  of 
public  prayer,  his  meaning,  I  suppose,  is,  that  the  men,  and  not  the 
women,  were  to  lead  the  devotion  of  the  assembly  (8).’  Mackn.  The 
antithesis  between  the  men  and  the  women  (9),  the  word  itself,  the  arti¬ 
cle,  and  the  connexion,  ‘in  like  manner,’  combine  in  establishing  this 
observation. — The  Gentiles  had  priestesses,  as  well  as  priests,  not  only 
to  their  goddesses,  but  to  their  gods  also  ;  but  the  Israelites  were  not  al¬ 
lowed  to  conform  to  this  practice.  ‘  In  like  manner,’  women  must  not 
be  ministers,  or  preachers,  under  tfie  Christian  dispensation.  —  In  order 
that  men  might  perform  the  office  allotted  to  them,  with  acceptance, 
they  must  in  reverent  adoration  ‘  lift  up  holy  hands  ;’  not  satisfied  with 
washing  their  hands  before  they  worshipped,  according  to  the  custom  of 
the  Jews,  and  indeed  that  of  many  Gentiles ;  but  taking  care  to  keep 
them  pure  from  all  injustice,  and  the  practice  of  every  sin. — In  order  to 
this  proper  regulation  of  religious  assemblies,  as  well  as  the  general  con¬ 
duct  of  Christians,  the  apostle  furthermore  enjoined,  in  the  most  decided 
manner,  that  ‘  the  women  should  adorn  themselves  with  modest  appar¬ 
el,’  suited  to  their  station  in  life,  and  becoming  that  ‘ bashfulnessj^and 
sobriety  ’  of  manners,  which  would  he  expected  from  them  ;  not  copy¬ 
ing  the  vahi  fashions  of  those  women,  whose  attire  was  intended  to  ren¬ 
der  their  persons  attractive  to  beholders,  and  was,  at  once,  an  indication 
of  the  levity  of  their  own  minds,  and  suited  to  excite  the  passions  of 
others.  He  required,  therefore,  that  they  should  not  adorn  themselves 
with  broidered  hair,  gold,  pearls,  or  expensive  garments.  The  appear¬ 
ance  of  women  in  the  places  of  worship,  is  especially  intended,  and  the 
exhortation  implied,  Hint  whatever  garments  they  wore,  they  must 
consider  ‘good  works,’  as  their  peculiar  ornament,  as  ‘it  became  wo¬ 
men  professing  godliness.’  [Marg.  Refer,  k,  !.)  Yet  it  doubtless 
was  meant  as  a  general  rule,  that  Christian  women  should  refuse  con¬ 
formity  to  the  foolish  fashions  of  a  vain  world,  in  this  respect ;  that 
they  should  choose  to  appear  more  plain  Hiid  simple  in  their  attire,  than 
others  of  their  rank;  that  they  should  not  waste  time,  or  run  into 
needless  expense,  in  these  empty  decorations,  but  employ  both  their  time 
and  money  in  adorning  themselves  with  good  works;  ( Note  and  1’.  O. 
Acts  9:36 — 43.1  that  decency,  modesty,  and  sobriety  should  be  consulted 
in  tlieir  garments  and  appearance,  rather  titan  elegance  and  fashion  ;  and 
finally,  that  ministers  ought  to  teach  these  tilings  to  tlieir  congregations, 
as  of  great  importance  to  the  honor  of  the  Gospel,  t  Note,  1  Pet.  3:1  — 
C.) — It  has  been  well  observed,  that  foppery  and  extravagance,  as  todrdks, 
in  men,  are  most  emphatically  condemned  by  the  apostle’s  silence  on 
the  subject,  for  this  intimated,  that  surely  they  could  be  under  no  temp¬ 
tation  to  such  a  childish  vanity  ! — ‘  It  is  worthy  to  be  noted  by  the  wo¬ 
men,  that  this  precept  ought  not  to  be  slighted  by  them,  as  of  little 


moment,  seeing  it  is  so  carefully  inculcated  by  tile  two  chief  apostles, 
of  the  Jew  and  Gentile,  and  the  contrary  is  represented  as  a  practice 
opposite  to  godliness.’  Whitby.  Scott. 

(8.)  Holy  hands. ]  ‘  The  expression  may  allude  to  the  custom  of  wash¬ 
ing  their  hands  before  solemn  prayer,  which  lias  prevailed  not  only 
among  the  Jews,  but  among  heathens  and  Mohammedans,  that  they 
might  hereby  express  their  desire  of  inward  purity.'  Donna. 

(9.)  ‘  Ancient  medals’  and  statues  [comp,  the  cuts  of  Com’y  and  Sup¬ 
plement]  show  the  costume  of  those  times  with  respect  to  the  hair,  the 
expensive  ornaments  then  used,  anil  the  labored  forms  in  which  female 
tresses  were  arranged.’  Henry,  abr. — Adorn,  &c  ]  ‘The  apostles  both 
[referring  to  Pet.  3.3.]  mean  to  admonish  Christian  women  to  pay  far 
less  attention  to  external  adorning  than  to  internal,  and  to  make  virtue 
their  especial  ornament.  And  upon  the  whole  it  appears  the  direction 
is  intended  chiefly  (and  so  Scott )  to  apply  to  their  dress  at  the  religious 
assemblies;  though  it  may  be  extended  to  their  apparel  at  other  times.’ 
Bloom:-'.  The  En.,  however,  sees  no  restriction  in  the  original. — ‘  Es- 
tiu§  very  juslly  observes,  that  this  discourse  concludes  with  yet  strong¬ 
er  force  against  foppery  in  men.’  Doddr. — How  many  dollars  are  spent 
for  finery,  where  one  is  spent  for  Christ !  —  The  argument  some  Chris¬ 
tians  use  for  disobeying  the  apostle  is,  that  the  poor  live  by  the  extrava¬ 
gancies  of  the  rich  !  But  those  who  get  their  living,  by  making  such 
things  as  depend  for  their  value  upon  the  caprices  of  fashion,  are  liable 
at  every  change  of  fashion  to  he  thrown  out  of  employment,  and  being 
uninstructed  to  make  what  is  permanently  and  always  useful  and  valu¬ 
able,  they  often  suffer.  Whereas,  had  their  industry  been  directed  to 
what  is  of  constant  demand,  it  would,  according  to  God’s  laws,  have 
brought  a  certain  living,  and  saved  them  from  the  immoralities  and  bad 
influences  to  which  a  precarious  living  exposes.  See  also  IVayland’s 
Polit.  Economy  for  other  reasons  Ed. 

V.  11—14.  It  has  been  observed,  that  this  rule  admitted  of  an  excep¬ 
tion,  in  the  case  of  those,  who  spoke  by  the  Spirit  of  prophecy.  [M.  R. 
m.—Note,  1  Cor.  1 1-34,  35.)  and  it  may  here  be  added,  that  it  related  to 
public  teaching  exclusively,  and  not  to  any  kind  of  private  instruction, 
by  which  no  ‘authority  over  the  man’  is  implied.  The  women  were 
required  to  ‘  be  silent  with  all  subjection,’  in  the  religious  assemblies, 
for  the  apostle,  as  Christ’s  representative,  and  declaring  his  will,  would 
not  ‘suffer  women  to  teach,’  for  that  would  be  like  ‘  usurping  authority 
over  tlie  man,’  and  therefore  their  willing  subjection  was  to  be  shown, 
by  silently  receiving  instruction.  This  humbling  consideration  [being 
first  in  tlie  transgression]  was  suited  to  convince  the  women,  that  u.y 
ought  not  to  affect  authority,  or  presume  to  he  public  teachers.  » c. 

(14.)  Adam  was  not  deceived.]  ‘  I.  e.  not  by  the  serpent,  y 

woman.  So  Bloomf.,  and  he  adds  from  TAeopA.  Eve  g 

over  by  desire  ;  Adam,  by  the  persuasions  of  his  wife.  °  ’ 

he  says,  ‘  is  built  on  the  original,  and  thence  derived  co  I 
cility  and  persuasibility  of  the  female  sex,  and  conseq 
giving  public  instruction.’  [467] 


A.  D.  60. 


1  TIMOTHY,  III. 


Qualifications  of  a  bishop. 


15  Notwithstanding  she  shall  be 
saved  in  childbearing,  if  they  con¬ 
tinue  in  faith,  and  charity,  and  holi¬ 
ness,  with  sobriety. 

CHAP.  III. 

2  How  bishops,  and  deacons,  and  their  wives,  should  be 
qualified.  14  and  to  what  end  Paul  wrote  to  Timothy 
of  these  things.  15  Of  the  church,  and  the  blessed  truth 
therein  taught  and  professed. 

THIS  is  a  true  saying,  If  a  man 
desire  the  office  of  a  1  bishop, 
he  desireth  a  good  work. 

2  A  bishop  bthen  must  be  blame¬ 
less,  the  husband  of  one  wife',  vigi¬ 
lant,  sober,  of 'good  behavior,  giv¬ 
en  to  hospitality,  apt  to  teach  : 

a  Phi.  1:1.  b  Tit.  1.6,  &c.  c  or,  modest. 

it  spoken,  many  of  them  were  eminent  pro¬ 
fessors  of  Christianity  in  the  days  of  the 
apostles.  Women  being  more  in  danger  of 
exceeding  in  their  apparel,  it  was  more  ne¬ 
cessary  to  caution  them  in  lids  respect.  The 
best  ornaments,  for  professors  of  godliness, 


are  good  works.  According  to  Paul,  wo¬ 
men  must  he  learners,  not  public  teachers, 
not  usurp  authority  over  the  man,  but  be  in 
silence;  notwithstanding,  good  women  may 
and  ought  to  teach  their  children  at  home 
the  principles  of  religion;  so  Timothy  was 
taught  bv  his  mother  and  grandmother;  2 
Tim.  3.  15.  Atptila  and  his  wife  Priscilla 
expounded  unto  Apollos  the  way  of  God 
more  perfectly ;  but  privately;  they  took  him 
unto  them  ,'  Acts  18:26.  The  reasons  here 
for  the  man’s  authority  over  the  woman,  and 
her  subjection  to  the  man,  v.  13,  14.  1 
Cor.  11:9.  are  very  good;  and  though  the 
difficulties  and  dangers  of  child-bearing  are 
many  and  great,  as  they  are  part  of  the  pun¬ 
ishment.  indicted  on  the  sex  for  Eve’s  trans¬ 
gression,  yet  here  is  much  for  woman’s  sup¬ 
port  and  encouragement,!’.  1-5.  and  women 
under  the  circumstance  of  child-bearing 
should  by  faith  lay  hold  on  this  promise  for 
their  support  in  the  needful  time. 

Chap.  III.  V.  1 — 7.  The  two  epistles 
to  Timothy,  and  that  to  Titus,  contain  a  | 
scripture-plan  of  church-government,  or  a  i 


direction  to  ministers.  Timothy,  we  sup¬ 
pose,  was  an  evangelist,  left  at  Ephesus,  to 
take  care  of  those  whom  the  Holy  Ghost 
had  made  bishops  there,  i.  e.  the  presbyters, 
as  appears  by  Acts  20:  28.  where  the  care 
of  the  church  was  committed  to  the  presby¬ 
ters,  and  they  were  called  bishops.  It  seems, 
they  were  very  loath  to  part  with  Patti, 
Acts  20:  38.  their  church  was  but  newly 
planted,  they  were  afraid  of  undertaking  the 
care  of  it,  therefore  Paul  left  Timothy  with 
them  to  set  them  in  order. 

And  here  we  have  the  character  of  a  gos¬ 
pel-minister,  whose  office  rt  is,  as  a  bishop, 
to  preside  in  a  particular  congregation  of 
Christians,  v.  1.  The  ministry  is  a  work. 
However  the  office  of  a  bishop  may  he  now- 
thought  a  good  preferment,  then  it  was 
thought  a  good  work.  Observe, 

(1.)  The  office  of  a  scripture-bishop  is 
an  office  of  divine  appointment,  not  of  hu¬ 
man  invention ;  the  office  of  the  ministry 
was  in  the  church  before  the  magistrate 
countenanced  Christianity,  for  this  office  is 
l  oneef  the  great  gifts  Christ  has  bestowed  on 
i  the  church,  Epiies.  4:  8,11.  (2.)  It  is  a 


PRACT.  OBS.  V.  9 — 15.  Whatever  renders  the  Gospel  respected 
in  the  minds  and  hearts  of  those  who  are  without,  contributes  to  its  suc¬ 
cess  ;  and  the  modest,  decent,  and  sober  apparel  of  1  women  professing 
godliness,’  must  therefore  have  this  tendency  in  no  ordinary  degree. 
But  alas  !  in  this  trilling  and  expensive  age,  when  almost  all  vie  with 
their  superiors  in  apparel,  till  distinction  of  rank  itself  is  nearly  lost,  we 
too  often  find  those,  who  come  to  the  places  where  the  Word  of  God  is 
preached,  decorated  as  much  bej  ond  what  thev  can  properly  afford,  and 
in  as  unbecoming  a  manner,  as  they  who  frequent  the  theatre  !  It 
would  he  well,  if  the  more  decided  professors  of  godliness  were  wholly 
exempt  from  this  disgraceful  vanity;  or  if  they  always  spent  as  many 
hours  in  visiting  the  sick  and  poor,  and  in  labors  for  their  relief,  and  as 
much  money  in  relieving  their  distresses,  as  they  do  in  uselessly  deco¬ 
rating  themselves,  and  their  children,  after  a  manner  unsuitable  to  their 
rank  in  life,  and  inconsistent  with  their  profession.  These  are  by  no 

V.  15.  The  sorrows  and  pains  attendant  on  child-bearing,  were  a  pe¬ 
culiar  mark  of  the  divine  displeasure,  against  the  transgression  of  the 
first  woman,  and  suited  to  tiring  it  to  the  remembrance  of  her  daughters 
in  every  age;  yet  those  who  professed  the  Gospel  of  Christ  might  be 
comforted,  by  the  hope  of  being  supported  and  preserved,  through  that 
trying  season,  and  even  of  deriving  benefit  from  all  their  sufferings  ;  at 
least  they  might  be  sure,  that  there  was  no  curse  or  wrath  in  it,  pro¬ 
vided  they  continued  steadfast  in  the  faith,  and  in  iove  to  Christ  and  his 
people,  with  holiness,  purity,  sobriety,  and  modesty.  (M.  R.) — Some 
suppose,  the  apostle  to  have  meant,  that,  as  sin  first  entered  by  tile  wo¬ 
man,  whence  ail  the  pains  and  sorrows  of  child-bearing  originated,  so, 
through  those  sorrows,  One  had  come  into  the  world,  ‘  born  of  a  wo¬ 
man,’  by  miraculous  conception,  without  man,  by  whom  ail  those 
would  be  saved,  who  continued  in  the  faith  ;  and  indeed  the  original 
may  well  bear  that  interpretation,  whicli  is  also  very  ancient. — Eve, 
whom  the  apostle  had  just  before  mentioned,  was  thus  addressed  by  her 
offended  Creator;  ‘  I  will  greatly  multiply  thv  sorrow  and  thy  concep¬ 
tion,  in  sorrow  shalt  thou  bring  forth  children  :  ’  yet  the  preceding  verse 
implied  a  promise  of  salvation  through  ‘  the  Seed  of  the  woman,’  for  ail 
believers,  both  men  and  women.  Gen.  S;14 — IP.  Eve,  herself,  is  gen¬ 
erally  supposed  to  have  been  saved  1  through  child-hearing,’  or,  by  One 
descended  from  her ;  though  the  anguish  of  hearing  children  was  de¬ 
nounced  on  her,  as  a  peculiar  punishment  of  her  atrocious  guilt,  and  thus 
her  sorrow  was  turned  into  joy,  her  enrse  into  a  blessing.  In  like  man¬ 
ner,  her  daughters,  though  involved  with  her  in  the  sentence  of  bringing 
forth  children  with  sorrow,  would  also  share  with  her  in  the  same  sal¬ 
vation,  joy,  ttnd  biessina,  through  the  promised  Seed,  if  they  copied  her 
example  of  faith  and  obedience.  In  child  faring.]  5:14.  The  article 
favors  the  latter  interpretation.  Scott. 

(15.)  ‘It  was  promised,  that  the  seed  of  the  woman,  and  not  of  the 
man,  should  bruise  the  serpent’s  head,  and  therefore  through  her  Progeny 
it  is,  that  both  the  female  and  the  male  sex  shall  eventually  be  saved,  if 
they  live  in  faith  and  Christian  love,  and  holiness,  and  sobriety.’  Suut- 
ti  eworth,  in  Henry,  uhr. — Podilr.  understands  it,  of  being  carried 
safety  through  chi’d-bearing ;  not  as  an  absolute  promise,  but  as  a  gen¬ 
eral  intimation  ;  which  sense.  Bt„  sn\s,  seems  tn  lie  the  least  objection¬ 
able,  though  it  lies  open  to  the  objection  of  not  being  confined  to  Chris¬ 
tian  or  even  virtuous  women,  ami  is  not  satisfactory.  But  R.  Hail,  in 
Henry,  abr.  says,  ‘  there  is  no  reason  to  doubt,  that  the  true  meaning  is, 
“by  the  child-bearing,”  referring  not  to  the  pains  of  parturition,  but  to  the 
extraordinary  event  of  the  birth  of  our  Savior  in  a  miraculous  manner. 
..  .The  apostle  is  not  adverting  to  any  temporal  circums'nnce ;  be  is 
speaking  of  the  entrance  of  sin,  by  means  of  the  woman,  and  it  is  natural 
to  throw  in  a  compensator!  circumstance,  reminding  us,  that  ns  the 
inferior  sex  had  been  the  source  of  human  perversion,  so  it  had  the 
honor,  in  compensation,  of  being  the  immediate  instrument  of  the  pro¬ 
duction  of  the  Messiah,  by  whom  our  recovery  was  effected.  And  the 
condition  which  follows,  “  if  they  continue  in  faith,  and  charity,  and  ho¬ 
liness  with  sobriety,”  puts  this  interpretation  beyond  doubt ;  ns  there  is 
the  greatest  connexion  between  faith  ami  virtue,  without  which  our 
faith  is  vain,  hut  none  between  perseverance  in  holiness  and  exemption 
from  the  pains  of  child-birth. ’  Vet  if  the  race  should  obey  the  laws 
of  conjugal  sobriety,  and  oilier  of  God’s  laws,  doubtless,  in  the  course  of 
generations,  these  pains  would  mitigate.  Gilt  says  :  ‘The  words  may 
lie  rendered  impersonally  thus;  “Notwithstanding  there  is  salvation 
through  the  birth  of  a  Son;”  (or  child-bearing  ;)  ami  the  sense  is,  that, 
notwithstanding  tiie  fall  of  man  by  the  means  of  the  woman,  yet  there  is 
salvation  for  both  men  and  women,  through  the  birth  of  Immanuel,  the 
Child  born  and  Son  given.’  *  ED. 

[468] 


means  trifles,  or  Pharisaical  impositions,  as  some  affect  to  call  them, 
but  apostolical  injunctions  ;  and  it  should  be  considered,  that,  as  raiment 
was  only  made  needful  by  sin,  so  it  is  peculiarly  unsuitable  for  those, 
who  profess  to  believe  the  Bible,  to  be  proud  and  vain  of  the  very  badge 
of  their  disgrace. — The  original  creation  of  the  man,  and  then  the  wo¬ 
man,  and  the  entrance  of  sin  by  the  woman,  who  ‘being  deceived  was 
first  in  the  transgression,’  concur  in  showing  the  reasonableness  of  that 
subjection,  humility,  and  teachableness,  prescribed  in  Scripture  to  the 
woman,  and  the  impropriety  of  her  usurping  authority  over  the  man. 
But,  as  the  Gospel  gives  special  encouragements  to  the  woman,  in  re¬ 
spect  of  those  sorrows,  which  the  entrance  of  sin  has  entailed  on  her, 
provided  she  continue  in  faith  ami  love,  ‘  with  holiness  and  sobriety  ;’  so 
the  consideration  of  those  manifold  sorrows,  to  which  the  female  sex  is 
subjected,  should  teach  men  to  exercise  their  authority  with  the  utmost 
gentleness,  tenderness,  and  affection.  Scott. 

NOTES.  Chap.  III.  V.  1.  It  has  already  been  shown,  that  the 
word  rendered  ‘bishop,’  was  at  this  time  of  the  same  import  with  that 
translated  ‘elder,’  or  presbyter,  {Note,  Acts  20:  17.)  for  the  charge, 
given  by  Paul  to  the  Ephesian  elders,  is  here  supposed  to  have  been  sub¬ 
sequent  to  the  writing  of  this  epistle.  The  same  is  also  proved,  by  the 
silence  of  the  apostle,  concerning  any  other  order  than  bishops  and  dea¬ 
cons.  {Note.  Phil.  1:1.)  Indeed,  it  is  evident,  that  the  selection  or  ap¬ 
pointment  of  an  individual,  to  be  overseer  of  the  elders  or  pastors, 
though  very  ancient,  ami  probably  apostolical,  was  not  at  this  time  in 
general  use.  Rev.  2:1.  Scott. 

(1.)  Bishop.]  ‘  Whether  bishops  be  understood  as  prelates,  presi¬ 
dents,  or  pastors,  most  certainly  moral  character  in  either,  and  to  all,  is 
of  the  first  importance.’  Williams. 

V.  2.  It  is  manifest,  that.  Timothy  was  supposed  to  be  principally 
concerned  in  the  choice  of  the  bishops,  being  the  apostle's  deputy  and 
representative,  and,  accordingly,  instructions  are  here  given  him,  how 
to  fulfil  this  arduous  charge  in  the  proper  manner;  instructions,  no 
doubt,  intended  to  be  useful  in  the  highest  degree,  if  duly  regarded,  to  all 
others  in  every  age  and  place,  on  whom  the  same  most  important  trust 
should  devolve. — The  apostle  therefore  showed,  very  particularly,  what 
manner  of  persons  these  ‘bishops,’  or  elders  ought  to  be,  in  order  that 
mercenary,  ambitious,  and  other  improper  desires  after  the  sacred  ser¬ 
vice  might  he  repressed,  and  likewise,  that  those  who  had  been  appointed 
to  it  might  know  how  to  behave  in  it.  Whatever  natural  abilities, 
learning,  elocution,  or  spiritual  gifts,  any  man  might  possess,  he  must 
lie  considered  ns  ineligible  to  this  office,  if  not  of  a  ‘  blameless  ’  character, 
and  if  he  had  not  avoided  scandalous  vices,  nt  least  since,  his  professed 
conversion  to  Christianity. — lie  ought  also  to  he  ‘the  husband  of  one 
wife.’  Christ  and  the  apostles  expressly  condemned  polygamy,  as  well 
as  divorces,  except  for  adultery.  (Notes,  Mat.  19:3 — 9.  Mark  10:2 — 12. 
1  Cor.  7:1 — 5.)  Vet  there  was  no  direct  command  for  a  man,  who  had 
previously  taken  more  wives  than  one,  to  put  the  others  away  when  he 
embraced  the  Gospel,  and  such  a  requisition  might,  in  some  instances, 
have  produced  very  bad  consequences  in  domestic  life,  and  increased  the 
opposition  of  the  civil  powers  to  the  preaching  of  Christianity.  But  the 
rule,  that  no  man,  however  qualified  in  other  respects,  should  tie  ad¬ 
mitted  into  the  pastoral  office',  who  had  more  than  rue  wife,  or  who  had 
put  away  one  to  take  another,  tended  to  show  the  unlawfulness  of  po¬ 
lygamy,  and  divorces  on  f  ivolous  pretences,  and  their  inconsistency 
with  the  Christian  dispensation  ;  and  concurred  with  other  tilings  to 
bring  thfim  into  total  disuse  in  the  Christian  church,  \et  without  vio¬ 
lence  and  confusion. — To  argue  hence,  as  it  has  been  done,  that  poly¬ 
gamy  was  lawful  fur  other  Christians,  else  it  would  not  have  been  need¬ 
ful  to  restrict  pastors  from  it,  would  prove,  if  it  proved  anything.) 
that  it  was  also  lawful  and  common,  for  them  to  be  drunkards,  cov¬ 
etous,  brawlers,  or  strikers. — Some  have  inferred  from  this  text,  that 
stated  pastors  ought  to  be  married,  as  a  pre-requisite  to  their  office ; 
but  this  seems  te.  he  a  mistake  of  a  general  permission,  connected  wilh 
a  restriction,  fur  an  express  command.  It  is,  however,  abundantly  suf¬ 
ficient  to  prove,  that  marriage  is  entirely  consistent  with  the  most  sa¬ 
cred  functions,  and  the  most  exemplary  holiness,  and  to  subvert  the 
very  basis  of  the  autichiistian  prohibition  of  marriage  to  the  clergy, 
with  all  its  concurrent,  and  consequent,  and  incalculable  mischiefs. 
(.'totes.  -*.1 — 5.  Heb.  13:4. — Vet  some  have  even  endeavored  to  infer  a 
part  of  that  system  from  this  clause  itself,  and  have  supposed  that  the 
apostle  meant  to  prohibit  second  marriages  to  the  clergy  I  But  this  is 
contrary  to  the  whole  tenor  of  Scripture;  it  is  by  no  means  contained 
in  the  meaning  of  the  words,  and  would  certainly  bring  in  a  part  of  those 
evils,  which  long  experience  lias  proved  inseparable  from  the  general 


A.  D.  GO. 


1  TIMOTHY,  III. 


Qualifications  of  a  bishop. 


S  Not d  given  to  wine,  no  striker, 
not  greedy  of  filthy  lucre  ;  but  'pa¬ 
tient,  not  a  brawler,  not  covetous  ; 

4  One  that  ruleth  well  f his  own 
house,  having  his  children  in  sub¬ 
jection  with  all  gravity  : 

5  (For  if  a  man  know  not  how 
to  rule  his  own  house,  how  shall  he 
take  care  of  the  church  of  God  ?) 

6  Not  a  *  novice,  lest  being  lifted 
up  with  pride  h  he  fall  into  the  con¬ 
demnation  of  the  ’devil. 

7  Moreover  he  must  have  a  good 
report  of  them  J  which  are  without: 

d  or,  not  ready  to  f  Ps.  101:2.  h  Pr.  16:18. 

quarrel  and  of -  g  or,  one  newly  i  Jude  6. 

fer  wrong,  as  C'-me  to  tha  j  Ac  22:12. 

oneinicine.  faith.  1  Th.  4:12. 

e  2  Ti.  2:24. 

work,  requiring  diligence  and  application; 
the  apostle  represents  it  under  the  notion  and 
character  of  a  work.  It  is  a  good  work,  a 
work  of  the  greatest  importance,  and  de¬ 
signed  for  the  greatest  good  ;  to  illustrate 
the  divine  perfections  in  bringing  many  sons 
into  glory.  There  ought  to  be  an  earnest 
desire  of  the  office,  in  those  who  would  he 
put  into  it;  and  this  is  the  question  pro¬ 
posed  to  those  who  offer  themselves  to  the 
ministry  of  the  church  of  England;  ‘  Do 
you  think  you  are  moved  by  the  Holy  Ghost 
to  take  upon-  you  this  office  1  ’ 

In  order  to  the  discharge  of  this  office,  the 
doing  of  this  work,  the  workman  must  be 
duly  qualified. 

1.  A  minister  must  be  blameless;  not  lie 
under  any  scandal;  give  as  little  occasion 
for  blame  as  can  he,  because  that  will  pre¬ 
judice  his  ministry,  and  reflect  reproach  on 
his  office. 

2.  He  must  he  the  husband  of  one  wife; 
not  having  given  a  bill  of  divorce  to  one,  and 
then  taking  another,  or  not  having  many 
wives  at  once,  as  at  that  time  was  too  com¬ 


mon,  both  among  Jews  and  Gentiles,  especi¬ 
ally  Gentiles. 

3.  He  must  be  vigilant ,  watchful  against 
Satan,  over  himself,  and  the  souls  of  those 
committed  to  his  charge,  of  whom  having 
taken  the  oversight,  he  must  improve  all  op¬ 
portunities  of  doing  them  good. 

4.  He  must  he  sober,  temperate,  moderate 
in  all  his  actions,  and  in  the  use  of  all  crea¬ 
ture-comforts.  Be  sober,  be  vigilant. 

5.  He  must  he  of  good  behavior,  composed 
and  solid,  and  not  light,  vain,  and  frothy. 

6.  He  must  be  given  to  hospitality ;  open- 
handed  to  strangers,  and  ready  to  entertain 
them  according  to  his  ability,  as  one  who 
does  not  set  his  heart  ou  the  wealth  of  the 
world,  and  who  is  a  true  lover  of  his  brethren. 

7.  Apt  to  teach.  Therefore  this  is  a 
preaching  bishop  whom  Paul  describes,  one 
who  is  both  able  and  willing  to  communi¬ 
cate  to  others  the  knowledge  God  has  given 
him;  one  who  is  fit  to  teach,  and  ready  to 
take  all  opportunities  of  giving  instruction; 
who  is  himself  well  instructed  in  the  things  of 
the  kingdom  of  heaven,  and  is  communicative 
of  what  he  knows  to  others. 

8.  No  drunkard:  not  given  to  wine.  The 
priests  were  not  to  drink  wine  when  they 
went  in  to  minister,  Lev.  10:  8,  9. 

9.  No  striker;  one  who  is  not  quarrel¬ 
some,  or  apt  to  use  violence  to  any,  but 
does  everything  with  mildness,  love,  and 
gentleness.  The  servant  of  the  Lord  must 
not  strive,  hut  he  gentle  towards  all,  &c.  2 
Tim.  2:  24. 

10.  One  who  is  not  greedy  of  filthy  lucre; 
who  does  not  make  his  ministry  to  truckle 
to  any  secular  design  or  interest;  who  uses 
no  mean,  base,  sordid  ways  of  getting 
money;  who  is  dead  to  the  wealth  of  this 
world,  lives  above  it,  and  makes  it  appear 
he  is  so. 

11.  He  must  be  patient,  and  not  abrawler; 
of  a  mild  disposition.  Christ,  the  great 
Shepherd  and  Bishop  of  souls,  is  so.  Not 
apt  to  be  angry  or  quarrelsome,  not  a  braw¬ 


ler  with  his  tongue;  for  how  shall  men 
teach  others  to  govern  their  tongues,  who 
do  not  make  conscience  of  keeping  them 
under  good  government  themselves! 

12.  Net  covetous.  Covetousness  is  had  in 
any,  hut  worst  in  a  minister,  whose  calling 
leads  him  to  converse  so  much  with  another 
world. 

13.  He  must  he  one  w  ho  keeps  his  family 
in  good  order,  that  he  may  set  a  good  ex¬ 
ample  to  other  masters  of  families,  to  do  so 
too;  and  that  he  may  thereby  give  a  proof 
of  his  ability  to  take  care  of  the  church  of 
God  ;  the  families  of  ministers  ought  to  be 
examples  of  good  to  all  other  families.  Min¬ 
isters  must  have  their  children  in  subjection; 
then  it  is  the  duty  of  ministers’  children  to 
submit  to  the  instructions  that  are  givetn 
them.  With  all  gravity.  The  best  w'ay  to 
keep  inferiors  in  subjection,  is,  to  he  grave 
with  them.  Not  having  his  children  in 
subjection  with  all  austerity,  but  with  all 
gravity. 

14.  He  must  not  be  a  novice;  not  one 
newly  brought  to  the  Christian  religion;  or 
not  one  who  is  hut  meanly  instructed  in  it, 
who  knows  no  more  of  religion  than  its  sur¬ 
face,  for  such  a  one  is  apt  to  be  lifted  up  with 
pride;  the  more  ignorant  [proud]  men  are, 
the  prouder  they  become.  The  devils  fell 
through  pride,  which  is  a  good  reason  why 
we  should  take  heed  of  pride,  because  it  is  a 
sin  that  turned  angels  into  devils. 

15.  He  must  he  of  good  reputation  among 
his  neighbors,  and  under  no  reproach  from 
former  conversation  ;  for  the  devil  will  use 
that  to  insnare  others,  and  work  in  them  an 
aversion  to  the  doctrine  of  Christ,  preached 
by  those  who  have  not  had  a  good  report. 

Now,  on  the  whole,  having  briefly  gone 
through  the  qualifications  of  a  gospel-bishop, 
vve  may,  with  great  reason  cry  out,  as 
Paul  does.  Who  is  sufficient  for  these  things? 
2  Cor.  2: 16.  This  is  a  work  indeed.  What 
piety,  what  prudence,  what  zeal,  wdiat  cour¬ 
age,  what  faithfulness,  what  watchfulness 


prohibition ;  for  ns  good  reasons  may  very  often  be  given  for  marrying  a 
second  time,  as  for  marrying  at  all. — The  pastor  must  also  be  ‘  vigilant,’ 
a  circumspect  and  attentive  man  ;  one  who  watches  carefully  over  his 
flock,  capable  of  discerning  dangers  at  a  distance,  guarding  the  people 
against  the  nrtillees  of  false  teachers,  and  the  devices  of  Satan,  and 
prompt  to  embrace  opportunities  of  usefulness:  he  must  be  ‘sober,’  se¬ 
rious,  and  temperate;  moderate  in  all  his  desires  and  indulgences,  ‘of 
good  behavior’  in  all  the  transactions  of  life;  showing  a  meek,  kind, 
equitable,  faithful,  and  prudent  disposition  towards  all  men.  lie  should 
likewise  be  ready,  according  to  his  ability,  to  relieve  the  poor,  to  enter¬ 
tain  his  brethren  without  grudging,  and  with  evident  cheerfulness  and 
satisfaction,  especially,  he  ought  to  be  hospitable  to  Christians,  who 
were  driven  from  home  by  persecution,  or  who,  in  any  other  way, 
were  brought  to  the  place  of  Ills  residence. — ‘However  we  understand 
the  word  “  bishops,”  it  must  he  allowed,  that  they  ought  to  be  preach¬ 
ers  and  teachers,  and  that  frequently  mid  promptly,  and  not  unpreaching 
prelates.’  Latimer.  Scott. 

(2.)  Given  to  hospitality .]  ‘As  there  were  then,  in  the  Eastern 
countries,  few  houses  of  public  entertainment,  hospitality  to  strangers 
was  a  virtue  more  peculiarly  seasonable  and  necessary  than  among  us.’ 
Doddr. — Yet,  is  it  not  too  much  neglected  ?  Ed. — Apt  to  teach.]  ‘  The 
lip.  of  Winchester,  though  so  candid  as  to  admit  that  bishop  and  presby¬ 
ter  are  of  the  same  signification,  yet  makes  it  an  argument  ill  favor  of 
episcopacy,  that  ordination  is  not  spoken  of.  Hut  there  is  nothing  said 
either  of  administering  the  sacraments ,  which,  with  other  circum¬ 
stances,  concurs  to  show  how  far  Paul  was  from  intending  a  full  repre¬ 
sentation  of  all  the  pastoral  dmies.  It  may  be  added  also,  that  the  di¬ 
rections  he  afterwards  gives  to  Timothy,  on  the  head  of  ordination,  may 
suggest  instruction  in  this  respect  to  all  ministers.  And  it  must  lie  sub¬ 
mitted  to  consideration,  whether  the  omission  of  any  charge  to  presby¬ 
ters,  enjoining  them  to  obey  their  bishop,  as  a  person  of  superior 
authority,  does  not  weigh  much  more  one  way,  Ilian  the  omission 
pleaded  above  can  avail  the  other.’  Doddp.. 

V.  3.  Filthy  lucre.]  ‘It  is  remarkable,  that  this  phrase  is  seldom  or 
never  used  in  the  N.  T.  to  express  any  gain,  but  that  which  is  made  or 
procured  by  the  covetousness  of  Christian  ministers.’  Id. 

V'.  4.  ‘  The  result  of  my  experience  among  the  deaf  and  dumb,  and 

also  among  other  childicn,  has  long  convinced  me,  that,  both  in  the  fam¬ 
ily  and  school,  prayer ,  with  the  Word  of  Go  t ,  applied  to  the  conduct  in 
an  appropriate,  kind,  and  solemn  manner ,  is  the  great  secret  of  effec¬ 
tual  discipline  and  government.  I.et  parents  and  teachers  put  them¬ 
selves,  and  their  own  dignity,  and  authority,  in  a  far  less  prominent  at¬ 
titude  than  is  often  the  case.  Let  them  so  speak  and  act,  as  to  lead  those 
tinder  their  care,  to  regard  them  as  God's  vicegerents ,  commissioned 
and  required  to  enforce  his  commands,  nnd  to  sec  that  his  authority  is 
respected  anil  obeyed.  Let  the  Bible  be  referred  to,  as  the  universal 
statute  book  ;  the  director  and  arbiter  ol  right  and  wrong;  as  the  voice 
of  God.  I.et  the  Holy  Spirit  tie  sought  with  earnest  and  devout  suppli¬ 
cation,  for  parent  and  child,  teacher  and  pupil.  Then  the  reason,  the 
conscience,  the  heart,  the  xvill  of  children,  and  youth,  will  be  reached 
and  touched  as  if  by  the  linger  of  God.  He  will  honor  and  prosper  our 


efforts,  if  we  thus  seek  his  aid,  and  use  the  instruments  which  He  has 
appointed.  Come,  happy  lime  1  when  the  Bible  shall  be  the  great  moral 
guide  and  helper  in  the  discipline  of  families  and  schools;  prayer  in¬ 
voke  the  blessing  of  God  upon  its  use;  and  the  Holy  Spirit  be  shed 
down,  to  crown  the  whole  with  his  divinely  efficacious  influence  !  Then 
the  country  and  church  will  be  safe,  because  their  foundations  will  rest 
on  the  Rock  of  ages.  Then  the  patriot  and  Christian,  may  look  around 
with  humble  exultation  on  our  free  institutions,  and  say,  with  prophetic 
truth,  “  Be  ye  perpetual !”  ’  Rev.  T.  II.  Gallaudet. 

V.  6.  It  would  not  be  generally  expedient,  to  choose  a  new  convert 
to  the  pastoral  ofliee,  or  an  inexperienced  person,  one  hut  superficially 
acquainted  with  human  nature,  and  the  things  of  God  ;  lest  the  distinc¬ 
tion  ofhis  situation,  or  the  applause  bestowed  on  him,  should  elate  him 
with  pride  and  ambition,  and  he  should  thus  fall  into  a  condemnation 
similar  to  that  of  the  devil.  It  is  evident  from  this,  that  spiritual  pride 
and  ambition  constituted  the  beginning  of  Satan’s  apostasy.  (M.  Ri) 
Some  have  conjectured,  that  itxvas  revealed  to  the  angels,  that  the  eter¬ 
nal  Son  would  assume  a  nature  inferior  to  theirs,  in  which  lie  would 
rule  over  them,  and  he  worshipped  by  them,  and  that  Satan,  and  the 
other  angels  who  fell  with  Him,  proudly  disdained  such  subjection. 
But  all  our  conjectures  on  this  subject  must  be  uncertain,  and  in  a  meas¬ 
ure  presumptuous.  The  pride,  however,  and  ambition  of  ministers  on 
account  of  their  office,  gifts,  popularity,  or  success,  would  be  of  a  nature 
in  some  respects  similar  to  Satan’s  pride  in  heaven,  and  might  involve 
‘the  novice’  under  a  similar  condemnation. — It  is  evident,  that  some 
exceptions,  to  this  most  important  general  rule,  must  have  been  ad¬ 
mitted,  in  the  first  formation  of  newly  planted  churches,  in  xvhich  the 
miraculous  gifts  and  endowments  conferred  by  the  Holy  Spirit,  seem  to 
have  superseded  the  necessity  of  that  previous  study  and  experience, 
which  are,  in  all  ordinary  cases,  indispensable.  Ac.  14:21 — 23.  Sc. 

V'.  7.  It  is  evident,  that  the  apostle  did  not  here  at  all  speak  of  the 
several  duties  of  ministers,  but  only  of  the  general  conduct  and  charac¬ 
ter  of  those,  whose  desires  after  Hint  ntlice  were  to  lie  countenanced,  or 
the  contrary,  by  Timothy,  and  by  others  concerned.  Nothing,  therefore, 
can  be  proved,  as  some  have  attempted,  from  supposed  omissions  of 
any  duties  of  ministers,  or  parts  of  their  office,  for  this  was  not  the 
apostle's  subject. — Which  are  without  ]  Notes,  1  Cor.  5:9—13.  Cot. 
4:5,  6.  The  snare  of  the.  devil.]  The  singular  number,  and  the  prefixed 
article  tou.  diabolou,  preclude  the  interpretation  of  those,  who  explain 
the  passage  of  false  accusers,  and  the  snares  laid  by  them.  Id. 

(7.)  Snare  of  the  devil.]  ‘Some  have  explained  it  of  some  human 
slanderer,  Imt  it  seems  much  more  natural  in  the  sense  of  devil,  v.  0. 
our  great  infernal  enemy.  And  it  is  easy  to  see,  that  Satan  might  ft™** 
many  dangerous  temptations,  on  the  evil  report  which  a  man  might 
have  incurred  by  any  scandal,  before  he  entered  on  the  ministry  ;  ei t tier 
attempting  to  draw  him  to  the  repetition  of  former  evils,  from  an  ap¬ 
prehension  that  he  had  very  little  reputation  to  lose  by  a  new  tall,  or 
weakening  bis  bands  in  efforts  of  usefulness,  by  a  fear,  that  the  remem¬ 
brance  of  those  past  irregularities  would  render  his  attempts  less  effec¬ 
tual.’  Doddr. — A  good  report  of  them  which  are  without.)  Piety 
assumes  an  aspect  somewhat  different,  in  different  ages  and  perio  so  ^ 

l_4b  J  J 


A.  D.  64. 


1  TIMOTHY,  III. 


Qualifications  of  deacons. 


lest  he  fall  into  reproach,  and  the 
snare  k  of  the  devil. 

[Practical  Observations.] 

8  Likewise  must  the  deacons  '  be 
grave,  not  double-tongued,  not  m 
given  to  much  wine,  not  greedy  of 
filthy  lucre  ; 

9  Holding  n  the  mystery  0  of  the 
faith  in  a  pure  conscience. 

10  And  let  these  also  first  be 
proved  ;  then  let  them  use  the 
office  of  a  deacon,  being  found 
blameless. 

11  Even  so  must  their  wives  r he 
^rave,  not  slanderers,  sober,  faith¬ 
ful  in-all  things. 

12  Let  the  deacons  be  the  hus¬ 
bands  of  one  wife,  ruling  their 
children  and  their  own  houses  well. 

13  For  they  that,  have  r  used  the 
office  of  a  deacon  8  well,  purchase 
to  themselves  a  good  degree,  and 
great  boldness  in  the  faith  ‘  which 
is  in  Christ  Jesus. 

14  These  things  write  I  unto 
thee,  hoping  to  come  unto  thee 
shortly  : 

k  c.  6;9.  9.  Eze.  44:21.  q  vet*.  4. 

2  Ti.  2:26.  n  Ep.  1:9.  r  or,  ministered. 

]  Ac.  6:3.  o  ver.  16.  s  Mat.  25:21. 

m  ver.  3.  Le.  10:  p  Tit.  2:3.  t  2  Ti.  2:1. 

over  ourselves,  our  lusts,  appetites,  and 
passions,  and  over  those  under  our  charge; 
1  say,  what  holy  watchfulness  is  necessary 
in  this  work  !  Have  not  the  best  qualified 
and  the  most  faithful  and  conscientious  min¬ 
isters  just  reason  to  complain  against  them¬ 
selves,  that  so  much  is  requisite  by  way  of 
qualification,  and  so  much  work  is  neces¬ 
sary  to  be  done!  And,  alas  !  how  far  short 
do  the  best  come  of  what  they  should  he,  and 
what  they  should  do  !  Yet  let  those  bless 
God,  and  be  thankful,  whom  the  Lord  has 
enabled,  and  counted  faithful,  putting  them 
into  the  ministry;  if  God  is  pleased  to 
make  any,  in  some  degree,  able  and  faith¬ 
ful,  let  Him  have  the  praise  and  glory  of  it. 

V.  8 — 13.  1.  We  have  here  the  character 
of  deacons.  Of  the  institution  of  this  office. 


with  that  which  gave  occasion  to  it,  you  j 
have  an  account  in  Acts  6: 1 — 7.  It  was 
requisite  the  deacons  should  have  a  good 
character,  because  they  were  assistants  to 
the  ministers,  appeared  and  acted  publicly, 
and  had  a  great  trust  reposed  in  them.  They 
must  he  grave;  gravity  becomes  all  Chris¬ 
tians,  but  especially  those  who  are  in  office 
in  the  church.  Not  double-tongued;  [volu¬ 
ble;]  tiiat  will  say  one  thing  to  one,  and 
another  thing  to  another,  according  as  their 
interest  leads  them;  flatterers  and  slander¬ 
ers  are  double-tongued.  Not  given  Jo  much  : 
wine;  for  that  is  a  great  disparagement  to  j 
any  man,  especially  to  a  Christian,  and  one 
in  office,  unfits  men  for  business,  opens  the 
door  to  many  temptations.  Not  greedy  of 
filthy  lucre;  this  would  especially  be  bad  in 
the  deacons,  who  were  intrusted  with  the 
church’s  money,  and,  if  they  were  covetous 
and  greedy  of  filthy  lucre,  would  be  tempted 
to  embezzle  it,  and  convert  that  to  their  own 
use  which  was  intended  for  the  public  ser¬ 
vice.  Holding  the  mystery  of  faith  in  a  pure  \ 
conscience,  v.  9.  Note,  The  mystery  of 
faith  is  best  held  in  a  pure  conscience.  The 
practical  love  of  truth  is  the  most  powerful 
preservative  from  error  and  delusion.  Let. 
these  also  first  be  proved,  v.  10.  It  is  not  fit 
that  the  public  trusts  should  be  lodged  in 
the  hands  of  any,  till  they  are  first  proved, 
and  found  [not  merely  ready  of  tongue,  in 
prayer,  and  shrewd,  but]  fit  for  the  business 
they  are  to  be  intrusted  with;  the  sound¬ 
ness  of  their  judgments,  their  zeal  for 
Christ,  and  the  blamelessness  of  their  con¬ 
versation,  must  be  proved. 

2.  Their  wives  likewise  must  have  a  good 
character,  v.  11.  be  of  a  grave  behavior,  not 
slanderers,  tale-bearers,  carrying  stories  to 
make  mischief  and  sow  discord;  they  must 
be  sober  and  faithful  in  all  things,  not  given  j 
to  any  excess,  but  trusty  in  all  that  is  com-  j 
mitted  to  them.  All  who  are  related  to  j 
ministers,  must  double  their  care  to  walk 
as  becomes  the  Gospel  of  Christ,  lest,  if 
they  in  anything  walk  disorderly,  the  min¬ 
istry  be  blamed.  As  he  said  before  of  the 
bishops  or  ministers,  so  here  of  the  deacons  ; 
[each  is  to]  be  the  husband  of  one  wife,  such  as 
had  not  put  away  their  wives,  on  dislike, 
and  married  others;  they  must  rule  their  chil¬ 
dren  and  their  own  houses  well;  families  of 
ministers  should  he  examples  to  other  fami¬ 


lies.  And  the  reason  why  the  deacons  must 
be  thus  qualified,  is,  v.  13.  because,  though 
the  office  of  a  deacon  be  of  an  inferior  de¬ 
gree,  yet  it  is  a  step  toward  the  higher  de¬ 
gree;  or  it  may  be  meant  of  the  good  repu¬ 
tation  a  man  would  gain  by  his  fidelity  in 
this  office;  they  will  purchase  to  themselves 
great  boldness  in  the  faith  that  is  in  Jesus 
Christ. 

Observe,  In  the  primitive  church  there 
were  hut  two  orders  of  ministers,  or  officers, 
bishops  an d  deacons,  Phil.  1:1.  After  ages 
have  invented  the  rest.  Cletnens  Romanus, 
in  his  epistle  to  the  Christians,  ch.  42,  44, 
speaks  very  fully  and  plainly  to  this  effect, 
that  the  apostles,  foreknowing,  by  our  Lord 
Jesus  Christ,  that  there  would  arise  in  the 
Christian  church  a  controversy  about  the 
name  Episcopacy,  appointed  the  foremen- 
tioned  orders,  bishops  and  deacons.  The 
scripture-deacon’s  main  employment  was,  to 
serve  tables,  and  not  to  preach  or  baptize. 
Philip,  indeed,  did  preach  and  baptize  many 
in  Samaria,  Acts  8.  but  he  wms  an  evange¬ 
list,  Acts  21:8.  and  he  might  preach  and 
baptize,  and  perform  any  other  part  of  the 
ministerial  office,  under  that  character;  but 
still  the  design  of  the  deacon’s  office  was,  to 
mind  the  temporal  concerns  of  the  church, 
such  as  providing  for  the  ministers,  and  the 
poor. 

V.  14 — 16.  lie  concludes  the  ch.  with  a 
particular  direction  to  Timothy.  He  hoped 
shortly  to  come  to  him,  to  give  him  further 
directions  and  assistance  in  his  work;  but 
he  wrote  lest  he  should  tarry  long,  that  he 
might  know  how  to  conduct  himself  as  be¬ 
came  an  evangelist,  and  the  apostle’s  sub¬ 
stitute.  He  must  know  how  to  behave  him¬ 
self,  not  only  in  the  particular  church  where 
he  was  now  appointed  to  reside  for  some 
time,  hut  in  other  churches,  where  he  should 
in  like  manner  be  appointed  to  reside  for 
some  time;  therefore  it  is  not  the  church  of 
Ephesus,  but  the  Catholic  [or  universal] 
church,  which  is  here  called  the  house  of 
God,  which  is  the  church  of  the  living  God. 
Observe  here, 

God  is  the  living  God;  the  church  is  his 
house,  where  He  dwells;  and  this  is  the 
great  support  of  the  church,  that  it  is  the 
church  of  the  living  God,  the  true  God  in 
opposition  to  false  gods  ;  the  pillar  and 
ground  of  truth;  i.  e.  either. 


1’RACT.  OI!S.  V.  1 — 7.  The  office  of  a  minister  is  an  arduous  and 
laborious,  ‘but  a  good  work,’  in  every  respect.  It  is  indeed  that  most 
honorable,  useful,  and  important  employment,  in  which  Emmanuel 
Himself  chose  to  he  occupied,  while  lie  refused  to  assume  the  office  of 
King,  during  his  abode  on  earth.  Hut  to  desire  emolument  or  authority 
in  the  church,  by  intruding  into  this  sacred  office,  without  either  quali¬ 
fications  suited  to  its  important  duties,  or  any  purpose  of  performing 
them,  from  indolence,  ambition,  and  love  of  ‘  filthy  lucre,’  is  t he  vilest 
of  all  prostitutions,  and  merils  the  deepest  condemnation. — The  pastors 
of  the  Lord's  flock  should  be  continent,  vigilant,  sober,  ‘  of  good  beha¬ 
vior,  given  to  hospitality,  apt  to  teach,’  and  remote  front  violent  pas¬ 
sions,  and  every  kind  and  degree  of  covetousness.  The  more  extensive 
the  sphere,  and  the  more  conspicuous  the  station,  to  which  any  of  them 
are  called,  the  greater  measure  of  all  these  holy  endowments  are  requi- 

thc  church.  There  is  in  human  nature  a  strong  tendency  to  extremes. 
In  one  age,  or  community,  the  leaning  is  to  enthusiasm  ;  in  another  to 
superstition.  At  one  time,  religion  is  made  to  assume  a  severe  and 
gloomy  aspect.  At  such  times,  all  cheerfulness  is  proscribed  ;  and  the 
Christian  whom  nature  prompts  to  smile,  feels  a  check  from  the  mon¬ 
itor  within.  The  religious  habits  of  some  serious  professors  of  religion, 
are  adapted  to  make  a  very  unfavorable  impression  on  the  minds  of  sen¬ 
sible  men.  They  assume  a  demure  and  sanctimonious  air,  and  speak  in 
an  affected  and  drawling  tone;  often  sighing  and  lifting  tip  their  eyes, 
and  giving  utterance  to  ejaculations.  Now  these  may  be  truly  pious, 
but  the  impression  made  on  most  minds,  by  this  affectation,  is,  that 
they  are  hypocrites,  who  aim  at  heing  thought  uncommonly  devout. 
Religion  never  appears  so  lovely  as  when  she  wears  the  dress  of  perfect 
simplicity.  Men  of  the  world  form  their  opinions  of  t lie  nature  of  piety 
from  what  they  observe  in  its  professors;  ami  from  such  exhibitions 
often  take  up  prejudices  tit, it  are  never  removed.’  Rev.  Dr.  Alexander. 

V.  8 — 13.  This  interpretation  [that  in  Henry]  has  been  contested; 
yet  it  seems  to  be  the  apostle’s  meaning,  and,  without  adverting  to 
modern  habits  or  controversies,  it  is  evident,  that  the  due  discharge  of  the 
primitive  office  of  a  deacon,  must  tend  to  qualify  men  for  the  ministry. 
It  also  appears  from  facts,  that  some  deacons  either  were  before  preach¬ 
ers,  or  became  so  afterwards,  nor  is  there  any  reason  to  think,  that  per¬ 
sons  were  then  regularly  educated  for  the  pastoral  office,  hut  ministers 
seem  to  have  been  always  chosen  from  the  most  established  and  best 
qualified  believers,  and  generally  from  those  who  were  matured  in  '  ears 
and  experience.  This  does  not,  however,  in  any  measure  imply,  that  a 
regular  education  is  not,  in  the  present  state  of  things,  the  most  expe- 


site;  but  no  man  can  be  a  meet  person  for  the  pastoral  office,  in  the 
most  obscure  situation,  who  is  unwntcliful,  frivolous,  licentious,  given 
to  wine,  greedy  of  gain,  disposed  to  furious  anger,  negligent  of  moral 
and  relative  duties,  selfish,  averse  to  hospitality,  and  unable  or  unwilling 
to  teach  the  flock. — The  folly,  ostentation,  conformity  to  the  world,  ex¬ 
travagance  or  ungodliness  of  a  minister's  family,  will  inevitably  and 
greatly  lessen  his  influence,  and  preyent  his  usefulness,  as  well  as  ruin 
his  comfort.  It  is  also  very  wrong  for  novices ,  however  eminent  for 
abilities  and  gifts,  to  be  pushed  forward  prematurely  into  this  arduous 
work.  This  lias  ruined  many  promising  young  men,  by  puffing  them  up 
with  pride,  and  so  casting  them  into  ‘  the  condemnation  of  the  devil.’ 
And  Satan  finds  various  advantages  against  such  as  lose  their  reputa¬ 
tion,  and  incur  the  reproach  of  the  enemies  of  (lie  Gospel,  and  not  only 
against  them,  but  against  the  cause  of  truth  and  holiness.  Scott. 

dient  and  highly  desirable. — (10)  Be  proved.]  ‘By  publishing  iheir 
names  to  the  church,  that  if  any  one  hath  anght  to  lay  to  their  charge, 
he  may  show  it.’  Mackn. — No  doubt  this  was  customary  in  the  primi¬ 
tive  church,  and  productive  of  many  good  effects  ;  indeed  the  form  of  it 
remains  to  this  day.  Rut  it  does  not  appear  that  the  original  word  can 
admit  of  this  interpretation,  for  it  generally  means,  that  trial  of  persons 
and  of  things,  which  is  made  by  experience  and  observation,  or  bv  judg¬ 
ing  of  them  by  some  established  standard,  ns  goldsmiths  assay  the  pre¬ 
cious  metals. — (11)  Wives.]  Some  think,  that  tile  wives  of  deacons  are 
not  here  meant,  lmt  women,  who  were  selected  and  appointed  by  the 
church,  to  teach  those  young  persons  of  their  own  sex,  who  were  re¬ 
strained,  by  local  customs,  from  so  attending  on  the  instructions  of  men, 
ns  to  obtain  from  them  an  adequate  acquaintance  with  Christianity.  It 
is  vorv  doubtful,  if  this  be  the  apostle’s  meaning,  and  the  instruction 
from  the  passage,  as  interpreted  of  the  wives  of  those  who  performed 
any  public  office  in  the  church,  is  so  replete  with  wisdom,  that  it  seems 
highly  worthy  this  special  mention,  Pc.  See  note  on  deaconesses,  (to 
which  ihe  ‘  voice  of  antiquity  ’  refers  ibis.)  Rom.  16:1.  See  HI.  Eo. 

V.  14,  15.  This  by  no  means  includes  the  infallibility  of  any  particu¬ 
lar  chiirch  ;  but  merely  implies,  that  divine  truth  is  upheld,  professed, 
and  maintained  in  the  true  church;  whilst  ungodly  men  in  general,  and 
heretics  in  particular,  oppose,  pervert,  and  undermine  it,  ami  so  error 
and  ignorance  envelope  all  Ihe  rest  of  the  world,  as  with  a  dark  and 
dreadffil  cloud.  Some  apply  it  to  Timothy  and  other  faithful  ministers, 
(Gal.  2:9.)  but  this  seems  to  he  only  a  part  of  the  preceding  instruction, 
for  the  profession  ami  suitable  conversation  of  believers,  as  really  main¬ 
tain  and  recommend  the  truth,  as  the  minister’s  labors  and  doctrines  do. 


A.  D.  60. 


1  TIMOTHY,  Ill. 


Directions  to  Timothy. 


15  But  if  I  tarry  long,  that  thou 
rnayest  know  how  thou  oughtest  to 
behave  thyself  in  the  house  u  of 
God,  which  is  the  church  of  the 
living  God,  the  pillar  and  ’ground 
of  the  truth. 

16  And,  without  controversj’, 
great  is  the  mystery  wof  godliness  : 
God  was  x  manifest  in  *  the  flesh, 
justified  in  the  z  Spirit,  seen  of a  an¬ 
gels,  preached  unto  the  b  Gentiles, 
believed  on  cin  the  world,  received 
up  d  into  glory. 


u  2  Ti.  2:20. 
v  or,  stay. 
w  1  Co.  *2:7. 
x  manifested. 
y  Jn.  1:14. 

1  Jn.  1:2. 


z  Mat.  3:16.  Jn. 
16:8,9.  Ho.  1:4. 
1  He. 3:18.  1  Jn. 
5:6. 

a  Mat.  4:11. 


1  Pe.  1:12. 
b  At.  13:46,48. 
C  Col.  1:6. 
d  Lu.  24:51. 
Ac.  1:3. 


1.  The  church  itself.  Not  that  the  au¬ 
thority  of  the  Scriptures  depends  on  that  of 
the  church,  as  the  papists  pretend,  for  truth 
is  the  pillar  and  ground  of  the  church;  but 
the  church  holds  forth  the  Scripture  and  the 
doctrine  of  Christ,  as  the  pillar,  to  which  a 
proclamation  is  affixed;  holds  forth  the  pro¬ 
clamation,  Eph.  3:  10. 

2.  Others  understand  it  of  Timothy  ;  not 
he  himself  only,  but  he  as  an  evangelist,  and 
other  faithful  ministers,  are  the  pillars  and 
ground  of  truth;  it  is  their  business  to 
maintain,  hold  up,  and  publish,  the  truths 


of  Christ  in  the  church.  It  is  said  of  the  1  This  proves  He  is  God,  the  eternal  Word, 
apostles,  that  they  seemed  to  be  pillars.  Gal.  J  that  was  made  flesh,  and  was  manifest  in 
2:9.  Let  us  he  diligent  and  impartial  in  our  j  the  flesh,  John  1:14.  (2.)  He  is  justified 

inquiries  after  truth;  let  us  take  care  to  j  in  the  Spirit.  Whereas  He  was  reproached 
publish  it,  and  to  transmit  it  safe  and  an-  j  as  a  sinner,  and  put  to  death  as  a  inatefac- 
corrupted  unto  posterity.  When  the  church  tor,  He  was  raised  again  by  the  Spirit,  and 
ceases  to  be  the  pillar  and  ground  of  truth,  so  justified  from  all  calumnies  with  which 
we  may  and  ought  to  forsake  her.  |  lie  was  loaded.  Rom.  4:  25.  1  Pet.  3: 18. 

Now  what  is  the  truth  which  the  churches  I  (3.)  He  was  seen  of  angels.  They  woisliip- 
and  ministers  are  the  pillars  and  grounds  of  I  !  ped  Him,  Heb.  1:6.  attended  his  incarna- 
He  tells  us,  v.  16.  that  without  controversy  j  tion,  his  temptation,  his  agony,  his  death, 
_great  is  the  mystery  of  godliness.  The  learn-  his  resurrection,  his  ascension;  this  is  much 
ed  Cameron  joins  this  with  what  goes  be-  '  to  his  honor,  and  shows  what  a  mighty  in- 
fore,  and  then  it  runs  thus,  ‘  The  pillar  and  terest  He  has  in  the  upper  world,  that  an- 
ground  of  the  truth,  and  without  controversy  gels  ministered  to  Him,  for  lie.  is  the  Lord 
great,  is  the  mystery  of  godliness He  sup-  of  angels.  (4.)  He  is  preached  unto  the 
poses  this  mystery  to  be  the  pillar,  &c.  Ol>  j  Gentiles.  This  is  a  great  part  of  the  mys- 
serve,  I  tery  of  godliness,  that  Christ  was  offered 

Christianity  is  a  mystery,  a  mystery  that  \  to  the  Gentiles  a  Redeemer  and  Savior, 
cotdd  not  have  been  found  out  by  reason  or  whereas,  before,  salvation  was  of  the  Jews, 
the  light  of  nature,  and  cannot  be  cornpre-  ;  Acts  13:  47.  (5.)  That  lie  was  believed  on 
bended  by  reason,  because  it  is  above  rea-  in  the  world,  so  that  He  was  not  preached  in 
son,  though  not  contrary  to  it.  It  is  a  mys-  j  vain.  Many  of  the  Gentiles  welcomed  the 
tery  of  godliness,  designed  to  promote  god-  Gospel  which  the  Jews  rejected.  Who 
liness;  and  herein  it  exceeds  all  the  inyste-  !  would  have  thought  that  the  world,  which 
ries  of  the  Gentiles.  It  is  a  revealed  mys-  lay  in  wickedness,  should  have  believed  in 
tery,  not  shut  up  and  sealed;  audit  does  I  the  Son  of  God,  should  have  taken  Him  to  be 
not,  because  now  in  part  revealed,  cease  to  their  Savior,  who  was  Himself  crucified  at 
be  a  mystery.  |  Jerusalem  1  But,  notwithstanding  all  the 

Now  what  is  the  mystery  of  godliness  1  prejudices  they  labored  under,  He  was  be¬ 
lt  is  Christ;  and  here  are  six  tilings  con-  \  lieved  on,  &c.  (6.)  He  was  received  up  into 
cerning  Christ,  which  make  up  the  mystery  glory;  in  his  ascension.  This  indeed  was 
of  godliness.  'before  He  was  believed  on  in  the  world; 

(L)  lie  is  God  manifest  in  the  flesh.  I  but  it  is  put  last,  because  it  was  the  crown 


PRACT.  OBS.  V.  8 — 16.  The  ‘  mystery  offuith  ’  will  never  appear 
respectable  among  men,  except  it  be  held  in  1  a  pure  conscience.’  Pro¬ 
fessed  Christians  should  therefore  be  proved,  and  found  blameless,  before 
they  are  admitted  to  any  office  in  the  church.  Time  spent  in  prepara¬ 
tion  and  probation  will  not  be  lost,  and  a  precipitate  zeal  is  not  one  of 
the  prescribed  qualifications  for  the  ministry. — This  ‘  doctrine  of  God  our 
Savior,’  will  be  despised  or  revered,  in  great  measure  according  to  the 
conduct  of  professors  of  the  Gospel,  which  will  be  greatly  influenced  by 


that  of  ministers,  their  families  and  connexions'.  (IVofe,  Tit.  2:7 — 10.) 
The  importance  of  these  things  is  therefore  unspeakable,  and  our  watch¬ 
fulness  ought  to  correspond  with  it. — While  numbers  want  a  religion 
‘  without  mystery,’  (which  those  who  worship  the  incomprehensible 
God  cannot  possibly  have,)  and  while  many  seem  to  make  the  very 
truths  of  the  Gospel  ‘a  mystery  of  ungodliness,’  let  us  glory  in  the  in- 
controvertibly  ‘great  mystery  of  godliness,’  and  show  the  sanctifying 
efficacy  of  it  in  our  lives.  Scott. 


Phil.  2:14 — 18. — Others  detach  the  sentence  from  this  v.  and  connect  it 
with  the  following;  as  if  the  apostle  had  meant,  that  ‘the  mystery  of 
godliness,  God  was  manifest  in  the  flesh,’  was  ‘  the  pillar  and  ground  of 
tlie  truth;’  but  this  construction  seems  inadmissible;  for  this  great 
mystery  is  an  essential  part  of  the  truth,  of  which  ‘the  church  is  the 
pillar  and  ground.’  And  as  the  church  is  appointed  to  maintain,  hold 
forth,  and  ‘  adorn  the  doctrine  of  God  our  Savior,'  in  the  midst  of  a  dark 
and  wicked  world,  it  was  very  important,  that  Timothy  should  know 
how  to  conduct  himself,  in  subserviency  to  this  great  design.  Scott. 

(14.)  Hoping  to  come,  &c.J  ‘  It  seems  evident  from  hence,  that  Paul 
intended  to  have  come  hack  to  Timothy,  at  Ephesus,  in  a  little  time,  but 
was  providentially  called  another  way  ;  but  it  can  by  no  means  be  con¬ 
cluded  from  hence,  that  Paul  wrote  this  epistle  to  Timothy,  after  his 
first  imprisonment  at  Rome.’  Doddr. 

(15.)  ‘No  interpretation  of  this  text  seems  more  precarious,  than 
that  which  refers  it  to  the  church.  That  had  just  before  been  called  a 
house,  and  therefore  cannot  naturally  be  called  a  pillar,  or  foundation. 
Yet,  if  it  were  to  be  granted,  it  would  only  prove  that  the  church  was  to 
support  Christianity  from  age  to  age, — not  that  any  particular  church  is 
infallible.  Many  good  critics  refer  this  descriptive  clause  to  Timothy, 
agreeably  to  that  figure  by  which  Peter  is  called  a  pillar ,  Ga.2:9.  Comp. 
Rev.  3:12.  But  I  choose  to  end  the  sentence  with  the  word  God ;  and 
begin  the  next  with  The  pillar,  <fcc.;  then  the  whole  system  of  evangelical 
truths  is  considered  as  resting  on  t li is  pillar  and  basis  ’  Doddr. — Bl. 
maintains  the  following  ns  the  most  natural  connexion  .  ‘  And  great  is 
the  dignity  and  importance  of  the  church  universal,  as  being  the  depos¬ 
itory  of  the  fundamental  truths  of  the  Gospel,  of  which  we  may  un¬ 
doubtedly  say:  “  Great  is  the  mystery  of  godliness  and  it  is  this,  <fec.’ 
Ed. — ‘Some  have  wished  to  read  “  which,”  or  “  who,”  instead  of  “  God,” 
in  this  verse.  The  difference,  in  the  original,  would  be  made  by  a  very 
trifling  variation  in  the  characters  used.  But,  as  Bloom  f.  states,  the  ex¬ 
ternal  evidence  is  decidedly  in  favor  of  the  word  “  God,”  while  that  in 
favor  of  reading  “which,”  or  “who,”  is  next  to  nothing;  and  the  in¬ 
ternal  testimony  against  “which,”  or  “who,”  is  not  less  decisive, 
while  it  is  objectionable  on  every  ground.  Also,  J.  P.  Smith  shows,  that 
the  reading  “which,”  or  “  who,”  would  oblige  us  to  understand  “the 
mystery,”  as  a  description  of  Christ,  personally,  and  that  such  a  de¬ 
scription  is  rational  and  intelligible  only  on  the  admission  of  the  Chris¬ 
tian  doctrine  concerning  the  person  of  the  Savior.’  Henry,  abr. — ‘  The 
apostle  is  generally  supposed  to  make  some  allusion  to  the  heathen 
mysteries,  and  as  those  mysteries  always  have  reference  to  some  deity, 
this  greatly  favors,  or  rather  confirms  the  common  reading  of  the  text. 
T.  II.  Horne,  in  Henry,  abr. — ‘  Shuttle  worth  remarks,  that  the  abrupt 
introduction  and  detached  character  of  this  passage,  give  it  all  the  ap¬ 
pearance  of  a  compressed  formula  of  doctrine.  It  thus  iorms  an  epitome 
of  belief,  consisting  of  the  following  articles.  1.  The  Divinity  and  in¬ 
carnation  of  Christ.  2.  The  separate  personality  and  implied  Divinity 
of  the  Holy  Spirit.  3.  The  universality  of  the  offer  of  redemption  to  the 
human  race.  4.  The  necessity  of  faith.  5.  The  reascension  of  our  Sa¬ 
vior  into  glory,  and  the  consequently  implied  resurrection  of  mankind. 
He  would  understand  the  word  angels,  in  this  place,  to  refer  to  the  apos¬ 
tles,  as  the  companions  nnd  ministers  of  our  Savior,  rather  than  to  the 
angelic  beings,  in  which  sense  the  word  is  used  at  the  beginning  of  the 
Apocalypse  and  elsewhere.’  "  Henry,  abr. 

V.  16.  That  ‘Mystery  of  godliness.’  It  must  be  noted,  that  it  ‘is 
the  mystery  of  godliness.'  The  revelation  and  belief  of  it  have  always 


been  and  are  the  beginning,  and  spring,  of  all  pious  dispositions  and  af¬ 
fections  in  the  hearts  of  fallen  men,  and  of  all  the  spiritual  worship  of 

God  in  the  world _ Had  this  mystery  never  been  revealed,  there  would 

not  have  been  any  true  ‘godliness’  among  men;  none  can  lie  found, 
where  this  mystery  is  unknown  or  rejected,  and  ‘godliness  ’  abounds  in 
proportion,  as  it  is  scripturally  proposed  and  received. — By  this  myste¬ 
ry,  men  learn  the.  true  character  of  God,  as  ‘  a  just  God  and  a  Savior,’ 
anti  the  way  in  which  sinners  may  approach  and  worship  Him;  tltey  dis¬ 
cover  their  real  situation,  their  danger,  and  their  remedy,  and  tints  they 
are  brought  to  fear,  trust,  love,  worship,  obey,  and  rejoice  in  God.  The 
substance  and  centre  of  this  great  mystery  is  this,  ‘God  was  manifest  in 
the  flesh;’  the  divine  nature,  in  the  Person  of  the  co-eternal  and  co¬ 
equal  Son  anil  Word  of  God,  ‘  was  manifested’  to  fallen  men,  as  dwell¬ 
ing  in  the  man  Christ  Jesus,  so  that  whoever  saw,  or  contemplated,  by 
faith,  this  express  1  Image  of  the  invisible  God,’  saw  the  Father  also. 
(Is.  7:14.  9:6.  Jer.  23:5,6.  Mic.  5.2.  Mat.  1:23.  John  1:1,  2, 14.  Ac.  20: 
28.  Rom.  8:3.  9:5.  1  Cor.  15:47.  Gal.  4$4.  Phil.  2:6—8.  Col.  1:16—18. 
Heb.  1:3.  2:9—13.  1  John  1:2.  Rev.  1:17,18 .—Notes,  Is.  7:14.  9:6,7.  Mat. 
11:27.  John  1:1 — 1  8.  14:7—14.  15:22—25.  Phil.  2:5— 11.  Col.  1:15— 17. 
Heb.  1:1,  20 — Thus  sinners  ‘  acquaint  themselves  with  God,’  and  are  re¬ 
conciled  to  Him.  Tli is  high  character  Emmanuel  claimed,  when  on  earth, 
and  the  unmeasurable  unction  of  the  Holy  Spirit  in  his  human  nature,  as 
demonstrated  by  his  perfect  holiness  and  stupendous  miracles,  justified 
his  claim. — This  most  important  part  of  Scripture  seems  to  have  been 
obscured,  and  confined  in  the  interpretation  given  of  it,  hv  the  attempt 
of  some  expositors,  to  reduce  the  overflowings  of  the  apostle’s  fervent 
spirit  to  their  own  ideas  of  method.  But  the  events  referred  to  cannot 
be  reduced  to  exact  order  of  time,  without  evidently  doing  violence  to 
the  meaning  of  the  words. — The  construction  of  the  v.  necessarily  re¬ 
quires,  that  tlie  first  clause  should  serve  as  the  nominative  case  to  the 
subsequent  verbs. — On  the  above  interpretation,  [as  in  Henry,]  the  con¬ 
struction  is  as  follows  ;  4  God  was  manifested  in  the  flesh,’  ‘  God,  man¬ 
ifested  in  the  flesh,’  was  justified  by  ‘the  Spirit,  was  seen  of  angels,  Sec.' 
But  many  have  labored  to  establish  another  reading  from  some  manu¬ 
scripts,  ancient  versions,  and  quotations,  to  this  effect;  ‘the  mystery 
of  godliness,  which  was  manifested  in  the  flesh.’  (Ho,  instead  of  Thr.os.) 
According  to  this  reading,  it  must  follow,  ‘which’  mystery  ‘was  justi¬ 
fied  in  the  Spirit,’  which  mystery  ‘was  seen  of  angels,’  which  mystery 
was  ‘  preached  unto  the  Gentiles,’  which  mystery  ‘  was  believed  in  the 
world,’  which  mystery  ‘  was  received  up  into  glory.’  The  mystery  be¬ 
ing  ‘manifested  in  the  flesh,’  and  ‘the  mystery  being  received  up  into 
glory,’  are  not  very  intelligible  propositions  ;  but  numbers  seem  to  pre¬ 
fer  absurdity  to  orthodoxy,  especially  in  respect  of  the  person  of  Em¬ 
manuel.  Others,  on  similar  authority,  substitute  4  who.’  ( Theos  for 
hos .)  But  there  is  no  antecedent  to  this  relative,  except  ‘God,’  in  the 
preceding  v.  4  The  church  of  the  living  God,  tthe  pillar,  and  ground  of 
tlie  truth,  and  without  controversy  great  is  the  mystery  of  godliness,) 
who  was  manifested,  &c.’  This  brings  in  the  same  doctrine,  but  with  a 
very  unnatural  parenthesis. — Tlie  authority  for  either  of  these  readings 
is  by  no  means  satisfactory,  and  the  internal  evidence  (or  that  adopted 
in  our  translation  is  so  strong,  that  it  turns  the  balance  completely  on 
that  side,  in  my  judgment  at  least.  Scott. 

(16.)  4  It  is  no  proof  that  our  affections  arc  truly  gracious,  because 

they  are  produced  by  texts  of  Scripture,  suddenly,  and  in  an  extraordi¬ 
nary  manner,  applied  to  the  mind.  Some  persons  seem  to  regarc  t  is, 
as  a  good  evidence  that  their  affections  are  saving,  especially  it  t  he :  a  e 

[471] 


A.  D.  60. 


1  TIMOTHY,  IY. 


A  dreadful  apostasy  foretold. 


CHAP.  IV. 

1  He  foretelleth  that  in  the  latter  limes  fhete  shall  he  a  de¬ 
parture  trom  the  faith.  6  And  to  the  end  that  Timothy 
might  not  fail  in  doing  his  duty,  he  furnisheth  him  with 
clivers  precepts  belonging  thereto. 

NOW  the  Spirit  speaketh  ex¬ 
pressly,  that  a  in  the  latter 
times  some  shall  depart  from  the 
faith,  giving  heed  to  seducing  •'spir¬ 
its,  and  doctrines  of  devils  ; 

2  Speaking  lies  in  hypocrisy  ; 
having  their  conscience  seared  with 
a  hot  iron  ; 

8  Forbidding  to  marry,  and  com¬ 
manding  to  abstain  from  meats, 
which  God  hath  created  to  be  re¬ 
ceived  c  with  thanksgiving  of  them 
which  believe  and  know  the  truth. 

4  For  every  creature  of  God  is 
good,  and  nothing  to  be  refused,  if 
it  be  received  with  thanksgiving  : 

5  For  it  is  sanctified  by  the  word 
of  God  and  prayer. 

[Practical  Observations .] 

n  Da.  11:35.  2  Pe.  2:1.  c  Ec.  5:18. 

Mai.  21:5— 12.  b  Re.  16:11. 

of  liis  exaltation,  and  because  not  only  his 
ascension  is  meant,  but  bis  sitting  at  the 
right  hand  of  God,  where  He  ever  lives,  mak¬ 
ing  intercession,  and  has  all  power,  both  in 
heaven  and  earth;  and  because  in  the  apos¬ 
tasy,  of  which  Paul  treats  in  the  following 
ch.,  his  remaining  in  heaven  would  be  de¬ 
nied  by  those  who  pretend  to  bring  Him 
down  on  their  altars  in  the  consecrated  wa¬ 
fers.  Observe, 

He  who  was  manifest  in  flesh,  was  God, 
really  and  truly ;  God  by  nature,  and  not  only 
by  office,  for  this  makes  it  to  be  a  mystery. 
God  was  manifest  in  flesh,  real  flesh,  Heb. 
2:  14.  And  what  is  more  amazing,  He  was 
manifest  in  the  flesh,  after  all  flesh  had  cor¬ 
rupted  his  way,  though  He  Himself  was  ho¬ 


ly  from  the  womb.  Godliness  is  a  mystery 
in  all  its  parts  and  branches,  from  the  begin¬ 
ning  to  the  end,  from  Christ’s  incarnation  to 
his  ascension.  It  being  a  great  mystery,  we 
should  rather  humbly  adore,  and  piously  be¬ 
lieve  it,  than  curiously  pry  into,  or  be  too 
positive  in  our  explications  o(  it,  and  deter¬ 
minations  about  it,  further  than  the  Holy 
Scriptures  have  revealed. 

Chap.  IV.  V.  1 — 5.  We  have  here  a 
prophecy  of  the  apostasy  of  the  latter  times, 
2  Thess.  2.  He  means  the  Spirit  in  the  O. 
T.  or  the  Spirit  in  the  prophets  of  the  N.  T. 
or  both.  The  Spirit  in  both  spake  express¬ 
ly  of  a  general  apostasy  from  the  faith  of 
Christ,  and  the  pure  worship  of  God.  The 
latter  times  means  the  Christian  dispensation, 
called  also  the  latter  days,  the  following  ages 
of  the  church.  Some  shall  depart,  or  there 
shall  be  an  apostasy  ;  some,  not  all  ;  for,  in 
the  worst  of  times,  God  will  have  a  remnant, 
according  to  the  election  of  grace.  They  shall 
depart  from  the  faith,  the  faith  delivered  to 
the  saints,  Jude  3.  delivered  at  once,  the 
sound  doctrine  of  the  Gospel.  Giving  heed 
to  seducing  spirits;  men  who  pretended  to 
the  Spirit,  but  were  not  really  guided  by  the 
Spirit,  1  Jn.  4:1.  Now  here  observe, 

I.  One  of  the  great  instances  of  that  apos¬ 
tasy,  giving  heed  to  doctrines  of  demons,  or 
concerning  demons  ;  doctrines  which  teach 
the  worship  of  saints  and  angels,  as  a  mid¬ 
dle  sort  of  deities,  between  the  immortal 
God  and  mortal  men,  such  as  the  heathens 
called  demons,  and  worshipped  under  [in 
their  hero  worship ]  that  notion.  Now  this, 
plainly  agrees  to  the  church  of  Rome,  and 
was  one  of  the  first  steps  toward  that  great 
apostasy,  the  enshrining  of  the  relics  of  mar¬ 
tyrs,  paying  divine  honors  to  them,  erecting 
altars,  burning  incense,  consecrating  images 
and  temples,  and  making  prayers  and  praises 
to  the  honor  of  saints  departed.  This  de¬ 
monworship  is  paganism  revived,  [see  Mid¬ 
dleton’s  Letter  from  Rome,]  the  image  of 
the  first  beast. 


II.  The  instruments  of  promoting  and 
propagating  this  apostasy  and  delusion,  v.  2. 
the  agents  and  emissaries  of  Satan,  who  pro¬ 
mote  these  delusions  by  lies  and  forgeries, 
and  pretended  miracles.  It  is  done  by  their 
hypocrisy,  professing  honor  to  Christ,  and 
yet  at  the  same  time  fighting  against  all  his 
anointed  offices,  and  corrupting  or  profaning 
all  his  ordinances.  This  respects  also  tire 
hypocrisy  of  those  who  have  their  consciences 
seared  with  a  red-hot  iron,  who  are  perfectly 
lost  to  the  first  principles  of  virtue  and  mor¬ 
al  honesty.  If  men  had  not  their  consciences 
seared  as  with  a  hot  iron,  they  could  never 
maintain  a  power  to  dispense  with  oaths  for 
the  good  of  the  Catholic  cause,  [see  conclud¬ 
ing  note  to  Col.]  could  never  maintain  that 
no  faith  is  to  be  kept  with  heretics,  could 
never  divest  themselves  of  all  remains  of  hu¬ 
manity  and  compassion,  and  clothe  them¬ 
selves  with  the  most  barbarous  cruelly,  un¬ 
der  pretence  of  promoting  the  interest  of  the 
church. 

Another  part  of  their  character  is,  that 
they  forbid  to  marry,  forbid  their  clergy  to 
marry,  and  speak  very  reproachfully  of  mar¬ 
riage,  though  an  ordinance  of  God  ;  and  that 
they  command  to  abstain  from  meats,  and 
place  religion  in  that  at  certain  times  and 
seasons,  only  to  exercise  a  tyranny  over  the 
consciences  of  men. 

1.  The  apostasy  of  the  latter  times  should 
not  surprise  us,  being  expressly  foretold  by 
the  Spirit.  2.  The  Spirit  is  God,  otherwise 
He  could  not  certainly  foresee  such  distant 
events,  depending  on  the  tempers,  humors, 
and  lusts  of  men.  3.  The  difference  between 
the  predictions  of  the  Spirit  and  the  oracles 
of  the  heathen  is  remarkable  ;  the  Spirit 
speaks  expressly,  but  the  oracles  of  the  hea¬ 
then  were  always  doubtful  and  uncertain. 
4.  It  is  comfortable  to  think  that,  in  such 
general  apostasies,  all  are  not  carried  away, 
but  only  some.  5.  It  is  common  for  seducers 
and  deceivers  to  pretend  to  the  Spirit,  which 
is  a  strong  presumption  that  all  are  couvinc- 


PRACT.  OBS.  V.  l-*-5.  The  Scriptures  are  arranged  with  such 
consummate  wisdom,  that  the  apostasies  of  those,  who  ‘  give  heed  to 
seducing  spirits,’  and  teach  1  the  doctrine  of  demons,’  introducing  idola¬ 
try  and  various  dire  corruptions  into  the  church,  ‘  turn  to  a  testimony,’ 
to  every  humble  believer,  who,  reading  that  1  the  Spirit  spoke  expressly’ 
of  these  things  long  before,  is  thus  most  fully  convinced  of  the  divine 
authority  of  the  sacred  oracles. — Those  false  teachers,  who  most  neglect 
the  commandments  of  God,  and  allow  themselves  and  others  in  the 
most  atrocious  violations  of  moral  and  relative  duties,  are  generally  very 
prompt  to  forbid  as  evil  what  God  lias  pronounced  innocent  and  honor¬ 
able  ;  and  to  command  as  a  dutf  what  He  has  left  indifferent.  But  ‘  the 
law  of  the  Lord’  is  ‘exceedingly  broad;’  and  we  shall  find  abundant 
exercise  for  watchfulness,  diligence,  self-denial,  and  mortification  of  the 

hope,  or  joy,  or  any  other  that  are  pleasing  and  delightful.  What  deceives 
many  of  the  less  informed  and  considerate,  seems  to  be  this;  the  SS. 
are  the  Word  of  God,  and  therefore  contain  nothing  but  what  is  true  and 
holy;  and  hence  the  experience  proceeding  from  the  application  of  pas¬ 
sages  from  them,  must  be  evangelical.  But  affections  may  arise  from 
tfiem,  not  as  their  genuine  fruit,  and  from  a  right  application,  but  from 
an  abuse  of  them.  All  that  can  be  argued  from  the  veracity  and  purity 
of  the  Word  of  God,  is, — that  that  experience  which  is  agreeable  to  it 
rannot  be  wrong,  and  not  that  those  affections  must  be  right,  which 
arise  in  consequence  of  the  Word  of  God  coming  to  our  minds.  Is  there 
any  proof  that  the  devil  cannot  bring  texts  to  the  mind,  and  misapply 
them  for  the  purpose  of  deceiving?  Or  are  texts  of  Scripture  so  sacred 
that  Satan  dares  not  abuse  them  ?  He  had  the  temerity  to  tempt  Christ, 
and  to  put  Him  in  mind  of  texts  for  this  purpose,  and  why  may  he  not 
put  wicked  men  in  mind  of  texts,  to  tempt  them  7  We  know  that  the 
ministers  of  Satan,  heretical  teachers,  can  and  do  pervert  Scripture  to 
their  own  and  others’  damnation,  2  Bet.  3:16.  and  there  is  no  text  so  pre¬ 
cious  and  sacred,  but  they  may  abuse  it.  When  they  do  this,  they  do  it 
at  his  instigation,  and  doubtless  he  himself  does  what  he  induces  others 
1°  do.’  Edwards. 

NOTES.  Chap.  IV.  V.  1 — 5.  To  stir  up  Timothy,  and  others  by 
him,  to  adhere  steadfastly  to  the  ‘great  mystery  of  godliness,’  3:16.  the 
apostle  declared,  that  the  Holy  Spirit  spake,  in  the  most  express  and  de¬ 
cisive  manner,  not  only  by  Daniel,  and  others  of  the  ancient  prophets, 
but  to  Paul  himself  by  immediate  revelation,  and  perhaps  to  several  of 
his  brethren,  concerning  certain  persons  in  the  latter  days,  under  the 
Christian  dispensation,  or  in  after  times,  who  would  apostatize  from  the 
true  faith  of  the  Gospel.  /Jan.  7:7,  8,  19—27.  11:31 — 39.  2  Thes.  2:3, 
4.  2  Tim.  3:1  — 5.  Rev.  13:  14:  —  Every  one,  who  is  at  all  acquainted 
with  ecclesiastical  history,  must  know  what  apostasy  and  corruption  of 
Christianity  has  most  entirely  accorded  to  this  prediction.  The  Judaiz- 
ing  teachers,  and  the  Gnostics,  and  others,  contended,  indeed,  for  some 
of  these  superstitions  ;  ‘  the  mystery  of  iniquity  ’  in  these  respects  did 
‘even  then  work;’  hut  it  was  reserved  for  the  church  of  Rome  fully  to 
prove  the  truth  of  the  Scriptures,  by  accomplishing  these  predictions  in 
their  most  detestable  enormities.  It  has  been  shown,  in  what  manner 
the  errors  of  the  Judaizing  teachers,  and  the  traditions  of  the  Pharisees, 

[472] 


flesh,  in  attending  to  its  holy  requirements,  without  being  laid  under 
further  restrictions,  or  tasked  to  imaginary  duties  ;  as  if  we  had  at  pres¬ 
ent  done  all  his  will,  and  wanted  more  employment  !  We  should,  there¬ 
fore,  he  on  our  guard  against  impositions  of  this  kind,  on  whatever  pre¬ 
tence  they  are  enforced  ;  and,  while  we  follow  after  purity,  and  exercise 
temperance  in  all  things,  according  to  the  will  of  God;  let  us  disregard 
such  as  judge  us  in  those  things  which  He  lias  allowed. — While  we  are 
satisfied,  that  ‘every  creature  of  God  is  good,  and  nothing  to  be  refus¬ 
ed  ;’  let  us  remember,  that  all  should  be  ‘  received  with  thanksgiving,  by 
them  who  believe  and  know  the  truth ;’  that  even  the  divine  allowance 
will  not  sanctify  an  intemperate,  inexpedient,  extravagant,  unthankful, 
or  cruel  use  of  the  creatures ;  and  that  nothing  will  be  good  to  us,  except 
we  seek,  by  prayer,  tile  Lord’s  blessing  on  our  use  of  it.  Scott. 

on  the  one  hand,  and  the  speculations  of  the  heathen  philosophers,  on 
the  other,  corrupted  the  pure  doctrine  of  Christianity  in  the  primitive 
times.  (Notes,  Col.  2:8 — 23.)  But  it  should  not  be  forgotten,  that  in 
subsequent  ages,  especially  in  the  Roman  church,  the  mythology  of  the 
pagans,  and  the  writings  of  the  poets,  helped  to  introduce  still  further 
corruptions.  For  what  are  the  nuns  of  popery,  but  the  vestal  virgins 
of  the  Romans,  engrafted  on  Christianity  ?  The  monks,  indeed,  are  [in 
some  respects]  an  unprecedented  addition.  Saints  and  angels,  as  me¬ 
diators,  answer  to  the  demigods  and  heroes  of  the  pagans ;  (Note,  l  Cor. 
8:4 — 6.)  mid  the  numerous  processions  and  festivals  of  the  papists,  and 
the  method  of  observing  them,  answer,  with  surprising  exactness,  to 
those  described  in  Homer  and  Virgil,  especially  in  the  latter.  Indeed,  it 
appears  to  me,  that  n  learned  man,  who  had  leisure  to  compare  all  the 
pompous  and  fascinating,  outward  services  in  the  church  of  Rome  espe¬ 
cially,  though  not  there  exclusively,  with  the  Greek  and  Latin  poets, 
might  form,  I  had  almost  said,  a  Rubric  and  a  ritual  from  the  latter.  [See 
this  done  in  Dr.  A.  Clarke’s  Commentary,  and  comp.  Middleton’s  Letter 
from  Rome.]  At  least.  I  have  never,  for  many  years,  opened  Virgil  to 
read  a  few  pages  but  I  have  met  with  some  things,  which  cogently  re¬ 
minded  me  of  the  popish  processions  and  festivals. — ‘The  third  v.  con¬ 
tains  one  of  the  boldest  ellipses  in  the  N.  T.,  where  a  word  is  to  he  un¬ 
derstood,  contrary  to  that  which  is  before  ex  pressed ;  but,  some  of  the 
most  celebrated  classical  writers,  and  particularly  Horace  and  Cicero, 
lake  the  same  libertv.’  Doldr.  The  passage  undeniably  demands  this 
construction;  and  all  the  ancient  expositions  and  versions  supply  the 

ellipsis  in  the  same  manner,  or  to  the  same  meaning _ Devils  ]  This 

term,  thus  used,  proves  that  the  worship  of  saints  and  angels,  ns  media¬ 
tors,  in  the  antichrlstinn  system,  is  ns  much  idolatry,  and  centres  as 
much  in  the  worship  of  evil  spirits,  as  the  pagan  worship  did;  and  that 
it  was  introduced,  and  is  maintained,  by  the  seduction  of  ‘  the  devil  and 
his  angels,’  even  as  heathen  idolatry  was.  Scott. 

(1.1  Latter  limes.}  ‘  The  whole  period  or  time  under  the  reign  of  the 
Messiah.’  Doddp.. — ‘All  the  delusions  of  Satan, by  which  those  persons 
are  carried  away  who  are  under  the  influence  of  false  religion,  seem  to 
be  formed  in  the  imagination.  This  is  the  devil’s  grand  lurking-place. 
It  is  probable  lie  cannot  comeat  the  soul  of  man,  to  excite  anv  thoughts, 
or  produce  any  effects  there,  but  through  his  imagination.’  Edwards. 


A.  D.  60. 


1  TIMOTHY,  IV. 


6  If  thou  put  the  brethren  in  re¬ 
membrance  of  these  things,  thou 
shalt  be  a  good  minister  of  Jesus 
Christ,  nourished  up  d  in  the  words 
of  faith  and  of  good  doctrine, 
whereunto  thou  hast  attained. 

7  But  refuse  profane  and  old 
wives’  •  fables,  and  exercise  thyself 
rather  unto  godliness, 

8  For  bodily  exercise  profiteth 
f  little  :  but  godliness  *  is  profitable 
unto  all  things,  having  promise  h  of 
the  life  that  now  is,  and  of  that 
which  is  to  come. 

9  This  is  a  faithful  saying,  and 
worthy  of  all  acceptation. 

10  For  therefore  we  both  labor 
and  suffer  reproach,  because  we 
trust  in  the  living  God,  who  is  the 
Savior  of  all  men,  specially  of  those 
that  believe. 

11  These  things  command  and 
teach. 

12  Let  ‘no  man  despise  thy 
youth  ;  but  be  thou  an  example  of 
the  believers,  in  word,  in  conversa¬ 
tion,  in  charity,  in  spirit,  in  faith, 
in  purity. 

13  Till  I  come,  give  attendance 
to  reading,  to  exhortation,  to  doc¬ 
trine. 

14  Neglect  f  not  the  gift  that  is 
in  thee,  which  was  given  thee  by 
k  prophecy,  with  the  laying  on  1  of 
the  hands  of  the  presbytery. 

ti  Je.  15:16.  lime.  j  2  Ti.  1:6. 

I  Pe  2:2.  g  c  6:6.  k  C.  1:18, 

•  Tit.  1:14.  h  P».  84:11.  1  Ac.  13:3. 

f  or, /or  a  little  i  Tit.  2:7,15. 

ed  that  this  is  the  most  likely  to  work  in  us 
an  approbation  of  what  pretends  to  come 
from  the  Spirit.  6.  Men  must  be  hardened, 
and  their  consciences  seared,  before  they  can 
depart  from  the  faith,  and  draw  in  others  to 
side  with  them.  7.  It  is  a  sign  that  men 
have  departed  from  the  faith,  when  they  will 
command  what  God  has  forbidden,  such  as 
saint  and  angel  or  demon-worship  ;  and  for¬ 
bid  what  God  has  allowed  or  commanded, 
such  as  marriage  and  meats. 


Upon  occasion  of  the  mentioning  of  their 
hypocritical  fastings,  the  apostle  lays  down 
the  doctrine  of  the  Christian  liberty  we  en¬ 
joy  under  the  Gospel,  of  using  God’s  good 
creatures  ;  that  whereas,  under  the  law, 
there  was  a  distinction  of  meats  between 
clean  and  unclean,  (such  sort  of  flesh  they 
might  eat,  and  such  they  might  not  eat,)  all 
that  is  now  taken  away  ;  and  we  are  to  call 
nothing  common  or  unclean,  Acts  10:  15. 

Observe,  God’s  good  creatures  are  then 
good,  and  doubly  sweet  to  us,  when  received 
with  thanksgiving,  and  sanctified  by  the  Word 
of  God  and  prayer,  v.  5.  It  is  desirable  to 
have  a  sanctified  use  of  our  creature-com¬ 
forts. 

V.  6 — 16.  If  thou  put  the  brethren  in  re¬ 
membrance,  Si c.  He  would  have  Timothy 
to  instil  such  notions  as  these  into  the  minds 
of  Christians,  which  might  prevent  their  be¬ 
ing  seduced  by  the  Judaizing  teachers.  Ob¬ 
serve,  Those  are  good  ministers  of  Jesus 
Christ,  who  are  diligent,  not  to  advance  new 
notions,  but  to  put  the  brethren  in  remem¬ 
brance  of  those  things  which  they  have  received 
and  heard,  2  Pet.  1 :  12.  3:1.  And,  says  the 
apostle  Jude,  I  will  therefore  put  you  in  re¬ 
membrance,  Jude  5. 

Nourished  up  in  the  words  of  faith  and  good 
doctrine,  whereunto  thou  hast  attained.  Ob¬ 
serve,  Even  ministers  have  need  to  grow 
and  increase  in  the  knowledge  of  Christ  ; 
they  must  be  nourished  up  in  the  words  of 
faith. 

I.  Godliness  is  here  pressed  on  him  and 
others,  v.  7,  8.  Jewish  traditions  they  were 
to  have  nothing  to  do  with,  but  to  mind  prac¬ 
tical  religion.  Those  who  would  be  godly, 
must  exercise  themselves  unto  godliness  ; 
bodily  exercise,  abstinence  from  meats  and 
marriage,  and  the  like,  though  they  pass  for 
acts  of  mortification  and  self-denial,  yet 
turn  to  little  account.  What  will  it  avail  us, 
to  mortify  the  body,  if  we  do  not  mortify 
sin  !  Observe, 

A  great  deal  is  to  be  got  by  godliness  ;  it 
will  be  of  use  to  us  in  the  whole  of  our  life  ; 
for  it  has  the  promise  of  the  life  that  now  is, 
and  of  that  which  is  to  come.  Observe,  The 
gain  lies  much  in  the  promise  ;  the  promise  to 
the  godly,  as  to  the  life  that  now  is,  but  espe¬ 
cially  the  life  to  come.  If  godly  people  have 
but  little  of  the  good  things  of  the  life  that  now 
is,  yet  [they  are  blessed  in  their  spirits,  and 
enjoying  the  happiness  which  flows  from  the 


PauPs  directions  to  Timothy. 

exercise  of  their  better  feelings,  and]  it  shall 
be  made  up  to  them  in  the  good  things  of  the 
life  that  is  to  come. 

II.  The  encouragement  we  have  to  pro¬ 
ceed  in  the  ways  of  godliness,  and  to  exer¬ 
cise  ourselves  to  it,  notwithstanding  the  dif¬ 
ficulties  and  discouragements  we  meet  with 
in  it.  Those  who  labor,  and  suffer  reproach, 
in  the  service  of  God  and  the  work  of  reli¬ 
gion,  may  depend  on  the  living  God,  that 
they  shall  not  lose  by  it.  Let  this  encourage 
them ;  We  trust  in  the  living  God.  The  con¬ 
sideration  of  this,  that  that  God  who  has  un¬ 
dertaken  to  be  our  Paymaster,  is  the  living 
God,  who  does  Himself  live  for  ever,  and  is 
the  Fountain  of  life  to  all  who  serve  Him, 
should  encourage  us  in  all  our  services  and 
in  all  our  sufferings  for  Him,  especially  con¬ 
sidering  that  He  is  the  Savior  of  all  men,  in 
that  He  protects  their  persons  and  lives  ;  is 
not  willing  any  should  perish,  but  that  all 
should  come  to  repentance,  and  much  more 
will  be  the  Rewarder  of  those  who  seek  and 
serve  Him,  who  are  new  creatures,  who  are 
born  again.  He  is  the  Savior  of  all  men, 
but  especially  of  those  that  believe  ;  and  the 
salvation  he  has  in  store  for  those  that  be¬ 
lieve,  is  sufficient  to  recompense  them  for  all 
their  services  and  sufferings. 

Here  we  see,  1.  The  life  of  a  Christian  is 
a  life  of  labor  and  suffering;  we  labor  and 
suffer.  2.  The  best  w  e  can  expect  to  suffer 
in  the  present  life  is,  reproach  for  our  well¬ 
doing.  3.  True  Christians  trust  in  the  liv¬ 
ing  God  ;  for  cursed  is  the  man  that  trusts 
in  man,  or  in  any  but  the  living  God.  4. 
God  is  the  general  Savior  of  all  men,  as  He 
has  put  them  into  a  solvable  state;  but  pe¬ 
culiarly  of  true  believers ;  there  is  then  a  gen¬ 
eral  and  a  special  redemption.  . 

III.  He  concludes  the  ch.  with  an  exhor¬ 
tation  to  Timothy,  to  command  and  teach  these  ' 
things  he  had  now  been  teaching  him. 

He  charges  him  to  conduct  himself  with 
that  gravity  and  prudence  that  might  gain 
him  respect,  notwithstanding  his  youth  ; 
ii.  12.  to  confirm  his  doctrine  by  a  good  ex¬ 
ample,  as  is  the  duty  of  those  who  teach  ; 
and  to  study  hard,  that  he  might  be  well  fur¬ 
nished  for  his  ministry,  v.  13.  The  exhor¬ 
tation  to  reading,  &c.  may  be  meant  of  private 
study,  or  of  the  public  reading  of  the  Scrip¬ 
tures;  he  must  read  and  exhort,  that  is,  read^ 
and  expound  ;  expound  both  by  way  of  ex¬ 
hortation,  and  of  doctrine. 


V.  6 — 10.  Savior  of  all  men,  &c.}  ‘  The  Preserver  of  all  men,’  in  respect 
of  their  lives  and  temporal  concerns,  and  who  will,  therefore,  take  es¬ 
pecial  care  of  believers,  as  interested  in  his  covenanted  blessings.  Or, 
who  is  the  Savior  of  sinners,  whether  Jews  or  Gentiles,  and  of  mankind 
in  general;  so  that  none  are  rejected  when  they  seek  to  Him  for  salva¬ 
tion  ;  of  whiefi  believers  are  already  made  partakers  by  his  special  grace. 
Do  they,  who  seem  dissatisfied  with  this  interpretation,  (as  some  are,) 
really  intend  to  maintain,  that  all  men,  without  exception,  will  eventual¬ 
ly  be  saved  ?  1  The  author  of  the  book,  De  Vocations  Gentium,  expounds 
this  very  well,  telling  us,  that  by  saying  .  ..  “He  is  the  Savior  of  ail 
men,”  he  confirms  the  general  goodness  of  God  towards  all  men  ;  and 
by  adding,  “specially  of  them  that  believe,”  he  shows,  there  is  one  part 
of  mankind,  who,  through  the  benefit  of  divinely  inspired  faith,  is  by 
special  benefits  advanced  to  the  highest  and  eternal  felicity.’  Whitby. 
(S)  Bodily  exercise.]  See  on  Lu/ce  3:22.  Gumnasia.  Such  as  the  com¬ 
batants  in  the  public  gymnastic  games  used,  1  Cor.  4.24 — 27.  whose  pain¬ 
ful  exercises  the  devotees  of  superstition  imitated.  Scott. 

(7.)  Exercise  thyself ..  unto  godliness.]  A  most  valuable  hint ;  for 
one  great  error  of  the  prevalent  system  of  education,  especially  female 
education,  is,  that  it  is  rather  preceptive  than  prac titionary.  Now  it  is 
wijh  the  mind  and  heart,  the  intellect  and  affections,  the  sentiments  and 
propensities,  as  with  the  bodily  muscles,  in  one  sense  ;  the  repetition  of 
a  thought  or  desire,  renders  similar  thoughts  or  desires  more  easy  ;  and 
such  acts  of  intellect,  feeling,  or  propensity,  more  readily  suggest  them¬ 
selves  again,  and  again,  and,  the  oftener  repeated,  the  more  readily,  till 
habits  of  thought,  feeling,  and  sensation  are  formed, — and  these  habits 
are  character,  and  this  character  goes  into  eternity.  The  apostle  then 
requires  Timothy  to  exercise  his  conscientiousness,  his  benevolence, 
his  veneration,  his  love  of  perfection,  his  faith ;  in  fine,  his  love  to  God, 
and  his  law,  as  holy,  just,  and  good ;  exercise  himself  unto  godliness  or 
godlikeness.  And  this  is  the  whole  business  and  end  of  humanity,  of  our 
existence  in  this  world,  the  moulding  of  our  characters  to  godlikeness, 
by  constant  exercise  of  the  faculties  we  are  endowed  with;  and  God 
has  fitted  this  whole  world  to  those  faculties,  endowing  us  with  a  cor¬ 
respondent  constitution,  to  be  disciplined  to  moral  excellence  by  the 
varied  experience  of  life,  by  God’s  physical,  organic,  moral,  and  reveal¬ 
ed  laws,  and  promising  the  assistance  of  his  Spirit  to  help  our  obedience. 
— The  Germans,  in  their  admirable  practical  system  of  common  school 
education,  acknowledge  this  law  of  exercise  in  moral  perfection,  and  their 
schoolbooks  have  questions  of  conscience,  <fcc.  to  exercise  the  pupil, 
N.  T.  VOL.  V.  60 


and  their  schoolmasters  are  required  to  exercise  the  feelings  as 
well  as  intellects  of  their  pupils,  by  presenting  cases  in  life  and  history 
for  judgment,  by  holding  up  examples  of  virtue  and  vice,  and  in  every 
way  a  Christian  wisdom  can  suggest, — and  this  is  one  great  advantage 
of  their  system  over  our  own;  for  in  our  ‘common  schools,’  little  is 
done,  (except  perhaps  in  a  preceptive  way,)  to  aught  hut  the  intellect, 
while  the  moral  sentiments  are  too  much,  if  not  entirely  neglected. 
And  the  Bible,  some  think,  (how  deplorable,  if  truly,!  must  not  be  intro¬ 
duced  for  fear  of  sectarianism  !  Self-discipline,  self-examination,  self¬ 
judgment,  self-reproval,  self-education,  spiritual  as  xvell  as  mental,  self¬ 
exercise  unto  godliness, — alas,  how  much  neglected  in  schools,  families, 
and  the  hearts  of  individuals  !  Ed. 

(8.)  ‘  Little,  may  be  understood  both  of  degree  and  duration.  “All 
things,”  in  every  way.’  Bloomf. —  ‘  Who,  of  all  the  numerous  retain¬ 
ers  of  the  Christian  name,  of  all  the  decent  professors  of  godliness,  will 
trust  his  Redeemer  for  to-morrow's  bread  ?  Who  of  them  would  not 
rather  rely  upon  a  respectable  signer  of  a  bank  note,  than  upon  all  the 
promises  of  the  faithful  God  ?  Were  it  put  to  the  trial,  who  of  them 
xvould  not  grasp  the  paper,  Hnd  let  go,  among  the  uncertainties  of  life, 
the  truth  and  the  oath  of  God,  who  cannot  lie  V  Dr.  J.  M.  Mason.  The 
life  that  now  is.]  *Notes,  Job  34:1.  36:8—14.  Ed. 

(10.)  Savior  of  all  men .]  ‘The  meaning  Is,  Christ  is  offered  as  the 
Savior  of  all, — all  classes ;  but  He  is  actually  the  Savior  of  those  only 
who  believe  and  obey  the  Gospel :  the  meaning  is  the  same  as  in  Jn.  3: 

16-’  Williams _ ‘Would  have,’  <tc.  Theoph.  ;  and  is  ‘disposed  to  be,’ 

&c.  Benson.  Bloomf. 

V.  11 — 16.  Give  thyself  wholly  to  them.]  ‘  Be  thou  in  them,’  as  in 
thy  proper  element,  thy  business,  pleasure,  and  favorite  employment. — • 
Those  that  hear  thee.]  Mat.  17:5.  To  hear,  xvhen  used  concerning  God, 
hearing  when  they  pray,  signifies,  accepting  and  answering  them.  1  Jn. 
5:15.  When  spoken  of  men,  hearing  God  addressing  them,  by  his  be¬ 
loved  Son,  or  by  his  ministers,  it  often  means,  to  hear  attentively,  in 
meekness,  faith,  and  obedience.  Scott. 

(12.)  Youth.]  ‘Aulus  Gellius  relates,  that  among  the  Roman  people, 
childhood  was  limited  to  the  age  of  17 ;  youth  from  that  time  to  46;  old 
age  from  thence  to  the  end  of  life.  If  Timothy  had  been  20  years  old 
when  he  became  Paul’s  assistant,  about  A.  D.  50,  he  would  be  about  4 
when  this  epistle  is  supposed  to  have  been  written.  I  imothy,  there  ore, 
was  then  in  that  period  of  life,  which,  both  by  the  Greeks  and  Romans; 
was  considered  youth.’  Henry,  a*r. 


( 


A.  D.  60. 


1  TIMOTHY,  V. 


Paul’s  directions  to  Timothy. 


15  Meditate  upon  these  things; 
give  thyself  wholly  to  them  ;  that 
thy  profiting  may  appear  mto  all. 

16  Take  heed  unto  thyself,  and 
unto  the  doctrine  ;  continue  in 
them  :  for  in  doing  this  thou  shalt 
both  save  n  thyself,  and  them  that 
hear  thee. 

CHAP.  V. 

1  Rules  to  be  observed  in  reproving.  3  Of  widows.  17 
Of  elders.  23  A  precept  for  Timothy’s  health.  24  Some 
men’s  sins  go  before  unto  judgment,  and  some  men’s  do 
follow  after. 

REBUKE  not.  an  elder,  but  en¬ 
treat  him  as  a  father  ;  and  the 
younger  men  as  brethren  ; 

2  The  elder  women  as  mothers  ; 
the  younger  as  sisters,  with  all 
purity. 

S  Honor  widows  that  are  widows 
*  indeed. 

4  But  if  any  widow  have  child¬ 
ren  or  nephews,  let  them  learn  first 
to  show  b  piety  at  home,  and  to  re¬ 
quite  their  parents  :  for  that  is  good 
and  acceptable  before  God. 

5  Now  she  that  is  a  widow  in¬ 
deed,  and  desolate,  trusteth  in  God, 
and  continueth  in  supplications  and 
prayers  night  and  day. 

m  or,  in  all  n  Ja.  5:20.  b  or,  kindness, 

things.  a  ver.  5:16. 

Observe,  1.  Ministers  must  teach  and  com¬ 
mand  the  things  they  are  taught  and  com- 
•  manded  themselves,  Mat.  28:  20.  And  this 
is  the  best  way  for  ministers  to  prevent  them¬ 
selves  from  being  despised.  2.  Those  minis¬ 
ters  that  are  the  best  accomplished  for  their 
work  must  yet  mind  their  studies,  that  they 
may  be  improving  in  knowledge  ;  and  they 
must  mind  also  their  work;  they  are  to  give 
attendance  to  reading,  to  exhortation,  to 
doctrine. 

Neglect  not  the  gift  thnt  is  in  thee,  V.  14. 
The  gifts  of  God  will  wither,  if  neglected. 
It  may  be  understood  either  of  the  office  to 
which  he  was  advanced,  or  of  his  qualifica¬ 
tions  for  that  office  ;  if  of  the  former,  it  was 
ordination  in  an  ordinary  way;  if  of  the  lat¬ 
ter,  it  was  extraordinary.  It  seems  to  be 
the  former,  for  it  was  by  laying  on  of  hands, 
&c.  Observe,  Timothy  was  ordained  by 
men  in  office.  It  was  an  extraordinary  gift 


we  read  of  elsewhere,  as  being  conferred  on 
him  by  the  laying  on  of  Paul’s  hands,  but  he 
was  invested  in  the  office  of  the  ministry  by 
the  laying  on  of  the  hands  of  the  presbytery. 

1.  Note,  the  office  of  the  ministry  is  a  gift, 
the  gift  of  Christ,  Eph.  4:  8, 11.  a  very  kind 
gift  to  his  church.  2.  Though  there  was 
prophecy  in  the  case  of  Timothy,  (the  gift 
was  given  by  prophecy,)  yet  this  was  accom¬ 
panied  with  the  laying  on  of  the  hands  of  the 
presbytery,  i.e.  a  number  of  presbyters;  the 
office  was  conveyed  to  him  this  way  ;  and  [ 
should  think  here  is  a  sufficient  warrant  for 
ordination  by  presbyters,  since  it  does  not 
appear  that  Paul  was  concerned  in  Timothy’s 
ordination.  It  is  true,  extraordinary  gifts 
were  conferred  on  him  by  the  laying  on  of 
the  apostle’s  hands,  2  Tim.  1:6.  but  if  he 
was  concerned  in  his  ordination,  the  pres¬ 
bytery  was  not  excluded,  for  that  is  particu¬ 
larly  mentioned  ;  whence  it  seems  pretty  ev¬ 
ident,  that  the  presbytery  have  the  inherent 
power  of  ordination.. 

Having  this  work  committed  to  him,  he 
must  give  himself  wholly  to  it.  He  was  a 
wise,  knowing  man,  yet  he  must  still  be  prof¬ 
iting,  and  make  it  appear  that  he  improved 
in  knowledge.  Ministers  are  to  be  much  in 
meditation  ;  they  are  to  consider  beforehand 
how  and  what  they  must  speak  ;  they  are  to 
meditate  on  the  great  trust  committed  to 
them,  on  the  worth  and  value  of  immortal 
souls,  and  on  the  account  they  must  give  at 
the  last;  and  they  must  be  wholly  in  these 
things,  must  mind  them  as  their  principal 
work  and  business.  By  these  means  their 
profiting  will  appear  in  all  things,  as  well  as 
to  all  persons;  this  is  the  way  for  them  to 
profit  in  knowledge  and  grace,  and  also  to 
profit  others. 

He  presses  it  on  him  to  be  very  cautious, 
v.  16.  Observe,  The  care  of  ministers  should 
be,  in  the  first  place,  to  save  themselves  ; 
yet  they  should  aim  at  the  salvation  of  those 
that  hear  them,  next  to  the  salvation  of  their 
own  souls;  and  the  best  way  to  answer  both 
these  ends  is  to  take  heed  to  oursehes,  &c. 


Chap.  V.  V.  T,  2.  Here  the  apostle 
gives  rules  to  Timothy,  and  in  him  to  other 
ministers,  in  reproving.  They  must  be  very 
tender  in  rebuking  elders,  not  sharp  or  magis¬ 
terial.  The  younger  they  must  rebuke  as 
brethren  ;  not  as  desirous  to  spy  faults,  or 
pick  quarrels,  but  as  willing  to  make  the 
best  of  them.  The  elder  women  must  be  re¬ 
proved,  when  there  is  occasion,  but  as  moth¬ 
ers,  Hos.  2:  2.  the  younger  women  as  sisters, 


with  all  purity.  And  if  Timothy,  so  morti¬ 
fied  a  man  to  this  world, and  to  the  flesh  and 
the  lusts  of  it,  had  need  of  such  a  caution  as 
this,  much  more  have  we.  Observe, 

1.  Ministers  are  reprovers  by  office;  it  is 
a  part,  though  the  least  pleasing  part,  of  their 
office  ;  they  are  to  preach  the  VVord,  to  re¬ 
prove  and  rebuke,  2  Tim.  4:  2. 

2.  A  great  difference  is  to  be  made  in  our 
reproofs,  according  to  the  age,  quality,  [ad¬ 
vantages  for  knowledge,  and  for  gaining 
habits  of  morality,]  and  other  circumstances 
of  the  person  rebuked,  Jude  22. 

V.  3 — 16.  Directions  are  here  given 
concerning  the  taking  of  widows  into  the 
number  of  those  who  were  employed  by  the 
church,  and  had  maintenance  from  it,  to 
tend  the  sick  and  aged,  by  the  direction  of 
the  deacons.  We  read  of  the  care  taken 
of  widows,  immediately  on  the  first  forming 
of  the  Christian  church,  Acts  6  :  1.  The 
genera]  rule  is,  to  honor  widows  that  are.  wid¬ 
ow’s  indeed,  to  maintain  them,  to  relieve 
them  with  respect  and  tenderness. 

1.  It  is  appointed  that  those  widows  only 
should  be  relieved  by  the  charity  of  the 
church,  who  were  pious  and  devout,  and  not 
wanton  widows  that  lived  in  pleasure,  v.  5,  6. 
Observe,  It  is  the  duty  and  comfort  of  those 
who  are  desolate,  to  trust  in  God.  A  jovial 
widow  is  not  a  widow  indeed,  not  fit  to  be 
taken  under  the  care  of  the  church.  She 
that  lives  in  pleasure,  is  dead  while  she  lives, 
is  no  living  member  of  the  church,  but  as  a 
carcase  in  it,  or  a  mortified  member. 

2.  The  church  should  not  be  charged  with 
the  maintenance  of  those  widows  who  had 
relations  of  their  own,  who  were  able  to 
maintain  them.  This  is  mentioned  several 
times,  v.  4.  If  any  widows  have  children  or 
nephews,  grand-children,  or  near  relations, 
let  them  maintain  them,  and  not  the  church 
be  burdened.  So  v.  16.  This  is  called 
showing  piety  at  home,v.  4.  or  showing  piety 
toward  their  own  families.  Observe,  The 
respect  of  children  to  their  parents,  and 
their  care  of  them,  is  fitly  called  piety. 
This  is  requiting  their  parents.  It  is  the 
indispensable  duty  of  children,  if  their  pa¬ 
rents  be  in  necessity,  and  they  in  ability  to 
relieve  them,  to  do  it  to  the  utmost  cif  their 
power  ;  for  that  is  good  and  acceptable  before 
God.  The  Pharisees  taught,  that  a  gift  to 
the  altar  was  more  acceptable  to  God  than 
relieving  a  poor  parent.  Mat.  15:5.  But 
here  we  are  told  that  this  is  bitter  than  all 
burnt-offerings  and  sacrifices  J  this  is  good 
and  acceptable,  & c.  lie  speaks  of  this 


PRACT.  OBS.  V.  6 — 1G.  They,  who  would  approve  themselves 
to  be  faithful  ministers,  must  ‘  put  the  brethren  in  remembrance’  of  ail 
those  things,  which  Christ  and  his  apostles  delivered  to  the. church  ;  and 
whatever  other  studies  or  accomplishments  may  be  supposed  requisite, 
in  those  intended  for  the  ministry,  it  is,  above  all,  necessary,  that  they 
‘  be  nourished  up  in  the  words  of  faith  and  ofgood  doctrine  ;’  and  that  they 
well  digest  that  knowledge  of  the  Scripture  to  which  they  have  attained. 
— Instead  of  amusing  ourselves  and  others,  with  ingenious  fancies  and 
curious  speculations,  or  with  enforcing  human  inventions  and  supersti¬ 
tions,  by  imaginary  or  fallacious  explanations  of  their  origin,  meaning, 
and  benefit,  which  are  often  no  better  titan  1  profane  and  old  wives’  failles,’ 
we  should  exercise  ourselves,  and  instruct  others,  in  the  substantial  du¬ 
ties  of  godliness.  —  Young  ministers,  when  called  into  conspicuous  situ¬ 
ations,  should  be  doubly  careful  to  ‘  abstain  from  all  appearance  of  evil,’ 
and  to  shun  all  levity  of  conduct,  as  well  as  whatever  is  more  directly 
criminal,  or  leads  to  criminality.  For  thev  will  lie  narrowly  observed, 
and  many  wili  be  ready  to  deem  them  unlit  for  their  arduous  services, 
especially  when  they  are  called  to  instruct  or  to  admonish  their  seniors 
and  superiors.  Ministers  should  also  be  careful  to  confirm  and  elucidate 
their  instructions  by  their  example;  and  thus  to  lead  forward  believers 
to  steadfastness  in  the  faith,  holiness  of  Conversation  and  conduct,  fer¬ 
vent  love,  spirituality,  fidelity,  integrity,  and  purity.  Their  time  should 
be  employed  in  reading  and  meditating  on  the  Scriptures;  in  acquiring 
religious  knowledge,  and  in  communicating  it,  by  the  public  and  private 

(16.)  Save  thyself,  &c.j  ‘The  thought  chiefly  referred  to  here  is,  the 
necessity  of  acting  faithfully  in  the  ministry,  in  order  to  being  entitled 
to  the  divine  promise  of  salvation,  in  which"  persons  who  betray  so  im¬ 
portant  a  trust  can  have  no  part.’  Donna. 

NOTES.  Chap.  V.  V.  1,  2.  The  connexion  of  the  word  translated 
‘an  elder,’  in  this  place,  has  induced  expositors*^  general  to  understand 
it  of  senior  Christians,  as  well  as  of  pastors.  It  must,  likewise,  be  sup¬ 
posed  that  the  apostle  spoke  of  such  faults,  as  resulted  from  infirmity, 
and  were  not  openly  scandalous;  or  the  counsel  would  seem  inconsis¬ 
tent  with  a  subsequent  injunction.  19,20.  (1)  Rebuke.)  ‘To  reproach 
sharply  and  severely,  as  the  scourges  of  the  tongue  are  sometimes  met¬ 
aphorically  taken  for  cruel  calumny.’  Leigh.  Scott. 

[474] 


duties  of  their  ministry.  This  will  leave  Ihem  no  leisure  for  dissipated 
pleasures,  trifling  visits,  or  idle  conversation,  and  but  lit  tie  for  amusing 
and  merely  ornamental  studies.  That  measure  of  endowment,  which  God 
has  given  them  for  the  work  to  which  they  have  been  set  apart,  and  to 
which  thev  solemnly  devoted  themselves,  when  ordained  by  1  the  laying 
on  of  the  hands  of  the’  pastors  of  the  church,  must  not  he  neglected,  or 
left  to  decrease  by  disuse,  hut  be  diligently  exercised  nnd  improved.— 
Alas  !  we  cannot  but  reflect  with  grief  of  heart,  that  so  few  of  those 
called  ministers  seem  so  much  as  to  have  ever  seriously  rend  these  di¬ 
rections  !  and  that  their  method  of  spending  their  time,  the  subjects  of 
their  studies,  the  objects  of  their  pursuits,  and  the  business  ami  pleasure 
of  their  lives,  form  a  perfect  contrast  to  what  they  ought  to  be.  lint 
may  the  Lord  have  mercy  on  each  of  us,  and  write  these  admonitions  in 
our  inmost  souls  !  Let  every  minister,  then, hear  the  apostle  call  on  him 
to  ‘  take  heed  to  himself,’  as  one  who  must  give  account ;  and  let  every 
one  persevere  in  his  holy  living  and  faithful  preaching,  however  despis¬ 
ed,  reviled,  opposed,  or  discouraged  he  may  he;  for  iu  so  doing,  he  shall 
both  ‘save  his  own  soul,’  and  those  of  his  attentive  hearers;  while 
dumb  and  greedy  dogs,  blind  watchmen  or  guides,  mercenary  teach¬ 
ers.  and  gay  H  illers  in  the  garb  of  Christian  ministers,  in  short,  ail  those 
‘  who  look  every  one  for  his  gain  from  his  quarter,’  however  otherwise 
distinguished  by  rank,  nobility,  learning,  or  eloquence,  can  have  no  rea¬ 
son  to  expect  any  other  event  of  their  conduct,  than  that  of  going  before 
their  deluded  followers  into  the  pit  of  everlasting  destruction.  Scott. 

(1.)  Elder.]  ‘  An  aged  person.’  Doddh- 

t2.)  ‘  The  all  here  implies,  with  every  caution,  so  as  not  to  give  the 
slightest  handle  for  any  suspicion.’  Bloomf. 

V.  3,  4.  To  shnic  piety.]  ‘Kindness.’  Marg.  dels  17:23.  The  Ro¬ 
mans  called  the  dutiful  conduct  of  children  to  their  parents,  pietas.  Sc. 

(4.)  Nephews]  ‘Grand-children.’  Doddr.  and  Mackn.  ‘Descen¬ 
dants.’  ,  Blcomf. 

V.  5,  6.  The  !  widow  indeed,’  whom  the  apostle  peculiarly  intended, 
was  one  who  was  ‘ desolate,’  having  neither  children  nor  relations  able 
to  maintain  her ;  being  destitute  of  the  means  of  procuring  a  decent  sub¬ 
sistence.  But  any  one,  who  lived  a  delicate,  luxurious, "dissipated  life, 
and  perhaps  chose  to  continue  unmarried,  that  she  might  have  lc»s  ie- 


A.  D.  60. 


1  TIMOTHY,  V. 


Directions  concerning  widows. 


6  But  she  that  liveth  cin  pleasure 
is  dead  d  while  she  liveth. 

7  And  these  things  give  in  charge, 
that  they  may  be  blameless. 

8  But  if  any  provide  not  for  his 
own,  and  specially  e  for  those  of 
his  own  f  house,  he  hath  denied  the 
faith,  and  is  worse  than  an  infidel. 

[Practical  Observations.] 

9  Let  not  a  widow  be  6  taken  into 
the  number  under  threescore  years 
old,  having  been  the  wife  of  one 
man, 

10  Well  reported  of  for  good 
works ;  if  she  have  brought  up 
children,  if  she  have  lodged  11  stran¬ 
gers,  if  she  have  washed  the  saints’ 
feet,  if  she  have  relieved  the  af¬ 
flicted,  if  she  have  diligently  fol¬ 
lowed  every  good  work. 


11  But  the  younger  widows  re¬ 
fuse  :  for  when  they  have  begun  to 
wax  wanton  against  Christ,  they 
will  marry ; 

c  or,  delicately.  e  I*.  58:7.  g  or,  chosen. 

d  Re.  3:1.  f  or,  kindred .  h  Ac.  16:15. 

again,  v.  8.  If  any  man  nr  woman  do  not 
maintain  their  own  poor  relations  who  belong 
to  them,  they  do,  in  effect,  deny  the  faith;  for 
the  design  of  Christ  was  to  confirm  the 
law  of  Moses,  and  particularly  the  law  of 
ihe  fifth  commandment  ;  so  that  they  deny 
the  faith,  who  disobey  that  law,  much  more 
if  they  provide  not  for  their  wives  and  chil¬ 
dren,  which  are  parts  of  themselves  ;  if 
they  spend  that  on  their  lusts,  which  should 
maintain  their  families,  they  have  denied 
the  faith,  and  are  worse  than  infidels. 

One  reason  why  tlris  care  must  be  taken, 
that  those  who  were  rich  should  maintain 
their  poor  relations,  and  not  burden  the 
church  with  them,  is,  v.  16.  that  it  may  re¬ 


lieve  them  that  are  widows  indeed.  Observe 
Charity  misplaced,  is  a  great  hindrance  to 
true  charity  ;  therefore  there  should  be  pru¬ 
dence  in  the  choice  of  the  objects  of  charity, 
that  it  may  not  be  thrown  away  on  those 
who  are  [not]  properly  so,  that  there  may  be 
the  more  for  those  who  are  real  objects  of 
charity. 

3.  None  were  to  be  taken  into  the  num¬ 
ber,  to  receive  the  church’s  charity,  under 
sixty  years  old,  nor  any  who  had  divorced 
their  husbands,  or  been  divorced  from  them, 
and  married  again  ;  she  must  have  been  the 
wife  of  one  man,  such  as  had  been  a  house¬ 
keeper,  had  a  good  name  for  hospitality  and 
charity,  well  reported  of  for  good  works. 
Observe,  Particular  care  ought  to  be  taken 
to  relieve  those,  when  they  fall  into  decay, 
who,  when  they  had  wherewithal,  were 
ready  to  every  good  work. 

Here  are  instances  of  such  good  works  as 
are  proper  to  be  done  by  good  wives,  v.  10. 
Observe,  Those  who  would  find  mercy  when 


PRACT  OBS.  V.  1 — 8.  There  is  a  respect  due  to  the  aged,  which 
must  not  be  withheld  by  their  juniors,  even  when  placed  in  authority 
over  them,  or  on  account  of  incidental  faults. — The  greatest  caution,  as 
well  as  purity,  is  requisite  in  the  conduct  of  ministers,  (especially  wltile 
in  the  prime  of  life,)  as  to  their  most  needful  converse.,with  the  younger 
women  in  their  congregations,  neighborhood,  and  acquaintance;  that 
all  occasion,  appearance,  and  suspicion  of  evil  may  be  prevented  ;  and 
the  neglect  of  this  caution  is  very  frequently  productive  of  lamentable 
consequences,  in  various  ways;  even  where  direct  criminality  does  not 
take  place,  or  is  indeed  designed. — If  any  who  profess  the  Gospel,  through 
sloth,  improvidence,  selfishness,  or  other  corrupt  principles,  wilfully 
neglect  or  refuse  to  provide  for  their  near  relatives  ;  they,  in  the  apos¬ 
tle’s  judgment,  virtually  ‘deny  the  faith,’  and  are  even  in  this  particular 
worse  than  their  openly  unbelieving  neighbors.  And  may  we  not,  by 
parity  of  reason,  infer,  that  they  who  neglect  to  instruct  their  household 


in  religious  knowledge,  and  to  do  what  they  can  for  the  salvation  of  their 
relatives,  act  altogether  inconsistently  with  the  Christian  profession  ? 
Gen.  18:18,  19. — It  seems  the  intent  of  these  scriptures  to  teach  us,  that 
every  religious  society  should,  as  far  as  it  is  able,  make  provision  for 
persons  of  this  description,  and  not  leave  them  to  sordid  penury,  or  to 
the  ‘tender  mercies  of  the  wicked,’  in  their  old  age.  But  then  this  pro¬ 
vision  should  be  limited  to  such  as  give  evidence,  that  they  are  of  a 
widely  different  character  from  those  ‘  who  live  in  pleasure,  being  dead 
whilst  they  live.’  Alas  !  what  numbers  are  there  of  this  latter  descrip¬ 
tion,  among  nominal  Christians,  even  to  the  latest  period  of  life  !  And 
how  much  does  the  same  leaven  work  among  more  decided  professors 
of  evangelical  truth  !  These  things,  however,  we  must  give  in  charge, 
that  the  company  of  believers  may  be  preserved  blameless,  or  at  least 
that  we  may  deliver  our  own  souls.  (Notes,  Ez.  3:17 — 19.  P.  O.  16 — 
27.)  Scott. 


strain!,  in  this  self-indulgent  course,  must  be  considered  as  ‘dead  in  sin,’ 
and  alive  only  to  worldly  pleasure  ;  so  that  no  honorable  attention  was 
due  to  her  from  the  church.  (M.  R.  s.  t.)  Scott. 

V.  7,  8.  The  heathen,  in  general,  considered  children  ns  bound  to  sup¬ 
port  their  aged  parents,  and  reckoned  the  neglect  of  this  duty  infamous, 
and  fit  only  to  be  mentioned  along  with  the  most  scandalous  vices. — 
The  manner  in  which  many  covetous  persons  grievously  pervert  this 
text,  must  not  pass  unnoticed  :  while  they  evidently  violate  the  duties 
of  piety,  equity,  and  charity,  as  well  as  that  of  providing  for  their  indi¬ 
gent  relations,  yea,  while  they  bring  up  their  children  and  mnintain  their 
families,  in  a  manner  utterly  unsuitable  to  their  circumstances,  from 
eagerness  to  amass  riches,  they  often  quote  this  verse,  in  vindication  of 
their  sordid  avarice,  and  imagine,  that  the  apostle  commanded  men  to 
neglect  all  other  duties,  in  order  to  enrich  their  children  !  (Note,  16) — 
‘  Pleading  these  words,  to  justify  or  to  excuse  their  sordid  parsimony, 
and  want  of  charity;  ..  .whereas,  they  plainly  respect  the  provision 
which  children  should  make  for  their  parents,  and  not  that  which  pa¬ 
rents  should  make  for  their  children.’  Whitby.  Id. 

(8.)  Of  his  own  house.]  Hallet ,  in  Doddr.,  and  Mackn.,  understand 
it  of  the  household  of  faith,  i.  e.  believing  relatives  ;  but  Doddr.  disal¬ 
lows  this,  and  understands  it  of  domestics  ;  and  Bloomf.  extends  it  to 
embrace  all  near  relatives.  Ed. — Denied,  &c.  and  is  worse ,  «fcc.j  ‘  The 
heathens  were  sensible  of  the  reasonableness  and  necessity  of  taking 
care  of  near  relatives,  especially  parents  in  poverty.’  Doddr.,  after 
Whitby. — Yet  see  Rom.  1:31.  It  would  seem  to  be  otherwise  with 
modern  heathen,  us  appears  from  the  abundant  testimony  of  missiona¬ 
ries.  Ed. 

V.  9 — 12.  The  apostle  could  not  here  mean,  that  no  widows  were  to 
be  relieved  by  the  church,  who  were  under  sixty  years  of  age;  for  the 
distresses  of  younger  widows,  as  well  as  of  other  poor  persons,  might  be 
very  urgent. — lie  is,  therefore,  generally  supposed  to  speak  of  a  certain 
number  of  widows,  who  were  discharged  from  all  secular  cares,  and 
maintained  by  the  church,  of  whom  such  as  were  able  acted  as  deacon¬ 
esses,  to  visit  sick  and  poor  women,  and  to  administer  relief  and  counsel 
to  them  ;  to  instruct  young  women,  and  perhaps  children,  or  to  attend 
on  any  other  concerns  of  the  church,  its  ministers,  and  pious  strangers, 
which  lay  within  their  province.  Though  no  command  is  given  for  such 
an  order  of  persons  in  the  church,  (for  many  things  of  this  kind  seem  to 
have  been  left  discretionary,  and  to  be  determined  according  to  circum¬ 
stances,)  yet  they  might  frequently  be  useful,  if  properly  selected  and 
regulated.  Rom.  16:1,2.  In  this  view  the  propriety  of  the  rule  here 
given  is  apparent.  As  the  apostle  counsels  ‘the  younger  widows  to 
marry,’  13—15.  it  cannot  be  imagined,  that  he  would  exclude  any  when 
grown  old,  from  the  number  here  intended,  if  otherwise  qualified,  mere¬ 
ly  because  they  had  followed  his  counsel.  By  ‘  the  wife  of  one  man,’ 
therefore,  the  apostle  did  not  intend  to  exclude  such  as  had  married  a 
second  time,  which  the  Scripture  nowhere  disallows,  or  at  all  discoun¬ 
tenances.  But  shameful  and  astonishing  irregularities,  in  this  respect, 
were  common  among  the  heathen  women ;  they  frequently  left  their 
husbands  to  live  with  other  men,  and  then  sometimes  returned  again  to 
their  former  husbands  ;  they  often,  designedly,  gave  them  just  cause  to 
divorce  them,  on  purpose  that  they  might  take  other  husbands  ;  nay, 
they  sometimes  did  what  was  equivalent  to  divorcing  their  husbands; 
oor  were  these  things  deemed  scandalous,  at  least  not  in  that  degree, 
which  they  would  be  at  present,  in  countries  professing  Christianity.  If, 
then,  any  woman  had  formerly  conformed  to  these  corrupt  customs,  it 
would  not  be  consistent  with  the  credit  of  Christianity,  to  admit  her 
kito  this  select  number  of  devoted  widows,  though  no  other  objection 
,ay  against  her,  for  it  must  exclusively  consist  of  those,  who  had  lived 
rirtuously  and  honorably  in  the  married  state.  (Marg.  Ref.  b.  c .—Note, 
1:2.) — Some  expositors,  indeed,  think,  that  those  who  had  married  again, 
ifter  being  divorced,  were  intended  ;  but  there  is  not  the  least  intimation 


in  Scripture,  that  the  divorced  should  be  restrained  from  marrying  again, 
even  if  justly  put  away,  and  surely  then  not  when  unjustly  divorced. — 
The  women,  however,  spoken  of,  must  also  be  such  as  had  an  established 
character  for  ‘  good  works,’  since  they  were  converted  to  Christianity. 
Those  were  to  be  preferred,  who  had  charitably  educated  the  children 
of  their  poor  relatives  or  neighbors,  or  who  had  faithfully  done  their  du¬ 
ty  towards  their  own  children,  who,  when  in  more  prosperous  circum¬ 
stances,  had  hospitably  entertained  strangers  in  their  houses,  who  had 
willingly  stooped  to  the  office  of  washing  the  feet  of  the  saints,  when 
wearied  with  travelling;  (Notes,  Gen.  18:3 — 8.  Luke  7:44 — 50.  Jn.  13: 
1 — 17.)  and  who  had,  from  love  to  Christ,  readily  relieved  the  afflicted, 
and  diligently  1  attended  to  every  good  work.’  (Marg.  Ref.  d — k. — Note, 
and  P.  O.  Acts  9:36 — 43.)  Widows  of  this  character,  when  grown  old 
and  left  desolate,  were  the  proper  persons  for  this  service.- — But  the 
apostle  directed  Timothy  to  reject  the  application  of  ‘  younger  widows  ;’ 
for  experience  showed,  that  their  avowed  purpose,  of  no  more  entering 
into  the  married  state,  was  not  to  be  depended  on.  After  a  time,  when 
their  grief  on  account  of  their  loss  had  subsided,  various  circumstances 
might  induce  them  to  marry  again  ;  and,  as  their  admission  into  the 
number  of  devoted  widows  implied  an  engagement  to  the  contrary,  and 
prohably  was  aitended  by  some  promise  to  this  effect,  so  their  violation 
of  it  might  be  called  ‘a  waxing  wanton  against  Christ,’  leading  them  to 
be  unfaithful  to  Him,  for  the  sake  of  some  earthly  object.  Thus  their 
engagement  would  tend  to  their  condemnation,  by  occasioning  them  to 
violate  that  fidelity  to  Christ,  which  they  had  previously  promised  ;  the 
church  would  see  it  necessary  to  censure  them,  and  their  sin  would  ex¬ 
pose  them  to  condemnation,  if  not  repented  of.  They  might  perhaps  be 
tempted  to  apostatize  from  the  faith,  by  marrying  heathens,  which  seems 
to  have  been  the  case  with  some  of  this  description.  For  Christians 
would  not  be  disposed  to  marry  those  who  had  entered  into  this  num¬ 
ber,  and  if  their  inclinations  led  them  to  marry,  their  situation  might 
expose  them  peculiarly  to  this  temptation.  Scott. 

(9.)  Let  not  a  widow,  &c.]  ‘  I.  e.  be  taken  upon  the  list  of  those  to 

be  maintained  by  the  church,  and  to  minister  in  the  office  of  deaconesses 
in  it.’  Doddr.— ‘  Besides  general  catalogues  of  all  the  members  of  the 
church,  there  were  others  of  those  attached  to  the  clergy,  and  to  those 
poorer  persons  who  were  maintained  at  the  public  expense,  including 
virgins  and  widows.’  Rosenm. — ‘  Shutlleworth  notices  the  wisdom  of 
this  injunction,  as  resolutions  to  forsake  the  active  duties  of  life,  formed 
under  the  momentary  operation  of  some  devotional  excitement,  are  often 
ill  adapted  to  the  bodily  and  intellectual  temperament  of  the  persons 
forming  them.  He  says,  had  the  church  of  Rome,  when  she  gave  her 
confirmation  to  the  indissoluble  obligation  of  monastic  vows,  seriously 
weighed  the  caution  in  this  passage,  how  vast  a  mass  of  misery,  the 
consequence  of  [the  peevishness  of  celibacy,]  ineffectual  regret,  and  of 
an  alarmed  conscience  reproaching  itself  with  instinctive,  but  involun¬ 
tary  recollections  of  a  world  it  had  abjured,  would  she  have  removed 
from  many  a  now  blighted  victim  of  ill  judging  piety,  or  gloomy  super¬ 
stition.’  Henry,  abr. 

(9,  10.)  Note,  Rom.  16:1.  Neander  suggests,  that  deaconesses  were 
necessary  in  the  apostolic  age,  because  the  free  access  of  men  to  the  fe¬ 
male  portion  of  the  church,  especially  ns  the  sexes  are  so  carefullj^sep- 
arated  in  the  east,  might  excite  suspicion  and  give  offence.  And 
although  women,  in  conformity  to  their  natural  destination,  were  ex¬ 
cluded  from  the  offices  of  teaching,  and  governing  in  the  churches,  y  et 
in  this  manner  the  peculiar  qualities  of  females  were  brought  into  de¬ 
mand,  as  peculiar  gifts  for  the  service  of  the  church.  By  means  ot  the 
deaconesses,  the  Gospel  might  be  brought  into  the  inmost  recesses  ot 
family  life,  where,  from  eastern  manners,  no  man  could  have  obtained 
admittance.  Being  advanced  in  life,  nnd  experienced,  and  tried  in  all 
the  trials  of  women,  they  were  to  uphold  the  younger  women  of  tho 
church  by  their  counsel  and  consolation.’  r  *07  k  a 


A.  D.  60. 


1  TIMOTHY,  Y. 


Directions  concerning  ministers. 


12  Having  damnation,  because 
they  have  cast  off  their  first  faith. 

13  And  withal  they  learn  to  be 
idle,  wandering  about  from  house 
to  house  :  and  'not  only  idle,  but 
tattlers  also,  and  busy-bodies, speak¬ 
ing  things  which  they  ought  not. 

14  I  will  therefore  that  the  young¬ 
er  women  marry,  bear  children, 
guide  the  house,  give  none  occasion 
to  the  adversary j  to  speak  reproach¬ 
fully. 

15  For  some  are  already  turned 
aside  after  Satan. 

16  If  any  man  or  woman  that 
believeth  have  widows,  let  them 
relieve  them,  and  let  not  the  church 
be  charged  ;  that  it  may  relieve 
them  that  are  widows  indeed. 

[ Practical  Observations .] 

17  Let  kthe  elders  that  rule  well 
be  counted  worthy  of  double  honor, 
especially  they  who  labor  in  the 
word  and  doctrine. 

18  For  the  Scripture  saith, 1  Thou 
shalt  not  muzzle  the  ox  that  tread- 
eth  out  the  corn  :  And,  m  The  la¬ 
borer  is  worthy  of  his  reward, 

19  Against  an  elder  receive  not 
an  accusation,  but  n  before  0  two  or 
three  witnesses. 

20  Them  that  sin  rebuke  p  before 
all,  that q  others  also  may  fear. 

i  2  Ch.  3:11.  1  De.  25:4.  o  De.  19:15. 

j  for  their  railing.  m  Lu.  10:7.  p  Le.  19:17. 

k  1  Tb.  5:12,13.  n  or,  under.  q  De.  13:11. 

in  distress,  must  show  mercy  when  in  pros¬ 
perity. 

4.  He  cautions  them  to  take  heed  of  ad¬ 
mitting  into  the  number  those  who  are  like¬ 
ly  to  be  no  credit  to  them,  v.  11,  12.  You 


read  of  a  first  love.  Rev.  2:  4.  and  here  of  a 
first  faith,  that  is,  the  engagements  they 
gave  to  the  church  to  behave  well,  and  as 
became  the  trust  reposed  in  them  :  it  does 
not  appear  that  by  their  first  faith  is  meant 
their  vow  not  to  marry,  for  the  Scripture  is 
very  silent  on  that  head  ;  besides,  the  apos¬ 
tle  here  advises  the  younger  widows  to  mar- 
tv,  v.  14.  which  he  would  not,  if  hereby 
they  must  have  broken  their  vows.  I)r. 
Whitby  well  observes,  ‘  If  this  faith  refer¬ 
red  to  a  promise  made  to  the  church,  not  to 
marry,  it  could  not  be  called  their  first  faith,’ 
v,  13.  Withal  they  learn  to  be  idle,  and  not 
only  idle,  but  tattlers,  & c.  Observe,  Those 
who  are  idle,  are  seldom  only  idle,  they 
learn  to  be  tattlers  and  busy-bodies,  and  to 
make  mischief  among  neighbors,  and  sow 
discord  among  brethren.  Those  who  had 
not  attained  to  such  a  gravity  of  mind  as 
was  fit  for  the  deaconesses,  (or  the  widows 
who  were  taken  among  the  church’s  poor,) 
let  them  marry,  bear  children,  &c.  v.  14. 
Observe,  If  house-keepers  do  not  mind 
their  business,  but  are  tattlers,  they  give 
occasion  to  the  adversaries  of  Christianity 
to  reproach  the  Christian  name,  which,  it 
seems,  there  were  some  instances  of,  in  15. 

We  learn  bonce,  (1.)  In  the  primitive 
church  there  was  care  taken  of  poor  wid¬ 
ows,  and  provision  made  for  them  ;  the 
churches  of  Christ  in  these  days  should  fol¬ 
low  so  good  an  example,  as  far  as  they  are 
able.  (2.)  In  the  distribution  of  the  church’s 
charity,  or  alms,  great  care  is  to  be  taken, 
that  those  share  in  the  bounty,  who  most 
want  it,  and  best  deserve  it.  (3.)  The 
credit  of  religion,  and  the  reputation  of 
Christian  churches,  are  very  much  concerned  j 
in  the  character  and  behavior  of  those  that 
are  taken  into  any  employment  in  the 
church,  though  of  a  lower  nature,  or  that 
receive  alms  of  the  church.  (4.)  Christi¬ 
anity  obliges  its  professors  to  relieve  their 
indigent  friends,  particularly  poor  widows, 
that  the  church  may  not  be  charged  with 
them,  that  it  may  relieve  them  that  are  wid¬ 


ows  indeed:  rich  people  should  be  ashamed 
to  burden  the  church  with  their  poor  rela¬ 
tions,  w  hen  it  is  with  difficulty  that  those  are 
supplied,  who  have  no  children  or  nephews, 
that  is,  grand-children,  who  are  in  a  capaci¬ 
ty  to  relieve  them. 

V.  17 — 25.  Here  are  directions  concern¬ 
ing  ministers. 

I.  Care  must  be  taken  that  they  be  hon¬ 
orably  maintained,  v.  17.  count  them  worthy 
of  double  maintenance,  double  what  they 
have  had,  or  others  have.  Observe,  The 
presbytery  ruled,  and  the  same  that  ruled 
were  those  i oho  labored  in  the  Word  and  doc¬ 
trine.  Some  have  imagined,  that  by  the 
elders  that  rule  well,  the  apostle  means  lay- 
elders,  who  were  employed  in  ruling,  but 
not  in  teaching  ;  and  1  confess  this  is  the 
plainest  text  of  Scripture  that  can  he  found 
to  countenance  such  an  opinion  ;  but  it 
seems  a  little  strange,  that  mere  ruling  el¬ 
ders  should  be  accounted  worthy  of  double 
honor,  when  the  apostle  preferred  preaching 
to  baptizing,  and  much  more  would  he  pre¬ 
fer  it  to  ruling  the  church  ;  and  it  is  more 
strange,  that  the  apostle  should  not  notice 
them,  when  he  treats  of  church-officers  ; 
but,  as  it  is  hinted  .before,  they  had  not,  in 
the  primitive  church,  one  to  preach  to  them, 
ami  another  to  rule  them,  but  ruling  and 
teaching  were  performed  by  the  same  per¬ 
sons,  only  some  might  labor  more  in  the 
Word  and  doctrine  than  others.  lie  quotes 
a  scripture  to  confirm  this  command  con¬ 
cerning  the  maintenance  of  ministers,  that 
we  would  think  foreign  ;  but  it  intimates 
what  a  significancy  there  was  in  many  of  the 
laws  of  Moses,  and  particularly  in  that. 
Thou  shalt  not  muzzle  the  ox  that  treads  out 
the  corn,  Dent.  25:  4.  We  hence  learn,  that 
God,  both  under  the  law,  and  now  under  the 
gospel,  has  taken  care  that  his  ministers  be 
well  provided  for.  As  it  is  God’s  appoint¬ 
ment,  that  they  who  preach  the  Gospel  should 
live' of  tlie  Gospel,  1  Cor.  9  : 14.  so  a  com¬ 
fortable  maintenance  is  their  just  due,  as 
much  as  the  reward  of  the  laborer  ;  and 


TRACT.  OBS.  V.  9 — 1R.  Every  one,  who  is  brought  forth  into  no¬ 
toriety  in  the  church,  should,  as  much,  as  possible,  be  free  from  scandal, 
and  many  are  proper  objects  of  charity,  who  ought  not  to  be  employed 
in  public  services. — It  is  not  sufficient  to  determine,  what  would  be  best 
in  itself,  apart  from  all  other  considerations,  in  respect  of  things  not  ab¬ 
solutely  obligatory,  or  tilings  unlawful;  the  state  of  human  nature  and 
facts  must  be  attended  to,  that  it  may  be  known  what  is  most  generally 
expedient.  It  might  have  seemed  plausible  to  admit  the  young  widows, 

(12.)  Having  damnation.]  ‘  Exposing  themselves  to  just  blame  of 
men,  and  condemnation  from  God,  because  they  have  disannulled  their 
first  faitll,  and  violated  their  engagement  to  the  church,  when  it  assigned 
them  such  an  office,  to  which  it  would  be  very  inconvenient  to  admit 
persons  that  have  any  views  of  entering  again  into  the  conjugal  state; 
not  to  say,  that  some  men  have  been  enticed,  by  very  improper  alliances, 
to  throw  oft- even  the  general  profession  of  Christianity.’  Doddr. 

V.  13 — 15.  It  might  likewise  be  feared,  and  experience  had  shown, 
that  there  was  danger,  lest  1  younger  widows,’  being  freed  from  the  em¬ 
ployments  of  domestic  life,  and  having  much  leisure,  should  neglect  to 
spend  it  in  devotion,  and  the  duties  of  their  station,  and  so  contract  hab¬ 
its  of  idleness,  and  waste  their  hours  in  sauntering  from  house  to  house, 
as  trifling  visitants,  tattling  ami  gossipping  about  the  news  of  the  day, 
and  intermeddling  with  other  people’s  affairs,  spreading  slanders,  and 
speaking  many  things  of  a  inisrhievotis  and  improper  nature,  {Marg. 
ref.  q — t .—Note,  2  t'hes.  3:10 — 12.)  The  apostle  did  not  mean,  that  all 
*  the  younger  widows,’  who  were  employed  in  this  service,  acted  in  this 
manner;  hut  it  was  an  evil  incident  to  the  practice,  and  formed  a  suffi¬ 
cient  reason  for  excluding  them.  lie  therefore  decided,  as  one  having 
authority,  that  it  was  better  to  leave  them  at  liberty  to  marry,  if  they 
chose  it,  and  circumstances  admitted,  that  they  might  be  occupied  in 
the  useful  duties  of  wives  and  mothers,  and  in  domestic  business;  that 
so  no  occasion  might  lie  given  to  any  adversaries  of  the  Gospel  to  speak 
reproachfully  of  it,  through  the  misconduct  of  such  as  professed  to  he 
peculiarly  devoted  to  the  service  of  Christ.  {Mara;,  ref.  u — y.)  For 
indeed,  some  younger  widows,  being  improperly  admitted  into  this 
number,  had  t  urned  aside  to  follow  the  suggestions  of  Satan,  had  mar¬ 
ried  unbelieving  husbands,  and  so  relapsed  into  idolatry. — 1  The  convert¬ 
ing  men  to  the  Christian  faith  being  the  “  turning  them  from  Satan  unto 
God,”  . .  .  the  casting  off  the  faith  may  well  be  styled,  “  the  turning  aside 
after  Satan.”’  Whitby.  The  apostle’s  determination,  that  no  widow 
nntfer  sixty  years  of  age,  should  be  admitted  into  this  select  number  of 
devoted  women,  lest  their  useless  lives  and  misconduct  should  occasion 
scandal,  and  his  counsel  that  younger  willows  should  marry,  conclude 
with  peculiar  force  against  all  vows  of  virginity,  taken  by  young  per¬ 
sons,  under  pretence  of  more  strict  religion  than  can  be  practised  in  the 
married  stale,  and  against  all  censures  of  second  marriages,  ns  such  ; 
and,  indeed,  the  silence  of  the  apostle  concerning  women,  who  had 
never  been  married,  in  this  whole  argument,  is  very  expressive.  But 
the  pastors  of  the  tharch.  before  many  ages  bad  elapsed,  abundantly 
made  tip  this  suoposed  deficiency  !  Scott. 

[476] 


or  other  young  women,  to  such  a  service  in  the  church,  as  implied  an 
entire  devoting  of  themselves  to  religion,  for  the  rest  of  their  davs  ;  yet 
the  apostle,  not  only  with  the  wisdom  derived  from  deep  reflection  and 
extensive  observation,  but  under  the  influence  of  the  divine  Spirit,  de¬ 
cided  otherwise.  Alas  !  what  immense  numbers,  in  every  age,  have 
shown  their  total  ignorance  of  human  nature,  and  have  done- incalcula¬ 
ble  mischief,  by  attempting  to  improve  on  his  plan,  or  rather  directly  to 
subvert  it !  Scott. 

(14.)  Younger  women.]  ‘  Younger  widotos.’  So  Doddr.;  and  Bloomf. 
says,  ‘both  the  ancients  and  almost  all  the  moderns  are  agreed,  it  can 
only  mean  the  younger  ividows,  of  whom  the  context  speaks.’  Ed. 

V.  16.  ‘In  the  opinion  of  Estius,  this  precept  extended  to  the  pro¬ 
prietors  of  slaves,  and  bound  them  to  maintain  their  slaves,  when  they 
became  incapable  of  labor.’  Mackn.  The  spirit  of  it,  no  doubt,  extends 
to  servants  of  every  kind,  who  have  spent  their  strength  in  our  service, 
as  far  as  we  are  able  to  support  them.  Scott. 

V.  17,  18.  Laborer.  &c.]  ‘This,  as  xveli  as  what  goeth  before,  is  af¬ 
firmed  by  the  apostle  to  be  said  in  the  Scripture ;  yet  it  is  nowhere 
written  in  the  Jewish  Scriptures.  It.  is  found  only,  Mat.  10:10.  Luke 
10:7.  The  apostle  must  therefore  have  read  either  Matthew  or  Luke’s 
Gospel,  before  he  wrote  this  epistie.  And  seeing  he  quotes  this  6aying, 
as  “Scripture,”  and  represents  it  as  of  equal  authority  with  the  wri¬ 
tings  of  Moses,  it.  is  a  proof,  not  only  of  the  early  publication  of  the 
gospels,  but  of  their  authenticity,  ns  divinely  inspired  “  writings.”  ’ 
Mackn.  Id. 

(17.)  Elders.]  ‘  In  the  first  age,  (lie  name  elder  was  given  to  all  who 
exercised  any  sacred  office  in  the  church,  as  is  plain  from  Ac.  20:28. 
where  the  persons  are  called  bishops,  who,  v.  17.  were  called  elders. 
Tlie  same  thing  appears  from  Tit.  1:5.  where  those  are  called  elders, 
who,  v.  7.  are  named  bishops;  and  from  1  Tim.  14.  where  collectively 
all  who  held  sacred  offices  in  Lystra  nre  called,  “  Tlie  presbytery  or 
eldership,”  and  are  said  to  have  concurred  with  the  apostle  in  setting 
Timothy  apart  to  the  ministry.’  Mackn. — Double  honor.]  ‘It  seems 
only  to  express  a  plentiful  maintenance  given  in  a  liberal  and  respectful 
manner.’  Doddr. — Bloomf.  says,  ‘no  doubt  respect  is  included,  as  well 
ns  provision  ;  and  axiousthbsan  signifies  not  merely  “  let  them  receive,” 
but  also  “  as  their  just  due.”’  To  which  he  adds  :  ‘From  the  relief 
of  the  poor  the  apostle  proceeds  to  the  support  of  ministers;  though 
with  an  obscurity  of  expression  (arising  from  delicacy)  which  prevents 
us  from  acquiring  any  very  exact,  information.  That  a  stipend  xvas 
appropriated  to  the  support  of  the  minister,  is  certain  ;  but  on  the 
amount,  and  tlie  mode  of  collection,  we  are  left  much  in  the  dark.’ 

Ed. 

V.  19,  20.  In  respect  of  those  xvho  were  evidently  guilty  of  any  scan¬ 
dalous  offence,  whether  elders  or  others  ;  Timothy,  ns  presiding  in  the 
church,  was  required  to  ‘  rebuke  them  before  all  ’  their  brethren  ;  not 
only  in  order  to  their  being  made  ashamed,  and  brought  to  repentance, 
but  that  others  might  fear  the  same  censure,  and  so  be  excited  to  greater 
circumspection.  Scott. 


A.  D.  60. 


1  TIMOTHY,  V. 


Timothy  charged,  on  personal  duty. 


21  I  charge  r  thee  before  God, 
and  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and  the 
elect  *  angels,  that  thou  observe 
these  things  1  without  preferring 
one  u  before  another,  doing  nothing 
by  partiality. 

22  Lay  hands  T suddenly  on  no 
man,  neither  be  partaker  w  of  other 
men’s  sins  :  keep  thyself  pure. 

23  Drink  no  longer  water,  but 
use  a  little  wine  xfor  thy  stomach’s 
sake  and  thine  often  infirmities. 

24  Some  men’s  sins  are  open 
*  beforehand,  going  before  to  judg¬ 
ment  :  and  some  men  they  follow 
after. 

25  Likewise  also  the  good  works 
of  some  are  manifest  beforehand  ; 
and  they  that  are  otherwise  cannot 
be  hid. 

r  5  Ti  4:1.  u  De.  1:17.  x  Pr.  31:6. 

a  Re.  12:7 — 9.  v  Ac.  13-.3.  y  Ga.  5:19. 

t  or,  prejudice.  \v  2  Jn.  11. 

those  who  would  have  ministers  starved,  or 
not  comfortably  provided  for,  God  will  re¬ 
quire  it  of  them  another  day. 

II.  Concerning  the  accusation  of  minis¬ 
ters,  v.  19.  Here  is  the  scripture-method 
of  proceeding  against  an  elder,  when  ac¬ 
cused  of  any  crime.  Observe,  1.  There 
must  he  an  accusation,  not  a  Hying,  uncer¬ 
tain  report,  but  an  accusation,  containing  a 
certain  charge*  2.  This  accusation  is  not 


to  be  received,  unless  supported  by  two  or 
three  credible  witnesses  ;  and  the  accusa¬ 
tion  must  be  received  before  them ;  that  is, 
the  accused  must  have  the  accusers  face  to 
face,  because  the  reputation  of  a  minister 
is,  in  a  particular  manner,  a  tender  thing; 
‘  but ,  v.  20.  them,  that  sin,  rebuke  before  all  ; 
thou  neednst  not  he  so  tender  of  other  peo¬ 
ple,  but  rebuke  them  publicly.’  Or,  ‘  them 
that  sin  before  all,  rebuke  before  all,  that 
those  who  are  in  danger  of  sinning  by  the 
example  of  their  fall,  may  take  warning  by 
the  rebuke  given  them  for  it,  that  others, 
also,  may  fear.’ 

III.  Concerning  the  ordination  of  minis¬ 
ters;  v.  22.  appears  to  be  meant  of  the  or¬ 
daining  of  men  to  the  office  of  the  ministry, 
which  ought  not  to  be  done  rashly  and  incon¬ 
siderately,  and  before  due  trial  made  of  then- 
gifts  and  graces,  their  abilities  and  qualifi¬ 
cations  for  it. 

Some  understand  it  of  absolution ;  imply¬ 
ing  that  those  who  are  too  easy  in  remitting 
the  censures  of  the  church,  encourage  others 
in  the  sins  thus  connived  at,  and  make  them¬ 
selves  thereby  guilty.  Observe,  We  have 
great  need  to  watch  at  all  times,  lest  we  make 
ourselves  partakers  of  oilier  men’s  sins. 

Here  is  a  caution  against  rash  ordination 
of  ministers,  or  absolution  of  those  who  have 
been  under  church-censures.  Those  who  are 
rash,  either  in  the  one  case  or  the  other, 
will  make  themselves  partakers  in  other 
men’s  sins.  We  must  keep  ourselves  pure, 
if  we  will  be  pure;  the  grace  of  God  makes 
and  keeps  us  pure,  but  it  is  by  our  own  en- 
endeavors. 


The  24th  and  25th  verses  seem  to  refer  to 
absolution.  Observe,  Ministers  have  need 
of  great  wisdom,  to  know  how  to  accommo¬ 
date  themselves  to  the  variety  of  offences  and 
offenders  they  have  occasion  to  deal  with. 

1.  Some  men’s  sins  are  so  plain  and  ob¬ 
vious,  that  there  is  no  dispute  concerning  the 
bringing  of  them  under  the  censures  of  the 
church;  they  go  before  to  judgment,  to  lead 
them  to  censure. 

2.  Others,  they  follow  after  ;  their  wick¬ 
edness  does  not  presently  appear,  nor  till 
after  a  due  search  has  been  made  concern¬ 
ing  it.  Or,  as  some  understand  it,  some 
men’s  sins  continue  after  they  are  censured  ; 
they  are  not  reformed  by  the  censure,  and  in 
that  case  there  must  be  no  absolution. 

3.  As  to  the  evidences  of  repentance  ; 
The  good  works  of  some,  are  manifest  before¬ 
hand.  And  they  that  are  otherwise,  whose 
good  works  do  not  appear,  their  wickedness 
cannot  be  hid,  and  so  it  will  be  easy  to  dis¬ 
cern  who  are  to  be  absolved,  and  w  ho  are 
not. 

Lastly,  As  to  Timothy  himself. 

1.  Here  is  a  charge  to  him  to  be  careful 
of  his  office ;  and  a  solemn  charge  it  is,  v.  21. 

2.  Ministers  must  give  an  account  to  God 
and  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  whether,  and  how, 
they  have  observed  all  things  given  them  in 
charge. 

3.  He  charges  him  to  take  care  of  his 
health  ;  Drink  no  longer  water,  &c.  It  seems 
Timothy  was  a  mortified  man  to  the  pleas¬ 
ures  of  sense  ;’  he  drank  water,  and  w  as  of 
no  strong  constitution  of  body,  and  for  that 
reason  Paul  advises  him  to  use  wine,  to  help 


PRACT.  OBS.  V*17 — 25.  The  office  of  a  minister  is  ‘honorable’ 
to  all,  those  alone  excepted  who  are  a  disgrace  to  the  office;  but  the 
most  prudent,  faithful,  and  diligent,  especially  the  most  ‘laborious  in 
the  Word  and  doctrine,’  ought  to  be  more  honored  than  others,  and  best 
provided  for.  The  reverse  proportion,  indeed,  seems  almost  everywhere 
to  be  adopted  in  this  matter  ;  but  the  Lord  will  provide  for  his  faithful 
servants,  whatever  method  men  may  follow  in  disposing  of  their  favors.— 
All  who  are  employed  in  important  services  in  the  church,  especially 
in  admitting  inen  into  the  ministry,  or  committing  to  them  the  care  of 
immortal  souls,  or  in  taking  cognizance  of  their  conduct,  should  consider 
themselves  as  most  awfully  charged  by  the  apostle,  ‘before  God  and  the 
Lord  Jesus  Christ,  nnd  the  elect  angels,  to  observe  these  things,  without 
preferring  one  before  another.’  The  neglect  of  this  rule,  in  the  exercise 
of  ecclesiastical  authority,  has  given  its  opponents  one  of  their  most 
plausible  arguments  against  it.  So  very  nmch  has  been  done,  and  is 
done,  out  of  carnal  respects,  nnd  ‘by  partiality’  to  relatives,  friends, 
and  connexions ;  that  the  exercise  of  all  authority  of  this  kind  has  been, 

and,  by  numbers  at  present,  is  considered  as  unlawful _ IIow  far  those 

concerned  in  ecclesiastical  matters  are  culpable,  in  respect  of  ‘  laying 
hands  suddenly  ’  on  improper  persons,  .  . .  every  man’s  conscience  must 
determine  for  himself,  till  Christ  shall  come  to  take  an  account  of  his 
servants.  But  it  is  certain,  that  these  things  involve  a  responsibility  of 

V.  21,  22.  It  is  manifest,  that  Timothy  is  here  and  elsewhere  sup¬ 
posed  to  possess  great  authority  in  the  Ephesian  church,  both  in  super¬ 
intending  the  elders  already  ordained,  and  in  ordaining  others.  It  is 
allowed,  that  he  was  an  extraordinary  person,  especially  appointed  by 
the  apostle  to  this  service,  but  there  is  no  proof,  that  he  conferred  mi¬ 
raculous  powers  by  the  imposition  of  his  hands,  as  the  apostles  did  ;  and 
indeed  it  is  altogether  improbable.  We  cannot  indeed  by  any  means 
infer  the  divine  risrht  of  episcopacy,  from  the  authority  exercised  by 
Timothy,  Titus,  and  other  evangelists  ;  yet  it  is  at  least  highly  probable, 
that  it  was  very  early  found  expedient,  and  conducive  to  peace,  to  have 
a  staled  presiding  inspector,  of  approved  wisdom  and  piety,  who  might 
superintend  the  pastors  and  the  concerns  of  a  few  neighboring  churches, 
as  moderator  and  censor,  and  be  peculiarly  attended  to  in  the  appoint¬ 
ment  of  church-officers.  Hence  a  moderate  episcopacy  was  very  early, 
probably  even  while  some  of  the  apostles  lived,  generally  prevalent  in 
the  church  ;  indeed,  this  seems  to  have  taken  place,  between  the  time 
when  Paul  gave  his  admirable  parting  charge  to  the  elders,  or  bishops 
of  Ephesus,  and  the  time  when  John,  from  our  Lord’s  own  mouth,  wrote 
epistles  to  the  angels  of  the  seven  churches  in  Asia.  ( Note ,  Rev.  2:1.) 
And,  after  all  the  abuses,  usurpations,  controversies,  and  prejudices, 
which  have  since  been  introduced,  the  time  may  ere  long  arrive,  when 
experience  will  convince  pious  men  of  different  persuasions,  that  some¬ 
thing  of  this  kind,  properly  conferred,  limited,  and  exercised,  would 
prove  a  suitable  remedy  to  those  multiplied  divisions,  xvhich  so  weaken 
and  disgrace  religious  societies,  which  in  doctrine,  worship,  and  prac¬ 
tice  may  be  considered,  in  many  respects,  unexceptionable.  Scott. 

(22.)  It  has  been  claimed,  that  this  verse  implies  an  episcopal  author¬ 
ity  and  jurisdiction  ;  but  Doddr.  answers,  that  to  ordain  ‘does  not  ap¬ 
pear  to  he  the  chief  reason  of  Timothy’s  being  sent  to  Ephesus,  or  rather 
being  led  there,  when  Paul  went  into  Macedonia.  Various  circum¬ 
stances  of  this  church  might  require  that  a  person,  of  Timothy’s  extra¬ 
ordinary  gifts  and  character,  should  be  left  to  superintend  their  affairs  ; 
and  it  might  reasonably  be  taken  for  granted,  that,  as  he  was  there  by 
the  apostle’s  special  direction,  so  much  regard  would  be  paid  to  him, 
that  he  would  be  desired  to  preside  in  their  sacred  solemnities,  in  the 
same  manner  as  Paul  had  done  when  among  them.  But  that  no  elder 
could  at  any  time  be  ordained,  xvithout  the  presence  and  concurrence  of 
such  an  extraordinary  person,  and  that  such  an  extraordinary  power  and 
influence  should  aflerwards  be  transferred  to  others,  not  in  like  manner 


no  ordinary  magnitude,  and  that  immense  criminality  must  rest  some¬ 
where  ;  as  the  multitude  of  ignorant,  slothful,  ambitious,  avaricious, 
immoral,  and  heretical  clergvmen,  who  remain  uncensured,  throughout 
this  land,  and  in  every  part  of  the  visible  church,  most  manifestly  proves. 
— It  is  extremely  difficult,  under  any  form  of  church-government,  to 
conduct  every  particular  in  such  a  manner,  us  to  ‘do  nothing  by  par¬ 
tiality;’  this  will  require  circumspection,  firmness,  intrepidity,  disin¬ 
terested  zeal,  and  ‘  the  meekness  of  wisdom  ;  ’  and  these  cannot  be 
obtained  without  much  fervent  prayer.  These  things,  however,  must 
be  carefully  observed  by  ttiose,  who  xvould  not  ‘  be  partakers  of  other 
men’s  sins,’  as  every  person  concerned  must  feel,  in  proportion  to  bis 
conscientiousness;  but  those  who  honestly  desire  to  do  their  duty,  will 
generally  be  directed  in  it. — Finally,  let  us  observe,  that  eminent  grace 
will  connect  the  strictest  temperance  with  the  most  fervent  zeal  tor  the 
liberty  of  the  Gospel;  that  it  is  the.  doty  of  every  one  to  use  proper 
means  for  the  preservation  of  his  health  and  life,  as  a  debt  which  he 
owes  to  the  church,  the  community,  and  his  family ;  and  that  those  who 
are  frequently  infirm,  who  labor  abundantly  in  important  services,  and 
whose  earnestness,  in  spiritual  things,  induces  a  disregard  to  animal  in¬ 
dulgence,  should  attend  to  the  advice  of  those,  who  give  them  proper 
directions  tor  a  due  regard  to  their  health.  Scott. 


qualified  for  the  management  of  it,  are  things  neither  easy  to  he  proved, 
nor  rashty  to  be  taken  for  granted,  on  a  question  of  so  great  importance.’ 
See  also  Dwight's  Theol.  Serm.  150,  I,  En. 

V.  23.  Thi3  verse  is  a  remarkable  instance  of  the  apostle’s  neglect  of 
exact  method,  in  inditing  his  epistles. — It  occurred  to  his  mind,  when 
reflecting  on  Timothy’s  manifold  cares  and  labors,  that  his  frequent  in¬ 
dispositions  might  be  increased  by  too  great  abstemiousness,  to  the  pre¬ 
vention  of  his  usefulness,  nnd  the  shortening  of  his  days.  He  therefore 
broke  in  on  his  subject,  to  counsel  him,  not  to  drink  witter  any  longer, 
at  least  as  his  only  liquor;  but  to  use  a  little  wine  to  strengthen  his 
stomach,  and  preserve  his  health. — We  may  hence  form  an  estimate  ef 
the  exact  temperance,  practised  by  these  laborious  servants  of  Christ, 
whoso  zealously  pleaded  the  cause  of  Christian  liberty,  who  placed  no 
dependence  on  their  own  works,  and  who  never  prescribed  their  oxvn 
conduct,  in  these  things,  as  a  rule  for  other  men  !  Scott. 

V.  21,  25.  (Note,  21,  22.)  In  respect  of  the  choice  and  ordination  of 
ministers,  it  might  further  be  observed,  that  ‘some  men’s  sins  ’  were  so 
notorious,  nnd  so  easily  proved,  that  they  lay  open  before-hand,  and  an¬ 
ticipated  the  judgment,  which  ought  to  he  formed  of  their  conduct  and 
pretensions.  In  other  cases  they  ‘  followed  after,’  so  that  diligent  aini 
impartial  investigation  would  be  requisite  in  order  to  detect  them.  In 
like  manner,  some  persons,  applying  for  admission  into  the  public  ser¬ 
vice  of  the  church,  had  a  sufficient  testimonial  in  their  known  and  ahun- 
dant  good  works,  which  were  manifest  before  any  peculiar  inquiry  was 
made;  and  when  this  was  not  the  case,  yet,  upon  due  investigation, 
Timothy  and  others  might  become  acquainted  xvitli  them.  So  that,  in 
most  instances,  an  impartial  attenlionuto  the  business,  without  respect 
of  persons,  xvould  enable  those  concerned  to  knoxv  who  were,  and  who 
were  not,  eligible  to  public  stations. — ‘  I  speak  not  of  men,  whose  good 
or  bad  works  are  manifest  before-hand,  for  they  xvithout  further  discus¬ 
sion  or  examination  may  be  admitted,  or  are  to  be  rejected  ;  but  of  those 
whose  vices  or  good  works  are  latent.  For  they,  after  examination  and 
inquiry,  cannot  be  long  hid.  And  so,  if  thou  be  not  hasty  in  laying  on 
of  hands,  thou  mayest  timely  discover  them.  Or  if  bv  this  mean  thou 
canst  not  do  it,  thou  xvilt  not  be  partaker  with  the  sinner,  having  done 
as  much  as  was  in  thv  power  to  discover  them.’  Whitby.  JD* 

(24,  25.)  ‘  The  judgment,  here  intended,  seems  not  to  be  the  final  day 

of  account,  but  is  to  be  understood  of  the  judgment  that  is  to  be  passed, 
in  just  and  charitable  constructions,  on  persons’  characters,  with  a  viexv 

[477] 


A.  D.  60. 


1  TIMOTHY,  VI. 


Of  servants,  and  of  false  teachers. 


CHAP.  VI. 

1  Of  the  duty  of  servants.  3  Not  to  have  fellowship  with 
new-fangled  teachers.  6  Godliness  is  great  gain,  10  and 
love  of  money  the  root  of  all  evil.  11  What  Timothy  i9 
to  flee,  and  what  to  follow,  17  and  whereof  to  admonish 
the  rich.  20  To  keep  the  purity  of  true  doctrine,  and  to 
avoid  profane  janglings. 

LET  as  many  servants  a  as  are 
under  the  yoke  count  their  own 
masters  worthy  of  all  honor,  that 
the  name  of  God  and  his  doctrine 
be  not  blasphemed. 

2  And  they  that  have  believing 
masters,  let  them  not  despise  them, 
because  they  are  brethren  ;  but 
rather  do  them  service,  because 
they  are  b  faithful  and  beloved,  par¬ 
takers  of  the  benefit.  These  things 
teach  and  exhort. 

3  If  any  man  teach  otherwise, 
and  consent  not  to  wholesome  c 
words,  even  the  words  of  our  Lord 
Jesus  Christ,  and  to  the  doctrine 
which  is  according  d  to  godliness  ; 

4  He  is  e  proud,  knowing  'noth¬ 
ing,  but  E  doting  about  questions 
and  strifes  of  words,  whereof  com- 
eth  envy,  strife,  railings,  evil  sur- 
misings, 

5  h  Perverse  disputings  of  men  of 
corrupt  minds,  and  destitute  of  the 
truth,  supposing  that  gain  is  godli¬ 
ness  :  from  such  1  withdraw  thy¬ 
self. 

[Practical  Observations .] 

a  Ep.  6:5.  e  or,  a  fooL  h  or,  gallings 

b  or,  believing.  f  1  Co.  8:2.  one  of  another. 

c  2  Ti.  1:13.  g  or,  sick.  i  2Ti.3:5. 

d  Tit.  1:1. 

his  stomach,  and  recruit  his  nature.  Observe, 
It  is  a  little  wine,  for  ministers  must  not  be 
given  to  much  wine.  God  wills  that  people 
should  take  all  due  care  of  their  bodies.  As 
we  are  not  to  make  them  our  masters,  so 
neither  our  slaves  ;  but  to  use  them  so  as  they 
may  be  most  fit  and  helpful  to  us  in  the  ser¬ 
vice  of  God.  Observe,  Wine  is  most  proper 
for  sickly  and  weak  people,  whose  stomachs 


are  often  out  of  order,  and  who  labor  under  in¬ 
firmities,  Prov.  31:  6.  Wine  should  be  used 
as  a  help,  and  not  a  hindrance,  to  our  work 
and  usefulness. 


Chap.  VI.  1—5.  Here  is, 

I.  The  duty  of  servants  ;  they  are  here 
said  to  be  under  the  yoke,  which  denotes  both 
subjection  and  labor.  -If  Christianity  finds 
servants  under  the  yoke,  it  continues  them 
under  it  ;  for  the  Gospel  does  not  cancel  the 
obligations  any  lie  under,  either  by  the  law 
of  nature,  or  by  mutual  consent.  If  servants 
that  embraced  the  Christian  religion  should 
grow  insolent  and  disobedient  to  their  mas¬ 
ters,  the  doctrine  of  Christ  would  be  reflect¬ 
ed  on  for  their  sakes,as  if  it  had  made  men 
worse  livers  than  they  had  been  before  they 
had  received  the  Gospel.  And  this  is  a  good 
reason  why  we  should  all  conduct  ourselves 
well,  that  we  may  prevent  the  occasion  which 
many  seek,  and  will  be  very  apt  to  lay  hold 
of,  to  speak  ill  of  religion  for  our  sakes. 

Or,  suppose  the  master  were  a  believer, 
and  the  servant  a  believer  too  ;  would  not 
that  excuse  him,  because  in  Christ  there  is 
neither  bond  nor  free  ?  No,  by  no  means  ; 
They  that  have  believing  masters,  let  not  them 
despise  them,  because  they  are  brethren  ;  for 
that  brotherhood  relates  only  to  spiritual 
privileges,  not  to  any  outward  dignity  or  ad¬ 
vantage;  nay,  rather  do  them  service,  because 
they  are  faithful  and  beloved.  They  must  think 
themselves  the  more  obliged  to  serve  them, 
because  the  faith  and  love  that  bespeak  men 
Christians, oblige  them  to  do  good;  and  that 
is  all  wherein  their  service  consists.  Ob¬ 
serve,  it  is  a  great  encouragement  to  us  in 
doing  our  duty  to  our  relations,  if  we  have 
reason  to  think  they  are  faithful  and  beloved, 
and  partakers  of  the  benefit,  that  is,  of  the 
benefit  of  Christianity.  Timothy  is  appoint¬ 
ed  to  teach  and  exhort  these  things.  Ministers 
must  preach  not  only  the  general  duties  of 
all,  but  the  duties  of  particular  relations. 

II.  Paul  here  warns  Timothy  to  withdraw 
from  those  who  corrupted  the  doctrine  of 
Christ,  and  made  it  the  subject  of  strife,  de¬ 
bate,  and  controversy,  v.  3 — 5.  Observe, 
We  are  not  required  to  consent  to  any  words 
as  wholesome,  except  the  words  of  our  Lord 


Jesus  Christ;  his  doctrine  is  a  doctrine  ac¬ 
cording  to  godliness,  and  therefore  must  be 
received  ;  it  has  a  direct  tendency  to  make 
people  godly  ;  but  he  that  does  not  act  agree¬ 
ably,  is  proud,  v.  4.  contentious,  ignorant, 
and  does  a  great  deal  of  mischief  to  the 
church,  knowing  nothing.  Observe,  Com¬ 
monly  those  are  most  proud  who  know  least; 
for,  with  all  their  knowledge,  they  do  not 
know  themselves.  Those  who  fall  off  from 
the  plain  practical  doctrines  of  Christianity, 
fall  in  with  controversies  which  eat  out  the 
life  and  power  of  religion,  and  occasion  en¬ 
vy,  strife,  railings,  and  evil  surmisings.  When 
men  are  not  content  with  the  words  of  our 
Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and  the  doctrine  accord¬ 
ing  to  godliness,  but  will  frame  notions  of 
their  own,  and  impose  them,  and  that,  too, 
in  their  own  words,  which  man’s  wisdom 
teaches,  and  not  in  the  words  which  the 
Holy  Ghost  teaches,  1  Cor.  2:  13.  they  sow 
the  seeds  of  all  mischief  in  the  church. 
Hence  come  perverse  disputings  of  men  of  cor¬ 
rupt  minds,  v.  5.  disputes  that  are  all  subtle¬ 
ty,  and  no  solidity.  Observe,  Men  of  cor¬ 
rupt  minds  are  destitute  of  the  truth.  The  rea¬ 
son  why  men’s  minds  are  corrupt  is,  because 
they  do  not  stick  to  the  truth  as  it  is  in  Jesus: 
supposing  that  gain  is  godliness,  making  re¬ 
ligion  truckle  to  their  secular  interest.  F rom 
such  as  these  Timothy  is  warned  to  withdraw 
himself. 

We  observe,  (1.)  The  words  of  Christ 
are  the  best  to  prevent  ruptures  in  the  church  ; 
and  it  has  never  gone  well  with  the  church, 
since  the  words  of  men  have  claimed  a  re¬ 
gard  equal  to  his  words,  and  in  some  cases 
a  much  greater.  (2.)  Paul  sets  a  brand  on 
those  who  consent  noPto  the  words  of  our 
Lord  Jesus  Christ  ;  and  when  men  leave 
those  wholesome  words  they  will  never  agree 
in  other  words,  either  of  their  own  or  other 
men’s  inventions,  but  will  perpetually  wran¬ 
gle  and  quarrel  about  them  :  this  will  pro¬ 
duce  envy,  and  be  attended  with  jealousies 
and  suspicions  of  one  another,  called  here 
evil  surmisings ;  then  they  will  proceed  to 
perverse  disputings.  Such  persons  appear 
to  be  corrupt,  and  destitute  of  the  truth,  and 
good  ministers  and  Christians  will  withdraw 
themselves  from  such  ;  ‘  Come  out  from 


PRACT.  OBS.  V.  1—5.  It  is  most  important  to  the  honor  of  the 
Gospel,  that  professed  Christians  should  duly  perform  their  various 
relative  duties.  The  condition  of  servants,  indeed,  in  this  favored 
land  of  liberty,  allows  them  to  change  one  situation  for  another;  but 
the  precepts  of  Scripture  do  not  at  all  permit  them  to  behave  with  dis¬ 
respect  to  the  persons,  or  disregard  to  the  lawful  commands  of  those 
whom  they  serve  ;  nor  yet  to  return  affronting  answers,  or  to  speak  of 
their  master’s  faults  to  others  without  cause ;  hut  rather  to  weep  over 
them,  and  pray  for  them  in  secret,  when  they  are  ungodly  and  unreason¬ 
able.  Alas  1  how  grievously  are  ‘  the  name  and  Gospel  of  God  blas¬ 
phemed,’  through  those  servants,  who  love  to  discourse  and  dispute 
about  doctrines  and  sermons,  in  families  averse  to  such  subjects;  and 
then  behave  with  impertinence  in  their  places,  if  not  with  sloth,  dishon¬ 
esty,  and  unfaithfulness  !  Thus  thousands  are  fatally  prejudiced  against 

to  their  admission  to  the  sacred  office  of  the  ministry.’  Guyse,  in  Henry, 
abr. — Bl.  adopts  this  interpretation,  i.  e.  that  the  reference  is  to  ordina¬ 
tion,  as  ‘  alone  bearing  the  stamp  of  truth.’  Ed. 

Conc/udittst  Note.  V.  It.  Guide  the  house ,  &r.]  *  Surely,  that  woman  deserves 
contempt,  who,  having  consumed  the  period  of  youth  in  frivolous  rending,  dissi¬ 
pating  amusement,  and  in  the  acquisition  of  accomplishments,  wiiicii  are  to  be  con¬ 
signed,  immediately  after  marriage,  to  entire  forgetfulness  ;  enters  upon  the  duties  of 
a  wife  with  [little]  other  expectation,  than  that  of  being  an  useless  or  prodigal  ap¬ 
pendage  to  a  household,  ignorant  of  her  duties,  and  of  the  manner  of  discharging 
them  ;  and  with  no  other  conceptions  of  the  responsibilities  which  she  has  assumed, 
than  such  us  have  been  acquired  from  a  life  of  childish  caprice,  luxurious  self-indul¬ 
gence,  and  sensitive,  feminine,  yet  thoroughly  finished  selfishness.  And  yet  I  fear 
Ihai  the  system  of  female  education  at  present  in  vogue,  is,  in  many  respects,  liable 
to  the  accusation  of  producing  precisely  this  tendency.’  Wayland. 

NOTES.  Chap.  VI.  V.  1 — 5.  This  shows,  that  Christian  masters 
were  not  required  to  set  their  slaves  at  liberty,  though  they  were  in¬ 
structed  to  behave  towards  them  in  such  a  manner,  as  would  greatly 
lessen  and  nearly  annihilate  the  evils  of  slavery.  It  would  have  excited 
much  confusion,  awakened  the  jealonsy  of  the  civil  powers,  and  greatly 
retarded  the  progress  of  Christianity,  had  the  liberation  of  slaves  by 
tlieir  converts  been  expressly  required  by  the  apostles  ;  though  the  prin¬ 
ciples  of  both  the  law  and  the  gospel,  when  carried  to  their  consequen¬ 
ces,  will  infallibly  abolish  slavery.  Ex.  21:2.-These  things  Timothy  was 
directed  to  teach  and  enforce,  as  matters  of  the  greatest  importance; 
and  if  any  person  taught  otherwise,  and  consented  not  to  such  salutary 
words,  which  were  indeed  the  words  of  Christ  ‘speaking  by  hint,’  and 
an  essential  part  of  ‘  the  doctrine  according  to  godliness;’  he  must  be 
considered  as  a  self-conceited,  ignorant  man,  who,  being  puffed  up  with 
an  opinion  of  his  own  abilities,  was  ambitious  of  distinction  and  ap¬ 
plause,  though  entirely  unacquainted  with  the  real  nature  and  tendency  of 
the  Gospel.  1  Cor.  3:18  —  23.  8:1—3.  —  It  is  not  absolutely  certain,  to 

[478] 


the  Gospel.  —  Indeed,  some  servants,  whose  sincerity  is  unimpeached, 
through  a  lamentable  mistake,  suppose  equality  in  religious  privileges 
to  imply  equality  in  the  family ;  and  thus  they  act,  as  if  they  ‘  despis¬ 
ed  their  believing  masters’  and  their  authority;  giving  them  rude  an¬ 
swers,  and  either  neglecting  their  business,  or  doing  it  in  tlieir  own  way, 
as  if  this  was  a  part  of  their  Christian  liberty  !  Whereas,  they  ought  to 
honor  and  serve  them,  xvith  the  greater  diligence  and  alacrity,  because 
‘they  are  faithful  and  beloved,  partakers  of  the  benefit.’  No  doubt  there 
are  violations  of  duty,  equally  inexcusable,  committed  by  those  who 
stand  in  the  opposite  relation  ;  and  zealous  professors  of  evangelical  doc¬ 
trines  are  accessary  to  believing  servants’  choosing  to  live  in  irreligious 
families,  by  behaving  in  so  unchristian  a  manner  to  such  as  have  come 
among  them,  expecting  better  treatment.  Scott. 


what  set  of  men  the  apostle  referred  ;  but,  as  many  p f  the  Jews  deemed 
it  unlawful  to  submit  to  heathen  governors,  it  is  probable,  some  of  the 
Judaizing  teachers  inculcated,  that  the  worshippers  of  God  ought  not  to 
obey  heathen  masters,  and  so  paid  their  court  to  servants,  by  persuading 
them  that  they  ought  to  assert  their  liberty.  But  there  might  be  others 
also,  who  disregarded  and  despised  these  practical  instructions,  while  their 
attention  was  taken  up  with  curious  and  nice  speculations  and  distinc¬ 
tions.  Such  persons,  however,  were  to  be  considered  ns  doting,  or  talking 
wildly,  like  sick  and  delirious  persons,  about  hard  questions  and  disputes 
of  words,  names,  forms,  or  notions,  which  lmd  no  connexion  with  ‘  the 
power  of  godliness.’  .  ..  Tims  they  wanted  to  persuade  the  Christian 
servants,  that  the  recovery  of  their  liberty  was  to  be  considered  ns  a 
Christian  privilege  of  great  value,  which  they  ought  to  claim,  whatever 
the  consequence  might  be ;  and,  from  t lie  same  principle,  they  sought 
worldly  lucre  by  tlieir  religious  profession,  and  as  their  leading  object. 
( M .  R.  p — s.)  From  such  men  Timothy  was  exhorted  ‘  to  withdraw 
himself;’  ar.d  neither  have  acquaintance  with  them,  nor  spend  his  time 
in  disputing  against  them.  2  Tties.  3  c — 9.  2  Tim.  3:1 — 5.  Scott. 

(2.)  Benefit .]  I.  e.  ‘  Christianity.’  Williams. — ‘  That  glorious  ben¬ 
efit  which  the  Gospel  brings  to  all  its  laithful  professors,  of  whatsoever 
rank  or  profession  in  life.’  I)onnn.  ‘  It  may  be  understood  either  xvith 
reference  to  the  masters,  i-e.  those  who  receive  the  benefit  (of  their  ser¬ 
vice),  or  to  the  slaves,  i.  e.  those  xvho  apply  themselves  to  benefit  them. 
So  the  ancients  and  many  recent  commentators.  There  is  some  harsh¬ 
ness  in  both  interpretations,  but  the  former  seems  to  te  the  more  nat¬ 
ural  and  agreeable  to  the  context.’  Bloomf.  Calvin  says,  ‘united  in 
fraternal  love,  and  partakers  of  the  same  grace.’  Ed. 

(3.)  Words  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ.]  ‘  On  this  important  principle 
that,  what  the  apostle  xvrote,  as  by  divine  direction,  was  in  effect,  the 
words  and  commandments  of  Christ.’  Doddk. 


A.  D.  60. 


Of  godliness,  and  covetousness , 


1  TIMOTHY,  VI. 


6  But  godliness  iwith  content¬ 
ment  is  great  gain. 

7  For  we  brought  nothing  into 
this  world,  and  it  is  certain  k  we 
can  carry  nothing  out. 

8  And  having  food  and  raiment, 
let  us  be  therewith  'content. 

9  But  they  that  will  m  be  rich,  fall 
into  temptation  and  a  snare,  and 
into  many  foolish  and  hurtful  lusts, 
which  drown  men  in  destruction 
and  perdition. 

10  For  “the  love  of  money  is  the 
root  of  all  evil ;  which  while  some 
coveted  after,  they  have  0  erred 
frofn  the  faith,  and  pierced  them¬ 
selves  through  with  many  sorrows. 

11  But  thou,  O  man  p  of  God, 
flee  these  things  ;  and  follow  after 
righteousness,  godliness,  faith,  love, 
patience,  meekness. 

L 


Pr.  15:16.  m  Pr.  28:20. 

Ps.  49:17.  n  Ex.  23:8. 

1  Ge.  28:20. 


o  or,  been  seduced. 
p  De.  33:1. 


among  them,  my  people,  and  be  ye  separate,’ 
6ays  the  Lord  :  from  such  withdraw  thyself. 

V.  6 — 12.  From  the  mention  of  the  abuse 
which  some  put  on  religion,  (making  it  to 
serve  their  secular  advantages,)  the  apostle 
takes  occasion  to  show  the  excellency  of 
contentment,  and  the  evil  of  covetousness. 

I.  The  excellency  of  contentment,  v.  6 — 
8.  Some  account  Christianity  an  advan¬ 
tageous  profession  for  this  world  ;  in  the 
sense  they  mean,  it  is  false;  yet  it  is  un¬ 
doubtedly  true,  that,  though  Christianity 
is  the  worst  trade,  it  is  the  best  calling,  in 
the  world.  The  truth  he  lays  down  is,  that 
godliness  with  contentment  is  great  gain.  Some 
read  it,  godliness  with  a  competency  ;  that 

is,  if  a  man  have  but  a  little  in  this  world, 
yet  if  he  have  but  enough  to  carry  him  through 

it,  he  needs  desire  no  more  ;  his  godliness, 


with  that,  will  be  his  great  gain,  Ps.  37  : 
16. 

We  read  it,  godliness  with  contentments 
godliness  is  itself  great  gain,  and  wherever 
there  is  true  godliness,  there  will  be  con¬ 
tentment  ;  but  those  that  are  arrived  at  the 
highest  pitch  of  contentment  with  their  god¬ 
liness,  are  certainly  the  easiest,  happiest 
people  in  this  world,  and  are  sure  to  be  hap¬ 
py  in  another  world. 

Here  we  have  a  Christian’s  gain, — godli¬ 
ness  with  contentment  ;  this-is  great,  and, 
not  like  the  little  gain  of  worldlings,  it  is 
ever  accompanied  with  contentment  in  a 
greater  or  less  degree.  Let  us  all,  then, 
endeavor  after  godliness  with  contentment. 

He  gives  the  reason,  v.  7.  We  should  be 
content  with  a  little, 

(1.)  Because  we  can  challenge  nothing  as 
a  debt  due  to  us,  for  we  came  naked  into  the 
world  S  we  had  our  beings,  our  bodies,  our 
lives,  when  we  came  into  the  world,  though 
we  came  naked,  and  brought  nothing  with 
us  :  may  we  not  then  be  content  while  our 
beings  and  lives  are  continued  to  us,  though 
we  have  not  everything  we  would  have  1 
When  reduced  to  the  greatest  straits,  we 
cannot  be  poorer  than  when  we  came  into 
this  world,  yet  then  we  were  provided  for  ; 
therefore  let  us  trust  in  God  for  the  remain¬ 
ing  part  of  our  pilgrimage. 

(2.)  We  shall  carry  nothing  with  us  out  of 
this  world;  a  shroud,  a  cofiin,  and  a  grave, 
are  all  that  the  richest  man  in  the  world  can 
have  from  his  thousands.  Therefore  why 
should  we  covet  much  1  Eccl.  5:  15,  16. 

Hence  he  infers,  v.  8.  if  God  give  us  the 
necessary  supports  of  life,  we  ought  to  be 
content  therewith  ;  though  we  have  not  dain¬ 
ty  food  nor  costly  raiment,  if  we  have  but 
food  and  raiment  convenient  for  us,  and  cov¬ 
ering,  including  habitation  as  well  as  rai¬ 
ment,  we  ought  to  be  content :  this  was 
Ague’s  prayer,  Prov.  30:8. 

Here  we  see  the  folly  of  placing  our  hap¬ 
piness  in  these  things,  and  how  the  necessa¬ 
ries  of  life  are  the  bounds  of  a  true  Cliris- 


V.  6 — 10.  Having  things  barely  needful  for  the  present,  we  ought  to 
be  contented  and  satisfied  with  them,  without  indulging  any  desire  of 
acquiring  greater  affluence,  or  being  exempted  from  hard  labor  and 
mean  fare.  For  discontent  in  a  lowly  situation  commonly  produces  a 
determination  to  be  rich,  if  possible,  and  leads  men  out  of  the  plain  path 
of  honest  industry  and  prudent  economy,  in  dependence  on  the  provi¬ 
dence  and  obedience  to  the  commandment  of  God.  —  When  once  ‘the 
love  of  money  ’  is  nllowed  to  rule  in  the  heart,  it  becomes  the  prolific 
root  of  all  kinds  of  evil.  Impostures,  frauds,  lies,  thefts,  robberies,  op¬ 
pressions,  murders,  ungodliness,  hypocrisy,  apostasy,  contention,  law¬ 
suits,  wars,  cruelty,  pride,  luxury,  sensuality,  or  penurious  avarice,  are 
some  of  the  noxious  weeds,  of  which  it  daily  produces  a  most  abundant 
increase,  according  to  the  different  constitutions,  habits,  and  circumstan¬ 
ces  of  mankind.  Every  species  of  impiety,  iniquity  and  vice,  in  one 
way  or  another,  grows  from  it ;  and  a  large  proportion  of  the  miseries, 
as  well  as  the  crimes  of  mankind,  originate  from  the  same  source. — It  is 
not  to  be  supposed,  that  the  apostle  meant  to  establish,  as  a  universal 
proposition,  that  every  kind  and  every  act  of  wickedness,  grew  from  1  the 
love  of  money,’  as  from  their  only  root ;  for  doubtless,  many  kinds  and  in¬ 
numerable  acts  of  wickedness  spring  from  other  roots,  which  have  scarce¬ 
ly  any  connexion  with  the  love  of  money;  and  Cicero,  in  his  Offices,  states, 
that  the  love  of  money  itself,  in  many  and  most  insatiable  instances, 
springs  from  love  of  power  and  dominion,  for  which  it  is  indispensably 
requisite.  Hut,  whoever  well  considers  what  influence  the  desire  of 
riches,  not  only  to  hoard  them,  but  to  purchase  with  them  the  gratifica¬ 
tion  of  pride,  ambition,  sensual  inclinations,  and  even  revenge,  has  on 
the  conduct  of  mankind,  will  readily  see,  that,  ns  a  general  truth,  there 
is  sufficient  ground  to  aver,  that  ‘the  love  of  money  is  the  root  of  all 
evil.’  The  abandoned  prostitute,  Judas,  who  sold  his  Lord,  the  traitor 
who  sells  his  country,  and  the  mercenary  teacher  of  religion,  combine 
in  saying,  ‘  What  will  ye  give  me?  It  was  the  remark  of  a  corrupt, 
but  able  statesman  in  this  natiou,  [the  English,]  that  ‘every  man  has 
his  price  and  it  is  in  some  sense,  true  of  every  man,  who  is  ‘  a  lover  of 
money,’  of  pleasure,  or  of  worldly  honor,  more  than  ‘  a  lover  of  God.’ 
The  ambitious  conquerors  and  destroyers  of  mankind,  have  always  lov¬ 
ed  money,  as  the  means  of  accomplishing  their  object ;  and  have  extort¬ 
ed  it  from  those  in  their  power,  with  the  most  entire  disregard  to  jus¬ 
tice,  truth,  and  mercy.  Nor  did  any  one  ever  desire  to  revenge  himself, 
or  remove  a  rival,  by  assassination  or  perjury,  but  some  wretch  could 
be  found  disposed  by  love  of  money  to  perpetrate  the  villany.  Scott. 

(6.)  ‘  If  you  are  ever  disposed  to  envy  the  great  and  affluent,  and 

mourn  that  you  may  not  shine  in  the  circles  of  fashion,  and  be  arrayed  in 
splendor,  and  feast  at  luxurious  banquets, — if,  with  eager  anil  unsatisfied 
desire,  you  cry,  give,  give,  as  you  survey  their  treasures, -reflect  one  mo¬ 
ment  how  these  bar  up  their  entrance  to  the  kingdom  of  God, — how  they 
add  fuel  to  their  lusts,  and  furnish  excitement  to  their  pride, — how  they 
remove  them  far  from  the  hopeful  means  of  salvation,  and  often  prove 
their  sure  passports  to  the  gates  of  death.  Wealth  is  a  privilege,  when 
enjoyed  and  used  as  it  should  he.  Rot  I  should  fear  to  pray  for  wealth 
cither  for  myself  or  my  children.  If  I  knew  I  should  devote  it  to  God, 


tian’s  desire,  with  which,  therefore,  he  will 
endeavor  to  be  content. 

II.  The  evil  of  covetousness,  v.  9.  It  is 
not  said,  they  that  are  rich,  but  they  that  will 
be  rich,  that  is,  that  place  their  happiness  in 
worldly  wealth,  that  covet  it  inordinately, 
and  are  eager  and  violent  in  the  pursuit  of 
it.  They  that  are  stich,  fall  into  temptation 
and  a  snare ,  unavoidably  ;  nor  will  they  be 
safe  or  innocent,  for  they  will  be  in  danger 
of  ruining  themselves  for  ever.  It  is  good 
for  us  to  consider  the  mischievousness  of 
worldly,  fleshly  lusts.  They  are  foolish,  and 
therefore  we  should  be  ashamed  of  them  ; 
hurtful,  and  therefore  we  should  be  afraid  of 
them,  especially  considering  to  what  degree 
they  are  hurtful,  for  they  drown  men  in  de¬ 
struction  and  perdition. 

The  love  of  money  is  the  root  of  all  evil, 
v.  10.  What  sins  will  not  men  be  drawn  to 
by  the  love  of  money  1  Particularly  this  was 
at  the  bottom  of  the  apostasy  of  many  from 
the  faith  of  Christ  ;  while  they  coveted  mon¬ 
ey,  they  erred  from  the  faith,  they  quitted 
their  Christianity,  and  pierced  themselves 
through  with  many  sorrows. 

III.  Hence  he  takes  occasion  both  to  cau¬ 
tion  Timothy  against  their  lusts,  and  to  coun¬ 
sel  him  to  keep  in  the  way  of  God  and  his 
duty,  and  particularly  to  fulfil  the  trust  re¬ 
posed  in  him  as  a  minister.  He  addresses 
himself  to  him  as  a  man  of  God.  Ministers 
are  men  ftf  God,  and  ought  to  conduct  them¬ 
selves  accordingly  in  everything  ;  they  are 
men  employed  for  God,  devoted  to  his  hon¬ 
or  more  immediately.  The  prophets,  under 
the  Old  Test.,  were  called  men  of  God. 

1.  He  charges  Timothy  to  take  heed  of 
the  love  of  money,  which  had  been  so  perni¬ 
cious  to  many  ;  Flee  these  things.  It  is  ill 
becoming  any  men,  but  especially  men  of 
God,  to  set  their  hearts  on  the  things  of  this 
world;  men  of  God  should  be  taken  up  with 
the  things  of  God. 

2.  To  arm  him  against  the  love  of  the 
world,  he  directs  him  to  follow  that  which 
is  good  ;  righteousness  in  his  conversation 

I  should  be  glad  to  possess  it.  Hut  I  do  not  know;  and  observation 
shows,  that  large  possessions  are  much  more  likely  to  injure  and  destroy 
us,  than  we  ourselves  are  likely  to  devote  them  to  God.’  Ur.  Gardner 
Spring. — Gain  is  godliness.]  ‘  Those  professors  of  religion  whose  prin¬ 
cipal  object,  from  month  to  month,  is  to  get  gain,  will  certainly  never  ob¬ 
tain  a  heavenly  mind  ;  and  if  there  is  any  truth  in  the  Bible,  they  will 
never  reach  heaven* itself.’  Dr.  Griffin. 

(8.)  ‘  House-room  is  not  mentioned,  being  the  least  of  the  wants  of  a 
man  in  the  East.’  Bloomf. 

(9.)  They  that  will  be  rich  fall  into  temptation.]  ‘If  there  be  a 
place  in  our  world,  where  the  subtle  evasion,  and  the  dexterous  imposi¬ 
tion,  and  the  sly  but  gainful  concealment,  and  the  report  which  misleads 
the  inquirer,  and  the  gloss  which  tempts  the  unwary  purchaser, — are 
not  only  currently  practised  in  the  walks  of  merchandise,  but,  when  not 
carried  forward  to  the  glare  and  the  literality  of  falsehood,  are  beheld 
with  general  connivance  ;  if  there  be  a  place  where  the  sense  of  moral¬ 
ity  has  thus  fallen,  and  all  the  nicer  delicacies  of  conscience  are  over¬ 
borne  in  the  keen  and  ambitions  rivalry  of  men  hasting  to  be  rich,  and 
wholly  given  over  to  the  idolatrous  service  of  the  god  of  this  world, — 
then  that  is  the  place,  the  smoke  of  whose  iniquity  rises  before  Him, 
who  silteth  on  the  throne,  in  a  tide  of  deepest  and  most  revolting  abom¬ 
ination.’  Sermon  on  the  Influence  of  Christianity  in  augmenting  the 
Mercantile  Virtues.  Chalmers. 

(10.)  Pierced ,  &c.]  ‘This,  indeed,  happily  expresses  the  innumerable 
outrages  done  to  conscience  by  those  mad  men  who  have  taken  up 
this  fatal  resolution,  that  they  will,  at  all  adventures,  be  rich.’  Doddr. 
The  love  of  money  is  the  root  of  all  evil.]  For  since  in  this  desire  all 
other  appetites  and  passions  concur  (as  they  are  bought  by  money),  it  is 
the  prevalent  form  of  selfishness,  the  great  antagonist  principle  of  the 
Gospel  of  love.  Note,  Col.  3:5.  See  ‘Mammon,  a  prize  Essay,’  in  3 
parts,  1.  Selfishness  the  antagonist  of  the  Gospel,  with  sections  respec¬ 
tively  entitled,  ‘the  universe,  designed  to  display  and  enjoy  the  love 
of  God  ;  sin,  as  selfishness,  is  the  frustration  of  the  divine  plan  ;  all  sin 
is  selfishness  ;  the  Gospel,  as  a  system  of  benevolence,  opposed  to  sel¬ 
fishness;  selfishness  the  sin  of  the  world,  has  long  since  become  the  sin 
of  the  church  ;  the  forms  of  selfishness  in  the  church,  l’art  2.  Cove¬ 
tousness,  the  principal  form  of  selfishness,  in  its  nature;  forms;  prev¬ 
alence;  especially  in  Britain  [<fcc.]  ;  its  disguises;  test;  guilt  and  evils  ; 
doom;  pleas.  Part  3.  Christian  liberality  explained  ;  enforced.’  Jn- 
dre.iv  Fuller  says,  ‘  the  love  of  money  will,  in  all  probability,  prove  the 
eternal  overthrow  of  more  characters  among  professing  people  than  any 
other  sin,  because  it  is  almost  the  only  crime  which  can  be  indulged, 
and  a  profession  of  religion  at  the  same  time  supported.’  Ed- 

V.  11,  12.  According  to  the  language  of  the  Old  Test.,  concerning  the 
ancient  prophets,  the  apostle  addressed  Timothy  as  a  ‘  man  ol  God, 
one  devoted  to  God,  and  employed  by  Him  as  his  messenger  to  mankind; 
as  one  who  bore  this  high  and  important  character,  be  exhorted  " i m  t o 
‘flee,’  without  delav  or  looking  back,  to  the  utmost  distance  bom  that 
destructive  whirlpool,  in  which  such  immense  numbers  were  continually 
swallowed  up  ;  and  to  ‘follow  after’  more  entire  conformity  to  the  per- 


1  TIMOTHY,  VI. 


A.  D.  60. 


A  solemn  charge  to  Timothy. 


12  Fight  “’the  good  fight  of  faith, 
lay  hold  on  eternal  life,  vvhereunto 
thou  art  also  called,  and  hast  pro¬ 
fessed  r  a  good  profession  before 
many  witnesses. 

[Practical  Observations.] 

13  1  give  thee  charge  ’ in  the 
sight  of  God,  who  quickeneth  all 
things,  and  before  Christ  Jesus, 
who  *  before  Pontius  Pilate  wit¬ 
nessed  a  good  "confession  ; 

14  That  thou  keep -this  command¬ 
ment  without  spot,  v  unrebukable, 
until  the  appearing  w  of  our  Lord 
Jesus  Christ : 

15  Which  in  his  times  he  shall 
shew,  who  is  the  T blessed  and  only 
Potentate,  the  y  King  of  kings,  and 
Lord  of  lords  ; 

16  Who  only  hath  immortality, 
dwelling  in  the  light  which  z  no 
man  can  approach  unto  ;  whom 
•no  man  hath  seen  nor  can  see  :  to 
whom  b  be  honor  and  power  ever¬ 
lasting.  Amen. 

17  Charge  them  that  are  rich  in 
this  world,  that  they  be  not  high- 
minded,  nor  trust  c  in  d  uncertain 
riches,  but  in  the  living  God,  who 
giveth  us  richly  all  things  to  'en¬ 
joy  ; 


q2Ti.  4:7.  v  Phi.  2:15. 

r  He  13;i3.  \v  1  Th.  5:23. 

s  c.  5:21.  x  c  1:17. 

t  Jn.  18:36,37.  y  Re.  17:14. 

u  or,  profession,  z  Re.  1:16,17. 


a  Ex.  33:20, 
b  Jude  25.  Re. 1:6. 
c  Ps.  62:10. 
d  the  uncertainty  of. 


toward  men,  godliness  toward  God,  faith 
and  love  as  living  principles,  to  support  him, 
and  carry  him  on  in  the  practice  both  of 
righteousness  and  godliness. 

Observe,  It  is  not  enough  that  men  of  God 
flee  evil  things,  but  they  must  follow  after 
what  is  directly  contrary  thereto.  Further, 
what  excellent  persons  men  of  God  are,  who 
follow  after  righteousness  !  They  are  the 
excellent  of  the  earth,  and,  being  acceptable 
to  God,  they  should  be  approved  of  ifien. 

3.  He  exhorts  him  to  do  the  part  of  a  sol¬ 
dier  ;  those  who  will  get  to  heaven,  must 
fight  their  way  thither  ;  must  conflict  with 
corruption  and  temptations,  and  the  opposi¬ 
tion  of  the  powers  of  darkness  :  it  is  a  good 
fight,  a  good  cause,  and  it  will  have  a  good 


issue;  it  is  the  fight  of  faith;  we  do  not  war 
after  the  flesh,  for  the  weapons  of  our  war¬ 
fare  are  not  carnal,  2  Cor.  10:  3,  4. 

4.  He  exhorts  him  to  lay  hold  on  eternal 
life.  Eternal  life  is  the  crown  proposed  for 
our  encouragement,  and  this  we  must  lay  hold 
on,  as  those  that  are  afraid  of  coming  short  of 
it,  and  losing  it.  We  are  called  to  the  fight, 
and  to  lay  hold  on  eternal  life.  The  profes¬ 
sion  Timothy,  and  all  faithful  ministers, 
make  before  many  witnesses,  is  a  good  pro¬ 
fession;  for  they  profess  and  engage  to  fight 
the  good  fight  of  faith,  and  to  lay  hold  on 
eternal  life;  their  calling  and  their  own  pro¬ 
fession  oblige  them  unto  this. 

V.  13 — 21.  He  charges  him  to  keep  this 
commandment  without  spot;  that  is,  the  whole 
work  of  his  ministry,  all  the  trust  reposed  in 
him,  all  the  service  expected  from  him,  he 
must  keep  it.  without  spot,  unrebukable  J  he 
must  conduct  himself  so  in  his  ministry,  that 
he  might  not  lay  himself  open  to  any  blame, 
or  incur  any  blemish. 

What  are  the  motives  to  move  him  to  this  1 

I.  He  gives  him  a  solemn  c  barge,  v.  13. 
charges  him,  as  he  will  answer  it  at  the 
great  day  to  tint  God  whose  eyes  are  on  us 
all,  who  sees  what  we  are,  and  what  we  do.  ' 
This  should  quicken  us  to  the  service  of  God, 
that  we  serve  a  God  who  quickens  all  things,  j 
He  charges  him  before  Christ  Jesus ,  to  whom,  J 
in  a  peculiar  manner,  he  stood  related  as  a 
minister  of  his  Gospel  ;  and  whose  good  [ 
confession  before  Pilate,  My  kingdom  is  not  j 
of  this  world,  should  he  effectual  to  draw  off  j 
all  his  followers,  both  ministers  and  people,  j 
from  the  love  of  this  world.  John  18:36,  j 
37,  Christ  died  as  a  Martyr,  as  well  as  a 
Sacrifice. 

II.  He  reminds  him  of  the  confession  he 
himself  had  made,  v.  12.  when  ordained  by 
the  laying  on  of  the  hands  of  the  presbytery. 
The  obligation  of  that  was  still  upon  him, 
and  he  must  live  up  to  it,  and  he  quickened 
by  it,  to  do  the  work  of  his  ministry. 

III.  He  reminds  him  of  Christ’s  second 
coming  ;  ‘  Keep  this  commandment,  until 
the  appearing  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  J  keep 
it  as  long  as  thou  livest,  till  Christ  come  at 
death  to  give  thee  a  discharge.  Keep  it 
with  an  eye  to  his  second  coining,  when  we 
must  all  give  an  account  of  the  talents  we 
have  been  intrusted  with,’  Luke  16:2. 

Mentioning  the  appearing  of  Christ  as 
one  that  loved  it,  he  loves  to  speak  of  it,  and 
loves  to  speak  of  Him,  who  shall  then  ap-  ; 
pear.  The  appearing  of  Christ  is  certain; 
hut  it  is  not  for  us  to  know  the  time  and 


season  of  it  ;  let  this  suffice,  that  in  time 
He  shall  show  it,  in  the  time  He  thinks  fit 
for  it. 

Concerning  Christ,  and  God  the  Father, 
he  here  speaks  great  things.  God  is  the 
only  Potentate ;  the  powers  that  are,  are 
ordained  of  God,  Rom.  13:1.  He  is  the 
blessed  and  only  Potentate,  infinitely  happy, 
and  nothing  can  in  the  least  impair  his  hap¬ 
piness.  He  is  King  of  kings,  and  Lord  of 
lords.  All  the  kings  of  the  earth  derive  their 
power  from  Him  ;  and  He  has  a  sovereign 
dominion  over  them.  This  is  Christ’s  title, 
Rev.  19:  16. 

He  only  has  immortality  ;  has  it  in  Him¬ 
self,  has  it  as  He  is  the  Fountain  of  it,  for 
the  immortality  of  angels  and  spirits  is  de¬ 
rived  from  Him.  He  dwells  in  inaccessi¬ 
ble  light  ;  light  which  no  man  can  approach 
unto  :  no  man  can  get  to  heaven,  hut  those 
whom  He  is  pleased  to  bring  thither,  and 
admit  into  his  kingdom.  He  is  invisible  ; 
whom  no  man  hath  seen,  nor  can  see.  It  is 
impossible  that  mortal  eyes  should  hear  the 
brightness  of  the  divine  glory.  No  man 
can  see  God  and  live. 

Having  mentioned  these  glorious  attri¬ 
butes,  he  concludes  with  a  doxology  ;  To 
Him  be  honor  and  power  everlasting.  Amen. 
God  having  all  power  and  honor  to  Himself, 
it  is  our  duty  to  ascribe  all  power  and  honor 
to  Him. 

What  an  evil  is  sin,  when  committed 
against  such  a  God,  the  blessed  and  only 
Potentate  !  The  evil  of  it  rises  in  propor¬ 
tion  to  the  dignity  of  Him  against  whom  it 
is  committed.  Similar  is  his  condescension, 
to  notice  such  mean  and  vile  creatures  ns 
we  are.  W  hat  are  we,  that  the  blessed 
God,  the  King  of  kings,  and  Lord  of  lords, 
should  seek  after  us  1  Blessed  are  they  who 
are  admitted  to  dwell  with  this  great  and 
blessed  Potentate.  Let  us  love,  adore,  and 
praise,  the  great  God  ;  for  who  shall  not 
fear  Thee,  O  Lord,  and  glorify  thy  name  1 
For  Thou  only  art  holy,  Rev.  15:  4.  The 
apostle  adds,  as  a  postscript,  a  lesson  for  the 
rich  people,  *>.  17 — 19.  Timothy  must  charge 
them  that  are  rich  to  take  care  of  the  tempta¬ 
tions,  and  improve  the  opportunities,  of  their 
prosperous  estate.  He  must  caution  them, 

1.  To  take  heed  of  pride.  That  is  a  sin 
that  easily  besets  rich  people;  but  they  must 
not  think  of  themselves  above  what  is  meet, 
or  be  puffed  up  with  their  wealth. 

2.  Not  to  confide  in  their  wealth.  Noth¬ 
ing  is  more  uncertain  than  the  wealth  of 
this  world;  many  have  had  much  of  it  one 


PRACT.  OBS.  V.  6 — 12.  Wo  cannot  look  about  us  at  all,  without 
perceiving,  that  ‘  they  who  will  be  rich,  fail  into  temptation,’  are  entan- 
gleii  ‘in  a  snare,’  ‘and  are  overcome  by  many  foolish  and  hurtful  lusts, 
which  drown  men  in  destruction  and  perdition.’  ‘For  the  love  of  mo¬ 
ney  is  the  root  of  all  ’  kinds  of  ‘  evil,’  in  every  part  of  the  earth.  Many 
hopeful  persons,  hy  allowing  themselves  to  covet  something  greater, 
more  elegant  or  affluent,  have  ‘  erred  from  the  faith,’  have  ‘made  ship¬ 
wreck  ’  of  their  religious  profession,  or  have  turned  out  mere  thorny- 
ground  hearers;  and  others  ‘have  pierced  themselves  through  with 
many  sorrows,’  to  the  embittering  of  all  their  future  lives.  No  words  can 
express,  no  description  reach,  the  numberless  and  horrid  evils,  which 
continually  flow  from  this  source;  especially  in  a  day  of  outward  pros- 


fect  rule  of  universal  1  righteousness,’  by  an  upright,  faithful  conduct  to¬ 
wards  all  men  ;  a  proper  temper  and  behavior  towards  God  in  every¬ 
thing  ;  a  lively  faith  in  Christ,  and  the  divine  promises  in  Him,  as  well 
ns  faithfulness  in  his  stewardship;  ‘love’  to  the  Lord,  to  li is  brethren, 
and  mankind;  ‘patience’  under  sufferings,  and  ‘ meekness ’  amidst  in¬ 
juries  and  provocations.  Scott. 

(12.)  Fight,  &e.]  ‘  It  might,  perhaps,  more  literally  be  rendered,  ex¬ 
ercise  the  good  exercise  ;  but  this  is  a  Grecism  which  the  English  lan¬ 
guage  will  not  conveniently  allow  ;  nor  does  the  word  exercise  by  any 
means  express  the  force  of  the  original  word,  which  always  supposes  an 
opponent  to  he  resisted.’  Doddr. 

V.  13 — 16.  The  Godhead  Itself  seems  to  be  here  adored,  without  dis¬ 
tinction  of  Persons,  of  which  ail  these  things  are  properly  spoken, 
whether  the  Person  of  the  Father,  of  the  Son,  or  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  he 
mentioned.  The  invisible  God  is  revealed  to  us,  only  in  and  through 
the  human  nature  of  Christ,  as  1  the  only  begotten  Son’  of  the  Father. 
Mat.  11:27.  John  1:18.  Col.  1:15 — 17.  Heb.  1:3,  4.  And  this  display  of 
the  divine  glory  will  be  rendered  most  illustrious,  when  Christ  shall  he 
seen  as  Man,  exercising  all  the  power,  authority,  and  perfections  of  God, 
hy  the  whole  assembled  universe.  Mat.  16:24 — 28.  25:31 — 46.  John  5: 
20—29.  2  Thes.  1:5— 10.  I'll.  2:13.  Rev.  20:11— 15.  —  “‘  Without  spot,” 
in  respect  of  the  commandment  itself,  and  “  lUihhimotdp,”  in  respect 
of  thv  performance  of  it,  which  v.  iU  contribute  to  preserve  the  good 

f  48Cf] 


perity,  extensive  commerce,  lavish  expense,  and  loose  profession  ! — Let 
every  Christian  flee  from  this  destructive  lust;  let  ‘the  man  of  God, 
especially,  avoid  every  appearance  of  ‘the  love  of  filthy  lucre,’  or  im¬ 
provident  expense  ;  let  us,  on  the  contrary,  1  follow  after  righteousness, 
godliness,  faith,  love,  patience,  meekness,’  with  that  assiduity  and  ear¬ 
nestness,  with  which  worldly  men  pursue  perishing  riches;  let  us  fight 
the  noble  and  profitable  fight  of  faith,  and  thus  May  hold  on  eternal  life, 
Jo  which  xve  also  are  called;’  and  strive  to  act  consistently  with  that 
good  profession,  which,  in  our  ministry,  we  have  made  of  the  truth,  be¬ 
fore  many  witnesses,  who  will  at  last  testify  against  us,  if  we  ‘forsake 
Christ  from  love  of  this  present  world,’  Scott. 


confession  in  the  world,  “till  the  appearing  of  our  Lord  Jesus'  Christ.”’ 
Mackn.  This  is  true  and  important,  and  indeed  implied  ;  but  the  apos¬ 
tle  constantly,  in  his  exhortations,  referred  to  the  appearing  of  Christ ; 
not  to  establish  it  as  a  doctrine,  that  it  was  near  in  respect  of  lime,  but 
to  inculcate  a  continual  readiness  for  it,  and  an  habitual  regard  to  it,  in 
the  xvhole  conduct  of  Christians  to  the  very  close  of  life.  Scott. 

(13.)  Before  Pontius  Pilate,  &c.]  ‘  We  have  here  another  proof  that 
Paul  was  acquainted  with  the  first  three  gospels  when  he  wrote  his  later 
epistles,  and  with  that  of  Mat.  xvhen  he  wrote  his  earlier  ones.  —  The 
confession  here  refers  to  the  admission  of  our  Lord,  that  He  xvas  the  King 
of  the  Jew's,  and  the  Son  of  God.  Mat.  27:11.  Mark  15:2.  John  13:37.’ 
Bi.oomf. — ‘It  is  perhaps  called  a  good  confession,  not  only  as  in  itself 
noble  and  generous,  hut  as  all  our  hopes  of  happiness  and  salvation  are 
built  upon  the  truth  of  it.’  Doddr. 

(15.)  ‘Now  are  accumulated  the  most  splendid  predicates  of  the 
majesty  and  power  of  God;  and  these  pave  the  way  for  the  doxology 
which  closes  the  passage.’  Heinr.,  in  Bloomfield. 

V.  17—19.  A  few  rich  persons  had,  it  seems,  embraced  the  Gospel  at 
Ephesus,  and,  as  wealth  is  a  comparative  thing,  some  more  wealthy  than 
their  brethren  must  be  found  in  oilier  places.  Now  Timothy  and  other 
ministers  might  he  tempted  to  pay  them  undue  deference,  or  tobe  afraid  of 
speaking  plainly  to  them,  which  would  have  n  very  bad  effect  on  their 
minisirv  ;  and  it  xvould  require  much  firmness  and  impartiality  to  give 


A.  D.  60. 


1  TIMOTHY,  VI. 


Duties  devolving  on  the  rich. 


18  That  tlipy  do  good,  that  they 
be  rich  in  good  works,  ready  to 
distribute,  f  willing  to  communi¬ 
cate  ; 

19  Laying  up  in  store  for  them¬ 
selves  a  good  foundation  against 
the  time  to  come,  that  they  may  lay 
5  hold  on  eternal  life. 

‘20  O  Timothy,  keep  that  which 
is  committed  to  thy  trust,  avoiding 
h  profane  and  vain  babblings,  and 
oppositions  of  science  falsely  so 
called  : 

21  Which  some  professing,  have 
'erred  concerning  the  faith.  Grace 
be  with  thee.  Amen. 

IT  The  first  to  Timothy  was  writ¬ 
ten  from  Laodicea,  which  is 
the  chiefest  city  of  Phrygia 
Pacatiana. 

c  Ec.  5:18,19.  .gVhi.  3:14.  i  2  Ti.  2:13. 

f  or,  sociable.  h  Tit.  1:14. 


da)',  and  been  stripped  of  all  the  next. 
Frov.  23:5. 

3.  Ite  must  charge  them  to  trust  in  God, 
the  Hein*  God  ;  to  make  Him  their  Hope, 
who  giveth  Mo  richly  all  things  to  enjoy:  many 


have  riches,  but  enjoy  them  poorly,  not.  hav-  [ 
ing  a  heart  to  use  them,  and  see  God  in  ; 
them. 

4.  To  do  good  with  what  they  have}  thd 
they  be  rich  in  good  works.  Those  are  truly 
rich,  who  are  rich  in  good  woiks.  That 
they  be  remly  to  distribute,  willing  to  commit - 
nicnlc:  not  only  to  do  it,  but  to  do  it  willing*  j 
ly,  for  God  lores  a  cheerful  gii  rr. 

5.  To  think  of  another  world,  and  pro- 
pare  for  that  which  is  to  come  hv  woiks  of 
charity, — hying  up  i.i  store  a  good  founda¬ 
tion  against  the  time  to  come,  that  they  may 
take  huh!  on  eternal  life.  Observe, 

Ministers  must  not  l>e  afraid  of  the  rich  ;  : 
be  they  ever  so  rich,  they  must  speak  to 
them,  and  charge  them  ;  caution  them 
against  pride,  and  vain  confidence  in  their 
riches  ;  and  stir  them  up  to  works  of  piety 
and  charity,  that  they  do  good,  &e.  Hero  is 
a  lesson  for  ministers  in  the  charge  given  to  ' 
Timothy;  Keep  that  which  is  committed  to  thy 
trust.  Every  minister  is  a  trustee  ;  the 
truths  of  God,  the  ordinances  of  God,  are  a 
treasure  committed  to  his  trust ;  keep  these, 
avoiding  profane  and  vain  babblings  not  af¬ 
fecting  human  eloquence,  which  the  apostle  i 
calls  vain  babblings,  or  human  learning,  which 
often  opposes  t lie  truths  of  God,  but  keep 
close  to  the  written  Word,  for  that  is  com¬ 
mitted  to  our  trust.  Some  who  have  been 


very  proud  of  their  learning,  their  science, 
Jalsi ly  so  called,  have,  hy  that,  been  de¬ 
bauched  in  their  principles,  and  been  drawn 
away  from  the  faith  of  Christ,  which  is  a 
good  reason  why  we  should  keep  to  the 
plain  word  of  the  Gospel,  and  resolve  to 
iive  and  die  hy  that. 

Ministers  cannot  be  too  earnestly  exhorted 
to  keep  wlmt  is  committed  to  their  tuist, 
because  it  is  a  great  trust  hedged  with  them, 
v.  20.  And  they  are  to  avoid  babblings,  if 
they  would  keep  wlmt  is  committed  to  them, 
because  the\  arc  vain  and  profane.  That 
science  which  opposes  the  truth  of  i be  Gos¬ 
pel,  is  falsely  so  called  ;  it  is  not  true  sci¬ 
ence,  for  if  it  was,  it  would  u|  prove  of  the 
Gospel,  and  consent  to  it.  Those  who  art! 
so  fond  of  such  science,  rue  in  great  danger 
of  eniu"  concerning  the  faith  ;  they  who 
are  tor  advancing  reason  above  faith,  are  m 
danger  of  leaving  faith.  Lastly,  Our  apos¬ 
tle  concludes  with  a  solemn  prayer  and  ben¬ 
ediction;  Grace,  be  with  thee.  Amen.  Ob¬ 
serve,  This  is  a  short,  vet  comprehensive) 
prayer  for  our  friends.  Grace  he  with  them, 
for  grace  comprehends  in  it  all  that  is  good, 
and  grace  is  an  earnest,  yea,  a  beginning,  of 
glory  ;  for  wherever  God  gives  grace,  Me 
jvill  give  glory,  and  will  not  withhold  any 
good  tiling  from  him  who  wnlkcth  uprightly. 

Grace  bo  with  you  all.  Amen. 


PR  ACT.  OBS.  V.  13 — 21.  The  apostle  charges  each  one  who  min¬ 
isters  in  holy  things,  and  not  Timothy  alone,  thut  v.-e  ‘  keep  the  com¬ 
mandment  of  God,  without  spot  and  unrebukable,  till  tile  appearing  of 
Jesus  Christ.’  bet  none  suppose,  that  ‘  our  Cord  delayed!  his  coming.’ 
In  his  own  times,  lie  will  be  manifested,  as  1  the  Efliilgency  of  the  di¬ 
vine  glory,  the  Image  of  the  invisible  God.’ — While  nature  prompts  us 
to  desire  connexion  with  them  ;  [the  rieli ;]  it  produces  a  retuctancy  to 
that  part  of  our  duty,  which  relates  to  them.  Even  modesty,  timidity, 
gratitude,  or  supposed  prudence,  may  warp  us  in  this  matter;  a  false 
apprehension  of  what  may  conduce  to  their  best  interest,  that  of  our  re¬ 
ligious  society,  or  of  tiie  church  at  large,  ami  a  fear  of  prejudicing  and 
o  trending  them,  and  so  losing  the  opportunity  of  doing  good  to  them,  or 
by  them,  may  easily  mislead  us  in  this  great  concern;  not  to  speak  of 
the  dread  pf  their  frown,  and  ihe  credit  and  advantage  of  their  friend¬ 
ship,  both  which  are  very  ensnaring  to  the  ministers  of  the  dospel.  But 

them  proper  counsel,  caution,  and  instruction.  The  apostle,  therefore, 
peculiarly  enjoined  Timothy,  to  charge  them,  in  the  most  plain,  author¬ 
itative,  and  solemn  manner,  to  warn  them  against  the  danger  to  which 
they  were  exposed,  and  to  call  on  them  to  perform  the  peculiar  duties  of 
their  station.  By  relieving  the  wants  of  the  indigent,  and  largely  con¬ 
tributing  to  the  support  and  comfort  of  their  poor  brethren,  and  by  other 
pious  and  charitable  actions,  they  must  aim  toAe  ‘rich  in  good  works,’ 
the  genuine  fruits  of  faith  and  love.  Scott. 

(17,  IS.)  ‘  Our  houses  are  built,  our  vineyards  are  planted  around  the 
base  of  a  volcano.  They  may  be  fair  and  flourishing  to-day, — to-mor¬ 
row,  ashes  may  he  nil  that  remains.  Open  your  hands  wide,  then,  while 
they  contain  any  blessings  to  bestow;  for  of  that  which  you  give,  you 
can  never  be  deprived.’  Payson. 

(17—19.)  ‘If  any  man  take  a  tenth,  or  fifth  part,  from  his  stock,  to 
give  to  the  poor,  the  remainder  will  be  a  weightier  seed  for  producing 
au  increase,  than  if  the  whole  had  remryned  untouched.  But  then  this 
is  a  delicate  affair.  To  give,  chiefly,  with  an  expectation  of  increase,  is 
traffic,  not  charity.’  Adams.  —  ‘Solomon  tells  us.  that  “ riches  oflen 
take  wings  and  flee  away  ;”  and  truly  many  times  the  undue  sparing  of 
them,  is  but  letting  their  wings  grow,  which  makes  them  ready  to  fly 
away  ;  and  the  contributing  a  part  of  them  to  do  good,  only  clips  their 
wings  a  little,  and  makes  them  stay  longer  with  the  owner.’  Leighton. 

V.  20,  21.  Paul,  considering  t he  snares  and  temptations,  i lie  allurements 
and  terrors,  which  Timothy  had  to  guard  against  and  overcome,  in  order 
to  the  faithful  fulfilment  of  his  ministry,  and  reflecting  also  on  the  va¬ 
rious  species  of  false  religion,  which  many  artfully  substituted  instead 


we  must  break  through  all  these  obstacles,  if  we  would  be  faiihful  stew¬ 
ards  mid  vigilant  watchmen,  ami  ‘deliver  our  own  souls.’  We  mu  t 
‘  charge  them  in  the  name  of  God  not.  to  ho  high-minded,  nor  to  idolise, 
or  at  all  to  trust  in  uncertain  riches  ;’  wc  must  show  them  the  danger  to 
which  they  are  exposed,  ofbeing  betrayed  into  pride,  avarice,  ambition, 
self-indulgence,  and  the  love  of  outward  splendor;  we  must  point  out  to 
them  the  proper  use  and  improvement  of  their  wealth  ;  we  must  cal!  on 
them  to  provide  against  t lie  time,  to  come,  when  it  will  he  said  to  them, 
1  Give  an  account  of  thy  stewardship,  for  thou  mayest  he  no  longer  stew¬ 
ard.’  Luke  16:1 — 8.  /’.  0.  1 — 13,19 — 26. — But,  1  who  is  sufficient  for  these 
things  ?  ’  Or  who  can  give  such  charges  with  energy,  that  is  not  hirnst  If 
evidently  superior,  to  tiie  love  of  wealth,  or  any  thing  which  wealth  can 
purchase  ?  May  tin:  Lord  help  ns  ail  to  ‘  keep  these  things,  which  are  com¬ 
mitted  to  our  trust,’  and  may  tiie  grace  of  the  Lord  Jesus  he  with  all  his 
faithful  ministers  anil  people  everywhere,  and  at  all  times  !  Amen.  Sc. 

of  the  humbling,  holy  Gospel  of  Christ-,  again  most  affectionately  and  ear¬ 
nestly  cailetl  upon  him  to  keep  inviolable,  without  shrinking  nr  waver¬ 
ing,  tiie  stewardship,  or  deposit  with  which  he,  had  been  entrusted.  And 
he  warned  him  to  shun  the  ‘profane  and  vain  babblings’  of  those,  who 
wanted  to  impose  on  Christians  the  foolish  and  frivolous  traditions  anti 
observances  of  tile  Jewish  scribes,  as  well  as  (ite  rites  of  tiie  Mosaic 
law.  He  must  turn  away  from  1  the  oppositions  of  science,’  or  knowl¬ 
edge,  ‘falsely  so  railed,’  such  as  those,  with  which  the  Gnostics,  or 
knowing  ones ,  afterwards  corrupted  the  Gospel.  These  speculations 
were  borrowed  from  the  vain  philosophy  of  l lie  Gentiles,  mid  being  dis¬ 
torted  and  niutil  .ted,  to  suit  their  purpose,  men  introduced  them  into 
Christianity,  to  render  it  more  congenial  to  the  heart  of  limit,  and  espe- 
cia’lv  to  gratify  their  fondness  for  disputation,  and  pride  of  superior  pen¬ 
etration  and  amleness.  Thus,  one  corrupt  system  of  boasted  knowl¬ 
edge  was  opposed  to  another ;  jangling  controversies  were  multiplied 
and  perpei  uated  ;  the  truth  was  obscured  and  overlooked,  aud  the  wild¬ 
est  absurdities  were  substituted  in  its  place.  Some,  even  then,  having 
been  seduced  into  these  speculations,  had  ‘erred  from  l  lie  faith’  into 
fatal  heresies,  and  the  evil  was  likely  to  increase.  Having,  therefore, 
given  Timothy  ibis  warning,  the  apostle  closed  this  most  instructive 
epistle,  with  his  usual  salutation.  Scott. 

(20.)  Science  ]  ‘The  original  word  here  gave  rise,  in  the  following 
century,  to  a  sect  famous  (or  rather  infamous)  in  ecclesiastical  history, 
called  Gnostics,  or  knowing  ones,  because  they  pretended  to  know  more 
than  other  Christians  ;  and,  it  has  been  surmised,  it  was  now  rising  into 
notice.’  Williams. 


(Note  on  ft  > man  Military  Discipline,  Continued  from  p.  451.) 

‘  These  motives,  which  derived  t lie i •*  strength  from  the  imagination,  were  enforced 
by  fears  and  hopes  of  a  more  substantial  kinu.  Regular  pay,  [1  Cor.  9:7.]  occasional 
donatives,  [Rom.  6:23.)  and  a  stated  recompense,  after  the  appointed  lime  of  service, 
[Heb.  10:35,35.  2  Tim.  4:7,8.]  alleviated  the  hardships  of  the  military  life,  while, 
on  the  other  hand,  it  was  impossible  for  cowardice  or  disobedience  to  escape  the  sever¬ 
est  punishment.  The  centurions  were  nutlioiized  to  chastise  with  blows  ;  the  generals 
had  a  right  to  punish  with  death  ;  and  it  was  an  inflexible  maxim  of  Roman  disci¬ 
pline,  that  a  good  soldier  shoul  1  dread  his  officers  far  move  than  the  enemy.  From 
such  ..  arts  did  the  valor  of  the  imperial  troops  receive  a  degree  of  firmness  and  docil¬ 
ity,  unattainable  by  the  impetuous  and  irregular  passions  of  barbarians. 

‘  And  yet  so  sensible  were  the  Romans  of  fhe  imperfection  of'vulor  without  skill  and 
practice,  that,  in  their  language,  the  name  of  an  army  [exerritus]  was  borrowed  from 
the  word  which  signified  exercise  [a  5  exerci tando,  says  Varro].  Military  exercises 
wore  the  important  ami  unremitted  object  of  their  discipline.  [2  Tim.  4:7,  8.  ?J  The 
recruits  and  young  soldiers  wee  constantly  trained,  both  in  the  morning  and  in  the 
evening,  nor  was  nge  or  knowledge  allowed  to  excuse  the  veterans  from  the  daily  rep- 
etion  of  what  they  had  completely  learned.  [2  Tim.  2:3  ]  Large  sheds  were  erected  in 
the  winter-quarters  of  the  troops,  thut  their  useful  labors  might  not  receive  any  inter¬ 
ruption  from  the  m<»st  tempestuous  weather;  and  it  was  carefully  observed,  that  the 
arms  destined  to  th:s  imitation  of  war,  should  be  of  double  the  weight  which  was  re¬ 
quired  in  real  action.  ..  The  exercises  comprehended  whatever  could  add  strength  to 
the  body,  activity  to  the  limbs,  or  grace  to  the  motions.  The  soldiers  were  diligently 
instructed  to  march,  to  run,  to  leap,  to  swim,  to  carry  heavy  burdens,  to  handle  every 
species  of  arms  that  was  used,  either  for  offence  or  for  defence,  either  in  distant  engage¬ 
ment  or  in  a  closer  onset  ;  to  form  n  variety  of  evolutions  ;  and  to  move  to  the  sound 
of  flutes,  in  the  Pyrrhic  or  martini  dance.  In  the  midst  of  peace,  the  Roman  troops 
familiarized  themselves  with  the  practice  of  war  ;  and  it  is  prettily  remarked  by  an 
ancient  historian,  who  had  fought  against  them  (Josephus),  that  the  effusion  of  blood 
[comp.  Heb.  12:4.)  was  the  only  circumstance  which  distinguished  a  field  of  battle 
from  a  field  of  exorcise.  It  was  the  policy  of  the  ablest  generals,  [comp.  Heb.  2:10.  2 
Tim.  4:8.  ]  and  even  of  the  emperors  themselves,  to  encournge  these  military  studies  by 
their  presence  and  example  ;  and  we  are  informed,  that  Hadrian  as  well  as  Trajan, 

N.  T.  VOL.  V.  v  61 


frequently  conde  -Tended  to  instruct  the  inexperienced  *ul  lifts,  to  reward  the  diligent, 
and  sometimes  to  dispute,  with  them,  the  p  i/.e  [2  Tim.  2:3.  J  of  superior  strength  and 
dexterity.  Under  their  reigns  tactics  were  cuhiv:ue.l  with  success,  and,  w  bile  v  igor 
remained  to  the  empire,  their  military  instructions  were  the  model. 

‘Nine  centuries  of  war  had  gradually  improved  the  s'eiviqr  ;  Polybius  gives  the 
early  system,  but  the  following  was  the  ironstiuilidn  of  the  imperial  legion.  The  heavy 
aimed  infantry, which  composed  its  principal  sttengtli,  was  divided  into  10  cohorts  and 
5-5  companies,  under  the  orders  of  a  correspondent  number  of  tribunes  and  can  in;  ions. 
[Acts  10:1,  &c.f*  The  1st  cohort,  which  always  claimed  the  post  of  honor  and  the  cus¬ 
tody  of  the  eagle,  was  formed  of  1 105  solilie  s,  tin*  most  approved  for  valor  and  fideli¬ 
ty.  The  remaining 9  cohorts  consisted,  each,  of  553;  and  the  whole  body  of  legionary 
infantry  amounted  to  6100  men.  Their  a-ms  were  uniform  and  admirably  adapted  to 
the  nature  of  their  service:  an  open  helmet,  with  a  loftv  crest  [1  Thess.  5:8.)  ,  a 
breast-plate,  or  eont  of  mail  ;  greaves  on  their  legs  and  an  ample  buckler  on  their 
left  m  m.  [Kph.  6:14,  4c.  ]  The  buckler  was  ol  an  oblong  and  concave  figure,  4  feet  in 
length,  and  2  1-2  in  breadth,  framed  of  a  light  wood,  covered  w  ith  a  bull’s  hide,  and 
strongly  guarded  with  phttes  of  brass.  Besides  a  lighter  spear,  the  legionary  soldier 
grasped  in  his  right  hand  the  fimmidable  pi  turn ,  a  ponderous  Javelin,  whose  utmost 
length  was  about  6  feet,  and  which  was  terminated  by  a  masxv  tiiangular  point  of 
steel,  of  18  inches.  ..  It  was,  however,  exhausted  by  a  single  discharge,  at  the  distance 
of  only  10  or  12  paces.  Yet,  when  launched  by  n  firm  and  skilful  l  and,  there  was  not 
any  cavalry  that  durst  venture  within  its  reach,  nor  any  shield  or  corslet  that  woula 
sustain  the  impetuosity  of  its  weight.  As  soon  as  the  Roman  had  darted  his  pilumt 
he  drew  his  sword,  and  rushed  forward  to  close  with  the  enemy.  His  swn'd  was  a  short, 
well-tempered.  Spanish  blade,  [comp.  Kph.  6:17.  ]  that  carried  a  double  edge,  and  w ns 
alike  suited  to  the  purpose  of  striking  or  pushing;  but  the  soldier  was  always  instructed 
to  prefer  the  latter  use  of  bis  weapon,  as  his  ow  n  body  remained  less  eip<  tea , ,  while  m 
inflicted  a  more  dangerous  wound  on  bis  adversary.  The  legion  was  usually  drawn  up 
8  deep  ;  and  the  regular  distance  of  3  ft.  was  left  between  the  files  am.  ranks;  which 
would  facilitate  evolutions,  and  give  room  to  supply  the  places  ol  the  killed  nr  ex¬ 
hausted.  The  Macedonian  phalanx  trusted  in  its  16  ranks  of  lung  jokes  closely  wedg¬ 
ed  ;  but  reflection  and  experience  proved  the  strength  of  the  phalanx  to  be  no  match 
for  the  activity  of  tbe  legion.  (Concluded  on  p.  ov 0.)  _  .Q  - 

[4bl  J 


O  F 


AN  EXPOSITION 

OF  THE  ^ 

SECOND  EPISTLE 

PAUL  TO  TIMOT  II  Y  , 

with 

PRACTICAL  OBSERVATIONS  AND  NOTES. 

(Henry's  Exposition ,  completed  by  Mr.  Atkinson.) 


Tins  second  epistle  Paul  wrote  to  Timothy  from  Rome,  when  he  was  a  prisoner  there,  and  in  danger  of  his  life  ;  this 
is  evident  from  ch.  4:6.  It  appears  tiiat  his  removal  out  of  this  world,  in  his  own  apprehension,  was  not  far  off",  especially 
considering  the  rage  and  malice  of  his  persecutors;  and  that  he  had  been  brought  before  the  emperor  Nero,  which  he  calls 
his  first  answer,  when  no  man  stood  with  him,  hut  all  men  forsook  him ,  ch.  4:16. — And  interpreters  agree,  that  this  was  the 
last  epistle  he  wrote. 

Where  Timothy  now  was,  is  not  certain.  The  scope  of  this  epistle  somewhat  differs  from  that  of  the  former,  not  so 
much  relating  to  his  office  as  an  evangelist,  as  to  his  personal  conduct  and  behavior.  Henry. 

The  apostle  was  evidently  a  prisoner  at  Home  when  he  wrote  this  epistle  ;  but  some  suppose,  that  it  was  written  during 
his  first  imprisonment,  as  the  epistles  to  the  Ephesians,  the  Philippians,  the  Colossians,  Philemon,  and  the  Hebrews,  were. 
Others,  however,  are  of  opinion,  that  it  was  written  when  he  was  imprisoned  a  second  time,  and  not  long  before  he  suffered 
martyrdom  ;  and  this  appears  to  me  by  far  the  most  satisfactory.  — -  [‘  Paley  shows  this  view  is  strongly  supported  by  the 
mention  that  is  made  oi-  Erastus  and  Trophimus,  and  other  internal  evidence.’  Henry,  ahr. —  llose.nm.  inclines  to  the  oppo¬ 
site.  Ed.] — ‘  The  ancients  from  these  words  . .  .  “  I  am  ready  to  be  offered,  and  the  time  of  my  departure  is  at  hand,”  (4: 
6.)  do  generally  conclude,  that  this  was  the  last  of  Paul’s  epistles.  .  .  .  And  truly  the  words  of  the  apostle  .  . .  are  not  well 
capable  of  any  other  sense  ;  for  he  says,  expressly,  (4.6. )  .  . .  “  I  am  now  offered,  and  the  time  of  my  dissolution  is  instant. 
1  have  finished  my  course,  and  henceforth  there  is  laid  up  for  me  a  crown  of  glory  ”  (8).  Whereas,  he  not  only  expected 
to  be  delivered  from  his  first  bonds,  but  says,  expressly,  “  I  know  that  I  shall  abide,  &c.”  (Phil.  1:25,  26.  Philem.  22.  Heh. 
13:23.)  ...  In  his  first  bonds,  he  was  in  libera  custodia.,  “  in  his  own  hired  house,  receiving  all  that  came  to  him,  none  forbid¬ 
ding  him.”  (Ac.  28:30,  31 .)  “  His  bonds  were  known  in  Cesar’s  palace,  and  to  all  others.”  (Phil.  1:13.)— Here  he  is  in  arcta 
custodia  [close  confinement]  ;  so  that  Onesiphorus  was  forced  to  “  inquire  more  diligently  after  him,  that,  he  might  find 
him  out.”  (1:17.)  Again,  he  said,  before,  “  Many  of  the  brethren  in  the  Lord  being  encouraged  by  my  bonds,  were  bold  to 
speak  the  word  more  abundantly  without  fear.”  (Phil.  1:14.)  Here,  “  all  men  forsake  him.”  (4:16-)’  Whitby. — Timothy  was 
with  Paul,  when  he  wrote  to  the  Philippians,  to  the  Colossians,  to  Philemon,  and  to  the  Hebrews.  (Phil  1:1.  Col.  1:1. 
Philem.  I .  Ileb.  13:23.)  Mark  was  also  with  him,  and  joined  in  saluting  the  Colossians  ;  but  both  were  absent  when  this  epistle 
was  written,  (4:11.) — Should  it  be  argued,  that  they  came  to  him  before  he  wrote  the  other  epistles,  what  can  be  said  con¬ 
cerning  Demas?  For  he  was  with  the  apostle  when  he  wrote  to  the  Colossians,  but  had  forsaken  him  when  he  wrote  this 
epistle.  (4:10.  Col.  4:14.)  The  supposition,  that  Timothy  and  Mark  had  come  to  the  apostle,  before  he  wrote  the  other 
epistles,  implies,  that  this  was  written  a  considerable  time  before  those  ;  but  the  assumption,  that  Demas  had  repented,  and 
returned  to  the  apostle,  when  he  wrote  to  the  Colossians,  implies,  that  the  epistle  to  Colosse  was  written  some  time  after. 
Yet,  these  contradictory  suppositions  must  both  be  admitted,  to  support  the  opinion,  that  this  epistle  was  written  during  the 
apostle’s  first  imprisonment.  Indeed,  the  language  used  in  it  implies,  that  the  apostle  considered  himself,  as  one  who  had 
finished  his  ministerial  labors,  and  after  a  severe  imprisonment,  perhaps  for  some  time  longer,  was  about  to  close  his  testimo¬ 
ny  by  martyrdom.  (Notes,  1:15 — 18.  4:6 — 8.)  Timothy,  it  is  generally  thought.,  now  resided  at  Ephesus;  indeed  this  is 
probable,  though  not  certain.  (Comp  2:16 — 18.  4:14.  with  1  Tim.  1:20.— See  Notes,  4:9 — 13,19 — 22.)  —  It  was  evidently 
the  scope  of  the  epistle,  to  animate  Timothy  to  endure  persecutions,  with  courage  and  constancy  ;  to  caution  him  and  oth¬ 
ers  against  false  teachers  and  corrupt  professors  of  Christianity,  the  increase  of  whom  the  apostle  predicted,  in  the  most 
energetical  language  ;  and  to  direct  and  animate  him  in  fulfilling  his  ministry,  and  in  following  after  holiness. 

‘  The  apostle  had  been  for  some  time  under  close  confinement  at  Home,  at  the  mercy  of  a  cruel  and  capricious  tyrant, 
lie  had  seen  himself  deserted  by  his  friends,  in  his  greatest  extremity,  and  had  nothing  before  him,  but  the  certain  pros¬ 
pect  of  being  -called  to  suffer  death,  in  the  same  cause  to  which  he  had  devoted  his  life.  In  this  situation,  how  does  he 
behave?  Does  he  seem  to  look  back  with  concern  on  his  past  conduct,  or  to  regret  the  sacrifice  he  had  made  of  his  worldly 
interests?  Can  we  discover  anything,  that  betrays  a  secret  consciousness  of  guilt,  or  even  a  suspicion  of  the  weakness  of 
his  c*iuse?  Nay,  does  he  drop  a  single  expression,  that  can  be  interpreted  as  the  mark  of  fear,  or  discomposure  of  mind,  in 
the  apprehension  of  those  gloomy  scenes  that  lay  before  him?  Surely,  if  he  had  been  an  impostor,  or  had  entertained  the 
least  doubt  of  the  doctrines  he  taught,  something  of  this  kind  would  have  escaped  him  when  writing  to  a  friend,  with  whom 
he  could  intrust  all  the  secrets  of  his  breast. — On  the  contrary,  upon  the  most  calm  and  deliberate  survey,  he  expresses  an 
entire  satisfaction,  in  reflecting  on  the  part  he  had  acted  ;  and  earnestly  recommends  it  to  his  beloved  pupil,  to  follow 
his  example,  in  maintaining  the  glorious  cause,  even  at  the  hazard  of  his  iife.  He  appears,  throughout  the  epistle,  to  have 
felt  a  strong  conviction  of  the  truth  of  those  principles  he  had  embraced,  and  glories  in  the  sufferings  he  had  endured  in 
support  of  them,  triumphing  in  the  full  assurance  of  being  approved  by  his  great  Master,  and  of  receiving  at  his  hands  a 
crown  of  distinguished  lustre.’  Doddr.  Scott. 


A.  D.  67. 


Paul’s  affectionate  address. 


CHAP.  I. 

1  Paul’s  love  to  Timothy,  and  the  unfeigned  faith  which 
was  in  Timothy  hiinseif,  his  mother,  and  grandmother. 
6  He  is  exhorted  to  stir  up  the  gift  of  God  which  was  in 
him,  8  to  lie  steadfast,  ant!  patient  in  persecution,  13  and 
to  persist  in  the  form  and  truth  of  that  doctrine  which  he 
had  learned  of  him.  15  Phy?»*l|ua  and  Hermojrenes,  and 
such  like,  are  noted,  and  Onesiphorus  is  highly  com¬ 
mended. 

P  AUL,  an  apostle  of  Jesus  Christ 
by  the  will  of  God,  according 
to  the  4  promise  of  life  which  is  in 
Christ  Jesus, 

2  To  Timothy,  my  dearly  belov¬ 


ed  bson  :  Grace,  mercy,  and  peace, 
from  God  the  Father  and  Christ 
Jesus  our  Lord. 

a  E[).  3:5.  b  1  Ti.  1:2. 


Chap.  I.  V.  1—5.  Here  is, 

1.  The  inscription  of  the  epistle;  Paul 
calls  himself  an  apostle  by  the  will  of  God,  | 
i.  e.  lie  was  so  merely  by  iiis  good  pleasure,  j 
and  grace,  which  be  professes  himself  tin-  ( 
worthy  of  ;  according  to  the  promise  of  life 
which  is  in  Christ  Jesus,  i.  e.  the  Gospel,  1 


which  is  the  promise  ol  hie  in  Christ  Jesus; 
life  the  end,  and  Christ  the  Way,  John  14  : 
6.  He  calls  Timothy  bis  beloved  son ;  Paul 
felt  die  warmest  affection  for  him,  both 
because  be  had  been  an  instrument  of  his 
conversion,  am!  because,  as  a  son  with  his 
father,  be  bad  served  with  him  in  the  Gos¬ 
pel. 

In  die  former  epistle  he  says,  he  was  an 
apostle  by  the  commandment  of  God  our 
Savior,  here  by  the  wilt  of  God  ;  the  mean¬ 
ing  is,  God  called  him  to  be  an  apostle. 
The  Gospel  is  the  promise  of  life,  Ti.  I:  2. 


NOTES.  Chap.  I.  V.  1.  The  Gospel,  intrusted  to  the  apostle  by 
the  will  and  appointment  of  God,  was  according  to  ‘  the  promise  of  life  ’ 
and  salvation,  made  from  the  beginning,  to  fallen  man,  through  the  pre¬ 
dicted  Messiah;  [Note,  Gen.  3:14,  IS.)  all  the  prophecies  to  this  effect 
were  fulfilled  in  Christ,  and  then  the  promise  of  life  was  sent  to  Jews 
and  Gentiles  without  distinction.  (M.  R. — Note,  Rom.  15:8 — 13.) — 
‘Adam  brought  the  sentence  of  death  upon  us  all,  and  the  promise  of 
deliverance  from  that  death  is  only  made  to  us,  through  Jesus  Christ,  by 
virtue  of  that  death  which  He  suffered  in  our  stead.’  Whitby. — ‘  Thus  he 
[482] 


shows,  that  the  Gospel  is  not  new,  but  the  very  thing  which  God  prom¬ 
ised  by  the  prophets..  ..  1  would  again  and  again  admonish  the  reader, 
not  to  pass  over  the  superscriptions  to  the  epistles  of  Paul,  in  a  slight 
manner,  as  he  uses  in  them,  with  a  sort  of  inimitable  brevity,  to  embrace 
the  sum  of  the  mystery  of  the  Gospel ;  so  that  while  these  are  preserved, 
the  church  possesses  that  which  she  may  oppose  to  all  heretics.’  Reza. 

Scott. 

(1.)  According  to.}  ‘I  prefer,  in  order  to-,  indicating  the  end  and 
tendency  of  the  apostleship.’  Bloomf. 


A.  D.  67. 


2  TIMOTHY,  I. 


Exhortation  to  active  exertions. 


3  I  thank  God,  whom  I  serve 
'  from  my  forefathers  with  pure 
d  conscience,  that  without  ceasing 
I  have  remembrance  of  thee  in  my 
prayers  night  and  day  ; 

4  Greatly  desiring  cto  see  thee, 
being  mindful  of  thy  tears,  that  I 
may  lie  filled  with  joy'; 

5  When  1  call  to  remembrance 
the  unfeigned  faith  f  that  is  in  thee, 
which  dwelt  first  in  thy  grandmoth¬ 
er  Lois,  and  thy  mother  s  Eunice  ; 
and  I  am  persuaded  that  in  thee 
also. 

6  Wherefore  I  put  thee  in  re¬ 
membrance,  that  thou  stir  up  the 
gift  of  God,  h  which  is  in  thee  by 
the  putting  on  of  my  hands. 

7  For  God  hath  not  given  us  the 
spirit  of  1  fear  ;  but  of  ■>  power,  and 
of  love,  and  of  a  sound  mind. 

8  Be  not  thou  therefore  ashamed 
of  the  testimony  of  our  Lord,  nor 
of  me  his  prisoner  :  but  be  thou 
partaker  k  of  the  afflictions  of  the 
gospel  according  to  the  power  of 
God  ; 

9  Who  hath  saved  1  us,  and  call¬ 
ed  m  us  with  an  holy  calling,  not 
n  according  to  our  works,  but  ac¬ 
cording  to  his  own  °  purpose  and 
grace,  which  was  given  us  in  Christ 
Jesus,  before  p  the  world  began  ; 

[Practical  Observations.] 


c  Ac.  23:1. 
d  He.  13:13. 
e  c.  4:9,21 . 
f  1  Ti.  1.6. 
g  Ac.  16:1 . 
h  1  Ti.  4:14. 


i  Ro.  8:15. 

I  Jn.  4:18. 
j  I.u.  24:49. 
k  Col.  1:24. 

I  Mat.  1:21. 


m  Ro.  8:28,30. 
n  Tit.  3:5. 
o  De.  7:7,8. 

F.|i.  1:9,11. 
p  Ep.  1:4. 


and  this,  as  all  other  promises,  is  in  and 
through  Jesits  Christ  ;  tliey  all  take  their 
rise  from  the  mercy  of  God  in  Christ,  and 
are  sure  in  Him.  Grace,  mercy,  and  peace, 
come  from  God  the  Father  and  Christ  Jesus 
our  Lord  ;  therefore,  the  one,  as  well  as 


the  other,  is  the  Giver  of  these  blessings, 
and  ought  to  be  applied  to  for  them  ;  and 
tliey  are  the  best  we  can  ask  for  our  dearly 
beloved  friends,  or  ourselves. 

2.  Paul’s  thanksgiving  to  God  for  Timo¬ 
thy’s  faith  and  holiness,  and  that  he  remem¬ 
bered  Timothy  in  his  prayers.  Observe, 
Whatever  good  office  we  perform  for  our 
friends,  God  must  have  the  glory  of  it.  lie 
puts  it  into  our  hearts  to  remember  such  and 
such  in  our  prayers.  Observe,  Paul  prayed 
much,  night  and  day,  and  without  ceasing; 
and  he  never  forgot  his  friends  in  his  pray¬ 
ers,  as  we  often  do.  He  greatly  desired  to 
see  Timothy,  out  of  the  affection  he  had  for 
him,  that  he  might  have  some  conversation 
with  him,  being  mindful  of  his  tears  at  their 
last  parting;  for  he  perceived  by  that,  what 
a  true  affection  he  had  for  him.  lie  thanks 
God,  that  Timothy  kept  up  the  religion  of 
his  ancestors,  v.  5.  Observe,  Timothy  had  a 
good  mother,  and  a  good  grandmother:  (hey 
believed,  though  his  father  did  not,  Acts  16. 
It  is  a  comfortable  tiling  when  children  im¬ 
itate  the  faith  and  holiness  of  their  godly 
parents,  and  tread  in  their  steps,  3  John  4: 
Paul  had  a  very  charitable  opinion  of  his 
friends,  was  very  willing  to  hope  the  best 
concerning  them  ;  indeed,  he  had  great  rea¬ 
son  to  believe  well  of  Timothy,  for  he  had 
no  man  like-minded,  Phil.  2:  10. 

Observe,  We  are,  according  to  Paul,  to 
serve  God  with  a  pure  conscience ;  this  is  to 
draw  near  with  a  true  heart,  in  full  assurance 
of  faith,  haring  our  heart  sprinkled  from  an 
evil  conscience,  Ilcb.  10:22.  The  faith  that 
dwells  in  real  believers  is  unfeigned,  a 
faith  that  will  stand  the  trial  ;  it  dwells  in 
them  as  a  living  principle  :  we  should  re¬ 
joice,  moreover,  wheresoever  we  see  file 
grace  of  God  thus  manifested  ;  so  did  Bar¬ 
nabas,  Acts  11:  23,  24.  2  John  4. 

V.  6—14.  Mere  is  an  exhortation  and 
excitation  of  Timothy  to  his  duly,  v.  6. 

I.  He  exhorts  him  to  stir  up  the  gift,  of 
God  that  was  in  him.  It  is  meant  of  all  the 
gifts  and  graces  God  had  given  him,  to  qual¬ 
ify  him  for  the  work  of  an  evangelist,  the' 
gilts  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  the  extraordinary 
gifts  that  were  conferred  by  the  imposition 
of  the  apostle’s  hands.  These  he  must  stir 


|  tip,  exercise,  and  so  increase:  use  gifts  and 
have  gifts;  to  him  that  hath  shall  be  given, 
j  Mat.  25:  29. 

Whether  the  gift  of  God  in  Timothy  was 
|  ordinary  or  extraordinary,  (though  I  incline 
fo  the  latter,)  he  must  stir  it  up,  otherwise 
!  it  would  decay.  Further,  you  see  that  this 
]  gift  was  in  him  by  the  putting  on  of  the 
|  apostle’s  hands,  which  I  take  to  he  distinct 
from  his  ordination,  which  was  performed 
by  the  hands  of  the  .presbytery,  1  Tim.  4  : 
14.  Probably,  Timothy  had  the  Holy  Ghost, 
in  his  extraordinary  gilts  and  graces,  con¬ 
ferred  on  him  by  the  laying  on  of  the  apos¬ 
tle’s  hands,  (for  I  reckon  none  but  the  apos¬ 
tles  had  the  power  of  giving  the  Holy 
Ghost,)  and  afterward,  being  thus  richly 
furnished  for  the  work  of  the  ministry,  was 
ordained  by  the  presbytery. 

The  great  hindrance  of  usefulness  in  the 
increase  of  our  gifts,  is,  slavish  fear;  there¬ 
fore,  he  warns  him  against  this,  v.  7.  it 
was  through  base  fear  the  evil  servant  buried 
bis  talent,  and  did  not  trade  with  it.  Mat. 
25:25.  Now  God  hath  therefore  armed  us 
against  the  spirit  of  fear,  by  often  bidding 
:  us  fear  not.  The  spirit  of  love  to  God  will 
i  carry  us  through  all  opposition  we  may  meet 
I  with,  and  set  us  above  the  fear  of  man,  and 
all  the  hurt  man  can  do  us.  The  Spirit 
God  gives  his  ministers,  is  not  a  fearful,  hut 
j  courageous  Spirit  ;  it  is  a  Spirit  of  power, 
j  for  they  speak  in  his  name  who  has  all 
!  power,  both  in  heaven  and  earth  ;  a  Spirit 
j  of  love,  for  love  to  God  and  t lie  souls  of 
men,  must  inflame  ministers  in  all  their  ser- 
I  vice  ;  and  it  is  a  Spirit  of  a  sound  mind, 
for  tliey  speak  the  words  of  truth  and  sober- 
!  ness. 

II.  Heexborts  him  to  counton  afflictions, 
and  get  ready  for  them,  v.  8.  The  Gospel 
of  Christ  is  what  we  have  none  of  us  rca- 
:  son  to  be  ashamed  of.  We  must  not  be 
1  ashamed  of  those  who  are  suffering  for  the 
Gospel  of  Christ. 

The  Gospel  is  a  testimony  of  our  Lord; 

'  in  and  by  that  He  hears  testimony  of  Him- 
"  self  to  us,  and  by  professing  our  adherence 
to  it  we  hear  testimony  of  Him  and  for 
Him  :  if  we  are  now  ashamed  of  either 
1  Christ  or  those  who  suffer  for  Him,  lie 


TRACT.  OCS.  V.  1 — 9.  The  ‘  promise  of  eternal  life,’  to  nil  who 
believe  in  Jesus  Christ,  is  the  leading  subject  in  the  preaching  of  those 
ministers,  who  are  employed  ‘according  to  the  will  of  God;’  and 
though  outward  dispensations  vary,  yet  his  real  people  have,  in  every 
age,  substantially  the  same  religion,  and  serve  God  after  the  manner  of 
their  forefathers  and  predecessors,  ‘  with  a  (Hire  conscience,’  being  par¬ 
takers  of  the  same  ‘  grace,  mercy,  and  peace,  from  God  the  Father,  and 
our  Lord  Jesus  Christ.’ — The  pious  instructions  and  fervent  prayers  of 
believing  parents,  are  often  the  means  of  conversion  to  their  children; 
yet,  such  as  enjoy  tills  advantage  should  he  reminded,  that  they  wil], de¬ 
rive  no  benefit  from  1 1 lie  unfeigned  faith’  of  the  nearest  relations,  un¬ 
less  the  same  dwell  in  them  also.  We  ought  to  exhort  those,  of  whom 
we  have  the  best  opinion,  ‘to  stir  up  the  gift  of  God  that  is  ill  Ihem,’ 
and  to  occupy  with  it  in  the  duties  of  the  stations  allotted  them. — The 
new  nature,  communicated  in  regeneration,  leads  to  true  liberty,  and 
victory  over  the  fear  of  man,  and  of  those  reproaches,  contumelies,  and 

V.  3 — 5.  Lois  and  Eunice  seem  to  have  ‘waited  for  the  consolation 
of  Israel,’  before  they  heard  the  Gospel,  and  thus  were  prepared  to  re¬ 
ceive  it ;  and  having  diligently  given  Timothy  a  religions  education,  it 
greatly  conduced  to  his  being  made  partaker  of  the  same  faith,  as  the 
apostle  was  fully  persuaded  concerning  him.  (Mars'.  Ref.  h — q. — Note , 
3:14 — 17.  Acts  16:1 — 3.) — It  is  not  unlikely,  that  Timothy  accompanied 
the  apostle  to  Miletus,  and  parted  with  him  there,  accompanying  the 
Ephesian  elders,  when  they  returned  to  Ephesus.  Scott. 

(3.)  From  my  forefathers.}  ‘  I.  e.  after  their  example.’  Mackn. 

(5.)  Lois  and  Eunice.}  ‘  The  pains  these  worthy  persons  took  to 
impress  tiie  mind  of  their  son  in  his  childhood,  with  sentiments  of  piety 
and  virtue,  is  a  fit  example  for  the  imitation  of  all  mothers,  who,  if  they 
take  the  same  pains  with  their  children,  may  hope  that,  by  the  blessing 
of  God,  their  care  will  be  followed  with  the  same  happy  effects.’  M  xckn. 
— ‘  IIow  powerful  is  the  influence  of  a  mother,  and  what  an  opportunity 
does  she  enjoy,  if  she  he  a  Christian,  for  instilling  into  the  hearts  of  tier 
children,  the  principles  of  religion.  If  all  were  like  the  mother  of  Tim¬ 
othy,  there  would  he  no  lack  of  faithfiil  and  devoted  ministers  to  preach 
ttie  Gospel  at  home,  or  of  missionaries  to  carry  it  to  the  heathen.  Can 
the  reader  think  of  a  more  perfect  image  of  bliss,  than  the  mother  of  a 
glorified  spirit  ? — a  spirit  that  shall  have  turned  many  to  righteousness, 
and  will  be  for  ever  loved  and  honored  by  Christ,  and  the  redeemed,  for 
tiie  part  which  he  bore  on  earth,  in  the  cause  of  human  salvation  ?  If 
it  is  seen,  that  the  mother  gave  •such  direction  to  the  opening  mind  of 
her  son,  as  that  his  subsequent  usefulness  ran  be  traced  hack  to  her  in¬ 
fluence,  [can  woman’s  ambition  aim  higher  ?] — surely  there  will  be  no 
crown  in  heaven,  for  which  that  mother  w'ould  exchange  her  joy.’ 

Rev.  N.  Adams. 


injuries  which  may  be  expected  in  the  path  of  duty.  Whenever,  there¬ 
fore,  we  find  our  hearts  discouraged,  our  hands  weakened,  or  our  earn¬ 
estness  in  the  work  of  the  Lord  abated,  we  should  ascribe  it  to  the  re¬ 
mains  of  unbelief  and  a  carnal  mind,  and  to  the  temptations  of  Satan  ; 
and  we  should  strive  the  more  fervently  in  prayer,  for  ‘supplies  of  ihe 
Spirit  of  Christ,’  to  Invigorate  our  faith  and  hope,  to  ‘shed  abroad  the 
love  of  God  in  our  hearts,’  to  animate  us  with  zeal  and  holy  affections, 
and  to  produce  in  ns  a  sound  mind,  and  heavenly  wisdom. — In  propor¬ 
tion  as  ‘the  Spirit  witnesseth  with  our  spirits,  that  we  nre  the  children 
of  God,’  and  ‘  that  He  hath  saved  us,  and  called  us  with  a  holy  calling, 
not  according  to  our  xvorks,  but  according  to  his  purpose,  and  grnce, 
given  us  in  Christ  before  the  world  began,’  we  shall  feel  ourselves  *  con¬ 
strained  by  love,’  to  devote  ourselves  and  all  our  talents  to  his  glory. 
Thus  we  shall  manifest  i  lie  holy  nature  of  onr  calling,  and  of  that  doc¬ 
trine  which  is  so  much  opposed  and  perverted  by  the  pride  and  carnality 
of  the  human  heart,  Scott. 

V.  6 — 8.  Love,  zeal,  and  compassion  for  souls,  being  brought  into  vig¬ 
orous  exercise,  Timothy  would  he  animated  to  improve  his  talents,  and 
fulfil  his  ministry,  with  ardor  and  effect.  The  spirit  of  a  lively  Christian 
[is]  that  of  courage,  firmness,  zeal,  and  wise  consistency  of  conduct,  in 
Hie  midst  of  persecutions  and  temptations.  Scott. 

(C.)  Stir  up  ]  ‘The  metaphor  is  borrowed  from  stirring  up  fire  when 
almost  extinct.’  Doddr. 

V.  9.  This  calling  had  not  been  ‘  according  to  their  works,’  for  if  God 
had  dealt  with  them  by  that  rule,  they  must  have  been  let!  under  con¬ 
demnation  ;  but.  it  was  ‘  according  to  his  own  purpose,  and  grace,  which 
was  given  them  in  Christ  before  the  world  began  ;  ’  that  is,  his  purpose 
of  giving  them  grace,  in  and  through  Christ  Jesus,  which  was  engaged 
to  Ili:n,  as  the  appointed  Surety  of  his  chosen  people,  ‘from  eternal 
ages.’  M.  R.  h — b. — Note,  Tit.  1:1 — 4  Various  wavs  of  setting  aside 
the  obvious  meaning  of  the  v.  as  implying  personal  election  ‘from  the 
beginning,’  or  ‘before  eternal  times,’  have  been  proposed:  but  none 
of  them  can  be  maintained,  as  it  appears  to  me,  without  supposing, 
Hurt  all,  who  live  and  die  impenitent  and  unbelieving,  may  nevertheless 
be  said  to  be  ‘saved  ami  called  with  a  holy  cajling,’  because  a  Savior 
was  promised  from  the  beginning  of  the  world.  Indeo-d,  ‘  ihe  purpose 
of  God  ’  is  expressly  mentioned,  ns  the  reason  why  they,  rather  than 
others,  were  thus  ‘saved  and  called.’  _  Scott. 

(9.)  ‘Grace  was  given  us  in  Christ  before  the  world  was,  i.  e.  before 
we  or  our  works  could  exist.  Therefore  we  ought  not  to  lie  ashamed 
of  the  testimony  and  cross  of  Christ.  Grace  is  said  to  he  given  us  in 
Christ ,  because,  although  we  did  not  yet  exist,  yet  Christ,  ihe  appointed 
Mediator,  subsisted  from  eternitv  ;  and  He  in  the  covenant  of  redemp 
lion  with  the  Father,  before  the  world  was,  covenanted  for  us  his  elect, 

[48S] 


A.  D.  G7. 


2  TIMOTHY,  I. 


Encouragement  under  suffering. 


10  But  i.s  now  made  manifest q by 
the  appearing  of  our  Savior  Jesus 
Christ,  who  hath  abolished  r death, 
and  hath  brought  s  life  and  immor¬ 
tality  to  light  through  the  gospel  : 

11  Whereunto  I  am  appointed  a 
preacher,  and  an  apostle,  and  a 
teacher  of  the  Gentiles. 

12  For  the  which  cause  I  also 
suffer  these  things  :  nevertheless  lI 
am  not  ashamed:  for  I  know  whom 
I  have  “believed,  and  am  persuaded 
that  he  is  able  to  keep  that  which  I 
have  T  committed  unto  him  against 
that  day. 

13  Hold  fast  w  the  form  1  of  r 
sound  words,  which  thou  hast  heard 
of  me,  in  faith  and  lovo  which  is  in 
Christ  Jesus. 

14  Thatzgood  thing  which  was 
committed  unto  thee,  keep  by  the 
Holy  Ghost  which  dwelleth  in  us. 

f]  1  Pc.  1:20.  u  or,  'trust'd.  x  Rj.  6:17. 

r  1  Co  15:51.  v  1  c.  1.19.  y  1  Ti.  6:3. 

»  J„.  5:24—29.  w  Re.  2uS.  z  1  Ti.  6:30. 

t  Ho.  1:16. 

will  be  ashamed  of  us  hereafter:  ‘But  be 
thou  partaker  of  the  afflictions  of  the  Gospel;  ’ 
(or,  as  it  may  be  read,  Du  thou  suffer  with 
the.  Gospel;)  ‘  not  only  sympathize  with  those 
who  sailer  fur  it,  bat  be  ready  to  suffer  with 
them,  anil  like  them.’  If  at  anytime  the 
Gospel  be  in  distress,  lie  who  hopes  for  life 
and  salvation  by  it  will  be  content  to  suffer 
witli  it. 

Mentioning  God  and  the  Gospel,  he  no¬ 
tices  what  great  things  God  has  done  fir  us 
by  the  Gospel,  v.  9, 10.  To  encourage  him 
to  suffer,  lie  urges  two  considerations. 

1.  He  shows  him  the  nature  of  that  Gos¬ 
pel  which  he  was  called  to  suffer  for,  and 
the  glorious  and  gracious  designs  and  pur¬ 
poses  of  it;  enlarging  on  them,  as  usual,  so 
lull  was  he  always  of  that  which  is  all  our 
salvation,  and  ought  to  be  all  our  desire. 

Observe,  The  Gospel  aims  at  our  salva¬ 
tion  ;  lie  has  saved  us,  and  we  must  not 
think  much  to  suffer  for  that  which  we  hope 
to  be  saved  by.  It.  is  designed  for  our  sanc¬ 
tification;  and  called  us  with  a  holy  calling , 
called  us  to  holiness;  all  who  shall  be  saved 
hereafter,  are  sanctified  now.  The  rise  of 
it  is  the  free  grace  and  eternal  purpose  of 
God  in  Christ  Jesus.  If  we  had  merited 
ii,  it  had  been  hard  to  Buffer  for  it ;  but  our 
salvation  by  it  i.s  of  free  grace,  therefore  we 
must  not  think  much  to  stiller  for  it.  The 


Gospel  is  the  manifestation  of  lids  purpose  . 
and  grace,  by  the  appearing  of  our  Savior  J 
Jesus  Christ,  who  had  lain  in  the  bosom  of  i 
the  Father  from  eternity,  and  was  perfectly 
apprised  of  all  his  gracious  purposes;  by  his 
appearing,  that  gracious  purpose  was  made 
manifest  to  us.  Did  Jesus  Christ  suffer  for 
it,  and  shall  we  think  much  to  stiller  for  it  1 

Bv  the  Gospel  of  Christ,  death  is  abol¬ 
ished  ;  lie  has  abolished  death,  not  only 
weakened  it,  but  broken  its  power  over  t;s; 
by  taking  away  sin  lie  hits  abolished  death, 
for  the  sting  of  death  is  sin,  1  Cor.  15:56. 
He  has  altered  the  property  obit.  Death 
now,  of  an  enemy,  is  become  a  friepd,  and 
is  the  gate  by  which  we  pass  put  of  a  trouble¬ 
some,  vexations,  sinful  woild,  into  a  world 
of  perfect  peace  and  purity  ;  it  comes  not 
now  in  triumph  over  those  who  believe  the 
Gospel,  but  they  .triumph  over  it,  1  Cor. 
15:  55. 

Lastly,  Tie  has  brought  life  and  immortal¬ 
ity  to  light  by  the  Gospel;  lie  has  showed  us  . 
another  world,  more  clearly  than  it  was  be-  I 
fore  discovered  under  any  former  dispettsa-  J 
tion  ;  and  the  happiness  of  that  world,  the  ; 
certain  recompense  of  oar  obedience  by  [ 
fiith  :  we  all,  with  open  face,  as  in  a  glass,  1 
behold  the  glory  of  Cod.  Let  as  value  the  i 
Gospel  mut  e  than  ever,  for  herein  it  has  the  j 


pre-eminence  above  all  former  discoveries. 

2.  Consider  the  example  of  blessed  Paul, 
v.  11,  12.  lie  was  appointed  to  preach  the 
Gospel,  and  particularly  to  teach  the  Gen¬ 
tiles.  He  thought  it  a  cause  worth  suffering 
for,  and  why  should  not  Timothy  think  so 
too  1 

Observe,  Good  men  often  suffer  many 
things  for  the  best  cause  in  the  world  ;  for 
which  cause  I  suffer  these  things ;  that  is,  ‘  for 
my  preaching  and  adhering  to  the  Gospel.’ 
They  neml  not  to  be  ashamed,  the  cause 
will  bear  them  nut  ■;  but  those  who  oppose 
it,  shall  he  clothed  with  shame.  Observe, 
agtiin,  Those  who  trust  in  Christ,  know 
whom -they  have  trusted,  lie  speaks  with 
a  holy  triumph  and  exultation,  as  much  as 
to  say,  1  I  stand  on  firm  ground.  I  know  I 
have  lodged  the  great  trust  in  the  hands  of 
the  best  Trustee.’  And  am.  persuaded,  & c. 
What  must  we  commit  to  Christ  !  The  sal¬ 
vation  of  our  souls,  and  their  preservation 
to  the  heavenly  kingdom  ;  and  what  we  so 
commit  to  Him,  He  will  keep.,  There  is  a 
day  coming,  when  our  souls  will  be  inquired 
after;  ‘  Man  !  Woman  !  thou  hadst  a  soul 
committed  to  thee,  what  hast  thou  done  with 


i 


There  is  a  day  coming,  and  it  w  ill  l.o  a  very 
solemn  and  awful  (lav,  when  we  must  give 
an  account  of  our  stewardship,  Luke  16:  2. 
give  an  account  of  our  souls  :  now  if  by  an 
active,  obedient  faith  wc  commit  it  to  Jesus 
Christ,  we  may  be  sure  lie  i.s  altle  to  keep 
it,  and  it  .-hall  be  forthcoming  to  our  com¬ 
fort  in  that  day. 

III.  lie  exhorts  him  to  hold  feat  the  form 
of  sound  words,  v.  13. 

1.  *  Have,  a  form  of  sound  words;’  (so  it 
may  be  read  ;)  an  abstract  of  the  first  princi¬ 
ples  of  religion,  according  to  the  Scriptures  ; 
a  brief  summary  of  the  Christian  faith,  in  a 
proper  method,  drawn-  out  by  thyself  from 
the  Holy  Scriptures  for  thv  own  use;  or 
rather,  by  the  form  of  sound  words,  1  un¬ 
derstand  the  Holy  Scriptures  themselves. 

2.  ‘  Having  it,  hold  it  fast,  remember  it ; 
retain  it,  adhere  to  it.  Adhere  to  that,  in 
opposition  to  all  heresies  and  false  doctrine, 
which  corrupt  the  Christian  faith.  Hold 
that  fast  which  t.hou  hast  heard,  of  me.’  Paul 
was  divinely  inspired.  But  how  must  it  he 
held  fast  1  In  faith  and  love;  we  must  assent 
to  it  as  a  faithful  saying,  and  bid  u  welcome 
;ts  worthy  of  all  acceptation.  Hold  it  last  in 
a  good  heart;  Faith  and-  love  must  go  to¬ 
gether;  it  is  not  enough  merely  to  assent  to 
sound  words,  but  we  must  love  them,  be¬ 
lieve  their  truth,  and  love  their  goodness, 
and  wc  must  propagate  them  in  lu\e,  Eph. 
4:15.  Faith  and 'love  which  are  in  Chri.t 
Jesus ;  it  must  be  Christian  faith  and  love; 
faith  and  love  fastening  on  Jesus  Christ,  in 
and  by  whom  God  speaks  to  us,  and  we  to 
Him.  Timothy,  as  a  minister,  must  hold 
fast  the  form  of  sound  words,  for  the  benefit 
of  others.  Of  healing  words,  so  it  may 
lead;  there  is  a  healing  virtue  in  the  Word 
of  God;  lie  sent  his  Word  and  healed  them. 
To  the  same  purport  is  v.  14. 

The  Christian  doctrine  is  a  trust  com¬ 
mitted  to  us,  to  Christians  in  general,  but. 
to  ministers  in.  particular;  it  is  a  good 
tiling,  of  unspeakable  value  in  it.-eif,  and 
which  will  he  of  unspeakable  advantage  to 
us;  for  it  discovers  to  us  the  unsearchable 
riches  of  Christ,  Eph.  3:8.  It  is  commit¬ 
ted  to  ns,  to  be  preserved  pure  and  entire, 
and  to  be  transmitted  to  those  who  shall 
come  after  us,  and  we  'must  keep  it,  and  not 
contribute  anything  to  the  corrupting  of  its 
pprity,  the  weakening  of  its  power,  or  the 
diminishing  of  its  perfection  ;  Keep  it  by  the 
Holy  Ghost  that  dwelleth  in  us.  We  must 
not  think  to  keep  it  by  our  own  strength. 


it,  1  To  whom  was  it  offered,  to  God  or  (  but  keep  it  by  the  Holy  Ghost. 

Satan!  How  was  it  emploved  ;  in  the  ser-  !  The  Holy  Ghost  dwells  in  all  good  minis* 
vice  of  sin,  or  in  the  service  of  Christ  1’  tars  and  Chiisliaus;  they  are  his  temples. 


and  afterwards  paid  tlie  price  of  redemption,  and  in  our  name  received 
the  grace  by  which  we  might  .at  length  be  called,  justified,  and  each 
finally  saved.’  UtcKso.v. — ‘The  gift  of  the  grace  be  here  commemorates 
is  no  other  than  that  predestination,  by  which  .we  are  made  the  sons  of 
Cod.  Cod  is  often  said  to  give  us  grace,  when  we  experience  the  elfect 
of  bis  grace.  I’.nt  here  1’aul  speaks  of  what  He  had  determined  with 
Himself,  from  the  beginning.’  Calvin. — ‘  Here  is  the  divine  glory,  as  set, 
forth,  independent  of  any  motive  or  cause  whatever,  but.  God’s  own  sov- 
cc.ign  will  and  pleasure.  No  moving  cause,  no  procuring  cause,  no  as¬ 
sisting  cause.  Here  is  not  a  word  of  cither'.  Who  hath  saved  us.  It  is 
spoken  ol  as  a  thing  already  done.  Ami  culled  ns.  So  then  salvation, 
or  t  lie  predestinated  purpose  of  God,  of  the  church  to  salvation  in  Christ, 
is  before  calling.  A  most  plain,  palpable,  decided  proof,  that  nothing 
ot  creature-worth,  or  orealure-ubilUv,  is  taken  into  the  account. ’  Hawk. 

1  If  the  thing  were  done  before  v.e  had  a  being,  how  could  it  depend  on 
onr  doing  f  Rev.  is.  Jenks. 

V.  10.  Whatever  notions,  and  convictions,  any  of  the  Crntiies  bad 
concerning  the  soul’s  immortality,  they  knew  nothing  of  t lie  wav  in 
which  eternal  life  might  he  enjoyed  bv  sinful  man  ;  they  were  whollv 
ignorant  of  the  meaning  annexed  in  the  Scripture  to  the  words,  ‘life  and 
immortality.’  Their  speculations  served  only  for  amusement  or  dispu¬ 
tation,  being  blended  with  error  and  fable,  involved  in  obscurity  and  un¬ 
certainty,  and  utterly  inefficacious  on  their  practice.  •  The  Jews  indeed 
had  a  revelation  in  the  O.  T.  both  of  a  future  state,  and  of  the  resurrec¬ 
tion  of  tiie  body.  But  it  was  far  less  full  and  explicit,  than  that  in  the 
N.  T.,  it  was  chiefly  confined  to  one  small  nation,  and  it  was  very  im¬ 
perfectly  understood  and  believed,  even  in  that  one  nation.  (Note,  fl^at. 
22:23 — 33.)  So  that  whatever  had  been  conjectured  or  believed,  before  the 
coming  of  Christ,  concerning  a  future  stale,  it  might  properly  be  said,  that 
‘  He  had  brought  life  and  immortality  to  light  by  the  Gospel  ;  ’  the  doc¬ 
trine  respecting  it  was  placed  in  tile  most  convincing  and  interesting 
light,  every  proper  question  about  it  was  satisfactorily  resolved,  and  the 
whole  was  suited  to  answer  the  most  important  practical  purposes. — 
Indeed,  after  all  modern  improvements  and  supposed  demonstrations, 

[134] 


the  influential  belief  of  the  immortality  of  the  soul,  and  a  future  state  of 
retribution,  rests  wholly  on  divine  revelation,  as  well -as  that  of  t he  res¬ 
urrection  of  the  body,  and  the  way  of  a  sinner's  acceptance.  If  indeed 
it  can  bo  demonstrated,  that  the  soul  is  naturally  capable  of  immortal¬ 
ity,  it  certainly  cannot  be  proved,  except  from  immediate  revelation, 
that  almighty  God  will  .not  terminate  its  existence,  especially  as  it  is 
forfeited  by  sin,  or  that  Ile.w'ill  no',  make  every  transgressor  miserable 
in  .immortality  ;  for  immortality  may  be  endless  misery  ;  but  the  Gos¬ 
pel,  Which  expressly  states  this,  .Voles,  Mat .  25: -11 — -iG.  Mary  3:43—50. 
also  clearly  connects  ‘life,’  with  ‘  immortality,’  in  respect  of  ail  who 
believe.  John  11:20 — 27.  So  that  it  should  exceedingly  enhance  our 
value  for  ‘the  oracles  of  God,’  when  we  clearly  perceive  the  insuffi¬ 
ciency  of  ‘  the  oracles  of  reason,’  in  the  most  important  of  all  concerns. 

Scott. 

V.  12  That  which  I  have  committed.']  Here  onlv. — ‘It  sigifftietli 
both  that  which  is  committed  to  us  of  Grtd,  and  that  we  commit  to 
Him.  .. .  A 'thing  committed  to  the  trust  of  any  whomsoever,  by  any 
whomsoever.’  Leigh.  See  oil  l  Ti  a .-6: 20.  In. 

V.  13,  1  !.  After  the  above  animating  declaration  of  his  own  expe¬ 
rience  and  joyful  confidence,  in  the  midst  of  sufferings’,  and  the  near 
prospect,  of  a  violent  death,  the  apostle  exhorted  his  l><  loved  Timothy  to 
‘hold  fast,’  in  a  steadfast  profession,  and  by  faithful  preaching,  ‘  the 
form  of  sound  words,’  the  substance  of  evangelical  truth,  which  he  had 
heard  of  him;  and  of  which  perhaps  he,  had  given  him  some  compen¬ 
dious  epitome.  ‘That  good  thing.’  the  ministerial  Charge,  or  the  Gos¬ 
pel  committed  to  his  stewardship,  Timothy  was  exhorted  thus  to  retain, 
observe,  and  fulfil,  without  turning  aside  from  it  on  any  account ;  hut 
he  must  do  tiffs  ‘  by  the  Holy  Ghost,  which  dwelleth  in  us,’  in  depen¬ 
dence  on  his  sacred  influences,  sought  by  constant  prayer,  and  by  com¬ 
pliance  with  them.  (M.  R.  g.  h.) — ‘  Adhering  closelv  to  the  words  and 
phrases,  iff  which  the  apostle  had  taught  the  doctrines  of  the  Gospel. 
The  teachers,  in  modern  times,  who,  in  explaining  the  articles  of  the 
Christian  faith,  use  phrases  different  from  the  scripture-phraseology, 
would  do  well  to  attend  to  this  apostolical  injunction.’  Mackn.  la." 


A.  D.  67. 

15  This  thou  knowest,  that  nil 
"they  which  are  in  Asia  be  turned 
b  away  from  me ;  of  whom  arc 
Phygellus  anil  Hermogenes. 

16  The  Lord  give  mercy  unto 
the  house  of  e  Onesiphorus  ;  for  he 
oft  refreshed  me,  and  was  not 
ashamed  of  my  1  chain  : 

17  Uut,  when  he  was  in  Rome, 
he  sought  me  out  very  diligently, 
and  found  me. 

18  The  Lord  grant  unto  him  that 
he  may  find  mercy  of  the  Lord  in 
e  that  day  :  and  in  how  many  things 
he  f  ministered  unto  me  at  Ephesus, 
thou  knowcst  very  well. 

CHAP.  II. 

1  lie  t*  exhort «*<1  aaain  to  constancy  and  perseverance,  r.n! 
to  do  ihe  duty  of  a  faithful  servant  of  the  Lord,  in  divid¬ 
ing  the  word  aright,  and  staying  profatie  Hrtd  vain  bab¬ 
blings.  17  Of  liymencus  and  Philetne.  ’  19  The  founda¬ 
tion  of  the  Lord  is  sure.  22  He  is  taught  whereof  to  be¬ 
ware^  ml  what  to  follow  after,  and  in  what  sort  the  ser¬ 
vant  of  the  Lord  ought  to  behave  himself. 

H  O  U  therefore,  my  son,  be 
-L  a  strong  in  the  grace  that  is  in 
Christ  Jesus. 

2  And  the  things  that  thou  hast 
heard  of  me  b  among  many  witness¬ 
es,  the  same  commit  cthou  to  faith¬ 
ful  men,  who  shall  be  able  6  to  teach 
others  also. 

a  Ac.  19:10.  e  Mat.  £5:34 — 10.  b  or,  hi/. 

be.  4:10, IG.  flic.  6:10.  c  1  Vi.'l:!8. 

c  c.  4:19.  a  Jos.  i:7.  d  Tit.  1:9. 

tl  Ac.  28:20.  Ej>:  6:10. 

and  He  enables  them  to  keep  the  Gospel 
pure  and  uncorrupt;  and  yet  they  must  use 
their  best  endeavors;  for  the  assistance  and 
indwelling  of  the  Holy  Ghost  docs  not  ex¬ 
clude  men’s  endeavors,  hut -they  very  well 
consist  together. 

V.  15 — 18.  Having  exhorted  Timothy 
to  hold  fast,  v.  13, 14.  he  mentions, 


'  2  TIMOTHY,  II. 

1.  The  apostasy  of  divers  from  the  doc¬ 
trine  of  Christ,  v.  15.  lie  docs  not  stiv 
from  Christ,  (though  it  should  seem  they 
wore,)  but  from  me;  they  bad  turned  their 
backs  oo  him,  and  'disowned  him,  in  the 
lime  of  his  distress.  And  should  we  won¬ 
der  at  it,  when  many  turned  their  bucks  on 
n  much  bettor  than  Paul  !  I  mean  (lie  Lord 
Jesus  Christ,  John  6:  66. 

2.  lie  mentions  the  constancy  of  one 
Ouesiplionis,  v.  16.  Observe,  IV hat  kind¬ 
ness  Oitesiphorus  had  showed  to  Paid,  not 
once  or  twice,  1ml  often;  at  Rome  be  took 
cure  to  seek  Patti  out  very  diligently ,  and 
found  him,  v.  17.  and  at  Ephesus  he' bad 
ministered  to  him,  and  been  very  kind  to 
him  ;  Timothy  knew  it.  Paul  returns  his 
kindness,  t>.  16 — 18.  He  that  receives  a 
prophet,  shall  have  a  prophet’s  reward.  He 
repays  him  with  his  prayers;  The  Lord  give 
mercy  to  Onesiplcrus.  It  is  probable  Onesi- 
phortis  was  now  absent  from  home,  and  in 
company  with  Paul ;  he  therefore  prays  that 
Ids  house  might  be  kept  during  his  absence. 
The  papists  wilt  have  it  lie  was  dead;  and 
from  Paul’s  praying  for  him,  ihcv  conclude 
the  vvarrantahleiioss  of  praying  for  the  dead; 
but  who  told  them  Onesiphorus  was  dead  ! 
And  can  it  he  safe  to  ground  a  doctrine  and 
practice  of  such  importance  on  a  mere  sup¬ 
position,  and  very  great  uncertainty  1  lie 
prays  for  Onesiphorus  himself,  as  well  as 
for  his  house,  that  he  might  find  mercy  in 
that  day,  in.  the  day  of  death  and  of  judg¬ 
ment,  when  Christ  will  account  all  the  good 
offices  done  to  his  poor  members  as  done  to 
Himself.  Observe,  (1.)  The  day  of  death 
and  judgment  is  an  awful  day,  which  may¬ 
be  emphatically  called  that  day;  (2.)  We 
need  desire  no  more  to  make  us  happy,  than 
to  find  mercy  of  the  Lord  in  that  day;  the 
best  Christians,  will  want  mercy  in  that  day, 
looking  for  the  mercy  of  our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ,' Jude  21 ;  if  you  would  have  mercy 
then,  you  must  seek  for  it  now  of  the  Lord, 
for  it  is  of  and  from  the  Lord  that  we  must 


Onesiphorus  honorably  mentioned. 

have  mercy,  and  unless  the  Lord  has  mercy 
on  us,  in  tain  will  ho  the  pity  and  compas¬ 
sion  of  men  or  angels;  we  are  to  seek  and 
ask  for  mercy  of  the  Lord,  who, is  the  Giver 
ami  Bestower  of  it;  for  the  Lord  Christ  lias 
satisfied  justice,  that  mercy  might  lie  dis¬ 
played.  Finally,  The  best  tiling  wo  can 
ask  for  is,  mercy  of  the  Lord  in  that  day, 
when  we  must  pass  out  of  time  into  eter¬ 
nity,  and  appear  before  the  judgment-seat  of 
Christ;  the  Lord  grant  unto  all  of  us,  that 
\vc  may  find  mercy  of  the  Lord  in  that  day  ! 

Chat1.  II.  In  this  ch.,  our  apostle  gives 
Timothy  many  exhortations  and  directions, 
which  may  be  of  great  use.  to  others,  lxith 
ministers  and  Christians,  for  whom  they 
were  designed  as  well  as  for  him. 

V.  1 — 7.  I.  Timothy  is  encouraged  to 
constancy  and  perseverance  in  his  work,  v. 

1 .  Being  strong  in  the  grace  that  is  in  Christ 
Jesus,  may  be  understood, 

1.  In  opposition  to  the  weakness  ofgrace. 
Where  there  is  the  truth  of  grace,  there 
must  be  a  laboring  after  the  strength  of 
grace.  As  our  trials  increase,  we  need  to 
grow  stronger  and  stronger  in  that  which  is 
good;  in  our  faith,  our  resolution,  our  love 
to  God  and  Christ. 

2.  In  opposition  to  our  being  strong  in 
our  own  strength;  ‘  Be  strong,  not  confid¬ 
ing  in  thy  own  sufficiency,  hut  in  the  grace 
that  is  in  .fcsus  Christ.’  Compare  Eph.  6: 
10.  When  Feter  promised  rather  to  die  for 
Christ  than  to  deny  Him,  he  was  strong  in 
his  own  strength;  had  lie  been  strong  in  the 
grace  that  is  in  Christ  Jesus,  he  had  kept 
his  standing  better. 

There  is  grace  in  Christ  Jesus,  John  1: 
17.  grace  enough  for  all;  and  we  must  be 
strong  in  this  grace,  and  not  in  ourselves. 
Paul  exhorts  Timothy  with  great  tenderness 
and  affection;  Thou,  therefore,  my  son,  & c. 

Timothy  must  count  on  sufferings,  even 
unto  blood,  therefore, 

He  must  train  up  others  to  succeed  him  in 


TRACT.  OBS.  V.  10— IS.  We  should  bless  Iho  Lord  continually 
for  ‘the  up  pearing  of  our  Savior  Jesus  Christ,’  for  what  He  has  done 
and  suffered  to  ‘abolish  death,’  and  for  his  Gospel,  by  which  He  has 
1  brought  life  and  immortality  to  light.’  As  we  have  such  decisive  assu¬ 
rance  of  a  future  slate,  such  full  information  concerning  the  nature  of  it, 
and  so  clear  a  prospect  ofimmortal  felicity,  by  faith  in  Him  1  who  is  t lie 
Resurrection  and  the  Life,'  lei  us  ‘give  the  more  diligence,’  in  making 
our  personal  interest  in  his  salvation  sure  to  our  souls;  and  let  such  as 
are  appointed  to  publish  tiiese  important  tidings  to  mankind,  and  to 
instruct  the  nations  in  the  truths  of  Christ,  prepare  for  sufferings,  know¬ 
ing  that  his  most  honored  servants  have  always  been  most  conformed 
to  Him  in  this  respect. — The  hope  of  ihe  meanest  real  Christian,  rests 
oil  the  same  basis  with  that  of  Ihe  greatest  apostle;  and,  in  order  to 
possess  this  good  hope,  we  must  adhere  steadfastly  to  1  the  form  of 
sound  words,’  which  the  apostles  have  taught  ns;  riot  only  rejecting 
new  notions,  lint  new  expressions,  which  are  often  employed  to  exalt 
one  part  of  religion,  by  drawing  the  attention  from  others  of  equal  im¬ 
portance.  We  must  also  be  careful  to  hold  even  nil  orthodox  creed  ‘  in 
fiith  and  love  which  are  in  Christ  Jesus ;  ’  this,  as  well  as  ministerial 


faithfulness,  must  lie  attempted  ‘by  the  Holy  Spirit  which  dxvelleth  in 
us;’  afid  it  will  never  be  performed  by  those,  ‘who  trust  in  their  own 
hearts,’  and  ‘lean  to  their  own  understandings.’ — We  need  not  wonder, 
that  self-wisdom,  and  a  contempt  of  the  influences  of  the  Holy  Spirit, 
united  with  a  dislike  to  the  humbling  truths  of  the  Gospel,  and  to  bear 
'the  cross  for  Christ’s  sake,  should  turn  so  many,  in  these  latter  ages, 
from  regarding  the  writings  of  the  apostles  ;  for  similar  causes  turned 
many  from  them,  even  while  the  apostles  were  living,  and  confirming 
their  authority  and  doctrine  hv  the  most  undeniable  miracles  1  Hut  if 
others  eiioose  to  follow  the  example  of  Phygellus  and  Hcrmogenes,  let 
us  copy  that  of  Onesiphorus,  by  seeking  out  the  afflicted  servants  of 
Christ,  and  refreshing  and  ministering,  to  them;  not  being  ashamed 
of  their  poverty  or  disgrace,  though  laid  in  dungeons  or  workhouses,  and 
doing  them  all  the  good  we  can,  with  a  constant  affection,  for  the  Lord's 
sake.  Then  shall  we  have  an  interest  in  their  prevailing  prayers; 
(Note,  2  Cor.  9:12 — 15.  P.  O.  3 — 15.)  then  we  may  thus  hope  for  the 
mercy  of  God  on  our  families,  and  may  rest  assured  of ‘finding  mercy  of 
the  Lord  in  that  day,’  when  we  shall  most  know  it.  unspeakable  value. 

Scott. 


V.  15.  Some  understand  this  of  those  ministers  and  Christians,  who 
were  natives  of  Asia,  professing  Christianity,  and  had  been  with  Paul  at 
Rome;  btit  who  had  shamefully  deserted  him  in  the  season  of  liis  great¬ 
est  danger.  Others  suppose  the  apostle  to  mean,  that  the  churches  in 
A-it  (or  that  district  of  which  Ephesus  was  the  metropolis)  had  with¬ 
drawn  their  regard  from  him,  being  perverted  bv  heretical  teachers. 
(Notes,  lien.  2:1 — 7.)  Some  indeed  interpret  it  of  the  Judaizing  teach¬ 
ers,  but  those  who  had  always  openly  opposed  the' apostle,  could  not  he 
sa:  1  to  be  ‘  turned  away  from  him.’  These,  however,  and  other  false 
teachers,  probably  had  succeeded  in  alienating  inanv  of  the  apostle's  con¬ 
verts.  Vet  the  first  interpretation  seems  to  be  the  true  one,  and  is  es¬ 
tablished  by  the  context.  (Note,  Hi— 18.)— The  expression,  ‘Thou 
knowcst,’  may  onlv  mean,  ‘No  doubt  thou  hast  heard;’  and  to  men¬ 
tion  two  individuals  of  whom  better  hopes  had  been  formed,  to  Timothy 
while  resident  in  Asia,  and  witnessing  the  defectioil  of  many  chut  ches, 
would  have  been  wholly  unnatural.  Scott. 

(15.)  All  they  in  Asia.]  ‘  The  Asiatics  were  infamous  for  their  cow¬ 
ardice  and  effeminacy,  lint  Paul  probably  alludes  to  their  behavior  at 
Rome,  ch.  4:16.  of  which  Timothy  might  have  been  informed  by  trav¬ 
ellers.’  ,  'Uo-onn. 

V.  is — 13.  Onesiphorus  probably  resided  at  Ephesus,;  where  his  fam¬ 
ily  then  was,  and  had  been  at  Rome,  and  still  was  at  a  distance  from 
them.  [This,  Onesiphorus,  pains  to  find  Paul]  shows,  that  the  apostle’s 
imprisonment  was  far  more  close  and  severe  than  before  ;  so  that  Chris¬ 
tians  in  general  scarcely  knew  where  he  was,  and  many  of  them  were 
afraid  to  inquire  after  him.  (Preface,  Note,  Acts  23:30,  31. — The  eager 
manner,  in  which  the  papists  caieh  at  the  unfounded  notion  that  Ones¬ 
iphorus  was  dead,  because  the  apostle  prayed  separately  for  liis  house¬ 
hold,  and  vet  afterwards  prayed  for  him  also,  shows  how  entirely  desti¬ 
tute  their  practice  of  praying  for  the  dead  is  of  scriptural  proof,  and  how 
glad  they  would  be  to  meet  with  some  countenance  for  it  in  the  Word 


of  God.  if  that  could  he  done. — Very  well.  Mure  exactly,  than  what 
Onesiphorus  had  done  for  the  apostle  at  Rome.  Scott. 

NOTES.  Chap.  II.  V.  1,  2.  This  docs  not  indeed  prove,  that  the 
people  had  no  concern  in  the  appointment  of  their  own  pastors,  or  of 
ministers  to  preach  the  Gospel  in  dark  places;  but  it  undeniably  proves 
that  Timothy  had  a  superintending  authority,  nnd  was  empowered  to 
take  heed,  that- nmie  should  be  appointed,  except  Afhithful  men,  who 
xvere  able  to  instruct  others  also.’  It  can  scarcely  be  supposed,  that 
there  was  any  competition  at  that  time.  The  apostles, nnd  those  sent  by 
them,  would  doubtless  select  the  most  suitable  persons,  and  the  people 
would  cordially  acquiesce  in  the  choice.  (M.  R.  c — g. — Notes,  Acts  6:2 
—6.  11:21—23.  1  Tim.  5:21,  22.  Tit.  1:5 — 9.) — The  communication  of 
divine  (ruth  to  mankind,  by  a  succession  of  witnesses,  from  age  to  age, 
wns  thus  effectually  provided- for.  In.  ‘ Endiinamou :(1)  cannot  mean 
less  than  “exert  tlivself vigorously.”  ’  Bloomf. 

(2.)  Commit,  See..]  ‘  Some  argue  hence,  that- The  people  were  not  to 
choose  their  own  ministers.  But  if  they  did  choose  them,  or  propose 
them  to  Timothy,  it  might  yet.  he  his  appropriate  office  to  admit  them  to 
tlie  ministry,  and  solemnly  to  commit  the  Gospel  to  them.’  Doddr.— - 
‘  Eusebius,  speaking  of  the  churches  founded  by  Paul  and  Peter,  saith, 
“  But  bow  many,  nnd  who.  having  become  genuine  Imitators,  of  these, 
(apostles,)  “  were  esteemed  fit  to  feed  the  churches  founded  by  them,  it  is 
not  easy  to  say  ;  unless  it  is  such  as  any  one  may  easily  collect  from  the 
writings  of  Paul.” — If,  in  the  days  of  Eusebius,  the  succession  of  pastors 
ill  the  churches,  founded  by  the  apostles,  was  so  uncertain,  these  suc¬ 
cessions  must  now  he  much  more  uncertain.  Nevertheless,  as, 
bins’  time,  the  authority  of  the  ministry  was  not  called  in  <l,,es  1  > 

account  of  the  intrusions  of  pastors  into  particular  chtirc.  les 
due  warrant,  so  it  can  ns  little  be  called  in  question  now  on  a .  .  - 

count,  in  regard  it  is  .nowhere  promised  in  Scripture;  tha  ,  ' 

of  pastors.shbnld  be  uninterrupted.’  mack.  • 


A.  D.  67. 


2  TIMOTHY,  If. 


Constancy  and  perseverance  enjoined. 


3  Thou  therefore  endure  “hard¬ 
ness,  as  a  good  soldier  of  Jesus 
Christ. 

4  No  man  that  warreth  f  en tang¬ 
le  th  himself  with  the  affairs  of  this 
life  ;  that  he  may  please  him  who 
hath  chosen  him  to  be  a  soldier. 

5  And  if  a  man  also  strive  for 
masteries,  yet  is  he  not  crowned, 
except  he  strive  lawfully. 

6  The  husbandman  s  that  labor- 
eth  must  be  first  partaker  of  the 
fruits. 

7  Consider  h  what  I  say;  and  the 
•Lord  give  thee  understanding  in 
all  things. 

8  Remember  that  J  Jesus  Christ, 
of  the  seed  of  David,  was  raised 
from  the  dead  according  to  my 
gospel  : 

9  Wherein  I  suffer  trouble,  as 
an  evil-doer,  even  unto  k  bonds;  but 
the  word  of  God  is  not  bound. 

10  Therefore  I  endure  all  things 
for  the  1  elect’s  sakes,  that  they  may 
also  obtain  the  salvation  which  is 
in  Christ  Jesus  with  eternal  glory. 

11  It  is  a  faithful  saying  :  For  if 
m  we  be  dead  with  him,  we  shall 
also  live  with  him  : 

12  If  we  suffer,  we  shall  also 
reign  with  him  :  if  we  deny  n  him, 
he  also  will  deny  us  : 

e  c.  4:5.  her.  k  Ep.  6:20. 

f  1  Co.  9:25,26.  h  1  Tj.  4:15.  1  2  Co.  1:6. 

g  or ylabonng first,  i  Pr.  2:6.  m  Ro.  6:5,8. 

must  be  pcirta -  j  Ro.  1:3,4.  n  Mat.  10:33. 

the  ministry  of  the  Gospel,  v.  2.  and  ordain 
them,  lodge  the  Gospel  as  a  trust  in  their 
hands,  and  so  commit  to  them  the  things  he 
had  heard.  Two  things  he  must  have  an 
eye  to  in  ordaining  ministers;  their  fidelity 
or  integrity,  Commit  them  to  faithful  men  ; 
and  their  ministerial  ability.  They  most  not 
only  be  knowing  themselves,  but  be  able  and 
apt  to  teach  others  also;  must  aim  at  the 
honor  of  God  and  Christ,  and  the.  welfare  of 
souls. 

II.  lie  must  endure  hardness,  v.  3.  Thou 
therefore,  & c.  All  Christians,  but  especi¬ 
ally  ministers,  are  soldiers  of  Jesus  Christ ; 
they  fight  under  his  banner,  in  his  cause, 
and  against  his  enemies,  He  is  their  Cap¬ 
tain,  Heb.  2:  10.  They  must  approve  them¬ 
selves  good  soldiers,  faithful,  resolute,  and 
persevering,  till  they  are  made  more  than  con¬ 


querors,  through  Him  that  loved  them,  Rom.  ! 
8:  37.  They  must  endure  hardness;  expect  ' 
it,  count  on  it  in  this  world;  endure  and  ac¬ 
custom  themselves  to  it,  and  persevere  in  it. 

HI.  He  must  not  entangle  himself  in  the 
affairs  of  this  world,  v.  4.  A  soldier,  when 
enlisted,  leaves  his  calling,  to  attend  his 
captain’s  orders.  If  we  have  given  up  our¬ 
selves  to  be  Christ’s  soldiers,  we  must  sit 
loose  to  this  world ;  and  though  we  must 
employ  ourselves  in  (he  affairs  of  this  life 
while  here,  yet  we  must  not  entangle  our¬ 
selves  with  those  affairs,  so  as  by  them  to 
he  diverted  and  drawn  aside  from  our  duly 
to  God,  and  the  great  concerns  of  our 
Christianity. 

IV.  VVe  must  see  to  it,  that  in  warring 
our  spiritual  warfare  we  go  by  rule,  observe 
tbe  laws  of  war,  v.  5.  we  cannot  expect  the 
prize  unless  we  do.  Observe  here,  A  Chris¬ 
tian  is  to  strive  for  masteries;  be  must  aim 
at  mastering  bis  own  lusts  and  corruptions. 
Those  w  ho  do  so,  shall  be  crowned  at  last, 
after  a  complete  victory. 

V.  We  must  be  willing  to  wait  for  a  re¬ 
compense,  v.  6.  It  should  be  read,  The 
husbandman  laboring  first,  must  partake  of  the. 
fruits,  ns  appears  by  comparing  it  with 
Jam.  5:  7.  If  we  would  be  partakers  of  the 
fruits,  vve  must  labor;  if  we  would  gain  the 
prize,  we  must  ruft  tbe  race;  we  must  do 
the  will  of  God,  before  we  receive  the  prom¬ 
ises,  for  which  reason  we  have  need  of  pa¬ 
tience,  Heb.  10:  36. 

Consider  what  1  say ,  and  the  Lord  give, 
thee  understanding  in  all  things,  v.  7.  Ob¬ 
serve,  God  gives  understanding.  The  most 
intelligent  men  need  more  and  more  of  this 
gift.  If  lie  who  gave  the  revelation  in  the 
W  ord,  does  not  give  the  understanding  in 
the  heart,  we  are  nothing.  Together  with 
our  prayers  for  others,  that  the  Lord  would 
give  them  understanding  in  all  things,  we 
must  exhort  and  stir  them  up  to  consider 
what  we  say,  for  consideration  is  the  way  to 
understand,  remember,  and  practise,  what 
we  hear  or  read. 

V.  8 — 13.  1.  To  encourage  Timothy  in 
suffering,  the  apostle  puts  him  in  mind  of 
the  resurrection  of  Christ,  v.  8.  This  is  the 
great  proof  of  his  divine  mission,  and  a 
great  confirmation  of  the  truth  of  the  Chris¬ 
tian  religion;  therefore  the  consideration  of 
it  should  make  us  faithful  to  our  Christian 
profession,  and  particularly  encourage  us  in 
suffering  for  it.  Let  suffering  saints  re¬ 
member  this. 

Observe,  We  are  to  look  to  Jesus  the  Au¬ 
thor  and  Finisher  of  our  faith,  Ileb.  1 2 :  2. 
The  incarnation  and  resurrection  of  Jesus 
Christ,  heartily  believed  and  rightly  con¬ 


sidered,  will  support  a  Christian  under  all 
sufferings  in  the  present  life. 

II  Another  thing  to  encourage  him  was, 
that  he  had  Paul  for  an  example,  v.  9.  Paul 
was  a  man  who  did  good,  and  yet  suffered 
as  an  evil-doer  ;  we  must  not  think  it 
strange,  in  this  world,  if  the  best  of  men  meet 
with  the  worst  of  treatment;  hut  this  was 
his  comfort,  that  the  Word  of  God  is  not 
bound.  Persecuting  powers  may  silence  min¬ 
isters,  and  restrain  them,  but  they  cannot 
hinder  the  operation  of  the  Word  of  God 
upon  men’s  hearts  and  consciences.  This 
also  might  encourage  Timothy. 

Here  we  see  the  good  apostle’s  treatment 
in  the  world;  how  he  suffered  trouble  under 
pretence  and  color  of  an  evil-doer,  as  Christ, 
John  18 :  30.  He  suffered  trouble  unto  bonds, 
and  afterward  resisted  unto  blood,  striving 
against  sin,  Heb.  12:  2.  Yet  he  endured  for 
the  elect's  sake,  v.  10.  Observe,  Good  min¬ 
isters  should  encourage  themselves  in  the 
hardest  services  and  sufferings,  with  this, 
that  God  will  certainly  bring  good  to  his 
church,  and  benefit  to  his  elect,  out  of  them  ; 
that  they  mny  obtain  the  salvation  which  is  in 
Christ  Jesus.  Next  to  our  own  salvation, 
we  should  bn  willing  to  do  and  suffer  any¬ 
thing,  to  promote  the  salvation  of  others. 

Observe,  further,  The  elect  are  .designed 
to  obtain  salvation,  1  Thess.  5:  9.  and  this 
is  in  Christ  Jesus,  in  Him  as  the  Fountain, 
tbe  Purchaser,  and  the  Giver,  of  it;  and  it 
is  accompanied  with  eternal  glory;  there  is 
no  salvation  in  Christ  Jesus  without  it. 
Lastly,  The  sufferings  of  our  apostle  were 
for  the  elect’s  sake,  for  their  confirmation 
and  encouragement. 

III.  Another  thing  with  which  he  en¬ 
courages  Timothy,  is,  the  prospect  of  a  fu¬ 
ture  state. 

1.  -Those  who  faithfully  adhere  to  Christ, 
and  to  his  truths  and  ways,  whatever  it 
costs  them,  will  certainly  have  the  advan¬ 
tage  of  it  in  another  world,  v.  11.  If,  in 
conformity  to  Christ,  we  he  dead  to  this 
world,  we  shall  go  to  live  with  Him  in  a 
better  world,  to  he  for  ever  with  Him.  Nay, 
though  we  he  culled  to  suffer  for  Him,  vve 
shall  not  lose  by  that.  They  who  suffer  for 
Christ  on  earth,  shall  reign  with  Christ  in 
heaven,  v.  12. 

2.  It  is  at  our  peril  if  we  prove  unfaithful 
to  Him;  If  we  deny  Him,  He  also  will  deny 
us,  Matt.  10:33.  And  that  man  must  needs 
he  for  ever  miserable,  whom  Christ  disowns 
at  last. 

This  will  certainly  be  the  issue,  whether 
we  believe  it  or  no,  v.  13.  lie  is  faithful  to 
his  threatenings,  faithful  to  his  promises; 
neither  one  nor  the  other  shall  fall  to  the 


V.  3.  — 7.  Timothy  was  again  called  on  to  consider  himself,  as  ‘a 
good  soldier  of  Christ.’  (Notes,  1  Tim.  1:18 — 20.  6:11,12.)  Having  en¬ 
listed  under  his  banner,  he  was  hound  to  follow  Him.— (4)  Entangle th, 
<fcc.] — It  is  plain  from  the  apostle’s  own  example,  that  ministers  may, 
on  some  occasions,  earn  their  bread  by  labor;  but  this  widely  differs 
from  seeking  to  grow  rich  hy  trade,  or  such  employments  as  engross  the 
mind  and  time,  and  introduce  them  into  such  connexions,  and  involve 
them  in  so  many  pecuniary  engagements,  as  greatlv  endanger  their  own 
Characters,  and  the  honor  of  the  Gospel.  (Mar gi  Ref.  k— m.)— In  the 
public  games,  also,  t lie  man  who  strove  for  mastery  Was  not  crowned 
victor,  unless  the  contest  had  been  managed  according  to  t lie  prescribed 
rules;  it  therefore  behooved  Timothy  and  iiis  brethren,  to  regulate  their 
diligence  and  earnestness  by  the  Word  of  God,  otherwise  they  could  not 
expect  the  conqueror’s  crown.  And  as  the  husbandman  must  Hirst 
labor,’  before  he  partakes  of  the  fruits  of  the  field,  so  they  must  ,/?/•«< 
diligently  and  patiently  execute  their  ministry,  before  they  received  t lie 
gracious  recompense.  This  is  the  most  obvious  meaning  of  the  verse  ; 
but  it  may  signify,  that  the  laboring  husbandman  must  first  be  supported 
by  the  frui's  of  the  earth,  or  he  cannot  perform  his  work ;  nor  can  the 
office  of  the  ministry  be  duly  exercised,  except  by  those  who  live  by 
faith  in  Christ  themselves,  as  well  as  preach  Him  to  others.  Timothv 
ought  therefore  well  to  consider  these  illustrations,  and  the  Lord  would 
give  him  understanding  in  ail  things  pertaining  to  his  work  and  circum¬ 
stances.  Scott. 

(3.)  Endure,  .tc.j  ‘  The  hardships  endured  by  Roman  soldiers  were 
very  great.  Josephus  says,  “  a  Roman  foot-soldier  is  but  verv  little  dif¬ 
ferent  from  a  beast  of  burden.”  Adam  estimates  the  load  they  usually 
carried  as  amounting  to  60  lbs.  weight,  besides  their  arms,  which  were 
very  heavy'.’  Henry-,  abr. — ‘ The  commentators  aptly  compare  1  Tim. 
1:1,  18.  and  6:12.  lint  many  are  the  duties  of  the  soldier,  besides  fight¬ 
ing;  and  when  we  take  the  admonition,  ch.  1:8.  (I>e  thou  partaker  with 
me,  <tc.)  in  conjunction  with  this,  we  shall  see  that  the  apostle  here  ad¬ 
verts  to  the  labors  of  propagating  as  well  as  defending  the  Gospel.’  lie. 


(6.)  The  husbandman  must  first  labor  and  then  partake.  So  Doddr. 
(and  ot tiers.)  who  remarks,  also  :  1  it  was  entirely  to  the  apostle’s  purpose 
to  remind  Timothy,  that  tile  labor  of  the  husbandman  must  precede  the 
harvest  ;  but  whether  lie  was  to  receive  these  fruits  first,  was  not  the 
point  in  question.’  Er>. 

V.  8 — 13.  Amidst  all  dangers  and  sufferings,  it  behooved  Timothy  to 
‘remember  Jesus  Christ,’  the  promised  Savior,  ‘of  the  seed  of  David, 
who  had  been  raised  from  the  dead.’  This,  which  is  literal,  seems  the 
proper  translation,  for  Timothy  was  not  only  called  on  to  remember, 
and  preach  to  others,  the  resurrection  of  Jesus,  but  all  the  sufferings 
which  preceded  this  great  event,  his  conduct  under  them,  and  the  glo¬ 
rious  termination  of  them,  in  his  exultation  as  our  Prince  and  Savior. 
(Marg.  Ref.  t — x. — Notes,  Neb.  12:2,  3.)  This  cnlild  not  fail  to  suggest 
proper  motives, and  encouragements,  to  perseverance  and  constancy.  S. 

(8.)  My  gospel.]  ‘  It  was  reported  by  some  that  the  gospel  accord¬ 
ing  to  Luke,  was  commonly  meant  by  Paul,  when  writing  as  concerning 
a  gospel  of  his  own,  he  saith,  according  to  my  gospel.'  [Eusebius,  iu 
Macknight.]  ‘  This,  however,  could  not  be  his  meaning,  in  every  in¬ 
stance  where  he  tlseth  that  expression;  for  we  find  it  in  some  of  his 
epistles,  which  were  written  before  Luke’s  gospel  was  published.’  See 
Rom.  2:Db  15.25.  Mackniqht. 

(9.1  ‘  The  mention  of  bonds,  as  a  malefactor,  would  imply  tbe  apos¬ 

tle’s  being  hound  hand  and  feet,  in  a  close  dungeon,  a  very  different  con¬ 
dition  from  that  of  his  first  imprisonment.’  Henry,  abr. — Rut  the  Word 
of  (lo  t  is  not  bound.]  ‘  Many  of  my  brethren  are  at  liberty  to  preach 
publicly,  though  I  ant  not  ;  and  that  is  my  comfort  and  yours.’  Ed. 

(11.) '  ‘  Some  refer  this  to  the  concluding  clause  of  the  former  verse  ; 
but  it  seems  much  more  reasonable  to  connect  it  with  what  follows,  as, 
generally  speaking,  this  phrase  is  introductory  to  the  weighty  sentence 
it  is  intended  to  confirm.  Tillotsou  thinks,  this  was  h  celebrated  sny- 
ing  among  Christians,  either  derived  by  tradition  from  Christ,  or  some 
of  the  apostles,  and  it  had  so  powerful  a  tendency  to  keep  them  steady 
to  their  religion,  that  it  is  no  wonder  it  was  in  frequent  use.’  Doddr. 


A.  D.  67. 


2  TIMOTHY,  II. 


Timothy  directed  in  his  labors. 


13  If  0  we  believe  not,  yet  he 
abideth  faithful  :  he  p  cannot  deny 
himself. 

[ Practical  Observations .] 

14  Of  these  things  put  •>  them  in 
remembrance,  charging  them  before 
the  Lord  that  they  strive  rnot  about 
words  to  no  profit,  but  to  the  sub¬ 
verting  of  the  hearers. 

15  Study  8  to  shew  thyself  ap¬ 
proved  unto  God,  a  workman  that 
needeth  not  to  be  ashamed,  rightly 
'dividing  the  word  of  truth. 

16  But  shun  profane  and  vain 
babblings ;  for  they  will  increase 
unto  more  ungodliness: 

17  And  their  word  will  eat  us 
doth  a  "canker  :  of  whom  is  Hy- 
meneus  and  Philetus  ; 

13  Who  concerning  the  truth 
have  7  erred,  saying  "that  the  res¬ 
urrection  is  past  already:  and  over¬ 
throw  the  faith  of  some. 

[Practical  Observations.] 

19  Nevertheless  the  foundation 
x  of  God  standeth  y  sure,  having  this 

o  Ro.  3.3.  s  2  Pe.  1:10.  w  1  Co.  15:12. 

p  Nu.  23:19.  t  Mat.  13:52.  \  Pr.  10:25. 

q  2  Pe.  1:13.  u  or,  gangrene.  y  or,  steady. 

r  Tit.  3:9,10.  v  L  Ti.  6:21. 

ground,  no  not  the  least  jot  or  tittle  of 
them. 

Observe,  (1.)  Our  being  dead  with  Christ, 
precedes  our  living  with  Him,  and  is  con¬ 
nected  with  it,  the  one  is  in  order  to  ihe 
other;  so  our  suffering  for  Him  is  the  way 
to  reign  with  Him,  Matt.  19:  28.  (2.)  This 
is  a  faithful  saying,  and  may  be  depended 
on,  and  ought  to  be  believed.  But,  (3.)  If 
we  deny  Him,  out  of  fear,  or  shame,  or  for 
the  sake  of  some  temporal  advantage,  He 
will  deny  and  disown  us;  and  will  not  deny 
Himself,  but  will  continue  faithful  to  his 


Word  when  He  threatens  as  well  as  when  j 
He  promises. 

V.  14 — 18.  Having  thus  encouraged  Tim¬ 
othy  to  suffer,  he  comes  in  the  next  place  to 
direct  him  in  his  work. 

I.  He  must  make  it  his  business,  to  edify 
those  who  were  under  his  charge,  to  put  them 
in  remembrance  of  those  things  which  they  ] 
did  already  know;  charging  them  that  they  \ 
strive  not  about  words.  Observe,  Those  that 
are  disposed  to  strive,  commonly  strive  j 
about  matters  of  very  small  moment,  and  to 
no  profit.  Strifes  of  words  are  very  des¬ 
tructive  to  the  i kings  of  God.  If  people  did  \ 
but  consider,  of  wiiat  little  use  most  of  tbe 
controversies  in  religion  are,  they  would  not  J 
be  so  zealous  in  their  strifes  of  words,  draw- 
ing  persons  away  from  ihe  great  things  of 
God,  and  occasioning  unchristian  heats  and 
animosities,  by  which  truth  is. often  in  dan-  | 
gcr  of  being  lost. 

Study  to  show  thyself  approved  unto  God, 
v.  15.  Observe,  Tbe  care  of  ministers  must  1 
be,  to  approve  themselves  unto  God,  to  be  1 
accepted  of  Him,  and  to  show  that  thev  are 
so  approved  unto  God.  Iir order  thereunto, 
there  must  be  constant  care  and  industry; 
those  who  mind  their  business,  and  keep  to 
their  work,  are  workmen  that  need  not  be 
ashamed.  And  vvliat  is  their  work  1  It  is 
rightly  to  divide  the  Word  of  truth.  Not  to 
invent  a  new  Gospel,  blit  rightly  to  divide 
the  Gospel  that  is  committed  to  their  trust  : 
to  speak  terror  to  those  to  whom  terror  be¬ 
longs,  comfort  to  whom  comfort;  to  give 
every  one  their  portion  in  due  season,  Matt. 
24:  25. 

Observe  here,  1.  The  Word  which  minis¬ 
ters  preach,  is  the  Word  of  truth,  for  the 
Author  of  it  is  the  God  of  truth.  2.  It  re¬ 
quires  great  wisdom,  study,  and  care,  to  di¬ 
vide  this  Word  of  truth  rightly;  Timothy 
must  study  in  order  to  do  this  well. 

II.  He  must  take  heed  of  that  which  ' 
would  be  a  hindrance  to  him  in  his  work, 
v.  16.  The  heretics,  who  boasted  of  their 
notions  and  their  arguments,  thought  their 
performances  such  as  might  recommend 


themselves;  but  the  apostle  calls  them  pro¬ 
fane  and  vam  babblings ;  when  once  men 
take  to  be  loud  ot  such,  they  will  increase 
unto  more  ungodliness  ;  when  errors  or 
heresies  come  into  the  church,  the  infecting 
of  one  often  proves  the  infecting  of  many,  or 
the  infecting  of  the  same  person  with’ one 
error,  often  proves  the  infecting  of  him  with 
many  errors.  The  apostle  mentions  some 
who  had  lately  advanced  erroneous  doc¬ 
trines.  He  names  them,  hy  which  he  brands 
them,  to  their  perpetual  infamy,  and  warns 
all  people  against  hearkening  to  them;  they 
have  erred  concerning  one  of  the  fundamen¬ 
tal  articles  of  the  Christian  religion,  which 
is  truth.  The  resurrection  of  the  dead  is 
one  of  the  great  doctrines  of  Christ.  Now 
see  the  subtlety  of  the  serpent  and  the  ser¬ 
pent’s  seed.  They  did  not  deny  the  resur¬ 
rection,  but  put  a  corrupt  interpretation  on 
that  true  doctrine,  saying,  the  resurrection  is 
past  already  ;  that  what  Christ  spake  con¬ 
cerning  the  resurrection,  is  to  be  understood 
mystically  and  by  way  of  allegory,  that  it 
must  be  meant  of  a  spiritual  resurrection 
only.  It  is  true,  there  is  a  spiritual  resur¬ 
rection,  but  from  thence  to  infer  that  there 
will  not  be  a  true  and  real  resurrection  of 
the  body  at  the  last  day,  is  to  dash  one  truth 
of  Christ  in  pieces  against  another.  By 
this  they  overthrew  the  faith  of  some,  took 
them  oft’  from  the  belief  of  the  resurrection 
of  the  dead  ;  and  if  there  be  no  resurrection 
of  the  dead,  no  future  state,  no  recompense 
of  our  services  and  sufferings  in  another 
world,  we  are  of  all  men  the  most  miserable, 
1  Cor.  15:  19.  What  takes  away  the  doc¬ 
trine  of  a  future  state,  overthrows  the  faith 
of  Christians.  The  apostle  had  largely  dis¬ 
proved  this  error,  1  Cor.  15.  and  therefore 
does  not  here  enter  into  the  arguments 
against  it. 

V.  19 — 21.  Here,  amid  the  errors  and  her¬ 
esies  that  both  infect  and  infest  the  church, 
we  are  botli  comforted  and  admonished. 

It  may  be  a  great  comfort  to  us,  that  the 
unbelief  of  men  cannot  make  the  promise  of 
God  of  none  effect.  Though  the  faith  of 


TRACT.  OBS.  V.  1 — 13.  Both  the  falls  of  some,  and  the  good  ex¬ 
amples  of  others,  should  excite  us  to  ‘  lie  strong  in  the  grace  of  Christ,’ 
and  zealous  in  his  cause. — None  ought  to  be  chosen  or  appointed  to  the 
sacred  ministry,  who  are  not  ‘  faithful  men,  and  able  to  instruct  others 
also  ;  ’  and  all  concerned  in  this  most  important  trust  should  he  careful, 
to  whom  they  commit  the  ‘stewardship  of  the  mysteries  of  Christ :  ’ 
for  if  they  wilfully,  negligently,  or  partially  choose  or  ordain  improper 
persons,  they  will  be  condemned  for  it  ‘before  many  witnesses,’  how¬ 
ever  they  here  concealed  their  motives,  or  excused  tlu-ir  conduct.  1  Tim. 
5:21,  22. —  We  should  also  labor  in  patience  and  hope,  assured  ‘  that  in 
due  season  we  shall  reap,  if  we  faint  not,’  without  vainly  expecting  to 
receive  our  reward  I  ill  vve  have  given  proof  of  our  persevering  diligence. 
Gal.  G:6 — 10. — In  all  our  hardships,  conflicts,  and  temptations,  we  must 
1  remember  the  l.ord  Jesus,’  and  meditate  daily  on  his  sufferings,  his 
resurrection,  and  his  subsequent  glory.  And  if  ‘the  mind  of  Christ’  he 
in  us,  we  shall  be  willing  1  to  endure  all  things  for  the  elect’s  sake,’  and 
to  promote  the  salvation  and  eternal  glory  of  those  chosen  ones,  foe 
whom  Christ  willingly  laid  down  his  life.  Scott. 

TRACT.  OHS.  V.  14 — 18.  Ministers  must  ‘charge’  their  flocks 
‘before  the  l.ord,’  witli  great  solemnity  and  earnestness,  ‘not  to  strive 
about  words,’  or  the  Shibboleths  of  a  party,  Judg.  12:1 — 7.  which  tend 
to  no  profit,  hut  rather  ‘  to  the  subverting  of  the  hearers.’  In  perform¬ 
ing  this  part  of  our  duly,  we  shall  be  likely  to  give  much  offence;  for 
eager  controversy  is  exceedingly  agreeable  to  the  vitiated  taste  of  the 
carnal  mind,  which  loaths  plain,  practical  instruction.  We  should  there¬ 


fore  ‘study  to  show  ourselves  approved  unto  God,’  and  to  obtain  his 
seal  to  our  ministry  ;  we  should  bestow  pains  to  become  skilful ,  as  well 
as  faithful  preachers;  ‘workmen  that  need  not  be  ashamed,’  instruc¬ 
tors,  who  ‘  know  how  rightly  to  divide  the  Word  of  truth,’  and  to  give 
every  man  the  portion  which  belongs  to  him,  with  close  application  to 
his  heart  and  conscience.  Mat.  24:45— 51.  This  will  lead  us  to  a  dis¬ 
tance  from  ‘  profane  and  vain  babblings,  wtiich  continually  increase  to 
more  ungodliness;’  for  many  a  specious  error  is  allowed,  Without  no¬ 
tice,  to  be  privily  brought  in  among  professed  Christians,  which  grad¬ 
ually  eats  like  a  gangrene,  and  destroys  ‘  the  power  of  godliness,’  in  an 
imperceptible  manner.  1  Cor.  15:31 — 34.  Gal.  2:1 — 5.  5:7 — 12.  2  Pet. 
2:1 — 3. — Scarcely  anything  lias  done  more  mischief  within  the  church, 
and  among  those  who  retain  a  regard  for  the  Scriptures,  than  the  man¬ 
ner  of  ‘  Hymeneus  and  Tliiletns,’  in  allegorizing  away  its  plain  doc¬ 
trines  and  precepts,  and  so  causing  them  to  evaporate  in  some  visionary, 
mystical  notion.  This  some  call  spiritualizing ;  but  it  well  answers 
the  purpose  of  deceivers,  though  often  used  by  well  meaning,  injudicious 
persons.  It  excites  the  wonder  of  the  ignorant,  and  the  disgust  of  ra¬ 
tional  men;  and  thus  it  takes  off  the  one  from  the  substantial  part  of 
religion,  to  amuse  themselves  with  fancies,  and  it  increases  the  preju¬ 
dices  of  the  other  against  evangelical  truth.  Nothing  can  be  so  crude, 
so  foolish,  or  so  evidently  erroneous,  but  it  will  subvert  the  temporary 
faith  of  some  professors  of  the  Gospel ;  for  of  all  the  numberless  delu¬ 
sions,  xvhich  have  been  or  may  he  invented,  there  is  not  one,  but  is  more 
congenial  to  the  pride  and  lusts  of  iimn,  than  the  simple  truths  of  the 
Holy  Scriptures.  {Note,  John,  8:41—47.)  Scott. 


(13.)  If  we  believe  not.]  ‘  If  we  are  unfaithful.  So  I  think  it  should 
be  rendered  ;  and  so  the  words  will  farther  imply,  that,  whatever  we 
lose  by  our  unfaithfulness,  in  whatever  degree  it  appears,  it  is  no  argu¬ 
ment  of  any  unfaithfulness  in  Him  ;  as  his  promises  are  made  to  faith¬ 
ful  servants,  and  fair  warning  is  given  to  persons  of  a  different  charac¬ 
ter.’  Doddh. — ‘  The  unfaithfulness  here  spoken  of,  seems  to  have  been, 
denying  the  Christian  religion,  in  the  times  of  persecution,  in  order  to 
avoid  suffering.’  Bloo.uf. — He  cannot  deny  Himself.]  ‘  lie  cannot  act 
contrary  to  his  own  nature;  which  consists  in  this,  that  it  is  true, — is 
essential  truth.  He  may  deny  us;  but  He  cannot  deny  Himself,  cannot 
deny  that  He  is  Christ,  and  that  the  things  He  lias  taught  us  are  true. — 
He  cannot , — it  is  altogether  foreign  from  Him.’  Rosenm. 

V.  14 — 18.  Timothy  was  expressly  required  to  remind  Christians  and 
ministers  of  the  important  practical  truths  before  stated  ;  and  to  ‘  charge 
them’  most  solemnly,  ‘as  in  the  presence  of  the  Lord,’  not  to  strive 
and  dispute  about  words,  and  those  frivolous  matters  which  the  love  of 
controversy  magnified  into  important  distinctions.  These  disputes 
could  answer  no  good  purpose  ;  but,  on  the  contrary,  they  tended  to 
‘  subvert  the  hearers,’  perplexing  them  about  empty  speculations,  feed¬ 
ing  their  self-conceit  and  contempt  of  others,  and  drawing  them  off  from 
the  simplicity  of  faith  and  obedience.  (Marg.  Ref.  n — r.)  In  this  ex¬ 


pression  | dividing  the  word ]  the  apostle  is  supposed,  by  some,  to  allude 
to  the  skill,  used  bv  the  priests  and  Levites,  in  cutting  in  pieces  the  vic¬ 
tims,  and  dividing  them  according  to  the  legal  prescriptions,  and  by 
others  to  refer  to  the  conduct  of  those,  who  carve  for  a  large  company, 
and  are  peculiarly  careful  that  no  one  wants  what  is  suitable  for  him. 
—(15)  Rightly  dividing ,  <fec.j  ‘Let  him  pass  over  nothing  that  should 
be  said,  let  him  add  nothing  of  his  own  ;  let  him  mutilate,  tear  in  pieces, 
and  wrest  nothing;  finally,  let  him  diligently  consider,  what  the  hearers 
are  capable  of  receiving,  and  what  conduces  to  edification.’  Beza.  Sc. 

(15.)  Rightly  dividing.]  Some  think,  (as  above,)  the  allusion  is  to 
the  Jewish  priest  or  Levite,  in  dissecting  the  victim,  and  separating 
aright  tile  parts  ;  others,  as  Dntldr.  and  T.  II.  Horne,  to  the  ploughman, 
in  making  a  straight  and  even  furrow.  **D- 

(17.)  Canker.]  ‘  Not  a  cancer,  but  something  very  like  it.  Rosenm. 
Gangrene.  Mach i.  and  Doddr.— Incipient  mortification.  Casteu,  in 
Bloomfield  ;  by  some,  says  the  latter,  called  St.  Anthony’s  fire.  • 

V.  19.  Some  have  interpreted  this  of  the  doctrine  of  the  resurrec¬ 
tion,  and  others  of  election;  but  Christ  Himself,  or  the  P™"’1®8—  .  ' 

nal  life  to  every  one  who  believeth  in  Him,  is  doubtless  * 

tionofGod,’  which  the  apostle  meant.  According  to  the  a  , 

tom,  of  sealing  the  foundation  stones  of  magnificent  structures,  aml^en- 


A.  D.  67. 


2  TIMOTHY,  II. 


Caution  against  youthful  lusts,  fc. 


seal,  The  Lordzknoweth  them  that 
are  his.  .  And,  Let  “every  one  that 
naineth_the  name  of  Christ  depart 
from  iniquity. 

20  But  in  a  great  house  there  are 
not  only  vessels  b  of  gold  and  of  sil¬ 
ver,  but  also  of  wood  and  of  earth  ; 
and  some  to  honor,  and  some  to 
dishonor. 

21  If  c  a  man  therefore  purge 
himself  from  these,  he  shall  be  a 
vessel  unto  honor,  sanctified,  and 
meet  for  the  master’s  use,  and  pre¬ 
pared  d  unto  every  good  work. 

22  Flee  '  also  youthful  lusts  :  but 
f  follow  righteousness,  faith,  chari¬ 
ty,  peace,  with  them  that  call  s  on 
the  Lord  out  of  a  pure  heart. 

23  But  foolish  and  unlearned 
questions  h  avoid,  knowing  that  they 
do  gender  strifes. 

24  And  the  servant  of  the  Lord 
must  not  strive  ;  but  be  gentle  unto 
all  men,  apt  to  teach,  '  patient, 

25  In  meekness  J  instructing  those 
that  oppose  themselves  ;  if  God 
k  peradventure  will  give  them  re¬ 
pentance  to  the  acknowledging  1  of 
the  truth  ; 

26  And  that  they  may  m  recover 
themselves  out  of  the  snare  n  of  the 


devil,  who  are  0  taken 
him  at  his  will. 

captive 

t  Nn.  1:7. 

e  Ec.  11:9,10. 

If  Ac.  8:22. 

Jn.  10:14,27. 

f  He.  12:14. 

1  Tit.  1:1. 

a  Ps.  97:10. 

g  1  Co.  1:2. 

m  awake. 

b  Ro.  9:21. 

h  ver.  16. 

n  1  Ti.  3:7. 

c  Je.  15:19, 
d  c.  3:17. 

i  or,  forbearing. 

J  Ga.  6:1. 

o  alive. 

some  bo  overthrown,  yet  the  foundation  of 
God  standeth  sure,v.  19.  it  is  not  possible 
they  should  deceive  the  elect.  Or  it  maybe 
meant  of  the  truth  itself,  which  they  impugn; 
that  stands  firm.  The  prophets  and  apos¬ 
tles,  that  is;  the  doctrines  of  the  Old  and 
New  Test,  are  still  firm.  The  motto  of  the 
eeal  by  which  they  are  ratified  is,  on  one 
side,  The  Lord  knoweth  then  that  are  his. 


Tiiis  is  for  our  comfort  :  the  Lord  knows 
them  that  are  his  ;  knows  them,  that  is,  owns 
them ;  so  knows  them,  that  lie  will  never  lose 
them,  Ps.  1 :  6.  On  the  other  side,  the  motto 
speaks  our  duty  ;  Let  every  one  that  namelh 
the  name  of  Christ  depart  from  iniquity. 

'Those  who  would  have  the  comfort  of  the 
privilege,  must  make  conscience  of  the  duty. 
If  the  name  of  Christ  be  called  upon  us,  we 
must  depart  from  iniquity,  else  lie  will  not 
own  us.  Mat.  7:22.  Observe,  Though  the 
faith  of  some  is  overthrown,  yet  others  keep 
their  integrity,  ami  hold  it  fast,  v.  28.  If 
some  in  that  great  house,  the  church  of  Christ, 
are  like  vessels  of  wood  and  earth,  vessels 
of  dishonor,  vet  some,  at  the  same  time,  are 
vessels  of  honor,  vessels  of  gold  and  silrrr, 
sanctified  and  meet  far  the  Master's  use.  When 
discouraged  bv  the  badness  of  some,  we  must 
encourage  ourselves  by  the  consideration  of 
the  goodness  of  others.  Now  we  should  see 
to  it  that  we  be  vessels  of  honor  :  we  must 
purge  ourselves  from  these  corrupt  opinions, 
that  we  may  be  sanctified  for  our  Master’s 
use. 

Observe,  Some  dishonor  the  church  by 
their  corrupt  opinions  and  wicked  lives  ; 
others  honor  and  credit  it  by  their  exempla¬ 
ry  conversation.  A  man  must  purge  himself 
from  these  before  be  can  be  a  vessel  of  hon¬ 
or,  or  meet  for  bis  Master’s  use.  Sanctifi¬ 
cation  in  the  heart  is  our  preparation  for 
every  good  work.  The  tree  must  be  made 
good,  then  the  fruit  will  be  good. 

V.  22 — 26.  I.  Timothy  must  beware  of 
youthful  lusts,  r.  22.  though  holy  and  very 
much  mortified  to  the  world,  yet  Paul  thought 
it  necessary  to  caution  him  against  youthful 
lusts.  The  lusts  of  the  flesh  are  youthful 
lusts,  which  young  people  must  carefully 
watch  against,  and  the  best  must  not  be  se¬ 
cure.  lie  prescribes  an  excellent  remedy 
against  youthfuj  lusts ;  Follow  righteousness, 
faith,  charity,  peace,  &c.  Observe, 

1.  Youthful  lusts  are  very  dangerous,  for 
which  reason  even  hopeful  young  people 
should  he  warned  of  them,  for  they  war 
aghinst  the  soul,  1  Pet.  2:  11.  2.  The  ex¬ 

citing  of  our  graces  will  be  the  extinguish- 
ing  of  our  corruptions.  Righteousness,  and 
faith,  and  love,  will  be  excellent  antidotes 
against  youthful  lusts.  Holy  love  will  cure 
impure  lust.  Follow  peace  with  them  that  call 


I  on  the  Lord.  The  keeping  up  of  the  com- 
j  mtmion  of  saints,  will  take  us  off  from  all 
fellowship  with  unfruitful  works  of  darkness. 
;  See  the  character  of  Christians  ;  they  are 
such  ns  call  on  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  out  of  a 
pure  heart.  Observe,  Christ  is  to  be  prayed 
to.  It  is  the  character  of  all  Christians;  that 
they  call  upon  Him  ;  but  our  prayersJo  God 
and  Christ  are  not  acceptable  or  successful, 
except  they  come  out  of  a  pure  heart. 

Ii.  He  cautions  him  against  Contention, 
and,  to  prevent  that,  v.  23.  cautions  him 
against  foolish  and  unlearned  questions,  that 
tend  to  no  benefit,  strifes -of' words.  It  is 
i  very  remarkable  bow  often,  and  with  what 
,  seriousness,  the  apostle  cautions  Timothy 
i  against  disputes  in  religion  ;  which  surely 
was  not  without  some  such  design  as  this, 
to  show  us  that  religion  consists  more  in  be¬ 
lieving  and  practising  what  God  requires, 
than  in  subtle  disputes. 

Now  the  servant  of  the.  Lord  must  not  strive, 
v.  24.  Nothing  worse  becomes  the  servant 
of  the  Lord  Jesus,  (who  Himself  did  not 
strive  or  cry.  Mat.  12:  19.  but  was  a  pattern 
of  meekness,  and  mildness,  and  gentleness 
to  all,)  than  strife  and  contention. 

The  servant  of  the  Lord  must  be  gentle  to 
e ill  men,  and  thereby  show  that  he  is  himself 
subject  to  tbe  commanding  power  of  that  ho¬ 
ly  religion  which  he  is  employed  in  preach¬ 
ing  and  propagating  ;  apt  to  tenrh.  Those 
are  unapt  to  teach,  x\ho  are  apt  to  strive, 
and  are  fierce  and  fro  ward.  Ministers  must 
be  patient,  bearing  with  evil,  and  in  meek¬ 
ness  instructing ,  v.  25.  not  only  those  who 
subject  themselves,  but  those  who  oppose 
themselves.  Observe, 

Instruction  is  the  scripture-method  of 
dealing  with  the  erroneous,  which  is  more 
likely  to  convince  them  of  their  errors  than 
fire  and  fagot;  he  does  not  bid  us  kill  their 
bodies,  under  pretence  of  saving  their  souls. 
Such  as  oppose  themselves,  are  to  be  in¬ 
structed  in  meekness,  for  our  Lord  is  meek 
and  lowly,  Mat.  11 :  29.  and  this  agrees  well 
with  the  character  of  the  servant  of  the  Lord, 
v.  24. 

This  is  the  way  to  convey  truth  in  its  light 
and  power,  and  to  overcome  evil  with  good, 
Rom.  12:21.  That  which  ministers  must 
have  in  their  eyes,  in  instructing  those  w  ho 
oppose  themselves,  must  be  their  recovery  ; 


TRACT.  OBS.  V.  19 — 26.  Amidst  all  heresies,  schisms,  and  aposta¬ 
sies,  ‘  the  Foundation  of  the  Lord  standeth  sure.’  Secure  and  happy 
are  they  who  build  on  it  by  an  obedient  faith  !  These  are  the  ‘  vessels 
of  gold  and  silver,’  which  the  Lord  has  ‘  before  prepared  unto  glory,’ 
Whom  He  has  1  sanctified,  and  made  meet  for  his  own  use,  and  ready  for 
every  good  work;’  and  when  ‘the  vessels  of  dishonor  ’  shail  he  con¬ 
signed  to  destruction,  these  will  he  ‘filled  with  all  ihe  fulness  of  God.’ 
Let  ns  then,  in  dependence  on  the  promises  of  God,  and  diligent  atten¬ 
dance  on  every  mean  of  grace,  ‘cleanse  ourselves  from  all  filthiness  of 
flesh  and  spirit;’  let  young  Christians  and  ministers  ‘flee  youthful 
lusts;’  let  all  ‘follow  after  righteousness,  faith,  love,  peace,  with  all 
them  that  call  on  the  Lord  out  of  a  pure  heart  ;’  and  let  tbe  frequent 
repetitions  of  tbe  apostle,  teach  us  the  immense  importance,  of  avoiding 
fqjdigh,  curious,  and  frivolous  questions,  and  whatever  can  produce 
strifes  and  angry  controversies.  Alas  !  this  predilection  for  Controversy, 
both  in  teachers  and  hearers  of  the  Gospel,  is  one  grand  hindrance  to 
our  ‘  recovering  sinners  out  of  the  snare  of  the  devil ;’  fur,  to  exasperate 
opposers  is  by  no  means  the  way  to  convince  them. — fhc  artful  enemy  of 
our  souls  knows  how  to  bait  his  hmik  and  spread  his  net.  for  men,  accord- 
ing  to  their  different  tastes,  humo^,  and  situations.  They  do  not  suspect 

graving  some  inscription  on  them;  this  mystical  Foundation  had  the 
seal  ot  God,  and  a  double  inscription,  upon  it.  ‘The  Lord  kj}oweth 
them  that  are  his.’  Tiiis  is  supposed,  by  some,  to  refer  to  the  words  of 
Moses,  concerning  Aaron  ami  himself,  iii*the  rebellion  ofKornh.  Datlian, 
and  Abiram.  Num.  16:5.  Scott. 

(19.)  Foundation  ]  ‘The  religion  which  has  God  fir  its  Author. 
This  foundation  stands  firm.  The  sense  is;  certain  false  teachers  would 
overthrow  the  faith  of  some,  but  the  whole  edifice,  the  whole  church, 
they  can  never  overthrow,  Mat.  16:13.  And  this  best  agrees  (respondet) 
with  what  follows,  having  this  senl,  <fcc.’  ItosEVir. — So  Bloomfield  ;  ex¬ 
cept  that  he  thinks  the  doctrine  of  the  resurrection  is  particularly  hud  in 
view.  Ed. — Seat.]  ‘Inscription.  The  expression  is  here  used,  with  pe¬ 
culiar  propriety,  in  allusion  to  the  custom  of  engraving  os  stones,  laid 
in  the  foundation  of  huildings,  the  names  of  persons  IA  wiTrun,  and  the 
purposes  for  which,  the  structure  is  raised.  Nothing  can  have  a  greater 
tendency  to  encourage  the  hope,  and  at  the  same  time  engage  the  obe¬ 
dience  of  Christians,  than  this  double  inscription.’  ■  Donna. 

V.  29—22.  Still  further  to  show,  that  the  heresies  and  apostasies  of 
many  professed  Christians,  were  entirely  consistent  with  the  engage¬ 
ments  of  God  by  his  covenant  to  true  believers,  the  apostle  observed, 
that  in  a  great  house,  the  habitation  of  some  wealthy  person,  there  were 
not  only  *  vessels  ot  gold  and  of  silver,’  but  others  of  baser  materials  ; 

[433] 


the  deception,  til!  they  have  swallowed  the  bait,  or  are  caught  in  the  net ; 
then  they  are  ‘  taken  captive  by  him  tit  his  will,*  and  they  sometimes 
appear  under  a  kind  of  necessity  of  proceeding  in  their  ruinous  courses. 
Yet  some  are  ‘  recovered  out  of  the  snare  ;’  for  when  ‘God  gives  them 
repentance,’  they  come  to  themselves,  they  ‘acknowledge  the  truth,’ 
they  confess  their  guilt;  they  cry  for  mercy  nut!  deliverance,  they  ob¬ 
tain  pardon  and  grace  ;  they  are  set  at  liberty,  and  ‘  walk  in  newness  of 
life,’  and  Satan  can  never  more  regain  his  dominion  over  them.  There 
is  no  ‘peradvent-ure,’  in  respect  of  the  readiness  of  God  to  pardon  those 
who  do  repent,  halt  vve  cannot,  tell  whether  lie  will  ‘give  repentance’ 
to  those,  w!io  still  continue  to  oppose  his  will ;  \<‘t,  as  He  sometimes 
graiits  it  even  to  the  most  obstinate  of  his  enemies,  it  Is  our  duty  to 
hope  and  pray  for  them,  arid  ‘in  meekness  to  instruct  them,’  as  long  ns 
wo  have  the  opportunity.  And  if  any  feel  themselves  ‘taken  captive 
by  Satan,’  and  long  for  deliverance;  hfl  them  rememfter,  that  they  can 
never  ‘recover  themselves  out  of  the  snare  of  the  devil,’  except  by 
‘  acknowledging  the  truth  of  God’  in  the  Gospel:  that  this  they  never 
can  do  without  repentance;  that  repentance  is  the  gilt  of  God;  and 
dually,  that  they  must  ask  it  of  Him  by  earnest,  persevering  prayer. 

Scott. 

tbe  former  for  honorable,  and  the  other  for  meaner  uses.  In  like  man¬ 
ner,  in  the  visible  church,  not  only  true  Christians  and  faithful  ministers 
were  found,  as  willing  instruments  in  the  honorable  work  of  glorifying 
GotJ,  and  promoting  the  good  of  men,  but  persons  also  of  a  different 
character,  whose  hypocrisy  and  iniquity  were  overruled,  contrary  to 
their  intentions,  to  fulfil  his  righteous  purposes,  though  to  their  own  ruin 
and  ‘everlasting  contempt.’  {Notes,  Mat.  13.24 — 30,  36 — 43,  4? — 50. 
22:11-14.  25:1 — 1.  Jn.  15:2,6—8.  I  Cor.  1 1 : 17 — 22.  1  Jn.  2.18,  19.)  If 
then  any  man,  but  especially  a  minister  of  the  Gospel,  carefully  ‘  puri¬ 
fied  himself  Rom;  these  ’  evil  things,  and  simply  adhered  to  the  truth  and 
will  of  God,  he  would  he  ‘a  vessel  of  honor,  sanctified  and  prepared  ' 
for  the  service  of  Christ,  ami  ready  to  he  his  willing  instrument  ‘in 
every  good  work.’  Scott. 

(22.)  Youthful  lusts.]  ‘Sensual  pleasure,  or  rashness,  contention, 
pride,  and  vainglory.’  Doddr. — The  nge  at  which  Timothy  now  was 
(about  38)  is  commonly  remarked  to  be  the  time  of  life  when  men  are 
most  susceptible  of  ambition,  pride,  <tc.  and  less  of  sensual  pleasure.  Ed. 

V'.  23 — 26.  The  apostle  saw  it  necessary  attain  to  caution  his  beloved 
Timothy,  against  ‘foolish  and  unlearned  questions;’  such  curious,  pre¬ 
sumptuous,  or  useless  questions,  as  often  appear  to  spring  from  a  depth 
of  discernment,  reflection,  and  erudition  ;  but  which  in  fact  are  sug¬ 
gested  bv  folly,  and  a  want  of  6olid  acquaintance  with  the  majesty  of 


A.  D.  67. 


2  TIMOTHY,  III. 


Perilous  times  foretold. 


CHAP.  III. 

1  lie  adrertiseth  him  of  the  times  to  come,  6  describcth 

the  enemies  of  the  truth,  10  propoundeth  unto  him  his 

own  example,  16  and  commeudeih  the  Holy  Scriptures. 

rpHIS  know  also,  that J  in  the  last 

-1-  days  perilous  times  shall  come. 

2  For  b  men  shall  be  lovers  of 
their  own  selves,  covetous,  boast¬ 
ers,  proud,  blasphemers,  disobedi¬ 
ent  to  parents,  unthankful,  unholy, 

3  Without  natural  affection, 
truce-breakers,  c  false  accusers,  in¬ 
continent,  tierce,  despisers  of  those 
that  are  good, 

4  d  Traitors,  heady,  high-minded, 
'lovers  of  pleasures  more  than  lov¬ 
ers  of  God  ; 

5  Having  fa  form  of  godliness, 
but  denying  the  power  -  thereof : 
from  such  turn  away. 

ft  1  Ti.  4:1.  2  Pe.  b  Ro.  1:29—31.  e  Phi.  3:19. 

3:3.  1  Jn.  2:18.  c  or,  makebates .  f  Tit.  1:16. 

Jude  17:18.  d  2  Pe.  2:10,  &c. 

If  God,  peradventure,  will  give  them  repen¬ 
tance  to  the  acknowledging  of  the  truth.  Ob¬ 
serve, 

Repentance  is  God’s  gift,  a  gift  with  a 
peradventure,  in  the  case  of  those  who  oppose 
themselves  ;  and,  therefore,  though  we  are 
not  to  despair  of  the  grace  of  God,  yet  we 
must  take  heed  of  presuming  on  it.  To  the 
acknowledging  of  the  truth.  The  same  God 
who  gives  us  the  discovery  of  the  truth,  does, 
by  his  grace,  bring  us  to  the  acknowledging 
of  it,  otherwise  our  hearts  would  continue  in 
rebellion  against  it.  Thus  sinners  recover 
themselves  out  of  the  snare  of  the  devil.  And 
see  here,  v.  26.  the  misery  of  sinners,  and 
the  happiness  of  those  who  repent  ;  sinners 
are  in  the  snare  of  the  devil,  as  fishes  taken 
in  an  evil  net,  and  as  birds  caught  in  a  snare ; 
they  are  slaves  to  him  who  is  but  a  slave 
and  vassal  himself. 

Those  who  repent  are  as  a  bird  escaped 
out  of  the  snare  ;  the  snare  is  broken,  and 
they  are  free  ;  and  the  greater  the  danger, 
the  greater  the  deliverance.  When  sinners 
repent,  they  who  before  were  led  caplive  by 
the  devil  at  his  will,  come  to  be  led  into  the 
glorious  liberty  of  the  children  of  God,  and 


have  their  wills  melted  into  the  will  of  the 
Lord  Jesus.  The  good  Lord  recover  us  all 
out  of  the  snare  ! 


Chap.  III.  V.  1 — 5.  Timothy  must  not 
think  it  strange,  if  there  were  in  the  church 
bad  men  ;  for  the  net  of  the  Gospel  was  to 
enclose  both  good  fish  and  bad.  Mat.  13:  47, 
48.  and  Christ  had  foretold,  Mat.  24.  lhat 
there  would  come  seducers. 

Even  in  gold  ore  there  will  be  dross,  and 
a  great  deal  of  chaff  among  the  wheat  when 
it  lies  on  the  floor.  Timothy  must  know 
that,  in  the  last  days,  v.  1.  in  gospel-times, 
there  would  come  perilous  times,  difficult 
times  ;  perilous  times  for  such  as  have  the 
form  of  godliness,  v.  5.  shall  be  corrupt  and 
wicked,  and  do  great  damage  to  the  church. 
Note,  Sin  makes  the  times  perilous.  A  gen¬ 
eral  corruption  of  manners,  and  of  the  tem¬ 
pers  of  men,  makes  the  times  dangerous,  hard 
to  keep  our  integrity  in. 

The  coming  of  perilous  times  is  an  evi¬ 
dence  of  the  truth  of  scripture-predictions  ; 
this  we  are  all  concerned  to  know,  believe, 
and  consider,  that  we  may  not  be  surprised 
when  we  see  the  times  perilous  ;  This  know 
also. 

Then  he  tells  Timothy  what  would  be  the 
occasion  of  making  these  times  perilous,  or 
what  shall  be  the  marks  and  signs,  whereby 
these  times  may  be  known,  v.  2.  and  follow¬ 
ing  verses. 

1.  Self-love  will  make  the  times  perilous; 
it.  is  meant  of  an  irregular,  sinful  self-love. 
Men  love  their  carnal  selves  better  than  their 
spiritual  selves  ;  love  to  gratify  their  own 
lusts,  and  make  provision  for  them,  more 
than  to  please  God  and  do  their  duty.  In¬ 
stead  of  Christian  charity,  which  takes  care 
for  the  good  of  others,  they  will  mind  them¬ 
selves  only,  and  prefer  their  own  gratifica¬ 
tion  before  the  church’s  edification. 

2.  Covetousness.  When  every  man  is  for 
what  he  can  get,  and  keeping  what  Jte  has, 
this  makes  men  dangerous  to  one  another. 

3.  Pride  and  vainglory  make  the  times 
perilous.  When  men,  being  proud  of  them¬ 
selves,  are  boasters  before  men  whom  they 
despise,  and  blasphemers  of  God,  and  of  his 
name;  when  men  do  not  fear  God,  they  will 
not  regard  man,  and  so  vice  versa. 


4.  When  children  are  disobedient  to  their 
patents,  and  break  through  both  in  duty  and 
giatitude,  and  frequently  in  interest,  that 
makes  the  times  perilous;  for  what  wicked¬ 
ness  will  they  stick  at,  who  will  abuse  their 
own  parents,  and  rebel  against  them  1 

5.  Unthankfulness  and  unholiness  make 
the  times  perilous,  and  commonly  go  togeth¬ 
er.  Why  are  men  unholy,  and  without  the 
fear  of  God,  but  that  they  are  unthankful  for 
the  mercies  of  God  I  Unthankful,  and  im¬ 
pure,  defiled  with  fleshly  lusts  ;  we  abuse 
God’s  gifts,  if  we  make  them  the  food  and 
fuel  of  our  lusts. 

6.  The  times  are  perilous  when  men  will 
not  be  held  by  the  bonds  either  of  nature  or 
common  honesty,  v.  3.  See  what  a  corrup¬ 
tion  of  nature  sin  is  ;  how  it  deprives  men 
even  of  that  which  nature  has  implanted  in 
them  for  the  support  of  their  own  kind. 
Those  who  will  not  be  bound  by  natural  af¬ 
fection,  no  marvel  that  they  will  not  be  bound 
by  the  most  solemn  leagues  and  covenants. 
Again,  the  times  are  perilous  when  men  are 
false  accusers,  and  have  no  regard  to  the  good 
name  of  others,  or  to  the  religious  obligations 
of  an  oath,  but  think  themselves  at  liberty  to 
say  and  do  what  they  please,  Ps.  12:4. 

7.  When  men  have  no  government  of  them¬ 
selves,  their  appetites,  and  passions  ;  and 
therefore  are  like  a  city  that  is  broken  down, 
and  are  soon  fired,  on  the  least  provocation. 

8.  When  that  which  is  good,  and  ought  to 
be  honored,  is  generally  despised,  and  look¬ 
ed  upon  with  contempt;  as  persecutors  look 
on  good  people,  though  more  excellent  than 
their  neighbors. 

9.  When  men  are  generally'  treacherous, 
wilful,  and  haughty',  v.  4.  when  men  are  trai¬ 
tors,  heady,  high-minded.  Our  Savior  has 
foretold,  that  the  brother  shall  betray  the 
brother  to  death,  and  the  father  the  son. 
Mat.  10:  21.  and  those  are  the  worst  sort 
of  traitors.  When  men  are  petulant  and 
puffed  up,  carrying  it  scornfully  to  all  about 
them,  and  when  this  temper  generally  pre¬ 
vails,  then  the  times  are  perilous. 

10.  When  men  are  generally'  lovers  of 
pleasure,  more  than  lovers  of  God.  When 
there  are  more  epicures  than  true  Christians, 
then  the  times  are  bad  indeed:  that  is  a  car¬ 
nal  mind,  and  full  of  enmity  against  Him, 


God,  with  man’s  true  condition  and  character,  and  with  other  subjects 
of  the  highest  importance.  ..  .Whatever  Jewish  or  Gentile  disputers 
did,  ‘  the  servant  of  the  Lord  must  not  strive’  in  this  manner,  or  with 
such  weapons.  2  Cor.  10:1 — 6.  Scott. 

(26.)  That  they  may  recover,  &c.]  Adolescentiai  cupiditates  defer- 
vissent.  ‘The  word  properly  signifies,  to  awake  from  a  deep  steep,  or 
from  a  fit  of  intoxication ,  and  refers  to  an  artifice  of  fowlers,  to  scatter 
seeds  impregnated  with  some  drugs,  intended  to  lay  birds  asleep,  that 
they  might  [may?]  draw  the  net  over  them  with  the  greater  security.’ 
Doddr.  from  Eisner.  Ed. 

NOTES.  Chap.  III.  V.  1 — 5.  The  apostle  foresaw,  and  foretold  to 
Timothy,  and  so  to  the  church  in  that  and  in  all  future  generations,  that 
‘  in  the  last  days,’  or  under  the  Christian  dispensation,  chiefly  in  the  lat¬ 
ter  ages,  ‘  perilous  ’  or  grievous  times  would  arrive,  in  which  it  would 
be  extremely  diflicult  for  Christians  to  escape  the  contagion  of  had  ex¬ 
amples  and  corrupt  principles,  or  for  ministers  to  preach  the  unadulter¬ 
ated  truth  of  the  Gospel ;  and  in  which  those  who  retained  their  integrity 
would  he  exposed  to  the  haired  ami  persecution  of  their  professed 
brethren.— We  need  not  suppose,  that  the  same  individuals  would  an¬ 
swer  to  every  part  of  this  description  ;  hut  men  would  arise,  called 
Christians,  who  would  be  guilty  of  these  vices,  some  being  more  noto¬ 
rious  in  one  way,  and  some  in  another,  even  as  the  heathens  were,  and 
differing  from  them  only  in  name.  ( Note ,  Rom.  1:28 — 32.) — Such  per¬ 
sons  have  always  been  found  within  the  visible  church,  in  every  place, 
and  through  nil  succeeding  ages  hitherto,  and  some  even  among  those 
who  have  most  zealously  contended  for  the  peculiar  doctrines  of  the 
Gospel.  Many  such  were  soon  perceived  in  the  primitive  church,  but 
things  grew  ‘  worse  and  worse  ’  (13),  till  the  grand  antichristian  apos¬ 
tasy  was  produced.  The  selfishness,  enormous  covetousness,  ‘  high 
swelling  words  of  vanity,’  and  blasphemous  claims  and  titles  of  the 
church  of  Rome,  have  generally  been  supposed  to  be  pointed  at,  in  an 
especial  manner.  2  Thes.  2:3 — 12.  The  practice  of  that  church,  in 
counselling  children  to  ‘disobey  their  parents,’  and  parents  to  withdraw 
their  natural  affection  from  their  children,  in  order  the  more  readily  to 
replenish  religious  houses  with  monks  and  nuns  ;  their  disregard  of  the 
most  solemn  leagues  and  covenants,  and  want  of  all  faith  and  mercy  to¬ 
wards  those  whom  they  falsely  accused  of  heresy,  their  enmity  against 
true  Christians,  the  licentiousness  countenanced  by  indulgencies  and 
dispensations,  their  fierce  persecutions,  their  arrogant  conduct  towards 
princes  and  emperors,  have  certainly  exceeded  every  other  corruption 
of  Christianity  which  has  yet  appeared  ;  nevertheless,  they  have  always 
maintained,  and  been  very  exact  and  pompous  in  their  ‘  form  of  godli¬ 
ness.’ — It  is  self-evident,  that  the  apostle  foretells  what  the  state  of 
things  would  be  in  the  visible  church,  and  among  the  professors  and 
N.  T.  VOL.  V.  62 


ministers  of  Christianity.  No  doubt,  the  Jews,  just  before  the  destruc¬ 
tion  of  Jerusalem,  answered  in  many  things  to  the  description  here 
given,  and  so  do  numbers  of  nominal  protestant  Christians  at  this  day. 
There  was,  however,  no  occasion  to  warn  Timothy  to  ‘  turn  away  from  ’ 
persecuting  Jews  ;  hut  ‘the  mystery  of  iniquity  was  already  working,’ 
and  it  was  necessary  for  faithful  ministers  to  protest  against  it,  in  the 
most  decided  manner.  (3)  Without  natural  affection .]  ‘  The  Roman 

clergy,  being  forbidden  to  marry,  can  neither  have  wives  nor  children 
openly  ;  so  they  are  without  the  affections  natural  to  mankind  ;  at  least 
they  dare  not  avow  them.’  Mackn.  False  accusers.]  The  persons 
intended  are  the  ministers,  and  as  it  were  the  mouth  of  the  grand  ‘  ac¬ 
cuser  of  the  brethren,’  and  the  successors  of  the  traitor  Judas.  Turn 
away.]  ‘Shun  with  decision,  and  marked  aversion.!  Here  only.  Sc. 

(2.)  Men  shall  be,  &c.]  ‘  The  word  men  includes  both  teachers  and 

people.’  Mackn. — ‘  He  speaks  only  of  Christians.’  Bi.oomf. — ‘  I  choose 
to  interpret  the  words  of  those  who  not  only  professed  Christianity,  hut 
pretended  to  teach  it.’  Donmt. — who,  followed  by  Bloomfield ,  refers  to 
Vitringa ,  as  proving  that  there  was  a  great  alteration  in  the  face  of  the 
Christian  church,  between  the  time  of  Nero  and  Trajan,  within  which 
period,  he  [Vitringa]  apprehends  great  numbers  of  professors  to  have 
departed  from  the  strictness  of  Christian  morals,  as  well  as  the  purity 
of  the  faith. — Mackn.  understands  the  character  given  of  these  men  here, 
and  onward  through  v.  4.  as  descriptive  of  ‘the  Romish  clergy.’ — Lov¬ 
ers  of  their  own  selves.]  Yet  was  ever  a  person  excommunicated  from 
the  church  for  selfishness  ?  That  modern  civilization  is  founded  too 
much  on  the  lower,  animal,  or  selfish  propensities,  is  an  obvious  truth, 
and  Paul  says,  v.  12.  they  that  live  godly  in  Christ  Jesus  shall  suffer 
more  or  less  of  persecution  in  the  world  ;  a  truth  which  vvill  also  be  ac¬ 
knowledged  by  all  who  have  attempted  to  carry  out  Christ’s  principles 
in  everything: — though  there  is  a  sort  of  half-way  covenant,  an  expe¬ 
diency  morality,  a  jesuitical  smoothness,  in  which  some  Christians  con¬ 
trive  to  slip  along  easily,  remaining,  to  spectators,  very  good  frienus 
both  of  God  and  mammon.  Examined  however  more  closely,  their 
whole  conduct  will  be  seen  to  be  based  on  a  pennywise  selfishness,  con¬ 
cealed  perhaps  even  to  themselves.  And  indeed,  ‘  much  of  the  honor 
practice  of  the  world,  [they  love  and  imitate,]  rests  °n  substratunri 
of  selfishness ;  society  is  held  together  in  the  exercise  of  its 
tues,  mainly  by  the  tie  of  reciprocal  advantage  ;  that:  a  m 
interest  bound  him  to  all  those  average  equities  which  t  lie 

neighborhood  around  him;  and  in  which,  if  he  pro  nmi  the  confl- 
glaringly  deficient,  he  would  be  abandoned  by  the  i respt  »  ^ 

deuce:  and  the  good  will,  of  the  people  with whoro .he  had  to  do. 

And  as  even  the  homage  rendered  to  integrity  l  ’  ^  en0rmity 

operation  of  selfishness  . .  so  man  t«  ever  prone  to  estimate  tne  enormity 


[439] 


A.  D.  67. 


2  TIMOTHY,  III. 


Paul’s  own  example  proposed. 


6  For  of  this  sort  are  they  *  which 
creep  into  houses,  and  lead  captivre 
silly  women  laden  with  sins,  led 
away  with  divers  lusts, 

7  Ever  learning,  and  never  able 
to  come  to  the  knowledge  of  the 
truth. 

8  Now  as  Jannes  and  h  Jambres 
withstood  Moses,  so  do  these  also 
resist  the  truth :  men  1  of  corrupt 
minds,  ■*  reprobate  concerning  the 
faith. 

9  But  they  shall  proceed  no  fur¬ 
ther:  for  their  folly  shall  be  mani¬ 
fest  unto  all  men ,  as  theirs  also  was. 

[Practical  Observations  ] 

10  But  thou  hast  k  fully  known 
my  doctrine,  manner  of  life,  pur¬ 
pose,  faith,  long-suffering,  charity, 
patience, 

11  Persecutions,  afflictions, which 
came  unto  me  at  1  Antioch,  at  m  Ico- 
nium,  at  Lystra;  what  persecutions 
I  endured  :  but  out  of  them  all  n  the 
Lord  delivered  me. 

g  Tit.  1:11.  ment.  1  Ac.  13:45,50. 

h  Ex.  7:11.  k  or,  been  a  dili -  m  Ac.  14:5.6,19. 

i  1  Ti.  6:5.  gent  follower  n  Ps.  34:19. 

j  or,  of  no  judg -  of. 

which  prefers  anything  before  Him,  espe¬ 
cially  such  a  sordid  thing  as  carnal  pleas¬ 
ure  is. 

11.  All  this  notwithstanding,  all  these  have 
the  form  of  godliness,  v.  5.  are  called  by  the 
Christian  name,  baptized  into  the  Christian 
faith,  make  a  show  of  religion  ;  but,  how 
plausible  soever  their  form  of  godliness  is, 
they  deny  the  power  of  it. 

Observe,  here,  (1.)  Men  may  be  very  bad 
and  wicked,  under  a  profession  of  religion; 
they  may  be  lovers  of  themselves,  &c.  yet 
have  a  form  of  godliness.  (2.)  A  form  of 
godliness  is  a  very  different  thing  from  the 
power  of  it;  men  may  have  the  one,  and  be 
wholly  destitute  of  the  other  ;  yea,  they  de¬ 
ny  it,  at  least  practically,  in  their  lives. 
(3.)  From  such,  good  Christians  must  with¬ 
draw  themselves. 

V.  6 — 9.  Here  Paul  warns  Timothy  to 
take  heed  of  certain  seducers. 

1.  He  shows  how  industrious  they  were 
to  make  proselytes,  v.  6.  they  applied  them¬ 


selves  to  particular  persons,  visited  them  in 
their  houses,  not  daring  to  appear  openly  ; 
for  they  that  do  evil,  hate  the  light,  John 
3:  20.  *  And  see  what  sort  of  people  they 
made  proselytes  of;  weak,  silly  women  j  and 
wicked,  laden  with  sins,  and  led  away  with 
divers  lusts;  a  foolish  head  and  a  filthy  heart 
make  persons,  especially  women,  an  easy 
prey  to  seducers. 

2.  He  shows  how  far  they  were  from  com¬ 
ing  to  the  knowledge  of  the  truth,  though  they 
pretend  to  be  ever  learning,  v.  7.  In  one 
sense  we  must  all  be  ever  learning,  growing 
in  knowledge,  following  on  to  know  the 
Lord,  pressing  forward  ;  but  these  were 
skeptics,  giddy  and  unstable,  who  were  for¬ 
ward  to  imbibe  every  new  notion,  under 
pretence  of  advancement  in  knowledge,  but 
never  came  to  a  right  understanding  of  the 
truth  as  it  is  in  Jesus. 

3.  He  foretells  the  certain  stop  that  should 
be  put  to  their  progress,  v.  8,  9.  comparing 
them  to  the  Egyptian  magicians  who  with¬ 
stood  Moses;  their  names  are  not  met  with 
in  the  Old  Test,  yet  are  found  in  some  old 
Jewish  writers.  Moses  came  with  a  divine 
commission,  to  fetch  Israel  out  of  Egypt  ; 
these  magicians  opposed  him,  and  thus  those 
heretics  resisted  the  truth,  and,  like  them, 
were  men  of  corrupt  minds  :  men  who  had 
their  understandings  perverted,  biassed,  and 
prejudiced  against  the  truth,  and  reprobate 
concerning  the  faith,  very  far  from  being  true 
Christians ;  but  they  shall  proceed  no  further  ; 
or  not  much  further,  as  some  read  it.  Ob¬ 
serve, 

Seducers  seek  for  corners,  and  love  ob¬ 
scurity  ;  attack  those  least  able  to  defend 
themselves,  and  in  all  ages  are  much  alike, 
their  characters  the  same,  men  of  corrupt 
minds,  & c.  and  their  conduct  much  the  same ; 
they  resist  the  truth,  as  Jannes  and  Jambres 
withstood  Moses;  and  they  will  be  alike  in 
their  disappointment. 

Tliose  who  resist  the  truth  are  guilty  of 
folly,  yea,  of  egregious  folly  ;  for,  though  the 
spirit  of  error  may  be  let  loose  for  a  time, 
God  has  it  in  a  chain.  Satan  can  deceive 
the  nations  and  the  churches  no  further  and 
no  longer  than  God  will  permit  him  ;  their 
folly  shall  be  manifest  ;  it  shall  appear  that 
they  are  impostors,  and  every  man  shall 
abandon  them. 

V.  10 — 13.  Here  the  apostle,  to  confirm 
Timothy  in  that  way  wherein  he  walked, 

I.  Sets  before  him  his  own  example,  which 


Timothy  had  been  an  eyewitness  of,  having 
long  'attended  Paul,  v.  10.  Timothy  had 
known  Paul, 

1.  In  the  doctrine  he  preached.  Faul 
kept  back  nothing  from  his  hearers,  but  de¬ 
clared  to  them  the  whole  counsel  of  God, 
Acts  20:  27.  so  that  if  it  were  not  their  own 
fault,  they  might  fully  know  it. 

2.  In  his  conversation  ;  his  doctrine  and 
manner  of  life  ;  his  manner  of  life  was  of  a 
piece  with  his  doctrine.  Those  ministers 
[if  their  doctrine  is  true]  are  likely  to  do 
good,  and  leave  lasting  fruits  of  their  labors, 
whose  manner  of  life  agrees  with  their  doc¬ 
trine;  as,  on  the  contrary,  those  cannot  ex¬ 
pect  to  profit  the  people  at  all,  that  preach 
well  and  live  ill. 

3.  Timothy  fully  knew  the  great  thing 
Paul  had  in  view,  both  in  his  preaching  and 
in  his  conversation,  his  purpose  ;  he  fully 
knew  Paul’s  good  character,  for  he  gave 
proofs  of  his  faith,  that  is,  of  his  integrity 
and  fidelity,  or  his  faith  in  Christ,  his  faith 
concerning  another  world,  by  which  Paul 
lived,  his  long-suffering  toward  the  churches 
to  which  he  preached,  and  over  which  he 
presided,  his  charity  toward  all  men,  and 
his  patience.  These  were  graces  Paul  was 
eminent  for,  and  Timothy  knew  it. 

4.  He  knew  he  had  suffered  ill  for  doing 
well,  v.  11.  knew  what  care  God  had  taken 
of  him,  and  how  the  Lord  had  delivered  him. 
When  we  know  the  afflictions  of  good  peo¬ 
ple  but  in  part,  they  are  a  temptation  to  us 
to  decline  the  cause  they  suffer  for  ;  but 
when  we  fully  know  the  afflictions,  not  only 
how  they  suffer,  but  how  they  are  supported 
and  comforted  under  their  sufferings  ;  then, 
instead  of  being  discouraged,  we  shall  be 
animated  by  them  ;  especially  considering 
that  we  are  told  before,  that  all  must  count 
on  such  things,  v.  12.  who  will  live  godly 
in  Christ  Jesus,  that  is,  according  to  the 
strict  rules  of  the  Christian  religion. 

The  apostle’s  life  was  very  exemplary  for 
three  things;  for  his  doctrine,  which  was  ac¬ 
cording  to  the  will  of  God  ;  for  his  life,  which 
was  agreeable  to  his  doctrine  ;  and  for  his 
persecutions  and  sufferings.  Though  his  life 
was  a  life  of  great  usefulness,  yet  it  was  a 
life  of  great  sufferings,  in  which  none,  I  be¬ 
lieve,  came  nearer  to  their  great  Master. 
Here  he  mentions  his  persecutions  and  afflic¬ 
tions  at  Antioch,  at  Iconium,  at  Lystra,  be¬ 
side  what  he  suffered  elsewhere.  The  apos¬ 
tle  mentions  the  Lord’s  delivering  him  out 


PR  ACT.  OBS.  V.  1 — 9.  The  descent  of  a  stone  to  the  earth  is  not 
more  natural,  than  fallen  men’s  propensity  to  turn  away  from  God  ;  so 
that,  whatever  means  are  used  to  bring;  them  to  love  Him  and  one 
another,  the  end  will  not  be  attained  unless  by  the  continual  influence 
of  his  new-creating  Spirit. — We  need  not,  therefore,  wonder,  that,  even 
‘  in  the  last  days,’  under  the  fullest  external  revelation,  which  God  has 
made  to  man,  ‘perilous  times  soon  came;’  and  professed  Christians 
became  ‘  lovers  of  themselves,’  lovers  of  money,  of  honor,  ‘and  of  plea¬ 
sure,  rather  than  lovers  of  God.’  Our  land  at  this  day  abounds  with 
such  nominal  disciples  of  Christ,  as  are  here  described.  Some  are  sel¬ 
fish  and  covetous;  others  proud  boasters  and  blasphemers;  many  re¬ 
gardless  of  their  duty  to  parents  or  children,  relatives  and  rulers,  being 
‘  unthankful  and  unholy.’  Very  many  are  slanderous,  treacherous,  intem¬ 
perate,  licentious,  profligate,  ‘fierce,’  implacable,  ‘despisers  of  good 
men,  traitors,  heady,  high-minded  ;  ’  and  who  can  number  those,  ‘who 
are  lovers  of  pleasure  rather  than  lovers  of  God  ?  ’  Can  any  man  seri¬ 
ously  think,  that  these  crimes  are  less  abominable  in  men  called  Chris¬ 
tians,  than  they  were  in  heathens  ?  Can  any  one  doubt,  but  that  they 
will  he  more  terribly  punished  ?  In  fact,  in  proportion  to  the  zeal  and 
exactness,  with  which  ‘  the  form  of  godliness  ’  is  retained,  when  ‘  the 
power  of  it’  is  denied,  the  more  criminal  and  dangerous  men  become, 
and  the  more  should  they  be  avoided  and  protested  against.  For  when 
any  form  or  notion  of  religion  is  made  a  cloak,  or  an  excuse,  or  a  com- 

of  injustice  by  the  degree  in  which  he  sutlers  from  it  ..  or  to  measure 
guilt  by  gain,  to  rate  the  criminality  of  injustice  by  the  amount  of  its 
appropriations,  making  it  an  affair  of  product,  rather  than  principle.  It 
is  the  taint  of  selfishness,  then,  which  has  so  marred  and  corrupted  the 
moral  sensibility  of  our  world.’  Chalmers.  Comp,  note,  Col.  3:5.  En. 

V.  6.  Creep ,  &c.j  ‘  Insinuate  themselves.’  Doddr.— ‘  The  term  may 

be  best  rendered,  wind  their  way  into,  wriggle  themselves  into. _ Though 

creep  and  insinuate  are  proper  enough.’  Bloomf. — Silly  women.]  ‘  In¬ 
considerable,  of  low  rank,  and  mean  understandings,  yet  easily  inflamed 
with  passionate  zeal.’  IIoddr. — Heinr.,  in  Bloomf.,  thinks,  it  applies 
chiefly  to  rich  elderly  women,  who,  after  having  past  a  life  of  sin,  wished 
to  attain  something  that  should  allay  the  stings  of  conscience,  and  recon¬ 
cile  them  to  themselves.  jD. 

V.  8.  Jannes  and  Jambres.]  ‘It  is  related  in  the  Gemara,  that  these 
were  those  Egyptian  magicians,  who  withstood  Moses  by  their  cunning 


pensation  for  wilful  transgressions  of  the  divine  law,  the  danger  becomes 
greater,  than  from  men  who  openly  cast  off  all  regard  to  God.  Hypoc¬ 
risy,  superstition,  enthusiasm,  and  antinomianism,  are  infectious  beyond 
other  mental  maladies ;  the  poisonous  draught  is  more  dangerous,  when 
so  mingled  as  to  resemble  some  valuable  medicine,  and  ‘  a  wolf  in 
sheep’s  clothing,’  is  most  dreadful  to  the  unsuspecting  flock.  [Notes, 
Mat.  7:13 — 20.)  Of  this  genus,  (which  is  divided  into  various  species, 
popish  and  protestant,  ancient  and  modern,  learned  and  unlearned,) 
there  have  ever  been  artful  men,  who  have  insinuated  themselves,  by 
pompous  or  plausible  pretensions  and  flatteries,  into  the  favor  and  con¬ 
fidence  of  the  weakest,  most  credulous,  most  ignorant,  and  imaginative 
of  the  human  species,  and  who  have  taken  them  captive,  by  soothing 
them  into  quietness,  ‘  when  laden  with  sins,  and  led  away  with  divers 
lusts.’  Those  weak  and  deluded  persons,  who  want  a  safe  and  comfort¬ 
able  religion,  without  self-denial,  humiliation,  and  mortification  of  their 
lusts,  ‘are  ever  learning,  and  never  able  to  come  to  the  knowledge  of 
the  truth,’  and  readily  fall  in  with  artful  and  interested  deceivers  of  any 
description.  But,  though  it  is  grievous  to  perceive,  that  ‘evil  men  and 
seducers  grow  w'orse  and  worse,  deceiving  and  being  deceived  ;  ’  we 
may  yet  rejoice  that  they  cannot  exceed  their  limits;  that  they  cannot 
fatally  delude  the  upright  believer,  and  that,  at  length,  ‘  their  folly  will 
be  made  manifest  to  all  men,’  ns  that  of  their  predecessors,  during  a  long 
succession  of  ages,  has  uniformly  been.  Scott. 

slights,  in  the  hall  of  Pharaoh.  They  are  spoken  of  by  Numenius,  the 
Pythagorean  philosopher,  and  Artabnnus,  the  historian,  who  calls  them 
“  the  priests  of  Memphis.”  Jambres,  some  write  Mambres.'  Rosenm. 

V.  10 — 12.  As  a  contrast  to  the  base  spirit  of  the  deceivers  before 
mentioned,  the  apostle  reminded  Timothy  of  his  own  conduct  and  min¬ 
istry. — It  is  highly  probable,  that  Timothy  was  converted  to  Christian¬ 
ity,  during  the  apostle’s  first  progress  through  the  cities  of  Asia  Minor, 
and  that  he  was  an  eyewitness  of  Paul’s  sufferings  at  that  time.  This 
satisfactorily  accounts  for  his  mentioning  the  persecutions  he  endured 
at  Antioch,  Iconium,  and  Lystra,  rather  than  more  recent  ones  which 
Timothy  had  not  witnessed.— Antioch  in  Pisidia  is  evidently  meant. 
Jets  13:49 — 52.  14:5 — 7,  19,  20.  16:1 — 3. — Indeed,  it  was  a  general  rule, 
that  if  any  man  was  determined  to  live  a  godly  life,  in  dependence  on 
the  atonement  and  grace  of  the  Lord  Jesus,  and  according  to  his  pre¬ 
cepts,  he  would  certainly  be  exposed  to  persecution.  A  ‘  form  of  god- 


A.  D.  67. 


2  TIMOTHY,  III. 


Excellency  of  the  Scriptures. 


12  Yea,  and  all  that  will  live 
■jotlly  in  Christ  Jesus  shall  suffer 
persecution. 

13  Hut  evil  men  and  seducers 
» h  a  1 1  wax  worse  and  worse,  de¬ 
riving,  and  0  being  deceived. 

14  Hut  continue  p  thou  in  the 
things  which  thou  hast  learned  and 
last  been  assured  of,  knowing  of 
whom  thou  hast  learned  them  ; 

15  And  that  from  a  child  thou 
hast  known  the  Holy  Scriptures, 
which  ‘'are  able  to  make  thee  wise 
unto  salvation  through  faith  which 
is  in  Christ  Jesus. 

16  All  r Scripture  is  given  by  in¬ 
spiration  of  God,  and  5  is  profitable 
for  doctrine,  for  reproof,  for  cor¬ 
rection,  for  instruction  in  righte¬ 
ousness  ; 

17  That  the  man  of  God  may  be 
1  perfect,  u  thoroughly  furnished  un¬ 
to  all  good  works. 

o  2  Th.  2:11.  r  2  Pe.  1 :21.  t  Ps.  119:93— 100. 

p  c.  1:13.  s  Ro.  15:4.  u  or,  perfected. 

q  Jn.  5:39. 

of  all,  for  Timothy’s  and  our  encouragement 
under  sufferings.  We  have  also  the  practice 
and  treatment  of  true  Christians;  they  live 
godly  in  Jesus  Christ,  that  is  their  practice; 
and  they  shall  suffer  persecution,  that  is  the 
usage  they  must  expect  in  this  world. 

II.  He  warns  Timothy  of  the  fatal  end 
of  seducers,  as  a  reason  why  he  should  stick 
close  to  the  truth  as  it  is  in  Jesus,  v.  13. 

Observe,  As  good  men,  by  the  grace  of  God, 
grow  better  and  better,  so  bad  men,  througli 
the  subtlety  of  Satan,  and  the  power  of 
their  own  corruptions,  grow  worse  and 

TRACT.  OBS.  V.  10 — 17.  In  order  to  escape  and  expose  every  se¬ 
duction,  we  ought  to  get  well  acquainted  with  the  doctrine  and  example 
of  the  apostle,  and  to  copy  his  ‘manner  of  life,’  his  ‘purpose,  faith, 
long-suffering,  charily,  and  patience.’  I.et  us  then  frequently  reflect  on 
his  persecutions,  supports,  and  deliverances;  let  us  count  our  cost,  and 
know  assuredly,  that,  ‘if  any  man  determine  to  live  godly  in  Christ 
.lesus,  he  must  suffer  persecution’  in  one  wav  or  other,  as  far  as  Prov¬ 
idence  will  permit  the  enmity  of  men’s  hearts  to  break  forth  against 
him.  Let  us  ‘continue  in  the  things  which  we  have  learned,’  and  pro¬ 
fessed  to  helieve ;  endeavoring  to  get  further  acquaintance  with  ‘the 
Iloly  Scriptures,  which  are  able  to  make  us  wise  unto  salvation,  by  faith 
in  Jesus  Christ,’  who  is  the  principal  Subject  both  of  the  Old  and  New 
Test.  And  let  us  learn  to  reverence  the  whole  Bible,  as  every  sentence 
in  it  was  ‘given  by  inspiration  from  God,’  and  all  religious  error  springs 
from  ignorance,  perversion,  or  misunderstanding  of  the  Scriptures.  The 
way  therefore  to  oppose  error,  is  by  promoting  the  solid  knowledge  of 


childhood  :  and  children  should  betimes  ^et 
the  knowledge  of  the  Scriptures.  The 
Scriptures  are  holy  ;  they  came  from  the 
holy  God,  were  delivered  by  holy  men,  con¬ 
tain  holy  precepts,  treat  of  holy  things,  and 
were  designed  to  make  us  holy,  and  to  lead 
us  in  the  way  of  holiness  to  happiness;  be¬ 
ing  called  the  Holy  Scriptures,  they  are  by 
that  distinguished  from  profane  writings  of 
all  sorts,  and  from  those  that  only  treat  of 
morality,  and  common  justice  and  honesty, 
but  do  not  meddle  with  holiness.  If  we 
would  know  the  Holy  Scriptures,  we  must 
read  and  search  them  daily,  as  the  noble 
Bereans  did,  Acts  17:  11. 

Nowhere  observe,  1.  The  excellency  of  the 
Scripture.  It  is  given  by  inspiration  of  God, 
v.  16.  and  therefore  is  his  Word.  The  same 
Spirit  that  breathed  reason  into  us, breathes 
revelation  among  us.  That  the  Scripture 
was  given  by  inspiration  of  God,  appears 
by  the  majesty  of  its  style  ;  from  the  truth, 
purity,  and  sublimity,  of  its  doctrines;  from 
the  harmony  of  its  several  parts  ;  from  its 
power  and  efficacy  on  multitudes  that  con¬ 
verse  with  it  ;  from  the  accomplishment  of 
many  prophecies  relating  to  things  beyond 
all  human  foresight  ;  and  from  the  uncon¬ 
trollable  miracles  that  were  wrought  in 
proof  of  its  divine  original,  Ueb.  2:  4. 

2.  Its  use  to  us. 

(1.)  It  is  able  to  make  us  wise  to  salvation ; 
that  is,  It  is  a  sure  guide  in  our  wray  to 
eternal  life.  Note,  Those  are  wise  indeed, 
wdio  are  wise  to  salvation.  Observe,  The 
Scriptures  are  able  to  make  us  wise  to  sal¬ 
vation  through  faith,  not  otherwise,  Heb.  4: 
2.  For  if  we  do  not  believe  their  truth  and 
goodness,  they  will  do  us  no  good. 

(2.)  It  \sprofitable  to  us  for  all  the  purposes 
of  the  Christian  li  fe,  for  doctrine,  for  reproof , 
for  correction,  for  instruction  in  righteousness. 
It  answers  all  the  ends  of  divine  revelation. 


the  Word  of  truth,  especially  by  the  faithful  preaching  of  the  Gospel; 
and  the  greatest  kindness  which  we  can  do  our  children,  is  to  bring 
them  early  acquainted  with  the  Bible.  ‘  For  it  is  evident,  that  the  pious 
endeavors  of  Lois  and  Eunice,  in  bringing  young  Timothy  acquainted 
with  tlie  Holy  Scriptures,  laid  the  foundation  of  all  his  subsequent  emi¬ 
nence  and  usefulness,  in  which  he  was  inferior  to  none  but  the  apostles. 
It  is  probable,  that,  while  they  were  teaching  the  child  to  read,  and 
treasure  up  in  his  memory  “  the  Oracles  of  God,”  they  little  thought 
what  a  harvest  in  future  life  would  spring  from  the  seed  thus  sown.  But 
the  Scripture  warrants  high  expectations  in  this  respect;  and  it  may 
fairly  be  said,  that  the  education  nf  women  in  useful  knowledge  and  gen¬ 
uine  piety,  in  order  that  they  might  be  qualified  and  disposed  to  instil 
good  principles  into  the  tender  minds  of  children,  would  have  the  hap¬ 
piest  effects  towards  reforming  mankind,  and  diffusing  the  light  of  the 
Gospel  in  the  world.’  Memoir  of  Rev.  Jerem.  Newell,  annexed  to  his 
funeral  sermon  by  4he  author.  Scott. 


worse.  Those  who  deceive  others,  do  but 
deceive  themselves;  those  who  draw  others 
into  error,  run  themselves  into  more  and 
more  mistakes,  and  they  will  find  it  so  at 
last,  to  their  cost. 

V.  14 — 17.  He  directs  him  to  keep  close 
to  a  good  education,  and  particularly  to 
what  he  had  learned  out  of  the  Holy  Scrip¬ 
tures,  v.  14,  15.  Note,  It  is  not  enough  to 
learn  what  is  good,  but  we  must  continue  in 
it,  and  persevere  in  it  unto  the  end.  John 
8:31. 

We  ought  not  to  continue  in  any  errors 
and  mistakes  we  may  have  been  led,  into,  in 
our  childhood  and  youth,  but  this  makes 
nothing  against  our  continuing  in  those 
things  which  the  Holy  Scriptures  plainly 
assert,  and  which  he  that  runs  may  read. 

If  Timothy  would  adhere  to  the  truth  as 
he  had  been  taught  it,  that  would  arm  him 
against  the  snares  and  insinuations  of  se¬ 
ducers.  It  is  a  great  happiness  to  know  the 
certainty  of  the  things  wherein  we  hare  been 
instructed,  Luke  1:  4.  anil  this  Timothy  was 
assured  of.  What  we  have  learned,  we 
must  labor  to  be  more  and  more  assured  of; 
certainty  in  religion  is  of. great  importance 
and  advantage  ;  Knowing, 

I.  That  thou  hast  had  good  teachers;  con¬ 
sider  of  whom  th/u  hast  learned  them;  not  of 
evil  men  and  seducers,  but  good  persons,  [of 
thy  grandmother  Lois,  and  lily  mother  Eu¬ 
nice.] 

II.  He  I  <new,  especially,  the  firm  founda¬ 
tion  on  which  he  had  built,  namely,  that  of 
the  Scripture,  v.  15.  [which  be  had  been 
taught  from  his  childhood.] 

Observe,  Those  who  would  acquaint  them¬ 
selves  with  the  things  of  God,  and  be  as¬ 
sured  of  them,  must  know  the  Holy  Scrip¬ 
tures,  for  those  are  the  summary  of  divine 
revelation.  Observe,  It  is  a  great  happi¬ 
ness  to  know  the  Holy  Scriptures  from  our 


liness,’  without  any  direct  connexion  with  the  doctrine  of  faith  in  a 
crucified  Savior,  or  a  profession  of  that  faith,  without  the  example  of  a 
godly  life,  might  he  endured  and  tolerated  ;  but  the  open  profession  of 
‘  the  truth  as  it  is  in  Jesus,’  and  a  resolute  attention  to  all  the  duties  of 
vital  godliness,  would  excite  the  scorn  and  enmity  of  mankind,  nor 
could  any  abilities,  wisdom,  amiableness,  or  beneficence,  secure  a  man 
Vo m  all  the  effects  of  their  persecuting  animosity.  Sco  ct. 

V.  13.  Instead  of  matters  taking  a  more  favorable  turn,  the  apostle 
predicted,  that  ‘wicked  men  and  seducing  teachers  ’  would  grow  more 
and  more  subtle,  daring,  callous,  malicious*  cruel,  covetous,  and  ambi¬ 
tious  ;  deceiving  others,  and  being  themselves  deceived,  by  their  own 
delusions,  and  by  Satan’s  wiles.  Ez.  1-1:0 — 11. — The  history  of  the 
Christian  church,  through  all  the  subsequent  ages,  forms  an  awful  de¬ 
monstration,  that  he  ‘spake  as  he  was  moved  by  the  Holy  Spirit;’  so 
that  all  the  declamations  of  infidels  against  the  impostures,  persecutions, 
wars,  and  massacres,  occasioned  by  Christianity,  are  only  so  many  at¬ 
testations  to  the  truth  of  the  religion  contained  in  the  Holy  Scriptures, 
and  in  the  profession  and  lives  of  a  remnant  through  every  age,  and  they 
bear  against  nothing,  but  that  spurious  Christianity,  which  was  long  be¬ 
fore  predicted  and  condemned  by  the  Spirit  of  prophecy. — The  original 
word  for  ‘seducers,’  signifies  magicians ,  or  enchanters ,  such  ns  Jaimes 
and  Jambres  had  been  ;  that  is,  men  who,  by  lying  pretences  to  mirac¬ 
ulous  powers,  opposed  that  Gospel,  which  had  been  confirmed  by  real 
and  indisputable  miracies.  6 — 9.  Now  it  scarcely  admits  of  a  doubt, 
what  company  of  men,  since  the  apostle’s  days,  have  most  exaetlv  an¬ 
swered  this  description.  2  'Dies.  2- 8 — 12.  Rev.  13:11 — 17.  In. 

(13.)  ‘The  scope  of  the  apostle  is  this:  v  12.  he  speaks  for  the 
warning ,  and  in  some  measure,  comfort  of  all  true  Christians,  of  all 
ages.  Here  he  speaks  further  for  their  comfort,  by  checking  that  spirit 
of  murmuring,  which  even  the  righteous  are  too  apt  to  fall  into,  on 
comparing  their  own  afflictions  witli  the  seeming  happiness  of  the 
wicked.  To  which  the  answer  is,  that  this  world  is  it  scene  of  trial ; 
and  moreover,  that  the  wicked  do  in  reality  deceive  themselves ,  when 
they  deceive  others,  and  will  suffer  what  they  inflict.'  Bloomf. 

V.  14 — 17.  Tlie  apostle,  applying  what  he  had  before  stated,  called 
on  Timothy  diligently  to  maintain  and  persevere  in  tlie  profession  and 
preaching  of  that  doctrine,  which  he  had  learned  and  assuredly  believed, 


knowing  that,  through  his  ministry,  he  had  received  it  from  God  Him¬ 
self,  and  remembering,  that  it  accorded  to  the  Holy  Scriptures,  with 
which  he  had  from  his  childhood  been  acquainted. — Doubtless  this  is 
still  more  emphatically  true  of  the  sacred  Scriptures,  now  tlie  canon  of 
the  New  Test,  also  is  completed. — The  Old  Test.,  almost  entirely  in  its 
present  Zorin,  was  called  by  the  Jews,  ‘The  Scriptures,’  or  ‘The  Ora¬ 
cles  of  God  ;’  now,  if  everything  which  Christ  and  his  apostles  spoke  on 
tlie  subject,  was  exactly  calculated  to  confirm  them  in  this  opinion,  nod 
to  discredit  all  traditional  revelations,  and  if  the  apostle  here  expressly 
declares,  thnt  the  whole  was  divinely  inspired,  what  are  they  doing, 
who,  as  professed  friends  to  Christianity,  and  holding  tlie  office  of  pas¬ 
tors,  nav,  rulers  of  the  Christian  church,  labor  to  persuade  men,  thnt  the 
hooks  of  Moses,  and  other  parts  of  the  Old  Test.,  are  genuine  and  au¬ 
thentic  indeed  ;  but  speak  so  ambiguously  on  the  point  of  their  being  di¬ 
vinely  inspired,  as  to  leave  their  readers  in  general  to  suppose,  that  they 
do  not.  believe  them  to  be,  so,  or  that  this  is  a  matter  of  subordinate 
Consequence?  Rom.  1 5:4 — 7. — (L5)  A  child.]  Gr.  an  infant. — Children 
may  then  very  early  and  profitably  be  made  acquainted  with  the  Scrip¬ 
tures.  "  Scott. 

(15.)  ‘The  apostle  calls  the  Old  Test,  sacred,  because  of  its  divine 
inspiration,  v.  16.  Timothy’s  mother  and  grandmother,  being  Jewish  wo¬ 
men  of  great  pietv,  had  trained  him  from  his  childhood,  in  the  knowl¬ 
edge  and  belief  of  the  writings  of  Moses  and  tlie  prophets.  And  t heir 
care  in  thus  instructing  him  being  commended  by  the  apostle,  it  shows 
that  little  children  ought  to  he  made  acquainted  with  the  Scriptures,  as 
early  as  possible ;  and  that  they  may  derive  much  benefit,  [nay,  by  tlie 
grace  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  experience  true  piety,]  from  that  imperfect 
knowledge  of  the  Scriptures  and  the  principles  of  religion,  which  they 
are  capable  of  attaining  in  their  tenderest  years.’  Mackn. — ‘  Little  chil¬ 
dren  ought  to  he  early  initiated  into  the  study  of  the  sacred  letters ; 
directly  contrary  to  what  the  church  of  Rome  teaches.’  Doddii. 

(16.1  ‘The  communicating  from  God,  to  a  mortal,  the  knowiei  ge 
which  could  not  lie,  or  had  not  been  obtained  in  any  other  wax,  >'  os 
immediate  influence  on  the  human  mind,  is  revelation.  The  qimlit  i  g 
one  who  receives  revelation  to  communicate  the  revealed  knowledge  to 
his  fellow-creatures,  with  perfect  certaintyyrnd 

[491] 


A.  I).  67. 


2  TIMOTHY,  IV. 


A  solemn  charge  to  Timothy. 


CHAP.  IV. 

1  He  cxhorteth  him  to  do  his  duty  with  all  care  and  dili¬ 
gence,  6  certifieth  him  of  the  nearness  of  bia  death,  9 
willetli  him  to  come  speedily  unto  him,  and  to  bring^AI.'ir* 
cus  with  him,  and  certain  other  things  which  he  wrote 
for,  14  warneth  him  to  beware  of  Alexander  the  smith, 
16  informeth  him  what  had  befallen  him  at  bis  first  an* 
swering,  19  and  soon  after  he  concludeth. 

T  CHARGE  3  thee  therefore  be- 
J-  fore  God,  and  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ,  who  shall  judge  b  the  quick 
and  the  dead  at  his  appearing  and 
his  kingdom  ; 

2  Preach  the  word  ;  be  instant 
in  season,  out  of  season  ;  reprove, 
c  rebuke,  exhort,  with  all  long-suf¬ 
fering  and  doctrine. 

3  For  the  time  will  come  when 
they  will  not  endure  sound  doc¬ 
trine  ;  but  after  their  own  lusts 
shall  they  heap  to  themselves  teach¬ 
ers,  having  itching  ears  ; 

4  And  they  shall  turn  away  their 
cars  from  the  truth,  and  shall  be 
turned  unto  d  fables. 

5  But  watch  thou  in  all  things, 
0  endure  afflictions,  do  the  work  of 
an  evangelist,  f  make  full  proof  s  of 
thy  ministry. 

6  For  I  am  now  ready  to  be  of¬ 
fered,  and  the  time  of  my  departure 
h  is  at  hand. 

IV  1  Ti.  5:21.6,13.  d  1  Tl.  1:4.  g  1  Ti.  4:12,15. 

b  Re.  20:12,13,  e  c  2:3.  li  Phi.  1:23. 

c  Tit.  2:  IS.  f  or,  fulfil.  2  Fe.  1:14. 

It  instructs  in  what  is  true,  reproves  for 
vvliat  is  amiss,  directs  in  what  is  good.  It 
is  of  use  to  all,  and  specially  to  ministers. 
That  the  man  of  God  may  be  perfect,  v.  17. 
The  Christian,  the  minister,  is  the  man  of 
God.  That  which  finishes  a  man  of  God 
in  this  world,  is,  the  Scripture.  Whatever 
duty  we  have  to  do,  whatever  service  is  re¬ 
quired  from  us,  we  may  find  enough  in  the 
Scriptures  to  furnish  us  for  it. 

The  Scripture  has  various  uses,  and  an¬ 
swers  divers  ends  and  purposes ;  it  is  a  per¬ 
fect  rule  of  faith  and  practice  ;  follow  its 
directions,  and  we  shall  he  made  men  of 
God , perfect  and  thoroughly  furnished  to  every 
good  work :  there  is  no  occasion  for  the 
writings  of  the  philosopher,  for  rabbinical 
fables,  popish  legends,  or  unwritten  tradi¬ 
tions,  to  make  us  perfect  men  of  God,  since 
the  Scripture  answers  all  these  ends  and 
purposes.  Oh,  that  we  may  love  our  Bibles 
more,  and  keep  closer  to  them  than  ever  ! 
and  then  shall  we  find  the  benefit  and  ad¬ 
vantage  designed  thereby,  and  shall  at  last 
attain  the  happiness  therein  promised  and 
assured  to  us. 

Chap.  IV.  V.  1 — 7.  Here  we  have 
Paul’s  charge  to  Timothy;  where,  Observe, 

I.  How  awfully  it  is  introduced,  v.  1. 
Note,  The  best  of  men  need  to  be  awed  into 
the  discharge  of  their  duty.  The  work  of 
a  minister  is  not  an  indifferent  thing,  but 


absolutely  necessary.  Woe  be  to  him  if 
he  preach  not  the  Gospel,  1  Cor.  9: 16.  To 
induce  him  to  faithfulness,  he  must  consider, 

1.  That  the  eye  of  God  and  Jesus  Christ 
was  upon  him;  I  charge  thee  before  God  and 
the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  ;  that  is,  ‘  As  thou 
tenderest  the  favor  of  God  and  Jesus 
Christ,’  &c. 

2.  That  he  will  answer  it  at  the  great 
day  :  at  his  appearing  and  his  kingdom,  that 
is,  when  the  Lord  Jesus  appears  in  his 
kingdom.  It  concerns  all,  both  ministers 
and  people,  seriously  to  consider  the  ac¬ 
count  they  must  shortly  give  to  Jesus  Christ 
of  all  the  trusts  reposed  in  them.  Christ 
shall  judge  the  quick  and  the  dead,  that  is, 
those  that  at  the  last  day  shall  be  found 
alive,  and  those  who  shall  be  raised  to  life 
out  of  the  grave. 

II.  The  matter  of  the  charge,  v.  2 — 5. 

1.  To  preach  theWord.  That  is  ministers’ 
business  ;  a  dispensation  is  committed  to 
them.  It  is  not  their  own  notions  and 
fancies  they  are  to  preach,  but  the  pure, 
plain  Word  of  God  ;  and  they  must  not 
corrupt  it,  but  as  of  sincerity,  but  as  of 
God,  in  the  sight  of  God,  they  speak  in 
Christ,  2  Cor.  2:  17. 

2.  To  urge  what  he  preached  with  all 
earnestness  on  his  hearers.  He  must  do  his 
work  with  all  fervency  of  spirit.  ‘  Call  on 
those  under  thy  charge  to  take  heed  of  sin, 
to  do  their  duty:  call  on  them  to  repent  and 
believe,  and  live  a  holy  life,  and  this  both  in 
season  and  out  of  season.  In  season,  when 
they  are  at  leisure;  nay,  out  of  season,  even 
when  there  is  no  apparent  probability  of 
fastening  anything  on  them,  because  thou 
dost  not  know  but  the  Spirit  of  God  may 
fasten  on  them  ;  for  the  wind  blowetn 
where  it  listeth,  Eccl.  11:  6.’ 

3.  He  must  tel)  people  of  their  faults  ; 
*  Reprove  them,  rebuke  them.  Convince  wick¬ 
ed  people  of  the  evil  and  danger  of  their 
wicked  courses.  Rebuke  them  with  gravity 
and  authority,  in  Christ’s  name,  that  they 
may  take  thy  displeasure  against  them  as  an 
indication  of  God’s  displeasure.’ 

4.  He  must  direct,  encourage,  and  quick¬ 
en  those  who  began  well.  ‘  Exhort  them  ; 
persuade  them  to  hold  on,  and  endure  to  the 
end,  and  this  with  all  long-suffering  and  doc¬ 
trine.’  He  must  do  it  very  patiently,  with 
all  long-suffering ;  do  it  rationally,  not  with 
passion,  but  with  doctrine,  that  is,  ‘  In  order 
to  reduce  them  to  good  practices,  instil  into 
them  good  principles.’ 

5.  lie  must  watch  in  all  things;  ‘  Seek  an 
opportunity,  and  let  no  fair  occasion  slip 
through  negligence  :  watch  to  work,  watch 
against  temptations,  and  over  the  souls  of 
those  committed  to  thy  charge.’ 

6.  He  must  count  on  afflictions,  and  en¬ 
dure  them  ;  make  the  best  of  them.  En¬ 
dure  them  patiently,  be  not  discouraged,  but 
bear  them  with  an  even  spirit. 

7.  He  must  remember  his  office, 'and  dis¬ 
charge  that  ;  Du  the  work  of  an  evangelist. 
The  evangelists  were  as  the  apostles’  depu¬ 
ties,  to  water  the  churches  they  planted,  to 
reside  in,  and  preside  over,  them,  till  they 


wrere  settled  under  a  standing  ministry. 
This  was  Timothy’s  work. 

8.  He  must  fulfil  his  ministry  ;  Make  full 
proof  of  it.  A  great  trust  was  reposed  in 
him,  therefore  he  must  answer  it,  and  per¬ 
form  all  the  parts  of  his  office  with  diligence 
and  care. 

III.  The  reasons  to  enforce  the  charge. 

1.  Because  errors  and  heresies  were  like¬ 
ly  to  creep  into  the  church,  by  which  the 
minds  of  many  professing  Christians  would 
be  corrupted,  v.  3,  4.  l’eople  must  hear, 
and  ministers  must  preach,  for  the  time  to 
come,  and  guard  against  the  mischiefs  likely 
to  arise  hereafter,  though  they  do  not  yet 
arise.  They  will  turn  away  their  cars  from 
the  truth,  grow'  weary  of  the  plain  Gospel 
of  Christ,  and  then  be  greedy  of  fables,  and 
take  pleasure  in  them;  and  God  shall  give 
them  up  to  those  strong  delusions,  because 
they  received  not  the  truth  in  the  love  of  it, 
2  Thess.  2:11,  12.  Observe, 

These  teachers  were  of  their  own  heaping 
up,  and  not  of  God’s  sending  ;  but  they 
chose  them,  to  gratify  their  lusts,  and  to 
please  their  itching  ears.  People  do  so 
when  they  will  not  endure  sound  doctrine, 
that  preaching  which  is  searching,  plain, 
and  to  the  purpose.  There  is  a  wide  differ¬ 
ence  between  the  Word  of  God  and  the 
words  of  such  teachers.  God  justly  suffers 
those  to  turn  to  fables,  who  grow  weary  of 
the  truth,  and  gives  them  up  to  be  led  aside 
from  the  truth  by  fables. 

2.  Because  Paul  for  his  part  had  almost 
done  his  work,  v.  6. 

When  laborers  are  removed  out  of  the 
vineyard,  it  is  no  time  for  them  to  loiter, 
that  are  left  behind,  but  to  double  their  dil¬ 
igence.  Paul’s  comfort  and  cheerfulness,  in 
the  prospect  of  his  approaching  departure, 
might  encourage  Timothy  to  the  utmost  in¬ 
dustry,  diligence,  and  seriousness  in  his 
work.  The  courage  and  comfort  of  dying 
saints  and  ministers,  and  especially  d\  ing 
martyrs,  are  a  great  confirmation  of  the 
truth  of  the  Christian  religion,  and  a  great 
encouragement  to  living  saints  and  ministers 
in  their  work.  Here, 

(1.)  He  looks  forward,  upon  his  death 
approaching  ;  I  am  now  ready  to  be  offered. 
The  Holy  Ghost  witnessed  in  every  city, 
that  bonds  and  afflictions  did  abide  him. 
Acts  20:  23.  He  was  now  at  Rome,  and 
probably  had  particular  intimations  from  the 
Spirit,  that  there  he  should  seal  the  truth 
with  his  blood  ;  and  he  looks  upon  it  now 
as  near  at  hand;  I  am  already  poured  out  ; 
so  it  is  in  the  original,  that  is,  I  am  already 
a  ipartyr  in  affection.  It  alludes  to  the 
pouring  out  of  the  drink-offerings  ;  for  the 
blood  of  the  martyrs,  though  it  was  not  a 
sacrifice  of  atonement,  yet  it  was  a  sacri¬ 
fice  of  acknowledgment  to  the  honor  of  the 
grace  of  God,  and  his  truths.  Observe, 
With  what  pleasure  he  speaks  of  dying.  lie 
calls  it  his  departure ;  though  probably  he 
foresaw  lie  must  die  a  violent, bloody  death, 
yet  he  calls  it  his  departure,  or  his  release. 
Death  to  a  good  man  is  his  release  from  the 
imprisonment  of  this  world,  and  his  depar- 


(17.)  Man  of  God.]  ‘  The  teacher  of  the  Gospel. ’  Thoroughly  fur¬ 
nished.] — 1 1.  e.  with  all  that  is  necessary  for  his  evangelical  office.’ — 
Every  good  work.]  1  Every  duty  of  a  good  minister.’  Hi.oomf. 

NOTES.  Chap.  IV.  V.  1 — 5.  These  repeated,  solemn  charges  of 
the  apostle,  to  so  zealous  and  faithful  a  minister  as  Timothy,  most  em¬ 
phatically  show,  how  difficult  it  is  to  fill  up  this  important  olfico,  in  a 
proper  manner,  to  the  end  of  life,  especially  in  dangerous  times. — Timo¬ 
thy,  to  whom  this  exhortation  was  given,  had  an  infirm  constitution  ;  so 
that  this  excuse  for  remissness  should  not  be  too  readily  admitted.  1 
Tim.  5:23. — Tiihothy  is  said  in  the  postscript,  to  have  been  ‘  ordained 
the  first  bishop  of  the  church  of  the  Ephesians;’  but  it  seems,  to  me.  at 
least,  that  the  office  of  an  evangelist  was  superior  to  that  of  a  diocesan 
bishop,  as  exercised  in  the  earliest  ages  of  Christianity.  Those,  how¬ 
ever,  who  think  otherwise,  and  consider  Timothy  as  a  bishop,  should 
not  forget  the  apostle’s  charge  to  bishops,  to  ‘  preach  the  Word,  instant 
in  season,  out  of  season.’  For  this  too  many  seem  to  disregard.  The 
evangelists  appear  to  have  been  extraordinary  assistants  to  the  apostles 
exercising  great  authority,  in  their  absence,’  over  the  several  churches 
which  they  visited  :  perhaps  when  that  extraordinary  office  began  to 
cease  in  the  church,  diocesan  episcopacy  xvas  substituted  ;  but  it  can 
only  answer  the  same  end  in  a  smaller  degree,  and  in  one  place  :  while 

[492] 


the  missionary  part  of  as  evangelist’s  office  continues  essential  to  the 
promulgation  of  the  Gospel  in  every  age. — ‘The  twelve,  after  Christ’s 

departure,  had  others  whom  they  sent  into  some  part  of  their  charge _ 

These,  xvhen  they  were  employed  in  preaching  the  Gospel,  to  them  that 
had  not  yet  received  it,  the  Scripture  calls  evangelists.’  Hammond.  Sc. 

(2.)  hong-suffering.]  ‘  This  virtue  the  apostle  often  recommended  to 
Timothy,  2  Tim.  2:20.  3:16.  but  never  this  or  patience  either,  to  Titus, 
l’erhaps  Timothy,  being  younger  than  Titus,  was  of  a  more  ardent  spirit, 
which  needed  to  be  restrained  ;  or,  ns  Henson  suggests,  difference  of 
character  in  the  persons  they  had  to  do  with,  might  occasion  fliis  differ¬ 
ence  in  t lie  apostle’s  exhortations.’  M  vckn.  ‘  What  would  a  physician 
wild  had  a  sovereign  cure  for  all  diseases, "be  accounted,  if  he,  kept  it 
a  secret,  or  was  slothful  in  dispensing  it,  or  mixed  poison  with  it  ?  How 
much  more  criminal  is  a  minister  of  the  Gospel,  who  thinks  himself  en¬ 
trusted  w  ith  an  infallible  medicine  for  all  the  disorders  of  tiie  soul,  if  lie 
adulterates  it,  or  is  unfaithful  and  inactive  in  applying  it  !’  Adams. 

(3.)  The  time  will  come.]  ‘Another  hint  of  the  great  apostasy.’ 
Benson,  in  Bloom/—  Heaping  Ac.)  ‘  The  expression  implies,  that  they 
would  he  desirous  of  such,  and  that  they  should  meet  with  mam  of  that 
character.’  Dodor. 

(4.)  1  Hinting  nt/a/.te  doctrine  and  mythical  discourse.’  Bloomf. 


A.  D.  67. 


7  I  have  fought '  a  good  fight,  I 
have  finished  J  my  course,  I  have 
kept  k  the  faith  : 

8  Henceforth  there  is  laid  Up  for 
ine  a  crown  1  of  righteousness, 
which  the  Lord,  the  righteous 
judge,  shall  give  me  at  that  day  : 
and  not  to  me  only,  but  unto  all 
them  “also  that  love  his  appearing. 

[Practical  Observations .] 

9  Do  thy  diligence  to  come  short¬ 
ly  unto  me  : 

10  For  Demas  hath  forsaken  me, 
having  loved  "this  present  world, 
and  is  departed  unto  Thessaloniea; 
Crescens  to  Galatia,  Titus  unto 
Dalmatia 

11  Only  Luke  is  with  me.  Take 
Mark,  and  bring  him  with  thee  ; 
for  he  is  profitable  to  me  for  the 
ministry. 

12  And  0  Tychicus  have  I  sent 
to  Ephesus. 

13  The  cloak  that  I  left  at  Troas 
with  Carpus,  when  thou  comest, 
bring  with  thee,  and  the  books,  but 
especially  the  parchments. 

14  Alexander  the  coppersmith 
did  me  much  evil  :  the  Lord  Pre¬ 
ward  him  according  to  his  works. 

i  I  Ti.  6.1-2.  1  lCo.9:25.  1  Pe.  n  1  Jo.  2:15. 

j  At.  20:24.  5:4.  Re.  2:10.  o  Tit.  3:12. 

k  Pr.  23:23.  m  1  Co.  2:9.  p  Ps.  28:4. 

Re.  3:10. 

lure  to  the  enjoyments  of  another  world ;  he 
does  not  cease  to  he,  but  is  only  removed 
from  one  world  to  another. 

(2.)  Observe  with  what  pleasure  he  looks 
back  on  the  life  he  had  lived,  v.  7.  He 
therefore  did  not  fear  death,  because  he  had 
the  testimony  of  his  conscience,  that,  by  the 
grace  of  God,  he  had,  in  some  measure,  an¬ 
swered  the  ends  of  living.  As  a  Christian, 
as  a  minister,  he  had  fought  a  good  fight. 
H  is  life  was  a  course,  and  he  had  now  fin¬ 
ished  it  ;  as  his  warfare  was  accomplished, 
so  his  race  was  run. 

Note,  The  life  of  a  Christian,  but  espe- 


2  TIMOTHY,  IV.  The  faithful  Christian's  hope. 


daily  of  a  minister,  is  a  warfare  and  a  race,  | 
It  is  a  good  fight,  a  good  warfare.  We 
must  fight  this  good  fight,  must  not  give  1 
over  till  we  are  made  more  than  conquerors  \ 
through  Him  who  hath  loved  us,  Rom.  8:37. 
Jt  is  a  great  comfort  to  a  dying  saint,  when 
he  can  look  back  on  his  past  life,  and  say,  | 
as  our  apostle  does,  I  have  fought,  &c.  j 
Toward  the  end  of  our  days,  to  be  able  to  j 
speak  in  this  manner,  what  comfort,  un-  } 
speakable  comfort,  will  it  afford  !  Let  it 
then  be  our  constant  endeavor,  by  the  grace 
of  God,  that  we  may  finish  our  course  with 
joy,  Acts  20:  24. 

(3.)  With  what  pleasure  he  looks  for¬ 
ward  to  the  life  he  was  to  live  hereafter, 
v.  8.  Let  this  encourage  Timothy,  that 
there  is  a  crown  of  life  before  us,  the  glory  \ 
and  joy  of  which  will  abundantly  recom¬ 
pense  all  the  hardships  and  toils  of  our  | 
present  warfare.  Observe,  It  is  called  a  | 
crown,  of  righteousness ;  because  it  will  be 
the  recompense  of  our  services,  which  God  \ 
is  not  unrighteous  to  forget;  and  because  our 
holiness  and  righteousness  will  there  be  per¬ 
fected,  and  that  will  be  our  crown. 

God  will  give  it  as  a  righteous  Judge,  who 
will  let  none  lose  by  Him. 

And  yet  this  crown  of  righteousness  was  j 
not  peculiar  to  Paul,  as  if  it  belonged  only  l 
to  apostles,  and  eminent  ministers  and  mar-  j 
tyrs,  but  to  all  them  also  that  love  his  appear-  I 
ing.  Observe,  It  is  the  character  of  all  the 
saints,  that  they  love  the  appearing  of  Jesus  j 
Christ  :  they  loved  his  first  appearing,  they  ! 
love  to  think  of  it;  they  love  his  second  ap-  J 
pearing  at  the  great  day,  love  it,  and  long  j 
for  it  :  and  with  respect  to  those  who  love  ! 
the  appearing  of  Jesus  Christ,  He  shall  ap¬ 
pear  to  their  joy;  there  is  a  crown  of  right¬ 
eousness  reserved  for  them,  which  shall  then 
be  given  them,  Heb.  9:  28. 

We  learn,  heneg,  The  Lord  is  the  right¬ 
eous  Judge,  for  his  judgment  is  according 
to  truth.  The  crown  of  believers  is  a  crown 
of  righteousness,  purchased  by  the  right¬ 
eousness  of  Christ,  and  bestowed  as  the  re¬ 
ward  of  the  saints’  righteousness.  This 
crown,  which  believers  shall  wear,  is  laid  j 
up  for  them ;  they  have  it  not  at  present, 
for  here  they  are  but  heirs;  they  have  it  not  j 
in  possession,  yet  it  is  sure,  for  it  is  laid  up  | 
for  them.  The  righteous  Judge  will  give  it  i 


to  all  who  love,  prepare,  and  long  for,  his 
appearing  ;  Surely  I  come  quickly  ;  Amen, 
even  so  come,  Lord  Jesus. 

V.  9 — 15.  Here  divers  particular  matters 
Paul  mentions  to  Timothy,  now  at  the  clos¬ 
ing  of  the  epistle. 

1.  He  bids  him  hasten  to  him,  if  possible, 
v.  9.  Timothy  was  an  evangelist,  not  a 
fixed  pastor,  but  attended  the  motions  of  the 
apostles  ;  Paul  wanted  his  company  and 
help  ;  and  the  reason  he  gives,  is,  several 
had  left  him,  v.  10.  One,  from  an  ill  prin¬ 
ciple,  Demas,  who  abides  under  an  ill  name 
for  it  :  fear  of  suffering,  or  interest,  called 
him  off  from  his  ministry.  Note,  Love  to 
this  present  world  is  often  the  cause  of  apos¬ 
tasy  from  the  truths  and  ways  of  Jesus 
Christ.  He  is  gone,  is  departed  to  Thessa- 
lonica  ;  called  thither,  perhaps,  by  trade, 
or  other  worldly  business.  Crescens  is  gone 
one  way,  Titus  another  way,  and  only  Luke 
was  with  Paul,  v.  11,  12.  Was  not  that 
enough  1  Paul  did  not  think  it  so;  he  loved 
the  company  of  his  friends. 

2.  He  speaks  respectfully  of  Mark :  sup¬ 
posed  the  Mark  about  whom  Paul  and  Bar¬ 
nabas  contended.  Acts  15  :  39.  Paul,  it 
appears,  was  now  reconciled  to  him,  and 
had  a  better  opinion  of  him  than  lie  had  had 
formerly.  This  teaches  us  to  be  of  a  for¬ 
giving  spirit  ;  those  that  are  profitable  and 
useful,  though  they  may  have  done  amiss, 
we  must  not  therefore  disclaim  for  ever 
making  use  of  them. 

3.  Paul  orders  Timothy  to  come  to  him, 
bids  him  as  be  came  through  Troas  to  bring 
with  him  from  thence  those  things  he  had 
left  there,  v.  13.  the  cloak,  it  may  be,  Paul 
had  the  more  occasion  for  in  a  cold  prison. 
Probably  it  was  bis  usual  habit,  a  plain 
dress.  Some  read  it  the  roll  of  parchment  J 
others,  the  desk  1  left.  Paul  was  guided 
by  divine  inspiration,  yet  would  have  his 
books  w  ith  him.  As  he  had  exhorted  Tim¬ 
othy  to  give  attendance  to  reading,  so  he 
did  himself,  though  now  ready  to  be  offered. 
As  long  as  we  live,  we  must  be  still  learn¬ 
ing.  But  especially  the  parchments,  the  ori¬ 
ginals  of  bis  epistles,  so  some  ;  others,  the 
skins  he  made  his  tents  of,  whereby  he  got 
a  livelihood,  working  with  his  own  hands. 

4.  He  mentions  Alexander,  and  the  mis¬ 
chief  he  had  done  him,  v.  14,  15.  He  is 


TRACT.  OBS.  V.  1 — 8.  The  importance  of  the  work  of  ministers, 
the  peculiar  temptations  to  which  they  are  exposed,  and  the  multiplied 
evil  effects  of  their  unfaithfulness  or  negligence,  concur  in  rendering  it 
needful,  most  solemnly  and  repeatedly,  to  charge  the  most  zealous  of 
them,  as  1  in  the  presence  of  God  and  of  the  Lord  Jesus,’  before  whom 
they  must  shortly  appear,  to  give  an  account  of  their  stewardship,  that 
‘they  preach  the  Word,  instant  in  season,  out  of  season,’  to  few  or 
many,  as  opportunities  otfer,  like  men  engaged  in  the  work,  who  make 
it  their  one  great  business  and  pleasure,  without  consulting  their  own 
ease,  interest,  or  reputation,  or  shrinking  from  hardship,  reproach,  or 
persecution;  and  that  they  ‘reprove,  rebuke,  exhort,’  with  forbearance 
and  perseverance,  with  plain  instructions,  and  close  application.  This 
is  tlie  more  indispensable,  as  the  time  is  indeed  now  come ,  when  even  a 
large  majority  of  professed  Christians  ‘  will  not  endure  sound  doctrine ;’ 
tl.ey  are  offended  by  the  humbling  truths  of  the  Gospel,  or  by  the  heart- 


V.  7,  8.  ‘  The  whole  passage  is  beautifully  allusive  to  the  celebrated 

games  and  exercises  of  those  times.’  T.  Horne. — This  shows  that 
the  apostle  looked  upon  his  death  as  at  hand,  and  evidently  it  was  writ¬ 
ten  under  different  prospeefs  from  those  described  in  his  first  epistle. 

Henry,  al/r. 

V.  9 — 13.  Of  Demas,  he  seems  before  to  have  judged  very  favorably  ; 
but  he  had  forsaken  him  in  his  perilous  situation,  ‘having  loved  this 
present  world.’  Hehad  not  courage  to  venture  his  life,  by  continuing  with 
the  apostle  under  his  persecutions  :  he  loved  the  world  too  much  to  give 
up  all  for  Christ;  and  perhaps  some  prospect  of  secular  advantage  offer¬ 
ed  itself,  with  which  he  was  caught:  Whether  lie  finally  apostatized  or 
not,  we  cannot  certainly  tell;  but  the  apostle  ‘stood  in  doubt  of  him.’ 
Pref.  Col.  411.  JVotex.  1  John  2:!5 — 17.  lie  also  informed  Timothy, 
that  ‘he  had  sent  Tychicus  to  Ephesus.’  This  has  been  deemed  a  deci¬ 
sive  proof,  that  Timothy  was  not  at  Ephesus,  at  that  time,  and,  in¬ 
deed,  it  greatly  favors  that  conclusion  :  but,  possibly,  Tychicus  might 
be  sent  by  another  way,  than  the  bearer  of  this  epistle,  and  calling  at 
other  places,  might  not  arrive  till  af.erwnrds;  ami  tlie  apostle  might 
mean,  that  he  had  sent  Tychicus,  to  supply  Timothy’s  place  at  Ephesus, 
that  he  might  come  to  him  the  sooner. — Among  these  informations  and 
directions,  we  find  Paul  desiring  Timothy,  to  bring  his  cloke  to  him.  If 
the  word  means  a  cloke,  or  upper  garment,  (as  it  seems  to  do.)  which 
he  supposed  lie  might  want  at  tlie  approach  of  winter,  it  is  a  remarkable 
proof  of  his  poverty  to  the  end  of  his  life,  that  he  should  need  to  send  so 
far  for  a  garment  to  keep  him  warm  during  the  remnant  of  his  days  !  1 
Cor.  4:9 — 13.  2  Cor.  6:3— 10.  11:24—27. — What  books  and  parchments 


searching,  distinguishing,  practical  truths  of  Scripture,  which  detect 
their  sins,  and  show  the  necessity  of  mortifying  their  peculiar  lusts  ;  and 
they  desire  to  be  soothed  and  flattered  in  the  indulgence  of  them,  ami  to 
have  ‘teachers  according  to  them.’  This  should  induce  those  who  love 
souls,  ‘  to  watch  in  all  things,’  to  venture  and  endure  all  painful  effects 
of  faithfulness,  to  take  every  opportunity  of  preaching  the  pure  Gospel, 
and  to  ‘make  full  proof  of  their  ministry,’  that  they  may  do  all  t lie 
good  in  it  which  they  possibly  can.  In  doing  this,  they  should  be  quick¬ 
ened  by  the  consideration,  that  their  brethren,  one  after  another,  are 
taken  away,  or  laid  aside,  and  that  their  own  term  of  usefulness  will 
soot)  expire. — In  proportion  ns  the  duties  of  a  man’s  place  and  station 
are  neglected,  his  evidence  of  an  interest  in  Christ  must  be  obscured, 
and  uncertainty  ami  discouragement  may  probably  distress  his  closing 
scene.  Scott. 


were  meant,  Timothy  would  know  ;  but  it  is  in  vain  for  ns  to  conjecture. 
As  Troas  was  not  in  the  direct  road  from  Ephesus  to  Rome,  this  may  be 
urged  as  a  proof  that.  Timothy  was  not  then  at  Ephesus:  hut  it  is  not 
Certain,  that  he  might  not  go  hy  another  wav,  to  calL  on  some  of  the 
churches  with  which  he  was  connected. — These  directions  favor  the 
opinion,  that  the  apostle  had  been  hurried  away,  by  bis  persecutors, 
from  these  eastern  regions  ;  without  being  allowed  leisure,  either  to  ac¬ 
complish  his  plans,  or  to  take  with  him  these  things  which  he  intended. 

Scott. 

(11.)  Only  Luke  j  ‘The  apostle  meant  of  his  fellow-laborers  ;  for 
from  p.  21.  where  the  salutations  of  some  of  the  Roman  brethren,  hy 
name,  are  mentioned,  it  appears  he  had  many  friends  still  in  Rome,  with 
whom  he  had  intercourse.’  Mackn. 

V.  14,  15.  It  is  not  certain,  though  highly  probable,  that  this  was  the 
same  Alexander,  of  whom  we  have  before  read.  Jets  19:33.  1  Tim. 
1:20. — V/e  cannot  certainly  know,  who  are  given  up  to  final  obduracy  ; 
and  must  therefore  persevere  in  praying  for  our  enemies  and  persecutors. 
Mat.  12:31,32.  Heb.  6:4 — 6.’  10:26—31.  1  John  5  16— 18.— It  is  wor¬ 

thy  of  special  notice,  that  all  those  passages  in  the  book  of  I’salms, 
which,  us  containing  predictions  or  imprecations  on  the  enemies  of 
David,  or  rather  of  Christ  the  Antitype,  are  considered,  even  by  many 
pious  persons,  inconsistent  with  the  Christian  dispensation,  arc  exactly, 
for  substance,  the  same  as  the  language  of  the  apostle  in  tins  place;  that 
is,  of  one  speaking  hy  the  Spirit  of  prophecy.  Did  the  Spirit  of  God, 
who  spake  hy  David,  2  Sam.  23:3,4.  dictate  to  him  a  vindictive  language, 
contrary  to  that  which  lie  dictated  to  tlie  apostles  of  Christ  ?  Is  not  this 

[493] 


A.  D.  67.  2  TIMOTHY,  IV.  Salutations,  prayer,  and  benediction. 


15  Of  whom  be  thou  ware  also  ; 
for  he  hath  greatly  withstood  our 
q  words. 

16  At  my  first  answer  no  man 
stood  with  me,  but  all  T  men  forsook 
me  :  I  pray  God  that  it  may  not  be 
laid  5  to  their  charge. 

17  Notwithstanding  the  Lord 
'stood  with  me,  and  strengthened 
me  ;  that  by  me  the  preaching 
might  be  fully  known,  and  that  all 
the  Gentiles  might  hear  :  and  I 
was  delivered  out  of  the  mouth 
n  of  the  lion. 

18  And  the  Lord  T  shall  deliver 
me  from  every  evil  work,  and  will 
preserve  me  unto  his  heavenly 
kingdom :  to  whom  be  glory  for 
ever  and  ever.  Amen. 

19  Salute  Prisca  and  Aquila,  and 
the  household  of  Onesiphorus. 

20  Erastus  abode  at  Corinth  : 
but  Trophimus  have  I  left  at  Mile- 
turn  sick. 

21  Do  thy  diligence  to  come  be¬ 
fore  winter.  Eubulus  greeteth  thee, 
and  Pudens,  and  Linus,  and  Clau¬ 
dia,  and  all  the  brethren. 

22  The  Lord  Jesus  Christ  be 
with  thy  spirit.  Grace  be  with 
you.  Amen. 

IT  The  second  epistle  unto  Tirn- 
otheus,  ordained  the  first  bish¬ 
op  of  the  church  of  the  Ephe¬ 
sians,  was  written  from  Rome, 
when  Paul  was  brought  before 
w  Nero  the  second  time. 

q  o r,  preachings.  Ac.  23:11.  w  Cesar  Nero , 

r  c.  1:15.  u  Ps.  2*2-21.  or ,theEmpe- 

s  Ac.  7:60.  v  Ps.  121:7.  ror  Ntro. 

t  Mat.  10:19. 

spoken  of  Acts  19:  33.  It  should  seem,  he 
had  been  a  rather  forward  professor,  for  lie 


was  there  particularly  maligned  by  the  wor¬ 
shippers  of  Diana,  yet  he  did  Paul  much 
evil.  Paul  was  in  as  much  danger  from 
false  brethren,  2  Cor.  11  :  26.  as  from  open 
enemies.  Paul  foretells  that  God  would 
reckon  with  him.  It  is  a  prophetical  de¬ 
nunciation  of  the  just  judgment  of  God  that 
would  befal  him.  He  cautions  Timothy  to 
take  heed  of  him.  It  is  dangerous  having 
anything  to  do  with  tlwse  who  would  be 
enemies  to  such  a  man  as  Paul.  Observe, 

Some,  who  were  once  Paul’s  hearers 
and  admirers,  did  not  give  him  reason  to 
remember  them  with  much  pleasure  ;  yet 
others  did,  as  Timothy ,  Titus,  Murk,  and 
Luke.  On  two,  he  has  left  a  brand  ;  one, 
Dcmas,  who  forsook  him,  the  other,  Alexan¬ 
der,  who  greatly  withstood  his  words. 

V.  16 — 22.  Here  he  gives  Timothy  an 
account  of  his  own  present  circumstances. 
He  had  lately  been  called  to  appear  before 
the  emperor,  on  his  appeal  to  Cesar  ;  and 
then  no  man  stood  with  him,  v.  16.  but  all 
men  forsook  him.  Strange,  so  good  a  man 
should  have  nobody  to  own  him,  even  at 
Rome,  where  were  tnanv  Christians,  whose 
faith  was  spoken  of  throughout  all  the  world, 
Rom.  1:8.  But.  men  are  but  men.  And 
see  what  distinction  is  put  between  sins  of 
presumption  anil  sins  of  infirmity.  Alexan¬ 
der  the  coppersmith,  who  maliciously  with¬ 
stood  Paul,  he  prays  against  him  ;  The  Lord 
reward  him  according  to  his  works ;  but  of 
these  Christians,  who  through  weakness 
shrunk  from  Paul  in  time  of  trial,  he  says, 
The  Lord  lay  it  not  to  their  charge.  Here 
we  see  that  Paul  had  his  trials,  i.n  his 
friends  forsaking  him,  and  enemies  oppos¬ 
ing  him. 

Notwithstanding  this,  God  stood  by  him, 
v.  17.  gave  him  extraordinary  wisdom  and 
courage;  that  by  me  the  preaching  might  be 
fully  known,  that  is,  that  I.  might  preach  the 
Gospel,  which  is  my  business.  Nay,  it 
should  seem  he  might  preach  the  Gospel  at 
that  time;  preach  it  at  the  bar  as  well  as  in 
the  pulpit;  and  that  all  the  Gentiles  might 
hear;  the  emperor  himself,  and  the  great 
men  who  would  never  have  heard  Paul 


preach,  if  he  had  not  been  brought  before 
them.  And  1 1 vas  delivered  out  of  the  mouth 
of  the  lion,  that  is,  of  Nero,  or  some  other 
judge,  so  some;  or,  it  is  only  as  a  proverbial 
form  of  speech,  so  some,  to  signify  that  he 
was  in  imminent  danger.  And  the  Lord  shall 
deliver  me  from  every  nil  work.  See  how 
Paul  improved  his  experiences.  From  past 
deliverances,  he  trusted  for  future  and  eter¬ 
nal  deliverance.  And  for  this  he  gives  glory 
to  God,  rejoicing  in  hope  of  the  glory  of 
God.  If  the  Lord  stands  by  us,  He  will 
strengthen  us,  in  a  time  of  difficulty  and 
danger,  nay,  his  presence  will  more  than 
supply  every  one’s  absence;  so  we  ought  to 
give  God  the  glory  of  all  past,  present,  and 
future  deliverances  ;  To  whom  be  glory  for 
ever  and  ever.  Amen. 

He  sends  salutations  to  Aquila  and  Pris¬ 
cilla,  and  the  household  of  Onesiphorus,  v.  19. 
He  mentions  his  leaving  Trophimus  sick  at 
Miletum,  v.  20.  by  which  it  appears,  that 
though  the  apostles  healed  all  manner  of 
diseases  miraculously,  for  the  confirmation 
of  their  doctrine,  yet  they  did  not  exeit  that 
power  on  their  own  friends,  lest  it  should 
have  looked  like  a  collusion. 

He  hastens  Timothy  to  come,  to  him  before 
winter,  v.  21.  because  he  longed  to  see  him, 
and  because  in  the  winter  the  journey  or 
voyage  would  be  more  dangerous. 

He  sends  commendations  to  him  from  Eu- 
bulus,  Pudens,  Linus,  Claudia,  and  all  the 
brethren.  One  [Martial,  in  <Sco«]  of  the  hea¬ 
then  writers  at  this  time  mentions  one  Pu¬ 
dens,  and  his  wife  Claudia,  and  says,  that 
Claudia  was  a  Briton  ;  whence  some  have 
gathered,  that  it  was  this  Pudens,  and  that 
Claudia  here  was  his  wife,  and  that  they 
were  eminent  Christians  at  Rome. 

He  concludes  with  a  prayer,  that  the  Lord 
Jesus  would  be  with  his  spirit.  We  need  no 
more  to  make  us  happy,  than  to  have  the 
Lord  Jesus  Christ  with  our  spirits;  for  in 
Him  all  spiritual  blessings  are  summed  up. 

Grace  be  with  you.  Amen.  This  was  our 
apostle’s  token  in  every  epistle  ;  so  he 
wrote  ;  The  grace  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  be 
with  you  all.  Amen.  2  Thess.  3: 17,  18. 


PR  ACT.  OHS.  V.  9—22.  There  arc  various  characters  in  the  visible 
church,  and  various  chaoses  take  [dace  among  ministers.  Some,  who 
have  apparently  ‘run  well,  are  hindered,’  and  forsake  the  Lord  and  his 
faithful  servants,  ‘  loving  this  present  world  ;  ’  others  are  recovered  from 
grievous  backslidings,  and  become  ‘profitable  for  the  ministry;’  and 
not  a  few  turn  open  apostates  or  virulent  opposers,  ‘doing  much  harm  ’ 
to  the  servants  of  Christ,  and  greatly  withstanding  their  words,  whom 
‘tile  Lord  will  reward  according  to  their  works.’  Others  bring  their 
characters  into  doubt,  or  incur  disgrace,  by  their  cowardice  in  times  of 
danger;  and  their  brethren  are  called  on  to  pray  for  them,  that  ‘the 
Lord  would  not  lay  that  sin  to  their  charge.’  But  a  few  proceed  with 


supposition  highly  dishonorable  both  to  the  Word  of  God,  and  to  the 
Spirit  which  inspired  it  ?  Deut •  27:1.5.  Ps.  69:22 — 28.  109:6 — 20. — Tim¬ 
othy  was  moreover  warned  to  beware  of  (lie  malignant  and  subtle  mach¬ 
inations  of  this  wicked  man,  as  he  would  do  as  much  to  injure  him,  and 
withstand  his  words,  as  he  had  done  in  opposing  the  apostle  and  his 
doctrine.  Scott. 

V.  16 — 18.  The  erne!  persecutions  of  the  Christians  at  Home,  under 
Nero,  seem  to  have  preceded  the  writing  of  this  epistle.  Numbers  had 
then  been  put  to  death,  in  the  most  dreadful  manner,  or  driven  from  the 
city,  and  the  rest  seem  to  have  been  greatly  intimidated  ;  so  that  on  this 
important  occasion  none  were  found,  who  ventured  to  attend  the  apt.-s- 
tle  to  tlie  tribunal.  This  was  a  very  criminal  weakness,  the  effect  of 
unbelief;  hut  the  apostle  prayed  that  it  ‘  might  not  be  laid  to  their 
charge.’  14,  15.  Lnke  22:21 — 23,  31 — 34. — Mouth  of  the  Hon.}  Per¬ 
haps  the  apostle  had  in  view,  that  ‘  adversary,  who  goelh  about  as  a 
roaring  lion,  seeking  whom  he  may  devour,’  and  who  was  not  entirely 
without  hope,  that  the  fear  of  death  would  induce  Paul  to  renounce  the 
faith,  and  that  he  should  thus  seize  upon  his  soul.  1  Pet.  5:8,  9.  The 
apostle  did  not  expect  to  escape  martyrdom  ;  but  he  was  confident  that 
‘  the  Lord  would  deliver  him  from  every  evil  work,’  not  suffering  Satan 
to  prevail  against  him,  to  induce  him  to  do  anything  inconsistent  with 
the  honor  of  the  Gospel,  or  the  benefit  of  his  soul,  and  ‘  that  He  would 
preserve  him  to  his  heavenly  kingdom.’  Gen.  48:16.  Mat.  6:13.  In¬ 
stead  therefore  of  complaints  or  despondency,  he  was  ready  to  ascribe 
‘  glory  to  the  Lord  for  ever  and  ever,’  or  to  ‘  ages  of  ages,’  that  is,  to 
eternal  ages.  ‘Amen.’  Id. 

(16.)  ‘  Many  circumstances  make  it  astonishing  Paul  should  have  been 
deserted  by  the  Christians  at  Rome  in  this  extremity.  ..  .  But  one  ma¬ 
terial  circumstance,  seldom  taken  notice  of  in  this  connexion,  accounts 
in  a  great  measure  for  what  might  otherwise  appear  so  strange.  Clem¬ 
ent,  the  companion  of  Paul,  informs  us,  that  he  suffered  martyrdom  un¬ 
der  the  governors,  i.  e.  when  Nero  was  gone  into  Greece,  and  had  left 
the  government  of  the  city  to  Tigellinus  and  Sabinus,  prefects  of  the 
praetorian  guard,  and  that  monster  Helius.  This  fixes  Paul’s  death  to 

[494] 


diligence  and  courage  in  every  circumstance;  though  ‘no  man  stands 
with  them,  the  Lord  is  with  them  ’  to  strengthen  and  comfort  them,  He 
‘gives  them  a  mouth  and  wisdom,  which  all  their  enemies  cannot  gain¬ 
say  ;  ’  (Note,  Luke  21:12 — 19,  v.  15.)  He  delivers  them  from  outward 
dangers  and  enemies,  as  long  as  it  is  good  for  them  ;  He  ‘  preserves  them 
from  the  mouth  of  the  lion,’  which  would  destroy  their  souls,  and  He 
‘  keeps  them  from  every  evil  work,  even  unto  his  heavenly  kingdom.’ 
Unnumbered  multitudes  are  now  before  the  throne,  giving  glory  to  his 
name  ;  may  we  he  followers  of  them,  may  ‘  the  Lord  Jesus  be  with  our 
spirits,’  to  comfort  and  sanctify  them,  and  may  his  grace  be  with  all  his 
disciples  and  ministers  iu  every  place  !  Amen.  Scott. 


A.  I).  66  or  67.  But  the  cruel  persecution  of  Nero  against  the  Chris¬ 
tians  at  Rome  was,  according  to  Tacitus,  at  least  two  years  before  this. 
It  is  probable,  therefore,  many  might  have  suffered  death,  nr,  according  to 
our  Lord's  advice,  Mat.  10:23.  have  retired  from  Rome.’.  l)onbn. — Yet 
Bloomf.  observes,"  on  vs.  20 — 22.  that  ‘by  “ all  the  brethren,"  we  may 
suppose  the  persecution  had  not  entirely  dispersed  the  Christians,  lnt 
that  some  vestiges  of  a  congregation  still  remained.’  Et>. 

V.  19 — 22.  Prisca,  or  Priscilla,  and  Aquila  were  near  to  the  place 
where  Timothy  resided  ;  hut,  ns  they  frequently  changed  their  abode, 
this  does  not  determine  where  he  then  was.  Acts  13:1 — 6,  18—23.  Rom. 
16:3,  4.  The  same  remark  may  be  made  concerning  the  family  of 
Onesiphorus.  1:16 — 18.  The  apostle  had  probably  been  attended  by 
Erastus  and  Trophimus,  when  he  last  parted  with  Timothy  ;  but  the 
former  abode  at  Corinth,  and  the  latter  was  left  sick  at  Miletum. — 
Surely,  every  reader  must  he  fully  satisfied,  from  reading  the  close  of 
this  epistle,  that  Peter  was  not  at  Rome  when  it  was  written  ;  if  there¬ 
fore,  he  suffered  martyrdom,  at  the  same  lime  xvhen  the  apostle  Paul 
did,  according  to  ancient  tradition,  lie  must  have  arrived  at  that  city 
after  this  epistle  had  been  sent.  Timothy  accompanied  the  apostle  from 
Corinth,  through  Macedonia,  probably  to  Miletus,  when  he  went  to  Je¬ 
rusalem  before  his  first  imprisonment  at  Rome.  Ac.  20: 4 — 16.  It  would 
therefore  have  been  wholly  superfluous  to  inform  hint  concerning  Eras¬ 
tus,  if  that  vovnge  had  been  spoken  of;  apd  Trophimus  accompanied  the 
apostle  to  Jerusalem.  21:29. — Some,  indeed,  suppose  Miletum  in  Crete, 
mentioned  by  Homer,  to  be  intended  ;  but,  in  that  ease,  Paul  must  have 
left  Trophimus  there,  at  sometime  subsequent  to  the  voyage  towards 
Rome,  in  which  he  suffered  shipwreck;  for  no  intimation  of  such  an 
event  is  given  in  that  narrative.— (22)  The  Lord  Jesus  be  with  thy 
spirit.]  What  would  a  well-informed  protestant  think  of  a  similar 
prayer,  in  which  the  name  of  any  saint,  any  mere  mnn,  or  created  being 
was  inserted,  instead  of  ‘  the  Lord  Jesus  ?  ’  Would  it  not  be  considered 
as  an  act  of  idolatry,  and  that  justly  ?  And  would  not  papists  bring  it 
as  a  voucher  for  their  worship  of  saints,  with  much  plausibility  ?— But 
Jesus  is  ‘  Emmanuel,  God  with  us,’  Mat.  1:22,  23.  20:19,  20.  Scott. 


AN  EXPOSITION 

OF 


PAUL’S  EPISTLE  T  O  T  ITUS, 

WITH 

PRACTICAL  OBSERVATIONS  AND  NOTES. 

(Henry's  Erposition)  completed  by  Mr.  J.  Smith.) 


This  Epistle  of  Paul  to  Titus,  is  much  of  the  same  nature  with  those  to  Timothy  ;  as  they  both  stood  in  nearly  the  same  rela¬ 
tion  to  the  apostle.  We  read  much  of  this  Titus,  his  titles,  character,  and  active  usefulness,  in  many  places  :  he  was  a  Greek , 
Gal.  2:3.  Paul  called  him  his  son,  Tit.  1:4.  his  brother,  2  Cor.  2:13.  his  partner  and  fellow-helper  ,2  Cor.  8.23.  one  that  walked 
in  the  same  Spirit,  and  in  the  same  steps  with  himself.  He  went  up  with  the  apostles  to  the  church  at  Jerusalem,  Gal.  2:1. 
was  much  conversant  at  Corinth,  for  which  church  he  had  an  earnest  care,  2  Cor.  8:  16.  Paul’s  second  epistle  to  ihem, 
and  probably  his  first,  also,  was  sent  by  his  hand,  2  Cor.  8:16 — 18,  23.  9:2 — 4.  12.18.  He  was  with  the  apostle  at  Rome, 
and  thence  went  into  Dalmatia,  2  Tim.  4:10.  after  which  no  more  occurs  of  him  in  the  Scriptures.  So  that  by  them  he 
appears  not  to  have  been  a  fixed  bishop;  if  such  he  were,  and  in  those  times,  the  church  of  Corinth,  where  he  most  at¬ 
tended,  had  the  best  title  to  him.  In  Crete  (now  called  Candia,  formerly  Uecatompolis,  from  its  hundred  cities),  a  large 
island  at  the  mouth  of  the  iEgean  sea,  the- Gospel  had  got  some  footing;  and  here  were  Paul  and  Titus,  in  one  of  their 
travels,  cultivating  this  plantation  ;  but  the  apostle  of  the  Gentiles,  having  on  him  the  care  of  all  the  churches,  could  not  him¬ 
self  tarry  long  at  this  place  ;  he  therefore  left  Titus  some  time  there,  to  carry  on  the  work  which  had  been  begun  ;  wherein, 
probably ,  meeting  with  more  difficulty  than  ordinary,  Paul  wrote  this  epistle  to  him;  and  yet,  perhaps,  not  so  much  for  his 
own  sake,  as  for  the  people’s,  that  the  endeavors  of  Titus,  strengthened  with  apostolic  advice  and  authority ,  might  be  more 
significant  and  effectual  among  them.  He  was  to  see  all  the  cities  furnished  with  good  pastors;  to  reject  and  keep  out  the 
unmeet  and  unworthy  ;  to  teach  sound  doctrine,  ahd  instruct  all  sorts  in  their  duties;  to  set  forth  the  free  grace  of  God  in 
man’s  salvation  by  Christ;  and  withal  to  show  the  necessity  of  maintaining  good  works  by  those  who  have  believed  in 
God,  and  hope  for  eternal  life  from  Him.  Henkv. 

It  is  remarkable  that  Titus,  of  whom  the  apostle  repeatedly  speaks  in  terms  of  the  highest  approbation  and  most  cordial 
affection  in  his  epistles,  is  not  once  mentioned  in  the  Acts  of  the  Apostles.*  2  Cor.  2:1,  2,  13.  7:5 — 7.  8:16 — 24.  12:17 — 21. 
Gal.  2:1 — 5.  Nor  is  anything  recorded  concerning  Paul’s  labors  in  Crete.  It  is  indeed  probable,  the  Gospel  was  made 
knowm  there,  at  an  early  period  ;  as  there  weie  Cretes  present  on  the  day  of  Pentecost,  Acts  2:11.  If,  however,  any  then 
converted,  on  their  return  home,  made  known  the  Gospel  to  their  neighbors ;  the  joyful  report  from  them  would  reach 
none  but  the  Jews  and  proselytes.  But  no  information  is  given  us  of  what  passed  in  that  island,  at  that  time,  or  afterwards  ; 
except  as  this  epistle  shows,  that  Paul  had  labored  there.  Probably,  this  was  subsequent  to  his  first  imprisonment  at  Rome, 
and  before  his  second.  He  seems  to  have  had  very  great  success  in  his  ministry,  in  that  island  ;  but,  by  some  means,  to 
have  been  hurried  thence,  before  he  could  order  the  state  of  the  churches,  in  a  regular  manner.  2  Tim.  4:9 — 13.  lie, 
therefore,  left  Titus  there,  to  settle  the  churches  in  the  several  cities  of  the  island,  according  to  the  apostolical  plan  in 
other  places — Tradition,  and  ecclesiastical  records,  have  made  Titus  bishop  of  Crete  :  and,  because  so  large  an  island  was 
an  extensive  charge,  some  have  conferred  on  him  the  title  of  archbishop.  But  I  am  by  no  means  convinced,  that  even  this 
title  w'ould  not  have  been  a  derogation  from  his  real  dignity,  as  an  evangelist. — ‘If,  by  saying  Timothy  and  Titus  were 
bishops,  the  one  of  Ephesus,  the  other  of  Crete,  we  understand  that  they  took  on  them  these  churches,  or  dioceses,  as  their 
fixed  and  particular  charge,  in  which  they  were  to  preside  for  the  term  of  life  ;  I  believe  that  Timothy  and  Titus  weie  not 
thus  bishops  :  for  both  Timothy  and  Titus  were  evangelists. — Now  the  work  of  an  evangelist,  says  Eusebius,  was  this,  to 
lay  the  foundation  of  churches  in  barbarous  nations,  to  constitute  them  pastors  ;  and,  having  committed  to  them  the  culti¬ 
vating  of  those  new  plantations,  they  passed  on  to  other  countries. — As  to  Titus,  he  was  only  left  in  Crete,  “  to  ordain 
elders  in  every  city,  and  to  set  in  order  the  things  that  were  wanting.”  Having  therefore  done  that  work,  he  had  done  all 
that  was  assigned  him  in  that  station,  and,  therefore,  Paul  sends  for  him  the  very  next  year  to  Nicopolis.’  Whitby.  It 
is,  however,  recorded,  that  he  afterwards  returned  to  Crete,  and  died  there,  when  94  years  of  age. — Dr.  Whitby  never 
doubted,  nor  does  the  author  of  these  notes  at  all  doubt,  that  diocesan  episcopacy  was  generally  introduced  into  the  churches, 
even  during  the  lives  of  some  of  the  apostles.  But  the  office  of  an  evangelist  of  old,  and  that  of  a  true  missionary  at  pres¬ 
ent,  should  be  considered  as  perfectly  distinct  from  that  of  a  bishop  ;  and,  in  some  respects,  (especially  as  a  general  commis¬ 
sion,  to  preach  the  Gospel  to  the  nations,)  superior  to  it. — The  postscript  states  that  the  epistle  was  writtten  from  Nicopolis 
in  Macedonia:  but,  had  this  been  the  case,  the  apostle  would  have  said,  1 1  have  determined  here  to  winter,’  not  ‘  there  to 
winter.’  3:12.  There  were  several  cities  called  Nicopolis;  and  it  is  not  certain  which  is  here  meant.  Scott. 


*  ‘The  earliest  account  we  have  of  Titus  is  in  Gal.  2:1.  It  appears 
the  apostle  hail  a  great  regard  for  him. —  This  epistle  was  most  probably 
the  last  of  Paul’s  epistles,  except  the  second  to  Timothy,  but  nothing 
can  be  certainly  determined,  either  as  to  its  date,  or  the  place  from  which 
it  was  sent. — Upon  the  review  of  this  and  the  two  epistles  to  Timothy, 
it  is  natural  to  reflect  how  much  they  tend  to  illustrate  and  confirm  the 
internal  evidence  of  Christianity.  Nothing  sets  the  characters  of  great 
men  in  so  true  a  light,  as  their  letters  to  particular  friends.  In  their 
familiar  correspondence,  they  open  their  minds  with  freedom,  and  throw 
off  all  reserve.  Yet  in  these  epistles  to  his  friends,  as  in  his  other  epis¬ 
tles  to  whole  churches,  we  find  Paul  the  same  man,  actuated  by  the 
same  principles,  and  having  in  view  the  same  object ;  free  from  all  dis¬ 


guise,  and  no  less  free  from  ail  cunning  designs  of  worldly  advantage 
and  personal  ambition.  The  instructions  he  gives  It  is  friends  for  the 
exercise  of  their  office,  have  nothing  of  art  or  subtlety,  but  are  plain  and 
simple,  and  centre  in  that  grand  design  of  advancing  the  interests  of  re¬ 
ligion,  and  the  happiness  of  mankind,  which  ever  lav  near  his  heart :  and 
so  far  is  he  from  flattering  them  with  the  prospect  of  any  worldly  advan¬ 
tage,  that  he  exhorts  them  to  be  ready,  after  his  example,  to  sacrifice 
every  temporal  interest,  and  even  life  itself,  in  the  cause  they  had  under¬ 
taken  to  support.  Hence  we  may  infer,  that  the  Christian  religion  is  not 
a  cunningly  devised  fable,  formed  to  answer  the  ambitious  or  interested 
views  of  its  authors;  but  that  it  is  indeed  the  power  of  God,  and  the 
wisdom  of  God.’  Doddii. 


A.  D.  66. 

CHAP.  I. 

1  For  what  end  Titus  was  left  in  Crete.  6  IIow  they  that 
are  to  be  chosen  ministers  ought  to  he  qualified.  1 1  The 
mouths  of  evil  teachers  to  be  stopped  :  12  and  what  man¬ 
ner  of  men  they  be. 

PAUL,  a  servant  of  God,  and  an 
apostle  of  Jesus  Christ,  accord¬ 
ing  to  the  faith  of  God’s  elect,  and 
the  1  acknowledging  of  the  truth 
which  b  is  after  godliness  ; 

&  2  Ti.  2:25.  b  1  Ti.  6:3. 

Chap.  I.  V.  1 — 4.  Here  is, 

<  1.  The  writer  of  this  epistle,  Paul,  a 
Gentile  name,  taken  by  the  apostle  of  the 


Gentiles,  Acts  13:  9,  46,  47.  When  the 
Jews  rejected  the  Gospel,  and  the  Gentiles 
received  it,  we  read  no  more  of  this  apostle 
by  his  Jewish  name  Saul,  but  by  bis  Roman 
one,  Paid. 

Here  he  is  described  by  his  relation  and 
office;  a  servant  of  God,  not  in  the  general 
sense  only,  as  a  man  and  a  Christian;  but 
especially  as  a  minister,  serving  God  in  the 
Gospel  of  his  Son,  Rom.  1:9.  He  is  de¬ 
scribed  more  especially  as  a  chief  minister, 
an  apostle  of  Jesus  Christ;  one  who  had  seen 
the  Lord,  and  was  immediately  called  and 
commissioned  by  Him,  and  had  his  doctrine 
from  Him.  Observe,  The  highest  officers 


Introduction  to  the  epistle. 

in  the  church  are  but  servants,  yet  they  were 
so  according  to  the  faith  of  God's  elect.  Their 
doctrine  agreed  with  the  faith  of  all  the 
elect  from  the  beginning  of  the  world,  and 
was  for  propagating  and  promoting  of  the 
same.  Observe,  There  are  elect  of  God, 
1  Pet.  1:2.  and  in  these  the  Holy  Spirit 
works  precious,  divine  faith,  proper  to  those 
who  are  chosen  to  eternal  life,  2  Tliess.  2: 
13,  14.  Faith  is  the  first  principle  of  sancti¬ 
fication.  And  the  acknowledging  of  the  truth 
which  is  after  godliness.  The  Gospel  js 
truth;  great,  sure,  saving  truth,  Col.  1:5. 
truth  after  godliness,  of  a  godly  nature  and 
tendency,  pure,  and  purifying  the  heart  of 


NOTES.  Chap.  I.  V.  1 — 4.  The  expression,  ‘God  our  Savior,’  ed,  ‘  before  the  world  began,’ to  relate  to  the  promise  made  to  Adam,  or 

seems  here  to  relate  to  the  Godhead  without  distinction  of  persons ;  and  to  Abraham,  before  the  promulgation  of  the  Mosaic  law.  Hut  I  must 
in  some  places  it  refers  to  the  person  of  the  Father,  as  saving  us  by  his  think,  that  the  interpretation  above  given  is  far  more  obvious.  If  indeed 
beloved  Son.  3:4 — 7.  1  Tim.  1:1,2 — Some  explain  the  words  render-  Christ  be ‘the  Chosen  of  God,’  the  Surety  and  Representative  of  all 

[49oJ 


c\.  1).  66. 


TITUS,  I. 


Cause  of  leaving  Titus  in  Crete. 


2  c  In  hope  of  eternal  life,  which 
God,  that  d cannot  lie,  promised  be¬ 
fore  the  *  world  began  ; 

3  But  f  hath  in  due  times  mani¬ 
fested  his  word  through  5  preaching, 
which  is  committed  unto  me,  ac¬ 
cording  to  the  commandment  of 
God  our  Savior  ; 

4  To  Titus,  mine  own  son  h  after 
the  common  faith  :  Grace,  mercy, 
and  peace,  from  Goil  the  Father 
and  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  our  Sa¬ 
vior. 

5  For  this  cause  left  I  thee  in 
Crete,  that  thou  shouldest  set  in 
order  '  the  things  that  are  i  wanting, 
and  ordain  k  elders  in  every  city,  as 
I  had  appointed  thee  : 

c  or,  For.  f  2  Ti.  1:10.  i  1  Co.  11:34. 

cl  1  Sa.  15:29.  g  Ro.  10:14,15.  j  or,  left  undone. 
c  Al.it.  25:34.  h  1  Ti.  1:1,2.  k  Ac.  14:23.  2  Ti.  2:2. 


the  believer  ;  truth  not  only  to  be  known, 
but  acknowledged.,  and  held  forth  in  word  and 
practice,  Phil.  2:  15,  16.  Rom.  10:  10. 
To  bring  to  this  knowlidge  and  faith,  and  to 
tile  acknowledging  and  profession  of  the  truth 
which  is  after  godliness,  is  the  great  end  of 
the  gospel-ministry.  In  (or  for)  hope  of 
eternal  life,  v.  2.  This  is  the  further  intent 
of  i  lie  Gospel,  to  beget  hope  as  U'ell  as  faith; 
to  take  off  the  mind  and  heart  from  the 
world,  and  to  raise  them  to  heaven  and  the 
tilings  above.  The  faith  and  godliness  of 
Christians  lead  to  eternal  life,  and  give  hope 
and  well-grounded  expectation  of  it  ;  for 
God,  that  cannot  lie,  hath  promised  it. 

But,  IIow  is  He  said  to  promise  before 
the  world  began  1  Some  understand  his  de¬ 
cree,  He  purposed  it  in  his  eternal  counsels, 
which  was,  as  it  were,  his  promise  in  em¬ 
bryo  ;  or  rather,  say  some,  before  ancient 
times,  or  many  ages  ago,  referring  to  the 
promise  darkly  delivered,  Gen.  3:  15.  Here 
is  the  stability  and  antiquity  of  the  promise 
of  eternal  life  to  the  saints.  But  it  hath 
been  in  due  time  manifested ,  v.  3.  that  is, 
He  hath  made  his  promise,  so  darkly  deliv¬ 
ered  of  old,  in  due  time,  (the  proper  season 
before  appointed.)  more  plain  by  preaching; 
that  which  some  called  foolishness  of  preach¬ 
ing,  has  been  thus  honored.  Which  is  com¬ 
mitted  unto  me.  The  ministry  is  a  trust; 
and  whoso  is  appointed  and  called,  must 
preach  the  Word,  1  Cor.  9: 16.  Unpreach¬ 
ing  ministers  are  none  of  the  apostle’s  suc¬ 
cessors.  According  to  the  commandment  of 
God  our  Savior;  preaching  is  a  work  ap¬ 
pointed  by  God  as  a  Savior.  See  a  proof 
here  of  Christ’s  deity,  for  by  Him  was  the 
Gospel  committed  to  Paul  when  he  was  con¬ 
verted,  Acts  9:  15,  17.  anil  ch.  22: 10,  14, 
15.  and  again  when  Christ  appeared  to  him, 
v.  17 — 21.  The  Father  saves  by  the  Son, 
through  the  Spirit,  and  they  concur  in  send¬ 
ing  ministers. 

2.  Here  is  the  person  written  to,  de¬ 
scribed  ; 

Titus,  a  Gentile  Greek,  yet  called  both  to 
the  faith  and  ministry.  Observe,  The  grace 
of  God  is  free  and  powerful.  He  is  descri¬ 
bed  b  y  his  spiritual  relation  unto  the  apos¬ 


tle;  Mine  own  (or  my  genuine)  son,  not  by 
nature,  but  by  grace,  1  Cor.  4:  15.  Mine 
own  son  after  the  common  faith;  so  called  to 
distinguish  Titus  from  hypocrites  and  false 
teachers,  and  to  recommend  him  to  the  re¬ 
gard  of  the  Crelians,  as  being  among  them 
a  lively  image  of  the  apostle  himself,  in  faith, 
and  life,  and  heavenly  doctrine. 

3.  Paul’s  salutation  and  prayer,  wishing 
all  blessings  to  Titus.  Here  are  the  bless¬ 
ings  wished  ;  Grace,  mercy,  and  peace. 
Grace,  the  free  favor  of  God,  and  accept¬ 
ance  with  him.  Mercy,  the  fruits  of  that 
favor,  in  pardon  of  sins,  and  freedom  from 
all  miseries  by  it,  both  here  and  hereafter. 
And  peace,  the  positive  effect,  and  fruit  of 
mercy.  Observe,  Grace  is  the  fountain  of 
all  blessings.  Mercy,  and  peace,  and  all 
good,  spring  out  of  this.  Get  into  God’s 
favor,  and  all  must  be  well ;  for, 

These  blessings  are  wished.  From  God 
the  Father,  the  Fountain  of  all  good.  And 
the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  our  Savior,  as  the 
way  and  means  of  procurement  and  con¬ 
veyance. 

Thus  far  the  preface  to  the  epistle;  then 
follows, 

The  entrance  into  the  matter,  by  signify¬ 
ing  the  end  of  Titus’  being  left  in  Crete. 

V.  5.  Here  is  the  end  expressed, 

I.  More  generally.  To  set  ire  order,  or  to 
order  after  another  ;  so  the  word  imports. 
Titus  was  to  go  on  in  settling  what  the 
apostle  himself  had  not  time  for,  in  his 
short  stay  there.  Observe  the  apostle’s  great 
diligence  in  the  Gospel  ;  he  labored  to 
spread  the  Gospel  as  far  as  he  could.  His 
faithfulness  and  prudence  too.  He  neglected 
not  the  places  lie  went  from  ;  but  left  some 
to  cultivate  the  young  plantation,  and  carry 
on  what  was  begun.  Observe  his  humility; 
he  disdained  not  to  be  helped,  and  that  by 
such  as  were  not  of  so  high  a  rank  in  the 
ministry;  a  fit  example  for  exciting  zeal  and 
industry,  and  engaging  to  faithfulness  and 
care  of  the  flock,  and,  present  or  absent, 
living  and  dying,  for  ministers,  as  much  as 
in  them  lies,  to  provide  for  the  spiritual  edi¬ 
fication  and  comfort  of  their  people.  Here 
also.  Observe,  Titus,  though  inferior  to  an 
apostle,  yet  was  above  the  ordinary  fixed 
pastors  or  bishops,  who  were  to  tend  par¬ 
ticular  churches  as  their  peculiar  stated 
charge;  Titus  was  to  ordain  such  ordinary 
pastors  where  wanting,  and  settle  things  in 
their  first  state  and  form,  and  then  to  pass  to 
other  places  for  like  service,  as  there  might 
be  need.  Where  an  apostle  could  act  as  an 
apostle,  an  evangelist  could  as  an  evange¬ 
list;  for  they  worked  the  work  of  the  Lord,  as 
they  did,  1  Cor.  16:10.  in  a  like  unfixed 
and  itinerant  manner. 

Here  at  Crete  Titus  was  but  occasion¬ 
ally,  and  for  a  short  time;  Paul  willed  him 
to  despatch  business,  and  come  to  him  at 
Nicopolis,  where  lie  purposed  to  winter; 
after  this  he  was  sent  to  Corinth,  was  with 
the  apostle  at  Rome,  and  was  sent  thence 
into  Dalmatia,  which  is  the  last  we  read jif 
him  in  Scripture,  so  that  from  thence  no 
fixed  episcopacy  in  him  does  appear;  he 
left  Crete,  and  we  find  not  in  Scripture  that 
he  returned  thither  any  more. 

But,  What  power  had  either  Paul  or  Ti¬ 
tus  here  1  Was  not  what  they  did,  an  en¬ 


croachment  on  the  rights  of  civil  rulers  1 
No,  they  came  not  to  meddle  with  the  civil 
rights  of  any,  Luke  12:  14*  Their  work 
was  spiritual,  t;  re  carried  on  by  conviction 
and  persuasion,  no  way  interfering  with, 
or  prejudicing,  jr  weakening,  the  power  ot 
magistrates,  but  securing  and  strengthening 
it  rather;  the  things  wanting  were  not  such 
as  civil  magistrates  are  th#  fountains  or 
authors  of,  but  divine  and  spiritual  ordinan¬ 
ces,  and  appointments  for  spiritual  ends,  de¬ 
rived  from  Christ,  the  King  and  Head  of 
the  church  ;  for  settling  these  was  Titus  left. 
And  observe,  No  easy  thing  is  it  to  raise 
churches,  and  bring  them  to  perfection. 

II.  In  special  ;  To  ordain  elders  in  every 
city,  that  is,  ministers,  who  were  mostly  out 
of  tlie  elder,  and  most  understanding  and 
experienced  Christians  ;  or  if  younger  in 
years,  yet  such  as  were  grave  and  solid  in 
their  deportment  and  manners.  These  were 
to  be  set  where  there  was  any  fit  number  ol 
Christians,  as  in  larger  towns  and  cities  was 
usually  tlie  case;  though  villages  too  might 
have  them  where  there  were  Christians 
enough.  These  presbyters  or  elders  were  to 
have  the  ordinary  and  stated  care  and 
charge  of  the  churches.  The  word  is  used 
sometimes  more  largely  for  any  who  bear 
ecclesiastical  function  in  the  church;  so  the 
apostles  were  presbyters  or  elders,  1  Pet.  5  : 
1.  but  here  it  is  meant  of  ordinary  fixed 
pastors,  who  labored  in  the  Word  and  doc¬ 
trine,  and  were  over  the  churches  ire  the  Lord; 
such  as  are  described  here  throughout  the 
ch.  Some  use  presbyter  in  the  same  sense 
as  sacerdos,  and  translate  it  priest  ;  a  term 
not  given  to  gospel-ministers,  unless  in  a 
figurative  or  allusive  way,  as  all  God’s  peo¬ 
ple  are  said  to  be  made  kings  anti  priests 
unto  God,  to  offer  up  spiritual  sacrifices  of 
prayers,  praises,  and  alms.  But  properly 
we  have  no  priests  under  the  Gospel,  except 
Christ  alone,  the  High  Priest  of  our  profes¬ 
sion,  Heb.  3:1.  Presbyters  here  therefore 
are  not  proper  priests,  to  offer  sacrifices, 
either  typical  or  real  ;  but  only  gospel- 
ministers,  to  dispense  Christ’s  ordinances, 
and  to  feed  the  church  of  God,  over  which  the 
Holy  Ghost  hath  made  them  overseers.  1. 
Observe,  A  church  without  a  fixed  and 
standing  ministry  in  it,  is  imperfect  and 
wanting.  2.  Where  a  fit  number  of  believ¬ 
ers  is,  presbyters  or  elders  must  be  set , 
their  continuance  in  churches  is  as  neces¬ 
sary  as  their  first  appointment,  for  perfecting 
the  saints,  and  edifying  the  body  of  Christ,  till 
all  come  to  a  perfect  man  in  Christ,  till  the 
whole  number  of  God’s  chosen  be  called  and 
united  to  Christ  in  one  body,  and  brought 
to  their  full  stature  and  strength,  and  that 
measure  of  grace  that  is  properand  designed 
for  them,  Eph.  4:12,  13.  What  praise  is 
due  to  God  for  such  an  institution  !  What 
thankfulness  from  those  that  enjoy  the  bene¬ 
fits  of  it !  What  pity  and  prayer  for  such  as 
want  it  !  Ignorance  and  corruption,  decays 
of  good  and  increase  of  all  evil,  come  by 
want  of  a  teaching  and  quickening  ministry. 
On  such  accounts  therefore  was  Titus  left  m 
Crete,  to  set  in  order  the  things  that  were 
wanting,  and  to  ordain  ciders  in  every  city; 
but  this  he  was  to  do,  not  according  to  his 
own  will  or  fancy,  hut  according  to  apostoli¬ 
cal  direction.  This  is, 


who  were  given  to  Him,’  John  6:36 — 40.  17:1 — 3.  eternal  life  was 
promised  to  Him,  in  behalf  of  his  people,  of  all  who  in  every  age  should 
believe  in  Him,  ‘before  the  world  was  in  consequence  of  his  engage¬ 
ment  to  become  incarnate,  and  to  lie  obedient  even  to  the  death  on  ihe 
cross  ‘Known  unto  God  are  all  his  works,  from  the  beginning  of  the 
world.’  Allow  this,  (and  who  will  venture  to  deny  it  ?)  and  then  the 
promise  of  eternal  life  to  the  divine  Logos,  in  behalf  of  all  his  people,  is 
clear,  and  the  meaning  satisfactory  ;  which,  in  my  judgment  at  least, 
the  other  interpretations  by  no  means  are — (2)  Cannot  tie.]  Surely 
this  was  not  from  want  of  liberty  or  power,  but  through  the  moral  ina¬ 
bility  of  perfect  holiness.  2  Tim.  2:8 — 13,  v.  13.  Scott. 

V.  5.  Crete.]  *  Crete,  one  of  the  largest  islands  in  the  Mediterranean, 
lies  to  the  south  of  the  Archipelago,  and  is  about  250  miles  long,  50 
broad,  and  600  in  circuit.  According  to  ancient  authors  it  was  peopled 
from  Palestine.  This  people  were  great  archers.  In  1204  the  Venetians 
took  Canea,  the  second  greatest  city  in  Crete,  and  with  it  the  whoH 
island.  Hut  in  1645  the  Turks  almost  entirely  expelled  the  Venetians 

[496J  > 


and  have  kept  possession  ever  since.  In  respect  to  climate  and  soil,  as 
well  as  size,  Crete  is  one  of  the  finest  islands  in  the  Mediterranean,  and 
with  proper  cultivation  would  produce  all  the  necessaries  and  luxuries 
of  life  in  the  greatest  abundance.’  Mackn. — A  son  of  the  Ed.  lately  vis¬ 
ited  this  delightful  island,  now  in  the  hands  of  the  viceroy  of  Egypt,  and 
remarks  upon  ils  soil,  scenery,  and  capability,  as  well  deserving  the 
praise  that  has  been  lavished  upon  them.  What  a  station  for  a  Christian 
colony,  filled  with  American  enterprise  !  This  stepping-stone  and  key  to 
the  east,  would  soon  become  the  staple  of  the  commerce  of  tlie  E.  and 
W.  Eo. — Set  in  order,  &c.]  Ordain,  &c.  ‘There  were  “100  cities” 
in  Crete,  but  every  considerable  town  was  called  &  city  by  the  ancients. 
Most  ikely,  some  congregations  were  settled  under  proper  ministers, 
while  l’aul  was  among  them,  hut  others  were  not  so  provided,  and  the 
interposition  of  so  wise  and  good  a  man  as  Titus,  probably  moved 
with  extraordinary  gifts,  would,  no  doubt,  have  great  weight  on  such  an 
occasion.’  Doddr. — Might  he  not  have  said,  that  Titus,  as  an  evangelist 
(of  that  peculiar  character,  as  evangelists,  which  is  conceded  to  Timothy 


A.  D.  66. 


TITUS,  I. 


6  If  any  be  1  blameless,  the  hus-  endeavors  of  the  parents  can  avail.  Not  ac- 
band  of  one  wife,  havill"  faithful  cuaedof  riot,  or  unruly  ;  not  justly  so  accus- 
children,  not  accused  of  riot,  or 
unruly. 

7  For  a  bishop  must  be  blame¬ 
less,  as  the  steward  of  God  ;  not 
self-willed,  not  soon  angry,  not 


ed  ;  otherwise  the  most  innocent  may  be 
falsely  so  charged  ;  they  must  look  to  it, 
therefore,  that  there  be  no  color  for  such 
censure. 

The  ground  of  this  qualification  is  shown 
from  the  nature  of  his  office,  v.  7.  Those 


given  to  wine,  no  Striker,  not  given  before  termed  presbyters,  or  ciders,  are  here 


to  filthy  lucre  ; 

8  But  a  lover  of  hospitality,  a 
lover  of  good  m  men,  sober,  just, 
holy,  temperate  ; 

9  Holding"  fast  the  faithful  word, 
°as  he  hath  been  taught,  that  he 
may  be  able  by  sound  doctrine  both 
to  exhort  and  to  convince  the  gain- 
sayers. 

10  Pol¬ 
and  vain 
specially  they  of  the  -circumcision  : 

p  Ja. 


styled  bishops  ;  and  such  they  were,  having 
no  ordinary  fixed  and  standing  officers  above 
them.  Titus’  business  here,  it  is  plain,  was 
but  occasional,  and  his  stay  short,  as  before 
noted.  Having  ordained  elders,  and  settled 
things  in  their  due.  form,  he  went  and  left 
all  (for  aught  that  appears  in  Scripture)  in 
the  hands  of  those  elders  whom  the  apostle 
here  calls  bishops,  and  stewards  of  God.  We 
read  not  in  the  sacred  writings  of  any  suc- 


I  1  Ti.  3:2,  &c. 
m  or,  things. 


i)  2  Th.  2:15. 
o  or,  in  teaching. 


cessor  he  had  in  Crete  ;  but  to  those  elders 
there  are  many  unruly  or  bishops  was  committed  the  full  charge  of 
p  talkers  and  deceivers,  feeding,  ruling,  and  watching  over,  their 

(lock  ;  they  wanted  not  any  powers  necessa¬ 
ry  for  carrying  on  religion  and  the  ministry 
of  it  among  them,  and  deriving  it  down  to 
succeeding  ages.  These  are  the  qualifica- 
III.  The  rule  of  his  proceeding;  As  I  had  tions,  relatively,  with  the  ground  of  them. 
appointed  thee,  probably  when  he  was  going  (  2.  )  The  more  absolute  ones  are  ex- 
from  him,  and  in  the  presence  and  hearing  pressed  : 

of  others;  which  now  he  may  refer  to,  not  [I.]  Negatively,  showing  what  an  elder 
so  much  for  Titus’  own  sake  as  for  the  peo-  or  bishop  must  not  be  ;  not  self-willed.  The 
pie’s,  that  they  might  the  more  readily  yield  prohibition  is  of  large  extent,  excluding  self¬ 
obedience  to  Titus,  knowing  and  observing  opinion,  or  overweening  conceit  of  parts  and 
that  in  what  he  did  he  was  warranted  and  abilities,  self-love,  and  self-seeking,  making 
supported  by  apostolic  injunction  and.  au-  self  the  centre  of  all  ;  also  self-confidence 
thority.  Human  traditions  and  inventions  and  trust,  and  self-pleasing,  little  regarding 
may  not  be  brought  into  the  church  of  God.  or  setting  by  others  ;  not  proud,  stubborn, 
If  an  evangelist  might  not  do  anything  but  froward,  inflexible,  set  on  one’s  own  will 
by  appointment,  much  less  may  others.  and  way;  or  churlish,  as  Nabal  :  such  is  the 
The  apostle  next  gives  Titus  directions  sense  expositors  have  affixed  to  the  term. 


about  ordination,  showing  whom  he  should 
ordain,  and  whom  not. 

Of  those  whom  he  should  ordain,  he  points 


Not  soon  angry,  not  one  of  a  hasty,  angry 
temper,  soon  and  easily  provoked  and  inflam¬ 
ed.  The  minister  must  be  meek  and  gentle, 


out  the  qualifications  and  virtues  ;  such  as  and  patient  towards  all  men.  Not  given  to 
respect  their  life  and  manners,  and  such  as  wine;  there  is  no  greater  reproach  on  a  min- 
relate  to  their  doctrine  :  the  former  in  the  -ister  than  to  be  a  wine-bibber,  one  who  loves 


sixth,  seventh,  and  eighth  verses,  and  the 
latter  in  the  ninth. 

V.  6 — 9.  I.  Their  qualifications  respect¬ 
ing  their  life  and  manners  are, 

1.  More  general  ;  If  any  be  blameless  ; 
not  absolutely  ;  but  the  meaning  is,  not  un¬ 


it,  and  gives  himself  undue  liberty  this  way 
Seasonable  and  moderate  use  of  this  is  not 
unlawful,  ITim.  5:23.  But  excess  therein 
is  shameful  in  all,  especially  in  a  minister  : 
take  heed,  therefore,  of  going  too  near  the 
brink.  No  striker,  in  any  quarrelsome  or 


der  an  ill  character  ;  but  rather  of  good  re-  contentious  manner,  not  injuriously  or  out  of 


port,  even  from  those  that  are  without  ;  he 
must  not  bring  reproach  on  the  holy  function. 

2.  More  particularly  : 

(1.)  He  must  be  of  conjugal  chastity  ; 
the  husband  of  one  wife.  The  church  of  Rome 
says  the  husband  of  no  wife,  but  from  the 
beginning  it  was  not  so  ;  marriage  is  an  or¬ 
dinance  from  which  no  profession  or  calling 
is  a  bar,  1  Cor.  9:  5.  Forbidding  to  marry 
is  one  of  the  erroneous  doctrines  of  the  anti- 
christian  church,  1  Tim.  4:3.  Not  that 
ministers  must  be  married  ;  that  is  not 
meant  ;  but  the  husband  of  one  wife,  may  be 
either  not  having  divorced  his  wife  and  mar¬ 
ried  another,  or  having  but  one  wife  at  one 
and  the  same  time,  no  bigamist  ;  he  might 
be  married  to  more  than  one  wife  succes¬ 
sively;  but,  being  married,  he  must  have 


revenge,  with  cruelty  or  unnecessary  rough¬ 
ness.  Not  given  to  filthy  lucre  ;  not  greedy 
of  it,  as  1  Tim.  3:  3.  whereby  is  not  meant 
refusing  a  just  return  for  their  labors,  in  or¬ 
der  to  their  necessary  support  and  comfort  ; 
but  not  making  gain  their  first  or  chief  end ; 
entering  into  the  ministry,  or  managing  of 
it  with  base  worldly  views.  It  is  called^tf- 
thy  lucre,  from  its  defiling  the  soul  that  inor¬ 
dinately  or  greedily  looks  after  it,  as  if  it 
were  any  otherwise  desirable  than  for  the 
good  and  lawful  uses  of  it.  Thus  of  the 
negative  part  of  the  bishop’s  character.  But, 
[2.]  Positively  he  must  be,  v.  8.  A  lover 
of  hospitality ,  as  an  evidence  that  he  is  not 
given  to  filthy  lucre,  but  is  willing  to  use 
what  he  has  to  the  best  purposes,  not  laying 
up  for  himself,  so  as  to  hinder  charitable 


but  one  wife  at  once.  Polygamy  is  scanda-  laying  out  for  the  good  of  others  ; 


lous  in  any,  as  also  having  a  harlot  or  con¬ 
cubine  with  his  lawful  wife  ;  such  sin,  or 
any  wanton  libidinous  carriage,  must  be  very 
remote  from  such  as  would  enter  into  so  sa¬ 
cred  a  function.  And  ns  to  his  children, 
having  faithful  children,  obedient  and  geod, 


and  entertaining  strangers,  (as  the  word  im¬ 
ports,)  a  great  and  necessary  office  of  love, 
especially  in  those  times  of  affliction  and  dis¬ 
tress,  when  Christians  were  made  to  fly  and 


Qualifications  of  a  bishop. 

saints  sufficiency  of  their  own  for  such  uses; 
then  to  receive  and  entertain  them  was  good 
and  pleasing  to  God.  A  lover  of  good  men, 
or  of  good  things  ;  ministers  should  be  ex¬ 
emplary  in  both  ;  this  will  evidence  their 
open  piety,  and  likeness  to  God,  and  their 
Master,  Jesus  Christ.  Sober,  or  prudent,  as 
the  word  signifies;  a  needful  grace  in  a  min¬ 
ister,  both  for  his  ministerial  and  personal 
carriage  and  management.  Just,  in  things 
belonging  to  civil  life,  and  moral  righteous¬ 
ness  and  equity  in  dealings,  giving  to  all 
theirdue.  Holy,  in  what  concerns  religion; 
one  who  reverences  and  worships  God,  and 
is  of  a  spiritual  and  heavenly  conversation. 
Temperate  ;  it  comes  from  a  word  that  sig¬ 
nifies  strength,  and  denotes  one  who  has  pow¬ 
er  over  his  appetite  and  affections,  or,  in 
things  lawful,  can,  for  good  ends,  restrain 
and  hold  them  in.  And  thus  of  the  qualifi¬ 
cations  respecting  the  minister’s  life  and 
manners  ;  what  he  must  not,  and  what  he 
must,  be  and  do.  Now, 

II.  As  to  doctrine  : 

1.  Here  is  his  duty,  v.  9.  keeping  close 
to  the  doctrine  of  Christ,  the  word  of  his  grace; 
holding  it  fast  in  his  own  belief  and  profes¬ 
sion,  and  in  teaching  others.  Observe,  The 
Word  of  God,  revealed  in  the  Scripture,  is 
a  true  and  infallible  Word,  which  ministers 
must  hold  fast,  and  hold  forth,  in  their  teach¬ 
ing  and  life.  I  have  kept  the  faith,  was  Paul’s 
comfort,  2  Tim.  4:  7.  and  not  shunned  to  de¬ 
clare  the  whole  counsel  of  God  ;  there  was  his 
faithfulness.  Acts  20:  27. 

2.  Here  is  the  end,  v.  9.  to  persuade  and 
draw  others  to  the  true  faith,  and  convince 
the  contrary  minded.  We  see  here  summa¬ 
rily  the  great  work  of  the  ministry, — to  ex¬ 
hort  those  who  are  willing  to  know  and  do 
their  duty  ;  and  to  convince  them  that  con¬ 
tradict;  both  which  are  to  be  done  by  sound 
doctrine,  in  a  rational,  instructive  way,  by 
scripture-arguments  and  testimonies,  which 
are  the  infallible  words  of  truth,  what  all 
may  and  should  rest  and  be  satisfied  in  and 
determined  by.  And  thus  of  the  qualifica¬ 
tions  of  the  elders  whom  Titus  was  to  ordain. 

The  apostle’s  directory  shows  whom  he 
should  reject  or  avoid, — men  of  another  char¬ 
acter,  the  mention  of  whom  is  brought  in  as 
a  reason  of  the  care  he  had  recommended 
about  the  qualifications  of  ministers,  why 
they  should  be  such,  and  only  such,  as  he 
had  described.  The  reasons  he  takes  both 
front  bad  teachers  and  hearers  among  them, 
from  v.  10.  to  the  end. 

V.  10,  11.  1.  Those  false  teachers  are 

described.  They  were  unruly,  headstrong, 
and  ambitious  of  power,  refractory  and  un- 
tractable,  (as  some  render  it,)  and  such  as 
would  not  bear  or  submit  themselves  to  the 
discipline  and  necessary  order  in  the  church, 
impatient  of  good  government  and  of  sound 
doctrine.  Many  such  there  were,  especially 
pretended  converts  from  the  Jews,  who  yet 
were  for  mingling  Judaism  and  Christiani¬ 
ty  together,  and  so  making  a  corrupt  med¬ 
ley.  These  were  the  false  teachers.  And, 

2.  There  i3  the  apostle’s  direction  how  to 
deal  with  them,  v.  11.  Their  mouths  must  be 
stopped  ;  not  by  outward  force,  but  by  con¬ 
futation  and  conviction,  showing  them  their 
error,  not  giving  place  to  them  even  for  an 
hour.  In  case  of  obstinacy,  indeed,  break¬ 
ing  the  peace  of  the  church,  and  corrupting 
other  churches,  censures  are  to  have  place  ; 


wander  for  safety  from  persecution  and  ene  _  . 

_  _  ___  _  ;  _  .  _  ,  mies,  or  in  travelling  to  and  fro  where  there  :  the  last  means  for  recovering  the  faulty,  and 

brought  up  in  the  true  Christian  faith,  and  were  not  such  public  houses  for  reception  as  preventing  the  hurt  of  many.  Observe,  Faith¬ 
living  according  to  it,  at  least  as  far  as  the  in  our  days;  nor,  it  may  be,  had  many  poor  !  ful  ministers  must  oppose  seducers  in  good 

cause  a  bishop  must  be  so,  though  the  argudient  would  have  held 
strongly  in  an  inverted  order.’  Doddr. — Self-willed .]  Obstinate^  mo¬ 


und  Titus),  was  to  exercise  a  discretionary  and  deciding  influence  in  the 
ordination  of  these  elders,  <kc.,  agreeably  to  the  suggestion  of  Scott,  and 
the  opinion  of  Whitby,  quoted  by  Scott  ?  See  Preface  to  Titus  ;  also 
below,  v.  7.  on  bishop.  Ed. 

V.  6,  7.  Riot.]  AsOtias  :  Eph.  5:18.  1  Pet.  4:4.  Asotos  :  Lu.  15:13. 
Excess  in  expenses,  or  in  animal  indulgence.  Self  willed.]  2  Pel.  2:10. 
One  who  makes  his  own  inclination  the  measure  of  his  conduct,  in  what 
regards  others.  Lu.  18:1 — 8.  2  Pet.  2:10,11.  [Ffote,2  Tim.  3:2.]  Scott 


rose,  and  arrogant.  Id.  after  Raphclius.  , 

V.  10—13.  They  [the  Oretians]  united  the  subtlety  of  the  rox,  me 
venom  of  the  serpent,  or  the  fierceness  of  wolves  and  tigers,  wilh  the 
greediness  and  inactivity  of  swine. — It  is  not  easy  to  determine,  from 
what  concurrence  of  circumstances  the  Oretians  obtained  so  °  "  8  and 
contemptible  a  national  character ;  hut  the  inspired  apostle  attested  the 


Olliers,  l, u.  ia:i — u.  z  j-ei.  iu,i l.  livore,  z  J  im.  a:z.l  scorr.  couiempuuie  a  uunuimi  - . ,  ,  ,  f 

(7.)  Bishop-]  ‘If  the  bishop  Paul  speaks  of,  had  been  invested  truth  of  this  testimony  ;  and  the  effects  of  it  pp  -  ^ 
with  an  office  distinct  from,  and  superior  to,  the  elder,  v.  5.  there  could  many  false  teachers  and  professors  or  onnstianuj .  )  ,  . 

have  been  no  room  to  conclude,  that  an  elder  must  be  blameless,  be-  taught  to  instruct  opposers  with  meefcncss,  - 

N.  T.  VOL.  v.  63 


A.  D.  66. 


TITUS,  I. 


Paul’s  instructions  to  Titus. 


11  Whose  mouths  must  be  stop¬ 
ped,  who  subvert  i  whole  houses, 
teaching  things  which  they  ought 
not,  for  filthy  lucre’s  sake. 

12  One  rof  themselves,  even  a 
prophet  of  their  own,  said,  The 
Cretians  are  ahvay  liars,  evil  beasts, 
slow  bellies. 

13  This  witness  is  true.  Where¬ 
fore  rebuke  ■  them  sharply  ;  that 
they  may  be  sound  in  the  faith, 

14  Not  giving  heed  to  Jewish 
*  fables,  and  commandments  of  men, 
that  turn  from  the  truth. 

15  Unto  u  the  pure  all  things  are 
pure  :  but  unto  them  that  are  defin¬ 
ed  and  unbelieving  is  nothing  pure; 
but  even  their  mind  and  conscience 
is  defiled. 

16  They  profess  v  that  they  know 
God  ;  but  in  works  they  deny  him, 
being  abominable,  and  disobedient, 
and  unto  every  good  work  "'repro¬ 
bate. 

q  Mat.  ‘23:14.  t  1  Ti.  1:4.  wor,  void  of 

r  Ac.  17:^8.  u  Ho.  14:14,20.  judgment* 

s  2  Ti.  4:2.  v  2  Ti.  3:5,7. 

time,  that,  their  folly  being  made  manifest, 
they  may  proceed  no  f  urther. 

3.  The  reasons  for  this.  (1.)  From  the 
pernicious  effects  of  their  errors;  1’hey  sub¬ 
vert  whole  houses,  teaching  things  they  ought 
not  ;  tlie  necessity  of  circumcision,  and  of 
keeping  the  law  of  Moses  ;  so  subverting 
the  Gospel  and  souls  of  men ;  not  some  few 
only,  but  whole  families.  (2.)  Their  base 
end  in  what  they  do  ;  for  filthy  lucre's  sake, 
serving  a  worldly  interest  tinder  pretence  of 
religion;  love  of  money  is  the  root  of  all  evil. 
Most  fit  it  is,  that  such  should  be  resisted, 
confuted,  and  put  to  shame,  by  sound  doc¬ 
trine,  and  reasons  from  the  Scriptures.  Thus 
of  the  grounds  respecting  the  bad  teachers. 

1  n  reference  to  their  people  or  hearers,  wdio 
are  described  from  ancient  testimony  given 
of  them  : 

V.  12 — 14.  I.  Here  is  the  witness,?).  12. 
one  of  the  Cretians,  not  of  the  Jews,  Epi- 
menides,a  Greek  poet,  likely  to  know,  and 


unlikely  to  slander  them  :  a  prophet  of  their 
own;  so  their  poets  were  accounted  writers 
of  divine  oracles.  These  often  witnessed 
against  the  vices  of  die  people  :  Aratus, 
Epimenides,  and  others  among  the  Greeks; 
Horace,  Juvenal,  anil  l’ersius,  among  the 
Latins:  much  smartness  did  they  use  against 
djvers  vices.  • 

II.  Here  is  the  matter  of  his  testimony, — 
The  Cretians  are  ulway  liars,  evil  beasts,  slow 
bellies;  to  a  proverb  they  were  infamous  for 
falsehood  arid  lying.  To  play  the  Crctian, 
or  to  lie,  is  the  same  ;  and  they  were  com¬ 
pared  to  evil  beasts,  for  their  sly  hurlfulness 
and  savage  nature  ;  and  called  slow  bellies, 
for  their  laziness-  and  sensuality,  more  in¬ 
clined  to  eat  than  to  work,  and  live  by  some 
honest  employment.  Observe,  Such  scan¬ 
dalous  vices  as  were  the  reproach  of  hea¬ 
thens,  should  be  far  from  Christians.  And, 

III.  Here  is  the  verification  of  this  by 
the  apostle  himself,  ?>.  13.  The  apostle  saw 
too  much  ground  for  that  character.  The 
temper  of  some  nations  is  more  inclined  to 
some  vices  than  others.  The  Cretians  were 
too  generally  such  as  here  described,  sloth¬ 
ful  and  ill-natured,  false  and  perfidious,  as 
the  apostle  himself  vouches.  And  thence, 

IV.  He  instructs  Titus  how  to  deal  with 
them;  Wherefore  rebuke  them  sharply .  When 
Paul  wrote  to  Timothy,  he  bade  him  instruct 
with  meekness  ;  but  now,  when  he  writes  to 
Titus,  fie  bids  hunrebuke  them  sharply.  The 
reason  of  the  difference  may  lie  taken  either 
from  the  different  temper  of  Timothy  and 
Titus  ;  or  rather,  it  was  from  the  difference 
of  the  case  and  people.  Timothy  had  a  more 
polite  people  to  deal  with,  and  therefore  he 
must  rebuke  them  with  meekness  ;  Titus  a  more 
rough  and  uncultivated  people  ;  and  there-  [ 
fore  he  must  rebuke  them  sharply.  There  \ 
must,  in  reproving,  be  a  distinguishing  be¬ 
tween  sins  and  .sms,  and  between  sinners  and  j 
sinners.  Wisdom,  therefore,  is  requisite  to  j 
temper  and  manage  reproofs  aright,  as  may  ; 
be  most  likely  to  do  good,  Jude  22:  23.  The  j 
Cretians’  sins  and  corruptions  were  many, 
great,  and  habitual  ;  therefore  they  must  be  j 
rebuked  sharply.  But  that  such  direction  ' 
might  not  be  misconstrued, 

V.  Here  is  the  end  of  it  noted,  v.  14.  that 
they  may  Ire,  and  show  themselves,  truly  and 
effectually  changed  from  such  evil  temper 


and  manners  as  those  Cretians  in  their  nat¬ 
ural  state  lived  in,  and  might  not  adhere  to 
or  regard  (as  some  might  he  top  ready  to  do) 
the  Jewish  traditions,  and  superstitions  of 
the  Pharisees,  which  would  he  apt  to  make 
them  disrelish  the  Gospel,  and  the  sound 
and  wholesome  truths  of  it.  Observe,  The 
sharpest  reproofs  must  aim  at  the  good  of 
the  reproved  :  soundness  in  the  fiiith  is  most 
desirable  and  necessary  ;  and  a  special  mean 
thereto  is,  to  turn  away  the  ear  from  fables 
and  the  fancies  of  men,  1  Tim.  1 :  4.  so  ch.  4: 
7.  Fancies  and  devices  of  men  in  the  wor¬ 
ship  of  God,  are  contrary  to  truth  and  piety. 
Observe,  A  fearful  judgment  it  is,  to  be  turn¬ 
ed  away  from  the  truth.  Who  hath  bewitch¬ 
ed  you,  said  Paul  to  the  Galatians,. ch.  3:  1. 
that  ye  should  not  obey  the  truth  ?  lim  ing 
begun  in  the  Spirit,  are  ye  made  perfect  by  the 
flesh  ? 

VI.  He  gives  the  reason  fur  all  this,  from 
the  liberty  we  have  liy  the  Gospel,  from  legal 
observances,  and  the  evil  and  mischief  of  a 
Jewish  spirit  under  the  Christian  dispensa¬ 
tion,  in  the  two  last  verses. 

V.  15,  16.  To  good  Christians,  sound  in 
the  faith,  and  thereby  purified,  all  things  are 
pare  ;  meats  and  drinks,  and  such  things  as 
were  forbidden  under  the  law,  in  these  there 
is  now  no  such  distinction,  all  are  pure,  law¬ 
ful  and  free  in  their  use  ;  but  to  them  that  are 
defiled  and  unbelieving ,  nothing  is  pure  :  ill  ings 
lawful  and  good  they  abuse  and  turn  to  sin, 
because  their  mind  and  conscience,  those 
leading  faculties,  are  defiled  ;  a  taint  is  de¬ 
rived  to  all  they  do,  Prov.  15:8.  and  ch.  21 :  4. 
The  ploughing  rf  the  wicked  is  sin,  not  in  it¬ 
self,  but  as  done  by  him  ;  the  carnality  of  the 
mind  and  heart  mars  all  the  labor  of  the  hand. 

Objection.  But  are  not  these  Jinlaizers, 
as  ye  call  t h pin ,  men  who  profess  religion, 
and  speak  well  of  God  and  Christ,  and  right¬ 
eousness  of  life,  and  should  they  he  so 
severely  taxed  1  Answer,  r.  16.  There  are 
many  who  in  word  and  tongue  profess  to 
know  God,  and  yet  in  their  lives  and  con¬ 
versations  deny  and  reject  Him  :  their  prac¬ 
tice  is  a  contradiction  to  their  profession, 
Ezek.  33:31.  The  apostle,  instructing  Ti¬ 
tus  to  rebuke  sharply,  does  himself  rebuke 
sharply  ;  he  gives  them  very  hard  words  ; 
yet,  doubtless,  no  harder  than  their  ease  war¬ 
ranted,  and  their  need  required.  Being  abom- 


TRACT.  OBS.  All.  who  are  not  the  slaves  of  sin  and  Satan,  are  1  the 
servants  of  God  :’  ‘  this  honor  have  all  his  saints,’  and  this  dignifies 
their  meanest  employments,  Is.  51:15 — 17.  John  12:23 — 28.  Rom. 
6:16 — 19.  Col.  3:22 — 25.  though  the  office  of  ministers  is  confined  to  a 
few,  and  that  of  apostles  ami  evangelists  to  a  very  small  number. — 
When  a  multitude  of  captives  are  brought  forth,  from  the  dark  dungeon 
of  Satan,  into  the  glorious  light  and  liberty  of  the  Gospel ;  many  tilings 
will  lie  wanting,  and  much  will  require  to  ‘he  set  in  order,’  before  their 
worship  and  service  can  be  performed  in  a  suitable  manner,  the  best 
methods  used  for  their  edification,  and  the  most  effectual  defence  made 
against  the  assaults  of  their  spiritual  enemies.  Then  the  presence, 
counsel,  and  influence  of  experienced  and  faithful  servants  of  God  will 
he  peculiarly  useful;  especially  in  respect  of  the  choice  and  ordination 
of  pastors,  to  preside  over  them  and  teach  them. — It  is  peculiarly  in¬ 
cumbent  on  ministers  to  educate  their  children  with  diligence  and  piety, 
and  to  rule  them  with  prudence  and  firmness:  and  the  children  of  min¬ 
isters  should  consider  what  a  dreadful  account  must  he  rendered  by 
them,  if  their  unbelief,  riot,  and  unruly  behavior  bring  an  imputation  on 

Buffering:  1  Tim.  5:1,2.  2  Tim.  2:23 — 28.  but  Titus  was  ordered  to 

rebuke  with  sharpness.  Some  have  conjectured,  that  Timothy  was  too 
vehement  in  his  natural  spirit,  and  Titus  too  timid  and  pliant:  others 
ascribe  the  difference  to  the  opposite  characters  of  the  persons  to  be 
rebuked.  Hut,  in  fact,  Christian  meekness  is  as  distant  from  pusillani¬ 
mous  connivance  at  sin  and  error,  as  from  impetuous  anger  and  impa¬ 
tience.  This,  the  apostle’s  conduct,  and  even  that  of  our  Lord  Himself, 
fhlly  demonstrate.  Jam.  3:17,18.  Scott. 

( 10.)  HI.  understands  this  of  Judaizers,  and  adds,  ‘  that  Crete,  standing 
midway  between  Palestine  and  the  civilized  world,  and  so  opportune  for 
both,  should  swarm  with  .lews,  were  of  itself  probable,  and  it  is  con¬ 
firmed  by  Josephus  and  Philo.’  Ed. 

(12.)  1  To  Cretisc ,  or  imitate  the  Cretians,  was  a  proverbial  expression 
among  the  ancients  for  lying.  The  words  poet  and  prophet  were  often 
used  promiscuously  by  the  Greeks  and  Romans.  Some  fragments  of 
Epimenides,  have  come  down  to  us,  among  which  is  what  is  here  quot¬ 
ed  from  a  work  entitled,  concerning  oracles  ;  and  he  seems  to  have  been 
regarded  as  a  prophet  rather  than  a  poet.  Palry  notices  the  similarity 
of  making  this  quotation  from  a  Cretian  poet,  to  the  apostle’s  quoting  a 

poet  of  their  own  at  Athens.’  Henry,  ahr _ Evil  beasts,  slow  bellies .] 

1  It  is  evident  the  poet  here  suggested  a  remarkable  contrast,  to  show 
what  a  mixture  there  was  of  fierceness  and  luxury  in  the  character  of 
the  Cretians.  Savage  beasts  are  generally  nimble  and  active;  but  these 
men,  while  they  had  the  fury  of  lions  and  tigers,  indulged  so  much  in 

[498] 


the  character  of  their  fathers,  interfere  with  their  usefulness,  and  thus 
occasion  the  ruin  of  immortal  souls. — In  all  ages,  there  have  been  ‘un¬ 
ruly  and  vain  talkers  and  deceivers,’  by  whom  Satan  sows  tares  in  the 
Lord’s  field  :  and  this  should  teach  and  induce  the  servants  of  God  to 
be  vigilant  and  diligent,  that  they  may  counteract  the  enemy. — The  true 
Christian  learns  to  exercise  his  liberty  ill  a  pure  and  holy  manner;  all 
things  are  ‘  pure  to  him,’  and  grace  teaches  him  ‘  to  eat,  and  to  drink, 
and  to  do  all  to  the  glory  of  God  ;’  and  when  he  fails,  he  has  humble 
recourse  to  the  purifying  blood  and  sanctifying  grace  of  Christ.  But 
unbelievers  are  ‘defiled  in  their  minds  and  consciences;’  their  ordinary 
actions  and  religious  duties  are  unclean  to  them  :  whether  they  riot  in 
licentiousness,  as  if  that  were  liberty  ;  or  whether  they  enslave  them¬ 
selves  to  superstitious  observances.  For  alas  !  numbers,  of  various 
descriptions,  ‘  proless  to  know  God,  but  in  works  deny  Him;  being 
abominable,  disobedient,  and  unto  every  good  work  reprobate.’  But  at 
last  ‘  the  tree  will  be  known  by  its  fruit ;  and  every  tree  that  bringeth  not 
forth  good  fruit,  shall  be  hewn  down,  and  cast  into  the  fire.’  Scott. 


the  most  sordid  idleness  and  intemperance;  that  they  grew  (as  it  were) 
all.  belly  :  and,  like  a  breed  of  swine  common  in  the  eastern  countries, 
were  often  so  burdened  with  fat,  that  they  could  hardly  move.’  Doddr. 
The  Egyptians  represented  a  man  who  thus  made  a  god  of  the  alimen- 
tive  propensity,  as  an  unwieldy,  big-bellied  swine,  waddling  upon  his 
hind  feet.  Ed. 

(13.)  Rebuke  them  sharply.]  On  the  difference  between  Paul’s  in¬ 
struction  here  to  Titus,  and  his  instruction  to  Timothy,  see  on  2  Tim. 
4:2.  to  which  may  be  added  here,  from  Doddr.,  that  ‘  there  is  a  degree 
of  long-suffering  and  gentleness,  very  consistent  with  all  that  severity 
which  faithfulness  requires;  which  is  not  that  of  boisterous  passion,  ill- 
nature  and  scurrility,  but  of  meek,  though  resolute  zeal  for  God,  and 
friendship  for  the  offender,  which  yet  will  not  be  silenced  by  trilling 
excuses,  nor  fail  seriously  to  represent  the  fatal  consequences  that  may 
attend  the  evil  reproved.’  Id. 

V.  14 — 16.  The  unbelieving  Jews  seetn  to  have  been  primarily  in¬ 
tended;  hut  the  Judaizing  teachers  were  purposely  included  as  unbe¬ 
lievers,  also,  though  they  professed  to  believe. — (14)  Turn  from  the 
truth.]  Some  render  it  pervert  or  subvert  the  truth  :  yet  the  word 
occurs  in  a  like  construction  in  the  text  referred  to,  where  it  evidently 
means  turn  away  from.  Scott. 

(15,16.)  In  works  deny  God.]  Paul  is  speaking  of  a  class  which 
contains  many  grades,  from  the  openly  licentious,  to  the  honorable  in 
the  eyes  of  the  world.  ‘Amid  the  manifold  varieties  of  human  charuc- 


A.  D.  66. 


TITUS,  II. 


Paul's  directions  to  Titus. 


CHAP.  II. 

1  Directions  given  unto  Tims  both  for  his  doctrine  and  life. 
8  Of  the  duty  of  servants,  and  in  general  of  all  Christians. 

BUT  speak  thou  the  things  which 
become  sound  doctrine  : 

2  That  the  aged  'men  be  b sober, 
grave,  temperate,  sound  in  faith,  in 
charity,  in  patience. 

8  The  aged  women  likewise,  that 
they  be  in  behavior  as  becometh 
c  holiness,  not  (i  false  accusers,  not 
given  to  much  wine,  teachers  of 
good  things  ; 

4  That  they  may  teach  the  c 
young  women  to  be  f  sober,  to  love 
their  husbands,  to  love  their  child¬ 
ren, 

ft  Pr.  16:31.  c  o r,  holy  women,  r  1  TU  5:14. 

b  or,  vigilant.  d  or,  make-bates,  f  or,  wise. 

viable,  deserving  that  God  and  good  men 
should  turn  away  their,  eyes  from  them  as 
nauseous  and  offensive.  And  disobedient, 
unpersuadable  and  unbelieving.  They  might 
do  divers  things  ;  but  it  was  not  the  obedi¬ 
ence  of  faith,  not  what  was  commanded,  or 
short  of  the  command.  To  every  good  work 
reprobate,  without  skill  or  judgment  [or  will] 
to  do  anything  aright.  See  the  miserable 
condition  of  such  as  have  a  form  of  godli¬ 
ness,  but  not  the  power  ;  yet  let  us  not  be 
so  ready  to  fix  this  charge  on  others,  as 
careful  that  it  agree  not  to  ourselves;  that 
there  he  pot  in  us  an  evil  heart  of  unbelief,  in 
departing  from  the  living  God  ;  but  that  we 
be  sincere  and  without  offence  till  the  day  of 
Christ,  being  filled  with  the  fruits  of  righteous¬ 
ness,  which  are  by  Jesus  Christ,  unto  the  glo¬ 
ry  and  praise  of  God,  Phil.  1:  10,  11. 


Chap.  II.  V.  1.  Here  is  the  third  thing 
in  the  matter  of  the  epistle.  In  the  ell.  fore¬ 
going,  the  apostle  had  directed  Titus  about 
matters  of  government,  and  to  set  in  order 
the  things  that  were  wanting  in  the  churches. 
Here  he  exhorts  him, 

1.  Generally,  to  a  faithful  discharge  of 
his  own  office.  The  adversative  particle 
(but)  here,  points  hack  to  the  corrupt  teach¬ 
ers  :  in  opposition  to  them,  says  he,  ‘  But 
speak  thou  the  things  that  become  sound  doc¬ 
trine,  what  is  agreeable  to  the  Word,  which 
is  pure  and  uncorrupt,  healthful  and  nour¬ 
ishing  to  eternal  life.’  Observe,  The  true 
doctrines  of  the  Gospel  are  sound  doctrines, 
and  ministers  must  he  careful  to  teach  only 
such.  If  the  common  talk  of  Christians  must 
he  uncorrupt  to  the  use  of  edifying,  such  as 
may  minister  grace,  to  the  hearers,  Kph.  4:  29. 
much  more  must  ministers’  preaching  be 
such.  Thus  the  apostle  exhorts  Titus  gen¬ 
erally  ;  and  then, 

2.  Specially  and  particularly,  he  instructs 
him  to  apply  this  sound  doctrine  to  several 
sorts  of  persons,  from  v.  2 — 1G.  Here  is  an 
excellent  Christian  directory,  accommodat¬ 
ed  to  the  old  and  to  the  young  ;  to  men  and 
women  ;  to  the  preacher  himself,  and  unto 
servants. 


V.  2.  By  aged  men  some  understand  elders 
by  office,  including  deacons,  &c.  But  it  is 
rather  to  he  taken  of  the  aged  in  years.  Old 
disciples  of  Christ  must  conduct  themselves 
in  everything  agreeably  to  the  Christian 
doctrine.  That  the  aged  men  be  sober  ;  not 
thinking  the  decays  of  nature  will  justify 
them  in  any  intemperance  to  repair  them  ; 
they  must  keep  measure  in  things,  both  for 
health  and  for  fitness,  for  counsel  and  exam¬ 
ple  to  the  younger.  Grave  ;  levity  is  unbe¬ 
coming  in  any,  but  especially  in  the  aged  ; 
they  should  he  composed  and  staid,  grave 
in  habit,  speech,  and  behavior  ;  gaudiness 
in  dress,  levity  and  vanity  in  the  behavior, 
how  unbeseeming  in  their  years  1  Temper- 
rate  ;  moderate  and  prudent,  one  who  gov¬ 
erns  well  his  passions  and  affections,  so  as 
not  to  be  hurried  away  by  them  to  anything 
evil  or  indecent.  Sound  in  the  faith  ;  sincere 
and  steadfast,  constantly  adhering  to  the 
truth  of  the  Gospel,  not  fond  of  novelties,  or 
ready  to  run  into  corrupt  opinions.or  parties. 
Those  who  are  full  of  years  should  be  full 
of  grace  and  goodness,  the  inner  man  renew¬ 
ing  more  and  more  as  the  outer  decays.  In 
charity,  or  love  ;  this  is  fitly  joined  with 
faith ,  which  works  by,  and  must  be  seen  in, 
loue,  love  to  God  and  men,  and  soundness 
therein  :  it  must  be  sincere  love,  without 
dissimulation.  And  in  patience.  Aged  per¬ 
sons  are  apt  to  be  peevish,  fretful,  and  pas¬ 
sionate  ;  and  therefore  need  to  be  on  their 
guard  against  such  infirmities  and  tempta¬ 
tions.  Faith,  love,  and  patience,  are  three 
main  Christian  graces,  and  soundness  in 
these  is  much  of  gospel-perfection.  There 
is  enduring  and  waiting  patience  ;  both  must 
be  looked  after  ;  to  bear  evils  becomingly, 
and  contentedly  to  want  the  good  till  we  are 
fit  for  it,  and  it  for  us,  being  followers  of 
them  who  through  faith  and  patience  inherit  the 
promises.  Thus  as  to  the  aged  men. 

V.  3.  Aged  women,  also,  must  be  instruct¬ 
ed  ami  warned.  Some  by  these  under¬ 
stand  the  deaconesses,  mostly  employed  in 
looking  after  the  poor  and  tending  the  sick; 
but  it  is  rather  to  be  taken  (as  we  render 
it)  of  all  aged  women  professing  religion, 
they  must  be  in  behavior  as  becometh  holiness ; 
both  men  and  women  must  accommodate 
their  behavior  to  their  profession  ;  those 
virtues  before  recommended  to  aged  men, 
are  not  proper  to  them  only,  but  applicable 
to  both  sexes,  and  to  be  looked  to  by  aged 
women  as  well  as  men  ;  women  are  to  hear 
and  learn  their  duty  from  the  Word,  as  well 
as  the  men  :  there  is  not  one  way  of  salva¬ 
tion  for  one  sex  or  sort,  and  another  for  an¬ 
other;  but  both  must  learn  and  practice  the 
same  things, both  as  aged  and  as  Christians; 
the  virtues  and  duties  are  common.  That 
the  aged  women  likewise,  as  well  as  the  men, 
be  in  behavior  as  becometh  holiness  ;  or  as  be¬ 
seems  and  is  proper  for  holy  persons,  such 
as  they  profess  to  be,  and  should  he  ;  keep¬ 
ing  a  pious  decency  and  decorum  in  clothing 
and  gesture,  in  looks  and  speech,  ami  all 
their  deportment  ;  and  this  from  an  inward 
principle  and  habit  of  holiness,  influencing 
and  ordering  the  outward  conduct  at  all 


times.  Observe,  Though  express  scripture 
do  not  occur,  or  be  not  brought,  for  every 
word,  or  look,  or  fashion  in  particular  ;  yet 
general  rules  there  are,  according  to  which 
all  must  he  ordered,  1  Cor.  10  :  31.  Phil. 
4:  8.  Whatsoever  things  are  beseeming  or 
unbeseeming  holiness,  form  a  measure  and 
rule  of  carriage  to  be  looked  to.  Not  false 
accusers,  no  calumniators  or  sowers  of  dis¬ 
cord,  slandering  and  backbiting  their  neigh¬ 
bors,  a  great  and  too  common  fault.  A 
slanderer  is  one  whose  tongue  is  set  on  fire  of 
hell :  so  much,  and  so  directly,  do  these  do 
the  devil’s  work,  that  for  it  the  devil’s  name 
is  given  to  such.  Not  given  to  much  wine  ; 
the  word  denotes  such  addictedness  thereto, 
as  to  be  under  the  power  and  mastery  of  it. 
How  immodest  and  shameful,  corrupting 
and  destroying  purity  both  of  body  and 
mind  !  Of  vvliat  evil  example  and  tendency, 
unfitting  for  the  next  tiling,  which  is  a  posi¬ 
tive  duty  of  aged  matrons,  to  he  teachers  of 
good  things.  Not  public  preachers,  that  is 
forJjiddei),  1  Cor.  14:  31.  but  otherwise,  by 
example  and  a  good  life  :  besides,  they  may 
and  should,  also,  teach  by  doctrinal  instruc¬ 
tion  at  home,  and  in  a  private  way.  Prov. 
31:1,  26.  Teachers  of  good  things  are  op¬ 
posed  to  teachers  of  things  corrupt,  or  to 
what  is  trifling  and  vain,  of  no  good  use  or 
tendency  ;  old  wives’  fables,  or  superstitious 
sayings  and  observances  ;  in  opposition  to 
these,  their  business  is,  and  they  may  be 
called  on  to  it,  to  be  teachers  of  good  things. 
For, 

There  are  lessons  for  young  women,  also, 
which  the  aged  women  must  teach,  and 
instinct  and  advise  them  in,  the  duties  of 
religion  according  to  their  years. 

V.  4,  5.  For  teaching  such  things,  aged 
women  have  often  better  access  than  the 
men,  even  than  ministers  have  ;  therefore, 
they  must  improve  it  in  instructing  the 
young  women,  especially  the  young  wives  ; 
for  he  speaks  of  their  duty  to  their  husbands 
and  children.  These  young  women,  the 
more  aged  must  teach, 

1.  To  hear  a  good  personal  character  ; 
To  be  sober  and  discreet,  contrary  to  the  van¬ 
ity  and  rashness  which  younger  years  are 
subject  to:  discreet  and  chaste  stand  well  to¬ 
gether  ;  many  expose  themselves  to  fatal 
temptations,  by  that  which  at  first  might  be 
but  indiscretion,  I’rov.  2  :  11.  Chaste  and 
keepers  at  home,  are  well  joined  too.  Dinah, 
when  she  went  to  see  the  daughters  of  the 
land,  lost  her  chastity  :  there  are  occasions 
for  going  abroad,  but  a  gadding  temper  for 
merriment  and  company  sake,  to  the  neglect 
of  domestic  affairs,  or  from  uneasiness  at 
being  in  her  place,  that  is  the  opposite  evil 
intended,  and  is  commonly  accompanied 
with,  or  draws  after  it,  other  evils,  I  Tim. 
5:13,14.  As  their  business,  they  should  guide 
the  house,  and  give  no  occasion  to  the  enemy 
to  speak  reproachfully.  Good,  generally,  in 
opposition  to  all  vice}  and  specially,  in  her 
place,  kind,  helpful,  and  charitable  ;  as 
Dorcas,  full  of  good  works  and.  almsdecds. 
Also,  it  may  have,  so  some,  a  more  partic¬ 
ular  sense,  one  of  a  meek,  and  yet  cheerful 


ter,  am!  the  number  of  constitutional  principles  which  enter  into  its 
composition,  might  there  not  he  an  individual,  in  whom  the  constitu¬ 
tional  virtues  so  blaze  forth,  and  have  tile  ascendancy,  [Mar.  10:21,  Ax.] 
as  to  give  a  genera!  effect  of  gracefulness  to  the  whole  of  this  rporal 
exhibition;  and  yet,  may  not  that  individual  be  as  unmindful  of  his  God, 
as  if  the  principles  ofliis  constitution  had  been  mixed  up  in  such  differ¬ 
ent  proportion,  as  to  make  him  an  odious  and  a  revolting  spectacle  ?  In 
a  word,  might  not  Sensibility  shed  forth  its  tears,  and  Friendship  per¬ 
form  its  services,  and  Liberality  impart  of  its  treasures,  and  Patriotism 
enrn  the  gratitude  of  its  country,  and  Honor  maintain  itself  entire  and 
untainted,  and  all  the  softenings  of  what  is  amiable,  and  all  the  glories 
of  what  is  chivalrous  and  manly,  gather  into  one  bright  effnlgency  of 
moral  accomplishment  on  the  person  of  him,  who  never,  for  a  moment, 
subordinates  one  habit,  or  one  affection,  to  the  will  of  the  Almighty  ; 
[who  hath  not  God  in  all,  or  any  of  his  thoughts ;]  who  is  just  as  care¬ 
less  and  as  unconcerned  about  God,  as  if  the  native  tendencies  of  his 
constitution  had  compounded  him  a  monster  of  deformity  ;  and  who  just 
as  effectually  realizes  (total  depravity]  this  attribute  of  rebellion  against 
his  Maker,  as  the  most  loathsome  and  profligate  of  his  species,  that  he 
walks  in  the  counsel  of  his  own  heart,  and  after  the  sight  of  his  own 
eyes  ?  (For  in  the  same  showing  out  of  natural  inclinations]  you  may 
aiso  observe  among  the  brutes,  the  gentleness  [and  benevolence]  of  one, 


the  affectionate,  fidelity  of  another,  the  cruel  and  unrelenting  ferocity  of 
a  third,  [parental  love,  providence,  <Ac.]  and  you  never  question  the 
propriety  of  language,  when  some  of  these  instinctive  tendencies  [note, 
end  of  Rom.  7.]  are  better  reported  of  than  others,  as  more  or  less  ami¬ 
able  and-  endearing.  But  it  does  not  once  occur  to  you,  that,  even  in  the 
very  best  of  these  exhibitions,  there  is  any  sense  of  God,  or  that  the 
great  master-principle  of  his  authority  is  at  all  concerned  in  it.’  Mere 
Virtue  without  Christianity.  Chalmers. 

NOTES.  Chap.  II.  V.  1,  2.  To  mark  the  difference  between  false 
teachers,  and  the  servants  of  Christ,  the  apostle  exhorted  Titus  to 
‘speak  such  things  as  became  sound  doctrine,’  or  the  salutary,  healing 
truths  of  t lie  Gospel,  from  witich  nil  the  motives  and  encouragements  to 
holy  obedience  must  be  deduped  ;  and  it  ‘became  sound  doctrine,’  that 
preachers  should  inculcate  on  their  hearers  the  practice  ol  their  various 
duties,  from  evangelical  [not  selfish]  motives.  It  does  not  appear,  that 
the  elders  or  pastors  of  the  church  were  exclusively  intended.  1  he 
original  word  is  different  from  that  translated  elders,  and  signifies  men  ad¬ 
vanced  in  years.  The  apostle  had  hefore  spoken  of  the  elders.  l:o— . .  .  . 

V.  3 — 6.  Thev  must  not  he  ‘  enslaved  to  much  wine  ;  some  of  them 
might  have  been  accustomed  to  this,  when  heathens,  and I  it  would  need 
great  self-denial  to  acquire  victory  over  the  habit,  and  liberty  thorn  the 
thraldom,  of  this  infatuating  vice.  (3)  Behavior.]  Here  only.  it  stg- 


A.  D.  66. 


TITUS,  II. 


His  own  example  must  teach. 


5  To  be  discreet,  chaste,  keepers 
at  home,  good,  obedient  to  their 
own  husbands,  that  the  word  of 
God  be  not  blasphemed. 

6  Young  men  likewise  exhort  to 
be  s  sober-minded. 

7  In  all  things  shewing  thyself 
h  a  pattern  of  good  works  ;  in  doc¬ 
trine  shewing  uncorruptness,  grav¬ 
ity,  sincerity, 

8  Sound  '  speech  that  cannot  be 
condemned  ;  that  he  that  is  of  the 
contrary  part  may  be  ashamed, 
having  no  evil  thing  to  say  of  you. 

9  Exhort  servants  1  to  be  obedi¬ 
ent  unto  their  own  masters,  and  to 
please  them  well  in  all  things;  not 
k  answering  again  ; 

e  or,  dUercet.  i  1  Ti.  6:3.  k  or,  gainsaying. 

h  1  Ti.  4: 12.  )  Ep.  6:5,  &c. 

Spirit  and  temper,  not  sullen,  or  hitter,  or 
taunting,  or  fretting  and  galling  any  ;  not 
of  a  troublesome  or  jarring  disposition,  un¬ 
easy  in  herself  and  to  those  about  her  ;  but 
of  a  good  nature,  and  pleasing  conversation, 
and  likewise  helpful  bv  her  advice  and 
pains  :  thus  building  her  house,  and  doing  her 
husband  good,  and  not  evil,  all  her  days. 
Thus,  in  their  personal  character,  sober,  dis¬ 
creet,  chaste,  keepers  at  home,  and  good  :  and, 
2.  In  their  relative  capacities,  to  love  their 
husbands,  and  to  be  obedient  to  them  :  and 
where  there  is  true  love,  this  will  be  no 
difficult  command.  God,  in  nature,  and  by 
liis  will,  hath  made  this  subordination, 

1  Tim.  2:  12.  Gen.  3:  16.  It  is  therefore 
doubly  enjoined  :  first  in  innocency ,  when 
was  settled  a  subordination  of  nature,  Adam 
being  first  formed,  and  then  Eve,  and  the 
woman  out  of  the  man  :  and  then  upon  the 
fall,  the  woman  being  first  in  the  trans¬ 
gression,  and  seducing  the  man  ;  here  now 
began  to  be  a  subjection  not  so  easy  and 
comfortable,  being  part  of  the  penalty  in 
her  case;  yet  through  Christ  is  this  never¬ 
theless  a  sanctified  state,  Eph.  5:  22.  God 
would  have  a  resemblance  of  Christ’s  au¬ 
thority  over  the  church,  held  forth  in  the 
husband’s  over  the  wife.  Therefore  as  the 
church  is  subject  unto  Christ,  so  let  the 
wives  be  unto  their  own  husbands,  as  is  fit  in 
the  Lord,  Col.  3:  18.  as  stands  with  the  law 
of  Christ,  and  is  for  his  and  the  Father’s 
glory.  It  is  not,  then,  an  absolute,  or  un¬ 
limited,  or  a  slavish  subjection  that  is  re¬ 
quired  ;  but  a  loving  subordination,  to  pre¬ 
vent  disorder  or  confusion,  and  to  further 
all  the  ends  of  the  relation;  Tints,  in  ref¬ 
erence  to  the  husbands,  wives  must  he  in¬ 
structed  in  their  duties  of  love  and  subjec¬ 
tion  to  them.  And  to  love  their  children,  not 
with  ;i  natural  affection,  only,  but  a  spirit¬ 
ual;  a  love  springing  from  a  holy,  sanctified 
heart,  and  regulated  by  the  Word  ;  not  a 
fond,  foolish  love,  indulging  them  in  evil, 
neglecting  due  reproof  and  correction  where 
necessary  ;  but  it  must  be  a  regular  Chris¬ 
tian  love,  showing  itself  in  their  pious  edu¬ 
cation, forming  their  life  and  manners  aright, 
taking  care  of  their  souls  as  well  as  of  their 
bodies,  of  their  spiritual  welfare  as  well  ns 
of  their  temporal  ;  of  the  former,  chiefly, 
and  in  the  first  place.  The  reason  is  added. 


— that  the  Word  of  God  may  not  be  blas¬ 
phemed.  Failures  in  such  relative  duties 
would  be  greatly  to  the  reproach  of  Christi¬ 
anity.  The  Word  of  God  and  Gospel  of 
Christ  are  pure,  excellent,  and  glorious,  in 
themselves  ;  and  their  excellency  should  be 
expressed  and  shown  in  the  lives  and  con¬ 
duct  of  their  professors,  especially  in  rela¬ 
tive  duties  ;  failures  here  bring  disgrace, 
Rom.  2:  24.  Thus  would  Christ  be  wounded 
in  the  house  of  his  friends.  Thus  of  the  du¬ 
ties  of  the  younger  women. 

Here  is  the  duty  of  young  men. 

V.  6.  They  are  apt  to  he  eager  and  hot, 
thoughtless  and  precipitant;  therefore  must 
be  earnestly  called  on  and  exhorted  to  he 
considerate,  not  rash  ;  advisable  and  sub¬ 
missive,  not  wilful  and  headstrong;  humble 
and  mild,  not  haughty  and  proud  ;  more 
young  people  are  mined  by  pride  than  by 
any  other  sin.  The  young  should  be  grave 
and  solid  in  their  deportment  and  manners, 
joining  the  seriousness  of  age  with  the  live¬ 
liness  and  vigor  of  youth.  This  will  make 
even  those  younger  years  to  pass  to  good 
purpose,  and  yield  matter  of  comfortable 
reflection,  when  the  evil  days  come;  it  will 
be  preventive  of  much  sin  and  sorrow,  and 
lay  the  ground  for  doing  and  enjoying  much 
good.  Such  shall  not  mourn  at  the  last,  but 
have  peace  and  comfort  in  death,  and  after 
it  a  glorious  crown  of  life.  With  these 
instructions  to  Titus,  respecting  what  he 
should  teach  others, — the  apostle  inserts 
some  directions  to  himself. 

V.  7,8.  1.  Here  is  direction  for  his  conver¬ 
sation  ;  In  all  things  shouting  thyself  a  pattern 
of  good  works.  Observe,  Preachers  of  good 
works  must  be  patterns  of  them  also;  good 
doctrine  and  good  life  must  go  together. 
In  all  things ;  some  read  above  all  things,  or 
above  all  men.  Instructing  and  informing 
others  in  the  particulars  of  their  duty,  is 
necessary,  and,  above  all  things,  example, 
especially  that  of  the  teacher  himself,  is 
needful;  hereby  both  light  and  influence  are 
more  likely  lo  go  together.  Ministers  must 
be  examples  to  the  flock,  and  the  people  fol¬ 
lowers  of  them,  as  they  are  of  Christ.  And 
here  is  direction, 

2.  For  bis  teaching  and  doctrine,  as  well 
as  for  his  life  ;  In  doctrine,  shotving  uncor¬ 
ruptness,  gravity,  sincerity,  sound  speech,  that 
cannot  be  condemned.  They  must  make  it 
appear  that  this  office  was  not  entered  into, 
or  used,  with  secular  views,  but  from  a  pure 
aim  at  the  spiritual  ends  of  its  institution  : 
therefore,  the  display  of  wit,  or  parts,  or  of 
human  learning  or  oratory,  is  not  to  be  af¬ 
fected;  but  sound  speech  must  be  used,  which 
cannot  be  condemned ;  scripture-language,  as 
far  as  well  may  be,  in  expressing  scripture- 
truths.  This  is  sound  speech,  that  cannot  be 
condemned .  We  have  more  than  once  these 
duties  of  a  minister  set  together,  1  Tim.  4: 
12,16.  2Tiin.  3:10.  Their  teaching  must 
he  agreeable  to  the  Word,  and  their  life  with 
the  teaching.  This  is  the  true  anti  good 
minister,  1  Thcss.  2  :  9,  10.  The  next 
words  show: 

3.  The  reason,  both  for  the  strictness  of 
the  minister’s  life,  and  the  gravity  and 
soundness  of  his  preaching.  Adversaries 
would  he  seeking  occasion  to  reflect,  and 
would  do  so,  could  the)'  find  anything 
amiss  in  doctrine  or  life  ;  but  if  both  were 
right  and  good,  such  ministers  might  set 


calumny  itself  at  defiance.  Observe,  Faith¬ 
ful  ministers  will  have  enemies  watching  for 
their  halting,  who  will  endeavor  to  find  or 
pick  holes  in  their  teaching  or  behavior  ; 
the  more  need,  therefore,  for  them  to  look  to 
themselves,  that  no  just  occasion  fie  found 
against  them.  This  is  the  direction  to 
Titus  himself,  and  so  of  the  duties  of  free 
persons,  male  and  female,  old  and  young. 
Then  follow  the  directions  respecting  ser¬ 
vants. 

V.  9,  10.  In  this  direction  to  Titus,  there 
are  the  duties  themselves,  to  which  he  must 
exhort  servants,  and  a  weighty  considera¬ 
tion,  wherewith  he  was  to  enforce  them. 

1.  The  duties  themselves  are  these.: 

(1.)  To  be  obedient  to  their  own  masters. 
This  is  the  prime  duty,  that  by  which  they 
are  characterised,  Rom.  6:  16.  There  must 
be  inward  subjection,  and  dutiful  respect 
and  reverence  in  the  mind  and  thoughts. 
This  must  be  in  servants;  their  will  must  he 
subject  to  their  master’s  will,  and  their  time 
and  labor  at  their  master’s  disposal  and 
command,  1  Pet.  2:18.  The  duty  results 
from  the  will  of  God,  and  the  relation  in 
which,  by  bis  providence.  He  lias  put  such ; 
not  from  the  quality  of  the  person.  Servants, 
therefore,  are  to  be  exhorted  to  be  obedient 
to  their  own  masters.  And, 

(2.)  To  please  them  well  in  all  things,  in  all 
lawful  tilings,  and  such  as  belong  to  them  to 
command  ;  or,  at  least,  are  not  contrary  to 
the  will  of  their  great  and  superior  Lord. 
If  his  command  and  the  earthly  master’s 
come  in  competition,  we  are  instructed  to 
obey  God  rather  than  man  ;  but  servants, 
then,  must  be  on  good  grounds  in  this,  that 
there  is  an  inconsistency,  else  are  they  not 
held  to  be  excused.  And  not  only  must  the 
will  of  God  be  the  measure  of  the  servant’s 
obedience,  but  tile  reason  of  it  also  ;  all 
must  be  done  with  a  respect  to  Him,  in  vir¬ 
tue  of  his  authority,  and  for  pleasing  Him 
primarily  and  chiefly,  Col.  3:22 — 24.  In 
serving  the  earthly  master  according  to 
Christ’s  will,  He  is  served  ;  and  such  shall 
be  rewarded  by  Him  accordingly. 

Rut  how  are  servants  to  please  their 
masters  in  all  tilings,  and  yet  not  be  meri- 
pleasers  1  Answer,  Men-pleasers,  in  the 
faulty  sense,  are  such  as  eye  men  alone,  or 
chiefly,  in  what  they  do,  leaving  God  out, 
or  subordinating  Him  to  man;  this  is  sinful 
man-pleasing,  which  all  must  take  heed  of, 
Eph.  6:5— 7.  Observe,  therefore,  Chris¬ 
tian  liberty  stands  well  with  civil  servitude 
and  subjection.  Persons  may  serve  men, 
and  yet  be  the  servants  of  Christ;  these  are 
not  contrary,  but  subordinate  ;  so  far  as 
serving  men  is  according  to  Christ’s  will, 
and  for  his  sake.  Servants,  therefore,  should 
be  faithful  and  cheerful  in  the  station  where¬ 
in  God  hath  set  them;  striving  to  please 
their  masters  in  all  things.  Hard  it  may 
he,  under  some  churlish  Nabals,  but  it  must 
he  endeavored,  all  that  they  are  able. 

(3.)  Not  answering  again  ;  not  contra¬ 
dicting,  or  disputing  ;  not  giving  any  dis¬ 
respectful  or  provoking  language.  When 
conscious  of  a  fault,  to  palliate  or  stand  in 
justification  of  it,  doubles  it.  Yet  this  not 
answering  again,  excludes  not  turning  a  way 
wrath  with  a  soft  answer,  when  season  and 
circumstances  admit.  Good  and  wise  mas¬ 
ters  will  he  ready  to  hear  and  do  right;  but 
answering  unseasonably,  or  in  an  unseemly 


nifies  the  raiment,  the  gait,  and  the  whole  demeanor.  The  physicians 
used  the  word  for  habit  of  body,  or  constitution.'  Leigh.  Scott. 

(5  )  Obedient  to  their  own  husbands.]  1  As  in  all  societies  there  may 
be  differences  of  opinion,  even  where  the  harmony  of  feeling  remains 
unimpaired,  so  there  may  be  differences  of  opinion  here  [in  the  married 
statep  Where  such  differences  of  opinion  exist,  there  must  be  some 
ultimate  appeal.  In  ordinary  societies,  such  questions  are  settled  bv  a 
numerical  majority.  But  as,  in  this  case,  such  a  decision  is  impossible 
some  other  principle  must  he  adopted.  Tiie  right  of  deciding,  must  rest 
with  either  the  one  or  the  other.  As  the  husband  is  the  individual  who 
is  responsible  to  civil  society;  as  his  intercourse  with  the  world  is  of 
necessity  greater ;  the  voice  of  nature  and  of  revelation  unite  in  confer¬ 
ring  the  right  of  ultimate  authority  upon  him.  By  this  arrangement,  the 
happiness  of  the  wife  is  increased  no  less  than  that  of  the  husband.  Her 


power  is  always  greatest  in  concession.  She  is  graceful  and  attractive, 
while  meek  and  gentle;  but  when  angered  and  turbulent,  she  loses  the 
fascination  [and  with  it  the  influence]  of  her  own  sex,  without  attaining 
to  the  dignity  of  the  other.  “  A  woman  moved,  is  like  a  fountain 
troubled,  muddy,  ill-seeming,  and  bereft  of  beauty.”  Shakspeare.' 
Law  of  Marriage  ;  in  Fits.  Mor  Sci.  Wayland. 

V.  9, 10.  Eph.  6  5—9.  Col.  3:22—25.  1  Tim.  6:1—5.  1  Pet.  2:18—25. 
‘  Purloining,’  or  pilfering,  in  the  absence  of  their  masters,  such  things  as 
were  put  under  their  care,  or  within  their  reach;  either  to  apply  them 
to  their  own  use,  or  to  bestow  them  on  their  companions.  This  species 
of  stealing  was  so  common  among  the  heathen  servants,  that  the  same 
word  sometimes  signifies  a  slave,  which  is  generally  rendered  a  thief; 
ami  it  is  to  be  apprehended,  that  it  is  extremely  common,  even  among 
servants  who  are  called  Christians,  few  of  whom  are  scrupulous  about 


TITUS,  II. 


A.  D.  66. 


Grounds  of  Paul's  directions . 


10  Not  purloining,  but  shewing 
nil  good  fidelity  ;  that  1  they  may 
adorn  the  doctrine  of  God  our  Sa¬ 
vior  in  all  things. 

11  For  the  grace  m  of  God  that 
bringeth  salvation  n  hath  appeared 
to  all  men, 

12  Teaching  us,  that,  denying 
0  ungodliness  and  worldly  p  lusts, 
we  i  should  live  soberly,  righteous¬ 
ly,  and  godly,  in  this  present  world; 

l  Mat.  5:16.  hath  appeared,  p  1  Pe.  2:11. 

m  Ro  5:15.  o  Ro.  8:13.  q  Lu.  1:75. 

n  or,  to  all  men,  9 

manner,  or,  where  the  case  admits  not  ex¬ 
cuse  to  be  pert  or  confident,  shows  a  want 
of  the  humility  and  meekness,  which  such 
relation  requires. 

(4.)  Nut  purloining,  but  showing  all  good 
fidelity.  This  is  another  great  essential 
of  good  servants,  to  he  honest ;  never  con¬ 
verting  that  to  their  own  use,  which  is  their 
masters’,  nor  wasting  the  goods  they  are  in¬ 
trusted  with:  that  is  purloining.  They  must 
he  just  and  true,  and  do  for  them  as  they 
would  or  should  for  themselves,  Prov.  28  : 
24.  Having  light  thought  of  taking  beyond 
what  is  right,  though  it  be  from  a  parent  or 
master,  is  likely  to  harden  conscience  to  go 
further  ;  it  is  both  wicked  in  itself,  and 
tends  to  more  ;  servants  must  not.  be  their 
own  carvers,  or  go  about  by  theft  to  right 
themselves  ;  they  must  commit  their  cause 
to  God  for  righting  and  providing  for  them, 
except  for  preserving  life,  the  necessaries  for 
which  the  servant  has  a  right  to.  Faith¬ 
fulness  in  a  servant,  lies  in  the  ready,  punc¬ 
tual,  and  thorough  execution  of  his  master’s 
orders  ;  keeping  his  secrets  and  counsels, 
despatching  his  affairs,  and  managing  with 
frugality,  and  to  as  much  just  advantage  for 
his  master  as  he  is  able;  looking  well  to  his 
trusts,  and  preventing,  as  far  as  he  can,  all 
spoil,  or  loss,  or  damage.  This  is  a  way 
to  bring  a  blessing  on  himself,  as  the  con¬ 
trary  often  brings  utter  ruin,  Luke  16:  12. 
Thus  of  the  duties  themselves,  to  which  ser¬ 
vants  are  to  be  exhorted.  Then, 

2.  Here  is  the  consideration  with  which 
Titus  was  to  enforce  them  ;  That  they  may 
adorn  the  doctrine  of  God  our  Savior  in  all 
things  ;  recommend  the  Gospel  to  the  good 
opinion  of  them  that  are  without,  by  their 
meek,  humble,  obedient,  and  faithful  conduct 
in  all  things.  Servants  may  think,  such  as 
they,  so  low  and  inferior,  can  do  little  to 
bring  repute  to  Christianity;  yet,  if  careful 
to  do  their  duty,  it  will  redound  to  the  glory 
of  God,  and  the  credit  of  religion.  The 
unbelieving  masters  would  think  the  better 
of  that  despised  way,  when  they  found  their 
servants  who  were  Christians,  better  than 
their  other  servants,  more  obedient,  submis¬ 
sive,  just,  faithful,  and  diligent.  Thus  of 
the  apostle’s  directions  to  Titus,  about  the 
discharge  of  his  office,  in  reference  to  sever¬ 
al  sorts  of  persons.  Next  follow, 

3.  The  grounds  or  considerations  on 
which  all  the  directions  are  urged,  taken 
from  the  nature  and  design  of  the  Gospel, 
and  the  end  of  Christ’s  death. 

V.  11 — 14.  1.  Here  are  motives  from  the 
nature  and  design  of  the  Gospel.  Let  young 


and  old,  men  and  women,  masters  and  ser¬ 
vants,  and  Titus  himself  ;  let  all  sorts  do 
their  respective  duties,  for  this  is  the  very 
aim  and  business  of  Christianity,  to  instruct, 
help,  and  form  persons,  under  all  distinc¬ 
tions  and  relations,  to  a  right  frame  and 
conduct.  For  this, 

(1.)  They  are  put  under  the  dispensation 
of  the  grace,  of  God,  so  the  Gospel  is  called, 
Eph.  3:2.  It  is  grace  in  respect  of  the 
spring  of  it,  and  as  the  means  of  conveying 
and  working  grace  in  the  hearts  of  believ¬ 
ers.  Grace  is  obliging  and  constraining  to 
goodness,  Rom.  6  :  12 — 14.  The  love  of 
Christ  constrains  us  not  to  live  to  self,  but  to 
Him,  2  Cor.  5:  14,  15.  without  this  effect, 
grace  is  received  in  vain. 

(2.)  This  gospel-grace  brings  salvation; 
it  reveals,  offers,  and  ensures  it  to  believers; 
salvation  from  sin  and  wrath,  from  death 
and  hell  ;  whence  it  is  called  the  Word  of 
life;  it  brings  to  faith,  and  so  to  life  ;  the 
life  of  holiness  now,  and  of  happiness  here¬ 
after.  Ami  more  inexcusable  will  the  neg- 
lecters  of  this  grace  of  God  bringing  salva¬ 
tion,  now'  be,  since, 

(3.)  It  hath  appeared,  or  shone  out,  more 
clearly  and  illustriously  than  ever  before. 
The  old  dispensation  was  comparatively  dark 
and  shadowy  ;  this  is  a  clear  and  shining 
light  ;  and  as  it  is  now' more  bright,  so  more 
diffused  and  extensive  also.  For, 

(4.)  It  hath  appeared  to  all  men  ;  not  to 
the  Jew's  only,  as  the  glory  of  God  appeared 
at  mount  Sinai  to  that  particular  people, 
and  out  of  the  view  of  all  others;  but  to  all, 
Gentiles  as  well  as  Jews.  The  publication 
of  it  is  free  and  general ;  Disciple  all  nations  ; 
Preach  the  Gospel  to  every  creature.  The  pale 
is  broken  down  ;  there  is  no  such  inclosnre 
now  as  formerly,  Rom.  16:26.  The  doc¬ 
trine  of  grace  and  salvation  by  the  Gospel  is 
for  all  ranks  and  conditions  of  men  ;  there¬ 
fore  engaging  and  encouraging  all  to  receive 
and  believe  it,  and  walk  suitably  to  it,  adorn¬ 
ing  it  in  all  things. 

(5.)  This  gospel-revelation  is  to  teach, 
and  not  by  way  of  information  and  instruc¬ 
tion  only,  as  a  schoolmaster  does  his  schol¬ 
ars  ;  but  by  way  of  precept  and  command, 
as  a  sovereign  who  gives  laws  unto  his  sub¬ 
jects.  The  Gospel  is  not  for  speculation  only 
or  chiefly,  but  for  practice,  and  right  order¬ 
ing  of  life.  It  teaches, 

[L]  T  b  abandon  sin  ;  Denying  ungodli¬ 
ness,  and  worldly  lusts  ;  to  renounce,  and 
have  no  more  to  do  with  these,  as  we  have 
had  ;  an  earthly,  sensual  conversation  suits 
not  a  heavenly  calling.  They  that  are  Christ's 
have  crucified  the  flesh  with  the  affections  and 
lusts.  They  have  done  it  by  covenant-en¬ 
gagement  and  promise,  and  have  initially  and 
prevailingly  done  it  in  act  ;  they  are  going 
on  in  the  work,  cleansing  themselves  more 
and  more  from  all  filthiness  of  flesh  and 
spirit.  Thus  the  Gospel  first  unteaches  that 
which  is  evil,  to  abandon  sin  ;  and  then, 

[2.]  To  make  conscience  of  that  which  is 
good  ;  To  live  soberly ,  righteously,  and  godly, 
in  this  present  world.  Religion  is  not  made 
up  of  negatives  only  ;  there  must  be  doing 
good  as  well  as  eschewing  evil  ;  in  these 
conjunctly  is  sincerity  proved,  and  the  Gos¬ 
pel  adorned.  Living  soberly,  with  respect 
to  ourselves,  in  the  due  government  of  our 


appetites  and  passions;  righteously,  towards 
all  men,  injuring  none, but  doing  good  tooth¬ 
ers,  according  to  our  ability  and  their  need. 
We  are  members  one.  of  another,  and  must  seek 
every  man  another's  wealth,  1  Cor.  10:24. 
12:25.  The  public,  especially,  which  in¬ 
cludes  the  interest  of  all,  must  have  the  re¬ 
gards  of  all.  Selfishness  is  a  sort  of  unright¬ 
eousness  ;  it  robs  others  of  that  share  in  us 
which  is  their  due.  Live  righteously,  there¬ 
fore,  as  well  as  soberly.  Ami  godly  toward 
God,  in  the  duties  of  his  worship  and  ser¬ 
vice.  Regards  to  Him,  indeed,  should  run 
through  all,  1  Cor.  10:31.  Personal  and 
relative  duties  must  be  done  in  obedience  to 
bis  commands,  with  due  aim  at  pleasing  and 
honoring  Him,  from  principles  of  holy  lo\e 
and  fear  of  Him.  This  is  godliness,  looking 
and  coming  to  God,  as  our  state  now  is,  not 
immediately,  but  as  lie  lias  manifested  Him¬ 
self  in  Christ;  so  does  the  Gospel  direct  and 
require.  To  go  to  God  any  other  way,  that 
is,  by  saints  or  angels,  is  unsuitable,  yea, 
contrary  to  the  gospel-rule  and  warrant. 
See  in  how  little  a  compass  our  duty  is  com¬ 
prised  ;  it  is  put  into  few  words,  denying 
ungodliness  and  worldly  lusts,  and  living  so¬ 
berly,  righteously,  and  godly,  in  this  pi  event 
world.  The  Gospel  teaches  us  not  only  how 
to  believe  and  hope  well,  but  also  to  lire  well, 
as  becomes  that  faith  and  hope,  in  this  present 
world,  but.  as  expectants  of  another  and  bit¬ 
ter.  There  is  the  i ootid  that  now  is,  and  that 
which  is  to  come  :  the  present  is  t lie  lime  and 
place  of  our  trial,  and  the  Gospel  teaches  113 
to  live  well  here,  but  not  as  our  final  state,  but 
with  an  eye  chiefly  to  -a  future.  For, 

[3.]  It  teaches  in  all  to  look  for  the  glo¬ 
ries  of  another  world,  to  which  a  sober, 
righteous,  and  godly  life  in  this  is  prepara¬ 
tive.;  Looking  for  that  blessed  hope,  and  the 
glorious  appearing  of  the  great  God  and  cur 
Savior  Jesus  Christ.  Hope,  by  a  metonymy, 
is  put  for  the  thing  hoped  for,  that  is,  heaven, 
called  emphatically  that  hope,  because  it  is 
the  great  thing  wc  look,  and  long,  and  wait 
for  ;  and  a  blessed  hope,  because,  when  at¬ 
tained,  we  shall  be  completely  happy  for 
ever.  And  the  glorious  appearing  of  the  great 
God  and  our  Savior  Jesus  Christ.  This  de¬ 
notes  both  the  time  of  the  accomplishing  our 
hope,  and  the  sureness  and  greatness  of  it. 
It  will  he  at  the  second  appearing  of  Christ, 
when  He  shall  come  in  his  own  glory,  and 
in  his  Father’s,  and  of  the  holy  angels,  Luke 
9:  26.  His  first  coming  was  in  meanness, 
to  satisfy  justice,  and  purchase  happiness  ; 
his  second  will  be  in  majesty,  to  bestow  and 
instate  his  people  in  it,  lleh.  9:28.  The 
great  God  and.  our  Savior  (or  even  our  Sav¬ 
ior)  Jesus  Christ  ;  for  they  are  not  twrn  sub¬ 
jects,  but  one  only,  as  appears  by  the  single 
article,  and  so  1  Cor.  15:24.  When  lie 
shall  have  delivered  up  the  kingdom  to  God, 
even  the  Father.  Christ,  then,  is  tile  great 
God,  not  figuratively,  as  magistrates  and 
others  are  sometimes  called  gods,  or  as  ap¬ 
pearing  and  acting  in  the  name  of  God,  but 
properly  and  absolutely  the.  true  God,  1  John 
5:20.  The  mighty  God,  Isa.  9:6.  Who , 
being  in  the  form  of  God,  thought  it  not  robbe¬ 
ry  to  be  equal  with  God.,  Phil.  2:  6.  In  his 
second  coming,  He  will  reward  his  servants, 
and  bring  them  to  glory  with  Him  At,  and 
in,  ths  glorious  appearing  of  Christ  will  the 


using  or  disposing  of  tile  provisions  of  the  family,  contrary  to  the  inten¬ 
tions  and  interests  of  their  masters;  nay,  frequently  they  affect  the 
praise  and  pride  of  generosity,  by  giving  away  the  property  of  their  mas¬ 
ters  to  dishonest  hangers  on,  who  acknowledge  the  obligation  by  recip¬ 
rocal  favors.  But  Christian  servants  must  be  taught  strict  honesty  in 
these  things.  Scott. 

(10.)  Purloining.]  ‘  No  term  better  represents  the  sense  than  pur¬ 
loining,  which,  though  it  designates  theft  of  every  kind,  especially  ad¬ 
verts  to  that  too  common  form  of  it,  by  which  servants  defraud  their 
masters  in  buying  or  selling,  or  such  other  frauds  as  are  denoted  by  the 
Latin  antevertere.’  Bloomf. — ‘  The  term  is  used  of  Ananias’  secreting 
a  part ,  where  the  whole  was  pretended  to  be  returned  ;  which  servants, 
at  least  among  the  heathens,  might  probably  do  when  emploved  by  their 
masters  to  vend  commodities.’  Doddr.— ‘  Unfaithfulness  in  that  which 
is  little,  and  unfaithfulness  in  that  which  is  much,  are  very  far  from  be¬ 
ing  regarded,  as  they  were  by  our  Great  Teacher  of  righteousness,  Lu. 


16:10.  under  the  same  aspect  of  criminality.  For  a  master  will  hear 
with  all  the  less  liberties  of  his  servants,  so  long  as  h  e  feels  them  to  he 
harmless;  and  it  is  not  till  lie  is  awakened  to  the  apprehension  of  per¬ 
sonal  injury  from  the  amount  or  frequency  of  the  embezzlements,  l lint 
his  moral  indignation  is  at  all  sensibly  awakened.  How  much  of  mer¬ 
cantile  righteousness  is  of  such  filthy  rnes  ;  how  much  is  founded  on  the 
idolatry  of  self;  how  vast  a  majority  of  all  equitable  dealing  is  on  the 
principle  of  selfishness  !’  Ch  almers. 

V.  11,  12.  The  holy  law  of  God,  indeed,  teaches  men  to  love  God  and 
each  other;  but,  requiring  perfect  obedience,  it  gives  sinners  neither 
injunction  nor  encouragement  to  repentance,  and  to  ‘works  meet  for 
repentance,’  or  to  deny  ungodliness  and  worldly  lusts.  It  shuts  them  tip 
under  sin,  and  leaves  them  in  that  stnte,  without  hope  or  help ;  for  ev¬ 
ery  command,  counsel,  and  encouragement  to  a  sinner,  properly  belongs 
not  to  the  law,  but  to  ‘  the  saving  grace  of  God,’  according  to  the  gos¬ 
pel.  S:6— 14, 19— 22.  r  eo  j  1 


A.  D.  66. 


TITUS,  II. 


The  glorious  hope  of  the  Gospel. 


13  Looking  r  for  that  blessed 
hope,  and  the  glorious  appearing 
‘  of  the  great  God  and  our  Savior 
Jesus  Christ ; 

14  Who  gave  1  himself  for  us, 
that  he  might  redeem  us  from  all 
u  iniquity,  and  purify  v  unto  himself 
a  peculiar  w  people,  zealous  1  of 
good  works. 

13  These  things  speak,  and  ex¬ 
hort,  and  rebuke  with  all  authority. 
Let  r  no  man  despise  thee. 

t  SPe.  3:12.  uPs.  130  8.  1  Pe.  2:9. 

»  Re.  1:7.  v  He.  9:14.  x  E[j.  2:10. 

t  Kp.  5:2.  w  De.  7:6.  y  1  Ti.  4.12. 

blessed  hope  of  Christians  be  attained  ; 
for  their  felicity  will  be  that,  To  be  where  He 
is,  and  to  behold  his  glory,  John  17:  24.  The 
glory  of  the  great  God  and  our  Savior  will 
then  break  out  as  the  sun.  Though,  in  the 
exercise  of  his  judiciary  power,  He  will 
appear  as  the  Son  of  Man,  yet  will  He  be 
mightily  declared  to  be  the  Son  of  God  too. 
Christians  are  marked  by  this, — expecting 
their  Master's  coming.  Mat.  24:  45.  Loving 
his  appearance,  2  Tim.  4:8.  Let  us,  then, 
look  to  this  hope;  the  day  or  hour  we  know 
not,  but  He  that  shall  come,  will  come,  and 
will  not  tarry ,  Heb.  10:  37.  Observe,  The 
comfort  and  joy  of  Christians  are,  that  their 
Savior  is  the  great  God,  and  will  gloriously 
manifest  Himself  at  his  second  coming. 
Were  He  not  thus  the  great  God,  and  not  a 
mere  creature,  He  could  not  be  their  Savior, 
or  their  Hope.  Thus  of  the  considerations 
to  enforce  the  directions  for  all  sorts,  to  their 
respective  duties,  from  the  nature  and  design 
of  the  Gospel,  which  is  to  teach  and  per¬ 
suade  to  those  things.  And  herewith  is  con¬ 
nected  another  ground  : 

2.  From  the  end  of  Christ’s  death,  v.  14. 
To  bring  us  to  holiness  and  happiness  was 
the  end  of  Christ’s  death,  as  well  as  the 
scope  of  his  doctrine.  Here  we  have, 

(1.)  The  Purchaser  of  salvation  ;  Jesus 
Christ,  that  great  God,  and  our  Savior,  who 
saves  not  simply  as  God,  much  less  as  Man 
alone  ;  but  as  God-man,  two  natures  in  one 
Person;  Man,  that  He  might  obey,  and  suf¬ 
fer,  and  die,  for  man  ;  and  God,  that  He 
might  support  the  manhood,  give  worth  and 
efficacy  to  his  undertakings,  have  due  re¬ 
gard  to  the  rights  and  honor  of  the  Deity, 


as  well  as  the  good  of  his  creatures,  and 
bring  about  the  latter  to  the  glory  of  the 
former.  Such  a  one  became  us,  and  this  was, 

(2.)  The  price  of  our  redemption  ;  He 
gave  Himself ;  the  Father  gave  Him,  but  He 
gave  Himself  too,  John  10:  17,  18.  so  John 
17:19.  The  human  nature  was  the  offer¬ 
ing,  and  the  divine  the  altar,  sanctifying  the 
gift,  and  the  whole  the  act  of  the  Person. 
He  who  was  God,  suffered,  though  not  as 
God.  The  acts  and  properties  of  either  na¬ 
ture  are  attributed  to  the  person.  God  pur¬ 
chased  his  church  with  his  own  blood,  Acts 
20:  28.  1  Tim.  2:  6.  He  was  the  Priest  and 
Sacrifice  too.  We  are  redeemed,  not  with 
silver  and  gold,  but  the  precious  blood  of  Christ, 

1  Pet.  1:  18,  19.  called  the  blood  of  God, 
Acts  20:  28.  of  Him  who  is  God. 

(3.)  The  persons  for  whom:  For  us,  poor 
perishing  sinners,  gone  off’ from  God,  and 
turned  rebels  against  H  im  ;  for  us,  not  only 
for  our  good,  but  in  our  stead,  1  Pet.  3:  18. 

2  Cor.  5:21.  Wonderful  condescension  and 
grace  !  He  loved  us,  and  gave  Himself  for 
us;  what  can  we  do  less  than  love  and  give 
up  ourselves  to  Him  1  Especially  consid¬ 
ering, 

(4.)  The  ends  of  his  giving  Himself  for  us, 

[1.]  That  He  might  redeem  us  from  all 
iniquity.  To  love  and  live  in  sin,  is  to  tram¬ 
ple  under  foot  redeeming  blood,  to  despise 
and  reject  one  of  the  greatest  benefits  of  it, 
and  to  act  counter  to  its  design.  Happy  end 
and  fruit  of  Christ’s  death,  redemption  from 
all  iniquity  !  Christ  died  for  this  ;  and, 

[2.]  To  purify  to  Himself  a  peculiar  peo¬ 
ple.  Christ  died  to  purify,  as  well  as  to 
pardon  ;  to  obtain  grace,  to  heal  the  nature, 
as  well  as  to  free  from  guilt  and  condemna¬ 
tion.  He  gave  Himself  for  his  church,  to 
cleanse  it.  Thus  does  He  make  to  Himself  a 
peculiar  people,  by  purifying  them.  Observe, 
Redemption  from  sin,  and  sanctification  of 
the  nature,  go  together,  and  both  make  a 
peculiar  people  unto  God  :  freedom  from 
guilt  and  condemnation,  and  from  the  pow¬ 
er  of  lusts,  and  purification  of  soul  by  the 
Spirit. 

[3.]  Zealous  of  good  worlcs.  This  peculiar 
people,  as  they  are  made  so  by  grace  purifving 

them,  so  must  they  be  seen  to  be  so,  by  do¬ 
ing  good,  and  a  zeal  therein.  Observe,  The 
Gospel  is  not  a  doctrine  of  licentiousness, 
but  of  holiness  and  good  life.  Let  us  see, 

then,  that  we  do  good,  and  have  zeal  in  it; 


only  looking  that  zeal  be  guided  by  knowl¬ 
edge  and  spirited  with  love,  directed  to  the 
glory  of  God,  and  always  in  some  good 
thing.  And  thus  of  the  motive  to  the  duties 
directed,  from  the  end  of  Christ’s  death. 
Then, 

[4.]  The  apostle  closes  the  ch.,  as  he  be¬ 
gan  it,  with  a  summary  direction  to  Titus 
on  the  whole. 

V.  15.  Here  is  the  matter  and  manner  of* 
ministers’  teaching,  and  a  special  instruc¬ 
tion  to  Titus  in  reference  to  himself. 

1.  The  matter  of  ministers’  teaching  ; 
These  things,  that  is,  the  before-mentioned; 
not  Jewish  fables  and  traditions,  but  (lie 
truths  and  duties  of  the  Gospel,  of  avoiding 
sin,  and  living  soberly,  righteously,  and  godly, 
in  this  present  world.  Observe,  Ministers,  in 
their  preaching,  must  keep  close  to  the  Word 
of  God,  1  Pet.  4:11.  If  any  man  speak,  let 
him  speak  as  the  oracles  of  God,  and  not  the 
figments  and  inventions  of  his  own  brain. 

2.  The  manner;  by  doctrine,  and  exhorta¬ 
tion,  and  reproof  with  all  authority,  2  Tim. 
3:  16.  Here  is  what  will  furnish  for  all 
parts  of  his  duty,  and  the  right  discharge  of 
them.  The  great  and  necessary  truths  and 
duties  of  the  Gospel,  especially,  these  speak 
and  exhort,  press  with  much  earnestness.  Min¬ 
isters  must  not  be  cold  and  lifeless  in  deliv¬ 
ering  heavenly  doctrine  and  precepts,  as  if 
they  were  indifferent  things  or  of  little  con¬ 
cern  ;  hut  must  urge  them  with  earnestness 
suitable  to  their  nature  and  importance. 
And  rebuke  ;  convince  and  reprove  such  as 
contradict  or  gainsay,  or  neglect  and  receive 
not  the  truth,  as  they  should,  or  retain  it  in 
unrighteousness,  who  hear  it  not  with  such 
a  believing  and  obedient  mind  and  heart  as 
they  ought.  Rebuke  with  all  authority,  as 
coming  in  the  name  of  God,  and  armed  with 
his  threatenings  and  discipline,  which  who¬ 
ever  make  light  of  it,  at  their  peril  it  will  be. 

3.  Here  is  a  special  instruction  to  Titus 
in  reference  to  himself;  ‘  Let  no  man  despise 
thee;  give  no  occasion  to  do  so,  nor  suffer  it 
without  reproof,  considering  that  he  who 
despiseth,  despiseth  not  man,  but  God.'  Or 
thus  :  ‘  Speak  and  exhort  these  things  ;  press 
them  on  all,  as  they  may  respectively  be 
concerned;  with  boldness  and  faithfulness 
reprove  sin  ;  and  carefully  look  to  thyself 
and  thy  own  conduct,  and  then  none  will 
despise  thee.’ 

Perhaps,  too,  an  admonition  might  be 


TRACT.  OBS.  It  ‘becomes  sound  doctrine,’  and  it  is  indispensably 
incumbent  on  ministers,  to  teach  all  Christians  their  several  relative 
duties,  in  connexion  with  evangelical  principles. — In  proportion  as 
Christians  advance  in  years,  they  are  supposed  to  understand  better 
what  behavior,  appearance,  attire,  and  language  ‘  become  holiness.' — 
The  excellence  of  true  religion  is  manifested,  when  every  one  is  taught 
anil  induced  by  ii  to  attend  on  the  duties  of  their  several  situations,  and 
elderly  persons  are  under  strong  obligations  to  be  teachers  of  good 
things  to  their  juniors,  by  word  and  deed. — Uncorrupt  doctrine,  even 
‘the  Word  of  the  truth  of  the  Gospel,’  should  be  manifestly  made  the 
basis  of  practical  exhortations,  whicii  ought  to  be  delivered  with'grau- 
ilij.  as  well  as  with  sincerity,  and  wholly  remote  from  all  levity,  or 
affectation  of  wit  and  humor,  that  ‘sound  speech,  which  cannot  be  con¬ 
demned,’  may  put  to  shame  and  silence  captious  and  malicious  oppo- 
sers.  1  Cor.  14:29 — 25. — As  no  rank  in  the  community  raises  men  above 
the  minister’s  admonition,  so  none  places  them  beneath  his  attention. 
The  conduct  of  the  [lowest]  servant  may  disgrace,  or  it  may  ‘adorn, 
the  doctrine  of  God  our  Savior.’ — The  divine  law  teaches  us  godliness, 
righteousness,  temperance,  and  universal  holiness;  but  the  ‘grace  of 


God  which  bringeth  salvation’  alone  ‘  teaches  us’  sinners,  ‘to  deny 
ungodliness,  and  worldly  lusts,  and  to  live  ‘soberly,  righteously,  and 
godly  in  this  present  world.’  How  greatly  then  are  they  mistaken,  xvlio 
would  inculcate  these  practical  subjects,  without  leading  men’s  atten¬ 
tion  primarily  to  the  mercy  and  grace  of  God  in  Christ,  for  instruction, 
motives,  help,  and  encouragement;  thus  vainly  expecting  good  fruit 
from  the  ungrafted  crab-stock  I — The  more  evidently  we  are  ‘redeemed 
from  all  iniquity,  and  purified  ’  unto  Christ  'as  a  peculiar  people,  zeal¬ 
ous  of  good  works,’  the  clearer  will  our  evidence  be  of  an  interest  in  his 
righteousness  and  atonement;  and  tile  brighter  our  hope  of  eternal  felic¬ 
ity,  and  the  further  we  are  removed  from  boasting,  or  trusting  in  imag¬ 
inary  good  works,  that  we  may  glory  in  Christ  alone;  the  more  7,ealous 
shall  we  become,  of  abounding  in  real  good  works  ;  performed  in  an  up¬ 
right,  humble,  believing  manner,  to  the  glory  of  our  Lord,  and  the  benefit 
of  his  people,  and  of  mankind.  May  all  ministers  speak  these  things  de¬ 
cidedly,  enforce  them  with  earnestness,  and  ‘rebuke’  opposers  and  per- 
verters  of  the  Gospel,  and  also  negligent  Christians,  ‘  with  all  authority  ;’ 
and  may  their  doctrine  and  example  secure  them  from  the  contempt  of 
all,  except  that  of  the  avowed  despisers  of  Christ  and  his  salvation  !  Sc. 


V.  13.  The  great  God  and  our  Savior  Jesus  Christ.]  ‘The  most 
natural  and  obvious  interpretation  is  surely  that  of  the  ancients  except 
the  Arians,  Sec.)  and  all  the  earlier  moderns,  (except  the  heterodox,  and 
also  Erasm.  and  Grot.,  who  appeal  to  Hilary  and  Ambros.,)  namely, 
“  the  glorious  appearing  of  our  great  God  and  Savior  Jesus  Christ.” 
And  surely,  if  the  doctrine  of  the  article ,  propounded  by  the  learned 
prelate  (Bp.  Middleton]  have  any  truth,  (as  it  undoubtedly  has  some,)  no 
other  version  can  be  admitted.  But,  waving  that  argument,  great 
weight  ought,  in  this  ease,  to  be  ascribed  to  the  opinion  of  the  Greek 
heathens,  certainly  the  best  judges  of  the  nice  proprieties  of  their  lan¬ 
guage.  The  argument  used  by  Beza  and  Whitby,  that  appearing  [the 
original  epiphaneia ]  is  nowhere  used  in  the  New  Test,  of  God,  but  of 
Christ,  has  never  been  answered,  and  is,  I  think,  unanswerable.  For  it 
is  in  vain  to  urge,  that  not  God,  but  the  glory  of  God  is  spoken  of;  since 
glory  is  there,  by  a  common  Hebraism,  put  [as  in  the  English  transla¬ 
tion]  for  the  adjective  glorious,  and  belongs  to  appearing.  This  too  is 
fully  supported  by  the  authority  of  Greek  fathers  ;  and  Theoph.  observes, 
that  this  is  called  his  glorious  advent,  (q.s  Mat.  25:31.)  in  opposition  to 
liis first  advent  in  humility  (in  the  flesh).  Comp.  2  Tim.  4:9.  ..  I  can¬ 
not  but  suspect  that  all  our  translators,  have  been  influenced  more  than 

[502] 


they  were  aware,  by  an  argument,  specious,  indeed,  and  employed  by 
the  maintainers  of  the  new  version,  namely,  that  Jesus  Christ  is 
nowhere  styled  the  great  God.  To  which  I  would  answer,  that  the 
great,  belonging  to  both  God  and  Savior,  alters  the  case,  and  removes 
the  objection.  The  sense  is  plainly  this  “  the  glorious  appearance  of 
that  great  being,  ivho  is  our  God  and  Savior.”  I  cannot  omit  to  ob¬ 
serve,  that  the  who,  just  after,  countenances  this  version  ;  since,  had  two 
persons  been  spoken  of,  it  would  have  been  harsh  to  have  suspended  on 
that  sentence  a  clause,  m  whicii  one  only  was  meant.’  Bloomf. — 
‘  This  interpretation,  [that  set  forth  above,]  was  the  only  one  ever  set 
forth  in  all  the  ancient  churches.’  Wadsworth,  in  Henry ,  abr. 

V.  14.  Surely  these  vs.  are  calculated,  in  the  most  conclusive  and 
affecting  manner,  to  lead  us  to  the  confession  of  Christ  by  Thomas, 
1  My  Lord,  and  my  God  !  ’ — The  view'  of  Christ,  as  Judge,  in  the  pre¬ 
ceding  v.,  and  in  this  v.,  as  He,  to  whom  all  believers  are  devoted,  1  to 
live  no  longer  to  themselves  but  to  Him,’  as  ‘a  peculiar  people,  zealous 
of  good  works,’  concur  to  establish  this  conclusion;  for  ‘Jehovah  will 
not  give  his  glorv  to  another.’  2  Cor.  5:13 — 15.  Scott. 

V.  15.  Authority.]  1:3.  Horn.  16:26.  1  Cor.  7:6,  25.  2  Cor.  8:3.  ‘Not 
as  a  counsel,  but  with  all  the  peremptoriness  of  command.’  Leigh.  Sc. 


A.  D.  66. 


TITUS,  III. 


Civil  obedience  enjoined. 


CHAP.  III. 

1  Titus  if,  vc(  further  <lirectecl  by  Paul,  both  concerning  the 
thing*  lie  should  teach,  and  not  teach.  10  lie  is  willed 
also  to  reject  obstinate  heretics  :  1*2  which  done,  he  ap¬ 
pointed)  him  both  time  and  place,  wherein  he  should 
come  unto  him,  and  so  concludeth. 

pU'I'  them  in  mind  to  be  subject 
-L  1  to  principalities  and  powers, 
to  obey  magistrates,  to  be  ready  to 
every  good  work, 

2  To  speak  evil  of  no  man,  to  be 
no  brawlers,  but  gentle,  shewing  all 
b  meekness  unto  ail  men. 

3  For  we  c  ourselves  also  were 
sometimes  foolish,  disobedient,  de- 

a  Ro.  13:1.  b  Ep.  i:2.  c  1  Co.  6:11,  1  Pe.4:3. 

here  intended  to  the  people  ;  that  Titus, 
though  young,  and  but  a  substitute  of  the 
apostle,  yet  should  not  be  contemned  by 
them,  but  considered  and  respected  as  a 
faithful  minister  of  Christ,  and  encouraged 
and  supported  in  his  work  and  office,  1  Tltes. 
5:  12,  13.  Mind  the  teaching  of  such,  respect 
their  persons, support  them  in  their  function, 
and,  what  in  you  lies,  further  their  endeav¬ 
ors  for  the  honor  of  God  and  the  salvation 
of  souls. 


Chap.  III.  V.  1,  2.  Here  is  the  fourth 
thing  in  the  matter  of  the  epistle.  The  apos¬ 
tle  had  directed  Titus  in  reference  to  the 
particular  and  special  duties  of  several  sorts 
of  persons;  now  he  bids  him  exhort  to  what 
concerned  them  more  in  common  ;  to  quiet¬ 
ness  and  submission  to  rulers,  and  readiness 
to  do  good,  and  to  equitable  and  gentle  be¬ 
havior  towards  all  men  ;  things  comely  and 
ornamental  of  religion  ;  he  must  therefore 
put  them  in  mind  of  such  things.  Ministers, 
as  they  are  remembrancers  for  the  people  to 
God  in  prayers,  Isa.  62:  6.  so  are  they  from 
God  to  them  in  preaching,  2  Pet.  1:12. 
Forgetfulness  of  duty  is  a  common  frailty  ; 
there  is  need,  therefore,  of  reminding  and 
quickening  them  thereto.  Here  are  the  du¬ 
ties  themselves,  and  the  reasons  of  them. 

I.  l'he  duties  themselves. 

1.  Put  them  in  mind  to  be  subject  to  princi- 
pohties  and  powers,  to  obey  magistrates.  The 
Christian  religion  was  misrepresented  by  its 


adversaries,  as  prejudicial  to  the  rights  of 
princes  and  civil  powers,  and  tending  to  j 
faction  and  sedition,  and  to  rebellion  against  j 
lawful  authority;  therefore,  to  put  to  silence  : 
the  ignorance  of  foolish  men,  and  stop  the 
mouths  of  malicious  enemies,  Christians  ! 
must  lie  reminded  to  show  themselves  exam¬ 
ples  rather  of  all  due  subjection  and  obedi¬ 
ence  to  government.  Natural  desire  of  lib¬ 
erty  must  be  guided  and  bounded  by  reason 
and  Scripture.  Spiritual  privileges  do  not 
make  void  or  weaken,  but  confirm  and  I 
strengthen,  their  obligations  to  civil  duties  : 
remind  them,  therefore,  to  be  subject  to  prin¬ 
cipalities  and  powers,  and  to  obey  magistrates. 
And, 

2.  To  be  ready  to  every  good  work.  Some 
refer  this  to  such  good  works  as  are  requir¬ 
ed  by  magistrates,  and  within  their  sphere; 
but  though  this  he  included,  if  not  first  in¬ 
tended,  yet  is  it  not  to  be  hereto  restrained. 
It  regards  doing  good  in  all  kinds,  and  on 
every  occasion  that  may  offer,  whether  re-  I 
specting  God,  ourselves,  or  our  neighbors; 
what  may  bring  credit  to  religion  in  the 
world,  Phil.  4:8.  Mere  harmlessness,  or  S 
good  words  and  good  meanings  only,  are  not 
enough  without  good  works.  ‘  Not  only  take, 
but  seek,  occasion  for  doing  good;  keep  fit¬ 
ness  and  readiness  that  way  ;  put  it  not  off 
to  others,  but  embrace  and  lay  hold  on  it 
thyself;  delight  and  rejoice  therein;  put 
all  in  mind  of  this.’  And, 

3.  To  speak  evil  of  no  man  ;  to  revile,  or 
curse,  or  blaspheme  none;  or  (as  our  transla¬ 
tion  more  generally)  to  speak  evil  of  none, 
unjustly  and  falsely,  or  unnecessarily,  with¬ 
out  call,  and  when  it  may  do  hurt,  but  no 
good,  to  the  person  himself  or  any  other  : 
rather  than  speak  evil  unnecessarily,  say 
nothing.  We  must  never  take  pleasure  in 
speaking  ill  of  others,  or  make  the  worst  of 
anything,  but  the  best  we  can.  Misrepre¬ 
sentations,  or  ill  insinuations  of  bad  intent, 
or  of  hypocrisy  in  what  is  done,  things  out 
of  our  reach  or  cognizance,  these  come  with¬ 
in  the  reach  of  this  prohibition.  As  this 
evil  is  too  common,  so  it  is  of  great  malig¬ 
nity,  Jam.  1:26.  loose,  uncharitable  talk  is 
displeasing  to  God, and  hurtful  among  men, 
Prov.  17:9.  This  is  among  the  sins  to  be 


put  off,  Eph.  4:31.  remind  them,  therefore, 
to  avoid  this.  And, 

4.  To  be  no  brawlers;  no  fighters,  either 
with  hand  or  tongue,  no  quarrelsome,  con¬ 
tentious  persons,  apt  to  give  or  return  ill  and 
provoking  language.  A  holy  contending  there 
is  for  matters  good  and  important,  and  in  a 
manner  suitable  and  becoming,  not  with 
wrath  or  injurious  violence.  Christians  must 
follow  the  things  that  make  for  peace,  and 
that  in  a  peaceful,  not  a  rough  and  boister¬ 
ous  and  hurtful  way,  but  as  becomes  the  ser¬ 
vants  of  the  God  of  peace  and  love,  Rom. 
12:  19.  this  is  the  Christian’s  wisdom  and 
duty.  The  glory  of  a  man  is  to  pass  over  a 
transgression  :  it  is  the  duly  of  a  reasonable, 
and  therefore  certainly  of  a  Christian  man, 
whose  reason  is  improved  and  advanced  by 
religion  ;  such  may  not,  will  not,  presently 
fall  I'otd  on  one  who  has  offended  him;  lint, 
like  God,  will  he  slow  to  anger,  and  ready  to 
forgive.  Wherefore  it  follows, 

5.  But  gentle  ;  equitable  ami  just,  or  can¬ 
did  and  fair  in  constructions  of  things,  not 
taking  words  or  actions  in  the  worst  sense; 
and,  for  peace,  sometimes  yielding  some¬ 
what  of  strict  right.  And, 

6.  Showing  all  meekness  to  all  men.  We 
must  be  of  a  mild  disposition,  and  not  only 
have  meekness  in  our  hearts,  lint  show  it  in 
our  speech  and  conduct.  All  meekness ; 
meekness  in  all  instances  and  occasions,  not 
toward  friends  only,  but  to  all  men,  though 
still  with  wisdom,  as  James  admonishes, 
ch.  3:  13.  Thus  of  the  duties  themselves, 
which  Titus  was  to  put  people  in  mind  of ; 
for  which, 

II.  He  adds  the  reasons  : 

V.  3.  1.  The  reasons  are  derived  from 

their  own  past  condition.  Consideration  of 
men’s  natural  condition  is  a  great  mean 
and  ground  of  equity  and  gentleness,  and  all 
meekness  toward  those  who  are  yet  in  such 
a  state.  This  h  as  a  tendency  to  abate  pride, 
and  work  pity  and  hope  in  reference  to  those 
who  are  yet  unconverted.  Their  past  nat¬ 
ural  condition  is  set  forth  in  divers  particu¬ 
lars.  We  ourselves  also  were  sometimes, 

(1.)  Foolish;  without  true  spiritual  un¬ 
derstanding  and  knowledge,  ignorant  of 
heavenly  things.  And, 


NOTES.  Chap.  III.  V.  1,  2.  ‘Principalities  and  powers,’  or  civil 
governors.]  These  were  idolaters,  and  generally  oppressive  and  inju¬ 
rious ;  vet  the  apostle,  during  his  short  abode  in  Crete,  had  taught  an 
unreserved  subjection  to  them,  except  in  matters  of  conscience  towards 
God.  Hut,  as  the  Cretians  would  be  apt  to  forget  his  admonitions,  they 
were  to  lie  ‘stirred  up  in  the  wav  of  remembrance,’  that  so  no  disgrace 
might  he  brought  oil  the  Gospel,  by  the  turbulent  spirits  and  conduct 
of  professed  Christians. — It  signifies  promptitude  in  obeying  superiors. 
Magistrates  are  not  mentioned,  yet  they  are  primarily,  but  not  exclu¬ 
sively  intended  ;  husbands,  parents,  and  masters  seem  also  included.  Sc. 

(1.)  To  obey  magistrates .]  ‘  Every  individual,  by  entering  society, 

promises,  1.  That  he  will  abstain  from  every  violation  of  tile  law  of  re¬ 
ciprocity,  which,  if  universally  permitted,  would  destroy  society.  For, 
if  he  be  allowed  to  violate  it,  Ihe  allowance  to  violate  it  must  he  extend¬ 
ed  to  alt,  since  all  are  equals  in  rights  ;  and  thus  society  would  he  de¬ 
stroyed.  2.  To  surrender  to  society  the  right  of  seif-protection,  and  3. 
the  right  to  redress  his  own  wrongs.  On  the  other  hand,  society  prom¬ 
ises.  1.  To  protect  the  individual  in  the  enjoyment  of  all  his  rights;  i.  e. 
to  enforce  upon  every  individual,  within  certain  limits,  obedience  to  the 
law  of  reciprocity.  2.  To  redress  wrongs,  either  by  obliging  the  oflen- 
der  to  do  justly,  or  else  by  .indicting  such  punishment  as  may  be  most 
.likely  to  prevent  a  repetition  of  the  injury,  either  hv  the  offender  or  by_ 
others. — These  obligations  are  on  both  parts  mutual  and  universal;  one 
wholly  and  entirely  surrenders  the  right  to  defend  or  redress  himself, — 
the  other  guarantees  to  defend  and  do  him  justice  to  the  utmost,  i.  e.  in 
no  matter  how  small  a  right,  and  no  matter  at  how  great  an  expense. 
Hence  the  obligation  of  every  one  to  exert  himself  to  the  uttermost,  in 
order  to  enforce  the  execution  of  the  laws,  no  matter  in  how  small  a 
matter,  or  in  the  case  of  how  obscure  an  individual.  If  laws  are  not 
executed,  i.  e.  if  individuals  are  not  protected,  and  wrongs  are  not  re¬ 
dressed  by  society,  the  individuals  will  [attempt  to]  redress  themselves, 
and  thus  society  will  he  dissolved.  The  occurrence  of  mobs,  i.  e.  of 
extra  legal  modes  of  redress  for  supposed  grievances,  are  among  the 
most  decisive  indications  of  a  state  of  society  verging  towards  dissolu¬ 
tion.  ..  .  When  conscience  does  not  forbid,  it  is  the  business  of  a  good 
citizen  to  obey  t lie  laws  ;  and  the  faithful  obedience  to  an  unwise  law, 
is  generally  the  surest  way  of  working  its  overthrow.  The  cause  of 
civil  liberty  has  always  gained  more  by  martyrdom  than  xvar  ;  and  the 
best  course,  when  society  exerts  its  power  beyond  its  constituted  limits, 
is,  siilfcring  in  the  cause  of  right.  Passive  ohedience  would  in  some 
cases  he  wrong,  for  we  must  obey  God  at  all  hazards  ;  resistance  by  force 
destroys  the  social  fabric,  is  of  uncertain  success,  anti  civil  war  is,  of  all 
evils,  the  most  horrible  which  men  inflict  upon  themselves.  Passive 
obedience  may  arise  from  servile  fear ;  resistance  from  vainglory,  am¬ 
bition,  or  desire  of  revolution.  But  suffering  for  the  sake  of  right, 


can  arise  only  from  a  love  of  justice,  and  hatred  of  oppression.  The 
real  spirit  of  liberty  can  never  exist,  in  any  remarkable  degree,  in  any 
nation  where  there  is  not  this  willingness  to  sutler  ill  the  cause  of  jus¬ 
tice  and  liberty.  Ever  so  little  of  the  spirit  of  martyrdom,  is  always  a 
more  favorable  indication  to  civilization,  than  ever  so  much  dexterity 
of  party  management,  or  ever  so  turbulent  protestation  of  immaculate 
patriotism.’  Wayland. 

(1,2.)  'That  hatred  of  despotism,  and  those  insurrectionary  move¬ 
ments  of  volcanic  power  to  throw  ofT  the  incumbent  mass,  in  other 
countries,  would  in  ours  be  turned  against  law  and  order,  and  terminate 
in  anarchy  arid  despotism.  It  must  never  be  forgotten,  that  insurrec¬ 
tions  AGAINST  ARBITRARY  POWER,  TEND  TO  LIBERTY,  BUT  INSURREC¬ 
TIONS  against  law,  to  DESPOTISM;  and  that  all  the  tendencies  of  a 
republic,  are  to  the  deterioration  of  efficient  government,  from  the  muti¬ 
nous  encroachments  of  the  popular  will  upon  law, — as  in  monarchies, 
the  tendencies  are  to  despotism  from  the  ascendency  of  aristocratic 
power.  Tiie  one  accumulates  personal  liberty,  till  the  restraints  of  law 
fail  before  it,  and  anarchy  enters.  The  oilier  accumulates  and  combines 
governmental  influence  and  force,  till  liberty  falls  in  the  streets,  and 
equity  cannot  enter.  This  tendency  of  personal  liberty ,  to  the  subver¬ 
sion  of  the  taws,  is  with  us  the  epidemic  of  the  day.  Our  politicians 
have  so  long. and  so  constantly  assured  the  sovereign  people  of  their 
power,  that  they  have  taken  it  into  their  heads  to  be  above  not  only 
their  rulers,  but  above  themselves,  as  acting  by  their  own  officers  and 
laws  ;  so  that,  by  the  deceitful  influence  of  our  institutions,  that  efficien¬ 
cy  of  government,  and  those  habits  of  subordination,  so  indispensable  to 
qualify  us  for  a  spontaneous  obedience  to  law,  are  fast  failing;  ami  the 
lnw  is  called  to  disclose  its  impotence,  to  control  a  population  from 
abroad  and  at  home,  furious  in  passion,  haughty  in  pride,  and  indomita¬ 
ble  in  will.  The  result  is,  brawls,  assaults  and  batteries,  in  high  places 
and  low,  duels,  assassinations,  robberies,  conflagrations,  and  mobs,  and 
ail  the  symptoms  of  a  fast  approaching  dissolution.  We  arc  fast  going 
down  stream,  with  all  the  accelerating  power  of  passion,  wind,  and 
tide  ;  and,  unless  the  nation  can  he  awakened,  we  shall  go  down.  The 
greatest  practicable  liberty ,  ties  on  the  perilous  edge  of  a  precipice , — 
a  yawning  gulf  beneath.  The  youth  of  our  land,  are  the  chosen  hand, 
which  heaven  has  brought  into  being  in  this  eventful  day,  to  see  to  it 
that  no  ruthless  hand,  in  the  hour  of  our  thoughtless  security,  shall 
thrust  us  over.  I  commit  my  country,  young  men,  to  you.  Be  watch¬ 
ful,  be  faithful  to  yourselves,  your  country,  and  your  God  ;  and  let  the 
motto,  “  Liberty  and  I.aw,”  in  letters  of  (Ire,  blaze  on  the  walls  of 
every  college  in  the  land,  and  all  will  be  well.’  Dr.  Beecher. 

V.  3.  Hateful.']  Stugltoi :  ‘hateful  as  hell,  from  Stux,  the  Styx, 
[fabled  to  be  the  sluggish  river  of  Hades.’]  Leigh.  Scott. 

[503] 


A.  D.  G6. 


TITUS,  III. 


The  character  of  an  unconverted  state. 


ceived,  serving  divers  lusts  and 
pleasures,  living  in  malice  and 
envv,  hateful,  and  hating  one  an- 
other. 

4  But  after  that  the  kindness  and 
d  love  of  God  our  Savior  toward 
man  appeared, 

5  Not  e  by  works  of  righteous¬ 
ness  which  we  have  done,  but  ac¬ 
cording  to  his  mercy  he  saved  us, 
by  the  washing  of  regeneration, 
ami  renewing  of  the  Holy  Ghost ; 

6  Which  he  shed  on  us  Abun¬ 
dantly,  through  Jesus  Christ  our 
Savior  ; 

d  or,  pity.  e  Ep.  2:4, 8, 9.  f  or,  richly. 


(2.)  Disobedient;  lieady  and  unpersuada¬ 
ble,  resisting  tile  Word,  and  rebellious  even 
against  the  natural  laws  of  God,  and  those 
which  human  society  requires.  Well  are 
these  set  together,  foolish  and  disobedient . 
For  what  folly  like  this,  to  disobey  God  and 
his  laws,  natural  or  revealed  ? 

(3.)  Deceived,  or  wandering;  that  is,  out 
of  the  ways  of  truth  and  holiness.  Man,  in 
this  his  degenerate  stute,  is  of  a  straying 
nature,  thence  compared  to  a  lost  sheep,  Ps. 
119:  176.  He  is  weak,  and  ready  to  be 
imposed  on  by  the  wiles  and  subtleties  of 
Satan,  and  of  men  lying  in  wait  to  seduce 
ami  mislead. 

(4.)  Serving  divers  lusts  and  pleasures;  as 
vassals  and  slaves  under  them.  Observe, 
Men  deceived  are  easily  entangled  and  in- 
snared.  See  here  too  what  a  different  no¬ 
tion  the  Word  gives  of  a  sensual  and  fleshly 
life  from  what  the  world  generally  has  of  it. 
Carnal  people  think  they  enjoy  their  pleas¬ 
ures;  the  Word  calls  it  servitude  and  vassal- 
age;  they  are  very  drudges  and  bond-staves 
unto  them.  Observe,  It  is  the  misery  of 
the  servants  of  sin,  that  they  have  many 
masters;  one  lust  hurrying  them  one  way, 
and  another  another.  What  vile  slaves  are 
sinners,  while  they  conceit  themselves  free  I 

(5.)  Living  in  malice  ;  one  of  those  lusts 
that  bear  rule  in  them.  Malice  desires  hurt 
to  another,  and  rejoices  in  it. 

(6.)  And  envy  ;  which  grudges  and  re¬ 
pines  at  another's  good,  frets  at  his  prosper¬ 
ity  and  success  in  anything  ;  both  roots  of 
bitterness,  whence  many  evils  spring;  evil 
thoughts  and  speeches,  tongues  set  on  fire  of 
hell,  detracting  from,  and  impairing,  the 
just  and  due  praises  of  others.  Their  words 
are  swords,  wherewith  they  slay  the  good 
name  and  honor  of  their  neighbor;  the  sin 
ol  Satan,  and  of  Cain,  who  was  of  that  evil 
one,  and  slew  his  brother.  These  were 
some  of  the  sins  in  which  we  lived  in  our 
natural  state.  And, 

(7.)  Hateful,  or  odious ;  deserving  to  be 
hated. 

(8.)  And  haling  one  another.  Observe, 
Those  that  are  sinl'uL  living  and  allowing 
themselves  in  sin,  are  hateful  to  God  and  all 
good  men.  It  is  the  misery  of  sinners,  that 
they  hate  one  another,  as  it  is  the  duty  and 
happiness  of  saints  to  love  one  another. 
The  consideration  of  its  having  been  thus 
with  us,  should  moderate  our  spirits,  and 
dispose  ns  to  he  more  equal  and  gentle, 
meek  and  tender-hearted,  toward  those  who 


are  such.  I'll  is  is  the  argument  from  their 
own  past  condition  here  described.  And  he 
reasons, 

2.  From  their  present  state.  We  are 
delivered  out  of  that  our  miserable  condition 
by  no  merit  or  strength  of  our  own  ;  hut 
only  by  the  mercy  and  free  grace  of  God, 
and  merit  of  Christ,  and  operation  of  his 
Spirit  ;  therefore  we  have  no  ground,  in 
respect  of  ourselves,  to  contemn  those  who 
are  yet  unconverted,  but  rather  to  pity 
them,  and  cherish  hope  concerning  them, 
that  they,  though  in  themselves  as  unworthy 
and  unmeet  as  we  were,  yet  may  obtain 
mercy,  as  we  have;  and  so  on  this  occasion 
the  apostle  again  opens  the  causes  of  our 
salvation,  v.  4 — 7. 

V.  4 — 7.  1.  Here  is,  The  prime  Author 
of  our  salvation ;  God  the  Father,  therefore 
termed  here  God  our  Savior.  God,  the  Fa¬ 
ther,  is  a  Savior  by  Christ,  through  the 
Spirit,  John  3:  16.  Eph.  1:3.  Rom.  5:11. 

2.  The  spring  and  rise  of  it;  the  divine 
philanthropy ,  or  kindness  and  love  of  God  to 
man.  By  grace  we  are  saved,  from  first  to 
last;  this  is  the  ground  and  motive;  God’s 
pity  and  mercy  to  man  in  misery  were  the 
first  wheel,  or  rather  the  Spirit  in  the 
wheels,  that  sets  and  keeps  them  all  in  mo-, 
lion.  God  is  not,  cannot,  be  moved  by  any¬ 
thing  out  of  Himself;  the  occasion  is  in 
man,  his  misery  and  wretchedness.  God, 
knowing  how  to  adjust  all  with  his  own 
honor  and  perfections,  would  pity  and  save 
rather  than  destroy.  We  read  of  riches  of 
goodness  and  mercy,  Rom.  2:  4.  Eph.  2:  7. 
Let  us  acknowledge  this,  and  give  Him  the 
glory  of  it,  not  turning  it  to  wantonness,  but 
to  thankfulness  and  obedience. 

3.  The  means,  or  instrumental  cause;  the 
shining  out  of  this  love  and  grace  of  God  in 
the  Gospel,  after  it  appeared,  that  is,  in  the 
Word;  [also  in  the  incarnation,  obedience, 
death,  and  resurrection  of  the  eternal  Son  of 
God,  so  Scott.]  The  appearing  of  love  and 
grace  has,  through  the  Spirit,  great  virtue 
to  soften,  and  change,  and  turn  to  God,  and 
so  is  the  power  of  God  to  salvation,  to  every 
one  that  believeth.  Tlius,  having  asserted 
God  to  be  the  Author,  his  free  grace  the 
spring,  and  the  manifestation  of  this  in  the 
Gospel  the  mean,  of  salvation  ;  that  the 
honor  of  all  still  may  be  the  better  secured 
to  Him, 

4.  False  grounds  and  motivesare  removed, 
v.  5.  Works  must  be  in  the  saved,  hut  not 
among  the  causes  of  his  salvation  ;  they  are 
the  way  to  the  kingdom,  not  the  meriting 
price  of  it;  all  is  on  the  foot  of  undeserved 
favor  and  mercy,  from  first  to  last.  Election 
is  of  grace;  we  are  chosen  to  be  holy,  not 
because  it  was  antecedently  seen  that  we 
should  he  so,  Eph.  1:4.  It  is  the  fruit,  not 
the  cause,. of  election,  2  Thess.  2:  13.  So 
effectual  calling,  in  which  election  breaks 
out,  and  is  first  seen,  2  Tim.  1:9.  We  are 
justified  freely  by  'grace,  Ruin.  3:  24.  and 
sanctified  and  saved  by  grace,  Eph.  2 :  S. 
Faith  and  all  saving  graces  are  God’s  free 
Silt  and  works.  Thus  the  true  cause  is 
shown,  and  the  false  removed. 

5.  The  formal  cause  of  salvation,  or  that 
wherein  it  liei,  the  beginnings  of  it  at  least, 
— in  regeneration  or  spiritual  renewing,  as  it 
is  here  called.  A  new  prevailing  principle 
of  grace  and  holiness  is  wrought,  which  in¬ 
clines  and  sways,  and  governs,  and  makes 


the  man  a  new  man,  a  new  creature  ;  new 
thoughts,  desires,  and  affections,  a  new  and 
holy  turn  of  life  and  actions;  the  life  of  God 
in  man,  not  only  from  God  in  a  special  man 
nor,  but  conformed  and  tending  to  Him 
Let  us  look  to  this  therefore  without  delay; 
we  must  be  initially  saved  now,  by  regener¬ 
ation,  if  on  good  ground  we  would  expect 
complete  salvation  in  heaven;  the  change 
then  will  be  but  in  degree,  not  in  kind; 
grace  is  glory  begun,  as  glory  is  but  grace 
in  its  perfection.  How  few  mind  this1 
Most  act  as  if  afraid  to  be  happy  before  the 
time;  they  would  have  heaven  at  last,  yet 
care  not  for  holiness  now;  that  is,  would 
have  the  end  without  the  beginning;  so  ab¬ 
surd  are  sinners.  Here  then  is  formal  sal¬ 
vation,  in  the  new  divine  life  wrought  by 
the  Gospql. 

6.  The  outward  sign  and  seal  thereof  in 
baptism,  called  therefore  the  washing  of  re¬ 
generation.  The  work  itself  is"  inward  and 
spiritual  ;  hut  this  is  outwardly  signified 
and  sealed  in  this  ordinanpe.  Water  is  of 
a  cleansing  and  purifying  nature,  does  away 
the  filth  of  the  flesh,  and  so  was  apt  to  sig¬ 
nify  the  doing  away  of  the  guilt  and  defile¬ 
ment  of  sin  by  the  blood  and  Spirit  of 
Christ  ;  though  that  aptness  alone,  without 
Christ’s  institution,  had  not  been  sufficient. 
This  it  is  that  makes  it  of  this  signification 
on  God’s  part,  a  seal  of  righteousness  by 
faith,  as  circumcision  was,  in  the  place  of 
which  it  succeeds;  and  on  ours,  an  engage¬ 
ment  to  be  the  Lord’s.  Thus  baptism  saves 
figuratively,  and  sacramentally,  where  it  is 
rightly  used,  Acts  22:  16.  So  Eph.  5:  26. 
Slight  not  this  outward  sign  and  seal,  where 
it  may  be  had  according  to  Christ’s  ap¬ 
pointment  ;  yet  rest  not  in  the  outward 
washing  only,  hut  look  to  the  answer  of  a 
good  conscience,  without  which  the  external 
washing  will  avail  nothing. 

This  is  the  outward  sign  and  seal  of  sal¬ 
vation,  baptism,  called  here  the  washing  of 
regeneration. 

7.  The  principal  efficient ;  the  Spirit  of 
God,  it  is  the  renewing  of  the.  Holy  Ghost; 
not  excluding  the  Father  and  the  Son,  who 
in  all  works  without  themselvps  are  concur¬ 
ring;  nor  the  use  of  means,  the  Word  and 
sacraments,  by  which  the  Spirit  works; 
through  his  operation  it  is  that  they  have 
their  saving  effect.  In  the  economy  of  our 
salvation,  the  applying  and  effecting  part  is 
especially  attributed  to  the  Holy  Spirit. 
Earnestly  therefore  is  He  to  he  sought,  and 
greatly  to  be  heeded  by  us,  that  we  quench 
not  his  holy  motions,  nor  resist  and  oppose 
Him  in  his  workings.  The  Spirit  is  a  ten¬ 
der  thing ;  as  we  act  toward  Him,  so  may 
we  expect  He  will  to  us;  if  we  slight  and 
resist,  and  oppose  his  workings,  He  will 
slacken  them;  if  we  continue  to  vex  Him, 
lie  will  retire.  Grieve  not  therefore  the  Holy 
Spirit  of  God ,  whereby  ye  are  sealed  to  the.  day 
of  redemption,  Eph.  4:30.  The  Spirit  seals 
by  his  renewing  and  sanctifying,  his  wit¬ 
nessing  and  assuring  work ;  He  distinguishes 
and  marks  out  for  salvation,  fits  for  it;  it  is 
his  work;  we  could  not  turn  to  God  by  any 
strength  of  our  own,  any  more  than  we  can 
be  justified  by  any  righteousness  of  our  own. 

8.  The  manner  of  God’s  communicating 
this  Spirit  in  the  gifts  and  graces  of  it ;  not 
with  a  scanty  and  niggardly  hand,  but  most 
freely  and  plentifully;  which  He  shed  on  us 


V.  1 — 7.  The  miraculous  gifts  of  the  Holy  Spirit  are  not  so  much  ns 
alluded  to  in  this  place;  and  nothing  induces  more  confusion  mid  per- 
pWitv  into  tlie  expositions  given  of  the  Scripture  by  commentators  of 
different  descriptions,  than  t fie  neglect  of  distinguishing  between  those 
communications  which  constituted  men  prophets  or  apostles,  and  those 
which  were,  still  are,  and  ever  must  be,  indispensably  necessary  to  ren¬ 
der  them  true  Christians. — The  expression,  ‘shed,’  or  poured  ‘onus,’ 
in  this  manifest  allusion  to  the  sacrament  of  baptism,  may  properly  be 
noted,  ns  an  intimation,  that  the  pouring  of  water  on  any  person,  ‘in  the 
name  of  the  Father,  and  the  Son,  and  the  Holy  Spirit,’  is  baptism, 
equally  with  immersion.  Mat.  28:lil,  20. — Appeared.]  It  implies,  to  be 
illustriously  or  gloriously  manifested.  Scott. 

(5.  i  Not  by  works ,  <fec.]  ‘  Paul  here  speaks  to  believers,  and  de¬ 
scribes  the  manner  in  which  they  come  into  the  kingdom  of  God.  He 

[504] 


denies  that  they  have  ill  anything  been  meritorious  by  works,  that  they 
should  tie  partakers  of  salvation,  or  be  reconciled  to  God  by  faith  ;  but 
they  have  obtained  the  blessing,  he  says,  by  the  sole  mercy  of  God. 
Therefore  from  these  words,  we  infer,  that  we  bring  nothing  to  God, 
(nihil  nos  afferre  Deo)'  [i.  e.  to  recommend  ourselves  to  Him]  ;  ‘but 
thnt  xve  are  prevented  ( pretxeniri )’  [or  anticipated  in  becoming  believ¬ 
ers]  ‘bv  his  mere  grace,  without  respect  to  works.  Finally,  that  xve, 
rather  than  others,  nre  chosen  to  a  participation  of  Christ;  this,  also, 
Paul  refers  entirely  to  the  mercy  of  God.’  Calvin. — Ilaptism  is  a  sign 
of  our  regeneration,  which  is  wrought  by  the  Holy  Ghost.  Bp.’s  Bible, 
in  Henry,  abr. — On  the  subject  of  baptismal  regeneration  Duddr.  has 
this  remark,  that  ‘it  is  not  by  washing  the  infant,  thnt  the  birth  is  pro¬ 
duced;'  which  is  intended  to  be  conclusive  against  it,  so  far  as  any 
argument  from  the  figure  is  concerned.  Ed. 


A.  D.  66. 


TITUS,  III. 


7  That,  being  justified  *  by  his 
grace,  we  should  be  made  heirs  ac¬ 
cording  to  the  hope  of  eternal  life. 

8  This  is  a  faithful  saying;  and 
these  things  I  will  that  thou  affirm 
constantly  ;  that  they  which  have 
believed  in  God  might  be  careful 
h  to  maintain  good  works.  These 
things  are  good  and  profitable  unto 
men. 

9  But  1  avoid  foolish  questions, 
and  genealogies,  and  contentions, 
and  strivings  about  the  law ;  for 
they  are  unprofitable  and  vain. 

10  A  man  that  is  an  heretic,  after 
the  first  and  second  admonition 
j  reject  ; 

g  Ro.  3:24.  h  ver.  1,14.  i  2  Ti.  2:23.  )  Mat.  18:17. 


Christ,  who  is  the  propitiation  for  sin,  and 
not  merited  by  the  sinner  himself.  So  it  is 
here;  Not  by  works  of  righteousness,  &c.  It 
is  by  grace,  as  the  spring  and  rise,  (as  was 
said,J  though  through  the  redemption  that  is  in 
Christ,  as  making  the  way,  God’s  law  and 
justice  being  thereby  satisfied;  and  by  faith 
applying  that  redemption.  Acts  13:  39.  Let 
us  not  trust  therefore  in  our  own  righteous¬ 
ness,  or  merit  of  good  works,  but  in  Christ’s 
righteousness  alone,  received  by  faith  for 
justification  and  acceptance  with  God.  Ob¬ 
serve,  Our  justification  is  by  the  grace  of 
God,  and  our  justification  by  that  grace  is 
necessary  in  order  to  our  being  made  heirs 
of  eternal  life;  without  such  justification 
there  can  be  no  adoption  and  sonship,  and 
so  no  right  of  inheritance.  John  1:  12. 
Eternal  life  is  set  before  us  in  the  promise, 
the  Spirit  works  faith  in  us,  and  hope  of 
that  life,  and  so  are  we  made  heirs  of  it, 
and  have  a  kind  of  possession  of  it  even 
now;  faith  and  hope  bring  it  near,  and  fill 
with  joy  in  the  well-grounded  expectance  of 
it.  The  meanest  believer  is  a  great  heir; 
though  he  have  not  his  portion  in  hand,  he 
has  good  hope  through  grace,  and  may  bear 
up  under  all  difficulties;  there  is  a  better 
state  in  view,  he  is  waiting  for  an  inherit¬ 
ance  incorruptible,  undcftled,  and  that  fadeth 
not  away,  reserved  in  heaven  for  him.  And 
now  all  this  gives  good  reason  why  we 
should  show  all  meekness  to  all  men ,  because 
we  have  experienced  so  much  benefit  by  the 
kindness  and  love  of  God  to  ns,  and  many 
hope  that  they,  in  God’s  time,  may  be  par¬ 
takers  of  the  like  grace  as  we  are.  And 
thus  of  the  reasons  of  equal  and  gentle,  meek 
and  tender  behavior  towards  others  ;  from 
their  own  bad  condition  in  time  past,  and 
the  present  more  happy  state  into  which 
they  are  brought,  without  any  merit  or  de¬ 
servings  of  their  own,  and  whereinto  by  the 
same  grace  others  may  be  brought  also. 

The  apostle,  having  opened  the  duties  of 
Christians  in  common,  with  the  reasons 
respecting  themselves,  adds  another  from 
their  goodness  and  usefulness  to  men. 

V.  8.  1.  Observe,  When  he  has  opened 
the  grace  of  God  toward  us,  he  immediately 
presses  the  necessity  of  good  works;  for  we 
must  not  expect  the  benefit  of  God’s  mercy, 
unless  we  make  conscience  of  our  duty, .it.  8. 
This  is  a  true  Christian  doctrine  of  highest 
importance,  and  w  hich  ministers  must  most 
earnestly  and  constantly  press  and  inculcate ; 
that  they  who  have  believed  in  God,  do  not 
think  that  a  bare  naked  faith  will  save  them; 
but  it  must  be  an  operative,  working  faith, 
bringing  forth  the  fruit  of  righteousness. 
These  things  are  good  and  profitable  unto  ' 
men;  these  good  works,  say  some,  or  the  j 
teaching  of  these  things,  rather  than  idle 
questions,  as  follow.  These  things  are  good  j 
in  themselves,  and  the  teaching  of  them  use-  ; 
ful  to  mankind,  making  persons  a  common 
good  in  their  places. 

2.  Observe,  Ministers,  in  teaching,  must 
see  that  they  deliver  what  is  sound  and  good  j 
in  itself,  and  profitable  to  them  that  hear;  I 


Faith  is  to  be  accompanied  by  good  works. 

all  must  be  to  the  use  of  edifying  both  per¬ 
sons  and  societies. 

1  lei  e  is  the  fifth  and  last  thing  in  the  mat¬ 
ter  of  the  epistle;  what  Titus  should  avoid 
in  teaching;  how  he  should  deal  with  a 
heretic;  with  some  other  directions. 

A  .  9.  1.  1  hat  the  apostle’s  meaning  here 
might  lie  more  clear  and  full,  and  especially 
fitted  to  the  time  and  state  of  things  there, 
and  the  many  judaizers  among  them,  he  tells 
Titus  what,  in  teaching,  he  should  shun. 
Needful  questions  are  to  be  discussed  and 
cleared;  lint  idle  and  foolish  inquiries,  tend¬ 
ing  neither  to  God’s  glory  nor  the  edifica¬ 
tion  of  men,  must  be  shunned;  avoid  these. 
And  genealogies  of  the  gods,  say  some,  those 
the  heathen  poets  spake  of;  or  rather  those 
the  Jews  were  so  curious  in ;  some  lawful 


and  useful  inquiries  might  be  made  into 
these  things,  to  see  the  fulfilling  of  the  Scrip¬ 
tures  in  some  cases,  and  especially  in  the 
descent  of  Christ  the  Messiah;  but  all  that 
served  to  pomp  only,  and  to  feed  vanity,  in 
boasting  of  a  long  pedigree,  and  much  more 
the  Jewish  teachers  were  ready  to  busy 
themselves  in,  and  trouble  their  hearers 
with,  even  since  Christ  was  come,  and  that 
distinction  of  families  and  tribes  had  been 
taken  away;  these  Titus  must  withstand  as 
foolish  and  vain.  And  contentions ,  and  striv¬ 
ings  about  the  law.  There  were  those  w  ho 
would  have  the  Mosaic  rites  and  ceremonies 
continued  in  the  church  ;  though  by  the 
Gospel  and  coming  of  Christ  they  were  done 
away.  Titus  must  give  no  countenance  to 
these,  but  avoid  and  oppose  them;  for  they 
are  unprofitable  and  vain  ;  so  far  from  in¬ 
structing  and  building  up  in  godliness,  that 
they  are  hindrances  of  it  rather.  Observe, 
Ministers  must  not  only  teach  things  good 
and  useful,  but  shun  and  oppose  the  con¬ 
trary,  what  would  corrupt  the  faith,  and 
hinder  godliness  and  good  works;  nor  should 
people  have  itching  ears,  but  love  and  em¬ 
brace  sound  doctrine,  which  tends  most  to 
the  use  of  edifying. 

2.  But  because,  after  all,  there  will  be 
heresies  and  heretics  in  the  church,  the  apos¬ 
tle  next  directs  Titus  what  to  do  in  such  a 
case,  and  how  to  deal  with  such. 

V.  10,  11.  He  who  forsakes  the  truth  as 
it  is  in  Christ  Jesus,  and  broaches  false  doc¬ 
trines,  and  propagates  them,  to  the  corrupt¬ 
ing  of  the  faith  in  weighty  and  momentous 
points,  and  breaks  the  peace  of  the  church 
about  them,  let  such  a  one  be  rejected,  after 
due  means  used  to  reclaim  him.  Those 
who  will  not  be  reclaimed  by  admonitions, 
but  are  obstinate  in  their  sins  and  errors, 
are  subverted  and  self -condemned ;  they  in¬ 
flict  that  punishment  on  themselves  that  the 
governors  of  the  church  should  inflict  on 
them  ;  they  throw  themselves  out  of  the 
church,  and  throw  oil’  its  communion,  and 
so  are  self-condemned.  Observe,  1.  How 
great  an  evil  proper  heresy  is,  not  lightly 
therefore  to  be  charged  on  any,  though 
greatly  to  be  taken  heed  of  by  all.  Proper 
heretics  have  seldom  been  recovered  to  the 
true  faith;  not  so  much  defect  of  judgment. 


abundantly.  More  of  the  Spirit  in  its  gifts 
and  graces  is  poured  out  under  the  gospel 
than  was  under  the  law;  whence  it  is  emi¬ 
nently  styled  the  ministration  of  the  Spirit,  2 
Cor.  3:8.  Is.  44 :  3.  Joel  2:  28.  Ac.  2:17,18, 

33.  10:44,45.  Our  condemnation  will  but  he 
aggravated  the  more,  if  under  such  a  dis¬ 
pensation  of  grace  we  remain  void  of  grace. 
lie  filled  with  the  Spirit,  says  the  apostle;  it 
is  duty  as  well  as  privilege,  because  of  the 
means  which  God  in  the  Gospel  is  ready  to 
bless  and  make  effectual;  tliis  is  the  man¬ 
ner  of  God’s  communicating  grace  and  all 
spiritual  blessings  under  the  Gospel,  plenti¬ 
fully;  He  i3  not  straitened  towards  us,  but 
we  toward  Him  and  in  ourselves. 

9.  'Die  procuring  Cause  of  all,  namely, 

Christ;  Through  Jesus  Christ  our  Savior. 

He  it  is  who  purchased  the  Spirit  and  his 
saving  gifts  and  graces;  all  come  through 
H  im,  and  through  Him  as  a  Savior,  whose 
underlakingand  work  it  is  to  bring  to  grace 
and  glory;  He  is  our  Righteousness  and 
Peace,  and  our  Head,  from  wdiom  we  have 
all  spiritual  life  and  influences.  Let  us 
praise  God  for  Him  above  all;  let  us  go  to 
the  Father  by  Him,  and  improve  Him  to  all 
sanctifying  and  saving  purposes. 

10.  The  ends  why  we  are  brought  into 
this  new  spiritual  condition,  namely,  justifi¬ 
cation,  and  heirship,  and  hope  of  eternal 
life;  That,  being  justified  by  his  grace,  we 
should  be  made  heirs  according  to  the  hype 
of  eternal  life.  Justification,  in  the  gospel- 
sense,  is  the  free  remission  of  a  sinner,  and 
accepting  him  as  righteous  through  the 
righteousness  of  Christ  received  hy  faith. 

In  it  there  is  removing  guilt  that  bound  to 
punishment,  and  accepting  and  dealing  with 
the  person  as  one  that  now  is  righteous  in 
God’s  sight.  This  God  does  freely  as  to  us, 
yet  through  the  intervention  of  Christ’s  sac¬ 
rifice  and  righteousness  laid  hold  on  by  faith, 

Rom.  3:20,  See.  God,  in  justifying  a  sin¬ 
ner  in  the  way  of  the  gospel,  is  gracious  to 
him,  and  yet  just  to  Himself  and  bis  law; 
forgiveness  being  through  a  perfect  righte¬ 
ousness,  and  satisfaction  made  to  justice  by 

V.  9.  It  was  incumbent  on  Titus,  to  insist  on  the  grand  peculiarities 
of  the  Gospel  — The  contrast  between  those  things  which  1  are  good  und 
profitable  to  men’  (8),  and  1  those  which  are  unprofitable  and  vain,’  is 
worthy  of  observation.  Scott. 

V.  10,  11.  A  heretic,  in  St.  Paul’s  sense,  seems  to  denote  a  professed 
Christian,  who  obstinately  denies  and  opposes  some  fundamental  doc¬ 
trine  of  the  Gospel,  hs  taught  by  the  apostles,  especially  if  he  were 
earnest  to  propagate  his  notions,  from  a  vain  desire  of  being  the  head 
of  a  party,  and  so  made  divisions  in  the  church.  Gal.  5:19 — 21.  The 
Scriptures  (Mat.  25:26—28.  Lu.  7:30.  19:22.  Jn.  3:18.  Acts  13:40.  Rom. 
3:19.)  show,  that  when  a  man’s  own  words  suffice  for  his  condemna¬ 
tion,  without  further  evidence,  he  may  be  said  to  be  ‘  condemned  of 
himself;’  nor  does  any  great  difficulty  appear  in  this  much  disputed 
text,  except  in  explaining  it  in  a  manner  consistent  with  the  systems  of 
contending  zealots. — In  subordinate  matters  the  apostle  inculcated  mu¬ 
tual  forbearance;  hut  all  his  epistles  show,  that  he  supposed  some  er¬ 
rors  to  be  fundamental,  and  absolutely  inconsistent  with  faith  in  Christ. 
For  pertinaciously  maintaining  ihese  errors,  men  ought  to  be  excommu¬ 
nicated,  as  much  as  for  gross  immoralities  ;  and  were  things  restored  to 
their  primitive  state  in  the  church  of  Christ,  there  can  be  no  doubt,  that 
those  who  deny  the  ruined  estate  of  man  by  nature,  the  Deity  of  Christ, 
the  real  atonement  of  his  death,  justification  by  faith  in  the  merits  of 
Christ,  of  grace  and  not  of  works  ;  the  need  of  sanctification  by  the  Ho¬ 
le  T.  VOL.  V.  64 


ly  Spirit,  and  of  obedience  to  God’s  commandments,  as  the  effect  and 
evidence  of  justifying  faith,  with  other  doctrines  of  similar  importance, 
would,  after  proper  admonition,  be  rejected  by  the  pastors  of  the  church, 
and  excluded  from  the  communion  of  believers.  No  doubt  would  re¬ 
main  in  their  minds,  that  such  heretics  were  subverted,  and  sinned,  and 
their  profession  of  tenets  so  destructive  of  Christianity,  would  he  deemed 
a  kind  of  ‘self-condemnation,’  without  considering  them  as  less  sincere 
in  opposing  the  truth,  than  Saul  of  Tarsus  was.  They  would  not  judgs 
them  proper  persons  to  associate  with  those  who  believed  the  doctrines 
of  Christianity;  but  yet  they  would  not  do  them  any  injury  in  their 
temporal  concerns,  or  refuse  to  aid  them  in  distress,  or  neglect  to  pray 
for  ‘God  to  give  them  repentance,  to  the  acknowledging  of  the  truth.’ 
The  connexion,  which  lias  so  long  subsisted,  between  excommunication 
and  persecution,  has  aided  in  giving  occasion  to  a  latitudinarian  candor, 
and  a  laxity  of  discipline,  to  associate  with  men’s  ideas  of  toleration, 
but  the  fullest  toleration  does  not  imply,  that  all  opinions  should  be 
regarded  as  alike  right  or  probable;  nor  does  excommunication  imply’, 
that  auv  alteration  should  be  made  in  men’s  civil  circumstances,  flat. 
18:15-18.  1  Cor.  5:1 — 5,  9 — 13.  2  John  7-11.  Rev.  2:20-23  Some 
learned  and  ii^enious  men  have  indeed  at  length  discovered,  that  it  is 
no  sin  to  treat  the  Word  of  God  with  neglect,  contempt,  or  proud  op¬ 
position,  and  that  it  is  of  little  consciiuence  what  doctrines  men  believe. 
No  wonder,  then,  that  they  cannot  explain  the  Scripture  into  an  agree- 


A.  D.  G6. 


TITUS,  III. 


Conclusion ,  salutations,  and  benediction 


11  Knowing  that  he  that  is  such 
is  subverted,  and  sinneth,  being 
condemned  of  himself. 

12  When  I  shall  send  Artemas 
unto  thee,  or  Tychicus,  be  diligent 
to  come  unto  me  to  Nicopolis  :  for 
I  have  determined  there  to  winter. 

13  Bring  Zenas  the  lawyer,  and 
Apollos  on  their  journey  diligently, 
that  nothing  be  wanting  unto  them. 

14  And  let  ours  also  learn  to  k 
maintain  good  1  works  for  necessa¬ 
ry  uses,  that  they  be  not  unfruitful. 

15  All  that  are  with  me  salute 
thee.  Greet  them  that  love  us  in 
the  faith.  Grace  be  with  you  all. 

Amen. 

IT  It  was  written  to  Titus,  or¬ 
dained  the  first  bishop  of  the 
church  of  the  Cretians,  from 
Nicopolis  of  Macedonia. 

k  or,  profess  honest  trades .  t  ver.  8. 

as  perverseness  of  the  will,  being  in  the 
case,  through  pride,  or  ambition,  or  self- 
willedness,  or  covetousness,  or  such  like 
corruption,  which  therefore  must  be  taken 
heed  of.  2.  Pains  and  patience  must  be  used 
about  those  that  err  most  grievously.  They 

PItACT.  OBS.  It  lias  at  all  times  been  necessary,  to  remind  Chris¬ 
tians  ‘to  be  subject  to  principalities  and  powers,  to  obey  magistrates,’ 
and  ‘  to  submit  to  one  another  in  the  fear  of  God  ;  ’  Eph.  5:21.  1  Pet.  5: 
5 — 7.  but  it  is  peculiarly  so  at  present,  when  most  valuable  privileges 
and  liberties  in  this  favored  land,  which  ought  to  have  rendered  cheerful 
subjection  and  peaceable  obedience  universal,  among  all  who  ‘name  the 
name  of  Christ,’  have  given  occasion  to  a  contrary  spirit  and  conduct  in 
numbers,  who  seem  to  forget,  that  most  express  precepts  to  this  effect 
are  found  in  the  Scriptures. — We  shall  not,  when  really  humbled  and 
enlightened,  disdain,  or  be  wearied  out  by  the  misconduct  of,  the  most 
unreasonable  enemies,  because  we  shall  well  remember,  that  we  our¬ 
selves  were  formerly  ‘  foolish,  disobedient,  and  deceived,  slaves  to  divers  ’ 
base  lusts,  and  a  fondness  for  carnal  pleasures,  ‘  that  we  lived  in  malice 
and  envy,’  and  in  short  were  hateful  to  God,  and  disposed  to  hate  one 
another,  and  thus  ‘  vessels  of  wrath  fitted  for  destruction,’  till  divine 


would  have  it,  for  then  he  would  have  said, 
I  determined  here,  not  there,  to  winter. 

2.  The  other  personal  charge  to  Titus,  is, 
that  he  would  bring  two  of  his  friends  on  their 
journey  diligently,  and  see  them  furnished. 
This  was  to  be  done,  not  as  a  piece  of  com¬ 
mon  civility  only,  but  of  Christian  piety, 
out  of  respect  both  to  them  and  the  work 
they  were  sent  about,  probably  to  preach 
the  Gospel,  or  to  be  some  way  serviceable 
to  the  churches.  Zenas  is  styled  the  lawyer, 
whether  in  reference  to  the  Roman  or  tlte 
Mosaic  law,  is  doubtful.  Apollos  was  an  em¬ 
inent  and  faithful  minister.  He  repeats  here, 

V.  14,  15.  Let  Christians,  those  who 
have  believed  in  God,  learn  to  maintain 
good  works,  especially  such  as  these,  sup¬ 
porting  ministers  in  their  work  of  preaching 
and  spreading  the  Gospel.  That  they  be  not 
unfruitful.  Christianity  is  not  a  fruitless 
profession  ;  it  is  not  enough  that  the  pro- 
lessors  of  it  be  harmless,  but  they  must  be 
profitable,  doing  good,  as  well  as  eschewing 
evil.  ‘  Let  ours  maintain  some  honest  em¬ 
ployment,  to  provide  for  themselves  and 
their  families,  that  they  be  not  unprofitable;’ 
so  some.  To  maintain  good  works  for  neces¬ 
sary  uses ;  not  living  like  drones,  on  the  la¬ 
bors  of  others,  but  themselves  fruitful  to  the 
common  benefit. 

Tire  apostle  concludes  with  salutations 
and  benedictions,  as  usual  in  other  epistles, 
v.  15. 


grace  effected  the  blessed  change.  Let  us  then  often  contemplate  the 
discoveries,  which  have  been  made  of  tile  ‘  kindness  and  love  of  God  our 
Savior,’  towards  our  fallen,  apostate  race,  in  ‘giving  his  Son  to  be  tile 
propitiation  for  our  sins,’  bis  patience  in  sparing  ns,  during  the  years  of 
our  foolishness  and  rebellion;  his  goodness  in  sending  us  the  Word  of 
salvation,  and,  to  crown  the  whole,  his  mercy  in  causing  us  to  partake 
of  the  ‘  washing  of  regeneration  and  the  renewing  of  the  Holy  Ghost, 
which  he  poured  upon  ’  our  souls,  of  his  plenteous  grace,  through  .iesus 
Christ  our  Savior.  Having  been  therefore  brought  into  a  state  of  safety, 
and  made  partakers  of  a  joyful  hope,  by  the  mercy  of  God  the  Father, 
through  the  redemption  of  his  incarnate  Son,  and  by  the  new  creation 
of  tile  Holy  Spirit,  it  certainly  behooves  us  to  ‘take  the  lead  in  every 
good  work,’  by  which  we  can  glorify  God  our  Savior,  or  benefit  man¬ 
kind.  Phil.  4:8,  9.  Scott. 


are  not  easily  and  soon  to  be  given  up  and 
cast  off,  but  competent  time  and  means  must 
be  tried  for  their  recovery.  3.  The  church’s 
means  even  with  heretics  are  persuasive  and 
rational  ;  so  much  the  word  imports.  4. 
Upon  continued  obstinacy  and  irreclaima¬ 
bleness,  the  church  lias  power,  and  is  oblig¬ 
ed  to  preserve  its  own  purity,  by  severing 
such  a  corrupt  member  ;  which  discipline 
may,  by  God’s  blessing,  become  effectual  to 
reform  the  offender,  or  leave  him  the  more 
inexcusable  in  his  condemnation. 

The  apostle  subjoins  some  further  direc¬ 
tions. 

V.  12,  13.  Here. are  two  personal  things 
enjoined  : 

1.  That  Titus  should  hold  himself  ready 
to  come  to  Paul  at  Nicopolis,  (a  city  of 
Thrace,  as  is  reckoned,  on  the  borders  of 
Macedonia,)  so  soon  as  Artemas  or  Tychicus 
should  be  sent  to  Crete,  to  supply  his  place, 
and  take  care  of  the  churches  there  when 
he  should  leave  them.  Titus,  it  seems,  was 
not  their  ordinary  fixed  bishop  *  or  pastor, 
but  an  evangelist,  otherwise  Paul  would  not 
have  called  him  so  much  from  his  charge. 
Of  Artemas  we  read  little,  but  Tychicus  is 
mentioned  on  many  occasions  with  respect. 
When  Paul  says  to  Titus,  Be  diligent  to  come 
to  me  to  Nicopolis,  for  I  have  determined  there 
to  winter,  it  is  plain  the  epistle  was  not 
written  from  Nicopolis,  as  the  postscript 
*  See  uote  on  episcopaq/,  1  Pet.  5:2.  Ed.' 


meat  with  these  tenets,  or  bring  the  Word  of  God  to  declare  its  own 
insignificancy.  But  those  who  believe,  that  ‘  men  love  darkness  rather 
than  light,  because  their  deeds  are  evil,’  and  treat  the  truth  of  God  as  a 
lie,  because  it  opposes  their  pride  or  lusts,  will  not  find  much  difficulty 
in  understanding,  why  such  heretics  should  be  separated  from  the  soci¬ 
ety  of  believers  ;  and  they  will  chiefly  lament,  that  it  is  not  more  gen¬ 
erally  practised,  and  more  easily  practicable,  seeing  it  is  evident,  ‘that 
a  little  leaven  leaveneth  the  whole  lump,’  in  many  churches  which  once 
seemed  to  flourish.  Lev.  13:40— 41.  Rom- 16:17— 20.  1  Tim.  1:18 — 20. 
2  Tim.  2:14 — 18.  2  Pet.  2:1 — 3.  1  John  5:9,  10. — '10)  Heretic .]  It  is 
vain  to  seek  the  meaning  of  this  word  from  profane,  writers,  or  from 
etymology;  the  New  Test,  itself  must  explain  it. — Now  it  is  manifest, 
that  there  were  important  differences  in  opinion ,  between  the  Pharisees 
and  Sadducees,  as  well  as  a  division  into  sects;  mid,  it  appears  to  me, 
that  fundamental  errors  in  doctrine,  rather  than  divisions  into  parties, 
are  intended,  when  heresies  are  mentioned,  by  the  sacred  writers. — 
Reject.]  1  Tim.  4:7.  ‘  Refuse  to  employ,  to  countenance,  to  retain  him, 
or  to  associate  at  all  with  him. — (11)  Condemned  of  himself. ]  Here 
only.  1  John  3:18 — 24.  It  may  mean,  that,  professing  heretical  doc¬ 
trines,  no  other  witnesses  were  needful  for  his  conviction  and  censure. 
1  Tim.  5:19,  20.  Scott. 

(10.)  Heretic.]  A  sectarian  whose  errors  are  chiefly  of  the  will ;  notes, 
1  Cor.  11:18,  19. — Intellectual  unity  is  more  diincult  and  less  important 
than  spiritual  unity.  All  real  Christians  have  sympathy  of  feeling. 
‘The  object  of  a  Christian  church  is,  the  promotion  of  holiness-in  the 
souls  of  its  members,  and  in  the  souls  of  others,- — to  advance  the  kingdom 
of  Christ,  and  prepare  themselves  and  others  the  better  for  the  day  of 
judgment.  Now,  though  each  man  enters  voluntarily,  and  all  are  under 
law,  yet  they  have  no  right  whatever  to  make  laws  for  themselves ;  they 


must  both  form  and  govern  the  association,  by  the  laws  which  Christ 
has  made  for  them.  A  willingness  to  obey-his  laws,  gives  a  man  aright 
to  admission.  So  long  as  this  willingness  continues,  he  has  a  right  to 
remain.  No  one  but  Christ  has  any  right  to  impose  laws  upon  him. 
So  long  as  he  obey  Christ,  he  is  free  of  his  brethren,  as  much  as  they  are 
of  him.  Men,  by  uniting  in  a  church  with  their  fellow-disciples,  promise 
merely  to  obey  Christ.  They  surrender  to  each  other  no  right  to  make 
laws  for  each  other.  They  claim  no  right  to  enforce  any  laws,  but  tho 
laws  of  Christ  ;  and  to  attempt  to  enforce  any  other,  is  to  violate  the 
spirit  of  tile  association  . .  .  A  temper  of  heart,  then,  to  obey  Christ  in 
ail  lit  has  revealed,  makes  one  a  member  of  the  holy  catholic  church. 
But,  besides  Hi  is,  there  are  various  points  of  practical  obedience,  in  re¬ 
spect  to  which  real  disciples  may  differ  ;  and  Ibis  difference,  though  it *  * 
do  not  designate  a  different  temper  of  heart,  yet  may  nevertheless  render 
it  suitable  and  proper,  that  those  who  think  alike  should  associate  more 
especially  with  each  other.  ..  Hence  arises  the  division  of  the  church 
into  different  sects,  as  the  natural  and  lien] thy  result  of  that  freedom  of 
opinion,  which  springs  from  Protestantism.  Practically,  then,  lie  who 
possesses  such  temper  of  mind  as  Christ  has  commanded,  and  such  har¬ 
mony  of  views  in  regard  to  external  rites  and  minor  observances,  as  may 
ennble  men  to  unite  in  the  ordinances  they  feel  bound  to  observe,  is  q iinii- 
fied  for  admission  to  a  church  of  any  sect  in  particular;  ..  But,  if  I  show 
myself  destitute  of  love  to  God  and  man  by  a  life  of  sordid  selfishness,  I 
ought  to  be  excluded  ;  while,  so  long  as  I  do  not  evince  that  1  am  desti¬ 
tute  of  the  right  temper  of  heart,  I  am  held  guiltless.’  Wayland.  Ed. 

V.  12 — 15.  There  were  several  cities  called  Nicopolis,  (tAe  city  of 
victory ,)  especially  one  in  Macedonia,  and  another  in  Epirus,  and  it  is 
not  certain  which  was  here  meant;  but  it  hence  appears  that  Paul  was 
at  this  time  at  liberty.  Scott. 


{Note  on  Homan  Military  Discipline,  Concluded  from  p.  481.) 

*  1  lie  cavalry,  without  which  thtrlegion  wouhl  have  heen  imperfect,  wns  divided 
into  It)  troop.;,  or  squadrons  ;  l lie  1st,  ns  the  companion  of  the  1st  cohori,  consisted  of 
men  ;  white  each  ot  t tie  other  9  amounted  only  tu  6'j.  The  whole  formed  a  regi¬ 
ment  of  736  horse,  naturally  connected  with  its  respective  legion,  hot  occasionally 
separated  to  act  in  the  line,  and  to  compose  a  part  of  t lie  wings  of  the  army.  The 
cavalry  ot  l lie  ancient  republic  was  made  op  of  the  noblest  vouths,vhu,  by  the  service, 
prepared  for  the  offices  of  senator  and  consul;  and  solicited,  by  deeds  of  valor,  the 
future  suffrages  of  their  countrymen  ;  but  the  emperor’s  cavntrv  had  officers  from 
those  of  the  equestrian  rank,  who  Joined  the  artnv.  Thev  despised  the  complete  ar¬ 
mor,  with  which  the  cavalry  of  the  Kast  [cut,  Jer.  6:33.]  was  encumbered.  Their 
more  useful  arms  consisted  in  a  helmet,  an  oblong  shield,  light  boots,  and  a  coat  of 
mail.  A  javelin  ami  a  long  broadsword,  w  ere  their  principal  weapons  of  offence.  The 
use  of  lances  and  iron  mares  they  seem  to  have  borrowed  from  the  barbarians. 

‘  Amonsr  the  auxiliaries,  about  equal  in  numbers  to  the  legionaries,  the  bravest  nnd 
most  faithful  were  placed  unddr  the  command  of  prefects  [Acts  28:16.]  and  eenturions, 
and  severely  train j  1  in  the  Roman  discipli  -e  ;  the  others  retained  their  national  arms’ 
nnd  thus  die  army  •  as  prepared  to  meet  all  enehites  nd  all  weapons.  Kach  legion, 
too,  had  10  of  :he  largest,  and  to  rmauer  pag-acs  ;  which  discharged  stones  and  darts 
with  irresistible  violence. 

‘The  camp  of  a  Roman  legion  presented  the  appearance  of  a  fortified  ritv.  As 
scon  as  the  space  was  mnrked  out.  the  p:oneers  carefully  levelled  t^e  ground,  ur.  I  re- 
moved  every  impediment  that  might  interrupt  its  perfect  resrularity.  Its  form  was  an 
e  xact  quadrangle  ;  and  we  may  calculate,  that  a  square  of  about  7000  yards  was  suffi¬ 
cient  for  the  eiictnnpment  of  2t),000  Romans  ;  though  a  similar  number  of  our  own 

^506] 


troops  would  exposetothe  enemy  a  front  of  more  than  treble  that  extent.  In  (he 
midst  of  the  camp,  the  p.xtoriuin,  or  general’s  quarters,  rose  above  the  others;  the 
cavalry,  the  infantry,  nnd  the  auxiliaries,  occupied  their  respective  stations;  the 
streets  were  broad  and  perfectly  straight,  and  a  vacant  space  ofVUO  feet  was  left  on  all 
sidee,  between  the  tents  and  the  rampart.  The  rurnparl  itself  was  usually  12  feet 
high,  armed  w  ith  a  line  of  strong  and  intricate  palisades,  nnd  defended  by  a  flitch  of 
12  feet  in  depth  well  as  in  breadth.  This  important  labor  was  performed  by  the 
hands  of  the  legionaries  themselves  ;  to  whom  the  use  of  the  spade  and  pick-axe  was 
no  less  familiar  than  that  of  the  sword  or  pilum.  Active  valor  may  often  ha  the  pres¬ 
ent  of  nature  ;  but  such*patient  diligence  can  ba  the  IVuit  only  of  habit  and  discipline. 

‘  Whenever  the  trumpet  fl  Cor.  14:8.3  gave  the  signal  for  departure,  the  camp  w  ns 
almost  instantly  broken  up,  and  the  troops  fell  into  their  ranks  without  delay  or  c«>nfu- 
fi'on.  Besides  their  arms,  which  the  legionaties  scarcely  considered  us  an  incumbrance 
they  were  laden  with  their  kitchen  furniture,  the  instruments  of  fortification,  and  the 
provision  of  many  days.  TNote,  end  of  Jer. ]  Under  this  weight,  w  hich  would  op¬ 
press  the  delicacy  of  a  modern  soldier,  they  were  trained  by  a  regular  step,  to  advance 
in  about  6  hours,  near  20  miles.  [Comp.  Paul’s  phrase,  ‘  endure  hardness  as  a  sol¬ 
dier,’  2  Tim.  2:3.  ]  On  the  appearance  of  an  enemy,  they  threw  aside  their  baggage, 
and,  by  easy  and  rapid  evolutions,  converted  the  columns  of  march  into  an  order  of 
battle.  The  slinge  sand  archers  skirmished  in  the  front  ;  the  auxiliaries  fmmed  the 
fust  line,  and  were  reronded  or  sustained  bv  the  strength  of  the  legions  ;  the  cavalry- 
covered  the  flanks,  anetthe  military  engines’were  placed  in  the  rear’ 

‘Such  were  the  n:tsot  war,  hv  which  the  Roman  empero-s  defended  their  extensive 
conquests,  and  preserved  a  military  spirit,  at  a  time  when  ei  ery  other  £?J  virtue  was 
oppressed  by  luxury  and  despotism.* 


PAUL’S 


5 


4 


AN  EXPOSITION 


OF 


EPISTL  E  T  O  P  H  I  L  E  M  O  N 


WITH 


PRACTICAL  OBSERVATIONS  AND  NOTES 


( Henry's  Exposition ,  completed  by  Mr.  J .  Smith.) 


This  epistle  to  Philemon  is  placed  the  last  of  those  with  the  name  of  Paul  to  them,  perhaps  because  the  shortest,  and  of 
an  argument  peculiar  and  dillerent  from  all  the  others;  yet  sucli  as  the  Spirit  of  God,  who  indited  it,  saw  would, in  its  kind, 
be  very  instructive  and  useful  in  the  churcShes.  The  occasion  of  it  was  this, — Philemon,  one  of  note,  and  probably  a  min¬ 
ister  in  the  church  of  Colosse,  a  city  of  Phrygia,  had  a  servant  named  Onesimits,  who,  having  purloined  his  goods,  ran 
away  from  him,  and,  in  his  rambles,  came  to  Rome,  where  Paul  was  then  a  prisoner  for  the  Gospel;  and  providentially 
coming  under  his’preaching  there,  was,  by  the  blessing  of  God,  converted  by  him  ;  after  which,  he  ministered  awhile  to 
the  apostle  in  bonds,  and  might  have  been  further  useful  to  him;  but  he,  understanding  him  to  be  another  man’s  servant, 
would  not,  without  his  consent,  detain  him,  but  sends  him  back  with  this  letter  commendatory,  wherein  he  earnestly  sues 
for  his  pardon  and  kind  reception. 

Observe,  here,  1.  The  goodness  and  mercy  of  God  to  a  poor,  wandering  sinner,  bringing  him  by  his  gracious  providence 
under  the  means,  and  making  them  effectual  to  his  conversion. 

2.  The  great  and  endeared  affection  between  a  true  convert  and  him  whom  God  used  to  be  the  instrument  of  his  con¬ 
version. 

3.  The  tender  and  good  spirit  of  this  blessed  apostle  Paul.  How  pathetic  a  letter  does  he  here  write  in  Onesimus’ 
behalf!  Scarcely  any  argument  is  forgotten,  that  could  possibly  be  used  in  the  case;  and  all  pressed  with  such  force,  that 
had  it  been  the  greatest  favor  to  himself  that  he  was  asking,  Ire  could  not  have  used  more. 

4.  The  remarkable  providence  of  God  in  preserving  such  a  short  writing  as  this,  that  might  be  thought  of  little  concern 
to  the  church,  being  not  only  a  letter  to  a  particular  person,  but  of  a  private,  persona]  matter,  namely,  the  receiving  of  a 
poor  fugitive  servant  into  the  favor  and  family  of  his  injured  master.  What  in  this  is  there  that  concerns  the  common  sal¬ 
vation  ?  And  yet  over  this  has  there  been  a  special  divine  care,  it  being  given  (as  the  other  scriptures  were)  by  inspiration 
of  God ,  and,  in  some  sort,  as  they  are,  profitable  for  doctrine,  for  reproof ,  for  correction,  and  for  instruction  in  righteousness. 
God  would  have  extant  a  proof  and  instance  of  his  rich  and  free  grace,  for  the  encouragement  and  comfort  of  the  meanest 
and  vilest  of  sinners,  looking  to  Him  for  mercy  and  forgiveness;  and  for  instruction  to  ministers  and  others  not  to  despise 
any,  as  if  they  were  utter  cast-aways  ;  but  rather  to  attempt  their  conversion,  hoping  they  may  be  saved;  likewise  how  to 
behave  toward  them.  And  on  their  part,  how  they  must  be  humble  and  grateful,  acknowledging  God  and  his  instruments, 
in  what  good  they  have  received,  ready  to  all  suitable  returns,  making  what  reparation  they  can  in  case  of  injuries,  and 
living  a  life  of  thankfulness  and  obedience.  To  such  purposes  may  this  epistle  have  been  written  and  preserved.  Henry. 

Philemon  seems  to  have  been  a  Christian  of  some  eminence,  residing  at  Colosse,  1, 2.  Col.  4:9,  17.  who  had  been  con¬ 
verted  under  Paul’s  ministry,  19. ;  perhaps  during  his  abode  at  Ephesus.  Jicts  19:10. — The  most  competent  judges  have 
given  it  [this  letter]  a  decided  preference,  as  a  model  of  good  writing  in  the  epistolary  kind,*  to  the  most  admired  remains 
of  antiquity.  [Comp.  Suppl.  on  Philemon.]  Indeed,  we  can  scarcely  conceive,  how  such  a  cause,  as  that  of  Onesimus’, 
could  have  been  pleaded  in  a  more  interesting,  obliging,  prudent,  pathetic,  and  masterly  manner.  It.  is  also  very  replete 
with  useful  instruction. — The  apostle  entertained  no  doubt  of  Philemon’s  compliance  with  his  request;  and  expected  that 
he  would  do  more  than  he  said.  It.  is  therefore  probable,  that  Onesimus  was  not  only  received  into  favor,  but  set  at  liberty  ; 
and  it  is  generally  thought,  that  he  became  afterwards  a  minister  of  the  Gospel.  Onesimus  accompanied  Tychicus  to 
Colosse,  and  it  may  be  concluded,  that  the  apostle  wrote  to  Philemon  at  the  same  time  ;  and  that  Onesimus,  having  deliv¬ 
ered  the  letter  to  his  master,  and  obtained  his  forgiveness,  joined  with  Tychicus,  in  executing  the  apostle’s  commission  to 
the  Colossians.  Scott. 


*  ‘  Patey  remarks  on  tlie  singular  correspondence  between  this  epis¬ 
tle  and  that  to  the  Colossians.  Though  the  subject  did  not  lead  to  treat 
so  directly  of  the  doctrines  or  precepts  of  Christianity  in  this  as  in  the 
other  epistles,  yet  we  meet  with  several  allusions  to  different  parts  of 
the  Christian  plan,  interwoven  in  an  easy  and  natural  manner  with  the 
rest  of  the  letter.’  Henry,  abr. — ‘It  is  impossible  to  read  over  this  ad¬ 
mirable  epistle  without  being  touched  with  the  delicacy  of  sentiment, 
and  the  masterly  address  that  appear  in  every  part  of  it.  We  see  here, 
in  a  most  striking  light,  how  perlectly  consistent  true  politeness  is,  not 


only  with  all  the  warmth  and  sincerity  of  the  friend,  but  even  with  tha 
dignity  of  the  Christian  and  the  apostle.  And  if  this  letter  were  to  be 
considered  in  no  other  view  than  ns  a  mere  human  composition,  it 
must  bo  allowed  a  master-piece  in  its  kind.  Compare  Pliny’s  epistle ; 
which,  though  written  on  a  similar  occasion,  and  by  one  reckoned  toex- 
cel  in  the  epistolary  style,  and  though  it  has  many  beauties,  yet  must  be 
acknowledged,  by  every  impartial  reader,  vastly  inferior  to  this  animat¬ 
ed  composition  of  the  apostle.’  Doddr. 


A.  D.  64. 

4  He  rejoice  tfi  to  hear  of  the  fuilh  and  lore  of  Philemon,  9 
whom  he  deairtth  to  forgive  his  servant  Onesimus,  and 
lovingly  to  receive  him  again. 

PAUL,  a  prisoner  a  of  Jesits 
Christ,  anti  Timothy  our  broth¬ 
er,  unto  Philemon  our  dearly  be¬ 
loved,  and  b  fellow-laborer, 

2  And  to  our  beloved  Apphia, 
and  Arehippus  c  our  fellow-soldier, 
and  to  the  church  d  in  thy  house  : 

a  Ep.  3:1.  b  Phi.  2:55.  c  Col.  4:17.  <1  Ro.  IS:5. 

V.  1,  2.  In  these  two  vs.  of  preface,  are 
the  persons  from  and  to  whom  it  is  written, 
with  some  annexed  note  or  title,  implying 
somewhat  of  argument  to  the  purpose  of  the 
letter. 

1.  The  persons  writing  :  Paul  the  princi¬ 
pal,  and  Timothy  as  second,  or  concurring. 
Paul  calls  himself  a  prisoner  of  Jesus  Christ, 
i.  e.  for  Jesus  Christ.  A  petition  from  such 
petitioners,  surely,  would  be  tenderly  re¬ 
garded  by  a  believer  and  minister  of  Christ. 
Wlmt  could  be  denied  them  1 


2.  'The  persons  written  to,  Philemon,  Ap¬ 
phia, ’And  Arehippus,  with  the  church  in  Phil¬ 
emon’s  house.  Philemon,  to  A  hom  the  letter 
is  inscribed,  was  the  head  of  the  family,  in 
whom  were  the  authority  and  power  of  tak¬ 
ing  in  or  shutting  out,  and  whose  property 
Onesimus  was;  with  him,  therefore,  chiefly 
lay  the  business  :  a  good  man, and  probably 
a  minister,  and  on  both  accounts  dearly  be¬ 
loved  by  Paul.  With  Philemon,  Apphia  is 
joined,  probably  his  yoke-fellow  ;  and  hav¬ 
ing  a  concern  in  the  domestic  affairs,  the 
apostle  directs  to  her  likewise.  She  was  a 
party  offended  and  injured  by  Onesimus,  and 
therefore  proper  to  be  noticed  in  a  lei  ter  for 
reconciliation  and  forgiveness.  Justice  and 
prudence  would  direct  Paul  to  this  express 
notice  of  her,  who  might  be  helpful  in  fur¬ 
thering  the  good  ends  of  his  writing.  She  is 
set  before  Arehippus,  as  more  concerned, 
and  having  more  interest.  These  are  the 
principal  parties  written  to.  The  less  prin¬ 
cipal  are,  Arehippus,  and  the  church  in  Phile¬ 
mon's  house.  Arehippus  was  a  minister  in 
the  church  of  Colosse,  Philemon’s  friend, 


Paul  addresses  Philemon. 

and  probably  co-pastor  with  him  ;  Paul 
might  think  him  one  whom  Philemon  would 
advise  with,  and,  therefore,  fit  to  put  in  the 
inscription  of  the  letler,  with  the  adjunct 
of  fellow-soldier.  Tatheseitis  added,  Arad 
to  the  church  in  thy  house,  his  w  hole  family, 
in  which  the  worship  of  God  was  kept  up, 
so  that  he  had,  as  it  were,  a  church  in  his 
house.  Observe,  Families  which  generally 
may  be  most  pious  and  orderly,  inay  yet 
have  one  or  other  in  them  impious  and  wick¬ 
ed.  This  was  the  aggravation  of  Onesi- 
mus’  sin,  tliat  if.  was  where  lie  might  and 
should  have  learned  better  ;  it.  is  likely  he 
was  secret  in  bis  misconduct,  till  his  flight 
discovered  him.  No  doubt  Philemon  had 
taught  him  better.  For  the  religious  wor¬ 
ship  and  order  kept  up  in  it,  his  bouse  ia 
called  a  church  ;  and  such  should  all  fam¬ 
ilies  be, — nurseries  of  religion,  societies 
where  God  is  called  on,  bis  Word  read, 
sabbaths  observed,  and  the  members  in¬ 
structed  in  the  knowledge  of  Him,  and  of 
their  duty  to  Him  ;  neglect  of  this  is  fol¬ 
lowed  with  ignorance  and  all  corruption. 


NOTES.  V.  1,  2.  The  apostle  did  not  intend  to  write  authoritative¬ 
ly  to  Philemon,  and  therefore  he  only  styled  himself*  n  prisoner  of  Jesus 
Christ;’  8 — 11.  Eph.  3:1 — 7.  4:1—6.  Though  Philemon  is  called  a  ‘fel¬ 
low-laborer,’  it  Is  not  certain  he  was  a  minister;  perhaps  he  served  the 


cause  of  Christ  hy  active  diligence  in  another  manner.  (Note,  Phil.  4- 
1—3.)  The  beloved  Apphia  is  generally  supposed  to  have  been  his  wife, 
though  some  think  she  was  his  sister.  Arehippus,  Cot.  4:17.  is  thought 
to  have  been  the  son  or  near  relation  of  Philemon.  Scott. 

[507] 


A.  D.  64. 


PHILEMON. 


He  pleads  in  behalf  of  Onesimus. 


9 


3  Grace  'to  you,  and  peace,  from 
God  our  Father,  and  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ. 

4  I  thank  f  my  God,  making  men¬ 
tion  of  thee  always  in  my  prayers, 

5  Hearing  of  thy  love  and  faith, 
which  thou  hast  toward  the  Lord 
Jesus,  and  toward  all  saints  ; 

6  That  s  the  communication  of 
thy  faith  may  become  effectual  11  by 
tho  acknowledging  of  every  '  good 
thing  which  is  in  you  in  Christ 
Jesus. 

7  For  we  have  great  joy  and 
consolation  in  thy  love,  because  the 
bowels  of  the  saints  arc  refreshed 
i  by  thee,  brother. 

8  Wherefore,  though  k  I  might 
be  much  bold  in  Christ  to  enjoin 
thee  that  which  is  convenient, 

9  Yet  for  love’s  sake  I  rather  be¬ 
seech  thee,  being  such  an  one  as 
Paul  the  aged,  and  now  also  a  pris¬ 
oner  of  Jesus  Christ ; 

10  I  beseech  thee  for  my  son 
1  Onesimus,  whom  I  have  begotten 
“in  my  bonds  : 

11  Which  "in  time  past  was  to 
thee  unprofitable,  but  now  profita¬ 
ble  to  thee  and  to  me  : 


e  Rp.  1:3. 
f  F.p  1:18. 
g  Phi.  1:9—11. 
h  Ja.  2:11,17. 


1  Phi.  4:8. 

2  Pe  1:5—8. 
j  2  Co.  7:13. 

2  Ti.  1:16. 


k  I  Th.  5:6. 

1  Col.  4:9.  _ 
m  1  Go.  4:15. 
n  1  Pe.  2:10. 


Philemon’s  house  was  a  church  :  and  Paul, 
for  some  concern  all  might  have  in  this  mat¬ 
ter  of  Onesimus’,  directs  to  them  all;  that 
their  affection,  as  well  as  Philemon’s,  might 
return  to  him  ;  and  that  in  their  way  and 
place  they  might  further,  and  hot  hinder, 
the  reconciliation  wished  and  sought.  De¬ 
sirable  it  is,  that  all  in  a  family  be  well  af¬ 
fected  towards  one  another,  for  furthering 
their  particular  and  the  common  good  and 
benefit  of  all.  Next  to  this  inscription  is, 
the  apostle’s  salutation  of  those  named,  by  him. 

V.  3.  This  is  the  token  in  every  epistle;  so 
the  apostle  writes.  And  in  this  is  summa¬ 
rily  all  good,  and  from  this  one  Fountain, 
God,  the  Father,  Son,  and  Spirit,  all  comes; 
for  the  Holy  Spirit  also  is  understood, 
though  not  named.  After  this  salutation  of 
the  apostle  to  Philemon,  and  his  friends  and 
family,  for  better  making  way  still  for  his 
suit  to  him, 

He  expresses  the  singular  affection  he  had 
for  him,  by  thanksgiving  and  prayer  to  God 
in  his  behalf,  and  the  great  joy  for  the  many 
good  tilings  be  knew  and  heard  to  be  in 
him,  in  the  four  next  following  verses. 

V.  4 — 7.  The  apostle’s  thanksgiving  and 
prayer  here  for  Philemon,  are  set  forth  by 
the  object,  circumstance,  and  matter  of  them, 
with  thd  way  whereby  much  of  the  knowl¬ 
edge  of  Philemon’s  goodness  came  to  Him. 

1.  Here  is  the  object  of  Paul’s  praises  and 


prayers  for  Philemon.  Observe,  It  is  the 
privilege  of  good  men,  that  in  their  praises 
and  prayers  they  come  to  God  as  their  God: 
Our  God,  we  thank  thee,  said  David  ;  and  I 
thank  my  God,  said  Paul.  We  should  offer 
prayer  and  praise,  not  for  ourselves  only, 
but  for  others,  also;  we  must  be  affected  with 
joy  and  thankfulness  for  any  good  in  them, 
or  done  by  them,  or  bestowed  on  them,  as 
far  as  is  known  to  us,  and  seek  for  them 
what  they  need.  In  this  lies  no  little  part 
of  the  communion  of  saints.  Paul,  in  his 
private  thanksgivings  and  prayers,  was  often 
particular  in  remembering  his  friends  ;  and 
this  is  a  mean  of  exercising  love,  and  ob¬ 
taining  good  for  others.  Strive  with  me,  by 
your  prayers  to  God  for  me,  said  the  apostle: 
and  what  he  desired  for  himself  he  surely 
practiced  on  behalf  of  others;  so  should  all. 
Pray  one  for  another,  says  James,  5:  16. 

2.  Here  is  the  circumstance  ;  Always 
making  mention  of  thee.  Always,  usually, 
not  once  or  twice  only,  but  frequently.  So 
must  wc  remember  Christian  friends,  much 
and  often,  as  their  case  inay  need,  bearing 
them  in  our  thoughts,  and  on  our  hearts, 
before  our  God. 

3.  Here  is  the  matter  both  of  his  praises 
and  prayers,  in  reference  to  Philemon. 

(1.)  Of  his  praises. 

He  thanks  God  for  the  love  which  he 
heard  Philemon  had  toward  the  Lord  Jesus, 
and  for  his  faith  in  Christ,  also.  He  praises 
God  likewise  for  his  love  to  all  the  saints. 
And  the  two  must  go  together.  Thus  he 
joins  them,  in  Col.  1:3,4.  Different  senti¬ 
ments  and  ways  in  what  is  not  essential, 
will  not  make  difference  of  affection,  as  to 
the  truth;  though  difference  in  the  degrees 
of  love  will  be  according  as  more  or  less 
of  that  image  is  discerned.  Mere  external 
differences  are  nothing  here.  Paul  calls  a 
poor  converted  slave  his  bowels.  We  must 
love,  as  God  does,  all  saints.  This  was 
what  he  inquired  after  concerning  his 
friends,  the  truth,  and  growth,  and  fruitful¬ 
ness  of  their  graces,  their  faith  in  Christ, 
and  love  to  Him  and  to  all  the  saints. 
Therefore, 

(2.)  The  apostle  joins  prayer  with  his 
praises,  that  the  fruits  of  Philemon’s  faith 
and  love  might  be  more  and  more  conspicu¬ 
ous,  so  as  that  the  communication  of  them 
might  constrain  others  to  the  acknowledg¬ 
ment  of  all  the  good  things  that  were  in  him 
and  in  his  house  toward  Christ  Jesus,  v.  6. 

4.  lie  adds  a  reason,  both  that  of  It  is 
prayer  and  praises,  v.  7.  The  good  thou 
hast  done  and  still  doest,  is  abundant  matter 
of  joy  and  comfort  to  me  and  others,  who 
therefore  desire  ye  may  continue  and  abound 
in  such  good  fruits  more  and  more,  to  God’s 
honor  and  the  credit  of  religion,  2  Cor.  9: 
12. 

Thus  far,  the  preface.  Now  comes  the 
main  business, — to  plead  with  Philemon  in 
behalf  of  Onesimus,  to  receive  him  and  be 
reconciled  to  him.  Many  arguments  he 
urges  to  this  purpose,  from  v.  8.  to  21.  in¬ 
clusive. 

V.  8,  9.  Here,  the 


1st  Argument,  from  what  was  before  no¬ 
ted,  is  carried  in  the  illative  wherefore,  v.  S. 

1  Seeing  so  much  good  is  reported  of  thee, 
and  found  in  thee,  especially  thy  love  to  all 
saints,  now  let  me  see  it  on  a  fresh  and  fur¬ 
ther  occasion,  in  forgiving  and  receiving 
him  who  is  now  a  convert,  and  so  a  saint 
indeed,  and  meet  for  thy  favor  and  love. 
Observe,  A  disposition  to  do  good,  together 
with  past  instances  and  expressions  of  it,  is 
a  good  handle  to  take  hold  on  for  pressing 
unto  more. 

2d  Argument,  is,  from  the  authority  of  him 
now  making  this  request,  1  might  be  much 
bold  in  Christ  to  enjoin  thee  that  which  i s  conve¬ 
nient.  The  apostles  had,  under  Christ,  great 
power  in  the  church  over  the  ordinary  min¬ 
isters,  and  were  to  be  obeyed;  which  Phile¬ 
mon  should  consider;  but  the  apostle  would 
not  in  this  instance  act  up  to  it.  Observe, 
Ministers,  whatever  their  power,  are  to  use 
prudence  in  the  exercise  of  it,  godly  wisdom 
and  discretion.  Wherefore,  this  may  be  a 

34  Argument,  Waving  the  authority,  lie 
chooses  to  entreat,  v.  9.  Observe,  It  is  no 
disparagement  for  those  who  have  power, 
sometimes  even  to  beseech,  where,  in  strict¬ 
ness  of  right,  they  might  command;  so  does 
Paul,  here,  which  doubtless  must  carry  en¬ 
gaging  influence  with  it.  And  especially 
which  may  be  a 

4 th  Argument,  When  any  circumstance  of 
the  person  pleading  gives  additional  force 
to  his  petition,  as  here;  Being  such  a  one  as 
Paul  the  aged,  and  now  also  a  prisoner  of 
Jesus  Christ.  Years  bespeak  respect ;  and 
the  motions  of  such,  in  things  lawful  and  fit, 
should  be  received  with  regard.  The  re¬ 
quest  of  an  aged,  apostle,  and  now  suffering 
Tor  Christ  and  his  Gospel,  should  be  ten¬ 
derly  considered.  He  makes  also  a 

oth  Argument,  from  the  spiritual  relation 
now  between  Onesimus  and  himself. 

V.  10.  ‘  Though  of  right,  and  in  civil  re¬ 
spect,  he  be  thy  servant;  yet  in  a  spiritual 
sense  he  is  now  a  son  to  me,  God  having 
made  me  the  instrument  of  his  conversion, 
even  here  where  I  am  a  prisoner  for  Christ’s 
sake.’  The  apostle  lays  an  emphasis  here: 
My  son  whom  /  have  begotten  in  my  bonds ; 
lie  was  dear  to  him,  and  lie  hoped  would  be 
so  to  Philemon,  under  that  consideration. 
And  a 

6th  Argument,  is,  from  Philemon’s  own 
interest. 

V.  11.  (1.)  Observe,  Unsanctified  per¬ 
sons  are  unprofitable  persons;  they  answer 
not  the  great  end  of  their  being  and  rela¬ 
tions.  Grace  makes  good  for  somewhat. 
There  seems  an  atlnsion  to  the  name  Onesi- 
mus,  which  signifies  profitable.  Now  he  will 
answer  to  his  name.  It  may  be  noted  also 
how  softly  Paul  here  speaks  !  Not  that 
Onesimus’  sin  was  small,  or  that  he  or  any 
would  take  it  so;  but,  having  been  humbled 
for  it,  the  apostle  now  would  not  sink  his 
spirit  by  continuing  to  load  and  burden  him 
therewith,  but  speaks  thus  tenderly  with 
Philemon,  not  to  make  severe  reflections  on 
his  servant’s  misconduct,  but  to  forgive. 
(2.)  Observe,  What  happy  changes  conver- 


V.  .‘5.  f Marg.  Ref. — Mote,  Rom.  1:5 — 7  )  ‘Hence  it  appears,  that  the 
nature  of  the  Father,  and  ol  the  Son,  is  t lie  same;  seeing  the  Son  can 
do  that  which  the  Father  doelh,  and  the  Father  is  said  to  do  that  which 
the  Son  dneth.’  Jerome.  Sco  tt. 

V.  4 — 7.  Tfie  obvious  meaning  of  the  passage  requires  a  transposi¬ 
tion  of  the  words,  which  arise  from  an  arrangement,  not  at  ail  unsuitable 
to  the  Or.  language,  though  it  appears  rather  harsh  in  an  English  tr.  The 
«po«tle  hIso  prat  ed,  ‘  that  t lie  communication  of  Philemon’s  faith  might 
become  effectual,  Ac.’  Some  explain  this  of  his  liberal  communication 
fi-om  his  temporal  affluence,  tiring  made  1  effectual  ’  for  the  relief  of  the 
saints,  and  for  the  evident  demonstration  of  his  faith,  front  which  it 
sprang.  Others  suppose  the  apostle  to  mean,  that  his  communion  or 
participation  of  faith  in  Christ  might  be  effectual  in  regulating  his  own 
temper  and  conduct.  But,  though  both  these  senses  may  be  contain¬ 
ed  in  the  words,  they  seem  to  have  a  still  further  meaning.  The  apos¬ 
tle  probably  prayed,  that  Philemon’s  endeavors  to  ‘communicate’ 
his  faith  in  Christ  to  those  around  him,  might  be  rendered  effectual 
through  the  evident  excellency  of  his  own  example,  and  that  of  his 
family  ;  so  that  men  might  be  induced  to  acknowledge  the  reality  and 
value  ‘  of  every  good  thing  xvhich  xvas  in  them,’  by  means  of  their  rela¬ 
tion  to  Christ,  and  thus  to  entertain  a  favorable  opinion  of  that  religiou. 

[508] 


xvhich  produced  such  beneficial  effects  on  the  conduct  of  those  xvho 
embraced  it.  Mat.  5:14 — 16.  1  Pet.  2:12.  This  he  trusted  would  lie 

the  case,  for  he  ‘had  great  joy’  and  comfort,  in  the  accounts  that  he 
heard  of  his  liberal  love,  by  which  the  urgent  necessities  of  Christians 
and  ministers  were  supplied  ;  so  tiiat,  xvhile  their  bodies  were  refreshed 
at  his  expense,  their  hearts  were  also  rejoiced  hv  his  good  example  and 
pious  conversation;  and  therefore  the  apostle  cordially  owned  him,  and 
greatly  loved  him,  as  his  brother  in  the  Gospel.  The  word  ‘  brother,’ 
placed  thus  at  the  end  of  a  sentence,  is  peculiarly  emphatical,  and  ex¬ 
pressive  of  the  most  entire  cordiality.  Scott. 

V.  3 — 11.  In  the  original  (10)  Onesimus  is  mentioned  at  the  close  of 
the  sentence,  that  the  suspense  and  most  affectionate  introduction  might 
prepare  Philemon  to  read  a  name,  which  could  scarcely  fail  of  being  as¬ 
sociated  in  his  mind  xvjth  unfavorable  ideas.  ‘Onesimus’  signifies, 
profitable-,  in  allusion  to  which,  the  apostle  allowed,  that  he  had  not 
formerly  deserved  that  name,  hnving  been  ‘unprofitable;’  probably  he 
had  been  unfaithful,  dishonest,  and  unruly,  perhaps  addicted  to  other 
vices.  This  the  apostle  seems  to  have  known  from  his  confession.  Id. 

(9.)  Paul  the  aged.}  About  53  ;  so  Doddr.  Whitby  says,  about  63. 
And  Doddr.  adds,  that  the  reader,  if  not  satisfied  xvith  either,  mav  take 
any  medium  between  the  two,  as  he  pleases.  Ed. 


A.  D.  64. 


PHILEMON. 


Paul  pleads  in  behalf  of  Onesimus. 


12  Whom  I  have  sent  again  : 
thou  therefore  receive  him,  that  is, 
mine  own  bowels  ; 

13  Whom  I  would  have  retained 
with  me,  that  0  in  thy  stead  he 
might  have  ministered  unto  me  in 
the  bonds  of  the  gospel  : 

14  But  without  thy  mind  would 
I  do  nothing  ;  that  thy  benefit 
should  not  be  as  it  were  of  neces¬ 
sity,  but  p  willingly. 

15  For  i  perhaps  he  therefore 
departed  for  a  season,  that  thou 
shouldest  receive  him  for  ever  ; 

16  Not  now  as  a  servant,  but 
above  a  servant,  a  brother  'belov¬ 
ed,  specially  to  me,  but  how  much 
more  unto  thee,  both  in  the  ’flesh, 
and  in  the  Lord  ? 

17  If  thou  count  me  therefore  a 
'  partner,  receive  him  as  myself. 

13  If  he  hath  wronged  thee,  or 
oweth  thee  ought,  put  that  on  mine 
account ; 

19  I  Paul  have  written  it  with 
with  mine  own  hand,  I  will  repay 
it  :  albeit  I  do  not  say  to  thee  how 
thou  owest  unto  me  even  thine  own 
self  besides. 

o  I  Co.  16:17.  r  ,,  Ge.  45:5,8.  a  Col.  3:22. 

Phi  2:30.  t  Mol.  23:3.  t  2  Co.  8:23. 

p  2  Co.  9:7.  1  Ti.  6:2. 

sion  makes;  of  evil,  good;  of  unprofitable, 
useful  !  Religious  servants  are  a  treasure  in 
a  family.  Such  will  make  conscience  of 
tlieir  time  and  trusts,  promoting  the  inter¬ 
ests  of  those  whom  they  serve,  and  manag¬ 
ing  all  they  can  for  the  best.  This  then  is 
the  argument  here  urged;  ‘  It  will  now  be 
for  thy  advantage  to  receive  him  ;  thus 
changed, as  he  is,  thou  mayest  expect  him  a 
dutiful  and  faithful  servant,  though  in  time 
past  he  was  not  so.’  Whereupon,  as  a 
7th  Argument ,  He  urges  Philemon  from 
the  strong  affection  he  had  to  Onesimus. 
He  had  mentioned  the  spiritual  relation  be¬ 
fore,  my  son  begotten  in  my  bonds;  and  now 
he  signifies  how  dear  he  was  to  him. 

V.  12.  ‘  I  love  him  as  I  do  myself,  and 
have  sent  him  back  to  thee  for  this  end,  that 
thou  shouldest  receive  him;  do  it.  therefore 
for  my  sake,  receive  him  as  one  thus  dear  to 
me.’  Observe,  Even  good  men  may  some¬ 
times  need  great  earnestness  and  entreaty  to 
lay  their  passions,  let  go  their  resentments, 
and  forgive  those  who  have  injured  and  of¬ 
fended  them.  Some  h  ive  thought  Philemon, 
being  a  Phrygian,  might  perhaps  be  natu¬ 
rally  of  a  rough  and  difficult  temper,  and 
thence  need  no  little  pains  in  touching  all 
the  springs  that  might  move  him  to  forgive¬ 
ness  and  reconciliation  ;  but  rather  should 
we  strive  to  be  like  God,  who  is  slow  to  an¬ 
ger,  and  ready  to  forgive,  and  abundant  in 
pardons.  And  again,  an 

8th  Argument,  is,  from  the  apostle’s  deny¬ 
ing  himself  in  sending  back  Onesimus; 
though  he  might  have  presumed  on  Phile¬ 
mon’s  leave  to  detain  him  longer,  yet  he 
would  not. 

V.  13, 14.  Now  in  prison,  Paul  wanted  a 
friend  or  servant  to  assist  him,  and  there¬ 
fore  would  have  detained  Onesimus;  Phile¬ 
mon  himself,  he  might  have  presumed,  had 
he  requested  it,  would  not  have  refused ; 
much  less  would  he  be  unwilling  bis  servant 


should  assist  him  in  his  stead  ;  yet  Paul 
would  not  take  this  liberty.  Observe,  Good 
deeds  are  most  acceptable  to  God  and  man, 
when  done  with  most  freedom.  And  Paul 
herein,  notwithstanding  his  apostolical  pow¬ 
er,  would  show  what  regard  he  had  to  civil 
rights,  which  Christianity  does  by  no  means 
supersede  or  weaken,  but  rather  confirm 
and  strengthen.  He  might  indeed  have  pre¬ 
sumed  on  Philemon’s  w  illingness;  but,  not¬ 
withstanding  his  need,  lie  would  deny  him¬ 
self  rather  than  take  that  way.  And  he  ar¬ 
gues  further ; 

9th  Argument,  That  such  a  change  was 
now  wrought  in  Onesimus,  that  Philemon 
needed  not  fear  his  ever  running  from  him, 
or  injuring  him  any  more.  There  are  those 
of  whom  Solomon  says,  If  thou  deliver  them, 
thou  must  do  it  again,  Prov.  19:  19.  but  the 
change  wrought  in  Onesimus  was  such,  that 
he  would  never  again  need  one  thus  to  inter¬ 
cede  for  him. 

V.  15.  Charity  would  so  hope,  yea,  so  it 
would  he;  yet  the  apostle  speaks  cautiously, 
that  none  might  be  bold  to  make  another 
such  experiment,  in  expectance  of  a  like  gra¬ 
cious  issue.  Observe,  In  matters  that  may 
he  wrested  to  ill,  ministers  must  speak  wa¬ 
rily,  that  kind  providences  of  God  towards 
sinners  he  not  abused,  to  encouragements  to 
sin,  or  abatements  of  just  abhorrence  of  it; 
Perhaps  he  therefore  departed  from  thee  for  a 
season,  &c.  Observe,  IIuw  softly  still  the 
sins  of  penitents  are  spoken  of ;  he  calls  it 
a  departure  for  a  season,  instead  of  giving  it 
the  term  it  deserved.  When  we  speak  of 
the  nature  of  any  sin  or  offence  as  against 
God,  the  evil  of  it  is  not  to  be  lessened ;  but, 
in  the  person  of  a  penitent  sinner,  as  God 
covers  it,  so  must  we.  Such  as  are  true  peni¬ 
tents  will  not  return  to  fully.  Observe,  The 
wisdom,  goodness,  and  power  of  God,  in 
causing  that  to  end  so  happily,  which  was 
begun  and  carried  on  for  some  time  so  wick¬ 
edly  ;  thus  working  so  good  and  great  a 
change  in  a  poor  vassal,  who  was  so  far 
gone  in  evil  ways,  who  had  wronged  a  mas¬ 
ter  so  good,  had  run  from  a  family  so  pious, 
from  the  means  of  grace,  the  church  in  his 
house;  that  he  should  be  led  into  the  way  of 
salvation,  who  had  fled  from  it,  and  find 
means  made  effectual  at  Rome,  who  had 
been  hardened  under  them  at  Colosse.  What 
riches  are  here  of  divine  grace  !  None  so 
low',  or  mean,  or  vile,  as  utterly  to  be  des¬ 
paired  of.  God  can  meet  with  them  when 
running  from  Him  ;  can  make  means  effec¬ 
tual  at  one  time  and  place,  which  have  not 
been  so  at  another.  So  was  it  in  this  in¬ 
stance  of  Onesimus.  So  God  often  brings 
gain  to  li is  people  out  of  their  losses.  And 
beside  interest,  a 

1  Olh  Argument  is  taken  from  the  capacity 
under  which  Onesimus  now  would  return, 
and  must  be  received  by  Philemon. 

V.  16.  ‘  Not  now  as  a  servant,  that  is,  not 
merely  or  so  much,  but  above  a  servant,  in 
a  spiritual  respect,  a  brother  beloved,  one  to 
be  owned  as  a  brother  in  Christ,  and  to  be 
loved  as  such,  on  account  of  this  holy 
change  wrought  in  him,  and  owe  therefore 
who  will  be  useful  unto  thee, on  better  prin¬ 
ciples  ami  in  a  better  manner,  than  before. 
Observe,  There  is  a  spiritual  brotherhood 
between  all  true  believers,  however  differ¬ 
enced  in  civil  and  outward  respects;  they 
all  are  children  of  the  same  heavenly  Fa¬ 
ther,  have  a  right  to  the  same  spiritual  priv¬ 
ileges  and  benefits,  must  love  and  do  all 
good  offices  to  and  for  one  another  as  breth¬ 
ren,  though  still  in  the  same  rank,  and  de¬ 


gree,  and  station,  wherein  they  were  called. 
Observe,  Religious  servants  are  more  than 
mere  ordinary  servants;  they  have  grace  in 
their  hearts,  and  have  found  grace  in  God’s 
sight,  and  so  will  in  the  sight  of  religious 
masters.  Good  ministers  love  not  so  much 
according  to  the  outward  good  they  receive, 
as  the  spiritual  good  they  do.  Paul  called 
Onesimus  his  own  bowels,  and  other  con¬ 
verts  his  joy  and  crown.  This  argument  is 
strengthened  by  another,  the 

IRA  Argument,  From  the  communion  of 
saints. 

V.  17.  There  is  a  fellowship  among  saints; 
lliey  have  interest  one  in  another,  and  must 
love  and  act  accordingly. 

But  w  hy  such  concern  and  earnestness  for 
a  servant,  a  slave,  and  such  a  one  as  had 
misbehaved  1  Answer,  Onesimus  being  now 
penitent,  it  was  doubtless  to  encourage  him, 
and  to  support  him  in  returning  to  his  mas¬ 
ter.  Wise  and  good  ministers  will  have 
great  and  tender  care  of  young  converts,  to 
encourage  and  hearten  them  to  their  duty. 
Objection,  But  Onesimus  had  wronged  as 
well  as  offended  his  master.  The  answer  to 
this  makes  a 

!2rA  Argxemcnt,  A  promise  of  satisfaction 
to  Philemon. 

V.  18,  19.  Here  are  three  things  : 

(1.)  A  confession  of  Onesimus’  debt  to 
Philemon  ;  If  he  hath  wronged  thee,  or  oweth 
thee,  aught.  It  is  not  an  if  of  doubting,  but 
of  illation  and  concession  ;  seeing  he  hath 
wronged  thee,  and  thereby  is  become  indebt¬ 
ed  to  thee  ;  such  an  if  as  Col.  3:1.  and 
2  Pet.  2:4.  &c.  Observe,  True  penitents 
will  be  ingenuous  in  owning  their  faults,  as 
doubtless  Onesimus  had  been  to  Paul,  on  his 
being  awakened,  and  brought  to  repentance  ; 
especially  is  this  to  be  done  in  cases  of  inju¬ 
ry  to  others.  Onesimus,  by  Paul,  owns  the 
wrong.  And, 

(2.)  Paul  here  engages  for  satisfaction  ; 
Put  that  on  my  account.  Whence,  [1.]  Ob¬ 
serve,  The  communion  of  saints  does  not 
destroy  distinction  of  property  :  Onesimus, 
now  converted,  and  become  a  brother  beloved, 
is  yet  Philemon’s  servant  still, and  indebted 
to  him  for  wrongs  he  had  done,  and  not  to 
be  discharged  but  by  free  and  voluntary  re¬ 
mission,  or  on  reparation  made  by  himself, 
or  some  other  in  his  behalf;  which  part, 
rather  than  fail,  the  apostle  undertakes  for 
him.  Upon  which,  [2.]  Observe,  Surety¬ 
ship  is  not,  in  all  cases,  unlawful,  hut  n 
some,  is  a  good  and  merciful  undertaking. 
Only  know  the  person  and  case  ;  be  not 
surety  for  a  stranger,  Prov.  11:15.  and  go 
not  beyond  ability.  And  how  happy  for  us, 
that  Christ  would  he  made  the  Surety  of  a 
better  covenant,  Heb.  7:22.  that  He  would 
be  made  Sin  for  us,  who  knew  no  sin,  that  we 
might  be  made  the  righteousness  of  God  in 
Him!  And,  [3.J  Observe,  Formal  securities 
by  writing,  as  well  as  by  word  and  promise, 
may  be  required  and  given.  Persons  die, 
and  words  may  be  forgotten  or  mistaken  ; 
writing  better  preserves  right,  and  peace, 
and  has  been  in  use  with  good  persons,  aa 
well  as  others,  in  all  ages,  Jer.  32:9.  & c. 
Luke  16:5 — 7.  It  was  much  that  Paul, 
who  lived  on  contributions  himself,  would 
undertake  to  make  good  all  loss  by  an  evil 
servant  to  his  master  ;  but  hereby  he  ex¬ 
presses  his  real  and  great  affection  for  Ones¬ 
imus,  and  his  full  belief  of  the  sincerity  of 
his  conversion  :  he  might  also  hope,  that, 

I  notwithstanding  this  generous  offer,  Phile¬ 
mon  would  not  insist  on  it,  but  freely  remit 


V.  12—16.  Onesimus  was  Philemon's  legal  properly,  and  Paul  had 
required  and  prevailed  with  Onesimus  to  return  to  him,  having  made  suf¬ 
ficient  trial  of  his  sincerity  ;  and  he  requested  Philemon  to  receive  him, 
with  the  same  kindness,  as  he  would  the  aged  apostle’s  ‘own  son  ac¬ 
cording  to  the  flesh;’  being  equally  dear  to  him,  as  his  spiritual  child. 
Ho  would  gladly  have  kept  him  at  Rome,  but  would  not  do  anything  of 
this  kind  without  his  consent,  lest  he  should  seem  to  extort  the  benefit, 
and  Philemon  should  appear  to  act  from  ‘  necessity,’  rather  than  ‘from 
a  willing  mind.’  2  Cor.  9:1 — 7.  Scott. 

V.  17—21.  It  is  generally  observed,  that  this  is  a  plain  instance  of  a 


debt,  being  imputed  to  one,  which  was  contracted  by  another;  and  of  one 
by  a  voluntary  engagement  becoming  answerable  for  the  misconduct  of 
another,  that  the  latter  might  he  exempted  from  the  punishment  due  to 
his  crimes,  and  partake  of  benefi's  to  which  he  had  no  right.  This  ac¬ 
cords  to  the  doctrine  of  flhriit’s  voluntary  bearing  [of]  the  punishment 
of  our  sins,  that  we  might  receive  the  rexvard  of  his  righteousness,  by  a 
reciprocal  imputation.  —  Perhaps  the  apostle  understood,  that  1  hilemoa 
had  expressed  some  sharpness  concerning  Onesimus’  conduct,  or  suspi¬ 
cion  of  his  sincerity  in  his  professed  repentance;  or  knowing  him  to  be 
naturally  somewhat  severe  in  his  temper,  he  might  fear  lest  he  should 


A.  D.  64. 


PHILEMON. 


Paul's  salutations  and  benediction. 


20  Yea,  brother,  let  me  have  joy 
of  thee  in  the  Lord :  refresh  u  my 
bowels  in  the  Lord. 

21  Having  confidence  vin  thy  obe¬ 
dience,  I  wrote  unto  thee,  knowing 
that  thou  wilt  also  do  more  than  I  say. 

22  But  withal  prepare  me  also  a 
lodging  :  for  I  'v  trust  that  through 
xyour  prayers  I  shall  be  given  unto 
you. 

23  There  salute  thee  y  Epaphras, 
my  fellow-prisoner  in  Christ  Jesus; 

24  2  Marcus,  1  Aristarchus,  b  De- 
mas,  Lucas,  my  fellow-laborers. 

25  The  c  grace  of  our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ  be  with  your  spirit.  Amen. 

IF  Written  from  Rome  to  Phile¬ 
mon,  by  Onesimus  a  servant. 

u  ver.  7.  X  2  Co.  1:11.  a  Ac.  19:29. 

»  2  Co.  7:16.  v  Col.  1:7.  b’2Ti.4.U. 

w  Phi.  2:24.  z  Ac.  12:12,25.  c  2  Ti.  4:22. 

(3.)  The  reason  of  things  between  him 
and  Philemon  ;  ‘Albeit,’  &c.  Modesty  in 
self-praises  is  true  praise.  The  apostle 
glances  at  the  benefits  he  had  conferred  on 
Philemon;  and  intimates, that  what  he  ask¬ 
ed  in  behalf  of  Onesimus,  would  be  ns  nothing 
in  return.  Observe,  How  great,  the  endear¬ 
ments  are  between  ministers  and  those  to¬ 
ward  whom  their  endeavors  have  been  bles¬ 
sed  to  their  conversion,  or  spiritual  edifica¬ 
tion  !  Gal.  4:  15.  so,  1  Thes.  2:  8.  By  way 
of  allusion,  this  may  illustrate  Christ’s  un¬ 
dertaking  for  us  :  we  were  revolted  from 
God,  and  by  sin  had  wronged  Him,  but 
Christ  undertakes  to  make  satisfaction,  the 
Just  for  the  unjust,  that  He  might  bring  us 
unto  God.  Further,  a 

\’3th  Argument  is,  from  the  joy  and  com¬ 
fort  the  apostle  thereby  would  have  on  Phil¬ 
emon’s  own  account,  as  well  as  that  of  Ones¬ 
imus,  in  such  a  seasonable  and  acceptable 
fruit  of  Philemon’s  faith  arid  obedience. 

V.  20.  Philemon  was  Paul’s  son  in  the 
faith,  yet  he  entreats  him  as  a  brother  ;  Ones¬ 
imus,  a  poor  slave,  yet  he  solicits  for  him 
as  if  he  were  seeking  some  great  thing  for 
himself.  How  pathetic  is  he  !  ‘  Yea,  broth¬ 
er,  or  O  my  brother ;  (it  is  an  adverb  of 
wishing  or  desiring;)  let  me  have  joy  of  thee 
in  the  Lord.  Thou  knowest  that  I  am  now 
a  prisoner  of  the  Lord,  for  h  is  sake  and  cause, 
and  need  all  the  comfort  and  support  that 
tny  friends  in  Christ  can  give  me;  now  this 
ill  be  joy  to  me;  I  shall  have  joy  of  thee  in 
the  Lord,  as  seeing  such  an  evidence  and 
fruit  of  th}1  own  Christian  faith  and  love, 
anil  on  Onesimus’  account,  who  hereby  will 
be  relieved  and  encouraged.’  Refresh  my 
bowels  in  the  Lord.  No  carnal,  selfish  respect 
actuates  me,  but  that  which  is  pleasing  to 


Christ,  and  in  which  lie  may  have  honor. 
Iiis  last,  and 

1  Ath  Argument,  lies  in  his  good  hope  and 
opinion  which  he  expresses  of  Philemon. 

V.  21.  Good  thoughts  and  expectations 
of  us  more  strongly  move  and  engage  to  do 
the  things  expected  from  us.  Observe,  Good 
persons  will  be  ready  for  good  works,  and 
not  narrow  and  pinching,  but  abundant  in 
them,  Isa.  32:  8. 

Now  he  comes  to  the  conclusions  ;  where, 

1.  He  signifies  his  good  hope  of  deliver¬ 
ance,  through  their  prayers,  and  that  short¬ 
ly  he  might  see  them,  desiring  Philemon  to 
make  provision  for  him. 

V.  22.  But  withal,  or  moreover.  He  conies 
to  another  thing,  yet,  as  may  seem,  not  with¬ 
out  some  eye  to  the  matter  he  had  been  up¬ 
on,  that  might  be  furthered  by  this  intima¬ 
tion,  that  he  hoped  ho  should  himself  soon 
follow,  and  know  the  effect.  (1.)  Prepare 
a  lodging  ;  under  this  all  necessaries  for  a 
stranger  are  included.  Hospitality  is  a  great 
Christian  duty,  especially  in  ministers,  and 
towards  ministers,  such  as  the  apostle  was, 
coming  out  of  such  dangers  and  sufferings 
for  Christ  and  his  Gospel.  It  is  an  honora¬ 
ble  title  he  gives  Gains,  Rom.  10:  23.  Oncsi- 
phorus  he  also  affectionately  remembered  on 
this  account,  2  Tim.  1:16.  (2.)  The  ground 
of  the  apostle’s  request  ;  For  1  trust  that 
through  your  prayers  I  shall  be  given  unto  you. 
The  benefit  of  prayer  he  had  often  found,  and 
hoped  he  should  again,  for  deliverance  and 
liberty  to  come  to  them.  Our  dependence  is 
on  God  for  life  and  liberty,  and  opportunity 
of  service;  yet  this  must  be  with  the  use  of 
means,  prayer  especially,  though  no  other 
should  be  at  hand.  The  fervent  effectual  pray¬ 
er  of  the  righteous  availeth  much.  Prayer  of 
people  for  ministers,  especially  when  in  dis¬ 
tress  and  danger,  is  their  great  duty  ;  minis¬ 
ters  need  and  request  it.  Paul,  though  an 
apostle,  did  so  [often]  with  much  earnest¬ 
ness,  Rom.  15:  30.  2  Cor.  1:11.  Eph.  6:18, 
19.  1  Thess.  5:  25.  The  least  may  this  way 
be  helpful  to  the  greatest.  In  praying  for 
faithful  ministers,  people  in  effect  pray  for 
themselves.  ‘  I  trust  I  shall  be  given  unto 
you;  for  yonr  service,  and  comfort,  and  edi¬ 
fication  in  Christ,’  see  2  Cor.  4:5. 

2.  He  sends  salutations  from  a  fellow-pris¬ 
oner,  and  four  more,  his  fellow-laborers  : 

V.  23,  24.  Saluting  is  wishing  health  and 
peace.  Christianity  is  no  enemy  to  courtesy, 
but  enjoins  it,  1  Pet.  3:  8.  It  is  a  mere  ex¬ 
pression  of  love  and  respect,  and  a  mean  of 
preserving  and  nourishing  it.  Epaphras  was 
of  Colosse,  and  so  countryman  and  fellow- 
citizen  with  Philemon  ;  by  office,  he  seems 
to  have  been  an  evangelist,  who  labored 
among  the  Colossians,  if  not  the  first  con¬ 
verter  of  them,  for  whom  he  had  special  affec¬ 
tion.  A  very  eminent  person  therefore  this 


was,  who,  being  at  Rome,  perhaps  accom¬ 
panying  Paul,  and  laboring  in  the  same 
work,  was  confined  in  the  same  prison,  and 
for  the  same  cause.  God  sometimes  light¬ 
ens  the  sufferings  of  his  servants  by  the  com¬ 
munion  of  saints,  tile  sweet  fellowship  they 
have  one  with  another  in  their  bonds.  Never 
more  enjoyment  of  God  have  they  found,  than 
when  suffering  together  for  God.  So  Paul 
and  Silas,  when  in  the  stocks.  Marcus, 
Aristarchus,  Demas,  Lucas,  my  fellow-labor¬ 
ers.  The  mention  of  these  seems  in  a  man¬ 
ner  to  interest  them  in  the  business  of  the 
letter.  Marcus  was  cousin  of  Barnabas,  and 
son  of  Mary,  who  was  so  hospitable  to  the 
saints  at  Jerusalem,  Col.  4:  10.  Acts  12: 
12.  and  whose  house  was  the  place  of 
meeting  for  prayer  and  worship  of  God. 
Some  failing  seems  to  have  been  in  him 
when  Paul  and  be  parted,  yet  with  Barnabas 
lie  went  on  with  his  work  ;  and  here  Paul 
and  he,  we  perceive,  were  reconciled,  and 
differences  forgotten,  2  Tim.  4:11.  Aris¬ 
tarchus  is  mentioned  with  Marcus,  Col.  4  : 
10.  and,  speaking  there  of  Marcus,  he  adds, 
touching  whom  ye  received  commandments  ; 
if  he  come  unto  you,  receive  him  ;  an  evidence 
that  he  himself  had  received  him,  and  was 
reconciled  to  him.  Next  is  Demas,  who, 
hitherto,  it  seems,  appeared  not  faulty, 
though,  2  Tim.  4:  10.  he  is  censured  as  hav¬ 
ing  forsaken  Paul,  from  love  of  this  present 
world.  But  how  far  his  forsaking  was,  wheth¬ 
er  total  from  his  work  and  profession,  or 
partially  only  ;  and  whether  he  repented,  and 
returned  to  his  duty,  Scripture  is  silent,  and 
so  must  we  he  :  no  mark  of  disgrace  lay  on 
him  here,  but  he  is  joined  with  others  who 
were  faithful,  as  he  is  also  in  Col.  4:14. 
Lucas  is  the  last,  that  beloved  physician  and 
evangelist,  who  came  to  Rome  companion 
with  Paul,  Col.  4:  14.  2  Tim.  4:  11.  He 
was  Paul’s  associate  in  his  greatest  dangers, 
and  his  fellow-laborer. 

3.  The  closing  prayer  and  benediction. 

V.  25.  Your  spirit  ;  not  Philemon’s  only, 
but  of  all  who  were  named  in  the  inscription. 
With  your  spirit  with  you;  the  soul  or  spirit 
being  the  immediate  seat  of  grace,  whence 
it  influences  the  whole  man,  and  flows  out 
in  gracious  and  holy  actings.  All  the  house 
saluted  are  here  joined  in  the  closing  bene¬ 
diction,  the  more  to  remind  and  quicken  all 
to  further  the  end  of  the  epistle. 

Amen  is  added,  not  only  for  strong  and 
affectionate  summing  up  the  prayer  and  wish, 
so  let  it  be  ;  but  as  an  expression  of  faith  that 
it  will  be  beard,  so  shall  it  be.  And  what 
more  than  the  grace  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ 
would  sweeten  and  mollify  their  spirits, 
Philemon’s  especially,  and  take  off  too  deep 
and  keen  resentments  of  injuries,  and  dispose 
to  forgive  others  as  God  for  Christ’s  sake 
hath  forgiven  us  ! 


TRACT.  OBS.  Fnithful  ministers  have  great  joy  and  comfort  in  that 
little  company  of  affluent  Christians,  whose  Move  abounds’  in  liberali¬ 
ty  to  all  men;  and  when  ‘the  bowels  of  the  saints  are  refreshed  by 
them,’  and  their  wants  generously  supplied. — It  is  by  no  means  proper 
to  exercise  authority  on  every  occasion,  even  when  ministers  may  be 
‘bold  to  enjoin  what  is  convenient.’  It  is  frequently  far  more  prudent,  for 
love’s  sake,  to  beseech  even  juniors  and  inferiors,  especially  when  it  may 
bo  supposed,  they  will  be  reluctant  to  what  is  required,  and  when  it- may 
be  difficult  to  convince  them  of  its  indispensable  obligation.  In  such 
circumstances,  wisdom  and  humility  will  teach  the  aged  and  experienc¬ 
ed  to  become  willingly  the  obliged  parties,  when  they  might  assume  a 
higher  tone. — In  speaking  to  person*  about  their  sins,  for  their  humilia¬ 
tion,  the  heinous  nature  and  manifold  aggravations  of  them  should  he 
insisted  qti ;  but  in  mentioning  them  to  others ,  xvho  are  disposed  to  se¬ 
verity  or  resentment,  we  should  soften  and  extenuate  as  far  as  truth  will 
permit;  and  the  subject  ought  to  he  introduced  with  all  the  tenderness 


and  caution  imaginable,  that  everything  may  tend  to  conciliate,  and 
nothing  to  exasperate,  [or  excite  selfishness,  as  pride,  triumph,  Ac.] — 
No  prospect  of  usefulness  should  induce  ministers  to  allow  their  con¬ 
verts  to  neglect  relative  obligations,  or  to  fail  of  obedience  to  their  supe¬ 
riors.  One  great  evidence  of  (rue  repentance  consists  in  returning  to  the 
practice  of  those  duties  which  had  been  neglected  ;  and  even  liberty  to 
engage  in  other  services  should  be  sought  from  those  concerned;  not  as 
it  were  of  necessity,  but  by  their  willing  consent.  We  know  not  for 
what  services  God  may  intend  those,  whom  He  has  marvellously  con¬ 
verted  ;  having,  therefore,  given  our  judgment,  and  used  proper  means,  we 
should  leave  all  things  to  his  determination,  in  whose  hand  are  the  hearts 
of  all  the  children  of  men.  Had  not  the  Lord  overruled  some  of  our  un¬ 
godly  projects,  the  writer  and  many  readers  may  say,  with  humble  grati¬ 
tude,  ourdestruction  must  have  been  the  inevitable  consequence;  though, 
through  that  gracious  interposition,  they  eventually  proved  the  occasion 
of  our  being  brought  into  the  way  of  salvation  and  of  usefulness.  Sc. 


punish  him.  as  the  laws  permitted  masters  to  do  [to]  their  slaves  in  such 
cases,  which  would  not  only  have  been  grievous  to  Onesimus,  but  dis¬ 
graceful  to  the  Gospel,  and  to  Philemon  himself. — We  can  hardly  doubt, 
that  Philemon,  on  this,  forgave  Onesimus,  received  him  with  kindness, 
remitted  what  he  owed  to  him,  and  afterwards  gave  him  his  libertyj_that 
he  might  attend  on  the  apostle.  His  appointment  with  Tychicus  to  de¬ 
liver  the  epistle  to  the  Colossians  seems  to  Intimate,  that  Paul  meant  to 
employ  him  as  a  minister,  which  probably  was  afterwards  done.  Sc. 

(20)  Refresh  my  bowels.]  ‘The  original  is  wonderfully  emphatic, 
signifying  to  appease  or  quiet ,  which  strongly  intimates  the  commotion 
he  felt,  through  the  ardor  of  his  concern  for  Onesimus.  Comp.  v.  7. 
where  the  same  word  is  used,  and  seems  to  be  referred  to  here  with  pe- 

[510] 


ciiliur  beauty  and  propriety.’  Doddr.  And  he  adds,  on  the  whole  passage 
from  v.  8.  to  the  end  of  the  epistle,  ‘IIow  amiable  is  the  condescension 
of  the  holy  apostle  I  How  charming  and  delicate  his  address  !  Let  hi* 
example  be  imitated  by  those  in  superior  stations  and  relations  in  life 
[and  especially  by  those  who  hold  the  fearfully  responsible  station  of 
masters]  ;  and  let  them  learn,  from  the  tenderness  such  a  man  expresses 
for  this  poor  slave,  in  whom  he  traced  the  appearance  of  a  truly  Chris¬ 
tian  temper,  [their  duty]  to  interest  themselves  in  the  happiness  of 
those  whose  rank  is  far  beneath  their  own.  Well  may  such  a  care  be 
expected,  when  we  can  look  upon  such  as  brethren  beloved  in  the  Lord, 
and  partakers  with  us  in  the  same  Savior  and  hope  of  the  Gospel.’ 
Doddridge.  Ed. 


AN  EXPOSITION 


OF  THE 


E  P  I  S  T  I.  E  T  O  T  H  E  HEBREWS, 

with 

PRACTICAL  OBSERVATIONS  AND  NOTES. 

(Henry's  Exposition ,  completed  by  Mr.  }V.  Tong.) 


Concerning  this  epistle  we  must  inquire, 

I.  Into  the.  divine  authority  of  it ;  this  has  been  questioned  by  some,  as  the  Arians,  who  deny  the  Godhead  and  Self- 
existence  of  Christ;  and  the  Socinians,  who  deny  his  Satisfaction :  but,  after  all  the  attempts  of  such  men  to  disparage  this 
epistle,  the  divine  original  of  it  shines  forth  with  those  strong  and  unclouded  rays,  that  he  who  runs  may  read  it  as  an  emi¬ 
nent  part  of  the  canon  of  Scripture.  The  divinity  of  the  matter,  the  sublimity  of  the  style,  the  excellency  of  the  design, 
the  harmony  of  this  with  other  parts  of  Scripture,  and  its  general  reception  in  the  church  of  God  in  all  ages, —  these  are 
the  evidences  of  its  divine  authority. 

II.  As  to  the  divine  amanuensis ,  or  penman  of  this  epistle,  we  are  not  so  certain  ;  it  does  not  bear  the  name  of  any,  as  the 
rest  of  the  epistles  do,  and  there  has  been  some  dispute  among  the  learned  to  whom  they  should  ascribe  it.  Some  have 
assigned  it  to  Clemens  of  Rome  ;  others  to  Luke  ;  and  many  to  Barnabas  ;  but  it  is  generally  assigned  to  the  apostle  Paul/ 
In  tlie  primitive  times  it  was  generally  ascribed  to  him,  and  ihe  style  and  scope  of  it  very  well  agree  with  his  spirit.  Some 
think  Peter  refers  to  it,  and  proves  Paul  to  be  the  penman  of  it,  by  telling  the- Hebrews,  to  whom  he  wrote,  of  Paul’s 
having  written  to  them,  2  Pet.  3:15.  We  read  of  no  other  epistle  he  ever  wrote  them  but  this.  And  though  it  has  been 
objected,  that,  since  Paul  put  his  name  to  all  his  other  epistles,  he  would  not  have  omitted  it  here;  yet  others  have  well 
answered,  that  he,  being  the  apostle  of  the  Gentiles,  who  were  odious  to  the  Jews,  might  think  fit  to  conceal  his  name,  lest 
their  prejudices  against  him  might  hinder  them  from  reading  and  weighing  it  as  they  ought  to  do. 

III.  Ab  to  the  scope  and  design  of  this  epistle,  it  is  very  evident,  that  it  was  clearly  to  inform  the  minds,  and  strongly  to 

confirm  the  judgment  of  the  Hebrews  in  the  transcendent  excellency  of  the  gospel  above  the  law,  and  so  to  take  them  oft' 
from  the  ceremonies  of  the  law,  to  which  they  were  so  wedded,  of  which  they  were  so  fond,  that  they  even  doted  on  them. 
Those  of  them  who  were  Christians,  retained  too  much  of  the  old  leaven,  and  the  design  of  this  epistle  was,  [further,]  to 
persuade  and  press  them  to  a  constant  adherence  to  the  Christian’s  faith,  and  perseverance  in  it,  notwithstanding  all  suffer¬ 
ings  in  so  doing.  In  order  to  this,  he  s|lfeaks  much  of  the  excellency  of  the  Author  of  the  Gospel,  the  glorious  Jesus, 
whose  honor  he  advances,  and  whom  he  justly  prefers  before  all  others,  showing  Him  to  be  All  in  all,  and  this  in  lofty 
strains  of  holy  rhetoric.  It  must  be  acknowledged,  that  there  are  many  things  in  this  epistle  hard  to  be  understood,  but  the 
sweetness  we  shall  find  herein  will  make  us  abundant  amends  for  all  the  pains  we  take  to  understand  it.  And,  indeed,  if 
we  compare  all  the  epistles  of  the  N.  T.  we  shall  not  find  any  of  them  more  replenished  with  divine,  heavenly  matter,  than 
this  to  the  Hebrews.  Henry. 

Origen  and  some  others  were  of  opinion,  that  the  epistle  was  written  in  the  Hebrew  or  Syriac  language  ;  and  translated 
into  Greek  by  Clement,  or  Luke  :  but,  if  this  had  been  the  case,  it  can  hardly  be  supposed,  that  no  one  copy  of  the  Hebrew 
epistle  should  be  mentioned  as  extant  in  their  days,  and  as  seen  by  them. — The  quotations  from  the  O.  T.  are  generally 
taken  from  the  Sept.,  even  where  that  version  in  some  degree  varies  from  the  Heb. :  but  this  would  scarcely  have  taken 
place,  had  the  epistle  been  written  in  Heb. — The  Heb.  names  are  interpreted  also  in  Greek,  in  a  manner,  that  is  not  at  all 
like  the  addition  of  a  translator.  The  apostle,  doubtless,  supposed  that  the  epistle  would  circulate  widely  among  his  country¬ 
men,  who  spoke  Greek;  and  among  Christians  in  general,  as  well  as  among  the  Hebrews;  and  therefore,  probably,  he 
wrote  in  Greek,  as  more  generally  in  use  at  that  time,  than  any  other  language  in  the  world:  and,  as  it  seems  to  have  been 
written  principally  for  the  more  learned  of  the  Hebrews,  and  the  teachers  in  the  first  instance;  the  circumstance,  that  the 
unlearned  in  Judea  could  not  read  it,  would  not  counterbalance  the  advantages  of  its  being  legible  by  such  numbers  in 
every  other  place.  For  even  in  Judea  the  teachers  would  make  it  known  to  the  common  people  :  and  the  time  was  at  hand 
when  both  Jews  and  Christians  would  be  removed  from  the  settlements  in  that  country. — The  Hebrews  were  the  Jews  in 
Judea,  and  those  who  spoke  a  dialect  of  the  Heb.  :  and  to  such  of  them,  as  professed  Christianity,  the  epistle  was  addressed  ; 
and  probably  sent  to  Jerusalem,  to  the  rulers  and  pastors  of  the  church  in  that  city  :  yet  the  writer  evidently  expected,  that 
the  unconverted  Jews,  also,  would  read  it  ;  and  their  conviction  and  instruction  seem  to  have  been  a  leading  part  of  his 
object  in  writing  it. — It  opens  with  a  declaration  of  the  personal  and  mediatorial  dignity  of  Christ,  and  proofs  from  the 
O.  T.  that  the  Messiah  was  to  he  far  greater  than  the  angels.  It  then  shows  his  superiority  to  Moses  and  other  eminent 
men  of  the  nation  ;  proves,  by  the  most  unanswerable  arguments,  that  in  Him  the  types  of  the  law  had  their  full  accom¬ 
plishment;  that  He  was  the  substance  of  all  those  shadows;  and  that  the  ancient  Scriptures  taught  Israel  to  expect  an  en¬ 
tirely  new  dispensation,  priesthood,  and  covenant,  under  the  reign  of  the  Messiah.  These  reasonings  are  interspersed  and 
closed  with  most  solemn  and  affectionate  warnings  and  exhortations,  addressed  to  different  descriptions  of  persons.  At 
length,  the  writer  shows  the  nature,  efficacy ,  and  triumphs  of  faith  ;  by  which  all  the  saints  in  former  ages  had  been  accepted 
by  God,  and  enabled  to  obey,  suffer,' ’and  do  exploits  in  defence  of  their  holy  religion  :  after  which,  he  adds  various  instruc¬ 
tions,  admonitions,  encouragements,  and  exhortations  ;  and  then  concludes  with  the  customary  salutations  and  benedictions. 


*  The  general  testimony  of  antiquity,  the  current  tradition  of  the 
church,  and  the  judgment  of  the  most  competent  modern  critics,  deter¬ 
mine  this  epistle  to  have  been  written  hy  Paul;  though  some,  both  in 
former  anil  latter  times,  have  thought  otherwise.  ‘“The  epistle  of 
Paul.”  Thus  we  flr.d  it  wriiten  in  all  our  manuscripts,  one  only  except¬ 
ed,  in  which  it  is  only,  “The  epistle  to  the  Hebrews.”’  Kcza. — ‘It  is 
evident,  that  this  epistle  was  generally  received  in  ancient  limes,  by 
tliose  Christians  who  used  the  Greek  language,  and  lived  in  the  eastern 
parts  of  the  Roman  empire,  fn  particular,  Clement  of  Alexandria,  be¬ 
fore  tlie  end  of  the  2d  century,  received  this  epistle  as  St.  PauPs,  and 
quoted  it  frequently,  and  without  any  donht  or  hesitation. — It  is  not 
expressly  quoted  as  St.  Paul’s,  by  any  of  tlie  Latin  writers  in  the  first 
three  centuries.  However,  it  was  known  to  IrentBUs  nnd  Tertullian. — 
It  is  manifest,  (hat  it  was  received  as  an  epistle' of  St.  Paul,  by  many 
Latin  writers  in  the  4th,  5th,  and  6th  centuries.’  Lnnlner. — Origen,  who 
held  some  peculiar  notions  concerning  it,  says,  ‘  The  ancients  did  not 
rashly  hand  it  down  as  St.  Paul’s.’ — ‘  It  is  very  certain,  that  the  churches 
nnd  writers,  who  were  ancients  with  respect  to  Origen,  must  have  con¬ 
versed  with  the  apostles  themselves,  or  at  least  with  t heir  successors. — . 
Since  litis  tradition  was  ancient,  in  the  times  of  Clement  of  Alexandria 
and  Origen,  about  130  years  after  the  epistle  was  written;  it  must  tiave 
had  its  rise  in  the  days  of  Paul  himself,  nnd  so  cannot  reasonably  he 
contested.’  Ifa'let ,  in  Mackn. — Tlie  doubts,  which  tiave  been  enter¬ 
tained  on  ibis  subject,  seem  principally  to  have  arisen  from  the  circum¬ 
stance,  of  the  apostle’s  name  not  being  aliixed  to  it,  according  to  his 
custom  in  all  tiis  other  epistles. — ‘But,  on  the  contrary,  I  contend,  from 
this  very  circumstance,  that  it  belongs  to  Paul  rather  than  to  any  other 
person.  Por  why  should  any  othei  person  have  omitted  his  name  ! 
Paul,  however,  knew  that  liis  name  was  hated  at  Jerusalem.’  Beta. 
—  The  apostle  intended  to  prove  the  doctrines  of  Christianity,  nnd 


th°  changes  which  it  had  introduced,  and  would  introduce,  to  lie  entire¬ 
ly  consistent  with  ‘  the  oracles  of  God,’  as  received  hy  tlie  Jews:  nnd 
either  clearly  predicted,  or  evidently  typified,  or  at  least  sufficiently  inti¬ 
mated,  by  them  ;  so  that  any  man,  who  fully  understood  the  O.  T.,  must 
have  expected  the  substance  of  What  was  taught  by  Christ  and  his  apos¬ 
tles,  and  the.  events  which  had  occurred.  It  is,  therefore,  highly  proba¬ 
ble,  that  he  expressly  aimed  to  write  an  epistle,  which  might  lie  put 
into  the  hands  either  of  Judaizing  Christians,  or  unbelieving  Jews,  and 
read  bv  them,  without  any  prejudice,  on  account  of  the  person  who 
wrote  it  :  let  them  impartially  consider  his  arguments.  Pref.  to  Kat. 
It  is  however  evident,  that  he  supposed  some  of  the  Hebrews  would 
know  from  whom  it  came.  10:34.  13:13,23,24.  But  these  intimations 

are  not  given  till  tlie  argumentative  part  of  tlie  epistle  is  ended;  and 
they  would  not  he  clearly  understood  by  any  but  the  apostle’s  friends.— 
The  writer’s  connexion  with  Timothy,  nnd  his  residence  in  Italy,  tend 
to  confirm  the  ancient  tradition  :  and  the  other  objections,  as  the  sup¬ 
position  that  the  style  is  more  elegant  than  Paul’s;  and  that  he  uses 
expressions,  which  imply  that  he  received  his  doctrine  from  those  who 
heard  Christ,  and  not  by  immediate  revelation,  &o.  appear  very  vague 
nnd  frivolous.  He  might,  perhaps,  bestow  more  pains  in  this  epistle, 
concerning  the  style,  than  he  did  xvlien  he  wrote  to  other  churches  :  but, 
in  fact,  many  competent  judges  nre  of  opinion,  that  it  is  not  more  ele¬ 
gant.  Certainly  the  internal  evidence,  arising  from  the  xvriter’s  manner 
of  expressing  himself,  and  his  reasoning,  and  things  of  a  similar  nature, 
corroborate  the  opinion,  that  Paul  was  tlie  author  :  and  il  lie  thought  it 
prudent  to  write,  as  a  converted  Jew  to  his  countrymen,  nnd  not  as  an 
apostle,  xvho  insisted  on  his  authority  ;  he  must  of  course  join  himself 
with  the  other  Jewish  converts,  and  not  distinguish  himself  from  them, 
as  having  received  his  doctrine  immediately  from  Christ,  (Comp.  2:4, 
with  1  Pet.  4:3.)  Scr°JT-  _ 


A.  D.  65. 


HEBREWS,  I. 


God's  communications  to  men. 


— The  internal  excellency  of  this  epistle,  as  connecting  the  O.  Test,  and  the  New  in  the  most  convincing  and  instructive 
manner,  and  elucidating  both  more  fully  than  any  other  epistle,  or  perhaps  than  all  of  them,  added  to  other  arguments,  puts 
the  divine  inspiration  of  it  beyond  doubt.  We  here  find  the  great  doctrines,  which  we  have  elsewhere  been  considering, 
stated,  proved,  and  applied  to  practical  purposes,  with  peculiar  animation,  energy,  and  persuasion.  It  is  supposed  to  have 
been  written  at  the  close  of  the  apostle’s  first  imprisonment  at  Rome,  when  he  either  was  set  at  liberty,  or  daily  expected 
it.*  Scott. 


*  Some  of  Professor  Stuart’s  conclusions  respecting  the  epistle  are  the 
following  :  that  it  is  an  epistle ,  and  not  an  essay  or  homily  ;  that  it  was 
inscribed  to  some  particular  church,  and  that  not  the  church  in  Galatia, 
nor  that  at  Thessalonica,— that  it  was  addressed,  not  to  the  sojourners  in 
Asia  Minor,  nor  to  the  church  at  Corinth,— nor  was  it  spilt  to  Spain,  nor 
to  Rome, — nor  to  the  church  in  general  in  Palestine, — but  probably  to 
the  church  at  Cesarea.  That  it  was  by  Paul,  and  not  by  Barnabas,  Luke, 
Clement  of  Rome,  or  Apollos,  he  argues  from  circumstances  mentioned 
in  the  epistle,  from  similarity  of  sentiment  and  doctrine  with  the  known 
epistles  of  Paul,  also  from  the  form,  method,  style,  and  diction  of  the 
composition.  As  to  the  language  in  which  it  was  written,  he  concludes 
in  favor  of  the  Greek.  Ed. — ‘  If  then  Paul  was  the  author  of  this  epis¬ 
tle,  the  time  when,  and  the  piaee  where,  it  was  written,  may  be  easily 
ascertained;  for  the  salutation  from  the  saints  in  Italy,  ch.  13:24.  and 
his  promise  of  seeing  the  Hebrews  shortly,  v.  23.  plainly  intimate,  that 
his  first  imprisonment  at  Rome  was  then  terminated,  or  on  the  point  of 
being  so.  Consequently  it  was  written  from  Italy,  perhaps  from  Rome, 
soon  after  the  epistles  to  the  Colossians,  Philippians,  and  Philemon, 
either  at  the  end  of  A.  U.  62.  or  more  probably  in  the  beginning  of  the 
year  63.’  Greenf. — '■Hales  considers  this  epistle  a  masterly  supple¬ 


ment  to  the  epistles  to  the  Romans  and  Galatians,  and  a  luminous  com¬ 
mentary  on  them  ;  showing,  by  a  connected  chain  of  argument,  that  all 
the  legal  dispensation  was  originally  designed  to  be  superseded  by  the 
new  and  better  covenant  of  the  Christian  dispensation.  And,  as  Stuart 
observes,  while  it  contains  many  things  appropriate  to  the  Hebrews  of 
early  times,  it  also  contains  many  which  can  never  cease  to  interest  the 
church  of  God,  while  Christianity  exists  in  the  world.’  Henry ,  ahr. — 
Skutt/eworth  says,  ‘  The  tendency  of  the  apostle’s  reasoning  is  to  show, 
that  no  Jew  who  really  believes  in  the  authority  of  his  own  sacred  books, 
(the  Old  Testament,)  if  he  reasons  consistently,  and  adopts  the  infer¬ 
ences  necessarily  deducible  from  them,  could  ultimately  refuse  his  assent 
to  the  truth  of  the  Christian  dispensation,  or  fail  of  perceiving,  that  in 
the  person  of  the  Redeemer,  all  the  types  and  prophecies  of  the  Jewish 
writings,  had  effectually  found  their  final  completion.  The  point  at  issue 
iR  established  by  an  appeal  to  those  very  peculiar  opinions  and  princi¬ 
ples,  which  the  parties  to  be  convinced  have,  above  all  others,  the  most 
imperative  obligation  to  admit.  The  great  and  primary  truth  which  it 
is  the  object  of  this  epistle  to  enforce,  is,  the  Divinity  of  our  blessed 
Savior,  with  the  obvious  inference  deducible  from  that  doctrine,  namely, 
the  complete  sufficiency  of  his  one  great  expiation  for  sin.’  Henry,  abr. 


CHAP.  I. 

1  Christ  in  these  last  times  coming  to  ns  from  the  Father, 
4  is  preferred  above  the  angels,  both  in  person  and  office. 

G'  OD,  who  *  at  sundry  times  and 
f  in  divers  manners  spake  in 
time  past  unto  the  fathers  by  the 
prophets, 

2  Hath  in  these  last  days  b spoken 
unto  us  by  his  Son,  whom  he  hath 
appointed  heir  cof  all  things,  by 
whom  d  also  he  made  the  worlds  ; 

a  Nu.  R6,8.  b  De.  13:15.  c  Ps.  2:8.  dJn.  1:3. 


Chap.  I.  V.  1 — 3.  Here  the  apostle  be¬ 
gins  with  a  general  declaration  of  the  ex¬ 
cellency  of  the  gospel-dispensation  above 
that  of  the  law,  which  he  demonstrates 
from  the  different  way  and  manner  of  God’s 
communicating  Himself  and  his  mind  and 
will  to  men,  in  the  one  and  in  the  other. 
Observe, 

How  God  communicated  Himself  and  his 
will  to  men,  I.  Under  the  O.  T.  1.  The 
persons  by  whom  God  spake  his  mind  under 
the  O.  T.  ;  that  is,  the  prophets,  persons 
chosen  of  God,  and  qualified  by  Him,  for 
that  office  of  revealing  the  will  of  God  to 
men.  2.  The  persons  to  whom  God  spake 
by  the  prophets  ;  to  the  fathers ,  to  all  the 
Old  Test,  saints.  3.  The  order  in  which 
God  spake  to  men  in  times  before  the  Gos¬ 
pel;  He  spake  at  sundry  times  and  in  divers 
manners.  (1.)  At  sundry  times-,  or  by  sev- 
eral  parts,  as  the  word  signifies,  which  may 
refer  either  to  the  several  ayes  of  the  O.  T. 
dispensation, — the  patriarchal,  the  Mosaic- 


al,  and  the  prophetical  ;  or  to  the  several 
gradual  openings  of  his  mind  concerning  the 
Redeemer:  to  Adam,  Abraham,  Jacob,  Da¬ 
vid,  Micah,  and  Isaiah.  (2.)  Indiversman- 
ners,  according  to  the  different  ways  in 
which  God  thought  fit  to  communicate  his 
mind  to  his  prophets,  by  the  illapses  of*his 
Spirit,  by  dreams,  by  visions,  by  an  audible 
voice,  and  by  legible  characters  under  his  own 
hand,  as  when  He  wrote  the  ten  command¬ 
ments.  Of  some  of  these  different  ways 
God  Himself  gave  an  account  in  Num.  12: 
6,  7.  Observe, 

II.  Under  the  New  Test,  dispensation, 
these  last  days,  as  they  are  called,  i.  e.  either 
toward  the  end  of  the  world,  or  the  end  of 
the  Jewish  state.  The  times  of  the  Gospel 
are  the  last  times,  the  gospel-revelation  is  the 
last  we  are  to  expect  from  God  :  now  we 
must  expect  no  new  revelation,  but  only 
more  of  the  Spirit  of  Christ  to  help  us  bet¬ 
ter  to  understand  vvliat  is  already  revealed. 
And  herein  consists  the  excellency  of  the 
gospel-revelation  above  the  former: 

1.  It  is  the  final,  the  finishing  revelation, 
so  that  now  we  may  rejoice  in  a  complete 
revelation  of  the  will  of  God,  both  preceptive 
and  providential,  so  far  as  is  necessary  for 
us  to  know,  in  order  to  our  direction  and 
comfort. 

2.  It  is  a  revelation  God  has  made  by  his 
Son,  the  most  excellent  Messenger  ever  sent 
into  the  world,  far  superior  to  all  the  ancient 
patriarchs  and  prophets,  by  whom  God  com¬ 
municated  Himself  to  his  people  in  former 
times.  Here  we  have  an  account  of  the 
glory  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ. 

(1.)  The  glory  of  his  office,  and  that  in 
three  respects: 


God  hath  appointed  Him  to  be  Heir  of  all 
things;  i.  e.  to  be  the  sovereign  Lord  of  all, 
the  absolute  Disposer,  Director,  and  Gov¬ 
ernor  of  all  persons  and  of  all  things,  Ps. 
2:6,  7.  Mat.  28:  18.  John  5:  22.  By  Him 
God  made  the  worlds,  both  visible  and  invis¬ 
ible,  the  heavens  and  the  earth  ;  not  as  an 
instrumental  Cause,  but  as  his  essential 
Word  and  Wisdom.  He  upholds  all  things 
by  the  Word  of  his  power  ;  He  keeps  the 
world  from  dissolving,  by  Him  all  things 
consist;  the  weight  of  the  whole  creation  is 
laid  on  Christ,  He  supports  the  whole  and 
all  the  parts. 

(2.)  From  hence  the  apostle  passes  to  the 
glory  of  the  person  of  Christ,  who  was  able  to 
execute  such  an  office,  v.  2.  He  is,  in  per¬ 
son,  the  Son  of  God,  the  only-begotten  Son  of 
God,  and,  as  such,  must  have  the  same  na¬ 
ture.  Tli is  personal  distinction  always  sup¬ 
poses  one  and  the  same  nature.  Every  son 
of  man  is  man  ;  were  not  the  nature  the 
same,  the  generation  would  be  monstrous. 
The  person  of  the.  Son  is  the  glory  of  the 
Father,  shining  forth  with  a  truly  divine 
splendor,  God  manifest  in  the  flesh.  The 
person  of  the  Son  is  the  true  image  and  char¬ 
acter  of  the  person  tf  the  Father;  being  of  the 
same  nature.  He  must  bear  tile  same  image 
and  likeness.  He  that  hath  seen  the  Son 
hath  seen  the  Father  ;  i.  e.  the  same  Being. 
He  that  hath  known  the  Son,  hath  known  the 
Father,  John.  14:7 — -9.  For  the  Son  is  in 
the  Father,  and  the.  Father  in  the  Son  ;  the 
personal  distinction  is  no  other  than  will 
consist  with  essential  union.  This  is  the 
glory  of  the  person  of  Christ;  the  fulness  of 
the  Godhead  dwells, not  typically,  but  really, 
in  Him. 


NOTES.  Chap.  I-  V.  1,2.  The  Hebrews  allowed  the  divine  au¬ 
thority  of  the  O.  T  ;  and  therefore  the  writer  of  this  epistle  waved  the 
mention  of  his  apostolical  authority,  and  reasoned  with  them  principally 
from  their  own  scriptures  :  and  he.  thought  it  best  to  conceal  his  name; 
that  none  might  he  deterred  by  it  from  reading  his  arguments,  or  induced 
to  receive  them  with  prejudice.  He  therefore  entered  on  his  subject 
without  any  introduction — ‘  By  the  prophets,’  mere  men  of  the  same 
fallen  nature  with  their  brethren  — By  his  Son.’ — The  eternal  Word,  or 
Son  of  God,  who  had  at  length  ‘  become  flesh,  and  dwelt  among  ’  men, 
and  among  the  Jews  almost  exclusively,  lo  fulfil  ancient  prophecies  and 
promises,  and  to  give  the  most  complete  and  explicit  revelation  of  God, 
and  of  his  truth  and  will,  to  mankind  ;  ns  well  as  to  procure  salvation 
for  them. — This  glorious  Person  the  Father  had  appointed  ‘Heir  of  all 
things.’  As  the  co-eqtml  Sou  of  God.  the  government  of  all  worlds  by 
original  right  was  vested  in  Him  possessing  the  essential  perfections 
of  the  Deity,  He  was  capable  of  exercising  universal  authority,  which 
no  mere  creature  could  have  done;  and  He  had  been  appointed  by  the 
Father,  in  respect  of  hi"  assumed  manhood,  to  rule  over  all  worlds  on 
the  mediatorial  throne,  with  uncontrolled  dominion  and  unrivalled 
glory.  Thus  He  inherited  all  things;  and  no  creature  could  have  any 
inheritance  of  power,  honor,  or  felicity,  except  as  derived  from  Him, 
and  held  in  subordination  to  Him.  2:5 — 9.  Ps.  2:7 — 12.  Is.  9:6,7. 
Matt.  28:18.  John  5:20— 24.  Rom.  14:10— 12.  I  Cor.  15:20— 28.  Eph. 
1:15—23.  Phil.  2:9 — 11.  This  appointment  had  the  more  evident  pro¬ 
priety,  in  that  ‘  by  Him  also  God  made  the  worlds  :  ’  being  One  with  the 
Father  and  the  eternal  Spirit,  in  essence,  power,  and  counsel,  He  had 
been  the  immediate  Creator  of  the  heavens  and  the  earth,  and  of  every 
order  of  beings  in  the  universe.  Prov.  8:22 — 30.  John  1:1 — 3.  1  Cor. 

[512] 


8:4—6.  Cot.  1:15 — 17.  The  idea  of  a  created  agent,  by  whom  God 
made  all  things,  which  some  have  endeavored  to  support  from  this  text, 
is  so  absurd  in  itself,  as  xvell  as  contrary  to  other  scriptures,  that  it  is 
astonishing  it  could  ever  have  been  adopted.  Is.  44:24.  45:12.13.  The 
apostle  evidently  meant,  that  God  now  spake  to  men,  by  that  same 
glorious  Person,  who  had  been  the  immediate  Creator  of  the  world,  and 
who  was  also  exalted  to  the  mediatorial  throne,  as *  1 2  Heir  of  all  things.’ 
‘I  believe,  it  is  as  impossible  to  understand,  how  a  man  should  have  this 
empire  over  all  things  in  heaven  and  earth,  and  over  dealh  itself,  nnd 
yet  be  a  mere  man ;  as  it  is  to  understand  any  mystery  of  the  sacred 
Trinity.’  IVhitby. — Sundry  times.  (1.)  Here  only.  One  part  of  the 
O.  T.  was  given  at  one  time,  and  another  at  another  time. — In  divers 
manners.]  Here  only.  Referring  to  different  methods  of  communica¬ 
tion.  Scott. 

(1.)  Divers  manners.]  Mackn.  refers  this,  not  to  the  different  man¬ 
ners  in  which  God  revealed  Himself  to  the  prophets,  such  as  dreams,  A  c. 
but  lo  the  different  ways  in  which  the  prophets  communicated  the  differ¬ 
ent  revelations  they  received,  to  the  fathers,  in  types  and  figures,  signifi¬ 
cant  actions,  See.  as  well  as  in  plain  language.  Ed. 

(2.)  By  his  Son  Ac.]  ‘  This  is  no  argument,  that  God  did  not  speak 
by  Christ  before;  but  only  that  it  was  not  in  so  clear  and  express  a 
manner.’  Doddr.  Stuart  s&ys,  ‘not  by  his  Son  incarnate,  as  posse  ss- 
ing  our  nature  and  addressing  us  in  it.  As  the  Logos,  or  in  his  divine 
nature,  He  did  make  revelations  to  the  ancient  church,  as  may  b<.  in¬ 
ferred  from  John  12:41.  1  Cor.  10:4 — 9.’  Ed. —  Worlds.]  ‘  There  s'.ems 
a  great  preponderance  of  evidence,  in  favor  of  the  common  interr  rela¬ 
tion,  “  the  \vs.ole  material  world,”  rather  than  “  periods  of  time.”  ’ 

J.  P.  Smith,  in  Henry,  abr. 


A.  D.  G5. 


HEBREWS,  I. 


The  glonj  of  Christ  asserted. 


3  Who  'being  the  brightness  of 
his  glory,  and  the  express  image  of 
his  person,  and  upholding  all  things 
by  the  word  of  his  power,  when 
f  he  had  by  himself  purged  our  sins, 
sat  down  *  on  the  right  hand  of  the 
Majesty  on  high  ; 

4  Being  made  so  much  better 
than  the  angels,  as  he  hath  by  in¬ 
heritance  obtained  a  more  excellent 
name  than  they. 

5  For  unto  which  of  the  angels 
said  he  at  any  time,  h  Thou  art  my 
Son,  this  day  have  I  begotten  thee? 
And  again,  '  I  will  be  to  him  a 
Father,  and  he  shall  be  to  me  a 
Son  ? 

6  j  And  again,  when  he  bringeth 
in  the  first-begotten  into  the  world, 
he  saith,  And  k  let  all  the  angels  of 
God  worship  him. 

7  And  1  of  the  angels  he  saith, 
01  Who  maketh  his  angels  spirits, 
and  his  ministers  a  flame  of  fire. 


e  Jii.  114. 

Col.  1:15—17. 
f  c  7:27.  9:12  -11 
g  Pa.  110:1. 


E|>.  1:20,21. 
h  Ps.  2:7. 
i  2  Sa.  7:14. 
j  or,  when  he 


briwzeth  again. 
k  P8.  1)7:7. ' 

1  unto. 
ra  Ps.  104:4. 


(3. )  F rom  the  glory  of  the  person  of  Christ, 
he  proceeds  to  mention  the  glory  of  his  grace; 
his  condescension  itself  was  truly  glorious. 
His  sufferings  had  this  great  honor  in  them, 
to  he  a  full  satisfaction  for  the  sins  of  his 
people ;  hy  Himself  He  pur ged  away  our  sins, 
i.  e.  by  the  proper  innate  merit  of  his  death 
and  bloodshed,  by  their  infinite  intrinsic  val¬ 
ue;  Himself,  the  glory  of  his  person  and  na¬ 
ture,  gave  to  his  sufferings  such  merit  as  was 
a  sufficient  reparation  of  honor  to  God,  who 
had  suffered  an  infinite  injury  and  affront 
by  the  sins  of  men. 

(4.)  From  the  glory  of  his  sufferings  we 


are  at  length  led  to  consider  the  glory  of  his  | 
exaltation;  when  by  Himself  He  had  purged 
away  our  sins,  He  sat  down  at  the  right  hand 
of  the  Majesty  on  high,  at  his  Father’s  right 
hand.  As  Mediator  and  Redeemer,  He  is 
invested  with  the  highest  honor,  authority, 
and  activity,  for  the  good  of  his  people;  the 
Father  now  does  all  things  by  Him,  and  re¬ 
ceives  all  the  services  of  his  people  from  \ 
Him .  1 1  aving  assumed  our  nature,  and 

suffered  in  it  on  earth,  He  has  taken  it  up 
with  Him  to  heaven. 

Now  it  was  hy  no  less  a  Person  than  this, 
that  God  has  in  these  last  days  spoken  to  ! 
men;  the  dignity  of  the  Messenger  gives  au¬ 
thority  and  excellency  to  the  message;  there-  ! 
fore,  the  dispensation  of  the  gospel  must 
needs  very  far  exceed  the  dispensation  of 
the  law. 

V.  4 — 9.  The  apostle  having  proved  the 
pre-eminence  of  the  gospel  above  the  law, 
from  the  pre-eminence  of  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ  above  the  prophets,  now  proceeds  to 
show,  that  He  is  not  only  much  superior  to 
the  prophets,  hut  to  the  angels  themselves.  In 
this  he  obviates  an  objection  the  Jewish 
zealots  would  be  ready  to  make,  that  the 
law  was  not  only  delivered  hy  men,  but  or¬ 
dained  by  angels,  Gal.  3  :  19.  the  hosts  of 
heaven  having  been  drawn  forth  to  attend 
the  Lord  Jehovah  on  that  awful  occasion. 
Now  the  angels  are  very  glorious  beings, 
and  we  know'  of  no  being  but  God  Himself 
that  is  higher  than  they;  therefore  that  law 
that  was  ordained  hy  angels,  ought  to  be 
held  in  great  esteem. 

To  weaken  this  argument,  the  writer  pro¬ 
ceeds  to  state  the  comparison  between  Jesus 
Christ  and  the  holy  angels,  both  in  nature 
and  office,  and  to  prove  that  Christ  is  vastly 
superior  to  the  angels  themselves.  Here, 
observe, 

I.  The  superior  nature  of  Christ  is  proved 
from  his  superior  name.  The  Scripture 
does  not  give  high  and  glorious  titles  with¬ 
out  a  real  foundation  and  reason  in  nature; 


nor  when  it  is  said,  Christ  was  made  so  much 
better  than  the  angels ,  are  we  to  imagine  He 
was  a  mere  creature,  as  the  angels  are;  the 
original  word,  when  joined  with  an  adject¬ 
ive,  is  nowhere  to  he  rendered  created,  and 
here  may  very  well  be  read,  being  more  ex¬ 
cellent,  as  the  Syriac  version  hath  it.  We 
read,  as  we  read  it  elsewhere,  let  God  be 
true,  not  made  so,  but  acknowledged  to  be 
so. 

II.  The  superiority  of  the  name  and  na¬ 
ture  of  Christ  above  the  angels  is  declared 
in  the  Holy  Scriptures,  and  to  be  deduced 
from  thence.  We  should  know  little  or 
nothing  of  Christ  or  angels,  without  the 
Scriptures;  and  we  must  therefore  be  de¬ 
termined  by  them  in  our  conceptions  of  the 
one  and  the  other. 

Here,  several  passages  of  Scripture  are 
cited,  in  which  things  are  said  of  Christ 
that  were  never  said  of  the  angels.  Thou 
art  my  Son,  this  day  have  I  begotten  Thee, 
Ps.  2:  7.  which  refers  either  to  his  eternal 
generation,  or  to  his  resurrection,  or  to  his 
solemn  inauguration  into  his  glorious  king¬ 
dom  at  his  ascension  and  session  at  the 
right  hand  of  the  Father.  Now  this  was 
never  said  of  angels;  therefore,  by  inherit¬ 
ance,  He  has  a  more  excellent  nature  and 
name  than  they.  Again,  Of  Christ,  but 
never  of  angels,  it  is  said,  I  will  be  to  Him  n 
Father,  and  He  shall  be  to  Mejt  Son ;  taken 
from  2  Sam.  7  :  14.  Not  only,  ‘  I  am  bis 
Father,  and  He  is  ray  Son  by  nature  and 
eternal  proinanation  ;  ’  but,  ‘1  will  be  lu9 
Father,  and  lie  shall  be  my  Son,  by  wonder¬ 
ful  conception,  and  this  his  Soriship  shall  lie 
the  fountain  and  foundation  of  every  gra¬ 
cious  relation  between  Me  and  fallen  man.’ 

It  is  said  of  Christ,  When  God  bringeth 
his  First-begotten  into  the  world,  let  all  the  an * 
gels  of  God  worship  Him  :  i.  e.  either  at  hit 
nativity,  or  at  his  ascension,  or  when  God 
shall  bring  Him  again  into  the  world,  to 
judge  the  world,  then  let  the  highest  crea¬ 
tures  worship  Him.  The  proof  of  this  is 


V.  3,  4.  The  essence  of  the  Deity  is,  and  must  be,  invisible  to  man  : 
John  1:18.  1  Tim.  6:13 — 16.  but  1  the  only  begotten  Soil,’  of  whom  the 

•writer  spoke,  had  been  appointed  to  make  known  his  glory  and  perfec¬ 
tions  :  being  ‘one  with  t he  Father,’  and  equal  to  Him  in  the  divine 
nature ;  and  being  also  distinct  from  Him,  as  to  his  personal  subsistence. 
By  assuming  human  nature  He  became  ‘the  brightness  of  the  divine 
glory',’  or  the  shining  forth  of  the  glory  of  God  to  mankind  ;  and  He  so 
made  known  t lie  perfections  of  the  Godhead  to  them,  that  ‘  He  who  saw 
tlie  Son  saw  the  Father  also.’  John  5:17 — 13.  10:26 — 31,32 — 39.  12: 

44 — 50.  14:7 — 14.  17:20,21.  For  the  Son  was  ‘  the  express  Image,’  or 

the  character  of  the  Father’s  Person,  or  subsistence  ;  and  showed  every 
part  of  the  nature  and  perfections  of  God  to  man,  with  the  greatest 
exactness,  and  in  the  most  effectual  manner  possible;  so  that,  in  propor¬ 
tion  as  any  man  knows  Christ,  in  his  Person,  characler,  and  salvation, 
he  knows  the  Father  also  ;  and  he  that  knows  not  Christ,  has  no  real 
knowledge  of  God.  Mat.  11:27.  Lu.  10:21,22.  2  Cor.  4:jl — 6.  Cot. 
1:15—17.  1  John  2:20 — 25.  ...  This  interpretation  coincides  with  that, 

which  1ms  already  been  given  of  similar  passages;  but  it  differs,  in  some 
degree,  from  that  of  several  eminent  evangelical  expositors  :  for  they 
suppose  that  the  expressions,  ‘  the  Brightness  of  his  glory,’  arid  ‘the 
character  of  his  subsistence  ,’  are  illustrations,  taken  from  external  ob¬ 
jects,  of  the  eternal  generation  of  Christ,  and  his  equality  with  the 
Father  in  the  Godhead.  But  though  the  author  is  decidedly  of  opinion, 
that  Christ  is  called  the  only  Son  of  God,  in  respect  of  his  divine  nature; 
and  therefore  allows  the  eternal  generation,  as  well  as  the  equality  of  the 
Son  with  the  Father  ■.  yet  lie  does  not  think  that  the  Scripture  contains 
any  illustrations  of  these  mysteries  ;  or  that  we  are  taught  to  form  any 
ideas  of  the  manner,  in  which  they  subsist  ;  but  rather  to  receive  them 
in  implicit  faith,  as  the  revelation  of  God,  and  to  adore  them  as  abso¬ 
lutely  incomprehensible  by  us  in  our  present  suite.  He,  therefore,  sup¬ 
poses  these  expressions  to  signify  the  manifestation  of  t lie  glory,  charac¬ 
ter,  and  perfection  of  ‘  the  invisible  God  ’  to  man,  in  and  by  the  Person 
of  his  incarnate  Son  ;  whose  original  equality  with  the  Father  in  tiis 
divine  nature,  and  his  voluntary  assumption  of  the  human  nature,  con¬ 
curred  in  rendering  Him  the  proper  medium,  so  to  speak,  through  which 
we  might  see  the  ‘  effulgencv,’  or  shilling  forth  of  the  divine  glory  ;  and 
become  acquainted  with  the  perfections  and  subsistence  of  God,  in  tite 
best  manner, .of  which  in  our  present  condition  we  are  capable.  He  is 
also  confirmed  in  this  view  of  the  passage,  by  finding,  that  the  venerable 
reformer,  Beza,  interprets  it  in  the  same  manner,  and  makes  the  same 
objections  to  the  other  interpretations  :  except,  that  he  translates  the 
word  hupostasis,- persona,  ‘person;’  I  think,  improperly,  for  the  sub¬ 
sistence  of  the  Deity,  not  the  personal  distinction  of  the  Father  and  the 
Son,  seems  to  be  intended. — The  brightness. ]  Apaugasma  ;  £ere  only. 
This  seems  to  be  what  renders  the  person  of  Christ  the  Eihon  or  Image 
of  the  invisible  God  to  men  ;  in  whose  person  ( prosopb )  the  glory  of 
God  is  seen.  2  Cor.  4:6.  Express  Image.]  Character  :  here  only. 
From  charassd,  to  engrave.  Charagma,  Acts  17:29.  Rev-  13:16,  17.  Sc. 

(3.)  Express  Image.]  ‘  Delineation,  i.  e.  answering  to  the  divine  per¬ 
fections,  as  the  impression  of  the  wax  does  to  the  engraving  of  the  seal.’ 

Doddh.,  atler  Leigh. 


V.  5 — 7.  In  the  preceding  vs.  the  apostle  had  stated  the  outlines  of 
that  doctrine,  on  which  he  meant  more  largely  to  discourse;  and,  hav¬ 
ing  declared  the  personal  and  mediatorial  superiority  and  high  pre-emi¬ 
nence  of  ‘  the  Son  of  God  *  above  angels,  he  proceeded  to  show,  that  tho 
O.  T.  prophecies  spake  of  the  promised  Messiah  in  similar  language. 
As  we  are  satisfied,  by  abundant  evidence,  that  the  writers  of  the  N.  T. 
were  equally  inspired  with  those  of  the  Old  ;  their  expositions  are  to  u» 
of  equal  authority  with  the  original  passages,  which  they  adduce.  But 
when  the  apostle  reasoned  with  the  Hebrews  out  of  their  Scriptures,  ho 
doubtless  quoted  them  in  that  sense,  in  which  most  of  them  had  been 
used  to  understand  them,  or  in  which  it  might  be  proved  they  ought  to 
be  understood.  Had  not  the  more  learned  Jews,  at  the  time  when  tho 
episile  was  written,  been  accustomed  to  understand  the  texis  hero 
brought  forward,  in  the  sense  which  the  apostle  affixes  to  them,  ho 
xvould  scarcely  have  adduced  them,  as  proofs  of  his  doctrine,  without 
hesitation,  in  an  argumentative  treatise,  which  he  knew  must  pass  tho 
ordeal  of  I  he  strictest  examination,  hy  the  most  prejudiced  and  hostila 
persons.  Now,  if  they  were  sufficient  proofs  to  the  persons  immediately 
addressed,  they  must,  be  sufficient  for  all,  who  consider  the  writer  as 
fully  knowing,  by  divine  inspiration,  Doth  the  doctrine  of  Christ,  and  tho 
true  meaning  of  the  Scriptures;  though  the  context  might  otherwise,  in 
some  instances,  have  led  ns  to  suppose  them  instructive  accommoda¬ 
tions  ;  and  though  the  Jews,  in  subsequent  ages,  to  evade  the  writer’* 
conclusion,  have  as  it  might  previously  have  been  expected)  attempted 
to  put  another  construction  on  them. — We  have  before  briefly  consid¬ 
ered  the  Scriptures  quoted;  yet  it  is  necessary  here  again  to  examino 
them.  The  first  is  brought  from  an  evident  prophecy  of  the  Messiah’* 
kingdom.  Jehovah  had  in  it  addressed  the  Messiah,  in  such  language, 
as  had  never  been  used  to  any  angel.  The  words  quoted  were  spoken 
above  a  thousand  years  before  the  birth  of  Jesus,  and  were  the  declar¬ 
ation  of  a  preceding  decree;  they  must  therefore  relate  to  his  Sonship, 
or  eternal  generation  ;  for  the  subsequent  production  of  his  human  na¬ 
ture,  by  the  power  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  would  not  give  Him  that  essen¬ 
tial  and  original  superiority  to  the  angels,  which  tile  argument  hero 
evidently  required.  Nor  could  his  appointment  to  the  office  of  Messiah 
he  meant  by  the  words,  ‘Thou  aft  my  Son,  this  day  have  I  begotten 
Thee;’  as  that  appointment  was  the  consequence,  rather  than  tho 
cause,  of  his  superiority  to  the  angels;  He  was  advanced  above  them, 
‘as  He  had  inherited  a  more  excellent  name  than  they;’  and  his  Son- 
ship  is  plainly  denoted  to  be  a  participation  of  the  Father’s  nature,  ami 
not  merely  a  communication  of  existence  by  an  act  of  creating  power, 
or  adoption  by  an  act  of  special  grace.  Ps.  2:7 — 12.  Acts  13:--4— 37. 
The  next  quotation  appears  primarily  to  have  been  meant  of  Solomon, 
2  S.  7:12—16.  but  Solomon  was  a  most  remarkable  type  of  the  Messmn, 
as  the  Jews  in  general  must  know  ;  so  that  when  Jehovah  said  ot  iiim, 
in  so  peculiar  and  distinguishing  a  sense,  ‘  I  will  be  to  Him  a  a  > 

He  shall  be  to  Me  a  Son,’  it  must  be  obvious  that  this,  in  its  fullest  mean¬ 
ing,  was  to  lie  understood  of  the  Antitype  rather  than  of  tne  type.-— 

‘  Worship  Him,  all  ye  gods.’  Ps.  97:3-7.  Though  the  l magistra-  es  mid 
grandees  of  the  earth  might  be  included,  yet  all  the  a  “  ,  .  ,, 

evidently  intended  also.  But  Jehovah  had  never  ...  commanded  other 


N.  T.  VOL.  V. 


65 


A.  D.  65. 


HEBREWS,  1. 


8  But  unto  the  Son  lie  saith, 
nThy  throne,  O  God,  is  for  ever 
and  ever  :  a  sceptre  of  0  righteous¬ 
ness  is  the  sceptre  of  thy  kingdom  : 

9  Thou  hast  loved  righteousness, 
and  hated  iniquity  ;  therefore  God, 
even  thy  God,  hath  anointed  thee 
with  the  oil  of  gladness  above  thy 
fellows. 

10  And,  p  Thou,  Lord,  in  the  be¬ 
ginning  hast  laid  the  foundation  of 
the  earth  :  and  the  heavens  are  the 
works  of  thy  hands  : 

11  They  shall  perish,  but  thou 
remainest  :  and  they  all  shall  wax 
old  as  doth  a  garment  ; 

12  And  as  a  vesture  shalt  thou 
fold  them  up,  and  they  shall  be 
changed  :  but  thou  art  the  same, 
and  thy  years  shall  not  fail. 

n  Ps.  45:6,7.  o  rightness ,  or,  slraitness.  p  Ps.  102:25. 


Ps.  97:  7.  And,  once  more,  God  has  said 
of  Christ,  Thy  throne,  0  God,  is  for  ever  and 
ever,  &c.  i).  8 — 12.  But  of  llie  angels  He 
has  only  said,  that  He.  hath  made  them  spir¬ 
its,  and  his  ministers  a  flame  of  fire,  v.  7. 
How  vast,  then,  the  inferiority  of  the  angels 
to  Christ !  What  does  God  say  here  of  the 
angels  1  They  are  his  ministers.  We  have 
it,  Ps.  104:  4.  where  it  seems  to  he  more  im¬ 
mediately  spoken  of  the  winds  and  lightning, 
but  is  here  applied  to  the  angels,  whose 
agency  the  Divine  Providence  makes  use  of 
in  the  winds,  and  in  thunder  and  lightning. 
In  office,  angels  are  God’s  ministers,  or  ser¬ 
vants,  to  do  his  pleasure;  it  is  his  glory  that 
He  has  such  servants  ;  yet  more  so  that  lie 
does  not  need  them.  In  qualifications,  He 
makes  them  what  they  are,  He  endows  them 
with  light  and  zeal,  with  activity  and  ability, 
readiness  and  resolution  to  do  his  pleasure  : 
they  are  no  more  than  what  God  has  made 
them  to  be,  and  they  are  servants  to  the  Son 
as  well  as  to  the  Father.  But, 

Observe,  How  much  greater  things  are 
said  of  Christ  by  the  Father.  Two  passages 
are  quoted,  one,  Ps.  45:  6,  7.  where  God 
declares  of  Christ,  1.  His  true  and  real 
divinity,  calling  Him  God,  0  God.  2.  His 
dignity  and  dominion,  as  having  a  throne,  a 
kingdom ,  and  a  sceptre  of  that  kingdom.  3. 
The  eternal  duration  of  the  dominion  and 
dignity  of  Christ,  founded  on  the  divinity  of 
his  Person.  This  distinguishes  Christ’s  throne 


from  all  earthly  thrones  ;  they  are^tottering,  ] 
and  will  at  length  tumble  down  ;  but  the 
throne  of  Christ  shall  be  as  the  days  of  heav¬ 
en.  4.  The  perfect  equity  of  his  administra¬ 
tion,  and  of  the  execution  of  his  power, 
through  all  the  parts  of  his  government,  v.  8. 
He  came  righteously  to  the  sceptre,  and  He 
uses  it  in  perfect  righteousness  ;  the  right¬ 
eousness  of  his  government  proceeds  from  an 
essential,  eternal  love  of  righteousness  and 
hatred  of  iniquity,  not  merely  from  consid¬ 
erations  of  prudence  or  interest,  v.  9.  Christ 
came  to  fulfil  all  righteousness,  to  bring  in 
an  everlasting  righteousness.  5.  How  He 
was  qualified  for  the  office  of  Mediator,  and 
was  installed  and  confirmed  in  it,  v.  9. 

(1.)  Christ  has  the  name  Messiah  from 
his  being  anointed.  God’s  anointing  of 
Christ  signifies  both  his  qualifying  of  Him 
for  the  office  of  the  Mediator  with  the  Holy 
Spirit,  and  likewise  his  inauguration  of  Him 
into  the  office, as  prophets,  priests, and  kings 
were,  by  anointing.  God,  even  thy  God, 
imports  his  confirmation  in  office  by  the 
covenant  of  redemption  and  peace,  that  was 
between  the  Father  and  the  Son.  God  is 
(lie  God  of  Christ,  as  Christ  is  Man  and 
Mediator. 

(2.)  This  anointing  of  Christ  was  with 
the  oil  of  gladness,  which  signifies  both  the 
gladness  and  cheerfulness  with  which  Christ 
undertook  and  went  through  the  office  of  Medi¬ 
ator,  and  also  that  joy  which  urns  set  before 
Him,  as  the  reward  of  his  service  and  suffer¬ 
ings  ;  that  crown  of  glory  and  gladness  which 
He  should  wear  for  ever,  after  the  suffering 
of  death. 

(3.)  This  anointing  of  Christ  was  above 
the  anointing  of  his  fellows  ;  God,  even  thy 
God,  hath  anointed  Thee  with  the  oil  of  glad¬ 
ness  above  thy  fellows.  Who  are  Christ’s 
fellows  ?  Has  He  any  equals  1  Notes  God, 
except  the  Father  and  Spirit,  but  these  are 
not  here  meant.  As  Man,  lie  has  his  fel¬ 
lows,  and  as  an  anointed  Person  ;  but  his 
unction  is  beyond  all  theirs,  whether  angelx  or 
prophets,  priests,  and  kings,  above  saints,  who 
are  his  brethren,  above  any  ever  anointed 
with  oil,  to  he  employed  in  the  service  of 
God  on  earth.  All  God’s  other  anointed 
ones  had  only  the  Spirit  in  a  certain  meas¬ 
ure  ;  Christ  had  the  Spirit  above  measure, 
without  any  limitation.  None  therefore  goes 
through  his  work  as  Christ  did,  none  takes 
so  much  pleasure  in  it  as  Christ  does  ;  for 
lie  was  anointed  with  the  oil  of  gladness 
above  his  fellows. 

The  other  passage  of  Scripture,  in  which 
[appears]  the  superior  excellence  of  Christ 


Transcendant  dignity  of  Christ. 

to  the  angels,  is  taken  out  of  Ps.  102:  25 — 
27.  and  is  thus  recited  here  : 

V.  10 — 12.  In  these  vs.  the  omnipotence 
of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  is  declared,  as  it 
appears  both  in  creating  the  world,  and  in 
changing  it. 

1.  In  creating  the  world,  v.  10.  The  Lord 
i  Christ  had  the  original  right  to  govern  the 

world,  because  He  made  the  world  in  the 
beginning  ;  his  right,  as  Mediator,  was  by 
commission  from  the  Father  ;  his  right,  as 
God  with  the  Father,  was  absolute,  result¬ 
ing  from  his  creating  power.  This  power 
He  had  before  the  beginning  of  the  world, 
an<  1  He  exerted  it  in  giving  a  beginning  and 
being  to  the  world.  He  must  therefore  be 
no  part  of  the  world  Himself,  for  then  lie 
must  give  Himself  a  beginning.  He  was 
before  all  things,  and  by  Him  all  things  con¬ 
sist,  Col.  1:  17.  He  was  not  only  above  all 
things  in  condition,  but  before  all  tilings  in 
existence  ;  and  therefore  must  he  God,  and 
self-existent.  He  not  only  founded  the  earth, 
but  the  heavens,  too, -are  the  work  of  his  hands 
■  both  the  habitation  and  the  inhabitants,  the 
hosts  of  heaven,  the  angels  themselves  ; 
therefore  He  must  needs  be  infinitely  supe¬ 
rior  to  them. 

2.  In  changing  the  world  He  has  made  ; 

;  and  here  the  mutability  of  this  world  is 
i  brought  in  to  illustrate  the  immutability  of 
I  Christ. 

(1.)  This  world  is  mutable;  all  created 
nature  is  so;  this  world  has  passed  through 
many  changes,  and  shall  pass  through  more  ; 
all  these  are  by  the  permission  and  under 
the  direction  of  Christ,  who  made  the  world, 
v.  11,  12.  Not  only  men  and  beasts  and 
trees  grow  old,  but  this  world  itself  grows 
old, and  is  hastening  to  its  dissolution.  But 
then  its  dissolution  shall  not  be  its  utter  de¬ 
struction,  but  its  change.  Christ  will  fold  it 
up  as  a  garment  not  to  be  abused  any  longer, 
not  to  be  any  longer  used  so  as  it  has  been. 
We  look  for  new  heavens  and  a  new  earth, 
wherein  dwelleth  righteousness.  Let  the  con¬ 
sideration  of  this  wean  us  from  the  present 
world,  and  make  us  watchful,  diligent,  and 
desirous  of  that  better  world  ;  and  let  us 
wait  on  Christ,  to  change  us  into  a  meetness 
for  that  new  world  that  is  approaching;  we 
cannot  enter  into  it  till  we  he  new  creatures. 

(2.)  Christ  is  immutable.  Thus  the  Fa¬ 
ther  here  testifies  of  Him,  Thou  remainest, 
\  thy  years  shall  not  fail.  Christ  is  the  same 
j  in  Himself,  the  same  yesterday,  to-day,  and 
for  ever;  and  the  same  to  his  people  in  all  the 
!  changes  of  time.  This  may  well  support  all 
|  who  have  an  interest  in  Christ,  under  all  the 


rational  creatures  to  worship  them,  nay,  lie  had  most  peremptorily  for¬ 
bidden  the  worship  of  any  creature;  yet  Ho  required  the  most  exulted 
of  them  to  worship  his  Son,  even  when  brought  into  this  world  to  dwell 
in  human  nature  !  A  most  decided  proof  of  an  infinite  disparity  between 
Christ  and  the  highest  angels.  Rev.  19:9, 10. — ‘  When  He  iutroducelh 
the  First-born  into  the  world,  He  saith,  “Let  nil  God’s  messengers  wor¬ 
ship  Him;  whereas,  concerning  messengers  He  saith,  “Who  malteth 
winds  his  messengers,  and  flaming  fire  Ins  ministers.”  ’  Campbell. — This 
construction,  indeed,  accords  lo  the  scope  of  the  passage  in  the  Psalms, 
as  describing  the  different  parts  of  the  creation,  executing  the  Creator’s 
mandates;  yet  the  apostle’s  quotation  requires  ns  to  explain  the  pas¬ 
sage  of  the  ministration  of  angels.  The  learned  writer  supposes  the 
apostle’s  argument  to  rest,  in  part,  on  the  difference  between  messenger, 
and  Son  ;  the  former  term  being  used  even  of  inanimate  beings;  the  lat¬ 
ter  appropriate  to  the  divine  Savior. — The  first  mid  second  quotations 
are  exactly  from  the  Sept.,  which  accords  to  the  Heh.  2  Sam.  7:14.  Ps. 
2:7.  The  third  is  nearly  from  the  Sept,  only  changing  the  second  person 
into  the  third,  and  putting  1  the  angels  of  God,’  instead  of  ‘  his  angels  ;  ’ 
and  it  varies  from  the  Heh.  Ps.  97:7. — The  very  words  of  the  apostle 
occur  in  the  Sept.  Deut.  32:41.  but  there  is  nothing  answering  to  them 
in  the  Heh.  The  last  quotation  is  nearly  from  the  Sept,  which  accords 
to  the  Heb.  Ps.  104:4.  Scott. 

(5.)  7’Aou  art  my  Son,  Ac.]  ‘It  is  evident  that  this  and  (he  rest  of  the 
passage  here  quoted,  must  refer  to  Christ  in  their  original  sense,  and  in 
the  strictest  propriety  of  interpretation.’  Doomt. 

V.  8,  9.  Some  suppose,  that  angels  were  meant  by  Christ’s  fellows, 
because  the  apostle  was  proving  his  superiority  to  angels;  but  He  never 
bore  1  the  nature  of  angels,’  and  partaking  of  the  same  nature  seems  to 
be  the  meaning  of  the  expression.  2:10 — 13.  The  quotation  was  full  to 
the  apostle’s  purpose,  by  proving  that  Jehovah  spake  of  the  Messiah,  in 
such  language,  as  He  never  used  concerning  angels ;  and  the  Psalmist, 
from  whom  he  adduced  his  proof,  spoke  of  the  Messiah  as  incarnate,  of 
his  espousing  (he  church  to  Himself,  and  of  believers  as  the  companions 
of  the  glorious  King.  They  were  indeed  ‘  anointed  with  the  oil  of  glad¬ 
ness,’  for  his  sake ;  but  lie  far  more  than  they  all,  even  as  his  excellency 

[514] 


and  dignity  exceeded  t heirs.  Ps.  45: — ‘They,  who  imagine  this  Ps.  is 
an  epiihalamium,  on  Solomon’s  marrying  Pharaoh’s  daughter,  must  sup¬ 
pose,  that  it  is  foretold,  . .  .  that  Solomon  was  lo  have  a  numerous  pro¬ 
geny  by  her,  whom  he  would  set  up  for  princes  and  rulers,  up  and  down 
the  world  (lfi).  Hut  tit's  cannot  he  true  ;  for,  beside  that  we  read  not  of 
any  children  Solomon  had  by  Fharaoh’s  daughter,  ..  .  Iiehoboam,  who 
succeeded  him,  was  the  son  of  Naumali.  an  Ammonitess.  And  so  far 
was  he  from  being  able  to  set  up  liisf  sons  to  rule  over  other  countries, 
that  it  was  with  great  difficulty,  his  successors  kept  two  tribes  of  the 
twelve  steadfast  to  them — Certainly,  “a  greater  Ilian  Solomon  was 
here.”’  Bp.  Pierce.  (?)— Very  many  other  suppositions,  by  which  the 
prophecies,  concerning  Christ,  are  explained  away,  or  enervated,  by  men 
called  Christians,  might  be  shown  to  be  equally  absurd. — The  quotation 
is  nearly  from  the  Sept..xvhich  accords  to  the  Heh.  Scott. 

(9-)  Hast  loved  righteousness .]  ‘  1  think  it  refers  to  the  unparalleled 
instance  of  the  love  of  moral  rectitude,  which  Christ  hath  given  in  be¬ 
coming  a  sacrifice  for  sin,  by  his  atonement;  doing  more  [to  evince 
that  love]  than  ever  did  any  other  rational  agent.’  Doddr. 

V.  10 — 12.  l’s.  102:25 — 28.  The  Ps.  whence  these  vs.  are  quoted, 
seems  to  be  a  prayer  of  the  afflicted  church  of  Israel,  for  the  coming  of 
her  expected  Deliverer;  yet  we  might  not  have  discovered,  that  the  Son 
‘of God’  was  personally  addressed,  had  not  the  apostle  led  our  atten¬ 
tion  to  it  in  tliis  view.  But,  considering  it  in  connexion  with  other 
scriptures,  and  remembering  that  the  ancient  prophets  continually 
spoke  of  their  expected  Messiah,  ns  their  great  Deliverer  from  all  ene¬ 
mies  and  troubles,  we  shall  perceive  a  propriety  in  the  church,  under 

affliction,  addressing  herself  to  Him,  as  her  unchangeable  Friend. _ 

Probably  the  Hebrews  in  general  were  prepared  to  understand  this 
Psalm,  as  well  us  the  others,  of  the  Messiah  ;  it  is,  however,  to  us  n 
most  explicit  testimony  to  the  Deity  of  Christ,  as  One  with  the  Father, 
the  Creator  of  all  things.  (10)  Thou,  Lord,  &c.]  The  quotation  is 
taken  from  the  Sept,  which  exactly  accords  to  the  Heb. ;  except  that 
the  word,  rendered  in  our  version,  ‘  change,’  is  translated  elixeis,  fold 
up  ;  hut  the  Alexandrian  copy  of  the  Sept.,  and  some  copies  of  the  N. 
T.,  read,  allaxeis,  change.  Scott. 


A.  D.  65. 


HEBREWS,  II. 


13  But  to  which  of  the  angels 
said  he  at  any  time,  i  Sit  on  my 
light  hand,  until  I  make  thine  ene¬ 
mies  thy  footstool  ? 

14  Are  they  not  all  ministering 
'spirits,  sent  forth*  to  minister  for 
them  who  shall  he  heirs  'of  salva¬ 
tion  ? 

CHAP.  II. 

1  We  ought  Jo  be  obedient  to  Christ  Jesus,  5  and  that  be¬ 
cause  He  vouchsafed  to  take  our  nature  upon  Him,  14  as 
it  was  necessary. 

rpHEREFORE  we  ought  to  give 
J-  the  more  earnest  heed  to  the 
things  which  we  have  heard,  lest 
at  at  any  time  we  should  Hot  them 

slip. 

2  For  if  the  word  spoken  by 
b  angels  was  steadfast,  and  c  every 
transgression  and  disobedience  re¬ 
ceived  a  just  recompense  of  reward; 

3  How  d  shall  we  escape,  if  we 
neglect  so  great  salvation  ;  which 
e  at  the  first  began  to  be  spoken  by 
the  Lord,  and  was  confirmed  unto 
us  by  them  that  heard  him  ; 

q  Ps.  110:1.  Pi.  34:7.  b  Ac. .7:53. 

r  Ps.  103.^1.  t  RP..8U7.  c  Nil.  15:31. 

Da.  7:10.  u  run  out  ns  leak-  d  c  4:1,11. 

b  Ge.  19:15,16.  ihg  vessels.  e  Ala.  1:14. 


changes  they  meet  with  in  the  work!,  and 
under  all  they  feel  in  themselves. 

V.  13,  14.  This  concludes  the  compari¬ 
son  between  Christ  and  the  angels,  and  the 
preference  of  Christ  to  them  ;  God  never 
said  to  the  angels  what  lie  has  said  to 
Christ  : 

1.  To  Christ  lie  has  said,  ‘  Sit  Thou  at 
my  right  hand,  till  I  make,  thine  enemies  thy 
footstool,  Ps.  110:1.  Receive  Thou  glory, 
dominion,  and  rest  ;  and  remain  in  the  ad¬ 
ministration  of  thy  mediatorial  kingdom,  un¬ 
till  all  thine  enemies  shail  either  L>e  made 
thy  friends  by  conversion,  or  thy  footstool.’ 
Note,  Christ  Jesus’ has  his  enemies,  enemies 
even  among  men;  enemies  to  his  sovereign¬ 
ly,  to  his  cause,  to  his  people.  Let  us  not 
think  it  strange  if  we  have  our  enemies. 
Yet  all  Christ’s  enemies  shall  he  made  his 
footstool,  either  by  humble  submission,  or  by 
utter  destruction.  God  the  Father  has  under¬ 
taken  for  this  ;  and,  though  it  he  not  done 
presently,  it  shall  certainly  he  done.  Christ 
shall  go  on  to  rule  and  reign  till  this  is  done  ; 
and  it  becomes  his  people  to  go  on  in  their 
duty,  being  what  lie  would  have  them  to  be, 
doing  what  He  would  have  them  to  do,  avoid¬ 
ing  what  He  w  ould  have  them  to  avoid,  hear¬ 
ing  what  Ho  would  have  them  to  bear,  till 
He  makes  them  conquerors,  and  more  than 
conquerors,  over  all  their  spiritual  enemies. 

2.  God  has  said  of  the  angels.  They  are 
ministering  spirits,  sent  forth  to  minister  for 
them  who  shall  be  the  heirs  of  salvation.  Note, 
Angels,  in  their  nature,  are  spirits,  without 
bodies  or  inclination  to  bodies  ;  yet  can  as¬ 
sume  bodies,  and  appear  in  them,  when  God 
pleases  :  in  office,  they  are  ministering  spirits. 


Christ,  as- Mediator,  is  llie  great  Minister 
of  God  in  the  great  work  of  redemption. 
The  Holy  Spirit  is  the  great  Minister  of  Gud 
and  Christ  in  the  application  of  this  redemp¬ 
tion.  Angels  are  ministering  spirits  under 
the  blessed  Trinity,  to  execute  the  divine 
will  and  pleasure  ;  they  are  the  ministers  of 
Divine  Providence,  ministers  to  them  icho 
shall  he  the  heirs  of  salvation.  Here  observe, 
(1.)  The  description  given  of  the  saints  ; 
they  are  heirs-  of  salvation  S  at  present  they 
are  under  age,  heirs,  not  inheritors.  (2.) 
'i’he  dignity  and  privilege  of  the  saints;  the 
angels  are  sent  forth  to  minister  for  them. 
Bless  God  for  the  ministration  of  angels, 
keep  in  God’s  way,  and  lake  the  comfort  of 
this  promise,  that  He  will  give  his  angels 
charge  over  you ,  to  keep  you  in  all  your  ways. 
They  shall  bear  you  up  in  their  hands,  lest 
you  dash  your  feet  against  a  stone,  Ps.  91 : 
11,  12. 


Chap.  If.  V.  1 — 4.  Here  we  have  the 
application  of  the  truths  before  asserted  and 
proved  ;  (his  is  brought  in  by  the  illative 
particle  therefore.  The  application  is  both 
by  way  of  exhortation  and  argument. 

I.  15y  way  of  exhortation,  v.  1.  The 
great  concern  of  every  one  under  the  Gospel 
is,  to  give  the  most  earnest  heed  to  all  gos¬ 
pel-discoveries  and  directions  ;  to  embrace 
them  in  our  hearts  and  affections,  to  retain 
them  in  our  memories,  and  finally  to  regulate 
our  words  and  actions  according  to  them. 

If.  By  way  of  argument,  he  adds  strong 
motives  to  enforce  the  exhortation  : 

1.  From  the  great  loss  we  shall  sustain, 
if  we  do  not  take  this  earnest  heed  to  the 
things  we  have  heard;  we  shall  let  them  slip. 
They  will  leak,  and  run  out  of  our  heads, 
lips,  and  lives,  and  we  shall  be  great  losers 
by  our  neglect.  This  consideration  should 
he  a  strong  motive  both  to  our  attention  to 
the  Gospel,  and  our  retention  of  it;  and,  in¬ 
deed,  if  we  do  not  well  attend,  we  shall  not 
long  retain,  tile  Word  of  God;  slighty  hear¬ 
ers  will  soon  be  forgetful  hearers,  [for  mem¬ 
ory  is  the  daughter  of  attention.'] 

2.  Another  argument  is  taken  from  the 
dreadful  punishment  we  shall  incur,  if  we 
do  not  do  this  duty  ;  a  more  dreadful  pun¬ 
ishment  than  those  fell  under  who  neglected 
and  disobeyed  the  law,  v.  2,  3.  Here  ob¬ 
serve, 

(1.)  How  the  law  is  described  :  it  is  said 
to  be  the  word  spoken  by  angels,  because 
given  by  the  ministration  of  angels,  they 
sounding  the  trumpet,  and  perhaps  forming 
the  words  according  to  God’s  direction;  as 
they  shall  sound  the  trumpet  a  second  time, 
and  gather  all  to  lus  tribunal  at  last.  And 
this  law  is  declared  to  be  steadfast  ;  like  the 
promise,  it  is  truth  and  faithfulness, and  will 
abide  and  have  its  force,  whether  men  obey 
it  or  no ;  fur  every  transgression  and  disobedi¬ 
ence  will  receive  a  just  recompense  of  reward. 
Observe,  The  severest  punishment  God  ever 
inflicted  on  sinners  is  no  more  than  what  sin 
deserves,  a  just  recompense  of  reward  ;  pun¬ 
ishments  are  as  just,  and  as  much  due  to  sin, 
as  rewards  are  to  obedience,  yea,  more  due 
titan  rewards  are  to  imperfect  obedience. 


The  obligation  to  obey -the  Gospel. 

(2.)  How  tlte  Gospel  is  described  :  it  is 
salvation ,  a  great  salvation  i  so  great  salvation, 
that  no  other  can  compare  with  it ;  so  great, 
that  none  can  fully  express,  no,  nor  vet  con¬ 
ceive,  how  great  it  is.  It  discovers  a  great 
Savior,  shows  how  we  may  be  saved  from 
great  sin  ami  great  misery,  and  be  restored 
to  great  holiness  and  so  to  great  happiness.  It 
discovers  a  great  Sanctifier,  to  qualify  us  for 
salvation, and  to  bring  us  to  the  Savior;  the 
Gospel  unfolds  a  great  and  excellent  dispensa¬ 
tion  of  grace,  a  new  covenant,  secured  to  all 
who  come  into  the  bond  of  it. 

(3.)  How  sinning  against  the  Gospel  is 
described  ;  it  is  declared  to  be  a  neglect  of 
this  great  salvation,  it  is  a  contempt  put  on 
the  saving  grace  of  God  in  Christ,  making 
light  of  it,  qot  caring  for  it,  not  thinking  it 
worth  their  while  to  acquaint  themselves 
with  it  ;  not  regarding  either  the  worth  of 
gospel-grace,  or  their  own  want  of  it,  and 
undone  state  without  it;  not  using  their  en¬ 
deavors  to  discern  the  truth  of  it,  and  assent 
to  it,  nor  to  discern  the  goodness  of  it,  so  as 
to  approve  of  it,  or  apply  it  to  themselves. 

(4.)  How  the  misery  of  such  sinners  is 
described;  it  is  declared  to  he  unavoidable, 
v.  3.  Despisers  of  this  salvation  are  con¬ 
demned  already,  under  arrest,  and  in  the 
hands  of  justice.  So  they  were  by  the  sin 
of  Adam  ;  and  they  have  strengthened  their 
bonds  by  their  personal  transgression,  John 
3:  IS.  nor  is  there  any  escape,  but  by  ac¬ 
cepting  the  great  salvation  discovered  in  the 
Gospel  ;  as  for  those  who  neglect  it,  the 
wrath  of  God  is  upon  them,  and  it  abides  up¬ 
on  them.  And  there  is  a  yet  more  aggravat¬ 
ed  curse  and  condemnation  waiting  those 
a  lto  despise  the  grace  of  God  in  Christ,  the 
unavoidableness  of  whose  misery  is  here  ex¬ 
pressed  by  way  of  question;  Ilow  shall  we 
escape  1  It  is  an  appeal  to  universal  rea¬ 
son,  to  the  consciences  of  sinners  themselves; 
and  it  intimates,  that  the  negleciers  of  this 
great  salvation  will  he  left  not  only  without 
power,  but  without  plea  and  excuse,  at  the 
judgment-day  ;  if  they  be  asked,  what  they 
have  to  say,  that  the  sentence  should  not  be 
executed  oil  them,  they  will  be  speechless,  and 
self-condemned  by  their  own  consciences, 
even  to  a  greater  degree  of  misery  than  those 
fell  under  who  neglected  the  authority  of  the 
law,  or  sinned  without  the  law. 

3.  Another  argument,  to  enforce  the  ex¬ 
hortation,  is  taken  from  the  dignity  and  ex¬ 
cellency  of  the  Person  by  whom  the  Gospel 
began  to  be  spoken,  v.  3.  that  is,  the  Lord 
Jesus  Christ,  who  is  Jehovah,  the  Lord  of 
life  and  glory,  Lord  of  all  :  this  great  Lord 
of  all  was  the  first  who  began  to  speak  it 
plainly  end  clearly  ,wihout  types  and  shadows, 
as  it  was  before  lie  came.  Now,  surely,  it 
trinv  be  expected  that  all  will  reverence  this 
Lord,  and  lake  heed  to  a  Gospel  that  began 
to  be  spoken  by  One  who  spake  so  as  never 
man  spake. 

4.  Another  argument  is  taken  from  the 
character  of  those  who  were  witnesses  to 
Christ  and  the  Gospel,  v.  3.  4.  Observe, 
(1.)  The  promulgation  of  the  Gospel  was 
continued  and  confirmed  by  those  who  heard 
Christ,  by  the  evangelists  and  apostles,  who 


TRACT.  OflS.  We  can  never  sufficiently  bless  our  God,  that  He  has,  truth  and  promise.  .  ..Let  us  not  then  perversely  and  ungratefully  refuse 
iu  so  many  ways,  and  with  such  increasing  clearness,  spoken,  concern-  Him  our  adorations,  whilst  ‘  all  tlte  angels  of  God  worship  Him.’  For 
ing  salvation,  to  us  wretched  sinners;  and  especially  that  He  has  sent  our  salvation  lie  abased  Himself,  that  Jle  might  ‘redeem  us  to  God 
the  mes  age  of  mercy  to  us,  by  his  ‘well-beloved  Son,’  whose  dignity  with  his  blood,’  and  shall  we,  on  that  account,  refuse  to  adore  and 
gives  peculiar  authority  to  every  appointment,  and  certainty  to  every  ‘  honor  Him,  even  as  we  honor  the  Father  that  sent  Him  ?  ’  Scott.  . 


V.  M.  <  How  different  tlte  station  and  employment  of  angels,  from 
that  of  the  Messiah  !  They,  however,  are  here  evidently  regarded  as 
real  intelligent  beings.  For  to  have  instituted  a  comparison  between 
the  Son  of  God,  and  mere  abstract  qualities,  or  imaginary  beings  would 
seem  inapposite  to  any  serious  purpose  ;  and  how  could  such  he  repre¬ 
sented  as  worshipping  the  Son  of  God,  or  ministering  to  the  saints  ?  ’  St. 

NOTES.  Chap.  II.  V.  I — 4.  The  apostle,  in  the  midst  of  his  argu¬ 
ment,  paused,  as  it  were,  after  the  proof  of  Christ’s  pre-eminent  dignity, 
to  make  some  application  of  his  doctrine.  The  Hebrews,  and  all  to 
whom  the  Gospel  came,  ‘ought  to  give  the  more  earnest,’  believing,  and 
obedient  attention  to  what  they  had  heard,  because  of  the  majesty  of 
the  Speaker,  and  the  gracious  nature  of  his  words.  Mat.  17:5 — 3.  Acts 
3:22 — 33.  Soott. 


(1.)  Abresch,  in  Bloomf.,  thinks  ch.  1  ought  to  end  with  v.  4.  which 
Bloomf,  after  Chr;  s.,  approves.  Ed. — Let  them  slip.]  Pass  by,  or  neg¬ 
lect, —not  attend  to  diligently  :  comp,  transgression,  v.  3  —Ho  great.] 
Can  we  conceive  of  a  stronger  appeal  to  the  moral  constitution  ol  man, 
than  the  atonement !  ‘The  whole  warning,  vs.  1 — 4.  is,  “  Beware  ye 
do  not  slight  l lie  gospel,  whose  threatenings  are  more  to  be  dreaded 
than  those  of  tile  law  ;  inasmuch  as  Lite  Gospel  is  a  revelation  of  a  high¬ 
er  nature,  [appealing  to  Jove,  &c.  rather  than  fear,]  and  has  been  con¬ 
firmed  by  more  striking  ami  more  abundant  miracles  wrought  by  divine 
power.”  ’  Stuart.  To  resist  (ufter  God  has  put  a  man  into  a  highly  fa- 
vorable  condition)  strong  spiritual  influences,  is  a  greater  sin  than  to 
resist  weaker  ones,  exhibited  to  a  less  favorable  state  of  the- individual. 

T.D. 

[515] 


A.  D.  65. 


HEBREWS,  II.  Christ’s  superiority  to  the  angels. 


4  God  falso  bearing  them  witness, 
both  with  signs  and  wonders,  and 
with  divers  miracles,  and  s  gifts  of 
the  Holy  Ghost,  according  to  his 
own  will  ? 

5  For  unto  the  angels  hath  he 
not  put  in  subjection  the  world  to 
come,  whereof  we  speak. 

6  But  one  in  a  certain  place  tes¬ 
tified,  saying,  h  What  is  man,  that 
thou  art  mindful  of  him  ?  or  jhe 
eon  of  man,  that  thou  visitest  him? 

7  Thou  madest  him  1  a  little  low¬ 
er  than  the  angels  ;  thou  crownedst 
him  with  glory  and  honor,  and  didst 
set  him  over  the  works  of  thy  hands: 

8  Thou  hast  put  all  things  in 
subjection  under  his  feet.  For  in 
that  he  put  all  in  subjection  under 
him,  he  left  nothing  that  is  not  put 
under  him.  But  j  now  we  see  not 
yet  all  things  put  under  him. 

9  But.  we  see  Jesus,  who  k  was 
made  a  little  lower  than  the  angels, 

1  for  the  suffering  of  death,  crowned 
m  with  glory  and  honor ;  that  he 
*  by  the  grace  of  God  should  taste 
death  for  every  man. 

10  For  it  became  0  him,  for  p 
whom  are  all  things,  and  by  whom 
are  all  things,  in  bringing  many 
sons  unto  glory,  to  make  the  cap¬ 
tain  i  of  their  salvation  r  perfect 
through  sufferings. 

11  F  or  both  he  that  sanctificth 
and  they  who  are  sanctified  are  all 
•of  one  :  for  which  cause  he  is  not 
ashamed  to  call  them  brethren  ; 

f  Ac.  14:3.  I  4  Co.  15:24.  p  Ro.  11:35. 

go  r,  distribu-  k  Phi.  2:8,9.  q  Is.  55:4. 

lion*.  •  l  or,  by.  r  Lu  13:32. 

h  Ps.  8:4,  &c.  m  Ac.  2:33.  c  5:8  9. 

i  or,  a  little  tchile  n  Jn.  3:1G.  r  Jn.  17:21. 

inferior  to,  o  Lu.  24:26,46. 


were  eye  and  earwitnesses  of  vvliat  Jesus 
Christ  began  both  to  do  and  to  teach.  Acts  1:1. 
(2.)  God  IJitnsclf  bore  witness  to  those  who 
were  witnesses  for  Christ;  He  testified  that 
they  were  authorized  and  sent  hy  Him  to 
preach  Christ,  and  salvation  by  Him,  to  the 
world.  And  how  did  He  bear  them  witness  '? 
Not  only  by  giving  them  great  peace  in  their 
own  minds,  great  patience  under  all  their  suf¬ 
ferings,  and  unspeakable  courage and  joy  ;  but 
by  signs  and  wonders ,  and  divers  miracles, 
and  gifts  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  according  to  his 
will :  by  signs,  signs  of  his  gracious  presence 


with  them,  and  of  his  power  workin 
them  :  hy  wonders  ;  works  quite  beyond  the 
power  of  nature,  and  out  ol  the  course  of 
nature  :  hy  divers  miracles,  mighty  works,  in 
which  an  almighty  agency  appeared  beyond 
all  reasonable  controversy :  and  by  gifts  oj 
the  Holy  Ghost,  qualifying,  enabling,  and 
exciting  them  to  do  the  work  to  which  they 
were  called  ;  divisions  or  distributions  of  the  j 
Holy  Ghost,  diversities  of  gifts,  1  Cor.  12:  4. 
&c.  And  all  this  according  to  God’s  own 
will.  If  was  the  will  of  God  we  should  have 
sure  footing  for  our  faith,  and  a  strong  foun¬ 
dation  for  our  hope,  in  receiving  the  Gospel. 
As  at  the  giving  forth  of  the  law  there  were 
signs  and  wonders,  bv  which  God  testified 
the  authority  and  excellency  of  it  ;  so  He  ; 
witnessed  to  the  gospel  by  more  and  greater 
miracles,  as  to  a  more  excellent  and  abiding 
dispensation. 

V.  5 — 9.  The  apostle  having  made  this 
serious  application  of  the  doctrine  of  the 
personal  excellency  of  Christ  above  the  an-  I 
gels,  now  returns  to  that  pleasant  subject 
again,  and  pursues  it  further,  v.  5. 

I.  Here  the  apostle  lays  down  a  negative 
proposition,  including  a  positive  one  ;  that 
the  state  of  the  gospel-church,  which  is  here 
called  the  world  to  come,  is  not  subjected  to  the 
angels,  hut  under  the  special  care  and  direc¬ 
tion  of  the  Redeemer  Himself.  God  does 
not  make  that  use  of  the  ministration  of  an¬ 
gels,  to  give  the  gospel  as  lie  did  the  law, 
which  was  the  state  of  the  old  or  antiquat¬ 
ed  world.  This  new  world  is  committed  to 
Christ,  and  only  put  in  absolute  subjection 
to  Him  in  all  spiritual  and  eternal  concerns. 
Christ  has  the  administration  of  the  gospel- 
church,  which  at  once  speaks  Christ’s  honor, 
and  the  clmrch’s  happiness  and  safety,  it 
is  certain  that  neither  the  first  creation  of 
the  gospel-church,  nor  its  after-erlification  or 
administration,  nor  its  final  judgment  and 
perfection,  is  committed  to  the  angels,  hut 
to  Christ.  God  would  not  put  so  great  a  trust 
in  his  holy  ones  ;  his  angels  were  too  ivc.ak 
for  such  a  charge. 

II.  We  have  a  scripture-account  of  that 
blessed  Jesus,  to  whom  the  gospel-world  is 
put  into  subjection,  taken  from  Ps.  8:4 — 6. 
These  words  are  to  he  considered  both  as 
applicable  to  mankind  in  general,  and  as  ap¬ 
plied  here  to  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ. 

1.  As  applicable  to  mankind  in  general  ; 
where  we  have  an  affectionate,  thankful  ex¬ 
postulation  with  tlie  great  God  concerning 
li is  wonderful  condescension  and  kindness 
to  the  sons  of  men  ;  in  remembering  them 
in  the  counsels  of  divine  love  ;  in  visit¬ 
ing  them  with  purposes  of  favor  ;  in  ma¬ 
king  man  t lie  head  of  all  the  creatures  in 
this  lower  world  ;  in  crowning  him  with 
glory  and  honor,  the  honor  of  having  noble 


by  I  powers  and  faculties  of  soul,  excellent  organs 
and  parts  of  body,  whereby  he  is  allied  to 
both  worlds,  capable  of  serving  the  interests 
of  both  worlds,  and  of  enjoying  tile  happiness 
of  both;  and,  finally,  in  giving  him  right  to 
and  dominion  over  the  inferior  creatures, 
which  continued  so  long  as  he  continued  his 
allegiance  and  duty  to  God. 

2.  This  is  here  plainly  applied  to  the 
Lord  Jesus  Christ  ;  and  the  whole  that  is 
hero  said,  can  only  he  applied  to  Him, 
v.  8,  9.  The  moving  cause  of  all  the  kind¬ 
ness  God  shows  to  men,  in  giving  Christ  for 
them  and  to  tlienr,  is  the  grace  of  God:  God 
was  mindful  of  Christ  for  us  in  the  covenant 
of  redemption,  and  visited  Him  on  our  ac¬ 
count  ;  in  order  to  which,  God  had  made 
Him  a  little  lower  than  the  angels,  that  He 
might  suffer  and  humble  Himself  to  death, 
and  so  hy  his  sufferings  make  satisfaction, 
tasting  death  for  every  man,  sensibly  feeling 
and  undergoing  the  hitter  agonies  of  that 
shameful,  painful,  and  cursed  death  of  the 
cross,  hereby  putting  all  mankind  into  a  netv 
state  of  trial  ;  and  thus  accomplishing  that 
ancient  scripture,  in  Christ,  that  He  was 
crowned  with  glory  and  honor,  which  never 
was  so  accomplished  or  fulfilled  in  any  mere 
man  that  ever  was  upon  earth.  And  now, 
having  mentioned  the  death  of  Christ,  the 
apostle  proceeds. 

V.  10 — 13.  The  apostle  here  prevents  and 
removes  the  scandal  of  the  cross,  by  show¬ 
ing  both  how  it  became.  God,  that  Christ 
should  suffer,  and  how  much  man  should  be 
benefited,  by  those  sufferings. 

I.  IIow  it  became  God,  that  Christ  should 
suffer,  v.  10.  Where,  1.  God  is  described 
as  the  final  End  and  first  Cause  of  all  things, 
and  as  such  it  became  Him  to  secure  his 
own  glory  in  all  that  He  did,  not  only  to  act 
so  that  He  might  in  nothing  dishonor  Him¬ 
self,  hut  that  He  might  from  everything 
have  a  revenue  of  glory.  2.  lie  is  declared 
to  have  acted  up  to  this  glorious  character 
in  the  work  of  redemption,  as  to  the  choice 
both  of  the  end  and  of  the  means. 

(1.)  In  the  choice  of  the  end  ;  and  that 
was,  to  bring  many  sons  to  glory ;  to  present 
glory  in  enjoying  the  .glorious  privileges  of 
the  Gospel,  and  to  future  glory  in  heaven, 
which  will  he  glory  indeed,  an  exceeding, 
eternal  weight  of  glory. 

(2.)  In  the  choice  of  the  means;  i.  e.  in 
finding  out  such  a  Person  as  should  lie  the 
Captain  of  our  salvation,  and  ill  making  this 
Captain  of  our  salvation  perfect  through  suf¬ 
ferings.  God  tlie  Father  made  the  Lord 
Jesus  Christ  tlie  Captain  of.  our  salvation ; 
i.  e.  lie  consecrated,  appointed  Him  to  that 
office,  gave  Him  a  commission  for  it  ;  and 
He  made  Him  perfect  in  it,  perfect  in  wis¬ 
dom,  courage,  strength,  and  sufferings.  The 


V.  5 — 9.  The  argument  concerning  the  Messiah’s  superiority  to  the 
angels,  is  here  resumed.  ‘  Tlie  world  to  come  ’  is  supposed  to  have  been 
a  phrase  in  use  among  Die  Jews,  denoting  the  times  of  the  Messiah. 
This  period  began  at  the  first  coming  of  Christ,  and  will  continue  till  his 
second  coming.  The  words,  however,  do  not  occur  elsewhere;  and  some 
think,  that  tlie  apostle  alludes  to  the  words  of  the  prophet,  concerning 
'new  heavens  and  a  new  earth.’  Is.  65:17— 19.  This  includes  the  dis¬ 
pensation  of  the  Messiah,  and  tlie  millennium,  as  connected  with  heav¬ 
enly  happiness. — (9)  f  little  lower.]  Many  expositors  suppose  the  orig¬ 
inal  to  mean,  1  lower  for  a  short  time,’  i.  e.  during  the  term  of  our  Cord’s 
humiliation  on  earth  ;  but  the  use  of  the  same  word  in  v.  7.  determines 
us  sense  here,  and  there  it  can  have  no  reference  to  time,  unless  we  ex¬ 
plain  tlie  Ps.  as  n  prophecy  of  Christ  exclusively.,  without  allowing  that 
either  Adam,  or  his  posterity,  were  at  all  intended.  It  is  indeed  argued, 
thnt  Jesus  was  made,  in  human  nature,  immense!-.  lower  than  tlie  an¬ 
gels,  'being  despised  and  rejected  of  men,’  and  considered  as  one  of  l lie 
most  abject  of  the  human  ra-'e.  This  objection,  however,  seems  to  be 
©f  no  validity,  for  his  real  dignity  and  excellency  as  man,  and  not  the 
opinion  of  others  concernine  Him,  are  meant.  He  was,  in  human  na¬ 
ture,  ns  the  ‘  first  Adam  ’  had  been,  ‘a  little  lower  than  the  angels;’ 
and,  being  made  like  us  in  all  things,  sin  alone  excepted,  He  became  ca¬ 
pable  of  suffering  and  death,  from  which  angels  are  exempted.  In  these 
respects  He  was  ‘made  a  little  lower  than  the  angels;’  but  in  nil  oilier 
tilings,  lie,  even  as  mania  his  lowest  humiliation,  was  little  lower  than 
they,  being  immensely  superior  to  all  others  of  the  human  race,  not  ex¬ 
cepting  Adam  Ii i nisei f  before  the  fall. — 'Caste  death..]  Some  explain  these 
words  as  signifying  the  pain  our  I.ord  endured  in  dying;  and  others,  as 
marking  the  short  time  lie  continued  dead  :  blit  the  expression  seems  to 
have  been  in  use  among  the  Jews,  ns  merely  denoting  to  die.  (M.  E.  a.) 
I  he  quotation  is  from  the  Sept. ;  but  that  entirely  corresponds  with  the 
r'16] 


Jleb.,  except  as  it  tr.  E'ohim,  (often  rendered  gods,)  hy  the  word  1  angels,’ 
as  it  does  in  many  other  places  ;  and  tlie  word  God  is  substituted,  in  the 
tr.  of  the  last  quotation,  for  Jehovaii  in  the  Hebrew.  Scott. 

(5.)  JVor/d  to  come .]  Doddr.  explains  this  of  ‘  the  kingdom  of  the 
Messiah,  which  extends  not  only  to  earth,  but  to  heaven.’  En. 

(6.)  One  in  a  certain  place..']  ‘  It  is  evident  there  is  nothing  in  the 
Rth  Ps.  by  which,  independent  of  the  apostle’s  authority,  it  could  be 
known  to  belong  to  the  Messiah.  I,  therefore,  choose  to  understand  this 
as  an  allusion  to  xvhat  in  its  original  intent  is  a  description  of  the  dig¬ 
nity  and  glory  of  human  nature,  and  not  a  prophecy  of  t lie  Messiah.’ 
Doddr. — Stuart  takes  the  same  view  of  the  I’s.— Bp.  Middleton,  In  HI., 
nnd  HI.  after  him,  understand  it  in  a  ‘twofold  sense,’  first  of  Adam 
and  next  of  Christ,  in  which  last  sense  it  applies  here.  —  Mach j.  under¬ 
stands  it  primarily  and  wholly  ofChrist,  and  refers  to  Mat.  21:15, 16.  In. 

(9.)  Stuart  tr.  ‘  But  we  see  Jesus,  who  was  made  but  little  interior 
to  the  angels,  crowned  with  glory  and  honor  on  account  of  the  suffer¬ 
ings  of  death,  afier  that  lie  had,  by  tlie  grace  of  God,  tasted  death  for  all, 
i.  e.  for  Jew  and  Gentile.’  Id. 

V.  10—13.  Whatever  the  Jews  might  object  to  t lie  sufferings  and 
crucifixion  of  Him,  who  was  preached  to  them  as  the  Messiah;  yet  it 
certainly  '■became'  the  ciernal  God,  for  whose  glory,  and  by  xvho.se 
power,  all  tilings  were  created,  and  are  upheld  and  governed,  to  adopt 
this  method.  H  hud  not  only  pleased  Him  ns  a  Sovereign  to  do  this; 
but  it  was  admirably  suited  to  manifest  the  glory  of  nil  his  perfections ; 
yea,  it  was  necessary  for  the  harmonious  display  of  them,  [and  to  make 
the  most  effectual,  and  controlling,  and  exciting  impression  on  humanity, 
as  God  had  constituted  it.]  Having,  therefore,  purposed  to  predestinate 
to  the  adoption  of  children  an  innumerable  company  of  Adam’s  fallen 
race,  USote,  Eph.  1:3 — 8.)  He  was  pleased,  in  his  infinite  wisdom  anil 
love,  to  appoint  them  ‘a  Captain,’  who  should  cull  them  forth  out  of 


A.  L).  65. 


HEBREWS,  II. 


Th  e  incarnation  of  Christ  slated. 


12  Saying,  ‘I  will  declare  thy  and  that  is  God ;  and  of  one  earthly  father, 


name  unto  my  brethren  ;  in  the 
midst  of  the  church  will  I  siim 
prai.se  unto  thee. 

13  And  again,  "1  will  put  my 
trust  in  him.  And  again,  v  Behold 
I  and  the  children  which  w  God 
hath  given  me. 

14  Forasmuch  then  as  the  child¬ 
ren  are  partakers  of  flesh  and  blood, 
he  *  also  himself  likewise  took  part 
of  the  same  ;  that  through  death 


Adam.  Christ  and  believers  are  of  one 
Spirit,  a  holy  and  heavenly  disposition  ;  of 
the  same  mind,  though  not  in  the  same  meas¬ 
ure;  die  same  Spirit  informs  and  actuates 
the  Head  and  all  the  members. 

2.  Into  an  endearing  relation.  This  results 
from  the  union.  And  here  first  he  declares 
what  this  relation  is,  and  then  he  quotes 
three  texts  out  of  die  O.  T.  to  illustrate  and 
prove  it. 

(1.)  He  declares  what  this  relation  is ;  He 
and  believers  being  all  of  one,  He  therefore 
is  not  ashamed  to  call  them  brethren.  Ob- 


y  he  might  destroy  him  that  had  the  serve,  Christ  will  never  be  ashamed  of  any 
power  of  death,  that  is,  the  devil  ; 

15  And  deliver  them  wherethrough 
fear  of  death  were  all  their  lifetime 
subject  to  bondage. 

16  For  verily  1  he  took  not  on 
him  the  nature  of  angels  ;  but  he 
took  on  him  the  seed  of  Abraham. 

17  Wherefore  in  all  things  it  be¬ 
hooved  him  to  be  made  like  unto 
his  brethren,  that  he  might  be  a 
b  merciful  and  faithful  high  priest 
in  things  pertaining  to  God,  to 
make  reconciliation  for  the  sins  of  the  knowledge  of  God  in  the  world  from  one 
the  people  : 

t  Ffe.22:2%.  y  I  Co.  15:54.  but  nf  the  seed 

u  Ps.l8:‘2.  Is.  12:2.  z  La.  1:74.  of  Abraham  he 

v  Is.  8:  IB.  a  he  ttiketh  not  taketh  hold. 

w  Jn.  17:G — 12.  hold  of  angels }  b  c.  4:15,16. 

x  Jn.  1:14. 


look  onr  nature  into  union  with  his  divine 
nature,  and  became  really  and  truly  Man. 
He  did  not  lay  hold  of  angels,  but  He  laid 
hotel  of  the  seed  of  Abraham.  The  angels 
fell,  and  He  let  them  go,  and  lie  under  the 
desert,  defilement,  and  dominion  of  their 
sin,  without  hope  or  help;  but  resolving  to 
recover  the  seed  of  Abraham,  and  raise 
them  up  from  their  fallen  state,  He  took  on 
Him  the  human  nature  from  one  descended 
from  the  loins  of  Abraham ;  that  the  same 
that  had  sinned,  might  suffer,  to  restore  hu¬ 
man  nature  to  a  state  of  hope  and  trial;  and 
all  that  accepted  of  mercy,  to  a  state  of  spe¬ 
cial  favor  and  salvation.  Now  there  is  hope 
and  help  for  the  chief  of  sinners  in  and 
through  Christ.  Let  us  all  then  know  the 
day  of  our  gracious  visitation,  and  improve 
that  distinguishing  mercy  which  has  been 
shown  to  fallen  men,  not  to  the  fallen  angels. 

1L  Tlie  reasons  and  designs  of  Christ’s 
incarnation  are  declared,  v.  14,  15.  No 
higher  nor  lower  nature  than  man’s  that  had 
sinned,  coidd  so  suffer  for  the  sin  of  man  as 
to  satisfy  the  justice  of  God,  and  raise  man 
up  to  a  slate  of  hope,  and  make  believers 
the  children  of  God,  and  so  brethren  to 
Christ.  So  He  became  Man,  that  He  might 
die;  as  God,  He  could  not  die,  therefore  He 
assumes  another  nature  and  state.  Here 
generation  to  another,  to  the  end  of  the  the  wonderful  love  of  God  appeared,  that, 


that  are  not  ashamed  of  Him,  and  who  take 
care  not  to  be  a  shame  and  reproach  to 
H  im  and  to  themselves. 

(2.)  He  illustrates  this  from  three  texts 
of  Scripture.  The  first  is  Ps.  22  :  22.  In 
this  Psalm  it  is  foretold,  that  Cln  i.?t  should 
have  a  church,  or  congregation,  in  the  world, 
and  that  these  should  not  only  be  brethren  to 
one  another,  but  to  Christ  Himself.  To  these 
He  would  declare  his  Father’s  name,  that 
is,  his  nature  and  attributes,  his  mind  and 
will :  this  He  did  in  his  own  Person,  while 
He  dwelt  among  us,  and  by  his  Spirit  poured 
out  on  his  disciples,  enabling  them  to  spread 


excellent  Dr.  Owen  observes,  that  tlie  Lord 


world,  and  to  the  praise  and  glory  of  his 
Father. 

Tlie  second  scripture  is,  Ps.  18:  2.  That 
Ps.  sets  forth  the  troubles  David,  as  a  type 
of  Christ,  met  with,  ami  how  he  in  all  his 
troubles  put  his  trust  in  God.  Christ  suffered 


Christ,  being  consecrated  and  perfected  and  trusted  as  our  Head  and  President.  His 
through  suffering,  has  consecrated  the  way  brethren  must  suffer  and  trust  too. 
of  suffering  for  all  his  followers  to  pass  The  third  scripture  Is,  Is.  8:  IS.  This 
through  unto  glory  ;  and  hereby  their  suffer-  proves  Christ  really  and  truly  Man,  for  pa- 
ings  are  made  necessary  and  unavoidable,  rents  and  children  are  of  tlie  same  nature  ; 
they  are  hereby  made  honorable,  useful,  and  children  were  given  Him  of  the  Father,  in 
profitable.  the  counsel  of  bis  eternal  love,  and  that  cov- 

II.  He  shows  how  much  they  would  be  enant  of  peace  that  ivas  between  them.  And 
benefited  by  the  cross  and  sufferings  of  they  are  given  to  Christ  at  their  conversion. 
Christ  ;  as  there  was  nothing  unbecoming  When  they  take  hold  of  his  covenant,  then 
God  and  Christ,  so  there  was  that  which  Christ  receives  them,  rules  over  them,  re- 
would  he  very  beneficial  to  men,  in  these  joices  in  them,  perfects  all  their  affairs,  takes 
sufferings.  Hereby  they  are  brought  into  them  up  to  heaven,  and  there  presents  them 
a  near  union  with  Christ,  and  into  a  very  to  his  Father  ;  Behold,  I  and  the  children 
endearing  relation.  which  Thou  hast  given  Me.— 

1.  Into  a  near  union,  11.  Observe,  Christ  V.  14 — IS.  Here  the  apostle  proceeds  to 
is  He  that  sanctificth;  He  has  purchased  and  assert  the  incarnation  of  Christ,  as  taking 
sent  the  sanctifying  Spirit;  lie  is  the  Head  on  Him  not  the  nature  of  angels,  but  the 
of  all  sanctifying  influences.  The  Spirit  seed  of  Abraham  ;  and  lie  shows  the  reason 
sancrifieth  as  the  Spirit  of  Christ.  In  the  and  design  of  his  so  doing, 
work  of  sanctification,  Christ  the  Agent,  I.  The  incarnation  of  Christ  is  asserted, 
and  Christians  the  recipient  subjects,  are  v.  16.  Though  as  God  He  pre-existed  from 
all  of  one:  all  are  of  one  heavenly  Father,  all  eternity,  jet  in  the  fulness  of  time  lie 


when  Christ  knew  what  lie  must  suffer,  in 
our  nature,  and  how  He  must  die  in  it,  yet 
He  so  readily  took  it  upon  Him.  And  it 
w  as,  that  through  death  He  might  destroy  him 
that  had  the  power  of  death,  that  is,  the  devil, 
v.  14.  The  devil  was  tlie  first  sinner,  the 
first  tempter,  sin  was  the  procuring  cause  of 
death  ;  so  he  may  be  said  to  have  the  power 
of  death,  as  he  draws  men  into  sin,  the  ways 
whereof  are  death,  and  as  he  is  often  permit¬ 
ted  to  terrify  the  consciences  of  men  with  the 
fear  of  death,  and  as  he.  is  the  executioner  of 
divine  justice,  haling  their  souls  from  tlie i r 
bodies  to  the  tribunal  of  God,  there  to  re¬ 
ceive  their  doom;  and  then  being  their  tor¬ 
mentor,  as  be  was  before  their  tempter  ;  in 
these  respects  he  may  be  said  to  have  had 
the  power  of  death.  But  now  Christ  has  so 
far  destroyed  him,  that  he  can  keep  none  un¬ 
der  tlie  power  of  spiritual  death  ;  nor  can 
he  draw'  any  into  sin,  nor  require  the  soul 
of  any  from  the  body,  nor  execute  the  sen¬ 
tence  on  any,  but  those  who  choose  and  con¬ 
tinue  to  be  his  willing  slaves,  and  persist  in 
their  enmity  to  God. 

Christ  came,  that  He  might  deliver  his  own 
people  from  the.  slavish  fear  of  death  that  they 
are  often  subject  to.  This  may  refer  to  the 
Old  Testament  saints,  w  ho  w  ere  more  under 


their  stale  of  sin  and  misery,  and  lead  them  through  life  and  death,  to  need  ralher  of  strength  than  of  weakness.  Tlie  apostle  therefore  de- 


his  eternal  glory  ;  fur  the  word  rendered  'in  bringing, 1  agrees  with  that 
tr.  ‘Captain.’  —  Many  things,"  in  Is.  8:  are  evidently  prophetical  of  the 
Messiah,  and,  ns  such,  are  quoted  repealeillv  in  tlie  N.  T.,  and,  no  doubt, 
the  text  here  adduced  was  understood  of  Him,  by  the  learned  Jews. 
For  the  apostle  was  well  acquainted  with  their  sentiments,  and  would 
not  have  quoted  it,  in  a  sense  different  from  the  usual  interpretation,  in 
an  argumentative  discourse,  without  attempting  to  establish  the  new 
interpretation  by  cogent  reasonings.  (Note,  1:5 — 7. — The  quotations 
ace  all  from  the  Sept.,  which  does  not  materially  vary  from  the  Ileb.  S. 

(10.)  It  became.)  ‘  It  was  worthy  of  God  ;  consistent  with  his  at¬ 
tributes.’  Rosenm.  ‘It  seems  to  signify,  not  only  that  the  course  He 
took  was  well  worthy  of  God,  hut  that,  in  order  to  act  worthy  of  Him¬ 
self.  it  was  expedient  He  should  take  this  method.’  Uoddk. 

(12.)  Saying.)  ‘The  whole  object  of  this  quotation  is  merely  to 
show,  that  Christ  is  exhibited  in  the  Jewish  scriptures,  as  having  recog¬ 
nised  melt  as  his  brethren.’  Stuart. 

V.  14,15.  Whatever  pride,  ambition,  and  desperate  passions,  united 
with  unbelief,  may  sometimes  effect  or  perpetrate,  the  fear  of  death  is 
universal,  and,  in  some  degree  enslaves  ail  mankind  ;  tlie  juster  appre¬ 
hensions  men  have  of  God  and  eternal  tilings,  tlie  greater  must  lie  their 
dread  of  death,  ami  its  awful  consequences,  except  ns  faith  in  Christ  de¬ 
liver  them.  Many  of  those,  who  have  been  enslaved  by  it,  during  the 
former  part  of  their  lives,  or  at  least  from  the  time  when  they  began 
seriously  to  reflect  on  the  subject,  are  actually  delivered  from  their  ter¬ 
ror  by  the  Gospel,  and  habitually  think  of  dying  with  great  composure 
and  satisfaction  Many,  who  do. not  before  rise  superior  to  their  terrors, 
are  entirely  freed  from  them  at  that  critical  season  ;  and  even  those  be- 


clares,  that  to  render  this  victory  the  most  glorious,  it  was  peculiarly 
suitable,  that  Satan,  tlie  conqueror  of  man,  should  lie  laid  prostrate  by  a 
Man;  and  so,  by  the  very  death  of  a  Man,  tie  might  be  destroyed,  as  by 
his  own  weapons. — Understand  death,  as  joined  with  the  wrath  of  God, 
which,  without  Christ  it  must  necessarily  he;  nor  can  anything  he  con¬ 
ceived  more  miserable;  than  to  be  under  the  perpetual  slavery  of  this 
dread  and  horror.’  Beza.  Scott. 

(14.)  Ilim  that  had  the  power  of  death.)  1.  e.  ‘  who  has  a  deadly  pow¬ 
er  ;  comp.  1  Cor.  15:24 — 26.  2  Tim.  1:10.’  Stuart. — ‘  Who,  by  divine 
permission,  had  the  empire  of  death.’  Doddr. — ‘The  existence  of  a  ma¬ 
lignant  being,  called  the  devil,  is  evident  from  this  passage.’  Holden. 

(15.)  Fear  of  death.)  ‘  Fear  of  that  condemnation  or  punishment,  to 
which  sin  exposes  men;  not  tlie  fear  of  natural  death;  an  evil  from 
xxliich  no  precautions  can  deliver  us,  and  which  Christians,  as  well  as 
Olliers,  must  suffer,  notwithstanding  tlie  deatii  of  Christ.’  Stuart. 

V.  16 — 18.  Tlie  introductory  words  of  this  passage  are  differently  in¬ 
terpreted.  Our  tr.  explains  iliem  of  our  Lord’s  assuming,  not  ‘  the  na¬ 
ture  of  angels,’  but  our  nature,  in  order  to  he  our  firolher,  Surely,  and 
Savior;  and  the  mention  of  the  seed  of  Abraham,  from  whom  lie  de¬ 
scended,  favors  tli is  interpretation  ;  but  the  margin,  and  indeed  a  great 
majority  of  commentators,  supposes  the  apostle  to  mean,  that  the  eter¬ 
nal  Son  of  God,  when  angels  sinned,  did  not  ‘  take  hold  ’  of  Ihem,  to 
preserve  them  from  final  perdition  ;  but  lie  ‘  took  hold  ’  of  fallen  man, 
to  rescue  him  from  ibis  dreadful  doom  ;  and  this,  indeed,  lays  the  firmer 
foundation  for  the  subsequent  inference.  ‘  The  seed  of  Abraham-’  how¬ 
ever,  on  this  interpretation,  cannot  mean  all  tlie  natural  descendants  of 
Abraham,  nor  any  of  them  exclusively  ;  but  must  lie  understood  of 


Hovers,  who. fear  death  to  the  last,  (as  some  perhaps  do,  will  he  the  Abraham’s  believing  seed,  whether  Jews  or  Gentiles ;  and  this,  though  it 
more  amazed  at  their  deliverance,  when,  hv  the  stroke,  which  they  accords  to  the  apostle’s  manner  in  other  places,  Rom.  4:1 1 — 25.  f.al.  3: 
dreaded  all  their  lifetime,  they  find  themselves  perfectly  freed  from  ail  26 — 29.  is  not  thought  a  natural  exposition  in  his  present  argument. — 
which  they  groaned  under  and  hated,  and  admitted  to  a  felicity  exceed-  The  difference,  indeed,  is  not  great,  between  the  two  interpretations.— 
ing  their  largest  expectations. — (15)  Through  death.)  ‘  Had  not  this  been  The  ends  of  Christ’s  humiliation,  death,  and  exaltation,  are  set  forth  in 
added,  tlie  apostle  might  have  seemed  to  speak  very  absurdly  ;  "for  must  this  ch. — To  ‘taste  death  for  every  man,’  to  ‘become  the  Captain  of 
n.wi  income  Man,  in  order  to  conquer  the  devil  !  Assuredly,  here  was  our  salvation,’  and  to  ‘  lead  us  to  glory,’  to  ‘  sanctify  us,’  to  ‘  destroy 

[517] 


HEBREWS,  II f. 


A.  D.  65. 


The  priesthood  of  Christ. 


13  F.>r  in  that  he  himself  hath 
suffered,  being  tempted,  he  is  able 
to  succor  them  that  are  tempted. 

CHAP.  III. 

1  Christ  is  mot  '  worthy  than  Moses,  7  therefore  if  we  be¬ 
lieve  not  in  Him,  we  shall  be  more  worthy  punishment 
than  hard  hearted  Israel. 

WHEREFORE,  holy  brethren, 
partakers  of  the  heavenly 
calling,  consider  the  Apostle  and 
High  Priest  1  of  our  profession, 
Christ  Jesus  ; 

2  Who  was  faithful  to  him  that 
b  appointed  him,  as  also  Moses  civas 
faithful  in  all  his  house. 

3  For  this  man  was  counted  wor¬ 
thy  of  more  glory  than  Piloses,  in¬ 
asmuch  as  he  who  hath  builded  dthe 
house  hath  more  honor  than  the 
house. 

a  c.  4:14.  b  made.  c  Nu.  12:7.  d  Zee.  6:12,13. 


a  spirit  of  bondage,  because  life  and  immor¬ 
tality  were  not.  so  fully  brought  to  light  as  now 
they  are  by  the  Gospel.  Or  it  may  refer  to 
nil  the  people  of  God,  whether  under  the  O. 
T.  or  the  New,  whose  minds  are  often  in 
perplexing  fears  about  deatli  and  eternity. 
Death  now  to  them  is  not  Satan’s  servant, 
but  Christ’s  servant.  Lastly,  Christ  must 
be  made  like  unto  bis  brethren,  that  lie 
might  be  a  merciful  and  faithful  High  Priest 
in  things  pertaining  to  tiie  justice-aml  honor 
of  God,  and  to  the  support  and  comfort  of 
his  people.  He  must  be  faithful  to  God,  and 
merciful  to  men. 

1.  In  things  pertaining  to  God;  to  make 
all  the  attributes  of  the  divine  nature,  and 
all  the  Persons  subsisting  therein,  harmonize 
in  man’s  recovery,  and  fully  to  reconcile 
God  and  man. 

2.  In  things  pertaining  to  his  people,  to 


their  support  and  comfort,  t>.  18.  He  is  a 
sympathizing  Physician,  tender  and  skilful; 
lie  knows  how  to  deni  with  tempted,  sor¬ 
rowful  souls,  because  He  has  been  Himself 
sick  of  the  same  disease,  not  of  sin,  but  of 
temptation  and  trouble  of  soul;  and  He  is 
ready  and  willing  to  succor  those  who  apply  j 
themselves  to  Him. 


Chap.  III.  V.  1 — 6.  In  these  vs.  we 
have  the  application  of  that  doctrine  laid 
down  in  the  closd  of  the  last  ch..  concerning 
the  priesthood  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ. 
And  observe, 

I,  In  how  fervent  and  affectionate  a  man¬ 
ner  the  apostle  exhorts  Christians  to  think 
closely  and  seriously  of  this  High  Priest; 
and  surely  no  one  deserves  our  consideration 
more  than  He.  That  this  exhortation  might 
be  made  the  more  effectual,  observe, 

1.  The  honorable  compellation  used  to¬ 
ward  those  to  wham  he  wrote;  Holy  breth¬ 
ren,  partakers  of  the  heavenly  calling.  Breth¬ 
ren,  not  only  my  brethren,  but  the  brethren 
of  Christ,  and  in  Him  brethren  to  all  the 
saints.  Holy  brethren  ;  holy  not  only  in 
profession  and  title,  but  in  principle  and 
practice,  in  heart  and  life.  This  has  been 
turned  bv  some  to  scorn;  but  let  those  thus 
despised  labor  to  be  holy  brethren  indeed, 
and  they  need  not  to  be  ashamed  of  the  title, 
nor  dread  the  scoffs  of  the  profane.  The 
day,  alas  !  for  them,  is  coming,  when  those 
that  scorn  would  count  it  their  greatest 
honor  and  happiness  to  be  taken  into  this 
sacred  brotherhood.  Partakers  of  the  heav¬ 
enly  calling  ;  partakers  of  the  means,  arid 
Spirit  of  grace,  from  heaven,  and  by  which 
Christians  are  effectually  called  out  of  dark¬ 
ness  into  marvellous  light  ;  that  calling 
which  [through  Christ’s  clothing  Himself 
with  humanity  fur  our  Redemption]  brings 
down  heaven  into  the  souls  of  men,  raises 
them  up  to  a  heavenly  temper  and  conversa¬ 
tion,  and  prepares  them  to  live  for  ever  [in 
Christ]  w  ith  God  in  heaven. 


2.  The  titles  he  gives  to  Christ,  whom  he 
would  have  them  consider, 

(1.)  As  the  Apostle  of  our  profession, 
the  prime  Minister  of  the  gospel-church,  a 
Messenger,  and  a  Principal  Messenger,  sent 
of  God  to  men,  on  the  most  important  er¬ 
rand,  the  great  Revealer  of  the  faith  we  pro¬ 
fess  to1  hold,  and  of  the  hope  we  profess  to 
have.  (2.)  Not  only  the  Apostle,  but  the 
High  Priest  too,  of  our  profession,  the  Chief 
Officer  of  the  O.  T.  as  well  as  the  New,  the 
Head  of  the  church  in  every  stale,  and  un¬ 
der  each  dispensation,  on  whose  satisfaction 
and  intercession  we  profess  to  depend  for 
pardon  of  sin,  and  acceptance  with  God. 
(3.)  As  Christ,  the  Messiah,  anointed  and 
every  way  qualified  for  the  office  both  of 
Apostle  and  High  Priest.  (4.)  As  Jesus, 
our  Savior,  our  Healer,  the  Great  Physician 
of  souls,  typified  by  the  brazen  serpent  Mo¬ 
ses  lilted  up  in  the  wilderness,  that  those 
who  were  stung  by  the  fiery  serpents,  might 
look  to  Him,  and  be  saved. 

II.  We  have  the  duty  we  owe  to  Him 
who  bears  all  these  high  and  honorable  ti¬ 
tles,  and  that  is,  to  consider  Him  as  thus 
characterized.  Consider  what  He  is  in 
Himself,  what  lie  is  to  its,  and  what  He 
will  be  to  us  hereafter  and  for  ever;  con¬ 
sider  Him,  fix  your  thoughts  on  Him  with 
the  greatest  attention,  and  act  toward  Him 
accordingly,  look  unto  Jesus  the  Author  and 
Finisher  of  your  faith.  -Many  profess  faith 
in  Christ,  who  have  not  a  due  consideration 
for  Him.  Close  and  serious  consideration 
of  Christ  would  increase  our  acquaintance 
with  Him,  and  engage  our  love  and  our  ol>e- 
dience  to  Him,  and  reliance  on  Him.  Even 
holy  brethren,  and  partakers  of  the  heavenly 
calling,  need  to  stir  up  one  another  to  think 
more  of  Christ  than  they  do;  the  best  of  his 
people  think  too  seldom  and  too  slightly  of 
Him.  We  must  consider  Christ  as  He  is  de¬ 
scribed  to  us  iu  the  Scriptures,  and  form  our 
apprehensions  of  Him  from  thence,  not  from 
any  vain  conceptions  and  fancies  of  our  own. 


FR\CT.  OB£>.  The  judgments  of  God  under  the  new  dispensation 
are  chiefly  spiritual ;  hut  they  are  on  that  account  the  more  to  he  dread¬ 
ed  [for  character  is  all  we  carry  out  from  this  world  into  eternity]  ;  and 
‘  if  they  who  despised  Moses’  law  died  without  mercy,’  ‘  how  shall  we 
escape,  if  we  neglect  so  great  salvation,’  as  that  which  Christ  has 
wrought  for  ns,  and  revealed  in  his  gospel  ?  Blessed  he  Cod,  this  salva¬ 
tion  is  so  great  and  perfect,  that  nothing,  except  our  neglect  of  it,  in  one 
way  or  another,  can  exclude  us  from  its  eternal  advantages  ;  so  that  the 
trembling  penitent,  who  is  ready  to  think  himself  too  criminal  to  be  par¬ 
doned,  or  too  polluted  to  be  cleansed,  may  come  to  Christ  with  cheerful 
confidence,  and  expect  from  Him  the  free  gift  of  all  which  can  be  need¬ 
ful  fur  him  ;  and  even  those  who  are  conscious  of  having  hitherto  ‘  neg¬ 
lected  so  great  salvation.’  may  hope  for  rite  pardon  of  that  atrocious 
guilt  in  the  same  manner,  being  assured,  that  ‘where  sin  hath  abound¬ 
ed,  grace  shall  much  more  abound.’  —  The  glorious  God  lias  done  won¬ 
derful  tilings  for  us,  in  creation  and  providence,  for  which,  alas  !  wo 
have  made  the  basest  returns;  hut  lie  was  1  mindful  of  us,  and  visited 
us,’  in  the.  most  surprising  manner,  when  lie  gave  his  oxvn  Son,  to  lie 
‘made  a  little  lower  than  the  angels,  for  t lie  suffering  of  death,1- in  our 
nature  and  for  our  salvation  ;  that,  being  ‘crowned  with  glory  and  hon¬ 
or.’  and  having  all  ‘  power  given  to  Mint  in  heaven  and  earth,’  He  might 
rescue  every  man,  who  believes  in  Him,  from  all  the  effects  of  original 
and  actual  sin,  and  raise  him  to  far  higher  dignity,  than  what  was  lost 
by  Adam’s  transgression,  llom.  5:12 — 19.  8:32 — 34.  1  John  4:9 — 12-^- 

dcath,  and  him  that  had  the  power  of  death,’  to  deliver  us  from  the  bon¬ 
dage  of  tiie  devil,  and  tiie  fear  of  death,  to  become  our  ‘  High  Priest,  to 
make  reconciliation  for  our  iniquity,’  having  ‘by  Himself  purged  our 
sins.’  (1:3.)  What  unutterable  blessings  nre  these,  flowing  to  us  from 
‘  die  grace  of  God,  in  Christ  ottr  T.ordl’  and  xvhnt  do  they  imply  concerning 
the  natural  state  of  fallen  man  1 — {17)  it  behooved  iiirn.]  Tie  ought ,  or 
owed,  as  having  undertaken  to  be  our  Surety.  Phi/em  17 — 21.  Sc. 

t  IG.)  He  took  not,  <Cc.]  ‘  He  did  not  extend  aid  at  all  to  the  angels. 
—  Tie  look,  &c.]  He  came  to  the  aid  of  man. — The  writer  here  does  not 
deny  Christ’s  assumption  of  an  angelic  tinture;  but  if  the  argument  lie, 
that  Jesus  assumed  the  human  nature,  because  He  was  to  aid  men  and 
not  angels,  then  this  v.  contains  a  reason  why  the  Savior  did  and  si)  on  Id 
take  on  Him  the  nature  of  man,  viz.  that  it  was  altogether  accordant 
with  the  great  object  of  his  mission.’  Stuart. 

NOTES.  Chap.  III.  V’.  1 — G.  From  what  had  been  advanced  and 
proved,  concerning  the  superiority  of  the  Messiah  to  the  angels,  and  his 
dignity  as  the  incarnate  Son  of  God,  the  apostle  next  took  occasion  to 
call  the  attention  of  the  Hebrews  to  the  offices,  which  He  performed  for 
the  benefit  of  his  church. — As  ‘every  house’  is  contrived,  erected,  fur¬ 
nished,  and  prepared  for  a  habitation,  by  some  person,  whose  skill  and 
intelligence  are  visible  in  it;  so  ‘He,  who  built  all  tilings,’  as  Creator, 
and  arranged  all  things  in  the  church  of  Israel,  could  he  no  other  than 
(.'oil  Himself.  This  honor  the  Messiati  possessed  ;  Acts  7:37 — 43,  and 
this  glorious  Person  had  at  length  appeared  in  human  nature,  as  the 
Apostlij,  or  Prophet,  of  the  Father,  to  introduce  a  new  dispensation,  and 
terminate  the  old  one. — The  words  tr.  ‘made  all  things,’  may  rather 

[513] 


Whatever  the  proud,  carnal,  and  unbelieving  may  imagine  or  object,  the 
spiritual  mind  will  perceive  peculiar  glory  in  the  cross  of  Christ,  and  be 
satisfied,  that  ‘it  became  Ilim,’ (who  in  all  things  makes  the  manifes¬ 
tation  of  the  glory  of  his  own  perfections  his  chief  end,)  ‘in  bringing 
many  sons  unto  glory,  to  make  the  Author  of  their  salvation  perfect 
through  sufferings.’  And  what  advantages  may  we  not  expect,  from  so 
powerful  and  gracious  a  Friend  and  Brother?  Mat.  12:46 — 50.  John  15: 
12 — 16. — Let  sinners,  wiio  dread  death,  and  ttse  a  variety  of  methods  to 
banish  their  terrors,  no  longer  attempt  to  outbrave  or  repress  them;  let 
them  not  grow  outrageous  or  licentious,  through  despair ;  nor  let  them  ex¬ 
pect  help  from  the  world  or  human  inventions  ;  but  let  them  seek  pardon, 
and  peace,  and  grace,  and  lively  hope  of  heaven,  by  faith  in  Him  who 
died  and  rose  again.  Col.  1:9 — 14.  Let  tiie  trembling  believer  frequent¬ 
ly  meditate  on  the  love  of  Christ,  and  on  his  cross,  his  sepulchre,  his 
resurrection,  and  his  glory  ;  and  thus,  in  simple  dependence  and  obe¬ 
dience,  let  him  wait  for  more  complete  deliverance  ‘  from  the  fear  of 
death,’  and  from  that  last  enemy  himself,  in  the  Lord’s  appointed  time. 
And  let  the  afflicted  and  tempted,  instead  of  yielding  to  despondency,  or 
giving  place  to  the  devil,  (as  if  their  harassing  temptations  rendered  it 
improper  for  them  to  come  to  the  Lord  with  their  prayers,)  remember, 
that  the  Savior  ‘  suffered  being  tempted,’  in  order  that  He  might  be  ‘  alflo 
to  succor  them  t hat  are  tempted,’  that  He  has  infinite  power  ami  com¬ 
passion,  and  that  He  only  waits  to  be  called  in  to  their  help,  hv  fervent, 
persevering  prayer.  Scott. 

relate  to  tiie  formation  of  the  church,  titan  to  the  creation  of  the  world  ; 
yet  there  can  he  no  reasonable  doubt,  that  the  apostle  purposely  inti¬ 
mated,  that  He  who  formed  the  church,  also  created  the  world  ;  and 
certainly  lie  asserted  that  Christ,  whether  as  Former  and  Ruler  of  the 
church,  or  Creator  of  all  tilings,  is  God.  Scott. 

(1.)  ‘Tito  transition  here  from  one  topic  to  another,  is  almost  insen¬ 
sible,  under  the  form  of  a  deduction  from  the  preceding  ^discussion.’ 
Stu  xrt.  ‘  Nothing  could  better  suit  the  apostle’s  design  of  establishing 
the  Hebrew  Christians,  titan  to  compare  together  the  respective  found¬ 
ers  of  the  O.  T.  dispensations’.  l!e  consequently  observes,  vs.  1 — i. 
that  both  Christ  and  Moses  were  faithful  to  God  in  the  discharge  of  their 
ofllces ;  hut  that  Christ  was  counted  worthy  of  more  glory  than  Moses, 
inasmuch  as  the  founder,  and  ruler  of  the  house,  or  church,  hath  more 
honor  titan  the  house,  or  any  eminent  servant  iu  it.  such  as  Moses  was. 
For  lie  that  hath  formed  the  church,  and  ordered  all  things  relative  to 
it,  is  God.  He  adds,  v.  5,  6.  that  Moses  indeed  was  faithful  in  all  things 
relative  to  God’s  house,  the  Jewish  church  :  hut  it  was  as  a  servant,  and 
in  a  typical  economy,  designed  for  a  testimony  of  the  tilings  afterwards 
to  he  revealed  ;  but  that  Christ  was  faithful  as  a  t>'on  over  his  house,  tiie 
gospel-church;  of  whose  house  we  who  believe  nre  members,  whether 
Jews  or  Gen  lies,  if  we  hohlfnst  our  confidence  and  the  rejoicing  of  the 
Christian  hope  firm  unto  the  end.'  M’Lkan,  in  Williams.  So,  in  the 
main,  Stuart  atid  111. — Apostle  and  High  Priest. ]  ‘  Both  are  properly, 
mentioned,  as  the  author  was  to  show  that,  as  an  Apostle,  Christ  was 
superior  m  Moses,  and  as  an  High  Pried,  to  Aaron. — Apostle  signifies 
Messenger.’  Dodd?. 


A.  D.  G5. 


HEBREWS,  III. 


Serious  counsels  and  cauilons , 


4  For  every  house  is  buihled  by 
some  man ;  but  he  that  built  all 
things  is  God. 

5  And  Moses  e  verily  was  faithful 
in  all  his  house,  as  a  f  servant,  for  a 
testimony  of  s  those  things  which 
were  to  be  spoken  after ; 

G  But  Christ  as  a  Son  hover  his 
own  house  ;  whose  house  '  are  we, 
if  J  we  hold  fast  the  confidence  and 
the  rejoicing  of  the  hope  firm  unto 
the  end. 

[Practical  Observations.] 

7  Wherefore,  (as  the  Holy  Ghost 
saith,  k  To-day  if  ye  will  hear  his 
voice, 

8  Harden  not  your  hearts,  as  in 
the  provocation,  in  the  day  of  temp¬ 
tation  in  the  wilderness  ; 

9  When  your  fathers  tempted 
me,  proved  me,  and  saw  my  works 
forty  years  : 

10  Wherefore,  I  was  grieved  with 
that  generation,  and  said,  They  do 
alvvay  err  in  their  heart ;  and  they 
have  not  known  my  ways. 

11  So  I  sware  in  my  wrath,  1 
They  shall  not  enter  into  my  rest,) 

12  Take  heed,  brethren,  lest 
there  be  in  any  of  you  an  evil 
m  heart  of  unbelief,  in  departing 
n  from  the  living  God. 

13  But  exhort  °one  another  daily, 
while  it  is  called  To-day  ;  lest  any 
of  you  be  hardened  through  the 
deceitfulness  of  sin. 


e  No.  12:7. 
f  .Tos.  1:4. 
g  De.  18:15—19. 
ti  Ps.  8:7,12. 


i  1  Pe.  2:5. 
j  Mat.  1 0:22. 

c.  10:38,39. 
k  Ps.  95:7. 


1  if  they  shall  enter. 
m  Mn.  7:21—23. 
n  Je  2:13. 
o  c.  10:24. 


III.  We  have  several  arguments  drawn 
up  to  enforce  this  duty  of  considering  Christ 
the  Apostle  and  High  Priest  of  our  profes¬ 
sion.  The  first  is  taken  from  his  fidelity, 
v.  2.  He  was  faithful  to  Him  that  appoint¬ 
ed  Him,  as  Moses  was  in  all  his  house.  God 
the  Father  has  sent  and  sealed  Him  to  the 
office  of  Mediator,  and  He  is  faithful  to  that 
appointment,  punctually  and  fully  executing 
the  trust  reposed  in  Him  by  his  Father  and 
by  his  people.  He  is  as  faithful  to  Hitn  that 
appointed  Him,  as  Moses  was  in  his  office 
to  the  Jewish  church  in  the O.  'I'.;  and  this 
was  a  proper  argument  to  urge  on  the  Jews, 


who  had  so  high  an  opinion  of  the  faithful¬ 
ness  of  Moses,  and  yet  his  faithfulness  was 
but  typical  of  Christ’s.  Another  argument 
is  taken  from  the  superior  glory  and  excel¬ 
lence  of  Christ  above  Moses,  v.  3 — 6.  Christ 
was  a  .Maker  of  the  house,  Moses  but  a 
member  in  it.  By  the  house  we  understand 
the  church  of  God,  Christ  is  the  Maker  of 
this  house  of  the  church  in  all  ages  ;  He  is 
the  Maker  of  all  things;  for  He  is  God,  and 
no  one  less  than  God  could  build  the  church, 
either  lay  the  foundation,  or  carry  on  the 
superstructure.  Christ  was  ihe  Master  of 
this  house,  as  well  as  the  Maker,  v.  5,  6. 
This  house  is  styled  his  house,  ns  the  Son  of 
God.  Moses  was  only  a  faithful  servant, 
for  a  testimony  of. those  things  > that  were  to 
be  spoken  after;  Christ,  as  the  eternal  Son 
of  God,  is  the  rightful  Owner  and  Sovereign 
Ruler  of  the  church  ;  therefore  Christ  is 
worthy  of  more  glory  than  Moses,  and  of 
greater  regard  and  Consideration.  This  ar¬ 
gument  the  apostle  accommodates  to  himself 
and  all  truQ  believers,  v.  6.  whose  house  we 
are  ;  each  of  us  personally ,  as  we  are  the 
temples  of  the  Holy  Giiost,  and  Christ  dwells 
in  us  by  faith;  lie  characterizes  the  persons 
who  constitute  this  house  ;  they  are  those 
who  confide,  and  rejoice  to  the  end;  maintain 
a  hold  and  open  profession  of  the  truths  of 
the  Gospel,  and  live  upon  and  up  to  their 
hopes  of  grace  and  glory,  built  upon  them, 
so  as  to  have  a  holy  rejoicing  in  them  to  the 
end,  notwithstanding  all  they  meet  with  in 
so  doing.  So  you  see  there  must  not  only 
be  a  setting  out  well  in  the  ways  of  Christ, 
hut  steadfastness  and  perseverance  to  the 
end.  Those  who  would  partake  of  the  dig¬ 
nity  and  privileges  of  the  household  of 
Christ,  must  receive  the  truths  of  the  Gos¬ 
pel  into  their  heads  and  hearts,  build  their 
hopes  of  happiness  upon  them,  and  make  an 
open  profession  of  them.  They  must  so  live 
up  to  them  as  to  keep  their  evidences  clear, 
and  rejoice  in  hope,  and  then  they  must  in 
all  persevere  to  the  end. 

V.  7 — 19.  Here  the  apostle  proceeds, 
pressing  on  them  serious  counsels  and  cau¬ 
tions,  to  the  close  of  the  cli. ;  and  lie  recites 
Ps.  95:7,  &c.  where  observe, 

I.  He  counsels  them  to  give  a  speedy, 
present  attention  to  the  call  of  Christ,  v.  7. 

II.  He  cautions  them  against  hardening 
their  hearts,  turning  the  deaf  ear  to  the  calls 
and  counsels  of  Christ,  v.  8. 

III.  He  warns  them,  by  example  of  the 
Israelites,  their  fathers,  in  the  wilderness, 
v.  8,9.  referring  to  that  remarkable  passage 
at  Massah  Merihah,  Ex.  17 :  2 — 7.  Observe, 

Days  of  temptation  are  often  days  of 


provocation.  To  provoke  God,  when  He  is 
trj  ing  us,  and  letting  us  see  that  we  entirely 
depend  and  immediately  live  on  Him,  is*  a 
provocation  with  a  witness.  The  hardening 
of  our  hearts  is  the  spring  of  all  our  other 
sins.-  The  sins  of  others,  especially  our  re¬ 
lations,  should  he  a  warning  to  us.  As  to 
the  sin  of  the  fathers  of  the  Jews,  here  re¬ 
flected  on,  it  was  very  aggravated  :  they 
were  now  delivered  from  Egypt,  though  not 
yet  in  Canaan;  and  they  were  immediately 
dependent  on,God,  from  day  to  day,  in  the 
wilderness  ;  yet  they  tempted,  provoked, 
and  distrusted  God,  and  murmured  against 
Moses;  and  thus  they  continued  to  do  fully 
years:  these  were  heitiolis  aggravations,  the 
source  and  spring  of  which  were,  they 
erred  in  their  hearts,  [their  wills  or  aflec- 
t ions  were  not  in  order,  and  so  they]  did  not 
know  God’s  ways,  though  He  had  walked 
before  them;  they  did  not  observe  either  his 
providences  or  his  ordinances  in  a  right 
manner.  At  these  sins  God  had  just  mid 
great  resentment,  and  yet  He  exercised  great 
patience  toward  them,  v.  10.  Note, God  is 
loath  to  destroy  his  people  in  or  for  their 
sin,  He  waits  long  to  he  gracious  to  them  ; 
yet  He  keeps  an  exact  account  of  the  time 
people  go  on  sinning  against  Him,  and 
at  length,  if  they  continue  to  gtiete  the 
Spirit  of  God,  their  sins  shall  be  made 
grievous  to  themselves,  in  judgment  or  mer¬ 
cy.  Observe,  God’s  wrath  will  discover  it¬ 
self  in  its  righteous  resolution  to  destroy  the 
impenitent;  He  will  swear  in  his  wrath,  not 
rashly,  hut  righteously,  and  his  wrath  will 
make  their  condition  a  restless  condition  ; 
there  is  no  resting  under  the  wrath  of  God. 

IV.  What  use  the  apostle  makes  of  their 
awful  example,  v.  12,  13,  &c.  He  gi\es 
the  Hebrews, 

1.  A  proper  caution  ;  the  word  is.  Take 
heed,  look  to  it;  *  For  see,  Christ  is  Head  of 
the  church,  a  much  greater  person  than  Mo¬ 
ses,  and  your  contempt  of  Him  must  he  a 
greater  sin  than  their  contempt  of  Moses  ; 
so  you  are  in  danger  of  (falling  under  a  se¬ 
verer  sentence  than  they.’  Observe,  The 
ruin  of  others  should  be  warnings  to  us  ; 
Israel’s  fall  should  for  ever  he  a  warning  to 
all  who  come  after  them,  I  Cor.  10  :  11. 
Take  heed;  all  who  would  get  safe  to  heav¬ 
en  must  look  about  them. 

2.  He  enforces  the  admonition  with  an 
affectionate  compellation  ;  ‘  Brethren,  not 
only  in  the  flesh,  but  in  the  Lord  ;  brethren 
whom  I  love,  and  for  whose  welfare  1  labor 
and  long.’  And  here  he  enlarges  on  the 
matter  of  the  admonition  ;  Take  heed,  &c. 
Where  observe,  A  heart  of  unbelief  is  an 


PRACT.  OBS.  V.  1 — 6.  All  who  hear  and  profess  the  Gospel  should 
be  ‘holy  brethren;’  and  all  who  are  ‘partakers  of  the  heavenly  call¬ 
ing’  will  be  sanctified,  and  united  in  love,  [if  not  in  opinion,!  according 
to  their  measure  of  faith. — The  stewards  and  servants  of  God  are  re¬ 
quired  to  he  faithful  in  ail  things  intrusted  to  them,  and  many  have  been 
approved  as  such  by  their  common  Lord.  1  Cor.  4:1,  2.  1  Tim.  1:12 — 
14.  But  the  eternal  Son  of  God  is  ‘counted  worthy  of  more  honor,’ 
than  any  or  all  of  his  servants.  ...  As  therefore  they  are  most  absurd, 
who  allow  ‘every  house  to  be  builded  of  some  man,’  and  yet  atheisti¬ 
cal!)’  ascribe  the  glorious  creation  around  them  to  chance  or  necessity, 


so  they  reason  little,  if  at  all  better,  who  allow  Christ  to  be  the  Author 
of  life,  holiness,  wisdom,  strength,  and  salvation,  to  the  multitudes  of 
his  people,  and  yet  deny  his  real  Deity. — All  prophets  and  apostles  acted 
as  servants  ‘in  the  house’  of  another,  to  hear  testimony  to  Christ,  and 
to  honor  Him;  but  lie  appeared,  to  direct  and  govern  all  things,  with 
unlimited  sovereignty,  as  ‘a  Son  over  his  own  house.’  May  we  then 
belong  to  this  spiritual  building,  ami  manifest  that  we  do  so,  liv  ‘hold¬ 
ing  fast  our  confidence,  and  the  rejoicing  of  our  hope  ’  in  Christ,  stead¬ 
fast,  through  ail  trials,  even  to  the  end  !  Eph.  2:19 — 22.  1  Pet.  2:4 — 6. 

Scott. 


(4.)  Doddr.  understands  this  in  relation  generally  to  ‘  the  works  of 
creation  and  providence.’  Bl.  gives  the  sense  thus :  1  Every  family  has 
its  head,  or  ipaster,  who  provides  for  its  welfare.  But  God  is  the  su¬ 
preme  Paterfamilias,  to  whom  h is  people,  whether  under  the  old  or  the 
new  covenant,  owe  their  origin,  and  who  sent  both  Christ  and  Moses.’ 
Stuart  understands  the  at l  things  of  ‘  dispensations,  i.  e.  both  Jewish 
and  Christian,’  which  sense  lie  thinks  demanded  by  the  context.  Ed. 

(5.)  For  a  testimony,  &c.]  ‘  I.  e.  to  make  disclosures  to  the  Isra¬ 
elites,  of  things  to  be  revealed  during  the  Mosaic  period  ;  or  he  was  to 
he  the  instrument  of  delivering  to  the  people  divine  communications,  or, 
he  was  to  teach  them  in  matters  of  religion.’  Stuart. — -‘  “A  testimony 
of  things  afterwards  to  be  mentioned;”  namely,  by  Christ  and  his 
apostles’.  Williams.  - 

V.  7—13.  This  address  was  directed  to  those  professed  Christians, 
who  were  in  danger  of  apostatizing,  or  who  did  not  seem  in  earnest  in 
their  religion,  but  it  was  likewise  peculiarly  suited  to  excite  the  atten¬ 
tion  of  such  Jews,  also,  as  might  read  it.  The  example  of  their  unbe¬ 
lieving  progenitors,  and  the  words  of  their  own  Scriptures  respecting 
them,  were  adduced  with  great  propriety,  and  power  of  conviction,  on 
this  occasion.  Ps.  95:7 — 11. — ‘  Seeing  Moses,  the  servnnt,  could  not  be 
despised  with  impunity,  let  them  consider  what  punishment  they  must 
endure,  if  they  despise4,the  Son  of  God,  to  whom  Moses  himself  invites 
them.’  Bezel.  The  apostle’s  reasoning,  like  that  of  Stephen,  (Notes, 


Acts  7:37 — 53.)  was  suited  to  show,  that  the  fathers  of  the  Jewish  na¬ 
tion  had,  in  every  age,  been  prone  to  ‘  resist  the  Holy  Spirit,’  and  those 
who  spake  hv  Him.  This  had  excluded  the  generation  which  came  out 
of  Egypt  from  Canaan,  in  ihe  days  of  Moses  ;  David,  many  ages  after, 
was  inspired  by  the  Holy  Spirit,  to  warn  the  Israelites  against  imitating 
their  unbelieving  progenitors,  and  forfeiting  spiritual  blessings  ;  and  the 
writrr  of  the  epistle  warns  his  contemporaries,  not  to  exclude  them¬ 
selves  from  heaven,  itt  the  same  manner,  as  their  ancestors  were  ex¬ 
cluded  from  Canaan.  In  this  view,  there  is  a  vast  energy  in  the  warning 
and  exhortation. — (7)  As  the  Holy  Ghost  saith  ]  How  decidedly  this 
attests  the  book  of  Psalms  to  he  the  Word  of  God,  and  not  merely  of 
David,  of  any  other  man  !  (Notes,  2  Sam.  23:1,  2.  Mark  12:35 — 37. 
The  quotation  is  almost  verbatim  from  the  Sept.,  which  well  tr.  the 
Heb.  Ps.  95:7— 11.  Scott. 

(7.)  Wherefore.]  ‘  I.  e.  because  Christ  is  superior  to  Moses,  and  lias 
higher  claims  upon  us,  hearken,  Christian  brethren,  to  the  admonitions 
I  give  you.’  Stuart. — ‘This  passage  is  properly  adduced  to  prove  the 
personality  of  the  Holy  Spirit.’  Valpv,  in  Henry ,  abr  It  involves  the 
idea,  that  the  Holy  Scriptures  are  given  by  divine  inspiration.’  Stuart. 

(9.)  When. ]  ‘  Where,  &c.  So  the  Syr.  and  Vulg.  more  justly  than 
our  Eng.’  Mackn. 

(11.)  ‘The  passage  exhibits  God  as  speaking  after  the  manner  of 
men,  and  affected,  like  them,  with  feelings  of  indignation.’  Stuart. 


A.  D.  65. 


HEBREWS,  IV. 


Sct-ious  counsels  and  cautions. 


14  F*>r  we  are  made  partakers 
of  Christ,  if  p  we  hold  the  begin¬ 
ning  of  our  confidence  steadfast 
unto  the  end  ; 

15  While  it  is  said,  i  To-day  if 
ye  will  hear  his  voice,  harden  not 
your  hearts,  as  in  the  provocation. 

16  For  '  some,  when  they  had 
heard,  did  provoke  :  howbeit  not 
all  that  came  out  of  Egypt  by  Mo¬ 
ses. 

17  But  with  whom  was  he  griev¬ 
ed  forty  years  ?  ivas  it  not  with 
them  that  had  sinned,  whose  car¬ 
casses  'fell  in  the  wilderness  ? 

IS  And  to  whom  sware *  1  he  that 
they  should  not  enter  into  his  rest, 
but  to  them  that  believed  not  ? 

19  So  "  we  see  that  they  could 
not  enter  in  because  of  unbelief. 

CHAP.  IV. 

1  The  rest  of  ClnSslians  is  attained  by  faith.  12  The  pow¬ 
er  of  God’s  word.  14  By  our  high  priest,  Jesus  the  Son 
of  God,  subject  to  infirmities,  hut  not  sin,  16  we  must 
and  may  go  boldly  to  the  throne  of  grace. 

LET  us  a  therefore  fear,  lest  a 
promise  being  left  us  of  enter¬ 
ing  into  his  rest,  any  of  you  should 
seem  to  come  short  of  it. 

p  ver.  6.  a  Nu.  26:64,65.  u.c.  4:6. 

<1  ver.  7  Jude-6.  a  c.  12:15, 

r  Nu.  14:2,  &c.  t  De.  1:34,35. 


evil  heart.  Unbelief  is  a  great  sin,  it  viti¬ 
ates  the  heart.  An  ev'i.  neart  of  unbelief  is 
at  the  bottom  of  all  our  sinful  departures 
from  God;  it  is  a  leading  step  to  apostasy; 
if  once  we  allow  ourselves  to  distrust  God, 
we  may  soon  desert  Him.  Christian  breth¬ 
ren  have  need  to  he  cautioned  against  apos¬ 
tasy.  Let  them  that  think  they  stand,  take 
heed  lest  they  fall. 

3.  lie  subjoins  good  counsel  to  the  cau¬ 
tion,  and  advises  them  to  that  which  would 
he  a  remedy  against  this  evil  heart  of  unbe¬ 
lief, — that  they  should  exhort  one  another 
daily,  while  it  is  called  to-day,  v.  13.  Ob¬ 


serve,  We  should  be  doing  all  the  good  we 
can  to  one  another  while  we  are  together, 
which  will  he  but  a  short  and  uncertain 
time  ;  since  to-morrow  is  none  ol  ours,  we 
must  make  the  best  improvement  of  this 
day;  if  Christians  do  not  exhort  one  anoth¬ 
er  daily,  they  will  he  in  danger  of  being 
hardened  through  the  deceitfulness  of  sin. 
Note,  There  is  great  deceitfulness  in  sin;  it 
appears  fair,  but  is  filthy  ;  pleasant,  but  is 
pernicious;  it  promises  much  but  performs 
nothing.  The  deceitfulness  of  sin  is  of  a 
hardening  nature  to  the  soul  ;  one  sin  al¬ 
lowed,  prepares  for  another  ;  every  act  of 
sin  confirms  the  habit;  sinning  against  con¬ 
science  is  the  way  to  sear  the  conscience  ; 
therefore  it  should  be  the  great  concern  of 
every  one  to  exhort  himself  and  others  to 
beware  of  sin. 

4.  lie  comforts  those  who  not  only  set 
out  well,  but  hold  on  well,  and  hold  out  to 
the  end,  v.  14.  The  saints’  privilege  is, 
they  are  made  partakers  of  Christ,  that  is, 
of  the  spirit,  nature,  graces,  righteousness, 
and  life  of  Christ  ;  they  are  interested  in 
all  that  is  Christ’s,  in  all  that  He  is,  in  all 
that  He  has  done,  or  can  do.  The  condi¬ 
tion  on  which  they  hold  that  privilege  is, 
their  perseverance  in  the  bold  and  open  pro¬ 
fession  and  practice  of  Christ  and  Chris¬ 
tianity  unto  the  end.  Not  but  they  shall 
persevere,  being  kept  by  God’s  power,  but  to 
be  pressed  thus  to  it,  is  one  mean  by  which 
Christ  helps  his  people  to  persevere.  This 
tends  to  make  them  watchful  and  diligent, and 
so  keeps  them  from  apostasy.  Here  observe, 
Many  who  in  the  beginning  of  their  profes¬ 
sion  show  a  great  deal  of  courage  and  con¬ 
fidence,  do  not  hold  it  fast  to  the  end.  Per¬ 
severance  in  faith  is  the  best  evidence  of  the 
sincerity  of  our  faith. 

5.  The  apostle  resumes  what  he  had  quo¬ 
ted  before  from  Ps.  95:  7,  & c.  and  applies 
it  close  to  those  of  that  generation,  v.  15, 
16,  & c.  He  tells  them,  that  though  some 
who  had  heard  the  voice  of  God,  did  pro¬ 
voke  Him,  yet  all  did  not;  some  there  were 
who  believed,  which,  if  they  would  do,  they 
must  hear  his  voice  without  delay.  God 
'will  have  a  remnant  that  shall  be  obedient 
to  his  voice,  and  He  will  take  care  of  such, 


and  make  mention  of  them  with  itonor;  but 
disobedient  bearers  shall  perish  for  ever. 

6.  And  Lastly,  The  apostle  puts  some 
queries  upon  what  had  been  before  men¬ 
tioned,  anrfgives  proper  answers, v.  17 — 19. 
From  whence,  observe,  God  is  only  grieved 
with  those  of  his  people  who  sin  against 
H  im,  and  continue  in  sin.  God  is  grieved 
and  provoked  most  by  sins  publicly  commit¬ 
ted,  by  the  generality  of  a  nation  ;  God 
grieves  long,  and  beats  long,  when  pressed 
with  the  weight  of  general  and  prevailing 
wickedness  ;  yet  lie  will  at  length  ease 
Himself  of  public  offenders  by  public  judg¬ 
ments.  Unbelief  (and  rebellion  which  is 
the  consequent  of  it)  is  the  great  damning 
sin  of  the  world,  especially  of  those  who 
have  a  revelation  of  the  mind  and  will  of 
God.  This  sin  shuts  up  the  heart  of  God, 
and  the  gate  of  heaven  ;  it  lays  them  under 
the  wrath  and  curse  of  God,  and  leaves 
them  there  ;  so  that  in  truth  and  justice  to 
Himself,  [and  his  universe,]  lie  is  obliged  to 
cast  them  oil'  for  ever. 


Chap.  IV’.  V.  1 — 10.  Here,  1.  The 
apostle  declares  our  privileges  by  Christ 
under  the  gospel  not  only  as  great,  but  great¬ 
er  than  those  enjoyed  under  the  Mosaic  law. 
He  specifies,  that  we  have  a  promise  left 
us  of  entering  into  his  rest  ;  i.  e.  of  enter¬ 
ing  into  a  covenant  relation  to  Christ,  and 
a  Ftate  of  communion  with  God  through 
Christ,  and  of  growing  up  therein,  till 
made  perfect  in  glory. 

2.  He  demonstrates  the  truth  of  his  as¬ 
sertion,  that  we  have  as  great  advantages  as 
they  had,  v.  2.  The  best  privileges  the  an¬ 
cient  Jews  had,  were,  the  sacrifices  aqd 
ceremonies  of  the  O.  T.  the  Gospel  of  that 
dispensation  ;  and  whatever  was  excellent 
in  it,  was,  the  respect  it  had  to  Christ 
Now  if  tli in  was  their  highest  privilege,  we 
are  not  inferior  to  them  ;  for  vve  have  ihe 
Gospel  as  well  as  they,  and  in  greater  purity 
and  perspicuity  than  they  had. 

3.  He  assigns  the  reason  why  so  few  of 
the  ancient  Jews  profited  by  that  dispensa¬ 
tion  of  the  Gospel  which  they  enjoyed,  and 
that  w'as  their  w'ant  of  faith,  v.  2.  Observe, 
The  Word  is  preached  to  us,  that  we  may 


ITIACT.  OBS.  V.  7 — 19.  Alas  !  what  numbers  of  professed  Chris¬ 
tians  are  as  far  from  the  power  of  true  religion,  as  the  Israelites  were  in 
tlie  days  of  Moses,  or  the  Jews  in  those  of  Paul  !  The  Iloly  Spirit 
therefore  still  says  to  them  ;  1  To-day,  if  ye  will  hear  the  voice  of  God,’ 
and  ‘submit  to  his  righteousness,  and  authority,  dor  not  harden  your 
hearts.’ — While  sinners  are  procrastinating,  God  maybe  about  to  say, 
‘  This  night  shall  your  souls  he  required  of  you.’  Luke  12:15 — 21.  13:22 
— 30.  llow  infatuated  then  must  they  be,  to  close  their  eyes  and  har¬ 
den  their  hearts  against  conviction,  to  run  into  dissipation  and  worldly 
lusts,  to  yield  to  selfishness  and  sloth,  and  to  make  delays,  in  such  a 
perilous  situation!  Prov.  6:1 — 5.  Let  such  triflers  and  loiterers,  on 
tlie  brink  of  the  bottomless  pit,  look  well  to  themselves,  for  evil  is  be- 

V.  14 — 19.  Contemplating  the  immense  advantages  of  perseverance, 
and  tlie  tremendous  consequences  of  apostasy,  they  should  consider  the 
words  of  the.  Holy  Spirit  as  addressed  immediately  to  themselves.  For, 
though  the  whole  nation  of  Israel  had  been  brought  out  of  Egypt,  to 
hear  the  will  of  God  from  Moses,  yet  some  of  them,  (how  vast  a  propor¬ 
tion  it  was  not  necessary  to  state,)  provoked  God  to  exclude  them  from 
Canaan.  1  Cor.  10:1 — 10.  Jude  5— 8.  Yet  God  had  not  liiiled  of  per¬ 
forming  his  promises,  when  He  excluded  that  generation  from  Canaan, 
neither  was  this  inconsistent  with  his  justice;  for  1  with  whom  was  He 
grieved,’  but  with  those  obstinate  transgressors  who  always  rebelled 
against  Him  ?  He  therefore  cut  them  off,  while  his  promises  were  per¬ 
formed  to  the  remnant  of  believers,  and  to  the  children  of  the  rebels,  as 
thev  would  also  be  in  the  present  case.  Ps.  90:  Title.  7—17.  In  that 
particular  instance,  when  ‘He  sware  in  his  wrath,  that  they  should  not 
enter  into  his  rest,’  the  tremendous  sentence  included  none  hut  the  un¬ 
believers  ;  so  that  they  could  not  enter  into  Canaan  ‘  because  of  their 
unbelief ;  ’  nor  could  the  Hebrews,  whom  the  writer  addressed,  by  any 
possible  means  enter  heaven,  unless  they  believed  in  Jesus  Christ. — 
(15)  While  it  is  said,  Ac.]  ‘This  sentence  is  noble,  from  which  we 
learn,  that  the  words  of  the  prophets  did  not  pertain  to  that  one  time, 
but  that  God,  even  at  this  day,  invites  us  to  Himself,  by  setting  the 
writings  of  the  prophets  before  us.’  Beza.  This  is  directly  opposite  to 
tlie  conduct  of  many  modern  expositors  and  theologians,  who  labor 
strenuously  to  prove,  that  the  language  of  the  sacred  writers,  in  many 
places,  was  intended  for  certain  descriptions  of  persons  in  their  own 
time,  and  is  but  little,  if  at  all,  applicable  to  us,  who  are  placed  in  very 
different  circumstances.  But,  in  reality,  it  is  of  comparatively  smail 
importance  to  us,  as  to  religion,  what  the  meaning  of  any  passage  in 
Scripture  may  be;  if  we  are  not  concerned  in  it,  and  can,  in  our  situa¬ 
tion,  derive  no  instruction,  encouragement,  or  warning  from  it ;  and  the 
grand  use  of  both  exposition  and  preaching,  is,  to  show  how  we  inny  ap¬ 
ply  each  part  of  Scripture  warranlably  to  our  own  cases,  according  to 

[520] 


fore  them. — We  all,  however,  have  need  to  exhort  one  another  daily,  or 
while  the  day  of  file  and  grace  continues,  lest  sin  should  first  deceive, 
and  then  harden  us;  till  negligences  and  olfences,  in  fighter  things,  ter¬ 
minate  in  more  daring  crimes,  or  open  apostasy. — The  happiness  of 
being  ‘  partakers  of  Christ,’  as  our  complete  Salvation  and  eternal  Por¬ 
tion,  and  the  fear  of  God’s  wrath  and  eternal  misery,  combine  to  put  us 
on  our  guard  against  hypocrisy  and  apostasy,  and  to  excite  us  to  perse¬ 
vere  in  tlie  life  of  obedient  faith.  Let  us  then  beware  of  trusting  to  out¬ 
ward  privileges  or  profession  ;  remembering  that  unbelief  and  disobe¬ 
dience  will  exclude  men  from  God’s  promised  rest,  and  that  nothing 
else  can  do  it .  Scott. 


the  circumstances  in  which  we  are  placed.  (18)  To  them  that  believe 
not.}  11:31.  John  3:36,  Acts  14:2.  Rom.  10:21.  11:30.  15:31.  1  Pet. 
2:7,8.  3:1,20.  Rom.  11:32.  E/ih.  2:2.  5.6.  Col.  3:6.  Disobedient,  and 
disobedience,  are  used  in  several  places  in  the  tr.,  and  properly.  Unbe¬ 
lief  is  an  act  of  disobedience,  and  is  inseparable  from  further  disobe¬ 
dience;  and  the  connexion  of faith  and  obedience,  [John  7.17.]  unbelief 
and  disobedience,  is  thus  strongly  inculcated.  *  Scott. 

(15.)  While  it  is  said.]  ‘  Forasmuch  as,  &c.  i.  e.  in  the  passage  above 
quoted.’  Doddr. — 1  As  ye  may  know  by  the  saying,  To-day ,  Ac.’ 
Macks. — ‘  In  respect  to  what  is  said,  or,  in  regard  to  the  declaration, 
viz.  tit  at  which  follows,  nr,  the  quotation  before  cited.’  Stuart. 

(16.)  For  some.]  ‘  This  is  altogether  inapposite.  The  true  render¬ 
ing  I  take  to  be:  Who  now  were  they  that  when  they  heard  did  provoke  ? 
The  design  is  to  lead  the  minds' of  the  readers,  to  consider  the  specific 
sin  of  unbelief,  which  occasioned  the  ruin  of  the  ancient  Israelites,  and 

would  involve  their  posterity  in  the  same  condemnation.’  Stuart _ . 

Mackn.  renders  it,  'Many.' — En. — Howbeit,  Sec..}  ‘ Rather,  were  they 
not  all  who  corns,*  c.  See  Luke  17:8.’  Stuart. — ‘Their  little  ones, 

i.  e.  all  under  20  yrs.  of  age  were  excepted,  Nuin.  14:31.’  Williams. — 
‘Some  think,  some  of  the  I.evites  were  not  included.’  Doddr. 

NOTES.  Chap.  IV.  V.  1,2.  The  awful  justice  of  Jehovah  to¬ 
wards  his  ancient  people,  when  they  ‘believed  not,’  3:14 — 19.  called 
emphatically  on  their  descendants  ‘  to  fear,’  with  a  humble  and  jealous 
distrust  of  their  own  hearts,  a  diligent,  self-examining  attention  to  every 
mean  of  grace,  and  a  careful  watchfulness  against  temptation,  lest  they 
should  fall  under  a  still  more  terrible  condemnation. —  . .  ‘  He  proves  . . 
that  the  promise,  to  give  Abraham  and  his  Seed  the  land  of  Canaan,  for 
an  everlasting  possession,  was  really  a  promise  to  give  believers,  of  all 
nations,  the  everlasting  possession  of  the  heavenly  country,  of  which 
Canaan  was  the  emblem  ;  and  that  the  oath  which  excluded  the  rebel¬ 
lious  Israelites  in  the  wilderness  from  Canaan,  likewise  excluded  from 
the  heavenly  country  all  that  continue  in  their  sins.  So  that,  in  this 


A.  D.  65. 


HEBREWS,  IV. 


A  promised  rest  contemplated. 


2  For  unto  us  was  the  gospel 
preached,  as  well  as  unto  them  : 
but  the  word  b  preached  did  not 
profit  them,  'not  being  mixed  with 
faith  in  them  that  heard  it. 

3  For  we  which  have  believed 
do  enter  into  rest ;  as  lie  said,  d  As 
I  have  sworn  in  my  wrath,  if  they 
shall  enter  into  my  rest  :  although 
the  works  were  finished  from  the 
foundation  of  the  world. 

4  For  he  spake  in  a  certain  plaee 
of  the  seventh  day  on  this  wise, 
'And  God  did  rest  the  seventh  day 
from  all  his  works. 

5  And  in  this/i/ace  again,  If  they 
shall  enter  into  iny  rest. 

6  Seeing  therefore  it  remaineth 
that  some  must  enter  therein,  and 
they  f  to  whom  s  it  was  first  preach¬ 
ed  entered  not  in  because  of  unbe¬ 
lief  : 

7  (Again,  he  limiteth  a  certain 
day,  saying  in  David,  To-day,  after 
so  long  a  time  ;  as  it  is  said  ;  h  To¬ 
day,  if  ye  will  hear  his  voice,  hard¬ 
en  not  your  hearts. 

8  For  if  1  Jesus  had  given  them 
rest,  then  would  he  not  afterward 
have  spoken  of  another  day. 

b  of  hearing.  d  Ps.  95:11.  g  or,  the  gospel. 

c  or,  because  they  e  Ge  *2:2.  h  Ps.  95:7. 

toe  re  not  united  f  c.  3:19.  i  That  is,  Joshua, 

by  faith  to. 

profit  by  it,  may  gain  spiritual  riches  by  if; 
yet  there  have  been,  in  all  ages,  many  un¬ 
profitable  hearers.  What  is  at  the  bottom 


of  all  our  unprofitableness  under  the  Word  is 
our  unbelief;  we  do  not  mix  faith  with  what 
we  hear;  it  is  faith  in  the  hearer  that  is  the 
life  of  the  Word.  Though  the  preacher  be¬ 
lieves,  and  endeavors  to  speak  as  one  who 
does  so  ;  yet,  if  the  hearers  have  not  faith 
to  mix  with  the  Word,  they  will  be  never  the 
better  for  it. 

4.  On  these  considerations  the  apostle 
grounds  his  repeated,  earnest  counsel,  that 
they  who  enjoy  the  Gospel  should  maintain 
a  holy  fear,  lest  latent  unbelief  should  rob 
them  of  the  benefit  of  the  Word,  and  of  that 
spiritual  rest  tendered  in  the  Gospel,  v.  1. 
Observe,  Grace  and  glory  are  attainable  by 
all  under  the  Gospel  ;  yet  those  who  may 
attain  them  may  also  fall  short  by  unbelief. 
This  is  a  dreadful  thing, and  one  good  mean 
to  prevent  it  is,  to  maintain  a  holy  and  a 
religious  fear  lest  we  should  fall  short.  This 
will  make  us  vigilant  and  diligent,  sincere 
and  serious  ;  this  will  put  us  on  examining 
our  faith,  and  exercising  it  ;  whereas,  pre¬ 
sumption  is  the  high  road  to  ruin. 

5.  The  apostle  confirms  the  happiness  of 

all  who  truly  believe  the  Gospel  ;  and  that, 
(1.)  By  asserting  so  positively  the  truth  of 
it,  from  the  experience  of  himself  and  oth¬ 
ers,  v.  3.  ‘  We  who  have  believed,  do  enter 

into  rest  ;  into  a  blessed  union  with  Christ, 
and  into  a  communion  with  God  through 
Christ;  in  this  state  we  actually  enjoy  many 
sweet  communications  of  pardon  of  sin, 
peace  of  conscience,  joy  in  the  Holy  Ghost, 
increase  of  grace,  and  earnests  of  glory,  rest¬ 
ing  from  the  servitude  of  sin,  and  reposing 
ourselves  in  God  till  we  are  prepared  to  rest 
with  Him  in  heaven.’  (2.)  lie  illustrates 
and  confirms  it,  that  they  who  believe,  are 
thus  happy,  and  do  enter  into  rest  ;  from 
God’s  finishing  his  work  of  creation,  and  so 
entering  into  his  rest,  v.  3,  4.  appointing 


our  first  parents  to  rest  also  the  seventh  day 
in  God  ;  Iron)  his  continuing  the  observance 
of  the  Sabbath,  after  the  fall,  and  the  revela¬ 
tion  of  a  Redeemer ;  from  his  proposing  Ca¬ 
naan  as  a  typical  rest  for  the  Jews,  into  which 
those  w  ho  believed,  Caleb  and  Joshua,  did 
actually  enter  ;  and  from  the  certainty  of 
another  rest  besides  that  seventh  day  of  rest 
instituted  and  observed  both  before  and  after 
the  fall,  and  besides  that  typical  Canaan, — 
rest  which  most  of  the  Jew’s  fell  short  of  by 
unbelief ;  for  the  Psalmist  has  spoken  of  an¬ 
other  day  and  another  rest.  From  whence 
it  is  evident,  that  there  is  a  more  spiritual 
and  excellent  Sabbath  remaining  for  the  peo¬ 
ple  of  God,  than  that  into  which  Joshua  led 
the  Jews,  v.  6 — 9.  a  rest  of  grace  and  com¬ 
fort,  and  holiness,  in  the  gospel-state, and  a 
rest  in  glory  ;  the  everlasting  sabbatism  of 
heaven,  which  is  the  repose  and  perfection 
of  nature  and  grace  too,  where  the  people 
of  God  shall  enjoy  the  end  of  their  faith,  and 
the  Object  of  all  their  desires.  The  w  hole  is 
i  further  proved  from  the  glorious  Forerun¬ 
ners  who  have  actually  taken  possession  of 
!  this  rest, — God  and  Christ.  It  is  certain, 
God,  after  creating  the  w'orld  in  six  days, 
entered  into  his  rest;  and  Christ,  when  lie 
had  finished  the  work  of  our  redemption, 
entered  into  his  rest  ;  and  these  were  not 
only  examples,  but  earnests,  that  believers 
shall  enter  into  their  rest,  v.  10.  Every 
true  believer  hath  ceased  from  his  own  works 
of  sin,  from  relying  on  his  own  works  of 
righteousness,  and  from  the  burdensome 
works  of  the  law;  as  God  and  Christ  have 
ceased  from  their  w'orks  of  creation  and  re¬ 
demption. 

6.  The  apostle  confirms  the  misery  of 
those  who  do  not  believe  ;  they  shall  never 
enter  into  this  spiritual  rest,  either  of  grace 
here  or  glory  hereafter.  As  sure  as  God  is 


ancient  oracle,  a  future  state,  with  its  rewards  and  punishments,  wjas 
actually  made  known  to  the  Jews.’  Mackn.  (1)  Rest.]  3,5,  10,  11.  3: 
11,18.  Acts  7:49.  4,8,10.  Act.?  14:18.  Gen.  2:2  Sept.  ‘’Cessation  from 
labor  or  disquietude,  with  satisfaction  and  complacency  in  that  cessa¬ 
tion,  and  the  event  of  the  labor.’  Scott. 

(1 — 9.)  ‘The  writer  having  appealed  to  the  example,  and  conse¬ 
quences  of  unbelief  among  the  Israelites  of  old  in  the  wilderness,  pro¬ 
ceeds  now  to  confirm  the  application  of  what  he  had  been  saying,  and 
to  remove  objections;  one,  that  the  rest  spoken  of  in  the  O.  T.,  meant 
only  the  quiet  possession,  of  Canaan  ;  the  other,  that  the  ancient  Isra¬ 
elites  were  excluded  from  the  promised  rest,  on  account  of  murmuring 
and  rebellion,  crimes  not  charged  on  those  whom  he  addressed.  He  as¬ 
serts  that  the  promise  of  entering  into  the  rest,  still  remains  addressed 
to  the  Hebrew  Christians,  as  it  was  to  the  Israelites  of  old.  This  he 
repeats,  v.  2.  and  adds,  that  the  ancient  Hebrews  failed  to  obtain  the 
proffered  blessings  through  unbelief.  In  v.  3.  he  says,  believers  now 
enter  into  the  same  kind  of  rest  as  was  anciently  proffered,  and  that 
such  as  God  enjoyed,  after  lie  had  completed  the  creation  of  the  world  ; 
consequently  spiritual ,  heavenly  rest.  This  is  plain,  (he  goes  on  to 
show,  v.  4.)  from  Scripture,  from  Gen.  2:2.  and  Ps.  95:11.  where  it  is 
involved  in  the  very  form  of  expression,  viz.  my  rest,  v.  5.  Now  since 
God  would  not  provide  a  rest  altogether  in  vain,  and  some  must  enjoy 
it,  and  they  to  whom  it  was  proffered,  lost  it  through  unbelief , — [it  fol¬ 
lows  that  believers  only  can  attain  it.]  This  last  is  not  expressed,  but 
left  to  be  supplied  by  the  reader,  from  v.  2,  3.  The  object  of  v.  6.  is.  to 
intimate,  that  unbelief  was  the  sin  which  excluded  from  the  rest.  But 
some  might  still  doubt.  lie  therefore,  v.  7.  appeals  to  David,  (who 
lived  nearly  500  yrs.  after  Canaan  had  been  occupied  by  Israel,)  speaking 
of  a  definite  time,  then  present,  in  which  he  warns  his  contemporaries 
against  losing  the  rest  God  had  promised  to  the  believing  and  obedient. 
“  Now,”  adds  he,  “  if. Joshua,  who  gave  Israel  Canaan,  had  given  them 
the  rest  to  which  the  Scripture  refers,  where  it  speaks  of  God's  rest," 
[my  rest ,  v.  3-1  “  then  David  could  not  have  spoken,  so  long  after,  of  a 
rest  still  proffered  to  Israel,  from  which  the  unbelieving  wmuld  be  ex¬ 
cluded,  v.  9  ”  Hence  he  concludes,  that  the  rest  spoken  of  is  not  of  a 
temporal  but  spiritual  nature,  and  that  there  remains  a  rest  for  the 
people  of  God,  i.  e.  believers.  V.  10.  states,  that  the  main  object  of  the 
writer  in  vs.  1 — 9.  is,  to  prove  the  spiritual  and  abiding  nature  of  the 
proffered  rest;  “For.”  says  he,  “he  who  enters  into  his  [God’s]  rest, 
rests  from  his  own  labors,  as  God  did  from  his.”  That  is,  be  who 
attains  to  the  rest  proffered  in  the  time  of  David,  and  to  the  more  an- 
rient  Israelites  in  the  wilderness,  attains  to  a  rest  like  that  of  God,  Gen. 
2:2.  i.  e.  he  will  rest  from  the  toils,  and  trials,  and  sorrows  of  a  proba¬ 
tionary  state,  and  enjoy  a  happiness  heavenly  and  divine,  in  a  better 
world  above.  As  to  the  mode  of  reasoning,  if  any  should  think  the  ar¬ 
gument  from  the  O.  T.  less  forcible  to  establish  promises  of  rest  in  a 
future  world,  than  are  supplied  perhaps  by  his  own  mind  from  the  N. 
T.,  let  him  remember,  the  N.T.  was  not  then  in  hand  to  be  appealed  to, 
— not  to  say,  that,  to  Hebrew  Christians,  the  argument  from  the  O.  T. 
was  the  more  appropriate,  the  O.  T.  being  peculiarly  their  Scriptures. 
The  whole  argument  is,  indeed,  in  some  sense  aryumentum  ad  hominem  ; 
but  there  is  nothing  of  alleyoriziny,  and  the  writer  plainly  labors  to 
show,  that  rest  in  the  land  of  Canaan  could  not  possibly  have  been 
meant  by  the  Psalmist.  The  future  punishment  of  the  unbelieving  Isra¬ 
elites  is  clearly  intimated,  by  the  exclusion  from  heavenly,  spiritual  rest, 
which  is  threatened.’  Stuart. 

N.  T.  VOL.  V.  66 


(2.)  ‘  A  church-going  man,  who  is  not  also  a  man  of  prayer,  has  no 

better  reason  to  expect  spiritual  benefit,  than  a  husbandman  has  to  ex¬ 
pect  a  harvest,  who  plants  his  grain  and  leaves  his  field  an  unfenced 
common.  It  is  he  who  enters  his  closet  before  he  comes  to  the  house 
of  God,  and  prays  in  secret  before  he  takes  his  place  in  the  public  as¬ 
sembly,  and  keeps  still  praying  while  the  Word  is  sounding  powerfully 
in  his  ear,  and  forgets  not  another  retreat  to  his  private  chamber,  after 
dismission  from  the  courts  of  the  Lord, — this  is  the  man  who  groxvs, 
and  thrives,  under  the  ministration  of  the  Word.’  Rev.  Dr.  Skinner. 

V.  3 — 11.  The  apostle  laid  it  down  as  a  principle,  that  ‘  those  who 
believe,’  and  they  only,  ‘enter  into  rest,’  even  that  rest  which  was 
especially  intended. — It  was  evident  that  more  than  ‘the  rest  of  Canaan’ 
was  meant,  in  the  Scriptures  to  which  he  referred ;  as  God  had  said,  1  If 
they  shall  enter  into  my  rest,’  with  allusion  to  the  Sabbath;  though  the 
xvorks  of  creation  from  which  He  ceased,  and  in  which  He  rested  with 
infinite  satisfaction,  as  being  1  very  good,’  had  been  ‘  finished  from  the 
foundation  of  the  world  ;  ’  above  2500  years  before  He  spake  thus  of  the 
unbelieving  Israelites  :  for  it  was  thus  written  in  a  passage  of  Scripture, 
well  known  to  the  Hebrews,  concerning  the  original  institution  of  the 
Sabbath.  Gen.  2:1,2.  Ex.  20:11.  31:13—17.  And  yet  God  said,  so 

many  ages  alter,  that  they  ‘  should  not  enter  into  his  rest.’  Num.  14: 
27—30.  This  implied  that  the  rest  of  Israel,  in  Canaan,  was  a  type  of 
a  more  spiritual  and  sacred  rest,  satisfaction,  and  felicity,  in  Him  and 
his  glory,  (in  some  degree  resembling  his  own  complacency  in  the  per¬ 
fect  work  of  creation,)  which  would  be  conferred  on  his  believing  people. 
The  exclusion  of  the  generation  from  Canaan,  implied  that  it  remained 
for  some  others  to  enter  in,  which  their  posterity  accordingly  did  ;  and 
tiie  language  denoted,  that,  while,  through  unbelief,  numbers  came  short 
of  the  better  rest  of  heaven,  yet  it  was  purposed  that  some  should  enter 
into  it  by  faith.  In  confirmation  of  which,  another  day  was  limited, 
‘bv  the  Holy  Spirit  in  David,’  many  ages  afterwards,  during  which  be¬ 
lievers  would  ‘enter  into  rest,’  but  alter  which  unbelievers  would  be 
irrevocably  excluded.  3:7—13.  This  was  addressed  to  those,  who  were 
actually  in  possession  of  the  promised  land  and  at  the  height  of  their 
prosperity  as  a  nation  ;  it  therefore  evidently  related  to  another  and 
better  rest  than  that  of  Canaan  ;  from  which  unbelief  would  exclude 
even  the  inhabitants  of  that  good  land.  For  if  ‘Jesus,’  (or  Joshua,  as 
it  would  have  been  better  rendered,  to  prevent  mistake  and  ambiguity,) 
had  given  Israel  the  true  rest  intended  for  believers;  God  would  not  so 
long  after  have  spoken  ‘  of  another  day.’  Joshua  had  indeed  given 
Israel  rest,  from  the  fatigues  and  wanderings  of  the  desert,  and  from 
the  hardships  and  perils  of  war,  by  their  settlement  in  Canaan;  Josh. 
23:1.  yet  there  evidently  ‘remained  for  the  people  of  Cod’  another  and 
better  rest,  even  the  keeping  of  a  perpetual  and  most  blessed  Sabbath  ; 
for  the  word  is  changed,  to  express  the  idea  the  more  strongly.  Ibis 

was  reserved  for  them  in  heaven,  where  they  have  done  with  sin,  temp¬ 

tation,  pain,  conflict,  fear,  death,  labor,  and  disappointment ;  and  enjoy 
uninterrupted,  unalloyed,  ineffable,  and  eternal  delight  in  God,  an 1  . 
disturbed  activity  in]  his  holy  worship  and  Service.— This  p  i 
apostle  argued  from  the  O.  T.  so  carefully,  because  the  >-a(< ■ 
tirely  denied,  that  any  better  recompense  than  temporal  Pr_P-  ‘ 
to  be  expected  ;  and  the  Jews  in  general  were  Pr«n.ea  ‘°  “Jd-  °o  thei? 
spiritual  blessings  proposed  to  them,  in  the  P™lnlsm  sanctjons 

fathers,  and  to  confine  their  thoughts  wholly  to  the  <  P  ■  ,p, 

-  -  nt,  made  with  them  at  Sinai.  Ex.  9:1.—  t  lie 

igular  pronoun,  is  rendered  a  warning  to 

(521 J 


of  the  national  covenant 
application,  (v.  11.)  by  the  singu 


A.  D.  65. 


HEBREWS,  IV. 


Exhortation  to  faith  and  obedience. 


9  There  remaineth  therefore  a 
J  rest  to  the  people  of  God. 

10  For  he  that  is  entered  into  his 
rest,  he  also  hath  ceased  from  his 
own  works,  as  God  did  from  his  :) 

1 1  Let  k  us  labor  therefore  to  en¬ 
ter  into  that  rest,  lest  any  man  fall 
after  the  same  example  of  1  unbe¬ 
lief. 

[Practical  Observations .] 

1:2  For  the  word  m  of  God  is 
quick,  and  powerful,  and  sharper 
than  any  two-edged  "sword,  pierc¬ 
ing  even  to  the  dividing  asunder  of 
soul  and  spirit,  and  of  the  joints  and 
marrow,  and  is  a  discerner  0  of  the 
thoughts  and  intents  of  the  heart. 

18  Neither  is  there  any  creature 
that  is  not  manifest  in  his  sight  : 
but  all  things  are  naked  Panel  open¬ 
ed  unto  the  eyes  of  him  with  whom 
we  have  to  do. 

1  ©r,  keeping  of  a  1  or,  disobedience,  o  Ps.  139:2.  Je. 

sabbath.  m  Is.  49:2.  17:10  Re.  2:23. 

k  2  Pe.  1:10.  •  n  Re.  1:16.  p  Pr.  15:11. 

entered  intn  his  rest,  so  sure  obstinate  unbe¬ 
lievers  shall  be  excluded  ;  as  sure  as  the  un¬ 
believing  Jews  fell  in  the  wilderness,  and 
never  reached  the  Promised  Land,  so  sure 
unbelievers  shall  fall  into  destruction,  and 
never  reach  heaven;  as  sure  as  Joshua,  the 
great  captain  of  the  Jews,  could  not  give 
them  possession  of  Canaan,  because  of  their 
unbelief,  notwithstanding  his  eminent  valor 
and  conduct,  so  sure  even  Jesus  Himself, 
the  Captain  of  our  salvation,  notwithstand¬ 
ing  all  that  fulness  of  grace  and  strength  that 
dwells  in  Him,  will  not,  cannot,  give  to  final 
unbelievers  either  spiritual  or  eternal  rest  : 
it  remains  only  for  the  people  of  God;  oth¬ 


ers,  by  their  sin,  abandon  themselves  to  eter¬ 
nal  restlessness. 

V.  11 — 16.  In  this  latter  part  of  the  eh. 
the  apostle  concludes,  first,  with  a  serious, 
repealed  exhortation,  and  then  with  proper 
and  powerful  motives. 

I.  A  serious  exhortation,  v.  11.  Observe, 
1.  The  end  proposed, — rest  spiritual  and 
eternal  ;  the  rest  of  grace  here,  and  glory 
hereafter  ;  in  Christ  on  earth,  with  Christ 
in  heaven.  2.  The  way  to  this  end  pie- 
scribed, — labor,  diligent  labor  ;  this  is  the 
only  way  to  rest  ;  they  who  will  not  work 
now,  shall  not  rest  hereafter.  Thus  should 
Christians  call  on  themselves,  and  one  an¬ 
other,  to  be  diligent  in  duty  ;  and  so  much 
the  more  as  we  see  the  day  approaching. 

II.  Here  we  have  proper  and  powerful 
motives  to  make  the  advice  effectual,  which 
are  drawn, 

1.  From  the  dreadful  example  of  those 
who  have  already  perished  by  unbelief,  lest 
any  man  fall ,  See.  To  have  seen  so  many 
fall  before  us,  will  be  a  great  aggravation  of 
our  sin,  if  we  will  not  take  warning  by  them. 

2.  From  the  great  help  and  advantage  we 
may  have  from  the  Word  of  God,  to  strength¬ 
en  our  faith,  and  excite  our  diligence,  that 
we  may  obtain  this  rest,  v.  12.  By  the  Word 
of  God,  understand  either  the  essential  or 
the  written  Word  :  the  essential  Word,  as 
John  1:  1.  indeed,  what  is  said  in  this  verse 
is  true  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ;  but  most 
understand  it  of  the  written  Word,  the  Holy 
Scriptures,  which  are  the  Word  of  God. 
That  is  quick  ;  very  lively  and  active,  in 
seizing  the  conscience,  cutting  the  sinner  to 
the  heart,  comforting  him,  and  binding  up 
the  wounds  of  the  soul.  They  know  not  the 
Word  of  God,  who  call  it  a  dead  letter  ;  it 
is  not  only  quick,  but  quickening  ;  it  is  a  vital 
light,  a  living  word.  It  is  powerful.  When 
God  sets  it  home  by  his  Spirit,  it  convinces 
powerfully,  converts  powerfully,  comforts 


TRACT.  OBS.  V.  1 — 11.  Blessed  be  God,  that  ‘the  Gospel  is 
preached  to  us,’  even  as  to  the  primitive  Christians,  and  far  more  clear¬ 
ly  titan  to  Israel  of  old.  ‘  Exceedingly  great  and  precious  promises  ’ 
are  ‘given  to  us,’  of  entering  into  ‘  the  heavenly  rest ;  ’  yet  we  should 
‘rejoice  with  trembling,’  in  our  outward  advantages,  lest  any  of  us 
should  be  found  at  last  to  come  short  of  the  blessing,  and  to  sink  under 
proporlionablv  deeper  condemnation,  through  unbelief.  Nay,  it  is  a 
very  dreadful  consequence  of  a  wavering  profession,  or  an  inconsistent 
or  negligent  conduct,  that  it  often  causes  men  to  '■seem  to  come  short,’ 
even  when  they  are  launching  into  eternity;  they  leave  the  world  in 
gloomy  doubt,  and  their  survivors  in  distressing  uncertainty,  whether 
they  are  gone  to  heaven  or  to  hell.  Let  us  then  ‘  give  diligence,  that 
we  may  have  an  abundant  entrance  ministered  to  us  into  the  everlasting 


powerfully.  It  is  sharper  than  any  two-edged 
sword  ;  it  is  the  sword  of  the  Spirit,  Eplt.  6: 
17.  the  two-edged  sword  that  cometh  out  of 
the  mouth  of  Christ,  Rev. 1 :16.  it  enters  where 
no  other  sword  can, and  makes  a  more  crit¬ 
ical  dissection.  It  pierces  to  the  diUding 
asunder  of  the  soul  and  the  spirit,  the  soul  and 
its  habitual  prevailing  temper  ;  it  makes  a 
proud  soul  humble,  a  perverse  spirit  meek 
and  obedient.  Those  sinful  habits  that  are 
become,  as  it  w'ere,  natural  to  the  soul,  and 
in  a  manner  one  with  it,  are  separated  and 
cut  off  by  this  sword.  It  cuts  off  igno¬ 
rance  from  the  understanding,  rebellion  from 
the  will,  enmity  from  the  mind,  which,  when 
carnal,  [or  selfish,]  is  enmity  itself  against 
God.  This  sword  divides  between  the  joints 
and  the  marrow,  the  most  secret,  close,  and 
intimate  parts  of  the  body  ;  this  sword  can 
cut  off  the  lusts  of  the  flesh,  as  well  as  the 
lusts  of  the  mind,  and  make  men  willing  to 
undergo  the  sharpest  operation  to  mortify 
sin.  It  is  a  discerner  of  the  thoughts  and  in¬ 
tents  of  the  heart,  even  the  most  secret  and 
remote  thoughts  and  designs.  It  will  dis¬ 
cover  to  men  the  variety  of  their  thoughts 
and  purposes,  the  vileness  of  them,  the  bad 
principles  they  are  actuated  by,  the  sinister 
[selfish]  and  sinful  ends  they  act  to.  The 
Word  will  turn  the  inside  of  a  sinner  out, 
and  let  him  see  all  that  is  in  his  heart.  Now 
such  a  Word  as  this  must  needs  be  a  great 
help  to  our  faith  and  obedience. 

3.  From  the  perfections  of  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ,  both  of  his  person  arid  office.  (1.) 
His  Person,  particularly  his  omniscience, 
v.  13.  Neither  is  there  any  creature  that  is  not 
manifest  in  his  sight.  This  is  agreeable  to 
what  Christ  speaks  o  fllimself.  Rev.  2:23. 
The  motions  and  workings  of  our  heads  and 
hearts  may  be  called  creatures  of  our  own  ; 
but  these  are  open  and  manifest  to  Him  with 
whom  we  have  to  do,  as  the  Object  of  our 
worship,  and  the  High  Priest  of  our  proles- 


kingdom  of  our  Lord.’  %  {Note,  2  Pet.  1:10,  11.) — Under  every  dispensa¬ 
tion,  Cod  has  declared  mail’s  rest  to  be  in  Ilim,  and  in  his  love,  us 
the  only  suitable  and  sufficient  happiness  of  the  soul,  and  faith  in  his 
promises,  through  his  Son,  as  the  only  way  of  ‘entering  into  that  rest.’ 
— Let  sinners  then  ‘  labor  to  enter  into  this  rest,’  ‘  lest  they  should  fall 
after  the  example’  of  ancient  unbelievers,  and  perish  with  heaven  be¬ 
fore  their  eyes  ;  let  believers  abide  in  Christ  by  faith  and  obedience,  and 
learn  to  delight  in  his  holy  day,  and  sacred  ordinances,  as  earnests  of 
their  expected  eternal  Sabbath,  and  preparations  for  it  ;  let  them  bear 
up  under  fatigues  and  hardships,  in  the  prospect  of  heavenly  rest;  and, 
if  ever  drawn  aside,  let  them  recollect  these  things,  and  say  to  them¬ 
selves,  ‘Return  unto  thy  rest,  O  my  soul.’  Ps.  11G:7.  P.  O.  1 — 9. 

Scott. 


each  individual. — The  apostle’s  reasoning,  from  the  O.  T.,  concerning 
another  rest,  entirely  distinct  from  the  rest  in  Canaan  ;  even  ‘  the  keep¬ 
ing  of  a  Sabbath  reserved  for  the  people  of  God,’  which  unbelievers  even 
in  Canaan  came  short  of,  is  conclusive  against  all  those  moderns,  who 
labor  to  prove,  that  the  doctrine  of  a  future  state  of  righteous  retribu¬ 
tion  was  no  part  of  the  religion  of  Israel,  as  well  as  against  the  ancient 
Sadducees.  The  proof  of  this  doctrine,  from  comparing  two  passages 
in  the  books  of  Moses,  with  one  in  the  Psalms,  is  as  clear  and  conclu¬ 
sive,  as  our  Lord’s  proof  of  the  resurrection,  by  what  Jehovah  said  to 
Moses  from  the  bush  :  (Note,  Mat.  22:22 — 33.)  and  probably  the  apostle 
knew  the  Pharisees  in  general  would  have  allowed,  that  all  who  rejected 
it  ‘  erred,  not  knowing  the  Scriptures.’  Scott. 

(9,  10.)  *  I  am  of  opinion,  with  some  eminent  critics,  that  we  have  in 
these  vs.  direct  intimation  and  express  authority,  for  the  change  of  the 
Sabbath,  (from  the  7th  to  the  1st  day  of  the  week.)  “  There  remaineth 
therefore  a  subbatism  (or  the  keeping  of  a  Sabbath)  to  the  people  of  God; 
for  he  that  is  entered  into  his  rest,  he  also  hath  ceased  from  liis  own 
works,  as  God  did  from  his.”  The  word  in  the  original,  translated  rest,  is 
sabbatismos,  being  different  from  the  word  so  translated  throughout  the 
whole  of  the  preceding  and  subsequent  context, — which  is  anajiausis.  1 
am  perfectly  satisfied  as  to  the  meaning  of  the  passage,  as  an  intended  and 
explicit  declaration  of  the  change  of  the  Sabbath.’  Rev.  Ur.  Wardi.aw. 

( 10.)  If  is  rest.]  ‘  I.  e.  God’s  rest.  There  is  no  more  difficulty  in 
calling  that  rest,  which  is  promised  to  believers,  the  rest  of  God ,  than 
there  is  in  saying,  that  man  “  was  formed  in  his  image  :  ”  that  Chris¬ 
tians  “are  made  partakers  of  the  divine  nature;”  or,  that  “  we  shall 
be  like  Him,  when  we  shall  see  Him  as  He  is.”  The  rest  of  God,  is 
rest  like  that  which  God  enjoys.’  Stuart. 

(11.)  ‘  What  doctrine  (than  that  of  future  punishment)  can  better 
alarm  the  careless  professor  ?  IJow  much  will  the  fear  of  his  Father’s 
wrath,  quicken  the  child  of  God  in  making  his  calling  and  election  sure  ! 
The  more  he  is  afraid  of  God’s  righteous  judgments,  the  more  will  he 
strive,  with  a  filial  spirit,  to  work  out  his  salvation.  What  like  this 
doctrine  can  impress  bn  saints  their  everlasting  obligations  to  Christ? 
Can  they  feel  that  He  has  redeemed  them  from  endless  perdition,  and 
not  abound  in  love  and  praise  ?  And  what  can  make  them  so  deeply 
anxious  for  sinners,  as  the  sense  of  eternal  misery  which  awaits  the  im¬ 
penitent  ?  What  fervent  prayers  must  it  excite  for  their  conversion  ! 
Who  can  realize  their  danger,  and  yet  do  nothing  for  their  salvation  ? 

[522] 


The  doctrine  of  endless  punishment  is,  therefore,  of  great  practical 
influence.’  Rev.  Dr.  Church. 

V.  11 — 13.  ‘The  writer  now  proceeds  in  his  usual  manner  to  close 
the  topic,’  [see  on  vs.  1 — 9,  10  ]  ‘by  exhortations  and  warnings.’  St. 

(11.)  ‘Lest  any  one  [of  us]  perish,  in  the  same  manner,  by  unbelief 
and  contumacy.’  Bloomk. 

V.  12,  13.  It  has  been  greatly  controverted,  whether  the  Holy  Scrip¬ 
tures,  or  the  persona]  ‘  Word  of  God,’  he  spoken  of  in  these  vs.,  but  Paul 
never  calls  our  Lord  by  that  title,  and  it  appears  to  me,  that  the  apostle 
meant  the  written  Word;  and  that  he  made  a  gradual  transition  from 
the  word  spoken,  to  Him  who  spnke  it. — By  exhibiting  the  glory  of  the 
divine  perfections,  men’s  relations  and  obligations  to  the  great  Creator, 
the  spirituality,  qxtent,  excellency,  and  sanction  of  the  law,  the  evil  and 
desert  of  sin,  antf  the  depravity  of  the  human  heart,  in  a  variety  of 
ways,  and  a  multiplicity  of  experiments,  it  forces  conviction  of  guilt  and 
danger  on  the  sinner,  and  compels  him,  as  it  were,  to  condemn  himself 
and  seek  deliverance;  nor  can  any  kind  of  delusion  or  hypocrisy  stand 
before  its  penetrating  energy,  when  experimentally  and  fully  preached, 
and  applied  to  the  hearts  of  men  according  to  their  various  characters  : 
being,  in  plain  language,  a  ‘discerner’  of  men’s  most  secret  thoughts 
and  intentions,  so  that  it  often  shows  them  their  most  hidden  purposes, 
and  makes  them  afraid  of  being  openly  nan*jd  and  exposed,  as  if  the 
preacher  knew  their  hearts,  far  better  than  they  did  themselves,  and  had 
a  register  before  him  even  of  those  sins  which  they  have  forgotten.  Hint. 
7:28,  29.  John  8:3—11.  1  Cor.  14:20— 25.  2  Cor.' 4:1,  2.  10:1— 6.— The 
expressions  ‘  naked  and  opened,’  are  supposed  to  refer  to  the  sacrifices, 
which  were  flayed,  and  opened,  and  cleft  down  the  chine;  [note,  Gen. 
13:10.]  and  then  every  part  of  the  body  and  of  the  intestines  which  were 
before  concealed,  was  exposed  to  the  exact  inspection  of  the  priest.  Sc. 

(12.)  Dividing,  <fec.]  ‘Allusion  is  rightly  recognised  here  to  the 
priests  (in  sanctification)  cutting  the  victim  down  to  the  back-bone,  so 
as  to  search  every  bone  and  part,  that  all  might  be  found  pure  before  the 
sacrifice.  At  the  same  time,  it  is  not  improbable  there  may  be  allusion 
to  that  most  horrible  exercise  of  the  machaira  distomos,  bv  which  (as  we 
find  from  classical  writers)  a  man  was  sometimes  absolutely  cut  in  two, 
down  the  hack-bone.’  Bi.oo.mf.  —  The  most  approved  commentators 
generally  understand  by  JVord,  in  this  verse,  not  the  Logos,  or  Son  of 
God,  but  the  IVord  of  God,  i.  e.  the  Bible,  and  especially  the  comminu¬ 
tion  or  threatening  of  God.  Ed. 


A.  D.  65. 


HEBREWS,  V. 


Nature  of  the  priestly  office. 


14  Seeing  then  that  we  have  a 
great  high  priest,  that  is  passed 
qinto  the  heavens,  Jesus  the  Son  of 
God,  let  us  r  hold  fast  our  profes¬ 
sion. 

15  For  we  have  not  an  high 
priest  which  cannot  be  touched 
s  with  the  feeling  of  oar  infirmities; 
but  was  in  all  points  tempted  like 
as  we  are,  yet  without  1  sin. 

16  Let  us  therefore  come  boldly 
"  unto  the  throne  of  grace,  that  we 
may  obtain  mercy,  and  find  grace 
to  help  in  time  of  need. 


CHAP.  V. 


I  The  authority  anti  honor  of  our  Savior’s  priesthood.  11 
Nejligeuce  in  the  knowledge  thereof  is  reproved. 

I^OR  every  high  priest  taken 
from  among  men  is  ordained 
*  for  men  in  things  pertaining  to 
God,  that  he  may  oiler  both  gifts 
and  sacrifices  for  sins  : 

2  Who  b  can  have  compassion 
on  the  ignorant,  and  on  them  that 
are  out  of  the  way  ;  for  that  he 
'himself  also  is  compassed  with  in¬ 
firmity. 

q  c.  9:12,24.  1  Jn.  3.5.  b  or,  reasonably 

r  c.  10:23.  u  Ep.  3:12.  bear  with. 

s  Ho.  11:8.  c.  lii:19—22.  c  c.  7:23. 

t  1  Pe.  2:22.  it  c.  8:3. 


sion  ;  and  as  the  high  priest  inspected  the 
sacrificed  beasts,  cut  them  up,  [directly 
through  the  back-bone,  from  end  to  end,]  to 
see  whether  they  were  sound  at  heart;  so  all 
tilings  are  thus  dissected,  and  lie  open  to 
tlie  piercing  eye  of  our  great  High  Priest. 
Some  read  the  words,  to  whom  with  us  there 
is  on  account  or  reckoning.  This  omniscience 
of  Christ ,  and  the  account  we  owe  of  our¬ 
selves  to  Him,  should  engage  us  to  persevere 
in  faith  and  obedience  till  He  has  perfected 
all  our  affairs.  (2.)  We  have  an  account 
of  the  excellency  and  perfection  of  Christ, 
as  to  his  office,  and  this  particular  office  of 
our  High  Priest.  The  apostle  first  instructs 
Christians  in  the  knowledge  of  their  High 
Priest,  what  kind  of  Priest  He  is,  and  then 
puts  them  in  mind  of  the  duty  they  owe  on 
this  account. 

[1 .]  What  a  kind  of  High  Priest  Christ  is, 
v.  14.  that  is,  1st.  A  great  High  Priest,  much 
greater  than  Aaron,  or  any  of  the  priests 
of  his  order.  The  greatness  of  our  High 
Priest  is  set  forth,  1.  By  his  being  passed 


into  the  heavens.  The  high  priest  under  the 
law,  once  a  year,  went  out  of  the  people’s 
sight,  into  the  holiest  of  all,  where  were 
the  sacred  signals  of  the  presence  of  Cod  ; 
but  Christ  once  for  all  is  passed  into  the 
heavens,  to  take  the  government  of  all  on 
Him,  to  send  the  Spirit  to  prepare  a  place 
for  his  people,  and  to  make  intercession  for 
them.  2.  By  his  name,  Jesus;  a  Physician 
and  a  Savior,  and  one  of  a  divine  nature; 
and,  therefore,  having  divine  perfection, 
able  to  save  to  the  uttermost  all  who  come 
to  God  by  Him.  2  liy.  He  is  not  only  a 
great,  but  a  gracious  High  Priest,  merciful, 
compassionate,  and  sympathizing  with  his 
people,  v.  15.  Though  so  great,  He  is 
touched  with  the  feeling  of  pur  infirmities  in 
such  a  manner  as  none  else  can  lie  ;  for  He 
was  Himself  tried  with  all  the  affliction  and 
trouble  incident  to  our  nature  in  its  fallen 
state  ;  and  this,  not  only  that  He  might 
he  able  to  satisfy  for  us,  but  to  sympathize 
with  us.  But,  then,  3dly.  He  is  a  sinless 
High  Priest.  He  ivas  in  all  things  tempted 
as  we  are,  yet  without  sin.  We  seldom  meet 
with  temptations  but  they  give  us  some 
shock  ;  hut  our  great  High  Priest  came  off 
clear  in  li is  encounter  with  the  devil,  who 
could  neither  find  any  sin  in  Him,  nor  fix 
any  stain  on  Him.  lie  was  tried  severely 
by  the  Father.  It  pleased  the  Lord  to 
bruise  Him  ;  yet  He  sinned  not  ;  lie  was 
holy,  harmless,  and  undefiled  ;  and  such  a 
High  Priest  became  us.  Having  thus  told 
us  what  a  one  our  High  Priest  is,  the  apos¬ 
tle  proceeds  to  show  ns, 

[2.]  How  we  should  demean  ourselves 
toward  Him, 

1st.  Let  us  hold  fast  our  profession  of 
faith  in  Him,  v.  14.  never  deny  Him,  never 
he  ashamed  of  Him  before  men.  Let  us 
hold  fast  the  enlightening  doctrines  of  Chris¬ 
tianity  in  our  heads,  the  enlivening  princi¬ 
ples  of  it  in  our  Itcarts,  the  open  profession 
of  it  in  our  lips,  and  our  practical  and  uni¬ 
versal  subjection  to  it  in  our  lives. 

2.-1  ly.  We  should  encourage  ourselves  by 
the  excellency  of  our  High  Priest,  to  come 
boldly  to  the  throne  of  grace,  v.  16.  A 
throne  speaks  authority,  awe,  and  rever¬ 
ence  ;  a  throne  of  grace,  great  encourage¬ 
ment,  even  to  the  chief  of  sinners.  There 
grace  reigns,  and  acts,  with  sovereign  free¬ 
dom,  power,  and  bounty.  It  is  our  duty 
and  interest  to  be  often  found  before  this 
throne  of  grace,  waiting  on  the  Lord  in  all 
the  duties  of  his  worship,  private  and  pub¬ 
lic.  Our  business  and  errand  there  should 
he,  that  we  may  attain  mercy,  and  find  grace 
to  help  in  time  of  need.  And,  beside  the  daily 


dependence  we  have  on  God  for  present  sup¬ 
plies,  there  are  some  seasons  in  which  we 
shall  most  sensibly  need  the  mercy  and  grace 
of  God;  as  times  of  temptation,  and  espe¬ 
cially  a  dying  time  :  we  should  every  day 
put  up  a  petition  for  mercy  in  our  last  day, 
2  Tim.  1 :  18.  In  all  our  approaches  to  this 
throne  of  grace  for  mercy,  we  should  come 
with  a  humble  freedom  and  boldness,  as 
children  to  a  reconciled  God  and  Father; 
not  with  terror  and  amazement  ;  not  as  if 
dragged  before  the  tribunal  of  justice,  hut 
kindly  invited  to  the  mercy-seat,  where 
grace  reigns,  and  loves  to  exert  and  exalt  it¬ 
self  towards  us.  The  office  of  Christ,  as 
being  our  High  Priest,  and  such  a  Higli 
Psiest,  should  be  the  ground  of  our  confi¬ 
dence  in  all  our  approaches  to  the  throne  of 
grace.  Had  v*e  not  a  Mediator,  we  could 
have  no  boldness  in  coining  to  God;  for  we 
are  guilty  and  polluted  ;  all  we  do  is  pollu¬ 
ted,  and  our  hearts  and  our  hopes  will  fail 
us.  We  have  boldness  to  enter  into  the 
1  holiest  by  the  blood  of  Jesus  ;  He  is  our 
:  Advocate,  and  while  He  pleads  for  his  peo¬ 
ple,  He  pleads  with  his  price  in  his  hand, 
by  which  He  purchased  all  that  our  souls 
i  want  or  can  desire. 


Chap.  V.  V.  1 — 9.  1.  We  have  here 
an  account  of  the  nature  of  the  priestly  of¬ 
fice  in  general,  though  with  an  accommoda¬ 
tion  to  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  ;  where  we 
are  told  what  kind  of  being  the  High  Priest 
must  be,  one  of  ourselves,  a  partaker  of  our 
nature.  This  implies,  that  man  had  sinned  ; 
that  God  would  not  admit  sinful  man  to 
come  to  Him  immediately  and  alone,  with¬ 
out  a  High  Priest;  tiiat  God  was  pleased  to 
take  one  from  among  men,  by  whom  they 
might  approach  in  hope,  and  He  receive 
them  with  honor  ;  also,  that  everyone  shall 
now  be  welcome  that  conies  to  God  by  this 
High  Priest. 

2.  For  whom  every  high  priest  is  or¬ 
dained, — -for  men  in  things  pertaining  to  (rod, 
for  the  glory  of  God  and  the  good  of  men, 
that  he  might  come  between  God  and  man. 
So  Christ  did  ;  therefore,  let  us  never  at¬ 
tempt  to  go  to  God  but  through  Christ;  nor 
expect  any  favor  from  God  but  through 
Christ. 

«}.  For  what  purpose  was  every  high  priest 
ordained, — that  he  might  offer  both  gifts  and 
sacrifices  for  sin.  (1.)  That  he  might  offer 
gifts,  or  free-will  offerings,  so  offered  for 
the  glory  of  God,  and  as  an  acknowledg- 
■  ment  that  our  all  is  of  Him,  and  from  llim. 

|  This  intimates,  1  hat  all  we  bring  to  God 
I  must  lie  a  free  gift,  through  the  higli  priest’s 


PRAOT.  OI3S.  V.  12 — 1G.  Instead  of  objecting  to  a  heart-searching 
ministry,  and  choosing  such  lifeless,  feeble  instructions,  as  are  more  like 
a  shaken  reed,  than  ‘a  two-edged  sword,’  lotus  lay  open  our  inmost 
goals  in  the  piercing  strokes  of  the  dist  ngnishing  Word  ofGod.  that  we 
may  learn  our  need  of  llutt  great  Higli  Priest,  even  the  Son  of  God,  who 
now  pleads  for  us  before  his  Father's  throne  in  heaven.  Ia  proportion 
ns  we  know  and  condemn  ourselves,  and  abhor  our  sins,  He  will  become 
more  and  more  precious  to  our  souls,  and  we  shall  cleave  to  Him  more 
constantly.  I.et  ns  then  approach  continually  to  ‘  the  throne  of  araco,’ 
where  our  reconciled  God  deems  it  his  peculiar  honor  to  pardon  rebels. 


and  to  answer  the  pravers  of  those  who  supplicate  his  favor  in  the  name 
of  his  beloved  Soil ;  let  us  improve  tile  day  of  his  patience,  and  approach 
in  liis  appointed  way  ;  let  us  come  with  believing  boldness,  as  well  as 
with  adoring  reverence  and  bumble  repentance;  let  us  seek  for  mercy  to 
pardon  our  sins,  to  compassionate  our  miseries,  and  to  supply  our  ne- 
eossitie.s;  and  let  us  supplicate  grace  siitilcient  for  us,  in  all  our  trials 
and  temptations  and  to  enable  us  for  the  service  of  every  day;  thug 
waiting,  as  humble  pensioners,  at  ‘  the  throne  of  grace,’  which  is  onr 
best  preparation  for  appearing  before  the  tribunal  of  our  omniscient  and 
holy  Judge.  .  Scott. 


(1  !.)  ‘  The  writer  now  proceeds  to  the  consideration  of  a  subject  in¬ 

troduced,  ch.  3:1.  where  he  calls  Christ  the  High  Priest  of  the  Christian 
religion  As  apostle,  and  prefect  of  Cod’s  house,  he  had  already  com¬ 
pared  Him  with  Moses.  3:2 — 6.  and  grounded  o:i  the  result  a  very  sol¬ 
emn  and  affectionate  warning  against  unbelief,  3.7 — 13.  To  enenurnre 
the  Hebrew  Christians,  he  had  spoken  also  of  the  rest  [see  on  4:1 — P.] 
which  remains  for  Hie  people  of  God,  and  warned  them  in  view  of  that 
against  Hie  same  penalty.  4.11 — 13.  Now,  therefore,  having  completed 
the  former  comparison,  he  proceeds  to  Hie  letter,  and  compares  Christ 
as  High  Priest  with  the  Levitical  order  of  priesthood,  which  compari¬ 
son  extends  to  10:13.  the  end  of  tile  doctrinal  part  of  the-epistle. — Tnc 
comparison  of  Christ  with  angels,  ch.  1.  is  short  ;  that  with  Moses,  eh. 
3.  still  shorter;  but  this,  with  the  Aaronical  priesthood,  makes  up  the 
body  of  the  epistle ;  not  because  the  Jews  exalted  the  High  Priest  above 
Moses,  for  this  thev  did  not,  though  they  held  the  otilce  sacred  ;  but 
because  Christ,  in  the  office  of  High  1’riest,  performed  that  peculiar  duty, 
which  of  all  others  made  Him  what  He  was,  the  Sxvtoa  id  sinners,  the 
RunniiMBH  of  lost  men  ;  because,  as  Priest ,  He  offered  an  expiatory  sa¬ 
crifice,  which  takes  away  the  sins  of  the  world  and  makes  Him  the 
propitiation  of  their  offences.— No  purl  of  the  Scriptures  explain  the 
nature  and  object  of  the  Jewish  ritual,  in  a  maimer  so  spiritual,  so  satis¬ 
factory,  so  clear,  so  worthily  ofGod,  and  so  profitably  to  us,  as  chs.  5— 
10.  of  this  epistle.  As  a  key  to  the  O.  T.  thev  deserve  the  most  atten¬ 
tive  and  thorough  study,  by  all  who  would  understand  the  Bible.  As  a 


statement  and- vindication  of  the  great  work  of  Christ,  and  the  atone¬ 
ment  He  made  for  sin,  ihoy  stand  in  the  first  rank  of  all  Hie  scriptural 
writings.  As  adapted  to  the  wants  and  condition  of  those  whom  Hie 
apostle  addressed,  they  are  a  consummate  specimen  of  skilful  argument, 
and  of  powerful  persuasion  and  remonstrance.’  Stuart. — into  the 
heavens  ]  '■Through,  the  heavens,  i.  e.  the  air,  &c.  to  the  throne  ofGod  ; 
in  allusion  to  the  high  pric-t  going  yearly  through  [by  lifting  up  and 
passing  behind]  the  veil  which  screened  the  holy  of  holies.’  Owen.  So 
also  Rosen wi.,  Stuart ,  and  IS/oornf.  Ed. 

NOTES.  Chap.  V.  V.  I — 1.  (2)  Can  have  compassion.]  ‘Can 

reasonably  hear  with.’  hSarg.  Here  only.  To  feel  moderately,  so  as 
to  make  proper  allowances,  without  conniving  at  wilful  sins. 

Scott. 

(1.)  Every  high  priest.]  ‘  All  the  folloxving  discourse,  is  intended  to 
moderate  their  regards  for  the  Levitical  priesthood,  and  to  give  them 
more  exalted  notions  of  Christ,  that  they  might  lie  more  resolute  in  ad¬ 
hering  to  Him.’  Donor.. — ‘The  high  priest  was  to  act  the  part  of  it 
Mediator,  between  God  and  men  ;  i.  e.  he  was  to  aid  inen  in  tvg.ud  to 
their  spiritual  or  religious  concerns.’  .  ,  ,  Stv  'Ut. 

(2.)  ‘The  priest,  that  was  appointed  to  minister  in  holy  things,  xxas 
to  form  his  judgment  concerning  sins,  done  through  ignorance  by  any 
of  the  people,  and  appoint  a  suitable  sacrifice  accordingly,  See  Lev.  4. 
Nam  15-24 — 29.  And  in  like  manner  concerning  presumptuous  sins. 
Lev  6.  Num.  15:S0.’  Hawker.  ^ 


A.  D.  65 


HEBREWS,  V. 


The  priesthood  of  Christ. 


3  And  by  reason  hereof  he  ought, 
as  for  the  people,  so  d  also  for  him¬ 
self,  to  offer  for  sins. 

4  And  8  no  man  takcth  this  honor 
unto  himself,  but  he  that  is  called 
of  God,  as  was  f  Aaron. 

5  So  also  Christ  5  glorified  not 
himself  to  be  made  an  high  priest  ; 
but  he  that  said  unto  him,'1  Thou 
art  my  Son,  to-day  have  I  begotten 
thee. 

6  As  he  saith  also  in  another 
place,  Thou  *  art  a  priest  for  ever 
after  the  order  of  Melchisedec. 

7  Who  in  the  days  of  his  flesh, 
when  he  had  offered  up  j  prayers 
and  supplications,  with  strong  cry¬ 
ing  and  tears,  unto  him  that  was 
able  k  to  save  him  from  death,  and 
was  heard  1  in  that  he  feared  ; 

8  Though  he  were  a  Son,  yet 
learned  he  obedience  mby  the  things 
which  he  suffered  : 

d  Le.  9:7.  g  Jn.  8:54.  k  Mat.  26:53. 

e  2  Ch.  26:18.  n  Ps.  2:7.  1  or. for  hisplUy. 

f  Ex.  28:1.  IPs.  110:4.  m  Plii.  2:8. 

Nu.  16:40.  J  Mat.  26:39—44. 

hands,  as  the  great  agent  between  God  and 
man.  (2.)  That  he  might  offer  sacrifices  for 
sin ;  that  is,  the  offerings  appointed  to  make 
atonement.  Thus  Christ  is  constituted  a 
High  P  riest  for  both  these  ends.  Our  good 
deeds  must  be  presented  by  Christ,  to  render 
ourselves  and  them  acceptable  ;  and  our  ill 
deeds  must  be  expiated  by  the  sacrifice  of 
Himself,  that  they  may  not  condemn  and 
destroy  us. 

4.  H  ow  this  high  priest  must  be  qualified, 
ti.  2.  (1.)  He  must  be  one  that  can  have 

compassion  on  two  sorts  of  persons ;  the  igno¬ 
rant,  or  those  guilty  of  sins  of  ignorance ;  ami 
those  that  are  out  of  the  way,  the  way  of  truth, 
duty,  and  happiness  ;  he  must  have  pity  to 
intercede  with  God  for  them,  and  a  divine 
tenderness  and  patience  to  instruct  and  lead 
them  back  into  the  right  way.  (2.)  He 


must  also  be  compassed  with  infirmity  ;  and 
so  be  able  to  sympathize  with  us.  Thus 
Christ  was  qualified ;  and  this  gives  us  great 
encouragement  to  apply  ourselves  to  Him 
under  every  affliction  ;  for  in  all  the  afflic¬ 
tions  of  his  people  He  is  afflicted. 

5.  How  the  high  priest  was  to  be  called  of 
God;  he  must  have  both  an  internal  and  an 
external  call;  for  no  man  takcth  this  honor  to 
himself,  v.  4.  that  is,  no  man  ought  to  do  it, 
no  man  can  do  it  legally;  if  any  does  it,  he 
must  be  reckoned  an  usurper,  and  treated 
accordingly.  Here,  observe.  It  is  a  very 
great  honor  to  be  employed  to  stand  between 
God  and  man,  one  while  representing  God 
and  his  will  to  men,  at  another  time  repre¬ 
senting  man  and  his  case  to  God;  and  deal¬ 
ing  between  them  about,  matters  of  the  high¬ 
est  importance,  intrusted  on  both  sides  with 
the  honor  of  God,  and  the  happiness  of  man. 
Observe,  God  is  the  Fountain  of  all  honor, 
especially  true  spiritual  honor;  also  of  true 
authority,  whether  lie  calls  any  to  the 
priesthood  in  an  extraordinary  way,  as  He 
did  Aaron,  or  in  an  ordinary  way,  as  He 
called  his  successors.  Those  only  can  ex¬ 
pect  assistance  from  God,  and  acceptance 
with  Him,  that  are  called  of  God  ;  others 
may  expect  a  blast  instead  of  a  blessing. 

6.  How  this  is  brought  home  and  applied 
to  Christ,  v.  5.  Observe,  here,  Though 
Christ  reckoned  it  his  glory  to  be  made  a 
High  P  riest,  yet  He  would  not  assume  that 
glory  to  Himself.  He  could  truly  say,  I 
seek  not  mine  own  glory,  John  8:50.  As 
God,  He  was  not  capable  of  any  additional 
glory,  but  as  Man  and  Mediator  He  did  not 
run  without  being  sent;  and  if  He  did  not, 
surely  others  should  be  afraid  to  do  it. 

7.  The  apostle  prefers  Christ  before 
Aaron,  both  in  the  manner  of  his  call,  and 
in  the  holiness  of  his  person.  In  his  call 
God  said  unto  Him,  Thou  art  my  Son,  this 
day  have  I  begotten  Thee,  Ps.  2:  7.  referring 
both  to  his  eternal  generation  as  God,  his 
wonderful  conception  as  Man,  and  his  per¬ 
fect  qualification  as  Mediator.  Now  God 
never  said  thus  to  Aaron.  Another  expres¬ 
sion  God  used  in  the  call  of  Christ,  we  have 
Ps.  110:  4.  here,  v.  6.  God  the  Father  ap¬ 


pointed  Him  a  Priest  of  a  higher  order  than 
that  of  Aaron;  the  priesthood  of  Aaron  was 
to  be  but  temporary;  that  of  Christ,  perpet¬ 
ual ;  Aaron’s  successive ;  Christ’s,  after  the 
order  of  Melchisedec,  personal,  and  perpet¬ 
ual,  He  being  without  descent,  having  nei¬ 
ther  beginning  of  days,  nor  end  of  life,  as 
more  largely,  ch.  7.  Christ  is  here  prefer¬ 
red  to  Aaron  in  the  holiness  of  his  Person. 
Other  priests  were  to  offer  up  sacrifices,  as 
for  the  sins  of  others,  so  for  themselves,  v.  3. 
But  Christ  needed  not  to  offer  for  sins  for 
Ilimself, /or  He  had  done  no  violence,  neither 
was  there  any  deceit  in  his  mouth,  Is.  53:  9. 
And  such  a  High  Priest  became  us. 

8.  We  have  an  account  of  Christ's  dis¬ 
charge  of  this  bis  office,  and  of  the  conse¬ 
quences  of  that  discharge,  v,  7- — 9. 

(1.)  The  discharge  of  his  office,  v.  7. 
For  a  time  lie  took  to  Himself  flesh,  that 
He  might  suffer  and  die  for  us ;  in  which  He 
prayed,  especially  in  his  agonv,  and  was 
heard,  heard  in  that  He  feared.  1 1  is  human 
nature  was  ready  to  sink,  and  would  have 
sunk,  had  He  been  quite  forsaken  in  point 
of  help  and  comfort  from  God  ;  but  He  was 
heard  in  this,  He  was  supported  under  the 
agonies  of  death,  carried  through  death  ; 
and  they  that  are  thus  saved  from  death 
shall  be  fully  delivered  at  last  by  a  glorious 
resurrection,  of  which  the  resurrection  of 
Christ  was  the  earnest  and  first-fruits. 

(2.)  The  consequences  of  this  discharge 
of  his  office,  u.8,9,  &c.  By  these,  his  suf¬ 
ferings,  He  learned  obedience,  though  a  Son, 
v.  8.  though  never  disobedient,  yet  He  never 
performed  such  an  act  of  obedience  as  w  hen 
He  became  obedient  to  death,  even  to  the 
j  death  of  the  cross.  Here,  as  in  prayer  and 
supplication,  He  has  left  us  an  example, 
that  we  should  learn  by  all  our  afflictions  a 
humble  obedience  to  the  will  of  God.  We 
j  need  affliction,  to  teacli  us  submission.  By 
these,  his  sufferings,  He  was  made  perfect, 
1  and  became  the  Author  of  eternal  salvation 
to  all  who  obey  Him,  v.  9.  Christ,  by  his 
sufferings,  was  consecrated  to  his  office,  con- 
\  secrated  by  his  own  blood.  By  his  suffer- 
!  ings  He  consummated  that  part  of  his  office 
'  which  w'as  to  be  performed  on  earth,  making 


(3.)  ‘  On  the  particulars  of  both  kinds  of  sacrifices,  [i.  e.  for  the  peo¬ 
ple  and  for  himself,  the  priest,]  see  Lev.  4:9  and  1G.’  Blooxif. — ‘  See  the 
superiority  of  Christ  represented,  in  respect  to  the  point  here  suggested, 
in  7:26 — 28.’  Stuart. 

V.  5,  6.  The  Jews  had  paid  far  more  regard  to  the  predictions  of  his 
kingdom ,  than  to  those  of  his  priesthood^  through  their  prejudices  for 
the  Levitical  law. — Some  expositors,  interpreting  the  expression,  ‘  This 
day  have  I  begotten  Thee,’  of  Christ’s  resurrection,  (though  that  was 
only  the  proof,  and  not  in  any  sense  the  cause  or  origin  of  his  Sonship, 
Acts  13:24 — 37.)  have  argued,  that  lie  did  not  officiate  as  a  Priest,  till 
after  lie  arose  from  the  dead,  as  if  offering  Himself  as  a  Sacrifice  for  sin 
was  no  part  of  his  priestly  office  !  But  the  typical  meaning  of  the  legal 
ceremonies,  will  sufficiently  expose  the  gross  absurdity  of  this  supposi¬ 
tion,  as  we  proceed  with  the  subject. — The  quotations  are  from  the 
Sept.,  which  accords  to  the  Ileb.  Ps.  2:7.  110:  4.  Scott. 

(.5.)  Christ  glorified  not,  &c.]  ‘He  did  not  assume  the  mediatorial 
office  without  divine  authority,  nor  affect  to  appear,  before  his  time,  in 
the  poinp  and  splendor  of  it.’  Oonmt. 

(6.)  Another  place.]  ‘Ps.  110:4.  The  object  of  the  quotation  is 
simply  to  prove,  that  the  office  of  high  priest  was  conferred  on  Christ  by 
divine  appointment.  Comp.  v.  4.  The  particulars  of  the  comparison, 
in  respect  to  the  priesthood  of  Christ  and  Melchisedec,  are.  suspended, 
till  the  writer  has  introduced  other  considerations  relative  to  Christ, 
as  a  Priest,  5:7 — 9.  and  given  vent  to  his  feelings  of  concern  for  those 
whom  he  addressed,  by  suggesting  various  considerations,  adapted  to 
reprove,  5:11 — 14.  to  warn,  6:1 — 9.  as  well  as  to  excite  and  animate 
them,  6:10 — 20.’  Stuart. 

V.  7 — 10.  Our  Lord,  though  perfectly  free  from  all  sin,  came  as  near 
to  the  condition  of  a  sinner  as  He  possibly  could.  This  was  ‘in  the 
days  of  his  ffesh,’  subsequent  to  his  incarnation,  and  previous  to  his  ex¬ 
altation;  when  his  human  nature  became  incapable  of  suffering,  and 
was  made  inconceivably  glorious.  1  Cor.  15:50—54.  Phil  3:20,  21. 
‘Was  heard,  &c.’  '■Because  of  his  piety,  ’  his  reverence  of  the  divine  Maj¬ 
esty,  his  love,  and  his  zeal  for  the  glory  of  the  Father;  or,  as  many  com¬ 
mentators  explain  it,  ‘  He  was  heard,  and  delivered  from  his  fear.’  No 
doubt  the  most  distressing  dread  of  that  awful  wrath  of  God  against  our 
sins,  which  He  had  undertaken  to  endure,  was  one  cause  of  our  Lord’s 
agony  in  the  garden.  This  might  well  oppress  his  human  soul,  without 
his  having  the  least  apprehension,  that  He  should  finally  sink  under  it, 
or  come  short  of  *  the  joy  set  before  Him  ;  ’  or  the  least  distrust  of  the 
Father’s  faithfulness  to  his  engagement, — without  any  defect  in  his  pa¬ 
tience  and  submission,  or  any  degree  of  sin.  For  the  prospect  of  the 
temporary  and  even  transient  enduring  of  such  a  load  ofgujlt  and  wrath 
was  sufficient  to  excite  the  most  overwhelming  consternation.  John 
12:27 — 33.  Thus,  it  appeared,  that  He  had  communion  with  his  brethren 
in  the  passion,  or  feeling,  most  foreign  to  the  divine  nature,  even  fear , 

[524  J 


which  is  never  ascribed  to  God,  as  many  others  are  ;  and  that  He  could 
sympathize  with  them  in  it,  and  deliver  them  from  it.  And,  indeed, 
though  lie  was  not  delivered  from  dying,  but  willingly  submitted  to  it; 
yet  He  was  delivered  from  that  agonizing  terror,  which  dictated  his 
‘supplications  witli  strong  crying  and  tears,’  and  was  afterwards  calm 
and  composed  under  his  heaviest  sufferings. — Learned  -men  have  clearly 
shown,  by  pertinent  examples,  that  the  words  may  well  bear  this  sense  ; 
and  it  seems  more  exactly  to  suit  the  apostle's  argument.  Our  Lord 
was  not  indeed  spared,  or  exempted  from  any  part  of  his  expiatory  suf¬ 
ferings,  concerning  which  lie  said,  notwithstanding  tile  strong  reluctan- 
cv  of  his  holy  human  nature  to  such  exquisite  and  complicated  suffer¬ 
ings,  ‘Thy  will  be  done;’  knowing  that  it  was  ‘not  possible  for  that 
cup  to  pass  from  Him,’  consistently  with  the  glory  of  the  Father,  and  the 
salvation  of  his  people.  Yet  the  horror  of  his  mind  was  allayed  ;  He  was 
strengthened  to  su  pport  the  immense  weight  of  suffering  w  hich  was  laid 
upon  Him;  h is  sacrifice  was  accepted  for  his  people;  He  was  raised 
from  the  dead,  exalted  to  the  mediatorial  throne,  and  invested  with  the 
power  of  ‘  saving  to  the  uttermost  all  who  come  to  God  through  Him.’ 
Even  when  ‘the  Son  of  God’  Himself  was  appointed  to  the  high  priest¬ 
hood,  He  learned  tile  difficulty  of  obeying  the  divine  commandments,  in 
the  present  circumstances  of  human  nature,  amidst  the  temptations  and 
trials  to  which  men  are  exposed  ;  of  this  He  acquired  an  experimental 
knowledge,  as  far  as  could  consist  with  sinless  perfection,  and  even  his 
perfect  obedience  became  more  exalted  and  honorable,  through  his 
whole  life,  by  the  enlargement  of  his  human  powers,  and  by  the  tilings 
which  He  suffered  ;  so  that  his  zeal  and  love  xvere  never  so  admirable 
and  astonishing,  as  when  He  agonized  in  the  garden,  and  hung  upon  the 
cross. — It  is  observable,  that  Melchisedec  is  never  mentioned  in  the 
Old  Test,  after  the  account  of  his  meeting  with  Abraham,  as  recorded  in 
Genesis;  except  in  Ps.  110.  and  never  in  the  New  Test,  except  in  the 
apostle’s  argument  in  this  epistle  concerning  the  high  priesthood  of 
Christ ;  a  subject  of  infinite  importance,  and  proved  beyond  all  reason¬ 
able  doubt,  by  this  single  argument.  7:1 — 22.  How-  much  may  depend 
on  a  detached  testimony  of  Scripture,  which  superficial  readers  pass 
over  unobserved,  and  to  which  perhaps  very  few  carefully  attend  !  So. 

(7.)  Strong  crying  and  tears.]  ‘  The  words  are  by  some  thought  to 
refer  to  the  Passion,  at  which  it  is  said.  He  prayed  yet  more,  earnestly. 

By  others,  to  his  exclamation  on  the  cross.’  Bloomf. _ Ros.  thinks  it 

may  rightly  be  referred  to  both,  to  which  Bl.  also  accords. Tstunrt  re¬ 
marks,  that  the  evangelists  do  not  mention  the  weeping  of  the  Savior. 
Fa.— Was  heard.  in  that  He  feared.]  ‘If  wrn  turn  to  Luke  12-50  we 
shall  see  that  a  view  of  sufferings  then  future,  produced  in  the  mind  of 
Jesus,  an  oppressive  anticipation,  a  sensation  of  distress  and  dread.  As 
the  scene  of  crucifixion  approached  nearer,  these  sensations  were  ev¬ 
idently  increased,  until  they  became  almost  overwhelmin'*.  SeeMat  26- 
06  39.  Luke  22:4Q  44,  Mark  14:34 — 36.  What  agonies  Jesus  endured  on 


A.  D.  65. 


HEBREWS,  Y. 


The  Hebrews  reproved. 


9  And  n  beiug  made  perfect,  he 
became  the  author  of  eternal  sal¬ 
vation  unto  all  them  that  obey 
him  ; 

10  Called  of  God  an  high  priest, 
"after  the  order  of  Melchisedec. 

1 1  Of  whom  we  have  many 
things  to  say,  and  hard  to  be  utter¬ 
ed,  seeing  ye  are  dull  of  hearing. 

12  For  when  for  the  time  ye 
ought  to  be  teachers,  ye  have  need 
that  one  teach  you  again  which  be 
the  first  principles  of  the  oracles  of 
God  ;  and  are  become  such  as  have 
need  of  pmilk,  and  not  of  strong 
meat. 

13  For  every  one  that  useth  milk 
*>  is  unskilful  in  the  word  of  righte¬ 
ousness  :  for  he  is  a  babe. 

14  But  strong  meat  belongeth  to 
them  that  are  r  of  full  age,  even 
those  who  by  reason  of  •  use  have 
their  senses  exercised  to  discern 
both  good  and  evil. 

n  c.  2:10.  q  hath  no  experi-  e  or,  a  habit ,  or, 

o  ver.  6.  ence.  perfection. 

p  1  Co.  3:1 — 3.  r  or,  perfect. 


reconciliation  for  iniquity;  and  in  this  sense 
lie  is  said  to  be  made  perfect,  a  perfect  Pro¬ 
pitiation.  Hereby  lie  is  become  the  Author 
of  eternal  salvation  to  men;  He  has,  by  his 
sufferings,  purchased  a  full  deliverance  from 
sin  and  misery,  and  a  full  fruition  of  holiness 
and  happiness  for  his  people.  Of  this  sal¬ 
vation,  He  has  given  notice  in  the  Gospel  ; 
and  on  all  who  obey,  though  on  them  only, 
this  salvation  is  actually  bestowed.  To 
those  who  obey  Him, devoting  themselves  to 
H  im,  denying  themselves,  and  taking  np 
their  cross,  and  following  Him,  He  will  be 


the  Author, — the  grand  Cause  of  their  sal¬ 
vation,  and  they  shall  own  Him  as  such  for 
ever. 

V.  10 — 14.  Here  the  apostle  returns  to 
what  he  had,  in  v.  6.  cited  out  of  Ps.  110. 
concerning  the  peculiar  order  of  the  priest¬ 
hood  of  Christ,  that  is,  the  order  of  Mel¬ 
chisedec.  And  here, 

1.  He  declares  he  had  many  things  he 
could  not  say  to  them  concerning  this  mys¬ 
terious  person  called  Melchisedec,  whose 
priesthood  was  eternal  ;  anil  therefore  the 
salvation  procured  thereby  should  be  eternal 
also.  Some  think,  he  means,  that  the  things 
hard  to  be  uttered,  were  not  so  much  con¬ 
cerning  Melchisedec  himself,  as  concern¬ 
ing  Christ,  of  whom  Melchisedec  was  the 
type. 

2.  He  assigns  the  reason  why  he  said  not 
the  things  he  had  to  say,  concerning  Christ, 
our  Melchisedec,  and  what  it  was  that  made 
it  so  difficult  for  him  to  utter  them,  and  that 
was,  the  dulness  of  the  Hebrews  to  whom 
he  wrote ;  Ye  are  dull  of  hearing.  There  is 
a  difficulty  in  the  things  themselves,  and 
ministers  may  be  weak  to  speak  clearly 
about  them;  but  generally  the  fault  is  in  the 
hearers;  dull  hearers  make  preaching  diffi¬ 
cult,  and  even  those  who  have  some  faith, 
may  be  dull  hearers. 

3.  He  insists  on  the  faultiness  of  this  in¬ 
firmity  of  theirs;  it  was  not  a  mere  natural 
infirmity,  but  a  sinful  infirmity,  and  more  in 
them  than  others,  by  reason  of  the  singular 
advantages  they  had  enjoyed  for  improving 
in  the  knowledge  of  Christ,  v.  12.  Profi¬ 
ciency  might  have  been  reasonably  expected 
from  these  Hebrews,  and  from  those  to 
whom  much  is  given,  much  is  expected. 
Observe,  the  sad  disappointment  of  those  just 
expectations  ;  Ye  have  need  that  one  should 
teach  you  again,  &c.  Some  persons,  instead 
of  going  forward  in  Christian  knowledge, 
forget  the  very  first  principles  they  had 
learned  long  ago;  and,  indeed,  they  that  arc 


not  improving  under  the  means  of  grace, 
will  be  losing.  It  is  a  sin  and  shame  for 
persons  that  are  men,  for  their  age  and 
standing  in  the  church,  to  be  children  and 
babes  in  understanding. 

4.  1  he  apostle  shows  how  the  various 
doctrines  of  the  Gospel  must  be  dispensed  to 
different  persons.  There  are  in  the  church 
babes,  and  persons  of  full  age,  v.  12 — 14. 
and  there  are  in  the  Gospel,  milk,  and  strong 
meat.  Observe,  Babes,  unskilful  in  the 
Word  of  righteousness,  must  be  fed  with 
milk,  the  plainest  truths,  and  these  in  the 
plainest  manner,  Isa.  28  :  10.  Christ  de¬ 
spises  not  his  babes;  He  has  provided  suit¬ 
able  food  for  them.  It  is  good  to  be  babes 
in  Christ,  lint  we  should  endeavor  to  pass 
the  infant  state  ;  we  should  alwmys  remain 
in  malice  children,  but  in  understanding 
we  should  grow  up  to  a  manly  maturity. 
There  is  strong  meat  for  those  that  are  of 
full  age,  v.  14.  The  deeper  mysteries  of 
religion  belong  to  those  who  have  learned 
first  principles,  and  well  improved  them. 
Observe,  There  have  been  always  in  the 
Christian  state  children,  young  men,  and 
fathers.  Every  true  Christian,  having  re¬ 
ceived  a  principle  of  spiritual  life  from  God, 
stands  in  need  of  nourishment  to  preserve 
that  life.  The  Word  of  God  is  food  and 
nourishment  to  the  life.  It  is  the  wisdom 
of  ministers  rightly  to  divide  the  Word  of 
truth,  and  to  give  to  every  one  his  portion  ; 
milk  to  babes,  and  strong  meat  to  those  of 
full  age.  There  are  spiritual  senses,  as  well 
as  those  that  are  natural  ;  and  it  is  by  use 
and  exercise  that  these  are  improved,  made 
more  quick  and  strong  to  taste  the  sweet¬ 
ness  of  what  is  good  and  true,  and  the  bit¬ 
terness  of  what  is  false  and  evil.  Not  only 
reason  and  faith,  but  spiritual  sense,  will 
teach  men  to  distinguish  between  what  is 
pleasing  and  what  is  provoking  to  God,  be¬ 
tween  what  is  helpful  and  what  is  hurtful  to 
our  own  souls. 


TRACT.  OBS.  Fallen  men  cannot  approach  Cod,  except  on  ‘a 
mercy-seat  ’  through  a  high  priest,  and  by  a  sacrifice  for  sin;  but  ‘a 
priest,  who  was  encompassed  with  infirmity,’  and  needed  to  offer  sacri¬ 
fice  for  himself,  however  he  might  compassionate  the  ignorant  and 
transgressors,  could  never  be  an  effectual  advocate  with  God  for  them. 
Indeed,  in  the  more  ordinary  work  of  the  ministry,  the  consciousness  of 
our  own  sinfulness  and  unw  orthiness  is  well  suited  to  render  us  tender 
to  the  weak,  the  erroneous,  the  tempted,  and  the  fallen,  ‘seeing  we  our¬ 
selves  are  compassed  with  infirmity;’  and,  though  this  service  differs 
widely  from  that  of  the  priests  under  the  law,  yet  no  man  should  take  it 
upon  him,  till  it  appear  to  other  competent  persons,  as  well  as  himself, 
that  ‘he  is  called  of  God’  to  it. — Christ  alone  is  qualified  and  author¬ 
ized  to  be  our  High  Priest  his  dignity  and  excellency,  as  the  Son  of  God, 
ami  his  appointment  by  the  Father  to  that  office,  give  efficacy  to  his 
ministrations.  .  ..  His  obedience  in  our  nature  encourages  our  attempts 
to  obey,  and  our  expectations  of  support  and  comfort,  under  all  the 
temptations  and  sufferings  to  which  we  are  exposed  ;  for  ‘  being  made 
perfect’  for  this  great  work,  ‘He  is  become  the  Author  of  eternal  sal¬ 
vation  to  all  them  that  obey  Him.’  But  do  we  obediently  receive  his 
instructions  as  our  Prophet,  trust  in  his  sacrifice  and  intercession  as  our 
Priest,  and  make  his  commandments  the  rule  of  our  conduct,  as  the 


the  cross,  we  can  never  fully  know ;  but  we  may  conclude  they  were 
very  dreadful,  from  the  complaint  forced  from  Him.  Mat.  27:46.  Mark 
15:31.  It  is  indeed  unaccountable  by  any  ordinary  principles,  applica¬ 
ble  to  virtuous  sufferers,  that  a  character  such  as  that  of  Jesus,  pure, 
unmoved  by  opposition  and  contumely,  and  persecution,  and  unawed  by 
threatening  and  danger,  should  exhibit  such  an  oppressive,  overwhelm¬ 
ing  sense  of  pain  and  distress  ;  while  thousands  of  men,  nay,  thousands 
of  the  more  delicate  sex,  in  prospect  of  like  or  apparently  greater  suffer¬ 
ings,  have  been  perfectly  calm,  collected,  ami  even  triumphant. — Who 
then'can  regard  Jesus  as  a  simple  sufferer  in  the  ordinary  xvav,  on  the 
cross,  and  explain  the  mysteries  of  his  dreadful  horror,  before  and  during 
the  hours  of  crucifixion  ?  And  what  was  it,  in  respect  to  which  He  was 
heard ,  or  delivered  t  Not  the  sufferings  of  the  cross,  for  these  He  en¬ 
dured. — The  context  necessarily  limits  the  hearing,  or  deliverance ,  to 
something  in  his  petitions  which  appertained  to  suffering,  which  was 
an  object  of  drra  l.  What  could  it  be  but  the  dread  of  sinking  under  the 

agony  of  being  deserted  by  his  Father?  Mat.  27:46.’  Stuart _ ‘“If 

it  be  possible  !  ”  and  thus  hath  He  left  ns  an  example,  to  pray  for  noth¬ 
ing  absolutely,  but  what  we  know  to  be  agreeable  to  the  divine  will, — 
namely,  our  salvation.’  Williams. 

(9.)  Being  made  perfect .]  ‘  Being  thus  consecrated  to  God  by  his 
own  blood,  in  virtue  of  which  He  was  installed  in  his  priestly  office.’ 
PonDR — ‘Having  attained  the  end  of  his  race  ihroughsuffcrings,  i.  e. 
passed  through  them  to  consummate  glory.’  Abp.  Till.,  in  Dnddr. — 
‘  Being  consecrated.’  Dr.  Jackson.  Same. — ‘A  complete  High  Priest 
by  consecration.’  Willi  ams. — ‘  When  exalted  to  glory.  Perfect,  here, 
undoubtedly  refers  lo  the  exaltation  or  kingly  dignity  of  Christ  ;  con¬ 
veying  also  by  v.  9.  an  intimation,  that  his  very  sufferings  stand  in  an 
iutiinate  and  necessary  connexion  with  the  same,  so  that  He  is  a  kingly 


subjects  of  his  kingdom  ?  To  those  who  thus  come  to  Ilim,  and  yield 
themselves  to  Him,  and  to  those  alone,  He  will  be  ‘  the  Author  of  eter¬ 
nal  salvation.’  Of  this  great  High  Priest,  and  of  his  merits,  grace,  and 
authority,  ministers  have  many  things  to  say,  which  they  will  not  be 
able  to  utter  in  a  proper  manner,  unless  ‘lie  give  them  a  mouth  and 
wisdom,’  for  that  purpose  ;  and  men’s  prejudices  are  so  many  and  so 
strong,  that  they  are  generally  more  ready  to  take  offence,  than  to  re¬ 
ceive  instruction.  Nor  are  professed  Christians,  even  old  professors  of 
evangelical  doctrine,  so  docile  as  might  be  expected ;  many  are  far  from 
that  spiritual  maturity,  which  is  proportioned  to  the  time,  during  which 
they  have  attended  to  the  Gospel.  These  things  are  very  discouraging  ; 
but  we  should  still  exercise  patience  and  meekness,  and  ‘seek  out  ac¬ 
ceptable  words,’  in  which  to  convey  instructions  in  the  best  manner  we 
can. — We  ought  indeed  to  begin  xvith  simpler  truths,  and  so  gradually 
proceed  to  such  as  are  more  deep  and  perplexing;  and  to  employ  our¬ 
selves  peculiarly  about  first  principles,  by  an  experimental  and  practical 
improvement  of  the  truth ;  thus  we  shall  gradually  be  matured  in  judg¬ 
ment,  and  enabled  to  digest  strong  meat ;  and  our  spiritual  senses  will 
be  habituated  to  a  just  and  exact  discernment  of  good  and  evil,  which- 
will  greatly  tend  to  our  stability,  comfort,  and  fruitfulness  in  the  faith 
of  Christ.  Phil.  1:9 — 11.  Scott. 


Priest  as  Melchisedec  was.  See  on  ch.  2:10.  xvhere  is  the  same  senti¬ 
ment  as  here.’  Stuart. — Became  the  Author.]  ‘I.  e.  the  meritorious 
and  efficient  Cause  nf  eternal  salvation.’  M’I.ean. 

(10.)  Called  of  God,  &c.]  ‘  I.  e.  greeted,  or  saluted  by  name.’  So 

Casaub.,  Bloom  f.,  and  Stuart.  Ed. 

V.  11 — 14.  Every  man,  who  could  only  receive  the  simpler  and  more 
common  truths  of  religion,  without  applying  his  mind  to  the  more  ex¬ 
perimental  and  exalted  parts  of  it,  must  be  considered  ns  a  babe  in 
Christ,  how  long  soever  he  had  professed  the  Gospel,  being  evidently 
‘unskilful  in  the  Word  of  righteousness.’  But  the  more  sublime  doc¬ 
trines  of  Christianity,  xvhich  immediately  related  to  the  counsels  of  God 
for  his  own  glory,  and  the  display  of  his  perfections  by  the  redemption 
of  Christ,  and  which  indeed  were  obscurely  intimated  in  the  ceremonies 
of  the  Mosaic  law,  were  as  ‘  strong  meat’  for  those  who  were  matured 
in  knowledge,  judgment,  and  experience,  being  the  proper  nourishment 
of  their  faith,  hope,  love,  and  spiritual  affections  — (12)  Principles  ]  '  The 
elements  of  the  beginning  of  the  oracles  of  God,’  a  contrast  to  ‘  the  el¬ 
ements  of  this  world,’  ‘the  beggarly  elements’  of  human  traditions, 
and  abolished  ceremonies. —  (13)  Word  of  righteousness.]  Or  that 
Word,  by  which  men  are  shown  the  way  of  righteousness,  both  ‘  the 
righteousness  of  faith’  for  justification,  and  ‘the  sanctification  of  the 
Spirit  unto  obedience.’  Scott. 

(12.)  Oracles  of  God.]  ‘  I  should  refer  it  to  those  parts  of  the  O.  T. 
which  respect  the  Christian  religion,  ami  especially  to  the  Messiati, 
were  it  not  that  in  ch.  6:1 — 3.  the  writer  has  shown  that  he  means  the 
rudiments  of  Christian  doctrine,  in  its  appropriate,  sense.  The  phrase 
must  mean  here  doctrine,  or  communications  of  God,  viz.  which  boo 
has  revealed  under  the  Gospel,  i.  e.  divine  doctrines,  or  doctrines  ol 
divine  original,’ 


A.  D.  65. 


HEBREWS,  VI. 


Advice  given  to  the  Hebrews. 


CHAP.  VI. 

1  lie  exhorteth  not  to  fall  back  from  the  faith,  11  but  to  be 
steadfast,  12  diligent.,  and  patient  to  wait  upon  God,  13 
because  God  is  most  sure  in  his  promise. 

rpHEREFORE,  *  leaving  b  the 
J-  principles  of  the  doctrine  of 
Christ,  let  us  go  on  unto  perfection; 
not  laying  again  the  foundation  of 
repentance  from  c  dead  works,  and 
of  faith  d  toward  God, 

2  Of  the  doctrine  of  'baptisms, 
and  of  laying  on  fof  hands,  and  of 
s  resurrection  of  the  dead,  and  of 
eternal  judgment. 

3  And  this  will  we  do,  if  h  God 
permit. 

a  Plli.  3:12—14.  c  c.  9:14.  f  Ac.  8:17. 

b  or,  the  word  of  d  c.  11:6.  g  Ac.  17.31.  26:8. 

the  beginning  of  e  Ac.  18:4,5.  h  Ja.  4:15. 

Christ. 

Chap.  VI.  V.  1 — 8.  1.  We  have  here 
the  apostle’s  advice  to  the  Hebrews  to  goon 
and  make  progress  in  their  spiritual  life  ; 
and  for  their  greater  encouragement,  he  puts 
himself  with  them.  Let  us  go  on.  But  how, 
in  order  to  growth,  must  Christians  leave 
the  principles  of  the  doctrine  of  Christ! 
they  must  not  lose,  despise,  forget  them;  no, 
they  must  lay  them  up  in  their  hearts,  as  the 
foundation  of  all  their*  profession  and  ex¬ 
pectation  ;  but  they  must  not  rest  in  them, 
not  be  always  laying  the  foundation,  they 
must  go  on,  and  build  upon  it.  Some  were 
but  weak,  yet  others  had  gained  more 
strength  ;  and  they  must  be  provided  for 
suitably.  Grown  Christians  must  be  will¬ 
ing  to  hear  I  he  plainest  truths  preached,  for 
the  sake  of  the  weak  ;  so  the  weak  must  also 
he  willing  to  hear  the  more  difficult  and 
mysterious  truths  preached,  for  the  sake 
of  those  who  are  strong.  He  hoped  they 
would  be  growing  in  their  spiritual  strength 
and  stature,  and  so  be  able  to  digest  stronger 


meat.  The  apostle  mentions  several  foun¬ 
dation-principles,  which  must  be  well  laid 
at  first,  and  then  built  upon  ;  these  are  six. 

(I.)  Repentance  from  dead  works,  that 
is,  conversion  and  regeneration,  repentance 
from  a  spiritually  dead  state  and  course  ;  as 
if  he  had  said,  ‘  Your  minds  were  changed 
by  conversion,  and  so  were  your  lives.  Take 
care  that  you  return  not  to  sin  again,  for 
then  you  must  lay  again  the  foundation; 
there  must  be  a  second  conversion  ;  a  re¬ 
penting  not  only  of,  but  from,  dead  works.’ 

(2.)  Faith  toward  God;  a  firm  belief  of 
bis  existence,  nature,  attributes,  and  perfec¬ 
tions,  the  trinity  of  persons  in  the  unity  of 
essence,  the  whole  mind  and  will  of  God  as 
revealed  in  his  Word,  particularly  what  re¬ 
lates  to  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  Observe, 
Repentance  from  dead  works,  and  faith  to¬ 
ward  God,  always  go  together.  Both  are 
foundation-principles,  which  should  be  once 
well  laid,  but  never  pulled  up,  so  as  to  need 
to  be  laid  over  again  ;  we  must  not  relapse 
into  infidelity. 

(3.)  The  doctrine  of  baptism's,  that  is,  of  ( 
being  baptized  by  a  minister  of  Christ  with  j 
water,  in  the  Name  of  the  Trinity,  as  the  in¬ 
itiating  sign  or  seal  of  the  covenant  of  grace; 
and  of  an  inward  baptism  of  the  Spirit 
sprinkling  the  blood  of  Christ  on  the  soul,  | 
for  justification,  and  the  graces  of  the.  Spirit  i 
for  sanctification.  This  is  a  foundation  to  j 
he  rightly  laid,  and  daily  remembered,  but  \ 
not  repeated. 

(4.)  Laying  on  of  hands  ;either  on  persons  i 
passing  solemnly  from  their  initiated  state  j 
by  baptism  to  the  confirmed  state,  by  re-  j 
turning  the  answer  of  a  good  conscience  to-  j 
ward  God,  and  sitting  down  at  the  Lord’s  j 
table.  This  passing  to  complete  church- 
membership,  was  performed  by  laying  on  of 
hands,  which  the  extraordinary  conveyance 
of  the  gift  of  the  Holy  Ghost  continued. 
This  once  done,  all  are  obliged  to  abide  by, 


and  not  to  need  another  solemn  admission, 
as  at  first,  but  to  go  on,  and  grow  up,  in 
Christ.  Or  by  this  may  lie  meant,  ordina¬ 
tion  to  the  ministerial  office,  by  fasting  and 
prayer,  with  laying  on  of  the  hands  of  the 
presbytery;  and  this  is  to  be  done  but  once. 

(5.)  'I’he  resurrection  of  the  dead,  that  is, 
of  dead  bodies;  and  their  re-union  with  their 
souls,  to  be  eternal  companions  in  weal  or 
woe,  according  as  their  state  was  toward 
God  when  they  died,  and  the  course  of  life 
they  led  in  this  world. 

(6.)  Eternal  judgment,  determining  the 
soul  of  every  one,  when  it  leaves  the  body  at 
death,  and  both  soul  and  body  at  the  last 
day,  to  their  eternal  state. 

These  are  the  great  foundation-principles 
ministers  should  clearly  and  convincingly 
unfold,  and  closely  apply.  In  these  the  peo¬ 
ple  should  be  well  instructed  and  establish¬ 
ed,  and  from  these  they  must  never  depart; 
without  these,  the  other  parts  of  religion 
have  no  foundation  to  support  them. 

2.  The  apostle  declares  his  readiness  and 
resolution  to  assist  the  Hebrews  in  building 
themselves  up  on  these  foundations  till  they 
arrive  at  perfection,  v.  3.  hereby  teaching 
them,  that  resolution  is  very  necessary,  in 
order  to  progress  in  religion,  and  that  made 
in  the  sincerity  of  our  hearts,  and  in-a  hum¬ 
ble  dependence  on  God.  both  for  strength, 
assistance,  and  righteousness;  acceptance, 
time,  anil  opportunity.  Ministers  should  not 
only  teach  people  what  to  do,  hut  go  before 
them,  and  along  with  them,  in  the  vv;  ty  of 
duty. 

3.  He  shows  that  this  spiritual  growth  is 
the  surest  way  to  prevent  apostasy.  And 
here, 

(1.)  lie  shows  how  far  persons  may  go 
in  religion,  and,  after  all,  fall  away,  and 
perish  for  ever,  v.  4,  5.  They  may  be  en¬ 
lightened.  Some  of  the  ancients  understand 
this  of  their  being  baptized;  but  it  is  rather 


NOTES.  Chap.  VI.  V.  1 — 3.  Dead  works.]  Such  as  are  done  by 
men  dead  in  sin,  and  which  expose  them  to  the  condemnation  of  eternal 
death.  —  Baptisms.]  Either  the  various  legal  washings,  whether  by  im¬ 
mersion,  ablution,  or  sprinkling,  or  John’s  baptism,  and  that  of  Christ, 
which  were  distinct  from  each  other,  or  the  traditional  baptisms  of  the 
Pharisees.  9:3—10.  Mat.  3:5,  6.  15:1,  2.  Mark.  7:3,  4.  John  3:22—26.— 
Bone  expositors  explain  these  ‘  principles  of  the  doctiine  of  Christ,’  as 
relating  wholly  to  instructions  contained  in  the  Old.  Test.,  concerning 
the  Messiah’s  kingdom;  and  some  confine  them  exclusively  to  the  new 
dispensation.  Others,  favoring  the  former  scheme,  interpret  ‘  the  doc¬ 
trine  of  baptisms,  and  of  laving  on  of  hands,’  to  signify  the  Ipgal  purifi¬ 
cations,  and  tlie  laying  on  of  the  hands  of  the  offerer  on  tire  head  of  the 
sacrifice,  as  typical  of  repentance  and  faith,  including  tire  words  in  a 
parenthesis.  But,  understanding  bv  ‘principles,’  not  (he  most  funda¬ 
mental  troths,  or  parts  of  Christianity,  but  the  introductory  elements, 
(lie  lower  and  easier  beginnings  of  it,  as  letters  are  tile  first  principles, 
or  elements,  or  beginning  of  learning,  w'e  may  see  a  propriety  in  the  in¬ 
terpretation  above  given.  Some  of  the  Hungs  mentioned  were,  though 
most  important  in  themselves,  yet  the  more  obvious  and  simple  parts  of 
Christianity,  and  the  others  were  externals  connected  with  the  first  pro¬ 
fession  of  it,  on  which  the  Jews  were  apt  to  lay  far  more  stress  than 
thev  ought  to  have  done;  and  it  was  obvious  for  the  apostle  to  mention 
Hu  s.  .  when  he  would  call  them  off  from  the  introductory  elements  of 
Ciirisiianity,  to  its  more  stildime  and  spiritual  doctrines. — (2)  Eternal 
Judgment.]  Mat.  25:46.  25:41 — 4 ft.  ‘  Interpreters  observe,  that  the  doc¬ 
trine  of  Origett,  touching  the  period  of  tite  torments  of  t lie  damned,  is 
here  condemned.;  and  indeed  the  primitive  fathers,  not  Oiigen  himself 
excepted,  taught  the  contrary.  —  If  we  do  not  the  will  of  Christ,  says 
Clemens  Romanes,  nothing  will  deliver  us  from  eternal  punishment.  . .. 
The  punishment  of  the  damned,  says  Justin  Martyr,  is  endless  punish¬ 
ment,  and  torment  in  eternal  lire.  Irenams,  in  his  symbol  of  faith, 
makes  this  one  article,  Tiiat  Christ  would  send  t lie  ungodly  and  unjust 
into  everlasting  fire. — Terlullian  declares,  that  all  wicked  men  are  ap¬ 
pointed  to  eternal  torments;  and  if  any  man,  says  lie,  thinks  the  wick¬ 
ed  are  to  he  consumed,  and  not  punished,  let  him  remember,  that  hell- 
lire  is  styled  eternal,  because  designed  for  eternal  punishment,  and  their 
substance  will  remain  for  ever,  whose  punishment  doth  so.  Cyprian 
sailh,  that  the  souls  of  the  wicked  are  kept,  with  their  bodies,  to  be 
grieved  with  endless  torments.  There  is  no  measure  nor  end  of  their 
torments,  saith  Minutius.  Lastly,  Origen  reckons  this  among  the  doc¬ 
trines  defined  by  the  church ;  That  every  soul,  when  it  goes  out  of  this 
world,  shall  either  enjov  the  inheritance  of  eternal  life  and  Idiss,  if  its 
deeds  have  rendered  it  fit  for  life;  or  is  to  be  delivered  up  to  eternal  fi re 
and  punishment,  if  its  sins  have  deserved  that  stale.’  Whitby.  Scott. 

(1.)  Perfection.]  ‘  More  eminent  degrees  of  improvement  in  the  doc¬ 
trine  of  Christ.’  Doddr.  And  so  Owen,  substantially,  referring  to  1 
Cor.  2:6.  En. — ‘  A  maturer  state,  compared  xyith  (lie  state  of  immaturi¬ 
ty  complained  of,  ch.  5:12 —  14.  in  which  sense  and  connexion  tiie  rea¬ 
soning  is  plain.’  Stuart.  —  Itloomf.  understands  it  of  ‘the  doctrine  of 
justification  by  faith,  as  the  word  of  righteousness,  ch.  5:13.’  Orotius 
(also  Rosenm.)  ‘of  the  interpretation  of  the  figures  of  the  O.  T.,  which, 
by  the  dispensation  of  God,  had  all  a  bearing  on  the  Gospel  and  Carp- 
2:'i ...  and  Dwidorf,  ‘  of  Christ’s  priesthood,  like  that  of  Melchisedec.’ — 


Dead  wori.s.]  ‘  The  sins  of  unregenerate  persons,  called  dead  in  respect 
of  their  nature  and  their  end.  —  Tite  expression  is  peculiar  to  this  epis¬ 
tle.’  Owen. — ‘Works  producing  death.’  Rosenm.  And  so  Stuart; 
or,  as  it  may  be,  he  pays,  ‘  vicious  and  sinful  works.’  —  Calvin  under¬ 
stands  it  of  ‘  a  formula  of  confession  among  catechumens  when  admit¬ 
ted  to  baptism,  in  which  they  acknowledged,  they  had  formerly  been 
strangers  and  aliens.’  Ed. 

(1 — 3.)  Leaving,  &:e..]  Tite  connexion  of  argument  here,  Prof  Stuart 
takes  to  be  as  follows  :  1  Christian  brethren,  who  ought  by  this  time  to  be 
qualified  to  lie  teachers,  remain  no  longer  in  vour  present  ignorance  of 
religion;  and  let  it  he  no  longer  necessary  to  teach  you  the  first  rudi¬ 
ments  of  Christian  doctrine.  God  willing,  we  must  make  progress. 
Stationary  we  cannot  remain  ;  we  must  advance  or  recede.  But  guard 
well,  I  beseech  you,  against  receding;  for  it  is  impossible,  <fcc.,  v.  4 — S.’ 
Baptisms.]  See  note,  at  end  of  Ileb.  Id. 

(2.)  Doctrine,  of  baptisms.]  ‘  Those  instituted  under  the  Mosaic  dis¬ 
pensation,  to  inculcate  moral  purity  on  all  who  would  draw  near  toGhd 
witii  Acceptance;  or  that  appointed  by  Christ,  as  the  rite  by  which  we 
enier  into  i he  church.’  Doddr.  So  Rosenm.,  but  with  particular  ref¬ 
erence  to  ‘the  baptism  of  proselytes.’  —  Bloom/,  sees  no  ground  on 
which  to  form  a  decided  opinion  between  this  and  oilier  interpretations. 
— Calvin  takes  the  words  as  1  ill  apposition  ;’  and  gives  the  sense  tints  : 

‘  Not  laying  again  the  foundation  of  penitence  anil  faith  in  God,  and  the 
resurrection  of  l  he  dead  ;  which  is  the  doctrine  of  baptism  ami  the  im¬ 
position  of  hands.  Therefore,’  says  lie,  ‘if  you  include  in  a  parenthe¬ 
sis  the-e  two  members,  “  the  doctrine  of  baptisms  and  the  imposition  of 
hands,”  the  context  Hows  better.’ — Stuart  takes  the  pitinil,  baptisms,  to 
be  used  for  the  singular,  and  refers  lo  .In.  1:13.  1  Cor.  7  2.  2  Cor.  7:3. 
for  a  similar  use  of  other  words.  Storr,  lie  says,  supposes  the  term  to 
be  used  in  a  kind  of  distributive  sense ;  so  (lie  sentiment  is,  ‘  the.  doc¬ 
trine  that  every  believer  must  be  baptized.’ — The  Syr.  here,  has  the  sin¬ 
gular. —  Lord  Barrington  understands  the  phrase  of,  ‘the  baptism  of 
water  and  tbs  effusion  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  by  which  the  first  disciples 
among  the  Jews,  and  the  first  converts  among  the  devout  and  idolatrous 
Genliles,  were  initiated.  He  also  explains,  tite  toying  on  of  hands,  as 
referring  to  I  he  immediate  communication  of  spiritual  gifts  by  means 
of  tite  apostles,  (and  so  Stuart,  in  t his  particular.)  These,  he  thinks, 
were  first  principles,  (in  which  also  Stuart  accords,)  as  baptism  was  the 
first  entrance  into  tiie  church,  and  toying  on  of  hands,  the  great  evi¬ 
dence  of  it,  as  faith  and  repentance  are  tite  substance  of  Christianity, 
and  a  resurrection,  and  eternal  judgment,  tiie  great  motives  leading 
men  to  embrace  it.  Ed. — The  doctrine.]  ‘  I.  e.  which  is  emblematically 
represented  or  signified  in  baptism,  namely,  our  communion  xvith,  and 
conformity  to  Christ,  in  his  death  and  resurrection,  by  the  remission  of 
sins,  mid  the  regenerating  and  sanctifying  influences  of  the  Holy  Spirit.’ 

M’Levn,  in  Henry,  abr. 

(3.)  This  will  ire  da,  <tc.]  ‘I.  e.  explain  the  more  sublime  doctrines 
of  tiie  Gospel,  especially  as  they  regard  the  O.  T.  and  its  accommoda¬ 
tion  to  Christ,  or  the  comparison  of  the  history  and  economy  of  the  old 
covenant  with  those  of  the  new.’  Bloomf. — We.]  ‘  The  frequency  with 
which  the  writer  uses  tiie  first  person  plural,  is  worthy  of  remark.  It 
gives  a  more  delicate  cast  to  his  reproofs,  and  to  his  comtninations.’ 

Stuart. 


HEBREWS,  VI. 


A.  D.  65. 


Constancy  and  perseverance  enjoined. 


4  For  it  is  impossible  'for  those 
who  were  once  enlightened,  and 
have  tasted  of  the  heavenly  gift, 
and  were  made  partakers  of  the 
Holy  Ghost, 

5  And  have  tasted  the  good  word 
of  God,  and  the  powers  of  the 
world  to  come, 

6  If j  they  shall  fall  away,  to  re¬ 
new  them  again  unto  repentance  ; 
seeing  they  crucify  to  themselves 
the  Son  of  God  afresh,  and  put  him 
to  an  open  shame. 

[Practical  Observations.] 

i  Mat.  5:13.  12:  c.  10:26.  2  1*6.2:20,21. 

31,3*2.  Jn.  15:6.  1  Jn.  5:16.  j  Is.  1:28. 


to  he  understood  of  notional  knowledge  and 
common  illumination,  of  which  persons  may 
have  a  great  deal,  and  yet  come  short  of 
heaven,  as  Balaam,  Numb.  24:  3.  They 
may  taste  of  the  heavenly  gift,  feel  something 
of  die  efficacy  of  the  Holy  Spirit  in  his  ope¬ 
rations  on  their  souls,  causing  them  to  taste 
something  of  religion,  and  yet  he  like  per¬ 
sons  in  the  market,  who  taste  of  what  they 
will  not  come  up  to  the  price  of,  and  so  but 
take  a  taste,  and  leave  it.  They  may  he 
made  partakers  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  that  is,  of 
his  extraordinary  and  miraculous  gifts;  they 
may  have  cast  out  devils  in  the  name  of 
Christ,  and  done  many  oilier  mighty  works. 
Such  gifts  in  the  apostolical  age  were  some¬ 
times  bestowed  on  those  who  had  no  true 
saving  grace.  They  may  taste  of  the  good 


Word  of  God;  they  mav  have  some  relish  of 
gospel-doctrines,  may  hear  the  Word  with 
pleasure,  remember  it,  and  talk  well  of  it, 
and  yet  never  he  cast  into  the  form  anti 
mould  of  it,  nor  have  it  dwell  richly  in  them. 
They  may  have  tasted  of  the  powers  of  the 
world  to  come ,  may  have  been  under  strong 
impressions  concerning  heaven  and  hell; 
have  felt  some  desires  of  heaven,  and  dread 
of  going  to  hell.  These  lengths  hypocrites 
may  go,  and,  after  all,  turn  apostates.  And, 
observe,  It  is  not  here  said  of  them,  that 
they  were  truly  converted,  or  justified;  lhe*e 
is  more  in  true  saving  grace  than  in  all  here 
said  of  apostates.  This  therefore  is  no 
proof  of  the  final  apostasy  of  true  saints. 
These  indeed  may  fall  frequently  and  foully, 
but  yet  not  totally  nor  finally  from  God. 


TR  ACT.  OBS.  V.  1 — 6.  The  first  principles  and  ‘  rudiments  of  the 
doctrine  of  Christ,’  should  be  accurately  understood,  before  men  attempt 
to  learn  the  sublimcr  mysteries  of  the  Gospel ;  yet  they  must  not  always 
be  confined  to  them,  but  should  lie  *  led  on  towards  perfection,’  both  in 
knowledge,  experience,  and  holiness. — We  cannot  but  lament  to  see 
those,  who  once  made  a  credible  profession  of  the  Gospel,  turn  back  into 
the  world  and  sin,  and  thus  in  a  measure  ‘crucify  to  themselves  the  Sou 
of  God  afresh,  and  put  Ilim  to  an  open  shame;’  as  if,  on  trial,  they  found 
nothing  in  his  salvation  worthy  of  their  constant  regard  !  In  general, 
we  should  warn  and  pray  for  such  persons ;  but  there  are  cases,  in 
which  we  must  let  them  alone,  as  having  no  prospect  of  their  being 
‘renewed  to  repentance.’  We  should  beware,  and  we  ought  to  caution 
others,  of  every  approach  to  so  tremendous  a  precipice;  yet  in  doing 
this,  we  should  keep  close  to  the  Word  of  God,  and  be  careful  not  to 
wound  and  terrify  the  weak,  or  discourage  the  fallen  and  penitent. — The 


general  invitations  and  promises  of  the  Gospel  include  nil,  who  are  h  ..n- 
bly  willing  to  embrace  them  ;  humiliation  and  self-condemnation,  when 
united  with  some  hope  and  cries  for  mercy,  are  such  tokens  of  God's 
‘renewing  a  man  to  repentance,’  as  should  be  pointed  out  to  him,  for 
bis  encouragement  in  expecting  forgiveness.  On  the  other  hum),  the 
self  confident  should  lie  taught,  that  knowledge,  gifts,  terrors,  subsequent 
joys,  and  high  affections,  are  no  certain  evidence  of  a  man’s  conversion, 
without  brokenness  of  heart,  hatred  of  sin,  a  spiritual  mind,  and  ‘faith 
which  worketh  bv  love.’  But  those  whom  it  is  indeed  ‘  impossible  to 
renew  unto  repentance,’  are  commonly  the  last  to  think  themselves  in 
so  awful  a  state;  and  such  as  are  most  harassed  by  fears  of  this  kind, 
may  generally  be  assured  that  this  is  not  their  case,  whatever  the\  have 
been,  or  done;  unless  they  actually  run  into  ungodliness  and  wicked¬ 
ness,  through  total  desperation.  t  Scott. 


V .  4—6.  It  was  the  more  proper  to  write,  in  the  manner  proposed,  to  the 
Hebrews,  as  those  who  adhered  to  Christianity  had  been  sufficiently  for 
a  long  time  instructed  in  the  introductory  lessons;  and  those  who  had 
renounced  it  were  in  a  most  hopeless  condition. — These  vs.  have  caused 
immense  perplexity  and  distress  to  many  timid  and  conscientious  Chris¬ 
tians;  and  they  have  been  supposed  to  contain  a  cogent  objection  to  the 
doctrine  of  the  believer’s  final  perseverance.  These  things  must  be  in 
a  measure  adverted  to,  in  our  examination  of  them.  It  should  be  re¬ 
membered,  that-  the  apostle  wrote  in  an  age  of  miracles  ;  and  to  the 
Hebrews,  among  whom  the  Holy  Spirit  was  first  poured  out,  in  his  ex¬ 
traordinary  operations,  as  well  as  his  renewing  influences.  Acts  2:37 — 
10.  5:32.  0  8,  8:14 — 17.  10:44 — 48.  19:1 — f.  The  persons  whose  case 
is  described,  had  been  ‘  once  enlightened,’  and  hail  obtained  that  meas¬ 
ure  of  knowledge  concerning  the  truth  and  nature  of  Christianity, 
which  enabled  them  to  make  a  satisfactory  profession  of  it,  in  order  to 
their  admission  into  the  church  ;  1  they  had  tasted  the  heavenly  gift,  and 
been  made  partakers  of  the  Holy  Ghost ;’  being  at  their  baptism,  or  af¬ 
terwards,  by  the  laying  on  of  the  apostles’  hands,  endued  with  some 
measure  of  spiritual  gifts,  or  miraculous  powers;  such  as  speaking  with 
tongues,  or  discoursing  with  supernatural  fluency  on  divine  subjects;  so 
that,  in  this  respect,  ‘they  had  tasted  of  the  heavenly  gift,  and  were 
made  partakers  of  the  Holy  Spirit,’  and  their  own  experience  proved  to 
than  tile  truth  of  the  Gospel.  They  had  moreover  1  tasted  of  the  good 
Word  of  God,’  and  their  convictions,  impressions,  and  affections,  made 
them  sensible  that  it  was  a  ‘good  Word,’  of  a  holy  and  salutary  ten¬ 
dency,  and  that  it  was  for  their  good  to  attend  to  it ;  and  their  purposes 
of  doing  so  had  produced  such  hopes  and  joys,  as  have  been  described 
in  tlte  case  of  the  stony-ground  hearer.  Mat.  13:20  —  22.  Mark  6: 15 — 29. 
Thus  they  had  tasted  of1  the  powers  of  the  world  to  come,’  in  their  tempo¬ 
rary,  realizing  apprehensions  of  a  future  state,  and  of  its  happiness  or  mis¬ 
ery;  or,  they  had  experienced  the  powers  communicated,  under  the  dispen¬ 
sation  of  the  Messiah.  All  these  things,  except  miraculous  gifts,  often  take 
place  in  the  hearts  and  consciences  of  men,  in  these  days,  who  yet  contin¬ 
ue  unregenerate.  They  have  know  ledge,  convictions,  fears,  hopes,  joys,  and 
seasons  of  apparent  earnestness,  and  deep  concern  about  eternal  things  ; 
and  they  are  endued  with  such  gifts  as  open  make  them  acceptable  and 
useful  to  others  ;  but  they  are  not  truly  humbled  ;  they  are  not  spiritual¬ 
ly  minded  ;  religion  is  not  their  element  and  delight ;  they  do  not  cordi¬ 
ally  receive  Christ  in  all  his  offices,  or  sincerely  love  the  spiritual  excel¬ 
lency  of  his  people,  his  ordinances,  and  commandments.  In  short ,  the 
old  nature,  the  principle  of  selfishness,  is  impressed,  affected,  interested, 
alarmed,  or  pleased  ;  but  a  new  nature  is  not  produced,  and,  therefore, 
‘in  time  of  temptation  they  fall  away.’ — In  respect  of  spiritual  gifts,  or 
the  miraculous  ‘  powers  of  Hie  Holy  Ghost,’  our  Lord  most  expressly  de¬ 
clares,  that  He  will  reject  many  who  had  been  partakers  of  them,  saying 
to  them,  ‘  1  never  knew  you.’  Mat.  7:21 — 23.  1  Cor.  13:1 — 3. — Yet  those 
who  received  gifts  of  this  kind  fi'otn  Christ,  through  the  laying  on  of  the 
hands  of  his  apostles,  had  a  personal  demonstration  of  the  truth  of 
Christianity,  which  the  most  enlightened  apostates,  in  these  days,  can 
scarcely  he  supposed  to  have  had  ;  and,  therefore,  but  few  instances  now 
occur;  in  which  a  conclusion  concerning  their  state  can  be  unreservedly 
drawn  in  the  apostle’s  awful  words,  though  the  case  of  some  may  be  near¬ 
ly  similar,  and  they  alone  are  immediately  concerned  in  them.  10:26,  27. 
2  Tim.  4:14,  15.  1  John  5.16  —  IB.  If  the  persons,  whom  the  apostle  had 
thus  characterized,  (for  he  spake  of  none  else,)  had  totally  apostatized 
from  Christianity,  and  were  become  its  avowed  enemies,  it  was  not  the 
minister’s  duty  to  bestow  pains  about  them;  it  was  found  ‘impossible 
to  renew  them  to  repentance,’  and  thus  to  ‘  restore  them  iu  the  spirit 
of  meekness.’  For,  considering  the  clear  light  against  which  they  sin¬ 
ned  in  so  desperate  a  manner,  it  might  be  concluded,  that  they  had  com¬ 
mitted  ‘the  blasphemy  against  the  Iloly  Spirit,’  and  had  ascribed  his 
operations,  nnd  the  miracles  wrought,  by  themselves  and  by  others,  as 
well  as  the  holy  joys  and  experience  of  true  believers,  to  a  salanical  in¬ 
fluence.  Mat.  12:31,  32.  In  fact,  as  far  as  they  could,  ‘  they  crucified 
to  themselves  the  Son  of  God  afresh;’  despitefully  showing  that  they 
approved  the  conduct  of  those  who  nailed  Him  to  the  cross  ;  they  assent¬ 
ed  to  their  deed,  and  apparently  wished  it  in  their  power  to  repeat  his 
ignominy  and  torture ;  and  they  ‘  put  Him  to  an  open  shame,’  by  renounc¬ 


ing  his  religion,  blaspheming  his  name,  joining  his  enemies,  and  doing 
evil  to  his  disciples.  They  were,  therefore,  to  lie  considered,  as  given 
up  to  final  obduracy,  and  left  to  the  awful  judgment  of  God. — This  con¬ 
clusion,  however,  by  no  means  authorized  ministers  finally  to  e\<  lode 
from  the  communion  of  the  church,  those  apostates,  who  professed  re¬ 
pentance,  and  appeared  to  be  true  penitents,  much  less  did  it  warrant 
such  rigor  in  less  aggravated  cases.  In  general,  encouragement  should 
he  hehi  forth  to  all,  who  appear  penitent ;  nay,  to  induce  the  most  ob¬ 
durate  to  repentance;  and  means  are  in  most  cases  to  be  used  for 
the  recovery  of  such  ns  have  most  lamentably  turned  aside;  though 
ill  success  will  often  discourage  the  benevolent  endeavor.  The  very 
words,  however,  of  this  awful  passage  prove,  that  all  who  ‘are  renew¬ 
ed  unto  repentance’  shall  be  pardoned;  and  that  God  leaves  all  to  final 
impenitence,  whom  He  determines  not  to  save.  Tim.  2:23—26.  So  that 
the  trembling  sinner,  who  pleads  guilty,  and  cries  for  mercy,  can  have 
no  ground  for  discouragement  from  this  passage,  fairly  interpreted, 
whatever  his  crimes  have  been  ;  for  all  who  ate  ‘  renewed  to  repentance’ 
are  saved,  and  none  else.  Neither  does  it  prove  that,  any  one,  who  is 
‘  in  Christ  a  new  creature,’  ever  becomes  a  final  apostate  from  Him.  9, 
10. — (4)  Impossible.]  If  God  ‘swear  in  his  wrath  that  any  man  shall 
not  enter  into  his  rest,’  3:17 — 19.  he  is  so  given  up  to  hardness  of  heart, 
that  his  case  resembles  that  of  fallen  angels,  or  the  damned  ;  and  the 
same  impossibility  of  repentance  takes  place  as  exists  in  respect  to 
them  .—Enlightened.]  10:32.  Lu.  11:36.  Jn.  1 :9.  Eph.  1 :18.  3:9.  2  Tim. 
1:10.  Rev.  18H.  21:21 — 23.  22:5. — There  is  no  scriptural  ground  for  the 
ancient  opinion,  that  baptism  is  meant ;  and  most  mischievous  conclu¬ 
sions  naturally  are  deduCible  from  it ;  especially  as  to  the  state  of  those, 
who  have  sinned  grievously  after  baptism.  Scott. 

(4,5.)  Impossible.]  ‘A  popular  hyperbole,  extreme  difficulty.'  Hr,. 
‘  But  this  is  far  alien  from  the  signification  of  the  word.’  Calvin.  ‘Such 
an  explanation  cannot  he  admitted  ;  comp.  Heb.  6:18.  10:4.  11:6.  Arc.’ 
Stuart. — Those  who  were  once  enlightened ,  Arc.]  The  description  of 
character  here  is  thus  summarily  given  by  Stuart ,  mostly  after  Rosenm. 
1  They  had  been  taught  the  principles  or  doctrines  of  Christianity. — 
They  had  enjoyed  the  privileges  or  means  of  grace  which  the  new  reli¬ 
gion  afforded. — They  had  expet ienced,  in  general,  various  gifts  and  gra¬ 
ces, —  extraordinary  influences,  —  bestowed  by  the  Spirit.  —  They  had 
cherished  the  hopes  which  the  promises  of  the  Gospel  inspire.  —  They 
had  witnessed,  (and  perhaps  he  means  to  say,  some  had  experienced,) 
those  special,  miraculous  powers,  by  which  the  Gospel  was  fully  shown 
to  he  a  religion  from  God  ;  comp.  2:4.  Tims  they  had  the  fullest  evi¬ 
dence,  internal  and  external,  of  the  divine  origin  amt  nature  of  the  Chris¬ 
tian  religion.  Consequently,  if  they  apostatized  from  it,  there  remained 
no  hope  of  their  recovery.’ — Calvin  seems  to  consider  the  several  forms 
of  expression  here  used,  as  descriptive  rather  of  a  single  state  of  mind  or 
experience.  Hence  he  speaks  of  the  apostle  as  calling  1  the  knowledge 
of  the  Gospel,'  which  these  pereonshave,  ‘  illumination ,’  ‘  taste  of  the 
heavenly  gift,’  &c.  Tasted  the  good  ivord.]  Note,  2  Pet.  2:20,21 .  Fn. 

(4 — 6.)  ‘  These  verses  are  closely  united  ;  but  their  connexion  with 
the  preceding  is  not  of  easy  determination.’  Rloomf.  But  see  above  on 
v.  1 — 3. — ‘We  have  nothing  here,’  says  M’I.ean,  ‘but  what  may  be 
found  in  the  stony-ground  hearers,  fit.  8:13.  in  those  destitute  of  Chris¬ 
tian  love,  1  Cor.  13:1 — 3.  and  in  such  as  Christ  shall  at  last  disown,  as 
workers  of  iniquity.  It  is  a  distinguishing  trait  in  God’s  children  that 
they  draw  not  back  unto  perdition ,  but  believe  to  the  saving  of  the 
soul ,  Heb.  10:39.  and  endure  to  the  end ,  Mat.  24:13.  Jn.  10:15,  17,  28, 
29.’ — Owen  also  is  full  to  the  same  point,  and  that  nothing  can  hence  be 
concluded  concerning  real  believers.  So,  in  effect,  Doddr.,  Rosenm., 
Bloomf.,  Diod.,  and  Ernesti,  nearly. — Rosenm.  refers  to  Ileb.  10  26.  for 
an  example  of  such  as  are  here  spoken  of;  understands  the  apostle  as 
saying,  he  would  not  for  such  repeat  the  first  elements  of  religion,  pre¬ 
suming  it  would  be  in  vain,  such  men  being  like  bad  ground,  on  which 
whatever  is  sown,  is  thrown  away.  This  makes  the  connexion  with  v. 
9.  easy  nnd  natural.  Stuart,  however,  and  Calvin,  apparently,  under¬ 
stand  the  apostle  as  though  he  thought  real  Christians  might  thus  tall 
away.  ‘  For,’  savs  Calvin ,  ‘  If  any  one  ask,  why  the  apostle  makes  men- 
tion  of  such  apostasy,  when  he  addresses  believers,  Jideles ,  I  answer, 
that,  hereby,  their  danger  may  be  seasonably  pointed  out,  so  that  they 

[527  J 


A.  D.  65. 


HEBREWS,  VI. 


Exhortation  to  faith  and  holiness. 


7  For  thfi  earth  which  drinketh 
in  the  rain  that  cometh  oft  upon  it, 
and  bringeth  forth  herbs  meet  for 
them  k  by  whom  it  is  dressed,  re- 
ceiveth  blessing *  1  from  God  : 

8  But  that  which  beareth  m  thorns 
and  briers  is  rejected,  and  is  nigh 
unto  cursing  ;  whose  end  is  to  be 
burned. 

9  But,  beloved,  we  are  persuaded 
better  things  of  you,  and  things 
that  accompany  salvation,  though 
we  thus  speak. 

10  For  "  God  is  not  unrighteous 
to  forget  your  work  and  labor  of 
love,  which  ye  have  shewed  toward 
his  name,  in  that  ye  have  minister¬ 
ed  to  the  saints,  and  do  minister. 

11  And  we  desire  that  every  one 
of  you  do  shew  the  same  diligence, 
to  the  “full  assurance  of  hope  unto 
the  end  : 

12  That  ye  be  not  p  slothful,  but 
followers  of  them  who  through 
faith  and  patience  inherit  the 
promises. 

[Practical  Observations .] 

k  or,  for.  m  Is.  5:6.  o  c  3:6,14. 

1  Ps.  65:10.  n  Mat.  25:40.  p-Pr.  15:19.  2  Pe.  1:10. 

(2.)  The  apostle  describes  the  dreadful 
case  of  such  as  fall  away  after  t bey  had  gone 
so  far  in  the  profession  of  religion.  They 
declare  that  they  approve  of  what  the  Jews 
did  in  crucifying  Christ,  and  that  they 
would  be  glad  to  do  the  same  thing  again,  if 
in  their  power.  This  is  the  nature  of  apos¬ 


tasy.  It  is  impossible  to  renew  them  again 
unto  repentance;  very  few  instances  can  be 
given  of  those  who  have  gone  so  far  and 
fallen  away,  and  yet  ever  have  been  brought 
to  true  repentance,  such  a  repentance  as  is 
indeed  a  renovation  of  the  soul.  Some  have 
thought  this  is  the  sin  against  the  Holy 
Ghost,  but  without  ground.  The  sin  and 
misery  of  apostates  is  exemplified  by  a  pro¬ 
per  similitude,  taken  from  the  ground  that 
after  much  cultivation  brings  forth  nothing 
but  briers  and  thorns,  v.  8.  To  give  this 
the  greater  force,  here  is  observed  the  dif¬ 
ference  between  good  ground  and  bad.  The 
good  ground  drinketh  in  the.  rain  that  cometh 
often  upon  it.  Relievers  not  only  taste  of 
the  Word  of  God,  but  drink  it  in;  and  this 
good  ground  bringeth  forth  fruit  answerable 
to  I  lie  cost  1  lid  out,  for  the  honor  of  Christ, 
and  the  comfort  of  his  faithful  ministers,  who 
are,  under  Christ,  dressers  of  the  ground. 
But  the  bad  ground  bears  briers  and  thorns ; 
it  is  not  only  barren  of  good  fruit,  but  fruit¬ 
ful  in  bad  ;  unbelievers  are  fruitful  in  sin 
and  wickedness  ;  then  such  ground  is  re¬ 
jected.  God  will  concern  Himself  no  more 
about  such  wicked  apostates;  will  command 
the  clouds  that  they  rain  no  more  upon 
them;  such  ground  is  nigh  unto  cursing ;  and 
its  end  is  to  be  burned.  Apostasy  will  be 
punished  with  everlasting  burnings,  the  fire 
that  shall  never  lie  quenched. 

V.  9 — 20.  The  apostle,  having  applied 
himself  to  the  fears  of  the  Hebrews,  to  ex¬ 
cite  their  diligence,  and  prevent  their  apos¬ 
tasy,  now  applies  himself  to  their  hopes, 
declares  the  good  hope  he  had  that  they 
would  persevere,  and  proposes  the  great  en¬ 
couragements  they  had  in  the  way  of  their 
duty. 

1.  The  good  hope  he  had  that  they  would 


endure  to  the  end,  v.  9.  Observe,  1.  There 
are  things  that  accompany  salvation,  that 
are  never  separated  from  it  ;  things  that 
show  the  person  to  he  in  a  state  of  salva¬ 
tion,  and  will  issue  in  eternal  salvation.  2. 
These  things  are  better  things  than  ever  any 
hypocrite  or  apostate  enjoyed.  3.  It  is  our 
duty  to  hope  well  of  those  in  whom  nothing 
appears  to  the  contrary.  4.  Ministers  must 
sometimes  caution  those  of  whose  salvation 
they  have  good  hopes.  And  those  who  have 
such  hopes  should  yet  consider  seriously  how 
fatal  a  disappointment  it  would  be  if  they 
should  fall  short.  Thus  they  are  to  work 
out  their  salvation  with  fear  and  trembling. 

II.  Arguments  and  encouragements  to  go 
on  in  the  way  of  their  duty.  1.  That  God 
had  wrought  a  principle  of  holy  love  and 
charity  in  them,  which  had  discovered  itself 
in  suitable  works  which  would  not  be  for¬ 
gotten  of  God,  v.  10.  what  is  done  to  any 
in  the  name  of  God,  shall  not  go  unreward¬ 
ed.  2.  Those  who  expect  a  gracious  re¬ 
ward  for  their  labor  of  love,  must  continue 
in  it  as  long  as  they  have  ability  and  oppor¬ 
tunity.  3.  Those  who  persevere  in  a  dili¬ 
gent  discharge  of  their  duty,  shall  attain  to 
the  full  assurance  of  hope  in  the  end.  Ob¬ 
serve,  Full  assurance  is  a  higher  degree  of 
hope;  and  is  attainable  by  great  diligence 
and  perseverance. 

III.  Caution  and  counsel  how  to  attain 
this  full  assurance  of  hope  to  the  end.  They 
should  not  be  slothful  ;  must  not  love  their 
ease,  nor  lose  their  opportunities,  but  follow 
the  good  examples  of  those  who  bad  gone 
before,  v.  12.  Where  learn.  There  are  some 
who  from  assurance  are  gone  to  inherit  the 
promises,  are  got  safe  to  heaven.  The  way 
they  came  to  the  inheritance,  was  that  of 
faith  and  patience.  If  we  ever  expect  to 


TRACT.  OBS.  V.  7 — 12.  A  negligent  and  unfruitful  profession  of 
the  Gospel,  tends  directly  to  the  brink  of  that  dreadful  precipice  above 
described. —  Let  us  then  fear,  with  humble  caution  and  watchful  prayer, 
in  respect  of  ourselves,  and  let  us  hope  the  best  of  others  that  the  case 
will  admit  of.  Whilst  we  warn  such  as  are  in  evident  danger,  we 
should  encourage  those,  in  whom  we  judge  that  the  1  things  which  ac¬ 
company  salvation  ’  are  found.  Ministers  should  frequently  specify 
these,  in  an  experimental  and  distinguishing  manner;  and,  in  respect  of 
them,  all  should  examine  themselves,  frequently  and  seriously,  instend 


of  perplexing  themselves  about  those  texts,  which  were  inserted  to 
serve  as  beacons,  to  warn  the  presumptuous  against  fatal  rocks,  and  not 
to  affright  the  humble  and  cautious. — We  should  earnestly  desire,  that 
we,  and  all  who  are  called  Christians,  may  ‘give  the  same  diligence’  in 
such  good  works,  as  the  most  eminent  saints  in  the  primitive  ages  dio 
This  is  the  scriptural  way  of  acquiring  and  preserving  ‘  the  full  assu¬ 
rance  of  hope,’  to  the  end  of  our  lives.  Many  have  thus  1  by  faith  and 
patience  inherited  the  promises,’  but  no  slothful  professor  of  Christian¬ 
ity  has  any  evidence  that  lie  is  following  them  to  heaven.  Scott. 


may  take  heed  to  themselves.’  And  Stuart  answers  to  the  same  ques¬ 
tion,  by  saying,  1  Because  God  treats  Christians  as  free,  rational  agents  ; 
and  guards  them  against  defection,  not  by  physical  power,  hut  by  a  mor¬ 
al  mean  adapted  to  their  natures.’  He  adds,  ‘  Whatever  views  may  he 
adopted  in  explanation  of  this  suhject,  there  can  be  no  doubt,  that  Chris¬ 
tians  are  to  be  solemnly  and  earnestly  warned  against  the  danger  of  apos¬ 
tasy,  and  consequent,  final  perdition.’  Ed. 

(6.)  If  they  shall  fall  away.]  ‘And  have  fallen,  &c.’  Stuart. — ‘But 
have,’  «fcc.  Rosenm. — ‘And  yet  have,’&c.  Mackn. — ‘If  they  fall  totally 
away  ;  which  must  certainly  he  the  sense,  or  it  would  prove,  contrary 
to  the  plainest  fact,  that  it  is  impossible  to  recover  Christians  who  have 
fallen  into  great  and  wilful  sins.’  Doddr. 

V.  7  8.  This  was  a  solemn  warning  to  professed  Christians  to  be- 
ware,  that  they  were  not  left  to  apostatize,  ns  the  punishment  of  their 
mifruitfulness. — (7)  Herbs.]  Here  only.  All  vegetable  productions  are 
included.  Gen.  1:11,  12.  Scott. 

V.  9,  10.  While  the  apostle  spoke  such  awful  and  alarming  truths, 
with  reference  to  the  case  of  those,  to  whom  lie  knew  them  to  be  sea¬ 
sonable,  he  would  not  have  it  thought,  he  had  an  unfavorable  opinion  of 
the  Hebrew  Christians  in  general,  or  those  whom  he  immediately  ad¬ 
dressed  in  particular.  The  expression  [‘  fPe  are  persuaded ,’  &c.j  is  re¬ 
markable  and  emphatical;  the  things  before  spoken  of  (Note,  1 — 6.) 
might,  or  they  might  not,  ‘  accompany,’  or  be  inseparably  connected 
With  ‘  salvation ;’  but  those  tilings  of  which  lie  now  spake,  were  always 
found  in  true  converts,  and  never  in  any  others. — ‘Nothing  availeth  in 
Christ  .  ..  but  faith  which  worketh  by  love,’  —  ‘but  a  new  creation.’ 

‘  Hereby  we  know,  that  we  are  passed  from  death  unto  life,  because  xve 
love  the  brethren.’—*  To  be  spiritually  mindqd  is  life  and  peace.’  Mat. 
5  3—12  Horn.  8:5—9.  2  Cor.  5:17.  Gal.  5:1— G.  6:15,  1G.  Eph.  2:4—10. 

1  John  &  /3 — 15.  There  is  no  intimation  in  the  whole  Bible,  that  any 
one,  who  ever  had  these  things,  came  short  of  eternal  salvation,  or  that 
any  apostate  ever  possessed  them.  Labor  of  love.  Sc c.|  The  apostle 
especially  referred,  in  this,  to  those  Jewish  converts,  who  had  manifested 
their  love  o  the  name  of  God,  as  revealed  in  Christ,  by  their  works,  yea, 
their  labor  ous  services,  and  ‘  in  ministering  to  the  saints  ’  for  his  sake. 
10:32 — 34.  1  Thes.  1:1 — 4.  Of  this,  a  most  admirable  specimen  had 
been  given,  afler  the  day  of  Pentecost ;  and  many  of  them  still  continu¬ 
ed  the  samt  disinterested,  self-denying  conduct.  Id. 

(9.)  May  not  this  suggest,  that  the  apostle  had  spoken  to  the  possi¬ 
bility,  and  fi  ar,  perhaps,  of  there  being  among  the  Hebrews  some  hypo¬ 
crites,  or  dec.  jived  persons,  of  the  character  described  ;  and  that  he  would 
not  be  understood  as  having  implied,  that  ‘real  Christians’  or  true  be¬ 
lievers  could  thus  fall  away,  even  though  it  should  be  naiural  to  address 
them  as  if  in  danger  ;  and  they  are  so  addressed  here  and  elsewhere  in 
the  sacred  Scriptures  ?’  _  Ed. 

V.  11, 12.  The  apostle  and  his  brethren  earnestly  desired  and  longed, 
that  every  one  of  those  whom  he  addressed  might  thenceforth  show  the 

[523] 


same  attentive  and  disinterested  ‘  diligence  ’  in  good  works,  which  some 
had  heretofore  shown  ;  that  so  evidencing  his  faith  to  he  genuine,  beyond 
all  reason  for  doubt  or  hesitation,  be  might  obtain  and  possess  the  ‘  full  as¬ 
surance  of  hope’  in  respect  of  his  final  salvation,  to  comfort  him  under 
all  trials,  even  to  the  end  of  life.  Tims  the  whole  company  would  be 
distinguished  from  ‘slothful,’  unfruitful  professors  of  Christianity,  and 
he  approved  as  ‘imitators’  of  their  pious  progenitors;  and  of  those 
Christians,  who,  hy  faith  in  the  promises  of  God,  and  ‘patient  continu¬ 
ance  in  well-doing,’  and  in  waiting  his  time  of  deliverance  from  trials, 
had  at  length  entered  into  rest,  and  were  actually  enjoying  that  perfect 
felicity,  in  which  all  the  promises  of  God  to  his  people  centered.  10: 
35 — 39. — This  is  a  conclusive  proof  of  the  immediate  happiness  of  be¬ 
lievers  after  death,  if  the  above  be  the  true  interpretation  ;  and,  after 
having  maturely  considered  the  other  interpretations  of  the  passage, 
which  some  learned  men  have  given,  the  author  hesitates  not  to  say, 
that  he  considers  them  as  absurd.  He  lias  no  doubt  the  apostle  meant 
to  lend  his  readers  to  meditate  on  the  happiness  of  Abraham,  Moses, 
Joshua,  and  Job,  and  all  others,  who  had  on  earth  lived  hy  faith  in  the 
promises  of  God,  especially  the  great  promise  of  a  Savior,  and  eternal 
salvation  by  Him;  bad  patiently  waited,  labored,  and  suffered,  in  the 
obedience  of  faith;  and  in  consequence  were,  at  the  time  when  the 
apostle- wrote  this,  inheriting  the  promises  of  God,  of  eternal  blessings 
through  Christ  to  all  believers. — ‘  Assurance  of  hope  ’  (11 )  should  be  dis¬ 
tinguished  from  ‘  the  assurance  of  understanding,’  Col.  2:1 — 4.  and  from 
‘the  assurance  of  faith,’  10:19 — 22.  He  who  so  understands  the  Gospel, 
as  to  perceive  the  relation  of  each  part  to  all  (he  rest,  and  its  use  as  a 
part  of  one  grand  design  ;  in  something  of  the  same  manner,  that  a  skil¬ 
ful  anatomist  understands  the  use  and  office  of  every  part  of  the  human 
body,  in  relation  to  the  whole,  lias  ‘the  full  assurance  of  understand¬ 
ing;’  and  those  tilings  which  appear  inconsistent,  useless,  or  superfluous 
to  others,  lie  perceives  essentially  necessary  to  the  system,  or  great  de¬ 
sign.  The  man  who  is  fully  convinced,  that  this  consistent  mid  harmo¬ 
nious,  though  complicated  design,  is  the  xvork  and  revelation  of  God, 
and  has  no  doubt  the  things  testified  are  true,  that  the  promises  and 
threatenings  will  be  fulfilled,  and  that  Christ  will  certainly  save  all  true 
believers,  has  ‘the  full  assurance  of  faith  ;’  though  he  may,  through  mis¬ 
apprehension,  or  temptation,  or  other  causes,  doubt  of  his  own  personal 
interest  in  this  salvation.  But  he  who,  beyond  doubt  or  hesitation,  is 
assured,  that  he  himself  is  a  true  believer,  interested  in  all  the  precious 
promises,  sealed  by  the  sanctifying  Spirit,  and  ‘a  partaker  of  the  glory 
that  shall  be  revealed  ;’  has  ‘  the  full  assurance  of  hope.’ — ‘The  full  as¬ 
surance  of  faith  ’  is  the  duty  of  every  one  ;  for  he  who  donbts  the  truth 
of  the  testimony,  or  the  faithfulness  of  the  promises  of  God,  questions 
his  veracity  ;  1  Jn.  5:9,  10.  but  ‘  the  full  assurance  of  hope  ’  must  be  ob¬ 
tained  and  preserved  by  diligence;  and,  though  the  want  of  it  may  gener¬ 
ally  be  traced  to  a  criminal  source,  it  is  not  the  proximate  duty  of  every 
one,  in  fact  of  a  very  few.  1  Pet.  3:13 — 16.  2  Pet.  1:10,  11.  A  man  may 


A.  D.  65. 


HEBREWS,  VII. 


The  promise  and  oath  of  God. 


13  For  when  God  made  promise 
to  Abraham,  because  he  could 
swear  by  no  greater,  he  sware  by 
himself, 

14  Saying,  9  Surely  blessing  I  will 
bless  thee,  and  multiplying  I  will 
multiply  thee. 

15  And  so,  after  he  had  patiently 
endured,  he  obtained  the  promise. 

16  For  men  verily  swear  by  the 
greater  :  and  an  oath  r  for  confirm¬ 
ation  is  to  them  an  end  of  all  strife. 

17  Wherein  God,  willing  more 
abundantly  to  shew  unto  the  heirs 
•of  promise  the  immutability  ‘of  his 
counsel,  “confirmed  it  by  an  oath  ; 

1 S  That  by  two  immutable  things, 
in  which/ was  impossible  for  God 
to  T  lie,  we  might  have  a  strong 
consolation,  who  have  fled  for  ref¬ 
uge,  to  lay  hold  w  upon  the  hope  set 
before  us  : 

19  Which  hope  we  have  as  an 
anchor  of  the  soul,  both  sure  and 
steadfast,  and  which  entereth  into 
that  within  1  the  veil ; 

20  Whither  *  the  forerunner  is 
for  us  entered,  even  Jesus,  made 
an  high  priest  for  ever  after  the 
order  of  z  Melchisedec. 


CHAP.  VII. 

I  Christ  Jesus  is  a  priest  after  the  order  of  Melchisedec,  II 
and  so,  far  more  excellent  than  the  priests  of  Aaron’s 
order. 

FOR  this  •Melchisedec,  king  of 
Salem,  priest  of  the  most  high 


q  Ge.  22:16,17.  u  interposed 

r  Ex.  22:11.  himself. 

s  Ro.  8:17.  c.  11:9.  v  Tit.  1:2. 
t  Ro.  11:29.  w  1  Ti.  6:12. 


x  Le.  16:15. 
y  c.  4:14. 
z  c.  7:17. 
a  Ge.  14:18,  &c. 


inherit  as  they  do,  vve  must  follow  in  the 
same  way:  those  who  thus  follow,  shall  over¬ 
take  them  at  the  end,  and  be  partakers  of 
the  same  blessedness. 

IV.  A  clear,  full  account  of  the  assured 
truth  of  the  promises  of  God,  v.  13.  to  the 
end.  They  are  all  confirmed  by  the  oath  of 
God,  all  founded  in  the  eternal  counsel  of 
God,  therefore  may  be  depended  on. 

1.  They  are  all  confirmed  by  the  oath  of 
God.  And  here  observe,  he  specifies  the  oath 
of  God  to  Abraham;  which,  being  sworn  to 


him  as  the  father  of  the  faithful,  remains  in 
full  force  to  all  true  believers.  Abraham, 
in  due  time,  obtained  the  promise  ;  it  was 
made  good  to  him  after  he  had  patiently  en¬ 
dured;  and  so  it  will  be  to  them.  There  is 
always  an  interval,  sometimes  a  long  and 
trying  one,  between  the  promise  and  the 
performance  ;  but  those  who  patiently  en¬ 
dure,  shall  assuredly  obtain  the  blessings 
promised,  as  sure  as  Abraham  did.  The 
end  and  design  of  an  oath  is,  to  make  the 
promise  sure,  and  to  encourage  those  to 
whom  it  is  made,  to  wait  with  patience  till 
the  time  for  performance  comes,  v.  16.  So 
men  swear  by  the  greater,  not  by  creatures, 
but  by  the  Lord  Himself,  to  end  all  dispute, 
either  within  our  own  breasts,  or  with 
others,  especially  with  the  Promiser.  Now 
if  God  would  condescend  to  take  an  oath  to 
his  people.  He  will  surely  remember  the  na¬ 
ture  and  design  of  it. 

2.  The  promises  of  God  are  all  founded 
in  his  eternal  counsel.  The  promise  ofbies- 
sedness  God  has  made  to  believers,  is  not  a 
rash  and  hasty  thing,  but  the  result  of  his 
eternal  purpose,  a  purpose  agreed  on  in 
council,  and  settled  there  between  the  eter¬ 
nal  Father,  Son,  and  Spirit.  These  coun¬ 
sels  of  God  can  never  be  altered ;  for  noth¬ 
ing  new  can  arise  to  Him  who  sees  the  end 
from  the  beginning. 

3.  The  promises  of  God,  founded  on 
these  immutable  counsels  of  God,  and  con¬ 
firmed  by  the  oath  of  God,  may  safely  be 
depended  on;  for  here  we  have  two  immut¬ 
able  things,  the  counsel  and  the  oath  of  God, 
in  which  it  is  impossible  for  God  to  lie, 
contrary  to  his  nature,  as  well  as  to  his  will. 
Here  observe, 

(1.)  Who  they  are,  to  whom  God  has  given 
such  full  security  of  happiness.  The  heirs 
of  the  promise,  by  inheritance,  by  virtue  of 
their  new  birth,  and  union  with  Christ.  We 
are  all  by  nature  children  of  wrath;  it  is  by 
a  new  and  heavenly  birth  that  any  are  born 
heirs  to  the  promise.  They  are  such  as  have 
fled  for  refuge  to  the  hope  set  before  them ; 
not  to  the  cities  of  refuge,  provided  for  per¬ 
sons  pursued  by  the  avenger  of  blood,  but  to  a 
much  better  refuge  prepared  by  the  Gospel ; 
a  refuge  for  all  sinners  who  shall  have  the 
heart  to  flee  to  it  ;  yea,  though  they  have 
been  the  chief  of  sinners. 

(2.)  What  God’s  design  toward  them  is, 
in  giving  them  such  securities, — that  they 
might  have  strong  consolation.  Observe, 
God  is  concerned  for  the  consolation  of  be¬ 
lievers,  as  well  as  for  their  sanctification; 


I  the  comforts  of  this  world  are  too  weak  to 
|  bear  up  the  soul  under  temptation,  persecu¬ 
tion,  and  death;  but  the  consolations  of  the 
Lord  are  neither  few  nor  small. 

(3.)  What  use  the  people  of  God  should 
make,  of  that  most  refreshing  and  comfort¬ 
able  hope  of  eternal  blessedness  that  God 
has  given  them.  This  is,  and  must  be,  unto 
them,  for  an  anchor  to  the  soul,  sure  and  stead¬ 
fast,  &c.  v.  19.  Here,  we  are  as  a  ship  at 
sea,  in  danger  of  being  cast  away.  Our 
souls  are  the  vessels  ;  the  comforts,  expec¬ 
tation,  graces,  and  happiness  of  our  souls 
the  precious  cargo;  heaven  is  the  harbor  to 
which  we  sail  ;  the  temptations,  persecu¬ 
tions,  and  afflictions  we  encounter,  are  the 
winds  and  waves  that  threaten  our  ship¬ 
wreck.  We  have  need  of  an  anchor  to  keep 
us  sure  and  steady,  and  that  anchor  is  our 
gospel-hope  ;  as  in  our  day  of  battle  it  is 
our  helmet,  so  in  our  stormy  passage  through 
this  world  it  i3  our  anchor.  It  is  sure  and 
steadfast  ;  sure  in  its  own  nature,  steadfast 
as  to  its  Object,  an  anchor  cast  on  the  rock, 
the  Rock  of  ages  ;  not  in  the  sands,  but 
within  the  veil,  and  upon  Christ.  As  He  is 
entered  within  the  veil,  to  intercede  with 
God,  in  virtue  of  that  sacrifice  which  He 
offered  up  without  the  veil,  hope  fastens  on 
his  sacrifice  and  intercession.  As  He  is  the 
Forerunner  of  his  people,  He  is  the  Earnest 
and  First-fruits  of  believers,  both  in  his  re¬ 
surrection  and  in  his  ascension.  And  He 
abides  there,  a  High  Priest  after  the  order 
of  Melchisedec  ;  whose  priesthood  shall 
never  fail,  till  it  has  accomplished  its  whole 
work  and  design,  which  is  the  full  and  final 
happiness  of  all  who  have  believed  on  Christ. 
This  should  engage  us  all  to  clear  up  our  in¬ 
terest  in  Christ,  that  we  may  fix  our  hopes 
in  Him  as  our  Forerunner.  Let  us  then  love 
heaven  the  more  on  his  account,  and  long  to 
be  there  with  Him,  where  we  shall  be  for 
ever  safe,  and  for  ever  satisfied. 


Chap.  VII.  The  doctrine  of  the  priestly 
office  of  Christ  is  so  excellent  in  itself,  and 
so  essential  a  part  of  the  Christian  faith, 
that  the  apostle  loves  to  dwell  upon  it.  No¬ 
thing  made  the  Jews  so  fond  of  the  Leviti- 
cal  dispensation, as  the  high  esteem  they  had 
of  their  priesthood;  and  it  wras  doubtless  a 
sacred  and  most  excellent  institution  ;  but 
here  the  apostle  assures  them,  that  by  receiv¬ 
ing  the  Lord  Jesus  they  would  have  a  much 
better  High  Priest,  a  priesthood  of  a  higher 
order,  and  consequently  a  better  dispensa¬ 
tion  or  covenant,  a  better  law  and  testament. 


PRACT.  OBS.  V.  13 — 18.  The  privileges  of  the  Gospel  belong  to 
the  diligent  and  fruitful,  who  walk  in  the  steps  of  Abraham,  to  whom 
the  promises  were  made.  These  obtain  an  inward  testimony,  by  the 
powerful  operation  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  and  give  abundant  proof  in  their 
lives,  that  they  are  ‘  the  children  of  Abraham,  and  heirs  according  to  the 
promise.’  Because  their  infirmities  are  many,  and  their  trials  great, 
their  condescending  and  compassionate  Father  is  ‘  willing  more  abun¬ 
dantly  to  show  them  the  immutability  of  his  counsel,’  that,  by, his  faith¬ 
ful  Word  and  irrevocable  oath,  ‘  they  might  have  a  strong  consolation, 
having  fled  for  refuge  to  lay  hold  on  the  hope  set  before  them.’  Indeed 
the  Lord,  having  ‘sworn  by  Himself,  that  He  hath  no  pleasure  in  the 
death  of  a  sinner,  but  that  he  should  repent  and  live,’  holds  out  abun¬ 
dant  encouragement  to  all,  whom  He  ‘  warns  to  flee  from  the  wrath  to 
come,’  and  invites  to  ‘lay  hold  for  refuge  on  the  hope  set  before  them.’ 

question,  whether  the  paper  in  his  possession  be  a  genuine  bank-bill, 
or  a  counterfeit ;  and  yet  have  no  doubt,  either  of  the  ability  or  will¬ 
ingness  of  the  Directors  of  the  Bank,  to  honor  every  genuine  bank-bill. 
— 1  The  full  assurance  of  hope,’  in  the  highest  meaning  of  the  words,  is 
attained  by  comparatively  few,  and  is  seldom  if  ever  preserved,  without 
some  degree  of  diminution  or  variation,  through  the  remainder  of  life; 
but  a  prevailing  assurance  of  acceptance,  and  of  final  salvation,  is  the 
privilege  of  all  diligent  and  consistent  Christians,  and  is,  in  them,  sel¬ 
dom  greatly  interrupted,  except  by  misapprehension,  or  by  peculiar 
temptations  and  conflicts,  or  by  their  being  betrayed  into  sin.  Scott- 

V.  13 — 15.  The  quotation  is  not  made  exactly  from  the  Sept,  nor 
does  it  entirely  accord  with  the  Heb.  Gen.  22:16,  17.  but  it  gives  the 
general  meaning,  in  words  suited  to  the  occasion.  Id. 

V.  16 — 20.  No  anchors  can  at  all  limes  secure  the  ship  from  driving, 
or  being  wrecked  ;  but  this  hope  in  the  divine  promise,  oath,  and  cov¬ 
enant,  was  so  ‘  sure  ’  in  itself,  and  kept  the  possessor  so  ‘steadfast  ’  in 
his  adherence  to  the  truth  and  cause  of  God,  that  it  always  secured  him 
from  final  ruin,  and,  in  proportion  to  its  vigorous  exercise,  from  tempo¬ 
rary  failures  also,  and  against  the  storms  of  incumbent  temptations.  Id. 

(18.)  ‘  fly  the  two  immutable  things,  the  best  commentators,  ancient 
and  modern,  understand  the  promise  of  God,  of  itself  immutable  (see 
Rom.  11:29.)  and  the  oath  of  God,  added  in  condescension  to  human  in- 
N.  T.  VOL.  V.  67 


Let  then  such  as  have  fled  to  Christ,  and  have  their  hope  sealed  to  them, 
‘  by  the  love  of  God  shed  abroad  in  their  hearts  by  the  Holy  Spirit,’  rely 
confidently  on  the  power,  truth,  mercy,  and  covenant  of  God,  amidst  all 
the  opposition  of  earth  and  hell.  Rom.  5: 3 — 5.  8:15 — 17,28 — 39.  Let 
them  pray  for  faith  and  hope  equal  to'lheir  security,  staying  their  souls 
on  the  Word  of  God,  and  on  the  mediation  of  their  great  High  Priest,  in 
all  dangers,  afflictions,  and  temptations ;  let  them  follow  the  steps,  as 
well  as  trust  in  the  merits,  of  the  great  Forerunner  of  his  people;  for, 
while  those  who  go  before  on  earth,  to  prepare  the  way  and  make  all 
ready  for  others,  are  commonly  in  many  respects  greatly  their  inferiors  ; 
our  ‘  Forerunner,’  is  the  ‘  Lord  of  hosts,  the  King  of  glory,’  ‘  God  man¬ 
ifested  in  the  flesh.’ — Let  ns,  therefore,  ‘set  our  affections  on  things 
above,’  and  wait  patiently  for  his  appearance,  when  we  also  shall  most 
certainly  ‘  appear  with  Him  in  glory.’  Col.  3:1 — 4.  Scott. 


firmity.’  Bloomf. — Stuart  says,  they  are  ‘the  oath  of  God  that  Abra¬ 
ham  should  have  a  son,  the  Messiah,  Gen.  22:18.  and  the  oath  that  He 
should  be  a  Priest  forever  after  the  order  of  Melchisedec,  Ps.  110:4.’  Ed. 

(18.)  ‘  No  real  misery  can  be  removed,  or  benefit  conferred,  by  doc¬ 
trines  which  want  the  seal  of  certainty.  And  were  the  Gospel  a  human 
invention,  or  checked  by  any  rational  suspicion,  that  it  may  turn  out  a 
fable  ;  it  might  retain  its  brilliancy,  its  sublimity,  and  even  some  portion 
of  its  interest,  but  the  chasm  of  its  consolation  would  he  gone.  Nay,  it 
would  add  gall  to  bitterness,  by  fostering  a  hope  that  the  next  hour 
might  laugh  to  scorn.  But  we  may  dismiss  our  anxiety.  The  promises, 
no  man  can  deny,  are  exceeding  great ;  yet  they  derive  their  value  from 
assurances,  which,  by  satisfying  the  hardest  condition  of  evidence,  ten¬ 
der  doubt  not  only  inexcusable,  but  even  criminal.  Oh,  it  is  this  which 
makes  Christianity  glad  tidings  to  the  depressed  and  perishing  . 

6  Rev.  Dr.  J.  M.  Mason. 

(19,  20.)  Anchor.]  ‘  With  respect  to  the  metaphor,  nothing -  is 
frequent  among  classical  writers.  From  tli is,  however,  1 
inferred  thnt  Paul  had  read  Greek  classics,  fl>r  the  expressi  ^  OOMF 

beNOTES.,alCHAP.  VII.  V.  1—3.  The  apostle  had  repeatedly  reterred 

to  the  propheev,  that  the  Messiah  should  be  a  ^“  H^lvnold  ’  rese  nb  e 
order  of  Melchisedec,’  signifying,  that  Ins  priesthood  would  resemble 


A.  D.  65. 


HEBREWS,  VII. 


The  priesthood  of  Melchisedec. 


God,  who  met  Abraham  returning 
from  the  slaughter  of  the  kings, 
and  blessed  him  ; 

2  To  whom  also  Abraham  gave 
a  tenth  of  all  ;  first  being  by  inter¬ 
pretation  King  of  righteousness, 
and  after  that  also  King  of  Salem, 
which  is,  King  of  peace  ; 

3  Without  father,  without  moth¬ 
er,  without  b  descent,  having  neith¬ 
er  beginning  of  days,  nor  end  of 
life  ;  but  made  like  unto  the  Son  of 
God,  abideth  a  priest  continually. 

4  Now  consider  how  great  this 
man  was,  unto  whom  even  the  pa¬ 
triarch  Abraham  gave  the  tenth  of 
the  spoils. 

5  And  verily  they  that  are  of  the 
sons  of  Levi,  who  'receive  the  of¬ 
fice  of  the  priesthood,  have  a  com¬ 
mandment  to  take  tithes  ot  the 
people  according  to  the  law,  that 
is,  of  their  brethren,  though  they 
come  out  of  the  loins  of  Abraham  : 

6  But  he,  whose  d  descent  is  not 
counted  from  them,  received  'tithes 
of  Abraham,  and  blessed  him  that 
had  fthe  promises. 

7  And  without  all  contradiction 
the  less  is  blessed  of  the  better. 

b  pedigree.  d  pedigree.  f  Ro.  9:4. 

c  Nu.  18.21 — 2G.  e  Ge.  14:20. 


V.  1 — 3.  The  cli.  foregoing  ended  with  a 
repetition  of  what  had  been  cited  once  and 
again  before,  out  of  Ps.  110:  4.  This  ch.  is 
as  a  sermon  on  that  text  ;  here  the  apostle 
sets  before  them  some  of  die  strong  meat  lie 
had  spoken  of  before,  hoping  they  would  by 
greater  diligence  be  better  prepared  to  di¬ 
gest  it. 

The  great  question  that  first  offers  itself, 
is,  Who  was  this  Melchisedec'!  All  the  ac¬ 
count  we  have  of  him  in  the  Old  Test.,  is  in 
Gen.  14:  18,  19,  &c.  and  in  Ps.  110:  4.  but 
the  opinions  concerning  him,  that  are  best 
worthy  our  consideration,  are  these  three  : 

1.  l’he  rabbins,  and  most  of  the  Jewish 
writers,  think  he  was  Sliem  the  son  of 


Noah,  who  was  king  and  priest  to  those 
they  descended  from,  after  the  manner  of  the 
other  patriarchs  ;  hut  it  is  not  probable  lie 
should  thus  change  his  name.  Besides,  we 
have  no  account  ol  his  settling  in  the  land 
of  Canaan. 

2.  Many  Christian  writers  have  thought 
him  to  be  Jesus  Christ  Himself,  appearing 
by  a  special  dispensation  and  privilege  to 
Abraham  in  the  flesh,  and  who  was  known 
to  Abraham  by  the  name  Melchisedec ,  which 
agrees  very  well  to  Christ,  and  to  what  is  ] 
said,  John  8:  56.  Much  may  be  said  for  this  ; 
opinion,  and  what  is  said  in  v.  3.  does  not  j 
seem  to  agree  with  any  mere  man ;  but  then 
it  seems  strange  to  make  Christ  a  type  of 
Himself. 

3.  The  most  received  opinion  is,  that  he 
was  a  Canaanite  king,  who  reigned  in  Sa-  | 
lem,  and  kept  up  religion  and  the  worship  j 
of  the  true  God  ;  that  he  was  raised  to  be  a  | 
t\pe  of  Christ,  and  was  honored  by  Abra¬ 
ham  as  sutih. 

But  we  shall  leave  these  conjectures,  and  j 
labor  to  understand,  as  far  as  we  can,  what 
is  here  said  of  him  by  the  apostle,  and  how 
Christ  is  represented  thereby,  v.  1 — 3. 

(1.)  Melchisedec  was  a  king,  anil  so  is  ; 
the  Lord  Jesus  ;  a  King  of  God’s  anoint¬ 
ing  ;  the  government  is  laid  on  his  shoulders,  1 
and  He  rules  over  ail  for  the  good  of  his  ! 
people. 

(2.)  lie  was  king  of  right eous?iess  ;  his  I 
name  signifies  the  righteous  king.  Jesus 
Christ  is  a  rightful  and  a  righteous  King  ; 
rightful  in  his  title,  righteous  in  his  govern¬ 
ment. 

(3.)  He  was  king  of  Salem,  that  is  king 
of  peace;  first  king  of  righteousness,  and  after 
that,  king  of  peace.  So  is  our  Lord  Jesus; 
He  by  his  righteousness  is  peace.  Christ  I 
speaks  peace,  creates  peace.  He  is  our : 
Peace-Maker. 

(4.)  He  was  priest  of  the  most  high  God, 
qualified  and  anointed  in  an  extraordinary 
manner  to  be  bis  priest  among  the  Gentiles. 
So  is  the  Lord  Jesus  ;  lie  is  the  Priest  of 
the  most  high  God,  and  the  Gentiles  must 
come  to  God  by  Him  ;  it  is  only  through 
his  priesthood  that  we  can  obtain  reconcilia-  : 
lion,  and  remission  of  sin. 

(5.)  He  was  without  father,  without  mo-' 
ther,  without  descent,  having  neither  beginning 
of  days,  nor  end  of  life,  v.  3.  This  must  not 


be  understood  according  to  the  letter  ;  but 
the  Scripture  lias  chosen  to  set  him  forth  as 
an  extraordinary  person,  without  giving  us 
his  genealogy,  that  he  might  he  a  litter  type 
of  Christ,  who  as  Man  was  without  father, 
as  God  without  mother  ;  whose  priesthood 
is  without  descent,  did  not  descend  to  Him 
from  another,  nor  from  Him  to  another,  buu 
is  personal  and  perpetual. 

(6.)  He  met  Abraham  returning  from  the 
slaughter  of  the  kings,  and  blessed  him.  The 
incident  is  recorded  Gen.  14:  18.  &c.  Thus 
our  Lord  Jesus  meets  his  people  in  their 
spiritual  conflicts,  refreshes  them,  renews 
their  strength,  and  blesses  them.  , 

(7.)  Abraham  gave  him  a  tenth  part  of  all, 
v.  2.  that  is.  as  the  apostle  explains  it,  of  all 
the  spoils  ;  and  this  Abraham  did,  either  as 
an  expression  of  Ii is  gratitude,  or  as  a  testi¬ 
mony  of  bis  homage  and  subjection,  or  ns  an 
offering  vowed  and  dedicated  to  God,  to  be 
presented  by  bis  priest.  Tims  are  we  obliged 
to  make  all  possible  returns  of  love  and  grat¬ 
itude  to  tile  Lord  Jesus,  to  pay  our  homage 
and  subjection  to  Him  as  our  King,  and  to 
put  all  our  offerings  into  bis  bands,  to  be 
presented  by  Him  to  the  Father,  in  the  in¬ 
cense  of  b is  own  sacrifice. 

(8.)  Lastly,  This  Melchisedec  \v<hs  made 
like  unto  the  Son  of  God,  and  abideth  a  priest 
continually.  Iln  bore  I  lie  image  of  God  in 
bis  piety  and  authority,  and  stands  oil  rec¬ 
ord  as  an  immortal  high  priest;  the  ancient 
type  of  Him  who  is  the  eternal  and  only  be¬ 
gotten  of  the  Father,  who  abideth  a  Priest 
for  ever. 

V.  4 — 10.  Let  us  now  consider,  as  the 
apostle  advises,  bow  great  Melchisedec  was, 
and  how  far  his  priesthood  was  above  that 
of  the  order  of  Aaron,  v.4,5,  &c.  The  great¬ 
ness  of  this  man  and  bis  priesthood  appear, 

1.  From  Abraham’s  paying  the  tenth  of 
the  spoils  unto  him;  and  it  is  well  observed, 
that  Levi  paid  tithes  to  Melchisedec  in  Abra¬ 
ham,  v.  10.  Now  Levi  received  the  office  of 
the  priesthood  from  God,  and  was  to  take 
tithes  of  the  people,  yet  even  Levi  paid  tithes 
to  Melchisedec,  as  to  a  greater  and  higher 
priest  than  himself;  therefore  that  High 
Priest  who  should  afterward  appear,  of 
whom  Melchisedec  was  a  type,  must  be  much 
superior  to  any  of  the  Levitical  priests,  who 
paid  tithes,  in  Abraham,  to  Melchisedec. 
By  this  argument  of  persons’  doing  things 


that  of  Melchisedec,  and  not  that  of  Aaron.  (6:20.  Notes,  5: 5 — 10.  Ps. 
110:1.)  lie  therefore  next  proceeded  to  illustrate  that  prophecy,  and 
argue  more  explicitly  from  it,  as  compared  with  the  scriptural  account 
of  this  extraordinary  person.  Gen.  14:18 — 20.  '•Salem'  probably  means 
Jerusalem;  '■Priest  of  the  most  hixh  God,'  i.  e.  by  an  appointment  of 
which  wc  have  no  information. — The  union  in  Melchisedec,  of  royal  au¬ 
thority  with  the  priestly  office,  (which  were  dividedsbetweeti  the  family 
of  Aaron  and  timt  of  David,  in  the  case -ttf  Israel,). plainly  pointed  to  the 

Messiah,  as  ‘a  Priest  on  his  throne.’  Zech.  6:12,  13 _ It  is  not  so  much 

as  known  from  which  of  Noah’s  sons  Melchisedec  descended.  Moreover, 
nothing  was  recorded  of  Melchisedec  respecting  the  ‘beginning  of  his 
life,  or  the  end  of  his  days,’  and  priesthood.  In  all  these  respects  the 
silence  of  the  Scripture,  being  intentional,  and  referring  to  the  great 
Antitype,  is  mentioned  in  language  taken  from  the  instruction  to  be 
conveyed,  rather  than  from  historical  fact,  of  which  learned  men  have 
brought  instances  from  other  writers  of  antiquity. — Without  genealogy .] 
Not  elsewhere.  No  genealogy  is  given  of  Melchisedec  ;  and  those  of 
Christ  lead  back,  not  to  Aaron,  but  to  David  and  Judah.  (6,14.)  Made 
like. ]  Here  only.  2:17.— Tlie  composition  is  probably  intended  to  add 
energy.  Made  very  like.  Scott. 

(j.)  Melchisedec.']  Henry’s  view,  3.  is  the  one,  substantially,  of 
which  Stuart  saxs,  it  ‘lies  on  the  face  of  the  sacred  record,  Gen.  14. 
and  lleh.  7.  and  is  the  only  one  which  can  be  defended  on  any  tolerable 
grounds  of  interpretation. ’  Of  the  other  most  popular  opinion,  that 
Melchisedec  was  Christ,  lie  observes,  that  ‘it  forces  the  interpretation 
that  “Christ  is  like  unto  Himself;”  or,  that  a  formal  comparison  is 
here  instituted  hit  ween  Christ  and  Himself.'  Ed  — ‘  The  design  of  the 
apostle  in  this  ch.  is,  not  to  declare  the  nature  or  exercise  of  Christ's 
priesthood;  the  former  he  had  spoken  of,  ch.  5.  and  of  the  latter  he 
speaks,  ch.  9.  but  here  he  speaks  of  its  excellence  and  dignity,  and  that 
not  absolutely, but  in  comparison  with  the  Levitical  priesthood.’  Owen. 
—  Having  reproved  them  for  the  little  progress  they  had  made  in  Chris¬ 
tian  knowledge,  5:11.  6:3.  warned  them  against  the  dreadful  conse¬ 
quences  of  abandoning  the  Christian  religion.  6:4 — 8.  and  encouraged 
the  II  to  hold  fast  their  faith,  and  hope,  even  to  the  end,  by  the  example 
ol  Abraham,  and  the  oath  of  God  to  assure  them  of  an  adequate  reward, 
6  9—19  the  writer  now  returns  to  make  the  comparison  of  Christ,  as 
High  Priest,  with  Melchisedec,  whose  name,  with  that  of  Christ,  had  been 
already  more  than  once  introduced,  5:6,  10.  The  subject  he  pursues  to 
the  end  of  7:25.  where  he  resumes  the  topic  broken  off  at  5:10.  and 
completes  what  he  had  to  say  concerning  it,  7:26 — 28.’  Stuart. 

(2.)  Gave  a  tenth.]  ‘That  this  was  far  different  from  an  interchange 


of  Courtesy,  is  plain  from  the  apostle,  and  that  the  tenth  was  not  acciden¬ 
tal,  is  evident  from  the  extreme  antiquity  of  the  custom,  in  all  nations, 
of  making  these  grateful  offerings,  and  that  in  this  very  proportion.’  llL. 

(3.)  Without  father,  Ac.]  The  commentators  generally  agree  that 
what  is  meant,  is,  that  his  name  was  not  preserved,  or  the  names  of  his 
parents,  in  the  sacred  genealogies.  Stuart  suggests,  that  it  may  mean, 
that  his  parents  were  not  of  ‘  kingly  rank.’  Ed. —  Made  tike ,  Ac.]  ‘  The 
apostle  is  not  laboring  to  show  that  Melchisedec,  in  respect  to  his  priest¬ 
hood,  was  made  tike  to  Christ;  but  vice  versa.  Ps.  110:4  compares  the 
Son  of  God  as  Priest,  to  Melchisedec;  and  this  is  the  order  of  nature  and 
propriety.’  Stuart. — Doddr.  suggests,  it  may  refer  to  lack  of  '■priestly 
ancestors.’  Ed. 

V.  4 — 10.  The  argument,  arising  from  the  fact,  that  one  of  Abra¬ 
ham’s  contemporaries  was  in  some  tilings  superior  to  him,  as  here 
stated,  served  to  introduce  with  great  advantage  a  most  conclusive  ar¬ 
gument  against  the  perpetual  obligation  of  the  Levitical  law,  and  the 
continuance  of  tile  Aaronic  priesthood,  and  that  of  the  covenant  made 
with  the  nation  of  Israel  at  Sinai.  Ex.  19:5.  The  apostle,  therefore, 
exhorted  the  Hebrews  to  ‘  consider  how  great  ’  a  person  their  inspired 
lawgiver  had  represented  Melchisedec  to  be,  not  so  much  in  respect  of 
his  regal  authority,  as  of  his  priesthood;  when  even  ‘the  patriarch 
Abraham,’  the  honored  father  of  their  whole  nation,  who  was  not  one 
of  Melchisedec’s  subjects,  or  in  any  other  way  connected  with  him, 
owned  his  superiority,  and  paid  him  tithes,  as  the  representative  ‘of 
the  most  high  God.’  The  I.evites,  indeed,  were  ordered  in  the  law,  as 
the  Lord’s  tribe,  ‘to  take  tithes  of  their  brethren,’  the  descendants  of 
Abraham,  of  which  the  priests  had  a  tenth  part  for  their  portion  ;  Lev. 
27:30 — 33.  Num.  18:21 — 32.  but  Melchisedec.  who  was  not  of  Abra¬ 
ham's  family,  received  tithes  of  that  patriarch  himself.  Nay,  as  ‘  the 
priest  of  the  most  high  God,’  he  pronounced  a  solemn  benediction  upon 
him,  to  whom  the.  promises,  concerning  the  Messiah,  and  ‘all  nations 
being  blessed  in  him’  were  made.  Now  it  was  well  known,  and  cer¬ 
tain  beyond  ‘all  contradiction,’  that  the  inferior  character  was  to  he 
blessed,  in  this  authoritative  manner,  by  the  superior  and  more  hon¬ 
orable  ;  as  children  by  their  parents,  and  the  people  by  the  priests.  11: 
20,21.  Num.  6:21 — 27.  So  that,  some  One  higher  than  Abraham,  or 
Aaron,  or  any  mere  man  of  his  race,  was  evidentlv  to  be  expected,  as  ‘  a 
Priest  for  ever,  after  the  order  of  Melchisedec.’  Under  the  law,  indeed, 
mere  siiiful,  dying  men  took  tithes  of  their  brethren,  and  so  one  genera¬ 
tion  after  another  rose  up  to  receive  them  ;  but,  in  the  case  of  Melchis- 
edec,  one,  concerning  whom  it  was  only  ‘  witnessed  that  he  livelh,’  libat 
is,  nothing  is  said  either  of  his  birth  or  his  death,)  received  tithes  of 


A.  D.  65. 


HEBREWS,  VII. 


Necessity  of  a  spiritual  priesthood. 


8  And  here  men  that  die  receive 
tithes  ;  hut  there  he  receiveth  them, 
of  whom  g  it  is  witnessed  that  he 
liveth. 

9  And  as  I  may  so  say,  Levi  also, 
who  receiveth  tithes,  payed  tithes 
in  Abraharn. 

10  For  he  was  yet  in  the  loins  of 
his  father,  when  Melchisedec  met 
him. 

11  If  h  therefore  perfection  were 
by  the  Levitical  priesthood,  (for 
under  it  the  people  received  the 
law,)  what  further  need  was  there 
that  another  priest  should  rise  after 
the  order  of  Melchisedec,  and  not 
be  called  after  the  order  of  Aaron  ? 

12  For  the  priesthood  being 
changed,  there  is  made  of  necessi¬ 
ty  a  change  also  of  the  law. 

13  For  he  of  whom  these  things 
are  spoken,  pertaineth  to  another 
tribe,  of  which  no  man  gave  at¬ 
tendance  at  the  altar. 

14  For  it  is  evident  'that  our 
Lord  sprang  out  of  Juda;  of  which 
tribe  Moses  spake  nothing  concern¬ 
ing  'priesthood. 

15  And  it  is  yet  far  more  evident: 
for  that  after  the  similitude  of 
Melchisedec  there  ariseth  another 
priest, 

16  Who  is  made,  not  after  the 
law  of  a  carnal  commandment,  but 
after  the  power  of  an  endless  life. 

17  For  he  testifieth,  J  Thou  art  a 
priest  for  ever,  after  the  order  of 
Melchisedec. 

18  For  there  is  verily  a  disan¬ 
nulling  of  the  commandment  going 
before,  for  the  k  weakness  and  un¬ 
profitableness  thereof. 

[Practical  Observations.] 

g  c.  5:6.  Re.  1:18.  i  Ts.  11:1.  Mat.  j  Ps.  110:4. 
h  Ga.  2:21.  v.  18,  1:3.  Re.  5:5.  k  Ac.  13:39. 

19.  c.  8:7. 


that  are  matters  of  right  or  injury  in  the  loins 
of  their  predecessors,  we  have  an  illustration 
how  we  may  be  said  to  have  sinned  in  Ad¬ 
am,  and  fallen  with  him  in  his  first  transgres¬ 
sion,  [and  how  we  may  be  saved  by  Christ. 


Scott.]  We  were  in  Adam’s  loins  when  he 
sinned,  and  the  guilt  and  depravity  contract¬ 
ed  by  the  human  nature  when  it  was  in  our 
first  parents,  are  equitably  imputed  and  de¬ 
rived  to  the  same  nature,  as  it  is  in  all  other 
persons  naturally  descended  from  them.  They 
justly  adhere  to  the  nature,  and  it  must  be 
by  an  act  of  grace  if  ever  they  be  taken 
away. 

2.  From  Melchisedec’s  blessing  of  Abra¬ 
ham,  i oho  had  the  promises,  v.  6,  7.  Where, 
(1.)  Observe  Abraham’s  great  dignity  and 
felicity, — that  he  had  the  promises.  (2.)  Mel¬ 
chisedec’s  greater  honor,  in  that  it  was  his 
place  and  privilege  to  bless  Abraham  ;  and 
it  is  an  incon tested  maxim,  that  the  less  is 
blessed  of  the  greater,  v.  7.  He  who  gives 
the  blessing,  is  greater  than  he  who  receives 
it  ;  therefore  Christ,  the  Antitype  of  JMel- 
chisedec,  the  Meritor  and  Mediator  of  all 
blessings  to  the  children  of  men,  must  be 
greater  than  all  the  priests  of  the  order  of 
Aaron. 

V.  11. — 28.  Observp,  the  necessity  there 
was  of  raising  up  another  priest,  after  the 
order  of  Melchisedec,  and  not  after  the  or¬ 
der  of  Aaron,  by  whom  that  perfection  should 
come,  which  could  not  come  by  the  Levitical 
priesthood;  which  therefore  must  be  chang¬ 
ed,  and  the  whole  economy  with  it,  v.  11, 
12,  &c.  Blessed  be  God,  we  may  have  per¬ 
fect  holiness.and  perfect  happiness  by  Christ 
in  the  covenant  of  grace,  according  to  the 
Gospel,  for  we  are  complete  in  Him.  It  is 
asserted,  that,  the  priesthood  being  changed, 
there  must  of  necessity  be  a  change  of  the 
law;  there  being  so  near  a  relation  between 
the  priesthood  and  the  law,  the  dispensation 
could  not  be  the  same  under  another  priest¬ 
hood  ;  a  new  priesthood  must  be  under  a 
new  regulation,  managed  in  another  way, 
and  by  rules  proper  to  its  nature  and  order. 
It  is  not  only  asserted,  but  proved,  that  the 
priesthood  and  law  are  changed,  v.  13,  14. 
The  priesthood  and  law  by  which  perfection 
could  not  come,  are  abolished,  and  a  Priest 
is  risen,  and  a  dispensation  now  set  up,  by 
which  true  believers  may  be  made  perfect. 
Mow,  that  there  is  such  a  change,  is  obvious, 

1.  There  is  a  change  in  the  tribe  of  which 
the  priesthood  comes  :  before,  it  was  the 
tribe  of  Levi  ;  but  our  great  High  Priest 
sprang  out  of  Judah,  of  which  tribe  Moses 
spake  nothing  concerning  the  priesthood, 
v.  14.  This  change  of  the  family  shows  a 
real  change  of  the  law  of  priesthood. 

2.  There  is  a  change  in  the  form  and  or¬ 
der  of  making  the  priests  :  before,  in  the 


Levitical  priesthood,  they  were  made  after 
the  law  of  a  carnal  commandment,  or  law  of 
primogeniture;  but  our  present  High  Priest 
was  made  after  the  power  of  an  endless  life; 
the  life  and  immortality  He  had  in  Himself, 
were  his  right  and  title  to  the  priesthood, 
not  his  descent  from  former  priests.  This 
makes  a  great  difference  in  the  priesthood, 
and  in  the  economy  too,  and  gives  the  pref¬ 
erence  infinitely  to  Christ  and  the  Gospel. 
The  very  law  which  constituted  the  Leviti¬ 
cal  priesthood,  supposed  the  priests  to  be 
weak,  frail,  dying  creatures  ;  but  the  High 
Priest  of  our  profession  holds  his  office  by 
that  innate  power  of  endless  life  which  He 
has  in  Himself,  not  only  to  preserve  Himself 
alive,  but  to  communicate  spiritual  and  eter¬ 
nal  life  to  all  those  who  duly  rely  on  his  sac¬ 
rifice  and  intercession.  Some  think  the  law 
of  the  carnal  commandment  refers  to  the  ex¬ 
ternal  rites  of  consecration,  and  the  carnal 
offerings  that  were  made  ;  but  the  power  of 
endless  life,  to  the  spiritual  living  sacrifices 
proper  to  the  Gospel,  and  the  spiritual  and 
eternal  privileges  purchased  by  Christ,  who 
was  consecrated  by  the  eternal  Spirit  of  life 
that  He  received  without  measure. 

3.  There  is  a  change  in  the  efficacy  of 
the  priesthood  :  the  former  was  weak  and 
unprofitable,  made  nothing  perfect  ;  the  lat¬ 
ter  brought  in  a  better  hope,  by  which  we 
draw  near  to  God,  v.  IS,  19.  The  Leviti¬ 
cal  priesthood  could  not  justify  men’s  per¬ 
sons  from  guilt  ;  could  not  sanctify  them 
from  inward  pollution  ;  could  not  cleanse 
the  consciences  of  the  worshippers  from  dead 
works;  all  it  could  do,  was,  to  lead  them  to 
the  Antitype.  But  the  priesthood  of  Christ 
carries  in  it,  and  brings  along  with  it,  a  bet¬ 
ter  hope;  it  shows  us  the  true  foundation  of 
all  the  hope  we  have  toward  God  for  pardon 
and  salvation;  it  more  clearly  discovers  the 
great  objects  of  our  hope  ;  and  so  it  tends 
to  work  in  us  a  more  strong  and  lively  hope 
of  acceptance  with  God.  By  this  hope  we 
are  encouraged  to  draw  nigh  unto  God  ;  to 
enter  into  a  covenant-union  with  Him  ;  to 
live  a  life  of  converse  and  communion  with 
Him. 

4.  There  is  a  change  in  God’s  way  of 
acting  in  this  priesthood.  He  has  taken  an 
oath  to  Christ,  which  He  never  did  to  any 
of  the  order  of  Aaron.  God  never  gave  them 
any  such  assurance  of  their  continuance, 
never  engaged  Himself  by  oath  or  promise 
that  theirs  should  be  an  everlasting  priest¬ 
hood,  and  therefore  gave  them  no  reason  to 
expect  the  perpetuity  of  it,  but  rather  to 


PR  ACT.  OBS.  V.  1 — 18.  Every  part  of  Scripture  was  intended,  in 
one  way  or  other,  to  honor  our  ‘  King  of  righteousness  and  peace,’  our 
glorious  High  Priest  and  Savior;  and  the  more  accurately  we  examine 
it,  the  fuller  will  be  our  conviction,  that  ‘  the  testimony  of  Jesus  is  the 
spirit  of  prophecy.’  Lu/ce  24:25—31,  44 — 49.  John  5:39 — 44.  1  Pet.  1: 
10 — 12.  Rev.  19:9,  10.  May  we  then  learn  in  simplicity  to  trust  in  Him, 
and  submit  to  Him,  to  copy  his  righteousness,  to  seek  the  peace  of  his 
kingdom,  to  devote  all  that  we  are  and  have  to  his  service,  and  to  ex¬ 
pect  blessings  from  Him  alone  1 — No  further  change  shall  now  take 
place  in  the  priesthood,  or  the  worship  of  the  church,  by  any  future  rev¬ 


elation  from  God  ;  but  He  will  ‘  overturn,  overturn,  overturn  ’  the  king¬ 
doms  of  the  earth,  till  that  of  our  Melchisedec  be  everywhere  established. 
Ez.  17:22—24.  21:25—27.  Has'.  2:20—23.  As  ‘  the  Surety  of  a  far  bet¬ 
ter  covenant’  than  that  connected  with  the  Levitical  priesthood,  He 
has  given  his  church,  and  every  believer,  the  greatest  advantages  for  fol¬ 
lowing  after  perfection.  May  He  stir  up  the  hearts  of  his  ministers  and 
people,  nud  pour  out  his  Spirit,  throughout  all  his  church  ;  that  spiritual 
worship  and  holy  obedience  may  everywhere  abound,  and  that  the  con¬ 
gregations  and  services  of  his  saints  on  earth,  may  more  resemble  those 
of  heaven.!  Scott. 


Abraham,  as  the  representative  of  his  posterity,  by  which  it  was  inti¬ 
mated,  that  a  Priest  should  arise,  to  whom  the  whole  Israel  of  God 
would  pay  their  devoted  homage,  and  from  whom  they  would  receive 
the  blessing.  So  that,  ‘  to  speak  it  in  a  word,’  the  apostie  might  say, 
that  even  Levi,  and  all  the  priests  descended  from  him,  paid  tithes  to 
Melchisedec,  ‘  for  they  were  in  the  loins  of  their  father,’  and  represen¬ 
tative,  1  when  Melchisedec  met  him.’  This  incontestably  proved  the 
inferiority  of  the  Levitical  priesthood  to  that  of  the  Messiah,  yea,  its 
absolute  dependence  on  Hint,  and  subserviency  to  Him. — Indeed,  it  may 
be  said,  that  Christ  also -*  was  in  the  loins  of  Abraham;’  but  his  di¬ 
vine  nature,  his  miraculous  and  immaculate  conception,  and  his  being 
the  intended  and  predicted  Antitype,  sufficiently  show  that  He  was  ex¬ 
cepted,  as  the  Seed  to  whom  especially  the  promises  were  made. — This 
argument  of  the  apostle,  illustrates  the  nature  of  our  union  with  Adam, 
and  representation  by  him,  and  our  participation  of  the  consequences  of 
his  apostasy  ;  as  also  the  method  of  our  recovery  by  ‘  the  second  Adam, 
the  Lord  from  heaven.’  Gen.  2:16,17.  3:17—19.  Rom.  5: 12 — 19.  Scott. 

(4.)  1  This  was  a  severe  stroke  on  the  Jews,  not  only  as  it  proves  the 
superior  dignity  of  Christ  above  the  Aaronical  priesthood,  but  shows, 
also,  that  God  had  of  old  a  people  among  the  Gentiles,  and  that  there 
was  a  person  among  them  superior  to  Abraham  himself.’  I)oddr. 

(8.)  Here.]  ‘  1.  e.  under  the  institution  of  Moses.’ — Men  that  die.] 
The  priests  of  that  dispensation. — But  there.]  I.  e.  in  the  case  of  Mel¬ 
chisedec,  he  receiveth  them,  of  whom  it  is  only  testified  in  Scripture, 
that  he  liveth,  but  of  whose  death  we  have  no  account ;  and  in  that  re¬ 


spect,  he  may  be  said  to  bear  some  resemblance  to  the  ever  living  and 
ever  blessed  Jesus.’  Doddr. 

V.  11.  Perfection.]  ‘  Ch.  9:9.  it  is  said,  the  Levitical  sacrifices  could 
not  make  him  that  did  the  service  perfect,  i.  e.  could  neither  purify,  nor 
deliver  from  the  burden  of  sin,  and  the  apprehension  of  punishment. 
Christ  did  both  ;  and  this  is  the  perfection  here  spoken  of,  which  He  ac¬ 
complished,  and  the  law  could  not  accomplish.’  Stuart. 

V.  12.  Law.]  1  T.  e.  the  law  regulating  the  priesthood,  the  Jewish 
dispensation,  the  Mosaic  law.’  Id. 

V.  17.  ‘Here  the  reader  is  left  te  supply  the  conclusion.  In  v.  11. 
the  Levitical  priesthood,  and  the  law,  had  been  connected.  In  v.  12.  the 
connexion  is  recognised  as  so  intimate,  that  whatever  affected  one, 
would  affect  the  other;  and  consequently,  that  if  the  priesthood  b» 
changed,  the  law  must  be  so  too.  “But  the  priesthood  is  changed,”  is 
the  next  proposition,  which-he  establishes,  vs.  13 — 17.  It  follows,  there¬ 
fore,  and  this  is  the  conclusion  to  be  supplied,  that  the  law  is  also 
changed.’  .  .  D*. 

V.  18,  19.  The  concluding  words  may  be  rendered,  ‘  The  bringing  m 
of  a  better  hope  is  that,  by  which  we  draw  near  to  God.  —The  original 
word  signifies  more,  than  simply  ‘bringing  in,’  and  implies,  t  *  • 

‘better  hope’  was  brought  in,  even  under  theolddispensati  ,  y 
promises  and  prophecies  of  the  Messiah,  and  by  the  lyPe®  > 

though  more  fully  and  clearly,  when  Christ  had  ®ct“®  ,  j 

ished  his  work  on  earth,  and  entered  into  his  glory.—  The  weakness _and 
of  the  ’  ceremonial  ‘law,’  either  to  justify  or  sanctify 

»  [53IJ 


unprofitableness  of 


A.  D.  65. 


HEBREWS,  VII. 


Christ  our  all-sufficient  High  Priest. 


19  For  the  law  'made  nothing 
perfect,  but  m  the  bringing  in  of  a 
better  hope  did  ;  by  the  which  “we 
draw  nigh  unto  God. 

20  And  inasmuch  as  not  without 
an  oath  he  was  made  priest : 

21  (For  those  priests  were  made 
without  0  an  oath  ;  but  this  with  an 
oath  by  him  that  said  unto  him, 
p  The  Lord  sware  and  will  not  re¬ 
pent,  Thou  art  a  priest  for  ever 
after  the  order  of  Melchisedec  :) 

22  By  so  much  was  Jesus  made 


a  surety  of  a  better  testament. 

23  And  they  truly  were  many 
priests,  because  they  were  not 
suffered  to  continue  by  reason  of 
death  : 

24  But  this  man,  because  he  con- 
tinueth  ever,  hath  ran  unchangea¬ 
ble  ■  priesthood. 

25  Wherefore  he  is  able  *  also  to 
save  them  ,J  to  the  uttermost  that 
come  unto  God  by  him,  seeing  he 
ever  liveth  to  make  intercession 
T  for  them. 

26  For  such  an  high  priest  be¬ 
came  us,  who  is  w  holy,  harmless, 
undefiled,  separate  from  sinners, 
and  made  higher  than  the  heavens; 

27  Who  needeth  not  daily,  as 
those  high  priests,  to  offer  up  sac¬ 
rifice,  first  x  for  his  own  sins,  and 
then  for  the  people’s  :  for  this  he 
did  once,  when  he  offered  up  him¬ 
self. 


1  Ro.  3:20. 
m  or,  hr/ 1  it  was. 
n  Ro.  5:2. 
o  or,  swearing  of 
a 'i  oath. 
p  Ps.  110:4. 


q  c.  8:6. 

r  or,  which  pass- 
eth  not  from 
one  to  another. 
s  1  Sa.  2:35. 
t  Jade  24. 


u  or,  evermore. 
v  Ro  8:34. 

1  Jn.  2:1. 
wc  4:15. 

1  Pe.  2:22. 
x  Le.  9:7. 


look  upon  it  as  a  temporary  law.  But  Christ 
was  made  a  Priest  with  the  oath  of  God, 
v.  21.  Mere  God  has,  on  oath,  declared  the 
immutability ,  excellency,  efficacy,  and  eter¬ 
nity,  of  the  priesthood  of  Christ. 

5.  There  is  a  change  in  that  covenant  of 
which  the  priesthood  was  a  security, and  the 
priest  a  surety;  that  is, a  change  in  the  dis¬ 
pensation  of  that  covenant.  The  gospel- 
dispensation  is  more  full,  free,  perspicuous, 


spiritual,  and  efficacious,  than  that  of  the 
law.  Christ  is,  in  this  gospel-covenant,  a 
Surety  for  us  to  God,  and  for  God  to  us,  to 
see  that  the  articles  he  performed  on  both  , 
parts.  He  pleads  with  men  to  keep  their  j 
covenant  with  God,  and  with  God  that  He 
will  fulfil  his  promises  to  men;  which  He  is  j 
always  ready  to  do  in  a  way  suitable  to  his  j 
majesty  and  glory,  that  is,  through  a  Medi-  I 
ator. 

6.  There  is  a  remarkable  change  in  the 
number  of  the  priests  under  these  different  j 
orders.  In  that  of  Aaron  there  was  a  mul-  j 
titude  of  priests,  of  high  priests,  not  at  once,  j 
but  successively;  but  in  this  of  Christ  there  . 
is  but  one  and  the  same.  The  reason  is  | 
plain, — The  Levitical  priests  were  many, 
because  not  suffered  to  continue  by  reason  of 
death.  But  this  our  High  Priest  continues 
for  ever, and  his  priesthood  is  unchangeable, 
always  in  the  same  hand  ;  there  can  be  no 
vacancy  :  and  this  is  our  safety  and  happiness, 
that  this  everlasting  High  Priest  is  able  to  j 
save  to  the  utmost,  in  all  times,  in  all  cases,  ! 
in  every  juncture,  all  who  come  to  God  by 
Him,  v.  25.  So  that  here  is  a  manifest 
alteration  much  for  the  better. 

7.  There  is  a  remarkable  difference  in 
the  moral  qualifications  of  the  priests;  those 
who  were  of  the  order  of  Aaron  were  not 
only  mortal,  but  sinful  ;  they  needed  to  offer 
up  sacrifices  first  for  their  own  sins,  and  then 
for  the  people.  But  our  High  Priest,  who 
was  consecrated  by  the  word  of  the  oath, 
needed  only  to  offer  up  once  for  the  people,  j 
never  at  all  for  Himself ;  for  He  has  not 
only  an  immutable  consecration  to  his  office, 
but  an  immutable  sanctity  in  his  person. 
He  is  such  a  High  Priest  as  became  us,  holy, 
harmless,  and  undefiled,  &c.  v.  26 — 28. 

Here  observe,  Our  case,  as  sinners,  need-  j 
ed  a  high  priest  to  make  satisfaction  and 
intercession  for  ns.  No  priest  could  be  i 
suitable  or  sufficient  for  our  reconciliation  ■ 
to  God,  but  one  perfectly  righteous  in  bis 
own  person  ;  for  otherwise  he  could  not  he 
a  propitiation  for  our  sin,  or  our  advocate 
with  the  Father.  The  Lord  Jesus  was  ex¬ 
actly  such  a  High  Priest.  Observe  the  de¬ 
scription  we  have  of  the  personal  holiness 
of  Christ,  expressed  in  various  terms;  some  j 
learned  divines  think  they  all  relate  to  his  j 
perfect  purity. 

[1.]  He  is  holy,  perfectly  free  from  ail 
the  habits  or  principles  of  sin,  not  having 
the  least  disposition  to  it  in  his  nature,  not 
the  least  sinful  inclination. 


[2.]  He  is  harmless,  perfectly  free  from 
all  actual  transgression,  never  did  the  least 
wrong  to  God  or  man. 

[3.]  He  is  undefiled,  was  never  accessary 
to  other  men’s  sins  ;  though  He  took  on 
Him  the  guilt  of  our  sins,  yet  He  never  in¬ 
volved  Himself  in  the  fact  and  fault  of  them. 

[4.]  He  is  separate  from  sinners,  not  on¬ 
ly  in  his  present  state,  having  entered  as  onr 
High  Priest  into  the  holiest  of  all,  into  which 
nothing  defiled  can  enter  ;  but  in  his  per¬ 
sonal  purity,  He  has  no  such  union  with  sin¬ 
ners,  either  natural  or  federal,  as  can  derive 
on  Him  original  sin;  though  He  took  a  true 
human  nature,  yet  the  miraculous  way  in 
which  it  was  conceived,  set  Him  on  a  sepa¬ 
rate  foot  from  all  the  rest  of  mankind. 

[5.]  He  is  made  higher  than  the  heavens. 
Most  expositors  understand  this  of  his  state 
of  exaltation  in  heaven,  at  the  right  hand 
of  God,  to  perfect  the  design  of  his  priest¬ 
hood.  But  Dr.  Goodwin  thinks  it  may  be 
very  justly  referred  to  the  personal  holiness 
of  Christ,  which  is  greater  and  more  perfect 
than  the  holiness  ol  the  hosts  of  heaven,  that 
is,  the  holy  angels  themselves,  who,  though  free 
from  sin,  yet  are  not  in  themselves  free  from 
all  possibility  of  sinning.  Therefore  we  read, 
God  puttelh  no  trust  in  his  holy  ones,  and  He 
chargeth  his  angels  with  folly,  Job  4:  18.  that 
is,  with  weakness  and  peccability.  They 
may  be  angels  one  hour,  and  devils  another, 
as  many  of  them  were  ;  and  that  the  holy 
angels  shall  not  now  fall,  does  not  proceed 
from  any  indefectability  of  nature,  but  from 
the  election  of  God;  they  are  elect  angels. 

It  is  very  probable  this  explanation  of  the 
words,  made  higher  than  the  heavens,  may  be 
thought  too  much  stramed,  and  that  it  ought 
to  be  understood  of  the  dignity  of  Christ’s 
state,  and  not  the  perfect  holiness  of  his  Per¬ 
son  ;  and  the  rather  because  it  is  said.  He 
was  made  higher;  but  it  is  well  known  that 
the  [original]  word  is  used  in  a  neutral 
sense,  as  wlmre  it  is  said,  Let  God  be  true. 

The  other  characters  in  the  verse  plainly 
belong  to  the  personal  perfection  of  Christ 
in  holiness,  as  opposed  to  the  sinful  infirmi¬ 
ties  of  the  Levitical  priests  ;  and  it  seem3 
congruous  to  think  this  must  do  so  too,  if  it 
may  be  fairly  taken  in  such  a  sense  ;  and  it 
appears  yet  more  probable,  since  the  validi¬ 
ty  and  prevalency  of  Christ’s  priesthood,  in 
v.  27.  are  placed  in  the  impartiality  and  dis¬ 
interestedness  of  it.  He  needed  not  tooffier 
up  for  Himself ;  it  was  a  disinterested  me¬ 
diation:  had  He  needed  mercy  Himself,  He 


those  who  rested  in  the  outward  observance  of  it,  and  who  did  not  by 
faitli  look  to  the  tilings  prefigured  by  it,  was  exactly  parallel  to  the 
Christian  sacraments,  when  the  opus  operatum,  the  mere  attendance  on 
the  ‘outward  and  visible  sign,’  is  depended  on,  while  ‘the  inward  and 
spiritual  grace,’  the  tilings  signified  in  I  hem,  are  disregarded.  To  such 
persons  they  are  ‘  weak  and  unprofitable,’  but  to  believers,  they  are 
jnPatis  of  grace,  and  solemn  and  acceptable  acts  of  spiritual  worship. 
Horn.  2:25 — 29.  3:1,  2.  SCOTT. 

(18.)  1  Another  reason  for  a  change  in  the  law  as  connected  with  the 
priesthood,  the  insufficiency  of  the  whole  legal  institution,  in  respect  to 
spiritual  pardon  and  sanctification.’  Stuart. 

V.  20 — 22.  (22)  Surety .)  The  word  signifies  a  person  who  is  bound 

with  another  for  the  payment  of  a  debt,  or  the  performance  of  an  en¬ 
gagement.  .lesus,  ‘  the  Surety  ’  of  his  people,  became  answerable  for 
their  debt  of  sin,  and  engaged  to  satisfy  divine  justice,  and  magnify  the 
holy  law,  as  their  Representative:  Is.  53:7.  and  also  to  bring  t Item  to 
that  repentance,  faith,  and  holiness,  which  are  requisite  to  their  partici¬ 
pation  of  the  blessings  of  his  covenant.  By  entering  into  this  engage¬ 
ment,  and  fulfilling  it  in  t heir  behalf,  Me  became  the  Surety  of  the  Father 
lo  them,  for  the  performance  of  all  the  promises  of  the  covenant;  being 
authorized,  and  exalted,  in  human  nature,  to  confer  on  them  all  the  bles¬ 
sings  stipulated  in  it.  The  word  rendered  testament.  Is  commonly 
translated  covenant  ;  its  import  lias  been  repeatedly  considered,  and  we 
shall  have  occasion  shortly  to  speak  of  it  again.  (Notes,  9:15 — 23. 
Preface  to  the  New  Testament  )  The  better  covenant,  of  which  Jestts 
is  the  Surety,  is  not  here  contrasted  with  the  covenant  of  works,  liy 
which  everv  transgressor  is  shut  tip  under  the  curse,  hut  distinguished 
from  the  Sinai-covertant  with  Israel,  and  the  legal  dispensation  under 
which  the  church  had  so  long  continued  ;  for  the  covenant  of  works  had 
no  connexion  with  the  Aaronic  priesthood,  or  the  ceremonial  law, 
which  exhibited  in  shadows  the  blessings  of  the  covenant  of  "race.  8:7 
— 13.  But  the  covenant,’  of  which  Jesus  was  Surety,  was  far  batter 
than  that,  of  which  the  higlt  priests  of  Israel  were  typical  sureties,  and 
brought  the  church,  and  every  believer,  into  far  clearer  light,  more  per¬ 
fect  liberty,  and  more  abundant  privileges,  than  that  could  do.  Scott. 

(20 — 22.)  ‘  The  very  use  of  an  oath,  implies  something  of  high  impor¬ 
tance,  and  therefore  shows  the  august  dignity  of  Christ’s  priesthood.’ 

Stuart. 

[532] 


V.  24.  Continueth  ever.]  ‘  I.  e.  ever  a  priest.’  Stuart. — ‘He-holds 
his  priesthood  in  eternal  continuity.’  Bloomf. 

V.  25.  Save,  &c .]  ‘Some  include  temporal  salvation,  but  probably 
it  was  not  in  the  mind  of  the  apostle.’  Bloomf. — Ever  liveth.]  ‘The 
mere  continual  existence  of  Christ,  is  not  at  all  the  question  here,  but 
the  perpetuity  of  his  priesthood.’  Stuart. — To  make  intercession .} 
‘Or  rattier  to  interpose.  Here,  it  is  plainly  in  the  sense  of  aiding,  de¬ 
fending,  or  delivering  ;  as  the  preceding,  to  save,  clearly  indicates.  He 
is  able  to  save,  because  He  is  a  perpetual  Priest,  i.  e.  can  interpose  in 
their  In  half,  to  procure  for  them  such  aid  as  they  may  need.’  Sr. 

V.  26 — 28.  'Pile  considerate  inquirer  into  this  most  interesting  sub- 
jert.  would  perceive,  that  ‘such  a  High  Priest’  as  had  been  described 
exactly  suited  the  case  of  sinners,  who  were  to  be  restored  to  the  favor 
and  image  of  a  holy  God,  in  a  manner  consistent  with  the  glory  of  his 
name,  and  peculiarly  suited  to  display  that  glory,  and  that  He  alone 
could  suit  it.  Scott. 

(26.)  ‘  The  writer  having  now  commented  on  the  priesthood  of 
Christ,  ns  compared  with  that  of  Melchisedec,  and  Paving  also  made 
some  deductions  from  the  nature  of  Christ’s  priestly  office,  ns  thus  ex¬ 
hibited,  resumes  the  subject  he  had  dropped  at  5:10.  and  had  first  pro¬ 
posed,  5:2,  3.  In  5:7 — 9.  he  had  shown  the  similarity  between  Christ 
and  the  Jewish  priests,  in  regard  to  the  power  of  sympathizing  with  the 
suffering,  inasmuch  ns  both  He  and  t hey  were  sufferers  themselves. 
But,  to  limit  the  parallelism,  as  not  holding  in  all  respects,  he  here  re¬ 
sumes  the  topic,  and  shows  how  far  superior  the  Priest  of  the  new  cove¬ 
nant  is,  in  a  moral  respect,  to  the  priests  of  the  old.  They  were  “  com¬ 
passed  with  infirmities,”  but  He  was  spotless;  if  they  were  ceremoni¬ 
ally  nndefiled,  He  was  morally  so;  if  they  were  exalted  in  station,  lie 
was  infinitely  above  them  ;  being,  like  Melchisedec,  King  ns  well  as  Priest, 
inasmuch  as  He  was  raised  to  the  throne  of  God  above  the  heavens,  1:3. 
To  finish  the  comparison,  he  goes  on  to  say,  that,  in  consequence  of  his 
perfect  purity,  He  needed  no  expiatory  offering  for  Himself,  as  the  Jew¬ 
ish  priests  did-’  Stuart. 

(27.)  Daily. ]  ‘  That  the  high  priest  officiated,  not  only  on  the 

great  day  of  atonement,  but  daily,  may  be  seen  by  consulting  I.ev.  6:19 
—22.  Nnm.  28.3,  4.  Also  Philo,  who  was  conletnporarv  with  the  apos¬ 
tles,  says,  “the  high  priest,  agreeably  to  the  laws,  makes  daily  suppli¬ 
cations  and  sacrifices.’  ”  Id, 


A.  D.  65. 


HEBREWS,  VIII. 


The  priesthood  of  Christ. 


der  liis  mediation  the  more  impartial  and 
disinterested,  it  secins  requisite,  not  only  that 
He  had  no  present  need  of  that  favor  for 
Himself,  which  lie  mediated  for  in  behalf 
of  others,  but  that  He  never  could  need  it. 
Though  He  needed  it  not  to-dav,  yet,  if  He 
knew  He  might  be  in  such  circumstances  as 


some  eye  on  his  own  interest,  and  therefore 
could  not  act  with  impartial  regard  and  pure 
zeal  for  the  honor  of  Clod  on  one  hand,  and 
tender,  pure  ooinpassiun  for  poor  sinners  on 
the  other.  I  pretend  not  here  to  follow  the 
notes  of  our  late  excellent  expositor  ;  into 
his  labors  we  have  entered,  but  have  taken 
the  liberty  to  vindicate  this  notion  of  the 
learned  Dr.  Goodwin  from  the  exceptions 
that  I  know  have  been  made  to  it  ;  and  I 
have  the  rather  done  it,  because,  if  it  will 
hold  good,  it  gives  us  further  evidence  how 
necessary  it  was  that  the  Mediator  should 
be  God,  since  no  mere  creature  is  of  him¬ 
self  possessed  of  that  impeccability,  which 
will  set  him  above  all  possible  need  of  favor 
and  mercy  for  himself. 


Chap.  VIII.  V.  1,2.  Here  is  a  summary 
of  what  had  been  said  before  of  the  excellency 
of  Christ’s  priesthood,  showing  both  u  hat  we 
have  in  Christ,  where  He  now  resides,  and  of 
what  sanctuary  He  is  the  Minister.  1.  We 
have  in  Christ  a  High  Priest  ;  such  a  High 
Priest  as  no  other  people  or  church  ever 
had,  of  which  all  others  were  but  types  and 
shadows.  2.  He  now  resides  nn  the.  right 
hand  of  the.  throne  of  the  Majesty  on  high,  that 
is,  of  the  glorious  God  of  heaven.  There 
He  is  possessed  of  all  authority  and  power, 
both  in  heaven  and  on  earth;  this  is  the  re¬ 
ward  of  his  humiliation  ;  this  authority  He 
exercises  for  the  glory  of  his  Father,  for  his 
own  honor,  and  for  the  happiness  of  all  who 
belong  to  Him;  and  He  will,  by  his  Almigh¬ 
ty  power,  bring  every  one  of  them  in  their 
own  order  to  the  right  hand  of  God  in  Iteav-' 
en,  as  members  of  his  mystical  body,  that 


|  where  He  is  they  may  be  also.  3.  That 
I  sanctuary  of  which  He'is  a  Minister,  is  the 
true  tabernacle,  which  the  Lord  hath  pit  chid, 
and  not  man,  v.  2.  the  holy  of  holies,  the 
true  tabernacle  in  heaven;  there  He  is  Min¬ 
ister,  taking  care  of  his  people’s  affairs,  in¬ 
terceding  with  God  for  them,  that  their  sins 
may  be  pardoned,  and  their  pet  sons  and  ser¬ 
vices  accepted,  through  the  met  it  of  his  sac¬ 
rifice.  He  is  not  only  in  heaven,  enjoying 
great  dominion  and  dignity,  but,  its  the 
High  Priest  of  his  church,  executing  this 
office  for  them  all  in  general,  and  every 
member  of  die  church  in  particular. 

V.  3 — 5.  Here  the  apostle  sets  before  die 
Hebrews  the  necessary  parts  of  Christ’s 
priesthood,  or  wlmt  it  was  that  belonged  to 
that  office,  iri  conformity  to  what  every  high 
priest  is  ordained  to.  1.  Every  high, pin  t 
is  ordained  to  offer  gifts  and  sacrifices,  w  hnt- 
ever  was  brought  by  the  people  to  be  pre¬ 
sented  to  God,  whether  expiatory  saei  Dices, 
or  peace-offerings,  or  thank-oflei  iogs  ;  so, 
then,  it  necessarily  belongs  to  the  prie.-thoml 
of  Christ,  thiit  He  should  have  somewhat  to 
offer  ;  and  He,  as  the  Antiupe,  had  Him¬ 
self  to  offer,  his  human  natuie  on  die  altar 
of  his  div  ine  nature,  as  the  great  atoning 
Sacrifice  that  finished  transgression,  and 
made  an  end  of  sin  once  for  all;  and  lie  has 
the  incense  of  his  own  righteousness  ami 
merits  too,  to  offer  with  all  that  his  people 
offer  up  to  God  l>v  Him,  to  render  them  ac¬ 
ceptable.  We  must  not  dare  to  approach 
to  God,  or  to  present  anv  tiling  to  Him,  but 
in  and  through  Christ,  depending  on  his 
merits  and  mediation;  for  if  we  are  accept¬ 
ed,  it  is  in  die  Beloved.  2.  Christ  must 
now  execute  his  priesthood  in  heaven,  in 
the  holy  of  holies,  the  true  tabernacle  which 
the  Lord  hath  fixed.  Thus  the  type  must  be 
fully  answered  ;  having  finished  the  work  of 
sacrificing  here,  He  must  go  into  heaven,  to 
present  Ills  righteousness,  and  to  make  in¬ 
tercession  there.  For,  (1.)  if  Christ  wire 
nn  earth.  He.  should  not  he  a  Priest ,  v.  4.  that 
is,  not  according  to  the  Levitical  law,  as  not 


23  For  the  law  maketh  men  high 
priests  which  have  infirmity  ;  but 
the  word  of  the  oath,  which  was 
since  the  law,  maketh  the  Son,  who 
is  y  consecrated  for  evermore. 

CHAP.  VIII. 

1  By  the  eternal  priesthood  of  Christ,  the  Levitical  priest¬ 
hood  of  Aaron  is  abolished.  7  And  the  temporal  cove* 
nnnt  with  the  fathers,  by  the  eternal  covenant  of  the 
Gospel. 

NOW  of  the  things  which  we 
have  spoken  this  is  the  sum  ; 
AVe  have  such  an  high  priest,  who 
"is  set  on  the  right  hand  of  the 
throne  of  the  Majesty  in  the  heav¬ 
ens  ; 

2  A  minister  of  bthe  'sanctuary, 
and  of  the  true  tabernacle,  which 
the  Lord  pitched,  and  not  man. 

3  For  every  high  priest  is  or¬ 
dained  to  offer  gifts  and  sacrifices  : 
wherefore  it  is  of  necessity  that 
this  man  have  somewhat  also  to 
d  offer. 

4  For  if  he  were  on  earth,  he 
should  not  be  a  priest,  seeing  that 
e  there  are  priests  that  offer  gifts 
according  to  the  law  : 

5  Who  serve  unto  the  example 
and  shadow  f  of  heavenly  things, 
as  Moses  was  admonished  of  God 
when  he  was  about  to  make  the 
tabernacle  :  for,  See,  g  saith  he, 
that  thou  make  all  things  according 
to  the  pattern  shewed  to  thee  iti 
the  mount. 

v  or,  perfected.  c  c.  9:8,12,24.  f  Col .2: 17.  c.10:1. 
k  Ep.  1:20.  d  Ep.  5:2.  c.9:14.  g  Ex. 25:40.  26:30. 

b  or,  holy  things,  e  or,  they. 

bad  been  a  party,  and  could  not  have  been  a 
Mediator  ;  a  criminal,  and  could  not  have 
been  an  Advocate  for  sinners.  Now  to  icii- 


PRACT.  OBS.  V.  19 — 28.  It  becomes  us  to  aspire  after  a  degree 
of  spirituality  and  holiness,  as  much  superior  to  those  of  Old  Test,  be¬ 
lievers,  as  our  advantages  exceed  theirs.  No  man  who  knows  God,  and 
his  holy  law  of  love,  and  who  understands  the  evil  of  sin,  and  the  diffi¬ 
culty  ofsaving  sinners  to  the  glory  of  God,  could  desire  the  continuance 
of  a  priesthood,  which  appointed  those  to  that  ollice,  who  were  them¬ 
selves  sinners;  and  now,  that  the  Son  of  God  is  made  High  l’riesl,  we 
may  well  rejoice  that  He  is  ‘consecrated  for  evermore.’  and  has  an  un¬ 
changeable  priesthood  As  1  He  is  able  to  save  to  the  uttermost  all  who 
come  to  God  through  Him,’  let  the  vilest  of  sinners  approach  in  this 
way  to  the  merev-seat  of  our  forgiving  God,  seeing  ‘  He  ever  livelli  to 


make  intercession  for  them.’  None  need  be  dismayed,  but  those  who 
will  not  ‘  come  unto  God,’  or  who  will  not  come  in  the  name  of  his  be¬ 
loved  Son  ;  and  the  case  of  those  will  soon  become  hopeless,  how  great 
soever  their  present  presumption  may  he.  But,  let  believers  meditate 
on  ihe  power  ami  grace  of  their  great  High  Priest,  and  on  his  universal 
and  absolute  sovereignty,  and  let  them  copy  his  ‘holy,  harmless,  and 
undefiled  ’  conduct,  and  ‘his  separation  from  sinners.’  Then  they  may 
confidently  expect,  that  lie  will  ‘save  them  to  the  uttermost,’  and  ‘de¬ 
liver  them,  in  all  time  of  their  tribulation,  in  all  time  of  their  wealth,  in 
tiie  hour  of  death,  and  in  the  day  of  judgment.’  Scott. 


NOTES.  Chap.  VIII.  V.  l,  2.  Some  explain  ‘  the  true  tabernacle’ 
of  heaven,  exclusively,  as  signifying  the  sntne  with  ‘the  sanctuary 
others  interpret  it  of  the  human  nature  of  Christ,  in  which  He  ‘  taber¬ 
nacled’  among  men,  and  in  which  He  officiates  as  High  Priest,  in  the 
holy  of  holies  above;  yet,  as  his  human  nature  is  needful  to  constitute 
his  Person  as  High  Priest,  rather  than  to  be  the  place  of  his  ministra¬ 
tions,  the  figure  is  harsh.  But,  as  the  wlmle  tabernacle  comprised  the 
inner  and  outer  sanctuary  ;  and,  as  the  high  priest  alone  went  into  the 
former,  while  the  other  priests  officiated  in  the  latter,  in  subordination 
to  him,  whose  typical  services  rendered  theirs  ncceptcd  ;  and  as  the  tab¬ 
ernacle  was  an  emblem  of  tlte  whole  church  of  God,  though  it  typified 
the  human  nature  of  Christ,  also  :  it  seems  most  obvious  to  explain  ‘  the 
true  tabernacle,’  to  signify  the  whole  church  of  the  redeemed  on  earth 
and  in  heaven,  as  one  by  its  union  with  Christ  Jesus  ;  for  believers,  sep¬ 
arately  and  collectivelv,  ‘are  the  habitation  of  God  through  the  Spirit.’ 
Ex.  20:7 — 29.  P.  0. — Note,  Eph.  2:19 — 22.  Christ  ministers  personally 
in  the  holy  place  above,  as  sole  High  Priest,  lie  presides  over  the  whole 
true  tabernacle,  and  so  the  prayers  and  services  of  the  spiritual  priest¬ 
hood,  oil  earth,  are  rendered  acceptable  and  efficacious,  through  his  mer¬ 
itorious  intercession  in  heaven.  Euke.  1:8 — 10.  Scott. 

(1.)  The  sum.]  ‘  The  most  important  tiling  in  regard  to  what  we  are 
now  treating;  not  sum  in  the  sense  of  summary. 1  So  Stuart,  Blonmf., 
and  the  commentators  generally;  also  the  Syr.  and  the  Vulc.  Stuart 
adds  :  ‘  What  follows  is  no  recapitulation,  hut  a  new  topic,  exhibiting  a 
different  view  of  Christ’s  priesthood.’  Ed.  —  ‘The  apostle  had  spoken 
of  its  superiority  ns  to  duration  and  succession  :  of  Christ’s  being  made 
Prirst  with  an  oath,  while  the  Levitts  were  not;  also  of  the  perpetuity 
of  his  priesthood,  while  theirs,  in  consequence  of  their  frailty,  was  sub¬ 
ject  to  vicissitude  and  interruption;  and  finally,  how  they,  because  of 
their  imperfection  and  sin,  needed  to  sacrifice  for  themselves,  while  He 
was  holy,  and  forever  secure  from  all  sin,  so  that  his  sacrifice  would 
avail  solely  to  the  benefit  of  sinful  men.  Thus  much  he  had  already 
said  on  bis  office,  and  his  qualifications  for  it.  He  comes  now, ch.  8 — 10. 
to  consider  the  duties  of  the  office  themselves,  viz.  the  nature  of  the  sac¬ 
rifice  Jesus  offers;  the  place  where  He  offers  it;  the  efficacy  it  has  to 
atone  for  sin  ;  and  the  difference,  in  regard  to  all  these  points,  between 
the  sacrifice  offered  by  Christ,  and  that  presented  by  the  Jewish  priests, 
— a  different  topic  from  that  discussed  ch.  7.’  Stuart. 


(2.)  ‘  In  this  explanation  of  the  symbolical  representations  by  which 

it  pleased  the  Holy  Spirit,  under  tlte  former  dispensation,  to  prefigure 
the  blessings  of  Christianity,  the  interior  sanctuary,  or  holy  of  Indies, 
seems  to  be  put  as  the  sign  of  the  heavenly  sin  e  ;  and  tlte  outer  taber¬ 
nacle,  as  that  of  the  flesh  or  human  nature  of  the  Messiah.’ 

.1.  P.  Smith,  in  Henry ,  ahr. 

V.  3 — G.  The  various  particulars  respecting  Christ  and  his  salvation, 
which  were  typified  by  the  tabernacle,  its  furniture,  and  worship,  have 
already  been  explained.  Ex.  25 — 31,  —  Instead  of  interfering  with  the 
priests  in  tlte  typical  services  of  the  temple,  Christ  ‘had  obtained  a 
more  excellent  ministry,’  of  teal  value  and  efficacy,  in  the  heavenly 
sanctuary  ;  in  which  He  was  as  much  superior  to  the  priests  after  the 
order  of  Aaron,  as  the  covenant  of  which  He  was  the  Mediator, 
xvas  ‘a  better  covenant,’  founded  and  established  ‘on  better  prom¬ 
ises,’  than  the  Sinai  covenant  with  Israel.  —  It  has  repeatedly  been  ob¬ 
served,  that  nil  unbelievers  continued  personally  under  ‘  the  covenant 
of  works,’  and  that  believers  were  personally  intetested  in  ‘the  cove¬ 
nant  of  grace,’  by  faith  in  the  Messiah  who  was  to  come.  Ex.  19:5. 
The  Mosaic  dispensation  contained  in  it  a  typical  Gospel,  and  its  ordi¬ 
nances  were  to  believers  ‘means  of  grace,’  us  well  as  acts  of  worship. 
But  the  covenant  here  referred  to  was  that  made  with  Israel  as  a  ration, 
securing  the  possession  of  Canaan,  and  various  temporal  benefits  to 
them,  on  prescribed  conditions;  and  the  promises  of  all  spiritual  bless¬ 
ings.  and  of  eternal  life,  to  believers  of  all  nations,  and  through  all  suc¬ 
ceeding  ages,  which  were  openly  revealed  by  the  Gospel,  and  ratified 
through  Christ,  are  of  infinitely  greater  value,  than  any  temporal  advan¬ 
tages  to  a  single  nation  could  lie. — (5  :  See,  &c.]  The  quotation  is  not 
exactly  according  to  the  Sept.,  hut  gives  the  sense  of  the  Hebrew.  Sc. 

(3.)  This  man.]  *  I.  e.  High  Priest:  supplv  from  the  preceding  clause.’ 
Mack  it. — Have,  homewhat  a/so  to  offer.]  ‘What  the  oblation  made  by 
Christ  is,  lie  tells  us  more  fully,  eh.  9:- — 14.  25  26.’  Stuart. 

(4.)  ‘  No  argument  can  hence  be  drawn  against  the  reasonableness 

of  considering  Christ’s  death  as  a  sacrifice,  according  to  the  express 
declaration  of  Scripture  ;  since  it  is  plain,  that,  under  the  Jewish  econo¬ 
my,  though  none  but  priests  ever  ministered  in  the  tabernacle,  \et  mit¬ 
ers,  not  of  that  order,  might,  by  special  appointment,  offer  sacrifices, 
and  be  accepted.’  Doddr. 

(5.)  ‘  Comp.  v.  2.  and  9:24.  The  earthly  tabernacle  is  but  a  shruton<. 


A.  D.  65. 


HEBREWS,  VIII. 


Excellency  of  the  covenant  in  Christ. 


6  But  now  hath  he  obtained  a 
more  excellent  h  ministry,  by  how 
much  also  he  is  the  mediator  of  a 
better  *  covenant,  which  was  estab¬ 
lished  upon  better  promises. 

[  Practical  Observations.] 

7  For  if  J  that  first  covenant  had 
been  faultless,  then  should  no  place 
have  been  sought  for  the  second. 

8  For  finding  fault  with  them, 
k  he  saith,  Behold,  the  days  come, 
saith  the  Lord,  when  I  will  make  a 
new  covenant  with  the  house  of 
Israel  and  with  the  house  of  Judah: 

9  Not  according  to  the  covenant 
that  I  made  with  their  fathers  in 
the  day  when  1  took  them  by  the 
hand  to  lead  them  out  "of  the  land 
of  Egypt;  because  they  continued 
not  in  my  covenant,  and  I  regarded 
them  not,  saith  the  Lord. 

10  For  this  is  the  covenant  that 
I  will  make  with  the  house  of  Israel 
after  those  days,  saith  the  Lord  ;  I 
will  1  put  my  laws  into  their  mind, 
and  write  them  m  in  their  hearts: 
and  n  I  will  be  to  them  a  God,  and 
they  shall  be  to  me  a  people  : 

11  And  they  shall  not  teach  eve¬ 
ry  man  his  neighbor,  and  every 
man  his  brother,  saying,  Know  the 
Lord:  for  all  “shall  know  me,  from 
the  least  to  the  greatest. 

h  2  Co.  3:6 — 9.  j  c.  7:11.  m  or,  upon. 

c.  7:22.  k  Je  31:31—34.  n  Ho.  2:23.  Zee.  8:8. 

i  or,  testament.  1  give.  o  Is.  54:13. 

being  of  the  line  of  that  priesthood.  (2.) 
All  the  services  of  the  priest,  tinder  the  law, 
and  everything  in  that  tabernacle  which  was 
framed  according  to  the  pattern  in  the  mount, 
were  only  exemplars  and  shadows  of  heav¬ 
enly  things,  v.  5.  Christ  is  the  Substance 
and  End  of  the  law  of  righteousness.  Some¬ 
thing,  therefore,  there  must  be  in  Christ’s 
priesthood,  that  answers  to  the  high  priest’s 
entering  within  the  veil  to  make  intercession, 
and  what  is  that  but  the  ascension  of  Christ 
into  heaven,  and  his  appearance  there  in  the 


sight  of  God  for  his  people,  to  present  their 
prayers,  and  plead  their  cause  1  So  that 
if  He  had  still  continued  on  earth,  He  could 
not  have  been  a  perfect  Priest  ;  and  an  im¬ 
perfect  one  He  could  not  be. 

V.  6 — 13.  In  this  part  of  the  ch.  the 
apostle  illustrates  and  confirms  the  supe¬ 
rior  excellency  of  the  priesthood  of  Christ 
above  that  of  Aaron,  from  the  excellency  of 
that  covenant,  or  that  dispensation  of  the 
covenant  of  grace,  of  which  Christ  was  the 
Mediator,  v.  6.  His  ministry  is  more  excel¬ 
lent,  by  how  much  He  is  the  Mediator  of  a 
better  covenant.  Now  observe, 

I.  What  is  here  said  of  the  old  covenant, 
or  rather  of  the  old  dispensation  of  the  cov¬ 
enant  of  grace  :  1.  It  was  made  -with  the 
fathers  of  the  Jewish  nation  at  mount  Sinai, 
v.  9.  and  Moses  was  the  Mediator.  God 
there  took  them  by  the  hand,  to  lead  them 
out  of  the  land  of  Egypt,  which  speaks  his 
great  affection,  condescension,  and  care  of 
them.  2.  It  was  not  found  faultless,  v.  7,8. 
it  was  a  dispensation  of  darkness  and  dread, 
tending  to  bondage,  and  only  a  schoolmaster 
to  bring  us  to  Christ  ;  it  was  perfect  in  its 
kind,  but  very  imperfect  in  comparison  of 
the  Gospel.  3.  It  was  not  sure  or  stead¬ 
fast,  for  the  Jews  continued  not  in  that  cove¬ 
nant,  and  the  Lord  regarded  them  not,  v.  9. 
God  will  regard  those  who  remain  in  his 
covenant,  but  will  reject  those  who  cast 
away  his  yoke  from  them.  4.  It  is  decayed, 
grown  old,  and  vanisheth  away,  v.  13. 
Some  think  the  covenant  of  peculiarity  did 
not  quite  decay  till  the  destruction  of  Jeru¬ 
salem  ;  though  it  was  forfeited  at  the  death 
of  Christ,  and  was  made  old,  and  was  now 
to  vanish  and  perish,  and  the  Levitical 
priesthood  vanished  with  it. 

II.  What  is  here  said  of  the  New  Test, 
dispensation,  to  prove  the  superior  excel¬ 
lency  of  Christ’s  ministry.  1.  It  is  a  better 
covenant,  v.  6.  a  more  clear  and  comfort¬ 
able  dispensation  and  discovery  of  the  grace 
of  God  to  sinners,  bringing  in  holy  light 
and  liberty  to  the  soul;  and  is  without  fault, 
well  ordered  in  all  things.  2.  It  is  estab¬ 
lished  on  better  promises,  more  clear  and 
express,  more  spiritual,  more  absolute;  the 
promises  of  spiritual  and  eternal  blessings 
are  absolute,  those  of  temporal  blessings 
with  a  wise  and  kind  proviso,  as  far  as  shall 
be  for  God’s  glory  and  his  people’s  good. 


3.  It  is  a  new  covenant,  even  that  new  cov¬ 
enant  that  God  long  ago  declared  He  would 
make  with  the  house  of  Israel,  that  is,  all 
the  Israel  of  God,  Jer.  31:31,  32.  and  ac¬ 
complished  in  Christ.  It  will  always  be 
new,  and  all  who  truly  take  hold  of  it,  shall 
be  always  found  preserved  by  the  power  of 
God  ;  it  is  God’s  covenant  ;  his  mercy, 
love,  and  grace  moved  for  it  ;  his  wisdom 
devised  it;  his  Son  purchased  it ;  his  Spirit 
brings  souls  into  it,  and  builds  them  up  in  it. 

4.  The  articles  of  this  covenant  are  very 
extraordinary,  and  are  sealed  between  God 
and  his  people  by  baptism  and  the  Lord’s 
supper  ;  whereby  they  bind  themselves  to 
their  part,  and  God  assures  them  He  will 
do  his  part. 

(1.)  God  articles  with  his  people,  that 
He  will  put  his  laws  into  their  minds,  and 
write  them  in  their  hearts,  v.  10.  that  is,  will 
give  them  understanding  to  know  and  to 
believe  his  law,  memories  to  retain  them, 
hearts  to  love  them,  consciences  to  recognise 
them,  courage  to  profess  them,  and  power 
to  put  them  in  practice  ;  the  whole  habit 
and  frame  of  their  souls  shall  be  a  table  and 
transcript  of  the  law  of  God.  This  is  the 
foundation  of  the  covenant  ;  and  when  this 
is  laid,  duty  will  be  done  wisely,  sincerely, 
readily,  easily,  resolutely,  constantly,  and 
comfortably. 

(2.)  He  articles  with  them  to  take  them 
into  a  near  and  very  honorable  relation  to 
Himself.  He  will  be  to  them  a  God  ;  will 
be  all  that  to  them,  and  do  all  that  for  them, 
that  God  can  be  and  do.  They  shall  be 
to  Him  a  people,  to  love,  honor,  observe, 
and  obey  Him  in  all  things;  this  those  must 
and  will  do,  who  have  God  for  their  God  ; 
for  God  will  enable  them  to  do  it,  as  an  ev¬ 
idence  that  He  is  their  God,  and  they  his 
people  ;  God  Himself  first  founds  the  rela¬ 
tion,  and  then  fills  it  up  with  grace  suitable 
and  sufficient,  and  helps  them  in  their  meas¬ 
ure  to  fill  it  up  with  love  and  duty  ;  so  that 
God  engages  both  for  Himself  and  them¬ 
selves. 

(3.)  He  articles  with  them,  that  they 
shall  grow  more  and  more  acquainted  with 
their  God,  v.  11.  Here,  observe.  In  the 
want  of  better  instruction,  one  neighbor 
should  teach  another  to  know  the  Lord,  as 
they  have  ability  and  opportunity  for  it. 
This  private  instruction  shall  not  be  so  ne- 


PllACT.  OI3S.  V.  1 — 6.  While  we  bless  God,  that,  of  his  plenteous 
mercv.  He  has  provided  for  us,  ruined  sinners,  ‘such  a  High  Priest’  as 
suited  our  helpless  condition  ;■  that  He  has  accepted  his  ‘  one  oblation  of 
Himself;’  that  He  has  exalted  Him  to  ‘  the  right  hand  of  his  Majesty  in 
the  heavens,’  to  he  ‘  a  Minister  of  the  sanctuary,  and  of  the  true  taberna¬ 
cle;’  and  that  He  has  made  a  better  covenant  with  Him,  in  behalf  of  his 
true  people,  and  with  them  through  Him,  and  established  it  on  better 
promises,  than  those  given  to  Israel ;  let  us  see  to  it,  that  we  draw  nigh 
to  Hint  in  this  appointed  way,  as  spiritual  xvorshippers,  in  humble  faith, 
and  submission  to  his  righteousness,  relying  on  his  mercy  and  truth,  and 
praying  for  all  his  promised  blessings. — If  it  were  dangerous  for  those, 


who  had  ‘  the  example  and  shadow  of  things,’  to  deviate  in  the  least 
from  the  divine  prescriptions,  how  can  they  escape  condemnation,  who 
have  the  clear  discovery  of  the  heavenly  things  themselves,  yet  xvorship 
other  mediators,  prefer  human  traditions,  come  to  God  in  their  own 
name,  us  if  righteous  persons,  or  refuse  to  come  at  all,  as  if  independent 
of  Him,  under  no  obligations  to  Him,  and  sufficient  for  their  own  felici¬ 
ty  ? — In  every  part  of  our  worship  and  obedience,  we  should  keep  close 
to  the  only  and  perfect  standard  of  Scripture,  and  every  deviation  must 
be  proportionably  injurious  :  mistakes,  in  the  way  of  a  sinner’s  access 
and  acceptance,  cannot  but  prove  fatal  in  the  end,  if  not  previously  dis¬ 
covered  and  rectified.  Rom.  9:24 — 29.  10:1 — 4.  Gal.  1:6 — 10.  5:1 — 6.  Sc. 


a  mere  imperfect  effigy,  of  the  heavenly  one.  Consequently,  the  office 
of  priest,  in  the  latter,  is  far  more  elevated  than  the  like  office  in  the 
former.’  Stuart. 

(6.)  Better  promises.]  ‘These  follow,  vs.  8 — 13.  The  imperfection 
of  the  first  covenant,  and  the  perfection  of  the  second,  is  further  disclos¬ 
ed,  9:9 — 14.  10:1 — 22.  13:9 — 14.  From  these  passages,  it  appears,  that 
the  first  covenant  promised  only  external  purification,  and  the  civil  or 
ecclesiastical  pardon  of  an  offender  who  complied  with  the  rites  it  en¬ 
joined  ;  but,  under  the  new  covenant,  real  pardon  of  sin,  by  God,  is  ob¬ 
tained,  with  purification,  peace  of  conscience,  the  hope  of  eternal  life,  and 
union  at  last  with  the  assembly  of  the  redeemed,  in  a  better  world.’  Id. 

V.  7 — 13.  The  words  tr.  from  the  Heb.,  ‘  Although  I  was  a  Husband 
unto  them,’  are  here  rendered,  ns  given  from  the  Sept.,  ‘And  I  regarded 
them  not.’  From  this  one  clause,  as  it  appears  to  me,  the  whole  pas¬ 
sage  is  generally  spoken  of  by  some  learned  men,  as  quoted  from  the 
Sept.  ;  but  it  varies  from  that  version  in  several  immaterial  particulars, 
and,  except  in  the  above  clause,  it  accords  to  the  Heb. — This  prophecy 
was  fulfilled  in  the  conversion  of  multitudes  of  Judah  and  Israel,  in  the 
primitive  times  of  the  Gospel,  and  it  foretells  the  future  conversion  and 
restoration  of  that  people  ;  but  it  is  also  fulfilled  to  all  the  spiritual 
Israel,  who  are  really  ‘a  holy  nation,’  as  Israel,  according  to  the  flesh, 
was  relatively.  And  as  it  can  be  said  of  no  other  company,  that  they 
‘  all  know  the  Lord,'  it  must  be  meant  of  them  especially. — It  is  unde¬ 
niable,  that  the  national  covenant  with  Israel  at  Sinai,  and  not  the  ‘  cov¬ 
enant  of  works’  with  men  in  general,  or  the  Abrahamic  covenant,  is 
spoken  of.  Scott,- 

(7.)  ‘The  fault  of  the  first  covenant  xvasvthat  it  made  nothing  perfect. 
See  ch.  7:19.’  Williams. — ‘The  meaning  is,  not  that  the  Mosaic  econ¬ 
omy-  had  positive  faults,  viz.  such  things  as  were  palpably  wrong  or  er- 

[534] 


roneous  ;  but,  that  it  did  not  contain  in  itself  all  the  provision  necessary 
for  pardon  of  sin,  and  the  rendering  of  the  conscience  peaceful  and  pure; 
which  the  Gospel  does  effect.’  Stuart. 

(8.)  Finding  fault  with  them.]  I.  e.  with  the  Jews.  So  Doddr.  Yet, 
as  others,  ‘  Finding  fault  with  them,  i.  e.  it,  the  first  covenant, — He  saith 
to  them,  viz.  the  Jews.’  Most  recent  commentators  prefer  the  latter, 
which,  Bloomf.  says,  is  required  by  the  xvords  following.  Respecting 
these,  i.  e.  Jer.  31 .  Stuart  remarks,  that  ‘the  passage  is  made  up  of 
consolation  and  promise,  instead  of  reproof  or  finding  fault ;  so  that  the 
imputed  defect  must  be  such,  in  this  case,  as  may  be  understood  ac¬ 
cordingly  ;  i.  e.  the  old  covenant  had  failed  to  accomplish  the  objects 
desired, — it  was  defective  ;  [whereas,  the  new  covenant,  or  gospel-dis¬ 
pensation.  should  accomplish  its  object,  and  secure  pardon  and  sanctifi¬ 
cation.)  The  apostle  evidently  understands  the  passages  quoted  as  orig¬ 
inally  having  respect  to  the  gospel-dispensation.’  Ed. 

(10.)  House  of  Israel.]  ‘The  Jexvs  in  general,  —  the  Israelitish  na¬ 
tion;  so  the  whole  is  often  named  in  the  Old  and  New  Test.’  1  will 
put  my  laws ,  &c.]  ‘1  xvill  give  them  a  lasting  spirit  of  obedience  to  my 
laws,  so  that  they  shall  no  more  violate  them,  as  they  have  done.’  St. 

(11.)  ‘  He  does  not  mean,  that  religious  instruction  will  be  altogether 
superseded  ;  but  none  xvill  be  ignorant  of  God  and  his  law,  as  in  former 
times.  The  words  are  not  to  be  urged  to  a  literal  explanation.  The 
meaning  of  the  whole  plainly  is,  that  the  knowledge  of  true  religion,  or 
of  God,  should  become  universal,  under  the  new  covenant,  so  that  no 
one  might  be  found,  who  could  properly  be  addressed  as  knowing  noth¬ 
ing  of  the  true  God.  The  implication,  moreover,  contained  in  this,  is, 
that,  under  the  old  covenant,  many  had  been  thus  ignorant ;  a  fact  highly 
credible,  considering  the  frequent  lapses  of  the  Jews  into  a  state  of  idol¬ 
atry.’  Id. 


HEBREWS,  IX. 


A.  D.  G5. 


Concerning  the  tabernacle. 


12  For  I  will  be  merciful  to  their 
unrighteousness,  and  their  sins  and 
their  iniquities  will  I  remember  no 
more. 

13  In  that  he  saith,  A  new  p  cove¬ 
nant,  he  hath  made  the  first  old. 
Now  that  which  decayeth  and  wax- 
eth  old  is  ready  to  vanish  away. 

CHAP.  IX. 

1  The  description  of  the  rites  and  bloody  sacrifices  of  ‘he 
law,  II  f.tr  inferior  ti  (he  dignity  and  perfection  ot  the 
blood  and  sacrifice  of  Christ. 

THEN  verily  the  first  covenant 
had  also  “ordinances  of  divine 
service,  and  a  worldly  b  sanctuary. 

2  P'or  there  was  a  tabernacle 
‘made;  the  first,  wherein  was  the 
candlestick,  and  the  d  table,  and  the 
*  shew-bread  ;  which  is  called  1  the 
Sanctuary. 

3  And,  after  the  second  s  veil, 
the  tabernacle,  which  is  called  the 
Holiest  of  all  ; 

4  Which  had  the  golden  h censer, 
and  the  ark  '  of  the  covenant  over¬ 
laid  round  about  with  gold,  where¬ 
in  was  the  golden  I  pot  that  had 
manna,  and  Aaron’s  k  rod  that  bud¬ 
ded,  and  the  1  tables  of  the  cove¬ 
nant  ; 

p  2  Co  5:17.  e  Ei.  25:30.  i  Ex.  16  33. 

a  or,  ceremonies,  f  or,  holt/.  It  Nu.  17:10. 

b  Fix.  25:8.  g  Ex.  *26:31,33.  1  Ex.  34:29. 

c  Bx.  k9:l,35.  h  Le.  16.12.  40:20. 

d  Ex.  40:4.  i  Ex  25:10,  &c. 

cessary  under  the  New  Test,  as  under  the 
Old;  under  the  new  dispensation  there  shall 
he  such  plenty  of  public  qualified  preachers 
of  the  Gospel,  and  dispensers  of  ordinances 
statedly  in  die  solemn  assemblies,  and  so 
great  a  flocking  to  them,  and  such  a  plenti¬ 
ful  effusion  of  the  Spirit  of  God,  to  make 
the  ministration  of  the  Gospel  effectual,  that 
there  shall  be  a  mighty  increase  and  spread¬ 
ing  of  Christian  knowledge  in  persons  of  all 
sorts,  of  each  sex,  and  of  all  ages.  Oh  that 
this  promise  might  be  fulfilled  in  our  days, 
that  the  band  of  God  may  be  with  his  min¬ 
isters,  that  a  great  number  may  believe,  and 
be  turned  to  the  Lord  ! 

(4.)  God  articles  with  them  about  the 
pardon  of  their  sins,  as  what  always  accom¬ 
panies  the  tine  knowledge  of  God,  i>.  12. 
Observe,  The  freeness  of  this  pardon  ;  it 


does  not  result  from  merit  in  man,  but  from 
mercy  in  God  ;  lie  pardons  fir  his  own 
name’s  sake.  The  fulness  of  this  pardon; 
it  extends  to  their  unrighteousness,  sins,  and 
iniquities;  to  all  kinds  of  sin,  to  sins  highly 
aggravated.  The  fixedness  of  this  pardon; 
it  is  so  final,  and  so  fixed,  that  God  will  re¬ 
member  their  sins  no  more  ;  He  will  not 
only  forgive  their  sins,  hut  forget  them,  treat 
them  as  if  He  had  forgotten  them.  This 
pardoning  mercy  is  connected  with  all  other 
spiritual  mercies,  and  opens  a  wide  door  to 
all  spiritual  blessing.  This  is  the  excel¬ 
lency  of  the  new  dispensation,  and  these  the 
articles  of  it;  therefore,  we  have  no  reason 
to  repine,  but.  great  reason  to  rejoice,  that 
that  former  dispensation  is  antiquated  and 
vanished  away. 

Chap.  IX.  The  apostle,  having  declared 
the  Old  Test,  dispensation  antiquated  and 
vanishing  away,  proceeds  to  let  the  He¬ 
brews  see  the  correspondence  there  was  be¬ 
tween  the  Old  Test,  and  the  New;  and  that 
whatever  was  excellent  in  the  Old,  was 
typical  and  representative  of  the  New  ; 
which,  therefore,  must  as  far  excel  the  Old, 
as  the  substance  does  the  shadow.  The 
Old  Test,  was  never  intended  to  be  rested 
in,  but  to  prepare  for  the  institutions  of  the 
Gospel. 

V.  1 — 5.  The  apostle  gives  an  account, 
here,  of  the  tabernacle,  that  place  of  wor¬ 
ship  which  God  appointed  to  be  pitched  on 
earth,  called  vtorldly,  because  wholly  of  this 
world,  as  to  its  materials,  and  a  building 
that  must  be  taken  down  ;  a  sanctuary,  be¬ 
cause  the  court  and  palace  of  the  king  of 
Israel.  God  was  their  King,  and,  as  other 
kings,  had  his  court  or  palace  of  residence, 
and  attendants,  furniture,  and  provision, 
suitable  thereto.  This  tabernacle,  of  which 
we  have  the  model,  Ex.  25 — 27.  it  is  said 
here  was  divided  into  two  parts,  called  a 
first  and  a  second  tabernacle,  an  inner  and 
an  outer  part  ;  representing  the  two  states 
of  the  church  militant  and  triumphant,  and 
the  two  natures  of  Christ,  human  and  di¬ 
vine.  We  are  told  what  was  placed  in 
each  part. 

In  the  outer  part  were  several  things  of 
which  you  have  here  a  sort  of  schedule. 

1.  The  candlestick,  where  the  lamps  were 
always  burning,  there  being  no  windows  in 
the  sanctuary;  and  this  was  to  convince  the 
Jews  of  the  darkness  and  mysterious  nature 
of  that  dispensation.  Their  light  was  only 
candle-light,  in  comparison  of  the  fulness 


of  light  which  Christ,  the  Sun  of  Right¬ 
eousness,  would  bring  along  with  Him,  and 
communicate  to  bis  people. 

2.  1  he  table  and  the  shew-bread  set  upon 
it.  This  was  directly  opposite  to  the  can¬ 
dlestick,  which  shows,  that  by  light  from 
Christ  we  must  have  communion  with  Him 
and  with  one  another.  On  this  table  were 
placed  twelve  loaves,  a  loaf  for  a  tribe, 
which  stood  from  sabbath  to  sabbath,  and 
on  that  day  were  renewed.  This  shew- 
bread  may  be  considered  either  as  the  pro¬ 
vision  of  the  palace,  in  resemblance  of  the 
palaces  of  earthly  kings,  or  the  prox  ision 
made  in  Christ  fur  the  souls  of  his  people, 
suitable  to  tile  wants  and  to  the  relief  of 
their  souls  He  is  the  Bread  ol  life  ;  in 
our  Father’s  house  is  bread  enough  and  to 
spare  ;  xve  mav  have  fresh  supplies  from 
Christ,  especially  every  Lord’s  day.  This 
outer  part  is  called  the  sanctuary  or  hdy,  be¬ 
cause  erected  to  the  worship  of  a  Indy  God, 
to  represent  a  holy  Jesus,  and  to  entertain 
a  holy  people,  for  their  further  improvement 
in  holiness. 

We  have  an  account  of  what  was  in  the 
inner  part  of  the  sanctuary,  which  was 
within  the  second  veil,  and  is  called  the 
holiest  of  all.  This  second  veil,  which  di¬ 
vided  between  the  holy  and  the  most  Indy 
place,  was  a  type  of  the  body  of  Christ;  by 
the  rending  whereof,  not  only  a  view,  but  a 
wav,  was  opened  for  us  into  tbe  holiest  of 
all,  tbe  type  of  heaven  itself.  Noxv  in  this 
part  were, 

1 .  The  golden  censer,  to  hold  the  incense, 
or  the  golden  altar  to  burn  the  incense  on, 
both  typical  of  Christ,  of  his  pleasing  and 
prevailing  intercession,  grounded  on  the 
merits  and  satisfaction  of  his  sacrifice,  on 
which  we  are  to  depend  for  acceptance, and 
the  blessing  from  God. 

2.  The  ark  of  the  covenant  overlaid 
round  about  with  pure  gold,  v.  4.  typifying 
Christ,  his  perfect  obedience  to  the  law, 
and  bis  fulfilling  of  all  righteousness  for  us. 
Now  here  we  are  told  both  what  xvas  in  this 
ark,  and  what  was  over  it. 

(1.)  What  was  in  it.  [1.]  The  golden 
pot  that  had  manna,  which,  being  by  God’s 
appointment  deposited  here,  was  kept  from 
putrefaction;  and  this,  to  teach  us,  that  it  is 
only  in  Christ  that  our  persons,  graces,  per¬ 
formances,  are  kept  pure  ;  it  was  also  a 
type  of  the  bread  of  life  we  have  in  Christ, 
anil  a  memorial  of  God’s  miraculously 
feeding  his  people  in  the  wilderness.  [2.] 
Aaron’s  rod  that  budded;  and  thereby  showed 


PRA.CT.  OBS.  V.  7 — 13.  We  should  often  inquire,  whether  ‘  the 
new  covenant’  be  real  I  v  sealed  and  ratified  to  us;  for,  though  the  gos¬ 
pel-dispensation  is  ■faultless;'  and  though  the  Lord  has,  as  it  were, 
‘  taken  us  bv  the  hand,'  to  lead  us  forth  from  pagan  and  aiuichristinn 
idolatry  ;  yet  lie  will  have  no  special  ‘  regard  to  us’  at  last,  unless  lie 
now  ‘  put  his  laws  into  our  minds,  and  write  them  in  our  hearts,’  as  the 
principle  of  genuine  repentance  and  willing  obedience;  unless  xve  ex¬ 
pect  our  happiness  from  Him  as  our  God,  and  worship  Him  spiritually 
ns  li is  people;  and  unless  we  are  taught  by  his  Holy  Spirit,  to  know 
Him  in  such  a  manner,  as  uprightly  to  fear,  love,  trust,  and  obey  Him. 

NOTES.  Chap.  IX.  '•  The  writer  proceeds  to  consider  the  manner 
and  design  of  the  sacerdotal  service,  and  the  ends  which  could  he  ac¬ 
complished  bv  it.’  Stuart _ ‘  It  will  now,  according  to  the  primary 

purpose  of  the  epistle,  lie  shown,  that  all  that  splendor  and  magnificence 
of  t lie  dexvish  leitourgia,  which  so  dazzled,  nav,  blinded  the  eyes  of  the 
Jews,  and  which  therefore  they  were  so  unwilling  to  lav  aside,  is,  in  the 
new  religion,  far  more  august.  From  different  parts  of  Ex.  25 — 27.  Paul 
shows,  that  the  whole  Jewish  worship  was  indeed  splendid,  but  only 
respected  xvhat  was  external,  and  was  to  lie  repeated,  again  and  again. 
II x  the  divine  counsel,  then,  it  xvas  only  to  last  for  a  time,  till  theper- 
fect  one  was  to  lie  introduced,  which  was  done  by  Jesus  Christ.’ 

Bloom/.,  after  Jaspis. 

V.  1 — .5.  The  apostle,  knowing  the  excessive  and  dangerous  attach¬ 
ment  ofihe  Hebrews  to  the  legal  ceremonies,  proceeded  more  particu¬ 
larly  to  show  their  typiciil  reference  to  Christ.  (1)  Ordinances.]  It  is 
used  in  different  Senses  ;  hyt  ritual  observances  seems  the  meaning  here. 
I.uke  1:5 — 7.  (4)  IVherein,  <fcc.|  ‘  Tiie  rod  of  Aaron,  and  the  golden  pot 
that  had  manna,’  were  within  ‘  the  liolv  of  holies,’  and  by  or  near  the 
ark,  as  ihe  word  may  lie  rendered,  but  they  seem  not  to  have  been  put 
within  it.  1  Kings  8:7 — 9.  (I)  The  first.]  Many  copies  add  taberna¬ 

cle  ;  but  it  appears  to  me,  that  some  transcriber  erroneously  inserted 
that  word,  to  supply  the  ellipsis;  and  that  our  version  more  properly 
substitutes  covenant,  as  directly  connected  with  the  preceding  v.8:13.  Sc. 

(1  —  5.)  ‘The  priests  performed  daily  service  in  the  outer  temple, 
9  6.  the  high  priest  entered  the  inner  (where  God  dwelt)  once  a  year, 
9:7.  permission  to  enter  ouly  so  seldom,  showed,  that  free  access  to 


1  Chr.  22’6— 10.  Jn.  17:1—3.  2  Cor.  4  3—6.  1  Jn.  2:3—6.  Thus  all  true 
Israelites,  ‘  from  the  least  to  the  greatest,’  are  ‘  taught  of  God,’  and  seal¬ 
ed  as  his  people  :  and  I  has  i hey  are  become  satisfied,  that  He  ‘  hai  li  been 
merciful  to  their  sins,  and  will  remember  their  iniquities  no  more.’  This 
‘righteousness  shall  be  for  ever,  this  salvation  shall  not  be  abolished,’ 
ami  the  blessings  of  this  irrevocable  covenant  will  be  I  lie  eternal  portion 
of  every  true  believer.  But  all  other  tilings,  whether  ihev  be  worldly 
vanities,  external  privileges,  or  forms  and  notions  of  religion,  will  soon 
‘decay,  wax  old,  vanish  away,’  and  leave  those  xvho  have  trusted  in 
them  most  miserable  for  evermore.  1:10—12.  2  Pet.  3  5 — 13.  Scott. 

God  was  not  yet  disclosed  under  the  first  dispensation,  v.  8.  indeed  all 
these  rites  were  merely  a  symbol  of  xvliat  xvas  to  he  effected  under  ihe 
Gospel,  vs.  9,  10.  Christ,  on  the  other  hand,  the  heavenly  High  Priest, 
entered  the  eternal  sanctuary  with  his  own  blood,  procuring  everlasting 
redemption  for  sinners,  vs.  11,  12.  The  blood  of  bulls  and  goats,  pre¬ 
sented  by  the  Jewish  high  priest,  effected  nothing  more  than  ceremonial, 
external  purification,  v.  13.  while  the  blood  of  Christ  purifies  the  con¬ 
science,  and  renders  the  worshipper  truly  acceptable  to  God.  v.  14.  I  he 
efficacy  of  the  sacrifice  extending  back  to  t he  sins  of  former  ages,  so 
that  all  who  are  cal  led  ofGod  to  partake  of  the  blessings  of  the  Gospel, 
attain  til  rough  his  death  to  a  heavenly  inheritance,  v.  15.  Here  occasion 
is  taken  to  compare  the  new  covenant,  ratified  by  the  death  of  Christ, 
with  the  covenants  ratified  by  the  death  of  testators.  Such,  says  he,  is 
the  custom  among  men,  that  the  death  of  ihe  testators  must  supervene, 
in  order  to  confirm  and  give  full  effect  to  their  testaments,  v.  16,  17. 
Even  the  first  covenant,  though  not  so  appropriately  called  a  testament, 
was  sanctioned  much  as  was  the  new  covenant ;  for  blood  (the  emblem 
of  death)  was  applied  to  almost  everything  which  pertained  to  t he  an¬ 
cient  covenant,  in  order  either  to  ratify  or  to  consecrate  it,  vs.  IS  22. 
Now,  since  this  was  so  extensively  done  in  regard  to  those  mitre  resem¬ 
blances  or  types  of  heavenly  things,  these  heavenly  things  themselves, 
being  of  a  nature  so  much  more  exalted,  most  be  consecrated  bx  a  cor¬ 
responding  sacrifice,  of  a  higher  nature  than  any  offered  in  the  earthly 

temple,  v.  23.  For  it  is  in  the  heavenly  temple,  Christ  discharges  the 
functions  of  his  priestlv  office,  v.  24.  yet  not.  like  the  Jewish  priests, 
repeating  expiatory  offerings,  but  once  for  all  performing  lilts  sacred 


A.  D.  65 


HEBREWS,  IX. 


Concerning;  the  tabernacle. 

O 


5  And  over  it  the  cherubims  mof 
glory  shallowing  the  mercy-seat; 
of  which  we  cannot  now  speak  par¬ 
ticularly. 

6  Now  when  these  things  were 
thus  ordained,  the  priests  "  went 
always  into  the  first  tabernacle,  ae- 
compli'hiug  the  service  of  God. 

7  But  into  the  second  went  the 
high  priest  alone  0  once  every  year, 
not  without  blood,  which  he  ottered 
for  i'  himself,  and  for  the  errors  of 
the  people  : 

8  The  Holy  Ghost  this  signify¬ 
ing,  that  the  way  11  into  the  holiest 
of  all  was  not  yet  made  manifest, 
while  as  the  first  tabernacle  was 
yet  standing  : 

9  Which  -was  a  figure  for  the 
time  then  present,  in  which  were 
offered  both  gifts  and  sacrifices,  that 
could  liot  r  make  him  that  did  the 
service  perfect,  as  pertaining  to  the 
s  conscience  ; 


m  De.  1 0:2 ,3. 

Kx.  '.5-18/23. 
n  Nil.  28.  J 
o  Ex.  30:10. 


Le.  16:2,  &c. 
p  C.  5:3. 
q  Jo.  14:6. 
c.  10:19, ‘20. 


r  Pa.  40:6 ,7. 
Ga.  3:21. 
c.  10:1,11. 
s  Ps.  51:16—19. 


that  God  had  chosen  him,  of  the  tribe  of 
Levi,  to  minister  before  Him,  of  all  the 
tribes  of  Israel,  and  so  an  end  was  put  to 
the  murmuring  of  the  people,  and  to  their 
attempt  to  invade  the  priest’s  office,  Numb. 
17.  This  was  a  type  of  Divine  Justice,  by 
whom  Christ  the  Rock  was  smitten,  and 
from  whom  the  cool  refreshing  waters  of 
life  (low  into  our  souls.  [3.J  The  tables  nf 
the  covenant,  in  which  the  moral  law  was 
written,  signifying  the  regard  God  has  to 
the  preservation  of  his  holy  law,  and  the 
care  we  all  ought  to  have,  that  we  keep  the 
law  of  God  ;  that  this  we  can  do  only  in 
and  through  Christ,  by  strength  from  Him, 
nor  can  our  obedience  be  accepted  but 
through  Him. 

(2.)  VVliat  was  over  the  ark,  v.  5. 

[1.]  The  mercy-seat,  the  covering  of  the 
ark,  called  the  propitiatory,  and  of  pure  gold, 
as  long  and  as  broad  as  the  ark;  it  was  an 
eminent  tvpe  of  Christ,  and  of  his  perfect 
righteousness,  ever  adequate  to  the  dimen¬ 
sions  of  the  law  of  God,  and  covering  all  our 
tra  Digressions,  interposing  between  the  She- 


chinah,  or  symbol  of  God’s  presence,  and 
our  sinful  failures,  and  covering  them. 

[2.]  The  cherubims  of  glory  shadowing  the 
mercy-seat,  representing  the  ‘holy  angels, 
who  take  pleasure  in  the  great  work  of  re¬ 
demption,  and  are  ready  to  perforin  every 
good  office,  under  the  Redeemer,  for  those 
who  are  the  heirs  of  salvation.  The  angels 
attended  Christ  at  his  birth,  in  his  tempta¬ 
tion,  under  his  agonies,  at  iiis  resurrection, 
and  in  his  ascension,  anti  will  attend  his 
second  coming.  God  manifest  in  the  flesh, 
was  seen,  observed,  visited,  by  the  angels. 

V.  6,  7.  From  the  description  of  the  place 
of  worship  in  the  Old  Test,  dispensation, 
the  apostle  proceeds  to  speak  of  the  duties 
and  services  performed  in  those  places,  v.  6. 

1.  The  ordinary  priests  went  always  into 
the  first  tabernacle,  to  accomplish  the  ser¬ 
vice  of  God.  Observe,  Persons  not  quali¬ 
fied,  not  called  of  God,  must  not  intrude  into 
the  office  and  work  of  the  ministry;  it  would 
have  been  fatal  presumption  in  the  ordinary 
priests  to  have  gone  into  the  holiest  of  all  ; 
and  this  teaches  us,  that  even  ministers  them¬ 
selves  must  not  presume  to  usurp  the  prerog¬ 
ative  of  Christ,  by  offering  up  incense  of 
their  own,  or  adding  their  own  inventions 
to  his  ordinances,  or  lording  it  over  men’s 
consciences.  These  ordinary  priests  were 
to  enter  into  the  first  tabernacle  always ;  that 
is,  they  were  to  devote  themselves  and  all 
their  time  to  the  work  of  their  office,  in  the 
first  tabernacle,  that  they  might  there  ac¬ 
complish  the  service  of  God,  and  fulfil  their 
ministry. 

2.  Into  the  second,  the  interior  part,  went 
the  high  priest  alone,  v.  7.  an  emblem  of 
heaven,  and  Christ’s  ascension  thither.  Ob¬ 
serve,  (1.)  None  hut  the  high  priest  must  go 
into  the  holiest  ;  so  none  but  Christ  could 
enter  into  heaven  in  bis  own  name,  by  bis 
own  right,  and  by  his  own  merits,  (2.)  In 
entering  into  the  holiest,  the  high  priest 
must  first  go  through  the  outer  sanctuary, 
and  through  the  veil;  signifying  that  Christ 
went  to  heaven  through  a  holy  life  ami  a  vio¬ 
lent  death  ;  the  veil  of  his  flesh  was  rent 
asunder.  (3.)  The  high  priest  entered  but 
once  a  year  into  the  holiest,  and  in  this  the 
Antitype  excels  the  type,  (as  in  everything 
else,)  for  He  is  entered  once  for  all,  during 
the  whole  dispensation  of  the  Gospel.  (4.) 
The  high  priest  must  not  enter  without 
blood;  signifying  that  Christ,  having  under¬ 
taken  to  be  oitr  High  Priest,  could  not  have 
been  admitted  into  heaven  without  shedding 


his  blood  for  us;  and  that  none  of  us  can 
enter  either  into  God’s  gracious  presence 
here,  or  his  glorious  presence  hereafter,  but. 
by  the  blood  of  Jesus.  (5.)  The  high  priest, 
under  the  law,  entering  into  the  holiest,  of¬ 
fered  up  that  blood  for  himself  and  bis  own 
errors  first,  and  then  for  the  errors  of  the 
people,  v.  7.  This  teaches  us,  that  Christ  is 
a  more  excellent  Person  and  High  Priest 
than  any  under  the  law,  for  He  has  no  er¬ 
rors  of  his  own  to  offer  for;  and  that  minis¬ 
ters,  when  in  the  mime  of  Christ  they  inter¬ 
cede  for  others,  must  first  apply  the  blood  of 
Christ  to  themselves  for  their  pardon.  (6.) 
When  the  legal  high  priest  had  offered  for 
himself,  he  nnist  not  stop  there,  but  must 
also  offer  for  the  errors  of  the  people.  Our 
High  Priest,  though  He  needs  not  to  offer 
for  Himself,  yet  forgets  not  to  offer  for  his 
people  ;  He  pleads  the  merit  of  his  suffer¬ 
ings  for  the  benefit  of  his  people  on  earth. 
Observe,  Sins  are  errors,  great  errors, 
both  in  judgment  and  practice  ;  they  leave 
guilt  on  the  conscience,  not  to  be  washed 
away  but  by  the  blood  of  Christ  ;  and  the 
sinful  errors  of  priests  and  people  must  be 
all  done  away  by  the  same  means;  we  must 
plead  this  blood  on  earth,  while  He  is  plead¬ 
ing  it  in  heaven  for  us. 

V.  8—14.  In  these  vs.  the  apostle  under¬ 
takes  to  deliver  to  us  the  mind  and  meaning 
of  the  Holy  Ghost,  in  all  the  ordinances  of 
the  tabernacle  anti  legal  economy,  compre¬ 
hending  both  place  and  worship.  Several 
things  are  mentioned,  and  certified  hereby. 

1.  The  way  into  the  holiest  of  all  was  not 
ypt  made  manifest,  while  the  first  tabernacle 
was  standing,  v.  8.  This  was  olie  lesson; 
the  way  to  heaven  was  not  so  clear  and 
plain,  nor  so  much  frequented,  under  the 
Old  Test,  as  under  the  New.  There  was 
not  that  free  access  to  God  then  that  there 
is  now. 

2.  The  first  tabernacle  was  only  a  figure 
for  the  time  then  present,  v.  9.  a  dark  dis¬ 
pensation,  of  short  continuance,  only  de¬ 
signed  for  a  while  to  typify  the  great  things 
of  Christ  and  the  Gospel. 

3.  None  of  (lie  gifls  and  sacrifices  there 
offered  could  make  the  offerers  perfect,  as 
pertaining  to  conscience,  v.  9.  that  is,  they 
could  not  take  away  either  the  desert,  or 
defilement,  or  dominion,  of  sin;  they  could 
not  deliver  conscience  from  a  dread  of  the 
wrath  of  God;  they  could  neither  discharge 
the  debts,  nor  resolve  the  doubts,  of  him 
who  did  the  service. 


liie  vs.  ‘2.5,  2f>.  As  men  ilie  but  on.ee;  and  Clirist,  in  his  human  nature, 
and  In  il .  ing  in  it,  made  an  expiatory  offering;  so  He  could  make  this 
but  once  ;  therefore,  when  He  shall  make  his  second  appearance,  it  will 
not  he  to  repeat  liis  sin-offering,  but  for  the  deliverance  of  all  who  wait 
for  his  coining,  v.  27,  23.’  Stuart. 

2.i  First.  1  *  The  ancients  and  best  moderns  agree  it  refers  to  place, 

not  tim"'  Bloomf. — Yet  see  on  v.  1 — 5.  and  Stuart  here  further  com¬ 
pares  8:6,  7.  En. 

(4.)  Go’den  censer .]  1  Some,  think,  the  golden  altar  may  be  compre¬ 

hended  in  t'.ie  word  rendered  censer.'  Doddr. —  Ros.  understands, 
hi/astlrinn,  the  mercy-seat,  or  the  lid  or  covering  of  the  ark.  Ed. — ‘  It  is 
evident  it  was  covered  with  thin  gold  plates  :  a  verv  ancient  custom, 
and  of  which  vestiges  are  found  in  the  temples  of  Mexico,  Peru,  and 
elsewhere  in  America.’  Bloomf. 

5.  ‘On  supposition  the  Mosaic  tabernacles  were  a  representation 
or  l lie  universe,  thev  were  prohahlv  set  in  order,  to  teach  us  that  the 
whole  universe  is  tiie  temple  of  God  :  that  in  this  vast  temple  there  is 
the  most  holy  place,  where  He  resides,  and  manifests  Himself  to  angelic 
hosts  around  ;  and  that  ail  intelligent  beings,  who  inhabit  this  vast  tem¬ 
ple,  are  placed  in  it  to  lie  happy,  hv  worshipping  the  Creator,  each  kind 
according  to  i lie  faculties  lliey  possess.  l’s.  148. — That  God  resides  in  a 
particular  part  of  the  universe,  where  He  makes  his  presence  known  by 
some  visible  glorv,  is  a  notion  which  has  prevailed  among  all  nations, — 
a  proof  that  il  is  derived  from  tradition,  or  that  it  is  a  dictate  of  reason  : 
either  supposition  shows  its  truth  ;  and,  being  confirmed  by  revelation, 
whv  should  it  be  called  in  question  l  ’  Mackn. 

V.  6,  7.  SoiiieTninmenlators  mention  carrying  the  blood  of  the  sacri¬ 
fices,  in  general,  into  the  temple,  to  sprinkle  it  before  the  veil,  as  one  of 
the  services  performed  by  the  ordinary  priests;  but  it  was  evident  that 
no  blood  was  carried  into  the  tabernacle,  except  that  of  sin-offerings  for 
the  high  priest  or  for  the  congregation,  and  this  was  done  by  this  high 
priest  himself.  In  other  cases,  when  some  of  the  blood  had  been  sprin¬ 
kled  about  the  altar  of  burnt-offering,  the  residue  was  poured  out  at  ihe 
bottom  of  it.  13  9—14.  Ltpv.  1:5 — 9.  4:4—7,  22—35.  6:30.16:11—19. 
(7 ;  Errors .]  Here  only,  N.  T. — Gen.  43:12.  Sept. — Ignorances.  It 
seems  to  denote  all  those  sins,  for  which  sacrifices  were  appointed  ; 
indeed  all.  but  those  presumptuous  sins  which  were  punished  by  death. 
Lev.  4:5:  6:2—7.  Ps.  19:12—14.  Scott. 

[536] 


(7.)  Once.]  1  It  means  simply  once ,  as  once  and  again  ;  or  it  means 
once  only,  once  for  all ;  which  is  the  meaning  of  it  here,  and  in  several 
other  passages  of  this  epistle.’  Stuart. 

V.  3 — 10.  By  all  those  restrictions  nnd  limitations,  which  kept  even 
the  worshippers  of  Jehovah  at  so  awful  a  distance,  1  the  Holy  Spirit,’ 
by  whose  inspiration  lliey  were  revealed  and  recorded,  conveyed  this 
important  instruction,  viz.  that  1  the  way  into  the  holiest  of  all  was  not 
yet  made  manifest.’ — A  few  believers,  indeed,  under  the  divine  teaching, 
discerned  something  in  these  rites  concerning  the  way  of  access  to  God, 
of  communion  with  Him,  and  of  admission  into  heaven,  through  the 
promised  Redeemer;  but  the  Israelites  in  general  looked  no  further 
than  the  external  forms,  and  scarcely  any  person  conceived  an  idea, 
that  sinners  of  every  nation  should  have  that  freedom  and  boldness  of 
access  to  God  through  Christ,  and  nil  the  privileges  and  hopes,  which 
believers  enjoy  under  the  Christian  dispensation.  The  difficulty  of 
guilty,  polluted  rebels,  being  tints  admitted  into  the  presence  and  favor 
of  a  holy  God,  was  full  v  declared  by  those  appointments;  but  the  sacri¬ 
fice  and  priesthood  of  the  incarnate  Son  of  God  at  once  disannulled  them 
all.  When  He  hung  on  the  cross,  the  veil  of  the  temple  was  rent. 
(Notes,  Mat.  27:51 — 53.)  His  ascension  into  heaven,  and  intercession 
there,  opened  the  way  to  the  mercy-seat;  by  his  doctrine  1  the  way  into 
the  holiest  was  made  manifest,’  and  thenceforth  it  was  only  necessary, 
that  sinners  should  be  made  willing  by  regenerating  grace,  to  avail 
themselves  of  such  an  invaluable  privilege.  (Note,  10:19 — 22.)  The 
legal  ordinances,  therefore,  especially  those  of  the  great  day  of  atone¬ 
ment,  were  figures  ‘  for  the  time  then  present ;  ’  (or,  as  some  render  it, 
of  the  present  time,  the  happy  period  thus  prefigured  being  at  length 
arrived  ;)  in  which  were  offered  various  gifts  and  sacrifices,  that  could 
not  give  the  worshippers  genuine,  solid  peace  of  conscience,  or  make  a 
perfect  reconciliation  between  the  sinner  and  the  offended  Judge.  The 
offerers  who  rested  in  them,  and  did  not  by  faith  rely  oil  the  promised 
Savior,  could  not  obtain  forgiveness  of  sins,  or  spiritual  blessings;  but 
were  only  exempted  from  temporal  punishment,  and  admitted  to  exter¬ 
nal  privileges,  as  members  of  the  kingdom  and  church  of  Israel,  which 
was  in  a  peculiar  sense  under  the  government  of  Jehovah.  (11:14.) 
The  other  ordinances  of  that  covenant,  which  were  connected  with  its 
sacrifices,  consisted  principally  of  regulations  concerning  meats  and 
drinks,  the  latter  especially  in  respect  of  the  priests,  and  the  Nazarites, 


A.  D.  65. 


HEBREWS,  IX. 


Necessity  of  purification. 


10  Which  stood  only  in  'meats 
and  drinks,  and  divers  “  washings, 
and  carnal  ”  w  ordinances,  imposed 
on  them  until  the  time  of  reforma¬ 
tion. 


11  But  Christ  being  come  an 
1  high  priest  of  good  1  things  to 
come,  by  a  f  greater  and  more  per¬ 
fect  tabernacle,  not  made  with 
hands,  that  is  to  say,  not  of  this 
building  ; 

12  Neither  by  the  blood  of ‘goats 
and  calves,  but  by  his  own  b  blood, 
he  entered  in  once  into  the  holy 
c  place,  having  obtained  eternal  re¬ 
demption  for  us. 

13  For  if  the  blood  of  bulls  and 
of  goats,  and  the  ashes  d  of  an  heif¬ 
er  sprinkling  the  unclean,  sancti- 
lieth  to  the  purifying  of  the  flesh  ; 

14  How  much  more  shall  the 
blood  of  Christ,  who  “through  the 
eternal  Spirit  offered  himself  with- 

t  I.e.  11:2.  Ire.  x  e.  3:1.  1  Pe.  1:18,19 


u  Nu.  19:7,  St  c. 
w  or,  ^7 

■  Ci'tmnnics, 
w  Ep.  2:15. 


y  c.  10:1. 
t  c.  8:2. 
a  c.  10:4. 
b  Ac.  20:28. 


Re.  1:5. 
c  c.  10:15. 
d  No.  19:2 — 17. 
e  1  Pe  3:  IS. 


4.  The  Holy  Ghost  hereby  signifies,  that 
the  Old  Test,  institutions  were  but  external, 
carnal  ordinances  imposed  on  them  until  the 
time  of  reformation,  v.  10.  Their  imperfec¬ 
tion  lay  in  three  tilings.  (1.)  Their  nature; 
they  were  but  external,  carnal  meats,  drinks, 
and  divers  washings  ;  bodily  exercises, 
which  profit  little  ;  they  could  only  satisfy 
the  llesh,  or  at  best  sanctify  to  the  purifying 
of  the  flesh.  (2.)  They  were  imposed  by 
grievous  corporal  punishments,  and  tliis  on 
purpose  to  make  them  look  more  to  the  pro¬ 
mised  Seed,  and  long  more  for  Him.  (3.) 


These  were  never  designed  fora  perpetuity, 
hut  only  to  continue  till  the  time  of  refor¬ 
mation,  till  gospel-times,  times  of  reforma¬ 
tion,  of  clearer  light,  of  greater  love,  liberty 
and  freedom  hotli  of  spirit  and  speech,  and 
of  a  more  holy  living  according  to  the  rule 
of  the  Gospel. 

5.  The  Holy  Ghost  signifies  to  us  hereby, 
that  we  never  make  the  right  use  of  types 
hut  when  we  apply  them  to  the  Antitype  ; 
and  whenever  we  do  so,  it  will  be  very  evi¬ 
dent  that  the  Antitype  (as  in  reason  it 
should)  greatly  excels  the  type,  which  is  the 
main  drift  and  design  of  all  that  is  said. 
And  as  he  writes  to  those  who  believed  that 
Christ  was  come,  ami  that  Jesus  was  the 
Christ  ;  so  lie  very  justly  infers,  that  He  is 
infinitely  above  all  the  legal  high  priests, 
r.  11,  12.  and  he  illustrates  it  very  fully. 
For,  ■  ^ 

(1 .)  Christ  is  the  High  Priest  of  good  things 
to  come ,  by  which  may  he  understood,  (1.) 
All  the  good  things  to  come  during  (he  Old 
Test,  and  now  come  under  the  New ;  the 
New  Testament  is  the  accomplishment  of 
the  Old.  (2.)  All  the  good  things  yet  to 
come  and  to  be  enjoyed  in  a  gospel-state, 
all  these  depend  on  Christ  and  his  priest¬ 
hood,  and  shall  be  fulfilled.  (3.)  Of  all  the 
good  things  to  come  in  the  heavenly  state, 
which  will  perfect  both  the  Testaments  ;  ns 
the  stale  of  glory  will  perfect  the  state  of 
grace,  tliis  state  will  he  in  a  much  higher 
sense  the  perfection  of  the  New  Test,  than 
the  New  Test,  was  the  perfection  of  the 
Old.  Observe,  All  good  tilings  past,  pres¬ 
ent,  and  to  come,  were,  and  are,  founded 
on,  and  flowing  from,  the  priestly  office  of 
Christ. 

(2.)  Christ  is  a  High  Priest  by  a  greater 
and  more  perfect  tabernacle ,  a.  11.  a  taberna¬ 
cle  not  made  with  hands,  that  is  to  say,  not  of 
this  building,  hut  his  own  body,  or  rather 
human  nature,  conceived  by  the  Holy  Ghost 


|  overshadowing  the  blessed  virgin.  This  was 
a  new  fabric,  a  new  order  o(  building,  infi¬ 
nitely  superior  to  all  earthly  structures,  not 
excepting  the  tabernacle  or  the  temple  itself. 

(3.)  Christ,  our  High  Priest,  is  entered 
into  heaven,  not  as  their  high  priest  entered 
into  the  holiest,  with  the  blood  of  hulls  and 
of  goats,  hut  by  his  own  blood  typified  by 
theirs,  and  infinitely  more  precious.  And 
this, 

(4.)  Not  for  one  year  only,  which  showed 
the  imperfection  of  that  priesthood,  that  it 
did  but  typically  obtain  a  year’s  reprieve  or 
pardon.  But  our  High  Priest  entered  into 
heaven  once  for  all,  and  has  obtained  not  a 
yearly  respite,  hut  eternal  redemption,  and 
so  needs  not  to  make  an  annual  entrance. 
In  each  of  the  types  there  was  something 
that  showed  it  was  a  type,  and  resembled 
the  Antitype,  and  something  that  showed  it 
was  hut  a  type,  and  fell  short  of  the  Anti¬ 
type,  and  therefore  ought  by  no  means  to  be 
set  up  in  competition  with  the  Antitype. 

(5.)  The  Holy  Ghost  further  signified  and 
showed  what  was  the  efficacy  of  the  blood 
of  the  Old  Test,  sacrifices,  and  thence  [he] 
infers  the  much  greater  efficacy  of  the  blood 
of  Christ.  The  legal  sacrifices  extended  to 
the  purifying  of  the  flesh,  v.  13.  it  freed  the 
outward  man  from  ceremonial  uncleanness, 
and  from  temporal  punishment,  and  entitled 
him  to,  and  fitted  him  for,  some  external 
privilege's.  He  infers  very  justly  from  hence 
the  for  greater  efficacy  of  the  blood  of  Christ, 
v.  14.  Here  observe, 

[1.]  What  gave  such  efficacy  to  the  blood' 
of  Christ.  It  was  his  offering  Himself  to 
God,  the  human  nature  on  the  altar  of  his 
divine  nature.  He  being  both  Priest,  Altar, 
and  Sacrifice,  his  divine  nature  serving  for 
the  first  two,  and  his  human  nature  for  the 
last  ;  now  such  a  Priest,  Altar,  and  Sacri¬ 
fice,  could  not  but  be  propitiatory.  It  was 
his  offering  up  Himself  to  God  through  the 


and  divers  baptisms,  or  washings  with  water,  or  in  water,  as  typical  of 
sanctification,  and  such  like  institutions  which  were  carnal  in  them¬ 
selves,  though  lor  wise  purposes  they  were  ‘imposed’  till  the  coining 
of  the  Messiah,  which  was  to  lie  a  time  of  reformation,  by  the  introduc¬ 
tion  of  a  more  simple  and  spiritual  worship.  (.Vote,  John,  1:21 — 24.) 
They  could  therefore  be  of  no  use  to  those  Jews,  who  rejected  Christ 
out  of  zeal  for  them,  and  it  was  absurd  for  the  Ileb.  Christians  to  adhere 
no  pertinaciously  to  them.  (8)  The  Holy  Ghost,  Ac.]  This  is  a  most 
express  attestation  to  the  divine  inspiration  of  Moses,  which  should  not 
pass  without  special  notice,  in  these  days  of  skepticism  on  that  subject. 
(3)  Sinridiurr.]  Retained  its  station.  The  temple  which  succeeded  to 
the  tabernacle,  and  must  be  included  in  all  this  argument  along  with  it, 
was  standing  when  the  apostle  wrote;  but  after  the  introduction  of  the 
Gospel,  it  virtually  lost  its  station  and  use,  in  true  religion. — Hake  per¬ 
fect .]  7:19.  11:40.  Something  further  was  wanted,  even  the  thing 
signified  by  all  these  types. —  10)  Divers  washings.]  Different,  bap¬ 
tisms  ;  that  is,  differing  from  each  other.  6:2.  Mark  7:  4,  !i.  llom.  12:6. 
Tliis  fully  proves,  that  other  uses  of  water,  besides  immersion,  are  called 
baptisms  in  Scripture.  Scott. 

(9.)  ‘Tliis,  in  lew  words,  expresses  vvliat  I  take  to  be  of  the  greatest 
importance  for  understanding  the  Mosaic  sacrifices;  which  is,  that 
they  were  never  intended  to  expiate  offences  to  such  a  deg' re,  as  to 
deliver  the  sinner  from  the  final  judgment  of  God  in  another  world ;  hut 
merely  to  make  his  peace  with  the  government  under  which  he  then 
was,  and  to  furnish  him  with  a  pardon,  pleadable  against  any  prosecu¬ 
tion  which  might  be  commenced  against  him  in  their  courts  of  justice, 
or  any  exclusion  from  the  privilege  of  drawing  near  to  God,  as  one  ex¬ 
ternally  at  peace  with  Him,  in  the  solemnities  of  his  temple  worships’ 
Doddr. — ‘  The  verso  shows  plainly,  that  our  epistle  was  written  vChile 
the  temple  rites  were  still  practised;  consequently  before  A.  1).  70.’ — 
l'er feel,  as  pertaining  to  the  conscience.]  ‘  Tho  meaning  is,  to  render 
the  mind  of  the  worshipper  secure  of  pardon  for  sin,  and  to  produco 
that  quiet  which  is  connected  with  a  well-grounded  persuasion  of  this, 
and  that  moral  purification  which  must  accompany  it.’  Stuart. 

(10.)  Carnal  ordinances.]  ‘Ordinances  of  an  external  nature.’ — • 
Imposed.]  ‘Enjoined.’  Stuart. — Time,  of  reformation.]  ‘This  is 
explained  by  the  best  commentators,  “the  period  which  should  intro¬ 
duce  a  reformation  of  religion,  by  the  change  of  external  and  corporal 
into  internal  and  mental  worship.”  ’  Bloo.mf. 

V.  ll — 14.  (II)  Greater  and  more  perfect  tabernacle.]  Tliis  may  lie 
explained,  either  of  his  holy  human  nature,  in  which  lie  tabernacled  on 
earth,  and  officiates  as  Priest  in  heaven,  John  1:14.  or  rather  of  the 
heavens  themselves,  where  ‘He  appears  in  the  presence  of  God  for  us.’ 
24 — 26.  His  divine  nature,  the  entire  purity  of  his  human  nature,  the 
exalted  dignity  of  his  person,  ns  Emmanuel  ;  the  honor  put  oil  the  law 
of  God  by  his  most  perfect  obedience,  and  the  voluntary  offering  of  Him¬ 
self,  under  the  immediate  influences  of  1  the  eternal  Spirit,’  ns  a  spotless 
sacrifice  to  divine  justice  in  the  stead  of  sinners,  concurred  to  render  it 
glorious  in  God,  for  his  sake,  fully  to  pardou,  and  freely  to  accept,  all 
who  were  interested  in  Him  by  faith.  If,  then,  there  was  the  least  effi¬ 
cacy  in  external  expiaiions  and  purifications,  through  the  appoint ment 
ofGod,  and  because  they  showed  the  guilt  and  pollution  of  sin,  and  typ¬ 
ified  the  method  of  its  removal,  so  that  it  became  proper  for  God 
through  them  to  confer  temporal  benefits  on  criminals,  how  much  more 
N.  t.  roL.  v.  68 


efficacious  must  the  blood  of  Christ  be,  ‘  to  purge  the  believer’s  con¬ 
science  from  dead  works,’  from  the  guilt  of  those  evil  works,  which 
were  committed  by  such  as  were  dead  in  sin,  and  deserved  death;  or 
which  realty  and  deeply  polluted  the  soul,  even  as  the  touch  of  a  dead 
corpse  ritually  did  the  body  !  As,  therefore,  it  was  abundantly  suited 
to  render  the  exercise  of  mercy  consistent  with  the  most  perfect  justice 
and  holiness,  mid  honorable  to  God  to  accept  the  services  of  sinners 
who  believed  ;  so,  when  apprehended  by  faith,  it  effectually  removes  the 
burden  of  guilt  from  the  conscience,  and  gives  the  trembling  sinner 
peace,  confidence,  and  comfort,  in  approaching,  worshipping,  and  obey¬ 
ing  the  living  God.  .Christians,  therefore,  could  have  no  occasion  to 
cleave  to  the  abrogated  typical  expiations  of  the  Mosaic  law. — Some  ex¬ 
positors,  by  1  the  eternal  Spirit.,’  suppose  the  Deity  of  the  Son  to  be 
meant;  but  tliis  seems  rather  to  be  implied  in  the  word  Christ.  The 
holiness  and  obedience  of  our  Savior,  his  miraculous  powers,  and  the 
supports  given  to  his  human  nature,  are  constantly  ascribed  to  the  Holy 
Spirit,  ‘with  which  lie  was  anointed  without  measure,’  sealing  his  ap¬ 
pointment  to  liis  mediatorial  offices,  and  as  He  was  carried  through  his 
last  scene  of  sufferings,  by  his  most  perfect  zeal  and  love,  which  also 
gave  value  to  his  sacrifice.  1:8,  9.  Ps.  45:6,  7.  Is.  11:2 — .7.  42:1—4.  59: 
20,21.  61  1—9.  Mat.  3:46,  17.  John  3:27—36.  Acts  1:1— 3.  10:36—43. 
The  Holy  Spirit,  therefore,  seems  to  be  intended,  whose  eternal  Deity, 
(as  well  as  the  everlasting  value  and  efficacy  of  Christ’s  atonement,")  is 
attested  by  the  epithet  here  employed.  The  I.evitical  services  were  all 
‘  shadows  of  heavenly  things ;  ’  the  expiations  were,  therefore,  types  of 
some  real  expiation.  ‘Now  what  expiation  is  there  in  the  whole  uni¬ 
verse,  if  the  Sacrifice  of  Christ  is  excluded  ?’  Mac/cn. — (12)  Eternal  re¬ 
demption.]  Luke  1:68.  2:38.  The  word  is  sometimes  used  for  temporal 
deliverances  from  bondage,  or  captivity,  but  the  redemption  which 
Christ  effected  is  distinguished  as  ‘  eternal  redemption.’  15 — 17.  5:7 — 
10.  10:11—13.  Eph-  1:3—8.  Tit.  2:14.  1  Pet.  1 :17— 21.  Rev.  5:8— 10.  Sc. 

(11  )  A  high  priest  of  good  things  to  come.]  ‘  The  high  priest  who 
procures  future  blessings  ;  as  the  God  of  peace,  is  the  God  who  procures 
or  bestows  peace _ The  antithesis  between  the  old  and  new  taberna¬ 

cles,  their  services,  and  the  respective  efficacy  of  them,  is  carried  on, 
through  the  remainder  of  oh.  9.  and  down  to  ch.  10:19.’  Stuart. 

(14.)  Through  the  eternal  Spirit.]  ‘  Most  of  the  ancients  and  earlier 
moderns,  understand  it  of  the  divine  nature  of  Christ.  And  this  inter¬ 
pretation  is  ably  supported  by  Grotius,  Limborch,  Wolf,  Schoettg., 
Vitrin.,  Ernesti,  Cramer,  Storr,  and  Carpz-  Others,  ns  Ahp.  Tiliots.,  and 
Drs.  Owen,  and  Dcddr.,  interpret  it  of  the  Ifoly  Spirit.  I  cpnfess,  I 
see  no  interpretation  so  safe  as  the  common  one,  first  mentioned.’ 
ISi.oomf. — An  eternal  spiritual  nature,  &e.  ‘Although  the  offering  of 
Christ  might  be  rendered  of  the  highest  value, 'on  account  of  the  digni- 
tv  of  his  Person,  in  consequence  of  the  higher  nature  which  dwelt  in 
Him  ;  yet  the  sacred  writers  represent  Him  as  having  made  atonement 
in  his  human  nature,  not  in  his  divine.  Ileb.  2:14,  17,  18.  Col.  I’-1; 
Phil.  2:6—8.  II eh.  10:5,  10.  1  Pet.  2:24.  In  1  Cor.  1 5:45.  the  last  Adam, 
i.  e.  Christ,  is  called  a  quickening  Spirit ,  in  distinction  from  the  mting 
soul  attributed  to  the  first  Adam.  This  could  not  be  because  Christ  Had 
an  immortal  soul,  and  Adam  bad  only  a  living  animal  soul  ;  fnrAJam 
too,  was  immortal.  It  would  seem,  here,  that  spirit  »wM»th  de¬ 
signate  a  spiritual  or  immortal  nature  ;  but  spirit,  h  re,ue.  xr  .  ■ 

nature,  of  a  higher  order;  and  the  antithesis  is  more  full'  made  by 


A.  D.  65. 


HEBREWS,  IX. 


Christ's  death  necessary. 


out  fspot  to  God,  purge  syour  con¬ 
science  from  dead  works  to  serve 
h  the  living  God  ? 

[Practical  Observations.] 

15  And  for  this  cause  he  is  the 
Mediator  of  the  New  Testament, 
that  by  means  of  death,  for  the  re¬ 
demption  of  the  transgressions  that 
were  under  the  first  testament,  they 
which  are  called  might  receive  the 
promise  of  eternal  inheritance. 

16  For  where  a  testament  is, 
there  must  also  of  necessity  '  be  the 
death  of  the  testator. 

17  For  a  testament  is  of  force 
after  men  arc  dead  :  otherwise  it  is 
of  no  strength  at  all  jvhile  the  tes¬ 
tator  liveth. 

f  o r,  fault.  It  1  Pc.  4:2.  i  or,  be  brought  in. 

g  c.  10:22. 

eternal  Spirit,  not  only  as  the  divine  nature 
supported  llie  human,  but  the  Holy  Ghost, 


which  He  had  without  measure,  helping 
Him  in  all,  and  in  this  great  act  of  obedi¬ 
ence  offering  Himself.  It  was  his  offering 
Himself  to  God  without  spot,  without  any 
sinful  stain,  either  in  his  nature  or  life;  this 
was  conformable  to  the  law  of  sacrifices, 
which  were  to  be  without  blemish.  Now, 
further  observe, 

[2.]  How  great  the  efficacy  of  Christ’s 
blood  is  ;  it  is  sufficient  to  purge  the  very 
soul  and  conscience;  sufficient  to  enable  us 
to  serve  the  living  God,  not  only  by  purging 
away  guilt,  but  by  sanctifying  anti  renewing 
the  soid  through  the  gracious  influences  of 
the  Holy  Spirit,  purchased  by  Christ  for  this 
purpose,  that  we  might  be  enabled  to  serve 
the  living  God  in  a  lively  manner. 

V.  15—22,  Here, 

1.  The  Gospel  is  considered  as  a  testa¬ 
ment,  the  new  and  last  will  and  testament 
of  our  Lord  and  Savior  Jesus  Christ.  The 
solemn  transactions  that  pass  between  God 
and  man  are  sometimes  called  a  covenant, 
here  a  testament.  A  covenant  is  an  agree¬ 
ment  between  two  or  more  parties  about 
things  in  their  own  power,  or  that  may  be 


so;  and  this  either  with  or  without  a  medi¬ 
ator  ;  this  agreement  takes  effect  at  such 
time,  and  in  such  manner,  as  is  therein  de¬ 
clared.  A  testament  is  a  voluntary  act  and 
deed  of  a  single  person,  duly  executed  and 
witnessed,  bestowing  legacies  on  such  lega¬ 
tees  as  are  described  and  characterized  by 
the  testator,  and  which  can  only  take  effect 
on  his  death.  Now  observe, 

Christ  is  the  Mediator  of  a  new  testa¬ 
ment,  v.  15.  and  for  several  ends  and  pur¬ 
poses  here  mentioned.  (1.)  To  redeem  per¬ 
sons  from  their  transgressions  committed 
against  the  law  or  first  testament,  which 
makes  every  transgression  a  forfeiture  of 
liberty,  and  makes  men  debtors,  and  slaves 
or  prisoners,  who  need  to  be  redeemed. 
(2.)  To  qualify  all  those  that  are  effectually 
called,  to  receive  the  promise  of  an  eternal 
inheritance.  These  are  the  great  legacies 
that  Christ,  by  his  last  will  and  testament, 
has  bequeathed  to  the  truly  characterized 
legatees. 

2.  To  make  this  new  testament  effectual, 
it  was  necessary  Christ  should  die;  the  leg¬ 
acies  accrue  by  means  of  death.  This  he 


PRACT.  OBS.  V.  1 — 14.  ‘The  ordinances  of  divine  service,  and 
the  worldly  sanctuary’  of  the  Mosaic  covenant,  point  out  to  us  Christ 
as  the  Light  of  the  church  and  of  the  world,  and  ‘  the  Bread  of  life’  to 
our  souls,  Jn.  1:4 — 9.  6;30 — 35,  47 — 58.  P.  O.  30 — 35,  47 — 59.  and  remind 
us  of  his  divine  Ferson,  his  fruitful  priesthood,  which  flourishes  forev¬ 
er,  his  perfect  righteousness,  and  his  all-prevailing  intercession;  ‘which 
tilings  the  angels  desire  to  look  into’  with  admiring  praise  and  adora¬ 
tion. — At  what  a  distance  lias  sin  placed  us  from  our  holy  Creator,  when 
all  the  preparatory  sacrifices  of  the  law  still  left  the  worshippers  se¬ 
cluded,  and  in  a  sense  banished,  even  from  the  presence  of  God  on  Ills 
mercy-seat  1  All  these  sacrifices  and  services  could  no  more  purge  the 
guilty  conscience,  than  distinctions  in  meats,  and  divers  ‘  baptisms,’ 
could  cleanse  the  polluted  heart,  or  new  create  the  fallen  nature  of  man. 

ing  or  life-giving .  and  living.  If  v.  14.  contains  substantially  a  recog¬ 
nition  of  the  same  or  the  like  sentiment,  (which  it  seems  to  do,)  then 
through  the  eternal  Spirit ,  may  well  refer  to  the  eternal  spiritual  na¬ 
ture  or  condition  of  the  Savior  in  glory .  who  presented  Himself  in  the 
heavenly  temple,  with  such  a  nature,  as  a  spotless  offering  to  God,  and 
procured  that  pardon  and  purification  which  the  sinner  needs.’  Stuart. 
— ‘  What  strange  servants  some  Christians  are  ! — always  at  work  for 
themselves,  and  never  doing  anything  for  Him  whom  they  call  their 
Master  !  And  what  subjects  .'—ever  desiring  to  take  t he  reins  into 
their  own  hands  !’  Rev.  Dr.  Nevins. 

V.  15 — 17.  Because  of  the  unceasing  and  inexhaustible  efficacy  of  his 
sacrifice,  Christ  was  appointed  to  be  ‘  the  Mediator  of  the  new  cove¬ 
nant.’  He  had  undertaken  the  cause  of  sinners,  which  must  otherwise 
have  been  relinquished  as  desperate;  as  lie  alone  was  capable  of  offer¬ 
ing  a  sacrifice  of  sufficient  value  to  make  a  real  atonement ;  and  He  had 
come  into  the  world,  in  human  nature,  for  that  purpose,  in”  order,  by 
means  of  his  death,  to  pay  a  ransom  to  God,  for  ihe  transgressions 
which  had  been  committed  by  believers,  under  the  old  covenant ,  or  the 
legal  dispensation  ;  even  those  who  lived  before  li is  coining,  as  well  as 
all  others  who  were  called  by  the  grace  of  God  to  faith  in  Him,  ‘  might 
receive  the  promise  of  eternal  inheritance.’  Rom.  3:21 — 2S.  For  the 
temporal  inheritance  alone  was  secured  to  the  Israelites,  by  their  obser¬ 
vance  of  the  legal  expiations,  and  those  of  them  who  sought  and  ob¬ 
tained  spiritual  and  eternal  blessings,  were  made  partakers  of  them 
through  the  anticipated  efficacy  of  Christ’s  redemption.  That  grace 
was  finally  confirmed  to  them  by  his  death;  so  that,  in  t his  respect,  the 
covenant  He  mediated  might  also  lie  considered  as  a  testament ,  by 
which  a  man  bequeaths  certain  legacies  to  persons  specified  in  it,  to  lie 
given  to  them  in  consequence  of  his  death.  Thus  Christ  might  he  con¬ 
sidered,  as  having  acquired,  in  his  mediatorial  office,  a  conditional  right 
to  dispose  of  spiritual  and  eternal  blessings,  as  bv  his  will  ami  testa¬ 
ment.  These  He  bequeathed  to  all  such  as  should  apply  for  them  by 
faith;  and  though,  as  a  special  favor,  some  were,  before  his  coming, 
made  partakers  of  them,  in  consequence  of  his  unfailing  engagements  to 
assume  human  nature,  and  make  redemption  for  their  transgressions, 
yet  even  their  right  was  incomplete  till  after  his  death,  anti  ail  others 
must  he  admitted  to  claim  them  on  that  ground  only.  For  when  ‘a 
testament  is  made,’  ‘the  death  of  the  testator. must  ’  of  necessity  take 
)dace,  before  the  iegneies  can  he  Claimed.  It  is  of  no  validity  till  fie  be 
dead;  for,  as  He  may  change  it  at  pleasure  while  He  lives,  it  has  no 
force  till  afterwards.  Thus  Christ  died,  not  only  to  obtain  the  blessings 
of  salvation  for  its;  hut  to  give  efficacy  to  his  testamentary  disposal  of 
them;  though  He  is  different  from  all  other  testators,  in  that  He  rose 
again;  and  ever  liveth  to  he  the  Executor  of  his  own  testament,  for  the 
beneut  of  all  who  tire  interested  in  it. —  Thus  the  passage  has  generally 
been  interpreted  ;  hut  this  is  the  only  place,  in  which  the  original  word 
is  expresstu  used  in  Scripture  for  a'  testament,  or  the  will  of  a  d\iug 
person.  -  The  change  of  the  meaning,  also,  from  covenant  to  testament, 
seems  unprecedented  ;  ‘the  Mediator  of  a  testament,’  and  ‘the  Mood 
ot  a  testament,’  are  expressions,  to  which  it  is  difficult  to  annex  any 
precise  ideas  and  the  Sinai-covenant  can  hardly  in  any  sense  be  called 
‘  a  testament.’  Several  modern  expositors  have  therefore  endeavored 
to  establish  another  interpretation. — ‘For  this  reason,  ...  of  the  new 
covenant  He  is  the  Mediator,  or  High  l’licst,  by  whom  its  blessings  tiro 
dispensed,  and  also  the  Sacrifice,  by  which  it  is  procured  and  ratified  ; 
that,  his  death  being  accompli.- lied,  for  obtaining  the  pardon  of  the  trans¬ 
gressions  of  the  first  covenant,  b  lievers  of  all  ages  and  nations,  as  (lie 
called  seed  of  Abraham,  ..  .may  receive  the  promised  eternal  inheri¬ 
tance  For  . .  .  where  a  covenant  is  made  by  sacrifice,  there  is  a  neces¬ 
sity,  that  tlte  death  of  tiie  appointed  sacrifice  he  produced.  For,  accord¬ 
ing  to  the  practice  of  God  and  man,  a  covenant  is  made  firm  over  dead 

[533] 


‘  Blessed  he  the  God  and  Father  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,’  that  ‘  the  Way 
into  the  holiest’  is  now  manifested,  by  the  coming,  sacrifice,  and  ascen¬ 
sion  of  our  great  High  Priest  !  Now  we  ‘sinners  of  the  Gentiles  ’  mav 
come  with  far  more  ‘  boldness  to  the  throne  of  grace,’  than  Israel’s  pontiff 
himself  could  ;  and  now  the  gate  of  heaven  is  thrown  open  to  all  be¬ 
lievers.  Eternal  redemption,  and  the  promise  of  eternal  inheritance, 
are  purchased  for  us  by  ‘  the  blood  of  Christ,  who,  through  the  eternal 
Spirit,  offered  Himself  without  spot  to  God.’  This  effectually  purges 
the  racist  guilty  ‘  conscience  from  dead  works  to  serve  the  living  God,’ 
whilst  tlte  grace,  which  seals  the  pardon,  new  creates  the  polluted  soul. 
May  we  then  be  made  ‘  partakers  of  this  heavenly  calling,’  and  seek  re¬ 
mission  of  our  sins,  only  through  the  shedding  and  sprinkling  of  ‘  the 
blood  of  the  New  Test.,’  which  God  has  enjoined  unto  us  1  13:20,21.  Sc. 

sacrifices  ;  seeing  it  never  hath  force,  whilst  the  goat,  calf,  or  bullock, 
appointed  as  the  sacrifice  of  ratification,  liveth.  Because,  from  the  be¬ 
ginning,  God  ratified  his  covenants  by  sacrifice,  to  preserve  among  men 
the  expectation  of  the  Sacrifice  of  his  Son  ;  nence,  not  even  the  cove¬ 
nant  at  Sinai  was  made  without  sacrifice.’  Mackn.  18 — 23.  Gen.  15:7 
— 21.  Jer.  34:18,  19. — It  appears  to  me,  that  the  original  will  admit  of 
this  interpretation,  but  the  nature  of  this  work  does  not  allow  of  my 
enlarging  on  the  criticisms  by  which  it  is  supported.  On  the  one  hand, 
the  cavils,  which  have  been  raised  against  t lie  apostle’s  reasoning  as 
inconclusive,  if  the  first  interpretation  he  adopted,  and  on  the  other 
hand,  the  venerable  names,  which  have  sanctioned  it,  with  other  cir¬ 
cumstances  of  a  similar  nature,  render  me  afraid  of  too  confidently  pre¬ 
ferring  either  interpretation.  I  cannot,  however,  on  the  whole,  but 
think,  that  the  latter  exposition  is  the  most  obvious,  and  consonant  to 
the  apostle’s  general  way  of  reasoning.  Scott. 

(15.)  Scholefield  says  :  ‘  The  question  is,  whether  the  word  here  ren¬ 
dered  “  testament,’’  should  not  be  rendered  covenant.  In  ch  7:22.  also 
Mat.  26:28.  it  is  rendered"11  testament.”  All  through  ch.  8.  and  here,  v. 
4.  it  is  rendered  “covenant;”  but  in  these  vs.  15,  16,  17.  it  is  changed 
back  to  “  testament,” — of  course  in  the  sense  of  a  will.  Comp,  espe¬ 
cially  ch.  12:21.  Waiving  the  question,  whether  the  more  general  term, 
“dispensation,”  do  or  do  not  better  express  the  meaning  of  the  word, 
the  inquiry  is,  whether  Lite  dispensation  is  to  be  regarded  as  a  testament, 
or  as  a  covenant,  so  us  to  comprehend  rightly  the  apostle’s  argument. 
Scholefield  came  to  the  conclusion,  that  the  word  ought  to  be  rendered 
“covenant,”  though  there  are  difficulties  in  the  way  of  litis  interpreta¬ 
tion.  He  renders  the  passage,  “  And  for  this  end  He  is  the  Mediator  of 
the  new  covenant,  that, his  death  having  taken  place  for  the  redemption 
of  tiie  transgressions  under  the  first  covenant,  they  that  are  called  might 
receive  the  promise  of  the  eternal  inheritance.  For  where  a  covenant 
is,  there  must,  of  necessity,  he  brought  in  the  death  of  the  mediating 
sacrifice.  For  a  covenant  is  valid  over  dead  sacrifices,  since  it  is  never 
of  any  force  while  the  mediating  sacrifice  continues  alive.”’  Schott, field 
aifil.s :  ‘In  one  sense,  Moses  w»as  the  mediator  of  the  old  covenant,  and 
so  a  t\  pe  of  Christ ;  but  not  in  that  sense  which  required  the  death  of 
the  Mediator,  which  is  clearly  the  sense  required,  v.  15.  In  that  sense 
the  sacrifices  were  the  types  of  Christ.’ — Faber,  on  this  passage,  shows, 
that  the  rules  of  composition  require,  that  the  word,  here  in  question,  is 
used  by  tiie  apostle,  in  the  same  sense  as  Ihe  same  xvord  is  Used  in  the 
context,  both  before  and  after  it,  i.  e.  to  denote  a  covenant.  The  sum 
of  this  reasoning  is,- — All  covenants  are  ratified  over  a  sacrifice,  and  are 
valid  only  over  dead  victims  ;  for  they  are  no  tvay  binding  while  the 
ratifier  is  living.  But  tiie  Levitical  and  Christian  dispensations  are  each 
a  covenant  between  God  and  man.  Therefore,  each  of  those  covenants 
must  have  been  ratified  over  a  sacrifice.  —  Slade  would  consider,  that 
the  apostle  lakes  advantage  of  the  twofold  sense  of  the  word,  intimat¬ 
ing  it  as  applicable  to  the  Christian  dispensation,  not  only  as  denoting 
a  covenant,  hut  also  in  its  general  acceptation  of  a  testament.  In  Hen- 
ry,  abr.,  Bloomf.  thinks  Slade’s  view  the  least  exceptionable.  But  see 
on  vs.  1 — 5.  from  Stuart.  Ed. — For  this  cause.]  ‘1  understand  it  as  re¬ 
ferring  to  the  sentiment,  v.  14.  The  sentiment  stands  tints  :  “  As  Jew¬ 
ish  sacrifices  rendered  the  offerer  externally  clean  ;  so  tiie  Mood  of 
Christ,  purifies  tht-  moral  or  internal  man,  and  removes  tlte  consequen¬ 
ces  of  sin.  On  t his  account  ( for  this  cause),  i.  e.  because  the  sacrifice 
of  Christ  produces  an  effect  such  as  the  Jew  ish  sacrifices  did  not.  He 
may  he  justly  called  the  mediator  of  a  new  covenant,  differing  greatly 
from  the  old.”  Comp.  Heb.  8:6—8,  13.  7:15— 19.’— ‘  The  sentiment 
which  tiiis  verse  contains,  respecting  the  efficacy  of  atoning  Mood  in  re¬ 
gard  to  the  sins  of  preceding  ages,  has  an  exact  parallel  in  Rom.  3:25. 
Both  passages  compared,  form  a  striking  coincidence  of  a  peculiar  sen¬ 
timent,  nowhere  else  so  clearly  and  directly  asserted.’  Stuart. 


A.  D.  G5. 


HEBREWS,.  IX. 


The  mediation  of  Christ. 


13  Whereupon  neither  the  ffr.st 
testament  was  1  dedicated  without 
blood. 

19  For  k  when  Moses  had  spoken 
every  precept  to  all  the  people  ac¬ 
cording  to  the  law,  he  took  the 
blood  of  calves  and  of  goats,  with 
water,  and  'scarlet  wool,  and  hys¬ 
sop,  and  sprinkled  both  the  book, 
and  all  the  people, 

20  Saying,  This  is  the  blood  mof 
the  testament  which  God  hath  en¬ 
joined  unto  you. 

21  Moreover  n  he  sprinkled  like¬ 
wise  with  blood  both  the  taberna¬ 
cle,  and  all  the  vessels  of  the  min¬ 
istry. 

22  And  almost  all  things  are  by 
the  law  purged  with  blood  ;  and 
without  shedding  of  blood  °is  no 
remission. 

23  It  was  therefore  necessary 
that  the  patterns  of  things  in  the 
heavens  should  be  purified  with 
these  ;  but  the  heavenly  things 
themselves  with  better  sacrifices 
than  these. 

24  For  Christ  is  not  entered  into 
the  holy  places  made  with  hands, 
which  are  the  figures  of  the  true  ; 
but  into  heaven  itself,  now  to  ap¬ 
pear  >’  in  the  presence  of  God  for 
us  : 

25  Nor  yet  that  he  should  offer 
himself  often,  as  the  high  priest  en- 
tereth  into  the  holy  place  every 
year  with  blood  of  others  ; 

26  For  then  must  he  often  have 
suffered  since  the  foundation  of  the 
world  :  but  now  once  in  the  end  of 
the  world  hath  he  appeared,  to  put 
away  sin  by  the  sacrifice  of  himself. 

27  And  as  it  is  appointed  i  unto 
men  once  to  die,  but  after  this  rthe 
judgment ; 

j  or,  purified.  ir.  Mat.  26:28.  p  Ro.  8:34. 

k  Gx.  V4:&,  fte.  n  Ex.  29:12,38.  q  Ge.  3:19. 

Le.  c.  14  4  IS.  o  l.e.  17:11.  r  Ec.  12:11. 

1  or,  purple. 

proves  by  two  arguments,  from  die  general 
nature  of  every  will  or  testamentary  disposi¬ 
tion,  v.  16.  none  ever  taking  effect  till  the 
death  of  the  testator;  and  from  the  particu¬ 
lar  method  taken  by  Moses  in  the  ratifica¬ 
tion  of  the  first  testament,  which  was  not 


done  without  blood,  v.  18,  19,  &e.  The 
method  is  here  particularly  related,  v.  19. 
This  blood  and  water  signified  the  blood  and 
water  that  came  out  of  our  Savior’s  pierced 
side,  for  justification  and  sanctification  ;  and 
also  shadowed  forth  the  two  sacraments  of 
the  New  Test., — Baptism,  and  the  Lord’s 
Supper  ;  with  scarlet  wool,  signifying  the 
righteousness  of  Christ,  with  which  we  must 
be  clothed  ;  the  hyssop  signifying  that  faith 
by  which  we  must  apply  all.  And  the  sprin¬ 
kling  of  both  the  book  and  the  people  signi¬ 
fied  the  mutual  consent  of  both  parties,'  God 
and  man,  and  their  mutual  engagements  to 
each  other  in  this  covenant  through  Christ  ; 
Moses  at  the  same  time  using  tliese  words, 
This  is  the  blood  of  the.  Testament  which  God 
hath  enjoined  unto  you.  This  blood,  typify¬ 
ing  the  blood  of  Christ,  is  the  ratification  of 
the  covenant  of  grace  to  all  true  believers. 
He  sprinkled  the  tabernacle,  and  all  the 
utensils  of  it,  intimating,  that  all  the  sac¬ 
rifices  offered  up,  and  services  performed 
there,  were  accepted  only  through  the  blood 
of  Christ,  which  procures  the  remission  of 
that  iniquity  that  cleaves  to  our  holy  tilings, 
which  could  not  have  been  remitted  but  by 
that  atoning  blood. 

V.  23 — 2S.  In  this  last  part  of  the  oh. 
the  apostle  goes  on  to  tell  us  what  the  Holy 
Ghost  has  signified  to  us  by  the  legal  purifi¬ 
cations  of  the  patterns  of  the  things  in  heav¬ 
en  ;  inferring  from  thence  the  necessity  of 
better  sacrifices  to  consecrate  the  heavenly 
things  themselves. 

1.  The  necessity  of  purifying  the  patterns 
of  the  things  in  heaven,  v.  23.  This  arises 
both  from  the  divine  appointment,  and  from 
the  reason  of  that  appointment.  It  is  ob¬ 
servable  here,  that  the  sanctuary  of  God  on 
earth  is  a  pattern  of  heaven,  and  communion 
with  God  in  his  sanctuary  is  to  ii is  people  a 
heaven  on  earth. 

2.  The  necessity  that  the  heavenly  things 
themselves  should  be  purified  with  better 
sacrifices  than  of  bulls  and  goats;  the  things 
themselves  are  better  than  the  patterns,  and 
nmst  therefore  be  consecrated  with  better 
sacrifices.  'These  heavenly  things  are  the 
privileges  of  the  gospel-state,  begun  in  grace, 
perfected  in  glory  ;  these  must  be  ratified 
by  a  suitable  sanction  or  consecration;  and 
that  was  the  blood  of  Christ.  Now  it  is 
very  evident  that  the  sacrifices  of  Christ  are 
infinitely  better  than  those  of  the  law.  (1.) 
From  the  places  in  which  the  sacrifices 
under  the  law,  and  those  under  the  gospel, 
were  offered.  Those  under  the  law  were 
the  holy  places  made  with  hands,  which  are 
but  figures  of  the  true  sanctuary,  v.  24. 
Christ’s  sacrifice,  though  offered  on  earth, 
was  by  Himself  carried  up  into  heaven,  and 


is  there  presented  in  a  way  of  daily  interccs- 
sion  ,  for  He  appears  in  the  presence  of 
*0(1  for  us.  (2.)  From  the  sacrifices  them¬ 
selves,  v.  26.  i  hose  under  the  law  were 
the  lives  and  blood  of  other  creatures,  of  a 
different  nature  from  the  offerers,— blood 
ol  small  value,  and  indeed  of  none  at  all 
in  this  matter,  had  it  not  had  a  typical  re¬ 
spect  to  the  blood  of  Christ  ;  but  the  sacri¬ 
fice  of  Christ  was  the  oblation  of  Himself; 
He  offered  his  own  blood,  truly  called,  by 
virtue  of  the  hypostatical  union,  the  blood  of 
God  ;  and  therefore  of  infinite  value.  (3.) 
From  the  frequent  repetition  of  the  legal 
sacrifices.  This  showed  the  imperfection 
of  that  law  ;  but  it  is  the  honor  and  perfec¬ 
tion  of  Christ’s  sacrifice,  that,  being  once 
offered,  it  was  sufficient  to  all  the  ends  of 
it  ;  and,  indeed,  the  contrary  would  have 
been  absurd  ;  for  then  lie  must  have  been 
still  dying  and  rising  again,  and  ascending 
and  then  again  descending  and  dying  ;  and 
the  great  work  had  been  always  a  doing, 
and  always  to  do,  but  never  finished;  wlii^h 
would  be  as  contrary  to  reason  as  it  is  to 
revelation,  and  to  the  dignity  of  his  Person; 
but  now  once  in  the  end  of  the  world  hath  He 
appeared,  to  put  away  sin  by  the  sacrifice  of 
Himself.  The  Gospel  is  the  last  dispensa¬ 
tion  of  the  grace  of  God  to  men.  (4.)  From 
the  inefficacy  of  the  legal  sacrifices,  anti  the 
efficacy  of  Christ’s  sacrifice:  the  legal  sacri¬ 
fices  could  not  of  themselves  put  away  sin  ; 
neither  procure  pardon  for  it,  nor  power 
against  it.  Sin  would  still  have  laid  on  us, 
and  had  dominion  over  us;  but  Jesus  Christ, 
by  one  sacrifice,  has  made  an  end  of  sin;  He 
has  destroyed  the  works  of  the  devil. 

3.  The  apostle  illustrates  the  argument 
from  the  appointment  of  God  concerning 
men,  v.  27,  28.  and  observes  something  like 
it  in  the  appointment  of  God  concerning 
Christ. 

(1.)  Men  must  once  die,  or,  however, 
undergo  a  change  equivalent  to  death  ;  and 
then,  after  death,  they  shall  come  to  judg¬ 
ment,  to  a  particular  judgment,  immediately 
after  death  ;  to  the  geneial  judgment,  at  the 
end  of  the  world.  This  is  the  unalterable 
decree  of  God  concerning  men  :  they  must 
die,  and  they  must  be  judged.  It  is  appoint¬ 
ed  for  them,  and  it  is  to  be  believed  and  se¬ 
riously  considered  by  them. 

(2.)  Christ  must  be  once  offered,  to  bear 
the  sins  of  many,  of  all  the  Father  had  given 
to  Him,  of  all  who  should  believe  in  his 
name.  He  shall  appear  the  second  time 
without  sin,  to  the  salvation  of  those  who 
look  for  Him.  At  his  first  appearance, 
though  He  had  no  sin  of  his  own,  yet  He 
stood  charged  with  the  sins  of  many  ;  He 
was  the  Lamb  of  God  that  bore  on  Him  the 


V.  13 — 23.  To  prefigure  the  necessity  of  the  blood-shedding  of  Christ, 
even  the  Smai-covenant  had  not  been  dedicated,  or  ratified,  without  blood. 
— ’ The  apostle  specified  some  particulars,  not  found  in  the  history;  prob¬ 
ably  taking  them  from  the  usages  of  his  people,  on  some  occasions.  To 
prevent  the  blood  from  coagulating,  it  was  customary  to  mix  it  with 
water,  that  it  might  sprinkie  the  better,  which  was  an  apt  emblem  of 
the  twofold  benefit  of  Christ’s  atonement.  —  The  Hebrews  also  knew, 
that  Moses  had  afterwards  sprinkled  the  tabernacle  and  all  its  furniture 
with  blood,  to  consecrate  them  for  the  worship  of  God.  (AT.  II.  n. — 
Notes ,  8 — 10.  Lev.  16:18 — 22.)  In  short,  it  was  a  general  rule,  that  1  al¬ 
most  every  thing  was  by  the  law  purified  with  blood;’  whicli  showed,  that 
nothing  could  he  clean  to  a  sinner,  not  even  his  religious  duties,  except 
ns  his  guilt  was  expiated  by  the  ileath  of  a  sacrifice  of  sufficient  value  for 
that  end,  and  unless  he  continually  depended  on  it.  And,  indeed,  it  was 
absolutely  a  universal  rule,  that,  ‘  without  ihe  shedding  of  blood,’  no  kind 
or  degree  of  sin  was  ever  pardoned,  or  the  punishment  due  to  it  remit¬ 
ted.  (10  3,4. — (20)  This,  ifcc.]  The  ([notation  is  not  from  the  Septua- 
gint,  but  agrees  in  meaning  both  with  that  and  the  Hebrew.  Ex.  24:8. 
—  22)  Shedding  of  blood.]  Here  only.  The  pouring  out  of  blood,  that 
is,  from  the  body  of  the  animal.  Scott. 

(19.)  Precept.]  ‘ Commandment .  The  reference  is  to  Ex.  20— 23.’ — 
The  blood ,  &c.]  ‘Though  Moses,  in  the  history  Ex.  24.  has  said  nothing 
of  these  things,  yet  that  they  were  not  matters  of  new  revelation  to  the 
writer,  seems  pretty  evident ;  for  he  plainly  makes  an  appeal  to  circum¬ 
stances,  which,  he  takes  it  for  granted,  are  well  known  to  the  Hebrews, 
whom  he  addresses,  and  about  which,  if  he  were  to  commit  an  error  of 
statement,  all  his  readers  would  be  revolted.’  Stuart.  Rloomf.  takes 
the  same  view,  and  adds  :  ‘These  particulars  are  supposed  to  have  been 
derived  from  tradition.’  Ed. 

(21.)  ‘In  the  Mosaic  account  of  this  dedication,  wedo  not  read,  that 
the  tabernacle,  with  all  its  vases,  was  sprinkled  with  blood  :  although 
this  circumstance  is  also  mentioned  by  Jos.  and  Philo.'  Bl.,  after  Diod. 


(23.)  ‘Now  follows  the  conclusion. — These.]  I.  e.  the  blood  of  bulls 
and  goats.  It  was  enough  for  the  patterns,  the  shadow  of  heavenly 
things,  to  be  consecrated  by  these.  lint  the  heavenly  things  themselves 
with  better  sacrifices,  i.  e.  with  the  sacrifice  of  Christ  alone.’  15l. 

V.  24.  Figures.]  1  Pet.  3:21.  It  is  used  in  a  sense  contrary  to  that 
which  is  common  at  present,  denoting  the  pattern ,  not  the  thing  rep¬ 
resented  by  it.  —  Appear.]  11:14.  Mat.  27:33.  Jn.  14:21,22-  Acts  23; 
15,  22.  24:1.  25:2,  15.  From  emphancs ,  Acts  10:40.  Rom.  10:20.  —  To 
appear  openly,  and  avowedly,  or  conspicuously.  Scott. 

(2 1.)  ‘  The  high  priest  is  said  to  appear  before  God,  when  lie  stands  at 
the  ark.  Then  it  is  announced,  that  the  solemn  expiation  is  made.  So 
Christ  has  entered  heaven,  and  is  at  the  right  hand  of  the  Father. 
Now,  therefore,  it  is  declared,  that  the  whole  expiation  is  made,  and  that 
pardon  is  obtained  for  men  through  the  death  of  Christ.  See  ch.  7:25.’ 

Rosenm. 

V.  26.  ‘  Christ  is  here  said  to  have  been  revealed  at  the  coniines  of 
the  ages ;  where  the  end  of  this  age  or  world,  and  the  beginning  of  that 
to  come,  as  it  were,  touch  one  another.  A  phrase  which  most  exactly 
describes  the  time  of  the  coming  of  the  Messiah.’  J.  P.  Smith. 

V.  27,  28.  It  is  generally  supposed,  that  some  of  the  expressions,  in 
the  latter  part  of  this  ch.,  allude  to  the  ceremonies,  used  on  the  great 
day  of  atonement ;  particularly,  ‘  the  scape-goat  bare,’  or  carried  away, 
the  sins  of  the  people  into  the  wilderness,  and  the  high  priest,  when  he 
had  entered  into  the  holy  of  holies,  in  linen  garments,  came  forth  to  the 
people  in  his  splendid  sacerdotal  robes,  to  pronounce  the  blessing  on 
them.  Lev.  16:20— 25— ‘  Did  He  not  appear  the  first  time  without  sin 
Yes,  certainly,  as  to  any  inherent  gnilt,  for  the  Scripture  sajs.  He  hui 
no  sin.”  What  then  is  the  meaning  of  this  opposition,  that  at  ms  first 
coming  “  lie  bare  our  sins,”  but  at  his  second  coming  He  shal  appear 
without  sin  unto  salvation  ?”  These  words  can  have  no  other  imag, lia¬ 
ble  sense  but  this,  that  at  his  first  coming  He  sustained  the  person  of  a 
sinner,  and  suffered  instead  of  us  ;  but  his  second  coming  shall  bemnui- 


A.  D.  65. 


HEBREWS,  X. 


Imperfect  ion  of  the  Levilical  laic. 


28  So  Christ  •  was  once  offered 
to  bear  the  sins  of  *  many  ;  and  un¬ 
to  them  that  look  “  for  him  shall  he 
appear  T  the  second  time,  without 
sin,  unto  salvation. 


CHAP.  X. 

1  The  weakness  of  the  law  sacrifices.  10  The  sacrifice  of 
Christ’s  body  once  offered,  14  for  ever  hath  taken  away 
gins.  19  An  exhortation  to  hold  fast  the  faith,  with  pa¬ 
tience  and  thanksgiving. 

OR  the  law,  having  a  shadow 3  of 
good  things  to  come,  and  not  the 
very  image  of  the  tilings,  can  nev¬ 
er  with  those  sacrifices  which  they 
offered  year  by  year  continually 
make  the  comers  thereunto  perfect. 

2  For  then  b  would  they  not  have 
ceased  to  be  offered  ?  because  that 
the  worshippers  once  purged  should 
hav^  had  no  more  conscience  of 
sins. 

3  But  in  those  sacrifices  there  is 
a  remembrance  again  made  of  sins 
every  cyear. 


s  1  Pe.  2:21. 

3:18.  1. In.  8:5. 
t  J».  53:12. 

Mat.  23:28. 
ti  Til.  2:15. 


2  Pe.  3:12. 
v  Ac.  1:11. 

lie,  1:7. 
w  Is.  25:9. 


a  Col.  2:17. 
b  hi ,  th$y  would 
have 

c  Le.  15:34. 


sins  of  the  world;  anti  then  lie  appeared  in 
tlie  form  of  sinful  flesh  ;  but  his  second  ap¬ 
pearance  will  be  without  any  such  charge  on 
Him,  He  having  fully  discharged  it  before  ; 
and  then  his  visage  shall  not  be  marred, but 
shall  be  exceedingly  glorious.  This  will  be 
to  the  salvation  of  all  who  look  for  Him  ; 
He  will  then  perfect  their  holiness,  their 
happiness  ;  their  number  shall  then  be  ac¬ 
complished,  and  their  salvation  completed. 
Observe,  It  is  the  distinguishing  character 
of  true  believers,  that  they  are  looking  for 
Christ;  they  look  to  Him  by  faith,  for  Him  i 
by  hope  and  holy  desires,  for  Him  in  every  i 
duty,  in  every  ordinance,  in  every  provi-  j 
deuce  now  ;  and  they  expect  his  second 
coming, and  are  preparing  for  it;  and  though 
it  will  be  sudden  destruction  to  the  rest  of 
the  world,  who  scoff  at  the  report  of  it,  it 
will  be  eternal  salvation  to  those  who  look 
for  it. 


Chap.  X.  V.  1 — 6.  Here  the  apostle, by 
the  direction  of  the  Spirit  of  God,  sets  him¬ 
self  to  show  the  weakness  and  imperfection 
of  the  Levitina!  dispensation;  which  lie  does 
effectually,  from  several  arguments.  As, 

1.  The  law  had  but  a  shadow  of  good 
things  to  come;  and  who  would  dote  on  a 
shadow,  though  of  good  things,  especially 
when  the  substance  is  cornel  Observe,  The 


things  of  Christ  and  the  Gospel  are  good 
things;  the  best  things,  best  in  themselves, 

!  and  best  for  us ;  they  are  realities  of  an  ex, 
cellent  nature.  These  good  things  were,  un- 
j  der  the  Old  Test.,  good  things  to  come, not 
clearly  discovered,  nor  fully  enjoyed.  The 
Jews  then  had  but  the  shadow  of  the  good 
things  of  Christ,  some  adumbrations  of 
them  ;  we  under  the  Gospel  have  the  sub¬ 
stance. 

2.  The  Jaw  was  not  the  very  image  of  the 
good  things  to  come.  An  image  is  an  ex¬ 
act  draft  of  the  thing  represented  thereby. 
The  law  did  not  go  so  far,  but  was  only  a 
shadow,  as  the  image  of  a  person  in  a  look¬ 
ing-glass  is  a  much  more  perfect  representa¬ 
tion  than  hisshadow  on  the  wall.  The  law 
was  a  very  rough  draft  of  the  great  de¬ 
sign  of  divine  grace,  and  therefore  not  to  be 
so  much  doted  on. 

3.  The  legal  sacrifices,  being  offered  year 
by  year,  could  never  make  the  comers  there¬ 
unto  perfect;  for  then  there  would  have  been 
an  end  of  offering  them,  v.  1,  2.  But  no, 
after  one  day  of  atonement  was  over,  the 
sinner  would  fall  again  into  one  fault  or 
other,  and  so  there  would  be  need  of  another 
day  of  atonement,  and  of  one  every  year, 
beside  the  daily  ministrations.  Whereas 
now,  under  the  Gospel, the  atonement  is  per¬ 
fect,  and  not  to  be  repeated ;  and  the  sin- 


PRA.CT.  O  Its.  V.  15 — 23.  We  must  never  presume  to  approach 
God,  except  on  a  mercy-seat,  and  in  the  name  of  our  great  High  Prfest, 
who  is  ‘entered  into  heaven  to  appear  iu  his  presence  for  us.’  All  our 
hopes  and  blessings  must  lie  sought  ns  the  fruit  of  his  agonizing,  yet  vol¬ 
untary  death,  the  legacy  of  his  dying  love,  and  die  gift  of  his  royal  mu¬ 
nificence  to  rebellious  creatures.  We  must  ascribe  even  our  sanctifica¬ 
tion,  and  nil  our  real  good  works,  to  the  same  all-procuring  Cause;  and  at¬ 
tend  on  divine  ordinances,  and  offer  our  spiritual  sacrifices,  as  ‘sprinkled 
with  his  blood,’  and  so  purified  from  their  defilement.  Nay,  we  must 
expect  admission  into  heaven,  as  the  place  which  He  has  prepared  for 

other  account,  and  He  shall  appear,  not  as  a  Sacrifice,  but  as  a  Judge.’ 
Abp.  Ti/lntson.  Scott. 

(27,  28.)  ‘The  apostle  shows,  by  a  new  argument,  derived  a  simili, 
that  Christ  ought  once  only  to  offer  Himself,  namely,  because  his  sacri¬ 
fice  and  death  were  one  and  the  same.  Nor  does  lie  properly  intend  to 
nfllrin,  that  nil  men  must  die,  but  that  it  is  appointed  for  them  once  to 
die,  and  after  death  nothing  shall  remain  but  judgment.’  Bloomf.  See 
oh  vs.  1 — 5.  from  Stuart,  who  adds  here,  on  v.  27.  ‘The  implication 
contained  ia  this  v.  viz.  that  a  state  of  trial  in  a  future  world,  like  to 
that  which  is  allowed  men  ia  the  present  world,  is  not  to  be  expected, 
seems  to  be  plain.’  Ed. 

NOTES.  Chap.  X.  ‘Having  compared  various  particulars  in  the 
Aaronic  priesthood  to  those’ which  relate  to  the  priesthood  of  Christ, 
the  writer  comes  at  last  to  treat  more  fully  of  the  uiefficacy  of  the  Jew¬ 
ish  sacrifices,  and  of  the  perfect  and  everlasting  efficacy  of  the  propitia¬ 
tory  offering  made  hr  Christ.  —  at  which  indeed  he  had  hinted  several 
times  before,  7:11,  ifl.  8.7,  13.  3:8—10,  13,  If.  Ho  begins  by  declaring, 
that  the  rites  of  the  law  wore  designed  to  be  topical,  and  that  the  yearly 
sacrifices  offered  under  it,  never  could  quiet  and  pttVifv  the  consciences 
of  men,  10  1.  otherwise,  the  ofleriu  had  not  been  continually  repent¬ 
ed,  v.  2.  The  remembrance  of  sin  is  constantly  renewed  bv  them,  v.  3. 
Indeed,  it  is  plainly  impossible  the  blood  of  bulls  and  goats  should  take 
away  sin,  i.  r.  remove  t Tie  penalty  of  it,  or  lessen  its  power,  v.  4. 
Hence  the  Scripture  rPa.  40.1  represents  the  Savior,  when  entering  on 
hi-  work,  as  saying,  sacrifices  and  offerings  arc  of  no  value  in  the  sight 
of  God,  v.  5,  fi.  The  Messiah  represents  Himself  as  doing  what  G:rJ 
require-,  in  order  that  He  may  exercise  his  clemency,  v.  7.  Of  course, 
(so  our  author;)  sacrifices  and  offerings  are  rejected,  in  respect  to  making 
real  propitiation,  while  the  obedience  of  Christ,  unto  death  is  accepted 
instead  of  them,  vs.  8,9.  This  sacrifice  is  truly  efficacious  for  mural 
purposes,  v.  10.  The  Jewish  pries's  continually  repeated  their  sacri¬ 
fice'- ;  hut  the  offering  of  Christ,  once  mad«,  is  of  everlasting  efficacy, 
vs.  It,  12.  Having  once  made  this,  He  may  expect  the  cause  on  account 
of  which  it  was  made  to  be  victorious,  v.  13.  for  one  offering,  once 
made  by  Jesus,  is  all-suffirieiit.  its  effects  are  never  to  cease,  v.  14.  To 
such  an  efficacy  of  Christ's  offering,  the  Holv  Spirit  lias  testified  in  the 
Scriptures,  by  declaring,  that  under  ihe  new ’covenant  sin  should  be  for¬ 
given.  and  iniquih  no  more  remembered,  vs.  15,  In.  Consequently,  of¬ 
fering  for  sin  needs  not  bo  repented,  affor  pardon  is  actually  obtained,  v. 
17,  13.  W  ith  ibis  consideration,  the  comparison  of  Jesus,  ns  a  l’riest, 
with  the  Jewish  priests  under  the  l.evitical  priesthood,  closes,  occupv- 
i.ng,  however,  most  of  the  e  dstlo,  viz.  from  4  1  1.  to  10.13.  Tire  writer 
thru  proceeds  to  exhortations,  warnings,  anti  various  arguments  from 
different  sources,  in  order  to  tree  o  i  his  Hebrew  brethren  the  iinpnr- 
I ance  of  persevering  in  the  Christian  faith.’  rh'UAUT.— ‘  This  cli.  js  not 
connected  with  the  words  immediately  preceding,  nor  contains  the  rea¬ 
son  of  them  ;  but  relates  to  what  was  said  on  the  entering  of  the  priest 
to  the  sanctum  sanctorum  every  year,  with  the  blood  of  another  ;  where¬ 
as  Christ  offered  Himself.  The  cause  he  deduces  from  the  variety  of 
sacrifices,  and  the  nature  of  the  law.’  Bi.oomf.,  after  Diod. 

V.  1,  2.  (2)  ‘■Would  they  not,  A  c.’l  Some  render  this,  ‘They 
would  not  have  censed  to  be  offered.’  That  is,  they  would  have  con¬ 
tinued  to  be  offered,  being  efficacious  and  adequate.  But  it  is  plain 
from  the  apostle’s  previous  reasoning  on  several  things  contained  in  the 
Old  Test,  that  this  was  never  intended.  The  reading  with  an  interro¬ 
gation  seems  to  be  founded  on  the  best  authority,  and  is  most  satisfac¬ 
tory. — If  any  sacrifice  had  been  offered,  of  sufficient  efficacy  to  atone  for 
sin,  there  would  have  been  no  need  for  a  continual  repetition  of  it ;  and 

[540] 


us,  through  the  presenting  of  his  blood,  for  the  ransom  of  our  souls,  and 
which  would  otherwise  have  been  contaminated  by  our  entrance  into  it. 
Titus  We  should  in  all  things  learn  the  inestimable  value  of  the  ‘one 
sacrifice,’  which  Christ  once  appeared  on  earth  to  offer  for  us,  that  we 
may  know  our  interest  in  his  covenant,  and  be  ‘  constrained  by  his  love,’ 
to  the  most  devoted  and  unreserved  obedience.  2  Cor.  5.13 — 15.  In  this 
manner  we  shall  be  reconciled  to  the  appointed  stroke  of  death,  and  look 
forward  to  judgment  with  cheerful  hope;  and  so  wait  prepared  for  his 
coming  the  second  ‘  time  without  sin  ’  to  perfect  our  salvation. 

Scott. 

that  repetition  showed  the  inefficacy  of  the  most  solemn  legal  sacri¬ 
fices.  On  the  contrary,  when  the  one  sacrifice  of  Christ  had  been  of¬ 
fered,  the.  legal  sacrifices  were  virtually  abolished  ;  no  other  sacrifice 
was  required  ;  no  repetition  was  necessary  ;  the  end  was  fully  answer, 
ed  ;  nothing,  except  faith  in  Him,  was  needful  ;  and  the  appointed  ordi¬ 
nances  were  no  longer  prejigu  rat  ions,  but  memorials,  of  his  one  all- 
sufiicient  atonement.  Scott. 

V.  3,  4.  The  apostle’s  argument  implied,  that  no  sacrifice  could 
really  atone  for  sin,  or  bring  sinners  into  a  state  of  acceptance  with 
God  unto  eternal  life,  which  did  not  make  full  satisfaction  to  his  offend¬ 
ed  justice,  and  render  it  honorable  to  Him  to  remit  the  punishment  of 
it. — The  same  argument  equally  proves,  that  the  blood  of  a  mere  man, 
or  of  a  mere  creature,  ‘  cannot  take  away  sin.’  A  guilty  creature  de¬ 
serves  wrath  for  his  own  crimes.  If  a  perfectly  holy  man  had  the  full 
disposal  of  his  own  life  and  soul,  and  could  be  willing  to  devote  them 
to  destruction,  in  the  stead  of  a  single  guilty  person  ;  his  life  might  he 
an  adequate  ransom  for  the  other’s  life,  his  soul  for  the  other’s  soul ;  but 
this  must  be  all :  and,  even  in  this  case,  we  cannot  conceive  that  God 
would  appoint,  allow,  or  accept  such  a  substitution.  If  the  most  exalt¬ 
ed  of  mere  creatures  should  willingly  assume  our  nature,  and  suffer 
temporal  death,  in  its  most  horrible  forms,  for  ottr  salvation;  vve  may 
easily  perceive  that  the  atonement,  or  compensation  to  justice,  would 
be  very  small,  when  compared  with  the  guilt  to  be  pardoned,  and  the 
punishment  to  he  remitted,  for  the  sake  of  it :  nor  could  this  render  it 
consistent  with  the  perfect  justice  of  God,  to  parjon  the  atrocious  and 
innumerable  rebellions  of  unnumbered  millions,  and  to  give  them  eter¬ 
nal  life,  in  consideration  of  it.  ..  .But,  when  ‘God  manifested  in  the 
flesh  ’  became  the  Sacrifice,  and  his  death  upon  the  cross  the  Ransom  ; 
when  ‘God  purchased  the  church  with  his  own  blood;’  the  Sufferer 
being  of  infinite  dignity,  his  voluntary  sufferings  were  of  infinite  value. 
The  perfect  justice  and  holiness  of  God,  and  the  honor  of  bis  law,  are  us 
legible  in  the  cross  of  Christ,  as  his  love  to  sinners:  his  infinite  purity, 
mid  infinite  mercy,  unite  in  perfect  and  eternal  harmony  ;  while  unnum¬ 
bered  millions  of  rebels,  who  deserve  the  final  wrath  of  God,  are  par¬ 
doned,  and  made  heirs  of  eternal  felicity,  through  this  satisfaction  of  in¬ 
estimable  value.  We  may  perceive,  that  this  was  an  expedient  ade- 
r/'iale  to  its  object ;  and  that  such  a  sacrifice  would  suffice  for  the  sins 
of  the  whole  world,  if  all  men  actually  came  to  God  through  it.  It  is 
necessary  for  us  to  insist  on  this,  not  only  as  comprising  an  unanswera¬ 
ble  argument  for  the  real  Deity  ami  the  proper  atonement  of  Christ,  but 
because  many,  who  profess  to  believe  both  these  truths,  under  color  of 
blaming  metaphysical  exactness  in  slating  doctrines,  and  affecting  to 
treat  the  orthodox  reformers,  doctrinal  Puritans,  and  modern  preachers 
of  the  Gospel,  as  men  of  narrow  minds,  advance  many  things  contrary 
to  the  apostle’s  reasoning  ia  this  passage:  as  if  Christ’s  sacrifice  de¬ 
rived  ail  its  efficacy  from  the  appointment  of  God,  and  not  from  his 
personal  Hefty  and  excellency;  (which  was  ‘the  altar  that  sanctified 
the  gift ;  ’)  and  ns  if,  had  the  I.ord  so  pleased,  nil  inferior  sacrifice  might 
have  equally  answered  the  purpose.  But  surely  they  forget,  that  God 
appointed  the  sacrifices  of  bulls  and  goats,  ns  well  as  that  of  his  Son  : 
yet  ‘  it  was  not  possible  ’  for  the  former  to  take  away  sin,  but  the  latter 
at  once  effected  it,  because  of  its  intrinsic  value. — ‘  Divine  acceptation 
must  not  be  assigned  as  the  only  cause,  tliat  the  oblation  of  our  Savior’s 
body  was  thus  available  for  the  expiation  of  the  guilt  of  sin  :  for  then 
no  reason  can  be  given  why  He  might  not  have  accepted  of  the  blood  of 
bulls  and  goats,  and  much  more  of  the  sufferings  of  any  ordinary  man. 
. .  .  But  the  great  reason,  why  “  the  blood  of  bulls  and  goats  could  never 
take  away  sins  ”  is  this,  that  they  could  never  answer  the  great  ends  of 


A.  D.  65. 


HEBREWS,  X. 


4  For  it  is  not  possible  that  the 
blood  of  bulls  and  of  goats  should 
take  away  d  sins. 

[Practical  Observalioiis.] 

5  Wherefore,  when  he  cometh 
into  the  world,  lie  saith,  “Sacrifice 
and  offering  thou  wouldest  not,  but 
a  body  fhast  thou  prepared  me  : 

6  In  burnt-offerings  and  sacrific¬ 
es  for  sin  thou  hast  had  no  pleasure: 

7  Then  said  1,  Lo,  I  come  (in 
the  volume  of  the  book  it  is  written 
of  me)  to  do  thy  will,  O  God. 

8  Above,  when  he  said,  Sacrifice 
and  offering  and  burnt-offerings 
and  offering  for  sin  thou  wouldest 
not,  neither  liadst  pleasure  therein ; 
which  are  offered  by  the  law  ; 

9  Then  said  he,  Lo,  I  come  to 
do  thy  will,  O  God.  He  taketh 
away  the  first,  that  he  may  estab¬ 
lish  the  second. 

d  Mt.  6:6— 8.  e  Ps.  40.6 — 8.  f  or,  thoxthast  fitted. 

ner,  once  pardoned,  is  ever  pardoned  as  to 
his  state,  and  only  needs  to  renew  his  re¬ 
pentance  and  faith,  that  he  may  have  a  com¬ 
fortable  sense  of  a  continued  pardon. 

4.  As  the  legal  sacrifices  did  not  of  them¬ 


selves  take  away  sin,  so  it  was  impossible 
they  should,  v.  4.  There  was  an  essential 
defect  in  them.  They  were  not  of  the  same 
nature  that  offended,  and  so  could  not  be 
suitable.  They  were  much  less  of  the  same 
nature  that  was  offended  ;  and  nothing  less 
than  that  could  make  the  sacrifice  a  full  sat¬ 
isfaction  for  the  offence.  The  beasts  offered 
up  under  the  law  could  not  consent  to  put 
themselves  in  the  sinner’s  room  and  place. 
The  atoning  sacrifice  must  be  one  capable 
of  consenting,  and  must  voluntarily  substi¬ 
tute  himself  in  the  sinner’s  stead;  Christ 
did  so. 

5.  There  was  a  time  fixed  and  foretold 
by  the  great  God,  and  that  time  was  now' 
come,  when  these  legal  sacrifices  would  be 
no  longer  accepted  by  Him,  or  useful  to 
men.  God  never  did  desire  them  for  them¬ 
selves,  and  now  lie  abrogated  them  ;  and 
therefore  to  adhere  to  them  now,  would  be 
resisting  God  and  rejecting  Him.  This  time 
of  the  repeal  of  the  Levitical  law  s  w  as  fore¬ 
told  bv  David,  I's.  40:  7.  and  is  recited  here 
as  now  come.  Thus  industriously  does  the 
apostle  lay'  low  I  he  Mosaical  dispensation. 

V.  7 — 18.  Here  the  apostle  exalts  the 
Lord  Jesus  Christ  as  high,  as  he  had  hid 
the  Levitical  priesthood  low.  lie  recom¬ 
mends  Christ  to  them  as  the  true  High  : 
Priest,  the  true  atoning  Sacrifice,  the  Anti- 
tvpe  of  all  the  rest;  and  this  he  illustrates, 

1.  From  the  purpose  and  promise  of  God  | 


Excellency  and  glory  of  Christ. 

concerning  Christ,  recorded  in  the  book  of 
God,  v.  7.  God  had  not  only  decreed,  but 
declared  by  Moses  and  the  prophets,  that 
Christ  should  come,  and  be  the  great  High 
Priest  of  the  church,  and  should  offer  up  a 
perfect  and  a  perfecting  sacrifice.  Now 
since  He  is  the  Person  so  often  spoken  of, 
so  long  expected  by  the  people  of  God,  He 
ought  to  be  received  with  great  honor  and 
gratitude. 

2.  From  what  God  had  done  in  preparing 
a  body  for  Christ,  that  is  a  human  nature, 
that  lie  might  be  qualified  to  be  our  Re¬ 
deemer  and  Advocate;  uniting  the  two  na¬ 
tures  in  his  own  Person,  He  was  a  fit  Medi¬ 
ator  to  go  between  God  and  man,  Ps.  40:  G. 
Now  a  Savior,  thus  provided  and  prepared 
by  God  Himself  in  so  extraordinary  a  man¬ 
ner,  ought  to  be  received  with  great  affec¬ 
tion  and  gladness. 

3.  From  the  readiness  and  willingness 
Christ  discovered  to  engage  in  this  work, 
when  no  other  sacrifice  would  be  accepted, 
v.  7 — 9.  This  should  endear  Christ  and  our 
Bibles  to  us,  that  in  Christ  we  have  the  ful¬ 
filling  of  the  Scriptures. 

4.  From  the  errand  and  design  on  which 
Christ  came  ;  and  that  was,  to  do  the  will 
of  God,  not  only  as  a  Prophet  to  reveal  the 
will  of  God,  not  only  as  a  King  lo  give  forth 
divine  laws,  but  as  a  Priest  to  satisfy  the 

j  demands  of  justice,  and  to  fulfil  all  righte- 
|  ousness.  Christ  came  to  do  the  will  of  God 


TRACT.  OHS.  V.  1 — -1.  The  righteousness  brought  in  by  Christ,  cause  they  could  not  satisfy  the  demands  of  his  justice;  let  none  sup- 
ami  the  sacrifice  once  otlhred  by  Ilim,  are  of  infinite  and  eternal  elticacy,  pose,  that  human  inventions,  self-imposed  penances,  prayers,  tears, 
and  ‘his  salvation  shall  never  he  abolished.’ — Most  certain  it  is,  from  amendments,  moral  virtues,  almsdeeds,  or  any  oilier  device  or  perform- 
these  chs.,  that  God  will  not  pardon  any  transgression,  without  such  a  ance,  can  avail  in  the  behalf  of  those,  who  substitute  them  in  the  stead 
sacrifice,  as  can  really  expiate  the  guilt  of  it.  And  if  those  sacrifices,  of  the  sacrifice  of  the  Son  of  God  ;  ‘  for  if  righteousness,’  in  any  way  or 
which  were  of  his  own  appointment,  ‘could  not  take  away  sin,’  he-  degree,  ‘come  by  the  law,  then  Christ  is  dead  in  vain.’  Scott. 


punishment,  and  thereby  vender  it  consistent  with  the  honor  of  the 
Governor,  and  with  the  ends  of  government,  to  admit  the  substitution 
of  them  in  our  stead.  ..  .  liv  the  obedience  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ 
unto  the  death,  in  our  stead,  these  ends  of  punishment  are  very  signally 
obtained,  and  that  with  more  advantage  to  God’s  glory,  than  if  the  pun- 
i.shment  of  our  ofienccs  had  been  inflicted  on  us  ;  and  so  God,  by  it, 
may  lie  truly  said  to  have  been  satisfied,  seeing  that  justice  ...  is  truly 
satisfied,  when  all  those  ends  for  which  the  punishment  of  the  offender 
could  be  desired,  are  obtained. ...  1.  God,  by  this  dispensation,  hath  giv¬ 
en  us  tile  best  and  most  effectual  example ,  to  deter  us  from  sin..  .  .  If 
lie,  who  was  the  well  beloved  Son  of  God,  found  it  so  dreadful  to  lie  un¬ 
der  the  burden  for  some  hours  ;  to  lie  exposed  for  ever  to  it  must  be  far 
more  intolerable. ...  If,  on  this  account,  “  God  spared  not  his  own  Son,” 
we  may  lie  sure  He  will  not  spare  his  stubborn  enemies. ...  2.  God,  by 
this  method,  hath  taken  a  most  excellent  way  for  reformation  of  the 
sinner. ...  3.  God,  by  this  dispensation,  hath  sufficiently  consulted  the 
preservation  of  his  honor,  and  secured  the  reverence  and  observation  of 
bis  laws,  ..  .seeing  He  hath,  by  this  example,  let  all  men  know,  that, 
though  He  lie  a  God  of  great  long-suffering  and  mercy,  He  will  by  no 
means  clear  the  sinner,  or  suffer  sin  to  go  unpunished, .  .  .  But  that  none 
of  these  ends  could  he  at  till  obtained,  by  the  substitution  of  a  bull,  or 
gnat,  or  ram,  to  suffer  in  our  stead,  must  be  extremely  evident ; .  . .  for  this 
would  rather  tempt  men  to  conceive  that  God’s  displeasure  against  sin 
could  not  he  great, .  .  .  and  that  He  was  not  much  concerned  for  any  sat¬ 
isfaction  for  the  violations  of  his  law,  when  such  slight  matters  were  by 
Him  thought  sufficient  evolutions  for  them.’  Whitby.  Scott. 

(3.)  Remembrance.]  This  ‘remembrance  of  sin,’  pervades  all  the  ap¬ 
pointed  ordinances  of  worship,  since  the  fall  of  Adam  ;  including  bap¬ 
tism,  the  Lord's  supper,  prayer,  and  thanksgiving.  1  Kings  17:13.  Id. 

V.  5—10.  To  prove  his  doctrine  in  the  most  unanswerable  manner, 
the  apostle  referred  the  Hebrews  to  a  remarkable  prophecy  of  the  Mes¬ 
siah  ;  which  showed  that  his  coming  was  the  necessary  consequence 
of  the  inefficacy  of  the  legal  sacrifices,  and  of  the  Lord’s  purpose  of  sav¬ 
ing  sinners.  ( Noir ,  Ps.  10:6 — 8.)  The  Messiah,  speaking  concerning 
his  ‘coming  into  l lie  world,’  remarked,  that  Jehovah  had  no  delight  in 
the  sacrifices  of  the  law;  (Notes,  Ps.  50:7 — 15.  Is.  T-.10 — 15.)  but  1  that 
lie  had  prepared  a  body  for  Him.’ — When  Jehovah  received  no  satis¬ 
faction  from  the  legal  sacrifices,  not  merely  because  the  people  rested  in 
them  nfter  n  formal  and  self-righteous  manner,  but  especially  because 
they  did  not  sufficiently  display  the  honor  of  his  justice  in  pardoning 
sinners;  the  eternal  Soil  declared  his  readiness  to  come  into  the  world 
in  human  nature  for  that  purpose,  according  as  it  had  been  written  of 
Him  in  1  the  volume  of  the  hook,’  or  in  opening  the  roll  of  prophecy,  in 
which  He  had  been  promised  as  ‘  the  Seed  of  the  woman.’  (Note,  Gen. 
3:14,  15.)  Now  the  apostle  argued  from  this,  that  the  evident  contrast 
in  the  prophecy  quoted,  between  ‘  the  sacrifices,  in  which  Jehovah  had 
no  pleasure,’  and  the  obedience  of  the  Messiah  to  his  whole  will,  in 
which  Me  would  be  fully  satisfied,  was  an  evident  intimation,  that  He 
intended  to  remove  the  former,  in  order  to  establish  the  latter  in  its  full 
glory,  and  as  the  only  ground  of  sinners’  being  pardoned  and  saved.  Ity 
(Ids  will  of  God,  perfectly  performed  by  Christ  in  his  obedience  unto 
the  death  on  the  cross,  Christians  were  ‘sanctified  ’  and  consecrated  lo 
God,  as  accepted  and  spiritual  worshippers;  ‘through  the  offering  of 
his  body  once  for  all,’  with  which  his  mediatorial  obedience  had  been 
completed.  (Note,  13;9 — 14.) — ‘From  this  memorable  passage  of  the 
fortieth  l’salai,  we  learn,  that  the  only  expiation  for  sin,  which  God  ever 
appointed,  is  the  sacrifice  of  his  Son  iu  the  human  nature  ;  that  all  the 
sacrifices,  which  He  appointed  to  the  Israelites,  were  nothing  Hut  em¬ 
blems  of  the  sacrifice  of  Christ ;  and  that,  the  sacrifice  of  Christ  being 
offered,  the  emblems  of  it  are  r.ow  fitly  laid  aside;  that,  under  the  gos¬ 


pel-dispensation,  there  might  remain  to  mankind  no  sacrifice,  having 
pretension  to  take  away  sin,  but  the  sacrifice  of  Christ,  expressly  es¬ 
tablished  by  God  Himself,  as  the  meritorious  Cause  of  our  pardon.’ 
Mocknight.  A  body,&.c .]  The  words  in  the  Psalm  are,  ‘Mine  ears 
hast  Thou  opened,’  or  ‘bored:’  Ex.  21:3 — 6.  and  it  has  perplexed 
many  expositors  to  determine  why  the  apostle,  writing  to  the  Hebrews, 
should  quote  from  the  Sept.,  where  that  translation  evidently  differs 
from  the  Ileb.  lint  he  probably  supposed  that  the  words  conveyed  the 
general  meaning  of  the  passage  :  and  that  the  production  of  the  holy 
human  nature  of  Christ  was  that  preparation  for  his  mediatorial  obedi¬ 
ence,  which  was  intended  by  that  expression,  ‘Mine  ears  hast  Thou 
opened.’  The  quotation,  however,  is  not  exactly  from  the  Sept.,  which 
seems  to  have  been  made  from  some  other  reading,  than  that  found  in 
our  present  copies.  The  meaning,  however,  and  the  apostle’s  argu¬ 
ment,  are  not  at  ail  affected  by  the  variation.  Scott. 

(5.)  ‘  The  apostle  opening  the  great  plan  of  redemption,  introduces  the 
Savior  as  thus  addressing  his  Father.  See  Ts.  40-.G,  et  seq.  which  is  a 
prophecy  of  Christ,  upon  the  assumption  of  his  human  nature.’  Valpy , 
in  Rtoomf. — Sacrifice  and  offering  Thou  wouldest  not.]  I.  e.  ‘Not  ab¬ 
solutely,  but  they  were,  in  a  comparative  sense,  of  little  value.’  Stuart. 
A  body  hast  Thou  prepared  Me'.]  ‘  The  discrepancy  here  between  the 

Ileb.  ami  the  Sept.  [ Kennicott  thinks  the  Ileb  once  read  as  the  Greek 
now  does]  the  most  judicious  are  cf  opinion  may  best  be  removed  (ac¬ 
counted  for]  by  supposing  the  Sept,  have  translated  freely,  giving  the 
real,  though  not  the  literal  sense;  explaining  it,  as  Mr.  Slade  says,  in 
tlte  way  of  paraphrase,  to  those  for  whom  they  translated.  See  Rom. 
3:12.’  Rtoomf.— Saurin  ingeniously  conjectures,  that  the  Ileb.  originally 
read  :  ‘  My  ears  hast  Thou  opened,’  or  bored,  in  allusion  to  Ex.  21:6.  lie 
conceives  that  the  LXX.,  considering  that  idea  unintelligible  in  Greek, 
changed  the  allusion  to  a  custom  familiar  to  themselves,  namely,  the 
marking  the  bodies  of  their  soldiers  ami  slaves,  that  they  might  claim 
them  ns  their  own,  ami  therefore  rendered  the  original,  *  My  body  hast 
Thou  prepared,’  meaning  marked,  according  to  their  custom  :  and  Wil¬ 
liams  adds,  (in  reference  to  Ga.  6:17.)  Rev.  13:16.17.  But  Stuart  has  wef] 
shown,  that  the  apostle's  use  of  the  phrase  from  the  Sept,  may  he  re¬ 
garded  as  rathe!-  incidental ;  the  apostle  found  it  in  the  Sept.,  and,  it 
being  to  his  purpose,  he  used  it  accordingly. — ‘  There  can  lie  no  doubt,1 
Rtoomf.  says,  ‘but  the  phrase  must  be  understood  of  Christ’s  being 
clothed  and  fitted  with  a  human  body  for  the  purpose  of  making  the 
sacrifice  in  question.’  Ros.  gives  the  sense  thus:  ‘“Tliou  hast  created 
Me  a  body,  that  I  might  use  it  to  the  purpose  of  obeying  \ad  obedien- 
dom ],  that  I  might  make  it  what  Thou  whuldest  have  it  to  be  made,  and 
that  1  might  yield  it  up  lo  death.”  What  the  apostle  wished  (lie  says) 
to  show,  was,  that,  since  the  sacrifices  by  the  law  of  Moses  could  not 
lake  away  sin,  Christ  vvns  pleased  to  offer  up  Himself, 'and  by  this  sac- 
ficc  to  make  expiation  and  bring  us  to  be  saved.’  Ed.  ‘Christ’s  com¬ 
ing  into  the  world,  in  scripture-phrase,  means,  his  descending  from 
heaven  to  he  witlr'us,  John  16:23.  and  his  going  hence  to  heaven,  is 
styled  his  leaving  the  world,  John  13:1.16:28.  17:11.  The  connexion  of 
it  here  with  the  time  when  a  body  was  prepared  for  Him,  will  not  suffer 
us  to  doubt,  that  it  imports  his  assumption  of  the  human  nature,  and 
his  being  born  into  the  world.’  Whitby,  in  Henry ,  abr. 

(7.)  Volume  of  the  book.]  The  Pentateuch.  So  Stuart,  Doddr.,  and 
Rtoomf '■  Stuart  adds,  1  and  perhaps  the  book  of  Joshua;  ’  though Dodur. 
thinks  the  Pentateuch  ‘the  only  book  containing  prophecies  of  the  Mes- 
siah  written  before  David.’  .  ®* 

(3,  9.)  Ros.  here  gives  the  sense  from  v.  5 — 9  thus  :  ‘  Obedience  is  bet¬ 
ter  than  external  sacred  rites;  but  this  Christ  rendered  while  lie  willing¬ 
ly  and  promptly  underwent  death,  to  this  end,  that  we  niight  be  puri¬ 
fied  from  siu  and  obtain  pardon.’ — ‘  That  is,’  says  Stuart,  doing  the  will 

[541] 


A.  D.  65. 


HEBREWS,  X.  Perfect  efficacy  of  his  priesthood. 


10  By  the  which  will  we  are 
E  sanctified,  through  the  offering11  of 
the  body  of  Jesus  Christ  once  for 
all. 

11  And  every  priest  standeth  ' 
daily  ministering,  and 'offering  oft¬ 
entimes  the  same  sacrifices,  which 
can  never  Hake  away  sins  : 

12  But  this  man,  after  he  had  of¬ 
fered  one  sacrifice  for  sins,  for  ever 
sat  Mown  on  the  right  hand  of  God; 

13  From  henceforth  expecting  till 
his  enemies  1  be  made  his  footstool. 

14  For  by  one  offering  he  hath 
m  perfected  for  ever  them  that  are 
sanctified. 

15  Whereof  the  Holy  Ghost  also 
is  a  witness  to  us  :  for  after  that  he 
had  said  before, 

16  This  "is  the  covenant  that  I 
will  make  with  them  after  those 
days,  saith  the  Lord  ;  I  will  put  my 
laws  into  their  hearts,  and  in  their 
minds  will  I  write  them  ; 

17  "And  their  sins  and  iniquities 
will  I  remember  no  more. 

18  Now  where  remission  of  these 
is,  there  is  no  more  offering  for  sin. 


[Practical  Observations.] 

19  Having  therefore,  brethren, 
p  boldness  to  enter  into  the  holiest 
q  by  the  blood  of  Jesus, 

20  By  a  new  and  living  way, 
r  which  he  hath  8  consecrated  for  us, 
through  the  veil,  that  is  to  say,  his 
flesh  ; 


j 

k 


Jn.  17:19. 
c.  9:1-2. 

Nu.  28:3. 

Ps.  50:8-13. 
Is.  1:11. 

Col.  3:1. 


1  Pa. 110:1. 
m  ver.  1. 
n  Je.  31:33,31. 
o  Some  copies 
have,  Then  he 


said,  And  th  civ. 
p  or,  liberty. 
q  c.  9:8.12. 
r  Jn.  14:6. 
s  or,  new  made. 


in  two  instances.  In  taking  away  the  first 
priesthood,  which  God  had  no  pleasure  in; 
and  in  establishing  the  second,  that  is,  his 
own  priesthood,  and  the  everlasting  Gospel, 
the  most  pure  and  perfect  dispensation  of  the 
covenant  of  grace;  this  is  the  great  design 
on  which  the  heart  of  God  was  set  from  ail 
eternity ;  and  it  is  not  more  agreeable  to  the 
will  of  God,  than  it  is  advantageous  to  the 
souls  of  men;  for  it  is  by  this  will  that  we  ate 
sanctified  through  the  offering  of  the  body  of 
Jesus  Christ,  once  for  all,  v.  10.  Observe, 
What  is  the  fountain  of  all  that  Christ  has 
done  for  his  people — the  sovereign  will  and 
grace  of  God.  How  we  come  to  partake  of 
what  Christ  has  done  for  us — by  being  sanc¬ 


tified,  converted,  effectually  called,  wherein 
we  are  united  to  Christ,  and  so  partake  of 
the  benefits  of  his  redemption  ;  and  this 
sanctification  is  owing  to- the  oblation  lie 
made  of  Himself  to  God. 

5.  From  the  perfect  efficacy  of  the  priest¬ 
hood  of  Christ,  v.  14.  He  has  and  will  per¬ 
fectly  deliver  those  that  are  brought  over  to 
Him,  from  till  the  guilt,  power,  and  punish¬ 
ment  of  sin,  and  will  put  them  into  the  sure 
possession  of  perfect  holiness  and  felicity. 
This  is  what  the  Levitical  priesthood  could 
never  do;  and  if  we  indeed  are  aiming  at  a 
perfect  stale,  we  must  receive  the  Lord  Jesus 
as  the  only  High  Priest  that  can  bring  us  to 
that  state. 

6.  From  the  place  to  which  our  Lord 
Jesus  is  now  exalted,  the  honor  He  has 
there,  and  the  further  honor  He  shall  have, 
v.  12,  13.  Here  observe,  (1.)  To  what 
honor  Christ,  as  Man  and  Mediator,  is  ex¬ 
alted,— to  the  right  hand  of  God,  the  seat  of 
(lower,  interest,  and  activity  ;  the  giving 
hand  ;  all  the  favors  God  bestows  on  his 
people,  are  handed  them  by  Christ;  the  re¬ 
ceiving  hand  ;  all  the  duties  God  accepts 
from  men,  are  presented  by  Christ  ;  the 
working  hand  ;  all  in  the  kingdoms  of 
providence  and  grace,  is  administered  by 
Christ  ;  and  therefore  this  is  the  highest 
(lost  of  honor.  (2.)  How  Christ  came  to 
this  honor, — not  merely  by  the  purpose  or 
donation  of  the  Father,  but  by  his  own  merit 
and  purchase,  as  a  reward  due  to  his  suffer¬ 
ings  ;  and  as  He  can  never  be  deprived  of 
an  honor  so  much  his  due,  so  He  will  never 
quit  it,  nor  cease  to  employ  it  for  his  peo¬ 
ple’s  good.  (3.)  How  He  enjoys  this  honor, 
— with  the  greatest  satisfaction  and  rest  ; 
He  is  for  ever  sat  down  there;  here  He  will 
dwell  ;  for  He  hath  both  desired  and  de¬ 
served  it.  (4.)  He  has  further  expecta¬ 
tions,  which  shall  not  be  disappointed  ;  for 
they  are  grounded  on  the  promise  of  the  Fa¬ 
ther,  who  hath  said  unto  Him,  Sit  Thou  on 
my  right  hand,  until  I  make  thine  enemies  thy 
footstool,  Ps.  110: 1.  One  would  think  such 
a  Person  as  Christ  could  have  no  enemies,  i 
except  in  hell  ;  but  He  has  enemies  on 
earth,  very  many,  and  very  inveterate  ones.  I 
But  Christ’s  enemies  shall  be  made  his  foot-  j 
stool  ;  some  by  conversion,  others  by  con¬ 
fusion ;  and  which  way  soever  it  be,  Christ 
will  be  honored  ;  of  this  Christ  is  assured, 
this  He  is  expecting;  and  his  people  should 
rejoice  in  the  expectation  of  it ;  for  when  his 
enemies  are  subdued,  their  enemies,  that  are 
so  for  his  sake,  shall  be  subdued  also. 

7.  And  lastly.  The  apostle  recommends 
Christ,  from  the  witness  the  Holy  Ghost  has 
given  in  the  Scriptures  concerning  Him  ; 
this  relates  chielly  to  what  should  be  the 
happy  fruit  and  consequence  of  his  humilia¬ 
tion  and  sufferings,  which  in  general  is  that 


new  and  gracious  covenant  that  is  founded 
on  his  satisfaction,  and  sealed  by  his  blood, 
v.  15.  The  passage  is  cited  from  Jer.  31: 
31.  in  which  covenant  God  promises,  (1.) 
That  God  would  pour  out  his  Spirit  on  his 
people,  so  as  to  give  them  wisdom,  will, 
and  power,  to  obey  his  Word;  He  will  put 
his  laws  in  their  hearts,  and  write  them  in 
their  minds,  v.  16.  This  will  make  their 
duty  plain,  easy,  and  pleasant.  (2.)  Their 
sins  and  iniquities  He  will  remember  no 
more,  v.  17.  which  wall  alone  show  the 
riches  of  divine  grace,  and  the  sufficiency 
of  Christ’s  satisfaction,  that  it  needs  not  be 
repeated,  v.  18.  For  there  shall  be  no 
more  remembrance  of  sin  against  true  be¬ 
lievers,  either  to  shame  them  now,  or  to  con¬ 
demn  them  hereafter.  This  was  much  more 
than  the  Levitical  priesthood  and  sacrifices 
could  effect. 

And  now  we  have  gone  through  the  doc¬ 
trinal  part  of  the  epistle,  in  which  we  have 
met  with  many  things  dark  and  difficult  to 
be  understood,  which  we  must  impute  to  the 
weakness  and  dulness  of  our  own  minds. 
The  apostle  now  proceeds  to  apply  this 
great  doctrine,  so  as  to  influence  their  affec¬ 
tions,  and  direct  their  practice,  setting  be¬ 
fore  them  the  dignities  and  duties  of  the 
gospel-state. 

V.  19 — 39.  Here  the  apostle  sets  forth, 

I.  The  dignities  of  the  gospel-state.  It 
is  fit  believers  should  know  the  honors  and 
privileges  Christ  has  procured  them,  that, 
while  they  take  the  comfort,  they  may  give 
Him  the  glory  of  all.  They  have  access  to 
God,  light  and  liberty,  a  right  to  the  privi¬ 
lege,  and  a  readiness  for  it  ;  assistance  to 
use  and  improve  it,  and  assurance  of  accept¬ 
ance  and  advantage.  They'  have  a  High 
Priest  over  the  house  of  God,  even  this 
blessed  Jesus,  who  presides  over  the  church 
militant,  and  every  member  thereof  on  earth, 
and  over  the  church  triumphant  in  heaven. 
God  is  willing  to  dwell  with  men  on  earth, 
and  to  have  them  dwell  with  Him  in  heaven ; 
but  fallen  man  cannot  dwell  with  God, 
without  a  High  Priest,  who  is  the  Mediator 
of  reconciliation  here,  and  of  fruition  here¬ 
after. 

II.  The  apostle  tells  us  the  way  and 
means  by  which  Christians  enjoy  such  priv¬ 
ileges,  and,  in  general,  declares  it  to  be  by 
the  blood  of  Jesus,  by  the  merit  of  that  blood 
which  he  offered  up  to  God  as  an  atoning 
sacrifice.  This,  being  sprinkled  on  the 
conscience,  chases  away  slavish  fear,  and 
gives  tlte  believer  assurance  both  of  his 
safety,  and  his  welcome  into  the  divine  pres¬ 
ence.  Now  the  apostle  having  given  this 
general  account  of  the  way  by  which  we 
have  access  to  Gotl,  enters  further  into  the 
particulars  of  it,v.  20.  It  is  the  only  way; 
there  is  no  other  but  this.  It  is  a  new  way, 


PRACT.  OBS.  V.  5 — 18.  When  ttie  eternal  Son  of  God  saw  the  deserved  misery,  came  in  human  nature,  to  accomplish  the  will  of  the 
hopeless  condition  of  fallen  man,  for  whom  no  sacrifices  even  of  divine  Father,  and  to  ‘bear  our  sins  in  his  own  body  on  the  tree.’  Gen.  3:14, 
appointment,  and  no  contrivances  of  man’s  devising,  could  in  the  least  15.  What  then  remains,  but  that  we  seek  an  interest  in  this  sacrifice 
avail,  He,  according  ns  it  had  been  written  of  Him  in  ‘  the  volume  of  by  faith,  and  the  seal  of  it  to  our  souls  by  ‘  the  sanctification  of  the 
the  Book,’  from  the  beginning,  with  infinite  compassion  towards  our  Spirit  unto  obedience  ?  ’  Scott. 


of  God,  or  obedience  to  Him,  even  unto  death,  or  the  offering  up  of  his 
[Christ’s]  body,  is  represented  by  the  Psalmist  as  a  substitute  for  legal 
sacrifices,  and  an  arrangement  which  would  supersede  them.’  Ed. 

V.  11—13.  By  his  one  oblation,  He  had  provided  effectually  for  the 
perfect  justification,  unto  eternal  life,  of  all  those  who  should  ever  re¬ 
ceive  his  atonement,  by  faith  springing  from  regeneration,  and  evidenc¬ 
ed  ‘by  the  sanctification  of  the  Spirit  unto  obedience,’  and  who  were 
thus  set  apart  and  consecrated  to  the  service  of  God.  To  this  the  Holy 
Spirit  had  borne  testimony  in  the  Scripture,  which  had  been  before  quo¬ 
ted.  8:7 — 13.  According  to  the  covenant,  there  spoken  of,  when  the 
laws  of  God  are  written  in  the  heart,  every  kind  and  degree  of  sin  is  for 
ever  pardoned  :  for  Christ  1  by  his  one  offering  hath  perfected  for  ever 
them  that  are  sanctified ; 1  and  where  such  perfect  remission  is  vouch¬ 
safed,  there  needs  no  more  sacrifice  for  sins.  For  though  justified  per¬ 
sons  continually  contract  new  guilt,  and  their  best  services  need  forgive¬ 
ness;  yet  the  sacrifice  of  Christ  continually  applied  to,  in  the  exercise 
of  penitent  faith,  preserves  their  peace;  and  if  the  exercise  of  repent¬ 
ance  and  faitli  he  at  any  time  intermitted,  through  temptntion  and  sin  ; 
corrections,  rebukes,  and  terrors  bring  them  back  again  to  the  same 
remedy  •  and  thus  their  justification  is,  as  it  were,  a  permanent  act  of 
God,  continued  in  their  daily  pardon  and  acceptance  for  Christ’s  sake, 
through  life  even  unto  death,  and  so  in  judgment  and  to  eternity.  (15.) 
Holy  Ghost.]  How  marked  an  attestation  of  the  inspiration  of  (he 
Psalmist !  -  Scott. 

[542] 


(18.)  ‘The  writer  next  proceeds  to  show,  for  what  purpose  this  quo¬ 
tation  is  here  made,  i.  e.  to  express  the  sentiment,  that,  dnder  the  new 
covenant  or  gospel-dispensation,  absolute  and  Jina I  pardon  is  to  be  ob¬ 
tained. — No  more,  here,  is  a  circumstance  which  makes  a  great  differ¬ 
ence  between  the  new  covenant  and  the  old  one.  ...Well  might  the 
apostle  call  it  a  new  covenant.''  Stuart. 

V.  19 — 22.  (20)  New  way.]  The  original  way  of  acceptance  and 

communion  with  God,  througli  ‘the  righteousness  of  works,’  had  been 
finally  shut  up  by  the  entrance  of  sin.  Gen.  3:22 — 24.  The  typical 
sacrifices  could  not  open  another  way,  as  the  restrictions  and  exclusions, 
before  stated,  evidently  showed  :  while  even  the  admission  of  the  high 
priest,  on  the  day  of  atonement,  only,  being  preceded  with  recent  sac¬ 
rifices  and  blood  newly  shtdf  signified  that  the  way  into  the  holiest  was 
not  yet  manifested.’  But  the  blood  of  Jesus  is  always,  as  it  were, 
‘  newly  shed  ;  ’  it  never  loses  its  efilcacy,  and  may  at  any  time,  and  by 
any  sinner,  be  presented  in  faith  before  the  mercy-seat;  and  it  never 
fails  to  procure,  to  all  who  thus  plead  it,  a  free  and  acceptable  access  to 
Goii.  Jehovah  displayed  his  glory  above  the  mercy-seat,  in  the  holy 
of  holies,  before  the  coming  of  Christ ;  but  this  glory  was  covered  anil 
concealed  by  the  veil  ;  that  is,  the  harmony  of  infinite  holiness  with 
pardoning  mercy,  in  the  divine  conduct  and  character,  was  not  clearly 
discovered  or  understood.  9:1 — 10.  Ex.  26:31—33.  But  when  the  hu¬ 
man  nature  of  Christ,  the  Son  of  God,  was  wounded  and  bruised  for  our 
sins ;  and  when  He  expired  on  the  cross,  ‘  the  veil  was  rent  from  top  to 


A.  D.  65. 


HEBREWS,  X. 


Dignities  of  the  gospel-state . 


21  And  having  an  high  priest 
1  over  the  house  of  God  ; 

22  Let  us  draw  near  with  a  true 
heart,  in  u  full  assurance  of  faith, 
having  our  hearts  sprinkled  v  from 
an  evil  conscience,  and  our  bodies 
washed  with  pure  water. 

23  Let  us  hold  fast  the  profession 
of  our  faith  without  wavering  ;  (for 
he  w  is  faithful  that  promised  ;) 

24  And  let  us  consider  one  an¬ 
other,  to  provoke  unto  love  and  to 
good  works  : 

25  Not  forsaking  the  assembling 
of  ourselves  together,  as  the  man¬ 
ner  of  some  is  ;  but  exhorting  one 
another  :  and  so  much  the  more  as 
*  ye  see  the  day  approaching. 

[Practical  Observations.] 

I  c.  4:14-16.  v  E».e.  36:25.  x  Ro.  13:11. 
u  Ep.  3:12.  w  1  'l’h.  5:24. 

both  in  opposition  to  the  covenantor  works, 
and  to  the  antiquated  dispensation  of  the 
Old  Test.;  it  is  the  last  way  that  will  ever 
lie  opened  to  men  ;  they  who  will  not  enter 
in  this  way,  exclude  themselves  for  ever;  it 
is  a  way  that  will  always  be  effectual.  It  is 
a  living  way.  It  would  be  death  to  attempt 
to  come  to  God  in  the  way  of  the  covenant 
of  works  ;  but  this  way  we  may  come  to 

TRACT.  OBS.  V.  19 — 25.  Having  ‘access  with  boldness  into  (lie 
holiest  by  the  blood  of  Jesus,’  by  1  the  new  and  living  way  which  He 
hath  consecrated  for  us,’  let  us  not  stand  at  a  distance,  or  turn  away 
from  Him  who  ‘  beseeches  us  to  be  reconciled.’  Is.  55:G,  7.  2  Cor.  5:18 
— 21.  Jam.  4:7 — 10.  I.et  us,  in  the  first  place,  beware  of  hypocrisy,  that 
we  may  1  draw  near  witli  a  true  heart  ;’  let  us  watch  and  pray  against 
unbelief,  that  we  may  come  ‘  in  the  full  assurance  of  faith,’  knowing 
this  to  be  the  appointed  and  only  way  of  acceptance  and  salvation  ;  let 
us  apply  bis  blood  to  purge  us  from  guilt,  and  seek  for  his  promised 
grace,  to  cleanse  us  from  all  our  filthiness;  that  so,  our  ‘hearts  being 
sprinkled  from  an  evil  conscience,’  we  may  ‘  lay  aside  the  body  of  the 
sins  of  the  flesh,’  and  ‘henceforth  walk  in  newness  of  life.’  Thus  we 


j  persuasion,  that,  when  we  come  to  God  by 
C  hrist  we  shall  have  audience  and  accept¬ 
ance.  And,  (3.)  Having  our  hearts  sprin¬ 
kled  from  an  evil  conscience  by  a  believinn- 
application  of  the  blood  of  Christ  to  our 
souls  ;  cleansed  from  guilt,  filth,  sinful  fear 
and  torment,  all  aversion  to  God  and  duty, 
from  ignorance,  error,  superstition,  and 
whatever  evils  the  consciences  of  men  are 
subject  to  by  reason  of  sin.  (4.)  Our  bodies 
washed  with  pure  water,  with  the  water  of 
baptism,  by  which  we  are  recorded  among 
the  disciples  of  Christ,  or  with  the  sanctify¬ 
ing  virtue  of  the  Holy  Spirit  reforming  and 
regulating  our  outward  conversation  as  well 
as  our  inward  frame  ;  cleansing  from  the 
filthiness  of  the  flesh  as  well  as  of  the  Spirit. 
The  priests  under  the  law  were  to  wash, 
before  they  went  into  the  presence  of  the 
Lord  to  offer  before  Him.  There  must  be 
a  due  preparation  for  making  our  approaches 
to  God. 

2.  The  apostle  exhorts  believers  fo  hold 
fast  the  profession  of  their  faith,  v.  23. 
Here,  observe,  (1.)  The  duty  itself, — to  hold 
fast  the  profession  of  our  faith,  to  embrace 
all  the  truths  and  ways  of  the  Gospel.  Our 
spiritual  enemies  will  do  what  they  can  to 
wrest  our  faith,  and  hope,  and  holiness,  and 
comfort,  out  of  our  hands,  but  we  must  hold 
fast  our  religion  as  our  best  treasure.  (2.) 
The  manner  how  we  must  do  this;  without 
wavering,  without  doubting,  without  disput¬ 
ing,  without  dallying  with  temptation  to 

shall  be  enabled  to  ‘hold  fast  the  profession  of  our  faith  without  waver¬ 
ing,’  whatever  temptations  or  seducing  examples  we  may  meet  with, 
knowing  that  ‘  He  is  faithful  who  hath  promised;’  and,  with  composed 
and  cheerful  minds,  we  shall  be  enabled  to  consider  the  cases  of  our 
brethren,  that  we  may  animate  and  ‘stimulate  them  to  love  and  good 
works.’ — But,  if  they  were  not  to  be  excused  who,  in  the  time  of  severe 
persecution,  forsook  the  assembling  of  themselves  together;  how  shall 
we  answer  it  to  God,  if,  in  these  favored  days,  we  indolently  absent  our¬ 
selves  from  the  assemblies  of  his  saints,  and  neglect  to  honor  Him  by  at¬ 
tendance  on  his  ordinances  ?  Against  such  evils  we  should  warn  others 
most  earnestly,  and  ought  ourselves  gladly  ‘  to  suffer  the  word  of  exhorta¬ 
tion,’  as  knowing  the  day  of  death  and  judgment  speedily  approaches.  Sc. 


God,  and  live.  It  is  a  way  Christ  has  con¬ 
secrated  for  us  through  the  veil,  that  is,  his 
flesh.  The  veil  in  the  tabernacle  and  tem¬ 
ple,  signified  the  body  of  Christ  ;  when  He 
died,  the  veil  of  the  temple  was  rent  in  sun¬ 
der,  and  this  was  at  the  time  of  the  evening 
sacrifice,  and  gave  the  people  a  surprising 
view  into  the  holy  of  holies,  which  they 
never  hnd  before.  Our  way ‘to  heaven  is  by 
a  crucified  Savior  ;  his  death  is  to  us  the 
way  of  life  ;  to  those  who  believe  this,  He 
will  be  precious. 

III.  The  apostle  proceeds  to  show  the 
Hebrews  the  duties  they  were  obliged  to, 
on  account  of  these  privileges  conferred  on 
them  in  such  an  extraordinary  way,  t>.  22, 
23,  &c. 

1.  They  must  draw  near  to  God,  and  that 
in  a  right  manner.  They  must  draw  near 
to  God  by  conversion,  and  l>v  taking  hold  of 
his  covenant ;  in  all  holy  conversation,  like 
Enoch  walking  with  God  ;  in  humble  ado¬ 
rations,  worshipping  at  his  footstool  ;  in 
holy  dependence,  and  a  strict  observation  of 
tile  divine  conduct  toward  them;  in  confor¬ 
mity  to  God,  and  communion  with  Him, 
living  under  his_  blessed  influence,  still  en¬ 
deavoring  to  get  nearer  and  nearer,  till  they 
come  to  dwell  in  his  presence  ;  but  they 
must  see  to  it,  that  they  make  their  ap¬ 
proach  to  God  after  a  right  manner.  (1.) 
With  a  true  heart,  without  any  allowed 
guile  or  hypocrisy.  (2.)  In  full  assurance 
of  faith  ;  with  a  faith  grown  up  to  a  full 


bottom.’  (Note,  Mat.  27:51 — 53.)  The  obscurity  was  then  removed, 
and  ‘  a  just  God  and  a  Savior’  was  openly  revealed  to  mankind  ;  dis¬ 
playing  his  glory  from  the  mercy-seat,  and  exercising  most  abundant 
grace  even  to  the  chief  of  sinners,  in  a  manner  most  honorable  to  his 
infinite  purity. — They  might  indeed  very  properly  examine  themselves, 
whether  they  were  true  believers  or  not ;  and  so  admit  a  doubt  of  their 
own  sincerity,  or  personal  acceptance;  and  therefore  ‘the  full  assur¬ 
ance  ol  hope’  could  not  always  be  a  duly,  any  more  than  always  at¬ 
tainable:  yet  they  must  never  allow  themselves  to  doubt  of  the  truth 
of  the  testimony  of  God,  or  his  faithfulness  to  his  promises;  so  that 
*  tile  full  assurance  of  faith’  was  always  their  duty  ;  though  in  that,  ns 
in  other  tilings,  they  would  come  short  of  it.  Note,  6:11,  12. — -As  the 
priests  were  washed  with  water,  before  they  were  admitted  to  enter  on 
their  ollice,  and  continually  washed  themselves,  in  some  measure,  be¬ 
fore  they  officiated  ;  and  as  divers  baptisms  were  appointed  to  the  wor¬ 
shippers  by  the  law,  9:8 — 10.  F.z.  29:1 — 7.  30:18.-21.  sotheuse  of  water 
in  baptism  was  to  be  a  constant  memorial  to  Christians,  that  their  out¬ 
ward  conduct  should  be  pure  and  holy  before  men,  as  well  as  their  hearts 
and  consciences  cleansed  in  the  sight  of  God.  (Notes.  Zer.h.  13:1.  Mat. 
3:5,  6.  28:18—20.  John  3:4,  5.  1  Cor.  6:9—11.  Eph.  5.22  -27.  Tit.  3:4  — 
7.  1  Pet.  3:19 — 22.  Rev .7:13—17.)  Thus  they  would  approve  them¬ 
selves  to  be  spiritual  worshippers;  and  whilst  they  derived  comfort  and 
grace  from  their  reconciled  Father,  they  would.  “  adorn  the  doctrine  of 
God  their  Savior  in  all  things.’’  Scott. 

(19.)  -  The  writer  having  gone  through  with  a  comparison  of  the  new 
dispensation  with  the  old,  and  having  shown,  that  whether  Christ  be 
compared  with  angels,  or  Moses,  or  the  high  priest  of  the  Hebrews,  He 
bolds  a  rank  far  above  them  ;  having  shown,  also,  that  whether  the  tem¬ 
ple  in  which  He  ministers  lie  compared  with  that  at  Jerusalem,  or  the 
sacrifice  He  offers  be  compared  with  those  sacrifices  presented  by  the 
Jewish  priests,  either  as  to  its  exalted  nature,  its  spiritual  efficacy  in  re¬ 
spect  to  procuring  pardon  for  sin,  or  the  duration  and  extent  of  its  ef¬ 
fects,  the  Mosaic  institutions  are  nothing  more  than  the  shadow,  of  which 
Christian  ones  are  the  substance  ;  he  now  proceeds  to  the  hortatory  and 
admonitory  part  of  his  epistle.’  Stuart. 

(20.)  ‘  New  and  living  way, — i.  e.  new.  not  only  as  lately  opened,  hut 
also  because  those  who  draw  nigh  to  God  in  it,  have  liberty  of  access 
in  their  own  persons,  and  obtain  pardon  by  means  of  a  sacrifice  alto¬ 
gether  different  from  that  which  was  offered  for  worshippers  by  the 
Jewish  priests  : — living,  i.  e.  leading  to  life  or  happiness,  or  conferring 
it- — Through  the  veil. — In  John  1:14.  Rom.  1:4.  9.5.  Phil.  2:6.  the  hu¬ 
man  nature  or  body  of  Christ  seems  to  be  regarded  as  a  kind  of  tempo¬ 
rary  tabernacle,  or  veil  of  the  divine  nature  which  dwelt  in  Him.  May 
not  this  ha  the  sense  here  ?  The  idea  would  lie  -.  “As  the  veil  of  the 
temple  concealed  the  glorv  of  Jehovah,  in  the  holy  of  holies,  from  t he 
view  of  men  ;  so  Christ’s  flesh  or  body  screened  or  concealed  the  higher 
nature  from  our  view  (which  dwelt  within  this  veil,  as  God  did  of  old 
within  the  veil  of  the  temple).”  If  on  this  account  the  apostle  calls 
Christ’s  flesh  a  veil,  then  we  may  easilv  make  out  the  sense  of  the  verse 
before  us.  It  would  stand  thus  :  “  As  God  dwells  behind  the  veil,  in  the 
earthly  temple,  so  God  dwells  behind  the  veil  of  Jesus’  body,  in  liis 
spiritual  temple,  i.  e.  He  can  be  approached  only  through  the  medium 


of  this,  or  by  means  of  this.”  The  comparison  is,  in  most  respects, 
without  grounds  of  analogy,  and  the  two  things  widely  dissimilar  ;  yet 
there  is  as  much  congruity  in  it,  as  there  is  in  the  comparison  between 
the  physical  death  of  Christ  in  Rom.  6.  and  the  moral  death  of  believers 
to  sin,  to  which  the  former  is  there  compared.’  Stuart. 

(22.)  ‘  There  is  an  allusion  to  the  sacrificial  rite,  by  which  the  mind  as 
well  as  the  body  of  the  worshipper  was  required  to  be  pure.’  Bl. — The 
washing  with  pure  water ,  he,  witli  Doddr.  and  others,  understands  of 
t he  daily  washings  of  the  priests,  Ex.  29.4.  Lev.  16:4.  Stuart  thinks 
there  ‘is  a  plain  allusion  to  the  use  of  water  in  the  initiatory  rite  of 
Christian  baptism  ;’  and  its  connexion  with  sprinkling  may  also  be  no¬ 
ticed  in  this  respect.  Ed. 

V.  23 — 25.  This  epistle  was  written  only  a  few  years  before  that 
event,  (Jerusalem’s  desolation,)  and  as  this  would  lie  a  critical  deliver¬ 
ance  of  Christians  from  the  persecutions  of  the  Jews,  so  it  would  lie 
peculiarly  terrible  to  apostates. — (23)  Faith.]  Hope  is  the  general  and 
approved  reading.  3.1  —  6,  14 — 19.  6:11,  12.  1  Pet.  1:13 — 16.  Scott. 

(23.)  The  profession  of  our  faith.]  ‘  The  profession  of  the  religion 
which  bids  us  hope.’  Bloomf. — ‘  The  Eng.  translators,  on  the  authority 
of  one  MS.  only,  read  her e  faith,  instead  of  hope, — the  true  reading  to 
Mill,  who  is  followed  by  Doddr.,  Mackn.,  M'Lean,  Sic  '  Williams. 

(25.)  Not  forsaking  the  assembling  of  ourselves  together.]  IIow 
important  this  precept  to  the  maintenance  of  piety  ;  and  yet  how  little 
regarded  by  multitudes  of  professors  of  religion  in  our  country,  who 
voluntarily  place  themselves  and  their  families  in  situations  in  which 
they  cannot  enjoy  the  privilege  of  assembling  with  their  brethren  on  the 
Sabbath,  and  at  other  times,  for  social  and  public  worship,  and  attendance 
on  the  preaching  of  the  Gospel.  The  following  forcible  remarks  upon 
this  subject,  are  from  Dr.  Alexander’s  Sermon,  on  the  duty  of  Growing 
in  Grace.  ‘There  is  a  prevalent  evil  in  our  country,  so  common  that  it 
seems  lo  lie  but  little  noticed.  It  is  the  practice  of  many  professors,  of 
leaving  places  where  Christian  society  and  the  ordinances  of  the  Gos¬ 
pel  are  enjoyed,  to  dwell  in  the  new  settlements ,  without,  making  any 
provision  for  the  supply  of  their  spiritual  wants  ;  influenced  altogeth¬ 
er  iiv  a  regard  to  worldly  profit.  Often  months  and  years  pass  without 
their  hearing  a  single  gospel-sermon,  (or  once  assembling  with  their 
brethren.)  Their  children  grow  up.  nearly  as  wild  and  irreligious  as 
their  heathen  neighbors.  How  will  such  persons  answer  for  the  irre¬ 
parable  injury  done  to  their  families,  by  removing  far  from  the  house 
of  God,  and  all  the  public  means  of  grace  ?  The  question  may  be  ask¬ 
ed,  whether  a  man  xvlio  hnppens  to  reside  where  evangelical  preaching 
is  not  heard,  ought  to  change  his  residence  so  as  to  live  under  its  sound  ? 
T  answer,  assuredly ;  unless  he  has  reasonable  ground  of  hope  that  he 
can  be  personally  useful  to  the  people  where  he  dwells,  or  instrumental 
in  (soon)  procuring  the  establishment  of  the  means  of  grace  among 
them.  For  what  is  the  body  to  the  soul  ?  Growth  in  riches  to  growth 
in  grace  ?  And  who  can  be  excused  for  exposing,  to  eternal  death,  the 
souls  of  his  family,  for  the  snke  of  procuring  for  them  a  larger  share  of 
earthly  property  !  If  we  would  grow  in  grace,  we  must  live  within  (lie 
reach  of  the  means  of  grace.’  Rev.  Dr.  Alexander.  ‘  No  efficacious 
mode  of  general  religious  instruction  was  ever  devised,  hut  that  which 
by  divine  appointment  is  associated  with  the  Sabbath.  Throughout  the 


A.  D.  65. 


HEBREWS,  X. 


Responsibility  and  duties  of  it. 


26  For  if  *  we  sin  wilfully  after 
that  we  have  received  the  knowl¬ 
edge  of  the  truth,  there  remaineth 
no  more  sacrifice  for  sins, 

27  But  a  certain  fearful  looking 
for  of  judgment,  and  fiery  'indig¬ 
nation  which  shall  devour  the  ad¬ 
versaries. 

28  He  *  that  despised  Moses’  law 
died  without  mercy  under  two  or 
three  witnesses  : 

y  Nu  15:30,  i  Zej>.  1:18.  3:8.  a  De.  J7:2— 13. 

c.  6:4,  See. 

apostasy.  They  who  begin  to  waver  in 
matters  of  Christian  faith  and  practice,  are 
in  danger  of  falling  away.  (3  )  The  mo¬ 
tive  or  reason  enforcing  this  duty, — He  is 
faithful,  that  hath  promised.  God  has  made 
great  and  precious  promises  to  believers, 
and  his  faithfulness  should  excite  and  en¬ 
courage  us  to  be  faithful  ;  and  we  must  de¬ 
pend  more  on  his  promises  to  us,  than  on 
ours  with  Him,  and  we  must  plead  with 
11  i in  the  promise  of  grace  sufficient. 

IV.  We  have  tile  means  prescribed  for 
preventing  our  apostasy,  and  promoting  our 


fidelity  and  perseverance,  v.  24,  25,  & c. 
He  mentions  several ;  as, 

1.  That  we  should  consider  one  an¬ 
other,  to  provoke  to  love  and  to  good  works. 
Christians  ought  to  have  a  tender  conside¬ 
ration  and  concern  for  orre  another  ;  they  ! 
should  affectionately  consider  what  their  | 
several  wants,  weaknesses,  and  temptations 
are;  and  this,  not  to  reproach  one  another, 
not  provoke  one  another  to  anger,  but  to 
promote  love  and  good  works,  calling  on 
themselves  and  one  another  to  love  God  and 
Christ  more,  to  love  duty  and  holiness  more, 
to  love  their  brethren  in  Christ  more,  and  to 
do  all  the  good  offices  of  Christian  affec¬ 
tion,  both  to  the  bodies  and  the  souls  of  each 
other.  A  g  >od  example  given  to  others,  is  J 
the  best  and  most  effectual  provocation  to  : 
love  and  good  works. 

2.  Not  to  forsake  the  assembling  of  our¬ 
selves  together,  v.  25.  It  is  the  will  of  Christ,  ' 
that  his  disciples  should  assemble  them¬ 
selves  together,  sometimes  more  privately 
for  conference  and  prayer,  and  in  public  for 
hearing  and  joining  in  all  the  ordinances 
of  gospel-worship.  The  communion  of  j 
saints  is  a  great  help  and  privilege,  and  a  | 
good  mean  of  steadiness  and  perseverance; 


hereby  their  hearts  and  hands  are  mutually 
strengthened. 

3.  To  exhort  one  another;  to  exhort  our¬ 
selves  and  each  other  ;  to  warn  ourselves 
and  one  another  of  the  sin  and  danger  of 
backsliding;  to  put  ourselves  and  our  fellow- 
Christians  in  mind  of  our  duty,  of  our  fail¬ 
ures  and  corruptions ;  to  watch  over  one  an¬ 
other,  and  be  jealous  of  ourselves  and  one 
another  with  a  godly  jealousy.  This,  man¬ 
aged  with  a  tru*  gospel-spirit,  would  be  the 
best  and  most  cordial  friendship. 

4.  That  we  should  observe  the  approach¬ 
ing  of  times  of  trial,  and  be  thereby  quick¬ 
ened  to  greater  diligence ;  so  much  the  more, 
as  ye  see  the  day  approaching.  Christians 
ought  to  observe  the  signs  of  the  times,  such 
as  God  has  foretold.  There  was  a  day  ap¬ 
proaching,  a  terrible  day  to  the  Jewish  na¬ 
tion,  when  their  city  should  be  destroyed, 
and  the  body  of  the  people  rejected  of  God 
for  rejecting  Christ.  There  is  a  trying  day 
coming  on  us  all,  the  day  of  our  death,  and 
we  should  observe  all  the  signs  of  its  ap¬ 
proaching,  and  improve  them  to  greater 
watchfulness  and  diligence  in  duty. 

V.  After  having  mentioned  these  means 
of  establishment,  the  apostle  proceeds,  in 


world,  where  no  Sabbath  convenes  the  population  to  receive  in¬ 
struction,  the  character  and  government  of  God,  and  the  retributions 
of  eternity,  fade  from  the  mind,  and  cease  to  operate  as  principles  of 
action.  Idiot  out  the  Sabbath,  and  in  half  a  century  [men  would  forsake 
the  assembling  of  themselves  together  for  religious  worship,  and]  the  in¬ 
telligent  worship  of  God  would  be  nearly  obliterated,  and  the  land  cov¬ 
ered  with  every  form  of  superstition  and  crime.  Where  the  Sabbath 
does  not  give  presence  and  energy  to  the  divine  government,  the  moral 
law  is  without  effect  ;  parents  are  without  natuial  affection  ;  children 
are  dissolute  and  disobedient ;  and  the  family  a  scene  of  turmoil  and 
wretchedness.’  Rev.  Ur  Beecher.  ‘That  they  spend  so  much  time 
in  reading,  praying,  singing,  hearing  sermons,  &c.  has  been  urged  against 
some  professors.  But  it  is  clear  from  Scripture,  that  true  grace  very 
much  tends  to  produce  delight  in  suGh  exercises.  This  was  the  case 
with  Anna  the  prophetess,  I.n.  2:37.  with  the  primitive  Christians,  Ac. 
2:  16,  17.  Daniel,  David,  and  others.  But,  on  the  other  hand,  such  a  dis¬ 
position  is  no  certain  proof  of  grace,  because  it  is  found  in  many  per¬ 
sons  who  are  evidently  not  gracious,  Is.  1:12 — IS.  58:2,  4.  Ez.  33:31,32. 
Mark  6:20.  John  5:20.  Experience  shows  that  persons,  from  the  influ¬ 
ence  of  false  systems,  may  he  induced  to  devote  much  time  to  the  exter¬ 
nal  services  of  religion.’  Edwards.  Ed. 

V.  2R,  27.  The  whole  argument  shows,  that  the  apostle  principally 
intended  a  wilful,  deliberate,  and  pertinacious  apostasy  ;  not  the  effect 
of  ignorance  or  sudden  surprise ;  but  against  the  convictions  of  their 
own  consciences,  and  in  a  presumptuous  and  obstinate  manner;  though 
he  expressed  himself  in  such  language,  as  might  also  warn  the  readers 
against  every  kind  of  wilful,  deliberate,  and  presumptuous  sin.  The  per¬ 
sons  spoken  of  were  such  as  had  ‘received  the  knowledge  of  the  truth,’ 
and  were  so  enlightened,  in  respect  of  the  evidences  and  doctrines  of 
Christianity*  as  to  make  a  credible,  and  intelligent  profession  of  it,  even 
in  the  time  of  the  apostles.  When  this  had  preceded,  a  wilful  renun¬ 
ciation  of  Christianity  to  return  to  Judaism,  either  from  a  determined 
purpose  of  escaping  persecution,  or  from  proud  and  carnal  enmity  to  the 
humiliating  and  spiritual  truths  of  the  Gospel,  would  generally  be  fatal. 
In  respect  of  such  apostates,  ‘  there  remained  no  more  sacrifice  for 
sin.’  Xor  could  it  he  expected,  that  they  would  ever  be  ‘renewed  to  re¬ 
pentance’  of  this  atrocious  and  presumptuous  wickedness;  for  they 
must  have  witnessed  so  many  miracles,  and  some  of  them  even  have  ex¬ 
ercised  such  gifts  of  the  Holy  Spirit  themselves,  that  it  might  he  sup¬ 
posed.  they  had  committed  tii6  blasphemy  against  that  divine  Agent,  by 
ascribing  his  operation  to  satanical  influence,  and  that  they  would  be 
given  up  to  final  impenitence  and  unbelief,  and  he  wholly  excluded  from 
the  benefit  of  Christ’s  efficacious  sacrifice.  Mat.  12-31 , 32. — There  seems 
in  this  awful  passage  to  lie  a  peculiar  refersnee  to  the  unexampled  mise¬ 
ries,  which  came  soon  after  on  the  Jewish  nation,  and  to  their  desperate 
rage  and  furv  in  the  midst  cf  them.  This  horror  of  conscience,  con¬ 
nected  with  desperation,  aud  all  its  tremendous  effects,  (as  in  the  case  of 
Judas,)  might  he  expected  to  lie  most  common  among  apostates  from 
Christianity;  who  had  done  violence  to  their  own  convictions,  and  sin¬ 
ned  aga'nst  their  better  knowledge,  with  presumptuous  enmity,  when 
they  saw  matters  evidently  coming  to  those  extremities  which  Christ 
had  predicted.  But  this  horror  and  despair  were  only  a  shadow  of  the 
unspeakable  anguish,  to  which  they  would  at  length  be  reduced,  when 
the  insulted  Savior  should  proceed  to  execute  vengeance  upon  them, 
irom  which  they  would  see.  that  it  was  impossible  to  escape.  —  Some¬ 
times  apostates  have  perceived  their  desperate  condition  before  death  ; 
and.  in  all  the  horrors  and  blasphemous  rage  of  damned  spirits,  have 
served  as  beacons  to  warn  others  not  to  imitate  their  conduct.  Proba¬ 
bly,  there  were  few  or  no  instances  of  such  rntighlened  and  deliberate 
apostates  being  restored  ;  perhaps  several  of  them  had  been  known  to 
be  given  up  to  the  most  tremendous  horrors  of  conscience;  and  it  was 
peculiarly  proper  to  state  this  matter  in  such  strong  language,  for  the 
benefit  of  others.  (Notes,  Mat.  12:43—45.  2  Tim.  2:23 — 26.  4:14,  15. 
2  Pet.  2:20 — 22.  1  Jn.  5:16 — 18.)  Vet  this  did  not  imply,  that  any  pen¬ 
itent  would  fail  of  obtaining  mercy,  or  that  any  one  would  be  excluded 
from  the  benefit  of  the  Savior’s  sacrifice,  who  humbly,  earnestly,  and 
persevering/y  sought  it,  into  whatever  sins  he  had  been  betrayed.  The 
persons  spoken  of  are  considered  as  ‘adversaries,’  which  cannot  proper¬ 
ly  be  applied  to  the  case  of  any  trembling,  weeping,  praying  penitent. 
It  was  not  probable,  that  such  apostates,  as  were  described,  would,  in 
the  peculiar  circumstances  of  those  times,  return  to  seek  forgiveness  by 
faith  in  the  blood  of  Christ ;  and  their  danger  consisted  in  being  given 
tip  to  final  obduracy,  or  desperutiun.  The  passage,  therefore,  can  have 

[541] 


nothing  to  do  with  the  case  of  persons,  called  Christians,  in  these  days, 
who  had  not  previously  received  the  knowledge  either  of  the  evidences 
or  doctrines  of  Christianity  ;  but  who,  through  ignorance,  or  the  arti¬ 
fices  of  wicked  men,  have  been  led  to  doubt  or  deny  the  truth  of  the 
Scriptures,  without  any  of  the  peculiar  aggravations  of  these  primitive 
apostates.  Some  of  these  persons,  being  afterwards  ‘  renewed  to  re¬ 
pentance,’  have  assuredly  believed  the  Gospel,  experienced  the  power  of 
its  truth  in  their  hearts,  and  produced  the  fruits  of  it  in  their  lives;  yet 
Satan  has  taken  advantage  of  the  sound  of  this  and  similar  passages,  and 
of  some  unguarded  things  which  expositors  or  preachers  have  said  on 
the  subject,  to  harass  them  with  perpetual  apprehensions,  that  there  re¬ 
mained  no  benefit  for  them  in  the  sacrifice  of  Christ,  because  they  once 
doubted  the  truth  of  Christianity,  though  they  now  value  that  salvation 
more  than  all  the  world. — Cases  of  this  kind  have  fallen  under  the  writ¬ 
er’s  cognizance,  and,  in  this  day  of  skeplicism  and  infidelity,  in  which 
multitudes  aspire  to  the  reputation  of  free  thinkers,  by  never  thinking 
seriously  at  all,  there  may  be  many  of  the  same  kind.  Eor  when  Satan 
can  no  longer  buoy  up  men  in  unbelieving  presumption,  he  endeavors  to 
drive  them  into  unbelieving  desperation,  and  he  never  fnils  to  harass 
those  to  the  utmost,  whose  destruction  he  cannot  compass.  Even  when 
the  Gospel  has  been  renounced,  after  far  elearer  knowledge,  and  with 
much  greater  malignity',  than  in  the  case  before  stated,  the  apostasy  can¬ 
not  be  fatal  unless  it  be  final.  It  is  the  peculiar  honor  of  the  mercy  of 
God,  and  of  the  redemption  of  Christ,  that  none  are  excluded,  who  are 
willing  to  accept  of  them  in  the  prescribed  manner;  ‘Him  that  cometh 
unto  Christ,  He  will  in  no  wise  cast  out,’  whatever  he  has  before  been 
guilty  of  (Note,  Jn.  6:36 — 40.)  ;  but  when  professed  Christians  are  tempt¬ 
ed  to  apostasy,  they  may  well  fear,  lest  God  should  be  provoked  to  give 
them  up  to  final  obduracy,  and  a  reprobate  mind;  and  then,  while  liv¬ 
ing  on  earth,  their  doom  is  as  irreversibly  fixed  as  that  of  devils  or  damn¬ 
ed  spirits. — ‘The  apostle  lays  it  down  as  certain,  that  God  will  not  par¬ 
don  sinners,  without  some  sacrifice  or  satisfaction.  For,  otherwise,  it 
would  not  follow,  from  there  remaining  to  apostates  no  other  sacrifice 
for  sin,  that  there  must  remain  to  them  a  dreadful  expectation  of  judg¬ 
ment.’  Mackn. — (26)  The  knowledge  of  the  truth.}  He  does  not  sav, 

‘  The  love  of  the  truth.’  Scott. 

(26.)  Sin  wilfully.]  Calm,  understands  the  apostle  to  speak  of  those 
as  sinning,  ‘not  who  are  delinquent  through  any  particular  sin,  but  who, 
the  church  being  deserted  altogether,  are  quite  alienated  from  Christ.’ — 

‘  To  sin  wilfully  is  to  sin  deliberately  ar.d  knowingly,  and  neither 
through  ignorance  nor  fear.  Wilfully,  I  apprehend,  is  not  to  be  con¬ 
strued  here  with  metaphysical  exactness,  but  has  reference  to  the  com¬ 
mon  and  acknowledged  distinction  in  the  Jewish  law,  between  the  silts 
of  oversight  or  inadvertence,  and  those  of  presumption.  For  the  first 
clnss,  see  Lev.  4:2,  13,  22,  27.  Num.  15  27 — 29.  for  the  second,  Num.  15: 
30:31.  where  the  presumptuous  offender  is  described  by  the  expression.’ 
Stuart. — There  remaineth,  Ac.]  ‘  I.  e.  the  Jewish  sacrifice  being  abol¬ 
ished,  and  that  of  Christ  rejected,  of  course  there  remains  no  other.  “  I 
was  lately,”  observed  Mr.  Him,  “called  to  attend  the  death-bed  of  a 
young  man  at  Horton.  I  found  him  in  the  greatest  horror  of  mind  :  I 
pointed  him  to  Jesus,  the  sinner’s  only  Fiiend,  aud  to  the  glorious  prom¬ 
ises  of  the  Gospel;  when,  with  an  agonizing  look  of  despair,  he  replied, 

‘  Ah  !  Sir,  but  I  have  rejected  the  Gospel.  Some  years  since,  I  read 
Faine’s  Age  of  Reason, — it  suited  my  corrupt  taste ;  I  imbibed  its  prin¬ 
ciples  :  after  this,  wherever  I  went,  I  did  all  ill  my  power  to  hold  up  the 
Scriptures  to  contempt ;  by  this  mean  I  led  others  into  the  fatal  snare, 
and  made  proselytes  to  infidelity.  Thus  1  rejected  God,  and  now  He  re¬ 
jects  me.’  I  offered  to  pray  with  him,  but  he  replied,  ‘  Oh,  no, — it  is  all 
in  vain  to  pray  for  nte.’  Then,  with’ a  dismal  groan,  he  cried  out: 
‘Paine’s  Age  of  Reason  has  deceived  my  soul  !’  and  expired.”  ’  Will. 

V.  28 — 31.  The  sacrifices  of  the  law  were  principally  appointed  for 
‘sins  of  ignorance,’  infirmity,  or  inadvertency  ;  but  presumptuous  trans¬ 
gressors  were  excluded  from  that  benefit.  (Notes,  Lev.  4:5:6-.l — 7.  Num. 
15:22  —  31.  1  5am.  2:23  —  25,  29.  3:14.  Ps.  19:12  —  14.  51:16.)  ‘He,’ 
therefore,  ‘  who  despised  the  law  of  Moses,’  and  deliberately  violated  its 
plain  commands,  in  contempt  and  defiance  of  the  authority  and  ven¬ 
geance  of  God,  was  punishable  with  death,  and  excluded  from  mercy, 
when  the  fact  had  been  legally  proved,  even  though  the  crime  were 
such,  as  might  otherwise  have  been  pardoned  through  a  trespass-offer¬ 
ing.  (Notes,  2  1 — 1.  12:15—17,  22—25.  Num.  15:32— 36.  Mat.  3:7— 10.) 
But  ‘  of  how  much  severer  ’  vengeance  would  they  he  adjudged  deserv¬ 
ing,  who  renounced  the  Gospel,  in  that  wilful,  contemptuous,  and  pre¬ 
sumptuous  manner,  which  had  been  described  1  They  had,  indeed,  as 


HEBREWS,  X. 


A.  D.  65. 


The  doom  of  apostates  described. 


29  Of  b how  much  sorer  punish¬ 
ment,  suppose  ye,  shall  he  be 
thought  worthy,  who  hath  trodden 
under  foot  the  Son  of  God,  and 
hath  counted  the  blood  of  the  cov¬ 
enant,  wherewith  he  was  sanctifi¬ 
ed,  an  unholy  thing,  and  hath  done 
despite  unto  the  Spirit  c  of  grace  ? 

30  For  we  know  him  that  hath 
said,  Vengeance  d  belongeth  unto 
me,  I  will  recompense,  saith  the 
Lord.  And  *  again,  The  Lord  shall 
judge  his  people. 

31  It  is  a  fearful  thing  to  fall  into 
the  hands  of  the  living  God. 

32  But  call  to  remembrance  the 
former  days,  in  which,  after  ye 
were  illuminated,  ye  endured  a 
great  fight  of  afflictions  ; 

33  Partly,  whilst  ye  were  made 
a  gazing-stock,  both  by  reproaches 
and  afflictions  ;  and  partly,  whilst 
ye  became  f  companions  of  them 
that  were  so  used. 

34  For  ye  had  compassion  of  me 
in  my  bonds,  and  took  joyfully  the 
spoiling  of  your  goods,  knowing 
g  in  yourselves  that  ye  have  in 
heaven  h  a  better  and  an  enduring 
substance. 

b  c.  2:3.  f  1  Th.  2:14.  or,  for  your - 

c  Mat.  12:31,32.  g  or,  that  ye  have  selves. 

d  De.  32:35,36.  tn  yourselves  ;  h  Lu.  12:33. 

e  I  s.  135:14.  - 

the  close  of  the  ch.  to  enforce  his  exhorta¬ 
tions  to  perseverance,  and  against  apostasy, 
!>y  many  very  weighty  considerations,  v.  26, 
27,  &c. 

1.  From  the  description  he  gives  of  the 
sin  of  apostasy  :  sinning  wilfully  against  that 
truth  we  have  had  convincing  evidence  of. 
This  text  lias  been  the  occasion  of  great  dis¬ 
tress  to  some  gracious  souls;  they  have  been 
ready  to  conclude  that  every  wilful  sin,  after 
conviction,  and  against  knowledge,  is  the 
unpardonable  sin  ;  but  this  lias  been  their 
infirmity  and  error.  The  sin  here  mention¬ 
ed  is  a  total  and  final  apostasy,  when  men, 
with  a  full  and  fixed  will  and  resolution,  de¬ 
spise  and  reject  Christ,  the  only  Savior;  de¬ 
spise  and  resist  the  Spirit,  the  only  Sancti¬ 
fier;  anil  despise  and  renounce  the  Gospel, 
tiie  only  way  of  salvation,  and  the  words  of 
eternal  life  ;  and  all  this,  after  they  have 
known,  owned,  and  professed,  the  Christian 
religion,  and  continue  to  do  so  obstinately 
and  maliciously.  This  is  the  great  trans¬ 
gression  :  the  apostle  seems  to  refer  to  the 
law  concerning  presumptuous  sinners,  Mum. 
15:  39,  31.  They  were  to  be  cut  off. 


2.  From  the  dreadful  doom  of  such  apos¬ 
tates  ;  there  remains  no  more  sacrifice  for 
such  sins,  no  other  Christ  to  come  to  save 
such  :  they  sin  against  the  last  resort  and 
remedy.  There  remains  only  for  them  a 
certain  fearful  looking  for  of  judgment,  v.  27. 
Some  think  this  refers  to  the  dreadful  de¬ 
struction  of  the  Jewish  church  and  state  ; 
but  certainly  it  refers  also  to  the  utter  de¬ 
struction  that  waits  for  all  obstinate  apos¬ 
tates  at  death  and  judgment.  Of  this  de¬ 
struction  God  gives  some  notorious  sinners, 
while  on  earth,  a  fearful  foreboding  in  their 
own  consciences,  a  dreadful  looking  for  it, 
witli  a  despair  of  ever  being  able  either  to 
endure  or  escape  it. 

3.  From  the  methods  of  divine  justice  with 
those  who  despised  Moses’  law,  that  is,  sin¬ 
ned  presumptuously,  despising  his  authority, 
his  tbreatenings,  and  his  power.  These, 
when  convicted  by  two  or  three  witnesses, 
were  put  to  death  ;  they  died  without  mer¬ 
cy,  a  temporal  deatii.  Hence  the  apostle 
infers  the  heavy  doom  that  will  fall  on  those 
that  apostatize  from  Christ. 

(1.)  They  have  trodden  under  foot  the  Son 
of  God.  To  trample  on  an  ordinary  person 
shows  intolerable  insolence;  to  treat  a  per¬ 
son  of  honor  in  that  vile  manner,  is  insuffer¬ 
able;  but  to  deal  thus  with  the  Son  of  God, 
who  Himself  is  God,  must  lie  the  highest 
provocation  ;  to  trample  on  his  Person,  de¬ 
nying  Him  to  be-the  Messiah  ;  to  trample 
on  his  authority,  and  undermine  his  king¬ 
dom;  to  trample  on  his  members  as  the  off- 
scouring  of  all  things,  and  not  fit  to  live  in 
the  world, — what  punishment  can  be  too 
great  for  such  men  1 

(2.)  They  have  counted  the  blood  of  the 
covenant,  wherewith  he  was  sanctified ,  an  un¬ 
holy  thing  :  the  blood  of  Christ,  with  which 
the  covenant  was  purchased  and  sealed,  and 
w  herewith  Christ  Himself  was  consecrated, 
oi'  wherewith  the  apostate  was  sanctified, 
that  is,  baptized,  visibly  initiated  into  the 
new  covenant  by  baptism,  and  admitted  to 
the  Lord’s  supper.  Observe,  Persons  may 
lie  distinguished  bv  common  gifts  and  graces, 
and  yet  fall  away  finally.  Men  who  have 
seemed  to  esteem,  may  come  to  account  the 
blood  of  Christ  no  better  than  that  of  a  mal¬ 
efactor,  though  it  was  the  world’s  ransom, 
and  of  infinite  value. 

(3.)  They  have  done  despite  unto  the  Spirit 
of  grace  ,  the  Spirit  graciously  given  to  men, 
that  should  be  regarded  and  attended  to  with 
the  greatest  care  ;  this  Spirit  they  have 
grieved,  resisted,  quenched,  yea,  done  des¬ 
pite  to  Him  ;  which  is  the  highest  act  of 
wickedness, 'and  makes  the  case  of  die  sin¬ 
ner  desperate  ;  refusing  to  have  the  gospel- 
salvation  applied  to  him.  Now  lie  appeals 
to  universal  reason  and  equity,  whether  such  ! 
aggravated  crimes  ought  not  to  receive  a  I 


suitable  punishment,  a  sorer  punishment 
than  they  had  who  died  without  mercy. 
Imt  what  punishment  can  be  sorer  than  to 
die  without  mercy  ?  I  answer,  To  die  by 
mercy ,  by  the  mercy  and  grace  which  they 
have  despised.  How  dreadful  is  the  case, 
when  not  only  the  justice  of  God,  but  his 
abused  grace  and  mercy,  call  for  vengeance  ! 

4.  From  the  description  we  have  in  the 
Scripture  of  the  nature  of  God’s  vindictive 
justice,  v.  30.  see  Ps.  94:1.  The  terrors 
of  the  Lord  are  known  both  by  revelation 
and  reason.  Vindictive  justice  is  a  glorious, 
though  terrible  attribute  of  God  ;  it  belongs 
to  Him,  and  He  will  use  and  execute  it  on 
(he  heads  of  such  sinners  as  despise  his 
grace  ;  He  will  avenge  Himself,  and  his 
Son,  and  Spirit,  and  covenant,  on  apostates. 
And  how  dreadful,  then,  will  their  case  be  ! 
The  other  quotation  is  from  Deut.  32:36. 
The  Lord  will  judge  his  people;  He  will 
search  and  try  his  visible  church,  and  will 
discover  and  detect  those  who  say  tiiey  are 
Jews,  but  are  of  the  synagogue  of  Satan  ; 
and  He  will  separate  the  precious  from  the 
vile,  and  will  punish  the  sinners  in  Zion 
with  the  greatest  severity.  Now  those  who 
know  Him  who  hath  said.  Vengeance  belong- 
eth  to  Me,  I  will  recompense,  must  needs  con¬ 
clude,  as  the  apostle  does,  v.  31.  It  is  a  fear¬ 
ful  thing  to  fall  into  the  hands  of  the  living 

God.  They  who  know  the  joy  that  results 
from  the  favor  of  God,  can  thereby  judge  of 
the  power  and  dread  of  his  vindictive  wrath. 

Observe,  The  eternal  misery  of  impeni¬ 
tent  sinners  and  apostates  shall  come  from 
God’s  own  hand  ;  He  will  deal  with  them 
Himself ;  their  greatest  misery  will  be  the 
immediate  impressions  of  divine  wrath  on 
the  soul;  their  destruction  shall  come  from 
his  glorious  powerful  presence  ;  He  is  a 
living  God;  lie  lives  forever,  and  will  pun¬ 
ish  for  ever. 

5.  lie  presses  them  to  perseverance,  by 
putting  them  in  mind  of  their  former  suffer¬ 
ings  for  Christ,  v.  32.  In  the  early  days  of 
the  Gospel,  a  very  hot  persecution  was  rais¬ 
ed  against  the  professors  of  the  Christian 
religion,  and  the  believing  Hebrews  had 
their  share  of  it  :  he  would  have  them  to  re¬ 
member, 

(1.)  When  they  had  suffered  ;  in  former 
days,  after  they  were  illuminated ;  that  is, 
converted,  or  brought  into  a  state  of  grace; 
then  earth  and  hell  combined  all  their  force 
against  them.  Here  observe,  A  natural  state 
is  a  dark  state,  and  those  who  continue  in 
that  state,  meet  with  no  disturbance  from 
Satan  and  the  world  ;  but  a  state  of  grace 
is  a  state  of  light,  and  therefore  the  powers 
of  darkness  will  violently  oppose  it.  They 
who  will  live  godly  in  Christ  Jesus,  must 
suffer  persecution. 

(2.)  What  they  suffered;  a  great  fight  of 


it  were,  ‘trampled  upon  tlie  Sim  of  Coil,’  with  insolent  defiance  and 
disdain,  by  doing  all  in  their  power  to  dishonor  Him,  and  to  provoke 
Him,  with  the  most  desperate  ingratitude  and  impiety  ;  they  had  es¬ 
teemed  the  precious  ‘blood  of  the  new  covenant,’  by  the  shedding  of 
which  Christ  ‘  had  been  sanctified,’  or  consecrated,  to  be  the  High  Priest 
ami  Advocate  of  sinners  in  the  heavenly  sanctuary,  as  if  it  had  been  an 
unclean  thing,  less  holy  than  the  blood  of  goats,  or  ns  vile  as  that  of  a 
malefactor!  {Notes,  5:7 — 10.  13:20,21.)  Sonic  indeed  apply  the  word 
sanctified,  to  the  apostate,  who  had  been  admitted  into  the  church,  ns 
set  apart  for  God,  and  consecrated  to  iiis  service,  by  professing  faith  in 
the  blood  of  Christ,  which  he  afterwards  vilified.  —  In  either  ease,  [that 
of  applying  it  to  the  apostate,  or  to  Christ,]  it  may  refer  to  those  blas¬ 
phemies,  against  ‘Jesus  of  Nazareth,’  which  were  often  required  of 
such  as  renounced  the  Gospel,  in  order  to  avoid  death,  or  other  suffer¬ 
ings  ;  and  which  apostates  would  commonly  use,  in  order  to  gain  confi¬ 
dence  with  the  parly  which  they  had  joined. — They  had,  moreover,  ‘done 
despite  to  the  Holy  Spirit,’  the  divine  and  gracious  Anther  of  spiritual 
life,  and  all  holy  consolations  in  the  souls  of  sinners.  They  had  noted 
in  direct  opposition  to  the  convictions  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  and  to  his 
strivings  with  them.  In  renouncing  Christianity,  they  traduced,  with 
most  virulent  reproaches,  that  religion,  which  was  adorned  hv  the  holy 
fruits  of  the  Spirit,  in  the  lives  of  its  professors ;  ami,  above  all,  by  ascrib¬ 
ing  his  miraculous  power  to  divination  and  satanioal  agency,  even  con¬ 
trary  to  their  own  knowledge ;  thus  they  acted,  as  if  they  were  determined 
to  provoke  Him  in  the  most  despiteful  manner  possible.  Mat.  12:31,  32. 
Lu-  12:8 — 10.  So  that,  the  authority  and  mercy  of  the  Father,  the  Per¬ 
son,  love,  and  atoning  blood  of  the  Son,  and  the  Person,  and  operations 
of  the  Holy  Spirit,  were  alike  insulted  and  blasphemed  by  them,  after 
having  professed  the  Gospel,  and  having  been  baptized  ‘into  the  name 
of  the  Father,  and  of  the  Son,  and  of  the  Holy  Ghost  !’  yea,  many  of 
X.  T.  VOL.  V.  69 


them  at  least,  after  having  received  the  Holy  Spirit,  by  the  laying  on  of 
the  hands  of  the  apostles  !  and  what  punishment  could  be  too  severs 
for  such  accumulated  guilt  ?  '  Scott. 

(29.)  Wherewith  he  was  sanctified,  &. c.]  ‘This  may  either  be  refer- 
ed  to  Christ,  nr  tn  the  apostate  here  described.  T.ut  applying  the  term 
sanctified  to  the  apostate,  it  may  mean,  only  a  professed  devotedness  of 
himself  to  Christ ;  and,  as  Bp.  Hoa/lly  suggests,  receiving  the  sacramen¬ 
tal  cup.  Seel  Cor.  11:29.  2  Pet.  2:1.’  Williams. — Spirit  of  grace.] 
‘  I  see  no  reason  to  abandon  the  interpretation  of  the  ancients,  and  ear¬ 
lier  moderns,  namely,  the  Holy  Spirit,  the  third  Person  in  the  sacred 
Trinity.  It  may  be  observed,  that,  as  in  the  former  clause  we  have 
Jesus  Christ  a  Person,  so  here  we  have  the  Holy  Spirit  also  a  Person. 
1  cannot  think  apostasy  alone  here  meant,  or  the  sin  against  the  Holy 
Ghost ;  hut  all  wilful,  sin,  and  a  presumptuously  corrupt  life,  since  such 
must  tend  to  that  dreadful  conclusion.’  Bloomf. 

V.  32—34.  Among  those,  whom  the  apostle  especially  addressed, 
were  several  that  had  ‘shown  compassion  to  him,’  some  years  before, 
when  he  was  bound  at  Jerusalem,  and  in  his  subsequent  imprisonment; 
and  when,  on  that  or  other  accounts,  their  property  was  seized  and  con- 
fi  seated,  they  bore  it,  not  only  patiently,  hut  ‘joyfully  ;  ’  having  abun¬ 
dant  consolation  from  the  assurance, 'that  they  had  ‘  in  heaven  a  better 
and  more  enduring  inheritance,’  which  could  not  be  taken  from  then), 
bat  would  be  their  substantial  felicity  forever.  For  they  possessed  m 
themselves,  independently  of  all  external  things,  the  pledges  an  ^ear 
ests  of  that  expected  blessing.  .  . ee o  >  • 

(32.)  ‘  Afflictions  scour  us  of  our  rust ;  and,  however  the  wic  e  , 
trees  in  the  wilderness,  grow  without  culture ;  yet  the  ®H11  s’  , 
in  the  garden,  must  be  pruned,  and  made  fruitful ;  and  at  It 
this.  God  will  prune  his  people,  but  not  cut  them  down. 


Hr.  Abkowsmith. 


[545] 


A.  D.  65. 


HEBREWS,  XI. 


Description  of  the  grace  of  faith. 


35  Cast  not  away  therefore  your 
confidence,  which  hath  great  ‘re¬ 
compense  of  reward. 

36  For  ye  have  need  of  >  patience; 
that,  after  ye  have  done  the  will  of 
God,  ye  might  receive  the  promise. 

37  For  kyet  a  little  while,  and  he 
that  shall  come  will  come,  and  will 
not  tarry. 

38  Now  the  just  shall  live  by 
faith  :  but  if  any  man  draw  back, 
my  soul  shall  have  no  pleasure  in 
him. 

39  But  we  are  not  of  them  who 
draw  back  'unto  perdition,  but  of 
them  that  believe  to  the  saving  of 
the  soul. 

CHAP.  XI. 

1  What  faith  is.  6  Without  faith  we  cannot  please  God. 

7  The  worthy  fruits  thereof  in  the  fathers  of  old  time. 

NOW  faith  is  the  a  substance  of 
things  hoped  for,  the  evidence 
of  things  b  not  seen. 

i  Mat.  5:12.  1  ver.  26.  or ,  confidence. 

j  Ln.  21:19.  a  or,  ground,  b  Ho.  8:24,25. 

k  llab.  2:34. 

afflictions,  many  and  various  afflictions  united 
together  against  them,  and  they  had  a  great 
conflict  with  them.  They  were  afflicted  in 
themselves  ;  in  their  own  persons,  1  Cor. 
4:9.  in  their  names  and  reputation,  v.  33. 
and  they  were  afflicted  in  their  estates,  by 
the  spoiling  of  their  goods,  by  fines  and  for¬ 
feitures.  They  were  afflicted  in  the  afflic¬ 
tions  of  their  brethren  ;  partly,  while  ye  be¬ 
came  companions  of  those  that  tvere  so  used. 
The  Christian  spirit  is  a  sympathizing  spir¬ 
it,  not  selfish,  but  compassionate.  Chris¬ 
tians  are  one  body,  animated  by  one  spirit, 
embarked  in  one  common  cause  and  interest, 
the  children  of  that  God  who  is  afflicted  in 
all  the  afflictions  of  his  people.  The  apogtle 
takes  particular  notice  how  they  had  sympa¬ 
thized  with  him,  v.  34.  We  must  thankful¬ 
ly  acknowledge  the  compassions  our  Chris¬ 
tian  friends  have  showed  for  us  under  our 
afflictions. 

(3.)  How  they  had  suffered.  They  had 
been  mightily  supported,  and  not  only  took 
their  sufferings  patiently,  but  joyfully,  as  a 


favor  and  honor,  in  that  they  should  be 
thought  worthy  to  suffer  reproach  for  the 
name  of  Christ,  Col.  1:11. 

(4.)  What  it  was  that  enabled  them  thus 
to  bear  up  under  their  sufferings.  They 
knew  in  themselves  that  they  had  in  heaven 
a  better  and  more  enduring  substance.  Ob¬ 
serve,  The  happiness  of  the  saints  in  heaven 
is  something  of  real  weight  and  worth,  bet¬ 
ter  than  anything  they  can  have  or  lose  here, 
an  enduring  substance,  that  will  make  a  rich 
amends  for  all  they  can  lose  and  suffer  here. 
In  heaven  they  all  have  a  better  life,  estate, 
liberty,  society,  hearts,  work,  everything 
belter.  Christians  should  know  this,  should 
get  assurance  of  it;  (the  Spirit  of  God  wit¬ 
nessing  with  their  spirits  ;)  for  the  assured 
knowledge  of  this  will  help  them  to  endure 
any  fight  of  afflictions. 

6.  He  presses  them  to  persevere,  from 
that  recompense  of  reward  that  waited  for 
all  faithful  Christians, v.  35.  not  to  castaway 
their  confidence,  their  holy  courage  and  bold¬ 
ness,  but  to  hold  fast  that  profession  for  which 
they  had  suffered  so  much  before,  and  borne 
those  sufferings  so  well.  He  encourages 
them  to  this,  by  assuring  them  that  the  re¬ 
ward  of  their  holy  confidence  would  be  very 
great,  a  present  reward  in  holy  peace  and 
joy,  and  much  of  God’s  presence,  and  a  great 
recompense  of  reward  hereafter.  He  shows 
them  how  necessary  a  grace  the  grace  of 
patience  is  in  our  present  state,  v.  36.  Ye 
have  need  of  patience,  that,  after  ye  have  done 
the  will  of  God,  ye  might  receive  the  promise  ; 
that  is,  this  promised  reward.  Observe, 
The  greatest  part  of  the  saints’  happiness  is 
in  promise  ;  they  must  first  do  the  will 
of  God  before  they  receive  the  promise  ; 
and  after  they  have  done  the  will  of  God, 
thev  have  need  of  patience  to  wait  for  the 
time  when  the  promise  shall  be  fulfilled  ; 
they  have  need  of  patience  to  live  till  God 
calls  them  away.  To  help  their  patience, 
he  assures  them  of  the  near  approach  of 
Christ’s  coming  to  deliver  and  to  reward 
them,  v.  37.  He  will  soon  come  to  them  at 
death,  end  all  their  sufferings,  and  give  them 
a  crown  of  life.  He  will  soon  come  to  judg¬ 
ment,  end  the  sufferings  of  the  whole  church, 
and  give  them  an  ample  and  glorious  reward 
in  the  most  public  manner.  There  is  an 
appointed  time  for  both,  and  beyond  that 
time  He  will  not  tarry,  llab.  2:3.  The 


Christian’s  present  conflict  may  be  sharp, 
but  it  will  be  soon  over. 

7.  And,  lastly,  He  presses  them  to  perse¬ 
verance,  by  telling  them  that  this  is  their 
distinguishing  character,  and  will  be  their 
happiness ;  whereas  apostasy  is  the  reproach, 
and  will  be  the  ruin,  of  all  who  are  guilty  of 
it,  v.  38,  39.  It  is  the  honorable  character 
of  just  men,  that,  in  times  of  the  greatest 
afflictions,  they  can  live  by  faith  ;  they  can 
live  on  the  assured  persuasion  they  have  of 
the  truth  of  God’s  promises.  Apostasy  is 
the  mark  and  the  brand  of  those  in  whom 
God  takes  no  pleasure;  and  it  is  a  cause  of 
God’s  severe  displeasure  and  anger.  God 
never  was  pleased  with  the  formal  profession 
and  external  duties  and  services  of  such  as  do 
not  persevere  :  He  saw  the  hypocrisy  of  their 
hearts  then  ;  and  He  is  greatly  provoked 
when  their  formality  in  religion  ends  in  an 
open  apostasy  from  religion  ;  He  beholds 
them  with  great  displeasure;  they  are  an  of¬ 
fence  to  Him.  The  apostle  concludes,  with 
declaring  his  good  hope,  concerning  himself 
and  these  Hebrews,  that  they  should  not  for¬ 
feit  the  character  and  happiness  of  the  just, 
and  fall  under  the  brand  and  misery  of  the 
wicked,  v.  39.  Observe,  Professors  may 
go  a  great  way,  and  after  all  draw  back  ; 
and  drawing  back  from  God  is  draw'ing  on 
to  perdition  ;  the  further  we  depart  from 
God,  the  nearer  we  approach  to  ruin.  Those 
who  have  been  kept  faithful  in  great  trials 
for  the  time  past,  have  reason  to  hope,  that 
the  same  grace  shall  be  sufficient  to  help 
them  still  to  live  by  faith,  till  they  receive 
the  end  of  their  faith  and  patience,  even  the 
salvation  of  their  souls.  If  we  live  by  faith, 
and  die  in  faith,  our  souls  are  safe  for  ever. 


Chap.  XI.  The  apostle  having,  in  the 
close  of  the  foregoing  chapter,  recommended 
the  grace  of  faith  and  aAife  of  faith  as  the 
best  preservative  against  apostasy,  now  en¬ 
larges  on  the  nature  and  fruits  of  this  excel¬ 
lent  grace. 

V.  1 — 3.  Here  we  have,  1.  A  defini¬ 
tion  or  description  of  the  grace  of  faith 
in  two  parts.  (1.)  It  is  the  substance  of 
things  hoped  for,  a  firm  persuasion  and  ex¬ 
pectation,  that  God  will  perform  all  that 
lie  has  promised  to  us  in  Christ  ;  and  this 
persuasion  so  strong,  that  it  gives  the  soul 
a  kind  of  possession  and  present  fruition  of 


TRACT.  OU8.  V.  2G — 39.  By  negligence,  pride,  or  carnal  self-love, 
or  by  gradually  yielding  to  the  fear  of  man,  many  professors  of  Hie  Gos¬ 
pel  are  left  to  ‘  sin  wilfully  after  they  have  received  the  "knowledge  of 
the  truth;’  and,  though  the  fallen,  the  weak,  and  the  trembling  should 
be  encouraged,  yet  we  cannot  loo  awfully  alarm  the  secure,  self-confi¬ 
dent,  and  presumptuous;  as  every  deliberate  sin,  against  light  and  con¬ 
science,  is  a  step  towards  the  tremendous  precipice  described  by  the 
apostle. — However  men  may  now  despise  these  warnings,  they  will  at 
length  know,  that  it  is  ‘  a  dreadful  thing  to  fall  into  t lie  hands  of  the 
living  God,’  and  to  hear  Him  say,  ‘It  is  a  people  that  hath  no  under¬ 
standing;  therefore  He  who  made  them  will  have  no  mercy  on  them.’ 
Is.  27:7 — 11.  Let  then  every  professed  Christian  ‘give  diligence  to 
make  his  calling  and  election  sure;’  let  us  all  remember  o nr  convic¬ 
tions,  affections,  and  purposes,  when  we  were  first  ‘enlightened,’  and 
how  we  thought,  that  we  should  he  willing  to  endure  or  part  with  any¬ 
thing,  if  we  could  but  obtain  peace  with  God  and  a  good  hope  of  salva¬ 
tion  ;  and  let  us  also  remember  our  consolations  and  supports  under 


former  trials.  If  we  have  been  called  to  ‘endure  a  great  fight  of  afflic¬ 
tions, ’  and  have  suffered  reproaches  and  losses  with  fortitude  and  cheer¬ 
fulness,  from  a  persuasion  that  we  had  1  in  heaven  a  better  and  a  more 
enduring  substance,’  let  us  not  disgrace  our  former  conduct,  or  ‘cast 
away  our  confidence,  which  hath  great  recompense  of  reward.  For  we 
still  ‘have  need  of  patience’  and  perseverance,  whilst  we  wait  the 
accomplishment  of  God’s  promises,  in  obedience  to  his  will.  But  ‘  the 
time  is  short;’  Jle  that  cometh  will  soon  come,  and  will  not  tarry  be¬ 
yond  his  appointed  season,  and  He  will  shortly  end  our  sorrows  and 
conflicts,  by  removing  our  souls  to  heaven ;  yea,  He  will  speedily  come 
to  raise  the  dead,  and  perfect  our  salvation.  I. el  us  then  show  that  we 
are  justified  through  faith,  by  living  and  ‘walking  with  God,’  in  depen¬ 
dence  on  his  promises,  ami  in  obedience  to  his  commands,  because  we 
are  satisfied  with  the  security  of  his  Word.  Thus  we  shall  possess  the 
assurance,  that  ‘we  are  not  of  them  who  draw  hack  to  perdition,  but 
of  them  that  believe  to  the  saving  of  the  soul.’  Scott. 


V.  35 — 39.  In  regard  to  their  final  deliverance  from  trouble,  as  well 
as  to  the  coming  of  Christ  to  take  vengeance  on  the  Jewish  nation,  and 
thus  to  deliver  the  Christian  church  from  the  persecutions,  which  they 
endured  from  that  quarter,  words  of  God  by  the  prophet  might 
properly  be  applied  ;  ‘The  just  by  filth  would  live.’  /fab.  2:1—4.  (38) 
The  just,  &c.]  ‘The  just  man  ’  (the  word  is  singular  here,  in  the  Sept, 
and  in  the  Heb.)  ‘by  faith  shall  live;  hut  if  he  draw  back,  The 

insertion  of  the  words,  ‘any  man,’  has  been  justly  objected  to,  for  if  the 
just  man  himself  draw  back,  and  continue  in  apostasy,  he  shall  finally 
perish,  and  we  must  not  alter  (he  Scriptures,  to  support  our  own  view 
of  evangelical  truth.  (Note,  Ez.  3:20,  21.)  — In  the  Sept,  however, 
whence  the  quotation  is  made,  the  clauses  are  reversed  ;  ‘  If  he  draw 
back,  ray  soul  shall  have  no  pleasure  in  him;  hut  the  just,  bv  the  faith 
of  Me,  shall  live.’  And  here,  ‘  the  just  by  faith,  who  shall  live,’  is 
clearly  distinguished,  as  another  character,  from  him,  who  ‘drew  hack 
to  perdition,’  in  the  concluding  v.  The  Sept,  seems  to  have  read  the  He¬ 
brew  very  differently  from  our  copies ;  but  the  meaning  of  each  is  im- 
port  nut.  Scott* 

NOTES.  Chap.  XI.  V.  1,2.  This  view  does  not  confine  us  to  one 
single  exercise  of  the  fundamental  grace  of  faith,  hut  takes  in  all  the  va¬ 
riety  of  its  actings,  in  the  whole  of  a  believer’s  experience  and  conduct. 
Where  the  principle,  from  which  faith  springs,  is  implanted  by  the  re¬ 
generating  Spirit  of  God,  it  leads  a  man  to  receive  the  truth,  concerning 
[j  Ijj 


justification  by  the  merits  of  Jesus  Christ,  according  to  the  measure  of 
light  afforded  him  ;  (Note,  John  1:10—13.)  but  it  will  also  embrace  the 
xvhole  Word  of  God,  and  expect  its  accomplishment,  to  all  the  extent, 
in  which  He  has  spoken  and  promised,  2  Tltes.  2:13.— Thus  the  believer 
gives  up  present  advantages,  and  endures  present  hardships,  in  obedience 
to  God,  and  in  waiting  for  his  promise;  even  as  men  give  ready  money 
for  an  estate  in  reversion,  or  endure  present  labor,  in  hope  of  future 
ease  and  indulgence.  6:16 — 20.  Rom.  5: 3 — 5.  8:24 — 27.  1  Cor.  15:55 — ■" 
58.  1  Pet..  1:3 — 5.  1  John  5:1 — 3.  The  things  revealed  to  faith,  but  in¬ 
visible  to  sense,  and  undiscoverahle  by  reason,  may  relate  to  tile  past, 
the  present,  or  the  future;  to  God,  and  to  his  works  of  creation,  provi- 
idence,  and  redemption;  to  his  omniscient  presence  and  his  future 
judgment ;  to  the  world  of  spirits,  and  eternal  state  of  happiness  or  mis¬ 
ery  ;  to  the  law  and  its  sanctions,  or  the  gospel  and  its  privileges  ;  and, 
in  short,  to  a  great  variety  of  particulars  which  cannot  be  enumerated. 
But  faith  is  the  evidence,  the  internal  conviction,  or  demonstration,  of 
them  all.  To  unbelievers  those  appear  false,  dubious,  or  visionary,  for 
they  have  no  medium,  by  which  to  obtain  satisfaction  about  them  ;  but 
believers  take  the  clear  ‘  testimony  of  God,’  as  a  truth  already  demon¬ 
strated,  which  requires  no  further  proof;  their  argument  is  this;  ‘God 
hath  said  it,  and  it  must  he  true.’  In  proportion  to  the  strength  of  this 
faith,  their  judgment  and  conduct  are  influenced  by  this  realizing  con¬ 
viction,  with  reference  to  things  revealed ;  ev«n  as  if  they  were  the  ob- 


HEBREWS,  XI. 


A.  D.  65. 

2  For  by  it  the  elders  obtained  a 
good  report. 

3  Through  faith  we  understand 
4  that  the  worlds  were  framed  by 
the  word  of  God,  so  that  things 
which  are  seen  were'  not  made  of 
things  which  do  appear. 

4  13y  faith  Abel  d  offered  unto 
God  a  more  excellent  sacrifice  than 
Cain,  by  which  he  obtained  witness 
that  lie  was  righteous,  God  testify¬ 
ing  of  his  gifts  :  and  by  it,  he  being 
dead,  cyet  speakcth. 

c  Gc.  1:1.  Pa.  33:6.  d  Ge.  4:4,5  e  or,  is  yet  spoken  of. 

those  things  ;  gives  them  a  subsistence  in 
the  soul,  by  tlie  first-fruits  and  foretastes  of 
them,  so  that  believers,  in  the  exercise  of 
faith,  experience  a  substantial  reality  in  the 
objects  of  faith.  (2.)  It  is  the  evidence  of 
things  not  seen.  Faith  demonstrates  to  the 
eye  of  the  mind  the  reality  of  those  things 
that  cannot  be  discerned  by  the  eye  of  the 
body;  it  helps  the  soul  to  make  application 
of  all  to  itself,  with  suitable  affections  and 
endeavors  ;  and  so  it  is  designed  to  serve 
the  believer  instead  of  sight,  and  to  be  to 
the  soul  all  that  the  senses  are  to  the  body. 
That  faith  is  but  opinion  or  fancy,  which 
does  not  realize  invisible  things  to  the  soul, 
.and  excite  the  soul  to  act  agreeably  to  the 
nature  and  importance  of  them. 


2.  An  account  of  the  honor  it  reflects  on  j 
all  who  have  lived  in  the  exercise  of  it,  v.  2.  ! 
Observe,  (I.)  True  faith  is  an  old  grace,  I 
not  a  new  invention,  a  modern  fancy  J  it  is  j 
a  grace  that  has  been  planted  in  the  soul  of 
man  ever  since  the  covenant  of  grace  was 
published  in  the  world  ;  it  has  been  prac¬ 
tised  from  tlie  beginning  of  the  revelation ; 
the  eldest  and  best  inen  that  ever  were  In 
tlie  world,  were  believers.  (2.)  Their  faith 
was  their  honor;  and  it  put  them  on  doing  the 
things  that  were  of  good  report,  and  God  has 
taken  care  that  a  record  should  be  kept,  and 
report  made,  of  the  excellent  tilings  they  did 
in  the  strength  of  this  grace.  The  genuine 
actings  of  faith  will  bear  to  be  reported,  de¬ 
serve  to  be  reported,  and,  when  reported, 
redound  to  the  honor  of  true  believers. 

3.  We  have  here  one  of  the  first  acts  and 
articles  of  faith,  which  has  a  great  influence 
on  all  the  rest,  and  which  is  common  to  all 
believers  in  every  age,  and  that  is,  the  crea¬ 
tion  of  the  worlds  by  the  word  of  God,  v.  3. 
Faith  looks  not  only  forward  to  tlie  end  of 
the  world,  but  back  to  tlie  beginning  of  the 
‘world.  15y  faith  we  understand  much  more 
of  the  formation  of  the  world,  than  ever  could 
he  understood  by  the  naked  eye  of  natural 
reason.  Faith  gives  us  to  understand  con¬ 
cerning  the  worlds,  how  they  were  made, 
that  is,  tlie  upper,  middle,  and  lower  regions 
of  the  universe,  by  the  word  of  God.  These 
worlds  were  not  eternal,  nor  did  they  pro¬ 
duce  themselves,  but  they  were  made  by 


Examples  of  faith. 

I  another,  even  God;  lie  is  the  Maker  of  all 

j  things  ;  and  whoever  is  so,  must  be  God. 
He  made  the  world  with  great  exactness  ;  it 
was  a  framed  work  ;  l  ie  made  the  world  by 
his  Word,  that  is,  by  his  essential  wisdom 
and  eternal  Son,  and  by  his  active  will,  sav¬ 
ing,  Let  it  be.  clone,  and  it  teas  done,  l’s.  33: 
9.  The  world  was  thus  framed  out  of  noth¬ 
ing,  out  of  no  pre-existent  matter,  contrary 
to  the  received  maxim,  that  ‘out  of  nothing 
nothing  can  be  made;’  which,  though  true 
of  created  power,  can  have  no  place  with 
God,  who  can  call  things  tftbt  are  not,  as  if 
they  were,  and  command  them  into  being. 
These  tilings  we  understand  by  faith.  The 
Bible  gives  us  the  truest  and  most  exact  ac¬ 
count  of  the  origin  of  all  things,  and  we  are 
to  believe  it,  and  not  to  wrest  or  run  down 
the  scripture-account  of  the  creation,  be¬ 
cause  it  does  not  suit  with  some  fantastic 
hypotheses  of  our  own ;  which  has  been  in 
some  learned  but  conceited  men  tlie  first  re¬ 
markable  step  towards  infidelity,  and  lias 
led  them  into  many  more. 

V.  4 — 19.  The  apostle,  having  given  us  a 
more  general  account  of  tlie  grace  of  faith, 
now  proceeds  to  set  before  us  some  illustri¬ 
ous  examples  of  it  in  tlie  Old  Test,  times.  A 
few  occur,  whose  names  are  not  only  men¬ 
tioned,  but  tlie  particular  trials  and  actings 
of  their  faith  subjoined;  and  in  these  verses 
are  included  tlie  several  instances  from  Abel 
to  Isaac. 

It  is  observable,  that  tlie  Spirit  of  God  has 


jects  of  sight,  or  capable  of  strict  demonstration.  The  believer  uses  his 
[lowers  of  reasoning,  to  obtain  satisfaction  concerning  the  evidence ,  that 
such  or  siieli  matters  are  divinely  revealed,  and  to  determine  the  mean¬ 
ing  of  the  words,  in  which  the  revelation  is  conveyed.  1  Pet.  3:  Id — 1G. 
But,  when  these  previous  questions  are  answered,  he  most  rationally 
says,  ‘God  has  determined  this  point;  ami  though  I  once  thought  oth¬ 
erwise,  as  multitudes  still  do  ;  yet  infinite  knowledge  and  truth  have 
decided  against  our  prejudices  and  erroneous  opinions,  and  I  submit  to 
the  divine  teaching.’  lie  is  not  so  absurd,  as  to  attempt  to  invalidate 
the  testimony  of  God  by  his  objections,  or  even  to  give  force  to  it  by  his 
arguments.  1  John  5:9,  10.  He  does  not  suppose  that  divine  revela¬ 
tion  must  be  level  to  man’s  comprehension;  or  coincide  with  his  specu¬ 
lation's  ;  lie  expects,  believes,  and  adores  mysteries,  but  knows  that  con¬ 
tradiction  is  not  mystery;  so  that  mysteries  above  reason  he  humbly 
receives,  but  absurdities  contrary  to  it,  he  ascribes  to  misconstruction 
or  imposture.  Gen.  1:26,27.  Mat.  13:10,  11.  1  Tim.  3:16. — This  de¬ 
scription  of  faith  will  be  illustrated  by  all  the,  examples  in  ibis  eh. — 
There  is  no  operation  of  the  human  soul,  which  can  possibly  receive 
and  profit  by  testimony ,  except  faith ,  or  believing.  Revelation  with¬ 
out.  faith  is  and  must  be  as  useless,  as  light  without  vision.  Acts  26:16 
— IS.  Evidence.]  2  Tim.  3:16.  Demonstration ,  conviction.  John 
16:18.  ‘  Such  a  reason  and  argument,  as  both  convinces  the  understand¬ 
ing,  and  engages  a  man  to  act  according  to  that  conviction.’  Doddr. — 
(2)  Obtained  a  good  report.]  Luke  4:22.  11:48.  John  3:26.  Col.  4:13. 
‘They  were  borne  witness  to,’  that  is,  by  God.  Scott. 

(1)  Faith.]  ‘  Guise,  and  Owen,  with  others,  take  this  description 
of  faith  to  include  that  which  is  justifying,  but  not,  under  the  strictest 
notion  of  it,  merely  as  justifying.  For  this  is  only  as  it  has  a  regard  to, 
and  depends  on,  Christ  and  his  righteousness;  but  here  is  no  mention 
of  Him  as  the  object  of  faith;  and  in  several  of  the  instances  there  is 
only  notice  taken  of  temporal  blessings,  which  were  obtained  by  faith. 
Yet  they  mav  all  be  considered  as  so  many  proofs  and  evidences  of  the 
truth  and  elfleacy  of  justifying  faith  in  real  believers  on  Christ,  and  of 
its  more  extensive  exercise  to  the  glory  Qf  God,  and  their  own  encour¬ 
agement  to  go  on  in  a  course  of  dependence  on  Him,  and  obedience  to 
Him,  amidst  all  difficulties  and  dangers  of  every  kind  that  surround  them 
in  this  sinful  world.’  Hbnrv,  abr. — So  Stuart,  and  he  asks,  ‘  what  is  the 
object  of  the  whole  fepisile]  ?  Plainly  to  prevent  apostasy,  i.  e.  a  renun¬ 
ciation  of  belief  in  Christ.’  ‘To  this  point,’  lie  adds,  ‘converge  all  the 
warnings,  reproofs,  and  tremendous  judgments  in  the  epistle;  they  all 
have  a  bearing  on  the  same  specific  object.’  Yet  in  this  particular  ch. 
lie  agrees,  with  others,  that  faith  is  to  he  taken  fur  belief  or  confidence 
generally  in  divine  declarations.  Ed. — Substance ,  &c.]  1  Confident  ex¬ 

pectation.’  Doldr.  ‘Confidence  in  respect  to  things  hoped  for.’  Sr. 
— Evidence,  &. c.j  ‘Powerful  conviction,  Arc.’  Doddr. — ‘Strict  proof 
or  demonstration  ;  i.  e.  such  a  kind  of  reason  and  argument,  as  both 
convinces  the  understanding,  and  engages  a  man  to  act  according  to 
that  conviction.’  Raphelius,  and  Hallet,  in  Doddr. — Stuart  renders  it 
‘  convincing  evidence.'  Ed — ‘  There  are  certain  doctrines,  which  ought 
to  he  preached  witii  more  caution  than  they  usually  are;  such  as  the 
“living  by  faith  and  not  by  sight,”  “trusting  God  in  the  dark,”  Arc. 
By  walking  by  faith  and  not  by  sight  is  meant,  a  being  governed  by  a 
respect  to  eternal  things,  which  are  the  objects  of  faith,  and  not  by  tem¬ 
poral,  which  are  the  objects  of  sight.  But  this  is  understood  by  many, 
us  if  professors  ought  firmly  to  irnst  ill  Christ,  without  spiritual  light, 
and  though  in  a  lifeless  frame.  What  they  mean  by  faith,  is,  heflieving 
they  are  in  a  good  state.  But  the  S3,  are  ignorant  of  any  faith  not 
founded  on  a. spiritual  sight  of  Christ.  John  6:40.  2  Cor.  3  18.  Men  can 
only  exercise  faith,  just  in  proportion  as  they  have  spiritual  light.  They 
cannot  exercise  trust  in  God,  any  flmher  than  they  possess  a  believing 
view  of  his  faithfulness  and  all-sufiicieucy.  Tlie  people  of  God  ought 
indeed  to  trust  Him  when  in  darkness,  and  when  we  do  not  see  which 
wav  it  is  possible  for  Him  to  fulfil  his  word,  ns  Abraham  did,  but  this 
is  a  different  thing  from  trusting  without  spiritual  light.’  Edwxrds. 

V.  3.  The  heavens  and  the  earth,  and  all  things  in  them,  as  well  as 


the  regular  order  with  which  they  are  governed  and  directed,  might,  in¬ 
deed,  lie  proved  by  argument  to  lie  the  contrivance  and  work  of  God  , 
Rom.  1:18 — 20.  vet  men’s  reason  had  never  come  to  any  satisfactory  and 
practical  conclusions  in  this  matter.  (Note,  Gen.  1:1.)  So  that,  ‘by 
iiiith,’  crediting  the  Word  of  God,  we  believe,  and  understand  to  good  pur¬ 
pose,  that  ‘the  worlds’  were  contrived,  framed,  created,  and  arranged  in 
their  present  order,  by  the  omnipotent  command  of  God;  and  that  the 
things,  which  we  now  behold  in  such  resplendent  beauty,  were  made  of 
those  things,  ‘  which  do  not  now  appear.’  They  were  produced  from 
the  chaotic  mass,  which  ‘  was  without  form  and  void,’  by  that  pow¬ 
erful  Word,  which  first  called  the  chaos  out  of  non-existence.  Note, 
Gen.  1:2.  and  the  satisfactory  assurance,  which  believers  derive  from 
the  scriptural  account  of  the  original  of  the  world,  being  contrasted 
with  the  discordant  hypotheses  and  endless  disputations  of  ancient  phi¬ 
losophers  and  modern  theorists,  exhibits  a  very  striking  illustration  of 
the  proposition,  that  ‘faith  is  the  evidence,’  or  demonstration,  ‘of 
things  not  seen.’  1,  2.  Gen.  1:2.— ‘This  world,  which  we  see,  was 
not  made  of  any  appearing  or  existing  matter,  hut  from  nothing;  con¬ 
trary  to  the  axiom  of  all  the  philosophers,  “From  nothing,  nothing 
is  made.”  This  indeed  never  could  enter  into  the  inind  of  any  philoso¬ 
phers,  not  even  of  those  who  wrote  that  God  created  the  world.  There¬ 
fore  the  whole  of  this  is  of  faith.'  Beza. — Nothing  can  possibly  lie  more 
unphiiosophieal,  or  indeed  absurd,  than  the  notion  of  the  eternal  pre¬ 
existence  of  that  chaos,  from  which  God  created  the  world;  yet,  I  ap¬ 
prehend,  Beza  had  firm  grounds  for  asserting,  that  none  of  the  philoso¬ 
phers  had  perceived  this,  or  without  revelation  would  have  perceived 
it.  Most,  commentators  consider  this  v.  as  a  decided  proof,  that  God 
created  the  world  from  nothing  ;  which  no  doubt  is  the  doctrine  both 
of  reason  and  revelation.  Scott- 

(3.)  Worlds.]  ‘  The  universe  ’  Su  Stuart  and  B/oomf-,  referring  to 
the  sublime  passage,  Gen.  1:3.  Ed. — Were  made.  Arc.]  ‘I.  e.  made  out 
of  nothing,  without  any  pre-existent  mutter.’  Bp.  Pearson,  in  Doddr. 
So  Stuart.  Bp. 

V.  4.  The  original  word  rendered  ‘  more  excellent,’  signifies  also  a 
‘greater,’  fuller,  or  more  complete  sacrifice.  Cain  brought  the  meat- 
offering  alone;  Abel,  as  it  is  generally  supposed,  brought  that,  and  also 
‘  the  firstlings  of' his  fioek.’  . .  .  Cain  . .  .  seemed  to  say,  with  modern  infi¬ 
dels  and  skeptics;  ‘In  what  is  my  sacrifice  inferior  to  Abel’s  ?  Why 
should  he  he  so  bigoted,  as  to  think  God  will  accept  none,  who  do  not 
come  in  his  peculiar  way  ?  I,  being  sincere,  shall  he  as  favorably  re¬ 
ceived  with  my  sacrifice,  as  lie  with  his;  and  indeed  it  seems  more  ra¬ 
tional  to  present  the  first-fruits  of  the  earth,  than  to  slay  an  innocent 
lamb,  to  be  burned  upon  the  altar.’  (Note,  Gen.  4:3 — 5.)  Yet  God  re¬ 
jected  his  offering;  and  bis  rage  and  enmity  against  Abel,  the  accepted 
worshipper  of  God,  produced  the  same  horrid  effects,  which  similar 
principles  have  in  every  age  been  producing,  in  cruel  persecutions  and 
multiplied  murders  of  believers,  especially  by  formalists  and  hypocrites. 
(Notes,  Gen.  4:6—15,  1  John  3:11 — ^15.)  But  God  Himself  attested, 
that  Abel  ‘  wrs  righteous’  before  Him,  and  tiiat  li is  oblations  were  ac¬ 
cepted  ;  so  that,  being  murdered  by  Cain,  ‘lie  still  speaketh  ’  to  us  ;  de¬ 
claring,  that  sin  cannot  he  pardoned  without  an  atonement ;  that  sinners 
can  come  to  God,  only  by  penitent  faith  in  the  great  Propitiation  ;  that 
faith  is  uniformly  connected  with  righteousness  and  upright  obedience, 
that  believers  have  their  portion  in  a  better  world,  and  not  on  eartn  ; 
that  they  must  expect  no  favor  from  proud,  self-righteous  unbelievers, 
and  that  their  blood,  shed  by  persecutors,  calls  from  the 
heaven  for  vengeance.  (Notes,  12:22 — 25.  Mat.  23:34  36.  •  •  •  1 

character  of  Abel,  Paul  had  our  Lord’s  expression  m  his  ey  e,  1 

of  righteous  Abel.”  Mat.  23:35.— Flesh  not  being  ptTmiilcdto  /u.iin, 
after  the  flood,  Abel  must  have  thought  it  unlawful  '  '  a  _  ’ 

unless  God  had  ordered  it  to  be  killed  as  a  gaenflee.  h,c  > 

(4.)  More  excellent.]  ‘More  acceptable,  as .  P™eeding ;  fro*  far  h. 
Bloomf. — So  Stuart;  who  says,  ‘Abel  made  his  g  ’ 

implication  is,  that  Cain  did  not,  and  therefore  [Aw  ofierin*] 

accepted.’  [547T^ 


A.  D.  65. 


HEBREWS,  XI. 


Examples  of  faith. 


5  By  faith  Enoch  f  was  translated 
that  he  should  not  sec  death  ;  and 
was  not  found,  because  God  had 
translated  him  :  for  before  his 
translation  lie  had  this  testimony, 
that  he  pleased  God. 

6  But  without  faith  it  is  impossi¬ 
ble  to  please  *  him :  for  he  that 
Cometh  to  God  must  believe  that  he 
is,  and  that  he  is  a  rewarder  of 
them  that  diligently  seek  him. 

7  By  faith  b  Noah,  being  warned 
of  God  of  things  not  seen  as  yet, 

1  moved  with  fear,  prepared  an  ark 
to  the  saving  of  his  house  ;  by  the 
which  he  condemned  the  world, 
and  became  heir  of  the  righteous¬ 
ness  which  is  by  faith. 

[ Practical  Observations-] 

f  tie.  5:22.24.  h  Ge.  6.14 — 22.  i  or,  being  vary. 

5  Pi.  100:2 1, 22. 

not  thought  fit  to  say  anything  here  of  the 
faitli  of  our  hist  parents;  and  yet  the  church 
of  God  lias  generally,  by  a  pious  charity, 
taken  it  for  granted  that  God  gave  them  re- 
entance  and  faith  in  the  promised  Seed ; 
ut  God  has  left  the  matter  under  some 
doubt,  as  a  warning  to  all  who  have  a  great 
trust  reposed  in  them,  that  they  do  not  prove 
unfaithful,  since  God  would  not  enrol  our 
first  parents  among  the  number  of  believers 
in  this  blessed  calendar. 

1.  The  leading  example  is  that  of  Abel. 

Observe,  (1.)  What  Abel  did  by  faith,  he 
offered  up  a  more  excellent  sacrifice,  than  Cain, 
a  more  full  and  perfect  sacrifice.  Hence 
learn,  that,  after  the  Fall,  God  opened  a 
new  way  for  men  to  return  to  Hun  in  religi¬ 
ous  worship.  God  must  he  worshipped  by 
sacrifices,  a  way  of  worship  which  carries 
iu  it  a  confession  of  sin,  and  of  the  desert 
of  sin,  and  a  profession  of  faith  in  a  Re¬ 
deemer,  who  was  to  be  a  Ransom  for  the 
Couls  of  men.  Note,  also,  From  the  beyi  li¬ 


ning,  there  has  been  a  remaikable  difference 
between  the  worshippers  ;  here  were  two 
persons,  brethren,  both  go  in  to  worship 
God,  and  yet  a  vast  difference  is  observable 
in  their  persons,  and  principles,  and  offer¬ 
ings;  Abel  a  true  believer,  Cain  a  formalist; 
Abel  actuated  by  faith,  Cain  not  ;  Abel 
brought  a  sacrifice  of  atonement,  -the  firstlings 
of  tke  flock,  acknowledging  himself  a  sinner 
who  deserved  to  die,  and  only  hoped  for 
mercy  through  the.  Great  Sacrifice  ;  Cam 
only  a  sacrifice  of  acknowledgment,  a  mere 
thank-offering,  the  fruit  of  the  ground,  which 
might,  and  perhaps  must,  have  been  offered 
in  innocency";  here  was  no  confession  of 
sin,  no  regard  to  the  Ransom;  this  was  an 
essential  defect  in  Cain’s  offering. 

(2.)  Winy;  Abel  gained  by  bis  faith;  the 
original  record  in  Gen.  4:  4.  God  had  re¬ 
spect  to  Abel,  and  to  his  offering;  first  to  his 
person  as  gracious,  (hen  to  his  offering  as 
proceeding  from  grace,  especially  from  the. 
grace,  of  faith.  In 'this  place  we  are  told, 
that  her  obtained  by  his  faith  some  special  ad¬ 
vantages;  as,  that  he  was  righteous,  a  justi¬ 
fied,  sanctified,  and  accepted  person  ;  very 
probably,  attested  by  fire  from  heaven,  kin¬ 
dling  and  consuming  his  sacrifice,  God  thus 
testifying  his  acceptance  of  his  gifts.  In  this, 
lie,  being  dead,  yet  speaker h.  He  had  the 
honor  to  leave  behind  him  an  instructive 
speaking  case ;  teaching  us,  That  fallen  mail 
has  leave  to  go  in  to  worship  God,  with 
hope  of  acceptance,  through  faith  in  the 
Messiah;  and  that  though  those  who  obtain 
this  favor  from  God,  must  expect  the  envy 
and  malice  of  the  world,  yet  God  will  not 
suffer  the  injuries  done  to  his  people  to  re¬ 
main  unpunished,  nor  their  sufferings  unre¬ 
warded.  These  tire  very  good  and  useful 
instructions,  and  yet  the  blood  of  sprinkling 
speaker h  better  things  than  that  of  Abel. 

2.  Enoch,  v.  5.  In  this  place,  and  in 
Gen.  5:  22,  &c.  we  read.  That  he  walked 
with  Gael,  was  really,  eminenlly,  actively, 
progressively,  and  perseveringly,  religious 
in  his  conformity  to  God,  communion  with 
God,  and  complacency  in  God.  That  he  was 


translated,  that  he  should  not  see  death,  nor 
any  part  of  him  be  found  on  earth;  for  God 
took  him,  soul  and  body,  into  heaven,  as  He 
will  do  those  of  the  saints  who  shall  be 
found  alive  at  iiis  second  coming.  That  be¬ 
fore  his  translation  he  had  this  testimony ,  that 
he  pleased  God.  He  had  the  evidence  of  it 
iu  his  own  conscience,  end  the  Spirit  of  God 
witnessed  with  his  spirit. 

It  is  said,v.  6.  that  without  this  faith  it  is 
impossible  to  please  God,  without  such  a  faith 
as  helps  us  to  walk  with  God,  an  active  faith; 
and  that  we  cannot  come  to  God,  unless  we 
believe  that  He  is,  and  that  He  is  a  Rcwarder 
of  those  that  diligently  seek  Him.  He  must 
believe  that  God  is,  and  that  lie  is  what  He 
is,  what  lie  has  revealed  Himself  to  be  in 
the  Scripture,  a  Being  of  infinite  perfec¬ 
tions,  subsisting  in  three  persons,  Father, 
Son,  and  Holv  Ghost.  Observe,  The  prac¬ 
tical  belief  of  the  existence  of  God,  as  re¬ 
vealed  in  the  Word,  would  be  a  powerful 
restraint  to  keep  us  from  sin,  and  a  spur  of 
constraint  to  put  us  on  all  manner  of  gospel- 
obedience.  He  is  a  Rcwarder  of  them  that 
diligently  seek  Him..  Here  observe,  By  the 
Fall  we  have  lost  God;  lost  the  divine  light, 
life,  love,  likeness,  and  communion.  God  is 
again  to  be  found  of  us  through  Christ,  the 
second  Adam.  God  has  prescribed  means  and 
ways  wherein  He  may  he  found  ;  and  they 
who  would  find  God  in  these  ways  must  seek 
Him  diligently  ;  seek  Him  early,  earnestly, 
and  perseveringly;  then  shall  they  seek  Him, 
and  find  Him,  if  they  seek  Him  with  all  their 
heart  ;  and  when  once  they  have  found  Him, 
as  their  reconciled  God,  they  will  never  re¬ 
pent  the  pains  they  have  spent  in  seeking 
Him. 

3.  Noah, n.  7.  Observe,  (1.)  The  ground 
of  Noah’s  faith, — a  warning  he  had  received 
from  God;  a  divine  revelation,  whether  by 
voice  or  vision  does  not  appear,  but  such  as 
carried  in  it  its  ow;n  evidence;  lie  was  fore¬ 
warned  of  things  not  seen  as  yet,  that  is,  of  a 
great  and  severe  judgment,  such  as  the 
world  had  never  yet  seen,  and  of  which,  in 
the  course  of  second  causes,  there  was  not 


PR  AC  T.  OBS.  V.  1 — 7.  The  wisdom  and  goodness  of  God  are  pe¬ 
culiarly  manifested,  in  the  appointment  of  ‘  faith,’  to  lie  both  the  recipi¬ 
ent  of  Christ  for  justification,  and  the  efficacious  principle  of  our  obe¬ 
dience  :  and,  in  neither  case,  will  anything  avail,  hut  that  faith  which 
gives  the  soul,  as  it  were,  an  appropriating  hold  of  1  things  hoped  for,’ 
and  an  internal  demonstration  of  1  tilings  not  seen.’ — We  know  nothing 
to  good  purpose,  concerning  the  perfections  or  works  of  God,  or'the 
eternal  state,  e.vcept  by  this  ‘  evidence  of  things  not  seen  :  ’  men’s  rea¬ 
sonings  produce  amusing  speculations  ;  but  ‘  the  sure  testimony  of  God,’ 
received  by  faith,  brings  satisfaction  to  (he  soul.  While  we  credit  his 
account  of  the  creation,  we  learn  to  adore  and  obey  the  Creator,  with 
humble,  thankful,  and  admiring  hearts  ;  which  philosophers,  in  general, 
.with  a  few  honorable  exceptions,  ancient  and  modern,  have  scarcely  sp¬ 
eared  to  do  :  and  those  few  were  led  to  do  it,  not  by  philosophy,  but  by 
elievirig  the  Word  of  God. — ijelicving  his  testimony  concern  in  a  the  fa  - 
ture  judgment  and  the  eternal  world  ;  and  even  more  than  believing, 

V.  5,  6.  lien.  5:21 — 2!.  Jude  11 — 16.  As  all  men  deserve  condem¬ 

nation  for  their  sins,  anil  even' tlielr  best  services  need  forgiveness,  no 
one  can  know,  nr  on  good  grounds  conclude,  that  God  will  reward  his 
services,  or  accept  him  in  them  •.  unless  by  receiving  liie  testimony  of 
revelation,  either  immediate,  traditional,  or’wi  itteti.  This  Enoch  donht- 
F**  did,  and  so  he  believed  in  God,  and  came  to  Him,  by  faith  in  bis 
W  ord  and  promise,  according  to  bis  appointment,  and  thus  was  accepted 
and  graciously  rewarded.  But  this  differs  widely  from  a  mere  assent  to 
a  conjecture,  or  a  conclusion  of  reason,  concerning  llio  existence  of  a 
God,  without  any  just  notions  of  his  perfections,  will,  or  worship,  and  an 
attempt  to  please  Him,  in  ways  oi  man’s  devising.  This  many  suppose 
to  be  all  1  the  faith,’  which  the  apostle  here  ’means ;  though  it  does  not 
stall  resemble  the  religion  of  any  one  person  mentioned  in  this  chap, 
except  that  of  Cain,  faith  must  have  respect  to  some  word  spoken, 
which  it  believes  ;  but  the  conjectures,  or  deductions  from  reasoning,  ill 
a  man’s  own  mind,  cannot  be  faith ,  according  to  the  common  use  of 
words,  much  less  ran  such  a  inclining  of  faith  be  tomai  in  Scripture.  It 
is  ‘the  belief  of  tlie  truth,’  of  ‘  the  word,’  and  ‘testimony  of  tied.’  (5) 
He  pleased  God.]  l’aul  here  quotes  the  Sept,  where  the"  words,  trans¬ 
lated  in  our  version,  ‘lie  walked  with  God,’  are.  twice  rendered  ‘lie 
pleased  (tod  ;  ’  as  the  same  lieb.  term  is  rendered,  in  oilier  places.  Gen. 
6:9.  17:1.  48:15.  Srpt.  The  genera!  meaning  is,  no  doubt,  the  «ume 
though  the  language  is  less  emplmticnl.  ire.pl  /isc  l.]  6.  13:16.— Gn! 
£:22,  21.  Sept.  Horn.  12:1.  Phil.  -J:  1  !t. — 1 1  is  not  said,  that  ‘he  al-r.  s 

did  those  things  which  pleased  God.’  (Note,  John  ib.Zl _ 29.)  This 

was  never  said  of  any  man,  except  the  Man  Christ  Jesus,  Scott. 

(80  ‘The  two  fundamental  truths  of  all  that  can  properly  be  called 
religion,  are  here  adverted  to,  viz.  a  belief  that  God  ovists,  and  that  He 
Is  the  moral  Governor  of  the  universe  ;  i.  e.  that  He  rewards  those  who 
nre  pious,  and,  consequently,  punishes  those  who  are  not  so.’  Stuvut. 

A  .  7.  Gen.  6: — 9:  Noah  had  fUiih,  be  verily  believed  tiie  word  God 
bad  spoken,  he  confidently  expected  that  Omnipotence  would  execute 


that  we  are  sinners  exposed  to  condemnation,  and  deserving  of  it,  ac¬ 
cording  to  the  tenor  of  his  righteous  law  ;  we  gladly  receive  t lie  truth, 
concerning  salvation  by  grace,  through  the  atoning  blood  of  the  divine 
Savior;  and  wait  on  Him  for  pardon  and  every  blessing,  as  ‘his  gift 
through  Jesus  Christ.’  Rom.  6:21 — 23.  1  John  5:11,  12. — If  we  possess 
this  ‘evidence  of  things  not  seen,’  we  shall  hear,  with  great  interest, 
tlie  warnings  of  the  oracles  of  God,  concerning  the  future  and  eternal 
misery  of  the  ungodly  ;  we  shall  reverence  the  denunciation  which  un¬ 
believers  deride,  object  to,  or  blaspheme;  we  shall  he  ‘moved  with  fear 
to  flee  from  the  wrath  to  corne ;  ’  we  shall  be  encouraged  in  hope  to 
make  Christ  our  refuge,  and  to  leave  all  other  things,  as  comparatively 
worthless,  to  seek  admission  into  this  ark.  Thus  we  shall  be  safe,  dur¬ 
ing  the  troubles  of  life,  the  terrors  of  death,  and  the  solemnities  ofjudg- 
ment,  when  ‘  the  wicked  shall  be  turned  into  hell,  oven  all  the  people 
that  forget  God.’  Scorr. 


the  sentence,  denounced  by  infinite  justice,  and  fulfil  tlie  word  of  unfail¬ 
ing  veracity  :  lie  therefore  was  prepared  to  employ  any  means  of  deliv¬ 
erance,  which  the  Lord  should  see  good  to  appoint.  But  ‘he  obeyed  in 
faith;’  he  ventured  all  consequences,  and  exercised  tlie  needful  self- 
denial;  he  waited  the  Lord’s  time,  and  preached,  though  unsuccessfully, 
to  the  men  of  his  generation.  1  Pet.  3:19,  20.  2  Pet.  2:4 — 9.  He  ex¬ 
pected  safety  in  tlie  ark,  though  Omnipotence  alone  could  secure  him, 
in  a  vessel  constructed  as  it  was,  through  so  tremendous  a  deluge.  Thus 
lie  was  preserved,  and  he  preserved  his  family  also,  from  ihe  common 
destruction  of  mankind,  to  re-people  the  earth  ;  his  example  and  admo¬ 
nitions  concurred  in  ‘condemning  the  world,’  and  in  showing  the  jus¬ 
tice  of  God  in  thus  punishing  their  universal  and  incorrigible  wicked¬ 
ness.  (Notes,  Is.  51:6—10,  15—17.  Ez-  14:13—21.  Mat.  12:41,42.  Rom. 
2  25 — 29.)  By  tlie  same  faiih,  lie  relied  oil  the  promise  of  God  concern¬ 
ing  the  Messiah,  and  became  ‘heir  of  the  righteousness  of  faith,’  and  of 
eternal  salvation  through  Him.  This  may  be  shown  to  be  an  exact  rep¬ 
resentation  of  the  manner,  in  which  believers,  being  warned  by  God  to 
‘flee  from  tlie  wrath  to  come,’  are  ‘moved  with  fear,’  take  refuge  in 
Christ,  part  with  all  for  his  sake,  are  often  made  the  instruments  of  sal¬ 
vation  to  their  families  also,  ‘condemn  tlie  world,  and  become  heirs  of 
the  righteousness  of  faith.’  Phil.  3:8 — 11. — A  Jewish  writer  introduces 
Noah,  from  the  ark,  expostulating  with  those  who  were  perishing,  be¬ 
cause  excluded.  They  plead,  that  they  had  used  various  means  of  secu¬ 
ring  themselves,  in  case  the  deluge  should  come,  though  they  had  de¬ 
clined  his  invitation  to  come  into  the  ark  ;  but  he  silences  all  their  pleas 
at  once,  by  saving,  that  they  had  refused  to  avail  themselves  of  God’s 
appointed  way  of  preservation,  and  every  other  method  must  be  una¬ 
vailing.  ‘  How  shall  ye  escape,  if  ye  neglect  so  great  salvation  ?  ’  2:1 — 
4.  Mat.  2 1:36 — 41.  •  ScOTT. 

(7.)  ‘  The  things  unseen  were  the  deluge,  and  the  events  accompa¬ 

nying  it.’  Bloomf.  ‘  True  belief  is  effectual  in  the  obedient  use  of  God’s 
appointed  means  of  salvation.’  Baxter. 


Examples  of  faith. 


A.  D.  65. 


HEBREWS,  XI. 


8  By  faith  1  Abraham,  when  ho 
was  called  to  go  out  into  a  place 
which  he  should  after  receive  for 
an  inheritance,  obeyed  ;  and  he 
went  out,  not  knowing  whither  he 
went. 

9  By  faith  he  sojourned  in  the 
land  of  promise,  as  in  a  strange 
country,  k  dwelling  in  tabernacles 
with  Isaac  and  Jacob,  the  heirs 
with  him  of  the  same  promise  : 

10  For  he  looked  for  a  city  1 
which  hath  foundations,  whose 
“  builder  and  maker  is  God. 

11  Through  faith  also  Sara  n 
herself  received  strength  to  con¬ 
ceive  seed,  and  was  delivered  of  a 
child  when  she  was  past  age,  be¬ 
cause  she  judged  him  faithful  0  who 
had  promised. 

12  Therefore  sprang  there  even 
of  one,  and  him  as  good  as  dead, 
p  so  many  as  the  stars  of  the  sky  in 
multitude,  and  as  the  sand  which  is 
by  the  sea  shore  innumerable. 


Ge.  1*2:1,4 ,  &c. 
c  Ge.  13:3,18. 
18:1,9. 


1  12:22.  13:11.  o  c.  10:23. 

m  Re.  21:2,10.  p  Ge.  22:17. 
n  Ge.  21:1,2.  Ito.  4:17. 


yet  the  least  sign  ;  this  secret  warning  he 
was  to  communicate  to  the  world,  who 
would  be  sure  to  despise  both  him  and  his 
message.  God  usually  warns  sinners  before 
He  strikes  ;  and  where  his  warnings  are 
slighted,  the  blow  will  fall  the  heavier.  (2.) 
The  actings  of  Noah’s  faith,  and  the  influ¬ 
ence  it  had  both  on  his  mind  and  practice. 
It  impressed  his  soul  with  a  fear  of  God’s 
judgments.  Faith  first  influences  our  af¬ 
fections,  then  our  actions’  suitably  to  the 
matter  revealed.  His  faith  influenced  his 
practice  ;  his  fear,  excited  by  believing 
God’s  threatening,  moved  him  to  prepare 
an  ark,  notwithstanding  the  scorns  and  re¬ 
proaches  of  a  wicked  generation.  And  the 
blessed  fruits  and  rewards  of  his  faith  were, 
that  hereby  himself  and  his  house  were  saved, 
when  a  whole  world  of  sinners  were  perish¬ 
ing  about  them.  Hereby  he  also  judged 
and  condemned  the  world;  his  holy  fear  con¬ 
demned  their  security  and  vain  confidence; 
his  faith  their  unbelief;  his  obedience  their 
contempt  and  rebellion.  This  is  the  best 
way  the  people  of  God  can  take  to  condemn 
the  wicked  ;  not  by  harsh  and  censorious 
language,  but  by  a  holy  exemplary  conver¬ 
sation.  Moreover,  hereby  he  became  an  heir 
of  the  righteousness  ivhich  is  by  faith ,  was 
possessed  of  a  true  justifying  righteousness, 
was  heir  to  it;  his  right  of  inheritance  was 
through  faith  in  Christ,  as  a  member  of 
Christ,  a  child  of  God,  and  if  a  child,  then  an 
heir.  His  righteousness  was  relative,  result¬ 
ing  from  his  adoption,  through  faith  in  the 
promised  Seed.  As  ever  we  expect  to  be 
justified  and  saved  in  the  great  and  terrible 
day  of  the  Lord,  let  us  now  prepare  an  ark, 
secure  an  interest  in  Christ,  and  in  the  ark 
of  the  covenant;  and  do  it  speedily  before  the 


door  be  shut,  for  there  is  no  salvation  in  any 
other. 

4.  Abraham,  the  friend  of  God,  and  father 
of  the  faithf  ul.  The  apostle  enlarges  more 
on  the  heroic  achievements  of  Abraham’s 
faith,  than  any  other  of  the  patriarchs;  and 
in  the  midst  of  It  is  account  of  the.  faith  of 
Abraham,  he  inserts  the  story  of  Sarah’s 
faith,  whose,  daughters  those  women  are,  that 
continue  to  do  well.  Observe, 

(1.)  The  ground  of  Abraham’s  faith, — 
the  call  and  promise  of  God,  v.  8.  * 

[l.J  This,  though  a  very  trying  call,  was 
the  call  of  God,  and  therefore  a  sufficient 
ground  for  faith,  and  rule  of  obedience. 
The  manner  in  which  he  was  called,  Stephen 
relates  in  Acts  7:2.  It  was  an  effectual 
call,  by  which  he  was  converted  from  the 
idolatry  of  his  father’s  house,  Gen.  12:  1. 
The  call  was  renewed  after  his  father’s 
death  in  Charran.  Observe,  The  freeness 
of  the  grace  of  God  in  converting  sinners, 
and  how  He  appears  a  God  of  glory  in  it, 
working  a  glorious  work  in  the  soul.  He 
calls  us  not  only  to  leave  sin,  but  sinful 
company,  and  whatever  is  inconsistent  with 
our  devotedness  to  Him.  We  need  to  be 
called,  not  only  to  set  out  well,  but  to  go  on 
well.  He  will  not  have  his  people  take  up 
that  rest  anywhere  short  of  the  heavenly 
Canaan. 

[2.]  The  promise  of  God;  God  promised 
Abraham  that  t lie  place,  he  was  called  to,  he 
should  afterward  inherit  ;  after  a  while  he 
should  inherit  the  heavenly  Canaan,  and  his 
posterity  the  earthly.  Observe  here, God  calls 
his  people  to  an  inheritance,  by  his  effect¬ 
ual  cal!  making  them  children,  and  so  heirs; 
not  immediately,  but  the  promise  is  sure, 
and  shall  have  its  seasonable  accomplish¬ 
ment.  The  faith  of  parents  often  procures 
blessings  for  their  posterity. 

(2.)  The  exercise  of  Abraham’s  faith;  he 
yielded  an  implicit  regard  to  the  call  of 
God.  [1.]  He  went  out,  not  knowing  whith¬ 
er  he.  went.  He  put  himself  into  the  hand 
of  God,  subscribed  to  God’s  wisdom,  and 
submitted  to  his  will.  Implicit  faith  and 
obedience  are  due  to  God,  and  to  Him  only. 
[2.]  He.  sojourned  in  the  land  of  promise,  as 
in  a  strange  country.  This  was  an  exercise 
of  his  faith.  Observe,  Canaan  is  called  the 
land  of  promise,  because  yet  only  promised, 
not  possessed.  Abraham  lived  in  Canaan, 
not  as  an  heir  and  proprietor,  but  as  a  so¬ 
journer  only.  lie  dwelt  in  tabernacles  with 
Isaac  and  Jacob,  heirs  with  him  of  the  same 
promise,  lie  lived  there  in  an  ambulatory, 
moving  condition,  living  in  a  daily  readiness 
for  his  removal ;  and  thus  should  we  all  live 
in  this  world.  Abraham  lived  till  Isaac  was 
seventy-five  years  old,  and  Jacob  fifteen, 
and  the  promise  was  renewed  to  Isaac,  Gen. 
26:  3.  and  to  Jacob,  Gen.  28:  13.  It  is 
pleasant  to  see  parents  and  children  sojourn¬ 
ing  together  in  this  world,  as  heirs  of  the 
heavenly  inheritance. 

(3.)  The  supports  of  Abraham’s  faith, 
v.  10.  Observe  here.  The  description  given 
of  heaven  ;  it  is  a  city,  a  regular  society, 
well  established,  well  defended,  and  well 
supplied;  a  city  that  hath  foundations,  even 
l he  immutable  purposes  and  almighty  power 


V.  8 — 10.  Gen.  12: — 1 7.  It'  tliis  was  the  faith  of  Abraharn,  Isaac,  and 
Jacob,  and  this  their  expectation,  can  we  suppose  that  such  of  their  pos¬ 
terity's  ‘obtained  a  good  report  by  faith,’  did  not  believe  the  same 
truths,  and  expect  the  same  inheritance  ?  Nay,  can  we  reasonably 
doubt,  whether  tills  was  the  popular  creed,  and  hope  of  Israel,  through 
successive  generations,  to  the  time  of  Christ  ?  We  cannot,  unless  we 
can  suppose,  that  the  Biuai-covenant,  in  which  national  advantages 
were  secured  to  Israel,  on  condition  of  national  obedience,  could  ope¬ 
rate,  ns  the  tallied  waters  of  Lethe,  to  make  them  entirely  forget  all  [ire- 
coding  revelations  made  to  their  forefathers,  and  transmitted  to  them ; 
and  ail  the  obedient  confidence  their  forefathers  had  placed  in  those 
revelations.  In  fact,  there  is  not  one  age,  in  the  history  of  Israel,  from 
the  origin  of  the  nation,  to  the  termination  of  the  New  Test,  of  which 
we  have  any  remaining  records,  but,  in  these  records,  the  belief  of  a  fu¬ 
ture  state  of  just  retributions,  a  future  judgment,  and  a  state  of  supreme 
blessedness  to  the  righteous,  may  not  lie  clearly  discerned,  and  pointed 
out.  Mat.  22:23 — 33.  Horn.  4-.  Gal.  3.  Maker.]  ‘One  who  performs 
tilings  which  relate  to  the  public.’  Here  only.  Scott. 

(8.)  Not  knowing.]  ‘  This  seems  a  popular  mode  of  expression  ;  and 


of  God;  the  infinite  merits  and  mediation 
ol  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  ;  the  promises  of 
an  everlasting  covenant  ;  its  own  purity, 
and  the  perfection  of  its  inhabitants  ;  God 
contrived  it,  and  made  it,  and  is  Himself 
the  Substance  and  Felicity  of  it.  Observe 
the  due  regard  Abraham  had  to  this  heav¬ 
enly  city  ;  he  looked  for  it,  believed  there 
was  such  a  state,  waited  for  it,  and  in  the 
mean  time  conversed  in  it  by  faith;  he  had 
raised  and  rejoicing  hopes,  that,  in  God’s 
time  and  way,  he  should  be  brought  safely 
to  it.  This  influenced  his  present  conver¬ 
sation;  it  was  a  support  to  him,  and  helped 
him  patiently  to  bear  all  the  inconveniences 
of  his  sojourning  state,  and  actively  to  dis¬ 
charge  all  the  duties  of  it,  persevering  there¬ 
in  unto  the  end. 

5.  In  the  midst  of  the  story  of  Abraham, 
we  have  inserted  ari  account  of  the  faith  of 
Sarah.  Here  observe, 

( 1 .)  Tile  difficulties  of  Sarah’s  faith,  which 
were  very  great  ;  she  laughed  at  the  prom¬ 
ise,  as  impossible,  and  was  so  unbelieving 
as  to  put  Abraham  on  taking  Ifagar,  that 
lie  might  have  a  posterity,  the  thing  prom¬ 
ised  was  so  improbable  ;  when  she  was  of 
sterile  constitution  naturally,  and  now  past 
the  prolific  age.  Now  this  sin  of  her’s 
would  make  it  more  difficult  for  her  to  act 
by  faith  afterward. 

(2.)  The  actings  of  her  faith,  v.  11.  She 
received  the  promise  as  the  promise  of  God  ; 
and  being  convinced  of  that,  she  truly  judg¬ 
ed  He  both  could  and  would  perform  it, 
how  impossible  soever  it  might  seem  to  rea¬ 
son  ;  for  the  faithfulness  of  God  will  not 
suffer  Iiim  to  deceive  his  people. 

(3.)  The  fruits  and  rewards  of  her  faith. 
She  received  strength  to  conceive  seed.  The 
strength  of  nature,  as  well  as  grace,  is  from 
God;  He  can  make  the  barren  fruitful.  She 
tvas  delivered,  of  a  child,  a  child  of  the  prom¬ 
ise,  the  comfort  of  his  parents,  and  the  hope 
of  future  ages.  From  them,  by  this  son, 
sprang  a  numerous  progeny  of  illustrious 
persons,  as  the  stars  of  the  sky,  v.  12.  a 
great,  powerful, and  renowned  nation,  above 
all  the  rest  in  the  world  ;  and  a  nation  of 
saints,  the  peculiar  church  and  people  of 
God  ;  and,  which  was  the  highest  honor  and 
reward  of  all,  of  these,  according  to  the  flesh, 
the  Messiah  came,  who  is  over  all,  God  blessed 
for  evermore. 

6.  The  apostle  proceeds  to  make  mention 
of  the  faith  of  the  other  patriarchs,  Isaac 
and  Jacob,  and  the  rest  of  this  happy  family, 
v.  13.  Where  observe, 

(1.)  The  trial  of  their  faith  in  the  imper¬ 
fection  of  their  present  state.  They  had  not 
received  the  promises,  that  is,  the  things 
promised;  they  had  not  yet  been  put  into 
possession  of  Canaan,  had  not  yet  seen  their 
numerous  issue;  had  not  seen  Christ  in  the 
flesh.  Observe,  All  w  ho  are  interested  in  the 
promises,  do  not  presently  receive  the  tilings 
promised.  One' imperfection  of  the  present 
state  cf  tl'.e  saints  on  earth,  is,  that  their 
happiness  lies  more  in  promise  and  reversion, 
than  in  actual  enjoyment  and  possession. 

(2.)  The  actings  of  their  faith  during  this 
imperfect  state  of  things.  Though  they  had 
not  received  the  promises,  yet,  they  saw 

Abraham  probably  was  by  no  means  ignorant  of  the  country,  or  its 
productions;  bat  went  without  knowing  whither  he  was  going,  as  not 
knowing  where  it  would  please  God  he  should  settle  in  the  land.’  Bl. 
(9.)  With  Isaac  and  Jacob.]  ‘Bather  as,  &c.’  Id. 

V.  11,  12.  This  principally  refers  to  the  descendants  of  Abraham  by 
Isaac  and  Jacob;  but  those,  descended  from  him  by  Ishmael,  and  the 
sons  of  Keturah,  and  from  Isaac  by  Esau,  render  the  fulfilment  of  the 
promises  to  him.  in  this  respect,  still  more  surprising.  Gen.  12:1—3.  15: 
5,  G.  17:15—21.  1 3:9 — K5.  21:1—7.  22:1G— 18.  25:1—4.  36:  /s  51:1-3. 
£z.  33:24 — 29.  Ham.  4.18 — 22.  •  ScoTT. 

(11.)  Through  faith,  &c.]  ‘The  first  annunciation  that  a  child 
would  spring  from  them,  [Abraham  and  Sarah,]  occasioned,  both  in  his 
and  her  mind,  a  feeling  of  incongruity,  of  impossibility,  that  the  course 
of  nature  should  be  so  reversed.  [See  Gen.  18:10 — 15.  comparing  17:17.  j 
Subsequent  consideration  brought  both  to  a  full  belief  in  the  reality  ot 
the  promised,  future  blessing.  The  history  of  this  is  not  expressly  given 
in  Genesis,  with  respect  to  Sarah  ;  but  it  is  implied.’  .• 

(12.)  As  good  as  dead.]  ‘  Head,  as  to  these  tilings  ;  i.  &  m  to  having 
children.’ 


A.  D.  G5. 


HEBREWS,  XI. 


Examples  of  faith. 


13  These  all  died  •>  in  faith,  not 
having  received  the  promises,  hut 
having  seen  them  afar  off,  and 
were  persuaded  of  them ,  and  em¬ 
braced  them,  and  r  confessed  that 
they  were  strangers  and  pilgrims 
on  the  earth. 

14  For  they  that  say  such  things, 
declare  plainly  that  they  seek  a 
country. 

15  And  truly,  if  they  had  been 
mindful  of  that  country  from  whence 
they  came  out,  they  might  have 
had  opportunity  to  have  returned  : 

16  But  now  they  desire  a  better 
country,  that  is,  an  heavenly  : 
wherefore  God  is  not  ashamed  to 
be  called  their  s  God  ;  for  he  hath 
prepared  for  them  a  ‘city. 

17  By  faith  Abraham,  when  "he 
was  tried,  offered  up  Isaac:  and 
he  that  had  received  the  promises 
offered  up  his  only-begotten  son, 

18  v  Of  whom  it  was  said,  w  That 
in  Isaac  shall  thy  seed  be  called  : 

19  Accounting  that  God  was  able 
to  raise  him  up^  even  from  the  dead; 
from  whence  also  he  received  him 
in  a  figure. 

[Practical  Observations.] 

q  arc  or  ding  to.  s  Ex.  3:6,15.  Ja.  2:21. 

r  ICh.  29;I5.  t  ver.  10.  v  or,  To. 

1  Pe.  2:N .  u  Ge.  22:1,  &c.  w  Ge.  21:12. 

them  afar  off,  John  S.  56.  they  were  per¬ 
suaded  they  were  true,  aiid  should  be  fulfil¬ 
led  ;  they  embraced  them  ;  their  faith  was  a 
faitli  of  consent.  They  confessed  they  were 
strangers  and  pilgrims  on  earth.  Observe, 
Saints  are  as  strangers,  whose  home  is 
heaven  ;  as  pilgrims,  travelling  toward  their 
home,  though  often  meanly  and  slowly. 
This  their  condition  they  were  not  ashamed 
to  own;  their  lives  confessed  they  expected 
little  from  the  world,  cared  not  to  engage 
much  in  it,  endeavored  to  lay  aside  every 
weight,  to  gird  up  the  loins  of  their  minds, 
to  mind  their  way,  to  keep  company  and 
pace  with  their  fellow-travellers,  looking  for 
difficulties,  and  bearing  them,  and  longing  to 
get  home.  Hereby  they  declared  plainly  that 
they  sought  another  country,  v.  14.  heaven, 
their  own  country.  For  their  spiritual  birth 
is  from  thence,  there  are  their  best  relations, 
and  there  is  their  inheritance.  Thev  gave 
full  proof  of  their  sincerity  in  making  such  a 
confession.  For,  they  were  not  mindful  of 
that  country  from  whence  they  came,  v.  15. 
did  not  regret  they  had  left  it,  and  had  no 
desire  to  return  to  it.  Note,  Those  that  are 
once  effectually  and  savingly  called  out  of  a 
sinful  state,  have  no  mind  to  return  into  it 
again;  they  now  know  better  things.  They 
did  not  take  the  opportunity  that  offered  for 
their  return;  they  might  have  had  opportu¬ 


nity  ;  they  had  time  enough,  had  natural 
strength,  and  knew  the  way  ;  those  with 
whom  they  sojourned  would  have  been  will¬ 
ing  to  part  with  them;  they  had  sufficient  to 
bear  the  charges  of  their  journey ;  but  they 
steadfastly  adhered  to  God  and  duty  under 
all  discouragements,  and  against  all  tempta¬ 
tions  to  revolt  from  Him.  So  should  we  all 
do.  We  shall  not  want  opportunities  to  re¬ 
volt  from  God;  but  we  must  show  the  truth 
of  our  faith  and  profession  by  a  steady  ad¬ 
herence  to  Him  to  the  end  of  our  days. 
ThSir  sincerity  appeared,  not  only  in  not 
returning  to  their  former  country,  but  in  de¬ 
siring  a  better  country,  that  is,  a  heavenly. 
Observe,  here :  The  heavenly  country  is  bet¬ 
ter  than  any  on  earth,  and  all  true  believers 
desire  it.  They  died  in  the  faith  of  those 
promises  ;  not  only  lived  by  the  faith  of 
them,  but  died  in  the  full  persuasion  that  all 
the  promises  should  be  fulfilled  to  them  and 
theirs,  v.  13.  That  faith  held  out  to  the 
last.  These  were  the  actings  of  their  faith. 
Now  observe, 

(3.)  The  gracious  and  great  reward  of 
their  faith,  v.  16.  Note,  God  is  the  God  of 
all  true  believers  ;  faitli  gives  them  an  in¬ 
terest  in  God,  and  in  all  his  fulness.  He  is 
called  their  God:  He  calls  Himself  so  ;  gives 
them  leave  to  call  Him  so  ;  and  the  spirit 
of  adoption,  to  enable  them  to  cry  Abba 
Father.  Notwithstanding  their  meanness 
by  nature,  vileness  by  sin,  and  the  poverty 
of  their  outward  condition,  God  is  not 
ashamed  to  be  called  their  God  ;  such  is  his 
condescension,  such  is  his  love  to  them  ; 
therefore  let  them  never  be  ashamed  of  be¬ 
ing  called  his  people,  nor  of  any  that  are 
truly  so:  above  all,  let  them  not  he  a  shame 
and  reproach  to  their  God,  and  so  provoke 
Him  to  be  ashamed  of  them.  For,  as  a 
proof  of  his  love.  He  has  prepared  for  them 
a  city,  a  happiness  suitable  to  the  relation 
into  which  lie  has  taken  them;  and  it  shall 
never  be  said,  to  the  reproach  and  dishonor 
of  God,  that  He  has  adopted  a  people  to  be 
his  own  children,  and  then  taken  no  care  to 
make  a  suitable  provision  for  them.  The 
consideration  of  this  should  inflame  the  af¬ 
fections,  enlarge  the  desires,  and  excite  the 
diligent  endeavors,  of  the  people  of  God, 
after  this  city  that  He  has  prepared  for 
them. 

7.  The  apostle  having  given  this  account 
of  the  faith  of  others,  with  Abraham,  re¬ 
turns  to  him  again,  and  gives  us  an  instance 
of  the  greatest  trial  and  act  of  faith  record¬ 
ed,  either  in  the  story  of  the  father  of  the 
faithful,  or  of  any  of  his  spiritual  seed, 
v.  17.  In  this,  observe, 

(I.)  The  trial  and  exercise  of  Abraham’s 
faith  ;  he  was  tried  indeed.  It  is  said, 
Gen.  22:1.  God  in  this  tempted  Abraham  ; 
not  to  sin,  for  so  God  tempteth  no  man,  but 
only  tried  his  faith  and  obedience  to  pur¬ 
pose.  God  had  before  tried  him  in  many 
other  instances,  but  this  trial  was  greater 
than  till;  he  was  commanded  to  offer  up  his 
son  Isaac.  Read  the  account  of  it,  Gen. 


22:  2.  There  you  will  find  every  word  was 
atrial;  ‘  Take  now  thy  son,  &c.’  A  greater 
trial  was  never  put  on  any  creature.  The 
apostle  here  mentions  some  tilings  that  very 
much  added  to  the  greatness  of  this  trial. 

[1.]  He  was  put  on  it  after  he  had  re¬ 
ceived  the  promises,  that  this  Isaac  should 
build  up  his  family,  that  in  him  his  seed 
should  be  called,  v.  18.  and  in  him,  as  one 
of  the  progenitors  of  the  Messiah,  till  na¬ 
tions  be  blessed;  so  that  in  being  called  to 
offer  up  his  Isaac,  he  seemed  to  be  called  to 
destroy  and  cut  off  his  own  family,  to  can¬ 
cel  the  promises  of  God,  to  prevent  the 
coining  of  Christ,  to  destroy  the  whole 
world,  to  sacrifice  his  own  soul  and  his 
hopes  of  salvation,  and  to  cut  oil'  the  church 
of  God  at  one  blow  ;  a  most  terrible  trial ! 

[2.]  That  this  Isaac  was  his  only  begot¬ 
ten  son  by  his  wife  Sarah,  the  only  one  he 
was  to  have  by  her,  and  the  only  one  that 
was  to  be  the  child  and  heir  of  the  promise. 
Either  the  promises  of  a  posterity,  and  of 
the  Messiah,  must  he  fulfilled  by  means  of 
tliis  son,  or  not  at  all  ;  so  that,  beside  his 
most  tender  affection  to  this  his  son,  all  his 
expectations  were  bound  tip  in  him,  and, 
if  he  perished,  must  perish  with  him.  If 
Abraham  had  ever  so  many  sons,  this  was 
the  only  son  who  could  convey  to  all  nations 
the  promised  blessing  ;  a  son  for  whom  he 
waited  so  long,  received  in  so  extraordinary 
a  manner,  on  whom  his  heart  was  set,  to 
have  this  son  offered  up  as  a  sacrifice,  and 
that  by  his  own  hand  ;  it  was  a  trial  that 
would  have  overset  the  firmest  and  the 
strongest  mind  that  ever  informed  a  human 
body. 

(2.)  The  actings  of  Abraham’s  faith  in 
so  great  a  trial  ;  he  obeyed  ;  lie  offered  up 
Isaac  ;  he  intentionally  gave  him  up  by  his 
submissive  soul  to  God,  and  vvas  ready  to 
have  done  it  actually,  according  to  the  com¬ 
mand  of  God ;  he  went  as  far  in  it  as  to  the 
very  critical  moment,  and  would  have  gone 
through  with  it  if  God  had  not  prevented 
him.  Nothing  could  be  more  tender  and 
moving  than  those  words  of  Isaac,  My 
father,  here,  is  the  wood,  here  is  the  fire.  }  but 
where  is  the  lamb  for  the  burnt-offering  ?  little 
thinking  th.it  he  was  to  be  the  lamb  ;  but 
Abraham  knew  it,  and  yet  he  went  on  with 
the  great  design. 

(3.)  The  supports  of  his  faith;  they  must 
be  very  great,  suitable  to  the  greatness  of 
the  trial;  lie  accounted  that  God  was-able  to 
raise  him  from  the  dead,  v.  19.  His  faith 
was  supported  by  the  sense  he  had  of  the 
mighty  power  of  God,  w  ho  was  able  to  raise 
the  dead  ;  he  reasoned  thus  with  himself, 
and  so  he  resolved  all  his  doubts.  Il  does 
not  appear  that  he  had  any  expectation  of 
being  countermanded  ;  the  expectation  of 
that  would  have  spoiled  the  trial,  and  conse¬ 
quently  the  triumph,  of  his  faith  ;  but  he 
knew  God  was  able  to  raise  him  from  the 
dead  ;  and  he  believed  God  would  do  so, 
since  such  great  things  depended  on  his  son, 
which  must  have  failed  if  Isaac  had  not  a 


TRACT.  OHS.  V.  R — 19.  That  is  not  justifying  faith,  which  does 
not  obey  the  command,  as  well  as  rely  on  the  promise,  of  Ond.  If  in¬ 
deed  we  professed  to  seek  a  portion  in  the  world,  the  advantages  of  re¬ 
ligion  might  appear  dubious  :  hut  we  avow  ourselves  to  be  ‘strangers  ’ 
in  a  foreign  land,  and  on  oar  pilgrimage  to  our  desired  home,  where”  our 
treasure  and  our  hearts  already  are.’  If,  like  apostates,  we  were  minded 
to  ‘return  to  the  country  whence  we  came  out."  we  might  ‘  find  an  op. 
portnnity  ’  of  doing  it,  perhaps  with  some  secular  advantage;  bat  (hith 
shows  us  that  it  is  devoted  to  destruction,  with  ail  those  who  choose 
their  inheritance  in  it.  Whilst  we  live,  our  faith  must  be  repeatedly 
and  sharply  tried,  that  we  may  be  distinguished  from  mere  professors  of 
Christianity;  but  we  may  expect,  that  we  shall  be  strengthened  in  pro- 


poriion  to  the  trial ;  nor  can  we  reasonably  doubt  of  the  power  offailh, 
to  produce  the  most  unreserved  obedience,  when  we  remember,  that  by 
tliis  principle,  ‘Abraham,  when  tried,  offered  his  beloved  Isaac’  as  a 
burnt-offering  at  God’s  command  ;  and  trusted  in  Him  to  perform  ail 
those  promises,  which  his  obedience  seemed  about  for  ever  to  render 
vain,  and  their  fulfilment  impossible.  Let  ns  then  inquire  how  far  our 
faith  has  produced  similar  obedience,  when  we  have  been  called  to  acts 
of  inferior  self-denial,  or  to  make  inferior  sacrifices  to  our  duty;  and 
whether  we  have  given  up  wiiat  was  called  for,  in  an  unreserved  con¬ 
fidence  that  the  Lord  would  make  up  all  our  losses,  and  even  bless  us  by 
means  of  the  most  afflictive  dispensations.  Scott. 


V.  13 — 16.  (15)  If  they  had  been  mindful ,  &c.]  If,  weary  of  this 

wandering  life,  they  had  purposed  to  return  into  .Mesopotamia,  they 
might  have  found  an  opportunity  of  doing  it,  and  might  there  have  set¬ 
tled  among  their  relations  ;  hut  this  would  have  been  an  act  of  unbelief 
and  disobedience,  and  a  renunciation  of  the  promises.  Scott. 

( 13.)  These  all.]  ‘  Who  ?  Abraham,  Isaac,  Jacob  and  Sarah,  men¬ 
tioned  vs.  8—12.’  Sr. — Seek  a  country.]  ‘The  original  is  very  emphati- 
cal  :  it  signifies,  as  it  were,  a  native  country,  or  a  country  in  which  their 
father  dwelt,  and  is  opposed  to  that  iu  which  they  were  strangers  and 
pilgrims .’  Doddh. 

(15.)  Opportunity,  &c.]  ‘It  is  calculated,  that  there  were  full  200 

[550] 


>  ears  between  the  call  of  Abraham  and  the  death  of  Isaac  ;  during  w  liich 
there  were,  doubtless,  many  opportunities  of  return.’  Williams. 

V.  19.  Counting ,  &c.)  ‘1.  e.  he  believed,  that,  in  ease  Isaac  should 

be  actually  slain  and  consumed  ns  a  hurut-ofTering,  God  could  and 
would  raise  him  up.  from  the  dead,  so  that  the  promise  made  to  him 
would  be  fulfilled.’  S  r. — IVhence  he  received,  A-c.)  ‘  Whence,  compar¬ 

atively,  he  obtained  him,  or,  whence,  as  it  were,  he  obtained  him.  Abra¬ 
ham  believed  God  could  raise  Isaac  from  the  dead,  because  lie  had,  as  it 
were,  obtained  him  from  the  dead  ;  i.  e.  lie  was  horn  of  those  who  were 
as  good  as  dead.'  [see  v.  12.  above.)  St. — ‘  The  sacrifice  of  Isaac  by  his 
father,  was  so  evidently  typical  of  the  sacrifice  of  Christ,  that  there  can 


A.  D.  65. 


HEBREWS,  XI. 


Examples  of  faith. 


20  By  faith  Isaac  1  blessed  Jacob 
and  Esau  concerning  things  to 
come. 

“21  By  faith  Jacob,  when  he  was 
a  dying,  blessed  *  both  the  sons  of 
Joseph  ;  and  worshipped,  leaning 
1  upon  the  top  of  his  staff. 

22  By  faith  a  Joseph,  when  he 
died,  b  made  mention  of  the  depart¬ 
ing  of  the  children  of  Israel  ;  and 
gave  commandment  concerning  his 
bones 

23  By  faith  Moses,  when  he  was 
born,  was  hid  c  three  months  of  his 
parents,  because  they  saw  he  was  a 
proper  child  ;  and  they  were  not 
afraid  of  the  king’s  Commandment. 

x  Gc.  *7:27 — 40.  a  Ge.  50:24,23.  c  Ex.  2:2. 
y  Ge.  48:5 — 20.  b  or, remem bercd.  <1  Ex.  1:16,22. 
x  Ge.  47:31. 


further  life.  Observe,  God  is  able  to  raise 
the  dead,  dead  bodies,  and  dead  souls.  The 
belief  of  this  will  carry  us  through  the 
greatest  difficulties  and  trials  that  we  can 
meet  with.  It  is  our  duty  to  reason  down 
our  doubts  and  fears,  by  the  consideration 
of  the  almighty  power  of  God. 

(4.)  The  reward  of  his  faith  in  this  great 
trial,  v.  19.  he  received  his  son  from  the 
dead  in  a  figure,  in  a  parable.  lie  received 
his  son.  He  had  parted  with  him  to  God, 
and  God  gave  him  back  again.  lie  received 
him  from  the  dead,  for  he  gave  him  up  for 
dead  ;  he  was  as  a  dead  child  to  him,  and 
the  return  was  to  him  no  less  than  a  resur¬ 
rection.  This  was  a  figure  or  parable  of 
something  further,  the  sacrifice  and  resur¬ 
rection  of  Christ,  of  whom  Isaac  was  a 
type.  It  was  a  figure  and  earnest  of  the 
glorious  resurrection  of  all  true  believers, 
whose  life  is  not  lost,  but  hid  with  Christ  in 
God.  We  come  now  to  the  faith  of  other 
Old  Test,  saints,  mentioned  by  name,  and 
by  the  particular  trials  and  actings  of  their 
faith. 

V.  20 — 31.  In  this  roll  of  believers  we 
have  an  account, 

I.  Of  the  faith  of  Isaac  ;  something  of 
him  we  had  before  in  the  story  of  Abraham. 
Here  we  have  something  distinct, — that  by 
faith  he  blessed  his  two  sons,  Jacob  and 
Esau,  concerning  things  to  come.  Where, 
observe, 

1.  The  actings  of  his  faith  ;  He  blessed 
Jacob  and  Esau  concerning  things  to  come. 
He  blessed  them;  that  is,  resigned  them  up 
to  God  in  covenant,  recommended  God  and 
religion  to  them,  prayed  for  them,  and 
prophesied  concerning  them,  what  would  be 
their  condition  in  times  to  come  ;  the  ac¬ 
count  we  have  in  Gen.  27.  Observe,  Both 
Jacob  and  Esau  were  blessed  as  Isaac’s 
children  ;  wicked  children  often  fare  the 
better  in  this  world  for  their  good  parents’ 
sake ;  for  things  present  are  in  the  covenant. 
Jacob  had  the  precedency  and  the  principal 
blessing,  which  shows  that  grace  and  the 
new  birth  exalt  persons  above  their  fellows. 


and  qualify  for  the  best  blessings  ;  and  that 
it  is  owing  to  the  sovereign  free  grace  of 
God,  that  in  -the  same  family  one  is  taken 
and  another  left,  since  all  the  race  are  by 
nature  hateful  to  God  ;  that  if  one  has  his 
portion  in  this  world,  and  the  other  in  the 
better  world,  it  is  God  who  makes  the  dif¬ 
ference  ;  for  even  the  comforts  of  this  life 
are  more  and  better  than  any  deserve. 

2.  The  difficulties  Isaac’s  faith  struggled 
with.  (1.)  He  seemed  to  have  forgotten 
how  God  had  determined  the  matter  at  the 
birth  of  these  his  sons,  Gen.  25:  23.  he  was 
rather  swayed  by  natural  affection  and  gen¬ 
eral  custom,  which  gave  the  double  portion 
of  honor,  affection,  and  advantage,  to  the 
first-born.  (2  )  He  acted  in  this  matter 
with  some  reluctance,  when  he  came  to  pro¬ 
nounce  the  blessings,  Gen.  27  :  33.  and 
charged  Jacob  that  be  had  subtly  taken 
Esau’s  blessing,  v.  33,35.  But  for  all  this, 
Isaac’s  faith  recovered  itself,  and  he  ratified 
the  blessing;  I  have  blessed  him,  yea, and  he 
shall  be  blessed.  Rebecca  and  Jacob  are  not 
to  be  justified  in  the  indirect  means  they 
used  to  obtain  this  blessing,  but  God  will  be 
justified  in  overruling  even  the  sins  of  men 
to  serve  the  purposes  of  his  glory.  Now 
the  faith  of  Isaac  thus  prevailing  over  his 
unbelief,  it  has  pleased  the  God  of  Isaac  to 
pass  by  the  weakness  of  his  faith,  to  com¬ 
mend  the  sincerity  of  it,  and  record  him 
among  the  elders,  who,  through  faith,  have 
obtained  a  good  report.  We  now  go  on  to, 

II.  Jacob,  v.  21.  There  were  a  great 
many  instances  of  the  faith  of  Jacob  ;  two 
it  has  pleased  God  to  single  out,  beside 
what  has  been  already  mentioned  in  the  ac¬ 
count  of  Abraham.  Where,  observe, 

1.  The  actings  of  his  faith  here  mentioned, 
and  they  are  two.  (1.)  He  blessed  both  the 
sons  of  Joseph,  Ephraim  and  Manasseh  ;  he 
made  them  both  heads  of  different  tribes,  as 
if  they  had  been  his  own  immediate  sons  ; 
prayed  for  them,  that  they  might  both  be 
blessed  of  God  ;  and  prophesied  that  they 
should  be  blessed  ;  but  as  Isaac  before,  so 
now  Jacob  prefers  the  younger,  and  this  by 
divine  direction,  to  show  that  the  Gentile 
church,  the  younger,  should  have  a  more 
abundant  blessing  than  the  Jewish,  the  el¬ 
der.  (2.)  He  worshipped,  leaning  on  his 
staff ;  that  is,  he  praised  God  for  vvliat  He 
had  done  for  him,  and  fur  the  prospect  he 
had  of  approaching  blessedness  ;  and  he 
prayed  for  those  he  was  leaving  behind  him, 
that  religion  might  live  in  his  family  when 
he  was  gone.  He  did  this,  leaning  on  the 
top  of  his  staff  J  intimating  to  us,  his  great 
natural  weakness,  and  yet,  that  he  would 
not  make  this  an  excuse  for  neglecting  the 
worshipping  of  God  ;  he  showed  thereby 
his  dependence  on  God,  and  testified  his 
condition  here  as  a  pilgrim  with  his  staff, 
and  his  weariness  of  the  world,  and  willing¬ 
ness  to  be  at  rest. 

2.  The  time  and  season  when  Jacob  thus 
acted  his  faith  :  when  he  was  dying.  Ob¬ 
serve,  Though  the  grace  of  faith  is  of  uni¬ 
versal  use  throughout  our  whole  lives,  yet  it 
is  especially  so  wdten  we  come  to  die.  The 
best  way  in  which  parents  can  finish  their 


course,  is,  blessing  their  families  and  wor¬ 
shipping  their  God.  We  are  now  come  to, 

HI.  Joseph,  v.  22.  And  here,  also,  we 
consider,  What  he  did  by  his  faith  ;  he 
made  mention  of  the,  departing  of  the  children 
of  Israel,  and  gave  commandment  concerning 
his  bones.  The  passage  is  from  Gen.  50: 
24,  25.  Joseph  was  eminent  for  his  faith, 
though  he  had  not  enjoyed  the  helps  for  it 
his  brethren  had  ;  and  this  was  evinced  by 
his  foretelling  of  the  departure  at  length  of 
the  children  of  Israel,  and  giving  charge 
Concerning  his  bones.  Some  of  the  Rabbies 
fancied,  that  all  the  Jews  who  were  buried 
out  of  Canaan,  must  be  conveyed  under 
ground  to  Canaan  before  they  could  rise 
again.  But  he  gave  this  order  to  testify, 
1.  That  though  he  had  lived  and  died  in 
Egypt,  yet  he  did  not  live  and  die  an  Egyp¬ 
tian,  but  an  Israelite.  2.  That  he  believed 
the  resurrection  of  the  body,  and  the  com¬ 
munion  that  his  soul  should  presently  have 
with  departed  saints,  as  his  body  had  with 
their  dead  bodies.  3.  To  assure  them  that 
God  would  be  with  them  in  Egypt,  and  de¬ 
liver  them  out  of  it  in  his  own  time  and 
way.  Observe,  When  it  was  that  Joseph’s 
faith  acted  after  this  manner;  i.  e.  as  in  the 
case  of  Jacob,  when  dying.  God  often  gives 
his  people  living  comforts  in  dying  moments. 
We  go  on  now  to, 

IV.  The  parents  of  Moses,  cited  from 
Ex.  2:  3,  &c.  Where,  observe, 

1.  Tlte  acting  of  their  faith  ;  they  hid 
this  their  son  three  months.  Though  the 
mother,  only,  is  mentioned  in  the  history, 
yet  by  what  is  here  said,  it  seems  his  father 
not  only  consented  to  it,  but  consulted  about 
it.  Observe,  Moses  was  persecuted  betimes, 
and  forced  to  be  concealed  ;  in  this  he  was 
a  type  of  Christ,  who  was  persecuted  al¬ 
most  as  soon  as  He  was  born,  and  his  pa¬ 
rents  forced  to  flee  with  Him  into  Egypt  for 
his  preservation.  In  this  faith  of  Moses’ 
parents  there  was  a  mixture  of  unbelief,  but 
God  was  pleased  to  overlook  it. 

2.  The  reasons  of  their  thus  acting.  No 
doubt,  natural  affection  could  not  but  move 
them  ;  but  there  was  something  further. 
They  saiv  he  was  a  proper  child,  a  goodly 
child.  Ex.  2  :  2.  exceeding  fair,  as  in  Acts 
7:20.—; fair  to  God  ;  there  appeared  in  him 
something  uncommon  ;  the  beauty  of  the 
Lord  sat  on  him,  as  a  presage  that  lie 
was  born  to  great  things,  and  that  by  con¬ 
versing  with  God  his  face  should  shine. 
Ex.  34:29.  Sometimes,  not  always,  the 
countenance  is  the  index  of  the  mind. 

3.  The  prevalency  of  their  faith  over 
their  fear.  They  were  not  afraid  of  the 
king’s  commandment.  Ex.  1:22.  they  did 
not  so  fear  as  presently  to  give  up  their 
child  ;  they  considered  that  if  none  of  the 
males  were  preserved,  there  would  be  an 
end  and  utter  ruin  of  the  church  of  God  and 
the  true  religion,  and  that  though,  in  their 
present  state  of  servitude  and  oppression, 
one  would  praise  the  dead  rather  than  the 
living,  yet  they  believed  God  would  (ire- 
serve  his  people,  and  the  time  was  coming 
when  it  would  be  worth  while  for  an  Isra- 


bc  no  doubt  of  the  design  to  be  answered  by  this  otherwise  mysterious 
event.  On  the  very  spot  where  Christ  was  crucified,  Abraham  is  com¬ 
manded  to  slay  his  son.  It  is  needless  to  recapitulate  the  coincidences 
between  the  sacrifice  of  Isaac  and  of  Christ.  . . .  That  the  meaning  of  the 
whole  of  the  circumstances  of  this  mystical  sacrifice  of  his  son  was  re¬ 
vealed  to  Abraham;  that  he  learned  from  them,  that  the  promised  Mes¬ 
siah,  should  in  like  manner  bear  the  wood  of  the  cross,  and  die  for  man¬ 
kind  ;  and  that  Abraham,  in  obeying  the  divine  command,  rejoiced  to  see 
the  day  of  Christ,  and  that  he  then  saw  it  and  was  glad,  [John  8:56.]  is 
well  argued  by  Bp.  IVarburton.' 

Townsend’s  Old.  Test,  arr.,  in  Williams. 

V.  21.  So  the  Sept,  render  the  words  which,  in  our  version,  are  trans¬ 
lated  1  the  bed’s  head  and  the  variation  is  immaterial.  The  same  word, 
bv  changing  merely  the  vowel  points,  will  bear  either  signification. — 
‘  We  have  here  a  lively  example  of  that  substance,  (1.)  which  was  before 
commemorated.  Jacob,  dying  a  stranger  in  Egypt,  distributes  the  king¬ 
doms  of  the  Canaanites  to  his  twelve  sons,  in  no  other  manner  than  he 
would  have  done,  had  he  reigned  in  peace  at  Jerusalem.  But  how  true 
and  solid  this  “  faith,  the  substance  of  things  hoped  for,”  was,  appeared 
by  this,  that,  after  many  years,  the  whole  concern  being  committed  to 


elite  to  live.  Some  must  hazard  their  own 


the  lot,  than  which  nothing  seems  more  fortuitous,  the  event  confirmed 
Jacob’s  testament.’  Beza. — This  learned  divine  here  includes  the  bless¬ 
ing,  which  Jacob  pronounced  on  all  his  sons,  as  well  us  that  on  Joseph, 
wjlh  Manasseh  and  Ephraim.  Gen.  49.  Scott. 

(21.)  Whenheivasa  dying.]  ‘Not  in  the  act  of  dying,  as  Gen.  48:8  — 
22.  shows,  but  when  on  his  death-lied  he  blessed  both  them  [i.  e.  Jo¬ 
seph’s  sons]  and  his  12  sons;  see  Gen.  47:31.  48:2.  49:33.’  Stuart. — 
Bowed  himself,  &c.]  ‘  This  last  action  did  not  accompany  the  blessing 
of  Joseph’s  sons,  (see  Gen.  47:31.  comp.  48:1,  15,  16.)  but  was  a  sepa¬ 
rate  transaction  :  anil  it  designates,  as  it  would  seem,  the  act  of  i ror- 
ship,  or  reverence,  paid  to  God,  and  occasioned  by  the  grateful  emotions 
of  the  dying  patriarch,  on  account  of  the  promise  his  son  Joseph  had 
just  made  to  bury  him  with  his  fathers.’  St.  —  The  question  respecting 
top  of  his  staff,  the  Ileb.  of  which  in  Gen.  might,  according  to  some, 
be  rendered  head  of  his  bed.  Stuart  is  decided  upon,  in  favor  ot  under¬ 
standing  the  phrase  in  the  most  obvious  and  literal  sense,  of  an  old  man 
standing  and  leaning  over  his  staff  for  support;  than  which,  he  says, 
nothing  can  be  more  natural.  ,  ,  - 

V.  23.  Not  afraid.]  ‘ 1.  e.  not  so  intimidated  as  to  drown  the  child,  as 

commanded,  Ex.  1:22.’  W -j 


A.  D.  65. 


HEBREWS,  XI. 


Examples  of  faith. 


24  By  faith  e  Moses,  when  he 
was  come  to  years,  refused  to  be 
called  the  son  of  Pharaoh’s  daugh¬ 
ter  ; 

25  Choosing  f  rather  to  suffer  af¬ 
fliction  with  the  people  of  God, 
than  to  enjoy  the  pleasures  of  sin 
for  a  season  ; 

26  Esteeming  the  reproach  8  of 
h  Christ  greater  riches  than  the 
treasures  in  Egypt  :  for  he  had  re¬ 
spect  unto  the  recompense  1  of  the 
reward. 

27  By  faith  he  forsook  Egypt, 
not  fearing  J  the  wrath  of  the  king  : 
for  he  endured,  as  seeing  him  k  who 
is  invisible. 

28  Through  faith  he  kept  the 
1  passover,  and  the  sprinkling  of 
blood,  lest  he  that  destroyed  the 
first-born  should  touch  them. 

29  By  faith  they  passed  m  through 
the  Red  Sea  as  by  dry  land  :  which 
the  Egyptians  assaying  to  do,  were 
drowned. 

e  Ex.  2:10,11.  h  c.  13:13.  k  1  Ti.  1:17. 

f  Ps.  84:10.  i  c.  10:35.  1  Ex.  12:21,  frc. 

g  or,  for.  j  Ex.  10:28,29.  12:31.  in  Ex.  14:22,20. 

lives  to  preserve  tlieir  children,  and  they 
were  resolved  to  do  it  ;  I  hey  knew  the 
king’s  commandment  was  evil  in  itself,  con¬ 
trary  to  the  laws  of  God  and  nature,  and 
therefore  of  no  authority  or  obligation. 

Faith  is  a  great  preservative  against  the 
sinful,  slavish  fear  of  men,  as  it  sets  God 
before  the  soul,  and  shows  the  vanity  of  the 
creature,  and  its  subordination  to  the  will 
and  power  of  God.  The  apostle  next  pro¬ 
ceeds  to, 

V.  Moses  himself,  v.  24, 25,  &c.  Where, 
observe, 

1.  An  instance  of  his  faith  in  conquering 
the  world. 

(1.)  He  refused  to  be  called  the  son  of 
Pharaoh’s  daughter.  Observe,  llow  great 
his  temptation  ;  Pharaoh’s  daughter  is  said 
to  have  been  his  only  child,  and  herself 
childless  ;  and,  having  found  Moses,  and 
saved  him  as  she  did,  they  resolved  to  take 
him  as  her  son  ;  so  he  stood  fair  to  be  king 
of  Egypt,  and  might,  thereby,  hope  to  lie 
serviceable  to  Israel,  lie  owed  his  life  to 
this  princess  ;  and  to  refuse  such  kindness 

V.  21 — 28.  Refuseil,  &c.  any  longer  *  to  tie  called  the  soil  of  Plm- 
raoli’s  daughter;’  though  tradition  reports,  and  Josephus  stales,  that  he 
was  considered  as  heir  of  Hint  prosperous  kingdom. — ‘Esteeming  the 
scoffs,  cast  on  the  Israelites,  for  expecting  Iho  Christ  to  arise  from 
among  them,  in  whom  all  the  nations  of  the  earth  should  he  blessed, 
“  greater  riches  than  the  treasures  of  Egypt.”  ’  Mackn.  I Notes ,  13:9 — 
14.  1  Cor.  10:6—10.)  ‘“The  recompense  of  the  reward,”  here  men¬ 
tioned,  could  not  lie  temporal ,  for  Moses  came  not  into  the  land  of  Ca¬ 
naan;  nor  could  he  expect  any  greater  tdcssing  in  that  kind,  than  he 
might  have  had  in  Egypt.  lie  therefore  must  have  had  respect  to  some 
spiritual  and  heavenly  recompense.’  Whitby. — (21)  Come  to  years  ]  Be¬ 
come.  great.  His  authority  and  consequence  in  Egypt,  as  well  as  his 
time  of  life,  seem  intended.  Scott. 

(25.)  Pleasures  of  sin,&.  C.]  ‘  The  luxurious  and  sinfiil  pleasures  of  a 
court,  at  that  time  the  most  corrupt  in  the  world.  There  is  contained 
also  an  indirect  contrast  between  the  ever-enduring  promises  of  Cod, 
and  the  fleeting  pleasures  of  sin.’  Bi.oome. 

(2G.)  Reproach  of  Christ.]  ‘Such  contumely  as  Christ  suffered.’  So, 
Bloomf.  says,  most  commentators.  But  some,  as  Doldr.,  think  it  re¬ 
fers  to  '.he  relation  in  which  Christ  stood  to  Israel,  as  his  peculiar  peo¬ 
ple  ;  and  that  Moses  looked  forward  to  the  reward,  in  the  promise  of 
God  respecting  a  future  Savior.-Sfaarf  renders  it  reproach,  like  that  which 
Christ  suffered,  and  thinks  tile  simple  sentiment  is,  ‘Moses  renounced 
pleasure  and  wealth,  and  endured  suffering  and  reproach,  hecause  he  be¬ 
lieved  in  the  promises  God  had  made  of  future  good,  and  that  He  would 
deliver  his  people  from  the  bondage  of  Egypt.  So  Christ,  “though  rich, 
for  our  sakes  became  poor,”  in  order  to  redeem  us  from  a  bondage  worse 
than  that  of  Egypt.’ — Bloom/,  remarks,  on  choosing  rather,  Ac.,  v.  25. 
that  ‘it  places  in  strong  point  of  view  the  merit  of  the  sacrifice  [i.  e.  made 
by  Moses]:  for  by  renouncing  the  adoption,  he  ceased  to  he  an  Egyptian, 
and  to  have  the  privileges  thereof;  and  became  an  sraelite,  and  was 
exposed  to  a  participation  in  the  oppressions  of  his  countrymen. ’  Doddr. 
also  remarks,  respecting  the  recompense  of  reward  here,  v.  26.  1  that  it 
could  not  have  been  temporal  grandeur,  which  he  might  have  had,  with 
much  greater  security  ami  advantage,  in  Egypt;  nor  the  possession  of 
Canaan,  which  he  never  saw  ;  but  that  it  must,  therefore,  have  been  the 
eternal  inheritance,  discovered  to  him  by  the  principle  here  [in  this  ch  ] 
so  largely  described  and  recommended.’  Ed. 

[552] 


enjoyments  ;  to  despise  the  world,  when 
most  capable  of  relishing  and  enjoying  it. 

3.  What  supported  and  strengthened 
Moses’  faith  to  that  degree  ;  respect  to  the 
recompense  of  reward,  that  is,  say  some,  the 
deliverance  out  of  Egypt  ;  hut  doubtless  it 
means  much  more, — the  glorious  reward  of 
faith  and  fidelity  in  the  other  world.  Ob¬ 
serve,  here,  Heaven  is  a  great  reward,  a 
reward  suitable  to  the  price  paid  for  it,— 
the  blood  of  Christ;  suitable  to  the  perfec¬ 
tions  of  God,  and  fully  answering  to  all  Ins 
promises.  It  is  a  recompense  of  reward,  be¬ 
cause  given  by  a  righteous  Judge,  for  the 
righteousness  of  Christ,  to  righteous  persons, 
according  to  the  righteous  rule  of  the  cove- 
nant  of  grace.  Believers  may,  and  ought 
to  have,  respect  to  this  recompense  of  reward; 
tliey  should  acquaint  themselves  with  it, ap¬ 
prove  of  it,  and  live  in  the  daily  and  de¬ 
lightful  expectation  of  it.  Thus  it  will 
prove  a  landmark  to  direct  their  course  ; 
a  loadstone  to  draw  their  hearts  ;  a  sword 
to  conquer  their  enemies;  a  spur  to  quicken 
them  to  duty;  and  a  cordial  to  refresh  them 
under  ail  the  difficulties  of  doing  and  suffer¬ 
ing  work. 

4,  We  have  another  instance  of  Moses’ 
faith,  and  that  in  forsaking  Egypt,  v.  27 
Twice  Moses  forsook  Egypt;  (1.)  As  a  sup¬ 
posed  criminal,  when  the  king’s  wrath  was 
incensed  against  him  for  killing  the  Egyp¬ 
tian;  where  it  is  said,  he  feared,  Ex.  2:  14, 
15.  not  with  a  fear  of  despondency,  but  of 
discretion  to  save  his  life.  (2.)  As  a  com¬ 
mander  and  ruler  in  Jeshurun,  after  God  had 
employed  him  to  humble  Pharaoh, and  make 
him  willing  to  let  Israel  go.  Observe,  here, 

[1.]  The  product  of  his  faith  ;  He.  forsook 
Egypt,  and  all  its  power  and  pleasures,  and 
undertook  the  conduct  of  Israel  out  of  it. 

[2.]  The  prevalency  of  his  faith.  It  rais¬ 
ed  him  above  the  fear  of  the  king’s  wrath, 
though  he  knew  that  it  was  great,  and  lev¬ 
elled  at  him  in  particular  ;  he  was  not  dis¬ 
mayed,  and  said  to  Israel,  Fear  not,  Ex.  14: 
13." 

[3.]  The  principle  on  which  his  faith  act¬ 
ed  in  these  his  motions  ;  seeing  the  invisible 
God.  Observe,  The  God  with  whom  we 
have  to  do  is  an  invisible  God;  yet  by  faith 
we  may  see  Him,  lie  fully  assured  of  his  ex¬ 
istence,  of  his  providence,  and  of  his  gracious 
and  powerful  presence  with  us  ;  and  such  a 
sight  of  God  will  enable  believers  to  endure 
to  the  end,  whatever  they  may  meet  with  in 
the  way. 

V.  27.  Moses  evidently  ‘  feared,’  when  lie  forsook  Egypt  the  first 
time;  (JYole,  Ex.  2:13 — 15.)  but  this  relates  to  his  leaving  that  kingdom 
tlie  second  time,  when  he  led  forth  the  tribes  of  Israel.  He  was  then 
strengthened  in  faith,  to  disregard  the  wrath  and  power  of  king  Pharaoh  ; 
he  denounced  the  death  of  the  first-born,  left  the  tyrant’s  presence,  as 
one  w  ho  hade  defiance  to  his  menaces,  and  marched  out  of  Egypt  with 
great  intrepidity;  though  he  was  fully  aware,  that  Pharaoh,  with  his 
army,  would  pursue  him.  And  when  that  actually  took  place,  he  bold¬ 
ly  said  to  the  affrighted  Israelites,  ‘  Fear  not,  stand  still,  and  see  the  sal 
vation  of  the  Lord.  — The  Lord  shall  fight  for  yon,  and  \e  shall  hold 
your  peace.’  Ex.  9:13—18,  33.  10:16,17,  29.  11:4—8.  12:29—39.  LLl- 
lJ.  Scott. 

V.  28.  By  the  same  efficacious  faith,  Moses  foresaw  the  destruction 
of  the  first-horn  in  Egypt,  and  expected  the  exemption  of  Israel  from 
that  calamity,  in  the  way  which  the  Lord  prescribed  unto  him.  He 
therefore  influenced  the  people  to  keep  the  Passover,  with  ‘Hie  sprink¬ 
ling  of  the  blood  ’  oil  the  door-posts,  and  the  other  significant  cere¬ 
monies  ;  lest  the  destroying  angel  should  enter  their  houses  also.  In 
this  manner  they  were  preserved,  and  this  made  way  for  their  deliverance 
out  of  bondage.  Id. 

V.  29.  Moses,  Aaron,  Joshua,  Caleb,  and  others,  truly  believed  ;  and 
the  rest  of  the  nation,  by  ihe  exhortations  of  Moses,  were  excited  to  a 
confidence  in  Jehovah’s  power  and  favor,  for  present  deliverance  from 
Pharaoh.  But  it  was  chiefly  by  the  faith  of  Moses,  tlieir  leader,  that 
the  Israelites  passed  safely  through  the  Red  Sea;  even  as  Noah’s  family 
were  preserved  in  the  ark  by  means  of  his  faith  ;  though  it  does  not  ap¬ 
pear  that  they  were  all  true  believers.  In. 

(29.)  By  faith,  Ac.]  ‘  Not  that  every  individual  of  the  Israelites  pos¬ 
sessed  such  a  confidence  as  is  here  described  ;  hut  tlieir  leaders  had  it,  and 
(as  in  other  cases,  of  a  similar  nature)  it  is  predicted  of  the  nation.’  St. 
—  Red  Sea.]  ‘  The  appellation,  Red  Sen,  is  founded  in  a  vulgar  error,  and 
rather  arose  from  its  proper  name,  Mare  Erythreetin,  which,  th§  com¬ 
mentators  say,  was  derived  from  king  Erythras,  undoubtedly  the  same 
with  Esau  or  Edom,  who  was  a  red  man.  So  Grot,  and  otlicrs.  It  is 
called  by  Moses,  Ex.  15:22.  the  weedy  sea.  And  such,  the  accounts  of 
modern  tourists,  as  Niebuhr  and  others  (see  Harmer),  testify  it  to  be. 
l!ul  whether  these  weeds  give  a  color  to  it  so  as  to  originate  the  name, 
Red  Sea,  is,  I  think,  very  doubtful.’  Bloom?. 


from  her,  would  look  not  only  like  ingrati¬ 
tude  to  her,  but  a  neglect  of  Providence,  that 
seemed  to  intend  his  advancement  and  his 
brethren’s  advantage.  How  glorious  the 
triumph  of  his  faith  in  so  great  a  trial  !  He 
refused,  Sic.  lest  lie  should  undervalue  the 
truer  honor  of  being  a  son  of  Abraham,  the 
father  of  the  faithful  ;  he  refused,  lest  it 
should  look  like  renouncing  his  religion,  as 
well  as  his  relation  to  Israel  ;  and  no  doubt 
both  lie  must  have  done,  Imd  he  accepted 
this  honor;  he  therefore  nobly  refuses  it. 

(2.)  He  chose,  rather  to  suffer  affliction  with 
the  people,  of  God,  than  to  enjoy  the  pleasures 
of  sin  for  a  season,  v.  25.  He  was  willing 
to  take  iiis  lot  with  the  people  of  God  here, 
though  a  suffering  lot,  that  he  might  have 
his  portion  with  them  hereafter,  rather  than 
to  enjoy  all  the  sensual,  sinful  pleasures  of 
Pharaoh’s  court,  which  would  be  blit  for  a 
season,  and  then  punished  with  everlasting 
misery.  Herein  he  acted  rationally  as  well 
as  religiously,  and  conquered  the  temptation 
to  worldly  pleasure,  as  he  had  done  before  to- 
worldly  preferment.  Here,  observe,  The 
pleasures  of  sin  are,  and  will  he,  but  short; 
and  a  true  believer  will  despise  them.  Suf¬ 
fering  is  to  be  chosen  rather  than  sin;  there 
being  more  evil  in  the  least  sin  than  there 
can  be  in  the  greatest  .suffering. 

(3.)  lie  esteemed  the  reproaches  of  Christ 
greater  riches  than  the  treasures  of  Egypt, 
v.  26.  See  how  Moses  weighed  matters  ; 
in  one  scale  he  put  the  worst  of  religion, — 
the  reproaches  of  Christ  ;  in  the  other,  the 
best  of  the  world, — the  treasures  of  Egypt  ; 
and  in  his  judgment,  directed  by  faith,  the 
worst  of  religion  weighed  down  the  best  of 
the  world.  Now  here,  Moses  conquered  the 
riches  of  the  world,  as  before  lie  had  con¬ 
quered  its  honors  and  pleasures. 

2.  The  circumstance  of  time  is  noticed, 
when  Moses  by  his  faith  gained  this  victory 
over  the  world,  in  all  its  honors,  pleasures, 
and  treasures  ;  when  he  was  come  to  years, 
v.  24.  not  only  to  years  of  discretion,  hut  of 
experience,  to  the  age  of  forty  years;  when 
he  was  great,  or  come  to  maturity.  Some 
would  take  this  as  an  extenuation  of  his 
victory,  that  he  did  not  make  this  choice 
sooner  ;  but  it  is  rather  an  enhancement  of 
the  honor  of  it,  that  he  made  the  choice 
when  he  was  grown  ripe  for  judgment  and 
enjoyment.  It  was  not  the  act  of  a  child, 
but  proceeded  from  mature  deliberation.  It 
is  an  excellent  thing  to  be  seriously  religious, 
when  in  the  midst  of  worldly  business  and 


A.  D.  65. 


HEBREWS,  XI. 


Summary  of  Old  Testament  believers. 


30  By  faith  the  walls  of  Jericho 
“fell  down,  after  they  were  com¬ 
passed  about  seven  days. 

31  By  faith  the  harlot  Rahab 
°  perished  not  with  thein  that  p  be¬ 
lieved  not,  when  she  had  received 
the  spies  i  with  peace. 

[Practical  Observation!!.] 

32  And  what  shall  \  more  say  ? 
for  the  time  would  fail  me  to  tell  of 
r  Gedeon,  and  of  5  Baralt,  and  of 
*  Samson,  and  of  u  Jephthae  ;  of 
v  D  avid  also,  and  w  Samuel,  and  of 
the  prophets  : 

33  Who  through  faith  subdued 
kingdoms,  wrought  righteousness, 
obtained  *  promises,  stopped  the 
mouths  of  1  lions, 

34  Quenched  the  violence  of  z 
fire,  escaped  3  the  edge  of  the 
sword,  out  of  weakness  were  made 
strong,  waxed  valiant  in  fight,  turn¬ 
ed  to  (light  the  armies  of  the  aliens. 

n  Jos.  6:12 — 20.  r  Ju.  c.  6  and  7.  x  Ga.  3:16. 

o  Joa.  6:23.  s  Ju.  4:6,  Sic.  y  Da.  6:22. 

Ja.  2:25.  t  Ju.  c.15  and  16.  z  Da.  3:(t5. 

jj  or,  were  disole-  u  Ju.  11:32,  &c.  a  1  K.  19:3. 

dic/it.  v  1  Sr.  17:45, &c.  2  K.  6:16. 

q  Jos.  2:4,  &c.  \v  1  Sa.  7:9,  &c. 

5.  We  have  _\et  another  instance  of  the 
faith  of  Moses,  in  keeping  the  passover  and 
sprinkling  of  blood ,  v.  28.  The  account  we 
have.  Ex.  12:  13 — 23.  All  Israel  kept  this 
passover,  yet  God  delivered  the  institution 
by  Moses  ;  and  though  it  was  a  great  mys¬ 
tery,  Moses  by  faith  both  delivered  it  to  the 
people,  and  kept  it  that  night  in  the  house 
where  he  lodged.  The  passover  was  one 
of  the  most  solemn  institutions  of  the  Old 
Test.,  and  a  very  significant  type  of  Christ, 
to  whom  the  accommodation  of  it  is  not 
difficult. 

VI.  The  Israelites  passing  through  the 
Red  Sea  under  the  conduct  of  Moses  their 
leader,  v.  29.  The  story  we  have  Exodus, 
ch.  14.  Where  observe, 

1.  Their  preservation  and  safe  passage, 
when  there  was  no  other  way  to  escape  from 
Pharaoh  and  his  host,  who  were  closely  pur¬ 
suing  them;  in  which  their  danger  was  very 
great,  and  their  deliverance  very  glorious  : 
the  grace  of  faith  will  help  us  through  all 
the  dangers  we  meet  with  in  our  way  to 
heaven. 

2.  The  destruction  of  the  Egyptians. 


They,  presumptuously  attempting  to  follow 
Israel  through  the  Red  Sea,  being  thus 
blinded  and  hardened  to  their  ruin,  were  ail 
drowned.  Their  rashness  was  great,  and 
their  ruin  grievous.  When  God  judges,  He 
will  overcome  ;  and  it  is  plain  that  the  de¬ 
struction  of  sinners  is  of  themselves. 

VII.  The  Israelites,  under  Joshua  their 
leader,  before  the  walls  of  Jericho.  The 
story  we  have.  Josh.  6:  5.  where  observe,  1. 
The  means  prescribed  of  God  to  bring  down 
the  walls  of  Jericho,  wherein  was  a  great, 
trial  of  their  faith  :  the  method  prescribed 
seemed  very  improbable  to  answer  such  an 
end,  and  would  doubtless  expose  them  to  the 
daily  contempt  of  their  enemies;  the  ark  of 
God  would  seem  to  be  in  danger.  But  this 
was  the  way  God  commanded  them  to  lake, 
and  He  loves  to  do  great  things  by  small  and 
contemptible  means,  that  his  own  arm  may 
be  made  bare.  2.  The 'powerful  success  of 
the  prescribed  means  ;  the  walls  of  Jericho 
fell  before  them.  God  was  pleased  in  this 
extraordinary  mannc.r  to  slight  and  disman¬ 
tle  it,  in  order  to  magnify  Himself,  to  terrify 
the  Canaan ites,  to  strengthen  the  faith  of 
the  Israelites,  and  to  exclude  all  boasting. 

VJH.  Rahab,  v.  31.  Here  consider,  1. 
Who  this  Rahab  was,  a  Canaanite,  a  stran¬ 
ger  to  the  commonwealth  of  Israel,  yet  a  be¬ 
liever.  The  power  of  divine  grace  greatly 
appears,  when  it  works  without  the  usual 
means  of  grace.  She  was  a  harlot,  and  liv¬ 
ed' in  a  way  of  sin;  yet  she  believed  that  the 
greatness  of  sin,  if  truly  repented  of,  shall 
be  no  bar  to  the  pardoning  mercy  of  God. 
Christ  has  saved  the  chief  of  sinners;  where 
sin  has  abounded,  grace  has  super  abounded. 
2.  What  she  did  by  her  faith  ;  she  received 
the  spies  in  peace,  the  men  that  Joshua  had 
sent  to  spy  out  Jericho,  Josh.  2:  6,  7.  She 
not  only  bade  them  welcome,  but  concealed 
them  from  their  enemies,  and  made  a  noble 
confession  of  her  faith,  v.  9 — 11.  Learn, 
here,  true  faith  will  show  itself  in  good 
works,  especially  toward  the  people  of  God. 
It  will  venture  all  hazards  in  the  cause  of 
God  and  his  people  :  a  true  believer  will 
sooner  expose  his  own  person  than  God’s 
interest  and  people.  A  true  believer  is  de¬ 
sirous,  not  only  to  be  in  covenant  with  God, 
but  in  communion  with  the  people  of  God, 
and  is  willing  to  cast  in  his  lot  with  them, 
and  to  fare  as  they  fare.  3.  Observe  what 
Rahab  gained  by  her  faith;  she  escaped  per¬ 
ishing  with  those  that  believed  not.  Observe, 
( 1 .)  The  generality  of  her  neighbors,  friends, 
and  fellow-citizens,  perished;  man  and  beast 


were  cut  of).  (2.)  The  cause  of  the  people 
of  Jericho’s  destruction, — uijbelief;  they  be¬ 
lieved  not  that  Israel’s  Goa  was  the  true 
God,  and  that  Israel  was  the  peculiar  peo¬ 
ple  of  God,  though  they  had  evidence  suffi¬ 
cient  of  it.  (3.)  The  signal  preservation  of 
Rahab.  Joshua  gave  a  strict  charge  that 
she  should  be  spared,  and  none  but  she  and 
hers  ;  and  she  taking  care  that  the  sign,  the 
scarlet  thread,  should  be  hung  out,  her  fam¬ 
ily  were  marked  out  for  mercy,  and  perished 
not.  Singular  faith,  when  the  generality 
are  not  only  unbelievers,  but  against  believ¬ 
ers,  will  be  rewarded  with  singular  favors, 
in  times  of  common  calamity. 

V.  32 — 40.  I.  The  apostle  having  given 
a  classis  of  many  eminent  believers,  whose 
names  are  mentioned,  and  the  particular 
trials  and  acting's  of  their  faith  recorded, 
now  concludes  his  narrative  with  a  more 
summary  account  of  another  set  of  believers, 
where  the  particular  acts  are  not  ascribed 
to  particular  persons  by  name,  but  left  to  be 
applied  by  those  who  are  well  acquainted 
with  the  sdcred  story. 

In  this  summary  account  the  apostle,  1. 
Mentions  Gideon,  see  Judges  6: 11.  Sic.  an 
eminent  instrument,  raised  up  of  God  to  de¬ 
liver  his  people  from  the  oppression  of  the 
Midianites,  when  his  army  was  reduced  from 
32,000  to  300  ;  yet  by  these,  with  their  lamps 
and  pitchers,  God  put  the  whole  army  of  the 
Midianites  to  confusion  and  ruin  ;  and  the 
same  faith  that  gave  Gideon  so  much  cour¬ 
age  and  honor,  enabled  him  to  act  with  great 
meekness  and  modesty  toward  his  brethren 
afterward.  It  is  the  excellency  of  the  grace 
of  faith,  that,  while  it  helps  men  to  do  great 
things,  it  keeps  them  from  having  high  and 
great  thoughts  of  themselves. 

2.  Barak,  another  instrument  raised  up 
to  deliver  Israel  out  of  the  hand  of  Jabin, 
king  of  Canaan,  Judges  4  :  a  soldier,  yet 
he  received  his  commission  and  instructions 
from  Deborah,  a  prophetess  of  the  Lord  ;  and 
insisted  on  having  this  divine  oracle  with 
him  in  his  expedition.  He  obtained  a  great 
victory,  by  his  faith,  over  all  t lie  host  of  Si- 
sera,  and  returned  all  the  praise  and  glory 
to  God  :  this  is  the  nature  of  faith  ;  it  has 
recourse  unto  God  in  all  dangers  and  diffi¬ 
culties,  and  then  makes  grateful  returns  to 
God  for  ;dl  mercies  and  deliverances. 

3.  Samson,  another  instrument  God  rais¬ 
ed  up  to  deliver  Israel  fiom  the  Philistines, 
Judges  ch.  13,  14,  15,  and  1C.  From  his 
story  we  learn,  that  the  grace  of  faith  is  the 
strength  of  the  soul  for  great  service.  If 


PRACT.  OBS.  V.  20—81.  While  we  desire,  in  faith,  to  ‘bless  our 
children  ’  ami  worship  God  during  life,  and  at  the  approach  of  death,  and 
afterwards  to  have  our  lot  with  his  people  in  the  heavenly  Canaan  ;  and 
while  we  attend  to  every  relative  duty,  trusting  in  the  Lord,  and  ‘not 
fearing  the  wrath  ’  of  man;  let  us  particuhuly  note  the  effects  of  the 
faith  of  Moses;  and  ask  ourselves,  whether  we  have  been  influenced  to 
a  similar  judgment,  choice,  and  experience.  All  believers  are  not  called 
to  make  the  same  sacrifices,  or  to  endure  the  same  trials  ‘  for  righteous¬ 
ness’  sake;’  nor  have  all  the  same  measure  of  faith  ;  yet  without  some 
experience  and  consciousness  of  this  kind,  we  are  not  warranted  to  con- 


V.  30.  ‘  As  the  land  of  Canaan  belonged  to  the  Israelites,  by  a  grant 
from  “  God,  the  Possessor  of  heaven  and  earth,”  it  was  proper  that  the 
first  city,  which  resisted  them,  should  be  taken  in  such  a  manner,  as  to 
demonstrate  the  truth  of  their  title,— Thus  were  . .  .  all  the  Cammnites 
made  to  know  the  supremacy  and  power  of  the  God  of  Israel,  and  how 
vain  it  was  to  make  any  resistance.’  Macknight.  Scott. 

V.  31.  Doubtless  she  embraced  the  promises  concerning  the  Messiah 
and  spiritual  salvation,  in  the  same  obedient  manner,  when  she  was 
made  acquainted  with  them,  and  thus  she  was  incorporated  among  the 
Israelites,  and  became  an  ancestor  of  Christ.  —  But  the  fruits  and  the 
infirmities  of  her  faith  have  already  been  fully  considered.  Notes,  Josh. 
2:1—21.  P.  O.  Notes,  6:17—19,  22—25.  Jam.  2:25,  26.  Id. 

(31.)  Rahab.]  ‘Rahab  Is  called  a  harlot  on  account  of  her  former  wny 
of  life,  not  because  she  remained  such,  Mat.  21:31.  Therefore  she  re¬ 
ceived  and  preserved  safe  the  spies  sent  by  Joshua,  because  she  believed 
that  that  was  the  one  true  God,  who,  in  Egypt,  and  in  the  Arnbian  de¬ 
sert.  had  performed  such  wonders  for  the  Israelites,  who  were  his  wor¬ 
shippers.’  Rosenm. —  ‘  Rahab’s  falsehood  in  relation  to  the  spies,  was 
the  effect,  not  of  her  faith,  hut  of  her  sinful  dread  of  the  king’s  wrath  ; 
but  it  was  not  to  the  purpose  of  this  discourse,  to  notice  it,  any  more 
than  the  sinful  infirmities  mixed  with  the  faith  of  others,  enumerated. 
Guyse.  But  he  considers  her  faith  related  only  to  the  temporal  preser¬ 
vation  of  her  family,  though  she  afterwards  xvas  incorporated  with  the 
church  of  Israel,  and  even  then  really  believed  that  Jehovah  was  the 
only  true  God.’  Henry,  abr. — The  notion  of  Rahab’s  having  been  an  inn- 
W.  T.  VOL.  V.  70 


elude  that  we  are  of  Moses’  religion  ;  fora  common  walking-stick  more 
resembles  Aaron’s  fruitful  rod,  than  the  faith  of  many  modern  professors 
of  evangelical  truth  does  the  self-dCny  ing  faith  of  Moses  or  of  Abraham. 
But  the  subject  is  absolutely  inexhaustible-  ..  .  By  faith  we  must  impli¬ 
citly  use  every  ..mean,  however  unlikely,  which  God  prescribes  in  or¬ 
der  to  our  obtaining  the  promises;  trusting  in  Him  alone  to  render 
them  effectual ;  nor  will  any  perish  with  the  enemies  of  God,  who  be¬ 
lieve  his  Word,  and  show  it  by  love  to  his  people;  whatever  former 
crimes  they  have  committed,  or  in  w  hatever  situation  they  may  be 
found.’  Scott. 


keeper  or  hostess,  which  tl/oomf.  approves,  Stuart  rejects,  as  ‘contrary 
to  the  laws  of  (Hebrew)  etymology.’  Ed. 

V.  32 — 34.  The  eminent  persons,  here  mentioned  in  general  terms, 
are  not  placed  in  the  order  of  time  in  which  they  lived,  hut  as  they  oc¬ 
curred  to  the  apostle’s  mind  ;  and  the  whole  succession  of  the  prophets 
are  mentioned  at  once.  Yet  it  has  generally  been  supposed,  that  there 
is  a  peculiar  reference  to  the  successes  of  Judas  Maccabeus  and  his 
brethren,  against  the  forces  of  Antiochus  Epiphanes;  when  from  feeble 
beginnings  they  arrived  at  great  power,  and  defeated  all  that  persecu¬ 
tor’s  devices,  by  faith  in  the  promises  and  protection  of  the  Lord. — 
While  xve  make  a  decided  difference,  between  the  Word  of  God  and  all 
other  writings,  there  seems  no  impropriety  in  supposing  (hat  the  apostle 
had  these  events  ill  his  view,  on  this  occasion ;  as  the  historical  facts 
respecting  the  persecutions  of  Antiochus,  and  the  victories  of  the  Mac¬ 
cabees,  were  well  known  among  the  Hebrews,  and  really  formed  an  il¬ 
lustrious  example  of  the  efficacy  and  nature  of  faith.  Sscott. 

(33.)  ‘  Oh,  if  you  could  expect  enough,  believe  enough,  and  ask  enough, 

I  know  not  what  you  might  not  obtain  ;  I  know  not  w  hat  deliverances 
you  might  accomplish  ia  the  earth.  The  age  is  fast  opening  when 
the  triumphs  of  prayer  are  to  he  everywhere  displayed  us  they  never 
were  before,  to  draw  the  creation  up  to  God,  and  to  perpetuate  the  un¬ 
ion  by  the  bond  of  eternal  confidence.  When  a  nation  shall  be  born  in 
a  day,  in  answer  to  prayer,  thatslrong  language  of  a  condescending  God 
shall  be  written  on  our  banners,  ‘concerning  the  work  of  my  hands 
command  ye  Me.’  .. 


A.  D.  65. 


HEBREWS,  XI.  Summary  of  Old  Testament  believers. 


35  Women  b received  their  dead 
raised  to  life  again  :  and  others 
were  tortured,  not  accepting  'de¬ 
liverance  ;  that  they  might  obtain 
a  better  resurrection  : 

36  And  others  had  trial  of  cruel 
moekings  and  scourgings,  yea, 
moreover,  of  d bonds  and  'impris¬ 
onment  : 

37  They  were  f stoned,  they  were 
sawn  asunder,  were  tempted,  were 
slain  with  the  sword:  they  wander¬ 
ed  about  in  sheepskins  and  goat¬ 
skins  ;  being  destitute,  afflicted, 
tormented  ; 

b  1  K.  17:22  c  Ac  4:19.  e  Je.  20:2. 

ii  K.  4:35,36.  rlGe.39:.'0.  f  Ac.  7:59. 

Samson  had  not  had  a  strong  faith,  as  well 
as  a  strong  arm,  he  had  never  performed 
such  exploits. 

4.  Jephthah,  Judges  11:  before  Samson; 
raised  up  to  deliver  Israel  front  the  Ammon¬ 
ites.  In  his  story,  observe,  The  grace  of 
God  often  finds  out,  and  fastens  on,  the  most 
undeserving  and  ill-deserving  persons,  to  do 
great  things  for  them  and  hv  them.  Jeph- 
tlinli  was  the  son  of  a  harlot.  The  grace 
of  faith,  wherever  it  is,  will  put  men  otl  ac¬ 
knowledging  God  in  all  their  ways,  ch.  11: 
11.  it  will  make  them  hold  anti  venturous  in 
a  good  cause  ;  will  not  only  put  them  on 
making  their  vows  to  God;  but  paying  their 
vows  after  the  mercy  received;  yea,  though 
they  have  vowed  to  their  own  great  grief, 
hurt,  and  loss,  as  in  the  case  of  Jephthah 
and  his  daughter. 

5.  David,  that  great  man  after  God’s  otsn 
heart.  Few  over  met  with  greater  trials,  or 
discovered  a  more  livclv  laith  ;  having,  when 
young,  slain  the  lion  anl  the  bear  :  his  faith 
in  God  encouraged  him  to  encounter  the 
great  Goliath,  and  helped  him  to  triumph 
over  him.  The  same  faith  enabled  him  to 
hear  patiently  the  ungrateful  malice  of  Saul 
and  his  favorites,  anti  to  wait  till  God  should 
put  hint  into  possession  of  the  promised  po  w¬ 
er  and  dignity  :  also  it  made  him  a  very  suc¬ 
cessful  and  victorious  prince,  and,  after  a 
long  life  of  virtue  and  honor,  (though  not. 
without  some  foul  stains  of  sin,)  he  died  in 
faith,  reiving  on  the  everlasting  covenant 
God  had  made  with  him  and  his,  ordered  in 
nil  things,  and  sure  ;  an, I  he  lias  left  behind 
him  such  excellent  memoirs  of  the  trials  an  I 


acts  of  faith  in  the  book  of  Psalms,  as  will 
ever  he  of  great  esteem  and  use,  among  the 
people  of  God. 

6  Samuel,  raised  up  to  he  a  most  emi¬ 
nent  prophet  of  the  Lord  to  Israel,  as  well 
as  a  ruler  over  them.  God  revealed  Himself 
to  Samuel,  when  he  was  but  a  child,  and  con¬ 
tinued  ft)  do  so  till  his  death.  To  Samuel 
he  adds,  and  of  the  prophets ,  who  were  ex¬ 
traordinary  ministers  of  the  Old  Test,  church, 
employed  of  God  sometimes  to  denounce  judg¬ 
ment,  sometimes  to  promise  mercy,  always 
to  reprove  sin  ;  sometimes  to  foretell  remark¬ 
able  events,  known  only  to  God  ;  and  chiefly 
to  give  notice  of  the  Messiah,  his  coming, 
Person  and  offices; — for  all  of  whom  a  true 
and  strong  faith  was  very  requisite. 

II.  And  now,  having  done  naming  partic¬ 
ular  persons,  lie  proceeds  to  (ell  us  what 
things  were  done  by  their  faith  ;  some  that 
easily  apply  to  one  or  other  of  the  persons 
named  ;  but  others  not  so  easy  to  any  here 
named. 

1.  By  faith  they  subilucd  kingdoms,  v.  83. 
Thus  did  David,  Joshua,  and  many  of  the 
judges.  2.  They  wrought  riglj.teousn.css,  both 
in  their  public  and  personal  capacities  :  they 
turned  many  from  idolatry  to  the  ways  oj 
righteousness  ;  they  believed  God,  and  it  was 
imputed  to  them,  f/r  righteousness  ;  they  walk¬ 
ed.  and  acted  righteously  inward  God  and 
man.  3.  They  obtained  promises,  both  gen¬ 
eral  and  special  :  faith  gives  us  an  interest 
in  the  promises  ;  !;y  faith  we  have  the  com¬ 
fort  of  the  promises  ;  and  by  faith  we  are 
prepared  to  wait  for  the  promises,  and  in  due 
time  to  receive  them.  4.  They  stopped  the 
mouth  of  liens  ;  so  Samson,  Ju.lg.  14:5,  6. 
and  David,  1  Sam.  17:  3d,  35.  and  Daniel 
6:22.  5.  They  quenched  the  violence  of  the 

fire,  v.  34.  So  Moses,  hv  the  prayer  of  faith, 
(panicked  the  lire  of  Gael’s  wrath  kindled  against 

[trad.  Numb.  11:1,2.  So  did  the  three 
childt en,  Dan.  3:  17,27.  Refusing  to  worship 
the  golden  image,  exposed  them  to  the  fiery 
furnace  which  Nebuchadnezzar  had  prepated 
■  fot  them,  and  (heir  faith  engaged  for  (Item 
that  power  and  presence  of  God  in  the  fur¬ 
nace,  which  'pun  hid  the  violence  of  the  fire, 
so  that  not  so  much  as  the  smell  thereof  passed 
on  them.  6.  They  escaped  the.  edge  of  the 
sword, w;  David ,  of  Goliath  and  of  Saul ;  and 
Murdoeai  and  the  Jews, the  sword  of  Hainan. 
7.  Out  of  weakness  they  were  made  strong  ; 
from  national  weakness,  into  which  the  Jews 
often  f  ||  by  their  unbelief  ;  on  the  revival 
of  faith,  all  their  interest,  and  affairs  revived 


and  flourished  :  from  bodily  weakness  ;  as 
Hezekiah,  who  ascribed  his  recovery  to  the 
promise  and  power  of  God,  Isa.  38:15. 
Arid  it  is  the  same  grace  of  faith,  that  from 
spiritual  weakness  helps  men  to  recover  and 
renew  their  strength.  8.  They  grew  valiant 
in  fight  ;  as  Joshua,  the  judges,  and  David. 
God,  as  a  rewmrd  and  encouragement  of 
their  faith,  put  to  Jlight  the  armies  of  the  aliens, 
aliens  to  their  commonwealth,  and  enemies 
to  their  religion,  if.  Worrit n  received  their 
dead  raised  to  life  again,  v.  35.  as  the.  widow 
of  Zarephath,  1  Kings  17:23.  and  the  Shu- 
namite,  2  Kings  4:  36.  Tims  Christ  had 
compassion  on  the  widow  of  Nn in ,  1, tike  7: 
12.  &c.  This  should  confirm  our  faith  in 
the  general  resurrection. 

111.  The  apostle  tells  us  what  these  be¬ 
lievers  endured  by  faith  : 

1.  They  were  tortured,  not  accepting  deliv¬ 
erance,  v.  35.  They  were  put  on  the  rack, 
to  make  them  renounce  their  God,  their 
Savior,  and  their  religion  ;  they  bore  the 
torture,  and  would  not  accept  of  deliverance 
on  such  vile  terms  ;  that  which  animated 
them  thus  to  sutler,  was,  the  hope  they  had 
of  obtaining  a  bitter  resurrection,  and  deliver¬ 
ance  on  more  honorable  terms,  2  Mace. 
ch.  7.  &c. 

2.  They  endured  trials  of  cruel  moekings 
and  scourgings,  and  bonds  and  imprisonment, 
n.  36.  They  were  persecuted  in  their  rep¬ 
utation  by  moekings,  which  are  cruel  to  an 
ingenuous  mind;  in  their  persons  by  scourg¬ 
ing,  the  punishment  of  slaves  ;  in  their  lib¬ 
erty  bv  bonds  and  imprisonment .  Observe, 
how  inveterate  is  t lie  malice  wickeil  men 
have  toward  the  righteous. 

3.  They  were  put  to  death  in  the  most 
cruel  manner  ;  some  were  stoned,  as  Zeclm- 
ariali,  2  Citron.  24:21.  sawn  asunder,  as 
Isaiah,  by  Manasseh.  They  wire  templed  ; 
some  read  it,  burnt,  2  Mace.  7:5.  They 
were  slain  with  the  sword.  All  sorts  of  death 
were  prepared  for  them  ;  their  enemies 
clothed  death  in  ait  the  array  of  cruelty  and 
terror,  and  yet  they  boldly  met  it,  and  en¬ 
dured  it. 

4  Those  who  escaped  death,  wrere  used 
so  ill,  that  death  might  seem  more  eligible 
than  such  a  life,  r.  37,38.  Such  sufferings 
as  these  they  endured,  then,  for  lliei r faith; 
and  such  they  endured  through  t he  power  of 
the  grace  of  faith;  and  which  shall  we  most 
admire,  the  wickedness  of  human  nature, 
that  is  capable  of  acting  such  cruelties  on 
fellow-creatures,  or  the  excellency  of  divine 


V.  35 — 38.  This  is  supposed  to  refer  to  the  tortures  and  death  of  a 
woman  and  her  seven  sons,  as  recorded  in  the  history  of  the  Maccabees. 
(2  Mac.  7.) — This  is  h  most  decisive  testimony  of  the  sacred  writer,  that 
his  countrymen  expected  a  resurrection  to  eternal  life,  and  that  l lie 
Word  of  (tod  warranted  that  expectation. — Others,  in  different  ages,  had 
been  tried  by  ‘cruel  moekings,’  and  every  kind  of  indignity  and  deris¬ 
ion  ;  with  ignominious  and  painful  scourgings, and  with  lingering  suffer¬ 
ings  in  bond's  and  imprisonment ;  yet  by  faith  they  cleaved  to  God  and 
their  duty,  amidst  all  that  could  be  inflicted  on  litem.  Thus  Mu'iiall, 
Jeremiah,  and  many  others  had  lieen  abused.  [Notes,  1  K .  22:3,  26,  27. 
Jer.  20:  26:10 — 21.  37:33.  Moreover,  several  had  been  stoned  to  death, 
and  some  had  even  been  r.ruellv  sawn  asunder,  as  tradition  reported 
that  Isaiah  had  been.  (Notes,  2  K.  21:16.  Is.  1:1.)  Others  had  been 
tempted  with  the  most  complicated  sufferings,  and  with  conditional  of¬ 
fers  of  deliverance,  to  sin  against  God.  Some  were  slain  at  once  with 
the  sword,  whilst  others  were  driven  from  their  habitations,  to  wander 
as  vagabonds,  covered  with  undressed  skins  instead  of  suitable  raiment  ; 
and  to  inhabit  mountains,  deserts,  dens,  and  caves,  instead  of  commo¬ 
dious  houses;  being  destitute  of  friends,  afflicted  by  complicated  dis¬ 
tresses,  and  most  cruelly  tortured,  when  they  fell  into  the  hands  of  their 
persecutors.  Yet  they  still  trusted  in  God,  and  obeved  Him,  with  unre¬ 
mitting  patience  and  constancy,  in  a  realizing  belief  of  his  promises  of 
support,  comfort,  and  eternal  salvation,  and  an  unwavering  confidence 
in  them.  Of  these  excellent  persons  ‘  the  world,’  which  used  them  with 
such  contempt  atul  cruelty,  1  was  not  worthy  ;’  atid  therefore  thev  were 
soon  removed,  in  merev  to  them,  and  in  judgment  to  their  enemies. 
The  cn-es  of  David,  Elijah,  and  many  others,  recorded  in  Scripture,  may 
lie  alluded  to;  but  doubtless  many  others  occurred,  during  the  persecut¬ 
ing  reigns  of  tiie  kings  of  Judah  and  Israel,  of  which  particular  accounts 
have  not  reached  us;  though  some  records  or  traditions  concerning 
them  might  he  extant  among  the  Hebrews,  when  the  apostle  wrote,  (ftf. 
R.  p — s.) —  35)  Tortured.)  Prohahlv  they  were  killed  by  being  stretched 
out,  and  beaten  with  staves  as  a  drum  by  drumsticks.  Scott. 

(35.)  Tortured.)  ‘  1.  e.  by  stretching  upon  the  tumpanon.  and  beat¬ 
ing  at  the  same  time.’  St., — who  says  the  shape  of  this  instrument  of 
torture  is  not  certainly  known.  Williams  suggests  the  bastinadoing  still 
practised  in  the  East,  as  what  is  meant. — Bl.,  in  a  learned  and  ingenious 
note,  remarks,  that  ‘  the  form  of  the  tumpanon  may  have  been  this,  T  ; 

[554] 


the  criminal  having  bis  arms  fastened  to  I  he  two  horns  of  the  post,  with 
his  bead  above  the  top  of  it,  and  his  feel  bound  to  the  lower  part,  but 
not  reaching  the  ground, — a  posture  which  would  promote  the  object 
of  punishment  in  the  extreme,  by  rendering  it  impossible , for  the  poor 
wretch  to  shrink  from  Ihe  blows.’  Ed. — Not  accepting,  &c.j  ‘  Not  ac¬ 
cepting  liberation,  in  order  that,  <fco.  I,  e.  they  declined  accepting  lib¬ 
eration  from  their  torments,  oil  condition  of  renouncing  their  religion.’ 
Sro  hit —  Better  resurrection.]  ‘  I.  e.  the  resurrection  which  is  better 
than  the.  resurrection  of  the  wicked.'  So  Owen.  lint  Crellius  and 
Hammond  (in  Doddr.)  understand  belter  as  opposed  to  a  present  remis¬ 
sion  of  their  torments,  which  Doddr.  adopts  ;  though  he  quotes  Hat- 
let,  as  being  very  clear,  that  tile  opposition  lies  between  tlte  resurrection 
to  eternal  life,  which  thpse  martyrs  expected,  and  the  resurrection  of 
the  dead  children  to  life  in  this  world,  mentioned  in  the  first  clause  of 
Ilia  verse  •  to  this  sense  Stuart  accords  ;  but  Bloom/.,  after  Rosenm  ,  ex¬ 
plains  it  ‘of  another  and  better  life;’  quoting  Thtoph.  as  confirming,  he 
understands  it  of  ‘  a  heavenly  one,  bptter  lhan  that  of  the  wicked,  who 
will  only  rise  from  their  graves  to  suffer  punishment  here  below,  while 
tile  righteous  will  be  caught  up,  to  meet  the  Lord  in  the  air,’  ic.  The 
other  interpretations  lie  thinks  ‘  precarious  ’  Ed. 

(37.)  Sawn  asunder .]  ‘  Prideaux  and  many  others  suppose  the  apos¬ 
tle  might  here  refer  to  Ihe  tradition  among  the  Jews,  that  the  prophet 
Isaiah  was  sawn  asunder  at  the  command  of  Manassch.  Cn/met  un¬ 
derstands,  by  this  expression,  being  torn  in  pieces,  as  it  xvere  under  a 
threshing  instrument,  consisting  of  wooden  rollers,  full  of  sharp,  iron 
teeth,  like  n  harrow.'  Doddr.  —  Were  tempted.)  The  word  in  the  ori¬ 
ginal  here  has  occasioned  great  difficulty  in  interpreting  this  passage, 
principally  because  of  its  genuine  signification,  and  milder  aspect,  while 
placed  amidst  others  which  designate  specific  sufferings,  and  those  of  a 
high  degree.  But  Stuart  thinks  a  very  obvious  and  intensive  meaning 
of  it,  viz.  that  of  temptation  to  do  evil,  (which,  as  presented  here,  v. 
37.  must  mean  temptations  presented  by  persecutors,  to  the  victims  of 
their  torture,  in  order  to  induce  them  to  forsake  their  religion  ami  wor¬ 
ship  the  gods  of  idolaters,!  makes  it  plain,  and  is,  prohahlv,  the  correct 
interpretation.  lie  comp.  v.  35.  Ed.  —  Wandered  about  in  sheepskins 
and  goatskins.)  ‘Residing  first  in  one  cave,  and  then  in  another. — Not 
in  skins,  literally,  but  in  rude  garments  made  thereof.  See  1  K.  10:13,  19. 
2  IC.  2:8.  13:14.’  BloOMK. 


A.  D.  65. 


HEBREWS,  XU. 


Motive  to  patience  and  perseverance. 


SS  (Of  whom  tho  world  was  not 
worthy;)  they  wandered  in  deserts, 
and  in  mountains,  and  in  dens  and 
caves  of  the  earth. 

89  And  these  all,  having  obtained 
a  good  report  through  faith,  receiv¬ 
ed  not  the  promise  : 

40  God  having  K  provided  some 
better  thing  for  us,  that  they  with¬ 
out  h  us  should  not  be  made  perfect. 

CHAP.  XII. 

1  An  exhortation  to  constant  faith,  patience,  and  godli¬ 
ness.  22  A  commendation  of  the  New  Testament  above 
the  Old. 

XA^HEREFOItE  seeing  we  also 
*  »  are  compassed  about  with  so 
great  a  cloud  of  witnesses,  let  us 
lay  “aside  every  weight,  and  the 
sin  which  doth  so  easily  beset  us, 
and  let  us  run  with  patience  the 
race  that  is  set  before  us, 

g  or,  foreseen.  h  Re.  6:11.  a  2  Co.  7:1. 

grace,  tlwt  is  aide  to  bear  up  the  faithful 
under  such  cruelties,  and  to  carry  them  safe¬ 
ly  through  all  ! 

IV.  What  they  obtained  by  their  faith. 

1.  A  most  honorable  character  and  com¬ 
mendation  from  God,  the  true  Judge  and 
Fountain  of  honor,  v.  38.  It  is  not  fit  good 
men  should  have  their  rest  in  this  world  ; 
therefore  God  receives  them  out  of  it,  to  that 
world  that  is  suitable  to  them,  and  yet  far 
beyond  the  merit  of  all  their  services  and 
sufferings. 

2.  They  obtained,  a  good  report,  v.  39.  of 
all  good  men,  and  of  the  truth  itself,  and  have 
the  honor  to  be  enrolled  in  this  sacred  cal¬ 


endar  of  the  Old  Test,  worthies,  God’s  wit¬ 
nesses;  yen,  they  had  a  witness  for  them  in 
the  consciences  of  their  enemies,  who,  while 
they  thus  abused  them,  were  condemned  by 
their  own  consciences,  as  persecuting  those 
who  were  more  righteous  than  themselves. 

3.  They  obtained  an  interest  in  the  pram- 
ises,  though  not  the  full  possession  of  them. 
This  is  not  meant  of  the  felicity  of  the  heav¬ 
enly  state,  for  that  they  did  receive  ;  but  of 
the  felicity  of  the  gospel-state  ;  they  had 
types,  but  not  the  Antitype;  they  had  shad¬ 
ows,  but  had  not  soon  the  Substance  ;  yet, 
under  this  imperfect  dispensation,  they  dis¬ 
covered  this  precious  faith  :  this  the  apostle 
insists  on,  to  render  their  faith  more  illtts- 
trious,  and  to  provoke  Christians  to  a  holy 
jealousy  and  emulation.  He  tells  the  He¬ 
brews,  God  had  provided  some  better  thing 
for  them,  v.  40.  therefore  they  might  be  as¬ 
sured  He  expected  at  least  as  good  things 
from  them  ;  and  that,  since  the  Gospel  is 
the  end  and  perfection  of  the  Old  Test., 
which  had  no  excellency  hut  in  its  reference 
to  Christ  and  the  Gospel,  it  was  expected 
that  their  faith  should  be  as  much  more  per¬ 
fect  than  the  faith  of  the  Old  Test,  saints; 
for  their  faith  and  dispensation  were  more 
perfect  than  the  former,  and  were  indeed 
the  perfection  and  completion  of  the  former ; 
for,  without  the  gospel-church,  the  Jewish 
church  most  have  remained  in  an  incomplete 
and  imperfect  state.  This  reasoning  is 
strong,  and  should  be  effectually  prevalent 
with  us  all. 

Chap.  XII.  The  apostle,  in  this  ch., 
applies  what  lie  has  collected  in  the  ch.  fore¬ 
going,  and  makes  use  of  it  as  a  great  motive 
to  patience  and  perseverance  in  the  Chris¬ 
tian  faith  and  stale. 


V.  1 — 3.  Here,  observe,  the  great  duty 
the  apostle  urges  on  the  Hebrews,  and 
which  he  so  much  desires  they  would  com¬ 
ply  with,  and  that  is,  to  lay  aside  every 
weight,  and  the  sin  that  did  so  easily  beset 
them,  and  run  with  patience  the  race  set  before 
them.  The  duty  consists  of  two  parts,  the 
one  preparatory,  the  other  perfective. 

1.  Preparatory  ;  Lay  aside  every  weight, 
and  the  sin,  fyc.  Every  weight,  that  is,  all 
inordinate  affection  and  concern  for  the 
body,  and  the  present  life  and  world;  inor¬ 
dinate  care  for  the  present  life,  and  fondness 
for  it  ;  and  The  sin  that  doth  so  easily  beset 
us  ;  the  sin  that  has  the  greatest  advantage 
against  us,  bv  the  circumstances  we  are  in, 
our  constitution,  our  company, — either  the 
damning  sin  of  unbelief,  or  rather  the  dar¬ 
ling  sin  of  the  Jews,  an  over-fondness  for 
their  own  dispensation.  Let  us  lay  aside  all 
external  and  internal  hindrances. 

2.  Perfective;  Run  with  patience  the  race, 
&e.  The  apostle  speaks  in  the  gymnastic 
style,  taken  from  tho  Olympic  and  other 
exercises.  Christians  have  a  race  to  run  ; 
a  race,  of  service,  and  a  race  of  sufferings  ; 
a  course  of  active  and  passive  obedience. 
This  race  is  set  before  them,  marked  out, 
both  by  the  Word  of  God  and  the  examples 
of  the  faithful,  that  cloud  of  witnesses  with 
which  they  are  compassed  about.  It  must  Ire 
run  with  patience  and  perseverance.  There 
will  be  need  of  patience  to  encounter  difficul¬ 
ties,  of  perseverance  to  resist  all  tempta¬ 
tions  to  desist,  or  turn  aside.  Christians 
have  a  greater  Example  to  animate  and  en¬ 
courage  them  in  their  Christian  course  than 
any,  or  all,  who  have  been  mentioned,  lie- 
fore,  and  that  is  t lie  Lord  Jesus  Christ, 
v.  2.  Here,  observe, 

1.  What  our  Lord  Jesus  is  to  his  people; 


TRACT.  OI5S.  V.  32 — 40.  ‘  Faith  ’  will  etialde  a  man  to  serve  God, 

and  li is  generation,  in  whatever  way  he  may  be  employed  ;  -whether  in 
governing  or  reforming  nations,  or  defending  them,  by  crushing  the 
power  of  iniquitous  assailants  ;  or  in  preaching  i lie  Gospel  ami  boldly 
testifying  against  the  crimes  of  the  most  mighty  and  implacable  of  its 
opposers;  or  by  ‘working  righteousness,’  mid  obtaining  promises  in  a 
more  obscure  station.  It  will  influence  a  man  to  such  prompt  obedi¬ 
ence,  disinterested  diligence,  and  warranted  expectation,  as  will  ensure 
ell  needful  success  in  his  undertakings.  It  will  aiso  prepare  him  for 
facing  any  dangers;  and  though  we  do  not  now  expect  to  ‘stop  the 
mouths  of  lions,'  or  to  ‘quench  the  violence  of  the  fire;’  yet  we  are 


V.  38.  Dens,  caves,  mountains.]  Comp.  1  Sn.  23:14.  &<i.  &c.  The 
cases  alluded  to  happened  in  Palestine,  and  the  cut  is  a  view  in  its 
mountains.  Ed. 


V.  39,  40.  Various  interpretations  have  been  given  of  this  passage. 
Some  suppose  that  the  promise  was  that  of  ‘  the  better  country,’  which 
the  patriarchs  desired,  13 — 16.  but  unto  which  they  were  not  admitted, 
nor  will  be  admitted,  till  the  whole  multitude  of  heirs  shall  be  collected 
together  at  the  end  of  the  world.  Others,  perceiving  that  this  interpre¬ 
tation  is  contrary  to  the  general  current  of  Scripture,  which  .uniforn^y 
declares,  that  the  ‘  righteous  entereth  into  rest;’  that  ‘it  is  better  to 
depart,  to  be  with  Christ ;  ’  and  that  ‘  when  absent  from  the  body,  believ¬ 
ers  are  present  with  the  Lord ;  ’  ‘  blessed  are  the  dead,  who  die  in  the 
Lord,  Arc.’  confine  the  meaning  almost  wholly  to  deliverance  from  per¬ 
secution  ! — But  was  not  the  promise  of  a  Redeemer,  from  the  first  fall  of 
Adam,  the  grand  promise  to  fallen  man  ?  (Notes,  Gen.  3:14,  15.  12:1 — 
3.49:10.)  This  ‘promise’  the  patriarchs  received,  and  cordially  em¬ 
braced  in  faith  (17) :  but  they  did  not  live  to  obtain  the  tiling  promised. 


authorized  to  look  for  proportionable  supports  and  consolations  if  call¬ 
ed  to  end  our  pilgrimage  by  the  hand  of  violence.  We  seem  not  to 
have  immediate  cause  to  apprehend  being  ‘stoned,  or  sawn  asunder,  or 
slain  by  the  sword  ;  ’  yet  vve  shall  surely  be  ‘  templed  ;  ’  and  we  cannot 
overcome  temptation,  except  by  that  faith  which  supported  the  martyrs, 
and  made  them  more  than  conquerors  over  the  fear  of  torment  and  death. 
Let  us  then  pray  continually  for  the  increase  of  onr  faith,  that  we  may 
follow  these  illustrious  examples,  and  be  with  them  at  length  made  per¬ 
fect  in  holiness  and  felicity,  and  ‘shine  like  the  sun  in  the  kingdom  of 
our  Father  ’  for  evermore.  Scott., 


They  were  indeed  saved  by  faith  in  a  Redeemer,  who  was  to  come;  but 
without  those  events,  which  the  apostles  testified  as  already  past,  their 
pardon  and  acceptance  could  not  be  ratified,  or  their  salvation  perfect¬ 
ed.  (Note,  1  Pet.  1:10 — 12.1  Thus  t lie  Old  Test,  believers  could  not  be 
perfected, except  by  communion  with  the  N.  T.  church,  in  the  promised 
Savior,  and  his  righteousness,  atonement,  and  intercession.  Scott. 

( 40.)  *  It  is  debated,  whether  this  refers  to  Ute  most  perfect  state  of 
the  church  on  earth,  and  so  expresses  a  decorum  in  the  conduct  of  prov¬ 
idence  in  gradually  improving  the  church,  or  to  (he  glory  of  the  future 
state.'  Dnddr.  ;  who  in  his  paraphrase  inclines  to  the  former.  Ed. 
Better  thing.]  ‘  The  only  conjectures  Imre  that  deserve  particular  re¬ 
gard  are,  that  the  better  thing  refers  to  the  Messiah,  or  to  the  happiness 
of  the  heavenly  world.  But,  how  is  heavenly  blessedness  vouriisufid 
to  later  more  than  to  ancient  saints  ?  And  in  wiint  sense  can  it  be  affirm¬ 
ed,  that  the  ancients  could  not,  er  did  not,  attain  it  without  us.  The 
object  of  the  writer,  through  the  ch.,  lias  been  to  show,  that  the  hopes 
of  heaven,  cherished  by  the  ancient  worthies,  were  firm  and  bright, 
through  faith  in  the  Word  of  God.  “  The  better  thing  reserved  tor 
Christians,”  then,  is  not  a  reward  in  heaven  ;  for  such  a  reward  was 
proffered  also  to  the  ancient  saints.’  So  Stuart , — who  accordingly  adopts 
a  different  view  of  the  whole  passage;  in  which  he  refers  the  promise 
to  ‘ the  promised  blessing  of  the  Messiah,’  and  construes  thus:  ‘The 
ancient  worthies  persevered  in  their  faith,  although  tho  Messiah  was 
known  to  them  only  by  promise.  We  are  under  greater  obligations 
than  they  to  persevere;  for  God  has  fulfilled  his  promise  respecting  the 
Messiah,  and  thus  placed  us  in  a  condition  better  adapted  to  persever¬ 
ance  than  theirs.  So  much  is  our  condition  preferable  to  theirs,  that  we 
may  even  say,  without  the  blessing  which  we  enjoy,  their  happiness 
could  not  be  completed.  In  other  words,  the  coming  of  the  Messiah  was 
essential  to  the  consummation  of  their  happiness  in  glory,  i.  e.  was  ne¬ 
cessary  to  their  perfection.  So  the  better  thing  seems  to  be,  the  actual 
fulfilment  of  the  promise  respecting  the  Messiah  ;  in  respect  to  which, 
later  times  certainly  have  a  pre-eminence  over  tile  early  onc-s;  and  on 
which  the  expected  hnnpiness  of  earlv  times  was  really  dependent.’  En. 

NOTES.  Chap.  XII.  V.  1.  Witnesses.]  Arts  6:13.  7:58.  22  20. 
1  Thes.  2:10.  Rev.  2:13.  It  does  not  appear,  that  this  word  is  ever  used, 
either  in  Scripture  or  in  Greek  writers  to  denote  a  spectator, sun pj  -  , 
except  as  he  was  one  prepared  to  testify  what  he  had  seen.  So  that 
the  testimony  of  the  multitude  of  ancient  believers  to  the  truths  insist¬ 
ed  on,  and  not  that  they  or  others  are  spectators  of  our  conduct,  is  po  - 
haps  exclusively  meant".  ,  _ 

(1.)  ‘  Having  proved,  by  numerous  examples,  the  efficacy  of  fa  th,  the 
apostle  now  proceeds,  in  the  way  of  conclusion,  to  e.hor  i 
steadfastness  in  the  Christian  faith.’  Bloom/—  The  commentators  gen¬ 
erally  agree,  that  there  is  here  an  agomstical  allusion,  and  Bloom/,  ^ug- 


A.  D.  G5. 


HEBREWS,  XII. 


Patience  and  perseverance  urged . 


2  Looking  unto  Jesus  the  b au¬ 
thor  and  finisher  of  our  faith;  who, 
for  the  cjoy  that  was  set  before 
him,  endured  the  cross,  despising 
the  shame,  and  is  set  down  at  the 
right  hand  of  the  throne  of  God. 

3  For  consider  him  that  endured 
such  contradiction  of  sinners  against 
himself,  lest  ye  be  wearied  and  faint 
in  your  minds. 

4  Ye  have  not  yet  resisted  unto 
blood,  striving  against  sin. 

[Practical  Observations.] 
b  cr,  beginner.  c  Lu.  24:26. 


the  Author  and  Finisher  of  I tvei v  faith  }  the 
Beginning,  Perfecter,  and  Rewarder  ol  it. 

'He  is  so  in  all  respects. 

2.  What  trials  Christ  met  with  in  his  race 
and  course  :  He  endured  the  contradiction  of 
sinnrrs  against  Himself,  r.  3.  He  bore  the 
opposition  they  made  to  Him,  both  in  their 
words  and  behavior  ;  and  though  He  could 
easily  have  both  confuted  and  confounded 
them,  and  sometimes  gave  them  a  specimen 
of  his  power,  yet  He  endured  their  evil  man¬ 
ners  with  great  patience  ;  their  contradic¬ 
tions  against  Christ  Himself,  against  his 
Person  as  God-man;  against  his  authority; 
against  his  preaching ;  He  endured  all.  He 
endured  the  cross, — all  those  sufferings  He 
met  with  in  the  world,  and  at  length  the 
painful,  ignominious,  and  accursed  death  of 
the  cross;  in  which  lie  was  numbered  with 
the  transgressors,  the  vilest  malefactors  ;  all 
this  He  endured  with  invincible  patience  and 
resolution.  He  despised  the  shame,  all  the 
reproaches  that,  were  cast  on  Him,  both  in 
his  life,  and  at  his  death,  lie  despised  them 


all,  was  infinitely  above  them  ;  lie  knew  j 
his  innocency,  and  his  own  excellency,  and 
despised  the  ignorance  and  malice  of  his 
despisers. 

3.  What  it  was  that  supported  the  human 
soul  of  Christ  under  these  unparalleled  suf¬ 
ferings  ;  and  that  was  the  joy  that  ivas  set 
before  Him,  the  thought,  that  by  his  suffer-  ! 
ings  lie  should  make  satisfaction  to  the  in¬ 
jured  justice  of  God,  and  give  security  to  his 
honor  and  government;  make  peace  between 
God  and  man;  seal  and  be  the  Mediator  of 
the  covenant  of  gratte  ;  should  open  a  way 
of  salvation  to  the  chief  of  sinners,  and 
effectually  save  all  whom  the  Father  hud 
given  Him,  and  Himself  be  the  First-born 
among  many  brethren.  This  was  the  joy  that 
was  set  before  Him. 

4.  The  reward  of  his  suffering  ;  lie  is 
set.  down  at  the  right  hand  of  the  throne,  of 
God.  Christ,  as  Mediator,  is  exalted  to  a 
station  of  the  highest  honor,  of  the  greatest 
power  and  influence  ;  He  is  at  the  right  hand 
of  the  Father;  nothing  passes  between  heaven 
and  earth  but  by  llim  ;  lie  does  all  that  is 
done  ;  lie  ever  lii’cs  to  make  intercession  for 
his  people. 

5.  Our  duty  with  respect  to  this  Jesus  ; 
we  must  Ijoo/c  unto  Him  ;  that  is,  set  Him 
continually  before  us  as  our  Example,  and 
our  great  encouragement  ;  look  to  Him  for 
direction,  for  assistance,  and  for  acceptance, 
in  all  our  sufferings.  We  must  consider  Him, 
meditate  much  on  Him,  and  reason  with 
ourselves  from  his  ease  to  our  own.  We 
must  analogize,  as  the  word  is;  compare 
Christ’s  sufferings  and  ours  ;  and  we  shall 
find,  that,  as  his  sufferings  far  exceeded  ours, 
in  the  nature  and  measure  of  them,  so  his 
patience  far  excels  ours,  and  is  a  perfect 
pattern  for  us  to  imitate. 

C.  The  advantage  we  shall  reap  by  thus 


doing  ;  it  will  be  a  mean  to  prevent  our 
weariness  and  fainting,  v.  3.  Observe, 
There  is  a  proneness  in  the  best  to  grow 
weary,  and  to  faint  under  their  trials  and 
afflictions,  especially  when  they  prove  heavy 
and  of  long  continuance  ;  this  proceeds 
from  the  imperfection  of  grace,  and  the  re¬ 
mains  of  corruption.  The  best  way  to  pre¬ 
vent  this,  is,  to  look  unto  Jesus,  and  to  con¬ 
sider  Him.  Faith  and  meditation  will  fetch 
in  fresh  supplies  of  strength,  comfort,  and 
courage  ;  for  He  has  assured  them,  if  they 
suffer  with  Him,  they  shall  also  reign  with 
Him  :  and  this  hope  will  be  their  helmet. 

V.  4 — 17.  Here  the  apostle  presses  the 
exhortation  to  patience  and  perseverance, 
by  an  argument  taken  from  the  gentle  meas¬ 
ure  and  gracious  nature  of  those  sufferings 
which  the  believing  Hebrews  endured  in 
their  Christian  course. 

1.  From  the  gentle  and  moderate  degree 
and  measure  of  their  sufferings,  v.  4.  Ob¬ 
serve,  He  owns  they  bad  suffered  much,  had 
been  striving  to  an  agony  against  sin.  Every 
Christian  is  enlisted  under  Christ’s  banner, 
to  strive  against  sin,  against  sinful  doctrines, 
sinful  practices,  sinful  habits,  and  customs, 
both  in  himself  and  in  others.  Observe, 
He  puts  them  in  mind,  that  they  might  have 
suffered  more  ;  they  had  not  been  called  to 
martyrdom  as  yet,  though  they  knew  not 
how  soon  they  might  he.  It  becomes  Chris¬ 
tians  to  notice  the  gentleness  of  Christ  in 
accommodating  their  trial  to  their  strength; 
they  should  not  magnify  their  afflictions,  but 
notice  the  mercy  mixed  with  them,  and  pity 
those  who  tire  called  to  thp  fiery  trial,  to  resist 
j  to  blood  ;  not  to  shed  the  blood  of  their  ene- 
\mies,  hut  to  seal  their  testimony  with  their 
own  blood..  Christians  should  be  ashamed 
|  to  faint  under  less  trials,  when  they  see  oth- 
I  ers  bear  up  under  greater,  and  do  not  know 


T'RACT.  OBS.  V.  1 — 4.  We  should  seriously  inquire,  what  are 
the  weights’  which  retard  our  [Christian]  course;  what  the  sin,  or 
sins,  tiy  which  we  are  1  most  easily  beset-,’  and  peculiarly  endangered  ; 
that  we  may  seek  for  grace  to  enable  us  to  ‘lay  aside  the  one,’  and  to  be 
on  our  guard  against  all  occasions  of  the  other.  Many,  who  seemed  to 
run  well,  lose  the  race,  through  the  weight  of  increasing  business,  pros¬ 
perity,  and  aflluence,  with  the  peculiar  snares,  temptations,  connexions, 
and  encumbrances,  which  spring  from  that  source.  This  seems  the  ea¬ 
sily  besetting  sin  of  these  days  of  liberty  and  peace;  hut  all  men,  in 
whatever  state,  have  their  peculiar  dangers  and  hindrances,  against 
which  they  are  required  to  watch  and  pray  without  ceasing;  nor  can 
we  ‘run  with  patience  the  race  set  before  ns,’  unless  we  he  crucified  to 

gests,  that  cloud  well  answers  to  the  immense  crowd  of  spectators,  in 
the  amphitheatre,  seated  one  above  another  to  an  immense  height. — 
Stuart  remarks,. that  the  sin  which  most  easily  beset  the  Hebrews  was 
undoubtedly  that  of  apostasy. — With  patience.]  ‘  With  perseverance.’ 
So  Mackn.,  and  others.  -  ,  Ed. 

V.  2,  3.  In  order  to  their  more  full  instruction  and  encouragement, 
they  must  look  steadily  to  .resits  ;  not  merely  as  One,  who  had  run  his 
glorious  race,  and  completed  his  work,  by  faitli  in  the  promises  and 
covenant -engagements  of  the  Father  ;  but  as  ‘  the  Author  and  Finisher 
of  faith  ’  itself.  He  alone  had  opened  the  way  for  men  to  return  to  God 
and  to  enter  heaven,  ‘  by  faith ;’  when  sin  had  closed  for  ever  that  of 
personal  righteousness  :  from  Him,  as  the  great  Prophet  of  the  church, 
the  docti ine  of  faith  had  been  delivered  from  the  beginning,  and  per¬ 
fected  in  the  revelation  made  by  the  Gospel  :  and  this  none  would  ever 
he  authorized  to  change,  add  to,  or  deduct  from.  He  alone,  by  his  Spir¬ 
it,  produces  4  faith  ’  in  the  hearts  of  li is  people,  which  He  maintains,  in¬ 
creases,  and  perfects,  in  its  nature  and  fruits,  till  its  work  he  finished. 
So  that  they  must  look  to  Him  for  faith,  as  well  as  by  faith.  He  in¬ 
deed  did  not  want  that  faith,  bv  which  a  sinner  is  justified  ;  yet  1  in  lin- 
ishitig  his  work’  on  earth,  He  led  his  people  the  way  to  complete  vic¬ 
tory  over  every  enemy,  by  a  patient,  obedient  reliance  on  the  word  of 
his  heavenly  Father.  (Note,  Ps.  16:8 — 11.)  As  He  had  in  ‘all  tilings 
the  pre-eminence  :  ’  so  lie  did  not  enter  into  his  mediatorial  glory  with¬ 
out  having  the  precedency  in  tire  measure  of  his  sufferings,  above  all 
others'who  ever  went  to  heaven.  ‘  For  the  joy  set  before  Hint,’  of  his 
own  personal  exaltation  to  the  mediatorial  throne  ;  of  the  salvation  of 
countless  millions  of  Inst  sinners  from  destruction  ;  of  bringing  them  to 
endless  happiness;  and  of  eternally  glorifying  the  whole  Name,  and  all 
the  perfections  of  God  ;  (Notes,  Mat.  25:10—23.  John  17:22,  23.)  He, 
with  the  utmost  fortitude  and  constancy,  endured  all  his  other  humilia¬ 
ting  sufferings,  from  his  birth  in  the  stable  to  his  agony  in  the  garden; 
and  at  length  most  willingly  submitted  to  lie  suspended  on  the  cross, 
and  there  to  expire  in  lingering  tortures.  Though  this  method  of  exe¬ 
cution  was  peculiarly  ignominious,  and  by  the  law  pronounced  accurs¬ 
ed  ;  and  though  his  crucifixion  was  attended  with  unheard  of  circum¬ 
stances  of  indignity,  outrage,  revilings,  and  derision^  yet  He  disregarded 
and  even  ‘despised  the  shame,'1  as  also  the  anguish  of  it,  as  not  worthy  to 
he  compared  with  the  glorious  event,  which  He  had  in  fill  view.  Thus, 
having  ‘endured’  until  his  undertaking  was  finished,  He  was  speedily 
raised  from  the  dead,  and  exalted  to  ‘  the  right  hand  of  the  throne  of 
God.’  (1:3,4.  8:1,2.)  The  disciples  ought  therefore  ro  look  unto  Him, 
both  as  an  example  of  constancy  and  patience  ;  as  the  Author  of  their 
strength,  encouragement,  victory,  and  salvation;  and  ns  a  glorious  in- 

[556] 


the  world,  and  daily  employed  in  mortifying  the  whole  body  of  sin,  with 
all  its  affections  ami  lusts,  those  especially,  to  which  education, .habit, 
and  situation,  give  most  advantage. —  Let  ns  then  frequently  ‘consider 
Him,  who  endured  the  contradiction  of  sinners  against  Himself,  lest  we 
be  wearied  and  faint  in  our  minds.’  What  are  our  little  trials,  to  his 
agonies,  or  even  to  our  deserts  ?  What,  indeed,  are  they  to  the  suffer¬ 
ings  of  many  of  our  brethren,  in  different  ages  and  places  ?  We  have 
‘not  yet  resisted  unto  blood,’  in  our  warfare  against  sin,  as  many  oth¬ 
ers  have  done;  and  we  should  he  ashamed  of  our  mttrmurings  and  im- 
palienoe,  when  we  have  so  very  little  even  apparent  reason  of  com¬ 
plaint.  Jer.  12:5,  6.  Scott. 


stance  of  the  blessed  effect  of  perseverance,  amidst  reproaches  and  suf¬ 
ferings,  in  cleaving  unto  God  and  being  ‘faithful  unto  death.’  This  case 
was  so  extraordinary,  that  they  would  do  well  to  ‘  consider  it,’  even 
with  arithmetical  exactness,  and  to  estimate  the  dignity  and  excellency 
of  the  Sufferer;  ‘the  contradiction  of  sinners’  against  Him,  who  en¬ 
snared,  reviled,  opposed,  and  accused  Him,  with  most  perverse  enmity 
against  his  holy  doctrine  and  example,  and  with  malignant  ingratitude 
for  all  his  love  ;  the  intenseness  and  variety  of  his  sufferings  ;  the  meek 
and  composed  fortitude  with  which  He  endured  them  ;  the  love,  which 
moved  Him  thus  to  suffer,  and  the  most  blessed  consequences  of  liis 
humiliation.  When  they  began  to  grow  ‘  weary  and  faint  in  their 
minds,’  with  trials  and  injuries  from  their  malicious  persecutors,  such 
considerations  would  serve  to  quiet  and  encourage  them  :  xvhilst  they 
recollected,  that  t lie  holy  Jesus  suffered  to  save  them  from  deserved  and 
eternal  misery  ;  and  that  sinners  of  t lie  same  nature  with  themselves 
inflicted  these  tortures ;  that  He  had  much  bitterness  in  his  cup,  which 
was  not  in  theirs:  (Notes,  Mat.  26:36 — S3.  John  1:29.  (lat.  6:11 — 14.) 
that  He  xvas  bated  for  his  own  sake,  and  they  only  because  of  their  re¬ 
lation  to  Hint ;  and  that  his  cross  secured  a  happy  event  to  all  their 
conflicts  and  trials  in  his  cause.  In  short,  by  ‘looking  to  Him,’  every 
kind  of  humiliating  and  animating  topic,  would  occur  to  their  minds,  to 
invigorate  the  exercise  of  their  holv  affections,  and  to  repress  every  cor¬ 
rupt  propensity.  (2)  Looking .]  Turning  our  eyes  from  other  objects, 
to  fix  them  on  this  alone. — Author.  Acts  3:15.  5:31. — Finisher.]  I  ap¬ 
prehend,  that  the  apostle  specially  meant,  that  ‘  in  Jesus  all  the  plans, 
which  had  previously  been  unfinished,  had  acquired  their  completion. — 
He  finished  and  perfected  ail  things,  respecting  salvation  by  faith.’  Sc. 

(2.)  Looking. ]  ‘  It  properly  signifies  onr  taking  off  our  regards 

from  other  things,  that  we  may  ifix  them  on  Christ.’  Dnitdr. — Author 
and  finisher.]  Illoornf.  understands  here  a  mixture  of  military  and 
ngonistical  metaphors,  and  renders  leader ,  ns  of  soldiers  ;  and  Stuart 
gives  the  sense  of  the  whole  verse  thus  :  ‘  Ilo  as  Christ  the  Author  of 
onr  holy  religion  did.  For  the  heavenly  reward  proposed,  He,  with  pa¬ 
tience  and  perseverance,  endured  every  kind  of  indignity  and  suffering, 
him!  tins,  in  consequence  of  it,  received  a  glorious  reward.  Folloxv  in 
his  steps,  and  participate  in  his  glory.’ — It  may  he  added  from  Slade ,  in 
Jllonmf.,  ■  As  Jesus  endured,  for  the  joy  of  finishing  It  is  scheme  of  sal¬ 
vation,  [so]  should  his  disciples  endure,  for  the  joy  of  being  partakers 
of  it.’  Ed. 

V.  4 — 8.  If  the  professed  people  of  God  were  not  at  ail  corrected,  it 
might  he  inferred,  that  He  did  not  own  them  ns  his  children,  but  con¬ 
sidered  them  ns  spurious ;  members  of  the  visible  church,  but  not  ‘  born 
of  the  Spirit,’  or  educated  for  the  ‘  inheritance  of  his  saints.’  Gal.  4:21 


A,  I).  65. 


HEBREWS,  XII. 


How  God's  people  should  bear  trials. 


5  And  ye  have  forgotten  the  ex¬ 
hortation  •*  which  speaketh  unto 
you  us  unto  children,  My  son,  de¬ 
spise  not  thou  the  chastening  of  the 
Lord,  nor  faint  when  thou  art  re¬ 
buked  of  him  : 

6  For  e  whom  the  Lord  loveth 
lie  chasteneth,  and  scourgeth  every 
son  whom  he  receiveth. 

7  If  ye  endure  chastening,  God 
dealeth  with  you  as  with  sons  ;  for 
f  what  son  is  he  whom  the  father 
chasteneth  not  ? 

8  But  if  ye  be  without  chastise¬ 
ment,  whereof  all  are  partakers, 
then  are  ye  bastards,  and  not  sons. 

9  Furthermore,  we  have  had 
fathers  of  our  flesh,  which  correct¬ 
ed  us;  and  we  gave  them  reverence : 
shall  we  not  much  rather  be  in  sub¬ 
jection  unto  the  &  Father  of  Spirits, 
and  live  ? 

10  For  they  verily  for  a  few  days 
chastened  us  h  after  their  own  plea¬ 
sure  ;  but  he  for  our  profit,  that  we 
might  be  partakers  of  his  holiness. 

11  Now  no  chastening  for  the 
present  seemeth  to  be  joyous,  but 
grievous  :  nevertheless,  afterward 
it  yieldeth  the  peaceable  fruit  ‘of 
righteousness  unto  them  which  are 
exercised  thereby. 

12  Wherefore  lift 1  up  the  hands 
which  hang  down,  and  the  feeble 
knees  : 

13  And  make  k  straight 1  paths  for 
your  feet,  lest  that  which  is  lame 
be  turned  out  of  the  way  ;  but  tnlet. 
it  rather  be  healed. 

[Practical  Observations.] 

(1  Pr.  3:11,12.  good,  or,  meet,  j  Is.  35:3. 

e  Re.  3:19  to  them.  k  or,  even. 

f  Pr.  13:24.  i  Is.  32:17.  1  Pr.  4:26,27. 

p  N...  16:22  27:16.  Ji.  3:13.  mGti.6:l. 

h  or,  as  seemed 


how  soon  they  may  meet  with  greater  them¬ 
selves.  Jer.  12:  5. 

2.  lie  argues  from  the  peculiar  anti  gra¬ 


cious  nature  of  those  sufferings  that  befall 
the  people  of  God  ;  their  enemies  and  per¬ 
secutors  maybe  the  instruments  of  inflicting 
such  sufferings  on  them,  yet  they  are  divine 
chastisements  ;  their  heavenly  Father  has 
his  hand  in  all,  and  his  wise  end  to  serve  by 
all  ;  of  this  He  has  given  them  due  notice, 
and  they  should  not  forget  it,i>.  5.  Observe, 

(1.)  Those  afflictions  which  maybe  truly 
persecution,  so  far  as  men  are  concerned  in 
them,  are  fatherly  rebukes  and  chastise¬ 
ments,  so  far  as  God  is  concerned  in  them. 
Men  persecute  us  because  we  are  religious; 
God  chastises  us  because  we  are  not  more 
so  :  men  persecute  us  because  we  will  not 
give  up  our  profession  ;  God  chastises  us 
because  we  have  not  lived  up  to  it. 

(2.)  God  has  directed  his  people  how 
they  ought  to  behave  under  all  their  afflic¬ 
tions  ;  they  must  avoid  the  extremes  that 
many  run  into;  must  not  despise  the  chasten¬ 
ing  of  the  Lord,  not  make  light  of  afflictions, 
and  he  stupid  and  insensible  under  them  ; 
not  faint  under  them,  not  despond  and  sink 
under  them,  nor  fret  and  repine,  hut  beat- 
up  with  faith  and  patience,  if  they  run  in¬ 
to  either  of  these  extremes,  it  is  a  sign  they 
have  forgotten  their  heavenly  Father’s  ad¬ 
vice  and  exhortation,  which  He  has  given 
them  in  true  and  tender  affection. 

(3.)  Afflictions,  rightly  endured,  though 
they  may  be  the  fruits  of  God’s  displeasure, 
are  yet  proofs  of  his  paternal  love  to  his 
people,  and  care  for  them,  v.  6,7.  Observe, 
The  best  of  God’s  children  need  chastise¬ 
ment  ;  have  their  faults  and  follies,  which 
need  to  be  corrected.  Though  God  may  let 
others  alone  in  their  sins,  lie  will  correct 
sin  in  his  own  children;  and  in  this  He  acts 
as  becomes  a  father,  and  treats  them  like 
children.  To  lie  suffered  to  go  on  in  sin 
without  a  relntke,  is  a  sad  sign  of  alienation 
from  God  ;  such  are  bastards,  not  sons. 
They  may  call  Him  Father,  because  born  in 
the  pale  of  the  church  ;  but  thev  are  the 
spurious  offspring  of  another  father,  not 
God,  v.  7,8. 

(4.)  Those  that  are  impatient  under  the 
discipline  of  their  heavenly  Father,  behave 
worse  toward  Him,  than  they  would  do 
toward  earthly  parents,  v.  9,  10.  Here, 
the  apostle  commends  a  dutiful  and  submis¬ 
sive  behavior  in  children  toward  their  earth¬ 
ly  parents;  it  is  the  duly  of  children  to  give 


the  reverence  of  obedience  to  the  just  com¬ 
mands  ol  their  parents,  and  the  reverence 
of  submission  to  their  correction  when  they 
have  been  disobedient  :  to  be  stubborn  anil 
discontented  under  due  correction  is  a  double 
fault  ;  for  the  correction  supposes  there  has 
been  a  fault  already  committed  against  the 
parent’s  commanding  power,  and  superadds 
a  further  fault  against  his  chastising  power. 
From  hence,  he  recommends  a  humble  and 
submissive  behavior  towards  our  heavenly 
Father,  when  under  his  correction  ;  and  this 
lie  does  by  an  argument  from  the  less  to  the 
greater.  We  owe  reverence  and  affection 
to  the  natural  fathers  of  our  bodies  ;  hut 
much  more  to  Him  who  is  the  Father  of  our 
spirits,1*—  they  are  the  immediate  offspring 
of  God.  Our  earthly  parents  chastened  us, 
sometimes  to  gratify  their  passion  rather 
than  to  reform  our  manners.  But  the  Father 
of  our  spirits  never  grieves  willingly,  nor 
afflicts  the  children  of  men,  much  less  his 
own  children.  It  is  always  for  our  profit  ; 
and  the  advantage  He  intends  thereby,  is  no 
less  than  our  being  partakers  of  his  holi¬ 
ness  ;  it  is  to  correct  and  cure  those  sinful 
disorders  which  make  us  unlike  to  God, 
and  to  improve  and  increase  those  graces 
which  are  the  image  of  God  in  us,  that  we 
may  be  and  act  more  like  our  heavenly 
Father.  The  fathers  of  our  flesh  corrected 
us  for  a  few  days,  in  our  state  of  childhood, 
when  minors  ;  and  though  we  were  in  that 
weak  and  peevish  state,  we  owed  them  rev¬ 
erence;  and  when  we  came  to  maturity,  we 
loved  and  honored  them  the  more  for  it. 
Our  whole  life  here  is  a  state  of  childhood, 
minority,  and  imperfection,  and  therefore 
we  must  submit  to  the  discipline  of  such  a 
state  ;  when  we  come  to  a  state  of  perfec¬ 
tion,  we  shall  be  fully  reconciled  to  all  the 
measures  of  God’s  discipline  over  us  now. 
God’s  correction  is.  no  condemnation  ;  his 
children  may  at  first  fear  lest  affliction 
should  come  on  that  dreadful  errand  ;  but 
that  is  so  far  from  being  the  design  of  God 
to  his  own  people,  that  He  therefore  chas¬ 
tens  them  now,  that  they  may  not  be  con¬ 
demned  with  the  world,  1  Cor.  11 :  32. 

(5.)  The  children  of  God,  under  their 
afflictions,  ought  not  to  judge  of  his  deal¬ 
ings  with  them  by  present  sense,  but  by  rea¬ 
son,  faith,  and  experience,  v.  11.  Where, 
observe,  The  judgment  of  faith  differs  from 


PR  \CT  OBS.  V.  5—13.  While  we  ‘  look  to  Jesus,’  to  reconcile  us 
to  suffering,  to  set  us  against  sin,  and  to  eclipse  the  vain  splendor  of  this 
worthless  world,  we  should  also  learn  to  receive  every  affliction,  which 
(he  malice  or  envy  of  men  brings  upon  us,  as  a  correction  sent  by  our 
wise  and  gracious  Father,  who  speaketh  to  us  by  his  Word,  interpreting 
his  providential  dispensations,  ‘  as  to  children,’  and  calls  on  us  neither 
to  ‘despise  his  chastisements,  nor  to  faint  under’  them.  We  should 
consider  them  as  precious  favors,  needful  blessings,  pledges  of  love,  and 
the  only  spiritual  good,  which  lie  has  promised  to  give  us,  without  our 
praying  for  it.  lie  never  fails  to  chasten  his  children,  though  He  often 
permits  hypocrites  to  remain  unmolested,  because  He  means  to  destroy 
them.  He  will  neglect  the  education  of  none,  whom  He  receives  into 


— 31. — The  allusion  may  either  be  made  to  such  children,  as  a  man 
deems  to  be  spurious,  though  born  of  bis  wife  ;  because  lie  suspects  her 
of  having  been  unfaithful,  and  therefore  he  will  bestow  no  pains  about 
them  -,  or  such,  as  the  real  father  neglects,  because  they  are  illegitimate, 
and  he  is  ashamed  to  own  them  ;  (Notes,  Judg.  9:  11:1,  2.)  but  the  for¬ 
mer  case  seems  more  exactly  to  accord  to  the  apostle’s  intent. — (5)  My 
son,  &c.]  The  quotation  is  almost  exactly  from  tile  Sept.  ;  xvhich  does 
not  materially  vary  from  the  Heb.  (1)  Resisted.]  To  stand  against 
the  assaults  of  sin  ;  as  a  man,  in  fighting  against  his  antagonist.  Scott. 

(4.)  Resisted  unto  blood.]  Some  understand  this  as  agonistlcal,  but 
others  take  it  otherwise.  lit.  says,  1  the  words  show  what  kind  of  apos¬ 
tasy  must  principally  be  intended.  “  By  resistance  to  apostasy  even  un¬ 
to  blood,”  is  meant,  so  to  overcome  the  temptations  of  the  flesh,  as  to 
be  ready  to  shed  one’s  blood  in  the  ca'use  of  the  Gospel.  Now  this  the 
prophets  and  others,  especially  Jesus  Christ,  had  already  done.  Those 
xvhom  he  is  addressing,  the  apostle  means  to  say,  were  called  to  com¬ 
paratively  light  endurances  ;  and  therefore  had  no  excuse  for  fainting 
under  them.’  Ed. 

(5  )  1  A  slight  affliction  may  overcome  and  disquiet  the  mind  with 
suspicious  and  rebellious  murmurings,  and  occasion  a  degree  of  distress 
quite  disproportioned  to  the  cause  ;  while  a  much  heavier  stroke  is  per¬ 
haps  horn  with  meek  submission  and  heavenly  fortitude.  The  slight 
afliioiion  touches  but  one  riv.ulet  of  earthly  pleasure,  and  you  have  re¬ 
course  to  those  which  are  left  ;  hut  the  heavier  stroke  dries  up  the  verv 
source  of  all  earthly  comfort,  and  leaves  you  to  sink  or  depend  on  God 
alone.  The  slight  affliction  you  attempt  to  bear  in  your  own  strength  ; 
the  heavier  stroke  is  no  sooner  felt  than  you  are  convinced,  that  if  the 
same  God  who  inflicts  the  wound  does  not  heal,  you  must  be  over- 


hts  family  ;  and  He  sets  us  an  example,  liow  xve  should  correct  our  chil¬ 
dren,  ‘  not  for  onr  pleasure,  but  for  their  profit,’  not  from  passion,  but 
in  wise  affection.  Thus  ‘He  makes  us  partakers  of  his  holiness,’  that  we 
may  be  meet  to  share  his  felicity.  Let  us  then  endeavor  to  receive  chas¬ 
tening  from  ‘  the  Father  of  our  spirits,’  as  we  expect  our  children  to  sub¬ 
mit  to  our  corrections.  Let  us  also  comfort  ourselves  and  each  other 
with  these  topics,  that  we  may  ‘lift  up  the  hands  which  hang  down,  and 
confirm  the  feeble  knees  ;’  and  let  us  carefully  remove  obstacles  out  of 
the  way  of  pilgrims,  and  look  well  to  the  weak  apd  tempted,  lest  they 
should  be  turned  out  of  the  xvay,  instead  of  being  encouraged  to  perse¬ 
vere  in  the  course,  amidst  all  its  roughness  and  difficulty.  Scott. 


whelmed  ;  and  your  language  is,  “  Lord  save,  or  I  perish .”  ’ 

Rev.  Dr.  Matthews. 

(7.)  What  soh  is  he  whom  the  father  chasteneth  not.]  ‘  That  a  pecu¬ 
liar  insensibility  to  the  obligations  of  the  parental  and  filial  relation, exists, 
is,  I  fear,  too  evident  to  need  any  extended  illustration.  The  notion,  that 
a  family  is  a  society,  and  that  a  society  must  be  governed,  and  that  the 
right  and  the  duty  of  governing  this  society,  rests  with  the  parent,  seems 
to  be  rapidly  vanishing  from  the  minds  of  men.  [Note,  Job  12:13—22.]  In 
the  place  of  it,  it  seems  to  be  the  prevalent  opinion,  that  children  may 
grow  up  as  they  please ;  and  that  the  exertion  of  parental  restraint,  is 
an  infringement  of  the  personal  liberty  of  the  child.  But  all  this  will 
not  abrogate  the  law  of  God  ;  nor  will  itavert  the  punishments  which  He 
has  connected,  indissolubly,  with  disobedience  ;  [indeed,  these  are  now 
plainly  seen,  in  our  duels,  personal  recontres,  and  mobs,  all  in  definnee 
even  of  law.]’  The  Law  of  Children  ;  Elts.  Mor.  Sci.  \Vaylano. 

V.  11.  ‘Unless  some  disappointment  (affliction)  is  experienced,  there 
is  no  place  for  submission  to  the  will  of  God.’  Dr.  Matthews. 

V.  12.  Lift  up,  &c  ]  The  quotation  is  rather  from  the  Hebrew,  than 
the  Sept,  which  is,  ‘Be  strong,  ye  hands  which  hang  down,  and  ye 
fainting  knees.’  Scott. 

(12.)  Doddr.,  with  others,  takes  the  expressions  here  as  agonistical ; 
hut  Bloom/,  thinks  the  metaphor  is  derived  from  extreme  sickness  or 
violent  fatigue.  Stuart  gives  the  sense  thus  :  ‘  since  nil  your  afflictions 
are  dispensed  by  fatherly  kindness,  be  of  good  courage,  do  not  indulge 
despondency,  but  persevere  In  the  course  which  you  nave  begun.  Ed. 

V.  13.  ‘  Withdrawing  the  metaphor,  the  sense  is  :  Take  the  straight 
road  of  piety  and  virtue,  removing  all  impediments  in  its  course.’ 

y  J  ’  Bloomf. 

[557] 


A.  D.  65. 


14  Follow  peace  “with  all  men, 
and  holiness,  without  “which  no 
man  shall  see  the  Lord  : 

15  Looking  diligently,  p  lest  any 
man  ’fail  of  the  grace  of  God  ;  lest 
any  r  root  of  bitterness  springing  tip 
trouble  you,  and  thereby  many  be 
defiled  ; 

16  Lest  there  be  any  s  fornicator, 
or  profane  person,  as  Esau,  who 
1  for  one  morsel  of  meat  sold  his 
birthright. 

17  For  ye  know  how  that  after¬ 
ward,  when  “he  would  have  inher¬ 
ited  the  blessing,  he  was  rejected  : 
for  he  found  no  v  place  of  repent¬ 
ance,  though  he  sought  it  carefully 
with  tears. 

[Practical  Observations.] 

18  For  ye  are  not  come  unto 
w  the  mount  that  might  be  touched, 

n  Ps.  34:14.  q  or,  fall  from*  u  Ge.  27:34 — 38. 

o  Mat.  5:8.  r  He.  29:18.  v  or,  way  lo  change 

Ep.  5:5.  8  1  Co.  6:13,18.  ltis  wind. 

p2Pe.  1:10.  t  Ge  25:33.  w  Ex.  19:12— 19. 

that  of  sense  in  this  case, — sense  groans 
under  afflictions,  but  faith  corrects  sense,  and 
declares,  that  a  sanctified  affliction  produces 
the  fruits  of  righteousness,  peaceable,  and 
tending  to  quiet  and  comfort  the  soul.  The 
great  concern  of  the  righteous  when  chast¬ 
ened,  is,  that  the  chastening  they  are  under 
may  be  endured  by  them  with  patience,  and 
improved  to  a  greater  degree  of  holiness. 
So  the  apostle  again  returns  to  exhort  them, 
that,  for  the  reason  before  mentioned,  they 
should  lift  up  the  hands  that  hang  down,  and 
the  feeble  knees,  v.  12.  that  they  inay  the 
better  run  their  spiritual  race,  and  may  en¬ 
courage  and  not  dispirit  others  in  the  same 
way. 

Since  God’s  design  is  their  improvement 
in  holiness,  it  ought  to  be  the  design  and 
concern  of  his  children,  that  with  renewed 
strength  and  patience  they  may  follow  peace 
with  all  men,  and  holiness,  v.  14.  If  they 
grow  impatient  under  affliction,  they  will 


HEBREWS,  XII. 

neither  walk  so  quietly  and  peaceably  tow¬ 
ard  men,  nor  so  piously  toward  God,  as  they 
should  do  ;  but  faith  and  patience  will  en¬ 
able  them  to  follow  peace  and  holiness  too, 
as  a  man  follows  his  calling,  constantly,  dil¬ 
igently,  and  with  pleasure.  Observe,  [1.] 
It  is  the  duty  of  Christians,  even  when  in  a 
suffering  stale,  to  follow  peace  with  all  men, 
yea,  even  with  those  who  may  be  instrumen¬ 
tal  in  their  sufferings.  It  is  a  hard  lesson, 
a  high  attainment,  but  it  is  what  Christ  has 
called  his  people  to.  [2.]  Peace  and  holi¬ 
ness  are  connected;  there  may  be  prudence 
and  discreet  forbearance,  and  a  show  of 
friendship  and  good-will  to  all;  but  this  true 
Christian  peaceableness  is  never  found  sep¬ 
arate  from  holiness.  [3.]  Without  holiness 
no  man  shall  see  the  Lord.  The  vision  of 
God  our  Savior  in  heaven  is  reserved  as 
the  reward  of  holiness,  and  the  stress  of  our 
salvation  is  laid  on  our  holiness  ;  though 
a  placid,  peaceable  disposition,  contributes 
much  to  our  mectncss  for  heaven. 

6.  Where  afflictions  and  sufferings  for  the 
sake  of  Christ  are  not  considered  by  men 
as  the  chastisement  of  their  heavenly  Fa¬ 
ther,  and  improved  as  such,  they  will  be  a 
dangerous  snare  and  temptation  to  apostasy, 
which  every  Christian  should  most  carefully 
watch  against,  v.  15,  16.  Here  the  apostle 
enters  a  serious  caveat  against  apostasy, 
and  backs  it  with  an  awful  example. 

(1.)  The  caveat,?’.  15.  Where,  observe, 
[1.]  The  nature  of  apostasy;  it  is  failing 
of  the  grace  of  God,  and  so  coming  short  of 
the  love  and  favor  of  God  here  and  here¬ 
after.  [2.]  The  consequences  of  apostasy  : 
a  root  of  bitterness  springing  up,  and  produ¬ 
cing  bitter  fruits,  damnable  errors,  and  cor¬ 
rupt  practices,  by  which  many  are  troubled, 
the  peace  of  the  churches  broken,  the  peace 
of  men’s  minds  disturbed,  and  many  de¬ 
filed,  tainted  with  those  bad  principles,  and 
drawn  into  defiling  practices  ;  so  that  the 
churches  suffer  both  in  their  purity  and 
peace.  But  the  apostates  themselves  will 
be  the  greatest  sufferers  at  last. 

(2.)  An  awful  example,  that  of  Esau. 
Where,  observe,  Esau’s  sin  ;  he  profanely 
despised  and  sold  the  birthright,  and  all  the 


The  nature  and  peril  of  aposlasy. 

advantages  attending  it,  the  privilege  of  be¬ 
ing  prophet,  priest, and  king,  in  his  family; 
so  do  apostates,  who,  to  avoid  persecution, 
and  enjoy  sensual  ease  and  pleasure,  though 
they  bore  the  character  of  the  children  of 
God,  and  had  a  visible  right  to  the  bles¬ 
sing  and  inheritance,  give  up  all  the  preten¬ 
sions  thereto.  Esau’s  punishment  was  suita¬ 
ble  to  his  sin.  He  was  condemned  by  his 
own  conscience;  he  now  saw  that  the  bles¬ 
sing  he  had  made  so  light  of,  was  worth  the 
having,  worth  the  seeking,  though  with 
much  carefulness  and  many  tears.  He  was 
rejected  of  God,  he  found  no  place  of  repent¬ 
ance  in  God,  in  his  father,  or  of  trite  repent¬ 
ance  in  his  own  soul;  the  blessing  was  given 
to  another,  even  to  him  to  whom  he  sold  it 
for  a  mess  of  pottage.  Esau,  in  his  great 
wickedness,  had  made  the  bargain,  and 
God,  in  his  righteous  judgment,  ratifies  and 
confirms  it,  and  would  not  suffer  Isaac  to 
reverse  it.  Learn,  Apostasy  from  Christ  is 
the  fruit  of  preferring  the  gratification  of 
the  flesh  to  the  blessing  of  God,  and  the 
heavenly  inheritance.  Sinners  will  not  al¬ 
ways  have  such  mean  thoughts  of  the  divine 
blessing  and  inheritance  as  now  they  have. 
When  the  day  of  grace  is  over,  (as  some¬ 
times  it  may  he  in  this  life,)  they  will  find 
no  place  for  repentance  :  they  cannot  repent 
aright  of  their  sins  :  and  God  will  not  re¬ 
pent  of  the  sentence  He  has  passed  on  them 
for  their  sin.  Therefore,  as  the  design  of 
all,  Christians  should  never  give  up  their 
title  and  hope  of  their  Father’s  blessing 
and  inheritance,  and  expose  themselves  to 
his  irrevocable  wrath  and  curse,  by  desert¬ 
ing  their  holy  religion,  to  avoid  suffering  ; 
which,  though  this  may  be  persecution,  as 
far  as  wicked  men  are  concerned  in  it,  is 
only  a  rod  of  correction  and  chastisement  in 
the  hand  of  their  heavenly  Father,  to  bring 
them  near  to  Himself  in  conformity  and 
communion.  This  is  the  force  of  the  apos¬ 
tle’s  arguing  from  the  nature  of  the  suffer¬ 
ings  of  the  people  of  God,  even  when  they 
suffer  for  righteousness’  sake;  and  the  rea¬ 
soning  is  very  strong. 

V.  18 — 29.  Here  the  apostle  goes  on  to 
engage  the  professing  Hebrews  to  persevere 


PRACT.  OBS.  V.  14 — 17.  To  avoid  stumbling-blocks  and  offences, 
we  should  ‘follow  peace  with  all  men,’  and  leave  no  proper  means 
untried  to  avoid  contention,  which  numbers  delight  to  kindle,  and  blow 
into  a  flame.  As  far  a9  we  can  go,  without  sacrificing  truth  or  duty,  we 
shall  find,  that  1  peace  with  men,’  of  all  parties  and  descriptions,  will 
be  favorable  to  our  pursuit  of  holiness,  Rom.  12:17 — 21.  without  which 
no  man  of  any  sect  or  sentiment  can  enter  heaven,  or  enjoy  the  favor 
of  God,  or  be  capable  of  delighting  in  Him,  and  liis  presence,  wor¬ 
ship,  and  service. — Those  lax  notions,  especially,  must  be  zealously  op¬ 
posed,  which  give  allowance  to  the  flesh,  from  a  perversion  of  evangel- 

V.  14.  It  should  be  noted,  that  humiliation,  brokenness  of  heart,  and 
proper  affections  towards  the  Lord  Jesus,  are  essential  to  the  holiness 
of  a  redeemed  sinner;  and  all  else,  however  specious,  must  be  counter¬ 
feit,  where  these  are  wanting.  Ps.  1 6: 3 — 11.  Mat.  5:3.  1  Cor. -IS: 8 — 12. 
Jam.  3:13 — IS.  1  John  3:1 — 3.  Rev.  21:22 — 27.  Follow  after.]  Rom. 
9:30,  31.  12:13,  14.  1  Cor.  14:1.  Phil.  3:12.  1  Thes.  5:15.  1  Tim.  6:11. 
2  Tim.  2:22.  1  Pet.  3:11.  Pursue  peace  and  holiness,  as  the  hound  does 
the  hare,  tile  warrior  his  fleeing  enemy,  or  the  persecutor  the  object  of 
his  cruel  enmity.  Jam.  3:13 — 18.  Scott. 

(14.)  ‘  The  writer  now  leaves  the  subject  on  which  he  had  dwelt  so 

long,  and  reminds  the  Hebrews  of  various  duties  to  which  their  Chris¬ 
tian  profession,  and  the  times  in  which  he  lived  rendered  it  necessary 
they  should  pay  particular  regard.’  St. — ‘  By  see  the  Lord  is  meant,  ob¬ 
tain  an  admission  to  heaven.’  Bi.oomf. —Stuart,  here,  comp.  Mat.  5:8. 
also  1  Tlies.  4:17.  2  Cor.  5:3.  rhil.  1:23.  John  11:3,4.  17:24.  Ed. 

V-  15 — 17.  It  behooved  Christians  ‘  to  look  diligently,’  both  to  them¬ 
selves,  and  likewise  to  each  other,  in  respect  of  their  principles  and 
conduct,  ‘lest  anyone  should  fail’  of  an  interest  in  the  special  mercy 
and  favor  of  God,  or  remain  destitute  of  his  sanctifying  grace,  and  so  be 
left  to  apostatize;  3:7 — 13.  4:1,  2.  10:19 — 22.  and  lest  ‘any  root  of  bit¬ 
terness,’  any  tinmortified  lust  in  the  heart,  which  seemed  to  be  dead, 
should  spring  up  and  shoot  forth  its  bitter  and  poisonous  produce. 
Deut.  29:18 — 20.  1  Cor.  5:6— 13.  15:31—34.  2  Tim.  2:14—18.  3:6—9.  For 
instance,  lest  any  one  among  them  should  commit  fornication,  under  a 
mistaken  notion  of  Christian  liberty;  or  lest  there  should  he  some 
‘  profane  ’  person,  who  so  despised  the  peculiar  blessings  of  the  new 
covenant,  as  to  barter  them  away  for  temporal  advantages ;  like  Esau, 
who  for  one  meal  of  meat  sold  his  birthright.  Gen.  25:30 — 34.  and  who, 
when  ‘  afterwards  he  willed  to  inherit  the  blessing,  was  rejected,’  both 
by  the  Lord,  and  by  his  father  Isaac.  Gen.  27:33 — 42.  The  whole  his¬ 
tory  of  Esau  shows,  that  he,  at  that  time  at  least,  neither  truly  repented 
of  all  his  sins,  nor  sought  to  do  it.  But  he  was  grieved  and  vexed  at  be¬ 
ing  circumvented  by  Jacob  ;  he  was  sorry  that  he  had  made  so  foolish  a 
bargain ;  he  coveted  the  temporal  advantages  which  belonged  to  the 
birthright,  especially  the  dominion  over  his  brother;  he  had  altered  his 

[558] 


ieal  principles;  for  ‘a  little  of  this  leaven’  will  suffice  to  ‘leaven  a 
whole  lump.’ — But  the  time  is  at  hand,  when  those,  who  thus  renounce 
or  refuse  the  salvation  of  God,  for  carnal  indulgence  or  interest,  would 
be  glad  to  ‘  inherit  the  blessing,’  and  will  be  rejected  ;  no  place  will  bo 
found  for  reversing  the  fatal  bargain,  though  they  should  ‘seek  it  care¬ 
fully  with  tears ;’  nor  can  any  one,  who  wilfully  rejects  the  Gospel,  or 
deliberately  refuses  to  comply  with  its  exhortations,  for  the  love  of  this 
present  world,  know  to  what  obduracy  and  desperation  he  may  be  given 
up,  in  ilie  righteous  judgment  of  God.  Scott. 


mind  in  that  particular ,  and  he  sought  carefully,  and  with  tears,  to 
induce  Isaac  to  alter  his  purpose,  to  retract  Jacob's  blessing,  and  to  be¬ 
stow  it  on  him  ;  but  lie  sought  this  in  vain,  for  it  was  then  too  late.  The 
bitter,  however,  even  the  change  of  mind  in-Isaac,  which  might  induce 
him  to  retract  the  blessing  pronounced  on  Jacob,  and  to  confer  it  on 
him,  seems  to  be  the  repentance  which  Esau  sought  with  tears. — Thus 
the  time  would  shortly  come,  when  they,  who  refused  spiritual  blessings 
for  the  sake  of  temporal  interests,  would  become  fully  sensible  of  their 
madness  and  folly,  and  would  be  glad  to  reverse  the  fatal  bargain  ;  but 
‘that  must  be  let  alone  for  ever.’  This  xvas  another  awful  warning 
against  apostasy,  but  it  has  no  relation  to  the  case  of  those  who  earn¬ 
estly  desire  and  pray  for  repentance.  6:4 — 8.  10:26 — 31.  Scott. 

(15.)  Grace.]  Some  understand  this  of  Christianity,  or  the  doctrines 
of  the  Gospel ;  but  Stuart  understands  it  of  ‘  that  divine  favor  which  is 
tiie  result  of  holiness,’  and  suggests  the  connexion  and  the  previous  re¬ 
peated  warning  of  the  writer  against  aposlasy  as  a  reason  fot  his  pre¬ 
ference.  Ed. — Looking  diligently,  <fcc.]  ‘  It  was  a  good  remark  of 
Fuller,  “He  need  not  complain  of  too  little  work,  who  hath  a  little 
world  in  himself  to  mend.’”  Mather. 

(16.)  As  Fsau.]  ‘  We  do  not  read  that  Esau  was  a  fornicator;  nor 
does  the  apostle  say  he  was.  By  putting  a  comma  after  fornicator,  and 
by  connecting  the  words,  or  profane  person,  with  what  follows,  Esau  will 
be  called  only  a  profane  person.  This  he  showed  himself  to  be,  by  sell¬ 
ing  his  birthrights  to  Jacob,  who  proposed  it  only  because  lie  had 
heard  him  speak  contemptuously  of  them.  In  Abraham’s  family,  the 
birthright  entitled  to  spiritual  as  well  ns  temporal  privileges,  all  which 

Esau  despised,  as  we  learn  from  Moses.  Gen.  25:32.’  Mackn. _ Stuart 

says,  the  argument  is  from  analogy.  ‘  Let  no  one  give  up  himself  to  the 
gratification  of  his  lusts,  as  Esau  did,  to  the  great  grief  of  ids  father, 
Gen.  26:35.  let  no  one  despise  the  distinguished  privileges  of  Christian¬ 
ity,  as  Esau  did  those  of  his  birthright,  and  parted  with  them  fora  mere 
morsel  of  food.’  p;D 

V.  18—21.  The  apostle  again  returned  to  his  former  position,  that 
the  superior  excellency  of  the  Christian  dispensation  would  render  it 
proporlionably  more  criminal  and  perilous  to  reject  it,  for  his  discourse 


A.  D.  65. 


HEBREWS,  XII. 


Encouragement  to  faith  and  obedience. 


and  that  burned  with  fire,  nor  unto 
blackness,  and  darkness,  and  tem¬ 
pest, 

19  And  the  sound  of  a  trumpet, 
and  the  voice  of  words  ;  which 
* voice  they  that  heard,  entreated 
that  the  word  should  not  be  spoken 
to  them  any  more  ; 

20  (For  they  could  not  endure 
that  which  was  commanded,  And 
?if  so  much  as  a  beast  touch  the 
mountain,  it  shall  be  stoned,  or 
thrust  through  with  a  dart. 

21  And  so  terrible  was  the  sight, 
that  Moses  said,  I  exceedingly  tear 
and  quake  :) 

22  But  ye  are  come  unto  mount 
Sion,  and  unto  the  city  zof  the  liv¬ 
ing  God,  the  heavenly  Jerusalem, 
and  to  an  innumerable  company  of 
*  angels, 

23  To  the  general  assembly  and 
church  of  the  b  first-born,  which  are 
c  written  din  heaven,  and  to  God 
the  e  Judge  of  all,  and  to  the  spirits 
of  just  men  fmade  perfect, 

24  And  to  Jesus  the  mediator  K  of 
the  new  h  covenant,  and  to  the 
blood  ‘of  sprinkling,  that  speaketh 
better  things  than  that  of  >  Abel. 

25  See  that  ye  refuse  not  him 
that  speaketh.  For  if  they  escaped 
not  who  refused  him  that  spake  on 
earth,  much  more  shall  not  we  es¬ 
cape  if  we  turn  away  from  him  that 
speaketh  from  heaven  : 


x  Ex.  20:18.19. 
y  Kx.  19:13,13. 
z  Re.  3:12. 
a  Ps  63:17. 
b  R.-.  11:4. 


c  <rr,  enrolled . 
d  Lu.  10:20. 
e  Ge.  18:25. 

1'  1  Co.  15.49,51. 


Z  c.  8:6. 

Ii  or,  testaneril. 
i  Kx.  *24:8. 

)  Ge.  4:1U. 


in  their  Christian  course  am]  conflict,  and 
not  to  relapse  again  into  Judaism.  This  he 
does  by  showing  them,  how  much  tiie  state 
of  the  gospel-church  differed  from  that  of  the 
Jewish,  and  how  much  it  resembles  the  state 
of  the  church  in  heaven,  and  oa  both  ac¬ 
counts  demands  and  deserves  our  diligence, 
patience,  and  perseverance  in  Christianity. 

I.  How  much  the  gospel-church  differs 
from  the  Jewish  church,  and  how  much  it 
excels.  And  here  we  have  a  very  particular 
description  of  the  state  of  the  church  under 


the  Mosaic  dispensation,  v.  IS — 21.  1.  It 

was  a  gross,  sensible  state.  Mount  >Sinai, 
on  which  that  church  state  was  constituted, 
was  a  mount  that  might  be  touched ,  v.  18.  a 
gross,  palpable  place;  so  was  the  dispensa¬ 
tion.  d'lie  state  of  the  gospel-church  on 
mount  Zion  is  more  spiritual,  rational,  and 
easy.  2.  It  was  a  dark  dispensation.  On 
that  mount  there  were  blackness  and  dark¬ 
ness,  and  that  church  state  was  covered  with 
dark  shadows  and  types  :  the  gospel  state  is 
much  more  clear  and  bright.  3.  It  was  a 
dreadful  and  terrible  dispensation;  the  Jews 
could  not  bear  the  terror  of  it,  v.  19.  The 
gospel-state  is  mild,  kind,  and  condescend¬ 
ing,  suited  to  our  weak  frame.  4.  It  was  a 
limited  dispensation ;  all  might  not  approach 
to  that  mount,  hut  only  Moses  and  Aaron. 
Under  the  Gospel  we  have  all  access  with 
boldness  to  God.  5.  It  was  a  very  danger¬ 
ous  dispensation,  v.  20.  It  is  true,  it  will 
be  always  dangerous  for  presumptuous,  brut¬ 
ish  sinners  to  draw  nigh  to  God  ;  but  it  is 
not  immediate  and  certain  death,  as  here  it 
was.  This  was  the  state  of  the  Jewish 
church,  fitted  to  awe  a  stubborn  and  hard¬ 
hearted  people,  to  set  forth  the  strict  and 
tremendous  justice  of  God,  to  wean  the  peo¬ 
ple  of  God  from  that  dispensation,  and  to 
make  them  more  readily  to  embrace  the 
sweet  and  genlle  economy  of  the  gospel- 
church,  and  adhere  to  it. 

II.  He  shows  how  much  the  gospel-church 
represents  the  church  triumphant  in  heaven; 
what  communication  there  is  between  the 
one  and  the  other.  Mount  Zion  was  the 
hill  on  which  God  sethis  King  the  Messiah. 
Now,  in  coming  to  mount  Zion,  believers 
come  into  heavenly  places,  and  into  a  heav¬ 
enly  society. 

1.  Into  heavenly  places  ;  the  city  of  the 
living  God.  God  has  taken  up  li is  gracious 
residence  in  the  gospel-church,  which,  on 
that  account,  is  an  emblem  of  heaven. 

2.  To  a  heavenly  society,  an  innumerable 
company  of  angels,  who  are  of  the  same  fain- ! 
ily  with  the  saints,  under  the  same  head,  j 
and,  in  a  great  measure,  employed  in  the 
same  work.  These  are  innumerable;  yet, 
for  order  and  union,  a  company,  a  glorious  | 
one.  And  those  who  by  faith  are  joined  to 
the  gospel-church,  are  joined  to  the  angels, 
and  shall  at  lengili  he  like  them,  and  equal 
with  them.  2 b  the  general  assembly  and 
church  of  the  first  born  that  are  written  in  heav-  \ 
en  ;  that  is,  to  the  universal  church,  howev-  j 
er  dispersed.  The  names  of  these  are  writ¬ 
ten  in  heaven,  in  the  records  of  die  church 
there,  written  among  the  living  in  Jerusalem.  * 


lo  God  the  Judge  of  all ;  that  great  God 
who  will  judge  both  Jew  and  Gentile,  ac¬ 
cording  to  the  law  they  are  under.  To  the 
spirits  of  just  men  made  perfect  ;  to  the  best 
sort  of  men,  the  righteous,  and  to  these  in 
then  host  state  made  perfect.  To  Jesus  the 
Mediator  of  the  neu>  covenant ,  and  to  the  blood 
of  sprinkling  that  speaketh  better  tilings  than 
that  of  Abel.  The  gospel-covenant  is  a  new 
covenant,  distinct  from  the  covenant  of 
works,  and  it  is  now  under  a  new  dispen¬ 
sation,  distinct  from  that  of  the  old  Test. 
Christ  is  the  Mediator  of  this  new  covenant; 
the  middle  Person  between  both  parties, — ■ 
God  and  man  ;  at  length  to  bring  God  and 
his  people  together  in  heaven,  and  to  he  a 
Mediator  of  fruition  between  them  for  ever; 
they  beholding  and  enjoying  God  in  Christ, 
and  God  beholding  and  blessing  them  in 
Christ.  This  covenant  is  ratified  by  the 
blood  of  Christ  sprinkled  on  our  consciences, 
as  the  blood  of  the  sacrifice  was  sprinkled 
on  the  altar  and  the  sacrifice.  This  blood 
of  Christ  pacifies  God,  and  purifies  the  con¬ 
sciences  of  men.  This  is  speaking  blood, 
and  it  speaks  better  things  than  that  of 
Abel.  It  speaks  to  God  in  behalf  of  sinners; 
it  pleads  not  for  vengeance,  as  the  blood  of 
Abel  did  on  him  who  shed  it,  but  for  mercy. 
To  sinners,  in  the  name  of  God,  it  speaks 
pardon  to  their  sins,  peace  to  their  souls  ; 
and  bespeaks  their  strictest  obedience,  and 
highest  love  and  thankfulness. 

Now  t he  apostle,  having  thus  enlarged  on 
the  argument  to  perseverance,  taken  from 
the  heavenly  nature  of  the  gospel-church 
state,  closes  the  ch.  by  improving  the  argu¬ 
ment  in  a  manner  suitable  to  the  weight  of 
it,  v.  25.  &c.  Here  observe, 

1.  When  God  speaks  to  men  in  the  most 
excellent  manner,  He  justly  expects  from 
them  the  most  strict  attention  and  regard. 
Now  it  is  in  the  Gospel  God  speaks  in  this 
manner.  For  He  now  speaks  from  a  higher 
and  more  glorious  seat  and  throne,  not  from 
mount  Sinai,  which  was  on  this  earth,  but 
from  heaven.  He  speaks  now  more  imme¬ 
diately  by  his  inspired  Word,  and  by  his 
Spirit,  which  arc  his  witnesses.  He  speaks 
not  now  any  now  thing  to  men,  but  by  his 
Spirit  speaks  the  same  Word  home  to  the 
conscience.  He  speaks  now  more  power¬ 
fully  and  effectually.  Then,  indeed,  his 
voice  shook  the  earth,  hut  now,  by  intro¬ 
ducing  the  gospel-state,  He  hath  shaken 
not  only  the  earth,  but  the  heavens;  not  on¬ 
ly  the  hills  anil  mountains,  or  the  spirits  of 
men,  or  the  civ  il  state  of  the  land  of  Canaan, 
but  the  church,  that  is,  the  Jewish  nation, 


was  equally  soiled  to  warn  avowed  unbelievers,  and  lliose  who  were 
tempted  lo  apostasy.  < Notes,  2:1 — 4.  6:4 — 8.  10:28 — 31.)  He  did  not 
speak  of  the  state  of  individuals,  as  converted  or  unconverted,  bin  of 
the  different  method,  in  which  God  now  spake  lo  the  nation,  from  that 
in  which  he  delivered  the  law  to  their  faihers.  This  he  showed  by  an 
allusion  to  the  two  mountains,  Sinai  and  Zion.  Gut.  4:21 — 31. — The 
whole  of  the  scene  showed  the  impossibility  of  a  sinner’s  coming  before 
God  with  acceptance,  according  to  the  works  of  the  law,  the  highly 
criminal  presumption  of  attempting  it,  and  the  need  of  a  Mediator  and  a 
heller  covenant  ;  and  it  was  to  the  apostle’s  purpose,  to  call  off  the  at- 
tenlion  of  the  Hebrews  from  that  dispensation  to  the  Gospel,  hv  every 
argument  and  illustration  which  could  be  fairly  made  to  bear  on  the 
subject.  Scott. 

(18.)  ‘The  comparison  between  the  two  dispensations  opens  here, 
and  is  continued  to  ihe  end  of  v.  24.  the  whole  passage  has  respect  to 
Hv.  20:21,  <fce.  and  Deut.  4:5.’  Sr. — The  mount'thnt  might  be.  touched  ] 
Some  are  stumbled  here,  as  ihongh  it  should  read,  might  not  be  touched, 
referring  to  the  prohibition,  Ex.  19:13.  mentioned  here  also,  v.  20.  but 
Do’ldr.  remarks,  that  ‘it  is  not  intimated  by  the  expression,  that  the 
mountain  might  lawfully  be  touched;  but  only  that  it  was  the  object 
of  touch,’  or,  as  Stuart  says,  ‘  palpable  to  the  senses.’  Ed. 

(19.  The  voice  of  words.]  ‘  I.  e.  articulate  sounds, — probably  loud, 
like  that  of  a  trumpet.’  Stuart. 

(21.)  Moses  said,  <fcc.]  ‘Not  expressly  mentioned  in  the  O.  Test., 
implied,  however,  Ex.  19:  IG.  where  it  is  said,  “  all  the  people  trembled,” 
and  Moses  was  with  them,  comp.  v.  14.  The  fear  mentioned,  Dent.  9: 
19.  was  on  a  different  occasion.’  In. 

V.  22 — 25.  The  Hebrew  converts  to  Christianity  ought  to.  consider 
themselves,  as  summoned  by  the  preachers  of  the  Gospel,  to  come  to 
‘mount  Zion,’  or  as  actually  convened  there,  to  hear  the  voice  of  God 
from  the  mercy-seat.  They  were,  professedly,  become  inhabitants  of 
‘  ihe  city  of  ihe  living  God,  the  heavenly  Jerusalem,’  the  place  of  the 
Lord's  special  residence  with  his  covenant  people  and  accepted  wor¬ 
shippers,  of  which  Jerusalem  had  been  a  type  ;  at  least  they  were  invited 
to  enter,  and  become  citizens  of  that  favored  city.  This  meant  the 
church  of  Christ  on  earth,  with  all  its  special  privileges,  ordinances,  and 


promises,  as  connected  with  ihe  holy  residence  of  God  in  heaven,  and  as 
continually  transmitting,  to  it  new  inhabitants.  Is.  12:4 — 6.  Gal.  4:21 
— 31.  Rev.  11:1,  2.  14:1 — 5.  21:9 — 27. — This  is  a  most  decisive  proof, 
that  the  souls  of  believers  cnler  into  a  state  o I  perfect  happiness  when 
they  die,  as  far  as  it  can  consist  with  their  state  id'  separation  from  the 
body. — Better  things,  &c.]  While  the  blood  of  Abel  called  from  the 
ground  for  vengeance  on  the  murderer,  Ihe  blood  of  Christ,  applied  in 
faith,  not  only  took  away  the  guilt  of  all  other  sins,  however  atrocious, 
but  even  that  of  being  bis  crucifiers;  as  multitudes  of  the  Hebrews,  es¬ 
pecially,  who  had  been  immediately  concerned  in  that  most  tremendous 
crime,  could  thankfully  witness.  The  national  guilt  of  Israel,  therefore, 
could  not  preclude  them  from  pardon,  through  this  great  atonement; 
and  the  Lord  invited  and  commanded  them,  to  believe  in  ihe  name  of 
his  Son,  and  so  to  share  all  the  before  mentioned  inestimable  privileges. 
Lei  them  therefore  see  to  it,  as  they  valued  his  favor,  and  fearpd  his 
vengeance,  that  they  did  not  ‘  refuse  ’  the  gracious  call  and  proffered 
salvation  of  Him,  who  thus  spake  to  them  from  his  ‘throne  of  grace,’ 
and  by  ‘his  beloved  Son.’  This  plainly  shows,  that,  by  ‘coining  to 
mount  Zion,  .fee.’-  the  apostle  did  not  mean  being  true  believers ,  hut 
having  the  Gospel  proposed  to  them,  or  having  made  a  profession  of  it. 
They  might  therefore  be  said  to  ‘  refuse,’  and  to  ‘  turn  away  ’  from  God, 
whether  they  rejected  his  invitation,  or  after  a  time  became  apostates 
from  Christianity  ;  but  men  cannot  be  said  to  refuse  what  was  never 
proposed  to  them.  Scott. 

(22.)  Innumerable  company,  Ac.]  ‘And  to  myriads,  the  joyful  com¬ 
pany  of  angels. — The  mention  of  such  an  assembly  of  angels,  shows, 
the  writer  intends  to  describe  the  objects  of  the  invisible  world,  ns  seen 
with  the  eye  of  faith  ;  not  things  palpable,  not  the  objects  of  sense,  st. 

(24  )  The  blood  of  sprinkling.]  Stuart ,  Ros.,  and  Bloomf.  seem 
evidently  to  understand  the  allusion  to  the  blood  of  Christ.—  1  ban,  <vc.j 
Here.  Dnddr.  too,  understands  literally  the  blood  of  Abel.  And  /cox.  ex¬ 
plains  :  ‘  The  blood  of  Abel  calls  for  vengeance,  but  that  or  Clmst  for 
pardon.  Christ  intercedes  for  us,  and  saves  us  everlastingly.  'u- 

(25.)  Him  that  speaketh .]  1.  e.  Christ.  So  Bloom/,  and  Stuart. 

Him  that  spake  on  earth  and  was  refused,  they  both  also  understand  of 
Moses.  And  Stuart  remarks,  that  ‘  the  legislator,  or  head  of  euch^s- 


A.  D.  65. 


HEBREWS,  XIII. 


26  Whose  voice  then  shook  the 
earth  :  but  now  he  hath  promised, 
saying,  k  Yet  once  rrtore  I  shake  not 
the  earth  only,  but  also  heaven. 

27  And  this  word,  Yet  once  more, 
signifieth  the  removing  of‘  those 
things  that 1  are  shaken,  as  of  things 
that  are  made,  that  those  things 
which  cannot  be  shaken  may  re¬ 
main. 

28  Wherefore  we  receiving  a 
kingdom  which  cannot  be  moved, 
let  us  m  have  grace,  whereby  we 
may  serve  God  acceptably  with 
reverence  and  godly  fear  : 

29  For  n  our  God  is  a  consuming 
fire. 

CHAP.  XIII. 

1  Divers  admonitions,  as  to  charity,  4  to  honest  life,  5  to 
avoid  covetousness,  7  to  regard  God’s  preachers,  9  to 
take  heed  of  strange  doctrines,  10  to  con  less  Christ,  16 
to  give  alms,  17  to  obey  governors,  18  to  pray  for  the 
apostle.  20  The  conclusion. 

ET  brotherly  Move  continue. 

2  Be  not  forgetful  to  entertain 
strangers  :  for  thereby  some  b  have 
entertained  angels  unawares. 

3  Remember  them  that  are  in 
c  bonds,  as  bound  with  them  ;  and 
them  which  suffer  adversity,  as 
being  yourselves  also  in  the  body. 

k  Hag.  2:6.  ti  De.  4:24.  '  b  Gc.  13:3.  19:2. 

1  or,  may  be.  a  I  Pe.  1:22.  c  Mat.  25:36. 

in  holdfast.  1  Jn.  4:7,20. 


anti  them  in  their  church-state,  which  was, 
in  Old  Test,  times,  a  heaven  on  earth;  this, 
their  heavenly,  spiritual  state,  He  hath  now 
shaken.  It  is  by  the  Gospel  from  heaven 
that  God  shook  to  pieces  the  civil  and  eccle¬ 
siastical  state  of  the  Jewish  nation,  and  in¬ 
troduced  a  new  state  of  the  church,  that  can¬ 
not  be  removed,  shall  never  be  changed  for 
any  othei  on  earth,  but  shall  remain  till  it 
be  made  perfect  in  heaven. 

2.  When  God  speaks  to  men  in  the  most 
excellent  manner,  the  guilt  of  those  who  re¬ 
fuse  Him  is  the  greater,  and  their  punish¬ 
ment  will  be  more  unavoidable  and  intolera¬ 
ble  ;  there  is  no  escaping,  no  bearing  it, 
v.  25.  The  glory  of  the  Gospel,  which 
should  greatly  recommend  it  to  our  regard, 


appears  in  these  three  things  ;  (1.)  That 
the  former  dispensation  and  state  of  the 
church  of  God  were  shaken  and  removed  ; 
(2.)  That  a  new  kingdom  is  erected  for  God 
in  the  world,  which  can  never  be  so  shaken 
as  to  be  removed.  (3.)  This  change  is  made 
once  for  all  ;  we  have  now  received  a  king¬ 
dom  that  shall  never  be  removed,  never  give 
way  to  any  new  dispensation.  The  gospel- 
church  may  be  enlarged,  and  purified,  but 
it  shall  never  be  altered  for  another  :  they 
who  perish  under  the  Gospel, perish  without 
remedy.  Hence  the  apostle  justly  concludes, 
[1.]  How  necessary  it  is  for  us  to  obtain 
grace  from  God,  to  serve  Him  acceptably  :  il 
wo  be  not  accepted  of  God  under  this  dispen¬ 
sation,  we  shall  never  be  accepted  at  all; 
and  we  cannot  worship  God  acceptably ,  un¬ 
less  we  worship  Him  with  godly  reverence 
and  fear.  As  faith,  so  holy  fear,  is  neces¬ 
sary  to  acceptable  worship.  It  is  only  the 
grace  of  God  that  enables  us  to  worship  God 
in  a  right  manner  :  nature  cannot  come  up 
to  it  ;  it  can  produce  neither  that  precious 
faith  nor  that  holy  fear,  that  are  necessary 
to  acceptable  worship.  God  is  the  same  just 
and  righteous  God  under  the  gospel,  that  He 
appeared  to  be  under  the  law;  and  He  will 
avenge  Himself  on  all  the  despisers  of  his 
grace,  and  on  all  apostates  ;  nay,  under  the 
gospel,  the  justice  of  God  is  displayed  in  a 
more  awful  manner,  though  not.  in  so  sensi¬ 
ble  a  manner  as  under  the  law;  for  here  we 
behold  divine  justice  seizing  on  the  Lord 
Jesus  Christ,  and  making  Him  a  propitiatory 
Sacrifice,  his  soul  and  body  an  offering  for 
sin  ;  which  is  a  display  of  justice  far  be¬ 
yond  what  was  seen  and  heard  o:i  muunt 
Sinai,  when  the  law  was  given. 


Chap.  XIII.  The  apostle,  having  treat¬ 
ed  largely  of  Christ,  and  faith,  and  free 
grace,  and  gospel-privileges,  and  warned 
the  Hebrews  against  apostasy,  now,  in  the 
close  of  all,  recommends  several  excellent 
duties  to  them,  as  the  proper  fruits  of  faith; 
then  bespeaks  their  prayers  for  him,  and 
offers  up  his  prayers  to  God  for  them,  gives 
them  some  hope  of  seeing  hintselfand  Tim¬ 
othy,  and  ends  with  the  general  salutation 
and  benediction. 

V.  1 — 17.  The  design  of  Christ  in  giv¬ 
ing  Himself  for  us, \s, that  He  may  purchase 
to  Himself  a  peculiar  people,  zealous  of  good 
works.  Now  the  apostle  calls  the  believing 
Hebrews  to  the  performance  of  many  excel¬ 


JVhat  service  is  acceptable  to  God. 

lent  duties,  in  which  it  becomes  Christians 
to  excel. 

1.  To  brotherly  love,  Vi  I.  by  which  lie 
means,  not  only  a  general  aflection  to  all 
men,  as  our  brethren  by  nature,  but  that  spe¬ 
cial  and  spiritual  affection  which  ought  to 
be  among  the  children  of  God.  (1.)  It  is 
here  supposed,  that  the  Hebrews  bad  this 
love  one  for  another  ;  though,  at  this  time, 
that  nation  was  miserably  divided  and  dis¬ 
tracted  among  themselves,  both  about  mat¬ 
ters  of  religion  and  the  civil  state.  The 
spirit  of  Christianity  is  a  spirit  of  love  ; 
faith  works  by  love  ,'  the  true  religion  is  the 
strongest  bond  of  friendship;  if  it  be  not  so, 
it  lias  its  name  for  nothing.  (2.)  This  broth¬ 
erly  love  was  in  danger  of  being  lost,  and 
that,  in  a  time  of  persecution,  when  it  would 
be  most  necessary  ;  it  was  in  danger  of  be¬ 
ing  lost  by  disputes  about  the  respect  they 
ought  still  to  have  to  the  ceremonies  of  the 
Mosaic  law.  Disputes  about  religion  too 
often  produce  a  decay  of  Christian  affection  ; 
bat  this  must  lie  guarded  against,  and  all 
proper  means  used  to  preserve  brotherly  love. 

2.  To  hospitality,  i>.  2.  We  must  add  to 
brotherly  kindness,  charity.  Where  observe, 
(1.)  The  duty  required, — to  entertain  strang¬ 
ers,  both  strangers  to  the  commonwealth  of  Is¬ 
rael,  and  strangers  to  our  pet  sons ;  especially 
those  who  know  themselves  to  be  strangers 
here,  and  are  seeking  another  country ;  which 
js  the  case  of  the  people  of  God,  and  was  so 
at  this  time.  (2.)  The  motive, — thereby  some 
have  entertained  angels  unawares  ;  so  Abra- 
li«in  did,  Gen.  18.  and  Lot,  Gen  19.  and  one 
of  those  Abraham  entertained  was  the  Son 
of  God  ;  and  though  we  cannot  suppose  this 
will  ever  be  our  case,  yet  what  we  do  to 
strangers,  in  obedience  to  Him,  He  will 
reckon  and  reward  as  dune  to  Himself,  Mat. 
25:  35. 

3.  To  Christian  sympathy,  v.  3.  Where 
observe,  (1.)  The  duty, — to  remember  those 
that  are  in  bonds  and  in  adversity.  God  often 
orders  it  so,  that,  while  some  Christians  and 
churches  are  in  adversity,  others  enjoy  peace 
and  liberty  ;  and  tliose-tlmt  are  themselves 
at  liberty,  must  sympathize  with  those  that 
are  in  bonds  and  adversity,  as  if  bound  with 
them  in  the  same  chain  :  they  must  feel  the 
sufferings  of  their  brethren.  (2.)  The  reason 
of  the  duty, — as  being  yourselves  in  the  body  ; 
not  only  in  the  body  natural,  and  so  liable  to 
the  like  sufferings;  but  in  the  same  mystical 
body,  under  the  same  Head  ;  and  if  one 


PR  ACT.  OBS.  V.  18 — 29.  We  have  abundant  cause  for  joy  and 
gratitude,  that  we  are  not  left  under  the  terror  and  curse  of  tile  broken 
covenant  of  works,  or  under  the  darkness  of  the  legal  dispensation. 
Let  all  then  see  to  it,  thnt  •  they  do  not  refuse  Him,  who  speaketh  to 
them  from  heaven,’  with  infinite  tenderness  and  love,  lest  they  should 

pensation,  is  introduced,  as  the  person  who  addresses  the  laws  or  warn¬ 
ings  of  God  to  men.’  Ed. 

V.  26 — 29.  The  voice  of  Jehovah,  front  mount  Sinai,  had  been  at¬ 
tended  with  tremendous  earthquakes  and  convulsions;  but  many  ages 
after  that  transaction,  in  an  express  prediction  of  the  Messiah,  God  had. 
foretold,  that  He  would  ‘once  more  shake  the  earth  and  the  heavens 
also;’  Hag.  2:6 — 9.  meaning,  that  He  would  unhinge  the  whole  civil  and- 
ecclesiastical  stale  of  the  Jews,  and  abolish  the  Mosaic  dispensation,  in 
order  to  make  way  for  the  kingdom  of  Christ.  . .  .  The  apostle  evident¬ 
ly  meant  some  of  his  expressions  for  one  description  of  readers,  and 
others,  for  those  of  a  different  character ;  though  he  left  each  to  make 
the  application  to  himself:  but  he  peculiarly  aimed  to  convince  his 
countrymen,  that  unbelievers  among  them  were  doomed  to  the  most 
tremendous  vengeance  of  God,  both  national  and  personal,  from  which 
there  could  be  no  escape,  except  by  believing  in  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ, 
and  cleaving  to  Him.  —  '26)  Yet  once,  &c.)  The  quotation  varies  both 
from  the  Sept,  and  the  Heb.  In  the  latter  it  is,  ‘  Yet  once,  I  will  shake 
the  heaven  and  the  earth,  <fcc.’  ’  Scott. 

(26,  27.)  ‘  Yet  once  more ,  <fcc.  is  from  Hag.  and  respects  the  changes 
which  would  be  introduced  by  the  coming  of  the  Messiah.  The  lan¬ 
guage  which  had  been  literally  applied  to  the  quaking  of  Sinai,  when 
the  law  was  given,  is  now  figuratively  applied,  in  the  usual  scriptural 
way,  to  denote  a  great  change  of  a  moral  nature.’  Stuart. 

(28.)  Serve.  God  acceptably .]  ‘  How  full  of  devices  are  we  for  our 
own  secular  advantage  !  how  expert  in  devising  many  little  things  to 
be  done  for  ourselves  !  But,  O  !  rational,  immortal,  heaven-born  soul, 

are  thy  wondrous  faculties  capable  of  no  greater  improvements, _ 

no  better  employments?  Oh,  let  a  blush,  deeper  than  scarlet,  be  thy 
clothing,  for  being  found  so  meanly  occupied.  Hast  thou  no  disposition 
to  raise  thy  soul  to  some  such  thoughts  as  these :  what  may  be  done 
for  God,  for  Christ,  for  my  own  soul,  and  for  the  most  important  inter¬ 
ests  of  mankind  ?  How  many  hundreds  of  thoughts  have  we  for  our¬ 
selves,  to  one  for  God,  his  cause,  his  people  in  the  world  !’  Mather. 

[560]  . 


fall  from  a  greater  height  of  privilege  to  a  more  tremendous  depth  of 
condemnation,  than  ancient  rebels  did;  for  how  can  they  escape,  xvho 
turn  away  from  God  in  unbelief  or  apostasy,  whilst  He  so  graciously 
‘beseeches  them  to  be  reconciled  to  Him,’  and  to  accept  of  his  everlast¬ 
ing  favor  ?  Scott. 

NOTES.  Chap.  XIII.  V.  1 — 3.  The  Hebrew  converts,  after  the 
day  of  Pentecost,  abounded  in  love  to  each  other,  and  in  all  the  fruiis  of 
this  holy  affection;  (Notes,  Acts  2:42 — 47.  4:32 — 35.)  hut  many  things 
would  naturally  occur  to  interrupt  that  entire  harmony,  and  to  stop  the 
current  of  that  liberality,  which  they  at  first  showed.  It  was  therefore 
peculiarly  proper  for  tiie  apostle  to  exhort  them  to  ‘let  brotherly  love 
continue,’  and  to  avoid  everything  which  interfered  with  their  perse¬ 
vering  attention  to  peace,  kindness,  and  reciprocal  affection,  as  became 
children  of  one  family,  and  heirs  of  the  same  inheritance.  He  likewise 
meant  to  excite  them  to  ‘  brotherly  love  ’  towards  the  Gentile  converts, 
against  whom  they  were  generally  in  some  degree  prejudiced.  Rph.  2: 
11 — 22.  3:1 — 7.  4:1 — 6. — It  has  been  shown,  that  one  of  the  three  who 
came  to  Abraham  was  called  Jehovah,  and  was  doubtless  the  eternal 
Word  and  Son  of  God  ;  but  it  was  not  necessary  for  the  apostle  to  ad¬ 
vert  to  that  circumstance,  when  he  merely  suggested  a  hint  on  the  sub¬ 
ject. — It  could  not  indeed  be  expected,  that  the  Hebrews  would  literally 
be  visited  by  angels,  in  the  form  of  strangers. — All  captives  and  afflicted 
persons  might  be  included  in  the  exhortation;  but  ‘  the  household  of 
faith  ’  was  specially  intended.  Scott. 

(I.)  Let  brotherly  love  continue.]  ‘  To  cultivate  affection,  is  not 
to  strive  to  excite  it  by  any  direct  effort  of  abstract  thinking,  but  to 
show  by  the  whole  tenor  of  a  life  of  disinterested  goodness,  that  our 
happiness  is  really  promoted  by  seeking  the  happiness  of  another. 
[Note,  1  John  5:7 — 13.]  It  consists  in  restraining  our  passions,  in  sub¬ 
duing  our  selfishness,  in  quieting  our  irritability,  in  eradicating  from  our 
minds  everything  which  could  give  pain  to  an  ingenuous  spirit;  and  in 
cherishing  a  spirit  of  meekness,  forbearance,  forgiveness,  and  of  active, 
cheerful,  and  incessant  desire  for  the  happiness  of  those  whom  we  love. 
At  no  less  price  than  this  can  affection  be  purchased,  and 

THOSE  WHO  ARE  WILLING  TO  PURCHASE  IT  AT  THIS  PRICE,  WILL 
RARELY  HAVE  REASON  TO  COMPLAIN  OF  THE  WANT  OF  IT.’  Law  of 
Marriage,  Etta.  Mur.  Sci.'  [‘He  that  hath,’  or  would  have  ‘friends, 
must  show  himself  friendly.’  Prov.J  Wayland. 


A.  D.  65. 


HEBREWS,  XIII. 


Excellent  duties  recommended. 


4  Marriage  d  is  honorable  in  all, 
and  the  bed  undefiled:  but 'whore¬ 
mongers  and  adulterers  God  will 
judge. 

5  Let  your  conversation  be  with¬ 
out  covetousness  ;  and  be  content 
fwith  such  things  as  ye  have  :  for 
he  hath  said,  *  1  will  never  leave 
thee,  nor  forsake  thee. 

6  So  that  we  may  boldly  say, 
bThe  Lord  is  my  helper,  and  I  will 
not  fear  what  man  shall  do  unto 
me. 

7  Remember  them  which  ‘have 
the  rule  over  you,  who  have  spoken 
unto  you  the  word  of  God  :  whose 
faith  j  follow,  considering  the  end 
of  their  conversation  : 

8  Jesus  Christ,  the  same  k  yester¬ 
day,  and  to-day,  and  for  ever. 

[ Practical  Observations.] 


d  Pr.  5:15—23. 
c  1  Co  6:9. 

Re.  22:15. 
f  Mat.  6:25,34. 


g  fie.  28:15.  De.  i  or,  arc  the 
31:6,  8.  1  Ch.  guides. 

28:20  j  c.  6:12. 

h  Ps.  27:1.  k  Re.  1:4. 


member  suffer,  all  the  rest  suffer  with  it,  1  Cor. 
12:26.  It  would  be  unnatural  in  Christians 
not  to  bear  each  other's  burdens. 

4.  To  purity  and  chastity,  v.  4.  Here 
you  have,  (1.)  A  recommendation  of  God’s 
ordinance  of  marriage,  that  it  is  honorable  in 
all,  and  ought  to  be  so  esteemed  by  all,  and 
not  denied  to  those  to  whom  God  has  not 
denied  it;  it  is  honorable,  for  God  instituted 
it  for  man  in  paradise,  knowing  it  was  not 
good  for  him  to  be  alone  ;  he  married  and 
blessed  the  first  couple,  the  first  parents  of 
mankind,  to  direct  all  to  look  unto  God  in 


that  great  concern,  and  to  marry  in  the  Lord. 
Christ  honored  marriage  with  his  presence 
and  first  miracle  ;  it  is  honorable,  as  a  mean 
to  prevent  impurity  and  a  defiled  bed  ;  it  is 
honorable  and  happy,  when  persons  come  to¬ 
gether  pure  and  chaste,  and  preserve  the 
marriage  bed  undefiled,  not  only  from  unlaw¬ 
ful,  but  inordinate  affections.  (2.)  A  dread¬ 
ful  but  just  censure  of  impurity  and  lewdness ; 
whoremongers  and  adulterers  God  will  judge. 
God,  who  knows  them’,  and  will  call  such 
sins  by  their  proper  names,  no!  by  the  names 
of  love  and  gallantry,  but  of  whoredom  and 
adultery;  whoredom  in  the  single  state,  and 
adultery  in  the  married.  He  will  bring  them 
into  judgment.  He  will  judge  them,  either  by 
their  own  consciences  here,  or  at  his  tribu¬ 
nal  at  death,  and  in  the  last  day  ;  He  will 
convict  them,  condemn  them,  and  cast  them 
out  for  ever,  if  they  die  under  the  guilt  of 
this  sin. 

5.  To  Christian  contentment,  v.  5,  6. 
H  ere  observe,  (1.)  The  sin  that  is  contrary 
to  this  grace  and  duty, — covetousness,  an  over 
eager  desire  of  the  wealth  of  this  world,  en¬ 
vying  those  who  have  more  than  we;  this  sin 
we  must  not  allow,  but  root  it  out  of  our 
souls.  (2.)  The  duty  and  grace  is  contrary 
to  covetousness  ;  being  satisfied  and  pleased 
with  such  things  as  we  have  ;  present  things, 
for  past  things  cannot  be  recalled,  and  future 
things  are  only  in  the  hand  of  God  ;  what 
God  gives  us  from  day  to  day,  we  must  be 
content  with  it,  though  it  fall  short  of  what 
we  have  enjoyed  heretofore,  and  come 
not  up  to  our  expectations  for  the  future  ; 
we  must  be  content  with  our  present  lot,  bring 
our  minds  to  our  present  condition, and  this 
is  the  sure  way  to  contentment  ;  and  they 
who  cannot,  do  it,  would  not  be  contented. 
though  God  should  raise  their  condition  to 


t 


i 


their  minds,  for  the  mind  would  rise  with 
the  condition.  Hainan  was  the  great  court- 
favorite,  and  yet  not  contented  ;  Ahab,  on 
the  throne,  and  yet  not  contented  ;  Adam, 
in  paradise,  and  yet  not  contented;  yea,  the 
angels,  in  heaven,  and  yet  not  contented  ; 
but  Paul,  though  abased  and  empty,  bad 
learned  in  every  state,  in  any  state,  therewith 
to  be  content.  (3.)  What  reason  Christians 
have  to  be  contented  with  their  present  lot  : 
God  hath  said,  I  will  never  leave  thee,  nor  for¬ 
sake  thee,  v.  5,  6.  This  was  said  to  Joshua, 
ch.  1:  5.  but  belongs  to  all  the  faithful  ser¬ 
vants  of  God.  This  promise  contains  the 
sum  and  substance  of  all  the  promises  ;  I 
will  never,  no,  never  leave  thee,  nor  ever  for¬ 
sake  thee.  Here  are  no  less  than  five  nega¬ 
tives  heaped  together,  to  confirm  the  prom¬ 
ise;  the  true  believer  shall  have  the  gracious 
presence  of  God  with  him  in  life,  at  death, 
and  for  ever.  From  this  comprehensive 
promise  they  may  assure  themselves  of  help 
from  God,t>.  6.  Men  can  do  nothing  against 
God,  and  God  can  make  all  that  men  do 
against  his  people,  to  turn  to  their  good. 

6.  To  the  duty  Christians  owe  to  their 
ministers,  both  those  that  are  dead,  and 
those  yet  alive. 

(I.)  To  those  that  are  dead,  v.  7.  Here 
observe.  The  description  given  of  them  ; 
they  were  their  guides  and  governors,  not 
according  to  their  own  will,  but  the  Word 
of  God  ;  not  at  a  distance,  and  by  proxy, 
but  by  personal  presence  and  instruction. 
The  duty  owing  to  them,  even  when  dead  ; 

‘  Remember  them  ;  their  preaching,  praying, 
private  counsel,  example.’  ‘ Follow  llieir/aztA 
steadfastly,  profess  it,  and  labor  after  the 
grace  of  it.  Consider  the  end  of  their  conver¬ 
sation,  how  quickly,  how  comfortably,  how 
joyfully,  they  finished  their  course  !  ’ 


PRACT.  OBS.  V.  1 — 8.  ‘Brotherly  love’  tends,  in  such  various 
ways,  to  the  benefit  of  the  church,  the  comfort  of  believers,  and  the 
honor  of  the  Gospel ;  that  the  enemy  of  our  souls  endeavors,  by  every 
mean,  to  interrupt  its  exercise,  and  to  work  on  the'remains  of  our  cor¬ 
rupt  affections,  for  that  purpose,  with  a  vast  variety  of  most  subtle  ar¬ 
tifices,  against  which  we  should  lie  perpetually  on  our  guard.  Hence  it 
is,  that  so  little  of  this  love  is  found  in  the  church,  though  so  much  is 
read  concerning  it  in  the  Scriptures  ;  and  that  so  many  divisions  and 
controversies  prevail  among  those,  who  seem,  in  a  measure,  to  have 
been  taught  of  God  to  love  their  brethren  !  John  13:31 — 35.  17:20 — 23. 
1  Thes.  4:9— 12.  1  John  2:7—11.  3:11—24.  4:9— 12.— Defilement  and 
dishonor  spring  from  contrariety  to  the  law  of  God,  which  is  perfectly 


suited  to  promote  our  present  and  future  welfare.  But  God  does,  in 
ttiis  world,  severely  mark  his  abhorrence  of  those  forbidden  lusts,  to 
which  the  depravity  of  the  human  heart  leads  such  vast  multitudes; 
Gen.  2:24.  1  Cor.  6:18— 20.  and  He  will  surely  condemn  every  impeni¬ 
tent  fornicator  and  adulterer  at  the  day  of  judgment  ;  whatever  dis¬ 
guise  or  excuse  he  may  here  use  to  cioke  his  wickedness. — Christians, 
whether  poor  or  rich,  should,  in  all  their  words  and  actions,  show,  that 
they  ‘  abhor  covetousness.’ — The  instructions  and  example  of  ministers, 
who  have  honorably  and  comfortably  closed  their  testimony,  should  lie 
peculiarly  remembered  by  their  survivors.  But  Jesus  alone  is  an  ever- 
iiving  Friend,  ‘  the  same  yesterday,  to-day,  and  for  ever.’  Scott. 


V.  4.  Many  expositors,  particularly  those  of  the  church  of  Rome, 
explain  this  as  an  exhortation  ;  ‘  Let  marriage  be  honorable  in  all  things , 
«fcc.’  and  doubtless  the  apostle  meant,  that  it  ought  to  he  entered  into, 
nnd  behaved  in,  according  to  the  holy  commandments  of  God  ;  that  it 
might  be  honorable  to  the  persons  themselves,  anil  to  their  profession 
of  the  Gospel ;  as  well  as  that  the  state  should  he  had  in  honor,  and 
considered  as  undefiled.  The  particle  but,  however,  introducing  the 
second  clause,  shows  that  his  primary  meaning  was  to  nssert,  that 
‘  marriage’  in  itself  ‘  was  honorable  in  all’  things,  and  in  all  persons; 
for  lie  contrasls  marriage  with  the  conduct  of  fornicators  and  adulte¬ 
rers,  whom  God  will  certainty  judge,  and  condemn  for  their  violations 
of  his  law.  1  Cor.  5:9 — 13.  6:9 — 11.  Gal.  5:19 — 21.  Eph.  5:3 — 7.  Rev. 
21:5 — 8.  22:14,  15.  Some  persons,  in  the  primitive  times,  contended  for 
the  lawfulness  of  fornication ;  and  most  abominable  sentiments  and 
practices,  in  respect  of  polygamy  and  divorces,  prevailed,  not  only 
among  the  Gentiles,  lint  even  to  an  astonishing  degree  among  the  Jews; 
while,  on  the  other  hand,  some  of  both,  and  of  the  Christians,  condemned 
marriage,  or  at  least  deemed  it  a  less  holy  state  than  celibacy.  This 
‘  mystery  of  iniquity,’  very  early  began  to  work  ;  and  the  apostle,  in  a 
few  most  expressive  words,  guarded  against  both  the  extremes,  which 
experience  has  always  proved  to  he,  in  different  forms,  but  almost 
equally,  destructive  to  morality,  the' welfare  of  society,  ami  the  purity 
ofreligion.  Gen.  2:21 — 24.  1  Tim.  4:1 — 5.  Scott. 

(4.)  Marriage,  Sec  ]  Stuart  and  Mackil.  render  it;  Let  marriage, 
&c.;  but  Doddr.  says,  the  connexion  of  the  latter  clause  introduced  by  the 
particle,  but,  is  sufficient  to  vindicate  our  version.  Ed. 

V.  5,  G.  The  Hebrews  were  generally  poor;  many  had  sold  their 
estates  to  relieve  their  brethren,  after  (lie  day  of  Pentecost  ;  and  the 
goods  of  others  had  been  plundered  by  their  persecutors.  (10:34.) — The 
apostle  had  strenuously  exerted  himself  to  procure  them  a  liberal  relief 
from  the  Gentile  churches;  Rom.  15:22—29.  2  Cor.  8:  9.  hut  he  here 
exhorts  them,  to  let  their  whole  conduct,  discourse,  ami  manner  of  life, 
be  evidently  at  a  distance  from  ‘covetousness;’  neither  being  anxious 
about  getting  money,  to  lay  up,  or  to  expend  in  superfluities  ;  lior  yet  to 
be  tenacious  of  what  they  had,  or  averse  to  lay  it  out  for  valuable  pur¬ 
poses.  I  will  never  leave,  &c.j  The  emphasis  of  the  original  words 
can  scarcely  be  retained  in  a  translation,  though  nearly  the  same  words 
are  used  in  several  parts  of  the  Scripture.  Mare:.  Ref.  1. — They,  how¬ 
ever,  evidently  show  that  every  believer,  in  similar  circumstances,  may 
rely  on  the  promises  made  specially  to  any  person,  as  recorded  in  the 
Scripture.  The  quotation  gives  the  genera)  meaning  conveyed  ill  tile 
Sept,  but  in  very  different  words.  Dent.  31:3 — 8.  Scott. 

(5.)  /  will  never  leave,  &c.]  Doddr.  renders  or  paraphrases  :  ‘  I 

will  not,  I  will  not  leave  thee,  I  will  never,  never,  never  forsake  thee.' 

N.  T.  VOL.  V.  71 


Ed. — ‘  In  English,  two  negatives  are  equivalent  to  an  affirmative,  and 
destroy  eacii  other.  But  not  so  in  Greek.  They  strengthen  each  other  ; 
and  a  third  makes  it  stronger  still,  and  so  a  fourth  and  fifth.  Here  is  a 
case,  connected  with  a  promise,  one  of  the.  “exceeding  great  and  pre¬ 
cious  promises.”  We  translate  but  two  of  them.  Now,  they  need  not 
all  have  been  there.  They  are  not  all  necessary  to  express  the  simple 
idea,  that  God  will  never  forsake  his  people.  There  must  have  been  de¬ 
sign  in  multiplying  them.  God  meant  to  be  believed  in  that  thing,  and 
would  secure  the  confidence  of  his  people.  He  knew  how  prone  they 
were  to  doubt  his  constancy, — how  strongly  inclined  to  that  form  of 
unbelief,  and  how  liable  to  he  harassed  by  lift;  dread  of  being  forsaken  by 
Him.  How  in  earnest  God  appears  to  be  in  this  matter  !  Ilow  un¬ 
worthy  his  children  to  suspect  that  He  will  forsake  them  !’ 

Rev.  Dr.  W.  Nevins. 

V.  7,  8.  The  same  yesterday ,  &c.]  The  expression  seems  to  he  a 
periphrasis  of  immutability,  a  divine  attribute  incommunicable  to  a 
mere  creature;  his  Person  is  as  immutable  ns'his  doctrine,  his  justice 
and  holiness,  as  his  mercy  and  truth  ;  and  all  kinds  of  persons  will  meet 
a  Judge  exactly  of  the  same  character,  as  He  manifested  when  He  ap¬ 
peared  on  earth  as  a  Savior.  The  Hebrews  might,  therefore,  confide  in 
Him,  to  support  and  comfort  them  under  their  sufferings  for  his  sake ; 
even  as  He  Had  supported  those,  who  'had  so  happily  finished  their 
course.  Scott. 

(7.)  Whose  faith  follow.}  Or,  as  Mackn.  and  ■M'Le.an,  ‘  of  whose 
conversation  attentively  considering  the  ending,  or  close,  imitate  their 
faith.’  And  M'Lcan  continues;  ‘This  is  Hie  strong  argument  to  imitate 
their  faith  ;  that  though  they  were  dead  and  gone,  Jesus  Christ  in  whom 
these  holy  men  believed,  continues  still  the  same  to-day  as  He  was 
then  ;  atul  shall  for  ever  continue  the  same  all-sufficient  Savior,  to  the 
end  of  time.’  So,  Williams  remarks,  that  t he  immutability  of  Christ  is 
tints  used,  as  an  argument  against  vacillation  or  wavering  in  opinion. 


(C.)  ‘  There  is  nothing  in  the  argument  to  liar  our  understanding  the 

passage,  ns  referring  primarily  to  the  Person  of  Christ;  and,  in  the 
phraseology,  there  is  a  reason,  which  I  think  of  weight  sufficient  to  he 
decisive.  This  is  the  adoption  of  the  same  phrase  which,  at  the  com¬ 
mencement  of  the  epistle,  had  been  employed  to  express  the  abs ol utc 
unchangeableness  of  God;  “Thou  art  the  same,  &c.  Heb.  1:12.  J.  J. 
Smith.— Some  understand  this  of' the  doctrines  of  Christ,  but  Olliers, 
more  justly,  so  Mackn.,  Stuart,  and  Schulz,  of  the  nature  ot  Christ ;  and 
Bloom},  agrees  with  Slade,  that  the  words  are  to  be  referred  both  to  the 
preceding  alid  following  vs.  nnd  to  be  understood  of  the  natuic  a  id  ob¬ 
ject  of  the  Hebrews'  faith,  as  well  as  of  the  doctrines  of  their  religion. 


[561] 


A.  D.  65. 


HEBREWS,  XIII. 


Urgent  exhortation  to  follow  Christ. 


9  Be  1  not  carried  about  with  di¬ 
vers  and  strange  doctrines:  for  it  is 
a  good  thing  that  the  heart  be  estab- 
lished  with  grace  ;  not  with  meats, 
which  have  not  profited  them  that 
have  been  occupied  therein. 

10  We  have  an  altar,  whereof 
they  have  no  right  to  eat  which 
serve  the  tabernacle. 

11  For  the  bodies  of  those  beasts, 
whose  blood  is  brought  into  the 
sanctuary  by  the  high  priest  for 
sin,  are  burned  m  without  the  camp. 

12  Wherefore  Jesus  also,  that 
he  might  sanctify  the  people  with 
his  own  blood,  suffered  without 
“  the  gate. 

13  Let  us  go  forth  therefore  unto 
him  without  the  camp,  bearing  °his 
reproach  : 

14  For  here  p  have  we  no  con¬ 
tinuing  city,  but  we  seek  one  to 
come. 

15  By  him  1  therefore  let  us  offer 
the  sacrifice  of  praise  to  God  con¬ 
tinually,  that  is,  the  fruit  r  of  our 
lips,  ’giving  thanks  to  his  name. 

16  But  to  do  good,  and  to  'com¬ 
municate,  forget  not:  for  with  such 
“sacrifices  God  is  well  pleased. 

17  Obey  v  them  that  vv  have  the 
rule  over  you,  and  submit  your¬ 
selves  :  for  they  watch-"  for  your 
souls,  as  they  that  must  give  ac¬ 
count;  that  they  may  do  it  with 
joy,  and  not  with  grief :  for  that  is 
unprofitable  for  you. 


i  1  Jn.  4:1. 
in  Le.  16:27. 
n  Jn.  19:17,18. 
o  Ac.  5:41. 
p  Mic.  2:10. 


q  Ep.  5:20. 
r  Ho.  14:2. 
s  confessing. 
t  Ro.  12:13. 


u  Phi.  4:18. 
v  1  Th.  5:12,13. 
w  or,  guide. 
x.  Eze.  3:17. 


Now  this  duty  of  following  the  same  true 
faith,  the  apostle  enlarges  much  upon,  and 
presses  earnestly,  from  several  motives  : 

[1-]  From  the  immutability 'and  eternity 
of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  Though  their 
ministers  were  some  dead, others  dying,  yet 
the  great  Head  and  High  Priest  of  the 
church,  the  Bishop  oftheir  souls,  ever  lives, 
and  is  ever  the  same,  in  the  Old  Testament 
day,  in  the  Gospel  day,  and  for  ever. 

[2.]  From  the  nature  and  tendency  of 
those  erroneous  doctrines,  they  were  in  dan¬ 
ger  of  falling  in  with,  divers  and  various, 
it.  9.  different  from  what  they  had  received 
from  their  former  faithful  teachers,  and  in¬ 


consistent  with  themselves  ;  strange  doc¬ 
trines,  such  as  the  gospel-church  was  unac¬ 
quainted  with,  of  an  unsettling,  distracting 
nature;  quite  contrary  to  that  grace  of'God 
that  fixes  and  establishes  the  heart,  which  is 
an  excellent  thing.  These  strange  doctrines 
keep  the  heart  always  fluctuating  and  unset¬ 
tled.  They  are  mean  and  low  as  to  their 
subject,  about  external,  little,  perishing 
things,  such  as  meats  and  drinks,  &c.  un¬ 
profitable;  they  make  none  more  holy,  hum¬ 
ble,  thankful,  or  heavenly.  They  would  ex¬ 
clude  those  who  embraced  them  from  the 
privileges  of  the  Christian  altar,  v.  10. 
This  is  an  argument  of  great  weight,  and 
therefore  the  apostle  insists  the  longeron  it. 
Observe, 

The  Christian  church  has  its  altar.  It 
was  objected  against  the  primitive  Chris¬ 
tians,  that  their  assemblies  were  destitute  of 
an  altar  ;  but  that  was  not  true.  Christ  is 
both  our  Altar,  and  our  Sacrifice  ;  He  sanc¬ 
tifies  the  gift.  This  altar  furnishes  out  a 
feast  for  true  believers,  a  feast  on  the  sacri¬ 
fice,  a  feast  of  fat  things,  1  Cor.  5:  7.  and 
this  follows,  therefore  let  us  keep  the  feast. 
The  Lord’s  supper  is  the  feast  of  the  gospel- 
passover.  Those  who  adhere  to  the  taberna¬ 
cle,  or  the  Levi  deal  dispensation,  or  return 
to  it  again,  exclude '  themselves  from  the 
privileges  of  this  altar,  from  the  benefits 
purchased  by  Christ.  He  argues  thus  under 
the  Jewish  law  ;  No  part  of  the  sin-offering 
teas  to  be  eaten,  but  all  must  be  burnt  without 
the  camp  xvhile  they  dwell  in  tabernacles,  and 
without  the  gales  when  they  dwell  in  cities  : 
now',  if  they  will  still  be  subject  to  that  law, 
they  cannot  eat  at  the  gospel-a/tnr  ;  for  what 
is  eaten  there,  is  furnished  from  Christ, 
who  is  the  great  Sin-offering ,  not  the  very 
sin-offering  itself,  as  the  papists  affirm  ;  for 
then  it  was  not  to  be  eaten,  but  burnt;  but  the 
gospel-feast  is  the  fruit  and  procurement  of 
the  sacrifice,  which  they  have  no  right  to, 
who  do  not  acknowledge  the  sacrifice  itself. 
And  that  it  might  appear  that  Christ  was 
really  the  Antitype  of  the  sin-offering,  and, 
as  such,  might  sanctify  or  cleanse  his  people 
with  his  oivn  blood,  He  conformed  Himself  to 
the  type,  in  suffering  without  the  gate.  Hav¬ 
ing  thus  showed,  that  adherence  to  the  Le- 
vit deal  law'  would, even  according  to  its  own 
rules,  debar  men  from  the  Christian  altar  ; 
he  proceeds  to  improve  this  argument,  v. 
13 — 15.  in  suitable  advices.  Let  us  go 
forth  therefore  unto  Him  without  the  camp;  go 
forth  from  the  egremonial  law,  from  sin, 
from  the  world,  from  ourselves,  our  very 
bodies,  when  He  calls  us.  Let  us  he  wil¬ 
ling  to  hear  his  reproach,  be  willing  to  be  ac¬ 
counted  the  offsccuring  of  all  things,  not  wor¬ 
thy  to  live,  not  worthy  to  die  a  common 
death  ;  and  we  have  the  more  reason,  be¬ 


cause,  whether  We  go  forth  from  this  world 
to  Christ  or  no,  we  must  necessarily  go  forth 
in  a  little  time  by  death  ;  for  here  we.  have 
no  continuing  city  ;  death  will  not  suffer  us 
to  continue  long  here  ;  therefore  we  should 
go  forth  now'  by  faith,  and  seek  in  Christ  the 
rest  and  settlement  which  this  world  cannot 
afford  us,  v.  14.  Let  us  make  a  right  use 
of  this  altar  ;  not  only  partake  of  the  privi¬ 
leges  of  it,  but  discharge  the  duties  of  it,  as 
those  whom  Christ  has  made  priests  to  at¬ 
tend  on  it.  Let  us  bring  our  sacrifices  to 
this  altar,  and  to  this  our  High  Priest,  and 
offer  them  up  by  Him,  v.  15,  16.  Now, 
what  are  the  sacrifices  we  must  bring  and 
offer  on  this  Altar,  even  Christ  1  Not  any 
expiatory  sacrifices;  there  is  no  need  of 
them  ;  Christ  has  offered  the  great  Sacrifice 
of  atonement  ;  ours  are  only  the  sacrifices  of 
acknowledgment;  and  they  are,  the  sacrifice 
of  praise  to  God,  which  we  should  offer  up  to 
God  continually  ;  all  adoration  and  prayer, 
as  well  as  thanksgiving,  the  fruit  of  our  lips. 
The  sacrifice  of  almsdeeds,  and  Christian 
charity,  v.  16.  according  to  our  power,  not 
contenting  ourselves  to  offer  the  sacrifice  of 
our  lips,  mere  words,  but  the  sacrifice  of  good 
deeds  ;  and  these  on  this  altar,  not  depend¬ 
ing  on  the  merit  of  them,  but  of  our  great 
High  Priest  ;  and  with  such  sacrifices  as  these, 
adoration  and  alms  thus  offered  up,  God  is 
well  pleased  ;  He  will  accept  the  offering 
with  pleasure,  and  will  accept  and  bless  the 
offerers  through  Christ. 

(2.)  Having  thus  told  us  the  duty  Christians 
owe  to  their  deceased  ministers  ;  the  apos¬ 
tle  tells  us  what  is  the  duty  that  people 
owe  to  their  living  ministers,  v.  17.  and  the 
reasons  of  that  duty  :  Their  duty  is  to  obey 
them,  and  submit  themselves  to  them,  not  im¬ 
plicitly,  or  absolutely,  hut  only  so  far  as  is 
agreeable  to  the  mind  and  will  of  God  re¬ 
vealed  in  his  Word.  Christians  must  sub¬ 
mit  to  be  instructed  by  their  ministers,  and 
not  think  themselves  too  wise,  too  good,  or 
too  great,  to  learn  from  them  ;  and  when 
they  find  that  ministerial  instructions  are 
agreeable  to  the  written  Word,  they  must 
obey  them.  The  motives  to  this  duty  are, — 
They  have  the  rule  over  the  people  ;  their 
office,  though  not  magisterial,  is  yet  truly 
authoritative  ;  not  to  lord  it  over  the  peo¬ 
ple,  hut  to  lead  them  in  the  ways  of  God,  by 
informing  and  instructing  them,  explaining 
the  Word  of  God  to  them,  and  applying  it 
to  their  several  cases.  They  watch  for  the 
souls  of  the  people,  not  to  ensnare  them,  but 
to  save  them  ;  to  gain  them,  not  to  them¬ 
selves,  hut  to  Christ  ;  to  build  them  up  in 
knowledge,  faith,  and  holiness,  and  help 
them  forward  in  the  way  to  heaven.  They 
must  give  an  account  how  they  have  discharg¬ 
ed  their  duty’ ,  and  what  is  become  of  the 


V.  12,  13.  ‘  Hereby,  Paul  otters  a  most  convincing  proof  to  the  Jew's, 
tli.it  they  must  abandon  their  old  ritual,  and  adopt  a  system  that  has 
changed  the  law'  of  the  priesthood,  before  they  can  have  any  claim  to  eat 
of  our  altar  or  sacrifice.  It  is  as  if  he  had  said,  “  If  you  would  have  any 
claim  to  participate  with  us  of  the  peculiar  privileges  of  the  Gospel,  all 
resulting  from  the  sufferings  of  Jesus,  you  must  leave  the  old  Jerusalem  ; 
you  must  go  forth  unto  Him  without  the  camp,  bearing  bis  reproach. 
Without  the  camp  He  suffered,  and  without  the  camp  He  must  be  en¬ 
joyed.’  Pirie,  in  IVilliams.— Without  the.  gate.]  ‘Calvary  was  then 
without  the  walls  ot  the  city,  although  it  is  now  within  them.’  St. 

.  15,  16.  (15)  Fruit  of  our  lips.]  IIos.  14.2.  Sept.  Our  version, 
trom  the  Ileb.  reads  calves  of  the  lips  ;  but  the  omission  of  one  letter 
would  render  it  ‘  fruit  of  the  lips.’  Scott. 

(15.)  Praise. ...  continually.]  ‘A  man  who  lives  a  prayerful  life, 
must  he  a  man  of  transcendant  loveliness  and  worth.  And  Who  knows 
not  that  in  every  age,  the  best  and  brightest  of  men  have  been  those, 
who  approached  nearest  to  these  (Enoch,  Elijah  and  other  scriptural) 
illustrious  patterns  ot  prayer.  At  this  present  time  there  are  persons 
of  but  inferior  parts  and  accomplishments,  who,  bv  reason  of  great 
prayerfulness,  transcend  in  moral  worth  professors  of  high  distinction 
and  splendid  gifts.  Religionists,  however  exalted,  who  are  not  often 
with  God  in  prayer,  are  hut  little  profited  by  all  their  privileges  and  hut 
little  profitable  to  others  hv  all  their  intercourse  with  them;  but’  contra¬ 
riwise,  being  persons  of  prayer  by  character,  and  not  in  fact,  are  stnm- 
-  hling-hlocks  to  many;  am!  are  the  principal  causes  of  this  world’s 
incredulity,  in  regard  to  the  off, car  and  usefulness  of  prayer.’ 

Itcv.  Dr.  Skinseb. 

V.  16.  1  This  duty  (of  benevolent  giving)  is  not  enjoined  hv  human  au¬ 
thority,  but  by  that  of  conscience,  and  of  God.  Suppose  the  Lord  Jesus 
should  in  some  special  manner  come  to  yon,  and  give  you  a  particular 
amount  of  property,  and  expressly  say,  “  This  I  commit  to  you  in  sacred 

[562J 


trust, — use  it  to  promote  the  cause  dearest  to  my  heart.”  Would  you 
not  be,  happy  to  be  the  steward  of  his  bounty  ?  Could  you  have  a 
thought  of  devoting  it  to  any  use  but  to  promote  his  cause  ?  Now  “  the 
silver  and  the  gold  are  the  Lord’s,”  and  lie  has  virtually  spoken  in 
the  manner  supposed;  lie  has  intrusted  you  with  a  portion  of  his  prop¬ 
erty,  ami  made  known  his  will  respecting  its  use.’  Rev.  Dr.  Woods. 
‘The  world  contains,  it  is  supposed,  800,000,000  of  inhabitants.  What 
an  ample  field  for  doing  good  !  ’  To  do  good  forget  not.]  ‘  While  it  is 
yet  in  the  power  of  thy  hand.’  ‘My  friend,  place  thyself  in  dying  cir¬ 
cumstances ;  apprehend  and  realize  thy  approaching  dissolution  ;  suppose 
thy  last  solemn  hour  arrived;  thy  breath  failing,  thy  throat  rattling,  thy 
hands  with  a  cold  sweat  upon  them  :  in  this  condition,  “  What  wouldst 
thou  wish  to  have  done  more  than  thou  hast  already  done  for  thy  own  soul, 
for  thy  family,  or  for  the  people  of  God  ?  ”  Think  upon  this  question,  and 
do  not  forget  the  result  of  thy  thoughts;  do  not  delay  to  perform  what 
thou  hast  resolved  upon.  How  much  more  profitable  would  such  an 
exercise  be  on  the  Lord’s  day  evening,  than  those  vanities  to  which  that 
evening  is  not  unfrequenlly  prostituted,  and  by  which  all  the  good  of 
the  past  day  is  defeated.  And  if  such  an  exercise  w  ere  often  performed, 
Oh  how  would  it  regulate  our  lives;  how  watchfully,  how  faithfully 
would  it  cause  us  to  live;  what  an  incredible  number  of  good  works 
would  it  produce  in  the  world  !’  Cotton  Mather. 

V.  17.  This  must  principally  relate  to  the  account  given  before  the 
Lord,  as  it  w  ere,  from  day  to  day,  with  joy  or  grief,  by  ministers,  of  the 
reception  given  to  their  message  :  Cor  no  misconduct  of  the  people  will 
occasion  sorrow  to  the  faithful  servants  of  Christ,  at  the  final  day  of 
rotrihulion  ;  though  their  salvation  will  be  unto  them  ‘a  crown  of  re¬ 
joicing.’  2  Cor.  2:14 — 17.1  Thes- 2:17 — 20.  The  exhortation  supposes 
the  faithfulness  of  ministers  and  ecclesiastical  rulers,  and  that  they 
exercise  a  scriptural  authority  in  a  proper  manner  :  for  no  obedience 
and  submission  can  be  due  to  the  usurped  dominion  cf ‘idol  shepherds,’ 


A.  D.  65. 


HEBREWS,  XIII. 


Paul's  prayers  for  the  Hebrews. 


13  Pray  for  us  :  for  wo  trust  we 
have  a  good  y  conscience,  in  all 
tilings  willing  to  live  honestly. 

19  But  I  beseech  you  the  rather 
to  do  this,  that  I  may  be  restored 
to  you  the  sooner. 

20  Now  the  God  *of  peace,  “that 
brought  again  from  the  dead  our 
Lord  Jesus,  that  great  b  Shepherd 
of  the  sheep,  c  through  the  blood  of 
the  everlasting  J  covenant, 

21  Make  you  perfect  e  in  every 
good  work  to  do  his  will,  r  working 
e  in  you  that  which  is  well-pleasing 
in  his  sight,  through  Jesus  Christ : 
to  whom  be  glory  for  ever  and 
ever.  Ainen. 

22  And  I  beseech  you,  brethren, 
suffer  the  word-of  exhortation  :  for 
I  have  written  a  letter  unto  you  in 
few  words. 

23  Know  ye  that  our  brother 
Timothy  is  set  at  liberty  ;  with 
whom,  if  he  come  shortly,  I  will 
see  you. 

24  Salute  all  them  that  have  the 
rule  over  you,  and  all  the'saints. 
Th  ey  of  Italy  salute  you. 

25  Grace  be  with  you  all.  Amen. 

IF  Written  to  the  Hebrews  from 

Italy  by  Timothy. 

y  Ac.  21:16.  b  Eze.  31:23.  t  1  Pe.  5:10. 

z  1  Th.5:23.  c  Zee.  9:11*  f  or,  doing, 

a  1  Pe.  1:21.  d  or,  testament.  g  H)L  2:13. 

souls  commilted  to  their  trust,  whether  any 
have  been  lost  through  their  neglect,  and 
whether  any  have  been  brought  in  and  built 
up  under  their  ministry.  They  would  be 
glad  to  give  a  good  account  of  themselves  and 
their  hearers,  to  give  up  their  account  with 
joy  and  not  with  grief.  If  they  give,  up  their 
account  with  grief,  it  will  be  the  people’s 
loss  as  well  as  theirs.  If  faithful  ministers 
be  not  successful,  the  grief  will  be  theirs, 
but  the  loss  the  people’s.  Faithful  ministers 
have  delivered  their  own  souls,  but  a  fruitless 
and  faithless  people’s  blood  aud  ruin  will  be 
upon  their  own  heads. 


V.  18—25.  Here, 

1.  The  apostle  recommends  himself,  and 
his  fellow-sufferers,  to  the  prayers  of  the 
Heb.  believers,  v.  18.  ‘  Pray  for  us  ;  for  me 
and  Timothy,’  mentioned  v.  23.  ‘and  for  all 
those  of  us  who  labor  in  the  ministry  of  the 
Gospel.’  This  is  one  part  of  the  duty  which 
people  owe  to  their  ministers, — to  pray  for 
them.  There  are  good  reasons  why  people 
should  pray  for  their  ministers  ;  he  mentions 
two  :  We  trust  we  have  a  good  conscience, 
&c.  v.  18.  Many  of  the  Jews  had  an  ill 
opinion  of  Paul,  because  he,  being  a  Hebrew 
of  the  Hebrews,  had  cast  off'  the  Levitical 
law,  and  preached  Christ  :  now  he  here 
modestly  assorts  his  own  integrity.  Observe, 
A  good  conscience  has  a  respect  to  all  God’s 
commands,  and  all  our  duty.  Those  who 
have  this  good  conscience,  yet  need  the  pray¬ 
ers  of  others.  Conscientious  ministers  are 
public  blessings,  and  deserve  the  prayers 
of  the  people.  Another  reason  why  he  de¬ 
sires  their  prayers  is,  that  he  hoped  thereby 
to  be  the  sooner  restored  to  them,  v.  19.  inti¬ 
mating  that  be  bad  been  formerly  among 
them  ;  and  that  the  best  way  to  facilitate 
his  return  to  them,  and  to  make  it  a  mercy 
to  him  and  them,  was,  to  make  it  a  matter 
of  their  prayer.  We  should  fetcli  in  all  our 
mercies  by  prayer. 

2.  He  offers  bis  prayers  to  God  for  them, 
being  willing  to  do  for  them  as  lie  desired 
they  should  do  for  him,  v.  20.  In  this  prayer, 
observe,  (1.)  The  title  given  to  God,— the 
God  of  peace,  who  lias  found  out  a  way  for 
peace  and  reconciliation  between  Himself 
and  sinners,  and  who  loves  peace  on  earth, 
and  especially  in  bis  churches.  (2.)  The 
great  work  ascribed  to  Him  ;  He  hath 
brought  again  from  the  dead  our  Lord  Jesus, 
&c.  Jesus  raised  Himself  by  his  own  pow¬ 
er  ;  and  yet  the  Father  was  concerned  in 
it,  attesting  thereby  that  justice  was  satisfied, 
and  the  law  fulfilled.  (3.)  The  titles  given 
to  Christ, — our  Lord  Jesus,  our  Sovereign, 
our  Savior,  and  the  great  Shepherd  of  the 
sheep,  promised  in  Isa.  40:11.  declared  by 
Himself  to  be  so,  John  10:  14,  15.  Minis¬ 
ters  are  under-shepherds,  Christ  is  the  great 
Shepherd.  (4.)  The  way  and  method  in 
which  God  is  reconciled,  and  Christ  raised 
from  the  dead,  through  the  blood  of  the  ever¬ 
lasting  covenant.  The  blood  of  Christ  sat¬ 


isfied  divine  justice,  and  so  procured  Christ’s 
release  from  the  prison  of  the  grave,  as  hav¬ 
ing  paid  our  debt,  according  to  an  eternal 
covenant  or  agreement  between  the  Father 
and  the  Son;  and  this  blood  is  the  sanction 
and  seal  of  an  everlasting  covenant  between 
God. and  his  people.  (5.)  Tim  mercy  pray¬ 
ed  for,  v.  21.  Observe,  The  perfection  of 
the  saints. in  every  good  work,  is  the  great 
tiling  desired  by  them  and  for  them,  to  fit 
them  for  the  employment  and  felicity  of 
heaven.  The  way  in  which  God  makes  his 
people  perfect  is,  by  working  in  them  always 
what  is  pleasing  in  his  sight,  and  that  through 
Jesus  Christ,  to  whom  be  glory  for  ever.  Ob¬ 
serve.  There  is  no  good  thing  wrought  in 
us,  but  it  is  the  work  of  God  ;  and  that 
through  Jesus  Christ,  for  his  sake,  and  by  his 
Spirit.  And  therefore  eternal  glory  is  due 
to  Him,  who  is  the  Cause  of  ail  the  good 
principles  wrought  in  ns,  and  all  the  good 
works  done  by  us.  To  this  every  one  should 
say,  Amen. 

•  3.  He  gives  the  Hebrews  an  account  of 

Timothy’s  liberty,  and  bis  hopes  of  seeing 
them  with  him  in  a  little  time,  v.  23.  It 
seems  Timothy  had  been  a  prisoner,  doubt¬ 
less  for  the  Gospel,  but  now  was  set  at  lib¬ 
erty.  The  imprisonment  of  faithful  minis¬ 
ters  is  an  honor  to  them,  and  their  enlarge¬ 
ment  matter  of  joy  to  the  people.  Oppor¬ 
tunities  of  writing  to  the  churches  of  Christ 
arc  desired  by  the  faithful  ministers  of  Christ, 
and  pleasant  to  them. 

4.  Having  given  a  brief  account  of  this 
bis  letter,  and  begged  their  attention  to  it, 
v.  22.  be  closes  with  salutations,  and  a  sol¬ 
emn,  though  short  benediction. 

The  salutation  is  from  himself,  directed 
to  all  their  ministers  who  bad  rule  over 
them,  and  to  all  the  saints  ;  to  them  all, 
ministers  and  people.  Also  from  the  Chris¬ 
tians  in  Italy.  Religion  teaches  men  the 
truest  civility  and  good-breeding.  It  is  not 
a  sour  or  morose  tiling. 

II is  benediction,  though  short,  is  solemn, 

|  v.  25.  Grace,  be  with  you  all.  Amen.  When 
j  the  people  of  God  have  been  conversing  to- 
i  gether  by  word  or  writing,  it  is  good  to 
part  with  prayer,  desiring  for  each  other 
the  continuance  of  the  gracious  presence  of 
i  God,  that  they  may  meet  together  again  in 
I  the  world  of  praise. 


TRACT.  OBS.  V.  9 — 25.  We  should  he  careful  not  to  be  ‘carried 
about  with  divers  and  strange  doctrines,’  and  diligently  seek  to  have  our 
hearts  ‘  established  by  grace  ;  ’  for  notions  and  forms  never  profit  those 
who  are  occupied  in  them.  Living  hy  faith  in  Christ,  and  being  conse¬ 
crated  to  God  through  his  blood,  let  us  willingly  separate  from  this  evil 
world,  and  ‘bear  the  reproach’  of  proud  formalists,  and  all  the  enemies 
of  true  religion,  however  distinguished.  Our  pilgrimage  here  will  soon 
end;  let  ns  then  seek  an  abiding  mansion  in  the  city  of  our  God,  and 
consider  all  temporal  prosperity  or  adversity,  as  of  scarcely  any  con¬ 
sequence;  being  of  a-transient  and  evanescent  nature.  1  Cor.  7:29 — 
31.  2  Cor.  4:13 — 18.  1  Pet.  4:7.  All  ministers  of  the  Gospel  should  pe¬ 
culiarly  remember,  that  they  are  called  ‘  to  watch  for  men’s  souls,  as 
those  who  must  give  account :’  which  involves  the  most  weighty  and 

unfaithful  stewards,  or  blind  guides.  To  other  rulers  aud  superiors, 
honor  is  required  for  their  office'  sake  ;  but  to  ministers  for  their  ivork's 
sake  atone.  Scott. 

V.  18,  19.  It  is  plain,  from  these  verses,  that  the  persons  immediately 
addressed,  or  to  whom  in  the  first  instance  the  epistle  was  sent,  would 
know  from  whom  it  came. — ■*  That  I  may  be  quickly  restored  to  you 
from  this  confinement,  and  have  an  opportunity  of  rendering  you  those 
services,  which  were  prevented  by  this  unjust  imprisonment,  occasion¬ 
ed  by  the  fury  of  the  populace,  when  I  was  last  at  Jerusalem.’  Dodlr. 
The  priests,  rulers,  and  council  were  more  deeply  criminal  than  even 
‘  the  populace.'  Id. 

V.  20,  21.  The  blood  of  Christ  purchased  the  blessings  of  the  new 
covenant,  and  ratified  it  as  unalterable;  so  that  it  was  rendered  perpet¬ 
ual  on  earth  to  the  end  of  time,  and  everlasting  in  respect  of  the  sal¬ 
vation  conferred  according  to  it. — lie  prayed  for  them,  under  the  full 
persuasion,  that  sanctifying  grace,  and  holy  obedience,  would  surely  be 
attended  with  divine  consolations,  which  he  did  not  particularly  men¬ 
tion.  Id.  Stuart  renders  these  vs.  thus  :  ‘  Now  may  the  God  of  peace, 
that  raised  from  the  dead  our  Lord  Jesus,  (who  by  the  blood  of  the  ev¬ 
erlasting  covenant  has  become  the  great  Shepherd  of  the  sheep.)  pre¬ 
pare  you  for  every  good  work,  that  ye  may  do  his  will ;  working  in  you, 
Ac.,’  and  this  opens  to  the  sense  of  the  passage  as  understood  by  Reza, 


awful  responsibility  ;  for  dreadful  will  bo  their  condemnation,  if  they  be 
slothful,  selfish,  or  unfaithful.  Christians  should  also  pray  fervently  and 
constantly  for  their  ministers;  for  these  would  generally  walk  more 
honorably,  and  labor  more  successfully,  if  the  people  were  more  earnest 
in  praying  for  them.  Even  when  they  see,  or  think  they  see,  something 
amiss  in  those  who  upon  the  whole  ;  have  a  good  conscience,  willing  in 
all  things  to  live  honestly  ;  ’  they  should  pray  the  more  frequently  and 
earnestly  for  them.  Let  us  approach  1  the  God  of  peace,  who  brought 
again  from  the  dead  the  great  Shepherd  of  the  sheep  ;  ’  nod  ‘  through  the 
blood  of  the  everlasting  covenant,’  let  us  beseech  Him  for  ourselves  and 
each  other,  ‘to  make  ns  perfect  in  every  good  work,  to  do  his  will, 
working  in  us  that  which  is  well  pleasing  in  his  sight  through  Jesus 
Christ;’  that  we  may  glorify  Him  for  ever.  Amen.  Scott. 

Dodlr.,  and  others,  who  consider  the  clause,  blood  of  the  everlasting 
covenant,  as  more  properly  connecting  with  the  words  immediately 
preceding,  namely,  great  Shepherd  of  the  sheep.  Ed. 

(21 A  Working  iii  you.]  ‘There  arc  some  animals  of  which  we  say, 
“  they  know  not  their  own  strength.”  Why  should  the  Christian  be 
like  them  ?  ’  Cotton  Mather. 

V.  22 — 25.  The  apostle  . .  .  had  written  a  letter  to  them,  in  few  words, 
compared  with  the  vast  importance,  and  the  great  variety,  of  the  sub¬ 
jects  discussed  in  it. — It  appears  hence,  that  he  was  either  at  liberty,  or 
had  a  clear  prospect  of  being  speedily  liberated  ;  and  that  the  spurious 
postscript  falsely  says,  that  Timothy  was  the  bearer  of  the  epistle. 
When  the  argumentative  part  of  the  epistle  had  been  read,  without  the 
prejudices  whicli  the  writer’s  name,  in  the  beginning,  would  have  una¬ 
voidably  excited;  these  intimations  at  the  close  would  have  no  bad  ef¬ 
fect.  After  this,  he  concluded  with  salutations,  especially  to  the  pas¬ 
tors  and  rulers  of  their  churches  ;  and  from  all  the  Christians  in  Italy, 
as  well  as  those  at  Rome.  (24)  Them  that  have  the  rule,  Ac  ]  7,  17. 

Luke  22:26.  7,  8,  17.  The  pastors  of  the  church  are  evidently  thus  dis¬ 
tinguished  from  the  people;  but  it  must  be  allowed,  that  no  disparity 
among  the  pastors  is  intimated.  The  apostle  James  was  probably  liv 
ing  at  this  time;  and  was  the  principal,  though  not  the  only  person  in¬ 
tended.  Acts  20:17.  1  Tim.  5:21,  22.  [Note,  1  Pet.  5:2.]  Scott. 


[563] 


li  E  B  R  E  W  S.  —  A  D  D  I T I O  N  A  L  NOT  E. 


Extracts  from  the  very  interesting  ‘Fraternal  Appeal  to  the  American 
Cluyches,’  by  Rev.  Ur.  Sch.mucker,  have  already  been  inserted  in  this 
Comm.  The  object  is  truly  great,  evangelical,  and  vitally  important  to 
human  welfare.  Feeling  this,  in  no  slight  degree,  the  Editor  inserts  an 
outline  of  the  worthy  Professor’s  ‘Plan  for  Catholic  Union  on  Apostol¬ 
ic  Principles,’  appended  to  his  Appeal,  and  reviewed  in  the  Am.  Bib], 
Repos.  ;  intermingling  sucli  remarks  or  references  ns  seem  necessary. 

‘  Whoever,’  says  that  eminent  servant  of  Christ,  and  highly  endowed 
writer,  the  late  Robert  Hall,  ‘forms  his  ideas  of  the  church  of  Christ 
from  perusing  the  New.  Test,  will  perceive,  that  unity  is  one  of  its  es¬ 
sential  characteristics ;  and  that,  though  it  be  branched  out  into  many 
distinct  societies,  it  is  still  but  one.  Nothing  more  abhorrent  from  the 
principles  and  maximstif  t he  sacred  oracles  can  be  conceived,  Ilian  the 
idea  of  a  plurality  of«true  churches,  neither  in  actual  communion  with 
each  other,  nor  in  a  capacity  for  such  communion.  Though  this  rend¬ 
ing  of  the  seamless  garment  of  our  Savior,  this  schism  in  t he  members 
of  his  mystical  body,  is  bv  far  the  greatest  calamity  Which  has  befallen 
tile  Ohrislian  interest,  and  one  of  the  most  fatal  effects  of  the  great  apos¬ 
tasy  foretold  by  the  sacred  penmen,  we  have  been  so  long  familiarized 
to  it  as  to  be  scarcely  sensible  of  its  enormity ;  nor  does  it  excite  sur¬ 
prise  or  concern  in  any  degree  proportioned  to  what  would-be  felt  by  one 
who  had  contemplated  the  church  in  the  first  ages.  Christian  societies 
regarding  each  other  with  the  jealousies  of  rival  empires,  e  -ch  aiming 
to  raise  itself  on  the  ruin  of  all  others,  making  extravagant  boasts  of 
superior  purity,  generally  in  exact  proportion  to  their  departures  from 
it,  and  scarcely  deigning  to  acknowledge  Ibe  possibility  of  obtaining 
salvation  out  of  their  pale,  is  the  odious  and  disgusting  spectacle  which 
modern  Christianity  presents.  The  bond  off harity,  which  unites  the 
genuine  followers  of  Christ  in  distinction  from  the  world,  is  dissolv¬ 
ed,  and  the  very  terms  by  which  it  was  xvont  to  be  denoted,  exclusively 
employed  to  express  a  predilection  for  a  sect.  The  evils  which  result 
from  this  state  of  division  are  incalculable:  it  supplies  infidels  with 
their  most  plausible  topics  of  invective;  it  hardens  the  consciences  of 
llie  irreligious,  weakens  the  hands  of  the  good,  impedes  the  efficacy  of 
prayer,  and  is  probably  the  principal  obstruction  to  that  ample  effusion 
of  the  Spirit  which  is  essential  to  the  renovation  of  the  world.  It  is 
easier,  however,’  he  confesses,  ‘  to  deplore  the  malady  than  to  prescribe 
the  cure:  for,  however  important  the  preservation  of  harmony  and  peace, 
the  interests  of  truth  and  holiness  are  still  more  so;  nor  must  we  forget 
the  order  in  which  the  graces  of  the  Spirit  are  arranged.  “The  wisdom 
which  is  from  above  is  first  pure ,  then  peaceable.'-'  Peace  shgmhi  be 
anxiously  sought,  but  always  in  subordination  to  purity  ;  and  therefore 
every  attempt  to  reconcile  the  differences  among  Christians  which  in¬ 
volves  the  sacrifice  of  truth,  or  the  least  deliberate  deviation  from  the 
revealed  will  of  Christ,  is  spurious  in  its  origin,  and  dangerous  in  its  ten¬ 
dency.  If  communion  with  a  Christian  society  cannot  be  had  without 
a  compliance  with  riles  and  usages  which  we  deem  idolatrous  or  su¬ 
perstitious,  or  without  a  surrender  of  that  liberty  in  which  we  are  com¬ 
manded  to  stand  fast,  we  most,  as  we  value  our  allegiance,  forego,  how¬ 
ever  reluctantly,  the  advantages  of  such  a  union.’ 

Fully  in  the  spirit  of  these  observations,  Dr.  S.  remarks, .that  ‘  the  sep¬ 
aration  of  the  Protestants  from  the  Papal  hierarchy,  was  an  insuperable 
duty  ;  for  Rome  had  poisoned  the  fountains  of  truth  by  her  corruptions, 
and  death,  or  a  refusal  to  drink  from  her  cup,  was  the  only  alternative  : 
bm  that  theProtestants  themselves  should  afterwards  break  communion 
with  their  professed  brethren  was  inconsistent,  although  the  result  of 
many  conspiring  causes,  with  the  practice  of  the  apostolic  church,  as 
well  as  detrimental  to  the  Christian  cause.’  Reviewing,  then,  the  growth 
of  the  leading  Protestant  organizations,  the  Lutheran,  German  Reform¬ 
ed,  Episcopal,  Baptist,  Presbyterian,  Congregational  or  Independent, 
Moravian,  and  Methodist  denominations,  and  alluding  to  ‘others,  of  mi¬ 
nor  extent,  whose  principles  coincide  more  or  less  with  these,’  lie  ob¬ 
serves,  ‘  All  these  together  constitute  the  Protestant  church,  and  are  the 
great  mass  of  the  visible  church  of  the  Redeemer,  engaged  In  promot¬ 
ing  his  mediatorial  reign  on  earth,  and  owned  by  his  Spirit’s  blessing.’ 

The  subject  is  divided  into,  I.  The  causes  of  sectarian  strife  between 
these  branches  :  and  II.  A  remedy  for  the  evils  which  result. 

I.  ‘  In  continental  Europe,  the  sectarian  principle  is  not  fully  develop¬ 
ed,  the  Lutheran  or  Reformed  church  being  established  by  law,  though 
in  England,  where  greater  liberly  is  enjoyed,  dissenters  are  numerous. 
But  in  these  United  States,  where  Christianity  has  been  divorced  from 
the  civil  government,  and- restored  to  its  primitive  dependence  on  its 
own  mo  cal  power,  all  sects  are  on  perfect  equality,  and  the  natural  ten¬ 
dency  of  sectarianism  is  witnessed  in  its  full  latitude.  The  separation 
between  church  and  state  is  worthy  of  all  praise,  and  demands  our 
warmest  gratitude  to  Heaven.  It  has  restored,’  lie  adds,  ‘  the  American 
Protestant  church  to  the  original  advantages  of  the  golden  age  of  Chris¬ 
tianity  jn  tile  apostolic  days.  In  this  land  of  refuge  for  oppressed  Europe, 
God  has  placed  liis  people  in  circumstances  mo.  t  auspicious  for  the  grad¬ 
ual  “perfecting’’  of  his  visible  kingdom.  Here*  we  are  enabled,  unen¬ 
cumbered  witji  entangling  alliances  with  civil  government,  to  review 
the  past  history  of  the  Redeemer’s  kingdom,  trace  error  in  its  various 
forms,  witness  ellVcts  of  different  measures,  mid,  by  a  species  of  exper¬ 
imental  eclecticism,  rejecting  everything  injurious,  to  Combine  all  that 
has  proved  advantageous,  and  incorporate  it  in  the  structure  and  rela¬ 
tions  of  the  -Protestant  church.  Has  not  God,  then,  by  our  peculiar  sit¬ 
uation,  called  us  to  such  a  work?  Among  the  causes  of  this  strife. 
are,  1.  rtie  absence,  of  any  visible  bond,  or  indication  of  union,  between 
the  di Herein  churches  in  any  city,  town,  or  neighborhood,  whilst  each 
of  them  is  connected  lo  other  churches  elsewhere  of  their  own  denom¬ 
ination.  2.  The  separate  organization  of  the  churches  on  the  ground 
ol  doctrinal  diversity.  3.  The  use  of  transfundamental  creeds;  or  those 
which  embody  not  only  the  undisputed  doctrines  of  Christianity,  but 
also  the  sectarian  peculiarities  of  some  particular  denomination.  4. 
T  he  sectarian  training  ofjhc  rising  generation,  5.  Sectarian  idolatrv, 
man-worship,  or  inordinate  veneration  for  distinguished  iheologians  ; 
each  sect  cultivating,  almost  exclusively,  the  literature  of  ils  \own  de¬ 
nomination.  6.  Ecclesiastical  pride:  or  undue  preference  of  all  that 
pertains  lo  one's  own  seel.  7.  Conflict  of  pecuniary  interest  between 
neighboring  ministers  and  churches  ;  the  success  of  eilher  being,  more  or 
less,  at  the  other’s  expense.’  For  the  Prof.’s  judicious  exemplification 
of  each  of  these  causes,  however,  room  cannot  be  expected  in  this  work. 

II.  ‘  Any  plan  of  union,  in  order  to  possess  a  claim  to  the  attention  of 
the  different  Christian  denominations  generally,  must  tie  based  on  apostol¬ 
ic  principles,  [i.  e.]  be  accordant  with  the  spirit  and  principles  of  the  New 
Test,  or  deducible  from  them  ;  leaving  untouched  the  unalienable  rights 
and  obligations  of  Christians  :  therefore,  I.  It  must  require  of  no  one 

[564 J 


the  renunciation  of  any  doctrine  or  opinion  believed  by  him  to  be  scrip¬ 
tural  or  true.  2.  It  must  concede  to  each  denomination,  or  branch  of 
the  church  of  Christ,  the  right  to  retain  its  own  organization,  or  to  alter 
or  amend  it  at  option,  leaving  everything  relative  to  government,  disci¬ 
pline,  and  worship,  to  be  managed  by  each  denomination  according  to  its 
own  views.  3.  It  must  dissuade  no  one  from  discussing  fundamentals 
and  non-fundamentals  in  the  spirit  of  Christian  love.  4.  The  plan  must 
he  applicable  to  all  the  orthodox  Christian  denominations,  —  all  lhat 
are  regarded  as  portions  of  Christ’s  visible  church  on  earth,  whom  God 
has  owned  by  tile  influences  of  his  Spirit  and  grace.  Now, 

‘Some  few  advocates  of  union  have  proposed,  that  all  others  should 
abandon  their  own  peculiarities,  and  conform  to  them  in  practice  and 
views.  But  this  violates  Christian  right  and  obligation,  try  requiring 
the  abandonment  of  what  is  believed  to  be  truth;  and  no  sect,  at  this 
late  day,  can  expect  all  others  so  to  adopt  its  peculiarities.  Ii  has  also 
heen  proposed,  that  cacti  denomination  renounce  its  standards  of  doc¬ 
trine,  government,  and  worship,  and  then  unite  in  one  new,  short  con¬ 
fession,  embracing  only  the  doctrines  held  in  common  by  all,  and  estab¬ 
lishing  such  a  system  of  government,  as  all  could  conscientiously  adopt ; 
whilst  entire  liberty  and  privilege  of  diversity  should  be  enjoyed  by  all 
on  every  point  not  determined  by  the  new  standards.’  But  there  seem 
difficulties,  which  are  stated  :  and  the  Professor  exhibits  his  own  Plan, 
having  the  following  features  : 

‘  1.  Let  the  several  Christian  denominations  retain  each  its  own  pres¬ 
ent  ecclesiastical  organization,  government,  discipline,  and  modeof  wor¬ 
ship.  2.  Let  each  of  the  confederated  denominations  formally  resolve, 
for  ilself,  not  to  discipline  any  member  or  minister,  for  holding  a  doctrine 
believed  by  any  other  denomination  whose  Christian  character  it  acknowl¬ 
edges  ;  provided  his  deportment  be  unexceptionable,  and  he  conform 
to  the  rules  of  government,  discipline,  and  worship  adopted  by  said  de¬ 
nomination  :  for,  all  doctrines,  which  the  great  body  of  all  Christians 
whom  God  has  owned  by  his  grace  and  Spirit,  and  who  have  free  access 
to  the  Scriptures,  agree  in  finding  in  them,  are  certainly  taught  iliere; 
ami  all  those  points  on  which  they  differ,  are  less  certain,  are  doubtful. 
S.  Let  a  creed  be  adopted  including  only  Hie  doctrines  held  in  common 
by  all  the  orthodox  Christian  denominations,  to  he  termed  the  Apostol¬ 
ic,  Protestant  Confession,  and  let  this  same  creed  He  used  by  all  denom¬ 
inations  as  the  term  of  sacramental,  ecclesiastical,  and  ministerial  com¬ 
munion.  This  creed  should  embrace.  (1.)  The  so-called  Apcrstles'  Creed, 
embraced  now  by  four  fifths  of  the  Protestant  church  :  (2.)  A  selection 
of  those  articles  from  the  creeds  of  the  prominent  Protestant  churches, 
in  which  all  can  agree,  taking  But  one  article  on  each  subject,  and  styl¬ 
ing  it  the  United  Protestant  Confession.  Such  a  creed  would  [L]  Keep 
heretics  out  of  the  church  :  [2.]  Give  prominence  to  the  great,  acknowl¬ 
edged  truths  of  Christianity.  4.  There  should  be  free  sacramental,  eccle¬ 
siastical,  and  ministerial  communion  among  the  confederated  church¬ 
es.’  [Dr.  S.  explains  the  last  of  these  as  implying,  ‘  that  a  certificate  of 
good  slanding  in  the  ministry  of  one  church,  ought,’  other  things  being 
unexceptionable,  ‘  to  be  a  passport  for  admission  to  the  ministerial 
ranks  of  any  other  church:’  by  the  second,  ‘that  a  certificate  of  good 
.standing  in  any  one  church  should  be  a  certain  passport  for  admission 
to  regular  membership  in  any  other ;  but,  concerning  the  first  he  ob¬ 
serves,  that  ‘  free  sacramental  communion  may  be  said  already  to  exist 
among  the  churches.’  How  such  an  assertion  could  be  made,  by  one 
whose  views  and  information  are  so  extensive,  it  is  difficult  to  conceive. 
Has  not  the  celebrated  Treatise  of  that  vigorous  iconoclast,  Robert  flail , 
attracted  his  notice  ?  And  can  it  be  said,  that  free  sacramental  com¬ 
munion  is  enjoyed,  when  a  denomination  of  more  than  half  a  million  of 
souls,  within  the  pale  of  the  Protestant  church,  systematically  with¬ 
holds  it  ?  On  this  point,  the  Ed.,  deep  as  are  his  feelings,  could  hardly 
wish  to  employ  stronger  language  than  Mr.  Hall  has  used,  —  although 
he  is  compelled  to  dissent  from  him,  as  would  Dr.  Schniucker,  (see 
above,)  in  his  views  on  the  method  of  producing  the  communion  ho 
aims  at,  by  holding  baptism  as  not  [ire-requisite.  Rather  would  the  Ed¬ 
itor  [dace  it  on  the  base  of  conscientious  conviction  of  Christinn  ob¬ 
ligation,  which'  ought  to  be  inviolate,  as  staled  in  the  first  article  of  Iho 
Plan  of  Dr.  S,  And  it  well  deserves  serious  and  prayerful  inquiry, 
whether  it  be  not  using  the  Table  of  the  Lord  with  irreverence,  to  con¬ 
stitute  it  the  mere  bad?e  of  a  denomination  or  party;  to  make  the  ad¬ 
mission  to  it  of  any  such  as  are  his  acknowledged  children  depend  on 
their  compliance  with  sectarian  peculiarity  in  the  modeof  administer¬ 
ing  an  ordinance,  to  which,  nevertheless,  such  attention  has  been  paid 
as  satisfies  conscience.  The  refusal,  jn  such  case,  the  Ed.  cannot  but 
regard,  as  a  rejection  of  Christ,  in  rejecting  his  acknowledged  friends,  and 
as  the  boldest  assumption  at  this  day  chargeable  on  persons  and  church¬ 
es  of  admitted  orthodoxy  and  piety.  He  grieves  to  utter,  but  cannot,  in 
Christian  fidelity,  xvithhold  the  remark.  ‘To  I  he  advocates  of  strict 
communion,’  says  Dr.  Pond,  ‘I  will  venture  to  suggest  a  way  in  which 
the  difficulties  between  ns  may  be  consistently  got  over.  Let  them  ceaso 
to  judge  another  man’s  servant,  and  leave  him  to  stand  or  fall  lo  his 
own  Master.  We  who  differ  from  them  on  the  subject  of  baptism,  are 
not  conscious  of  neglecting  or  trifling  with  the  ordinance  more  than  they; 
but  observe  it  conscientiously,  according,  as  we  think,  to  the  institution 
and  will  of  Christ.’  See  Treat,  on  ‘Christian  Baptism,’  1833,  p.  165.) 
‘5.  In  all  matters  not  relating  to  the. government,  discipline,  and  forma 
of  worship  of  individual  churches,  but  pertaining  to  the  common  cause 
of  Christianity,  let  the  principle  of  cooperation,  regardless  of  sect,  he 
adopted  as  far  as  the  natnre  of  the  case  will  admit,  and  as  fast  as  the 
views  of  the  parties  will  allow.  6.  The  Bible  should,  as  much  as  pos¬ 
sible,  be  made  the  text-book  in  all  religious  and  theofogiear  instruction. 
7.  Missionaries  ought  to  use  and  profess  no  other  than  this  Apostolic 
Protestant  Confession,  and  connect  it  with  whatever  form  of  church- 
government  and  mode  of  worship  they  prefer.’  He  adds  : 

‘  For  the  sake  of  onr  bleeding  Savior,  our  divisions  ought  not  to  be  car¬ 
ried  to  heathen  lands.  The  Protestant  churches  amount  to  but  60  mil¬ 
lions  out  of  700,  the  probable  population  of  the  globe,  and  ought  wit  to 
spread  the  Corinthian  contagion  of  sectarianism  over  the  Gentile  world. 
Into  the  same  district  of  country  no  two  sects  should  send,  to  produce 
collision.  In  view  of  the  divisions  sectarianism  has  entailed  on  the  her¬ 
itage  of  God,  let  the  disciples  of  Chrisl,  instructed  hy  the  experience  of 
300  year3  of  discord  in  the  household  of  failh,  settle  some  plan  for  pre¬ 
serving  the  unity  of  the  church,  ns  her  triumphs  extend  to  heathen  emiH- 
tries.  The  signs  of  the  times  call  us  to  this  duty  in  the  providence  of 
God,  [and  the  intellect  of  the  Christinn  church  should  no  longer  be  ex¬ 
pended  in  internal  contentions,  but  all  her  energies  be  directed  to  tiik 
conversion  of  the  world.]’  See  the  article,  Creed,  &c.,  Am.  Bib. 
Repos.  No.  for  April,  1833.  ed> 


GENERAL 


AN  EXPOSITION 


OF  THE 


E  P  I  S  T  L  E  O  F  J  A  M  E  S , 


PRACTICAL  OBSERVATIONS  AND  NOTES. 

(Henry's  Exposition ,  completed  by  Dr.  S.  Wright.) 


The  writer  of*  this  epistle  was  not  James  the  son  of  Zebedee  :  for  he  was  put  to  death  by  Herod,  (Acts  12.)  before  Chris¬ 
tianity  had  gained  so  much  ground  among  the  Jews  of  the  dispersion  as  is  here  implied.  But  it  was  the  otner  James,  the 
son  of  Alpheus ;  who  was  cousin-german  to  Christ,  and  one  of  the  twelve  apostles,  Mat.  10:3.  He  is  called  a  pillar,  Gal. 
2:9.  and  this  epistle  of  his  cannot  be  disputed,  without  loosening  a  foundation-stone. 

It  is  called  a  general  epistle,  because  (so  some)  [see  Guide,  in  Suppl.]  not  directed  to  any  particular  person  or  church,  but, 
as  we  say,  a  circular  letter  :  or,  as  others,  to  distinguish  it  from  the  epistles  of  Ignatius,  Barnabas,  Polycarp,  and  others,  noted 
in  the  primitive  times,  but  not  generally  received  in  the  church,  and  on  that  account  not  canonical,  as  this  is.  Eusebius 
tells  us,  that  this  epistle  teas  generally  read  in  the  churches  with  the  other  catholic  epistles.  Hist.  Eccles.  page  53,  Ed.  Val. 
1678.  James  was  called  the  just,  for  his  great  piety.  He  was  an  eminent  example  of  those  graces  which  he  presses  on 
olliers.  He  was  so  exceedingly  revered  for  his  justice,  temperance,  and  devotion,  that  Josephus  records  it  as  one  of  the 
causes  of  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem,  ‘  That  James  was  martyred  in  it.’  This  is  mentioned  in  hopes  of  procuring  the 
greater  regard  to  what  is  penned  by  so  holy  and  excellent  a  man. 

The  time  of  this  epistle  is  uncertain.  Its  design  is,  to  reprove  Christians  for  their  great  degeneracy,  both  in  faith  and 
manners;  and  to  prevent  the  spreading  of  those  libertine  doctrines,  which  threatened  the  destruction  of  all  practical  godli¬ 
ness  :  also,  a  special  intention  was,  to  awaken  the  Jewish  nation  to  a  sense  of  the  greatness  and  nearness  of  the  judgments 
coining  on  them;  and  to  support  all  true  Christians  in  their  duty,  under  calamities  and  persecutions.  Its  truths  are  very 
momentous,  and  necessary  to  be  maintained;  and  its  rules  for  practice  are  for  our  times,  as  well  as  preceding  ages.  Henry. 

It  is  recorded  in  ecclesiastical  history,  and  ‘the  Acts  of  the  Apostles’  confirm  the  fact,  that  James  generally  resided  at 
Jerusalem,  superintending  the  concerns  of  the  churches  in  that  city,  and  in  the  neighboring  places,  to  the  end  of  his  life; 
which  was  terminated  by  martyrdom,  the  circumstances  of  which  are  differently  related. — lie  seems  to  have  written  this 
epistle,  only-  a  short  time  before  his  death  ;  and  it  is  supposed  by  some,  that  the  sharp  rebukes  and  awful  warnings,  given  in 
it  to  his  countrymen,  stirred  up  that  persecuting  rage,  which  terminated  his  life  :  but,  indeed,  it  is  peculiarly  wonderful,  that 
he  should  have  been  preserved  so  many  years,  in  so  perilous  a  situation  ;  and  it  can  be  accounted  for,  only  by  ascribing  it  to 
the  Lord's  immediate  protection.  The  epistle  is  styled  general,  or  catholic,  because  addressed  to  the  Jewish  converts  gen¬ 
erally,  throughout  their  dispersions;  indeed,  with  most  evident  reference  also  to  the  unconverted  part  of  the  nation.  This 
title,  however,  is  not  coeval  with  the  epistle  ;  but  was  prefixed  to  it  some  ages  after  it  was  written  ;  and  to  the  subsequent 
epistles,  in  several  instances,  with  manifest  impropriety.  The  apostle,  by  means  of  the  elders  and  Christians  at  Jerusalem, 
probably  circulated  copies  of  this  epistle,  by  those  strangers  who  came  to  the  sacred  festivals,  from  the  several  cities  and 
Countries  where  the  Jews  resided,  and  especially  where  Jewish  converts  to  Christianity  were  found  :  and,  as  it  was  exclu¬ 
sively  addressed  to  his  countrymen,  it  seems  for  a  long  season  to  have  been  little  known  among  the  Gentile  converts;  so 
that  its  authenticity  was  doubted  for  a  considerable  time.*— It  is  generally  known,  that  Luther,  in  the  earlier  part  of  the 
Reformation,  spoke  rather  in  a  slighting  manner  of  this  epistle,  groundlessly  supposing  that  it  contradicted  Paul's  doctrine, 
in  the  grand  subject  of  justification  :  but  deeper  experience,  more  exact  investigation,  more  extensive  observation,  and  a 
maturer  judgment,  induced  him  to  retract  his  opinion:  and  at  present  no  further  doubt  seems  to  be  entertained,  among 
orthodox  Christians,  as  to  its  divine  inspiration  and  authority.  It  is  not,  however,  so  replete  with  the  peculiar  doctrines  of 
Christianity,  as  Paul’s  epistles  are  in  general ;  or,  indeed,  as  the  other  apostolical  epistles  :  for  it  is  supposed  to  have  been 
written  with  a  special  design  of  counteracting  the  false  teachers,  who,  in  different  ways,  perverted  those  doctrines,  and 
wrested  them  to  their  own  destruction,  and  that  of  other  men.  But  the  grand  principles  of  Christianity  are  throughout 
taken  for  granted,  and  it  will  be  found,  on  attentive  consideration,  entirely  coincident  with  even  Paul’s  doctrine,  concerning 
grace  and  justification  ;  though,  at  the  first  glance,  it  may  appear  discordant :  and  it  abounds  with  most  irnpoi  taut  exhorta¬ 
tions  to  the  patience  of  hope,  and  the  obedience  of  faith  and  love;  with  which  various  very  needful  warnings,  reproofs, and 
encouragements,  are  interspersed,  according  to  tlie  different  characters  of  the  persons  addressed  in  it.  Scott. 

‘  This  epistle  (like  2  Pet.  and  2  and  3  John)  was  not  at  first  received  as  canonical.  But,  after  a  severe  scrutiny  (attesting 
the  great  caution  of  the  primitive  church  in  receiving  any  books  into  the  canon),  all  doubts  respecting  its  genuineness  being 
soon  removed,  it  was  admitted  into  the  sacred  volume,  and  at  so  early  a  period,  that  it  is  found  in  the  Peschito-Syriac 
Version,  formed  at  the  beginning  of  the  2d  century,  and  which  does  not  contain  2  Pet.,  2  and  3  John,  nor  Rev.  Indeed,  to  its 
reception  as  an  inspired  book,  there  is  strong  attestation,  in  two  allusions  to  it  inClementof  Rome,  and  seven  in  Plermas’ 
Pastor.  ..  The  epistle  ranks  among  the  most  instructive  and  edifying  of  the  N.  T. 

‘  As  to  its  manner  and  style,  there  is  deep  earnestness,  true  pathos,  grandeur  of  thought,  and  beauty,  nay,  splendor  of 
imagery;  there  is  a  singular  vivacity  of  thought,  and  terseness  of  expression,  (see  Col.  4:6.)  yet  united  with  unaffected 
simplicity  ;  there  is  an  oratorical,  not  rhetorical  demotes  in  the  reproofs,  yet  united  with  true  Christian  meekness;  there  is, 
besides,  much  sound  wisdom,  evinced  in  the  counsels  here  given  ;  but  that  is  (to  use  the  apostle’s  own  expression)  the 
“  meekness  of  wisdom,”  (the  mitis  sapientia  of  Horace,)  the  “  wisdom  that  is  from  above,  which  is  first  pure,  and  then 
peaceable  and  gentle.”  ’  •  Bloomeiei.d. 


*  ‘  While  2  Peter,  2  and  3  John,  Jude,  and  the  Rev.,  are  omitted  in  the 
first  Syrian  tr.  of  the  N.  T.,  made  in  the  beginning  of  the  2d  cent.,  for 
the  use  of  converted  Jews,  this  epistle  of  James  hath  found  a  place 
therein. — This  is  an  argument  of  great  weight ;  for  certainly  the  Jewish 
believers,  to  whom  that  epistle  was  addressed  and  delivered,  were  much 
belter  judges  of  its  authenticity,  than  the  converted  Gentiles  to  whom  it 
was  not  sent;  aiuNwlio  perhaps  had  no  opportunity  of  being  acquaint¬ 
ed  with  it,  till  long  Rfter  it  was  written.’  Machn. — 1  It  is  cited  by  Cle¬ 
mens  Romanus  four  several  times,  and  by  Ignatius,  in  his  genuine  epis¬ 
tle  to  the  Ephesians  ;  by  Origen,  in  his  13th  homily  on  Genesis.  Eusebius 
saitli,  It  was  known  to  most,  and  publicly  read  in  most  Christian 
churches;  Jerome,  That  in  process  of  time  it  obtained  authority.  Es- 
tius  notes,  That  they  who  before  doubted  of  it,  in  the  fourth  century 
embraced  the  opinion  of  them  who  received  it ;  and  from  thence  no 
church,  no  ecclesiastical  writer,  is  found  who  ever  doubted  of  it.  But, 
on  the  contrary,  all  the  catalogues  of  the  books  of  tile  Holy  Scripture, 
published  by  general  and  provincial  councils,  Roman  bishops,  or  other 
orthodox  writers,  number  it  among  the  canonical  scriptures.’  Whitby. 
— ‘  It  appears  to  me,  that  the  authority  of  this,  and  some  other  parts  of 
the  N.  T.,  having  been  early  questioned  by  some  primitive  churches,  af¬ 
fords  an  argument  of  their  peculinr  caution,  that  no  other  writings  should 
be  admitted  into  the  sacred  canon,  however  excellent,  besides  those 
which  had  an  undoubted  claim  to  that  distinction;  and  justly  challeng¬ 
es  our  deference  to  their  judgment,  who  doubtless  were  most  capable  of 
deciding,  and  gave  sufficient  evidenc*  of  their  care,  as  well  as  their  ca¬ 


pacity.  The  epistle  before  us,  having  passed  through  a  severe  ami  ac¬ 
curate  scrutiny,  appears  to  have  been  universally  received  ;  and  ac¬ 
cordingly  has  been  transmitted  down  to  the  present  age,  as  an  authentic 
part  of  the  oracles  of  God.’  Doddr.  Scott. 

‘The  apostle,  (ch.  1.)  after  the  inscription  and  salutation,  encourages 
believers  to  bear  thei^  trials  cheerfully  and  patiently  ;  to  maintain  good 
thoughts  of  God,  and  charge  themselves  with  all  sinful  effects  of  iheir 
temptations  ;  to  keep  watch  over  their  turbulent  passions,  receive  God’3 
Word  with  meekness,  and  put  it  in  practice.  In  ch.  2.  hecautions  against 
partial  and  undue  respect  to  the  rich,  and  treating  the  poor  with  con¬ 
tempt  and  neglect,  feigning  pity  for  them  ;  illustrates  the  insignificancy 
of  profession  of  faith  in  Christ  for  justification,  without  proof  of  Sincer¬ 
ity  by  good  works,  nnd  confirms  it  by  the  obedience  of  Abraham  and 
Rahab.  Ch.  3.  guards  against  reviling,  censorious,  imperious  language; 
shows  the  mischief  of  the  tongue,  and  the  inconsistency  of  indulging  it 
with  the  Christian  temper  and  profession,  anti  with  heavenly  wisdom. 
Ch.  4.  reproves  them  for  a  litigious,  proud,  worldly,  envious  spirit,  mar¬ 
ring  and  defeating  their  prayers,  and  contrary  to  God  and  his  law,  and  tor 
their  disregard  to  Providence,  in-  secular  affairs.  Ch.  5.  denounces  God  s 
approaching  judgments  against  those  unbelieving  Jews,  who  heaped  up 
unrighteous  gains  ;  exhorts  Christian  converts  to  wait  patiently  for  deliv¬ 
erance  from  their  enemies,  who  should  soon  fall,  and  for  better  blessings 
in  heaven  ;  to  enw  none ;  to  avoid  swearing  ;  to  live  as  Christians  in  pros¬ 
perity  and  adversity,  acknowledge  their  faults  to,  and  pray  for,  each  other, 
and  seek  to  convert  sinners  to  the  truth  and  holiness  of  the  Gospel.  Go  yse. 

[565] 


A.  D.  60. 


JAMES,  I 


Christian  conduct  under  affliction. 


CHAP.  I. 

1  W#?  are  to  rejoice  under  the  cross,  5  to  ask  patience  of 
Gud,  13  arid  in  our  trials  not  to  impute  our  weakness,  or 
■ins,  Unto  Him,  19  but  rather  to  hearken  to  t lie  Word,  to 
meditate  in  t,  and  to  do  thereafter.  26  Otherwise  men 
may  seem,  but  never  be  truly  religious. 

JAMES,  a  servant  aof  God  and 
of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  to  the 
twelve  b  tribes  which  are  scattered 
e abroad,  greeting. 

2  My  brethren,  count  it  all  joy 
A  when  ye  fall  into  divers  tempta¬ 
tions  ; 

3  Knowing  this,  that  the  trying 
of  your  faith  worketh  e  patience. 

4  But  let  patience  have  her  f  per¬ 
fect  work,  that  ye  may  be  perfect 
and  entire,  wanting  nothing. 

5  If  any  of  you  lack  wisdom,  let 
him  ask  of  God,  that  sgiveth  to  all 
men  liberally,  and  upbraideth  not ; 
and  hit  shall  be  given  him. 

a  Jude  1 .  d  Mat.  5:12. 


Chap.  I.  V.  1 — 12.  This  inscription  lias 
three  principal  parts  : 

1.  Tlie  character  by  which  our  author 
desires  to  be  known, — James,  a  servant  of 
God,  and  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  lie  was 
a  prime  minister  in  Christ’s  kingdom,  yet 
he  styles  himself  only  a  servant.  Further, 
though  called  by  the  evangelist  the  brother 
of  our  Lord,  yet  it  was  his  glory  to  serve 
Christ,  rather  than  to  boast  of  being  akin, 
according  to  the  flesh.  Hence  let  us  learn 
to  prize  this  title  above  all  others  inutile 
world, — the  servants  of  God  and  of  Christ. 

Again,  James  professes  himself  a  servant  of 
God  and  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  to  teach 
us,  that  in  all  services  we  should  have  an  eye 
to  the  Son  as  well  as  the  Father,  John  5: 

23.  looking  for  acceptance  in  Christ,  and 
assistance  from  Him,  and  yielding  all  obe¬ 
dience  to  Him  ;  thus  confessing  that  Jesus 
Christ  is  Lord,  to  the  glory  of  God  the  Futher. 
f  2.  The  conditions  of  those  to  whom  he 
writes, — the  twelve  tribes  which  are  scattered 
abroad.  Some  understand  this  of  the  dis- 

NOTES.  Chap.  I-  V.  1.  Probably,  the  apostolical  authority  of 
James  was  not  disputed,  among  those  whom  he  more  immediately  ad¬ 
dressed,  so  that  he  waived  the  mention  of  it,  and  only  styled  himself 
‘the  servant  of  God  and  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ.’  (M.  R.  b.) — He  is 
said  to  have  been  the  first  bishop  of  that  church  [Jerusalem].  This  in¬ 
deed  is  spoken  inaccurately,  for  he  certainly  possessed  far  more  than 
episcopal  authority,  however  that  may  be  defined  ;  and  surely  it  could 
be  no  preferment  to  an  apostle,  to  be  appointed  a  diocesan  bishop  ! — 
Greetim r.]  James,  who  probably  drew  up  the  epistle  of  the  council  at 
Jerusalem,  to  the  Gentile  converts,  there  uses  the  same  word.  Acts  15: 
22 — 29.  Scott. 

(1.)  Dispersion.]  1  There  were  properly  two  :  the  Eastern  (beyond 
the  Euphrates),  and  the  IVestern,  commencing  in  the  time  of  Alexander. 
This  increased  so  much,  that,  in  the  apostle’s  age,  all  the  commercial 
and  manufacturing  cities  of  Syria,  Egypt,  and  other  parts  of  the  sea- 
coast  of  Africa,  Asia  Minor,  Greece,  Italy,  and  Spain,  were  full  of  them. 
And  they  cultivated  the  use  of  the  Greek  tongue,  as  if  it  were  a  verna¬ 
cular  one,  because  it  was  indispensably  necessary  to  the  commercial 
transactions  by  which  they  almost  invariably  lived.’  Bloomf. 

V.  2 — 4.  Knowing  the  afflicted  and  persecuted  condition,  in  which 
his  brethren  were,  the  apostle  exhorted  them  to  ‘count  it’  altogether 
a  cause  of  rejoicing,  if  the  Lord  saw  good,  that,  notwithstanding  their 
watchfulness,  thev  should  fall  into  such  ‘trials,’  as  might  expose  them 
to  temptation,  and  give  them  an  opportunity  of  resisting  and  overcom¬ 
ing  it;  they  ought  to  consider  it  as  a  matter  of  unmingied  joy,  an  oc¬ 
casion  of  evidencing  the  sincerity  and  strength  of  their  love  to  God,  and 
as  a  rich  advantage  to  their  souls,  though  painful  for  the  time.  Mat.  5: 
10—12.  Lu.  6:21—23.  1  Pet.  1:6,  7.  4:12—16—  2)  Temptations.]  Mat. 
6:13.  26:41.  Lu.  22:23.  1  Cor.  10:13.  Gal.  4.14  Heb.  3:8.  1  Pet.  1:6. 
Some  persons  lay  considerable  stress  on  the  distinction  between  temp¬ 
tations  and  trials;  but  the  original  word  is  the  same  as  that  ill  the 
Lord’s  prayer,  which  is  rendered  ‘  temptation.’  Indeed,  every  trial  is, 
or  gives  occasion  to,  temptation  ;  ami  every  temptation  is  a  trial  of  our 
hearts,  and  tends  to  show  whether  divine  grace  or  corrupt  nature  has, 
at  that  time,  the  ascendancy.  12 — 15.  Gen.  22:1.  The  apostle,  how¬ 
ever,  no  doubt,  especially  referred  to  the  persecutions,  for  the  sake  of 
their  Lord,  to  which  Christians  were  then  peculiarly  exposed. — '3)  The 
trying .]  1  Pet.  1:1.  ‘  The  act  of  proving,  or  assaying.'  Rom.  5:4.  2  Cor. 
2:9.  8:2.  13:3.  Phil.  2:22.  *  the  proof,  arising  from  this  act  of  proving.' 

Scott. 

(2.)  All  joy.]  ‘  Nought  but  joy,  i.  e,  a  matter  of  entire  rejoicing.  So 
we  say,  it  is  “  all  for  the  best.”  ’  Bl. — ‘  The  Lord  does  not  prevent  you 
from  doing  evil  things,  and  from  being  wicked,  if  you  choose  to,  because 
He  wishes  you  to  choose  freely  to  be  good.’  It  is  with  temptations  ns 
with  poisons  in  the  natural  world,  which  in  sickness  operate  as  medi- 

[566] 


grow  in  them  as  we  should  do,  how  good 
would  it  he  for  us  to  be  afflicted  ! 

1.  One  Christian  grace  to  be  exercised, 
is  joy;  Count  it  all  joy,  v.  2.  We  must  not 
sink  into  a  sad  and  disconsolate  frame  of 
mind,  that  would  make  us  faint  under  our 
trials;  but  must  endeavor  to  keep  our  spirits 
dilated,  enlarged,  and  full  of  hope,  the  bet¬ 
ter  to  take  in  a  true  sense  of  our  case,  and 
with  greater  advantage  to  set  ourselves  to 
make  the  best  of  it.  Philosophy  may  in¬ 
struct  men  to  be  calm  under  their  troubles; 
but  Christianity  teaches  them  to  be  joyful; 
because  such  exercises  proceed  from  lote, 
and  not  fury  in  God.  In  them  we  are  con¬ 
formable  to  Christ  our  Head,  and  they  be¬ 
come  marks  of  our  adoption  ;  by  suffering 
in  the  ways  of  righteousness,  we  are  serving 
the  interests  of  our  Lord’s  kingdom  among 
men,  and  edifying  the  body  of  Christ  ;  and 
our  trials  will  brighten  our  graces  now,  and 
our  crown  at  last.  And  this  is  not  purely  a 
New  Testament  paradox,  but  even  in  Job’s 
time  it  was  said.  Behold,  happy  is  the.  man 
whom  God  correcteth.  There  is  the  more 
reason  for  joy  in  afflictions,  if  we  Consider 
the  other  graces  that  are  promoted  by  them. 
.  2.  Faith  is  a  grace  that  one  expression 
supposes,  and  another  expressly  requires, 
v.  3.  There  must  be  a  sound  believing  of  the 
great  truths  of  Christianity, -and  a  resolute 
cleaving  to  them,  in  times  of  trial.  That 
faith  which  is  spoken  of  here  ns  tried  by  af¬ 
flictions,  consists  in  a  belief  of  the  power 
and  promise  of  God,  and  in  fidelity  and  con¬ 
stancy  to  the  Lord  Jesus. 

3.  There  must  be  patience;  The  trial  of 
faith  worketh  patience.  Trying  of  one  grace 
produces  another;  and  the  more  the  suffer¬ 
ing  graces  of  a  Christian  are  exercised,  the 
stronger  they  grow,  Rom.  5:  3.  Christian 
patience  is  not  a  stupid,  but  an  active  tiling. 
A  stoical  apathy  and  a  Christian  patience 
are  very  different;  by  the  one  men  become, 
in  some  measure,  insensible  of  their  afflic¬ 
tions  ;  but  by  the  other,  triumphant  in  and 
over  them.  Let  us  take  care,  in  times  of 
trial,  that,  whatever  is  said  or  done,  patience 
have  the  saying  and  doing  of  it  ;  give  it 
leave  to  work,  and  it  will  work  wonders,  in 
a  time  of  trouble.  We  must  let  it  have  its 

cines.  You  are,  for  instance,  on  some  provocation,  ‘disposed  to  be  an¬ 
gry,  or  revengeful  ;  this  is  soul-sickness  ;  and  if  you  do  this  wickedness 
lunch  and  often,  and  persist  in  it,  and  love  it.  and  do  not  repent  of  it,  it 
will  make  your  soul  die;  now  this  very  provocation  which  lias  happen¬ 
ed  may  supply  a  remedy.  For  if  you  recollect,  that  it  is  sinful  to  be  an¬ 
gry,  and  if  you  stop,  and  put  a  restraint  on  yourself,  and  speak  mildly 
and  feel  kindly  [to  the  aggressor],  you  have  cured  your  sickness;  and 
what  is  more,  you  will  never  be  so  apt  to  have  that  soul-sickness  again. 
Every  time  you  check  and  prevent  your  own  anger,  it  will  be  easier  for 
you  to  cheek  it  the  next  time;  and  it  will  be  more  difficult  for  anything 
that  happens  to  make  you  angry  ;  and  thus  you  will  he  far  happier— Just 
the  same  is  true  of  every  sinfulness,  and  of  every  trouble  which  conies 
upon  us;  and  this,  whether  it  is  brought  upon  us  by  another’s  wicked 
act  or  not. — It  is  to  get  rid  of  sinfulness,  and  of  the  disposition  to  sin, 
that  we  live  in  this  world.  And  it  is  to  help  us  to  get  rid  of  them  that 
troubles  come  to  us.  You  may  he  always  perfectly  sure  that  the  Lord 
will  never  permit,  and  that  He  never  does  permit,  any  trouble  whatev¬ 
er,  great  or  small,  or  of  any  kind,  to  come  upon  us,  in  any  way  whatev¬ 
er,  unless  lie  knows  that  ihe  trouble  which  He  permits  may  he  used  by 
us  as  a  medicine  for  the  soul.  I.  e.  unless  lie  sees  in  us  some  inclina¬ 
tion  to  sin,  and  unless  He  sees,  that  the  trouble  He  permits  may  be  so 
used  by  us  as  to  check  that  inclination,  and  get  rid  of  that  sin,  or  confirm 
us  in  some  good.  . .  Generally,  when  you  take  medicine,  you  do  not 
know  how  it  is  to  help  you  ;  but  you  think  they  know  who  gave  it  to 
you,  and  you  take  it,  trusting  that  it  will  relieve  your  pain  and  make  you 
belter.  Just  so  it  will  often  happen,  that  you  are  not  able  to  see  why  any 
affliction  has  come  to  you,  or  what  good  it  can  do  to  you.  But  you  can 
know,  in  the  first  place,  that  it  may  do  some  good,  or  it  would  not  he  per¬ 
mitted.  And  you  may  know,  in  the  next  place,  that  if  you  try  ami  en¬ 
deavor  to  he  patient,  and  to  he  calm,  and  to  have  a  belief  in  the  Lord’s 
goodness,  and  to  wish  that  his  will  may  be  done,  then  it  is  certain  that 
this  endeavor  will  do  you  good,  and  will  he  useful  to  you  forever.’  Sun¬ 
day  Lessons  for  Children.  Comp,  notes,  Job  36:8 — 14.  34:1.  Ed. 

(4.)  The  Jewish  sacrificial  law  required  both  the  victim  and  the  sac¬ 
rificing  priest  to  be  teleioi, hnloclhroi,  (the  Gr.  words  here  tr.  perfect  and 
entire,)  and  amOmoi.  See  Hottingcr.  So  did  the  Greeks.  See  Poller.  Ed. 
— ‘  If  some  Christians  are  more  eminent  than  others,  ii  is  simply  because 
they  make  more  efforts  to  be  so.  So  that  all  worldly  minded  and  indiffer¬ 
ent  Christians  continue  in  this  state  because  they  do  not  choose  to  make 
efforts  to  get  out.  Any  person  may  be  an  eminent  saint  who  choos¬ 
es  to  be  so.  Christians  are  loo  apt  to  feel,  as  if  eminence  in  piety 
was  a  distinction  made  by  the  sovereignty  of  God,  and  to  suppose  that 
high  attainments  are  not  within  the  reach  of  all,  and  that  languid  and 
inefficient  piety  is  the  result  of  divine  sovereignty,  rather  than  of  negli¬ 
gence  and  sloth.’  '  Beecher, 


f  Lu.  8:15.  21:19. 

Pr.  2:3— G. 
h  Je.  29:12. 


pension  on  the  persecution  of  Stephen,  Acts 
8.  But  that  only  reached  to  Judea  and  Sa¬ 
maria.  *  Others  understand  it  of  the  Jews 
dispersed  in  Assyria,  Babylon,  Egypt,  and 
other  kingdoms  into  which  their  wars  had 
driven  them.  The  greatest  part  indeed  of 
ten  of  the  twelve  tribes  were  lost  in  cap¬ 
tivity  ;  yet  some  of  every  tribe  were  pre¬ 
served,  and  are  still  honored  with  the  an¬ 
cient  style  of  twelve  tribes.  These  however 
were  scattered  and  dispersed,  even  good 
people  among  them  sharing  in  the  common 
calamity.  These  Jews  of  the  dispersion 
were  those  who  had  embraced  (lie  Christian 
faith.  Note  here,  It  is  often  the  lot  even  of 
God’s  own  tribes  to  be  scattered  abroad. 
The  gathering  day  is  reserved  for  the  end 
of  time.  God  has  a  particular  care  of  bis 
outcasts,  Is.  16:  3,  4.  Eze.  11:  16.  We 
should  not  then  value  ourselves  too  much  on 
outward  privileges,  nor  despond,  and  think 
ourselves  rejected,  under  outward  calami¬ 
ties. 

3.  James  here  shows  the  respect  he  had 
even  for  the  dispersed,  greeting,  saluting 
them,  wishing  pence  and  salvation  to  them. 

We  next  come  to  consider  the  matter  of 
this  epistle.  Observe, 

I.  The  suffering  state  of  Christians  in  this 
world,  represented  in  a  very  instructive  man¬ 
ner.  1.  It  is  implied,  that  troubles  and 
afflictions  may  be  the  lot  of  the  best  Chris¬ 
tians,  even  of  those  who  have  the  most  rea¬ 
son  to  think  and  hope  well  of  themselves.  2. 
These  outward  afflictions  and  troubles  are 
temptations  to  them.  The  devil  endeavors 
by  sufferings  and  crosses  to  draw  men  to 
sin,  and  to  deter  them  from  duty,  or  unfit 
them  for  it;  but  as  our  afflictions  are  in 
God’s  hand,  they  are  intended  for  the  trial 
and  improvement  of  our  graces.  3.  We 
must  be  armed  on  every  side,  because  nu¬ 
merous  and  .various  temptations  lie  on  all 
sides.  4.  The  trials  of  a  good  man  are  such 
as  he  does  not  create  to  himself,  or  sinfully 
pull  on  himself;  but  such  as  lie  is  said  to 
fall  into;  for  this  reason  they  are  Lite  better 
borne  by  him. 

II.  The  graces  and  duties  of  a  slate  of 
trial  and  affliction  are  here  pointed  out  to 
us.  Could  we  attend  to  these  tilings,  and 


A.  D.  60. 


JAMES,  I. 


Necessity  of  faith  in  prayer. 


6  But  ‘  let  him  ask  in  faith,  noth¬ 
ing  wavering.  For  he  that  waver- 
eth,  is  like  a  wave  of  the  sea  driven 
with  the  wind  and  tossed. 

7  For  let  not  that  man  think  that 
he  shall  receive  any  thing  of  the 
Lord. 

8  A  double-minded  man  is  un¬ 
stable  in  all  his  ways. 

9  Let  the  brother  of  low  degree 
3  rejoice  in  that  lie  is  exalted  : 

10  But  the  rich,  in  that  he  is 
made  low  :  because  as  the  flower 
of  the  grass  k  he  shall  pass  away. 

11  For  the  sun  is  no  sooner  risen 
with  a  burning  heat,  but  it  wither- 
eth  the  grass,  and  the  flower  there¬ 
of  falleth,  and  the  grace  of  the 
fashion  of  it  perisheth :  so  .also 
shall  the  rich  man  fade  away  in  his 
ways. 

i  Ma.  11:24.  j  or,  glory.  k  Is.  40:6. 

perfect  work.  ‘  Do  nothing  to  limit  it,  or  to 
weaken  it;  if  one  affliction  come  on  the 
heels  of  another,  and  a  train  of  them,  yet  let 
patience  go  on  till  its  work  is  perfected.' 
When  the  work  of  patience  is  complete,  it 
will  furnish  us  with  all  that  is  necessary  for 
our  Christian  race  and  warfare,  and  enable 
us  to  persevere  to  the  end ,  and  then  its  work 
will  he  ended,  and  crowned  with  glory. 
After  vve  have  abounded  in  other  graces,  vve 
have  need  of  patience,  Ileb.  10:  36. 

4.  Prayer  is  a  duty  recommended  also  to 
suffering  Christians  ;  and  here  the  apostle 
shows,  (1.)  What  we  ought  more  especially 
to  pray  tor, — wisdom;  If  any  lack  wisdom, 
let  him  ask  of  God.  We  should  not  pray  so 
much  for  the  removal  of  an  affliction,  as  for 
wisdom  to  make  a  right  use  of  it.  To  be 
wise  in  trying  times  is  a  special  gift  of  God, 
and  to  Him  we  must  seek  for  it.  (2.)  In 
what  way  this  is  to  be  obtained, — on  our  peti¬ 
tioning  or  asking  for  it.  Let  the  foolish  be¬ 
come  beggars  at  the  throne  of  grace,  and 
they  are  in  a  fair  way  to  be  wise.  Let  us 
confess  our  want  of  wisdom  to  God,  and 
daily  ask  it  of  Him.  (3.)  We  have  the 
greatest  encouragement  to  do  this,  7/e  giveth  to 
all  men  liberally,  and  upbraideth  not.  Yea, 
it  is  expressly  promised  that  it  shall  be  given, 
v.  5.  Here  is  something  in  answer  to  every 
discouraging  turn  of  the  mind,  when  we  go 


to  God,  under  a  sense  of  our  own  weakness 
and  folly,  to  ask  for  wisdom.  lie  gives  to 
all  men.  And  if  you  should  say  you  want  a 
great  deal  of  wisdom,  a  small  portion  will 
not  serve  your  turn;  recollect,  He  gives  lib¬ 
erally.  And,  lest  you  should  be  afraid  of 
going  to  Him  unseasonably,  or  being  put  to 
slufine  for  your  folly  ;  it  is  added,  He  up¬ 
braideth  not.  Ask  when  you  will,  and  as 
often  as  you  will,  you  will  meet  with  no  up- 
braidings;  it  shall  be  given  him.  Justly  then 
must  fools  perish  in  their  foolishness,  if  wis¬ 
dom  may  be  bail  for  asking,  and  they  will 
not  pray  to  God  for  it.  But,  (4.)  There  is 
one  thing  necessary  to  be  observed  in  our  ask¬ 
ing,  namely,  that  we  do  it  with  a  believing, 
steady  mind,  v.  6..  The  promise  above  is 
very  sure,  wisdom  shall  he  given  to  those 
who  ask  it  of  God,  provided  they  believe 
that  God  is  able  to  make  the  simple  wise, 
and  is  faithful  to  make  good  his  word  to 
those  who  apply  to  Him,  Here  therefore 
we  see, 

6.  That  oneness,  and  sincerity  of  inten¬ 
tion,  and  a  steadiness  of  mind,  constitute 
another  duty  required  under  affliction  ;  He 
that  wavereth,  is  like  a  wave  of  the  sea,  driven 
with  the  wind,  and  tossed.  To  be  sometimes 
lifted  up  by  faith,  and  then  thrown  down 
again  by  distrust,  is  very  fitly  and  elegantly 
compared  to  a  waveot  the  sea,  that  rises  and 
falls,  swells  and  sinks,  just  as  the  wind 
tosses  it  higher  or  lower,  that  way  or  this. 
A  mind  that  has  but  one  single  and  prevail¬ 
ing  regard  to  its  spiritual  and  eternal  inter¬ 
ests,  [note,  1  John  5:7,  13.  latter  part,] 
and  that  keeps  steady  in  its  purposes  for 
God,  will  grow  wise  by  afflictions,  will  con¬ 
tinue  fervent  in  its  devotions,  and  will  be 
superior  to  all  trials  and  oppositions.  Now, 
for  the  cure  of  a  wavering  spirit  and  a  weak 
faith,  the  apostle  shows  the  ill  effects  of 
these;  (1.)  In  that  the  success  of  prayer  is 
spoiled  hereby,  v.  7.  Such  a  distrustful, 
shifting,  unsettled  person  is  not  likely  to 
value  a  favor  from  God  as  he  should  do,  and 
therefore  cannot  expect  to  receive  it.  (2.) 
A  wavering  faith  and  spirit  has  an  ill  influ¬ 
ence  on  our  conversation,  v.  8.  When  our 
faith  and  spirits  rise  atid  fall  with  second 
causes,  there  will  be  great  unsteadiness  in 
all  our  conversation,  [ends,  interests,]  and 
actions;  anil  he  that  is  unstable  as  water, 
shall  not  excel.  Hereupon, 

III.  The  holy,  humble  temper  of  a  Chris¬ 
tian,  both  in  advancement  and  debasement, 
is  described  ;  and  both  poor  and  rich  are 


directed  on  what  grounds  to  build  their  joy 
and  comfort,  v.  9 — 11. 

Here  observe,  1.  Those  of  low  degree  are 
to  be  looked  upon  as  brethren  ;  Let  the 
brother  of  loio  degree,  &c. 

2.  Good  Christians  may  be  rich  in  the 
world ,  v.  10.  Grace  and  wealth  are  not 
wholly  inconsistent.  Abraham,  the  father  of 
the  faithful,  was  rich  in  silver  and  gold. 

3.  Both  are  allowed  to  rejoice.  No  con¬ 
dition  of  life  puts  us  out  of  a  capacity  of  re¬ 
joicing  in  God.  If  we  do  not  rejoice  in 
Him  always,  it  is  our  own  fault.  Those  of 
low  degree  may  rejoice,  if  they  are  exalted 
to  be  rich  in  faith,  and  heirs  of  the  kingdom  of 
God,  (so  Whitby,)  and  the  rich  may  rejoice 
in  humbling  providences,  as  they  produce  a 
lowly  and  humble  disposition  of  mind,  which 
is  highly  valuable  in  the  sight  of  God. 
Where  any  are  made  poor  for  righteousness’ 
sake,  their  very  poverty  is  their  exaltation. 
It  is  an  honor  to  be  dishonored  for  the  sake 
of  Christ. 

4.  What  reason  rich  people  have,  notwith¬ 
standing  their  riches,  to  be  humble,  and  low 
in  their  own  eyes  ;  because  both  they  and 
their  riches  are  passing  away,  v.  11.  Note, 
hence,  Worldly  wealth  is  a  withering  tiling. 
Riches  are  too  uncertain  (says  Baxter,  on 
this  place),  too  inconsiderable  things,  to 
make  any  great  or  just  alteration  jn  our 
minds.  For  this  reason,  let  him  that  is  rich 
rejoice,  not  so  much  in  the  providence  of 
God,  that  makes  him  rich,  as  in  the  grace 
of  God,  that  makes  and  keeps  him  humble; 
and  in  those  trials  and  exercises  that  teach 
him  to  seek  his  felicity  in  and  from  God, 
and  not  from  these  perishing  enjoyments. 

IV.  A  blessing  is  pronounced  on  those 
who  endure  their  exercises  and  trials,  as  here 
directed,  v.  12. 

Observe,  1.  It  is  not  the  man  who  suffers 
only,  who  is  blessed,  but  he  who  endures; 
who,  with  patience  and  constancy,  goes 
through  all  difficulties  in  the  way  of  his  duty. 
2.  Afflictions  cannot  make  us  miserable,  if 
it  be  not  our  own  fault.  A  blessing  may 
arise  from  them,  and  we  may  be  blessed  in 
them.  3.  Sufferings  and  temptations  are  the 
way  to  eternal  blessedness ;  so  metals  are 
tried  as  to  their  excellency  by  the  fire  ; 
Note,  hence,  To  be  approved  of  God  is  the 
great  aim  of  a  Christian  in  all  his  trials  ; 
and  it  will  be  his  blessedness  at  last,  when 
he  shall  receive  the  crown  of  life.  It  will 
be  life  and  bliss,  and  will  last  for  ever.  We 
only  bear  the  cross  for  a  while,  but  vve  shall 


V.  5— S.  In  attempting  properly  to  endure  and  improve  their  trials, 
as  well  ns  in  a  great  variety  of  other  matters,  many,  to  whom  the  apos¬ 
tle  wrote,  would  experience  and  discover,  that  they  were  very  deficient 
in  wisdom.  When,  therefore,  any  were  conscious,  that  they  were  not 
capable  of  distinguishing  truth  from  error,  or  of  ascertaining  the  line  of 
conduct  which  they  ought  to  pursue,  they  should  immediately  bring  the 
case  before  God,  and  earnestly  beseech  Him  to  be  their  Teacher  and 
Counsellor  ;  by  the  influences  of  his  Spirit  enabling  them  to  understand, 
remember,  and  apply  the  instructions  of  his  holy  Word,  and  to  remove 
all  prejudices  and  carnal  passions,  which  tended  to  mislead  them. — ‘  bet 
him  come  to  God  with  firm  adherence  on  Him  ;  a  mind  resolved,  what¬ 
soever  comes,  to  stick  fast  to  God  ;  to  use  no  means  of  delivering  him¬ 
self,  hut  such  as  are  acceptable  to  Him  ;  never  entertaining  a  doubt, 
whether  God’s  ways  or  his  own  are  to  he  adhered  to,  for  the  obtaining  of 
his  ends;  making  no  question  of  God’s  power  and  will  to  answer  his  re¬ 
quests,  and  therefore  praying,  and  depending  on  Him  quietly,  for  an  issue 
out  of  all.’  Hammond — ‘  “  A  double-minded  man,”  whose  schemes  are 
divided  between  God  and  the  world,  and  who  cannot  cheerfully  and  res¬ 
olutely  commit  himself,  in  confidence  of  divine  support,  to  be  led  whith¬ 
ersoever  Providence  shall  please,  “is  unsettled-  in  all  his  ways.”  He 
will  perpetually  be  running  into  inconsistencies  of  conduct;  and  those 
imperfect  and  undetermined  impressions  of  religion,  which  he  tfeels,  will 
serve  rather  to  perplex  and  torment,  than  guide  and  secure  him.’  Doddr. 
— Such  characters  differ  widely  from  weak  believers,  who  constantly  ex¬ 
pect  and  seek  help  from  God,  and  do  not  allow  any  doubts  of  his  veraci¬ 
ty  and  faithfulness,  though  they  are  harassed  with  fears,  lest  there  he 
something  in  their  case,  or  manner  of  asking,  which  should  exclude 
them  from  the  benefit.  Their  language  is,  1  Lord,  to  whom  shall  1  go  ? 
Thou  hast  the  words  of  eternal  life  ?’ — (8)  Double-minded.]  4:8.  Hav¬ 
ing  two  souls.  The  English  word  generally  signifies,  deceitful ,  or  in¬ 
sidious  ;  ‘a  man  who  secretly  aims  at  one  thing,  hut  openly  professes 
another.’  This,  however,  is  not  the  signification  of  the  original,  in  this 
place  at  least.  It  denotes  ‘a  man  of  unsettled,  and  fluctuating  sentiments, 
too  solicitous  about  the  present  to  attain  the  future,  too  anxious  about 
the  future  to  secure  the  present;  who,  driven  hither  and  thither  in  his 
judgment  of  things,  is  perpetually  shifting  the  object  ;  who  this  moment 
would  sacrifice  all  for  eternity,  and  the  next  renounce  anything  for  this 
present  life.’  (Ecumenius ,  in  Campbell.  Scott. 


(5.)  ‘The  most  liberal  men  are  apt  [anil  it  is  common  with  the  nig¬ 
gardly]  to  make  mention  of  former  benefits,  to  excuse  themselves  for  not 
bestowing  future  ones.’  Calvin. 

(6.)  ‘  It  is  implied,  that  such  an  one  [as  (Ecvm.  describes  above]  will 

not  obtain  his  request,  because  he  cannot  ask  with  that  undoubling  faith, 
indispensable  in  him  who  addresses  God  in  prayer.’  BlOOMf. 

V.  9 — 11.  AH  outward  splendor  and  distinction  must  soon  pass  away, 
as  the  gaudy  flowers,  which  grow  among  the  grass,  are  withered  by  the 
scorching  sun.  ..  .  Thus  rich  men  flourish  only  to  be  cut  down  ;  they 
grow  but  to  wither,  and  their  transient  distinclions  terminale  in  deeper 
misery  and  disgrace,  if  they  proceed  ‘  in  their  ways  ’  of  avarice,  luxury, 
pride,  selfishness,  or  ungodliness  :  and  are  not  made  low,  by  repentance, 
faith,  self-denial,  crucifixion  to  the  world,  and  submission  to  the  right¬ 
eousness  and  authority  of  God  Mat.  19:23 — 26.  Lu.  1:46 — 55.  6  24 — 
26.  12:15—21.  16:19—26.  1  Pel.  1:23—25.  This  is  an  obvious  and  ap¬ 
posite  interpretation.  But  to  render  the  passage,  (by  inserting  a  word 
needlessly,)  ‘  Let  the  rich  be  ashamed,  in  that  he  is  brought  low,’  as 
some  learned  men  do,  wholly  destroys  the  energy  and  beauty  of  the  con¬ 
trast;  and  to  explain  it  exclusively  of  the  rich  man,  when  reduced  to 
poverty  for  the  sake  of  the  Gospel,  would  imply,  that  no  rich  man,  how¬ 
ever  humble,  poor  in  spirit,  liberal,  and  condescending  to  his  poor  breth¬ 
ren,  could  have  any  ground  of  rejoicing,  or  glorying  in  Christ,  and  in  the 
hope,  of  glory,  unless  he  voluntarily  relinquished,  or  were  forcibly  de¬ 
prived  of,  his  estate  and  possessions,  and  so  reduced  to  entire  poverty  ! 
A  doctrine  well  suited  to  some  orders  of  papists,  but  not  at  all  to  genu¬ 
ine  Christianity.  It  is  proper  that  some  persons  should  he  the  Lord’s 
stewards  and  almoners,  in  outward  things  ;  and  if  they  be  made  low,  as 
humble,  teachable,  penitent  believers  in  Christ,  and  thankful  to  he  thus 
employed  by  Him,  let  them  rejoice  in  this  humiliation  of  heart,  under 
these  circumstances,  which  almost  always  increase  pride  and  self-exalta¬ 
tion.  Mat.  5:3.  Scott. 

(10.)  The  sun  in  those  countries,  as  soon  as  it  gets  high,  say  about  10 
o’clock,  produces  the  burning  heat  mentioned  ;  which  some  needlessly 
understand  of  the  burning  wind ,  called  in  Ileb.  qdym.  By  grass,  desha, 
the  Hebrews  seem  to  have  meant,  all  kinds  of  annual  plants,  (whose 
succulence  exposes  them  to  wilting,)  as  distinguished  from  shrubs,  and 
trees,  the  olher  two  divisions  of  their  botany.  Ed. 

[567] 


A.  I).  60. 


God  is  not  the  author  of  sin. 


JAMES,  I. 


12  Blessed  is  the  man  that  endur- 
eth  temptation  :  for  when  he  is 
tried,  he  shall  receive  the  crown  'of 
life,  which  the  Lord  hath  promis¬ 
ed  to  them  that  love  him. 

13  Let  no  man  say  when  he  is 
tempted,  I  am  tempted  of  God:  for 
God  cannot  he  tempted  with  "  evil, 
neither  tempteth  he  any  man  : 

14  But  every  man  is  tempted, 
when  he  is  drawn  away  of  his  own 
°  lust,  and  enticed. 

15  Then  when  lust  hath  p  conceiv¬ 
ed,  it  bringeth  forth  sin  :  and  sin, 
when  it  is  finished,  bringeth  forth 
i death. 

I  2  Ti.  4:8  n  or,  evils.  p  Job  15:35. 

Re.  2:10.  o  Ho.  13:9.  q  Ro.  6:21—23. 

m  Is  64:4. 

wear  the  crown  to  eternity.  4.  This  bles¬ 
sedness,  involved  in  a  crown  of  life,  is  a 
promised  thing  to  the  righteous  sufferer.  It 
is  therefore  what  we  may  most  surely  tle- 
j  end  on.  But  let  us  notice,  our  future  re¬ 
ward  comes,  not  as  a  debt,  but  by  a  gra¬ 
cious  promise.  5.  Our  enduring  tempta¬ 
tions  must  be  from  -a  principle  of  love  to  God 
and  to  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  otherwise  we 
are  not  interested  in  this  promise;  The  Lord 
h  ith  promised  to  them  that  love  Him.  Paul 
supposes  a  man  may  even  give  his  body  to  be 
burnt,  and  yet  not  be  pleasing  to  God,  nor 
regarded  by  Him,  because  of  his  want  of 
charity,  or  a  prevailing  sincere  love  to  God 
an  I  nian,  1  Cor.  13:3.  [Notes,  1  Jn.  5:7, 
13.  Jude  v.  10.]  6.  The  crown  of  life  is 

promised,  not  only  to  great  and  eminent  saints, 
but  to  all  who  love  God.  Every  soul  that 
truly  loves  God,  shall  have  its  trials  in  this 
world  fully  recompensed  in  that  world  above, 
where  love  is  made  perfect. 


V.  13 — IS.  We  are  here  taught  several 
things. 

I.  That  God  is  not  the  author  of  any  man’s 
sin.  Whoever  may  raise  persecutions  against 
men,  and  whatever  injustice  and  sin  they 
may  be  guilty  of  in  proceeding  against  them, 
God  is  not  to  be  charged  with  it  !  And 
whatever  sins  good  men  may  themselves  be 
provoked  to  by  their  exercises  and  afflic¬ 
tions,  [whether  from  the  spontaneous  action 
of  propensities  within,  or  accidents  or  mal¬ 
ice  without,]  God  is  not  the  cause  of  them. 
It  seems  to  be  here  supposed  that  some  pro¬ 
fessors  might  fall  in  the  hour  of  temptation; 
but,  though  this  should  be  the  case,  and 
though  such  delinquents  should  attempt  to 
lay  their  fault  on  God  ;  yet  the  blame  of 
their  misconduct  must  lie  entirely  on  them¬ 
selves.  For, 

1.  There  is  nothing  in  the  nature  of  God, 
they  can  lay  the  blame  on;  all  moral  evil  is 
owing  to  some  disorder  in  the  being  that  is 
chargeable  with  it ;  to  a  want  either  of  wis¬ 
dom,  or  of  power,  or  of  decorum  and  purity 
in  the  will.  But  who  can  impeach  the  holy 
God  with  the  want  of  these,  which  are  his 
very  essence  1 

2.  There  is  nothing  in  the  providential 
dispensations  of  God,  that  the  blame  of  any 
man’s  sin  can  be  laid  on,  v.  13.  As  God 
cannot  be  tempted  with  evil  Himself,  so 
neither  can  He  be  a  tempter  of  others.  He 
cannot  be  a  promoter  of  vvliat  is  repugnant 
to  his  nature.  The  carnal  mind  is  willing 
to  charge  its  own  sins  on  God  ;  there  is 
something  hereditary  in  this;  our  first  father 
Adam'' tel  Is  God,  The  woman  Thou  gavest 
me  tempted  me;  thereby,  in  effect,  throwing 
the  blame  on  God,  forgiving  him  the  temp¬ 
ter.  Let  no  man  speak  thus.  They  who  lay 
the  blame  of  their  sins  either  on  their  con¬ 
stitution,  or  on  their  condition  in  the  world, 
or  pretend  they  are  under  a  fatal  necessity 
of  sinning,  wrong  God,  as  if  He  was  the  au¬ 


thor  of  sin.  Afflictions,  assent  by  God,  are 
designed  to  draw  out  our  graces,  but  not  our 
corruptions. 

II.  We  are  taught  where  the  true  cause  of 
evil  lies,  and  where  the  blame  ought  to  be 
laid,  v.  14.  neither  the  devil  nor  any  other 
person  or  thing  i3  to  be  so  blamed,  as  to  ex¬ 
cuse  ourselves;  for  the  true  original  of  evil 
and  temptation  is  in  our  own  hearts.  The 
combustible  matter  is  iu  us,  though  the  flame 
may  be  blown  up  by  some  outward  causes. 
And  therefore,  if  thou  scornest,  thou  alone 
shalt  bear  it,  Prov.  9:  12. 

Observe  here,  1.  The  method  of  sin  in  its 
proceeding.  First  it  draws  away,  then  en¬ 
tices.  As  holiness  consists  of  two  parts, — 
forsaking  what  is  evil,  and  cleaving  to  what 
is  good  ;  so  these  two  things,  reversed,  are 
the  two  parts  of  sin.  The  heart  is  first  by 
corrupt  inclinations,  or  by  lusting  after,  and 
coveting  some  sensual  or  worldly  thing,  es¬ 
tranged  from  the  life  of  God,  and  then  by 
degrees  fixed  in  a  course  of  sin. 

2.  We  may  observe  hence  the  power  and 
policy  of  sin.  The  word  here  rendered 
drawn  away,  signifies  a  being  forcibly  baled 
or  compelled.  The  word  translated  enticed, 
signifies  being  wheedled  and  beguiled  by  al¬ 
lurements,  and  deceitful  representations  of 
things.  Great  force  is  done  to  conscience 
and  to  the  mind  by  the  power  of  corruption ; 
and  there  is  great  cunning,  and  deceit,  and 
flattery,  in  sin,  to  gain  us  to  its  interests. 

3.  Observe  the  success  of  corruption  in  their 
hearts,  v.  15.  Then  when  lust  hath  conceived, 
it  bringeth  forth  sin  ;  i.  e.  Sin  being  allow¬ 
ed  to  excite  desires  in  u;3,  it  will  soon  ripen 
those  desires  into  consent  ;  and  then  it  is 
said  to  have  conceived.  The  sin  truly  exists, 
though  but  in  embryo.  And  when  it  is  grown 
to  its  full  size  in  the  mind,  it  is  then  brought 
forth  in  actaal  execution.  Stop  the  begin¬ 
nings  of  sin,  therefore,  or  else  all  the  evils  it 
produces  must  be  wholly  charged  on  us. 


V.  12.  IV/ien  he  is  tried.]  Having  become,  approved,  i.  e.  having 
stool  the  trial. — ‘  Silver  which  by  ihe goldsmith’s  trial  is  found  good,  is 
called  dokimon.'  Leigh.  Rom.  5:4.  Scott. 

(12.)  Crown  of  life.]  ‘  Here  is  an  allusion  to  the  crowning  of  victors 
in  war,  or  in  the  games  ;  note,  1  Cor  9:  end.  After  a  victory,  the  gen¬ 
eral  assembled  his  troops,  and,  in  presence  of  the  whole  army,  bestowed 
rewards  on  those  who  deserved  them.  The  highest  rewnrd  was  the 
civic  crown,  corona  civica.  (1)  Given  to  him  who  had  saved  the  life  of 


n  citizen,  with  the  inscription  ob  civem  servatum  ;  it  was  of  oak  leaves, 
mid,  by  the  appointment  of  the  general,  presented  by  the  person  who  had 
been  saved,  to  his  preserver,  whom  he  ever  after  respected  as  a  parent. 
(Comp.  1  Thess.  2:19,20  ]  Under  the  emperors  it  was  always  bestowed 
by  the  prince.  The  person  who  received  it,  wore  it  at  i lie  spectacles, 
and  sat  next  to  the  senate.  When  he  entered,  the  audience  rose  up,  as 
a  mark  of  respect.  The  corona  vallaris,  or  castrensis  (2),  was  given  to 
It i in  who  first  mounted  the  rampart,  or  entered  the cantp,  of  the  enemy. 
It  was  golden,  and  given  by  the  general  :  as  also  the  corona  navalis  (5), 
to  him  who  first  boarded  an  enemy’s  ship  ;  and  the  corona  mura/is  (4),  to 
him  who  first  scaled  the  walls  in  an  assault.  When  an  army  was  freed 
from  a  blockade,  the  soldiers  gave  to  their  deliverer,  a  crown,  made  of 
tlte  grass  which  grew  in  t lie  place  where  they  had  been  blocked  up  ;  hence 
called  graminea  corona  obsidionalis  (3).  This,  of  all  military  honors, 
was  esteemed  the  greatest.  Golden  crowns  were  also  given  to  officers 
and  soldiers,  who  had  displayed  singular  bravery.  There  were  also 
smaller  rewards,  as  bracelets,  necklaces,  &c.  These  presents  were  con¬ 
ferred  by  the  general,  in  presence  of  the  army;  and  such  as  received 
them,  after  being  publicly  praised,  were  placed  next  him.  They  ever 
after  kept  them  with  great  care,  and  wore  them  at  the  spectacles,  and 
on  all  public  occasions.’  Roman  Antiquities.  Adam.  Ed. 

V.  13 — 15.  The  commandments  and  providential  dispensations  of 


God  make  trial  of  men’s  hearls,  and  tend  to  discover  what  dispositions 
prevail  in  them.  Where  gracious  affections  are  prevalent,  through  the 
power  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  remarkable  obedienee  and  fidelity  are  the  con¬ 
sequence  of  the  trial  ;  but  when  sin  and  Satan  rule  within,  disobedience 
must  be  the  effect.  Deut.  8:2,  3,  16.  13:1 — 5.  2  5.24:1,2.  1  Chr.  21:1. 
2  Chr.  32:30—33.  Rr.  17:3.  Nothing,  therefore,  which  is  sinful,  in  the 
heart  or  conduct,  can  be  ascribed  to  God,  without  t lie  same  absurdity 
as  it  would  be,  to  charge  darkness  and  coldness  on  the  sun.  Ex.  4:21. 
‘  For  God  cannot  be  tempted  with  evil  ;’  his  absolute  perfection  and  all- 
sufficiency  render  it  impossible  that  there  should  ever  he  any  induce¬ 
ment  for  Him,  in  the  most  minute  degree,  to  deviate  from  complete  and 
entire  justice,  truth,  wisdom,  purity,  and  goodness;  neither  ‘doth  lie,’ 
in  this  sense,  1  tempt  any  man,’  by  putting  evil  into  his  heart,  suggest¬ 
ing  it  to  his  thoughts,  or  necessitating  the  commission  of  it.  He  is  not 
tile  Author  of  the  dross,  though  his  fiery  trial  detects  and  exposes  it. — 
But  every  man  is  tempted ,  &e.  when  inordinate  desires  draw  him  out 
of  the  line  of  duty;  us  the  fish  is  dragged  out  of  the  water,  when  it 
has  been  enticed  by  the  delusive  morse!,  which  covered  the  hook.  (Ec. 
9:11,12.  2  Tim.  2:23 — 26.)  So  that  when  ‘lust,’  or  vehement  desire 
after  any  object  which  cannot  lie  obtained  without  sin,  ‘  is  concaved  ’ 
in  the  heart,  through  the  suggestions  of  Satan,  and  the  allurements  of 
external  objects  ;  the  purpose  of  indulgence  is  admitted  and  cherished. 
Tims  actual  transgression  is  brought  forth,  and,  when  this  is  completed, 
‘  it  bringeth  forth  death,’  ns  its  genuine  offspring  ;  and  nothing  hut  the 
merev  and  grace  of  God,  through  Christ  Jesus,  can  prevent  t lie  sinner’s 
final  destruction.  This  may  be  considered  as  the  scriptural  account  of 
the  original  of  moral  evil,  the  natural  history  of  the  conception,  produc¬ 
tion,  progeny,  and  consequence  of  the  first  sin,  and  of  every  sin,  except 
as  repentance,  through  God’s  merev  in  Christ  Jesus,  prevents  the  effects 
of  them.  Gtn.  3:1 — 6.  Josh.  7:20 — 26.  2  Sam..  11:T —5.— But  perhaps 
l lie  apostle  referred  to  the  case  of  apostates,  who,  under  persecutions, 
through  love  of  the  world,  conceived  the  purpose  of  renouncing  Chris¬ 
tianity  ;  which,  being  deliberately  done  and  persisted  in,  ended  in  their 
final  obduracy  and  destruction. — It  is  egregious  and  pernicious  trilling, 
and  manifestly  absurd,  to  take  occasion  from  the  English  word  ‘  lust,’ 
wiiich  is  often  used  to  mean  one  particular  sensual  inclination,  when 
impetuous  and  ungoverned,  to  limit  the  passage  merely  to  sensuality  ;  as 
if  the  impetuous  and  ungoverned  desire  of  power,  praise,  wealth,  or  re¬ 
venge,  were  not  ‘lusting,’  as  much  as  the  sensual  inclinations.  The 
original  word,  indeed,  is  often  used  in  a  good  sense;  {Luke  22:15.  Phil. 
1 :23.)  and  simply  means  a  vehement  inclination,  whatever  be  the  ob¬ 
ject.  {Notes,  Rom.  7:7,  8.  [and  8:  end.]  Scott. 

(14.)  Lust.]  '■Epithumia:  his  animal  part,  so  Abp.  Newcome,  to 
which  his  rational  part  can  always  (with  the  aid  of  divine  grace,  adds 
BE)  be  superior.’  Bl.— Note,  Rom.  7:  end.  It  means,  any  inordinacy  of 
desire.  Enticed.]  ‘So,  in  the  Tabula  Cebetis,  &c.  a  harlot  is  represented 
ns  laving  hold,  and  dragging  off,  men  to  her  company.  A  piscatory 
metaphor  is  added  ;  ami  thus,  Plato  says,  men  are  caught  with  pleasure, 
as  fishes  with  a  hook  and  bait.  The  embrace  with  the  harlot,  lust,  con¬ 
ceives  sin,  this  in  its  turn  begets  death,  which  deslro\s  the  sinner. 
Thus  lust  is  mother  to  sin,  sin  to  death,  and  the  sinner  the  parent  of 
both.  “Evil  concupiscence,  (sa\  s  a  Jewish  writer,  in  Dr.  A.  Clarke,:  is, 
at  the  beginning,  like  the  thread  of  a  spider’s  web ;  afterwards  it  is  like 
a  cart-rope.”  ’  Cl.  Ed. 


A.  D.  60. 


JAMES,  I. 


God  is  the  Beslower  of  all  good. 


16  Do  not  err,  my  beloved  breth¬ 
ren. 

17  Every  rgootl  gift,  and  every 
perfect  gift  is  from  above,  and  cotn- 
eth  down  from  the  Father  of  lights, 
with  whom  ‘is  no  variableness, 
neither  shadow  of  turning. 

18  Of*  his  own  will  begat  he  us 
with  the  word  of  truth,  that  we 
should  be  a  kind  of  first-fruits  "of 
his  creatures. 

19  Wherefore,  my  beloved  breth¬ 
ren,  let  every  man  be  swift  to  hear, 
slow  v  to  speak,  slow  w  to  wrath  : 

20  For  the  wrath  of  man  worketh 
not  the  righteousness  of  God. 

«•  Jn.  3:27.  Mai.  3:6.  12.  Rc.  14:4. 

1  Co.  4:7.  t  Jn.  1:13.  v  Ec.  5:2. 

i  1  Sa.  15:29.  u  Je.  2:3.  Ep.  1:  w  IV.  16.32. 

4.  Observe  the  final  issue  of  sin  ;  when 
finished  it  bringcth  forth  death.  After  sin  is 
brought  forth  in  actual  commissions,  the 
finishing  of  it,  as  Dr.  Manton  observes,  is  its 

BEING  STRENGTHENED  BY  FREQUENT 
ACTS,  AND  SETTLED  INTO  A  HABIT. 
And  when  the  iniquities  of  men  are  thus 
filled  up,  death  is  brought  forth.  Let  sin 
therefore  lie  repented  of,  and  forsaken,  be¬ 
fore  it  lie  finished.  Why  will  ye  die,  O  house 
of  Israel  !  Ez.  33:  11.  God  has  no  pleasure 
in  your  death,  as  He  has  no  hand  in  your 
sin  ;  but  both  sin  and  misery  are  owing  to 
yourselves. 

III.  We  are  taught  yet  further,  that  while 
we  are  the  authors  and  procurers  of  all  sin 
and  misery  to  ourselves,  God  is  the  Father 
and  Fountain  of  all  good,  v.  16,  17.  We 
should  take  particular  care  not  to  err  in  our 
conceptions  of  God  ;  not  to  wander,  i.  e. 
from  the  Word  of  God,  and  the  accounts  of 
Him  there.  The  loose  opinions  of  Simon, 
and  the  Nicolaitans,  (from  whom  the  Gnos¬ 
tics  arose  afterward,)  may,  perhaps,  be  more 
especially  cautioned  against  ;  consult  the 
first  book  of  Irenteus  against  heresies. 

Here  observe,  1.  God  is  the  Father  of 
lights.  The  visible  light  of  the  sun  and  the 
heavenly  bodies  is  from  Him.  He  said.  Let 
there  be  light,  and  there  was  light.  Thus  God 
is  at  once  represented  as  the  Creator  of  the 
sun,  and  in  some  respects  compared  to  it. 
W  hat  the  sun  is  in  nature,  God  is  in  grace, 
providence,  and  glory  ;  aye,  and  infinitely 
more.  For, 

2.  Observe,  Every  good  gift  is  from  Him. 
As  the  Father  of  lights,  He  gives  the  light 
of  reason,  Job  32:  8.  He  gives  also  the  light 
of  learning  ;  Solomon’s  wisdom  in  the 
knowledge  of  nature,  in  the  arts  of  govern¬ 
ment,  and  in  all  his  improvements,  is  as¬ 
cribed  to  God.  The  light  of  divine  revela¬ 
tion  is  more  immediately  from  above.  The 
light  of  faith,  purity,  and  all  manner  of  con¬ 


solation,  is  from  Him.  We  must  own  God 
as  the  Author  of  all  the  powers  and  perfec¬ 
tions  of  the  creature,  and  the  Giver  of  all 
the  l:enefits  we  have  in  and  by  those  powers 
and  perfections  ;  but  none  of  their  dark¬ 
nesses,  their  imperfections,  or  their  ill  ac¬ 
tions  are  to  be  charged  on  the  Father  of 
lights  ;  from  Him  proceeds  every  good  and 
perfect  gift,  both  pertaining  to  this  life,  and 
that  which  is  to  come. 

3.  Observe,  As  every  good  gift  is  from 
God,  so  particularly  the  renovation  of  our 
natures,  our  regeneration,  and  .all  the  holy, 
happy  consequences  of  it,  must  be  ascribed 
to  H  im,  v.  18.  Here  let  us  notice,  (1.)  A 
true  Christian  is  a  creature  begotten  anew, 
as  different  a  person  from  what  he  was,  be¬ 
fore  the  renewing  influences  of  divine  grace, 
as  if  he  were  formed  over  again,  and  born 
afresh.  (2.)  The  original  of  this  good  work 
is  here  declared  ;  it  is  of  God's  own  will  ; 
not  by  our  skill  or  power  ;  not  from  any 
good  foreseen  in  us,  or  done  by  us,  but 
purely  from  the  good-will  and  grace  of  God. 
(3.)  The  means  are  pointed  out  ;  the  Word 
of  truth,  i.  e.  the  Gospel;  as  Paul  expresses 
it  more  plainly,  1  Cor.  4:  15.  This  Gospel 
is  indeed  a  Word  of  truth;  else  it  could  never 
produce  such  real,  such  lasting,  such  great 
and  noble  effects.  And  we  shall  find  it  a 
mean  of  our  sanctification,  as  it  is  a  Word  of 
truth,  John  17:17.  (4.)  The  end  and  de¬ 

sign  of  God's  giving  renewing  grace  is  here 
laid  down  ;  that  we  should  be  a  kind  if  first- 
fruits  of  his  creatures ;  that  we  should  be 
God’s  portion  and  treasure,  and  a  more  pe¬ 
culiar  property  to  Him,  as  the  first-fruits 
were  ;  and  that  we  should  become  holy  to 
the  Lord,  as  the  first-fruits  were  consecrated 
to  Him.  Christ  is  the  First-fruits  of  Chris¬ 
tians,  Christians  are  the  first-fruits  of  crea¬ 
tures. 

V.  19 — 27.  In  this  part  of  the  ch.  we  are 
required, 

I.  To  restrain  the  workings  of  passion. 
This  lesson  we  should  learn  under  afflic¬ 
tions;  and  this  we  shall  learn,  if  we  are  in¬ 
deed  begotten  again  by  the  Word  of  truth. 
For  thus  the  connexion  stands, — An  angry 
and  hasty  spirit  is  soon  provoked  to  ill  things 
by  afflictions  ;  and  errors  and  ill  opinions 
become  prevalent  through  the  workings  of 
our  own  vile  and  vain  affections  ;  but  the 
renewing  grace  of  God  and  the  Word  of  the 
Gospel  teach  us  to  subdae  these;  Wherefore, 
my  beloved  brethren,  let  every  man  be  swift  to 
hear,  slow  to  speak,  slow  to  wrath.  This  may 
refer, 

1.  To  the  Word  of  truth  spoken  of  in  the 
verse  foregoing.  And  so  we  may  observe. 


the  ch.  And  then  we  may  observe,  It  is  our 
duty  rather  to  hear  how  God  explains  his 
providences,  and  what  He  designs  by  them; 
than  to  say,  as  David  did  in  his  haste,  I  am 
cut  off;  or  as  Jonah  did  in  his  passion,  Ido 
well  to  be  angry.  Instead  of  censuring  God 
under  our  trials,  let  us  open  our  ears  and 
hearts  to  hear  what  He  will  say  to  us.  3. 
To  the  disputes  and  differences  that  Chris¬ 
tians,  in  those  limes  of  trial,  were  running 
into  among  themselves;  and  so  this  part  of 
the  ch.  may  be  considered  without  any  con¬ 
nexion  with  what  goes  before.  Here  we 
may  observe  that,  whenever  matters  of  dif¬ 
ference  arise  among  Christians,  each  side 
should  be  willing  to  hear  the  other.  Peo¬ 
ple  are  often  stiff  in  their  own  opinions,  be¬ 
cause  they  are  not  willing  to  hear  what  oth¬ 
ers  have  to  offer  against  them;  whereas,  we 
should  be  swift  to  hear  reason  and  truth  on 
all  sides,  and  be  slow  to  speak  anything  that 
should  prevent  this;  and  when  we  do  speak, 
there  should  be  nothing  of  wrath;  for  a  soft 
answer  turneth  away  wrath.  As  this  epistle 
is  designed  to  correct  a  variety  of  disorders 
that  were  among  Christians,  these  words, 
swift  to  hear,  slow  to  speak,  slow  to  wrath,  may 
be  very  well  interpreted  according  to  this 
last  explication.  And  we  may  further  ob¬ 
serve  from  them,  that,  if  men  would  govern 
their  tongues,  they  must  govern  their  pas¬ 
sions.  When  Moses’  spirit  was  provoked, 
he  spake  unadvisedly  with  his  lips.  If  we 
would  be  slow  to  speak,  we  must  be  slow  to 
wrath. 

II.  A  very  good  reason  is  given  for  the 
suppression  of  anger,  v.  20.  as  if  the  apostle 
had  said,  ‘  Whereas  men  often  pretend  zeal 
for  God  and  his  glory,  in  their  heat  and  pas¬ 
sion,  let  them  know  that  Cnid  needs  not  the 
passions  of  any  man  ;  his  cause  is  better 
served  by  mildness  and  meekness  than  by 
wrath  and  fury.’  Solomon  says.  The  words 
of  the  wise  are  heard  in  quiet,  more  than  the 
cry  of  him  that  ruleth  among  fools,  Eccl.  9: 
17.  Dr.  Manton  here  says,  of  some  assem¬ 
blies,  ‘  That  if  we  were  as  swift  to  hear  as 
we  are  ready  to  speak,  there  would  be  less 
of  wrath,  and  more  of  profit  in  our  meetings. 
I  remember,  when  a  Manichee  contested 
with  Augustine,  and  with  importunate  cla¬ 
mor  cried.  Hear  me  !  hear  me  f  the  father 
modestly  replied,  ‘  Neither  let  me  hear  thee, 
nor  do  thou  hear  me,  but  let  us  both  hear  the 
apostle.’  The  worst  thing  we  can  bring  to  a 
religious  controversy,  is,  anger.  This,  how¬ 
ever  it  pretends  to  be  raised  by  a  concern 
for  what  is  just  and  right,  is  not  to  be  trust¬ 
ed.  Wrath  is  a  human  thing,  and  the  wrath 
of  man  stands  opposed  to  the  righteousness  of 


It  is  our  duty  rather  to  hear  God’s  Word,  and 
apply  our  minds  to  understand  it,  than  to 
speak  according  to  our  own  fancies  or  the  [ 
opinions  of  men,  and  to  run  into  heat  and 
passion  thereupon.  2.  To  the  afflictions  and 
temptations  spoken  of  in  the  beginning  of 


God.  Those  who  pretend  to  serve  the  cause 
of  God  hereby,  show  that  they  are  acquaint¬ 
ed  neither  with  God  nor  his  cause.  This 
passion  must  especially  he  watched  against, 
when  we  hear  tlieWord  of  God.  See  1  Pet. 
2:  1,  2. 


V.  16 — 18.  The  sun,  the  great  natural  light,  which  He  1ms  made,  ap¬ 
pears  to  us  to  have  several  changes  and  turnings,  whence  summer  and 
winter,  day  and  night,  succeed  each  other  ;  but  in  fact  these  appearances 
arise  entirely  from  our  varied  situation  respecting  it. — It  should  be  re¬ 
membered,  that  all  to  whom  (he  apostle  wrote,  as  well  as  others,  had 
been  in  themselves  ‘dead  in  sin’  and  ‘  children  of  wrath,’  and  that  God, 
‘of  his  own  will,’  had  regenerated  them  by  his  Spirit,  ‘through  the 
Word  of  truth.’  John  3:1— 8.  Eph.  2:1— 10.  Tit.  3:4—7.  1  Pet.  1:23— 
25.  1  John  3:7 — 10-  This  He  had  most  graciously  done,  in  order  that 
they  might  be  consecrated  to  his  service,  as  ‘a  kind  of  first-fruits  of  his 
creatures,’  more  excellent  and  valuable  than  the  rest  of  them,  and  as  an 
earnest  of  a  vastly  larger  increase  from  the  Gentile  world,  in  that  and 
future  ages,  even  as  the  first-fruits,  presented  to  the  Lord,  were  the 
earnest  of  the  future  harvest,  and  brought  a  blessing  upon  it.  Lev.  23:5 
— 14.  Je.r.  2:2,3.  (17)  Gift.]  Phil.  4:15;  Rom.  5:16.  It  is  remarkable, 
that  the  first  clause  is  a  regular  hexameter  verse  in  the  original,  and 
perhaps  is  a  quotation  from  some  unknown  author.  Scott. 

(17.)  Rather  of  lights,  with,  whom  is  no  variableness.]  ‘  If  the  pas¬ 
sage  alludes,  as  it  probably  does,  to  the  changes  oflhe  heavenly  lumina¬ 
ries,  the  language  is  full  of  energy  and  beauty,  as  well  as  truth.  We 
witness  the  varying  aspects  and  revolutions  of  the  orbs  lhat  roll  above 
us,  shining  from  evening  to  evening  in  the  same  firmament,  but  never 
twice  exactly  in  the  same  place  ;  but  with  the  Father  of  lights,  ibe  Cre¬ 
ator  of  these  changing  planets,  there  is  not  so  much  as  the  least  shadow 
or  resemblance  of  change.  Neither  shadow  of  turning.]  For  when 
God  is  said  to  repent,  it  implies  no  change  in  tiis  character  or  purposes. 
As  the  parent  accommodates  his  language  to  the  capacity  of  the  child, 
N.  T.  VOL.  V.  72 


so  God,  in  condescension  to  human  weakness,  speaks  of  Himself  in 
terms  adapted  to  our  conceptions.  Hence  we  read  of  his  hand,  arm,  and 
eye.  So  when  He  changes  his  dealings,  it  is  said,  He  repents  ;  because, 
in  men,  a  change  of  conduct  usually  proceeds  from  a  change  of  purpose. 
The  Bible  is  a  plain  book  ;  not  a  system  of  metaphysics.  When  vve  are 
told  God  repents,  it  implies  no  mutability ;  but  merely  that  He  varies 
bis  dispensations,  according  in  the  character  of  moral  agents  ;  or,  ill 
other  words,  that  He  changes  his  conduct  towards  changing  creatures. 
(Otherwise  He  would  not  be  immutable.)’  Rev.  Dr.  E.  Pouter. 

(18.)  1  Bp.  Bull  thinks,  there  is  a  reference  to  the  Pharisees’  doctrine 
of  fatal  necessity,  q.  d.  because  we  are  faithful  and  pious,  does  not  hap¬ 
pen  from  any  fatal  necessity,  but  ihe  free  good  pleasure  of  God  through 
Christ ;  nor  is  it  owing  to  that  eukrasia  of  temperament,  which  occurs 
to  ns  from  the  eutaxiu  [proper  position]  of  the  heavens  [or  stars]  at  our 
nativity  ;  hut  to  the  renewing  and  regeneration,  that  new  and  celestial 
birth,  which  the  Holy  Spirit  effects  in  us  through  the  Gospel.’  Bl. — ‘If 
we  could  reason  belter  than  Locke,  Butler,  or  Edwards, — yea,  if  we 
could  reason  with  the  powers  of  an  angel,  instead  of  those  of  a  man, — 
we  should  never  be  able  to  reason  a  single  sinner  out  of  his  sins,  and 
persuade  him  into  faith  in  Christ  and  love  to  God.  The  truths  of  Holy 
Scripture,  plainly  staled  and  powerfully  urged,  are  those  only  from 
which  We  can  look  for  this  effect ;  because  everything  in  this  great  con¬ 
cern,  depends  on  God’s  blessing;  and  it  “is  bis  purpose  ordinarily  to 
bless  only  the  truths  of  his  own  Word.’  Rev.  Beriah  Green. 

V.  19 — 21.  As  believers  owed  all  the  difference,  in  their  state  and 
character,  to  the  sovereign  will  and  distinguishing  grace  of  God,  by 
means  of  *  the  Word  of  truth,'  17 — 19.  it  behooved  all  of  them  to  be 

[569] 


A.  D.  GO. 


JAMES,  I. 


Instructions  respecting  God’s  Word. 


21  Wherefore  lay  apart  *  all  fil¬ 
thiness  and  superfluity  of  naughti¬ 
ness,  and  receive  with  meekness  the 
engrafted  word,  which  is  able  to 
save  your  souls. 

22  But  he  ye  doers  r  of  the  word, 
and  not  hearers  only,  deceiving 
your  own  selves. 

23  For  if  any  be  a  hearer  of  the 
word,  anti  not  a  doer,  he  is  like  unto 
a  man  beholding  his  natural  face  in 
a  glass  : 

24  For  he  beholdeth  himself,  and 
goclh  his  way,  and  straightway  for- 
getteth  what  manner  of  man  he  was. 

25  But  whoso  zlooketh  into  the 
perfect  law  of  :1  liberty,  and  contin¬ 
ued!  therein,  he  being  not  a  forget¬ 
ful  hearer,  but  a  doer  of  the  work, 
this  man  b shall  be  blessed  in  his 
c  deed. 

x  Col.  3:5 — 8.  v  Mat.  7:21.  h  Lu.  6:47,  &c. 

He.  12:1.  z  2  Co.  3:18.  o  or.  doing. 

1  Pe.  2:1,2.  a  Pa.  119:45. 


III.  We  are  called  on  to  suppress  other 
corrupt  affections,  as  well  as  rash  anger, 
v.  21.  The  word  here  translated  filthiness, 
signifies  those  lusts  which  have  the  greatest 
turpitude  and  sensuality  in  them  ;  and  the 
words  rendered  superfluity  of  naughtiness 
may  be  understood  of  the  overflowings  of 
malice,  or  any  other  spiritual  wickednesses. 
Hereby  we  are  taught,  as  Christians,  to 
watch  against,  and  lay  aside,  not  only  those 
more  gross  and  fleshly  dispositions  and  af¬ 
fections  which  denominate  a  person  filthy, 
but  all  the  disorders  of  a  corrupt  heart, 
which  would  prejudice  it  against  the  Word 
and  ways  of  God.  Observe, 

Sin  is  a  defiling  tiling;  abundance  of  it  is 
in  ns,  and  this  must  be  watched  against;  not 
only  outward  sins,  and  greater  abomina¬ 
tions,  but  all  sin  of  thought  and  affection  as 
well  as  speech  and  practice; — all  filthiness, 
everything  corrupt  and  sinful.  Observe, 


From  the  foregoing  parts  of  this  ch.,  the 
laying  aside  of  all  filthiness,  is  what  a  time 
of  temptation  and  affliction  calls  for,  and  is 
necessary  to  the  avoiding  of  error,  and  the 
right  receiving  and  improving  of  the  Word 
of  truth ;  for, 

IV.  We  are  here  fully,  though  briefly, 
instructed  concerning  hearing  the  Word  of 
God. 

1.  We  are  required  to  prepare  ourselves 
for  it,  v.  21.  to  get  rid  of  every  corrupt  af¬ 
fection,  and  of  every  prejudice  and  prepos¬ 
session,  and  to  lay  aside  those  sins  which 
pervert  the  judgment  and  blind  the  mind. 
All  the  filthiness  and  superfluity  of  naughti¬ 
ness,  in  an  especial  manner. 

2.  We  are  directed  how  to  hear  it  ;  we 
are  to  receive  it  ;  yield  ourselves  to  it,  with 
most  submissive,  humble,  and  tractable  tem¬ 
pers  ;  this  is  to  receive  it  with  meekness. 
Being  willing  to  hear  of  our  faults,  and 
taking  it  not  only  patiently,  but  thankfully; 
desiring  also  to  be  moulded  and  formed  by 
tlie  doctrines  and  precepts  of  the  Gospel.  In 
all  our  hearing  we  should  aim  at  the  salva¬ 
tion  of  our  souls.  It  is  the  design  of  the 
Word  of  God  to  make  us  wise  to  salvation  ; 
and  we  should  come  to  it,  as  those  who 
know  it  is  the  power  of  God  unto  salvation  to 
every  one  that  believeth,  Rom.  1 :  1 6. 

3.  We  are  taught  what  is  to  be  done  after  [ 
hearing,  v.  22.  Observe  here,  (1.)  Hear¬ 
ing  is  in  order  to  doing;  the  most  attentive 
and  the  most  frequent  hearing  o i'  the  Word  of 
God  will  not  avail  us,  unless  we  he  also  j 
doers  of  it.  Therefore  (he  apostle  insists  ; 
much  upon  it,  that  we  practise  what  we  hear.  J 

‘  There  must  be  inward  practice  by  medi¬ 
tation,  and  outward  practice  in  true  obedi¬ 
ence,’  says  Mr.  Baxter.  It  is  not  enough 
to  remember  what  we  hear,  be  able  to  re¬ 
peat  it,  give  testimony  to  it,  commend  it, 
write  it,  and  preserve  it;  wliat  all  this  is  in 
order  to,  and  crowns  the  rest,  is,  that  we  be 
doers  of  the  Word.  Observe,  (2.)  Bare  hear¬ 
ers  are  self-deceivers;  the  original  wordsig-  j 
nifies  men’s  arguing  sophistically  to  them¬ 
selves  ;  making  one  part  of  their  work  dis¬ 
charge  them  from  the  obligation  they  lie 


under  to  another;  or  persuading  themselves, 
that  filling  their  heads  witli  notions  is  suffi¬ 
cient,  though  their  hearts  be  empty  of  good 
affections  and  resolutions,  and  their  Iivps 
fruitless  of  good  works.  Self-deceit  will  be 
found  the  worst  deceit  at  last. 

4.  The  apostle  shows  what  is  the  proper 
use  of  theWord  of  God,  who  do  not,  and  who 
do  make  a  right  use  of  it,  v.  23 — 25.  (1.) 

The  use  we  are  to  make  of  God’s  Word  may 
be  learnt  from  its  being  compared  to  a  glass, 
in  which  a  man  may  behold  his  natural  face. 
There  are  glasses  that  will  flatter  people; 
but  that  which  is  truly  the  Word  of  God,  is 
no  flattering  glass.  Let  the  Word  of  truth 
he  carefully  attended  to,  and  it  will  set  be¬ 
fore  you  the  corruption  of  your  nature,  the 
disorders  of  your  hearts  and  lives  ;  it  will 
tell  you  plainly  what  you  are.  Paul  des¬ 
cribes  himself  as  insensible  of  the  corruption 
of  bis  nature,  till  lie  saw  himself  in  the  glass 
of;  the  law,  Rom.  7:  9.  Thus,  when  we 
attend  to  the  Word  of  God,  so  as  to  see  our¬ 
selves,  our  true  state  and  condition,  to  rec¬ 
tify  what  is  amiss,  and  to  form  and  dress 
ourselves  anew  by  the  glass  of  God’s  Word, 
this  is  to  make  a  proper  use  of  it.  (2.)  We 
have  here  an  account  of  those  who  do  not 
use  this  glass  as  they  ought,  u.  2.  This  is 
the  true  description  of  one  who  hears  the 
Word  of  God,  and  does  it  not.  How  many 
are  there,  who,  when  they  sit  under  the 
Word,  are  affected  with  their  own  sinful¬ 
ness,  misery,  and  danger,  acknowledge  (he 
evil  of  sin,  and  their  need  of  Christ  ;  but, 
w  hen  their  hearing  is  over,  all  is  forgotten, 
convictions  are  lost,  good  affections  are  van¬ 
ished,  and  pass  away  like  the  waters  of  a 
land-flood;  he  straightway  forgets  ;  in  vain 
do  we  hear  God’s  Word,  and  look  into  the 
gospel-glass,  if  we  go  away,  and  forget  our 
spots,  instead  of  washing  them  off,  and  for¬ 
get  our  remedy,  instead  of  applying  to  it. 
This  is  the  case  of  (hose  who  do  not  hear 
the  Word  as  they  ought.  (3.)  Those  also 
are  described,  and  pronounced  blessed,  who 
hear  aright,  and  who  use  the  glass  of  God’s 
Word  as  they  should  do,  v.  25.  Observe 
here.  The  Gospel  is  a  law  of  liberty,  or,  as 


‘swift’  and  prompt  ‘to  hear’  further  admoiiitiqns,  instructions,  and 
counsels,  from  the  same  source,  in  a  teachable  nod  attentive  manner.  S. 

(22)  Iiow  many  of  the  disputes  which  have  agitated  die  world,  di¬ 
vided  the  Church,  in  heart  as  well  as  opinion,  and  even  drenched  kingdoms 
in  ldood,  are  upon  subjects  and  thoughts  beyond  the  limits  of  human 
ken.  Would  that  Christians  could  learn,  that  unity  of  affections  is  that 
which  makes  the  church  one,  and  not  unity  of  thoughts,  for  no  two  per¬ 
sons’  intellectual  opinions  can  he  alike,  while  the  endowments,  edu¬ 
cation,  &c.  of  each  individual  are  and  must  he  so  diverse.  Why  then  do 
we  reject  the  light  of  all  human  experience,  and  deny  all  human  progress, 
by  still  waging  so  many  wars  of  words  as  disgrace  our  religions  period¬ 
icals  ?  Bacon,  though  the  ‘  meanest,’  is  acknowledged  to  have  been 
also  one  of  the  ‘wisest’  and  ‘brightest  of  mankind,’  and  to  follow  his 
example  in  philosophising,  is  thought  to  he  the  glory  of  modern  times. 
Yet  he  diil  not,  says  a  discriminating  writer,  ‘  meddle  with  those  enig¬ 
mas,  winch  have  puzzled  hundreds  of  generations,  and  will  hundreds 
more.  He  said  nothing  about  the  grounds  of  moral  obligation,  or  the 
freedom  of  the  human  will.  lie  had  no  inclination  to  employ  hirnselfin 
labors,  resembling  those  of  Hie  damned  in  the  Grecian  Tartarus, — to 
spin  for  ever  on  the  same  wheel,  round  the  same  pivot, — to  gape  for  ever 
after  the  same  deluding  clusters, — to  poor  water  for  ever  into  the  same 
bottomless  buckets. — to  pace  for  ever  to  and  fro  on  the  same  wearisome 
path,  after  the  same  recoiling  stone. .  ..  lie  troubled  himself  not  at  tdl 
about  Ilomoonsians  and  Homoiotisians,  Monolhelity  and  Nestorians  : 
though  lie  lived  in  an  age,  in  which  disputes  on  (he  most  subtle  points 
ot  divinity  excited  an  intense  interest  throughout  Europe.  and  nowhere 
mote  titan  in  England.  He  Was  in  power  at  the  time  of  the  Synod  of 
Port,  and  must  for  months  have  beet!  daiiv  deafened  with  talk  about 
election,  reprobation,  and  final  perseverance.  ..  .  lie  exhorted  his  disci¬ 
ples  to  prosecute  re  enrobes  id  a  very  different  description  ;  tit  consider 
mm  id  science  as  a  practical  science, — a  science  of  which  the  object  was 
to  cure  the  diseases  and  perturbations  of  the  mind,— and  which  could  be 
improved  only  in  a  method  analogous  to  that  which  lias  improved  med¬ 
icine  and  surgery.  ..  .  He  loved  to  dwell  op  the  power  of  the  Christian 
religion  to  effect  much,  that  the  ancient  philosophers  could  only  prom¬ 
ise.  He  loved  to  consider  that  religion  as  the  bond  of  charity  ;  the  curb 
of  evil  passions;  the  consolation  of  the  wretched ;  the  support  of  the 
timid  ;  the  hope  of  the  dying.  . .  .  Moral  philosophers  ought,  he  said,  to 
set  themselves  vigorously  to  work,  for  the  purpose  of  discovering  what 
are  the  actual  effects  produced  on  the  human  character,  by  particular 
modes  of  education,  by  thy  indulgence  of  particular  habits,  by  the  study 
of  particular  hooks,  by  society,  hv  emulation,  hy  imitation.  Then  we 
might  hope  to  find  out  whpt  mode  .  f  t ruining  xvas  most  likelv  to  pre¬ 
serve  and  restore  moral  health.’  Edhih.  Her.  .Iclv,  1  :!7.  En. 

V.  22 — 25.  Iri  order  that  ‘  the  Word  of  truth  ’  might  produce  these 
blessed  effects,  on  the  souls  of  those  who  heard  it.  they  must  ‘be  doers 
of  it,  and  not  hearers  only.’  For  if  they  were  ‘only  hearers,’  however 
attentive,  constant,  or  teachable  they  might  seem  to  be,  their  neglect 

[570] 


of  practising  what  they  had  heard  would  prove,  that  the  Word  was  not 
engrafted  in  their  hearts,  and  that  they  were  putting  a  most  fatal  impo¬ 
sition  on  themselves,  by  some  specious  but  delusive  and  sophistical 
reasoning;  whether  custom,  curiosity,  a  love  of  speculation,  or  a  vain 
confidence,  in  knowledge  without  obedience,  for  salvation,  induced  them 
to  attend.  A  man  of  this  description,  who  heard  the  Gospel,  ami  did 
not  obey  its  cal)  to  repentance,  faith  in  Christ,  and  a  sober,  righteous, 
and  godly  life,  was  like  a  person,  who  gave  a  transient  look  at  ‘  his  nat¬ 
ural  face,’  as  reflected  from  a  mirror,  without  attempting  to  alter  wliat 
was  unbecoming  in  his  attire  or  appearance;  who  would  therefore  im¬ 
mediately  depart,  and  soon  ‘forget  what  manner  of  man  he  was;  ’  and 
Iheglimnse  which  he  had  of  himself  would  have  no  abiding  effect  on 
him.  (Votes,  Mat.  7:24—27.  13:18,  19.  Lu.  6:40—49.  11:27—28.) 

Tims,  the  mere  hearer  might  have  short-lived  convictions  of  his  sinful¬ 
ness;  but,  displeased  xviWi  the  view' given  of  his  state,  heart,  and  char¬ 
acter,  in  the  mirror  of  the  sacred  Word,  and  having  no  effectual  desires 
of  an  entire  change,  he  would  soon  lose  sight  of  his  transient  discove¬ 
ries,  in  ihe  company,  business,  and  pleasures  of  the  world,  and  so  re¬ 
main  ignorant  of  himself,  and  destitute  of  transforming  grace.  But 
‘  whosoever  looked,’  steadfastly  and  attentively,  into  the  Word  of  God, 
xv! th  a  real  desire  of  learning  from  it  his  true  state  and  character,  and 
the  way  of  acceptance  and  salvation,  and  ‘continued’  with  perseve¬ 
rance  in  tiiis  important  inquiry  ;  he,  ‘not  being  a  forgetful  hearer.’  hut 
one  who  reduced  to  practice  what  he  learned  from  time  to  time,  [A'o/e, 
lleh.  5:1  1.  and  note,  1  Tim.  4:7.]  though  it  cost  him  much  humiliation 
and  self-denial,  would  lie  ‘blessed  in  his  deed,’  or  in  his  doing;  the 
Eord  would  in  this  way  lead  him  into  the  know  ledge -of  his  truth  and 
salvation  ;  his  obedience  would  evidence  Hie  sincerity  of  his  faith  ;  his 
sanctification  would  proportionable  advance,  as  he  became  acquainted 
with  God  and  with  himself,  and  his  gracious  recompense  hereafter 
would  succeed  his  present  peace  and  comfort. — Some,  by  ‘the  perfect 
law  of  liberty,’  suppose  the  moral  law  to  be  intended,  in  opposition  to 
the  ceremonial ;  and  it  certainly  deserves  that  title  in  itself  as  perfect 
obedience  to  it  is  perfect  liberty,  and  every  deviation  front  it  is  slavery, 
but  then  it  cannot  give  liberty  to  us  sinners.  Others,  therefore,,  sup¬ 
pose  the  Gospel  to  he  intended,  because  by  it  we  are  set  at  liberty  from 
condemnation,  and  the  bondage  of  sin.  But  divine  revelation  in  general 
seems  to  be  meant ;  as  every  part  of  it  has  its  use,  in  bringing  the  sinner 
to  Christ  for  salvation,  and  in  directing  and  encouraging  him  to  walk  at 
liberty,  hy  the  Sjiirit  of  adoption,  according  to  the  holy  commandments 
of  God.  In  tile  Word  of  truth,  as  the  law,  or  rule,  of  obtaining  and  en¬ 
joying  liberty,  the  true  Christian  looks,  as  into  a  mirror,  that  lie  may 
discover  the  remaining  unholincss  of  his  temper,  affections  words,  and 
actions  :  in  order  that  li is  soul  may  be  purified  from  defilement,  beauti¬ 
fied  with  salvation,  and  transformed  into  the  holy  image  of  God,  contin¬ 
ually  more  add  more.  (Marg.  Ref.)  Scott. 

(25.)  Liberty-.]  Certainly  that  person  enjoys  the  highest  moraHib- 
ertv,  of  which  creatures  are  capable,  whose  will  is  identified  with 


A.  D.  60. 


JAMES,  I. 


Difference  between  pure  and  vain  religion. 


26  If  any  man  among  you  seem 
to  he  religious,  and  bridleth  not  his 
d  tongue,  hut  deceiveth  his  own 
heart,  this  man’s  religion  is  vain. 

27  Pure  religion,  and  undefiled 
before  God  and  the  Father,  is  this, 
To  visit  e  the  fatherless  and  widows 
in  their  affliction,  and  to  keep  him¬ 
self  unspotted  1  from  the  world. 

d  P>  31:13.  e  Is  1:16,17.  5S:6,7.  f  Ro.  12:2, 

Mr.  Baxter  expresses  it,  of  liberation,  giving 
113  deliverance  from  the  Jewish  law,  and 
from  sin  anil  guilt,  and  wrath  and  death. 
Observe  again,  It  is  a  perfect  law  ;  nothing 
can  he  added  to  it.  Observe,  further,  In 
hearing  the  Word,  we  look  into  this  perfect 
low  ;  we  consult  it  for  counsel  and  direc¬ 
tion  ;  we  look  into  it,  that  from  thence  we 
may  take  our  measures;  hut  observe,  withal, 
then  only  do  we  look  into  the  law  of  liberty  as 
we  should,  when  we  continue  therein,  are  not 
forgetlul  of  it,  hut  practise  it,  as  our  work 
and  business  ;  set  it  always  before  our  eves, 
and  make  it  the  constant  ride  of  our  conver¬ 
sation  and  behavior,  and  model  the  temper 
ot  our  minds  by  it.  Observe  once  more 
from  this  place,  They  who  thus  do,  and  con¬ 
tinue  in  the  law  and  ivord  of  God  ;  are,  and 
shall  be  blessed  in  their  deed  ;  blessed  in  all 
their  ways,  according  to  the  first  Psalm, 
which,  some  think,  James  here  alludes  to. 
The  papists  pretend,  that  here  we  have  a 
clear  text  to  prove  we  are  blessed  for  our 
good  deeds  ;  but  Dr.  Manton,  in  answer  to 
that  pretence,  puts  the  reader  on  marking 
the  distinctness  of-  scripture-phrase.  The 


apostle  does  not  say,  for  his  deeds,  that  any 
man  is  blessed,  but  in  his  deed.  This  is  a 
way  in  which  we  shall  certainly  find  bles¬ 
sedness,  but  not  the  cause  of  it.  This  bles¬ 
sedness  does  not  lie  in  knowing,  but  in  do¬ 
ing  the  will  of  God,  John  13:  17.  It  is  not 
talking,  but  walking,  that  will  bring  us  to 
heaven. 

V.  The  apostle  next  informs  us,  how  we 
may  distinguish  betwixt  a  vain  religion,  and 
that  which  is  pure,  and  approved  of  God. 
Here  it  is  plainly  and  peremptorily  declared, 

1.  What  is  a  vain  religion ,  v.  26.  (1.)  In 
a  vain  religion  there  is  much  of  show,  and 
affecting  to  seem  religious  in  the  eyes  of  oth¬ 
ers.  When  men  are  more  concerned  to  seem 
religious  than  really  to  he  so,  it  is  a  sign  that 
their  religion  is  but  vain.  Not  that  religion 
itself  is  a  vain  thing;  but  it  is  possible  for 
people  to  make  it  a  vain  thing,  if  they  have 
only  a  form  of  godliness,  and  not  the  power. 
(2.)  In  a  vain  religion  there  is  much  censur¬ 
ing,  reviling,  and  detracting  of  others.  The 
not  bridlin';  the  tongue  here,  is  chiefly  meant 
of  not  abstaining  from  these  evils  of  the 
tongue.  The  man  who  has  a  detracting 
tongue,  cannot  have  a  truly  humble,  gracious 
heart.  Censuring  is  a  pleasing  sin,  ex¬ 
tremely  compliant  with  nature  ;  and  there¬ 
fore  evidences  a  man’s  being  in  a  natural 
state.  These  sins  of  the  tongue,  were  the 
great  sins  of  that  age  in  which  James  wrote ; 
and  it  is  a  strong  sign  of  a  vain  religion, 
says  Dr.  Manton,  to  be  carried  away  with 
the  evil  of  t he  times.  This  has  ever  been  a 
leading  sin  with  hypocrites,  that  the  more 
ambitious  they  have  been  to  seem  well  them¬ 
selves,  the  more  free  they  are  in  censuring 


and  running  down  others;  and  there  is  such 
quick  intercourse  betwixt  the  tongue  and  the 
heart,  that  the  one  may  be  known  by  the 
other.  On  these  accounts  it  is,  that  the 
apostle  has  made  an  ungoverned  tongue,  an 
undoubted,  certain  proof  of  a  vain  religion. 
(3.)  In  a  vain  religion  a  man  deceives  his  own 
heart,  he  goes  on  in  such  a  course  of  detract¬ 
ing  from  others,  and  making  himself  seem 
somebody,  that  at  last  the  vanity  of  his  re¬ 
ligion  is  consummated  by  the  deceiving  of  his 
own  soul.  When  once  religion  comes  to  be 
a  vain  thing,  how  great  is  the  vanity  ! 

2.  It  is  here  plainly  and  peremptorily  de¬ 
clared  wherein  true  religion  consists,  v.  27. 
Observe,  (1.)  It  is  the  glory  of  religion  to 
be  pure  and  undefiltd ;  not  mixed  with  the 
inventions  of  men,  nor  the  corruptions  of 
the  world  ;  a  holy  life  and  a  charitable  heart 
show  a  true  religion.  (2.)  That  reli¬ 
gion  is  pure  and  undefiled,  which  is  so  be¬ 
fore  God  and  tlie  Father.  That  is  right, 
which  is  so  in  God’s  eye,  and  which  chiefly 
aims  at  his  approbation.  (3.)  Compassion 
and  charity  to  the  poor  and  distressed,  is  a 
very  great  and  necessary  part  of  true  re¬ 
ligion  ;  visiting  the  fatherless  and  widows  in 
their  affliction.  Visiting  is  here  put  for  all 
manner  of  relief  which  we  are  capable  of 
giving  to  others  ;  and  fatherless  and  widows 
are  here  particularly  mentioned,  because 
they  are  generally  most  apt  to  he  neglected 
or  oppressed  ;  but  by  them  wo  are  to  under¬ 
stand  all  others  who'  are  objects  of  charity; 
all  who  are  in  affliction.  It  is  very  remark¬ 
able,  that  if  the  stun  of  religion  be  drawn 
up  in  two  articles,  this  is  one, — to  he  char¬ 
itable,  and  relieve  the  afflicted.  (4.)  An 


TRACT-  OBS.  ‘The  servants  of  God,  and  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,’ 
musi  consider  themselves,  as  employed  to  do  good  to  the  chosen  tribes 
of  the  true  Israel,  through  all  their  dispersions  in  this  evil  world,  in  ev¬ 
ery  way  they  are  able. — 1  Divers  temptations’  we  must  meet  with  :  and 
if  we  ‘  full  into  them  ’  without  our  own  fault,  and  have  only  the  distress 
ol  hearing  them,  without  the  guilt  of  yielding  to  them  ;  we  may  deem 
it  a  great  cause  of  joy  to  he  thus  proved  and  purified  in  the  furnace,  and 
made  meet  for  future  honor  and  felicity.  Heb.  2:16 — 18.  But  in  every 
part  of  our  conduct,  we  shall  feel  that  we  ‘  are  deficient  in  wisdom,’  in 
proportion  as  we  become  acquainted  with  ourselves  :  nor  shall  we,  if 
we  reverence  the  Scriptures,  seek  it  in  the  schools  of  philosophy,  or 
front  the  counsels  of  the  wise  men  of  this  world  ;  but  we  shall  ask  the 
precious  boon  of  God,  and  obtain  the  substance,  while  others  are  de¬ 
ceived  with  an  empty  shallow.  As  ‘  God  givelh  to  ail  men  liberally  and 
upbrnidelh  not,’  ( Mat .  11:20 — 21.)  and  has  engaged  that  wisdom  shall 
be  given  to  them,  who  ask  it  of  Him ;  did  we  fully  avail  ourselves  of 
Hits  privilege,  how  greatly  should  we  he  enriched  with  divine  knowl¬ 
edge;  and  how  prudently  should  we  conduct  all  our  concerns,  and  avoid 
every  snare  ami  device  of  our  enemies  ! — The  poor  believer  may  well 

God’s,  and  acts  spontaneously  as  his  law  requires,  being  thus  a  ‘law  to 
itself.’  Thus  t he  Psalmist  says,  ‘I  will  walk  at  liberty,  for  I  keep  thy 
precepts,’ — and  this  one  apostle  calls  ‘ perfect  freedom,’  and  nnother, 
here,  a  ‘law  of  liberty ,’  for  liberty  without  law  is  not  predicable  of  a 
created  being.  ‘Thy  will  be  done,’  is  the  Christian’s  law  of  liberty.  Ed. 

V.  26.  So  necessary  was  practice,  in  every  particular,  to  the  very  ex¬ 
istence  of  real  Christianity ;  that  if  ‘any  man,’  among  professed  believ¬ 
ers,  appeared  to  be  a  devout  worshipper  of  God,  according  to  the  doe- 
trine  and  ordinances  of  the  Gospel  ;  and  if  his  conduct  in  other  respects 
were  not  reprehensible,  yet,  in  case  he  habitually  neglected  to  bridle  his 
tongue,  and  so  gave  loose  to  vain,  polluting,  ostentatious,  or  improper 
discourse;  especially  if  lie  uttered  bitter,  malicious,  slanderous,  or  re¬ 
viling  words,  in  an  unrestrained  manner,  under  pretence  of  zeal  against 
such  as  differed  from  him;  and  ‘deceived  his  own  heart’  by  one  vain 
excuse  or  another,  to  think  this  was  allowable  or  consistent  wilh  the 
Christian  temper;  his  religion  was  thus  proved  to  he  vain  and  worth¬ 
less,  his  heart  was  not  right  in  the  sight  of  God,  whilst  ‘  out  of  the  abun¬ 
dance  ’  of  it  such  evil  things  habitually  proceeded  ;  but  he  was  ‘in  the 
gall  of  bitterness  and  the  bond  of  iniquitv.’  (Notes,  3:3—12.  Ps.  39:1 
—4.  Ml'.  12:33—37.  Pom.  3:9  —  18.  Eptl.  4l29.  5:3,4.  Co/.  3:7—11.)  This 
is  the  general  interpretation;  and  nothing  more  is  supposed  to  have 
been  intended.  Yet  men  do  not  bridle  horses,  merely  to  restrain  them 
from  mischief,  or  front  going  in  a  wrong  way  ;  hut  likewise  in  order  to 
rule  and  direct  them  in  the  right  way  ;  that  they  may  be  useful,  and 
not  merely  inoffensive.  Surely,  then,  the  refraining  from  evil  discourse, 
and  not  perverting  the  gift  of  speech,  by  xvhich  man  is  distinguished 
from  all  other  creatures  here  below,  is  far  from  the  whole,  which  is  in¬ 
tended  by  ‘bridling  the  tongue  !’  Beyond  doubt,  the  proper  improve¬ 
ment  of  that  important  talent  is  also  meant;  the  tongue  must  lie  held 
in,  and  kept  from  improper  discourse,  and  directed  to  that  conversation, 
which  tends  ‘to  the  use  of  edifying,’  and  is  suited  to  ‘minister  grace 
unto  the  hearers.’  It  will  perhaps  he  found,  that  those  who  have  any 
regard  to  God  and  their  duty,  offend  as  frequently  by  silence  when 
they  ought  to  speak,  as  by  speaking  when  they  should  he  silent;  but 
sins  ol  omission  are  generally  less  regarded  than  sins  of  commission. 
How  often  do  cowardice,  indolence,  and  lukewarmness,  make  us  silent; 
xvhen  holy  courage,  active  zeal,  and  fervent  love,  would  excite  us  to  at¬ 
tempt  •  a  word  in  season,’  which  God  often  most  eminently  blesses. 
(Notes,  Deut.  6:6—9.  Ps.  37:29—31.  Prov.  10:20,  21.  15:2,  7,23.  24:26. 
25:11 — 13.)  Scott. 


rejoice  in  being  exalted  to  an  interest  in  Christ,  and  in  the  prospect  of 
glory  in  heaven,  though  he  have  all  kind  of  hardships  by  the  wav  7  ami 
the  rich  have  at  least  equal  cause  for  rejoicing,  if  God  has  humbled  them 
before  his  mercy-seat,  though  the  world  despise  and  hate  them  on  that 
.account;  nay,  though  they  should  be  stripped  of  their  possessions  and 
reduced  to  poverty  for  the  cause  of  Christ.  But  if  we  be  ‘Christians 
indeed,’  tile  Lord  has,  ‘  according  to  his  determinate  purpose,’  and  •  the 
counsel  of  his  own  will,’  begotten  ns  again  with  the  Word  of  truth  :  we 
should  therefore  give  Him  all  the  glory  of  litis  happy  change,  and  con¬ 
secrate  nil  our  faculties  to  his  service,  that  we  may  he  ‘  a  kind  of  lirst- 
fruits  of  his  creatures,’  and  blessings  to  all  around  11s.  While  we  are 
‘  swift  to  hear  ’  the  Word  of  God,  let  us  take  care  to  be  ‘  doers  of  it,  and 
not  hearers  only,  lest  we  deceive  our  own  souls  :  ’  for  many  such  are 
found  in  tlte  best  instructed  congregations;  who  deceive  scarcely  any 
but  themselves. — Happy  would  it  be  for  mankind,  were  they  in  general 
ns  assiduous  in  seeking  this  inward,  durable,  and  spiritual  adorning,  as 
they  are  in  decorating  their  poor  mortal  bodies,  that- they  may  appear 
comely  in  the  eyes  of  their  (fellow-worms  !  Scott. 


V.  27.  ‘  Pure  religion,’  the  holy  worship  and  service  of  God,  free  from 
corrupt  mixtures,  and  undefiled  by  corrupt  motives  and  carnal  passions, 
as  exercised  in  the  sight  of  ‘God,  even  the  Father,’  with  li is  approba¬ 
tion,  by  his  adopted  children  in  Christ  Jesus,  essentialiv  consists  in  dis¬ 
interested,  humble,  self-denying  love  to  men,  for  tlte  Lord’s  sake,  ami 
from  love  to  Him  ;  and  in  taking  pleasure,  from  these  motives,  in  visit¬ 
ing  ‘  orphans,  widows,’  and  other  afilictod  or  destitute  persons  ;  to  soothe 
their  sorrows,  relieve  their  wants,  and  afford  them  protection,  counsel, 
ami  comfort  in  their  distresses;  and  in  keeping  at  a  distance  from  the 
sinful  pursuits,  interests,  pleasures,  maxims,  fasti  ions,  and  pollutions  of 
this  wicked  world  ;  so  that  a  man  may  have  no  stain  upon  his  garments, 
no  blemish  on  his  character,  no  guilt  upon  It  is  conscience,  on  that  ac¬ 
count. — Without  some  measure  of  this  holy  love,  and  this  mortification 
to  the  world,  no  doctrines,  forms,  confidence,  high  affections,  zeal,  or 
apparent  devotion,  can  prove  a  man  an  accepted  worshipper  of  Goti. 
[Note,  1  Pet.  2:9,  12.)  Our  true  religion  is  exactly  equal  to  the  meas¬ 
ure,  in  which  these  tilings  have  place  in  our  hearts,  experience,  and 
conduct ;  and  these  are  therefore  the  criteria  of  ‘  pure  and  undefiled  re¬ 
ligion,’  by  which  we  should  judge  of  it,  in  ourselves  anil  in  others,  botli 
as  to  the  reality  of  it,  and  the  degree  in  which  it  is  possessed.  But  this 
holy  love,  and  mortification  to  the  world,  can  he  produced  only  by  faith 
in  a  crucified  Savior,  and  the  supply  of  his  sanctifying  Spirit;  so  that 
no  appearance  even  of  these  things  can  be  depended  on,  except  they 
spring  from,  ami  are  connected  with,  a  credible  and  intelligent  profession 
of  faith,  a  reliance  on  tlte  mercy  of  God  in  Christ  Jesus  for  salvation, 
ami  the  regular  and  fervent  worship  of  God,  in  public  and  in  private. 
(Notes,  Mat.  25:34 — 40.  1  Cor.  13:)  Pi  sit.]  Episkeptesthai.  Mat.  25: 
36,  43.  Lu.  1:68,  79.  7:16.  Acts  6:3.  15:14.  Heb.  2:6.  ‘  To  look  diligently 
into  any  matter,  as  taking  the  oversight  of  it,  or  devising  good  respect¬ 
ing  it  .'—Fatherless.]  Orp/ianous  :  wanting  either  father,  or  mother, 
or  both.  Scott. 

(27.)  ‘  True  religion  is,  to  do  and  be  good.’  Mailby.  ‘  Some  persons 
evidence  great  love  to  men,  as  it  respects  their  temporal  welfare,  but  ap¬ 
pear  to  have  no  concern  for  their  spiritual  and  eternal  interests.  Gibers 
pretend  great  love  for  the  souls  of  men,  while  they  have  no  concern  for 
their  temporal  comfort.  The  former  costs  nothing  ;  but  to  promote  the 
latter  it  is  necessarxj  to  part  with  money.  True  Christian  love  extends 
to  both,  and  this  resembles  tlte  love  and  compassion  of  Jesus  Christ.’ 
Edwards.  ‘  “  The  righteous  is  more  excellent  than  his  neighbor,  but 
we  shall  scarcely  allow  him  to  be  so,  unless  he  be  more  excellent  ns  a 


A.  D.  60. 


JAMES,  II. 


J rnies  condemns  respect  of  persons. 


CHAP.  II, 

I  It  is  not  agreeable  to  Christian  profession  to  regard  the 
rich,  and  to  despise  the  poor  brethren  :  13  rather  we  are 
to  l>e  loving  and  merciful  :  14  and  not  lo  boast  of  faith 
where  no  deeds  are,  17  which  is  but  a  dead  faith,  19  the 
faith  of  devils,  21  not  of  Abraham,  25  and  Rahab. 

MY  brethren,  have  not  the  faith 
of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  the 
Lord  of  glory,  with  respect  a  of 
persons. 

2  For  if  there  come  unto  your 
b  assembly  a  man  with  a  gold  ring, 
in  goodly  apparel,  and  there  come 
in  also  a  poor  man  in  vile  raiment ; 

3  And  ye  have  respect  to  him  that 
weareth  the  gay  clothing,  and  say 
unto  him,  Sit  thou  here  cin  a  good 
place  ;  and  say  to  the  poor.  Stand 
thou  there,  or  sit  here  under  my 
foot-stool  : 

4  Are  ye  not  then  partial  in  your¬ 
selves,  and  are  become  judges  of 
evil  thoughts? 

5  Hearken,  my  beloved  breth¬ 
ren,  d  Hath  not  God  chosen  the  poor 
of  this  world  rich  ein  faith,  and 
heirs  of  fthe  kingdom  s  which  he 
hath  promised  to  them  that  love 
him  ? 

a  Pr.  28:21.  seemly.  f  or,  that. 

Jude  16.  d  1  Co.  1-.26 — 28.  g  Mat.  5:3.  Hu. 

b  synagogue.  e  Re.  2:9.  12:32.  22:29. 

c  or,  well,  or, 


unspotted  life  must  accompany  an  unfeigned 
love  and  charity  ;  to  keep  himself  unspotted 
from  the  world;  this  must  be  our  constant  en¬ 
deavor.  Herein  consists  pure  and  undefilcd 
vligion.  The  very  things  of  the  world  too 
much  taint  our  spirits,  if  vve  are  much  con¬ 
versant  with  them ;  but  the  sins  and  lusts  of 
the  world  deface  and  defile  them  very  woe¬ 
fully  indeed.  John  comprises  all  that  is  in 
the  world,  which  we  are  not  to  love,  tinder 
three  heads  ;  the  lust  of  the  flesh,  the  lust  of 
the  eyes,  and  the  pride  of  life  ;  and  to  keep 
one's  self  unspotted  from  all  these,  is  to  keep 
ourselves  unspotted  from  the  world.  May  God 
by  his  grace  keep  both  our  hearts  and  lives 
clean  from  the  love  of  the  world,  and  from 
the  temptations  of  wicked  worldly  men. 

Chap.  II.  V.  1 — 7.  The  apostle  here 
reproves  and  shows  the  mischief  and  sin  of 


a  very  corrupt  practice, — respect  of  persons, 
which  seems  to  have,  been  a  very  growing 
evil  in  the  churches  of  Christ,  even  in  those 
early  ages,  and  has,  in  these  after-times, 
sadly  corrupted  and  divided  Christian  na¬ 
tions  and  societies.  Here  we  have, 

I.  A  caution  against  this  sin,  v.  1.  Ob¬ 
serve,  1.  The  character  of  Christians  fully 
implied  ;  they  are  such  as  hare  the  faith  of 
our  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  2.  How  honorably 
James  speaks  of  Jesus  Christ;  he  calls  Him 
the  Lord  of  glory  ;  and  Christ’s  being  the 
Lord  of  glory  should  teach  us  not  to  respect 
Christians  for  anything  so  much,  as  their 
relation  and  conformity  to  Christ.  In  pro¬ 
fessing  the  faith  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  we 
should  not  show  respect  to  men,  so  as  to 
cloud  or  lessen  the  glory  of  our  glorious 
Lord  ;  however  any  may  think  of  it,  this  is 
certainly  a  very  heinous  sin. 

II.  We  have  this  sin  described  and  cau¬ 
tioned  against,  by  an  instance  or  example 
of  it,  v.  2,  3.  Assembly  here  is  meant  of 
meetings  appointed  for  deciding  matters  of 
difference  among  the  members  of  the  church  ; 
or,  for  determining  censures,  so  the  Greek 
word,  here  used,  signifies;  such  an  assembly 
as  that  in  the  Jewish  synagogues,  when  they 
met  to  do  justice ;  see  Mai mon ides,  as  quoted 
by  Dr.  Manton  ;  who  says,  ‘  it  was  expressly 
provided,  by  the  Jews’  constitutions,  that 
when  a  poor  man  and  a  rich  plead  together, 
the  rich  shall  not  he  bidden  to  sit  down,  and 
the  poor  stand,  or  sit  in  a  worse  place,  but 
both  sit,  or  both  stand  alike.’*  But  we  must 
lie  careful  not  to  apply  what  is  here  said  to 
the  common  assemblies  for  worship  ;  for  in 
these  certainly  there  may  be  appointed  dif¬ 
ferent  places  for  persons,  according  to  their 
rank  and  circumstances,  without  sin.  They 
do  not  understand  the  apostle,  who  fix  his 

*  Contrast  this  with  the  following  result  of  the  inveterate 
Hindoo  customs.  1  For  a  man  of  a  Jow  caste  to  sit  in  a 
chair,  in  the  presence  of  a  Brahmin,  would  be  a  great  of* 
fence.  Should  we  offer  chairs  to  men  of  low  caste,  who 
called  to  see  us,  the  Brahmins  would  avoid  us.’.  .‘The 
schoolmaster  of  one  of  these  villages  invited  them  [two 
young  men  the  missionaries  had  sent  out  to  distribute  books, 
tracts,  &c.]  to  his  house,  but  not  before  he  had  inquired  as 
to  their  caste.  One  of  them,  a  viltalah ,  told  him,  that  the 
other  was  n  pariah;  in  consequence  of  which  he,  the  pari¬ 
ah,  was  directed  to  sit  down  outside  of  the  house,  while  his 
companion  went  in,  and  was  entertained  by  the  school¬ 
master.’  Li  tter  f rum  Air.  Dwight,  in  Southern  India. 
Miss.  Herald,  for  May,  1838.  What  shall  we  say  of  the 
Christianity  of  those  among  us  who  indulge  this  same  pre¬ 
judice  of  caste,  and  will  not  sit  at  the  same  table,  ride  in  the 
same  vehicle,. or  worshrp  in  the  same  pew  with  a  colored 
brother  !  Some  that  can  endure  blacks  as  slaves ,  even  in 
the  same  vehicle,  will  not  as  companions.  This  points  us 
to  the  cause  of  these  ‘  Christian  ’  anomalies, — wicked  pride. 

Ed. 


ft  verity  here  on  this  practice  ;  they  do  not 
consider  the  word  judges  (used  in  v.  4.),  nor 
what  is  said  of  their  being  convicted  as 
transgressors  of  the  law,  if  they  had  such  a 
respect  of  persons  as  is  here  spoken  of,  ac¬ 
cording  to  v.  9.  Observe  lienee,  1.  God  has 
liis  remnant  among  all  sorts  of  people, 
among  those  that  wear  soft  and  gay  clothing, 
and  among  those  that  wear  poor  and  vile  rai¬ 
ment.  2.  In  matters  of  religion,  rich  and 
poor,  [black  and  white,]  stand  on  a  level  ; 
no  man’s  riches  set  him  in  the  least  nearer 
to  Cod,  nor  does  any  man’s  poverty  set  him 
at  a  distance  from  God.  3.  All  undue  honor¬ 
ing  of  worldly  greatness  and  riches  should 
especially  be  watched  against  in  Christian 
societies  ;  civil  respect  must  be  paid  to  per¬ 
sons  of  different  ranks  ;  but  must  never  be 
such  as  to  influence  the  proceedings  of 
Christian  societies  in  disposing  of  the  offices 
of  the  church,  or  in  passing  the  censures  of 
the  church,  or  in  any  tiling  that  is  purely  a 
matter  of  religion  ;  here  we  are  to  know  no 
man  after  the  flesh.  If  a  poor  man  be  a  good 
man,  vve  must  not  value  him  the  less  for  his 
poverty  ;  and  if  a  rich  man  be  a  bad  man, 
we  must  not  value  him  the  more  for  his 
riches.  4.  It  is  important  to  take  care  what 
rule  we  go  by  in  judging  of  men  ;  commonly, 
to  judge  by  outward  appearance,  will  too 
much  influence-  our  spirits  and  our  conduct 
in  religious  assemblies;  many  a  man  is  vile 
and  despicable,  who  yet  makes  a  figure  in 
the  world  ;  'and  on  the  other  hand  many  a 
humble,  heavenly,  good  Christian,  is  clothed 
meanly  ;  but  neither  should  he  nor  his 
Christianity  bo  thought  the  worse  of  on  this 
account. 

III.  The  greatness  of  this  sin,  v.  4,  5. 

1.  In  it  there  is  shameful  partiality;  Are 
ye  not  then  partial  in  yourselves  ?  The  ques¬ 
tion  is  here  put,  as  what  could  not  fail  of 
being  answered  by  every  man’s  conscience, 
that  would  put  it  seriously  to  himself.  Ac¬ 
cording  to  the  strict  rendering  of  the  origi¬ 
nal,  the  question  is,  ‘  Have  ye  not  made  a 
difference  ?  And,  in  that  difference,  do  you 
not  judge  by  a  false  rule,  and  go  upon  false 
measures  I  And  does  not  the  charge  of  a 
partiality,  condemned  by  the  law,  lie  fully 
against  you  I  Does  not  your  own  conscience 
tell  you  that  you  are  guilty  1’ 

2.  This  respect  of  persons  is  owing  to  the 
evil  and  injustice  of  the  thoughts.  ‘  Ye  arc 
become  fudges  of  evil  thoughts;  ye  are  judges, 
according  to  those  unjust  estimations  and 


neighbor :  be  must  excel  in  the  duties  of  good  neighborhood.  Neigh¬ 
bors,  be  concerned  that  the  orphans  and  widows  be  well  provided  for. 
By  the  same  rule  also  all  the  afflicted  in  the  neighborhood  are  to  be 
considered.  Would  it  be  too  much  for  you  once  a  week,  at  least,  to 
think,  at  neighbor  is  reduced  to  pinching  and  painful  poverty  ? 

What  neighbor  is  languishing  in  sickness  ?  What  neighbor  is  broken¬ 
hearted  with  the  loss  of  a  dear  relative  ?  What  neighbor  lias  a  soul  as¬ 
saulted  by  tile  enemy  of  souls  ?  ”  and  then  consider,  il  What  can  be  done 
for  such  neighbors  ?  ”  ’  Matiier. 

NOTES.  Chap.  II.  V.  1 — 4.  Some  expositors,  supposing  the  pas¬ 
sage  could  scarcely  consist  with  rendering  honor  to  civil  superiors,  as 
required  in  other  scriptures,  have  endeavored  to  explain  it  of  partiality 
in  deciding  causes,  in  favor  of  the  rich,  and  against  the  poor;  because 
some  courts  of  justice  used  to  lie  held  in  the  Jewish  synagogues.  But 
had  the  apostle  intended  to  point  out  so  gross  an  iniquity,  he  would 
doubtless  have  spoken  of  it  with  far  more  decided  severity.  If  such  par¬ 
tiality  were  used  in  the  determinations  of  those  matters,  which  came 
before  the  churches,  it  would  certainly  be  condemned  by  what  he  said ; 
yet  the  language  does  not  at  all  relate  to  judicial  proceedings  of  any 
kind  ;  but  to  an  improper  respect  shown  towards  some,  and  contempt 
expressed  towards  others,  merely  on  account  of  external  appearance. — 
No  doubt  this  is  very  reprehensible,  and  the  effect  of  a  carnal  judgment, 
how  common  soever  it  may  be;  nor  does  civil  respect  to  superiors,  or 
to  those  in  authority,  render  such  difference  of  conduct  towards  the  rich 
and  the  poor,  in  religious  concerns,  at  all  necessary  ;  especially  when 
the  rich  have  nothing  but  their  wealth  and  splendor  to  recommend 
them,  and  the  poor  are  persons  of  pious  character  and  good  behavior. 
As  places  of  worship  cannot  be  built  and  maintained,  without  much  ex¬ 
pense,  it  may  be  proper  that  they,  who  contribute  towards  defraying  it, 
should  be  accommodated  accordingly  ;  but  were  all  professed  Chris¬ 
tians  more  spiritually  minded,  less  disparity  would  be  made,  and  the 
poor  would  be  treated  with  far  more  attention  and  regard,  than  they 
commonly  are  in  worshipping  congregations.  And  we  may  conclude 
without  the  least  hesitation,  that  if  the  apostle  could  witness  what 
takes  place  generally  in  our  days,  in  this  matter,  and  give  his  opinion  of 
it,  lie  would  repeat  the  censure  that  we  were  ‘become  partial  in  our¬ 
selves,’  and  ‘judges’  influenced  by  evil  thoughts,  corrupt  reasonings, 
and  erroneous  calculations ;  and  add  many  like,  and  even  more  severe 
words. — (1)  Our  Lord,  &c.]  ‘Jesus  Christ  our  Lord,  and  of  glory;’  not 

[572] 


only,  ‘  our  Lord,’  but  ‘  the  Lord  of  glory  ;’  the  Fountain  and  Source  of 
honor;  constituting  those  related  to  Him  truly  honorable,  however  po»r. 
Dial.  12:4G — 50.  25:34 — 40. — (2)  Assembly.]  SunagSgen.Rev.  2:9.  3:9. 
—  Tlie  place  of  worship  seems  intended,  and  that  of  Christians,  not  of 
Jews.  The  word  was  first  used  for  the  assembly  ,  and,  at  length,  for 
the  place  of  assembling ;  as  ekklesia,  church,  has  since  been. — (1)  Are 
ye  not  partial. ]  1:6.  Jude  22.  ‘  I)o  ye  not  distinguish  ?’  i.  e.  ‘  unjust¬ 
ly.’  N»te,  Job  34:17 — 19.  Scott. 

(2.)  Gold  ring.]  ‘Among  the  Romans,  those  of  t  lie  senatorial  and 
equestrian  orders  were  distinguished  from  the  common  people,  by  wear¬ 
ing  a  gold  ring.  In  time  the  use  of  them  became  promiscuous,’  [and 
general  among  the  rich.]  Rurder.  The  Or.  refers  to  a  ring  worn  on 
the  finger.  See  the  cuts,  Dan.  6:17.  and  Coiyordance,  (in  the  Supple¬ 
ment,)  under  the  word  ‘Signet.’  En. 

(4.)  ‘  Are  ye  nut  judges  who  form  your  judgments  on  erroneous  rea¬ 

sonings  and  false  estimates,  viz.  of  any  one’s  worth  by  his  outward  ap¬ 
pearance.’  HI.  It  is  plain,  the  same  distinction  of  genteel  and  ungen- 
trel  Christians  prevailed  then  as  now-,  when  fine  broadcloth  has  taken 
the  place  of  gold  rings,  in  Christian  estimation.  True,  the  vulgar  and 
gross,  those  of  unrefined  taste,  have  no  right  to  inflict  their  society  upon 
those  of  better  and  purer  tastes,  for  this  injustice  and  tyranny  would 
prevent  social  progress.  But  how  can  one  Christian  consider  another, 
whom  he  or  she  really  thinks  to  be  a  Christian,  as  vulgar  ?  Is  not  Chris¬ 
tianity  the  very  essence  of  good-breeding  und  good  taste,  the  beauty  of 
the  soul;  nnd  can  any  of  Christ’s  brethren  and  family  be  less  than  no¬ 
ble  ?  Can  any  one  with  whom  Christ  sympathizes,  and  in  xvhorn  lie 
lives,  tie  too  vulgar  for  a  Christian’s  sympathy  and  intimacy  ?  Will  je 
wound  the  Savior  in  the  very  house  of  his  friends, — will  ye  thus  crucify 
Ilim  afresh,  by  the  indulgence  of  that  same  vulgar  and  exclusive  selfish¬ 
ness  which  nailed  Him  to  the  cross  ?  Id. 

V.  5 — 7.  The  apostle  endeavored  to  fix  the  attention  of  his  brethren 
on  tlie  subject,  by  inquiring,  whether  they  did  not  know  that  ‘  God  had 
chosen  the  poor  of  this  world.’  Were  not  his  people  generally  of  that 
rank  in  life,  with  only  a  few  exceptions  i  1  Cor.  1:26 — 31.  If  the  Lord, 
therefore,  chiefly  blessed  the  Gospel  for  the  conversion  of  the  poor,  it 
must  be  evident,  that  He  had  appointed  that  lowly  state  for  his  chosen 
people,  as  the  safest,  and  most  comfortable,  and  advantageous  for  them  ; 
as  most  conducive  lo  their  progressive  sanctification,  most  favorable  to 
their  inward  peace,  nnd  most  suited  to  show  forth  the  power,  and  bless- 


A.  D.  60. 


JAMES,  II. 


llespect  of  persons  condemned. 


6  But  ye  have  despised  the  poor. 
Do  not  rich  men  oppress  you,  and 
drawyou  before  thejudgmentseats? 

7  Do  not  they  blaspheme  that 
h  worthy  name  by  the  which  ye  are 
called  ? 

8  Ifye  fulfil  the  royal  law  accord¬ 
ing  to  the  scripture,  '  Thou  shalt 
love  thy  neighbor  as  thyself,  ye  do 
well  : 

9  But  if  ye  have  respect  '*  to  per¬ 
sons,  ye  commit  sin,  and  are  con¬ 
vinced  of  the  law  as  transgressors. 

h  Pa.  111:9.  1  Le.  19:3.  j  ver.  1. 

corrupt  opinions  which  you  have  formed  to 
yourselves.  You  secretly  prefer  outward 
pomp  before  inward  grace,  and  the  things 
that  arc  seen  before  those  which  are  not  seen.’ 
The  deformity  of  sin  is  never  truly  and  fully 
discerned,  till  the  evil  of  our  thoughts  be  dis¬ 
closed  ;  and  it  is  this  which  highly  aggra¬ 
vates  the  faults  of  our  tempers  and  lives, — 
that  the  imagination  of  the  thoughts  of  the 
heart  are  evil,  Gen.  6:  5. 

3.  This  respect  of  persons  is  a  heinous  sin, 
because  it  is  to  show  ourselves  most  directly 
contrary  to  God,  v.  5,  6.  God  has  made 
those  heirs  of  a  kingdom,  whom  you  make  of 
no  reputation  ;  and  has  given  very  great  and 
glorious  promises  to  those,  to  whom  you 
can  hardly  give  a  good  word  or  a  respectful 
look.  And  is  not  this  a  monstrous  iniquity 
in  von,  who  pretend  to  be  the  children  of 
God,  and  conformed  to  Him  1  Their  being 
God’s  chosen  does  not  prevent  their  being 
poor  ;  their  being  poor  does  not  at  all  preju¬ 
dice  the  evidences  of  their  being  chosen. 
Mat.  11:5.  The  poor  are  evangelized.  God 
designed  to  reeommend  his  holy  religion  to 
men’s  esteem  and  affection,  not  by  the  ex¬ 
ternal  advantages  of  gayety  and  pomp,  but 
by  its  intrinsic  worth  and  excellency  ;  and 
therefore  chose  the  poor  of  this  world.  Again 
notice,  That  many  poor  in  the  world,  are  rich 
in  faith  ;  thus  the  poorest  may  become  rich ; 
and  this  is  what  they  ought  to  be  especially 
ambitious  of;  it  is  expected  from  those  who 
have  wealth  and  estates,  that  they  be  rich  in 
good  works ;  because  the  more  they  have, 
the  more  they  have  to  do  good  with  ;  but  it 
is  expected  from  the  poor  in  the  world,  that 


they  be  rich  in  faith;  for  the  less  they  have 
here,  the  more  they  may,  and  should,  live 
in  the  believing  expectation  of  better  things 
in  a  better  world.  Notice  further,  Believ¬ 
ing  Christians  are  rich  in  title,  and  in  being 
heirs  of  a  kingdom,  though  they  may  be  very 
poor  as  to  present  possessions;  what  is  laid 
out  on  them  is  but  little,  what  is  laid  up  for 
them  is  Unspeakably  rich  and  great.  Note 
again,  Where  any  are  rich  in  faith,  there 
will  be  also  divine  love  ;  faith  working  by 
love,  will  be  in  all  the  heirs  of  glory.  Note 
once  more,  under  this  head,  Heaven  is  a 
kingdom,  and  a  kingdom  promised  to  them 
that  love  God.  We  read  of  the  crown  prom¬ 
ised  to  them  that  love  God,  in  the  former 
chapter,  v.  12.  here  a  kingdom  too.  And  as 
the  crown  is  a  crown  of  life,  so  the  kingdom 
will  be  an  everlasting  kingdom. 

All  these  things,  laid  together,  show  how 
highly  the  poor  in  this  world,  if  rich  in  faith, 
are  now  honored,  and  shall  hereafter  be  ad¬ 
vanced  by  God  ;  and  consequently  how  very 
sinful  a  thing  it  was  for  them  to  despise  the 
poor.  After  such  considerations  as  these, 
the  charge  is  cutting  indeed  ;  But  ye  have 
despised  the  poor,  v.  6. 

4.  Respecting  persons,  in  the  sense  of  this 
place,  on  account  of  their  riches  or  outward 
figure,*  is  shown  to  be  a  very  great  sin,  be¬ 
cause  of  the  mischiefs  which  are  owing  to 
worldly  wealth  and  greatness,  and  the  folly 
which  there  is  in  Christians’  paying  undue 
regards  to  those  who  had  so  little  regard 
either  to  their  God  or  them,  v.  7.  ‘  Consider 
how  commonly  riches  are  the  incentives  of 
vice  and  mischief,  of  blasphemy  and  perse¬ 
cution  ;  consider  how  many  calamities  you 
yourselves  sustain,  and  how  great  reproaches 
are  thrown  upon  your  religion  and  your  God, 
by  men  of  wealth,  and  power,  and  worldly 
greatness  ;  and  this  will  make  your  sin  ap¬ 
pear  exceeding  sinful  and  foolish,  in  setting 
up  that  which  tends  to  pull  you  down,  and 
to  destroy  all  that  you  are  building  up,  and 
to  dishonor  that  worthy  name  by  which  you 
are  called.’  The  name  of  Christ  is  a  worthy 
name;  it  reflects  honor,  and  gives  worth  to 
them  who  wear  it. 

V.  8 — 13.  The  apostle,  having  condemn¬ 
ed  the  sin  of  those  who  had  an  undue  respect 
of  persons,  and  having  urged  what  was  suffi- 

*  Fellow- Christians  let  us,  for  Christ's  suite,  include 
color  too.  Ed. 


cient  to  convict  them  of  the  greatness  of  this 
evil,  now’  proceeds  to  show-  how  the  matter 
may  be  mended ;  it  is  the  work  of  a  gospel- 
ministry,  not  only  to  reprove  and  warn,  but 
to  teach  and  direct.  Col.  1 :  28.  And  here, 

1.  We  have  the  law,  that  is  to  guide  us  in 
all  our  regards  to  men,  set  down  in  general, 
v.  8.  Observe,  (1.)  The  rule  for  Christians 
to  walk  by,  is  settled  in  the  Scriptures  ;  if, 
according  to  the  Scriptures,  & c.  It  is  not 
great  men,  nor  worldly  Wealth,  nor  corrupt 
practices  among  professors  themselves,  that 
must  guide  us,  but  the  Scriptures  of  truth.  (2.) 
The  Scripture  gives  us  this  as  a  law,  to  love 
our  neighbor  as  ourselves;  it  is  what  still  re¬ 
mains  in  full  force, and  is  rather  carried  high¬ 
er  and  further  by  Christ,  than  made  less  im¬ 
portant  to  us.  (3.)  This  law  is  a  royal  law,  it 
comes  from  the  King  of  kings;  our  King;  is 
of  worth  and  dignity  in  itself,  and  is  the  law, 
by  which  all  Christians  now  are  to  regulate 
all  their  actions  to  one  another.  (4.)  A 
pretence  of  observing  this  royal  law,  when 
it  is  interpreted  with  partiality,  will  not  ex¬ 
cuse  men  in  any  unjust  proceedings  ;  the 
apostle  allows,  that,  so  far  as  they  were 
concerned  to  observe  the  duties  of  the  sec¬ 
ond  table,  they  did  well  in  giving  honor  to 
whom  honor  was  due  ;  but  this  fair  pretence 
would  not  cover  their  sin,  in  that  undue  re¬ 
spect  of  persons  which  they  *tood  chargeable 
with;  for, 

2.  This  general  law  is  to  be  considered 

together  with  a  particular  law,  v.  9.  ‘  Not¬ 

withstanding  the  law  of  laws.  To  love  your 
neighbor  as  yourselves ,  and  to  show  that  re¬ 
spect  to  them  which  you  would  be  apt  to 
look  for  yourselves  if  in  their  circumstan¬ 
ces,  yet  this  will  not  excuse  your  distribut¬ 
ing  eithw  the  favors  or  the  censures  of  the 
church  according  to  men’s  outward  condi¬ 
tion;  but  here  you  must  look  to  a  particular 
law,  which  God,  who  gave  the  other,  has 
given  you  together  with  it,  and  by  this  you 
will  stand  fully  convicted  of  the  sin  I  have 
charged  you  with  ;  this  law  is  in  Lev.  19  : 
15.  Yea,  the  very  royal  law  itself,  rightly 
explained,  would  serve  to  convict  them,  be¬ 
cause  it  teaches  them  to  put  themselves  as 
much  in  the  places  of  the  poor  as  in  those 
of  the  rich,  and  so  to  act  equitably  towards 
one  as  well  as  the  other.  Hence  lie  proceeds, 

3.  To  show  the  extent  of  the  law,  and 
how  far  obedience  must  be  paid  to  it  ;  they 


ed  effects,  of  ii is  grace  bestowed  oil  them.  It  was,  therefore,  evident, 
that  the  Lord  peculiarly  honored  and  favored  men  of  low  condition; 
[among  whom  most  reforms  have  originated,  likewise,  since  the  great 
one  of  Christianity ;]  whereas,  hi*  worshippers  despised  the  poor,  and 
slighted  them,  as  if  beneath  their  notice  !  Or,  they  ‘despised  Lite  poor 
man,’  for  the  word  is  singular.  1’rov.  15:21,  31.  17:5.  Ec.  9:13—18.  Lu. 
2:1 — 14. — Could  they  imagine,  that  the  enemies  of  Christ  and  his  church, 
and  persons  of  the  worst  characters,  ought  to  he  treated  with  more  re¬ 
spect,  on  account  of  wealth  alone ,  than  their  poor  brethren  and  neigh¬ 
bors  were  entitled  to  ? — This  implies,  that  the  apostle  principally  refer¬ 
red  to  the  case  of  such  rich  persons,  as  occasionally  came  to  their  as¬ 
semblies,  to  whom  vast  attention  was  paid,  whilst  the  poor  were  despised; 
whereas  the  latter  were  tar  more  likely  to  profit  by  the  Word  preached, 
than  the  former,  lie  does  not  seem  to  have  meant,  that  the  rich,  who 
were  stated  attendants  on  their  assemblies,  and  pious  persons,  ought  to 
have  no  degree  of  superior  begard  shown  them  ;  provided  the  poor  were 
not  despised  and  neglected. — One  of  the  last  observations  which  the  au¬ 
thor  heard  from  the  lips  of  a  very  wealthy  and  zealous  servant  of  Christ, 
(John  Thornton,  Esq.,)  was  this:  ‘Ministers  in  London  bestow  more 
pains  to  get  full  congregations,  than  to  profit  those  who  attend  ;  and  aim 
more  at  the  rich,  tlinn  the  poor;  hut  they  will  always  be  most  success¬ 
ful  with  the  poor.  These  are  two  principal  mistakes.’  —  (7)  By  which 
ye  are  called.]  Jf'hich  is  called  upon  you.  ‘  From  whom  they  derived 
their  name  of  Christians.’  Mat.  23:19,20.  Acts  11:25,  26.  Scott. 

(5.)  ‘  What  heraldry  can  go  so  high,  as  “  our  Father  which  art  in 
heaven  ?”  Whoso  high-born,  as  he  that  is  born  of  God  ;  a  child  of  the 
Most  High ;  that  bears  the  image  of  tile  heavenly  ?  To  have  a  name 
written  in  heaven, — oh,  how  far  is  it  above  all  the  names  on  earth  ?  To 
have  a  new  nature,  —  how  much  nobler,  than  to  be  of  the  most  ancient 
house  ;  What  though  I  be  left  behind  in  the  world,  when  I  am  owned 
by  tlie  Lord  ?  For  Him  to  say,  as  Is.  41:1.  “  I  have  called  thee  by  thy 
name;”  how  much  more  is  it,  than  to  be  known  and  admired  of  all  the 
world  !  For,  to  many  men  of  note,  He  may  say  at  last,  “I  know  you 
not.  For  not  many  noble  are  called  !”  1  Cor.  2:26.  No  ;  there  is  some¬ 
what  uses  to  call  them  another  way  :  they  will  not  stain  their  honor  to 
come,  on  submission,  to  a  despised  Savior.  They  see  it  no  such  great 
matter,  to  be  Christ’s  mother,  and  sister,  and  brother.  They  who  scorn 
their  brethren  as  mechanics;  why  should  they  not  also  disown  the  apos¬ 
tles  of  our  Lord,  as  such  ?  Yea,  and  the  Redeemer  Himself ;  as  the  car¬ 
penter’s  son  ?  And  shall  I  then  envy  them  their  honor;  which  they  so 
abuse  as  to  dishonor  themselves;  yea,  and  the  Lord  of  glory  ?  This  is 
an  honor  that  shall  not  run  long  in  their  veins  :  ths  bubble  will  soon 


break,  and  the  shadow  tlee  away.  Oh,  what  is  that  glory  from  the  blood 
running  in  «nr  veins,  to  the  glory  that  redounds  from  the  good  done  in 
our  lives  ?  May  I  but  be  numbered  with  them  whom  the  Lord  will  hon¬ 
or;  and  upo*  whom  rests  the  Spirit  of  God  and  of  glory  :  and  then  take 
who  will,  for  me,  all  that  the  world  can  contribute,  to  make  them  great 
and  renowned.  I  know,  they  are  not  rich  dresses,  nor  high  places;  but 
pure  virtues,  and  heavenly  graces,  that  truly  do  ennoble  the  owners. 
Nor  can  I  count  it  so  honorable,  to  glare  like  blazing,  frightful  comets  ;  as 
to  shine  like  sweet,  useful  lights  in  the  world.  Nay,  let  Who  will  take 
it  for  a  paradox,  there  is  no  “bearing,”  in  any  escutcheon,  like  the 
bearing  of  the  cross  of  Christ;  in  which  his  followers  do,  and  well  may 
glory,  to  tlie  contempt  of  nil  worldly  glory.  Oh,  what  so  great  corres¬ 
pondence  ns  to  be  great  with  the  blessed  God  !  and  what  so  great  a 
tiling  can  the  world  show,  as  a  heart  above  all  tlie  greatness  of  this 
world  !  To  have  the  top  of  all  our  kindred,  the  Most  High,  Himself; 
our  house,  heaven ;  our  garden,  paradise ;  our  diet,  manna;  our  cloth¬ 
ing,  the  garments  of  salvation  ;  our  jewels,  the  graces  of  God’s  Spirit; 
our  attendants,  the  angels  of  light  ;  mid  our  inheritance,  a  glorious,  ev¬ 
erlasting  kingdom  :  Oh,  how  does  this  cloud  all  the  royalties  of  the 
world!  My  soul,  return  to  thy  rest !’ — Meditations.  B.  Jenks. 

(6.)  ‘  Christians,  on  whom  the  Lord  Jesus  lias  bestowed  affluence, 

rank,  or  talents,  should  be  the  last  to  disdain  their  fellow-men,  or  to  look 
with  indifference  on  indigence  and  grief.  Pride,  unseemly  in  all,  is  de¬ 
testable  in  them  who  confess,  by  grace  they  are  saved.  The  Lord  Jesus 
came  to  deliver  the  needy.  And  surely  an  object  which  was  not  unwor¬ 
thy  the  Son  of  God,  cannot  be  unworthy  of  any  who  are  called  by  his 
name.  How  many  hands  that  hang  down  would  be  lifted  up;  how  many 
feeble  knees  confirmed  ;  how  many  tears  wiped  away  ;  how  many  vic¬ 
tims  of  despondency  and  infamy  rescued,  by  a  close  imitation  of  Jesus 
Christ  !  ’  Dr.  J.  M.  Mason. 

V.  8 — 13.  It  is  of  vnst  importance  to  observe,  hew  often  this  abstract 
of  the  second  table  of  the  law  is  referred  to  in  the  N.  T.,  as  a  rule  of 
conduct  to  believers;  as  this  alone  is  sufficient  to  show  the  fatal  mistake 
of  those,  who  deny  the  moral  law  to  be  the  rule  of  our  duty. — A  man  is 
liable  to  the  sentence  of  death,  by  the  law  of  this  land,  who  offends  m 
one  capital  matter,  though  he  be  clear  in  all  others.  The  chain,  consist¬ 
ing  of  many  links,  is  broken,  when  any  one  link  is  broken.  According 
to  the  covenant  of  works ,  a  single  violation  of  any  one  command  brings 
a  man  under  condemnation,  from  which  no  obedience,  past,  present,  or 
future,  can  deliver  him  [for  each  act  of  obedience  being  a  duty,  only  nils 
its  duty,  and  lays  up  nothing  of  supererogation]  :  and,  according  to  the 
covenant  of  grace,  the  allowed,  known,  and  habitual  transgression  of 

[573] 


A.  D.  60. 


JAMES,  II. 


The  extent  of  the  Lato. 


10  For  whosoever  shall  keep  the 
whole  law,  and  yet  offend  in  one 
point,  he  k  is  guilty  of  all. 

11  For  ‘he  that  said,  m  Do  not 
commit  adultery,  said  also,  Do  not 
kill.  Now  if  thou  commit  no  adul¬ 
tery,  yet  if  thou  kill,  thou  art  become 
a  transgressor  of  the  law. 

12.  So  speak  ye,  and  so  do,  as  they 
that  shall  be  judged  by  the  law  n  of 
liberty. 

13  For  °he  shall  have  judgment 
without  mercy,  that  hath  shewed 
no  mercy;  and  mercy  Prejoiceth 
i  against  judgment. 

14  What r  doth  it  profit,  my  breth¬ 
ren,  though  a  man  sav  he  hath  faith, 
and  have  not  works f  can  faith  save 
him  ? 

k  De.  27:26.  n  c.  1:25.  p  or,  glorieth. 

1  or,  that  law  o  Pr.  21:13.  Mat.  q  Ps.  85:10. 

which  .'aid.  6:15.  7.1,2.  r  Mat.  7:26. 

m  Ex.  20:13,14. 


must  fulfil  the  royal  law,  have  a  regard  to 
one  part  as  well  as  another,  otherwise  it 
would  not  stand  them  in  stead,  when  they 
pretended  to  urge  it  as  a  reason  for  any 
particular  actions,  v.  10.  This  may  be 
considered,  (1.)  With  reference  to  the  case 
James  has  been  upon  ;  respect  to  the  rich, 
and  due  regard  to  the  poor.  Whatsoever 
shall  keep  the  whole  law,  if  he  offend  in  one 
point,  wilfully,  allowedly,  and  with  continu¬ 
ance,  and  so  as  to  think  he  shall  be  excus¬ 
ed  in  some  matters,  because  of  his  obedi¬ 
ence  in  others,  he  is  guilty  of  all  ;  not  that 
all  sins  are  equal,  but  all  carry  the  same 
Contempt  of  the  authority  of  the  Lawgiver, 
and  so  bind  over  to  such  punishment  as  is 
threatened  on  the  breach  of  that  law.  This 
shows  us  what  a  vanity  it  is  to  think  that 
our  good  deeds  will  atone  for  our  bad  deeds, 
and  plainly  puts  us  on  looking  for  some  oth¬ 
er  atonement.  (2.)  This  is  further  illus¬ 
trated  by  putting  a  case  different  from  that 
before  mentioned,  v.  11.  One,  perhaps,  is 
very  severe  in  the  case  of  adultery,  but  less 
ready  to  condemn  murder  ;  another  has  a 
prodigious  dread  of  murder,  but  more  easy 
thoughts  of  adultery,  [such  as,  in  the  words 
of  a  witty,  though  gross  writer,  would 
‘  compound  for  sins  they  are  inclined  to,  by 
damning  those  they  have  no  mind  to.’  Ed.] 
whereas,  one  who  looks  at  the  authority  of 
the  Lawgiver,  more  than  the  matter  of  the 
command,  will  see  the  same  reason  for  con¬ 
demning  the  one  as  the  other.  Obedience 
is  then  acceptable,  when  all  is  done  with  an 
eye  to  the  will  of  God;  and  disobedience  is 
to  be  condemned,  in  whatever  instance  it  be, 
as  it  is  a  contempt  of  the  authority  of  God; 


and,  for  that  reason,  if  we  offend  in  one  point, 
we  contemn  the  authority  of  Him  who  gave 
the  whole  law,  and  so  far  are  guilty  of  all. 
Gal.  3:  10. 

4.  He  directs  Christians  to  govern  and 
conduct  themselves  more  especially  by  the 
law  of  Christ,  v.  12.  This  will  teach  us, 
not  oidy  to  be  just  and  impartial,  but  very 
compassionate  and  merciful  to  the  poor  ; 
and  it  will  set  us  perfectly  free  from  all  sor¬ 
did  and  undue  regards  to  the  rich.  Ob¬ 
serve,  (1.)  The  Gospel  is  called  a  Law  J  it 
has  all  the  requisites  of  a  law  ;  precepts, 
with  rewards  and  punishments  annexed  ; 
it  prescribes  duty,  as  well  as  administers 
comfort  ;  and  Christ  is  a  King  to  rule  us, 
as  well  as  a  Prophet  to  teach  us,  and  a 
Priest  to  sacrifice  and  intercede  for  us. 
We  are  under  the  Laiv  to  Christ.  (2.)  It  is 
a  Law  of  liberty  ;  a  law  we  have  no  reason 
to  complain  of,  as  a  yoke  or  burden;  it  sets 
us  at  liberty  from  all  slavish  regards,  either 
to  the  persons  or  the  things  of  this  world. 
(3.)  We  most  all  be  judged  by  this  law  of 
liberty  ;  men’s  eternal  condition  will  be  de¬ 
termined  according  to  the  Gospel  ;  this  is 
the  book  that  will  be  opened,  when  tve  shall 
stand  before  the  judgment-seat  ;  there  will 
be  no  relief  to  those  whom  the  Gospel  con¬ 
demns,  nor  will  any  accusation  lie  against 
those  whom  the  Gospel  justifies.  (4.)  It 
concerns  us  therefore  so  to  speak  and  act 
now,  as  becomes  those  who  must  shortly  be 
judged  by  this  law  of  liberty  ;  i.  e.  that  we 
come  up  to  gospel-terms,  that  we  make  con¬ 
science  of  gospel-duties,  that  we  be  of  a 
gospel  temper,  and  that  our  conversation  be 
a  gospel-conversation,  because  by  this  rule 
we  must  be  judged.  (5.)  The  considera¬ 
tion  of  our  being  jtrlged  by  the  Gospel, 
should  engage  us  more  especially  to  be  mer¬ 
ciful  in  our  regards  to  the  poor,  v.  13.  No¬ 
tice  here.  The  doom  which  will  be  passed 
on  impenitent  sinners  at  last,  wdll  be  judg¬ 
ment  without  mercy  ;  there  will  be  no  mix¬ 
tures  or  allays  in  the  cup  of  wrath,  and  of 
trembling,  the  dregs  of  which  they  must  drink. 
Notice  again,  Such  as  show  no  mercy  now, 
shall  find  no  mercy  in  the  great  day.  But 
we  may  note,  on  the  other  hand,  that  there 
will  be  such  as  shall  become  instances  of  the 
triumph  of  mercy,  in  whom  mercy  rejoices 
against  judgment  :  all  men,  in  the  last  day, 
will  be  either  vessels  of  wrath,  or  vessels  of 
mercy.  It  concerns  all  to  consider  among 
which  they  shall  be  found  ;  and  let  us  re¬ 
member,  that  blessed  are  the  merciful ,  for  they 
shall  obtain  mercy. 

V.  11 — 26.  In  this  latter  part  of  the  ch., 
the  apostle  shows  the  error  of  those  who 
rested  in  a  bare  profession  of  the  Christian 
faith,  as  if  that  would  save  them,  while  the 
temper  of  their  minds  and  the  tenor  of 
their  lives  were  altogether  disagreeable  to 


that  holy  religion  they  professed.  To  let 
them  see,  therefore,  what  a  wretched  foun¬ 
dation  they  built  their  hopes  upon,  it  is  here 
proved  at  large,  that  a  man  is  justified,  not 
by  faith  only,  but  by  works.  But  here  arises 
a  great  question,  namely,  how  to  reconcile 
Paul  and  James'?  Paul,  in  Romans  and  Ga¬ 
latians,  seems  to  assert  the  directly  contrary 
thing  to  what  James  here  lays  down,  saying 
it  often,  andlwith  great  emphasis,  that  we 
are  justified  by  faith  only,  and  not  by  the 
works  of  the  law.  Nothing,  says  Mr.  Bax¬ 
ter,  but  men’s  misunderstanding  the  plain 
drift  and  sense  of  Paul’s  epistles,  could 
make  so  many  take  it  for  a  matter  of  great 
difficulty  to  reconcile  Paul  and  James  :  it 
may  be  sufficient  only  to  observe  these  few 
things  following: 

1.  When  Paul  says,  a  man  is  justified  by 
faith,  without  the  deeds  of  the  law,  Rom.  3  : 
28.  he  plainly  speaks  of  another  sort  of 
works  than  James  does,  hut  not  of  another 
sort  of  faith.  Paul  speaks  of  works  wrought 
in  obedience  to  the  law  of  Moses,  and  be¬ 
fore  men’s  embracing  the  faith  of  the  Gos¬ 
pel;  James,  of  works  done  in  obedience  to 
the  Gospel,  and  as  the  proper  and  necessary 
effects  and  fruits  of  a  sound  believing  ir. 
Christ  Jestifc.  Both  are  concerned  to  mag¬ 
nify  the  faith  of  the  Gospel,  as  that  which 
alone  could  save  us,  and  justify  us"  ;  Imt 
Paul,  by  showing  the  insufficiency  of  any 
works  of  the  law  before  faith,  or  in  opposi¬ 
tion  to  the  doctrine  of  justification  by  Jesus 
Christ  ;  James,  by  showing  what  are  the 
genuine  and  necessary  products  and  opera¬ 
tions  of  it. 

2.  Paul  not  only  speaks  of  different 
works  from  those  insisted  on  by  James,  but 
of  a  quite  different  use  made  of  good  works, 
from  what  is  here  intended.  Paul  had  to  do 
with  those  who  depended  on  the  merit  of 
their  works  in  the  sight  of  God;  thus  he 
might  well  make  them  of  no  manner  of  ac¬ 
count  ;  James  had  to  do  with  those  who 
cried  up  faith,  but  would  not  allow  works  to 
be  used  even  as  evidences  ;  and  with  these 
he  might  well  urge  the  necessity  and  vast 
importance  of  good  works  :  those  who  cry 
up  the  gospel,  so  as  to  set  aside  the  law, 
and  those  who  cry  up  the  law,  so  as  to  set 
aside  the  gospel,  are  both  in  (he  wrong;  for 
we  must  take  our  work  before  us  ;  there 
must  be  both/hrtA  in  Jesus  Christ,  and  good 
works  the  fruit  of  faith. 

3.  The  justification  Paul  speaks  of,  is 
different  from  that  spoken  of  by  James;  the 
one  speaks  of  our  persons’  being  justified 
before  God,  the  other  of  our  faith  being  jus¬ 
tified  before  men  ;  our  persons  are  justified 
before  God  by  faith,  but  our  faith  is  justi¬ 
fied  before  men  by  works.  This  is  so  plainly 
the  scope  and  design  of  the  apostle  James, 
that  he  is  but  confirming  w hat  Paul,  in  oth- 


any  part  of  the  moral  law,  as  given  to  us  from  the  hands  of  a  Mediator, 
proves  a  professed  Christian  to  lie  impenitent,  a  hypocrite,  an  unrecon¬ 
ciled  enemy,  and  a  rebel  against  God  ;  and  that  his  obedience,  in  other 
respects,  is  not  the  result  of  a  sincere  regard  to  the  authority  and  glory 
of  God.  For  if  it  were,  the  same  principle  would  induce  him  to  a  con¬ 
stant  endeavor  and  purpose  of  obeying  every  commandment.  —  Some 
explain  the  expression,  ‘  mercy  rejoiceth  against  judgment,’  to  denote 
the  cheerful  expectation  of  a  future  judgment,  with  which  the  exercise 
of  mercy  to  others  inspires  the  true  Christian’s  heart.  But  though  tiiis 
ina)  he  implied,  it  seems  not  to  he  the  proper  meaning  of  t lie  passage, 
or  construction  of  the  words;  for  to  ’glory  against ,’  or  ‘to  rejoice 
against,'  does  most  properly  denote,  to  rejoice  and  glory  in  obtaining 
the  ascendancy  or  victory  over  a  competitor,  as  mercy  is  figuratively 
represented  to  do,  over  the  severity  of  God  s  judgment,  when  they  are 
justified  and  saved,  who  deserve  to  be  condemned.  Scott. 

(8  )  Royal.]  ‘I.  e.  pre-eminent,  of  superior  obligation.’  Be. — ‘  With 
multitudes,  the  thought  of  giving  to  God  never  entered  their  minds.  Go 
to  them  for  their  proportion  to  support  the  Gospel  at  home,  and  they 
will  turn  you  away,  or  deal  out  a  paltry  pittance  that  makes  you  asham¬ 
ed.  Go  to  them  in  behalf  of  the  heathen,  and  they  have  nothing  to 
spare,  though  their  poorer  neighbors  are  giving  by  handfuls.  They  are 
so  in  debt  for  new  lands  and  tenements,  that  they  cannot  give  a  cent  to 
save  a  world  from  death.  It  is  not  more  evident,  that  Lucifer  himself 
has  a  separate  interest  from  Christ,  than  that  these  men  have.  Wrapt 
up  in  themselves,  they  mean  that  the  universe  shall  take  care  of  itself. 
It  is  not  for  them  to  go  abroad  to  inquire  how  it  fapes  with  other  nations; 
their  business  is  at  home.  In  their  own  little,  sordid  selves,  they  lie 
buried,  and  not  a  meaner  object  is  to  be  seen  in  the  universe  of  God.’ 

Griffin. 


(10.)  As  Christ  says,  that  on  this  precept  hangs  the  whole  law,  Bp. 
Bull  thinks  it  here  meant,  he  that  sins  against  this  precept,  sins  against 
the  whole.  But  this  seems  to  confine  the  sense.  VVeowed  perfect  obe¬ 
dience,  and  always  did,  and  shall;  if  we  fail  in  a  tittle,  our  obedience  is 
imperfect,  as  it  always  was,  and  ever  must  lie ;  we  are  then  cast  out  of 
the  covenant  of  works,  as  much  as  if  vve  had  broken  every  command; 
and  need  atonement.  Ed.  —  ‘  Sin  is  like  some  distempers  of  the  eye, 
which  present  things  in  different  colors  from  those  which  belong  to 
them.  Many  persons,  in  a  bad  frame  of  mind,  waste  their  time  in  por¬ 
ing  over  past  ‘experience,’  nnd  in  examining  themselves  by  evidences 
proposed  from  the  pulpit,  or  in  books,  when,  in  fact,  there  is  other  work 
for  them  to  do.  The  accursed  thing  must  be  removed  from  the  camp  ; 
Achan  is  to  be  slain  ;  and,  until  this  is  done,  they  must  be  in  darkness 
and  trouble.’  Edwards. 

V.  14 — 18.  It  is  plain,  that  the  apostle  here  argued  against  those, 
who  substituted  a  notional  belief  of  the  Gospel,  for  the  whole  of  evangel¬ 
ical  religion,  and  who  were  ready  to  answer  exhortations  and  reproofs, 
(as  many  now  do,)  by  saying,  ‘  We  are  not  justified  by  our  works,  but 
bv  fhith  ;  we  believe,  and  we  have  alj  things  in  Christ.’  No  doubt  true 
faith,  interesting  men  in  the  righteousness  of  Christ,  his  atonement  and 
grace,  saves  their  souls-.  ( Mark  16:14 — 1R.  Jn.  3:14 — lfi.  5:24 — 27.  20. 
30,31.  1  Cor.  15:1,2.  Eph.  2:4-10.)  but  then  it  also  produces  holy  fruils, 
and  is  evinced  to  be  genuine,  by  its  effect  on  their  hearts  and  lives  ; 
whereas,  a  speculative  assent  to  any  doctrine,  or  a  historical  belief  of  any 
facts,  essentially  differs  from  this  saving  faith.— Most  copies  read,  ‘  Show 
me  thy  faith  by  thy  works,  and  1  will  show  thee  my  faith  by  my  works.’ 
— ‘Thou  professest  to  believe,  and  disgracest  that  profession  by  thy 
conduct;  but  do  not  expect  to  be  considered  ns  a  believer,  till  thou  show- 
est  thy  faith  by  the  good  works  of  a  holy  life ;  and  thou  censures!  me, 


A.  D.  GO. 


JAMES,  II. 


Faith  unprofitable  without  works , 


1 5  If  a  brother  or  sister  be  naked, 
and  destitute  of  daily  food, 

1G  Arid  one  of  you  say  unto  them, 
Depart  in  peace,  be  ye  warmed  ami 
filled;  notwithstanding  ye  give  them 
not  those  things  which  are  needful 
to  the  body  ;  what  • doth  it  profit  ? 

17  Even  so  faith,  if  it  hath  not 
works,  is  dead,  being  'alone. 

13  Yea,  a  man  may  say,  Thou 
hast  faith,  and  1  have  works  :  shew 
yie  thy  faith  “without  thy  works, 
and  I  ’  will  shew  thee  iny  faith  by 
my  works. 

19  Thou  belie  vest  that  there  is 
one  God ;  thou  doest  well :  the  devils 
"also  believe,  and  tremble. 

20  But  wilt  thou  know,  O  vain 
man,  that  faith  without  works  is 
dead  ? 

u  1  Jii.  3:18.  u  Some  copie?  read,  by-  w  Ma.  1:24. 

t  by  itself.  v  c.  3: 1 3.  5:7. 

cr  places,  says,  of  his  faith;  that  it  is  a  labo¬ 
rious  faith,  a  faith,  working  by  love,  Gal.  5:6. 
1  These.  1:  3.  Titus  3  : 8.  and  many  other 
places. 

4.  Paul  may  be  understood  as  speaking 
of  that  justification  which  is  inchoate,  Janies 
of  that  which  is  complete ;  by  faith  only,  we 
are  put  into  a  justified  state,  but  then  good 
works  come  in  for  the  completing  of  our  justi¬ 
fication  at  the  last  great  day  ;  then.  Come, 
ye  children  of  my  Father; — -for  I  was  hungry, 
and  ye  gave  me  meat,  & c. 

Thus,  having  cleared  this  part  of  Scrip¬ 
ture  from  everything  of  a  contradiction  to 
other  parts  of  it,  let  us  see  what  is  more 
particularly  to  be  learnt  from  this  excellent 
passage  of  James;  we  are  taught, 

I.  That  faith  without  works  will  not 
profit,  and  cannot  save  us,  v.  14.  Observe, 
here,  1.  That  faith  which  does  not  save, 


will  not  really  profit  us  ;  it  may  procure  in  \ 
some  cases,  worldly  good  things  ;  blit  what 
profit  wilt  this  be,  for  any  to  gain  the  world, 
and  to  lose  their  souls  ?  All  tilings  should  be 
accounted  profitable  or  unprofitable  as  they 
tend  to  forward  or  hinder  the  salvation  of 
our  souls.  2.  For  a  man  to  have  faith,  and 
to  say  he  has  faith,  are  two  different  things; 
the  apostle  does  not  say,  If  a  man  have  faith 
without  works,  for  that  is  not  a  supposable 
case;  the  drift  of  this  place  of  Scripture  is 
plainly  to  show,  that  an  opinion,  or  specula¬ 
tion,  or  assent,  without  works,  is  not  faith  ; 
but  the  case  is  put  thus,  If  a  man  say  he 
hath  faith,  &c.  Men  may  boast  of  that  to 
others,  and  be  conceited  of  that  in  them¬ 
selves,  which  they  are  really  destitute  of. 

II.  We  are  taught,  that,  as  love  or  char¬ 
ity  is  an  operative  principle,  so  is  faith;  or 
that  neither  of  them  is  good  for  anything  ; 
and,  by  trying  bow  it  looks  for  a  person  to 
pretend  be  is  very  charitable,  who  yet  never 
does  any  works  of  charity,  you  may  judge 
what  sense  there  is  in  pretending  to  have 
faith,  without  the  proper  and  necessary  fruits 
of  it,  v.  15 — 17.  What  will  such  a  charity 
as  this,  that  consists  in  bare  words,  avail 
either  you  or  the  poor'?  We  are  too  apt  to 
rest  in  a  bare  profession  of  faith,  and  to 
think  that  this  will  save  us;  it  is  a  cheap 
and  easy  religion  to  say,  *  We  believe  the 
articles  of  the  Christian  faith  ;’  but  it  is  a 
great  delusion  to  imagine  that  this  is  enough 
to  bring  us  to  heaven  ;  those  who  argue  thus, 
wrong  God,  and  cheat  their  own  souls. 

III.  We  are  taught  to  compare  a  faith 
boasting  of  itself  without  works,  and  a  faith 
evidenced  by  works,  by  looking  on  both  to¬ 
gether,  to  try  bow  that  will  work  on  our 
minds,  v.  18.  Suppose  a  true  believer  thus 
pleading  with  a  boasting  hypocrite,  ‘  Thou 
makest  a  profession,  and  sayest  thou  hast 
faith  ;  I  make  no  such  boasts,  but  leave  my 
works  to  speak  for  me.  Now,  give  any  ev¬ 
idence  of  having  the  faith  thou  prolessest 
without  works,  if  thou  canst,  and  I  will 


soon  let  thee  see  liow  my  works  flow  from 
faith,  and  are  the  undoubted  evidences  of  its 
existence.’  This  is  the  evidence  by  which 
the  Scriptures  all  along  teach  men  to  judge 
both  of  themselves  and  others.  And  this 
is  the  evidence  according  to  which  Christ 
will  proceed  at  the  day  of  judgment  ;  Rev. 
20:  12. 

IV.  We  are  taught  to  look  upon  a  faith 
of  bare  speculation  and  knowledge  as  the 
faith  of  devils,  v.  19.  That  instance  of 
faith  which  the  apostle  here  chooses  to  men¬ 
tion,  is  the  first  principle  of  all  religion. 
The  word  tremble  is  commonly  looked  upon 
as  denoting  a  good  effect  of  faith;  but  here 
it  may  rather  be  taken  as  a  bad  effect,  when 
applied  to  the  faith  of  devils.  They  trem¬ 
ble,  not  out  of  reverence,  but  hatred  [fear] 
and  opposition  to  that  one  God  on  whom 
they  believe.  To  rehearse  that  article  of 
our  creed,  therefore,  I  believe  on  God  the 
Father  Almighty,  will  not  distinguish  us 
from  devils  at  last,  unless  we  now  give  up 
ourselves  to  God  as  the  Gospel  directs ;  and 
love  Him, and  delight  ourselves  in  Him,  and 
serve  Him,  which  the  devils  do  not,  cannot 
do. 

V.  We  are  taught  that  he  who  boasts  of 
faith  without  works,  is  to  be  looked  upon 
at  present  as  a  foolish,  condemned  person, 
v.  20.  The  words  translated  vain  man,  are 
observed  to  have  the  same  signification  with 
the  word  Raca  ;  which  must  never  be  used 
to  private  persons,  or  as  an  effect  of  anger. 
Mat.  5:22.  but  may  be  used,  as  here,  to  de¬ 
note  a  just  detestation  of  such  a  sort  of  men 
as  are  empty  of  good  works,  and  yet  boast¬ 
ers  of  their  faith.  And  it  plainly  declares 
them  fools  and  abjects  in  the  sight  of  God. 
Faith  without  works  is  said  to  be  dead, 
not  only  as  void  of  all  those  operations 
which  are  the  proofs  of  spiritual  life;  but  as 
unavailable  to  eternal  life:  such  believers  as 
rest  in  a  bare,  profession  of  faith,  art  dead 
while  they  live. 

VI.  We  are  taught  that  a  justifying  faith 


as  imt  sufficiently  exact,  or  zealous  in  respect  of  faith  ;  but  I  deem  it  bet¬ 
ter  to  evince  it  by  my  works,  than  by  disputing  about  it.’  Either  reading 
warrants  the  same  inference,  namely,  that  there  is  no  possible  way  to 
show  that  we  really  do  believe  in  Christ,  except  by  being  ‘zealous  of 
good  works,’  from  evangelical  motives  and  for  evangelical  purposes; 
and  where  good  works  are  evidently  wanting,  the  most  confident  pro¬ 
fession,  of  the  most  orthodox  creed,  can  only  prove  a  man  to  be  a  well 
instructed  hypocrite,  who  has  received  a  system  of  doctrine  into  his 
understanding  as  true;  hut  has  never  been  so  convinced  of  its  excellency, 
ns  to  admit  it  into  bis  heart,  experimentally,  as  the  influential  principle 
of  his  conduct  towards  God  and  man.  2  Cor.  5:13-16.  Gat.  5:1-6.  1  Thes. 
11 — 4.  He!/.  11. — ‘  He  has  received  the  knowledge  of  (he  truth,’  but  not 
‘  the  love  of  the  truth.’  2  Thes.  28 — 12.  Ile.b.  10:26,  27. — ‘A  wicked  opin¬ 
ion  having  sprung  up,  even  in  the  apostle’s  days,  by  misunderstanding 
Paul’s  arguments;  Peter,  John,  James,  and  Jude,  aimed  in  their  epistles 
principally  at  this  end  ;  to  vindicate  Paul’s  doctrine  from  the  false  con¬ 
sequences  charged  upon  it,  and  to  show  that  “faith  without  works  is 
nothing  worth.”  Put  indeed  Paul  does  not  speak  of  faith  at  large,  but 
only  of  that  living,  fruitful,  and  evangelical  faith,  which,  he  says,  “  xvork- 
etli  by  love.”  As  for  that  faith,  void  of  good  works,  which  these 
men  thought  sufficient  to  salvation,  lie  declareth  positively  ngainst  it. — 
Peter  calls  it  wresting  ;  <2  Pet.  3:6.)  because  Paul  was  in  truth  of  the 
same  opinion  with  the  other  apostles,  and  held  eternal  life  impossible  to 
be  attained  by  any  faith,  which  had  not  the  attestation  of  a  holy  life.’ 
Augustine.  Scott. 

(16.)  1  Wc  have  sometimes  thought,  that  an  amusing  fiction  might  he 
written,  in  which  a  disciple  of  Epictetus,  and  a  disciple  of  Bacon  should 
be  introduced  as  fellow  travellers.  They  come  to  a  village  where  the 
small-pox  has  just  begun  to  rage;  and  find  houses  shut  up,  intercourse 
suspended,  the  sick  abandoned,  mothers  weeping  in  terror  over  their 
children.  The  Stoic  assures  the  dismayed  population,  that  there  is  noth¬ 
ing  bad  in  the  small-pox,  and  that  to  a  wise  man  diseases,  deformity, 
death,  the  loss  of  friends,  are  not  evils.  The  Baconian  takes  out  a  lan¬ 
cet  mid  begins  to  vaccinate.  They  find  a  body  of  miners  in  great  dis¬ 
may.  An  explosion  of  noisome  vapors  lias  just  killed  many  of  those 
who  were  at  work  ;  and  the  survivors  are  afraid  to  venture  into  the 
cavern.  The  Stoic  assures  them,  that  such  an  accident  is  nothing  but  a 
mere  “  apoproSgmenon."  The  Baconian,  who  has  no  such  fine  word  at 
his  command,  contents  himself  with  devising  a  safety-lamp.  They  find 
a  shipwrecked  merchant  wringing  his  hands  on  the  shore.  His  vessel, 
with  an  inestimable  cargo,  has  just  gone  down,  and  lie  is  reduced,  in  a 
moment,  from  opulence  to  beggary.  The  Stoic  exhorts  him  not  to  seek 
happiness  in  things  which  lie  without  himself,  and  repeats  the  whole  chap¬ 
ter  of  Epictetus,  “ pros  lous  tSn  aporian  dedoikotas .”  The  Baconian 
constructs  a  diving-bell,  goes  down  in  it,  and  returns  with  the  most  pre¬ 
cious  effects  from  the  wreck.  It  would  be  easy  to  multiply  illustrations 
of  the  difference  between  the  philosophy  of  thorns  and  the  philosophy 
[as  Bacon  culls  it)  of  fruit, — the  philosophy  of  words,  and  the  philosophy  _ 
of  works.’  Life  of  Lord  Bacon,  Edinb.  Uuv.Juty,  1S37  : — where  will* 
be  found,  the  best  account  of  Bacon’s  character,  and  of  what  the  world 
owes  him.  Ed. 


(18.)  Without .]  ‘  Choris  :  read  rather,  ek,from.  There  are  few  pas¬ 
sages  that,  with  the  appearance  of  plainness,  have  more  perplexed  ex¬ 
positors  than  this;  as  will  he  seen  by  consulting  Poole,  Wolf,  and  Pott. 
That  it  perplexed  the  ancients,  and  called  forth  the  arts  of  the  emenda- 
tores,  we  may  infer  from  the  various  readings ,  especially  that  remarka¬ 
ble  one  by  which,  instead  of  the  Vuig.  ek,  14  MSS.  and  most  of  the  an¬ 
cient  versions,  have  choris  ;  where  one  must  be  an  alteration  of  the 
other.  Tlie  former  reading  has  been  adopted  by  almost  all  critics,  and 
edited  by  Griesbacli,  Knapp,  Pott,  Voter,  Titlman.  it  is  far  more  like¬ 
ly  that  ek  should  have  been  altered  to  choris ,  than  choris  to  ek,  (for  cho¬ 
ris  ton  ergon,  [without  works,]  occurs  at  v.  20.)  and  choris  is  as  infe¬ 
rior  in  internal  as  in  external  testimony  ;  for  it  is  as  impossible  to  con¬ 
ceive.  bow  so  plain  a  reading  as  chdris  could  ever  be  altered;  and  it 
could  not  accidentally  be  changed  into  ek.  Nor  are  xve  warranted  in 
rejecting  so  strongly  attested  a  reading  as  ek.  unless  it  could  be  shown 
to  yield  either  no  sense,  or  one  utterly  unsuitable;  which  is  not  the 
case.  But  the  sense  is  not  only  good  in  itself  but  perfectly  suitable  to  the 
context,  full  as  much  so  as  choris.  See  Ilottinger,  Mill,  or  Thiele.’  Bl. 
— ‘  Evidence  of  piety  is  not  so  much  to  he  sooght  in  high  emotions  of 
any  kind,  as  in  real  humility,  sorrow  for  sin,  and  a  continual  effort  in 
every  day  life,  to  regulate  our  feelings  and  conduct  by  the  Word  of  God. 
It  is  the  nature,  and  not  the  degree  of  our  affections,  which  is  to  be 
regarded  in  our  examination  of  our  evidences.  The  best  way  to  know 
our  feelings  is,  to  see  how  they  influence  our  conduct.'  llev.  Dr.  Beech¬ 
er. —  ‘Reader,  suppose  thyself  standing  before  the  judgment-seat  of 
Christ  I  a  necessary,  a  prudent  supposition  :  it  ought  to  be  a  very  fre¬ 
quent  one.  The  Judge  demands,  “  What  hast  thou  to  plead  fora  por¬ 
tion  in  the  blessedness  of  the  righteous  ?”  The  plea  must  he,  “Oh,  my 
glorious  Judge,  Thou  hast  been  tpy  sacrifice:  my  righteousness  is  on  the 
bench.  Surely,  in  the  Lord  have  I  righteousness.”  The  Judge  proceeds: 
“  But  what  hast  thou  to  plead,  that  thy  faith  should  not  be  rejected,  as 
that  of  the  hypocrite  ?”  Here  the  plea  must  be,  “  O  Lord,  my  faith  was 
thy  work.  It  was  a  faith  which  disposed  me  to  all  the  good  works  of 
tiiy  holy  religion.  It  caused  me,  with  sincerity,  to  love  and  keep  thy 
commandments,  and,  with  assiduity,  to  serve  the  interests  of  thy  king¬ 
dom  in  the  world.”  Thus  you  have  Paul  and  James  reconciled.  Thu3 
you  have  good  works  provided  for.  The  actions  of  men  are  more  cer¬ 
tain  indications  of  what  is  within,  than  all  their  sayings.' 

Mxther. 

V.  19,  20.  It  is  vain  to  say,  as  some  have  done,  that  devils  are  not  un¬ 
der  a  dispensation  of  mercy,  and  therefore  they  have  no  ground  for  ap¬ 
propriating  the  revelation,  and  promise  of  salvation  to  themselves. 
Eor  the  apostle  is  not  speaking  of  the  different  circumstances  of  fallen 
angels,  and  fallen  men ;  but  of  the  difference  bet  ween  dead,  inactive,  in¬ 
efficient  faith,  and  that  ‘  faith  xvhich  worketh  by  love  :  ’  and  his  nrgu- 
ment  proves,  beyond  all  doubt,  that  a  faith,  which  is  of  no  better  kind 
than  that  of  the  devils,  cannot  possibly  profit  the  possessor,  however  he 
may  be  circumstanced  :  for  this  plain  reason,  because  it  is  not  that 
faith  [yielding  up  the  xvill]  to  xvhich  the  promises  are  made.  Demis. J 
D  limonia.  demons.  Ho  diabolos,  the  devil  ••  but  the  plural  is  not  used 
of  evil  spirits.  Rn'v"r 


A.  D.  60. 


JAMES,  II. 


True  faith  and  good  works  not  separable. 


21  Was  not  Abraham  our  father 
justified  by  works,  when  xhe  had 
offered  Isaac  his  son  upon  the  altar? 

22  y  Seest  thou  how  faith  z 
wrought  with  his  works,  and  by 
works  was  faith  made  perfect  ? 

23  And  the  scripture  was  fulfilled 
which  saith,  *  Abraham  believed 
God,  and  it  was  imputed  unto  him 
for  righteousness:  and  he  was  called 
b  the  Friend  of  God. 

24  Ye  see  then  how  that  by  works 
ca  man  is  justified,  and  not  by  faith 
only. 

25  Likewise  also  was  not d  Rahab 
the  •  harlot  justified  by  works,  when 
she  had  received  the  messengers, 
and  had  sent  them  out  another  way? 

26  For  as  the  body  without  the 
1  spirit  is  dead,  so  faith  without 
works  is  dead  also. 

x  Ge.  22:9,12.  b  2  Ch.  :0;7.  He.  11:31. 

y  or,  Thou  seest.  Is.  41:8.  e  Mat.  21:31. 

a  He.  11:17.  c  Re.  20:12.  f  or ,  breath. 

a  Ge.  15:6.  d  Jos.  2:1,  &c. 

cannot  be  without  works,  from  two  exam¬ 
ples,  Abraham  anti  Rahab. 

Abraham,  James  says,  was  justified  by 
works,  v.  21.  Paul,  oh  the  other  hand,  says, 
Rom.  4.  Abraham  believed,  and  it  was  count¬ 
ed  to  him  for  righteousness  :  these  are  well 
reconciled,  by  observing  what  is  said  in 
Heb.  11.  which  shows  that  the  faith,  both 


of  Abraham  and  Rahab,  was  such  as  to  pro¬ 
duce  those  good  works  of  which  James 
speaks  ;  and  which  are  not  to  be  separated 
from  faith  as  justifying  and  saving.  By 
what  Abraham  did,  it  appeared,  that  he  tru¬ 
ly  believed.  Thus  the  faith  of  Abraham 
was  a  working  faith,  v.  22.  And  by  this 
mean  you  come  to  the  true  sense  of  that 
scripture  which  saith,  v.  23.  Abraham  be¬ 
lieved  God,  and  it  was  imputed  unto  him  for 
righteousness.  And  thus  he  became  the 
friend  of  God.  Faith,  producing  such  works, 
endeared  him  to  the  Divine  Being,  and  ad¬ 
vanced  him  to  very  peculiar  favors  and  inti¬ 
macies  with  God.  You  see,  then,  v.  24. 
how  that  by  works  a  man  is  justified,  (comes 
into  such  a  state  of  favor  and  friendship, 
with  God,)  and  not  by  faith  only  ;  not  by 
a  bare  opinion  or  profession,  or  believing 
without  obeying,  but  by  having  such  a  faith 
as  is  productive  of  good  works. 

Now  beside  the  explication  of  this  pas¬ 
sage  and  example,  as  thus  illustrating  and 
supporting  the  argument  James  is  on,  many 
other  useful  lessons  may  be  learned  by  us 
from  what  is  here  said  concerning  Abraham. 
Those  who  would  have  Abraham’s  blessings, 
must  carefully  copy  his  faith.  Those  works 
which  evidence  true  faith,  must  be  works  of 
self-denial,  such  as  God  Himself  commands, 
and  not  such  works  as  [have  no  reference  to 
God  as  our  Master,  are  merely]  pleasing  to 
flesh  and  blood,  and  may  serve  our  interest, 
or  are  the  mere  fruits  of  our  own  imagina¬ 
tion  and  devising.  What  we  piously  pur¬ 
pose  and  sineerely  resolve  to  do  for  God,  is 


accepted  as  if  actually  performed,  as  Abra¬ 
ham  in  offering  Isaac.  The  actings  of  faith 
make  it  grow  perfect,  as  the  truth  of  faith 
makes  it  act.  Such  an  acting  faith  will 
make  others,  as  well  as  Abraham,  friends 
of  God.  Thus  Christ  says  to  his  disciples, 
John  15:  15.  I  have  called  you  friends.  All 
transactions  betwixt  God  and  the  truly  be¬ 
lieving  soul  are  easy,  pleasant,  and  delight¬ 
ful. 

The  second  example  of  faith’s  justifying 
itself  and  us,  with  and  by  works,  is  Rahab, 
v.  25.  whose  faith  was  meaner  and  of  a 
much  lower  degree  ;  so  that  the  strongoet 
faith  will  not  do,  nor  the  meanest,  without 
works.  Very  probably  Rahab’s  character 
was  infamous;  and  such  an  instance  is  men¬ 
tioned,  to  show  that  faith  will  save  the 
worst,  when  evidenced  by  proper  works, 
and  will  not  the  best  without  such  works. 
This  Rahab  had  heard  of  God’s  powerful 
presence  with  Israel  ;  but  what  proved  her 
faith  sincere,  was,  that,  to  the  hazard  of  her 
life,  she  received  the  messengers,  and  sent 
them  out  another  way.  Observe,  here,  The 
wonderful  power  of  faith  Ln  transforming 
and  changing  sinners,  and  the  regard  which 
an  operative  faith  meets  with  from  God,  to 
obtain  his  mercy  and  favor.  Observe, 
Where  great  sins  are  pardoned,  there  must 
be  great  acts  of  self-denial.  Rahab  must 
prefer  the  honor  of  God  and  the  good  of  his 
people,  before  the  preservation  of  her  own 
country.  After  she  is  justified,  yet  her  for¬ 
mer  character  must  be  remembered ;  not  so 
much  to  her  dishonor,  as  to  glorify  the  rich 


PRACT.  OBS.  The  Lord  Jesus  Is  the  true  Fountain  of  honor,  and 
they  are  the  most  honorable,  who  best  serve  Him  and  most  resemble 
Him,  whatever  their  external  rank  or  appearance  may  be.  But  how  dif¬ 
ficult  is  it  for  us  to  divest  ourselves  of  carnal  reasonings,  and  corrupt 
prejudices,  in  such  matters  ;  and  to  give  due  respect  to  superiors,  with¬ 
out  a  partial  regard  to  the  affluence  and  splendor,  which  too  often  are 
the  appendages,  or  heralds,  of  vice  and  folly  !  [Let  fashionable  and 
worldly  Christians  ask  themselves,  if  they  would  receive  Christ  or  Paul 
to  their  families,  ‘  circles,’  or  tables,  with  honor,  or  ill-disguised  conde¬ 
scension,  should  either  of  them  appear  in  the  streets  of  the  metropolis, 
in  the *  1  ungenteel  ’  garb  and  simple  manners  and  habits  they  once  ap¬ 
peared  in  on  earth.  And  if  not,  why  ?  Ed.)  We  should  watch  and  pray 
against  so  corrupt  a  judgment,  especially  in  the  worship  of  God,  before 
whom  ‘  the  rich  and  the  poor  meet  together,’  and  are  regarded  entirely 
according  to  their  characters,  and  not  in  the  least  according  to  their 
rank. — The  poor  should  hence  learn  to  seek  these  riches  and  honors,  and 
the  assurance  of  them,  with  increasing  earnestness;  to  be  contented  in 
their  low  estate,  to  rejoice  in  their  spiritual  privileges,  to  be  cheerful  in 
the  humble  duties  of  their  station,  to  be  thankful  for  their  advantages  ; 
and  to  pray  for  their  rich  neighbors,  that  they  may  not  be  satisfied  with 
a  perishing  inheritance _ If  our  obedience  be  sincere,  it  will  be  univer¬ 

sal,  as  far  as  we  are  acquainted  with  our  Lord’s  will ;  for  the  same  au- 

V.  21 — 24.  The  apostle  next  proved  his  assertion  by  examples.  The 
attentive  reader  must  see,  in  what  a  powerful  manner  his  [Abraham’s] 
faith  in  the  promises  of  God  operated  to  produce  good  works,  in  obedi¬ 
ence  to  his  commands,  in  the  most  trying  circumstances,  universally, 
and  without  reserve.  Abraham’s  justification  by  faith  took  place  many 
years  before  he  was  commanded  to  sacrifice  Isaac :  but  his  obedience  in 
that  respect  proved  him  to  he  a  sound  character,  and  justified  him  as  a 
true  believer,  and  a  devoted  servant  of  God.  So  that  it  was  evident,  there 
was  a  good  and  important  sense,  in  which  1  a  man  was  justified  by  works 
and  not  by  faith  only  ;  ’  as  his  works  must  lie-appealed  to,  for  the  justifi¬ 
cation  of  his  professed  faith,  before  men  ;  and  as  they  will  be  adduced  be¬ 
fore  the  tribunal  of  God,  to  distinguish  true  believers  from  hypocrites  : 
Mat.  25:34 — 46.  2  Cor.  5:9 — 12.  nor  will  faith  justify  any  man  before 
God,  who  is  not  thus  justified  before  the  world  by  his  works  also.  Not 
that  this  will  be  a  second  justification  by  works,  in  the  sense  for  which 
many  contend  ;  as  the  redemption  anil  righteousness  of  Christ,  depend¬ 
ed  on  by  living  faith,  can  alone  ‘justify  a  sinner  before  God,’  from  first 
to  last  :  but  the  good  works  of  the  true  believer,  from  the  time  when  he 
received  Christ,  to  that  of  his  death,  how  long  or  how  short  soever  that 
space  may  be,  wall  sufflee  to  distinguish  his  living  faith  from  the  dead 
faith  of  mere  professors,  to  justify  him  against  every  charge  of  hypoc¬ 
risy  ;  and  to  prove  him  entitled  ‘to  the  gift  of  God,  even  eternal  lile 
through  Jesus  Christ.’  Scott. 

(21.)  Offering.]  This,  Abraham  actually  accomplished  in  his  heart ; 
and,  as  Bloomf.  remarks,  ‘  it  is  always  regarded  in  Scripture  as  a  real 
sacrifice.’  Ed. 

(24.)  ‘  Ye  see  therefore  that  works  may  contribute  to  show  a  man’s 
justification,  and  the  act  of  faith  is  not  the  only  thing  which  proves  it.’ 
Or.  Burton,  and  Bl.  This  shows,  that  there  is  no  discrepancy  between 
Jnmes  and  Paul ;  and,  on  this  head,  the  worthy  II.  Jenks  remarks,  (in  his 
popular  Treatise  on  Submission  to  the  Righteousness  of  God,)  ‘I  can¬ 
not  agree  with  those,  who,  to  invalidate  the  credit  of  Paul,  bring  him  in 
speaking  more  darkly  ;  and  not  so  well  advised  :  and  would  have  James 
to  come  after,  as  his  interpreter,  to  help  him  out  :  who  (no  doubt)  was 
very  well  able  to  explain  himself;  and  rightly  to  manage  and  applv  his 
own  doctrine,  which  he  insists  upon  so  statedly  tfnd  largely  :  when 
James  does  but  touch  upon  it  collaterally,  and  sparingly.  And  if  we 
must  question  the  authority  of  either,  it  should  be  rather  of  the  last 
named :  because  his  epistle  has  been  sometimes  called  in  doubt ;  and  the 
other’s  never  was.  But  I  would  not  offer  to  question  either  as  not  au¬ 

[576] 


thority  is  opposed  and  affronted,  whatever  command  is  broken. — In 
vain  do  men  urge  that  they  are  ‘  not  under  the  law,’  whilst  they  allow 
themselves  in  known  sin  :  the  very  gospel  will  consign  them  over  to 
the  righteoHs  vengeance  of  God,  and  all  the  curses  of  the  law  will  be 
executed  on  them,  with  a  tremendous  increase  of  punishment,  for  hav¬ 
ing  ‘sinned  on,  that  grace  might  abound.’  Vain  men,  while  neglecting 
‘judgment,  mercy,  and  the  love  of  God,’  Mat.  23:23,  24.  quiet  their  con¬ 
sciences,  and  ward  off  reproof,  by  speaking  of  faith,  of  grace,  of  salva¬ 
tion  ;  but  God  will  no  more  regard  their  heartless  assent  to  truth,  or 
their  indolent,  presumptuous  reliance  on  bis  mercy,  than  their  hollow 
expressions  of  love  to  their  poor  destitute  neighbors.  Let  no  man  de¬ 
ceive  himself:  ‘faith,  being  alone,’  and  not  productive  of  good  works,  is 
no  better  than  the  faith  of  devils,  and  will  leave  the  possessor  in  their 
company  tb  all  eternity.  Would  we  have  our  inheritance  with  Abra¬ 
ham,  ‘  the  friend  of  God;’  (Note,  John  15:12 — 16.)  we  must  both  be¬ 
lieve  his  promise,  trust  his  meroy,  and  obey  his  commandment :  or  else 
‘  publicans  and  harlots  will  enter  heaven  before  us  :  ’  and  a  believing 
Rahab  shall  be  ‘justified  by  her  works.’  and  distinguished  from  all  open 
unbelievers,  and  from  ail  those  whose  faith  was  dead,  before  the  assem¬ 
bled  world  ;  when  many  disputers  for  orthodox  creeds,  which  they  have 
disgraced  by  their  lives,  shall  ‘  have  their  portion  with  the  workers  of 
iniquity,  in  outer  darkness,  where  is  weeping  and  gnashing  of  teeth.’  S. 

thentic :  nor  have  we  any  need  to  go  that  way  to  work,  when  they  are 
so  easily  reconciled  ;  and  all  the  clashing  is  only  in  appearance.  For 
that  James  does  not  mean  the  justification  of  our  persons  belbre  the 
Lord,  is  to  me  evident ;  because  he  makes  faith  to  have  little  or  no  con¬ 
cern  in  it ;  which  yet  all  that  hear  the  Scripture,  must  own  to  be  a  con- 
cause,  at  least,  if  not  the  only  cause  :  yea,  because  the  allegation  which 
he  brings  in  2:23.  would  overthrow  all  his  cause,  if  lie  intended  the  jus¬ 
tification  in  God’s  sight.  For  “the  Scripture  (says  he)  was  fulfilled, 
which  saith,  Abraham  believed  and  it  was  imputed  to  him  for  righteous¬ 
ness,”  i'.  e.  Abraham  obeying  God,  in  that  difficult  service  of  offering  up 
his  only  son,  did  make  appear  what  was  spoken  of  him  in  that  scrip¬ 
ture;  and  gave  the  evidence  and  verification  of  it;  that  his  faith  was 
imputed  to  him  for  justification  :  though  that  justification  was  indeed 
many  years  before  he  made  this  attempt.,  to  sacrifice  Isaac  ;  and  long  be¬ 
fore  Isaac  was  born.  And  if  Abraham  was  justified  before  he  wrought 
the  works,  then  lie  could  not  be  justified  by  the  works  :  unless  it  he  in 
some  other  sense  of  justification.  Whence  it  appears,  that  James  speaks 
of  the  declarative  justification.  And  so,  it  is  observable,  how  he  makes 
his  demand  ( deixon  moi);  make  nppear,  demonstrate,  and  show  me 
thy  faith,  v.  18.  Let  me  see  such  signs  of  it,  that,  in  the  judgment 
of  charity  (though  not  of  infallibility ',  I  may  conclude  upon  it ;  and  so 
pronounce,  as  the  Lord  did  in  the  case  of  Abraham,  Gen.  22:12.  “  Now, 

1  know  that  thou  fearest  God :  ”  though  before,  the  thing  was  not  latent 
tome;  yet  now  thou  hast  given  a  proof  and  manifestation,  that  thou 
hast  not  only  a  form  of  godliness,  hut  the  power.  And  thus  thy  faith  is 
mad  e  perfect  :  i.  e.  showed  to  be  so;  ns  good  fruits  do  not  make,  but 
they  manifest,  the  tree  to  be  good.  And  thus  is  the  word  used,  2 
Cor.  12-.9.  “  My  strength  is  made  perfect  in  weakness.”  Far  how  can 
our  weakness  add  to  God’s  almightiness ;  but  only  illustrate  and  glorify 
it  the  more.’  Pp.  46 — 48,  4th  ed.  Rev.  B.  Jenks. 

V.  25,  26.  It  is  unnecessary  to  use  further  arguments,  to  prove  the 
consistency  of  James’  doctrine  with  that  of  ihe  apostle  Paul.  Paul  ev¬ 
idently  meant,  that  faith  alone  interested  a  sinner  in  the  mercy  of  God, 
through  the  redemption  and  righteousness  of  Christ,  for  justification : 
but  the  faith,  of  which  he  spoke,  ‘wrought  by  love,’  ‘constraining  to 
obedience,’  and  was  connected  with  a  new  creation  unto  holiness. 
James  meant,  that  no  faith,  which  was  not  productive  of  good  works, 
could  justify  a  man  before  God  :  that  a  speculative  assent,  or  an  indolent 
reliance,  separate  from  repentance,  diligence  in  the  use  of  appointed 
means,  and  holy  obedience,  ‘  was  dead  ’  and  unprofitable ;  [did  not  prove 


A.  D.  GO. 


JAMES,  III. 


Advantage  of  bridling  the  longue. 


CHAP.  ILL 

i  We  are  not  rashly  or  arrogantly  to  reprove  others;  5  but 
rather  to  bridle  the  tongue,  a  little  member,  but  a  power¬ 
ful  instrument  of  much  good,  and  great  harm.  13  They 
who  be  truly  wise  be  mild,  and  peaceable)  without  envy¬ 
ing  and  strife. 

7\/TY  brethren,  be  not  many  Jmas- 
-L’J-  ters,  knowing  that  we  shall  re¬ 
ceive  the  greater  b condemnation. 

2  For  cin  many  things  we  offend 
all.  If  any  man  offend  not  in  d  word, 
the  same  is  a  perfect  man,  and  able 
also  to  bridle  the  whole  body. 

3  Behold,  we  put  bits  °in  the 
horses’  mouths,  that  they  may  obey 
us;  and  we  turn  about  their  whole 
body. 

4  Behold  also  the  ships,  which 
though  they  be  so  great,  and  are  driv¬ 
en  of  fierce  winds,  yet  arc  they  turn¬ 
ed  about  with  a  very  small  helm, 
whithersoever  the  governor  listeth. 

a  Mat.  23:8,14.  c  1  K.  8:46.  Pr.  d  Pr.  13:3. 

1  Pc.  5-3.  20:9.  1  Jn.  1:8.  c  Ps.  32:9. 

b  or,  judgment. 


grace  and  mercy  of  God.  Though  justified, 
site  is  called  Rahab  the  harlot. 

Upon  the  whole  matter,  the  apostle  draws 
this  conclusion,  v.  26.  read  differently ; 
some  reading,  As  the  body  without  the  breath  is 
dead ,  so  is  faith  without  works:  and  then  they 
show,  that  works  are  the  companions  of 
faith,  as  breathing  is  of  life.  Others,  yls 


the  body  without  the  soul  is  dead ,  so  faith  with¬ 
out  works  is  dead  also  :  and  then  they  show, 
that  as  the  body  has  no  action,  nor  beauty, 
but  becomes  a  loathsome  carcase,  when  the 
soul  is  gone  ;  so  a  bare  profession  without 
works  is  useless,  yea,  loathsome  and  offen¬ 
sive. 

The  best  works,  without  faith,  are  dead ; 
and  the  most  plausible  profession  of  faith, 
without  works,  is  dead.  Faith  is  the  root, 
good  works  are  the  fruits,  and  we  must  see 
to  it  that  we  have  both.  This  is  the  grace 
of  God,  wherein  we  stand,  and  we  should 
stand  to  it. 


Chap.  III.  V.  1 — 12.  The  foregoing  ch. 
shows  how  unprofitable  and  dead  faith  is 
without  works  ;  it  is  plainly  intimated,  by 
what  this  chapter  first  goes  upon,  that  such 
a  faith  is,  however,  apt  to  make  men  con¬ 
ceited  and  magisterial  in  their  tempers  and 
their  talk.  We  are  therefore  taught, 

I.  Not  to  use  our  tongues  so  as  to  lord  it 
over  others,  v.  1.  These  words  do  not  for¬ 
bid  duing  what  we  can  to  direct  and  in¬ 
struct,  or  to  reprove,  in  a  Christian  way  ; 
but  we  must  not  affect  to  speak  and  act  as 
those  who  are  continually  assuming  the 
chair.  4  Therefore,  he  not  many  masters  ;' 
(or  teachers,  as  some  read  it  [so  Scott]  ;) 
*  do  not  give  yourselves  the  air  of  teachers, 
iinposers,  and  judges,  but  rather  speak  with 
the  humility  and  spirit  of  learners  ;  do  not 
censure  one  another,  as  if  all  must  be 
brought  to  your  standard.’  This  is  enforced 


by  two  reasons.  1.  Those  who  thus  set  up 
foi  judges  and  censurers,  shall  receive  the 
greater  condemnation.  Mat.  7:  1.  2.  Another 
reason  given  against  such  acting  the  master, 
is,  because  we  are  all  sinners,  v.  2.  Were 
we  to  think  more  of  our  own  mistakes  and 
offences,  we  should  be  less  apt  to  judge  other 
people.  We  are  ail  guilty  before  God;  and 
they  who  vaunt  it  over  the  frailties  and  in¬ 
firmities  of  others,  little  think  how  many 
things  they  offend  in  themselves.  Nay,per- 
haps^their  magisterial  managements,  and 
censorious  tongues,  may  prove  worse  than 
any  faults  they  condemn  in  others.  Let  us 
learn  to  be  severe  in  judging  ourselves 
[whose  sins  we  know  best],  but  charitable 
in  our  judgments  of  other  people. 

II.  We  are  taught  to  govern  our  tongue 
so  as  to  prove  ourselves  perfect  and  upiight 
men.  It  is  here  implied,  that  he  whose  con¬ 
science  is  affected  by  tongue-sins,  and  who 
takes  care  to  avoid  them,  has  an  undoubted 
sign  of  true  grace.  But,  on  the  other  band, 
if  a  man  bridle  not  his  tongue,  whatever  pro¬ 
fession  he  makes,  that  man's  religion  is  vain. 
Further,  he  that  offends  not  in  word,  will 
not  only  prove  himself  a  sincere  Christian, 
but  a  very  much  advanced  and  improved 
Christian.  For  the  wisdom  and  grace  which 
enable  him  to  rule  bis  tongue,  will  enable 
him  also  to  rule  all  his  actions.  This  we 
have  illustrated  by  two  comparisons  : 

1.  The  governing  and  guiding  all  the  mo¬ 
tions  of  a  horse,  by  the  bit  which  is  put  into 
his  mouth,  v.  3.  The  more  quickly  and  live- 


its  own  identity,  because  it  wanted  the  characteristics  inseparable  from 
that  identity  ;]  and  that,  consequently,  there  was  a  sound  sense,  in  which 
a  man  might  he  said  to  be  justified  by  his  works,  and  in  perfect  consis- 
ency  with  ‘his  faith  being  imputed  to  him  for  righteousness  ;  ’  as  in  the 
case  of  Abraham.  But  Paul  opposed  those  who  objected  to  the  doctrine 
of  justification  by  faith,  and  James  wrote  against  such  as  perverted  it. 
Both  views  of  tile  subject  are  useful  to  the  humble,  upright,  and  atten¬ 
tive  :  but  the  Lord  sees  good,  that  the  self-wise,  the  proud,  the  heedless, 
and  the  licentious,  should  have  somewhat  to  cavil  at  and  stumble  over. 
Indeed,  the  same  interpretation,  which  is  necessary  to  render  one  part 
of  these  verses  consistent  with  another,  at  the  same  time  renders  them 
consistent  with  the  doctrine  of  Paul,  concerning  justification  by  faith 
(23). — ‘It  is  one  thing  to  say,  the  faith  which  is  without  works  ‘-is 
dead,”  and  another  to  say,  that  faith  is  dead  without  works;  as  if  faith 
derived  its  life  and  power  from  works;  which  is  not  less  ...  absurd, 
titan  if  we  should  sav,  that  the  body  is  dead  without  sense  anti  motion, 
ns  if  sense  ami  motion  were  the  cause  of  life  ;  when  we  should  sav,  that 
the  body,  which  is  without  sense  anti  motion,  is  dead  :  for  the  cause  is 
understood  from  the  necessary  effects ;  atul  works  are  the  evidences  and 
effects  of  living  faith,  and  not  the  cause  of  it.’  Ucza — The  apostle  fre¬ 
quently  calls  the  faith  which  does  not  justify  dead  ;  but  he  does  not  use 
the  word  living ;  and  some  persons  are  so  absurd  as  to  ask  what  we 
mean  by  living  faith  !  Simply,  ‘  that  faith  which  is  not  deoil ;  hut  active, 
operative,  influential,’  like  a  ‘lively’  or  living  ‘hope.’  1  Pet.  1:3 — 5.  Sc. 

NOTES.  Ch tr.  111.  V.  1,2.  The  word  rendered  ‘masters,’  evi¬ 
dently  signifies  teachers.  Indeed,  that  is  the  obvious  meaning  of  the 
word,  when  used  concerning  any  of  the  Jewish  Scribes,  and  of  our  Lord 
Himself.,  ‘  When  tiie  apostle  forbids  many  to  be  such,  he  seems  to  al¬ 
low  that  some  may  ;  and  consequently  1  think,  “  teachers  ”  ought  to  he 
explained  in  an  innocent  sense.’  Doddr. — An  arrogant,  self-preferring, 
dogmatical  temper,  whether  it  led  men,  without  a  proper  call  or  suitable 
qualifications,  to  aspire  to  the  office  of  teachers,  or  whether  it  induced 
them  to  assume  pre-eminence  in  other  wa\s,  was  the  general  object  of 
the  apostle’s  reprehension ;  though  the  former,  as  the  effect  of  such  a 
temper,  seems  to  have  been  principally  intended.  Mat.  20:20—28.  23:8 
— 12.  Luke  22:21—27.  1  Pet.  5-.  1 — 4.  Many  converts  to  Christianity 
would  be  desirous  of  the  distinction  of  ‘  teachers,’  with  a  view  to  the 
credit  and  pre-eminence  of  that  office,  or  from  a  mistaken  idea,  that  they 
coni  I  not  glorify  God,  and  do  good  to  man,  in  other  stations;  while 
perhaps  they  were  not  duly  aware  of  the  weight  and  difficulty  of  the 
work,  and  the  solemn  account  which  must  be  given  of  it.  But  they 
ought  to  know,  and  seriously  consider,  that  ‘teachers’  must  stand  a 
greater,  or  more  strict,  judgment  than  oilier  men,  and  that  false,  un¬ 
faithful,  ambitious,  and  selfish  teachers  would  he  subject  to  a  greater  and 
more  awful  condemnation  than  other  sinners.  This  is  also,  no  doubt,  in 
a  degree,  applicable  to  the  case  of  censorious,  assuming,  and  domineer¬ 
ing  persons  in  any  station.  4:11,  12.  Mat.  7:1 — 6.  L'l.  6:37,  33.  3  John 
9—12. — Indeed,  even  true  believers,  though  preserved  from  final  con¬ 
demnation,  if  employed  as  teachers,  must  expect  to  he  called  to  a  more 
strict  account  than  their  brethren.  As  their  conduct  would  be  more 
severely  scrutinized  by  men,  Ilian  that  of  others,  so  they  would  be  more 
sharply  rebuked  and  chastened  by  God  for  their  offences,  in  order  to  the 
display  of  his  glory,  and  the  prevention  of  scandals  in  the  church  :  so 
that  every  attempt,  made  by  any  of  them,  to  force  themselves  into  em¬ 
inent  and  conspicuous  stations,  would  ensure  a  larger  measure  of  pain¬ 
ful  an.l  mortifying  trials.  1  Cor.  11:29 — 34.  Nor  could  any  man  expect 
to  behave  so,  as  to  escape  correction  or  condemnation,  for  in  many 
things  all  offended,  without  excepting  the  apostles  themselves;  and  the 
more  men  were  advanced  and  distinguished,  the  greater  would  be  their 
dangers,  the  more  noticed  their  transgressions,  and  the  more  needful 
their  rebukes  and  chastisements.  Ec.  10:1  ■  Especially,  it  would  be 
found  extremely  difficult,  to  speak  so  much  and  so  often,  as  the  public 
and  private  duties  of  the  ministry  required,  without  often  uttering  un¬ 
advised  words,  dishonorable  to  God,  injurious  to  men,  or  the  result  of 

N.  T.  VOL.  V.  73 


pride,  anger,  or  some  unhallowed  passion.  So  that  idle  and  evil  words 
must  be  multiplied,  in  consequence  of  men’s  improperly  entering  into 
the  pastoral  office  ;  nor  could  any  wholly  escape  this  guilt,  though  such 
as  were  duly  called  to  the  service  might  expect  proportionable  grace 
and  mercy.  Is.  6:5 — 0.  Mat.  12:33—37. — The  Jews  at  that  time,  even 
when  grossly  ignorant  and  vicious,  were  exceedingly  prone  to  consider 
themselves,  as  called  and  qualified  to  be  the  religious  teachers  of  man¬ 
kind  ;  Rom.  2:17 — 24.  and  probably  the  apostle  saw,  that  many  of  the 
Jewish  converts  to  Christianity  were  influenced  by  the  remains  of  the 
same  disposition,  to  aspire  prematurely,  from  questionable  motives,  or 
without  proper  qualifications  and  weight  of  character,  to  the  office  of 
teuchers  or  ministers  ;  which  he  counted  it  needful  thus  to  repress. — 
Condemnation .]  Krima.  See  on  1  Cor.  11:29.  The  word  is  often  tr.  con¬ 
demnation,  and  even  damnation ;  and  sometimes  it  is  plain,  that  to 
krima  must  lie  eis  katakrima ,  ‘judgment  unto  condemnation  ;  ’  Rom. 
5:16.  but  the  general  meaning  is  judgment.  1  Cor.  11:29 — 34.  Scott. 

(1.)  ‘The  connexion  here  is  undetermined.  I  see  not  why  the  ch. 
may  not  have  been  intended  to  further  develope  the  injunction  at  1:19. 
where  tiie  apostle  treats  of  the  pruritus  dicendi.  And  so  Thiele .’  Bl. 

(2,  3.)  lie  infers  the  foregoing  pre¬ 
cept,  from  the  difticulty  of  governing 
the  tongue  ;  adverting  to  one  especial 
error  into  which  persons  who  set  up 
for  teachers  mostly  run,  —  namely, 
that  of  two  great  vehemence  and  bit¬ 
terness  of  censure.  Bits  in  the  horses' 
mouths .]  Tiie  cut,  is  of  a  Medo-Per- 
sian  sculpture,  at  Persepolis,  and 
illustrates  the  ancient  bits  and  bri¬ 
dles,  as  also  the  phrase,  ‘  bells  upon 
the  horses,’  Zec.h. 14:20.  The  curious 
reader  may  compare  the  ancient  bits 
and  bridles,  seen  in  tbe  cuts,  Gen. 41: 
42,43.  Ex.  14:6.  Is.  22:6,7,  &c.  Ed. 
V.  3 — 6.  To  show  its  importance 
the  estimate  must  not  be  made  according  to  appearance,  but  by  the  effect. 
—(6)  The  course  of  nature.]  1:23.— ‘  Our  whole  life,  which  like  a  wheel 
goes  on,  not  only  without  ceasing,  but  ever  variably  ;  ..  .now  lilting  a 
man  up,  now  depressing  him.’  Leigh. — Hell ■]  Geennes.  See  on  Mat. 
5:22.  It  is  worthy  of  notice,  that  all  the  other  passages,  where  this  aw¬ 
ful  word  is  used,  contain  the  sayings  of  our  gracious  Savior  Himself !  Sc. 


A.  D.  60. 


JAMES,  III. 


Evil  of  an  unruly  longue. 


5  Even  so  the  tongue  fis  a  little 
member,  andboasteth  *  great  things. 
Behold,  how  great  a  h  matter  a  little 
fire  kindleth  ! 

6  And  the  tongue  is  a  ‘fire,  a 
world  of  iniquity:  so  is  the  tongue 
among  our  members,  that  itdefileth 
i  the  whole  body,  and  setteth  on  fire 
the  k  course  of  nature  ;  and  it  is  set 
on  fire  of  hell. 

7  For  every  1  kind  of  beasts,  and 
of  birds,  and  of  serpents,  and  ot 
things  in  the  sea  is  tamed,  and  hath 
been  tamed  of  “mankind  : 

8  But  the  tongue  can  no  man 
tame;  it  is  an  unruly  evil,  full  of 
deadly  n  poison. 

9  Therewith  bless  we  God,  even 
the  Father  ;  and  therewith  curse 
we  men,  which  are  made  after  the 
similitude  of  God. 

10  Out  of  the  same  mouth  pro- 
ccedeth  blessing  and  cursing.  My 
brethren,  these  things  ought  not  so 
to  be. 

11  Doth  a  fountain  send  forth  at 
the  same  0  place  sweet  water  and 
bitter  ? 

12  Can  the  p  fig  tree,  my  breth¬ 
ren,  bear  olive  berries  ?  either  a 
vine,  figs?  s®  can  no  fountain  both 
yield  salt  water  and  fresh. 

13  Who  i  is  a  wise  man  and  en¬ 
dued  with  knowledge  among  you  ? 
let  him  shew  out  of  a  good  conver¬ 
sation  rhis  works  with  meekness  of 
wisdom. 


f  Pr.  12:18. 
g  Pa.  12:3. 
h  nr,  wond. 
i  Pr.  16:27. 
j  Mat.  15:11—20. 


If  wheel. 

1  nature. 
m  nature  of  man. 
n  Ps.  140:3. 

Ro.  3:13. 


o  or,  hole. 
p  Mat.  7:16. 
q  Ps.  107:43. 
r  Phi.  1:27. 


ly  the  tongue  is,  the  more  should  we  take 
care  to  govern  it.  Otherwise,  as  an  unruly 
and  ungovernable  horse  runs  away  with  his 
rider,  or  throws  him,  so  an  unruly  tongue 
will  serve  those  in  like  manner,  who  have 
no  command  over  it. 

2.  The  governing  of  a  ship  by  the  right 
management  of  the  helm,  v.  4,  5.  The  right 
governing  of  the  helm  or  rudder  will  steer 
and  turn  the  ship  as  the  governor  pleases  ; 
and  a  right  management  of  the  tongue  is,  in 
a  great  measure,  the  government  of  the  whole 
man.  There  is  a  wonderful  beauty  in  these 
comparisons,  to  show  how  things  of  small 
bulk,  yet  may  be  of  vast  use.  And  from 
hence  we  should  learn  to  make  the  due  man¬ 


agement  of  our  tongues  more  our  study;  be¬ 
cause,  though  they  are  little  members,  they 
are  capable  of  doing  a  great  deal  of  good, 
or  a  great  deal  of  hurt.  Therefore, 

III.  We  are  taught  to  dread  an  unruly 
tongue,  as  one  of  the  greatest  and  most  per¬ 
nicious  evils.  It  is  compared  to  a  little  fire, 
placed  among  a  great  deal  of  combustible 
matter,  which  soon  raises  a  flame  and  con¬ 
sumes  all  before  it,  v.  5,  6.  There  is  such 
an  abundance  of  sin  in  the  tongue,  that  it 
may  be  called  a  world,  of  iniquity.  How 
many  defilements  does  it  occasion  !  How 
many  and  dreadful  flames  does  it  kindle  ! 
Observe,  hence.  There  is  a  great  pollution 
and  defilement  in  sins  of  the  tongue  ;  by  it 
defiling  passions  are  kindled,  vented,  cher¬ 
ished  ;  the  whole  body  is  often  drawn  into 
sin  and  guilt  by  the  tongue,  Eccl.  5:  6.  It 
setteth  on  fire  the  course  of  nature.  The  affairs 
of  mankind  and  of  societies  are  often  thrown 
into  confusion,  and  all  is  on  a  flame,  by  it. 
Some  read  it,  all  our  generations  are  set  on 
fire  by  the  tongue.  There  is  no  age  of  the 
world,  nor  any  condition  of  life,  private  or 
public,  but  will  afford  examples  of  this. 
And  it  is  set  on  fire  of  hell.  Observe,  hence. 
Hell  has  more  to  do  in  promoting  the  fire  of 
the  tongue  than  men  are  generally  aware  of. 
The  devil  is  expressly  called  a  liar,  a  mur¬ 
derer,  an  accuser  of  the  brethren  ;  and  when¬ 
ever  men’s  tongues  are  employed  any  of 
these  ways,  they  are  set  on  fire  of  hell.  The 
Holy  Ghost,  indeed,  once  descended  in  cloven 
tongues  as  of  fire.  Acts  2.  And  where  the 
tongue  is  thus  guided  and  wrought  upon  by 
a  fire  from  heaven,  here  it  kindleth  good 
thoughts,  holy  affections,  and  ardent  devo¬ 
tions.  But  when  it  is  set  on  fire  of  hell,  as 
in  all  undue  heats  it  is,  there  it  is  mischiev¬ 
ous,  producing  rage  and  hatred,  and  those 
things  which  serve  the  purpose  and  designs 
of  the  devil.  As  therefore  you  would  dread 
fires  and  flames,  you  should  dread  conten¬ 
tions,  reviiings,  slanders,  lies,  and  every¬ 
thing  that  would  kindle  the  fire  of  wrath  in 
your  own  spirit,  or  in  the  spirits  of  others. 
But, 

IV.  We  are  next  taught  how  very  hard  a 
thing  it  is  to  govern  the  tongue,  v.  7,8.  No 
man  can  tame  the  tongue  without  supernatu¬ 
ral  grace  and  assistance.  The  apostle  does 
not  intend  to  represent  it  as  a  thing  impos¬ 
sible,  but  as  a  thing  extremely  difficult, 
which  therefore  will  require  great  watchful¬ 
ness,  and  pains,  and  prayer.  And  some¬ 
times  all  is  too  little,  for  it  is  an  unruly  evil, 
full  of  deadly  poison.  Brute  creatures  may 
be  kept  within  certain  bounds  ;  they  may 
be  managed  by  certain  rules  ;  and  even  ser¬ 
pents  may  be  so  used  as  to  do  no  hurt  with 
all  their  poison  :  but  the  tongue  is  apt  to 
break  through  all  bounds  and  rules,  and  to 
spit  out  its  poison  on  one  occasion  or  other, 


notwithstanding  the  utmost  care.  So  that 
it  does  not  only  need  to  be  watched,  and 
guarded,  and  governed,  as  much  as  an  un¬ 
ruly  beast,  or  a  hurtful  and  poisonous  crea¬ 
ture;  but  much  more  care  and  pains  will  be 
needful,  to  prevent  the  mischievous  outbreak- 
ings  and  effects  of  the  tongue.  However, 

V.  We  are  taught  to  think  of  the  use  we 
make  of  our  tongues  in  religion  and  in  the 
service  of  God,  and  by  such  a  consideration 
to  keep  it  from  cursing,  censuring,  and  eve¬ 
rything  that  is  evil  on  other  occasions,  v.  9, 
10.  How  absurd  is  it,  that  they  who  use 
their  tongues  iii  prayer  and  praise,  should 
ever  use  them  in  cursing,  slandering,  and 
the  like  !  That  tongue  which  addresses 
with  reverence  the  Divine  Being,  cannot, 
without  the  greatest  inconsistence,  turn  upon 
fellow-creatures  with  reviling,  brawling  lan¬ 
guage.  1'hese  things  ought  nut  so  to  be  ;  and, 
if  such  considerations  were  always  at  hand, 
surely  they  would  not  be.  Piety  is  disgraced 
in  all  the  shows  of  it,  if  there  be  not  charity. 

Further,  to  fix  this  thought,  the  apostle 
shows  that  contrary  effects  from  the  same 
causes  are  monstrous,  and  not  to  be  found 
in  nature  ;  and  therefore  cannot  be  consis¬ 
tent  with  grace,  v.  11,  12.  True  religion 
will  not  admit  of  contradictions;  and  a  tru¬ 
ly  religious  man  can  never  allow  of  them 
either  in  his  words  or  his  actions.  How 
many  sins  would  this  prevent,  and  recover 
men  from,  to  put  them  on  being  always  con¬ 
sistent  with  themselves. 

V.  13 — 18.  As  the  sins  before  condemned 
arise  from  an  affectation  of  being  thought 
more  wise  than  others,  and  being  endued 
with  more  knowledge  than  they  ;  so  the 
apostle,  in  these  vs.,  shows  the  difference 
between  men’s  pretending  to  be  wise,  and 
their  being  really  so  ;  and  between  the  wis¬ 
dom  which  is  from  beneath,  (from  earth  or 
hell,)  and  that  which  is  from  above. 

I.  Some  account  of  true  wisdom,  with  the 
distinguishing  marks  and  fruits  of  it,  i>.  13. 
A  truly  wise  man  will  not  set  up  for  the  repu¬ 
tation  of  being  wise,  without  laying  in  a  good 
stock  of  knowledge  ;  he  will  not  value  him¬ 
self  merely  on  knowing  things,  if  he  has  not 
wisdom  to  make  a  right  application  and  use 
of  that  knowledge.  These  two  things  must 
be  put  together,  to  make  up  the  account  of 
true  wisdom.  If  we  are  wiser  than  others, 
this  should  be  evidenced  by  the  goodness  of 
our  conversation,  not  by  the  roughness  or 
vanity  of  it.  True  wisdom  may  be  known 
by  its  works.  The  conversation  here  does 
not  refer  only  to  words,  but  to  the  whole  of 
men’s  practice;  therefore  it  is  said.  Let  him 
show,  out  of  a  good  conversation,  his  works. 
Not  he  who  thinks  well,  or  he  who  talks 
well,  is,  in  the  sense  of  the  Scripture,  allow¬ 
ed  to  be  wise,  if  he  do  not  live  and  act  well. 
True  wisdom  may  be  known  by  the  nteek- 


(6.)  Course  of  nature.]  Some  refer  this  to  forests  on  fire;  whose  terrific 
effects,  wrapping  whole  townships  in  flames,  are  sometimes  experienced 
in  our  new  settlements.  All  nature,  the  whole  world,  seems  on  fire,  and 
birds,  beasts,  dwellings,  and  men,  are  sometimes  devoured  together. 
See  the  account  of  the  conflagration  at  New  Brunswick,  Nova  Scotia; 
some  years  ago.  The  word  for  course  is  trochos,  a  wheel ;  and  Harder 
thinks,  1  there  is  an  allusion  to  a  wheel,  catching  on  fire,  by  its  rapid 
motion,  spreading  its  flames  around,  and  at  last  involving  the  whole 
machine  in  destruction :  the  true  version  is,  it  setteth  on  fire  the  wheel 
of  human  life,  and  thus  finally  destroyed!  the  human  body.’  But,  says 
lit.,  ‘the  best  interpretation  seems  to  be  that  adopted  by  Grot.,  Heins., 
Mich.,  Carpz.,  Rns.,  l’otl,  and  St  hl.  “  It  is  that  which  sets  on  fire,  nnd 
destroys  the  whole  course  of  life,  from  boyhood  to  old  age;”  i.  e.  by- 
raising  and  nourishing  hatred,  and  enmity,  [and  conceit,]  it  renders  life 
a  scene  of  misery.  For,  as  Bp.  Butter  observes,  “it  begets  resentment 
in  him  who  is  the  subject  of  this  wantonness  of  speech.  It  sows  the 
seeds  of  strife  among  others,  and  inflames  little  [jealousies]  disgusts  and 
offences,  which  if  let  alone  would  wear  away  of  themselves.  [How  much 
more  commonly  do  we  believe  and  report  what  is  saitl  to  the  disadvan¬ 
tage,  than  what  is  said  to  the  praise  of  another!]  It  is  often  of  as  bad 
effect  upon  the  good  name  of  others,  as  deep  envy  or  malice;  and,  to 
say  the  least  of  it  in  this  respect,  it  destroys  and  perverts  a  certain 
equity  of  the  utmost  importance  to  society  to  be  observed,  namely,  that 
praise  and  dispraise,  a  good  or  bad  character,  should  always  be  bestowed 
according  to  desert.”  By  frecnnSs  we  may  understand  the  powers  [and 
influences]  of  hell.’  Bl.  Let  us  remember  the  precept  and  the  threat¬ 
ening,  Mat.  12:36.  ED. 

V.  7 — 12.  Every  kind,  or  nature,  of  living  creatures,  however  mon¬ 
strous,  ravenous,  fierce,  or  venomous,  on  the  dry  land,  and  in  the  ocean, 
has  been,  and  is,  in  some  instances,  subdued  by  the  reason,  courage,  and 

[57SJ 


persevering  efforts,  of  the  human  species;  by  which  means  the  mis¬ 
chiefs,  which  otherwise  would  have  been  occasioned  by  them,  are  in  a 
great  measure  prevented.  But  no  man  could  ever  find  out  a  way  to 
subdue  the  longue,  or  to  hinder  wicked  men  from  corrupting  the  prin¬ 
ciples,  polluting  the  imaginations,  and  inflaming  the  passions  of  others, 
by  their  mischievous  discourse.  —  The  word  rendered  tame,  properly 
means  subdue.  It  could  scarcely  be  said,  that  all  kinds  of  sea-mon¬ 
sters,  crocodiles,  and  serpents,  had  been  tamed,  or  rendered  tractable, 
by  men  ;  but  they  have  all  been  brought  under  subjection,  in  one  way 
or  another;  whereas,  no  efforts  could  ever  prevent  the  malignant  effects 
of  the  unbridled  tongues  of  ungodly  men. — Pious,  pure,  loving,  candid, 
sincere,  humble,  and  edifying  language  is  the  genuine  produce  of  a  sanc¬ 
tified  heart ;  and  none,  who  understand  Christianity,  would  expect  to 
henr  curses,  lies,  boastings,  and  reviiings  from  a  believer’s  mouth,  any 
more  than  they  would  look  for  figs  upon  a  vine,  or  olive-berries  on  a 
fig-tree.  Mat.  7:15—20.  12:33— 37.— (9)  Curse,  <fcc.]  ‘Perhaps  the 
apostle  in  this  glanced  at  the  unconverted  Jews,  who  ..  .  often  cursed 
the  Christians  bitterly  in  their  synagogues.’  Mackn. — (7)  Mankind .[ 
The  nature  of  man  subdues  the  nature  of  beasts,  of  every  sort.  Scott. 

(7.)  1  The  distribution  of  the  brute  creation,  is  [Jewish,  comp.  pt.  iv. 

of  Guide,  in  Suppl.,  and]  founded  on  Gen.  9:2,3.  Ps.  8:7,  8.  Sept.,  which 
passages  are  the  best  illustration  of  the  present.’  Bloomf. 

V.  13 — 16.  The  apostle  had  digressed  from  his  subject,  by  showing 
the  consequences  of  an  assuming  temper,  and  an  improper  desire  to  be 
‘teachers;’  but  he  here  resumes  it.  If  therefore  any  of  those,  into 
whose  hands  his  epistle  might  come,  were,  or  desired  to  be  thought, 
persons  of  superior  wisdom,  understanding,  and  genius,  and  endued  with 
much  knowledge  of  the  Gospel ;  let  them  not  think  themselves  buried 
in  a  private  or  obscure  station,  or  indulge  a  proud,  aspiring,  and  discon¬ 
tented  spirit ;  but  let  them  ‘  show  forth,’  by  the  general  tenor  ‘  of  a  good 


A.  D.  60. 


JAMES,  III. 


Account  of  true  wisdom. 


14  But  if  ye  have  bitter  envying 
and  strife  in  your  hearts,  glory  not, 
and  lie  not  against  the  truth. 

15  This  *  wisdom  descendeth  not 
from  above,  but  is  earthly,  'sensual, 
devilish. 

16  For  where  envying  and  strife 
is,  there  is  "  confusion  and  every 
evil  work. 

17  But  the  wisdom  vthat  is  from 
above  is  first  'y  pure,  then,  xpeacea- 
ble,  y  gentle,  and  easy  to  be  entreat¬ 
ed,  full  of  mercy  and  good  fruits, 
without  1  partiality,  and  without 
hypocrisy. 

18  And  the  fruit  of*  righteousness 

s  I  Co.  3:3.  v  1  Co.  2:6,7.  y  Ga.  5:22. 

t  or,  naluial.  w  I  hi.  4:8.  z  or,  t wangling. 

u  tumuli ,  or,  x  lie.  12:14.  a  lie.  12:11. 

unquietness. 


ness  of  the  spirit  and  temper  ;  Let  him  show 
with  meekness,  &c.  It  is  a  great  instance  of 
wisdom,  prudently  to  bridle  our  own  anger, 
and  patiently  to  bear  the  anger  of  others. 
And  as  wisdom  will  evidence  itself  in  meek¬ 
ness,  so  meekness  will  be  a  great  friend  to 
wisdom.  For  nothing  hinders  the  regular 
apprehension,  the  solid  judgment,  and  im¬ 
partiality  of  thought,  necessary  to  our  act¬ 
ing  wisely,  so  much  as  passion. 

II.  The  glorying  of  those  taken  away, 
who  are  of  a  contrary  character  to  that  now 
mentioned  ;  and  their  wisdom  exposed,  in 
all  its  boasts  and  productions,  v.  14 — 16. 
*  Pretend  what  you  will,  and  think  yourselves 
ever  so  wise,  yet  you  have  abundance  of 
reason  to  cease  your  glorying,  if  you  run 
down  love  and  peace,  and  give  way  to  bit¬ 


ter  envying  and  strife.  Lie  not  thus  against 
the  truth.’ 

Observe,  Envying  and  strife  are  opposed 
to  the  meekness  of  wisdom  ;  both  cannot 
dwell  together  in  the  same  heart.  Holy 
zeal  and  bitter  envying  are  as  different,  as 
the  flames  of  seraphim  and  the  fire  of  hell. 
Observe,  the  order  of  things  here  laid  down. 
Envying  is  first,  and  excites  strife  ;  strife 
endeavors  to  excuse  itself  by  vainglorying 
and  lying  ;  and  then,  v.  16.  hereupon  ensue 
confusion  and  every  evil  work.  And  is  such 
wisdom  as  produces  these  effects,  to  be  glo¬ 
ried  in  1  This  cannot  be  without  giving 
the  lie  to  Christianity  ;  and  pretending  that 
this  wisdom  is  what  it  is  not.  For,  observe, 
whence  such  wisdom  comcth,  v.  15.  It 
springs  from  earthly  principles,  acts  on 
earthly  motives,  is  intent  on  serving  earthly 
purposes  ;  is  sensual,  indulging  the  flesh, 
and  making  provision  to  fulfil  the  lusts  and 
desires  of  it  :  Or,  according  to  the  original 
word,  it  is  animal  or  human,  the  mere  work¬ 
ing  of  natural  reason,  without  any  supernat¬ 
ural  light.  And  it  is  devilish,  such  being  the 
wisdom  of  devils,  to  create  uneasiness,  and 
to  do  hurt  ;  and,  being  inspired  by  devils, 
whose  condemnation  is  pride,  1  Tim.  3:6. 
and  who  are  noted  in  other  places  of  Scrip¬ 
ture  for  their  wrath,  and  their  accusing  off 
the  brethren,  therefore,  those  who  tire  lift¬ 
ed  up  with  such  wisdom  as  this,  must  fall 
into  the  condemnation  of  the  devil. 

III.  The  lovely  picture  of  that  wisdom 
which  is  from  above  more  fully  drau;n,  ami  set 
in  opposition  to  this  which  is  from  beneath, 
v.  17,  18. 

Observe,  here,  1.  True  wisdom  is  God’s 
gift,  not  gained  by  conversing  with  men,  or 
by  the  knowledge  of  the  world,  but  it  comes 
from  above.  It  is  pure,  without  mixture  of 


maxims  or  aims  that  would  debase  it  ;  and 
it  is  bee  from  iniquity  and  defilements,  not 
allowing  of  any  known  sin,  but  studious  of 
holiness,  both  in  heart  and  life.  2.  It  is 
peaceable.  Peace  follows  purity,  and  de¬ 
pends  on  it.  In  kingdoms,  in  families,  in 
churches,  in  all  societies,  and  in  all  inter¬ 
views  and  transactions,  heavenly  wisdom 
makes  men  peaceable.  3.  It  is  'gentle,  not 
standing  on  extreme  right  in  matters  of 
property;  not  rigorous  in  points  of  censure, 
not  furious  about  opinions,  urging  our  own 
beyond  their  weight,  or  theirs  who  oppose 
us,  beyond  their  intention  ;  not  rude  and 
overbearing  in  conversation,  nor  harsh  and 
cruel  in  temper.  Gentleness  may  thus  be 
opposed  to  all  these.  4.  It  is  easy  to  be  en¬ 
treated,  very  persuadable,  either  to  what  is 
good,  or  from  what  is  evil.  There  is  an  ea¬ 
siness  that  is  weak  and  faulty;  but  it  is  not 
blamable  to  yield  ourselves  to  the  persua¬ 
sions  of  God’s  Word,  and  to  all  just  and 
reasonable  counsels  or  requests  of  our  fel¬ 
low  -creaftires ;  no,  nor  to  give  up  a  dispute, 
where  there  appears  a  good  reason  for  it, 
and  a  good  end  may  be  answered  by  it.  5. 
It  is  full  of  mercy  and  good  fruits,  inwardly 
disposed  to  everything  that  is  kind  and  good, 
both  to  relieve  those  who  want,  and  to  for¬ 
give  those  who  offend,  and  actually  to  do 
this  whenever  proper  occasions  offer.  6.  It 
is  without  partiality.  The  original  word 
signifies  to  be  without  suspicion,  or  free  from 
judging;  making  no  undue  surmises,  or  dif¬ 
ferences  in  our  conduct  towards  one  person 
more  than  another.  The  margin  reads  it, 
without  wrangling  ;  not  acting  the  part  of 
sectaries,  and  disputing  merely  for  the  sake 
of  a  party  ;  or  censuring  others  purely  on 
account  of  their  differing  from  us.  The 
wisest  men  are  least  apt  to  be  censurers. 


conversation,’  in  the  several  relations  and  employments  of  life,  ‘  their 
works’  of  piety,  equity,  purity,  and  mercy,  ‘  in  meekness  of  wisdom;’ 
exercising  tlmt  prudence,  which  is  characterized  by  a  meek  and  quiet 
spirit,  and  inseparably  connected  with  it,  and  with  a  readiness  to  for¬ 
give  and  be  at  peace  with  all  men.  17,  18.  1:19 — 21.  ]\ fat.  5:5.  2  Tim. 
2:23 — 26.  Tit.  3:1 — 3. — Tlte  word  rendered  sensual,  ( phusike ,)  is  in  the 
passage  referred  to  tr.  natural ;  and  1  apprehend  it  should  he  so  ren¬ 
dered  in  this  place  ;  for  it  seems  rather  to-relate  to  man’s  natural  deprav¬ 
ity,  rather  his  animal  and  selfish  propensities,]  in  general,  than  to  his 
sensuality  in  particular,  to  which  ambitious  disputants  are  commonly 
less  addicted  than  to  malignant  passions.  Sensual.]  1  Cor.  2:14.  15:46. 
Jude  19. — ‘  It  is  opposed  to  the  regenerate,  and  to  the  glorified.’  Leigh. 
(16)  Envying .]  This  word  (which  signifies  a  vehement  and  earnest 
commotiqii),  and  its  derivatives,  are  used  in  a  bad  sense,  Acts  5:17.  7:9. 
13:45.  17:5.  21:20.  22:3.  Rom.  10:2.  13:13.  1  Cor.  3:3.  13:4.  2  Cor.  12: 
20.  Gal.  1:14.  4:17.  5:20. — l!ut  in  a  good  sense,  John  2:17.  1  Cor.  14:1, 
12,39.  2  Cor.  7:7,  11.  9:2.  11:2.  Gal.  4:18.  Col  4:13.  Tit.  2:14.  Rev. 
3:19.  Scott. 

(13.)  Meekness.]  Comp.  T’hil.  2:3.  ‘A  real  saint  may  know  that 
he  possesses  real  grace,  but  it  does  lint  follow  that  an  eminent  one  is 
particularly  sensible  that  lie  is  eminent  compared  with  others.  He  who 
possesses  much  grace,  may  know  that  he  is  thus  distinguished,  but  it 
will  not  lie  obvious  to  him  that  lie  is  better  than  others,  so  that  this 
should  become  a  foremost -thought.  It  maybe  remarked  as  infallibly 
true,  that  the  person  who ,  upon  comparing  himself  with  others,  is  apt 
to  think  himself  a  very  eminent  saint,  in  whom  this  is  a  leading 
thought,  often  recurring,  is  certainty  mistaken;  he.  is  no  eminent  saint, 
hut  ini  ter  the  prevalence  of  a  proud,  self-righteous  spirit ;  and,  iflllis  is 
the  habitual  and  prevailing  temper  of  his  mind,  he  is  no  saint  at  all.' 

E  D\V  X  It  n*r. 

(14.)  Envyings.]  To  these,  a  social  state  like  ours,  where  love  of  notice 
is  so  much  cultivated,  ami  where  ranks  are  not  ascertained,  acknowl¬ 
edged.  and  fixed,  is  peculiarly  exposed.  BI.  refers  ou  this  text  to  a  ser¬ 
mon,  by  Ur.  Smith,  ‘  where  lie  shows,  1.  what  envy  is,  and  wherein  it 
consists.  2  Its  causes,  on  the  part  (1)  of  the  eniticr,  great  malice,  and 
baseness  of  nature,  [the  Ed.  would  add,  a  prurient  desire  to  lie  noted.) 
rapacity,  and  an  inward  sense  of  a  man’s  weakness  and  idleness  ;  <2)  of 
tlie  person  envied,  great  natural  abilities,  the  favor  of  the  [multitude,  or 
of  the]  great ;  wealth,  and  prosperity,  esteem,  and  reputation.  3.  Its 
effects,  confusion  [add,  discomfort]  and  every  evil  work,  (1)  to  the  en- 
vier  :  (2  to  the  envied  ;  a  prying  into  all  his  concerns,  calumny,  and 
utter  rain.’  Ed. 

V.  17,  13.  Heavenly  wisdom,  according  to  James’  description  of  it, 
is  very  nearly  allied  to  that  love,  for  which  Paul  contended  ;  1  Cor.  13:4 
— 7.  and  we  inav  observe  of  both,  that  ihey  are  described,  as  they  are  in 
themselves,  and  that  every  man  may  ascertain  the  reality,  or  the  de¬ 
gree,  of  his  attainments  in  them,  by  their  effects  on  bis  temper  and 
conduct  For,  whatever  bigots  and  zealots  may  imagine,  ‘  the  fruit  of 
righteousness,’  or  that  good  seed  whence  the  blessed  fruit  of  righteous¬ 
ness  grows  here  on  earth,  1  is  sown  in  peace  ;  ’  men  of  peaceable,  loving 
tempers,  preaching  the  Gospel,  or  in  any  scriptural  way  endeavoring  to 
make  it  known  to  mankind,  adorning  it  in  their  lives,  and  watering  it 
wiih  their  prayers,  1  sow  the  seed,’  which  God  blesses  to  the  conversion 
of  sinners,  and  the  propagation  of  true  religion  in  the  world.  It  1  is 
sown  in  pence,’  not  amidst  great  noise  and  disturbance,  and  by  those 
‘who  make  peace,’  who  are  both  peaceable  and  peace-makers,  in  t he 
church  and  in  the  world.  1:19—21.  Mat.  5:9.  Htb.  12:9 — 14. — (17) 


Easy  to  lie  entreated.]  Here  only.  ‘  It  may  be  used  eilher  actively  or 
passively,  i.  e.  easily  to  be  persuaded  to  the  best,  or  apt  to  persuade 
others  with  good  -speeches.’  Leigh.  ~  Scott. 

(17.)  ‘There  are  two  kinds  of  hypocrites;  the  one  are  deceived  by 
their  morality  and  external  religion  ;  the  oilier  by  false  discoveries, 
(impulses,  and  imagined  revelations,  and  suggestions  respecting  the 
goodness  of  their  state,  falsely  called  the  witness  of  the  Spirit,)  and  ele¬ 
vations  of  mind.  These  last  often  declaim  against  dependence  on  good 
works,  and  talk  much  of  free  grace,  but  yet  make  a  righteousness  of 
their  “experience.”  They  are  more  confident  in  this  hope,  than  tiie 
former;  and  I  have  scarcely  known  an  instance  of  their  being  unde¬ 
ceived.’  Edwards. 

(18.)  Peace..]  ‘  Man’s  hostility  to  God  manifests  itself  in  ten  thous¬ 
and  acts  of  resistance  to  his  pleasure.  While  God  claims  the  supreme 
love,  and  implicit  obedience,  of  every  intelligent  creamre,  man  denies 
both  his  claims,  and  the  rights  oil  which  they  are  founded  ;  and  boldly 
sets  up,  in  opposition  to  them,  claims  and  rights  of  li is  own  ;  which  he 
determines  to  support  to  the  utmost  of  his  power  For  this  end  he  com¬ 
mences  a  progress  of  revolt,  and  contention,  which  occupies  most  of  his 
time,  and  most  of  his  thoughts;  and  at  death  leaves,  not  unfrequenlly , 
the  controversy  undecided. — With  his  fellow-men  his  contention  arises 
from  two  sources  :  his  own  selfishness,  and  theirs.  The  mind  in  which 
selfishness  reigns,  always  wishes,  intends,  and  labors,  to  make  every 
oilier  interest  subservient  to  its  own;  or,  at  least,  to  prevent  it  from 
disturbing,  precluding,  or  diminishing  its  own.  From  this  source  have 
sprung  all  the  private,  and  all  the  public  contentions,  which  have  de- 
stroxed  the  peace  of  neighborhoods,  and  ravaged  the  world  ;  the  suffer¬ 
ings  and  the  sighs,  the  tears  and  the  groans,  which  have  spread  from  one 
end  of  heaven  to  ihe  oilier. —Nor  is  man  less  busily  employed  in  con- 
Jl  idling  with  Hot  serf.  The  passions  and  appetites  of  the  human  heart, 
have  ever  opposed  the  dictates  of  conscience,  intended  by  God  to  regu¬ 
late  I  lie  moral  conduct.  Though  it  strenuously  asserts  ils  right  to  this 
most  necessary  control,  the  passions  still  more  strenuously  rebel  against 
it ;  force  the  man  to  submit  to  their  own  dictates ;  and  hurry  him  into  a 
course  of  disobedience.  In  ibis  progress  of  guilt,  conscience  holds  out 
her  dreadful  mirror  to  bis  terrified  eye;  and  exhibits  him  to  himself, 
odious,  deformed,  and  fearfully  exposed  to  the  auger  of  God.— To  this 
distracted,  miserable  being,  pence  is  announced  (John  14:27.)  by  Hirn, 
who  knew  all  the  wants,  sufferings,  and  dangers  of  our  race.  His  leg¬ 
acy  will  lie  found  to  he  exactly  suited  to  their  slate, — as  it  is  ...  a  happy 
state  of  lire  mind,  or  intellect  ..  .of  the  affections  ...  of  the  conscience 
...of  ihe  life.  When  the  soul  has  sincerely  said,  thy  will  be  done  ; 
conscience,  unopposed  and  undisturbed,  dictates  whatever  is  to  be  done ; 
and  smiles  ils  approbation,  whenever  it  is  performed....  To  him¬ 
self  he  is  no  longer  a  stranger, —  prayer  he  no  longer  dreads, — from  his 
moral  character  lie  no  longer  shrinks, — at  iiis  future  destiny  he  ceases 
to  shudder.  A  daily,  welcome,  cheerful  visiter  at  the  internal  fire-side, 
he  finds  there  nothing  but  peace,  harmony,  and  pleasure. 

‘  JVo t  as  the  world  giveth,  doth  Christ  give  this  evangelical  peace,  Ins 
own  peve.  The  world  gives  with  an  intention  to  gain,  at  least  as 
much  as  it  gave  ;  mid  ilius  gives  fur  its  own  benefit ;  not  for  <”"*•  ie 
world  gives  by  halves,  and  often  resumes  what  it  has  given.  1  lie  world 
gives  grudgingly  ;  with  a  meanness  which  embitters  the  boon;  in  ire- 


A.  D.  60. 


JAMES,  IV. 


The  causes  of  contention. 


is  sown  in  peace  of  them  that  make 
peace. 

CHAP.  IV. 

1  We  are  to  strive  against  covetousness,  4  intemperance, 

5  pride,  11  detraction,  and  rash  judgment  of  others:  13 
and  not  to  be  confident  in  the  good  success  of  worldly  bus¬ 
iness,  but,  mindful  ever  of  the  uncertainty  of  this  life,  to 
commit  ourselves  and  all  our  affairs  to  God’s  providence. 

FROM  whence  come  wars  and 
‘fightings  among  you  ?  come 
they  not  hence,  even  of  your  b  lusts 
that  war  cin  your  members  ? 

2  Ye  lust,  and  have  not :  ye  d  kill, 
and  desire  to  have,  and  cannot  ob¬ 
tain  :  ye  fight  and  war,  yet  ye  have 
not,  because  ye  ask  not. 

%  or,  bratolings.  b  or,  pleasures,  c  l  Pe.2:ll.  d  or,  cr.vy. 

7.  It  is  without  hypocrisy.  It  has  no  dis¬ 
guises  or  deceits,  cannot  fall  in  with  those 
managements  the  world  counts  wise  ;  hut  it 
is  sincere,  open,  steady,  uniform,  and  con¬ 
sistent  with  itself.  Oh  that  you  and  I  might 
always  be  guided  by  such  wisdom  as  this  ! 

And  then,  lastly,  true  wisdom  will  go  on  to 
sow  the  fruits  of  righteousness  in  peace,  and 
thus,  if  it  may  be,  to  make  peace  in  the 
world,  v.  18.  And  that  which  is  sown  in 
peace,  will  produce  a  harvest  of  joys. 

PRACT.  OBS.  Did  men  duly  weigh  the  importance  and  difficulty 
of  the  sacred  ministry,  the  account  which  must  be  given  of  it,  and  the 
trials  and  temptations  to  which  it  must  expose  them,  they  woald  be  less 
forward,  than  they  sometimes  are,  in  aspiring  to  that  distinction.  1  Tim. 
3:1.  If  then,  the  glory  of  God,  the  good  of  mankind,  and  an  evident  call 
in  Providence,  did  not  require  the  contrary,  a  wise  and  humble  man, 
possessed  of  much  self  knowledge,  and  knowledge  of  human  nature, 
and  the  state  of  the  world  and  the  church,  xvould  choose  obscurity  and 
privacy,  to  be  out  of  the  way  of  temptation,  to  shun  the  danger  of  dis¬ 
honoring  the  Gospel,  and  to  escape  trials,  as  much  as  this  present  state 
will  admit  of  it.  [See  a  case  in  the  life  of  Doddridge.  Biography,  in 
Buppl.j — Nothing  is  more  arduous,  than  the  proper  government  of  the 
tongue  ;  and  . .  .  facts  abundantly  prove,  that  more  professed  Christians 
succeed  in  bridling  their  senses  and  appetites,  than  in  duly  restraining 
their  tongues ;  and  whilst  we  contemplate,  with  grief  and  astonishment, 
the  horrible  effects  produced  by  this  ‘  unruly  evil,’  let  us  particularly 
inquire,  what  use  we  make  of  our  tongues.  As  no  man  is  able  to  subdue 
and  tame  the  tongue,  no,  not  his  own  tongue,  without  the  help  of  divine 


desires  first  war  in  their  members,  and  then 
raise  feuds  in  their  nation.  Apply  this  to 
private  cases,  and  may  we  not  then  say  of 
fightings  and  strifes,  among  relations  and 
neighbors,  that  they  come  from  those  lusts 
which  war  in  the  members  ? 

2.  It  should  kill  these  lusts  to  think  of 
their  disappointment,  v.  2.  ‘You  covet 
great  things  for  yourselves,  and  think  to 
obtain  them  by  your  victories  over  the  Ro¬ 
mans,  or  by  suppressing  this  and  the  other 
party  among  yourselves  ;•  but,  alas,  you  are 
losing  your  labor  and  your  blood,  while  you 
kill  one  another  with  such  views  as  these.’ 
Inordinate  desires  are  either  totally  disap¬ 
pointed,  or,  however,  not  to  be  appeased 
and  satisfied  by  obtaining  the  things  desired. 
The  words  here  rendered,  cannot  obtain,  sig¬ 
nify,  cannot  gain  the  happiness  sought  after. 
Note,  hence.  Worldly  and  fleshly  lusts  are 
the  distemper  which  will  not  allow  of  con¬ 
tentment  or  satisfaction  in  the  mind. 

3.  Sinful  desires  and  affections  generally 
exclude  prayer,  and  the  working  of  our  de¬ 
sires  toward  God  ;  ‘  Ye  fight  and  war,  yrt 
ye  have  not,  because  ye  ask  not.  You  fight, 
and  do  not  succeed,  because  you  do  not  pray ; 
or  else, 

•  Comp.  Josephus  for  the  horrible  sociat  state  of  the 
Jews,  especially  iu  Jerusalem,  at  this  time. .  Ed. 

grace,  we  are  reminded  to  beg  of  God  to  do  it  for  us;  for  the  ‘things 
which  are  impossible  with  man,  are  possible  with  God.’  Depending  on 
his  grace,  let  us  take  heed  ‘to  bless,  and  not  curse:  ’  Mat.  5:43 — 43. 
Rom.  12:14 — 16.  1  Pet.  3:3 — 12.  let  us  aim  at  a  consistency  of  conver¬ 
sation  and  conduct,  and  see  to  it  that  our  love  to  men  proves  the  sincer¬ 
ity  of  our  professed  love  to  God,  and  that  our  conduct,  out  of  the  place 
of  worship,  corresponds  with  our  language  and  professions  in  it.  For 
very  many  things  are,  even  among  Christians,  that  ought  not  to  l>e  so 
[:  and  the  odium  theologicum  has  passed  into  a  proverb.  The  strong  lan¬ 
guage  of  the  apostle  likewise  applies  to  the  use  and  abuse  of  theyien). — 
Instead  of  seeking  the  reputation  of  wisdom  and  knowledge,  by  osten¬ 
tatiously  aspiring  after  pre-eminence:  let  us  be  careful  to  ‘show  out 
of  a  good  conversation  our  works  with  meekness  of  wisdom,’  avoiding 
all  bitter  ‘envyings,  ar.d  zeal,  and  strife  in  our  hearts  ’  as  well  as  in  our 
words  and  actions ;  not  glorying  in  such  things  as  are  indeed  a  shame  to 
any  man,  or  scandalizing  the  truth  by  disgraceful  contentions  about  it, 
and  slandering  it  by  pleading  that  it  calls  for  this  bitter  zeal.  Scott. 


Chap.  IV.  V.  1—10.  The  former  ch. 
speaks  of  envying  one  another,  as  the  great 
spring  of  strifes  and  contentions;  this,  of  a 
lust  after  worldly  things,  and  setting  too 
great  a  value  on  worldly  pleasures  and 
•friendships,  as  that  which  carried  their  di¬ 
visions  to  a  shameful  height. 

I.  The  apostle  here  reproves  the  Jewish 
Christians  for  their  wars,  and  for  their  lusts, 
as  the  cause  of  them,  v.  1.  The  Jews  were 
very  seditious,  and  had  frequent  wars  with 
the  Romans;  they  were  a  very  quarrelsome, 
divided  people,  often  fighting  among  them¬ 
selves  ;  and  many  of  those  corrupt  Chris¬ 
tians,  against  whose  errors  and  vices  this 
epistle  was  written,  seem  to  have  fallen  in 
with  the  common  quarrels  ;  hereupon,  our 
apostle  informs  them,  that  the  origin  of  rears 
and  fightings  was  not  (as  they  pretended)  a 
true  zeal  for  their  country, and  fertile  honor 
of  God,  hut  that  their  prevailing  lusts  were 
the  cause  of  all.  Observe,  from  hence. 
What  is  sheltered  and  shrouded  under  a  spe¬ 
cious  pretence  of  zeal  for  God  and  religion, 
often  comes  from  men’s  pride,  malice,  cov¬ 
etousness,  ambition,  and  revenge.  But  one 
would  think  here  is  enough  said  to  subdue 
those  lusls  ;  for, 

1.  They  make  a  war  within,  as  well  as 
fightings  without  ;  impetuous  passions  and 


it  has  conferred.  Christ,  on  the  contrary,  never  reproaches  us  on  ac¬ 
count  of  his  blessings,  but  gives  with  perfect  liberality.,  and  unlimited 
bounty;  cheerfully  ;  demanding  no  unworthy  sacrifices  ;  never  resuming 
what  He  has  given  ;  for  our  benefit  only  ;  realiy,  and  not  in  pretence  ; 
with  absolute  sincerity,  and  supreme  nobleness  of  disposition,  gifts  that 
endure  for  ever. ...  A  guest,  fresh  from  heaven,  and  from  the.  presence 
of  God,  Peace  bears  all  the  characteristics  of  the  world  from  which  she 
descends  ;  of  the  regions  in  which  she  was  born  ;  of  the  family  to  which 
she  is  allied  ;  and  of  the  Parent,  from  whom  she  sprang.  Gentle  and 
serene,  beautiful  and  lovely,  she  becomes  a  willing  companion  to  every 
humble,  faithful  fbllowcr  of  the  I.amb  ;  to  every  genuine  child  of  God. 
Her  own  angelic  disposition,  she  breathes  insensibly  into  the  soul ;  tier 
softness  and  gentleness  she  infuses  into  the  heart ;  and  her  living  smiles 
she  spreads  over  the  aspect.  At  once,  the  man  is  changed  into  a  new 
creature.  Ilis  soul,  belore  the  region  of  darkness  and  storm,  is  cleared, 
at  once,  of  the  clouds  by  which  it  was  overcast.  Its  tempestuous  pas¬ 
sions  cease  to  rage,  and  ravage  ;  and  a  heavenly  sunshine  illumines  the 
world  within.  The  universe,  to  him  heretofore  a  vast  kingdom  of  war, 
and  opposition,  is  converted  into  a  delightful  residence  of  quiet  and 
harmony  ;  in  which  an  immense  multitude  of  the  inhabitants,  such  ns 
no  man  can  number,  are  become  his  friends,  and  in  which  the  hostilities 
of  the  rest  will  only  work  together  for  his  good.  God,  nlso,  seen  by  him 
before  in  clouds  and  darkness,  which  were  very  tempestuous  round 
about  Him,  has  unfolded  to  him  I  lie  light  of  his  countenance  ;  ami  given 
him  a  lively  and  transporting  earnest  of  serene,  unclouded,  everlasting 
day.’  Sermon  84.  Dwicjht. 

NOTES.  Chap.  IV.  1 — 3.  3:13 — 18.  The  apostle  is  generally  sup¬ 
posed  to  have,  in  this  place,  addressed  the  unconverted  Jews;  to  the 
conduct  of  whom  his  language  is  peculiarly  applicable,  according  to  the 
history  of  those  times.  Indeed,  we  can  scarcely  conceive,  that  persons, 
continuing  members  of  the  Christian  church,  at  so  early  a  period,  were 
guilty  of  the  enormities  here  mentioned  :  though  the  passage,  alas  !  is 
applicable  enough  to  nominal  Christians  in  subsequent  ages. — This 
seems  to  refer  to  the  eager  desires  of  the  Jewish  nation  after  temporal 
prosperity,  and  liberty  from  the  Roman  yoke;  and  to  the  violent  and 
impious  measures,  which  they  adopted  in  order  to  obtain  them  :  for 
these  measures  effected  nothing,  except  the  increase  of  their  miseries  ; 
and  they  were  hastening  their  own  destruction,  because  they  trusted  not 
in  God. — Some  of  them,  however,  it  might  be  supposed,  kept  up  the 
form  of  religion,  and  prayed  for  liberty  from  their  oppressors,  and  for 
temporal  prosperity.  Scott. 

(1,2.)  IVurs  fcome)  of  your  lusts.]  1  There  is  not  a  nation  in  Europe 
that  could  be  led  on  to  war  against  a  harmless,  just,  forgiving,  and  de¬ 
fenceless  people ;  for  most  commonly  the  love  of  plunder  and  of  glory 
are  the  causes  of  national  w’ar.  Have  wars  prevented  men  from  bein'- 
subjected  and  enslaved  ?  Is  there  a  country  of  Europe  that  has  not 
been  overrun  with  troops  several  times,  even  within  the  present  centu¬ 
ry.  And  still  more,  is  it  not  most  commonly  the  case,  that  the  very 
means  by  which  we  repel  a  despotism  from  abroad,  only  establish  over 
its  a  military  despotism  at  home.  Since,  then,  the  principle  of  retalia¬ 
tion  will  not,  with  any  certainty,  save  a  coumrx  from  conquest,  the 

[580] 


real  question,  as  before,  is,  by  obedience  to  which  law  will  a  nation  be 
most  likely  to  escape  it,  by  the  law  of  retaliation,  or  by  that  of  benev¬ 
olence  ? 

‘  I  go  still  farther.  The  Scriptures  teach  us,  lliat  God  has  created  men, 
botli  as  individuals  and  as  societies,  under  the  law  of  benevolence ;  and 
that  He  intends  this  law  to  he  obeyed.  Societies  have  never  yet  thought 
of  obeying-it  in  their  dealings  with  each  other;  and  statesmen  would 
generally  consider  the  allusion  to  it  as  puerile.  But  this  alters  not  the 
law  of  God,  nor  the  punishments  which  He  inflicts  upon  nations  for  the 
violation  of  it.  This  punishment  I  suppose  to  he  war.  I  believe  aggres¬ 
sion  from  a  foreign  nation  to  be,  the  intimation  from  God  that  we  are 
disobeying  the  law  of  benevolence ;  and  that  this  is  his  mode  of  teaching 
nations  their  duty,  in  this  respect,  to  each  other.  So  that  aggression 
seems  to  me,  to  be  in  no  manner  a  call  to  retaliation  and  injury,  but 
rather  a  call  to  special  kindness  and  good-will.  And  still  further,  the 
requiting  evil  with  good,  tends  just  as  strongly  to  the  cessation  of  all 
injury  in  nations  as  in  individuals.  I.et  any  man  reflect  upon  the 
amount  of  pecuniary  expenditure,  and  the  awful  waste  of  human  life, 
which  the  wars  of  the  hist  hundred  years  have  occasioned,  and  then  I 
will  ask  him,  whether  it  be  not  self-evident,  that  the  one  hundredth  part 
of  this  expense  and  suffering,  if  employed  in  the  honest  effort  to  render 
mankind  wiser  and  better,  would  long  before  this  time,  have  banished 
wars  from  the  earth,  and  rendered  the  civilized  world  like  the  garden  of 
Eden. 

‘The  cultivation  of  a  military  spirit,  then,  is  the  cultivation  of  a  great 
curse  to  a  community. 

‘I  am  aware,  ail  this  may  be  called  visionary,  romantic,  and  chimeri¬ 
cal.  This,  however,  neither  makes  nor  shows  it  so..  .And  if  it  be  said, 
these  principles  may  all  be  very  true,  but  you  can  never  induce  nations 
In  act  upon  them  ;  I  answer,  this  concession  admits  that  such  is  the  law 
of  God.  If  this  lie  the  case,  that  nation  will  he  the  happiest  and  the 
wisest,  which  is  the  first  to  obey  it.  And  if  it  he  said,  it  would  he 
wisest  and  best  to  obey  the  law  of  benevolence,  but  men  will  never 
obey  it ;  I  answer,  here  is  manifestly  the  end  of  the  argument.  ...  It  is 
a  matter  to  be  settled  between  men  and  their  God.  It  remains,  howev¬ 
er,  to  he  seen,  whether  God  will  or  will  not  cause  his  laws  to  he  obeyed  ; 
and  whether  omniscience  and  omnipotence  have  not  the  means  of  teach¬ 
ing  his  creatures  submission  to  his  will.’  On  Benevolence  towards  the 
Injurious.  Kite.  Mor.  Sci.  Wayi.and. 

(2.)  Lusts.]  Hldonbn  :  lit  .pleasures.  It  has  been  thought  a  horrible 
doctrine,  that  man  should  be  endowed  with  propensities  which  could 
take  pleasure  in  destroying,  A  c.  But  were  not  this  spontaneous  impulse 
natural,  evil  would  not  be  destroyed,  nor  energy  supplied  for  good  deeds 
the  murderer  convicted  and  punished,  or  the  wild  beast  slain?  It  is  the 
abuse  of  the  propensities  which  take  pleasure  in  opposing  and  destroy¬ 
ing;  their  lusts,  i.  e.  inordinate  energy,  unrestrained  by  higher  than  sel¬ 
fish  motives,  that  causes  wars  and  fightings  ;  and  every  soldier  will  ac¬ 
knowledge  he  lias  felt  a  pleasure  even  in  killing  his  fellow  men,  and  the 
Roman  poets  speak  of  the  gaudia  certaminis,  the  fierce  battle-jov 
The  poet  Voting,  true  to  nature,  speaks  of  the  ‘  lust  of  death.’  How  ve- 
cessnry,  that  reason  should  control  the  faintest  stirring  of  this  impulse. 


A.  D.  60. 


JAMES,  IV. 


A  worldly  spirit  reproved. 


3  Ye  ask,  and  receive  not,  because 
ye  ask  amiss,  that  ye  may  consume 
it  upon  your  lusts. 

4  Ye  adulterers  and  adulteresses, 
know  ye  not  that  the  friendship  * 
of  the  world  is  enmity  with  God  ? 
whosoever  therefore  will  be  a  friend 
of  the  world,  is  the  enemy  of  God. 

5  Do  ye  think  that  the  scripture 
saith  in  vain,  The  spirit  that  dwell¬ 
ed)  in  us  lusteth  fto  *  envy  ? 

6  But  he  giveth  more  grace  : 
Wherefore  he  saith,  h  God  resisteth 
the  proud,  but  giveth  grace  unto  the 
humble. 

7  Submit  yourselves  therefore  to 
God.  Resist 1  the  devil,  and  he  will 
liee  from  you. 

8  Draw1  nigh  to  God,  and  he  will 
draw  nigh  to  you.  Cleanse  k  your 
hands,  ye  sinners  ;  and  purify  your 
hearts,  ye  double-minded. 

e  I  Ja.  2:13.  h.  Pr.  89:33.  j  2  Ch.  15:2. 

f  or,  p  .riiu  ly.  i  1  Pc.  5:9.  k  Is.  1:16. 

g  Ec.  4:4.  - 

4.  ‘  Your  lusts  spoil  your  prayprs,  and 
make  them  an  abomination  to  God,  when¬ 
ever  you  pul  them  up  to  Him,’  v.  3.  As  if 
it  had  been  said,  ‘  Though  perhaps  vou  inay 
sometimes  pray  for  success  against  your  en¬ 
emies,  yet  it  is  not  your  aim  to  improve  the 
advantages  you  gam,  so  as  to  promote  true 
piety  and  religion,  either  in  yourselves  or 
others  ;  but  pride,  vanity,  luxury,  and  sen¬ 
suality,  are  what  you  would  serve  by  your 
successes,  and  by  your  very  prayers  ;  you 
want  to  live  in  great  power  and  plenty,  in 
voluptuousness,  and  a  sensual  prosperity  j 
and  thus  you  disgrace  devotion,  and  dis¬ 
honor  God,  by  such  gross  and  base  ends  ; 
and  therefore  your  prayers  are  rejected.5 

Let  us  learn,  hence,  in  the  management 
of  all  our  worldly  affairs,  and  in  our  prayers 
to  God  for  success  in  them,  to  see  that  our 
ends  be  right.  Let  us  remember  this,  that, 
when  we  speed  not  in  our  prayers,  it  is  be¬ 
cause.  we  ask  amiss;  either  we  do  not  ask 
for  right  ends,  or  not  in  a  right  manner  ; 
not  with  faith,  or  not  with  fervency  :  unbe¬ 
lieving  and  cold  desires  beg  denials  ;  and 
this  we  maybe  sure  of,  that,  when  our  pray¬ 
ers  are  rather  the  language  of  our  lusts  than 
of  our  graces,  they  will  return  empty. 


II.  We  have  fair  warning  to  avoid  all  ] 
criminal  friendships  with  this  world,  v.  4.  I 
Worldly  people  are  here  called  adulterers  and  ! 
adulteresses,  because  of  their  perfidiousness 
to  God,  while  they  give  their  best  affections 
to  the  world.  Covetousness  is  elsewhere 
called  idolatry,  and  here  adultery  :  it  is  a 
forsaking  Him  to  whom  we  are  devoted  arid 
espoused,  to  cleave  to  other  things  ;  there 
is  this  brand  put  on  worldly-mindedness, — 
that  it  is  enmity  to  God.  A  man  may  have 
a  competent  portion  of  the  good  things  of 
this  life,  and  yet  may  keep  himself  in  the 
love  of  God  ;  but  be  who  sets  his  heart  on 
the  world,  who  places  his  happiness  in  it, 
and  will  conform  himself  to  it,  and  do  any¬ 
thing  rather  than  lose  its  friendship,  he  is 
an  enemy  to  God  ;  it  is  constructive  treason 
and  rebellion  against  God,  to  set  the  world 
on  his  throne  in  our  hearts.  Ye  cannot  serve 
God  and  mammon.  Mat.  6:  24. 

‘Think  seriously  what  the  spirit  of  the 
world  is,  Do  you  think  that  the  Scripture 
saith  in  vain,  The  spirit  that  dwellclh  in  us, 
lusteth  to  envy  V  v.  5.  The  account  given 
in  the  Holy  Scriptures  of  the  hearts  of  men 
by  nature,  is,  that  their  imagination  is  evil, 
only  evil, and  that  continually,  Ge.  G:5.  Nat¬ 
ural  corruption  principally  shows  itself  by 
envying,  and  there  is  a  continual  propensity 
to  this;  now  this  is  the  way  of  the  world, 
which  occasions  strifes  and  quarrels;  there¬ 
fore  Christians,  to  avoid  contentions,  must 
avoid  the  friendship  of  the  world,  and  show 
that  they  are  actuated  by  nobler  principles; 
for  if  we  belong  to  God,  He  gives  more 
grace  than  to  live  and  act  as  the  generality 
of  the  world  do;  yea,  the  grace  of  God  will 
correct  and  cure  the  spirit  that  naturally 
dwells  in  us  ;  where  He  giveth  grace,  He 
giveth  another  spirit  than  that  of  the  world. 

III.  We  are  taught  to  observe  the  differ¬ 
ence  God  makes  between  pride  and  humil¬ 
ity,  v.  6.  This  is  represented  as  the  lan¬ 
guage  of  Scripture  in  the  O.  T.  ;  for  so  it 
is  declared,  Ps.  18:  27.  and  Prov.  3:  34. 
Two  things  are  here  to  be  observed  ;  1. 
'l'ho  disgrace  cast  on  the  proud  ;  God  resists 
them  ;  the  original  word  signifies,  God’s 
setting  Himself  as  in  battle-array  against 
them  ;  and  can  there  he  a  greater  disgrace, 
than  for  God  to  proclaim  a  man  a  rebel,  and 
to  proceed  against  him  as  such  1  The  proud 
resisteth  God  ;  in  his  understanding  he  re¬ 
sisteth  the  truths  of  God  ;  in  his  will  the 
laws  of  God  ;  fin  his  purposes,  he  has 


no  reference  to  God  ;  God  is  in  none,  or 
never  in  all  of  his  thoughts;]  in  his  pas¬ 
sions  he  resisteth  the  providence  of  God  ; 
therefore  no  wonder  God  sets  Himself 
against  the  proud.  Let  proud  spirits  hear  this 
and  tremble,  God  resists  them.  Who  can 
describe  the  wretched  state  of  those  who 
make  God  their  enemy  1  Observe,  2.  The 
honor  and  help  God  gives  to  the  humble  ; 
grace,  as  opposed  to  disgrace,  is  honor;  this 
God  gives  to  the  humble  ;  and  where  God 
gives  grace  to  the  humble,  there  He  w  ill  give 
all  other  graces  ;  and,  as  in  the  beginning 
of  this  v.  6.  He  will  give  more  grace.  Wher¬ 
ever  God  gives  true  grace,  lie  will  give  more; 
far  to  him  that  hath,  and  usetli  what  he  hath 
aright,  more  shall  be  given,  lie  will  especi¬ 
ally  give  more  grace  to  the  humble,  becauso 
they  see  their  need  of  it,  w  ill  pray  for  it, 
and  be  thankful  for  it  ;  and  such  shall  have 
it.  For  this  reason, 

IV.  We  are  taught  to  submit  ourselves 

entirely  to  God,  v.  7.  Christians  should 
forsake  the  friendship  of  the  world,  and  watch 
against  that  envy  and  pride  w  hich  they  see 
prevailing  in  natural  men,  and  should  by 
grace  learn  to  glory  in  their  submissions  to 
God.  We  are  subjects,  and  as  such  must 
be  submissive  ;  not  only  through  fear,  but 
through  love;  .not  only  for  wrath,  but  also  for 
conscience ’  sake.  . 

Now  as  this  subjection  and  submission  to 
God  are  what  the  devil  most  industriously 
strives  to  hinder,  so  we  ought  with  great 
care  and  steadiness  to  resist  his  suggestions. 
If  we  basely  yield  to  bis  temptations,  he 
will  continually  follow  us;  but  if  we  put  on 
the  whole  armor  of  God,  and  stand  it  out 
against  him,  he  will  be  gone  from  us.  Res¬ 
olution  shuts  and  bolts  the  door  against 
temptation. 

V.  We  are  directed  how  to  act  toward 
God,  in  our  becoming  submissive  to  Him, 
v.  8 — 10.  1.  Draw  nigh  to  God;  the  heart, 
that  has  rebelled,  must  be  brought  to  the 
foot  of  God  ;  the  spirit,  that  was  distant  and 
estranged  from  a  life  of  communion  and  con¬ 
verse  with  God,  must  become  acquainted 
with  Him.  2.  Cleanse  your  handf;  lie  who 
comes  unto  God,  must  have  clean  hands, 
1  Tim.  2  :  S.  hands  free  from  blood  and 
bribes,  and  everything  unjust  or  cruel.  3.  The. 
hearts  of  the  double-minded  must  he.  purified  ; 
those  who  halt  between  God  and  the  world, 
are  here  meant  by  the  double-minded ;  to  pu¬ 
rify  the  heart,  is  to  be  sincere,  and  to  act  on 


(acerbity,  malice,  «fcc. )  so  terrible  when,  unchecked,  it  rules  with  sym¬ 
pathetic  flame  in  tlie  hearts  of  marshalled  legions,  bending  every  energy 
to  destroy  each  other  !  When  shall  the  war-cry  of  the  death-lust  cease 
over  its  prey, — whin  shall  the  Prince  of  Peace  triumph  in  the  hearts 
of  individuals  and  of  nations  ?  1  Ed. 

V.  3.  ‘  We  must  not  employ  our  good  actions  ns  persons  use  water 
which  they  pour  into  a  pump, — to  draw  up  something  for  ourselves.’ 

Cotton  Matiisu. 

V.  1 — 8.  The  Jews  were  .mill  the  professed  worshippers'  of  God,  and 
the  nation  had  bean  espoused  to  Him  by  special  covenant:  idolatry, 
therefore,  and  other  direct  violations  of  the  national  covenant,  were 
spiritual  adultery  ;  and  the  rejection  and  crucifixion  of  the  Messiah  was 
the  grossest  instance  of  that  crime,  which  could  be  committed.  They 
moreover  idolized  worldly  interests  and  pleasures,  in  the  most  excessive 
manner  :  as  if  these  had  been  their  portion,  and  religion  no  farther  val¬ 
uable  than  as  il  subserved  that  primary  object.  It  is  also  probable,  that 
many  nominal  Christians  had  renounced,  concealed,  or  belied,  their  pro¬ 
fession,  fro  m  regard  to  the  world,  to  such  a  degree  as  to  merit  the  severe 
rebuke  contained  in  this  address.  Doth  descriptions  might  justly  be 
e. tiled  ‘adulterers  and  adulteresses,’  in  respect  of  their  unfaithfulness  to 
that  God,  whose  professed  worshippers  they  were;  though  perhaps  not 
guilty  of  adultery,  in  the  common  acceptation  of  the  word;  as  no  doubt 
many  of  the  Jews  were-  The  world,  or  mankind  in  general,  being  un¬ 
der  the  influence  of  Salun,  and  consequently  governed  by  unholy  max¬ 
ims,  the  result  of  a  carnal  judgment  and  disposition  ;  he  who  will,  at 
any  rate,  be  on  terms  with  the  world,  must  not  profess  the. truth,  attend 
on  the  ordinances,  or  keep  the  commandments  of  God  ;  above  all,  he 
must  not  be  zealous  for  the  honor,  cause,  and  Gospel  of  Christ,  in  that 
manner  and  measure,  to  which  every  believer  is  bound,  and  in  fact,  dis¬ 
posed.  Gen.  3-.l  t,  15.  4:3—12.  Mat.  10:21—26.  John  7:3—10.  8:41—47. 
15:17-21.  17:13—10.  Rom.  8:5—9.  Eph.  2:1—3.  1  John  3:11—15.  4:4— 
0.  5. —  It  is  evident  from  the  whole  tenor  of  the  ().  T.,  that  the  natural 
disposition  of  fallen  man,  as  instigated  by  Satan,  so  eagerly  covets  worldly 
as  to  envy  all  those  who-p.o  ■■  (hem, 'and  thus  prompts  to  ambi¬ 
tion,  contention,  hatred,  fraud,  injustice  ;und  that  it  leads  [him]  to  envy, 
or  to  hate,  those  who  love  God,  as  Cain  envied,  haled,  and  murdered  his 
brother  Altai.  Some  expositors,  not  finding  any  text  in  the  O.  T.  expressly 
declaring,  that  1  the  spirit  which  is  in  us  lusteth  to  envy,’  and  not  satisfied 
with  thegeaeral  tenor  of  the  Scripture  on  that  point,  read  the  last  clause 


as  a  separate  interrogation  :  ‘  Do  ye  think,  that  the  Scripture  speaketh 
in  vain’  against  this  worldLy-niindedncss  ?  or,  ‘  doth  the  Spirit,  which 
dwelletli  in  us,  lust  to  envy?’  That  is,  does  the  Holy  Spirit,  which 
dwelleth  in  all  Christians,  or  that  new  nature  which  He  creates,  produce 
such  fruit  ?  Gat.  5:22 — 26-  The  meaning  is  nearly  the  same:  but  the 
first  seems  tlie  true  interpretation.  The  apostle  quotes  the  Sept.,  e.x- 
cept  as  God  is  substituted  for  the  Lord.  The  lteb.  reads  ‘He  scorneth 
the  scorners  :  ’  but  the  sconiers  are  the  prom!,  and  the.  Lord  resists  those 
whom  He  scorns.  Ps.  2:4 — 6.  ^4)  Enmity.)  Luke  23:12.  Rom.  8:7. 
Gal.  5:20.  Eph.  2:15,  16.  ‘  Enmity ,  not  an  enemy  :  an  enemy  may  be 
reconciled,  but  enmity  can  never  be  reconciled.’  Leigh,  on  Rom.  8:7. 
(8)  Resisteth .]  ‘  l’laces  himself  in  battle-array  against  the  proud.’  Sc. 

(4.)  Friendship  . .  .  enmity .]  The  radical  error  of  the  world  is  selfish¬ 
ness,  self-idolatry  ;  distrusting,  as  far  as  it  may,  the  God  of  unity,  broth¬ 
erhood,  and  love;  and  having  separate  interests,  ends,  aims,  desires, 
and  will.  Notes,  Jude  10.  1  Jiu  5:3  and  the  epistle  of  John, passim.  Ed. 

(5.)  ‘Do  ye  think  that  the  Scripture  [throughout,  in  its  general  pre¬ 
cepts.  />/.]  sneakelh  in  vain  ?  Does  the  Snirit  (i.  e.  the  Holy  Spirit) 
that  dwelletli  iu  us  lust  to  envy  ?  ’  Schl.  So  Bl.  •  Id. 

V.  7 — 10.  P'rom  the  preceding  reproofs  and  arguments,  the  apostle  took 
occasion'to  exhort  the  unconverted  Jews,  or  nominal  Christians,  who 
should  read  his  epistb',  to  ‘submit  themselves  to  God.’  Scott. 

(7,  10.)  ‘  The  convictions  of  sin  in  some  persons  are  vastly  different 
from  what  they  are  in  others.  Some,  as  j)r.  Scott,  for  instance,  have 
comparatively  very  little  conviction  of  sin  before  their  conversion. 
Others  have  dreadful  and  pungent  convictions.  They  are  borne  down 
into  the  dust  in  view  of  a  holy  God,  and  their  awful  depravity.  Their 
terrors  of  mind  affect  their  animal  nature,  deprive  them  of  sleep,  and 
prevent  them  from  pursuing  their  worldly  occupations.  And  their  ap¬ 
prehensions  of  guilt  and  misery  increase  as  they  approach  the  time  of 
conversion-  This  was  the  case  with  John  Benyun.  Others  again  have 
deeper  convictions  of  guilt  after  they  obtain  a  hope  than  before.  This 
was  the  case  with  President  Edwards,  the  elder.  Some  are  convicted  for 
a  short  time  only,  ns  tlie  3000  on  the  day  of  Pentecost.  Others  ure  con¬ 
victed  for  days ;  others,  for  weeks,  and  others  again,  for  months,  before 
they  experience  a  change  of  heart.  And  some  are  impressed  with  their 
sinfulness  and  danger,  whose  convictions  alter  a  lime  wear  off,  and 
who  do  not  entertain  a  hope,  that  they  have  spiritually  passed  from  death 
unto  life.  This  was  the  case  with  Felix.  Some  have  their  consciences 


A.  D.  60. 


JAMES,  IV. 


Detraction  and  presumption  reproved. 


can  turn  their  laughter  into  mourning  ;  and 
this, (lie  unconcerned  Christians  James  wrote 
to,  are  threatened  should  be  their  case  ; 
they  are  therefore  directed,  before  things 
come  to  the  worst,  to  lay  aside  their  vain 
mirth  and  their  sensual  pleasures,  that  they 
might  indulge  godly  sorrow  and  penitential 
tears.  5.  Humble  yourselves  in  the  sight  of 
the  Lord  ;  lei  the  inward  acts  of  the  soul 
be  suitable  to  all  those  outward  expressions 
of  grief,  affliction,  and  sorrow  before  men¬ 
tioned.  Humble  yourselves. 

VI.  We  have  great  encouragement  to  act 
thus  toward  God,  v.  8 — 10.  Those  that  draw 
nigh  to  God  in  a  way  of  duty,  shall  find  God 
drawing  nigh  to  them  in  a  way  of  mercy. 
If  there  be  not  a  close  communion  between 
God  and  us,  it  is  our  fault,  and  not  his.  He 
shall  lift  up  the  humble.  Thus  much  our 
Lord  Himself  declared,  Mat.  23:  12.  If  we 
are  truly  penitent  and  humble  under  the 
marks  of  God’s  displeasure,  we  shall  in  a 
little  time  know  the  advantages  of  his  favor. 
Before  honor  is  humility.  The  highest  honor 
in  heaven  will  be  the  reward  of  the  greatest 
humility  on  earth. 

V.  11 — 17.  In  this  part  of  the  ch., 

I.  We  are  cautioned  against  the  sin  of 
evil-speaking,  v.  11.  The  Greek  word  sig¬ 
nifies  speaking  anything  that  may  hurt  or 
injure  another;  vve  must  not  speak  evil  things 
of  others,  though  true,  unless  there  be  some 
necessary  occasion  for  it  ;  much  less  report 
evil  things,  when  they  are  false,  or,  for 
aught  we  know,  may  be  so  ;  our  lips  must 
be  guided  bv  the  law  of  kindness,  ns  well 
as  truth  and  justice;  this,  which  Solomon 
makes  a  necessary  part  of  the  character  of 
his  virtuous  woman,  Prov.  31:26.  must 
needs  be  a  part  of  the  character  of  every 
true  Christian.  Speak  not  evil  one  of  another. 


1.  Because  ye  are  brethren.  The  compel- 
lation,  as  used  by  the  apostle  here,  carries 
an  argument  along  with  it.  Consider,  ye  are 
brethren. 

2.  Because  this  is  to  judge  the  law  ;  the 
law  of  Moses,  Lev.  19: 16.  the  law  of  Christ, 
Mat.  7:  1.  The  sum  and  substance  of  both 
is,  that  men  should  love  one  another.  A 
detracting  tongue  therefore  condemns  the 
law  of  God,  and  the  commandment  of 
Christ,  when  it  is  defaming  its  neighbor. 
The  Christians  to  whom  James  wrote,  were 
apt  to  speak  very  hard  things  of  one  ano¬ 
ther,  because  of  their  differences  about  in¬ 
different  things,  as  appears  Rom.  14.  1  Now,’ 
says  he,  ‘  he  who  censures  and  condemns  his 
brother  for  not  agreeing  with  him  in  those 
things  which  the  law  of  God  has  left  indif¬ 
ferent,  thereby'  censures  and  condemns  the 
law,  as  if  it  had  done  ill  in  leaving  them  in¬ 
different  ;  he  who  quarrels  with  his  brother, 
and  condemns  him  for  the  sake  of  anything 
not  determined  in  the  Word  of  God,  [note, 
Titus,  3:  10.]  does  thereby  reflect  on  that 
Word  of  God,  as  if  it  were  not  a  perfect 
rule;  let  us  take  heed  of  judging  the  law, 
for  the  law  of  the  Lord  is  perfect  ;  if  men 
break  the  law,  leave  that  to  judge  them  ;  if 
they  do  not  break  it,  let  not  us  judge  them.’ 

3.  Because  God,  the  Lawgiver,  has  re¬ 
served  the  power  of  passing  the  final  sen¬ 
tence  on  men  wholly  to  Himself,  v.  12. 
Princes  and  states  are  not  excluded,  by  what 
is  here  said,  from  making  laws  ;  nor  sub¬ 
jects  at  all  encouraged  to  disobey  human 
laws  [which  conflict  not  with  conscience]; 
but  God  is  still  to  be  acknowledged  as  the 
Supreme  Lawgiver,  who  only  can  give  law 
to  the  conscience,  and  who  alone  is  to  be 
absolutely  obeyed.  He  has  power  fully  to 
reward  the  observance  of  his  laws,  and  to 


9  Be  afflicted,  and  mourn,  and 
weep  :  let  your  laughter  be  turned 
to  mourning,  and  your  joy  to  heavi¬ 
ness. 

10  Humble  'yourselves  in  the 
sight  of  the  Lord,  and  he  shall  lift 
you  up. 

11  Speak  m  not  evil  one  of  anoth¬ 
er,  brethren.  He  thatspeaketh  evil 
of  his  brother,  and  judgeth  his 
brother,  speaketh  evil  of  the  law, 
anti  judgeth  the  law  :  but  if  thou 
judge  the  law,  thou  art  not  a  doer 
of  the  law,  but  a  judge. 

12  There  is  one  lawgiver,  who 
n  is  able  to  save  and  to  destroy  :  who 
art  thou  that  judgest  another  ? 

1  Mat.  23:12.  m  Ep.  4:31.  1  Pe.  2:1.  n  Mat.  10:23. 

this  single  aim  and  principle,  rather  to 
please  God  [and  conform  our  wills  to  his] 
than  to  seek  after  anything  in  this  world  ; 
hypocrisy  is  heart-impurity  ;  but  they  who 
submit  themselves  to  God  aright,  will  purify 
their  hearts  its  well  as  cleanse  their  hands.  4. 

‘  Be  afflicted,  and  mourn,  and  weep  ;  what 
afflictions  God  sends,  take  them  as  He 
would  have  you,  and  be  duly  sensible  of 
them  ;  be  afflicted  when  afflictions  are  sent, 
and  not  despise  them;  or  be  afflicted  in  your 
sympathies  with  those  who  are  so,  and  in 
laying  to  heart  the  calamities  of  the  church 
of  God  ;  mourn  and  weep  for  your  own  sins 
and  the  sins  of  others.’  This  may  be  taken, 
either  as  a  prediction  of  sorrow,  or  a  pre¬ 
scription  of  seriousness  ;  let  men  think  to 
set  grief  at  defiance,  yet  God  can  bring  it 
on  them  ;  none  laugh  so  heartily,  but  He 

suddenly  smitten  by  the  news  of  the  conviction  and  conversion  of  others, 
or  by  something  of  a  religious  nature  heard  in  public  or  private,  or  by 
some  passages  of  Scripture,  or  by  some  sermon,  or  by  some  striking  dis¬ 
pensation  of  Divine  Providence.  Others  are  affected  more  gradually. 
They  first  become  thoughtful,  and  then,  by  meditating  upon  those  tilings 
of  religion  which  have  an  nwakening  tendency,  deep  conviction  ulti¬ 
mately  takes  fast  bold  on  them.  Some  who  have  been  concerned  in  a 
degree  for  their  salvation  many  years,  are  roused  to  a  greater  sense 
of  their  guflt  and  danger.  Some  are  affected  by  the  justice  of  God  ;  oth¬ 
ers,  hy  his  mercy;  some  at  a  view  of  heaven  and  its  glories  ;  others,  at 
a  view  of  hell  and  its  miseries.  Some  have  their  minds  fixed  on  partic¬ 
ular  sins  they  have  committed  ;  others,  on  particular  mercies  of  God 
towards  them.  Some  are  deeply  impressed  at  the  truth  of  the  Gospel 
in  general  ;  others  at  the  truth  of  some  particular  doctrine.  Thus  con¬ 
viction  of  sin  in  different  persons  varies  in  t lie  degree,  duration,  man¬ 
ner,  and  occasion  of  it.  lint  in  one  absolutely  essential  feature  it  is 
alike  in  all, — a  sense  of  their  entire  depravity,  guilt,  and  ruin.’  Har¬ 
binger  of  the  Millennium;  ch.  on  Revivals.  Rev.  Dr.  Cogswei.l. 

(8  )  Cleanse  hands.]  ‘  I.  e.  abstain  from  wicked  actions.  We  cam 
not  give  the  inward  principle 'of  goodness  to  ourselves  ;  on  the  other 
hand  God  will  not  grant  it  to  lazy  wishes,  ami  half-formed  resolutions. 
The  double  -minded  are  persons  wavering  between  long-confirmed  habits 
of  evil,  and  incipient  wishes  to  become  good.’  Bl.,  after  lip.  Jebb. 

V.  11,12,  Nothing  can  more  completely  demonstrate  any  proposi¬ 
tion,  than  this  passage  demonstrates,  that  the  moral  law  is  the  believ¬ 
er's  rub  o  f  duty  ;  and  that  every  word  or  action,  which  dishonors  the 
law  of  God,  is  rebellion,  if  not  blasphemy,  against  our  one  Lawgiver 
ami  ludge.  At  the  same  time,  it  exposes,  in  a  most  striking  manner,  the 
wickedness  of  that  presumptuous,  rash,  and  censorious  way,  in  winch 
zealots  and  bigots  condemn  and  anathematize  those,  who  in  any  respect 
differ  from  them,  to  the  immense  scandal  of  the  Gospel,  and  disturbance 
of  the  church;  and  this  conduct  ill  fact  is  almost  always  found  to  ac- 
companv  atitiuomian  tenets,  and  is  perfectly  congenial  to  them,  though 
not  confined  to  those  who  adopt  them.  Scott. 

(11,  12.)  Judge  ..  lawgiver.]  1  A  church  has  no  right  to  command, 
as  a  duly,  a  particular  mode  of  showing  our  attachment  to  Christ,  un¬ 
less  He  had  Himself  commanded  it  :  . .  nor  has  it  a  right  to  resolve  itself 
into  a  temperance,  abolition,  missionary,  peace,  or  any  other  society.. 
Nor  can  it  pledge  any  member  to  anything  but  what  he  has  pledged 
himself  to.  He  has  united  himself  to  a  particular  church,  by  promising 
to  obey  it  in  all  that  Christ  has  commanded,  and  in  nothing  more.  In 
everything  else  he  is  perfectly  unpledged  and  uncommitted.  An  hun¬ 
dred  thousand  men  have,  in  like  manner,  united  themselves  with  par¬ 
ticular  churches,  on  the  same  general  principle.  All  are  hound  to  their 
particular  churches,  hy  the  same  ties,  and  this  is  all.  All  are  united  to 
each  other  bv  identity  of  belief  and  practice,  in  the  things  which  they 
all  believe  Christ  to  have  commanded,  and  in  nothing  else.  In  every¬ 
thing  else,  every  one  is  as  free  as  the  air  he  breathes,  free  not  only  of  his 
particular  church,  but  also  of  ihe  whole  church  or  denomination.  To 
the  particular  church  with  which  he  is  united,  he  is  responsible,  under 
Christ,  for  his  belief  and  practice,  hut  not  to  the  denomination,  nor  to 
any  one  else.  If  he  imbibe  false  doctrine,  or,  by  his  conduct,  give  evi¬ 
dence.  that  the  love  of  Christ  is  not  in  him,  they  may  reprove  him,  or 
withdraw  themselves  from  him.  And  here  the  matter  ends.  Finch  vol¬ 
untary  association  is  thus  final  within  itself.  The  denomination  can 
neither  control  nor  overrule  the  decisions  of  a  church,  nor  approve  or 
censure  a  single  individual.  If  a  man  stand  faultless  before  his  church , 


he  is  faultless  before  his  sect.  And  for  them  to  assume  any  authority 
over  him  or  them,  is  gross  and  unblushing  arrogance. — Hence,  a  denom¬ 
ination,  as  it  is  called,  is  a  very  different  thing  from  what  it  is  currently 
supposed  to  be.  It  is  not  an  association,  into  the  common  stock  of 
which  a  man  throws  his  conscience,  his  property,  his  character,  ami 
opinions,  to  be  used  or  abused,  to  be  directed  or  controlled,  by  the  will 
of  a  majority.  It  is  not  a  clan,  of  which  every  member  is  hound  to  es¬ 
pouse  tlie  quarrels  of  every  other,  and  of  which  all  the  members  must 
rally  at  the  call  of  him  who  claims  to  be  their  leader,  or  who  volunteers 
to  he  their  representative.  There  is  no  such  clanship,  for,  except  in  those 
matters  which  Christ  has  enjoined,  they  are  not  in  any  respect  commit¬ 
ted  to  each  other.  There  is  no  such  representation,  for  there  is  no  (low¬ 
er  to  be  delegated  ;  and  he  who  assumes  it,  and  those  who  allow  it  to  be 
assumed,  act  in  direct  variance  with  the  first  principles  of  Independency. 

‘I  insist  the  more  upon  this,  because,  at  the  present  time,  there  is 
great  danger  lest  it  should  all  he  forgotten.  ..  If  associations,  however 
excellent,  wandering  beyond  their  proper  limits,  assume  to  legislate 
over  churches,  and  to  control  the  opinions  and  the  consciences  of  indi¬ 
viduals,  hy  majorities,  or  by  factitious  public  opinion,  an  irresponsible 
hierachy  will  be  created  in  the  very  bosom  of  independency.  . .  A  church 
never  invests  its  delegates  to  such  assemblies,  with  power  to  pledge  it 
for  anything,  nor  can  it  ;  for  no  member  of  it  can  delegate  to  any  man 
or  set  of  men,  the  answering  of  the  question,  what  does  or  does  not 
Christ  require  of  me.  I  must  answer  this  question  for  myself,  no  one 
else  can  answer  it  for  me.  ..  The  church  is  responsible  for  the  cultiva¬ 
tion  of  piety  in  the  hearts  of  its  members.  If,  through  the  neglect  of 
piety,  benevolence  in  any  respect  languishes,  for  the  neglect  of  piety 
the  church  is  responsible  to  Him  who  is  her  Head.  But  she  is  respon¬ 
sible  in  no  other  respect.  [Again,]  if  the  church  have  a  right  to  enjoin 
a  particular  matter,  on  its  own  authority,  it  has  an  equal  right  to  forbid 
on  the  same  authority;  for  the  right,  in  both  cases,  is  the  same.  If  a 
church  may  command  me,  on  pain  of  exclusion,  to  do  this  particular 
good  in  this  particular  way,  it  may,  if  it  so  choose,  enjoin  me,  on  the 
same  authority,  to  leave  it  undone.  Now  this  is  manifestly  a  most  gross 
violation  of  right,  and  every  one,  not  demented,  so  esteems  it.  . .  If  we 
surrender  the  doctrine,  that  Christ  is  the  sole  [ Lawgiver  or]  Legislator  for 
every  individual  of  his  church,  and  allow  that  Ihe  church  may  itself 
make  laws,  binding  on  the  conscience  of  the  individual,  what  is  the  re¬ 
sult  ?  We  become  papists  at  once.  This  is  the  very  essence  of  the 
Romish  error.  That  corrupt  church  assumes,  that  it  has  the  power  and 
the  right  to  bind  the  conscience  in  all  matters,  both  of  faith  and  prac¬ 
tice;  and  upon  this  assumption,  all  the  superstructure  of  her  hideous 
superstition  has  heen  reared.  But  the  principle  is  the  same  in  both  cas¬ 
es.  If  my  conscience  is  to  be  hound  by  my  fellow-men,  it  matters  not 
whether  these  men  be  a  conclave  of  bishops,  and  cardinals,  or  whether 
they  lie  my  brethren  whom  I  meet  every  day,  and  with  whom  I  sit 
down  around  the  same  communion  table.  My  brethren  will,  I  doubt 
not,  use  this  usurped  authority  more  mildly;  hut  this  alters  not  the  fact, 
that  the  authority  is  usurped,  nor  does  it  offer  any  guarantee  that  it  may 
not,  in  the  end,  become  as  oppressive  as  the  other. 

‘  I  delight  to  see  every  man  choosing  that  form  of  ecclesiastical  asso 
coition  which  pleases  him.  But  I  may,  without  offence,  Hsk  every  In¬ 
dependent  to  understand  and  to  maintain  his  principles.  In  maintaining 
them,  our  fathers  suffered  bonds,  confiscation,  banishment,  and  death. 
Let  ns  not  he  unmindful  of  the  heritage  which  they  have  left  us.  Let  us 
stand  fast  in  the  liberty  with  which  Christ  has  made  us  free.’  Limita¬ 
tions  of  Human  Responsibility.  Wayland. 


A.  D.  60. 


JAMES,  V. 


Trust  in  God's  providence  inculcated. 


13  Go  to  now,  yc  that  say,  To¬ 
day  or  to-morrow  we  will  go  into 
such  a  city,  and  continue  there  a 
year,  and  buy  and  sell,  and  get  gain: 

14  Whereas,  yc  know  not  what 
shall  be  on  the  morrow  :  For  what 
is  your  life  ?  0  It  is  even  a  p  vapor, 
that  appeareth  for  a  little  time,  and 
then  vanisheth  away. 

15  For  that  ye  ought  to  say,  If  the 
Lord  will,  we  shall  live,  and  do  this, 
or  that. 

16  But  now  ye  rejoice  in  your 
boastings:  all  such  rejoicing  is  evil. 

17  Therefore  qto  him  that  know- 
eth  to  do  good,  and  doeth  it  not,  to 
him  it  is  sin. 

CHAP.  V. 

1  Wicked  rich  men  nre  to  fear  God’s  vengeance.  7  We 
ought  to  be  patient  in  afflictions,  after  the  example  of  the 
prophets,  and  Job  :  12  to  forbear  swearing,  13  to  uray  in 
adversity,  to  sing  in  prosperity  :  16  to  acknowledge  mu¬ 
tually  oiir  several  faults,  to  pray  one  for  another,  19  and 
to  reduce  a  straying  brother  to  the  truth. 

GO  to  now,  ye  rich  1  men,  weep 
and  howl  for  your  miseries  that 
shall  come  upon  you. 

o  or,  For  it  it.  q  Lu.  12:47. 

p  Job  7:7.  a  Pr.  11:28.  Lu.  6:24. 

punish  all  disobedience  ;  and  therefore 
should  be  feared  and  obej'ed  as  the  great 
Lawgiver,  and  all  judgment  should  he  com¬ 
mitted  to  Him.  Since  there  is  one  Law¬ 
giver,  we  may  infer,  that  it  is  not  for  any 
man  or  company  of  men  in  the  world,  to 
pretend  to  give  laws  immediately  to  bind 
conscience  ;  for  that  is  God’s  prerogative, 
which  must  not  be  invaded  ;  there  is  one 
Lawgiver. 

II.  We  are  cautioned  against  a  presump¬ 
tuous  confidence  of  the  continuance  of  our 
lives,  and  against  forming  projects  there¬ 
upon,  with  assurance  of  success,  v.  13,  14. 
The  apostle,  having  reproved  those  who 
were  judges  and  coudemners  of  the  law,  now 
reproves  such  as  were  disregardful  of  Prov¬ 
idence  ;  ‘  Go  to  now,  an  old  way  of  speak¬ 
ing,  designed  to  engage  attention  ;  the 
Greek  word  may  be  rendered,  Behold  now  ! 
or  See,  and  consider.  Reflect  a  little  on  this 
way  of  thinking  and  talking,  call  yourselves 
to  account  for  it.’  Observe,  on  this,  How 


apt  worldly  and  projecting  men  nre  to  leave 
God  out  of  their  schemes  ;  how  much  of 
worldly  happiness  lies  in  the  promises  men 
make  to  themselves  beforehand  ;  therefore 
observe,  how  vain  a  thing  it  is  to  look 
for  anything  good  in  futurity,  without  the 
concurrence  of  Providence.  We  will  go  to 
such  a  city  ;  (say  they;)  perhups  to  Anti¬ 
och,  or  Damascus,  or  Alexandria,  which 
were  then  the  great  places  for  traffic  ;  but 
how  uncertain  their  journey,  their  stay, 
their  success,  their  life  !  God  hath  wisely 
left,  us  in  the  dark  concerning  future  events, 
and  even  concerning  the  duration  of  life  it¬ 
self  ;  we  know  not  what  shall  be  on  the  mor¬ 
row  ;  we  may  know  what  we  intend  to  do, 
and  to  be,  but  a  thousand  things  may  hap¬ 
pen  to  prevent  us  ;  we  are  not  sure  of  life 
itself,  since  it  is  but  as  a  vapor  J  appears  but 
for  a  little  time ,  and  then  vanisheth  away, 
vanisheth  as  to  this  world,  but  there  is  a  life 
that  will  continue  in  the  other  world  ;  and 
since  this  life  is  so  uncertain,  it  concerns  us 
all  to  prepare  and  lay  up  iu  store  [a  charac¬ 
ter]  for  that  to  come. 

III.  We  are  taught  to  keep  Up  a  constant 
sense  of  our  dependence  on  the  will  of  God, 
for  life,  and  all  the  actions  and  enjoyments 
of  it,  v.  15.  The  apostle,  having  reproved 
them  for  what  was  amiss,  now  directs  them 
how  to  be  and  do  better,  v.  15.  This  must 
be  said,  not  in  a  slight,  formal,  and  custo¬ 
mary  way,  but  so  as  to  think  what  we  say, 
and  so  as  to  be  reverent  and  serious  in  what 
we  say.  1.  If  the  Lord  will,  we  shall  live. 
We  must  remember  our  times  are  at  God’s 
disposal ;  we  live  as  long  as  God  appoints, 
and  in  the  circumstances  God  appoints,  and 
therefore  must  be  submissive  to  Him,  even 
as  to  life  itself;  and  then,  2.  If  the  Lord 
will,  we  shall  do  this  or  that.  W e  may  pro¬ 
pose  for  ourselves,  or  families,  or  friends  ; 
but  Providence  sometimes  breaks  all  our 
measures,  and  throws  our  schemes  into  con¬ 
fusion  ;  therefore  both  our  counsels  for  ac¬ 
tion,  and  our  conduct  in  action,  should  be 
entirely  referred  to  God;  all  we  design,  and 
all  we  do,  should  be  with  a  submissive  de¬ 
pendence  on  God. 

IV.  We  are  directed  to  avoid  vain  boast¬ 
ing,  and  to  look  upon  it  not  only  as  a  weak, 
but  a  very  evil  thing,  v.  16.  They  promis¬ 
ed  themselves  life  and  prosperity,  and  great 
things,  in  the  world,  without,  any  just  regard 
to  God  ;  and  then  they  boasted  of  these 


things,  and  rejoiced  in  them.  Such  is  the 
joy  of  Worldly  people,  to  boast  of  all  their 
successes,  yea  often  to  boast  of  their  very 
projects  before  they  know  what  success  they 
shall  have.  How  common  is  it  for  men  to 
boast  of  things  which  they  have  no  other  title 
to,  than  what  arises  from  their  own  vanity 
and  presumption.  Such  rejoicing,  says  the 
apostle,  is  evil  ;  it  is  foolish  and  hurtful  for 
men  to  boast  of  worldly  things,  and  of  their 
aspiring  projects,  when  they  should  he  at¬ 
tending  to  the  humbling  duties  before  laid 
down  in  v.  8 — 10.  It  is  a  great  sin  in  God’s 
account,  it  will  bring  great  disappointments 
on  themselves,  and  will  prove  their  destruc¬ 
tion  in  the  end.  If  we  rejoice  in  God,  that 
our  times  are  in  his  hand,  that  all  events  are 
at  his  disposal,  and  that  He  is  our  God  in 
covenant,  this  rejoicing  is  good  ;  the  wis¬ 
dom,  power,  and  providence  of  God,  are 
then  concerned  to  make  all  things  work  to¬ 
gether  for  our  good;  [when  our  wills  aie 
consonant  with  his;]  but  if  we  rejoice  in  our 
own  vain  confidences  and  presumptuous 
boasts,  this  is  evil  ;  it  is  an  evil  carefully  to 
be  avoided  by  all  wise  and  good  men. 

V.  We  are  taught,  in  the  whole  of  our 
conduct,  to  act  up  to  our  own  convictions, 
and,  whether  we  have  to  do  with  God  >r 
men,  to  see  that  we  never  go  contrary  m 
our  own  knowledge,  v.  17.  to  do  so  is  ag¬ 
gravated  sin,  and  is  to  have  the  worst  u 
ness  against  us  that  can  be,  even  our  ov.i 
conscience.  Observe,  This  stands  immedi¬ 
ately  connected  with  the  plain  lesson  of  sav¬ 
ing,  If  the  Lord  will,  we  shall  do  this  or  thni  ; 
they  might  he  ready  to  say,  ‘  This  is  a  very 
obvious  thing  ;  who  knows  not  that  we  r  I 
depend  on  Almighty  God  for  life,  mid  breath, 
and  all  things  ?’  Remember  then,  if  you  do 
know  this,  that  whenever  you  act  unsuitab.y 
to  such  a  dependence,  to  him  that  knows  to 
do  good,  and  does  it  not,  to  him  it  is  sin,  the 
greater  sin.  Let  us  therefore  take  care  that 
conscience  he  rightly  informed, and  then  that 
it  be  faithfully  and  constantly  obeyed  ;  for 
if  our  own  hearts  condemn  us  not,  then  have 
we  confidence  toward  God  ;  but  if  we  say. 
We  see,  and  do  not  act  suitably  to  our  sight, 
then  our  sin  remaineth,  John  9:  41. 


Chap.  V.  V.  1 — 11.  The  apostle  here 
addresses  first  sinners,  and  then  saints. 

1.  Sinners  ;  here  James  seconds  what 
Christ  had  said,  Luke  6:24.  Those  here 


PRACT.  OBS.  The  carnal  affections  of  the  heart  having  cast  off  the 
rule  of  reason  and  wisdom,  anarchy,  arid  civil  war,  takes  place  in  the 
soul;  while  one  member  of  the  corrupt  nature  wars  against  the  rest,  and 
they  in  turns  prevail  and  are  gratified  ;  and  while  the  members  of  the 
body  are  the  instruments  of  their  pernicious  purposes,  and  obey  the  dic¬ 
tates  of  the  tyrant  of  the  hour. — This  being,  in  one  way  or  another,  the 
case  with  the  unnumbered  millions  of  the  human  species,  (except  the 
remnant  who  are  ‘born  again,’)  we  need  not  wonder  at  the  confusion, 
crimes,  and  miseries,  which  have,  in  every  age,  abounded  in  all  parts  of 
the  world,  though  we  ought  deeply  to  mourn  over  them. — Alas  !  how 
many  nominal  Christians  might  be  addressed  in  the  apostle’s  words,  ‘as 
adulterers  and  adulteresses,’  both  literally  and  spiritually  !  And  yet, 
how  would  they  die  disgusted  and  enraged,  if  a  minister  were  to  accost 
them  iu  such  language,  however  justly  and  scripturally  applied  !  But, 
in  whatever  terms  the  offensive  truth  he  conveyed,  we  are  bound  to  de¬ 
clare,  most  perspicuously,  that  ‘  the  friendship  of  the  world  is  enmity 


against  God  ;  and  that  whosoever  willeth  and  purposeth  to  be  the  friend 
of  the  world,  he  is  the  enemy  of  God.’  Such  a  profession  of  the  Gos¬ 
pel,  as  gives  no  offence  to  a  ‘world  that  Jieth  in  wickedness,’  will  leave 
a  man  to  perish  with  the  enemies  of  Christ.  Let  us  then  endeavor  to 
be  friends  to  mankind,  and  to  do  good  to  all  :  to  separate  from  the  inti¬ 
mate  society  of  ungodly  men,  and  to  profess  the  truths  and  obey  the 
precepts  of  Christ;  not  inquiring  how  far  we  may  do  it  without  incur¬ 
ring  reproach,  contempt,  opprobrious  names,  or  other  kinds  and  degrees 
of  persecution.  —  Alas  !  too  many  professed  Christians  seem  openly  to 
quit  t lie  place  of  the  servants  of  God,  and  doers  of  his  commandments, 
to  set  up  for  judges,  and  to  prescribe  to  their  fellow-servants,  or  decide 
on  their  eternal  state.  But  let  us  leave  them,  and  all  others,  to  their 
own  Master,  remembering,  that  ‘there  is  one  Lawgiver,  who  is  aide  to 
save  and  to  destroy  ;’  and  let  us  be  cartful  to  judge  ourselves,  that  we  may 
not  be  condemned  by  Him  ;  Rom.  14:10 — 12.  1  Cor.  1 1 :29 — 34.  remember¬ 
ing,  that  omitting  known  duty  is  as  criminal  as  committing  known  sin.  S. 


V.  13 — 17.  The  apostle  next  proceeds  to  reprove  and  expose  the  self- 
sufficiency,  worldly  spirit,  and  unbelieving,  irreligious  language,  which 
were  manifested  by  many  in  another  way.  The  expression,  ‘Go  to 
now,’  or  ‘  Come  now,’  here  implied  strong  disapprobation,  and  a  call 
to  any  one  to  consider  the  absurdity,  or  ungodliuess  of  his  conduct.  M. 
R.  1.  ,  Scott. 

(13.)  Most  of  the  eastern  merchants  are,  and  have  ever  been,  more 
or  less,  pedlers,  going  out  for  a  year  and  more,  and  tarrying  a  longer  or 
shorter  time  in  a  city.  See  Bush's  Illustrations.  The  Jews  were  thus 
constantly  trading  to  Tyre,  Babylon,  Alexandria,  Antioch,  Ephesus,  Co¬ 
rinth,  Rome,  &c.  Ed. 

(14.)  Vapor.]  The  beautiful  allusion  is  (comp.  Hos.  6:4.  Arc.)  to  the 
dew-cloud,  or  river-mist  of  the  early  morning,  which,  as  the  sun  mounts, 
is  seen  soon  to  attenuate  and  exhale.  Id. 

(15.)  ‘Tlie  Jews  begin  nothing  without  an  if  God,  or  if  the  name 
will,  and  they  abbreviated  the  phrase  to  its  initials.  So  the  Mohamme¬ 
dans  begin  every  writing  with  bismi/lah,  i.  e.  in  the  name  of  God ;  the 
Greeks  use  sun  TheO  ;  the  Latins,  Deo  volente.'  Burper. 

(17.)  ‘  1  appeal  to  every  man  who  has  ever  used  his  [time  and]  sub¬ 

stance  for  the  welfare,  and  especially  the  spiritual  welfare,  of  others. 
Of  ail  the  money  he  has  expended  that  has  yielded  him  the  most  pleas¬ 
ure  which  has  bean  devoted  to  benevolent  purposes.  On  the  score  of 
enjoyment,  the  gratification  of  all  the  animal  appetites,  all  the  selfish 


desires,  and  even  the  domestic  and  social  affections  falls  infinitely  below 
tlie  gratification  of  Christian  benevolence.  And,  us  it  is  so  much  su¬ 
perior  to  other  pleasures,  so  it  is  more-permanent.  Low,  selfish  grati¬ 
fications  afford  no  pleasure  in  review,  and  are  generally  succeeded  by 
the  bitterness  of  remorse.  Hence,  the  lovers  of  worldly  pleasure  avoid 
reflection,  and  seek  relief  in  new  scenes  of  dissipation.  But  the  man 
of  active  benevolence  loves  to  recall  past  pleasures,  and  iu  the  recol¬ 
lection,  with  a  peaceful  conscience  and  new  excitement  of  benevolent 
feeling,  he  enjoys  them  again  and  again.  Be  rich  therefore  in  good 
works.'  Rev.  Hr.  Woods.  —  ‘Though  tlie  assertion  may  fly  like  chain 
shot  among  us,  and  rake  down  all  before  it,  1  will  again  and  again 
assert,  that  every  one  of  us  might  do  more  good  than  he  does  :  and 
therefore  we  ought  to  be  exceedingly  humbled,  that  we  have  done  so 
little  good  in  the  world.  I  am  not  uncharitable  in  saying,  lhat  I  know 
not  one  assembly  of  Christians  on  earth,  which  ought  not  to  lie  a  Bo- 
chim  on  this  consideration.  The  most  useful  men  in  tlie  world  have  gone 
out  of  it,  crying,  “Lord  forgive  onr  sins  of  omission.”  ’ — ‘  Those  who 
devote  themselves  to  good  devices,  and  who  duly  observe  their  oppor¬ 
tunities  to  do  good,  usually  find  a  wonderful  increase  of  their  oppor¬ 
tunities.  As  when  a  stone  falls  into  a  pool,  —  one  circle  and  service 
will  produce  another,  till  they  extend, — who  can  tell  how  far.  Mather. 

NOTES.  CHxp.  V.  V.  1—6.  The  apostle  ...  wrote  only  a  short 
time  before  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem,  even  before  those  tremendous 


A.  D.  60. 


JAMES,  V. 


Judgments  denounced  against  oporessors. 


2  Your  ricnes  b  are  corrupted,  and 
your  garments  are  '  moth-eaten. 

3  Your  gold  and  silver  is  canker¬ 
ed,  and  the  rust  of  them  shall  he  a 
witness  against  you,  and  shall  eat 
your  flesh  as  it  were  Arc.  Ye  have 
heaped  d  treasure  together  for  the 
last  days. 

4  Behold,  the  hire  'of  the  labor¬ 
ers  who  have  reaped  down  your 
fields,  which  is  of  you  kept  back  by 
fraud,  crieth  :  and  the  cries  of  them 
which  have  reaped  are  entered  fin- 
to  the  ears  of  the  Lord  of  Sabaoth. 

5  Ye  have  lived  in  pleasure  son 
the  earth,  and  been  wanton  ;  ye 
have  nourished  your  hearts,  as  in  a 
day  - of  slaughter. 

6  Ye  have  condemned  and  killed 
the  just;  and  he  doth  not  resist  hyou. 

b  Jo.  17:1!.  e  Jr.  22:13.  g  T.u.  16:19,85. 

c  Job  13:28.  Mai.  3:5.  h  Mat.  5:39. 

d  Ro.  8:5.  f  Es.  82:87. 


addressed  were  not  professed  Christians,  but 
the  worldly,  unbelieving  Jews,  such  as  are 
here  said  to  condemn  and  kill  the  Just  the 
infidel  Jews  would  not  hear  the  Word, 
therefore  it  is  written,  that  they  might  read 
it  ;  it  is  observable,  this  epistle  is  not  di¬ 
rected,  as  Paul’s  epistles  were,  to  the  breth¬ 
ren  in  Christ,  but,  in  general,  to  the.  twelve 
tribes  ;  and  the  salutation  is  not,  grace  and 
peace  from  Christ,  but,  in  general,  greeting  ; 
ch.  1:1.  many  poor  among  the  Jews  be¬ 
lieved  ;  but  the  generality  of  the  rich  re¬ 
jected  Christianity,  were  hardened  in  unbe¬ 
lief,  and  hated  and  persecuted  those  who  be¬ 
lieved  ;  to  these  oppressing,  unbelieving, 
persecuting,  rich  people,  (he  apostle  directs 
himself  in  the  first  six  verses. 

lie  foretells  the  judgments  of  God,  that 
should  mine  on  them,  ti.  1,  3.  miseries,  and 
such  dreadful  miseries,  that  the  very  appre¬ 
hension  of  them  was  enough  to  make  them 
weep  and  howl  ;  misery  that  should  arise 
from  the  very  things  in  which  they  placed 
their  happiness,  and  misery  that  should  he 
completed  by  these  things  witnessing  against 


them  at  the  last,  to  their  utter  destruction  ; 
and  they  are  now  called  to  reason  upon,  and 
thoroughly  to  weigh,  the  matter,  and  to 
think  how  they  will  stand  before  God  in 
judgment.  Rich  men  are  apt  to  say  to  them¬ 
selves,  (and  others  are  ready  to  say  to  them,) 
Eat,  drink,  and  be  merry  ;  hut  God  says, 
Weep  and  howl.  It  is  not  said,  Weep  and 
repent,  for  this  the  apostle  does  not  expect 
from  them,  (he  speaks  in  a  way  of  denounc¬ 
ing  rather  than  admonishing,)  but,  Weep 
and  houi,  for,  when  your  doom  comes,  there 
will  be  nothing  but  weeping,  and  wailing,  and 
gnashing  of  leith.  Those  who  live  like 
beasts,  are  called  to  howl  like  such.  Public 
calamities  are  most  grievous  to  rich  people, 
who  live  in  pleasure,  and  are  secure  and 
sensual  ;  and  therefore  they  shall  weep  and 
howl  more  than  other  people  for  the  miseries 
that  shall  come  upon  them.  They  think  to 
heap  up  treasure,  for  their  last  days,  to  live 
plentifully  on  w  hen  old  ;  hut  alas  !  they  are 
only  heaping  up  treasures  to  become  a  prey 
to  others  ;  (as  the  Jews  had  all  taken  from 
them  by  the  Romans  ;)  and  treasures  that 
will  prove  at  last  to  he  only  treasures  of 
wrath,  iii  the  day  of  the  revelation  of  the  right¬ 
eous  judgment  of  God  ;  then  shall  their  ini¬ 
quities,  in  the  punishment  of  them,  eat  their 
flesh,  as  it  were  with  fire.  In  the  ruin  of 
Jerusalem,  many  thousands  perished  by  fire; 
in  the  last  judgment  the  wicked  shall  be  con¬ 
demned  to  everlasting  burnings,  prepared  for 
the  devil  and  his  angels. 

The  Lord  deliver  us  from  the  portion  of 
wicked  rich  men!  and,  in  order  to  this,  let 
us  take  care  that  we  do  not  fall  into  their 
sins,  which  we  are  next  to  consider. 

1.  Covetousness  ;  laid  by  garments,  and 
hoarded  up  gold  and  silver  :  it  is  a  very  great 
disgrace  to  these  things,  that  they  carry  in 
them  the  principles  of  their  own  corruption 
and  consumption  ;  but  the  disgrace  is  most 
heavy  on  those  w  ho  hoard  and  lay  up  these 
tilings  till  they  come  to  be  thus  corrupted, 
and  cankered,  and  eaten.  God  gives  us  our 
worldly  possessions,  that  we  may  honor  Him, 
and  do  good  with  them  ;  but  if,  instead  of 
that,  we  sinfully  hoard  them  up,  through  an 
undue  affection  toward  them,  or  a  distrust 
of  the  providence  of  God  for  the  future,  this 
is  a  very  heinous  crime,  and  will  be  witness¬ 


ed  against  by  the  very  rust  and  corruption 
of  the  treasure  thus  heaped  together. 

2.  Oppression,  v.  4.  Those  who  have 
wealth  in  their  hands,  get  power  into  their 
hands,  and  then  they  are  tempted  to  abuse 
that  power  to  oppress  such  as  are  under 
them:  the  rich,  having  power  in  their  hands, 
probably  made  as  hard  bargains  with  the 
poor  as  they  could  ;  and,  even  after  that, 
would  not  make  good  their  bargain  as  they 
should  have  done.  This  is  a  crying  sin,  an 
iniquity  that  cries  so  as  to  reach  the  ears  of 
God  ;  and,  in  this  case,  God  is  to  be  con¬ 
sidered  as  the  Lord  of  sabaoth,  or  the  Lord  of 
hosts, — a  phrase  often  used  in  the  Old  Test, 
when  the  people  of  God  were  defenceless, 
and  wanted  protection  ;  and  when  their  en¬ 
emies  were  numerous  and  powerful.  The 
Lord  of  hosts,  who  has  all  ranks  of  beings 
and  creatures  at  his  disposal,  and  who  sets 
all  in  their  several  places.  He  hears  the.  oj>- 
pressed  when  they  cry,  by  reason  of  the  crullty 
or  injustice  of  the  oppressor,  and  He  will  order 
some  of  his  hosts, — angels,  devils,  storms, 
distempers,  or  the  like, —  to  avenge  the 
wrongs  done  to  those  who  are  dealt  with 
unrighteously  and  unmercifully.  Take  heed 
of  this  sin  of  defrauding  and  oppressing,  and 
avoid  the  very  appearances  of  it. 

3.  Sensuality  and  voluptuousness,  v.  5. 
God  does  not  forbid  us  to  use  pleasure  ;  but 
to  live  in  it  as  if  we  lived  for  nothing  else, 
is  a  very  provoking  sin  ;  and  to  do  this  on 
the  earth,  where  we  are  but  strangers  and 
pilgrims,  to  continue  but  for  a  while,  ami 
where  w'e  ought  to  he  preparing  for  eternity, 
— tli  is,  this  is  a  grievous  aggravation  of  the 
sin  of  voluptuousness.  Luxury  makes  people 
wanton,  as  in  Hos.  13:6.  It  is  hard  for 
people  to  have  great  estates,  and  not  too 
much  indulge  themselves  in  carnal,  sensual 
pleasures.  Some  may  say,  ‘  What  harm  in 
good  cheer,  provided  people  do  not  spend 
above  what  they  have  ?  ’  What!  is  it  no 
harm  for  people  to  spend  that  in  superflui¬ 
ties,  w  hich  ought  to  be  spent  in  charity ;  and 
to  unfit  themselves  for  minding  the  concerns 
of  their  souls,  by  indulging  the  appetites  of 
their  bodies'?  Surely  that  which  brought 
flames  on  Sodom,  and  would  bring  these 
miseries  for  which  rich  men  are  here  called  to 
weep  and  howl,  must  be  a  heinous  evil  ! 


desolations,  which  Christ  had  predicted,  and  his  disciples  expected, 
Mat.  24:  Mark  13:  Luke  21 :  Above  ail  their  other  crimes,  tlie  Jews 
had  iniquitously  condemned  and  crucified,  with  the  suffrage,  as  it  were, 
of  the  whole  nation,  that  ‘  Just  One  ’  who  had  come  among  them,  even 
‘Jesus  Christ  the  righteous,’  and  they  still  perpetuated  that  enormous 
crime,  by  persecuting  his  meek  and  harmless  followers.  Hitherto  He 
had  not  resisted  them,  but  had  meekly  and  patiently  endured  their  inju¬ 
ries,  and  they  had  no  pretence  for  their  outrageous  enmity  and  cruelty 
to  Hint  and  his  disciples.  But  He  was  about  to  come,  and  to  execute 
most  terrible  vengeance  on  them.  (3)  Cankered.]  From  ios,  poison, 
or  rust,  3:8.  Rom.  3:13.  The  rust  of  some  metals  is  poisonous  ;  lienee 
the  same  word  signifies  botli  rust  and  poison. — (4)  Lord  of  sabaoth.] 
Jehovah  sabaoth,  ‘  Lord  of  hosts,’  occurs  continually  in  tile  O.  T.  and 
the  apostie,  referring  to  it,  retains  the  Ifeb.  word  sabaoth. ;  yet  substi¬ 
tutes  Kurins,  Lord,  for  Jehovah,  which  is  not  used  in  the  N.  T.  Sc. 

'2,3.)  ‘Those  treasures  which  have  been  amassed,  and  suffered  to 
rust  and  deeny  in  useless  hoards,  instead  of  having  been  brightened  by  a 
liberal  circulation,  “will  lie  a  witness  against  yon,  and  will  eat  your 
tlesh  as  it  were  fire,”  i.  e.  will  show  that  you  have  not  properly  em¬ 
ployed  litem,  and  will  consequently  occasion  severe  misery  and  woe.’ 
Holden.  Mat.  8:4.  10:18.  [Indeed,  as  wealth  is  a  talent  committed  to 
one's  stewardship,  it  seems  improper  to  wait  till  the  grasp  upon  it  is 
loosening  by  death,  before  it  is  employed,  for  one  knows  not  the  mis¬ 
chief  or  good  it  may  do  ;  whereas,  were  it  properly  laid  out  by  its  pos¬ 
sessor  in  service  to  God  and  man,  while  enjoying  the  use  of  his  abilities, 
its  disposal  could  be  regulated  to  the  best  ad  van  I  age.  And  this  would 
seem  to  be  a  duty  ;  and  the  accumulation  of  wealth,  with  an  intention  to 
give  it  away,  when  one  can  retain  it  no  longer,  is  unwise,  at  the  least.] 

‘  Bp.  Jebb  well  remarks,  that  “  the  enumeration  of  the  various  kinds  of 
wealth,  is  a  poetical  amplification,  containing  a  climax.  Three  kinds  of 
wealth  are  intended  :  1.  stores  of  corn,  wine,  oil,  &c.  liable  to  putrefac¬ 
tion  ;  2.  wardrobes  of  rich  garments;  among  the  ancients,  especially  the 
orientals,  a  principal  portion  of  their  wealth  [for  their  fashions  do  not 
change],  and  proverbially  the  prey  of  the  moth  (see  Is.  51.8.);  3.  treasures 
of  gold  and  silver,  liable  to  rust,  or,  at  least,  to  change  of  color. — Again; 
the  rust  of  the  precious  metals,  rising  as  a  witness  against  avaricious 
hoarders,  is  a  very  noble  personification  :  and  the  terror  is  heightened, 
when,  in  the  next  line,  it  becomes  a  fire  that  preys  upon  their  vitals.” 
From  the  classics,  it  fully  appears,  that  the  gold  and  silver  utensils  of 
ancient  times,  were  subject  to  something  like  rust;  probably  from  the 
metal  having  a  greater  proportion  of  alloy  than  that  of  modern  times. 
[Certain  gases  tarnish  both  gold  and  silver.]  In  eat,  Ac.  Pott  supposes 
an  image,  borrowed  from  the  painful  and  deleterious  effects  of  rust  when 
rubbed  into  raxv  flesh  ;  an  apt  designation  of  the  present  misery  and  fu¬ 

[584] 


ture  woe,  unutterable  and  never  ending,  which  results  from  the  abuse 
of  riches,  or  the  amassing  of  them  by  unlawful  methods.  Yet  there  is,  I 
conceive,  also  an  allusion  to  the  “fire  that  is  not  quenched,”  which 
must  partly  be  alluded  to  in  the  next  clause;  with  which,  indeed,  many 
eminent  comtrs.  ancient  and  modern,  construe  the  preceding  words,  in 
thesen.se,  “ye  have,  as  it  were,  treasured  up  fire  to  consume  you  in 
the  last  days.”  But  there  appears  no  reason  to  abandon  the  common 
construction,  by  which  the  words  are  taken  with  the  preceding.  As  to 
Dr.  Burton’s  objections,  that  “  it  occasions  a  confusion  of  metaphor,  and 
leaves  the  verb  lay  up  without  an  accusative ;”  the  former  is  of  n» 
weight  in  a  passage,  like  this,  of  JEschylean  sublimity;  and  the  latter  is 
urterly  without  force;  since  the  accusative,  by  a  common  idiom,  is  in¬ 
cluded  in  the  verb  itself.  So  Bp.  Jebb  well  explains,  “Ye  have  laid  up 
treasures  for  the  ‘  last  days  :  ’ — treasures  !  but  of  what  kind  ?  Let  the 
last  days  tell:  the  days  of  the  destruction  of  your  nation.”  Paul  (Rom. 
2:5.)  fully  expresses  what  James  indignantly  suppresses,  “treasuring 
up  wrath  against  the  day  of  wrath.”  The  mythological  fiction  of  Tan¬ 
talus  (who  was  punished  with  an  insatiable  desire  for  what  he  could  not 
enjoy),  inculcates  a  fine  moral  lesson,  respecting  the  punishment  of 
avarice  even  in  this  world.’  See  Bloomfield’s  N.  T.  with  Notes.  Bl. 

(3.)  ‘  The  man  who  possesses  riches,  and  who  lives  and  dies  in  an  age 

like  this,  without  giving  any  considerable  portion  to  benevolent  and 
pious  objects,  has  no  honor  from  God,  and  deserves  none  from  man.  He 
sinks  himself,  his  name,  and  his  riches,  into  contempt :  and  though  he 
leaves  a  large  estate  to  his  heirs,  he  leaves  no  blessing  of  God  with  it.’ 

Rev.  I)r.  Woods. 

(4.)  Hire  of  laborers  kept  back  by  fraud.]  How  common  a  sin,  yet 
how  seldom  noted  !  How  often,  in  a  case  of  bankruptcy,  are  the  rich 
secured,  and  the  poor  denied  their  hard  earnings.  How  much  of  their 
only  property,  time,  is  stolen,  by  compelling  day-laborers  to  call  again 
and  again  for  daily  or  weekly  wages,  ‘kept  back  :  ’  and  how  entirely  is 
the  consequent  misery  forgotten,  yea,  their  wages  spent  in  extrava¬ 
gance,  and  wanton  luxuries.  How  many  females  are  thus,  or  from  in¬ 
sufficient  wages,  tempted  to  prostitution,  how  many  negroes  to  despair 
in  bitter  bondage  by  this  selfishness  !  Better,  fitr  better,  for  master  and 
for  slave,  white  or  black,  to  hire  liberally  and  pay  punctually.  See 
treatises  on  Political  Economy.  Ed. — ‘Alas  !  how  much  of  the  silver  and 
the  gold  of  the  world  is  buried  in  hands,  where  it  is  little  better  than 
conveyed  back  to  the  mines  whence  it  came  !’  Mather. 

(6.)  The  just  ]  ‘  Bp.  Middleton  remarks,  that  the  hypothetic  use  of 
the  article,  by  which  ton  dikaion  [singular]  would  he  for  tons  dikaious, 
[plural,]  is  much  too  strong;  and  the  strictly  definitive  use  would  point 
out  tlie  eminently  Just  One.  On  any  other  supposition  than  that  the 
passage  was  meant  of  the  condemnation  of  our  Savior,  terms  so  obvi- 


A.  D.  60. 

7  1  Be  patient  therefore,  brethren, 
unto  the  coming  of  the  Lord.  Be¬ 
hold,  the  husbandman  waiteth  for 
the  precious  fruit  of  the  earth,  and 
hath  long  patience  for  it,  until  he 
receive  the  >  early  and  latter  rain. 

8  Be  ye  also  patient ;  stablish 
vour  hearts:  for  k  the  coming  of  the 
Lord  dravveth  nigh. 

9  1  Grudge  not  one  against  anoth¬ 
er,  brethren,  lest  ye  be  condemned: 
behold,  the  judge  standeth  m  before 
the  door. 

10  Take,  my  brethren,  the  proph¬ 
ets,  who  have  spoken  in  the  name 
of  the  Lord,  for  an  example  of  suf¬ 
fering  n  affliction ^.and  of  patience. 

11  Behold,  we  count  them  0  hap¬ 
py  which  endure.  Ye  have  heard  of 
the  patience  Pof  Job,  and  have  seen 
the  end  ^  of  the  Lord;  that,  the  Lord 
is  very  pitiful,  and  of  tender  mercy. 

[Practical  Observations.] 

12  But  above  all  things,  my  breth- 


i  or,  Be  long  pa¬ 
tient  ;  or,  Suf¬ 
fer  icilh.  long 
patience. 
j  De.  11:14. 


k  Re.  22:20. 

1  or,  groan ;  or 
grieve. 
m  Re.  3:20 
u  He.  11:35 — 38. 


o  Ps.  94:12. 

Mat.  5:10. 
p  Job  1:21,  &c. 
q  Job  4*2:10,  &c. 


Pride ,  and  idleness,  and  fulness  of  bread, 
mean  the  same  tiling  with  living  in  pleasure, 
and  being  wanton,  and  nourishing  the  heart 
as  in  a  day  of  slaughter. 

4.  Persecution,  v.  6.  This  fills  up  the 
measure  of  their  iniquity.  They  oppressed, 
to  get  estates  ;  when  they  had  them,  they 
gave  way  to  luxury  and  sensuality,  till  they 
had  lost  all  sense  and  feeling  of  the  wants  or 
afflictions  of  others ;  and  then  they  persecute 
and  kill  without  remorse  :  they  pretend  to 
act  legally,  indeed  ;  they  condemn  before 
they  kill;  but  unjust  prosecutions, whatever 
color  of  law  they  may  carry  in  them,  will 
come  into  the  reckoning  when  God  shall 
make  inquisition  for  blood,  as  well  as  massa¬ 
cres  and  downright  murders.  Thus  far  the 
address  to  sinners  goes. 

II.  We  have  next  subjoined  an  address 
to  saints  :  some  despise  or  condemn  this  way 
of  preaching  to  sinners,  and  to  saints  ;  hut, 
from  the  apostle’s  here  taking  this  method, 
we  may  conclude,  that  this  is  the  best  way 
rightly  to  divide  the  Word  of  truth.  From 
what  has  been  said  concerning  wicked  and 
oppressing  rich  men,  occasion  is  given  to 
administer  comfort  to  God’s  afflicted  people. 


JAMES,  V. 

1.  Attend  to  your  duty  ;  Be  patient,  v.  7. 
stablish  your  hearts,  v.  8.  grudge  not  one 
against  another,  brethren,  r.  9.  Consider 
well  the  meaning  of  these  three  expressions: 
(1.)  ‘  Be  patient  ;  hear  your  afflictions  with¬ 
out  murmuring,  your  injuries  without  re¬ 
venge  ;  and  though  God  should  not  in  any 
signal  manner  appear  for  you  immediately, 
wait  for  Him.  Let  your  patience  be  length¬ 
ened  out  to  long-suffering  ;’  so  the  word 
here  used  signifies.  When  we  have  done 
our  work,  we  have  need  of  patience  to  stay  for 
our  reward.  Be  patient  to  the  coming  of  the 
Lord.  And  because  this  is  a  lesson  Chris¬ 
tians  must  learn,  though  ever  so  hard  or 
difficult,  it  is  repeated  in  v.  8.  Be  ye  also 
patient.  (2.)  ‘  Stablish  your  hearts  ;  let  your 
faith  be  firm,  without  wavering  ;  your  prac¬ 
tice  of  what  is  good,  constant,  and  continu¬ 
ed,  without  firing  ;  and  your  resolutions  for 
God  and  heaven  fixed,  in  spite  of  all  suffer¬ 
ings  or  temptations.’  The  prosperity  of  the 
wicked,  and  the  affliction  of  the  righteous, 
have,  in  all  ages,  been  a  very  great  trial  to 
the  faith  of  the  people  of  God.  So  David, 
Ps.  73:  2.  Some  to  whom  James  wrote, 
might  probably  be  in  tile  same  tottering  con¬ 
dition  ;  therefore  they  are  called  on  to  es¬ 
tablish  their  hearts  ;  faith  and  patience  will 
establish  the  heart.  (3.)  Grudge  not  one 
against  another ;  the  words  signify,  Groan 
not  one  against  another ;  that  is,  ‘  Do  not 
make  one  another  uneasy  hy  your  murmur¬ 
ing  groans  at  what  befals  you  ;  your  dis¬ 
trustful  groans  as  to  what  may  further  come 
upon  you  ;  your  revengeful  groans  against 
the  instruments  of  your  sufferings  ;  or  hy 
your  envious  groans  at  those  who  may  be 
free  from  your  calamities  :  do  not  make 
yourselves  and  one  another  uneasy,  by  thus 
groaning  to  and  grieving  one  another.’  Dr. 
Manton  thinks  James  refers  here  to  differ¬ 
ent  classes  of  Christians,  as  of  circumcision 
and  uncircumcision,  at  variance  with  each 
other.  Those  who  are  in  the  midst  of  com¬ 
mon  enemies,  and  in  suffering  circumstances, 
should  be  more  especially  careful  not  to 
grieie  one  another,  otherwise  judgments  will 
come  on  them  as  well  as  others  ;  and  the 
more  such  grudgings  prevail,  the  nearer  do 
they  show  judgment  to  be. 

2.  Consider  what  encouragement  here  is 
for  Christians  to  be  patient,  to  stablish  their 
hearts,  and  nut  to  grudge  one  against  another. 
(1.)  ‘  Look  to  the  example  of  the  husband¬ 
man  ;  and  if  you  should  be  called  to  wait  a 
little  longer  than  the  husbandman,  is  not  a 
crown  of  glory  something  proportionably 
greater,  and  infinitely  more  worth  your  wait¬ 
ing  for!’  ‘But,’  (2.)  ‘  Think  how  short  your 


Exhortation  to  patience. 

waiting  time  may  possibly  be,  v.  8,  9.  Do 
not  be  impatient,  do  not  quarrel  with  one 
another  ;  the  great  Judge,  who  will  set  all 
to  rights,  is  at  hand  :  lie  should  be  conceiv- 
ed  by  you  as  at  the  door .’  The  coming  of  the 
Lord,  to  punish  the  wicked  Jews,  was  then 
very  nigh,  when  James  wrote  this  epistle  ; 
and,  whenever  the  graces  of  his  people  are 
tried  in  an  extraordinary  manner,  the  cer¬ 
tainty  of  Christ’s  coming  as  Judge,  and  the 
nearness  of  it,  should  establish  their  hearts. 
The  Judge  is  now  a  great  deal  nearer,  in  his 
coming  to  judge  the  world,  than  when  this 
epistle  was  written  ;  therefore  this  s^puld 
have  the  greater  effect  on  us.  (3.)  The 
danger  of  our  being  condemned  when  the 
Judge  appears,  should  excite  us  to  mind  our 
duty  as  before  laid  down  ;  Grudge  not,  lest 
ye  be  condemned.  Fretfulness  and  discontent 
expose  us  to  the  just  judgment  of  God,  and 
we  bring  more  calamities  on  ourselves  by 
our  murmuring,  distrustful,  envious  groans 
and  grudgings  against  one  another,  than  we 
are  aware  of.  If  we  avoid  these  evils,  and 
be  patient  under  our  (rials,  God  will  not  con¬ 
demn  to.  Let  us  encourage  ourselves  with 
this.  (4.)  We  are  encouraged  to  be  patient, 
by  the  example  of  the  prophets,  v.  10.  Ob¬ 
serve,  here.  The  prophets,  on  whom  God  put 
the  greatest  honor,  and  for  whom  He  had 
the  greatest  favor,  were  most  afflicted  :  and 
when  we  think  that  the  best  men  have  had 
the  hardest  usage  in  this  world,  we  should 
hereby  be  reconciled  to  affliction.  Observe, 
further,  Those  who  were  the  greatest  exam¬ 
ples  of  suffering  affliction,  are  also  the  best 
and  greatest  examples  of  patience:  tribulation 
worketh  patience.  Hereupon  James  gives  it 
us  as  the  common  sense  of  the  faithful,  v.  11. 
We  count  them  happy  who  endure  :  we  look 
upon  righteous  and  patient  sufferers  as  (he 
happiest  people.  See  ch.  1:2 — 12.  (5.) 

Job  also  is  proposed  as  an  example  for  the 
encouragement  of  the  afflicted,  v.  11.  Un¬ 
der  all  his  miseries,  he  was  patient  and 
humble  ;  and  what  came  to  him  in  the  end  ! 
Why,  Iruly,  God  accomplished  and  brought 
about  those  things  for  him,  that  plainly  prove 
the  Lord  is  very  pitiful,  and  of  tender  mercy. 
The  best  way  to  bear  afflictions,  is,  to  look 
to  the  end  of  them  ;  and  the  pity  of  God  is 
such,  that  lie  will  not  delay  the  bringing  of 
them  to  an  end,  when  his  purposes  are  once 
answered  ;  and  the  tender  mercy  of  God  is 
such,  that  He  will  make  his  people  an  abun¬ 
dant  amends  for  all  their  sufferings  and 
afflictions. 

V.  12 — 20.  This  epistle  now  drawing  to 
a  close,  the  penman  goes  off  very  quick  from 
one  thing  to  another  ;  hence  it  is  that  mat- 


PRACT.  OBS.  V.  1 — 11.  The  rich,  who  are  luxurious  and  haughty, 
yea,  all  who  now  scornfully  refuse  to  mourn  for  (heir  sins,  will  soon  he 
forced  to  ‘weep  and  howl,  under  the  miseries  which  are  coming  upon 
them.’  The  doom  of  unfaithful  stewards  will  then  be  very  dreadful  ; 
but  (lie  cruel  injustice  and  oppression,  with  which  many  treat  their  de¬ 
pendents  and  laborers,  by  whose  toil  and  ingenuity  they  are  enriched, 
and  whom  they  leave  to  penury  and  distress,  will  cry  for  most  tremen¬ 
dous  vengeance,  ‘  in  the  ears  of  the  Lor.o  of  hosts.’ — But  let  the  poor 
mid  afflicted  Christian  ‘  patiently  wait  for  the  coming  of  his  Lord,’  as 
‘the  husbandman  waits  for  the  precious  fruit  of  the  earth;’  the  good 
seed,  which  he  now  sows  in  pain,  and  waters  with  tears,  will  spring  up 
and  soon  ripen  to  a  harvest  of  eternal  joy.  Ps.  120:5,6.  P.  O.  Let  us 

otMly  applicable  to  that  event  would  hardly  have  been  employed. 
“  Moreover,”  says  Bp.  Jebb,  “our  I.ord  is  often  so  styled  in  Scripture; 
as  Ac.  3:14,  15.  7:5.  And  tile  murder  of  our  Lord  was  the  great  national 
transgression  of  the  Jews,  and  therefore  likely  to  be  mentioned  bv  James 
as  the  consummation  of  their  apostasy.”  MidJ.  tr.  “  The  Savior  op¬ 
poses  not  your  perverseness,  but  leaves  you  u  prey  to  the  delusion;”  or, 
as  Bp.  Jebb  paraphrases,  “lie  is  not  arrayed  against  you;  you  feehse- 
enre;  you  despise  the  Crucified,  as  still  powerless  to  vindicate  his  own 
cause,  and  to  protect  his  followers  :  but  wait :  the  time  of  his  array  will 
come  ;  the  day  of  vengeance  is  at  hand.”  ’  Bloom  f. 

V.  7,  8.  He  primarily  meant  the  providential  coming  of  the  Lord  Je¬ 
sus,  to  deliver  them  from  the  persecution  of  the  Jewish  rulers,  and  to 
execute  vengear.cer on  that  devoted  nation;  yet  He  intended,  no  doubt, 
to  lead  their  thoughts  forward  to  the  hour  of  death,  and  the  coming  of 
Christ  to  judgment.  Mat.  24:  25.  (7)  Be  patient .]  The  verb,  and  its 

derivatives,  are  used,  for  the  forbearance,  winch  God  exercises  towards 
sinners,  in  delaying  to  punish  them  ;  10.  Rom.  2:4.  9:22.  2  Pet.  3:9,  15. 
of  the  same  lenity,  exercised  by  tnen;  Mat.  18:26,  29.  Jets  26:3.  1  Cor. 
13:4.  Eph.  4:2.  1  Thes.  5:14. ;  of  the  Lord’s  delay  to  rescue  his  perse¬ 
cuted  servants;  Luke  13:7.  ami  of  man’s  patient  waiting  for  and  ex¬ 
pecting  promised  mercies,  in  persevering  faith  and  obedience ;  Gal. 
5:22.  Heb.  6:15.  ,  Scott. 

14.  t.  roL.  v.  74 


then  1  patiently  continue  in  well  doing,’  having  ‘our  hearts  established 
with  grace.’  and  realizing  expectations  of  the  great  day  of  retribution. — 
It  does  not  become  Christians  to  grudge  one  against  another,  or  to  envy, 
repine,  despond,  or  dispute;  rather  let  us  prepare  to  meet  our  ‘Judge, 
who  staudeth  at  the  door,’  that  we  may  not  be  condemned  at  his  com¬ 
ing. — The  event  will  clear  up  the  darkness  of  all  the  Lord’s  dealings 
with  his  people  ;  and  whatever  they  or  others  have  thought  during  the 
continuance  of  their  trials,  in  the  end  it  will  appear  as  evident  in  the 
case  of  every  one  of  them,  as  it  did  in  that  of  Job,  nay,  far  more  illus¬ 
triously  evident,  that  ‘  the  Lord  is  pitiful  and  of  tender  mercy,’  and  that 
they  are  happy,  who  patiently  trust  in  Him,  and  keep  his  command¬ 


ments. 


Scott. 


V.  9—11.  It  would  also  be  wholly  inconsistent  for  the  Christians  to 
grudge  one*  another  the  transient  advantages  whicli  some  possessed  and 
others  did  not  ;  or  to  give  way  to  envy,  discontent,  repinings,  or  resent¬ 
ment  ;  lest  ‘  the  coming  of  the  Lord  ’  should  prove  their  condemnation, 
instead  of  their  redemption. — (9 )  Grudge.]  A/anfc  7:34.  Rom.  8:23.  2  Cor. 
5:2.  Heb.  13:17. — The  temptation  to  envy  the  prosperity  of  their  op¬ 
pressors,  to  murmur  under  their  own  sufferings,  and  to  allow  a  spirit  of 
resentment  against  their  enemies,  seems  especially  meant.  Scott. 

(10.)  ‘  The  example  of  God  is  constantly  proposed  to  us  in  Scripture, 

ns  the  most  unexceplionably  worthy  of  our  imitation.  But  God  being  no 
object  of  our  senses,  the  Script  ure  hath  added  to  it  that  of  Christ,  the  vis¬ 
ible  Image  of  the  invisible  God.  But  here,  again,  there  is  a  sort  ol  ex¬ 
cuse  for  falling  so  very  far  short  of  our  Pattern,  from  the  frailties i  ol i  our 
nature,  and  the  turbulencies  of  our  passions.  To  remove,  tberetorc,  an 
exceptions  of  this  sort,  we  have  the  rules  of  morality  reduce ed  to  prac¬ 
tice,  by  men  like  ourselves,  who  had,  indeed,  the  divine  assis  ..®? , 
strengthen  their  infirmity  ;  and  so  may  we,  if  we  seek  it  ns^ 

V.  12.  ‘  It  was  a  proverbial  manner,  amoiig^the^Jews, ...  of  charac¬ 

terizing  a  man  of  s 
and  his  no  is  no  ; 
is  ;  and  as  he  promises,  so 


as  a  proverbial  manner,  among  . 

if  strict  probity  and  good  faith,  by  saying,  His  yes  is  yes, 
I  •  i  e  you  may  depend  on  his  word  ;  as  he  declares,  so  it 
1 ,  1.  e.  yuu  niay  u  camvbell.  ‘  We  ought  never  to 

•omises,  so  he  will  ao.  oampocu.  °  [585] 


74 


A.  D.  6(J. 


JAMES,  V. 


Caution  against  swearing. 


ren,  swear  rnot,  neither  by  heaven, 
neither  by  the  earth,  neither  by  any 
other  oath:  but  let  your  yea  be  yea, 
and  your  nay,  nay;  lest  ye  fall  into 
condemnation. 

13  Is  any  among  you  afflicted  ? 
•  let  him  pray.  Is  any  merry  ?  let 
him  *  sing  psalms. 

14  Is  any  sick  "  among  you  ?  let 
him  call  for  the  elders  of  the  church; 
and  let  them  pray  over  him,  anoint¬ 
ing  him  with  oil  in  the  name  ot  the 
Lord : 

r  Ma.  5:34.  &c.  Jo.  2:2,  Sc.  u  Mu.  15:18. 

8  2  Cb.  $3:1*2.  t  Ep.  5:19. 

ters  so  very  different  are  insisted  on  in  these 
few  verses. 

I.  Tlieslnofswearing  is  cautioned  against, 
v.  12.  Some  understand  this  too  strictly, 
as  if  the  meaning  was,  4  Swear  not  at  your 
persecutors ;’  but  the  apostle’s  warning  ex¬ 
tends  to  other  occasions  of  swearing  as  well 
as  this  j  some  have  translated  above,  by  before; 
and  so  made  the  sense  to  he,  that  they  should 
not,  in  common  conversation,  before  every¬ 
thing  they  say,  put  an  oath.  Profane  swear¬ 
ing  was  very  customary  among  the  Jews  ; 
and,  since  this  epistle  is  directed  in  general 
to  the  twelve  tribes  scattered  abroad,  we  may 
conceive  this  exhortation  sent  to  those  who 
believed  not.  It  is  hard  to  suppose  swear¬ 
ing  should  be  one  of  the  spots  of  God’s  clul- 
dien  ;  but,  possibly,  some  of  the  looser  sort 
of  those  called  Christians,  might,  among 
other  sins  here  charge  I  on  them,  be  guilty 
also  of  this.  It  is  a  sin  that  has  most  scan¬ 
dalously  prevailed,  and  many  make  light  of 
nothing  so  much  as  common  profane  swear¬ 
ing  !  But  why,  above  all  things,  is  swearing 
here  forbidden  1  Because  it  strikes  most 
directly  at  the  honor  of  God,  and  lias,  of  all 
sins,  the  least  temptation  to  it;  neither  gain, 
nor  pleasure,  nor  reputation,  that  can  move 
men  to  it,  but  a  wantonness  in  sinning,  and 
a  needless  showing  of  enmity  to  God,  Ps. 
13.9:20.  This  is  a  proof  of  men’s  being 
enemies  to  God  ;  it  is  also  a  sin  that  is  most 
hardly  left  off  when  once  men  are  accustom¬ 
ed  to  it  ;  therefore  it  should,  above  all  oth¬ 
ers,  be  watched  against.  And  once  more, 
Above  all  things,  swear  not  ;  for  bow  can 
you  expect  God  should  be  a  strong  tower  to 
you  in  your  distress  1 

Baxter  observes,  1  All  this  is  so  far  from 


forbidding  necessary  oaths,  that  it  is  but  to 
confirm  them,  by  preserving  the  due  rever¬ 
ence  of  them.’  And  then  he  further  notes, 
4  That  the  true  nature  ol  an  oath  is,  by  our 
speech,  to  pawn  the  reputation  of  some  certain 
or  great  thing,  for  the  averring  of  a  doubted 
less  thing;  and  not,  as  is  commonly  held, 
an  appeal  to  God,  or  other  judge.’  Hence 
it  was  that  swearing  by  the  heavens,  and  by 
the  earth,  and  by  the  other  oaths  the  apostle 
refers  to,  came  to  be  in  use.  The  Jews 
thought  if  they  did  but  admit  the  great  oath 
of  Chi-Eloah,  they  were  safe.  But  they  grew 
so  profane  as  to  swear  by  the  creature,  as  il 
it  was  God;  while,  on  the  other  hand,  they 
who  swear  commonly  and  profanely  by  the 
name  of  God,  do  hereby  put  Him  on  the 
level  with  every  common  thing. 

But  let  your  yea  be  yea,  and  your  nay  nay ; 
lest  ym  fall  into  condemnation  ;  that  is,  4  Let 
it  suffice  you  to  affirm  or  deny  a  thing  as 
there  is  occasion  ;  it  is  being  suspected  of 
falsehood,  that  leads  men  to  swear.  Let  it 
be  known  that  you  keep  to  truth,  and  are 
firm  to  vour  word,  and  by  this  mean  you 
w  ill  find  there  is  no  need  to  swear  to  what 
you  sav.  Tints  shall  you  escape  the  condem¬ 
nation  which  is  expressly  annexed  to  the 
third  commandment  ;  The  L  ad  wilt  not  hold 
him  guiltless,  that  laketh  his  name  in  rain. 

II.  As  Christians,  we  are  taught  to  suit 
ourselves  to  the  dispensations  of  Providence, 
v.  13.  Our  condition  in  this  world  is  vari¬ 
ous;  and  our  wisdom  is  to  submit  to  its  be¬ 
ing  so,  and  to  behave  as  becomes  us,  both 
in  prosperity  and  under  affliction.  Afflic¬ 
tions  should  put  us  on  prayer  ;  and  prosper¬ 
ity  should  make  us  abound  in  praise.  Not 
that  prayer  is  to  be  confined  to  a  lime  of 
trouble,  or  singing  to  a  time  of  mirth  ;  but 
these  several  duties  may  be  performed  with 
special  advantage,  and  to  the  happiest  pur¬ 
poses,  at  such  seasons. 

1.  In  a  day  of  affliction,  nothing  is  more, 
seasonable  than  prayer,  'l’lie  person  afflicted 
must  pray  himself,  as  well  as  engage  the 
prayers  of  others  for  him.  Times  of  afflic¬ 
tion  should  be  praying  times.  Is  any  afflict¬ 
ed.  ?  Let  him  pray. 

2.  In  a  day  of  mirth  and  prosperity, sing¬ 
ing  psalms  is  very  proper  and  seasonable.  In 
the  original  it  is  only  said,  sing,  without 
the  addition  of  psalms,  or  any  other  word  ; 
and  we  learn  from  the  writings  of  several  in 
the  first  ages  of  Christianity,  (particularly 
from  a  letter  of  Pliny’s,  and  from  some  pas¬ 
sages  in  Justin  Martyr  and  Tertullian,)  that 


the  Christians  were  used  to  sing  hymns, 
either  taken  out  of  Scripture,  or  of  more 
private  composure,  in  their  worship  ol  God. 
Though  some  have  thought  that  Paul’s  ad- 
■  vising  both  the  Colossians  and  Ephesians  to 
speak  one  to  dnother  in  psalms,  and  hymns, 

:  and  spiritual  songs,  refers  only  to  the  com- 
'  positions  of  Scripture;  the  Psalms  of  David 
being  distinguished  in  Heb.  by  Shurim,  le- 
hilhrn,  and  Mizmorim,  words  that  exactly 
1  answer  these  of  the  apostle.  Let  that  be  as 
it  will,  this  we  are  sure  of,  that  singing 
psalms  is  a  gospel-ordinance,  and  that  our 
joy  should  he  holy  joy,  consecrated  to  God. 
j  Holy  mirth  becomes  families  and  retire- 
j  ments,  as  well  as  public  assemblies.  Let 
I  our  singing  be  such  as  to  make  melody  with 
our  hearts  unto  the  Lord,  and  God  will  as* 

!  suredly  be  well  pleased  with  this  kind  of 
j  devotion. 

Ill.  We  have  particular  directions  given 
as  to  sick  persons  ;  and  healing,  pardoning 
mercy  promised,  on  the  observance  of  those 
directions,  v.  14,  15.  If  any  be  sick,  they 
are  required,  1.  To  send  fur  the  elders,  the 
'  presbyters,  pastors  or  ministers  of  the  church. 
j  It  lies  on  sick  people  as  a  duty,  to  send  for 
;  ministers,  and  to  desire  their  assistance  and 
!  their  prayers.  2.  It  is  the  duty  of  ministers 
|  to  pray  over  the  sick,  when  thus  desired 
j  and  called  for.  3.  In  the  times  of  tniracu- 
1  Ions  healing,  the  sick  teas  to  be  anointed  with 
;  oil  in  the  name  of  the  Lord.  Expositors  gen- 
'  erally  confine  this  anointing  with  oil  to  such 
as  had  the  power  of  working  miracles  ;  and 
when  miracles  ceased,  this  institution  ceased 
!  also.  In  Mark’s  gospel  we  read  of  the 
'  apostles’  anointing  with  oil  many  that  were 
sick,  and  healing  them,  Mk.  6:  13.  And  u e 
have  accounts  of  this  being  practised  in  the 
church  two  hundred  years  after  Christ  ;  but 
then  the  gift  of  healing  also  accompanied  it; 
when  that  miraculous  gift  ceased,  this  t  ile 
was  laid  aside.  The  papists,  indeed,  have 
made  a  sacrament  of  this,  which  they  call 
the.  extreme  unction.  They  use  it,  not  to  heal 
the  sick,  as  it  was  used  by  the  apostles  ; 
hut,  as  they  generally  run  counter  to  Scrip¬ 
ture,  in  the  appointments  of  their  church,  so 
here  they  ordain,  that  this  should  be  admin¬ 
istered  only  to  such  as  are  at  the  very  point 
of  death.  The  apostles’  anointing  was  in 
order  to  heal  thedisease;  the  popish  anoint¬ 
ing  is  for  the  expulsion  of  the  relics  of  sin, 
and  to  enable  the  soul,  as  they  pretend,  the 
better  to  combat  with  the  powers  of  the  air. 
Some  Protestants  have  thought  that  this 


swear,  but  to  be  so  universally  observant  of  truth  in  our  conversation, 
that  our  word  may  always  be  regarded  as  an  oath.’  Philo,  in  Campbell. 

Scott. 

(13.)  Notes,  Epli.  5:19.  Col.  3:16.  ‘The  heathens/ in  their  drunken 
festivals  to  the  god  of  wine,  used  to  celebrate  his  bounty  in  impure  and 
wanton  songs.  The  Ephesians,  [&c..]  just  converted  from  paganism, 
the  apostle  instructs  in  a  more  excellent  devotion, — to  sing  not  impure, 
but  spiritual  songs;  not  to  the  god  of  wine,  but  to  the  Lord  of  nature; 
not  so  as  to  corrupt  blit  to  comfort  and  edify  one  another.  Singing  is 
enjoined  [on  us]  as  a  sacred  branch  of  social  worship.  We  are  wonder¬ 
fully  made;  and  the  capacity  of  uttering  a  tuneful  variety  of  sounds,  is 
not  the  smallest  wonder  in  nnr  formation  ;  and  there  is  the  same  reason 
why  the  musical,  as  any  other  faculty,  should  be  consecrated  to  God. — 
Psalmody  was  an  instituted  part  of  the  Jewish  worship.  Many  devout 
songs  and  psalms  were  composed  by  inspiration,  and  from  the  days  of 
David,  there  was  a  select  number  of  singers,  instructed  and  supported  at 
public  expense,  to  carry  on  this  branch  of  worship.  In  the  N.  T.  we 
tiud  that  psalmody  is  an  ordinance  of  Christ.  After  the  institution  of 
the  Lord’s  Supper,  “they  sung  a  hymn.”  Paul  and  Silas  in  prison, 
“  snug  praises  to  God.”  The  apostle  exhorted  the  Ephesians  and  Col- 
ossians,  to  maintain  this  branch  of  worship.  The  early  fathers  exhorted 
the  church  to  do  the  same,  and  heathen  writers  say,  41  It  was  a  custom 
among  Christians  to  assemble  on  a  certain  day,  and  sing  hymns  to 
Christ,  as  unto  God  ;  ”  and  the  church  in  heaven  are  represented  as 
“  singing  the  song  of  Moses  and  the  Lamb,”  and  41  singing  a  new  song.” 
Ity  psalms ,  then,  is  doubtless  intended  that  book  which  passes  under  this 
name,  and  is  canonical ;  by  hymns ,  perhaps  such  compositions  as  those 
ot  Moses,  Hannah,  Simeon,  .x-r.  ;  t > y  spiritual  songs ,  those  which  were 
oompn-ed  under  the  immediate  influence  of  the  Spirit.  That  there  was 
such  a  spiritual  gift  in  the  apostolic  age.  is  evident  from  1  Cor.  14.'— The 

apostle  directs  us  to  sing,  mak  ing  melody, — with  the  understanding , _ 

with  grace, — teaching  and  admonishing  one  another.  The  use  of  mu¬ 
sic  in  worship,  is,  to  assist  and  enliven  the  devotion  of  the  heart;  and 
when  performed  with  skill,  melody  of  sound,  and  exactness  of  time,  and 
harmony,  it  greatly  contributes  to  this  end.  But  a  confused  nnd  grat¬ 
ing  discord  chills  devotion,  and  damps  the  ardor  of  the  sou).  Great  care 
was  taken  that  singers,  in  Jewish  worship,  should  be  well  instructed. 
We  may  form  some  conception  of  the  solemnity  of  the  temple-worship, 


by  the  allusions  to  it  in  Rev.  5,  &c. — Singing  being  a  part  of  religious 
worship,  it  should  ns  well  as  our  prayers  be  directed  to  God.  We  must 
l;  make  melody  ill  our  hearts,” — sing  with  a  sense  of  God’s  presence,  and 
with  affections  corresponding  to  the  matter  of  the  psalm.  If  the  sub¬ 
ject  he  petition,  confession,  thanksgiving,  or  adoration,  our  hearts  must 
hnrmonize  witli  it.  AIL  should  take  a  part  in  it,  and  if  any  are  unable  to 
join  with  their  voices,  they  should  not  less  than  others  make  melody  in 
their  hearts.  Every  one  according  to  his  ability  is  bound  to  promote 
the  psalmody  of  the  church;  as  many  as  are  capable,  by  acquiring  the 
skill  and  taking  an  active  part,  and  they  who  cannot  do  this,  by  aiding 
and  furnishing  others  the  means  of  instruction,  by  countenancing  efforts 
to  improve  it,  and  by  cheerfully  sharing  in  the  expense  of  maintaining 
it.  Finally,  let  the  thought  be  deeply  impressed  on  every  heart,  that 
psalmody  is  a  branch  of  divine  worship ;  not  a  theatrical  exhibition, 
but  a  religious  solemnity.'  [Comp.  Eph.  5:19.]  Lathrop. 

V.  14,  15.  As  miraculous  cures  are  not  now  expected,  the  symbolical 
action  of  4  anointing  with  oil’  cannot  properly  be  retained. — It  need 
scarcely  he  observed,  that  the  extreme  unction ,  used  by  the  church  of 
Rome,  totally  differs  from  the  anointing  recommended  by  James:  for 
that  is  never  administered,  till  the  sick  person  is  supposed  to  be  at  the 
point  of  death,  and  no  hope  is  entertained  of  his  recovery  :  so  ihat  a 
spiritual  benefit  alone  can  be  proposed  by  the  ceremony;  which  on  the 
contrary  serves  merely  as  an  opiate,  to  quiet  and  stupify  the  conscien¬ 
ces,  both  of  the  dying,  and  of  the  living. — It  cannot  be  supposed,  that 
these  miraculous  cures  could  be  performed  at  all  times  :  hut  there  seems 
to  have  been  some  impression  on  the  mind  of  the  person,  who  wrought 
the  miracle,  and  a  peculiar  exercise  of  faith  in  Christ  for  that  purpose. 
It  might  be  proper  for  Christians,  nlwavs,  when  sick,  to  send  for  iheir 
pastors  to  counsel  and  pray  for  them  ;  though  the  visiting  of  the  sick,  by 
ministers  exclusively,  is  not  particularly  spoken  of  in  Scripture,  as  it 
might  have  been  expected  that  it  would. — The  indiscriminate  visiting, 
praying  in  the  same  words  for  persons  of  nil  characters,  and  giving  the 
Lord’s  supper  to  sick  nnd  dying  persons,  without  particular  and  appro¬ 
priate  instructions  and  exhortations,  as  it  is  too  commonly  managed,  is 
doubtless  of  extremely  bad  tendency,  and  a  relic  of  popish  superstition 
and  formality.  For  il  not  only  gives  a  false  quiet  to  manv  of  those,  who 
have  then  first  begun  to  think  about  God  and  their  souls,  hut  it  en¬ 
courages  others  to  procrastinate,  under  a  delusive  imagination,  that  a 


A.  D.  60. 


JAMES,  V. 


The  power  of  prayer  described. 


15  And  the  prayer  of  faith  shall 
save  the  sick,  and  the  Lord  shall 
raise  him  up;  and  if  The  have  com¬ 
mitted  sins,  thev  shall  be  forgiven 
him. 

16  Confess  "  your  faults  one  to 
another,  and  pray  one  for  another, 
that  ye  may  he  healed.  The  effec¬ 
tual  fervent  prayer  of  a  righteous 
man  availeth  1  much. 

17  Elias  was  a  man  subject  to  like 
passions  as  we  are,  and  he  y  prayed 
1  earnestly  that  it  might  not  rain  ; 
and  it  rained  not  on  the  earth  by  the 
space  of  three  years  and  six  months. 

18  And  he  prayed  a  again,  and  the 
heaven  gave  rain,  and  the  earth 
brought  forth  her  fruit. 

19  Brethren,  if  any  of  you  do  err 

v  la-.  33:21.  x  Ps.  1J5:19.  r  oi%  in  omyer, 

w  Ac.  19:13.  y  1  K.  17:1.  n  IK.  18:42,45. 

anointing  was  only  permitted  or  approved 
by  Christ,  not  instituted.  But  it  should 
seem,  by  James  here,  that  it  was  enjoined 
in  cases  where  there  was  faith  for  healing. 
And  some  Protestants  have  argued  for  it 
with  this  view.  It  was  not  to  be  common¬ 
ly  used,  not  even  in  the  apostolical  age  ; 
and  some  have  thought  it  should  not  be  whol¬ 
ly  laid  aside  in  any  age  ;  but  that,  where 
there  are  extraordinary  measures  of  faith  in 
the  person  anointing,  and  in  those  who  are 
anointed,  an  extraordinary  blessing  may  at¬ 
tend  the  observance  of  this  direction  for  the 
sick.  However  that  be,  one  thing  is  care¬ 
fully  to  be  observed  here,  that  the  saving  of 
the  sick  is  not  ascribed  to  the  anointing  with 
oil.  but  to  prayer,  t;.  15.  So  that,  4.  Prayer 
ever  the  sick  must  •proceed  from,  and  be  accom¬ 
panied  with ,  a  lively  faith.  There  must  be 
faith  both  in  the  person  praying,  and  in  the 
person  prayed  for.  5.  We  should  observe  the 
success  of  prayer.  The  Lord  shall  raise  up  ; 
that  is,  if  God  has  anything  farther  for  such 
a  person  to  do  in  the  world.  And  if  he  have 
committed  sins,  they  shall  be  forgiven  him  ; 
i.  e.  where  sickness  is  sent  as  a  punishment 
for  some  particular  sin,  that  sin  shall  be  par¬ 
doned  ;  and  in  token  thereof,  the  sickness 
shall  be  removed.  As  when  Christ  said  to 


the  impotent  man,  Go  and  sin  no  more,  lest 
a  worse  thing  come  unto  thee,  it  is  intimated 
that  some  particular  sin  was  the  cause  of  his 
sickness.  The  great  thing,  therefore,  we 
should  beg  of  God  for  ourselves  and  others 
in  the  time  of  sickness,  is,  the  pardon  of 
sin.  When  healing  is  founded  on  pardon, 
we  may  sav  as  Hezekiah  did  ;  Thou  hast, 
in  love  to  my  soul,  delivered  it  from  the  pit  of 
corruption,  Isa.  3S:  17.  When  you  are  sick, 
and  in  pain,  it  is  most  common  to  pray  and 
cry.  Oh  give  me  ease  !  Oh  restore  me  to  health  ! 
But  vour  prayer  should  rather  and  chiefly 
be,  Oh  that  God  would  pardon  my  sins  ! 

IV.  Christians  are  directed  to  confess 
their  faults  one  to  another,  and  so  to  join  in 
their  prayers  with  and  for  one  another,  v.  16. 
Some  expositors  connect  this  v.  16.  with 
v.  14.  As  if,  when  gick  people  send  for 
ministers  to  pray  over  them,  they  should  then 
confess  their  faults  to  them.  Indeed,  where 
any  are  conscious  that  their  sickness  is  a 
vindictive  punishment  of  some  particular 
sin,  it  may  be  proper  they  should  do  so,  that 
those  who  pray  over  them  may  know  how  to 
plead  rightly  for  them.  Bat  the  confession 
here  required,  is,  that  of  Christians  one  to 
another,  and  not,  as  the  papists  would  have 
it,  to  a  priest.  Where  persons  have  injured 
one  another,  acts  of  injustice  must  be  con¬ 
fessed  to  those  against  whom  they  have  been 
committed.  Where  persons  have  tempted 
one  another  to  sin,  or  have  consented  in  the 
same  evil  actions,  there  they  ought  mutually 
to  blame  themselves,  and  excite  each  other 
to  repentance.  Where  crimes  are  of  a  pub¬ 
lic  nature,  and  have  done  any  public  mis¬ 
chief,  there  they  ought  to  be  more  publicly 
confessed,  so  as  may  best  reach  to  all  who 
are  concerned.  And  sometimes  it  may  be 
well  to  confess  our  faults  to  some  prudent 
minister,  or  praying  friend,  that  they  may 
help  us  to  plead  with  God  for  mercy  and 
pardon.  But  then  we  are  not  to  think  James 
puts  us  on  telling  everything  that  we  are 
conscious  is  amiss  in  ourselves,  or  in  one 
another:  lxit  so  far  as  confession  is  necessa¬ 
ry  to  our  reconciliation  with  such  as  are  at 
variance  with  us,  or  for  reparation  of  wrongs 
done  to  any,  or  for  gaining  information  in 
any  point  of  conscience,  and  making  pur 
own  spirits  quiet  and  easy  ;  so  far,  we 
should  be  ready  to  confess  our  faults.  And 
sometimes,  also,  it  may  be  of  good  use  to 


Christians,  to  disclose  their  peculiar  weak¬ 
nesses  and  infirmities  to  one  another,  where 
there  arc  great  intimacies  and  friendships ; 
and  where  they  may  help  each  other  by  their 
prayer  to  obtain  pardon  of  their  sins,  and 
power  against  them.  Those  who  make 
confession  of  their  faults  one  to  another, 
should,  thereupon,  pray  with  and  for  one 
another.  The  13ili  verse  directs  persons  to 
pray  for  themselves ;  Is  any  afflicted,  let  Him 
pray  :  the  14th  directs  to  seek  for  the  pray¬ 
ers  of  ministers  ;  and  the  16th  directs  pri¬ 
vate  Christians  to  pray  one  for  another  ;  so 
that  here  we  have  all  sorts  of  prayer  (min¬ 
isterial,  social,  and  secret)  recommended. 

V.  The  great  advantage  and  efficacy  of 
prayer  is  declared  and  proved  ;  witness  the 
example  of  Elias,  v.  17,  18.  He  who  prays, 
must  be  a  righteous  man  ;  not  righteous  in 
an  absolute  sense,  (for  this  Elias  was  not, 
who  is  here  made  a  pattern  to  tis,)  but 
righteous  in  a  gospel-sense  ;  not  loving  or 
approving  of  any  known  iniquity,  Ps.  66'  18. 
Further,  the  prayer  itself  must  be  a  fervent, 
in -wrought,  well -wrought  prayer,  a 
pouring  out  of  the  heart  to  God,  from  faith 
unfeigned.  Such  prayer  avails  much.  It  is 
of  great  advantage  to  ourselves,  may  be 
very  beneficial  to  our  friends,  and  we  are 
assured  is  acceptable  to  God.  It  is  good 
having  those  for  friends,  whose  prayers  are 
available  in  the  sight  of  God. 

The  power  of  prayer  is  here  proved  from 
the  success  of  Elijah,  who  prayed  earnestly, 
or  as  it  is  in  the  original,  in  prayer  he  prayed. 
Thus,  you  see,  prayer  is  the  key  which 
opens  and  shuts  heaven,  to  which  Rev.  11 : 
6.  alludes,  and  this  instance  of  the  extraor¬ 
dinary  efficacy  of  prayer  is  recorded,  for  en¬ 
couragement  even  to  ordinary  Christians  to 
be  instant  and  earnest  in  prayer.  If  Elijah 
by  prayer  could  do  such  great  and  wonder¬ 
ful  things,  surely  the  prayers  of  no  right¬ 
eous  man  shall  return  void. 

VI.  This  epistle  concludes  with  an  exhor¬ 
tation  to  do  all  we  can  in  our  places  to  further 
and  promote  the  conversion  and  salvation  of 
others,  v.  19,  20.  Some  interpret  these  vs. 
as  the  apostle’s  apology  for  so  plainly  and 
sharply  reproving  the  Jewish  Christians  for 
tlieir  many  faults  and  errors.  But  tve  are 
not  to  restrain  this  place  to  the  apostle’s 
converting  such  as  erred  from  the  truth  ; 
since,  let  him  be  who  he  will  that  does  so 


confession,  a  prayer,  a  ministerial  absolution,  and  the  sacrament,  will 
set  all  right  at  last;  without  any  previous  diligence  in  the  duties  of  a 
godly  life.  On  the  other  hand,  if  nothing  hut  a  miraculous  cure  was 
sought,  there  could  he  no  sufficient  reason,  why  ‘  the  elders  of  the 
church,’  rather  than  others,  who  were  endued  with  miraculous  gifts 
should  be  sent  for.  The  plural  number  is  used;  and,  where  it  could  be 
obtained,  the  presence  of  more  than  one  minister  would  be  desirable  : 
but  it  cannot  be  supposed,  that  this  was  indispensably  necessary. — 
That  any  difficulty  should  be  found,  about  the  persons  intended  by  *  the 
elders  of  the  church,’  would  have  been  inconceivable  to  the  author,  had 
lie  never  read  anything  on  the  subject,  except  the  N.  T.  :  but  some 
have  supposed  that  the  apostles  themselves  are  meant  !  S;orr. 

(14.;  Oil,  &c.l  On  this  subject  wc  get  little  satisfaction  from  comtrs., 
who  take  opposite  views,  according  to  their  respective  habits  of  beljev- 
iug  too  little  or  too  much  :  and  the  reader  will  form  his  opinion  from  the 
text.  1  There  can  he  little  doubt,’  says  lit.,  ‘  that  in  the.  next  generation 
the  thing  became  (what,  indeed,  most  recent  comtrs.  here  suppose  it)  a 
solemn  religious  ceremony,  comprehending  a  symbolical  rite,  the  use 
of  which  tended  to  produce  the  blessings  prayed  for,  as  far  as  was  con¬ 
sistent  with  the  plans  of  divine  Providence.’  ‘As  the  miraculous  gifls 
of  healing  have  long  ceased,  the  symbolical  ceremony  rf  anointing  with 
oil  ought  not  to  he  retained.’  Bl ■  Ed. 

V.  16— IB.  Such  a  confession  of  faults  one  to  another,  does  not  in  any 
respect  resemble  the  practice,  which  the  church  of  Rome  had  absurdly 
grounded  upon  it,  of  the  laity  being  required  to  confess  all  their  secret 
sins  to  the  priests,  in  order  to  their  being  pardoned  nnd  absolved.  For 
thus,  that  order  of  men,  who  are  in  themselves  no  less  ambitious,  in¬ 
terested,  and  prone  to  vice,  than  other  orders  in  the  society,  is  put  in 
possession  of  the  secrets  of  families,  nay,  of  councils  and  princes,  of 
which  they  have  made  abundant  use,  to  their  own  aggrandizement,  to 
the  enslaving  of  the  laity,  and  for  many  other  most  mischievous  purpo¬ 
ses.  Thus  also  they  discover  the  weak  and  vulnerable  side  of  almost 
every  individual ;  which  opens  the  way  to  their  attempting  and  com¬ 
mitting  crimes  of  every  kind.  Rut  ‘the  confession  of  faults,’  spoken  of 
by  the  apostle,  is  no  more  that  of  a  layman  to  a  priest,  than  that  of  a 
priest  to  a  layman  :  it  is  reciprocal  between  Christians  ;  and  voluntary , 
that  it  may  be  regulated  according  to  prudence  and  propriety,  for  the 
benefit  of  mutual  exhortations  and  prayers. — This  example  [of  Elias  or 
Elijah]  seems  rather  to  favor  the  opinion  of  those,  who  supposed  the 
apostle  to  refer  to  ‘the  prayer  of  faith,’  as  it  respected  miraculous  in¬ 
terpositions  :  but  the  efficacy  of  that  prayer,  which  is,  in  all  ages,  pre¬ 
sented  under  the  teaching  and  influences  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  is  through¬ 


out  the  Scripture  so  fully  declared,  that  this  exclusive  interpretation  is 
here  inadmissible.  (16)  Effectual  fervent.]  EncrgoumenS.  1  Cor.  12:6, 
11.  Ep.  1 :1 1.  2:2.  3:20.  Ph.  2:13.  It  may  be  understood  either  actively,  (as 
the  middle  voice, 1  or  passively.  Actively,  it  signifies  efficacious,  effec¬ 
tual  ;  but  this  seems  a  mere  tautology,  being  equivalent  to  availelli  t 
or,  it  means  energetic,  implying  the  earnestness  and  fervency  employed. 
Passively,  it  denotes  the  energy  by  which  the  Holy  Spirit  prepares  the 
heart  for  genuine  prayer.  Ps.  10:17,  18.  Rom.  8:24 — 27.  ‘The  earnest 
prayer  of  a  righteous  man,  the  effect  of  good  affections  wrought  in  his 
heart  by  the  energy  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  is  of  great  efficacy.’  Doddr — 
[For  it  is  the  will  of  God  acting  itself  out,  with  omnipotence;  the  word 
signifying  inwrought.  Rom.  8:26,  27.  Ed.]  Scott. 

(16.)  ‘Of  course,  this  passage  will  by  no  means  support  the  Romish 
practice  of  auricular  confession,  especially  to  a  priest;  for  the  confes¬ 
sion,  in  the  present  case,  is  supposed  to  be  made  to  the  injured  person, 
in  order  to  he  forgiven.’  It  is  astonishing  that  human  nature  should  be¬ 
come  so  degraded,  and  should  so  have  lost  the  principles  of  liberty  of 
thought  and  of  conscience,  as  to  submit  to  so  flagrant  an  imposition  of 
priestcraft.  Indeed  the  Editor  has  known  of  some,  who  have  been  so 
trampled  under  spiritual  despotism,  as  actually  to  believe,  that  their 
priest  could  smite  with  death,  turn  one  black,  or  arrest  a  mortal  blow 
by  a  word  or  wish  !  What  a  pitiable  object  is  such  a  darkened  and 
spell-bound  soul ;  how  deeply  should  it  move  the  Christian  freeman  to 
use  every  proper  exertion,  with  all  love  and  meekness,  by  precept,  and 
especially  example,  to  bring  such  a  fellow-creature  into  the  light  and 
liberty  of  Christ  !  Ed — ‘There  is  no  conflict  between  our  doctrine  of 
prayer  and  that  of  the  divine  purposes. — The  purposes  of  God  embrace 
all  events,  and  in  that  very  order  in  ivhich  they  occur  in  time.  If,  in 
the  order  of  actual  occurrence,  prayer  always  precedes  the  bestowal  of 
blessings,  it  precedes  it  agreeably  to  the  divine  purposes.  If,  in  the  pur 
pose  of  God,  prayer  eternally  stands  present  as  the  immediate  condition 
of  his  favor,  it  were  inconsistent,  if  tilings  were  not  so  in  the  event.’ 

Rev.  Dr.  Skinner. 

(17.)  ‘  Elias  xvas  a  man,  Sec.  says  James,  to  wean  Christians  from  that 
false  idea  which  makes  us  reject  the  examples  of  the  saints,  as  dispro- 
portioned  to  our  own  condition.  They  were  samls,  we  say,  and  not 


men  like  us.’ 


Pascal. 


V.  19,  20.  Among  other  important  works  of  love,  which  believers  ought 
to  attempt  by  faith  and  prayer,  the  recovery  of  such  professed  Chris- 
tians  as  had  run  into  dangerous  heresies,  or  fallen  into  sin,  was  pecu¬ 
liarly  to  be  attended  to  :  especially  as  many  evils  of  this  kind  had  taken 
place  among  them.  Gal.  6:1-5.  Jude  22-25.-*  Surely  it  cannot  bjMha 


A.  t).  60. 


JAMES,  V. 


Exhortation  to  recnl  sinners 


from  the  truth,  and  one  6  convert 
him, 

20  Let  him  know,  that  he  which 
eonverteth  the  sinner  from  the  error 
of  his  way  shall  save  a  soul  from 
death,  and  shall  hide  ca  multitude 
of  sins. 

l>  Mat.  18:15.  c  Pr.  10:12.  1  Pe.  4:8. 

good  an  office,  he  is  therein  an  instrument 
of  saving  a  soul  from  death.’  Those  whom 
the  apostle  here  calls  brethren,  lie  yet  supposes 
liable  to  err.  It  is  no  mark  of  a  wise  or 
holy  man,  to  boast  of  his  being  free  from  er¬ 
ror,  or  to  refuse  to  acknowledge  when  he  is 
in  an  error.  Nor  if  any  do  err,  must  you 
be  afraid  to  show  them  their  error  ;  and  be 
they  ever  so  weak,  and  little,  you  must  not 
disdain  to  make  them  wiser  and  better.  We 
are  not  presently  to  accuse  and  exclaim 
against  an  erring  brother,  and  seek  to  bring 


reproaches  and  calamities  on  him,  but  to 
convert  him  :  and  if,  by  all  our  endeavors, 
we  cannot  do  this,  yet  we  are  nowhere  im- 
povvered  to  persecute  and  destroy  him.  It 
we  are  instrumental  in  the  conversion  of  any, 
we  are  said  to  convert  them,  though  this  be 
principally  and  efficiently  the  work  of  God. 
And  if  we  can  do  no  more  toward  the  con¬ 
version  of  sinners,  yet  we  may  do  this,  pray 
for  Lhe  grace  and  Spirit  of  God  to  convert 
and  change  them.  And  let  those  that  are 
atiy  wav  serviceable  to  convert  others,  know 
what  will  be  the  happy  consequences  of  their 
doing  this  :  they  may  take  great  comfort  in 
it  at  present,  and  they  will  meet  with  a 
crown  at  last. 

He  that  is  said  to  err  from  the  truth,  v.  1.9. 
is  described  as  erring  in  his  way,  v.  20.  and 
we  cannot  be  said  to  convert  any,  merely  by 
altering  their  opinions,  unless  we  can  bring 
them  to  correct  and  amend  their  ways.  This 
is  conversion  ;  and  he  who  thus  eonverteth 


a  sinner  from  the  error  of  his  ways,  shall 
not  only  save  a  soul  from  death,  but  by  such 
conversion  of  heart  and  life,  a  multitude  of 
sins  shall  be  hid;  a  most  comfortable  scrip¬ 
ture.  Some  make  the  sense  of  this  text  to 
be,  that  conversion  shall  prevent  a  multitude 
of  sins  ;  and  it  is  true  many  sins  are  pre¬ 
vented  in  the  party  converted  ;  many  also 
may  be  in  others  that  he  may  have  an  influ¬ 
ence  upon,  or  may  converse  with.  Upon 
the  whole,  how  should  we  lay  out  ourselves 
with  all  possible  concern  for  the  conversion 
of  sinners  !  It  will  be  for  the  happiness 
and  salvation  of  the  converted  ;  it  will  pre¬ 
vent  much  mischief,  and  the  spreading  and 
multiplying  of  sin  in  the  world  ;  it  will  be 
for  the  glory  and  honor  of  God;  and  it  will 
mightily  redound  to  our  comfort  and  re¬ 
nown  in  the  great  day.  They  that  turn 
many  to  righteousness,  and  they  who  help  to 
do  so,  shall  shine  as  the  stars  for  ever  and 
ever. 


PRACT.  OBS.  V.  12 — 20.  It  is  peculiarly  important  to  the  interests 
Of  genuine  piety,  that  all  who  profess  the  Gospel,  should  reverence  the 
name  of  God,  and  keep  at  a  distance  from  the  profane  language,  which 
abounds  in  the  world,  and  from  that  insincerity  which  is  intimately  con¬ 
nected  with  it;  that  ‘their  yea  may  be  yea,  and  their  nay,  nay.’  In¬ 
deed,  such  as  neglect  these  things  have  little  reason  to  conclude,  that 
they  shall  escape  condemnation,  when  the  Judge  appears. — The  voice 
of  prayer  should  always  accompany  that  of  our  lamentations,  when  we 
are  afflicted,  and  our  joy  should  be  expressed  in  the  language  of  praise 
and  thanksgiving. — Christians  may  profitably  confer  together  concern¬ 
ing  their  conflicts,  sins,  and  temptations;  that  they  may  eneourage, 


warn,  counsel,  exhort,  and  properly  pray  for  each  other;  and  we  ought 
greatly  to  desire,  and  highly  to  value,  the  prayers  of  our  fellow  Chris¬ 
tians;  and  to  abound  in  supplications  for  them,  1  as  the  effectual,  fervent 
prayer  of  a  righteous  man  availeth  much.’ — In  the  use  of  all  proper 
means,  every  one  of  us  should  seek  the  spiritual  good  of  our  children, 
relatives,  friends,  enemies,  and  all  around  us,  and  the  conversion  of  igno¬ 
rant  and  thoughtless  profligates  and  sinners  of  every  description.  I.et 
us  then,  in  our  several  stations,  keep  these  things  in  mind,  and  spare  no 
pains,  and  shrink  from  no  self-denial,  and  he  wearied  out  by  no  ill  suc¬ 
cess,  in  so  charitable  a  service,  and  the  event  will  prove  that  ‘  otir  labor 
was  not  in  vain  in  the  Lord.’  Scott. 


apostle’s  intention  to  tell  us,  that  the  turning  of  a  sinner  from  the  error 
of  his  way,  will  conceal,  from  the  eye  of  God’s  justice,  a  multitude  of 
sins  committed  by  the  person,  who  does  this  charitable  action,  if  he 
continueth  in  them.  Such  a  person  needs  himself  to  be  turned  “  from 
the  error  of  his  way,”  in  order  that  his  own  soul  may  be  saved  from 
death.’  Mackn.  In  no  sense  or  way  can  it  be  said,  that  our  good 
works,  of  whatever  kind,  ‘cover  the  multitude  of  our  sins,’  or  any  of 
our  sins ;  without  either  implying,  that  they  (♦tirchase  for  us  an  indul¬ 
gence,  or  dispensation,  to  continue  in  sin;  or  that  they  are  efficacious 
in  atoning  for  sin,  either  alone,  or  along  with  the  blood  of  Christ;  or 
that  by  them  we  become  interested  in  his  redemption  and  righteousness, 
and  not  by  faith  only.  The  words  referred  to,  (for  it  cannot  be  called  a 
quotation,  the  word  charity,  or  love,  being  omitted,)  are  found  in  the 
Proverbs,  in  tile  Heb.  not  the  Sept.  The  context  there  evidently  ex¬ 
cludes  this  interpretation,  and  the  use,  afterwards  made  of  them  by 
Peter,  by  no  means  favors  it.  Prov.  10:12.  1  Pel.  4:8. — ‘  lie  shall  save 
a  soul  from  eternal  death  ;  and  shall  he  the  means  that  the  many  sins  of 
that  convert  shall,  through  his  true  repentance,  be  forgiven  and  not  im¬ 
puted  to  him.’  Bp.  Hall. — The  zeal  and  diligence  thus  shown  might  in¬ 
deed  be  an  evidence  of  grace,  and  conduce  to  a  man’s  enjoying  the  com¬ 
fort  of  the  pardoning  love  of  Christ,  under  christenings  and  sorrows,  not¬ 
withstanding  his  manifold  defects:  Ps.  41:1 — 3.  yet  this  falls  vastly 
short  of  the  energy  of  the  apostle’s  words,  and  seems  not  at  all  to  have 
been  in  his  thoughts  ;  so  that  many  learned  men  have  labored  in  vain 
to  put  this  construction  upon  them.  Scott. 

(19,20.)  ‘To  the  injunctions  to  mutual  confession,  forgiveness,  and 
prayer  for  each  other,  the  apostle  now  subjoins  another,  to  co-operate  mu¬ 
tually  rrr  correcting eaclt  other’s  errors  in  the  doctrines,  or  failures  in  the- 
practice  of  Christianity.  Cover,  Arc.]  Expositors  are  not  agreed  whether 
this  is  to  be  understood,  of  the  covering- the  sins  of  the  converter  or  of 
tiie  converted.  The  former  interpretation  is  espoused  hv  Origen,  and 
sevei'ut  Latin  fathers,  and  of  the  moderns,  hv  Ham.,  Whit..  Wells, 
Pile,  Atterbury,  and  Doddr.  ;  the  latter,  by  Grot.,  Vorst.,  Est.,  Bp. 
Hill,  Wolf,  Benson,  Sherlock,  Ros.,  Mackn.,  Newc.,  Pott,  Scott,  and 
almost  all  recent  comtrs.  They  argue  (lo  use  the  words  of  Slade)  “  that 
it  seems  hardly  consonant  with  the  language  and  doctrines  of  the  Gos¬ 
pel,  that  any  sin  should  lie  forgiven,  if  it  lie  unrepenled  of,  or  persisted  in  ; 
mid  if  it  be  repented  of  and  forsaken,  it  will  he  pardoned  without  the 
meritorious  act  here  mentioned.”  Indeed,  the  context  requires  the  lat¬ 
ter  interpretation,  the  high  antiquity  of  which  appears  from  its  having 
been  adopted  by  the  Peschito  Syriac  translation.  We  are,  however, 
only  to  understand,  that  the  good  offices  of  the  reformer  will  power¬ 
fully  tend  to  procure  the  forgiveness  of  sins,  and  the  final  salvation  of 
the  penitent  sinner;  since  conversion  does  not  necessarily  imply  final 


.  E A R I , \  RELIGIOUS  EDUCATION.  The  space  here  left  cannot  I 
better  occupied,  than  by  the  following  hortatory  appeals.  Ed. 

Reader,  I  beg  of  you  as  from  Christ,  for  his  sake,  for  your  soul’s  sak 
for  your  children’s  sake,  for  the  sake  of  the  church  and  [world),  that  yc 
will  conscientiously  and  seriously  set  up  family  religion,  calling  upt 
.oil,  singing  his  praises,  and  instructing  your  children  and  servants 
the  Scripture  and  catechism,  and  in  a  wise  and  dil  gent  education  < 
youth.  Hear  me,  as  if  I  begged  it  of  you,  With  tears,  on  iny  knee 
Al  ls,  what  doth  the  world  sutler  by  the  neglect  of  this  !  It  is  out  t 
ungodly  families  that  the  world  hath  ungodly  rulers,  ungodly  minister 
and  a  swarm  of  serpentine  enemies  of  holiness  and  peace,  and  the 
own  salvation.  Wlmt  country  groaneth  not  under  the  confusions  mi 
eries  and  horrid  wickedness,  which  are  ail  the  fruits  of  family  neglect 
and  the  careless  and  ill  education  of  youth  l  It  is  a  work  or  o-re: 
skill  and  constant  care  to  instruct  and  educate  vour  children,  and  i 
keep  them  from  tempting  comimny  and  snares.  To  cry  out  of  dumb  i 
uiifliiihfut  ministers,  white  you  are  worse  at  home  vourselves,  is  hi 
self  condemnation  :  are  ministers  more  obliged  to  care  fur  your  chi 
dren’s  souls,  by  nature,  or  bv  vow  and  covenant,  than  vou  are  ?  Ca 
thev  do  that  for  whole  parishes,  which  vou  will  not  do  for  one  hotisi 
hold,  or  your  own  children?  The  first  charge  and  part  is  yours  :  i 
families  treacherously  neglect  their  part,  and  then  look  that  all  sliotil 
be  done  at  the  church,  you  may  as  wisely  send  boys  to  the  universitic; 

[588] 


perseverance ,  and  therefore  cannot  ensure  salvation.’  Bloomf. 

(20.)  ‘  It  is  obvious  to  all,  that  the  kingdom  of  Christ  can  be  extended 
in  on?  world  only  by  the  accession  o (individuals.  His  blood  avails  not 
to  the  salvation  of  men  in  the  mass ;  but  to  those  who  individually  re¬ 
pent  and  accept  of  mercy.  Yet,  to  how  great  an  extent  are  the  prayers 
and  contributions  of  Christians  made,  indefinitely,  for  the  conversion  of 
the  world  as  a  whole,  while  the  salvation  of  no  one  individual  is  the 
object  of  their  personal  and  persevering  endeavors  !  The  truth  evidently 
is,  that  personal  effort  for  the  souls  of  individuals, — the  lip,  thoughts, 
and  heart  of  a  living  man  brought  into  contact  with  the  lip,  thoughts, 
and  heart  of  a  living  man, — is  a  grand  institution  of  God  for  the 
conversion  of  the  world.  His  command  is,  “As  every  man  hath 
received  the  gift,  even  so  minister  the  same  one  to  another .”  Not  only 
“  the  Spirit  and  the  Bride,”  but  “  he  that  heareth ,”  must  “  say  come.’’ 
Christians  are  to  “  shine  as  lights  in  the  world,  holding  forth  the  Word  of 
life."  The  parable  of  Nathan  illustrates  this  principle.  “  Thou  art  the 
man,”  humbled  the  king  in  the  dust.  The  same  principle  is  exemplified 
in  the  success  of  the  personal  efforts  of  the  pious  mother  ;  of  the  skilful 
Sabbath  School  Teacher,  and  of  faithful  pastoral  visitation  ;  in  all  which 
divine  truth  is  happily  pressed  upon  the  heart  of  the  individual. 
Wherever  the  Holy  Spirit  is  largely  poured  out,  the  ministers,  and 
members  of  the  chin  ch,  abound  in  prayer  and  faithful  conversation  with 
each  other  and  the  impenitent. — Paul,  with  all  his  crushing  public  re¬ 
sponsibilities,  could  testify  to  the  Ephesian  elders,  that  he  had  labored 
among  them,  both  “  publicly  and  from  house  to  house,"  and  appeal  to 
them  ns  witnesses  of  his  fidelity  in  the  memorable  and  most  emphatic 
words,  “  Remember,  that,  bv  the  stage  of  three  tears,  I  ceased 
not  to  warn  every  one,  night  and  day  with  tears.”  Of  the  signal 
outpouring  of  the  Holy  Spirit  among  the  natives  at  Ceylon,  Rev.  M. 
Winslow  slates,  there  were  few  cases  of  permanent  conviction,  in 
which  religious  impressions  were  not  cherished  by  much  patient  labor 
of  the  missionaries,  or  their  assistants,  in  conversing  and  praying  with 
individuals  alone.  It  was  this  repeated  and  personal  application  of 
truth,  which  principally  took  effect.  This  was  the  secret  of  the  won¬ 
derful  success  of  Baxter,  at  Kidderminster.’  See  it  also  exemplified  in 
the  lives  of  numerous  faithful  ministers  and  private  Christians,  espec¬ 
ially  that  of  Harlan  Page,  by  Rev.  W.  A.  Hallock,  from  which  the 
above  extract  is  taken.  lie,  a  humble,  private  Christian,  by  the 
tower  of  prayer  and  peusonal  EFFORT,  was  the  means  under  God 
of  the  conversion  of  a  large  number  of  individuals.  And  what  encour¬ 
agement  is  given  to  those  who  thus  labor  :  they  that  be  wise  (niarg. 
teachers),  shall  shine  as  the  brightness  of  the  firmament ;  and  they  that 
turn  many  lo  righteousness  as  the  stars,  for  ever  and  ever.  1  Pet.  4; 
10.  Rev.  22:17.  ]  John  5:16.  '  Ed. 


before  they  are  taught  to  read  or  write  in  lower  schools.  If  there  he 
nny  hope  of  the  amendment  of  a  wicked,  miserable,  and  distracted 
world,  it  must  be  mostly  done  by  family-religion,  and  the  Christian  edu¬ 
cation  of  youth.’  Baxter. 

‘  Had  I  a  voice,  capable  of  reaching  the  remotest  bounds  of  Christen¬ 
dom,  I  would  lift  it  up  in  exhortation  to  parents  and  ministers,  and  say. 
Set  your  hearts  on  the  promotion  of  early  piety  in  the  children  and 
youth  committed  to  your  care.  Let  it  engage,  with  peculiar  interest, 
vour  daily  studies,  and  your  daily  prayers.  Parents  !  if  you  love  your 
children,  be  intent,  and  let  them  see  that  you  are  earnestly  intent  on 
their  eternal  welfare.  Begin  as  early  as  possible,  and  never  Intermit 
your  diligence.  Ministers  !  if  you  love  immortal  souls;  if  you  love  the 
church  of  God  ;  if  you  desire  lo  bind  the  hearts  of  parents  and  of  chil¬ 
dren  to  your  persons  and  your  ministry,  for  their  spiritual  benefit;  if 
you  desire  to  build  up  the  cause  of  Christ  in  the  most  effectual  manner, 
let  there  be  no  delay  or  intermission  in  this  most  interesting  work. 
Satan  begins  early  to  enlist  youth  into  his  service.  Set  yourselves  to  res¬ 
cue  them  front  his  (lower,  and  train  them  up  to  God.  Keep  a  catalogue 
of  their  names,  residences,  Ac.  Review  it  often  with  prayer.  Notice 
them  affectionately  in  your  daily  walks  and  visits.  Catechise  them  dili¬ 
gently.  Explain  with  condescension  what  you  attempt  to  teach  them. 
Guard  against  everything  austere  or  repulsive  in  your  manner.  And 
follow  all  with  earnest  cries  to  God  for  success.’  Dr.  Miller. 


A  N  EXPOSITION 


OF  THE 

FIRS  T  E  PI  S  T  L  E  GENERAL  OF  PETER, 

WITH 

PRACTICAL  OBSERVATIONS  AND  NOTES. 

(Henry's  Exposition ,  completed  by  Mr.  Z.  Marryat.) 


Two  epistles  we  have  in  the  canon  of  Scripture,  written  by  Peter,  a  most  eminent  apostle  of  Jesus  Christ,  whose  char¬ 
acter  shines  brightly ,  as  described  in  the  gospels,  and  the  Acts;  but,  as  painted  by  the  papists  and  legendary  writers,  a  person 
of  extravagant  pride  and  ambition. 

It  is  certain  from  Scripture,  that  Simon  Peter  was  one  of  the  first  of  those  our  Lord  called  to  be  his  disciples  and  follow¬ 
ers:  a  person  of  excellent  endowments,  both  natural  and  gracious;  of  great  parts,  and  ready  elocution;  quick  to  appre¬ 
hend,  and  bold  to  execute,  whatever  he  knew  to  be  his  duty.  When  our  Savior  called  his  apostles,  and  gave  them  their 
commission,  He  nominated  him  first;  and,  by  his  behavior  toward  him,  He  seems  to  have  distinguished  him  as  a  special 
favorite  among  the  twelve.  Many  instances  of  our  Lord’s  affection  to  him,  both  during  his  life,  and  after  his  resurrection, 
are  on  record. 

But  many  things,  confidently  affirmed  of  this  holy  man,  are  directly  false  :  as,  That  he  had  a  primacy  and  superior  power 
over  the  rest  of  the  apostles ;  that  he  was  the  sole  universal  pastor  over  all  the  Christian  world,  the  only  vicar  of  Christ  on 
earth  ;  that  he  was  for  above  twenty  years  bishop  of  Rome,  that  the  popes  of  Rome  succeed  to  Peter,  and  derive  from  him 
a  universal  supremacy  and  jurisdiction  over  all  churches  and  Christians  on  earth  ;  and  that  all  this  was  by  our  Lord’s  order¬ 
ing  and  appointment.  'Whereas,  Christ  never  gave  him  any  pre-eminence  of  this  kind,  but  positively  forbade  it,  and  gave 
precepts  to  the  contrary.  The  other  apostles  never  consented  to  any  such  claim.  Paul  declares  himself  nut  a  whit  behind 
the  vert/  chief  ext  of  the  apostles,  2  Cor.  1 1 :5.  12:11.  Here  is  no  exception  of  Peter’s  superior  dignity,  whom  Paul  took  the 
freedom  to  blame,  and  withstood  him  to  the  face,  Gal.  2:11 .  And  Peter  himself  never  assumed  anything  like  it,  but  modestly 
styles  himself  an  apostle  of  Jesus  Christ;  and  when  he  writes  to  the  presbyters  of  the  church,  he  humbly  places  himself 
in  the  same  rank  with  them  ;  The  ciders  which  arc  among  you  I  exhort,  who  am  also  an  elder,  ch.  5:1.  See  Dr.  Barrow  on 
the  pope’s  supremacy. 

The  design  of  this  first  epistle  is,  1.  To  explain  more  fully  the  doctrines  of  Christianity  to  these  newly-converted  Jews. 
2.  To  direct  and  persuade  them  to  a  holy  conversation,  in  the  faithful  discharge  of  all  personal  and  relative  duties,  whereby 
they  would  secure  their  ovvn  peace,  and  effectually  confute  the  slanders  and  reproaches  of  their  enemies.  3.  To  prepare 
tiiem  for  sufferings.  This  seems  to  be  his  principal  intention  ;  for  he  has  something  to  this  purport  in  every  chap.,  and  does, 
by  a  great  variety  of  arguments,  encourage  them  to  patience  and  perseverance  in  the  faith,  lest  the  persecutions  and  sad 
calamities  that  were  coming  on  them,  should  prevail  with  them  to  apostatize  from  Christ  and  the  Gospel. — It  is  remarkable, 
that  you  find  not  so  much  as  one  word  savoring  of  the  spirit  and  pride  of  a  pope  in  either  of  these  epistles.  *  Henry. 

The  pretensions  of  the  church  and  bishop  of  Rome  are  so  absurd  and  extravagant,  as  to  deserve  little  notice;  it  is  not 
absolutely  certain  fliat  Peter  ever  was  at  Rome  ;  though  it  is  highly  probable  he  went  thither,  towards  the  close  of  his  life  ; 
and  was  there  put  to  death  b}’  crucifixion,  at,  or  near  the  same  time,  when  Paul,  as  a  Roman  citizen,  was  beheaded,  during 
Nero’s  persecution.  He  wrote  this  epistle,  probably,  some  time  before,  lo  the  Christians  in  the  different  provinces  of  Asia 
Minor.  Many,  indeed,  and  some  of  high  respectability,  have  endeavored  to  prove,  that,  as  the  apostle  of  the  circumcision, 
he  addressed  the  Jewish  converts  only  :  but  Peter  was  distinguished,  not  only  as  the  chief  preacher  to  the  Jews  on  the  day 
of  Pentecost,  but  also  as  the  first  preacher  to  the  Gentiles.  And  as  Paul,  ‘  the  apostle  of  the  uncircumcision,’  wrote  to  the 
Hebrews,  and  in  all  his  epistles  addressed  the  Jewish  as  well  as  the  Gentile  converts;  we  may  well  suppose,  that  Peter 
addressed  the  Gentile,  as  well  as  the  Jewish  converts;  though  perhaps  with  a  peculiar  reference  to  the  case  of  the  latter. 
Acts  2: 10.  Indeed,  the  contrary  opinion  is  founded  on  some  passages  in  the  epistle,  which  are  capable  of  another,  and  more 
natural  interpretation:  while  the  apostle’s  language  in  other  places  cannot  at  all  consist  with  it.  It  also  seems  evident,  that 
he  wrote  to  the  very  churches,  which  had  been  founded  by  Paul,  intentionally  to  corroborate  his  testimony ,  and  to  confute 
those,  who  maintained  that  his  doctrine  differed  from  that  of  the  other  apostles;  and  he  sent  the  epistfle  by  Silvanus,  Paul’s 
faithful  and  constant  coadjutor;  often,  indeed,  called  Silas,  by  abreviation  ;  as  Priscilla  is  called  Prisca.  2  Tim.  4:19.  And 
as  those  churches  consisted  of  converted  Jews  and  Gentiles  ;  and  as  the  epistle  of  Peter  conveyed  instruction  equally  suited 
to  both ;  why  should  it  be  imagined,  that  he  meant  it  for  the  perusal  of  only  one  part  of  them  ?  The  epistle  is  dated  from 
Babylon,  in  the  remains  or  vicinity  of  which  city,  it  is  probable,  a  Christian  church  had  been  planted,  perhaps  consisting 
principally  of  the  descendants  of  the  Jews,  who  remained  in  those  regions  after  the  Babylonish  captivity.  For  no  satisfac¬ 
tory  reason  can  be  assigned,  for  supposing,  as  many  have  done,  in  ancient  and  modern  times,  that  here  Babylon  signifies 
Rome.  Language  of  this  kind  suited  the  nature  of  John’s  Revelation  ;  but  was  wholly  unsuitable  to  the  date  of  a  letter. 
(Note,  5:13.) — We  here  find  the  same  great  doctrines,  with  which  Paul’s  epistles  are  replete,  applied  to  the  same  practical 
purposes  And  it  is  peculiarly  remarkable  for  the  sweetness,  gentleness,  and  humble  love,  with  which  it  is  written;  which, 
indeed,  forms  a  striking  contrast  to  the  domineering  pride  and  severily,  that  characterize  the  pretended  successors  of  this 
sacred  writer. — Various  opinions  have  been  entertained  of  the  time,  when  the  epistle  was  written;  but  as  no  certainty 
seems  attainable,  it  is  dated  according  to  the  author’s  opinion  on  the’subject;  in  which,  however,  he  is  by  no  means  con¬ 
fident.  Scott. 


*  ‘  T.  H.  Horne  divides  this  epistle  into  four  sections,  besides  the  in¬ 
troduction  and  conclusion.  1.  An  exhortation  to  Jewish  Christians  to 
persevere  in  the  faith,  and  to  maintain  a  holy  conversation,  notwith¬ 
standing  their  sufferings  and  persecutions.  This  is  enforced  by  consid¬ 
ering  the  peculiar  blessings  and  privileges  freely  bestowed  on  them,  ch. 
1:3-2:10.  2.  Includes  exhortations  to  a  holy  conversation  in  general, 

ch.  2:11,  12.  and  lo  the  faithful  discharge  of  their  duties,  as  subjects  to 
their  rulers,  vs.  13 — 17.  servants  to  their  masters,  vs.  18 — 2.5.  and  hus¬ 
bands  to  their  wives,  ch.  3:1-13.  3.  Patience,  submission,  and  holiness  of 
life,  are  enforced,  by  considering  the  example  of  Christ,  ch.  3:14 — 18.  by 
the  punishment  of  the  disobedient,  as  ill  the  days  of  Noah,  v.  19 — 22.  by 
the  example  of  Christ,  by  the  conversion  of  believers  become  dead  to 
the  flesh,  ch.  4:1 — »!.  by  the  approaching  destruction  of  the  Jewish  state, 
v.  7 — 11.  and  by  the  consideration,  that,  under  the  Gospel,  afflictions 


are  the  portion  of  the  believer,  and  matter  of  joy.  v.  12 — 19.  4.  Min¬ 
isters  and  people  are  directed  respecting  their  mutual  behavior,  chap. 
.5:1—11.’ 

‘This  epistle,’  says  Leighton ,  ‘  is  a  brief,  yet  very  clear  summary, 
both  of  consolations  and  instructions  needful  for  the  encouragement  and 
direction  of  a  Christian,  in  his  journey  to  heaven;  elevating  his  thoughts 
and  desires  to  that  happiness,  and  strengthening  him  against  all  opposi¬ 
tion  in  the  way,  both  that  of  corruption  within  and  temptations  and  af¬ 
flictions  from  without.  The  heads  of  doctrine  contained  in  it  are  many, 
but  the  main  that  are  most  insisted  on,  are  these  three;  faith,  obedience, 
and  patience ;  to  establish  the  Christians  in  believing,  to  direct  them  in 
doing,  and  to  comfort  them  in  suffering;  often  setting  those  to  whom  he 
wrote,  the  matchless  example  of  the  Lord  Jesus,  and  the  greatness  of 
their  engagements  to  follow  Him.’  Henry,  abr. 


A.  D.  63. 


1  PETER.  I. 


To  whom  the  epistle  was  addressed. 


CHAP.  I. 

1  Hcblesselh  God  for  his  manifold  spiritual  graces  :  10 
shewing  that  the  salvation  in  Christ  is  *no  news,  but  a 
thing  prophesied  of  old:  13  and  exhorteth  them  accord¬ 
ingly  to  a  godly  conversation,  forasmuch  as  they  are  now 
born  anew  by  the  Word  of  God. 

PETER,  an  apostle  of  Jesus 
Christ,  to  the  strangers  scattered 
“throughout  Pontus,  Galatia,  Cap¬ 
padocia,  Asia,  and  Bithynia, 

‘2  Elect  b  according  to  the  fore¬ 
knowledge  c  of  God  the  Father, 
through  sanctification  d  of  the  Spir¬ 
it,  unto  e  obedience  and  sprinkling 
f  of  the  blood  of  Jesus  Christ ;  Grace 
unto  you,  and  peace,  be  ^multiplied. 

3  Blessed  h  be  the  God  and  Fath¬ 
er  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  which 

a  Ac.  8:4.  d  2  Th.  2:13.  g  Jude  2. 

b  Ep.  1:4.  c  Ro.  16:26.  h  2  Co.  1:3. 

c  Ro.  8:~9.  f  He.  12:24. 

Chap.  I.  V.  1,  2.  In  this  inscription  we 
have  three  parts. 

1.  Its  author  described.  (1.)  By  his 
name,  Peter.  His  first  name  was  Simon, 
and  Jesus  gave  him  the  surname  of  Peter, 
i.  e.  a  rock,  in  commendation  of  his  faith, 
and  to  denote  that  he  should  be  an  eminent 
pillar  in  the  church  of  God,  Gal.  2:  9.  (2.) 
By  his  office,  —an  apostle  of  Jesus  Christ. 
The  word  signifies,  one  sent,  a  legale,  a  mes¬ 
senger,  any  one  sent  in  Christ’s  name,  and 
about  his  work  ;  more  strictly,  the  highest 
office  in  the  Christian  church,  1  Cor.  12:  28. 
Thus  humbly  Peter  asserts  his  own  charac¬ 
ter  as  an  apostle.  Hence,  learn,  A  man 
may  lawfully  acknowledge,  and  sometimes  is 
bound  to  assert,  the  gifts  and  graces  of  God 
to  him.  To  pretend  to  what  we  have  not, 
is  hypocrisy;  and  to  deny  what  we  have,  is 
ingratitude.  It  concerns  all,  but  especially 
ministers,  to  consider  well  their  warrant 
a  id  call  from  God  to  their  work.  This  will 
j  istify  them  to  others,  and  give  them  inward 
support  and  comfort  under  all  dangers  and 
discouragements. 

2.  The  persons  described,  to  whom  this 
epistle  was  addressed. 

(1.)  Bv  their  external  condition, — Stran¬ 
gers,  dispersed  throughout  Pontus,  Galatia, 
&c.  chiefly  Jews,  descended  (so  Prideaux) 
from  Jews  transplanted  from  Babylon  into 
the  cities  of  Asia  the  less,  by  order  of  Anti- 
ochus  king  of  Syria,  about  200  years  before 
Christ  :  very  likely,  our  apostle  had  been 
among  them,  and  converted  them,  being  the 


apostle  of  the  circumcision,  and  that  lie  af¬ 
terward  wrote  this  epistle  to  them  from 
Babylon,  where  multitudes  of  the  Jewish 
nation  then  resided  :  their  circumstances 
were  poor  and  afflicted. 

(2.)  By  their  spiritual  condition,  v.  2. 
These  poor  strangers  were,  Elect,  &c.  v.  2. 
Election  is  either  to  an  office,  as  in  case  of 
Saul,  to  bp  king,  1  Sam.  10  :  24.  and  the 
twelve  to  be  apostles,  John  6  :  70.  or  to  a 
church-state,  for  the  enjoyment  of  special 
privileges;  as  Israel  was  God’s  elect,  Dent. 
7:  C.  or  to  eternal  salvation;  God  hath  from 
the  beginning  chosen  you  to  salvation,  through 
sanctification  of  the  Spirit  and  belief  of  the 
truth.  This  is  the  election  here  spoken  of; 
importing  God’s  decree  or  resolution  to 
save  some,  and  bring  them,  through  Christ, 
by  proper  means,  to  eternal  life. 

This  election  is  said  to  be  according  to  the 
foreknowledge  of  God,  i.e.  mere  prescience, 
foresight,  or  understanding  ;  as  the  mathe¬ 
matician  certainly  foreknows  that  at  such  a 
time  there  will  he  an  eclipse.  Or,  counsel, 
appointment,  and  approbation,  as  Acts  2  : 
23.  The  death  of  Christ  was  not  only  fore¬ 
seen,  but  foreordained,  as  v.  20.  Take  it 
thus  here  ;  so  the  sense  is,  elect  according  to 
the  counsel,  ordination,  and  free  grace  of 
God. 

It  is  added,  according  to  the  foreknowl¬ 
edge  of  God  the  Father,  by  which,  under¬ 
stand  the  first  Person  of  the  blessed  Trinity. 
Thus,  in  the  affair  of  man’s  redemption, 
election  is,  by  way  of  eminency,  ascribed  to 
flic  Father,  as  reconciliation  is  to  the  Son, 
and  sanctification  to  ihe  Holy  Ghost ;  though 
in  each  of  these  one  Person  is  not  so  entire¬ 
ly  interested,  as  to  exclude  the  other  two. 
Hereby  the  persons  of  the  Trinity  are  more 
clearly  discovered  to  us,  and  we  are  taught 
what  obligations  we  are  under  to  each  of 
them  distinctly. 

They  were  elect  through  sanctification  of 
the  Spirit,  unto  obedience  and  sprinkling  of  the 
blood  of  Jesus  Christ.  God’s  decree  for  man’s 
salvation  always  operates  through  sanctifi¬ 
cation  of  the  Spirit,  and  sprinkling  of  the 
blood  of  Jesus. 

By  sanctification,  here,  understand,  not  a 
federal  sanctification  only,  but  a  real  one, 
begun  in  regeneration,  and  carried  on  in  the 
daily  exercise  of  holiness,  mortifying  our 
sins  more  and  more,  and  living  to  God  in 
all  the  duties  of  a  Christian  life  ;  here 
summed  up  in  one  word,  obedience,  compre¬ 
hending  all  the  duties  of  Christianity. 


By  the  Spirit,  some  would  have  the  apos¬ 
tle  to  mean  the  spirit  of  man,  the  subject 
sanctified.  Others,  with  better  reason, 
think,  that  by  Spirit  is  meant  the  Holy 
Ghost,  the  Author  of  sanctification.  See 
Rom.  8:  13.  and  Gal.  5:  22,  23.  This  sanc¬ 
tification  of  the  Spirit  implies  the  use  of 
means,  John  17:  17. 

Unto  obedience.  This  word, as  pointed  in 
our  translation,  is  referred  to  what  goes  be¬ 
fore  it,  and  denotes  the  end  of  sanctifica¬ 
tion,  which  is,  to  bring  rebellious  sinners  to 
universal  obedience,  to  obey  the  truth  and 
gospel  of  Christ,  v.  22. 

They  were  elected  also  to  the  sprinkling 
of  the  blood  of  Jesus.  Here  is  a  manifest 
allusion  to  the  typical  sprinklings  of  blood 
under  the  law,  which  language  these  Jewish 
converts  understood  very  well.  The  blood 
of  the  sacrifices  must  not  only  be  shed,  but 
sprinkled  ;  to  denote  that  the  benefits  de¬ 
signed  thereby,  are  applied  and  imputed 
to  the  offerers.  Thus  the  blood  of  Christ, 
the  grand  and  all-sufficient  Sacrifice,  typ¬ 
ified  by  the  legal  sacrifices,  was  not  only 
shed,  hut  must  be  sprinkled  and  communi¬ 
cated  to  every  one  of  these  elect  Christians, 
that  through  faith  in  his  blood  they  may  obtain 
remission  of  sins,  Rom.  3:25.  This  blood 
of  sprinkling  justifies  before  God,  Rom.  5: 
9.  seals  the  covenant  between  God  and  us, 
of  which  the  Lord’s  supper  is  a  sign,  Luke 
22  :  20.  cleanses  from  all  sin,  1  John  1  :  7. 
and  admits  us  into  heaven,  Hel>.  10:  19. 

Note,  The  doctrine  of  the  Trinity  lies  at 
the  foundation  of  all  revealed  religion.  If 
you  deny  the  proper  deity  of  the  Son  and 
Holy  Spirit,  you  invalidate  the  redemption 
of  the  one,  and  the  gracious  operations  of 
the  other,  and  by  that  mean  destroy  the 
foundation  of  your  own  safety  and  religion. 

3.  The  salutation  follows  :  The  blessings 
desired  for  them,  are,  grace  and  peace,  as  by- 
Paul  in  his  salutations  in  his  epistles;  which 
see.  Here  is  the  request  of  prayer,  in  re¬ 
lation  to  these  blessings, — that  they  may  lie 
multiplied  ;  which  implies,  that  they  were 
already  possessed  in  some  degree.  They 
who  possess  spiritual  blessings  in  their  own 
souls,  earnestly  desire  the  communication  of 
the  same  to  others  ;  therefore,  the  apostles 
so  often  make  this  their  prayer  in  the  be¬ 
ginning  and  end  of  their  epistles. 

V.  3.  We  come  now  to  the  body  of  the 
epistle,  which  begins  with  a  congratulation 
of  the  dignity  and  happiness  of  the  state  of 
these  believers,  brought  in  under  the  form 


NOTF.S.  Chap.  1.  V.  1,  2.  The  churches  here  addressed  were  sit¬ 
uated  in  Asia  Minor,  (ns  distinguished  from  the  continent  of  Asia,)  and  Asia 
(as  mentioned  separately )  was  the  proconsular  district,  of  which  Ephesus 
was  the  capital  city,  Acts  1 9:  S — 12.  so  that  they  were  chiefly  the  church¬ 
es  which  lmd  been  planted  by  Paul,  and  by  the  evangelists  who  accom¬ 
panied  or  helped  him.  (At  II.  d— h.)  Ttie  apostle  called  the  persons 
to  whom  lie  wrote,  ‘strangers;’  and  some  have  labored  to  prove,  that 
t hey  were  ‘proselytes  of  the  gate,’  who  had  embraced  the  Gospel;  as 
Cornelius  and  his  friends  are  supposed  to  have  been  before  their  conver¬ 
sion.  Olliers  confine  it  to  the  Jewish  converts,  who  were  thus  distin¬ 
guished,  as  living  at  a  distance  from  the  promised  land,  among  the  Gen¬ 
tiles.  ilnt  as  Christians  are  ‘strangers  and  pilgrims  oil  earth.’  and  as 
the  sojourning  of  the  patriarchs,  or  of  the  Jews,  ia  foreign  nations,  was 
a  tv pe  or  emblem  of  this  pilgrimage,  2:11.  //ei>.ll:13 — 16.  it  is  more  nat¬ 
ural  to  understand  it  of  believers  in  general,  who  were  pilgrims  or  ‘stran¬ 
gers,’  in  every  city  or  country  where  they  lived,  and  who  were  ‘scat¬ 
tered  ’  through  the  nations,  to  be  as  ‘  lights  in  the  world,  and  the  salt 
of  the  earth.’  Mat.  5:13 —  16. — Sprinkling,  &c.]  ‘Men  are  not  easily 
convinced  ...  of  the  deep  stain  of  sin,  and  that  no  other  laver  can  fetch 
it  out,  but  “  the  sprinkling  of  the  blood  of  Jesus  Christ.”  Some,  that 
have  moral  resolutions  of  amendment,  dislike  at  least  gross  sins,  and 
purpose  to  avpid  them  ;  and  it  is  to  them  cleanness  enougli  to  reform  in 
these  things ;  but  they  consider  not  what  becomes  of  the  guiltiness  that 
they  have  contracted  already,  or  how  that  shall  be  purged. — Be  not  de¬ 
ceived  in  this;  it  is  not  a  transient  sigh,  or  a  light  word,  or  a  wish  of, 
God  forgive  me,  nor  the  highest  current  of  repentance,  nor,  that  which 
is  the  truest  evidence  of  repentance,  amendment;  it  is  none  of  these, 
that  purifies  in  the  sight  of  God  and  expiates  wrath.  They  are  all  im¬ 
perfect  and  stained  themselves,  cannot  stand  and  answer  for  themselves, 
much  less  be  of  value  to  counterpoise  the  former  guilt  of  sin.  The  very 
tears  of  the  purest  repentance,  unless  they  be  sprinkled  with  this  blood, 
are  impure;  all  our  washings,  without  this,  are  but  the  washings  of  a 
blackamore  ;  it  is  labor  in  vain.’  Abp.  Leighton.  —  Scattered.]  John  7: 
35.  Jam.  1:1. — This  word  may  seem  to  favor  the  opinion,  that  the  epis¬ 
tle  was  written  to  Jewish  converts  exclusively  ;  but  the  apostle  used 
several  terms,  taken  from  whnt  had  been  said  of  that  nation,  in  relation 
fo  Christians,  where  this  opinion  cannot  stand.  2:9,  10. — (2.)  Be  multi¬ 
plied.]  2  Pet.  T.2.  This  is  not  found  in  Paul’s  salutations  ;  at  the  same 


time  Peter  does  not  add,  ‘  From  God  our  Father,  and  the  J.ord  Jesus 
Christ,’  1  Cor.  1:3.  but  in  his  second  epistle  he  says,  ‘Through  the 
knowledge  of  God  afid  of  Jesus  our  Lord.’  John  17:1 — 3.  Scott. 

(1.)  Strangers,  <fcc]  ‘  I.  e.  all  Christians,  both  Jevvish  and  Gentile, 
in  the  countries  out  of  Palestine.’  B/.,  after  Wolf,  Ros.,  and  Pott.  Ed. 

(2.)  Elect ,  &c.J  ‘  Chosen  by  God  the  Father,  sanctified  by  the  Holy 
Spirit,  and  justified  by  the  atoning  blood  of  Christ,  which  is  evidently 
the  meaning  of  being  sprinkled  by  his  blood  :  in  which  we  may  observe 
a  perfect  harmony  with  the  doctrine  of  Paul,  in  his  epistle  to  the  Ho¬ 
mans,  ch.  8:29,  30.’  Williams. —  ‘The  free  election  of  God  is  the  effi¬ 
cient  cause  of  our  salvation  ;  the  materia]  cause  is  Christ’s  obedience; 
our  effectual  calling  is  the  formal  cause ;  and  the  final  cause  is  our  sanc¬ 
tification.’  Bishop’s  Bible,  in  Henry,  abr. — Many  persons,  when  first 
seriously  awakened,  are  greatly  distressed  by  the  apprehension,  that  they 
cannot  be  saved  because  not  predestinated.  Bu^  says  I)r.  Lathrop,  -A  Sa¬ 
vior  has  come  to  open  a  way  of  salvation  for  sinners.  Salvation  is  offered 
to  all,  and  the  terms  are  the  same  to  all.  In  God  there  is  no  insincerity. 
To  Him  belong  secret  things,  things  revealed  only  to  us.  There  can  be 

NO  DECREE  WHICH  FRUSTRATES  THE  DIVINE  PROMISES.  If  we  Comply 
with  the  terms,  the  benefits  promised  are  ours.  By  faith  and  patience 
we  may  inherit  the  promises.’  Rev.  Dr.  Lathrop. — ‘The  doctrine  of 
election  throws  no  obstacle  in  the  way  of  a  man’s  salvation.  To  make 
the  matter  plain,  let  us  suppose  for  a  moment,  that  the  doctrine  is  not 
true.  Mankind  are  free  agents,  an  atonement  has  been  provided,  and 
salvation  is  freely  offered  to  all ;  and  each  individual  is  left  to  comply 
with  the  terms  of  salvation  or  not.  In  this  case  there  w-ould  be  no  ob¬ 
stacle  in  the  way  of  salvation  but  a  man’s  own  will.  Now  what  alter¬ 
ation  does  the  doctrine  of  election  make  ?  It  renders  it  certain,  that 
some  will  comply  with  the  terms  of  salvation.  With  regard  to  the  rest , 
it  does  not  affect  their  situation  at  all.  They  are  still  free  agents, — an 
atonement  has  been  made, — salvation  is  freely  offered, — “  the  Spirit  and 
the  Bride  say,  come.” — the  door  of  heaven  stands  open,  and  alt  may  en¬ 
ter  if  they  wilt.  The.  doctrine  of  election,  therefore,  alters  no  man’s 
condition  for  the  worse,  although  it  does  that  of  many  for  the  better. 
It  is  simply  an  exhibition  of  mercy.  The  only  sense  in  which  God  has 
reprobated  any,  is  the  same  as  that  in  which  those  who  deny  election 
suppose  He  has  reprobated  the  whole  race;  that  is,  ‘He  has  determined 
to  leave  them  to  themselves.’  Hev.  Bennet  Tyler,  Eh. 


A.  D.  63. 


1  PETER,  I.  The  glorious  hope  of  Christians. 


according  to  his  'abundant  j  mercy 
hath  begotten  us  again  k  unto  a 
lively  hope,  by  the  resurrection  'of 
Jesus  Christ  from  the  dead, 

4  To  an  inheritance  "'incorrupti¬ 
ble,  and  undefiled,  and  that  fadeth 
“not  away,  reserved  “in  heaven 
p  for  you, 

5  \V  ho  are  kept  i  by  the  power  of 
God  through  faith  r  unto  salvation, 
ready  to  be  revealed  in  the  last  time. 

[Practical  Observations.] 

6  Wherein  ye  greatly  rejoice, 
though  now  for  a  season,  if  need 
‘be,  ye  are  in  heaviness  through 
manifold  temptations  : 

i  vnch  m  He.  9:15.  q  Jude  1,24. 

j  £,>  2:4  n  c.  5:1  r  £p  2:8. 

k  J..^  3:3.5  o  Col.  1:5.  s  He.  12:7. 

1  1  Co  15:20.  p  or,  us. 


of  a  thanksgiving  to  God.  Other  epistles 
begin  in  like  manner,  2  Cor.  1  :  3.  Eph. 
1  :  3. 

1.  Here  we  have  the  duty  performed, 
which  is,  blessing  God.  A  man  blesses  God 
by  a  just  acknowledgment  of  his  excellency 
and  blessedness. 

2.  The  object  of  this  blessing,  described 
bv  his  relation  to  Jesus  Christ;  the  God  and 
Farther  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ ;  three  names 
of  one  Person,  denoting  his  threefold  office; 
Lord,  a  universal  King  or  Sovereign ;  Jesus, 
a  Priest  or  Savior  ;  Christ,  a  Prophet, 
anointed.  This  God,  so  blessed,  is  the  God 
of  Christ,  according  to  his  human  nature, 
and  his  Father,  according  to  his  divine 
nature. 

3.  The  reasons  that,  oblige  us  to  this  duty 
of  blessing  God,  are,  in  general,  his  abundant 
mercy;  all  our  blessings  are  owing  to  God’s 
mercy,  particularly  regeneration  ;  He  hath 
begotten  us  again,  and  this  deserves  our 
thanksgiving,  especially  if  we  consider  the 
fruit  it  produces  in  us,  that  excellent  grace 
'ot 'hope,  and  that  not  such  a  vain, dead,  per¬ 
ishing  hope  as  that  of  worldlings  and  hypo¬ 
crites,  but  a  lively  hope,  a  living,  strong, 
quickening,  durable  hope,  as  that  hope  must 
needs  be,  that  has  such  a  solid  foundation  as 
The  resurrection  of  Jesus  Christ  from  the  dead. 
Learn,  hence, 

A  good  Christian’s  condition  is  never  so 
bad,  but  he  has  great  reason  still  to  bless 
God  ;  but  a  sinner  has  always  reason  to 
mourn,  notwithstanding  his  present  pros¬ 
perity.  > 

Every  unconverted  person  is  a  hopeless 
creature  ;  whatever  he  pretends  to  of  that 
kind,  is  all  conlidence  and  presumption;  the 
right  Christian  hope  is  what  a  man  is  begot¬ 
ten  again  unto  by  the  Spirit  of  God  ;  not 
from  nature,  but  free  grace;  and  it  lias  this 
excellency,  it  is  a  living  hope  ;  Job  27:  S. 
being  founded  on  The  resurrection  of  Jesus 
Christ  from  the  dead;  which,  as  it  is  the  act 
of  the  Father  as  a  Judge,  and  of  the  Son  as 
a  Conqueror,  demonstrates  that  the  Father 
accepts  his  death  in  full  discharge  for  our 
ransom,  that  He  is  victorious  over  death, 
the  grave,  and  all  our  spiritual  enemies  ; 
also,  it  is  an  assurance  of  our  own  resurrec¬ 


tion,  there  being  an  inseparable  union  be¬ 
tween  Christ  and  his  dock ;  they  rise  by 
virtue  of  his  resurrection  as  a  Head,  rather 
than  by  virtue  of  his  power  as  a  Judge.  We 
are  risen  with  Christ,  Col.  3:  1.  From  all 
this  taken  together,  Christians  have  two  fist, 
solid  foundations  whereon  to  build  their  hope 
of  eternal  life. 

V.  4.  The  apostle  continues  his  thanks¬ 
giving  to  God;  and,  having  congratulated 
these  people  on  their  new  birth,  and  their 
hope  of  everlasting  life,  he  goes  on  to  des¬ 
cribe  that  life  under  the  notion  of  an  inherit¬ 
ance  ;  a  most  proper  way  of  speaking  to 
them  ;  for, 

1.  They  were  poor  and  perseculed,  per¬ 
haps  turned  out  of  their  inheritances  to  which 
they  were  born. 

2.  They  were  Jews,  most  of  them,  and  so 
had  a  great  affection  to  the  land  of  Canaan, 
as  the  land  of  their  inheritance,  settled  on 
them  by  God  Himself;  and  to  be.  driven 
out  was  looked  upon  as  a  sore  judgment,  1 
Sam.  26:  19.  To  comfort  them  under  this, 
they  are  put  in  mind  of  a  noble  inheritance 
reserved  in  heaven  for  them,  such  a  one,  that 
the  land  of  Canaan  was  hut  a  mere  shadow 
in  comparison  of  it. 

Note,  Heaven  is  the  undoubted  inheritance 
of  all  the  children  of  God  ;  the  apostle  ar¬ 
gues,  If  children,  then  heirs,  Rom.  8:  17. 
God  giveth  his  gifts  to  all,  but  the  inherit¬ 
ance  to  his  children,  those  that  are  his  sons 
and  daughters  by  regeneration  and  adop¬ 
tion,  Heh.  9:  15.  * 

The  incomparable  excellences  of  this  in¬ 
heritance,  are  four. 

It  is  incorruptible  ;  in  which  respect  it  is 
like  its  Maker,  who  is  called  the  incorrupti¬ 
ble  God,  Rom.  1 :  23.  and  our  house  from 
above,  which  is  eternal  in  the  heavens,  1  Cor. 
15:  33. 

It  is  undefiled,  like  the  great  High  Priest 
now  in  possession  of  it,  Heh.  7:26.  Sin 
and  misery,  the  two  grand  defilements  that 
spoil  this  world,  and  mar  its  beauty,  have 
no  place  there. 

It  fadeth  not  away,  hut  always  retains  its 
vigor  and  beauty,  ever  entertaining  and 
pleasing  the  saints  who  possess  it,  without 
the  least  weariness  or  distaste. 

It  is  reserved  in  heaven  for  you  ;  it  is  a 
glorious  inheritance ,  for  all  that  is  in  heaven 
is  glorious,  1  :  18.  it  is  certain,  a  reversion 
safely  kept,  till  we  come  to  the  possession 
of  it;  and  also  it  is  for  you,  for  us,  for  every 
one  that  is  begotten  again  to  a  lively  hope  ; 
this  inheritance  is  preserved  for  them,  and 
none  hut  them;  all  the  rest  will  he  shut  out 
for  ever. 

V.  5.  This  inheritance  being  described  as 
future,  the  apostle  supposes  some  doubt  or 
uneasiness  yet  to  remain  on  the  minds  of 
these  people,  whether  they  might  not  possi¬ 
bly  fall  short  by  the  way;  To  this  therefore 
he  answers,  that  they  should  he  safely 
guarded  and  conducted,  kept  and  preserved 
from  all  such  destructive  temptations  and 
injuries,  as  would  prevent  their  safe  arrival 
at  eternal  life  ;  the  blessing  promised,  is, 
preservation  ;  Ye  are  kept  ;  the  Author  of 
it,  God;  the  means  in  us  made  use  of  for 
that  end,  our  own  faith  and  care  ;  the  end 
to  which  we  are  preserved,  is,  salvation  ; 


and  the  time  when  we  shall  see  the  sale  end 
and  issue  of  all,  is,  the  last  time. 

Being  kept,  implies  both  danger  and  deli v- 
erance ;  the  greatness  n!  the  work,  the  num¬ 
ber  ol  enemies,  and  our  own  infirmities,  are 
such,  that  no  power,  but  what  is  almighty* 
can  preserve  the  soul  through  all  unto  salva¬ 
tion  ;  therefore  the  Scripture  often  repre¬ 
sents  man’s  salvation  as  the  effect  of  d'nine 
power,  2  Cor.  12:9.  Rom.  14:4.  yet  the 
preservation  of  God's  power  does  not  super¬ 
sede  man’s  endeavor  and  care  for  his  own 
salvation  ;  here  is  God’s  power,  and  man’s 
faith,  which  implies  an  earnest  desire  of  sal¬ 
vation,  a  reliance  on  Christ,  a  vigilant  care 
to  do  everything  pleasing  to  God,  and  avoid 
whatever  is  offensive,  an  abhorrence  of 
temptations,  a  respect  to  the  recompense  of  re¬ 
ward,  and  persevering  diligence  in  prayer  ; 
by  such  a  patient,  operating,  conquering 
faith,  we  are  kept,  under  the  assistance  of 
divine  grace,  unto  salvation. 

7’h is  salvation  is  ready  to  be  revealed  in  the 
last  time.  It  is  now  prepared,  and  made 
ready,  and  reserved  in  heaven  ;  yet  it  is  in  a 
great  measure  hidden  and  unrevealed  at 
present,  not  only  to  the  ignorant,  blind 
world,  that  never  inquire  after  it,  but  e\en 
to  the  heirs  of  salvation  themselves.  1  John 
3:  2.  But  it  shall  be  fully  and  completely 
revealed  in  the  last  time,  or  at  the  last  day  of 
judgment.  Life  and  immortality  are  now 
brought  to  light  by  the  Gospel,  but  beyond  this 
there  will  he  a  further  and  a  final  revelation 
of  the  amplitude  and  transcendency  of  the 
saints’  felicity  at  the  last  day,  when  their 
bodies  shall  he  raised,  and  re-united  to  their 
souls,  and  judgment  shall  pass  on  angels  and 
men,  and  Christ  shall  publicly  honor  and 
applaud  his  servants  in  the  face  of  all  the 
world. 

V.  6.  The  first  word,  wherein,  refers  to 
the  apostle’s  foregoing  discourse  about  the 
excellency  of  their  present  state,  and  their 
grand  expectations  for  the  future  ;  in  this 
condition  you  greatly  rejoice,  though  now  for 
a  season,  or  a  little  while,  if  need  be,  ye  are 
made  sorrowful  through  manifold  temptations. 
The  apostle  grants  they  were  in  great  afflic¬ 
tion,  and  propounds  several  things  in  miti¬ 
gation  of  their  sorrows. 

Note,  1.  Every  true  Christian  has  always 
something  wherein  he  may  greatly  rejoice; 
and  that  is,  things  spiritual  and  heavenly, 
his  relation  to  God  and  to  heaven  ;  in  these 
he  greatly  rejoices  ;  his  joy  arises  from  his 
treasure,  which  consists  of  matters  of  great 
value,  and  the  title  to  them  is  sure. 

2.  The  best  Christians  may  yet  be  in 
great  heaviness  through  manifold  temptations ; 
all  sorts  of  adversities  are  temptations,  or 
trials  of  faith,  patience,  and  constancy  ; 
these  seldom  go  singly,  but  are  manifold, 
and  come  from  different  quarters  ;  the  ef¬ 
fect  of  all  which  is  great  heaviness.  Great 
heaviness  is  often  necessary  to  a  Christian’s 
good  ;  it  may  be  for  a  season  only  ;  God 
does  not  afflict  his  people  willingly;  but 
there  is  a  conveniency  and  fitness,  nay,  an 
absolute  necessity  in  the  case,  for  so  the  ex¬ 
pression  signifies,  it  must  be  ;  therefore  no 
man  should  be  moved  by  these  afflictions  ;  for 
ymrselves  know  that  we  are  appointed  there¬ 
unto,  1  Thess.  3:  3.  Troubles  never  come 


PR\CT.  OPS.  V.  1 — 5.  As  we,  if  true  Christians,  are  ‘strangers’ 
on  eartii,  we  should  expect  contempt  and  unkindness  from  the  men  of 
this  world,  and  continually  prepare  for  a  removal  to  our  eternal  home. 
All  Hie  redeemed  were  ‘elected  according  to  the  foreknowledge  of  God 
the  Father  :  ’  but  this  cannot  be  known  by  them,  except  ‘  through  sanc¬ 
tification  of  the  Spirit  unto  obedience.’  1  Thes.  1 :1 — 4.  ‘  The  lively 

hope  of  an  inheritance  incorruptible,  nndeflled,  and  unfading,’  which 
springs  from  regeneration,  is  inseparably  connected  with  faith  in  a  cru- 


V.  3— 5.  A  lively  hope.]  ‘Living  in  death  itself.  The  world  dares 
sav  no  more  for  its  device,  than,  While  I  breathe,  1  hope;  but  the  chil¬ 
dren  of  God  can  add,  When  I  expire,  I  hope.  It  is  a  fearful  thing  when 
a  man  and  his  hopes  expire  together.’  Abp  .Leighton. — (5)  tPho  are 
kept. J  2  Cor.  11:32.  Gal.  3  23.  Phil.  4:7.  ‘  It  properly  signifies,  being 
kept  as  in  an  impregnable  garrison,  secure  from  harm,  under  the  ob¬ 
servation  of  an  all-seeing  eye  and  protection  of  an  almighty  hand.’ 
Blackwait,  in  Doddr.  ‘  Guarded,  as  in  a  strong  and  impregnable  garrison. 


ci fled  and  risen  Savior;  is  peculiar  to  the  real  Christian;  and  totally 
differs  from  the  vain  confidence  of  formalists,  Pharisees,  Antinomians, 
and  enthusiasts  of  every  description.  If  we  thus  hope  for  an  undefiled 
felicity,  and  habitually  prepare  for  it;  we  may  well  rejoice,  and  exult 
triumphantly,  that  it  is  ‘reserved  for  ns  in  heaven;’  and  that  ‘we  are 
kept,’  as  in  a  castle,  ‘  by  the  power  of  God,  through  faith  unto  salvation,’ 
which  is  made  ready,  and  will  be  openly  revealed  when  the  mystery  of 
God  shall  be  finished.  Scott. 


by  the  almighty  power  of  God,  through  the  continued  exercise  of  that 
faith,  which  this  almighty  power  wrought  in  your  hearts ;  and  which  lie 
will  still  maintain  unto  that  blessed  hour,  &c.’  Doddr.  Scott. 

(5.)  The  last  time.]  ‘Some  understand  this  of  the  destruction  of 
Jerusalem,  or  the  gospel-age,  the  last  end  of  the  world.  Put  it  seems 
more  natural  to  interpret  it  of  the  final  consummation  of  all  things.  ’  Pl. 
So  Doddr.  ;  also  Guyse,  who  paraphrases :  ‘  It  will  soon  be  seen,  in  all 
its  riches  and  delights,  when  Christ  shall  judge  the  world.’  v.d. 


A.  D.  C3. 


I 


1  PETER,  I. 


The  privileges  of  Christians. 


7  That  the  trial  'of  your  faith, 
being  much  more  precious  than  of 
gold  that  perisheth,  though  it  be 
tried  with  "fire,  might  be  found  unto 
praise  and  v  honor  and  glory  at  the 
appearing  w  of  Jesus  Christ  : 

8  Whom  having  not  xseen,  ye 
love;  in  whom,  though  now  ye  see 
him  not,  yet  believing,  ye  rejoice 
with  joy  >'  unspeakable  and  full  of 
glory  : 

9  Receivingthe  end  of  your  faith, 
even  the  salvation  of  your  souls. 

[Practical  Observations .] 

10  Of  which  salvation  the  proph¬ 
ets  have  inquired  and  searched  1  dil¬ 
igently,  who  prophesied  ofthe  grace 
that  should  come  unto  you  : 

t  Ja  1:3,12.  w  Re.  1:7.  y  Ju.  16:22. 

ti  1  Co.  3:13.  x  1  Ju.  4:20.  z  Da.  9:3. 

v  Ro.  2:7,10. 

upon  us  but  when  we  have  need,  and  never 
Slav  any  longer  than  needs  must. 

V.  7.  These  words  express  tile  end  of 
good  people’s  afflictions,  and  the  ground  of 
their  joy  under  them. 

Note,  1.  The  afflictions  of  Christians  are 
designed  for  the  trial  of  their  faith.  God’s 
design  in  afflicting  Ills  people,  is,  their  pro¬ 
bation,  not  their  destruction  ;  their  advan¬ 
tage,  not  their  ruin  ;  a  trial,  as  the  word 
signifies,  is  an  experiment  or  search  made 
on  a  man,  by  some  affliction,  to  prove  the 
value  aud  strength  of  his  faith  ;  this  trial  is 
made  upon  faith  principally,  rather  than  any 
other  grace,  because  the  trial  of  that  is,  in 
effect,  the  trial  of  all  that  is  good  in  us;  our 
Christianity  depends  on  our  faith  ;  the  faith 
of  good  people  is  tried,  that  they  themselves 
may  have  the  comfort  of  it,  God  the  glory 
of  it,  and  others  the  benefit  of  it. 

2.  A  tried  faith  is  much  more  precious  than 
tried  gold  ;  here  is  a  double  comparison  of 
faith  and  gold,  and  the  trial  of  the  one  with 
the  trial  of  the  other  ;  gold  is  the  most  valu¬ 
able,  pure,  useful,  arid  durable,  of  all  the 
metals  ;  so  is  faith  among  the  Christian 
virtues,  it  lasts  till  it  brings  the  soul  to  hea¬ 
ven,  and  then  it  issues  in  the  glorious  frui¬ 
tion  of  God  forever;  gold  does  not  increase 
and  multiply  by  trial  in  the  fire,  it  rather 
glows  less  ;  but  faith  is  established,  im¬ 
proved,  and  multiplied,  by  the  oppositions 
and  afflictions  that  it  meets  with;  gofef  nuist 
perish  at  last  ;  but  faith  never  will,  Luke 
22:32. 

3.  The  trial  of faith  will  be  found  to  praise, 
end  honor  and  glory.  Honor  is  properly  that 
esteem  and  value  which  one  has  with  ano¬ 


ther,  and  so  God  and  man  will  honor  the 
saints.  Praise  is  the  expression  or  declara¬ 
tion  of  that  esteem  ;  so  Christ  will  com¬ 
mend  his  people  in  the  great  day,  Come,  ye 
blessed  of  my  Father,  & c.  Glory  is  that  lus¬ 
tre  wherewith  a  person,  so  honored  and 
praised,  shines  in  heaven,  Rom.  2:  10.  If  a 
tried  faith  be  found  to  praise, honor,  and  glory , 
let  this  recommend  faith  to  you,  as  much 
more  precious  than  gold,  though  it  be  assaulted 
and  tried  by  afflictions. 

4.  Jesus  Christ  will  appear  again  in  glory; 
and,  when  He  does  so,  the  saints  will  ap¬ 
pear  with  Him,  and  their  graces  will  appear 
illustrious  ;  and  the  more  they  have  been 
tried,  the  more  bright  they  will  then  appear; 
the  trial  will  soon  be  over,  but  the  glory, 
honor,  and  praise  will  last  to  eternity.  This 
should  reconcile  you  to  your  present  afflic¬ 
tions  ;  they  work  for  you  a  far  more  exceeding 
and  an  eternal  weight  of  glory. 

V.  8.  The  faith  of  these  primitive  Chris¬ 
tians  is  further  commended  on  two  accounts: 
1.  The  excellency  of  its  Object,  the  unseen 
Jesus;  the  apostle  had  seen  our  Lord  in  the 
flesh,  but  these  dispersed  Jews  never  did, 
yet  they  believed  in  Him.  2.  On  account  of 
two  notable  productions  or  effects  of  their 
faith,  love  and  joy  ;  and  this  joy  so  great, 
as  to  be  above  description  ;  ye  rejoice  with 
joy  Unspeakable,  and  full  of  glory. 

Learn,  (1.)  The  faith  of  a  Christian  is 
properly  conversant  about  things  revealed, 
lout  not  seen  ;  faith  ascends,  and  assures  us 
of  abundance  of  particulars  that  sense  and 
reason  could  never  have  found  out,  on  the 
credit  of  revelation  ;  it  is  the  evidence  of 
things  not  seen. 

(2.)  True  faith  is  never  alone,  but  pro¬ 
duces  a  strong  love  to  Jesus  Christ  ;  it  dis¬ 
covers  itself  in  the  highest  esteem  for  Him, 
affectionate  desires  after  Him,  willingness 
to  be  dissolved,  and  to  be  with  Him,  de¬ 
lightful  thoughts,  cheerful  services  and  suf¬ 
ferings,  &c. 

(3.)  Where  there  are  true  faith  and  love 
to  Christ,  there  is,  or  may  be,  joy  unspeaka¬ 
ble  and  full  of  glory  ;  this  joy  is  inexpressi¬ 
ble,  it  cannot  be  described  by  words  ;  the 
best  discovery  is  by  an  experimental  taste 
of  it  ;  it  is  full  of  glory,  full  of  heaven  ; 
there  is  much  of  heaven  and  the  future  glory 
in  the  present  joys  of  improved  Christians  ; 
their  faith  removes  the  causes  of  sorrow, 
and  affords  the  best  reasons  for  joy;  though 
good  people  sometimes  walk  in  darkness,  it 
is  often  owing  to  their  own  mistakes  and 
ignorance,  or  to  a  fearful,  melancholy  dispo¬ 
sition,  or  to  some  late  sinful  conduct,  or 
perhaps  to  some  sad  occurrence  of  Provi¬ 
dence,  that  sinks  their  comfort  for  the  pres¬ 
ent  ;  yet  they  have  reason  to  rejoice  in  the 


Lord,  and  joy  in  the  God  of  their  salvation, 
Hab.  3:18. 

V.  9.  Well  might  these  Christians  rejoice 
with  joy  unspeakable,  since  they  were  every 
day  receiving  the  end  of  their  faith,  the  salva¬ 
tion  of  their  souls.  The  word  used  alludes 
to  the  games  at  which  the  conqueror  re¬ 
ceived  or  bore  away,  from  the  judge  of  the 
contest,  a  crown  or  reward,  which  he  car¬ 
ried  about  in  triumph  ;  so  the  salvation  of 
the  soul  was  the  prize  these  Christians  sought 
for,  the  crown  they  labored  for,  the  end  they 
aimed  at,  which  came  nearer  and  more 
within  their  reach  every  day. 

Learn,  1.  Every  faithful  Christian  is 
daily  receiving  the  salvation  of  his  soul  J  sal¬ 
vation  is  one  permanent  thing,  begun  in  this 
life,  not  interrupted  by  death,  and  continued 
to  all  eternity.  This  was  properly  urged  to 
these  distressed  people  ;  they  were  on  the 
losing  side  in  the  world,  but  the  apostle  puts 
them  in  mind  of  what  they  were  receiving ; 
if  they  lost  an  inferior  good,  they  were  all 
the  while  receiving  the  salvation  of  their  souls. 

2.  It  is  lawful  for  a  Christian  to  make 
the  salvation  of  his  soul  his  end  ,  the  glory  of 
God  and  our  own  felicity  are  so  connected, 
that  if  we  regularly  seek  the  one,  we  must 
attain  the  other. 

V.  10.  The  apostle  having  described  the 
persons  to  whom  he  wrote,  and  declared  to 
them  the  excellent  advantages  they  were  un¬ 
der,  goes  on  to  show  them  what  warrant  he 
had  for  what  he  had  delivered  ;  and,  be¬ 
cause  they  were  Jews,  and  had  a  profound 
veneration  for  the  Old  Test.,  he  produces  the 
authority  of  the  prophets  to  convince  them, 
the  doctrine  of  salvation,  by  faith  in  Jesus 
Christ,  was  no  new  doctrine,  but  the  same 
which  the  old  prophets  did  inquire  and 
search  diligently  into.  They  foresaw  glori¬ 
ous  times  of  light,  grace,  and  comfort,  com¬ 
ing  on  the  church,  which  made  them  desire 
to  see  and  hear  the  things  which  came  to 
pass  in  the  days  of  the  Gospel.  Observe 
the  manner  of  their  inquiry  ;  they  inquired 
and  searched  diligently  ;  allusion  is  had  to 
miners,  who  dig  deep  to  come  to  the  ore  ; 
so  these  holy- prophets  had  an  earnest  desire 
to  know,  and  were  proportionably  diligent 
in  their  inquiries  after  the  grace  of  God, 
which  was  to  be  revealed  in  the  days  of  the 
Messiah;  their  being  inspired  did  not  make 
their  industrious  search  needless.  Daniel 
understood  by  books,  and  study,  the  compu¬ 
tations  of  time,  ch.  9:2.  Even  their  own 
revelation  required  their  study,  meditation, 
and  prayer  ;  for  many  prophecies  had  a 
double  meaning;  in  their  first  intention  they 
aimed  at  some  person  or  event  near  at  hand, 
but  their  ultimate  design  was  to  describe  the 
Person,  sufferings,  or  kingdom  of  Christ 


PRACT.  OBS.  V.  6 — 9.  ‘  Ttie  lively  ’  find  assured  1  hope  of  an  inherit¬ 
ance  in  heaven,’  gives  substantial  joy  to  the  soul,  and  to  it  we  must  have 
recourse  in  ail  our  troubles,  for  support  and  animation  :  yet  we  cannot 
Init  sometimes  ‘  be  in  heaviness,’  when  called  to  struggle  with  ‘  manifold 
temptations, ’  to  conflict  with  inward  enemies,  to  walk  in  darkness  with¬ 
out  sensible  comfort,  and  to  endure  afflictions  in  body,  mind,  nr  circum¬ 
stances. —  But  neither  the  trials  of  God’s  people,  rior  the  peculiarly  dis¬ 
tressing  circumstances  connected  with  them,  will  be  sharper,  more  Hu¬ 
morous,  or  of  longer  continuance,  than  is  needful,  in  the  intervals  of 
•heir  temptations  and  conflicts,  when  composed  enough  to  make  obser¬ 
vations  on  their  experience,  their  trials,  conflicts,  and  the  event  of 

V.  8,  9.  This  faith,  love,  and  joy,  in  respect  of  an  unseen  Savior,  con¬ 
stituted  the  peculiar  experience,  and  formed  the  distinguishing  charac¬ 
ter,  of  real  Christians;  who  thus  were  assured,  that  they  should  receive 
that  salvation  of  their  souls,’  which  was  the  end  proposed  by  them, 
when  they  believed  ;  indeed,  they  were  continually  receiving  that  salva¬ 
tion  in  the  earnests,  comforts,  and  sanctification  of  it,  amidst  their  trials 
ntnl  conflicts.  John  20:24 — 29. — ;8)  In  iviiom,  though  now  ye  see  Him 
not ,  yet  believing.)  On  whom  not  yet  looking,  but  believing,  intimat¬ 
ing,  that  at  length  they  would  behold  Him.  1  John  3.1 — 3.  Scott. 

(8,  9.)  ‘  Ttie  affection  here  demanded  for  Christ,  is  not  founded  on  a 

personal  intercourse  with  Him.  The  absence  of  strong  encomiums  on 
the  most  eminent  human  instruments  of  divine  beneficence  to  the  world, 
is  a  remarkable  characteristic  of  the  inspired  writings.  And  in  this 
passage  the  unmeasured  character  of  the  affection  described,  and  the 
reason  of  the  joy,  the  salvation  of  the  soul,  carry  it  infinitely  out  of  the 
range  of  a  rational  application  to  any  created  nature.’  J.  P.  Smith,  in 
Henry ,  abr.  —  Whom  not  having  seen,  <fcc.J  Welts,  in  Bloomf.,  under¬ 
stands  an  allusion  to  the  case  of  Thomas,  and  to  what  Christ  said  on 
that,  occasion.  Ed. 

V.  10 — 12.  For  they  [the  prophets]  did  not  know  the  full  import  of 

[592] 


them,  they  can  find,  that  they  really  do  believe  in  and  love  an  unseen 
Savior,  and  show  that  faith  and  love  by  cleaving  to  Him,  nnd  aiming  to 
obey  Him,  in  the  midst  of  their  troubles.  This  causes  them  to  rejoice 
in  his  all-sufficiency  and  grace,  in  his  glory  ami  blessedness,  and  in  ad¬ 
miring  his  infinite  loveliness  and  loving  kindness,  with  a  ‘joy  which  is 
unspeakable,’  and  whicit  forms  a  sweet  antepast  of  the  heavenly  felici¬ 
ty  ;  tuning  their  hearts  to  the  songs  of  the  redeemed,  and  preparing 
them  for  their  holy  employments.  Thus,  by  the  way  they  receive  in 
part,  as  an  earnest  and  pledge,  ‘  the  end  of  their  faith,  even  the  salvation 
of  their  souls.’  Scott. 


their  own  words,  while  they  ‘  testified  long  before,’  that  the  Messiah 
would  pass  through  a  variety  of  complicated  sufferings,  even  unto  death; 
and  that  He  would  afterwards  be  glorified,  in  his  personal  exaltation, 
and  in  the  extent,  peace,  and  duration  of  his  mediatorial  kingdom,  the 
happiness  of  his  subjects,  and  the  destruction  of  his  enemies.  Ps.  2: 
22:  69:  72.  Is.  9:6,7.  11:1—10.  S3:  Dan.  9  24— 27.— The  Holy  Spirit 
is  here  spoken  of,  as  a  distinct  Person;  and  ns  ‘the  Spirit  of  Christ,’ 
not  only  in  that  lie  spake  ot  Him.  but  as  sent  forth  by  Him  long  before 
his  incarnation.  —  Both  in  the  express  prophecies  of  the  Messiah,  and 
in  all  the  typical  persons,  events,  and  institutions  which  related  to  Him, 
his  sufferings  were  uniformly  represented  as  introducing  his  glory,  and 
the  glories  of  his  kingdom.  The  prophets  hud  been  immediately  in¬ 
structed,  that  they  should  not  live  to  witness  the  accomplishment  of 
their  own  predictions  ;  and  that  neither  they,  nor  their  contemporaries, 
would  derive  the  principal  benefit  of  their  ministry,  or  enjoy  the  privi¬ 
leges  announced  by  them.  But  they  were  laboring  for  the  benefit  of  fu¬ 
ture  generations;  whilst  they  declnred  those  great  events,  which  had  at 
length  taken  place,  and  had  been  reported  to  the  Jews  and  Gentiles,  by 
the  apostles  of  Christ,  who  had  preached  the  Gospel  to  them ;  whose 
ministry  was  attested  by  the  miraculous  operations  of  the  Holy  Spirit, 


A.  D.  63. 

1 1  Searching  what,  or  what  man¬ 
ner  of  time  the  Spirit  aof  Christ 
which  was  in  them  did  signify, 
when  it  testified  beforehand  the 
sufferings  of  Christ,  and  the  glory 
that  should  follow. 

12  Unto  whom  it  was  revealed, 
that  not  bunto  themselves  but  unto 
us  they  did  minister  the  things, 
which  are  now  reported  unto  you 
by  them  that  have  preached  the  gos¬ 
pel  unto  you  with  the  Holy  Ghost 
Cscnt  down  from  heaven  ;  which 
things  the  angels  d  desire  to  look 
into. 

13  Wherefore  gird  e  up  the  loins 
of  your  mind,  be  f  sober,  and  hope 
*  to  the  end  h  for  the  grace  that  is  to 
be  brought  unto  you  at  the  revela¬ 
tion  of  Jesus  Christ ; 

1 4  As  obedient  children,  not  fash¬ 
ioning  '  yourselves  according  to  the 
former  lusts  in  your  ignorance: 


a  i  Pe.  1:21 
b  lie.  11:39.10. 
c  Ac.  2:1.  2  CV  1:1 


(I  Ep.  3:10. 
•e  Lit.  1*2:35. 
f  La.  21:34. 


£  perfectly. 
h  He.  l(l:o5. 
i  Ilo.  12:2. 


Observe,  The  doctrine  of  man’s  salvation 
by  Jesus  Christ,  has  been  the  study  and  ad¬ 
miration  of  the  greatest  and  wisest  of  men  ; 
a  good  man  is  much  affected  and  pleased 
with  the  grace  and  mercy  of  God  to  others, 
as  well  as  to  himself ;  they  who  would  be 
acquainted  with  this  great  salvation,  and 
the  grace  that  shines  therein,  must  inquire 
and  search  diligently  into  it  ;  if  it  were  ne¬ 
cessary  for  an  inspired  prophet  to  do  so,  much 
more  is  it  for  persons  so  weak  and  injudici¬ 
ous  as  we  are. 

V.  11.  What  the  ancient  prophets  chiefly 
searched  iuto  is  here  expressed  ;  Jesus 
Christ  was  the  main  subject  of  their  studies ; 
and  in  relation  to  Him,  they  were  most  in¬ 
quisitive  into,  1.  His  humiliation  and  death, 
ami  the  glorious  consequences  of  it  ;  the 
sufferings  of  Christ,  and  the  glories  that  should 
follow  ;  this  inquiry  would  lead  them  into  a 
view  of  the  whole  Gospel,  the  sum  whereof 
is  this,  that  Christ  Jesus  was  delivered  for  our 
offences,  and  raised  again  for  our  justification. 
2.  The  time,  and  the  manner  of  the  times, 
wherein  the  Messiah  was  to  appear  ;  so  far 
as  the  Spirit  of  Christ,  which  was  in  them, 
had  signified  anything  toward  that  purpose. 
The  nature,  of  the  times,  as  well  as  the  times, 
was  under  their  strict  consideration,  whether 
they  would  he  quiet  or  troublesome ;  times 
of  peace,  or  of  war.  , 

Learn,  (1.)  Jesus  Christ  had  a  being  be¬ 


1  PETER,  I. 

fore  his  incarnation;  for  his  Spirit  then  ex¬ 
isted  in  the  prophets. 

(2.)  The  doctrine  of  the  Trinity  was 
known  to  the  faithful  in  the  Old  Test. ;  here 
is  a  plurality  of  persons  [implied],  and  from 
other  parts  of  the  Old  Test,  a  Trinity  may 
be  collected. 

(2.)  The  works  here  ascribed  to  the  Holy 
Ghost  prove  Him  to  be  God;  He  manifested 
to  T lie  prophets,  many  hundred  years  before¬ 
hand  the  sufferings  of  Christ,  with  a  multi¬ 
tude  of  particular  circumstances  attending 
them  ;  lie  also  gave  proof  and  evidence  be¬ 
forehand,  of  the  certainty  of  that  event,  by 
inspiring  the  prophets  to  reveal  it,  to  work 
miracles  in  confirmation  of  it,  and  by  ena¬ 
bling  the  faithful  to  believe  it. 

(4.)  From  the  example  of  Christ  Jesus, 
learn  to  expect  a  time  of  services  and  suf¬ 
ferings  before  yon  are  received  to  glory  ;  it 
was  so  with  Him,  and  the  disciple  is  not 
above,  his  Lord  ;  tlu:  suffering  time  is  hut 
short,  hut  the  glory  is  everlasting  ;  let  the 
suffering  season  be  ever  so  sharp  and  severe, 
it  shall  not  hinder,  hut  work  for  us  a  far  more 
exceeding  and  eternal  weight  of  glory. 

V.  12.  These  words  contain  an  answfer  to 
tlie  prophets’  inquiry;  they  were  informed, 
that  these  things  should  not  come  to  pass  in 
their  time,  hut  yet  all  was  firm  and  certain, 
and  should  come  to  pass  in  the  times  of  the 
apostles. 

You  have  here  three  sorts  of  students,  or 
inquirers  into  the  great  affair  of  man’s  sal¬ 
vation  by  Jesus  Christ  ;  prophets,  apostles, 
and  angels. 

Learn,  1.  A  diligent  endeavor  after  the 
knowledge  of  Christ, and  our  duty,  will  cer¬ 
tainly  he  answered  with  good  success.  The 
prophets  were  answered  with  a  revelation. 

2.  The  holiest  and  best  of  men  soino- 


hxhortation  In  sobriety  and  holiness. 

6.  The  mysteries  of  the  Gospel,  and  the 
methods  ol  man’s  salvation,  are  so  glori¬ 
ous,  that  the  blessed  angels  earnestly  desire 
to  look  into  them  ;  they  consider  the  whole 
scheme  ot  mail’s  redemption  with  deep  at¬ 
tention  and  admiration,  particularly  the 
points  the  apostle  had  been  discoursing  of. 

V.  13.  Here  the  apostle  begins  his  ex¬ 
hortation  to  them,  whose  glorious  state  lie 
had  before  described,  thereby  instructing  us, 
that  Christianity  is  a  doctrine  according  to 
godliness,  designed  not  only  to  make  us 
wiser,  but  better  ;  ‘  Wherefore,  since  you 
are  so  honored  and  distinguished,  as  above, 

‘  Gird  up ,’  &c.  i.  e.  ‘  as  the  traveller,  racer, 
warrior,  and  laborer,  gather  in,  and  gird  up, 
their  long  loose  garments,  that  they  may  lie 
more  ready,  prompt,  and  expeditious  in 
their  business  ;  so  do  you  by  your  minds  ; 
restrain  their  extravagances,  and  let  the 
loins,  or  strength  and  vigor  of  your  minds,  be 
exerted  in  your  duty  ;  disengage  yourselves 
from  all  who  would  hinder  you,  and  go  on 
resolutely  in  your  obedience. 

‘  Be  sober,  he  vigilant  against  all  your 
spiritual  dangers  and  enemies,  and  be  tem¬ 
perate  and  modest  in  eating,  drinking,  ap¬ 
parel,  recreation,  business,  and  in  the  whole 
of  your  behavior  ;  le  sober-minded  also  in 
opinion,  as  well  as  in  practice,  and  humble 
in  your  judgment  of  yourselves.’ 

And  hope  to  the  end,  &c.  Some  refer  this 
to  the  last  judgment,  as  if  the  apostle  di¬ 
rected  their  hope  to  the  final  revelation  of 
Jesus  Christ  ;  hut  it  seems  more  natural  to 
take  it,  as  it  might  he  rendered,  ‘  Hope  per¬ 
fectly,  or  thoroughly ,  for  the  grace  that  is 
brought  to  you  in,  or  by  the  revelation  of  Jesus 
Christ  ;  by  the  Gospel  which  brings  life  and 
immortality  to  light ;  hope  perfectly,  trust 
without  doubting  to  that  grace  which  is  now 


times  have  their  lawful  and  piouj  requests  offered  to  you  by  the  Gospel.’  The  main 
denied.  It  was  both  lawful  and  pious  for  work  of  a  Christian  lies  in  the  right  man- 
these  prophets  to  desire  to  know  more,  than  ngement  of  his  heart  and  mind.  The  lies' 
they  weie  permitted  to  know,  about  the  i  Christians  need  to  be  exhorted  to  sobriety ; 
time  of. the  appearance  of  Christ  in  the  ■  it  is  required  of  a  bishop,  1  Tim.  3:2.  of 
world,  hut  they  were  denied.  j  aged  men,  Tit.  2:  2.  young  women  and  young 

3.  It  is  the  honor  and  practice  of  a 
Christian,  to  be  useful  to  others  in  many 
cases,  rather  than  to  himself;  the  prophets 
ministered  to  others,  not  unto  themselves, 

Rom.  14  :  7.  Nothing  is  more  contrary  to 
Christian  principles,  than  for  a  man  to 
make  himself  his  own  end,  and  live  to  him¬ 
self. 

4.  The  revelations  of  God  to  his  church, 


hough  gradual,  and  given  by  parcels,  are 


m,en,  Tit.  2:4,6.  A  Christian  must  still 
hope  and  strive  for  more  grace.  A  strong 
and  perfect  trust  in  God’s  grace  is  very 
consistent  with  our  best  endeavors  in  our 
duty  ;  \V9  must  hope  perfectly,  and  yet  gird 
up  our  loins,  and  address  ourselves  vigorous¬ 
ly  to  the  work  wo  have  to  do,  encouraging 
ourselves'  from  the.  grace  of  Jesus  Christ. 

V.  11.  The  exhortation  is  continued,  and 
the  words  may  he  taken  either  as  a  rule  of 


till  perfectly  "consistent,  and  -exactly  agree,  1  holy  living,  which  is  both  positive  and  neg¬ 
us  coming  from  the  game  Spirit  of  God,.  •  alive  ;  or,  as  an  argument  to  press  them  to 
5.  The  efficacy  of  the  evangelical  iniu-  !  holiness  from  the  consideration  of  whatthey 
istrv  depends  on  tjw  Holy  Ghost  sent  down  now  arc,  children  of  obedience,  and  what 
from  heaven  ;  the  Gospel  i.i  the  ministration  they  were  when  they  lived  in  lust  and  igno- 


of  the  Spirit. 


ranee.  The  children  of  God  ought  to  prove 


and  rendered  successful  by  his  life-giving  and  sanctifying  influences,  mid 
who  was  ‘sent  down  from  heaven  ’  io  bear  testimony  in  tile  perform¬ 
ance  of  those  prophecies,  which  He  had  of  old  inspired.  Mark  10: 
13,  20.  Jn.  10:17 — 27.  Acts  2:25—36.  5:32.  Heb.  2:1—4.  In  fact,  these 
mysteries  of  redemption  contained  such  displays  of  the  wisdom,  power, 
truth,  justice,  holiness,  and  mercy  of  God ;  that  ‘the  angels  desired,’ 
wiih  great  earnestness  and  persevering  attention,  ‘  to  look  into  them,’  and 
to  join  in  adoration  of  the  Divine  Redeemer,  like  the  cherubim  who 
were  represented  ns  bowing  down  to  look  on  the  ark  of  the  covenant. 
{Note,  Ex.  25:10—21.)  They,  as  it  were,  left  the  glories  of  heaven,  to 
study  the  divine  perfections,  and  to  learn  new  songs  of  adoring  praise, 
in  the  stable  at  Bethlehem,  in  the  desert,  in  Gethsemane,  on  mount  Cal¬ 
vary,  and  from  ‘  the  church,’  which  ‘God,  manifested  in  the  flesh,’  had 
‘  purchased  with  his  own  blood.’  Mat.  4:3 — 11.  Lu.  2:3 — 1  1.  22:43.24: 
1—9.  Ac.  1:9—12.  Eph.  3:9—12.  1  Tim.  MG.  Rev.  5:11—14—  1 1)  Spir¬ 
it  of  Christ.]  Note,  3  19,20. — 1 1.  e.,  say  the  Socinians,  the  spirit  in  them, 
which  spake  of  Christ,  &c.  But  in  this  sense,  He  might  ns  well  have 
been  styled  the  Spirit  of  Antichrist,  or  the  false  prophets,  because  He 
also  spake  of  them.  All  the  ancients  agree  in  the  other  sense,  that  Christ 
spake  by  his  Spirit  in  the  prophets,  they  being  inspired  with  his  grace, 
and  taught  by  his  Spirit ;  their  words  sprang  from  the  divine  Word  mov¬ 
ing  them,  and  hv  Him  they  prophesied.  He  spake  in  Isaiah,  in  Elias, 
and  in  the  mouth  of  the  prophets.  So  the  fathers.  — Shall  holy  proph¬ 
ets  lie  so  desirous  to  know  the  time  when  these  things  should  happen  ; 
and  holy  angels  to  look  into  these  glorious  revelations  ?  And  shall  we, 
to  whom,  and  for  whose  happiness,  this  Gospel  was  revealed,  neglect, 
not  only  to  obtain,  but  even  to  know,  this  great  salvation  ?’  Whitby. 
To  took  into.]  Lu.  24:12.  Jn.  20:5.  Jam .  1:25.  1  With  bowing  head, 

and  bended  nock,  accurately  to  look  into.’  Stephanies.  Scott. 

(11,  12-  ‘On  this  passage  we  may  remark  the  gradual  dcvelopement 
of  gospel-truth,  even  from  Enoch  to  Malachi, — and  the  prophets  of  the 

»\  t.  t  or,,  v.  75 


New  Test.,  as  well  as  of  (he  Old,  searched  into  the  mystery  of  their  own 
productions.’  Williams. — Which  the  angets,  & c.]  ‘By  ihe  ivhich  are 
meant  all  the  wonderful  things  nbovementioned,  before  their  event  not 
thoroughly  known  to  the  angels,  but  now  surveyed  and  contemplated 
with  wonder  and  delight;  for  that  is  the  sense  of  the  word  translated 
desire. — Perhaps  nothing  can  more  strongly  excite  our  admiration  of  the 
Gospel  than  this  glorious  passage-’  Bloomf. 

V.  13.  ‘  Here  follows  an  exhortation  to  a  holy  life,  deduced  from  the 

foregoing  commemoration  of  the  glories  and  blessings  of  the  Gospel, 
which  extends  to  ch.  3:16.’  Ros. — Wherefore.]  ‘  I  e.  such  being  the 
glory  and  felicity  prepared  to  reward  your  obedience.’  Bl. —  Gird  up, 
•fee. |  ‘  This  is  an  allusion  to  the  manners  of  the  east;  where,  the  men’s 
garments  being  long  and  flowing,  they  prepared  themselves  for  travelling, 
and  oilier  active  employments,  by  tucking  them  up,  and  fastening  them 
round  their  loins  will)  a  girdle,  to  prevent  their  being  encumbered.  The 
loins  of  the  mind  girded,  is  a  bold  but  most: expressive  metaphor,  to  sig¬ 
nify,  the  faculties  of  thr  mind  prepared  for  exerting  themselves  prop¬ 
erly.’  M'ackn _ Hope.]  Pres.  Edwards,  the  elder,  remarks,  on  Heb. 

6:19.  '•Hope  here  is  the  same  with  the  grace  of  faith.,  but  only  with  re¬ 
spect  to  one  kind  of  its  exercises,  viz.  those  that  respect  God’s  promises, 
or  our  own  future  promised  good.  Hope,  in  the  N.  T.,  is  often  spoken 
of  ns  a  great  Christian  grace  and  virtue,  and  oue  of  the  main  things  that 
distinguishes  a  true  Christiau  ;  which  would  be  difficult  to  account  lor, 
if  by  hope  is  meant  no  more  than  what  we  commonly  understand  by  the 
word,  viz.  one’s  hoping  well  of  liis  future  state.  That  is  not  hard  to  do. 
Bill  by  hope  is  doubtless  meant,  an  embracing  the  promises  of  God,  aiul 
fiducial  relying  on  them  through  Christ  for  salvation.  In  1  or.  . 
where  fhitli  and  hope  are  distinguished,  by  the  former  is  meant  faith .in 
a  larger  sense,  without  any  regard  to  our  own  future  interest  in  what  s 
revealed.  Hope,  is  onr  reiving  on  God’s  truth  as  to  what  concerns  our 
own  future  happiness.’  Edwards.  [593] 


A.  D.  63. 


1  PETER,  I. 


Exhortation  to  sobriety  and  holiness. 


15  But  as  he  which  hath  called 
you  is  holy,  so  be  ye  holy  in  all 
manner  of  conversation  ; 

16  Because  it  is  written, j  Be  ye 
holy;  for  I  am  holy. 

[Practical  Observations .] 

17  And  if  ye  call  on  the  Father, 
who  without  respect  of  persons 
judgeth  according  to  every  man’s 
work,  pass  the  time  of  your  sojourn¬ 
ing  here  in  k  fear  : 

13  Forasmuch  as  ye  know  that 
ye  were  not  redeemed  with  corrup¬ 
tible  things,  as  silver  and  gold,  from 
your  vain  conversation  received  by 
tradition  .from  your  fathers  ; 

19  But  with  the  precious  blood  of 
Christ,  as  of  a  lamb  1  without  blem¬ 
ish  and  without  spot  : 

20  Who  verily  was  fore-ordained 
before  mthe  foundation  of  the  world, 
but  was  manifest  in  these  last  times 
for  you  ; 

21  Who  by  him  do  believe  in 
God,  that  raised  him  up  from  the 

j  J.e.  11:44.  1  Jn.  1:29,36.  ra  Re.  13:8. 

k  Phi.  2:12.  Re.  7:14. 

themselves  to  be  such,  by  their  obedience  to 
God,  by  their  present,  constant,  universal 
obedience.  The  best  have  had  their  times 
of  lust  and  ignorance.  Persons,  when  con¬ 
verted,  differ  exceedingly  from  what  they 
were  formerly  ;  their  inward  frame,  be¬ 
havior,  speech,  and  conversation,  are  much 
altered  from  what  they  were  in  times  past. 
The  lusts  and  extravagances  of  sinners  are 
both  the  fruits  and  the  signs  of  their  igno¬ 
rance. 

V.  15,  16.  Here  is  a  noble  rule  enforced 
by  three  reasons,  taken  from  the  grace  of 
God,  in  calling  usj  from  his  command,  it  is 
written;  and  from  his  example,  Be  ye  holy , 
for  1  am  holy. 

The  grace  of  God  in  calling  a  sinner,  is  a 
powerful  engagement  to  holiness  ;  great  fa¬ 
vors  are  strong  obligations  ;  they  enable  as 
well  as  oblige  to  be  holy. 

Complete  holiness  is  the  desire  and  duty 
of  every  Christian  :  here  is  a  twofold  rule 
of  holiness;  1.  For  extent,  it  must  be  uni¬ 
versal  ;  we  must  be  holy,  and  in  all  manner 
of  conversation  ;  in  all  affairs,  in  every  con¬ 
dition,  towards  all  people,  in  all  our  inter¬ 
course  and  business.  2.  For  the  pattern 
of  it,  we  must  be  holy,  as  God  is  holy;  He  is 
perfectly,  unchangeably,  and  eternally  holy  ; 
and  we  should  aspire  after  such  a  state. 


The  written  Word  of  God  is  the  surest 
rule  of  a  Christian’s  life,  and  by  this  rule 
we  are  commanded  to  be  holy  every  way. 

The  O.  T.  commands  are  to  be  studied 
.and  obeyed  in  the  times  of  the  N.  T. ;  the 
apostle,  by  virtue  of  a  command  delivered 
several  times  by  Muses,  requires  holiness  in 
all  Christians. 

V.  17.  The  apostle  here  supposes  these 
Christians  would  certainly  cull  upon  their 
heavenly  Father,  and  from  that  argues  with 
them  to  pass  the  time  of  their  sojourning  here 
in  fear. 

Aii  good  Christians  look  upon  themselves 
in  this  world  as  pilgrims  and  sojourners,  as 
strangers  in  a  distant  country,  passing  to 
another,  to  which  they  properly  belong,  Ps. 
39: 12.  Ileb.  11:  13. 

The  consideration  of  God  as  a  Judge,  is 
not  improper  for  those  who  can  truly  call 
II  im  Father.  Holy  confidence  in  God  as  a 
Father,  and  an  awful  fear  of  Him  as  a  Judge, 
are  very  consistent  ;  to  regard  God  as  a 
Judge,  is  a  singular  mean  to  endear  Him 
to  us  as  a  Father. 

The  judgment  of  God  will  be  without  re¬ 
spect  of  persons,  according  to  every  man’s 
work.  The  works  of  men  will  in  the  great 
day  discover  their  persons  ;  God  will  make 
all  the  world  to  know  who  are  bis  by  their 
works  ;  we  are  obliged  to  faith,  holiness, 
and  obedience,  and  our  works  will  be  an 
evidence  whether  we  have  complied  with 
our  obligations  or  not. 

V.  18,  19.  The  apostle  having  exhorted 
to  pass  the  time  of  our  life  in  the  fear  of  God, 
from  this  consideration,  that  we  call  on  the 
Father,  adds,  in  these  words,  a  second  ar¬ 
gument,  because,  or  forasmuch  as  we  are  re¬ 
deemed  by  the  Son,  &c.  Herein  he  reminds 
them  of  their  redemption,  of  the  price  paid 
for  it,  of  their  knowledge  of  it,  and  of  what 
they  were,  redeemed  from,  a  vain  conversation 
received  by  tradition. 

The  consideration  of  our  redemption 
ought  to  he  a  constant  and  powerful  induce¬ 
ment  to  holiness,  and  the  fear  of  God. 

God  expects  a  Christian  should  live  an- 
swerably  to  what  he  knows,  and  therefore 
we  have  great  need  to  be  put  in  mind  of 
what  we  already  know,  Ps.  39:  4. 

Silver  and  gold,  and  such  corruptible  things, 
can  by  no  means  purchase  or  procure  a 
man’s  salvation  ;  they  are  corruptible,  and, 
therefore,  cannot  redeem  an  incorruptible 
and  immortal  soul.  The  redemption  of  man 
is  real,  not  metaphorical  ;  and  the  price  is 
equal  to  the  purchase,  for  it  is  the  precious 
blood  of  Chriit,  it  is  the  blood  of  an  innocent 
Person,  whom  the  paschal  lamb  represented, 
and  of  an  infinite  Person,  being  the  Son  of 


God,  therefore  it  is  called  the  blood  of  God , 
Acts  20:  28. 

Christ’s  design  in  shedding  his  most  pre¬ 
cious  blood,  was,  to  redeem  us,  not  only 
from  eternal  misery  hereafter,  but  from  a 
vain  conversation  in  this  world;  empty, 
frivolous,  trilling,  and  unserviceable  to  the 
honor  of  God,  the  credit  of  religion,  the 
conviction  of  unbelievers,  and  comfort  and 
satisfaction  of  a  man’s  own  conscience. 

A  man’s  conversation  may  carry  an  ap¬ 
pearance  of  devotion,  and  may  plead  anti¬ 
quity,  custom,  and  tradition,  in  its  defence, 
and  yet,  after  all,  be  a  most  vain  conversa¬ 
tion.  The  Jews  had  a  deal  to  say  from 
these  heads,  for  all  their  formalities  ;  yet 
their  conversation  was  so  vain,  that  only  the 
blood  of  Christ  could  redeem  them  from  it. 

V.  20,  21.  The  Redeemer  is  further  de¬ 
scribed,  not  only  as  a  Lamb  without  spot, 
but  as  one  foreordained  or  foreknown. 
When  prescience  is  ascribed  to  God,  it  im¬ 
plies  more  than  hare  prospect  or  specula¬ 
tion.  It  imports  an  act  of  the  will,  a  reso¬ 
lution  that  the  thing  shall  he.  Acts  2:  23. 
God  did  not  only  foreknow,  hut  determine 
and  decree,  that  his  Son  should  die  for  man, 
and  this  decree  was  before  the  foundation  of 
the  world. 

Also,  He  was  manifested  in  these  last  days 
for  you  ;  manifested  or  demonstrated  to  be 
that  Redeemer  whom  God  had  foreordained, 
hy  his  birth,  by  his  Father’s  testimony,  and 
by  his  own  works,  especially  hy  his  resur¬ 
rection,  Rom.  1:4.  ‘  This  was  done  in 

these  last  times  of  the  New  Test,  and  of  the 
Gospel,  for  you,  you  Jews,  you  sinners,  you 
afflicted  ones  ;  you  have  the  comfort  of  the 
manifestation  and  appearance  of  Christ,  if 
you  believe  on  Him.’ 

God  raised  Him  up  from  the  dead,  and 
gave  Him  glory.  The  resurrection  of  Christ, 
considered  as  an  act  of  power,  is  common 
to  all  the  three  Persons,  hut  as  an  act  of 
judgment  it  is  peculiar  to  the  Father,  who, 
as  a  Judge,  released  Christ,  raised  Him 
from  the  grave,  and  gave  Him  glory,  pro¬ 
claimed  Him  to  all  the  world  to  he  his  Son, 
advanced  Him  to  heaven,  crowned  Him 
with  glory  and  honor,  invested  Him  with  all 
power  in  heaven  and  earth,  and  glorified 
Him  with  that  glory  which  He  had  with 
God  before  the  world  was. 

The  redeemed  are  also  described  here  hy 
their  faith  and  hope.  The  cause  of  this  is, 
Jesus  Christ;  ‘  You  do  by  Him  believe  in 
God  ;  by  Him  ns  the  Author,  Eueourager, 
Support,  and  Finisher  of  your  faith  ;  -jour 
faith  and  hope  now  may  he  in  God,  as  re¬ 
conciled  to  you  by  Christ  the  Mediator.’ 

Learn  hence,  God  hud  purposes  of  special 


PR  ACT.  OBS.  V.  10 — 1C.  While  wediscourse  freely  on  evangelical  and 
experimental  subjects,  numbers,  cither  ignorantly  or  maliciously,  charge 
us  with  holding  novel  doctrines,  and  introducing  a  new  religion  :  but  in 
fact  these  principles  were  first  published,  ns  soonlls  ‘  sin  entered  into  the 
world  ;  ’  though  they  have  passed,  so  to  speak,  through  several  enlarged 
editions:  but  everything  is  new  to  him,  who  is  hitherto  unacquainted 
witlt  it.  Concerning  these  things  the  ancient  ‘prophets  inquired  ’  and 
searched  with  great  diligence ;  and  shall  not  we  then  search  diligently 
those' Scriptures,  which  contain  the  joyful  anti  interesting  doctrines  of 
salvation  ?  Or  shall  we  neglect  the  means  of  appropriating  to  ourselves 
its  everlasting  benefits  ?  Far  be  this  from  ns  !  Rather  let  us  throw 
aside  all  carnal  encumbrances,  and  use  every  method  of  bringing  our 

V.  15,  1C.  ‘  We  are  to  imitate  our  Father  and  our  God,  as  good  chil¬ 

dren  do  their  parents.  The  sentiment  is  confirmed  from  Lev.  11:41.’  lit,. 

^  — 21.  The  Christian’s  best  state  of  mind  is,  a  dtic  proportion  of 
humble  fear  and  believing  hope,  at  an  equal  distance  from  presumption 
and  despondency.  Without  hope,  a  man  is  like  a  ship  which  has  no 
anchor;  without  fear,  lie  resembles  one  without  ballast.  The  fearless 
professor  is  defenceless;  and  Satan  ‘takes  him  captive  at  his  will ;  ’ 
while  lie  who  desponds  has  no  heart  to  avail  himself  of  his  advantages, 
and  surrenders  at  discretion.— The  apostle,  therefore,  exhorted  his  breth¬ 
ren  to  ‘fear  always,’  as  well  ns  to  ‘hope  to  the  end  :  ’  especially  consid¬ 
ering  at  what  a  price  they  had  been  redeemed. — Once  they  had  lived  in 
a  vain,  unprofitable  manner  :  Jews  bad  rested  in  the  legal  ceremonies, 
and  the  ‘traditions  of  the  elders;’  Gentiles  in  die  absurd  fables  ami 
Idolatrous  worship,  transmitted  to  them  from  their  ancestors;  both 
were  at  an  immense  distance  from  spiiilnal  religion.  But  they  had 
been  redeemed,  not  only  by  power  exerted,  but  hy  a  price  paid  for 
them,  as  a  satisfaction  to  the  justice  of  God,  that  Jfe  might  act  honora¬ 
ble  in  delivering  them.  This  price  had  not  consisted  of  the  treasures 
which  men  generally  most  value  :  but  it  had  been  paid  with  1  the  blood 
of  Christ,’  ‘  the  Son  of  tile  living  God,’  which  was  indeed  most  precious, 

[594] 


minds  into. a  proper  frame  for  attending  to  this  grand  concern,  and  of 
doing  the  work  of  our  great  Master  with  alacrity  and  industry.  Let  us 
study  to  be  ‘sober,’  in  the  midst  of  a  giddy,  sensual,  and  intoxicated 
world  ;  let  ns  ‘hold  fast  the  beginning  of  our  confidence  steadfast  unto 
(lie  end  ;  ’  and  show  ourselves  the  ‘  obedient  children  ’  of  Coil,  by  avoid¬ 
ing  conformity  to  the  world,  and  by  taking  care  not  to  ‘  fashion  ourselves 
according  to  the  former  lusts  in  our  ignorance  ;’  4:3 — 5.  Horn.  12:1,  12. 
Lilt  especially  watching  and  praying  against  those  sins,  to  which  we  were 
then  most  ]irone  or  accustomed.  Thus  let  ns  aim  to  heroine  ‘  holy  in  all 
-manner  of  conversation,’  even  1  as  God  who  hath  called  us  is  holy  :  ’ 
for  He  sanctifies  all  whom  Ife  saves,  and  ‘  without  holiness  no  man 
shall  see  the  Lord.’  Scott. 

by  reason  of  his  divine  nature  and  excellency  ;  so  that  it  was  sufficient 
to  render  it  glorious,  to  the  justice  and  law  of  God,  for  the  sake  of  it,  to 
show  mercy  and  give  grace  to  sinners  of  every  nation  and  description. 
John  1:29.  (17)  Fear.\  ‘Why  should  he,  that  hath  assurance  of  sal¬ 

vation,  fear  ?  If  there  is  truth  in  his  assurance,  nothing  can  disappoint 
him,  not  sin  itself,  it  is  true;  but  it  is  no  less  true,  that  if  he  do  not  fear 
to  sin  there  is  no  truth  in  his  assurance.  It  is  not  the  assurance  of  faith, 
but  the  mispersnasion  of  a  secure  and  profane  mind.’  Leighton.  Sc. 

(17.)  ‘  Now  follows  the  second  argument,  by  which  we  are  actuated  to 
virtue,  and  that  derived  from  the  divine  benignity  and  justice.’  Bt,. 

(13.)  Redeemed  with  corruptible  things,  Ac.]  ‘Some  think  here  is 
an  allusion  to  the  lamb,  which  made  an  atonement,  and  was  bought  at 
tlie  common  expense  furnished  by  the  contribution  of  the  half  shekel, 
as  an  atonement  for  their  souls.’  Jloddr. — Redeemed,  Bfoomf.  says, 
‘may  simply  signify  liberated-,  but  there  is  an  allusion  to  the  atoning 
blood  of  Christ,  without  which  not  even  the  religion  that  liberated  them 
could  have  been  promulgated.’  Vain  conversation.']  Mackn.  renders  it 
foolish  behavior,  and  Rloomf.  refers  to  Tit.  3:9.  and  savs,  it  relates  not 
only  to  idolatry,  but  to  the  other  vices  which  that  carries  with  it,  and 
to  which  human  nature  is  prone.  Eo. 


A.  D.  63. 


1  PE  I  ER,  II.  God's  U  ord,  the  great  mean  of  regeneration. 


dead,  and  "  gave  him  glory,  that 
your  faith  and  hope  nii<rht  be  in 
God. 

[Practical  Observations .] 

22  Seeing  ye  have  purified  your 
souls  in  obeying  the  truth  0  through 
the  Spirit  unto  unfeigned  love  *>  of 
the  brethren,  see  that  ye  love  one 
another  with  a  pure  heart  fervently: 

23  Being  born  i  again,  not  of  cor¬ 
ruptible  seed,  but  of  incorruptible, 
by  the  word  rof  God,  which  iiveth 
and  abideth  for  ever. 

24  !  For  '  all  flesh  is  as  grass,  and 
all  the  glory  of  man  as  the  flower 
of  grass.  The  grass  withereth,  and 
the  flower  thereof  falleth  away  : 

25  But  the  word  of  the  Lord  en- 
dureth  for  ever.  And  this  u  is  the 
word  which  by  the  gospel  is  preach¬ 
ed  unto  you. 


CHAP.  II. 


1  He  (lehorCclh  them  from  the  breach  of  charity :  4  shew¬ 
ing  that  Christ  is  the  Foundation  w  litre  upon  they  are 
built.  11  lie  beseechi'th  them  also  to  abstain  from  flesh¬ 
ly  lust.#,  13  to  be  obedient  to  magistrates,  18  and  teach- 
rth  servants  how  to  obey  their  masters,  ‘20  patiently  suf¬ 
fering  for  well  doing,  after  the  example  of  Christ. 

WHEREFORE  laying  aside 
*  all  malice  and  all  guile,  and 
hypocrisies,  and  envies,  and  all  evil 
speakings, 


n  Mat.  ‘28:18. 

Plli.  2:9. 
o  Jn  17:17,19. 
p  1  Ju.  3:14,18. 


(]  Jn.  1:13. 
r  Ja.  1:18. 
a  or,  For  that. 
t  Is.  40:6—8. 


u  Jn.  1:1,14. 

2  Pe.  1:19 
a  $p.  4:22,31 


favor  toward  his  people  long  before  He  made 
any  manifestations  of  them.  The  clearness 
of  light,  the  supports  of  faith,  the  efficacy 
of  ordinances,  and  the  proportion  of  com- 
forts  ;  these  are  all  much  larger  since  the 
manifestation  of  Christ,  than  they  were  be- 
fure.  Our  gratitude  and  services  should  lie 
suitable  to  such  favors.  The  redemption  of 
Christ  belongs  to  none  but  true  believers  : 
none  [can  scripturally]  pretend  to  a  general 
application  of  Christ’s  death  for  the  salva¬ 
tion  of  all.  Hypocrites  and  unbelievers  will 
be  ruined  for  ever,  notwithstanding  the 
death  of  Christ.  Coil  in  Christ  is  the  ulti¬ 
mate  Object  of  a  Christian’s  faith,  which  is 
strongly  supported  by  the  resurrection  of 
Christ,  and  the  glory  that  did  follow. 

V.  22.  Here  the  apostle  begins  another 


exhortation  to  brotherly  love,  wherein  he 
supposes  the  Gospel  had  already  such  an  ef¬ 
fect  on  them  as  to  purify  their  souls,  while 
they  obeyed  it  through  the  Spirit,  and  that 
it  had  produced  at  least  an  unfeigned  love  of 
the  brethren;  and  from  thence  he  argues  with 
them  to  proceed  to  a  higher  degree  of  affec¬ 
tion,  to  love  one  another  with  a  pure  heart 
fervently. 

To  purify  the  soul,  supposes  some  great 
imeleanness  and  defilement  which  had  pol¬ 
luted  it,  and  that  this  defilement  is  removed. 
The  Word  of  God  is  the  great  instrument 
of  purification,  and  is  effectual,  if  it  be 
obeyed,  John  17:  17.  Many  hear  the  truth, 
hut  are  never  purified  by  it,  because  they 
will  not  obey  it. 

The  Spirit  of  God  is  the  great  Agent  in 
purification;  convinces  of  impurities,  fur¬ 
nishes  virtues  and  graces;  faith.  Acts  15:  9. 
hope,  1  John  3:  3.  the  fear  of  God,  Ps.  34 :  9. 
and  the  love  of  Jesus  Christ.  The  aid  of  the 
Spirit  does  not  supersede,  our  own  industry; 
these  people  purified  their  own  souls,  but  it 
was  through  the  Spirit. 

The  souls  of  Christians  must  be  purified 
before  they  can  so  much  as  love  one  another 
unfeignedly.  There  are  lusts  and  partiali¬ 
ties  in  man,  that  without  divine  grace  we 
can  neither  love  God  nor  one  another  as  we 
ought  to  do  ;  there  is  no  charity  but  out  of 
a  pure  heart. 

It  is  the  duty  of  all  Christians  sincerely 
and  fervently  to  love  one  another.  Our  af¬ 
fection  to  one  another  must  be  sincere  and 
real,  fervent,  constant,  and  extensive. 

V.  23.  This  duty,  of  loving  one  another 
with  a  pure  heart  fervently,  the  apostle  fur¬ 
ther  presses  on  Christians,  from  the  consid¬ 
eration  of  their  spiritual  relation.  Hence, 
we  may  learn, 

That  all  Christians  ate  born  again  ;  and 
by  this,  their  new  birth,  are  brought  into  a 
new  and  a  near  relation  to  one  another, 
they  become  brethren. 

The  Word  of  God  is  the  great  mean  of 
regeneration,  Jam.  1  : 18.  which  is  a  new, 
second  birth,  much  more  desirable  and  ex¬ 
cellent  titan  the  first.  This  the  apostle 
teaches,  by  preferring  the  incorruptible  to 
the  corruptible  seed.  By  the  one  we  be¬ 
come  the  children  of  men,  by  the  other  the 
sons  and  daughters  of  the  Most  High.  Com¬ 
paring  the  Word  of  God  to  seed,  lie  teaches 
us  its  power  and  value,  and  how  God 
works  by  means. 

Those  that  are  regenerate  should  love  one 


another  with  a  pure  heart  fervently  ;  they 
are  under  the  same  government,  partake  of 
the  same  privileges,  and  are  embarked  in 
the  same  interest. 

The  Word  of  God  is  a  living,  or  lively 
Word,  Heb.  4:  12.  a  mean  of  spiritual  life, 
animating  and  exciting  us  in  Our  duty,  till 
it  brings  us  to  eternal  life  ;  and  it  is  abid¬ 
ing  ;  it  remains  eternally  true,  and  abides 
in  the  hearts  of  the  regenerate  for  ever. 

V.  24,  25.  The  apostle  having  given  an 
account,  of  the  excellency  of  the  renewed 
spiritual  man,  as  born  again,  now  sets  before 
us  the  vanity  of  the  natural  man,  taking 
him  with  all  his  ornaments  and  advantages 
about  him  ;  he  is  as  grass  and  the  flower  of 
grass  ;  and  nothing  can  make  him  a  solid, 
substantial  being,  but  the  being  born  again, 
of  the  incorruptible  seed,  the  Word  of  God, 
which  will  transform  him  into  a  most  ex¬ 
cellent  creature,  whose  glory  will  not  fade 
like  a  flower,  but  shine  like  an  angel  ;  and 
t his  Word  is  daily  set  before  you  in  the 
preaching  of  the  Gospel. 

Man  is  a  withering,  fading,  dying  crea¬ 
ture.  In  his  entrance  into  the  world,  in  his 
life,  and  in  his  fall,  he  is  like  to  grass,  Job 
14:2.  Is.  40:6,7.  Take  him  in  all  his 
glory,  even  that  is  as  the  flower  of  grass; 
his  wit,  beauty ,  strength,  vigor,  wealth,  hon¬ 
or  ;  these  are  but  as  the  flower  of  grass, 
which  soon  withers  and  dies  away. 

The  Word  of  God,  if  received,  and  that 
only,  will  preserve  him  to  everlasting  life, 
j  and  abide  with  him  for  ever. 

The  prophets  and  apostles  preached  the 
I  same  doctrine,  Isaiah  and  others,  in  the  Old 
Test.,  the  same  which  the  apostles  preached 
in  the  New. 


Chap.  II.  The  general  exhortation  to 
holiness  is  continued  arid  enforced  bv  several 
reasons,  taken  from  the  foundation  on  which 
Christians  are  built,  Jesus  Christ,  and  from 
their  spiritual  blessings  and  privileges  in 
Him.  The  mean  of  obtaining  it,  the  Word 
of  God,  is  recommended,  and  all  contrary 
qualities  are  condemned.  Particular  direc¬ 
tions  are  given  how  subjects  ought  to  obey 
the  magistrates,  and  servants  their  masters, 
patiently  suffering  in  well  doing,  in  imita¬ 
tion  of  Christ. 

V.  1.  Malice  may  be  taken  more  general¬ 
ly  for  all  sorts  of  wickedness,  as  Jam.  1:  21. 
1  Cor.  5:  8.  but,  in  a  more  confined  sense,  is 
anger  resting,  settled,  overgrown,  and  re¬ 
tained  till  it  inflames  a  man  to  design  and 


TRACT.  OR8.  V.  17 — 21.  The  God  whom  we  worship  ‘  is  no  Re¬ 
specter  of  persons;  ’  but  does  now,  and  will  at  last,  ‘judge  according  to 
every  man’s  work.’  Knowing  these  things,  and  aware  of  the  deceitful- 
nesx  of  ntir  hearts,  the  subtlety  of  our  enemies,  and  the  manifold  de.lu- 
sions  which  are  propagated  on  every  side ;  we  should  ‘  pass  tile  time  of 
our  sojourning’  in  this  perilous  world,  in  humble,' 'watchful,  and  jealous 
‘  fear ;  ’  which  will  best  secure  ns  against  fatal  deceptions,  and  preserve 
ns  from  dishonoring  God  and  exposing  ourselves  to  his  fatherly  correc¬ 
tions.  Prov.  14:15,  16.  28:14.  Rom.  11:16 — 21.  It  behooves  us  also  fre¬ 
quently  to  remember,  that  all  the  riches  of  the  world  could  never  have 
saved  one  soul  from  eternal  destruction.  Why  then  should  we  covet 
such  unavailing,  perishing  treasures  l  Ps.  49:6 — 9.  Mat.  16:24 — 28.  P. 
O.  21 — 23. —  But  how  vast  are  our  obligations  to  the  Lord  Jesus,  the 
spotless  1  Lamb  of  God,’  whose  precious  blood  was  freely  shed  to  ran¬ 
som  our  souls,  and  to  obtain  eternal  salvation  for  us  !  May  we  ‘  by 
Him  believe  in  God,  who  raised  Him  from  the  dead  and  gave  Him  glory, 
that  our  faith  and  hope’  may  rest  on  the  infinite  perfection  and  love  of 
God,  for  all  things  pertaining  to  our  eternal  salvation  !  Scott. 

(21.)  lPho  by  Him  believe ,  &c.]  ‘  Who  by  Him  trust  in  God.  The 

phrase  is  remarkable,  and  I  think,  with  Hal/el,  the  meaning  is,  that 
Christians,  who,  before  their  conversion,  were  ignorant  of  the  true  God, 
learnt  his  being  and  providence  from  the  great  fact  of  Christ's  resurrec¬ 
tion. ,  and  the  power  with  which  God  invested  Him  on  his  ascension  into 
heaven.’  Doddr. 

(21 — 23.)  ‘  It  is  n  fact  beyond  reasonable  controversy,  that  there  is 
not  now,  and  within  the  memory  of  history  there  never  was,  a  people 
who  were  not  given  up  to  gross  idolatry,  totally  ignorant  of  God,  and 
destitute  of  ail  true  religious  worship,  except  those  who  have  been 
saved  from  this  dreadful  state,  by  the  light  of  revelation.  Yes,  the 
Holy  Bible  is  the  sun  of  the  moral  system.  Take  it  from  any  people, 
anti  that  people  is  in  darkness ;  lake  it  from  the  world,  and  the  world  is 
blind.  It  enlightens,  elevates,  and  purifies  society,  wherever  it  is  in¬ 
troduced.  Rev.  Beriah  Green. 

V.  22.  They  indeed  were  active  and  earnest  in  this  matter,  [their  pu¬ 
rification,]  hut  He  [the  Holy  Spirit]  had  given  them  both  the  will  and 
tiie  power.  Fervently .]  Here  only. — 1  With  all  their  power,  vehe¬ 
mently,  permanently,  liberally,  with  the  whole  soul.’  Quot.  in  Leigh.  Sc. 


PRACT.  OBS.  V.  22—25.  It  is  highly  important,  that  men  should 
seriously  consider,  and  be  deeply  convinced,  that  their  souls  must  be 
purified  from  pollution,  nr  they  will  inevitably  perish;  that  there  is  a 
work  and  duty  for  them  to  attend  on  in  this  matter;  that  they  can  do 
nothing  in  it,  except  by  ‘  obeying  t  he  truth;’  lhat  they  cannot  ‘obey 
tiie  truth  ’  but  by  the  ‘Holy  Spirit,’  whom  God  has  promised  to  give  to 
those  that  ask  Him  ;  Luke  11  5—13.  and  that  ‘unfeigned  love’  of  true 
Christians  is  one  proper  test  and  standard  of  evangelical  purity  of  heart. 
Ail  other  distinctions  will  soon  be  lost,  and  as  it  were  swallowed  up,  in 
the  difference  between  the  regenerate  and  t he  unregenerate  ;  all  other 
glory  will  wither,  and  terminate  in  everlasting  shame  and  disgrace  ;  all 
other  unions  will  he  dissolved,  and  perish.  But  those  who  are  one  in 
Christ  Jesus,  and  are  ‘  beautified  with  his  salvation,’  will  be  united  in 
perfect  love,  glory,  and  felicity,  for  ever.  As  ‘  this  Word  of  the  Gospel,’ 
which  is  the  seed  of  eternal  life,  is  preached  to  us  also  ;  let  us  see  to  it, 
that  it  dwells  in  our  hearts,  and  brings  forth  holy  fruit  in  our  lives ;  and 
then  we  shall  1  not  he  ashamed  or  confounded,  world  without  end.’  - 

Scott. 


(22.)  ‘Having  given  the  above  arguments  to  the  living  holily  and 
righteously,  he  returns  to  the  exhortation ,  that  they  should  strive  after 
virtue,  and,  above  all,  brotherly  love.'  Pott,  in  Bloomf. 

V.  23 — 25.  This  brotherly  love  was  indeed  in  some  sense  natural  to 


them,  not  as  men,  but  as  Christians;  as  they  were  all  children  of  one 
family,  anti  more  nearly  related  than  any  earthly  brethren  could  be. 
The  quotation,  Is.  40:6,  7.  is  nearly  from  the  Sept.,  which  accords  to 
the  Heb.  ‘  It  is  grossly  contrary  to  the  truth  of  the  Scriptures,  to  im¬ 
agine,  that  they  who  are  thus  renewed  cufl  be  unborn  again.’  Abp. 
Leighton.  Scott. 

(23.)  Not  of  corruptible  seed ,  &c.]  ‘  This  was  said  against  the  Jews, 
who  gloried  in  their  descent  from  Abraham.  See  Joint  1:13.  3:6.  ltos. 

NOTES.  Chap.  II.  V.  1— 3.  The  apostle  here  applied  to  Christ, 
as  the  context  proves,  what  the  Psalmist  had  spoken  of  Jehovah.  Is. 
34:8.— The  Lord  is  merciful  and  kind,  whether  men  believe  it,  or  not  ; 
many  have  inefficacious  notions  of  his  mercy,  without  any  experience 
or  taste  of  it,  and  these  notions  commonly  embolden  them  in  rebellion; 
but  regenerate  persons  believe  that  He  is  gracious ;  they  apply  to  Him 
in  that  persuasion,  and  thus  they  taste  and  relish  his  grace,  and 


A.  D.  t>3. 


1  PETER,  II. 


The  Word  of  God  recommended. 


2  As  new-born  b  babes,  desire  the 
sincere  milk  c  of  the  word,  that  ye 
may  grow  thereby  : 

3  If  so  be  ye  have  tasted  d  that 
the  Lord  is  gracious. 

4  To  whom  coming,  as  unto  a 
living  stone,  disallowed  e indeed  of 
men,  but  chosen  of  God,  and  pre¬ 
cious, 

5  Ye  also,  as  lively  stones,  fare 
built  up  a  spiritual  *  house,  an  holy 
h  priesthood,  to  offer  up  spiritual 

1  sacrifices,  acceptable  to  God  by 

Jesus  Christ. 

6  Wherefore  also  it  is  contained 
in  the  Scripture, j  Behold,  I  lay  in 

h  Mat.  18:3.  t  Ps.  118:22.  h  la.  61:6  He.  1:6. 

c  I  Co  3:2.  f  or,  be  ve.  i  Mai.  1:11. 

d  Ps.  34:8.  g  He.  3:6.  j  Is.  28:16. 

rlo  mischief,  or  delight  in  any  mischief  timt 
befalls  another.  Guile  is  deceit  in  words, 
and  comprehends  flattery,  falsehood,  anti  de¬ 
lusion,  a  crafty  imposing  on  another’s  igno¬ 
rance  or  weakness,  to  his  damage.  Hy¬ 
pocrisies,  the  word  being  plural,  compre¬ 
hends  all  sorts  of  hypocrisies.  In  matters 
of  religion,  hypocrisy  is  counterfeit  piety; 
in  civil  conversation,  counterfeit  friendship, 
much  practiced  hy  those  who  give  high  com¬ 
pliments,  or  promise  what  they  never  in¬ 
tend  to  perform,  or  pretend  friendship  when 
mischief  lies  in  their  hearts.  Envy  is  a 
grieving  at  the  good  of  another  ;  at  their 
abilities,  prosperity,  fame,  or  successful  la¬ 
bors.  Evil  speaking  is  detraction,  speaking 
against  another,  or  defaming  him  ;  it  is  ren¬ 
dered  backbiting,  2  Cor.  12:  20.  Rom.  1  :  E0. 
These  are  to  lie  put  off,  as  a  vile  garment. 

Learn,  1.  The  best  Christians  have  need 
to  be  cautioned  and  warned  against  the 
worst  siiis  ;  they  are  but  sanctified  in  part, 
and  are  still  liable  to  temptations. 

2.  Our  best  services  toward  God  will 
neither  please  Him,  nor  profit  ns,  if  we  are 
not  conscientious  in  our  duties  to  men.  The 
sins  here  mentioned  are  offences  against  the 
second  table. 

3.  Whereas  it  is  said,  all  malice,  all 
guile,  learn,  That  one  sin,  not  laid  aside, 
will  hinder  our  spiritual  profit  and  everlast¬ 
ing  welfare. 

4.  Malice,  envy,  hatred,  hypocrisy,  and 
evil-speaking,  generally  go  together  ;  and 
all  of  them  combine  to  hinder  our  profiting 
by  the  Word  of  God. 

V.  2.  The  duty  here  exhorted  to,  is,  a 
strong  and  constant  desire  of  the  Word  of 
God,  here  called  reasonable  milk.  Only  that 
phrase  not  being  proper  English,  our  trans¬ 
lators  rendered  it  the  milk  of  the  Word,  by 
which  we  are  to  understand  food  proper  for 
tlw  soul,  or  a  reasonable  creature.  It  must 
be  sincere,  not  adulterated  by  the  mixtures  of 
men,  who  often  corrupt  the  Word  of  God, 

2  Cor.  2:17.  The  manner  how  they  are  to 
desire  it  is  stated,  lie  puts  them  in  mind 
of  their  regeneration.  They  being  newly 
born,  must  desire  the  milk  of  the  Word,  and 


for  this  end,  that  they  may  grow  thereby; 
that  we  may  improve  in  grace  and  (lie 
knowledge  of  otir  Lord  and  Savior,  2  Pet. 
3:18. 

Learn,  1.  Strong  desires  and  affections  to 
the  Word  of  God,  are  a  sure  evidence  of  a 
person’s  being  born  again  :  the  lowest  evi¬ 
dence,  but  yet  certain. 

2.  Growth  and  improvement  in  wisdom 
and  grace  are  the  design  and  desire  of  every 
Christian;  all  spiritual  means  are  for  edifi¬ 
cation  and  improvement.  The  Word  of 
God,  rightly  used,  does  not  leave  a  man  as 
it  finds  him,  but  improves  and  makes  him 
better. 

V.  3.  If  so  be,  or  since  that,  or  forasmuch 
as,  ye  have  tasted  that  the  Lord  is  gracious. 
The  apostle  does  not  doubt,  but  affirms  that 
these  good  Christians  had  tasted  the  good¬ 
ness  of  God,  lienee  he  argues  with  them, 
as  v.  1,2.  The  next  verse  assures  us,  that 
the  Lord,  here  spoken  of,  is  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ.  Hence, 

Learn,  1.  Our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  is  very 
gracious  to  his  people. 

2.  The  graciousness  of  our  Redeemer  is 
best  discovered  by  an  experimental  taste  of 
it  ;  which  supposes  our  being  united  to  Him 
by  faith, and  then  vve  may  taste  his  goodness 
in  all  his  providences,  in  all  our  spiritual 
concerns,  in  all  our  fears  and  temptations, 
in  his  Word  and  worship  every  day. 

3.  The  best  of  God’s  servants  have,  in 
this  life,  but  a  taste  of  the  grace  of  Christ. 

4.  The  Word  of  God  is  the  great  instru¬ 
ment  whereby  lie  discovers  and  communi¬ 
cates  his  grace  to  men.  They  who  feed  on 
the  sincere  milk  of  the  Word,  taste  and  ex¬ 
perience  most  of  his  grace. 

V.  4.  The  apostle  here  enters  on  a  de¬ 
scription  of  Jesus  Christ,  which  he  continues 
to  v.  9.  He  calls  Him  a  Stone,  to  denote 
his  invincible  strength  and  everlasting  dura¬ 
tion,  and  to  teach  his  servants  that  lie  is 
their  Protection  and  Security,  the  Founda¬ 
tion  on  which  they  are  built,  and  a  Rock  of 
offence  to  all  their  enemies.  He  is  the  liv¬ 
ing  Stone,  having  eternal  life  in  Himself, 
and  being  the  'Prince  of  life  to  all  his  people. 

The  reputation  and  respect  He  has  with 
God  and  man  arc  very  different.  He  is  dis¬ 
allowed  of  men,  reprobated  or  rejected;  but 
chosen  of  God,  separated  and  foreordained 
to  be  the  Foundation  of  the  church,  as  ch.  1: 
20.  and  precious,  a  most  honorable,  choice, 
worthy  Person,  in  Himself,  in  the  esteem  of 
God,  and  in  the  judgment  of  all  who  believe 
on  Him. 

To  this  Person  so  described  we  are  oblig¬ 
ed  to  come  ;  to  whom  coming  j  not  by  a  local 
motion,  bat  by  faith,  wherclw  wc  are  united 
to  Him  at  first,  and  draw  nigh  to  Him  ever 
after. 

Learn,  1.  Jesus  Christ  is  the  very  founda¬ 
tion-stone  of  all  our  hopes  and  happiness. 

2.  Men  in  general  disallow  and  reject  Je¬ 
sus  Christ  ;  they  slight  Him,  dislike  Him, 
oppose  and  refuse  Him,  as  Scripture  and 
experience  declare,  Isa.  53:3. 

3.  However,  He  is  chosen  of  God,  and 
precious  in  his  account  ;  chosen  to  he  the 


Lord  of  the  universe,  the  Head  of  the  church, 
the  Savior  of  his  people,  and  the  Judge  of 
the  world;  precious  in  the  excellency  of  his 
nature,  the  dignity  of  his  office,  and  the.  glo¬ 
riousness  of  his  services. 

4.  Those  who  expect  mercy  from  this 
gracious  Redeemer,  must  come  to  Him, 
which  is  our  act,  though  done  by  God’s 
grace  ;  an  act  of  the  soul,  not  of  the  body  ; 
a  real  endeavor,  not  a  fruitless  wish. 

V.  5.  'I’lie  foundation  was  laid,  v.  4. 
Here  is  the  superstructure  built  upon  it  ;  Ye 
also,  as  lively  stones,  are  built  up.  The  apos¬ 
tle  is  recommending  the  Christian  church 
and  constitution  to  these  dispersed  Jews. 
It  was  natural  for  them  to  object,  that  the 
Christian  church  had  no  such  glorious  tem¬ 
ple,  not1  such  a  numerous  priesthood  ;  but 
its  dispensation  was  mean,  having  nothing 
of  the  pomp  and  grandeur  the  Jewish  dis¬ 
pensation  had.  To  which  the  apostle  an¬ 
swers,  that  the  Christian  church  is  a  much 
nobler  fabric  than  the  Jewish  temple,  a  tem¬ 
ple  consisting  not  of  dead  materials,  but  of 
living  parts.  Christ,  the  Foundation,  a  liv¬ 
ing  Stone,  Christians  lively  stones, — these 
make  a  spiritual  house,  and  a  holy  priest¬ 
hood  ;  and  though  iliey  have  no  bloody  sac¬ 
rifices  of  beasts  to  offer,  yet  they  have  much 
better  and  more  acceptable ;  and  they  have  an 
Altar,  too,  on  which  to  present  their  offer¬ 
ings  ;  for  they  offer  spiritual  sacrifices,  ac¬ 
ceptable  to  God  by  Jesus  Christ. 

Learn,  1.  All  sincere  Christiana  have  in 
them  a  principle  of  spiritual  life,  derived 
from  Christ  their  Head  ;  hence,  living  stones. 
2.  The  church  of  God  is  a  spiritual  house, 
Eph.  2:20.  1  Cor.  3:10.  Eph.  2:22.  its 
foundation,  Christ  Jesus  ;  the  materials  of 
it,  spiritual  persons ;  its  furniture,  the  graces 
of  the  Spirit  ; — in  connexion,  held  together 
by  the  Spirit  of  God,  and  by  one  common 
faith  ;  and  in  use,  to  offer  up  spiritual  sac¬ 
rifices.  This  house  is  daily  built  up,  every 
part  of  it  improving,  and  the  whole  supplied, 
in  every  age,  by  the  addition  of  new  partic¬ 
ular  members.  3.'  All  good  Christians  are 
a  holy  priesthood.  The  apostle  speaks  here 
of  the  generality  of  Christians  ;  they  are 
all  select  persons,  sacred  to  God,  service¬ 
able  to  others,  well  endowed  with  heavenly 
gifts  and  graces,  and  well  employed.  4. 
This  holy  priesthood  must  and  will  offer  up 
spiritual  sacrifices  to  God.  The  spiritual 
sacrifices  Christians  are  to  offer,  are,  their 
bodies,  souls,  affections,  prayers,  praises, 
alms,  and  other  duties.  5.  The  most  spir¬ 
itual  sacrifices  of  the  best  men  are  not  ac¬ 
ceptable  to  God,  but  through  Jesus  Christ  ; 
He  is  the  only  great  High  Priest,  through 
whom  we  and  our  services  can  be  accepted; 
therefore  bring  all  your  oblations  to  Him, 
and  by  Him  present  them  to  God. 

V.  6.  What  was  asserted  before  of  Christ, 
his  being  a  living  Stone,  &c.  is  here  proved 
from  Isa.  28:  16.  rather  the  sense  than  the 
words,  from  either  the  Ileb.  or  LXX.  The 
true  sense  of  Scripture  may  be  justly  and 
fully  expressed  in  other  than  in  scripture- 
words.  It  is  contained.  The  verb  is  active, 
but  our  translators  render  it  passively,  to 


earnest  of  their  future  felicity,  even  1  tlie  witness  in  themselves'  of  Mis 
mercy  and  truth.  Ps.  4.6—  8.  51:12,13.  (.3:5 — 8.  Prov.  14:10.  24-13.l  t. 
Cant.  1:3,  4.  2  Pel -  1:10.  1  John  5.9,  10.—  1  Motive,  &c. )  ‘The  apos¬ 
tles  sometimes  name  some  of  these  evils,  and  sometimes  others  of  them, 
tint  they  are  all  inseparable  as  one  garment,  and  all  comprehended  tin¬ 
der  that  one  word,  “the  old  mar.,”  which  the  apostle  there  exhorts  to 
put  off.  i  Eph.  4:22.) — “  The  Word  ”...  is  both  the  incorruptible  seed, 
and  the  ittcorruptible./bci /,  of  that  new  lire  of  grace,  which  must  there¬ 
fore  lie  an  incorruptible  life.— Though  it  seem  a  poor,  despicable  busi¬ 
ness,  that  a  frail,  sinful  man,  like  yourselves,  speak  a  few  words  in  your 
hearing,  yet,  look  upon  it  as  the  means,  wherein  Cod  communicates 
happiness  to  them  that  believe,  and  works  that  believing  unto  happiness  ; 
..  .  consider  this,  which  is  a  true  notion,  and  then  what  can  be  so  pre¬ 
cious  ?  ’  Abp.  Leighton. — The  word  sincere  shows  with  what  dili¬ 
gent  care,  the  true  doctrines  and  principle*  of  the  sacred  Word  should 
be  distinguished  from  all  corrupted  and  mutilated  systems;  even  as  a 
parent  would  guard  his  beloved  child,  from  infectious  or  poisonous  nu¬ 
triment,  though  it  assumed  the  name,  form,  and  color  of  milk. — ;3) 
Tasted.]  This  is  n  reference,  rather  than  a  quotation,  mid  alike  near  to 
the  Sept,  and  to  the  Ileb.  Ps.  34:8.  Scott. 

(2.)  liuto  salvation.”  These  words  are  to  be  added  to  this  v.  on 


the  best  authorities.’  Henry,  abr. — New-born  babes.]  *  New-born  in¬ 
fants.  This  expression  very  emphatically  denotes,  those  who  are 
newly  converted  or  regenerated.’  Doddr. 

(2,  3.)  1  The  more  a  person  loves  Cod  with  a  gracious  affection,  the 
more  he  desires  to  love  Him  ;  and  the  more  he  hates  sin,  the  more  ha 
desires  to  hate  it.  The  kindling  of  gracious  affection  is  like  a  lluine,  the 
higher  it  is  raised,  the  more  ardent  it  is.  It  is  as  natural  for  one  who  is 
spiritually  born  to  thirst  alter  holiness,  as  it  is  for  a  child  to  desire  its 
mother’s  breast.  Their  highest  enjoyment  in  this  xvorld,  is  but  a  taste 
and  prelibation  of  their  future  glory,  and  has  uo  tendency  to  satisfy  or 
abate  their  desires  for  more.’  Edwards. 

V.  4 — 6.  The  apostle,  having  been  educated  a  Jexv,  and  writing  to 
Jewish  converts,  as  well  as  others,  retained  the  typical  language  of  the 
Old  Test,  concerning  a  temple,  a  priesthood,  and  sacrifices.  Scott. 

(4.)  ‘  Here  Peter  had  in  his  eye  Is.  2816.  where  the  formation  of  the 
Christian  church  is  foretold,  under  the  image  of  a  temple,  which  God 
was  to  build  on  Messiah,  as  the  Foundation-stone  thereof.’  Mackn. 

(6.)  ‘Returning  to  the  subject  of  v.  4.  the  apostle  shows  that,  in  a 
passage  of  the  Old  Test.,  Christ  is  compared  with  a  Corner-stone,  and 
those  who  fly  to  this  stone  are  declared  blessed.’  Pott,  in  Bloom/.,  who 
says,  the  passage  is  doubtless  accommodated  by  the  apostle :  and  he 


A.  D.  63. 


1  PETER,  II. 


The  preciousness  of  Christ- 


Sion  a  chief  corner-stone,  elect,  pre¬ 
cious:  and  he  that  believeth  on  him 
shall  not  be  confounded. 

7  Unto  you  therefore  which  be¬ 
lieve,  he  is  'k  precious:  but  unto  them 
which  be  disobedient,  the  'stone 
which  the  builders  disallowed,  the 
same  is  made  the  head  of  the  corner, 
S  And  a  stone  of  stumbling,  and 
a  rock  of  o  fie  nee,  even  lo  them 
which  stumble  at  the  word,  being 
disobedient:  “whereunto  also  they 
were  appointed. 

[ Practical  Observations.] 

9  But  ye  are  a  chosen  generation, 
a  royal  priesthood,  an  holy  nation,  a 
n  peculiar  0  people  ;  that  ye  should 
shew  forth  the  Upraises  of  him  who 
hath  called  you  out  of  darkness  in¬ 
to  his  marvellous  light: 

k  or ,  an  honor,  n  or,  purch&ie i.  p  or*  vbties. 

1  Mat.  *21:43.  o  De.  4:20.  q  Ac.  2G:18. 

m  Jtaie  .4* 


avoid  die  difficulty  of  finding  a  nominative 
case  for  it,  which  had  puzzled  so  many  in¬ 
terpreters  before  them. 

The  matter  of  the  quotation  is  this  ;  Be¬ 
hold,  I  lay  in  Zion. 

Learn,  1.  In  the  weighty  matters  of  reli¬ 
gion,  we  must  depend  entirely  on  scripture- 
proof  ;  Christ  and  his  apostles  appealed  to 
Moses,  David,  and  the  ancient  prophets. 

2.  The  accounts  God  hath  given  us  in  Scrip¬ 
ture  concerning  his  Son  Jesus  Christ,  arc 
what  require  our  strictest  attention  ;  Behold, 
I  l  ey — .  John  calls  for  the  like  attention, 
John  1:29.  3.  The  constituting  of  Christ 

Jesus  Head  of  the  church,  is  an  eminent 
work  of  God  ;  I  lay  in  Zion.  4.  Jesus 
Christ  is  the  chief  Corner-stone  that  God 
hath  laid  in  his  spiritual  building.  5.  Jesus 
Christ  is  the  Corner-stone  for  the  support 
and  salvation  of  none  but  sucli  as  are  bis 
sincere  people  :  none  but  Zion,  and  such  as 
are  of  Zion  ;  not  for  Babylon,  not  for  his 
enemies.  6.  True  faith  in  Jesus  Christ 
is  the  only  way  to  prevent  a  man’s  utter 
confusion.  Three  things  put  a  man  into 
great  confusion, and  faith  prevents  them  all, 
— disappointment,  sin,  and  judgment.  Faith 
lias  a  remedy  for  each. 

V.  7.  These  words  are  an  inference  from 
what  went  before. 

Learn,  1.  Whatever  is  by  just  and  neces¬ 


sary  consequence  deduced  from  Scripture, 
may  be  depended  on  with  as  much  certainty 
as  if  it  were  contained  in  express  words  of 
Scripture.  The  prophet  did  not  expressly 
say  so,  yet  he  said  that  front  which  the  con¬ 
sequence  was  unavoidable.  Our  Savior  bids 
them  search  the  Scriptures,  because  they 
testified  of  Him  ;  yet  no  place  in  those 
Scriptures  to  which  lie  there  refers  them, 
said  Jesus  of  Nazareth  was  the  Messiah. 
Yet  those  Scriptures  do  say.  He  should  be 
born  of  a  virgin,  before  the  sceptre  departed 
from  Judah,  during  the  second  temple,  and 
after  Daniel’s  seventy  weeks;  but  such  was 
Jesus  Christ.  To  collect  which  conclusion, 
one  must  make  use  of  reason,  history,  eye¬ 
sight,  experience;  and  yet  it  is  an  infallible 
scripture-conclusion  for  all  that. 

2.  The  business  of  faithful  ministers  is,  to 
apply  general  truths  to  the  particular  condi¬ 
tion  and  slate  of  their  hearers,  v.  6.  This 
requires  wisdom,  courage,  and  fidelity  ;  but 
is  very  profitable  to  the  hearers. 

3.  Jesus  Christ  is  exceeding  precious  to 
all  the  faithful.  The  majesty  and  grandeur 
of  his  Person,  the  dignity  of  his  office,  his 
near  relation,  his  wonderful  works,  his  im¬ 
mense  love, — everything,  engages  them  to 
the  highest  esteem  and  respect  for  Him. 

4.  Disobedient  people  have  no  true  faith. 
By.  disobedient,  understand  the  unpersuad¬ 
able,  incredulous,  and  impenitent. 

5.  They  that  ought  to  build  the  church  of 
Christ,  are  often  the  Worst  enemies  Christ 
has  in  the  world.  In  the  Old  Te.  t.  the  false 
prophets,  and  in  the  New,  the  scribes,  phar¬ 
isees,  chief  priests,  and  still  the  hierarchy 
of  Rome. 

6.  God  will  carry  on  his  own  work,  and 
support  the  interest  of  Jesus  Christ  in  the 
world,  notwithstanding  the  falseness  of  pre¬ 
tended  friends,  and  the  opposition  of  his 
worst  enemies. 

V.  8.  The  words  are  taken  from  Isa.  8: 
13,  14.  From  whence  it  is  plain,  that  Je¬ 
sus  Christ  is  the  Lord  of  hosts,  and  conse¬ 
quently  the  most  high  God. 

The  builders,  the  chief  priests,  refused 
Him, and  the  people  followed  their  leaders; 
so  Christ  became  to  them  a  Slone  of  stum¬ 
bling,  and  a  Rock  of  offence,  at  which  they 
stumbled,  and  hurt  themselves  ;  and,  in  re¬ 
turn,  He  fell  oil  them  as  a  mighty  stone  or 
rock,  and  punished  them  with  destruction, 
Mat.  21 :  44. 

Learn,  1.  All  the  disobedient  take  offence 
at  the  Word  of  God  ;  are  offended  with 
Christ  Himself,  with  Lis  doctrine  and  the 


purity  of  his  precepts  ;  the  Jewish  doctors 
more  especially  stumbled  at  the  meanness  of 
his  appearance,  and  the  proposal  of  trusting 
;  only  to  Him  for  their  justification  before 
God,  Rom.  9:32. 

2.  The  same  blessed  Jesus,  who  is  the 
Author  of  salvation  to  some,  is  to  others  the 
occasion  of  their  sin  and  destruction.  He.  is 

I  set  for  the  rising  and  fall  of  many  in  Israel. 

3.  God  Himself  hath  appointed  everlast¬ 
ing  destruction  to  all  those  who  stumble  at 
the  Word,  being  disobedient.  All  those  who 
go  on  resolutely  in  their  infidelity  and  con¬ 
tempt  of  the  Gospel,  are  appointed  to  eter¬ 
nal  destruction  ;  and  God,  from  eternity, 
knows  who  they  are. 

4.  To  see  the  Jews  generally  rejecting 
Christ,  and  multitudes  in  all  ages ‘slighting 
Him,  ought  not  to  discourage  us  in  our  love 

j  and  duty  to  Him;  for  this  had  been  foretold 
by  the  prophets  long  ago,  and  is  a  confirma¬ 
tion  of  our  faith,  both  in  the  Scriptures  and 
in  the  Messiah. 

V.  9.  The  Jews  were  exceedingly  tender 
of  their  ancient  privileges,  of  being  the  only 
people  of  God.  ‘  Now,’  say  they,  ‘  if  we 
I  submit  to  the  gospel-constitution,  we  shall 
'  lose  all  this,  and  stand  on  the  same  level 
with  the  Gentiles.’  To  this  objection  the 
apostle  answers.  That,  if  they  did  not  sub¬ 
mit,  they  were  ruined,  v.  7,  8.  That,  if 
they  did  submit,  they  should  lose  no  real  ad¬ 
vantage,  but  continue  still  what  they  desired 
to  be, — a  chosen  generation,  a  royal  priest- 
I  hood,  &c. 

Learn,  1.  All  true  Christians  make  one 
j  family,  one  holy  nation,  a  species  of  people 
|  distinct  from  the  common  world  ;  of  anoth- 
J  er  spirit,  principle,  and  practice  ;  which 
they  could  uevei'  bo,  if  they  were  not  chosen 
I  in  Christ  to  be  such,  and  sanctified  by  his 
I  Spirit. 

2.  All  the  true  servants  of  Christ  are  royal 
in  their  relation  to  God  and  Christ;  in  their 
power  with  God,  and  over  themselves  and 

;  all  their  spiritual  enemies  ;  in  the  improve¬ 
ments  and  excellency  of  their  own  spirits, 

■  and  in  their  hopes  and  expectations  ;  they 
1  are  a  royal  priesthood,  separated  from  sin  and 
;  sinners,  consecrated  to  God,  and  offering  to 
j  God  spiritual  services  and  oblations,  accept- 
I  able  to  God  through  Jesus  Christ. 

3.  It  is  the  honor  of  the  servants  of  Christ, 
that  they  are  God’s  peculiar  people ,  the  peo¬ 
ple  of  his  acquisition,  choice,  care,  and  de¬ 
light.  These  four  dignities  of  all  genuine 
Christians  tire  not  natural  to  them;  fur  their 
first  state  is  a  state  of  horrid  darkness,  but 


l’R ACT.  OHS.  V.  1 — 8.  The  apostles,  with  one  consent,  declare 
the  necessity  of  Maying  aside  all  malice,  guile,  hypocrisies,  envies,  and 
slanders,’  in  order  to  ‘  receive  with  meekness’  the  instructions  of  Christ. 
AVe  need  mu  then  wonder,  that  there  arc  so  many  hearers  of  the  Word 
wholly  unfruitful ;  and  that  others  uie  so  little  eddied,  when  we  observe 
how  much  these  apostolical  injunctions  are  neglected.— But  let  no  man 
rest  in  unexperienced  notions;  for  even  ‘babes  ih  Christ  taste  that  He 
is  gracious  ;’  and  their  experience  of  his  love  and  mercy  draws  them  to 
seek  Him,  in  all  their  subsequent  distresses,  fears,  wants,  and  tempta¬ 
tions,  and  to  rest  on  Him  as  ‘the  Foundation’  of  all  their  hopes.  — But 
whilst  our  Emmanuel,  and  his  salvation,  are  glorious  in  the  eyes  and 

quotes  Ros.,  as  saying,  ‘  that,  according  to  the  primary  sense,  there  is 
promised  that  defence  and  security,  which  Jerusalem  would  afford  to  its 
inhabitants,  and  all  who  took  refuge  there  from  Sennacherib.  Thus  Sion 
signifies  Jerusalem  ;  and  the  stone  is  a  symbol  of  security.  But  in  a 
siib/ime.r  sense,  the  words  hold  good  of  Christ,  in  whom  all  should  take 
refuge  who  desire  eternal  salvation.  Then  Sion  is  the  Jewish  nation, 
from  which  Christ  descended  ;  ami  the  Corner-stone  is  Christ.’  Eo. 

V.  7,  8.  ‘  Unto  them  that  disbelieve,  the  Slone  which  the  builders  dis¬ 
allowed,  the  same  is  become  the  Head  of  the  corner,  and  a  Stone  of 
stumbling,  and  a  Rock  of  offence.  They  disbelieving  the  Word,  that 
is,  the  Word  of  the  Gospel,  which  contains  this  testimony,  stumble  at 
tilts  Corner-stone,  “whereunto  they  were  appointed.”  The  meaning  is, 
that  God,  the  righteous  Judge  of  all  the  earth,  had  appointed,  or  de¬ 
creed,  that  destruction,  or  eternal  perdition,  should  be  the  punishment 
of  iho  e  disbelieving  persons,  who  wilfully  rejected  all  the  evidences 
that  .lesus  Christ  was  the  Messiah,  the  Savior  of  the  world.’ 

T.  II.  IIOKNE. 

V.  9,  10.  ‘A  chosen  generation,’  referring  to  the  choice  of  Abraham 
and. his  posterity  ;  ‘  a  royal  priesthood,’  referring  to  the  covenants  with 
Aaron  as  to  ihe  priesthood,  and  with  David  as  to  the  kingdom  ;  and  ‘  a 
holy  nation,  a  peculiar  people,’  referring  to  the  national  covenant  with 
Israel,  at  the  giving  of  the  law.  (Ex.  19:6.  Sept.) — To  explain  all  this, 
as  some  do,  to  mean  that  nominal  Christians  are,  exactly  in  the  same 
sense,  ‘  a  chosen  generation,  <kc.’  as  Israel  was  of  old  ;  is  a  most  unrea¬ 
sonable  confusion  of  the  typical  prophecies  contained  in  the  Old  Test., 


‘  precious’  to  the  hearts  of  ail  the  regenerate  ;  men  in  general,  continu¬ 
ing  proud,  carnal,  and  alienated  from  God,  can  see  no  comeliness  or 
glory  in  them.  Is.  53:2,  3.  Jn.  1  .14.  15  22—25.  He  is,  indeed,  made 
‘  the  Head-Stone  of  the  corner ;’  but  modern  builders  in  general  make 
no  account  of  Him  ;  and  many  carry  on  their  work,  either  in  open  op¬ 
position  to  Him,  or  in  manifest  neglect  of  Hint. — But  let  us  inquire, 
whether  we  have  the  obedient  faith  of  those  to  whom  ‘  Christ  is  pre¬ 
cious;’  for  many  profess  his  truths ,  who  stumble  at  his  precepts  ,*  ana 
so,  in  another  way,  lie  becomes  to  them  ‘a  Rock  of  offence,’  and  an  oc¬ 
casion  of  deeper  condemnation.  •  Scott. 


with  the  accomplishment  of  them  in  the  1  true  Israel,’  or  the  whole 
body  of  true  believers,  as  addressed  in  the  New  Test. ;  and  to  admit  it, 
would  subvert  the  whole  system  of  interpretation,  adopted  throughout 
this  work,  and  which,  on  mature  reflection,  even  on  the  objections  ot 
opponents,  the  author  is  daily  more  and  more  assured  is  the  only  true 
one.  Rom.  9:6 — 1  8.  11:1— 6.  Gal.  3:6— 14,  26— 29.  4:21—31.  lleb.  12; 
18 — 21.  He  would  not  indeed  notice  these  interpretations,  hut  from  a 
fear,  lest  it  should  be  thought,  that  he  had  not  duly  considered  what 
men,  eminent  for  learning,  had  said  against  that  exposition,  which  he 
decidedly  adheres  to. — Israel,  as  typically  ‘a  chosen  generation,’  was 
cast  off  from  being  the  peculiar  people  of  God;  but  Christians,  ns  the 
spiritual  seed  of  Abraham,  and  as  born  again  in  consequence  of  their 
election  in  Christ,  and  ‘accounted  to  Him  for  a  generation,’  are  indeed 
‘a  chosen  generation.’  Ps.  22:30,  31.  Is.  53:9,  10.  Eph.  1:3— 12.  A 
small  company  of  Israel,  compared  with  llie  whole  nation,  olficiated  as 
priests,  and  they  were  not  of  the  same  tribe  to  which  the  kingdont  was 
allotted  ;  but  in  Christ  the  kingly  and  priestly  offices  are  united.  Zec/i. 
6:12,13.  Heb.  7.  and  through  Him  believers  become  a  royal  priest¬ 
hood,’  both  ‘  kings  and  priests,’  being  every  way  dignified  ami  made 
honorable;  called  to  exercise  a  spiritual  dominion  over  those  passions  to 
which  others  are  enslaved,  and  to  obtain  victories  over  >.atan,  the  wo  ta, 
and  sin;  and  appointed  heirs  of  the  kingdom  of  heaven.  They  a  si  rot - 
stituted  ‘  a  holy  nation,’  incorporated  under  the  government  of  Mirist, 
subject  to  his  holy  laws,  sanctified  by  hi  Spirit,  conformed  to  h.s  imi  g& 
and  Bafe  under  his  protection  *,  and  la  peculiar  people,  purchase 


A.  D.  63. 


1  PETER,  II. 


Exhortation  against  sensuality. 


10  '  Which  r  in  time  past  were 
not  a  people,  but  are  now  the  people 
of  God  :  which  had  not  obtained 
mercy,  but  now  have  obtained 
mercy. 

1 1  Dearly  beloved,  I  beseech  you 
as  s  strangers  and  pilgrims,  abstain 
from  fleshly  1  lusts,  which  war 
u  against  the  soul  ; 

12  Having  your  conversation 
honest  among  the  Gentiles  :  that 
v  whereas  they  speak  against  jrou  as 
evil-doers,  they  may  by  your  good 
w  work's,  which  they  shall  behold, 
glorify  God  in  the  day  of  visitation, 

r  Ro.  9:25.  t  Ga.  5:16 — 21.  v  or ,whviehu 

s  Ps.  119:19.  u  Ro.  8:13.  Ja.  4:1.  w  Mat.  5:16. 


they  are  effectually  called  out  of  darkness, 
into  a  state  of  marvellous  light,  joy,  pleasure, 
and  prosperity  ;  with  ill  is  intent  and  view, 
that  they  should  show  forth,  by  words  and  ac¬ 
tions,  the  virtues  and  praises  of  Him  who 
hath  called  them. 

V.  10.  To  mnke*this  people  content, 
and  thankful  lor  the  great  mercies  and  dig¬ 


nities  brought  unto  them  by  the  Gospel,  the 
apostle  advises  them  to  compare  their  for¬ 
mer  and  their  present  state. 

Learn,  1.  The  best  people  ought  frequent¬ 
ly  to  look  back  on  what  they  were  in  time 
past.  2.  The  people  of  God  are  the  most 
valuable  people  in  the  world  ;  all  the  rest 
are  not  a  people  ;  good  for  little.  3.  To  be 
brought  into  the  number  of  the  people  of 
God  is  a  very  great  mercy,  and  may  be  ob¬ 
tained. 

V.  11.  Even  the  best  of  men  need  exhor¬ 
tation  to  abstain  from  the  worst  sins.  Many 
of  them  proceed  from  the  corruption  of  na¬ 
ture,  which,  in  their  exercise,  depend  on  the 
body,  gratifying  some  sensual  appetite,  or 
inordinate  inclination  of  the  flesh.  These, 
Christians  ought  to  avoid,  considering, 

1.  The  respect  they  have  with  God  and 
good  men;  they  are  dearly  beloved.  2.  Their 
condition  in  the  world  ;  they  are  strangers 
and  pilgrims,  and  should  not  impede  their 
passage  by  giving  into  the  wickedness  and 
lusts  of  the  country  through  which  they  pass. 
3.  The  mischief  and  danger  these  sins  pro¬ 
duce  ;  ‘  they  war  against  the  soul  ;  therefore 
your  souls  ought  to  war  against  them.’ 

Learn,  1.  The  grand  mischief  sin  does  to 


man,  is,  it  wars  against  the  soul ;  destroys 
its  moral  liberty,  robs  it  of  its  comfort  and 
peace,  binders  its  present  prosperity,  and 
plunges  it  into  everlasting  misery. 

2.  Of  all  sorts  of  sin,  none  are  more 
hurtful  to  the  soul  than  fleshly  lusts.  Carnal 
appetites,  lewdness,  and  sensuality,  are  most 
odious  to  God,  and  destructive  to  man’s  soul. 
It  is  a  sore  judgment  to  be  given  up  to  them. 

V.  12.  These  Christian  people  are  here 
exhorted  to  adorn  their  profession  by  an 
honest  conversation  ;  that  is,  good,  lovely, 
decent,  amiable,  and  without  blame,  and 
that  because  they  lived  among  the  Gentiles, 
people  of  another  religion,  and  who  were 
inveterate  enemies  to  them,  who  did  already 
slander  them,  and  constantly  spake  evil  of 
them  as  of  evil-doers.  But  there  is  a  day  of 
visitation  coming,  wherein  God  may  call 
them  by  his  Word  and  his  grace  to  repent¬ 
ance  ;  and  then  they  will  glorify  God,  and 
applaud  Christians,  Luke  1:  6S, 

Note,  1.  A  Christian  profession  should 
be  attended  with  an  honest  conversation, 
Phil.  4:8.  2.  It  is  the  common  lot  of  the 

best  Christians  to  be  evil  spoken  of  by  wick¬ 
ed  men.  3.  Those  that  are  under  God’s 
gracious  visitation,  immediately  change  their 


the  blood  of  Christ,  redeemed  from  worse  than  Egyptian  bondage,  fa¬ 
vored  with  peculiar  privileges,  and  formed  to  a  peculiar  character  and 
conduct.  Tit.  2:14. — In  all  these  respects,  Christians  are  appointed  to 
show  forth  the  praises  of  the  Lord,  by  their  spiritual  worship,  their  open 
profession  of  his  Gospel,  their  holy  conversation,  and  exemplary  con¬ 
duct.  To  t li is,  therefore,  lite  apostle  earnestly  exhorted  his  brethren. 
The  Lord  had  called  many  of  them  out  of  the  total  darkness  of  Pagan 
idolatry,  and  the  rest,  from  the  comparative  darkness  of  the  Mosaic  dis¬ 
pensation  and  Jewish  formality,  into  the  clear  light  of  the  Gospel,  to 
behold  the  ‘  marvellous  ’  displays  thus  given  of  the  divine  glory,  and  to 
partake  of  his  astonishing  love  to  sinners.  This  lie  had  done,  in  order 
that  they  might  he  his  witnesses  and  worshippers;  to  render  Him  the 
glory  due  to  his  name,  and  to  ‘show  forth  his  praises,’  or  to  declare  his 
virtues,  or  energies,  even  the  efficacy  of  his  grace,  in  their  holy  tempers 
and  actions.  They  had  formerly  been  a  people  of  no  name,  or  excellen¬ 
cy  ;  but  they  were  now  become  ‘  the  people,  of  God,’  and  had  ‘obtained 
that  mercy,’  for  tile  pardon  of  their  sins,  and  the  salvation  of  their 
souls,  to  which  they  once  were  strangers.  The  prophecy,  thus  referred 
to,  being  quoted  by  Paul,  as  expressly  predicting  the  calling  of  the  Gen¬ 
tiles,  evidently  shows,  that  the  Jewish  converts  were  not  here  exclu¬ 
sively  addressed.  Hos.  1:8—10.  2:21—23.  Rom.  9:24—29.  Praises.] 
Phil.  4:8.  2  Pet.  1:3 — 5.  The  only  places  in  which  the  Greek  word 
tor  virtue  occurs  in  the  New  Test.  Scott. 

(9—12.)  Comp.  3:16.  ‘  We  have  to  complain  of  the  public  injustice 

that  is  done  to  Christianity,  when  one  of  its  ostentations  professors  has 
acted  the  hypocrite,  and  stands  in  disgraceful  exposure  before  the  eyes 
of  the  world.  We  advert  to  tire  readiness  with  which  this  is  turned  into 
a  matter  of  general  impeachment,  against  every  appearance  of  serious¬ 
ness  ;  and  how  loud  the  exclamation  is  against  the  religion'  of  all  \y]io 
signalize  themselves;  and  that,  if  tire  aspect  of  godliness  be  so  very  de¬ 
cided  as  to  become  an  aspect  of  peculiarity,  then  is  litis  peculiarity  con¬ 
verted  into  a  ground  of  distrust  and  suspicion  against  the  hearer  of  it. 
Now,  it  so  happens,  that,  in  the  midst  of  this  world  King  in  wickedness, 
a  man,  to  be  a  Christian  at  all,  must  signalize  himself.  Neither  is  he  in 
away  of  salvation,  unless  he  be  one  of  a  very  peculiar  people;  nor 
would  we  precipitately  consign  him  to  discredit,  even  though  the  pecu¬ 
liarity  be  so  glaring  as  to  provoke  the  charge  of  method  ism.  But,  instead 
ot  making  one  man’s  hypocrisy  act  as  a  draw-hack  upon  the  reputation 
of  u  thousand,  we  submit,  il  it  would  not  be  a  fairer  and  more  philosoph¬ 
ical  procedure,  just  to  betake  one’s  self  to  the  method  of  induction,— to 
make  a  walking  survey  over  the  town,  and  record  an  inventory  of  all 
the  men  in  it,  who  are  so  very  far  gone,  as  to  have  the  voice  of  psalms 
in  their  family  ;  or  as  to  attend  the  meetings  of  fellowship  for  prayer; 
or  as  scrupulously  to  abstain  from  ail  that  is  questionable  in  tite  amuse¬ 
ments  of  the  world  ;  or  as,  by  any  other  marked  and  visible  symptom 
whatever,  to  stand  nut  to  general  observation  as  t  lie  mem  hers  of  a 
saintly  and  separated  society.  We  know,  that  even  of  site  it  there  arc  a 
few,  who,  if  Paul  were  alive,  would  move  him  to  weep  for  the  reproach 
they  bring  upon  li  is  Master,  lint  we  also  know,  that  Ihe  blind  and  im¬ 
petuous  world  exaggerates  the  lew  into  Ihe  many;  lays  the  sins  of  one 
upon  tite  multitude;  looks  at  their  general  aspect  of  sanctity,  and  is  so 
engrossed  with  this  single  expression  of  character,  as  to  he  insensible  to 
tite  noble  uprightness,  and  the  tender  humanity  with  which  this  sanctity 
is  associated.  And  therefore  it.  is  that  we  offer  (lie  assertion,  and  chal¬ 
lenge  all  to  its  most  thorough  and  searching  investigation.,  that  the 
Christianity  of  these  people,  which  many  think  does  nothing  hut  cant, 
and  profess,  and  run  after  ordinances,  lias  augmented  their  honesties 
and  their  liberalities,  and  that,  tenfold  beyond  the" average  character  of 
society;  Hint  these  are  tite  men  we  oftenest  meet  with  in  the  mansions 
of  poverty,  and  who  look  with  the  most  wakeful  eye  over  all  the  suffer¬ 
ings  and  necessities  of  our  species,  and  who  open  their  hand  most  widely 
in  behalf  of  the  imploring  ami  the  friendless  :  and  to  whom,  in  spite  of  all 
their  mockery,  the  men  of  the  world  are  sure,  in  the  negotiations  of 
business,  to  award  the  readiest  confidence,  and  who  sustain  the  most 
splendid  part  in  all  those  great  movements  of  philanthropy,  which  bear 
on  the  general  interests  of  mankind;  and  who,  with  their  eye  full  upon 
eternity,  scatter  tile  most  abundant  blessings  over  the  fleeting  pilgrimage 
of  time, — and  who,  while  they  hold  their  conversation  in  heaven,  do 
moat  enrich  t he  earth  we  tread  upon,  with  all  those  virtues  which  se¬ 
cure  enjoyment  to  families,  and  uphold  the  order  and  prosperity  of  the 
commonwealth.’  On  the  Influence  of  Christianity  in  augmenting 
Mercantile  Virtues.  Disc.  2.  vol.  2.  Chai.mers.-—1  We  were  created 
and  redeemed  for  the  sole  purpose  of  praising  and  glorifying  our  Creator ; 

[598J 


[note,  Mai.  4:4—6.  Comp.  1  S.  15:22,  23.]  if  we  refuse  or  neglect  to  do 
this,  we  transgress  the  gieat  law  of  creation,  frustrate  the  end  of  exis¬ 
tence,  leave  unperformed  the  work  for  which  we  were  made,  and  do  ail 
in  our  power  to  prove  we  were  created  in  vain.  Should  the  sun  refuse 
to  shine;  the  showers  to  descend;  the  earth  to  bring  forth  food;  or 
trees  in  a  fruitful  soil  he  barren  ;  it  would  be  manifestly  contrary  to  na¬ 
ture,  and  the  design  of  their  creation  ;  and  thus,  since  they  no  longer  ful¬ 
filled  this  design,  they  might  be  properly  reduced  to  nothing  again.  So 
if  man  refuses  to  praise  and  glorify  God,  his  conduct  is  equally  unnatu¬ 
ral,  and  he  might  justly  be  made  the  monument  of  his  everlasting  dis¬ 
pleasure.  What  would  be  unnatural  in  inanimate  creatures,  is  the 
height  of  folly  and  wickedness  in  us  ;  for  we  are  capable  of  knowing  our 
duty  and  are  under  [infinite  and]  innumerable  obligations  to  practise  it. 
Lei  the  sun  then  refuse  to  shine,  the  showers  to  descend,  and  the  earth 
to  be  fruitful,  but  let  not  rational  creatures  refuse  to  praise  and  glorify 
their  Creator  !  ’  Payson. 

(10.)  Were  not  a  people.]  ‘I  think  it  plain,  Hosea  2:23.  (to  which 
there  seems  here  to  be  a  reference,)  relates  to  the  Israelites  after  their 
rejection  ;  but  it  may  be  accommodated  to  the  Gentiles,  so  far  as  not 
to  suppose  it  here  spoken  only  of  Jewish  converts.’  Doddr. 

V.  11.  Covetousness,  pride,  envy,  and  other  aspiring  and  malignant 
passions,  as  much  militate  against  the  salvation  of  men’s  souls,  and  op¬ 
pose  the  believer’s  growth  in  grace,  as  sensual  propensities  can  do  ; 

‘  they  war  against  the  soul,’  and  are  numbered  by  the  apostle  Paul 
among  ‘  the  works  of  the  flesh.’  Gal.  5:19 — 21.  It  cannot  therefore  be 
proper  to  explain  the  words  of  Peter  restricliveiy  of  the.animal  appe¬ 
tites,  as  warring  against  the  rational  powers  of  the  soul,  'i  he  xvhoie 
‘  natural  man  ’  is  depraved,  the  seat  of  sin  is  in  the  soul,  and  the  body 
is  onlv  ‘  the  instrument  of  unrighteousness.’  Gen.  6:5.  8:20 — 22.  Jer. 
17:9,io.  Mat.  15:15 — 20.  Math  7:22.  Rom.  6:12,  13,  16— 19.  And,  in 
the  regenerate,  Hie  conflict  is  not  between  the  body  and  the  soul,  but 
between  the  new  and  the  old  nature,  called  ‘  the  flesh  and  tite  spirit  ;  ’ 
Rom.  7  15 — 25.  Gal.  5:16 — 18.  ‘Warring  against  tite  soul,’  relates  to 
the  destructive  tendency  of  fleshly  lusts,  the  indulgence  of  which,  in  any¬ 
way,  is  hostile  to  the  soul,  and  wars  against  its  salvation,  or  its  peace, 
purity,  and  vigor.  Scott. 

(11.)  Fleshly  lusts.]  ‘  Lusts  of  the  flesh,  Ga.  5:26.  denoting  not  only 
lasciviousness,  but  sensuality  of  every  kind.’  Bi.oomf. 

V.  12.  Which  they  shall  behold.]  3:2.  2  Pet.  1:16.  —  The  word  de¬ 
notes  a  diligent  and  prying  inspection  of  the  object  looked  at.  Tints 
carnal  men  watch  and  pry  into  the  conduct  of  religious  persons;  and 
from  it  form  their  judgment  of  their  religion  itself.  Scott. 

(12.)  Day  of  visitation.]  ‘  Some  understand  the  day  of  judgment  ;  but, 
as  Benson  says,  it  plainly  denotes  something  in  this  life.  Others,  as 
Whit,  and  Mackn.,  take  it  of  the  time  of  persecution.  Sch/eusn.  Grot., 
Reason ,  and  Jaspis,  of  tite  infliction  of  divine  punishment.  But  that  does 
not  suit  the  word  glorify,  'i'he  two  best  founded  interpretations  seem  to 
be,  1.  that  of  Wolf,  Hamm  ,  Raphe/,  Carp.,  Slade ,  A:e. ,  who  take  it  to 
allude  to  persecution  ;  2.  tiiat  of  Pise.,  Ca/v.,  Mennch ,  Est.,  Ger.,  fte- 
zn,  Doddr.,  Pott,  and  Rosenm.,  who  interpret:  “  When  God  shall  mer¬ 
cifully  visit  them  with  a  conviction  of  the  truth  and  blessings  of  tite 
Gospel.”  ’  Bt  oosiF. — ‘  In  all  our  intercourse  with  the.  v\ orld,  vve  are  to 
consider,  not  only  what  is  honest  and  right  in  tite  sight  of  God,  bnt  what 
is  so  in  tite  sight  of  men.  We  must  never  transgress,  nor,  if  we  can  help  it, 
seem  todoso.  We  must  be  honest  in  thesight  of  the  world  (Rom.  12:17.) 
as  well  ns  in  fact.  It  is  not  enough  for  a  professed  follower  of  Christ, 
that  he  can  vindicate  himself  in  a  court  of  justice,  or  sit  down  and  con¬ 
vince  anv  candid  mind,  that  every  suspicion  against  him  is  unfounded. 
No  ;  this  may  do  for  a  man  of  strict  worldly  honesty,  but  it  is  not  enough 
for  a  Christian.  His  integrity  ought  to  stand  olit  in  such  bold  relief,  every¬ 
where,  that  it  may  he  distinctly  recognized  at  a  glance.  He  should  on 
no  account  fail  to  let  his  light  so  shine  before  men,  that  they  may  glorify 
his  Father  in  heaven.  Cases  will  often  happen,  especially  with  men  in 
active  and  extensive  business,  wltere,  owing  to  circumstances  beyond 
their  foresight,  or  control,  there  will  be  ihe  appearance  of  overreaching, 
or  hard  dealing,  though  everything  is  honest  in  fact.  And  in  such  cases, 
where  the  sacrifice  of  property  is  not  too  great,  it  ought  to  be  cheerful¬ 
ly  made,  rather  than  bring  reproach  on  the  Christian  name,  and  thereby 
prejudice  sinners  against  religion,  to  their  eternal  undoing.’  Dr.  Hum¬ 
phrey. — ‘  How  much  mischief  may  be  done  by  one  wicked  man  !  Yea, 
though  of  slender  abilities,  becoming  an  indefatigable  tool  of  the  devil, 
he  may  effect  incredible  mischief  in  the  world.  We- have  seen  some 
such  wretched  instruments,  ply  the  intention  of  doing  mischief  at  a 


A.  D.  63. 


1  PETER,  II. 


Submission  lo  authority  enjoined. 


13  Submit  x  yourselves  to  every 
ordinance  of  man  for  the  Lord’s 
sake  :  whether  it  be  to  the  king,  as 
supreme  ; 

14  Or  unto  governors,  as  unto 
them  that  are  sent  by  him  for  the 
punishment  of  evil-doers,  and  for 
the  praise  of  them  that  do  well. 

15  For  so  is  the  will  of  God,  that 
y  with  well  doing  ye  may  put  to  si¬ 
lence  the  ignorance  of  foolish  men: 

16  As  2  free,  and  not  “using  your 
liberty  for  a  cloak  of  maliciousness, 
but  as  the  servants  of  God. 

17  b  Honor  all  c  men.  Love  the 
d  brotherhood.  Fear  'God.  Hon¬ 
or  the  fking. 

[Practical  Observations .] 

13  ®  Servants,  be  subject  to  your 
masters  with  all  fear  ;  not  only  to 
the  good  and  gentle,  but  also  to  the 
froward. 


I  Mat.  Wit. 

Ho  131—7. 
y  Tit.  2.8 
z  Ga.  5:1,13. 


a  bavin*. 
b  or,  esteem. 
c  Ro.  12:10. 
Phi.  2:3. 


d  Jn.  13:35. 
e  Ps.  111:10. 
f  Pr.  2-1:21. 
g  Ep.  6:5,  &c. 


opinion  of  good  people,  glorifying  God,  and 
commending  them,  whom,  before,  they  rail¬ 
ed  at  as  evil-doers. 

V.  13,  14.  The  general  rule  of  a  Chris¬ 
tian  conversation  is,  it  must  he  honest  ; 
which  it  cannot  he,  if  there  be  not  a  consci¬ 
entious  discharge  of  all  relative  duties  :  the 
apostle  here,  therefore,  settles  the  rules  and 
measures  of  obedience  to  the  civil  magis¬ 
trate.  The  duty  required  is  submission, 
i.  e.  loyalty  and  reverence  to  their  persons, 
obedience  to  their  just  laws  and  commands, 
and  subjection  to  legal  penalties.  The  per¬ 
sons  or  objects  to  whom  submission  is  due, 
are, 

1.  More  generally  ;  every  ordinance  of 
man.  The  form  is  human,  but  the  authori¬ 
ty  divine  ;  and  though  each  particular  coun¬ 
try  may  have  its  own  laws  and  constitutions, 


yet  these,  in  all  nations,  are  binding  accord-  I 
ing  to  a  general  rule,  he  the  established  form 
of  government  what  it  may.  2.  Particular¬ 
ly  ;  to  the  king,  as  supreme  ;  first  in  dignity, 
and  most  eminent  in  degree  ;  or  unto  gov¬ 
ernors,  deputies,  proconsuls,  rulers  of  prov¬ 
inces,  who  are  sent  by  him,  that  is,  commis¬ 
sioned  by  him  to  govern. 

'I’he  reasons  to  enforce  this  duty,  are, 

1.  For  the  Lord's  sake,  Rom.  13  :  whose 
honor  is  concerned  in  the  dutiful  behavior  of 
subjects  lo  their  sovereigns.  2.  From  the 
end  and  use  of  the  magistrate’s  office, Which 
is,  to  punish  evil-doers,  and  to  praise  and  en¬ 
courage  all  them  that  do  well. 

Learn  hence, 

Tine  religion  is  the  best  support  of  civil 
government  ;  it  requires  submission  for  the 
Lord's  sake,  and/or  conscience '  sake.  All  Me 
punishments,  and  all  (lie  magistrates  in  the 
world,  cannot  hinder,  but  there  will  be  evil¬ 
doers  in  it.  The  best  way  the  magistrate 
can  take  to  discharge  his  own  office,  and  to 
amend  the  world,  is,  to  punish  well  and  re¬ 
ward  well. 

V.  15.  Here  is  another  reason  why  Chris¬ 
tians  should  submit  to  the  civil  magistrate  ; 
it  is  the  will  of  God,  and  the  way  to  put  to 
silence  the  malicious  slanders  of  ignorant  and 
foolish  men. 

Learn ,  1 .  The  will  of  God  is,  to  a  good 
man,  the  strongest  reason  for  any  duty.  2. 
Obedience  to  magistrates  is  a  considerable 
branch  of  a  Christian’s  duty  ;  so  is  the  will 
of  God.  3.  A  Christian  must  endeavor,  in 
all  relations,  to  behave  himself  so  as  to  put 
lo  silence  the  unreasonable  reproaches  of  the 
most  ignorant  and  foolish  men.  4.  Those 
who  speak  against  religion  and  religious 
people,  are  ignorant  and  foolish. 

V.  16.  The  Jews,  from  Dent.  17:15. 
concluded  they  were  bound  to  obey  no  sove¬ 
reign,  but  one  taken  from  among  their  own 
brethren  ;  and  the  converted  Jews  thought 
they  were  free  from  subjection,  by  their  re¬ 
lation  to  Christ.  To  prevent  these  mistakes, 
the  apostle  tells  the  Christians  they  were 
free,  spiritually,  from  tiie  bondage  of  sin  and 
Satan,  and  the  ceremonial  law  ;  but  they  ; 


|  must  not  make  their  Christian  liberty  a  cloak 
or  covering  for  any  wickedness,  or  the  neg¬ 
lect  ol  any  duty  toward  God,  or  toward  their 
superiors,  but  must  still  remember  they  were 
the  servants  of  God. 

Learn,  lienee,  All  the.  servants  of  Christ  are 
free  men,  John  8:  36.  but  they  ought  to  be 
very  careful  not  to  abuse  their  Christian  lib¬ 
erty. 

V.  17.  The  apostle  concludes  his  dis¬ 
course,  concerning  the  duty  of  subjects,  with 
four  admirable  precepts  ;  1.  Honor  all  men. 
A  due  respect  is  to  be  given  to  all  men;  the 
poor  are  not  to  be  despised,  Prov.  17:5. 
the  wicked  must  be  honored,  not  for  their 
wickedness,  but  for  any  other  qualities,  such 
as  wit,  prudence,  courage,  eminency  of  em¬ 
ployment,  or  the  hoary  head  :  Abraham, 
Jacob,  Samuel,  the  prophets,  and  the  apos¬ 
tles,  never  scrupled  to  give  due  honor  to  bad 
men. 

2.  Love  the  brotherhood.  All  Christians 
are  a  fraternity,  united  to  Christ  the  Head, 
alike  disposed  and  qualified,  nearly  related 
in  the  same  interest,  having  communion  one 
with  another,  and  going  to  the  same  home; 
they  should  therefore  love  one  another  with 
an  especial  affection. 

3.  Fear  God.  Revere,  obey,  and  sub¬ 
mit  to  God  ;  if  this  be  wanting,  none  of  the 
other  three  duties  can  be  performed  as  they 
ought. 

4.  Honor  the  king,  with  that  highest  hon¬ 
or  that  is  peculiarly  due  to  him  above  other 
men. 

V.  18.  The  case  of  servants  wanted  an 
apostolical  determination  as  well  as  that  of 
subjects,  for  they  imagined  that  their  Chris¬ 
tian  liberty  set  them  free  from  their  unbe¬ 
lieving  and  cruel  masters;  to  this  the  apostle 
answers,  Servants,  be  subject.  By  servants, 
be  means  those  who  were  strictly  such, 
whether  hired,  or  bought  with  money,  or 
taken  in  the  wars,  or  horn  in  the  house,  or 
those  who  served  by  contract  for  a  limited 
time,  as  apprentices  ;  these  lie  orders  lo  be 
subject,  to  do  their  business  faithfully  and 
honestly,  to  conduct  themselves,  as  inferiors 
|  ought,  with  reverence  and  affection,  and  to 


PRAOT.  OBH.  V.  9—17.  Happy  are  they,  of  whom  it  may  truly 
be  said,  ‘  Ye  are  a  chosen  generation,  a  royal  priesthood,  a  holy  nation, 
a  peculiar  people  !  ’  If  we  aspire  at  these  distinctions,  let  U3  be  ‘ fol¬ 
lowers  of  God  as  dear  children  thus  we  shall  best  evince  that  these 

blessings  belong  to  us,  and  shall  make  the  most  suitable  returns  for 
them.  —  lint  we  should  consider,  not  only  our  own  comfort  and  Advan¬ 
tages;  the  honor  of  the  Gospel,  and  the  conversion  of  our  neighbors, 
likewise  demand  our  attention.  For  if  we,  who  ‘had  not  obtained  mer¬ 
cy,  have  at  length  obtained  mercy,’  why  may  not  they,  who  still  remain 

strange  rate,  till  they  have  ruined  a  whole  country.  You  will  hardly 
find  one  of  a  thousand  who  does  half  so  much  to  serve  God  and  his  own 
soul,  as  you  may  see  done  by  thousands  to  serve  the  world  and  the  dev¬ 
il.  fill,  my  soul,  how  little  is  it  that  then  dost  for  thy  Maker  and  thy 
Savior,  so  worthy  of  thy  love  !  See,  in  tlte  circle  of  your  observation, 
some  monster  of  wickedness,  who,  to  his  uttermost,  will  serve  a  mas¬ 
ter  that  will  prove  a  destroyer  to  him,  and  whose  wages  will  be  death  ; 
he  st'.d  es  how  to  serve  the  devil ;  he  is  never  weary  of  his  drudgery  ; 
lie  racks  his  invention  logo  through  with  it.  All  !  lie  shames  ine;  he 
shames  me  wonderfully.  Now,  why  should  not  wc  be  as  active,  as  fre¬ 
quent  as  forward  in  devising  good  ;  why  not  as  wise  to  do  good,  as  he  to 
do  evil  ?  We  have. a  better  cause.  Reader,  perhaps  thou  art  one  who 
makest  but  little  figure  in  the  world,  a  “  brother  of  low  degree,”  yet, 
behold  a  vast  encouragement.  A  little  man  may  do  a  great  deal  of 
harm  ;  and  pray,  why  may  not  a  little,  man  do  a  great  deal  of  good. 
“The  wisdom  of  a  poor  man  ”  may  start  a  proposal  which  may  “save 
a  cilv,”  serve  a  nalioif!  The  strength  of  a  single  hair,  applied  to  a 
wheel  that  has  other  wheels  depending  on  it,  may  pull  up  an  oak.  or 
pull  down  a  house.’  Mather. 

V.  13 — 17.  Rom.  13:1 — 7.  Tit.  3:1,2.  The  words,  rendered  ‘every 
ordinance  of  man,’  may  signify  every  human  constitution  or  form  of 
government.  ..So  that  Christians  are  required  to  submit  to  that  govern¬ 
ment,  which  is  established  in  the  countries  where  tliev  severally  reside, 
without  attempting  any  alteration,  except  in  a  peaceable  and  legal  man¬ 
ner,  according  to  their  rank  in  the  community.  The  apostle  wrote  when 
Neio  was  the  Roman  irnperor ;  but  he  was  led  to  use  the  more  general 
name  of  ‘  king,’  as  his  epistle  was  intended,  for  the  use  of  future  ages 
and  every  country.  This  savage  tyrant,  who  was  at  length  put  to  death 
as  the  enemy  of  mankind,  butjtot  till  he  had  slain  multitudes  of  Chris¬ 
tians  by  bis  persecuting  cruelty,  and  among  the  rest  the  apostles  Peter 
and  Paul,  as  it  is  generally  supposed,  Was  the  ‘supreme,’  whom  Chris¬ 
tians  must  submit  to  and  honor  !  And  the  governors  of  provinces,  de¬ 
puted  by  him  and  the  Roman  senate,  together  with  other  subordinate 
magistrates,  must  also  be  obeyed.  The  intention  of  civil  government  is 
‘to  punish  evil-doers,’  and  to  protect  and  ‘honor  those  who  do  well;’ 
and,  in  general,  the  administration,  even  at  that  time,  would  be  productive 
of  immense  good,  compared  with  lawless  anarchy  ;  though  in  very  many 
things  the  end  of  government  was  doubtless  counteracted  ;  for  which  the 


ignorant  and  prejudiced,  be  made  partakers  of  the  same  salvation  ? — 
With  this  intent,  and  from  other  evangelical  motives,  we  should  ‘sub¬ 
mit  to  every  ordinance  of  man  for  the  Lord’s  sake  ;’  praying  for  all  in 
authority,  that  they  may  have  wisdom  and  grace  to  be  faithful  to  their 
important  trust,  1  Tim.  2:1 — 4.  and  endeavoring,  by  ‘  well  doing  to  put 
to  silence  t  lie  ignorance  of  foolish  men  ;  as  free,’  with  that  liberty  which 
the  Son  of  God  bestows  through  the  Holy  Spirit,  Jn.  3:30 — 3G.  Rom.  6: 
1G — 23.  hut  remembering,  that  wearethe  ‘  servants  of  God,’  and  must,  in 
no  degree,  use  our  liberty  to  cloak  any  malicious  or  ambitious  designs.  Sc . 


rulers  would  be  accountable  to  the  Judge  of  the  world.  In  this,  way  the 
duty  of  kings  and  rulers  also  was  pointed  out  to  them.  Rut  in  respect 
of  Christians,  it  was  expressly  ‘  the  will  of  God,’  that,  by  their  good  be¬ 
havior,  ‘  in  all  godliness  and  honesty,’  ns  peaceable  subjects,  notwith¬ 
standing  the  oppressions  which  they  suffered,  they  might  ‘put  to  silence 
the  ignorant’  slanders  ‘of  foolish’  and  wicked  men,  who  reviled  them 
as  seditious  persons  and  enemies  to  the  state,  because  they  would  wor¬ 
ship  ‘  the  one  living  and  true  God,’  alone,  and  not  join  in  any  idolatry. 
—  It  is  almost  impossible,  that  there  can  be  a  worse  supreme  governor, 
than  he  who  rilled  the  vast  Roman  empire,  when  this  was  written  by 
divine  inspiration. — The  comprehensive  brevity  of  the  closing  verse,  has 
been  greatly  and  justly  admired  bv  competent  judges.  Scott. 

(13.)  Every  ordinance,  & c.]  ‘  F, very  human  constitution.  The  whole 
course  of  the  apostle's  reasoning  in  this  place,  shows  plainly,  how  very 
impertinent  it  is  to  apply  this  to  the  injunctions  of  men  in  matters  of 
religion.’  Doddr. 

(15.)  ‘Providence  has  plnced  tis  in  a  situation  very  peculiar,  in  a 
country  where,  as  far  as  the  mighty  influences  of  religion  are  concerned, 
nothing  has  authority  or  power  but  the  liilde.  This  is  more  ami  more 
seen  every  year.  And  when  it  shall  be  fully  understood,  that  among  the 
teeming  millions  of  our  country  there  is  nothing  to  regulate  the  awful 
energies  of  the  religious  principle,  but  the  authority  of  the  Word  of 
God,  the  Uible  will  be  studied  witli  an  intensity  of  interest,  and  used 
with  a  fidelity  of  application,  as  yet  unknown  in  these  latter  days.  And 
it  will  carry  its  authority  more  entirely  through  every  department  of 
the  church,  than  has  ever  been  witnessed  since  the  days  of  the  apostles. 
The  truth  will  then  go  with  lightning  glance,  and  electric  force,  from 
heart  to  heart,  and  from  land  to  land, — and  the  earth  he  soon  filled  with 
the  knowledge  and  glory  of  God.’  Rev.  Dr.  John  II.  Rice. 

(17.)  ‘  Perhaps  no  finer  and  stronger  instances  ot  the  laconic  style 

are  to  be  found  anywhere  than  in  this  place.  It  is  remarkable,  that  1  ]>cy 
are  required  to  honor  the  emperor,  though  so  great  a  persecutor,  amt  ot 
so  bad  a  character,  as  Nero  himself.’  .  1  f^,DRln 

V.  18—25.  Eph.  6:5—9.  Col  3:22—25.  1  Tim.  6:1—5.  lit.  2:9—  IU. 
Tiie  apostle  Peter  exhorted  servants  to  obedience,  even  m  stronger  lan¬ 
guage,  than  his  beloved  brother  Paul  had  done.  I  hese  were  generally 
slaves,  and  nmnv  of  them  to  heathen  masters,  who  used  them  very  cruel¬ 
ly.  The  word  here  used,  signifies  domestics,  whp  being  more 


A.  D.  G3. 


1  PETER,  II. 


The  example  of  Christ  inculcated. 


19  For  this  is  h  thankworthy,  if  a 
man  for  conscience  toward  God  en¬ 
dure  grief,  suffering  wrongfully. 

20  For  what  glory  is  it,  if,  when 
ye  be  buffeted  for  your  faults,  ye 
shall  take  it  patiently?  but  if,  when 
ye  do  well,  and  suffer /or  it,  ye  take 
it  patiently,  this  1  is  h  acceptable 
with  God. 

21  For  even  hereunto  >  were  ye 
called:  because  Christ  also  suffered 
k  for  us,  leaving  us  an  example,  that 
ye  should  1  follow  his  steps: 

22  Who  m did  no  sin,  neither  was 
guile  found  in  his  mouth  : 

23  Who,  when  he  was  reviled, 
reviled  not  again:  when  he  suffered, 
he  threatened  not;  but  committed 
"himself  to  him  that  °judgeth  right¬ 
eously  : 

24  Who  his  own  self  bare  Pour 
sins  in  his  own  body  '•on  the  tree, 
that  we,  being  dead  to  sins,  should 
live  r  unto  righteousness:  by  *  whose 
stripes  ye  were  healed. 

25  For  yc  were  as  sheep  going 
•astray;  but  are  now  returned  unto 
the  u  Shepherd  and  Bishop  of  your 
souls. 


h  or,  t’ank. 

Lit  6:3* 
l  Mat.  5:10— 12. 

)  Mat.  16:24. 

1  Th.  3:3,4. 

k  Some  rea»l,  for  you. 


1  1  Ju.  3:16. 

Re.  1*2:11. 
m  Is.  53:9 

n  nr,  his  cause. 

o  Ln.  ‘23:46. 
p  Is  53:4,  &c. 


q  or,  to. 
v  Ro.  6:11. 
s  la.  53.5.6. 
t  Ps.  119:176. 
n  E/.e.  34:*23 
Ju.  10:11—16. 


submit  patiently  to  hardships  and  inconven¬ 
iences  :  this  subjection  they  owe  to  their 
masters,  who  have  a  right  to  their  service  ; 
and  that  not  only  to  the  good  and  gentle,  such 
as  use  them  well,  and  abate  somewhat  of 
their  right,  hut  even  to  the  crooked  and 
perverse,  who  are  scarcely  to  he  pleased 
at  all. 

Learn,  1.  Servants  ought  to  conduct  them¬ 
selves  to  their  masters  with  submission,  and 
fear  of  displeasing  them.  2.  The  sinful 
misconduct  of  one  relation  does  not  justify 
the  sinful  behavior  of  the  other;  the  servant 
is  hound  to  do  his  duty,  though  the  master 
be  sinfully  froward  and  perverse.  3.  Good 
people  are  to  be  meek  and  gentle  to  their  ser¬ 
vants,  an  I  inferiors. 

V.  19,20.  Having  charged  servants  to  he 
subject,  he  condescends  to  reason  with  them 
about  it;  if  they  were  patient  tinder  their 
hardships,  and  continued  doing  their  duty 
to  their  unbelieving  and  untoward  masters, 
this  would  be  acceptable  to  God,  and  He 
would  reward  all  tlicv  suffered  for  conscience 


toward  Him  ;  but  to  be  patient  when  justly 
chastised,  deserves  no  commendation  at  all; 
it  is  only  doing  well  and  suffering  patiently 
for  that,  which  is  acceptable  with  God. 

Learn,  1.  No  condition  is  so  mean,  but  a 
man  may  live  conscientiously  in  it,  and  glo¬ 
rify  God  in  it  ;  the  meanest  servant  may  do 
so.  2.  The  most  conscientious  persons  are 
very  often  the  greatest  sufferers  ;  for  con¬ 
science  toward  God  they  suffer  wrongfully  ; 
they  do  well  and  suffer  for  it;  blit  those  who 
thus  suffer  are  praiseworthy,  they  honor 
God  and  religion, and  are  accepted  of  Him; 
and  this  is  their  highest  support  and  satis¬ 
faction.  3.  Deserved  sufferings  must  be  en¬ 
dured  with  patience.  Sufferings  in  this  world 
are  not  always  pledges  of  our  future  happi¬ 
ness;  if  children,  or  servants,  are  rude  and 
undutiful,  and  suffer  for  it,  this  will  neither 
be  acceptable  with  God,  nor  procure  the 
praise  of  men. 

V.  21.  More  reasons  are  given  to  encour¬ 
age  Christian  servants  to  patience  under  un¬ 
just  sufferings,  from  their  Christian  calling 
and  profession,  and  from  the  example  of 
Christ,  who  suffered  for  us,  and  so  became 
our  Example,  that  we  should  follow  his  steps. 
From  whence  learn, 

1.  Good  Christians  are  a  sort  of  people 
called  to  he  sufferers,  and  therefore  they 
must  expect  it.  2.  Jesus  Christ  suffered  for 
you,  or  for  ui  ;  it  was  not  the  Father  that 
suffered,  hut  He  whom  the  Father  sanctified, 
and  sent  into  the  world,  for  that  end;  it  was 
both  the  body  and  soul  of  Christ  that  suffer¬ 
ed,  and  He  suffered  for  us,  in  our  stead,  and 
for  our  good,  v.  24.  3.  The  sufferings  of 

Christ  should  quiet  us  under  the  most  unjust 
and  cruel  sufferings  we  meet  with  in  the 
world;  He  suffered  voluntarily,  not  for  Him¬ 
self,  but  for  us,  with  the  utmost  readiness, 
with  perfect  patience,  and  all  this,  though 
He  was  God-man  ;  shall  not  we  sinners, 
who  deserve  the  worst,  submit  to  the  light 
afflictions  of  this  life,  which  work  for  us  un¬ 
speakable  advantages  afterward  ! 

V.  22,23.  The  example  of  Christ’s  sub¬ 
jection  and  patience  is  here  explained  and 
amplified;  Christ  suffered, 

1.  Wrongfully,  and  without  cause,  Isa. 
53:9.  his  words,  as  well  as  actions,  were 
all  sincere,  just  and  right. 

2.  Patiently;  when  they  blasphemed  Him, 
mocked  Him,  called  Him  foul  names,  lie 
was  dumb,  and  opened  not  his  mouth  ;  when 
they  went  further,  to  real  injuries,  beating, 
buffeting,  and  crowning  Him  with  thorns, 
He  threatened  not  ;  but  committed  both  Him¬ 
self  and  his  cause  to  God  that  judge! h  righte¬ 
ously,  who  would  in  time  clear  his  innocen¬ 
tly,  and  avenge  Him  on  his  enemies. 

Learn,  1.  Our  blessed  Redeemer  was  per¬ 
fectly  holy  ;  no  temptation,  no  provocation 


whatsoever,  could  extort  from  Him  so  much 
as  the  least  sinful  or  indecent  word. 

2.  Provocations  to  sin  can  never  justify 
the  commission  of  it  ;  the  reasons  for  sin 
can  never  be  so  great,  but  we  have  always 
stronger  reasons  to  avoid  it. 

3.  The  judgment  of  God  will  determine 
justly  on  every  man,  and  every  cause  ;  and 
thither  we  ought,  with  patience  and  resigna¬ 
tion,  to  refer  ourselves. 

V.  24.  Lest  any  should  think,  from  what 
is  said,  t>.  21 — 23.  that  Christ’s  death  was 
designed  only  for  an  example  of  patience 
under  sufferings,  the  apostle  here  adds  a 
more  glorious  design  and  effect  of  it  ;  Who 
his  own  Self,  &c.  where, 

Note,  1.  The  person  suffering,  Jesus 
Christ;  the  expression,  his  own  Self,  is  em- 
phatical,  and  necessary  to  show  that  He 
verified  all  the  ancient  prophecies,  and  to 
exclude  all  others  from  participation  with 
Him  in  the  work  of  man’s  redemption  ;  it 
is  added,  in  his  body  ;  not  but  that  He  suf¬ 
fered  in  his  soul,  Mat.  26:38.  but  die  suf¬ 
ferings  of  the  body  were  visible,  and  more 
obvious  to  the  consideration  of  these  suffer¬ 
ing  servants,  for  whose  sake  this  example  is 
produced. 

2.  The  sufferings  He  underwent;  stripes, 
wounds,  death,  the  death  of  the  cross;  servile 
and  ignominious  punishments  ! 

3.  Tim  reason  of  his  sufferings;  He  bare 
our  sins;  which  teaches, 4hat,  in  his  suffer¬ 
ing,  He  stood  charged  with  our  sins,  as  one 
who  had  undertaken  to  put  them  away  by 
the  sacrifice  of  Himself ,  Isa.  53:6.  that  He 
bare  the  punishment  of  them,  and  thereby 
satisfied  divine  justice,  and  so  that  He  takes 
away  our  sins,  and  removes  them  away  from 
us,  Lev.  16:  21.  John  1 :  29. 

4.  The  fruits  of  Christ’s  sufferings  are, 
(1.)  Our  sanctification,  consisting  of  the 
death,  the  mortification  of  sin,  and  a  new 
holy  life  of  righteousness;  for  both  which  we 
have  an  example,  and  powerful  motives  and 
abilities  also,  from  the  death  and  resurrec¬ 
tion  of  Christ.  (2.)  Our  justification  ;  Christ 
was  bruised  and  crucified  as  an  expiatory 
Sacrifice,  and  by  his  stripes  we  are  healed. 

Learn,  1.  Jesus  Christ  bore  the  sins  of  all 
his  people,  and  expiated  them  by  his  death 
on  the.  cross.  2.  No  man  can  depend  safely 
on  Christ,  as  having  borne  his  sin,  and  ex¬ 
piated  his  guilt,  till  he  dies  unto  sin,  and 
lives  unto  righteousness. 

V.  25.  The  apostle  concludes  his  advice 
to  Christian  servants,  putting  them  in  mind 
of  the  difference  between  their  former  and 
present  condition.  They  were  as  sheep  going 
astray  ;  but  now  by  their  conversion  are  re¬ 
turned.  The  word  is  passive,  and  shows 
that  the  return  of  a  sinner  is  the  effect  of 
divine  grace.  This  return  is,  from  all  their 


TRACT  OBS.  V.  18 — 25.  The  view  given  by  the  apostle,  of  the 
behavior  of  many  masters  to  their  unoffending  slaves,  may  serve  to  con¬ 
vince  us,  how  incompatible  slavery  is  with  the  ‘love  of  our  neighbors,’ 
and  animate  us  to  protest,  in  ail  proper  ways,  against  so  grievous  an  op¬ 
pression  of  our  fellow-creatures;  yet  Christianity,  among  its  other  un¬ 
paralleled  excellences,  teaches  men  to  behave  honorably,  ami  live  com¬ 
fortably,  even  in  these  circumstances  of  degradation  and  suffering.  But 
if  slaves ,  when  thus  unjustly  ami  cruelly  used,  were  directed  to  submit 
to  their  masters  ami  respect  them  ;  how  inexcusable  are  those  hired  ser¬ 
vants,  who,  professing  t lie  Gospel,  do  not  ‘obey  good  and  gentle  mas- 

lv  under  the  eye  of  their  masters,  than  slaves  employed  in  cultivating 
tile  land,  are  supposed  to  have  suffered  more  from  their  violent  passions. 
— Some  expositors  call  the  things,  which  the  apostle  here  speaks,  con¬ 
cerning  Christ,  a  digression  from  his  subject,  and  the  effect  of  the  (illness 
of  liis  heart ;  but  I  apprehend,  that  the  Holy  Spirit  led  him  thus  to  write, 
that  ministers  and  theologians  might  learn  from  his  example,  to  incul¬ 
cate  practical  matters  from  evangelical  principles,  and  thus  set  on  them 
tiie  special  stamp  of  Christianity,  and  evidently  distinguish  them  from 
heathen  morality.  Tit.  21,  2,9,  10. — (19)  Thanluvorthy.]  ‘Thank.’ 
Mars,  20.  Ln.  6; 32,  33.  This  is  grace  :  This  is  grace  before  God.  It 
is  tiie  acceptable  and  distinguishing  effect  of  his  special  grace;  and, 
therefore,  superior  to  all  which  the  unregenerate  can  attain  to. — (25) 
Bishop.]  ‘  lie  who  takes  cure  of  us,  and  watches  over  us,  with  constant 
assiduity,  and  affectionate  vigilance ;’  a  pattern  which  all  called  bish¬ 
ops  would  do  well  to  study  and  imitate.  Scott. 

(19.)  ‘The  emperor  Antoninus  quotes  it  as  an  excellent  saying  of 
Antisthenes,  That  is  truly  royal ;  to  do  good,  and  to  be  reproached  ’  [  for 
it],  Doddr. 

(21.)  ‘It  is  observable,  that,  upon  the  mention  of  Christ  the  apostle 
falls  into  an  animated  and  noble  digression,  of  several  verses,  to  the  end 
[600] 


ters  !’  who  can  endure  no  degree  of  ‘  froxvardness  ’  in  others,  through 
the  indulgence  of  it  in  themselves  ;  and  xvlio  will  not  bear  a  reproof; 
when  they  are  most  evidently  culpable  !  Indeed,  we  cannot  go  through 
xvith  our  duty,  as  Christians,  in  any  station,  if  we  do  not  persevere  in 
endeavoring  to  ‘overcome  evil  wiilt  good,’  copying  the  conduct  of  Him 
who  ‘suffered  for  us,  ami  left  us  an  example  that  we  should  follow  his 
steps-.’  ...  let  us  learn  to  copy  his  example,  when  reviled  and  abused  ; 
as  well  as  to  rely  on  his  merits,  and  keep  close  under  his  gracious  pro¬ 
tection  and  guidance  to  the  end  of  our -pilgrimage.  Scott. 


of  tiie  ch. ;  afterwards  he  continues  to  pursue  his  exhortat  ion  to  relative 
duties.’  Doddr. — Leaving  us  an  example.]  ‘  Pattern, —  such  a  pattern 
as  painters  and  writing-masters  place  before  their  scholars  to  he  imitat¬ 
ed.’  Beza,  in  Mackn _ ‘  Tiie  impression  is  not  unfrequent  among  those 

who  call  themselves  followers  of  Christ,  that  though  they  are  hound  to 
imitate  their  Lord,  it  is  enough  if  they  follow  Him  “a  great  way  off,” 
and  therefore,  though  they  may  tread  in  his  footsteps,  it  is  with  a  timid 
and  hesitating  progress.  There  lurks  within  the  feeling,  that  it  is  im 
possible  for  them  to  be  conformed  to  the  image  of  the  Son  of  God,  and 
therefore  they  are  not  to  aim  at  a  point  so  elevated.  Such  an  impres¬ 
sion  is  fatal  to  the  growtli  of  piety.  Tiie  example  of  Christ  is  a  practi¬ 
cable  example  for  universal  imitation.  Its  excellences  are  those  of 
which  all  men  are  capable,  and  which  they  are  commanded  to  possess 
and  cultivate  (1  John  2:6).  They  are  moral  and  human  excellences. 
They  consist  not  in  the  power,  majesty,  and  wisdom  of  the  Deity,  hut  in 
the  voluntary  actions  of  the  Man  Christ  Jesus.  The  example  of  Christ 
has  nothing  to  do  with  the  peculiar  constitution  of  his  Person,  or  the 
faculties  of  his  divine  nature.  It  consisted  not  in  his  oneness  xvith  the 
Father,  hut  in  his  prayers,  fastings,  strivings  with  human  trials,  and  i-om- 
ntunings  with  God.  Christ  took  part  of  flesh  and  blood,  and  was  made 


A.  D.  63. 


1  PETEIl,  III. 


The  duties  of  wives  described. 


CHAP.  III. 

1  He  teachetb  the  duty  of  wives  and  hustfamla  to  each  oth¬ 
er,  8  exhorting  all  men  to  unity  and  love,  14  and  to 
suffer  persecution.  19  He  declareth  also  the  benefits  of 
Christ  toward  the  old  world. 

LIKEWISE,  ye  1  wives,  be  in 
subjection  to  your  own  hus¬ 
bands  ;  that  if  any  obey  not  the 
word,  they  also  may  without  the 
word  be  won  by  the  conversation 
of  the  wives  ; 

2  While  they  behold  your  chaste 
conversation  coupled  with  fear. 

3  Whose  b  adorning,  let  it  not  be 
that  outward  adorning  of  plaiting 
the  hair,  and  of  wearing  of  gold,  or 
of  putting  on  of  apparel  ; 

4  But  lei  it  be  the  hidden  man  of 
the  c  heart,  in  that  which  is  not  cor¬ 
ruptible,  even  the  ornament  of  a 
d  meek  and  quiet  spirit,  which  is  in 
the  sight  of  God  of  great  price. 

5  For  after  this  manner,  in  the  old 
time,  the  holy  women  also,  who 
trusted  in  God,  adorned  themselves, 
being  in  subjection  unto  their  own 
husbands : 

«  En.  5:22.  c  Ps.  45:13.  d  P* *.  25.9.  149:4. 

Tit.  2:5,6.  Ro.  2:29.  flint.  5:5. 

h  1  Ti.  2:9,10. 

errors  and  wanderings,  to  Christ ;  who  is 
the  true,  careful  Shepherd,  that  loves  his  sheep, 
and  laid  down  his  life  for  them  ;  who  is  the 
most  vigilant  Pastor,  and  Bishop,  or  Over¬ 
seer,  of  souls. 

Learn,  1.  Sinners,  before  their  conver¬ 
sion,  are  always  going  astray;  their  life  is  a 
continued  error.  2.  Jesus  Christ  is  the  su¬ 
preme  Shepherd  and  Bishop  of  souls,  who  is 
always  resident  with  his  flock,  and  watchful 
over  l hem.  3.  Those  that  expect  the  love 
and  care  of  this  universal  Pastor,  must  re¬ 
turn  to  Him;  must  die  unto  sin,  and  live  un¬ 
to  righteousness. 

Chap.  III.  V.  1,  2.  The  apostle,  hav¬ 
ing  treated  of  the  duties  of  subjects  to  their 
sovereigns,  and  of  servants  to  their  masters, 
coines  now  to  explain  the  duty  of  wives  to 
their  husbands. 

1.  In  subjection,  or  an  affectionate  submis¬ 
sion  to  the  will,  and  obedience  to  the  just 
authority,  of  their  own  husbands ;  which 
obliging  conduct  would  be  most  likely  to 
win  disobedient  and  unbelieving  husbands. 


2.  In  a  chaste  conversation,  which  their 
unbelieving  husbands  would  accurately  ob¬ 
serve  and  attend  to. 

3.  In  fear,  or  reverence  to  their  husbands, 
Eph.  5:  33. 

Learn,  1.  Every  distinct  relation  lias  its 
particular  duties,  which  ministers  ought  to 
preach,  and  people  to  understand. 

2.  A  cheerful  subjection,  and  a  loving, 
reverential  respect,  are  duties  which  Chris¬ 
tian  women  owe  their  husbands,  whether 
good  or  had  ;  these  were  due  from  Eve  to 
Adam  before  the  Fall,  and  arc  still  required, 
though  much  more  difficult  now  than  before, 
Gen.  3:  16.  1  Tim.  2:  11. 

3.  Nothing  is  more  powerful,  next  to  the 
Word  of  God,  to  win  people,  than  a  good 
conversation,  and  the  careful  discharge  of 
relative  duties. 

4.  Irreligion  and  infidelity  do  not  dissolve 
the  bonds,  nor  dispense  with  the  duties,  of 
civil  relations  ;  the  wife  must  discharge  her 
duty  to  her  own  husband,  though  he  obey  not 
the  Word. 

5.  Evil  men  are  strict  observers  of  the 
conversation  of  professors  of  religion  ;  their 
curiosity,  envy,  and  jealousy,  make  them 
watch  narrowly  the  ways  and  lives  of  good 
people. 

6.  A  chaste  conversation,  attended  with 
due  and  proper  respect  to  every  one,  is  an 
excellent  mean  to  win  them  to  the  faith  of 
the  Gospel,  and  obedience  to  the  Word. 

V.  3.  This  rule  relates  to  the  dress  of  re¬ 
ligious  women  :  plaiting  of  hair  was  com¬ 
monly  used  in  those  times  by  lewd  women  ; 
wearing  of  gold,  or  ornaments  made  of  gold, 
was  practised  by  Rebecca,  and  Esther,  and 
other  religious  women,  hut  afterwards  be¬ 
came  the  attire  chiefly  of  harlots  and  wicked 
people  ;  putting  on  of  apparel  is  not  absolute¬ 
ly  forbidden,  but  only  too  much  curiosity  and 
costliness  in  apparel. 

Learn,  1.  Religious  people  should  take 
care,  that  all  their  external  behavior  be  an¬ 
swerable  to  their  profession  of  Christianity; 
they  must  be  holy  in  all  manner  of  conversa¬ 
tion. 

2.  The  outward  adorning  of  the  body  is 
very  often  sensual  and  excessive  ;  for  in¬ 
stance,  when  it  is  immoderate,  and  above 
your  degree  and  station  in  the  world  ;  when 
you  are  proud  of  it,  and  puffed  up  with  it  ; 
when  you  dress,  designing  to  allure  and 
tempt  others;  when  your  apparel  is  too  rich, 
curious,  or  superfluous  ;  when  your  fashions 
are  fantastical,  imitating  the  levity  and  van¬ 
ity  of  the  worst  people  ;  and  when  they  are 


immodest  and  wanton.  The  attire  of  a  har¬ 
lot  can  never  become  a  chaste  Christian  ma¬ 
tron. 

V.  4.  Instead  of  the  outward  adorning  of 
the  body,  the  apostle  directs  Christian  wives 
to  put  on  much  more  excellent  and  beautiful 
ornaments;  where, 

Note,  1.  The  part  to  be  adorned  ;  the 
hidden  man  of  the  heart  ;  that  is,  the  soul. 
2.  The  ornament  prescribed  ;  in  general, 
something  not  corruptible,  that  is,  the  graces 
and  virtues  of  God’s  Holy  Spirit:  more  es¬ 
pecially,  the  finest  ornament  of  Christian 
women,  a  meek  and  quiet  spirit;  a  tractable, 
easy  temper  of  mind,  void  of  passion,  pride, 
and  immoderate  anger  ;  discovering  itself 
in  a  quiet,  obliging  behavior  toward  their 
husbands  and  families  :  a  quiet  spirit  will 
make  a  good  woman  easy  to  herself,  which, 
being  visible  to  others,  becomes  an  amiable 
ornament  to  a  person  in  the  eyes  of  the 
world.  3.  The  excellency  of  it  ;  meekness 
and  calmness  of  spirit  are,  in  the  sight  of 
God,  of  great  price  ;  amiable  in  the  sight  of 
men,  and  precious  in  the  sight  of  God. 

Learn,  1.  A  true  Christian’s  chief  care 
lies  in  the  right  ordering  and  commanding 
of  his  own  spirit  ;  where  the  hypocrite’s 
work  ends,  there  the  true  Christian’s  work 
begins. 

2.  The  endowments  of  the  inner  man  are 
the  chief  ornaments  of  a  Christian  ;  but  es¬ 
pecially  a  composed,  calm,  and  quiet  spirit, 
renders  either  man  or  woman  beautiful  and 
lovely. 

V.  5,  6.  The  duties  of  Christian  wives 
being  in  their  nature  difficult,  the  apostle 
enforces  them  by  the  example, 

1.  Of  the.  holy  women  of  old,  who  lived  in 
old  time,  and  had  less  knowledge  to  inform 
them,  and  fewer  examples  to  encourage 
them  ;  yet  practised  this  duty  ;  they  were 
holy  women,  and  therefore  their  example  is 
obligatory;  they  trusted  in  God,  yet  did  not 
neglect  their  duty  to  man.  2.  Of  Sara,  who 
obeyed  her  husband,  followed  him  when  he 
went  from  Ur  of  the  Chaldeans,  not  knowing 
whither  he  went,  and  called  him  lord,  thereby 
showing  him  reverence,  and  acknowledging 
his  superiority  over  her;  and  all  this,  though 
she  was  declared  a  princess,  by  God  from 
heaven,  by  the  change  of  her  name. 

Learn,  1.  God  takes  exact  notice,  and 
keeps  an  exact  record,  of  the  actions  of  all 
men  and  women  in  the  world. 

2.  The  subjection  of  wives  to  their  husbands, 
is  a  duty  which  has  been  practiced  univer¬ 
sally  by  holy  women  in  all  ages. 


like  unto  his  brethren.  He  was  tempted, — touched  with  the  feeling  of 
our  infirmities,  and  tried  in  all  points  like  as  we  are,  yet  without  sin. 
By  denying  that  the  excellences  of  Christ’s  example  are  those  of  which 
all  men  are  capable,  the  impenitent  are  armed  with  an  unanswerable  ex¬ 
cuse  for  all  their  unbelief,  —  suppose  you  should  live  one  whole  day  ex¬ 
actly  as  Christ  lived  ;  how  would  it  compare  with  the  ordinary  days 
of  your  life  V  Rev.  L.  Bacon. 

(25.)  From  Isa.  53:6.  ‘  The  sense  is  :  “  For  ye  were  as  stray  sheep, 
without  pasture,  exposed  to  peril,  and  without  protection.”  A  line  im¬ 
age  of  complete  misery,  and  utter  destruction.’  Bloo.vif. 

NOTES.  Chap.  III.  V.  1—4.  This  [being  subject  in  all  things  law¬ 
ful]  must  be  attended  to  in  a  conscientious  manner,  with  an  especial 
aim  at  the  conversion  of  their  husbands,  1  Cor.  7:15,  16.  which  was  not 
so  much  to  be  expected  from  a  disputatious  attempt  to  teach  them  the 
Gospel,  as  from  the  silent,  persuasive  eloquence  of  a  becoming  deport¬ 
ment.  In  this  endeavor,  they  must  not  deem  outward  things,  such  as 
‘  plaiting  the  hair,  wearing  ’  golden  rings  and  bracelets,  or  ‘  putting  on  ’ 
elegant  or  becoming  garments,  to  be  ‘their  adorning,’  in  any  degree; 
but  they  must  value  and  seek  for  an  inward  beamy,  residing  in  the 
heart,  as  ‘  a  hidden  man,’  visible  in  its  essence  only  unto  God,  consist¬ 
ing  of  a  renewal  and  sanctification  of  the  whole  soul  to  the  divine  image, 
through  ‘  the  incorruptible  seed  of  the  Word,’  made  effectual  by  the 
power  of  the  Holy  Spirit ;  for  this  alone  would  continue  for  ever,  with¬ 
out  decaying,  or  being  tarnished.  1  Tim.  2:9,  10.  This  inward  beauty 
and  ornament  of  a  sanctified  heart,  would  especially  be  manifested  by 

*  a  meek  and  quiet  spirit,’  which  was  ‘  in  the  sight  of  God  ’  very  valu¬ 
able  ;  and  He  would  certainly  honor  it,  though  inen  might  undervalue  it. 
— Outward  ornaments,  according  to  every  one’s  rank  in  life,  are  not 
absolutely  prohibited  by  these  Scriptures,  as  it  lias  been  generally 
observed;  but  the  frivolous  affectation  and  vanity,  which  constitute  the 
love  of  finery;  the  time,  attention,  and  expense  wasted  by  those,  who 
are  attached  to  such  decorations  ;  and  the  proportionable  neglect  of  the 
‘  inward  adorning,’  which  is  uniformly  connected  with  it,  sulliciently 
prove,  that  the  more  moderate  and  indifferent  about  these  embellish¬ 
ments  Christians  are,  from  proper  principles,  and  without  preciseness 
and  censoriousness,  the  more  respectable  and  amiable  t hey  must  appear 
in  the  eyes  of  all  competent  judges. — ‘The  works  of  charity,  performed 
N.  T.  VOL.  V.  76 


for  purchasing  ornaments 
>iuch  more  beautiful  in  the 
ked  with  ail  ( lie  vain  orna- 


ihe  sex  delight.’  Mackn.  Scott. 
Wiprocal  duties  of  wives  and  lins- 


to  the  distressed,  with  the  money  necessary  u 
of  gold  and  costly  attire,  will  render  wonidjti 
eyes  of  God  and  man,  than  if  they  were  uffilu 
meiits,  in  which  the  lighter  part  of  ilu 

(1.)  ‘  Hence,  to  v.  7.  follow  the  " 

hands.’  Bloomf. — ‘Tile  wives  of  impenitent  husbands,  are  too  apt  to 
suffer  themselves  to  be  drawn  away  from  their  own  standard  of  duty, 
instead  of  seeking  continually  to  draw  their  husbands  to  that  standard. 
You  either  see  a  softening  influence  working  upon  the  man’s  character, 
at  least  in  the  way  of  restraint,  from  the  pious  example  and  consistency 
of  the  wife,  or  else  the  wife,  however  exemplary  before  marriage,  sinks 
down  into  a  state  of  stupidity,  or  conformity  to  the  world.  A  Chris¬ 
tian,  ill  such  a  union,  needs  to  mark  that  passage,  2  Pet.  1:10.  “Give 
diligence  to  make  your  calling  and  election  sure,"  for  daily  meditation 
and  prayer; — not  for  her  own  sake  only,  but  for  the  sake  of  the  offspring, 
whose  eternal  destiny  is.  in  a  peculiar  manner,  ami  in  the  midst  of  pecu¬ 
liar  danger,  committed  to  her  care.  It  should  be  the  mother’s  constant 
endeavor,  to  have  her  children  baptized,  so  as  to  surround  them  with 
every  possible  religious  influence,  as  well  as  for  t lie  influence  which 
her  vows  may  exert  upon  her  own  conduct  in  the  family.’  Rev.  N. Adams. 

(1—7.)  ‘  With  my  married  friends,  I  will  leave  this  excellent  remark  : 
“  Family  passions  cloud  faith,  disturb  duty,  darken  comfort.”  V  on 
will  do  the  more  good  to  one  another,  the  more  this  sentence  is  consid¬ 
ered.  When  the  husband  and  w-ife  are  always  contriving  to  be  bless¬ 
ings  to  each  oilier,  I  will  say,  with  Tertullian,  “  where  shall  I  find  words 
to  describe  the  happiness  of  that  state  ?”  Oh,  happy  marriage  !— v»  ny 
should  we  not  at  least,  once  or  twice  a  week,  make  relative  duties  the 
subject  of  our  inquiries,  and  of  our  purposes  ?  ’  fll  ather. 

(3.)  ‘Ancient  medals,  and  works  of  sculpture,  show  ihe 
tresses  condemned  by  the  apostles,  with  all  the  expensive  am  anci  u 
head  decorations  of  ancient  females.  Dr.  A  .Clarke  rema l  k  : 
female  head  ever  looks  so  well,  as  when  it  is  adorned  \\  i  ' 

alone”’  Henry, aor. 

V.  5,  6.  Many  of  ihe  Christian  women,  whom  Pe‘®‘'  ^ ? 

descended  from  Abrnhnm  and  Sarah:  and  the  others  \  i 
as  hpr  daughters  heirs  of  her  faith,  and  linitaloifa  of  her  example,  so  long 
as  t^  belmval  w^Uu  their  relative  duties,  and  as  it  became  the  disciples 


A.  D.  63. 


1  PETER,  III. 


Duties  of  husbands  enjoined. 


6  Even  as  Sara  obeyed  Abraham, 
calling  him  e  lord :  whose  Slaughters 
ye  are,  as  long  as  ye  do  well,  and 
are  not  afraid  with  any  amazement. 

7  Likewise,  ye  6  husbands,  dwell 
with  them  according  to  knowledge, 
giving  honor  unto  the  wife,  as 
unto  the  weaker  vessel,  and  as 
being  heirs  together  of  the  grace 
of  life  ;  that  your  prayers  be  not 
hindered. 

[Practical  Observations .] 

8 '  Finally,  be  ye  all  of  one  h  mind, 
having  compassion  one  of  another; 
'love  j  as  brethren,  be  pitiful,  be 
courteous  : 

9  Not  k  rendering  evil  for  evil,  or 
railing  for  railing;  but  contrariwise 
blessing;  knowing  that  ye  are  there¬ 
unto  called,  that  ye  should  inherit  a 
blessing. 

10  For  1  he  that  will  love  life,  and 
see  good  days,  let  him  refrain  his 
tongue  from  evil,  and  his  lips  that 
they  speak  no  guile  : 

e  Of.  18:12.  h  Ro.  12:16.  k  Mat.  504. 

f  children.  i  or,  loving  to  the.  Kp.  4:32. 

g  Col.  3:19.  j  1  Jn«  3: 18.  1  Ps.  31:12,  &c. 

3.  The  greatest  honor,  of  any  man  or 
Woman,  lies  in  a  humble  and  faithful  deport¬ 
ment  of  themselves  in  the  relation  or  condi¬ 
tion  in  which  Providence  Ims  placed  them. 

4.  God  takes  notice  of  the  good  that  is  in 
his  servants,  to  their  honor  and  benefit,  but 
covers  a  multitude  of  failings ;  Sara’s  [un¬ 
belief]  and  derision  are  overlooked,  when 
her  virtues  are  celebrated. 

5.  Christians  ought  to  do  their  duty  to 
one  another,  not  out  of  fear,  nor  from  force, 
but  from  a  willing  mind,  and  in  obedience 
to  the  command  of  God;  wives  should  he.  in 
subjection  to  their  churlish  husbands,  not  from 


dread  and  amazement ,  but  from  a  desire  to 
do  well,  and  to  please  God. 

V.  7.  The  husband’s  duty  to  the  wife 
comes  next  to  be  considered  ;  the  particu¬ 
lars  whereof  are, 

1.  Cohabitation;  which  forbids  unneces¬ 
sary  separation,  and  implies  a  mutual  com¬ 
munication  of  goods  and  persons  one  to  an¬ 
other,  with  delight  and  concord. 

2.  Dwelling  with  the.  wife,  according  to 
knowledge;  not  according  to  lust,  as  brutes; 
nor  according  to  passion,  as  devils  ;  but  ac¬ 
cording  to  knowledge,  ns  wise  and  sober  men, 
who  know  the  Word  of  God,  and  their 
own  duty. 

3.  Giving  honor  to  the  wife;  giving  due 
respect  unto  her,  and  maintaining  her  au¬ 
thority,  protecting  her  person,  supporting 
her  credit,  delighting  in  her  conversation, 
affording  her  a  handsome  maintenance,  and 
placing  a  due  trust  and  confidence  in  her. 

The  reasons  are,  Because  she  is  the  weaker 
vessel  by  nature  and  constitution,  and  so 
ought  to  he  defended  :  but  then  tbe  wife  is, 
in  other  and  higher  respects,  equal  to  her 
husband ;  they  are  heirs  together  of  the  grace 
of  life,  of  all  the  blessings  of  this  life  and 
another,  and  therefore  should  live  peaceably 
and  quietlv  one  with  another,  which  if  they 
do  not,  their  prayers  with,  and  for  one  an¬ 
other  will  be  hindered,  so  that  often  you  will 
not  pray  at  all,  or  if  you  do,  you  will  pray 
with  a  discomposed,  ruffled  mind,  and  so 
without  success. 

Learn,  All  married  people  should  take 
care  to  belmve  themselves  so  lovingly  and 
peaceably  one  to  another,  that  they  may  not 
by  their  broils  hinder  the  success  of  their 
prayers.  . 

V.  8.  The  apostle  here  passes  from  spe¬ 
cial  to  more  general  exhortations  ;  lie  ad¬ 
vises  Christians  to  be  all  of  one  mind,  to  he 
unanimous  in  the  belief  of  the  same  faith, 
and  practice  of  the  same  duties  of  religion; 
and  whereas  the  Christians  at  that  time  were 
many  of  them  in  a  suffering  condition,  there¬ 


fore  he  charges  them  to  have  compassion  one 
of  another,  to  love  as  brethren,  to  pity  those 
who  were  in  distress,  and  to  be  courteous  to 
all.  Hence, 

Learn,  Christians  should  endeavor  to  be 
\  likeminded  one  to  another,  Rom.  15:  5.  not 
according  to  man’s  pleasure,  but  God’s 
1  Word.  Though  they  cannot  be  exactly  of 
the  same  mind,  yet  they  ought  to  love  one  an¬ 
other  with  more  than  common  affection  ; 
they  should  love  as  brethren.  Christianity 
requires  pity  to  the  distressed,  and  civility  to 
all.  He  must  be  a  flagrant  sinner, or  a  vile 
apostate,  who  is  not  a  proper  object  of  civil 


'  how  Christians  and  friends  should  treat  one 
another  ;  this  instructs  us  how  to  behave 
towards  enemies.  To  bear  evils  patiently, 
and  to  bless  your  enemies,  is  the  way  to 
obtain  the  blessing  of  God. 

Learn,  1.  To  render  evil  for  evil,  or  railing 
for  railing,  is  a  sinful,  unchristian  practice; 
but  for  ministers  to  rebuke  sharply,  and  to 
preach  earnestly  against  the  sins  of  the 
times,  is  not  railing  ;  all  llie  prophets  and 
1  apostles  practised  it,  Isa.  56:  10.  Zeph.  3:3. 
Acts  20:29.  2.  The  laws  of  Christ  oblige 

os  to  return  blessing  for  railing,  Mat.  5:  44. 
We  must  pity,  pray  for,  and  love  them  u  ho 
rail  at  us.  3.  A  Christian’s  calling,  as  it 
invests  him  with  glorious  privileges*  so  it 
obliges  him  to  difficult  duties.  4.  All  the 
true  servants  of  Cod  shall  infallibly  inherit  a 
blessing;  they  have  it  already  in  a  great  de¬ 
gree,  but  the  full  possession  of  it  is  reserved 
to  another  state  and  world. 

V.  10,  11.  We  have  here  an  excellent 
prescription  for  a  comfortable, happy  life,  in 
this  quarrelsome,  ill-natured  world,  taken 
from  Ps.  34:  12—14. 

Learn,  1.  Good  people  under  the  Old  and 
New  Test,  were  obliged  to  the  same  moral 
duties  ;  to  refrain  the  tongue  from  evil,  and 
the  lips  from  guile,  was  a  duty  in  David’s 
i  time,  as  well  as  now.  2.  It  is  lawful  to 


TRACT.  OBS.  V.  1 — 7.  The  truths,  precepts,  and  grace  of  the  Gos-  all  that  beauty  which  they  are  so  vainly  meant  to  embellish,  will  not 
pel  tench  men  a  becoming  and  beneficial  behavior,  in  all  the  relations  secure  any  one  from  contempt  and  aversion,  whose  conduct  in  life  is 
of  life,  by  a  happy  union  of  piety,  purity,  meekness,  fidelity,  and  holy  disgraceful :  and  they  will  soon  leave  the  poor  body  to  the  confinement 
love ;  and  form  them  to  it.  The  inward  and  incorruptible  adorning  of  and  corruption  of  tbe  tomb  ;  and  the  soul,  which  is  1  without  holiness,’ 
wisdom  and  grace,  constitutes  the  most  durable  beauty  and  amiableness,  to  be  for  ever  loathsome  and  abhorred  of  God.  Scott. 

and  will  ensure  esteem  and  affection,  when  all  outward  ornaments,  with 


of  Christ ;  and  were  not  so  afraid  of  the  anger  of  their  husbands,  or  of 
others,  as  to  deny  Him,  or  act  contrary  to  his  commandments,  through 
unbelief  and  consternation  of  spirit.  For  this  would  be  rather  an  imita¬ 
tion  of  Sarah,  when,  through  surprise,  she  denied  that  she  laughed  ;  than 
of  her  faith  and  holiness,  or  her  becoming  subjection  to  her  husband.  Sc. 

(6.)  Catling  him  lord]  ‘As  to  the  names  by  which  husbands  are 
to  be  addressed  by  their  wives,  the  apostle’s  words  are  not  to  be  sup¬ 
posed  authoritative.  Reverence  and  obedience  are  the  bounden  duty 
of  wives  ;  and  t lie  expre&^n  of  Ibis,  as  being  made  in  terms  purely 
conventional,  may  very  u^Pvary  with  manners  and  customs  of  different 
ages.’  Booomf. — No  t  afraid.]  ‘I  prefer,  with  E*t.  and  Calvin,  to  un¬ 
derstand  it  of  a  firmness  and  intrepidity  of  character,  which  would  he 
necessary  to  support  their  religious  independence,  when  united  to  hea¬ 
then  husbands.  The  amazement  is  well  explained  by  Calvin,  of  that 
weak  timidity  which  fosters  causeless  tear,  and  is  too  often  found  in  the 
female  sex.’  Bloomf. — ‘The  structure  of  the  Greek  sentence  makes  it 
evident,  that  he  speaks  of  the  condition,  on  which  they  were  to  preserve 
the  characters  of  daughters  of  Sarah  '  Doddr. 

V.  7.  On  the  other  hand,  the  apostle  exhorted  ‘  husbands, ’  professing 
the  Gospel,  to  ‘dwell  with’  their  wives,  in  a  rational  and  intelligent 
manner,  which  might  evince  the  propriety  of  the  authority  being  con¬ 
ferred  on  them.  They  ought  to  behave  towards  them,  as  became  those 
who  tin!  the  knowledge  of  God  and  of  true  religion;  who  understood 
the  ends  for  which  marriage  was  appointed,  and  the  manner  in  which 
pious  persons  ought  to  behave  in  that  holy  estate;  and  this  would  keep 
them  from  everything  unbecoming,  unkind,  unfaithful,  or  injurious  to 
'heir  temporal  comfort,  nr  spiritual  improvement.  As  their  wives  were 
ol  the  same  nature,  and  conjoined  in  the  most  endeared  and  indissoluble 
union,  which  blended  all  their  interests  with  those  of  their  husbands; 
so  the  consideration  of  their  inferiority  tn  this  relation,  anti  the  compar¬ 
ative  weakness  of  their  sex,  which  rendered  them  incapable  of  so  great 
hardship  and  fatigue  as  men  could  endure;  together  with  their  manifold 
infirmities,  as  connected  with  child-hearing,  should  induce  their  hus¬ 
bands  to  treat  them  with  the  greatest  respect,  and  more  tender  regard, 
instead  of  exciting  them  to  tyrannize  over  them.  They  ought,  therefore, 
to  show  a  peculiar  esteem  anti  affection  for  them  ;  to  take  much  satis¬ 
faction  in  their  company  ;  to  honor  them  before  servants  and  strangers, 
to  support  their  credit  in  the  family  :  to  make  a  becoming  provision  for 
their  wants,  to  lav  no  unreasonable  injunctions  on  them,  and  to  show  a 
great  concern  in  everything  relative  to  their  health,  comfort,  and  repu¬ 
tation.  And,  if  they  would  be  thought  superior  in  knowledge  or  wis¬ 
dom,  they  ought  to  show  it,  by  not  taking  offence  at  trifles,  and  by  giv¬ 
ing  up  their  own  humors  and  inclinations,  to  oblige  their  wives,  and  for 
their  welfare.  These  things  should  be  attended  to,  from  the  considera¬ 


tion  that  they  were  ‘  fellow-heirs  of  the  grace  of  life,’  or  of  the  free  favor 
and  gift  ofGUid,  which  is  eternal  life;  and,  therefore,  as  companions  in 
their  pilgrimage,  they  ought  to  do  all,  which  they  possibly  could,  to  so¬ 
lace,  counsel,  and  assist  each  other  by  the  way.  They  should  also  more 
attentively  guard  against  all  disagreements  and  domestic  uneasiness;  that 
nothing  might  occur  to  indispose  them  for  prayer,  in  secret,  and  in  tin: 
family,  hut  especially  with  each  other.  This  being  essential  to  the  Chris¬ 
tian’s  prosperity,  was  a  matter  of  so  great  importance,  that' all  tilings, 
in  his  whole  conduct,  ought  to  he  regulated  with  reference  to  it. — Per- 
haps  it  might  also  be  intimated,  that  in  case  a  Christian  had  an  uncon¬ 
verted  wife,  he  ought  to  study  by  kind  behavior  to  conciliate  her  mind  , 
that  so  she  might  do  nothing  to  interrupt  the  social  worship  of  the  fam¬ 
ily,  hut  might  he  induced  amicably  to  join  in  it.  Scott. 

(7.)  Giving  honor,  &c.]  ‘  Allotting  an  honorable  subsistence.  This 

sense  of  the  word  [here  rendered  honor]  is  confirmed  by  1  Tim.  5:17. — 
Many  Christians  were  of  low  rank  in  life,  which  might  make  the  precept 
of  maintaining  their  wives  decently,  and  not  subjecting  them  to  too 
hard  labor,  exceeding  proper.’  Doddr. — ‘  It  is  pleasing  to  see  a  man  who 
is  not  a  member  of  the  church,  willing  to  assist  his  wife  in  presenting 
their  child  for  baptism.  It  is  an  evidence,  that  shame  does  not  triumph 
over  his  respect  and  affection  for  his  wife,  and  the  mother  of  his  chil¬ 
dren,  and  that  the  fear  of  man  that  hringeth  a  snare  has  not  wholly  en¬ 
twined  itself  about  li is  conscience.  Ttie  man  who  truly  promises  to  re¬ 
spect  and  honor  his  wife,  will  remember  that  he  is  to  respect  her  con¬ 
science,  and  honor  her  fear  of  the  l.ord ,  and  he  will  do  this  when  she 
wishes  to  offer  her  child  in  baptism,  though  he  knows  that  be  will  be 
condemned  by  it,  for  not  being  able  to  offer  the  child  in  his  own  name.’ 
The.  Baptized  Child,  by  Rev.  Neh.  Adams. 

V.  8—12.  2:13—25.  Rom.  12:9— 21.  1  Cor.  1:4—9.  13:4—7.  Eph .  4:1 
— 6.  Phil.  2:1 — 4.  These  exhortations  entirely  coincide  with  those, 
which  have  been  considered  in  Haul’'  epistles.  ilO)  He  that  will  love.] 
The  i] notation  is  from  (he  Sept,  which  well  translates  the  lleh.,  except 
as  the  apostle  uses  the  third  person,  instead  of  the  second.  Scott. 

(8.)  ‘  Hence,  to  v.  13:  the  apostle  gives  some  general  directions, 

which  concerned  all  Christians.’  Bi.oomf. — ‘  Let  our  pity  to  the  dis¬ 
tressed,  he  expressed  by  onr  prayer  for  them.  It  would  be  a  very  lovely 
practice  for  you,  in  the  daily  prayer  of  your  closet,  every  evening,  to 
think,  “  What  miserable  object  have  I  seen  to-dav,  for  whom  I  may  do 
well  now  to  entreat  the  mercies  of  the  l.ord  ?” — Render  the  afllieted  all 
the  assistance  which  their  necessities  may  require.  Assist  them  by  ad¬ 
vice  ;  by  obtaining  the  help  of  other  persons  on  their  behalf;  and,  if 
needful,  bestow  your  alms  ;  at  least,  exercise  Nazinnzen's  charity  :  “  If 
you  have  nothing  else  to  bestov  upon  the  miserable,  bestow  a  tear  or 
two  upon  their  miseries.”  ’  Mather. 


A.  D.  63. 


1  PETER,  111. 


Religious  exhortation  to  Christians. 


1 1  Let  him  eschew  evil,  and  do 
good;  let  him  seek  peace,  and  en¬ 
sue  it. 

12  For  the  eyes  of  the  Lord  are 
over  the  righteous,  and  his  ears  are 
open  unto  their  prayers:  but  the  face 
of  the  Lord  is  m  against  them  that 
do  evil. 

13  And  "  who  is  he  that  will  harm 
you,  if  ye  be  followers  of  that  which 
is  good  ? 

14  But  and  if  ye  suffer  for  right¬ 
eousness’  sake,  happy  are  ye:  and 
10  be  not  afraid  of  their  terror,  nei¬ 
ther  be  troubled  ; 

15  But  sanctify  the  Lord  God  in 
your  hearts;  and  p  be  ready  always 
to  give  an  answer  to  every  man  that 
asketh  you  a  reason  of  the  hope  that 
is  in  you  with  meekness  and  '’fear: 

16  Having  a  good  conscience  ; 
that,  whereas  they  speak  evil  of 
you,  as  of  evil-doers,  they  may  be 
ashamed  that  falsely  accuse  your 
good  conversation  in  Christ. 

17  For  it  is  better,  if  the  will  of 
God  be  so,  that  ye  suffer  for  well 

than  for  evil  doing. 

18  For  r  Christ  also  hath  once 

suffered  for  sins,  the  just  3  for  the 
unjust,  that  he  might  bring  us  to 
God,  being  put  *  to  death  in  the 
flesh,  but  quickened  by  the  Spirit; 

[Practical  Observations ■  ] 

m  upon.  o  Is.  8:1*2,13.  51:12.  r  c.  2:21. 

a  Pr.  16-7,  p  Ps.  119:46.  s  2  Co.  5:21. 

Ro.  8:28.  q  or,  revsrence.  t  Ro.  4:25. 

consider  temporal  advantages  as  motives 
and  encouragements  to  religion.  3.  The 
practice  of  religion,  particularly  the  right 
government  of  the  tongue,  is  the  best  way  to 
make  this  life  comfortable  and  prosperous  ; 
a  sincere,  inoffensive,  discreet  tongue,  is  a 
singular  mean  to  pass  us  peaceably  and 
comfortably  through  the  world.  4.  The 
avoiding  of  evil,  and  doing  of  good,  is  the 
way  to  contentment  and  happiness  both  here 
and  hereafter.  5.  It  is  the  duty  of  Chris¬ 
tians  not  only  to  embrace  peace  when  it  is 
offered,  but  to  seek  and  pursue  it  when  it  is 
denied:  peace  with  societies,  and  peace  with 
particular  persons,  in  opposition  to  division 
and  contention,  is  what  is  here  intended. 

V.  12.  The  allegation  is  continued  from 
Ps.  34.  Christians  need  not  fear  that  such 
patient,  inoffensive  behavior  as  is  prescri¬ 
bed,  v.  10,  11.  will  invite  and  encourage 
tile  cruelty  of  their  enemies,  for  God  will 
thereby  be  engaged  on  their  side;  so  that  if 
any  injuries  he  offered  to  them,  their  heav¬ 
enly  Father  will  certainly  aid  them  against 
their  unrighteous  enemies  ;  for  He  is  more 
an  enemy  to  wicked  persecutors  than  men 
arc. 

Learn,  1.  We  must  not  in  all  cases  ad¬ 
here  to  the  express  words  of  Scripture,  hut 


study  the  sense  and  meaning  of  them  ;  we 
must  not  imagine,  that  God  hath  eyes,  and 
ears,  and  face,  though  these  are  the  express 
words  of  the  Scripture.  2.  God  hath  a 
special  care  and  paternal  affection  toward  all 
his  righteous  people.  3.  God  doth  always 
hear  the  prayers  of  the  faithful,  John  9:  31. 

1  John  5:  14.  Ileb.  4:  16.  4.  Though  God 

is  infinitely  good,  yet  He  abhors  impenitent 
sinners,  and  will  pour  out  his  wrath  on  them 
that  do  evil;  He  will  do  Himself  right,  and 
do  all  the  world  justice  ;  and  his  goodness 
is  no  obstruction  to  his  doing  so. 

V.  13,  14.  The  patient,  humble  behavior 
of  Christians,  recommended  above,  is  here 
urged  again  from  two  considerations  :  1.  It 
will  be  the  best  and  surest  way  to  prevent  I 
suffering  ;  for  who  is  he  that  will  harm  you  ?  \ 
2.  It  is  the  way  to  improve  sufferings;  and 
will  entitle  to  the  blessing  promised  by  1 
Christ,  Mat.  5:  10. 

Learn,  1.  To  follow  always  that  which  is  I 
good,  is  the  best  course  we  can  take  to  keep 
out  of  harm’s  way.  2.  To  suffer  for  right-  ! 
eousness ’  sake  is  the  honor  and  happiness  of  a 
Christian  ;  to  suffer  for  the  cause  of  truth, 
a  good  conscience,  or  any  part  of  a  Chris¬ 
tian’s  duty,  is  a  great  honor;  the  delight  of 
it  is  greater  than  the  torment,  the  honor 
more  than  the  disgrace,  and  the  gain  much 
greater  than  the  loss.  3.  Christians  have 
no  reason  to  be  afraid  of  the  threats  or  rage 
of  any  of  their  enemies ;  ‘  Your  enemies  are 
God’s  enemies,  his  face  is  against  them,  his 
power  is  above  them,  they  are  the  objects 
of  his  curse,  and  can  do  nothing  to  yon  but 
by  his  permission  ;  therefore,  trouble  not 
yourselves  about  them.’ 

V.  15.  Instead  of  terrifying  yourselves 
with  the  fear  of  men,  be  sure  to  sanctify  the 
Lord  God  in  your  hearts  ;  let  Him  be  your 
Fear,  and  let  Him  be  your  Dread,  Isa.  8  : 
12,  13.  Luke  12:4. 

We  sanctify  the  Lord  God  in  our  hearts, 
when  we  with  sincerity  and  fervency  adore 
Him  ;  and  when  our  deportment  is  such,  as 
invites  and  encourages  others  to  glorify  and 
honor  Him  ;  both  are  required,  Lev.  10:  3. 

Learn,  1.  An  awful  sense  of  the  divine 
perfections  is  the  best  antidote  against  the 
fear  of  sufferings  ;  did  we  fear  God  more, 
we  should  certainly  fear  men  less.  2.  The 
hope  and  faith  of  a  Christian  are  defensible 
against  all  the  world;  there  maybe  a  good 
reason  given  for  religion  ;  it  is  not  a  fancy, 
but  a  rational  scheme  revealed  front  heaven, 
suited  to  all  the  necessities  of  miserable 
sinners,  anti  centering  entirely  in  the  glory 
of  God  through  Jesus  Christ.  3.  Chris¬ 
tians  should  have  a  reason  ready  for  their 
Christianity,  that  it  may  appear  they  are 
not  actuated  either  by  folly  or  fancy  ;  this 
defence  may  be  necessary  more  than  once  or 
twice,  so  that  Christians  should  be  always 
prepared  to  make  it,  either  to  the  magis¬ 
trate,  if  he  demand  it,  or  to  any  inquisitive, 
serious  Christian,  who  desires  to  know  it  for 
his  information  or  improvement.  4.  Apolo¬ 
gies  for  our  religion  ought  to  be  made  with 
modesty  and  meekness,  in  the  fear  of  God, 
with  jealousy  over  ourselves,  and  reverence 
to  our  superiors. 


V.  16,  17.  The  confession  of  a  Christian’s 
faith  cannot  credibly  be  supported,  but  by 
the  two  means  here  specified, — a  good  con¬ 
science,  and  a  good  conversation.  Conscience 
is  good,  when  it  does  its  office  well,  when 
it  is  kept  pure  and  uncorrupt,  and  clear  from 
guilt  ;  then  it  will  justify  you,  though  men 
accuse  you.  A  good  conversation  in  Christ  is  a 
holy  life,  according  to  the  doctrine  and  ex¬ 
ample  of  Christ. 

Learn,  1.  The  most  conscientious  per¬ 
sons  cannot  escape  the  censures  and  slan- 
dersof  evil  men  ;  they  will  speak  evil  of  them, 
as  of  evil  doers,  and  charge  them  with  crimes 
which  their  very  souls  abhor  ;  Christ  and 
his  apostles  were  so  used.  2.  False  accu¬ 
sation  generally  turns  to  the  accuser’s  shame, 
by  discovering  at  last  the  accuser’s  indiscre¬ 
tion,  injustice,  falsehood,  and  nncharitable- 
ness.  3.  As  well-doing  sometimes  exposes 
a  good  man  to  suffering,  so  evil-doing  will 
not  exempt  an  evil  man  from  it.  The  apos¬ 
tle  supposes  here  that  a  man  may  suffer  for 
both.  It  is  a  sad  condition  that  that  per¬ 
son  is  in,  on  whom  sin  and  suffering  meet 
together  at  the  same  time;  sin  makes  suffer¬ 
ings  to  be  extreme,  unprofitable,  comfort¬ 
less,  and  destructive. 

V.  18.  The  example  of  Christ  is  here 
proposed  as  an  argument  for  patience  under 
sufferings,  the  strength  of  which  will  be  dis¬ 
cerned,  if  we  consider  the  several  points 
contained  in  the  words;  observe,  therefore, 

1.  Jesus  Christ  Himself  was  not  exempt¬ 
ed  from  sufferings  in  this  life,  though  He  had 
no  guilt  of  his  own,  and  could  have  de¬ 
clined  all  suffering  if  He  had  pleased.  2.  The 
reason,  or  meritorious  cause,  of  Christ’s  suf¬ 
fering  was  the  sins  of  men  ;  Christ  suffered 
for  sins:  He  suffered  to  expiate  and  to  make 
an  atonement  for  sin  ;  and  it  extends  to  all 
sins.  3.  In  the  case  of  our  Lord’s  suffer¬ 
ing,  it  was  the  Just  that  suffered  for  the  un¬ 
just  ;  He  that  knew  no  sin,  suffered  instead 
of  them  that  knew  no  righteousness.  4.  The 
merit  and  perfection  of  Christ's  sacrifice  were 
such,  that  for  Him  to  sutler  once  was  enough ; 
the  legal  sacrifices  were  repeated  from  day 
to  day,  and  from  year  to  year;  but  the  sac¬ 
rifice  of  Christ,  once  offered,  purgeth  away 
sin,  Heb.  7:  27.  9  :  26,  28.  10  : 10,  12,  14. 
5.  The  blessed  end  and  design  of  our  Lord’s 
sufferings,  were,  to  bring  us  to  God,  to  re¬ 
concile  us  to  God,  to  give  us  access  to  the 
Father,  to  render  us  and  our  services  accept¬ 
able,  and  to  bring  us  to  eternal  glory,  Eph. 
2:13,  18.  3:12.  Heb.  10:  21,  22.  6.  The 
issue  and  event  of  Christ’s  suffering,  as  to 
Himself,  were  these,  He  was  put  to  death  in 
his  human  nature,  but  He  was  quickened  and 
raised  again  by  the  Spirit. 

Now  if  Christ  was  not  exempted  front 
sufferings,  why  should  Christians  expect  it  ? 
If  He  suffered,  to  expiate  sins,  why  should 
not  we  he  content  when  our  sufferings  are 
only  for  trial  and  correction,  hut  not  for  ex¬ 
piation  I  If  He,  though  perfectly  just,  why 
should  not  we,  who  are  all  criminals'!  If  He 
once  suffered,  and  then  entered  into  glory, 
j  shall  not  we  be  patient  under  trouble,  since 
it  will  be  but  a  little  time  and  we  shall  fol- 
i  low  Him  to  glory  1  If  He  suffered,  to  bring 


PRACT.  OBS.  V.  8 — 18.  As  peace  and  love  are  necessary  to  do¬ 
mestic  comfort,  so  are  they  to  the  prosperity  of  the  church.  But  ‘how 
astonishing  and  lamentable  is  it,  that  when  the  way  to  happiness  is  so 
plainly  delineated,  so  few  should  find  it  !  What  man  is  there  who  does 
not  desire  life,  and  to  live  many  days,  that  he  may  see  good  ?  Yet  how 
few  tongues  are  kept  from  evil  !  How  few  lips  from  speaking  guile  ! 
flow  few  decline  from  evil,  and  do  good  !  How  few  seek  peace  and  pur¬ 
sue  it  !  On  the  contrary,  how  much  low  cunning  and  artifice,  and 
what  discords  and  contentions,  reign  among  mankind  !  And  how  de¬ 
testable  and  miserable  do  these  perverse  and  ungovernable  passions  ren¬ 
der  us  !’  Doddr. — Yet,  in  pleading  the  cause  of  truth,  in  public  or  in 

V.  13.  1  The  apostle  now  enjoins  some  further  inducements  to  a  holy 

and  virtuous  life.’  Pott,  in  Bloomf. 

V.  15.  ‘ J .  P.  Smith  considers  that  the  reading,  “Christ,”  instead  of 
God,  is  established  by  sufficient  evidence ;  therefore  we  have  here  a  pre¬ 
cept,  to  pay  Christ  that  reverential  homage  which  is  due  to  the  most 
Holy  One  alone.  The  connexion  shows  the  sentiment  to  be,  revere  and 
trust  in  Christ,  as  your  Refuge  from  the  malice  and  injuries  of  men.’ 
Henry,  abr. —  ‘“The  Lord  Christ.”  So  the  Alexandr.  Vatic.,  Codex 


private,  we  should  be  prepared,  not  only  with  conclusive  arguments,  but 
‘  with  meekness  and  fear;’  that  a  humble,  benevolent,  peaceable  con¬ 
duct  towards  men,  may  evidently  unite  with  a  reverential  awe  of  the 
majesty  of  God  :  for  wrath,  pride,  bitterness,  and  irreverence,  xvill  pre¬ 
judice  men’s  mind’s  against  the  truth,  whatever  ability  is  shown  in  de¬ 
fending  it.  Korean  this  service  be  successfully  performed,  except  by 
those,  who  ‘  exercise  themselves  to  have  aconscience  void  of  offence  to¬ 
wards  God  and  man  :  ’  for  nothing  can  be  so  well  opposed  to  the  enmi¬ 
ty  of  the  human  heart  against  the  truth,  as  the  holy  lives  of  its  profes¬ 
sors,  which  tend  to  make  those  *  ashamed,  who  falsely  accuse  their  good 
conversation  in  Christ.’  Scott. 


Ephrem.  and  three  junior  MSS.  Likewise  the  Vulg.,  Syr.,  Copt.,  and 
Armen,  versions,  and  some  of  the  early  fathers  ;  yet  it  is  rejected  by 
Griesb.  as  not  in  the  far  greater  majority  of  MSS.’  Williams. 

V.  17,  18.  The  resurrection  of  Christ  is  sometimes  ascribed  to  God 
or  the  Father,  sometimes  to  Christ  Himself,  and  sometimes  to  the  Holy 
Spirit.  This  is  very  easy  and  natural,  if  Father,  Son,  and  Spirit  are  one 
r.  i  . _  . _ _ s.  ...  ...... o.iu  mlipr  nrincinle  ? — The  case  is 

Scott. 

[603] 


|/ll  It,  I  llbj  w  *  vl  j  X.OO J  uuu  /  (  ,  |  - 

God  *,  but  how  can  it  be  explained  on  any  other  principle  . 
the  same  in  many  other  things. 


A.  D.  63. 


1  PETER,  III. 


with  them,  and  inspiring  and  enabling  Noah 
to  plead  with  them,  and  preach  righteousness 
to  them,  as  2  l’et.  2:  5. 

2.  'I’he  hearers  ;  because  they  were  dead 
and  disembodied  when  the  apostle  speaks 
of  them,  therefore  he  properly  calls  them 
spirits  now  in  prison  J  not  that  they  were  in 
prison  when  Christ  preached  to  them,  as  the 
vulgar  Latin  translation  and  the  popish  ex¬ 
positors  pretend. 

3.  The  sin  of  these  people;  they  were  dis¬ 
obedient,  that  is,  rebellious,  unpersuadable, 
and  unbelieving ,  as  the  word  signifies  ;  this 
their  sin  is  aggravated  from  the  patience 
and  long-suffering  of  God,  which  once  waited 
on  them  120  years  together,  while  Noah  was 
preparing  the  ark,  and  by  that,  as  well  as  by 
his  preaching,  giving  them  fair  warning  of 
what  was  coining  on  them. 

4.  'Pile  event  of  all  ;  their  bodies  were 
drowned,  and  their  spirits  cast  into  hell, 
which  is  called  a  prison,  Mat.  5:  25.  2  Pet. 
2:  4,  5.  but  Noah  and  his  family,  who  be¬ 
lieved  and  were  obedient,  were  saved  in  the 
ark. 

Learn,  1.  God  takes  exact  notice  of  all 
the  means  and  advantages  people  in  all  ages 
have  had  for  the  salvation  of  their  souls  ; 
it  is  put  to  the  account  of  the  old  world,  that 
Christ  offered  them  his  help,  sent  his  Spirit, 
gave  them  fair  warning  by  Noah,  and 
waited  a  long  time  for  their  amendment. 
2.  Though  the  patience  of  God  wait  long 
upon  sinners,  yet  it  will  expire  at  last ;  it  is 
beneath  the  majesty  of  the  great  God  al¬ 
ways  to  wait  upon  man  in  vain.  3.  The 
spirits  of  disobedient  sinners,  as  soon  as 
they  arc  ont  of  their  bodies,  are  committed 
to  the  prison  of  hell,  from  whence  there  is 
no  redemption.  4.  The  way  of  the  most  is 
neither  tiie  best,  the  wisest,  nor  the  safest 
way  to  follow  :  better  to  follow  the  eight  in 
the  ark,  than  the  eight  millions  [or  more] 
drowned  by  the  Hood  and  damned  to  hell. 

V.  21.  Noah’s  salvation  in  the  ark  on  the 
water,  prefigured  the  salvation  of  all  Chris¬ 
tians  in  the  church  by  baptism  ;  that  tempo¬ 
ral  salvation  by  the  ark  was  a  type,  the  an¬ 
titype  whereunto  is  the  eternal  salvation  of 
believers  by  baptism  ;  to  prevent  mistakes 


Emblem  of  Noah's  preservation . 

about  which,  the  apostle,  1.  Declares  what 
he  means  by  saving  baptism  ;  not  the  out¬ 
ward  ceremony,  but  that  wherein  there  is  a 
faithful  answer  or  restipulation  of  a  resolved 
good  conscience, engaging  to  believe  in,  and 
be  entirely  devoted  to,  God,  the  Father,  Son, 
and  Holy  Ghost;  renouncing  at  the  same 
time  the  flesh,  the  world,  and  the  devil. 
2.  The  apostle  shows,  that  the  efficacy  of 
baptism  to  salvation  depends  not  on  the 
work  done,  but  on  the  resurrection  of  Christ; 
which  supposes  his  death,  and  is  the  foun¬ 
dation  of  our  faith  and  hope,  to  which  we 
are  rendered  conformable  by  dying,  to  sin, 
and  rising  again  to  holiness  and  newness  ol 
life. 

Learn,  1,  God  is  pleased  to  convey  lib 
blessings  to  us  in  and  l)v  bis  ordinances. 
Acts  2:  38.  22: 1G. 

2.  The  external  participation  of  baptism 
will  save  no  man  without  an  answerable 
good  conscience  and  conversation.  Obj. 
Infants  cannot  make  such  an  answer,  there¬ 
fore  ought  not  to  be  baptized.  Answer,  The 
true  circumcision  was  that  of  the  heart  and 
of  the  spirit,  Rom.  2  :  29.  which  children 
were  no  more  capable  of  then,  than  our  in¬ 
fants  are  capable  of  making  this  answer 
now;  yet  they  were  allowed  circumcision  at 
eight  days  old.  The  infants  ol  the  Chris¬ 
tian  church  therefore  maybe  admitted  to  the 
ordinance  with  as  much  reason  as  the  in¬ 
fants  of  the  Jewish,  unless  they  arc  baifeil 
from  it  by  some  express  prohibition  ol 
Christ. 

V.  22.  The  apostle,  having  mentioned  the 
death  of  Christ,  v.  18.  and  his  resurrrection, 
v.  21.  proceeds  to  speak  of  his  ascension, 
and  sitting  at  the  right  hand  of  the  Father, 
as  a  subject  fit  to  be  considered  by  these 
believers  for  their  comfort  in  their  suffering 
condition. 

Learn,  1.  Jesus  Christ,  after  He  had  fin¬ 
ished  his  labors  and  bis  sufferings  on  earth, 
ascended  triumphantly  into  heaven,  of  which 
see  Ac.  1:9—11.  Mk.  16:  19.  He  went  to 
heaven,  to  receive  his  own  acquired  crown 
and  glory,  John  17:  5.  to  finish  that  part  of 
his  mediatorial  work  which  could  not  he 
done  on  earth,  and  make  intercession  for 


19  By  which  also  he  went  and 
preached  unto  the  spirits  in  u  prison; 

20  Which  sometime  were  disobe¬ 
dient,  when  once  vthe  long-suffering 
of  God  waited  in  the  days  of  Noah, 
while  the  ark  was  a  preparing, 
wherein  few,  that  is,  eight  souls, 
were  saved  by  water. 

21  The  like  figure  whereunto, 
even  w baptism,  doth  also  now  save 
us  (not  the  putting  away  of  the  filth 
of  the  flesh,  but  "the  answer  of  a 
good  conscience  x  toward  God),  by 
the  resurrection  of  Jesus  Christ  : 

22  Who  is  gone  into  heaven,  and 
is  on  the  right  hand  of  God;  y  angels 
and  authorities  and  powers  being 
made  subject  unto  him. 

ii  Is.  42:7.  w  Ep.  5:26.  Ro.  10:10. 

v  Ge.  c.  6,  &c.  x  Ac.  8:37.  y  Ep.  1:21. 

us  to  God,  shall  not  we  submit  to  difficulties, 
since  they  are  of  so  much  use  to  quicken  us 
in  our  return  to  God,  and  in  the  perform¬ 
ance  of  our  duty  to  Him  1 

V.  19,  20.  Here  the  apostle  passes  from 
the  example  of  Christ,  to  that  of  the  old 
world,  and  sets  before  the  Jews,  to  whom  he 
wrote,  the  dilferent  event  of  those  who  be¬ 
lieved  and  obeyed  Christ  preaching  by  Noah, 
from  them  that  continued  disobedient  and 
unbelieving  ;  intimating  to  the  Jews,  that 
they  were  under  a  like  sentence.  God 
would  not  wait  much  longer  on  them.;  they 
had  now  an  offer  of  mercy,  those  that  ac¬ 
cepted  of  it  should  be  saved,  but  those  who 
rejected  Christ  and  the  Gospel,  should  he  as 
certainly  destroyed  as  ever  the  disobedient 
in  the  times  of  Noah  were. 

Observe,  here,  1.  The  preacher  ;  Christ 
Jesus,  who  interested  Himself  in  the  affairs 
of  the  church  and  of  the  world,  ever  since 
lie  was  first  promised  to  Adam,  Gen.  3:15. 

He  went,  not  by  a  local  motion,  but  by  spe¬ 
cial  operation,  as  God  is  frequently  said  to 
move,  Gen.  11:5.  Mic.  1:3.  Hos.  5:  15. 

He  went  and  preached,  by  his  Spirit  striving 

PRACT- OBS.  V.  19 — 22.  While  we  recollect  the  end  proposed  in 
the  sufferings  of  the  divine  Savior,  let  us  inquire,  whether  we  be  really 
brought  unto  God,  as  his  worshippers,  and  in  the  temper  of  our  hearts, 
and  conduct  of  our  lives.  Let  us  enter  the  Ark,  which  God  has  provid¬ 
ed,  as  the  only  security  from  the  deluge  of  impending  vengeance,  which 
will  destrov  a  guilty  world  :  let  us  beware  that  we  rest  not  in  outward 
forms  ;  as  if  that  baptism  could  save  us,  or  anything  but  ‘  the  answer  of 
a  good  conscience  towards  God.’  While  we  profess  ourselves  the  drs- 

V.  19,  20.  Various  other  interpretations  [other  than  that  in  Henry, 
with  which  Scott  agrees]  have  been  given  of  this  passage  ;  hut  none  of 
them  appears  to  me  in  the  least  degree  satisfactory.  Scott. 

(19,  20.)  1  It  was  by  some  an  early  opinion,  that  when  Christ  died,  lie 
descended  into  the  place  of  punishment,  and  preached  to  the  infidel  in¬ 
habitants  of  the  old  world,  there  imprisoned  :  in  consequence  of  which 
some,  or,  ns  others  think,  all  of  them  were  converted  and  delivered.  But 
neither  this,  nor  any  other  text  that  we  are  aware  of,  speaks  of  con¬ 
version  after  death  ;  but  the  Scriptures  universally  represent  ihe  dead  us 
waiting  the  event  of  the  final  advent,  when  all  must  “  appear  before  the 
judgment-sent  of  Christ:  ”  nordoes  there  seem  either  reason  or  scriptural 
authority,  for  believing,  that  a  whole  generation  of  sinners  of  the  most 
abandoned  character,  should  be  privileged  with  a  second  opportunity  of 
mercy, — another  day  of  grace.  “  To-day,  if  ye  will  hear  his  voice  !  Mow 
is  the  accepted  time  !  How  shall  wc  escape  If  we  neglect  so  great  sal¬ 
vation  !  ”  The  general  current  of  protestant  expositors  are  therefore  of 
opinion,  that  the  preaching  here  referred  to,  took  [dace  in  the  days  of 
Noah,  hv  the  instrumentality  of  himself  and  some  of  his  family,  who 
were  inspired  teachers.-  The  following  is  the  substance  of  their  inter¬ 
pretation  : — “  For  Christ  also  once  suffered  for  sins,  the  just  for  the  un¬ 
just,  ( that  1  ie  might  bring  us  to  God,)  being  put  to  death  in  the  flesh,  hut 
quickened  by  the  Spirit  (of  God].  By  which  Spirit  also  Ho  formerly 
went  and  preached  unto  the  spirits  [now]  in  prison  :  which  were  diso¬ 
bedient,  when  once  the  long-suffering  of  God  waited  in  the  days  of  Noah 
1 1 20  years]  while  the  ark  was  preparing,  wherein  few,  that  is,  eight 
souls,  were  saved  by,  or  through  the  water.”  Williams  ,— who  prefers, 
in  the  last  clause,  by,  because,  as  he  savs,  ii  was  by  water,  probablv, 
that  Noah  and  his  family  were,  in  the  first  instance,  saved  from  the  rage 
of  the  wicked;  and  more  certainly,  at  length,  from  the  overwhelming 
effects  of  the  deluge  from  above ;  while  the  sense  of  being  saved  by 
water,  further,  best  agrees  with  the  v.  following.  “  The  like  figure,  &e. 
since  baptism  was  unquestionably  the  ordinance  bv  which  ”1110  first 
tffiristians  were  separated  from  the  world,  even  as  Noah  and  his  family 
[were]  from  their  infidel  neighbors.’— Yet  HI.  Iiokls  the  foregoing  inter¬ 
pretation  in  great  disrespect,  nay,  almost  contempt,  apparent]”, _ and 

savs,  in  his Syn.,  ‘no  interpretation  seems  at  all  natural,  or  to  carry  with 
ii  Ihe  stamp  of  truth,  but  [what  he  calls]  ‘  the  common’  ‘one,  namely, 
lb  at  Christ  went  and  preached  (or  rather  proclaimed  his  kingdom)  to  the. 

[604] 


ciples  of  Christ,  and  partakers  of  his  grace,  let  us  seek  the  true  bap¬ 
tism  of  the  regenerating  and  sanctifying  Spirit  of  God,  in  behalf  of  our 
children  and  friends  :  and  thus  let  us  trust  in  his  merits,  power,  love, 
ami  truth,  who  died  ‘  for  our  sins,  and  rose  again  for  our  justification  ;  ’ 
and  ‘  who  is  gone  into  heaven,  and  is  on  Ihe  right  hand  of  God,  angels, 
principalities,  and  powers  being  made  subject  to  Him.’  Heb.  6:16 — 20. 
7:2-1 — 23.  9: 21 — 26.  ScoTT. 


antediluvians  in  Hades  ;  ’  [which,  i.  e.  interpretation]  he  says,  moreover, 
‘  is  supported  by  the  united  authority  of  the  ancients  and  the  soundest 
of  our  modern  commentators.' — He  adds:  ‘The  words  certainly  in¬ 
volve  no  difficulty  ;  and  the  plain  and  natural  sense  is  not  to  he  rejected 
because  it  contains  matter  of  wonder,  or  what  is  little  accountable,  to 
us,  with  our  present  faculties.  Man,  (he  continues  from  Slade,)  on  this 
point  is  not  an  adequate  judge ;  the  subject  lies  entirely  beyond  the 
reach  of  his  knowledge;  and  we  may  apply  to  this  case  thtf  remarkable 
words  of  Paul,  l  Cor.  1:25.’  Ed. — 1  [Papisis],  indeed,  here  find  a  pur¬ 
gatory,  which  we  ran  nowhere  find  in  the  Bible  :  but,  1.  Purgatory  is, 
according  to  their  doctrine,  for  venal  offences  only,  and  these,  were  evi¬ 
dently  guilty  of  mortal  sin,  and  must  therefore  be  consigned  to  hell, 
from  whence  they  hold  no  deliverance,  and,  2.  These  were  so  far  front 
being  delivered,  that  the  apostle  describes  them  as  in  prison  when  he 
wrote.’  Greenfield. — ‘  These  were  the  spirits  of  men  in  Noah’s  day. 
They  were  disobedient  during  God’s  forbearance,  and  while  the  ark  was 
building.  Noah  was  a  preacher  of  righteousness.  lie  had  the  Spirit  of 
Chrisi  ;  and  Christ  by  his  Spirit,  in  him,  preached  to  them,  or  their  spir¬ 
its.  They  did  not  repent,  liul  were  cut  off]  and  their  spirits  east  inlo 
prison.  Peter  speaks  of  them  as  in  prison  when  he  wrote.  Here  then 
is  no  proof  that  the  spirits  of  the  disobedient  repent  in  prison,  or  that 
anv  means  are  there  used  with  them  for  this  purpose.’  I)r.  Church. 

V.  21, 22.  Christ  is  the  true  Ark.  His  church  is  within  the  ark,  and 
is  therefore  safe;  but  all  without  will  be  swept  by  the  deluge  of  divine 
vengeance  into  destruction.  Into  this  ark  men  enter  by  faith  ;  this  faith 
Jews  and  Gentiles  professed,  when  by  baptism  they  were  admitted  into 
the  Christian  church;  and  thus  tiie  baptismal  water  formed,  11s  it  were, 
the  sign  of  their  safety.  When  Jews  and  Gentiles  professed  Christiani¬ 
ty,  they  were  thus  received  into  the  church,  exactly  jn  the  same  man¬ 
ner  as  Gentiles  had  been  into  the  Jewish  church  by  circumcision  :  but 
the  argument,  concerning  the  baptism  of  infants,  horn  of  Chrislian  pa¬ 
rents,  is  not  at  till  affected  by  it.  The  apostle  spoke  of  baptism,  as  the 
initiatory  ordinance  of  Christianity  :  but  be  took  care  to  remind  men. 
that  ihe  inward  grace  of  baptism,  even  regeneration,  from  which  all  ho^ 
ly  afflictions  and  actions  spring,  alone  could  introduce  them  into  the 
true  church,  the  ark,  or  real  security  ;  mid  that  no  outward  administra¬ 
tion  of  baptism  coul.l  effect  this  blessed  translation  into  the  kingdom  of 
live  Sou  of  Get!.  Scott. 


A.  D.  63. 


1  PETER;  IV. 


Exhortation  to  serve  Qod. 


CHAP.  IV. 

1  He  exhorteth  them  to  cease  from  sin,  by  the  example  of 
Christ,  ami  the  consideration  of  t he  general  end  that  now’ 
•  pproachelh  :  12  and  comforteli)  them  against  persecu¬ 
tion. 

PORASMUCII  then  as  Christ 
E  hath  suffered  for  us  in  the  flesh, 
arm  yourselves  likewise  with  the 
same  “mind:  for  bhe  that  hath  suf¬ 
fered  in  the  flesh  hath  ceased  from 
sin  ; 

2  That  c  he  no  longer  should  live 
the  rest  of  his  time  in  the  flesh  to 
the  lusts  of  men,  but  to  the  will  of 
God. 

3  For  dthe  time  past  of  our  life 
may  suffice  us  to  have  wrought  the 
will  of  the  Gentiles,  when  we  walk¬ 
ed  in  lasciviousness,  lusts,  excess  of 
wine,  revellings,  banquetings,  and 
abominable  idolatries  : 

4  Wherein  they  think  it  strange 
that  ye  run  not  with  them  to  the 
same  excess  of  riot,  speaking  evil 
e  of  you  : 

5  Who  shall  give  account  to  him 
that  is  ready  to  judge  the  quick  and 
the  dead. 

a  Phi.  2:5.  c  2  Co.  5:15.  Tit.  3:3. 

b  Ro.  6:2,7.  <1  1  Co.  6:11.  e  Ac.  13:45. 


liis  people  ;  to  demonstrate  the  fulness  of 
his  satisfaction;  to  take  possession  of  heav¬ 
en  for  his  people,  to  prepare  mansions  for 
them,  and  to  send  down  the  Comforter,  who 
was  to  he  the  First-fruits  of  his  interces¬ 
sion,  John  16:  7. 

2.  On  his  ascension  into  heaven,  Christ 
is  enthroned  at  the  l  ight  hand  of  the  Father, 
llis  being  said  to  sit  there,  imports  absolute 
rest  and  cessation  from  all  further  troubles 
and  sufferings,  and  an  advancement  to  the 
highest  personal  dignity  and  sovereign 
power. 

3.  Angels,  authorities,  and  powers,  are 
all  made  subject  to  Christ  Jesus  ;  all  power 
in  heaven  and  earth,  to  command,  to  give 
law,  issue  orders,  and  pronounce  a  final 
sentence,  is  committed  to  Jesus,  God-man, 
which  his  enemies  will  find  to  their  everlast¬ 
ing  sorrow  and  confusion,  hut  his  servants 
to  their  eternal  joy  and  satisfaction. 

Chap.  IV.  V.  1.  The  work  of  a  Chris¬ 
tian  is  twofold, — doing  the  will  of  God,  and 
suffering  his  pleasure.  This  ch.  directs  us 
in  both.  In  this  verse,  the  apostle  draws  a 
new  inference  from  the  consideration  of 
Christ’s  sufferings.  As  he  had  before  used 
it  to  persuade  to  patience  in  suffering,  so 
hero  to  mortification  of  sin.  The  antece¬ 


dent  or  supposition  is,  that  Christ  hath  suf-  I 
fered  for  us  in  the  flesh,  or  in  his  human  na¬ 
ture.  The  consequent  or  inference  is, ‘Arm  [ 
and  fortify  yourselves  likewise  with  the  I 
same  mind,  courage,  and  resolution.’  The 
word  flesh,  in  the  former  part  of  the  verse, 
signifies,  Christ’s  human  nature,  hut  in  the 
latter  part,  man’s  corrupt  nature.  So  the 
sense  is,  ‘  As  Christ  suffered  in  his  human 
nature,  do  you  make  your  corrupt  nature 
suffer,  by  putting  to  death  the  body  of  sin 
by  self-denial  and  mortification  ;  for  if  you 
do  thus  suffer  in  the  flesh,  or  make  the  flesh 
suffer,  you  will  he  conformable  to  Christ  in 
his  deatli  and  resurrection,  and  will  cease 
from  sin.' 

Learn,  1.  Some  of  the  strongest  and  best 
arguments  against  all  sorts  of  sin  are  taken 
from  the  sufferings  of  Christ. 

2.  The  beginning  of  all  true  mortification 
lies  in  the  mind;  not  in  penances  and  hard¬ 
ships  on  the  body.  Man  is  not  a  sincere 
creature,  but  partial,  blind,  and  wicked,  till 
he  he  renewed  and  sanctified  by  the  regene¬ 
rating  grace  of  God. 

V.  2.  Here  the  apostle  explains  what  he 
means  hv  being  dead  to  sin,  and  ceasing 
from  sin.  Negatively,  a  Christian  ought  no 
lunger  to  lire  the  rest  of  his  time  in  the  flesh, 
to  the  sinful  lusts  and  corrupt  desires  of  car¬ 
nal  wicked  men;  blit  positively,  he  ought  to 
conform  himself  to  the  revealed  will  of  the 
holy  God. 

Learn,  1.  The  lusts  of  men  are  the  springs 
of  all  their  wickedness.  Jam.  1: 13,  14.  oc¬ 
casional  temptations  could  not  prevail,  were 
it  not  for  men’s  own  corruptions. 

2.  All  good  Christians  make  the  will  of 
God,  not  their  own  lusts  or  desires,  the  rule 
of  their  lives  and  actions. 

3.  True  conversion  makes  a  marvellous 
change  in  the  heart  and  life  of  every  one 
who  partakes  of  it.  It  alters  the  mind, 
judgment,  affections,  way,  and  conversation 
of  every  one  who  has  experienced  it. 

V.  3.  Here  the  apostle  argues  from  equi¬ 
ty.  Though  these  were  Jews  to  whom  he 
writes,  yet,  living  among  the  Gentiles,  they 
had  learned  their  way. 

Learn,  1.  When  a  man  is  truly  converted, 
it  is  very  grievous  to  him  to  think  how  the 
time  past  of  his  life  has  been  spent,  the  haz¬ 
ard  lie  has  run  so  many  years,  the  mischief 
he  has  done  to  others,  the  dishonor  done  to 
God,  and  the  loss  he  has  sustained. 

2.  While  the  will  of  man  is  unsanctified 
and  corrupt,  he  walks  continually  in  wicked 
ways,  makes  them  his  choice,  delight,  work, 
and  business,  and  makes  a  had  condition 
daily  worse  and  worse. 

3.  One  sin,  allowed,  draws  on  another. 
Here  are  six  named,  and  (hey  have  a  con¬ 
nexion  and  dependence  one  on  another. 
Lasciviousness,  or  wantonness,  expressed  in 


looks,  gesture,  or  behavior,  Rom.  13  :  13. 
Lusts,  acts  of  lewdness,  such  as  whoredom 
and  adultery.  Excess  of  wine,  though  short 
of  drunkenness,  an  immoderate  use  of  it,  to 
the  prejudice  of  health  or  business.  Revel- 
lings,  or  luxurious  feastings,  too  frequent, 
too  full,  or  too  expensive.  Banquetings,  by 
which  is  meant  gluttony,  or  excess  in  eating. 
Abominable  idolatry  ;  the  idol-worship  of 
the  Gentiles  was  attended  with  lewdness, 
drunkenness,  gluttony,  and  all  sorts  of  bru¬ 
tality  and  cruelty  ;  and  these  Jews,  living 
long  among  them,  were,  some  of  them  at 
least,  debauched  and  corrupted  by  such 
practices. 

4.  It  is  a  Christian’s  duty,  not  only  to  ab¬ 
stain  from  what  is  grossly  wicked,  hut  also 
from  those  things  that  are  generally  the  oc¬ 
casions  of  sin,  or  carry  the  appearance  of 
evil.  Excess  of  wine  and  immoderate  feast¬ 
ing  is  forbidden,  as  w  ell  as  lust  and  idolatry. 

V.  4.  Here  you  have  the  visible  change 
wrought  in  those,  who,  in  the  foregoing 
verse,  were  represented  as  having  been  in 
the  former  part  of  their  life  very  wicked. 
Hereupon,  observe,  the  conduct  of  their 
wicked  acquaintance  toward  them. 

1.  They  are  surprised,  as  at  something 
new  and  unusual,  that  their  old  friends 
should  be  so  much  altered,  and  not  run  with 
as  much  violence  as  they  used  to  do  to  the 
same  sottish  excesses  and  luxury  which  be¬ 
fore  they  had  greedily  and  madly  followed. 

2.  They  speak  evil  of  them,  of  their  per¬ 
sons,  way,  religion,  and  God. 

Learn,  1.  They  that  are  once  really  con¬ 
verted,  will  not  return  to  their  former  course 
of  life,  though  ever  so  much  tempted  by  the 
frowns  or  flatteries  of  others  to  rio  so. 

2.  The  temper  and  behavior  of  true 
Christians  seem  very  strange  to  ungodly 
tnen, — that  they  should  despise  that  which 
every  one  else  is  fond  of ;  believe  many 
things  which  to  others  seem  incredible;  de¬ 
light  in  what  is  irksome  and  tedious,  be 
zealous  where  they  have  no  visible  interest 
to  serve,  and  depend  so  much  on  hope. 

3.  The  best  actions  of  religious  people 
cannot  escape  the  censures  and  slanders  of 
those  who  are  irreligious.  Those  actions 
which  cost  a  good  man  the  most  pains,  haz¬ 
ard,  and  self-denial,  shall  be  most  censured 
by  the  uncharitable  and  ill-natured  world. 

V.  5.  For  the  comfort  of  the  servants  of 
God,  it  is  here  added,  that  all  wicked  peo¬ 
ple  shall  he  put  to  give  a  reason  of  their 
behavior,  to  Him  who  is  both  able  and  duly 
authorized  to  judge,  and  who  will  ere  long 
pass  sentence  on  till  w  ho  shall  then  he  found 
alive,  and  all  such  as  being  dead  shall  then 
he  raised  again,  Jam.  5:  S,  9.  2  Pet.  3:  9. 

Learn,  The  malignant  world  shall  in  a 
little  time  give  an  account  to  the  great  God 
of  nil  their  evil  speeches  against  his  people. 


NOTES.  Chap.  IV.  V.  1,  2.  The  waved  flesh,  in  these  vs.,  seems 
to  be  used  in  three  different  senses.  It  means,  1st.  The  holy,  human 
nature  of  Christ  ;  2dly.  The  depraved  nature  of  man,  the  body  of  sin 
and  death;  and,  3dly.  The  mortal  bodv,  in  which  lite  soul  tabernacles 
during  its  continuance  in  this  world. — The  contrast  between  ‘the  lusts 
of  man,’  and  ‘the  will  of  God,’  should  be  noticed.  Scott. 

(1.)  ‘  This  ch.  consists  of  two  parts;  1.  Vs.  1 — 12.  contains  an  ex¬ 

hortation  to  a  holy  life;  2.  Fortifies  Christians  against  persecution.’ 
Rosenm. —  He  that  hath  suffered  ]  ‘  I.  e.  the  crucifixion  of  sin  in  the 
flesh,  in  conformity  to  Christ.’— Hath  ceased  from  sin.}  ‘  I.  e.  the  habit1 
nal  practice  of  al!  sin  whatsoever.’  Doddr.— ‘  For  he  who  suffers  in  the 
flesh  usually  ceases  to  sin.’  Blooiuf. 

V.  3 — 5.  The  Jews,  at  that  time,  were  exceedingly  exact  and  scru¬ 
pulous,  in  avoiding  all  approaches  to  gross  idolatry  ;  it  is  not,  therefore, 
al  all  probable,  that  the  apostje  meant  this  of  converts  from  among  them, 
which  confirms  the  opinion,  that  the  epistle  was  not  written  exclusive¬ 
ly  to  the  Jewish  converts. — The  apostle  use*  the  first  person,  thus  join¬ 
ing  himself  with  his  Christian  brethren,  probably,  as  a  less  offensive 
manner  of  stating  the  subject,  and  as  conscious,  that  though  free  from 
many  of  the  gross  crimes  here  mentioned,  be  had  yet  spent  too  many 
years  of  his  past  life,  ‘according  to  the  course  of  the  world,’  and  ‘to 
the  lusts  of  men,  and  not  according  to  the  will  of  God.’  Eph.  2:1 — 3. 
Tit.  3:4 — 7. — Some  learned  men  indeed  venture  to  change  the  text,  with¬ 
out  any  authority,  and  to  rend  ‘  may  suffice  you  ;’  hut  the  same  princi¬ 
ple  might  lead  us  to  explain  the  words,  as  addressed  exclusively  to  the 
fjentite  converts;  because  the  Jews  had  never  lived  in  ‘abominable 
idolatries.’ — (4)  Think  it  strange.]  12.  Acts  17:20.  ‘The  Greeks  used 
the  word  to  express  that  ..  .  wonder,  with  which  a  stranger  is  struck, 
who  beholds  anything  uncommon  or  new.’  Mackn.  lie  seems  to  him¬ 
self,  as  in  a  strange  country,  where  everything  is  new  or  unusual,  and 


wonderful  to  him  ;  or,  to  use  an  expressive,  but  inelegant  word,  outland¬ 
ish.  Scott. 

(3.)  Abominable  idolatries.]  ‘  Unnatural  lusts  indulged  in  pagan  wor¬ 
ship, — both  unlawful  and  detestable.’  Williams. 

(3,4.)  ‘Drunkenness  excludes  from  heaven,  Gal.  5:21.  It  is,  there¬ 
fore,  a  subject  of  church  discipline.  A  vigilant  discipline  is  doubtless 
demanded  in  the  case  of  members  of  lax  and  doubtful  morality  in  re¬ 
spect  to  intemperance.  It  is  not  enough  to  cut  off  those  who  are  past 
reformation,  and  to  keep  those,  who  by  close  watching  can  be  preserv¬ 
ed  in  the  use  of  their  feet  and  tongue.  Men  who  are  mighty  to  consume 
strong  drink,  are  unfit  members  of  that  kingdom  which  consisteth  not  in 
“  meat  and  drink,”  but  in  “righteousness  and  peace.”  The  lime  is  not 
distant,  we  trust,  when  the  use  of  ardent  spirit  will  be  proscribed  by  a 
vole  of  ail  the  churches  in  our  land,  and  when  the  commerce  in  that 
article  shall,  equally  with  the  slave-trade,  be  regarded  as  inconsistent 
with  a  credible  profession  of  Christianity.  [Nor  is  it  enough  to  fix  the 
mark  of  reprobation  on  the  poor,  miserable  victim  of  intemperance,  and 
yet  express  no  disapprobation  of  the  course  of  the  guilty  man  who  fur¬ 
nishes  the  temptation,  and  the  means  of  his  self-destruction  !]  Church¬ 
es  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  !  will  you  not  watch  over  one  another  w  ith 
keener  vigilance, — lift  an  earlier  note  of  admonition, — draw  tighter  the 
band  of  brotherly  discipline, — and,  with  a  more  determined  fidelity,  cut 
olfi  those  whom  admonition  cannot  restrain  t  Separate,  brethren,  be¬ 
tween  the  precious  and  the  vile,  the  living  and  the  dead,  and  burn  in¬ 
cense  between  them,  that  the  plague  may  be  stayed.’  Beecher. 

(5. V  The  quick  and  the  dead.]  I.  e.  ‘nil  men  without  exception. 
Rosenm.  —  Benson  interprets  the  dead  figuratively,  i.  e.  ‘dead  in  tres¬ 
passes  and  sins.’  Wets,  explains,  ‘  those  who  have  died  for  the  Gos¬ 
pel.’  Mackn.,  ’Jews  and  Gentiles.’  Bloom f.  says  of  both,  ‘  those  then 
alive,’  and  ‘  those  alreadv  dead.’  Em 

1  '  [605] 


A.  D.  63. 


1  PETEK,  IV. 


Eticl  of  all  things  at  hand. 


6  For,  for  this  cause  was  the  gos¬ 
pel  p reached  also  to  them  that  are 
dead,  that  they  might  be  judged 
f  according  to  men  in  the  flesh,  but 
live  s  according  to  Godin  the  spirit. 

[ Practical  Observations.] 

7  But  the  end  h  of  all  things  is  at 
hand  :  be  ye  therefore  sober,  and 
watch  'unto  prayer. 

8  And  above  all  things  have  fer¬ 
vent  charity  among  yourselves:  for 
j  charity  k  shall  cover  the  multitude 
of  sins. 

f  Mat.  24:9.  h  Jti.  5:8,9.  I  1  Co.  13:7. 

g  Re.  14:13.  i  Lu. ‘^1:36.  k  or,  will. 

Jude,  14,  15.  They  will  soon  be  called  to  a 
sad  account  for  all  their  curses,  their  foolish 
jests,  their  slanders  and  falsehoods,  uttered 
against  the  faithful  people  of  God. 

V  6.  Some  understand  this  difficult  place 
thus  ;  For  this  cause  was  the  Gospel  preached 
to  all  the  faithful  now  dead  in  Christ,  that 
thereby  they  might  be  taught  and  encouraged 
to  bear  the  unrighteous  judgments  and  per¬ 
secutions  which  the  rage  of  men  put  on 
them  in  the  flesh,  hut  might  live  in  the  Spirit 
unto  God.  Others  take  the  expression,  that 
they  might  be  judged  according  to  men  in  the 
flesh,  in  a  spiritual  sense,  thus;  The  Gospel 
was  preached  to  them,  to  judge  them,  con¬ 
demn  them,  and  reprove  them,  for  the  cor¬ 
ruption  of  their  natures,  and  the  viciousness 


of  their  lives  ;  while  they  lived  after  the 
manner  of  the  heathen,  or  the  mere  natural 
man  ;  and  that,  having  thus  mortified  their 
sins,  they  might  live  according  to  God,  a 
new  and  spiritual  life.  Take  it  thus  ;  and 
thence. 

Learn,  The  mortifying  of  our  sins,  and 
living  to  God,  are  the  expected  effects  of 
the  Gospel  preached  unto  us. 

V.  7.  We  have  here  an  awful  doctrine, 
and  an  inference  from  it.  The  position  is, 
the  end  of  all  things  is  at  hand.  ‘  The  mis¬ 
erable  destruction  of  the  Jewish  church  and 
nation  foretold  by  our  Savior,  is  now  very 
near;  consequently,  the  time  of  their  perse¬ 
cution  and  your  sufferings  is  but  very  short. 
Nay,  the  world  itself  will  not  continue  very 
long,  and  all  things  will  soon  be  swallowed 
up  in  eternity.  The  inference  is,  Be  ye. 
therefore  sober.  Let  the  frame  and  temper 
of  your  minds  be  grave,  staid,  and  solid  ; 
and  observe  strict  temperance  and  sobriety 
in  the  use  of  all  worldly  enjoyments.  Do 
not  suffer  yourselves  to  be  caught  with  your 
former  sins  and  temptations,  v.  3.  And 
watch  unto  prayer.  Take  care  that  you  be 
continually  in  a  calm,  sober  disposition,  fit 
for  prayer  ;  and  that  you  be  frequent  in 
prayers,  lest  this  end  come  upon  you  una¬ 
wares .’  Luke  21:  34.  Mat.  26:  40,  41. 

Learn,  1.  The  consideration  of  our  ap¬ 
proaching  end  is  a  powerful  argument,  to 
make  us  sober  in  all  worldly  matters,  and 
earnest  in  religion. 

2.  They  who  would  [tray  to  purpose, 


must  watch  unto  prayer  ;  watch  their  own 
spirits,  all  fit  opportunities,  and  do  their 
duty  in  the  best  manner  they  can. 

3.  The  right  ordering  of  the  body  is  of 
great  use  to  promote  the  good  of  the  soul. 
When  the  appetites  and  inclinations  of  the 
body  are  restrained  and  governed  by  God’s 
Word  and  true  reason,  and  the  interests  of 
the  body  are  submitted  to  the  interests  and 
necessities  of  the  soul  ;  then  it  is  not  the 
soul’s  enemy,  but  its  friend  and  helper. 

V.  8.  Here  is  a  noble  rule  in  Christian¬ 
ity,  charity  among  Christians  J  which  implies 
an  affection  to  their  persons,  a  desire  of  their 
welfare,  and  a  hearty  endeavor  to  promote 
it  ;  affection  fervent,  sincere,  strong,  and 
lasting.  This  is  recommended  above  all 
things  ;  which  shows  the  importance  of  it, 
Col.  3: 14.  It  is  greater  than  faith  or  hope, 
1  Cor.  13:  13.  One  excellent  effect  of  it  is, 
that  it  will  cover  a  multitude  of  sins. 

Learn,  1.  There  ought  to  be  in  all  Chris¬ 
tians  a  more  fervent  charity  towards  one  an¬ 
other,  than  towards  other  men  ;  Have  char¬ 
ity  among  yourselves.  He  does  not  say,  for 
pagans,  for  idolaters,  or  for  apostates,  but 
among  yourselves,  Heb.  13:1.  There  is  a 
special  relation  between  all  sincere  Chris¬ 
tians,  and  a  particular  amiableness  and 
good  in  them,  which  require  special  affec¬ 
tion. 

2.  It  is  not  enough  for  Christians  not  to 
bear  malice,  or  to  have  common  respect  for 
one  another,  they  must  intensely  and  fer¬ 
vently  love  each  other. 


TRACT.  OBS.  V.  1 — 6.  The  Christian  soldier,  in  preparing  for  the 
battle,  must  peculiarly  remember  to  ‘  arm  himself  with  the  same  mind  ’ 
which  was  in  Christ,  the  Captain  of  our  salvation  ;  that  love,  zeal,  spir¬ 
ituality,  hatred  of  sin,  contempt  of  the  world,  fortitude,  patience,  meek¬ 
ness,  and  hope,  may  concur  in  determining  him  to  venture  and  suffer 
all  things  for  the  glory  of  God,  the  good  of  men,  and  ‘  the  joy  set  before 
him.’  Phil.  2:5 — 11.  P.  O.  1 — 11.  Note,  Heb.  12:1 — 3.  Vast  numbers, 
now  dead,  have  suffered  the  same  revilings  before  us:  the  Gospel  call¬ 
ed  them  to  separate  from  the  wickedness  of  their  former  companions  in 

V.  6.  The  Gospel  had  before  this  been  preached  to  those,  who  were 
‘dead’  when  the  apostle  wrote,  for  this  very  reason,  viz.  ‘that,  they 
might,’  by  the  proud  and  carnal  judgment  of  wicked  men,  he  con¬ 
demned  as  evil-doers,  and  some  even  suffer  death  at  their  hands  ; 
but  that,  at  the  same  lime,  being  ‘  quickened’  to  a  divine  life  by  the 
Holy  Spirit,  they  might  ‘live  to  God’  as  his  devoted  servants,  and 
his  witnesses  among  their  persecutors,  and  so  be  prepared  for  living 
with  Him  for  ever  in  heaven.  Rom.  8:10,  11.  Thus  their  transient 
afflictions,  disgrace,  and  sufferings,  soon  terminated  in  perfect  felici¬ 
ty.  In  the  mean  time,  they  glorified  God  in  life  and  death,  and  were 
supported  and  comforted  by  Him  ;  and  the  Gospel  had  been  the  means 
of  preparing  them  for  these  things,  as  it  still  continued  to  prepare 
others  to  glorify  God  ;  and  then,  after  some  fleeting  sorrows,  to  be 
admitted  to  everlasting,  uninterrupted  joy,  and  unalloyed  felicity.  3: 
19,20.  1  Cor.  15:29,  30.  This  seems  the  meaning  of  the  verse,  which  is 
generally  allowed  to  be  obscure. —  Several  other  interpretations  are  giv¬ 
en  ;  but  that  above  stated  seems  the  most  satisfactory,  and  it  best  con¬ 
nects  the  verse  with  the  words  which  immediately  precede.  ‘  The  dead,’ 
there,  means  such  as  had  already  died,  ‘  the  quick,’  or  living,  those  who 
were  then  alive  on  earth  ;  both  of  these  Christ  will  judge.’  The  Gospel 
was  preached,  in  order  to  the  salvation  of  the  hearers  ;  those  who  em¬ 
braced  it  were  condemned  according  to  men,  or  by  any  man’s  judgment, 
hut  they  were  accepted  hy  God.  The  same  had  been  the  case  with 
those,  to  whom  the  Gospel  had  formerly  been  preached,  who  were  since 
dead,  even  those  from  the  beginning  who  had  been  favored  with  the  Word 
of  God.  Believers  had  been  persecuted  and  condemned  by  men;  but 
‘  they  lived  according  to  God  in  the  Spirit,’  or  ‘  by  the  Spirit while 
their  persecutors,  if  impenitent,  would  be  judged  and  condemned  by  the 
Lord.  ■  Scott. 

(6.)  Some,  as  Doddr.  and  Mackn.,  understand  dead,  here,  of  the  Gen¬ 
tiles,  as  ‘dead  in  trespasses  and  sins;’  the  chief  objection  to  which, 
Doddr.  says,  is,  that  it  changes  the  signification  of  the  word  dead,  so 
soon.  Saurin  understands  it  of  the  sinners  of  the  old  world,  and  com¬ 
pares  ch.  3:19.  Slade  compares  the  same,  and  understands  ‘the  apos¬ 
tle  to  assert,  that  the  Gospel  had  been  preached,  even  to  the  dead, — that 
they  will  be  judged  by  the  law  of  nature  for  the  tilings  done  in  the  body, 
and  be  rewarded  in  proportion  to  their  deserts,  by  a  spiritual  life,  ac¬ 
cording  to  the  will  and  [lower  of  God.’  Rlonmf.,  on  the  whole,  thinks, 
dead,  here,  must  be  interpreted  as  in  v.  5.  and  it  involves  the  least  dif¬ 
ficulty,  he  says,  to  suppose,  (which  he  seems  to,  after  Jensius,  Carpz., 
and  Ros.,  as  also  tVets.  and  Jaspis,)  that  it  is  meant  of  ‘  those  who,  being 
Christians,  have  died  for  their  profession  of  the  faith.’  Ros.  gives  the 
sense  of  the  whole  v.  thus  :  ‘  Even  to  those  who  in  these  times  have  suf¬ 
fered  death  was  the  joyful  annunciation  made,  that,  although  they  had  suf¬ 
fered  death  in  the  flesh,  they  should  yet,  by  the  divine  Omnipotence,  be 
olive.’  Leighton  understands  dead,  of  the  generations  now  literally 
made  dead,  and  says,  ‘  to  be  judged  according  to  men  in  the  flesh,  is  to  die 
to  sin,  or  to  have  sin  die  to  us,  vs.  1,  2.  and  to  live  to  God  in  the  Spirit  is 
to  live  to  his  glory :  not  unto  themselves,  as  Paul  expresses  it,  but  unto 
Him  who  died  for  them  and  rose  again,  2  Cor.  5:16.  And  to  enforce  this 
on  those  to  whom  he  wrote,  he  adds,  “  the  end  of  ail  things  is  nt  hand  ;” 
which,  though  it  may  refer  to  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem,  yet  refers 
also  farther  to  a  greater  event,  with  which  that  is  generally  connected, 
namely,  the  second  coining  of  our  Eorij.’  En. 


sin,  and  to  bear  testimony  against  it;  they  were  therefore  ‘judged  ac¬ 
cording  to  men  in  the  flesh,’  as  deserving  reproach  and  persecution  ;  but 
‘they  lived  according  to  God  in  the  Spirit  :  ’  and  when  removed  out  of 
the  world,  they  were  found  ‘  meet  to  be  partakers  of  the  heavenly  in¬ 
heritance.’  Ours  is  indeed  a  favored  day  in  this  respect  :  yet,  if  ‘  the 
Spirit  of  life’  dwell  in  us,  the  world  will  judge  us  deserving  of  scorn  and 
reproach,  whilst  God  will  graciously  account  us  ‘  worthy  of  that  glori¬ 
ous  kingdom  for  which  we  suffer.’  Scott. 


V.  7.  Christians  must  expect  tribulations  in  the  world,  but  these 
would  soon  terminate. — Many  expositors  explain  ‘  the  end  of  all  things,’ 
to  signify  the  approaching  destruction  of  Jerusalem,  and  the  whole  con¬ 
stitution  of  the  Jewish  nation  in  church  and  state.  But  the  Christians 
in  Asia  Minor  were  far  distant  from  Jerusalem,  and  not  immediately 
concerned  in  those  events  ;  as  they  and  all  others  were  and  are  in  the 
speedy  approach  of  death  and  judgment,  to  which  the  words  most  nat¬ 
urally  lead  our  minds,  and  which  alone  answer  to  the  full  import  of 
them.  Mat.  21:29 — 51.  Scott. 

V.  8.  1:22.  1  Cor.  13:4 — 7.  Jam.  5:19,  20.  The  apostle  here  again 

enforced  the  exhortation  to  charity,  or  love  of  each  other;  and  in  doing 
this  he  referred  to  the  proverb,  that  ‘  love  covereth  ail  sins,’  or  ‘  the 
multitude  of  sins.’  Prov.  10:12.  As  the  love  of  God  in  Christ  ‘  cover¬ 
eth  the  multitude  of  the  sins  ’  of  believers,  from  his  sight,  Ps.  324,  2. 
so  they  ought  to  cast  the  mantle  of  love  over  the  number  of  faults,  into 
which  their  brethren  would  fall,  in  their  conduct  towards  them,  and 
thus  hide  them  from  their  eyes,  by  forbearing  and  forgiving  one  another, 
ns  Christ'had  forgiven  them.  Eph.  4:30 — 32.  54,  2.  Cot.  343,  14.  Thus 

*  the  peace  of  the  church,  and  the  communion  of  the  saints,  might  be 
preserved,  which  otherwise  must  he  interrupted  ;  for  there  were  so 
many  things  amiss  in  all,  that  unless  love  covered,  excused,  and  forgave, 
in  others,  such  mistakes  and  faults,  as  every  one  would  have  need  to  be 
borne  with  in  himself,  Satan  would  prevail  to  excite  perpetual  divisions 

:  and  discords  among  them.  —  To  suppose,  that  charity,  or  love,  will  so 
cover,  or  make  amends  for,  the  multitude  of  the  man’s  sins  who  exer¬ 
cises  it,  as  to  induce  God  to  forgive  them,  is  totally  subversive  of  the 
:  whole  Gospel  ;  for  ‘  if  righteousness  come  by  the  law,  then  Christ  died 
:  in  vain  ;’  and  the  perversion  of  these  words,  which  are  very  obvious 
and  important  in  their  true  meaning,  has  encouraged  such  numbers  to 

■  neglect  Christ,  and  continue  impenitent  in  their  sins,  from  a  vain  hope 
,  of  being  pardoned  for  the  sake  of  a  proud,  partial  benevolence,  and  some 
i  selfish  almsdeeds,  which  by  no  means  constitute  the  love  of  which  the 

apostle  spoke,  1  Cor.  13:4 — 7.  that  a  particular  and  repeated  protest 
against  it  seems  absolutely  necessary.  —  ‘  Those  wiio  love  one  another, 
easily  forgive  each  other’s  offences.’  Beza. — Self-love  veils  and  covers 
,  our  own  faults,  and  its  effect,  in  rendering  men  blind  to  their  own  char- 

■  acters,  however  quick-sighted  hi  other  tilings,  is  notorious,  and  allowed 
,  on  all  sides;  now  if  we  truly  loved  others,  as  we  do  ourselves,  love 

■  would  veil  and  cover  their  faults  also,  and  render  us  less  keen  in  noticing 

i  and  animadverting  on  them,  and  more  disposed  to  forbearance  and  long- 
;  suffering  towards  them.  Id. 

s  (8.)  ‘Some,  and  the  Romanists  especially,  explain:  “  Charity  shall 

•  procure  us  pardon  for  a  multitude  of  sins.”  But,  ns  Doddr.  observes, 
-  “it  would  be  monstrous  to  imagine,  that  acts  of  liberality  to  the  poor 
i  can  procure  the  pardon  of  sin,  while  men  continue  in  a  course  of  iin- 
'  penitence  and  unbelief;  for  by  this  the  whole  Gospel  would  be  subvert- 
i  ed.”  Tlie  sense  is  plainly  this  :  “  For  this  affectionate  feeling  will  cov- 
i  er,  and  cause  us  to  forgive,  a  multitude  of  offences  in  others.”  As  to 
>  James  5:20.  to  which  most  commentators  here  refer,  it  is  not  of  the 
i  same  nature.  Though,  however,  the  above  must  be  considered  as  the 
’  only  correct  interpretation,  yet  it  cannot  be  denied  that  the  exercise  of 
i  this  virtue  will  (in  the  words  of  Doddr.)  “  entitle  us,  by  divine  mercy, 
,  to  expect  forgiveness  for  numberless  slips  and  failings.  For  (as  he  adds) 

where  acts  of  charity  spring  from  an  inward  principle  of  love  to  God, 


A.  D.  63. 


1  PETER,  IV. 


God  to  be  glorified  in  all  our  conduct. 


9  Use  hospitality  1  one  to  anoth¬ 
er  without  grudging. 

10  As  every  man  hath  received 
“the  gift,  even  so  minister  the  same 
one  to  another,  as  good  stewards 
n  of  the  manifold  grace  of  God. 

11  If  any  man  speak,  let  him 
speak  as  the  oracles  of  God;  if  any 
man  minister,  let  him  do  it  as  of  the 
ability  which  God  giveth:  that  God 
in  all  0  things  may  be  glorified 
through  Jesus  Christ;  to  p  whom  be 
praise  and  dominion  for  ever  and 
ever.  Amen. 

[ Practical  Observations.] 

12  Beloved,  think  it  not  strange 
concerning  the  fiery  i  trial  which  is 
to  try  you,  as  though  some  strange 
thing  happened  unto  you  : 

13  But  1  rejoice,  inasmuch  as  ye 
are  partakers  of  Christ’s  sufferings; 
that,  when  5  his  glory  shall  be  re¬ 
vealed,  ye  may  be  glad  also  with 
exceeding  joy. 

1  He  13:2,16.  o  1  Co.  10:31.  r  Jn.  1:2. 

m  Uo.  12:6.— 8.  p  Re.  1:6.  s  2  Ti.  2:12. 

n  Lu.  12:42.  q  1  Co.  3:13. 

3.  It  is  the  property  of  true  charity  to 
cover  a  multitude  of  sins.  It  inclines  people 
to  forgive  and  forget  offences  against  them¬ 
selves;  to  cover  and  conceal  the  sins  of  oth¬ 
ers,  rather  than  aggravate  them, and  spread 
them  abroad.  It  teaches  us  to  love  those 
who  are  but  weak,  and  who  have  been  guilty 
of  many  evil  things  before  their  conversion; 
and  it  prepares  for  mercy  at  the  hand  of 
God,  who  hath  promised  to  forgive  them 
that  forgive  others,  Mat.  6:  14. 

V.  9.  The  hospitality  here  required,  is, 
a  free  and  kind  entertainment  of  strangers 
ami  travellers.  Sometimes  Christians  were 
spoiled  of  all  they  had,  and  driven  to  distant 
countries  for  safety.  Therefore  it  was  a 
wise  and  necessary  rule  the  apostle  here  laid 
down.  It  is  elsewhere  commanded,  Heb. 
13:1.  Rom.  12:13.  The  duty  must  be 
done  in  an  easy,  kind,  handsome  manner, 
withiul  grudging,  or  grumbling  at  the  ex¬ 
pense  or  trouble. 

Learn,  1.  Christians  ought  not  only  to  be 
charitable,  but  hospitable,  one  to  another. 

2.  Whatever  a  Christian  does  by  way  of 
charity  or  of  hospitality,  he  ought  to  do  it 


cheerfully,  and  without  grudging.  Freely 
you  have  received,  freely  give. 

V.  10.  Here  the  apostle  directs  about  tile 
improvement  of  talents.  The  rule  is,  that 
whatever  gift,  ordinary  or  extraordinary,  is 
given  to  us,  we  should  minister,  or  do  ser¬ 
vice,  with  the  same  one  to  another;  account¬ 
ing  ourselves  not  masters,  but  only  stewards 
of  the  manifold  grace,  or  the  various  gifts  of 
God. 

Learn,  We  must  not  assume  our  gifts  to 
ourselves,  or  hide  them  in  a  napkin,  but  do 
service  with  them  one  to  another  in  the  best 
manner  we  are  able ;  looking  upon  ourselves 
as  stewards  ouly,  and  acting  accordingly. 
The  talents  we  are  intrusted  with,  are  our 
Lord’s  goods,  and  must  be  employed  as  lie 
directs.  And  it  is  required  in  a  steward, 
that  lie  be  found  faithful. 

V.  11.  The  apostle  exemplifies  his  di¬ 
rection  about  gifts  in  two  particulars, — 
speaking  and  ministering  ;  concerning  which 
he  gives  these  rules.  1.  If  any  man  speak, 
whether  a  minister  or  a  private  Christian, 
the  oracles  of  God  must  direct  as  to  the  mat¬ 
ter  of  his  speech  ;  and  as  to  manner,  it  must 
be  with  the  seriousness,  reverence,  anil  so¬ 
lemnity,  that  become  those  holy  and  divine 
oracles.  2.  If  any  man  minister,  either  as 
a  deacon,  distributing  the  alms  of  tlm  church, 
and  taking  care  of  the  poor,  or  as  a  private 
person,  by  charitable  gilts  and  contributions, 
let  him  do  it  as  of  the  ability  which  God.  giveth. 
He  who  has  received  plenty  and  ability  from 
God,  ought  to  minister  plentifully,  and  ac¬ 
cording  to  bis  ability.  These  rules  ought  to 
be  followed  and  practised  for  this  end,  that 
God  in  all  things,  in  all  your  gifts,  ministra¬ 
tions,  and  services,  may  be  glorified,  Mat. 
5:  16.  through  Jesus  Christ,  who  has  procur¬ 
ed  and  given  these  gifts  to  men,  Eph.  4:8. 
and  through  whom  alone  we  and  our  services 
are  accepted  of  God,  Heb.  13: 15.  to  whom, 
Jesus  Christ,  be  praise  and  dominion  for  ever 
and  ever.  Amen. 

Learn,  1.  It  is  the  duty  of  Christians  in 
private,  as  well  as  ministers  in  public,  to 
speak  to  one  another  of  the  tilings  of  God, 
Mai.  3:16.  Eph.  4:29.  Ps.  145:  10—12. 

2.  It  highly  concerns  all  preachers  of  the 
Gospel  to  keep  close  to  the  Word  of  God, 
and  to  treat  that  Word  as  becomes  the  ora¬ 
cles  of  God. 

3.  Christians  must  not  only  do  the  duties 
of  their  place,  but  do  them  with  vigor,  and 
according  to  the  best  of  their  abilities. 

4.  In  all  the  duties  and  services  of  life, 
we  should  aim  at  the  glory  of  God  as  our  j 


chief  end  ;  which  would  sanctify  our  com¬ 
mon  actions  and  affairs,  1  Cor.  10:  31. 

5.  God  is  not  glorified  by  anything  we 
do,  if  we  do  not  offer  it  to  Him  through  the 
mediation  and  merits  of  Jesus  Christ.  God 
in  all  things  must  be  glorified  through  Jesus 
Christ ,  who  is  the  only  Way  to  (lie  Father. 

6.  The  apostle’s  adoration  of  Jesus  Christ, 
nntj  ascribing  unlimited  and  everlasting 
praise  and  dominion  to  Him,  prove  that 
Jesus  Christ  is  the  most  high  God  over  all*, 
blessed  for  evermore.  Amen. 

V.  12,  13.  The  frequent  repetition  of 
counsel  and  comfort  to  Christians,  consider¬ 
ed  as  sufferers,  in  every  ch.  of  this  epistle, 
shows,  that  the  greatest  danger  these  new 
converts  were  in,  arose  from  the  persecu¬ 
tions  to  which  their  embracing  of  Christian¬ 
ity  exposed  them.  The  good  behavior  of 
Christians  under  sufferings,  is  the  most  dif¬ 
ficult  part  of  their  duty,  but  yet  necessary 
both  for  the  honor  of  Christ  and  their  own 
comfort  ;  therefore  the  apostle,  having  ex¬ 
horted  them  in  the  former  part  of  this  ch.  to 
the  great  duty  of  mortification,  comes  here 
to  direct  them  in  the  necessary  duty  of  pa¬ 
tience  under  suffering.  An  imniortified  spirit 
is  very  unfit  to  bear  trials. 

Observe,  1.  The  apostle’s  kind  manner  of 
address  to  these  pour  despised  Christians  ; 
they  were  his  beloved. 

2.  His  advice  to  them,  relating  to  their 
sufferings,  which  is,  that  they  should  not  think 
them  strange,  nor  he  surprised  at  them,  as 
if  same  unexpected  event  befell  them  ;  for 
though  sharp  and  fiery,  yet  they  are  design¬ 
ed  only  to  try,  not  to  ruin  them  ;  to  try  their 
sincerity,  strength,  patience,  and  trust  in 
God. 

On  the  contrary,  they  ought  rather  to  re¬ 
joice  under  their  sufferings,  because  theirs 
may  properly  be  called  Christ’s  sufferings. 
They  are  of  the  same  kind,  and  for  the  same 
cause,  that  Christ  suffered  ;  they  make  us 
conformable  to  Him  ;  He  suffers  in  them, 
and  feels  our  infirmities  ;  and  if  we  he  par¬ 
takers  of  his  sufferings,  we  shall  also  he 
made  partakers  of  his  glory,  and  shall  meet 
Him  with  exceeding  joy  at  his  great  appear¬ 
ing  to  judge  his  enemies,  and  crown  his 
faithful  servants,  2  Thes.  1:7.  &c. 

Learn,  1.  True  Christians  love  and  own 
the  children  of  God  in  their  lowest  and  most 
distressing  circumstances. 

2.  There  is  no  reason  for  Christians  to 
think  strange,  or  to  wonder,  at  the  unkind¬ 
ness  and  persecutions  of  the  world. 

3.  Christians  ought  not  only  to  be  patient. 


TRACT.  OBS.  V.  7 — 11.  ‘The  end  of  all  things  is  at  hand;’  all  ness,  ‘  the  multitude  of  offences  may  be  covered ;  ’  and  so  nothing  inter- 
our  worldly  pursuits,  possessions,  distinctions,  and  enjoyments  ;  all  our  nipt  Iheir  peace  and  harmony.  This  blessed  grace  of  love  dethrones  our 
temporal  trials,  sorrows,  and  conflicts  ;  our  season  of  probation  and  natural  selfishness,  dictates  or  regulates  our  Words,  and  disposes  every 
preparation:  it  behooves  us  then  ‘to  be  sober,  and  to  watch  unto  one,  in  his  proper  calling,  to  minister  or  communicate  to  others.  ‘  as  of 
prayer.’  Eph.  6:18 — 20.  Col.  4:2 — 4. — The  more  ungodly  men  hate  and  the  ability  which  God  giveth,  that  God  in  all  things  may  be  glorified 
revile  believers,  the  greater  care  should  they  use  to  have  ‘fervent  love  through  Jesus  Christ  to  whom  ‘he  praise  and  dominion  for  ever  and 
among  themselves  ;  ’  that,  by  mutual  candor,  long-suffering,  and  forgive-  ever.  Amen.’  Scott. 


and  faith  in  Christ,  with  that  humble  regard  to  his  atonement  and  right¬ 
eousness,  which  every  true  Christian  will  have,  it  cheerfully  encourages 
our  hopes  of  finding  [acceptance  with  God  at  last].’  Bl. — Cover ,  A-c.] 
‘  Love  is  skilful  in  putting  the  fairest  construction  on  things  doubtful. 
When  the  thing  is  plainly  a  sin,  then  will  love  consider  what  will  les¬ 
sen  it  most;  whether  it  was  by  surprise,  through  ignorance,  or  human 
frailty.  All  reproof  will  be  sweetened  by  that  compassion  which  flows 
from  love.  What  is  wrong  will  he  forgiven.  Those  are  grossly  mistak¬ 
en,  who  think  it  greatness  of  spirit  to  resent  wrongs,  and  baseness  to  for¬ 
give  them  :  oil  the  contrary,  it  is  the  only  excellent  spirit,  scarcely  to 
feel  a  wrong,  or  feeling,  straighllv  to  forgive  it.’  Leighton,  in  Will. 

V.  9—11.  Rom.  12  6— 13.  1  Tim.  3:2.  Heb.  13:1 — 3.  3  John  5-8.— 
This  especially,  though  by  no  means  exclusively ,  concerned  ministers, 
and  those  employed  in  managing  the  affairs  of  the  church. — To  restrict 
this  merely  to  spiritual  gifts,  because  the  original  word  is  used,  when 
these  are  spoken  of,  (though  not  used  of  them  exclusively,)  may  he  con¬ 
sidered  as  one  of  the  various  ways,  by  which  learned  commentators  en¬ 
deavor  to  convince  us,  that  a  vast  proportion  of  the  Scripture  xvas  xvrit- 
ten,  not  for  our  instruction,  but  for  that  of  others,  long  since  dead  ;  and 
that  we  need  concern  ourselves  but  little  about  it.  Now  this  is  precise¬ 
ly  what  a  vast  majority  of  professed  Christians  wish  to  believe. — (9)  Use 
hospitality.]  1  Tim.  3:2.  Tit.  1:8.  He  lovers  of  strangers.  ‘The  primi¬ 
tive  Christians  were  hospitable  to  all  strangers,  but  chiefly  to  those  who 
were  of  the  same  faith  and  communion.  Believers  scarce  ever  went 
without  letters  of  recommendation,  which  testified  the  purity  of  their 
faith.  This  was  sufficient  to  procure  them  reception  in  all  those  places 
where  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ  was  known.’  Cruden.  —  (10)  Gift.] 
Rom.  5:15,16.  6:23.  12:6.  1  Cor.  12:4.  2  Tim.  1:6.  ‘Ills  never  used  in 
Scripture,  but  for  a  free  gift.  ..  .  This  word  Is  not  in  any  heathen  au¬ 


thor.’  Leigh .  Scott. 

(10.)  The  gift..]  ‘  The  original  word,  here,  as  in  many  other  places,  the 
ancients  and  most  moderns  explain  of  the  spiritual  and  supernatural  gifts 
vouchsafed  to  many  of  the  primitive  Christians.  Others,  as  Grot.,  Est., 
Rosentn.,  and  most  recent  commentators,  take  it  of  any  faculty  or  en¬ 
dowment  of  mind.  But  though  t li is  inavbe  included ,  \  el  the  other 
sense,  I  doubt  not,  is  principally  intended.  The  term  itself  has  usually 
that  force,  as  in  1  Tim.  4:14.  and  1  Cor.  12:13,  14.  At  t lie  same  time  I 
suspect  the  apostle  intended  temporal  gifts ,  for  which  we  are  equally 
stexvards,  and  have  to  administer  for  the  good  of  others. ’  Bloomf. 

(11.)  The  doxologv  in  the  close  of  this  verse  is  understood  of  Christ, 
by  Grot.,  Doddr.,  and  Bloomf.,  and  others.  Ed. 

V.  12 — 16.  If  they  exposed  themselves  to  sufferings  by  their  crimes, 
tliis  would  be  most  dishonorable  to  God,  and  injurious  to  themselves.  It 
behooved  them,  therefore,  to  he  careful,  that  none  of  them  were  brought 
before  the  magistrates,  cast  into  prison,  or  condemned,  lor  any  violation 
of  wholesome  laws ;  nav,  that  they  did  not  incur  reproach  by  intermed¬ 
dling  in  the  affairs  of  other  men,  whether  they  were  of  a  private  or  a 
public  nature,  especially  on  political  subjects;  or  by  passing  their  judg¬ 
ment  and  censures,  or  intruding  into  the  management  of  those  concerns, 
which  did  not  belong  to  them  :  as  if  they  had  been  appointed,  or  were 
authorized  and  qualified,  to  oversee  and  give  orders  to  those  employed. 
These  were  common  reasons  for  men’s  suffering  public  punishment  or 
private  reproach ;  and  professors  of  Christianity  might  be  drawn  into 
sueii  misconduct,  and  yet  vainly  imagine  that  they  xvere  persecuted  for 
their  religion  !  But  if  they  avoided  such  imputations,  and  stineied  as 
Christians  for  acting  consistently  xvitlt  that  honorable  character ;  they 
ought  by  no  means  to  be  ashamed  of  the  reproach,  connected  with  their 
punishment ;  though  it  were  imprisonment,  scourging,  or  even  a  violent 


A.  D.  63. 


1  PETER,  IY. 


Patience  in  suffering  for  Christ  urged. 


14  If 'ye  be  reproached  for  the 
name  of  Christ,  happy  are  ye  ;  for 
the  spirit  of  glory  and  of  God  rest- 
eth  upon  you  :  on  their  part  he  is 
evil  spoken  of,  but  on  your  part  he 
is  glorified. 

15  But  let  none  of  you  suffer  as 
a  murderer,  or  as  a  thief,  or  as  an 
evil-doer,  or  as  a  busy-body  in  oth- 
’er  men’s  matters. 

16  Yet  if  any  man  suffer  as  a 
Christian,  let  him  not  be  ashamed  ; 
but  let  him  glorify  God  on  this 
behalf. 

17  For  the  time  is  come  that  judg¬ 
ment  must  begin  u  at  the  house  of 
God  :  and  if  it  first  begin  at  us,  what 
shall  the  end  be  of  them  that  obey 
not  the  gospel  of  God  ? 

18  And  if v  the  righteous  scarcely 
be  saved,  where  shall  the  ungodly 
and  the  sinner  appear  ? 

19  Wherefore,  let  them  that  suffer 
according  to  the  will  of  God,  commit 
w  the  keeping  of  their  souls  to  him  in 
well  doing, as  unto  a  faithful  Creator. 

I  Mat  5:11.  49:12.  Em.  9:6.  r,u.  53:31. 

u  Is.  10:12.  Je.  v  Je.  25:29.  w  Ps.  37:5. 


bat  to  rejoice,  in  their  sharpest  ami  sorest 
sufferings  for  Christ,  because  they  are  tokens 
of  divine  favor  ;  they  promote  the  Gospel, 
and  prepare  for  glory. 

V.  14.  From  the  fiery  trial,  the  apostle 
descends  to  a  lower  degree  of  persecution, — 
that  of  the  tongue  by  slander  and  reproach. 
1  Is  supposes  they  would  he  reviled  lor  the 
name  or  sake  of  Christ.  In  sucli  case  he 
asserts,  lhippy  are  ye  ;  the  reason  of  which 
is,  ‘  Because  ye  have  the  Spirit  of  God  with 
\ on,  to  fortify  and  coinfort  you  ;  and  the 
Spii  it  of  God  is  also  the  Spirit  of  glory, 
that  will  carry  you  through  all,  bring  you 
off  gloriously,  and  prepare  and  seal  you  up 
lor  eternal  glory.  This  glorious  Spirit  rest- 
tl/i  upon  you,  resideth  with  you,  in  you,  and 
is  pleased  with  you  ;  and  is  not  this  an  un¬ 
speakable  privilege  1  By  your  patience  and 


fortitude  in  suffering,  by  your  dependence 
on  the  promises  of  God,  and  adhering  to  the 
Word  which  the  Holy  Spirit  hath  revealed. 
He  is  trn  your  pai t  glorified.  ;  but  by  the  con¬ 
tempt  and  reproaches  cast  on  you  the  Spirit 
itself  is  evil  spoken  of  and  blasphemed.’ 

Learn,  1.  The  best  men  and  the  best 
things  usually  meet  with  reproaches  in  the 
world.  2.  The  happiness  of  good  people 
not  only  consists  with,  hut  even  iiows  from, 
their  aftlictions  ;  Happy  are  ye.  3.  That 
man  who  hath  the  Spirit  of  God  resting  on 
him,  cannot  be  miserable,  be  his  afflictions 
ever  so  great.  4.  The  blasphemies  and  re¬ 
proaches  evil  men  cast  on  good  people,  are 
taken  by  the  Spirit  of  God  as  cast  on  Him¬ 
self.  5.  When  good  people  are  vilified  for 
the  name  of  Christ,  his  Holy  Spirit  is  glori¬ 
fied  in  them. 

V.  15,  16.  One  would  think  such  a  cau¬ 
tion  as  this  needless  to  such  an  excellent  set 
of  Christians  as  these  were.  But  their  en¬ 
emies  charged  them  with  these  and  other 
fold  crimes  ;  therefore  the  apostle,  when  he 
was  setting  the  rules  of  the  Christian  reli¬ 
gion,  thought  these  cautions  necessary,  for¬ 
bidding  everyone  of  them  to  hurt  the  life,  or 
the  estate  and  property,  of  any  one,  or  to  do 
any  sort  of  evil ;  or,  without  call  and  neces¬ 
sity,  to  play  the  bishop  in  another  man's  charge, 
or  busy  himself  in  other  men's  matters.  To 
th is  caution  he  adds  a  direction,  that  if  any 
man  suffer  for  the  cause  of  Christianity,  and 
with  a  patient  Christian  spirit,  he  ought  not 
to  account  it  a  shame,  but  an  honor  to  him; 
and  ought  to  glorify  God  who  hath  thus  dig¬ 
nified  him. 

Learn,  1.  The  best  of  men  need  to  be 
warned  against  the  worst  of  sins. 

2.  There  is  very  little  comfort  in  suffer¬ 
ings,  when  we  bring  them  on  ourselves  by 
our  own  sin  aud  folly.  It  is  not  the  suffer¬ 
ing,  but  the  cause,  that  makes  the  martyr. 

3.  We  have  reason  to  thank  God  for  the 
honor,  if  Fie  calls  us  to  suffer  for  any  of  the 
doctrines  or  duties  of  Christianity. 

V.  17.  The  usual  method  of  Providence 
has  heen  this  :  When  God  brings,  great 
calamities  and  sore  judgments  on  whole  na¬ 
tions,  He  generally  begins  with  his  own 
people,  Is.  10:12.  Jer.  25:  29.  Ezek.  9: 
6.  ‘  Sttc.li  a  time  of  universal  calamity  is 


|  now  at  hand,  as  was  foretold  by  our  Savior, 
Mat.  24:  9,  10.  This  renders  all  the  fore¬ 
going  exhortations  to  patience  necessary  for 
you.  And  you  have  two  considerations  to 
support  you.’  1.  ‘  That  these  judgments  will 
but  begin  with  you,  and  will  soon  be  over 
with  you.’  2.  ‘  Your  troubles  will  be  but  light 
and  short,  in  comparison  of  what  shall  befall 
the  wicked  world  ;  your  own  countrymen, 
the  Jews;  and  the  infidels  and  idolatrous 
people  among  whom  you  live,  them  that  obey 
not  the ■  Gospel  of  God.' 

Learn,  1.  The  best  of  God’s  servants,  his 
own  household,  have  so  much  amiss  in  them, 
as  renders  it  fit  and  necessary  that  God 
should  sometimes  correct  and  punish  them 
with  his  judgments. 

2.  The  family  of  God  have  their  worst 
things  in  this  life.  Their  worst  condition 
is  tolerable,  and  will  soon  be  over. 

3.  Such  persons  or  societies  of  men  as 
disobey  the  Gospel  of  God,  are  not  of  his 
church  and  household  ;  though  possibly  they 
inay  make  the  loudest  pretensions  to  it.  The 
apostle  distinguishes  the  disobedient  from 
the  house  of  God. 

4.  The  sufferings  of  good  people  in  this 
life  are  demonstrations  of  the  unspeakable 
torments  that  are  coming  on  the  disobedient 
and  unbelieving.  Who  can  express  or  say 
how  dreadful  their  end  will  be  1 

V.  18.  This  whole  verse  is  taken  from 
Prov.  11:31.  The  LXX  translate  it  ex¬ 
actly  as  the  apostle  here  quotes  them.  If 
we  take  the  salvation  here  in  the  highest 
sense,  we  may  learn,  1.  It  is  as  much  as  the 
best  can  do,  to  secure  the  salvation  of  their 
souls;  there  are  so  many  sufferings,  tempta¬ 
tions,  and  difficulties  to  be  overcome  ;  so 
many  sins  to  be  mortified  ;  the  gate  is  so 
straight,  and  the  way  so  narrow.  2.  The  un¬ 
godly  and  the  sinner  are  unquestionably  in  a 
state  of  damnation.  Where  shall  they  appear? 
How  will  they  stand  before  their  Judge  1 
Where  can  they  show  their  heads  1  If  the 
righteous  scarcely  be  saved,  the  wicked  must 
certainly  perish. 

V.  19.  Here  the  apostle  finishes  Ids  dis¬ 
course  concerning  sufferings,  and  gives  this 
general  advice  ;  Let  them  that  suffer,  look 
chiefly  to  the  safety  of  their  souls,  which 
cannot  be  kept  secure  otherwise  than  by 


PTtACT.  OBS.  V.  12 — 19.  When  we  consider  the  upright,  harmless, 
benevolent,  and  useful  conduct  of  true  Christians,  we  are  apt  to  ‘  think 
it  strange,’  that  they  must  pass  through  ‘fiery  trials,’  from  the  enmity 
ef  wi.-ked  men,  and  that  God  should  permit  them  to  be  injured  and  af- 
llieif-b  We  must  not,  however,  indulge  such  thoughts,  but  prepare  for 
t :  ibid  ition  ;  as  ‘  the  excellent  of  the  earth  ’  have  always  heen  thus  treat¬ 
ed,  aud  God  has  purified  all  his  gold  in  this  furnace.  We  may  indeed 
deem  ourselves  ‘happy,’  when  wicke  1  men  discern  ‘the  seal  of  God  in 
onr  forehead,’  and  ‘  reproach  us  for  the  name  of  Christ ;  ’  because  ‘  the 
Spirit  of  glory  and  of  God  resteth  upon  us  ;  ’  and  they  revile  us,  because 
we  bear  his  image,  belong  to  Him,  and  glorify  Him. — But  we  cannot  be 
too  careful,  not  to  give  the  enemies  of  the  Gospel  any  just  cause  to  re¬ 
vile  or  hate  us.  It  is  not  indeed  common  for  professors  of  evangelical 
truths,  to  suffer  as  murderers,  thieves,  or  malefactors  ;  yet  they  often 

anti  ignominious  death  ;  nay,  they  ought  rather  to  praise  and  glorify 
God  for  ‘counting  them  worthy  to  suffer  shame  for  his  sake.’  Acts  5:40, 
41.  bleb.  12:2,  3.  (15)  Busy-body ,  &c.]  ‘  As  a  bishop  in  another  man’s 

dioeess.’  Leigh.  Some  understand  it  of  those  who  look  with  concu¬ 
piscence  on  what  belongs  to  others,  with  intention  of  seizing  on  it  by 
guile :  but  t his,  however  criminal,  was  not  an  overt  act,  to  be  punished 
by  the  magistrate.  Scott. 

(12.1  *  Afflictions  are  blessings  when  we  can  bless  God  for  them  ;  suf¬ 
fering  lias  kept  many  from  sinning,  and  if  the  furnace  were  seven  limes 
hotter,  it  would  make  the  saint  seven  limes  better.  Fiery  trials  make 
golden  Christians,  sanctified  afflictions  are  spiritual  promotions,  and  it 
is  better  to  be  preserved  in  brine  than  perish  in  honey.’  Dyer. 

(13.)  To  he  partakers  of  Christ’s  sufferings,  is  not  only  to  bear  similar 
sufferings,  but  to  bear  them  for  a  similar  cause,  even  religion.  So  Ros. 
and  Bloomf.;  and  Ros.  comp.  .lames  1:2.  Ed. 

(14.)  ‘To  what  special  service  of  piety  should  I  be  awakened  by  the 
reproach  which  is  cast  upon  me  ?  One  thus  expresses  it  :  “The  back¬ 
biter’s  tongue,  like  a  mill  clack,  will  be  still  in  motion,  that  he  may 
grind  thy  good  name  to  powder.  Learn,  therefore,  to  make  such  use  of 
itis  clack  as  to  make  thy  bread  by  it  ;  I  mean  so  to  live  that  no  credit 
shall  be  given  to  slander.”  Thus  all  the  abuses  you  meet  with  may 
prove  to  you,  in  the  hand  of  a  faithful  God,  no  other  than  as  the  strokes 
which  a  statuary  employs  on  his  ill-shaped  marble,  only  to  make  you 
fitter  to  adorn  the  heavenly  temple.’  Cotton  Mather. 

(15.)  Busy-body .]  ‘  One"  who  busily  pries  into  other  people’s  afinirs, 

and,  ns  is  almost  always  the  case,  exaggerates  what  may  he  true,  and 
fabricates  falsities  to  their  great  injury.  This  is  confirmed  by  1  Tim.  5: 
13.  where  Paul  had  in  view  this  same  vice  of  tittle-tattling  and  back¬ 
biting.’  Bloomf.  But  Lardncr,  Doddr.,  and  Williams  understand  it 

[603J 


bring  odium  on  themselves  by  various  evident  and  palpable  faults  :  and 
then  many  of  them  unjustly  impute  the  reproach  cast  on  them  to  the 
perseiutihg  malice  of  their  enemies!  This  we  should  watch  against; 
and  carefully  distinguish  between  those  things,  which  we  suffer  ‘for  the 
sake  of  Christ  and  of  righteousness,’  and  those  that  we  bring  on  our¬ 
selves  by  imprudence  and  misconduct.  And  if  such  diligence  and 
watchfulness  only  just  suffice  to  ensure  the  believer’s  salvation  ;  what 
will  be  the  event  of  the  slothful  and  heedless  conduct  of  professed 
Christians  in  general  ?  Let  us  then  see  to  it,  that  we  ‘obey  the  Gos¬ 
pel,’  by  a  penitent  ‘  faitli  working  by  love  ;  ’  and,  if  called  to  ‘  suffer,  ac¬ 
cording  to  the  will  of  God  ;  ’  ‘  let  us  commit  the  keeping  of  our  souls  to 
Him,  in  well-doing,  as  unto  a  faifhful  Creator,’  and  as  in  Christ  become 
our  Omnipotent  Savior.  Scott. 


of  a  political  busy-body, — a  factious,  seditious  person,  of  which  charac¬ 
ter  were  many  of  the  Jews  at  that  time,  and  exceedingly  offensive  to 
the  Romans.  Ed. 

(16.)  Christian.]  ‘The  word  occurs  but  thrice  in  the  N.  Test.,  here, 
and  in  Acts  11:26.  26:28.’  Ros. — Bloomf.  remarks,  that  tile  name  had 
now  become  established.  Id. 

V.  17 — 19.  Tlte  persecutions,  by  which  the  church  was  tried,  were  in¬ 
troductory  to  tlie  destruction  of  Jerusalem, and  the  tremendous  ruin  of  the 
Jews;  and  preparatory  to  ‘  the  day  of  judgment  and  perdition  of  ungod¬ 
ly  men.’  Ez.  9:5—7.  Mat.  24  9— 14.  John  16:1—3.  2  Pet.  3:5— 7.  ‘  The 
apostle  cannot  intend  deliverance  from  the  Roman  invasion,  in  which 
so  few  of  these  Christians  were  concerned  :  nor  merely  deliverance 
from  any  of  their  persecutors  ;  because  he  takes  it  for  granted,  that  ‘  the 
righteous  would  be  saved,’  though  with  difficulty;  whereas  multitudes 
fell  by  persecution,  even  of  these  Christians,  in  Bithynia,  as  appears  by 
Pliny’s  letter.  It  is  necessary  therefore  to  understand  it,  more  generally, 
of  the  difficulty  with  which  good  men  get  to  heaven,  through  this  dan¬ 
gerous  and  ensnaring  world.’  Doddr.  Scott. 

(17.)  The  time  is  come.]  ‘Time  is  coming,  <fec.,  the  time  foretold  hy 
Christ,  John  16:2.  Ate.’  Doddr. — who  thinks  there  is  allusion  here  to  Ez. 
9:6.  Benson ,  in  Bloomf.  says,  ‘it  designates  the  particular  distress  that 
was  to  take  place  before  Jerusalem  should  he  destroyed.  Tlte  Chris¬ 
tians  were  to  expect  to  feel  some  of  the  first  effects  of  that  general  ca¬ 
lamity.  Ii  was  to  begin  ivith  them,  as  our  Savior  had  plainly  promised. 
It  was  God’s  way  of  old  to  begin  with  sending  calamities  on  his  own 
people.’  Ed. 

(18.)  ‘This  whole  v.  is  taken  from  Prov.  11:31.  according  to  the  Sept. 
The  salvation  here  spoken  of  seems  to  be  mostly  of  a  temporal  nature. 
The  principal  design  of  the  passage  is,  to  prepare  believers  against  the 


A.  D.  G3. 


1  PETER,  V. 


Directions  to  the  elders , 


CHAP.  V. 

1  He  exhorteth  the  elders  to  feed  their  flocks,  5  the  young¬ 
er  to  obey,  8  and  all  to  be  sober,  watchful,  and  constant 
in  the  faith  :  9  and  to  resist  the  cruel  adversary  the  devil. 

THE  elders  which  are  among  you 
I  exhort,  who  am  also  an  elder, 
and  a  witness  of  the  sufferings  of 
Christ,  ami  also  a  partaker  of  the 
glory  1  that  shall  be  revealed  : 

2  Feed  b  the  flock  of  God  c  which 
is  among  you,  taking  the  oversight 
thereof,  not  by  constraint,  but  d  will¬ 
ingly;  not  for  filthy  'lucre,  but  of  a 
ready  mind  ; 

3  Neither  as  1  being  lords  over 
God's  heritage,  but  being  ensam- 
ples  s  to  the  flock. 

a  Ro.  8:17,18.  c  or,  as  much  aa  el  Ti.  3:3,8. 

b  Xn.  21:15 — 17.  in  you  is.  f  or,  overruling . 

Ac.  20:28.  d  1  Co.  9:17.  g  1  Ti.  4:12. 

committing  them  to  God,  who  will* undertake 
the  charge,  if  we  commit  them  to  Him  in 
well-doing  ;  for  lie  is  their  Creator,  and 
has,  out  of  mere  grace,  made  many  kind 
promises  to  them  of  eternal  salvation,  in 
which  He  will  show  Himself  faithful  and 
true. 

Learn,  1.  All  the  sufferings  that  befall 
good  people,  come  on  them  according  to  the 
will  of  God. 

2.  Christians,  in  all  their  distresses,  should 
look  more  to  the  keeping  of  their  souls,  than 
to  the  preserving  of  their  bodies. 

3.  The  only  way  to  keep  the  soul  well,  is, 
to  commit  it  to  God,  in  well-doing,  by  sol¬ 
emn  dedication,  prayer,  and  patient  perse¬ 
verance  in  well-doing,  Rom.  2:  7. 

4.  Good  people,  when  in  affliction,  have 


great  encouragement  to  commit  their  souls 
to  God,  because  He  is  their  Creator,  and 
faithful  in  all  his  promises. 


Chap.  V.  V.  1.  Here  observe,  1.  The 
persons  to  whom  this  exhortation  is  given  ; 
presbyters,  pastors,  and  spiritual  guides  of 
the  church ;  elders  by  office,  rather  than  by 
age,  ministers  of  those  churches  to  whom  he 
wrote  this  epistle.  2.  The  person  who  gives 
this  exhortation  ;  Peter,  their  brother-pres¬ 
byter  or  feliow'-elder  ;  and  a  witness  of  the 
sufferings  of  Christ,  being  with  Him  in  the 
garden,  attending H i in  to  the  palace  of  the 
high  priest,  and,  very  likely,  a  spectator  of 
his  suffering  on  the  cross,  at  a  distance 
among  the  crowd.  Acts  3:  15.  He  adds, 
that  he  was  also  a  partaker  of  the  glory  that 
was  in  some  degree  revealed  at  the  trans¬ 
figuration,  Mat.  17:1 — 3.  and  shall  be  com¬ 
pletely  enjoyed  at  the  second  coming  of 
Jesus  Christ. 

Learn,  1.  They  whose  office  it  is  to  teach 
others,  ought  carefully  to  study  their  own 
duty,  as  well  as  teach  the  people  theirs. 

2.  How  different  the  spirit  and  behavior 
of  Peter  were  from  that  of  his  pretended 
successors  !  He  does  not  command  and 
domineer,  but  exhort.  All  the  apostles  were 
elders,  though  every  elder  was  not  an 
apostle.  • 

3.  It  was  the  peculiar  honor  of  Peter,  and 
a  few  more,  to  be  the  witnesses  of  Christ’s 
sufferings  ;  but  it  is  the  privilege  of  all  true 
Christians  to  be  partakers  of  the  glory  that 
shall  be  revealed. 

V.  2.  3.  Here  you  have  the  pastor’s  du¬ 
ty  described,  and  how  it  ought  to  be  per- 
fottned.  The  duty  is  threefold  :  1.  To  feed 
the  flock;  by  preaching  to  them  the  sincere 


Word  of  God,  and  ruling  them  according  to 
such  directions  and  discipline  as  the  Word 
of  God  prescribes  ;  both  implied  in  this  ex¬ 
pression,  Feed  the  flock.  2.  To  take  the  over¬ 
sight  thereof.  The  elders  are  exhorted  to 
do  the  office  of  bishops,  (as  th»  word  signi¬ 
fies,)  by  personal  care  and  vigilance  over  all 
the  flock  committed  to  their  charge.  3.  To 
be  examples  to  the  flock;  to  practice  the  ho¬ 
liness,  self-denial,  mortification,  and  all  oth¬ 
er  Christian  duties,  which  they  preach  and 
recommend  to  their  people. 

These  duties  must  be  performed,  not  bv 
constraint,  not  from  compulsion  of  the  civil 
power,  or  fear  of  shame,  but  from  a  willing 
mind,  that  takes  pleasure  in  the  work  :  not 
for  filthy  lucre,  any  emoluments  and  profits, 
or  any  perquisite,  but  of  a  ready  mind  ;  re¬ 
garding  the  flock  more  than  the  fleece,  sin¬ 
cerely  and  cheerfully  endeavoring  to  serve 
the  church  of  God  ;  neither  as  being  lords 
over  God's  heritage,  tyrannizing  over  them, 
or  imposing  unscriptural  and  human  inven¬ 
tions  on  them,  instead  of  necessary  duty, 
Mat.  20:25,  20.  2  Cor.  1:24. 

Learn,  1.  The  eminent  dignity  of  the 
church  of  God,  and  all  the  true  memlters  of 
it.  They  are  God’s  heritage,  or  clergy;  his 
own  peculiar  people,  chosen  to  enjoy  his 
special  favor,  and  to  do  Him  special  service. 
The  word  is  never  restrained  in  the  New 
Test,  to  the  ministers  of  religion  only. 

2.  The  pastors  of  the  church  ought  to  con¬ 
sider  their  people  as  the  flock  of  God,  as 
God’s  heritage,  and  treat  them  accordingly. 

3.  Ministers  who  are  either  driven  to  the 
work  by  necessity,  or  drawn  to  it  by  filthy 
lucre,  can  never  perform  their  duty  as  they 
ought,  because  they  do  not  do  it  willingly, 
and  with  a  ready  mind. 


severest  sufferings  for  Christ,  and  the  calamities  then  coming  on  the 
Jewish  state.  But,  if  it  is  referred  to  a  spiritual  and  eternal  salvation, 
it  is  to  be  understood  only  of  the  extreme  difficulty,  trouble,  suffering, 
and  apparent  danger,  through  which  the  righteous  were  to  pass  in  their 
way  to  heaven,  and  not  of  any  real  hazard,  as  to  the  event,  with  re¬ 
spect  to  the  purpose,  promise,  and  power  of  God  for  accomplishing  it.’ 
Guyse,  in  Henry ,  abr. — ‘If  the  condition  of  the  faithful  be  so  hard,  the 
condition  of  the  unbelievers  must  be  altogether  intolerable. ’  Ames. — 
Ros.  savs,  the  wicked  ‘  will  most  certainly  perish  ,  ’  and  Iiloomf.  says, 
the  interrogation  here  involves  a  strong  negation  of  their  salvation.  Ed. 

(19.)  Faithful  Creator.]  ‘  Who  will  preserve  their  separate  spirits, 
and  restore  them  to  their  bodies  at  the  resurrection.’  Williams. 

NOTES.  Chap.  V.  V.  1 — t.  ‘The  eiders’  were,  in  general,  the 
rulers  and  teachers  of  the  churches  ;  (Notes,  Acts  11:27 — 30.  14:21—23. 
2017.  1  Tim.  3:1.)  and  Peter,  waiving  the  mention  of  his  apostolical 
office,  addressed  them  as  being  himself  one  of  the  company,  and  as  ac¬ 
quainted  with  the  nature  and  difficulties  of  the  service  assigned  to  them. 
They  ought  to  consider  the  congregations,  over  which  they  severally 
presided,  and  among  whom  they  labored,  as  a  part  of  the  ‘  purchased  ’ 
and  beloved  ‘flock  of  God;’  and  so  ‘take  the  oversight  of  them,’  not 
merely  because  ‘  necessity  was  laid  on  them,’  and  they  could  not  safely 
do  otherwise  ;  but  1  willingly,’  from  zeal  to  the  glory  of  God,  and  love  to 
the  souls  of  his  people,  and  as  men  who  were  ready  to  encounter  diffi¬ 
culties,  face  dangers,  and  endure  losses,  reproaches,  and  persecutions  in 
so  good  a  work.  1  Cor.  9:13 — 13,  And  when  the  counsel  of  inspired 
persons,  or  other  pious  ministers,  concurring  with  t lie  wants  and  desires 
of  the  people,  called  on  any  one  to  engage  in  the  pastoral  office,  he 
ought  not  to  fee!  reluctant  to  it,  as  some  were  found  to  be;  partly  from 
modesty  ami  diffidence,  yet  not  without  a  measure  of  unbelief,  and  un¬ 
due  regard  to  the  ease,  quiet,  and  safety  of  a  private  situation,  the  want 
of  zeal  and  love,  or  the  preference  of  more  profitable  employments; 
whence  it  became  necessary,  almost  to  constrain  them  to  engage  in  this 
arduous,  laborious,  and  perilous  work.  This  is  generally  supposed  to  be 
implied  ;  yet  the  charge  is  made  to  those  who  were  already  elders.  At 
the  same  time,  some  improper  persons,  of  inferior  stations,  might  be  in¬ 
duced  to  undertake  the  office  of  the  ministry,  from  the  expectation  and 
desire  of  a  better  maintenance  than  they  could  otherwise  obtain,  Jam. 
3:1,2.  and  such  as  had  been  ordained,  might  he  tempted  to  go  through  with 
their  services  rather  to  secure  their  incomes,  than  from  better  motives, 
and  to  modify  their  instructions  in  subserviency  to  their  own  interests  ; 
but  such  things  must  scrupulously  he  avoided,  as  the  lucre  thus  sought 
would  be  most  filthy  and  base,  and  the  wages  of  the  vilest  prostitution. 
John  10:10 — 13.  1  Tim  3:3,8 — 15  Til.  1:5 — 13.  (\)  Am  also  an  elder.] 
Here  only.  (2)  Taking  the  oversight.]  Heb.  12:15.  Acts  20:28.  1  Tim. 
3:2.  Acts  20:17:28.  1  Tim.  5:21,  22.  This  must  be  allowed  a  decisive 
testimony,  that  no  express  distinction  between  presbyters  and  bishops 
was  at  the  time,  when  the  apostle  wrote,  established  in  the  church.  It 
would  however  be  well,  if,  desisting  from  such  controversies  about  pre¬ 
cedency,  all,  whether  called  bishops,  or  archbishops,  presbyters,  or  el¬ 
ders,  of  every  church,  would  more  study,  and  endeavor  to  practise,  the 
admirable  lessons  here  inculcated. — Alas  !  how  small  a  proportion  of 
nominal  ministers  of  Christianity,  either  in  the  more  exalted  orders,  or 
among  their  often  too  much  depressed  inferiors,  so  preach,  labor,  and 
live,  as  to  give  an  impartial  student  of  the  Bible  reason  to  conclude,  that 
‘  when  the  chief  Shepherd  shall  appear,  Ihev  will  receive  the  crown  of 
unfading  glory.’  (3>  Being  lords.]  Mat.  20:25.  Mark  10:42.  Ads  19:16. 
Such  a  dominion  and  authority,  as  the  apostles,  when  expecting  a  tem¬ 
poral  kingdom,  under  the  Messiah,  were  ambitious  of  according  to  the 
5.  T.  VOL.  V.  77 


custom  of  temporal  rulers. — Heritage.]  Acts  1:26.  8:21.  26:18.  Col. 
1:12.  ‘The  Lord’s  portion  is  his  people.’  Hence  the  word  clergy. 
Some  ho-wever  interpret  it  of  that  part  of  the  church,  which  was,  in 
Providence,  allotted  to  each  presbyter.  Scott. 

(1 — 3.)  ‘The  presbyters  or  elders  (ministers  or  pastors)  were  des¬ 
tined  to  be  not  unlimited  monarchs,  but  rulers  and  guides  in  an  ecclesi¬ 
astical  republic,  and  to  conduct  everything  in  conjunction  with  the 
church  assembled  together,  as  the  servants  and  not  the  masters  of  which 
they  were  to  act.  The  apostles  saw  these  relations  in  l his  manner,  lie- 
cause  they  addressed  their  epistles,  which  treated  of  things  pertaining 
to  the  ecclesiastical  life  and  discipline,  not  to  the  rulers  of  the  churches 
only,  but  to  the  whole  of  the  church.  Where  Paul  pronounces  an  ex¬ 
clusion  from  the  communion  of  the  church,  he  represents  himself  as 
united  in  the  Spirit  with  the  whole  church,  (1  Cor.  5:4.)  supposing  that, 
for  an  affair  of  such  general  concernment,  the  assembling  of  the  church 
would  be  regularly  requisite.’  Church  Hist.  Neander. 

(2.)  Episcopountes.]  Thus  far  the  excellent  Scott  has  been  per¬ 
mitted  to  speak  his  own  language  on  the  mnch  controverted  subject  of 
episcopacy, — with  great  candor,  indeed,  often  ;  but  still  with  some  re¬ 
sults,  of  course,  which  are  not  admitted  by  presbyterian,  or  congrcga- 
tionalist  (independent)  brethren.  It  is  but  just  therefore  to  state,  as 
follows,  in  the  language  of  Rev.  I)r.  Miller  :  ‘1.  That  Christ  gave  hilt 
one  commission  for  the  office  of  the  gospel-ministry,  and  that  t bis 
office,  of  course,  is  one.  2.  That  the  words  bishop  and  elder ,  nr  presby¬ 
ter,  [or,  it  may  he  added,  minister,]  are  uniformly  used  in  the  New  Test, 
as  convertible  titles  for  the  same  office.  3.  That  the  same  character  and 
powers  which  are  ascribed,  in  the  sacred  writings,  to  bishops,  are  also  as¬ 
cribed  to  presbyters  :  thus  plainly  establishing  the  identity  of  order,  as 
well  as  of  name.  4.  That  the  Christian  church  was  organized  by  the  apos¬ 
tles,  after  the  model  of  the  Jewish  Synagogue,  which  was  unquestiona¬ 
bly,’  says  Dr.  M.  ‘  Presbyterian  in  its  form.’  To  establish  the  first  position, 
he  quotes  Mat.  28:18,  19,  20.  and  John  20:21,  22,  23.  and  adds  :  ‘These 
passages  form  the  grand  commission  under  which  all  lawful  ministers 
have  acted,  from  the  moment  in  which  it  was  delivered,  to  the  present 
time ;  and  under  whiclt  they  must  and  will  act  to  the  end  of  the  world.’ 
After  dilating  on  this  position,  Dr.  M.  proceeds  to  the  next  head,  as 
above,  showing  from  Acts  20:17,  28.  from  the  address  of  Paul  to  the 
Philippians ;  from  Titus  1:5—7.  &c.  and  lastly,  from  the  text,  (1  Pet.  5: 
2.)  ‘that  presbyter  and  bishop  are  the  same  office,’ — the  presbyter  here 
being  exhorted  solemnly  ‘  to  exercise  the  powers,  and  perform  the  du¬ 
ties’  of  a  bishop,  or  overseer, — as  is  asserted  under  the  3d  head,  estab¬ 
lishing  the  identity  of  the  two.  For  proof  of  the  last  position,  Dr.  M. 
appeals,  after  a  course  of  reasoning  and  representation  well  worthy  pe¬ 
rusal,  to  Selden,  De  Synedriis,  Lightfool's  Horte  Heb.,  the  Comm,  of 
Grotius,  Bp.  Stilling  fleet's  Irenicum,  nud  Vitringa ,  De  Synagoga 
Vetere,  as  uniting  their  testimony  with  Neander,  Kuinnel ,  and  Rosen- 
miil/er  at  the  present  day  :  concluding  that  the  ‘establishment  of  these 
positions  decides  the  controversy,’  so  far,  at  least,  as  the  sole  authority 
of  the  SS.  is  concerned,  and  the  inquiry  respects  ‘  the  system  adopted 
in  the  apostle’s  days.  With  respect  to  ihe  question,  how  far  the  apos¬ 
tolic  model  of  church  order  is  unalterably  binding  in  all  ages,  in  all  na¬ 
tions.  and  under  all  states  of  society,  it  is  wholly  a  different  inquiry.’ 
‘Letters  on  the  Christian  Ministry.’  En. 

(3.)  ‘This  is  the  language  of  St.  Peter,  in  his  catholic  epistle  to  the 
catholic  church  !  According  to  him,  there  are  to  be  no  lords  over  God’s 
heritage.’  Dr.  A.  Clarke.— God's.]  ‘  This  is  not  in  the  original,  but  is 
plainly  to  be  supplied  both  from  the  subjeci  and  the  context.— The  orig¬ 
inal  for  heritage,  in  the  simple  diction  of  the  apostle,  can  apply  only  to 

[GOO] 


A.  D.  63. 


1  PETER,  V. 


The  younger  urged  to  obedience. 


4  And  when  the  chief  h  Shepherd 
shall  appear,  ye  shall  receive  a 
crown  '  of  glory  that  fadeth  not 
away. 

5  Likewise,  ye  younger,  submit 
youselves  unto  the  elder;  yea,  all 
f  of  you  be  subject  one  to  another, 
and  be  clothed  with  humility  :  for 
God  kresisteth  the  proud,  and  giv- 
eth  grace  to  the  humble. 

6  H  umble  'yourselves  therefore 
under  the  mighty  hand  of  God,  that 
he  may  exalt  you  in  due  time  : 

7  Casting  m  all  your  care  upon 
him;  for  he  careth  for  you. 

[Practical  Observations.] 

S  Be  sober,  be  vigilant;  because 
your  adversary  the  devil,  as  n  a 
roaring  lion,  walketh  about,  seek¬ 
ing  whom  he  may  devour  : 

h  Me  13:$0.  k  Ja.  4:6.  m  Ps.  55:  22. 

i  2  Ti.  4:3.  I  Is.  57:15.  u  Re.  12:12. 

j  Ep.  5:21. 

4.  The  best  way  a  minister  can  take  to 
engage  the  respect  of  a  people,  is,  to  dis¬ 
charge  his  own  duty  among  them  in  the  best 
manner  he  can,  and  to  be  a  constant  exam¬ 
ple  to  them  of  all  that  is  good. 

V.  4.  In  opposition  to  that  filthy  lucre 
which  many  proposed  to  themselves,  as  their 
principal  motive  in  their  undertaking  and 
discharge  of  the  pastoral  office,  the  apostle 
sets  before  them  the  crown  of  glory  designed 
bv  the  great  Shepherd,  Jesus  Christ,  for  all 
his  faithful  ministers. 

Learn,  1.  Jesus  Christ  is  the  chief  Shep¬ 
herd  of  the  whole  flock  and  heritage  of  God. 

2.  The  chief  Shepherd  will  appear,  to 
judge  all  ministers  and  under-shepherds,  to 
call  them  to  account,  whether  they  have 
faithfully  discharged  their  work,  according 
to  the  foregoing  directions. 

3.  They  that  are  found  to  have  done  their 
duty,  shall  have  what  is  infinitely  better  than 
temporal  gain  ;  they  shall  receive  from  the 
grand  Shepherd  a  high  degree  of  everlast¬ 
ing  glory,  a  crown  of  glory  that  fadeth  not 
away. 

V.  5.  Having  settled  and  explained  the 
duty  of  the  pastors  of  the  church,  he  comes 
now  to  instruct  the  flock  ;  he  calls  them  the 
younger,  as  being  generally  younger  than 

TRACT.  008.  V.  1 — 7.  Those  who  most 


their  grave  pastors,  and  to  put  them  in  mind 
of  their  inferiority,  the  term  younger  being 
used  by  our  Savior  to  signify  at!  inferior, 
Luke  22:  26.  lie  exhorts  them  to  respect  and 
reverence  their  persons,  and  to  yield  to  their 
admonitions,  reproof,  and  authority ,  enjoin¬ 
ing  and  commanding  what  the  Word  of  God 
requires,  Heb.  13:  17.  They  should  also 
all  receive  the  reproofs  and  counsels  one  of 
another,  and  be  ready  to  perform  all  the 
offices  of  friendship  and  charity  ;  and  par¬ 
ticular  persons  should  submit  to  the  direc¬ 
tions  of  the  whole  society,  Eph.5:21.  Jam. 
5:16.  These  duties  being  contrary  to  the 
proud  nature  and'selfish  interests  of  men,  he 
advises  them  to  be  clothed  with  humility  ; 
‘  Let  your  minds,  behavior,  garb,  and  wdiole 
frame,  be  adorned  with  humility,  as  the  most 
beautiful  habit  you  can  wear  ;  but  if  you  be 
disobedient  and  proud,  God  will  set  Him¬ 
self  to  oppose  and  crush  you  ;  for  He  resisl- 
eth  the  proud,  when  He  giveth  grace  to  the 
humble .’ 

Learn,  1.  Humility  is  the  great  preserver 
of  peace  and  order  in  all  Christian  churches 
and  societies  ;  consequently,  pride  is  the 
great  disturber  of  them,  and  the  cause  of 
most  dissensions  and  breaches  in  the  church. 

2.  There  is  a  mutual  opposition  between 
God  and  the  proud,  so  the  word  signifies  ; 
they  war  against  Him,  and  He  scorns  them, 
Prov.  3:  34. 

3.  Where  God  giveth  grace  to  the  humble. 
He  will  give  more  grace,  more  wisdom,  faith, 
holiness,  and  humility. 

V.  6.  Since  God  resisteth  the  proud,  but 
giveth  grace  to  the  humble,  therefore  humble 
yourselves ,  not  only  one  to  another,  but  to 
God,  whose  judgments  are  coming  on  the 
world,  and  must  begin  at  the  house  of  God, 
ch.  4:  17.  his  hand  is  almighty  to  pull  you 
doum,  if  you  be  proud,  or  to  exalt  you,  if  you 
be  humble;  and  it  will  certainly  do  it, either 
in  this  life,  if  He  sees  it  best  for  you,  or  at 
the  day  of  general  retribution.  The  con¬ 
sideration  of  the  omnipotent  hand  of  God, 
should  make  us  humble  and  submissive  to 
Him  in  all  He  brings  upon  us.  Humbling 
ourselves  to  God  under  his  hand,  is  the  next 
way  to  deliverance  and  exaltation ;  patience 
under  his  chastisements,  submission  to  his 
pleasure,  repentance,  prayer,  and  hope  in 
iiis  mercy,  will  engage  his  help  and  release 
in  due  time,  Jam.  4:7,  10. 

V.  7.  The  apostle,  knowing  these  Chris¬ 
tians  were  already  under  very  hard  circum¬ 


stances,  rightly  supposes  that  what  he  had 
foretold,  of  greater  hardships  yet  coming, 
might  excite  in  them  abundance  of  care  and 
fear  about  the  event;  anil,  foreseeing  this,  he 
gives  them  the  best  advice,  and  supports  it 
with  a  strong  argument  ;  his  advice  is,  to 
cast  all  their  care,  or  all  care  of  themselves, 
upon  God;  ‘Trust  in  Him  with  a  firm, 
composed  mind;  He  will  release  you  of  your 
care,  and  take  the  care  of  you  on  Himself ; 
avert  what  you  fear,  or  support  you  under  it ; 
order  all  events  to  you,  so  as  shall  convince 
you  of  his  paternal  love  and  tenderness 
toward  you;  and  so  that  no  hurt,  hut  good, 
shall  come  unto  you.5  Mat.  6:  25.  Ps.  84: 
11.  Rom.  8:28. 

Learn,  1.  The  best  of  Christians  are  apt 
to  labor  under  anxious  and  excessive  care  ; 
the  apostle  calls  it,  all  your  care,  intimating, 
that  the  cares  of  Christians  are  various  ; 
personal  cares,  family  cares,  cares  for  the 
present,  and  for  the  future  ;  for  themselves, 
for  others,  for  the  churoh. 

2.  The  cares  even  of  good  people  are  too 
often  very  sinful  ;  as  when  they  arise  from 
unbelief  and  [distrust  of  God],  when  they 
torture  and  distract  the  mind,  unfit  us  for 
the  duties  of  our  place,  and  hinder  our  de¬ 
lightful  service  of  God. 

3.  The  best  remedy  against  immoderate 
care,  is,  to  resign  every  event  to  God’s  wise 
and  gracious  determination.  A  firm  belief  of 
the  rectitude  of  the  divine  will  and  counsels, 
calms  the  spirit  of  man  ;  We  ceased,  say¬ 
ing,  The  will  of  the  Lord  be  done,  Acts  21: 14. 

V.  8,  9.  Here  the  apostle, 

1.  Shows  them  their  danger  from  an  ene¬ 
my  more  cruel  and  restless  than  even  the 
worst  of  men,  whom  he  describes,  (1.)  By 
his  characters  and  names;  he  is  an  adversa¬ 
ry,  that  adversary  of  yours  ;  not  a  common 
adversary,  but  an  enemy  that  impleads  you, 
and  litigates  against  you  in  your  grand  de¬ 
pending  cause,  and  aims  at  your  very  souls. 
The  devil,  the  grand  accuser  of  all  the  breth¬ 
ren  ;  a  title  derived  from  a  word  which  sig¬ 
nifies  to  strike  through,  or  to  stab ;  he  would 
strike  malignity  into  our  natures,  and  poison 
into  our  souls;  if  he  could  have  struck  these 
people  with  passion  and  murmuring  in  their 
sufferings,  perhaps  he  might  have  drawn 
them  to  apostasy  ami  ruin.  He  is  a  roaring 
lion,  hungry,  fierce,  strong,  and  cruel  ;  the 
fierce  and  greedy  pursuer  of  souls.  (2.)  By 
his  business  ;  he  walks  about,  seeking  whom  he 
may  devour  ;  his  whole  design  is  to  devour 


know  the  nature,  diffi¬ 
culties,  snares,  and  temptations  of  the  pastoral  office,  are  best  qualified 
to  exhort  their  brethren,  and  ihey  will  speak  with  the  most  impressive 
authority  on  such  topics.  Mat.  7:28,  29.— Ministers  should  unite  skill, 
vigilance,  diligence,  faithfulness,  love,  zeal,  patience,  disinterestedness, 
ami  self-abasement,  in  their  characters  and  conduct;  boil)  in  order  ‘to 
leeil  i lie  dock  of  God,’  and  to  be  ‘examples  unto  them.’  They  ought  to 
perform  t lie  most  laborious  services,  and  endure  the  greatest  hardships, 
for  ‘  the  Lord’s  heriiagc,’  ‘  not  by  constraint,  but  willingly  ;  not  for  filthy 
lucre,  but  of  a  ready  mind,’  and  without  assuming  any  ‘dominion  over 
their  faith.’ — This  is  not,  indeed,  the  road  to  high  preferments  in  the  out¬ 
ward  church,  nay,  it  leads  far  from  it  ;  but  ‘when  the  chief  Shepherd 
shall  appear,’  such  pastors  ‘shall  receive’  of  Him  ‘a  crown  of  glory 
that  will  never  fade  away.’  And  what,  compared  with  this,  are  all  those 
riches,  eminent  stations,  or  lordly  dignities,  which  so  many  nominal 
pastors  eagerly  pursue  ?  Or  where  will  the  avaricious,  the  slothful,  the 
sensual,  or  the  tyrannical  men,  who  have  borne  the  name  of  ministers, 


appear,  when  the  great  Judge  shall  come,  and  call  them  to  give  an  ac¬ 
count  of  their  stewardship  ? — But  every  station  and  age  has  its  peculiar 
duties;  subordination  is  the  universal  plan  and  appointment  of  God, 
and  all,  in  their  several  relations,  should  be  subject  to  those  placed  over 
them.  This  will  be  the  case,  as  far  as  men  ‘  are  clothed  with  humility,’ 
and  God  never  shows  favor  to  a  proud  man,  except  when  lie  brings  him 
down  into  the  dust  of  self-abasement ;  Dan.  4:31 — 37.  nor  will  any  hum¬ 
ble  soul  come  short  of  his  grace,  or  of  eternal  life.  When  vve  become 
humbly  subject  to  our  reconciled  God,  and  simply  dependent  on  Him  ; 
we  are  allowed  and  commanded  to  ‘  cast  all  our  care  on  Him,’  and  as¬ 
sured  ‘that  He  careth  for  us,’  as  a  Father  for  his  own  children  ;  and 
this  will  bring  far  sweeter  peace  and  greater  comfort  into  the  soul,  than 
could  arise  from  the  most  complete  gratification  of  pride,  ambition,  ava¬ 
rice,  or  any  worldly  affections.  Titus  also  we  shall  be  safe  ;  and  thus 
we  may  unreservedly  and  cheerfully  leave  all  events  to  the  God  to 
whom  alone  they  belong.  Scott. 


persons.'1  Bloomf. — Ensample.s ,  Ac.]  ‘Or,  models ,  that  the  flock  may 
be  stamped  aright,  taking  the  impression  of  the  pastor’s  life.  Sound 
doctrine  alone  will  not  serve.  Though  the  water  you  give  your  flocks 
be  pure,  yet,  if  you  lay  spotted  rods  before  them,  it  will  bring  forth 
spotted  lives  in  them.  Either  teach  not  at  all,  or  teach  by  the  rhetoric 
of  your  lives.’  Leighton. 

(4.)  Chief  Shepherd.]  ‘  In  Spain,  flocks  often  contain  10,000  sheep, 
divided  into  ten  tribes,  with  50  under-shepherds,  and  as  many  dogs.’ 

Orient.  Cust.,  No  577,  in  Williams. 

V.  5—7.  The  word  ‘younger,’  Luke  22:26.  does  not  seem  here  to 
relate  to  any  particular  station  in  the  church  ;  but  in  general  denotes 
juniors ,  whether  in  the  pastoral  ollice  or  not.  And  as  pride,  in  juniors 
anil  inferiors,  militates  against  due  subordination,  even  as  in  superiors  it 
prompts  to  tyranny ;  so  they  all  were  admonished  to  be  clothed  with 
humility,  as  their  chief  ornament,  or  rather  their  outward  garment; 
that  whatever  abilities,  endowments,  or  spiritual  gifts  they  possessed, 
their  modesty  and  humility  might  be  conspicuous  to  ail  beholders,  more 
than  any  other  distinction.  Scott. 

(.5.)  ‘In  obeying  the  precept,  “be  clothed  with  humility,”  the 
Christian  finds  a  deep  source  of  pure  enjoyment.  Self-abasement  he 
perceives  to  be  appropriate  to  his  character  and  prospects.  No  sooner 
[610] 


does  he  take  the  place  assigned  by  the  wisdom  of  God,  than  a  calm  de¬ 

light  spreads  itself  upon  his  soul.  He  acquiesces  in  the  dispensations 
of  Providence.  He,  is  no  more  tormented  with  the  aspirings  of 
pride ,  the  Jires  of  envy,  the  goadin.es  of  discontent.  In  whatever  state 
he  is,  he  occupies  his  station  of  usefulness  with  cheerfulness  and  con¬ 
tent.  What  Christian  cannot  modestly  appropriate  to  himself,  the  apt. 
delicate,  and  striking  description  which  Hunyan  gives,  of  one  in  the  val¬ 
ley  of  humiliation. — “There  was  a  kind  of  sympathy  betwixt  that  val¬ 
ley  and  him.  He  would  now  be  up  every  morning  by  break  of  day, 
tracing  and  walking  to  and  fro  in  the  valley  ;  he  would  even  lie  down, 
embrace  the  ground,  and  kiss  the  very  flowers  which  grew  around  him.’ 

Rev.  Beriah  Green. 

V.  8  9.  The  terrible  persecutions  which  were  instigated  by  this  en¬ 
emy  of  God  and  man,  as  1  working  in  the  children  of  disobedience,’ 
seem  to  be  peculiarly  intended.  —  These  repeated  exhortations  to 
‘watchfulness,’  and  the  especial  motive  assigned  for  it,  ought  to  have 
peculiar  weight,  as  coming  from  that  apostle,  who,  through  sclf-confl- 
ilcnce,  carnal  security,  and  unwatchfulness,  when  ‘Satan  desired  to 
sift  him’  and  his  brethren  ‘as  wheat,’  was  induced  to  deny  his  Lord 
with  solemn  oaths  and  dire  imprecations.  (.Votes,  Mat.  26:30—46,  69 — 
75.)  (8)  VPalkcth  about]  Xotes,  Job  1:7.  Mat.  12:43 — 45.  (8)  Adver- 


1  PETER,  V. 


A.  D.  63. 


Satan  to  be  steadfastly  resisted. 


9  W  hom  “resist,  steadfast  in  the 
faith,  knowing  that  the  same  afflic¬ 
tions  are  accomplished  in  your 
brethren  that  are  in  the  world. 

10  But  the  God  of  all  grace,  who 
hath  called  us  unto  his  eternal  glory 
by  Christ  Jesus,  after  that  ye  have 
suffered  a  p  while,  make  you  per¬ 
fect,  rstablish,  ’strengthen,  'settle 
you. 

11  To  him  be  “glory  and  domin¬ 
ion  for  ever  and  ever.  Amen. 

12  By  “Silvanus,  a  faithful  broth¬ 
er  unto  you,  as  I  suppose,  I  have 
written  briefly,  exhorting,  and  tes¬ 
tifying  that  this  is  the  true  grace  of 
God  wherein  ye  w  stand. 

13  The  church  that  is  at  Babylon, 
elected  together  with  you,  saluteth 
you  ;  and  so  doth  Marcus  my  son. 

14  Greet  xye  one  another  with  a 
kiss  of  charity.  Peace  *  iewith  you 
all  that  are  in  Christ  Jesus.  Amen. 

o  Ja.  4:7.  s  Zee.  10:6,12.  \v  1  Co  15:1. 

p  2  Co.  4:16.  t  Ps  138:7,8.  x  Ro.  16:16. 

q  He.  13:21.  u  c.  4:11.  y  Ep.  6:23. 

r  2  Th.  3:3.  v  2  Co.  1:19. 


and  destroy  souls ;  always,  night  and  day,  lie 
is  going  about,  studying  and  contriving  whom 
he  may  ensnare  to  their  eternal  ruin. 

2.  Infers  hence  our  duty,  (1.)  To  be  sober, 
and  to  govern  both  the  outward  and  the  in¬ 
ward  man  by  the  rules  of  temperance,  mod¬ 
esty,  and  mortification.  (2.)  To  be  vigilant ; 
not  secure  or  careless,  but  rather  suspicious 
of  constant  danger  from  this  spiritual  enemy, 
and,  under  that  apprehension,  to  be  watch¬ 
ful  and  diligent  to  prevent  his  designs,  and 
save  our  souls.  (3.)  To  resist  him,  steadfast 
in  the  faith;  it  was  the  faith  of  these  people 
that  Satan  aimed  at  ;  if  he  could  overturn 
their  faith,  and  draw  them  into  apostasy, 
then  he  knew  he  should  gain  his  point,  and 
ruin  their  souls;  therefore,  to  destroy  their 
faith,  he  raises  bitter  persecutions,  and  sets 
the  grand  potentates  of  the  world  against 
them  ;  this  strong  trial  and  temptation  they 
must  resist,  by  being  well-grounded,  resolute, 
and  steadfast  in  the  faith  :  to  encourage  them 
to  this,. 

3.  Tells  them  their  care  was  not  singular, 
for  they  knew  that  the  like  afflictions  befell 


their  brethren  in  all  parts  of  the  world,  and  i 
that  all  the  people  of  God  were  their  fellow- 
soldiers  in  this  warfare. 

Learn  1.  All  the  great  persecutions  ever 
raised  in  the  world,  are  raised  by  the  devil, 
Gen.  3:  15.  Rev.  12: 12.  in  which  his  design 
is,  to  bring  the  faithful  to  apostatize,  hy 
reason  of  their  sufferings,  and  so  to  destroy 
their  souls. 

2.  Sobriety  and  watchfulness  are  neces¬ 
sary  virtues  at  all  times,  but  especially  jn 
times  of  suffering  and  persecution  ;  ‘You 
must  moderate  your  affection  to  worldly 
things,  else  Satan  will  soon  overcome  you.’ 

3.  ‘  If  vou  would  overcome  Satan,  either 
as  a  tempter,  accuser,  or  persecutor,  you 
must  resist  him,  steadfast  in  the  faith;  if  your 
faith  give  way,  you  are  gone  ;  therefore, 
above  all,  take  the  shield  of  faith,'  Eph.  6: 16. 

4.  The  consideration  of  what  others  suf¬ 
fer,  is  proper  to  encourage  us  to  bear  our 
own  share  in  anv  affliction  ;  the  same  afflic¬ 
tions  are  accomplished-  in  your  brethren. 

V.  10.  We  come  now  to  the  conclusion 
of  this  epistle,  which  the  apostle  begins 
with  a  most  weighty  prayer,  acknowledging, 
on  their  behalf,  (hat  God  had  already  called 
them  to  be  partakers  of  that  eternal  glory, 
which,  being  his  own,  He  had  promised  and 
settled  on  them,  through  the  merit  and  inter¬ 
cession  of  Jesus  Christ.  You  may  observe 
what  he  prays  for  on  their  account  ;  not 
that  they  might  be  excused  from  sufferings, 
but  that  their  sufferings  might  be  moderate 
and  short,  and  that,  after  a  while,  God  would 
restore  them  to  a  settled,  peaceable  condi¬ 
tion,  and  perfect  his  work  in  them;  that  lie 
would  stablish  them  against  wavering,  either 
in  faith,  or  duty;  that  He  would  strengthen 
those  who  are  weak,  and  settle  them  on 
Christ,  the  Foundation,  so  firmly,  that  their 
union  with  Him  might  be  indissoluble  and 
everlasting. 

Learn,  1.  All  grace,  is  from  God;  it  is  He 
who  restrains,  converts,  comforts,  and  saves 
men  by  his  grace. 

2.  All  who  ar e  called  into  a  state  of  grace, 
are  called  to  partake  of  eternal  glory  and 
happiness. 

3.  Those  who  are  called  to  be  heirs  of 
eternal  life  through  Jesus  Christ,  must,  nev¬ 
ertheless,  suffer  in  this  world,  but  their  suf¬ 
ferings  will  be  but  for  a  little  while. 

4.  The  perfecting,  establishing,  strengthen¬ 
ing,  and  settling,  of  good  people  in  grace, 
and  their  perseverance  therein,  is  so  difficult 


a  work,  that  only  the  God  of  all  grace  can 
accomplish  it;  therefore.  He  is  earnestly  to 
be  sought  unto  by  continual  prayer  and  de¬ 
pendence  on  his  promises. 

V.  11.  From  ibis  doxologywe  may  learn, 
that  they  who  have  obtained  grace  from  the 
God  of  all  grace,  should,  and  will,  ascribe 
glory,  dominion, -and  power,  to  Him,  for  ever 
and  ever. 

V.  12.  Here  the  apostle  recapitulates  the 
design  of  his  writing  this  epistle  to  them, 
ch.  1  :  13 — 15.  and  recommends  Silvanus,  the 
person  hy  whom  he  sent  them  this  brief 
epistle. 

Learn,  1.  An  honorable  esteem  of  the 
ministers  of  religion,  tends  much  to  the  suc¬ 
cess  of  their  labors  ;  the  prejudices  that 
some  of  these  Jews  might  have  against  Sil¬ 
vanus,  as  a  minister  of  the  Gentiles,  would 
soon  wear  off  when  they  were  once  con¬ 
vinced  that  lie  was  a  faithfid  brother. 

2.  The  main  thing  ministers  ought  to  aim 
at  in  their  labors,  is,  to  convince  their  peo¬ 
ple  of  the  certainty  and  excellency  of  the 
Christian  religion;  this  the  apostles  did  ex¬ 
hort  and  testify  with  all  their  might. 

3.  A  firm  persuasion  that  we  are  in  the 
true  way  to  heaven,  will  he  the  best  motive 
to  stand  fast,  and  persevere  therein. 

V.  13.  Peter,  being  at  Babylon  in  Assyr¬ 
ia,  when  he  w  rote  this  epistle,  sends  the  sal¬ 
utation  of  that  church  to  the  other  churches 
to  whom  he  wrote,  telling  them,  that  God 
had  elected  or  chosen  the  Christians  at  Baby¬ 
lon  out  of  the  world,  to  lie  his  church,  and  to 
partake  of  eternal  salvation  through  Christ 
Jesus,  together  with  them  and  all  other  faith- 
fid  Christians,  ch.  1:2.  In  this  salutation 
he  particularly  joins  Mark  the  evangelist, 
who  was  then  with  him,  and  who  was  his 
son  in  a  spiritual  sense,  being  begotten  by 
him  to  Christianity. 

All  the  churches  of  Jesus  Christ  ought  to 
have  a  most  affectionate  concern  one  for  an¬ 
other  ;  they  should  love  and  pray  for  one 
another,  and  be  as  helpful  one  to  another  as 
they  possibly  can. 

V.  14.  He  exhorts  them  to  fervent  love 
and  charity  one  towards  another,  and  to  ex¬ 
press  this  by  giving-  the  kiss  of  peace,  accor¬ 
ding  to  the  common  custom  of  those  times 
and  countries;  and  so  concludes  with  a  ben¬ 
ediction,  which  he  confines  to  those,  only, 
that  are  in  Christ  Jesus,  united  to  Him  hy 
faith,  and  sound  members  of  his  mystical 
body. 


PR.ACT.  OB®!.  V.  s — 14.  Did  a  roaring  lion  at  any  time  traverse 
our  streets,  devouring  numbers  of  the  careless  and  inattentive;  and  we 
were  informed  of  it,  by  indisputable  testimony  ;  we  should  proceed  with 
great  caution  and  circumspection,  if  obliged  to  go  out  in  such  perilous 
circumstances;  yet  a  far  more  formidable  enemy  continually  watches 
his  opportunity  of  destroying  our  souls;  God  Himself  gives  us  the  infor¬ 
mation  and  alarm,  and  we  cannot  have  any  safety  except  we  ‘watch 
and  nre  sober.'  But,  alas  !  bow  little  do  we  take  the  warning,  and  act  as 
if  we  really  believed  this  to  be  the  case  !  Yet  in  this  way  alone  can  we 
reasonably  hope  to  be  kepi  from  falling  into  temptation,  and  being  over- 

sary. I  Mat.  5:25.  Lut  e  12:58.  18:3.  An  adversary  at  law  ;  one  who 
brings  an  accusation. — Diabolos ,  means  a  false  accuser  ;  Satan,  an  ad¬ 
versary,  or  enemy.  The  persecuted  Christians  were  first  calumniated, 
and  then  condemned  to  tortures  or  death.  Instigated  by  the  .devil,  the 
original  liar  and  murderer,  John  8:41—47.  the  perseeutors  murdered 
their  characters  first,  and  then  their  persons.  Scott. 

(8.)  Devour.]  ‘The  word  expresses  more,  even  swallowing  up; 
and  so  represents  the  insatiable  rage  of  the  enemy  of  our  salvation.’ 

Dobdr. 

(h.)  ‘  Truly  it  is  a  pity  to  be  at  the  trouble  of  suffering  afllictions, 
and  not  get  good  by  them.  We  get  good  by  thenvwhen  they  awaken 
us  to  do  good  ;  and  I  may  say,  never  till  then.  When  God  is  distribu¬ 
ting  sorrows  to  you,  the  sorrows  still  come  upon  some  errands  ;  therefore 
tile  best  wav  for  you  to  find  that  they  do  not  come  in  his  anger,  is,  to 
consider  what  the  errands  may  be.  When  any  affliction  comes,  imme¬ 
diately  reflect,  “  To  what  special  act  of  repentance  does  this  call  me  ?  ” 
and  while  it  is  yet  upon  you,  seriously  inquire,  “To  what  improvement 
in  holiness  and  usefulness  does  this  call  me?”  Be  more  solicitous  to 
gain  this  point,  than  to  escape  the  affliction.  Oh  the  peace  that  will 
compose,  possess,  and  ravish  your  mind,  when  your  afflictions  shall  be 
found  vielding  these  “fruits  of  righteousness!”  Luther  did  well  to 
call  afflictions  “  the  theology  of  Christians."  ’  Mather. 

V.  12.  It  is  highlv  probable,  that  Silvanus  was  the  same  person,  who 
generally  attended  Paul;  and  who  was  frequently  called  Silas.  M.  II. 
x. — Acts  15:22 — 41. — This  confirms  the  supposition,  that  l’eler  wrote,  to 
establish  in  the  faith  the  same  churches,  which  had  been  planted  hy 
Paul  and  his  companions,  against  all  the  insinuations  of  those,  who  en¬ 
deavored  to  persuade  the  Gentile  converts,  that  he  preached  a  different 


come  by  it.  Mat.  6:13.  26:40,41.  Luke  22:31— 34,  39— 46.—  If,  however, 
we  must  encounter  this  dreadful  foe,  we  should  ‘resist  him,  steadfast  in 
the  faith,’  and  then  the  Lord  will  constrain  him  to  ‘flee  from  us.’ — All 
the  apostles  and  evangelists  exhort  us  to  these  things,  and  ‘  testify  that 
this  is  the  true  grace  of  God  ;  ’  may  we  then  steadfastly  ndhere  to  this 
primitive  Christianity,  and  not  listen  to  ‘cunningly  devised  fables!’ 
Thus  it  xvill  appear  we  were  elected  together  with  those  who  are  now 
in  glory  ;  that  we  are  indeed  faithful  brethren  with  nil  the  family  of  God; 
that  we  desire  to  live  in  love  witli  them,  and  to  share  that  peace,  be¬ 
longing  to  all  that  are  1  in  Christ  Jesus,’  and  to  them  exclusively.’  Sc. 

doctrine  than  the  other  apostles  did:  and  indeed  the  attentive  reader 
will  mark  a  great  similarity  in  the  sentiments  of  those  two  great  apos¬ 
tles;  especially  in  the  manner  in  which  they  connect  doctrine  and 
practice  together.  Testifying.]  Here  only.  Jleh.  2:4 — Neh.  9:29,  30. 
13:15.  Sept.— May  not  this  word  imply,  that  the  apostle  added  his  testi¬ 
mony  to  that  of  those,  who  had  first  preached  t lie  Gospel  lo  them  ?  Sc. 

V.  13.  There  is  no  sufficient  ground  lo  suppose,  that  by  Babylon,  the 
apostle  mystically  meant  Rome  ;  for  no  reason  can  he  assigned,  why  he 
should  withhold  the  name  of  that  city,  when  lie  wrote  this  epistle.  Act 
if  any  choose  to  avail  themselves  of  this  only  scriptural  proof,  that  Pe¬ 
ter  ever  resided  at  this  great  antichrislian  metropolis;  protestants  are 
not  concerned  to  controvert  it.  It  is,  however,  generally  allowed,  that 
Peter  went  lo  Rome,  and  there  suffered  martyrdom. — It  is  not  certain, 
whether  Marcus  is,  or  is  not,  the  same  with  John  Mark,  mentioned  fre¬ 
quently  hy  Paul,  and  in  the  Acts  of  the  Apostles.  Pref.  to  the  Gospel 
according  to  Mark.  I®* 

'13.)  Rahylon .]  ‘There  were  two  Babylon s  ;  one  in  Egvpt,  the 
other  in  Syria  :  hut  Lardner  says,  there  is  no  mention  of  eiiher  church 
or  bishop  at  the  former  place,  by  any  of  the  writers  of  the  first  four  cen¬ 
turies.  Many,  therefore,  refer  to  the  great  Babylon  of  Assyria:  Lard¬ 
ner,  however,  objects,  that  “thia  city  was  almost  deserted  in  (he  apos¬ 
tle’s  days  :  ’’  and  further  argues,  from  oh.  2:13, 14,  17.  that  Peter  wrote 
from  some  part  of  the  Roman  empire,  which  at  that  time  did  not :  include 
Babylon,  then  under  the  dominion  of  the  Parthiaiis.  I  hese  difficulties 
have  led  to  a  third  opinion,  which  we  adopt  from  Mr.  Home,  that  by 
Babylon,  Peter  meant  Rome,  as  John  did  in  the  Apocalypse,  on  account 
of  its  being  the  metropolis  of  idolatry.  This  opinion  has  the  general 
Intlmnnv  ’  Wrt.I.IAMS. 


AN  EXPOSITION 

OF  THE 

SECOND  EPISTLE  GENERAL  OF  PETER, 

WITH 

PRACTICAL  OBSERVATIONS  AND  NOTES. 

(Henry* s  Exposition ,  completed  by  Mr.  J.  Hill.) 


The  penman  of  this  epistle  appears  plainly  to  be  the  same  who  wrote  the  foregoing;  and  not  Simon,  who  succeeded  the 
apostle  James  in  the  church  at  Jerusalem,  inasmuch  as  he  who  wrote  this  epistle,  calls  himself  Simon  Peter ,  and  an  apostle, 
*>.  1.  and  says,  he  was  one  of  the  three  apostles  present  at  Christ's  transfiguration,  v.  18.  and  expressly,  that  he  had  Written  a 
former  epistle  to  them,  ch.  3:1.  Moreover,  the  design  of  this  second  epistle  is  the  same  with  that  of  the  former,  as  is  evident 
from  ch.  3:1.  whence  observe,  that,  in  the  things  of  God,  we  have  need  of  precept  upon  precept,  and  line  upon  line,  and  all 
little  enough  to  keep  [them]  in  remembrance  ;  yet  these  are  the  things  which  should  be  most  faithfully  recorded,  and  fre¬ 
quently  remembered  by  us.  Henry. 

The  writer  of  this  epistle  alludes  to  circumstances  and  facts,  which  agree  to  none  but  Peter,  1:14 — 16.  John  21:19.  and  he 
speaks  of  his  ‘  beloved  brother,  Paul,’  3:15.  It  must,  therefore,  either  be  the  work  of  the  apostle  Peter,  or  of  one  who  per¬ 
sonated  hi  in  ;  but  ‘  it  is  a  thing  of  the  worst  example,  for  any  man  to  forge  another’s  name,  or  pretend  to  be  the  person  he 
is  not.’  Le  Clerc.  It  may  be  added,  ‘  especially  to  forge  the  name  of  an  apostle,  and  to  personate  him,  in  order  to  sanction 
a  man’s  private  opinions  by  so  high  an  authority.’  Yet  the  epistle  is  remarkable  for  the  energy,  with  which  the  writer  incul¬ 
cates  holiness,  and  the  solemn,  yet  affectionate  manner,  in  which  he  testifies  against  the  delusions  of  those  who  neglect  it. 
It  has  indeed  been  urged,  that  the  stjde  remarkably  differs  from  that  of  Peter’s  first  epistle  ;  but  this  is  by  no  means  true, 
except  in  respect  to  a  part  of  the  second  ch.,  which  in  fact  seems  to  have  been  taken,  in  a  measure,  at  least,  from  some 
writing,  which  described  in  very  strong  language,  the  false  prophets  of  that  age,  or  of  earlier  ages,  which  was  then  extant, 
and  well  known,  but  is  now  lost.  Jude  seems  also  to  have  taken  some  things  from  it;  for  part  of  his  epistle  greatly  coin¬ 
cides  with  the  second  chap,  of  this.  In  all  other  respects,  the  internal  characters  of  authenticity  are  very  strong. — Some 
doubts,  however,  in  this  respect,  were  entertained  in  the  primitive  church,  which  Jerome  ascribes  to  the  supposed  dissimi¬ 
larity  of  style.  But  it  is  probable,  that  it  was  written  only  a  short  time  before  the  apostle’s  martyrdom  ;  and,  not  having 
been  so  publicly  avowed  by  him,  and  clearly  known  to  be  his,  during  his  lifetime,  the  scrupulous  caution  of  the  church 
hesitated  about  admitting  it  into  the  sacred  canon,  till  internal  evidence  fully  convinced  the  most  competent  judges,  that  it 
was  entitled  to  that  high  distinction.  It  is  generally  supposed  to  have  been  written  at  least  three  or  four  years  after  the 
former  epistle,  and  it  is  evident,  that  primarily  it  was  intended  for  the  same  persons,  though  not  expressly  addressed  to  them. 
—  It  appears,  that  the  apostle,  by  this  epistle,  especially  designed  to  put  Christians  on  their  guard,  against  the  false  apostles 
and  teachers,  who  perverted  the  Gospel ;  and  the  profane  scoffers,  who  started  objections  to  the  truth  of  it;  but  it  is  replete 
with  the  most  important  instructions  on  a  variety  of  subjects.  Scott. 


A.  D.  67. 

CHAP.  I. 

I  Confirming  them  in  hope  of  the  increase  of  God’s  graces, 
5  he  exhorteth  them,  by  faith,  and  good  works,  to  make 
their  calling  sure  :  1*2  whereof  he  is  careful  to  remem- 
s  her  them  knowing  that  his  death  is  at  hand:  16  and 
warneth  ihem  to  he  constant  in  the  faith  of  Christ,  who 
is  the  true  Son  of  God,  by  the  eyewitness  of  the  apostles 
beholding  his  majesty,  and  by  the  testimony  of  the  Fath¬ 
er,  and  the  prophets. 

*OIMON  Peter,  a  servant  and  an 
h-J  apostle  of  Jesus  Christ,  to  them 
that  have  obtained  like  b  precious 
faith  with  us  through  the  righteous¬ 
ness  of c  God,  and  our  Savior  Jesus 
Christ  : 

2  Grace  and  peace  d  be  multiplied 
unto  you  through  the  knowledge  of 
God,  and  of  Jesus  our  Lord, 

a  or,  St/meon.  c  our  God  and  d  Da.  4:1.  6:25. 
b  Ep.  4:5.  Savior. 


Chap.  I.  V.  1 — 4.  The  apostle  begins 
this  second  epistle  with  an  introduction, 
wherein  the  same  persons  are  described,  and 
the  same  blessings  desired,  that  are  in  the 
preface  to  his  former  letter  ;  but  there  are 
some  additions  or  allerations,  which  ought 
to  lie  noticed  in  all  the  three  parts  of  the  in¬ 
troduction. 

I.  The  person  who  wrote  the  epistle,  Si¬ 
mon  Peter.  Peter,  being  in  both  epistles, 
seems  to  be  the  name  most  frequently  used, 
and  most  acceptable  to  him,  being  given 


him  by  our  Lord,  on  his  confessing  Jesus  to 
be  Christ  the  Son  of  the  living  God  ;  signify¬ 
ing,  also,  and  sealing  that  truth  to  be  the 
fundamental  article,  the  rock  on  which  all 
must  build  ;  but  Simon,  though  omitted  in 
the  former  epistle,  is  mentioned  in  this,  lest 
the  total  omission  of  that  name,  which  was 
given  him  when  he  was  circumcised,  should 
make  the  Jewish  believers,  who  were  all 
zealous  of  the  law,  to  become  jealous  of  him, 
as  if  he  disclaimed  and  despised  circumcis¬ 
ion  ;  he  here  styles  himself  a  servant,  as  well 
as  an  apostle,  of  Jesus  Christ;  in  this  he  may 
be  allowed  to  glory, as  David  does,  Ps.  116: 
16.  The  service  of  Christ  is  the  way  to  the 
highest  honor,  John  12:26.  He  makes  all 
his  servants  kings  and  priests  unto  God,  Rev. 
1:6.  To  triumph  in  being  Christ’s  servant, 
is  very  proper  for  those  who  are  engaging 
others  to  enter  into,  or  abide  in,  the  service 
of  Christ. 

II.  The  people  to  whom  the  epistle  is 
written  ;  described  in  the  former  epistle  as 
elect  according  to  the  foreknowledge  of  God  the 
Father ;  and  here,  as  having  obtained  precious 
faith  in  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  ;  a  grace  pre¬ 
cious,  not  only  as  very  scarce,  even  in  the 
visible  church.  Mat.  22:  14.  but  as  very  ex¬ 
cellent,  and  alike  precious  in  the  private 
Christian  and  in  the  apostle,  producing  the 
same  precious  effects  in  the  one  and  in  the 
other;  uniting  both  to  Christ,  purifying  the 


Introduction  to  the  epistle. 

heart  of  one  as  truly  as  of  another,  and  jus¬ 
tifying  each  in  the  sight  of  God,  Acts  13: 
39.  taking  hold,  in  whomsoever  it  is,  of  the 
same  precious  Savior,  and  applying  the  same 
precious  promises.  This  precious  faith  is  ob¬ 
tained  of  God,  is  his  gift,  wrought  by  the 
Spirit,  wdio  raised  up  Jesus  Christ  from  the 
dead.  The  preciousness  of faith,  as  well  as 
our  obtaining  it,  is  through  the  righteousness 
of  Christ.  The  satisfactory,  meritorious 
righteousness  and  obedience  of  Christ  gives 
faith  all  its  value  and  preciousness;  and  the 
righteousness  of  such  a  Person  cannot  but 
be  of  infinite  value  to  those  who  by  faith  re¬ 
ceive  it. 

III.  The  apostolical  benediction,  the  same 
with  that  in  the  former  epistle;  but  here  lie 
adds,  1.  An  account  of  the  way  and  means 
whereby  grace  and  peace  are  multiplied  ;  it 
is  through  the  knowledge  of  God  and  Jesus 
Christ;  and,  2.  The  ground  of  the  apostle’s 
faith  in  asking,  and  of  the  Christian’s  hope 
in  expecting,  the  increase  of  grace.  Observe, 
(1.)  The  fountain  of  all  spiritual  blessings 
is,  the  divine  power  of  Jesus  Christ,  who 
could  not  discharge  all  the  office  of  Media¬ 
tor,  unless  He  was  God  as  well  as  man. 
(2.)  All  things  that  have  any  relation  to, 
and  influence  on,  the  true  spiritual  life,  are 
from  Jesus  Christ  ;  in  Him  (til  fulness 
dwells,  and  from  Him  we  receive,  grace  for 
grace,  John  1:  16.  even  all  that  is  necessary 


NOTES.  Chap.  1.  V.  1,2.  Perhaps  Peter  deemed  it  proper  to  sty  !e 

himself1  an  apostle,’  as  well  as  ‘a  servnnt  of  Christ;’  because  he  meant 
in  this  epistle  to  oppose  certain  false  teachers,  who  did  great  mischief  in 
the  church.— Thus  [i.  e.  by  speaking  of  like  precious  faith]  he  tacitly 
distinguished  ‘  the  faith  of  God’s  elect,’  from  that  dead  and  worthless 
faith,  by  which  many  were  deluded.  Tit.  1:1 — t.  Jam.  2:14 — 26.  This 
faith,  which,  as  the  original  intimates,  they  received  by  the  special  favor 
and  allotment  of  God,  rested  on  the  ‘righteousness  of  our  God  and  Sa¬ 
vior  Jesus  Christ,’  as  the  words  may  be  literally  rendered,  (jUVirg.) 
Thus  they  were  taught  to  believe  and  trust  in  the  ohedience  unto  death 
of  the  Lord  Jesus,as  their  incarnate  God  and  Savior,  for  their  justification, 
and  for  ail  the  blessings  connected  with  it,  nnd  resulting  from  it.  This  is 
the  most  obvious  meaning  of  the  words ;  but  if  any  contend,  that  the 
expression,  ‘our  God,’  refers  to  the  Father,  they  should  also  remember, 
that  the  meritorious  obedience  of  the  incarnate  Son  is  often  called,  ‘  the 
righteousness  of  God.’  Rom.  1:17.  6:21 — 26.  2  Cor.  5:18 — 21.  Phil.  3: 
8 — 11.  Nor  can  we  form  any  idea,  in  what  sense  a  Christian’s  faith 
could  be  said  to  be  either  in,  or  ‘  through,  the  righteousness,’  or  justice 
of  God,  considered  merely  as  a  divine  attribute,  when  it  rests  mainly  on 
tile  mercy  and  truth  of  God,  and  only  views  his  justice  as  satisfied,  and, 
[612] 


as  it  were,  consenting  to  the  sinner’s  salvation,  through  (he  meritorious 
work  of  Christ. — Our  translation,  ‘through  the  righteousness,’  though 
it  seems  not  to  be  the  e.xnct  sense  of  the  passage,  yet  conveys  a  very 
important  meaning;  as  the  faith,  by  which  we  rereive  Christ  for  salva¬ 
tion,  is  given  to  ns  1  through  the  righteousness,’  which  lie  finished  as  our 
Surety,  for  it  springs  from  the  regeneration  of  tile  Holy  Spirit,  as  given 
to  us  through  his  mediation.  John  1:10 — 12. — Through.]  En.  In,  with, 
by,  for,  from,  for  the  sake  of;  rarely,  through.  The  apostle  Paul  hav¬ 
ing  used  en  for  several  verses,  when  the  idea  of  through  occurred  to 
him,  changes  en  for  dia  with  the  genitive,  2  Cor.  6:4 — 8.  which  is  not 
observed  in  our  version.  Comp.  3  with  3:18.  Gr.  Scott. 

(1.)  Through  Ike  righteousness,  Ac.]  ‘  In  the  righteousness  of  our 
God,  &c.’  Scholefie/d.  —  ‘In  it  as  the  object  of  faith.’  Henry,  nbr. — ■ 
Of  God  and  our  Savior,  Arc.]  ‘  Of  our  God  and  Savior,  <tc.’  So  Doddr. 
and  Bloomf.  ;  and  Greenfield,  referring  to  Granville  Sharp,  Wordsworth, 
Middleton,  and  Pye  Smith,  in  confirmation,  says,  ‘  this  is  certainly  the 
literal  and  proper  rendering  of  the  original,  and  should  have  been  re¬ 
ceived  in  the  text :  it  is  an  absolute  proof,’  be  adds,  ‘  that  Peter  calls 
Jesus  Christ  God,  in  the  most  proper  sense  of  the  term.’'  Ed. 


A.  L).  g7. 


2  PETER,  I. 


Progress  in  grace  and  holiness  urged. 


3  According  as  his  divine  power 
hath  given  unto  us  all  'tilings  that 
pertain  unto  life  and  godliness, 
through  the  knowledge  of  him  that 
hath  called  us  fto  glory  and  *  virtue: 

4  Whereby  are  given  unto  us  ex¬ 
ceeding  great  and  precious  ''prom¬ 
ises;  that  by  these  ye  might  be  ‘  par¬ 
takers  of  the  divine  nature,  having 
escaped  J  the  corruption  that  is  in 
the  world  through  lust. 

5  And  beside  this,  giving  all  dili¬ 
gence,  add  to  your  faith  k  virtue; 
and  to  virtue  1  knowledge  ; 

«P>.  84:11.  gSTi.  1:9.  jc.2:18.20. 

ITi  4:8.  h  2  Co.  7:1.  k  Phi.  4:8. 

or, by.  i  He.  12:10.  1  Phi.  1:9. 

for  die  preserving,  improving,  and  perfect¬ 
ing  of  grace  and  peace,  which,  so  some,  are 
called  here,  godliness  and  life.  (3.)  Knowl¬ 
edge  nf  God, and  faith  in  Him,  are  the  chan¬ 
nel  whereby  all  spiritual  supports  and  com¬ 
forts  are  conveyed  to  us  ;  God  is  the  Author 
of  our  effectual  calling,  for  so  He  is  here  de¬ 
scribed  ;  Him  that  hath  called  us  to  glory 
and  virtue.  Observe,  here.  The  design  of 
God  in  calling  or  converting  men,  is,  to 
bring  them  to  glory  and  virtue,  that  is,  peace 
and  grace,  so  some  ;  but  many  prefer  the 
marginal  rendering,  by  glory  and  virtue,  and 
so  make  effectual  calling  the  work  of  the 
glory  and  virtue,  or  the  glorious  power,  of  God, 
descrilied  Eph.  1:19.  and  Ps.  63:2.  this 
power  or  virtue  is  to  be  extolled  by  all  that 
are  called  out  of  darkness  into  marvellous  light, 
1  Pet.  2:9. 


In  i>.  4.  the  apostle  goes  on  to  encourage 
their  faith  and  hope  in  looking  for  an  in¬ 
crease  of  grace  and  peace,  because  the  same 
glory  and  virtue  are  employed  and  evidenced 
in  giving  the  promises  of  the  Gospel,  that 
are  exercised  in  our  effectual  calling.  Ob¬ 
serve,  The  good  things  the  promises  make 
over,  are  exceeding  great:  the  pardon  of  sin, 
of  sins  numerous  and  heinous,  is  a  wonder¬ 
ful  thing,  and  so  called,  Ps.  119:  18.  the 
promised  blessings  of  the  Gospel  are  very 
precious  :  they  who  receive  the  promises 
of  the  Gospel,  partake  of  the  divine  nature, 
are  renewed  in  the  spirit  of  their  mind,  after 
the  image  of  God,  in  knowledge,  righteousness , 
and  holiness  ;  their  hearts  are  set  for  God 
and  his  service  ;  they  have  a  divine  temper 
and  disposition  of  soul:  those  in  whom  the 
Spirit  works  the  divine  nature,  are  freed 
from  the  bondage  of  corruption,  and  trans¬ 
lated  into  the  libeity  of  the  children  of  God  ; 
for  it  is  the  world  in  which  corruption  reigns; 
they  who  are  not  of  the  Father,  but  of  the 
world,  nee  under  the  power  of  sin  ;  the  world 
lies  in  wickedness,  1  John  5:  19.  And  the 
dominion  that  sin  has  in  the  men  of  the  world 
is  through  lust;  their  desirps  are  to  it,  there¬ 
fore  it  rules  over  them.  The  dominion  sin 
has  over  us,  is  according  to  the  delight  we 
have  in  it. 

V.  5 — 7.  Here  the  apostle  comes  to  the 
chief  thing  intended  in  this  epistle, — to  ex¬ 
cite  and  engage  them  to  advance  in  grace 
and  holiness  ;  a  good  beginning  is  not  to 
be  rested  in  ;  he  had  prayed  that  grace  and 
peace  might  be  multiplied  to  them,  and  now  he 
exhorts  them  to  press  forward  for  the  ob¬ 
taining  of  more  grace  ;  and  they  who  will 


make  progress  in  religion,  must  be  very  dil¬ 
igent  in  their  endeavors  ;  without  giving  all 
diligence,  there  is  no  gaining  any  ground  in 
the  walk  of  holiness  ;  we  must  strive,  if  we 
will  enter  in  at  the  strait  gate,  Luke  13:  24. 

Here  we  cannot  but  observe  bow  the  be¬ 
liever’s  way  is  marked  out,  step  by  step. 

1.  He  must  get  virtue ,  by  which  some  un¬ 
derstand  justice;  and  then  knowledge,  temper¬ 
ance,  and  patience,  being  joined  with  it,  the 
apostle  may  be  supposed  to  put  them  on 
pressing  after  the  lour  cardinal  virtues,  or 
the  four  elements  that  go  to  the  making  up 
of  every  virtue  or  virtuous  action  ;  but  see¬ 
ing  it  is  a  faithful  saying,  and  constantly  to 
be  asserted,  that  they  who  have  faith,  be  careful 
to  maintain  good  works.  Tit.  3:8.  by  virtue 
here  we  may  understand  strength  and  cour¬ 
age,  without  which  the  believer  cannot  stand 
up  for  good  works,  by  abounding  and  excel¬ 
ling  in  them.  We  have  need  of  virtue  while 
we  live,  and  it  will  be  of  excellent  use  when 
we  come  to  die. 

2.  The  believer  must  add  knowledge  to  his 
virtue,  prudence  to  his  courage  ;  there  is  a 
knowledge  of  God’s  name,  which  must  go 
before  our  faith,  Ps.  9:  10.  but  there  are 
proper  circumstances  for  duty,  which  must 
be  known  and  observed  ;  every  believer  must 
labor  after  the  knowledge  and  wisdom  that 
are  profitable  to  direct,  both  as  to  the  proper 
method  and  order  wherein  all  Christian  du¬ 
ties  are  to  be  performed,  and  as  to  the  way 
and  manner  of  performing  them. 

3.  We  must  add  temperance  to  our  knowl¬ 
edge  ;  the  Gospel  teaches  sobriety  as  well 
as  honesty.  Tit.  2:  12.  we  must  be  moderate 
in  desiring  and  using  the  good  tilings  of  nut- 


V.  3,  4.  It  might  be  expected  by  Christians,  that  the  progressive 
work  of  illumination,  sanctification,  and  consolation,  would  be  carried 
on  in  them,  according  to  what  ‘the  divine  power’  of  the  Lord  Jesus 
had  already  conferred.  Eph.  3:20,  21.  In  consequence  of  his  exalta¬ 
tion,  and  mediatorial  authority,  ‘his  divine  power’  had  given  to  his 
people  ‘  all  things  pertaining  to  life  and  godliness  ;’  whatever  was  re¬ 
quisite  for  their  spiritual  and  eternal  life  and  final  felicity,  and  for  their 
acting  suitably  to  their  relations  and  obligations  to  God,  during  their 
passage  through  this  evil  world  to  heaven.  All  these  things  had  been 
freely  bestowed  on  them,  ‘  through  the  knowledge  of  God,  who  had 
called  them,’  by  his  glorious  grace  and  mercy,  and  the  ‘virtue,’  or  ener- 
gy,  of  his  quickening  Spirit  ;  or,  lie  had  called  on  them  to  partake  of 
‘his  eternal  glory,’  and  to  a  constant  and  courageous  profession  of  the 
Gospel,  and  obedience  to  Christ,  amidst  all  the  trials  and  sufferings  of 
their  present  state.  For  the  words  ‘  glory  and  virtue ,’  may  either  re¬ 
fer  to  God,  who  called  them,  or  that  to  which  they  were  called : 
the  former  seems  the  more  literal  construction  ;  hut  the  unusual  use 
of  the  word  rendered  virtue ,  in  applying  it  to  God,  has  induced  most 
expositors  to  adopt  the  latter  interpretation.  Yet  the  same  word 
is  used,  in  this  application  of  it,  by  Peter,  in  another  place.  1  Peter 
2 :9.  Gr. — The  promises  of  Scripture  relate  to  things  most  needful  to 
sinners,  suitable  to  their  case,  answerable  to  all  their  wants,  and  abun¬ 
dantly  sufficient,  when  fulfilled  to  them,  as  believers,  to  render  them 
most  blessed  for  evermore.  These  are  set  before  men,  by  the  Gospel, 
•who  are  invited  to  come  and  partake  of  the  promised  blessings;  but 
they  are  given  to  believers  alone,  who  mav  consider  them  as  so  many 
valuable  securities;  for,  being  united  to  Christ,  and  partakers  of  Him, 
all  the  promises  belong  to  them  through  Him  and  by  his  covenant.  2 
Cor.  1:17 — 20.  —They  were,  moreover,  bestowed  on  them,  to  the  end 
that  ihev  ‘might  he  partakers  of  the  divine  nature,’  that  so  a  new  na¬ 
ture  might  he  formed  within  ihem,  and  a  new  direction  given  to  their 
understandings,  wills,  and  affections,  conformably  to  the  holy  nature  of 
God,  and  capable  of  loving  and  delighting  in  Him,  and  finding  happiness 
in  his  service.  Gen.  1:26,  27.  Rom.  12:2.  2  Cor.  3:17,  18.  Eph.  4:20 — 
24.  Col.  3:7 — 11.  When  this  change  of  heart  and  nature  was  begun  in 
regeneration,  it  influenced  those  who  experienced  it,  to  separate  from 
nil  those  outward  vices  and  enormities,  into  which  men  are  drawn,  by 
their  excessive  and  idolatrous  cravings  after  the  pleasures,  possessions, 
or  distinctions  of  the  world.  —  When  sinners  profess  to  repent,  and  to 
embrace  the  Gospel,  they  outwardly  relinquish  these  iniquities;  [Notes, 
2:20—22.  Mat.  12:43 — 45.)  and  all  regenerate  persons  actually  and  final¬ 
ly  escape  them,  i  e  the  allowed  or  habitual  practice  of  any  of  them. — 
Virtue.  ]  5.  Phil.  4:8.  1  Pet.  2:9.-‘This  word,  used  so  frequently  in  hea¬ 
then  writers,  seldom  occurs  in  the  New.  Test. ;  and  when  it  does,  it 
does  not  always  signify  the  whole  of  a  right  principle,  but  generally 
courage .’  Doddr. — It  never  occurs,  but  in  the  texts  referred  to  ;  and  it 
never  signifies  general  holiness,  or  a  right  state  of  the  heart  and  con¬ 
duct.  Courage  is  the  heathen  meaning  of  it  in  general;  being  derived 
from  Arts,  Mars.  Or  it  signifies,  military  fortitude ;  as  virtue ,  manly 
valor,  from  vir,  a  man.  5 — 7. — (4)  The  divine  nature.]  A  divine  na¬ 
ture  ;  without  the  article:  a  nature  like  that  of  God,  bearing  his  holy 
image;  not  the  essence  of  the  divine  nature.  Gal.  4:8.  Eph.  2:3.  Some 
for  a  lime  ‘escape  the  corruption  of  the  world,’  who  are  not  partakers 
of  a  ‘divine  nature;’  and  these  ‘ in  time  of  temptation  fall  away.’  2: 
20 — 22.  Mat.  13:20,21.  Scott. 

(3.)  To.]  ‘  Margin,  “  By  ”  glory  and  virtue.  If  vve  take  the  textual 
rendering,  it  means,  that  we  are  called  to  practise  the  one,  and  enjoy  the 
other;  if  the  margin ,  it  may  import,  that  by  a  display  of  these  in  the 
Gospel,  we  are  called  to  embrace  it.’  Williams. — ‘It  may  very  prop¬ 
erly  be  understood,  of  that  strengthening  energy  which  God  exerts  on 


the  human  mind,  which  appeared  in  so  extraordinary  a  manner  in  the 
apostolic  age.’  Poddr. — Whitby ,  in  Doddr.  understands  it  of  the  glori¬ 
ous  effusion  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  Ed. — Giving  all  diligence .]  ‘  There  is 
an  end  to  the  earnestness  of  some  persons  when  they  have  obtained  what 
they  call  theirconversion.  While  they  consider  themselves  in  a  state  of 
nature,  they  seek  after  God,  and  cry  earnestly  in  the  use  of  means  ;  but  af¬ 
terwards  they  act  as  if  their  work  was  done.  The  SS.  everywhere  repre¬ 
sent  striving  and  labor  as  subsequent  to  regeneration.  Almost  all  that  is 
said  in  the  N.  T.  about  watching,  running,  wrestling,  pressing  forward, 
crying  to  God  day  and  night,  is  said  to  saints.  Hut  there  are  many 
professors  who  have  adopted  the  strange,  antiscriptural  notion  of  hav¬ 
ing  all  this  before  they  are  converted  ;  so  as  to  have  an  easy  time  of  it 
afterwards,  in  sloth  and  indolence.’  Edwards. 

(4.)  Divine  nature.]  1  The  best  commentators  agree,  that  it  denotes 
disposition  :  so  that  to  be  partakers  of  the  divine  nature  will  be,  to  im¬ 
itate  God’s  perfections,  aim  at  a  similitude  to  his  moral  properties  and 
attributes.’  Bloomf. 

V.  5 — 7.  Thele  holy  dispositions,  and  the  effects  of  them  on  iheir 
conduct,  must  be  diligently  and  carefully  added  together,  as  different 
voices  ill  harmony  form  a  chorus;  that  so,  the  exercise  of  each  other 
might  regulate,  anil  hound,  and  unite  with  that  of  the  rest,  and  prevent 
their  exceeding  or  degenerating.  Thus,  the  Christian  character  would 
appear  well  proportioned,  and  beautiful  -.  whereas,  if  any  of  these  graces 
were  remarkably  defective,  the  others  would  appear  to  be  redundant, 
being  joined  witli  those  natural  dispositions,  which  most  resembled 
them  ;  and  the  character  would  appear  deformed  and  destitute  of  sym¬ 
metry  ;  whilst  one  man  would  be  bold  without  knowledge  or  love  ; 
another,  gentle  and  hind,  without  firmness  or  fortitude.  The  same 
disproportion  would  appear  in  various  other  particulars. — It  is  evident, 
that  none  of  the  genuine  graces  of  the  Christian  character  can  exist 
alone  ;  all  combine  in  forming  it,  but  symmetry  is  the  source  of  beauty. 
Mat.  5:3.  Gal.  5:22—26.  Scott. 

(5.)  Add  to  your  faith  virtue.]  Many  commentators,  as  Doddr., 
Mackn.,  Ros.,  fee.  take  virtue  here,  in  the  sense  of  courage  ;  but  R/oo/nf ., 
after  Schleus.,  prefers  '■Christian  virtue.'  Ed. — Knowledge.]  ‘The  young 
Christian  should  aim  at  the  highest  intellectual  improvement  within  his 
reach.  An  ignorant  man  may  be  truly  a  Christian,  devout,  safe,  happy, 
and  in  a  measure  useful  ; — not  however  because  of  his  ignorance,  hut  in 
spite  of  it.  His  Christian  character,  instead  of  resting  on  his  ignorance, 
will  rest  on  what  he  knows,  lie  will  love  God,  not  because  he  knows 
Him  not,  but  because  he  knows  Him.  The  devotion  of  ignorance  is 
superstition  ;  but  Christian  devotion  arises  from  knowing  God,  and  that 
He  is  a  rewarder  of  them  that  diligently  seek  Hint.  Pour  upon  the  ig¬ 
norant  Christian’s  mind,  a  flood  of  light  and  knowledge;  expand  and 
strengthen  his  mind,  till  lie  has  that  reach  of  thought,  and  those  powers 
of  discrimination,  which  belong  to  a  mind  fully  instructed  in  the  myste¬ 
ries  of  the  kingdom  of  heaven  [the  will  of  God,  as  displayed  in  the  laws 
of  his  universe]  :  let  his  conceptions  of  God,  and  of  Christ,  and  of 
all  eternal  things,  become  clear,  wide  and  powerful ; — will  not  the 
change  from  ignorance  to  knowledge,  heighten  and  beautify  all  the 
graces  of  his  character  ?  [See  vs.  8  and  9.  also  Note,  Mai.  4:4 — 6.]  The 
ignorant  Christinn  may  be  useful ;  but  his  ignorance  will  always  impede 
his  usefulness.  If  lie  can  make  himself  useful  with  the  little  knowledge 
which  he  has,  how  much  more  useful  would  he  he,  if  the  sphere  of  his 
intelligence  were  widened.  Ilis  usefulness  will  be  proportioned  to  his 
influence;  and  one  of  the  greatest  means  of  usefulness,  is  knowledge. 
Wealth  may  give  him  power  to  bless  the  destitute  with  the  Gospel,  or 
cause  the  widow's  heart  to  sing  for  joy; — or  he  may  be  in  circumstances 
where  his  mere  example  of  industrious  and  unrepinmg  toil,  or  calm  sub¬ 
mission  to  the  will  Of  God,  Shall  bring  persuasion  and  conviction  to  n 

[CIS] 


A.  D.  67. 


i  PETER,  I. 


Diligence  in  such  progress  enjoined. 


6  And  to  knowledge  “temper¬ 
ance;  and  to  temperance  "patience; 
and  to  patience  “godliness  ; 

7  And  to  godliness  brotherly  p 
kindness;  and  to  brotherly  kindness 
9  charity. 

8  For  if  these  things  be  in  you, 
and  abound,  they  make  you  that  ye 
shall  neither  be  r  barren  nor  unfruit¬ 
ful  8  in  the  knowledge  of  our  Lord 
Jesus  Christ. 

9  But  he  that  lacketh  these_ things 
is  'blind,  and  cannot  see  afar  off, 
and  hath  forgotten  that  he  was 
purged  from  his  old  sins. 

10  Wherefore  the  rather,  breth¬ 
ren,  give  diligence  to  make  your 
"calling  and  election  sure  :  for  7  if 
ye  do  these  things,  ye  shall  never 
fall  : 

11  For  so  an  entrance  shall  be 
ministered  unto  you  abundantly  into 
the  everlasting  kingdom  of  our  Lord 
and  Savior  Jesus  Christ. 

[Practical  Observations.] 

m  T  Co.  9:25.  q  1  Oo.  10:1 — 3.  u  c.  3:17. 

n  Ja  1:4  r  idle.  v  1  Jn-  3:19. 

o  1  Ti.  4:7.  s  hi.  15:2— 6.  Re.  22:14. 

p  Jn.  13:34,35.  t  1  Jn.  2:9—11. 

ural  life,  such  as  meat,  drink,  clothes,  sleep, 
recreations,  and  credit;  an  inordinate  de¬ 
sire  after  these  is  inconsistent  with  an  ear¬ 
nest  desire  after  God  and  Christ  ;  and  they 
who  take  more  of  these  than  is  due,  can 
render  to  neither  God  nor  man  what  is  due 
to  them. 

4.  Add  to  temperance  patience ;  which  must 
have,  its  perfect  work ,  or  we  cannot  be  perfect 
and  entire,  wanting  nothing.  Jam.  1:4.  for 
we  are  bom  to  trouble,  and  must  through 
many  tribulations  enter  into  the  kingdom  of 
heaven  ;  and  it  is  this  tribulation,  Rom.  5:  3. 
which  wirketh  patience,  that  is,  requires  the 
exercise,  and  occasions  the  increase,  of  this 
grace. 

5.  To  patience  we  must  add  godliness,  and 
this  is  the  very  thing  produced  by  patience, 


for  that  works  experience,  Rom.  5:  4.  When 
Christians  bear  afflictions  patiently,  they 
get  an  experimental  knowledge  of  the,  loving¬ 
kindness  of  their  heavenly  Father,  which  He 
will  not  take  from  his  children,  even  when  He. 
visits  their  iniquity  with  the  rod,  and  their 
transgressions  with  stripes,  Ps.  89:  32,  33.  and 
hereby  thev  are  brought  to  the  childlike  fear 
and  reverential  love  wherein  true  godliness 
consists  ;  to  which, 

6.  We  must  add  brotherly-kindness,  a  ten¬ 
der  affection  to  all  our  fellow-Christians, 
who  are  children  of  the  same  Father,  ser¬ 
vants  of  the  same  Master,  members  of  the 
same  family,  travellers  to  the  same  country, 
heirs  of  the  same  inheritance. 

7.  Charity,  or  a  love  of  good-will  to  all 
mankind,  must  he  added  to  the  love  of  de¬ 
light  which  we  have  for  those  who  are  the 
children  of  God.  God  has  made  of  one  blood 
all  nations  ;  all  are  of  the  same  human  na¬ 
ture,  capable  of  the  same  mercies,  and  liable 
to  the  same  afflictions  ;  therefore,  though  on 
a  spiritual  account  Christians  are  distin¬ 
guished  and  dignified  above  those  who  are 
without  Christ,  yet  are  they  to  sympathize 
with  others  in  their  calamities,  relieve  their 
necessities,  and  promote  their  welfare,  both 
in  body  and  soul,  as  they  have  opportunity. 

AH  the  foreruentioned  graces  must  be  had, 
or  we  shall  not  bn  thoroughly  furnished  for 
all  good  works, — for  the  duties  of  t lie  first 
and  second  table,  for  active  and  passive  obe¬ 
dience,  and  for  those  services  wherein  we 
are  to  imitate  God,  as  well  as  for  those 
wherein  we  only  obey  Him. 

V.  8—11.  To  engage  us  to  an  industri¬ 
ous  and  unwearied  pursuit  of  all  the  fore- 
mentioned  graces,  the  apostle  sets  forth  the 
advantages  that  redound  to  all  who  success¬ 
fully  labor,  so  as  to  get  these  things  to  be  and 
abound  in  them.  This  is  proposed, 

1.  More  generally,  v.  8.  The  having 
these  things  makes  not  barren,  (or  slothful,) 
or  unfruitful ;  where,  according  to  the  style 
of  tlie  Holy  Ghost,  understand  a  great  deal 
more  than  is  expressed  ;  as  that  it  will 
make  us  very  zealous  and  lively,  vigorous 
and  active,  in  all  practical  Christianity,  and 
eminently  fruitful  in  the  works  of  righteous¬ 
ness ;  these  will  bring  much  glory  to  God,  by 


bringing  forth  much  fruit,  among  men  ;  this 
is  the  necessary  consequence  of  adding  one 
grace  to  another  ;  for,  as  the  apostle  inti¬ 
mates  in  the  beginning  of  v.  8.  wherever 
grace  abounds,  there  will  be  an  abounding 
in  good  works. 

Jdow  desirable  it  is  to  be  in  such  a  case, 
the  apostle  evidences,  v.  9.  There  he  sets 
forth  how  miserable  it  is  to  be  without  those 
quickening,  fructifying  graces  ;  for  he  who 
has  not,  or  though  he  pretends  or  seems  to 
have,  the  foreaientioned  graces,  does  not 
exercise  and  improve  them,  dotes  upon  this 
present  evil  world,  but  has  no  discerning  at 
all  of  the  world  to  come,  so  as  to  be  affected 
with  the  spiritual  privileges  and  heavenly 
blessings  thereof ;  and  how  wretched  their 
condition,  who  cannot  see  anything  of  the 
reality  and  certainty,  the  greatness  and  near¬ 
ness,  of  the  glorious  rewards  God  will  be¬ 
stow  on  the  righteous,  and  the  dreadful  pun¬ 
ishment  He  will  inflict  on  the  ungodly  ! 

But  this  is  not  all  :  they  are  as  unable  to 
look  backward  as  forward  ;  they  forget  that 
thev  have  been  laid  under  obligations  to  ho¬ 
liness  of  heart  and  life,  and  are  solemnly 
bound  to  fight  against  the  flesh,  the  world, 
and  the  devil.  Often  call  to  mind,  and  se¬ 
riously  meditate  on,  your  solemn  engage¬ 
ment  to  be  the  Lord’s,  and  your  peculiar 
advantages  and  encouragements  to  lay  aside 
all  filthiness  of  flesh  and  spirit. 

2.  The  apostle  proposes  two  particular 
advantages  that  will  attend  or  follow  on  dil¬ 
igence  in  the  work  of  a  Christian  :  stabili¬ 
ty  in  grace,  and  a  triumphant  entrance  into 
glory.  These  he  brings  in  by  reassuming 
bis  former  exhortation,  and  laying  it  down 
in  other  words  ;  for  what,  v.  5.  is  express¬ 
ed  by  giving  diligence  to  add  to  faith  virtue, 
&c.  is  here  expressed  by  giving  diligence  to 
make  our  calling  and  election  sure ;  to  do 
which,  observe,  It  requires  great  diligence 
and  labor  ;  there  must  be  a  very  close  ex¬ 
amination  of  ourselves,  a  very  narrow  search 
and  strict  inquiry,  whether  we  are  thorough¬ 
ly  converted,  our  minds  enlightened,  our 
wills  renewed,  and  our  whole  souls  changed 
as  to  the  bent  and  inclination  thereof ;  to 
come  to  a  fixed  certainty  in  this,  requires 
the  utmost  diligence,  and  cannot  be  attained 


TRACT.  OBS.  V.  1— 11.  We  should  carefully  examine,  whether 
our  faith  hoof  a  ‘like  precious*  nature  and  efficacy,  with  that  of  the 
primitive. servants  of  Jesus  Christ  :  for  if  we  have  4  obtained  ’  this  Ines¬ 
timable  benefit,  we  are  certainly  interested  in  4  the  righteousness  of  our 
Gnd  and  Savior;*  and  ‘grace  and  peace  will  be  multiplied  unto  ns,’  in 
proportion  to  ‘  our  knowledge  of  God  and  of  Jesus  our  Lord,’  til!  the 
whole  is  perfected  in  the  felicity  of  heaven.  But  ‘  the  light  wiiitdt  is  in  ’ 
numbers,  even  of  those  who  profess  the  Gospel,  ‘is  darkness:’  Notes. 
Mat.  6:22, 23’.  Tit.  1:14 — 16.  and,  while  t hey  boast  themselves  to  be 
more  clear-sighted  titan  practical  Christians  and  teachers,  their  own  de¬ 
ficiency,  in  the  graces  and  good  works  of  true  religion,  proves  them  to 
be  ‘blind,’  or  at  least  very  dim-siglited;  men  who  can  see  nothing,  but 
a  few  things  belonging  to  their  own  narrow  system,  without  perceiving 
the  enlarged  nature  and  beneficent  tendency  of  the  Gospel;  who  have 

thousand  hearts.  But  if,  in  addition,  he  ltad  that  power  which  springs 
from  superior  intelligence,  how  much  wider  would  lie  his  usefulness  !’ 
[These  remarks  are  of  equal  force  in  favor  of  a  thoroughly  educated 
ministry.]  Rev.  LEO.v.mn  Bacon. 

V.  5 — 7.  ‘  Having  reminded,  that  God  had  given  them  all  things  per¬ 

taining  to  a  godly  life,  the  apostle  here  mentions  those,  virtues  which 
were  required  of  them  :  withal  intimating  that,  if  professed  Christians 
did  not  bring  forth  such  fruit,  they  neither  duly  attended  to  the  nature 
of  Christianity,  nor  would  they  have  anv  benefit  thereby.’  Benson,  in 
Bloonif. — 1  Aim  at  consistency  in  your  Christian  character.  There  is  a 
beauty  in  moral  consistency,  which  resembles  the  symmetry  of  a  well 
proportioned  building,  when  nothing  is  deficient,  or  redundant.  Consis¬ 
tency  can  only  be  acquired  anti  maintained,  by  cultivating  every  part 
of  the  Christian  character.  The  circle  of  virtues  must  be  complete, 
xvitliout  chasms  or  obliquities.  A  character  well  proportioned,  nnd  nicely 
balanced  in  all  its  parts,  we  are  not  frequently  permitted  to  witness;  for 
while  in  one  branch  there  is  vigor,  and  even  exuberance,  in  another 
there  may  He  the  appearance  of  feebleness  and  sterility.  The  man  who 
is  distinguished  for  virtues  of  a  particular  class,  is  apl  to  he  deficient  in 
those  which  belong  to  a  different  class.  This  is  so  commonly  the  fact, 
th»t  many  entertain  the  opinion  that  the  same  person  cannot  excel  in 
every  virtue.  Tints,  it  is  not  expected  that  the  man  of  remarkable  firm¬ 
ness  and  intrepidity,  should  he  at  the  same  time  distinguished  for  meek¬ 
ness  anti  gentleness.  But,  after  making  due  allowances  for  a  difference 
of  constitutional  temperament,  wc  must  maintain,  that  there  is  not,  nor 
can  there  he,  any  incompatibility  between  the  several  virlnps  of  the 
Christian  life.  They  are  all  branches  of  the  same  root,  and  the  princi¬ 
ple  which  affords  nourishment  to  one,  communicates  its  virtue  to  all. 
As  all  truth  is  harmonious,  however  it  may,  on  a  superficial  and  partial 
view,  seem  to  be  contradictory  ;  so  all  the  exercises  of  moral  goodness 

[614] 


forgotten,  that  even  baptism  signifies  ‘  a  death  unto  sin,  and  a  new  birth 
unto  righteousness;’  and  that  Christians,  by  their  very  profession,  are 
bound  ‘to  mortify  all  evil  and  corrupt  affections,  and  daily  to  proceed 
in  all  virtue  and  godliness  of  living.’  As,  therefore,  so  many  ‘are  pure 
in  their  own  eyes,  who  are  not  washed  from  their  filthiness;’  (Notes, 
Prov.  14:12.  16:2.30:11 — 14.)  and  as  every  one  of  Christ’s  apostles  hears 
most  decided  testimony  against  such  a  worthless  form  of  knowledge, 
such  a  dead  and  solitary  faith;  (Notes,  Gal.  5:1 — 6,  13 — 18.  6:6 — 10. 
Jam.  2:19 — 26.  1  John  3:7 — 10.  Jude  3,  8.)  ‘  we  ought  the  rather  to  give 
diligence  to  make  our  calling  and  election  sure.’  It  is  not  said,  that  if  we 
hold  certain  doctrines,  we  shall  never  fall ;  but  ‘  if  we  do  these  things, 
we  shall  never  fall;  ’  and,  in  the  diligent  ami  persevering  practice  of  ev¬ 
ery  good  work,  we  sltouid  wait  for  ‘  an  abundant  entrance  into  the  ever¬ 
lasting  kingdom  of  our  Lord  and  Savior  Jesus  Christ.’  Scott. 

arc  not  only  consistent,  hut  assist,  and  adorn  each  other.  ...  Men  are 
frequently  found,  whose  zeal  blazes  out  ardently  and  conspicuously,  so 
as  to  leave  others  far  back  in  the  shade,  while  they  are  totally  destitute 
of  that  humility,  meekness,  and  brotherly  kindness  [charity],  which  form 
an  essential  part,  of  the  Christian  character.  Man,  at  his  best  estate  in 
this  world,  is  an  inconsistent  creature.  The  only  persons  in  whom  this 
defect  is  not  observed,  are  the  men,  who,  by  grace,  live  near  to  God,  and 
exercise  a  constant  jealousy  and  vigilance  over  themselves.  But  when 
faith  is  weak  and  inconstant,  great  inconsistences  will  mar  the  beauty 
of  the  Christian  character.  Young  persons  ought  to  begin  early  to  ex¬ 
ercise  this  vigilance,  and  to  keep  their  hearts  with  diligence,  lest  they  he 
ensnared  hy  their  own  passions,  and  overcome  by  temptation.  I  counsel: 
you,  then,  my  young  friends,  to  aim  at  consistency, — cultivate,  assiduous¬ 
ly  every  part  of  the  Christiun  character  :  that  there  may  appear  a  beauti- 
ful.proportion  in  your  virtue.’  ‘  Counsels  to  the  Young.’  Dr.  Alexander. 

V.  8,  9.  These  things  ought  to  be  peculiarly  attended  to,  as  the  use¬ 
fulness  and  comfort  of  Christians  greatly  depended  on  them.  (9)  Can¬ 
not  see  afar  off'.]  Here  only.  Learned  men  do  not  agree  about  the 
derivation  ;  but  it  signifies,  seeing  nothing  but  what  is  brought  close  la 
the  eyes — Hath  forgotten.]  Having  received  forgetfulness  of  his  pu¬ 
rification  from  hi*  sins  formerly  committed.  Scott. 

(9.)  4  lie  who  Is  destitute  of  the  moral  virtues,  and  yet  expects  the 
salvation  of  the  Gospel,  which  imperatively  enjoins  -them,  is  blind,  or 
sees  a  very  little  way  into  the  true  nature  of  it,  and  forgets  that  he  was 
cleansed  from  his  former  sinsl  only  on  condition  of  renouncing  sin  in 
future.’  Bloomf. 

Ar.  10,  11.  Sure.]  19.  Rom.  4:16.  2  Cor.  1:7.  Heb.  2:2.  3:6,14.  6:19. 
9:17.— -Tiie  only  way  of  knowing  out-  election,  is  hy  our  conversion,  or 
calling;  if  catted,  it  is  because  elected.  Our  calling  must  be  known  hy 
our  loving  God.  Rom.  8:28.  Jam.  2:5.  This  is  known  hy  its  fruits  and 


A.  D.  67. 


2  PETER,  I. 


Fhe  apostle's  reason  for  his  exhortation. 


12  Wherefore  I  will  not  be  neg¬ 
ligent.  to  put  you  always  in  remem¬ 
brance  of  these  things,  though  ye 
know  them ,  and  be  established  in 
the  present  truth. 

13  Yea,  I  think  it  meet,  as  long 
as  I  am  in  this  tabernacle,  to  stir 
wyou  up,  by  putting  you  in  remem¬ 
brance  ; 

14  Knowing  that  shortly  I  must 
put  off  this  my  tabernacle,  even  as 
our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  hath  shewed 
x  me. 

15  Moreover,  I  will  endeavor 
that  ye  may  be  able  after  my  decease 
to  have  these  things  always  in  re¬ 
membrance. 

16  For  we  have  not  followed 
cunningly  devised  y  fables,  when  we 
made  known  unto  you  the  power 
and  coming  of  our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ,  but  were  eyewitnesses  z  of 
his  majesty. 

17  For  he  received  from  God 
the  Father  honor  and  glory,  when 
there  came  such  a  voice  to  him  from 
the  excellent  glory,  This  is  my  be¬ 
loved  Son,  in  whom  I  am  well 
pleased. 

y  2  Co.  4:2. 

i  Ja.  21:18,19.  z  Mat.  17:1—5.  Jn.  1:14. 

and  kept  without  divine  assistance,  as  we 
irav  learn  from  Ps.  139:23.  Rom.  8:  16. 

But  the  advantage  you  gain  by  it  is  great; 
you  will  be  kept  from  falling,  even  in  those 
hours  of  temptation  that  shall  be  on  the 
earth.  When  others  and  many  shall  fall, 
these  shall  be  preserved  sound  in  the.  faith , 
and  stand  perfect  and  complete  in  all  the 
will  of  God.  They  shall  have  also  a  tri¬ 
umphant  entrance  into  glory;  while  of  those 
few  who  get  to  heaven,  Some  are  scarcely 
saved,  1  Pet.  4: 18.  1  Cor.  3:  15.  these,  who 
are  growing  in  grace,  and  abounding  in  the 
work  of  the  Lord,  shall  have  an  abundant  en¬ 
trance  into  the.  joy  of  their  Lord,  even  that 
everlasting  kingdom  where  Christ  reigns, 
and  they  shall  reign  with  Him  for  ever  and 
ever. 

V.  12 — 15.  If  ministers  be  negligent  in 
their  work,  it  can  hardly  be  expected  that 
the  people  will  be  diligent  in  theirs;  there¬ 
fore  Peter  will  not  be  negligent,  that  is,  at  no 
time  or  place,  in  no  part  of  his  work,  to  no 
part  of  his  charge,  but  will  be  exemplary 
and  universally  diligent,  and  that  in  the 
work  of  a  remembrancer  ;  this  is  the  office 
of  the  best  ministers,  even  the  apostles  them¬ 
selves  ;  they  are  the  Lord’s  remembrancers, 
Is.  62:  6.  they  are  especially  bound  to  make 
mention  of  the  promises,  and  put  God  in 


mind  of  his  engagements  to  do  good  to  his 
people  ;  and  they  are  the  people’s  remem¬ 
brancers,  making  mention  of  God’s  precepts, 
and  putting  them  in  mind  of  the  doctrines 
and  duties  of  Christianity,  that  they  may 
remember  God’s  commandments  to  do  them. 

And  this  the  apostle  does,  though  some 
might  think  it  needless,  inasmuch  as  they 
already  knew  these  things  that  he  writes 
about,  and  were  established  in  the  very 
truth  that  he  insists  on.  Observe,  1.  We 
need  to  be  put  in  mind  of  what  we  do  al¬ 
ready  know,  to  prevent  our  forgetting  it, 
and  to  improve  our  knowledge,  and  reduce 
all  to  practice.  2.  We  must  be  established 
in  the  lielief  of  the  truth,  that  we  may  not 
be  shaken  by  every  wind  of  doctrine,  and 
especially  in  the  present  truth, — the  truth 
more  peculiarly  necessary  for  us  to  know  in 
our  day,  what  belongs  to  our  peace,  and 
what  is  more  especially  opposed  in  our  time. 
The  great  doctrines  of  the  Gospel, — that  Je¬ 
sus  is  the  Christ;  that  Jesus  Christ  came  into 
the  world  to  save  sinners  ;  that  those  who  be¬ 
lieve  in  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  shall  be  saved, 
and  all  that  believe  in  God  must  be  careful  to 
maintain  good  works.  These  are  truths  the 
apostles  insisted  on  in  their  day  ;  these  are 
faithf  ul  sayings,  and  worthy  of  all  acceptation 
in  every  age  of  the  Christian  church.  And  as 
these  must  be  constantly  affirmed  by  minis¬ 
ters,  Tit.  3:8.  so  the  people  are  to  be  well 
instructed  and  established  therein  ;  and  yet 
must,  after  all  their  attainments  in  knowl¬ 
edge,  be  put  in  mind  of  such  things  as  can¬ 
not  be  too  clearly  known,  or  too  firmly  be¬ 
lieved. 

The  apostle,  being  set  on  the  work,  tells 
us,  v.  14.  what  makes  him  earnest  in  this 
matter,  even  the  knowledge  he  had,  not  only 
that  he  must  certainly,  but  also  that  he  must 
shortly,  put  off  this  tabernacle.  Our  Lord 
Jesus  had  shown  him,  that  the  time  of  his 
departure  was  at  hand,  therefore  be  bestirs 
himself  with  greater  zeal  and  diligence,  be¬ 
cause  the  time  is  short  ;  he  must  soon  be 
removed  from  those  to  whom  he.  wrote;  anti 
his  ambition  being  that  they  should  remem¬ 
ber  the  doctrine  lie  had  delivered  to  them, 
after  he  himself  was  taken  away  from  them, 
he  commits  his  exhortation  to  writing.  The 
apostle  had  not  any  great  opinion  of  oral 
tradition  ;  that  was  not  so  proper,  a  mean 
to  reach  the  end  he  was  in  pursuit  of.  lie 
would  have  them  always  to  remember  these 
things,  and  not  only  to  keep  them  in  mind, 
but  also  to  make  mention  of  them,  as  the 
original  words  import.  This  is  the  way  to 
spread  the  knowledge  of  the  Lord;  and  this 
the  apostle  had  at  heart ;  and  they  who  have 
the  written  Word  of  God,  are  thereby  put 
into  a  capacity  to  do  this. 

V.  16 — 18.  Here  we  have  the  reason  of 
giving  the  foregoing  exhortation,  and  that 
with  so^inuch  diligence  and  seriousness. 
These  things  are  not  idle  tales,  or  a  vain 


thing,  but  of  undoubted  truth  and  vast  con¬ 
cern.  1  he  way  of  salvation  by  Jesus  Christ 
is  eminently  the  counsel  of  God  ;  the  most 
excellent  contrivance  of  the  infinitely  wise 
Jehovah;  it  was  He  that  invented  this  way 
of  saving  sinners  by  Jesus  Christ,  whose 
power  and  coming  are  set  forth  in  the  Gos¬ 
pel,  and  the  apostle’s  preaching  was  a  mak¬ 
ing  these  things  known.  This  coming  of 
Christ,  his  coming  in  the  flesh,  to  die  for 
sinners,  the  Gospel  is  very  plain  and  cir¬ 
cumstantial  in  setting  forth  ;  but  there  is  a 
second  coming,  which  it  likewise  mentions, 
which  the  ministers  of  the  Gospel  ought  also 
to  make  known,  when  He  shall  come  in  the 
glory  of  his  Father  with  all  his  holy  angels, 
for  He  is  appointed  to  be  Judge  bolii  of 
quick  and  dead.  He  w  ill  come  to  judge  the 
world  in  righteousness,  by  the  everlasting 
Gospel,  and  call  us  all  to  give  account  of  all 
things  done  in  the  body,  whether  good  or 
evil. 

Ami  though  this  Gospel  of  Christ  has  been 
blasphemously  called  a  fable  by  one  of  those 
wretches  who  call  themselves  ‘  the  successors 
of  St.  Peter  yet  our  apostle  proves  that  it 
is  of  the  greatest  certainty  and  reality,  inas¬ 
much  as  during  our  blessed  Savior’s  abode 
here  on  earth,  when  He  took  on  Him  the 
form  of  a  servant,  and  was  found  in  fashion 
as  a  man,  He  sometimes  manifested  Himself 
to  be  God,  and  particularly  to  our  apostle 
and  the  two  sons  of  Zebedee,  who  were  eye¬ 
witnesses  of  his  divine  majesty,  when  He  was 
transfigured  before  them,  and  his  face  did 
shine  as  the  sun,  and  his  raiment  was  white  as 
the  light,  exceeding  white,  as  snow,  so  as  no 
fuller  on  earth  can  white  them.  This,  Peter, 
James,  and  John,  were  eyewitnesses  of, 
and  therefore  might  and  ought  to  attest  it  ; 
and  surely  their  testimony  is  true,  when  they 
w  itness  what  they  have  seen  with  their  eyes, 
yea,  and  heard  with  their  ears  ;  for  beside 
the  visible  glory  that  Christ  was  invested 
with  here  on  earth,  there  was  ah  audible 
voice  from  heaven.  Where  observe. 

What  a  gracious  declaration  was  made; 
made  by  God  the  Father,  who  thus  publicly 
owns  his  Son,  even  in  his  state  of  humilia¬ 
tion  ;  made  to  do  our  Savior  a  singular  honor 
while  here  below,  by  declaring  Him  to  be 
his  Son.  This  voice  is  from  heaven,  called 
here  the  excellent  glory,  which  still  reflects  a 
greater  glory  on  our  blessed  Savior.  This 
declaration  is  from  God  the  Fountain  of 
honor,  and  from  heaven  the  seat  of  glory, 
where  God  is  most  gloriously  present.  This 
voice  was  heard,  so  as  to  be  understood  by 
Peter,  James,  and  John.  They  not  only 
heard  a  sound,  as  the  people  did,  John  12: 
28,  29.  but  understood  the  sense.  Blessed 
are  those  who  not  only  hear,  but  under¬ 
stand  ;  who  believe  the  truth,  and  feel  the 
power  of  the  voice  from  heaven,  as  he  did, 
who  testifietli  these  things ; — and  we  have  alt 
he  reason  in  the  world  to  receive  his  testi- 


effects ;  the  more  these  abound,  the  fuller  the  testimony  of  our  con¬ 
science  to  our  integrity,  and  of  God’s  Spirit  with  our  spirit.  Rom.  8:14 
— 17.  2  Cor.  1:12 — 14.  This  must  he  sought  by  diligence ;  and  thus 
that  becomes  sure  to  us,  in  our  consciences,  which  was  indeed  sure  be¬ 
fore,  in  the  secret  purpose  of  God.  Scott. 

V.  12 — 15.  The  composure  with  which  Peter,  on  litis  occasion,  spoke 
of  tlie  excruciating  death  which  awaited  him,  as  if  it  had  been  no  more 
than  putting  off  his  garment,  or  removing  his  tent,  may  very  properly 
he  contrasted  with  his  terror,  and  denial  of  his  Lord,  when  lie  had  been 
left  to  himself  in  order  to  his  humiliation.  Notes,  Mat.  26:30 — 35,  GO- 
75  — Though  he  wrote  to  the  churches  in  Asia,  yet  he  evidently  intended 
his  exhortations  for  tile  benefit  of  Christians  in  other  ages  and  nations; 
nnd  we  still  have  his  words  ‘in  our  remembrance.’  John  15:12 — 16.  P. 
O.  9—16.  Id. 

(12.)  Present  truth.]  ‘  I.  e.  that  of  which  he  was  now  treating; 
namely,  that  diligence  in  religion  was  the  way  to  perseverance.’  Wil¬ 
liams. — Bloom/,  thinks  the  clause  may  be  rendered,  ‘  though  ye  are  at 
present  established  in  tile  truth.’  Ed. 

(14.)  ‘  He  plainly  adverts  to  our  Lord’s  words,  John  21:18,  19.  It  is 

plain  Christ  foretold  to  Peter  his  martyrdom,  as  he  also  did  to  Paul.  2 
Tim.  4:6.  But  whether  these  words  of  the  apostle,  were  founded  on 
any  fresh  revelation  as  to  the  speedy  approach  of  that  event,  admits  of 
no  certain  determinhtion.’  Bloomf. 

V.  16 — 18.  Cunningly  devised  fables.  This  [to  follow  these]  had 
been  the  nature,  intention,  and  effect  of  many  of  the  Pagan  fictions,  nnd 
the  inventions  of  Jewish  rabbies  ;  and  indeed  this,  in  one  way  or  other, 
is  the  object  of  all  those,  who  invent  nnd  propagate  false  or  perverted 


systems  of  religion.  But  there  was  nothing  of  this  nature  in  the  doc¬ 
trine  taught  by  the  apostles,  concerning  the  power  and  authority  to 
which  Christ  had  been  advanced,  in  consequence  of  his  crucifixion  and 
resurrection,  nnd  the  ends  for  which  He  reigned  ;  or  in  what  related  to 
his  ‘second  coming  to  judge  the  world,’  to  perfect  the  salvation  of  li is 
disciples,  nnd  to  execute  vengeance  on  his  enemies.  These  doctrines 
xvere  not  suited  to  please  carnal  men,  or  to  procure  secular  advantages 
to  those  who  taught  them  ;  indeed  such  instructions  would  certainly 
offend  those  who  were  not  brought  lo  repentance,  faith,  and  holiness; 
but  they  were  authenticated  in  the  most  satisfactory  manner.  Scott. 

(16.)  ‘Surely,  if  Christianity  be  a  delusion,  it  is  a  blessed  delusion 
indeed  ;  and  lie  who  attempts  to  destroy  it  is  an  enemy  to  mankind.  It 
is  a  delusion  which  teaches  us  to  do  justly,  love  mercy,  and  walk  hum¬ 
bly  before  God;  a  delusion  xvhicli  teaches  us  to  love  our  Maker  su¬ 
premely,  and  our  neighbor  as  ourselves  ;  which  bids  us  love,  forgive,  and 
pray  lor  our  enemies,  render  good  for  evil,  and  promote  the  glory  of 
God,  and  the  happiness  of  our  fellow-creatures;  which,  wherever  it  is 
received,  produces  a  Humble,  meek,  charitable,  and  peaceful  temper,  and 
which,  did  it  universally  prevail,  would  banish  xvars,  vice,  and  misery 
from  ttie  world.  It  is  a  delusion  which  not  only  supports  and  com¬ 
forts  its  believers  in  their  wearisome  progress  through  this  vale  ot  rs, 
but  attends  them  in  death,  ivhen  all  other  consolations  fail, and  enaotc 
them  to  triumph  over  sorrows,  sickness,  and  the  grave.  It  <  s 
do  this,  in  delusion  let  me  live  and  die  ;  for  what  coni'  l ie  ”  *  . . 

reality  do  more?  Payson. — ‘If  wc  should  err  in  suppost  i-  -  - 

tian  religion  to  he  true,  we  can  be  no  great  losers  hj  t  .c  11  h  *  • 

in  supposing  it  false  !’  I  ASrCAL-,  - 

[blo] 


how  dreadful  must  it  he  to  err  in  supposing  i 


A.  D.  67. 


2  PETER,  I. 


Truth  and  reality  of  the  Gospel. 


18  And  this  voice  which  came 
from  heaven  we  heard,  when  we 
were  with  him  in  the  holy  mount. 

[Practical  Observations .] 

19  We  have  also  a  more  sure 
word  of  prophecy;  whereunto  ye  do 
well  that  ye  take  heed,  as  unto  a 
light  a  that  shineth  in  a  dark  place, 
until  the  day  dawn,  and  the  day-star 
b  arise  in  your  hearts  : 

20  Knowing  this  first,  that  no 
prophecy  of  the  Scripture  is  of  any 
private  interpretation. 

a  Pa.  119:105.  Pr.  6:23.  b  Re.  2:28  22:15. 

moriy  ;  for  who  would  refuse  to  credit  what 
is  so  circumstantially  laid  down  as  this  ac¬ 
count  of  the  voice  from  heaven,  of  which  the 
apostle  tells  us  1  It  was  heard  by  them  in 
the  holy  mount,  when  they  were  with  Jesus. 
The  place  wherein  God  affords  any  pecu¬ 
liarly  gracious  manifestation  of  Himself,  is 
thereby  made  holy,  not  with  an  inherent  ho¬ 
liness,  but  relatively,  as  the  ground  was  holy, 
where  God  appeared  to  Moses,  Exod.  3:  5. 
and  the  mountain  holy,  on  which  the  temple 
was  built,  Ps.  87:  1. 

V.  19 — 21.  In  these  words  the  apostle 
lays  down  another  argument  to  prove  the 
truth  and  reality  of  the  Gospel,  and  inti¬ 
mates  that  this  second  proof  is  more  con¬ 
vincing  than  the  former,  that  the  doctrine 
of  the  power  and  coming  of  our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ  is  not  a  mere  fable  or  cunning  con¬ 
trivance  of  men,  but  the  wise  and  wonderful 
counsel  of  the  holy  and  gracious  God.  For 
this  is  foretold  by  the  prophets  and  penmen 
of  the  Old  Test,  who  spake  and  wrote  un¬ 
der  the  influence,  and  according  to  the  di¬ 
rection,  of  the  Spirit  of  God.  Here  note, 

I.  The  description  given  of  the  Scriptures 


of  the  Old  Test.  ;  they  are  called  a  more 
sure  word  of  prophecy.  1.  It  is  a  prophetical 
declaration  of  the  power  and  coming,  the 
Godhead  and  incarnation  of  our  Savior, 
which  we  have  in  the  OKI  Test.  His  power 
to  destroy  the  devil  and  his  works,  and  his 
being  made  of  a  woman,  are  there  foretold. 
But  the  New  Test,  is  a  history  of  that 
whereof  the  Old  Test,  is  a  prophecy,  Mat. 
11:13.  Now  the  accomplishment  of  the  Old 
Test  by  the  New,  and  the  agreeableness  of 
the  New  to  the  Old,  are  a  full  demonstra¬ 
tion  of  the  truth  of  both.  2.  The  Old  Tes¬ 
tament  is  a  more  sure  word  of  prophecy.  It  is 
so  to  the  Jews,  who  received  it  as  the  ora¬ 
cles  of  God.  Following  prophets  confirmed 
what  had  been  delivered  to  those  who  went 
before,  and  these  prophecies  had  been  writ¬ 
ten  by  the  express  command,  and  preserved 
by  the  special  care,  and  many  of  them  fulfil¬ 
led  by  the  wonderful  providence,  of  God, 
and  therefore  were  more  certain  to  them 
who  had  all  along  received  and  read  the 
Scriptures,  than  the  apostle’s  account  of 
this  voice  from  heaven.  Moses  and  the  proph¬ 
ets  more  powerfully  persuade  than  even  mir¬ 
acles  themselves,  Luke  16:  31.  How  firm 
and  sure  should  our  faith  be,  who  have  such 
a  firm  and  sure  word  to  rest  upon  ! 

II.  'File  encouragement  the  apostle  gives 
us  to  search  the  Scriptures.  He  tells  us, 
We  do  well  if  we  take  heed  to  them  ;  that  is, 
apply  our  minds  to  understand  the  sense, 
and  our  hearts  to  believe  the  truth,  of  this 
sure  Word.  The  Word  is  that  form  of  doc¬ 
trine  into  which  we  must  be  cast,  Rom.  6: 
17.  that  formulary  of  knowledge,  Rom.  2: 
20.  by  which  we  are  to  regulate  our  thoughts 
and  sentiments,  our  words  and  confessions, 
our  whole  life  and  conversation  ;  and  this 
indeed  is  but  a  paying  that  regard  which  is 
due  to  the  oracles  of  God.  But  in  order  to 
this,  the  apostle  suggests  some  things  of 


TRACT.  OBS.  V.  12 — 18.  It  behooves  all  ministers,  after  the  exam¬ 
ple  of  Peter,  diligently  and  at.  all  times  to  put  their  readers  ‘  in  remem¬ 
brance  of  the  things’  above  mentioned,  in  connexion  with  evangelical 
truth  :  otherwise  they  cannot  ‘  take  them  to  record,  that  they  are  pure 
from  their  blood,  having  declared  unto  them  all  the  counsel  of  God,’ 
however  exactly  they  have  preached  the  doctrines  of  grace.  Acts  20: 
18 — 27.  Yet  nothing  can  tend  so  much  to  produce  composure  in  the 
prospect  or  in  the  pangs  of  death,  and  in  expectation  of  our  great  ac¬ 
count,  as  consciousness  that  we  have  not  sought  to  please  men,  or  to 
obtain  wealth,  reputation,  ease,  or  indulgence  to  ourselves;  but  that  we 
have  faithfully  and  simply,  and  persevering])’,  served  the  Ford  Jesus 
Christ,  atul  sought  his  glory,  and  the  salvation  of  spills,  as  the  great  aim 
of  all  our  labors.  Indeed  the  speedy  approach  of  death  should  excite 


singular  use  to  those  who  would  attend  to 
the  Scriptures  to  any  good  purpose.  1. 
They  must  account  and  use  the  Scripture  as 
a  light  which  God  hath  sent  into  the  world, 
to  dispel  that  darkness  which  is  upon  the 
face  of  the  w'hole  earth.  2.  They  must  ac¬ 
knowledge  their  own  darkness  ;  every  man 
in  the  world  is  naturally  without  that  knowl¬ 
edge  which  is  necessary  in  order  to  attain 
eternal  life.  3.  If  ever  men  are  made  wise 
to  salvation,  it  is  by  the  shining  of  the  Word 
of  God  into  their  hearts;  natural  notions  of 
God  are  not  sufficient.  4.  When  the  light 
of  the  Scripture  is  darted  into  the  blind 
mind  and  dark  understanding,  by  tlie  Holy 
Spirit  of  God,  then  the  spiritual  day  dawns, 
and  the  day-star  arises  in  that  soul.  To  give 
heed  to  this  light  must  needs  he  the  interest 
and  duty  of  alt;  and  all  w  ho  do  truth,  come 
to  this  light,  while  evil-doers  keep  at  a  dis¬ 
tance  from  it. 

III.  The  apostle  layS-down  one  thing  as 
previously  necessary  in  order  to  our  giving 
heed  to,  and  getting  good  by,  the  Scrip¬ 
tures,  and  that  is,  the  knowing  that  all  pro¬ 
phecy  is  of  divine  original  ;  this  important 
truth  he  not  only  asserts,  but  proves.  1, 
Observe,  No  Scripture  prophecy  is  of  pri¬ 
vate  interpretation,  (or  a  man’s  own  proper 
opinion,  an  explication  of  his  own  mind,) 
but  the  revelation  of  the  mind  of  God.  This 
was  the  difference  between  the  prophets  of 
the  Lord,  and  the  false  prophets.  The  pro¬ 
phets  of  the  Lord  did  not  speak  or  do  any¬ 
thing  of  their  own  mind,  as  Moses,  the  chief 
of  them,  says  expressly, Numb.  16:  28.  But 
false  prophets  speak  a  vision  of  their  own 
heart,  not  out  of  the  mouth  of  the  Lord,  Jer. 
23:16.  The  prophets  and  penmen  of  the 
Scripture  spake  and  wrote  what  was  the 
mind  of  God.  But  though  the  Scripture  be 
the  revelation  of  the  mind  and  will  of  God, 
yet  every  private  man  ought  to  search  it, 

us,  not  only  to  prepare  to  meet  it  with  comfort,  but  to  use  every  prop¬ 
er  mean,  that  all  around  us  may  have  the  substance  of  our  instructions 
in  remembrance  after  our  decease.  Nor  are  ministers  alone  concerned 
in  this  :  parents,  tutors,  school-masters,  even  to  the  teachers  of  charity- 
schools  and  Sunday-schools,  have  an  important  opportunity  of  useful¬ 
ness  in  these  respects  ;  and  an  awful  responsibility  attached  to  their  sev¬ 
eral  employments.  For,  whatever  clamors  may  be  raised  about  bigotry 
and  uncharitableness,  it  is  most  certain,  that  they  only,  who  preach  sal¬ 
vation  for  sinners  through  Jesus  Christ,  and  who  make  ‘known  his 
power  and  coming  to  judge  the  world,’  are  free  from  the  charge  of  follow¬ 
ing  cunningly  devised  failles;  and  therefore  they  ought  to  he  the  most 
earnest  in  llieir  labors,  without  regarding  what  the  consequence  may  be 
respecting  their  temporal  interests.  Scott. 


V.  19.  The  recollection  of  the  transfiguration  of  Christ,  gave  great 
confidence  personally  to  the  apostle,  which  was  indeed  especially  in¬ 
tended ;  and  his  testimony  concerning  it  might  lie  a  great  confirmation 
of  the  faith  of  other  Christians:  yet,  they  had  also  ‘a  more  sure  word 
of  prophecy.’  The  appearance  and  voice  on  the  mount  were  transient, 
and  only  three  persons  witnessed  the  interesting  scene;  one  of  whom 
had  long  before  been  martyred.  (Note,  Acts  12:1 — !.)  Whatever  as¬ 
surance,  therefore,  it  might  bring  to  t lie  individuals  concerned,  it  was  not 
so  well  suited  fully  to  satisfy  the  minds  of  men  in  general,  as  the  proph¬ 
ecies  of  Scripture  were.  These,  from  the  beginning,  at  least  from 
Adam’s  fall,  Gen.  3:14,  15.  had  foretold  and  described  tine  extraordinary 
Person;  and  given  intimations  of  his  birth,  character,  miracles,  doc¬ 
trines,  sufferings,  death,  resurrection,  and  exaltation  ;  together  with  1  lie 
establishment,  extent,  prosperity,  and  duration  of  his  kingdom,  and  his 
final  coming  to  judgment.  Atul  when  they  were  compared  witlt  the  ac¬ 
complishment  of  them  in  Jesus  of  Nazareth,  they  constituted  a  perma¬ 
nent  and  general  proof,  unanswerably  conclusive,  that  He  was  ‘the 
Messiah,’ ‘  the  Son  of  God,’  and  *  the  Savior  of  tjte  world.’  Tims  the 
prophecies  more  powerfully  corroborated  the  doctrine  of  the  apostles, 
concerning  his  exaltation  and  second  coming,  than  anything  Peter  had 
seen  on  the  mount  could  do:  not  indeed  to  him  personally,  or  to  James 
and  John,  who  witnessed  the  transfiguration  ;  but  to  men  in  general. 
So  that  the  more  ‘  this  word  of  prophecy  '  should  he  considered,  lire  ful¬ 
ler  conviction  would  it  communicate.  Christians  ought  therefore  to  at¬ 
tend  to  the  prophecies  of  Scripture,  for  their  direction  and  Conviction, 
concerning  the  truth  of  the  Christian  religion  ;  till  the  Holy  Spirit  should 
discover  to  their  souls  the  glory  and  excellency  of  the  Gospel,  and,  by 
his  sanctifying  and  comfortable  influences,  give  them  ‘  the  dawning’  of 
heaven  in  their  ltearts  ;  and  till  the  knowledge  of  Christ,  atul  the  expe¬ 
rience  of  his  power,  truth,  and  love,  had  formed,  within  them,  an  assur¬ 
ance  and  anticipation  of  the  light,  holiness,  and  felicity  of  the  saints,  in 
tlie  presence  of  their  glorified  Savior;  even  ns  the  morning  star  pre¬ 
ceded  and  ushered  in  the  rising  Sun  and  ‘  the  perfect  day.’  Prov.  4:18 
19.  Hos.  6:1 — 3.  2  Cor.  1:21,  22.  4:5,  6.  Nothing  can  be  more  manifest, 
than  that  the  ‘day-dawn  and  day-star  arise  in  Hie  hearts’  of  true  Chris¬ 
tians;  and  that  no  external,  or,  what  i-  not  improperly  called,  internal 
evidence  of  the  divine  original  of  Christianity,  is  meant.  The  internal 
evidence  of  the  divine  inspiration  of  tlie  Scriptures,  signifies  the  evi¬ 
dence  of  divinity  which  they  contain  in  themselves  .-Imt  ‘the  day-dawn 
and  day-star  in  our  hearts '  must  mean  what  is  internal  in  our  own  ex¬ 
perience  ;  ‘  the  secret  of  the  Lord,  which  is  with  them  that  fear  Him  ’ 
[616] 


Ps.  25:14.  63:5 — 8.  John  14:18 — 24.  Rev.  2:17.  Tlie  unnatural  and  far¬ 
fetched  interpretations  of  those,  who  oppose  this  conclusion,  serve  only 
to  confirm  the  author  in  his  judgment. — This  inward  demonstration  of 
the  truth  of  Christianity  would  render  the  external  evidences  less  ne¬ 
cessary  to  those  who  enjoyed  it :  as  they  could  no  longer  doubt  of  it, 
when  they  saxv  the  glory,  and  tasted  the  comfort  of  il,  and  experienced 
tiie  truth  and  power  of  it  in  their  hearts,  and  manifested  it  in  their  con¬ 
duct.  1  John  5:9,  10.  Scott. 

(19.)  More  sure  word  of  prophecy.]  ‘  Some  think  the  comparative  is 
used  here  for  tlie  positive,  so  that  it  only  means  a  very  sure  prophetical 
word.  Others,  that  tlie  series  of  prophecies,  when  explained  in  the 
light  of  Lhe  New  Test.,  is  a  much  clearer  proof  of  Christ's  being  the 
Messiah,  than  any  single  miraculous  fact,  ns  this  was.’  So  Doddr.,  and 
he  a-quiesces  in  the  latter  opinion,  as  does  also  Blonmf.  and  others,  es¬ 
pecially  Knapp. — P.OS.  explains :  ‘The  prophecies  niwaxs  had  a  great 
authority  with  us,  hut  now  they  have  much  greater,  since  we  see  events 
so  aptly  corresponding  to  the  predictions.’ — Take  heed.]  Or  attend. 
So  Ros.,  who  says,  that  ‘  to  attend  to  prophecies  is  to  inquire  after  and 
think  upon,  tlie  sense  and  fulfilment  of  them  ;’  to  which  Rloomf.  adds, 
that  1  it  must  also  imply  a  prompt  faith  in  the  Word  of  God.’  En. 

V.  20,  21.  No  prophecy  of  Scripture  is  of  any  private  interpreta¬ 
tion.- — This  clause  has  been  variously  explained.  Some  render  it,  ‘of 
any  private  impulse,’ as  if  it  related  rather  to  the  giving,  than  tlie  in¬ 
terpreting  of  prophecy  :  but  the  word  cannot  properly  be  so  rendered, 
as  it  implies  the  loosing  of  a  knot :  and  it  would  also  render  the  next 
verse  a  mere  repetition  of  the  same  thought  ;  and  that  in  the  form  of  a 
reason  assigned  for  what  went  before,  which  is  very  unnatural. — Many 
have  opposed  the  text  to  lhe  right  of  private  judgment,  in  order  to  sup¬ 
port  a  supposed  authority  inherent,  somewhere,  in  tlie  church  and  its 
ministers;  and  to  make  them  the  ultimate  object  of  faith,  by  fixing  the 
sense  of  the  Scriptures  for  the  people  -.  yet,  at  last,  this  is  as  much  pri¬ 
vate  interpretation  as  any  other  can  lie  ;  for  every  church  and  its  minis¬ 
ters  put  their  own  meaning  on  the  Word  of  God,  and  that  often  contra¬ 
ry  to  the  truth.  Some  have  referred  the  words  to  the  general  applica¬ 
tion  of  scriptural  promises  by  believers  to  their  own  case;  as  being  a 
common  property  of  the  church,  and  not  the  appropriate,  exclusive  right 
of  tlie  individuals  to  whom  they  were  at  first  given  But  the  apostle  was 
not  discoursing  of  promises  ;  as  his  argument  relates  entirely  to  predic¬ 
tions  :  and  this  indeed  seems  to  point  out  tlie  true  meaning.  Tlie  live¬ 
ly  imaginations  and  inventive  genius  of  men  often  lead  them  to  suppose 
events  to  be  accomplishments  of  scriptural*  prophecies,  whicli  in  fact 


A.  D.  07. 


2  PETER,  II. 


1'he  punishment  of  false  teachers. 


21  For  the  prophecy  came  not 
cin  d  old  time  by  the  will  of  man  : 
but  holy  men  of  God  spake  as  they 
were  moved  •  by  the  Holy  Ghost. 

CHAP.  II. 

1  He  foretelleth  Ihern  of  false  teachers,  shewing  the  impiety 
and  punishment  both  of  them  and  their  followers  :  7  from 
which  t  he  godly  shall  be  delivered,  as  Lot  was  out  of  Sod¬ 
om  :  10  and  more  fully  describeth  the  manners  of  those 
profane  and  blasphemous  seducers,  whereby  they  may  be 
the  better  known,  und  avoided. 

BUT  1  there  were  false  prophets 
also  among  the  people,  even  as 
there  shall  be  false  teachers  among 
byou,  who  privily  shall  bring  in 
damnable  heresies,  even  denying 
the  Lord  that  bought  them,  and 
bring  upon  themselves  swift  de¬ 
struction. 

2  And  many  shall  follow  their 
'pernicious  ways;  by  reason  of 
whom  the  way  of  truth  shall  be  evil 
spoken  of. 

c  or,  at  any.  a  De.  13:1,  &c.  1  Ti-4:t. 

d  Lu.  1:70.  b  Mat.  24:5,24.  c  or,  lascivious,  as 

e  2  Ti.  3:16.  Ac.  20:29,30.  some  copies  read. 

and  understand  the  sense  and  meaning  there¬ 
of.  2.  This  important  truth  of  the  divine 
original  of  the  Scriptures,  ( that  what  is  con¬ 
tained  in  them  is  the  mind  of  God,  and  not 
of  man,)  is  to  be  known  and  owned  by  all 
who  will  give  heed  to  the  sure  word  of 
prophecy.  3.  The  divinity  of  the  Scriptures 
must  be  known  and  acknowledged  in  the 


first  place,  before  men  can  profitably  use 
them,  before  they  can  give  good  heed  to 
them. 

Now  seeing  it  is  so  absolutely  necessary 
that  persons  be  fully  persuaded  of  the  Scrip¬ 
ture’s  divine  original,  the  apostle,  v.  21. 
tells  us  how  the  Old  Test,  came  to  be  com¬ 
piled  ;  II  came  not  by  the  will  of  man  ;  but 
Holy  me7i  of  God  spake  as  they  were  moved 
by  the  Holy  Ghost.  Observe,  They  were 
holy  men  of  Go<T.  If  Balaam  and  Caiaphas, 
and  others  who  were  destitute  of  holiness, 
had  anything  of  the  spirit  of  prophecy,  on 
occasion,  yet  such  sort  of  persons  were  not 
employed  to  write  any  part  of  it  ;  all  the 
penmen  of  the  Scriptures  were  lidly  men  of 
God.  These  holy  men  were  moved  by  the 
Holy  Ghost,  in  what  tltey  delivered  as  the 
mind  and  will  of  God.  The  Holy  Ghost  is 
the  Supreme  Agent,  the  holy  men  are  but 
instruments.  (1.)  The  Holy  Ghost  inspires 
and  dictates  to  them  what  they  were  to  de¬ 
liver  of  the  mind  of  God.  (2.)  He  power¬ 
fully  excites  and  effectually  engages  them  to 
speak  (and  write)  what  He  had  put  into 
their  mouths.  (3.)  He  so  wisely  and  care¬ 
fully  assists  and  directs  them  in  the  delivery 
of  what  they  had  received  from  Him,  that 
they  [are]  effectually  secured  from  any  the 
least  mistake  in  expressing  what  they  re¬ 
vealed.  So  that  the  very  words  of  Scrip¬ 
ture  are  to  be  accounted  the  words  of  the 
Holy  Ghost,  and  all  the  plainness  and  sim¬ 
plicity,  all  the  power  and  virtue,  and  all  the 
elegfince  and  propriety,  of  the  very  words 
and  expressions  are  to  be  regarded  by  us  as 


proceeding  from  God,  Mix  faith  therefore 
with  what  you  find  in  the  Scriptures  ;  es¬ 
teem  and  reverence  your  Bible  as  a  book 
written  by  holy  men,  inspired,  influenced, 
and  assisted  by  the  Holy  Ghost. 

Chap.-  II.  V.  1 — 3.  In  the  end  of  the 
former  ch.  mention  is  made  of  holy  men  of 
God,  who  lived  in  the  times  of  the  Old  Test, 
and  were  used  as  the  amanuenses  of  the 
Holy  Ghost,  in  writing  the  sacred  oracles; 
but,  in  the  beginning  of  this,  he  tells  us  they 
had,  even  in  that  time,  false  prophets  in  the 
church,  as  well  as  true.  Concerning  these, 
in  all  ages,  observe,  Their  business  is,  to 
bring  in  destructive  errors;  as  the  business 
of  teachers  sent  of  God  is,  to  show  the  way 
of  truth,  even  the  true  way  to  everlasting 
life.  This  is  commonly  done  privily,  under 
the  cloak  and  color  of  truth  ;  but  yet  in  re¬ 
jection  of  the  great  Teacher  sent  from  God, 
though  He  is  the  only  Savior  and  Redeemer 
of  men.  They  who  bring  in  errors  destruc¬ 
tive  to  others,  bring  swift  (and  therefore 
sure)  destruction  on  themselves. 

He  proceeds,  v.  2.  to  tell  us  the  conse¬ 
quence  with  respect  to  others;  and  here  we 
may  learn,  1.  Corrupt  leaders  seldom  fail  of 
many  to  follow  them;  the  way  of  error  is  a 
pernicious  way,  yet  many  walk  therein.  2. 
The  spreading  of  error  will  bring  up  an  evil 
report  on  the  way  of  truth;  that  is,  the  way 
of  salvation  by  Jesus  Christ.  The  Christian 
religion  is  from  the  God  of  truth  as  its  Au¬ 
thor,  and  leads  to  true  happiness,  in  the  en¬ 
joyment  of  the  true  God,  as  its  end  ;  yet  it  is 


PRACT.  OBS.  V.  19 — 21.  We  have  not  seen  or  heard  such  things 
as  the  apostles  did  :  but  ‘  we  have  a  more  sure  W ord  of  prophecy,’  which 
will  fully  satisfy  the  diligent  investigator,  even  more  than  any  transient 
miracle  could  do;  as  it  lies  open  to  every  man’s  examination,  and  con¬ 
tinually  becomes  more  conclusive,  by  the  further  accomplishment  of  its 
predictions.— But,  ‘  in  searching  the  Scriptures,’  and  especially  in  con¬ 
sidering  the  prophecies  and  their  accomplishment,  we  should  beware  of 
self-confidence,  party  prejudices,  ungoverned  fancy,  and  the  influence  of 
selfish  passions.  We  have  indeed  a  light  to  judge  for  ourselves,  and 
should  call  no  man  master  on  earth  ;  but  it  is  requisite  we  should  exer¬ 
cise  our  judgment  with  sobriety,  modesty,  and  docility  :  nor  is  it  gen¬ 
erally  safe  to  indulge  a  fondness  for  novelty,  or  to  deviate  from  the  ap¬ 
proved  judgment  of  eminent  servants  of  God,  in  other  ages  of  the  church, 
without  evident  necessity.  Above  all,  we  should  examine  these  subjects 

have  no  direct  relation  to  them  :  and  this  way  of  misapplying  them,  as 
fancy,  inclination,  system,  or  external,  transient  appearances  may  dic¬ 
tate,  has  always  tended  to  render  prophecies  suspected  or  disregarded. 
Instead  then  of  employing  a  lively  imagination,  or  superior  genius,  to 
discover  some  agreement  between  our  own  private  concerns,  or  those 
of  our  party,  or  the  events  of  the  day,  and  the  predictions  of  Scripture  ; 
and  so  attempting  to  foretell  future  events  from  them  ;  we  should  re¬ 
member,  and  be  assured,  that  every  prophecy  has  its  precise  and  deter¬ 
minate  meaning,  which  no  human  ingenuity  can  alter.  We  ought  there¬ 
fore  to  exercise  our  judgment,  with  proper  help,  and  in  dependence  on 
divine  teaching,  lo  discover,  as  far  as  we  can,  the  real  meaning  of  the 
predictions,  and  the  accomplishment  of  them  in  the  public  concerns  of 
Christ  and  his  church,  and  in  those  of  the  world  as  connected  with  the 
church  :  and  to  rest  satisfied  with  understanding  such  as  have  evidently 
been  fulfilled  ;  without  too  curiously  prying  into  those  which  appear  to 
be  hitherto  unaccomplished.  Thus  the  perversion  of  prophecy  would 
he  prevented,  and  the  objections  against  the  argument  brought  from  it, 
in  proof  of  the  divine  inspiration  of  the  Scriptures,  would  he  fully  ob¬ 
viated.  The  prophecies,  which  have  been  already  most  evidently  ful¬ 
filled,  in  the  Person  and  salvation  of  Christ,  and  in  the  grand  concerns 
of  the  churclt  and  of  the  world,  form  a  most  unanswerable  demonstra¬ 
tion  of  the  troth  of  Christianity  ;  and  the  accumulating  evidence,  arising 
from  the  fulfilment  of  further  prophecies,  from  age  to  age,  must  at  last 
rouse  the  attention  of  the  most  heedless,  and  silence  the  cavils  of  the 
most  skept'ical.  But  the  misapplication  of  prophecy,  as  if  it  were  ‘  of 
private  interpretation;’  and  as  if  every  man  were  at  liberty  to  put  his 
own  fanciful  meaning  on  it,  only  serves  to  furnish  objections,  gives  the 
whole  an  air  of  uncertainty,  and  so  exceedingly  perplexes  the  subject. — 
The  author  has  lately  been  led  to  consider  Bishop  Horsley’s  view  of 
this  subject :  but  he  can  only  say,  that  it  has  not  in  the  least  made  him 
doubt  of  the  truth  of  the  interpretation  above  given — The  apostle  in¬ 
tended  the  prophecies  of  the  Old  Test. ;  hut  his  arguments  are  equally 
conclusive  respecting  those  of  the  New  Test,  also  :  and  the  close  is  a 
most  decisive  attestation  to  the  divine  inspiration  of  the  Scriptures.  Sc. 

(20.)  Private  interpretation  .]  1  Private  impulse,  invention,  or  origin  ; 

amounting  to  what  Paul  says,  2  Tim.  3: 16.  All  Scripture  is  given  by 
inspiration  of  God.’  Williams,  after  Doddr. — Ros.  and  Jaspis  (in  Bl.) 
explain  :  ‘no  prophecy  can  be  expounded  of  itself,  or  by  itself,  nor  un¬ 
derstood  without  comparing  together  the  prophecy  and  its  event  or  com¬ 
pletion,  by  the  aid  of  history.’  Which,  Bloom/,  remarks,  is  very  true, 
but  not,  he  thinks,  the  truth  intended  by  the  apostle ;  and  he  prefers 
greatly  the  common  rendering, — '■private  explanation  or  interpreta¬ 
tion,'  in  expressing  which  he  quotes  Slade,  thus  :  ‘Prophecy  gave  no 
light  to  the  age  in  which  it  was  delivered,  and  therefore  was  a  lamp 
shining  in  a  dark  place  ;  and  let  this  be  impressed  upon  you,  that  proph¬ 
ecy  was  so  entirely  and  exclusively  designed  for  the  benefit  of  future  ages, 
that  its  import  was  not  always  fully  understood  even  by  the  prophet  him¬ 
self,  who  was  aware  that  his  words  xvere  often  inapplicable  to  Ihe  people 
N.  T.  VOL.  V.  78 


with  earnest  prayer  for  the  teaching  of  the  same  Spirit,  by  whom  ‘  holy 
men  of  God  spake  ’  their  prophecies ;  that  we  maybe  enabled  to  dis¬ 
cover  what  was  his  meaning  in  them,  as  far  as  that  is  good  for  us.  Un¬ 
der  his  guidance,  we  shall  he  kept  from  interpreting  Scripture  according 
to  our  private  fancy,  humor,  or  inclination  ;  we  shall  discover  the  rela¬ 
tion,  nearer  or  more  remote,  of  all  the  prophecies  to  Christ  and  his 
church.  We  shall  also  perceive  that  so  many  of  them  have  already 
been  fulfilled,  that  we  are  fully  authorized  to  expect  the  accomplishment 
of  all  the  rest ;  till  his  second  coming  to  judge  the  world,  to  perfect  his 
people’s  salvation,  and  to  shut  tip' the  wicked  in  hell,  shall  fulfil  the  last 
of  these  predictions,  to  the  glory  of  his  truth,  power,  love,  wisdom,  and 
righteousness,  and  the  joy  and  admiration  of  all  his  redeemed  people,  in 
the  sight  of  the  whole  assembled  world  of  angels  and  men.  Scott. 


immediately  addressed,  (1  Pet.  1:11,  12.)  and  uttered  them  not  from  the 
suggestions  or  persuasions  of  his  own  mind,  hut  from  the  inspiration  of 
the  Holy  Ghost.’  Ed. 

NOTES.  Chap.  11-  V.  1 — 3.  It  is  not  requisite  to  understand  the 
apostle,  as  declaring,  that  the  Lord  Jesus  had  died,  xvitli  an  express  in¬ 
tention  of  redeeming  these  very  persons;  it  sufficed  for  his  argument, 
that  they  denied  Him,  as  their  Lord,  in  whom  they  professed  to  hope  as 
a  Redeemer,  as  ail  avowed  antinomians  do.  Thus  Christ  sometimes 
addressed  the  Pharisees  according  to  their  own  mistaken  notions,  and 
argued  with  them  from  their  own  principles.  Luke  15:3 — 7,  25 — 32. — 
The  inconsistency  and  base  conduct  of  these  false  teachers  was  evident 
from  their  own  profession,  and  it  was  not  the  manner  of  the  sacred 
writers  to  express  themselves  with  that  systematic  exactness,  which 
many  now  affect.  Rom.  14:13 — 23.  1  Cor.  3:7 — 13. — It  appears  very  un¬ 
natural  to  explain  the  words,  ‘  the  Lord  Hint  bought  them,’  of  Israel’s 
redemption  from  Egypt,  which  would  never  have  been  though t  of,  in 
this  connexion,  had  not  controversy  led  men  to  exercise  their  utmost  in¬ 
genuity,  to  evade  the  arguments,  and  answer  the  bisections,  of  their  op¬ 
ponents.  Thus  attachment  to  a  system  leads  men  to  do  violence  to  the 
Scriptures,  and  this  deeply  injures  the  cause,  which  they  are  so  anxious 
to  defend.  Doubtless  Christ,  intended  to  redeem  those,  and  those  only, 
who,  He  foresaw,  would  eventually  he  saved  by  faith  in  Him  ;  yet  his 
ransom  was  or  infinite  sufficiency,  the  proposal  of  it  in  Scripture  is 
general,  and  men  are  continually  addressed,  according  to  their  profession, 
even  when  it  is  intimated  that  they  are  not  upright  in  it.  1:9.  —  Learned 
men  have  maintained  discordant  opinions,  concerning  the  heretics  whom 
the  apostle  especially  intended  :  hut  probably  he  used  general  language 
designedly,  that  the  description  might  suit  various  kinds  of  false  teach¬ 
ers,  in  that  and  in  all  future  ages. — Privily  shall  bringin.]  Fraudulent¬ 
ly  introduce.  Heresies.]  1  Cor.  11:17 — 22.  Gal.  5:19 — 21.  Tit.  3:10, 
11.  It  is  undeniable,  that  heresies  here  signify  false  doctrines,  and  not 
merely  divisions ,  or  separations.  They  were  brought  in  privily  by  false 
teachers,  ‘  xvho  denied  the  Lord, &c.' — (3)  Feigned.]  Here  only.  Words 
skillfully  fashioned  and  framed.  Scott. 

(1.)  ‘  This  connects  well  with  the  preceding,  showing  that  not  all  are 
prophets  that  call  themselves  such  ;  many  falsely  assume  the  name.  The 
apostle,  therefore,  now  turns  from  true  prophets  to  false  teachers.  Re¬ 
specting  who  are  meant,  the  common  opinion  is,  that  they  were  Nico- 
Iaitans,or  Gnostics.  But  this  has  been  convincingly  refuted  by  Tittman. 
Ros.  however  observes,  that  though  the  name  Gnostics  was  not  known 
in  those  times,  yet  the  dogmas  of  those  who,  in  the  second  century,  were 
called  Gnostics,  might  be  known  and  disseminated.  Olliers  take  them 
to  he  Judaizers,  xvho,  abandoning  the  true  doctrine,  feigned  oracles  against 
the  Roman  government,  and  promised  a  new  theatre  of  pleasure  to  their 
votaries.  They  seem  to  have  commenced  with  being  fanatics,  and  end¬ 
ed  with  being  hypocrites  and  knaves:  and  many  opinions  of  Hie  Mo¬ 
hammedan  svstem  seem  to  have  been  partly  derived  from  that  impure 
source. — Some  explain  Lord  here  of  God  ;  hut  this  is  very  harsh.  It  is 


A.  D.  67. 


2  PETER,  II. 


Calamities  await  the  wicked. 


3  And  through  covetousness  shall 
they  with  feigned  words  make  mer¬ 
chandise  of  you  :  whose  judgment 
dnow  of  a  long  time  lingereth  not, 
and  their  damnation  slumbereth 
not. 

[Practical  Observations.] 

4  For  if  God  spared  not  the  an¬ 
gels  that  sinned,  but  cast  /Am  down 
to  hell,  and  delivered  them  into 
chains  of  darkness,  to  be  reserved 
unto  judgment ; 

5  And  spared  not  the  old  world, 
but  saved  eNoah  the  eighth  person, 
a  preacher  of  righteousness,  bring¬ 
ing  in  the  flood  upon  the  world  of 
the  ungodly ; 

6  And  turning  the  cities  of  r So¬ 
dom  and  Gomorrah  into  ashes,  con¬ 
demned  them  with  an  overthrow, 
making  6  them  an  ensample  unto 
those  that  after  should  live  ungodly; 

7  And  delivered  just  h  Lot,  vexed 
with  the  filthy  conversation  of  the 
wicked : 

d  Jude  4—7.  1  Ge.  19:24,25.  h  Ge.  18:18. 

e  Ge.  7:1,  &c.  g  De.  29:23. 

traduced  and  blasphemed  by  those  who  em¬ 
brace  and  advance  destructive  errors.  This 
the  apostle  has  foretold,  as  what  should  cer¬ 
tainly  come  to  pass.  Let  us  not  be  offended 
at  anything  of  this  in  our  day,  but  take 
care  that  we  give  no  occasion  to  the  enemy 
to  blaspheme  the  holy  name  whereby  we  are 
called,  or  speak  evil  of  that  way  whereby 
we  hope  to  be  saved. 

Observe,  in  the  next  place,  the  method 
seducers  take  to  draw  disciples  after  them. 
They  flatter,  deceive,  and  make  a  gain 
of  them  whom  they  make  their  proselytes: 
faithful  ministers  of  Christ,  who  show  men 
the  way  of  truth,  desire  the  profit  and  ad¬ 
vantage  of  their  followers,  that  they  may  be 


saved  ;  but  these  seducing  teachers  desire 
and  design  only  their  own  temporal  advan¬ 
tage  and  worldly  grandeur. 

V.  3 — 6.  Men  are  apt  to  think  that  a  re¬ 
prieve  is  the  forerunner  of  a  pardon,  and 
that  if  judgment  he  not  speedily  executed,  it 
is,  or  will  be,  certainly  reversed.  But  the 
righteous  Judge  will  speedily  take  ven¬ 
geance  ;  the  day  of  calamity  for  the  wicked 
is  at  hand,  and  ihc  things  that  shall  come  oil 
them  make  haste.  To  prove  this  assertion, 
here  are  several  examples  of  the  righteous 
judgment  of  God,  in  taking  vengeance  on 
sinners;  proposed  to  our  serious  considera¬ 
tion. 

1.  The  angels  who  sinned.  Observe,  No 
excellency  will  exempt  a  sinner  from  pun¬ 
ishment.  If  angels  violate  the  law  of  God, 
the  sentence,  which  that  law  awards;  shall 
be  executed  on  them  without  mercy  or  miti¬ 
gation.  Whence  observe,  By  how  much  the 
more  excellent  the  offender,  by  so  much  the 
more  severe  the  punishment  ;  these  angels 
tire  immediately  punished;  there  is  no  spar¬ 
ing  them  for  a  few  days,  no  favor  at  all 
shown  them.  Sin  debases  and  degrades  the 
persons  who  commit,  it  ;  angels  are  cast 
down  from  the  height  of  their  excellency, 
and  divested  of  all  their  glory  and  dignity, 
on  their  disobedience.  They  who  rebel 
against  the  God  of  heaven,  shall  ail  be  sent 
down  to  hell.  There  is  no  place  or  state 
between  the  height  of  glory  and  the  depth  of 
misery,  in  which  they  shall  be  allowed  to 
rest.  Sin  is  the  work  of  darkness,  and 
darkness  is  the  ivagcs  of  sin, — the  darkness 
of  misery  and  torment.  They  who  will  not 
walk  according  to  the  light  and  direction  of 
God’s  law,  shall  be  deprived  of  the  light  of 
God’s  countenance  and  the  comforts  of  his 
presence.  As  sin  binds  men  over  to  pun¬ 
ishment,  so  misery  and  torment  hold  men 
under  punishment.  The  last  degree  of  tor¬ 
ment  is  not  till  the  day  of  judgment.  The 
sinning  angels,  though  in  hell  already,  are 
yet  reserved  to  the  judgment  of  the  great  day. 

2.  The  old  world.  Here  observe,  The 
number  of  offenders  signifies  no  more  to 


procure  any  favor,  than  the  quality  ;  if  the 
sin  be  universal,  the  punishment  shall  be  so 
likewise.  But,  if  there  be  but  a  few  right, 
cous,  they  shall  be  preserved.  God  does  not 
destroy  the  good  with  the  bad.  In  wrath 
He  remembers  mercy.  God  can  make  use 
of  those  creatures  as  the  instruments  of  his 
vengeance,  in  punishing  sinners,  which  He 
at  first  made  and  appointed  for  their  service 
and  benefit.  But  observe,  The  procuring 
cause ;  it  was  a  world  of  ungodly  men.  Un¬ 
godliness  puts  men  out  of  the  divine  protec¬ 
tion,  and  exposes  them  to  utter  desti  ne!  ion  • 

3.  Sodom  and  Gomorrah.  Observe,  No 
felicity  of  situation,  or  of  country,  or  politi¬ 
cal  union  or  confederacy,  can  keep  off  judg¬ 
ments  from  a  sinful  people;  then  these  cities 
might  have  stood.  God  can  use  contrary 
creatures  to  punish  incorrigible  sinners.  He 
destroys  the  old  world  by  water,  and  Sodom 
by  fire.  Most  heinous  sins  bring  most  griev¬ 
ous  judgments.  They  who  were  abominable 
in  their  vices,  were  remarkable  for  their 
plagues.  The  punishment  of  sinners  in  for* 
mer  ages,  is  designed  for  the  example  of 
those  who  come  after.  Let  us  take  warning 
by  all  the  instances  of  God’s  taking  ven¬ 
geance,  which  are  recorded  for  our  admoni¬ 
tion,  and  to  prevent  our  promising  our¬ 
selves  impunity,  though  we  go  on  in  a  course 
of  sin. 

V.  7 — 9.  When  God  sends  destruction  on 
the  ungodly,  He  commands  deliverance  for 
the  righteous.  This  we  have  in  his  pre¬ 
serving  Lot.  Where,  observe,  1.  The  char¬ 
acter  of  Lot  ;  a  just  man  ;  this  he  was,  to 
the  generally  prevailing  bent  of  his  heart, 
and  through  the  main  of  his  conversation. 
God  does  not  account  men  just  or  unjust 
from  one  single  act,  but  from  their  general 
course.  2.  The  impression  the  sins  of 
others  have  on  this  righteous  man  ;  they 
grieve  and  vex  him.  In  bad  company  we 
cannot  escape  either  guilt  or  grief.  Let  the 
sins  of  others  be  a  trouble  to  us,  otherwise 
it  will  not  be  possible  for  us  to  keep  our¬ 
selves  pure.  3.  A  particular  mention  of 
the  continuance  of  this  good  man’s  grief 


TRACT.  OBS.  V.  1 — 3.  The  unbelief,  selfishness,  and  impiety  of  plausible  mid  soothing  prenchers  hope  to  escape  with  impunity ;  the 
man’s  carnal  heart,  always  give  an  opening  to  ‘false  teachers,’  who  judgment  so  long  since  foretold,  and  ‘the  damnation’  menaced,  will 
‘speak  smooth  things,’  ‘to  draw  away  disciples  after  them,’  for  their  speedily  arrive ;  though  unbelief  may  suppose  that  the  justice  of  God 
own  credit  or  lucre’s  sake  ;  and  alas  !  how  many  thus  ‘  turn  away  their  ‘  lingereth  and  slumbereth,’  because  lie  ‘  endures  with  much  long  sufi'er- 
ears  from  the  truth,  and  are  turned  unto  fables,’  ami  liberally  reward  ing  the  vessels  of  wrath  which  are  fitted  for  destruction.’  Rom.  10:22, 
ingenious  men  for  helping  them  to  deceive  themselves  !  But  in  vain  do  23.  Scott. 


■ 


far  more  natural  to  take  it  of  Christ ;  as  indeed  the  term,  bought,  re¬ 
quires. — On  what  is  meant  by  denying  Christ  as  their  Lord,  we  are  left 
somewhat  in  the  dark,  owing  to  a  want  of  historical  testimony.  There 
seems  to  be  n  provincial  brevity  of  diction  ;  and  the  sense  is  probably 
this;  “  denying  Him  who  purchased  them  (i.  e.  their  Redeemer)  to  be  their 
Lord .”  It  should  seem,  that,  from  a  misrepresentation  of  the  words  of  the 
apostle,  they  stumbled  at  the  description  of  the  maj  er.ty  of  Jesus  Christ,  and 
the  ineffable  glory  ofhis  second  advent;  and  regarded  the  account  of  the 
apostles  on  that  subject,  as  a  fable,  devised  to  hold  the  disciples  in  sub¬ 
jection.  If  so,  they  must  have  denied  the  proper  deity  of  Jesus  Christ; 
and  probably  held  opinions  not  very  different,  from  those  which  gen¬ 
erated  Ariaiiistn  and  Socinianism :  therefore  t his  text  may,  with  great 
propriety,  be  adduced  in  controversy  with  persons  professing  such  te¬ 
nets.’  IV. — ‘  Denying  Him  that  redeemed  them  to  be  the  Sovereign. 
The  act  of  redeeming  mankind  is  in  the  New  Test,  exclusively  predict¬ 
ed  of  Christ.  The  scope  of  the  passage  shows,  that  dominion  over  minds 
and  consciences  is  intended,  which  is  involved  in  religious  obedience, 
here  required  to  Christ  as  our  only  Sovereign  and  Lord.’  .1.  P.  Smith. 
Jlamnabte  heresies.]  ‘  It  can  by  no  means  be  n  matter  of  small  moment 
(whatever  some  may  insinuate  to  the  contrary)  what  your  doctrinal  be¬ 
lief  on  the  great  subject  of  religion  may  be.  If  these  heresies  are 
damnable ,  then  those  who  embrace  them  cannot  he  the  cordial  friends 
of  the  Author  of  truth.  Every  degree  of  doctrinal  error  is  not  an  evi¬ 
dence  of  enmity  to  God  ;  for  no  man,  it  is  probable,  is  absolutely  perfect 
in  his  creed,  any  more  than  in  his  practice.  Yet  when  we  have  ascer¬ 
tained  what  the  fundamental ,  the  absolutely  essential  doctrines  of  the 
Gospel  are,  —  and  there  will  be  no  great  difficulty  in  this  to  those  who 
have  the  Bible  in  their  hands, — we  are  perfectly  warranted  in  pronounc¬ 
ing,  that  those  who  reject  them,  are  not  on  the  Lord’s  side.  They  re¬ 
ject  that,  without  which  no  mail  can  he  said  to  receive  tlte  Gospel.’ 

Rev.  Dr.  Miller. 

(3.)  Whose  judgment ,  &c.]  ‘  The  apostle  looks  forward,  not  so  much 
to  any  particular  persons,  as  to  those  perversions  and  abuses  of  the 
Gospel,  of  which,  from  the  corruption  of  human  nature,  its  teachers  in 
every  age  would  furnish  lamentable  examples  !’  Bloomf. 

V.  •! — 9.  The  angels,  who  sinned  against  God,  were  bound  as  crimi¬ 
nals,  and  reserved  to  take  their  trial  at  the  day  of  judgment,  when  sen¬ 
tence  will  he  openly  passed,  and  finally  executed  upon  them.  Rev.  20: 
1 — 3,  7 — 10.  In  the  mean  time,  their  incurable  enmity  and  wickedness, 
and  the  omnipresent  and  omnipotent  justice  of  God,  hold  them  fast, 
ns  ‘  in  chains  of  darkness,’  misery,  and  despair,  from  which  there  can 

[613] 


be  no  possible  escape.  Their  doom  is  therefore  irreversible  ;  though  the 
Lord,  for  wise  reasons,  lengthens  their  chains,  enlarges  the  hounds  of 
their  prison,  and  deters  the  extremity  of  their  punishment ;  which  respite 
mid  relaxation  they  employ,  in  opposing  to  the  uttermost  his  purposes 
of  love  to  mankind,  and  in  attempting  their  destruction.  Gen.  3:1 — 6, 
It,  15.  Job  1:6—11.  2:1—5.  Zech.  3:1—4.  John  8:11—47.  2  Cor.  4:3, 

4.  Re v.  12:7 — 12.  But  this  will  all  be  overruled  for  the  fuller  display 
of  the  glory  of  God,  the  accomplishment  ofhis  eternal  counsels,  and  the 
more  conspicuous  exercise  of  his  awful  justice,  in  the  everlasting  mise¬ 
ry  of  these  implacable  enemies. — Thus  lie  would  also  bear  with  the  false 
teachers  above  mentioned,  till  their  impiety  and  enmity  were  sufiicient- 
ly  evinced ;  and  when  his  wise  and  holy  purposes  were  accomplished, 
He  would  execute  deserved  vengeance  on  them  and  their  adherents,  and 
so  terminate  the  temptation,  to  which  his  people  were  exposed  through 
their  artifices.  2  Tim.  3.6 — 9.' — The  same  instructions  might  be  deduc¬ 
ed  from  the  Lord’s  dealings  witli  the  old  world,  and  with  Sodom — Cast 
them  down  to  hell.]  The  original  word  is  not  used  in  any  oilier  part  of 
the  New.  Test.,  or  in  the  Greek  translation  of  the  Old  ;  yet  the  mean¬ 
ing  of  it  must  not  he  sought  from  the  fables  of  heathen  poets,  lint  from 
the  general  tenor  of  the  sacred  Scriptures.  Scott. 

(4.)  Hell.]  Greek,  Tartarus.  ‘  The  word  is  used  only  in  two  [duces 
in  the  New.  Test.,  here  and  Jude  6.’  Williams.  ‘  Every  one  will  bring 
to  mind  the  sublime  description  of  Milton  Tartarus  is  a  word  found 
in  Homer  and  Hesiod,  and  signifies  the  lowest  and  darkest  pit  in  the 
universe.  Of  its«origin  the  etymologists  seem  perfectly  ignorant.  I  -as¬ 
pect  it  to  be  an  intensive  reduplication  of  the  very  old  word  tar,  which 
in  the  earliest  dialects  seems  to  have  signified  dark  ;  and  indeed  our  term 
tar  appears  derived  from  a  common  source.’  Bl. — In  chains  ]  ‘  A  gen¬ 
eral  confinement  may  be  reconcilable  with  some  degree  of  liberty,  yet 
liable  to  restraint  as  God  shall  see  fit.’  Donna.  ‘  It  is  needless  to  enter 
into  a  description  of  what  the  ancients  figured  to  themselves  under  this 
notion.  Suffice  it  to  say,  the  apostle  employs  it  as  a  most  forcible  adum¬ 
bration  of  misery  the  most  deplorable  and  hopeless.’  Bloomf. 

(5.)  Eighth.]  Bps.  Pearson  and  Cumberland  refer  this  to  preacher, 
making  Noah  the  eighth  preacher,  <fcc.,  which  is  possible  ;  but  Noah 
was  the.  tenth  from  Adam,  who,  Doddr.  thinks,  must  have  been  in  a 
wonderful  manner  titled  to  perform  the  office  of  preacher  in  the  first 
world,  as  Noah  was  in  the  second.  Bloomf.  connects  eighth  with  Noah, 
meaning  ‘  Noah,  and  seven  others,’  which,  he  says,  is  an  idiom  found  in 
the  best  writers  from  Herodotus  and  Thucydides  downwards,  and  is  the 
only  explanation  that  can  well  be  admitted.  Ed. 


A.  D.  67. 


•2  PETER,  II. 


Character  of  false  teachers. 


8  (For  that  righteous  man  dwell¬ 
ing  among  them,  in  seeing  and 
hearing,  vexed  his  righteous  soul 
from  day  to  day  with  their  unlawful 
deeds  ;) 

9  The  Lord  knoweth  how  to  '  de¬ 
liver  the  godly  out  of  temptations, 
and  to  reserve  J  the  unjust  unto  the 
day  of  judgment  to  he  punished  : 

[Practical  Observations.] 

10  But  chiefly  them  k  that  walk 
after  the  flesh  in  the  lust  of  unclean¬ 
ness,  and  despise  1  government : 
presumptuous  are  they,  self-willed, 
they  are  not  afraid  to  speak  evil  of 
“  dignities. 

11  Whereas  angels,  which  are 
greater  in  power  and  might,  bring 
not  railing  accusation  "against 
them  before  the  Lord. 

12  But  these,  as  natural  brute 
"beasts,  made  to  be  taken  and  de¬ 
stroyed,  speak  evil  of  the  things  that 
they  understand  not ;  and  shall  ut¬ 
terly  perish  in  their  own  corruption; 

13  And  shall  receive  the  reward 
of  unrighteousness,  as  they  p  that 
count  it  pleasure  to  riot  in  the  day¬ 
time.  Spots  they  are  and  blemishes, 
sporting  themselves  with  their  own 
deceivings,  while  they  feast  with 
you  ; 

14  Having  eyes  full  of q  adultery, 
and  that  cannot  cease  from  sin;  be¬ 
guiling  unstable  souls:  a  heart  they 
have  exercised  with  covetous  prac¬ 
tices  ;  cursed  children  : 

[Practical  Observations .] 


i  Ps.  35:15— 18. 
j  Jude  14,15. 
k  lie.  13:4. 

1  ot  ,  dominion. 


m  Jude  8,  10. 
n  Some  rend, 
against  them- 
selies. 


0  Je.  12:3. 
p  Phi.  3:19. 

Jude  12,  &c. 
q  an  adulteress. 


and  vexation;  it  was  from  (lay  to  day.  Be¬ 
ing  accustomed  to  hear  and  see  their  wick¬ 
edness  did  not  reconcile  hint  to  it,  nor  abate 


the  horror  occasioned  by  it-  Now,  from  this 
case  of  Lot,  we  are  taught  to  argue,  that 
God  knows  how  to  deliver  his  people,  and  pun¬ 
ish  his  enemies.  It  is  here  presupposed, 
that  the  righteous  must  have  their  tempta¬ 
tions  and  trials  ;  it  is  therefore  our  duty  to 
reckon  upon,  and  prepare  for  them.  Ob¬ 
serve,  here.  The  Lord  knows  them  that  are 
his;  ifbuione  in  five  cities, He  knows  him; 
and  where  there  is  a  greater  number,  I  le  can¬ 
not  lie  ignorant  of  or  overlook  any  of  them. 
The  wisdom  of  God  is  never  at  a  loss  about 
ways  and  means  to  deliver  his  people,  'file 
deliverance  of  the  godly  is  the  work  of  God; 
both  his  wisdom  to  contrive,  and  his  power 
to  work  out,  to  prevent  their  falling,  and  be¬ 
ing  ruined:  and  surely  if  he  can  deliver  out 
of  temptation,  He  can  keep  from  falling  into 
it,  if  He  did  not  see  such  trials  to  be  neces¬ 
sary.  God  makes  a  very  great  difference  in 
his  dealings  with  the  godly  and  the  wicked. 
The  wicked  are  reserved  to  the  day  of  judg¬ 
ment.  Here,  we  see.  There  is  a  day  of 
judgment;  God  has  appointed  a  day,  wherein 
lie  will  judge  the  world.  The  preservation 
of  impenitent  sinners  is  only  a  reserving  of 
them  to  the  day  of  the  revelation  of  the 
righteous  judgment  of  God. 

V.  10 — 22.  But  why  will  God  thus  deal 
with  these  false  teachers  ?  This  he  shows  in 
what  follows. 

1.  These  walk  after  the.  flesh  ;  they  follow 
the  devices  and  desires  of  their  own  hearts, 
of  their  own  fleshly  mind,  refusing  to  make 
their  reason  stoop  to  divine  revelation ;  they, 
in  their  lives,  act  directly  contrary  to  God’s 
righteous  precepts,  and  comply  with  the  de¬ 
mands  of  corrupt  nature:  the.  measure  of  in¬ 
iquity  to  which  they  have  attained  will  not. 
content  them;  but  they  go  on  in  their  sinful 
course,  and  increase  unto  more  ungodliness; 
they  also  pour  contempt,  on  those  whom  God 
has  set  in  authority  over  them,  and  requires 
them  to  honor;  these,  therefore,  despise  the 
ordinance  of  God. 

2.  This  he  aggravates,  by  setting  forth  the 
very  different  conduct  of  more  excellent 
creatures,  even  the  angels.  They  are  greater 
even  than  those  who  are  clothed  with  au¬ 
thority  and  power  among  men,  and"  much 
more  than  those  false  teachers,  who  are 


slanderous  revilers  of  magistrates  and  gov¬ 
ernors;  the  good  angels  vastly  exceed  us 
in  all  natural  and  moral  excellences,  in 
strength,  understifnding,  and  holiness  too. 
j  Good  angels  are  accusers  of  sinful  creatures, 
of  their  own  kind,  or  ours, or  both;  allowed 
to  behold  the  face  of  God,  and  stand  before 
'  his  throne,  they  cannot  but  have  a  zeal  for 
his  honor,  and  accuse  and  blame  those  who 
j  dishonor  Him.  They  bring  their  accusa¬ 
tions  of  sinful  creatures  before  the.  Lord;  not 
publish  them  to  their  fellow-creatures,  in  a 
way  of  calumny  and  slander  ;  the  Lord  is 
the  Judge,  and  will  bo  the  Avenger,  of  all 
impiety  and  injustice.  Good  angels  mingle 
no  bitter  revilings,  or  base  reproaches,  with 
(  any  of  the  accusations  or  charges  they  bring 
,  against  the  wickedest  and  worst  of  crimi- 
i  nals.  Let  us  who  pray  that  God’s  will  may 
]  be.  done  on  earth,  as  it  is  in  heaven,  imitate 
;  the  angels  in  this  particular  ;  if  we  coni- 
|  plain  of  wicked  men,  let  it  be  to  God,  and 
that  not  with  rage  and  reviling,  but  with 
i  compassion  and  c.omposrdncss  of  mind,  that 
may  evidence  that  we  belong  to  Him  who  is 
i  meek  and  merciful. 

3.  The  apostle,  having  shown,  v.  11.  how 
unlike  seducing  teachers  are,  to  the  most 
j  excellent  creatures,  proceeds,  v.  12.  to  show 
how  like  they  are  to  the  most  inferior.  Men, 
|  under  the  power  of  sin,  are  so  far  from  ob¬ 
serving  divine  revelation,  that  they  do  not 
exercise  reason  ;  hut  as  brute  creatures,  they 
follow  the  instinct  of  their  sensitive  appe¬ 
tite,  and  the  inclination  of  their  carnal 
mind  ;  so  they  are  ignorant  of  what  they 
might  and  ought  to  know  ;  therefore,  ob¬ 
serve,  Ignorance  is  the  cause  of  evii-speak- 
ing;  and  destruction  will  be  the  effect  of  it; 
these  persons  shall  be  utterly  destroyed  in 
their  own  corruption  ;  their  vices  not  only 
expose  them  to  the  wrath  of  God  ’in  another 
world,  bat  often  bring  them  to  misery  and 
ruin  in  this  life  ;  whatever  they  meet  with, 
is  the  just  reward  of  their  unrighteousness . 
Such  sinners  as  sport  themselves  in  mischief, 
deceive  themselves,  and  disgrace  all  they 
belong  to;  by  one  sort  of  sins  they  prepare 
‘  themselves  fur  another  ;  and  their  extrava- 
!  gant  [bastings,  and  drinking,  bring  them  to 
I  commit  all  manner  of  lewdness, so  that  their 


Pit  ACT.  OBS.  V.  4 — 9.  The  manifold  ‘goodness  of  Cod,’  if  it  do 
not  ‘  lead  men  to  repentance,’  and  engage  them  to  obedience,  will  no 
more  secure  them  from  condemnation,  than  the  creating  kfndness  of  God 
to  angels  induced  Him  to  ‘spare’  such  of  them  as  sinned  in  heaven  it¬ 
self;  hut,  ‘as  He  cast  them  down  to  hell,  to  he  reserved  in  chains  of 
darkness  to  the  day  ofjudgment  to  be  punished  ;’  so  will  He,  in  due  sea¬ 
son,  execute  ‘the  vengeance  that  is  written’  on  all  impenitent  sinners. 
Rom.  2:4 — II.  Bat,  if  indeed  we  do  fear,  trust,  love,  and  obey  the  Lord, 
we  should  recollect  in  all  our  confiicts  and  trials,  that  ‘lie  knoweth 
liow  to  deliver  the  godly  out  of  temptation,’  that  He  has  ten  thousand 
ways  of  rescuing  us,  of  which  wc  never  thought,  and  that  his  wisdom 
and  power  will  surely  effect  the  purposes  of  his  love,  and  the  engage¬ 
ments  of  his  truth  ;  whilst  wicked  men  often  esiyipe  suffering  here,  be¬ 
cause  ‘they  are  reserved  to  the  day  of  judgment  to  he  punished,’  with 
4  the  devil  and  his  angels,’  in  that  eternal  state  of  hopeless  misery, -to 
which  they  are  doomed.  Scott. 

TRACT.  OBS.  V.  10 — 14.  Whilst  we  take  encouragement  from  the 
tender  mercies  of  our  God,  let  us  also  stand  in  awe  of  his  holiness  and 
justice.  None  have  more  cause  to  tremble,  than  they  who  are  embold¬ 
ened  to  gratify  their  sinful  passions  by  presuming  on  itis  grace  and  mer¬ 
cy  ;  nor  can  anything  more  fifily  illustrate  t lie  desperate  wickedness  of 
the  human  heart,  titan  the  abominations,  in  which  men  have  wallowed, 
whilst  professing  to  be  religious,  and  while  contending  for  the  holy  doc¬ 
trines  of  Christianity  !  Many,  both  in  ancient  and  modern  times,  have 
deemed  themselves  at  liberty  to  ‘walk  after  the  flesh  in  the  lust  of  un¬ 
lit.)  4  The  sight  of  sin  makes  a  man  either  sad  or  guilty.  If  wc  see 
it,  ami  are  not  sorrowful,  we  are  sinful.’  T.  Amsts,  in  Henri /,  abr. 

V.  10, 11.  The  preceding  observations  were  applicable  to  all  wicked 
men,  but  especially  to  hypocritical  and  heretical  professors  and  teachers 
of  Christianity  ;  yet  they  were,  and  would  he,  peculiarly  verified  in  the 
licentious  heresiarchs,  of  whom  the  apostle  treated,  and  in  that  of  their 
abandoned  followers.  They  denied  Christ,  in  respect  of  his  kingly 
ofiiee,  and  would  not  obey  Him  as  their  Lord  and  Master,  1  —  3.  and  we 
may  suppose,  they  contemptuously  disregarded  the  spiritual  authority 
of  the  apostles,  and  other  pastors  and  rulers  of  the  church.  1  John  4:4 
— 6.  3  John  9 — 12.  They  seetn  also  to  have  treated  civil  government 
with  scorn,  as  if  determined,  like  genuine  ‘sons  of  Belial,’  to  cast  off 
every  yoke,  and  to  he  wholly  their  own  masters  ! — (10)  In  the  lust  of 
uric  leanness.]  Tit.  1:15.  Ueb.  12:15.  Jude  8.  Sensual  lusts  arc  meant ; 
perhaps  Sodom’s  sin.  Scott. 

(10.)  Half  after  the.  flesh.]  ‘  To  walk  after  the  flesh,  like  the  par¬ 
allel  expression  in  Jude  7.  signifies  all  uncleanness,  both  of  fornication 
and  adultery.  Roin.  ch.  1.  is  the  best  commentary  on  this  passage.’  Bi.. 

(11.)  Accusation  against  them.]  ‘Them,  i.  c.  those  of  their  body, 


cleanness,’  and  have  ‘despised  government’  of  all  kinds;  as  if  licen¬ 
tiousness  and  anarchy  were  the  only  desirable  freedom,  presumption 
and  self-will  equivalent  to  hfcly  confidence  and  boldness  in  the  Lord,  and 
calumnies,  or  revilings,  against  !  the  powers  that  be,’  the  proper  way 
of  ‘  rendering  to  Cesar  the  things  which  are  Cesar’s,  and  to  God  the 
tilings  that  are  God’s  !’  Such  liberty  of  conscience,  and  license  of  speech 
and  conduct,  holy  ‘  angels,  who  are  greater  in  power  and  might,’  never 
thought  of.  But  let  Christians  stand  at  a  distance  from  such  contests; 
for  alas  !  many,  running  into  these  excesses,  bring  their  characters  into 
suspicion,  and  open  the  mouths  of  those  who  speak  evil  of  ns,  as  of  evil¬ 
doers  ;  nay,  many  ‘utterly  perish  in  their  own  corruption.’ — Especially 
let  us  fear  a  licentious  profession  cf  the  Gospel :  doubtless  they  ‘  will 
receive  the  reward  of  unrighteousness,  who  count  it  pleasure  to  riot  in 
the  day-time  who  join  with  Christians  in  sacred  ordinances,  and 

with  the  world  in  their  licentiousness  ami  dissipated  revels ;  and  who 
attempt  to  reconcile  these  things,  by  perverting  the  doctrines  of  the 
Gospel,  and  boasting  of  their  liberty  and  privileges  !  lint  could  it  have 
been  conceived,  if  Scripture  and  facts  had  not  evinced  it,  that  teachers 
and  professors  of  the  holy  doctrine  of  Christ,  could  preserve  their  confi¬ 
dence,  credit,  and  influence,  whilst  4  their  eyes  are  full  of  adultery,’  and 
while  ‘they  cannot  cense  front  sin  ?  ’  that  ‘  unstable  souls  ’  could  he 
beguiled  by  such  men  ?  and  that  success  should  attend  t.ho  1  covetous 
practices’  in  which  their  hearts  are  exercised  ?  or  that  they  should  be 
considered  as  blessed,  who  are  indeed  the  children  of  the  curse ,  and  ev¬ 
idently  described  us  such  in  the  , Word  of  God  ?  Ps.  10:3. _ Scott. 

l he  bad  angels.  Most  commentators,  understand  the  magistrates,  or  had. 
lint  it  is  a  good  rule,  that  the  plainer  and  larger  account  of  anything 
should  be  taken  to  explain  what  is  more  brief  and  obscure,  and  explain¬ 
ing  this  from  Jude  v.  9.  the  other  interpretation  is  the  true  one.’  Bl. 

V.  12.  Natural  brute  beasts.]  ‘  Irrntinnal  animals.’  Uoddb.— ‘  Such 
as  follow  the  impetus  of  sense.’ — In  their  own,  <fcc]  1  Or,  for  or  by  their 
own,  .fee.’  1°- 

V.  13.  Sporting  themselves,  <fcc.j  Slade,  (in  Dlootnf.)  interprets, 
‘committing  excess,  when  they  feast  with  you,  by  means  of  their  de¬ 
ceits  and  impostures.’  Eisner  and  P.os.  explain  it  of  1  the  wanton  ar¬ 
tifices  by  which  these  persons  sought  to  seduce  the  women  they  found 
at  the  love-feasts;  to  which  opinion  Rloomf.  inclines.  But  Doddr.  par¬ 
aphrases  and  renders  thus:  Hiring  luxuriously  in  other  places  by 
means  of  those  deceits,  .which  they  conceal  under  the  mask  of  Chris¬ 
tianity,  banqueting  with  you  at  the  holy  table  ;’  and  understands  it  of  the 

Lord’s  supper,  rather  than  of  their  love-feasts.  *‘D-. 

V.  14.  Full.]  4  There  is  no  mediocrity  in  sill.  If  the  heart  of  man  be 

not  full  of  God  it  seeks  to  he  full  of  somewhat  else.’ 

T.  Adams,  in  Henry,  abr. 

[619] 


A.  D.  67. 


2  PETER,  II. 


15  Which  have  forsaken  the  right 
way,  and  are  gone  astray,  follow¬ 
ing  the  way  of  Balaam  r  the  son  of 
Bosor,  who  loved  the  wages  of  un¬ 
righteousness  ; 

16  But  was  rebuked  for  his  ini¬ 
quity:  the  dumb  ass,  speaking' with 
man’s  voice,  forbad  the  madness  of 
the  prophet. 

17  These  are  wells  without  wa¬ 
ter,  clouds  5  that  are  carried  with  a 
tempest:  to  whom  the  mist  of  dark¬ 
ness  is  reserved  for  ever. 

18  For  when  they  speak  'great 
swelling  ivords  of  vanity,  they 
allure  through  the  lusts  of  the  flesh, 
through  much  wantonness,  those 
that  were  u  clean  escaped  from  them 
who  live  in  error. 

19  While  they  promise  them  lib¬ 
erty,  they  themselves  are  the  ser¬ 
vants  of  corruption  :  for  T  of  whom 
a  man  is  overcome,  of  the  same  is 
he  brought  in  bondage. 

20  For  if  after  they  have  escaped 
the  pollutions  of  the  world,  through 
the  knowledge  of  the  Lord  and  Sa¬ 
vior  Jesus  Christ,  they  are  again 
w  entangled  therein  and  overcome, 
the  latter  end  is  worse  with  them 
than  the  beginning. 

21  For  it  had  been  better  x  for 
them  not  to  have  known  the  way 
y  of  righteousness,  than,  after  they 
have  known  it,  to  turn  from  the 
holy  commandment  delivered  unto 
them. 


r  Nu.  22.5,  &c. 

8  Ep.  4:14. 
t  Ps.  73:8. 
u  or,  for  a  little 
while ,  as  some 


read. 

v  Jn.  8:34. 

Ro.  6:16. 
w  Lu.  1 1:26. 
Pie.  6:4,  &c. 


10:26,27. 
x  Ma.  11:23,24. 

Lu.  12:47,48. 
y  Pr.  12:28. 


wanton  looks  show  their  own  impure  lusts, 
and  are  designed  to  kindle  the  like  in  others; 
and  in  this,  the  heart  is  insatiate,  and  the 
eye  incessant  in  looking  after  what  may 
gratify  their  unclean  desires;  and  they  who 
are  themselves  impudent  and  incessant  in 
sin,  are  very  diligent  and  often  successful  in 
deceiving  others,  and  drawing  them  into  the 
same  excess  of  riot.  But  here,  observe,  who 
are  in  the  greatest  danger,  even  those  whose 
hearts  are  not  established  with  grace;  these 
are  easily  turned  into  the  way  of  sin,  or  else 
such  sensual  wretches  would  not  be  able  to 
prevail  on  them;  for  these  are  not  only  riot¬ 
ous  and  lascivious,  but  covetous ,  also  ;  they 
pant  after  riches,  and  it  is  a  considerable 
part  of  their  work  to  contrive  to  get  wealth  ; 
in  this  their  hearts  are  exercised,  and  then 
they  execute  their  projects  ;  and  if  men 


abandon  themselves  to  all  sorts  of  lusts,  we 
cannot  wonder  the  apostle  should  call  tltcm 
cursed  children  ;  for  they  are  liable  to  the 
curse  of  God  denounced  against  such  ungod¬ 
ly,  unrighteous  men,  and  they  bring  a  curse 
on  all  who  hearken  and  adhere  to  them. 

4.  The  apostle,  v.  15,  16.  proves  they  are 
cursed  children,  even  such  covetous  persons  as 
the  Lord  abhors,  by  showing,  that  They  have 
forsaken  the  right  way  ;  and  are  gone  into  a 
wrong  way,  which  leads  to  death  ,  and  this 
he  makes  out  by  showing  it  to  be  the  way  of 
Balaam,  the  son  of  Bosor.  That  is  a  way 
of  unrighteousness,  into  which  men  are  led 
by  the  wages  of  unrighteousness.  Outward 
temporal  good  things  are  the  wages  sinners 
promise  themselves,  though  they  are  often 
disappointed.  The  inordinate  love  of  the 
good  things  of  this  world,  turns  men  out 
of  the  way  which  leads  to  the  unspeakably 
better  tilings  of  another  life.  They,  who, 
from  the  same  principle,  are  guilty  of  the 
same  practices  with  notorious  sinners,  are, 
in  the  judgment  of  God,  the  followers  ol 
such  vile  offenders,  and,_  therefore,  must 
reckon  on  being  at  last  where  they  are. 
Heinous  and  hardened  sinners  sometimes 
meet  with  rebukes  for  their  iniquity.  Though 
extraordinary  rebukes  may  for  a  little  while 
cool  men’s  courage, and  hinder  their  violent 
progress  in  the  way  of  sin,  it  will  not  make 
them  forsake  the  way  of  iniquity,  and  go 
over  into  the  way  of  holiness;  for  here  was 
a  surprising  miracle  wrought,  and  yet  all  in 
vain  ;  they  who  will  not  yield  to  usual  meth¬ 
ods  of  reproof,  will  be  but  little  influenced 
by  miraculous  appearances,  to  turn  them 
from  their  sinful  courses. 

5.  The  apostle  proceeds,  v.  17.  to  a  fur¬ 
ther  description  of  seducing  teachers,  whom 
he  sets  forth  as  wells,  or  fountains,  without 
water.  Observe,  Ministers  should  he  as 
wells  or  fountains,  where  the  people  may 
find  instruction,  direction,  and  comfort  : 
But  false  teachers  have  nothing  of  this  to 
impart  to  those  who  consult  them  :  and 
therefore  are  set  forth  as  empty,  because  there 
is  no  truth  in  them.  They  are  also  clouds 
carried  with  a  tempest ;  not  of  the  Spirit,  but 
the  stormy  wind  or  tempest  of  their  own 
ambition  and  covetousness  ;  and  as  clouds 
obstruct  the  light  of  the  sun,  and  darken  the 
air,  so  do  these  darken  counsel  by  words 
without  knowledge,  and  wherein  there  is  no 
truth;  and,  seeing  these  men  are  for  promo¬ 
ting  darkness  in  this  world,  it  is  very  just 
that  the  mist  of  darkness  should  he  their  por¬ 
tion  in  (he  next;  utter  darkness,  and  that  for 
ever. 

And  it  is  just  with  God  to  deal  thus  with 
them,  for  they  allure  those  they  deal  with, 
and  draw  them  into  a  net,  or  catch  them 
with  great  swelling  ivords  of  vanity  ;  lofty 
expressions,  which  have  a  great  sound,  hut 
little  sense.  They  work  upon  the  corrupt  af¬ 
fections  and  carnal ,  fleshly  lusts  of  men,  pro¬ 
posing  what  is  grateful  to  them.  Thus,  they 


V.  15.  Bosor.]  ‘Either  Balaam’s  father  had  two  names,  Beor  and 
Bosor,  or  the  latter  (as  Ainsworth  and  Lightfoot  suppose)  was  the  Chal- 
daic  pronunciation  of  Lhe  former.’  Williams. — ‘  The  force  of  the  com¬ 
parison  rests  in  this,  that  as  Balaam  counselled  the  Moabites,  to  entice 
the  Israelites  to  illicit  connexion  with  their  women,  and  thus  lend 
them  into  idolatry,  and  draw  on  them  the  heavy  punishment  of  God  ;  so 
these  false  teachers,  by  giving  Christians  a  license  to  commit  immoral¬ 
ity,  namely,  for  the  purpose  of  gratifying  their  own  avarice,  in  like  man¬ 
ner  called  forth  the  severe  castigation  of  God.  Such  is  the  view  taken 
by  most  commentators.  Perhaps,  however,  Peter  had  regard  only  to 
the  avarice  of  Balaam,  like  whom  these  false  teacher-,  for  the  purpose 
of  gratifying  that  base  passion,  make  a  gain  of  the  Gospel  in  the  way 
above-mentioned.  So  Ilosenm.  But  I  prefer  the  common  and  more 
extensive  sense,  since  that  seems  to  lie  required  by  the  force  of  the 
words  themselves,  and  the  circumstances  of  Balaam’s  case.’  Bl. 

V.  17.  ‘  They  pretended  to  be  fountains  of  deeper  knowledge,  and 
greater  purity  than  any  others ;  but,  when  a  man  came  ihirsling’nfter 
truth  and  righteousness,  how  great  must  lie  his  disappointment^  when 
he  found  nothing  but  emptiness  and  vanity.  In  this  comparison  in 
pointed  out  their  ostentation  and  hypocrisy.'  Bensox,  in  B/oornf. 

V.  18.  Clean  escaped,  &c.]  ‘  Quite  escaped.’  DoDPn. — ‘Some  read, 

“  n  little,”  or  “a  little  while,”  others  “almost;”  but,  whichever 
l  ending  is  followed,  the  escape  seems  only  to  relate  to  a  change  of  no¬ 
tions,  and  outward  reformation.  Escaping  from  error,  and,  in  v.  20. 
escaping  the  pollutions  of  the  world,  are  the  strongest  expressions  of 
good,  used  in  the  description  of  these  apostates,  yet  neither  these,  nor 


Character  of  false  teachers. 

seduce  persons,  who,  in  reality,  avoided  and 
kept  at  a  distance  from  hurtful  and  destruc¬ 
tive  errors.  Observe,  By  application  and 
industry  men  attain  a  skilfulness  and  dexter¬ 
ity  in  promoting  error  ;  they  are  as  artful 
and  as  successful  as  the  fisher,  who  makes 
angling  his  daily  employment.  Erroneous 
teachers  have  a  peculiar  advantage  to  win 
men  over  to  them,  because  they  have  sensual 
pleasures  to  take  them  with  ;  whereas  the 
ministers  of  Christ  put  men  on  self-denial, 
and  the  mortifying  of  those  lusts  that  others 
gratify  and  please:  wonder  not,  therefoie, 
that  errors  spread  so  much.  Persons  who 
have  for  a  while  adhered  to  the  truth,  may, 
by  the  subtlety  and  industry  of  seducers  he 
so  far  deceived,  as  to  fall  into  those  errors 
they  had  for  a  while  clean  escaped ;  ‘Be 
therefore  always  on  your  guard,  maintain  a 
godly  jealousy  of  yourselves,  pray  for  the 
Spirit  to  instruct  and  establish  you  in  the 
truth,  walk  humbly  with  God,  and  watch 
against  everything  that  may  provoke  Him 
to  give  you  up,  to  lie  taken  with  the  fair  and 
specious  pretences  of  these  false  teachers.’ 
To  prevent  these  men’s  gaining  proselytes, 
he  tells  us,  that  in  the  midst  of  all  their  talk 
of  liberty,  they  themselves  are  the  vilest  slaves ; 
their  minds  and  hearts  are  so  far  corrupted 
and  depraved,  that  they  are  completely  con¬ 
quered  and  captivated  by  their  spiritual  en¬ 
emies  ;  and  what  a  shame  to  he  overcome 
and  commanded  by  those  who  are  themselves 
the  servants  of  corruption,  and  slaves  to  their 
own  lusts  !  This  consideration  should  pre¬ 
vent  our  being  led  away  by  these  seducers  ; 
and  to  this  he  adds  another,  v.  20.  hereby, 
i.  e.  by  being  led  away,  their  latter  end  is 
made  worse  than  their  beginning.  Here,  we 
see,  It  is  an  advantage  to  escape  the,  pollu¬ 
tions  of  the,  world  ;  hereby  we  ate  kept  from 
grieving  those  who  are  truly  serious,  and 
emboldening  those  who  are  openly  profane. 
Some  men  are,  for  a  time,  kept  from  the  pol¬ 
lutions  of  the  world,  by  the  knowledge  of 
Christ,  who  are  not  savingly  renewed  in  the 
spirit  of  their  mind.  False  teachers  at  first 
insnare  and  entangle;  they  first  perplex  with 
some  plausible  and  specious  objections ;  and 
the  more  ignorant  and  unstable  are  hereby 
made  to  stagger,  and  brought  to  question  the 
truth,  because  they  cannot  solve  all  the  dif¬ 
ficulties,  nor  answer  all  the  objections,  urged 
by  these  seducers.  When  men  are  once  en¬ 
tangled,  they  are  easily  overcome  ;  therefore 
should  Christians  keep  close  to  the  Word 
of  God,  and  watch  against  those  who  seek 
to  perplex  and  bewilder  them  ;  and  that, 
because,  if  men  w  ho  have  once  escaped,  arc 
again  entangled,  the  latter  end  is  worse  with 
them  than  the  beginning. 

The  apostle,  in  the  last  two  verses  of  the 
eh.  sets  himself  to  prove  that  a  state  of 
apostasy  is  worse  than  a  state  of  ignorance ; 
for  this  is  a  condemning  the  way  of  right¬ 
eousness,  after  they  have  had  some  knowl¬ 
edge  of  it,  and  expressed  some  liking  to  it ; 

any  other,  import  that  they  were  ever  really  partakers  of  saving  grace.’ 

Guyse. 

V.  20 — 22.  They  [the  dog  returning  to  his  vomit,  and  the  sow  to  her 
wallowing  in  the  mire]  arc  the  two  most  disgusting  and  loathsome 
emblems,  which  the  whole  animal  race  can  suggest,  and  are  adduced  to 
illustrate  the  filthiness  of  those,  who,  after  convictions,  professed  re¬ 
pentance,  and  outward  reformation,  return  back  to  wickedness,  because 
their  carnal  hearts  loved  it.  But  if  the  power  of  God  should  change  Hits 
swine  into  a  1  sheep,’  (the  emblem  of  the  regenerate,)  though  it  might 
lie  thrown  into  tlto  mire,  yet  it  could  no  longer  ‘wallow  in  it’  with 
delight,  but  must  lie  most  uncomfortable  till  cleansed  from  it. — They 
who  ‘had  escaped  the  pollutions  of  the  world,’  had  not  been  ‘made 
partakers  of  a  divine  nature  ;  ’  nor  had  the  nature  of  the  dog,  or  swine 
been  changed  ;  the  swine  was  washed,  but  not  made  ‘  a  new  creature.’ 
— The  true  Christian  is  born  again,  ‘new  created  to  good  works;’ 
Christ  dwells  in  him  by  his  Spirit,  and  ‘  makes  all  things  new.’  Mat. 
12:29—32.  Heb.  6:4—8.  10:26^-39.  1  John  2:18,  19.  5:14— 18.— The  dif¬ 
ference  between  this  ch.  and  the  other  parts  of  Peter’s  epistles,  in  the 
style  and  manner,  and  its  coincidence  with  that  of  Jude,  have  made 
several  expositors  suppose,  that  hot  It  of  them  borrowed  their  language 
from  some  ancient  book  which  is  now  lost;  but  of  this  every  reader 
must  judge  for  himself.  Scott. 

(20,  21.)  Edwards  remarks  on  Heb.  6:4,  5,  6.  ‘It  is  a  good  argument 
that  those  that  are  here  spoken  about,  were  never  regenerated,  that 
they  are  compared  to  the  thorny  ground,  which,  however  it  may  seem 
to  receive  the  seed  and  nourish  it,  so  that  it  may  spring  up  and  appear 


A.  D.  07. 


2  PETER,  III. 


The  apostle's  design  in  again  writing. 


22  But  it  is  happened  unto  them 
according  to  the  true  proverb, z  The 
dog  is  turned  to  his  own  vomit 
again;  and,  The  sow  that  was  wash¬ 
ed,  to  her  wallowing  in  the  mire. 

CHAP.  III. 

J  lie  nssureth  them  of  the  certainty  of  Christ’s  coming  to 
judgment,  against  those  scorn ers  who  dispute  against  it : 
8  warning  the  godly,  for  the  long  patience  ofGod,  to 
hasten  their  repentance.  10  He  describeth  also  the  man¬ 
ner  how  the  world  shall  be  destroyed  :  11  exhorting 
them,  from  the  expectation  thereof,  to  all  holiness  of  life  : 
15  and  again,  to  thiuk  the  patience  of  God  to  tend  to 
their  salvation,  as  Paul  wrote  to  them  in  his  epistles. 

HPHIS  second  epistle,  beloved,  I 
J- now  write  unto  you;  in  both 
which  I  stir  up  your  pure  minds  by 
way  of  remembrance: 

2  That  *ye  may  be  mindful  of 
the  words  which  were  spoken  be¬ 
fore  bby  the  holy  prophets,  and  of 
the  commandment  of  us  the  apostles 
of  the  Lord  and  Savior  : 

8  Knowing  this  first,  that  there 
shall  come  in  the  last  days  c  scoffers, 
walking  after  their  own  lusts, 

4  And  saying,  Where  d  is  the 
promise  of  his  coming  ?  for  since 
the  fathers  fell  asleep,  all  things 
continue  as  they  were  from  the  be¬ 
ginning  of  the  creation. 

i  Pr.  2611.  2  Ti.  3:1.  Exe.  12:22—27. 

a  Jurle  17,13.  c  Is.  5:19.  Mat.  14:48. 

b  1  Ti.  4:1.  d  Je.  17:15. 


this  carries  in  it  a  declaring  that  they  have 
found  some  iniquity  in  the  way  of  righteous¬ 
ness,  ami  some  falsehood  in  the  Word  of 
truth  ;  now,  to  bring  up  such  an  evil  report 
on  the  good  way  of  God,  and  such  a  false 
charge  against  the  way  of  truth,  must  neces¬ 
sarily  expose  to  the  heaviest  condemnation; 
the  misery  of  such  deserters  of  Christ  and 
his  Gospel,  is  more  unavoidable,  and  more 
intolerable,  than  that  of  other  offenders. 
Well,  if  the  Scripture  gives  such  an  account 
of  Christianity  on  the  one  hand,  and  of  sin 
on  the  other,  as  we  have  here  in  these  two 
verses,  we  certainly  ought  highly  to  approve 
of  the  former,  and  persevere  therein,  be¬ 
cause  it  is  a  way  of  righteousness,  and  a  holy 
commandment ;  and  to  loathe  and  keep  at  the 
greatest  distance  from  the  latter,  because  it 
is  set  forth  as  most  offensive  and  abom¬ 
inable. 


Chap.  III.  V.  1,  2.  That  the  apostle 
might  the  better  reach  his  end  in  writing 
this  epistle,  which  is,  to  make  them  steady 
and  constant  in  a  fiducial  and  practical  re¬ 
membrance  of  the  doctrine  of  the  Gospel, 
he  expresses  his  special  affection  and  ten¬ 
derness  of  them,  his  sincere  love  to  them, 
and  his  hearty  concern  for  them.  The  bet¬ 
ter  to  recommend  the  matter,  he  tells  them, 
that  what  he  would  have  them  to  remember, 
is,  what  came  from  God  by  the  holy  prophets, 
and  the  bommandments  of  the  apostles  of  the 
Lord  and  Savior  ;  what  cannot,  therefore, 
but  demand  and  deserve  to  be  frequently  re¬ 
membered ;  and  they  who  meditate  on  these 
things,  will  feel  the  quickening  virtues  there¬ 
of;  it  is  by  these  tilings  the  pure  minds  of 
Christians  are  to  he  stirred  up,  that  they 
may  be  active  and  lively  in  the  work  of  ho¬ 
liness,  and  zealous  and  unwearied  in  the 
*  way  to  heaven. 

V.  3 — 7.  To  quicken  and  excile  us  to  a 
serious  minding,  and  firm  adhering  to,  what 
God  has  revealed  to  us  by  the  prophets  and 
apostles,  we  are  told  that  his  way  of  saving 
sinners  by  Jesus  Christ,  is  what  men  will 
scoff  at,  and  that  in  the  last  days,  under  the 
Gospel.  It  may  seem  strange,  that  the  New 
Test,  dispensation  of  the  covenant  of  grace, 
which  is  spiritual,  and  therefore  more  agree¬ 
able  to  the  nature  of  God  than  the  Old, 
should  be  ridiculed  and  reproached;  but  the 
spirituality  and  simplicity  of  the  New  Test, 
worship  are  directly  contrary  to  the  carnal 
mind  of  man  ;  and  this  accounts  for  what 
the  apostle  seems  here  to  hint  at,  namely, 
that  scoffers  shall  be  more  numerous  and 
more  bold  in  the  last  days  than  ever  before. 

Now  to  prevent  the  true  Christian's  being 
overcome,  when  attacked  by  these  scoffers, 
we  are  told, 

1.  W  hat  sort  of  persons  they  are  ;  they 
walk  after  their  own  lusts,  follow  the  devices 
and  desires  of  their  own  hearts,  and  carnal, 
corrupt  affections,  not  the  dictates  of  right 
reason,  and  an  enlightened,  well-informed 
judgment  ;  they  live  as  they  list  :  not  only 
their  inward  minds  are  evil  and  opposite  to 
God,  Rom.  8:  7.  but  they  are  grown  to  such 
a  height  of  wickedness,  that  they  proclaim 
openly  that  their  tongues  are  their  own, 
their  strength,  time,  and  all  ;  and  ‘  Who  is 
lord  over  us?'  Who  shall  contradict  or 
control  us,  or  ever  call  us  to  an  account  for 
what  we  say  or  do  V  And  as  they  scorn  to 
be  confined  by  any  laws  of  God.  in  their  life, 
so  neither  will  they  hear  that  the  revelations 
of  God  should  dictate  and  prescribe  to  them 


what  they  are  to  believe  ;  here,  also,  their 
own  lusts  alone  shall  be  consulted  by  them. 

2.  \\  e  also  are  foretold  how  far  they  will 
proceed  ;  they  will  attempt  to  shake  and 
unsettle  us,  even  as  to  our  belief  of  Christ’s 
second  coming,  v.  4.  Without  this,  all  oth¬ 
er  articles  of  the  Christian  faith  will  signify 
very  little  ;  this  gives  the  finishing  stroke 
to  all  the  rest  ;  the  promised  Messiah  is 
come;  He  is  altogether  such  an  one  as  is 
stated  before,  and  has  done  all  that  has  been 
before  noticed;  these  principles  the  enemies 
of  Christianity  have  all  along  endeavored  to 
overturn  ;  but,  as  these  all  rest  on  facts  al¬ 
ready  past,  of  which  this  and  the  other  apos¬ 
tles  have  given  us  the  most  satisfying  evi¬ 
dence,  probably  they  will  at  last  grow  wea¬ 
ry  of  opposition  to  these  ;  and  yet,  while 
one  very  principal  article  of  our  faith  refers 
to  what  is  still  behind,  and  only  has  a  prom¬ 
ise  to  rest  on,  here  they  will  still  attack  ns, 
even  till  our  Lord  is  come  ;  nay,  laugh  at 
the  very  mention  of  his  second  coming,  and 
do  what  in  them  lies,  to  put  all  out  of  coun¬ 
tenance  who  seriously  believe  and  wait  for 
it.  Now,  therefore,  let  us  see  how  this 
point  stands,  between  the  believer  and  these 
seducers  :  the  believer  not  only  desires  lie 
may  come,  but  having  a  promise  that  He  will 
come,  a  promise  Himself  made  and  often  re¬ 
peated,  a  promise  received  and  reported  by 
faithful  witnesses,  and  left  on  sure  record, 
he  is  also  fully  persuaded  He  will  come  :  on 
the  other  hand,  these  seducers,  because  they 
wish  He  never  may,  therefore  do  all  that  in 
them  lies,  to  cheat  themselves  and  others 
into  a  persuasion  that  He  never  will  come  ; 
if  they  cannot  deny  that  there  is  a  promise, 
yet  they  will  laugh  at  it  ;  which  argues 
much  higher  degrees  of  infidelity  and  con¬ 
tempt  ;  Where  is  the  promise. ,  say  they,  of 
his  coming  ? 

3.  We  are  also  forewarned  of  the  method 
of  their  reasoning  ;  for  while  they  laugh, 
they  will  pretend  to  argue  too;  to  this  pur¬ 
pose,  they  add,  that,  since  the  fathers  fell 
asleep,  all  things  continue  as  they  were  from 
the  beginning  of  the  creation,  v.  4.  This  is 
subtle,  but  not  solid  ;  it  is  apt  to  make  im¬ 
pressions  on  weak  minds,  and  especially  on 
wicked  hearts;  say  they,  ‘  The  fathers  are 
all  dead,  to  whom  the  promise  was  made  ; 
therefore,  as  it  never  was  made  good  in  their 
time,  so  there  is  no  likelihood  it  ever  will 
be;  why  should  we  trouble  ourselves  about 
it  1  If  there  had  been  any  truth  or  certain¬ 
ty  in  the  promise,  we  should  surely  have  seen, 
before  this,  some  signs  of  his  coming  ;  but 


TRACT.  OBS.  V.  15  —  22.  Those  who  would  escape  deceivers 
should  consider,  that  they  abound  in  ‘high  swelling  words’  of  vain 
boasting  and  ostentation;  and  speak  of  themselves,  as  if  wisdom  and 
knowledge  belonged  exclusively  to  them,  at  the  same  time  that  they 
give  great  indulgence,  to  the  lusts  of  the  flesh.  Thus  they  allure,  with  the 
hope  of  sensual  gratification,  worldly  advantages,  and  impunity  in  them, 
such  ‘stony-ground  hearers,’  as,  under  convictions  and  transient  affec¬ 
tions,  had  ‘  escaped  from  those  that  live  in  error.’  Persons  of  this  de¬ 
scription,  not  valuing  the  liberty  of  obeying,  the  commandments  ofGod, 
are  disposed  to  listen  to  those,  who  promise  them  liberty  of  another 
sort,  and  assure  them  that  their  practical  instructers  have  held  them  in 
bondage;  and  thus  antinomian  tenets  are  embraced,  as  a  covert  way 
of  returning  to  the  world  and  sin,  and  as  a  more  specious  and  quiet  kind 
of  apostasy  ;. ..  nor  is  such  a  departure  from  practical  Christianity  to 
antinomian  principles  and  behavior,  less  fatal,  than  open  apostasy  ;  as 
it  serves  to  keep  the  conscience  entirely  asleep,  perhaps  more  eftectu- 

flourishiug  awhile,  yet  never  brings  fort li  any  good  fruit,  but  always 
briers  and  thorns,  because  the  ground  was  never  purged  ;  and  how  be¬ 
nign  soever  the  showers  that  descend  upon  it,  yet  they  only  nourish  the 
thorns  (see  v.  8.),  which  certainly  implies  that  the  ground  was  never  so 
changed,  as  to  prepare  it  to  bring  forth  good  fruit.  In  Christ’s  parable, 
they  that  are  represented  by  the  thorny  ground,  are  manifestly  different 
from  the  good  ground,  those  that  have  “good  and  honest  hearts.”  The 
fault  of  the  stony  ground  and  thorny  ground  was  the  nature  of  the 
ground,  and  the  good  fruit  is  ascribed  to  the  better  nature  of  the  good 
ground.’  En. 

NOTES.  Chap.  III.  V.  1 — 4.  ‘This  second  epistle  ’  appears,  by  the 
opening  of  this  chapter,  to  have  been  primarily  addressed  to  the  same 
churches  as  the  former  ;  though  this  is  not  mentioned  at  the  beginning 
of  it.  1:1,2.  Scott. 

(1.)  ‘  The  apostle  here  gives  them  to  understand,  that  he  wrote  this 
and  the  former  epistle,  to  put  them  in  mind  of  Christ’s  final  advent  to 
judgment,  and  to  excite  them  to  prepare  for  it.  But  he  withal  informs 
them,  they  must  expect  to  hear  the  notion  ridiculed  by  foolislt  and  wick¬ 
ed  men.  To  show  how  ill-founded  is  this  ridicule,  he  intimates  that  the 
first  constitution  of  the  earth  was  such  as  to  occasion  the  flood,  and  the 


ally  titan  any  other  opiate  yet  devised  by  the  grand  deceiver  of  man¬ 
kind.  It  is  evident,  therefore,  that  ‘it  would  have  been  better’  for 
such  men,  if  they  had  continued  ignorant  of  the  Gospel,  than  thus  to 
pervert  it  to  their  own  deeper  condemnation,  and  the  ruin  of  others 
along  with  them.  Yet,  alas,  how  many  are  there,  who  thus  verify  ‘  the 
true  proverb,’  by  ‘  turning  as  the  dog  to  his  own  vomit  again,  and  as  a 
sow  that  is  washed  to  her  wallowing  in  the  mire  !  But  this  shall  never 
happen  to  any,  who  are  ‘in  Christ  new  creatures,’  and  made  partakers 
of  a  divine  nature.  Let  us  then  pray  continually,  ‘  Create  in  me  a  clean 
heart,  O  God,  and  renew" a  right  Spirit  within  me;’  let  us  remember, 
that  a  ‘holy  commandment’  is  given  to  us,  as  xvell  as  ‘exceedingly 
great  and  precious  promises;’  let  us  beware  of  turning  from  the  pre¬ 
cepts,  as  much  as  of  rejecting  the  truths,  of  Christianity  ;  and  let  us 
equally  avoid  antinomian  corrupters,  and  Pharisaical  opposers  of  the 
Gospel,  as  alike  the  enemies  of  ‘  our  Lord  and  Savior  Jesus  Christ.’ 

Scott. 

present  one  tends  to  a  dissolution  by  fire,  which  will  take  place  at  its 
appointed  time;  and  that  the  reason  why  it  is  delayed,  is,  to  give  men 
an  opportunity  for  previous  preparation.’  Bloomf. 

(2.)  Mindful  of  the  words.]  ‘  I.  e.  in  the  way  of  caution  concerning 
the  deceivers  before  mentioned  ;  or,  in  general,  of  the  tilings  pertaining 
to  the  advent  and  kingdom  of  Christ.’  Id. 

(3.)  Last  days.]  ‘  The  period  of  the  last  dispensation  to  man,  tha 
whole  of  the  times  of  the  New  Test.,  so  some.  But  this  is  too  harsh. 
The  period  of  the  Jewish  system.  But  as  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem 
happened  about  3  years  after,  the  apostle  could  scarcely  have  had  that 
in  view.  Yet  the  scoffers  were  soon  to  come  (so  Slade) ;  otherwise 
there  could  have  been  no  need  to  caution  the  disciples  against  them  ; 
and  in  the  days  of  Jude  (see  his  Epis.  18,  19.)  they  were  come;  there¬ 
fore  the  passage  relates  to  some  event  or  judgment  near  at  hand,  i.  e. 
to  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem,  and  the  final  advent  to  judgment, 
[which  may  be  considered  as  ever  near  in  every  age.]’  Id- 

(4.)  Since  the  fathers,  &c.]  '■Except  that  the  fathers  have  fallen 
asleep;  that  is,  that  the  inhabitants  of  the  world  are  continually  chang¬ 
ing,  and  new  generations  rising  instead  of  this  old,  all  other  things  con¬ 
tinue  as  they  were.’  Grove,  in  Doildr. 


A.  D.  07. 


2  PETER,  III. 


Scoffers  described. 


5  For  this  they  willingly  are  ig¬ 
norant  of,  that  '  by  the  word  of  God 
the  heavens  were  of  old,  and  the 
earth  f  standing  out  of  the  g  water 
and  in  the  water  : 

6  Whereby  the  world  that  then 
was,  being  overflowed  with  h  water, 
perished  : 

7  But  the  heavens  and  the  earth 
which  are  now,  by  the  same  word 
are  kept  in  store,  reserved  unto  fire 
*  against  the  day  of  judgment  and 
perdition  of  ungodly  men. 

e  Gc.  1:6,9.  g  Ps.  24:2.  i  Pa.  50:3.  Zep. 

f  consisting •  h  Ge.  7:11,  &c.  3:8.  2  1  h.  1:8. 

we  find,  to  this  very  day,  all  things  continue 
as  they  were,  even  from  the  beginning  ;  why, 
therefore,  should  we  affright  ourselves,  as 
if  the  world  were  to  have  an  end  1’  Thus 
do  these  scoffers  argue  !  Ps.  55:  19.  They 
neither  fear  Him,  nor  his  judgments  ;  what 
He  never  has  done,  they  would  conclude 
lie  never  can  do,  or  never  will. 

4.  Here  is  the  falsehood  of  their  argument 
detected  ;  the  apostle  puts  us  in  remem¬ 
brance  of  a  change  already  past,  which,  in  a 
manner,  equals  that  which  we  are  called  to 
expect  and  look  for, — the  drowning  of  the 
world  in  the  days  of  Noah  :  this  these  scof¬ 
fers  took  no  notice  of  ;  they  might  have 
known  it,  v.  5.  but  chose  to  pass  it  over  as 
if  they  had  never  heard  of  it.  Note,  It  i3 
hard  to  persuade  men  to  believe  what  they 
are  not  willing  to  find  true;  in  many  cases, 
they  are  ignorant,  because  they  do  not  care 
to  know.  But  let  not  sinners  think,  that  such 
ignorance  will  he  admitted  as  an  excuse 
for  the  sin  it  may  betray  them  into  ;  they 
who  crucified  Christ,  did  not  know  who  He 
was;  for,  had  they  known,  they  would  not 
have  crucified  the  Lord  of  glory,  1  Cor.  2:  8. 
but  they  were  not  therefore  innocent  ;  their 
ignorance  itself  was  a  sin,  willing,  wilful 
ignorance;  and  one  sin  can  be  no  excuse  for 
another.  So  it  is  here.  Now,  therefore, 
consider  the  representation  the  apostle  here 
lays  down,  both  of  the  destruction  of  the  old 
world  by  water,  and  that  which  awaits  this 
present  world  at  the  final  conflagration.  He 
mentions  the  one  as  what  God  had  done,  to 
convince  and  persuade  us  the  rather  to  be¬ 


lieve,  that  the  other  both  may  bo  and  will  be. 
First,  we  begin  with  the  apostle’s  account 
of  the  destruction  which  has  once  already 
come  on  the  world,  v.  5,  6.  Originally,  the 
world  was  otherwise  situated  ;  the  ivaters 
were  most  wisely  divided  at  the  creation,  and 
most  beneficially  for  us  ;  some  had  proper 
repositories  above  the  firmament,  here  called 
the  heavens,  as  also  Gen.  1:8.  and  others 
under  the  firmament,  gathered  together  unto 
one  place  ;  there  were  then  both  spa  and  dry 
land, a  commodious  habitation  for  man;  but 
now,  at  the  time  of  the  universal  deluge,  the 
case  is  strangely  altered  ;  the  world  that  then 
was,  being  overflowed  with  water,  perished, 
v.  5.  Is  not  here  a  change,  a  most  awful 
change  1  And  then  it  is  to  be  observed, 
that  all  this  was  done  by  the  word  of  God  ; 
by  that  the  world  was  made  at  first,  Helm 
11:3.  Gen.  1:8,7.  v.  9,  10.  Thus,  H| 
spake,  and  it  was  done,  Ps.  33:9.  Thus, 
says  our  apostle,  by  the  word  of  the  Lord  the 
heavens  were,  as  they  were  of  old,  that  is,  at 
the  first  creation,  and  the  earth  (as  it  was 
at  first  a  terraqueous  globe)  standing  out  of 
the  water  and  in  the.  water.  Nor  was  it  only 
the  first  frame  and  order  of  the  world  that 
is  here  said  to  be  by  the.  word  of  God,  but 
the  after  confusion  and  ruin  of  the  world,  as 
well  as  the  utter  destruction  of  its  inhabit-  j 
ants,  were  also  by  the  same  word  ;  it  was  j 
also  done  according  to  the  word  of  his  prom-  j 
ise  ;  God  bad  said  He  would  destroy  man,  \ 
even  all  flesh,  and  that  He  would  do  it  by 
bringing  a  flood  of  waters  on  the  earth,  Gen.  1 
6:  7, 13, 17.  This  was  the  change  God  had  | 
before  brought  on  the  world,  and  which  these  | 
scoffers  had  overlooked  ;  and  now  we  are  to 
consider,  in  the  second  place,  what  the  apos-  | 
tie  says  of  the  destructive  change  which  is 
yet  to  come  on  it,  ?>.  7.  Here  we  have  an  ; 
awful  account  of  the  final  dissolution  of  the 
world,  and  which  we  are  yet  more  nearly 
concerned  in  :  the  judgment  is  yet  to  coine, 
but  will  surely  come,  and  we  know  not 
when,  nor  on  what  particular  age  or  gener-  | 
ation  of  men  ;  therefore  we  cannot  be  sure  ! 
it  may  not  happen  in  our  own  times  ;  and 
this  makes  a  very  great  difference,  though  j 
it  should  be  admitted  that  they  were  equal  ] 
in  every  other  respect  ;  which  yet  must  not 
be  allowed,  for  there  were  some,  though 
very  few,  who  escaped  that  deluge,  hut  not 
one  can  escape  in  this  conflagration  ;  be¬ 


sides,  we  were  not  in  reach  of  the  one,  hut 
are  not  sure  we  shall  not  be  included  in  the 
other  calamity.  Now,  therefore,  to  see  the 
world  to  which  we  belong  destroyed  at  once, 
— not  a  single  person  only,  not  a  particular 
family  only,  nor  yet  a  nation,  but  the  whole 
world,  I  say,  sinking  at  once,  and  no  ark 
provided,  no  possible  way  left,  for  any  one, 
of  escaping  from  the  common  ruin  ;  this" 
makes  a  difference  between  the  desolation 
that  has  been  and  what  we  yet  are  to  expect. 
The  one  is  already  past,  and  never  to  re¬ 
turn,  Gen.  9:  11 — 15.  the  other  is  still  be¬ 
hind,  and  as  certain  to  come  as  the  truth 
and  the  power  of  God  can  make  it  :  the  one 
came  gradually  on  the  world,  and  was  grow¬ 
ing  on  its  inhabitants  forty  days,  before  it 
made  an  utter  end  of  them,  Gen.  7:  12,  17. 
this  other  will  come  on  them  swiftly,  and  all 
at  once,  2  Pet.  2:  1.  Thus,  whatever  dif¬ 
ferences  may  he  assigned,  between  that  de¬ 
struction  of  the  world  and  this  here  spoken 
of,  [they]  do  indeed  represent  the  approach¬ 
ing  as  the  most  terrible  judgment;  vet,  that 
the  world  has  once  been  destroyed  by  a  uni¬ 
versal  deluge,  renders  it  the  more  credible 
that  it  may  be  ruined  by  a  universal  confla¬ 
gration  ;  let,  therefore,  the  scoffers  at  least 
consider  that  it  maybe;  and  though  they 
still  should  laugh,  they  shall  hot  put  us  out 
of  countenance  ;  we  are  well  assured  it  will 
be,  because  He  has  said  it,  and  we  can  de¬ 
pend  on  his  promise  ;  they  err,  not  knowing 
(at  least  not  believing)  the  Scriptures,  nor  the 
power  of  God  ;  but  we  know,  and  we  do,  or 
ought  to,  depend  on  both.  What  He  has  said, 
and  will  certainly  make  good,  is,  that  the 
heavens  and  the  earth  we  tire  now  related  to, 
are  not  to  be,  what  earthly  minds  would  wish 
to  have  them,  treasures  for  us,  but  to  be 
what  God  will  have  them,  in  his  treasury, 
securely  kept  for  his  purposes  ;  it  follows, 
they  arc  reserved  unto  fire.  Observe,  God’s 
following  judgments  are  more  terrible  than 
those  which  went  before  ;  the  old  world 
was  destroyed  by  water,  this  is  reserved  un¬ 
to  fire;  and  though  this  seems  to  be  delayed, 
yet  as  it  is  upheld  by  the  word  of  God,  so 
it  is  only  reserved  for  the  vengeance  of  Him 
to  whom  vengeance  belongs,  who  will,  at  the 
day  of  judgment,  deal  with  an  ungodly  world 
according  to  their  deserts;  for  the  day  of 
judgment  is  the  day  of  the  perdition  of  ungod¬ 
ly  men.  They  who  now  scoff  at  a  future  judg- 


V.  5 — 7.  (5)  Standing  out  of  the  ivater,  and  in  the  water.]  Sub¬ 
sisting  from  the  water,  and  by  the  water.  Cot.  1:17.  Scott. 

(•5 — 7.)  ‘  He  means  to  refute  the  scoffers,  who  said  that  the  whole 
system  of  nature  remained,  and  would  always  remain  in  the  state  it  had 
been  in  from  the  creation,  nor  would  the  world  ever  be  destroyed,  (v. 
4.)  Against  these  he  shows,  that  all  things  have  not  remained  in  the 
slate  in  which  they  were  created  by  God;  for  that  the  world  fi.  e. 
our  earth  with  its  atmosphere)  had  once  been  destroyed  by  water  (v.  5, 
G.)  and  would  again  be  destroyed  in  like  manner  even  by  fire.  This  those 
scoffers  were  ignorant  of,  or  did  not  choose  to  understand.’  Kos. 

(5  )  By  the  word  of  God,  &c.]  ‘The  heavens  were  of  old,  and  the 
earth,  which  is  framed,  by  the  word  of  God,  from  the  waters,  and  be¬ 
tween  the  waters.’  Kypke.  ‘It  was  the  opinion  of  the  remotest  anti¬ 
quity,  that  the  earlh  was  formed  out  of  water,  or  primitive  moisture, 
which  they  termed  ull,  first  matter and  Thales  taught,  that  “nil 
things  derive  their  existence  from  water.”  This  also  appears  to  be  the 
doctrine  of  Moses,  Gen.  1:1,  2.  and  that  the  earth  was  at  first  in  a  fluid 
state,  is  evident  from  its  form;  for  it  has  been  demonstrated  by  measur¬ 
ing,  some  degrees  near  the  pole,  that  the  earth  is  not  round,  but  an  ob- 
!  lie  spheroid,  a  figure  nearly  resembling  an  orange,  and  one  which  any 
soft  or  elastic  body  would  assume  if  whirled  rapidly  round  a  centre;  us 
the  earth  is  round  its  axis.  When  the  waters  retired  into  one  place,  and 
when  “God  divided  the  waters  which  were  under  the  firmament  from 
the  waters  which  were  above  the  firmament,”  then  the  earth  was  placed 
“  between  the  waters.”’  Green f. — The  earth  standing  out  of  the  wa¬ 
ter  and  in  the  water.]  ‘  I.  e.  part  rising  above  the  water,  and  part  sub¬ 
merged  ;  or,  perhaps  above  lite  waters  “  under  tile  earth,”  and  beneath 
those  treasured  in  the  clouds,  by  the  meeting  of  which  in  tile  deluge, 
“  the  world  that  then  was,”  being  overtiowed,  was  drowned.  See  Gen. 
1:6 — 10.  7:11 — 20.’  fVitliams. — ‘  If  we  translate  “  between  the  waters,” 
it  will  bear  some  resemblance  to  Gen.  1:6,7.  and  it  may  refer  to  the 
whole  of  the  atmosphere  with  which  the  earth  is  surrounded,  and  which 
contains  the  vapors  without  which  we  could  neither  have  animal  or 
vegetable  life.  Thus  the  earth  which  was  originally  formed  out  of  wa¬ 
ter,  subsists  by  water,  and  by  means  of  that  very  water,  the  water  com¬ 
pacted  with  tile  earth,  the  fountains  of  the  great  deep  and  the  waters 
of  the  atmosphere,  Gen.  7:11.  the  nntediluvian  world  was  destroyed. 
But  though  the  same  means  still  exist,  for  there  is  water  enough  to 
drown  the  earth,  and  there  is  iniquity  enough  to  induce  God  to  destroy 
it,  and  its  inhabitants,  it  is  nevertheless  treasured  up,  reserved  to  be  de¬ 
stroyed,  not  by  water,  but  by  fire  at  the  day  of  judgment.’  A.  Clarke, 

[622J 


in  Henry,  abr. — ‘  The  tradition  of  « lie  heathen,  doubtless  in  accordance 
with  the  divine  declaration,  was,  that  the  world  would  he  destroyed  by 
fire.’  Henry,  abr. — Bloom/.  says,  the  apostle  seems  not  to  have  spoken 
with  reference  to  cosmogony,  but  meant  to  have  standing ,  &c.  taken  in 
the  sense  of  exist  or  subsist.  Fn. 

(6.)  The  ivor/d  that,  then  tens.]  ‘This  is  by  almost  all  explained,  the 
world  and  its  inhabitants,  as  they  existed  at  the  deluge  recorded  by  .Mo¬ 
ses.  But  since  the  opposition  is  not  the  world  that  now  is,  hot  the 
heavens  and  the  earth  which  are  now,  (v.  7.1  Ros.  thinks  the  aposlle 
distinguishes  these  heavens  and  this  earth  from  others.  And  he  would 
understand,  not  the  deluge  in  the  time  of  Noah,  hut  some  former  one ; 
adopting  the  opinion  of  Burnet,  in  his  Theory  of  the  Earth,  that  there 
was  quite  a  different  appearance  of  earth  and  heaven  before  the  diluge 
in  the  lime  of  Noah.  He  then  adds  :  “  Very  probable  to  me  is  the  opin¬ 
ion  of  those,  who  affirm  that  the  world,  long  after  that  first  creation  of 
this  universe,  was  utterly  laid  waste  by  some  universal  inundation,  much 
more  terrible  and  of  longer  continuance  than  the  deluge  recorded  bv 
Noah;  after  which  God  titled  it  up  for  a  residence  for  man  and  animals, 
and  that  this  metamorphosis  is  what  is  described  [as  creation,  or  in  Gi  n. 

1. ]  by  Moses.”  A  conjecture  indeed  highly  ingenious,  and  which  is 

thought  by  natural  philosophers  to  be  somewhat  confirmed  by  tin'  re¬ 
cent  discoveries  in  geology.  But  it  is  vain  to  seek  for  any  support  to  it 
in  the  words  of  the  apostle,  which,  if  taken  in  n  popular  sense,  are  quite 
consistent  with  the  deluge  in  the  time  of  Noah  ;  and  as  that  is  especial¬ 
ly  adduced  as  an  example  and  warning  in  a  similar  passage,  Mat.  21:67 
— 39.  so  it  seems  to  be  meant  here.'  Bi.oomf. 

(7.)  ‘  To  obviate  the  direct  bearings  of  this  passage,  Universalist 

writers  say,  that  this  earth  is  to  be  the  hell  of  wicked  men  ;  and  that  as 
the  burning  of  it  will  not  be  eternal,  so  the  perdition  of  the  ungodlv  will 
be  hut  temporary.  There  are  however  three  serious  difficulties  to  this 
gloss.  1.  The  Scriptures  speak  of  a  hell  already  existing,  wherein  the 
angels  who  kept  not  their  first  estate  arc  reserved  in  everlasting  chains 
under  darkness  unto  the  judgment  of  the  great  day  ;  and  in  which  the 
departed  spirits  of  wicked  men  now  lift  up  their  eyes,  being  in  torment. 

2.  The  Scriptures  declare  this  hell  now  existing  will  he  the  hell  of  all 

ungodly  men  ;  for  they  are  doomed  to  depart  into  everlasting  fire,  pre¬ 
pared  for  the  devil  and  his  ange/x.  3.  If  the  earth,  as  being  dissolved 
by  fire,  is  to  he  the  hell  of  ungodly  men,  then  punishment  must  precede. 
the  clay  of  judgment;  for  the  conflagration  is  uniformly  represented  as 
prior  to  that  event.  See  2  Thess.  1:7 — 10.’  Williams. 


A.  D.  67. 


8  But,  beloved,  be  not  ignorant 
of  this  one  thing,  that  one  day  is 
with  the  Lord  as  a  thousand  years, 
and  a  >  thousand  years  as  one  day. 

[Practical  Observations.] 

9  The  Lord  is  not  slack  ''con¬ 
cerning  his  promise,  as  some  men 
count  slackness;  but  is  long-suffer¬ 
ing  1  to  us*\vard,  not  willing  m  that 
any  should  perish,  but  that  all  should 
“come  to  repentance. 

10  But  the  day  of  the  Lord  will 
Come  as  a  thief  "in  the  night;  in  the 
which  the  heavens  p  shall  pass  away 
with  a  great  noise,  and  the  elements 
shall  melt  with  fervent  heat;  the 
earth  also,  and  the  works  that  are 
therein,  shall  be  burned  up. 

)  Ps.  900.  m  Eze.  33:11.  :>  Ps.  102:26. 

k  11a.  2:3.  n  1  Ti.  2:4,  Is.  51:6. 

1  Pa.  US  15.  o  Mat.  24:12,43.  He.  20:11. 

Is.  30:18.  Be.  16:15. 


meat,  shall  find  it  a  day  of  vengeance  and 
utter  destruction  ;  ‘  Beware,  therefore,  of' 
being  among  these  scoffers  ;  never  question 
but  the  day  of  the  Lord  will  come  ;  give  dili¬ 
gence,  therefore,  to  be  found  in  Christ,  that 
that  may  be  a  time  of  refreshment  and  day 
of  redemption  to  you,  which  will  be  a  day 
of  indignation  and  wrath  to  the  ungodly 
world.’ 

V.  8 — 10.  The  apostle  comes,  in  these 
words,  to  instruct  and  establish  Christians 
in  the  truth  of  the  coming  of  the  Lord,  where 
we  may  clearly  discern  the  tenderness  and 
affection  wherewith  he  speaks  to  them, call¬ 
ing  them  beloved  ;  he  has  a  peculiar  respect 
for  the  true  believers,  and  the  remaining 
ignorance  and  weakness  that  he  apprehends 
to  be  in  them  make  him  jealous,  and  put 
him  on  giving  them  a  caution.  Here  we 
may  observe, 

1.  The  truth  he  asserts  ;  that  with  the 
Lord  one  day  is  as  a  thousand  years,  and  a 
thousand  years  as  one  day.  In  the  account 
of  men,  there  is  a  great  difference  between 
a  day  and  a  year,  and  a  vast  deal  more  be¬ 
tween  one  day  and  a  thousand  years,  yet,  in 
the  account  of  God,  there  is  no  difference  ; 
for  all  things,  past,  present,  and  future,  are 
ever  before  Him  ;  and  the  delay  of  a  thou¬ 
sand  years  cannot  be  so  much  to  Him  as  the 


2  PETER,  111. 

deferring  of  anything  for  a  day  or  hour  is 
to  us. 

2.  The  importance  of  this  truth  ;  this  is 
the  one  thing  the  apostle  would  not  have  us 
ignorant  of;  a  holy  awe  aiid  reverential  fear 
of  God  are  necessary  in  order  to  our  wor¬ 
shipping  and  glorifying  Him  ‘  and  a  belief 
of  the  inconceivable  distance  between  Him 
and  us  is  very  proper  to  beget  and  maintain 
that  religious  fear  of  the  Lord,  which  is  the 
beginning  of  wisdom .  This  is  a  truth  that 
belongs  to  our  peace,  therefore  he  endeavors 
it  may  not  be  hid  from  our  ryes  ;  .as  it  is  in 
the  original,  Let  not  this  one  thing  be  hid  from 
you. 

In  v.  9.  we  are  told,  The  Lord  is  not 
slack ,  He  does  not  delay  beyond  the  ap¬ 
pointed  time  ;  as  God  kept  the  time  lie 
had  appointed  to  deliver  Israel  out  of  Egypt, 
to  a  day,  Exod.  12:41.  so  He  will  keep  to 
the  time  appointed,  in  coming  to  judge  the 
world.  What  a  difference  is  there  between 
the  account  God  makes,  and  that  men  make  ! 
Ungodly  men  dare  charge  a  culpable  slack¬ 
ness  on  God,  as  if  He  bad  slipt  the  time, 
and  laid  aside  the  thoughts  of  coming.  But 
the  apostle  assures  us,  that  what  men  count 
slackness,  is  truly  long-suffering,  and  that  to 
us-ward  :  it  is  giving  more  time  to  his  own 
people,  whom  He  has  chosen  before  the  founda¬ 
tion  of  the.  world,  many  of  whom  are  not  as 
yet  converted ;  and  those  who  are  in  a  state 
of  grace  and  favor  with  God,  are  to  advance 
in  knowledge  and  holiness,  and  in  the  exer¬ 
cise  of  faith  and  patience,  to  abound  in  good 
works,  doing  and  suffering  what  they  are 
called  to,  that  they  may  bring  glory  to  God, 
and  improve  in  a  meetness  for  heaven  ;  for 
God  is  not  willing  that  any  of  these  should 
perish,  but  that  all  of  them  should  come  to 
repentance.  Here  observe,  Repentance  is 
absolutely  necessary  in  order  to  salvation, 
Luke  13:3,  5.  God  has  no  delight  in  the 
death  of  sinners  ;  and  though  the  principal 
design  of  God,  in  his  long-suffering,  is,  the 
blessedness  of  those  whom  He  has  chosen  to 
salvation,  through  sanctification  of  the  Spirit, 
and  belief  of  the  truth,  yet  his  goodness  and 
forbearance  do,  in  their  own  nature,  invite 
and  call  to  repentance  all  those  to  whom  they 
are  exercised.  ‘Abuse  not,  therefore,  the 
patience  and  long-suffering  of  God,  by  aban¬ 
doning  yourselves  to  a  course  of  ungodliness ; 
presume  not  to  go  on  boldly  iit  the  way  of 
sinners,  nor  to  sit  down  securely  in  an  ttn- 


Iruction  respecting  Christ's  Coming 

converted,  impenitent  state,  as  lie  who  said, 
Mat.  24:48.  My  lord  delayeth  his  coming, 
lest  He  come  and  surprise  you  ;  for,  as  wo 
read,?;.  10.  Ihr  day  of  the  Lord  will  come  as 
a  thiefiin  the  night.'  Here  we  may  observe, 
(1.)  The  certainty  of  theday  of  the  Lord  : 
though  it  is  now  above  1800  years  since  this 
epistle  was  written,  and  the  day  is  not  vet 
come,  it  assuredly  will  come;  and  God  will 
keep  his  appointment,  Heb.  9:  27.  (2.)  The 
suddenness  of  this  day  ;  it  will  come  at  a 
time  when  men  are  sleeping  and  secure, 
and  have  no  manner  of  apprehension  or 
expectation  o i  the  day  of  the  Lord,  any  more 
than  men  have  of  a  thief  when  in  a  deep 
sleep,  in  the  dark  and  silent  night.  Mat. 
25:  6.  Let  us,  then,  beware  how  we,  in  our 
thoughts  and  imaginations,  put  that  day  lai* 
away  from  us  ;  but  rather  suppose  it  to  lie 
so  much  nearer  in  reality,  by  how  much 
further  off  it  is  in  the  opinion  of  the  ungodly 
world.  (3.)  The  solemnity  of  this  coming; 
The  visible  heavens,  unable  to  abide  when 
Lite  Lord  shall  come  in  his  glory,  shall  un¬ 
dergo  a  mighty  alteration,  arid  this  very 
suddenly,  and  with  such  a  noise,  as  the  break¬ 
ing  and  tumbling  down  of  so  great  a  fabric 
must  necessarily  occasion.  The  elements  of 
which  the  creatures  are  composed,  shall  melt 
with  fervent  heat,  at  this  coming  of  the  Lord, 
The  earth,  also,  and  its  inhabitants,  and  all 
the  works,  whether  of  nature  or  art, ' shall  he 
destroyed  ;  all  sorts  of  creatures  which  God 
has  made,  and  all  the  works  of  men,  must 
submit,  all  must  pass  through  the  fire,  which 
shall  be  a  consuming  fire  to  all  that  sin  has 
brought  into  the  world,  though  it  may  he  lmt 
a  refining  fire  to  the  works  of  God’s  hand, 
that  the  glass  of  the  creation  being  made 
much  brighter,  the  saints  may  much  better 
discern  the  glory  of  the  Lord  therein. 

And  now  who  can  but  observe  what  a 
difference  there  will  be  between  the  first 
coming  of  Christ  and  the  second  !  Yet  that 
is  called  the  great  and  dreadful  day  of  the 
Lord,  Mai.  4:  5.  flow  much  more dreadful 
must  this  coming  to  judgment  be  !  May 
we  be  so  wise  as  to  prepare  for  it,  that  it 
may  not  be  a  day  of  vengeance  and  destruc¬ 
tion  unto  us.  Oh!  what  will  become  of  us, 
if  we  set  our  affections  on  this  earth,  and 
make  it  our  portion,  seeing  all  these  things 
shall  be  burnt  up  1  Look  out,  therefore, 
and  make  sure  of  a  happiness  beyond  this  vis¬ 
ible  world,  which  must  all  be  melted  down. 


PRACT.  OBS.  V.  1 — 8.  The  ‘purest  minds’  of  men  on  earth  want 
‘stirring  up  by  t fie  way  of  remembrance,’  that,  by  habitual  attention  to 
the  doctrine  and  precepts  delivered  by  ‘the  holy  prophets  and  apostles,’ 
they  may  be  kept  steadfast  in  faith,  fervent  in  love',,  and  diligent  in  obe¬ 
dience. —  The  only  wise  God  our  Savior,  by  predicting  the  scoffs  and 
contemptuous  objections  of  infidels  and  profane  men,  in  ancient  and 
modern  times,  lias  taken  care,  that  even  their  perverse  opposition  to  the 
Scripture  should  furnish  an  additional  proof  of  its  divine  inspiration  ! — 
Most  of  their  cavils  and  sneers  expose  their  ignorance  of  ‘  the  Scrip¬ 


tures  and  of  the  power  of  God;’  yet  their  very  ignorance  is  the  conse¬ 
quence  of  their  ungodliness,  and  wilful  opposition  to  those  parts  of  di¬ 
vine  truth,  which  condemn  their  darling  iniquities.  But  none,  who  read 
and  believe  tiie  sacred  oracles,  can  be  ignorant,  that  the  Omnipotent 
Creator  of  the  heavens  and  the  earth,  who  upholds,  preserves,  changes, 
or  destroys  his  own  work,  as  lie  sees  good,  has  his  whole  plan  before 
Him  ;  and  is  alone  competent  to  determine  times  and  seasons  ;  and  that 
‘  with  Him,  one  day  is  as  a  thousand  years,  and  a  thousand  years  as  one 
day.’  Scott. 


V.  8.  One  day  and  a  thousand  years,  are  with  God  the  same  thing. — 
This  maxim,  well  considered,  is  the  key  for  reconciling  what  is  contin¬ 
ually  said,  concerning  the  speedy  approach  of  judgment,  with  the  proph¬ 
ecies,  extending  through  many  ages,  which  must  previously  he  accom¬ 
plished.  Pa.  90:3 — G.  2  Tlies.  2:1 — 12.  Re?;.  11:1,  2.  20:4— 6.  Scott. 

(8.)  He  not  ignorant,  of  this  one  thing.]  ‘This  is  a  most  solemn 
formula  of  soliciting  serious  attention  ;  and  the  scope  of  the  following 
passage  is,  to  show  why  the  Lord  defers  the  last  judgment  from  day  to 
day ;  namely,  out  of  his  singular  patience  and  clemency.’  Bloomf. — 
One  day,  <fcc.]  ‘This  was  a  proverbial  expression  among  the  Jews, 
to  signify  that  no  finite  duration  bears  any  proportion  to  the  eternity 
of  God.’  Doddr. 

V.  9.  Men’s  impenitence  arises  from  their  unwillingness  to  return  to 
God,  not  from  his  unwillingness  to  receive  them  :  and  therefore  He  is 
doubtless  ‘  willing  that  all  should  come  to  repentance’  and  be  saved: 
hut  no  one  can  conceive,  that  He  absolutely  willeth  the  salvation  of  the 
wicked,  in  the  same  sense  as  He  willeth  that  of  the  righteous,  (‘  I  will,  be 
thou  clean,’)  and  yet  is  unable  to  effect  it  !  These  are  two  distinct,  but 
consistent  views,  which  may  be  taken  of  the  subject ;  the  one  accords 
to  the  condition  of  sinners,  when  first  taught  to  attend  to  the  Word  of 
salvation  ;  to  them,  ‘  the  long-suffering ’  of  God,  the  provisions  of  the 
Gospel,  the  general  invitations,  the  ‘  command  to  all  men  to  repent,’ 
and  the  promises  that  Christ  will  cast  out  none  who  come  to  Him,  are 
so  many  assurances,  that  ‘  the  Lord  is  not  willing  that  any,’  who  seek 
salvation,  ‘should  perish  :  ’  but  that  sinners  of  ail  descriptions  should 
come  to  repentance;  and  that  they  who  repent,  do  that  which  pleases 
Him,  and  shall  be  accepted.  Ez.  18:23.  33:11.  John  6:36 — 40.  1  Tim. 
2:3,  4.  Rev.  2:20 — 23.  But  the  other  refers  to  God  :  ‘  known  unto  whom 
are  all  his  works  from  the  beginning  of  the  world  :  ’  and  according  to  it, 
the  established  believer  tiscribes  his  willingness  to  repent,  to  special 


grace  ;  and  acknowledges  that  if  he  had  been  left  to  himself,  he  should 
have  perished  in  obstinale  love  of  sin,  and  enmity  to  God,  as  numbers 
of  his  fellow-sinners  do. — Let  it  be  particularly  noticed,  that  God  1  wil¬ 
leth  all  men  to  repent ,’  exactly  in  the  same  manner,  as  He  1  wiiieth  all 
men  to  be  saved,'  so  that  none  who  do  not.  repent  can  have  any  benefit 
from  his  willingness  that  all  should  be  saved.  Scott. 

(9.)  The  Lord  is  not  slack ,  &c.]  ‘  Procrastinating  and  slow  as  to  ful¬ 
filling  his  promises, — the  Lord  is  not  so.’  Bi.oomf. 

V.  10 — 13.  Though  delays  seemed  to  be  made,  whilst  the  Lord  waited 
to  complete  the  counsels  of  his  wisdom  and  mercy,  and  to  render  the 
implacable  enmity  of  impenitent  sinners  manifest  to  the  whole  creation  -, 
yet  his  great  and  terrible  day  would  certainly  come,  suddenly,  when  not 
expected,  and  with  most  surprising  consternation,  and  inevitable  de¬ 
struction,  to  all  who  were  found  unprepared.  ( Marg .  Ref.  b — Notes, 
Mat.  24:42 — 44.  1  Thes.  5:1 — 3.)  At  that  important  catastrophe,  1  the 
heavens’  and  all  the  host  of  them,  (as  far,  at  least,  as  connected  with 
this  earth  and  its  inhabitants,)  ‘  will  pass  away,’  and  rush  into  confusion 
and  destruction;  with  a  tremendous  ‘  noise,’  of  which  thunders,  earth¬ 
quakes,  and  all  other  convulsions  of  nature,  are  wholly  inadequate  to 
give  the  least  conception.  Then  all  ‘  the  elements,’  of  which  the  earth 
and  its  atmosphere,  and  all  the  luminaries  connected  with  it,  are  com¬ 
posed,  shall  melt  ‘  with  intense  heat  :  ’  and  not  only  one  vast  city,  or  one 
whole  nation,  but  the  earth,  with  ail  its  cities,  forests,  mountains,  yea, 
the  contents  of  its  bowels  to  the  very  centre,  as  well  as  all  the  works 
of  men,  however  admired  or  magnificent,  which  cover  the  surface  of  it, 
shall  constitute  one  vast  conflagration,  and  be  reduced  to  ns  confused  a 
chaos,  as  that  from  which  it  was  first  created  ;  and  indeed  shall  ‘  wholly 
pass  away.’  Ps.  102:23—28.  Mat.  24:32—35.  Heb.  1:10—12.  Rev.  20: 
11 — 15.  Ought  not  Christians  therefore  to  be  continually  ‘  looking  for,’ 
and  preparing  to  welcome  that  solemn  eeason,  called  emphatically  ‘  the 

1  [623J 


A.  D.  67. 


2  PETER,  III.  ■  Exhortation  to  purity  and  godliness. 


conversation,  whether  with  high  or  iow, 
riel)  or  poor,  good  or  bad,  friends  or  ene¬ 
mies  J  we  must  exercise  ourselves  unto  godli¬ 
ness  of  all  sorts,  in  all  its  parts,  trusting  in 
God,  and  delighting  in  God  only,  who  con¬ 
tinues  the  same  when  the  whole  visible 
creation  shall  be  dissolved  ;  whereas,  what 
worldly  men  delight  in,  and  follow  after, 
must  all  be  dissolved  ;  these  things  which 
we  now  see,  must,  in  a  little  while,  pass 
away,  and  be  no  more  as  they  now  are  :  let 
us  look,  therefore,  at  what  shall  abide  and 
continue,  which,  though  not  present,  is  cer¬ 
tain,  and  not  far  off.  This  looking  for  the 
day  of  God,  is  one  of  the  directions  the  apos¬ 
tle  gives  us,  in  order  to  our  being  eminently 
holy  and  godly  in  all  manner  of  conversation, 
v.  12.  The  coming  of  the  day  of  God  is  what 
every  Christian  must  hope  for  and  earnestly 
expect  ;  for  it  is  a  day  when  Christ  shall 
appear  in  the  glory  of  the  Father,  and  evi¬ 
dence  his  Divinity  and  Godhead  even  to 
those  who  counted  Him  a  mere  man.  The 
first  coming  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  when 
He  appeared  in  the  form  of  a  servant ,  was  what 
the.  people  of  God  earnestly  waited  and  looked 
for  ;  that  coming  was  for  the  consolation  of 
Israel,  Luke  2:  25.  How  much  more  should 
they  wait  with  expectation  and  earnestness 
for  his  second  corning,  which  will  be  the  day 
of  their  complete  redemption,  and  of  his  most 
glorious  manifestation!  Here  we  must  notice, 
I.  What  true  Christians  look  for, — new 
heavens  and  a  new  earth,  in  which  a  great 
deal  more  of  the  wisdom,  power,  and  good¬ 
ness  of  our  great  God  and  Savior,  Jesus 
Christ,  will  be  clearly  discerned,  than  we 
are  able  to  discover  in  what  we  now  see;  for 
in  these  new  heavens  and  earth  are  to  be  the 
habitation  of  such  righteous  persons  only  as 
do  righteousness,  and  are  free  from  the 
power  and  pollution  of  sin  ;  all  the  wicked 
shall  be  turned  into  hell ;  those  only  who  are 
clothed  with  the  righteousness  of  Christ,  and 


sanctified  by  the  Holy  Ghost,  shall  be  admit¬ 
ted  to  dwell  in  this  holy  place. 

II.  The  ground  and  foundation  of  this 
expectation  and  hope, — the  promise  of  God. 
To  look  for  anything  God  has  not  promised, 
is  presumption;  but  if  our  expectations  are 
according  to  the  promise,  both  as  to  the  things 
we  look  for,  and  the  time  and  way  of  their 
being  brought  about,  vve  cannot  meet  with  a 
disappointment  ;  for  He  is  faithful,  who  has 
promised.  1  See,  therefore,  that  you  raise  and 
regulate  your  expectations  of  all  the  great 
things  that  are  to  come,  according  to  the 
Word  of  God;  and  as  to  the  new  heaven  and 
new  earth,  look  for  them  as  God  has  allowed 
and  directed,  by  the  passages  we  have  in  this 
portion  of  Scripture  now  before  you,  and  in 
Isa.  65  :  17.  66  :  22.  to  which  the  apostle 
may  be  thought  to  allude.’ 

As  in  v.  11.  he  exhorts  to  holiness,  from 
the  consideration  that  the  heavens  and  the 
earth  shall  be  dissolved,  so  in  v.  14.  he  re¬ 
sumes  his  exhortation,  from  the  conside¬ 
ration  that  they  shall  be  again  renewed  ; 

‘  and  see  to  it,’  says  he,  1.  ‘  That  you  be 
found  of  Him  in  peace,  in  a  state  of  peace  and 
reconciliation  with  God  through  Christ,  in 
whom  alone  God  is  reconciling  the  world  to 
Himself.  They  whose  sins  are  pardoned, 
and  their  peace  made  with  God,  are  the  only 
safe  and  happy  people.  2.  That  ye  be 
found  of  Christ  without  spot,  and  blameless 
we  must  not  only  take  heed  of  all  spots 
which  are  not  the  spots  of  God’s  children, 
but  we  must  be  pressing  toward  spotless 
purity,  absolute  perfection.  Christians  must 
be  perfecting  holiness,  that  they  may  be  not 
only  blameless  before  men,  but  also  in  the 
sight  of  God  ;  and  all  this  deserves  and 
needs  the  greatest  diligence  ;  he  who  does 
this  work  negligently,  can  never  do  it  suc¬ 
cessfully.  And,  Remember  there  is  a  curse 
denounced  against  him  who  does  the  work  of 
the  Ford  negligently,  Marg.  Jer.  48  :  10. 


1 1  Seeing  then  that  all  these 
things  shall  be  dissolved,  what  man¬ 
ner  of  persons  ought  ye  to  be  in  all 
holy  conversation  and  godliness:  ' 

12  Looking  for  land  r  hasting 
unto  the  coming  of  the  day  of  God, 
wherein  the  heavens,  being  on  fire, 
shall  be  dissolved,  and  the  elements 
shall  melt ’with  fervent  heat? 

13  Nevertheless  vve,  according'to 
his  promise,  look  for  new  1  heavens 
and  a  new  earth,  wherein  dvvelleth 
righteousness. 

| Practical  Observations.) 

14  Wherefore,  beloved,  seeing 
that  ye  look  for  such  things,  be  u 
diligent  that  ye  may  be  found  of  him 
in  peace,  without  spot,  and  blame¬ 
less. 

q  Tit.«£:13.  *  Is.  34:4.  Mi. 1:4.  u  1  Co. 15:58. 

r  or,  hasting  the  coming,  t  Re.  21:1,27.  1  Th.  5:‘^3. 

V.  11—18.  The  apostle,  having  instruct¬ 
ed  them  in  the  doctrine  of  Christ’s  second 
coming,  takes  occasion  thence  to  exhort 
them  to  purity  and  godliness  in  their  whole 
conversation,  v.  11.  Seeing  all  these  things 
must  be  dissolved,  how  holy  should,  we  be,  that 
are  assured  of  it,  departing  from  and  dying 
to  sin,  that  has  so  corrupted  and  defiled  all 
the  visible  creation,  that  there  is  an  abso¬ 
lute  need  of  its  dissolution  !  And  inasmuch 
as  this  dissolution  is  in  order  to  their  being 
restored  to  their  primitive  beauty  anil  excel¬ 
lency,  how  pure  and  holy  should  we  be,  in 
order  to  onr  being  fit  for  the  new  heaven  and 
new  earth,  wherein  dwelleth  righteousness  !  It 
is  a  very  exact  and  universal  holiness  that 
he  exhorts  to,  not  resting  in  any  lower  meas¬ 
ure  or  degree,  hue  laboring  to  be  eminent 
beyond  what  is  commonly  attained  ;  holy  in 
God’s  house  and  in  our  own  ;  in  all  our 

PRACT.  OBS.  V.  9 — 13.  Tile  Lord,  in  reality,,  makes  no  delays; 
however  his  dispensations  may  appear  to  our  unbelief  and  scanty 
knowledge;  yet  ‘his  counsel  shall  stand,’  and  that  ‘  great  day  of  the 
Lord  shall  come,’ even  as  surely  as  the  deluge  came, and  equally  unexpect¬ 
ed  by  unbelievers.  Mat.  24:36 — 41. — What  will  then  be  the  surprise,  the 
terror  and  anguish  of  proud  scoffers,  infidels,  and  all  ungodly  and  world¬ 
ly  men  !  Here  imagination  itself  is  baffled  ;  description  would  be  vain, 
and  we  can  only  apply  the  inconceivable  subject  to  practical  purposes. 


Rev.  6:45 — 17.  20:11 — 15.  ‘Seeing  all  these  things  shall  be  dissolved, 
what  manner  of  persons  ought  we  to  be,  in  all  holy  conversation  and 
godliness  !’  Surely  our  chief  business  is  to  prepare  for  this  great  catas¬ 
trophe,  by  daily  expecting  and  ‘hastening  to’  the  coming  of  the  day 
of  God,  that  we  may  possess  a  triumphant  hope  of  lifting  up  our  heads 
with  joy,  when  the  heavens  and  the  earth  shall  form  one  immense  con¬ 
flagration,  and  when  no  refuge  will  remain  to  the  wicked  from  the  in¬ 
tolerable  wrath,  the  everlasting  fire,  of  their  offended  Judge.  Scott. 


day  of  God;’  ‘hastening’  to  have  all  ready  to  meet  Him  with  comfort, 
and  even  longing  for  the  solemn  catastrophe  which  woidd  perfect  their 
felicity?  Luke  21:25 — 28.  Though  it  was  in  itself  so  terrible  to  think 
of,  ‘  the  heavens  being  on  fire  and  dissolved,  and  the  elements  melting 
with  heat ;  ’  {Marg.  Ref.  c — p.)  yet  the  Gospel  suggested  such  consola¬ 
tion,  and  inspired  such  hopes,  that  believers  had  no  reason  for  terror  or 
uneasiness. — In  some  scriptures,  ‘new  heavens  aud  a  new  earth,’  seem 
figuratively  to  describe  the  most  prosperous  and  peaceful  days  of  the 
church  on  earth  ;  Is.  65:17 — 19.  66:19 — 23.  Heb.  12:26 — 29.  yet  here  the 
Mate  of  the  righteous,  after  the  judgment,  and  dissolution  of  this  world, 
fire  evidently  intended  :  but  what  is  meant,  in  various  particulars,  the 
fulfilment  alone  can  fully  explain.  Rev.  21:1 — 4,22 — 27.  22:1 — 5.  Scott. 

(10.)  ‘  Day  ofthe  Lord,  here,  is  undoubtedly  the  day  ofjudginenl,  which 
will  come  on  men  ns  unexpectedly  as  a  thief  in  the  night.’  Bloom/. — 
Ami  truly,  compare  v.  7.  and  what  an  idea  does  it  give  of  the  introduc¬ 
tion  of  that  day  !  Even  to  the  pious,  whose  perfect  love  shall  cast  out 
fear,  yet  with  what  sublimity  and  grandeur  not  only,  but  with  what  so¬ 
lemnity  also,  mid  awe,  and  moral  glory,  will  that  day  come,  when,  with 
the  same  word  of  power  by  which  the  world  was  at  first  created,  even 
wiili  the  snrne,  and  as  suddenly,  God  shall  change  the  relation  of  the  el¬ 
ements.  and  cause  the  earth  and  the  works  that  are  therein  to  be  burned 
up  ! — That  the  earth  contains  the  elements  of  its  own  dissolution,  or 
transformation,  is  exceedingly  evident.  What  blit  evidence  of  this  do 
we  see  in  its  often  returning  earthquakes,  and  in  its  numerous  now  active 
aud  now  sleeping  volcanoes  ?  Many  of  the  islands  of  the  sea  nre  with 
good  reason  supposed  to  be  of  volcanic  origin.  And  who  can  contem¬ 
plate  tile  great  crater  of  Kirauea  on  the  island  of  Haivaii,  as  described 
by  our  missionaries,  in  their  Journal  of  their  tour  round  that  island,  anil 
not  be  deeply  impressed  with  the  conviction,  that  there  is  within  the 
bowels  of  the  earth  a  latent  power,  which,  when  God  shall  give  it  com¬ 
mission,  shall  be  abundantly  adequate  to  the  production  of  all  the  effects 
which  are  here  spoken  of  by  the  apostle  ?  How  well  it  becomes  us  to 
make  the  practical  application  of  the  thought  which  we  find  in  the  fol¬ 
lowing  verse  :  Seeing  then  that  all  these  things  shall  be  dissolved, 
ivhat  manner  of  persons  ought  we  to  be,  in  all  holy  conversation  and 
godliness.'  Ed. — heavens.)  ‘The heavens,  as  at  v.  6.  Great  noise.)  Prop¬ 
erly  whiz  :  and  then  the  noise  made  by  any  falling  body,  or  body  impell¬ 
ed  to  perpetually  accelerated  motion.  “  The  hissing  sound  of  a  dart 
passing  through  the  air,  the  flight  of  birds,  the  swift  motion  ofthe  winds, 
the  running  of  a  chariot,  the  rolling  of  an  impetuous  torrent,  the 
noise  of  soldiers  running  to  battle,  the  crackling  of  a  wide-spreading 
fire,  the  rushing  sound  of  a  violent  storm  or  tempest.”  So  Bens. — Pass 
away.)  Properly,  to  pass  by  or  away,  and  also,  as  here,  to  perish,  i.  e.  as 
to  the  purpose  it  had  served.  So  Bens,  observes,  “  that  it  is  not  neces¬ 
sary  to  suppose  the  world  will  be  annihilated,  or  removed,  with  its 

[624] 


atmosphere,  from  its  present  orbit.  It  may  be  said  to  ‘ pass  away,’  if 
the  form  and  constitution  be  altered  ;  as  the  old  world  is,  at  v.  6.  said  to 
have  been  destroyed  by  water.”  Elements,  &c.]  Some  say  the  air  ; 
others,  the  stars  ;  Slade  refers  it  to  the  heavens  which  goes  before,  and 
explains  it  (with  Mackn.)  of  the  electric  matter,  sulphurous  vapors,  and 
whatever  floats  in  the  air,  together  with  the  air  itself.  But  I  approve 
of  Ros.,  from  Bens.,  partes,  etiam  aspectabiles,  ex  quibus  omnes  res 
naturales,  quee  sub  ceelo  sunt,  componunter.  So  Bens.  “Suppose  the 
earth,  air,  and  water  shall  be  subdued  by  the  prevalence  of  fire;  and 
their  stamina,  or  first  constituent  principles,  quite  altered  thereby  ;  then 
it  may  very  properly  be  saitl,  the  elements  being  on  fire  shall  be  dis¬ 
solved,  or,  as  at  v.  12.  melted.  They  nre  not  therefore  to  he  annihilated, 
but  subdued,  and  greatly  altered  by  the  prevalence  of  fire.”  Works,  &c.) 
The  sense  is:  the  works  of  both  nature  and  art,  each  of  the  most  ex¬ 
quisite  sort,  all  shall  be  involved  in  overwhelming  ruin.’  Bloomf. 

(13.)  ‘  From  the  relics  of  the  ancient  fabric  another  and  n  better  will 
arise.  This  may  be  understood,  either  physically,  of  a  better  corpo¬ 
real  world,  or  figuratively,  of  the  new  state  of  tilings  in  the  eternal  and 
blessed  abodes  of  heaven.  It  is  proved  by  Whitby  and  Mackn.  that  there 
can  here  be  no  reference  to  the  millennium. ’  Id. 

V.  14 — 16.  The  fourth  and  fifth  verses  of  the  second  ch.  of  the  Epis¬ 
tle  to  the  Romans,  nre  generally  supposed  here  (15)  to  he  intended,  A'ote, 
Rom.  2:4 — 6.  but  it  is  not  obvious,  in  what  sense  these  could  he  said  to 
be  written  to  those  whom  Peter  addressed.  They,  therefore,  who  main¬ 
tain,  that  he  wrote  to  the  Jewish  converts  exclusively,  point  out  some 
passages  in  the  Epistle  to  the  Hebrews,  to  which  they  think  he  alluded. 
Heb -  9:27,  28.  10:36,  37.  Yet  that  epistle  was  directly  addressed  to  the 
churches  in  Judea,  and  not  to  the  Jewish  converts  in  Asia;  so  that  tiiis 
does  not  much  aid  their  supposition.  But,  indeed,  the  apostolical  epis¬ 
tles,  though  written  to  some  particular  churches,  or  description  of 
Christians,  were  evidently  intended  for  general  instruction;  and  as  Pe¬ 
ter  had  read  the  epistles  of  Paul  when  he  wrote  this  ;  so  they,  to  whom 
he  wrote,  had  probably  done  the  same,  even  in  respect  of  those  which 
were  addressed  to  other  churches. — The  false  teachers,  whom  Peter  op¬ 
posed,  seem  to  have  grounded  their  ‘damnable  heresies,’  2:1 — 3.  on  a 
misinterpretation  of  some  passages  in  Paul’s  epistles,  which  might  ap¬ 
pear  to  some  persons  contrary  to  Peter’s  exhortations  ;  so  that  the  gen¬ 
eral  tenor  of  the  epistles  to  some  of  the  Asiatic  churches,  or  of  that  to 
the  Hebrews,  rather  than  detached  expressions,  seems  to  have  been 
meant;  for  certainly,  when  properly  understood,  they  are  as  exhortatory 
and  practical  as  Peter’s.  Indeed,  the  apostle  next  observed,  that  this 
was  the  case  in  all  the  epistles  of  his  beloved  brother  Paul ;  (as  those  to 
the  Romans,  the  Corinthians,  the  churches  of  Macedonia,  and  to  Timo¬ 
thy  and  Titus,  as  well  as  those  to  Ephesus,  and  Colosse,  and  the  He¬ 
brews  ;  for,  in  them  all,  he  spoke  of  the  coining  of  Christ,  and  the  pre- 


A.  D.  67. 


2  PETER,  III. 


Exhortation  to  perseverance. 


15  And  account  that  the  long-suf¬ 
fering  of  our  Lord  is  ’salvation  ; 
even  as  our  beloved  brother  Paul 
also,  according  to  the  wisdom  given 
unto  him,  hath  written  unto  you; 

16  As  also  in  all  h.is  epistles, 
"  speaking  in  them  of  these  things  ; 
in  which  are  some  things  hard  to  be 
understood,  which  they  that  are  un¬ 
learned  and  unstable  wrest,  as  they 
do  also  the  other  Scriptures,  unto 
their  own  destruction. 

17  Ye  therefore,  beloved,  seeing 
ye  know  these  things  before,  beware 
lest  ye  also,  being  led  away  with  the 
error  of  the  wicked,  Tail  from  your 
own  steadfastness. 

IB  But  *  grow  in  grace,  and  in  the 
knowledge  of  our  Lord  and  Savior 
Jesus  Christ.  To  him  y  be  glory, 
both  now  and  for  ever.  Atnen. 

v  Ro.  2:4.  I  Tli.  4  and  5.  x  Col.  1:10. 

w  lio.  8:19.  1  Co.  15.  2  Th.  1:5—10.  y  2  Ti.  4:18. 

Now,  that  you  may  l)e  diligent,  account  the 
long-suffering  of  our  Lord  to  be  salvation. 
Think  not  this  is  to  give  more  time  to  make 
provision  for  your  lusts,  to  gratify  them;  no, 
it  is  so  much  space  to  repent,  and  work  out 
your  salvation.  Learn,  then,  to  make  a  right 
use  of  the  patience  of  our  Lord,  who  does, 
as  yet,  delay  his  coming.  Follow  after 
peace  and  holiness,  or  else  his  coming  will 
he  dreadful  to  you.’  And  inasmuch  as  it  is 
difficult  to  prevent  men’s  abuse  of  God’s  pa¬ 
tience,  and  engage  them  in  the  right  im¬ 
provement  thereof,  our  apostle  quotes  Paul 
as  directing  men  to  make  the  same  good  use 
of  the  divine  forbearance,  that  in  the  mouth, 
or  from  the  pen,  of  two  apostles  the  truth 
might  be  confirmed.  And  we  may  here 
observe  with  what  esteem  and  affection  he 
speaks  of  him!  What  an  honorable  mention 
does  this  apostle  of  the  circumcision  make 
of  that  very  man  who  had  openly,  before  all, 
reproved  him,  as  not  walking  uprightly  ac¬ 
cording  to  the  truth  of  the  Gospel  !  Though 
many  seducing  teachers  denied  Paul’s  apos- 
tleship,  yet  Peter  owns  him  to  be  an  apostle. 


He  calls  him  beloved  ;  and  they  being  both 
alike  commissioned,  and  both  united  in  the 
same  service  of  the  same  Lord,  it  would 
have  been  very  unseemly  if  they  had  not 
been  united  in  affection  to  one  another.  He 
mentions  Paul  as  one  who  had  an  uncom¬ 
mon  measure  of  wisdom  given  unto  him. 
He  was  a  person  of  eminent  knowledge  in 
the  mysteries  of  the  Gospel,  and  did  neither 
in  that  nor  any  other  qualification  come  be¬ 
hind  any  of  all  the  other  apostles.  How 
desirable,  that  those  who  preach  the  same 
Gospel,  should  treat  one  another  according 
to  the  pattern  Peter  here  sets  them  !  Here 
observe,  also,  (1.)  The  excellent  wisdom 
that  was  in  Paul,  is  said  to  be  given  him. 
The  understanding  and  knowledge  that 
qualify  men  to  preach  the  Gospel,  are  the 
gift  of  God.  (2.)  The  apostle  imparts  to 
men  according  as  he  had  received  from  God. 
Acts  20:  27.  (3.)  The  epistles  which  were 
written  by  the  apostle  of  the  Gentiles,  and 
directed  to  those  Gentiles  who  believed  in 
Christ,  are  designed  for  the  instruction  and 
edification  of  those  who  from  among  the 
Jews  were  brought  to  believe  in  Christ;  for 
it  is  generally  thought,  that  what  is  here  al¬ 
luded  to,  is  contained  in  the  epistle  to  the 
Romans,  ch.  2:4.  though  in  all  his  epistles 
there  are  some  things  that  refer  to  one  or 
other  of  the  subjects  treated  of  in  this  and 
the  foregoing  ch.  ;  and  it  cannot  seem 
strange,  that  those  who  were  pursuing  the 
same  general  design,  should,  in  their  epis¬ 
tles,  insist  on  the  same  things.  But  Peter 
proceeds  to  tell  us,  that  in  these  things  which 
are  to  be  met  with  in  Paul’s  epistles,  there 
are  some  things  hard  to  be  understood;  such 
are  prophecies,  mysterious  doctrines,  and 
the  things  of  the  Spirit  of  God,  mentioned 
1  Cor.  2:14.  And  here  the  unlearned  and 
unstable  make  wretched  work  ;  for  those 
who  are  not  well  instructed  and  well  estab¬ 
lished  in  the  truth,  are  in  great  danger  of 
perverting  the  Word  of  God  ;  but  where 
there  is  a  divine  power  to  establish  as  well 
as  to  instruct  men  in  divine  truth,  persons 
are  effectually  secured  from  falling  into  er¬ 
rors  ;  and  how  great  a  blessing  this  is,  we 
learn  by  observing  what  is  the  pernicious 
consequence  of  the  errors  that  ignorant  and 
unstable  men  fail  into, — even  their  own  de¬ 


struction.  Errors,  in  particular  concerning 
the  holiness  and  justice  of  God,  are  the  utter 
ruin  of  multitudes  of  men.  Let  us  there¬ 
fore  earnestly  pray  for  the  Spirit  of  God  to 
instruct  us  in  the  truth,  that  we  may  know 
it  as  it  is  in  Jesus,  and  have  our  hearts  es¬ 
tablished  with  grace,  that  we  may  stand 
firm  and  unshaken,  even  in  the  most  stormy 
times,  when  others  are  tossed  to  and  fro 
with  every  wind  of  doctrine. 

In  v.  17.  the  apostle  gives  them  a  word  of 
caution,  where  he  intimates,  that  the  knowl¬ 
edge  we  have  of  these  things  should  make 
us  very  wary  and  watchful,  inasmuch  as 
there  is  it  twofold  danger  :  1.  Of  being 
turned  away  from  the  treth.  The  unlearned 
and  unstable,  and  they  are  very  numerous, 
do  generally  wrest  the  Scripture.  Few  at¬ 
tain  to  the  knowledge  and  acknowledgment 
of  doctrinal  Christianity  ;  and  fewer  find, 
so  as  to  keep  in  the  way  of,  practical  godli¬ 
ness,  which  is  the  narrow  way,  that  alone 
leadeth  unto  life.  There  must  be  a  great 
deal  of  self-denial,  and  suspicion  of  our¬ 
selves,  and  submitting  to  the  authority  of 
Christ  Jesus  our  great  Prophet,  before  v>  e 
can  heartily  receive  all  the  truths  of  the 
Gospel,  and  therefore  we  are  in  great  dan¬ 
ger  of  rejecting  the  truth.  2.  Of  being 
turned  into  the  path  of  destruction. 

Now  that  we  may  the  better  avoid  being 
led  away,  the  apostle,  v.  18.  directs  us  what 
to  do.  We  must  grow  in  grace.  He  had,  in 
the  beginning  of  the  epistle,  exhorted  us  to 
add  one  grace  to  another;  here  he  advises  us 
to  grow  in  all  grace,  in  faith,  virtue,  knowl¬ 
edge.  By  how  much  the  stronger  grace  is 
in  us,  by  so  much  the  more  steadfast  shall 
we  be  in  the  truth.  We  must  grow  in  the 
knowledge  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  This 
is  the  knowledge  of  Christ  the  apostle  Paul 
reached  after,  and  desired  to  attain  to,  Phil. 
3  :  10.  Such  a  knowledge  of  Christ  as 
conforms  us  more  to  Him,  and  endears  Him 
more  to  us,  must  needs  be  of  great  use  to  us, 
to  preserve  us  from  falling  off  in  times  of 
general  apostasy;  and  they  who  experience 
this  effect  of  the  knowledge  of  the  Lord  and 
Savior  Jesus  Christ,  will,  on  receiving  such 
grace  from  Him,  give  thanks  and  praise  to 
Him,  and  join  with  our  apostle  in  saying, 
I'o  Him  be  glory  ,bothnow  and  forever.  Amen. 


TRACT.  OI1S.  V.  1-1 — 18.  In  the  firm  belief  of  the  great  and  eter¬ 
nal  realities,  set  before  us  in  this  ch.,  let  us  ‘give  diligence  to  be  found 
of  Christ  at  his  coming,  in  peace,  without  spot  and  blameless.’  Let 
sinners  ‘seek  Him  while  He  may  be  found,  and  call  on  Him  while  He 
is  near;’  that  they  may  have  the  privilege  of  blessing  Him  to  eternity, 
for  sparing  them  when  others  were  cut  off  in  their  sins. —  VVc  should 
also  avail  ourselves  of  the  apostle’s  caution,  whilst  we  read  the  epistles 
of  Paul,  and  other  difilcult  parts  of  the  Holy  Scriptures.  Most  evident 

paration  to  be  made  for  it,  with  warnings  and  admonitions  to  different 
descriptions  of  persons.  But  this  perversion  of  Paul’s  writings  (which 
Peter  evidently  here  speaks  of  as  a  part  of  the  sacred  Scriptures),  must 
not  he  charged  on  the  epistles  themselves,  but  on  those  who  thus  per¬ 
verted  them,  contrary  to  their  real  meaning  and  tendency  ;  for  they  thus 
‘  wrested  the  other  Scriptures  also,1  both  the  hooks  of  the  Old  Test., 
and  as  many  of  the  New  Test,  as  were  then  extant,  and  allowed  to  be 
of  Divine  authority.  Proud,  carnal,  ambitious,  covetous,  or  licentious 
men  could  wrest  some  things,  in  any  of  them,  to  a  seeming  agreement 
with  their  pernicious  doctrines,  and  so  pervert  them  to  their  own  de¬ 
struction,  in  the  same  manner,  as  they  made  a  fatal  use  of  l lie  myste¬ 
rious  subjects  on  which  Paul  discoursed.  It  was,  therefore,  proper  to 
warn  and  instruct  men  to  read  them  with  humility,  and  a  teachable 
spirit :  and  not  to  perplex  themselves  with  ‘  hard  things,’  till  they  were 
established  in  such  as  were  more  plain.  1  Cor.  3:1 — 3.  Heb.  5:11 — 14. 
— This,  however,  is  no  reason  why  either  Paul’s  epistles,  or  any  part  of 
the  other  scriptures,  should  be  laid  aside,  or  put  out  of  sight ;  for  men, 
left  to  themselves,  pervert  every  good  gift  of  God,  and  the  corrup¬ 
tion  of  the  best  things  becomes  the  worst. — ‘  The  persons,  to  whom  Pe¬ 
ter’s  epistles  were  written,  were  for  the  most  part  Paul’s  converts.’ — 
‘Of  Ihis  vice,’  (wresting  the  Scriptures,)  ‘they  are  most  commonly  guilty, 
who,  from  the  pride  of  understanding,  will  receive  nothing  but  what 
they  can  explain.  Whereas  the  humble  and  teachable  receive  the  dec¬ 
larations  of  revelation,  according  to  their  plain,  grammatical,  uncon¬ 
strained  meaning,  which  it  is  their  only  care  to  attain,  by  reading  the 
Scriptures  frequently,  and  with  attention.’  Mackn.  He  should  have 
added,  and  with  constant,  fervent  prayer,  for  the  promised  teaching 
and  guidance  of  the  Holy  Spirit. — IVresl.]  Here  only.  To  torture ,  put 
on  the  rack.  From  streblt,  an  instrument  of  torture.  Demosth. — Men, 
when  put  to  torture,  speak  things  contrary  to  their  real  meaning.  Sc. 

(15.)  IVrilten  unto  you.]  Probably  all  the  epistles,  though  addressed 
to  particular  churches,  were  meant  lor  general  circulation.  Ed. 

(16.)  forest.]  ‘  The  expression  plainly  implies  violence  done  by  these 
bad  men  to  passages  of  Scripture,  to  make  them  speak  an  unnatural  seqse 
to  answer  their  own  ends,  as  often  in  theological  controversies.’  Doddh. 
N.  T.  VOL.  V.  79 


it  is,  that  untaught,  unteachable,  self-sufficient,  ‘unstable,’  and  uncon¬ 
verted  men,  ‘wrest  many  tilings’  of  this  kind  ‘to  their  own  deal  ruc¬ 
tion.’  Yet  these  parts  of  the  sacred  Word  have  a  most  important  use. 
in  the  system  of  divine  truth,  and  if  men  will  pervert  Ihem,  they  do  it 
at  their  peril.  Taking  things  in  their  proper  order,  and  proceeding  with 
humility,  caution,  prayer,  and  practice,  we  shall  be  prepared  to  derive 
benefit  from  the  deepest  and  most  mysterious  truths,  and  to  perceive 
their  consistency  with  the  rest  of  divine  revelation.  Scott. 

V.  17,  18.  The  wicked .]  2:7. — ‘  One  who  can  be  restrained  by  no  law, 
but  determines,  that  all  things  are  lawful  to  him.’  Leigh. — (18)  i'nr 
ever.]  To  the  clay  of  eternity  ;  one  endless  day,  without  night. — ‘The 
difficulty  ’  (16)  ‘is  said  to  aft'ect,  chiefly,  unteachable,  and  unsteady  men, 
whose  prejudices  indispose  them  for  admitting  the  truth,  or  whose  levi¬ 
ty  prevents  Iheir  due  solicitude  to  retain  it ;  but  not  persons  of  humble 
and  teachable  minds,  resolute  in  pursuing  and  maintaining  the  truth. 
And  the  remedy  prescribed,  is,  not  to  lay  aside  the  Scriptures’  or  ihe 
parts  specially  meant),  on  account  of  their  obscurity,  as  some  wmiild 
persuade  us  to  do,  hut  a  concern  to  “  grow  in  grace.”  ’  Doddr.  Scott. 

(18.)  Grace.]  ‘This  word  is  of  frequent  occurrence.  In  the  great 
concern  of  man’s  salvation  no  word  has  a  richer  meaning.  But  while 
the  general  idea  of  the  term  is  everywhere  retained,  there  are  several 
shades  of  difference  in  the  signification,  as  used  in  different  passages. 
Its  primary  and  more  usual  senseis,  the  favor  of  God  to  sinners.  “  By 
grace  ye  are  saved.”  —  But  as  the  Gospel  is  the  channel  through  which 
this  fountain  pours  forth  its  exuberant  streams,  it  is  called  not  only  the 
Gospel  of  the  grace  of  God,  but  grace  itself.  —  And  as  the  Gospel  is  ren¬ 
dered  effectual  only  by  the  aids  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  therefore  his  influ¬ 
ences  have  received  the  name  of  grace. — But  in  this  text  “grace  ”  has  a 
slill  different  meaning.  Christians  are  exhorted  “  to  grow  in  grace.'’ 
which  would  not  be  practicable  in  any  of  the  senses  of  the  word  already 
given.  By  “grace,”  here,  we  must  understand,  the  principle  of  new 
life,  implanted  in  regeneration,  a  sense  of  the  word  much  in  use  among 
us,  but  rather  unusual  in  the  Scriptures.  When  the  apostle  exhorts 
Christians  to  grow  in  grace,  it  is  the  same  as  if  he  had  said,  increase  in 
holiness,  or  advance  in  piety.  And  it  would  not  be  easy  to  select  a  sub¬ 
ject  of  grenter  importance  to  all  professors  of  religion.  If  comfort  and 
usefulness  here,  and  the  degree  of  our  felicity  and  glory  in  heaven, 
will  be  proportioned  to  our  growth  in  grace,  then  the  subject  possesses 
an  intrinsic  importance,  which  should  command  the  attention  and  deeply 
interest  the  feelings  of  all.’  Alexander.— ‘  This  doxology  belongs  with 
undeniable  clearness  to  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  It  is  an  act  of  devotion, 
ascribing  to  the  Savior  that  honor,  which  reason  and  scripture-example 
show  to  be  properlv  attributed  only  to  the  Divine  Majesty.’  J.  P.  Smith. 

[625] 


AN  EXPOSITION 

OFTHE 

FIRST  EPISTLE  GENERAL  OF  JOHN, 

WITH 

PRACTICAL  OBSERVATIONS  AND  NOTES. 

(Henry* 3  Exposition ,  completed  by  Mr.  T.  Reynolds.) 


Though  the  continued  tradition  of  the  church  attests,  that  this  epistle  came  from  the  apostle  John ,  yet  other  evidence 
will  confirm  the  certainty  of  that  tradition.  It  should  seem,  the  penman  was  one  of  the  apostolical  college,  by  the  sensible, 
palpable  assurance  he  had  of  the  truth  of  the  Mediator’s  Person  in  his  human  nature,  v.  I .  He  here  notices  the  evidence 
the  Lord  gave  Thomas  of  his  resurrection,  recorded  by  John.  And  he  must  have  been  one  of  the  disciples  present,  when 
the  Lord  came,  on  the  same  day  in  which  He  arose  from  the  dead,  and  showed  them  his  hands  and  his  side,  John  20:20. 
But,  that  we  may  Ire  assured  which  apostle  this  was,  there  is  scarcely  a  critic  or  competent  judge  of  diction,  or  style  of 
argument  and  spirit,  but  will  adjudge  this  epistle  to  the  writer  of  that  gospel  that  bears  the  name  of  the  apostle  John. 
They  wonderfully  aoree  in  the  titles  and  characters  of  the  Redeemer  ;  (the  Word,  the  Life,  the  Light  ;  his  name  teas  the  Word 
of  God.  Compare  1  John  1:1.  and  ch.  5:7.  with  John  1:1.  and  Rev.  19:13.)  in  the  commendation  of  God's  love  to  us,  (1  John 
3:1.  and  ch.  4:9.  John  3:16.)  in  speaking  of  our  regeneration,  or  being  born  of  God  ;  (1  Epist.  3:9.  ch.  4:7.  and  ch.  5:1.  John 
3:5,  6.)  and  in  the  allusion  to,  or  application  of,  that  passage  in  that  gospel,  which  alone  relates  the  issuing  of  water  and 
blood  out  of  the  Redeemer’s  opened  side,  ch.  5:6.  Thus  the  epistle  plainly  appears  to  flow  from  the  same  pen  that  gospel 
did.  Now  I  know  not  that  the  text,  or  the  intrinsic  history  of  any  of  the  gospels,  gives  us  such  assurance  of  its  writer  or 
penman,  as  that  ascribed  to  John  plainly  does;  for,  who  is  this  disciple,  ch.  21:24.  but  he  concerning  whom  Peter  asked, 
What  shall  this  man  do?  And  concerning  whom  the  Lord  answered,  If  /  icill  that  lie  tarry  till  I  come,  what  is  that  to  thee  ? 
v.  22.  And  who,  in  v.  20.  is  described  by  these  three  characters;  1.  That  he  is  the  disciple  whom  Jesus  loved ;  the  Lord’s 
peculiar  friend.  2.  That  he  also  leaned  on  his  breast  at  supper.  3.  That  he  said  unto  him,  Lord,  who  is  he  that  betrayeth 
Thee?  As  sure,  then,  as  that  disciple  was  John,  so  sure  is  it  that  the  gospel  and  epistle  came  from  the  beloved  John. 

It  is  styled  general,  as  being  not  inscribed  to  any  particular  church  ;  it  is,  as  a  circular  letter,  sent  to  divers  churches, 
(some  say  ofParthia,)  to  confirm  their  steadfast  adherence  to  the  Lord  Christ,  and  the  sacred  doctrine  concerning  his  Person 
and  office,  against  seducers;  and  to  instigate  them  to  adorn  that  doctrine  by  love  to  God  and  man  ;  and  particularly  to  each 
other,  as  being  descended  from  God,  united  by  the  same  Head,  and  travelling  toward  the  same  eternal  life.  Henry. 

On  the  similarity  of  sentiment  and  expression  between  this  epistle  and  St.  John’s  gospel,*  and  in  full  confirmation  that 
he  was  the  writer,  though  his  name  is  not  prefixed  to  it,  see  Notes,  Mat.  4:18 — 22.  10:1 — 4.  17:1,2.  20:20 — 23.  26:30 — 35. 
Mark  5:35  —  43,  v.  37.  9:38—40.  Luke  9:46—56.  John  13:18—30.  19:25—27.  20:1—10.  21:18—23.  Acts  3:1—11.  4:13—22. 
Gal.  2:6 — 10. — From  two  expressions  in  ch.  2. ;  ‘  Because  ye  have  known  Him  that  is  from  the  beginning;’  and  ‘  It  is  the 
last  time  ;’  several  learned  moderns  have  concluded,  that  it  was  written  just  before  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem,  and  to 
the  Jewish  converts  exclusively  ;  but  it  has  been  the  more  general  opinion,  that  it  was  written  much  later  than  that  event, 
and  not  long  before  the  book  of  Revelation.  (Note,  Rev.  6:1,  2.)  The  texts  on  which  the  former  opinion  is  grounded,  do 
not  seem  to  require,  or  even  admit  of  that  interpretation,  which  these  learned  men  put  upon  them,  (Note,  2:18,  19.)  and 
there  is  not  the  least  intimation  of  any  distinction  between  Jewish  and  Gentile  converts,  in  the  whole  epistle.  So  that  the 
term,  General,  or  Catholic,  strictly  and  properly  belongs  to  it.  For  it  appears,  to  me  at  least,  the  more  probable  opinion, 
that  it  was  written  towards  the  close  of  the  apostle’s  life,  after  the  death  of  all  the  other  apostles  ;  and  that  it  was  intended 
as  a  circular  letter,  or  a  general  address,  to  all  the  Christian  churches,  which  was  known  to  come  from  the  only  surviving 
apostle.  The  authoritative  yet  affectionate  manner,  in  which  the  writer  addresses  his  dear  children,  favors  this  conclusion  ; 
(Note,  2:1, 2.)  and  the  heretics,  or  antichrists,  whom  he  evidently  intended  to  oppose,  came  forward  much  more  openly,  at 
this  time,  than  at  an  earlier  period.  It  is  generally  allowed,  that  they  who  denied  the  real  Deity  of  Christ ;  they  who  ex¬ 
plained  away  his  proper  humanity,  and  the  reality  of  his  sufferings  and  death,  as  an  atoning  sacrifice,  and  those  who  taught 
their  followers,  that  believers,  being  ‘  saved  by  grace,’  were  not  required  to  obey  the  commandments  of  God,  were  the 
principal  antichrists.  These  were  branched  out  into  a  variety  of  sub-divisions  called  by  different  names,  such  as  Ebionites, 
Cerinthians,  Docetre,  or  Phantasiastee,  Gnostics,  Nicolaitans,  &c.  on  which  ecclesiastical  writers  have  enlarged  abundantly. 
The  apostle,  however,  did  not  name  any  of  them,  and  his  language  was  suited  to  refute  and  expose  many  other  heretical 
sentiments,  both  of  ancient  and  modern  times;  and  in  that  view  the  epistle  is  highly  interesting  to  us.  He  expatiates  also 
on  the  love  of  God  to  us,  as  shown  in  the  salvation  of  his  Son  ;  and,  again  and  again,  most  pathetically  enforces  on  be¬ 
lievers  love  to  each  other,  as  shown  in  its  practical  effects,  by  almost  every  motive  imaginable.  This,  I  suppose,  has  given 
occasion  to  the  general  opinion  of  his  being  himself  of  a  most  loving  disposition,  even  more  so  than  the  other  apostles. 
Our  Lord,  however,  called  him,  and  James  his  brother,  Boanerges ;  (Note,  Mark  3:13 — 19.)  and  the  faithful,  plain,  and  even 
sharp  manner,  in  which  he  speaks  of  hypocrites  and  false  teachers,  sufficiently  illustrates  the  reason  for  which  that  name 
was  given. — He  also  lays  down  various  marks  and  evidences,  by  which  Christians  might  be  distinguished,  botlfby  them¬ 
selves  and  others,  from  self-deceivers  and  hypocrites. t  Scott. 


The  coincidences  are  traced  as  follows  by  Macknight. 


Epistle. 
Ch.  1:1.  - 


Gospel. 
Ch.  1:1,14.  4:14. 


Epistle. 
3:1. 


2:5. . 14:23, 

6.  see  3:24.  4:13,16.  15:4. 
8. . 13:34. 


2.  -  - 
8.  -  - 
13.  -  - 


3:11. . 13:34. 

2:8. . 1:5,9. 

10 . 11:10. 

13,14. . 17:3. 


4:9 . 

12.  -  -  -  - 
5:13.  -  -  -  - 
14.  -  -  -  - 


Ed. 

Gospel- 

1:12. 

17:21. 

3:44. 

15:20. 

3:16. 

1:18. 

20:31. 

14:14. 


29.  See  3:9.  5:1.  -  3:35.  1  20 .  17:2. 

t  ‘  His  leading  design  is,  “  to  demonstrate  the  vanity  of  faith,  separate 
from  morality,  to  soothe  and  refine  the  warm  and  over-7.ealous  tempers 
ot  the  Christians  to  whom  he  writes,  into  that  amiable  charity  and  love 
he  himself  was  so  eminent  and  illustrious  for,  and  to  guard  and  arm  them 
against  the  snares  and  efforts  of  antichrist ,  the  grand  apostate,  and  se¬ 
ducer  of  the  Christian  church;  and  all  endued  with  his  spirit.’  Doddr. 

‘  Sec.  1.  Asserts  the  true  Divinity  and  humanity  of  Christ,  in  opposi¬ 
tion  to  the  false  teachers,  and  urges  the  union  of  faith  and  holiness  of 
life,  as  necessary  to  enable  Christians  to  enjoy  communion  with  God, 
ch.  1:1 — 7.  Sec.  2.  Shows  that  all  have  sinned,  and  explains  the  doc¬ 
trine  of  Christ’s  propitiation,  ch.  1:8 — 2:2.  whence  the  apostle  illustrates 
the  marks  of  true  faith,  obeying  the  commandments,  and  sincere  love 
of  the  brethren,  and  shows  that  the  love  of  the  world  is  inconsistent 
with  the  love  of  God,  oh.  2:3—17.  Sec.  3.  Asserts  Jesus  to  be  the  same 
person  with  Christ,  in  opposition  to  the  false  teachers  who  denied  it, 
18 — 29.  Sec.  4.  On  the  privileges  of  true  believers,  their  happiness  and 
duties,  and  the  marks  by  which  they  are  known  to  be  the  sons  of  God, 
ch.  3.  Sec  5.  A  mark  to  know  one  sort  of  antichrist, — the  not  confess¬ 
ing  that  Christ  has  come  in  the  flesh,  ch.  4:1 — 3.  Also  marks  for  dis¬ 
tinguishing  false  Christians,  as,  love  of  the  world,  v.  4 — 6.  want  of 

brotherly  love,  v.  7 — 12.  denying  Christ  to  be  the  Son  of  God,  v.  13 _ 15. 

nnd  a  recommendation  of  brotherly  love,  from  the  consideration  of  the 
love  of  God  in  giving  his  Son  for  sinners,  v.  16 — 21.  Sec.  6.  Shows  the 
connexion  between  faith  in  Christ,  regeneration,  love  to  God  and  his 
children,  obedience  to  his  commaudments,  and  victory  over  the  world, 
[626] 


and  that  Jesus  Christ  is  truly  the  Son  of  God,  able  to  save  us,  and  to 
hear  the  prayers  we  make  for  ourselves  and  others,  ch.  5:1 — 16.  The 
conclusion,  in  a  summary  of  the  whole,  shows  that  a  sinful  life  is  incon¬ 
sistent  with  true  Christianity  ;  asserts  the  divinity  of  Christ ;  and  cau¬ 
tions  believers  against  idolatry,  v.  17—21.  This  epistle,  especially,  con¬ 
tains  marks  by  which  Christians  may  soberly  examine  themselves, 
whether  they  be  in  the  faith.’  T.  H.  Horne. 

1 J.  P.  Smith  shows,  that  the  commencing  paragraph  of  this  epistle, 
recognises  the  pre-existent  state,  and  the  divine  nature  of  the  Messiah, 
coinciding  with  the  declarations  of  the  gospel  by  the  same  apostle.  He 
nlso  points  out  other  expressions  in  these  epistles  [John’s],  referring  to 
a  divine  nature  in  the  Terson  of  the  Messiah.  1.  Obedience  to  his  com¬ 
mands  ns  those  of  the  One  Supreme  Lawgiver,  ch.  2:3 — 6.  3:22.  5:2,  3. 
2.  Expressions  occur  which  strongly  imply  that  the  Savior’s  existence 
among  men,  was  an  act  of  condescension  from  a  previous  state,  ch.  4:2. 
3:8.  4:9,  10:14.  ep.  7.  3.  That  Christ  and  the  Father  are  ONE,  in  na¬ 
ture,  perfections,  nnd  honor,  2:22,  23.  4.  That  our  holy  and  happy 

union  with  the  True  One,  is,  in  fact,  our  union,  by  the  living  principle 
of  religion,  with  the  Savior  Himself,  5:19,  20.’ 

‘The  uniform  lone  of  reverential  awe,  in  which  the  Person  of  our 
blessed  Redeemer  is  alluded  to,  throughout  the  apostolical  epistles,  is  a 
circumstance  which  those  who  are  disposed  to  object  to  the  doctrine  of 
his  divine  nature,  should  seriously  consider.  The  intimacy  of  friend¬ 
ship  to  which  the  disciples  of  our  Lord  were  admitted,  appears  not,  for 
a  moment,  to  have  trenched  upon  their  reverential  adoration  of  Him. 
Above  all,  we  find  that  sentiment  most  strongly  marked  in  the  writings 
of  the  beloved  apostle  John.  The  unequivocal  assertions  of  our  blessed 
Savior’s  divinity,  contained  in  his  epistles  and  his  gospel,  afford  some 
of  the  strongest  scriptural  proofs  of  that  important  doctrine,  llut  that 
such  an  impression  should  take  complete  hold  of  a  mind,  which  had 
been  permitted  to  trace  the  object  of  its  reverence,  through  the  humble 
detail  of  private  life  [to  his  crucifixion],  can  be  accounted  for  only,  from 
the  evidence,  confirmatory  of  that  impression,  having  been  of  too  decided 
a  character  to  be  shaken  by  even  that  critical  and  perilous  act.  Certain 
it  is,  no  misgivings,  or  interventions  of  doubt  on  this  subject,  ever  seem 
for  one  instant  to  be  suggested  to  that  apostle’s  mind.’  Shuttlewouth. 


A.  D.  90. 


1  JOHN,  I. 


The  writer's  evidences  of  the  Gospel. 


CHAP.  I. 

I  He  fle*criheth  the  Person  of  Christ,  in  whom  we  have 
eternal  life,  hj  a  communion  with  God  :  5  to  which  we 
must  adjoin  holiness  of  life,  to  testify  the  truth  of  that 
our  communion  and  profession  of  faith,  as  also  to  assure 
us  of  the  forgiveness  of  our  sins  by  Christ’s  death. 

rpHAT  which  was  from  the  abe- 
J-  ginning,  which  we  have  heard, 
which  we  have  seen  b  with  our  eyes, 
which  we  have  looked  upon,  and 
our  hands  have  c handled,  of  the 
Word  of  life  ; 

2  (For  the  Life  was  manifested, 
and  we  have  seen  it,  and  bear  wit¬ 
ness,  and  shew  unto  you  that  eter¬ 
nal  dLife,  which  was  with  the  Fa¬ 
ther,  and  was  manifested  unto  us  ;) 

3  That  which  we  have  seen  and 
heard  declare  we  unto  you,  that  ye 
also  may  have  fellowship  with  us: 

a  Ju.  1:1,  4c.  b  2  Pe.  1:16.  c  Lti.  21:39.  cl  Ju.  17:3. 

Chap.  I.  V.  1 — 4.  The  apostle  omits 
his  name  and  character,  either  out  of  humil¬ 
ity,  or  as  willing  the  Christian  reader  should 
be  swayed  by  the  light  and  weight  of  the 
things  written,  rather  than  by  the  name  that 
might  recommend  them.  And  so  he  begins, 

1.  With  an  account  or  character  of  the 
Mediator’s  Person.  He  is  the  great  Sub¬ 
ject  of  the  Gospel;  the  Foundation  and  Ob¬ 
ject  of  our  faith  and  hope,  lie  should  be 
well  known  ;  and  lie  is  represented  here, 
(1.)  As  the  Word,  of  Life,v.  1.  it  is  intima¬ 
ted,  He  is  the  Word  of  some  Person ;  that  is, 
of  GoJ  the  Father.  He  is  the  Word  of  God, 
so  He  is  intimated  to  issue  from  the  Father, 
as  truly  (though  not  in  the  same  manner)  as 
a  word  from  a  speaker.  But  He  is  not  a 
mere  vocal  word,  but  a  vital  one;  the  Word 
of  Life  ;  the  living  Word  ;  and  thereupon, 
(2.)  As  eternal  Life.  His  duration  shows 
his  excellency.  He  was  from  eternity ;  and 
so  is,  in  scripture-account,  necessary,  es¬ 
sential,  uncreated  life.  That  the  apostle 
speaks  of  his  eternity,  as  from  everlasting, 
seems  evident,  in  that  he  speaks  of  Him  as 
He  was  in  and  from  the  beginning,  when 
with  the  Father,  before  his  manifestation  to 


us,  yea,  before  the  making  of  all  things  that 
were  made,  as  John  1:2,  3.  So  that  He  is 
the  eternal,  vital,  intellectual  Word  of  the 
eternal,  living  Father.  (3.)  As  life  mani¬ 
fested,  v.  2.  manifested  in  the  flesh  ;  mani¬ 
fested  to  us.  Here  were  condescension  and 
kindness  indeed,  that  eternal  Life  (a  Person 
of  eternal,  essential  life)  should  come  to 
visit  mortals,  and  to  procure  eternal  life  for 
them,  and  then  confer  it  on  them  ! 

2.  With  the  evidence  and  convictive  as¬ 
surances  the  apostle  and  his  brethren  had 
of  the  Mediator’s  presence  and  converse  in 
the  world,  there  were  sufficient  demonstra¬ 
tions  of  the  reality  of  his  abode  here,  and 
of  the  excellency  and  dignity  of  his  Person 
in  the  way  of  his  manifestation.  The  Life 
was  clothed  with  flesh  ;  and,  as  such,  gave 
sensible  proof  of  its  existence  and  transac¬ 
tions  here.  The  Divine  Life,  or  Word  in¬ 
carnate,  presented  and  evinced  itself  to  the 
very  senses  of  the  apostles.  As,  (1.)  To 
their  ears,  v.  1,  3.  The  apostles  not  only 
heard  of  Him,  but  heard  Him  Himself. 
And  it  was  meet,  they  who  were  to  be  his 
representatives  and  imitators  to  the  world, 
should  be  personally  acquainted  with  his 
ministrations.  (2.)  To  their  eyes,  v.  1 — 3. 
The  Word  would  become  visible  ;  not  only 
be  heard,  but  be  seen  ;  seen  publicly,  pri¬ 
vately,  at  distance  and  at  nearest  approach  ; 
which  may  be  intimated  in  the  expression, 
with  our  eyes  ;  with  all  the  use  and  exercise 
we  could  make  of  our  eyes.  We  saw  Him 
in  his  life  and  ministry  ;  in  his  transfigura¬ 
tion  on  the  mount,  hanging,  bleeding,  dying 
and  dead,  on  the  cross  ;  and  after  his  re¬ 
turn  from  the  grave  and  resurrection  from 
the  dead.  His  apostles  must  be  eyewitness¬ 
es  as  well  as  earwitnesses  of  Him,  Acts  1: 
21,  22.  And  we  were  eyewitnesses  of  his 
majesty,  2  Pet.  1:  16.  (3.)  To  their  inter¬ 

nal  sense;  to  the  eyes  of  their  mind;  lor  so 
(possibly)  may  the  next  clause  be  interpret¬ 
ed,  which  we  have  looked  upon,  the  same  with 
what  the  apostle  says  in  his  Gospel,  ch.  1: 14. 
And  we  beheld  his  glory,  the  glory  as  of  the 
Only-begotten  of  the  Father.  The  word  is 
not  applied  to  the  immediate  object  of  the 
eye,  but  that  was  rationally  collected  from 


what  they  saw.  The  senses  are  to  be  the 
informers  of  the  mind.  (4.)  To  their  hands 
and  sense  of  feeling  ;  And  our  hands  have 
handled,  touched,  and  felt,  of  the  Word  of 
Life.  1  his,  surely,  refers  to  the  full  convic¬ 
tion  our  Lord  afforded  his  apostles  of  the 
truth,  reality,  solidity,  and  organization  of 
his  body,  after  his  resurrection  from  the 
dead  ;  alluding,  probably,  to  Lhe  case  of 
Thomas  in  particular.  The  invisible  Life 
and  Word  was  no  despiser  of  the  testimo¬ 
ny  of  sense.  Sense,  in  its  place  and  sphere, 
is  a  mean  God  has  appointed,  and  the  Lord 
Christ  has  employed,  for  our  information. 
That  which  we  have  seen  and  heard,  declare  we 
unto  you,  v.  3.  The  apostles  could  not  be 
deceived  in  such  long  and  various  exercise 
of  their  sense.  The  rejection  of  the  Chris¬ 
tian  revelation  is  at  last  resolved  into  the 
rejection  of  sense  itself;  He  upbraided  them 
with  their  unbelief  and  hardness  of  heart,  be¬ 
cause  they  believed  them  not  who  had  seen 
Him  after  lie  was  risen,  Mark  16:  14. 

3.  With  a  solemn  assertion  and  attesta¬ 

tion  of  these  grounds  and  evidences  of  the 
Christian  truth  and  doctrine,  the  apostles 
publish  these  assurances  for  our  satisfaction, 
v.  2.  That  which  we  have  seen  and  heard, 
declare  we  unto  you,  v.  3.  It  became  the 
apostles  to  open  to  the  disciples  the  evidence 
by  which  they  were  led.  Wisdom  and  in¬ 
tegrity  obliged  them  to  demonstrate,  that  it 
was  not  either  private  fancy,  or  a  cunning¬ 
ly  devised  fable,  that  they  presented  to  the 
world.  Evident  truth  would  open  their 
mouths,  and  force  a  public  profession,  Acts 
4:  20.  It  concerned  the  disciples  to  be  well 
assured  of  the  truth  of  the  institution  they 
had  embraced.  They  should  see  the  evi¬ 
dences  of  their  holy  religion.  It  fears  not 
the  light,  nor  the  most  judicious  examina¬ 
tion.  It  is  able  to  afford  rational  convic¬ 
tion,  and  solid  persuasion  of  mind  and  con¬ 
science,  Col.  2:  1,  2.  ^ 

4.  With  the  reason  of  the  apostle’s  ex¬ 
hibiting  and  asserting  this  summary  of  sa¬ 
cred  faith,  and  this  breviate  of  evidence  at¬ 
tending  it.  This  reason  is  twofold  : 

(1.)  That  the  believers  of  it  may  be  ad¬ 
vanced  to  the  same  happiness  with  them, 


NOTES.  Chap.  I.  V.  1,  2.  ( Note ,  John  1:1 — 3.)  The  apostle  be¬ 

gan  this  epistle,  in  the  same  abrupt  manner  as  he  did  his  gospel,  anil 
without  any  particular  address  or  salutation ;  and  he  wrote  as  a  witness 
or  a  messenger,  in  a  sententious,  declaratory  style,  and  not  in  an  argu¬ 
mentative  manner. — If  we  then  understand  him  to  mean  Christ,  as  the 
Son  of  God,  (and  it  does  not  appear  what  else  could  be  meant,)  ‘  from 
the  beginning,’  must  denote  from  eternity  ;  for  if  the  creation  and  time 
were  coeval,  ‘That  which  was  from  the  beginning,’  when  ‘God  created 
the  heavens  and  the  earth,’  must  have  been  eternal.  Gen.  1:1.  Prov. 
8:22 — 30.  Indeed  the  same  expression,  in  some  places,  may  signify  the 
first  opening  of  the  dispensation  of  the  Gospel;  (2:7,8.)  yet  this  sense 
does  not  appear  at  all  consistent  with  the  context  in  this  place.  2  'Plies. 
2.13,14.  The  obvious  meaning,  however,  is  this ;  that  essential  Good, 
which  ‘  was  from  the  beginning  with  God,  and  was  God,’  ‘  by  whom  all 
things  were  created,’  had  ‘become  flesh,’  to  dwell  on  earth  among 
men.  and  the  apostle  and  his  brethren,  especially  the  other  apostles,  had 
heard  Him  deliver  his  doctrine,  and  publish  bis  salvation  ;  they  had 
seen  Him  with  their  eyes,  while  they  ‘  beheld  bis  glory,  as  of  I  lie  Only- 
begotten  of  the  Father,  full  of  grace  and  truth.’  (Note,  John  1:14.)  They 
had  not  only  viewed  Him  with  a  transient  glance,  but  had  accompa¬ 
nied  Him,  and  contemplated  Him,  both  in  respect  of  the  wisdom  and 
holiness  of  his  character,  the  power  of  his  miracles,  and  his  abundant 
love  and  mercy,  during  some  years ;  till  they  saw  Him  expire  on  the 
cross,  and  afterwards  risen  from  the  dead  ;  and  ‘their  hands  had  han¬ 
dled  Ilim,’  while  He  condescended  to  give  them  this  full  proof  of  his 
resurrection,  that  they  might  witness  it  to  others.  Luke  24:36 — 13. 
John  20:13 — 29.  This  divine  Person,  ‘  the  Word  of  life,’  1  the  Word  of 
God,’  became  incarnate,  that  He  might  be  ‘  the  Life  of  men,’  and  this 
‘  great  mystery  of  godliness  ’  the  apostle  declared  to  mankind.  (Notes, 
5:11,  12,  20,  21.  1  Tim.  3:16.1 — Indeed,  ho  wrofe  to  assure  his  Christian 
brethren  throughout  the  world,  yea,  and  all  future  ages,  of  tile  reality  of 
Christ’s  human  nature,  which  some  in  those  days  denied,  and  that  of 
his  divine  nature,  which  his  resurrection  fully  demonstrated.  Rom-  1:1 
— 4.  For  ‘the  Life,’  the  Source  ami  Author  of  life,  natural,  spiritual, 
and  eternal,  who  possessed  ‘life  in  Himself,’  necessarily  and  unchange¬ 
ably,  and  who  might  therefore  be  called  1  the  Life  ;  ’  life  being  essential 
to  Ilim,  and  derived  from  Him  to  ail  creatures;  even  He  hud  been 
‘  manifested  in  the  flesh,’  to  be  the  Life  of  fallen  men.  (Notes,  John  1:4 
— 9.  8:12.  11:20 — 27.  14:4—6.)  And  when  ‘  the  Son  of  God,’  the  essen¬ 
tial  Life  of  all  creatures,  was  thus  manifested,  (he  apostles  were  pecu¬ 
liarly  favored,  in  being  chosen  to  he  his  attendants,  and  to  see  Him, 
during  his  ministry,  at  his  death,  after  his  resurrection,  and  at  his  ascen¬ 
sion  ;  that  they  might  bear  witness  to  others  of  these  things,  and  show 
unto  them  ‘  that  eternal  Life,’  which  had  always  subsisted  with  the 
Father,  as  ‘One  with  Him,’  and  yet  distinct  from  Him,  One  in  the  un¬ 
divided  esseuce  of  the  Godhead,  but  possessing  distinct  personality,  as 


‘  the  Only-begotten  of  the  Father,’  by  an  eternal  and  incomprehensible 
generation  ;  John  1:14,  18.  3:16.  and  who  ‘  in  the  fulness  of  time’  was 
manifested,  as  the  Author  and  Giver  of  eternal  life  to  sinners,  through 
the  redemption  of  his  blood,  and  by  the  communication  of  his  new- 
creating  Spirit.  The  apostles  did  not,  therefore,  proceed  on  report,  or 
insufficient  proof,  when  they  went  to  the  nations,  and  encountered  all 
hardships,  dangers,  and  persecutions,  in  preaching  the  Gospel  to  them. 
(Note,  2  Pet.  1:16 — 18.)  But  they  declared  the  things  concerning  the 
Person,  dorlrine,  and  salvation  of  Christ,  which  they  had  seen  and 
heard,  and  had  the  most  abundant  opportunity  oflearning  from  It  is  own 
lips;  and  of  which  they  had  been  assured  by  his  miracles,  resurrection, 
and  ascension.  (1)  That  which.}  Ho. — The  second  Person  in  the  sa¬ 
cred  Trinity  is  intended.  Thus  He  says,  ‘I  and  the  Father  are  one  ; ' 
Hen,  not  heis.  (Note,  John  10:26 — 31,  v.  CO.)  And  thus  the  Evangelist, 
‘That  holy  tiling  which  shall  he  horn  of  thee.’  Luke  1:35.  Scott. 

(I — 3.)  ‘ ./.  P.  Smith  shows,  that  the  expression,  “from  the  begin¬ 

ning,”  can  he  attached  only  to  the  first  term  in  the  series,  and  submits 
lhe  following  as  an  attempt  at  ft  very  close  version  :  “  With  respect  to 
the  Word  of  Life,  (for  indeed  the  Life  has  been  manifested,  and  we  have 
seen  [ i 1 1  and  hear  witness  [to  it],  and  we  announce  to  you  that  eternal 
Life  which  was  with  the  Father,  and  lias  been  manifested  to  us,)  we 
announce  to  voti  Him  who  was  from  the  beginning,  whom  we  have 
heard,  whom  we  have  with  our  eyes  beheld,  whom  we  have  gazed  upon  . 
and  our  hands  have  touched  ;  in  order  that  ye  also  may  have  a  commu¬ 
nion  [of  blessings]  with  us;  and  indeed  ours  [is]  the  communion  with 
the  Father,  and  with  his  Sou  Jesus  Christ.”  ’  Henry,  abr. — From  the  be¬ 
ginning.}  ‘Front  the  first  promulgation  of  the  Gospel.  Bp.  Bull  and 
Carps,  and  others,  understand  it  of  the  beginning  of  the  world,  as  3:8. 
but  this  though  true  in  one  sense,  cannot,  on  account  of  the  context,  he 
considered  the  truth  here  meant.’  Bn.  —  V.  2.  ‘The  heresy  most  con¬ 
spicuous  in  the  age  of  the  apostles,  was  that  which  denied,  not  the  Di¬ 
vine,  but  t lie  human  nature  of  the  Redeemer.  And  so  far  from  being 
called  upon  to  prove  Him  to  he  very  God,  a  point  universally  acknowl¬ 
edged,  the  great  difficulty  seems  to  have  been,  to  convince  the  first  pollu¬ 
ters  ofthe  Christian  faith,  that  He  was  also,  really  and  actually, very  man. 
It  was  not  until  after  the  lapse  of  time  had  subdued,  by  distance,  the  as¬ 
tounding  effect  produced  bv  his  miraculous  career  on  earth,  that  human 
audacity  dared  to  speak  of  Him  ns  a  merely  mortal  preacher,  or  even  as 
the  most  glorious  of  created  beings.’  Shuttleworth,  in  Henry,  abr. 

1  One  credible  person  steadily  bearing  testimony  to  the  power  of  divine 
grace,  in  his  own  conversion,  will  have  a  greater  effect  in  converting 
others,  than  the  most  learned  and  eloquent  declaration  of  the  same 
truth  from  a  thousand  unconverted  preachers.’  -  S,A * 

V.  3,  4.  Thev  shared  the  special  love  and  favor  of  God  the  Father; 
all  his  perfections  ensured  their  happiness;  they  were  made  par  alters 
of  his  holiness,’  and  even  •  of  a  divine  nature  ;’  and  they  had  the  assured 

[627  J 


A.  D.  90. 


1  JOHN,  I. 


\ 

The  glory  and  holiness  of  God. 


and  truly  our  fellowship  'is  with 
the  Father,  and  with  his  Son  Jesus 
Christ. 

4  And  these  things  write  we  unto 
you,  that  f  your  joy  may  be  full. 

5  This  then  is  the  message  which 
we  have  heard  of  him,  and  declare 
unto  you,  that  God  is  *  light,  and  in 
him  is  no  darkness  at  all. 

6  If  we  say  that  we  have  fellow¬ 
ship  with  him,  and  walk  in  dark¬ 
ness,  we  lie,  and  do  not  the  truth: 

7  But  if  we  walk  h  in  the  light,  as 
he  is  in  the  light,  we  have  fellow¬ 
ship  one  with  another,  and  the  blood 
*  of  Jesus  Christ  his  Son  cleanseth 
us  from  all  sin. 

e  Jn.  17:21.  1  Ti.  6:16.  14.  1  Pe.  1:19. 

f  Jn.  15:11.  h  . In.  12:35.  Re.  1:5. 

g  Jn.  1:4,9.  i  Ep.  1:7.  lie.  9: 

v.  3.  The  apostle  means  not  personal  fel¬ 
lowship  or  consociation  in  the  same  church- 
administrations,  but  such  as  is  consistent 
with  personal  distance  from  each  other.  It 
is  communion  with  heaven,  and  in  blessings 
that  come  from  thence,  and  tend  thither  ; 
there  is  a  fellowship  or  communion  that  runs 
through  the  whole  church  of  God.  There 
may  be  some  personal  distinctions  and  pe¬ 
culiarities,  but  there  is  a  communion  be¬ 
longing  to  all  saints,  from  the  highest  apos¬ 
tle  to  the  lowest  believer.  Now  that  believ¬ 
ers  may  be  ambitious  of  this  communion, 
that  they  may  be  instigated  to  retain  and 
hold  fast  the  faith  that  is  the  mean  of  such 
communion,  that  the  apostles  also  may  man¬ 
ifest  their  love  to  the  disciples  in  assisting 
them  to  the  same  communion  with  them¬ 
selves,  they  indicate  what  it  is,  and  where 
if.  is  ;  And  trul^bur  fellowship  is  with  the 
Father ,  and  his  Son  Jesus  Christ.  2  Jn.  v.Z. 
We  have  now  such  supernatural  conversa¬ 
tion  with  God  and  the  Lord  Christ,  as  is 
an  earnest  and  foretaste  of  our  everlasting 
abode  with  them,  and  enjoyment  of  them,  in 
the  heavenly  glory.  See  whither  the  Gospel 
revelation  tends, — to  advance  us  far  above 
sin  and  earth,  and  to  carry  us  to  blessed 
communion  with  the  Father  and  the  Son. 
See  for  what  end  the  eternal  Life  was  made 
flesh, — that  He  might  advance  us  to  eternal 
life,  in  communion  with  the  Father  and  Him¬ 


self.  See  how  far  they  live  beneatd  the  dig¬ 
nity,  use,  and  end  of  the  Christian  faith  and 
institution,  who  have  not  spiritual,  blessed 
communion  with  the  Father  and  the  Son 
Jesus  Christ.  • 

(2.)  That  believers  may  be  enlarged  and 
advanced  in  holy  joy,  v.  4.  The  gospel-dis¬ 
pensation  is  not  properly  a  dispensation  of 
fear,  sorrow,  and  dread,  but  of  peace  and 
joy.  It  should  be  joy  to  us,  that  the  eternal 
Son  should  come  to  seek  and  save  us  ;  that 
He  has  made  a  full  atonement  for  our  sins; 
that  He  has  conquered  sin  and  death  and 
hell  ;  that  He  lives,  as  our  Intercessor  and 
Advocate  with  the  Father  ;  and  that  He 
will  come  again,  to  perfect  and  glorify  his 
persevering  believers.  Believers  should  re¬ 
joice  in  their  happy  relation  to  the  Father, 
and  to  the  Son,  as  being  members  pfhis  be¬ 
loved  body,  and  co-heirs  with  Himself;  in 
the  pardon  of  their  sins,  in  the  sanctification 
of  their  natures,  in  the  adoption  of  their  per¬ 
sons,  in  the  prospect  of  grace  and  glory  that 
will  be  revealed  tit  the  return  of  their  Lord 
and  Head  from  heaven.  Were  they  con¬ 
firmed  in  their  holy  faith,  how  would  they 
rejoice  !  rFhe  disciples  were  filled  with  joy, 
and  with  the  Holy  Ghost,  Acts  13:  52. 

V.  5 — 7.  The  apostle,  having  declared 
the  truth  and  dignity  of  the  Author  of  the 
Gospel,  brings  a  message  from  Him  ;  from 
which  a  just  conclusion  is  to  be  drawn  for 
the  consideration  and  conviction  of  profes¬ 
sors  of  religion. 

1.  The  message,  v.  5.  Christ  being  the 
principal  Person  spoken  of  in  the  preceding 
context,  is  the  next  antecedent  also  to  whom 
the  article  him  can  relate.  The  wisdom  and 
present  dispensation  of  the  Lord  Jesus  is, 
to  send  his  messages  to  us  by  persons  like 
ourselves  ;  and  it  was  the  ambition  of  the 
apostles,  faithfully  to  deliver  the  messages 
they  had  received.  The  message  relates  to 
the  nature  of  God,  whom  we  are  to  serve, 
and  with  whom  we  should  covet  all  indulged 
communion.  That  God  is  light.,  and  in  Him 
is  no  darkness  at  all,  v.  5.  It  asserts  the 
excellency  of  the  divine  nature.  He  is  all 
that  beauty  and  perfection  that  can  be  re¬ 
presented  to  us  by  light;  self-active,  uncom¬ 
pounded  spirituality,  purity,  wisdom,  holi¬ 
ness,  and  glory  ;  there  is  no  defect  or  imper¬ 
fection,  nothing  contrary  to  absolute  excel¬ 
lency,  no  mutability  or  capacity  of  any  de¬ 
cay  in  Him  ;  In  Him  is  no  darkness  at  all. 


v.  5.  Or  it  may  more  immediately  relate  to 
what  is  usually  called  the  moral  perfection  of 
the  divine  nature  ;  what  we  are  to  imitate, 
or  what  is  more  directly  to  influence  us  in 
our  gospel-work.  And  so  it  will  compre¬ 
hend  the  holiness  of  God,  the  absolute  purity 
of  his  nature  and  will ;  his  penetrative  know  I- 
edge,  (particularly  of  hearts,)  his  jealousy 
and  justice,  which  burn  as  a  most  bright  and 
vehement  flame.  Thus  it  is  the  prerogative 
of  the  Christian  revelation,  to  bring  us  the 
most  noble,  the  most  august,  and  agreeable 
account  of  the  blessed  God;  such  as  is  most 
suitable  to  the  light  of  reason,  and  what  is 
demonstrable  thereby  ;  most  suitable  to  the 
magnificence  of  his  works  round  about  us, 
and  to  the  nature  and  office  of  Him  that  is 
the  Supreme.  What  more  comprehensive 
or  perfect  conception  of  Him  could  be  con¬ 
cluded  in  one  word  than  in  this,  God  is 
Light,  and  in  Him  is  no  darkness  at  all  ? 
Then, 

2.  A  just  conclusion  to  be  drawn  from 
this  message  ;  and  that  for  the  considera¬ 
tion  and  conviction  of  professors  of  religion. 
(1.)  Of  such  professors  as  have  no  true  fel¬ 
lowship  with  God  ;  If  we  say  we  have  fel¬ 
lowship  with  Him,  and  walk  in  darkness,  we 
lie,  and  do  not  the  truth.  To  walk,  in  Scrip¬ 
ture,  is  to  order  and  frame  the  course  and 
actions  of  the  moral  life,  that  is,  of  the  life 
so  far  as  it  is  capable  of  subjection  to  the 
divine  law.  To  walk  in  darkness,  is  to  live 
and  act  according  to  such  ignorance,  error, 
and  erroneous  practice,  as  are  contrary  to 
the  fundamental  dictates  of  holy  religion. 
Now',  as  to  such,  their  practice  gives  their 
profession  and  pretences  the  lie.  They  belie 
God  ;  for  He  holds  no  heavenly  fellowship 
or  intercourse  with  unholy  souls.  They  be¬ 
lie  themselves  ;  for  they  have  no  such  com¬ 
munications  from  God,  nor  accesses  to  Him. 
(2.)  Of  such  as  are  near  to  God  ;  But  if 
we  walk  in  the  light,  we  have  fellowship  one 
with  another,  and  the  blood  of  Jesus  Christ  his 
Son  cleanseth  us  from  all  sin.  As  the  bles¬ 
sed  God  is  the  eternal,  boundless  Light,  and 
the  Mediator  is,  from  Him,  the  Light  of  the 
world  ;  so  the  Christian  institution  is  the 
great  luminary  that  appears  in  our  sphere, 
and  shines  here  below.  A  conformity  to  this 
in  spirit  and  practice,  demonstrates  fellow¬ 
ship  or  communion  with  God.  They  that 
so  walk,  show  that  they  know  God,  that 
they  have  received  of  the  Spirit  of  God,  and 


hope  and  blessed  earnests  of  enjoying  Him,  as  their  all-sufficient  and 
eternal  Portion.  Moreover,  they  had  a  free  access  to  Him,  as  their  Fa¬ 
ther,  and,  a  sacred  union  having  been  formed  between  Him  and  their 
souls,  through  Jesus  Christ,  and  by  the  power  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  a  most 
honorable  and  happy  communion  and  intercourse  w'as  continually  car¬ 
ried  on  between  the  glorious  C.od  and  them;  while  thev  poured  out 
their  inmost  souls  before  Him,  made  Him  their  Hope  and  Confidence, 
[centred  their  interests  not  in  self,— but  in  Him,]  aimed  to  do  his  will 
and  manifest  his  glory,  celebrated  his  praises,  were  his  devoted  wor¬ 
shippers,  and  sought  their  felicity  in  l^e  favor  and  acceptance;  while  in 
return,  He  graciously  heard  their  supplications,  accepted  their  persons 
and  services,  communicated  to  them  his  holy  consolations,  showed  them 
his  will,  supplied  them  with  wisdom  and  strength  suited  to  their 
wants,  and  took  on  Him  the  care  of  all  their  concerns. — This  1  fellow¬ 
ship  with  the  Father,’  arose  from  their  ‘  fellowship  with  his  Son  Jesus 
Christ.’  This  was  no  enthusiastic  imagination,  or  hypocritical  pretence, 
as  many  were  disposed  to  represent  it ;  nor  wp.s  it  an  unsatisfactory  or 
inefficacious  transaction,  as  others  might  suppose,  who  did  not  deny  its 
reality;  but  they  had  the  happy  experience  of  it  in  their  souls ;  mani¬ 
fested  the  excellency  of  it  in  their  lives,  and  shared  with  their  brethren, 
in  this  sacred  communion,  Such  comforts  and  substantial  satisfaction,  as 
made  them  ample  amends  for  all  their  losses,  suflerings,  anil  hardships. 
Being  therefore  assured,  that  this  alone  was  sufficient  to  make  men  hap¬ 
py,  and  knowing  the  inexhaustible  ‘fulness  of  Christ,’  and  his  inestima¬ 
ble  salvation :  they  desired  exceedingly,  that  their  fellow-sinners  would 
come  and  share  their  felicity;  and,  leaving  the  lying  vanities  of  the 
world,  or  the  empty  forms  and  superstitions  of  false  religion,  would 
seek  with  them  this  ‘  fellowship  with  the  Father  and  with  hTs  Son  Jesus 
Christ.’  The  same  principle  induced  the  apostle  John  to  write  this 
epistle  to  the  churches,  that,  rejecting  the  heretical  doctrines  of  false 
teachers,  ‘having  fellowship  with  Christ,’  and  with  those  who  adhered 
to  the  apostle’s  doctrine,  and  avoiding  whatever  could  interrupt  their 
communion  with  God,  their  holy  joy  might  be  complete,  and  they  might 
live  in  actual  possession  of  those  invaluable  privileges,  to  which  they 
were  called  by  the  Gospel.— The  ‘communion  of  the  Holy  Spirit’  is 
not  particularly  mentioned,  in  this  most 'interesting  passage;  because 
the  communion  of  believers  with  the  Father  and  the  Son,  and  their  lov¬ 
ing  communion  with  each  other,  are  effected  nnd  maintained  by  the 
communication,  and  influences  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  who  is  the  immediate 
Author  of  their  spiritual  life,  hope,  love,  joy,  peace,  and  holy  affections, 

[623] 


the  bond  of  union  between  Christ  and  his  mystical  body,  nnd  between 
every  member  of  it  and  all  the  others  ;  the  great  blessing  communicated 
from  the  Father’s  love,  and  through  the  incarnation  and  mediation  of 
the  Son,  and  the  Seal  and  pledge  of  all  other  blessings,  in  time  and  to 
eternity,  and  the  preparation  for  them.  As  the  Holy  Spirit  is,  there¬ 
fore,  the  great  Agent  in  our  ‘communion  with  the  Father  and  the  Son,’ 
it  was  not  necessary,  that  communion  with  Him  should  be  separately 
mentioned.  2  Cor.  13:11—14.  (3)  Fellowship.]  Phil.  1:3 — 6. — The 

leading  idea  is  participation  ;  and  communication,  and  reciprocal  inter¬ 
course,  and  expressions  o (friendship,  as  resulting  from  it.  Gen.  5:21 — 
21.  Scott. 

V.  5 — 7.  The  substance  of  this  declaration  is,  ‘That  God  is  Light,’ 
pure,  perfect  intellect,  an  all-pervading,  all-penetrating  Spirit,  essential 
knowledge,  wisdom,  holiness,  love,  and  felicity  ;  so  that  ‘  in  Him  is  no 
darkness  at  all  ;’  no  ignorance,  error,  moral  evil,  or  defect  in  felicity  ; 
nnd  therefore  none  of  these  can  be  derived  from  Him.  Jam.  1:13 — 18. 
As  this  is  the  nature  of  God,  the  doctrines  and  precepts,  which  come 
from  Him,  must  be  of  the  same  kind  ;  true  religion  may  be  distinguished 
from  countetfeit  by  this  criterion,  and  especially  his  spiritual  worship¬ 
pers,  who  really  have  communion  with  Him,  may  he  known  by  their 
conformity  to  Him.  (5)  Light.]  Notes,  P*.  36:5 — 9.  81:11,12.  Is.  CO: 
15 — 22.  Hen.  21:22 — 27.  Light  is  the  emblem  of  knowledge,  holiness, 
and  happiness, — darkness,  of  ignorance,  error,  wickedness,  and  misery. 
(Ps.  97:12.  Is.  2:5.  Notes,  Mai.  4:2,  3.  Acts  26:16— 18.  Col.  1.9— 14. 
2  Pet.  2:4 — 9.)  In. 

(5.)  Message.]  ‘  If  we  unite  the  senses  of'declaration,  precept,  nnd 
message,  we  shall,  1  think,  attain  the  full  sense.’  Blooxif. — God  is  light.] 
‘  This  expresses  his  most  clear  and  perfect  knowledge,  for  light  discovers 
all  things  ;  his  unspotted  holiness,  for  light  is  incapable  of  any  pollution  ; 
and  his  sovereign  goodness  and  happiness;  for  light,  joined  with  vital 
heat,  inspires  pleasure  into  universal  nature.’  See  Bates.  Doddh. — 
‘Darkness  implies  all  imperfeStion,  principally  ignorance,  sinfulness, 
and  misery.  Light  is  the  purest,  the  most  penetrating,  the  most  useful, 
and  the  most  diffusive  of  all  God’s  creatures  ;  it  is  therefore  a  very  proper 
emblem  of  the  purity,  perfection,  and  goodness  of  the  Divine  nature. 
God  is  to  human  souls  what  the  light  is  to  the  world.’  Da.  A  Clxrke. 

(G.)  Walk  in  darkness.]  ‘  I.  e.  go  on  in  sin.’  Doddk. 

(7.)  Cleanseth. J  ‘  The  efficacy  of  atonement,  however,  is  condi¬ 
tional  ;  and  the  sins  here  meant,  must  be  sins  of  infirmity  and  frailty, 
heartily  repented  of  and  entirely  forsaken.’  Bloomf. 


A.  D.  90. 

S  If  we  say  that  we  have  no  I  sin, 
we  deceive  ourselves,  and  the  truth 
is  not  in  us. 

9  If  we  confess  k  our  sins,  he  is 
faithful  and  just  to  forgive  us  our 
sins,  and  to  cleanse  1  us  from  all  un¬ 
righteousness. 

10  If  we  say  that  we  have  not 
sinned,  we  make  him  a  liar,  and 
his  word  is  not  in  us. 

CHAP.  II. 

1  He  comforteth  them  against  the  sins  of  infirmity.  3  Right¬ 
ly  to  know  God  i%  to  keep  his  commandments,  9  to  love 
our  brethren,  15  and  not  to  love  the  world.  18  We  must 
beware  of  seducers  :  ‘20  from  whose  deceits  the  godly  are 
safe,  preserved  by  perseverance  in  faith,  and  holiness  of 
life. 

MY  little  children,  these  things 
write  I  unto  you,  that  ye  sin 
not.  And  if  any  man  sin,  we  have 
an  *  advocate  with  the  Father,  Jesus 
Christ  the  righteous  : 


1  JOHN,  II.  Repentance  urged,  and  dissuasion  from  sin. 


]  1  K.  8:46  Job 
25:4.  Ec.  7:20. 
Ja.  3:2. 

k  Job  38:27,28. 


Pa  32:5. 
Pr.  28:13. 
I  Ps.  51:2. 


1  Co.  6:11. 
l  Ro.  8:34. 
He.  7:25. 


that  the  divine  impress  or  image  is  stamped 
on  their  souls.  Then  toe  have  fellowship  one 
with  another  J  they  with  us,  and  we  witli 
them,  and  botli  with  God,  in  his  blessed  or 
beatific,  communications  to  us.  And  this  is 
one, — that  his  Son’s  blood,  or  death,  is  ap¬ 
plied  or  imputed  to  us  ;  The  blood  of  Jesus 
Christ  his  Son  cleanseth  us  from  all  sin.  His 
blood  applied  to  us  discharges  us  from  the 
guilt  of  all  sin  ;  and  so  far  we  stand  right¬ 
eous  in  his  sight  ;  and  not  only  so,  but  his 
blood  procures  for  us  those  sacred  influen¬ 
ces,  by  which  sin  is  to  be  subdued  more 
and  more,  till  it  is  quite  abolished,  Gal.  3: 
13,  14. 

V.  8 — 10.  The  apostle,  having  supposed, 
that  even  they  of  this  heavenly  communion 
have  yet  their  sin,  proceeds  here  to  justify 
that  supposition  ;  and  this,  by  showing  in 
two  particulars  the  dreadful  consequences 


of  denying  it.  1.  If  we  say ,  We  have  no 
sin,  we  deceive  ourselves,  and  the  truth  is  not 
in  us,  v.  8.  \v  e  must  beware  of  deceiving 
ourselves  in  denying  or  excusing  our  sins. 
The  more  we  see  them,  the  more  we  shall 
esteem  and  value  the  remedy.  If  we  deny 
them,  the  truth  is  not  in  us  ;  either  the-Jjauh 
that  is  contrary  to  such  denial  ;  (we  lie  in 
denying  our  sin;)  or,  the  truth  of  religion  is 
not  in  us.  The  Christian  religion  is  the  re¬ 
ligion  of  sinners  ;  of  such  as  have  sinned, 
and  in  whom  sin  in  some  measure  still 
dwells.  2.  If  we  say,  We  have  not  sinned, 
we  make  Him  a  liar,  (md  his  Word  is  not  in 
us,  v.  10.  The  denial  of  our  sin  not  oidy 
deceives  ourselves,  but  reflects  dishonor  on 
God.  It  challenges  his  veracity.  God  has 
given  his  testimony  to  the  continued  sin  and 
sinfulness  of  the  world,  by  his  providing  a 
sufficient,  effectual  Sacrifice  for  sin,  that  will 
be  needed  in  all  ages  ;  and  to  the  continued 
sinfulness  of  believers  themselves,  by  requir¬ 
ing  them  continually  to  confess  their  sins, 
and  apply  themselves  by  faith  to  the  blood 
of  that  Sacrifice.  Therefore,  if  we  say 
either  that  we  have  not  sinned,  or  do  not 
yet  sin,  the  Word  of  God  is  not  in  us,  either 
in  our  minds,  as  to  the  acquaintance  we 
should  have  with  it,  or  in  our  hearts,  as 
to  the  practical  influence  it  should  have 
upon  us.  *  ,. 

The  apostle  then  instructs  the  believer  in 
the  way  to  the  continued  pardon  of  his  sin. 
Here  we  have,  1.  His  duty  in  order  there¬ 
to  ;  If  we  confess  our  sins,  v.  9.  Penitent 
confession  and  acknowledgment  of  sin  are 
the  believer’s  business,  and  the  means  of 
his  deliverance  from  his  guilt.  And  2. 
His  encouragement  thereto,  and  assurance 
of  the  happy  issue.  This  is  the  veracity, 
righteousness,  and  clemency  of  God,  to 
whom  he  makes  such  confession,  v.  9.  God 
is  faithful  to  his  covenant  and  Word,  who 
has  (herein  promised  forgiveness  to  penitent, 
believing  confessors.  He  is  just  to  Himself 
and  his  glory,  has  provided  such  a  Sacrifice, 
by  which  his  righteousness  is  declared  in 
the  justification  of  sinners.  He  is  just  to 


his  promise  to  his  Son,  that  those  who  come 
through  Him  shall  be  forgiven  on  his  ac¬ 
count.  Isa.  53:  11.  He  is  clement  and 
gracious  also,  and  so  will  forgive,  to  the 
contrite  confessor,  all  his  sins,  cleanse  him 
,  from  the  guilt  ol  all  unrighteousness,  and  in 
due  time  deliver  him  from  the  power  and 
practice  of  it. 


Chap.  II.  V.  1,  2.  These  verses  relate 
to  the  concluding  subject  of  the  foregoing 
ch.,  in  which  the  apostle  proceeds  on  the 
supposition  of  the  real  Christian’s  sin.  And 
here  he  gives  them  both  dissuasion  and  sup¬ 
port. 

1.  Dissuasion.  He  would  leave  no  room 
for  sin,  v.  1.  See  the  familiar  and  affection¬ 
ate  compellation  with  which  he  introduces 
his  admonition  ;  My  little  children  ;  chil¬ 
dren,  as  having  perhaps  been  begotten  by 
his  Gospel  ;  little  children,  as  being  much 
beneath  him  in  age  and  experience.  My 
little  children  S  us  being  dear  to  him  in  the 
bonds  of  the  Gospel.  Certainly  the  Gospel 
most  prevailed  where  and  w  hen  such  minis¬ 
terial  love  most  abounded. 

2.  Support  and  relief  incase  of  sin.  And 
(or  but),  if  any  man  sin,  any  of  us,  or  of 
our  aforesaid  communion,  v.  1.  Believers 
themselves  have  yet  their  sins.  There  is  a 
great  distinction  between  sinners  in  the 
world  ;  some  are  converted,  others  uncon¬ 
verted.  Believers,  as  they  have  had  an 
atonement  applied  to  them  at  their  entrance 
into  a  state  of  pardon  and  justification,  so 
they  have  an  Advocate  in  heaven  still  to  con¬ 
tinue  to  them  that  state,  and  procure  their 
continued  pardon  and  forgiveness.  The  orig¬ 
inal  name  is  sometimes  given  to  the  Holy 
Ghost  ;  and  then  it  is  rendered,  the  Com¬ 
forter  ;  He  acts  within  us,  by  teaching  us 
to  intercede  for  ourselves.  But  here  is  an 
Advocate  without  us,  in  heaven  and  with 
the  Father.  The  proper  office  and  business 
of  an  advocate  is  with  the  judge.  The  Judge 
with  whom  our  Advocate  pleads,  is,  the 
Father  ;  his  Father  and  ours.  He  w  ho 
was  our  Judge  in  the  legal  court  of  the  vio- 


PRACT.  OBS.  Our  most  lively  gratitude  is  due  to  God  for  that  fully 
authenticated  revelation,  which  lie  has  given  us  concerning  ‘  the  Word 
of  life.’  But  what  words  can  express  the  praises  of  the  love  of  God,  in 
causing  ‘  the  Life  to  be  manifested,’  even  1  the  eternal  Life,  which  was 
with  the  Father,’  in  order  that  we,  justly  condemned  rebels,  who  were 
dead  in  sin,  might  live  by  Him  !  This  appears  the  more  admirable, 
when  we  consider  the  deep  abasement,  and  the  agonizing  sufferings,  to 
which  this  manifestation  exposed  the  incarnate  Word  and  ‘Son  of 
God;’  nay,  how  his  very  humiliation  has  given  occasion  to  the  children 
of  men  to  rob  Him  of  his  glory,  to  deny  his  Deity,  and  to  speak  of  Him 
whom  1  all  angels  worship,’  as  if  lie  were  altogether  such  an  one  as 
themselves!  —  Faithful  and  zealous  ministers,  though  they  have  not 
‘seen  and  heard’  ‘the  Lord  of  glory,’  with  their  outward  senses,  may 
jet  declare  to  men  what  they  have  known  and  experienced  of  his  mer¬ 
cy,  truth,  nnd  power;  and  as  lie  became  incarnate,  that  the  chief  of 
sinners,  believing  in  Christ,  ‘  might  have  fellowship  with  Him,’  and  share 
in  the  love  of  the  Father  through  Him,  for  their  everlasting  felicity;  so 
they  are  willing  to  labor  and  suffer,  that  their  fellow-criminals  may  be 
brought  to  ‘have  fellowship  with  them,’  in  their  most  precious  bless¬ 
ings.  2  Cor.  5:18 — 21.  6:1,2. — This  ‘  fellowship  with  the  Fatl;£r  ;  and 
his  Son  Jesus  Christ,’  is  ‘  the  secret  of  the  Lord,’  which  is  pemtliar  to 
those  who  fear  Him  ;  and  ungodly  men  must  therefore  treat  it,  as  the 


delusion  of  a  heated  imagination.  5:9,10.  Ps.  25:14.  John  14:21 — 24. 
2  Pet.  1:19.  Ret >.  2:17.  No  doubt  there  are  both  enthusiasts  and  hyp¬ 
ocrites,  who  are  deceived,  or  mean  to  deceive  others;  yet  that  is  not 
worth  counterfeiting,  ei'her  by  Satan  or  wicked  men,  which  in  itself  is 
of  no  value  or  reality.  There  are  then  those,  who  are  warranted  to  say, 
‘  Truly  our  fellowship  is  with  the  Father,  and  with  his  Son  Jesus 
Christ,’  and  they  all  desire  to  bring  others  to  partake  of  the  same 
blessedness. — It  is  the  grand  interest,  jis  well  as  the  duty  of  all  men,  to 
regard  ‘the  message’  sent  to  us  by  thosejwho  ‘declare  that  Goil  is 
Light,  and  that  in  Him  is  no  darkness  at  all,?’  for  as  his  perfect  felicity 
is  inseparable  from  his  perfect  holiness,  so  our  happiness  must  be  pro¬ 
portioned  to  our  sanctification.  . .  .  No  encouragement  is  therefore  given 
in  Scripture  to  any  of  those,  ‘  who  say  they  have  not  sinned,’  or  that 
they  have  no  longer  any  sin  to  repent  of,  to  be  pardoned,  or  to  be 
cleansed  away.  Let  ns  then  learn  to  plead  guilty  before  God,  and  be 
humbly  willing  to  know  the  worst  of  our  case;  reiving  wholly  on  his 
mercy  and  truth,  through  the  righteousness  of  Christ,  for  a  full  and  free 
forgiveness,  let  us  trust  in  Himsus  ‘a  just  God  and  a  Savior,’  and  wait 
on  Him  ‘  to  cleanse  us  from  all  unrighteousness,’  till  no  spot  or  blemish 
remain  in  us,  even  in  the  judgment  of  our  holy  and  merciful  Father. 
Eph.  5:25—27.  Col.  1:  21 — 23.  Jude  22 — 25.  Scott. 


V.  3 — 10.  While  the  apostle  strenuously  insisted  on  the  necessity  of 
an  habitual  holy  walk,  as  the  effect  and  evidence  of  the  knowledge  of 
God  in  Christ  Jesus,  and  of  communion  willi -Him  ;  He  guarded  with  as 
much  care  against  self-righteous  pride,  as  against  an  nntinomian  perver¬ 
sion  of  the  Gospel.  If  any  professed  Christians,  while  they  seemed  to 
‘  walk  in  the  light,’  should  be  so  elated  with  a  conceit  of  their  own  at¬ 
tainments,  as  to  say,  ‘that  t|^*y  had  no  sin,’  but  were  perfectly  pure, 
and  as  holy  in  heart  and  life  a«the  law  of  God  required  ;  they  were  cer¬ 
tainly  deceived  in  a  most  awfuUmanner ;  nay,  they  virtually  denied  the 


(10.)  ‘  This  text  plainly  implies,  that  Christianity  does  in  effect  assert, 
that  we  are  all  in  a  degenerate  slate  ;  and  consequently  is  a  clear  proof 
of  the  corruption  of  human  nature.’  Doddr. — ‘The  expressions  used 
here  [in  this  eh.],  and  in  the  Gospel  of  St.  John,  Word,  Life,  Light,  and 
others,  show  that  the  apostle  had  in  view  the  philosophy  of  the  Gnos¬ 
tics  (Note,  end  of  Rev.  9:),  who  used,  or  rather  abused,  those  express¬ 
ions,  as  technical  terms  of  their  philosophy.’  T.  If.  Horne. 

NOTES.  Ch  ip.  II.  V.  1,  2.  It  is  probable  John  was  the  only  sur¬ 
viving  apostle,  when  he  wrote  this  epistle :  and  his  old  age,  and  long- 


truth  of  tire  whole  Gospel,  whiclf  everywhere  speaks  of  men  as  sinners  f’^tniTtinued  usefulness,  faithfulness,  and  love  to  Christians,  must  have  giv 


so  that  tlie  Word  of  God  was  not  in  them,  by  faith,  or  by  the  teaching 
of  the  Holy  Spirit.  5:9,  10.  Ps.  5t:4.  Rom.  3:3,  4. — In  this  latter  verse, 
the  apostle  opposed  such  persons  as  totally  denied  their  sinfulness,  their 
need  of  mercy,  or  their  desert  of  wrath,  by  whatever  method  they  de¬ 
ceived  themselves  into  n  confidence  that  they  had  never  sinned,  or  that 
they  had,  in  some  xvay,  made  amends  foi^tifeir  offences,  or  could  do  it, 

rrent. 


en  him  a  kind  of  parental  authority,  throughout  the  whole  church,  as 
far  as  it  adhered  to  the  pure  Gospel  of  Christ.  It  was  therefore  pecu¬ 
liarly  proper  for  him,  to  address  them  as  his  spiritual  family,  whose  xvel- 
{rffe  he'Tted  greatly  at  heart :  and  as  most  of  them  were  young  in  years, 
compared  with  this  beloved  and  truly  venerable  disciple,  who  probably 
.  .  was  the' oldest  Christian  on  earth  at  that  time  ;  none  ever  could  with 

ami  were  not  justly  deserving  of  punishnrenl.  ‘  Have  patience  with  me  -  such  propriety  adopt  the  endearing  language  of  his  Lord,  and  call  his 
and  I  will  pay  thee  all.’  Mat.  18  26.  But  in  the  (orwfr.  he  showed  tiie*  fellow-Christians,  ‘  My  little,’  or  my  dear  ‘  children,’  as  he  did.  John 


gross  error  of  those  who  imagined,  lhat,*fiirough  th^Gospel,  th^L^fere  13:33.  The  diminutive  is  commonly  used  by  way  of  endearment,  and  to 
so  perfectly  sanctified,  as  to  have  no  sDot  or  blemish  ofsindn.them  :  the  express  peculiar  affection.— Superficial  speculators  might  here  have  been 

readv  to  charge  the  apostle  with  inconsistency,  as  if  the  latter  part  of 

.  ■  ...  .  i.  .  i  .1  ..  a....  « 1 .  ..  ntnfo  of  n  I '.liriwtian  in 


so  perfectly  sanctified,  as  to  have  no  spot  or  blemish  of  sindn.thein  ;  the 
present  tense,  ‘have  no  sin,’  being  used  in  the  eightlwf%rse,  and  the 
past,  in  the  tenth,  ‘  have  not  sinned.’  Lev.  26:40^52. 

51:3 — 6.  P.  O.  Dan., 


Neh.  9:2,  3.  Job  33:27—30.  Ps.  51:3—6.  P.  O.  Dan.J} 
(9.)  ‘  Confessing,  here,  so  evidently  refers  to  OmuMa 
forbear  being  astonished  it  should  ever  have  b<ren  u 
auricular  confession.’ 


Kings  3:33.34. 
Scott- 
at  one  can  hardly 
urged  in  behalf  of 
Doddr. 


the  v.  (1)  had  contradicted  the  former  :  but  the  state  of  a  Christian  in 
this  world,  is  such,  that  encouragements  ‘after  having  sinned,  are  as 
necessary  as  warnings  against  sin  :  for,  through  the  remaining  power  of 
sin  in  his  heart,  the  manifold  snares  of  the  world,  and  the  power  of  Sa¬ 
tan,  ‘  he  cannot  always  stand  upright  ••  ’  . .  •  and  despondency  is  as  Imiji 

[629] 


X.  D.  90. 


1  JOHN,  II. 


Christ,  the  Propitiation  of  all  sm. 


2  And  he  is  the  b  propitiation 
for  our  sins:  and  not  for  ours  only, 
hut  also  for  the  sins  of  the  whole 
world. 

3  And  hereby  we  do  know  that 
we  know  him,  if  we  keep  chis  com¬ 
mandments. 

4  He  that  saith,  I  know  him,  and 
keepeth  not  his  commandments,  is 
a  liar,  and  the  truth  is  not  in  him. 

5  But  whoso  keepeth  his  word, 
in  him  verily  is  the  love  of  God  per¬ 
fected  :  hereby  know  we  that  we 
are  in  him. 

6  He  that  saith  he  abideth d  in  him, 
ought  himself  also  so  to  8  walk,  even 
as  he  walked. 

h  Ro.  3:25.  Jn.  14:15,23.  e  Jn.  13:15. 

c  Lu.  6:46.  d  Jn.  15:4,5. 

Inted  law,  is  our  Father  in  (lie  gospel-court 
of  heaven  and  of  grace.  His  throne  or  tri¬ 
bunal  is  the  mercy-seat.  And  tie  that  is 
our  Father,  is  also  our  Judge;  the  Supreme 
Arbitrator  of  our  state  and  circumstances, 
either  for  life  or  death,  for  time  or  eternity, 
Heb.  12:23.  That  believers  may  be  en¬ 
couraged  to  hope  that  their  cause  will  go 
well,  as  their  Judge  is  represented  to  them 
in  the  relation  of  a  Father,  so  their  Advo¬ 
cate  is  recommended  to  them  on  these  con¬ 
siderations  :  (1.)  By  his  Person  and  per¬ 
sonal  names;  Jesus  Christ ,  the  Son  of  the 
Father  ;  one  anointed  by  the  Father  for  the 
whole  office  of  mediation,  the  whole  work 
of  salvation  ;  and  consequently  for  that  of 
the  Intercessor  or  Advocate.  (2.)  By  his 
qualification  for  the  office  ;  Jesus  Christ  the 
Righteous;  the  Righteous  One  in  the  court 
and  sight  of  the  Judge.  This  is  not  so  ne¬ 
cessary  in  another  advocate.  But  here  the 
clients  are  guilty  ;  and  the  Advocate  must 
plead  his  own  righteousness  for  the  crimi¬ 
nals.  He  has  been  righteous  to  the  death, 
righteous  for  them  ;  this  the  Judge  will  not 


deny.  On  this  score  He  pleads,  that  the 
clients’  sins  may  not  be  imputed  to  them.  ! 
(3.)  By  the  plea  He  has  to  make,  v.  2.  In  ! 
vain  do  the  professors  of  Rome  distinguish 
between  an  advocate  of  redemption,  and  an 
advocate  of  intercession,  or  a  mediator  of 
such  different  service.  The  Mediator  of  in¬ 
tercession,  the  Advocate  for  us,  is  the  Me¬ 
diator  of  redemption,  the  Propitiation  for 
our  sins.  It  is  his  propitiation  that  He 
pleads.  We  might  suppose  his  blood  had 
lost  its  efficacy,  were  no  mention  made  of  it 
in  heaven  since  it  was  shed.  But  now  we 
see  it  is  of  esteem  there,  since  it  is  continu¬ 
ally  represented  in  the  intercession  of  the 
great  Advocate  for  the  church  of  God.  Jte 
ever  lives  to  make  intercession  for  those  that 
come  to  God  through  Him.  (4.)  By  the  ex¬ 
tent  of  his  plea;  the  latitude  of  his  propitia¬ 
tion, — the  whole  world,  v.  2.  not  only  for  the 
past,  or  us  present  believers,  but  for  the  sins 
of  all  who  shall  hereafter  believe  on  Him, 
or  come  to  God  through  Him.  As  He  is 
the  only,  so  He  is  the  universal  Atonement 
and  Propitiation,  for  all  that  are  saved  and 
brought  home  to  God,  and  to  his  favor  and 
forgiveness. 

V.  3 — 6.  These  verses  may  seem  to  relate 
to  ch.  1:  7.  between  which  and  these  verses 
there  occurred  an  incidental  discourse  con¬ 
cerning  the  believer’s  duty  and  relief  in  case 
of  sin,  occasioned  by  the  mention  of  one  of 
the  believer’s  privileges, — his  being  cleansed 
from  sin  by  the  Mediator’s  blood.  In  that 
verse,  the  apostle  asserts  the  beneficial  con¬ 
sequence  of  walking  in  the  light.  Here  now 
succeeds  the  trial  or  test  of  our  light  and 
love  : 

1.  Of  our  light,  v.  3.  Young  Christians 
are  apt  to  magnify  their  new  light,  and  ap¬ 
plaud  their  knowledge,  especially  if  sudden¬ 
ly  or  in  a  short  time  communicated ;  and  old 
ones  are  apt  to  suspect  the  sufficiency  and 
fulness  of  their  knowledge;  they  lament  that 
they  know  God  and  Christ,  and  the  rich 
contents  of  his  Gospel,  no  more;  hut  here  is 
the  evidence  of  the  soundness  of  our  knowl¬ 
edge,  if  it  constrains  us  to  keep  God's  com¬ 


mands  ;  a  careful,  conscientious  obedience, 
shows  the  apprehension  and  knowledge  of 
these  things  is  graciously  impressed  on  the 
soul;  therefore  it  must  follow,  in  the  reverse, 
that  he  that  saith  I  know  Him,  and  keepeth 
not  his  commandments,  is  a  liar,  end  the 
truth  is  not  in  him,  v.  4.  A  disobedient  life 
is  the  confutation  and  shame  of  pretended 
religious  knowledge;  it  gives  the  lie  to  such 
boasts  and  pretences,  and  shows  that  there 
is  neither  religion  nor  honesty  in  them. 

2.  Of  our  love,  v.  5.  To  keep  the  Word 
of  God,  or  of  Christ,  is  sacredly  to  attend 
thereto  in  all  the  conduct  and  motion  of  life; 
in  him  that  does  so  is  the  love  of  God  per¬ 
fected.  Possibly,  some  may  here  under¬ 
stand  God's  love  to  us  ;  and  doubtless,  his 
love  to  us  cannot  be  perfected  without  our 
practical  observance  of  his  Word  ;  no  act 
of  divine  love,  that  terminates  on  us,  obtains 
its  proper  tendency,  issue,  and  effect,  with¬ 
out  our  holy  attendance  to  God’s  Word  ;  but 
the  phrase  rather  denotes  here  our  love  to 
God;  so  v.  15.  The  love  of  (to)  the  Father, 
is  not  in  him;  so  ch.  3:  17.  How  dwellcth 
the  love  of  (to)  God  in  him?  Now  light  is  to 
kindle  love  ;  and  love  must  and  will  keep 
the  Word  of  God  ;  it  inquires  wherein  the 
Beloved  may  be  pleased  and  served,  and 
finding  He  will  be  so  by  any  observance  of 
his  declared  will,  there  it  employs  and 
exerts  itself ;  there  love  is  demonstrated  ; 
there  it  has  its  perfect  operation,  and  de¬ 
light;  and  hereby  (by  this  dutiful  attendance 
to  the  will  of  God,  or  Christ)  we  know  that 
we  are  in  Him,  v.  5.  we  know  that  we  belong 
to  Him,  and  that  we  are  united  to  Him  by 
that  Spirit  which  elevates  and  assists  us  to 
this  obedience;  and  if  we  acknowledge  our 
relation  to  Him,  and  our  union  with  Him, 
it  must  have  this  continued  enforcement  on 
us,  v.  6.  The  Lord  Christ  was  an  Inhabit¬ 
ant  of  this  world,  and  walked  here  below  ; 
here  He  gave  a  shining  example  of  absolute 
obedience  to  God  ;  they  who  profess  to  be 
on  his  side,  and  to  abide  with  Him,  must 
walk  with  Him,  after  his  pattern  and  ex¬ 
ample.  John  15: 14. 


ical  to  watchfulness,  diligence,  and  holy  obedience,  as  even  carnal  se¬ 
curity  itself.  No  man,  on  scriptural  principles,  can  conclude  himself 
to  be  any  hetler  than  a  hypocrite,  who  habitually  commits  sin  because 
God  is  ready  to  forgive  the  penitent :  hut  the  fallen,  who  desire  to  arise 
and  renew  the  qoinbut,  have  abundant  encouragement  so  to  do.  From 
the  sinner’s  first  conviction  of  guilt,  to  the  end  of  the  Christian’s  war¬ 
fare  by  death,  the  general  rule  is  applicable,  that,  1  if  any  man  sin,  we 
have  an  Advocate  with  the  Father;’  one,  who  has  undertaken,  and  is 
fully  qualified  and  authorized,  to  plead  in  the  presence  of  God  the  Fa¬ 
ther,  in  behalf  of  every  one  wdio  seeks  for  pardon,  salvation,  and  all 
tilings  pertaining  to  them,  in  his  name,  and  in  dependence  on  his  meri¬ 
torious  intercession.  (2)  Propitiation -1  4:10.  I  tom.  3:25.  Hcb.  9:5. 

Juke  13:13.  Heb.  2:17.— See  Ex.  25:20—22.  Lev.  4:31. 5:6,  10, 13.  Sept. 
The  propitiation,  or  appeasing  sacrifice,  being  provided  by  God  Himself, 
us  the  grand  display  of  his  love  to  ns,  ’Note,  1:9 — 12.)  cannot  he  intend¬ 
ed  to  dispose  Him  to  mercy,  as  before  implacable ;  hut  to  render  his 
mercy,  to  which  lie  is  infinitely  propense,  consistent  with  his  justice 
and  holiness,  that  it  may  be  honorably  displayed.  Scott. 

(1.)  i'hcse  things .]  ‘  1.  e.  concerning  the  readiness  of  God  to  forgive 

sins.’—//'  any  man  sin.  ‘  1.  e.  through  the  surprise  of  a  violent  temp¬ 
tation,  and  remaining  infirmity  of  human  nature.’ — Advocate .]  ‘  Fcr- 
lmps  no'hing  illustrates  the  matter  more,  titan  the  residence  of  some 
eminent  persons  from  distant  provinces  in  the  courts  of  great  princes  or 
stales,  whose  business  it  was  constantly  to  negotiate  with  tlfem  the  af¬ 
fairs  of  those  whom  they  represented,  to  vindicate  them  from  any  un¬ 
just  aspersions,  and  to  advance  their  interest  to  the  utmost  of  their 
power.’  Poddr. 

(2.)  ‘The  apostle’s  reasoning  stands  thus  •.  “He  who  must  be  an  ad¬ 
vocate  must  first  of  all  be  a  reconciliation  for  ns  :  now,  no  saints  can 
be  a  reconciliation  for  us  ;  therefore  no  saints  can  be  advocates.”’  Per¬ 
kins,  in  Henry,  abr. — ‘  The  apostle  is  to  he  understood  as  speaking  only 
of  all  those  who  believe,  whether  Jews  or  Gentiles,  over  the  whole 
world.’  Dodtlr. — Propitiation.]-  1  This  word  is  nowhere  found  in  the 
N.  T.  but  in  this  passage,  and  in  ch.  4:10.  But  it  occurs  ollcn  in  the 
Sept.  ;  it  signifies  a  sacrifice  of  atonement.  See  Lev.  6:6,  7.  Num.  5:8. 

—Ex.  44:27.’  Williams. — ‘  The  death  of  Christ,  for  anght  we  know,  may 
exert  an  influence  of  some  kind  or  other,  wherever  there  are  intelligent 
beings ;  but  in  respect  to  ourselves,  and  the  world  to  which  we  belong, 
there  is  no  room  for  doubt.  It  is  agreeable  to  tile  uniform  tenor  of 
Scripture,  that  we  are  redeemed  by  the  blood,  of  Christ.  Here  is  the 
hinge  on  which  the  whole  system  of  Christianity  turns.  It  is  the  death 
of  Christ,  as  a  propitiation  for  the  sins  of  the  world,  which  gives  the 
Gospel  its  chief  value,  as  a  religion  for  sinners.  By  limiting  the  influ¬ 
ence  of  Christ’s  death  to  his  example,  you  not  only  set  all  our  immor¬ 
tal  hopes  afloat,  and  blot  out  the  glory  of  the  Gospel,  but  you  reflect  up¬ 
on  the  character  of  God,  by  imputing  to  Him  the  weakness  of  incurring 
so  amazing  an  expense,  without  a  sufficient  end.  Believe  it,  who  will, 
that  “  He  who  was  the  Brightness  of  the  Father’s  glory,  and  who  made 
all  things  by  the  word  of  his  power,  condescended  to  assume  our  na- 

[630] 


tu re  and  die  upon  the  cross,  merely  to  exhibit  to  the  world  the  constancy 
of  a  martyr  !  ’  "  Rev.  Ur.  W.  B.  Strague. 

V.  3 — 6.  The  ‘knowledge’  of  God,  or  of  Christ,  evidently  signifies  a 
believing,  spiritual,  and  experimental  acquaintance  with  Him,  and  a 
cordial  acceptance  of  It  is  salvation,  ensuring  their  participation  of  it. 
Professed  Christians  would  desire  to  knoiv,  or  be  assured,  that  their  faith 
and  experience  were  genuine,  and  distinguishable  from  those  of  all  hyp¬ 
ocrites:  and,  as  die  apostle  and  his  brethren  ‘knew  that  they  thus 
knew,’ or  had  known  ‘  Christ,’  not  by  exact  notions,  or  transient  high 
affections,  or  miraculous  powers,  hut  by  a  disposition  of  heart,  habitu¬ 
ally,  unreservedly,  and  willingly  to  keep  his  commandments ;  so  any 
other  man  might  know  his  profession  to  he  sincere,  and  his  knowledge 
of  Christ  spiritual  and  saving,  by  the  same  evidence.  It  is  evident,  that 
the  obedience,  here  spoken  of,  is  the  humble,  sincere,  unreserved,  and 
loving  obedience  of  a  believer  in  Christ ;  which  is  not  perfect,  but  at¬ 
tended  with  continual  repentance,  and  application  to  His  atoning  blood 
for  pardon  and  acceptance;  as  well  as  with  a  constant  dependence  on 
the  Holy  Spirit  for  grace,  to  enable  him  in  any  measure  to  peifortn  it. 
John  14:15 — 24.  15:9,  11.  Vet,  even  this  observance  of  the  holy  com¬ 
mandments  of  Christ,  in  imitation  of  his  example,  though  far  from  real 
perfection,  constitutes  a  degree  of  holiness  and  excellency,  of  which 
none  but  true  Christians  have  any  adequate  conception  ;  and  which,  if 
universal,  would  render  the  earth  in  no  small  degree  like  heaven  itself. 
Rev.  20:4— 6.— (3)  We  do  know,  <fcc.]  How  astonishing  is  it,  that  when 
apostles  so  clearly  speak  of  our  knowing  that  we  know  Christ,  and  mo 
in  Him,  and  in  a  state  nf  acceptance  and  peace  with  God  ;  and  when 
they  so  carefully  show,  in  what  way  this  may  be  known  ;  Christian  di¬ 
vines  should,  without  discrimination  or  hesitation,  speak  of  assurance 
in  terms  of  bitter  abhorrence.  ‘  The  demon  of  assurance.’  Hr.  Whita¬ 
ker. — As  if  the  word  and  the  thing  were  both  unscriptnral  and  anti- 
scriptural.  20 — 25.  Heb.  6:11,  12. — In  fact,  no  man,  who  duly  considers 
the  difference  between  eternal  happiness  and  eternal  misery;  who  is 
aware  of  his  danger  of  eternal  damnation,  and  who  recollects  that  he 
may  be  in  heaven  or  hell,  in  a  day  or  an  hour,  can  be  quiet,  without 
some  degree  of  assurance,  that  he  shall  go  to  everlasting  happiness,  not 
to  everlasting  misery.  Scott. 

(3.)  Know  Him.]  ‘  Whether  Christ,  or  God  the  Father,  be  meant  by 
Him,  here,  is  not  agreed  ;  generally  it  is  referred  to  Christ,  the  nearer 
antecedent ;  but  the  latter  is  supported  by  v.  5.  It  is  at  v.  6.  (ns  Carpzov 
observes)  that  Christ,  and  faith  in  Him,  is  spoken  of.’  Bloomf. 

(6.)  ‘Here  is  the  standard  of  Christian  character.  A  man  may  have 
his  frames,  and  talk  much  ahout  his  experiences,  and  yet  be  no  Christian. 
He  may  be  liberal  Hi  his  contribution*  ;  his  name  may  stand  in  capitals 
on  the  list  of  the  benefactors  of  his  country  or  the  church,  and  yet  he 
be  no  Christian.  But  the  man  who  follows  the  steps  of  Jesus,  whose 
character  is  modelled  after  his  image  [whose  will  is  identified  with 
his]  ;  who  leads  a  life  of  meekness,  patience,  self-denial,  toil,  benevo¬ 
lence,  and  prayer,  such  as  xvere  seen  in  the  life  of  Christ, — that  man, 
and  that  only,  Is  a  Christian.’  Rev.  L.  Bacox. 


A.  D.  90. 


1  JOHN,  If. 


The  lest  of  love  lo  God . 


7  Brethren,  I  write  no  new  com¬ 
mandment  unto  you,  but  an  old 
commandment,  which  ye  had  from 
the  beginning.  The  old  command¬ 
ment  is  the  word  which  ye  have 
heard  from  the  beginning. 

8  Again,  a  new  f commandment 
I  write  unto  you;  which  thing  is  true 
in  him  and  in  you,  because  the 
darkness  s  is  past,  and  the  true  light 
now  shineth. 

9  He  that  saith  he  is  in  the  light, 
a  id  hateth  his  brother,  is  in  dark¬ 
ness  h  even  until  now. 

10  He  thatloveth  his  brother  abi¬ 
ded!  in  the  light,  and  there  is  none 
‘  occasion  of  stumbling  in  him. 

1 1  But  he  that  hateth  his  brother, 
is  in  darkness,  and  walketh  On 
darkness,  and  knoweth  not  whither 
he  goeth,  because  that  darkness 
hath  blinded  his  eyes. 

[Practical  Observations.] 

12  I  write  unto  you,  little  chil¬ 
dren,  because  your  sins  are  forgiven 
you  for  his  name’s  ksake. 

f  Jn.  13:34.  \  scandal.  kPs.  25:11. 

e,  It  >  IS:  1-2.  j  Pr.  4:15.  Lit.  24:47. 

I:  i  Pe.  1:8.  Jn.  12:35.  .  Ac.  10:43. 

V.  7 — 11.  This  v.  7.  may  be  supposed 
either  to  look  backward  to  what  immedi¬ 
ately  preceded  ;  or  forward  to  that  law  of 
fraternal  love  the  apostle  is  now  going  to 
recommend;  this  is  the  message  heard  from 
the  beginning,  ch.  3:  11.  and  the  old  com- 
m  indment,  2  John,  5.  he  is  ready  to  give  an 
instance  of  it  himself  in  his  affectionate  ap¬ 
pellation,  Brethren  j  and  so  the  precept  of 
fraternal  love  is  recommended. 

1.  An  old  one,  v.  7.  The  precept  of  love 
must  be  as  old  as  human  nature;  in  the 
state  of  innocence,  had  human  nature  then 
been  propagated,  men  must  have  loved  one 
another,  as  being  of  one  blood,  made  to 
dwell  on  the  earth,  as  being  God’s  offspring, 
and  bearing  his  image.  In  the  state  of  sin 
and  promised  recovery,  they  must  love  one 
another,  as  related  to  God  their  Maker,  as 
related  to  each  other  by  blood,  and  as  part¬ 
ners  in  the  same  hope.  When  the  Hebrews 
were  peculiarly  incorporated,  they  must  ac¬ 


cordingly  love  each  other,  as  being  the  priv¬ 
ileged  people,  whose  were  the  covenants  and 
the  adoption,  and  of  whose  race  the  Messiah 
and  Head  of  the  church  must  spring  ;  and 
the  law  of  love  must  be  conveyed  with  new 
obligations  to  the  new  Israel  of  God,  to  the 
gospel-church  ;  and  so  it  is  the  old  com¬ 
mandment,  or  the  Word  which  the  children 
of  the  gospel-Israel  have  heard  from  the  be¬ 
ginning,  v.  7. 

2.  As  a  new  one,  v.  8.  Again,  to  con-  ! 
strain  you  to  this  duty  the  more,  a  new  com-  1 
mandment  I  write  unto  you,  the  law  of  the 
new  society,  the  Christian  corporation, 
which  thing  is  true  in  Him  ;  the  matter  of 
which  was  first  true  in  and  concerning  the 
Head  of  it  ;  He  loved  the  church,  and  gave 
Himself  for  it :  and  it  is  true  in  you  ;  this 
law  is,  in  some  measure,  written  on  your 
hearts  ;  ye  are  taught  of  God  to  love  one 
another,  and  that  because,  (or  since,  or  for¬ 
asmuch  as)  ‘  the  darkness  is  past,  the  dark¬ 
ness  of  your  prejudiced,  unconverted  (wheth¬ 
er  Jewish  or  Gentile)  minds;  your  deplorable 
ignorance  of  God  and  of  his  Christ  is  now 
past,  and  the  true  light  now  shineth;  the  light 
of  evangelical  revelation  hath  shone  with 
life  and  efficacy  into  your  hearts;  hence  you 
have  seen  the  excellency  of  Christian  love, 
and  the  fundamental  obligation  thereto.’ 

Here,  v.  9 — 11.  is  another  trial  of  our  [ 
Christian  light  ;  before,  it  was  to  be  ap¬ 
proved  by  obedience  to  God;  here  by  Chris¬ 
tian  love  :  1.  He  who  has  not  such  love, 
in  vain  pretends  his  light,  v.  9.  There  are 
often  those  who  assume  to  themselves  more 
than  is  true  ;  who  say,  Divine  Revelation 
has  made  its  impression  on  their  minds  and 
spirits,  and  yet  they  walk  in  hatred  and  en¬ 
mity  ;  these  cannot  be  swayed  by  the  sense 
of  the  love  of  Christ,  and  therefore  remain 
in  their  dark  state,  notwithstanding  their 
pretended  conversion.  2.  He  who  is  man¬ 
aged  by  such  love,  approves  his  light  to  be 
good  and  genuine,  v.  10.  He  sees  the  rea¬ 
sonableness  of  Christian  love  ;  and  there 
will  be  no  occasion  of  stumbling  in  him  ;  he 
will  be  no  scandal,  no  stumbling-block  to  his 
brother.  Christian  love  leaches  us  highly  to 
value  our  brother’s  soul,  and  dread  every- 
thing  that  will  be  injurious  to  his  innocence 
and  peace.  3.  Hatred  is  a  sign  of  spir¬ 
itual  darkness,  v.  11.  Spiritual  light  is  in¬ 
stilled  by  the  Spirit  of  grace,  and  one  of  I 
the  first-fruits  of  that  Spirit  is  love;  he  who  is 
possessed  with  malignity,  must  needs  be 


destitute  of  spiritual  light;  consequently, he 
walks  in  darkness,  his  life  is  agreeable  to  a 
dark  mind  and  conscience,  and  he  knows  not 
whither  he  goes  ;  sees  not  whither  this  dark 
spirit  carries  him,  and  particularly  that  it 
will  carry  him  to  the  world  of  outer  dark¬ 
ness,  because  darkness  hath  blinded  his  eyes, 
v.  11.  Here  observe  how-  effectually  out- 
apostle  is  now  cured  of  his  once  hot  and 
flaming  spirit,  calling  for  fire  from  heaven 
on  poor  ignorant  Samaritans,  Luke  9  :  54. 
Now,  having  imbibed  the  spirit  of  Christ, 
he  breathes  out  good-w-ill  to  man,  and  love 
to  all  the  brethren.  The  Lord  Jesus  is  the 
great  Master  of  love  :  his  disciples  are  the 
disciples  of  love,  his  family  the  family  of 
love. 

V.  12 — 17.  This  new  command  of  holy 
love,  with  the  incentives  thereto,  may  pos¬ 
sibly  be  directed  to  the  several  ranks  of  dis¬ 
ciples  here  accosted;  or,  there  being  an  im¬ 
portant  dissuasion  to  follow,  the  apostle  may 
justly  seem  to  preface  it  with  a  solemn  ad¬ 
dress  to  the  several  forms  or  orders  in  the 
school  of  Christ  ;  let  all  in  the  Christian 
institution  know,  that  they  must  not  love  this 
world;  and  so, 

1.  We  hate  the  address  itself  made  lo  the 
various  forms  and  ranks  in  the  church  of 
Christ.  All  Christians  are  not  of  the  same 
standing  and  stature;  but  there  are  precepts 
and  a  correspondent  obedience  common  lo 
them  all,  as  particularly  mutual  love  and 
contempt  of  the  world.  The  apostle  ad¬ 
dresses, 

(1.)  The  lowest  in  the  Christian  school, 
little  children ,  v.  12.  These  he  may  seem  to 
encourage  by  applying  to  them  first  ;  and  it 
may  he  useful  to  the  greater  proficients  to 
hear  what  is  said  to  their  juniors ;  elements 
are  to  be  repeated  ;  first  principles  are  the 
foundation  of  all.  He  addresses  the  children 
in  Christianity,  on  two  accounts  :  Because 
their  sins  were  forgiven  them  for  his  name’s 
sake,  v.  12.  either  God’s  name’s  sake,  for 
the  praise  of  his  glory,  his  glorious  perfec¬ 
tions  displayed  in  forgiveness ;  or  fur  Christ’s 
name  sake,  upon  account  of  the  redemption 
that  is  in  Him  ;  and  they  that  are  forgiven 
of  God,  are  strongly  obliged  to  relinquish 
this  world  which  so  interferes  with  the.  love, 
of  God.  Decause  of  their  knowledge  of 
God  ;  I  write,  unto  you,  little  children,  because 
ye  have  known  the  Father,  v.  13.  Children 
in  Christianity  must  and  do  know  God, 
Heb.  8:11.  Children  in  Christ  should  know 


TRACT.  OBS.  V.  1 — 11.  The  Gospel,  when  well  understood  and  duly 
received,  sets  the  heart  against  all  sin,  and  effectually  prevents  the  al¬ 
lowed  practice  of  it,  at  the  same  time  that  it  gives  the  most  blessed  re¬ 
lief  to  the  wounded  consciences  of  those  who  have  sinned,  by  the  hope 
of  pardon,  through  our  1  Advocate  with  the  Father,  Jesus  Christ  the 
righteous,’  and  his  all-sufficient  propitiation.  Thus  the  divine  original 
of  the  Scriptures  is  evinced,  by  the  complete  suitableness  of  the' reme¬ 
dy,  proposed  in  them,  to  the  actual  state  of  men  in  this  evil  world  ; 
while  all  other  schemes  are  founded  on  false  principles,  and,  therefore, 
are  totally  inapplicable  to  the  case,  and  cannot  effectually  bring  peace  to 
the  conscience,  and  lead  the  heart  to  abhor  all  iniquity. — While  we  seek 
for  grace,  to  make  a  holy  use  of  the  intercession  and  atonement  of  our 
heavenlv  Advocate,  and  encourage  our  feilow-Christians  to  do  the  same  ; 
we  should  remember,  that  1  He  is  the  propitiation,  not  for  our  sins  only, 
but  for  those  of  the  whole  world,’  and,  therefore,  if  any  sinner,  in  any 
part  of  the  earth,  be  willing  to  accept  of  this  salvation,  he  will  surely  be 
made  partaker  of  it;  and  we  should  desire  and  endeavor,  by  all  the 
scriptural  means  in  our  power,  to  be  the  instruments  of  bringing  others 

V.  7 — 11.  In  exhorting  Christians  to  obey  and  imitate  their  Lord,  as 
the  proper  evidence  of  their  love  lo  Him,  and  to  the  Father  who  sent 
Him,  the  apostle  ‘  wrote  no  new  command  ’  to  them;  but  that  which 
they  had  received  from  the  beginning,  and  which,  from  the  first,  had 
been  repeatedly  enforced  by  Christ  Himself.  Nay,  in  fact,  it  had  been 
virtually  in  force  from  the  beginning  of  the  world  ;  as  it  could  not  com¬ 
prise  more  than  was  contained  in  the  law,  which  required  Israel  ‘  to  love 
the  l.onD  with  all  their  hearts,’  and  1  their  neighbor  as  themselves,’  and 
to  1  be  holy  as  God  was  holy.’  (Notes,  3:11 — 24.  Ex.  20:1 — 17.  Lev.  19: 
18.  Deut.  6:5.  2  John  5,  6.)  Yet  this  old  commandment,  especially  that 
precept  which  inculcated  ‘  the  love  of  their  brethren,’  might  be  called 
‘  a  new  commandment,’  as  given  to  Christians.  (Notes,  John  13:31 — 
35.  15:12 — 16.)  This  was  true,  in  respect  of  Him,  their  Lord  and  Sav¬ 
ior,  in  that  He  had  newly  shown  them  the  immensity  of  his  condescen¬ 
sion,  compassion,  and  self-denying  love  to  sinners;  and  had  laid  them 
under  new  obligations  to  obey  and  imitate  Him,  especially  in  Moving 
one  another,  as  He  had  loved  them.’  The  command  likewise  was  now 
enforced  by  his  mediatorial  authority,  to  the  full  exercise  of  which  He 
had  been  lately  exalted.  It  was  also  1  true  in  them  ;  ’  as  their  situation 
was  new,  and  differed  widely  from  that  of  the  Gentiles  around  them,  and 


to  share  with  us  in  so  precious  a  benefit ;  and  of  sending  the  Gospel  to 
all  nations.  —  But  we  should  carefully  guard  against  every  sentiment, 
which  tends  to  pervert  the  abundant  provision  of  the  Gospei,  for  the  for¬ 
giveness  of  our  sins,  into  an  encouragement  to  disobedience. — Christian¬ 
ity,  instead  of  rendering  ‘  the  love  of  God  ’  and  men,  and  good  works, 
superfluous  and  unnecessary,  furnishes  us  with  new  motives,  and  lays 
us  under  further  obligations  to  abound  in  them  ;  and  it  gives  us  new  di¬ 
rections  concerning  the  love  of  our  neighbors,  by  requiring  love  to  our 
brethren  for  Christ’s  sake,  and  to  our  enemies  after  the  example  of  his 
love  to  us.  The  degree  of  our  holy  love  is  the  proper  criterion  and  stan¬ 
dard  of  our  illumination,  as  well  as  the  best  preservative  from  sin.  and 
the  most  active  principle  of  obedience.  He  who  Moveth  his  brother’ 
most  fervently,  with  a  pure  heart,  abides  in  the  clearest  light,  and  will 
be  best  kept  from  stumbling,  or  from  occasioning  the  falls  of  others  ;  not 
he,  who  is  of  a  violent,  selfish,  and  malicious  temper,  however  he  may 
boast  of  His  knowledge.  These  things  demand  onr  closest  attention, 
and  most  serious  self-examination ;  and  should  lead  us  earnestly  to  pray, 
that  God  would  show  us  what  we  are,  and  whither  we  are  going.  Sc. 

even  from  that  of  the  people  of  God  under  the  Mosaic  dispensation  :  and 
as  they  were  now  united  by  a  new  bond  of  union,  as  fellow-soldiers,  fel¬ 
low-travellers,  brethren,  and  co-heirs  of  heavenly  felicity.  (Notes,  1 
Cor.  12:12 — 26.  Eph.  4:1 — 6.)  So  that  the  love  of  Christians  to  each 
other,  as  such,  though  virtually  comprised  in  the  love  of  their  neighbors 
as  themselves,’ and  in  some  things  like  that  of  the  Israelites  to  each  oth¬ 
er,  was  nc.iv  in  respect  of  its  exercise,  motives,  rules,  and  obligations. 
This  arose  from  the  change  which  had  taken  place ;  as  the  comparative 
‘darkness’  of  the  preparatory  dispensation  was  past,  and  the  ‘true 
light  ’  shone  in  full  splendor:  (Note,  2  Tim.  1:10.)  so  that  Christiana 
might  be  expected  to  be  more  exact  in  their  obedience,  and  more  full  of 
love  to  one  another,  and  to  all  men,  than  even  believers  had  been,  under 
the  darker  dispensation  of  the  law.  Scott. 

V.  12—14.  The  apostle  had  before  addressed  Christians  in  general,  as 
‘  his  little  children,’  or,  his  dear  children  ;  but  here  he  spoke  of  such  ns 
were  young  in  years,  or  newly  converted,  and  distinguished  them  from 
those  who  were  further  advanced  in  the  life  of  faith  and  grace.  It  does 
not  appear  that  the  clause,  ‘have  known  Him  that  is  from  the  begin¬ 
ning,’  has  any  reference  to  the  personal  knowledge  of  Christ  as  Man  ; 
but  is  used  as  the  other  clause,  ‘have  known  the  Father,’  of  knowing 


A.  D.  90. 


1  JOHN,  II. 


Address  to  all  Christians. 


13  I  write  unto  you,  fathers,  be¬ 
cause  ye  have  known  him  1  that  is 
from  the  beginning.  I  write  unto 
you,  young  men,  because  ye  have 
overcome  the  wicked  one.  I  write 
unto  you,  little  children,  because 
ye  have  known  the  m  Father. 

14  1  have  written  unto  you,  fa¬ 
thers,  because  ye  have  known  him 
that  is  from  the  beginning.  I  have 
written  unto  you,  young  men,  be¬ 
cause  ye  are  "strong,  and  the  word 
of  God  abideth  °in  you,  and  ye  have 
overcome  p  the  wicked  one. 

15  Love  i  not  the  world,  neither 
the  things  that  are  in  the  world.  If 


r  any  man  love  the  world,  the  love 
of  the  F ather  is  not  in  him. 

1G  For  all  that  is  in  the  world, 
the  lust  of  the  •  flesh,  and  the  lust 
of  the  'eyes,  and  the  pride  “of  life, 
is  not  of  the  Father,  but  is  of  the 
world. 

17  And  v  the  world  passeth  away, 
and  the  lust  thereof :  but  he  that 


1  c.  1:1. 
m  Jn.  14:7,9. 
n  Ep.  6:10. 
o  Jn.  15:7. 
p  Re.  2:7,  &c. 


q  Ro.  12:2.  t  Ps>.  119:37. 

r  Mat.  6:24.  u  Ps.  73:6. 

Ga.l-.10.  Ja.4:4.  v  Ps.  39:6. 

s  2  Pe.  2:10.  1  Co.  7:31. 


that  God  is  their  Father;  they  that  know  the 
Father,  may  well  lie  withdrawn  from  the 
lave  of  this  world.  Then  the  apostle  pro¬ 
ceeds, 

(2.)  To  those  of  the  highest  station  and 
stature  ;  seniors  in  Christianity,  fathers, 


v.  13,  14.  Acts  21:  16.  They  that  are  of 
longest  standing  in  Christ’s  school,  need 
further  advice  and  instruction;  none  are  too 
old  to  learn  ;  he  writes  to  them  on  the  ac¬ 
count  of  their  knowledge,  v.  13,  14.  Old 
men  have  knowledge  and  experience,  anil 
expect  deference.  The  apostle  is  ready  to 
own  the  knowledge  of  old  Christians,  and 
to  congratulate  them  thereupon.  They  know 
the  Lord  Christ,  particularly  Him  that  was 
from  the  beginning,  ch.  1  :  1.  They  who 
know  Him  that  was  from  the  beginning, 
before  this  world  was  made,  may  well  be 
induced  thereby  to  relinquish  this  world. 
Then, 

(3.)  To  the  middle  age  of  Christians, 
those  in  their  bloom  and  flower,  young  men, 
v.  13, 14.  These  are  those  that  are  arrived 
at  the  strength  of  spirit  and  sound  sense,  and 
can  discern  between  good  and  evil.  The 
apostle  applies  to  them  on  account  of  their 
exploits,  v.  13.  their  strength,  discovered  in 
their  achievement,  and  their  acquaintance 
with  the  Word  of  God,  v.  14.  It  will  be 
the  glory  of  youthful  persons  to  be  strong  in 
Christ  and  in  his  grace  ;  and  let  vigorous 
Christians  show  their  strength  in  conquering 
the  world.  And  the.  Word  of  God  abideth  in 
you,  v.  14.  The  Word  of  God  must  abide  in 
the  adult  disciples  ;  and  they,  in  whom  the 
Word  of  God  dwells,  are  well  furnished  for 
the  conquest  of  the  world. 

2.  We  have  the  dissuasion  thus  prefaced 
and  introduced  ;  a  caution  fundamental  to 
vital,  practical  religion,  v.  15.  The  several 
degrees  of  Christians  should  unite  in  being 
dead  to  the  world ;  were  they  thus  united, 
they  would  soon  unite  on  other  accounts  ; 
their  love  should  be  reserved  for  God ;  ‘throw 
it  not  away  on  the  world.’  Here  we  see  the 


reasons  of  this  dissuasion  and  caution;  they 
are  several,  and  the  first  is  taken  from  the  in¬ 
consistency  of  this  love  of  the  world  with  the 
love  of  God,  v.  15.  The  world  drat  s  down 
the  heart  from  God  ;  and  so  the  more  the  lore 
of  the  world  prevails,  the  more  the  love  of  God 
dwindles  and  decays.  The  second  is  taken 
from  the  prohibition  of  worldly  love  or  lust, 
t;.  16.  this  love  or  lust  is  not  appointed  ofGod, 
but  the  world  is  a  usurper  of  our  affection. 
Now  here  we  have  the  due  consideration  and 
notion  of  the  world,  according  to  which  it  is 
to  be  crucified  and  renounced.  (1.)  There 
is  the  lust  of  the  flesh  ;  the  flesh,  here,  being 
distinguished  from  the  eyes  and  the  life,  im¬ 
ports  the  body  ;  the  lust  of  the  flesh  is,  sub¬ 
jectively,  the  humor  and  appetite  of  indulg¬ 
ing  fleshly  pleasures  ;  and  objectively,  all 
those  things  that  excite  and  inflame  the 
pleasures  of  the  flesh  ;  this  lust  is  usually 
called  luxury.  (2.)  There  is  the  lust  of  the. 
eyes  ;  the  eyes  are  delighted  with  treasures, 
riches,  and  rich  possessions  ;  this  is  the  lust 
of  covetousness.  (3.)  There  is  the  pride  of 
life;  a  vain  mind  craves  all  the  grandeur, 
equipage,  and  pomp  of  a  vainglorious  life  ; 
this  is  ambition,  and  thirst  after  honor  and 
applause;  this  is,  in  part,  the  disease  of  the 
ear  ;  it  must  be  flattered  with  admiration 
and  praise.  The  objects  of  these  appetites 
must  be  abandoned  and  renounced;  as  they 
engage  and  engross  the  affection  and  desire, 
they  arc  not  of  the  Father,  but  of  the  world, 
v.  16.  The  Father  disallows  them,  and  the 
world  should  keep  them  to  itself.  The  third 
reason  is  taken  from  the  vain  and  vanishing 
state  of  earthly  things  and  the  enjoyment  of 
them,  v.  17.  The  things  of  the  world  are 
fading  and  dying  apace,  and  desire  itself 
will  ere,  long  fail  and  cease,  Eccl.  12:5. 


Him  by  faith  and  experience.  For,  on  the  earliest  date  assigned  to  the 
epistle,  only  a  few  aged  Christians,  and  those  principally  the  inhabitants 
of  Galilee  and  Judea,  could  have  personally  known  Jesus  Christ ;  yet 
the  apostle  speaks  of  all  the  aged  Christians  whom  he  addressed,  with¬ 
out  any  limitation.  (13)  Little  children .]  18.  Mai.  18:2.  John  21:5. 

The  word  is  changed,  but  the  meaning  seems  the  same.  Scott. 

12 — 14.)  Bloomf.  thinks  there  is  ‘hardly  anything  to  countenance 
the  notion  of  a  distribution  of  Christians  into  the  different  degrees  of 
spiritual  progress  ’  being  meant  here  ;  and  Maekn.  thinks,  that  the  per¬ 
sons  written  to  under  the  denomination  of  fathers,  were  ‘of  the  num¬ 
ber  of  eyewitnesses.’ — What  some,  as  Doddr.,  regards  as  tautology  in 
the  addresses,  fathers.  little  children,  and  young  men,  Bloomf.  takes 
in  the  light  rather  of  intensive  repetitions.  The  little  children  in  v. 
12.  he  considers,  after  Beza  and  Wolf,  ‘  a  general  address,  comprising  all 
Christians,  as  at  v.  1.  and  frequently  elsewhere  in  John.’  Ed. 

(13.)  ‘The  words,  because  ye  have  known  Him  from  the  beginning, 
are  very  remarkable:  for  the  best  commentators  are  agreed,  that  the 
expression  cannot  mean  God,  but  Jesus  Christ,  (since,  as  Ros.  observes, 
He.  is  in  this  portion  plainly  distinguished  from  Him,)  and  denotes  his 
eternal  being  with  God  the  Father.  Ros.  aptly  compares  John  1:1. 
The  application  is  obvious:  that  they  will  not  prefer  to  this  eternal 
Being  things  temporal  and  speedily  to  perish,  v.  17.’  Bloomf. 

(14.)  ‘  Would  to  God  I  could  make  young  Christians  know  what  re¬ 
sults  are  depending  on  them  ;  what  interests  of  the  church  and  of  a  dy¬ 
ing  world  are  involved  in  their  future  character  and  efforts.  When  I 
look  on  the  young  Christians  of  this  age,  and  reflect  that  they  are  soon 
to  sustain  the  ancient  glories  of  the  church  of  God, — when  1  look 
abroad  on  the  earth,  and  see  the  crisis  that  is  at  hand, — when  I  listen  to 
the  cries  that  come  from  every  quarter  of  the  world,  summoning  the 
people  of  God  to  new  efforts  and  more  splendid  exhibitions  of  piety  ; — 
I  seem  to  see  the  hoary  generations  that  are  past,  rising  up  from  their 
repose  to  watch  over  the  progress  of  the  young  followers  of  Christ ;  I 
seem  to  hear  the  voices  of  the  blest  spirits  from  nbove,  cheering  them 
on  in  the  career  of  piety  ; — I  seem  to  see  a  world  in  misery,  turning  its 
imploring  hands  to  them,  and  beseeching  them  to  be  worthy  of  their 
name,  their  privilege,  and  their  destiny  I  seem  to  hear,  I  do  hear 
God  Himself  speaking  front  the  heavens,  Te  have  chosen  the  better 
part,  be  faithful  unto  death,  and  l  will  give  you  a  crown  of  life."  ’ 

Rev.  L.  Bacon. 

(14,  15.)  Young  men  ..  .love  not  the  wortd.~\  ‘If,  before  men  under¬ 
take  their  plans  and  enterprises,  they  would  submit  them,  with  the 
calmness  and  seriousness  of  pure  devotion,  for  the  approbation  of  Him 
on  whom  they  depend  lor  success,  how  many  of  them  would  they  re¬ 
linquish,  and  with  what  moderation  would  they  pursue  the  rest  !  Seest 
thou  a  man  hurrying,  scrambling,  and  scurfling  for  the  pelf  or  the  praise 
of  the  world  ?  Assuredly,  thou  seest  a  prayerless  soul.  A  praying  man 
knows  too  much  concerning  the  true  riches,  and  the  honor  which  come 
from  God,  to  discover  such  miserable  infatuation  for  the  things  of  an 
hour.  Riches  cannot  exalt  nor  poverty  depress  him.  He  dwelleth  in 
the  secret  place  of  the  Most  High,  abiding  under  the  shadow  of  the  Al¬ 
mighty,— fearing  neither  the  terror  by  night,  nor  the  arrow  that  flieth 
by  day.’  Rev.  Dr.  Skinner. 

V.  15 — 17.  The  world,  as  God  created  it,  is  very  good,  and  a  proper 
object  of  a  measure  of  love,  as  his  work  and  for  his  sake ;  but  as  sin  has 
marred  it,  our  affections  ought  to  be  wholly  alienated  from  it.  The  men 
of  the  world,  as  distinguished  from  believers,  are  enemies  of  God  and 
subjects  of  Satan;  we  are,  therefore,  required  to  renounce  their  friend¬ 
ship.  to  avoid  intimate  society  with  them,  and  to  abhor  their  ungodly 

[632] 


principles  and  practices,  xvhilewe  pity  their  miseries,  love  their  persons, 
and  try  to  do  them  good.  Jam.  4:4 — 6.  The  things  of  the  world  may 
be  desired,  possessed,  and  valued,  for  those  uses  and  purposes,  which 
were  intended  by  God  when  He  created  them,  and  in  subordination  to 
his  favor,  authority,  and  glory;  hut  for  those  purposes  to  which  sin  has 
perverted  them,  and  sinners  idolize  them,  we  must  not  desire,  seek,  or 
value  them,  in  any  measure  or  manner;  and  if  any  man  thus  ‘  love  the 
world,  the  love  of  the  Father  is  not  in  him  ;’  li is  idol  lias  never  been 
dethroned,  his  heart  remains  unchanged,  he  is  not  reconciled  to  God 
through  Jesus  Christ,  and  has  no  true,  filial  love  of  Him  in  his  heart. 
Mat.  6:24.  Luke  14:25 — 33.  Gal.  1:3 — 5.  6:11 — 14.  For  a  poor,  vain¬ 
glorious  worm  to  be  advanced  to  such  dominion  over  his  fellows,  or  to 
possess  such  honor  among  them,  ns  to  be  tempted  to  forget  his  own  mor¬ 
tality,  as  well  as  his  Creator  and  Judge,  and  to  be  so  surrounded  with 
vassals,  attendants,  and  flatterers,  or  so  emblazoned  with  high-sounding 
titles,  and  encumbered  with  magnificence,  as  to  have  nothing  on  earth 
which  he  can  behold  above  him,  or  equal  to  him,  and  thus  to  disregard 
Him  that  is  ‘  higher  than  the  highest ;’  this  is  the  perfection  of  the  ‘  pride 
of  life.’  And  all  pre-eminence  and  distinction  above  others  partakes  of 
the  same  nature,  whether  power,  splendor,  or  renown,  on  any  account, 
be  the  immediate  source  of  it.  ...All  these  things,  (to  which  every 
earthly  object,  which  any  man  is'temptcd  to  put  in  competition  with 
the  will,  favor,  and  glory  of  God,  must  be  referred,)  are  ‘  not  of  the  Fa¬ 
ther;’  this  idolatrous  desire  of  created  things  did  not  attach  to  them,  or 
to  man,  as  God  made  them  and  Him  ;  they  do  not  consist  with  his  pre¬ 
scribed  use  of  them  ;  they  are  not  bestovved  for  these  purposes  ;  nor  do 
the  men,  who  are  his  children  and  influenced  by  his  grace,  desire,  seek, 
or  use  them  in  this  manner.  But  ‘  they  are  of  the  world,’  as  <  lying  un¬ 
der  the  wicked  one;’  these  desires  after  created  tilings,  and  this  use  of 
them,  are  the  effects  of  man’s  apostasy  and  subjection  to  Satan;  they 
are  thus  made  the  baits,  by  which  men  are  seduced  into  sin,  and  kept  in 
rehellion  against  God,  and  the  incentives  to  all  their  vile  passions.  (Note, 
and  P.  O.  Mat.  4:S — 11.)  They  suit  the  taste,  and  form  the  supreme 
good  of  worldly  men,  and  are  their  only  portion;  and  for  the  sake  of 
them  the  whole  earth  is  filled  with  violence,  fraud,  crimes,  and  misery. 
(Notes,  Ex.  20:3.  Rom.  8:5 — 3. — It  is  evident  the  apostle  did  not  speak 
of  the  lawful,  moderate,  subordinate,  and  boh  use,  possession,  or  desire 
of  God’s  good  creatures,  for  the  ends  to  which  He  has  appointed  them  ; 
but  of  the  unlawftil,  inordinate,  unholy,  and  idolatrous  hankering  after 
them,  and  valuation  of  them,  to  which  in  one  form  or  other  nil  men  are 
totally  addicted,  so  long  as  they  remain  in  an  unregenerate  state. — Ma¬ 
ny  vain  efforts  have  been  made,  by  limitations,  distinctions,  and  excep¬ 
tions,  to  evade  the  force  of  this  passage;  and  some  have  written  on  it, 
as  if  they  meant  to  show,  how  far  we  might  safely  be  carnally  minded, 
‘  and  lovers  of  the  world ;’  hut,  in  the  apostle’s  evident  meaning,  we  are 
no  more  allowed  to  love  the  world  at  all,  than  we  are  to  worship  Da- 
gon  ;  for  we  cannot  ‘  serve  God  and  Mammon  ;’  or  love  the  Lord,  and 
‘  the  lust  of  the  flesh,  the  lust  of  the  eye,  and  the  pride  of  life.’  A  man 
may  carry  on  any  business,  fill  any  station,  or  possess  any  wealth,  as  the 
servant  and  steward  of  God,  according  to  his  commandments,  for  his 
glory,  and  for  the  good  of  mankind  ;  and  he  may  desire  food  and  rai¬ 
ment,  and  things  suitable  to  his  rank  in  life,  and  use  them  with  thank¬ 
fulness,  temperance,  and  humility;  but  he  cannot  love  or  desire 
them,  to  gratify  his  sensuality,  pride,  avarice,  or  ambition,  or  seek 
his  happiness  in  them,  without  being  an  idolater.  Every  regenerate 
man  is  delivered  from  the  dominion  and  allowed  indulgence  of  ‘  the 
love  of  the  world,’  and  strives  and  prays  against  the  remains  of  it,  as 
it  rises  in  bis  heart,  or  breaks  Forth  into  his  life  ;  he  desires  to  love 


1  JOHN,  II. 


A.  D.  90. 


Warning  against  seducers. 


(loeth  the  will  of  God  abideth  for 
ever. 

18  Little  children,  it  is  the  last 
w  time:  and  as  ye  have  heard  x  that 
antichrist  shall  come,  even  now  are 
there  many  antichrists;  whereby  we 
know  that  it  is  the  last  time. 

19  They  went  out  from  us,  but 
they  were  not  of  us;  for  *  if  they  had 
been  of  us,  they  would  no  doubt 
have  continued  with  us  :  but  they 
went  out,  that  they  might  be  made 
manifest  “that  they  were  not  all  of 
us. 

20  But  ye  have  an  unction  “from 
the  Holy  One,  and  ye  know  b  all 
things. 

wile.  1:2.  y  2  Ti.  2:19.  a  2  Co.  1:21. 

X  Met.  24:24.  i  2  Ti.  3:9.  b  1  Co.  2:15. 

•  l  Ti.  4:1. 


The  fourth  reason  is  taken  from  the  immor¬ 
tality  of  the  divine  lover,  the  lover  of  God; 
But  he  that  doeth  the  will  of  God,  which 
must, be  the  character  of  the  lover  of  God, 
in  opposition  to  this  lover  of  the  world, 
abideth  for  ever,  v.  17.  The  Object  of  his 
love,  in  opposition  to  the  world  that  passeth 
away,  abideth  for  ever  ;  his  sacred  passion 
or  affection,  in  opposition  to  the  lust  that 
passeth  away,  abideth  for  ever  ;  love  shall 
never  fail  ;  and  he  himself  is  an  heir  of 
immortality  and  endless  life,  and  shall  in 
time  be  translated  thither.  From  the  whole 
of  these  verses  we  should  observe,  the  puri¬ 
ty  and  spirituality  of  the  apostolical  doc¬ 
trine  ;  the  animal  life  must  be  subjected  to 
the  divine  ;  the  body,  with  its  affections, 
should  be  subjugated  to  the  soul  ;  the  soul 


should  be  swayed  by  religion,  or  the  victori¬ 
ous  love  of  God. 

V.  18,  19.  Here  is,  1.  A  moral  prognos¬ 
tication  of  the  lime  ;  the  end  is  coming, 
i>.  18.  Some  may  suppose  the  apostle  here 
addresses  the  first  rank  of  Christians  again; 
the  juniors  are  most  apt  to  be  seduced.  But 
it  may  be,  as  elsewhere,  a  universal  appel¬ 
lation,  introductive  of  an  alarm  to  all  Chris¬ 
tians  ;  It  is  the  last  time  ;  our  Jewish  polity 
is  hastening  to  :m  end;  Daniel’s  weeks  are 
now  expiring,  Dan.  9:  26.  It  is  meet  dis¬ 
ciples  should  be  warned  of  the  haste  and 
end  of  time,  and  apprised  as  much  as  may 
lie  of  the  prophetic  periods  of  time. 

2.  The  sign  of  this  last  lime,  v.  18.  many 
oppose  the  Person,  doctrine,  and  kingdom 
of  Christ.  It  is  mysterious  that  antichrists 
should  be  permitted  ;  but  disciples  should 
be  informed  of  them  ;  ministers  should  be 
watchmen  to  the  house  of  Israel:  and  it  should 
be  no  great  offence  or  prejudice,  that  there 
are  such  antichrists  :  (1.')  One  great  one 
has  been  foretold,  v.  18.  The  generality 
of  the  church  have  been  informed  by  divine 
revelation,  that  there  must  be  a  long  and 
fatal  adversary  to  Christ  and  his  church, 
2  Thess.  2:8 — If).  No  wonder  then  there 
are  many  harbingers  and  forerunners  ;  even 
now  there  are  many;  the  mystery  of  iniquity 
already  worketh.  (2.)  They  were  foretold, 
also,  as  the  sign  of  this  last  time,  Mat.  24: 
24.  And  these  were  the  forerunners  of  the 
dissolution  of  the  Jewish  state,  nation,  and 
religion,  whereby  we  know  it  is  the  last  time, 
v.  18.  Let  the  prediction  of  seducers  aris¬ 
ing  in  the  Christian  world,  fortify  us  against 
their  seduction. 

3.  Some  account  of  these  seducers  or 
antichrists,  (1.)  More  positively;  they  were 
once  professors  of  apostolical  doctrine,  v.  19. 


2  hey  went  out  from  our  company  and  com¬ 
munion  ;  possibly  from  the  church  of  Jeru¬ 
salem, jjr  some  of  the  churches  of  Judea,  as 
Acts  15:  1.  I  he  purest  churches  may  have 
their  apostates.  (2.)  More  privately ;  They 
were  not  inwardly  such  as  we  are;  they  were 
not  of  our  union  with  Christ  the  Head. 
Then  here  is,  [1.]  The  reason  on  which  it 
is  concluded  they  were  not  of  us,  and  that  is, 
their  actual  defection  ;  for  if  they  had  been 
of  us,  they  would,  no  doubt,  have  continued 
with  us,  v.  19.  They  that  apostatize,  suffi¬ 
ciently  indicate  that,  before,  they  were  hyp¬ 
ocrites.  [2-]  The  reason  why  they  are  per¬ 
mitted  thus  to  depart,  viz.  that  their  insin¬ 
cerity  may  be  detected  ;  they  went  out,  that 
they  may  be  made  manifest,  that  they  were  not 
all  of  us,  v.  19.  The  church  knows  not 
well  who  are  its  vital  members,  and  who  are 
not;  some  of  the  hypocritical  must  be  man¬ 
ifested  here,  and  that  for  their  own  shame 
and  benefit,  too,  in  their  reduction  to  the 
truth,  if  they  have  not  sinned  unto  death; 
and  for  the  terror  and  caution  of  others, 
2  Pet.  3:  17,  18. 

V.  20—27.  Here, 

1.  The  apostle  encourages  the  disciples 
to  whom  he  writes,  in  this  hour  of  seducers, 
with  the  assurance  of  their  stability  in  this 
day  of  apostasy,  v.  20.  VVe  see,  (1.)  The 
blessing  wherewith  they  were  enriched, — an 
unguent  from  Heaven  ;  Ye  have  an  unction. 
True  Christians  are  anointed  ones,  anointed 
with  gifts  and  spiritual  endowments,  by  the 
Spirit  of  grace,  into  a  similitude  of  their 
Lord’s  offices,  as  subordinate  prophets, 
priests,  and  kings,  unto  God.  The  Holy 
Spirit  is  compared  unto  oil,  as  well  as  to 
fire  or  water;  and  the  communication  of  his 
salvific  grace  is  our  anointing.  (2.)  From 
whom  this  blessing  comes, — from  the  Holy 


God  perfectly,  and  seek  all  his  happiness  from  Him  alone  ;  and  to  love 
all  other  things  in  Him,  for  his  sake,  and  as  his  bounty  ;  and  to  use  them 
in  submission  to  his  precepts  and  providence.  In  proportion  as  men  get 
this  victory  over  the  world,  the  reality  of  their  grace  is  evidenced,  and 
they  are  prepared  for  laboring  and  suffering  in  the  cause  of  Christ ;  but 
unless  it  is  begun  in  the  heart,  a  man  ‘has  no  root  in  himself,’  and  he 
will  either  fall  away  in  time  of  temptation,  or  remain  a  mere  unfruitful 
professor  of  Christianity.  5:4,5.  Mat.  13:18 — 23.  Rom.  12:2.— Of  life.] 
317.  Mark  12:44.  Luke  8:14.  15:12,  30.  21:4.  1  Tim.  2:2.  2  Tim.  2:4. 

1  Pet.  4:3.  The  means  or  style  of  living,  rather  than  file  itself,  is  sig¬ 
nified.  Notes,  Luke  16:19— 23.  Scott. 

(16.)  Tridc  of  life.]  ‘The  phrase  refers  to  that  ambitious  turn  of 
mind,  which  prompts  men  to  engage  in  all  those  pursuits  which  will 
supply  materials  for  their  vanity,  [and  self-esteem,]  and  enable  them  to 
make  a  figure  in  the  world.’  Doddr. 

(17.)  ‘How  often  has  the  remark  of  Cotton  Mather  been  verified  ; 
“  When  the  useful  man  comes  to  the  hour  of  his  departure,  then  he, 
who  lived  beloved,  shall  die  lamented.  It  shall  be  witnessed  and  re¬ 
membered  of  him  that  ‘he  was  one  who  did  good  in  Israel,’ — an  epi¬ 
taph,  the  glory  of  which  is  far  beyond  that  of  the  most  stately  pyramid. 
Then  the  calumniators,  who  once  endeavored  to  destroy  his  reputation, 
shall  have  nothing  to  reflect  upon,  but  the  impotence  of  their  own  de¬ 
feated  malice.”’  Mather.  —  ‘Ah!  this  is  a  changing  world.  Its  his¬ 
tory  indeed  is  hut  a  history  of  changes,  flat  amidst  these  scenes  of 
fluctuation  is  there  no  object,  in  heaven  or  earth,  that  is  unchanging  ? 
Yes  one  :  God  is  unchanging.  Here  is  stability.  “  His  hand  the  good 
man  fastens  on  the  skies,  And  bids  earth  roll,  —  nor  heeds  her  idle 
whirl.”  God  is  his  happiness,  therefore  his  happiness  is  certain  and 
everlasting.  What  though  earthly  comforts  are  transitory,  earthly  friends 
frail  and  changeable;  God  is  a  Friend,  sincere,  unfailing,  almighty.’ 

Rev.  Dr.  Porter. 

V.  18,  19.  The  love  of  the  world,  as  unsubdued  in  professed  Chris¬ 
tians,  gave  Satan  his  greatest  advantage,  not  only  in  tempting  them  to 
open  apostasy,  but  also  in  seducing  them  by  destructive  heresies  ; 
through  which  they  were  enabled  to  reconcile  a  quiet  conscience  with 
a  carnal  mind,  and  the  indulgence  of  their  favorite  passion,  under  the 
mask  of  a  religious  profession.  Mat.  7:15 — 20.  Acts  5:1 — 11.  8:13 — 24. 

2  Pet.  2  1 — 3.  So  that  the  transition  was  natural,  from  warning  Chris¬ 
tians  against  the  love  of  the  ‘  world,’  to  putting  them  on  their  guard 
against  false  teachers.  — Some  explain  ‘  the  last  time,’  to  mean  the  last 
age  of  the  Jewish  church ;  but,  probably,  that  hnd  been  subverted  some 
years,  when  John  wrote  this  epistle-  The  deceivers,  predicted  by  our 
Lord,  Mat.  24:23  —  25.  were  men  who  falsely  professed  to  be  the  prom¬ 
ised  Messiah,  or  to  point  Him  out  to  others  \  they  had  never  constituted 
a  part  of  the  Christian  church,  and  had  not,  therefore,  apostatized  ;  they 
were  ‘  false  Christs  ’  ana  ‘  false  apostles,’  not  antichrists.  —  Indeed,  it  is 
very  unreasonable  to  interpret  antichrist,  in  the  singular,  to  mean  the  same 
as  the  ‘  many  antichrists’  afterwards  mentioned  ;  and  then  to  confine  the 
whole,  either  to  the  Jewish  opposers  or  Judaizittg  corrupters  of  Christian¬ 
ity,  as  some  do,  or  to  the  Gnostics,  as  divided  into  different  sects,  as  others 
do.  1  Antichrist’  signifies,  one  that  opposes  Christ,  whether  he  oppose 
the  doctrine  of  his  Deity,  or  his  humanity  ;  or  whether  he  set  himself 
against  Him,  in  respect  of  his  priestly  ofiice,  by  substituting  other  meth¬ 
ods  of  atoning  for  sin,  and  finding  acceptance  with  God  ;  his  kingly  office, 
by  claiming  authority  to  enact  laws,  in  his  church,  contrary  to  his  laws,  or 
to  dispense  with  his  commandments ;  or  his  prophetical  office,  by  claim¬ 
ing  authority  to  add  to,  alter,  or  takeaway  from  the  revelation  which  He 

N.  T.  VOL.  V.  80 


has  given  in  his  holy  Word. — ‘They  oppose  the  Person  of  Christ,  or  this 
doctrine,  or  both  together.’  Beza.  In  this  view’,  there  were,  at  an  early 
period  of  the  church,  ‘  many  antichrists;’  and  the  heads  of  any  sect  of 
heretics  might  be,  in  a  subordinate  sense,  so  called,  but  the  direct  nnd 
avowed  opposers  of  Christianity  oould  not  be  meant  in  this  place.  ‘They 
went  not  out  from  them.’— The  term  is  used  in  this  epistle,  and  in  John’s 
second  epistle,  and  in  no  other  part  of  the  Scripture,  not  even  in  the 
Revelation  ;  so  that,  all  the  controversies  concerning  ‘Antichrist,’  as 
predicted  by  Daniel,  and  by  John  in  the  Revelation,  are  merely  disputes 
about  a  word,  and  do  not  at  all  pertain  to  the  main  subject.  Dan.  7:  8: 
11:  Rev.  13:  14.  The  ‘antichrists’  mentioned  in  these  verses,  evident¬ 
ly,  were  persons  who  had  already  appeared  ;  but  one  distinguished  anti¬ 
christ  was  yet  to  be  expected.  —  ‘  They  went  out  from  us,’  i.  e.  ‘they 
went  out  from  the  apostles  in  Judea.’  Whitby.  ‘  But  they  wrere  not  of 
us;’  this  must  mean,  that,  they  W’ere  not  of  us,  the  apostles.  It  does 
not,  however,  appear  that  they  even  professed  to  be  apostles  ;  nor  does 
it  appear,  that  they  had  previously  been  teachers  in  the  church.  And 
can  it  possibly  be  imagined,  that  all,  either  the  ‘false  Christs,’  or  ‘  the 
antichrists,’  spoken  of  by  our  Lord,  and  by  John,  had  been  personally 
joined  in  communion  with  the  apostles,  while  they  continued  in  Judea  ? 
— '19)  From  its.]  The  same  preposition  is  afterwards  rendered  ‘  of  us.’ 

They  belonged  to  us,  in  one  sense,  as  the  sufruitful  branches  to  the 
Vine,  but  not  in  another;  ‘  they  were  not  all  clean.’  Mat.  22:11 — 14. 
25:1 — 13.  Jo hn  13:6 — 11.  15:3 — 5.  But  they  professed  Christianity, nnd 
had  been  admitted  to  communion  with  true  Christians ;  yet  their  sub¬ 
sequent  apostasy  proved,  that,  like  Judas,  they  had  from  the  first  been 
hypocrites.  Mat.  7:21 — 23.  John  0:G6 — 71. — They  would ,  no  doubt, 
have  continued .]  They  had  indeed  continued.  The  words  do  not  readi¬ 
ly  admit  of  a  strictly  literal  translation.  No  doubt,  added  by  the  trans¬ 
lators,  show’s  how  they  understood  them.  Scott. 

(18.)  Last  time.]  ‘  Last  age  of  the  Jewish  church  and  commonwealth, 
because  then,  Christ  had  foretold,  many  false  Christs  would  arise.’  So 
some.  But  Doddr.  thinks,  from  comparing  other  scriptures,  the  ex¬ 
pression  seems  to  be  more  extensive.  —  Out  of  several  different  senses 
which  Rl.  gives  from  Ros.,  Bl.  prefers  the  general  one,  ‘  perilous  and 
evil  times.’ — Respecting  the  ‘antichrist,’  he  says,  ‘the  best  founded 
opinion  is  that  of  most  commentators,  that  it  means  “false  teachers,” 
and  that  the  term  issupposed  to  be  synonymous  with  the,Ae  that  opposeth 
and  cxalteth  himself,  &c.,  of  Paul,  2  Tltes.  2:4.’ — Doddr.  prefers  to  un¬ 
derstand  it  of  ‘  apostates,  who  had  once  professed  themselves  Chris¬ 
tians ;’  Whitby,  of  ‘  unbelieving  Jews  opposing  Christianity,’  and  Dr. 
A.  Clarke,  of*  any  person,  thing,  doctrine,  system  of  religion,  polity,  ic. 
which  is  opposed  to  Christ,  and  to  the  spirit  and  spread  of  his  Gospel.’ 

Ed. 

(19.)  ‘  It  is  W’ith  professors  of  religion,  especially  with  those  who  be¬ 

come  such  at  a  time  of  great  outpouring  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  as  it  is  with 
blossoms  in  the  spring;  there  are  vast  numbers  of  them  on  the  trees, 
all  which  look  fair  and  promising,  but  yet  very  many  of  them  come  to 
nothing.  Many  of  them  soon  wither  and  drop  off,  while  they  looked  as 
beautiful  and  smelled  ns  sweetly  as  those  that  remain.  We  must  judge 
not  by  the  beautiful  colors  and  the  beautitul  smell,  hut  by  the  matured 
fruit.'  Edwards. 

V.  20 — 25.  The  apostle  wrote  to  his  fellow-Christians,  to  caution, 
comfort,  nnd  establish  them,  though  his  observations  were  also  calculat¬ 
ed  to  put  all,  who  professcil  the  Gospel,  on  self-examination,  and  to  pre- 
serve  new  converts  from  self-deception.— Some  of  these  hcresiarchs  de¬ 
nied  the  Deity  of  Christ ;  others  explained  away  his  incarnation,  and  so 


A.  D.  90. 


1  JOHN,  TI. 


The  security  of  true  Christians. 


21  I  have  not  written  unto  you 
because  ye  know  not  the  truth,  but 
because  ye  know  it,  and  that  no  lie 
is  of  the  truth. 

22  Who  is  a  liar,  but  he  that  c  <!c- 
nieth  that  Jesus  is  the  Christ  ?  He 
is  antichrist,  that  denieth  the  Father 
and  the  Son. 

23  Whosoever  d denieth  the  Son, 
the  same  hath  not  the  Father:  [bill] 
he  that  acknowledgeth  the  Son,  hath, 
the  Father  also. 

24  Let  'that  therefore  abide  in 
you  which  ye  have  heard  from  the 
beginning.  If  that  which  ye  have 
heard  from  the  beginning  shall  re¬ 
main  in  you,  ye  also  shall  continue 
in  the  Son,  and  in  the  Father. 

25  And  this  is  the  promise  that 
he  hath  promised  us,  even  eternal 
r  life. 

26  These  things  have  I  written 
unto  you  concerning  them  that  se¬ 
duce  you. 

27  But  the  anointing  which  ye 
have  received  of  him  abideth  in 
you:  and  ye  need  not  that  any  man 
teach  you:  but  as  the  same  anoint¬ 
ing  teacheth  e  you  of  all  things,  and 
is  truth,  and  is  no  lie,  and  even  as 
it  hath  taught  you,  ye  shall  abide  in 
h  him. 

23  And  now,  little  children,  abide 
in  him;  that,  when  he  shall  appear, 

c  c.  4:3.  c  1  J„  6.  g  Jm.  14:JS. 

d  J u.  15:23.  f  J»i.  17:3.  b  or,  it. 

One  ;  either  from  the  Holy  Ghost,  or  from 
the  Lord  Christ,  as  Rev.  3:  7.  (3.)  The 

effect  of  this  unction  ;  it  enlightens  and 
strengthens  the  eyes  of  the  understanding  ; 

‘  and  thereby  ye  know  all  things,  v.  20.  all 
these  things  concerning  Christ  and  his  re¬ 
ligion  ;  it  was  promised  and  given  you  for 
that  end,’  John  14:26. 

2.  The  apostle  indicates,  to  them  the 
mind  «nd  meaning  with  which  ho  wrote 
to  them.  (1.)  Not  as  suspecting  their 
knowledge,  or  supposing  their  ignorance  in 
the  grand  truths  of  the  Gospel,  v.  21.  A  just 
confidence  in  religious  persons  may  both 
encourage  and  contribute  to  their  fidelity. 
(2.)  As  relying  on  their  judgment  in  these 
things.  They  who  know  the  truth  in  any 
kind,  are  thereby  prepared  to  discern  what 
is  contrary  thereto,  and  inconsistent  there¬ 
with.  Truth  and  falsehood  do  not  well  mix 
together  ;  and  no  lie  belongs  to  religion, 
either  natural  or  revealed.  It  is  a  commen¬ 
dation  of  the  Christian  religion,  that  if  so 
well  accords  with  natural  religion,  which  is 
the  foundation  of  it,  that  it  so  well  accords 
with  the  Jewish  religion,  which  contained 


the  elements  or  rudiments  of  it.  iVo  lie  is 
of  the  truth:  frauds  and  impostures  then  are 
very  unfit  means  to  support  and  propagate 
the  truth,  and  it  had  been  better  had  they 
never  been  used  ;  the  result  of  them  appears 
in  the  infidelity  of  our  age;  but  the  greatest 
actors  and  sufferers  for  the  Christian  revela¬ 
tion  would  assure  us  that  no  lie  is  of  the 
truth. 

3.  The  apostle  further  impleads  and  ar¬ 
raigns  these  seducers  who  were  newly  arisen : 
(1.)  They  are  liars,  egregious  opposers  of 
sacred  truth.  The  great  and  pernicious  lies 
that  the  father  of  lies,  or  of  liars,  spreads  in 
the  world,  were  of  old,  and  usually  are, 
falsehoods  and  errors,  relating  to  the  Per¬ 
son  of  Christ.  There  is  no  truth  so  sacred 
and  fully  attested,  but  some  or  other  will 
contradict  or  deny  it.  It  should  seem  that 
some,  in  the  tremendous  judgment  of  God, 
are  given  up  to  strong  delusions.  (2.)  They 
•are  direct  enemies  to  God,  as  well  as  to  the 
Lord  Christ,  r.  22.  lie  that  opposes  Christ, 
denies  the  witness  and  testimony  of  the  Father, 
and  the  seal  lie  hath  given  to  his  Son,  John 
6:  27.  And  he  that  denies  the  witness  and 
testimony  of  the  Father  concerning  Jesus 
Christ,  denies  that  God  is  the  Father  of  the 
Lord  Jesus  Christ;  and  consequently  aban¬ 
dons  the  knowledge  of  God  in  Christ,  and, 
thereupon,  the  whole  revelation  of  God  in 
Christ,  and  particularly  of  God  in  Christ 
reconciling  the  world  unto  Himself:  therefore, 
the  apostle  may  well  infer.  Whosoever  denies 
the  Son,  the  same  has  not  the  Father,  v.  23. 
he  h os  not  the  true  knowledge  of  the  Father; 
for  the  Son  has  most  and  best  revealed  Him; 
lie  has  no  interest  in  the  Father,  in  his  favor 
and  grace,  and  salvation  ;  fur  none  cometh  to 
the  Father  hut  l/y  the  Son.  But,  as  some 
copies  add,  lie  that  acknowledge! h  the  Son, 
hath  the  Father  also,  v.  23.  As  there  is  an 
intimate  relation  between  the  Father  and  the 
Son,  so  there  is  an  inviolable  union  in  the 
doctrine,  knowledge,  and  interests  of  both; 
so  that  he  who  has  the  knowledge  of,  and 
right  to,  the  Son,  lias  the  knowledge  of,  and 
l  ight  to,  the.  Father,  also.  They  that  adhere 
to  the  Christian  revelation,  hold  the  light 
and  benefit  of  natural  religion  withal. 

4.  Hereupon,  the  apostle  advises  and  per¬ 
suades  the  disciples  to  continue  in  the  old 
doctrine,  at  first  communicated  to  them, 
v.  24.  So  sure  were  the  apostles  of  (lie 
truth  of  what  they  had  delivered  concerning 
Christ,  and  from  Him,  that  after  all  their 
toils  and  sufferings  they  were  not  willing  to 
relinquish  it.  This  exhortation  is  enforced 
bv  these  considerations  :  (1.)  From  the  sa¬ 
cred  advantage  they  will  .receive  by  adher¬ 
ing  to  the  primitive  truth  and  faith.  They 
will  continue  thereby  in  holy  union  with 
God  and  Christ,  u.24.  The  truth  of  Christ, 
abiding  in  us,  is  the  mean  of  severing  us 
from  sin,  and  uniting  us  to  the  Son  of  God, 
John  15:3,4.  The  Son  is  the  Medium,  or 
Mediator,  by  whom  we  arc  united  to  the 
Father.  What  value,  then,  should  we  put 


on  gospel-truth  !  They  will  thereby  secure 
the  promise  of  eternal  life,  v.  25.  The 
blessed  God  puts  great  value  on  his  Son, 
and  the  truth  relating  to  Him,  when  He  is 
pleased  to  promise  to  those  who  continue  in 
that  truth,  eternal  life.  Then  the  exhorta¬ 
tion  aforesaid  is  enforced,  (2.)  From  the 
design  of  the  apostle’s  writing  to  them. 
This  letter  is  to  fortify  them  against  the 
deceivers  of  the  age,  v.  26.  We  should  be¬ 
ware,  lest  the  apostolical  letters,  yea,  lest 
the  whole  Scripture  of  God  should  be  to  us 
insignificant  and  fruitless.  (3.)  From  the 
instructive  blessing  they  had  received  from 
heaven,  v.  27.  True  Christians  have  an  in¬ 
ward  confirmation  of  the  divine  truth  they 
have  imbibed:  the  Holy  Spirit  has  imprint¬ 
ed  it  on  their  minds  and  hearts,  2  Cor.  1  : 
21.  This  sacred  chrism,  or  divine  unction, 
is  commended  on  these  accounts:  It  is  dura¬ 
ble  and  lasting,  v.  27.  It.  is  better  than  hu¬ 
man  instruction,  v.  27.  Not  that  this  anoint- « 
ing  will  teach  you  without  the  appointed 
ministry;  it  could,  if  God  so  pleased  ;  but 
it  will  not;  but  it  will  teach  you  better  than 
we  can  ;  and  ye  need  not  that  any  man  teach 
you,v.  27.  It  is  a  sure  evidence  of  truth  ; 
and  all  that  it  teaches,  is  infallible  truth; 
But  as  the.  same,  anointing  teacheth  yo.u  of 
all  things,  and  is  truth,  and  is  no  lic,v.  27. 
the  Holy  Spirit  must  needs  be  the  Spiiit  of 
truth,  as  He  is  called,  John  14:  17.  And  it 
is  of  a  conservative  influence  ;  it  will  pie- 
serve  those  in  w  hom  it  abides,  against  sedu¬ 
cers  and  their  seduction,  v.  27.  It  teaches 
you  to  abide  in  Christ  ;  and  as  it  teaches 
you,  it  secures  you.:  it  lays  a  restraint  on 
your  minds  and  hearts,  that  you  may  not 
revolt  from  Him.  And  He  that  hath  anointed 
us,  is  God.;  who  also  hath  sealed  us  for  Him¬ 
self,  and  given  the  earnest  of  the  Spirit  in  our 
hearts.  2  Cor.  1:21,  22. 

V.  28,  29.  From  the  blessing  of  the  sa¬ 
cred  unction,  the  apostle  proceeds  in  his  ad¬ 
vice  and  exhortation  to  constancy  in  and 
with  Christ,  v.  28.  The  apostle  lepeais  his 
kind  appellation,  little  children;  which,  I 
suppose,  does  not  so  much  denote  their  di¬ 
minutiveness,  as  his  affection  ;  and  tlieie- 
fore,  I  judge,  may  be  rendered  dear  children. 
He  would  persuade  by  love,  and  prevail  by 
endearment  as  well  as  by  reason.  Evan¬ 
gelical  pri\  ileges  are  obligatory  to  evangeli¬ 
cal  duties  ;  and  they  that  are  anointed'  by 
the  Lord  Jesus,  are  highly  obliged  to  abide 
with  Him,  in  opposition  to  all  adversaries 
whatever.  This  duty  of  perseverance  and 
constancy  in  trying  times,  is  strongly  urged 
by  the  two  following  considerations  : 

1.  Of  his  return  at  the  great  day  of  ac¬ 
count,  v.  28.  It  is  here  taken  for  granted 
that  the  Lord  Jesus  will  come  again.  This 
was  part  of  that  truth  they  had  heard  from 
the  beginning.  And  when  He  comes  again, 
He  will  publicly  appear  ;  he  manifested  to 
all.  When  He  was  here  before,  He  came 
privately,  in  comparison  ;  He  proceeded 
from  a  womb,  and  was  introduced  into  a 


denied  his  humanity,  and  the  reality  of  his  sufferings,  and  some  oppo^ 
ed  his  kingly  authority.  Thus,  whilst  they  retained  the  name  of  Chris¬ 
tians,  they  virtually  denied  his  Person,  as  ‘the  Christ,  the  Son  of  God,’ 
and  ‘llie  Son  of  man  ;  Emmanuel,  God  with  us,’  /s.  7:14.  Mat.  1:22, 
23.  or  his  offices,  as  the  anointed  Prophet,  Priest,  and  King  of  his  church; 
they  denied,  that  ‘  God  was  manifest  in  the  flesh,’  to  1  ransom  the  church 
with  his  own  blood,’  Acts  20:28.  1  Tim.  3:16.  that,  in  virtue  of  his  one 
oblation,  He  might  appear  in  the  presence  of  God,  as  our  great  High 
Priest,  and  reign  over  his  redeemed  people,  as  his  willing  subjects,  to  the 
end  of  the  world,  and  for  ever.  Now,  whether  they  denied  his  divine  or 
his  human  nature,  his  atonement  or  his  authority,  they  virtually  denied 
Him  to  be  the  Christ,  as  they  who  had  ‘  the  unction  of  the  Holy  Spirit’ 
would  readily  perceive.  Such  a  teacher  was,  therefore,  in  tact  ‘an  an¬ 
tichrist,’  who  ‘  denied  botlt  the  Father  and  the  Son ;’  seeing  the  Father 
can  only  he  known,  approached,  worshipped,  and  glorified  by  sinners,  in 
and  through  his  incarnate  Son  ;  and  they  who  ‘  honor  not  the  Son,  hon¬ 
or  not  the  Father  that  sent  Him.’  Mat.  11:25  27.  John  5:20 — 23  The 
denial  of  the  15011  is,  therefore,  a  denial  of  the  Father;  and  the  Supreme 
Being,  the  supposed  Deity,  which  ancient  or  modern  deniers  of  the  per¬ 
sonal  or  mediatorial  honor  of  the  Son,  have  professed  to  worship,  is  in 
fact  (he  creature  of  their  own  imagination,  and  not  the  wise,  just,  holv, 
merciful,  and  faithful  ‘God  and  Fattier  of  our  I.ord  Jesus  Christ.’  He, 
therefore,  who  ‘denies  the  Son,  has  not  t lie  Father,’  as  his  God,  his 
Friend,  and  his  Portion;  but  he,  who,  in  true  faith,  ‘acknowledges  the 
Son,  hath  the  Father  also.’  —  This  last  clause  is  printed  in  Italics,  be- 

rpoii 


cause  it  is  wanting  in  most  copies  of  the  Greek  Test. ;  yet  it  is  found  in 
several  manuscripts,  so  that  Beza  and  many  other  able  critics  look  on  it 
as  genuine. — (20)  An  unction.)  All  true  Christians  partake  of  the  Spii  it 
of  sanctification,  not  all  of  the  miraculous  powers  of  the  Holy  Spirit. — 
From  the  Holy  One.]  Mark  1:24.  Acts  3:14.  Rev.  3:7. — The  Lord  Jesus 
seems  especially  intended;  for  through  and  by  Him  the  Holy  Spirit  is 
given  to  us.  Rev.  22:1.  — (21)  No  lie  is,  &c.]  ‘  Lie,  here,  means,  a  doc¬ 
trine  contrary  to  that  taught  by  the  apostles,  which,  being  the  true  doc¬ 
trine,  its  contrary  must  be  false,  or  a  lie.’  Mackn.  —  (22)  Antichrist .] 
Tiie  article  being  used,  ‘  the  antichrist  ’  is  doubtless  a  more  exact  tr. ; 
but  the  apostle  was  speaking,  not  so  much  prophetically,  as  of  the  time 
iu  which  he  wrote. — The  character  described  was  ‘  the  antichrist  ’  of  his 
own  age. — (24)  Abide.]  The  same  verb  is  rendered  also  remain  and 
continue.  Scott. 

(20.)  ‘  A  holy  disposition  and  spiritual  taste,  when  grace  is  strong 
and  lively,  will  enable  a  person  to  determine  what  actions  are  right  ami 
becoming  a  Christian,  more  speedily  and  far  more  correctly,  than  the 
greatest  abilities  without  them.  The  tendency  of  a  stone  let  fall  shows 
the  way  to  the  centre  of  the  earth  more  accurately,  and  in  far  less  time, 
than  the  ablest  mathematician  could  demonstrate  it.’  Edwards. 

(23  )  ‘The  latter  part  of  this  verse  is  established  on  unquestionable 
authorities  and  ought  not  to  be  printed  in  italics  as  an  addition.’  T.  H. 
IIorng.  —  Dod.tr.  also  ‘believes  they  made  a 'part  of  the  original,  hy 
whatever  accident  (hey  may  have  been  emitted  in  some  early  copv,  to 
which,  as  it  seems,  too  much  regard,’  he  says,  ‘has  been  paid.’  Ed. 


A.  D.  90. 


1  JOHN,  III. 


we  inav  have  confidence,  and  not  be 
ashamed  before  him  at  his  coming. 

29  If  ye  know  that  he  is  righte¬ 
ous,  'ye  know  that  1  every  one  that 
doeth  righteousness  is  born  of  him. 

CHAP.  III. 

I  He  declareth  the  ■in'jul.ir  love  of  God  towards  us,  in 
making  us  his  sons  :  3  who  therefore  ought  obediently  to 
keep  his  commandments,  11  ns  also  brotherly  to  love  one 
another. 

BEHOLD,  what  manner  of  love 
1  the  F ather  hath  bestowed  upon 
us,  that  we  should  be  called  the 
sons  bof  God!  therefore  the  world 
'  knoweth  us  not,  because  it  knew 
him  not. 

2  Beloved,  now  are  we  the  sons 
*  of  God;  and  it  doth  not  yet  appear 
what  we  shall  be:  but  we  know  that, 
when  he  shall  appear,  we  shall  he 
like  *  him;  for  we  shall  see  f  him  as 
he  is. 


i  or,  know  ye . 
i  Je  13:23. 

Mat.  7:16—18. 
a  K|».  2:4.5. 
b  Jn.  1:12. 


Re.  21:7. 
c  Jn.  17:‘25l. 
tl  Ro.  8:14,13. 
e  1  Co.  15:49. 
Phi.  3:21. 


2  Pe.  1:4. 
f  Job  19:26. 
Ps.  17:15. 
Mat.  5:8. 

1  Co.  13:12. 


stable  ;  but  when  He  comes  again.  He  will 
come  from  the  opened  heavens,  and  every 
eye  shall  see  Him;  and  then  they  who  have 
continued  with  Him  throughout  all  their 
temptations,  shall  have  confidence,  assur¬ 
ance,  and  joy,  in  the  sight  of  Him.  On  the 
contrary,  they  that  have  deserted  Him  shall 
be  ashamed  before  Him ;  they  shall  be  asham¬ 
ed  of  themselves,  ashamed  of  their  unbelief, 
their  cowardice,  ingratitude,  temerity,  and 
folly,  in  forsaking  so  glorious  a  Redeemer. 
They  shall  be  ashamed  of  their  hopes,  ex¬ 
pectations,  and  pretences,  and  ashamed  of 
all  the  wages  of  unrighteousness,  by  which 
they  were  induced  to  desert  Him.  That  we 
may  have  confidence,  and  we  may  not  be 
ashamed.  The  apostle  includes  himself  in 
the  number.  Let  not  us  be  ashamed  of  you, 


as  well  as  you  will  not  he  ashamed  of  your¬ 
selves.  Or, — that  we  be  not  ashamed,  (made 
ashamed,  or  put  to  shame,)  by  Him  at  his 
coming.  At  his  public  appearance.  He  will 
shame  all  those  who  have  abandoned  llim, 
Mark  8:  38. 

2.  Of  the  dignity  of  those  who  still  ad¬ 
here  to  Christ  and  his  religion,  v.  29.  The 
particle  here  rendered  if,  seems  to  he  not  so 
much  a  conditional  particle,  as  a  suppositional 
one,  if  I  may  call  it  so;  a  note  of  allowance 
or  confession  ;  and  so  of  the  same  import 
with  otir  English  inasmuch,  or  whereas,  or 
since.  So  the  sense  runs  more  clear.  Since 
ye  know  that  He  is  righteous,  ye  know  that 
every  one  that  doeth  righteousness,  is  born  of 
Him.  He  that  doeth  righteousness,  may  here 
he  justly  enough  assumed  as  another  name 
for  him  that  abideth  in  Christ.  Such  an  one 
must  be  bom  of  Him.  He  is  renewed  by  the 
Spirit  of  Christ,  after  the  image  of  Christ, 
Eph.  2:  10.  ‘  Since  then  ye  know  that  the 

Lord  Christ  is  righteous,  as  1  Cor.  1 :  30.  ye 
cannot  hut  know  thereupon,’  (or  know  ye,  it 
is  for  your  consideration  and  regard,)  ‘  that 
He  who  by  the  continued  practice  of  Chris¬ 
tianity  abideth  in  Him,  is  born  of  Him.’  The 
new  spiritual  nature  is  derived  from  the 
Lord  Christ.  The  Lord  Christ  is  an  ever¬ 
lasting  Father.  It  is  a  great  privilege  and 
dignity  to  be  born  of  Him.  They  that  are  so, 
are.  the  children  of  God.  To  as  many  as  re¬ 
ceived  Him,  to  them  gave  He  power  to  become 
the  sons  of  God,  John  1 :  12.  And  this  intro¬ 
duces  the  context  of  the  following  chapter. 

Ciiap.  HI.  V.  1 — 3.  The  apostle,  hav¬ 
ing  shown  the  dignity  of  Christ’s  faithful 
followers,  now  here,  1.  Breaks  forth  into 
the  admiration  of  that  grace  that  is  the 
spring  of  such  a  wonderful  vouchsafement. 
It  is  wonderful,  condescending  love  of  the 
eternal  Father,  that  such  as  we  should  be 
niadesuid  called  his  sons;  we  who  by  nature 
are  heirs  of  sin  and  guilt,  and  the  curse  of 
God  ;  we  who  by  practice  are  children  of 
corruption,  disobedience,  and  ingratitude  ! 
Strange,  that  the  holy  God  is  not  ashamed 


Exhortation  to  constancy  in  Christ. 

to  he  called  our  Father,  and  to  call  us  his 
sons  l  Thence  the  apostle,  2.  Infers  the 
honor  of  believers  above  the  cognizance  of 
the  world.  Little  does  the  world  perceive 
the  advancement  and  happiness  of  the  genu¬ 
ine  followers  of  Christ  ;  or  think  that  these 
poor,  humble,  contemned  ones  are  the  favor¬ 
ites  of  heaven,  and  will  be  inhabitants  there 
ere  long.  Little  did  the  world  think  how 
great  a  Person  was  once  sojourning  here; 
He  came  to  his  ow  n,  and  his  own  received 
Him  not;  but  crucified  Him  ;  but,  surely,  had 
they  known  Him,  they  woidd  not  have  cruci¬ 
fied  the  Lord  of  glory,  1  Cor.  2:  8.  Let  the 
followei’3  of  Christ  be  content  with  hard 
fare  here,  since  they  are  in  a  land  of  stran¬ 
gers,  among  those  who  little  know  them, 
and  their  Lord  was  so  treated  before  them. 
Then  the  apostle,  3.  Exalts  these  persever¬ 
ing  disciples,  in  the  prospect  of  the  certain 
revelation  of  their  state  and  dignity.  Where, 
(1.)  Their  present  honorable  relation  is  as¬ 
serted,  v.  2.  We  have  the  nature  of  sons  by 
regeneration;  the  title,  spirit,  and  right  to 
the  inheritance  of  sons  by  adoption.  (2.) 
The  discovery  of  the  bliss  belonging  and 
suitable  to  this  relation  is  defined,  v.  2. 
The  glory  pertaining  to  the  sonship  and 
adoption  is  reserved  for  another  world.  The 
discovery  of  it  here  would  put  a  stop  to  the 
current  of  affairs  that  must  now  proceed. 
The  sons  of  God  must  walk  by  faith,  and 
live  bv  hope.  (3.)  The  time  of  the  revela¬ 
tion  of  the  sons  of  God  in  their  proper  state 
and  glory,  is  determined;  and  that  is,  when 
their  Elder  Brother  comes  to  call  and  col¬ 
lect  them  all  together.  But  we  know  that 
when  He  shall  appear,  we  shall  be  like  Him. 
The  particle  usually  translated  if,  is  here 
well  rendered  when;  as  so  it  might  more 
naturally  and  properly  be  rendered,  John 
14:3.  When  the  Head  of  the  church,  the 
Only-begotten  of  the  Father,  shall  appear, 
his  members,  the  adopt&d  of  God,  shall  ap¬ 
pear  and  be  manifested  together  with  Him. 
The  sons  of  God  will  be  known,  and  be 
made  manifest  by  their  likeness  to  their 
Head;  they  shall  be  like  Hun,  like  Him  in 


PRACT.  OBS.  V.  12 — 29.  When  there  is  real  ‘faith  that  worketli 
by  love,’  even  ‘  little  children  ’  and  weak  believers  may  be  assured,  that 
‘  their  sins  are  forgiven  them  ’  for  the  Bake  of  Christ ;  and  though  there 
are  different  degrees  of  growth,  strength,  knowledge,  nnd  grace,  and 
some  have  obtained  more  victories  over  the  wicked  one,  or  are  more  fit 
for  active  service,  or  to  give  wise  counsel,  than  others  are.;  yet  all  are 
alike  dear  to  their  heavetdy  Father.  But  ail  must  be  careful  ‘not  to 
love  the  world,’  or  any  of  its  polluting  vanities.  This  idolatry,  remain¬ 
ing  unsubdued  in  the  hearts  of  many  professors  of  the  Gospel,  occasions 
their  apostasy  or  total  unfruitfulness-,  and,  through  some  remains  of  it, 
numbers  are  kept  from  comfort  and  assurance;  their  spiritual  life  con¬ 
tinues  low  and  feeble;  they  are  mere  babes,  or  dwarfs,  to  the  end  of 
their  days,  and  enter  eternity  before  they  obtain  any  comfortable  satis¬ 
faction,  what  their  eternal  stale  will  he  !  — Those  who  have  been  deliv¬ 
ered  from  that  original  and  universal  idolatry,  ‘  the  love  of  the  world, 
and  the  things  in  the  world,’  will  be  less  liable  to  he  deceived  by  the 
seductions  of  those  ‘  many  antichrists,’  who,  in  every  age  nnd  place, 
endeavor  to  corrupt  the  Gospel,  and  to  oppose  the  honor  and  cause  of 
Christ.  ‘Tlie  unction  from  the  Iloly  One’  alone  can  teach  that  knowl¬ 
edge,  which  will  surely  preserve  a  man  from  all  delusions ;  and  when  we 
are  thus  established  in  the  great  truths  of  the  Gospel,  we  shall  know 
*  that  no  lie  is  of  the  truth  ;’  and  shall,  therefore,  disregard  the  eloquence, 
learning,  ingenuity,  and  confidence,  of  those  who  contradict  the  Bible; 
and  be  satisfied  with  opposing  tlie  express  testimony  of  the  truth  itself, 

V.  29.  The  expression,  ‘  born  of  Him,’  which  is  here  most  obviously 
interpreted  of  Christ,  concerning  whom  the  apostle  was  speaking,  and 
thus  becoming  ‘  the  sons  of  God,’  (3:1.)  clearly  shows  what  John  believ¬ 
ed  concerning  his  Lord  ;  and  also,  that  the  same  individual  act  is  ascrib¬ 
ed  to  God  (5:1.),  to  Christ  (291,  and  tothe  Holy  Spirit.  (John  3:5.  Notes, 
Ps.  22:30,  31.  Is.  8:18.  9:6,  7.  53:9,  10-  Neb.  2:10,  13.)  — The  Quakers, 
and  some  others,  have  inferred,  from  v.  27.  that  a  stated  ministry  is  not 
necessary  in  the  church  ;  as  true  believers,  being  ‘  anointed  by  the  Spir¬ 
it,’  need  not  such  teaching  ;  ‘but  it  may  be  of  moment  to  observe,  that 
the  Christian  ministry  was  in  the  highest  repute  in  the  church,  when  the 
gifts  of  the  Spirit  were  poured  down  upon  it  in  the  greatest  abundance.’ 
Doddr.  —  The  papists,  on  the  other  hand,  adhering  to  the  outward  form, 
nnd  the  opus  operatum,  fin  which  they  have  too  many  followers,  among 
nominal  protestants,)  ground  their  chrism,  or  anointing  with  oil,  upon 
it,  which  is  applied  in  several  ways;  but  is  only  an  appointed  shadow 
of  the  true  ‘  unction  from  the  Holy  One;’  yet,  alas,  it  is  too  plain,  that 
numbers,  seizing  on  this  shadow,  come  short  of  the  substance.  —  (29) 
Born.]  3:9.  4:7.  5:1,4,  18.  John  1:13.  3:3 — 8.  In  all  the  passages  in 
this  epistle,  and  in  several  of  the  others,  the  passive  perfect  is  used, 
which  is  properly,  ‘has  been  born,’  or  begotten. — And  no  allusion  is  at 
all  made  to  baptism,  in  the  whole  epistle.  Scott. 

NOTES.  Chap.  III.  V.  l— 3.  (Note,  John  1:10— 13.)  The  apos¬ 
tle,  having  declared,  that  ‘  they  who  do  righteousness  are  born  of  God,’ 
(2:29.)  here  breaks  out  into  a  joyful  and  admiring  view  of  the  love  of  the 


to  their  well  varnished  and  ably  defended  falsehoods.  We  shall  in  this 
manner  most  clearly  perceive,  that  every  man  is  an  antichrist,  who  de¬ 
nies  the  Person,  or  any  of  the  offices  of  Christ;  and  that,  in  denying  the 
Son,  he  denies  the  Father  also,  and  has  no  part  in  li is  favor,  while  he 
rejects  his  great  salvation.  Candor  and  liberality  of  sentiment  are  good 
words;  bigotry,  fanaticism,  and  a  contracted  mind,  sound  very  harsh  ; 
but  let  ns  not  aspire  to  the  reputation  of  liberality,  or  desire  to  escape 
reproach,  more  than  the  apostles  did.  While  we  judge  favorably  of  all, 
who  trust  in  Christ  as  a  divine  Savior,  and  obey  his  Word,  let  ds  pity 
and  pray  for  those  deluded  men,  who  deny  the  Deity  and  atonement  of 
Christ,  and  the  work  of  his  new-creating  Spirit,  protest  against  their 
antichristian  doctrine,  and  refuse  all  needless  intercourse  with  them. 
(Note,  2  John  7 — 11.)  Let  that  abide  in  all,  who  have  professed  the  Gos¬ 
pel,  or  would  be  deemed  Christians,  which  was  taught  to  the  primitive 
disciples,  that  they  may  ‘continue  in  the  Son  and  in  the  Father,’  and 
that  the  blessed  promise  of  eternal  life  may  belong  to  them  also.  The 
subjects  above  treated  on,  are  peculiarly  needful  at  this  day,  concerning 
‘  thnse  who  seduce’  the  professed  disciples  of  the  Savior,  and  would 
persuade  them,  that  it  is  of  no  consequence  what  they  believe,  concern¬ 
ing  his  Person  or  doctrine.  This  fashionable  species  of  infidelity  direct¬ 
ly  contradicts  the  whole  Word  of  God,  and  in  fact  does  its  utthost  to 
antiquate  the  Bible,  as  an  useless  hook,  in  this  age  of  wisdom  and  illu¬ 
mination.  Scott. 


eternal  Father,  in  having  bestowed  on  them  the  unspeakable  honor  and 
felicity  of  being  ‘  called  his  sons,’  or  children.  What  manner  of  love 
was  this  !  By  what  words  could  it  he  described  ?  Whether  his  majesty, 
purity,  and  justice,  or  their  guilt,  meanness,  pollution,  and  misery,  were 
considered ;  whether  the  blessing  conferred  on  them,  or  the  method  in 
which  it  was  bestowed,  were  contemplated;  the  Move  of  the  Father’ 
in  it  must  be  adored,  as  passing  knowledge  and  comprehension.  4:9 — 
12.  John  3:16.  Rom.  5:6 — 10.  Bnt,  wherever  the  regenerating  Spirit 
of  God  had  produced  this  genuine  hope  in  a  man’s  heart,  it  would  cer¬ 
tainly  induce  him  to  desire  and  folloxv  after  holiness,  as  the  preparation 
for  this  final  happiness,  and  the  anticipation  of  it ;  1  Pet.  1:3 — 9.  for  he, 
who  ‘hoped,’  or  trusted,  ‘in  God,’  that  lie  would  render  him  perfectly 
happy,  by  fully  renewing  him  to  the  holy  image  of  the  divine  Savior, 
would  also  be  fully  convinced,  that  his  present  comfort  must  bear  pro¬ 
portion  to  his  sanctification  ;  the  assurance,  that  his  labor  in  following 
after  holiness  would  not  be  in  vain,  would  also  give  energy  to  his  en¬ 
deavors.  Nor  would  he  ever  rest  satisfied  with  his  attainments,  so  long 
as  any  sin  remained  in  him  ;  but  he  would  use  all  means,  nnd  wait  on 
God  for  the  performance  of  his  promises;  till  all  his  affections  and  pow¬ 
ers  were  fully  sanctified,  all  sinful  passions  destroyed,  all  holy  disposi¬ 
tions  perfected,  and  all  his  words  and  actions  made  conformable  to  those 
of  his  beloved  Lord.  As  this  can  never  be  fully  attained  in  the  present 
life  ;  the  true  Christian’s  diligence,  in  ‘  purifying  himself  as  Christ  is 
must  be  continued  till  death.  2  Cor.  6:14  18.  7:1. 

[oo5J 


pure.’ 


A.  D.  90. 


i  JOHN,  Ilf. 


Arguments  against  sin. 


3  And  every  man  that  hath  this 
hope  in  him,  purifieth  himself  even 
as  hd  is  pure. 

4  Whosoever  committeth  sin 
transgresseth  also  the  law  :  for  sin 
is  the  transgression  of  the  law. 

5  And  ye  know  s  that  he  was  man¬ 
ifested  to  take  away  our  sins  ;  and 
in  him  is  no  sin. 

6  Whosoever  abideth  in  him  sin- 
neth  not:  whosoever  hsinneth,  hath 
not  seen  him,  neither  known  him. 

[Practical  Observations .] 

7  Little  children,  let  no  man  de¬ 
ceive  you:  he  that  1  doeth  righteous¬ 
ness  is  righteous,  even  as  he  is 
righteous. 

8  He  J  that  committeth  sin,  is  of 
the  devil;  for  the  devil  sinneth  from 
the  beginning.  For  this  purpose 
the  Son  of  God  was  manifested, 
that  k  he  might  destroy  the  works 
of  the  devil. 

g  He.  9:26,28.  i  Eze.  18:5—9.  )  Jn.  8:44. 

h3Jn.ll.  Ro.  2:13.  k  He.  2:14. 

honor,  awl  power,  and  glory, Col.  3:4.  Then, 
(4.)  Their  likeness  to  Him  is  argued  from 
the  sight  they  shall  have  of  Him.  Their 
likeness  will  he  the  cause  of  that  sight  which 
they  shall  have  of  Him.  Indeed,  all  shall 
see  Him,  but  not  as  they  do  ;  others  shall 
see  Him  in  his  avenging  perfections,  hut 
they  in  the  smiles  and  beauty  of  his  face;  in 
the  correspondence  and  amiableness  of  his 
glorv;  in  the  harmony  and  agreeableness  of 
his  beatific  perfections.  Their  likeness  shall 
enable  them  to  see  Him  as  the  blessed  do  in 
heaven.  Or,  the  sight  of  Him  shall  be  the 
cause  of  their  likeness  ;  it  shall  be  a  trans¬ 
formative  sight.  Then  the  apostle,  4.  Ur¬ 
ges  the  engagement  of  these  sons  of  God  to 
the  prosecution  of  holiness,  v.  3.  The  sons 
of  God  know  that  their  Lord  is  holy  and 


pure;  of  purer  heart  and  eyes  than  to  admit 
any  pollution  or  impurity  to  dwell  with  Him. 
They  then  who  hope  to  live  with  Him,  must 
study  the  utmost  purity  from  the  world,  and 
flesh,  and  sin  ;  they  must  grow'  in  grace  and 
holiness.  It  is  a  contradiction  to  such  hope, 
to  indulge  sin  and  impurity.  And  therefore 
as  we  are  sanctified  by  faith,  we  must  be 
sanctified  by  hope.  That  we  may  be  saved 
by  hope,  we  must  be  purified  by  hope.  It 
is  the  hope  of  hypocrites,  and  not  of  the  sons 
of  God,  that  makes  an  allowance  for  the 
gratification  of  impure  desires  and  lusts. 

V.  4 — 10.  The  apostle,  having  alleged 
the  believer’s  obligation  to  purity,  from  his 
hope  of  heaven,  and  of  communion  with 
Christ  in  glory,  at  the  day  of  his  appear¬ 
ance,  now  proceeds  to  multiply  arguments 
against  sin,  and  alt  communion  with  the  im¬ 
pure,  unfruitful  works  of  darkness.  And  so 
he  reasons  and  argues, 

1.  From  the  nature  of  sin,  and  the  in¬ 
trinsic.  evil  of  it.  It  is  a  contrariety  to  the 
divine  law,  v.  4.  Sin  is  the  destitution  or 
privation  of  correspondence  and  agreement 
with  the  divine  law  ;  that  law  that  is  the 
transcript  of  the.  divine  nature  and  purity, 
that  contains  his  will  for  the  government  of 
the  world,  is  suitable  to  the  rational  nature, 
and  enacted  for  the  good  of  the  world,  that 
shows  man  The  way  of  felicity  and  peace, 
and  conducts  him  to  the  Author  of  his  nature 
and  of  the  law. 

2.  From  the  design  and  errand  of  the 
Lord  Jesus  in  and  to  this  world,  which  was, 
to  remove*  sin,  v.  5.  The  Son  of  God  ap¬ 
peared  in  our  nature,  to  vindicate  and  exalt 
the  divine  law,  and  that,  by  obedience  to  the 
precept,  and  by  subjection  and  suffering  un¬ 
der  the  penal  sanction,  tinder  the  curse  of 
it  ;  to  take  away  the  guilt  of  sin  by  the  sa¬ 
crifice  of  Himself,  the  commission  of  it  by 
implanting  a  new  nature  in  us  ;  and  to  dis¬ 
suade  and  save  from  it  by  his  own  example. 
They'  that  expect  communion  with  Christ 
above,  should  study  communion  with  Him 
here  in  utmost  purity. 


3.  F rom  the  opposition  between  sin  and 
a  real  union  with  Christ,  v.  6.  To  sin,  here, 
is  to  commit  sin, a.  8,  9.  and  to  commit  sin 
is  to  practise  sin.  He  that  abideth  in  Christ, 
continues  not  in  the  practice  of  sin.  As 
vital  union  with  the  Lord  Jesus  broke  the 
power  of  sin  in  the  heart  arnl  nature  ;  so 
continuance  therein  prevents  the  prevalence 
thereof  in  the  life  and  conduct  ;  or  the  ne¬ 
gative  expression  is  here  put  for  the  posi¬ 
tive.  They  that  abide  in  Christ,  abide  in 
their  covenant  with  Him,  and  consequently 
watch  against  the  sin  that  is  contrary  there¬ 
to.  Practical  renunciation  of  sin  is  the 
great  evidence  of  spiritual  union  w  ith,  con¬ 
tinuance  in,  and  saving  knowledge  of,  the 
Lord  Christ. 

4.  From  the  connexion  between  the  prac¬ 
tice  of  righteousness  and  a  state  of  righte¬ 
ousness  ;  intimating  withal,  that  the  prac¬ 
tice  of  sin  and  a  justified  state  are  inconsis¬ 
tent;  and  this  is  introduced  with  a  suppo¬ 
sition,  that  a  surmise  to  the  contrary  is  a 
gross  deceit ;  ‘ Little  children,  beware  of  such 
self-deceit.’  Or  righteousness  may  in  several 
places  be  justly  rendered  religion,  as  Mat. 
5:  10.  Blessed  are  they  that  are  persecuted 
for  righteousness'  sake,  that  is,  for  religion’s 
sake.  So  1  Pet.  3:  14.  and  2  Tim.  3:  16. 
To  do  righteousness,  then,  especially  being 
set  in  opposition  to  the  doing,  committing, 
or  practising,  of  sin,  is  to  practise  religion. 
Now  he  who  practiseth  religion,  is  righte¬ 
ous  ;  he  has  that  righteousness  which  con¬ 
sists  in  pardon  of  sin  and  right  to  life, 
founded  on  the  imputation  of  the  Mediator’s 
righteousness.  2  Tim.  4:  8.  He  has  com¬ 
munion  with  Christ,  in  conformity  to  the 
divine  law,  being  in  some  measure  practi¬ 
cally  righteous  as  He;  and  He  has  commu¬ 
nion  with  Him  in  the  justified  state,  being 
now  relatively  righteous  together  with  Him. 

5.  From  the  relation  between  the  sinner 
and  the  devil  ;  and  thereupon  from  the  de- 

!  sign  and  office  of  the  Lord  Christ  against 
the  devil.  As  elsewhere  sinners  and  saints 

]  are  distinguished,  so  to  commit  sin  is,  here, so 


TRACT.  OBS.  V.  1 — G.  We  can  never  sufficiently  admire  the  love, 
which  ‘  the  Father  hath  bestowed  upon  us,’  or  rejoice  enough  in  our 
own  felicity,  if  indeed  we  are  numbered  among  1  the  children  of  God.’ 
Who  and  what  were  we,  or  what  had  we  done,  that  the  infinite  Lord 
should  condescend  thus  to  notice  and  distinguish  us  !  ‘  What  manner 

of  love  is  this,’  that  lie  should  so  redeem,  regenerate,  adopt,  and  bless 
such  worthless  worms,  such  guilty,  polluted  rebels  !  Doubtless  it  is  vast 
beyond  conception,  and  incapable  of  being  illustrated  by  any  compari¬ 
son.  May  we  then  be  ‘followers  of  Ilim  as  his  dear  children;’  and 
thus  show  our  sense  of  his  unspeakable  mercy,  and  express  that  obedi¬ 
ent,  grateful,  and  humble  mind,  which  becomes  those  who  are  so  highly 
favored  and  distinguished.  Even  in  our  lowest  estate,  and  under  out¬ 


sold  will  be  admitted  into  his  presence,  and  perfected  in  his  likeness; 
hut  the  complete  conformity  of  the  Christian  to  his  Lord,  in  body  and 
soul,  will  not  be  possessed  till  the  general  resurrection. —  ‘  lie  does  not 
say,  “  has  purified,”  but  “  purifieth,”  that  we  may  understand  him  to  sig¬ 
nify,  following  after  holiness,  not  the  perfect  attainment  of  it.’  lleza.  (-) 
Appear.']  2  Cor.  5:10.  Notes,  2  Cor.  5:9 — 12.  Cot.  3:1 — i.  ‘It  is  rot 
manifested,  what  we  shall  be;’  something  is  revealed,  but  not  all  fully 
and  clearly;  ‘but  when  He  shall  be  manifested,  we  shall  see  Him  as 
He  is.’  (3)  In  Him.]  That  is,  in  Christ,  who  shall  appear.  Tit.  2:13. 
lie  who  thus  hopelh  in  Christ,  Arc.  Eph.  1.9 — 12.  1  Pet.  1:1-7 — 21.  Sc. 

!1.)  Sons  of  God.]  ‘Children  of  God. — When  the  Danish  mission¬ 
aries  appointed  some  of  their  Malabarinn  converts  to  translate  a  cate¬ 
chism,  in  which  it  was  mentioned  as  the  privilege  of  Christians  to  be¬ 
come  the.  Sons  of  God,  one  of  the  translators  was  startled  at  so  bold  a 
saying,  as  lie  thought  it,  and  said,  “  It  is  too  much  ;  let  me  rather  render 
it.  They  shall  be  permitted  to  hiss  his  feet."  ’  Donna. 

(2.)  When  He,  &c.]  4  The  apostle  evidently  speaks  of  Christ,  coming 
to  judge  the  world  ;  for  nowhere  in  Scripture  is  God  said  to  appear, 
so  as  to  he  the  object  of  men’s  sight.  John  4:12.’  —  We.  shall  be  like 
Him -1  ‘Namely,  both  in  body  and  mind.  For,  Phil.  3:21.  “He  will 
re-fashion  our  bumbled  body,  in  order  that  it  may  become  of  like  form 
with  his  glorious  body.”  And  with  respect  to  our  mind,  we  shall  be 
made  like  Him  in  holiness,  by  seeing  Him  as  He  is.’  Mackn. — As  He  is.] 
‘I.  e.  not  “darkly,”  but  “face  to  face,”  as  Paul,  1  Cor.  13:12.  and 
hence  felicity  the  most  complete.  The  commentators  enlarge,  but  they 
seem  to  forget  the  words  just  before,  doth  not  yet  appear.1  Bloomf. 

V.  4 — G.  The  ceremonial  law  cannot  here  be  intended.  Thus  it  was' 
tnkeu  for  granted,  that  the  holy  law  of  God  was  the  rule  of  conduct  to 
nil  bis  true  servants,  and  that  none  of  them,  wilfully  and  habitually,  did 
anything  contrary  to  it. — (4)  Committeth  sin.]  7 — 9.  1:6.  2:20.  John 
3:21.  8:34.  No  single  righteous  act  constitutes  ‘  a  doer  of  righteous¬ 
ness,’  but  the  habitual  practice  of  it:  thus  a  doer  of  sin,  is  oue  who 
practises  it  habitually.  Scott. 

(4.)  Committeth  sin.]  ‘Practiseth  it.’  Donnn. — ‘This  sense  of  the 
word  should  be  attended  to,  in  order  to  perceive  the  justness  of  the  apos¬ 
tle’s  reasoning  in  this  and  the  following  part  of  the  ch.  particularly  v.  6. 


heaviest  trials,  ‘  we  are  the  children  of  God,’  if  we  indeed  believe  in  Je¬ 
sus  Christ ;  and  we  shall  experience  such  consolations,  and  possess  such 
hopes,  as  will  support  us  under  our  transient  sorrows:  but  none  on 
earth  can  conceive,  in  an  adequate  manner,  the  nature  of  ‘  that  exceed¬ 
ing  and  eternal  weight  of  glory,’  into  which  we  shall  speedily  enter.  2 
Cor.  4:13— 13.  Yet  let  none  suppose,  that  they  possess  ‘this  hope  in 
Him,’  if  they  do  not  now  desire,  pursue,  and  practise  holiness:  for 
every  man,  without  exception,  in  whose  heart  this  hope  is  planted  by 
the  Holv  Spirit,  ‘  purifieth  himself,’  in  dependence  on  the  grace,  and  in 
contemplation  of  the  glory,  of  Christ,  unto  increasing  conformity  to  his 
perfect  purity.  Scott. 


and  9.’  Mackn. — ‘  The  best  commentators  are  agreed  that  habitual, 
wilful,  flagitious  silt  is  meant.’  Bloomf. 

V.  7 — 10.  John  here  warned  his  beloved  children,  as  the  other  apos¬ 
tles  had  before  done,  I  Cor.  6:9—11.  Gal.  6:6 — 10.  Eph.  5:5 — 7.  Jam. 
1 :22 — 25.  2  Pet.  1:8,9.  not  to  let  any  man  deceive  them  hv  plausible  pre¬ 
tences,  into  an  opinion,  that  they  might  live  in  habitual  sin  and  yet  lie 
true  Christians. — Whs  manifested,  &c.]  Consequently,  the  end  of  bis 
incarnation  and  humiliation  had  not  been  in  any  degree  answered  in  re¬ 
spect  of  them  ;  [such  as,  though  they  professed  to  he  his  disciples,  yet 
lived  in  sin;]  and  therefore  they  could  not  be  warranted  to  account 
themselves  his  disciples.  (9)  Cannot  sin,  &c.]  This  [viz.  as  in  Henry ] 
must  be  all  the  apostle’s  general  words  can  mean  ;  because,  if  strictly 
taken,  so  as  to  mean,  that  the  regenerate. could  not  sin  in  any  instance, 
4 — 6.  5:16 — 18.  Rom.  6:1,  2.  Gal.  5:16 — 18.  they  would  not  only  prove, 
that  some  men  are  perfect,  but  that  all  regenerate  persons  are  incapable 
of  sinning  any  more  forever;  an  inference,  which  no  man,  who  either 
reads  the  Bihle,  or  the  history  of  mankind,  will  ever  admit.  1:8 — 10. 
General  declarations  of  this  kind,  must  always  lie  explained,  according 
to  the  argument  of  the  sacred  writer  ;  otherwise,  an  antinomian  may 
prove,  that  ‘  God  justifies  ’  those  who  are  in  every  sense  1  ungodly,’  and 
who  never  do  good  works  of  any  kind,  or  for  any  purpose,  as  long  as 
they  live,  Rom.  4:5.  and  a  man  who  runs  into  the  other  extreme  may 
prove,  that  all  the  children  of  God  are  perfectly  sinless,  and  that  no  re¬ 
generate  person  can  possibly  fall  into  any  sin.  But  Scripture  must  bo 
explained  by  itself,  and  soberly  ;  and  the  context  evidently  shows,  that 
the  apostle  spoke  of  an  allowed  practice  of  some  habitual  sin  ;  this  be 
declared  to  be  impossible  to  the  regenerate,  and  a  full  proof  of  a  man’s 
being  ‘  the  child  of  the  devil.’  For  in  this  especially  1  the  children  of 
God,  and  the  children  of  the  devil,’  were  manifestly  distinguished  from 
one  another ;  and  lie  who  did  not  ‘practise  righteousness  was  not  of 
God  ;’  whatever  his  creed,  profession,  gifts,  or  experience  might  be  ; 
nay,  this  was  to  be  carried  to  so  great  a  strictness,  that  he  who  did  not 
‘love  his  brother,’  but  showed  a  selfish,  envious,  and  malignant  spirit 
in  bis  general  conduct,  was  not  to  be  accounted  a  child  of  God,  but  of 
the  devil. — (8)  He  that  committeth  sin  is  of  the  devil.]  Note,  John  8: 
41 — 47.  ‘  It  is  not  he,  who  committeth  one  or  more  sins  of  infirmity,  for 


1  JOHN,  III, 


A.  D.  90. 


Brotherly  love  enforced. 


9  Whosoever  1  is  born  of  God 
doth  not  commit  sin  ;  for  his  seed 
m  remaineth  in  him  :  and  he  cannot 
sin,  because  he  is  born  of  God. 

10  In  this  the  children  of  God  are 
manifest,  and  the  children  of  the 
devil  ;  whosoever  doeth  not  righte¬ 
ousness,  is  not  of  God,  neither  he 
that  loveth  not  his  brother. 

[Practical  Observations.] 

1 1  For  this  is  the  n  message  that 
ye  heard  from  the  beginning,  that 
0  we  should  love  one  another. 

12  Not  as  p  Cain,  who  was  of  that 
wicked  one,  and  slew  his  brother. 
And  wherefore  slew  he  him  ?  Be¬ 
cause  his  own  works  were  evil,  and 
his  brother’s  righteous. 

13  Marvel  not,  my  brethren,  if 
the  world  s  hate  you. 

1  c.  5:18  inent.  n  Ge.  4:4 — 8. 

m  1  Pe.  1:23.  o  Ju.  15:12.  q  Jn.  15:18,19. 

n  or,  command - 

to  practise  it,  as  sinners  do,  that  are  distin¬ 
guished  from  saints;  to  live  under  the  power 
and  dominion  of  it.  And  he  who  does  so,  is 
of  the  devil ;  his  sinful  nature  is  inspired  l>y, 
and  agreeable  and  pleasing  to,  the  devil  ; 
and  he  belongs  to  the  party  and  interest-and 
kingdom  of  the  devil,  the  author  and  patron 
of  sin,  a  tempter  and  instigator  to  it,  even 
from  the  beginning  of  the  world.  And 
thereupon  see  how  he  argues  from  the  de¬ 
sign  and  office  of  the  Lord  Christ  against 
the  devil,  v.  8.  The  devil  has  designed  and 
endeavored  to  ruin  the  work  of  God  in  this 
world.  The  Son  of  God  has  undertaken  the 
holy  war  against  him.  He  came  into  our 
world,  and  was  manifested  in  our  flesh,  that 
He  might  conquer  him,  and  dissolve  his 
works.  Let  not  us  serve  or  indulge  what 
the  Son  of  God  came  to  destroy. 

6.  From  the  connexion  between  regener¬ 


ation  and  the  relinquishment  of  sin,  t>.  9. 
To  be  born  of  God,  is  to  be  inwardly  re¬ 
newed,  and  restored  to  a  holy  integrity  or 
rectitude  of  nature,  by  the  power  of  the 
Spirit  of  God.  Such  an  one  committeth  not 
sin,  does  not  Work  iniquity  and  practise 
disobedience  j  that  is  contrary  to  his  new 
nature,  and  (he  regenerate  complexion  of 
his  spirit.  For, as  the  apostle  adds,  his  seed, 
either  the  Word  of  God,  in  its  , light  and 
power,  remaineth  in  him,  as  1  Pet.  1:23. 
or,  that  which  is  born  of  the  Spirit,  is  spirit, 
the  spiritual,  seminal  principle  of  holiness 
remaineth  in  him.  Renewing  grace  is  an 
abiding  principle.  And  thereupon  the  con¬ 
sequence  is,  the  regenerate  person  cannot 
sin  ;  that  he  cannot  commit  an  act  of  sin,  I 
suppose  no  judicious  interpreter  under¬ 
stands.  That  would  be  contrary  to  ch.  1: 
9.  where  it  is  made  our  duly  to  confess  our 
sins,  and  supposed,  that  our  privilege  there¬ 
upon,  is,  to  have  our-  sins  forgiven.  He 
therefore  cannot  sin,  in  the  sense  in  which  the 
apostle  says,  he  cannot,  commit  sin.  He  can¬ 
not  continue  in  the  course  and  practice  of 
sin.  He  cannot  so  sin,  as  to  denominate 
him  a  sinner  in  opposition  to  a  saint, or  ser¬ 
vant  of  God.  Again,  he  cannot  sin  com¬ 
paratively,  as  he  did  before  he  was  born  of 
God,  and  as  others  do  that  are  not  so.  And 
the  reason  is,  because  he  is  horn  of  God  ; 
which  will  amount  to  all  this  inhibition  and 
impediment  :  (1.)  There  is  that  light  in 
bis  mind,  that  shows  him  the.  evil  and  ma¬ 
lignity  of  sin.  (2.)  There  is  that  bias  on 
bis  heart,  that  disposes  him  to  loathe  and 
bate  sin.  (3.)  There  is  the  spiritual,  semi¬ 
nal  principle  or  disposition,  that  breaks  the 
force  and  fulness  of  the  sinful  acts.  Then, 
(4.)  There  is  a  disposition  for  humiliation 
and  repentance  for  sin,  when  it  has  been 
committed.  He  that  is  born  of  God,  cannot 
sin.  Here  vve  may  call  to  mind  the  usual 
distinction  of  natural  and  moral  impotency. 
The  unregenerate  person  is  morally  unable 
fur  what  is  religiously  good.  The  regene¬ 


rate  person  is  happily  disabled  for  sin.  .We 
usually  say  of  a  person  of  known  integrity, 
He  cannot  lie,  he  cannot  cheat,  and  com¬ 
mit  other  enormities.’  Gen.  39:9.  And  so 
they  who  persist  in  a  sinful  life,  sufficiently 
demonstrate  that  they  are  not  born  of  God. 

7.  From  the  discrimination  between 
children  of  God  and  children  of  the  devil. 
They  have  their  distinct  characters,  v.  10. 
The  seed  of  the  serpent  is  known  by  these 
two  signatures  :  their  neglect  of  religion  ; 
whosoever  doeth  not  righteousness ;  and  their 
hatred  of  feliow-Christians  ;  neither  he  that 
loveth  not  his  brother,  v.  10.  True  Christiana 
are  to  be  loved  for  God’s  and  Christ’s  sake. 
They  who  so  love  them  not,  but  despise, 
and  hate,  and  persecute  them,  have  the  ser¬ 
pentine  nature  still  abiding  in  them. 

V.  11 — 13.  The  apostle,  having  inti¬ 
mated  that  one  note  of  the  devil’s  children, 
is,  hatred  of  the  brethren,  takes  occasion, 
thence, 

1.  Torecornmend fraternal  Christian  love, 
and  that  from  the  excellence,  or  antiquity, 
or  primariness  of  the  injunction  relating 
thereto  ;  And  this  is  the  message,  the  errand 
or  charge,  which  ye  heard  from  the  beginning , 
(this  came  among  the  principal  parts  of 
practical  Christianity,)  that  roe  should  love 
one  another,  v.  1 1. 

2.  To  dissuade  from  what  is  contrary 
thereto,  all  ill-will  toward  the  brethren, and 
that  by  the  example  of  Cain.  He  slew  his 
brother,  v.  12.  Sin,  indulged,  knows  no 
bound.  He  was  vexed  with  the  superiority 
of  Abel’s  service,  and  envied  him  the  favor 
and  acceptance  he  had  with  God.  And  for 
these  he  martyred  his  brother.  Ill-will  will 
teach  us  to  hate  and  revenge  what  we  should 
admire  and  imitate.  And  then, 

3.  To  infer,  that  it  is  no  wonder  good 
men  are  so  served  now,  v.  13.  The  serpen¬ 
tine  nature  still  continues  in  the  world.  The 
great  serpent  himself  reigns  as  the  god  of 
this  world.  Wonder  not,  then,  that  the  ser¬ 
pentine  world  hates  and  hisses  at  you  who 


PRACT.  OB3.  V.  7 — 10.  In  the  vast  concern  of  eternal  happiness 
or  misery,  how  careful  should  we  be  not  to  deceive  ourselves  !  and  the 
argument  of  the  apostle,  in  these  verses,  points  out  a  wav,  in  which 
many,  it  is  to  be  feared,  are  self-deceived  :  for,  however  we  interpret 
some  expressions,  they  must  prove,  beyond  all  reasonable  doubt,  that 
they  only  are  ‘  righteous  before  God,’  as  justified  believers,  who  are 
taught  ami  inclined,  and  enabled,  by  ‘the  renewal  of  the  Holy  Spirit,’  to 
practise  universal  righteousness,  in  the  general  tenor  of  their  conduct ; 
and,  that  a  man’s  conformity  to  the  example  of  Christ,  is  the  only  ade¬ 
quate  evidence  of  his  being  interested  in  his  redemption.  May  all  pro- 

so  did  Christ’s  disciples  while  they  were  with  Him  ;  nor  he  who  com¬ 
mitteth  one  great  sin,  through  the  power  of  a  strong  temptation,  of  which 
he  bitterly  repents,  and  from  which  he  returns  to  his  obedience,  for  thus 
did  David  and  Peter,  who  yet  were  not  then  the  children  of  the  devil ;  but 
they  who  comply  with  the  lusts  of  Satan,  and  will  do  them.  The  other 
interpretations  of  these  words,  including  the  preceding  verses,  seem 
cither  vain  and  impertinent,  or  false  and  dangerous.’  Whitby. — Discord¬ 
ant  ways  of  obviating  tile  dilliculty,  arising  from  attempting  to  establish 
l lie  strictest  literal  meaning  of  the  apostle’s  words,  all  being  evidently 
unscriptural,  serve  to  show,  that  this  was  not  intended. — 1.  The  regen¬ 
erate  ought  not  to  sin.  Ought  then  others  to  sin?  2.  When  the  re¬ 
generate  sin,  they  cease  to  lie  ‘  children  of  God.’  Yet  apostles  say,  1  In 
many  things  we  offend  all.’  1:8 — 10.  3.  They  cannot  sin,  as  their  4  sins 
are  not  imputed  to  them.’  This  deserves  no  answer. — ‘  He  that  is  born 
of  God  proposelh  to  himself  a  life  as  free  from  sin  as  possible,  nor  docs 
he  ever  of  his  own  accord  employ  himself  in  sin ;  if  at  any  time,  con¬ 
trary  to  the  purpose  of  his  mind,  he  has  offended,  he  does  not  persist  in 
the  same;  but,  acknowledging  his  fault,  he  speedily  returns  to  his 
former  plan  of  life,  as  soon  and  as  much  as  he  can.’  Gataker. — (7)  He 
that  doeth  righteousness.]  10.  2:29. — (8)  He  that  committeth.]  Note , 
4 — 6. — Sinneth.]  Is  not  the  devil’s  sinning  habitual  ?  He  that  sins,  af¬ 
ter  his  example,  is  one  of  his  children,  and  he  who  does  righteousness 
habitually  after  Christ’s  example,  is  one  of  the  children  of  God. — (9.) 
■Seed.]  The  apostle  could  not  mean,  that  this  seed  which  remained  in 
the  regenerate,  perished.  If  baptism  be  regeneration ,  or  always  attended 
by  it ;  then  it  may  be  rendered  4  he  cannot  sin,  because  he  hath  been 
baptized  ’  Scott. 

(6.)  Whosoever  sinneth.]  ‘  Every  one  who  habitually  and  allowedly 
sinneth.  It  seems  absolutely  necessary  to  interpret  the  expression  thus, 
to  make  one  scripture  consistent  with  another,  (comp.  James  3:2.)  and 
even  to  reconcile  this  assertion  to  other  passages  in  this  epistle.  See 
ch.  1:8—10.’  Doddr. — 4  This  passage  is  not  contradictory  to  ch.  1:8 — 
10.  The  one  refers  to  particular  deeds,  the  other  to  general  practice.’ 

T.  II.  Horne. 

(7.)  He  that  doeth  righteousness.]  ‘lie  that  practueth  it,  not  per¬ 
forms  some  one  righteous  act :  no  man  can  be  entitled  to  the  character 
of  being  righteous ,  who  does  not  practise  universal  righteousness.’ 
Doddr. — Righteous.]  ‘The  apostle  does  not  mean  that  to  be  righteous 
in  the  sight  of  God,  it  is  necessary  that  one  be  perfectly  righteous;  but 
that  to  be  accounted  righteous  by  God,  we  must  endeavor  [through  pen- 


fessors  of  the  Gospel  lay  these  truths  to  heart,  and  examine  themselves 
by  them  :  and  let  all  ministers  be  sure,  as  they  will  answer  it  before  the 
Lord  Jesus,  at  the  day  of  judgment,  to  insist  fully  on  these  topics,  and 
make  them  plain  to  their  hearers.  For  numbers  are  most  certainly 
‘deceived  by  vain  words;’  4  sin  on,  that  grace  may  abound  ;’  make  the 
lamented  fact,  of  a  believer’s  liableness  to  be  overcome  by  temptation, 
a  palliation  of  their  habitual  wickedness;  and  hope  for  heaven,  whilst 
living  in  the  secret,  nay,  perhaps,  the  open  commission  of  those  things, 
4  for  which  the  wrath  of  God  comelii  upon  the  children  of  disobedience.’ 
Eph.  5:5 — 7.  Scott. 

ilence  and  faith  in  Christ],  to  work  righteousness  habitually,  with  the 
assistance  of  the  Spirit  of  God:  it  is  not  a  perfect  righteousness,  other¬ 
wise  salvation  would  not  be  of  grace,  but  of  debt.’  Mackn. 

(8.)  For  this  purpose,  &c.]  4  The  argument  here  requires  a  kailoi, 

and  yet.  [And  yet  for,  <fcc.]  Indeed,  the  omission  or  peculiar  use  of 
tiie  particles,  is  one  of  the  causes  of  difficulty  in  John’s  writings.’  Bl. 

V.  9.  See  on  v.  4.  Doth  not  commit  sin, — doth  not  habitually  prac¬ 
tise  it.  So  the  best  commentators.  And  4  by  translating  the  phrase 
thus  according  to  the  true  import  of  the  original,  the  argument  drawn 
from  this  text,  to  prove  the  sinless  perfection  of  the  saints  in  the  pres¬ 
ent  life,  is  precluded.’  So  Mackn.-,  who,  further,  in  relation  to  his  seed, 
«kc.,  refers  to  1  Pet.  1:23.  and  Ps.  119:11.  and  says,  what  is  meant  by 
that,  is,  ‘that  principle  of  faith  which  is  wrought  by  God  in  the  hearts 
of  believers,  and  by  which  they  are  said,  ch.  4.  to  obtain  the  victory 
over  the  world.’  131.,  in  relation  to  •  he  cannot  sin,'  takes  it,  after  4  the 
most  eminent  commentators  from  Grot,  to  Ros.,  of  moral  impossibility, 
implying,  that  the  born  of  God  cannot  bring  himself  to  commit  such 
sin  [i.  e.  habitual  sin]  ;  it  is  foreign  from  his  disposition.’  Ed. 

V.  13 — 15.  Humble,  disinterested,  active,  liberal,  and  forgiving  love 
of  men  in  general,  for  the  Lord’s  sake,  is  indeed  a  good  evidence  of  re¬ 
generation  ;  but  it  is  manifest  the  apostle  spoke  here  especially  of  the 
love  of  believers  towards  their  brethren  in  Christ,  as  such.  No  murder¬ 
er  hath  eternal  life,  <fcc.)  No  doubt  David,  when  in  one  dreadful  In¬ 
stance  he  was  guilty  of  complicated  murder,  had  ‘eternal  life  abiding 
in  him,’  2  Sam.  114  4 — 17.  nor  is  there  any  single  sin,  into  which  it  is 
impossible  for  a  regenerate  man  to  fall.  But  the  apostle  was  showing, 
that  no  true  believer  could  live  in  habitual  sin  j  and  he  stated,  that  he 
who  loved  not  his  brother  did  in  effect  hate  him ;  and  he,  who  habit¬ 
ually  hated  his  brother,  was  constantly  of  the  temper  of  a  murderer  ;  that 
is,  he  bare  the  image,  and  was  of  the  disposition,  of  the  devil,  and  there¬ 
fore  was  one  of  his  children,  and  not  one  of  the  children  of  a  God  of  love. 
— What  an  awful  view  do  the  concluding  words  give  of  the  state  of 
those  numbers,  who  habitually  determine,  by  duelling,  to  attempt  the 
commission  of  murder,  whenever  an  occasion  seems  to  call  for  it  ! — 

4  The  apostle  does  not  say,  that  by  loving  our  brethren,  we  are  trans¬ 
lated  from  deatli  to  life ;  . .  .  but  that  we  may  44  know  that  we  have 
p assccl.”  ’  Reza.  It  is  the  evidence  and  effect,  and  not  the  cause.  The 
state  of  death  in  sin  and  condemnation,  in  which  all  men  are  by  nature, 
is  here  taken  for  granted,  as  an  undeniable  fact ;  2  Cor.  5:13  15.  Eph. 

2:1 — 3.  and  also,  that  those  who  are  1  born  of  God,’  have  eternal  life 

’  [637] 


A.  D.  90. 


1  JOHN,  III. 


14  We  know  that  we  have  pass¬ 
ed  from  death  unto  life,  because  we 
love  the  brethren.  He  rthatloveth 
not  his  brother,  abideth  in  death. 

15  Whosoever  5  hateth  his  broth¬ 
er  is  a  murderer:  and  ye  know  that 
no  murderer  hath  eternal  life  abid¬ 
ing  in  him. 

16  Hereby  ‘perceive  we  the  love 
of  God ,  because  he  laid  down  his 
life  for  us :  and  we  ought  to  lay 
down  our  lives  for  the  brethren. 

17  But  u  whoso  hath  this  world’s 
good,  and  seeth  his  brother  have 
..  ;ed,  and  shutteth  up  his  bowels  of 
compassion  from  him,  how  vdwell- 
eth  the  love  of  God  in  him  ? 

[Practical  Observations.] 

18  My  little  children,  let  w  us  not 
love  in  word,  neither  in  tongue;  but 
in  deed  and  in  truth. 

r  c.  2:9,11.  u  De.  15:7.  Ro.  12:9. 

»  Mat  5.21,22.  v  c.  4:2U.  Ja  2:15,15. 

t  Jn.  15.13.  w  Eze.  33:31.  1  Pe.  1:22. 

Ro.  5:8. 


belong  to  the  Seed  of  the  woman,  that  is  to 
bruise  the  serpent’s  head. 

V.  14 — 19.  The  beloved  apostle  can 
scarcely  touch  on  the  mention  of  sacred  love, 
but  he  must  enlarge  on  the  enforcement  of 
it ;  as  here  he  does  by  divers  arguments  and 
incentives  thereto;  as, 

1.  That  it  is  a  note  of  our  evangelical 
justification,  of  our  transition  into  a  state 
of  life,  v.  14.  We  are  by  nature  children 
of  wrath  and  heirs  of  death.  By  the  Gospel 
our  state  towards  another  world  is  altered 
and  changed.  We  pass  from  death  to  life  ; 
from  the  guilt  of  death  to  the  right  of  life. 
An  I  this  transition  is  made  on  our  believing 
in  the  Lord  Jesus,  John  3:  36.  Now  this 
happy  change  of  state  we  may  come  to  be 
assured  of  ;  We  know,  &c.  we  may  know 
it  by  the  evidences  of  our  faith  in  Christ,  of 
which  this  love  to  our  brethren  is  one.  But 
this  love,  (1.)  supposes  a  general  love  to 
mankind  ;  Thou  shalt  love  thy  neighbor  as 
thyself.  Mankind  are  to  be  loved  princi¬ 
pally  on  these  two  accounts  ;  as  the  excel¬ 


lent  work  of  God,  and  as  being  beloved  in 
Christ.  The  reason  God  assigns  for  the 
certain  punishment  of  a  murderer,  is  a  rea¬ 
son  against  our  hatred  of  any  of  the  brethren 
of  mankind,  and  consequently  a  reason  for 
our  love  to  them  ;  for  in  the  image  of  God 
made  He  man,  Gen.  9:6.  And  the  whole 
human  race  should  be  considered  in  distinc¬ 
tion  from  fallen  angels,  as  having  a. divine 
Redeemer  designed,  prepared,  and  given 
for  them,  John  3:  16.  A  world  so  beloved 
of  God,  should  accordingly  be  loved  by 
us.  And  then  this  love  will  include  all 
due  love  to  enemies  themselves.  (2.)  It 
includes  a  peculiar  love  to  the  Christian 
church,  and  that  for  the  sake  of  her  Head, 
as  being  his  body,  as  being  redeemed,  jus¬ 
tified,  and  sanctified,  in  and  by  Him  ;  and 
this  love  particularly  acts  and  operates  to¬ 
ward  those  we  have  opportunity  of  being 
personally  acquainted  with,  or  credibly  in¬ 
formed  of.  They  are  not  so  much  loved  for 
their  own  sakes,  as  for  the  sake  of  God  and 
Christ,  who  have  loved  them.  And  so  this 
is  the  issue  of  faith  in  Christ  ;  and  is  there¬ 
upon  a  note  of  our  passage  from  death  to 
life. 

2.  The  hatred  of  our  brethren  is,  on  the 
contrary,  a  sign  of  our  deadly  state,  of  our 
continuance  under  the  legal  sentence  of 
death,  v.  14.  He  yet  stands  under  the  curse 
and  condemnation  of  the  law.  This  the 
apostle  argues  by  a  clear  syllogism;  ‘Ye 
know  that  no  murderer  hath  eternal  life 
abiding  in  him;  but  he  who  hates  his  broth¬ 
er  is  a  murderer  ;  therefore  ye  cannot  but 
know,  that  he  wdio  hates  his  brother  hath 
not  eternal  life  abiding  in  him,’  v.  15.  Or, 
he  abideth  in  death,  as  it  is  expressed  v.  14. 
No  wonder  he  who  has  a  considerable  ac¬ 
quaintance  with  the  heart  of  man,  or  is 
taught  by  Him  who  fully  knows  it,  who 
knows  the  natural  tendency  and  issue  of 
vile  and  violent  passions,  and  knows,  withal, 
the  fulness  of  the  divine  law,  declares  him 
who  hates  his  brother  to  be  a  murderer,  Rom. 
8:6.  The  apostle,  by  the  expression  of 
having  eternal  life  abiding  in  us,  may  seem 
to  mean  the  possession  of  an  internal  prin¬ 
ciple  of  endless  life,  —  according  to  that  of 
the  Savior,  Whosoever  drinktth  of  the  water 
that  I  shall  give  him,  shall  never  thirst,  shall 
never  be  totally  destitute  thereof  ;  but  the 


The  example  of  Christ  urged . 

water  that  I  shall  give  him,  shall  be  in  him  a 
well  of  water  springing  up  into  everlasting 
life,  John  4:  14.  And  thereupon  some  may 
be  apt  to  surmise,  that  the  passing  from  death 
to  life,  v.  14.  does  not  signify  the  relative 
change  made  in  our  justification  of  life,  but 
the  real  change  made  in  the  regeneration  to 
life  ;  and,  accordingly,  that  the  abiding  in 
death,  mentioned  v.  14.  is  continuance  in 
spiritual  death,  as  it  is  usually  called,  or 
abiding  in  the  corrupt,  deadly  temper  of  na¬ 
ture.  But  as  these  passages  more  naturally 
denote  the  state  of  the  person,  whether  ad¬ 
judged  to  life  or  death  ;  so  the  relative  tran¬ 
sition  from  death  to  life  may  well  be  proved 
or  disproved  by  the  possession  or  non-pos¬ 
session  of  the  inward  principle  of  eternal 
life;  since  washing  from  the  guilt  of  sin  is 
inseparably  united  with  washing  from  the 
filth  and  power  of  sin,  1  Cor.  6: 11. 

3.  The  example  of  God  and  Christ  should 
inflame  our  hearts  with  this  holy  love,  v.  16. 
The  great  God  has  given  his  Son  to  the 
death  for  us.  But  since  this  apostle  has  de¬ 
clared  that  the  tVord  was  God,  and  that  He 
became  flesh  for  us  ;  I  see  not  why  we  may 
not  interpret  this  of  God  the  Word.  Here 
is  the  love  of  God  Himself,  of  Him  who  in 
his  own  Person  is  God,  though  not  the  Fa¬ 
ther,  that  He  assumed  a  life,  that  He  might 
lay  it  down  fonts  !  Here  is  the  condescension, 
the  miracle,  the  mystery  of  divine  love,  that 
God  would  redeem  the  church  with  his  own 
blood  !  Surely,  we  should  love  those  whom 
God  hath  loved,  and  so  loved  :  we  shall  cer¬ 
tainly  do  so,  if  we  have  any  love  for  God. 

The  apostle,  having  proposed  this  flam¬ 
ing,  constraining  example  of  love,  and  mo¬ 
tive  to  it,  proceeds  to  show  us  what  should 
he  the  temper  and  effect  of  this  our  Chris¬ 
tian  love.  And  so,  1.  It  must  be,  in  the 
highest  degree,  so  fervent  as  to  make  us 
willing  to  suffer  even  to  death  for  the  good 
of  the  church,  for  the  safety  and  salva¬ 
tion  of  the  dear  brethren,  v.  16.  either  in 
our  ministrations  and  services  to  them,  Phil. 
2:  17.  or  in  exposing  ourselves  to  hazards, 
when  called  thereto,  Rom.  16:4.  How 
mortified  should  the  Christian  he  to  this 
life  !  How'  prepared  to  part  with  it  !  And 
how  well  assured  of  a  better!  2.  It  must 
he,  in  the  next  degree,  compassionate,  lib¬ 
eral,  and  communicative  to  the  necessities 


TRACT.  OBS.  V.  11 — 17.  In  ascertaining  our  state  and  character, 
as  well  ns  inquiring  after  our  duty,  it  behooves  us  to  advert  especially  to 
‘the  message,’  delivered  to  Christians,  ‘from  the  beginning,  to  love  one 
another.’  For  the  children  of  God  are  distinguished  by  humble,  harm¬ 
less,  and  self-denying  love;  as  those  of  the  devil  are,  by  proud,  selfish, 
and  mischievous  hatred  :  or  disregard  to  the  welfare  of  others,  except 
as  connected  with  their  own  comfort  or  enjoyment. — If  indeed  we  ‘  love 
the  brethren,’  we  may  know,  that  we  have  passed  from  our  nntural 
state  of  enmity  and  spiritual  death  and  condemnation  ;  anti  are  brought 
into  the  company  of  those,  who  are  ‘  alive  to  God  through  Jesus  Christ  our 
Lord.’  But  if  this  radical  grace  he  wholly  wanting,  the  most  plausible 
professor  of  the  Gospel  ‘abideth  in  death  :  ’  yea,  he  is  a  murderer  in  his 

abiding  in  them,’  and  may  ‘  know  that  they  are  passed  from  death  mi  to 
life.’  2:3 — 6. — The  true  Christian,  as  such,  is  the  brother,  and  the  ob¬ 
ject  of  special  affection  to  all  believers;  but  men  in  general  nre  our 
brethren,  in  Adam.  So  that  haired  of  any  man,  a  brother  by  nature, 
proves  the  professed  Christian  unregenerate  ;  but  love  of  Christians 
especially,  is,  in  this  respect,  the  most  indisputable  proof  of  regenera¬ 
tion.  (14)  Passed,  <fcc.)  John  5:24.  The  words  are  the  same;  ‘from 
the  death  to  the  life.’ — ‘This  is  said  even  of  the  best  of  men.  ..  .  They 
are,  as  it  were,  born  in  the  land  ...  of  death  ;  . .  .  the  Gospel  finds  them 
in  such  a  condition,  as  to  be  liable  to  condemnation  and  destruction,  to 
the  execution  of  a  capital  sentence.  ..  .  Such  oblique  expressions  speak 
such  truths  as  these,  in  a  manner  peculiarly  convincing  and  affecting.’ 
Doddr  .—Abideth ,  c.]  Not  is  brought  into  that  state;  but  continues 

in  his  original  ruined  condition,  as  unregenerate. — A  murderer.  Scott. 

(14.)  ‘The  love  which  one  Christian  has  for  another,  is  not  a  blind, 
enthusiastic  passion;  it  is  a  rational  affection  [and  sympathy],  arising 
from  a  previous  opinion  of  him  as  a  Christian.  Love  to  the  brethren  is 
the  same  thing  as  a  love  of  truth  and  holiness.  It  is  not  our  loving 
another,  but  our  loving  that  virtue  which  appears  in  another,  that  may 
be  called  love  to  the  brethren,  as  such,  and  proves  our  having  passed 
from  death  to  life.'  Lathrop. 

V.  16,  17.  The  effects  of  genuine  love  toward  the  brethren  required 
to  be  ascertained  ;  and  this  might  be  understood,  by  considering  1  the 
love  of  God  ’  to  sinners.  Many  copies  read  ‘  love,’  and  not  ‘  the  love  of 
God  ;  ’  so  that  the  same  weight  cannot  be  laid  on  this  passage,  as  on  a 
similar  one,  Acts  20:28. — Every  instance  and  degree  of  this  selfishness, 
[withholding  charity  when  it  might  be  given  to  worthy  objects,]  must 
weaken  the  evidence  of  a  man’s  conversion  :  and  when  it  is  habitual 
and  allowed,  it  must  decide  that  he  does  not  belong  to  God,  but  resem¬ 
bles  Cain  far  more  than  Jesus  Christ ;  seeing  he  would  rather  leave  tho 

[638] 


heart ;  he  bears  the  image  of  Satan,  and  1  hath  not  eternal  life  abiding  in 
him.’  If  it  may,  in  some  cases,  be  our  duty  to  lay  down  our  lives  for 
our  brethren,  what  shall  we  say  to  those  persons,  professing  the  Gospel 
of  Christ,  who  are  rich  in  this  world  ;  and  eit  her  hoard  the  greatest  part 
of  their  wealth,  or  spend  it  in  gratifying  ‘  the  lust  of  the  llesh,  the  lust 
of  the  eye,  or  the  pride  of  life,’  2:15—17.  whilst  they  behold  their  poor 
brethren  in  distress,  and  refuse  to  pity  them,  or  to  part  with  any  due 
proportion  of  their  abundance,  for  their  relief?  How  can  it  be  thought 
that  ‘  the  love  of  God  dwelleth  in  them  ?  ’  Or  how  ran  1  they  suppose 
themselves  followers  of  Christ,’ when  ‘  this  world’s  .good  ’  is  more  val¬ 
ued  by  them,  than  his  example,  commandment,  glory,  and  favor,  or  the 
comfort  and  even  lives  of  their  brethren  ?  Lit.  16:19 — 31.  2  Cor.  8:6—9.  S. 

children  of  God  to  suffer  or  die,  than  part  with  his  money,  or  abridge 
ltis  own  indulgences,  to  alleviate  their  sorrows,  or  save  their  lives. 
This  might  also  he  deemed  constructive  murder  ;  as  such  a  man  refused 
to  preserve  life,  when  it  was  in  his  power,  and  when  it  was  his  bounden 
duty  to  do  it;  and  if  the  Lord  had  acted  thus  towards  sinners  and  ene¬ 
mies,  we  must  all  have  perished.  Prov.  24:11,  12.  Rom.  14:13 — 18.  1 
Cor,  8:7 — -13, — As  no  higher  expression  of  love  is  mentioned,  than  a 
willingness  to  ‘  lay  down  our  lives  for  our  brethren  ;’  it  is  manifest,  that 
the  apostle  did  not  maintain  the  extravagant  notion,  that  true  grace  will 
make  us  willing  to  be  eternally  miserable,  for  the  glory  of  God  and  the 
good  of  the  universe!  (17)  This  world's  good.]  2:16.  Luke  21:4. — 
Not  riches,  but  things  needful,  with  a  little  to  spare,  are  meant.  Sc. 

(16.)  Hereby  perceive  we  the  love  of  God.]  ‘The  words  “  of  God,” 
being  omitted  in  many  MSS.  and  most  printed  editions,  are  put  in  ital¬ 
ics  :  but  Mackn.  supplies  from  v.  8.  “  the  Son  of  God.”  Doddr.  reads, 
‘‘Hereby  perceive  we  love,”  compare  v.  1.’  Williams  — Bl.  renders 
the  v.  thus  :  ‘  By  this  we  may  know  (what)  love  (is),  namely,  that  He 
laid  down  his  life  for  us,  and  tints  ought  we  to  lay  down  our  lives  for  tho 
brethren.’  Ros.  renders  :  ‘The  true  nature  of  love.’  But  1  it  must  sure¬ 
ly,’  Bloomf.  adds,  ‘  be  mentioned  with  reference  to  Christ.’  Ed.  Lay 
down.]  ‘  I.  e.  when  the  life  and  happiness  of  many  are  concerned,  we 
ought  to  be  willing  to  sacrifice  our  own.’  Doddr. 

V.  18 — 24.  According  to  the  law,  and  the  covenant  of  works,  every 
man's  heart  must  ‘condemn  him,’  in  proportion  as  he  knows  the  rule  of 
duty,  and  examines  himself  by  it.  Even  according  to  the  Gospel,  his 
own  heart  must  condemn  of  hypocrisy  every  man,  who  lives  In  allowed, 
habitual  sin  :  unless  his  conscience  be  seared,  and  God  have  given  him 
up  to  be  judicially  blinded  and  hardened.  Nay,  when  true  believers  are 
betrayed  into  any  known  sin,  of  omission  or  commission,  they  are  ar¬ 
raigned  at  the  tribunal  of  their  own  hearts,  and  condemned  for  it :  and 


A.  D.  90. 


1  JOHN,  III. 


The  authority  o  f  conscience. 


19  And  hereby  Mve  know  that 
we  are  of  the  truth,  and  shall  ’'as¬ 
sure  our  hearts  before  him. 

20  For  if  our  heart  condemn  us, 
God  is  greater  than  our  heart,  and 
knoweth  all  things. 

21  Beloved,  if  our  heart  1  con¬ 
demn  us  not,  then  have  we  confi¬ 
dence  *  toward  God. 

22  And  whatsoever  b  we  ask,  we 
receive  of  him,  because  we  keep  his 
commandments,  and  do  those  things 
that  are  pleasing  in  his  sight. 

23  And  this  'is  his  commandment, 
That  we  should  bejieve  on  the  name 
of  his  Son  Jesus  Christ,  and  love 
one  another,  as  he  gave  us  com¬ 
mandment. 

24  And  he  d  that  keepeth  his  com¬ 
mandments  dwelleth  in  him,  and 
he  in  him.  And  hereby  'we  know 
that  he  abideth  in  us,  by  the  Spirit 
which  he  hath  given  us. 


x  Jii.  13:35. 
y  pertifade. 
7.  Jii  ‘27:6. 
Ps.  101:2. 


a  He.  10:22. 
b  Ps.  145:18,19. 
Pr.  15:29. 
Ma.  11:24. 


c  De.  18:15,19. 

Jn.  14:1. 

d  Jn. 14:23.  15:10. 
e  Ro.  8:9, 14. 


of  tlie  brethren,  v.  17.  It  pleases  God,  that 
some  of  the  Christian  brethren  should  be 
poor,  for  the  exercise  of  the  charity  and  love 
of  those  that  are  rich.  And  it  pleases  the 
same  God,  to  give  to  some  of  the  Christian 
brethren  this  world’s  good,  that  they  may 
exercise  their  grace  in  communicating  to 
the  poor  saints.  It  appears  here,  that  this 
love  to  the  brethren  is  founded  on  love  to 
God,  in  that  it  is  here  called  so  by  the 
apostle  ;  How  dwelleth  the  love  of  God  in 
him  ?  This  love  to  the  brethren  is  love  to 
God  in  them,  and  where  there  is  none  of 
this  love  to  them,  there  is  no  true  love  to 
God  at  all.  3.  I  was  going  to  intimate 
the  third  and  lowest  degree  in  the  next 
verse  ;  but  the  apostle  has  prevented  me, 
by  intimating  that  this  last  charitable,  com¬ 
municative  love,  in  persons  of  ability,  is  the 
lowest  that  can  consist  with  the  love  of 
God.  But  there  may  be  other  fruits  of  this 
love  ;  and  therefore  the  apostle  desires  that 
in  all  it  should  he  unfeigned  and  operative, 
as  circumstances  will  allow,  v.  18.  Com¬ 
pliments  and  flatteries  become  not  Chris¬ 
tians  j  but  the  sincere  expressions  of  sacred 
affection,  and  the  services  or  labors  of  love, 
do.  Then, 

4.  This  love  will  evince  our  sincerity  in 
religion,  and  give  us  hope  toward  God, 


v.  19.  It  is  a  great  happiness  lo  be  assured 
of  our  integrity  in  religion.  The  way  to 
arrive  at  the  knowledge  of  our  own  truth 
and  uprightness  in  Christianity,  and  to  se¬ 
cure  our  inward  peace,  is,  to  abound  in 
love,  and  in  the  works  of  love  toward  the 
Christian  brethren. 

V.  20  —  22.  The  apostle,  having  inti¬ 
mated  that  there  may  be,  even  among  us, 
such  a  privilege  as  an  assurance  or  sound 
persuasion  of  heart  toward  God,  proceeds 
here, 

1.  To  establish  the  court  of  conscience, 
and  to  assert  the  authority  of  it,  v.  20.  Our 
heart,  here,  is  our  self-reflecting,  judicial 
power,  whereby  we  can  take  cognizance  of 
our  spirits,  dispositions,  and  actions;  and 
accordingly  pass  a  judgment  on  our  state  to¬ 
ward  God  ;  and  so  it  is  the  same  with  con¬ 
science,  or  the  power  of  moral  self-con- 
seiousness  :  this  power  can  act  both  as  wit¬ 
ness,  judge,  and  executioner  of  judgment  ; 
it  is  set  and  placed  in  this  office  by  God 
Himself,  Prov.  20:27.  Conscience  acts  for 
God,  1  Pet.  3:  21.  God  is  chief  Judge  of 
the  court  ;  is  superior  in  power  and  judg¬ 
ment  ;  hence  the  act  and  judgment  of  the 
court  are  the  act  and  judgment  of  God  ;  as, 
(1.)  If  conscience  condemn  us,  God  does  so 
too,  v.  20.  God  is  a  greater  Witness,  and 
knoweth  more  against  us  than  conscience 
docs  ;  He  knoweth  all  things  ;  and,  as  He  is 
supreme,  so  his  judgment  shall  stand,  and 
shall  be  fully  and  finally  executed.  'Phis 
seems  to  be  the  design  of  another  apostle, 
1  Cor.  4:4.  Or,  (2.)  If  conscience  acquit 
us,  God  does  so  too,  v.  21.  But,  possibly, 
some  presumptuous  soul  may  here  say,  ‘  1 
am  glad  of  this  ;  my  heart  does  not  condemn 
me,  and  therefore  I  may  conclude  God  does 
not.’  As,  on  the  contrary,  on  the  forego¬ 
ing  verse,  some  pious,  trembling  soul  will 
be  ready  to  cry  out,  ‘  God  forbid  !  My  heart 
or  conscience  condemns  me,  and  must  I  then 
infallibly  expect  the  condemnation  of  God  V 
But  let  such  know,  that  the  errors  of  the 
witness  are  not  here  reckoned  as  the  acts 
of  the  court  ;  the  court  of  conscience  is  here 
described  in  its  process,  according  to  the 
original  constitution  of  it  by  God  Himself; 
according  to  which  process,  what  is  bound 
in  conscience,  is  bound  in  heaven  ;  let  con¬ 
science  therefore  be  heard,  be  well-inform¬ 
ed,  and  diligently  attended  to. 

2.  To  indicate  the  privilege  of  those  who 
have  a  good  conscience  toward  God;  they 
have  interest  in  heaven,  and  in  the  court 
above  ;  their  suits  are  heard  there,  v.  22. 
It  is  supposed  that  the  petitioners  do  not 
desire,  or  do  not  intend  to  desire,  anything 
contrary  to  the  honor  or  glory  of  the  court, 
or  to  their  own  intended  spiritual  good  ; 


and  then  they  may  depend  on  receiving  the 
good  things  they  ask  for  ;  and  this  supposi¬ 
tion  may  well  be  made  concerning  the  peti¬ 
tioners,  or  they  may  well  be  supposed  to 
receive  the  good  things  they  ask  for,  consid¬ 
ering  their  qualification  and  practice,  v.  22. 
Obedient  souls  are  prepared  for  blessings, 
and  they  have  promise  of  audience  ;  they 
who  commit  things  displeasing  to  God,  can¬ 
not  expect  He  should  please  them  in  hear¬ 
ing  and  answering  their  prayers,  Ps.  66:  IS. 
Prov.  28:  9. 

V.  23,  24.  The  apostle,  having  men¬ 
tioned  keeping  the  commandments ,  and  [the] 
pleasing  of  God,  as  the  qualification  of  ef¬ 
fectual  petitioners  in  and  with  heaven,  here 
proceeds, 

1.  To  represent  to  us  what  those  com¬ 

mandments  primarily  and  summarily  are,  in 
this  double  one,  v.  23.  To  believe  on  the 
name  of  his  Son  Jesus  Christ,  is,  (1.)  To 
discern  what  He  is,  according  to  his  name  ; 
to  have  an  intellectual  view  of  his  Person 
and  office,  as  the  Son  of  God,  and  the  anoint¬ 
ed  Savior  of  the  world  ;  that  every  one  that 
sceth  the  Son,  and  bclieveth  on  Him,  may  have 
everlasting  life,  John  6:40.  (2.)  To  ap¬ 

prove  Him  in  judgment  and  conscience,  in 
conviction  and  consciousness  of  our  case,  as 
one  wisely  and  wonderfully  prepared  and 
adapted  for  the  whole  work  of  the  eternal 
salvation.  (3.)  To  consent  to  Him,  and 
acquiesce  iu  Him,  as  our  Redeemer  and  Re- 
coverer  unto  God.  (4.)  To  trust  to  Him, 
and  rely  on  Him,  for  the  full  and  final  dis¬ 
charge  of  his  saving  office,  Ps.  9:  10.  2  Tim. 
1:  12.  This  is  the  first  part  of  the  command¬ 
ment  that  must  be  observed  by  acceptable 
worshippers  ;  the  second  is,  that  we  love 
one  another,  as  He  gave  us  commandment, 
v.  23.  The  command  of  Christ  should  be 
continually  before  our  eyes  ;  Christian  love 
must  possess  our  souls  when  we  go  to  God 
in  prayer  ;  to  this  end  we  must  remember, 
that  our  Lord  obliges  us  to  forgive  those 
who  offend  us,  Mat.  6: 14.  and  to  reconcile 
ourselves  to  those  whom  we  have  offended. 
Mat.  5:23,24. 

2.  To  represent  to  us  the  blessedness  of 
obedience  to  these  commands  ;  the  obedient 
en[oy  communion  with  God,  v.  24.  We 
dwell  in  God  by  a  happy  relation  to  Him, 
and  spiritual  union  with  Him,  through  his 
Son,  and  by  a  holy  converse  with  Him  ; 
and  God  dwells  in  us  by  his  Word,  and  our 
faith  fixed  on  Him,  and  by  the  operations 
of  his  Spirit  :  then  there  occurs  the  trial  of 
his  divine  inhabitation,  by  the  sacred  dispo¬ 
sition  and  frame  of  soul  He  hath  conferred 
on  us  ;  which,  being  a  spirit  of  faith  in  God 
ant!  Christ,  and  of  love  to  God  and  man, 
appears  to  be  of  God. 


PRACT.  OBS.  V.  18 — 24.  All  Christians,  whether  rich  or  poor, 
should  he  careful  to  love  one  another,  ‘not  in  word  and  in  tongue, 
hut  iu  deed  and  in  truth  ;  ’  leaving  cheap  and  hollow  compliments  to  the 
‘  children  of  the  wicked  one  ;  ’  as  the  necessary  varnish  and  polishing  of 
selfishness.  But  when  ‘our  hearts  condemn  us,’  of  acting  contrary  to 
our  duty,  and  inconsistently  with  our  profession  ;  the  consideration  of  the 
greatness,  holiness,  and  omniscience  of  God,  must  weaken  our  confi¬ 
dence,  and  give  us  apprehensions  of  being  dealt  with  after  our  own 
measure  of  penuriousness  and  severity  :  while  the.  Spirit  of  God,  being 
grieved  by  our  selfishness,  will  leave  us  disconsolate  and  full  of  dark¬ 
ness  and  terror.  Thus  we  feel,  when  called  by  the  hour  or  season  to 
approach  the  throne  of  grace,  as  children,  who,  being  conscious  of  hav¬ 
ing  acted  contrary  to  the  will  of  their  parents,  are  ashamed  and  afraid 
to  meet  them  ;  seek  excuses  for  shunning  them  ;  or  appear  dejected  in 
their  presence,  as  afraid  of  rebukes,  frowns,  and  corrections,  and  not  ex¬ 
pecting  endearments  and  caresses.  Hence,  much  interruption  and  neg¬ 


lect  of  prayer:  to  our  unspeakable  detriment  !  But  when  our  hearts  do 
not  condemn  us,  of  allowed  deviations  from  our  duty  ;  then,  like  chil¬ 
dren  who  are  conscious  of  having  done  aright,  and,  being  assured  of 
their  loving  parents’  approbation,  rejoice  in  their  npproach,  we  have 
confidence  with  God  ;  and  ‘  whatsoever  we  ask  we  receive  of  Him,’  be¬ 
cause  we  sfinw  that  we  repent  and  believe,  by  ‘keeping  his  command¬ 
ments,  and  doing  those  things  which  are  well-pleasing  in  his  sight.’ 
Thus  a  gratuitous  salvation,  and  the  holy  obedience  of  love,  are  insepa¬ 
rably  connected  ;  as  the  substance  of  the  command  of  God  to  sinners 
‘is  faith  in  his  Son  Jesus  Christ,  and  love  to  one  another’  for  his  sake. 
This  obedience,  though  utterly  insufficient  for  our  justification,  (for  ‘we 
are  made  the  righteousness  of  God  in  Christ,’)  proves  that  ‘  we  dwell  in 
Him  and  Jle  in  ns;’  the  sanctifying  Spirit,  which  He  has  given  us, 
forms  and  maintains  the  sacred  union,  und  ‘seals  us  the  children  of 
God  ;  ’  and  his  consolations  are  the  foretastes  of  our  eternal  felicity. 

Scott. 


their  confidence  in  God  is  weakened  ;  till  deep  humiliation,  and  faith  in 
tlie  atoning  blood  for  pardon,  make  way  for  the  renewal  of  their  peace, 
and  the  revival  of  their  confidence:  and  if,  through  more  grievous  de¬ 
clensions,  their  consciences  lose  this  salutary,  though  painful  sensibili¬ 
ty  ;  severe  corrections  will  surely  be  employed,  as  the  merciful  means 
of  preventing  their  total  ruin.  2  Sam.  11:27.  Ps.  32:3 — 5.  The  Spirit 
which  He  hath  given  us.]  John  14:15 — 24.  Gal.  2:17 — 21.  Eph.  314 — 
19. — This  could  not  relate  exclusively  to  the  miraculous  operations  of 
the  Holy  Spirit,  which  were  no  full  proof  of  this  gracious  indwelling; 
Mat.  7:21—23.  1  Cor.  13:1 — 3.  but  to  his  new-creating  energy,  produc¬ 
ing  holy  love,  and  renewing  the  image  of  Christ  on  the  soul,  and  ‘wit¬ 
nessing  with  our  spirits  that  we  are  the  children  of  God.’  Rom.  8:5 — 17. 

Scott. 

(18.)  ‘As  the  affections  necessarily  belong  to  human  nature,  so  holy 


affections  not  only  necessarily  belong  to  true  religion,  but  constitute  a 
principal  part  of  it.  And,  as  true  religion  is  of  a  practical  nature,  and 
God  has  so  constituted  the  human  frame,  that  the  affections  are  the 
chief  spring  of  men’s  actions,  this  also  shows  that  true  religion  must 
consist  very  much  in  the  affections.  Faith,  hope,  charity,  or  love,  are 
represented  as  the  three  great  tilings  of  which  religion  consists. 

Edwjuds. 

(19 — 24.)  ‘  Though  self-examination  is  a  duty  of  great  importance, 

yet  it  is  not  the  principal  mean,  by  which  the  saints  obtain  satisfaction 
as  to  their  interest  in  the  favor  of  God.  [It  is  rather  a  mean  of  ?row- 
ing  in  grace,  by  finding  wherein  we  offend  and  come  short  in  duty.) 
Assurance  is  not  to  he  obtained  so  much  by  self-examination,  as  by 
active  pietv.  Paul  sought  it  thus.  So  Peter  directs,  2  Pet.  1:5—11. 

[639] 


A.  D.  90, 


i  JOHN,  IV. 


Who  are  of  Ike  world,  and  who  of  God. 


CHAP.  IV. 

i  He  warneth  them  not  to  believe  nil  teachers,  who  boast 
of  the  Spirit,  but  to  try  them  by  the  rules  of  the  catholic 
faith  :  and  by  many  reasons  exhorteth  to  brotherly  love. 

BELOVED,  believe  “not  every 
spirit,  but  try  b  the  spirits  wheth¬ 
er  they  are  of  God;  because  c  many 
false  prophets  are  gone  out  into  the 
world. 

2  Hereby  know  ye  the  Spirit  of 
God:  Every  d  spirit  that  confesseth 
that  Jesus  Christ  is  come  in  the 
flesh,  is  of  God : 

3  And  every  spirit  that  confesseth 
not  that  Jesus  Christ  is  come  in  the 
flesh,  is  not  of  God:  and  this  is  that 
spirit  of  antichrist,  whereof  ye  have 
heard  that  ii  should  come;  and  even 
now  already  is  it  in  the  world. 

4  Ye  are  of  God,  little  children, 
and  have  overcome  c  them  :  because 

a  Je  29:8.  Re.  2:2.  ri  1  Co.  12:3. 

Mat.  24:4.  c  2  Pe.  2:8.  e  Ro.  8:37. 

b  1  Th.  5:21. 


Chap.  IV.  V.  1 — 3.  The  apostle,  hav¬ 
ing  said  that  God’s  dwelling  in  and  with  us 
may  be  known  by  the  Spirit  He  hath  given 
us,  intimates  that  that  Spirit  may  be  dis¬ 
cerned  and  distinguished  from  other  spirits 
that  appear  in  the  world  ;  and  so  here, 

1.  He  calls  the  disciples,  to  whom  he 
writes,  to  caution  and  scrutiny  about  the 
spirits,  and  spiritual  professors  now  risen. 
(1.)  To  caution,  v.  1.  follow  not  every  pre¬ 
tender.  Truth  is  the  foundation  of  simula¬ 


tion  and  counterfeits  ;  there  had  been  real 
communications  from  the  divine  Spirit, 
therefore  others  pretended  thereto.  But 
every  pretender  to  the  divine  Spirit,  or  to 
inspiration,  and  extraordinary  illumination 
thereby,  is  not  to  be  believed.  Time  was, 
when  the  spiritual  man  (the  man  of  the  Spir¬ 
it,  who  made  a  great  boast  of  the  Spirit) 
was  mad,  Hos.  9:7.  (2.)  To  scrutiny;' 

examine  the  claims  laid  to  the  Spirit,  v.  1. 
a  judgment  of  discretion  is  allowed  in  refer¬ 
ence  to  the  spirits  that  would  be  believed 
and  trusted  in  the  affairs  of  religion  ;  and  a 
reason  is  given  for  this  trial.  Much  about 
the  Savior’s  time,  there  was  a  general  ex¬ 
pectation,  among  the  Jews,  of  a  Redeemer 
to  Israel  ;  and  the  humiliation,  spiritual 
reformation,  and  sufferings  of  the  Savior  be¬ 
ing  taken  as  a  prejudice  against  Him,  oth¬ 
ers  set  up  as  prophets  and  messiahs  to  Israel, 
according  to  the  Savior’s  prediction,  Mat. 
24:23,24.  It  should  not  seem  strange  to 
us,  that  false  teachers  set  up  in  the  church  ; 
it  was  so  in  the  apostle’s  times  ;  fatal  is 
the  spirit  of  delusion,  sad  that  men  should 
vaunt  themselves  for  prophets  and  inspired 
preachers,  that  are  by  no  means  so  ! 

2.  He  gives  a  test  whereby  the  disciples 
may  try  these  pretending  spirits,  v.  2.  Jesus 
Christ  is  to  be  confessed  as  the  Son  of  God, 
the  eternal  Life  and  Word,  that  was  with 
the  Father  from  the  beginning  ;  ns  the  Son 
of  God  that  came  into,  and  came  in,  our  hu¬ 
man,  mortal  nature,  and  therein  suffered  and 
died  at  Jerusalem.  He  who  confesses  and 
preaches  this,  by  a  mind  supernnturally  in¬ 
structed  and  enlightened  therein,  does  it  by 
the  Spirit  of  God,  or  God  is  the  Author  of 


that  illumination.  On  the  contrary,  Every 
spirit  that  confesseth  not  that  Jesus  Christ  is 
come  in  the  flesh,  (or,  that  Jesus  Christ  who 
came  in  the  flesh,)  is  not  of  God,  v.  3.  God 
has  given  so  much  testimony  to  Jesus  Christ, 
that  ye  may  be  assured,  that  any  impulse  or 
pretended  inspiration  that  contradicts  this, 
is  far  from  being  from  heaven  and  of  God. 
The  sum  of  revealed  religion  is  comprehend¬ 
ed  in  the  doctrine  concerning  Christ,  his 
Person  and  office.  We  see,  then,  the  aggra¬ 
vation  of  a  formed  opposition  against  Him 
;  and  it,  v.  3.  It  was  foreknown  by  God, 
that  antichrists  would  arise  ;  also  that  one 
:  eminent  antichrist  would  make  a  long  and 
j  fatal  war  against  Christ  ;•  this  great  auti- 
!  christ  would  have  his  way  prepared,  and 
his  rise  facilitated,  by  other  and  less  anti- 
|  christs,  and  the  spirit  of  error  working  and 
disposing  men’s  minds  for  him  ;  the  anti- 
|  Christian  spirit  began  betimes,  even  in  the 
|  apostles’  days.  Dreadful  and  unseareh- 
I  able  is  the  judgment  of  God,  that  persons 
should  be  given  yver  to  such  darkness  and 
I  delusion,  as  to  set  themselves  against  the 
I  Son  of  God,  and  all  the  testimony  the  Fa- 
j  tlier  hath  given  to  the  Son  !  But  we  have 
j  been  foretold  and  forewarned  that  .such  op- 
:  position  would  arise  ;  we  should  therefore 
j  cease  to  be  offended  ;  and  the  more  we  see 
I  the  word  of  Christ  fulfilled,  the  more  con¬ 
firmed  we  should  be  in  the  truth  of  it. 

V.  4 — 6.  In  these  verses,  the  apostle  en¬ 
courages  the  disciples  against  the  fear  and 
danger  of  this  seducing,  antichristian  spiiit, 
and  that  by  such  methods  as  these  :  1.  lie 

assures  them  of  a  more  divine  principle  in 
them,  v.  4.  We  are  of  God ,  v.  6.  We  are 


NOTES.  Chap.  IV.  V.  1 — 3.  In  giving  this  direction,  the  apostle 
did  not  make  his  appeal  to  the  miracles  wrought  by  the  true  prophets- 
Deut.  13:1 — 5.  2  Tkes.  2:8 — 12.  Hut  he  deemed  it  more  decisive,  to 
determine  the  matter  by  the  agreement  or  disagreement  of  their  doctrine 
with  that  which  the  apostles  had  from  the  first  ‘  preached  with  the  Holy 
Ghost  sent  down  from  heaven.’  1  Pet.  1:10 — 12.  For  this  was  con¬ 
firmed  by  the  Scriptures  of  the  Old  Test,  by  all  the  miracles  of  Christ, 
and  all  the  prophecies  fulfilled  in  Ilim  ;  by  his  resurrection,  and  the  ac¬ 
complishment  of  his  engagements  and  predictions,  and  by  all  the  mir¬ 
acles  performed  by  the  first  preachers  and  professors  of  Christianity, 
during  a  number  of  years ;  and  nothing  done  by  those  false  prophets, 
who  opposed  their  doctrine,  could  pretend  to  equal  this  multiplied  de¬ 
monstration. —  This  shows,  lhat  Christians  who  are  well  acquainted 
wiili  the  Scriptures,  may,  in  humble  dependence  on  divine  teaching, 
know  for  themselves,  who  it  is  that  preaches  according  to  the  doctrine 
of  the  apostles,  and  who  contradicts  it ;  and  that  they  are  bound  to 
make  this  trial  of  men  and  their  tenets;  and  so  it  establishes  t lie  right 
of  private  judgment.  It  shows,  also,  that  no  pretences  to  the  Spirit,  to 
inspiration,  or  new  revelations,  are  to  be  regarded  as  anything  Getter 
than  Satanical  delusions,  when  they  are  brought  to  disprove  or  oppose 
the  fundamental  doctrines  delivered  by  the  apostles;  that  even  appa¬ 
rent  miracles  would  be  totally  insufficient  to  authenticate  an  antiscrip- 
tural  doctrine:  and  consequently,  that  philosophical  reasonings  and  hu¬ 
man  authority  must  be  entirely  disregarded.  These  premises  conclude 
equally  against  Mystics,  Enthusiasts,  Papists,  Socinians,  and  Deists,  who 
may  mutually  despise  and  oppose  each  other,  but  all  agree  in  setting  up 
new  lights,  against  the  authenticated  and  complete  light  of  divine  revela¬ 
tion. — The  apostle,  therefore,  exhorted  his  brethren,  in  examining  and  de¬ 
ciding,  who  spake  by  the  Spirit  of  God,  and  who  did  not,  to  observe,  lhat 
‘everv  spirit  which  confessed  Jesus  Christ,  as  having  come  in  the  flesh, 
was  of  God.’  2:18—25.  Mat.  10:32,  33.  11:25—27.  John  16:14,  15.  1 
Cor.  12:1 — 3.  This  must  be  understood  of  an  intelligent  confession  of 
the  doctrine,  delivered  by  the  apostles,  concerning  ihe  Lord  Jesus,  his 
Person,  and  his  offices.  The  reality  of  his  human  nature  was,  no  doubt, 
peculiarly  adverted  to  by  the  expression,  ‘come  in  the  flesh  but,  who 
could  have  doubted  of  his  having  heen  really  a  Man,  if  it  had  been  gen¬ 
erally  understood  and  believed,  that  He  was  merely  a  Man  ?  And  if  the 
apostle  had  not  known,  that,  as  ‘  the  Son  of  God,’  He  could  have  come 
otherwise  than  ‘in  the  flesh,’  he  would  scarcely  have  noticed  his 
‘  coining  in  the  flesh,’  as  an  essential  part  of  this  confession.  For  who 
would  have  said,  that  John  the  Baptist,  or  John  the  apostle,  came  ‘  in 
the  flesh,’  when  they  were  employed  in  preaching  the  Gospel  ?  for  they 
must  have  come  in  human  nature,  seeing  they  had  no  other  nature. 
1  Tim.  3:16.  Heb.  2:14,  15.  But  the  coming  of  Christ  in  human  nature, 
when  God  ‘tile  Word  became  flesh,  and  tabernacled  among  men,’  xvas 
indeed  essential  to  the  apostle’s  doctrine  concerning  his  redemption. 
{Note,  John  1:14.)  So  that  they,  who  did  not  confess  Him  as  ‘  come  in 
the  flesh,’  or  who  advanced  any  tenets  contrary  to  his  being  ‘  the 
Christ,  the  Son  of  the  living  God  ;  ’  or  to  any  of  those  offices,  which,  as 
God  manifested  in  the  flesh,  He  was  anointed  to  perform,  were  not  of 
God,  whatever  pretences  they  advanced  to  inspiration,  or  whatever  ap¬ 
pearances  they  exhibited  of  miraculous  powers.  These  heretics,  whom 
the  apostle  here  showed  to  be  the  forerunners  of  the  principal  anti¬ 
christ,  have  been  proved  by  learned  men  to  be  the  very  same  persons, 
whose  sentiments  the  Socinians,  and  some  others,  now  adopt  and  patro¬ 
nize  as  primitive  Christianity  ;  and  it  is  not  very  improbable,  that  the 
most  fatal  prevalence  of  antichrist,  which  is  yet  supposed  to  be  future 
will  lie  in  tlie  garb  of  infidelity,  or  open  opposition  to  the  Deity  and 
atonement  of  Christ;  that  is,  ‘denying  lhat  Jesus  Christ,  the  Son  of 
God,  is  come  in  the  flesh,’  to  be  ‘  the  propitiation  for  the  sins  of  the 
world,’  and  not  in  lhat  of  gross  popery.  Rev.  11:7 — 12.  Scott. 

[640] 


(1.)  Spirit .]  ‘  One  who  sets  up  for  an  inspired  teacher;  as  1  Tim. 

4:1.  and  1  Cor.  12:10.’  Bloomf.— ‘  Worthy  of  imitation  is  the  prudence 
of  the  early  Christians,  in  regard  lo  those  whom  they  received  us  teach¬ 
ers  of  religion.  They  exercised  a  much  stricter  caution  in  admitting 
men  to  officiate  in  the  ministry,  than  in  admitting  private  members  to 
commune  in  the  church.  In  admitting  members  into  the  church,  they 
were  liberal  and  candid;  but  such  as  became  members,  were  immedi¬ 
ately  subject  to  her  discipline,  and  this  though  tender  and  kind,  was  vig¬ 
ilant  and  strict.  But  in  receiving  public  teachers,  they  acled  with  great 
caution.  They  considered  no  man  ns  having  a  light  to  exercise  ilie 
office  of  a  teacher  in  the  church,  unless  lie  could  exhibit  positive  proof 
of  his  qualification.  They  required  not  only  a  present  personal  pro¬ 
fession,  but  a  testimony  from  others  of  previous  good  conduct,  rani's 
account  of  himself,  could  no-t  satisfy  the  disciples  at  Jerusalem.  He 
must  go  to  the  apostles,  to  the  known  ministers  of  Christ,  and  from  them 
obtain  approbation.  And  they  would  not  admit  him  to  their  ministerial 
fellowship,  till  they  liad  obtained  in  his  favor  the  testimony  from  Barna¬ 
bas,  who  had  a  personal  knowledge  of  his  conversion  and  subsequent 
conduct.  But  there  are  some  now,  who  would  invert  the  primitive  or¬ 
der.  Before  one  is  admitted  to  the  church,  they  think  there  ought  to 
be  a  course  of  trial,  and  positive,  unequivocal  proof  of  inward  grace. 
But  these  same  persons  will  run  lo  hear  a  man  preach,  who  is  an  utter 
stranger  to  them,  in  ivhose  favor  they  have  no  testimony,  and  of  whom 
they  know  not  whether  he  has  inward  grace ,  or  even  external  morality. 
Christ’s  “sheep  follow  not  strangers,  for  they  know  not  the  voice  of 
strangers.”’  Lathrop. 

(2.)  Every  spirit  that  confesseth  Jesus  Christ,  &c.]  ‘Every  spirit 
that  confesseth  Jesus  Christ,  who  is  come  in  the  flesh.  So  the  words 
may  very  well,  and,  in  this  connexion,  must  be  rendered.  To  confess 
Jesus  Christ  seems  lo  mean,  not  barely  professing  some  kind  of  regard 
to  Him,  but  yielding  a  regular,  consistent  homage;  and,  as  it  were,  har¬ 
monizing  and  failing  in  with  his  design.’  Doddr.  —  Has  come  in  the 
flesh.]  ‘  It  is  remarkable,  so  many  aide  commentators  should  have  taken 
up  with  the  interpretation,  “was  a  mere  Man,”  so  contrary  to  John’s 
perpetual  assertions  in  his  gospel  and  epistles,  that  it  cannot  be  the 
sense.  Adverting  to  the  known  opinions  of  the  heretics  of  that  age,  which 
consisted  not  in  a  denial  of  the  Divinity,  but  the  humanity  Of  Christ, 
the  best  comtrs.  are  agreed,  lhat  there  is  reference  to  the  lenets  of  the 
Doctors,  [Doc.elat  ?]  and  others  who  held  Jesus  Christ  to  have  been  a 
mere  phantasma,  and  not  having  a  real  body.  Now  the  apostle  main¬ 
tains,  that  He  came  really  (clothed)  in  the  flesh,  i.  e.  in  a  human  body, 
and  subject  to  all  corporal  pains  and  weaknesses.  As  to  the  being  a 
mere  Man,  that  is  quile  another  tiling;  and  that  John  could  not  mean 
that,  is  clear  from  what  lias  been  said  above ;  nay,  the  passage  supplies 
an  inference  the  very  contrary.  —  As  Mackn.  observes,  the  doctors,  as 
well  as  the  people,  believed  the  Son  of  God  to  be  Himself  God.  This  has 
been  abundantly  proved  by  some  learned  Jews.’  Bloomf. 

(2,  3.)  ‘The  church  has  been  obliged  to  prove  that  Christ  was  Man, 
against  those  who  have  denied  it,  as  well  as  to  prove  that  He  was  God  ; 
for  appearances  were  as  much  agninst  one  ns  the  other.’  Pascal. 

(3.)  Antichrist.]  ‘Not  any  particular  person,  nor  any  particular 
succession  of  persons  in  the  church,  but  a  general  term  for  all  false 
teachers  in  every  age.’  Mackn. — ‘  The  Roman  Catholics  plead,  that  the 
pope  cannot  be  antichrist,  because  he  admits  and  maintains  that  Jesus 
Christ  has  “come  in  the  flesh;”  but  John  tells  us,  that  there  are  many 
antichrists;  that  is,  many  who  oppose  Christ,  and  his  truth,  though  in 
different  ways.’  Williams. 

V.  4 — 6.  2  20 — 25.  The  undeniable  and  stupendous  miracles,  as  well  as 
holy  lives,  of  true  Christians  and  fuithful  ministers,  had  in  many  places 
given  them  decided  advantages  over  Ihe  false  teachers,  and  driven  them 
away  with  disgrace.  The  apostle  might  say  with  confidence,  of  himself 


A.  D.  90. 


1  JOHN,  IV. 


Exhortation  to  Christian  love. 


greater  is  he  that  is  in  you,  than  he 
that  is  in  the  world. 

5  They  are  of  the  world:  there¬ 
fore  speak  they  of  the  world,  and  the 
world  heareth  them. 

6  We  are  of  God:  he  that  know- 
eth  God,  heareth  us  ;  he  that  is  not 
of  God,  heareth  noj  us.  Hereby 
s  know  we  the  spirit  of  truth,  and 
the  spirit  of  error.  " 

7  Beloved,  let  us  love  h  one  anoth¬ 
er  :  for  love  is  of  God  ;  and  every 
one  that  loveth,  is  born  of  God,  and 
knoweth  God. 

8  He  that  loveth  not,  knoweth  not 
God  ;  for  God  ‘  is  love. 

f  Jn.  3:31.  h  c.  3:11,23. 

g  Is.  8:23.  i  2  Co.  13:11.  ver.  18. 

born  of  God,  taught  of  God,  anointed  of 
God,  and  so  secured  against  infectious,  fatal 
delusions.  2.  He  gives  them  hope  of  victo¬ 
ry,  v.  4.  ‘  Ye  have  hitherto  overcome  these 
deceivers  and  their  temptations,  and  there 
is  good  ground  of  hope  that  ye  will  do  so 
still,  and  that  on  these  two  accounts.’  (1.) 
‘There  is  a  strong  Preserver  within  you, 
v.  4.  It  is  a  great  happiness  to  be  under 
the  influence  of  the  Holy  Ghost.  (2.)  ‘  Ye 
are  not  of  the  same  temper  with  these  de¬ 
ceivers  ;  the  Spirit  of  God  hath  framed 
your  mind  for  God  and  heaven;  but  they  are 


of  the  world  ;  their  heart  addicted  thereto  ; 
therefore  speak  they  of  the  world  :  they  profess 
a  worldly  messiah  and  savior,  they  project  a 
worldly  kingdom  and  dominion  ;  forgetting 
that  the  true  Redeemer’s  kingdom  is  not  of 
this  world.  This  worldly  design  procures 
them  proselytes  :  the  world  heareth  them,  v.  5. 
(3.)  He  represents  to  them,  that,  though 
their  company  might  be  the  smaller,  yet 
it  wa3  the  better  ;  they  had  more  divine 
and  holy  knowledge  ;  *  He  that  knoweth  God, 
heareth  us.  He  who  knows  the  purity  and 
holiness  of  God,  the  love  and  grace  of 
God,  the  truth  and  faithfulness  of  God,  the 
ancient  word  and  prophecies  of  God,  the 
signals  and  testimonials  of  God,  must  know 
that  He  is  with  tis  ;  and  he  who  knows 
this,  will  attend  to  us,  and  abide  with  us.’ 
As,  on  the  contrary,  ‘  He  that  is  not  of  God, 
heareth  not  us.  He  who  knows  not  God, 
regards  not  us.  Thus  you  have  a  distinc¬ 
tion  betwixt  us  and  others  ;  Hereby  know 
we  the  Spirit  of  truth,  and  the  spirit  of  error, 
v.  C.  This  doctrine  concerning  the  Savior’s 
person  leading  you  from  the  world  to  God, 
is  a  signature  of  the.  Spirit  of  truth,  in  oppo¬ 
sition  to  the  spirit  of  error.  The  more  pure 
and  holv  any  doctrine  is,  the  more  likely  to 
be  of  God.’ 

V.  7 — 13.  As  the  Spirit  of  truth  is  known 
by  doctrine,  (so  spirits  are  to  be  tried,)  it 
is  known  by  love  likewise;  and  so  here  fol¬ 
lows  a  strong,  fervent  exhortation  to  holy, 
Christian  love,  v.  7. 

1.  From  the  high  and  heavenly  descent 


of  love;  For  love  is  of  God.  The  Spirit  of 
God  is  the  Spirit  of  love.  The  new  nature 
in  the  children  of  God  is  the  offspring  of  his 
love  :  and  the  temper  and  complexion  of  it 
is  love.  The  fruit  of  the  Spirit  is  love.  Gal. 
5:22.  Love  comes  down  from  heaven. 

2.  Love  argues  a  true  and  just  apprehen¬ 
sion  of  the  divine  nature,  t>.  7,  8.  What 
attribute  of  the  Divine  Majesty  so  clearly 
shines  in  all  the  world,  as  his  communicative 
goodness,  which  is  love  I  The  wisdom,  the 
greatness,  the  harmony,  and  usefulness,  of 
the  vast  creation,  that  so  fully  demonstrate 
his  Being,  do,  at  the  same  time,  show  and 
prove  his  love  ;  and  it  is  a  convictive  evi¬ 
dence,  that  the  sound  and  due  knowledge  of 
God  dwells  not  in  the  soul,  if  it  does  not 
love  ;  for  God  is  Love,  v.  8.  his  nature  and 
essence  are  love  ;  his  will  and  works  are 
primarily  love.  Not  that  this  is  the  only 
conception  u'e  are  to  have  of  Ilim;  we  have 
found  that  He  is  Light  as  well  as  Love, 
ch.  1  :  5.  and  God  is  principally  Love  to 
Himself,  and  He  has  such  perfections  as 
arise  from  the  necessary  love  He  must  bear 
to  his  necessary  existence,  excellence,  and 
glory  ;  but  love  is  natural  and  essential  to 
the  Divine  Majesty;  God  is  Love.  So  it  is 
argued  from  the  display  and  demonstration 
He  hath  given  of  it;  as,  (1.)  That  He  hath 
loved  us,  such  as  we  are,  v.  9.  ungrateful 
rebels,  Rom.  5  :  8.  Strange,  God  should 
love  impure,  vain,  vile  dust  and  ashes  1 
(2.)  That  He  has  loved  us  at  such  a  rate,  at 
such  an  incomparable  value,  as  He  has  given 


and  of  his  brethren,  the  other  apostles,  ‘  We  are  of  God  ;  ’  and  those  who 
knew  the  holy  and  glorious  character  of  God,  and  had  an  experimental 
acquaintance  with  Him,  through  regeneration  and  by  faith,  adhered  to 
their  doctrine  and  instructions;  whereas,  those  who  were,  not  ‘born 
of  God,’  and  did  not  truly  belong  to  Him,  would  not  hear  them,  but  at¬ 
tended  to  the  more  amusing,  or  flattering,  or  indulgent  speculations  of 
other  teachers. — The  same  is  the  test  and  standard  of  truth  to  this  day  ; 
nor  can  we,  by  any  other  rule,  ‘  try  the  spirits,  whether  they  be  of  God, 
or  not.’  X — 3.  Mat.  16:18,  19.  ‘Though  the  apostles  be  all  dead,’ 
yet,  as  they  speak  in  their  divinely  inspired  writings,  John  in  this  pas¬ 
sage  declares,  that  their  writings  are  the  test,  by  which  the  disciples  of 
Christ,  since  the  decease  of  the  apostles,  are  to  judge  both  of  teachers 
and  of  their  doctrine.’  Mackn.  Scott. 

V.  7,  8.  The  apostle  here  resumed  his  exhortation  to  those,  who  ad¬ 
hered  to  the  true  doctrine  of  Christ,  that  they  would  cultivate  t he  most 
endeared  affection  towards  one  another ;...  For,  ‘  GOD  is  LOVJi),’  or 
essential  goodness  and  benevolence.  It  is,  as  it  were,  his  very  nature 
to  be  kind,  to  communicate  life,  and  impart  felicity,  and  to  provide  for 
the  happiness  of  his  creatures,  in  all  cases  and  methods,  which  consist 
with  his  inflnite  wisdom,  justice,  truth,  and  holiness;  for  love  must  al¬ 
ways  be  exercised  in  entire  consistency  with  these  attributes,  hv  the 
perfect  Source  of  all  excellence.  ‘  The  earth  is  filled  with  the  goodness 
of  the  Lord,’  and  doubtless  the  immensity  of  the  creation  is  the  same  ; 
holy  angels  derive  from  God  complete  and  endless  felicity,  and  rebellion 
alone  has  made  any  rational  creatures  suffer  pain  and  misery.  Being 
and  happiness  could  not  have  been  communicated,  in  that  vast  extent 
and  degree,  which  they  are  ami  will  be,  without  the  creation  of  intelli¬ 
gent  agents.  These  form  a  kingdom  to  he  governed  by  a  perfect  law, 
and  a  righteous  Sovereign.  The  very  law  of  God  is  ‘  love,’  as  well  as 
his  nature;  love  of  Him  and  of  each  other,  constitutes  the  sum  erf  its 
holy,  just,  and  kind  requirements,  and  all  would  have  been  perfectly  happy 
had  all  perfectly  obeyed  it-  Ex.  20:3.  Lev.  19:18.  Deut.  6:5.  Rom.  7:9 
— 12.  Unless  infinite  wisdom  had  seen  it  proper,  that  omnipotence 
should  be  unremittingly  exerted,  to  prevent  free  agents  from  transgress¬ 
ion,  (which  undeniable  facts  demonstrate  that  it  did  not,)  this  law  must 
be  guarded  by  sanctions;  and  those  who  break  it  must  be  exposed  to  a 
punishment  proportioned  to  Hi e  offence.  Thu*  love  to  creatures,  at 
large,  dictated  both  the  law  and  its  sanctions.  When  angels  sinned,  a 
God  of  love,  in  kindness  to  his  obedient  creatures,  turned  those  from 
heaven  to  hell,  who  would  have  converted  heaven  into  hell  if  they  had 
continued  there;  except  some  other  act  of  omnipotence  had  prevented 
it.  When  man’s  apostasy  took  place,  the  love  of  God  was  shown,  not 
only  in  sparing  sinners,  and  giving  them  a  rich  profusion  of  temporal 
benefits,  while  the  sentence  denounced  against  them  was  in  part  re¬ 
spited  ;  but,  in  so  ordering  it,  that  even  their  pains,  sorrows,  and  tempo¬ 
ral  death  were  expressive  of  his  wise  compassion,  anti  tended  greatly  to 
prevent  the  multiplication  of  crimes,  and  the  increase  of  condemnation. 
Especially,  the  provision  of  the  Gospel,  for  the  forgiveness  of  sin  and 
the  salvation  of  sinners,  in  consistency  with  the  glory  of  the  law  and 
justice  of  God,  whilst  present  sufferings  are  made  subservient  lo  the 
final  anti  eternal  felicity  of  believers,  undeniably  manifests,  that  ‘  God  is 
Love.’  So  immense  were  the  obstacles  to  he  surmounted,  and  so  aston¬ 
ishing  the  method,  by  which  mercy  is  honorably  exercised  to  rebels,  de¬ 
serving  of  eternal  misery,  that,  even  if  the  entrance  of  sin  had  been  pre¬ 
vented,  or  impunity  and  recovery  to  holiness  could  have  been  ensured 
to  all  transgressors  without  any  such  expedient,  the  love  of  God  would 
not  so  clearly  have  appeared  to  be  infinite  and  incomprehensible.  Some¬ 
thing  we  can  now  see  of  its  immensity  ;  and,  though  impenetrable  and 
incomprehensible  mystery  rest  on  many  particulars  respecting  it,  yet  it 
will  surely  lit  length  be  seen,  resplendent  as  the  noon-day  sun,  that  the 
most  perfect  love  presided,  when,  in  the  infinite  wisdom  of  God,  the  en¬ 
trance  of  sin  was  permitted,  and  when  infinite  justice,  holiness,  and 
truth  determined  lo  leave  many  rebels  in  their  impenitenoy,  to  be  ‘ves¬ 
sels  of  wrath  fitted  for  destruction,’  as  connected  with  the  election,  re¬ 
demption,  and  sanctification  of  the  ‘vessels  of  mercy,  who  are  thus 
N.  T.  VOL.  V.  81 


prepared  before  unto  glory.’  So  that,  if  wise  and  holy  love,  in  its  most 
perfect  exercise  towards  universal  being,  through  eternity,  had  required 
or  even  admitted  of  it,  no  pain  would  have  been  suffered  by  any  crea¬ 
ture,  much  less  would  any  have  been  left,  to  be  finally  miserable. — But 
to  argue  from  hence,  that  none  will  be  finally  miserable,  in  direct  oppo¬ 
sition  to  his  testimony,  who  is  TRUTH,  and  a  consuming  fire,  as  well 
as  LOVE,  is  the  height  of  impiety  and  presumption.  What  do  we  know, 
concerning  the  purposes  of  love,  to  unnumbered  millions,  through  eter 
nal  ages,  which  may  be  answered,  in  the  infinitely  wise  counsels  of  God, 
by  leaving  comparatively  a  small  number  of  rebels,  to  the  merited  pun¬ 
ishment  of  their  crimes  f  Men  might  on  the  same  principles  argue,  that 
prisons  and  executions  could  not  have  any  place,  in  the  dominions  of  an 
eminently  benevolent  prince;  when,  in  reality,  wise  and  equitable  be¬ 
nevolence  to  numbers,  would  dictate  severity  to  a  few  atrocious  crimi¬ 
nals,  who  would  otherwise  make  multitudes  wretched.  Prov.  20:8,  26. 
24:24,25.  Indeed,  we  might  as  reasonably  argue,  that,  since  ‘God  is 
Love,’  there  can  be  no  such  thing  as  misery  in  the  creation  ;  for  Omnip¬ 
otence  could  certainly  have  excluded  it ;  but  if  infinite  wisdom,  justice, 
holiness,  and  truth  require,  that  Love  Himself  should  cause  his  crea¬ 
tures  to  endure  anguish,  f and  here  tacts  preclude  the  vain  hypothesis 
which  speculation  might  otherwise  have  adopted,)  no  created  under¬ 
standing  can  determine,  in  what  degree,  to  what  duration,  or  in  how 
many  instances,  the  wise,  righteous,  and  holy  purposes  of  LOVE,  may 
require  the  suffering  of  his  rebellious  subjects.  So  that  all  arguments 
and  calculations  of  this  kind  prove  nothing,  but  the  vain  self-wisdom  of 
foif.ish  man,  who  deems  himself  competent  to  determine,  what  God 
ought  to  do,  and  what  He  will  do;  and,  in  this  presumption,  opposes 
his  arguments  to  the  explicit  testimony  of  God  Himself ;  and  professes 
to  honor  his  love,  while  ha  treats  itis  truth  as  a  lie,  and  supposes  his 
awful  threatening^  to  be  terrifying  delusions,  to  frighten  the  ignorant 
part  of  mankind  into  good  behavior,  and  to  he  despised  by  the  more  dis¬ 
cerning  !  But  it  is  enough  for  our  purpose,  that  God  lias  so  shown  Him¬ 
self  to  be  LOVE  in  his  dealings  with  us,  that,  afier  all  our  crimes,  we 
cannot  come  short  of  eternal  happiness,  except  through  our  unbelief  and 
impenitent  rebellion,  while  strict  justice  would  have  consigned  us  to 
hopeless  and  final  misery,  ns  soon  as  ever  we  transgressed  our  Creator’s 
law.  Scott. 

(7.)  ‘  The  apostle  now  returns  to  the  subject  of  love  to  others,  treated 
of  at  3:23.’  Broome. —  Let  us  love  one  another.]  ‘It  is  reported,  that 
when  the  apostle  was  grown  old,  and  past  preaching,  he  used  to  be  led 
to  the  church  at  Ephesus, 'and  only  say  these  words  to  the  people, 
Little  children  love  one  another.'  Doddr.  —  ‘  This  is  holy  love,  which 
assimilates  its  subject  to  Gctd.  He  is  born  oi  God.  It  is  that  love  which 
is  the  fulfilling  of  the  law.  Itis  religion.  For  every  one  that  loveth 
knoweth  God,  and  to  know  God  is  life  eternal, — is  religion.  This  love 
does  not  belong  to  man  by  nature.  It  is  never  a  quality  of  bis  heart  ; 
but  is,  in  all  cases,  the  result  of  a  divine  interposition, — otherwise  it 
would  not  be  true,  that  “  every  one  that  loveth  is  born  of  God.”  ’ 

Beecher. 

(8.)  ‘  In  lh«  words,  “  God  is  love,"  we  have  a  perfect  portrait  of  the 

eternal  ancfincomprehensible  Jehovah,  drawn  by  his  own  unerring  hand. 
Tire  ntrtde  of  expression  here  adopted,  differs  materially  from  that  usu¬ 
ally  employed  by  the  inspired  writers,  in  speaking  of  the  divine  perfec¬ 
tions.  They  say,  God  is  merciful,  God  is  just,  or  holy  ;  but  never,  God  is 
mercy,  God  is  justice,  God  is  holiness.  In  this  instance,  on  the  contia- 
ry,  the  apostle,  instead  of  saying,  God  is  loving,  or  good,  or  kind,  says, 
God  is  love  itself.  By  this,  we  must  understand,  that  God  is  s  i 
pure,  unmixed  love,  and  that  the  other  moral  perfections  of  nis  (  tiirai  - 
ter,  as  his  justice,  mercy,  truth,  &c.  are  only  so  many  moduica  tons  <• 
his  love.  As  the  light  which  proceeds  from  the  sun>  n'a>’  eah'v  .  .  '  ‘ 

nraled  into  manv  different  colors,  so  the  holy  lovo  of  God,  w  j 

light  and  glory  of  his  nature,  may  be  separated  into  a  varie.j  nf.montl 
attributes  and  perfections.  But,  though  separated,,  s  n 
Ifis  whole  nature  and  essence  are  love;  his  will,  '‘is, wo 
Word  are  love ;  He  is  nothing,  can  do  nothing  but 


lo 
1  hts 


fit] 


A.  D.  90. 


1  JOHN,  IV. 


God’s  love  manifested  in  Christ. 


9  In  this  j  was  manifested  the  love 
of  God  toward  us,  because  that  God 
sent  his  only-begotten  Son  into  the 
world,  that  k  we  might  live  through 
him. 

10  Herein  is  love,  not  that  we 
loved  God,  but  that  he  loved  us,  and 
sent  his  Son  to  be  the  propitiation 
'for  our  sins. 

11  Beloved,  if  m  God  so  loved  us, 
we  ought  also  to  love  one  another. 

12  No  "man  hath  seen  God  at 
any  time.  If  we  love  one  another, 
God  dwelleth  in  us,  and  his  love  is 
perfected  0  in  us. 

13  Hereby  p  know  we  that  we 
dweJl  in  him,  and  he  in  us,  because 
he  hath  given  us  of  his  Spirit. 

14  And  we  have  seen,  and  do  tes¬ 
tify,  that  the  Father  sent  the  Son  to 
be  the  Savior  of  the  world. 

15  Whosoever  o  shall  confess  that 
Jesus  is  the  Son  of  God,  God  dwell¬ 
eth  in  him,  and  he  in  God. 

16  And  we  have  known  and  be¬ 
lieved  the  love  that  God  hath  to  us. 
God  rislove;  and  he  that  dwelleth  in 
love  dwelleth  in  God,  and  God  in  him. 

j  Jri.  3:16.  Jn.  15:12,13.  c.  3:24. 

k  Jn.  6:5i.  u  1  Ti.  6:16  q  Ro.  10:9. 

1  c.  2:‘^.  o  1  Co.  13:13.  r  ver.  8. 

in  Mat.  18:33.  p  Jn.  14 :^0. 

for  ns;  lie  1ms  given  his  own,  only-beloved, 
blessed  Son  for  us,  v.  9.  This  Person  is  in 
some  peculiar,  distinguishing  way  the  Son 
of  God  ;  lie  is  the  Only-begotten.  It  may 
well  be  said,  So  (so  wonderfully,  so  amaz¬ 
ingly,  so  incredibly)  God  loved  the  world. 
(3.)  That  God  loved  us  first,  and  in  the  cir¬ 
cumstances  in  which  we  lay,  v.  10.  He 
loved  us,  when  we  had  no  love  for  Him  ; 
when  we  lay  in  our  guilt,  misery,  and 
blood  ;  when  we  were  undeserving,  ill- 
deserving,  polluted,  and  unclean,  and  wanted 
to  be  washed  from  our  sins  in  sacred  blood. 
(4.)  That  He  gave  us  his  Son  for  such  an 
end,  to  be  the  Propitiation  for  our  sins  ;  con¬ 
sequently  to  die  for  us,  to  die  under  the  law 
and  curse  of  God,  to  be  crucified,  to  be 
wounded  in  his  soul,  and  pierced  in  his  side, 
to  be  dead  and  buried  for  us,  v.  10.  And  then 
for  such  an  end,  v.  9.  for  such  a  good  and 
beneficial  end  to  us, — that  we.  might  live  for 
ever  through  Him,  might  live  in  heaven,  live 
with  God,  live  in  eternal  glory  and  blessed¬ 
ness  with  Him  and  through  Him:  Oh,  what 
love  is  here  !  Then, 


3.  Divine  love  to  the  brethren  should 
constrain  ours,  v.  11.  This  should  be  an 
invincible  argument.  The  example  of  God 
should  press  us.  We  should  be  admirers 
of  his  love,  and  lovers  of  his  love,  and  con¬ 
sequently  lovers  of  those  whom  He  loves. 
The  general  love  of  God  to  the  world,  should 
induce  a  universal  love  among  mankind, 
Mat.  5:45.  The  peculiar  love  of  God  to 
the  church  and  to  the  saints,  should  be  pro¬ 
ductive  of  a  peculiar  love  there  ;  If  God  so 
loved  us,  we  ought  surely  (in  some  measure 
suitably  thereto)  to  love  one  another. 

4.  The  Christian  love  is  an  assurance  of 
the  divine  inhabitation,  v.  12.  Now  God 
dwelleth  in  us,  not  by  any  visible  presence, 
or  immediate  appearance  to  the  eye,  v.  12. 
but  by  his  Spirit,  v.  13.  and  in  that  way  in 
which  He  has  thought  meet  to  deserve  and 
claim  our  love  ;  and  that  is,  in  the  illustra¬ 
tion  He  has  given  of  Himself  and  of  his 
love,  in  the  members  of  his  church ;  in  them, 
and  in  his  appearance  for  them,  and  with 
them,  is  God  to  be  loved  ;  and  thus,  if  we 
love  one  another,  God  dwelleth  in  us  ;  the  sa¬ 
cred  lovers  of  the  brethren  are  the  temples 
of  God;  the  Divine  Majesty  has  a  peculiar 
residence  there. 

5.  Therein  the  divine  love  attains  a  con¬ 
siderable  end  and  accomplishment  in  us, 
v.  12.  It  has  obtained  its  completion  in 
ami  upon  us.  God's  love  is  not  perfected  in 
H  im,  but  in  and  with  us.  His  lore  could  not 
be  designed  to  be  ineffectual  and  fruitless  on 
us;  when  its  proper,  genuine  end  and  issue 
are  attained  and  produced  thereby,  it  may 
be  said  to  be  perfected  ;  so  faith  is  perfected 
by  its  works,  and  love  perfected  by  its  opera¬ 
tions.  How  ambitious  should  we  be  of  this 
fraternal,  Christian  love,  when  God  reckons 
hisown  [love]  to  us  perfected  thereby !  Tothis 
the  apostle,  having  mentioned  the  high  favor 
of  God’s  dwelling  in  us,  subjoins  the  note 
and  character  thereof,  v.  13.  Certainly  this 
mutual  inhabitation  is  something  more  noble 
and  great  than  we  are  well  acquainted  with, 
or  can  declare.  One  would  think,  that  for 
God  to  dwell  in  us,  and  we  in  Him,  were 
words  too  high  for  mortals  to  tie,  had  not 
God  gone  before  us  therein.  What  it  is, 
has  been  briefly  said  on  ch.  3:  24.  What  it 
fully  is,  must  be  left  to  the  revelation  of  the 
blessed  world. 

V.  14 — 16.  Since  faith  in  Christ  works 
love  to  God,  and  love  to  God  must  kindle 
love  to  the  brethren,  the  apostle  here  con¬ 
firms  the  prime  article  of  the  Christian  faith 
as  the  foundation  of  such  love;  where, 

1.  He  proclaims  the  fundamental  article 
of  the  Christian  religion,  which  is  so  repre¬ 
sentative  of. the  love  of  God,  a.  14.  We  here 


see,  (1.)  The  Lord  Jesus’  relation  to  God; 
He  is  Son  to  the  Father,  such  a  Son  as  no 
one  else  is,  and  so  as  to  Ire  God  with  the 
Father.  (2.)  II  is  relation  and  office  toward 
us, — the  Savior  of  the  world;  He  saves  us  by 
his  death,  example,  intercession,  Spirit,  and 
power  against  the  enemies  of  our  salvation. 
(3.)  The  ground  on  which  He  became  so, 
— by  his  mission  ;  the  Father  sent  the  Son, 
decreed  and  willed  his  coming  hither,  in 
and  with  the  consent  of  the  Son.  (4.)  The 
apostle’s  assurance  of  this, — he  and  his 
brethren  had  seen  it;  they  had  seen  the  Son 
of  God  in  his  human  nature,  so  seen  Him  as 
to  be  satisfied  He  was  the  Only-begotten  of 
the  Father,  full  of  grace  and  truth.  (5.)  The 
apostle’s  attestation  of  this,  in  pursuance  of 
such  evidence;  ‘  We  have  seen  and  do  testify; 
our  eves,  and  ears,  and  hands,  have  been 
witnesses  of  it.’  Thereupon,  ' 

2.  He  slates  the  excellency,  or  the  excel¬ 
lent  privilege, attending  the  due  acknowledg¬ 
ment  of  this  truth,  v.  15.  This  confession 
seems  to  include  faith  in  the  heart  as  the 
foundation  of  it  ;  acknowledgment  with  the 
mouth  to  the  glory  of  God  and  Christ;  and 
profession  in  the  life  and  conduct,  in  oppo¬ 
sition  to  the  flatteries  or  frowns  of  the  world. 
And  so  he  who  thus  confesses  Christ,  and 
God  in  Him,  is  enriched  with,  or  possessed 
by,  the  Spirit  of  God,  and  lias  a  complacent 
tial  knowledge  of  God,  and  much  holy  en¬ 
joyment  of  Him.  Then, 

3.  He  applies  this  in  order  to  the  excita¬ 
tion  of  holy  love,  v.  16.  The  Christian 
revelation  is,  what  should  endear  it  to  us, 
the  revelation  of  the  divine  love  ;  the  arti¬ 
cles  of  our  revealed  faith  are  but  so  many 
articles  relating  to  the  divine  love;  the  his¬ 
tory  of  the  Lord  Christ  is  the  history  of 
God’s  love  to  us;  all  his  transactions  in  and 
with  his  Son  were  but  testifications  of  his 
love  to  us,  and  means  to  advance  us  to  the 
love  of  God,  2  Cor.  5: 19.  Hence  we  may 
learn, 

(1.)  That  God  is  Love,  v.  16.  He  is  es¬ 
sential,  boundless  love  ;  He  lias  incompar¬ 
able,  incomprehensible  love  for  us  of  this 
world,  which  He  has  demonstrated  in  the 
mission  and  mediation  of  his  beloved  Son. 
It  is  the  great  objection  and  prejudice 
against  the  Christian  revelation,  that  the 
love  of  God  should  be  so  strange  and  unac¬ 
countable,  as  to  give  his  own  eternal  Son  for 
us  ;  it  is  the  prejudice  of  many  against  the 
eternity  and  the  Deity  of  the  Son,  that  so 
great  a  Person  should  be  given  for  us.  It  is, 
I  confess,  mysterious  and  unsearchable ;  but 
there  are  unsearchable  riches  in  Christ  ;  it  is 
pity  the  vastness  of  the  divine  love  should 
be  made  a  prejudice  against  the  revelation 


V.  9 — 12.  Hence  it  appears,  that  Christ  is  called  ‘the  only-begotten 
Son  of  God,’  previous  to  liis  incarnation,  or  coining  into  the  world  ;  and 
that  the  love  of  God,  in  giving  Ills  own  Son  lo  assume  our  nature,  in  or¬ 
der  to  his  expiatory  sufferings,  was  more  stupendous,  than  even  in  giv¬ 
ing  Him,  as  incarnate,  to  t lie  death  on  the  cross  for  us.  Jn.  1:18.  3:16 — 
21.  —  When  God,  in  his  infinite  compassion  and  mercy,  designed  so  vast  a 
blessing  as  ‘  life  eternal  ’  for  fallen  men;  his  most  perfect  justice  and 
holiness  rendered  it  impossible  for  Him  to  confer  it,  (for  ‘  He  cannot  de¬ 
ny  Himself,’)  except  an  all-sufficient  atonement  could  lie  made  for  their 
sins;  and  when  no  other  method,  or  none  so  proper  for  this  end,  was 
perceived  by  his  infinite  wisdom,  as  the  sending  of  his  own  Son  to  he 
our  Surety,  and  the  atoning  Sacrifice  for  our  sins,  ‘He  spared  Him  not,’ 
hut  sent  Him  ‘into  the  world,  that  xve  might  live  through  Him.’  Rom. 
3:21  —  26.  8:32 — 31.  Heb.  7:26  —  23.  10:3,  4.  None  of  our  words  or 
thoughts  can  do  justice  to  such  gratuitous,  abundant,  astonishing  love, 
oi  a  holy  Goil  towards  sinners,  to  whom  lie  owed  nothing,  who  could 
not  profit,  or  harm  Him,  whom  He  might  justly  have  crushed  in  a  mo¬ 
ment  ;  who  were  most  decisively  shown  to  he  deserving  of  his  tremen¬ 
dous  vengeance,  in  the  very  method  by  which  they  were  saved;  and 
when  He  could,  by  his  omnipotent  word,  have  created  countless  worlds, 
replenished  with  far  more  exalted  beings,  if  He  had  seen  good.  Rom.  5: 
6 — 10,15 — 21.  Search  we  then  the  whole  universe  for  LOVE,  in  its 
most  enlarged  and  glorious  displays  >  Wo  must  at  length  be  constrain¬ 
ed  to  own,  that  it  is  to  be  found  in  the  Person  and  the  cross  of  Christ. 
‘Herein  is  love,’  the  splendor  of  which  eclipses  all,  which  has  been  seen 
elsewhere,  from  the  beginning  of  the  world,  and  which  will  be.  the  spe¬ 
cial  subject  of  admiring  and  adoring  praise  to  all  eternity.  —  Hoes  love 
subsist  between  God  ami  sinners  ?  Here  was  the  o:  igin  of  it ;  ‘  not  that 
we  loved  God,’  for  we  were  enemies  to  his  holy  character,  law,  sover¬ 
eignty,  worship,  and  providence;  hut  that  ‘lie.,’  most  freely,  nnd  with 
most  condescending  compassion,  forgiveness,  ami  liberality,  ‘  loved  us, 
and  sent  li is  Son  to  bo  the  propitiation  for  our  sins.’  2:1,  2.  Jn.  15:12 — 
10.  In  this  great  event,  all  holy  beings  will  for  ever  see.  (hat  ‘  GOD  is 

[642] 


LOVE  ;’  and,  the  more  fully  redeemed  sinners  understand  this  subject, 
tlte  ch  tier  views  will  they  have  of  that  love,  which'  can  never  he  per¬ 
fectly  comprehended  ;  whereas,  those  who  exclude  this  view  of  the  di¬ 
vine  benignity,  may  speculate  about  t lie  subject,  but  can  scarcely  know 
anything  concerning  its  real  nature  and  glory.  Scott. 

(12,  15,  10.)  ‘  Not  that  the  saints  are  made  partakers  of  the  essence 
of  God,  according  to  the  blasphemous  notions  of  some  herelies;  but  they 
are  made  partakers  of  his  fulness,  that  is,  of  his  moral  beauty.’ 

Edwards. 

V.  13 — 17.  The  apostles  knew,  ami  true  Christians  might  know,  that 
they  ‘dwelt  in  God  ’  by  faith,  and  He  in  them  as  in  his  consecrated  tetn- 
pip,  ‘because  He  had  given  them  of  his  Spirit.’  3:18 — 24.  Rom  8:5— 
17.  For,  besides  the  miraculous  powers  conferred  oil  some,  the  Holy 
Sjiirit  had  so  changed  the  hearts  of  all  true  believers,  and  so  made  them 
‘partakers  of  a  divine  nature,’  that  they  loved  the  children  of  God  with 
a  holy  love,  and  copied  his  example  in  their  conduct  to  each  other. — All 
such  general  expressions  must  he  interpreted  according  to  the  context; 
for,  unless  the  confession  of  Christ  were  sincere,  intelligent,  nnd  in¬ 
fluential,  the  man  could  not  he  a  partaker  of  holy  love;  and  therefore 
the  apostle  would  have  contradicted  what  he  before  asserted,  if  lie  had 
meant  a  mere  confession  with  the  lips,  without  faith  nnd  grace  in  the 
heart  (8).  But  true  Christians  had  known,  understood,  and  experienced, 
ns  well  ns  believed,  Ihe  love,  which  God  had  shown  towards  them,  irt 
the  redemption  of  his  Son;  and  it  had  had  a  transforming  effect  on 
them,  by  bringing  them  to  resemble  God,  in  the  nature  and  fruits  of  their 
love;  and  by  an  habitual  exercise  of  this  holy  affection  towards  God, 
each  other,  and  all  men  ;  and  to  live  in  the  most  endeared  nnd  intimate 
union  with  Him.  Thus  their  love  to  the  Lord  was  ‘made  perfect,’  or 
produced  its  genuine  and  valuable  effects,  in  their  love  to  one  ajiother; 
nnd  they  cultivated  this  holy  disposition,  and  acted  from  it,  in  order  that 
they  might  have  boldness  in  tile  day  of  judgment.  (Notes,  2  26 — 29.  Mat. 
25:31 — 46.)  Because,  as  Christ  was,  so  were  tliev  in  this  world  ;  like  Dim, 
they  were  influenced  by  holy  love  to  do  good  toothers  in  a  self-den;  iug 


A.  D.  90. 


1  JOHN,  IV. 


Description  of  man's  love  to  God. 


17  Herein  is  'our  love  made  per¬ 
fect,  that  vve  may  have  boldness  in 
the  day  of  judgment:  because  as  he 
is,  so  are  we  in  this  world. 

13  There  is  no  fear  in  love  ;  but 
perfect  love  casteth  out  fear  ,  be¬ 
cause  fear  hath  torment.  lie  that 
feareth,  is  not  made  perfect  in  love. 

19  We  love  him,  because  ‘he  first 
loved  us. 

20  If  a  man  say,  I  love  God,  and 
hateth  his  brother,  he  is  a  liar  :  for 
he  thatloveth  not  his  brother  whom 
he  hath  seen,  how  “can  he  love  God 
whom  he  hath  not  seen  ? 

21  And  this  commandment  have 
we  from  him,  That  he  who  vloveth 
God  love  his  brother  also. 

s  love  toilh  us .  t  Jn.  15:16.  u  c.  3:17.  v  Jn.  13:34. 

and  the  belief  of  it.  But  what  will  not  God 
do,  when  He  designs  to  demonstrate  the 
height  of  any  perfection  of  his  1  In  such  a 
dispensation  as  that  of  giving  a  natural, 
eternal  Son  for  us  and  to  us.  He  will  com¬ 
mend  his  love  to  us  indeed  ;  and  what  will 
not  the  God  of  love  do,  when  He  designs  to 
commend  his  love,  and  to  commend  it  in  the 
view  of  heaven,  and  earth,  and  hell  ;  and 
when  He  will  commend  Himself,  and  rec¬ 
ommend  Himself  to  us,  and  to  our  highest 
conviction,  and  also  affection,  as  Love  itself  1 
And  what  if  it  should  appear  at  last,  (which 
I  shall  oidy  offer  to  the  consideration  of  the 
judicious,)  that  the  divine  love,  and  partic¬ 
ularly  God’s  love  in  Christ,  should  lie  the 
foundation  of  the  glories  of  heaven,  in  the 
present  enjoyment  of  those  ministering  spir¬ 
its  that  comported  with  it,  and  of  the  salva¬ 
tion  of  this  world,  and  of  the  torments  of 
hell  1  This  last  will  seem  most  strange. 
But  what  if  therein  it  should  appear,  not 
only  that  God  is  love  to  Himself,  in  vindica¬ 
ting  his  own  law  and  government,  and  love 
and  glory;  but  that  the  damned  ones  are 
made  so,  or  are  so  punished,  because  they 


despised  the  love  of  God,  already  manifested 
and  exhibited  ;  refused  to  be  beloved  in 
what  was  further  proposed  and  promised  ; 
and  made  themselves  unmeet  to  be  (he  ob¬ 
jects  of  divine  complacency  and  delight  1  If 
the  consciences  of  the  damned  should  accuse 
them  of  these  things,  and  especially  of  re¬ 
jecting  the  highest  instance  of  divine  love; 
if  the  far  greatest  part  of  the  intelligent 
creation  should  be  everlastingly  blessed 
through  the  highest  instance  of  the  divine 
love,  then  may  it  well  bo  inscribed  on  the 
whole  creation  of  God,  God  is  love. 

(2.)  That  hereupon,  he  that  dwdleth  in 
love,  dwellelh  in  God,  and  Godin  Him,  v.  16. 
There  is  great  communion  between  the  God 
of  love  and  the  loving  soul,  that  is,  him  who 
loves  the  creation  of  God,  according  to  its 
different  relation  to  God,  and  reception  from 
Him,  and  interest  in  Him. 

V.  17 — 21.  The  apostle,  having  thus  ex¬ 
cited  and  enforced  sacred  love  from  the 
great  Pattern  and  motive  of  it,  the  love  that 
is  and  dwells  in  God  Himself,  proceeds  to 
recommend  it  further  by  other  considera¬ 
tions  ;  and  in  both  branches  of  it,  love  to 
God,  and  love  to  our  brother  or  Christian 
neighbor. 

1.  Love  to  God  ;  this  seems  here  to  be 
recommended  on  these  accounts  : 

(1.)  It  will  give  us  peace  and  satisfaction 
of  spirit  in  the  day  when  it  will  be  most 
needed,  or  when  it  will  be  the  greatest 
pleasure  and  blessing  imaginable,  v.  17. 
There  must  be  a  day  of  universal  judgment. 
Happy  they  who  shall  have  holy,  fiducial 
boldness,  before  the  Judge  at  that  day  ;  who 
shall  be  able  to  lift  up  their  heads,  and  to 
look  Him  in  the  face,  as  knowing  He  is 
their  Friend  and  Advocate  !  So  do, and  so 
may  do,  the  lovers  of  God.  Possibly  here 
by  the  love  of  God  may  lie  meant  our  love  to 
God,  that  is  shed  abroad  in  our  hearts  by  the 
Holy  Ghost  ;  that  is  the  foundation  of  onr 
hope,  or  of  our  assurance  that  our  hope  will 
hold  good  at  last.  Or,  if  by  the  love  of  God  \ 
be  meant  the  sense  and  apprehension  of  his 
love  to  us,  yet  that  must  suppose  or.  include 
us  as  lovers  of  Him  in  this  case  ;  and,  in-  I 


deed,  the  sense  and  evidence  of  his  love  to 
us ,  shed  abroad  in  our  heart’s  love  to  Him  ; 
and,  thereupon,  vve  have  confidence  toward 
Him,  and  peace  and  joy  in  Him  ;  He  will 
give  the  crown  of  righteousness  to  all  that  love 
his  apjreuring  ;  and  we  have  this  boldness 
toward  Christ,  because  of  our  conformity  to 
I  Y\m,  because  as  He  is,  so  are  we  in  this  world, 
v.  17. 

(2.)  It  prevents  or  removes  the  uncom¬ 
fortable  result  and  fruit  of  servile  fear,  v.  18. 
so  far  its  love  prevails,  fear  ceases.  We 
must  here  distinguish,  I  judge,  between  fear 
and  being  afraid  ;  or  in  this  case,  between 
the  fear  of  God  and  being  afraid  of  Him  ; 
the  fear  of  God  is  often  mentioned  and  com¬ 
manded  as  the  substance  of  religion,  1  Pet. 
2:  17.  Rev.  14:7.  But  then  there  is  a  being 
afraid  of  Gotj,  that  arises  from  a  sense  of 
guilt,  and  a  view  of  his  vindictive  perfec¬ 
tions  ;  so  fear  here  may  be  rendered  dread  ; 
there  is  no  dread  in  love;  love  considers  its 
object  as  good  and  excellent,  and  therefore 
amiable,  and  worthy  to  be  beloved  ;  love 
considers  God  as  most  eminently  good,  and 
most  eminently  loving  us  in  Christ,  and  so 
puts  off  dread,  and  puts  on  joy  in  Him;  and 
as  love  grows,  joy  grows  too  ;  so  that  per¬ 
fect  love  casteth  out  fear  or  dread.  That 
perfect  love  casteth  out  fear,  the  apostle  thus 
sensibly  argues,  that  it  casteth  out  torment, 
casteth  out  fear  or  dread,  v.  IS.  Fear  is 
known  to  be  a  disquieting,  torturing  passion, 
especially  such  a  fear  as  is  the  dread  of  an 
almighty,  avenging  God  ;  but  perfect  love 
teaches  the  mind  a  perfect  acquiescence  and 
complacency  in  the  beloved,  and,  therefore, 
perfect  love  casteth  out  fear.  Or,  which  is 
here  equivalent,  he  that  feareth,  is  not  made 
perfect  in  lore,  v.  18.  it  is  a  sign  our  love  is 
far  from  being  perfect,  since  our  doubts  and 
fears,  and  dismal  apprehensions  of  God,  are 
so  many.  Let  us  long  for,  and  hasten  to 
the  world  of  perfect  love,  where  our  serenity 
and  joy  in  God  will  be  as  perfect  as  our  love! 

(3.)  Front  the  source  and  rise  of  it, 
which  is  the  antecedent  love  of  God,  v.  19. 
His  love  is  the  incentive,  the  motive,  and 
moral  cause  of  ours.  We  cannot  but  love 


PRACT.  OBS.  We  live  in  an  age,  in  which  but  few  advance  claims 
to  immediate  revelations  ;  yet  we  have  at  least  as  much  cause  to  try 
men’s  doctrines  and  religion  by  the  Word  of  God,  as  they  had  in  the 
primitive  times.  If  indeed  no  teachers,  who  do  not  confess  the  doctrine 
of  the  apostles,  concerning  the  Person  and  salvation  of  Christ,  ‘God  man¬ 
ifested  in  the  flesh,’  ‘  are  of  God,’  which  the  apostle  expressly  asserts; 
and  if  all  others  are  actuated  hy  the  lying  spirit  of  antichrist,  we  may 
truly  say,  that  antichrist  did  not  much  more  prevail,  in  the  darkest  days 
of  popery,  than  in  these  times  of  infidelity,  skepticism,  socinianism, 
arinnisrn.  mysticism,  and  antinomianism  ;  whilst  the  scriptural  doctrine 
concerning  the  Person,  or  some  of  the  urtices  of  Christ,  seems  to  be 
wholly  excluded  from  the  religion  of  a  large  proportion  among  his  pro¬ 
fessed  disciples  !  nay,  from  that  of  some,  who  possess  high  authority 
and  much  influence  in  the  church. — IVe  must  not,  indeedj  take  it  for 
granted,  as  the  apostle  did,  that  ‘we  are  of  God  or  that  ‘He  who 
knoweth  God  hearelh  us;’  but,  as  far  as  we  can  prove,  that  our  doctrine, 
temper,  and  conduct,  ‘  accord  to  the  oracles  of  God,’  we  may  he  con¬ 
fident,  that  He  will  maintain  our  cause,  and  that  his  friends  and  children 
will  favor  us:  and  the  characters  of  the  persons  who  adhere  to  the  tes¬ 
timony  of  preachers,  and  that  of  those  who  reject  it,  may  often  go  far 
in  deciding,  who  they  are  that  declare  the  humbling,  holy  truths  of  God, 
and  who  speak  the  dictates  of  ‘  the  spirit  of  error.’  For  numbers  are 
incapable  of  doing  so  much  honor  to  the  ministry  of  the  true  servants 
of  God  in  any  other  way,  as  they  do  by  forsaking,  deriding,  and  reviling 
it  ;  whilst  their  actions  show  to  all,  who  understand  that  most  emphat- 
ical  language,  the  strong  reasons  of  their  dislike.  John  3:19 — 21.  7:3 
— 10.  Again  and  again,  we  are  exhorted  to  ‘love  one  another,  because 
love  is  of  God  :  ’  in  proportion  as  this  love  abounds  in  onr  heart,  and 
regulates  our  behavior,  we  hear  the  image  of  God,  and  show  that  we  are 
‘  horn  of  Him,  and  know  Him.’  Thus  we  anticipate  the  temper  and 
happiness,  and,  as  it  were,  breathe  the  air  of  heaven  :  whilst  enmity, 

manner  ;  and,  being  treated  with  contempt,  reproach,  and  enmity,  they 
meekly  and  patiently  endured  it,  and  persevered  in  ‘  doing  good  against 
evil,’  as  He  had  done.  Or,  ‘  as  God  is,  so  are  they  ;’  they  bear  his  image, 
which  the  world  hates;  for  this  may  be  the  meaning,  and  it  is  coinci¬ 
dent  with  the  preceding  interpretation.  Scott- 

(15.)  Whoever  shall  confess,  &c.]  ‘  Bp.  Ilopkins  accounts  for  this, 
and  such  passages,  hy  observing,  that  in  the  primitive  times  there  were 
no  temporal  inducements  to  embrace  Christianity ;  and  consequently 
most  of  the  professors  of  it  acted  upon  conscience,  and  it  might  lie 

charitably  hoped,  that  they  were  indeed  regenerate.'  Doddr _ ‘The 

apostle  takes  It  for  granted,  not  only  that  the  profession  is  sincere,  hut 
productive  of  a  suitable  conduct.  And,  indeed,  as  in  times  like  those, 
open  confession  and  undaunted  profession  implied  sincerity ,  it  was 
likely  to  draw  with  it  the  other.’  Bloomf. 

V.  18.  The  obedience  and  good  works  performed  from  this  principle 
[love],  are  not  like  the  servile  diligence  of  one,  who  reluctantly  labors 


selfishness,  malice  and  revenge,  are  from  hell,  and  the  beginning  of  the 
misery  ‘  prepared  for  the  devil  and  his  angels’  and  children.  But  our 
‘GOD  is  LOVE:’  and  with  such  displays  of  this  endearing  attribute 
before  us,  and  such  obligations  as  we  are  brought  under  to  it;  how  large, 
liberal,  and  fervent  ought  our  love  of  each  other  to  be,  and  even  that  of 
our  very  enemies!  And  how  should  we  Jay  ourselves  out,  to  do  good 
to  our  fellow- Christians  for  the  Lord’s  sake  !  Let  us  not  then  think  it 
enough  to  admire  the  love  of  God  in  Christ  Jesus  :  but.  since  we  can¬ 
not  profit  Him  ‘  whom  no  man  hath  seen  or  can  see  ;  ’  let  us  show  our 
love  and  gratitude  to  Him,  by  imitating  his  kind  and  merciful  conduct, 
in  our  dealings  with  our  brethren  and  neighbors.  Then  it  will  appear 
that  we  have  understood  the  nature  and  glory,  as  well  as  believed  the 
revelation,  of  ‘  the  love  which  God  hath  to  ns  :  ’  and  that,  as  ‘  God  is 
love,’  so  ‘we  dwell  in  love,’  and  ‘in  God,  and  He  in  us.’  In  this  way 
our  love  will  grow  unto  perfection;  and  our  confidence,  before  the 
mercy-seat,  will  beau  anticipation  of  our  ‘boldness  in  the  day  of  judg¬ 
ment;  ’  while  we  are  conscious,  that  ns  He,  our  Lord  and  Savior  was, 
‘so  are  we  in  this  evil  world.’  Nor  would  there  be  occasion  for  our  be¬ 
ing  left  to  the  painful  restraint  and  impulse  of  terror,  if  we  were  more 
entirely  ‘  constrained  by  love,’  in  every  part  of  our  duty  :  so  that  all  our 
disquieting  doubts,  and  apprehensions,  arise  from  onr  not  being  made 
perfect  in  love.  Jer.  32:39 — 41.  Let  us  then  pray  without  ceasing,  that 
we  may  more  entirely  ‘  love  Him,  who  hath  first  loved  us:’  and  if  it 
be  evident,  that  our  natural  enmity  is  changed  into  filial  affection  and 
gratitude  ;  let  us  bless  the  name  of  our  God  for  this  seal  and  earnest  of 
eternal  felicity  ;  and,  in  return  for  his  mercy,  and  in  obedience  to  his 
commandment,  let  us  do  good  to  our  brethren  also,  and  to  all  men,  for 
his  sake,  and  after  his  example ;  and  thus  show,  that  though  our  love  is 
imperfect,  yet  that  we  essentially  differ  from  all  those,  who  profess  ‘to 
love  God  whom  they  have  not  yet  seen,’  and  yet  ‘hate  their  brethren 
whom  they  have  seen.’  •  Scott. 

from  dread  of  a  hated  master’s  Indignation  ;  lint  like  that  of  a  dutiful 
child,  who  perforins  services  to  a  beloved  father,  which  conduce  to  the 
benefit  of  his  brethren  and  family,  and  are,  on  every  account,  pleasing, 
and  voluntarily  performed.  ..  .  Yet  this  does  not  imply,  that  any  Chris¬ 
tians  are  made  absolutely  perfect  in  love  on  earth,  to  the  full  demand  of 
the  divine  law  ;  or  that  slavish  fears  prove  a  man  to  have  no  love,  or 
grace;  or  that  exemption  from  fear  of  every  kind,  is  the  privilege  of 
believers.  It  is  equally  true,  ‘that  blessed  is  he  that  feareth  alway,’  as 
that  ‘  perfect  love  casteth  out  fear ;’  for  dilferent  kinds  of  fear  are  meant. 
Prov.  28:14.  Rom.  11:10—21.  Heb.  4:1,  2.  1  Pet.  1:17—21.  Scott. 

V.  19.  Not  that  their  love  is  merely  gratitude  for  previous  benefits, 
which,  abstracted  from  other  exercises  of  love,  would  only  be  a  selfish 
afleetion,  and  not  at  all  that  holy  love,  which  the  law,  as  written  in  the 
hearts  of  all  true  Christiana,  requires  ;  foi  that  love  is  commanded  pi  c- 
vious  to  the  consideration  of  redemption,  and  our  failure  in  it  can  r, 
to  need  that  love  of  God  towards  us,  of  which  the  apostle  was  >  ■  - 

[6-I.JJ 


* 


A.  D.  90. 


1  JOHN,  V, 


The  dignity  of  believers. 


CHAP.  V. 

1  He  that  loveth  God  loveth  his  children,  and  keapeth  his 
comin.uulmenta  :  3  which  to  the  faithful  are  light,  and 
not  grievous.  9  Jeans  is  the  Son  of  God,  able  to  save  ns, 
H  and  to  hear  oar  prayers,  which  we  make  for  ourselves, 
and  for  others. 

WHOSOEVER  3  believeth  that 
Jesus  is  the  Christ,  is  born  of 
God:  and  every  one  that  loveth  him 
that  hegat,  loveth  him  also  that  is 
begotten  of  him. 

2  By  this  vve  know  that  we  love 
the  children  of  God,  when  we  love, 
God,  and  keep  his  commandments. 

3  For  this  is  the  love  of  God,  that 
b  we  keep  his  commandments  :  and 
his  commandments  are  not  'griev¬ 
ous. 

4  For  whatsoever  is  born  of  God 
overcometh  d  the  world:  and  this  is 
the  victory  that  overcometh  the 
world,  even  our  faith. 

a  Ju.  1.12,13.  c  Ps.  119:45.  d  1  Co.  15:57. 

b  Jii.  14:15,21.  Mat.  11:30. 

eo  good  a  God,  who  was  first  in  the  act  and 
work  of  love  ;  who  loved  us  when  we  were 
both  unloving  and  unlovely;  who  loved  us  at 
so  great  a  rate  ;  who  lias  been  seeking  and 
soliciting  our  love  at  the  expense  of  his 
Son’s  blood,  and  has  condescended  to  he- 
seech  us  to  be  reconciled  unto  Him.  Let 
heaven  and  earth  stand  amazed  at  such  love! 
His  love  is  the  productive  cause  of  ours  ; 
Of  his  own,  will,  of  his  own  free,  loving  will, 
begat  Tie  us.  The  divine  love  stamped  love 
on  our  souls;  may  the  Lord  still  and  further 
direct  our  hearts  into  the  love  of  God  ! 
2  Thess.  3:5. 

2.  Love  to  our  brother  and  neighbor  in 
Christ  ;  such  love  is  argued  and  urged  on 
these  accounts  : 

(1.)  As  suitable  and  consonant  to  our 
Christian  profession.  In  the  profession  of 
Christianity  we  profess  to  love  God  as  the 


Root  of  religion;  If  tin  a  mem  say  y  or  pro¬ 
fess  as  much  as  thereby  to  say,  I  love  God, 
and  yet  hate  his  brother,  whom  he  should 
love  for  God’s  sake,  Ac  is  a  liar,  v.  20.  That 
such  an  one  loves  not  God,  the  apostle  proves 
by  the  usual  facility  of  loving  what  is  seen, 
rather  than  what  is  unseen,  v.  20.  How 
shall  the  hater  of  a  visible  image  of  God 
pretend  to  love  the  unseen  Original,  the  in¬ 
visible  God  Himself  ] 

(2.)  As  suitable  to  the  express  law  of 
God,  and  the  just  reason  of  it,  v.  21.  Our 
Christian  brethren  having  a  new  nature  and 
excellent  privileges  derived  from  God,  and 
Gocl  having  his  interest  in  them,  as  well  as 
in  us,  it  cannot  but  be  a  natural,  suitable 
obligation,  that  he  who  loves  God,  should  love 
his  brother  also. 


Chap.  V.  V.  1 — 5. 1.  The  apostle  having, 
in  tire  conclusion  of  the  last  ch.,  urged  Chris¬ 
tian  love  as  suitable  to  Christian  profession, 
and  to  the  divine  command,  here  adds,  that 
such  love  is  suitable  to,  or,  indeed,  demand¬ 
ed  by  their  eminent  relation  ;  our  Christian 
brethren  or  fellow-believers  arc  nearly  re¬ 
lated  to  God  ;  they  are  his  children,  v.  1. 
Wherein  the  Christian  brother  is,  (1.)  De¬ 
scribed  by  Ids  faith  ;  he  believeth  that  Jesus 
is  the  Christ ;  Messiah  the  Prince  ;  the  Son 
of  God  by  nature  and  office  ;  the  chief  of 
all  the  anointed,  priests,  prophets,  or  kings  ; 
perfectly  prepared  for  the  whole  work  of  the 
eternal  salvation;  the  believer, accordingly, 
yields  himself  up  to  bis  care  and  conduct  ; 
and  then  he  is,  (2.)  Dignified  by  his  de¬ 
scent  ;  he  is  born  of  God,  v.  1.  This  prin¬ 
ciple  of  faith,  and  the  new  nature  that  at¬ 
tends  it,  or  from  which  it  springs,  are  ingen¬ 
erated  by  the  Spirit  of  God;  and  so  sonship 
and  adaption  are  not  now  from  Abraham 
according  to  the  flesh,  but  spiritually  from 
God;  and  all  believers  accordingly  are  to  be 
beloved  ;  as  it  is  added,  v.  1.  and  so  we 
must  first  and  principally  love  the  Son  of  the 
Father,  as  He  is  most  emphatically  styled. 


2  John  3  :  the  Only  (necessarily)  begotten, 
and  the  Son  of  his  love,  anil  then  those  that 
are  voluntarily  begotten,  and  renewed  by  the 
Spirit  of  grace  :  thereupon, 

2.  The  apostle  shows,  (1.)  How  vve  may 
discern  the  truth,  or  the  true,  evangelical  na¬ 
ture  of  our  love  to  the  regenerate;  the  ground 
of  it  must  he  our  love  to  God,  whose  they 
are,  v.  2.  Our  love  to  them  appears  to  be 
sound  and  genuine,  when  we  love  them,  not 
merely  on  any  secular  account,  as  because 
they  are  rich,  or  learned,  or  kind  to  us,  or 
of  our  denomination  among  religious  par¬ 
ties  ;  but  because  they  are  God’s  children, 
bear  his  image,  and  so  in  them  God  Him¬ 
self  is  loved.  Thus  we  see  what  that  love  to 
the  brethren  is,  that  is  so  pressed  in  tins 
epistle  ;  it  is  love  to  them  as  the  children 
of  God,  and  the  adopted  brethren  of  the 
Lord  Jesus. 

(2.)  How  we  may  learn  the  trutli  of  our 
love  to  God  :  it  appears  in  our  holy  obedi¬ 
ence,  v.  2.  Then  we  truly  love  God,  when 
we  keep  his  commandments ;  for  this  is  the  love 
of  God,  that  we  keep  his  commandments  ;  and 
the  keeping  of  his  commandments  requires  a 
spirit  inclined  thereto, and  delighting  there¬ 
in,  v.  3.  Or,  This  is  the  love  of  God,  that, 
as  thereby  we  are  determined  to  obedience, 
and  to  keep  the  commandments  of  God,  so  his 
commandments  are  thereby  made  easy  and 
pleasant  to  us. 

(3.)  What  is  and  ought  to  be  the  effect  of 
regeneration, — an  intellectual,  spiritual  con¬ 
quest  of  this  world,  v.  5.  He  that  is  born  of 
God,  is  born  for  God,  and  consequently  for 
another  world  ;  his  temper  and  disposition 
tend  to  a  higher,  better  world  ;  and  he  is 
furnished  with  arms  to  conquer  this  ;  as  it 
is  added,  v,  4.  Faith  is  the  spiritual  armor 
and  artillery  by  which  vve  overcome  ;  for 
faith  works  in  and  by  love  to  God  and 
Christ,  and  so  withdraws  us  from  the  love 
of  the  world.  Faith  sanctifies  the  heart, 
and  purifies  it  from  those  sensual  lusts  by 
which  the  world  obtains  such  sway  and  do¬ 


ing.  If  mere  gratitude  for  mercy  and  personal  forgiveness  were  exclu¬ 
sively  intended,  no  man  could  love  God  at  all,  on  good  grounds,  without 
some  immediate  revelation,  to  assure  him  that  he  was  the  object  of  his 
special  love,  even  while  he  continued  altogether  impenitent  and  sinful. 
(Note,  Luke  7:44 — 50.  P.  O.  3G — 50.)  But  the  evident  meaning  is,  that  if 
the  Lord  had  not  ‘  loved  them,’  before  they  loved  Him,  ‘  even  when  they 
were  dead  in  sin,’  they  must  for  ever  have  continued  enemies  to  Him. 
9:12.  Scott. 

Concluding  Note.  V.  7 — 13.  1  God  is  love  : — and  the  true  theory  of 

the  universe  is,  that  it  is  a  vehicle  or  medium  constructed  expressly  for 
the  circulation  and  diffusion  of  his  love.  Full  of  blessedness  Himself, 
his  goodness  burst  forth,  at  first,  into  a  celestial  creation,  replenished 
with  bright  intelligences,  invested  with  the  high  prerogative  of  approach¬ 
ing  as  near  to  the  Fountain  of  excellence  as  created  natures  can,  to  derive 
their  hapinness  nearly  from  Himself,  and  to  derive  it  to  the  full  amount 
of  their  capacity  for  enjoyment. 

1  But  heaven,  with  all  its  amplitude,  was  too  confined  for  Infinite  Love ; 
lie  must  enlarge  the  sphere  of  his  beneficence;  again  his  unconfined 
goodness  overflowed,  and  this  terrestrial  creation  appeared, — an  enlarge¬ 
ment  of  heaven.  On  that  occasion,  however,  He  chose  to  diversify  the 
form  of  his  love  in  the  production  of  man, — a  creature  whose  happiness, 
though  equally  with  that  of  angels  derived  from  Himself,  should  reach 
Him  through  more  indirect  and  circuitous  channels.  By  creating,  at 
first,  one  common  father  of  the  species,  He  designed  that  each  should 
feel  himself  allied  to  ail  tlte  rest,  and  pledged  to  promote  their  happi¬ 
ness.  And,  by  rendering  us  necessary  to  each  other’s  welfare,  lie  sought 
to  train  us  to  an  humble  imitation  of  his  own  goodness ;  to  teach  us  the 
divine  art  of  benevolence, — to  find  and  fabricate  our  own  happiness 
from  the  happiness  of  others. 

‘  Now,  if  the  former,  the  angelic  creation,  was  meant  to  exemplify  how 
much  his  creatures  coulS  enjoy,  the  latter  was  intended  to  show  how 
much  they  could  impart ;  for  He  meant  every  heart  and  every  hand  to 
be  a  consecrated  channel  for  his  love  to  flow  in.  Had  his  great  idea 
been  realized,  the  world  would  have  exhibited  the  glorious  spectacle  of 
a  whole  race  in  family  compact;  clothed  in  a  robe  of  happiness,  with 
charity  for  a  girdle;  feasting  at  a  perpetual  banquet  of  beneficence ; 
hailing  the  accession  of  every  new-born  member,  as  the  advent  of  an 
angel,  an  addition  to  their  common  fund  of  enjoyment  ;  -and  finding 
greater  blessedness  than  that  of  passively  receiving  happiness,  in  exer¬ 
cising  the  godlike  prerogative  of  imparting  it; — a  whole  order  of  intel¬ 
ligent  beings,  having  one  heart  and  one  mind  ;  a  haart  beating  in  con¬ 
cert  with  heaven,  and  diffusing,  with  every  pulse,  life,  and  health,  and 
joy,  to  the  remotest  members  of  the  body.  The  mere  outline  of  the 
scene,  as  sketched  by  God  in  paradise,  called  forth  audible  expressions 
of  his  divine  complacency  ;  on  surveying  it  from  the  height  of  the  ex¬ 
cellent  glory,  lie  pronounced  it  good,  and  the  light  of  his  countenance 
fell  full  upon  it. 

1  But  the  awful  invasion  of  sin  frustrated  the  divine  intention,  destroy¬ 
ed  it.  even  in  its  type  and  model.  Man  aspired  to  be  as  God.  ..  The  stan¬ 
dard  of  revolt  was  then  erected,  and  the  history  of  all  his  subsequent 
conduct  has  been  the  history  of  an  insane  endeavor  to  construct  an  em¬ 

[644] 


pire,  governed  by  laws,  and  replenished  with  resources,  independent  of 
God.  ..  .  Love  to  God  is  the  all-combining  principle  which  was  to  hold 
each  individual  in  adhesion  to  all  the  rest,  and  the  whole  in  affinity 
with  God;  the  loss  of  that,  therefore,  like  the  loss  of  the  great  law  of 
attraction  in  the  material  world,  leaves  all  the  several  parts  in  a  state 
of  repulsion  to  each  other,  as  well  as  the  whole  disjoined  from  God. 
[Note,  Jude,  v.  10.]  Having  lost  its  proper  centre  in  God,  the  world  at¬ 
tempts  not  to  find  any  common  point  of  repose,  but  spends  itself  in 
fruitless  efforts  to  erect  an  infinity  of  independent  interests.  Every 
kingdom  and  province,  [every  sect  and  party,]  every  family,  every  indi¬ 
vidual,  discovers  n  propensity  to  insulate  himself  from  the  common 
brotherhood,  and  to  constitute  himself  the  centre  of  an  all-subordinat¬ 
ing  and  ever-enlarging  circle.’  Mammon,  a  Prize  Essay.  By 

*  Rev.  John  Harris. 

NOTES.  Chap.  V.  V.  1 — 3.  Every  man,  who  truly  believes  Jesus 
to  be  the  promised  Messiah,  and  receives,  honors,  and  obeys  Him  in 
that  character,  according  to  the  predictions  of  the  Old  Test.,  and  the 
testimony  of  the  apostles  concerning  Him,  is  doubtless  ‘  born  o!  God  :  ’ 
John  1:10 — 13.  as  this  faith  must  be  the  effect  of  divine  life,  and  cannot 
he  separated  from  repentance,  love,  and  other  graces,  or  those  good 
fruits  which  spring  from  them.  (Notes,  John  14:15 — 17,  21 — 24.  15:9 — 
It.)  So  that  these  distinct  parts  of  the  Christian’s  character^  [i.  e.  love 
to  God  and  love  to  Christian  brethren,]  must  reciprocally  prove  each 
other  to  he  genuine.  But  true  Christians  are  possessed  of  a  principle 
of  divine  life,  which  carries  them  above  all  these  obstacles  and  impedi¬ 
ments.  '  Scott. 

V.  4,  5.  ‘  That  which  is  horn  of  God,’  that  new  and  heavenly  nature 
communicated  in  regeneration,  tends  so  powerfully  to  God  and  holiness, 
and  includes  in  its  essence  such  a  spiritual  judgment,  and  such  heavenly 
affections;  that  all,  in  whom  it  is  found,  are  by  it  made  victorious  over 
the  world  ;  and  overcome  both  their  natural  love  for  its  honors,  riches, 
pleasures,  decorations,  and  friendship;  and  their  nntural  fear  of  the 
frown,  rage,  and  contempt  of  worldly  men.  2:15 — 17.  4:4 — fi  .John  16: 
31 — 33.  Rom.  12:2.  Thus  they  are  prepared  for  submitting  to  losses, 
exercising  self-denial,  and  enduring  affliction  in  the  cause  of  God  ;  ami 
are  taught  to  disregard  the  maxims,  fashions,  customs,  and  opinions  of 
ungodly  men,  however  eminent,  numerous,  or  powerful.  This  1  new 
oreature,’  <is  ‘  born  of  God,’  has  the  ascendency  in  the  heart  of  the 
youngest  and  feeblest  true  Christian  ;  and  therefore  they  all  aspire  after 
and  attain  unto  this  victory.  For  though  the  conflict  of  grace  with  cor¬ 
rupt  nature  and  the  allurements  and  terrors  of  the  world,  is  often  very 
sharp  ;  and  the  regenerate  man  may  he  baffled,  cast  down,  nay,  appa¬ 
rently  slain  in  the  battle:  yet  the  divine  life,  being  again  invigorated  by 
the  Holy  Spirit,  will  excite  him  to  arise  and  renew  the  combat,  with  re¬ 
doubled  fortitude  and  resolution.  So  that  at  length  the  victory  will  he 
his  decidedly  ;  and  he  will  habitually  profess  the  truth,  and  do  the  will 
of  God,  as  far  as  he  knows  them,  whatever  loss,  suffering,  disgrace,  or 
hardship  may  ensue  ;  even  if  lie  should  be  exposed  to  death,  in  its  most 
terrifying  form,  by  his  adherence  to  his  duty.  In  acquiring  this  honor¬ 
able  ‘  victory,’ T«»7A  is  principally  concerned  :  a  realizing  belief  of  the 
testimony  of  God,  concerning  invisible  and  eternal  things,  operating  by 


X.  D.  90. 


1  JOHN,  V. 


5  Who  is  he  that  overcometh  the 
world,  but  he  that  believeth  that 
Jesus  is  the  Son  of  God  ? 

6  This  is  he  that  came  by  e  water 
and  blood,  even  Jesus  Christ;  not 
by  water  only,  but  by  water  and 
blood.  And  it  is  the  Spirit  fthat 
beareth  witness,  because  the  Spirit 
is  truth. 

7  For  there  are  three  that  bear 
record  [in  heaven,  the  *  Father,  the 
h  Word,  and  the  'Holy  Ghost:  and 
these  three  are  one. 


The  confirmation  of  the  faith. 


his  presence  ami  glory,  John  14:  3.  (8.) 

He  is  possessed  with  a  spirit  and  disposi¬ 
tion  that  cannot  be  satisfied  with  tiiis  world, 
that  looks  beyond  it,  and  is  still  tending, 
striving,  and  pressing,  toward  the  world  in 
heaven,  2  Cor.  5:2.  So  that  it  is  the  Chris¬ 
tian  religion  that  affords  its  proselytes  a  uni¬ 
versal  empire.  And  who,  in  all  the  world, 
but  the  believer  on  Jesus  Christ,  can  thus 
overcome  the  world  1 

V.  6 — 9.  The  faith  of  the  Christian 
believer  being  thus  mighty  and  victorious, 
it  had  need  be  well  founded  ;  and  it  is  so  ; 
the  Lord  Jesus  brings  his  credentials  along 
with  Him,  in  the  way  by  which  He  came, 
and  in  the  witness  that  attends  Him. 

1.  In  the  way  by  which  He  came  ;  i.e.  by 
water  and  blood  ;  or  with  t voter  and  blond  ; 
even  Jesus  Christ.  Jesus  Christ,  I  say,  came 
thus  ;  and  none  but  lie.  I  say  it  again, 
not  by  or  with  water  only,  but  by  and  with 
water  and  blood,  v.  6.  these  were  as  the  notes 
and  signatures  tif  the  true,  effectual  Savior 
of  the  world  ;  and  as  the  means  by  which 
He  would  heal  and  save  us.  As  these  show 
us  our  double  defilement,  so  they  indicate 
the  Savior’s  twofold  purgation.  On  the 
death  of  Josus  Christ,  his  side  being  pierced 
with  a  soldier’s  spear,  out  of  the  wound 
there  immediately  issued  water  and  blood. 
This  the  beloved  apostle  saw',  and  seems  to 
have  been  affected  with  the  sight  ;  he  alone 
records  it,  and  seems  to  reckon  himself 
obliged  to  record  it,  as  containing  something 
mysterious  in  it,  John  19:35.  Now  this 
water  and  blood  are  comprehensive  of  all 
that  is  necessary  and  effectual  to  our  salva¬ 
tion.  By  the  water,  our  souls  are  washed 
and  purified  for  heaven,  for  the  region  of 
saints  in  light.  By  the  blood,  God  is  glori¬ 
fied,  his  law  honored,  and  his  vindicative 
excellences  illustrated  and  displayed,  Rom. 
3:25,  26.  By  the  blood  we  are  justified, 
reconciled,  and  presented  righteous  to  God. 
By  the  blood,  the  curse  of  the  law  being 
satisfied,  the  purifying  Spirit  is  obtained 
forthe  internal  ablution  of  our  natures.  Gal. 
3:13.  &c.  The  water  and  the  blood  then 
comprehend  all  things  that  can  be  requi¬ 
site  to  our  salvation.  They  will  consecrate 
and  sanctify  to  that  purpose  all  that  God 
shall  appoint  or  make  use  of  in  order  to  that 
great  end,  Eph.  5:  25 — 27.  He  who  comes 
by  water  and  blood,  is  an  accurate,  perfect 
Savior.  And  this  is  He  who  conies  by 
water  and  blood,  even  Jesus  Christ  !  Thus 


we  see  how,  or,  if  you  please,  with  what 
utensils,  Ha  conies.  But  we  see  his  creden¬ 
tials  also, 

2.  In  the  witness  that  attends  Him,  and 
that  is  the  divine  Spirit  ;  that  Spirit  to 
whom  the  perfecting  of  the  works  of  God  is 
usually  attributed,  v.  6.  It  was  meet  the 
commissioned  Savior  should  have  a  constant 
Agent  to  support  his  work,  and  testify  of 
Him,  that  a  divine  power  should  attend  Him, 
his  Gospel  and  servants  ;  and  notify  the 
world  on  what  errand  and  office  they  came, 
and  by  what  authority  they  were  sent  :  this 
was  done  in  and  by  the  Spirit  of  God,  ac¬ 
cording  to  the  Savior’s  own  prediction, 
John  16:  15.  And  then  theaposile  adds  the 
commendation,  or  the  acceptableness  of  this 
witness  ;  because  the  Spirit  is  Truth,  v.  6. 
One  copy  would  afford  us  a  very  suitable  read¬ 
ing  thus  ;  because,  or  that,  Christ  is  the  Truth. 
And  so  it  indicates  the  matter  of  the  Spir¬ 
it’s  testimony,  that  is,  the  truth  of  Christ  ; 
and,  consequently,  that  Christianity,  or  the 
Christian  religion,  is  the  truth  of  God.  But 
it  is  not  meet  that  one  or  two  copies  should  al¬ 
ter  the  text;  and  our  present  reading  is  very 
agreeable,  so  we  retain  it.  The  Spirit  is 
Truth.  He  is  indeed  the  Spirit  of  truth, 
John  14:  17.  And  that  the  Spirit  is  Truth, 
and  a  Witness  worthy  of  all  acceptation, 
appears  in  that  He  is  one  of  the  witnesses 
that  in  and  from  heaven  bare  testimony  con¬ 
cerning  the  truth  and  authority  of  Christ, 
v.  7.  And  so  v._  7.  most  appositely  occurs, 
as  a  proof  of  the  authenticity  of  the  Spirit’s 
testimony  ;  He  must  needs  be  true,  or  even 
truth  itself,  if  He  be  not  only  a  Witness  in 
heaven,  but  even  one  (not  in  testimony  only, 
for  so  an  angel  may  be,  but  in  being  and  es¬ 
sence)  with  the  Father  and  the  Word. 

But  here  opens  the  contest  about  the 
genuineness  of  verse  7.  It  is  alleged,  that 
many  old  Greek  manuscripts  have  it  not. 
We  shall  not  here  enter  into  the  controver¬ 
sy.  It  should  seem  the  critics  are  not  agreed 
vvliat  manuscripts  have  it,  and  what  not. 
But  some  rational  surmises  seem  to  support 
the  present  text  and  reading.  As, 

1.  If  we  admit  v.  8.  in  the  room  of  v.  7. 
it  looks  too  like  a  tautology  and  repetition 
of  what  was  included  in  v.  6.  This  does 
not  assign  near  so  noble  an  introduction  of 
these  three  witnesses  as  our  present  reading 
does. 

2.  It  is  observed,  that  many  copies  read 
that  distinctive  clause,  upon  the.  earth  ;  There 


eJn.  19:34.  g  111.  8:18.  Re.  19:13. 

f  Jii.  14:17.  h  Me.  4:12,13.  1  Jn.  10:30. 

minion  over  souls.  It  receive*  and  derives 
strength  from  the  Object  of  it,  the  Soil  of 
God,  for  conquering  the  frowns  and  flatte¬ 
ries  of  the  world.  It  obtains,  by  gospel- 
promise,  a  right  to  the  indwelling  Spirit  of 
grace,  that  is  greater  than  he  who  dwells  in 
tile  world.  It  sees  an  invisible  world  at 
hand,  with  which  this  world  is  not  worthy 
to  be  compared,  and  into  which  it  tells  the 
soul,  in  which  it  resides,  it  must  be  contin¬ 
ually  prepared  to  enter  ;  and,  thereupon, 

3.  The  apostle  concludes,  that  it  is  the 
real  Christian  that  is  the  true  conqueror  of 
the  world,  v.  5.  The  world  lies  in  our  way 
to  heaven,  and  is  the  great  impediment  to 
onr  entrance  there.  But  he  who  believes, 
must  needs  by  faith  overcome  the  world. 

For,  (1.)  He  must  be  well  satisfied  that  this 
world  is  a  vehement  enemy  to  his  soul,  to 
his  holiness,  his  salvation,  and  his  blessed¬ 
ness,  ch.  2:  16.  (2.)  He  sees  it  must  be  a 

great  part  of  the  Savior’s  work,  and  of  his 
Own  salvation,  to  be  redeemed  and  rescued 
from  this  malignant  world,  Gal.  1:  4.  (3.) 

He  sees  in  and  by  the  life  and  conduct  of  the 
Lord  Jesus  on  earth,  that  this  world  is  to  be 
renounced  and  overcome.  (4.)  He  is  taught 
and  influenced  by  the  Lord  Jesus’  death  to 
be  mortified  and  crucified  to  the  world. 

Gal.  6:14.  (5.)  He  is  begotten  by  the  res¬ 

urrection  of  Jesus  Christ  from  the  dead,  to 
the  lively  hope  of  a  blessed  world  above, 

1  Pet.  1:  3.  (6.)  He  knows  the  Savior  is 

gone  to  heaven,  and  is  there  preparing  a 
place  for  his  serious  believers,  John  14:  2. 

(7.)  He  knows  his  Savior  will  come  again, 
will  put  an  end  to  this  world,  judge  the  in¬ 
habitants  of  it,  and  receive  his  believers  to 

fear  of  his  wrath,  and  hope  of  holy  felicity  in  his  favor;  a  believing  re¬ 
liance  on  Christ  for  redemption,  and  all  the  blessings  that  flow  from  it, 
working  by  love  and  gratitude  ;■  with  an  abiding  sense  of  God’s  presence 
at  all  times,  to  witness  every  action,  and  to  support,  help,  and  comfort 
those  who  trust  in  Him.  These  exercises  of  faith  give  such  a  determin¬ 
ation  to  the  true  Christian’s  conduct,  that  he  cannot  habitually  do  what 
he  knows  to  be  contrary  to  the  will  of  God,  whatever  emolument,  cred¬ 
it,  or  favor  he  may  acquire  by  so  doing  ;  nor  can  he  habitually  neglect 
what  God  commands,  to  whatever  loss,  reproach,  or  sulfering  it  may 
expose  him.  Rom.  6:1,  2.  2  Cor.  4:13— 18.  Gal.  2:17—21.  Heb.  11:27. 
12  2,  3.  Rev.  12:7 — 12.  Through  temporary  weakness  of  faith,  he  may 
be  drawn  into  sins  and  negligences:  but  he  will  soon  find  such  fear, 
shame,  sorrow,  remorse,  and  self-abhorrence,  in  his  heart  and  con¬ 
science,  that  he  cannot  but  return  into  the  way  of  obedience,  and  re¬ 
ject  the  wages  of  transgression,  whatever  may  be  the  consequence. 
Tiiis  is  universally  the  case  with  true  believers ;  though  the  temporary 
suspension  of  faith,  and  a  consequent  prevalence  of  worldly  affections, 
may  be  longer  in  some  cases  than  in  others;  during  which  lamentable 
seasons,  their  evidence  of  sincerity  must  be  equally  weakened.  And 
this  is  peculiar  to  believers  ;  so  that  we  may  challenge  the  whole  earth, 
to  produce  one  instance  of  a  man,  who  ‘did  not  believe  in  the  Son  of 
God,’  that  had,  in  every  respect,  so  1  overcome’  the  love  and  fear  of  all 
persons  and  things  in  the  world,  as  not  habitually ,  in  one  way  or  other, 
to  act  contrary  to  his  own  judgment  and  conscience,  from  a  regard  to 
interest,  reputation,  ease,  liberty,  indulgence,  friendship,  or  social  and 
relative  comfort  and  affection  ;  or  in  order  to  avoid  derision,  reproach, 
the  censure  of  singularity,  or  more  material  losses  and  sufferings.  All 
men,  except  believers  in  Christ,  are  habitually  enslaved,  in  some  respect 
or  other,  to  the  customs,  opinions,  or  interests  of  the  world  :  and  who 
is  there,  that  dares,  in  all  things,  to  act  according  to  the  conviction  of 
his  own  mind,  without  being  warped  by  the  general  influence  of  socie¬ 
ty,  or  that  of  his  own  particular  circle,  or  sometimes  even  of  his  own  do¬ 
mestics  ?  He,  and  he  only,  can  do  this, ‘who  believes  that  Jesus  is 
the  Son  of  God,’  and  trusts  in  Him  for  salvation,  according  to  the 
Scriptures  :  his  faith,  united  with  humble  love,  spirituality,  fear  of  com¬ 
ing  short  of  salvation,  hatred  of  sin,  a  constant  respect  to  his  Lord’s  ex¬ 
ample,  an  indifference  for  worldly  objects,  and  a  deep  persuasion  of  the 
miserable  condition  of  all  worldly  men,  gives  him  this  victory.  Gal. 
6:11 — 14.  He  habitually  in  all  things  follows  the  dictates  of  his  own 


conscience,  and  the  commandments  of  his  Lord,  whatever  consequences 
may  follow,  and  when  he  is  betrayed  into  an  incidental  deviation  from 
this  rule,  he  deeply  repents  of  it,  and  attempts  renewed  obedience. — 
Hence  it  is,  that  the  world  will  tolerate  all  other  persons,  except  true 
believers,  whatever  their  forms  or  notions  be  ;  because  all  others  will, 
in  some  respects,  comply  with  the  humors,  and  court  the  friendship,  of 
worldly  men.  Cut  Christians  are  so  tmplianl,  and  so  determined  to  fol¬ 
low  their  Lord,  according  to  their  own  judgment  of  truth  and  duty, 
without  regarding  the  opinions,  counsels,  attentions,  derision,  revilings, 
or  enmity  of  the  many,  the  wise,  the  great,  the  learned,  or  (he  virtuous  ; 
nay,  without  being  turned  aside  by  persuasion,  or  the  dictates  of  affec¬ 
tion  and  gratitude,  from  the  line  of  duty  ;  they  cleave  to  their  religious 
singularities  (as  they  are  deemed)  at  so  great  an  expense,  and  often 
amidst  so  many  sufferings  ;  and,  in  so  many  ways,  they  4  testify  of  the 
world,  that  its  works  are  evil,’  and  its  wisdom  folly,  that  they  can 
hope  for  no  quarter  from  worldly  men,  but  must  expect  to  be  hated,  or 
despised  by  all  for  Christ’s  sake:  even  as  He  was,  who  perfectly  1  over¬ 
came  the  world,’  as  their  Surety  and  Example. —  It  may  be  proper  here 
to  observe,  that  the  Christian,  in  proportion  to  his  knowledge  and  grace, 
will  be  singular,  only  where  truth  and  duty  require  him  ;  and  steadfast, 
according  to  the  certainty  or  importance  of  the  truth  and  duty  :  but  in 
all  things  which  he  deems  indifferent,  and  where  his  own  will  or  inter¬ 
est  alone  are  concerned,  he  will  endeavor  to  be  pliant,  in  order  to  show, 
that  his  pertinacious  adherence  to  his  rule  of  duty,  is  the  effect  of  con¬ 
scientiousness,  and  not  of  obstinacy  and  affectation.  (4)  H'hatsnever  is 
born.]  Some  read,  every  one  who  is  born.  The  meaning  is  nearly  the 
same;  but  it  is  not  expressed  so  exactly  and  clearly,  as  in  our  reading, 
which  is  of  far  superior  authority. — How  can  ail  these  propositions 
concerning  ‘him  who  is  born  of  God,’  and  ‘all  that  which  is  born  of 
God,’  be  explained  by  those,  who  suppose  that  baptism,  or  something 
inseparably  connected  with  it,  when  rightly  administered,  is  exclusively 
meant  ?  Scott. 

V.  7,  8.  As  the  accomplishment  of  the  prophecies  contained  in  the 
New  Test,  fully  counterbalances  the  ceasing  of  miraculous  gifts,  so  these 
divine  attestations  to  the  scriptural  doctrine  concerning  the  l’erson  ot 
Christ,  and  the  two  grand  constituent  parts  of  his  salvation,  continue 
to  this  present  day,  and  shall  to  the  end  of  the  world  :  and  we  at  pres¬ 
ent  have  abundant  testimony  to  those  truths,  which  our  f  ather  in  heaven, 
the  incarnate  Word,  and  the  Holy  Spirit,  immediately  testified  to  the 

[645] 


A.  D.  90. 


1  JOHN,  V. 


8  And  there  are  three  that  bear 
witness  in  earth],  the  J  Spirit,  and 
the  k  water,  and  the  1  blood  :  and 
these  three  agree  in  one. 

[Practical  Observations .] 

)  Jn.  15:26.  2  Co.  1:22.  lie.  13:12. 

k  Ac.  2:2 — 4.  1  1  Pe.  3:21. 

are  three  that  bear  record  upon  the  earth  ;  now 
tliis  bears  a  visible  opposition  to  some  wit¬ 
ness  or  witnesses  elsewhere  ;  and  therefore 
we  are  told,  by  the  adversaries  of  the  text, 
that  this  clause  must  lie  supposed  to  be  omit¬ 
ted  in  most  books  that  want  v.  7.  But  it 
should,  for  the  same  reason,  be  so  in  all. 
Take  we  v.  6.  It  would  not  now  naturally 
and  properly  be  added,  For  there  are  three 
that  bear  record  on  earth  ;  unless  we  should 
suppose  the  apostle  would  tell  us,  that  all  the 
witnesses  are  such  as  are  on  earth,  when 
yet  he  would  assure  us,  that  one  is  infallibly 
true,  or  even  Truth  itself. 

3.  It  is  observed,  that  there  is  a  varie¬ 
ty  of  reading,  even  in  the  Greek  text,  as  in 
v.  7.  Some  copies  read, — are  one  ;  others, 
(at  least  the  Complutensian,) — are  to  one*. or 
agree  in.  one  ;  and  in  v.  8.  (in  that  part  that 
it  is  supposed  should  be  admitted,)  instead 
of  the  common, — in  earth,  the  Complutensian 
reads, — upon  earth  ;  which  seems  to  show 
that  that  edition  depended  on  some  Greek 
authority,  and  not  merely,  as  some  would 
have  us  believe,  on  the  authority  either  of 
the  vulgar  Latin,  or  of  Thomas  Aquinas  ; 
though  his  testimony  may  be  added  thereto. 

4.  V.  7.  is  very  agreeable  to  the  style 
and  theology  of  our  apostle.  He  delights  in 
the  title, — The  Father ;  whether  he  indicates 
thereby  God  only,  or  a  divine  person  distin¬ 
guished  from  the  Son  :  see  him,  throughout, 
as  2  John  3.  Then  the  name,  the  Word, 
is  known  to  be  almost  (if  not  quite)  peculiar 
to  this  apostle.  Had  the  text  been  devised 
by  another,  it  had  been  more  easy  and  obvi¬ 
ous,  from  the  form  of  baptism,  and  the  com¬ 
mon  language  of  the  church,  to  hare  used 
the  name  Son  instead  of  that  of  the  Word. 
As  it  is  observed,  that  Tertullian  and  Cyp¬ 
rian  use  that  name,  even  when  they  refer  to 
this  verse  ;  or  it  is  made  an  objection 
against  their  referring  to  this  verse,  because 
they  speak  of  the  Son,  not  the  Word  ;  and 
yet  Cyprian’s  expression  seems  to  be  very 
clear,  by  the  citatio’n  of  Facttndus  himself. 

‘  Blessed  Cyprian,  the  Carthaginian  Bishop 
and  Martyr,  in  the  epistle  or  book  he  wrote  con¬ 
cerning  the  Trinity,  considered  the  testimony 
of  the  apostle  John  as  relating  to  the  Father, 


the  Son,  and  the  Holy  Spirit  ;  for,  he  says, 
The  Lord  says,  I  and  the  Father  are  one  ; 
and,  again,  These  three  are  one.’  Now'  it  is 
nowhere  written  that  these  are  one,  but  in 
r.  7.  It  is  probable,  then,  that  Cyprian, 
either  depending  on  his  memory,  or  rather 
intending  things  more  than  words,  persons 
more  than  names,  or  calling  persons  by  their 
names  more  usual  in  the  church,  (both  in 
popular  and  polemic  discourses,)  called  the 
second  by  the  name  of  the  Son,  rather  than 
of  the  Word.  So  we  are  told,  that  the  au¬ 
thor  of  the  book, — De  Baptismo  Hcereticorum, 
allowed  to  be  contemporary  with  Cyprian, 
cites  John’s  words,  agreeably  to  the  Greek 
manuscripts  and  the  ancient  versions,  thus  : 

‘  For  John,  in  his  epistle,  says,  concerning  our 
Lord,  This  is  He,  Jesus  Christ,  who  came  by 
water  and  blood,  nut  in  water  only,  but  in  wa¬ 
ter  and  blood  ;  and  it  is  the  Spirit  that  bears 
witness,  because  the  Spirit  is  Truth  ;  for  there 
are  three  that  bear  witness,  the  Spirit,  the  wa¬ 
ter,  and  the  blood,  and  these  three  agree  in  one .’ 
If  all  the  Greek  manuscripts  and  ancient 
versions  say,  concerning  the  Spirit,  the  wa¬ 
ter,  and  the  blood,  that  they  agree  in  one, 
then  it  was  not  of  them  that  Cyprian  spake, 
whntev«r  variety  there  might  be  in  the  cop¬ 
ies  in  his  time,  when  he  said,  it  is  written, 
they  are  one.  And  therefore  Cyprian’s  words 
seem  still  to  be  a  firm  testimony  to  v.  7.  and 
an  intimation,  likewise,  that  a  forger  of  the 
text  would  have  scarcely  so  exactly  hit  on  the 
apostolical  name  for  the  second  Witness  in 
heaven, — the  Word.  Then, 

As  this  apostle  only  records  the  history  of 
the  water  and  blood  flowing  out  of  the  Sav¬ 
ior’s  side,  so  it  is  he  only,  or  he  principally, 
who  registers  to  us  the  Savior’s  promise 
and  prediction  of  the  Holy  Spirit’s  coming 
to  glorify  Him,  and  to  testify  of  Him,  and 
to  convince  the  world  of  its  own  unbelief, 
and  of  his  righteousness,  as  in  his  Gospel, 
ch.  14:16,  17,  26.  15:26.  16:7—15.  It 
is  most  suitable,  then,  to  the  diction  and  to 
the  gospel  of  this  apostle,  thus  to  mention 
the  Holy  Ghost  as  a  Witness  for  Jesus 
Christ.  Then, 

5.  It  was  far  more  easy  for  a  transcri¬ 
ber,  by  turning  aw  ay  his  eye,  or  hy  the  ob¬ 
scurity  of  the  copy,  it  being  obliterated  or 
defaced  on  the  top  or  bottom  of  a  page,  or 
worn  away  in  such  materials  as  the  ancients 
had  to  w  rite  upon,  to  lose  and  omit  the  pas¬ 
sage,  than  for  an  interpolator  to  devise  and 
insert  it  ;  he  must  be  very  bold  and  impu¬ 
dent,  who  could  hope  to  escape  detection 
and  shame  ;  and  profane,  too,  who  durst 


The  confirmation  of  the  faith. 

i  venture  to  make  an  addition  to  a  supposed 
sacred  book.  And, 

6.  It  can  scarcely  be  supposed,  that, 
when  the  apostle  is  representing  the  strength 
of  the  Christian’s  faith  in  overcoming  the 
world,  and  the  foundation  it  relies  on  in  ad¬ 
hering  to  Jesus  Christ,  and  the  various  tes¬ 
timony  given  to  Jesus  Christ  in  the  world, 
he  should  omit  the  supreme  testimony  that 
attended  Him,  especially  when  we  consider 
that  he  meant  to  infer,  as  he  does  v.  9.  If 
we  receive  the  witness  of  men,  the  witness  of 
God  is  greater  j  for  this,  l hat  he  had  rehears¬ 
ed  before,  is  the.  witness  of  God  which  He 
hath  testified  of  his  Son.  Now  in  the  three 
witnesses  on  earth,  there  is  neither  all  the 
witness  of  God,  nor  indeed  any  witness  who 
is  truly  and  immediately  God.  The  anti- 
trinitarian  opposers  of  the  text  will  deny 
that  either  the  Spirit,  or  the  water,  or  the 
blood,  are  God  Himself  ;  but,  on  our  pres¬ 
ent  reading,  here  is  a  noble  enumeration  of 
the  several  witnesses  and  testimonies  sup¬ 
porting  the  truth  of  the  Lord  Jesus,  and  the 
divinity  of  his  institution  ;  here  is  the  most 
excellent  abridgment  or  breviate  of  the  mo¬ 
tives  to  faith  in  Christ,  of  the  credentials 
the  Savior  brings  with  Him,  and  of  the  evi¬ 
dences  of  our  Christianity,  that  is  to  be 
found,  I  think,  in  the  book  of  God  ;  on 
which  single  account,  even  waiving  the  doc¬ 
trine  of  the  divine  Trinity,  the  entire  text  is 
worthy  of  all  acceptation. 

Having  these  rational  grounds  on  our  side, 
we  proceed.  The  apostle,  having  told  us 
that  the  Spirit  that  bears  witness  to  Christ 
is  truth,  shows  us  that  He  is  so,  by  assuring 
us  that  He  is  in  heaven,  and  that  there  are 
others  also  who  cannot  but  be  true,  or  truth 
itself,  concurring  in  testimony  with  Him, 
v.  7.  Here  is  a  Trinity  of  heavenly  wit¬ 
nesses;  first,  the  Father  ;  He  set  his  seal  to 
the  commission  of  the  Lord  Christ,  more 
especially  in  proclaiming  Him  at  his  bap¬ 
tism,  Mat.  3:  17.  confirming  li is  character 
at  the  transfiguration,  Mat.  17:5.  accom¬ 
panying  Him  with  miraculous  power  and 
works,  John  10:37,  38.  avouching  at  his 
death.  Mat.  27 :  54.  raising  Him  from  the 
dead,  and  receiving  Him  up  to  his  glory, 
John  16:  10.  and  Rom.  1:  4.  The  second 
witness  is  the  Word ;  a  mysterious  name, 
importing  the  highest  nature  that  belongs  to 
the  Savior  Jesus  Christ  ;  w  herein  He  ex¬ 
isted  before  the  world  was,  whereby  He 
made  the  world,  and  w  hereby  He  was  truly 
God  with  the  Father.  He  must  bear  wit¬ 
ness  to  the  human  nature,  or  to  the  man 


PRACT.  OB8.  V.  1 — 8.  True  faith  in  Christ  always  springs  from 
regeneartion  ;  and  all,  who  are  not  *  born  of  God,’  are  either  infidels 
and  avowed  unbelievers,  or  have  only  a  dead  and  unprofitable  faith. — 
Real  Christians  ‘show*  their  faith  by  their  works.’  By  a  new  and  di¬ 
vine  nature,  and  the  grace  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  and  by  the  exercise  of 
faith  in  the  testimony,  the  i>romise,  the  power,  and  the  love  of  God,  they 
gradually  acquire  ‘  a  victory  over  the  world,’  and  learn  habitually  to  do 
the  will  of  God,  without  being  seduced,  persuaded,  or  afikighted  from  it, 

primitive  Christians. — It  is  well  known,  that  volumes  have  been  writ¬ 
ten,  concerning  part  of  the  seventh  verse  and  the  beginning  of  the 
eighth,  in  order  to  prove,  or  disprove,  the  authenticity  of  the  passage 
enclosed  within  crotchets.  It  is  certainly  wanting  in  many  of  the  an¬ 
cient  manuscripts  and  versions;  and  is  not  authenticated  by  many  of 
the  fathers  :  but  whether  the  Trinitarians  interpolated  it,  or  the  Arians 
and  Unitarians  omitted  it,  is  to  this  day  a  matter  of  controversy,  and 
not  likely  to  be  fully  determined.  On  such  questions  men  will  in  gen¬ 
eral  decide,  according  to  their  preconceived  opinions  :  yet  it  is  very 
wrong  to  deviate  from  truth  in  support  of  system.  It  is,  however,  per¬ 
haps,  somewhat  more  likely,  that  the  Arians  or  Anti-Trinitarians  should 
silently  otnit  in  their  copies  a  testimony  which  was  so  decisive  against 
them,  or  that  it  should  be  left  out  by  the  mistake  of  some  ancient  trans¬ 
criber  than  that  the  Trinitarians  should  directly  forge  and  insert  it. 
The  Trinitarian,  in  fact,  would  be  deprived  only  of  one  argument  out 
of  very  many,  with  which  he  might  attempt  the  conviction  of  his  oppo¬ 
nent,  if  this  text  were  wholly  rejected  as  spurious;  for  his  doctrine  is 
abundantly  supported  by  other  scriptures:  but  if  this  testimony  were 
admitted  as  the  unerring  Word  of  God,  all  the  ingenuity  and  diligence 
of  opponents,  xx'ould  scarcely  suffice  to  explain  it  away,  or  to  avoid  the 
inference,  which  must  naturally  be  drawn  from  it.  It  has  indeed  by 
some,  even  Trinitarians,  been  maintained,  that  the  words  rendered, 
‘  these  three  are  One,’  only  mean,  that  their  testimony  is  one  :  but  the 
writer  of  the  passage,  whoever  he  was,  did  not  speak  of  testimony ,  but 
of  persons  :  else,  why  is  the  word  translated  three,  of  the  masculine 
gender  ?  Or  why  is  the  expression  so  remarkably  varied  in  the  next 
verse  ?  ‘These  three,’  the  Father,  the  Son,  and  the  Holy  Spirit  ‘are 

[646] 


by  any  persons  or  objects  in  the  world  around  them.  I.et  then  all  who 
profess  to  believe  the  Gospel,  inquire,  whether  they  have  attained,  or 
are  contending  for,  this  victory.  For  we  must  all,  after  Christ’s  exam¬ 
ple,  ‘overcome  the  world,’  or  it  will  overcome  us,  to  our  final  ruin. 
John  16:33.  —  Indeed,  a  worldly  religion,  exhibiting  the  appearance  of 
evangelical  doctrine,  is  the  peculiar  danger  of  the  present  (lay,  and  gives 
infidels  and  heretics  of  every  name  their  chief  advantage,  against  the 
great  and  glorious  truths  of  the  sacred  Scriptures.  Scott. 

One.’  It  may  also  be  doubtful,  whether  the  passage  connects  with  so 
much  propriety,  if  the  contested  words  be  omitted,  as  it  otherwise  does  : 
for  if  we  read,  with  the  copies  in  which  they  are  wanting.  ‘  The  Spirit 
beareth  witness,  because  the  Spirit  is  truth  :  (or  there  are  three  that 
bear  record,  ...  the  Spirit,  and  the  water,  and  the  blood,  &c.’  there 
seems  to  be  a  remarkable  repetition,  and  a  want  of  the  apostle’s  usual 
energy  in  the  passage  ;  and  it  docs  not  appear  evident  (or  what  reason 
‘  the  water  and  the  blood,’  or  the  two  great  ordinances  of  the  New  Test, 
ns  ontxvard  signs  of  sanctification  and  justification,  by  the  grace  and 
atoning  blood  of  the  Son  of  God,  and  ns  agreeing  in  One  with  the  testi-< 
mony  of  the  Spirit,  should  be  mentioned  ;  and  yet  nothing  should  be 
hinted,  concerning  the  testimony  of  the  Father  from  heaven  to  Christ, 
as  his  beloved  Son;  or  that  of  Christ  Himself,  as  confirmed  by  his  mir¬ 
acles  and  resurrection,  and  the  fulfilment  of  his  promise,  in  pouring  the 
Holy  Spirit  on  his  assembled  disciples.  As  the  words  stand  in  our 
copies,  there  is  indeed  a  most  abundant  concurrence  of  divine  testimo¬ 
nies  to  the  Person  and  doctrine  of  Christ,  pointed  out  in  a  most  com¬ 
pendious  and  energetic,  manner. — It  cannot,  however,  be  expected,  that 
in  such  a  publication  as  this,  a  question,  which  has  long  employed  the 
attention  of  the  most  learned  rnen  in  Christendom,  should  be  settled  : 
and,  after  assigning  the  above  reasons  in  favor  of  the  authenticity  of  the 
passage,  I  confess,  that  I  myself  am  very  doubtful,  whether  they  be  suf¬ 
ficient  to  counterbalance  the  arguments  of  those  who  think  otherwise. 
We  need  not,  however,  be  anxious  on  the  subject,  as  we  have  scriptural 
evidence  in  abundance,  without  this  text,  to  confirm  our  faith  in  one 
God,  subsisting  in  three  co-equal  Persons,  ‘the  Father,  the  Son,  and  the 
Holy  Ghost,’  into  whose  One  name  we  have  beeti  baptized.  Scott. 


A.  D.  90. 


1  JOHN,  V. 


Privilege  and  stability  of  trite  Christians, 


9  If  we  receive  the  witness  of 
men,  the  witness  of  God  is  greater: 
for  this  is  the  witness  of  God,  which 
he  hath  testified  of  his  Son. 

10  He  that  belie veth  on  the  Son 
of  God  hath  the  witness  min  him¬ 
self:  he  that  believeth  not  God,  hath 
made  him  a  liar;  because  he  believ¬ 
eth  not  the  record  that  God  gave  of 
his  Son. 

m  Ro.  8:16.  - 

Christ  Jesus,  in  and  by  whom  He  redeemed 
and  saved  us  ;  and  He  bore  witness,  by  the 
mighty  works  He  wrought,  John  5:  17.  in 
conferring  a  glory  on  Him  at  It  is  transfigu¬ 
ration,  John  1 :  14.  in  raising  Him  from  the 
dead,  John  2:  19.  The  third  Witness  is 
the  Holy  Ghost ,  or  the  Holy  Spirit  ;  an  au¬ 
gust  and  venerable  name,  the  Possessor, 
Proprietor,  and  Author  of  holiness.  True 
and  faithful  must  He  l)e,  to  whom  the  Spirit 
of  holiness  sets  his  seal  and  solemn  testimo¬ 
ny.  So  He  did  to  the  Lord  Jesus,  the  Head 
of  the  Christian  world;  and  that  in  the  mi¬ 
raculous  production  of  his  immaculate  hu¬ 
man  nature  in  the  Virgin’s  womb,  Luke  1: 
35.  &e.  in  the  visible  descent  on  Him  at 
lii.s  baptism,  Luke  3:  22.  &c.  in  an  effectual 
conquest  of  the  spirits  of  hell  and  darkness, 
Mat.  12:28.  in  the  visible,  potent  descent 
on  the  apostles,  to  furnish  them  with  gifts 
and  powers  to  preach  Him  and  his  Gospel 
to  the  world,  after  He  Himself  was  gone  to 
lipaven,  Acts  1 :  4,  5.  2:2 — 4.  &c.  in  sup¬ 
porting  the  name,  gospel,  and  interest  of 
Christ,  by  miraculous  gifts  and  operations  by 
and  upon  the  disciples,  and  in  the  churches 
for  two  hundred  years,  1  Cor.  12:  7.  Con¬ 
cerning  which,  see  Dr.  Whitby’s  excellent 
discourse,  in  the  preface  to  the  second  vol¬ 
ume  of  his  Commentary  on  the  New  Test. 
These  are  witnesses  in  heaven  ;  and  they 
bear  record  from  heaven  ;  and  they  are  one. 
It  should  seem  not  only  in  testimony,  (for 
that  is  implied  in  their  being  three  wit¬ 
nesses  to  one  and  the  same  thing,)  but  on  a 
higher  account,  as  they  are  in  heaven  ;  they 
are  one  in  their  heavenly  being  and  essence; 
and,  if  one  with  the  Father,  they  must  be 
one  God. 

To  these  there  is  opposed,  though  with 
them  conjoined,  a  trinity  of  witnesses  on 
earth,  such  as  continue  here  below,  v.  8. 
Of  these  witnesses  the  first  is  the  Spirit. 
This  must  be  distinguished  from  the  Person 


of  the  Holy  Ghost,  who  is  in  heaven.  We 
must  say,  then,  with  the  Savior,  as  reported 
by  this  apostle,  that  which  is  burn  of  the 
Spirit,  is  spirit,  John  3:  6.  The  true  disci¬ 
ple  becomes  a  new  creature.  The  regenera¬ 
tion  and  renovation  of  souls  are  a  testimony 
to  the  Savior.  It  is  a  testimony  on  earth, 
because  it  continues  with  the  church  there, 
and  is  not  performed  in  that  conspicuous,  as¬ 
tonishing  manner  in  which  signs  from  hea¬ 
ven  are  accomplished.  To  this  Spirit  be¬ 
long  not  only  the  regeneration  and  conver¬ 
sion  of  the  church,  but  its  progressive  sanc¬ 
tification,  victory  over  the  world,  her  peace, 
love,  and  joy,  and  all  that  grace  by  which 
she  is  made  meet  for  the  inheritance  of  the 
saints  in  light.  Then  the  second  is,  the 
water.  This  was,  before,  considered  as  a 
mean  of  salvation,  now  as  a  testimony  to 
the  Savior  Himself,  and  intimates  his  purity 
and  purifying  power.  And  so  it  seems  to 
comprehend  the  purity  of  his  own  nature 
and  conduct  in  the  world  ;  He  was  holy, 
harmless,  and  undefiled  ;  the  testimony  of 
John’s  baptism,  who  bore  witness  of  Him, 
prepared  a  people  for  Him,  and  referred 
them  to  Him,  Mark  1:  4,  7,  8.  the  purity  of 
his  own  doctrine,  by  which  souls  are  purified 
and  wmshed,  John  15:  3.  the  actual  and  ac¬ 
tive  purity  and  holiness  of  his  disciples,  1 
Pet.  1:22.  and  all  this  signed  and  sealed  by 
the  baptism  He  has  appointed  for  the  initi¬ 
ation  or  introduction  of  his  disciples  ;  in 
which  He  by  that  sign  says.  Except  I  wash 
thee,  thou  hast  no  part  in  Me,  1  Pet.  3:21. 
The  third  witness  is,  the  blood;  this  He 
shed;  and  this  was  our  ransom.  This  tes¬ 
tifies  for  Jesus  Christ  ;  in  that  it  sealed  up 
and  finished  the  sacrifices  of  the  Old  Test., 
confirmed  his  own  predictions,  and  the  truth 
of' all  his  ministry  and  doctrine,  John  18: 
37.  showed  unparalleled  love  to  God,  in 
that  He  would  die  a  sacrifice  to  his  honor 
and  glory,  in  making  atonement  for  the  sins 
of  the  world,  John  14:  30,  31.  demonstrated 
unspeakable  love  to  us  ;  and  none  will  de¬ 
ceive  those  whom  they  entirely  fine,  John 
14:  13 — 15.  it  showed  also  the  disinterest¬ 
edness  of  the  Lord  Jesus,  os  to  any  secular 
interest  and  advantage.  No  impostor  ever 
proposes  to  himself  contempt,  and  violent, 
cruel  death,  John  18:  36.  It  likewise  lavs 
obligation  on  his  disciples  to  suffer  and  die 
for  him.  No  deceiver  would  invite  pro¬ 
selytes  to  his  side  and  interest,  at  the  rate 
that  the  Lord  Jesus  did,  John  16:2.  Heb. 
13:  13.  Then  the  benefits  accruing  anil  pro¬ 


cured  by  his  blood,  must  immediately  de¬ 
monstrate  that  He  is  indeed  the  Savior  of 
the  world.  And  then,  finally,  these  are  sig¬ 
nified  and  sealed  in  the  institution  of  his 
own  Supper,  Mat.  26:28.  Such  are  the 
witnesses  on  earth.  Such  is  the  various  tes¬ 
timony  given  to  the  Author  of  our  religion. 
No  wonder,  if  the  rejecter  of  all  this  evi¬ 
dence  be  judged  as  a  blasphemer  of  the 
Spirit  of  God,  and  be  left  to  perish  without 
remedy  in  his  sins.  These  three  witnesses 
(being  more  different  than  the  three  former) 
are  not  so  properly  said  to  be  one,  as  to  be 
for  one  ;  to  be  for  one  and  the  same  purpose 
and  cause  ;  or  to  agree  in  one  ;  in  one  and 
the  same  thing  among  themselves,  and  in 
the  same  testimony  with  those  who  bear  re¬ 
cord  from  heaven. 

The  apostle  justly  concludes.  If  ive  receive 
the  witness  of  men,  the  witness  of  God  is 
greater ;  for,  this  is  the  witness  of  God,  that 
He  hath  testified  of  his  Son,  v.  9.  God,  that 
cannot  lie,  hath  given  sufficient  assurance  to 
the  world,  that  Jesus  Christ  is  his  Son;  the 
Son  of  his  love,  and  Son  by  office,  to  recon¬ 
cile  and  recover  the  world  unto  Himself ; 
He  testified  therefore  the  truth  and  divine 
original  of  the  Christian  religion,  and  that 
it  is  the  sure,  appointed  way  and  mean  of 
bringing  us  to  God. 

V.  10 — 13.  In  these  words  we  may  ob¬ 
serve, 

1.  The  privilege  and  stability  of  the  real 
Christian,  v.  10.  He  hath  not  only  the  out¬ 
ward  evidence  others  have,  but  in  his  own 
heart  a  testimony  for  Jesus  Christ.  He  can 
allege  what  Christ  and  the  truth  of  Christ 
have  done  for  his  soul,  and  what  lie  has  seen 
and  found  in  Him.  As,  (1.)  He  has  deeply 
seen  his  sin,  guilt,  misery,  and  abundant 
need  of  such  a  Savior  ;  the  excellency, 
beauty,  and  office  of  the  Son  of  God,  and 
the  incomparable  suitableness  of  such  a  Sa¬ 
vior  to  all  his  spiritual  wants  and  sorrowful 
circumstances.  (2.)  He  sees  and  admires 
the  wisdom  and  love  of  God  in  prepaiing 
and  sending  such  a  Savior  to  deliver  him 
from  sin  and  hell,  and  to  raise  him  to  par¬ 
don,  peace,  and  communion  with  God.  (3.) 
He  has  found  and  felt  the  power  of  the 
Word  and  doctrine  of  Christ,  wounding, 
humbling,  healing,  quickening,  and  com¬ 
forting  his  soul;  and  he  finds  that  the  reve¬ 
lation  of  Christ,  as  it  is  the  greatest  dis¬ 
covery  and  demonstration  of  the  love  of 
God,  so  it  is  the  most  apt  and  powerful 
mean  of  kindling  and  inflaming  love  to  the 


V.  9,  10.  The  principal  truth,  which  ‘  God  hath  testified  ’  in  his  holy 
Word,  is,  that  which  relates  to  his  Son,  and  to  the  way  of  salvation 
through  Him.  11,12.  John  5: 31 — *17.  20:21—31.  lie,  therefore,  who 
credits  ‘the  witness’  or  testimony  ‘of God,’  will  ‘believe  on  the  Son 
of  God,’  and  rely  on  Him  for  the  blessings,  which  lie  came  into  the 
world  to  procure  for  sinners  by  his  righteousness  and  redemption,  and 
to  bestow  on  them.  In  consequence  of  this  faith,  the  Christian  receives 
another,  and  still  more  satisfactory  testimony  to  the  truth  of  the  Gospel, 
which  also  seals  to  him  his  interest  in  Christ  and  his  salvation.  For 
1  he  that  believeth  on  the  Son  of  God,  ha>h  the  witness  ’  or  testimony 
‘  in  himself.’  The  discoveries  made  to  him  of  the  glory  of  God  in  the 
Person  of  Christ,  nnd  the  change  thus  produced  in  his  judgment,  dispo¬ 
sitions,  and  affections,  (Notes,  20,  21.  2  Cor.  3:17,  18.  4:5,  6.)  the  views 
he  has  received  of  the  evil  of  sin,  of  his  own  character  and  condition,  of 
the  deceitfulness  ami  wickedness  of  his  heart,  and  of  the  wretched  state 
of  the  world  around  him,  all  of  which  he  now  perceives  to  accord  exact¬ 
ly  with  the  declarations  of  Scripture,  though  once  he  saw  nothing  of  it ; 
the  victory  he  is  enabled  by  faith  to  obtain  over  the  world,  his  own  evil 
habits  and  propensities,  and  the  temptations  of  Satan  ;  the  evident  an¬ 
swers  many  of  his  prayers  receive,  and  his  experience  of  the  faithfulness 
of  God  to  his  promises,  and  of  his  providential  regard  to  him  ;  and, 
above  all,  ‘the  love  of  God  shed  abroad  in  his  heart  by  the  Spirit  of 
adoption;’  the  peace,  hope,  and  consolation  connected  with  it;  the 
pleasure  he  finds  in  communion  with  God,  and  obedience  to  his  will ; 
his  delight  in  the  society  of  spiritual  persons,  and  the  support  he  receives 
when  afflicted;  these,  and  similar  experiences,  form  a  ‘testimony  in 
himself,’  to  which  all  other  men  must  be  strangers.  For  thus  ‘the 
Spirit  of  God  witnesses  with  his  spirit,  that  lie  is  the  child  of  God,’  and 
gives  him  sweet  earnests  and  foretastes  of  his  eternal  inheritance. 
horn.  5:3—5.  8:14 — 17.  This  puts  the  matter  out  of  all  doubt  with  him  ; 
(except  in  hours  of  peculiar  darkness,  conflict,  temptation,  or  humilia¬ 
ting  correction  ;)  and  he  can  no  more  be  argued  out  of  his  belief  of  the 
lending  truths  of  the  Gospel,  respecting  the  Person  and  salvation  of 
Christ,  by  any  ingenuity  or  sophistry  of  infidels  or  heretics,  than  he 
could  be  convinced  by  logic,  that  the  sun  is  a  dark,  cold  body,  when  he 
6ees  its  light,  nnd  feels  its  genial  warmth.  This  testimony  proves,  that 
the  Scripture  is  the  Word  of  God,  that  he  rightly  understands  the  most 
essential  parts  of  it,  nnd  that  he  is  a  partaker  of  the  blessing  thus  an¬ 
nounced  to  him.  (Notes,  John  14.15 — 21.  2  Cor.  1-21,  22.  2  Pet.  1:19 


— 21.  Rev.  2:17.)  On  the  other  hand,  he  who  believeth  not  God,  in  re¬ 
spect  of  his  testimony  to  his  Son,  can  never  receive  ‘  the  witness  in 
himself;’  but  must  expect  his  heavy  displeasure,  seeing  ‘lie  maketh 
God  a  liar,’  or  treats  his  Word  as  a  lie,  ns  utterly  unworthy  of  credit  or 
confidence.  This  is  the  case  of  every  one,  ‘  who  believes  not  the  testi¬ 
mony  which  God  hath  given  of  his  Son,’  and  confirmed  in  all  the  ways 
above  enumerated.  As  all  revelation  centres  in  this  fundamental  doc¬ 
trine,  it  is  in  vain  for  a  man  to  (dead,  that  he  believes  ‘  the  testimony  ’ 
of  God  in  other  things,  while  he  rejects  it  in  this.  His  opinion  may  in¬ 
deed  accord  with  the  doctrine  of  Scripture,  in  matters  less  affronting  to 
human  pride,  more  level  with  the  human  understanding,  or  more  recon¬ 
cilable  to  the  love,  friendship,  and  pursuits  of  the  world.  Thus  a  mail 
assents  to  scriptural  truths,  because  he  thinks  they  may  be  otherwise 
proved,  at  least  there  is  no  other  evidence  to  be  opposed  to  ‘  the  testi¬ 
mony  of  God,’  and  nothing  to  be  lost  by  assenting  to  it.  Hut  if  his  own 
reasonings,  or  those  of  some  philosophy,  lead  to  a  conclusion  contrary 
to  the  Word  of  God,  he  will  ‘lean  to  his  own  understanding,’  or  believe 
in  a  philosopher,  and  treat  ‘the  testimony  of  God  as  a  lie.’  Nay,  men 
professing  to  believe  the  Scriptures,  will  reject  doctrines  expressly  re¬ 
vealed  there,  or  employ  a  perverse  diligence  and  ingenuity  to  explain 
them  away,  merely  because  they  can  find  no  philosophical  arguments, 
wfth  which  to  confirm  the  testftuony  of* God  !  The  light  of  the  sun  is 
not  sufficient  for  them,  nor  will  they  be  satisfied  With  it,  unless  they  can 
see  the  same  objects  by  their  own  dim  candle  !  On  the  other  hand,  they 
will  profess  to  believe  the  Word  of  God,  when  it  accords  with  their  own 
reasonings,  or  the  opinion  of  some  philosopher,  who  perhaps  borrowed 
that  glimmering  from  Scripture,  which  preserves  his  scheme  from  total 
darkness;  and  they  sometimes  suppose  themselves  doing  good  service, 
when  they  call  such  witnesses  to  support  ‘  the  testimony  of  God  !  ’  So 
that,  in  fact,  they  do  not  believe  God,  but  other  witnesses,  when  they 
assent  to  scriptural  truth;  for  they  directly  treat  Him  ns  a  false  Wit¬ 
ness,  when  He  contradicts  their  pre-conceived  opinions.  It  is  therefore 
evident,  that  no  belief  of  the  Bible,  or  of  anything  revealed  in  it,  is  ot 
any  avail  to  salvation,  except  a  man  believe  ‘  the  testimony,  which  God 
hath  given  ofhis  Son.’  11:12.  John  3:12 — 21,  27 — 36.  Scott. 

(10.)  Witness  in  himself. |  ‘  Not  an  imaginary  conceit,— not  an  un¬ 

founded  persuasion,  but  an  evidence  in  his  own  heart,  from  the  work  of 
God’s  Holy  Spirit,  who  has  created  therein  a  love  to  holiness  in  all  its 
branches.’  1L''1 

[647] 


A.  D.  90. 


1  JOHN,  V. 


Audience  and  direction  in  prayer. 


11  And  this  is  the  record,  that 
God  hath  given  to  us  eternal  life, 
and  n  this  life  is  in  his  Son. 

12  He  "that  hath  the  Son,  hath 
life;  and  he  that  hath  not  the  Son 
of  God,  hath  not  life. 

13  These  things  have  I  written 
unto  you  that  believe  on  the  name 
of  the  Son  of  God  ;  that  pye  may 
know  that  ye  have  eternal  life,  and 
that  ye  may  believe  on  the  name  of 
the  Son  of  God. 

[ Practical  Observations.] 

14  And  this  is  the  confidence  that 
we  have  ‘’in  him,  That,  if  we  ask 
any  thing  according  to  his  will,  he 
heareth  us  : 

15  And  if  we  know  rthat  he  hear 
us,  whatsoever  we  ask,  we  know 
that  we  have  the  petitions  that  we 
desired  of  him. 

n  Ju.  1:4.  p  Jn.  20:31.  r  Pr.  15:29. 

o  Jn.  5:24.  q  or,  concerning.  Je.  29:12,13. 

holy,  blessed  God.  (4.)  He  is  born  of  God 
by  the  truth  of  Christ,  as  v.  1.  lias  a  new 
heart  and  nature  ;  a  new  love,  disposition, 
and  delight,  and  is  not  the  man  he  formerly 
was.  He  finds  yet  such  a  conflict  with 
himself,  with  sin,  with  the  flesh,  the  world, 
and  invisible  wicked  powers,  as  is  described 
and  provided  for  in  the  doctrine  of  Christ. 
(5.)  Such  prospects  and  strength  afforded 
him  by  the  faith  of  Christ,  that  he  can  des¬ 
pise  ancliwercome  this  world,  and  travel  on 
towards  a  better.  (6.)  He  finds  what  in¬ 
terest  the  Mediator  has  in  heaven,  by  the 
audience  and  prevalence  of  his  prayers  in 
his  name.  Thus  he  is  begotten  again  to  a 
lively  hope,  to  a  holy  confidence  in  God, 
and  to  a  victory  over  terrors  of  conscience, 
dread  of  death  and  hell  ;  to  a  comfortable 
prospect  of  life  and  immortality,  being  en¬ 
riched  kwith  the  earnest  of  the  Spirit,  and 
sealed  to  the  day  of  redemption.  Such  as¬ 
surance  has  the  gospel-believer  ;  he  has  a 
witness  in  himself.  Christ  is  formed  in  him, 
and  is  growing  up  to  the  fulness  and  perfec¬ 
tion,  or  perfect  image  of  Christ  in  heaven. 

2.  The  aggravation  of  the  unbeliever’s 
sin;  the  sin  of  unbelief,  r.  10.  He  must  be¬ 


lieve,  either  that  God  did  not  send  his  Son 
into  the  world,  when  He  has  given  us  such 
manifold  evidence  that  He  did;  orthat  Jesus 
Christ  was  not  the  Son  of  God,  when  all 
that  evidence  relates  to  and  terminates  on 
Him;  or,  that  He  sent  his  Son  to  deceive 
the  world,  and  to  lead  it  into  error  and 
misery  ;  or,  that  He  permits  men  to  devise 
a  religion,  which,  in  all  the  parts  of  it,  is  a 
pure,  holy,  heavenly,  undefiled  institution, 
and  so  worthy  to  be  embraced  by  the  reason 
of  mankind,  and  yet  is  but  a  delusion  and  a 
lie  ;  and  then  lends  them  his  Spirit  and 
power  to  recommend  and  obtrude  it  on  the 
world  ;  which  is  to  make  God  the  Father, 
the  Author;  and  Abettor  of  the  lie. 

3.  The  matter,  the  substance,  or  contents 
of  all  this  divine  testimony  concerning  Jesus 
Christ,  v.  11.  This  is  the  sum  of  the  Gos¬ 
pel,  the  epitome  of  the  whole  record  given 
us  by  all  the  aforesaid  six  witnesses.  (1.) 
That  God  hath  given  to  us  eternal  life,  de¬ 
signed  it  for  us,  prepared  all  the  means  ne¬ 
cessary  to  bring  us  thither,  and  made  it  over 
to  us  by  covenant  and  promise.  Then,  (2.) 
This  life  is  in  the  Son.  The  Son  is  eternal 
life,  in  his  own  essence  and  Person,  John  1: 

4.  1  John  1:  2.  He  is  eternal  Life  to  us  ; 
the  Spring  of  our  spiritual  and  glorious  life, 
Col.  3:  4.  And  thereupon  it  must  follow, 
[1-1  He  that  hath  the  Son,  hath  life,  v.  12. 
Such  honor  hath  the  Father  put  upon  the 
Son;  such  honor  must  we  put  upon  Him, 
too.  [2.]  He  that  hath  not  the  Son  of  God, 
hath  not  life,  v.  12.  He  continues  under  the 
condemnation  of  the  law,  John  3:  36.  he 
refuses  the  Son,  who  is  Life  itself,  the  Pro¬ 
curer  of  life,  and  the  Way  to  it  ;  he  pro¬ 
vokes  God  to  deliver  him  over  to  endless 
death  for  making  Him  a  liar  ;  since  he  be¬ 
lieves  not  this  record  that  God  hath  given 
concerning  his  Son. 

4.  The  end  and  reason  of  the  apostle’s 
preaching  this  to  believers.  (1.)  For  their 
satisfaction  and  comfort,  v.  13.  On  all  this 
evidence,  and  witness,  it  is  but  just  and 
meet  there  should  be  those  who  believe  on 
the  name  of  the  Son  of  God.  God  increase 
their  number  !  How  much  testimony  from 
heaven  has  the  world  to  answer  for  !  And 
to  three  witnesses  in  heaven  !  These  believ¬ 
ers  have  eternal  life,  have  it  in  the  covenant 
of  the  Cospel  ;  in  the  beginning  and  first- 
fruits  of  it  within  them  ;  and  in  their  Lord 


and  Head  in  heaven.  They  may  know  they 
have  it,  and  should  be  quickened,  encour¬ 
aged,  and  comforted,  in  the  prospect  of  it  ; 
and  they  should  value  the  Scriptures,  so 
much  written  for  their  consolation  and  sal¬ 
vation.  (2.)  For  their  confirmation  and 
progress  in  their  holy  faith,  v.  13.  Believ¬ 
ers  must  persevere,  or  they  do  nothing.  To 
withdraw  from  believing  on  the  name  of  the 
Son  of  God,  is  to  renounce  eternal  life,  and 
to  draw  back  unto  perdition.  Therefore  the 
evidences  of  religion,  and  the  advantage  ot 
faith,  are  to  be  presented  to  believers,  in 
order  to  hearten  and  encourage  them  to 
persevere  to  the  end. 

V.  14 — 17.  Here  we  have, 

1.  A  privilege  belonging  to  faith  in 
Christ  ;  and  that  is,  audience  in  prayer, 
v.  14.  The  Lord  Christ  imboldens  us  to 
come  to  God  in  all  circumstances,  with  all 
our  supplications  and  requests.  Through 
H  im  our  petitions  are  admitted  and  ac¬ 
cepted  of  God.  >The  matter  of  our  prayer 
must  be  agreeable  to  the  declared  will  of 
God.  It  is  riot  fit  we  should  ask  what  is 
contrary  either  to  his  majesty  and  glory,  or 
to  our  own  good,  who  are  his,  and  depend¬ 
ent  on  Him.  And  then  we  may  have  confi¬ 
dence,  that  the  prayer  of  faith  shall  be  heard 
in  heaven. 

2.  The  advantage  accruing  to  us  by  such 
privilege,  v.  15.  Great  are  the  deliverances, 
mercies,  and  blessings,  the  holy  petitioner 
needs.  To  know  that  his  petitions  are 
heard  or  accepted,  is  as  good  as  to  know 
that  they  are  answered  ;  and  therefore  that 
he  is  so  pitied,  pardoned,  counselled,  sanc¬ 
tified,  assisted,  and  saved,  (or  shall  be  so,) 
as  he  is  allowed  to  ask  of  God. 

3.  Direction  in  prayer,  in  reference  to 
the  sins  of  others,  v.  16.  Here  we  may  ob¬ 
serve,  (1.)  We  ought  to  pray  for  others  as 
well  as  for  ourselves  ;  for  our  brethren  of 
mankind,  that  they  may  be  enlightened,  con¬ 
verted,  and  saved  ;  for  our  brethren  in  the 
Christian  profession,  that  they  may  be  sin¬ 
cere,  their  sins  be  pardoned,  and  they  de¬ 
livered  from  evils,  and  the  chastisements  of 
God,  and  preserved  in  Christ  Jesus.  (2.) 
There  is  a  great  distinction  in  the  heinous¬ 
ness  and  guilt  of  sin,  v.  16,  17.  All  sin,  as 
to  the  merit  and  legal  sentence  of  it,  is  unto 
death,  Gal.  3:  10.  But  there  is  a  sin  unto 
death,  in  opposition  to  such  sin  as  is  here 


PRACT  OBS.  V.  9 — 13.  Nothing  can  be  more  absurd,  than  the 
claim  of  those  men,  who  will  be  satisfied  with  nothing  but  strictly  log¬ 
ical  demonstration  in  matters  of  religion;  whilst,  in  the  ordinary  affairs 
of  life,  they  do  not  hesitate  to  proceed  on  credible  human  testimony, 
and  would  deem  him  out  of  his  senses  who  refused  to  do  so  ;  whereas, 
if  ‘  we  receive  the  witness  of  men,’  surely  ‘the  witness  of  God  is 
greater  !  ’  Indeed,  it  is  impossible,  that  the  invisible  things  of  God  and 
the  eternal  world  should  bg  known,  except  by  faith  receiving  the  infor¬ 
mation  of  divine  revelation  ;  for,  in  what  other  conceivable  way  can  we 
know  the  incomprehensible  perfections  of  God,  his  inscrutable  counsels, 
or  the  manner  in  which  lie  will  show  mercy  to  his  rebellious  creatures' 
These  are  not  subjects  for  man  to  discover,  to  know,  or  demonstrate,  by 
speculation  or  abstract  reasonings ;  but  will  always  be  best  understood 
by  those,  who  most  simply  believe  the  1  sure  testimony  of  God  ’  respect¬ 
ing  them.  And,  indeed,  ‘  they,  who  believe  in  the  Son  of  God,’  have  an 

V.  1 1,  12.  He  ‘  that  hath  the  Son,  hath  life  ;  he  that  by  true  faith  re¬ 
ceives  Christ,  as  the  Son  of  God,  and  as  his  Prophet,  High  Priest,  and 
King;  his  ‘Wisdom,  Righteousness,  Sanctification,  and  Redemption;’ 
who  humbly  depends  on  Him  for  all  these  purposes,  and  is  thus  inter¬ 
ested  in  Him,  and  vitally  united  to  Him,  and  continually  seeks  and  de¬ 
rives  the  blessings  of  salvation  from  Him,  through  the  influences  of  the 
Holy  Spirit ;  ‘  hath  life,’  is  spiritually  alive  ;  has  the  promise  of  eternal 
life  ratified  to  him,  and  the  sure  earnests  of  it  in  his  soul,  which  shall 
certainly  be  completed  In  his  everlasting  felicity.  (Notes,  John  X'AO— 
13.  5:24 — 27.  11:20 — 27.  14:4— 6.)  ‘  And  he,  that  hath  not  the  Son  of 
God,  hath  not  life;’  he  who  denies  Him  to  be  truly  and  properly  ‘  the 
Son  of  God,’  and  refuses  to  trust  and  honor  Him  as  such,  or  who  dis¬ 
dains  to  submit  to  his  teaching  as  his  Prophet,  to  rely  on  his  atonement 
and  intercession  as  his  High  Priest,  or  to  obey  Him  as  bis  King,  ‘  hath 
not  life;’  lie  is  ‘dead  in  sin,’  under  condemnation,  and  ‘the  wrath  of 
God  abideth  on  him;’  nor  will  any  morality,  learning,  philosophy, 
forms  of  religion,  doctrinal  notions,  or  enthusiastical  confidences,  at  all 
avail  him.  Gal.  51 — 6.  For  Christ  is  the  believer’*  ‘Life,’  and  if  a 
man  do  pot  live  in  Christ,  by  ‘  faith  working  by  love,’  and  by  the  sup¬ 
ply  of  his  Spirit,  he  has  no  life,  whether  he  be  an  Infidel,  a  Socinian,  or 
an  Arian,  a  Pharisee,  a  Mystic,  an  Enthusiast,  or  an  Antinomian. 
(Notes,  2:20—25.  Mat.  11:25,  26.  John  5:20—23.)  To  have  Christ,  we 
must  ‘receive  Him,’  and  abide  In  Him,  for  all  the  purposes  for  which 
He  came  into  the  world  ;  we  cannot  truly  receive  Him  in  one  charac¬ 
ter,  whilst  we  reject  Him  in  another.  He  will  not  protect,  deliver,  or 
accept  services,  as  a  King,  from  those  who  will  not  be  taught  by  Him, 

[643] 


inward  testimony  to  the  truth,  through  the  illumination,  renewal,  and 
consolations  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  and  in  their  own  happy  experience, 
which,  when  possessed  in  a  large  degree,  is  a  rational  foundation  of  the 
most  entire  confidence,  that  can  possibly  be  had  by  those  who  have  not 
come  to  the  immediate  vision  and  enjoyment  of  God.  But  can  it  he 
expected,  that  this  ‘  secret  of  the  Lord  should  be  with  those,’  who  do  not 
believe  bis  Word,  and  who  treat  Him,  who  is  the  Truth  itself,  as  a  liar 
and  deceiver  ?  Disregarding  then  the  self-wise  reasonings  of  such  in¬ 
competent  judges,  let  us  thankfully  receive  the  record  of  Scripture,  that 
‘God  hath  given  us  eternal  life,  and  that  this  life  is  in  his  Son.’  Thus 
xve  ‘may  give  diligence’  to  obtain  an  assurance  of  our  interest  in 
Christ,  and  know  that  we  have  eternal  life;  and  daily  grow  stronger  in 
faith,  more  steadfast  and  rejoicing  in  hope,  ‘  and  always  abounding  in 
the  work  of  the  Lord;  knowing  that  our  labor  is  not  in  vain  in  tbs 
Lord.’  Scott. 

or  who  despise  or  neglect  his  precious  redemption  and  all  prevailing 
intercession;  and  He  will  not  save,  as  a  High  Priest,  those  ‘who  will 
not  have  Him  to  rule  over  them.’  Scott. 

V.  13.  (Mars.  Ref.)  The  apostle  wrote  the  things  abeve  staled, 
unto  those,  who  believed  on  the  name  of  the  Son  of  God,  to  confirm 
tli^ir  faith,  and  to  put  them  on  their  guard  against  the  seductions  of 
false  prophets  ;  to  assure  them,  that  Iheiis  was  the  true  religion  of  Christ, 
and  that  ‘in  Him  they  had  eternal  life;’  1  Pet.  5:12.  and  to  encourage 
their  hope,  that  they  might,  more  constantly  and  vigorously,  exercise 
and  profess  this  ‘faith  in  the  Son  of  God,’  amidst  all  the  delusions,  per¬ 
secutions,  and  tribulations  with  which  they  met. — The  epistle  might  he, 
as  indeed  it  has  been,  very  useful  to  other  descriptions  of  men;  but  this 
w'ns  the  primary  intent  of  it.  In. 

V.  14,  15.  The  confidence,  which  established  Christians  had  in  God, 
respecting  the  promise  of  ‘  eternal  life  in  bis  Son,’  had  an  especial  ref¬ 
erence  to  his  readiness  to  answer  their  prayers,  through  the  heavenly 
Advocate,  notwithstanding  their  sinfulness.  In  some  things  their  prayers 
were  evidently  and  speedily  answered;  in  others,  they  might  be  satis¬ 
fied  they  were  granted  in  the  best  manner,  though  not  exactly  as  they 
expected.  2  Cor.  12:7 — 10.  Even  when  their  requests  were  for  the 
present  denied,  they  might  make  themselVes  sure,  that  in  the  best  time 
and  way  they  would  at  length  be  answered,  in  case  this  was  for  the 
glory  of  God,  and  their  ow-n  real  and  abiding  advantage ;  which  would 
compose  their  minds,  even  as  if  they  had  already  obtained  their  peti¬ 
tions.  (Notes,  3:18—2-4.  Mat.  21:21,  22.  Mark  11:22—26.  Luke  11-.5— 
13.  18:1—3.  John  14:7 — 14.  16:23,24.  Rom.  8:21—27.)  (lit  Confi- 


A.  D.  90. 


1  JOHN,  V. 


Privileges  and  advantages  of  Christians. 


16  If  any  man  see  bis  brother  sin 
a  sin  which  is  not  unto  death,  he 
shall  ask,  and  he  shall  give  him  life 
for  them  that  sin  not  unto  death. 
There  is  a  sin  unto  ’death  :  I  do 
'not  say  that  he  shall  pray  for  it. 

17  Ail  unrighteousness  “is  sin  : 
and  there  v  is  a  sin  not  unto  death. 

IB  We  know  that  whosoever  is 
born  of  God  sinneth  not;  but  he  that 
is  begotten  of  God  keepeth  w  him¬ 
self,  and  that  wicked  one  toucheth 
him  not. 

19  And  we  know  that  we  are  of 
God,  and  the  whole  world  lieth  in 
wickedness. 

s  Mat.  12:31,32.  it  c.  3:4.  w  Ja.  1:27. 

t  Je.  7:16.  v  Ro.  5:20,21. 

said  not  to  be  unto  death.  There  is  there¬ 
fore,  A  sin  not  unto  death.  That  surely  must 
be  all  such  sin,  as,  by  divine  or  human  con¬ 
stitution  may  consist  with  life  ;  in  the  hu¬ 
man  constitution  with  temporal  or  corporal 
life,  in  the  divine,  with  corporal  or  with 
spiritual,  evangelical  life.  In  opposition  to 
which  there  are  sins,  which,  by  righteous 
constitution,  are  to  death,  or  to  a  legal  for¬ 
feiture  of  life;  such  as  we  call  capital  crimes. 
Then  there  are  sins  which,  by  divine  con¬ 
stitution,  are  unto  death  ;  and  that  either 
death  corporal,  or  spiritual  and  evangelical. 
There  may  be  sin  unto  corporal  death,  as  in 
either  gross  hypocrites,  as  Ananias  and 
Sapphira,  or,  for  aught  we  know,  in  sincere 
Christian  brethren  ;  as  when  the  apostle 
says  of  the  offending  members  of  the  church 
of  Corinth  ;  For  this  cause  many  are  weak 
and  sickly  among  you ,  and  many  sleep,  1 
Cor.  11:  30.  Then,  There  are  sins,  which, 
by  divine  constitution,  are  unto  death  spirit¬ 
ual  and  evangelical,  that  is,  are  inconsistent 
with  spiritual  and  evangelical  life  ;  with 


spiritual  life  in  the  soul,  and  with  an  evan-  [ 
gelical  right  to  life  above.  Such  are  total  I 
impenitence;  as  also  a  blaspheming  of  the 
Spirit  of  God  in  the  testimony  He  has  given 
to  Christ  and  his  Gospel,  and  a  total  apos¬ 
tasy  from  the  light  and  convictive  evidence 
of  the  truth  of  Christian  religion.  These  are 
sins  deriving  the  guilt  of  everlasting  death. 
Then  comes, 

4.  The  application  of  the  direction  for 
prayer,  according  to  the  different  sorts  of 
sin  thus  distinguished.  The  prayer  is  sup¬ 
posed  to  be  for  life  ;  He  shall  ask,  and  He 
(God)  shall  give  them  life.  In  the  case  of  a 
brother’s  sin,  which  is  not  (in  the  manner 
already  mentioned)  unto  death,  we  may  in 
faith  and  hope  pray  for  him  ;  and  particu¬ 
larly  for  the  life  of  soul  and  body.  Hut  in 
case  of  the  sin  unto  death  in  the  foremen- 
tioned  ways,  we  have  no  allowance  to  pray. 
Perhaps  the  apostle’s  expression,  I  do  not 
say,  he  shall  pray  for  it,  may  intend  no  more 
than,  ‘  I  have  no  promise  for  you  in  that 
case;  no  foundation  for  the  prayer  of  faith.’ 
(1.)  The  laws  of  punitive  justice  must  be 
executed,  for  the  common  safety  and  benefit 
of  mankind.  (2.)  The  removal  of  evangeli¬ 
cal  penalties,  can  be  prayed  for  only  condi¬ 
tionally  or  provisionally,  that  is,  with  pro¬ 
viso  that  it  consists  with  the  wisdom,  will, 
and  glory  of  God  that  they  should  te  re¬ 
moved,  and  particularly  such  death  prevent¬ 
ed.  (3.)  We  cannot  pray  that  the  sins  of 
the  impenitent  and  unbelieving  should,  while 
they  are  such,  be  forgiven  them;  or  that  any 
mercy  of  life  or  soul,  that  supposes  the  for¬ 
giveness  of  sin,  should  be  granted  to  them, 
while  they  continue  such.  Hut  we  may  pray 
for  their  repentance,  for  their  being  enrich¬ 
ed  with  faith  in  Christ,  and  thereupon  for 
all  other  saving  mercies,  unless  it  should  ap¬ 
pear  that  some  have  committed  the  irremis- 
sible  blasphemy  against  the  Holy  Ghost,  and 
the  total  apostasy  from  the  illuminating,  con¬ 
victive  powers  of  the  Christian  religion,  for 


whom  it  should  seem  \ke  are  not  to  pray  at 
all.  Heb.  10:  27.  And  these  last  seem  to  bo 
sins  chiefly  intended  by  the  apostle  by  the 
names  of  sins  unto  death.  Then,  (4.)  "The 
apostle  seems  to  argue,  that  there  is  sin  that 
is  not  unto  death  ;  thus.  All  unrighteousness 
is  sin,  v.  17.  but  were  all  unrighteousness 
unto  death,  then  we  were  all  peremptorily 
bound  over  to  death  ;  but  since  it  is  not  so, 
there  is  pardoned  sin ;  sin  that  does  not  de¬ 
rive  a  plenary  obligation  to  eternal  death. 
If  it  were  not  so,  there  could  be  no  justifica¬ 
tion,  or  continuance  of  the  justified  state. 
The  gospel-constitution,  or  covenant,  abbre¬ 
viates,  abridges,  or  rescinds  the  guilt  of  sin. 

V.  18 — 21.  Here  we  have, 

1.  A  recapitulation  of  the  privileges  and 
advantages  of  the  sound  Christian  believers: 

(1.)  They  are  secured  against  sin,  against 
the  fulness  of  its  dominion,  or  the  fulness  of 
its  guilt,  v.  18.  as  ch.  3:  6,  9.  and  so  against 
that  sin  that  infallibly  binds  the  sinner  over 
unto  the  wages  of  eternal  death  ;  the  new 
nature,  and  the  inhabitation  of  the  divine 
Spirit  thereby,  prevent  the  admission  of  such 
unpardonable  sin. 

(2.)  They  are  fortified  against  the  devil’s 
destructive  attempts,  v.  18.  that  is,  the 
wicked  one  may  not  touch  him,  to  death.  It 
seems  not  to  be  barely  a  narration  of  the 
duty  or  the  practice  of  the  regenerate  ;  but 
an  indication  of  their  power  by  virtue  of 
their  regeneration  ;  they  are  thereby  pre¬ 
pared  and  principled  against  the  fatal 
touches,  the  sting,  of  the  wicked  one  ;  he 
may  prevail  too  far  with  them,  to  draw  them 
to  some  acts  of  sin  ;  but  it  seems  to  be  the 
design  of  the  apostle  to  assert,  that  their  re¬ 
generation  secures  them  from  such  assaults 
of  the  devil,  as  will  bring  them  into  the  same 
case  and  actual  condemnation  with  the 
devil. 

(3.)  They  are  on  God’s  side  and  inter- 
i  est,  in  opposition  to  the  state  of  the  world, 

|  v.  19.  Maukind  are  divided  into  two  great 


(fence. j  See  on  John  7:4. — In  Him.\  ‘ Concerning  Him.’  Marg.  ‘The 
Son  of  God’  (13)  is  the  immediate  antecedent,  and  seems  especially 
intended.  3:1 — 3.  1  Pet.  1:17 — 21.  Scott. 

V.  16 — 18.  It  had  been  shown,  that  apostasy,  after  an  intelligent  and 
credible  profession  of  the  Gospel,  when  connected  with  strong  express¬ 
ions  of  enmity,  could  seldom  be  separated  from  ‘  the  sin  against  the 
Holy  Spirit.’  Mat.  12:31,  32.  2  Tim.  4:14,  15.  Heb.  6:4 — 8.  10:26 — 31. 
This,  no  doubt,  was  ‘  the  sin  unto  death,’  which  the  apostle  intended  ; 
and,  when  it  appeared  evident  that  any  person  had  committed  it, 
Christians  were  directed  to  leave  him  to  the  righteous  judgment  of  God, 
without  expecting  to  see  him  ‘  renewed  to  repentance,’  or  even  praying 
for  him.  Jer.  7:16.  14:10 — 12.  15:1. — Indeed,  ‘  all  unrighteousness,’  or 
every  deviation  from  the  perfect  rule  of  righteousness,  1  is  sin,’  and  so 
deserves  death,  or  final  condemnation,  according  to  the  law;  3:4—6. 
and  all  who  turn  aside  from  the  Gospel,  or  act  contrary  to  it,  merit  this 
punishment.  Yet  1  there  is  a  sin,’  even  of  this  kind,  ‘  which  is  not  unto 
death  ;  ’  for,  being  the  effect  of  surprise  rather  than  of  deliberate  enmi¬ 
ty,  many,  who  have  been  thus  overcome  in  the  moment  of  temptation, 
have  been  recovered;  so  that  Christians  were  admonished  to  pray  for 
their  brethren  when  grievously  fallen,  if  they  did  not  see  in  them  the 
marks  of  determined  obstinacy  and  enmity. — The  apostle  had  before 
observed  that  none,  1  who  had  been  born  of  God,’  could  'work  or  prac¬ 
tise  sin;’  3:7 — 10.  and  he  here  added,  that  none  of  them  were  left  to 
commit  the  unpardonable  sin  ;  for  though  such  apbstates  ‘  had  gone  out 
from  them,  they  had  not  been  of  them.’  (2:19.)  The  man,  who,  as 
*  born  of  God,’  does  not  allow  himself  in  any  sin,  but  watches  and  prays, 
in  faith,  fear,  and  love,  to  be  preserved  from  temptation,  or  supported 
under  it,  1  keeps  himself,’  by  the  Holy  Spirit,  out  of  the  way  of  this  fa¬ 
tal  transgression;  so  that  ‘  the  wicked  one,’  by  whom  hypocrites  and 
formalists  are  overcome  and  induced  to  apostatize,  is  not  allowed  access 
to  him,  or  can  make  no  impression  on  him. — Satan  obtained  leave  to 
‘  sift  ’  all  the  apostles,  and  he  grievously  baffled  and  wounded  Peter ; 
but  he  could  touch  none  of  them,  except  hypocritical  Judas,  so  as  to 
prevail  with  them  deliberately  to  renounce  and  betray  their  Lord  ; 
{Notes,  Luke  22:31—31.  Rom.  7:15—17.)  for  ‘the  incorruptible  seed 
abode  in  them,’  in  the  genuine  faith,  love,  and  integrity  produced  by  it, 
and  therefore  they  ‘could  not’  thus  ‘  sin,  because  they  were  born  of 
God.’  {Notes,  1  Pet.  1:3—5,  22,  23.) — (18)  Horn  of  God.]  ‘  Whosoever 
believeth  that  Jesus  is  the  Christ,  is  born  of  God.’  (1.)  ‘  Whatsoever  is 
born  of  God  overcometh  the  world.’  ‘  Whosoever  is  horn  of  God  sin¬ 
neth  not,  but  he  that  is  begotten  of  God  keepeth  himself,  (fee.1  ‘  Every 
one  that  doeth  righteousness  is  born  of  Him.’  (2:29.)  ‘  Whosoever  is 
born  of  God  doth  not  commit  sin  ;  for  his  6eed  remaineth  in  him,  aud  he 
cannot  sin,  because  he  is  born  of  God.’  (3:9.)  ‘  Every  one  that  loveth 
is  born  of  God.’  (4:7.)  Everything  forming  an  essential  part  of 
Christianity  is  inseparably  connected  with  being  ‘  begotten  ’  or  ‘born 
of  God  ;  ’  and  it  is  evidently  intended,  that  they  all  co-exist  in  the  re¬ 
generate. — But  would  the  apoBtle  have  reversed  these  propositions  ? 
Would  he  have  said,  ‘  lie  that  believeth  not  that  Jesus  is  the  Sou  of 
God,  is  not  born  of  God  ?  ’  ‘  That  which  does  not  overcome  the  world 
is  not  born  of  God.’  ‘  He  who  doeth  not  righteousness  is  not  born  of 
God.’  1  He  that  committeth  sin  is  not  born  of  God.’  ‘  He  who  loveth 
N.  T.  VOL.  V.  82 


not  is  not  born  of  God.’  Doubtless  he  would.  But  would  he  have  said, 
‘  He  has  not  been  baptized  ?  ’  This  is  sufficient  to  expose  the  absurdity 
of  baptism  and  regeneration  being  considered  as  the  same  thing,  or 
inseparably  connected.  Scott. 

(16.)  Sin  unto  death.]  ‘Such  an  apostasy  from  Christianity,  as  is 
attended  with  blaspheming  the  operations  of  the  Spirit  of  God,  and  as¬ 
cribing  them  to  Satan.’  DoDDtt. — ‘An  apostasy  like  that  mentioned  by 
Paul,  as  irrecoverable,  lleb.  6:4 — 6.  and  attended  with  the  horrid  aggra¬ 
vation  of  ascribing  the  operations  of  God’s  Holy  Spirit  to  the  devil, 
Mat.  12:31,  32.’  Williams.— The  consideration  of  what  our  Savior 
says,  of  the  sin  against  the  Holy  Ghost,  (Mat.  12:31.  and  32.)  which  is 
doubtless  the  same  as  this  of  which  John  speaks,  led  the  learned  Prof. 


Thollck,  of  Germany,  to  renounce  the  hope  of  the  future  restoration  of 
all  men  to  happiness.  In  a  letter  to  a  friend  in  this  country,  (see  N.  Y. 
Observer,  of  March  31st,  1838,)  dated  Dec.  22,  1837,  he  says,  ‘  I  have  long 
been  struggling  in  this  respect.  I  formerly  expressed  the  hope,  [of  the 
final  restoration  of  all  men,]  though  I  confessed ,  that  I  did  not  know  how 
to  reconcile  it  with  the  clear  passages  in  Scripture,  ivhich  made  me 
reluctant  to  embrace  that  opinion  as  unquestionable  truth.  Dogmat¬ 
ically,  [i.  e.  by  argument,  or  on  philosophical  grounds,]  I  felt  myself 
drawn  towards  this  opinion;  but  exegetically ,  [by  ascertaining  the 
meaning  of  scripture-texts,]  I  do  not  know  how  to  justify  it.  Mature 
reflection,  however,  on  the  doctrine  of  the  sin  against  the  Holy  Ghost, 
HAS  MADE  ME  SINCE  ABANDON  THE  IDEA  OF  THE  FINAL  RESTORATION 
OF  ALL  men  ;  for  what  Christ  says  concerning  it,  seems  too  clearly  to 
imply  a  degree  of  opposition  against  holy  truth,  which  leads  to  eter¬ 
nal  unhappiness.’  '  Ed. 

V.  19.  This  general  declaration  includes  all  unbelievers,  whether 
Jews  or  Gentiles  ;  idolaters,  or  hypocritical  worshippers  of  the  true 
God  ;  atheists,  infidels,  profligates,  profane  persons,  and  formalists  ;  the 
wise  and  the  foolish  ;  the  learned  and  the  unlearned  ;  the  rich  and  the 
poor;  the  royal  and  the  noble,  as  well  as  the  base  and  vile;  yea,  the 
moral  and  virtuous,  as  well  as  the  vicious.  All  ‘  lie  in  wickedness,’ 
under  the  power  of  unrepented  and  unmortified  sin',  or  ‘  under  the 
wicked  one,’  as,  in  some  way  or  other,  doing  him  service ;  those  only 
excepted,  who  ‘  are  delivered"  from  the  power  of  darkness,  and  trans¬ 
lated  into  the  kingdom  of  the  Son  of  God.’  Acts  26:16 — 18.  Col.  1:9 — 
14.  Rev.  12:7 — 12.  This,  the  well-instructed  and  established  Christian 
knows  assuredly  ;  and  the  criminality,  slavery,  and  misery  of  the  human 
race  excite  his  lamentations,  prayers,  and  endeavors  to  spread  the  Gos¬ 
pel  ;  as  the  only  method,  by  which  they  can  be  delivered  from  their  ab¬ 
ject  condition.  Rom.  10:12 — 17.  Eph.  2:11 — 13.  Yet  other  men  per¬ 
ceive  nothing  of  it ;  but  are  exceedingly  offended  at  the  declaration,  and 
at  the  endeavors  used,  ‘to  turn  them  from  darkness  to  light,  and  from 
the  power  of  Satan  unto  God.’ — As  the  apostle  made  no  exception,  in 
favor  of  unbelieving  Jews  in  his  day  ;  so  we  can  allow  of  none,  in  lavor 
of  unbelieving,  heretical,  and  worldly  and  unregenerate  men,  catted 

Christians,  in  this  present  time.  ,  .  ~ H. 

(19.)  Lieth  in  wickedness.]  ‘In  this  short  expression,  the  horrible 
state  of  the  world  is  painted  in  the  most  lively  colors;  a 
which  we  have  in  the  actions,  conversations,  contracts,  quarrels,  and 

friendships  of  worldly  men.’  Wesley,  in 


A.  D.  90. 


1  JOHN,  V. 


Privileges  and  advantages  of  Christians. 


20  And  we  know  that  the  Son  of 
God  is  come,  and  hath  given  us  an 
1  understanding,  that  we  may  know 
him  that  is  true:  and  we  are  in  him 
that  is  true,  even  in  his  Son  Jesus 
Christ.  This  y  is  the  true  God,  and 
eternal  life. 

21  Little  children,  keep  your¬ 
selves  from  1  idols.  Amen. 

i  Lu.  24:45.  y  Is.  9:6.  z  1  Co.  10:14. 

parties,  tiiat  which  belongs  to  God,  and  that 
which  belongs  to  the  wicked  one.  Chris¬ 
tian  believers  belong  to  God  ;  they  are  of 
God  ;  from  Him,  to  Him,  and  for  Him, 
Dent.  32:9.  but  the  rest,  the  whole  world, 
by  far  the  major  part,  lieth  in  wickedness,  in 
the  wicked  one,  the  god  of  this  world. 
Strange,  such  a  knowing  spirit  should  be  so 
implacably  incensed  against  the  Almighty 
and  all  his  interests,  when  he  cannot  but 
know  it  must  end  in  his  own  overthrow  and 
everlasting  damnation  !  How  tremendous  is 
the  judgment  of  God  on  that  wicked  one  ! 
May  the  God  of  the  Christian  world  con¬ 
tinually  demolish  his  dominion  ! 

(4.)  They  are  enlightened  in  the  knowl¬ 
edge  of  the  true,  eternal  God,  v.  20.  ‘  The 
Son  of  God  is  come  into  our  world,  and  we 
have  seen  Him,  and  knoitf  Him,  by  all  the 
evidence  already  asserted ;  He  hath  revealed 


unto  us  the  true  God,  as  John  1: 18.  opened  I 
our  minds,  given  us  internal  light  in  our  un¬ 
derstandings,  whereby  we  may  discern  the 
glories  of  the  true  God  ;  and  we  are  assured 
that  it  is  the  true  God  that  He  hath  discov¬ 
ered  to  us  ;  infinitely  superior  in  purity, 
power,  and  perfection,  to  all  the  gods  of  the 
Gentiles  ;  the  same  God  that,  according  to 
Moses’  account,  made  the  heavens  and  the 
earth  ;  who  took  our  fathers  the.  patriarchs 
into  peculiar  covenant  with  Himself;  brought 
our  ancestors  out  of  Egypt,  gave  us  the  law 
on  mount  Sinai  ;  gave  us  his  holy  oracles, 
and  promised  the  call  and  conversion  of  the 
Gentiles  ;  by  his  counsels  and  works,  by 
his  love  and  grace,  by  his  terrors  and  judg¬ 
ments,  we  know  that  He,  a>id  He  alone,  in 
the  fulness  of  his  being,  is  the  living  and 
true  God.’  It  is  a  great  happiness  to  know 
the  true  God  ;  to  know  Him  in  Christ,  is 
eternal  life,  John  17:  3.  It  is  the  glory  of  the 
Christian  revelation,  that  it  gives  the  best, 
clearest,  and  only  account  of  the  true  God. 

(5.)  They  have  a  happy  union  with  God 
and  his  Son,  v.  20.  ‘  The  Son  leads  us  to  the 
Father,  and  we  are  in  both;  in  the  love  and 
favor  of  both  ;  in  covenant  and  federal  alli¬ 
ance  with  both  ;  in  spiritual  conjunction 
with  both,  by  the  inhabitation  and  operation 
of  their  Spirit;  and  that  you  may  know  how 
great  a  dignity  and  felicity  this  is,  you  must 
remember,  that  this  true  One  is  the  true  God 
and  eternal  Life (or  rather,  as  it  should 


seem  a  more  natural  construction;)  ‘This 
same  Son  of  God  is  Himself  also  the  true 
God  and  eternal  Life ,’  John  1:  1.  and  here, 
ch.  1:2.  ‘so  that  in  union  with  either,  much 
more  with  both,  we  are  united  to  the  true 
God  and  eternal  Life.'1  Then  we  have, 

2.  The  apostle’s  concluding  monition, 
v.  21.  Since  ye  know  the  true  God,  and  are 
in  Him,  let  your  light  and  love  guard  you 
against  all  that  is  advanced  in  opposition  to 
H  im,  or  competition  with  Him  ;  flee  from 
the  false  gods  of  the  heathen  world  ;  they 
are  not  comparable  to  the  God  whose  you 
are,  and  whom  you  serve  ;  adore  not  your 
God  by  statues  and  images  which  share  in 
his  worship  ;  your  God  is  an  incomprehen¬ 
sible  Spirit,  and  is  disgraced  by  such  sordid 
representations  ;  hold  no  communion  with 
your  heathen  neighbors  in  their  idolatrous 
worship;  mortify  the  flesh,  and  be  crucified 
to  the  world,  that  they,  [or  self,]  may  not 
'  usurp  the  throne  and  dominion  in  the  heart, 
which  is  due  only  to  God  ;  the  God  v\  hom  you 
|  have  known,  is  He  who  made  you,  who  re- 
!  deemed  you  by  his  Son,  who  has  sent  his 
Gospel  to  you,  who  has  pardoned  your  sins, 
begotten  you  unto  Himself  by  his  Spirit,  and 
given  you  eternal  life  ;  cleave  to  Him  in 
faith  and  love,  and  constant  obedience,  in 
opposition  to  all  things  that  would  alienate 
your  mind  and  heart  from  God.  To  this 
living  and  true  God  be  glory  and  dominion 
for  ever  and  ever  !  Amend 


TRACT.  OBS.  V.  14 — 21.  We  should  abound  in  supplication,  es¬ 
pecially  seeking  to  the  Lord,  to  pardon  and  recover  the  fallen,  as  well  as 
to  relieve  the  tempted  and  afflicted  ;  and,  as  we  cannot  know,  who  has 
‘sinned  unto  death,’  we  should  not  readily  yield  to  discouragement,  re¬ 
specting  those  whom  we  once  considered  as  brethren. — If  we  have  so 
grown  in  faith  and  grace,  as  to  ‘know  that  we  are  of  God,’  we  shall 
readily  perceive,  that  ‘  the  whole  world  lieth  in  wickedness,’  and  under 
the  power  of  Satan  ;  this  will  show  us  how  vast  our  obligations  are  to 
redeeming  love,  and  special  grace:  and  it  ought  to  excite  our  constant 
prayers  and  unremitting  endeavors,  to  promote  the  preaching  of  the 

V.  20,  21.  This  is  the  true  God,  &c.]  1  This  Person  is  the  true  God, 
and  eternal  life.’  1:1,2.  This  language  is  peculiarly  to  be  noted;  it 
is  not  obvious  to  determine,  in  some  of  the  clauses,  whether  the  Father 
or  the  Son  was  intended  ;  but  when  *  the  Son  of  God,  even  Jesus  Christ,’ 
had  been  mentioiTed,  the  apostle  made  use  of  a  personal  pronoun,  often 
improperly  rendered  ‘  this  Man,’  when  applied  to  Christ,  but  commonly 
signifying  this  Person.  This  demonstrative  pronoun  has  Jesus  Christ, 
for  its  immediate  and  evident  antecedent ;  and,  having  said  ‘  this  Person 
is  the  true  God,  and  eternal  Life,’  the  apostle  concluded,  by  solemnly 
cautioning  his  beloved  ‘children’  to  ‘keep  themselves  from  idols;’ 
which  must  imply,  that  they  would  do  this,  by  adhering  to  the  worship 
of  the  Son,  as  ‘  the  true  God  and  eternal  Life,’  and  as  One  with  the 
Father  who  sent  Him.  The  Scripture,  and  the  New  Test,  especially, 
was  expressly  intended,  to  draw  men  off  from  the  worship  of  idols  of 
every  kind,  to  ‘  serve  the  One  living,  and  true  God  ;  ’  and  can  it  possi¬ 
bly  be  imagined,  for  a  moment,  that  an  inspired  writer  should  speak  in 
this  manner  of  jesus  Christ,  if  He  had  not  been,  equally  with  the  Fa¬ 
ther,  the  proper  object  of  all  adoration  ?  If  the  worship  of  the  Son  of 
God  be  idolatry,  (as  it  must  be,  ifJle  be  no  more  than  a  creature,)  surely 
the  apostle  introduced  his  caution  against  idols  in  a  very  unaccountable 
manner!  But  if  the  triune  Jehovah,  ‘the  Father,  the  Son,  and  the 
Holy  Spirit,’  three  Persons  in  One  undivided  Godhead,  be  the  Object, 
and  the  only  Object,  of  divine  adoration,  nothing  could  be  more  proper 
and  emphatical ;  for  the  Jews,  rejecting  the  Son,  and  professing  to  wor¬ 
ship  God  in  One  Person,  (as  the  Mohammedans,  Heists,  Socinians,  and 
others  in  after  ages,  have  done,)  had  really  changed  the  true  Object  of 
worship,  the  God  of  the  Bible,  for  an  imaginary  Being;  and  could  not 
be  exculpated  from  the  chargd  of  idolatry  ;  for  they  could  not  be  dis¬ 
criminated  from  those,  who  worshipped  the  Supreme  Being,  under  the 
name  of  Jupiter,  or  Baal.  ( Notes ,  1  Kings  13:17 — 21.)  So  that  nomi¬ 
nal  Christians,  in  these  days,  (and  not  only  in  the  church  of  Rome,) 
have  more  need  to  be  warned  to  ‘keep  themselves  from  idols,’  than  it 
is  generally  supposed  ;  Rttd  to  he  careful,  that  they  adore  the  triune  God, 
in  whose  name  Christ  commanded,  that  his  disciples  should  he  bap¬ 
tized  ;  and  that,  whilst  they  ‘  bow  their  knees  to  the  God  and  Father  of 
our  Lord  Jesus,’  they  forgot  not  to  ‘honor  the  Son  even  as  they  honor 
the  Father  who  sent  Him,’  2:20—25.  John  5:20—23.  2  John  7:11.  in 
dependence  on  the.  omnipresent  and  divine  Spirit,  and  under  his  gui¬ 
dance,  that  ‘  the  grace  of  the  Lord  Jesus,  and  the  love  of  God  the  Fa¬ 
ther,  and  the  fellowship  of  the  Holy  Ghost,’  ‘  may  be  with  them  at  all 
times.’  Mat.  23:19,20.  2  Cor.  13:11—14,  v.  1L— 20i  iVe  know.)  Is 
there  in  these  clauses  nothing  like  personal  assurance  of  acceptance  and 
salvation,  arising  from  inward  consciousness  of  having  been  enlightened 
in  that  knowledge  of  Gist  and  of  Jesus  Christ,  which  is  eternal  life  ?  Sc. 

(20.)  This  is  the  true  God.)  ‘  To  paraphrase  this  of  the  true  religion, 
is  quite  enervating  the  force  of  Scripture,  and  taking  a  liberty  with 
plain  words  by  no  means  to  be  allowed.  It  is  an  argument  of  the  Deity 
of  Christ,  which  almost  all  those  who  have  written  in  its  defence  have 
urged ;  and  which,  I  think,  none  who  have  opposed  it  have  so  much  as 
appeared  to  answer.’  Doddr. — ‘  Athanasius,  in  the  council  of  Nice,  dis- 
potir.7  against  Arius,  called  this  text  of  John  a  ivrilten  demonstration  ; 
adding  that,  as  Christ  said  of  the  Father,  John  17:3.  This  is  life  eternal, 
that  tkeii  might  know  Thee ,  the  only  true  God.  so  John  said  of  the  Son, 
This  is  the  true  God  and  eternal  life.  Arius  then  acquiesced,  and  con¬ 
fessed  the  Son  of  God  to  be  the  true  God.’  Classics,  in  Mackn. — ‘That 
life  and  eternal  life  are,  by  the  sacred  writers,  perpetually  ascribed  to 

[650] 


Gospel,  and  the  conversion  of  sinners,  at  home  and  abroad,  even  to  the 
ends  of  the  earth,  by  every  mean  in  our  power.  Happy  are  they,  who 
1  know  that  the  Son  of  God  is  come,’  and  to  whom  God  ‘  hath  given  an 
understanding  to  know,’  and  a  heart  to  rely  on,  ‘Him  that  is  true  !  ’ 
May  this  be  our  privilege,  may  we  ‘  dwell  in  Christ,  and  Christ  in  us  ;  ’ 
may  we  he  1  one  with  Him,  and  He  with  us ;  ’  for  1  This  is  the  true  God 
and  eternal  life  ;  ’  thus  our  fellowship  will  be  with  the  Father  and  the 
Son,  through  the  Spirit ;  and  we  shall  be  preserved  from  all  idols  and  de¬ 
structive  heresies,  and  idolatrous  love  of  worldly  objects,  and  ‘  kept  by 
the  power  of  God,  through  faith,  unto  eternal  salvation.’  Scott. 

Christ,  as  the  Author,  is  certain,  and  the  words  are  nowhere  applied  to 
God  the  Father.  However,  most  recent  interpreters  think  it  more 
ngreeable  to  the  context,  to  refer  the  this,  not  to  the  immediate  antece¬ 
dent,  but  to  his,  [his,  before  Son.]  Bloomf. — ‘  The  confident  assurance 
with  which  the  apostle  maintains  his  conviction  of  the  truth  of  (he  two 
doctrines,  concerning  the  Divinity  and  human  nature  of  Christ,  which 
pervade  the  epistle,  and  are  summarily  confirmed  in  vs.  7,  8.  are  striking¬ 
ly  expressed  in  v.  20.’  Bp.  Blrbess,  in  Bloomf. 

Concluding  Note.  A  few  words  may  well  be  added  here  on  a  chief  theme  of  the 
most  spiritually  minded  of  the  apostles,  from  an  ‘Outline  of  the  Scripture  Evidence 
for  the  Trinity .*  Glasgow,  1831.  Not  being1  so  much  controverted  ns  the  Deity  of 
Christ,  that  of  the  Holy  Spirit  has  been  less  treated  of  by  controversialists  :  but  that 
the  believer  may  have  wherewith  to  answer  questions,  hereon,  the  following  summary 
is  given  from  the  above  closely  reasoned  work,  p.  158,  &c. 

‘  Having  proved  that  the  Holy  Spirit  is  neither  to  be  regarded,  with  the  Sabellians, 
as  only  another  name  for  the  Father,  nor  yet,  with  the  Socinians,  as  only  a  figure  for 
the  virtue  or  power  of  God,  but  as  truly  an  intelligent  person  [rather,  persona],  it  is 
unnecessary  to  repeat  the  proofs  of  the  divinity  of  the  Spirit,  these  being  involved  in 
the  whole  of  the  preceding  argument  and  not  being  disputed  either  by  Socinians  or 
Sabellians.  We  conclude,  then,#that  the  Holy  Spirit  is  the  most  High  God,  absolute¬ 
ly  and  properly  so  called,  and  yet  is  revealed  as  in  some  real  manner  to  be  distinguish¬ 
ed  from  the  Father  and  the  Son. 

‘  Summary.  The  masculine  pronoun  is  employed  in  speakingof  the  Holy  Spirit. — 
The  H.  S.  is  described  as  having  a  will  to  choose,  understanding  to  know,  and  power 
to  execute  h J3  purposes. — Is  represented  as  grieved,  as  interceding,  commanding,  for¬ 
bidding,  reproving,  test  ifyiog,  instructing.  —  We  are  baptized  into  the  name  of  the 
Father,  Son,  and  Holy  Spirit  ;  amt  ns  the  first  two  are  persons,  so  also  is  the  Holy 
Spirit.  We  conclude,  therefore,  the  Iloly  Spirit  to  be  a  distinct,  intelligent  person, 
and  not  a  quality  or  attribute. 

*  Again,  the  H.  S.  is  a  Divine  person. — Sin  against  Him  is  unpardonable.— He  is  the 
Author  and  W orker  of  miracles.  —  He  is  the  Author  of  all  spiritual  gifts  ;  the  Sancti¬ 
fier  of  all  hearts. — He  is  omnipotent,  omniscient,  and  eternal.— He  is  sometimes  rail¬ 
ed  God.  Honor  and  worship  are  ascribed  to  Him  — Therefore  He  is  a  Divine  person. 

‘The  H.  S.  is  distinguished  from  the  Father  and  the  Sin,  by  the  form  of  nnptism, 
and  by  the  apostolic  benediction. — He  is  said  to  he  sent  by  the  Father  and  the  Son  ; 
He  i3  therefore  neither  the  Father  nor  the  Son. — By  the  Spiiit  we  have  access  unto  the 
Father;  therefore  He  is  not  the  Father. — The  Spirit  was  distinguished  from  the  Fa¬ 
ther  and  the  Sun  at  the  baptism  of  Christ;  the  Son  descended  into  the  Jordan,  the 
Father  spoke  from  heaven,  and  the  Spirit  descended  like  a  dove  and  abode  on  the 
S°n.— The  Holy  Spirit  is.  therefore,  a  Divine  person,  and  yet  in  some  way  to  be  dis¬ 
tinguished  from  God  the  Father  and  God  the  Son. 

‘  The  amount  of  our  Scripture  information  is,  that  God  is  one  ;  that  there  are  two 
persons,  each  of  whom,  with  the  Father,  we  are  led  to  consider  as  God,  and  to  usciibe 
to  all  the  three  distinct,  personal  properties.  The  terms,  person ,  Trinity,  substance, 
&c.  are  not  to  be  found  in  Scripture;  they  were  introduced  by  controversy  into  the 
Christian  church.  The  Nicene  fathers  were  driven  to  their  adoption  bv  the  evasions  of 
the  Allans,  to  bind  the  ever-changing  Proteus  of  heresy.  “I  could  wish,”  says  Calvin, 
in  his  Institutes,  “such  terms  might  he  buried,  provided  men  would  agree  in  believing 
the  Father.  Son.  and  Holy  Spirit  to  be  one  God,  vet  so  as  that  the  Son  is  not  the  Father, 
nor  the  Holy  Spirit  the  Son,  but  that  they  were  in  some  way  to  be  Hist injru ished.” 

‘Similar  are  the  sentiments  of  Dr.  Pye  Smith,  to  whom  we  are  indebted  for  the 
most  learned  and  complete  illustration  of  the  “Scripture  Testimonies  to  the  Mes¬ 
siah  “  With  regard  to  the  three  divine  persons  in  heaven,  these  things  are  affirm¬ 
ed  in  Scripture.  To  the  Messiah,  and  to  the  Iloly  Spirit,  ns  well  as  the  Father,  di¬ 
vine  attributes  are  aserilied  ,*  but  these  are  to  be  combined  with  another  fact,  that  of 
the  divine  unity.  The  doctrine  of  the  Trinity,  three  persons  in  one  suhstnnee,  is  the 
theory  by  which  we  attempt  to  combine  these  two  apparently  incompatible  things. 
But  some  Christians  think  it  more  proper  and  becoming,  under  the  darkness  and  in¬ 
firmity  of  the  ffresent  slate,  to  say.  and  1  incline  to  say  so  too. — I  receive  all  the  facts 
of  the  case  ;  I  believe  them  upon  the  authority  of  inspiration,  but  presume  not  to  form 
any  hypothesis  for  enjoining  and  generalizing  them,  because  1  conceive  that  bo  to  do 
is  beyond  the  range  of  my  present  faculties.  I  rely,  therefore,  with  perfect  assurance 
upon  the  veracity  <>f  the  great  Revealer;  and  am  confident,  that  all  the  facts,  necessa¬ 
rily  mysterious  as  they  are  to  my  apprehension,  are, In  reality,  in  perfect  harmony,  and 
without  discrepancy.” 

‘  These  two  quotations,  from  Calvin  and  Smith ,  contain  all  that  we  know  irpon  the 
subject,  all  that  Scripture  reveals  and  requires  us  to  believe.*  Ed. 


S  E  C  O  N  D 


AN  EXPOSITION 

OF  THE 


EPISTLE  O  F  J  ()  H  N, 


WITH 


PRACTICAL  OBSERVATIONS  AND  NOTES. 

(Henry1  j  Exposition ,  completed  by  Mr.  T.  Reynolds.) 


Here  we  find  a  canonical  epistle  inscribed,  principally,  not  only  to  a  single  person,  but  to  one  also  of  the  softer  sex. 
And  why  not  to  one  of  that  sex  ?  Male  and  female  are  both  one  in  Christ  Jesus ;  our  Lord  Himself  neglected  his  own  repast, 
to  commune  with  the  woman  of  Samaria,  in  order  to  show  her  the  Fountain  of  life  ;  and  when  almost  expiring  on  the  cross, 
He  would  with  his  dying  lips  bequeath  his  blessed  mother  to  the  care  of  his  beloved  disciple,  and  thereby  instruct  him  to 
respect  female  disciples  for  the  future  :  it  was  to  one  of  the  same  sex  that  our  Lord  chose  to  appear  first  after  his  return 
from  the  grave,  and  to  send  by  her  the  news  of  his  resurrection  to  this  as  well  as  to  the  other  apostles :  and  we  find  after- 
tvards  a  zealous  Priscilla,  so  well  acquitting  herself  in  her  Christian  race,  and  particularly  in  some  hazardous  service  toward 
the  apostle  Paul,  that  she  is  not  only  often  mentioned  before  her  husband,  but  to  her,  as  well  as  to  him,  not  only  the  apostle 
himself,  but  also  all  the  Gentile  churches,  were  ready  to  return  their  thankful  acknowledgments.  No  wonder,  then,  that 
a  heroine  in  the  Christian  religion,  honored  by  divine  providence,  and  distinguished  by  divine  grace,  should  be  dignified 
also  by  an  apostolical  epistle.  Henry. 

This  short  epistle,  and  that  which  follows,  being  written,  as  it  is  probable,  not  long  before  the  apostle’s  death,  and  neither 
to  any  church  by  name,  nor  to  the  churches  at  large,  but  to  individuals,  were  not  generally  and  unanimously  known  and 
acknowledged  to  be  written  by  him,  in  the  earliest  ages,  in  the  decided  manner,  that  the  preceding  epistle  was;  but  their 
coincidence  with  it,  in  sentiment.,  manner,  and  language,  satisfied  all  concerned,  at  an  earl}7  period,  that  they  were  written 
by  the  same  person.  Mill  observes,  that  of  the  13  vs.  in  this  epistle,  8  may  be  lbund  in  the  first,  either  in  sense  or  in  ex¬ 
pression. — The  word  rendered,  ‘  The  elder,’  might  probably  be  applied  to  John,  when  all  the  other  apostles  were  dead,  as 
a  title  of  honorable  distinction,  for  he  was  the  senior  of  the  whole  church  ;  or  he  might  modestly,  yet  as  claiming  authority, 
assume  it  on  this  occasion.  Some  have  conjectured,  that  the  church  of  Jerusalem  was  figuratively  meant  by  ‘  The  elect 
lady  and  that  of  Ephesus,  where  John  is  supposed  to  have  at  this  time  resided,  by  ‘  her  elect  sister  ;’  but  it  has  more  gen¬ 
erally  been  thought,  that  an  eminent  and  honorable  Christian  matron,  well  known  in  the  church,  wTas  addressed  by  the  title 
of  ‘  the  elect  lady,’  and  that  some  other  honorable  Christian  woman,  nearly  related  to  her,  W'as  intended  by  ‘  her  elect  sister’ 
(13).  On  any  supposition,  however,  the  title  of  catholic  cannot  properly  belong  to  it  ( Pref.to  1  Pet.))  as  the  writer’s  pur¬ 
pose  of  visiting,  in  a  short  time,  those  whom  he  addressed,  is  alone  a  sufficient  proof.  —  It  is  supposed,  that  the  apostle 
especially  intended,  in  this  epistle,  to  put  those  to  whom  he  wrote  on  their  guard  against  such  heretics,  as  affirmed  that 
Jesus  was  not  really  a  Man,  but  only  appeared  to  be  one;  and  appeared  to  do  and  suffer  those  things,  which  the  apostles 
and  evangelists  recorded  of  Him.  This  heresy  was,  in  its  consequences,  subversive  of  Christianity  ;  which  accounts  for  the 
decided  language  of  the  writer  against  those  teachers  who  held  it.  (Note,  7 — 11.)  The  same  decided  conduct  is,  however, 
equally  needful,  reasonable,  pious,  nay,  charitable,  in  the  true  sense  of  the  word,  in  respect  of  those  who  propagate  many 
other  opinions,  subversive  of  the  Gospel;  who  yet  exclaim  against  the  bigotry  of  those,  however  benevolent  and  beneficent 
in  all  other  things,  who  determine  not  to  be  ‘  partakers  of  their  evil  deeds.’  Scott. 

- Salutation,  to  a  lady  and  her  children. 


A.  D.  90. 

1  He  exhorteth  a  cerium  honorable  matron,  with  her  child-  2.  3  lie  saluted  ;  a  noble  Christian  ITiat- 
reii,  to  persevere  in  ci.Hsiinn  love  and  belief,  B  lest  they  ron,  and  her  children.  Here  is  a  pattern 
lose  the  reward  ol  their  lomner  profession:  10  and  to  r  r  r  .  '  , 

have  nothing  to  do  with  those  seducers  that  bring  not  the  lor  persons  Oi  CjUclIlty  01  the  same  sex  J  the 
true  doctrine  oi  Christ  Jesus.  e/ect  lady  ;  not  only  a  choice  one,  but  one 

THE  elder  unto  the  elect  lady  and  chosen  of  God;  it  is  lovely  and  beautiful  to 
her  children,  whom  I  love  in  the  see.  ladies,  by  holy  walking,  demonstrate 
truth;  and  not  I  only,  but  also  all  l*ie‘r  e*ect‘on  of  God:  and  her  children; 


they  that  have  known  the  truth; 

2  For  the  truth’s  sake,  which 
dwelleth  in  us,  and  shall  be  with  us 
for  ever. 


probably,  the  lady  was  a  widow  ;  she  and  her 
children,  then,  are  the  principal  part  of  the 
family,  and  so  this  may  be  styled  an  econom¬ 
ical  [or  family]  epistle.  This  lady  and  her 
children  are  further  notified  by  the  respect 


3  Grace  be  with  you,  mercy,  and  paid  them,  and  that,  (1.)  By  the  apostle 


peace,  from  God  the  Father,  and 
from  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  the  Son 
of  the  Father,  in  truth  and  love. 

4  I  rejoiced  greatly  that  I  found 
of  thy  children  walking  in  truth,  as 
we  have  received  a  commandment 
from  the  Father. 

V.  1,2.  Ancient  epistles  began,  as  here. 


press  Image  of  his  Person  ;  who,  with  the 
Father,  is  also  eternal  Life,  1  John  1  :  2. 
From  these  divine  Persons  the  apostle 
craves  Grace, — divine  favor  and  good-will, 
the  spring  of  all  good  tilings  ;  Mercy , — free 
pardon  and  forgiveness  ;  they  who  are  al¬ 
ready  rich  in  grace,  have  need  of  continual 
forgiveness  ;  Peace, — tranquillity  of  spirit 
and  serenity  of  conscience,  in  an  assured 
reconciliation  with  God,  together  with  all 
safe  and  sanctified  outward  prosperity:  and 
these  are  desired  in  truth  and  love;  either  by 
sincere  and  ardent  affection  in  the  saluter,  or 
as  productive  of  continued  truth  and  love  in 
the  saluted;  these  blessings  will  continually 
preserve  true  faith  and  love  in  the  elect  lady, 
and  her  children;  and  may  they  do  so  ! 

2.  The  congratulation  on  the  prospect  of 
the  exemplary  behavior  of  other  children  of 
this  excellent  lady.  Happy  paren't,  who 
was  blessed  with  such  a  numerous  religious 
offspring  !  I  rejoiced  greatly  that  I  found  of 


iiimself;  whom  I  love  in  the  truth, or  in  truth  ; 
whom  I  sincerely  and  heartily  love.  (2.)  By 
all  her  Christian  acquaintance,  all  the  re¬ 
ligious  who  knew  her  ;  and  not  I  only,  but 
also  all  they  that  have  known  the  truth.  Then 
here  is  the  ground  of  this  love  and  respect 
thus  paid  to  this  lady,  and  her  children  ;  for 
the  truth's  sake,  (or  true  religion’s  sake,) 
which  dwelleth  in  us,  and  shall  be  with  us  for 

ever.  Christian  love  is  founded  on  the  ap-  j  thy  children  walking  in  the  truth,  as  we  have 
with  salutations  ami  good  wishes:  [thus]  re-  pearance  of  Christian,  vital  religion.  We  received  commandment  from  the  Father.  See 
ligion  consecrates,  as  far  as  may  be,  old  should  not  he  religious  merely  by  fits  and  how  good  it  is  to  be  trained  up  to  early  re¬ 
forms,  and  turns  compliments  into  real  ex-  starts;  but  constantly  and  permanently.  The  ;  ligion  !  Though  religion  is  not  to  be  founded 
pressions  of  life  and  love.  Here,  we  have,  Spirit  of  Christianity,  we  may  suppose,  will  j  on  education,  jet  education  may  be,  and 
as  usually,  not  lie  totally  extinguished  :  which  shall  be  '  often  is  blessed,  and  is  the  way  to  tortify 

1.  The  saluter  ;  not  expressed  byname,  with  us  for  ever.  I  youth  against  irreligious  infection.  Hence, 

but  by  a  chosen  character, — Theelder.  The  V.  3,4.  Here  we  see,  J.  The  salutation,  too,  let  young  travellers  learn  to  carry  their 
expression,  style,  and  love,  intimate,  that  which  is,  indeed,  an  apostolical  benediction,  religion  along  with  them,  and  practice  it;  as, 
the  penman  was  the  same  with  that  of  the  v.  3.  Sacred  love  pours  out  blessings  on  possibly,  these  children  of  the  lady  were 
foregoing  epistle;  he  is  now  the  elder,  etn-  this  honorable  Christian  family  :  these  hies-  come  to  Ephesus  where  the  apostle  now  was, 
phatically  and  eminently  so  ;  possibly,  the  sings  are  craved,  from  God  the  Father,  the  ;  and  saw  them.  How  happy  a  lady  was  this, 
oldest  apostle  now  living ;  the  chief  elder  in  God  of  all  grace ;  and  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  who  had  brought  forth  so  many  children  for 
the  church  of  God.  He  was  now  old  in  also  distinguished  by  this  emphatical  char-  heaven  and  for  God  !  And  how  great  a  joy 
holy  service  and  experience,  had  seen  and  acter, — the  Son  of  the  Father;  such  a  Son  as  must  it  be  to  her,  to  hear  so  good  an  ac¬ 
tuated  much  of  heaven,  and  was  much  nearer  none  else  can  be;  such  a  Son  as  is  the  count  of  them  from  so  good  a  judge  !  And 
than  when  at  first  lie  believed.  Brightness  of  the.  Father's  glory,  and  the  ex-  |  see,  further,  it  is  joyful  to  good  old  mnns- 

NOTES.  V.  1—3.  The  aged  apostle  seems  to  have  written  this  in  various  ways,  but  always  as  addressing  or  speaking  of  one  who  is, 
short  letter,  about  the  time  he  wrote  his  general  epistle,  or  something  in  some  respect,  an  acknowledged  superior.  bcott. 

later;  and  he  only  styled  himself  1  the  Elder,’ (1  Pet.  5:1.) knowing  that  (l.j  The  elect  lady.}  ‘The  chosen,  excellent,  or  truly  nnsiiau 
the  honorable  matron,  whom  he  addressed,  would  be  satisfied  from  whom  lady.’  ...  OOM,F' 

she  received  it,  and  properly  regard  it,  without  n  more  explicit  declara-  V.  4.  It  is  very  probable,  these  children  were  some  sons  oi  us  m  a  r  , 
lion  of  his  authority.  (1)  Lady.]  Kuria  :  from  kurios ;  which  is  used  who  had  come  to  Ephesus  on  business,  and  with  wi  oi  ,  w  11  e- 

L-^l  J 


Warning  against  deceivers. 


A.  D.  90. 


2  JOHN. 


5  And  now  I  beseech  thee,  lady, 
not  as  though  I  wrote  a  new  com¬ 
mandment  unto  thee,  but  that  which 
we  had  from  the  beginning,  that 
1  we  love  one  another. 

6  And  this  b  is  love,  that  we  walk 
after  his  commandments.  This  is 
the  commandment,  That,  as  ye 
have  heard  from  the  beginning,  ye 
should  walk  in  it. 

7  For  c  many  deceivers  are  enter¬ 
ed  into  the  world,  who  confess  not 
that  Jesus  Christ  is  come  in  the 
flesh.  This  is  a  deceiver  and  an 
antichrist. 

8  Look  d  to  yourselves,  that  “we 
lose  not  those  things  which  we  have 
f  wrought,  but  that  we  receive  a  full 
reward. 

9  Whosoever  transgresseth,  and 
abideth  not  *  in  the  doctrine  of 
Christ,  hath  not  God  :  He  that 
abideth  in  the  doctrine  of  Christ,  he 
hath  both  the  Father  and  the  Son. 

10  If  h  there  come  any  unto  you, 
and  bring  not  this  doctrine,  receive 
him  not  into  your  house,  neither  bid 
him  God  speed  : 

11  For  he  that  biddeth  him  God 
speed,  is  partaker  *  of  his  evil  deeds. 

12  Having  many  things  to  write 
unto  you,  I  would  not  write  with 

Re.  3:11.  have  gained, 

f  or,  gained.  but  that  ye. 

Some  copies  g  Jn.  15:6. 

read,  which  ye  h  Ga.  1:8,9. 


1  Jn.  3:23. 
b  Jn.  14:15,21. 
c  1  Jn.  4:1. 
d  Ma.  13:9. 
e  Phi.  3:16. 


i  1  Ti.  5.22. 


ters,  and  good  old  disciples,  (o  see  a  hopeful, 
rising  generation,  who  may  serve  God  and 
support  religion  in  the  world  when  they  are 
dead  and  gone.  We  see  here,  also,  the  ride 
of  true  walking  ;  the  commandment  of  the 
Father.  Then  is  our  walk  true,  our  converse 
right,  when  it  is  managed  by  the  Word  of 
God. 

V.  5,  6.  We  come  now  more  into  the  de¬ 
sign  and  substance  of  the  epistle  ;  and  here, 
we  have,  1.  The  apostle’s  request  ;  I  be~ 
seech  thee,  lady.  Considering  what  it  is  he 
entreats,  the  way  of  address  is  very  remark¬ 
able  ;  here  he  might  command  or  charge  ; 
but  harsher  methods  are  worse  than  need¬ 
less,  where  milder  will  prevail  ;  and  the 
apostolical  spirit  is,  of  all  other,  the  most 
tender  and  endearing.  Whether  out  of  def¬ 
erence,  or  apostolical  meekness,  or  both,  he 
condescends  to  beseech.  lie  may  be  supposed 
speaking  as  another  apostle  does  to  a  certain 
master  to  whom  he  writes,  Phil.  v.  9.  Love 
will  avail  where  authority  will  not  ;  and 
we  may  often  see,  that  the  more  author¬ 
ity  is  urged,  the  more  it  is  slighted.  The 
apostolical  minister  will  love  and  beseech 
his  friends  into  their  duty. 

2.  The  thing  requested  of  the  lady,  and 
her  children, — Christian,  sacred  love  ;  that 
we  love  one  another ,  v.  5.  They  that  are 


eminent  in  any  Christian  virtue,  have  yet 
room  to  grow  therein,  1  Thess.  4:9,  10. 
This  love  is  recommended,  from  the  obliga¬ 
tion  thereto;  it  is  commanded,  from  the  an¬ 
tiquity  of  the  obligation,  v.  5.  The  com¬ 
mand  may  be  said  to  be  a  new  one,  in  respect 
of  its  new  enaction  and  sanction  by  the 
Lord  Christ;  but  yet,  as  to  the  matter  of  it, 
(mutual,  holy  love,)  it  is  as  old  as  natural, 
Jewish,  or  Christian  religion.  Then  this 
love  is  illustrated  from  the  fruitful  nature  of 
it,  v.  6.  This  is  the  test  of  our  love  to 
God,  our  obedience  to  Him.  This  is  love  to 
ourselves,  to  our  own  souls,  that  we  walk  in 
obedience  to  divine  commands.  In  keeping 
them  there  is  great  reward.  Universal  obe¬ 
dience  is  the  proof  of  the  goodness  and  sin¬ 
cerity  of  Christian  virtues  ;  and  they  that 
aim  at  all  Christian  obedience,  will  be  sure 
to  attend  to  Christian  love  ;  that  is  a  fun¬ 
damental  duty  in  the  gospel-charter,  v.  6. 
The  foresight  of  the  decay  of  this  love,  as 
well  as  of  other  apostasy,  might  engage  the 
apostle  to  inculcate  this  duty,  and  this  pri¬ 
mordial  command,  the  more  frequently,  the 
more  earnestly. 

V.  7 — 9.  In  this  principal  part  of  the 
epistle,  we  find,  1.  The  ill  news  communi¬ 
cated  to  the  lady;  many  deceivers  are  abroad. 
This  report  is  introduced  by  a  particle  that 
bespeaks  a  reason  of  the  report  ;  for  there 
are  destroyers  in  the  world  ;  they  who  sub¬ 
vert  the  faith,  destroy  the  love.  Now  here 
is,  (1.)  The  description  of  the  deceiver  and 
his  deceit;  he  confesses  not  that  Jesus  Christ 
is  come  in  the  flesh,  v.  7.  he  brings  some  er¬ 
ror  or  other  concerning  the  Person  of  the 
Lord  Jesus.  Strange,  that  after  such  evi¬ 
dence,  any  should  deny  that  the  Lord  Jesus 
is  the  Son  of  God,  and  Savior  of  the  world! 
(2.)  The  aggravation  of  the  case  ;  such  an 
one  is  a  deceiver  and  an  antichrist,  v.  7.  he 
deludes  souls,  and  undermines  the  glory  and 
kingdom  of  the  Lord  Christ. 

2.  The  counsel  given  to  this  elect  house¬ 

hold  hereupon,  v.  8.  The  more  deceivers 
and  deceits  abound,  the  more  watchful  the 
disciples  must  be.  Delusions  may  so  pre¬ 
vail,  that  even  the  elect  may  be  endangered 
thereby.  Two  things  they  must  beware  of: 
(1.)  That  they  lose  iwt  what  they  had  wrought, 
v.  8.  what  they  have  done,  or  what  they  have 
gained  ;  any  religious  labor,  or  fair  reputa¬ 
tion  for  religion,  conviction  of  the  evil  of 
sin,  the  vanity  of  the  world,  the  excellency 
of  religion,  and  the  power  of  God’s  Word, 
Ileb.  6  :  4—6.  Ga.  5  :  7.  (2.)  That  they 

lose  not  their  reward,  none  of  that  honor, 
praise,  or  glory,  they  once  stood  fair  for, 
Rev.  3:  11.  The  way  to  attain  the  full  re¬ 
ward,  is,  to  abide  true  to  Christ,  and  con¬ 
stant  in  religion  to  the  end. 

3.  The  twofold  reason  of  the  apostle’s 
counsel,  and  of  their  care  and  caution  ; 
(1.)  The  danger  and  evil  of  departure  from 
gospel-light  and  revelation  ;  it  is  in  effect 
and  reality  a  departure  from  God  Himself, 
v.  9.  The  doctrine  of  Christ  is  appointed  to 
guide  us  to  God  ;  it  is  that  whereby  God 
draws  souls  to  salvation  and  to  Himself; 
they  who  revolt  from  thence,  in  so  doing  re- 


were  there,  the  apostle  became  acquainted,  and  found  in  the  right  way.’ 

So  Ros.  and  liloomf.,  who  support  it  by  3  John  3.  Ed.’ 

V.  5,  6.  (5)  I  beseech,  Ac.]  Mat.  15:23.  Luke  5:3.  John  14:16.  Acts 

23:20.  Phil.  4:3.  1  Thes.  4:1.  2  Thes.  2:1. — ‘  This  sort  of  address  suits  a 
particular  person,  belter  than  a  whole  church,  consisting  of  many  indi¬ 
viduals.-  Mackn.  What  follows  entirclv'accords  to  that  which  has  al¬ 
ready  been  considered.  1  John  3:1 — 11.5:1 — 5.  Scott. 

(5.)  ‘  The  mode  of  address  here  shows  that  it  was  a  person,  and  not 
a  church,  to  whom  the  apostle  wrote.’  Greenf. 

V.  7 — 11.  The  influence  of  the  false  teachers  tended  to  produce  disun¬ 
ion  among  Christians,  as  well  as  to  pervert  and  mislead  the  unstable.  1 
John  2:18,  19.  4:1 — 6.  It  therefore  behooved  those,  to  whom  this  epis¬ 
tle  was  addressed,  and  all  into  whose  hands  it  might  come,  to  be  on 
their  guard,  and  ‘  to  take  heed  to  themselves,’  to  their  principles,  spirit, 
and  conduct:  Mat.  24:4,5,  23—25.  Heb.  12:15—17.  lest  the  labor  of 
their  ministers  should  prove  fruitless,  and  their  expectations  be  disap¬ 
pointed-,  and  lest  even  their  own  losses,  self-denial,  and  diligence  in  the 
cause  of  the  Gospel,  should  prove  of  no  use  to  them.  This  would  be 
wholly  the  case  of  apostates  ;  and  in  some  degree  of  those,  who  were 
seduced  into  heretical  opinions  and  an  inconsistent  conduct.  ( yotes ,  1 
Cor.  3:10— 15.  Gal.  4:8— 11.  Phil.  2:14—18.  Rev.  3:10,  11.)  Whereas 

[652] 


volt  from  God.  (2.)  The  advantage  and 
happiness  of  firm  adherence  to  Christian 
truth;  it  unites  us  to  Christ,  and  thereby  to 
the  Father  also  ;  for  they  are  one.  The 
great  God,  as  He  has  set  his  seal  to,  so  He 
puts  a  value  on,  the  doctrine  of  Christ.  We 
must  retain  that  holy  doctrine  in  faith  and 
love,  as  we  hope  or  desire  to  arrive  at  bles¬ 
sed  communion  with  the  Father  and  the  Son. 

V.  10,  11.  1.  On  due  warning  given, 

concerning  seducers,  the  apostle  gives  di¬ 
rection  concerning  the  treatment  of  such  ; 
they  are  not  to  be  entertained  as  the  minis¬ 
ters  of  Christ;  the  Lord  Christ  will  distin¬ 
guish  them  from  such,  and  so  would  He  have 
his  disciples.  This  doctrine  here  is  concern¬ 
ing  Christ  as  the  Son  of  God,  the  Messiah 
and  Anointed  of  God,  for  our  redemption 
and  salvation.  Possibly,  this  lady  was  like 
Gains,  whom  we  read  of  in  the  next  epistle, 
a  generous  housekeeper,  and  hospitable  en¬ 
tertainer  of  travelling  ministers  and  Chris¬ 
tians.  These  deceivers  might  possibly  expect 
the  same  reception  with  others,  or  with  the 
best  who  came  there;  but  the  apostle  allows 
it  not  ;  ‘  Do  not  welcome  them  into  your 
family.’  Doubtless,  such  may  be  relieved 
in  their  pressing  necessities;  but  not  encour¬ 
aged  for  ill  service.  Denier3  of  the  faith 
are  destroyers  of  souls  ;  and  it  is  supposed 
that  even  ladies  themselves  should  have  good 
understanding  in  the  affairs  of  religion. 
‘  Bless  not  their  enterprises  ;  Neither  bid 
him  God  speed.  Attend  not  their  service 
with  your  prayers  and  good  wishes.’  Bad 
work  should  not  be  consecrated  or  recom¬ 
mended  to  the  divine  benediction.  God 
will  be  no  patron  of  falsehood,  seduction, 
and  sin.  We  ought  to  bid  God  speed  to 
evangelical  ministration  ;  but  the  propaga¬ 
tion  of  fatal  error,  if  we  cannot  prevent,  we 
must  not  dare  to  countenance.  Then, 

2.  Here  is  the  reason  of  such  direction, 
forbidding  the  support  and  patronage  of  the 
deceiver,  v.  11.  Favor  and  affection  par¬ 
take  of  the  sin.  We  may  be  sharers  in  the 
iniquities  of  others.  How  judicious  and 
how  cautious  should  the  Christian  he!  There 
are  many  ways  of  sharing  the  guilt  of  other 
persons’  transgressions  ;  it  may  be  done  by 
culpable  silertce,  indolence,  unconcerned¬ 
ness,  private  contribution,  public  counte¬ 
nance  and  assistance,  inward  approbation, 
open  apology  and  defence.  The  Lord  par¬ 
don  ottr  guilt  of  other  persons’  sins  ! 

V.  12, 13.  The  apostle  concludes  this  let¬ 
ter,  1.  With  an  adjournment  of  many  things 
to  personal  conference,  v.  12.  Here  it  is 
supposed  that  some  things  are  better  spoken 
than  written.  A  pen  and  ink  may  be  a 
mercy  and  a  pleasure ;  but  a  personal  inter¬ 
view  may  be  more  so  ;  the  apostle  was  not 
yet  too  old  for  travel.  The  communion  of 
saints  should  be  by  all  methods  maintained; 
and  their  communion  should  tend  to  their 
mutual  joy.  Excellent  ministers  may  have 
their  joy  advanced  by  their  Christian  friends, 
Rom.  1 : 12. 

2.  With  the  presentation  of  service  and 
salutation  from  some  near  relations  to  the 
lady,  v.  13.  Grace  was  abundant  toward 

the  apostle’s  desire  was,  that  he  and  they  together  might  receive  a  full 
reward;  which  would  be  the  case,  if  they  were  steadfast  in  Ihe  faith 
and  obedience  of  the  Gospel :  ns  this  would  at  present  recompense  him, 
by  his  joy  in  them,  for  all  his  labors  on  their  account;  and  they  would 
at  Inst  be  ‘  his  crown  of  rejoicing  in  the  day  of  Christ.’ — The  heretics 
especially  intended,  are  supposed  to  be  those  who  denied  the  real  hu¬ 
manity  of  the  divine  Word;  and  explained  all  that  was  recorded  of  his 
actions  and  sufferings,  as  mere  delusive  appearances.  ( Note ,  1  John  4: 
1 — 3.) — (9)  Hath  not  God,  ifcc.J  1  John  2:23.  5:12.  The  latter  part  of 
the  verse,  1  John  2:23.  which  is  printed  in  Italics,  as  of  doubtful  author¬ 
ity,  is  here  fully  confirmed.  Scott. 

(7.)  ‘The  apostle  hero  alludes  to  the  rise  of  those  heretics  who  af¬ 
firmed  that  Christ  came  only  in  appearance.'  Doddr. — 1  The  same  he 
had  noted  in  the  first  epistle.’  Ros. 

(9.)  ‘John  no  doubt  refers  to  those  he  had  just  spoken  of,  v.  7.  who 
not  only  denied  that  Jesus  was  the  Messiah,  but  taught  the  expectation 
of  another  [Messiah,  who  should  be]  potent  in  war.’  Rosenm.;  who,  on 
transgresseth,  refers  to  Ileb.  2:2.  and  Bloom/,  adds  1  Thes.  4:8.’  Ed. 

V.  12,  13.  We  know  nothing  concerning  ‘her  elect  sister,’  who  sent 
salutations  to  them,  to  which  the  apostle  joined  his  hearty  Amen.  But 
it  is  probable,  that  some  well-known  and  eminent  family  of  believers, 


A.  D.  90. 


2  JOHN. 


The  communion  of  sainls  joyful. 


paper  and  ink  :  but  I  trust  to  .pome 
unto  you,  and  speak  i  face  to  face, 
that  k  our  joy  1  may  be  full. 

13  The  children  of  thy  elect  sis¬ 
ter  greet  thee.  Amen. 

j  mouth  to  mouth.  k  or,  your.  1  I  J».  1:4. 


this  family;  here  are  two  elect  sisters,  and, 
probably,  their  elect  children.  How  will 
they  admire  this  grace  in  heaven!  The  apos¬ 
tle  condescends  to  insert  the  nieces’  duty, 
(as  we  would  call  it,)  or  dutiful  salutation 
to  their  aunt.  The  duty  of  inferior  rela¬ 
tions  is  to  be  cherished.  Doubtless,  the 


apostle  was  easy  of  access,  and  would  admit 
all  friendly  and  pious  communication,  and 
was  ready  to  enhance  the  good  lady’s  joy  in 
her  nieces  as  well  as  her  children.  May 
there  be  many  such  gracious  ladies  rejoicing 
in  their  gracious  descendants  and  other 
relations  1  Amen. 


PRACT.  OBS.  A  consistent  and  fruitful  profession  of  the  Gospel  is 
the  principal  honor,  even  of  those  few  of  the  noble  and  exalted  of  the 
earth,  who  are  thus  distinguished  :  and  that  love  is  most  cordial  and 
permanent, which  Christians  bear  to  one  another  ‘in  the  truth,  and  for  the 
sake  ’  of  it  ;  for  this  will  dwell  in  their  souls  to  eternity,  and  be  with 
them  as  the  source  of  most  perfect  felicity.  Some  few  families  of  this 
kind  are  found  among  us  :  may  ‘  the  Lord  bless  them  more  and  more, 
and  their  children  after  them  ;  ’  and  raise  up  many  others  to  copy  their 
example  !  For,  alas,  most  of  the  superior  orders  in  the' community  are 
rapidly  diffusing  irreligion,  infidelity,  and  vice,  in  their  extensive  cir¬ 
cles;  and  preparing  to  leave  them  as  a  fatal  legacy  to  their  posterity  ! — 
We  should  employ  every  argument  and  persuasion  to  induce  Christians 
to  abound  in  love  of  their  brethren,  and  to  render  obedience  to  all  the 
Lord’s  commandments :  for  those  ‘  many  deceivers,  who  confess  not 
that  Jesus  Christ,’  the  Son  of  God,  ‘is  come  in  the  liesli,’  ‘  to  redeem  us 
to  God  with  his  blood,’  will  have  great  success  among  such  professed 
Christians,  as  are  not  ‘rooted  and  grounded  in  love,’  and  taught  to  de¬ 
light  in  God’s  commandments.  Let  us  then  equally  disregard  those,  who 
‘  transgress  the  commandments,’  and  those,  who  ‘  abide  not  in  the  doc¬ 
trine  of  Christ ;  ’  that,  by  maintaining  and  obeying  the  truth,  we  may 
‘  have  both  the  Father  and  the  Son  ’  for  our  ‘  Shield,  and  exceeding  great 

residing  near  to  the  place  where  the  apostle  was  at  this  time,  is  meant. 
(13)  Amen.]  Jn.  5:20 — 23.  Phil.  2:9 — 11.  1  Jn.  5:20,21. — ‘  At  the  begin- 


Rexvard.’  Let  us  protest  against  such  teachers,  as  do  not  bring  with 
them  ‘  the  doctrine  of  Christ;  ’  lest  any  should  by  our  means  be  induc¬ 
ed  to  hearken  to  their  ‘  damnable  heresies,’  and  so  we  should  be  found 
‘  partakers  of  their  evil  deeds ;  ’  which,  though  Tittle  suspected,  are  of¬ 
ten  a  thousand  times  more  mischievous  to  mankind,  than  those  of  prof¬ 
ligates,  or  even  assassins ;  as  they  murder  far  more  souls  of  men,  than 
the  others  can  do  bodies. — In  obeying  this  commandment  of  God,  amidst 
the  clamors  which  will  be  raised  against  our  bigotry  and  uncharita¬ 
bleness,  we  should  be  careful  to  show  great  candor  to  those,  who  dilfer 
from  us  in  matters  less  essential,  who  hold  the  doctrine  of  Christ’s  Per¬ 
son,  atonement,  and  holy  salvation  :  and  we  ought  to  pray  for  those  de¬ 
luded  men,  who  deny  the  fundamentals  of  Christianity  ;  and  show  them 
kindness,  in  every  way,  and  by  every  method,  which  implies  no  degree 
or  kind  of  countenance  to  their  heresies,  and  which  consists  witli  an 
open  and  decided  protest  against  them.  Thus  we  shall  stand  at  a  dis¬ 
tance  from  all  appearance  of  persecution  and  intolerance,  while  we 
strenuously  assert  the  difference  between  the  Gospel  of  Christ,  and  the 
doctrine  of  every  antichrist ;  and  between  the  love  due  to  enemies,  and 
that  which  belongs  to  the  saints,  in  communion  with  whom  we  find 
much  of  our  present  joy,  as  an  anticipation  of  our  eternal  felicity. 

Scott. 

ning  of  a  sentence,  it  is  an  earnest  asseveration. — In  the  conclusion  of 
a  sentence,  it  imports  an  earnest  wish  that  it  may  be  so.’  Benson.  Sc. 


AN  EXPOSITION 

OF  THE 

THIRD  EPISTLE  OF  JOHN, 

WITH 

PRACTICAL  OBSERVATIONS  AND  NOTES. 

( Henry's  Exposition ,  completed  by  Mr.  T.  Reynolds.) 


Christian  communion  is  exerted  and  cherished  by  letter.  Christians  are  to  be  commended  in  the  practical  proof  of  their 
professed  subjection  to  the  Gospel  of  Christ.  The  animating  and  countenancing  of  generous  and  public-spirited  persons, 
is  doing  good  to  many.  — To  this  end,  the  apostle  sends  this  encouraging  epistle  to  his  friend  Gaius,  in  which  also  he  com¬ 
plains  of  the  quite  opposite  spirit  and  practice  of  a  certain  minister,  and  confirms  the  good  report  concerning  another  more 
worthy  to  be  imitated.  Henry. 

‘  The  writer  of  this  epistle  speaks  with  an  authority,  which  the  bishop  of  a  particular  church  could  not  pretend  to. — For 
if  Diotrephes  was  bishop  of  one  of  the  churches  of  Asia,  the  bishop  of  Ephesus’  (that  is,  if  not  an  apostle  also)  ‘  had  no 
right  to  say  to  him,  “  If  I  come,  1  will  remember  his  deeds  which  he  does.”  (JVute,  9:10.)  That  language,  and  the  visit 
made  to  the  churches,  denote  a  man  who  had  a  more  general  jurisdiction,  than  that  of  a  bishop,  and  can  only  suit  John  the 
apostle.’  Dcausobre  and  U Enfant,  in  Mack n. —  All  inquiries,  whether  Gaius,  to  whom  the  epistle  is  addressed,  was,  or 
was  not,  the  same  person  mentioned  in  the  Acts  of  the  Apostles,  and  in  the  epistles  of  Paul,  have  hitherto  terminated  in 
uncertainty.  (Note,  1 — 4.)  There  can  be  no  reasonable  doubt,  that 1  the  strangers,’  and  those  ‘  who  for  his  name’s  sake  went 
forth,  taking  nothing  of  the  Gentiles,’  were  evangelists,  or  missionaries.  (Note,  5 — 8.)  Scott. 


A.  D.  90. 


The  apostle  congratulates  Gaius. 


1  ITe  commendeth  Gains  for  his  piety,  5  and  hospitality 
7  to  true  preachers  :  9  complaining  of  the  unkind  deal¬ 
ing  of  ambitious  Diotrephes  on  the  contrary  side,  11 
whose  evil  example  is  not  to  be  followed  :  12  and  giveth 
special  testimony  to  the  good  report  of  Demetrius. 

THE  elder  unto  the  well-beloved 
Gaius,  whom  I  love  *in  the 
truth. 

2  Beloved,  I  b  wish  above  all 
tilings  that  thou  mayest  prosper 
and  be  in  health,  even  as  thy  soul 
prospereth. 

3  For  1  rejoiced  greatly  when 
the  brethren  came  and  testified  of 
the  truth  that  is  in  thee,  even  as 
thou  walkest  cin  the  truth. 

a  or,  truly.  b  or,  pray.  c  2  Jn.  4. 

V.  1,2.  Here,  we  see,  I.  The  sacred 
penman  who  writes  and  sends  the  letter, 
The  elder.  Some  have  questioned,  whether 
this  were  John  the  apostle  or  no  :  but  his 
style  and  spirit  seem  to  shine  therein.  Gai¬ 
us  could  not  question  from  whom  the  letter 


came.  The  apostle  might  have  assumed 
many  more  illustrious  characters,  but  it 
becomes  not  Christ’s  ministers  to  affect 
swelling,  pompous  titles.  He  almost  levels 
himself  with  the  more  ordinary  pastors  of 
the  church,  while  lie  styles  himself, —  The 
elder.  Or,  possibly,  most  of  the  extraor¬ 
dinary  ministers,  tile  apostles,  were  now 
dead,  and  this  holy  survivor  would  counte¬ 
nance  the  continued  standing  ministry,  by 
assuming  the  more  common  title, —  The  elder. 
1  Pet.  5:1. 

2.  The  person  saluted  and  honored  by  the 
letter.  He  is  notified,  (I.)  By  his  name, 
Gaius.  We  read  of  several  of  that  name, 
particularly  of  one  whom  the  apostle  Paul 
baptized  at  Corinth,  who  possibly  might  be 
also  the  apostle’s  host  there,  Rom.  16  :  23. 
if  this  be  not  he,  it  is  his  brother  in  name, 
estate,  and  disposition.  Then,  (2.)  By  the 
kind  expressions  of  the  apostle  to  him, — the 
well-beloved,  and  whom  I  love  in  the  truth. 
Love,  expressed,  is  wont  to  kindle  love. 
Here  seems  to  he  either  the  sincerity  of  the 


apostle’s  love,  or  the  religion  of  it ;  the  sin¬ 
cerity  of  it, — whom  I  love  in  the  truth,  whom 
I  truly,  cordially  love;  the  religion  of  it, — 
whom.  I  love  in  the  truth,  for  the  truth’s  sake, 
as  abiding  and  walking  in  the  truth,  as  it  is 
in  Jesus. 

3.  The  salutation,  or  greeting;  contain¬ 
ing  a  prayer,  introduced  by  an  affectionate 
compellation,  —  Beloved,  thou  beloved  one 
in  Christ.  Here  is,  (1.)  The  apostle’s 
good  opinion  of  his  friend,  that  his  soul 
prospered.  (2.)  His  good  wishes  for  his 
friend,  that  his  body  may  prosper  and  be  in 
health  as  well  as  his  soul.  We  may  well 
wish  and  pray  that  they  who  have  prosperous 
souls,  may  have  healthful  bodies  too;  their 
grace  will  shine  in  a  larger  sphere  of  activ- 

ity. 

V.  3 — 8.  In  these  vs.  we  have,  1.  The 
good  report  the  apostl%  had  received  con¬ 
cerning  this  friend  of  his,  v.  3,  6.  Where 
we  may  see,  (1.)  The  testimony,  or  thing 
testified,  concerning  Gaius, —  the  truth  that 
was  in  him;  the  reality  of  his  faith,  evinced 


NOTES.  V.  1 — 4.  It  has  been  generally  supposed,  that  the  Gaius, 
to  whom  John  wrote,  was  the  same  person,  of  whom  frequent  mention 

is  made  in  the  writings  and  history  of  Paul :  ( M .  R.  b _ Note,  Rom.  16: 

21 — 23.)  and  His  character  may  seem  to  favor  the  opinion;  but  it  is 
probable,  that  John  wrote  his  epistle  many  years  after  Paul’s  death. 
Gaius  was  a  very  common  name ;  and  the  person,  here  addressed,  ap¬ 
pears  to  have  been  converted  by  John’s  ministry  ;  so  that  no  certainty 
can  be  attached  to  the  opinion  ;  nor  is  it  of  any  consequence. — Gains 
was  probably  of  a  weak  constitution,  and  had  perhaps  sustained  heavy 


losses,  from  the  cruel  rapacity  of  persecutors  ;  while,  at  the  same  time, 
‘  his  soul  prospered  ’  exceedingly,  as  the  apostle  well  knew.  *  Scott. 

(2.)  Even  as  thy  soul  prospereth.]  ‘It  is  impossible  to  sav,  how 
much  the  comfort  and  usefulness  of  most  of  the  pious  is  diminished,  by 
their  failing  to  make  greater. progress  in  the  divine  life.  The  difference 
between  a  lively,  growing  Christian,  and  one  who  makes  little  or  no 
advancement,  is  as  great,  as  between  a  healthy  and  a  diseased  body. 
The  motives  to  growth  in  grace  are  of  the  strongest  possible  kind. 

Rev.  Dr.  Alex  vndeh. 


A.  D.  SO. 


3  JOHN. 


The  character  of  Diolreph.es. 


A  I  have  no  greater  joy  4  than  to 
hear  that  my  children  walk  in  truth. 

5  Beloved,  thou  doest  e  faithfully 
whatsoever  thou  doest  to  the  breth¬ 
ren  and  to  strangers  ; 

6  Which  have  borne  witness  of 
thy  charity  before  the  church:  whom 
if  thou  bring  f  forward  on  their 
journey  *  after  a  godly  sort,  thou 
shalt  do  well  : 

7  Because  that  for  his  name’s 
sake  they  went  forth,  taking  b noth¬ 
ing  of  the  Gentiles. 

8  We  therefore  ought  to  1  receive 
such,  that  we  might  be  fellow-help¬ 
ers  to  the  truth. 

[Practical  Observation s.] 

9  1  wrote  unto  the  church  :  but 
Diotrephes,  who  loveth  to  have  the 
pre-eminence  1  among  them,  receiv- 
cth  us  not. 

10  Wherefore,  if  I  come,  I  will 
remember  his  deeds  which  he  doeth, 
k  prating  against  us  with  malicious 
wonts:  and  not  content  therewith, 
neither  doth  he  himself  receive  the 
brethren,  and  forbiddeth  them  that 
would,  and  casteth  them  out  ‘of  the 
church. 

<1  Pr.  23:24.  h  1  Co  9:15,18.  1  Ti.  6:3.4. 

e  f  Pe.  4:10.  i  Mat.  10:40.  k  Pr.  111:8,10. 

I’  Ac  15  3  )  Mat.  23:4 — 8.  1  Is.  66:5. 

g  w  witty  of  God. 


by  bis  charity,  which  includes  love  to  the 
brethren,  kindness  lo  the  poor,  and  hos¬ 
pitality  to  Christian  grangers.  (2.)  The 
witnesses, — brethren  that  came  from  Gaius. 
A  good  report  is  due  from  those  who  have 
received  good  ;  though  a  good  name  is  but 
a  small  reward  for  costly  service,  yet  it  is 
Ivtter  than  precious  ointment,  and  will  not  be 
refused  by  the  ingenuous  and  religious. 
(3.)  The  auditory  before  which  the  report 
an  I  testimony  were  given, — before  the  church; 
this  seems  to  be  the  church  at  which  the 
apostle  now  resided;  what  church  that  was, 
we  are  not  sure  ;  what  occasion  they  had 
thus  to  testify  his  faith  and  love  before  the 
church,  we  cannot  tell;  possibly,  out  of  the 
fulness  of  the  heart  they  could  not  but  testify 
what  they  found  anti  felt  ;  possibly,  they 
would  engage  the  church’s  prayer  for  the 


continued  life  and  usefulness  of  such  a  pat¬ 
ron,  that  lie  might  prosper  and  be  in  health, 
as  his  soul  prospered. 

2.  The  report  the  apostle  himself  gives 

of  him,  introduced  by  an  endearing  appella¬ 
tion  again,  v.  5.  (1.)  He  was  hospitable, 

good  to  the  brethren,  even  to  strangers;  or,  he 
was  good  to  the  brethren  of  the  same  church 
with  himself,  and  to  those  who  came  from 
far  ;  all  of  the  household  of  faith  were  wel¬ 
come  to  him.  (2.)  He  seems  to  have  been  of 
a  catholic  spirit ;  he  could  overlook  the  pet¬ 
ty  differences  among  serious  Christians,  and 
be  communicative  to  all  who  bore  the  image 
and  did  the  work  of  Christ.  And,  (3.)  He 
was  conscientious  in  what  he  did  ;  ‘  Thou 
doest  faithfully:’  the  commendation  of  what 
is  good  in  us,  is  designed,  not  for  our  pride, 
but  lbr  our  encouragement  to  continue  there¬ 
in,  and  should  be  accordingly  improved. 

3.  The  apostle’s  joy  therein,  in  the  good 
report  itself,  and  the  good  ground  of  it,  v.  3. 
The  best  evidence  of  our  having  the  truth, 
is,  our  walking  in  the  truth.  Good  men  will 
greatly  rejoice  in  the  sotd-prosperily  of  oth¬ 
ers;  and  they  are  glad  to  hear  of  the  grace 
and  goodness  of  others;  They  glorified  God 
in  me. 

4.  The  direction  the  apostle  gives  his 
friend  concerning  further  treatment  of  the 
brethren  with  him,  v.  6.  It  seems  lo  have 
been  customary  in  those  days  of  love,  to  at¬ 
tend  travelling  ministers  and  Christians,  at 
least  some  part  of  their  road,  1  Cor.  16:  6. 
and  this  may  be  done  after  a  godly  sort,  in  a 
manner  worthy  of  God,  suitable  to  the  def¬ 
erence  and  relation  we  bear  to  God.  Chris¬ 
tians  should  do  even  the  common  actions  of 
life  and  of  good-will,  as  serving  God  there¬ 
in,  and  designing  his  giorv.  Then, 

5.  The  reasons  of  this  directed  conduct; 
these  are  two  :  (1.)  Because  that  for  his 
name’s  sake  these  brethren  went  forth,  taking 
nothing  of  the  Gentiles.  It  appears  thus,  that 
these  were  ministerial  brethren  ;  that  they 
went  forth  to  preach  the  Gospel,  and  propa¬ 
gate  Christianity;  possibly,  sent  out  by  this 
apostle  himself :  they  went  forth,  also,  to 
carry  a  free  Gospel,  taking  nothing  ;  these 
were  worthy  of  double  honor.  Those  who 
are  not  called  to  preach  the  Gospel  them¬ 
selves,  yet  may  much  contribute  to  the  pro¬ 
gress  of  it.  The  Gospel  should  be  made 
without  charge  to  those  to  whom  it  is  first 
preached;  they  who  know  it  not,  cannot  be 
expected  to  value  it  ;  the  churches  and 
Christian  patriots  ought  to  concur  to  support 


the  propagation  of  holy  religion  in  the  Pa¬ 
gan  countries  ;  public  spirits  should  concur 
according  to  their  several  capacities  ;  they 
who  are  freely  communicative  of  Christ’s 
Gospel,  should  be  assisted  by  those  who  are 
communicative  of  their  purses.  (2.)  We 
ought,  therefore,  to  receive  such,  that  we  may 
be  fellow-helpers  to  the  truth,  to  true  religion. 
The  institution  of  Christ  is  the  true  religion, 
it  has  been  attested  by  God  ;  they  that  are 
true  in  it  and  true  to  it,  will  earnestly  de¬ 
sire  and  pray  for,  and  contribute  to,  its 
propagation  in  the  world. 

V.  9 — 11.  1.  Here  is  a  very  different  ex¬ 
ample  and  character;  an  officer,  a  minister 
in  the  church,  less  generous,  catholic,  and 
communicative  than  the  private  Christians  : 
a  Gentile  name, — Diotrephes,  attended  with 
an  unchristian  spirit,  full  of  pride  and  am¬ 
bition;  He  loves  to  have  the  pre-eminence.  It 
is  an  ill,  unbeseeming  character  of  Christ’s 
ministers,  to  love  pre-eminence,  to  affect 
presidency  and  precedency  in  the  church 
of  God.  See  his  contempt  of  the  apostle’s 
authority,  letter,  and  friends.  The  deeds 
which  he  doeth,  prating  against  us  with  mali¬ 
cious  words.  Strange,  the  contempt  should 
run  so  high!  But  ambition  will  breed  malice 
against  those  who  oppose  it.  I  wrote  to  the 
church,  v.  9.  in  recommendation  of  such 
and  such  brethren.  But  Diotrephes  receireth 
us  not  ;  admits  not  our  letter  and  testimony 
therein.  This  seems  to  he  the  church  of 
which  Gaius  was  a  member ;  and  the  apostle 
seems  to  write  by  and  w  ith  these  brethren. 
To  an  ambitious, aspiring  spirit,  apostolical 
authority,  or  epistle,  signifies  but  little. 
Neither  doth  he  himself  receive  the  brethren, 
and  forbiddeth  them  that  would  ;  and  castcth 
them  out  of  the  church,  v.  10.  There  might 
be  some  differences,  or  different  customs,  be¬ 
tween  the  Jewish  and  the  Gentile  Christians. 
Pastors  should  seriously  consider  what  dif¬ 
ferences  are  tolerable.  Church-power  and 
church-censures  are  often  abused.  But  woe 
to  those  who  cast  out  the  brethren  whom 
the  Lord  Christ  w  ill  take  into  his  own  com¬ 
munion  and  kingdom!  Wherefore,  if  I  come, 
I  will  remember  his  deeds  which  he  doeth,  v.  10. 
will  remember  lo  censure  them.  This  seems 
to  intimate  apostolical  authority'.  But  the 
apostle  seems  not  to  hold  an  episcopal  court, 
to  which  Diotrephes  must  be  summoned  ; 
but  will  come  to  take  cognizance  of  this 
affair  in  the  church  to  which  it  belongs. 
Acts  of  ecclesiastical  domination  and  tyran¬ 
ny  ought  to  be  animadverted  upon.  May  it 


PR  ACT.  OBS.  V.  1 — 8.  A  few,  even  in  these  days,  are  so  eminent 
in  "rare,  and  zealous  of  good  works,  that  the  precarious  state  of  their 
health,  gives  concern  to  all  who  love  the  Gospel  .  and  they  earnestly 
desire  the  continuance  of  their  lives,  and  tile  increase  of  their  ability  to 
do  good,  and  that  they  may  ‘  prosper  in  all  things,  even  as  their  souls 
prosper  ’  The  conduct  of  such  Christians,  gives  a  joy  to  faithful  minis¬ 
ters.  which  counterbalances  their  grief  on  account  of  those  wrho  disgrace 
their  profession. — Parents  and  ministers  should  be  as  ready  to  commend 
what  is  well  done,  as  to  point  out  what  is  wrong,  in  the  conduct  of  those, 
whom  the;,  superintend  ;  and,  indeed,  this  is  far  more  pleasing  lo  a  be¬ 
nevolent  mind. — The  faithful  stewards  of  Christ,  whether  they  have 
been  intrusted  with  ■  the  mysteries  of  God,’  or  wilh  talents  of  another 
sort,  will  at  length  1  obtain  a  good  report  ;  nor  can  multiplied  charities, 
or  •  hospitality  without  grudging,’  be  so  concealed,  as  to  remain  un¬ 
known  to  the  church.  Mat.  5:13 — 10.  6  1 — 4.  1  Tim.  5:24,  25.  Ap¬ 
plause  properly  introduces  exhortations,  and  even  needful  reproofs;  1 

V.  5 — 8.  1  The  apostle’s  sentiment  in  this  precept  is,  that  such  of  the 

brethren  as  had  not  devoted  themselves  to  the  preaching  of  the  Gospel, 
bat  followed  their  ordinary  occupations  at  home,  were  bound  to  con¬ 
tribute,  according  to  their  ability,  towards  the  maintenance  of  those 
who  went  about  preaching  the  Gospel.’  Mackn. — It  is  manifest,  at  the 
first  glance,  how  exactly  this  accords  to  the  case  of  those,  in  this  com¬ 
mercial  country,  who* cannot,  or  do  not,  become  missionaries;  and  to 
their  conduct  respecting  those  who  do.  Scott. 

(6.)  Before  the  church.]  *  To  wit,  at  Ephesus.’  Ros.  and  Bl.  Ed. 

(7.)  His  name's  sake.]  ‘  This,  referring,  as  it  must,  to  God,  imme¬ 
diately  preceding,  [ sodly  sort,  marg.  worthy  of  God,]  Christ  is  here,  as 
well  as  elsewhere,  termed  God.'  Bloomf. 

V.  9 — 12.  Some  expositors  think,  the  apostle  here  only  meant,  that 
he  ‘  should  have  written  to  the  church,’  had  not  the  report  xvhich  he  had 
heard  concerning  Diotrephes,  determined  him  rather  to  address  his  letter 
to  Gaius,  but  it  does  not  appear  hoxv  the  words  can  admit  of  that  con¬ 
struction.  It  seems  that  he  had  written  to  the  church,  to  induce  them 
to  help  on  their  journey,  and  assist  in  a  manner  becoming  their  profess¬ 
ion.  the  persons  before  mentioned  ;  [Note,  5 — 3.)  but  Diotrephes  (prob¬ 
ably  a  pastor  of  the  church,  whose  circumstances,  or  abilities,  or  elo¬ 
quence,  concurring  with  his  ambition  of  pre-eminence,  had  acquired  for 

[654  j 


Cor.  11:2 — 22.  and,  indeed,  it  should  be  considered  as  an  admonition,  to 
proceed  in  the  same  commendable  behavior. — Ministers  and  missiona¬ 
ries,  who  are  'constrained  by  the  love  of  Christ,’  and  of  the  souls  of 
men,  to  leave  comfortable  stations,  to  rend  themselves  from  beloved 
relatives,  submit  to  many  and  great  privations,  and  even  that  of  sweet 
communion  with  Christian  friends,  and  abundant  ‘means  of  grace,’  to 
go  forth  and  encounter  perils  and  hardships  in  spreading  the  Gospel ; 
and  who  are  content  to  struggle  with  poverty  iii  ‘  their  labor  of  love." 
rather  than  quit  their  Stations,  or  do  any  thing  to  prevent  their  own  suc¬ 
cess  ;  are  peculiarly  entitled  to  the  countenance  and  assistance  of  their 
felloxv-Christians.  Indeed,  ihal  money  must  be  well  expended,  which 
promotes  the  faithful  preaching  of  the  Gospel,  in  any  part  of  the  world  ; 
and  it  is  greatly  to  be  wished,  that  all  Christians  would  try  to  save,  not 
only  a  little,  but,  if  practicable,  very  much,  from  their  expenses,  in  or¬ 
der  to  create  a  fund  for  conducting  such  important  designs.  Scott. 


him  an  undue  influence  over  his  brethren)  refused  to  entertain  or  coun¬ 
tenance  those  evangelists  or  missionaries,  whom  the  apostle  lmd  rec¬ 
ommended  ;  and  even  forbad  others  to  do  it :  and  when  they  regarded 
the  apostle’s  authority,  more  than  his  prohibition,  he  proceeded  to  ex¬ 
communicate  them  for  so  doing  ! — It  is  indeed  most  wonderful,  that  a 
professed  minister  of  Christ,  should  thus  pertinaciously  oppose  the  ageil 
apostle;  and  should  acquire  such  authority  over  the  affairs  of  any 
church,  as  to  be  supported  in  the  disgraceful  contest ;  yet  this  was  most 
evidently  the  case. — But  while  the  apostle  cautioned  Gains  against  Di¬ 
otrephes,  he  pointed  out  to  him  another  person  of  his  acquaintance,  who 
was  well  worthy  of  his  imitation.  And  Gaius  would  bo  sure  to  honor 
and  imitate  so  excellent  a  man.  Scott. 

(S.)  Who  loveth.  See.]  ‘  Who  loveth  the  presidency,’  or  chief  place, 
doubtless  in  the  church,  of  which  Diotrephes  was  most  probably  an 
officer;  and,  being  one,  magnified  himself  in  his  office;  he  loved  such 
pre-eminence,  and  behaved  haughtily  in  it.’  Greenfield. 

(10.)  Casteth  out,  Sc c.]  ‘As  it  can  hardly  be  supposed  Diotrephes 
would  excommunicate  any  one  on  so  frivolous  a  pretext,  it  is  best,  wilh 
most  recent  commentators,  to  take  the  sense  to  be,  “refuses  to  receive 
them  as  Christians;”  for  their  thus  denying  them  hospitality,  com¬ 
pelled  them  to  go  elsewhere.’  Bloo.mf. 


A  f)  t'rt 

.  Ay  .  ••  v'. 


3  JOHN. 


The  charncler  of  Demetrius. 


1 1  BiJove  l,  f.lJav.-  ra  not  that 
which  i-i  evil,  hut  that  which  is 
good.  He  "that  doeth  good  is  of 
God  :  but  he  that  doeth  evil  hath 
not  seen  God. 

12  Demetrius  hath  good  report 
of  all  men,  and  of  the  truth  itself: 
yea,  and  we  also  hear  record  ;  and 
ye  know  that  our  record  is  true. 

13  I  had  many  things  to  write, 
but  i  will  not  with  ink  and  pen 
write  unto  thee  : 

14  But  I  trust  I  shall  shortly  see 
thee,  and  we  shall  speak  0  face  to 
face.  Peace  be  to  thee.  Our 
friends  salute  thee.  Greet  the 
friends  by  name. 

m  Ps.  37:27.  n  l  Jn.  3:6—9.  o  mouth  to  mouth. 


be  belter  agreed  to  whom  that  power  belongs! 
2.  Here  is  counsel  on  that  different  char¬ 
acter,  dissuasion  from  copying  such  a  pat¬ 
tern,  and,  indeed,  any  evil  at  all,  v.  11. 
Imitate  not  such  unchristian,  pernicious  evil ; 
but  pursue  the  contrary  good,  in  wisdom, 
purity,  peace,  and  love.  Caution  and  coun¬ 
sel  are  not  needless  to  those  who  are  good 
already.  Those  cautions  and  counsels  are 
most  likely  to  be  accepted,  that  are  seasoned 
with  love.  Tl>e  practice  of  goodness  is  the 
evidence  of  our  filial,  happy  relation  to  God. 
Evil-workers  vainly  pretend  or  boast  it. 

V.  12 — 14.  Here,  we  see>  1-.  The  char¬ 
acter  of  another  person,  one  Demetrius  ;  not 
much  known  otherwise.  But  here  his  name 
will  live.  His  character  was  his  commen¬ 
dation.  Few  are  well  spoken  of  by  all  : 
and  sometimes  it  is  ill  to  be  so.  But  he 
had  a  good  report  of  all ,  nay,  even  of  Ike 
truths  also,  the  same  being  confirmed  by  the 


apostle’s  and  his  friends’  testimony  ;  and 
that  with  an  appeal  to  Gains’s  own  knowl¬ 
edge.  Probably-,  this  Demetrius  was  know n 
to  the  church  where  the  apostle  now  resided, 
and  to  that  where  Gaius  was.  It  is  well 
for  those  w  ho  are  comnlended,  when  those 
who  commend  them  can  appeal  to  live  con¬ 
sciences  of  those  who  know'  them  most. 

2.  The  conclusion  of  the  epistle:  in  which 
we  may  observe,  (1.)  The  referring- -of  some 
things  to  personal  interview,  v.  13,  14. 
(2.)  The  benediction  ;  Peace  be  to  you  ;  all 
felicity  attend  you.  They  that  are  good  and 
happy  themselves,  wish  others  so  too.  (3.) 
The  public  salutation  sent  to  Gaius  ;  Our 
friends  salute  thee .  A  friend  to  the  propa¬ 
gation  of  religion  deserves  a  common  re¬ 
membrance.  (4.)  The  apostle’s  particular 
salutation  of  the  Christians  in  Gains’  chin  eh 
or  vicinity.  He  who  had  lain  in  Christ’s 
bosom,  lays  Christ’s  friends  in  his  heart. 


TRACT.  OTIS.  V.  9 — 14.  Alas  !  we  live  loo  much  to  ourselves,  in 
these  lukewarm  days;  and  we  need  not  wonder,  if  covetous  and  ambi¬ 
tious  men,  who  4  love  to  have  the  pre  eminence  ’  in  the  church,  disdain 
admonitions  from  inferior  ministers;  when  even  the  apostles  were  not 
secured  from  the  presumptuous,  insolent,  and  malicious  opposition  of 
persons  of  this  description;  but  their  deeds  will  one  day  be  remem¬ 
bered  against  them,  when  4  every  one  that  exalteth  himself  shall  be 
abased,  and  he  who  humhleth  himself  shall  be  exalted.’  Let  us  then  not 
follow  that  which  is  proud,  selfish,  malicious,  slanderous,  and  wicked  ; 
though  the  example  be  giveu  by  eminent,  and  distinguished,  or  accom¬ 
plished  persons  ;  but  let  us  be  4  followers  of  God,  as  dear  children-,  and 


walk  in  love,’  after  the  example  of  our  Lord,  and  such  as  have  most 
closely  imitated  Him  ;  for  he,  who  thus  habitually  4  doeth  g<a  d,  is  of 
God  ;  *  and  he  4  that  doeth  evil  hath  not  seen  or  known  God,’  whatever 
his  notions  or  gifts  maybe.  We  should  therefore  notice  those,  ‘who 
by  well-doing  have  put  to  silence  the  ignorance  of  foolish  men.’  aiul  v\ho 
have  good  ‘report  of  the  truth  itself,’  and  of  its  most  faithful  and  zealous 
friends;  for,  by  associating  with  such  Christians,  and  copying  their  ex¬ 
ample,  we  shall  have  peace  within,  and  live  at  peace  with  the  brethren. 
Thus  our  communications  with  the  Lord’s  people  on  earth  will  be  very 
pleasant,  and  we  shall  at  length  be  4  numbered  with  them  in  glory  ever¬ 
lasting.’  Scott. 


(11.)  4  Many  a  man  seems  to  reckon  himself  destitute  of  talents  to  do 
good ,  as  if  there  were  nothin^for  him  to  do.  My  friend,  think  again  ; 
inquire  what  your  opportunities  are;  you  will  certainly  find  them  to 
be  more  than  you  are  aware  of.  “Plain  men,  dwelling  in  tents,”  per¬ 
sons  of  very  ordinary  rank  in  life,  may,  by  their  eminent  piety ,  prove 
persons  of  extraordinary  usefulness.  A  poor  John  Urich  may  make  a 
Grotius  the  better  for  him.  A  poor  mechanic, — who  can  tell,  what  an 
engine  of  good  he  may  become,  if  humbly  and  wisely  devoted  to  it  ?  ’ 
— He  that  doeth  good  is  of  God.]  4  Were  a  man  able  to  write 
in  seven  languages;  could  he  daily  converse  with  the  sweets  of  aU  the 
liberal  sciences  ;  were  he  to  entertain  himself  with  all  ancient  and  mod¬ 


ern  history  ;  and  could  he  feast  continually  on  the  curiosities,  which  the 
different  branches  of  learning  may  discover  to  him  : — all  this  would  not 
afford  the  ravishing  satisfaction,  which  he  might  find  in  relieving  the 
distresses  of  a  poor,  miserable  neighbor;  nor  would  it  bear  any  compar¬ 
ison  with  the  heartfelt  delight,  which  he  might  obtain  by  doing  an  ex¬ 
tensive  service  to  the  kingdom  of  our  Savior  in  the  world,  or  by  exerting 
his  efforts  to  redress  the  miseries,  under  which  mankind  is  generally 
languishing.’  Mather. 

V.  13,  14.  4  The  friends,’  as  a  term  of  mutual  address  among  Chris¬ 

tians,  adopted  especially  by  the  body  called  Quakers,  is  found  only  in 
this  place.  ( Marg .  Ref.) — Some  copies  read,  brethren.  Scott. 


THE  GNOSTICS. 

The  following  account  of  these  early  heretics,  alluded  to  in  John ’6  gospel,  epistles, 
and  perhaps  Rev.  9:,  is  principally  from  Mosheim,  Woodhouse ,  and  Walsh. 

‘  In  the  early  times  of  the  church,  many  fanatical  and  wicked  qotionssprung  up,  hut 
they  were  checked  by  the  efforts  of  the  apostles  and  their  felluw-laborers  of  a  like 
sp: tit.  Yet  the  increase  of  men  of  such  characters  was  foretold  by  Paul  and  Peter, 
writing  under  the  influences  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  Soon  afterwards  they  began  to  swarm 
through  the  Christian  world.  They  could  not  destroy  the  spiritual  life  which  was  in 
Christ,  but  they  exceedingly  corrupted  and  debased  the  outward  profession  of  the 
faith,  ns  had  been  predicted.  See  2  Cor.  11:13,  14.  1  Tim.  6:3 — 5,  20,  21.  2  Tim.  3:13. 
2  Pet.  2:1.  L  Cor.  11:19.  2  These  2:12.  3:2.  Col.  2:18. 

4  The  first  considerable  body  of  heretical  corrupters  was  the  Gnostics  f  their  begin¬ 
nings  are  to  be  traced  even  in  the  apostolic  times,  and  they  were  distinctly  opposed 
by  the  apostle  John.  For  Cerinthus,  as  well  as  the  Nic-jlaitans,  appears  to  have  im¬ 
bibed  the  Gnostic  doctrines.  But  they  did  not  prevail  till  the  early  pait  of  the  second 
century,  when  I  re  lire  us,  speaking  of  two  of  the  Gnostic  leaders,  Basil  ides  and  Carpo- 
cratcs,  says,  their  impure  followers  are  not  to  be  numbered,  springing  up  like  mush¬ 
rooms;  and  Epiphanius  says,  that  they  burst  out  of  the  earth  together  at  one  lime,  like 
mushrooms,  the  lurking-places  of  many  scorpions.  9:3.  Ilegesippus,  who  lived  in  the 
times  of  Adrian,  says,  that  when  the  sacred  company  of  the  apostles  was  departed,  and 
the  generation  who  heard  their  divine  preaching  was  gone,  then  the  conspiracy  of  im¬ 
pious  deceit  had  its  open  beginning  ;  then  to  the  preaching  of  the  truth  did  they  dare 
to  oppose  their  knowledge,  falsely  so  called.  The  original  documents  belonging  to  those 
times  mostly  perished  in  the  Dioclesian  persecution,  but  there  is  sufficient  proof  of  the 
general  irruption  of  Gnostic  principles  about  A.  D.  120,  when  they  burst  from  their 
obscurity  into  open  day;  and  they  continued  to  prevail  about  a  century  and  a  half. 
They  had  nearly  disappeared  by  A.  D.  270,  although  their  injurious  effects  on  the 
Christians,  as  a  body,  was  fell  long  after. 

‘  The  Gnostics  are  represented  by  the  fathers,  as  carrying  mischievous  notions  to  the 
utmost  excess.  They  held  the  wildest  dreams  of  visionary  and  fantastic  philosophy 
derived  from  the  eastern  schools,  especially  concerning  the  origin  of  evil,  and  the 
creation  of  the  world  ;  these  they  incorporated  with  the  doctrines  of  Christianity,  re¬ 
jecting  or  corrupting  those  parts  of  the  sacred  writings  which  most  clearly  opposed 
their  tenets,  and  in  my  of  them  were  guilty  of  the  most  immoral  practices.  Whatev¬ 
er  might  he  the  difference  among  their  sects,  and  whether  they  imbibed  or  practised 
more  or  less  of  evil,  thev  agreed  in  looking  upon  all  as  weak  and  simple,  who  inter- 
pieted  Scripture  in  its  plain  and  obvious  sense.  They  affirmed,  that  the  true  and  hid¬ 
den  meaning  was  possessed  by  themselves  alone.  Hence  tliey  assumed  the  title  of 
Gnostics,  formed  from  a  Greek  word,  denot  ing knowledge,  and  their  interpretations  of 
Scripture  were  usually  founded  on  the  opinions  of  Plato  and  Pythagoras,  though  very 
muen  distorted  and  corrupted.  These  sects  entertained  unworthy  doctrinal  views, 
both  of  the  Person  and  offices  of  Christ.  The  greater  part  denied  that  Christ  had  n  real 
holy,  or  that  He  really  suffered  pains  and  sorrows,  and  died  on  the  cross,  asserting, that 
He  only  appeared  to  do  so.  They  taught,  that  He  only  came  to  teach  mankind  how 
to  separate  the  mind  from  the  body,  and  render  the  former  worthy  of  being  united  to 
the  Father  of  spirits.  The  tenets  of  the  Egyptian  Gnostics  are  stated  to  lie,  that  there 
was  one  Supreme  Being,  perfect  in  goodness  and  wisdom,  who  produced  from  hiR  own 
substance  seven  beings,  or  eons,  of  an  excellent  nature  ;  two  of  these  produced  the 
angels  of  the  highest  order;  many  other  generations  of  angels  succeeded,  until  they 
amounted,  as  well  as  their  respective  heavens,  to  the  number  of  365,  all  of  them  un¬ 
der  the  empire  of  an  omnipotent  lord,  named  Abraxas, 'or  Abraeax,  a  name  which 
contains,  in  its  numeral  letteis,  the  mystical  number  365.  The  lowest  of  these  formed 
a  world,  and  created  beings  lo  people  it,  to  whom  the  Supreme  gave  reasonable  souls, 
and  placed  them  under  the  rule  of  the  angels.  These  angela  fell,  endeavored  to  se¬ 
duce  mankind  from  the  worship  of  the  Supreme  Being,  and  warred  with  each  other. 
To  counteract  this,  the  Deity  sentthe  chiefof  theeons,  who  Joined  in  aunion  with  the 
man  Jesus,  to  destroy  the  empire  of  these  angelic  natures,  particularly  the  most  tur¬ 
bulent  amongthem,  who  presided  over  the  Jews,  and  at  whose  instigation  tho  man 
Jesus  was  seized,  and  put  to  death;  but  their  efforts  against  Christ  were  in  vain. 
Others  gave  greater  prominence  to  the  doctrine  of  two  principles,  attributing  more 
or  lew  to  the  evil  principle,  ns  their  foolish  and  depraved  imaginations  might  please  ; 
but  their  doctrines  need  not  be  pursued  further  into  detail,  except  to  notice,  that  wor- 
shippingof  angel*  was  one  of  their  tenets 

‘The  works  of  several  writer*  temaln  who  have  described  their  tenets,  and  Eptpha- 
nius.  who  had  himself  been  a  Gnostic,  relates  their  rites  and  practices.  Very  numer¬ 
ous  testimonies  also  exist,  showing  that  they  embraced  much  that  was  visionary,  fan¬ 
ciful,  impious,  and  licentious.  These  evidences  are  coin*  and  engraved  gems,  which, 


being  formedvof  lasting  materials,  uncorrupted  bv  copyists,  not  ha ving  suffe  ed  by  the 
lapse  of  ages,  their  devices  and  inscriptions  become  witnesses  to  histoiy,  and  stan¬ 
dards  to  ascertain  its  truth.  These  are  very  numerous,  for  the  tenets  of  the  Gnostics 
led  them  to  suppose,  that  they  could  construct  talismans  or  charms  which  would  con¬ 
trol  the  powers  of  evil.  They  therefore  engraved  various  mysterious  words  and  fig¬ 
ures,  on  stones,  or  pieces  of  metal  to  be  worn  as  amulets.  Wai~h.  in  his  account  i  f 
ancient  coins,  medals,  and  gems,  as  illustrating  the  progress  of  Christianity  in  the 
early  ages,  says,  The  immense  number  and  variety  of  these  talismans  that  have  been 
and  still  are  found  in  many  places,  very  remote  from  each  other-,  attest  the  accuracy 
of  the  historians  who  have  described  these  sects,  with  their  opinions,  and  their  g  cat 
encouragement  and  wide  reception  in  different  parts.  They  are  found  not  only  in  the 
east,  where  travellers  procure  them  without  much  difficulty,  lut  in  the  west  they  me 
continually  dug  up  ;  in  Spain,  Italy,  nnd  other  countries  ;  pioving  that  no  supeistit  ion 
xvas  more  widely  spread,  or  so  universally  adopted.  One  author  lias  given  30u  fac¬ 
similes  of  these  gems,  wirii  their  different  devices  and  inscriptions.  Glancing  at  i  l.e 
emblems  upon  them,  any  one  will  readily  appreciate  the  views  of  those  modern  sk.  n- 
tics,  who  represent  the  Gnostics  as  sublime  in  their  views,  rational  in  their  opinions, 
and  pure  in  their  conversation,  and  lightly  claiming  a  pre-eminence  in  knowledge 
or  science  !  F  om  such  deceptive  statements  w  e  must  turn  at  once,  and  adopt  the  da:  !c 
picture  drawn  by  those  who  saw.  and  who  knew  the  men  nnd  their  tenets. 

‘These  are  easily  to  be  traced  to  the  superstitions  of  Egypt  and  other  countries 
Some  outward  semblance  of  Christianity  was  assumed,  under  Satanic  influence. 
bring  discredit  upon  the  cause  of  truth  and  holiness  ;  and  while  a  part  of  the  votaries 
of  the  world,  and  the  devil ,  thus  assumed  a  new  outward  profession,  the  other  prut 
•willingly  confounded  the  followers  of  the  truth  with  these  hateful  and  nbominal*  e 
characters  ;  and  then,  ns  now,  refusing  to  discriminate,  subjected  t he  pear!  of  greet 
price,  and  the  counterfeit,  to  one  common  censure.  But  the  early  fathers  disavow  ed 
and  exposed  the  vile  opinions  and  practices  of  these  sects,  and  contrasted  the  pure 
doctrines  and  holy  lives  of  real  Christians  with  them. 

‘The  pretext,  however,  was  too  specious  lo  he  neglected;  and,  upon  these  plausible 
grounds,  the  persecutions  were  renewed,  though  Gnosticism  had  begun  to  decline. 
Dioclesian  issued  exterminating  decrees,  under  which  such  vast  numbers  pei ifhfd, 
that  he  erected  pillars  with  inscriptions,  to  commemorate,  that  “  the  Christian  super¬ 
stition  was  exterminated  and  stiuck  coins  bearing  an  emblematical  represent  a  ion 
of  the  supposed  success  of  his  efforts;  the  device  of  a  Jupiter,  brandishing  thunder¬ 
bolts  against  a  figure  prostrate  at  his  feet  ;  intended  to  designate  the  Deity  of  the 
Christians,  but  personified  with  the  characteristics  adopted  by  the  Gnostics,  and  thus 
identified  with  their  Ah  rasa  x,  having  the  same  serpent- like  feet  asthe  figures  engrav¬ 
ed  on  their  gems  with  that  name  ;  for  one  part  of  them  adopted  serpent-worship. 

‘  Walsh,  referring  to  the  account  given  by  Minutius  Felix. of  the  allegations  brought 
against  the  whole  Christian  church,  says,  “  When  the  charges  against  the  early 
Christ  inns  were  so  distinctly  specified,  and  the  whole  body  was  thus  identified  with 
these  widely-spread  sectarians,  it  does  not  appear,  that  the  fatal  consequences  of  the 
doctrines  and  practices  of  the  latter,  nnd  the  dreadful  injuries  they  inflicted  on  the 
cause  of  Christianity,  have  been  sufficiently  insisted  upon,  nor  the  additional  proof 
which  it  affords  oF  the  Divine  interposition  to  preserve  it.  The  final  triumph  of  the 
religion  of  the  Gospel  over  all  the  efforts  of  the  heathens  to  extinguish  it,  is  no  doul  t 
a  strong  proof  of  superhuman  support  ;  but  the  argument  for  Divine  interposition  is 
much  strengthened,  when  we  add,  to  the  persecutions  of  its  enemies,  what  it  had  to 
encounter  from  the  perversenesR  of  its  professed  friends. 

*  The  work,  however,  was  of  God,  and  could  not  be  stopped  by  man’s  vices  or  efforts. 

‘  Woodh.  entering  into  many  details,  to  show  the  similarity  between  these  heretics 
and  the  locusts,  Rev.  9:1 — 12.  says,  “  The  important  period  of  150  years,  during  v  hich 
the  infant  church  was  darkened  nnd  disfigured  by  the  Gnostic  heresies,  and  on  that 
account  exposed  to  scandal,  and  misrepresentation,  and  additional  perseent ion .  seems 
of  magnitude  sufficient  to  require  the  notice  of  Divine  prophecy.  The  great  and 
leading  facts  are  fully  established,  and  no  doubt  can  he  entertained  of  their  ext e 
and  powerful  influence  on  the  progress  of  Christianity.  And  this  is  its  place  in  the 
apocalyptic  visions,  or  it  has  none.” 

‘These  principles  were  connected  with  the  Judaizing  view*,  so  strongly  opposed  by 
Paul.  Cerinthus  borrowed  many  Gnostic  terms  and  fictions  from  the  Jews,  and  even 
taught,  that  a  part  of  the  Mosaic  law  was  to  be  retained.  He  also  endeavored  in  wrest 
the  doctrine  of  the  resurrection  to  his  purpose  ;  promising  the  resurrection  of  the  mor¬ 
tal  body,  to  enjoy  a  series  of  sensual  delights,  during  an  earthly  reigo  of  Christ,  which 
was  to  last  1000  years.  He  taught,  that  Christ  would  one  day  return  upon  earth,  nnd, 
renewing  hi«  former  union  with  the  man  Jesus,  reign  with  his  people  in  the  land  of 
Palestine  1000  years.  See  Mosheim.*  HENRY,  °  r- 

[C55] 


AN  EXPOSITION 

OF  THE 

GENERAL  EPISTLE  OF  JUDE, 

WITH 

PRACTICAL  OBSERVATIONS  AND  NOTES, 

{Henry's  Exposition,  completed  by  Mr.  J.  Billingsley.) 

This  epistle  (as  some  few  others  are)  is  styled  general  or  catholic,  because  not  immediately  directed  to  any  particular 
person,  family,  or  church,  but  to  the  whole  society  of  Christians  of  that  time ;  and  it  is,  and  will  be,  of  lasting,  special  use 
in  the  church  as  long  as  time  shall  last. 

Some  of  the  chief  things  contained  in  it  summarily,  are,  1.  An  account  of  the  penman  of  it,  a  character  of  the  church,  the 
blessings  and  privileges  of  that  happy  society,  v.  1,  2.  2.  The  occasion  of  writing  it,  v.  3.  3.  A  character  of  evil  and  per¬ 

verse  men,  who  were  already  sprung  up  in  that  infant  state  of  the  church,  and  would  be  succeeded  by  others  of  the  like 
evil  spirit  and  temper  in  after-times,  v.  4.  4.  A  caution  against  hearkening  to,  and  following  after  such,  troin  the  severity  of 
God  toward  the  unbelieving,  murmuring  Israelites  at  their  coming  out  of  Egypt,  the  angels  that  fell,  the  sin  and  punish¬ 
ment  of  Sodom  and  Gomorrah,  v.  5 — 7.  5.  To  these  the  apostle  likens  the  seducers  against  whom  he  was  warning  them, 

and  describes  them  at  large,  from  v.  8.  to  13,  inclusive.  G.  Then  he  cites  an  ancient  prophecy  of  Enoch,  foretelling  and 
describing  the  future  judgment,  v.  14,  15.  7.  Enlarges  on  the  seducer’s  character,  and  guards  against  the  offence  honest 

minds  might  be  apt  to  take  at  the  so  early  permission  of  such  things,  by  showing  that  it  was  foretold  long  before  that  so  it 
must  be,  v.  16 — It).  8.  Exhorts  them  to  perseverance  in  the  faith,  fervency  in  prayer ,  watchfulness  against  falling  from 
the  love  of  God,  and  a  lively  hope  of  eternal  life,  v.  20,  21.  0.  Directs  them  how  to  act  toward  the  erroneous  and  scanda¬ 

lous,  v.  22,  23.  And,  10.  Closes  with  an  admirable  doxology  in  the  last  two  verses. 

The  general  scope  of  the  epistle  is  much  the  same  with  2  Pet.  ch.  2.  which,  having  been  already  explained,  the  less  will 
need  to  be  said  on  this. 

It  is  designed  to  warn  us  against  seducers  and  their  seduction,  to  inspire  us  with  a  warm  love  to,  and  a  hearty  concern 
for  truth,  and  that  in  the  closest  conjunction  with  holiness,  of  which  charity,  or  sincere,  unbiassed  brotheily-love,  is  a  most 
essential  character  and  inseparable  branch. 

The  truth  we  are  to  hold  fast,  and  endeavor  others  may  be  acquainted  with,  and  not  depart  from,  has  two  special  charac¬ 
ters.  1.  It  is  the  truth  as  it  is  in  Jesus,  Eph.  4:21.  2.  It  is  truthafter  (or  which  is  according  to)  godliness,  Tit.  1:1.  Errors  dan¬ 
gerous  to  the  souls  of  men  soon  sprang  up  in  ihe  church.  But  such  were  the  wisdom  and  kindness  of  Providence,  it  was, 
while  some,  at  least,  of  the  apostles  were  yet  alive,  to  confute  them,  and  warn  others  against  the*.  We  are  apt  to  think, 
if  we  had  lived  in  their  limes,  we  should  have  been  abundantly  fenced  against  the  attempts  and  artifices  of  seducers;  but 
we  have  their  testimony  and  their  cautions,  which  is  sufficient;  and  if  we  will  not  believe  their  writings,  neither  would 
we  have  believed  or  regarded  their  sayings,  if  we  had  lived  among,  and  conversed  personally  with  them.  Henry. 

The  writer  of  this  epistle  so  expressly  describes  himself,  as  Jude,  the  brother  of  James,  (J\I.  R.  a.  1.)  that  we  must  either 
allow  him  to  have  been  Jude  the  apostle,  called  also  Lebbeus,  whose  surname  was  Thaddeus,  who  was  brother,  or  near 
relation  to  our  Lord,  (JVute,  Mat.  10:1 — 4.)  or  we  must  suppose  the  writer  guilty  of  a  direct  forgery.  Some  hesitation,  how¬ 
ever,  as  to  the  authenticity  of  the  epistle,  seems  for  a  time  to  have  prevailed  in  the  church,  which  was  at  length  fully  re¬ 
moved,  though  some  learned  moderns  have,  on  frivolous  pretences,  as  they  appear  to  me,  endeavored  to  revive  it. — He  calls 
himself,  not  an  apostle,  ‘  but  a  servant  of  Jesus  Christ;’  and  so  does  Paul.  (Phil.  1:1.)  He  is  also  supposed  to  quote  apoc¬ 
ryphal  books  ;  but  did  not  Paul  quote  heathen  poets,  and  Jewish  traditions,  when  what  was  true  in  them  might  be  adduced 
to  good  purpose,  without  at  all  sanctioning  the  fables  which  they  contained  ?  (JVotcs,  Acts  17:2G — 29.  2  Tim.  3:6 — 9.  Tit.  I: 
10 — 13.)  These  are  the  chief  objections;  and  they  amount  to  nothing  against  the  internal  evidence,  and  the  general  cur¬ 
rent  of  antiquity.  It  is  probable,  that  Jude  wrote  to  caution  his  brethren  against  the  same  deceivers,  whom  Peter,  in  his 
second  epistle,  had  opposed  ;  and  nearly  at  the  same  time. — Many  think  they  both  had  access  to  some  ancient  book,  which 
is  now  lost,  and  that  they  quoted  from  it ;  and  likewise,  that  Jude  had  seen  Peter’s  epistle  ;  and,  in  order  to  add  his  testi¬ 
mony  to  the  same  effect,  adopted  several  of  his  thoughts,  and  even  expressions.  This,  however,  is  uncertain  ;  for  the  same 
*  Spirit  of  prophecy  ’  might  lead  these  two  witnesses  to  oppose  the  corrupters  of  Christianity,  by  similar  examples,  argu¬ 
ments,  and  illustrations,  without  either  of  them  knowing  what  the  other  wrote. — There  is  no  ground  for  the  opinion,  that  it 
was  exclusively  addressed  to  the  Jewish  converts;  on  the  contrary,  it  seems  to  have  been  properly  a  catholic  epistle,  intend¬ 
ed  for  all  Christian  churches  throughout  the  world.  The  exact  time  when,  and  the  place  from  which,  it  was  written,  are 
wholly  uncertain.  Scott. 

*  Laurmann ,  in  Bloom regards  this  epistle  as  ‘  belonging  rather  to  paralleled:’  also,  that 1  his  Greek  is,  on  the  whole,  pure:  and  that,  although 
the  species  of  oratorical  writing,’  and  considersit  ‘  with  reference  to  the  fifteen  words  are  here  found  which  occur  nowhere  else  in  the  New 
three,  great  requisites  of  the  orator,  namely,  invention,  disposition ,  (or  Test.,  yet  they  are  such  as  are  admirably  adapted  to  the  comprehension 
arrangement,)  and  elocution ‘in  all  of  which,’  Bloom/,  says,  ‘he  even  of  the  unlearned,  as  being  in  general  borrowed  from  the  ideas  and 
shows  Jude  is  well  versed,  nay,  occasionally  rises  to  a  height  not  easily  modes  of  thinking  of  common  life.’  Ed. 


A.  D.  70. 

1 ! e  oxhorteth  them  to  he  constant  in  the  profetsion  of  the 
faith.  4  False  teacher*  are  crept  in  to  seduce  them  i  for 
whose  da  in  nable  doctrine  and  manners  horrible  punish¬ 
ment  is  prepared  :  ‘20  whereas  the  eoclly,  by  the  assist¬ 
ance  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  and  prayers  to  God,  may  perse¬ 
vere,  and  ejrow  in  grace,  and  keep  themselves,  ami  recov¬ 
er  others  out  of  the  snare3  of  those  deceivers. 

JUDE,  a  the  servant  of  Jesus 
Christ,  and  brother  of  James,  to 
them  that  are  sanctified  bby  God 
the  Father,  and  preserved  e  in  Jesus 
Christ,  and  6  called  : 

a  Lit.  6:16.  b  Ac.  20:32.  c  l  Pe.  1:5.  i!  Ro.  8:30. 


V.  1,  2.  Here  we  have, 

1.  An  account  of  the  penman  of  this 
epistle,  Jude,  or  Judas,  or  Judah,  a  name 
of  worth,  eininency,  and  honor.  There  was 
one  Judas,  (one  of  the  twelve,)  surnamed 
Iscariot,  (from  the  place  of  his  birth,)  who 
was  a  vile  traitor.  The  same  names  may 
be  common  to  the  best  and  worst  persons. 
But  our  Judas  was  quite  another  man,  a 


sincere  disciple  and  follower  of  Christ  ;  I 
therefore,  here  the  one  is  very  carefully  dis-  i 
tinguished  from  the  other.  Dr.  Manton’s 
note  on  this,  is,  that  God  takes  great  care 
of  the  good  name  of  iiis  sincere  and  useful 
servants.  Note,  further,  In  that  the  apos¬ 
tle  Jude  styles  himself  a  servant,  though 
an  apostle,  a  dignified  officer  in  Christ’s 
kingdom:  it  is  a  great  honor  to  the  meanest 
sincere  minister,  (and  it  holds  proporlion- 
ablv  as  to  every  upright  Christian,)  that  lie 
is  the  servant  of  Christ  Jesus.  Away,  then, 
with  all  pretensions,  in  the  ministers  of 
Christ,  to  lordly  dominion,  either  over  one 
another,  or  the  flocks  committed  to  their 
charge.  Let  us  ever  have  that  of  our  dear  i 
Redeemer  in  actual  view.  It  shall  not  be  so  ' 
among  you.  Mat.  20  :  25,  26.  And  brother  . 
of  James,  to  wit,  of  him  whom  the  ancients 
style  the  first  bishop  of  Jerusalem,  of  whose 
character  and  martyrdom  Josephus  makes 
mention,  and  ascribes  the  horrible  destruc-  J 


Account  of  the  writer. 

tion  of  that  city  and  nation  to  this  wicked 
cruelty,  as  one  of  its  principal  causes.  Ot 
this  James,  our  Jude  was  brother,  whether 
in  the  strictest  or  a  larger  (though  very 
usual)  acceptation,  I  determine  not.  He, 
however,  reckons  it  an  honor  to  him,  that 
he  was  the  brother  of  such  an  one.  We 
ought  to  honor  those  who  are  above  us  in 
age,  gifts,  graces,  station ;  not  to  envy  them, 
yet  neither  to  flatter  them,  nor  be  led  mere¬ 
ly  by  their  example,  when  we  have  reason 
to  think  they  act  wrong.  Thus  Paul  with¬ 
stood  Peter,  notwithstanding  the  high  es¬ 
teem  he  had  for  him,  and  the  affectionate 
love  lie  bare  to  him,  when  he  saw  that  he 
was  really  blameworthy,  Gal.  2  :  11.  and 
following  verses. 

2.  We  are  here  acquainted,  to  whom  this 
epistle  is  directed;  namely,  to  all  them  who 
are  sanctified  by  God  the  Father,  and  pre¬ 
served  in  Jesus  Christ,  and  called.  1  1  login 
with  the  last,  called,  that  is,  called  Chris- 


NOTES.  V.  1,  2.  Preface  to  James. — The  unusual  ascription  of 
‘sanctification  to  God  the  Father,’  and  the  arrangement  of  the  sentence, 
have  induced  many  expositors  to  explain  ‘  sanettfied,’  of  Christians,  hav¬ 
ing  been  ‘set  apart,’  or  separated  ‘  in  the  election  of  grace,’  by  ‘God  the 

[656] 


Father;’  in  consequence_of  which  they  were  ‘given  to  Jesus  Christ,’ 
and  preserved,  in  and  by  Him,  from  dying  in  their  sins,  or  falling  into  fa. 
tal  delusions,  till  called,  by  the  Word  and  Spirit  of  God,  into  a  state  of 
actual  fellowship  in  the  Gospel  of  Christ.  Others  suppose  the  order  of 


A.  D.  70. 


JUDE. 


Primitive  faith  to  be  maintained. 


2  Mercy  unto  you,  and  peace, 
and  love,  be  multiplied. 

8  Beloved,  when  I  gave  all  dili¬ 
gence  to  write  unto  you  of  the  com¬ 
mon  'salvation,  it  was  ueedful  for 
me  to  write  unto  you,  and  exhort 
you  that  ye  should  earnestly  contend 
ffor  the  faith  which  was  once  deliv¬ 
ered  unto  the  saints. 

c  Tit.  1:4.  1  Ga.  2:5.  v 

(tans,  in  the  judgment  of  charity,  further 
than  which  we  cannot,  nor  in  justice  ought 
to  go,  in  the  judgments  or  opinions  we  form 
or  receive  of  one  another  ;  yet  we  ought  to 
think  the  best  we  can  of  every  man  till  tile 
contrary  appear  ;  not  being  forward  to  re¬ 
ceive  or  propagate,  much  less  invent,  disad¬ 
vantageous  characters  of  our  brethren.  This 
is  the  least  we  can  make  of  1  Cor.  13.  and 
this  we  ought  to  make  conscience  of  acting 
up  to,  which,  till  we  do,  the  Christian 
churches  will, as, alas!  they  are  at  this  day, 
lie  lilled  with  envying  and  strife ,  confusion 
and  every  evil  work ,  Jam.  3  :  16.  Or  the 
apostle  may  speak  of  their  being  culled  to  be 
Christians,  by  the  preaching  of  the  Word 
which  they  gladly  received,  and  so  were  re¬ 
ceived  into  the  society  and  fellowship  of  the 
church. 

Christians  are  the  called,  called  out  of  the 
world,  the  evil  spirit  and  temper  of  it  ; 
above  the  world,  to  higher  and  better  things, 
heaven,  things  unseen  and  eternal  ;  called 
from  sin  to  Christ,  from  vanity  to  serious¬ 
ness,  from  uncleanness  to  holiness;  and  this 
in  pursuance  of  divine  purpose  and  grace, 
Rom.  8:  33.  Now  they  who  are  thus  called, 
are, 

1.  Sanctified;  sanctified  by  God  the  Father . 
Sanctification  is  usually  spoken  of  in  Scrip¬ 
ture  as  the  work  of  the  Holy  Spirit;  yet  here 
it  is  ascribed  to  God  the  Father,  because  the 
Spirit  works  it,  as  the  Spirit  of  the  Father 
and  the  Son.  Note,  All  who  are  effectually 
called,  are  sanctified  ;  made  paitnkers  of  a 
divine  nature,  2  Pet.  1 :  4.  for  without  holiness 
no  man  shall  see  the  Lord,  Hell.  12  :  14. 
Observe,  Our  sanctification  is  not  our  own 
work.  If  any  are  sanctified,  they  are  so  by 
Cod  the  Father,  not  excluding  Son  or  Spir¬ 
it,  for  they  are  One,  one  God.  Our  corrup¬ 
tion  and  pollution  are  of  ourselves  ;  our 
sanctification  and  renovation,  of  God  and 
his  grace;  therefore,  if  we  perish  in  our  in¬ 


iquity,  we  must  bear  the  blame  ;  but  if  we 
be  sanctified  and  glorified,  all  the  honor  and 
glory  must  be  ascribed  to  God,  and  to  Him 
alone. 

2.  The  called  and  sanctified  are  preserved 
in  Christ  Jesus.  As  it  is  God  who  begins 
the  work  of  grace  in  the  souls  of  men,  so  it 
is  He  who  carries  it  on,  and  perfects  it,  Ps. 
138:8.  Let  us  not,  therefore,  trust  in  our¬ 
selves,  nor  in  our  stock  of  grace  already  re¬ 
ceived,  but  in  Him,  and  in  Him  alone;  still 
endeavoring,  by  all  proper  and  appointed 
means,  to  keep  ourselves,  as  ever  we  w  ould 
hope  He  should  keep  us.  All  who  are  pre¬ 
served,  are  preserved  in  Jesus  Christ,  and 
solely  by  virtue  of  their  union  with  Him. 

3.  The  apostolical  benediction  ;  Mercy, 
peace, and  love;  these  the  apostle  prays  may 
be  multiplied,  that  Christians  may  not  be 
content  with  scraps  and  narrow  scantlings 
of  them  ;  but  that  souls  and  societies  may 
be  full  of  them.  Note,  God  is  readv  to  sup¬ 
ply  us  with  all  grace,  and  a  fulness  in  each 
grace.  We  are  not  straitened,  if  we  are 
straitened,  in  Him,  but  in  ourselves. 

V.  3.  We  have  here  the  design  of  the 
apostle  in  writing  this  epistle  ;  namely,  to 
establish  believers  in  the  Christian  faith  and 
practice,  and  in  an  open  and  bold  profession 
thereof;  especially  in  times  of  notorious 
opposition,  by  artful  seduction,  or  violent 
and  inhuman  persecution. 

But  then  we  must  see  to  it  very  carefully, 
that  it  be  really  the  Christian  faith  that  we 
believe,  profess,  propagate,  and  contend  for ; 
not  the  discriminating  badges  of  this  or  the 
other  party  ;  not  anything  of  later  date  than 
the  inspired  writings  of  the  holy  evangelists 
and  apostles. 

Here,  observe,  1.  The  gospel-salvation  is 
a  common  salvation,  that  is,  in  a  most  sin¬ 
cere  offer  and  tender  of  it  to  all  mankind  to 
whom  the  notice  of  it  reaches  :  for  so  the 
commission  runs,  Mark  16  :  15,  16.  there¬ 
fore,  none  are  excluded  from  the  benefit  of 
these  gracious  offers  and  invitations,  but 
they  who  obstinately,  impenitently,  finally 
exclude  themselves,  Rev.  22:  17. 

The  application  of  it  is  made  to  all  be¬ 
lievers,  and  only  to  such,  to  the  weak  as 
well  as  to  the  strong.  Let  none  discourage 
themselves  on  the  account  of  hidden  decrees 
which  they  can  know  little  of,  and  with 
which  they  have  nothing  to  do.  God’s  de¬ 
crees  are  dark,  his  covenants  are  plain. 

2.  This  common  salvation  is  the  subject- 


matter  of  the  faith  of  all  the  saints.  The 
doctrine  of  it  is  what  they  all  most  heartily 
consent  to,  a  faithful  saying,  and  worthy  of 
all  acceptation,  1  Tim.  1:  15.  the  faith  once, 
or  at  once,  once  for  all,  delivered  to  the  saints; 
to  which  nothing  can  be  added,  from  which 
nothing  may  be  detracted,  in  which  nothing 
more  or  less  should  be  altered;  from  which, 
if  we  stir  a  step  further,  we  are  in  danger 
of  being  either  entangled  or  seduced. 

3.  The  apostles  and  evangelists  all  wrote 
to  us  of  this  common  salvation.  It  is 
enough  that  they  have  fully  declared  to  us, 
by  inspiration  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  all  that  is 
necessary  for  every  one  to  believe  and  do,  in 
order  to  obtain  a  personal  interest  in  the 
common  salvation. 

4.  They  who  preach  or  write  of  the  com¬ 
mon  salvation,  should  give  all  diligence  to 
do  it  well:  they  should  not  allow  themselves 
to  offer  to  God  or  his  people  that  which  cost 
them  nothing,  little  or  no  pains  or  thought, 
2  Sam.  24  :  24.  This  were  to  treat  God 
irreverently,  and  man  unjustly. 

The  apostle,  though  inspired,  gave  all  dil¬ 
igence  to  write  of  the  common  salvation. 
What  then  will  become  of  those,  who,  though 
uninspired,  give  no  diligence,  or  next  to 
none,  but  say  to  the  people,  even  in  the 
name  of  God,  what  comes  next  ?  They  who 
speak  of  sacred  things,  ought  always  to 
speak  of  them  with  the  greatest  reverence, 
care,  and  diligence. 

5.  They  who  have  received  the  doctrine 
of  this  common  salvation,  must  contend 
earnestly  for  it.  Earnestly ,  not  furiously. 
The  wrath  of  man  worketh  not  the  righteous¬ 
ness  of  God,  Jam.  1  :  20.  Lying  for  the 
truth  is  bad,  and  scolding  for  it  is  not  much 
better.  Observe,  They  who  have  received 
the  truth,  must  contend  for  it.  We  must  not 
suffer  ourselves  to  be  robbed  of  any  essen¬ 
tial  article  of  Christian  faith,  by  the  cun¬ 
ning  craftiness,  or  specious,  plausible  pre¬ 
tences  of  any  who  lie  in  wait  to  deceive,  Eph. 
4:  14.  Paul  tells  us,  he  preached  the  Gospel 
(mind  it  was  the  Gospel)  with  much  conten¬ 
tion,  1  Tiles?.  2:  2.  that  is,  as  I  understand 
it,  with  great  earnestness,  with  a  hearty 
zeal,  and  a  great  concern  for  the  success  of 
what  he  preached. 

We  have  here  the  occasion  the  apostle  had 
to  write  to  this  purport  ;  as  evil  manners 
give  rise  to  good  laws,  so  dangerous  errors 
often  giv  e  just  occasion  to  the  proper  defends 
of  important  truths.  , 


the  words  to  have  been  disregarded  :  and  then  the  apostle’s  meaning  is, 
that  the  persons  addressed  were  regenerated  and  sanctified,  l>\  t he  grace 
communicated  from  God  the  Father;  that  they  were  thus  brought  home 
to  the  ‘good  Shepherd,  who  bought  them  with  his  blood,’  and  were  pre¬ 
served  by  his  watchful  care;  and,  being  ‘called  according  to  li is  pur¬ 
pose,’  they  would  he  ‘  kept  by  the  power  of  God  through  faith  unto  sal¬ 
vation.’  1  l‘et.  1:3 — 5.  Scott. 

V.  3,  t.  They 'could  not  but  know  the  great  fundamentals  of  that 
doctrine,  respecting  the  Person  and  salvation  of  the  Lord  Jesus,  and  tiis 
mediiiorj.il  authority  over  li  is  redeemed  subjects,  and  1  as  Head  over  all,’ 
for  their  benefit.  And,  as  these  were  violently  assaulted,  they  ought  to 
‘ contend  earnestly  ’  for  them;  patiently  and  constantly  professing  the 
faith,  and  adhering  to  the  commands  of  Christ,  in  the  midst  ofhardships 
and  persecution.  They  should  diligently  endeavor,  notwithstanding  ail 
kinds  of  opposition,  to  disseminate  the  knowledge  of  uncorrupted  Chris 
tiatiily  in  the  world  ;  refusing  all  countenance  to  those  who  opposed  it  : 
decidedly  using  all  their  influence  to  put  others  on  their  guard,  and  to 
confirm  them  in  the  faith  and  practice  of  the  Gospel  ;  and  to  show  them 
the  falsehood  and  pernicious  tendency  of  the  heresies,  which  were  prop¬ 
agated  instead  of  them.  Thus  their  example,  profession,  conversation, 
prayers,  and  improvement  of  talents,  might  lie  instrumental  to  stop  the 
progress  of  fatal  delusions;  to  establish  the  faith  of  the  weak  and  wav¬ 
ering;  and  even  to  recover  some  of  the  fallen.  And  an  earnest  ‘con¬ 
tending  for  the  faith,’  with  such  weapons  as  these,  would  consist  with 
meekness  and  benevolence;  differing  widely  from  that  controversy, 
which  has  too  often  been  conducted  with  acrimony,  slander,  invective, 
and  reciprocal  contempt.  2  Cor.  10:1 — 6.  These  vigorous  measures 
were  peculiarly  proper  at  that  time,  as  certain  men  had  glided  in  like 
serpents,  with  subtlety  and  plausible  pretences,  ‘  unawares  ’  to  the  peo- 
ple  and  their  pastors:  hut  the  Lord  had  foreseen  them;  for  they  ‘were 
of  old  ordained,’  or  registered  ‘to  this  condemnation.’  Many  predictions 
had  from  the  beginning  been  delivered  to  this  effect,  14 — 1G.  Nay,  these 
predictions  had  been  extracts,  as  it  were,  from  the  registers  in  heaven; 
even  the  secret  and  eternal  decrees  of  God,  ‘  known  unto  whom  are  his 
works  from  the  beginning  of  the  world.’  Some  have  supposed,  that  these 
ungodly  men  denied  the  doctrine  of  the  apostles,  concerning  the  Person 
and  atonement  of  Christ  ;  1  John  2:13 — 25.  arid  they  therefore  explain 
‘  turning  the  grace  of  our  God  into  lasciviousness,’  of  some  attempts 
made  by  them  to  traduce  the  doctrines  of  grace,  as  tending  to  licentious- 
N,  T.  VOL.  V.  88 


ness.  But  this  construction  is  very  unnatural  :  and  the  whole  epistle 
shows,  that  they  were  abominable  antinomians,  who  ‘  wrought  all  un¬ 
cleanliness  with  greediness,’  under  pretence  of  exalting  free  grare.  It 
is,  however,  very  probable,  that  they  also  held  some  wild  notions 
concerning  the  Person  of  Christ;  for  this  was  generally  the  case,  with 
the  various  descriptions  of  these  primitive  heretics;  whose  absurd  ami 
presumptuous  speculations,  concerning  these  mysterious  subjects,  would 
lie  wholly  unworthy  our  notice,  did  they  not  illustrate  the  folly  of  man’s 
wisdom,  in  matters  of  religion;  the  perverse  disposition  of  t  lie  human 
heart  to  prefer  any  senseless  falsehood  to  the  truths  of  revelation  ;  and 
the  artifice  of  Satan  in  suiting  the  delusions,  which  he  propagates  by 
his  ministers,  to  the  tastes  and  capacities  of  those  whom  lie  means  to 
ruin  by  them.  The  intellectual  poison,  which  lie  administers,  in  this 
age  of  proud  reasoning  and  skepticism,  is  of  a  more  specious  kind,  and 
can  he  supported  with  more  plausible  show  of  argument;  or  else  it 
would  not  he  so  generally  received. —  3)  Gave  all,  Ac. ]  ‘  1  was  sedu¬ 

lously  devising  to  write  to  you  concerning  t lie  common  faith  ;  when  the 
circumstances  of  the  times  rendered  it  necessary,  and  determined  me 
to  this  subject.’  (3)  Earnestly  contend .]  To  contend  with  the  utmost 
earnestness  and  zeal. — Faith.}  Acts  6:7.  Gat.  1:23.  1  Tim.  3:9.  Tit.  1: 
13.  Ueb.  12:2.  Rev.  2.-13.— Once.  Heb.  9:26—23.  ‘Once  for  all;’  so 
that  no  addition  is  to  he  made  to  the  doctrine  thus  delivered,  or  altera¬ 
tion  in  it;  and  all  that  either  human  learning  and  wisdom,  or  human 
folly  and  ignorance  can  do  in  this  way,  only  tends  to  corrupt  it.  Rom. 
6:16 — 19.  2  Thes.  2:15. — (4)  Crept  in  unawares.}  Pareisedusan.  Here 
only. — Ordained.}  Rom.  15:4.  Gal.  3:1.  Eph.  3:3.  Written,  or  describ¬ 
ed,  beforehand.  The  character  of  these  deceivers  had  been  drawn,  and 
their  doom  denounced,  by  the  ancient  prophets  from  the  beginning. — 
(Note,  5 — 8.)  Gr.  graphs,  without  a  preposition,  is  used  o(  those, 

‘  whose  names  are  written  in  the  book  of  life  :  ’  Rev.  13-8 — 10.  and  this 
being  generally  understood  of  election,  the  venerable  translators  of  the 
Bible  rendered  progegrammenoi,  ordained.  This  shows  what  their  sen¬ 
timents  were  on  this  subject  :  but  it  is  not  clear,  that  the  decree  was 
here  meant,  except  as  connected  with  the  prophetical  description.  At 
least,  it  is  not  meant,  that  they  were  ‘  ordained  ’  to  commit  these  crimes, 
by  any  constraint:  but  merely,  that  their  wilful  sin  and  impenitence  be¬ 
ing  foreseen,  and  God  for  wise  reasons  determining  to  leave  them  to 
themselves.  He  ‘ordained  them  to  this  condemnation  ;’  as  lie  had  dot  e 
Judas,  and  those  who  crucified  Christ.  Mat.  26:21 — 24.  Acts  2:22—24. 

LC57] 


A.  D.  70. 


JUDE. 


Former  judgments  of  God  recited. 


A  For  there  are  certain  men  crept 
in  s  unawares,  who  h  were  before  of 
old  ordained  to  this  condemnation; 
ungodly  men,  turning  'the  grace  of 
our  God  into  lasciviousness,  and 
denying  the  only  Lord  God,  and 
our  Lord  Jesus  Christ. 

5  I  will  therefore  put  you  in  re¬ 
membrance,  though  ye  once  knew 
this,  how  that  J  the  Lord,  having 
saved  the  people  out  of  the  land  of 
Egypt,  afterward  destroyed  kthem 
that  believed  not. 

6  And  the  angels  1  which  kept 
not  their  m first  estate'',  but  left  their 
own  habitation,  he  hath  reserved  in 
everlasting  “chains,  under  darkness, 
unto  the  "judgment  of  the  great 


day. 

7  Even  as  p  Sodom  and  Gornor- 
rhn,  and  the  cities  about  them,  in 
like  manner  giving  themselves 
over  to  fornication,  and  going  after 


£  2  Pe.  2:1. 

k  Nu 

h  Ro.  9:22 

He. 

i  Ti.  1:15,15. 

1  J». 

j  1  Co.  10:5,12. 

m  or, 

.  14:29,37.  '  n  2  Pe.  2:4. 

3: IS — 10.  o  Pc.  2(1:10. 

8:44.  |.  Ge.  19:24. 

principality. 


V.  4.  Here,  observe,  1.  Ungodly  men  are 
the  great  enemies  of  the  faith  of  Christ, 
and  the  peace  of  the  church.  They  who 
denv  or  corrupt  the  one,  and  disturb  the 
other,  are  here  expressly  styled  ungodly 
men.  Ungodly  men  raise  scruples,  start 
questions,  cause  divisions,  widen  breaches, 
merely  to  advance  and  promote  their  own 
selfish,  ambitious,  and  covetous  ends.  This 
has  been  the  plague  of  the  church  in  all  past 
ages.  Nothing  cuts  us  off  from  the  church, 
but  that  which  cuts  us  oil'  from  Christ  ; 
namely,  reigning  infidelity  and  ungodliness. 
We  must  abhor  the  thought  of  branding 
particular  parties,  or  persons,  with  this 
character  ;  especially  of  doing  it  without 
the  least  proof,  or,  as  it  too  often  happens, 
the  least  shadow  of  it.  Those  are  ungodly 
men  who  live  without  God  in  the.  world ,  who 
have  no  regard  to  God  and  conscience. 
They  are  to  be  dreaded,  and  consequently  to 
be  avoided,  nol  only  who  are  wicked  bv 
sins  of  commission,  but  also  who  are  ungod¬ 
ly  by  sins  of  omission  ;  who,  for  example, 
restrain  prayer  before  God,  who  dare  not  re¬ 
prove  a  rich  man,  when  it  is  the  duty  of 
their  place  so  to  d  >,  for  fear  they  lose  his 
favor,  and  the  advantage  they  promise 
themselves  therefrom,  who  do  the  work  of  the 
Lord  negligently,  &c. 

2.  They  are  the  worst  of  ungodly  men, 
who  turn  the  grace  of  God  into  lasciviousness, 
who  take  encouragement  to  sin  more  boldly, 


because  the  grace  of  God  has  abounded, 
and  still  abounds,  so  wonderfully  ;  who  are 
hardened  in  their  impieties  by  the  extent 
and  fulness  of  gospel-grace,  the  design  of 
which  is,  to  reduce  men  from  sin,  and 
bring  them  unto  God. 

3.  They  who  turn  the  grace  of  God  into 
lasciviousness,  do,  in  effect,  deny  the  Lord 
God,  and  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  ;  that  is, 
they  deny  both  natural  and  revealed  re¬ 
ligion.  They  strike  at  the  foundation  of 
natural  religion,  for  they  deny  the  only  Lord 
God;  and  they  overturn  all  the  frame  of  re¬ 
vealed  religion,  for  they  deny  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ.  Now,  his  great  design  in  establish¬ 
ing  revealed  religion  in  the  world,  was,  to 
bring  us  unto  God. 

Note,  They  who  deny  our  Cord  Jesus 
Christ,  do  in  effect  deny  the  only  Lord  God. 
To  deny  revealed  religion  is,  virtually,  to 
overcome  natural  religion,  for  they  stand  or 
fall  together,  and  they  naturally  yield  light 
and  force  to  each  other.  Would  to  God  our 
modern  deists,  who  live  in  the  midst  of  gos¬ 
pel-light,  would  seriously  consider  this,  and 
cautiously,  diligently,  and  impartially  exam¬ 
ine  what  it  is  that  hinders  their  receiving 
the  Gospel,  while  they  profess  themselves 
fully  persuaded  of  all  the  principles  and 
duties  t>f  natural  religion  ! 

4.  They  who  turn  the  grace  of  God  into 
lasciviousness,  are  ordained  unto  condemna¬ 
tion;  they  sin  against  the  last,  the  greatest, 
and  most  perfect  remedy  ;  and  so  are  with¬ 
out  excuse.  But  what  if  our  translators  had 
thought  fit  to  render  the  word  in  the  origi¬ 
nal,  of  old  forewritten  of,  as  persons  who 
would,  through  their  own  sin  and  folly,  be¬ 
come  the  proper  subjects  of  this  condemna¬ 
tion,  where  had  the  harm  been  1  Is  it  not 
enough  that  early  notice  was  given  by  in¬ 
spired  wa  iters,  that  such  seducers  and  wicked 
men  should  arise  in  later  times,  and  that 
every  one,  being  forewarned  of,  should  be 
forearmed  against  them  ! 

5.  We  ought  to  contend  earnestly  for 
the  faith,  in  opposition  to  those  who  would 
corrupt  or  deprave  it,  and  such  as  are 
crept  in  unawares,  a  wretched  character  ;  — 
but  the  more  busy  and  crafty  the  instru¬ 
ments  and  agents  of  Satan  are,  to  rob  us  of 
the  truth,  the  more  solicitous  should  we  be 
to  hold  it  fast :  always  provided  we  be  very 
sure,  that  we  fasten  no  wrong  or  injurious 
characters  on  persons,  parties,  or  senti¬ 
ments.  [Observe,  next,] 

The  fair  warning  the  apostle,  in  Christ’s 
name,  gives  to  those,  who,  having  professed 
his  holy  religion,  do  afterwards  desert  and 
prove  false  to  it. 

V.  5 — 7.  We  have  here  a  recital  of  the 
former  judgments  of  God  on  sinners,  with 
design  to  awaken  and  terrify  those  to  wdiom 
warning  is  given  in  this  epistle. 


Observe,  The  judgments  of  God  are  often 
denounced  and  executed  for  warning  to  others, 
rather  than  from  immediate  or  particular 
displeasure  against  the  offenders  themselves; 
not  that  God  is  not  displeased  with  them, 
but  perhaps  not  more  with  them  than  with 
others,  who,  at  least  for  the  present,  escape. 

I  will  put  you  in  remembrance.  What  we 
already  know,  we  still  need  to  be  put  in 
remembrance  of.  Therefore  there  will  al¬ 
ways  be  need  and  use  of  a  standing,  stated 
ministry,  in  the  Christian  church,  though  all 
the  doctrines  of  faith,  the  essentials,  are  so 
plainly  revealed  in  express  words.  Preach¬ 
ing  [and  writing  new  books]  is  not  [always] 
designed  to  teach  us  somewhat  we  knew 
nothing  of  before  ;  but  to  put  us  in  remem¬ 
brance,  to  call  to  mind  tilings  forgotten,  to 
affect  our  passions,  and  engage  and  fix  our 
resolutions,  that  our  lives  may  be  answer- 
able  to  our  faith. 

Though  ye  know  these  things,  vet.  ye  still 
need  to  know  them  better;  many  things  we 
have  known,  which  we  have  unhappily  for¬ 
gotten.  Is  it  of  no  use  or  service  to  be  put 
afresh  in  remembrance  of  them  1 

Now,  what  are  these  things  which  we 
Christians  need  to  be  put  in  remembrance,  of  1 

1.  The  destruction  of  the  unbelieving  Is¬ 
raelites  in  the  wilderness,  v.  5.  Paul  puts 
the  Corinthians  in  wind  of  this,  1  Cor.  10: 
1 — 10.  which,  as  the  Scripture  is  always  the 
best  commentary  on  itself,  are  the  best  ex¬ 
plication  of  this  verse.  None,  therefore, 
ought  to  presume  on  their  privileges,  since 
many  who  were  brought  out  of  Egypt  by  a 
series  of  amazing  miracles,  yet  perished  in 
the  wilderness  by  reason  of  their  unbelief, 
Rom.  11:20.  Heb.  4:1.  They  had  mira¬ 
cles  plenty,  miracles  were  their  daily  bread  ; 
yet  even  they  perished  in  unbelief.  We 
have  much  greater  advantages  than  they 
had  ;  let  their  so  fatal  error  be  our  awful 
warning. 

2.  The  fall  of  the  angels,  v.  6. 

A  great  number  of  the  angels  left  their  own 
habitation,  not  pleased  with  the  posts  and 
stations  assigned  them  ;  but  God  did  not 
spare  them  ;  high  and  great  as  they  were, 
He  threw  them  off;  for  the  great,  the  all¬ 
wise  God,  could  not  be  ignorant,  as  the 
wisest  and  best  of  earthly  princes  often  arc, 
what  designs  they  were  hatching. 

After  all,  what  became  of  them  1  Tliey 
thought  to  dare  and  outface  Omnipotence 
itself ;  but  God  was  too  hard  for  them,  He 
cast  them  down  to  hell.  Here,  see,  the 
condition  of  fallen  angels  ;  they  are  in 
chains,  bound  under  the  divine  power  and 
justice,  bound  over  to  the  judgment  of  the 
great  day  ;  they  are  under  darkness,  who 
were  once  angels  of  light ;  so  horribly  in 
the  dark  are  they,  that  tliev  continue  to  fight 
against  God,  as  if  there  were  yet  some 


4:23 — 28.  Whatever  objection  lies  against  this  view  of  the  subject  lies 
at  least  equally  against  the  whole  system  of  prophecy,  as  far  as  the  crimes 
and  condemnation  of  men  are  expressly  foretold. — The  only ,  <fcc.]  These 
words  may  be  differently  rendered  :  but  our  translation  seems  to  give 
the  true  meaning;  preserving  the  scriptural  distinction  between  the 
Father  and  the  Son.  Scott. 

(4.)  ‘The  word  ordained,  here,  is  supposed  to  be  forensic,  and  the  ex¬ 
pression,  ordained  to  this  condemnation,  to  denote  those  cited  to  trial, 
by  posting  up  their  names,  or  those  whose  names  were  thus  posted  up, 
as  required  for  condemnation  and  punishment.  So  2  Pet.  2:3.  The 
expression,  therefore,  does  not  imply  any  predestination  of  the  persons, 
but  merely  imports  that  they  were  long  since  foretold,  and  thereby  de¬ 
signated  as  persons  who  should  suffer.’  Bloom/. — ‘God  decreed  that 
condemnation  should  not  be  but  for  sin,  nor  hardening  hut  for  preced¬ 
ing  rebellion,  nor  that  the  wages  of  death  should  be  paid  without  the 
work  of  sin.  No  man  is  ordained  to  a  just  punishment  hut  for  some 
sin  ;  the  vvithdrawment  of  grace,  the  blindness  and  obduration  of  sin¬ 
ners,  are  the  punishments  of  preceding  sin,  as  appears,  Rom.  1:27.  To 
crown  or  condemn  is  an  act  of  judiciary  power,  and  proceeds  according 
to  the  tenor  of  the  revealed  Gospel. — God  never  appointed  that  any 
should  stumble  at  the  Word,  but  for  their  contempt  of  it. — Never  did 
God  make  any  decree  to  condemn  any  man,  though  he  should  believe 
and  live  righteously.’  Jenkyn,  in  Henry,  abr. — Only  Lord  God,  &.c  ] 
‘  If  the  word  God,  be  here  genuine,  the  Lord  God  and  Lord  must  be  un¬ 
derstood  of  the  same  person,  as  is  done  by  the  Syriac  and  Coptic  trans. 
lalors  ;  i.  e.  [the  expression  must  read],  “  denying  our  only  I.ord  God, 
.lesus  Christ.”  Comp.  2  Pet.  2:1 — 3.’  Bi.oomf. 

v.  .5—8.  1  Cor.  10:1—12.  2  Pet.  2:4—  9,  20—22.  External  privileges, 

profession,  and  apparent  conversion,  could  not  secure,  from  the  severest 
vengeance  of  God,  those  who  turned  aside  from  Him  in  unbelief  and  dis- 
[C59] 


obedience.  To  evince  this,  the  apostle  deemed  it  proper  to  remind  his 
readers  [of  the  case  of  ancient  Israel,  the  fallen  angels,  and  the  inhabit¬ 
ants  of  Sodom  and  Gomorrah  ]  (C)  First  estate.]  Either  beginning , 

John  8:44.  1  John  3:8.  or  dignity,  Eph.  0:12.  Rev.  3:14 — (7)  In  like 
manner.]  They  were  rebellious ,  as  the  fallen  angels  had  been  rebit- 
lious ;  and  condemned  as  they  were-,  but  the  main  instance  of  this  re¬ 
bellion  in  the  inhabitants  of  Sodom,  and  in  the  heretics  whom  Jude 
opposed,  was  such  as  evil  spirits  could  not  commit,  [rejecting  offered 
mercy  in  Christ.] — Eternal  fire.]  Mat.  25:46.  Is.  33:14.  Mat.  25:41 — 
46.  Mark  9:43 — 50.  It  does  not  appear  in  what  sense  the  fire  which  de¬ 
stroyed  Sodom,  and  then  was  wholly  extinguished,  and  succeeded  by  a 
lake,  could  be  thus  called,  apart  from  its  effects  on  the  inhabitants. 
(Rev.  19:3.) — (8)  Dreamers.]  ‘  Perfectly  stupifipd,  and  destitute  of  rea¬ 
son,  as  if  their  senses  had  been  locked  up  by  a  deep  sleep,  or  an  invet¬ 
erate  lethargy,  from  which  no  terrible  example  could  awake  them.’ 
Beza. — The  epithet  filthy,  added  in  our  translation,  implies  that  their 
very  dreams  were  defiled,  through  the  filthiness  of  their  waking  thoughts. 

Scott. 

(7.)  ‘  The  full  sense  of  the  apostle  seems  to  be  this  :  “  Tliey  are  pub¬ 
licly  set  forth  for  an  everlasting  example  [in  their  fiery  destruction]  of 
the  punishment  God  sometimes  inflicts  for  sin  in  this  world  ;  which  is 
hut  a  faint  type  of  that  which  He  hath  reserved  for  the  next.”  See 
Prof.  Stuart’s  “  Dissertation  on  Future  Punishment,”  p.  61,  sqq.’  Bi.. 

(7.)  Giving  themselves  over  to  fornication.]  ‘Let  the  seducer  and 
the  fornicator  remember,  that  each  must  stnnd  with  his  victim  and 
his  partner  in  guilt,  before  the  Judge  of  quick  and  dead  ..  Let  it  be  re. 
membered,  that  a  female  is  a  moral  and  accountable  being,  hastening 
with  us  to  the  bar  of  God  ;  that  she  is  made  to  be  the  centre  of  nil  that 
is  delightful  in  the  domestic  relations  ;  that,  by  her  very  nature,  she  looks 
up  to  man  as  her  protector,  and  loves  to  confide  in  his  hands  her  hu;- 


A.  D.  70. 

q  strange  flesh,  are  set  forth  for  an 
example,  suffering  the  vengeance 
of  eternal  fire. 

8  Likewise  also  these  filthy 
dreamers  defile  r  the  flesh,  despise 
dominion,  and  speak  evil  of  digni¬ 
ties. 

9  Yet  Michael  ’the  archangel, 

when  contending  with  the  devil  he 
disputed  about  the  body  of ‘Moses, 
"durst  not  bring  against  him  a  rail¬ 
ing  accusation,  but  said,  The  Lord 
v  rebuke  thee.  , 

10  But  these  speak  evil  of  those 
things  which  they  know  not  :  but 


q  other . 

r‘  2  Pe.  2:10,11. 


s  Da.  1'2:1. 
t  De.  31:6. 


u  F!x.  22:23. 
v  Zee.  3:2. 


JUDE. 

These  filthy  dreamers  dream  themselves 
into  a  fool’s  paradise  on  earth,  and  into  a 
real  hell  at  last  :  fet  their  character,  course, 
and  end,  he  our  seasonable  and  sufficient 
warning;  like  sins  will  produce  like  pun¬ 
ishments  and  miseries. 

1.  They  defile  the  flesh  :  the  flesh  or  body 
is  the  immediate  seat,  and  often  the  irritat¬ 
ing  occasion,  of  many  horrid  pollutions  ; 
yet  these,  though  done  in  and  against  the 
body,  do  greatly  defile  and  grievously  maim 
and  wound  the  soul  ;  fleshly  lusts  do  war 
against  the  soul,  1  Pet.  2:  11.  and  in  2  Cor. 
7:  1.  we  read  of  filthiness  of  flesh  and  spirit; 
each  of  which,  though  of  different  kinds, 
defiles  the  whole,  man. 

2.  They  despise  dominion,  and  speak  evil 
of  dignities;  arc  of  a  disturbed  mind  and 
a  seditious  spirit,  forgetting  that  the  powers 
that  he  are  ordained  of  God,  Rom 


13:1. 

small  hope,  at  least,  left  them,  of  prevailing  God  requires  us  to  speak  evil  rf  no  man,  Til. 
and  overcoming  in  the  conflict.  Dire  infat-  3;  2.  hut  it  is  a  great  aggravation  of  the  sin 
nation  !  Light  and  liberty  concur;  chains  of  evil-speaking,  when  what  we  say  is  poiut- 


charge  given  against  deceivers. 

interpretations,  which  I  will  not  here  trouble 
the  reader  with. 

I  hough  this  contest  was  mighty  eager  and 
earnest,  and  Michael  was  victorious  in  the 
issue,  yet  he  would  not  hung  a  railing  accu¬ 
sation  against  the  devil  himself ;  it  is  said', 
He  durst  not  bring,  &<;.  Not  that  ho  was 
afraid  of  the  devil,  but  he  believed  God  would 
be  offended,  if,  in  such  a  dispute,  he  went 
that  way  to  work  ;  he  thought  it  below  him 
to  engage  in  a  trial  of  skill  with  the  great 
enemy  of  God  and  man,  which  of  them 
should  out-scold  or  out-rail  the  other.  A 
memorandum  this  to  all  disputants,  never  to 
bring  railing  accusations  into  their  disputes. 
Truth  needs  no  supports  from  falsehood  or 
scurrility.  Some  say,  Michael  would  not 
bring  a  railing  accusation  against  the  devil, 
as  knowing  beforehand  that  he  would  lie  too 
hard  for  him  at  that  weapon.  Some  think 
the  apostle  refers  here  to  the  remarkable 
passage  we  have  Numb.  20:7 — 14.  Satan 
would  have  represented  Moses  under  disad¬ 
vantageous  colors,  which  he,  good  man,  had 
at  that  time,  and  on  that  occasion,  given  hut 
too  much  handle  fir.  Now  Michail,  accord¬ 
ing  to  this  account,  stands  up  in  defence  of 
Moses,  and,  in  the  zeal  of  an  upright  and 
hold  spirit,  says  to  Satan,  The  Lord  rebuke 
thee  !  lie  would  not  stand  disputing  with  the 
devil,  nor  enter  into  a  particular  debate  about 
the  merits  of  that  special  cause  ;  he  knew 
Moses  was  his  feiknv-servant,  a  favorite  of 
God,  and  he  would-  not  patiently  suffer  him 
to  be  insulted,  no,  not  by  the  prince  of  dev¬ 
ils  ;  but,  in  a  just  indignation,  cries  out, 
The  Lord  rebuke,  thee  :  like  that  of  our  Lord 
Himself,  Mat.  4:  10.  Moses  was  a  dignity, 
a  magistrate,  one  beloved  and  preferred  by 
the  great  God  ;  and  the  archangel  thought  it 
insufferable,  that  such  an  one  should  be  so 
treated  by  a  vile,  apostate  spirit,  of  how  high 
an  order  soever.  So  the  lesson  hence  is, 
‘That  we  ought  to  stand  up  in  defence  of 
those  whom  God  owns,  how  severe  soever 
Satan  and  his  instruments  are  in  their  cen¬ 
sures  of  them  and  their  conduct.’  They 
who  censure  (in  particular)  upright  magis¬ 
trates,  on  every  slip  in  their  behavior,  may 
expect  to  hear,  The  Lord  rebuke  thee  ;  and 
divine  rebukes  are  harder  to  be  borne  than 
careless  sinners  now  think  for. 

public  and  honorable  funeral,  that  the  place  I  V.  10.  But  these  speak  evil  of  the  things 
where  he  was  interred  might  be  generally  I  which  they  know  not,  &c.  of  religion  and 

known  ;  hoping  thereby  to  draw  the  Jews,  :  godliness.  Observe,  Men  are  most  apt  to 

so  naturally  prone  thereto,  to  a  new  and  ;  speak  evil  of  those  persons  anil  things  that 

fresh  instance  of  idolatry.  l)r.  Scot,  thinks,  they  know  least  of.  blow  many  had  never 
that  by  the  body  of  Moses  we  arc  to  under-  suffered  by  slanderous  tongues,  if  they  had 
V.  8 — 13.  Iieeulls  thein_/if;^y  dreamers,  stand  'the  Jewish  church,  w  hose  destruction  j  been  better  known!  On  the  other  hand, 
for  ns  much  as  delusion  is  a  dream,  and  the  the  devil  strove  and  contended  for,  as  the  ;  retirement  screens  some  even  from  just  ceu- 

beginning  of,  and  inlet  to,  all  manner  of  til-  Christian  church  is  called  the  body  if  Christ  1  sure.  But  what  they  know  naturally,  &c. 

thiness.  in  the  New  Test,  style.  Others  bring  other  in  those  things  they  corrupt  themselves  ;  that 


and  darkness,  how  well  do  they  agree  and 
suit  each  other  ! 

The  devils,  once  angels  in  the  best  sense, 
are  reserved,  &c. 

Observe,  There  is,  undoubtedly,  a  judg¬ 
ment  to  come;  the  fallen  angels  are  reserved 
to  the  judgment  of  the  great  day;  and  shall 


ed  at  magistrates,  men  whom' God  has  set 
in  authority  over  us,  by  blaspheming  or 
speaking  evil  of  whom,  we  blaspheme  God 
llimself. 

Or,  if  we  understand  it  with  respect  to 
religion,  as  some  do  ;  such  evil-speakers 
despise  the  dominion  of  conscience,  and  the 


fallen  men  escape  it  1  Surely  no.  Let  every  Word  of  God,  the  rule  of  conscience;  t lie 


reader  consider  this  in  due  time. 

Their  chains  are  called  everlasting,  be¬ 
cause  it  is  impossible  they  should  ever  break 
loose  from  them,  or  make  an  escape.  Hear 
and  fear,  O  sinful  mortals  of  mankind  ! 


revelations  of  the  divine  will  go  for  little 
with  them. 

Or,  as  others  account  for  the  sense  of  this 
passage,  the  people  of  God,  truly  and  special¬ 
ly  so,  are  the  dignities  here  spoken  of  or  re- 


3.  The  apostle  here  calls  to  our  remem-  furred  to,  according  to  that  of  the  Psalmist, 
brance  the  destruction  of  Sodom  and  Gomor-  Ps.  105:  15. 

rah,  v.  7.  Even  as,  &c.  It  is  in  allusion  They  speak  evil  of,  &o.  Religion  and  its 
to  the  destruction  of  Pentapolis,  or  the  five  serious  professors  have  been  always  and 
cities,  that  the  miseries  of  the  damned  are  everywhere  evil  spoken  of ;  though  there  is 
set  forth  by  a  lake  that  burnetii  with  (ire  nothing  in  religion  but  what  is  good,  and 
and  brimstone  ;  they  were  guilty  of  abom-  deserves  our  highest  regards,  both  as  it  is 
inable  wickedness,  not  to  be  named  or  perfective  of  our  natures,  and  subservient  to 
thought  on  but  with  the  utmost  abhorrence  our  truest  and  highest  interests  ;  vet  this 


and  detestation  ;  their  ruin  is  a  particular 
warning  to  all  people,  to  take  heed  of,  and 
fly  from  fleshly  lusts,  that  war  against  the 
soul,  1  Pet.  2:11. 

God  is  the  same  holy,  just,  pure  Being 


sect,  as  ils  enemies  are  "pleased  to  call  it,  is 
everywhere  spoken  against,  Acts  28:22. 

On  this  occasion,  the  apostle  brings  in 
Michael  the.  archangel,'  c.  r.  9. 

Interpreters  are  at  a  loss  what  is  here 


now, as  then;  and  can  the  beastly  pleasures  meant  by  the  boil y  of  Moses.  Some  think 
of  a  moment  make  amends  for  your  suffering  .  the  devil  contended  that  Moses  might  have  a 
the  vengeance  of  eternal  fire  ?  Stand  in  awe, 
therefore,  and  sin  not ,’  Ps.  4:  4. 

The  apostle  next  exhibits  a  charge  against 
deceivers,  who  were  now  seducing  the  disci¬ 
ples  of  Christ  from  the  profession  and  prac¬ 
tice  of  his  holy  religion 


piacss  for  life;  and  that  she  can  only  be  ruined  by  abusing  that  confi¬ 
dence,  proving  false  to  that  reliance,  and  using  the  Very  loveliest  trail  in 
her  character,  ns  the  instrument  of  her  own  undoing.  And  then  let  us  con¬ 
sider  the  misery  into  which  a  loss  of  virtue  must  plunge  the  victim  and 
ller  friends  for  ever;  the  worth  of  that  soul,  which,  unless  a  miracle  in¬ 
terpose,  must,  by  the  loss  of  virtue,  he  consigned  to  eternal  despair;  hiuI 
1  ask,  whether,  in  the  whole  catalogue  of  human  crime,  there  he  one 
whose  atrocity  more  justly  merits  the  deepest  damnation,  than  that, 
which,  for  the  momentary  gratification  of  a  lawless  appetite,  will  vio¬ 
late  all  these  obligations,  outrage  all  these  sympathies,  and  work  out 
so  wide-spreading,  so  interminable  a  ruin.’  Wayi.and. 

(3.)  ‘  No  difficulty  here  presents  iiself,  except  in  tnupniazomcnoi, 
[translated  filthy  dreamcis,]  and  this  the  best  expositors,  from  Beza  down 
to  ] lantern  and  Laurmann ,  are  justly  agreed,  that  the  term  must  lie  t«- 


ir.g,  claimed  superior  eminence,  as  the  favorites  ofheuven,  and  dared  to 
‘speak  evil  of  dignities,*  whom  God  had  commanded  them  to  honor  and 
oliov.  Thus  they  ?pokc  language  concerning  princes  and  rulers,  which 
Michael  scrupled  to  use  cni. corning  ihc  devil  himself:  and  surely  they 
would  not  maintain,  that  they  wore  more  privileged  Ilian  the  archan¬ 
gel  !  or  that  llieir  rulers  wore  more  execrable  than  ihal  great  enemy  <  1 
God  and  mail  !  To  suppose;  as  soaie  learned  men  have  done,  that  ‘  the 
body  of  Moses,’  means  the  Jewish  church  after  the  captivity:  became 
the  true  church  is  called  ;  the  body  of  Christ,'  and  to  refer  the  whole  to 
the  transact  ion  recorded  in  the  third  of  Zerliariah,  merely  because  ‘  the 
Lotus  rebuke  thee,  Satan,’  occurs  there,  may  l.e  ingenious  ;  but  it  is  in¬ 
genious  trifling,  which  brings  no  instruction  nor  satisfaction  to  the 
mind.  Ztch.  5:1 — ! — ‘  Michael,  one  of  the  principal  angels,  was  con¬ 
tented  to  deliver  up  the  devil,  however  execrable,  lo  lie  coerced  by  the 

ind  insignificant  men,  were  not 


well  known  among  the  Jews;  and  by  thus  adducing  it,  he  has  given  an 
attestation  to  its  truth.  Deaf.  34:6.  Dan.  10:10—14,20,21.  12:1.  In 
Daniel,  Michael  has  been  supposed  to  be  the  Soil  of  God  Himself,  ns  the 
great  Ruler  over  all  angels,  and  worshipped  bv  them  all.  Yet  xve  do 
not  seem  authorized  to  interpret  this  text  of  the  Son  of  God,  as  spoken 
of  in  the  tradition  by  the  name  of  Michael  ;  but  rather  of  some  created 
angel,  invested  xvith  great  authority  over  his  fellows,  perhaps  as  Mes¬ 
siah’s  peculiar  vicegerent.  1  Thes.  4-.I3 — 18.  Though  the  hateful 
character  and  atrocious  conduct  of  the  devil  must  have  excited  the  ho¬ 
ly  abhorrence  ami  indignation  of  the  archangel ;  he  yet  dared  not  to  ut¬ 
ter  any  reviling  expression  :  not  from  fear  of  the  devil  ;  but  because, 
even  in  those  circumstances,  it  would  not  have  been  consistent  with  l lie 
perfection  of  his  character.  Yet  the  heretics,  of  whom  Jude  was  speak- 


controversies  about  religion,  ashamed  and  afraid  of  this  manner  of  dis¬ 
puting.’  Abp.  T  Mot  son .  Scott. 

(9.)  ‘The  connexion  may  be  thus  traced  :  “The Gnostics  imitate  the 
fallen  angels  in  their  rebellious  speeches  and  conduct  ;  but  the  arc,[~ 
angel  will  afibid  them  a  better  example,  who,  even  under  tha  greatest 
provocation,  refused  to  pronounce  a  harsh  sentence  <>l  condemnation 
against  a  fallen  spirit.’1’  Btoomf.—'  If  the  angel  did  not  rail  even  against 
the  devil,  how  much  less  ought  xve  against  men  in  aiuhonty,  even  sup¬ 
posing  them  in  some  things  lo  behave  amiss.’  Doddr.  An  to  is  a  g 
only  ‘an  instructive  fable,’  (as  supposed  by  recent  commentator s, )  11/ . 
adds, — ‘  besides,  it  is  difficult  to  believe  that  an  inspired  apostle  would 
thus  enforce  his  doctrine, — that  it  is  evidently  mentiontd,  n  .  > 

but  as  a  factf  [C59J 


A.  D.  70. 


JUDE. 


Enoch  prophesied  llie  coming  of  the  Lord. 


what  they  know  naturally,  as  brute 
beasts,  in  those  things  they  corrupt 
themselves. 

11  Wo  unto  them!  for  they  have 
gone  in  the  way  of  w  Cain,  and  ran 
greedily  after  the  error  of  Balaam 
1  for  reward,  and  perished  in  the 
gainsaying  of  *  Core. 

12  These  are  spots  zin  your  feasts 
of  charity,  when  they  feast  with 
you,  feeding  1  themselves  without 
fear  :  b  clouds  they  are  without  wa¬ 
ter,  carried  c  about  of  winds  ;  trees 
whose  fruit  d  vvithereth,  without 
fruit,  twice  e  dead,  plucked  f  up  by 
the  roots  ; 

13  Raging  waves  s  of  the  sea, 
foaming  out  theil*  own  shame  ;  wan¬ 
dering  11  stars,  to  whom  is  reserved 
the  blackness  of  darkness  for  ever. 

14  And  Enoch  also,  the  seventh 
from  Adam,  prophesied  of  these, 
saying,  Behold,  the  'Lord  cometh 
with  ten  thousand  of  his  saints, 


w  Ge  4:5. 
a  Nu.  **2:7,21. 
y  Nu.  16:1,  &c. 
7.  2  Pe.  2: 13. 
a  Phi.  3:19. 


b  Pr.  25:14. 
c  Ep.4:l4. 
d  Jn.  15:4—6. 
e  He.  6:4—6. 


f  Mat.  15:13. 
g  Is.  57:20. 
h  Re.  8:10,11. 
i  Zee.  14:5. 


is,  in  tilings  that  lie  most  open  and  obvious 
to  natural  reason  and  conscience  ;  even  in 
those  things  they  corrupt,  debase,  and  defile 
themselves  :  the  fault,  whatever  it  is,  lies 
not  in  their  understandings  or  apprehen¬ 
sions,  but  in  their  depraved  wills,  and  dis¬ 
ordered  appetites  and  affections.  It  is  hard, 
if  not  impossible,  to  find  any  obstinate  ene¬ 
mies  to  the  Christian  religion,  who  do  not, 
in  their  stated  course,  live  in  open  or  secret 
contradiction  to  the  very  principles  of  nat¬ 
ural  religion.  The  apostle  likens  such  to 
brute  beasts,  though  they  often  think  and 
boast  themselves,  if  not  the  wisest,  yet  at 
least  the  wittiest,  part  of  mankind. 

V.  11.  He  represents  them  as  followers 
of  Cain,  and  in  v.  12,  13.  as  atheistical  and 
profane,  as  greedy  and  covetous,  who,  so 
they  could  but  gain  present  worldly  advan¬ 
tages,  cared  not  what  came  next  ;  rebe^  to 
God  and  man,  who  like  Core,  ran  into  at¬ 
tempts  in  which  they  must  assuredly  perish, 
as  lie  did. 

V.  12.  These  are  spots  in  your  feasts  of 
charity,  or  love-feasts,  so  much  spoken  of  by 
the  ancients  ;  these  happened,  by  whatever 
means  or  mischance,  to  be  admitted  among 
them,  but  were  spots  in  them,  defiled  and 
defiling.  These  are  spots.  Yet  how  com¬ 


mon  in  all  Christian  societies  here  on  earth, 
the  very  best  not  excepted,  are  such  blem¬ 
ishes  !  The  more  is  the  pity  1  The  Lord 
remedy  it  in  his  due  time  and  way. 

When  they  feast  with  you,  they  feed  them¬ 
selves  without  fear.  Arrant  gluttons,  no  doubt, 
they  were  ;  they  had  no  regard  to  Solo¬ 
mon’s  caution,  Prov.  23:  2.  Iri  common 
eating  and  drinking,  a  holy  fear  is  necessa¬ 
ry,  much  more  in  feasting  ;  though  we  may 
sometimes  be  more  easily  and  insensibly 
overcome  at  a  common  meal  than  at  a  (east. 

Clouds  they  are  without  water  ;  which 
promise  rain  in  time  of  drought,  but  perform 
nothing  of  what  they  promise. 

Carried  about  of  winds  ;  light  and  empty, 
easily  driven  about  this  way  or  that,  as  the 
wind  happens  to  sit  ;  such  are  empty,  un¬ 
grounded  professors,  an  easy  prey  to  every 
seducer. 

Trees  whose  fruit  withereth,  &c.  Trees 
they  are,  for  they  are  planted  in  the  Lord’s 
vineyard,  yet  fruitless  ones. 

Observe,  They,  whose  fruit,  withereth,  may 
be  justly  said  to  be  without  fruit.  It  is  a  sad 
thing  when  men  seem  to  begin  in  the  Spirit, 
and  end  in  the  flesh;  which  is  almost  as  com¬ 
mon  a  case  as  it  is  an  awful  one. 

The  text  speaks  of  such,  as  being  twice 
dead.  What  is  the  meaning  1  They  had 
been  once  dead  in  their  natural,  fallen,  laps¬ 
ed  state  ;  but  they  seemed  to  recover,  and, 
as  a  man  in  a  swoon,  to  be  brought  to  life 
again,  when  they  took  upon  them  the  pro¬ 
fession  of  the  Christian  religion  ;  but  now 
they  are  dead  again  by  the  evident  proofs 
they  have  given  of  their  hypocrisy  ;  what¬ 
ever  they  seemed,  they  had  nothing  truly 
vital  in  them. 

Plucked  up  by  the  roots  ;  as  we  commonly 
serve  dead  trees,  from  which  we  expect  no 
more  fruit  ;  they  are  dead, dead, dead  ;  why  ' 
cumber  they  the  ground  ?  Away  with  them 
to  the  fire. 

V.  13.  Paging  waves  of  the.  sea  ;  boister¬ 
ous,  noisy,  and  clamorous  ;  full  of  talk  and 
turbulency,  but  with  little  if  any  sense  or 
meaning. 

Foaming  out  their  own  shame  ;  creating 
much  uneasiness  to  men  of  better  sense  and 
calmer  tempers,  which  yet  will,  in  the  end, 
turn  to  their  own  greater  shame  and  just 
reproach. 

Raging  waves  are  a  terror  to  sailing  pas¬ 
sengers  ;  but  when  they  are  got  to  port,  the 
waves  are  forgotten,  as  if  no  longer  in  be¬ 
ing  ;  their  noise  and  terror  are  for  ever 
ended. 

Wandering  stars.  This  allusion  carries 
in  it  a  lively  emblem  of  false  teachers,  who 
are  sometimes  here  and  sometimes  there,  so 


that  one  knows  not  where  nor  how  to  fix 
them. 

To  whom  is  reserved  the  blackness  of  dark¬ 
ness  for  ever.  False  teachers  are  to  expect 
the  worst  of  punishments  in  this  and  a  future 
world  :  not  every  one  who  teaches  by  mis¬ 
take  anything  that  is  not  exactly  true  ;  but 
every  one  who  prevaricates,  dissembles, 
would  lead  others  into  by-paths,  to  make  a 
gain,  prey,  or  merchandise  of  them,  2  Pet. 
2:  3.  As  for  the  blackness  of  darkness  for 
ever,  I  shall  only  say,  that  this  terrible  ex¬ 
pression,  with  all  the  horror  it  imports,  be¬ 
longs  to  false  teachers,  truly,  not  slanderous¬ 
ly  so  called,  who  corrupt  the  Word  of  God, 
and  betray  the  souls  of  men.  If  this  will  not 
make  both  ministers  and  people  cautious,  1 
know  not  what  will. 

The  doom  of  this  wicked  people  is  de¬ 
clared. 

V.  14 — 16.  This  prophecy  of  Enoch  w  e 
have  no  mention  of  in  any  other  place  of 
Scripture  ;  yet  one  plain  text  of  Scripture 
is  proof  enough  of  any  one  point  we  tire  re¬ 
quired  to  believe,  especially  when  relating 
to  a  matter  of  fact  ;  though,  in  matters  of 
faith,  there  is  no  fundamental  of  Christian 
religion,  truly  so  called,  which  is  not  incul¬ 
cated  over  and  over  in  the  New  Test.,  by 
which  we  may  know  what  the  Holy  Ghost 
does,  and  consequently  we  ought  to  lay  the 
greatest  stress  upon.  Some  say,  this  proph¬ 
ecy  was  preserved  by  tradition  in  the  Jew¬ 
ish  church  ;  others,  that  Jude  was  immedi¬ 
ately  inspired  with  it  :  be  that  how  it  will, 
it  is  certain  there  was  such  a  prophecy  of 
ancient  date,  and  universally  received  in  the 
Old  Test,  church  ;  and  it  is  a  main  point 
of  our  New  Test,  creed. 

Observe,  Christ’s  coming  to  judgment  w  as 
prophesied  of  as  early  as  the  middle  of  the 
patriarchal  age,  and  was  therefore  even  then 
a  received  and  acknowledged  "truth. 

The  Lord  cometh  with  his  holy  myriads  ; 
including  both  angels,  and  the  spirits  of  just 
men  made  perfect.  What  a  glorious  time 
will  that  he,  when  Christ  shall  come  with 
ten  thousand  of  these!  and  we  are  told  for 
what  great  and  awful  ends  and  purposes  He 
will  come  so  accompanied  and  attended, 
namely,  to  execute  judgment  upon  all. 

Observe,  It  was  spoken  of  then,  so  long 
ago,  as  a  thing  just  at  hand  ;  ‘  Behold  the 
Lord  cometh.'  He  cometh,  1.  To  execute 
judgment  on  the  wicked.  2.  To  convince. 
them. 

Observe,  Christ  will  condemn  none  with¬ 
out,  trial,  and  conviction  ;  such  conviction 
as  shall  at  least  silence  even  themselves  ; 
then  every  mouth  shall  be.  stopped,  the  Judge 
and  his  sentence  shall  be  approved  ;  even 


(10.)  Hut  what  they  know  naturally,  as  brute  beasts ,  in  those  tilings 
they  corrupt  themselves.]  ‘Goto  the  people  of  another  planet,  over 
"whom  the  hold  of  allegiance  tn  their  Maker  is  unbroken, — in  whose 
hearts  the  Supreme  sits  enthroned,  and  throughout  the  whole  of  whose 
history  there  runs  the  perpetual  and  the  unfailing  hahit  of  subordination 
to  his  law.  It  is  conceivable,  that  with  them,  too,  there  may  be  varieties 
of  temper  and  of  natural  inclination,  and  yet  all  of  them  be  under  the 
efi’ective  control  of  onegreat  and  imperious  principle;  that,  in  subjection 
to  the  will  of  God,  every  kind  and  every  honorable  disposition  is  cher¬ 
ished  to  the  uttermost;  and  that,  in  subjection  to  the  same  will,  every 
tendency  to  anger,  [selfishness,]  malignity,  revenge,  [&c.]  is  repressed 
at  the  present  moment  of  its  threatened  operation ;  and  that,  in  this  way, 
there  will  be  the  fostering  of  a  constant  encouragement  given  to  the  one 
set  of  instincts,  and  the  struggling  of  a  constant  opposition  made  against 
the  other.  Now,  only  conceive  this  great  bond  of  allegiance  to  he 
dissolved  ;  the  mighty  and  subordinating  principle,  which  went  to  wield 
an  ascendency  over  every  movement  and  every  affection,  to  be  loosened 
and  done  away  ;  and  then  would  this  loyal,  obedient  world,  become 
what  ours  is, — independent  of  Christianity.  Every  constitutional  de¬ 
sire  would  run  out,  in  f/ie  unchecked  spontaneity  of  its  own  movements. 
The  law  of  heaven  would  furnish  no  counteraction  to  the  impulses  and 
the  tendencies  of  nature.  And  tell  us,  in  these  circumstances,  when  the 
restraint  of  religion  was  thus  lilted  off.  and  all  the  passions  let  out  to 
take  their  own  tumultuous  and  independent  career, — tell  us,  if,  though 
amid  the  uproar  of  the  licentious  and  vindictive  propensities,  there  did 
gleam  forth  at  times,  some  of  the  finer  and  lovelier  sympathies  of  na¬ 
ture, — tell  us,  if  this  would  at  all  affect  the  state  of  that  world,  as  a  state 
of  enmity  against  God-,  where  his  will  was  reduced  to  an  element  of  niter 
insignificancy  ;  where  the  voice  of  their  rightful  Master,  fell  powerless 
on  the  consciences  of  a  listless  and  alienated  family  ;  where  humor  and 
interest,  and  propensity,  at  one  time  selfish  and  at  another  social,  took 
their  alternate  sway  over  those  hearts,  from  which  there  was  excluded 
all  effectual  sense  of  an  overruling  God.  ..  The  wav,  then,  to  assert  the 


depravity  of  man,  is,  to  fasten  on  the  radical  element  of  depravity,  and 
to  show  how  deeply  it  lies  incorporated  with  his  moral  constitution  It 
is  not  by  an  utterance  of  rash  and  sweeping  totality,  to  refuse  him  the 
possession  of  what  is  kind  in  sympathy,  or  of  what  is  dignified  in  prin¬ 
ciple, — for  this  were  in  the  face  of  all  observation.  It  is  to  charge  him 
direct  with  his  utter  disloyalty  to  God.  It  in  to  convict  him  of  treason, 
against  the  majesty  of  heaven.  It  is  to  press  home  upon  him  t he  im¬ 
piety  of  not  caring  ahoul  God.  It  is  to  tell  him,  that  the  hourly  and 
habitual"  language  of  his  heart  is,  I  will  not  have  the  lieing  who  made 
mo,  to  rule  over- me.’  The  Mercantile  Virtues  without  Christianity. 
Disc.  1.  vol.  2.  Chalmers. 

V.  11 — 13.  The  word  rendered  spots,  primarily  means,  the  tops  of 
the  rocks,  appearing  above  the  water,  which  give  the  sea  the  appear¬ 
ance  of  being  spotted ,  and  on  which  ships  are  wrecked.  Thus  the  dis¬ 
graceful  appearance  of  these  heretics,  and  the  danger  arising  from  them, 
may  be  at  once  exhibited. — The  word  rendered  ‘wandering  stars,’  sig¬ 
nifies  planets ;  but  it  may  be  questioned,  whether  the  apostle  used  it  in 
the  strict  astronomical  sense;  or  not,  rather,  according  to  the  popular 
meaning  of  it,  which  best  suited  his  purpose. — The  horrible  enormi¬ 
ties,  ascribed  to  the  heretics  who  are  supposed  to  he  here  intended,  are 
almost  incredible;  hut,  if  true,  it  is  by  no  means  proper  to  speak  of 
them  in  the  detail.  Scott. 

(12.)  Feasts  of  charily.]  ‘  Agapw,  those  sacred  meals  which  at  first, 
among  the  primitive  Christians,  preceded  the  Eucharist,  and  afterwards 
succeeded  it,  and  to  which  all,  especially  the  richer,  furnished  their  con¬ 
tributions.’ — 7'wice  dead.]  ‘This  is  explained  by  the  best  commenta¬ 
tors,  douhlv,  i.  e.  altogether  dead.’  Bloome. 

V.  14.  On  tlie  question,  whether  Jude  quotes  here  from  the  book 
called  Enoch's  Prophecy ,  commentators  differ.  Hloomf.  thinks,  lie  did, 
but  Horne  and  Doddr.  think  he  did  not, — though  the  hitter  says,  ‘  a  pre¬ 
cious  fragment  of  antediluvian  history  is  here  preserved  to  us,  as  it  seems 
by  the  special  providence  of  God,  who  taught  Jude  to  distinguish,  be¬ 
tween  what  was  genuine,  and  [what  was]  spurious  in  the  tradition.’ — 


A.  D.  70. 


JUDE. 


Exhortation,  in  view  of  God’s  judgments. 


15  To  execute  judgment  upon 
J  all;  and  to  convince  all  that  are 
ungodly  among  them  of  all  their  un¬ 
godly  deeds  which  they  have  ungod¬ 
ly  committed,  and  of  all  their  hard 
speeches  k  which  ungodly  sinners 
have  spoken  against  him. 

1G  These  are  murmurers,  com- 
pl ainnrs,  walking  after  their  own 
lusts;  and  their  mouth  speaketh 
great  swelling  words,  having  men’s 
persons  in  admiration  because  of 
advantage. 

17  But,  beloved,  remember  ye 
the  words  which  were  spoken  be¬ 
fore  of  the  apostles  of  our  Lord 
Jesus  Christ; 

13  How  that  they  told  you  1  there 
should  be  mockers  in  the  last  time, 
who  should  walk  after  their  own 
ungodly  lusts. 

19  These  be  they  who  separate 
m  themselves,  sensual,  having  ^not 
the  Spirit. 

20  But  ye,  beloved,  building  nup 
yourselves  on  your  most  holy  faith, 
0  praying  in  the  Holy  Ghost, 

21  Keep  p  yourselves  in  the  love 
of  God,  looking  t  for  the  mercy  of 
our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  unto  eternal 
life. 

1  Re.  f0:!3.  m  He.  10:25.  p  In.  15:9,10. 

k  Ps.73;9.  n  Col.  2:7.  q  Tit.  2:13. 

1  1  Ti.  4:1.  o  Ep.  6:18. 


tlie  guilty  shall  be  speechless,  though  at 
present  they  want  not  bold  and  specious 
pleas,  which  they  vent  with  all  assurance 
and  confidence. 

Observe,  How  often,  here,  v.  15.  and  how 
emphatically,  the  word  ungodly  is  repeated; 
lio  less  than  four  times  !  Godly  or  ungodly 


signifies  little  with  men  now-a-days,  unless 
to  scoff  :it  and  deride  even  the  very  expres¬ 
sions  ;  but  it  is  not  so  in  the  language  of 
the  Holy  Ghost. 

Observe,  Omissions  as  well  as  commis¬ 
sions,  must  be  accounted  for  in  the  day  of 
judgment. 

Observe,  further,  I Turd  speeches  of  one  an¬ 
other,  especially  if  ill-grounded,  will  most 
certainly  come  into  account  at  the  judgment 
of  the  great  day.  Let  us  all  take  care  in 
time.  ‘  If  thou,’  says  one  of  our  good  old 
puritans,  ‘  smite  (a  miscalled  heretic,  or) 
a  schismatic,  and  God  find  a  real  saint 
bleeding,  look  thou  to  it,  how  thou  wilt  an¬ 
swer  it.’  It  may  he  too  late  to  say  before  the 
angel,  that  it  was  an  error,  F.ccl.  5:  6.  I 
only  lici'e  allude  to  that  expression  of  the 
divinely  inspired  writer. 

In  v.  16.  the  apostle  enlarges  further  on 
the  character  of  these  evil  men  and  seducers; 
they  are  murmurers,  complainers,  &c. 

Observe,  A  murmuring, complaining  tem¬ 
per,  indulged  and  expressed,  iays  men  un¬ 
der  a  very  ill  character;  such  are  very  weak 
at  least,  and,  for  the  most  part,  very  wicked. 
Such  walk  after  their  own  lasts,  their  will, 
their  appetite,  their  fancy;  they  who  please 
their  sinful  appetites,  are  most  prone  to 
yield  to  their  ungovernable  passions. 

Lastly,  The  apostle  here  gives  exhorta¬ 
tion  to  those  to  whom  he  wrote,  which,  with 
thedoxologv  in  the  last  two  verses,  concludes 
the  epistle. 

V.  17 — 25.  V.  17.  But,  beloved,  remem¬ 
ber,  &c.  ‘  Remember,  take  heed,  that  ye 

think  it  not  strange, that  such  people  as  the 
seducers  before  described  and  warned  against 
should  arise  in  the  Christian  Church,  seeing 
all  this  was  foretold  by  the  apostles  of  our 
Lord  Jesus  Christ. 

1.  They  who  would  persuade,  must  make 
it  evident  that  they  sincerely  love  those 
whom  they  would  persuade. 

2.  The  words  of  inspired  persons,  duly 
remembered  and  reflected  on,  are  the  best 
preservative  against  dangerous  errors  ;  this  1 


will  always  be  so,  till  men  have  learnt  to 
speak  better  than  God  Himself. 

3.  We  ought  not  to  be  stumbled,  if  errors 
and  persecutions  prevail  in  the  Christian 
church  ;  this  was  foretold,  therefore  we 
should  not  think  worse  of  Christ’s  Person, 
doctrine,  or  cross,  when  we  see  it  fulfilled. 
See  1  Tim.  4:1.  and  2  Tim.  3:1.  and 
2  Pet.  3:  3.  We  must  not  think  it  strange, 
but  comfort  ourselves  with  this,  that  Christ 
will  make  good  his  promise  to  his  church, 
that  the  gates  of  hell  shall  not  prevail  against 
it,  Mat.  16:  18. 

4.  The  more  religion  is  ridiculed  and  per¬ 
secuted,  the  faster  hold  we  should  take  and 
keep  of  it  ;  being  forewarned,  we  should 
show  that  we  are  forearmed  ;  under  such 
trials  we  should  stand  firm,  and  not  be  soon 
shaken  in  mind,  2  Thess.  2:  2. 

V.  19.  These  are  they  who  separate,  Ike. 
Observe,  1.  Sensualists  are  the  worst  sepa¬ 
ratists  ;  they  separate  themselves  from  God, 
and  Christ,  and  his  church,  to  the  devil,  the 
world,  and  the  flesh,  by  their  ungodly 
courses  and  vicious  practices.  2.  Sensual 
men  have  not  the  Spirit,  that  is,  of  God  and 
Christ,  the  Spirit  of  holiness,  which,  who¬ 
ever  has  not,  is  none  of  Christ’s,  does  not  be¬ 
long  to  Him,  Rom.  8:  9. 

V.  20.  Building  up,  &c.  Observe,  Hav¬ 
ing  laid  our  foundation  well  in  a  sound  faith, 
we  must  make  further  progress  continually; 
and  we  should  take  care  with  what  materi¬ 
als  we  carry  on  our  building,  1  Cor.  3:  12. 
Praying  in  the  Holy  Ghost.  Observe, 

1.  Prayer  is  the  nurse  of  faith  ;  the 
way  to  build  up  ourselves  in  our  most  holy 
faith,  is,  to  continue  instant  in  prayer,  Rom. 
12:  12. 

2.  Our  prayers  are  then  most  likely  to 
prevail,  when  we  pray  in  the  Holy  Ghost, 
under  his  guidance  and  influence,  according 
to  the  rule  of  his  Word,  with  faith,  ferven¬ 
cy,  and  constant,  persevering  importunity  ; 
this  is  praying  in  the  Holy  Ghost. 

V.  21.  Keep  yourselves,  &c.  ‘Keep  up 
the  grace  of  love  to  God  in  its  lively,  vigor- 


This  apocryphal  hook  of  Enoch,  often  quoted  by  the  fathers,  but  sup¬ 
posed  to  be  lost,  was  discovered,  a  few  years  since,  in  an  /Ethiopic  Ver¬ 
sion,  and  edited,  with  a  translation,  by  Abp.  Laurence,  Oxford,  1821, 
who  refers  the  composition  to  the  time  of  Herod  the  Great.  Ed. 

V.  14,  15.  ‘It  is  observable,  that  Jhtoch,  the  first  of  all  the  prophets, 
prophesied  of  the  last  event  that  is  the  subject  of  prophecy.  “The 
Lord  cometli,’’  &c.’  Edwards.  Id. 

V.  15.  ‘  Carry  back  your  thoughts,  fellow  sinner,  to  the  earliest  pe¬ 

riod  "upon  which  your  memory  can  fasten  :  let  n  solemn  hour  of  medi¬ 
tation  he  occupied  with  the  umiumhered  mercies  which  you  have 
received,  at  the  hand  of  Providence;  let  another  hour  be  devoted  to  a 
recall  of  those  dangers,  from  which  you  have  been  rescued  ;  let  another 
be  occupied  in  recounting  the  calls  of  God’s  Word,  which  have  sounded 
in  your  ears, — the  opportunities  of  grace  and  salvation,  which  you  have 
enjoyed  and  abused;  let  all  the  warnings,  promises,  and  threatenings  of 
Jehovah,  which  you  have  slighted,  come  up  together,  in  remembrance  ; 
and  not  even  the  deceitfulness,  and  the  desperate  depravity  of  the  heart, 
can  hide  from  you  the  solemn  truth, — “Thou  hast  destroyed  thyself.”  ’ 

Rev.  G.  T.  Bedell. 

V.  16.  Having  men's  persons  in  admiration.]  Deut.  10:17.  2 Kings 
5:1.  2  Chr.  19:7.  Sept. — It  is  the  general  term  in  the  Sept,  for  ‘respect¬ 
ing  the  persons  of  men.’  Scott. 

V*.  17 — 19.  2  Pet.  3:1 — 4.  These  warnings  and  predictions  related 
to  those  persons,  who,  at  that  time,  separated  from  the  apostolical 
churches,  to  form  heretical  sects  :  being  ‘  sensual,’  or  natural,  unregen- 
cri :  men,  who,  ‘  not  having  the  Spirit’  of  Cod  dwelling  in  them,  as 
tin:  Author  atui  Preserver  of  divine  iife  and  holy  affections,  were  entirely 
actuated  by  pride,  ambition,  avarice,  malignant  and  licentious  inclina¬ 
tions.  I  19)  Separate  themselves.]  Luke.  22:22.  Acts  2;23.  10:42.  11:29. 
17:26,31.  Rom.  1:4.  Uel>.  4:7.  ‘Singling  and  separating  themselves 
from  the  church,  and  consequently  making  sects  to  themselves.’  Leigh. 
Sensual.]  A  careful  examination  of  the  places,  in  which  the  Or.  word 
1  suchikos  occurs,  1  Cor.  2:14.  15:44,  46.  Jam.  3.15.  will  confirm  the 
conclusion,  that  it  signifies  natural ,  i.  e.  unregenerate  ;  without  deter¬ 
mining  into  what  channel  natural  depravity  was  .diverted  bv  special 
circumstances.  1  Cor.  2:14 — 16.  Jam.  3:13 — 16.  It  is  absurd  to  sup¬ 
pose,  that  the  apostle  would  class  with  these  abominable  heretics,  all 
those  professed  Christians  who  had  not  the  miraculous  gifts  of  the  Holy 
Spirit :  and  if  that  interpretation  he  set  aside,  as  inadmissible,  ‘  not  hav¬ 
ing  the  Spirit’  most  mean  being  unregenerate.,  not  having  the  Holy 
Spirit  as  a  Sanctifier.  Rom.  8:5 — 11. — It  should  be  observed,  that  Jude, 
as  well  as  Peter  and  John,  appeals  to  the  ‘  word  of  the  apostles,’  ns  the 
standard  according  to  which  all  ought  to  be  regulated:  but  this  word 
of  the  apostles,  can  be  found  in  their  writings  only.  Scott. 

(18,  20,  21.)  ‘To  an  attentive  observer  of  the  signs  of  the  times,  it 
will  appear  one  of  the  most  extraordinary  phenomena  of  this  eventful 
crisis,  that,  amid  the  ravages  of  atheism  and  infidelity,  real  religion  is 
evidently  on  the  increase.  The  kingdom  of  God ,  we  know,  cometh 
not  with  observation ;  but  still  there  are  not  wanting  manifest  tokens 
of  Us  approach.  The  personal  appearance  of  the  Soil  of  God  was  an¬ 


nounced  by  the  shaking  of  nations;  his  spiritual  kingdom,  in  all  proba¬ 
bility,  will  be  established  in  the  midst  of  similar  convulsions  and  disor¬ 
ders.  The  blasphemous  impiety  of  the  enemies  of  God,  as  well  as  the 
zealous  efforts  of  his  sincere  worshippers,  will  doubtless  be  overruled  to 
accomplish  the  purposes  of  his  unerring  providence.  While,  in  inflicting 
the  chastisements  of  offended  Deity  on  corrupt  communities  and  na¬ 
tions,  infidelity  marks  its  progress  by  devastation  and  ruin,  by  the  pros¬ 
tration  of  thrones  and  concussions  of  kingdoms  ;  thus  appalling  the  in¬ 
habitants  of  the  world,  and  compelling  them  to  take  refuge  in  the 
church  of  God,  tlte  true  sanctuary  ;  the  stream  of  divine  knowledge,  un¬ 
observed,  is  flowing  in  new  channels,  winding  its  course  among  humble 
valleys,  refreshing  thirsty  deserts,  and  enriching,  with  far  other  and 
higher  blessings  than  those  of  commerce,  the  most  distant  climes  and 
nations,  until,  agreeably  to  the  prediction  of  prophecy,  the  knowledge 
of  the  Lord  shall  fill  and  cover  the  whole  earth.'  Rev.  Ron.  Hall. 

(19.)  ffho  separate  themselves.]  ‘God  will  not  walk  with  any  man 
who  is  so  unlike  Him  as  the  retired  monk;  who,  with  all  his  prayers, 
will  not  give  a  cent,  or  put  forth  his  hand,  to  save  a  world  from  death.’ 

Dr.  Griffin. 

V.  20,  21.  The  doctrine  of  faith  is  ‘most  holy’  in  its  nature  and 
tendency  ;  leading  men  to  repent,  and  hate  all  sin,  to  love  and  obey 
God,  and  to  lead  a  sober,  righteous,  and  godly  life;  by  which  it  may  he 
distinguished  from  all  false  doctrines.  The  grace  of  faith  ‘  is  most  holy,’ 
as  it  ‘  worketh  by  love,’  ‘purifleth  the  heart,’  and  ‘  overcometh  the 
world,’  by  which  it  is  distinguishable  from  a  false  and  dead  faith.  Ad¬ 
hering,  therefore,  to  the  holy  doctrine  of  the  Gospel,  by  a  living,  obedient 
faith,  Christians  ought  continually  to  he  seeking  an  increase  in  knowl¬ 
edge  of  the  truths  of  God,  and  in  the  experience  of  the  power  of  them  on 
their  hearts,  that  they  may  be  more  and  more  established,  in  a  realizing 
and  efficacious  belief  of  them,  and  in  all  those  holy  dispositions,  and 
that  obedient  practice,  which  depend  on  it,  as  the  superstructure  rests 
upon  the  foundation.  1  Cor.  3:10 — 15.  Eph.  2:19 — 22.  Note,  Gal.  5:1 
— 6. — Certuinly.  ‘praying  in  the  Holy  Ghost,’  does  not  mean  extempo¬ 
raneous  prayer,  as  distinguished  from  a  liturgy  ;  for  both  those  who 
pray  without  a  form,  and  those  who  read  words  previously  put  together, 
often  come  short  of  ‘  praying  by  the  Holy  Spirit.’  But  how  is  the  whole 
of  this  most  beautiful  passage  enervated,  by  explaining  the  words  in 
question,  of  inspiration,  or  miraculous  gifts  !  Whether  with  a  written 
form,  or  without,  no  man  can  pray  spiritually,  except  by  the  teaching 
and  assistance  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  exciting,  in  the  mind  and  heart,  holy 
desires,  affections,  and  expectations;  and  this  is  wholly  independent  of 
miracles,  and  of  inspiration,  properly  so  called.  All  Christians  are  com¬ 
manded  to  pray  in,  or  ‘  by,  the  Holy  Spirit ;’  but,  for  at  least  fifteen  hun¬ 
dred  years,  no  Christians  have  had  the  Spirit  of  miracles  and  inspira¬ 
tion.  Have  none,  then,  during  this  period,  prayed  according  to  the 
exhortation  of  the  apostles  and  prophets  ?  John  4:21 — 24.  Scott. 

(20.)  ‘  No  wonder  God  hears  prayer,  when  it  is  the  Holy  Ghost  that 

prays.  What  an  awful  place  is  the  Christian’s  closet.  The  whole 
Trinity  are  about  it  every  time  he  kneels.  There  is  the  Spirit  praying 
to  the  Father,  through  the  Son.’  Griffin. 

[661] 


-» 


A.  D.  70. 


JUDE. 


Exhortation  and  doxology. 


22  And  of  some  have  compassion, 
making  a  difference  : 

23  And  others  save  with  fear, 
r  pulling  them  out  of  the  fire  ;  hating 
even  the  garment  ’spotted  by  the 
flesh. 

24  Now  1  unto  him  that  is  able  to 
keep  "you  from  falling,  and  to  v 
present  you  faultless  before  the 
presence  of  his  glory  with  exceed¬ 
ing  joy, 

25  To  w  the  only  wise  God  our 
Savior,  be  glory  and  majesty,  do¬ 
minion  and  power,  both  now  and 
ever.  Amen. 

r  Zee.  3:2— 5.  t  Ro.  16:55— 27.  v  Col.  1:22. 
e  Re.  3:4,18.  u  2  Ti.  4:18.  w  1  Ti.  1:17. 


ous  actings  and  exercises  in  your  souls.’ 
Looking  for  the  mercy,  &c.  Eternal  life  is 
to  be  looked  for  only  through  mercy  ;  not 
only  through  the  mercy  of  God  as  our  Crea¬ 
tor,  but  through  the  mercy  of  our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ,  as  Redeemer;  all  who  come  to  heav¬ 
en,  must  come  thither  through  our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ,  Acts  4:  12.  compared  with  v.  10. 
A  believing  expectation  of  eternal  life  will 
arm  us  against  the  snares  of  sin,  2  Pel.  3: 
14.  a  lively  faith  of  the  blessed  hope  will  help 
us  to  mortify  our  lusts. 

V.  22,  23.  And  of  some  have  compassion, 
See.  Observe,  here,  We  ought  to  do  all  we 
can  to  rescue  others  out  of  the  snare  of  the 
devil,  that  they  may  be  saved  from  danger¬ 
ous  errors,  or  pernicious  practices.  We  are 
not  only,  under  God,  our  own  keepers  ;  but 
every  man  ought  to  be,  as  much  as  in  him 
lies,  his  brother's  keeper  ;  none  but  a  wicked 
Cain  will  contradict  this,  Gen.  4:9. 


This  must  be  done  with  compassion,  mak¬ 
ing  a  difference.  How  is  that  1  We  must  dis¬ 
tinguish  between  the  weak  and  the  wilful. 

j.  Of  some,  we  must  have  compassion  ; 
treat  them  with  all  tenderness,  restore  them 
in  the  spirit  of  meekness  ;  if  God  has  forgiv¬ 
en  them,  why  should  not  we  1  We  infinite¬ 
ly  more  need  his  forgiveness  than  they  do, 
or  can  do,  ours  ;  though  perhaps  neither 
they  nor  we  are  justly  or  sufficiently  sensible 
of  this. 

2.  Others  save  with  fear  ;  urging  on  them 
the  terrors  of  the  Lord;  ‘  Endeavor  to  fright¬ 
en  them  out  of  their  sins  ;  preach  hell  and 
damnation  to  them.' 

But  what  if  prudence  and  caution  in  ad¬ 
ministering  even  the  most  just  and  severe 
reproofs,  be  what  are  primarily  and  chiefly 
here  intimated  ;  (I  do  but  offer  it  for  con¬ 
sideration  ;)  as  if  he  had  said,  ‘Fear,  lest 
you  frustrate  your  own  good  intentions  and 
honest  designs  by  rash  and  imprudent  man¬ 
agement;  that  you  do  not  harden,  instead  of 
reclaiming,  even  where  greater  degrees  of 
severity  are  requisite,  than  in  the  immedi¬ 
ately  foregoing  instance.’ 

Hating  even  the  garment,  &c.  I  hat  is, 
keeping  yourselves  at  the  utmost  distance 
from  what  is  or  appears  evil,  and  designing 
and  endeavoring  that  others  may  do  so  too  ; 
avoid  all  that  leads  to  sin,  or  that  looks  like 
sin,  1  Thess.  5:  22. 

Lastly,  The  apostle  concludes  this  epistle 
with  solemn  ascription  of  glory  to  the  great 
God.  Note,  Whatever  is  the  subject  or  ar¬ 
gument  we  have  been  treating  of,  ascribing 
glory  to  God  is  fittest  for  us  to  conclude 
with,  v.  24,  25. 

Note,  further,  God  is  able,  and  as  willing 
as  able,  to  keep  us  from  falling,  and  to  present 
us  faultless  before  the  presence  of  his  glory  ; 
not  as  those  who  have  never  been  faulty,  but 


as  those  whose  faults  shall  not  be  imputed,  to 
their  ruin,  which,  but  for  God’s  mercy  and 
a  Savior’s  merits,  they  might  most  justly 
have  been. 

Before  the  presence  of  his  glory.  Observe, 
1.  The  glory  of  the  Lord  will  shortly  be 
present;  every  eye  shall  see  Him,  Rev.  1 :  7. 
This  is  now  tiie  object  of  our  faith,  but  here¬ 
after,  (and  surely  it  cannot  now  be  long,)  it 
will  be  the  object  of  our  sense;  whom  we 
now  believe  in,  Him  we  shall  shortly  see,  to 
our  unspeakable  joy  and  comfort,  or  inex¬ 
pressible  terror  and  consternation.  See  1 
Pet.  1 :  8. 

Observe,  2.  All  real,  sincere  believers 
shall  be  presented,  at  the  Lord  Redeemer’s 
appearance  and  coming,  by  Him  their  glo¬ 
rious  Head,  to  the  Father,  in  order  to  his 
approbation,  acceptance,  and  reward;  they 
were  given  Him  of  the  Father,  and  of  all 
that  were  so  given  Him,  He  has  lost  none,  nor 
will  lose  any  one,  not  a  single  soul,  but  will 
present  them  all  perfectly  holy  and  happy, 
when  He  shall  surrender  his  mediatorial 
kingdom  to  his  God,  and  our  God  ;  his  Fa¬ 
ther,  and  our  Father,  John  6:  39.  with  ch. 
17:  ft.  1  Cor.  15:  24. 

Observe,  3.  When  believers  shall  be  pre¬ 
sented  faultless,  it  will  be  with  exceeding  joy. 
Alas  !  now  our  faults  fill  us  with  fears, 
doubts,  and  sorrows  ;  but  be.  of  good  cheer  ; 
if  we  are  sincere,  we  shall  be,  our  dear  Re¬ 
deemer  has  undertaken  for  it,  we  shall  be 
presented  faidtless ;  where  there  is  no  sin, 
there  will  be  no  sorrow;  where  there  is  the 
perfection  of  holiness,  there  will  be  the  per¬ 
fection  of  joy.  Surely,  the  God  who  can 
and  will  do  all  this,  is  worthy  to  have  glory, 
majesty,  dominion,  and  power,  ascribed  to 
Him,  both  now  and  for  ever  !  And  to  this  we 
may  well,  with  the  apostle,  affix  our  hearty 
Amen. 


PRACT.  OBS.  When  the  servants  of  Christ  address  those,  who  ‘are 
sanctified  by  God  the  Father,  and  preserved  in  Jesus  Christ,  and  called,’ 
and  for  whom  they  pray,  ‘  that  mercy,  peace,  and  love  may  be  multi¬ 
plied  unto  them,’  they  must  not  only  instruct  them,  ‘  with  nil  diligence,’ 
in  things  pertaining  to  ‘  the  common  salvation,'  hut  select  such  subjects 
ns  more  especially  suit  the  circumstances  of  the  times,  and  tend  to  put 
them  on  their  guard  against  prevailing  delusions. — Whilst  we  ‘contend 
earnestly  ’  for  the  truths  which  relate  to  the  Person  and  Salvation  of 
Christ,  we  should  guard  with  equal  caution  against  every  perversion  of 
them  :  for,  though  the  infidel  or  the  Pharisee  will  ns  surely  come  short 
of  salvation,  as  the  Autinomian,  yet  he  does  not  so  immediately  dis¬ 
honor  the  Gospel,  or  in  general  do  so  much  to  set  mankind  against  it. 
We  ought,  therefore,  to  remind  the  people,  not  to  rest  in  any  profession, 
knowledge,  or  experience,  which  docs  not  bring  the  soul  into  subjection 
‘  to  the  obedience  of  Christ:  ’  2  Cor.  10:1 — 6.  for  nothing,  but  the  re¬ 
newal  of  our  souls  to  the  divine  image,  by  the  Holy  Spirit,  can  secure 
us  from  being  destroyed  among  the  enemies  of  God.  Whilst  we  are  on 
our  guard  against  ‘filthy  dreamers,  who  defile  the  flesh,’  let  us  also 
stand  aloof  from  those,  whether  moral  or  immoral  in  other  respects, 
who  revile  their  rulers.  When  we  deem  anything  amiss  in  the  conduct 
of  our  governors,  and  wish  well  to  sober,  and  regular,  and  peaceable 


V.  22 — 25.  The  latter  [others  who  were  more  hardened  and  profane] 
they  were  directed  ‘  to  save  with  fear,’  being  cautious,  lest  by  attempt¬ 
ing  their  recovery,  they  should  be  themselves  entangled.  —  Garment 
spotted,  <fcc.]  It  has  been  observed  by  some  writers,  that  such  orna¬ 
mental  or  improper  clothing,  as  serves  to  tempt  others  to  sinful  inclina¬ 
tions  or  practices,  or  is  purchased  with  the  wages  of  licentiousness,  may 
very  properly  he  called  ‘garments  spotted  with  the  flesh,’  and,  as  such, 
however  rich,  elegant,  or  becoming,  it  ought  to  he  detested  and  loathed, 
more  than  the  meanest  rags,  by  all  those  who  would  be  thought  Chris¬ 
tians. — As  the  Lord  Jesus  alone  will  visibly  appear  at  the  day  of  judg¬ 
ment,  to  ‘present  his  saints’  unto  Ilimself,  it  has  been  thought  by 
some  expositors,  that  this  doxology  was  addressed  personally  to  Him. 
(.1  Tar g.  Ref.)  But  others  suppose,  that  the  apostle  had  the  ‘One  trne 
atrfl  living  God’  in  his  mind,  without  exclusive  respect  to  any  of  the 
Persons  in  the  sacred  Trinity  :  as  ‘  God  is  become  our  Savior,’  in  Jesus 
Christ,  and  th  e  glory  ‘of  the  Father,  and  of  the  Son,  and  of  the  Holy 
Ghost,’  in  the  salvation  of  believers,  will  be  displayed  at  the  day  of 
judgment  :  though  Christ  alone  will,  visibly  and  personally,  appear  to 
judge  the  world.  1  Tim.  1:17.  Reu.  5:9— 14.  7:9— 12.  Scott. 

(22,  23.)  Pulling  out  of  fire.]  ‘  When  asked,  “  How  it  came  to  pass 
that  the  clergy,  who  spoke  of  things  real,  affected  the  people  so  little, 


idans  of  securing  liberty,  and  redressing  grievances,  let  us  by  no  means 
lose  sight  of  ‘  the  meekness  of  wisdom,’  but  leave  every  matter  to  the 
Lord  in  the  use  of  proper  means.  Nay,  even  if  oppressed  and  perse¬ 
cuted,  we  should,  without  ‘rendering  evil  for  evil,’  ‘commit  ourselves 
to  Him  that  judgeth  righteously.’ — The  way  of  Cain,  of  Balaam,  and  of 
Korah,  has,  in  every  age  and  place,  been  frequented  :  and  enmity  against 
God,  concurring  with  avarice,  ambition,  and  sensuality,  drives  men 
headlong  in  similar  courses  to  their  own  destruction.  The  ‘  men  of 
God,’  from  the  beginning  of  the  world,  have  declared  the  doom,  which 
will  be  denounced  on  all  such  persons,  when  Christ  shall  come  ‘with 
ton  thousands  of  his  saints,  to  execute  judgment  on  all  the  ungodly,’  for 
nil  their  wicked  works,  and  for  all  the  impious  words,  whicli  they  have 
spoken  against  Him,  by  reviling  his  truths,  servants,  providential  ap¬ 
pointments,  righteous  decrees,  and  holy  commandments.  Wc  should 
therefore  avoid  those  ‘  murnmrers  and  complainers,  who  walk  after  their 
ungodly  lusts,’  and  want  a  religion  to  suit  such  a  course  of  life;  and  we 
ought  lo  disregard  their  ‘great  swelling  words  of  vanity;’  whilst  we 
mark,  how  they  have  ‘men’s  persons  in  admiration’  for  their  own  sec¬ 
ular  advantage;  especially  such  as  are  rich,  and  can  afford  to  purchase, 
at  a  high  rate,  flattery,  authority,  and  influence  in  the  visible  cliurcli. 

Scott. 


and  the  players,  who  spoke  of  things  barely  imaginary,  affected  them  so 
much,”  one  said,  “My  lord,  I  can  assign  but  one  reason;  we  players 
speak  of  things  imaginary,  as  though  they  were  real,  and  too  many  of 
the  clergy  speak  of  things  real  as  though  they  were  imaginary.”  Thus  it 
was  in  his,  and  all  know  it  to  lie  too  much  the  case,  in  our  time.  Hence 
it  is,  that  even  on  our  most  important  occasions,  the  worthy  gentlemen 
concerned  in  bur  public  churches,  generally  find  themselves  more  obliged 
to  musicians  than  the  preachers.  Whitfield's  maxim  was,  “  to  preach, 
as  Apelles  painted,  for  eternity.” — He  was  first  struck  with  this  maxim, 
at  the  table  of  A  bp.  Boulter,  in  Ireland,  where  the  great  Dr.  Dilany  said 
to  him,  “  1  wish,  whenever  I  go  up  into  a  pulpit,  to  look  upon  it  as  the 
last  time  I  shall  ever  preach,  or  the  last  time  the  people  may  hear.”  He 
never  torgot  this.  He  often  said,  “  Would  ministers  preach  for  eternity, 
they  would  then  act  the  part  of  true  Christian  orators,  and  not  onjy 
calmly  and  coolly  inform  the  understanding,  but,  by  persuasive,  pathetic 
address,  endeavor  to  move  the  affections,  and  warm  the  heart.  To  act 
otherwise,  bespeaks  sad  ignorance  of  human  nature,  and  such  an  inex¬ 
cusable  indolence,  and  indifference  in  the  preacher,  as  must  constrain 
the  hearers  to  suspect,  whether  they  will  or  not,  that  the  preacher,  let 
him  be  who  he  will,  only  deals  in  the  false  commerce  of  unfelt  truth.”  ’ 

I’m  Lie’s  Life  and  Times  of  Whitfield. 


Marriage.  1  I’et.  3:7. 

Giving  honor.]  See  Wayland’s  Elts.  Mor.  Sci.  in  ‘  Law  of  Marriage.’ 
Heirs  together  of  the  grace  of  life.]  ‘Virtue  in  the  present  life,  perhaps, 
never  reaps  so  large  and  exquisite  a  reward,  as  when  it  goes  to  enhance 
the  pleasures  of  love.  None  but  the  virtuous  have  power  to  admit  more 
than  a  transient,  pnssionate,  capricious  joy  ;  —  a  joy  that  alights  upon  an 
hour;  and  is  gone  in  search  of  other  sweets.  But  souls  fraught  with 
goodness  find,  that  every  noble  sentiment,  every  high  principle,  every 
generous  energy,  everv  grace,  every  softness,  and  every  sparkling 
[662] 


adornment  of  mind  or  person,  when  it  meets  its  corresponding  senti¬ 
ment,  and  principle,  and  purpose,  and  grace,  and  beauty,  in  the  being 
beloved,  becomes  a  power  incalculably  productive;  so  that  every  plea¬ 
sure  creates  and  re-creates  itself,  a  thousand  times,  and  without  end. — If 
the  beneficence  of  the  Supreme  is  seen,  sulfusively  shedding  its  glories 
over  the  ample  fields  of  the  material  world,  and  is  mildly  reflected  from 
myriads  of  points  through  earth  and  air,  are  not  its  beams  brought  to  an 
intensity  upon  that  circle,  wherein  virtuous  love  takes  its  bliss  ''—Tem¬ 
ple  of  Melekartho..  Ed. 


AN  EXPOSITION 

OP  THE 

REVELATION  OF  JOHN,  THE  DIVINE, 

WITH 

PRACTICAL  OBSERVATIONS  AND  NOTES. 

(Henry's  Exposition ,  completed,  by  Mr.  William  Tong.) 


It  ought  to  be  no  prejudice  to  the  credit  and  authority  of  this  book,  that  it  has  been  rejected  by  men  of  corrupt  minds,  such  as 
Cerdon  and  Marcion,  and  doubted  of  by  men  of  a  belter  character  ;  for  that  has  been  the  lot  of  other  parts  of  holy  writ,  and  of  the 
divine  Author  of  the  Scripture  Ilimself.*  The  image  and  superscription  of  this  book  are  truly  sacred  and  Divine,  .and  the  matter  of 
it  agreeable  with  other  prophetical  books,  particularly  Ezekiel  [which  it  exceedingly  resembles,  says  Lightfoot,  in  method  and  things 
spoken]  and  Daniel  [in  that,  says  Liglufoot,  it  repeats  the  same  history,  in  varied  and  enlarged  expressions]  ;  the  church  of  God  has 
generally  received  it,f  and  found  good  counsel  and  great  comfort  in  it. 

From  the  beginning,  the  church  of  God  has  been  blessed  with  prophecy  ;  that  glorious  prediction  of  breaking  the  serpent’s  head, 
was  the  stay  and  support  of  the  patriarchal  age  ;  and  the  many  prophecies  of  the  Messiah  to  come,  were  the  Gospel  of  the  Old  Test. 
Christ  Himself  prophesied  of  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem  ;  and  about  the  time  in  which  that  was  accomplished,  He  intrusted  the 
apostle  John  with  this  book  of  revelation,  to  deliver  it  to  the  church,  as  a  prediction  of  the  most  important  events  that  should  happen 
to  it,  to  the  end  of  time,  for  the  support  of  the  faith  of  his  people,  and  the  direction  of  their  hope.  It  is  called  the  Revelation,  because 
God  therein  discovers  those  things  which  could  never  have  been  sifted  out  by  the  reasonings  of  human  understanding;  those  deep 
things  of  God,  which  no  man  knows,  but  the  Spirit  of  God,  and  those  to  whom  He  reveals  them.  Henry. 

It  is  a  singular  circumstanoe,  concerning  this  book,  that  its  authenticity  was  very  generally,  if  not  universally  acknowledged,  during 
the  first  two  centuries;  and  yet,  in  the  third  century,  it  began  to  be  questioned  !  This  seems  to  have  arisen  from  some  absurd  opin¬ 
ions  concerning  the  millennium,  which  were  grounded  on  it  by  those  who  maintained,  them:  and  therefore  their  opponents  injudiciously 
and  presumptuously  endeavored  to  discredit  their  tenets,  by  denying  the  authority  of  the  book  itself.  But  it  was  then  too  late  for  the 
success  of  such  an  attempt;  and  its  divine  original  and  authority  have  been  fully  established  by  the  clearest,  and  most  decisive  evidence. 
— Indeed,  the  prophecies  contained  in  it  have,  in  so  many  undeniable  instances,  been  most  circumstantially  accomplished  through  a 
long  series  of  ages,  that  it  stands  as  little  in  need  of  external  evidence,  as  any  book  in  the  whole  Scripture. 

No  doubt  it  was  written  by  John,  the  apostle,  to  whose  name  the  title  of  ‘  The  Divine,’  or  the  Theologian,  (Tholngos,)  was  added, 
some  time  after;  either  because  of  the  deep  and  mysterious  truths  with  which  his  writings  abound;  or  because  he  spoke  so  much  con¬ 
cerning  the  divine  Person  and  glory  of- the  Lord  Jesus.  (  T/ieos  Logos.) — The  book  is  styled,  ‘  The  Apocalypse,’  or  ‘  The  Revelation;’ 
consisting  of  matters  chiefly  prophetical,  which  were  immediately  revealed  to  John,  from  Jesus  Christ.  This  took  place  when  he  was 
in  the  isle  of  Patmos,  in  the  .dEgean  Sea,  whither  he  was  banished,  as  is  generally  thought,  by  the  emperor  Domitian,  A.  D.  94,  or  95, 
[96, or  97.]  Some,  indeed,  maintain,  that  this  happened  much  earlier,  even  during  the  persecution  of  Nero,  A.  D.  67  or  68,  or  even 
before  that  time:  but  the  arguments  adduced  in  support  of  this  opinion  are  by  no  means  conclusive:  and,  as  it  stands  last  in  the  sacred 
canon,  so  it  seems  to  have  been  written  last,  and  to  have  been  intended  to  occupy  that  place.  (Notes,  6:  1,  2.  22:  18 — 21.) 

The  Revelation  opens  with  the  apostle’s  account  of  an  extraordinary  vision  he  had  of  the  Lord  Jesus,  appearing  to  him  in  glory. 
Then  follow  seven  short  epistles,  from  Christ  Himself,  to  the  seven  principal  churches  in  Asia  :  ^  Acts  19:  8 — 12.  and  after  them  it 


*  1  Of  the  authenticity  of  the  Book  of  the  Revelation  there  can  be  no 
doubt.  Yet  in  the  third  century  it  began  to  be  questioned,  which  seems 
to  have  arisen  from  some  notions  respecting  the  millennium,  which  a  few 
well-meaning,  but  fanciful  expositors  of  that  day  endeavored  to  support 
from  this  book.  No  one  can  peruse  the  Revelation  without  being  forci¬ 
bly  struck  by  the  peculiar  sublimity  of  its  composition,  so  superior  to 
any  other  writings,  that  it  could  have  been  written  only  by  a  man  di¬ 
vinely  inspired.  It  is  likewise  so  suitable  as  a  continuation  of' the  proph¬ 
ecies  of  Daniel,  that  the  N.  T.  dispensation  would  have  appeared  in¬ 
complete  without  this  prophetic  book;  for  it  has  been  the  uniform  plan  of 
the  Divine  proceedings,  to  give  a  more  distinct  view  of  interesting  fu¬ 
ture  events,  as  the  time  of  their  accomplishment  approaches.  A  suc¬ 
cession  of  living  prophets  not  having  been  continued  to  the  church,  by 
this  book  a  succession  of  prophecy  is  continued,  always  speaking  to  us, 
especially  by  the  vastly  enlarged  circulation  of  the  SS.,  since  the  discov¬ 
ery  of  the  art  of  printing,  and  speaking  by  a  witness,  whose  testimony 
as  to  future  events  cannot  be  called  in  question,  since  so  many  have  al¬ 
ready  occurred  to  verify  parts  of  the  predictions  it  contains.’  Henry,  abr. 


A  Biographical  Chart  of  Writers  in  the  early  Christian  Church,  who  appear  to  have 
afforded  evidence  in  favor  of  the  Apocalypse. 


Part  of  Century 
the  first. 

too 


A.  D.  97. 


Saint  John.  ; 


Ignatius . 


A.  D.  97. 
| 

I  10 

1  3  I  1 


Century  the  second. 


200 


|0  2|0  3|0  4  JO  5 1 0  6J0  7 10  8|0  9|0 


Clemens  Alex. 


Part  of  Century 
the  third. 


Alhenagoras. 


Writer  from  the  Gallic  Churches. 

•  ■■■■■  mmum.m  .it  i  !■  i  0 

Writer  from  the  Church  of  Smyrna. 

0  II  I  •  • 


Papins. 


Hippo 


Poly  carp. 


Iren  (eus. 


lytus. 


Melilo. 


Justin  Martyr. 


Tertu  Ilian. 


Or i gen. 


Theophilus. 


Apollonius. 


1 

0  2 

0  3 

0  4 

0  5 

0  6 

0  7 

0  8 

0  9 

0 

0 

Trajan,  |  Adrian. 

Ant.  P. 

M.  Ant. 

20 

Com.|  | 

I 


The  dotted  line  marks  the  year  97,  when  the  Apocalypse  was  published.  The  lines 
undereach  name  show  the  years  when  the  writers  lived,  to  be  measured  upon  the 
scale  below.  When  the  birth  or  death  of  a  writer  is  uncertain,  that  uncertainty  is  ex¬ 
pressed  by  dots,  before  or  after  the  line.  Woodhouse. 


t  1  The  external  evidences  for  the  genuineness  of  the  book,  are  clearly 
stated  by  T.  H.  Horne ,  from  the  testimony  of  the  earliest  Christian 
writers ;  which  are  so  strong  as  fully  to  satisfy  any  candid  mind,  that  it 
is  to  be  received  as  Divine  Scripture,  communicated  to  the  church  by 
Johif  the  evangelist.’  |See  table,  from  Woodhouse ,  opposite.] 

‘In  the  words  of  Woodhouse ,  “We  may  see  its  rise, as  of  a  pure  fountain, 
from  the  sacred  rock  of  the  apostolic  church.  We  may  trace  it  through 
the  first  century  of  its  passage,  flowing  from  one  fair  field  to  another, 
identified  through  them  all,  and  everywhere  the  same.  As  it  proceeded 
lower,  we  see  many  attempts  to  obscure  its  sacred  origin,  to  arrest  or 
divert  its  course,  or  lose  it  in  the  sands  of  antiquity,  or  bury  it  in  the 
rubbish  of  the  dark  ages.  We  see  these  attempts  repeated  in  our  own 
times,  and  by  dexterous  adversaries,  but  it  has  at  length  arrived  to  us, 
such  as  it  flowed  forth  at  the  beginning.” 

1  The  internal  evidence  is  equally  indisputable.  T.  II.  Horne  reduces 
it  to  three  points,  which  he  states  as  follows,  entering  fully  into  the  de¬ 
tails.  1.  The  Apocalypse  corresponds  in  doctrine  and  imagery  with 
other  books  of  divine  authority.  2.  The  sublimity  of  the  ideas  and  im¬ 
agery  is  another  striking,  internal  evidence  of  the  genuineness  and  di¬ 
vine  origin  of  the  Apocalypse.  3.  The  style  of  the  Apocalypse  coincides 
with  that  of  the  undisputed  writings  of  St.  John.’  Henry,  abr. 

I  As  the  pictures  of  the  present  state  of  the  more  or  less  ruined  towns 
of  Asia,  where  the  4  7  churches  ’  were  situated,  face  this  page,  compen¬ 
dious  descriptions  of  the  ascertained  sites  of  those  interesting  towns  are 
here  given  (from  Henry,  abr.),  to  be  compared  with  the  engraved  views. 

The  Present  State  of  the  Seven  Churches .  0 

‘  Ephesus ,  in  the  time  of  the  Romans,  was  the  metropolis  of  proconsular  Asia.  This 
celebrated  city,  the  vast  remains  of  which  give  a  high  idea  of  its  former  beauty,  ex¬ 
tent,  and  magnificence,  is  situated  in  that  part  of  Asia  anciently  called  Ionia,  (but 
now  Natolia,)  about  5  miles  from  the  JEgean  sea,  on  the  sides  and  at  the  foot  of  a 
range  of  mountains,  overlooking  a  fine  plain,  watered  and  fertilized  by  the  river  Cays- 
ter.  Ephesu?  was  particularly  celebrated  for  the  temple  of  Diana,  n  most  magnifi¬ 
cent  edifice,  erected  at  the  common  expense  of  tire  inhabitants  of  Asia  Proper,  and  re¬ 
puted  one  of  the  seven  wonders  of  the  world  :  but  the  very  site  of  this  magnificent  and 
celebrated  edifice  is  now  undetermined,  though  some  stupendous  columns  in  the  large 
mosque,  there  is  reason  to  believe,  once  graced  that  structure.  Widely  scattered  and 
noble  ruins  attest  the  splendorof  the  theatre,  mentioned  in  Acts  19:31.  built  on  mount 
Prion.  The  loud  shouta  of  the  immense  multitude,  reverberated  from  the  neighboring 
mount  Corissus,  would  augment  the  uproar  occasioned  by  the  populace  rushing  into 
the  theatre.  Just  below  it,  is  the  public  place  where  the  law  proceedings  were  going 
forward,  to  which  the  town  clerk  referred  Demetrius  and  his  companions.  In  the  time 
of  Paul,  this  city  abounded  with  orators  and  philosophers  ;  and  its  inhabitants,  in  their 
Gentile  state,  were  celebrated  for  their  idolatry  and  skill  in  magic,  as  well  as  for  their 
luxury  and  licentiousness.  The  present  state  of  Ephesus  nffords  a  striking  illustration 
of  the  accomplishment  of  prophecy.  After  a  protracted  struggle  with  the  sword  of 
Rome,  and  the  sophisms  of  the  Gnostics,  Ephesus  at  last  gave  way.  The  beginnings 
of  indifference,  censured  by  the  warning  voice  of  the  prophet,  increased  to  a  total  for¬ 
getfulness  ;  till  at  length  the  threatenings  of  the  Apocalypse  were  fulfilled,  and  Ephe¬ 
sus  sunk  with  the  general  overthrow  of  the  Greek  empire,  in  the  14th  century.  Ephe¬ 
sus  is  now  in  a  slate  of  almost  total  ruin  ;  innumerable  inscriptions  are  lying  about  in 
disorder  c  r  neglect,  or  built  into  the  Turkish  structures.  The  plough  has  passed  over 
the  city  ;  and  in  March,  1826,  green  corn  was  growing,  in  all  directions,  amidst  the 
forsaken  ruins  ;  and  one  solitary  Greek  only  was  found,  who  bore  the  Christian  name, 
instead  of  its  once  flourishing  church.  Where  once  assembled  thousands  exclaimed, 
“  Great  is  Diana  of  the  Ephesians,”  now  the  eagle  yells,  and  the  jackal  moans.  As 
for  the  stork,  the  ruins  of  Ephesus  are  her  house.  This  bird  is  seen  perching  in  all 
directions  upon  the  summits  of  the  buildings,  or  hovering  round  them  in  the  air,  or 
fixing  its  immense  nest,  like  the  capital  of  a  column,  on  the  large  ruins- 

‘  Smyrna ,  a  city  of  Asia  Minor,  is  situated  about  40  miles  to  tl?e,N* EPhe®us-  Jt 
is  still  celebrated  for  the  number,  wealth,  and  commerce  of  the  ,n  ,5  vJnn  J  9<F 
ulation  is  estimated  at  abofit  75,000  inhabitants;  45,000  are  Turks,  15,000  G  s,  , 
Armenians,  8,000  Jews,  and  less  than  1,000  Europeans.  There  are  more  than  20 
mosques  in  Smyrna,  and  3  Greek  churches,  and  the  Jew*  have  severa  y  ' 

The  nngel  of  the  church  of  Smyrna,  addressed  in  the  2d  apoca typ*1®  P  >  hinhtfn 
poaeii  tS  hare  been  Polycarp,  the  dUciple  of  John,  by  whom  he  wa.  appointed  hiehop 
of  Smyrna.  Ae  he  afteWds  euflered  much,  hemff  burn  alive  “'  Smyrna  A.  D  IM, 
the  exhortation  in  Rev  2:10.  would  he  peculiarly  calculated  toaupportand  enc“u'“-“ 

[ODD] 


REVELATION.  —  INTRODUCTION 


Contains  a  series  of  prophecies,  chiefly  emblematical,  relating  to  events  which  would  take  place,  in  the  church,  and  the  nations  of  the 
earth,  through  all  the  subsequent  generations  of  mankind,  to  the  end  of  the  world,  the  day  of  judgment,  and  the  eternal  stale.*  This 
aeries  is  sometimes  interrupted  by  explanatory  digressions,  which  will  be  noted  as  we  proceed:  such  predictions  as  are  supposed  by  the 
author  to  be  already  fulfilled,  will  be  compendiously  stated,  with  the  events  to  which  they  relate,  according  to  the  judgment  of  the  most 
approved  writers:  and  an  endeavor  will  be  thus  far  made,  to  render  the  great  outlines. ol  the  book  as  plain  as  possible  to  the  unlearned 
reader,  whose  edification  must  principally  be  considered.  But  in  respect  of  those  things,  which  seem  not  to  be  yet  fulfilled,  a  judg¬ 
ment  must  be  formed,  and  an  opinion  ventured,  with  very  great  caution,  and  in  a  very  general  manner.  Many,  indeed,  have  objected 
to  every  attempt  to  explain  a  book,  so  extremely  abstruse,  and,  as  they  think,  unintelligible  ;  nay,  some  professed  Christians,  and 
ministers  of  the  Gospel,  have  even  derided  these  endeavors. f  No  doubt,  many  have  affected  to  be  ‘  wise  above  what  is  written,’  and 
have  applied  general  prophecies,  by  a  ‘private  interpretation,’  in  a  very  unwarrantable  manner:  {Note,  2Pe(.  1 :  20,  21.)  and  this  should 
teach  others  modesty,  reverence,  and  a  simple  dependence  on  the  teaching  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  in  all  their  inquiries,  whatever  helps  or 
advantages  they  may  possess  for  such  investigations.  But,  if  we  are  enabled  to  study,  write, .and  read,  in  this  manner,  there  can  be 
no  doubt,  that  we  shall  derive  most  abundant,  practical  ins'ruction,  and  obtain  increasing  vigor  to  our  faith  and  holy  affections,  by 
attending  carefully  to  every  part  of  this  most  surprising  discovery  of  the  Lord’s  purposes,  respecting  his  church  and  the  world,  which 
was  made  so  many  ages  before  the  period  of  their  accomplishment. 

‘  They  who  censure  and  dissuade  the  study  of  it,  do  it,  for  the  most  part,  because  they  have  not  studied  it  themselves;  and  imagine 
the  difficulties  to  be  greater  than  they  are  in  reality.  It  is  still  “  the  sure  word  of  prophecy;”  and  men  of  learning  and  leisure  cannot 
better  employ  their  time  and  abilities,  than  in  studying  and  explaining  this  book,  provided  they  do  it,  as  Lord  Bacon  adviseth,  with 


him.  Smyrna  will  ever  interest  the  real' Christian.  On  the  firmness  of  (he  early  inar- 
ty i s  depended,  under  Divine  Providence,  the  transmission  of  the  truth  to  the  latest 
venerations. 

1  Pergamos  was  the  ancient  metropolis  of  Mysia,  and  the  residence  of  the  Attalian 
kings  ;  it  still  preserves  many  vestiges  of  ancient  magnificence.  Against  the  church 
at  Perganios,  was  adduced  the  charge  of  instability,  Rev.  2:14,  15.  blit  to  its  feeble 
faith  was  promised  the  all-powerful  protection  of  God.  The  errors  of  Balaam  and  the 
Nicolaitans  have  been  purged  away.  Pergamos  lias  been  preserved  from  the  destroy¬ 
er  ;  and  3, QUO  Christians  (out  of  a  population  of  about  15,1)00  inhabitants)  now  cher¬ 
ish  the  rites  of  l lie i r  religion  in  the  same  spot  pvhere  it  was  planted  by  the  hands  of 
Paul,  though,  alas  !  their  religion  has  little  in  ’common  with  the  faitli  taught  by  the 
apostle,  bit L  t lie  name  and  profession.  Of  these  Christians,  about  200  belong  to  the 
Armenian  communion  ;  the  remainder  are  members  of  the  Greek  church.  They  have 
each -one  church,  but  the  other  churches  of  Perganios  have  been  conveitcd  into 
musques,  and  are  profaned  with  the  blasphemies  of  the  false  prophet,  Mohammed. 
There  are  about  1U0  Jews,  who  have  a  synagogue.  Pergamos,  or  Bergamo,  as  it  is  now 
called,  is  about  64  miles  N.  of  Smyrna. 

‘  Thyatira  is  a  considerable  city  in  the  road  from  Pergamos  to  Sardis,  about  48  miles 
eastward  of  the  former.  It  is  called  by  the  Turks,  Akhisar,  and  is  embosomed  in  cy¬ 
presses  and  poplars;  it  is  now,  as  anciently  it  was,  celebrated  for  dyeing,  and  large 
quantities  of  cloths,  dyed  scarlet,  are  sent  weekly  to  Smyrna.  In  1826,  the  population 
was  estimated  at  300  Greek  houses,  30  Armenian,  and  1,000  Turkish.  The  two  former 
have  churches.  The  streets  are  narrow  and  dirtv. 

1 Sirdis ,  the  metropolis  of  the  region  of  Lydia,  in  Asia  Minor,  is  situated  near 
mount  Tmolus,  between  30  nnd  40  miles  E.  from  Smyrna.  It  was  celebrated  for  great 
opulence,  and  for  the  voluptuous  and  debauched  manners  of  its  inhabitants.  Consid¬ 
erable  ruins  still  attest  the  ancient  splendor  of  this  once  celebrated  capital  nf  Crccsus 
and  the  Lydian  kings,  which  is  now  reduced  to  a  wretched  village,  called  Sart,  con¬ 
sisting  of  a  few  mud  hots,  inhabited  by  Turkish  beidsmen.  A  great  portion  of  the 
grounds  once  occu pied  bv  this  imperial  city,  is  now  a  smooth,  grassy  plain  .browsed  over 
by  the  sheep  of  the  peasants,  or  trodden  by  the  camels  of  the  caravan  ,  and  only  a  few 
disjointed  pillars,  and  the  crumbling  rock  of  the  Acropolis,  remain  to  point  out  the  site 
of  its  glory.  The  ruins  are  more  entirely  gone  to  decay  than  in  most  of  the  ancient 
cities  in  those  parts.  No  Christians  reside  on  the  spot  :  two  Greek  servants  of.  a  Turk¬ 
ish  miller,  in  1826,  were  the  only  representatives  of  the  church  at  Sardis  ;  the  present 
state  of  which  affords  a  striking  illustration  of  the  accomplishment  of  the  prophetic 
denunciation  against  the  church  in  that  city, — A  name  to  live,  while  dead. 

*  Philadelphia  is  situated  about  27  miles  S.  E.  of  Sardis,  on  a  rising  ground,  beneath 
the  snowy  mount,  Tmolus.  The  houses  are  embosomed  in  trees,  which  gives  a  pleas¬ 
ing  effect  to  the  scene.  Not  long  before  the  date  of  the  apocalyptic  epistle,  this  city 
had  suffered  so  much  from  earthquakes,  that  it  had  been  in  a  great  measure  deserted  by 
its  inhabitants  ;  which  may  in  some  degree  account  for  the  poverty  of  this  church,  as 
described  in  this  epistle,  Philadelphia  appears  to  have  resisted  the  attacks  of  the 
Turks  in  1312,  with  more  success  than  the  other  cities.  At  a  distance  from  the  sea, 
forgotten  by  tile  emperor,  encompassed  on  all  6ides  by  the  Turks,  her  valiant  citizens 
defended  their  religion  and  freedom  above  fourscore  years,  nnd  at  length  capitulated 
with  the  proudest  of  the  Ottomans,  Bajazet,  in  1390.  In  Ihese  words  Gibbon,  the 
skeptical  historian,  bears  a  testimony,  perhaps  unconsciously,  to  the  truth  of  Scrip¬ 
ture  :  he  States,  that  “  among  the  Greek  colonies  and  churches  of  Asia,  Philadelphia 
is  still  erect ;  a  column,  a  pillar,  in  a  scene  of  ruins.”  What&vcr  may  he  lost  of  the 
spirit  of  Chi  istlanity,  there  is  still  the  form  of  a  Christian  church  in  this  city,  which  is 
now  called  “  Allah-Sheluh,”  or  the  ”  City  of  God.”  It  contains  about  1 .000  Chris¬ 
tians,  chiefly  Greeks,  most  of  whom  speak  only  the  Turkish  language.  They  have  25 
places  of  public  worship,  5  of  which  are  large  and  regular  churches,  with  a  resident 
bishop  and  inferior  clergy.  In  20  others  of  a  smaller  description,  the  Greek  liturgy  is 
read  once  a  year.  The  lamp  still  exists,  but  where  is  its  oil  ?  When  the  very  epistle 
to  their  own  church  is  read,  they  understand  it  not !  The  remains  of  antiquity  here 
are  not  numerous. 

‘  Laodicea  is  about  42  miles  to  the  S.  of  Ephesus.  This  city  was  often  dnmaged  by 
ea-thquakes,  and  restored,  either  by  the  opulence  of  its  inhabitants,  or  by  the  munifi¬ 
cence  of  the  Roman  emperois.  Prom  the  researches  of  modern  travellers,  it  appears 
In  have  beam  seated  on  a  volcanic  hill,  of  moderate  height,  but  nf  considerable  extent. 
Its  ruins  a  west  that  it  was  large,  opr;  lent,  and  splendid  ;  and  there  are  still  to  he  seen 
the  remains  of  an  amphitheatre,  an  aqueduct,  and  many  other  buildings.  In  the 
primitive  time  of  Christianity,  as  appears  from  Paul's  epistle  to  the  Colossians,  in 
which  the  Laodiceans  are  twice  mentioned,  (his  place  possessed  a  flourishing  church. 
But  the  doom  of  Laodicea  seems  to  have  been  more  severe  and  terrible  than  that  of 
the  other  6  apocalyptical  churches,  as  its  state  was  more  degraded;  and  its  present 
condition  is  in  striking  comformitv  with  the  rebukes  and  threatening?  of  God.  Not 
a  single  Christian  resides  at  Laodicea  !  Not  even  a  Turk  has  a  fixed  residence  on  the 
spot  A  fox,  discovered  by  its  ears  peeping  over  a  brow,  was  the  only  inhabitanl  seen 
by  Chandler.  It  is  even  more  solitary  than  Ephesus:  the  latter  has  a  p  nspert  nf  a 
lolling  sea,  or  a  whitening  sail,  to  enliven  its  decay  :  the  former  sits  in  widowed  lone¬ 
liness.  Its  temples  are  desolate  ;  the  stately  edifices  nf  ancient  Laodicea  are  now  peo- 
■  pled  only  hv  wolves  and  jackals.  The  prayers  of  the  Moslem  are  the  only  prayers 
heard  near  the  still  splendid  ruins  of  the  city,  on  w  hich  the  prophetic  denunciation 
seems  to  have  been  tolly  executed  in  its  utter  rejection  as  a  church.  “Its  crime  wns 
pride  ;  its  punishment,  desolation.  Infidelity  itself  must  confess,  that  the  menace  of 
the  Scriptures  has  been  executed  nnd  accomplished  ;  it  now  stands  rejected  of  God, 
nnd  deserted  of  men  ;  its  glorv  a  ruin,  its  name  a  reproach.”  —  From  Hartley,  Arun- 
dell,  Emerson,  and  T.  H.  Horne.’  Henry,  abr. 

*  ‘  The  honk  consists  of  two  principal  divisions. 

‘  I  •  Relates  to  “  the  things  which  nre,”  that  is,  tfie  then  state  of  the 
church,  and  contains  the  epistle  of  John  to  the  7  churches,  and  his  ac¬ 
count  of  the  appearance  of  the  Lord  Jesus,  and  his  direction  to  the  apos¬ 
tle  to  write  what  he  beheld,  ch.  1:9 — 20.  Also  Ihe  addresses  or  epistles 
to  7  churches  of  Lydian  or  Proconsular  Asia.  These  doubtless  had  ref¬ 
erence  to  the  state  of  the  respective  churches,  as  they  then  existed,  but 
contain  excellent  precepts  and  exhortations,  commendations  nnd  reproofs, 
promises  and  tbreatenings,  which  are  calculated  to  instruct  the  Chris¬ 
tian  church  at  all  limes. 

‘II.  Contains  a  prophecy  of  “  the  things  which  shall  he  hereafter,” 
and  describes  the  future  state  of  the  church  from  the  time  when  the 
apostle  beheld  the  apocalyptic  visions.  Fraser  thus  expresses  the  ar¬ 
rangement  recommended  by  Vitringa,  and  now  generally  adopted.  The 
series  of  events  is  carried  on  in  the  Apocalypse,  by  7  seals  opened  in  their 
order,  7  trumpets  sounded  in  their  order,  and  7  vials  poured  out  in  their 
order.  The  7  trumpets  are  the  evolution  of  the  7th  seal,  the  7  vials  are 
the  evolution  of  the  7th  trumpet.  The  7th  vial  introduces  the  millennium, 
from  which  period  the  aspect  of  the  church  and  the  world  is  uniform 
[664] 


until  the  day  of  judgment,  except  a  short  interruption  at  the  close  of  the 
millennium. 

‘  This  prophecy  may  be  arranged  under  the  following  sections  :  — 

‘  1.  The  representation  of  the  divine  glory,  ch.  4. 

‘2.  The  sealed  book,  and  the  Lamb  that  opens  it,  ch.  5. 

‘  3.  The  opening  of  the  first  6  seals,  ch.  6. 

‘  4.  The  sealing  of  the  144,000,  and  the  presentation  of  the  paim-bear- 
ing  multitude  before  the  throne,  ch.  7. 

‘5.  The  opening  of  the  7th  seal,  and  the  first  6  trumpets,  and  the  pro¬ 
phetic  commission  to  John,  ch.  8.  and  9.  including  also  the  vision  of  the 
open  little  book,  with  the  measuring  of  the  temple,  and  the  two  witness¬ 
es,  ch.  10.  and  11  1— 14. 

‘0.  The  sounding  of  the  7th  trumpet ;  the  vision  of  the  woman  perse¬ 
cuted  by  the  dragon,  and  of  the  wild  beasts  from  the  sea  and  the  land, 
ch.  11:15—19.  ch.  12.  and  13. 

‘  7.  The  vision  of  the  Lamb  and  144,000  elect  on  mount  Sion,  and  the 
proclamations  or  warnings,  ch  14. 

‘  8.  The  7  vials  ;  the  harlot  of  Babylon  nnd  her  fall,  ch.  1.5:  to  ch.  1910. 

‘9.  The  great  conflict,  the  millennium,  the  conflict  renewed,  the  judg¬ 
ment,  and  the  new  creation,  ch.  19:11 — 21.  and  ch.  20. 

‘10.  Description  of  the  new  Jerusalem,  ch.  21.  22:1—5.  The  conclu¬ 
sion,  ch.  22:6 — 21. 

‘  The  2d  portion  of  the  Apocalypse,  according  to  Mede,  is  the  prophe¬ 
cy  of  Daniel,  expanded  and  opened  into  detail,  the  great  topics  being  the 
same,  and  the  termination  exactly  identical.’  Henry,  abr. 

t  ‘Respecting  the  scope  and  design  of  this  book,  the  variety  of  opin¬ 
ions  is  almost  incredible.  No  two  commentators  agree  in  the  interpre¬ 
tation  of  it,  every  one  forming  in  some  respects  a  different  hypothesis, 
while  no  entire  exposition  has  yet  been  offered,  in  which  the  cool  anil 
cautious  inquirer  will  altogether  acquiesce.  Holden.  —  But  this  book 
represents  to  us,  as  in  a  small  but  exact  map,  the  steadiness  and  exactness 
of  Providence,  and  Christ’s  government  of  the  world.  For  here  we  see 
the  \rarious  and  seemingly  confused  events  of  Providence  so  exactly 
methodized,  as  to  make  up  one  uniform  and  noble  piece.  Here  piety 
and  wickedness,  angels  and  devils,  the  church  and  antichrist,  act  various 
and  contrary  parts  ;  and  yet  Christ  makes  use  of  all  for  noble  purposes, 
and  carries  all  on  for  one  great  end.  Fleming. 

‘  No  book  has  been  more  commented  upon,  or  has  given  rise  to  a  great¬ 
er  variety  of  interpretations,  and  it  lias  ever  been  accounted  the  most 
difficult  portion  of  the  N.  T.  The  figurative  language  in  which  the  vis¬ 
ions  are  delivered  ;  the  variety  of  symbols  tinder  which  the  events  are 
presignified  ;  the  extent  nf  ihe  prophetical  information,  which  appearsto 
include  all  ages  of  the  Christian  church,  afford  little  hope  of  its  perfect 
elucidation,  til!  a  further  process  of  time  shall  have  ripened  more  of  the 
events  foretold  in  it.  T.  H.  Horne. 

‘It  was  wise  nnd  proper,  hv  a  prophesy  in  the  Christian  church,  to 
support  the  minds  of  good  men  under  afflictions,  with  assurances  of 
Christ’s  second  coming,  nnd  of  the  watchful  providence  of  God  over  the 
cause  nf  true  religion  in  the  mean  time.  Thus  the  prophecies  of  this 
book  are  of  the  like  use  to  the  Christian  church,  that  the  prophecies  of 
Christ’s  first  appearance  were  to  the  ancient  church, — ami  the  obscurity 
of  this  hook  is  not  so  much  owing  to  anything  in  the  book  itself,  as  to 
the  methods  taken  by  several  to  explain  it  ;  and  nothing  has  really  so 
much  darkened  it,  as  the  common  attempts  made  to  interpret  it.  I.ow- 
man. 

‘  Although  many  parts  of  the  Apocalypse  are  thus  obscure,  yet  enough 
is  clear  to  convey  to  ns  the  most  important  religious  instruction.  This 
book  is  to  ns,  what  (lie  prophecies  of  Ihe  O.  T.  were  lo  the  Jews.  No 
prophecies  in  Ihe  Revelation  can  be  more  clouded  witli  obscurity,  than 
that  a  child  should  he  born  of  a  virgin,  that  a  mortal  should  not  see 
corruption,  that  a  person  despised  nnd  numbered  among  malefactors 
should  be  established  for  ever  on  the  throne  of  David.  Yet  still  Ihe  pious 
Jew  preserved  his  faith  entire  amongst  all  these  wonderful,  and,  in  ap¬ 
pearance,  contradictory  intimations.  He  looked  into  tile  holy  books  in 
which  they  were  contained,  with  reverence;  and  with  patient  expecta¬ 
tion  “waited  for  the  consolation  of  Israel.”  We,  in  the  same  manner, 
look  up  to  the  prophecies  of  the  Apocalypse,  for  the  full  consummation 
of  the  great  scheme  of  the  Gospel ;  when  Christianity  shall  finally  pre¬ 
vail  over  all  the  corruptions  of  the  world,  and  he  universally  established 
in  its  utmost  purity.  Gilpin.  Any  impartial  reader,  if  lie  has  been  a 
doubting  Christian,  must  gain  an  assurance ;  or,  if  atheistically  inclined, 
a  conviction,  that  it  was  impossible,  without  a  divine  prophetical  Spirit, 
to  foretell  some  of  the  things  that  have  come  to  pass.  Wall. 

‘  It  is  much  to  be  regretted,  that  commentators  on  this  book  have  usu¬ 
ally  gone  into  extremes  ;  that  they  either  have  attempted  to  apply  all  the 
various  symbolical  representations,  and  to  interpret  them  according  to 
some  preconceived  system,  or  else  they  have  wholly  shrunk  from  the 
work,  and,  hastily  concluding  that  all  which  has  been  written  is  conjec¬ 
ture,  have  assumed  merit  to  themselves  for  refusing  to  indulge  in  a  sim¬ 
ilar  course.  Thus  Calvin  and  .4.  Clarke  declined  to  comment  upon  this 
book.  Would  it  not  have  been  preferable,  to  confine  themselves  to  no¬ 
ticing  the  general  hearing  of  these  symbols,  according  to  their  usual 
meaning  in  Scripture,  and  then  to  proceed  lo  the  application  only  of  those 
whicti  appear  most  clearly  developed  by  the  lapse  of  time  i'  Henry,  abr. 


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■:,  -f  i!»-  A  2 •■  -  •  •  '•'t*-:  -'V  1  ■'■  ’  -  •, 

i  ■-«....■  1  •»  **>  v-v  . . “■ 


# 


REVELATION.  —  INTRODUCTION. 


great  wisdom,  sobriety ,  and  reverence. — The  folly  of  interpreters  has  been,  as  Sir  Isaac  Newton  observes,  to  foretell  limes  and  things 
by  ibis  prophecy,  as  if  God  designed  to  make  them  prophets,  tty  tltis  rashness,  they  have  not  oidy  exposed  themselves,  but  brought 
the  prophecy,  also,  into  contempt.  The  design  of  God  was  much  otherwise.  lie  gave  this,  and  the  prophecies  of  the  O.  T.  not  to 
gratify  men’s  curiosities,  by  enabling  them  to  foreknow  things  ;  but  that ,  after  they  were  fulfilled,  they  might  be  interpreted  by  the 
event;  and  his  own  providence,’  (or  foresight,)  ‘  not  the  interpreter’s,  might  be  manifest  thereby  to  the  world.’*  Bp.  NevXon.  It  is 
worthy  of  notice,  in  respect  of  the  Revelation,  that  the  views  given  in  it  of  God  and  heavenly  things,  of  the  kingdom  of  providence 
and  grace,  of  the  Redeemer’s  glory,  the  happiness  and  character  of  his  people,  with  the  wickedness  and  the  ruin  of  his  enemies,  are 
set  forth  in  so  striking  and  peculiar  a  manner,  that  even  those  who  do  not  at  all  understand  the  prophetical  meaning,  are  uniformly 
interested  and  edified  by  reading  it,  in  proportion  to  the  degree  of  their  humility,  faith,  and  piety.  Scott. 

In  the  notes  to  Revelation,  the  Ed.  must  confine  himself,  generally,  to  a  statement  of  the  views  of  the  last  English  and  American 
writers  on  the  book,  in  addition  to  those  of  Henry  and  Scott  ;  and,  to  avoid  confusion,  other  views,  partly  in  a  tabular  form,  will  he 
given  at  the  end  of  Revelation.  A  list  of  some  works  upon  Revelation  will  be  seen  in  the  note  below  ;f  and  the  length  of  it  will 
prove  the  necessity  of  the  course  adopted.  En. 

‘  As  to  the  style  of  Revelation,  it  is  very  prophetical  and  hebraizing.  Exceeding  much  of  the  old  prophets’  language  and  matter  is 
adduced,  to  intimate  new  histories,  and  exceeding  much  of  the  Jews’  language  and  allusion  to  their  customs  and  opinions,  thereby  to 
speak  the  things  better  to  be  understood. — Lightfoot.  Its  writer  employs  Hebrew  phrases,  and  often  has  Jewish  customs  and  observ¬ 
ances  in  his  mind,  even  in  passages  where  it  may  be  but  little  suspected. — TillochJ  Henky,  abr. 

‘  A  principal  aim  [we  should  keep  in  view  in  reading  the  book]  too  often  is  forgotten,  in  the  longest  and  most  elaborate  treatises  on 
it,  namely,  the  design  and  object,  for  which,  assuredly,  it  has  been  given  to  the  Christian  church;  that,  like  the  other  books  of  Scrip¬ 
ture,  it  is  intended  for  our  spiritual  improvement, — to  warn  the  careless  sinner,  point  out  the  way  of  salvation  to  the  awakened  inquirer, 
build  up  the  weak  believer,  comfort  the  afflicted  and  tempted  Christian,  and,  we  may  especially  add,  to  strengthen  the  martyr  of  Christ 
under  the  cruel  persecutions  and  sufferings  inflicted  by  Satan  and  his  followers.’  Id. 


*  It  should,  however,  be  admitted,  that  to  give  the  attentive  and  pious 
reader  a  general  assurance  of  the  final  and  most  glorious  victory,  which 
the  cause  of  God,  of  truth  and  righteousness,  shall  certainly  acquire  even 
on  earth,  for  his  encouragement,  during  the  triumphs  of  superstition, 
idolatry,  heresy,  infidelity,  and  wickedness,  which  on  every  side  have 
hitherto  been  witnessed,  or  reported  from  all  quarters,  was  one  most 
important  end  for  which  this  revelation  was  given. — But  when  even  the 
most  learned  and  respectable  men  attempt,  with  particularity  and  ex¬ 
actness,  to  explain  those  predictions  which  are  not  evidently  fulfilled  ; 
it  commonly  happens,  that  others  oppose  their  interpretation  by  some 
counter  scheme,  supported  also  by  plausible  arguments.  And  while 
several  are  thus  engaged,  each  in  defending  his  own  conclusions  against 
those  who  combat  them,  the  readers  in  general  are  perplexed,  instead 
of  being  convinced  ;  the  difference  between  that  part  which  is  fulfilled, 
and  ruay  clearly  be  explained,  and  the  unaccomplished  predictions, 
seems  to  disappear;  the  evidence,  arising  from  the  fulfilment  of  proph¬ 
ecy,  as  demonstrating  the  divine  inspiration  of  the  Scriptures,  fails  of 
producing  its  full  effect  ;  and  not  unfrequently,  the  whole  is  laid  aside, 
as  uncertain  or  inexplicable,  seeing  the  most  learned  writers  advance 
such  discordant  opinions  on  the  subject.  In  most  other  controverted 
topics,  truth  is  generally  supposed  to  lie  on  one  side  or  the  other,  or  to 
be  divided  between  the  disputants;  but  in  this  particular,  the  debates 
often  produce  a  kind  of  skepticism  in  the  minds  of  very  many  readers; 
so  that  they  are  led  to  doubt  about  the  whole  and  every  part  of  it.  In 
order  to  avoid  this,  great  care  should  be  taken,  to  mark  strongly  the 
difference  between  what  is  fulfilled,  and  what  is  not  fulfilled  ;  and  to 
draw  the  line  between  these,  as  exactly  as  may  be  ;  that  the  uncertain¬ 
ty,  as  to  the  grand  outlines,  may  not  appear  to  attach  to  those  parts, 
which  have  already  received  their  accomplishment,  but  be  wholly  con¬ 
fined  to  the  other  part.— In  respect  of  those  predictions,  especially, 
which  are  supposed  to  be  fulfilling  in  the  eventful  period  during  which 
we  live,  peculiar  caution  is  necessary  ;  for  an  unexpected  turn  in  the 
afTairs  of  nations  may,  after  a  very  few  years,  confute  some  of  the  most 
plausible  and  confident  assumptions  of  the  expositors  ;  and  weaken  the 
credibility,  in  the  minds  of  men,  even  of  those  interpretations  which  are 
well  founded.  In  fact,  I  apprehend  this  has  been,  in  many  instances, 
strikingly  verified  since  these  remarks  were  first  written.  It  does  not, 
indeed,  appear  probable,  that  the  prophecies,  fulfilling  in  any  age,  should 
be  clearly  understood  by  the  contemporaries;  any  more  than  that  im¬ 
partial  histories  should  he  written  by  men,  of  their  own  times.  The 
events,  in  which  our  interests,  and  those  of  the  country  or  party  to 
which  we  belong,  are  deeply  concerned,  must  have  such  an  effect  on 
our  minds,  as  to  deduct  from  that  cool  and  impartial  judgment,  which  is 
absolutely  requisite  in  inquiries  of  this  nature.  It  cannot  so  soon  be 
known,  how  the  successes  and  advancement  of  some,  and  the  subversion 
of  other  powers,  may:  terminate ;  and,  till  that  be  known,  the  applica¬ 
tion  of  the  transactions  of  our  own  age  to  the  events  predicted  in  Scrip¬ 
ture,  must  be  attended  with  a  great  degree  of  uncertainty.  Our  near¬ 
ness  to  the  objects,  likewise,  tends  to  magnify  them  to  us  ;  and  we  are 
apt  too  readily  to  conclude,  that  such  important  transactions  must  have 
a  prominent  [dace  in  prophecy.  But,  I  apprehend,  that  prophecy  (es¬ 
pecially  that  contained  in  this  book)  resembles  a  ntap  of  the  world,  on 
a  small  scale;  in  which  only  countries,  and  capital  cities,  and  some 


very  remarkable  places,  are  noticed  ;  so  that  they,  who  dwell  near  con¬ 
siderable  cities  and  large  towns,  are  disappointed  at  not  finding  them  in 
the  map.  Thus  the  events  of  a  century,  through  whole  continents,  be¬ 
ing  foretold  in  a  few  verses,  or  at  most  in  a  single  short  ch.  we  certainly 
shall  look  in  vain  for  many  transactions,  which  appear  to  us  of  very 
great  importance.  But  those  who  shall  come  after  us,  on  reviewing  the 
history  of  the  century,  or  the  continent,  and  comparing  it  with  the 
prophecy,  will  doubtless  perceive  a  sullicient  coincidence,  to  enable 
them  to  say,  ‘  Thus  it  was  written,  and  thus  it  must  be;’  yet,  probably, 
they  will  find  this  accomplishment  of  prophecy,  materially  differing 
from  what  the  most  sagacious  of  us  now  suppose.  Since  the  author  first 
printed  his  thoughts  on  this  book,  (in  1792,)  most  extraordinary  changes 
indeed  have  taken  place,  in  the  state  of  the  nations,  and  of  the  visible 
church  ,  which  he  doubts  not  will  be  found  accomplishments  of  the  pre¬ 
dictions  contained  in  it.  Many  books  also  have  been  written  on  the 
subject ;  several  of  which  he  has  considered,  and  means  further  to  con¬ 
sider,  and  to  make  such  use  of  as  he  is  able.  But  he  purposes  still  to 
adhere  to  his  former  plan  ;  and  to  be  very  cautious  and  general,  in  at¬ 
tempting  to  explain  what  has  not  hitherto  allowedly  been  fulfilled  ;  and 
merely  supplying  this  deficiency,  (if  it  be  one,)  by  a  few  quotations 
from  those  xvho  have  ventured  to  be  more  particular.  He  does  not  in¬ 
deed  write  for  the  learned.  These  may  and  will  consult  the  several  au¬ 
thors,  who  have  purposely  and  exclusively  treated  on  this  subject,  and 
judge  for  themselves;  nor  has  he  the  presumption  to  attempt  the  office 
of  an  umpire,  between  those  who  maintain  different  opinions  respecting 
it.  The  plan  and  method,  on  which  he  proceeds,  will  appear  to  the 
best  advantage,  in  the  notes  on  the  several  parts  of  the  prophecy ;  and  a 
general  analysis,  or  outline  of  the  whole,  will  be  more  properly  intro¬ 
duced  towards  the  conclusion,  than  at  the  beginning  of  the  book. 

Scott. 

t  List  of  writers  on  Rev.,  &c.  whose  works  are  in  the  hands  of  the 
Ed.  Bloomfield  (in  his  N.  T.),  Tong,  Scott,  Doddridge,  Vitringa,  Mede, 
Brightman,  More,  Allwood,  Woodhouse,  Dodd,  D’Oyley  and  Mant, 
Greenfield,  A.  Clarke,  Poole,  Assembly’s  Ann.,  Davenant,  Cox  (on  Dan.), 
Hurd,  Bp.  Newton,  I.  Newton  (on  Dan.),  Molinteus,  Rev.  Ethan  Smith, 
Whitby  on  the  Millennium,  Cogswell’s  Harbinger  of  do.,  Emerson  on  do., 
Bush  on  do.,  Lowman,  Gray,  Park,  Langdon,  Henry  and  Scott,  abr.,  by 
London  Tract  Society,  Durham, Wemyss’s  Symbol  Diet., Beverley,  Keith, 
Daubuz,  Croly,  Judge  Winthrop,  Townsend,  Faber,  Arc.,  &c.  GO  writers 
are  quoted  in  Henry  and  Scott,  tdir.  on  this  book.  The  5  principal  sys¬ 
tems  adopted  in  its  explication,  are  given  in  the  ‘  Guide  to  the  Study  of 
the  Bible,’  forming  part  of  the  ‘  Supplement  ’  to  this  Comprehensive  Com¬ 
mentary.  The  task  of  the  critic ,  says  lip.  Middleton,  scarcely  yields  in 
difficulty  to  that  of  the  expositor:  for,  as  Bl.  remarks,  the  textvs  reccplus 
is  in  a  worse  state  in  this,  than  in  any  other  book  of  the  Scriptures  : 
adding,  after  promising  a  more  full  work  on  Rev.  hpreafter,  that  in  his 
N.T.  he  himself  ‘  presents  as  correct  a  text  as  he  can,  from  the  use  of  all 
the  critical  materials  extant  :v  and  that  in  it  he  generally  and  sedulously 
notices  ‘any  differences  of  readings  adopted,  respectively,  in  the  stand¬ 
ard  texts  of  Bengel,  Wetstein,  Matthasi,  and  Griesbach  :  in  all  doubtful 
cases  the  text  of  Matth®i  being,  for  good  reasons,  preferred.’  Bl.  also 
bestows  ‘great  pains  on  the  punctuation.  All  these  corrections  of  the 
text,  which  are  of  any  importance,  will  be  noted  by  the  Editor.  Ed. 


A.  D.  95. 

CHAP.  I. 

A  John  writeth  his  revelation  to  the  seven  churches  of  Asia, 
signified  by  the  seven  golden  candlesticks.  7  The  coining 
of  Christ.  14  His  glorious  power  and  majesty. 

THE  Revelation  of  Jesus  Christ, 
which  God  gave  unto  him,  to 
shew  unto  his  servants  things  which 
must  shortly  come  to  pass  ;  and  he 
sent  and  signified  it  by  his  angel 
unto  his  servant  John  : 


Chap.  I.  V.  1,  2.  We  have, 

I.  The  pedigree  of  this  book. 

1.  It  is  the  revelation  of  Jesus  Christ  ;  the 


whole  Bible  is  so  ;  for  all  revelation  comes  1 
through  and  centres  in  Him.  Christ,  as 
King,  has  thus  far  let  his  church  know  by 
what  rules  and  methods  He  will  govern;  ; 
and,  as  Prophet,  He  has  made  known  the 
things  that  shall  be  hereafter.  I 

2.  It  is  a  revelation  God  gave  to  Christ. 
Though  Christ  is  Himself  God,  vet,  as  He 
sustains  the  office  of  Mediator  between  God 
and  man,  He  receives  his  instructions  from 
the  Father  ;  the  human  nature  of  Christ, 
though  endowed  with  the  greatest  sagacity, 
judgment,  and  penetration,  could  not,  in  a 
way  of  reason,  discover  these  great  events, 
which,  wholly  depending  on  the  will  of  God,  I 


Origination  of  the  book. 

could  he  the  object  only  of  divine  prescience, 
and  must  come  to  a  created  inind  only  by 
revelation. 

3.  This  revelation  Christ  sent  and  signi¬ 
fied  by  his  angel.  Observe,  here,  the  admir¬ 
able  order  of  divine  revelation.  God  gave 
it  to  Christ,  and  Christ  employed  an  angel 
to  communicate  it  lo  the  churches.  The 
angels  are  God’s  messengers  ;  ministering 
spirits  ;  Christ’s  servants  ;  principalities 
and  powers  all  worship  Him. 

4.  The  angel  signified  it  to  the  apostle 
John  ;  some  think  the  only  apostle  surviv¬ 
ing,  the  rest  having  sealed  their  testimony 
with  their  blood.  John  was  the  beloved  dis- 


NOTES.  Chap.  I.  V.  l,  2.  An  infinity  of  the  divine  designs  or  de-  complishment  of  them,  in  after  times,  might  demonstrate  the  truth  of 
crees  remain  impenetrably  concealed  in  the  mind  of  God,  till  the  event  the  Scriptures  to  every  diligent  inquirer.  {Note,  Deut. ,29:29.)  Ibis 
discovers  them,  but  He  has  seen  good  previously  to  make  known  some  book  was  therefore  called  ‘The  Revelation  of  Jesus  Christ,  because 
of  his  purposes  respecting  future  ages,  in  order  to  confirm  the  faith,  en-  its  principal  subject  is,  ‘A  previous  discovery  of  the  purpose*  ol  God, 
courage  the  hope,  and  enlarge  the  views  of  his  people,  and  that  the  ac-  respecting  the  affairs  of  the  church,  and  of  the  nations  as  connected 
N.  T.  VOL.  V.  84  [6b5J 


A.  D.  95. 


REVELATION,  I. 


The  apostolical  benediction. 


2  Who  bare  record  of  the  word 
of  God,  and  of  the  testimony  of 
Jesus  Christ,  and  of  all  things  that 
he  saw. 

3  Blessed  1  is  he  that  readeth,  and 
they  that  hear  the  words  of  this 
prophecy,  and  keep  those  things 
which  are  written  therein  :  for  the 
time  b  is  at  hand. 

4  JOHN  to  the  seven  echurch- 

es  which  are  in  Asia :  Grace 
be  unto  you,  and  peace,  from  him 
d  which  is,  and  which  was-,  and 
which  is  to  come  ;  and  from  the 
seven  c  Spirits  which  are  before  his 
throne  ; 

a  Lu.  11:28.  c  ver.  11.  e  Zee.  4:10 

b  Ja.  5:8.9.  d  ver.  8.  c.  3:1.  and  4.5. 

I  Pe.  4:7. 

ciple;  under  the  N.  T.,  us  Daniel  under  the 
Old,  a  man  greatly  beloved  ;  the  servant  of 
Christ;  an  apostle,  evangelist,  and  a  proph¬ 
et  ;  he  served  Christ  in  all  the  three  extra¬ 
ordinary  offices  of  the  church.  James  was 
an  apostle,  but  not  a  prophet  or  evangelist; 
Matthew  was  an  apostle  and  evangelist,  but 
not  a  prophet;  Luke  was  an  evangelist,  but 
neither  a  prophet  nor  apostle  ;  but  John  was 
all  three  ;  and  so  Christ  calls  him,  in  an 
eminent  sense,  his  servant  John. 

5.  John  was  to  deliver  this  revelation  to 
the  church;  to  all  his  servants,  not  only  ex¬ 
traordinary  servants  the  ministers,  but  all 
the  members  of  the  church;  all  have  a  right 
to  the  oracles  of  God,  and  all  have  their 
concern  in  them. 

II.  Here  we  have  the  subject-matter  of 
this  revelation,  namely,  the  things  that  must 
shortly  come  to  pass.  These  are  showed,  not 
in  the  clearest  light  in  which  God  could 
have  set  them,  but  in  such  a  light  as  He  saw 


most  proper,  and  which  would  best  answer 
his  wise  and  holy  purposes  ;  they  are  fore¬ 
told  more  darkly,  to  beget  veneration,  en¬ 
gage  attention,  and  excite  inquiry;  we  have 
in  this  revelation  a  general  idea  of  the 
methods  of  Divine  1’rovidence  and  govern¬ 
ment  in  and  about  the  church,  and  many 
good  lessons  may  be  learned  hereby.  These 
events,  it  is  said,  were  such  as  should  come 
to  pass  not  only  surely,  but  shortly  ;  i.  e. 
they  would  begin  to  come  to  pass  very  short¬ 
ly,  and  the  whole  would  be  accomplished  in 
a  short  time  ;  for  now  the  last  ages  of  the 
world  were  come,  [and  all  time  is  short 
compared  with  eternity.] 

III.  Here  is  an  attestation  of  the  pro¬ 
phecy,  v.  2.  John  bare  record.  It  is  ob¬ 
servable,  that  the  historical  books  of  the  O. 
Test,  have  not  always  the  name  of  the  his¬ 
torian  prefixed  to  them,  as  in  the  books  of 
Judges,  Kings,  Chronicles  ;  but  in  the  pro¬ 
phetical  books  the  name  is  always  prefixed, 
as  Isaiah,  Jeremiah,  &e.  So  in  the  N.  Test., 
John  did  not  prefix  his  name  to  his  first 
epistle,  yet  does  to  this  prophecy,  as  ready 
to  vouch  and  answer  for  the  truth  of  it;  and 
he  gives  us  not  only  his  name,  but  his  office. 
Nothing  recorded  in  this  revelation  was  his 
own  invention  or  imagination  ;  but  all  the 
record  of  God,  and  the  testimony  of  Jesus  ; 
and  as  he  added  nothing  to  it,  so  he  kept 
back  no  pant  of  the  counsels  of  God. 

V.  3 — 8.  We  have  here  an  apostolical 
benediction,  given  more  generally  and  more 
especially. 

I.  Mote  generally,  to  all  who  either  read 
or  hear  the  words  of  prophecy.  This  bles¬ 
sing  seems  to  be  pronounced  with  a  design 
to  encourage  us  to  study  this  book,  and  not  j 
weary  of  the  obscurity  of  many  things  in  it.  ; 
Observe,  It  is  a  blessed  privilege  to  enjoy  j 
the  oracles  of  God.  It  is  not  sufficient  to 
our  blessedness,  that  we  read  and  hear  the 
Scriptures,  but  we  must  keep  the  things  that 


are  written  ;  we  must  keep  them  in  our 
memories,  in  our  minds,  in  our  affections, 
and  in  practice,  and  we  shall  be  blessed  in 
the  deed.  The  nearer  we  come  to  the  ac¬ 
complishment  of  the  Scriptures,  the  greater 
regard  we  shall  give  to  them.  The  time  is 
at  hand,  and  we  should  be  so  much  the  more 
attentive  as  we  see  the  day  approaching. 

II.  More  especially,  and  particularly  to 
the  seven  Asian  churches,  v.  4.  These  are 
named,  v.  11.  and  distinct  messages  sent  to 
each  respectively  in  the  chs.  following.  The 
apostle’s  blessing  is  more  expressly  directed 
to  these,  because  nearest  to  him,  and  per¬ 
haps  under  his  peculiar  care  and  superin¬ 
tendency.  Here  observe, 

1.  His  blessing, — grace  and  peace,  holi¬ 
ness  and  comfort  :  grace,  i.  e.  the  good-will 
of  God  towards  us,  and  his  good  work  in 
us  ;  and  peace,  i.  e.  the  sweet  evidence  and 
assurance  of  this  grace. 

2.  Whence  it  is  to  come;  in  whose  name, 
— that  »f  God,  of  the  whole  Trinity.  And 
here, 

(1.)  The  Fatller  is  first  named  ;  which 
may  be  taken  either  essentially,  for  God  as 
God,  or  personally,  for  the  first  Person  in 
the  ever  blessed  Trinity,  the  God  and  Fa¬ 
ther  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  ;  and  He  is 
described  as  the  Jehovah  who  is,  and  who 
was,  and  who  is  to  come,  eternal,  unchange¬ 
able,  the  same  to  the  Old  Test,  church  which 
was,  and  to  the  New'  Test,  church  which 
is,  and  who  will  be  the  same  to  the  church 
triumphant  which  is  to  come. 

(2.)  The  lloly  Spirit,  called  the  serin 
spirits,  not  seven  in  number,  or  in  nature, 
but  the  infinite,  perfect  Spirit  of  God,  in 
whom  there  is  a  diversity  of  gifts  and  ope¬ 
rations. 

(3.)  The  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  He  men¬ 
tions  Him  after  the  Spirit,  because  lie  in¬ 
tended  to  enlarge  more  on  the  Person  of 
Christ,  as  God  manifested  in  the  flesh,  w  hom 


with  it,  from  the  time  when  it  was  given,  even  to  the  end  of  the  world.’ 
Signified.}  John  12:33.  18:32.  21:19.  Acts  11:28.  25:27.  In  whatever 
way  the  angel  was  employed,  doubtless  the  immediate  revelation  was 
made  by  the  Holy  Spirit,  and  not  by  any  creature. — The  angel  Gabriel, 
indeed,  brought  a  verbal  message  to  Daniel,  containing  an  extraordinary 
prophecy:  Dan.  9:21 — 27.  but  the  visions  and  revelations  of  this  book, 
were  not  verbal  messages.  9 — 11.  2:6,7.  4:1 — 3.  1  Cor.  2:10  — 13.  2  Pet. 
1:20,21.  Scott. 

(1  )  ‘A  human  spirit,  sent  from  heaven  <  :i  this  message,  as  well  an¬ 
swers  to  the  term  angel  here,  as  would  an  intelligence  of  a  superior  or- 
di-r.  And  some,  from  22:9.  have  thought  this  messenger  was  the  prophet 
Daniel,  sent  to  give  an  enlarged  view  of  his  own  former  prophecies.’ 
[Hut  see  the  original  Greek.  Ed.]  Rev.  IVruvx  (Smith. 

(2.)  Pare  record.  Hath  (herein)  solemnly  testified  an.!  recorded.  Eo. 

V.  3.  Nothing  tends  more  to  fortify  tile  mind  against  the  cavils  of 
infidels  and  skeptics,  or  the  incursions  of  unbelief,  or  to  produce  paiient 
hope  amidst  trials  and  difficulties,  than  the  observation  and  experience 
of  the  fulfilment  of  the  Scriptures,  in  the  events  which  take  place 
around  us  :  an  acquaintance  therefore  with  this  revelation,  concerning 
tiie  purposes  of  God,  respecting  his  church  to  the  end  of  time,  when 
connected  with  humility,  sobriety,  and  the  obedience  of  faith’  must 
greatly  conduce  to  the  Christian’s  stability,  constancy,  hope,  peace,  and 
patience.  It  must  exceedingly  enlarge  his  views  of  t be  great,  and  glo¬ 
rious,  and  stupendous  plan  of  the  Lord’s  providential  government  of  the 
world,  as  combined  with  t lie  redemption  of  mankind;  and  direct  or  en¬ 
courage  his  prayers,  for  those  prosperous  days  of  the  church,  in  which 
all  iter  tribulations  shall  terminate,  am!  animate  lr is  exertions  in  the 
glorious  cause.  It  also  must  greatly  conduce  to  reconcile  his  mind  to 
those  events,  which,  though  distressing  in  themselves,  form  a  part  of 
one  vast  design,  already  in  a  considerable  measure  accomplished,  and 
evidently  hastening  to  an  entire  completion,  to  tiie  eternal  glory  of  God 
our  Savior,  the  final  victory  of  his  cause  over  all  opposition,  and  tiie 
endless  felicity  of  all  his  faithful  servants.  Nay,  the  very  mysteries  and 
difficulties  of  this  book  are  wonderfully,  yet  inseparably,  united  with 
such  grand  and  interesting  discoveries  of  tiie  glory  of  God,  and  the  work 
and  worship  of  heaven,  as  are  peculiarly  suited  to  impress  with  awe, 
and  to  enliven  and  purify,  the  soul  of  Hie’  humble  and  attentive  render, 
even  when  he  cannot  discover  the  prophetic  meaning  of  the  passage. 
Nor  is  it  any  objection  to  say,  Tlctt  many  have  read  it  in  another  spirit, 
and  got  much  harm  by  it;  for  this  is  the  case  with  other  scriptures; 
especially  with  those  passages,  which  may  tie  called  ‘strong  meat,’  be¬ 
ing  peculiarly  strengthening  to  tiie  faith,  love,  and  gratitude  of  such  as 
can  digest  them  ;  though  not  suitable  nourishment  for  babes,  and  even 
capable  of  being  turned  into  a  fatal  poison,  liy  tiie  vicious  affections  of 
a  proud  and  carnal  mind.  Heb.  5:11—14.  2  Pet.  3:H— 16.— The  reasons 
which  induce  infidels  anti  profane  ‘  mockers,  xvho  walk  according  to 
their  own  ungodly  lusts,’  to  deride  all  attempts  towards  evplaining’this 
propheev,  arc  obvious;  for  so  much  of  it  lias  most  manifestly  been  al¬ 
ready  fulfilled,  as  must  for  ever  ruin  their  enu-e,  could  the  attention  of 
men  be  drawn  to  the  subject,  in  proportion  to  its  vast  importance  ;  and 
no  part  of  Scripture  more  awfully  denounces  tiie  doom  of  all  impenitent 
sinners,  and  all  op  posers  of  the  Gospel  But  pious  mpn  could  never 
have  been  led  to  object  to  the  study  of  it.  as  some  have  done,  in  strong, 
nav,  rather  contemptuous  language;  had  not  the  misconduct  of  many 
[666] 


in  litis  respect  tilled  them  with  prejudice,  and  formed  an  association,  in 
their  minds,  of  ideas  which  have  no  necessary  relation  to  each  other. 
The  Lord  giant,  that  the  writer  and  the  readers  of  the  present  attempt, 
to  render  this  mysterious  book  more  intelligible  and  instructive  to 
■Christians  in  general,  may  rdly  on  and  pray  for  the  participation  of  the 
blessing  here  promised,  in  every  part  of  their  progress  through  it ;  that, 
in  faith,  humility,  reverence,  and  expectation  of  great  advantage,  they 
may  read,  hear,  meditate  on,  and  keep,  the  things  which  are  written  in 
it;  ‘for  tiie  time  is  at  hand,’  when  the  further  accomplishment  ofjhem 
will  render  them  so  plain,  that  they  shall  no  longer  be  either  neglected 
or  misunderstood.  Scott. 

(3.)  Readeth,  &c.]  ‘This  refers  to  the  ancient  custom  when  books 
were  scarce,  for  some  one  to  read  to  a  considerable  number  of  listeners. 
— Time.]  I.  e.  of  their  being,  or  beginning  to  be  fulfilled.’  Bloomf. 

V.  -1 — G.  From  Him  which  is,  <S:c.]  The  original  is  peculiar,  perhaps 
unexampled,  and  almost,  if  not  absolutely  incapable  of  an  exact  lr.,  the 
preposition  governing  tile  genitive  case  of  the  article,  and  yet  all  the 
subsequent  words  being  in  the  nominative.  It  is  supposed  to  refer  to 
the  name  of  God  revealed  to  Moses,  and  with  a  similar  disregard  to  the 
ordinnrv  rules  of  grammar.  Er.  3:14.  John  8:54 — 59. — Tilts  is  here 
especially  meant  of  the  Person  of  the  Father.  8 — 11.  22:13.  Heb.  13:7, 

8 _ As  •  the  One  true  and  living  God  ’  communicates  blessings  to  sinful 

man,  through  tiie  mediation  of  the  incarnate  Son,  and  by  the  nger.r;  i  f 
tiie  etc.  nal  Spirit  ;  it  is  almost  unavoidable,  under  such  an  ccoitonr  .  to 
speak  of  tiie  Father  in  tiie  absolute  style  of  Deity,  and  of  the  Son  nisi  tie 
Spirit  with  relation  to  their  assumed  characters  and  offices,  though  in 
language  evidently  implying  a  participation  in  all  divine  pe.rfeetioi  s, 
ami  co-equality  with  the  Father,  in  their  original  and  essential  nature 
and  dignity. — The  seven  Spirits,  & c.]  This  Is  genet  ally,  ami  doubtless 
justl  ■/,  interpreted  of  ‘  tiie  divine  Spirit,’  with  respect  to  the  abundance, 
sufficiency,  and  variety  of  it  is  gifts,  graces,  and  operations;  and  in  relation 
to  ‘  the  seven  churches,’  with  each  of  which,  and  all  others,  the  One  and 
seir  ame  Spirit  dwelt,  as  tiie  Fountain  of  life,  grace,  and  peace;  being 
omnipresent  and  omnipotent,  and  One  with  the  Father  and  the  Son, 
‘  God  over  all,  blessed  for  evermore.’  3:1 — 3.  5:5 — 7.  This  manner  of 
expression  well  accords  with  the  enigmatical  or  emblematic  style  of 
this  hook  ;  and  it  is  absurd  to  suppose  any  created  spirits  to  be  joined,  in 
this  solemn  benediction,  with  the  eternal  Father,  and  Jesus  Christ  the 
Son  cf  the  Father;  and  indeed  it  would  fully  sanction  the  worship  of 
created  angels.  Mat.  28:19,20.  2  Cor.  13:11 — 14.— This  declaration  of 
the  Redeemer’s  sovereignty  over  all  ‘  tiie  kings  of  the  earth,’  xvas  a 
proper  introduction  to  the  prophecies  which  were  about  to  be  delivered, 
of  the  opposition  which  would  he  made  to  his  cause,  and  his  final  tri¬ 
umph  over  all  his  enemies.  11:15 — 18.  17:9 — 11.  19:11 — 16.  ps.  2:7 — 
12.  72:8 — 11.  89:19 — 37.  Pr.  8:15,  16.  Animated  with  a  view  of  the 
glory  of  his  beloved  Lord,  and  contrasting  it  with  the  vuslness  of  his 
condescension,  and  the  depth  of  his  set. -abasement ;  the  inspired  writer 
broke  out  in  adoring  praises,  ‘to  Him  who,’  great  and  glorious  as  He 
was,  ‘Imd  loved  them,’  when  defiled  with  the  loathsome -stains  of  guilt 
ami  sin,  nnd  when  deserving  the  final  wrath  of  God  ;  and  w  hose  love  had 
been  so  immense,  that  He  hud  ‘  washed  them  from  their  sins  in  his  own 
blood,’  which  He  had  willingly  sited  on  the  cross,  to  make  satisfaction 
in  divine  justieix  and  to  procure  all  the  blrssii  g*  of  salvation  for  them. 
The  apostle  a.-eribed  unto  Christ,  personally,  the  glory  nnd  dominion 


A.  D.  95. 


REVELATION,  I. 


Glory  and  dominion  ascribed  to  Christ, 


5  And  from  Jesus  Christ,  who  is 
the  faithful  r  witness,  and  the  *  first- 
begotten  of  the  dead,  and  the  prince 
of  the  kings  of  the  earth.  Unto 
him  th at  loved  11  us,  and  washed  1  us 
from  our  sins  in  his  own  blood, 

(j  And  hath  made  us  >  kings  and 
priests  unto  God  and  his  Father; 
to  him  k  be  glory  and  dominion  for 
ever  and  ever.  Amen. 

7  Behold,  he  cometh  with  ’clouds; 
and  every  eye  shall  see  him,  and 
they  m  also  which  pierced  him:  and 
all  kindreds  of  the  earth  shall  wail  n 
because  of  him.  Even  °so,  Amen. 

8  I  fam  Alpha  and  Omega,  the 
beginning  and  the  ending,  saith  the 
Lord,  which  is,  and  which  was,  and 
which  is  to  come,  the 


i  Almighty. 


f  Ju.  8:11. 
Col.  1:18. 


e  (Jol.  1:13 
h  Ju.  13:1. 
i  He.  9.14 
J  Ex.  19:6.  - 

he  had  seen  dwelling 


1  Pe.  2:5-9, 
k  He  18  i 
1  I)a.  7:13. 
Mat.  26:64. 


m  Zee.  12:10. 
n  Mat.  24*301 
o  c.  22:20. 
p  Is.  41:4. 
q  Is.  9:6. 

on  earth  before,  and 
glorious  form.  Ob- 


now  saw  again,  in  a 
serve  this  particular  account  of  Christ,  v.  5. 

[1.]  He  is  the  faithful  Witness  ;  from 
eternity  a  Witness  to  all  the  counsels  of 


God,  John  11:18.  and  in  time  a  faithful 
Witnesf  to  the  revealed  will  of  God,  who 
has  now  spoken  to  us  by  his  Son  ;  on  his 
testimony  we  may  safely  depend,  for  He  is 
faithful,  cannot  be  deceived,  cannot  deceive. 

[2.]  He  is  the  First-begotten  or  First-born 
from  the  dead,  or  the  first  Parent  and  Head 
of  the  resurrection,  the  only  one  who  raised 
Himself  by  his  own  power,  and  who  will, 
by  the  same  power,  raise  up  his  people  from 
their  graves  to  everlasting  honor  ;  for  He 
has  begotten  them- again  to  a  lively  hope  by 
his  resurrection. 

[3.]  H  e  is  the  Prince  of  the  kings  of  the 
earth  ;  from  Him  they  have  their  authority; 
by  Him  their  power  is  limited,  and  their 
wrath  restrained  ;  by  Him  their  counsels 
are  overruled,  and  to  Him  they  are  account¬ 
able.  This  is  good  news  to  the  church,  and 
it  is  good  evidence  of  the  Godhead  of  Christ, 
who  is  King  of  kings  and  Lord  of  lords. 

[4.]  He  is  the  great  Friend  of  his  church 
and  people  ;  one  who  has  done  great  things 
for  them,  and  this  out  of  pure,  disinterest¬ 
ed  affection;  W  ashed  them  from  their  sins  in 
his  own  blood.  Sins  leave  a  stain  on  the  soul, 
and,  rather  than  it  should  not  be  washed  out, 
Christ  was  willing  to  shed  his  own  blood,  to 
purchase  pardon  and  purity  for  them.  He 
lias  made  them  kings  and  priests  to  God  and 
his  Father.  Having  justified  and  sanctified 


them,  He  makes  them  kings  to  his  Fa¬ 
ther  ;  that  is,  in  bis  Father’s  account, 
with  bis  approbation,  and  for  bis  glory. 
He  hath  made  them  priests  ;  given  them 
access  to  God,  enabled  them  to  enter  into 
the  holiest,  and  to  offer  spiritual  and  accep¬ 
table  sacrifices;  He  has  given  them  an  unc¬ 
tion  suitable  to  ibis  character;  and  for  these 
high  honors  and  favors  they  are  bound  to 
ascribe  to  Him  dominion  and  glory  for  ever. 

[5.J  He  will  be  the  Judge  of  the  world, 
i'.  7.  This  book,  the  Revelation,  begins 
and  ends  with  a  prediction  of  the  second 
coming  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  We 
should  set  ourselves  to  meditate  frequently 
on  the  second  coming  of  Christ,  and  keep  it 
in  the  eye  of  our  faith  and  expectation. 
John  speaks  as  if  be  saw  that  day  ;  Behold 
He  cometh.  He  shall  come,  to  the  terror  of 
those  who  pierced  Him  and  have  not  re¬ 
pented  ;  and  of  all  who  have  wounded  and 
crucified  Him  afresh  by  their  apostasy  from 
Iliin  ;  He  shall  come,  to  the  astonishment 
of  the  pagan  world.  For  He  comes  to  take 
vengeance  on  those  who  know  not  God,  as 
well  as  on  those  that  obey  not  the  Gospel  of 
Christ. 

[6.]  This  account  of  Christ  is  rat  ified  and 
confirmed  by  Himself,  v.  8.  Here  our  Lord 
Jesus  justly  challenges  the  same  honor  and 
power  that  is  ascribed  to  the  Father,  v.  4. 


for  ever  and  ever;  Phil.  2:9 — 11.  2  Pet.  3:17,18.  and  in  thus  ‘honoring  the 
Soil,’  he  especially  ‘honored  the  Father  that  sent  Him,’  as  all  do,  who 
cordially  add,  Amen.  Jn.  5:20 — 23.  Some,  indeed,  apply  the  doxology  to 
the  Father ;  hut  the  construction  is  by  no  means  so  obvious  and  natural.  S. 

(4.)  .Jsia.]  ‘The  Lydian  or  Proconsular  Asia,  is  said  to  have  con¬ 
tained  500  great  cities,  at  that  time.  Of  these,  Ephesus,  Smyrna,  and 
Pergamos,  contended  for  pre-eminence. — Seven. ]  A  number  frequently 
and  symbolically  used  in  this  book  [‘  where  we  find  at  least  7  septen- 
aries  ’]  :  as  7  Spirits,  angels,  seals,  trumpets,  vials,  heads,  &c.  In 
which  passages,  for  the  most  part,  as  in  others  of  Scripture,  this  number 
appears  to  represent  a  large,  complete,  yet  undefined  quantity.  Thus, 
at  1  S.  2:5.  it  means  a  large  but  indefinite  number;  and  God  threatens  to 
punish  Israel  7  times,  i.  e.  very  completely  and  severely.  In  Jleb.  ety¬ 
mology,  it  signifies  fulness  and  perfection.  (Daubuz.)  Philo  styles  it, 
tclesphoros,  the  completing  number;  and  so  Cyprian.  It  was  thus  im¬ 
portant  with  the  Israelites,  because  God,  having  completed  his  work  of 
creation  in  0  days,  and  added  thereto  the  7th,  a  day  of  rest,  commanded 
them,  in  memorial  thereof,  10  reckon  time  by  sevens.  Through  tile  Ori¬ 
entals,  this  computation  passed  to  the  Greeks  and  Romans.  By  the  7. 
churches  of  Asia,  are  implied  [also]  all  the  churches  of  Asia,  and,  it  may 
be,  all  the  Christian  churches,  in  whatever  situation  or  period  of  the 
world.  So  the  most  ancient  cointrs.  who  lived  near  the  time  of  the  Rev. 
See  Andreas  Ccesnriensis,  Arethas,  Victorious,  Cyprian,  ifcc.  who  pro¬ 
fess  to  follow  them.  These  particular  churches  being  now  sunk,  all  the 
Christian  churches  at  this  day,  and  to  the  end  of  time,  inherit  the  pro¬ 
phetic  knowledge  revealed,  the  advice  given,  the  threntonings  de¬ 
nounced,  and  the  blessings  promised,  by  their  divine  Lord.’  WooDH. — 
lit.,  rejects  the  Theou  of  some  MSS.  but  would  retain  the  article,  trans¬ 
lating,  ‘  the  I  am,’  &c.  Seven.]  ‘  Wo/Jius  fully  and  ably  maintains  the 
interpretation  (Scott  gives),  as  does  i’oole ;  from  whose  statements  it 
is  evident  it  was  so  understood  by  ancients  and  moderns,  till  the  middle 
of  the  18th  cent.  This  old  and  preferable  view  is  also  maintained  by  Dean 
IVoodh.ouse,  and  Dr.  Fye  Smith.'  Bl.  ‘  In  the  eastern  style,  the  perfec¬ 
tion  of  any  quality  is  expressed,  by  the  application  of  the  number  7, 
which  came  to  be  regarded  as  a  dignified  and  sacred  number.  Thus,  this 
expression  conveys  to  us  the  representation  of  the  One  Divine  Person, 
called  in  Scripture  the  Holy  Spirit,  in  his  own  original  anti  infinite  per¬ 
fections,  in  the  consummate  wisdom  of  his  operations,  and  tiie  gracious 
munificence  of  his  gifts'  Pye  Smith. 

(5.)  Seven  Spirits.]  ‘  No  other  power  can  be  here  intended  but  that 
perfect,  universal,  holy  Spirit  of  God,  which  proceeds  from  the  Father 
anti  the  Son,  and,  in  the  form  offire,  descended  upon  the  apostles  at  the 
great  day  of  Pentecost.  There  is  a  striking  resemblance  in  “  the  cloven 
tongues,  like  as  of  fire,”  to  the  lights  beaming  from  [the  rag,  or  unsup¬ 
ported  wick,  laid  carelessly  in]  oil,  on  the  branches  of  the  lamp  hearer, 
[as  was  and  is  still  the  custom  in  those  countries.]’  Woodh. 

(6  )  Kings.]  Bl,  reads  kingdoms,  i.  e.  people,  priests,  &c.  Ed. 

V.  7.  The  prophecy  of  this  book  principally  relates  to  the  opposition, 
which,  in  one  form  or  other,  would  be  made  to  the  cause  of  Christ,  the 
temporary  success  of  his  enemies,  and  his  final  triumph  over  them  all ; 
and  therefore,  at  the  very  opening  of  it,  the  reader’s  attention  is  called 
to  that  great  day,  when  these  scenes  will  be  dosed,  and  when  all  will 
see  the  wisdom  and  happiness  of  the  friends  of  Christ,  and  the  madness 
and  misery  of  his  enemies.  The  intervening  space  would  soon  pass 
away,  and  it  might  even  then  be  said,  ‘He  cometh!’  Jude  14 — 16. 
Then,  all  nations,  being  raised  from  the  dead,  will  be  gathered  before  his 
tribunal,  and  ‘every  eye  shall  see  Him,’  in  human  nature,  exercise  om¬ 
nipotence,  omniscience,  and  all  divine  perfections,  who  once  lay  pros¬ 
trate  in  unknown  agony  at  Gethsemane,  and  was  numbered  with  male¬ 
factors  on  mount  Calvary  !  Then,  they  especially,  ‘who  pierced  Him,’ 
shall  he  compelled  to  witness  his  glory,  as  well  as  to  feel  the  power  of 
his  avenging  indignation.  Zech.  12:9—14.  John  19:31—37.  Judas  the 
traitor,  Caiapltas  and  the  chief  priests,  ‘Herod  and  his  men  of  war,’  Pi¬ 
late  and  his  soldiers,  xvith  all  concerned  in  his  condemnation  and  cruci¬ 
fixion,  and  those  in  every  age,  who,  by  their  infidelity,  apostasy,  perse¬ 
cutions,  heresies,  and  daring  crimes,  have  ‘  crucified  Him  afresh,  and  put 
Him  to  open  shame,’  shall  then  with  unutterable  terror  behold  Him, 
preparing  to  pronounce  and  execute  the  righteous  sentence  of  their 
eternal  condemnation.  And,  as  ‘all  the  kindreds  of  the  earth,’  through 


successive  generations,  hitherto  have  combined  in  opposing,  despising, 
perverting,  or  neglecting  Him  and  his  great  salvation,  with  the  excep¬ 
tion  only  of  a  small  remnant,  so  will  they  at  that  time  ‘  wail  because  of 
Hint,’  in  horror  and  despair;  for  neither  their  numbers  nor  their  power 
can  defend  them  from  his  omnipotent  vengeance.  0:15 — 17.  The  apos¬ 
tle,  however,  assured  of  the  justice  of  these  awful  proceedings,  and 
knowing  that  then  the  redemption  of  all  true  Christians  will  be' com¬ 
pleted,  subjoined  to  this  awful  declaration,  1  Even  so,  Amen,’  ‘  Thus  let 
all  thine’  implacable  ‘enemies  perish,  O  Lord.’  22:18 — 21  —  /Fail.] 
18:9.  Mat.  11:17.  24:30.  Luke  23:27. — The  word  signifies  to  cut,  or 
smile;  Mat.  21:8.  and  is  used  figuratively  for  wail,  or  lament. — ‘They 
shall  smite  themselves,’  i.  e.  on  their  breasts,  [face,  &c.]  Scott. — Comp, 
notes,  Gen.  50:10.  and  31:27.  Ed. 

(7.)  ‘  it  will  be  a  day  of  lamentation  and  woe  to  all  the  enemies  of 

Christ ;  but  a  day  of  joyful  exultation  and  triumph  to  all  his  faithful  fol¬ 
lowers.  He  will  own  them  ns  his,  and  openly  acquit  them  in  the  judg¬ 
ment.  And  oh  !  what  sovereign  and  unmerited  grace  will  then  appear  ! 
When  the  saints  shall  reflect,  that  the  awful  sentence  now  passed  on 
the  wicked,  was  deserved  by  themselves  as  richly  as  by  the  vilest  of 
them;  when  they  think  on  that  love  which  made  the  difference,  and  on 
that  precious  blood  which  washed  them  from  their  sins,  and  delivered 
them  from  this  wrath  ;  what  transports  of  joy,  love,  and  gratitude  will 
fill  their  souls!  liossuet  pertinently  observes:  “In  tbe  gospel  of 
Joltn,  we  read  the  life  of  Christ  on  earth  ;  and  we  there  sec  a  Man  con¬ 
versing  with  men,  humble,  weak,  and  suffering :  we  behold  a  sacrifice 
ready  to  tie  offered  by  One  appointed  to  sorrows  and  death  •.  but  in  the 
book  of  Revelation  by  John,  we  have  the  Gospel  of  Christ,  now  raised 
from  the  dead.  He  speaks  and  acts  as  having  conquered  the  grave,  and 
triumphed  over  death  and  hell,  and  so  having  entered  into  the  place  of 
It  is  glory,  angels,  principalities,  and  powers  being  made  subject  to  Him  ; 
and  exercising  the  supreme,  universal  power  He  has  received  from  Hie 
Father,  to  protect  bis  church,  and  ensure  the  happiness  of  his  faithful 
servants  to  the  end.”  ’  W.  Jones. 

(7.1  ‘The  Jews,  descendants  of  the  tribes  of  the  holy  land ,  continu¬ 
ing  their  fathers’  rejection  of  Christ,  seem  more  particularly  described 
here.’  Woodh. — ‘Here  is  prefixed  the  great  moral,  which  the  whole 
book  is  designed  to  illustrate;  namely,  that  though  there  should  be 
great  opposition  made  against  the  kingdom  of  Christ,  it  should  ultimate¬ 
ly  ami  illustriously  triumph.  Comp.  22:20.’  Dormn. 

V.  8.  As  the  Lord  Jesus  was  evidently  spoken  of  in  the  preceding  v. 
it  is  obvious  to  conclude,  that  1  the  Lord,’  who  speaks  in  this,  is  the 
same. Person ;  nor  can  any  sufficient  reason  be  assigned,  why  it  should 
be  understood  of  ‘the  Father’  personally  ;  except  that  men  are  reluc¬ 
tant  ‘  to  honor  the  Son,  even  as  they  ’  ought  to  ‘  honor  the  Father  that 
sent  Him.’  The  whole  vision  related  to  Christ,  from  whom  immedi¬ 
ately  the  revelation  was  given ;  1,2.  most  of  the  expressions  here  used, 
or  others  equivalent  to  them,  are  nfterwnrds  spoken  by  Him,  and  con¬ 
cerning  Himself,  and  the  construction  and  arrangement  of  this  passage, 
and  the  context,  would  be  very  intricate,  if  we  were  to  suppose  the  Fa¬ 
ther  to  be  the  Speaker. — The  Lord  Jesus,  therefore,  here  declared,  ‘  that 
lie  is  the  Alpha  and  the  Omega,’  which  are  the  names  of  the  first  and 
the  last  letters  in  the  Greek  alphabet,  the  language  in  which  the  apostle 
xvrote.  This  implies,  that  He  is  the  First  Cause  ami  the  Last  End,  the 
Author  and  Finisher  of  all  things,  in  creation,  providence,  and  redemp¬ 
tion  ;  ‘  the  Beginning  and  the  Ending,’  the  Source  of  existence,  of  life, 
ofholiness,  and  of  felicity,  and  the  Completion  of  them,  in  every  sense, 
and  in  all  respects.—1  Who  is,  and  who  was,  and  who  is  to  come,’  as 
One  with  the  eternal  Father;  4 — 6.  ‘the  Almighty,’  the  omnipotent 
and  sovereign  Ruler  of  all  worlds,  by  and  ‘  for  whom  all  things  were 
made,  and  by  whom  all  things  consist.’ — No  words  can  more  strongly 
express  eternal  power  and  Godhead,  than  these  do.  9  11.  22:13.  //te 

Almighty.]  'Ho  pantokratur.  4:8.  11.17.  15:3.  16:14.  1J:6  2  :Zl. 

2  r 


emploved  to  represent  the  Ileb.  name  Jehovah.  Other  evplanntoiy 
terms  are  added  by  the  writer,  under  the  divine  guidance,  thus  fully ,  <  e- 
fining  the  meaning  of  the  word,  and  not  leaving  it  under  any  un 


A.  D.  05. 


REVELATION,  F. 


The  apostle’s  vision  of  Jesus  Christ. 


9  I  John,  who  also  am  your 
brother,  and  companion  in  tribula¬ 
tion,  and  in  the  kingdom  and  pa¬ 
tience  of  Jesus  Christ,  was  in  the 
isle  that  is  called  Patinos,  for  the 
word  of  God,  and  for  the  testimony 
of  Jesus  Christ. 

10  I  was  in  the  r  Spirit  on  the 
*  Lord’s  day,  and  heard  behind  me 
a  great  voice,  as  of  a  trumpet, 

11  Saying,  I  am  Alpha  and  Ome¬ 
ga,  the  first  and  the  last:  and,  What 
thou  seest,  write  in  a  book,  and 
send  it  unto  the  seven  churches 
which  arc  in  Asia  ;  unto  ‘Ephesus, 
and  unto  u  Smyrna,  and  unto  v  Per- 
gainos,  and  unto  w  Thyatira,  and 
unto  x  Sardis,  and  unto  *  Philadel 
phia,  and  unto  z  Laodicea. 

12  And  I  turned  to  see  the  voice 
that  spake  with  me.  And  being 
turned,  I  sawseven  “golden  candle¬ 


sticks. 

r  2  Co.  12:2. 
s  Jn.  20:26.  Ac. 

20:7.  I  Co.  16:2. 
t  c.  2:1. 


u  c.  2:8  y  c.  3:7. 

v  c.  2:12.  z  c.  3:14. 

w  c.  2:18.  a  Ex.  25:37. 

x  c.  3:1.  Zee.  4:2. 


lie  is  the  Beginning  and  the  End  ;  all  things 
are  from  Him  and  for  Him  ;  He  is  the  Al¬ 


mighty  ;  He  is  the  same  eternal  and  un¬ 
changed  One.  And  surely,  whosoever  pre¬ 
sumes  to  blot  out  one  character  of  this  name 
of  Chris!,  deserves  to  have  his  name  blotted 
out  of  the  book  of  life.  Them  that  honor 
II  im,  He  will  honor  ;  but  they  who  despise 
H  im,  shall  be  lightly  esteemed. 

V.  9 — 20.  Here  is  the  glorious  vision 
the  apostle  had  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ, 
when  He  came  to  deliver  him  this  revela¬ 
tion. 

I.  The  account  of  the  person  favored  with 
this  vision.  He  describes  himself, 

1.  By  his  present  state  and  condition, 
v.  9.  He  was,  at  this  time,  as  the  rest  of 
true  Christians  were,  a  persecuted  man, 
banished,  and  perhaps  imprisoned,  for  his 
adherence  to  Christ.  He  was  their  brother, 
though  an  apostle  ;  he  seems  to  value  him¬ 
self  on  his  relation  to  the  church,  rather 
than  his  authority'  in  it.  By  this  account  he 
gives  of  his  present  state,  he  acknowledges 
his  engagements  to  sympathize  with  them, 
and  to  endeavor  to  give  them  counsel  and 
comfort  ;  and  bespeaks  their  more  careful 
attention  to  what  he  had  to  say  to  them  from 
Christ  their  common  Lord. 

2.  By  tlie  place  where  he  was  when  favor¬ 
ed  with  this  vision, — in  the  isle  Patmos  ;  he 
does  not  say  who  banished  him  thither  ;  it 
becomes  Christians  to  speak  sparingly  and 
modestly  of  their  own  sufferings.  Patmos 


is  one  of  the  Cyclades,  about  35  miles  in 
compass  ;  but  under  ibis  confinement  it  was 
the  apostle’s  comfort  that  he  did  not  suffer 
as  an  evil-doer,  but  that  it  was  for  the  testi¬ 
mony  of  Jesus,  for  bearing  witness  to  Christ 
as  the  Immanuel,  the  Savior.  This  was  a 
cause  worth  suffering  for  ;  and  the  Spirit 
of  glory  and  of  God  rested  on  this  persecuted 
apostle. 

3.  The  day  and  time  in  which  lie  had 
this  vision, — the  Lord’s  day;  the  day  Christ 
had  set  apart  for  Himself,  as  the  Eucha¬ 
rist  is  called  the  Lord’s  Supper.  Surely  this 
can  be  no  other  than  the  Christian  Sab¬ 
bath  ;  the  first  day  of  the  week,  to  be  ob¬ 
served  in  remembrance  of  the  resurrection 
of  Christ.  Let  us  who  call  Him  our  Lord. , 
honor  Him  on  his  own  day, — the  day  which 
the  Lord  hath  made,  and  in  which  we  ought 
to  rejoice. 

4.  The  frame  his  soul  was  in  at  this  time; 
he  was  in  the  Spirit  ;  not  only  when  he  receiv¬ 
ed  the  vision,  but  before  be  received  it  ;  he 
was  in  a  serious,  heavenly,  spiritual  frame, 
under  the  blessed,  gracious  influences  of  the 
Spirit  of  God.  God  usually  prepares  tire 
souls  of  his  people  for  uncommon  manifesta¬ 
tions  of  Himself,  by  the  quickening,  sancti¬ 
fying  influences  of  his  good  Spirit.  Those 
who  would  enjoy  communion  with  God  on 
the  Lord’s  day,  must  endeavor  to  abstract 
their  thoughts  and  affections  from  flesh  and 


ty.’  Tilloch. — ‘The  sense  is  very  applicable  to  God,  the  Father,  as 
most  recent  comtrs.  interpret  (to  which  purpose  similar  expressions 
are  cited  from  the  classical  and  rabbinical  writers)  ;  but  the  context, 
(see  v.  7,  17,  18.  and  2:8.)  plainly  shows,  that  it  is  applied  to  God  the 
Soil,  who,  indeed,  applies  those  titles  to  Ilimseif,  21:6.  22:13.  which 
fully  establishes  the  Deity  of  Christ.’  Bloomf. 

V.  9 — 11.  It  is  recorded,  that  he  [the  apostle]  was  confined  to  the 
mines,  and  compelled  to  labor  in  them,  [a  most  miserable  condition, 
note,  Is.  end,]  notwithstanding  the  infirmities  of  his  extreme  old  age. — 
While  in  tills  situation,  ‘  he  was  in  the  Spirit,’  or  brought  under  tile  im¬ 
mediate  impulse  of  the  Spirit  of  prophecy,  as  Ezekiel,  Daniel,  and  oth¬ 
ers  had  been,  when  favored  with  visions  of  the  Almighty.  (Note,  4:1 — 

3.)  This  [/  was  in  the  Spirit,  &c.]  is  conclusive  proof,  that  the  first  day 
was  set  apart,  and  kept  holy,  by  the  primitive  Christians,  in  commemo¬ 
ration  of  that  great  event  [the  resurrection  of  Christ],  for  oil  what  oilier 
account  could  it  have  been  thus  mentioned  t  Jn.  20:19 — 23.  Acts  10:7 
—12. —  They  [Alpha  and  Omega,  &c]  (6)  must  here  be  understood  of 
Christ,  and  this  is  an  additional  reason  for  interpreting  the  others  of 
Him.!  and  the  immediate  recurrence  of  them,  in  this  connexion,  gives 
energy  to  the  arguments  drawn  from  them.  But  if  any  should  still  be 
disposed  to  understand  the  foregoing  passage  of  the  Father;  they  cannot 
but  admit, that  Christ  and  the  Father  are  One  ;  for  otherwise,  how  can  it 
be  conceived  that  Christ  would  have  used  the  same  words  of  Himself, 
which  had  just  before  been  spoken  by  the  Father,  as  descriptive  of  his 
eternal  Godhead  l  So  that,  on  either  interpretation,  they  are  conclusive, 
in  respect  to  the  Deity  of  Christ.. — The  voice  then  ordered  John  to  write 
what  he  saw,  in  a  book,  and  send  it  to  the  seven  churches  in  Asia,  which 
..  .  seems  to  confirm  the  ancient  tradition  of  John’s  having  resided  and 
labored  at  Ephesus,  and  in  that  vicinity,  for  a  considerable  time  before 
his  banishment  to  Patmos. — (10)  The  Lord's  day.}  Kuriakc  is  an  adjec¬ 
tive  from  Kurins,  Lord.  1  Cor.  11:20. — Tiie  first  day  of  the  week  is  ‘  the 
Lord’s  day,’  as  the  Eucharist  is  ‘  the  Lord’s  supper,’  anti  to  lie  distin¬ 
guished  from  other  days,  as  that  from  other  meals.  Scott. 

(9  )  Bt.  suspects  ‘  St.  John  wrote,  in  the  tribulation  and  patience  and 
kingdom;’  and  he  remarks,  that  2  Tim.  2:12.  is  the  best  comment  on  the 
passage.  Bo. 

(10.)  ‘As  to  the  change  of  the  Sabbath  from  the  7th  to  the  1st  day  of 
the  week;  the  prophet  Isaiah,  predicting  the  mission  of  Christ  on  earth, 
as  a  rod  from  the  stem  of  Jesse,  Is.  IT.  says,  ‘‘his  rest  shall  be  glo¬ 
rious  :”  in  tbe  Heb.  “  His  Sabbath  shall  be  glorious:”  Christ  then  should 
imve  a  special,  and  a  glorious  Sabbath.  The  psalmist,  predicting  the 
rejection  of  Christ,  and  his  yet  becoming  the  Head  of  the  corner,  as  He 
did,  indeed,  by  his  resurrection  from  the  dead,  says,  “This  is  the  day 
which  tile  Lord  hath  made;  we  will  be  glad  and  rejoice  in  it.”  Ps.  113. 
These  prophecies,  it  is  thought,  give  the  change  of  the  Sabbath  from  the 
7th  day  of  the  week,  as  kept  by  the  Jews,  to  l he  first  day,  to  be  kept  by 
Christians.  Accordingly,  our  Lord  made  special  visits  to  his  disciples, 
after  his  resurrection,  on  the  1st  day  of  the  week.  See  Jn.  20:19 — 29. 
where  the  1st  day  of  the  week  is  repeatedly  noted  as  the  time  of  the 
gracious  visits  of  Christ  to  his  disciples,  as  well  as  the  day  of  their  con¬ 
vocations  for  his  worship.  Paul,  at  Troas,  waited  some  time  for  tile  ar¬ 
rival  of  the  1st  day  of  the  week,  when  Christiana  would  convene,  that- 
he  might  preach  to  them.  And  to  the  Corinthians,  Paul  gave  directions 
for  their  performance  of  their  charities  and  pious  donations  on  that  holy 
day.  These,  together  with  the  testimony  in  our  text,  of  John’s  being  in 
the  Spirit  on  this  day,  and  having  on  this  day  his  Revelation,  afford  am¬ 
ple  testimony  to  the  divinity  of  the  change  of  the  Sabbath  from  the  7th 
to  i he  1st  day  of  the  week.  [The  day’s  being  called  the  Lord’s  day, 
seems  the  strongest  argument.]  The  example  of  the  inspired  apostles 
is  equal  to  a  command  of  God.  And  when  we  add  to  these  arguments, 
the  considerations  that  the  day  of  Pentecost  was  on  the  day  following 
the  Jewish  7th  day  Sabbath,  or  was  on  the  1st  day  of  the  week,  answer¬ 
ing  to  the  Christian  Sabbath  ;  as  was  also  the  ancient  jubilee  ;  the  argu¬ 
ments  in  favor  of  this  change  of  the  Sabbath  are  most  complete.  On 
this  day  was  changed  the  dispensation  of  the  covenant  of  grace,  from 
the  Mosaic  to  the  Christian;  when  the  Holy  Ghost  came  like  a  rushing, 
mighty  wind,  and  3,000  were  converted  to  Christ.  Ami  this  1st  day  of 
the  week  gives  the  true  antitype  of  the  ancient  jubilee  trumpet,  pro¬ 


claiming  liberty  and  salvation  !  On  this  holy  day,  John  was  in  the 
Spirit.  If  Christians  now  better  imitated  him  in  this,  they  would,  no 
doubt,  have  more  and  richer  interviews  with  heaven.’  E.  Smith. 

(11.)  Alpha,  &c.]  ‘This  text  has  done  more  than  any  other  in  the 
Bible,  toward  preventing  men  from  giving  into  that  scheme,  which 
would  make  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  no  more  than  a  deified  creature. — 
Seven.]  Mentioned,  it  may  be,  as  best  harmonizing  witli  the  rest  of  the 
book,  viz.  the  7  seals,  trumpets,  Arc.’  Doddr. — Bt.  rejects  the  words,  ‘I 
am  the  Alpha  and  the  Omega,  the  beginning  and  the  ending;’  as  also 
the  words,  ‘  those  in  Asia.’  For  the  present  state  of  the  cities  mention¬ 
ed,  see  the  preface  to  Revelation  and  engravings.  Ed. 

V.  12 — 20.  When  the  apostle  had  distinctly  heard  the  words  which 
have  been  considered,  he  turned  to  see  from  whom  the  voice  proceeded  ; 
and  he  then  had  a  vision  of  ‘seven  golden  candlesticks,’  in  allusion  to 
the  golden  candlestick  with  seven  branches,  which  was  made  for  the 
tabernacle,  (Notes,  Ex.  25:31—40.  Zech.  4:2,  3,  11 — 14.)  and  in  the  midst 
of  them,  as  presiding  over  and  taking  care  of  them,  lie  ‘saw  One  like 
unto  the  Son  of  man.’  The  apostle  had  been  well  acquainted  with  Je¬ 
sus,  when  He  was  on  earth,  ‘  a  Man  of  sorrows,’  (Note,  Jn.  13:18 — 30.) 
and  honored  as  his  peculiar  friend  ;  but,  while  he  perceived  Him  in  hu¬ 
man  form,  nnd  with  some  resemblance  of  his  former  appearance,  lie  saw 
Him  in  such  resplendent  glory,  that  He  seemed  quite  another  person. 
(13)  Clothed,  & c.]  Perhaps  representing  his  perfect  mediatorial  righteous¬ 
ness  and  royal  priesthood.  Girt,  &c.  |  May  denote  the  preciousness  of  his 
love,  and  the  cordiality  with  which  He  maintains  the  cause  of  his  people. 
Ex.  28:15 — 30.  Dan.  10:4 — 9.)  (14)  His  hairs,  &c.}  May  signify  his  ma¬ 
jesty,  purity,  and  eternity.  Dan.  7:9— 14.  His  eyes,  Arc.]  May  represent 
his  omniscient  acquaintance  with  the  secrets  of  all  hearts,  and  xvith  the 
most  distant  events.  2:18,19.  19:11 — 16.  Heb.  4:12,  13-  (15)  His  feet, 
Acc.]  May  denote  the  stability  of  his  appointments,  and  the  transcend¬ 
ent  excelle.ncy  of  all  his  proceedings.  (M.  R.  d.)  Fine  brass.]  Cha/ko- 
libano  .  2:18.  It  is  not  agreed  what  kind  of  brass,  or  mixed  metal,  form¬ 
ed  principally  of  copper,  was  meant.  His  voice,  &c.]  May  represent 
the  energy  of  his  Word,  to  astonish  and  terrify,  or  its  invincible  efiicacy 
to  convert  or  destroy,  as  He  sees  good.  Ez.  1:15 — 25.  43:1 — 5.  Heb.  4: 
12,13  (16)  Tlie  sharp  two-edged  sword,  &c.]  Seems  to  represent  his 

awful  and  irresistible  justice,  in  cutting  down  his  enemies  on  every  side, 
and  ‘slaying  them  by  the  breatli  of  his  mouth.’  Is.  11:2 — 5.  Scott. 

(12.)  Candlestick.]  Tlie  lamp-stand  (for  candles  were  not  then  used), 
lumpsconce,  or,  as  it  is  improperly  tr.  candlestick,  was  an  ancient  and 
universal  symbol  of  a  wife  ;  and  churches,  ns  bodies,  are  said  to  be  mar¬ 
ried  to  Christ,  while  the  Church  universal  is  spoken  of  as  the  Lamb’s 
wife.  See  JVemyss ’  Symbol.  Diet.  So  Artemidorus  also  says,  that  the 
light  of  the  lamp  represents  tlie  master  of  the  house  because  he  over¬ 
looks  it ;  stars  also  symbolized  inferior  princes  or  governors,  ruling  un¬ 
der  a  supreme.  Candlesticks.]  ‘  Rather,  lamp-bearers  :  [comp,  the  cut. 


of  some  of  that  age.]  These  are  explained,  in  v.  20.  to  signify  the  seven 
churches,  or  the  universal  Church  of  Christ,  [the  Lamb’s  Wife,  see  Sym¬ 
bol.  Diet,  in  Suppl.,  under  the  word  ‘candlestick,’]  which  bears  aloft  the 
spiritual  light  of  divine  knowledge,  for  the  information  and  direction  of 
the  world,  note,  v.  4.  The  Lord  Jesus  has  Himself  supplied  this  light, 
and  is,  therefore,  fitly  represented  as  in  the  midst  of  these  lamp-bearers, 
this  his  universal  Church.  So  Ireneeus.’  Woodhouse. 


A.  D.  95. 


REVELATION,  I. 


Christ  s  command  to  the  apostles* 


13  And  in  the  midst  of  the  seven 
candlesticks  one  Mike  unto  the  Son 
of  man,  clothed  with  a  garment 
down  to  the  foot,  and  girt  about  the 
paps  with  a  golden  girdle. 

14  His  head  and  his  hairs  were 
white  like  wool,  as  white  as  snow  ; 
and  his  eyes  c  were  as  a  flame  of 
fire  ; 

15  And  his  feet  d  like  unto  fine 
brass,  as  if  they  burned  in  a.  fur¬ 
nace;  and  his  voice  'as  the  sound 
of  many  waters. 

16  And  he  had  in  his  right  hand 


seven  stars  :  and  out  of  his  mouth 
went  a  f sharp  two-edged  sword: 
and  his  countenance  was  as  the  sun 
®shineth  in  his  strength. 

17  And  when  I  saw  him,  I  fell  at 
his  feet  as  dead.  And  he  laid  his 
right  hand  upon  me,  saying  unto 
me,  Fear  not;  I  am  the  first  and  the 
last  : 

13  I  am  he  that  h  liveth,  and  was 
dead  ;  and,  behold,  I  am  alive  for 
evermore,  Amen  ;  and  have  the 
keys  '  of  hell  and  of  death. 

19  Write  the  things  which  thou 
hast  seen,  and  the  things  which  are, 
and  the  things  which  shall  be  here¬ 
after; 

20  The  mystery  of  the  seven 
J  stars  which  thou  sawest  in  my 
right  hand,  and  the  seven  golden 
candlesticks.  The  seven  stars  are 


the 


angels 

b  F.ze.  1:26—28. 
Da.  7:9,  13. 
10:5,6. 

c  c  2:18  19:12. 

<1  Eze.  1:7. 


of  the  seven  churches 


e  Ezc.  43:2. 
f  Is  49:2. 

He.  4:12. 
g  Ac.  26:13. 
c.  10:1. 


h  Ro.  6:9. 
i  Ps.  68:20. 

c.  20:1,2. 
j  ver.  16. 


fleshly  things,  and  be  wholly  taken  up  with 
things  of  a  spiritual  nature. 

II.  The  apostle  heard  an  alarm,  given  as 
with  the  sound  of  a  trumpet,  and  then  he 
heard  a  voice,  the  voice  of  Christ  applying 
to  Himself  the  character  before  given,  the 
First  and  the  Last,  and  commanding  the 


apostle  to  commit  to  writing  the  things  now 
to  be  revealed  to  him,  and  to  send  it  imme¬ 
diately  to  the  seven  Asian  churches,  whose 
names  are  mentioned.  Thus  our  Lord  Je¬ 
sus,  the  Captain  of  our  salvation,  gave  the 
apostle  notice  of  his  glorious  appearance,  as 
with  the  sound  of  a  trumpet. 

III.  We  have  now  an  account  of  what  he 
saw  ;  he  turned  to  see  the  voice,  whose  it  was, 
and  whence  it  came  ;  and  then  a  wonderful 
scene  of  vision  opened  to  him. 

1.  He  saw  a  representation  of  the  church, 
under  the  emblem  of  seven  golden  candlesticks , 
as  it  is  explained  in  the  last  v.  of  the  ch. 
The  churches  are  compared  to  candlesticks, 
because  they  hold  forth  the  light  of  the  Gos¬ 
pel  to  advantage;  they  are  golden  candle¬ 
sticks,  for  they  should  be  precious  and  pure, 
Comparable  to  fine  gold  ;  not  only  the  min¬ 
isters,  but  the  members  of  the  churches  ought 
to  be  such  ;  their  light  should  so  shine  before 
men,  as  to  engage  others  to  give  glory  to 
God. 

2.  He  saw  a  representation  of  the  Lord 
Jesus  Christ  in  the  midst  of  the  golden  can¬ 
dlesticks  ;  for  He  has  promised  to  be  with 
his  churches  always  to  the  end  of  the  world, 
filling  them  with  light,  and  life,  and  love, 
for  He  is  the  very  animating,  informing  Soul 
of  the  church.  And  here  observe, 

(1.)  The  glorious  form  in  which  Christ 
appeared  in  several  particulars.  [1.]  He 
was  clothed  with  a  garment  down  to  the  foot ; 
a  princely  and  priestly  robe,  denoting  right¬ 
eousness  and  honor.  [2.]  He  was  girt  about 
ivith  a  golden  girdle  ;  the  breastplate  of  the 
High  P  riest,  on  which  the  names  of  his  peo¬ 
ple  are  engraven  ;  He  was  ready  girt  to  do 
all  the  work  of  a  Redeemer.  [3.]  His  head 
and  hairs  were  white,  like  wool  or  snow  ;  He 
was  the  Ancient  of  days  ;  his  hoary  head 
was  no  sign  of  decay,  but  it  was  indeed  a 
crown  of  glory.  [4.]  His  eyes  were  as  the 
flame  of  fire,  piercing  and  penetrating  into 
the  very  hearts  and  reins  of  men,  scattering 
terrors  among  his  adversaries.  [5.]  His 
feet  were  like  unto  fine  burning  brass  ;  strong 
and  steadfast,  supporting  his  own  interest, 
subduing  his  enemies,  and  treading  them  to 
powder.  [6.]  His  voice  was  as  the  sound  of 
many  waters  ;  of  many  rivers  falling  in  to¬ 
gether.  He  can  and  will  make  Himself 
heard  to  those  who  are  afar  off,  as  well  as 


to  those  who  are  near.  His  Gospel  is  a 
pronuent  and  mighty  stream,  fed  by  the  up¬ 
per  springs  of  infinite  wisdom  and  knowl- 
edge.  [7.]  He  had  m  his  right  hand  seven 
stars;  the  ministers  of  the  seven  churches, 
who  are  under  his  direction,  have  all  their 
light  and  influence  from  Him,  and  are  se¬ 
cured  and  preserved  by  Him.  [8.]  Out  of 
his  mouth  went  a  two-edged  sword ;  his  Word, 
which  both  wounds  and  heals,  strikes  at  sins 
on  the  right  hand  and  on  the  left.  [9.]  His 
countenance  was  as  the  sun  shining  ;  its 
strength  too  bright  and  dazzling  f«»  mortal 
eyes  to  behold. 

(2.)  The  impression  this  appearance  of 
Christ  made  on  the  apostle,  v.  17.  He  fell 
at  the  feet  of  Christ  as  dead  ;  overpowered 
with  the  greatness  of  the  lustre  and  glory  in 
which  Christ  appeared,  though  he  had  been 
so  familiar  with  Him  before.  How  well  is 
it  for  us,  that  God  speaks  to  us  by  men  like 
ourselves,  whose  terrors  shall  not  make  us 
afraid.  For  none  can  see  the  face  of  God, 
and  live. 

(3.)  The  condescending  goodness  of  the 
Lord  Jesus  to  his  disciple,  v.  17.  He  laid 
his  hand  upon  him  ;  raised  him  up,  did  not 
plead  against  him  with  his  great  power,  but 
put  strength  into  him,  and  spake  kind  words 
to  him, — words  of  comfort  and  encourage¬ 
ment  ;  Fear  not:  —  words  of  instruction  ; 
telling  him  particularly  who  He  was,  that 
thus  appeared  to  him.  And  here  He  ac¬ 
quaints  him,  [1.]  With  his  divine  nature  ; 
the  First  and  the  Last.  [2.]  With  his  for¬ 
mer  sufferings  ;  I  was  dead-,  the  very  same 
that  his  disciples  saw  on  the  cross  dying  for 
the  sins  of  men.  [3.]  With  his  resurrec¬ 
tion  and  life;  ‘  I  live,  and  am  alive  for  ever¬ 
more  ;  have  conquered  death,  and  opened 
the  grave,  and  am  Partaker  of  an  endless 
life.’  [4.]  With  his  office  and  authority  ; 
I  have  the.  keys  of  hell  and  of  death  ;  a  sove¬ 
reign  dominion  in  and  over  the  invisible 
world.  [5.]  With  his  wi.ll  and  pleasure  ; 
that  John  should  write  both  the  things  he  had 
seen,  and  the  things  that  are,  and  that  should 
be  hereafter.  [6.]  With  the  meaning  of  the 
seven  stars,  that  they  are  the  ministers  of  the 
churches  ;  and  of  the  seven  candlesticks,  that 
they  are  the  seven  churches,  to  whom  Christ 
would  now  send,  by  him,  particular  and 
proper  messages. 


(13.)  Girdle .]  ‘The  priests,  for  coolness  and  decency,  were  required 
to  gird  higher  than  others,  and  the  girdles  crossed  the  breast,  also,  and 
fell  to  the  feet.’  Doddr. — ‘  From  the  writer  of  this  vision  having  noted 
this  likeness  to  the  Son  of  man,  we  are  led  to  conclude,  that  he  was  one 
of  the  disciples  who  had  seen  the  Lord  in  his  human  appearance.  And 
what  John  could  this  be,  at  so  late  a  period  as  when  this  Revelation  was 
written,  but  John  the  apostle  and  evangelist  ?’  Woodhouse.  But,  says 
Bl.,  ‘  though  most  recent  commentators,  arguing  from  the  absence  of  the 
article,  render,  “  a  Son  of  man;”  i.  e.  human  being,  yet  its  absence  will 
not  prove  this  to  be  the  sense;  and  though  Woodhouse  adopts  this  in¬ 
terpretation,  and  ingeniously  accounts  for  the  expression  being  used  of 
Christ ;  yet  there  is  no  reason  to  abandon  the  opinion  of  the  ancient  and 
most  modern  comtrs.  that  it  means  the  Son  of  man.  See  on  Heb.  1:2.’ 

Ed. 

(14.)  White.}  ‘To  be  understood  of  splendor,  not  of  age.’  Bl. 

(15.)  ‘  Whether  chalkolibanos  means  smelting  brass,  (from  cha/cos 

[brass]  and  clibanos  [a  furnace],  or  chalcos,  and  Libanus ,  mt.  Lebanon,) 
or  the  oreichalcos  (a  sort  of  fine  brass  more  valuable  than  gold),  as  He¬ 
siod  describes  Hercules’  feel,  is  not  agreed.  The  expression  happily  de¬ 
signates  irresistible  power,  as  the  voice  like  many  waters,  is  a  most  no¬ 
ble  image  of  Christ’s  grandeur  and  majesty.’  Id. 

(16.)  In  his  right  hand.]  ‘On  his  right  hand,  rather;  the  allusion  is 
to  the  custom  of  wearing  many  rings  on  the  fingers,  each  studded  with 
diamonds,  or  other  sparkling  gems  ’  Bl.  The  Ed.  of  the  Piet.  Bib.  as¬ 
serts,  that  these  rings  were  usually  worn  on  the  wrist ;  if  so,  the  bril¬ 
liants  would  be  larger,  and  the  simile  more  apposite.  Ed. 

(17.)  Right  hand,.]  1  This,  in  Scripture,  bestows  protection,  and  con¬ 
veys  spiritual  gifts.  Ps.  18:35.  20:6.  Ac.  8:18.  The  touch  felt  palpably 
by  the  apostle,  agrees  with  that  part  of  holy  writ  which  represents  our 
Lord's  body  an  object  of  feeling  after  his  resurrection.  The  passage  is 
sublime.  Mahomet  has  imitated  it,  but  with  a  vicious  excess.’  Woodh. 
— ‘  The  minute  accuracy,  simplicity,  and  sublimity  of  this  stupendous  rep¬ 
resentation,  must  have  been  drawn  from  the  life ;  no  human  fancy  could 
furnish  such  details.’  Hax.es. 

(18.)  Hell.}  From  helan,  to  cover,  ‘  the  word  hele,  to  cover,  is  still 
used  in  W.  England.  The  Gr.  hades  means  here,  the  unseen  world.' 

T)oddr. — Hell.]  1  Hades,  the  region  of  dead.’  Stuart.  Comp,  the  cuts 
in  the  Concordance,  (forming  part  of  the  Supplement  to  the  Comp. 
Comm.)  under  the  words  gates  of  death  ;  and  note  and  cut,  Is.  22:22. 
•  Power  over  death  and  the  dead,  to  unlock  the  gates  of  Hades,  and  make 
my  disciples  triumph  over  it,  by  giving  them  both  life  and  salvation.’ 
Bl.  ‘  I  have  entered  the  region  of  Hades,  (Ac.  2:17, 18.)  and  am  come 
forth  living  ;  yea,  in  possession  of  everlasting  life.’  Stuart.  Ed. 


(19.)  Write  therefore .]  So  it  should  be  tr. ;  and  it  divides  the  subject. 
See  Woodh.  Ed. — ‘  The  Apocalypse  has  a  number  of  grand  divisions, 
as  will  be  seen,  each  in  its  place.  Here  is  one  of  interest.  (1.)  “The 
things  which  thou  hast  seen,”  on  this  introduction  of  the  book,  in  ch.l. 
(2.)  “  The  things  which  are  ”  consist  of  the  7  epistles  to  the  7  churches, 
which  follow  in  chs.  2  and  3.  (3.)  “The  things  which  shall  be  hereaf¬ 

ter;”  all  the  events  then  future,  which  shall  be  found  contained  in  the 
book.  The  great  events  of  salvation  to  the  church,  and  of  destruction 
to  her  enemies,  from  that  time  to  the  end  of  the  world.  These  are  sub¬ 
divided  ;  the  first  6  seals  give  a  course  of  judgments  on  Pagan  Rome,  for 
the  last  quarter  of  the  1st  cent,  till  about  the  close  of  the  1st  quarter  of 
the  4th  ;  the  first  4  of  the  trumpets  then  commence  a  following  course 
of  judgments  on  the  Christian  empire  after  the  revolution  under  Con¬ 
stantine,  from  paganism  ;  fulfilled  in  the  northern  invasions  of  the  em¬ 
pire,  till  the  dethroning  of  its  last  emperor,  Momylus; — the  1st  of  the  3 
woe-trumpets  then  sounded  in  the  rise  of  Mohammediem  ;  the  2d  in  the 
rise  of  the  grand  supporter  of  it,  the  Turkish  empire ;  the  3d  will  de¬ 
stroy  Antichrist ; — and  the  vials  of  the  7  last  plagues,  in  the  2d  division, 
will  occupy  the  space  between  the  2d  and  3d  woe-trumpets,  the  7th  of 
which  and  the  3d  woe-trumpet  will  be  the  same.’  E.  Smith. 

(20.)  Mystery.]  ‘  Musterion  :  in  Scripture  language  it  generally 
means  hidden  and  recondite  knowledge,  accessible  only  by  divine  reve¬ 
lation.  But  here,  as  in  ch.  17:  it  is  used  to  signify  the  meaning  conceal¬ 
ed  under  figurative  resemblances.  ..  .In  Mai.  2:7.  the  priest  of  the  Lord 
is  styled  the  angel  or  messenger  of  the  Lord.  And  the  chief  minister 
of  the  Jewish  Synagogue  was  styled  Sheliach  Zibbor,  the  angel  of  the 
synagogue  or  congregation.  In  conformity  with  this,  the  presidents  (or 
bishops,  ns  they  were  afterwards  called)  of  the  ancient  Christian  church, 
were  so  denominated.  The  words  apostolos  and  kbrux,  principally  used 
in  the  N.  T.,  have  a  similar  meaning.  They  imply,  that  such  persons 
act  by  a  delegated  authority  from  the  Lord  Christ,  as  his  messengers  or 
ambassadors  ;  who  are  therefore  fitly  represented  under  the  emblem  of 
stars,  placed  in  his  hand,  under  his  direction,  being  the  lights  supplied 
by  Him  to  illumine  and  instruct  the  churches,  which  are  represented  ns 
the  candlesticks  or  lamp-bearers,  on  which  the  sacred  light  or  ^doc¬ 
trine  is  placed,  and  held  forth  to  the  world.’  Woodh. — Angels.]  Ag- 
geloi  :  an  allusion  to  the  Jewish  economy,  [comp.  ‘Guide,  pt.  >'■•) 
wherein  the  priests  or  rulers  of  the  synagogues  were  styled  by  tins 
name,  as  bringing  the  commands  of  God  to  the  people,  and  convey  ing 
their  prayers  to  God.  Abp.  Newcome ,  however,  explains  aggelni  ns 
denoting,  either  the  ministering  spirits  employed  in  the jnvismle govern¬ 
ment  of  these  churches ;  or  their  visible  governors  who 
them.’ 


[669/ 


A.  D.  95 


REVELATION,  II. 


The  message  sent  to  Ephesus. 


ami  the  seven  candlesticks  k  which 
thou  sawest,are  the  seven  churches. 

CHAP.  H. 

What  is  commanded  to  be  written  to  the  angels,  that  is, 
the  ministers  of  the  churches  of  1  Ephesus,  8  Smyrna, 
12  Pergamos,  18  Thyatira  :  and  what  is  commended,  or 
foun^l  wanting  in  them. 

UNTO  the  angel  of  the  church 
of  Ephesus  write;  These  things 
saith  he  that  *  holdeth  the  seven 
stars  in  his  right  hand,  who  \#alk- 
eth  in  the  midst  of  the  seven  golden 
candlesticks  ; 

2  I  know  b  thy  works,  and  thy  la- 

k  Mat.  5:15,16.  b  Ps.  1:6. 
a  c.  1:16,20.  ver.  9,13,19.  c.  3:1,8,15. 

Chap.  II.  V.  1 — 7.  We  have  here, 

I.  The  inscription  ;  to  the  church  of  Ephe¬ 
sus,  a  famous  church  planted  by  Paul,  Acts 


19.  and  after  that  watered  and  governed  by  | 
John,  who  had  his  residence  very  much  j 
there.  We  can  hardly  think  Timothy  was  ; 
the  angel  or  sole  pastor  and  bishop  of  this 
church9 at  this  time;  that  he,  who  was  of  a 
very  excellent  spirit,  should  become  so  re¬ 
miss  as  to  deserve  the  rebukes  given  to  the 
ministry  of  this  church.  Observe, 

From  whom  this  epistle  to  Ephesus  was 
sent;  here  we  have  one  of  those  titles  given 
to  Christ,  in  his  appearance  to  John,  in  ch. 
1:  13,16.  It  consists  of  two  parts: 

1.  He  that  holdeth  the  stars  in  his  right 
hand.  The  ministers  of  Christ  are  under 
his  special  care  and  protection.  It  is  the 
honor  of  God,  that  He  knows  the  number  of 
the  stars,  and  calls  them  by  their  names; 
and  the  honor  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  that 
the  ministers  of  the  Gospel,  who  are  greater 
blessings  to  the  church  than  the  stars  are  to 
the  world,  are  in  his  hand  ;  He  directs  all 


'  their  motions,  disposes  of  them  into  their 
several  orbs,  fills  them  with  light  ami  influ- 
■  ence,  supports  them,  or  else  they  would  soon 
be  falling  stars. 

2.  He  walketh  in  the  midst  of  the  golden 
candlesticks.  This  speaks  his  relation  to  his 
churches,  as  the  other  his  relation  to  his 
ministers.  Christ  is  in  an  intimate  manner 
present  and  conversant  with  his  churches  ; 
though  in  heaven,  He  walks  in  the  midst  of 
his  churches  on  earth,  observing  what  is 
amiss  in  them,  and  what  it  is  that  they 
want  ;  this  is  a  great  encouragement  to 
those  who  have  the  care  of  the  churches, — 
that  the  Lord  Jesus  has  graven  them  on  the 
palms  of  his  hands. 

II.  The  contents  of  the  epistle,  in  which, 
as  in  most  of  those  that  follow,  we  have, 

1.  The  commendation  Christ  gave  this 
church,  ministers  and  members. 

(1.)  For  their  diligence  in  duty,  v.  2.  / 


PRACT.  OBS.  The  revelations  of  God,  by  Jesus  Cbrist,  were  in¬ 
tended  to  inform  his  servants  about  as  much  of  his  designs,  respecting 
them  and  others,  through  the  short  period  of  time,  and  to  the  countless 
ages  of  eternity,  as  it  was  needful  and  useful  for  them  to  know  ;  . .  .  and 
tlie  times  may  speedily  arrive,  when  the  dispensations  of  Providence 
will  fully  illustrate  the  meaning  of  obscure  prophecies,  to  the  most  un¬ 
learned  readers. — The  ‘grace  and  peace,’  which  come  from  the  everlast¬ 
ing  and  unchangeable  love  of  the  Father,  by  the  communion  of  the  om¬ 
nipresent  Spirit,  who  dwells  in  all  believers  ;  and  through  ‘Jesus  Christ, 
the  faithful  Witness,  the  First-born  from  the  dead,  and  the  Prince  of  the 
kings  of  the  earth  ;  ’  belong  to  all  those,  and  to  those  only,  whom  He 
had  ‘  washed  from  their  sins,  in  his  own  blood:’  nor  can  they  suffi¬ 
ciently  admire  ‘  his  love  which  passeth  knowledge,’  or  rejoice  in  the  dig¬ 
nity  and  felicity,  to  which  He  has  advanced  them  :  or  devote  themselves 
too  much  to  the  sacred  duties  of  their  royal  priesthood  ;  or  ascribe  too 
great  honor  to  their  divine  Redeemer,  ‘  to  whom  he  glory  and  dominion 
forever  and  ever.’  Amen.  This  •Will  soon  appear:  for, ‘behold  He 
cometh  in  the  clouds,  and  every  eye  ’  of  man,  however  averse  to  the 
sight,  ‘  shall  see  Him  ’  placed  on  the  dread  tribunal,  from  which  there 
can  he  no  appeal.  And  they,  who  will  not  believe  Him  to  he  the  great 
I  AM,  and  who  refuse  to  honor  Him  ns  co-equal  with  the  Father,  will 
discover  their  awful  mistake,  when  made  to  feel  the  weight  of  his  anger, 
and  the  power  of  that  eternal  vengeance,  which  they  now  despise. —  A 
peaceful  conscience,  and  the  consolations  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  will  ena¬ 


ble  the  afflicted  Christian  to  be  more  joyful  in  communion  with  God, 
when  immured  in  a  prison,  than  ungodly  men  can  be  in  the  most  pros¬ 
perous  circumstances.  If  believers  are  confined,  on  the  Lord’s  holy  day, 
from  public  ordinances  and  the  communion  of  saints,  by  necessity  and 
not  by  choice,  they  may  expect  great  comfort  in  meditation  and  secret 
duties,  from  die  influences  of  the  Spirit;  and  by  hearing  the  voice  and 
contemplating  the  glory  of  their  beloved  Savior,  of  whose  gracious  vis¬ 
its  no  confinement  or  circumstances  can  deprive  them.  The  name  it¬ 
self  shows  how  this  sacred  day  should  he  observed  :  surely  ‘  the  Lord’s 
day  ’  should  be  wholly  devoted  to  the  Lord  ;  and  none  of  its  hours  em¬ 
ployed  in  a  secular,  sensual,  or  dissipated  manner. — We  may  well  lie 
satisfied  to  walk  by  faith,  during  our  continuance  here  on  earth  ;  for 
could  we  now  see  thel.ord  ‘  as  lie  is,’  the  displays  of  his  glory,  even  as 
dwelling  in  human  nature,  would  overwhelm  us  :  Is.  6:1 — 7.  John  12: 
37 — 41.  and  we  must  he  totally  changed  in  body  and  soul,  before  we  can 
bear  the  effnlgeitcy  of  his  majesty,  and  find  unalloyed  happiness  in  that 
beatific  vision.  Let  us  then  at  present  hearken  to  his  voice,  lean  on  his 
arm,  and  receive  the  encouragements  of  his  love  to  obviate  our  fears  :  for 
what  can  He,  ‘  the  First  and  the  Last,’  even  the  eternal  Son  of  the  Fa¬ 
ther,  withhold  from  those,  for  whom  He  became  incarnate,  that  He 
might  die  for  their  sins  ;  and  what  can  he  too  hard  for  Him,  who  has 
‘the  keys  of  death  and  hell,’  and  lives  as  our  almighty  Friend  for  ever¬ 
more  ?  John  14:18—20.  Acts  7:51—54.  Rom.  5:6—10.  8:32^39.  Col.  3: 
1 — 4.  Scott. 


NOTES.  Chap.  II.  V.  1.  Many  expositors  have  imagined,  that 
these  epistles,  to  the  seven  churches,  were  mystical  prophecies  of  seven 
distinct  periods,  into  which  the  whole  term,  from  the  apostle’s  days  to 
the  end  of  the  world,  would  be  divided.  But  there  is  no  proof  from 
Scripture,  that  seven  such  periods,  and  no  more,  were  to  be  expected,  in 
the  state  of  the  church  ;  unless  the  epistles  themselves  be  admitted  as 
proofs  of  it  :  nor  are  there  any  distinct  traces  in  ecclesiastical  history, 
in  respect  of  such  as  are  supposed  to  he  already  past;  though  a  lively 
imagination,  and  a  prompt  invention,  may  advance  plausible  things  on 
the  subject.  It  cannot  be  conceived,  if  the  concluding  part  of  this  hook 
itself  be  recollected,  that  the  last  period  of  the  church  will  be  worse 
than  any  that  has  gone  before,  as  the  Laodicean  church  was  far  more 
corrupt  than  any  of  tile  rest.  (Notes,  20:1 — 10.)  Nor  can  it  he  true  in 
fact,  that  a  more  flourishing  period  succeeded  that  of  the  church  in  the 
apostles’  days,  or  that  immediately  subsequent  to  their  death  :  yet  the 
state  of  the  church  of  Smyrna  was  far  purer  and  more  excellent,  than 
that  of  Ephesus,  nay,  perhaps,  than  that  of  Philadelphia,  which  on  this 
hypothesis  must  accord  to  the  Millennium.  So  that  there  seems  no 
ground  at  all  for  this  sentiment,  though  it  has  been  sanctioned  by  many 
respectable  names.  Scott. 

‘  An  opinion  has  been  held  by  some  commentators  of  note,  which  may 
he  given  in  the  words  of  Vitrinsa:  “That  under  this  emblematical  rep¬ 
resentation  of  the  seven  churches  of  Asia,  the  Holy  Spirit  has  delineat¬ 
ed  seven  different  stales  of  the  Christian  church,  which  would  appear 
in  succession,  extending  to  the  coming  of  our  Lord,  and  the  consumma¬ 
tion  of  all  tilings.  That  this  is  given  in  descriptions  taken  from  the 
names,  states,  and  conditions  of  these  churches,  so  that  they  might  be¬ 
hold  themselves,  and  learn  both  their  good  qualities  and  their  defects, 
and  what  admonitions  and  exhortations  were  suitable  for  them.”  Vit- 
ringa  has  given  a  summary  of  the  arguments  which  may  he  alleged  in 
favor  of  this  interpretation.  Some  of  them  are  ingenious,  hut  they  are 
not  now  considered  sufficient  to  support  such  a  theory.  Gill  is  one  of  the 
principal  of  the  English  commentators  who  adopt  this  view,  that  “  they 
are  prophetical  of  the  churches  of  Christ,  in  the  several  periods  of  time 
until  lie  appears  again.”  He  applies  them  as  follows,  finding  also  some 
allusion  in  the  name  of  each,  to  the  age  described.  Ephesus  lepresents  the 
church  in  the  apostolic  age,  and  under  the  abatement  of  the  fervency  of 
the  love  of  the  primitive  Christians  towards  the  close  of  that  state. 
Smyrna  represents  the  state  under  the  persecutions  of  the  Roman  em¬ 
perors,  expressing  the  hitter  afflictions  and  persecutions  of  that  inter¬ 
val.  Pergamos,  the  church  from  the  time  of  Constantine,  rising  up  to 
great  riches  and  honor,  introducing  the  popes  and  their  haughty  actions 
and  corruptions.  Thyatira  lakes  in  the  darkest  and  most  superstitious 
times,  to  the  Reformation.  Sardis,  the  state  from  the  Reformation  to 
the  reign  of  Christ,  being  emblematical  of  the  reformed  churches.  Phil¬ 
adelphia,  the  period  in  which  will  be  the  spiritual  reign  of  Christ.  I.ao- 
dicea,  from  the  end  of  the  spiritual  reign  of  Christ  till  his  coming  to 
judge  the  quick  and  dead,  when  there  will  be  formality,  spiritual  sloth, 
and  security.  Girdlestone  makes  another  division  as  to  the  eras  signi¬ 
fied,  by  causing  them  to  6nd  previously  to  the  millennial  period.’ 

.  Henry,  abr. 

The  churches,  here  addressed,  were  in  such  different  states,  in  respect 
of  purity  of  doctrine,  and  ‘the  power  of  godliness;’  that  the  words  of 
Christ  to  them  will  always  he  suitable  to  the  case  of  other  churches  and 
professors  of  Christianity,  in  all  ages  and  places,  to  the  end  of  the  world  : 
and  some  of  them  contain  the  proper  message  or  instruction  to  those  of 

[670] 


one  character,  and  some  to  those  of  another,  in  all  the  variety  which 
they  [possess], — The  Lord  Jesus  Himself,  appearing  in  vision  to  John, 
directed  him  what  to  write  to  each  of  these  seven  churches :  so  that,  in 
fact,  they  may  he  considered  as  ‘  the  epistles  of  Jesus  Christ ;  ’  even  as 
those  which  the  apostle  wrote  by  an  amanuensis,  are  called  properly 
‘  the  epistles  of  Paul.’ — Each  of  these  was  addressed  to  ‘  the  angel  of 
the  church,’  the  stated  messenger  or  ambassador  of  Chris't  among  them. 
2  Cor.  5:18 — 21.  It  is  more  natural  to  understand  this  of  one  presiding 
minister,  than  of  several  elders  or  pastors  spoken  of  collectively,  because 
one  in  office ;  and  thus  it  countenances  the  opinion,  which  has  been  ad¬ 
vanced,  concerning  the  introduction  of  a  moderate  kind  of  episcopacy 
in  the  primitive  church,  even  in  the  days  of  the  apostles.  Acts  20:17. 
1  Tim.  5-. 21,22,24,25.  Tit.  1:5 — 9.  It  is  also  undeniable,  that  there 
were  several  elders,  or  pastors,  in  the  church  at  Ephesus,  hefore  this 
time  ;  so  that  some  ruler,  or  minister,  presiding  over  the  other  pastors, 
must  he  intended.— There  is  no  proof  that  Timothy  ever  statedly  resided 
there:  Acts  20:1 — 6.  Prrf.  to  1  Tim.  nearly  30  years  seem  to  have  elapsed, 
since  2  Tim.  was  written  ;  various  changes  Had  doubtless  taken  place  in 
that  time  :  and  it  was  longer  since  Paul  wrote  to  the  Ephesians.  John 
himself  is  also  recorded  to  have  abode  at  Ephesus,  and  to  have  superin¬ 
tended  that  and  the  neighboring  churches  for  several  years.  [It  has 
been  remarked,  that  the  churches  are  mentioned  in  the  order  in  which 
a  person  journeying  from  Ephesus  might  come  to  them,  respectively.] 
Ephesus  was  the  capital  of  the  province  called  Asia;  Acts  19:8 — 12.  and 
tile  apostle  was  directed  to  write  the  first  epistle  to  the  church  in  that 
city,  as  a  message  from  ‘  Him  that  holdeth  the  7  stars  in  his  right  hand, 
and  walketh  amidst  the  7  golden  candlesticks.’  1:12 — 20.  This  intima¬ 
ted  the  absolute  authority  of  Christ  over  his  ministers,  with  their  entire 
dependence  on  Him  ;  and  his  constant,  though  invisible  presence  with 
his  churches,  in  which  He  had  fixed  the  light  of  his  Word  and  ordinan¬ 
ces ;  Mat.  28:19,  20.  his  attention  to  their  whole  conduct;  his  readiness 
to  help  and  bless  them,  whilst  they  made  a  proper  use  of  their  light; 
and  his  power  and  purpose  to  remove  it,  if  provoked  by  their  perversion 
or  neglect  of  it. — They  shine  by  his  light,  and  are  absolutely  under  his 
control,  and  at  his  disposal.  [But  see  note,  1  Pet.  5:2.]  Scott. 

(1.)  Angel.]  ‘  Or  presiding  officer.  That  there  was  one  pastor  who 
presided  in  each  of  these  churches,  is  indeed  evident  from  the  expression 
here  used  :  but  that  he  was  a  diocesan  bishop,  or  had  several  congrega¬ 
tions  of  Christians  under  his  care,  can  hy  no  means  be  proved.  Nor  is 
there  the  least  hint  of  it,  that  I  know  of,  in  any  of  these  epistles.  Many 
have  shown,  from  ancient  Jewish  writings,  that  there  was  an  officer  of 
the  synagogue  who  had  the  name  of  angel.  See  Vitr.  And  Lightf. 
adds,  that,  from  his  overlooking  the  reader  of  the  taw ,  he  was  called 

thorn,  or  episcopus.  Comp.  Mai.  2:7.  (Note,  1  Pet.  5:2.]’  Doddr. _ 

‘  We  learn  in  church  history,  that  in  the  first  Christian  ages,  contiguous 
churches  were  led  to  form  themselves  into  a  kind  of  consociation,  for 
their  mutual  benefit  ;  each  consociation  having  a  standing  moderator; 
which  moderator  might  be  the  person  denoted  by  the  angel  of  the  church. 
Whether  this  were  the  case,  or  whether  this  angel  means  the  eldership 
of  that  church,  meaning  to  include  all  its  officers,  is  not  essential.  . .  . 
This  order  [?]  of  ministers  thus  arose,  (see  Mosheim ,)  onlv  by  human 
discretion  and  custom,  and  were  only  first  among  equals  in  office.’  Rev. 
Ethan  Smith. — There  is  not  the  slightest  proof,  however,  that  even  this 
was  done  in  the  apostles’  times.  gD 

V.  2 — 5.  There  is  some  difficulty  in  conceiving,  how  the  persevering 
diligence  and  patience  of  this  church,  could  consist  with  that  abatement 


A.  D.  95. 


REVELATION,  II. 


The  message  sent  to  Ephesus. 


bor,  and  thy  patience,  and  how 
thou  canst  not  bear  them  which  are 
evil  :  and  thou  hast  tried  c  them 
which  say  they  are  apostles,  and 
are  d  not,  and  hast  found  them  liars: 

S  And  has  borne,  and  hast  pa¬ 
tience,  and  for  my  name’s  sake  hast 
labored,  and  hast  not  'fainted. 

4  Nevertheless  I  have  somewhat 
against  thee,  because  thou  hast  left 
thy  first  love. 

5  Remember  therefore  from 
whence  thou  art  fallen;  and  repent, 
and  do  the  first  f works;  or  else  I 
will  come  unto  thee  quickly,  and 
will  remove  8  thy  candlestick  out  of 
his  place,  except  thou  repent. 

6  But  this  thou  hast,  that  thou 
hatest  the  deeds  of  the  h  Nicolai- 
tans,  which  I  also  hate. 

7  He* that  hath  an  ear,  let  him 
hear  what  the  Spirit  saith  unto  the 
churches  ;  To  him  that  overcometh 
will  I  give  to  eat  of  the  tree  1  of  life, 
which  is  in  the  midst  of  the  para¬ 
dise  of  God. 

c  Jn.  4:1.  g  Mat.  21:11,43.  ver.  11:17,29. 

it  2  Co  11:13.  U  ver.  IS.  j  Ge.  2:9. 

e  Ga.  6:9  1  Mai.  11:15.  c.  22:2,14. 

I  Je.  2:2,3. 

know  thy  works  and  thy  labor.  This  may 
more  immediately  relate  to  the  ministry  of 
this  church.  Those  that  are  stars  in  Christ’s 
hand,  need  be  always  in  motion,  dispensing 
light  to  all  about  them.  Christ  keeps  an 
account  of  every  day’s  work,  and  every 
hour’s  work,  his  servants  do  for  Him,  and 
their  labor  shall  not  be  in  vain  in  the  Lord. 

(2.)  For  their  patience  in  suffering,  v.  2. 
Thy  labor  and  thy  patience.  It  is  not  enough 
that  we  be  diligent, but  we  must  be  patient, 
and  endure  hardness  as  good  soldiers  of 
Christ.  Ministers  must  exercise  great  pa¬ 


tience,  and  no  Christian  can  be  without  it. 
There  must  be  bearing  patience,  to  endure 
injuries  ;  and  waiting  patience,  that,  when 
they  have  done  the  will  of  God,  they  may 
receive  the  promise.  We  shall  meet  with 
such  difficulties  in  our  way  and  work,  as  re¬ 
quire  patience  to  go  on  and  finish  well. 

(3.)  For  their  zeal  against  what  was 
evil,  v.  2.  Thou  canst  not  bear  them  that  are 
evil.  This  their  zeal  was  the  more  to  be 
commended,  because  it  was  according  to 
knowledge;  true  zeal  proceeds  with  discre¬ 
tion  ;  none  should  be  cast  off  till  they  are 
tried.  Some  w'ere  risen  up  in  this  church, 
that  pretended  to  be  not  ordinary  ministers, 
but  apostles;  their  pretensions  had  been  ex¬ 
amined,  and  found  to  be  vain  and  false. 

2.  The  rebuke  given  to  this  church,  v.  4. 
Those  that  have  much  good  in  them,  may 
have  something  much  amiss  in  them  ;  and 
our  Lord  Jesus,  as  an  impartial  Master  and 
Judge,  notices  both  ;  though  He  first  ob¬ 
serves  what  is  good,  and  is  most  ready  to 
mention  that,  yet  He  also  observes  what  is 
amiss,  and  will  faithfully  reprove  them  for 
it.  The  sin  Christ  charged  this  church  with, 
is,  their  decay  and  declension  in  holy  love 
and  zeal.  The  first  affections  of  men  to¬ 
ward  Christ,  and  holiness,  and  heaven,  are 
usually  lively  and  warm.  These  will  abate, 
if  great  care  be  not  taken  to  preserve  them 
in  constant  exercise.  Christ  is  grieved  and 
displeased  with  his  people,  when  this  is  the 
case,  and  will  one  way  or  other  make  them 
sensible  He  takes  it  ill. 

3.  The  advice  and  counsel  given  them 
from  Christ,  v.  5.  (1.)  They  must  remember 
whence  they  are  fallen,  and  consider  how 
much  peace,  strength,  purity,  and  pleasure 
they  have  lost,6y  leaving  their  first  love.  (2.) 
They  must  repent  ;  must  be  inwardly  griev¬ 
ed  and  ashamed  for  their  sinful  declining  ; 
must  humbly  confess  it  in  the  sight  of  God, 
and  judge  and  condemn  themselves  for  it. 
(3.)  They  must  return  and  do  their  first 
works  ;  must  revive  and  recover  their  first 
zeal,  tenderness,  and  seriousness,  pray  as 


earnestly,  and  watch  as  diligently,  as  they 
did  when  they  first  set  out  in  the  ways  of  God. 

Now  this  advice  is  urged,  [1.]  By  a  se¬ 
vere  threatening,  if  it  should  be  neglected  ; 
I  will  come  unto  thee  quickly,  and  remove  thy 
candlestick  out  of  its  place.  If  the  presence 
of  Christ’s  grace  and  Spirit  be  slighted,  we 
may  expect  the  presence  of  his  displeasure. 
[2.]  By  an  encouraging  mention  made  of 
what  was  yet  good  among  them,  v.  6.  The 
Nicolaitans  were  a  loose  sect,  who  sheltered 
themselves  under  the  name  of  Christianity ; 
they  held  hateful  doctrines,  and  were  guilty 
of  hateful  deeds,  hateful  to  Christ,  and  to  all 
true  Christians.  Indifference  between  truth 
and  error,  good  and  evil,  may  be  called 
charity  and  meekness,  but  it  is  not  pleasing 
unto  Christ.  Our  Savior  subjoins  this  kind 
commendation  to  his  severe  threatening,  to 
make  the  advice  more  effectual. 

III.  The  conclusion  of  this  epistle,  in 
whiph,  as  in  those  that  follow,  we  have, 

1.  A  call  to  attention,  v.  7. 

Observe,  What  is  written  in  the  Scrip¬ 
tures,  is  spoken  by  the  Spirit  of  God.  What 
is  said  to  one  church,  concerns  all,  in  every 
place  and  age.  We  can  never  employ  our 
faculty  of  hearing  better,  than  in  hearken¬ 
ing  to  the  Word  of  God  ;  and  they  who  will 
not  hear  the  call  of  God  now,  will  wish  at 
length  they  had  never  had  a  capacity  of 
hearing  anything  at  all. 

2.  A  promise  of  great  mercy  to  those 
who  overcome.  The  Christian  life  is  a 
warfare  against  [selfishness,]  sin,  satan,  the 
world,  and  the  flesh.  It  is  not  enough  that 
we  engage  in  it,  but  we  must  pursue  it  to 
the  end  ;  never  yield,  but  fight  till  we  gain 
the  victory,  as  all  persevering  Christians 
shall  do  ;  and  the  warfare  and  victory  shall 
have  a  glorious  triumph  and  reward,  even 
that  confirmation  in  holiness  that  Adam 
would  have  had,  if  he  had  gone  well  through 
the  course  of  his  trial;  then  he  would  have 
eaten  of  the  tree  of  life,  which  was  in  the  midst 
of  paradise;  not  the  earthly,  but  the  heaven¬ 
ly,  ch.  22:1,  2. 


in  love,  with  which  it  is  charged.  But  observation  and  experience  com¬ 
bine  to  prove,  that  in  many  instances,  while  the  affections  are  lively  and 
fervent,  men  engage  zealously  in  services,  and  form  habits  of  exertion, 
self-denial,  patience,  and  courageous  disregard  to  opposition  and  re¬ 
proach  ;  in  which,  ns  to  the  outward  conduct  ut  least,  they  persevere, 
from  various  motives,  and  open  conscientiously  ;  though  it  is  lamenta¬ 
bly  true,  and  they  know  it,  that  their  hearts  are  not  so  thoroughly  en¬ 
gaged  in  what  they  do,  us  they  once  were.  Many  are  well  aware,  that 
tins  is  their  case  :  they  have  zeal  enough  to  retain  them  in  their  former 
course  of  nclive  service,  which  is  become  habitual,  and  in  some  circles 
creditable:  hut,  had  they  not  been  more  ‘fervent  in  spirit,  serving  the 
Lord,’  in  former  days,  those  habits  would  never  have  been  formed,  those 
services  hud  never  been  engaged  in.  Perhaps  most  Christians  are  too 
apt  to  take  encouragement  from  such  diligence,  and  to  silence  the  re¬ 
monstrances  of  their  consciences  by  it  :  but  it  is  plain,  that  our  Sav¬ 
ior  and  Judge  considers  this  as  a  very  criminal  slate  of  heart  and  con¬ 
duct.  (2)  Hear.]  To  bear  or  carry  a  burden  ;  to  sustain  what  is  weari¬ 
some.  Primarily,  it  relates  to  the  body;  and  figuratively,  to  the  mind; 
the  Ephesians  could  carry  the  cross  though  heavy  ;  but  they  could  not 
endure  wicked  persons,  who  were  a  burden  to  them,  which  they  reso- 
lutely  threw  oil’.  Scott. 

(2.)  I  know.  |  ‘  Christ  knows  the  thoughts,  the  secret  springs  of  ac¬ 
tion,  and  the  whole  moral  character  of  men.  The  knowledge  thus  as¬ 
serted  in  the  solemn  message  to  each  of  the  churches,  is  clearly  shown 
to  include  the  most  perfect  acquaintance  with  the  sincerity  or  hypocri¬ 
sy  of  individuals,  and  with  all  the  oomplicution  of  human  feelings  and 
actions.  This  is  real  omniscience,  and  is  again  asserted  in  the  strongest 
and  plainest  terms,  v.  23.  and  we  find  in  v.  6.  and  elsewhere,  the  Lord 
Jesus  purifying,  correcting,  and  rewarding  the  professors  of  religion,  in 
pursuance  of  his  perfect  knowledge  of  their  hearts  and  characters.  The 
very  nature  of  the  acts  specified,  implies  a  complete  dominion  over  the 
arrangements  of  Providence  in  the  present  life,  and  its  fullest  powers  in 
reference  to  the  future  state.’  Pye  Smith. — Canst  not  bear.]  ‘  Lim- 
borch  has  sufficiently  shown  the  absurdity  of  opposing  such  a  text  as 
this  to  the  great  Christian  doctrine  of  toleration,  which  some  have  mad¬ 
ly  endeavored  to  prejudice,  by  trifling  inferences  from  such  detatched  and 
perverted  clauses,  in  opposition  to  the  whole  tenor  of  the  N.  T.  Bt»: 
the  pretending  to  enforce  such  ecclesiastical  censures,  as  the  laws  of 
Christ  do  indeed  in  some  cases  require,  with  those  secular  terrors  which 
the  magistrate,  by  virtue  of  his  office,  is  to  inflict  on  immoralities  pre¬ 
judicial  to  society,  has  been  the  destruction  of  Christian  discipline  in 
popish  countries  universally,  and  generally  in  all  Protestant  establish¬ 
ments  too.’  Doddr _ Tried.]  ‘I.  e.  by  the  Word  of  God  ;  for  these  im¬ 

postors,  as  all  false  teachers  do,  pretended  they  were  sent  of  God.’ 

1  Rev.  E.  Smith. 

(4.)  First  love.]  ‘  By  some,  this  former  love  is  understood,  of  that 
of  God,  by  others,  of  the  love  of  man.  But  the  expression  compre¬ 
hends  both,  for  neither  can  be  complete  without  the  other.  The  love 
of  God  is  seen  and  proved  by  keeping  the  commandments,  which  are 
fulfilled  only  by  charity.  In  the  next  v.  the  Ephesians  are  called  to  re¬ 


pentance,  and  the  performance  of  the  first  or  former  works  of  charity.’ 
[But  recur  to  Scott,  above.  Ed.]  Woodho.use. 

(5.)  Candlestick  removed.]  ‘The  Ephesian  church,  so  defective  in 
love  and  good  works,  shall  cease  to  be  a  Christian  church  of  eminence, 
giving  light  and  example  to  the  surrounding  regions.  By  Ignatius’  tes¬ 
timony,  (Epist.  ad  Eph.  Sect  9,)  given  10  or  20  years  after,  and  just  be¬ 
fore  his  martyrdom,  we  learn,  that  this  severe  threatening  produced  a 
good  effect,  for  when  others  were  corrupting,  this  flourished  in  a  pare 
faith  and  practice.  She  continued  for  some  ages  in  high  account  among 
the  churches  of  Christendom,  but  gradually  sunk  into  the  common  cor¬ 
ruption.’  Id. 

V.  6,  7.  Nicolaitans.]  This  was  a  sect  of  avowed  and  most  abom¬ 
inable  Antinomians.  14 — 16.  2  Tim.  2:14 — 18.  3:1 — 9.  (7)  He  that 
hath  an  ear. ]  This,  added  to  every  epistle,  is  a  most  emphatical  call  to 
ministers  and  Christians,  in  every  age,  carefully  and  diligently  to  study 
these  epistles  to  the  churches;  as  replete  with  most  important  instruc¬ 
tion,  not  only  to  those  immediately  addressed,  but  to  all  others,  ‘even 
to  the  end  of  the  world.’  (M.  H.  a.)  [and  so  Guyse. ]  Eat  of  the  Tree 
of  life.] — This  is  a  figurative  expression,  taken  from  the  account  of  the 
garden  of  Eden,  Geji.  2:8,  9.  3:22—24.  and  denoting  the  pure,  satisfac¬ 
tory,  and  eternal  joys  of  heaven;  and  the  anticipation  of  them  in  this 
world,  by  faith,  communion  with  Christ,  and  the  consolations  of  his 
Holy  Spirit.  22:2—5.  Ez.  47:12.  Every  victory  over  sharp  temptation 
would  be  graciously  rewarded  with  foretastes  of  this  fruit ;  [for  men 
are  like  healthy  or  poisonous  fruit-bearing  plants,  and  trials  are  like 
medicines  or  poisons,  according  as  they  are  eaten,  i.  e.  received  as 
nourishment  into  the  spiritual  body;!  ,lnd  the  final  victory,  with  the 
eternal  fruition  of  the  happiness  intended  by  it,  in  heaven  itself,  and  in 
the  presence  and  love  of  God.  10,  11,  17,  26—28.  3:4-6,  12, 13,20—22. 
7:9 — 12.  (7)  Paradise.]  Paradeisos.  Luke  23:43.  2  Cor.  12:4.  Neh. 
2:8.  Ec.  2:5.  ‘  Orchards  planted  for  the  sake  of  pleasure  and  delight.’ 

Leigh.  Scott. 

(6.)  The  Nicolaitans,  from  the  general  testimony  of  the  ancients, 
were  ‘impious  in  doctrine,  and  impure  in  life,’  says  IVoodh.  ;  ‘denied 
Christ’s  humanity  and  real  sufferings  in  the  flesh,  and  are  meant  by  Jnde, 
v.  7.  and  Peter.  It  is  of  their  practice  Christ  speaks.’  ‘They  pleaded 
for  a  licentious  community  of  wives.  It  is  improbable,  that  Nicholas, 
one  of  those  7  deacons  said  to  have  been  full  of  the  Holy  Ghost  should 
have  been  their  infamous  leader.’  E.  Smith. 

(7.)  ‘  Adam,  in  Eden,  (we  are  led  to  believe,)  was,  at  the  close  of  his 

term  of  trial,  to  “put  forth  his  hand,  and  eat  of  the  tree  of  life,  and  live 
for  ever.”  This  act  was  to  have  been  the  sealing  of  his  aclive,  personal 
righteousness,  and  his  legal  title  to  an  eternal  confirmation  in  holiness 
and  bliss ;  alluding  to  which  order,  our  text  assures  us,  that  all  who 
overcome  shall  find,  at  the  close  of  their  season  of  trial,  something  in 
their  second  Adam  well  answering  to  this.  Jesus  Christ.  the  Lord  our 
Righteousness,”— “the  end  of  the  law  for  righteous!  ess  to  every  one 
that  helieveth,” — will  be  to  them  the  tree  of  life,  indeed,  to  to  fix  them 
in  eternal  holiness  and  bliss.’  E.  Smith. — HI.  omi's  midst  reading,  in 
the  paradise.’  ri-rt  i 


A.  D.  95, 


REVELATION,  II. 


The  message  sent  to  Smyrna. 


8  And  unto  the  angel  of  the 
church  .in  Smyrna  write  ;  These 
things  saith  the  k  first  and  the  last, 
which  was  dead,  and  is  alive  ; 

9  I  know  thy  works  and  tribula¬ 
tion,  and  poverty,  (but  thou  art 
1  rich,)  and  I  know  the  blasphemy  of 
them  which  say  they  are  mJews, 
and  are  not,  but  are  the  synagogue 
"  of  Satan. 

10  Fear  none  of  those  things 
which  thou  shalt  suffer:  behold,  the 
devil  shall  cast  some  of  you  into 
prison,  that  ye  may  be  tried  :  and 
ye  shall  have  tribulation  ten  days  : 
be  thou  faithful  “unto  death,  and  I 
will  give  thee  a  crown  p  of  life. 

11  He  that  hath  an  ear,  let  him 
hear  what  the  Spirit  saith  unto  the 
churches;  He  that  overcometh  shall 
not  be  hurt  of  the  second  i death. 

k  c.  1:8,17.  n  c.  3:9.  p  Ja.  1:12. 

1  1  Ti.  6:18.  o  Mat.  10:22.  q  c.  20:14. 

tn  Ro.  2:28,29. 

V.  8 — 11.  I.  The  preface  or  inscription ; 
to  the  angel  of  the  church  in  Smyrna,  a  place 
well  known  at  this  day  by  our  merchants,  a 
city  of  great  trade  and  wealth,  perhaps  llie 
only  city  of  all  the  seven  still  known  by  the 
same  name,  now  however,  no  longer  distin¬ 
guished  for  its  Christian  church,  being  over¬ 
run  with  Mohammedism,  [except  as  mod¬ 
ern  Christian  missionaries  are  beginning  to 
plant  again,  in  that  ancient  city,  the  true  re¬ 
ligion  of  the  Gospel.]  Here  we  have  also 
another  of  the  glorious  titles  of  our  Lord 
Jesus,  The  First  and  the  Last,  He  that  was 
dead,  and  is  alive,  taken  out  of  ch.  1:  17,  18. 
This  surely  is  the  title  of  God  from  everlast¬ 
ing  and  to  everlasting,  and  of  an  unchange¬ 
able  Mediator  between  God  and  man,  Heb. 
13:8.  He  laid  the  foundation  of  the  church 
in  the  patriarchal  state  ;  and  by  Him  the 
top-stone  will  be  brought  forth  and  laid  in 
the  end  of  time.  He  was  dead,  and  died 


for  our  sins  ;  He  is  alive,  for  He  rose  again 
for  our  justification,  and  He  ever  lives  to 
make  intercession  for  us.  By  dying  He 
purchased  salvation  for  us;  and  by  his  life 
He  applies  it  to  us.  Rom.  5:  10. 

II.  The  subject  matter, — after  the  com¬ 
mon  declaration  of  Christ’s  omniscience, 
and  (lie  perfect  cognizance  He  has  of  all  the 
works  of  men,  and  especially  of  his  church¬ 
es,  He  notices, 

1.  The  improvement  they  had  made  in 
their  spiritual  state.  This  comes  in,  in  a 
short  parenthesis  ;  yet  is  very  emphatical  ; 
but  thou  art  rich,  v.  9.  poor  in  temporals, 
but  rich  in  spirituals.  Many,  rich  in  tem¬ 
porals,  are  poor  in  spirituals,  so  the  church 
of  Laodicea.  Some  who  are  poor  outwardly, 
are  inwardly  rich  ;  rich  in  faith,  in  good 
works,  in  privileges,  in  bonds  and  deeds  of 
gift,  in  hope;  rich  in  reversion  :  spiritual 
riches  are  usually  the  reward  of  great  dili¬ 
gence.  Where  there  is  spiritual  plenty, 
outward  poverty  may  be  better  borne  ;  and 
when  God’s  people  are  impoverished  in 
temporals,  for  the  sake  of  Christ  and  a  good 
conscience,  He  makes  all  up  to  them  in  spir¬ 
itual  riches,  which  are  much  more  satisfy¬ 
ing  and  enduring.  [Note  Jas.  2:  5.] 

2.  Of  their  sufferings ;  I  know  thy  tribula¬ 
tion  and  thy  poverty  ;  the  prosecution  they 
underwent,  even  to  the  spoiling  of  their 
goods.  In  all  the  afflictions  of  his  people. 
He  is  afflicted,  and  He  will  recompense 
tribulation  to  those  who  trouble  them,  but 
to  them  that  are  troubled,  rest  with  Himself. 

3.  He  knows  die  wickedness  and  the  false¬ 
hood  of  their  enemies;  I  know  the  blasphemy 
of  them  that  say  they  are  Jews,  but  are  not  J 
Of  those  who  pretend  to  be  the  only  pecu¬ 
liar,  covenant  people  of  God,  as  the  Jews 
boasted  themselves  to  be,  even  after  God 
had  rejected  them ;  those  who  would  be  set¬ 
ting  up  the  Jewish  riles  and  ceremonies, 
now  not  only  antiquated,  but  abrogated. 
Observe,  (1.)  AsChristhas  achurch  in  the 
world,  the  spiritual  Israel  of  God,  so  the 
devil  has  his  synagogue  ;  those  that  oppose 
the  truths  of  the  Gospel,  and  promote  damn¬ 
able  errors.  (2.)  For  the  synagogues  of 


Satan  to  give  themselves  out  to  be  the  church 
or  Israel  of  God,  is  no  less  than  blasphemy; 
and  He  has  a  high  resentment,  of  it,  and 
will  take  a  just  revenge  on  those  who  persist 
in  it. 

4.  He  foreknows  the  future  trials  of  his 
people,  forewarns  them  of  them,  and  fore¬ 
arms  them  against  them,  v.  10.  The  people 
of  God  must  look  for  troubles  in  this  world, 
and  their  troubles  usually  rise  higher  ;  they 
had  been  impoverished  by  their  tribulations 
before,  now  they  must  be  imprisoned.  Ob¬ 
serve,  It  is  the  devil  that  stirs  up  his  instru¬ 
ments,  wicked  men,  to  persecute  the  people 
of  God.  But  Christ  forearms  them  against 
these  approaching  troubles;  (1.)  By  his 
counsel  :  Fear  none  of  these  things ;  this  is 
not  only  a  word  of  command,  but  of  efficacy, 
not  only  forbidding  slavish  fear,  but  subdu¬ 
ing  it,  and  furnishing  the  soul  with  strength 
and  courage.  (2.)  By  showing  them  how 
their  sufferings  would  be  alleviated  and 
limited.  [1.]  They  should  not  be  universal; 
it  would  be  some  of  them,  not  all,  who  should 
be  cast  into  prison.  [2.]  They  were  not  to 
be  perpetual,  but  for  a  set  time,  and  a  short 
time,  ten  days.  Mat.  24:  22.  [3.]  It  should 
be  to  try  them,  not  to  destroy  them  ;  that 
their  faith,  and  patience,  and  courage,  might 
be  proved  and  be  found  to  honor  and  glory. 
(3.)  By  proposing  and  promising  a  glorious 
reward  to  their  fidelity. 

Observe,  1.  The  sureness  of  the  re¬ 
ward  ;  I  will  give  thee.  He  has  said  it,  that 
is  able  to  do  it. 

2.  The  suitableness  of  it  ;  A  crown,  to 
reward  their  poverty,  their  fidelity,  and 
their  conflict.  A  crown  of  life,  to  reward 
those  who  are  faithful  even  unto  death,  are 
faithful  till  they  die,  and  who  part  with  life 
itself,  in  fidelity  to. Christ;  that  life,  so  worn 
out  in  his  service,  or  laid  down  in  his  cause, 
shall  be  rewarded  with  another,  and  a  much 
better  life,  that  shall  be  eternal. 

III.  The  conclusion  of  this  message,  and 
that,  as  before,  1.  With  a  call  to  universal 
attention,  that  all  men,  all  the  world,  should 
hear  what  passes  between  Christ  and  his 
churches  ;  how  He  commends  them,  how 


V.  8,9.  1  The  First  and  the  Last.']  Note,  1:8 — 11.  These  words 

were  spoken  by  Jehovah  of  Himself  when  declaring  his  own  eternal 
Deity,  and  asserting,  1  that  beside  Him  there  was  no  God,  yea,  He  knew 
not  any  Is.  44:6 — 8.  so  that  the  repeated  use  of  them  by  the  Lord  Je¬ 
sus  must  be  allowed  by  all,  who  reverence  the  words  of  the  prophets 
and  apostles,  to  be  a  full  proof,  that  He  is  the  self-existent  and  eternal 
God.  And,  as  the  distinction  between  the  Father  and  the  Son  is  every¬ 
where  established,  whilst  it  is  declared,  that  there  is  but  ‘  One  living  and 
true  God,  ’  it  might  easily  be  proved  in  form,  that  there  can  be  no  con¬ 
sistent  alternative,  between  rejecting  the  Bible,  or  denying  it  to^be  the 
unerring  Word  of  God,  and  acknowledging  a  plurality  of  Persons  in  the 
Unity  of  the  Godhead.  For  the  same  has  repeatedly  been  shown  con¬ 
cerning  the  Holy  Spirit,  in  respect  of  the  attributes  and  operations  pe¬ 
culiar  to  Deity,  and  his  distinct,  personal  subsistence.  John  14:15 — 17. 
16:8—13.  1  Cor.  2:10— 13.  3:16,17.  12:4—11.  INote,  end  of  Jude.] 

Thus  the  doctrine  of  the  Trinity  is  fixed  on  the  firm  basis  of  divine  rev¬ 
elation  ;  and  it  will  always  be  found,  that  no  other  scheme,  however 
modified,  can  be  supported  by  any  learning,  ingenuity,  or  diligence  of 
man,  except  with  a  proportionable  disregard  to  the  oracles  of  Gods  and 
the  full  establishment  of  such  doctrine,  must  be  the  effect  of  a  total  dis¬ 
belief  of  the  Scriptures,  in  respect  of  the  nature,  subsistence,  and  per¬ 
fections  of  the  Godhead.  The  church,  indeed,  as  built  on  the  Person  of 
Christ,  cannot  be  subverted  by  ‘the  gates  of  hell  ;  ’  Mat.  16:18.  and 
though  we  may  well  be  concerned  for  our  children,  and  the  cause  of  the 
Gospel  in  these  lands  ;  and  should  therefore  use  every  proper  method 
of  ‘  earnestly  contending  for  the  truth  once  delivered  to  the  saints  ;  ’ 
yet  we  may  he  free  from  anxiety  about  the  event  of  the  contest,  and 
predict,  that  the  triumphing  of  those,  who  strive  against  1  the  First  and 
the  Last,’  will  assuredly  be  short. — He  who  thus  asserted  his  own  es¬ 
sential  Deity,  in  the  same  place  gave  an  intimation  of  his  incarnation, 
death,  resurrection,  and  everlasting  intercession;  (1:18.)  and,  in  the 
character  of  the  omnipotent  Friend  and  Savior  of  his  people,  He  assured 
the  Christians  at  Smyrna,  that  He  noticed  and  accepted  their  works, 
and  was  well  acquainted  with  their  trials  and  poverty,  for  though 
Smyrna  was  a  rich  and  populous  city,  either  the  poorest  of  the  inhabi¬ 
tants  alone  had  been  converted,  or  the  Christians  there  had  been  impov¬ 
erished  by  persecution.  Moreover,  he  knew  the  blasphemy  of  certain 
persons,  who  ‘said  they  were  Jews,’  and  reviled  both  them  and  Him. 
Some  think,  that  these  men  professed  Christianity  ;  but  in  their  zeal  for 
the  Mosaic  law,  they  spoke  such  things  of  the  Person  and  righteousness 
of  Christ,  as  amounted  to  constructive  blasphemy  ;  but  it  is  more  ob¬ 
vious  to  conclude,  that  they  were  virulent  opposers  and  persecutors, 
who  ‘  contradicted  and  blasphemed,’  as  the  Jews  at  Antioch  in  Pisidia 
had  done,  at  the  time  when  Paul  preached  among  them.  (Jets  13:45.) 
They  professed  to  be  Jews,  and  the  people  and  worshippers  of  God,  but 
they  were  not  what  they  professed  to  be.  Whether  they  were  of  the 
Jewish  nation  or  not,  God  did  not  allow  of  them  as  his  congregation ; 
the  rites  for  which  they  contended  were  no  longer  of  any  validity  ;  their 

[672] 


worship  was  carnal  and  hypocritical ;  they  violently  opposed  the  truth 
and  cause  of  God;  and  they  were  in  fact  ‘  the  synagogue  of  Satan,’  a 
company  of  people,  bearing  the  image,  [receiving  the  influences,]  copy¬ 
ing  the  example,  doing  the  works,  and  combining  together  to  support 
the  kingdom  of  the  devil.  3:8,  9.  John  8:41 — 47.  Scott. 

(9.)  Poverty .]  Polycarp,  Bp.  of  Smyrna,  had,  indeed,  as  many  of  the 
primitive  bishops  did,  reduced  himself  to  voluntary  poverty,  by  selling 
his  estate,  and  distributing  it  to  the  poor,  but,  says  Doddr.,  the  next  v. 
proves  this  is  not  referred  to.  Jews.]  ‘That  is,  of  God’s  peculiar  peo¬ 
ple  ;  and  this  instance  may  help  us  to  explain  many  prophetic  phrases, 
where  Jewish  rites  are  spoken  of  with  as  great  a  latitude,  viz.  for  rites 
God’s  peculiar  people  should  use.’  Doddr. — Bl.  inserts  ‘but  rich,’  after 
‘  poverty.’  Ed. 

V.  10.  11.  These  concluding  vs.  intimate,  that  the  persons  above 
mentioned  were  fierce  persecutors,  and  not  subtle  deceivers;  for  Christ 
did  not  warn  his  people  to  beware  of  false  doctrine;  but  to  prepare  for 
the  cross _ Ten  days.]  This  may  either  mean  ten  years,  which  is  re¬ 

corded  to  have  been  the  duration  of  Domitian’s  persecution  ;  or  a  con¬ 
siderable  but  limited  time;  [and  so  Guyse  takes  it  for  an  indefinite  num¬ 
ber  ;]  during  which  space,  many  of  them  might  be  called  to  suffer  mar¬ 
tyrdom  for  the  truth.- — This  epistle  also  concerned  all,  who  could  hear 
and  understand  ;  as  no  one,  who  conquered  in  this  spiritual  warfare, 
should  be  hurt  by  ‘  the  second  death  ;  ’  though  he  might  die  in  winning 
the  battle. —  Nothing  of  reproof  or  warning  is  contained  in  this  epistle; 
and  it  is  remarkable,  that  there  are  more  Christians,  at  this  day  in 
Smyrna,  than  at  any  other  place  in  all  that  part  of  the  world  ;  the  can¬ 
dlestick  has  not  wholly  been  removed  from  them  :  but  some  glimmer¬ 
ings  of  light  are  still  continued  to  theharnssed  remnant  of  this  church.  Sc. 

(10.)  ‘The  word  “crown,”  is  used  by  our  translators  for  both  the 
“stephanos,”  and  the  “diadem.”  The  “diadem,”  Parkh.  stales  to 
have  been  a  swathe,  or  fillet  of  w'hite  linen,  bound  about  the  heads  of 
the  ancient  eastern  kings,  [see  cuts,  2  Chr.  12:2 — 8,  ic.] — and  as  the 
ensign  of  royal  authority  this  word  is  used,  12:3.  13:1.  19:12.  The 
“  Stephanos,”  was  a  crown  or  garland,  bestowed  on  the  victors  in  com¬ 
bats,  or  given  to  conquerors,  as  2  Tim.  4:8.  See  Mackn.  This  occurs, 
2:10.  3:11.  4:4,10.  6:2.  9:7.12:1.  14:14.’ — ' 1  There  is  no  proof  that  the 
persecution  at  Smyrna,  in  169,  when  Poly  carp  suffered  there,  continued 
10  years,  or  days,  and  this  was  70  years  and  more  after  the  prophecy. 
Diocletian’s  did  not  last  10  years,  and  was  universal.  More  probably, 
that  foretold  took  place  in  that  generation,  during  10  days,  nnd  among 
the  Smyrneans  only,  and  from  the  Jews  mentioned.  Thus  fulfilled,  this 
prophecy  could  not  fail  to  authenticate  itself  and  the  rest,  to  those  7 
churches,  and  so  they  would  revere  and  carefully  transmit  the  book, 
uncotitaminated  ;  as  they  appear  to  have  done.’  Woodh. 

(11.)  ‘  The  second  death,  is  an  expression  peculiar  to  the  Apocalypse. 
Irenteus,  who  lived  very  near  the  time  of  St.  John,  explained  it  to  mean 
the  Gehenna,  or  eternal  fire,  the  place  of  punishment  for  incorrigible 
sinners.’  In. 


A.  D.  95. 


REVELATION,  II. 


The  message  sent  to  Pcrgamos. 


12  And  to  the  angel  of  the  church 
in  Pergarnos  write  ;  These  things 
saith  r  he  which  hath  the  sharp 
sword  with  two  edges  ; 

IS  1  know8  thy  works,  and  where 
thou  dwellest,  even  where  Satan’s 
seat  is:  and  thou  holdest  fast  my 
name,  and  hast  not  denied  my 
faith,  even  in  those  days  wherein 
Anti  pas  ions  my  faithful  martyr, 
who  was  slain  among  you,  where 
Satan  dwelleth. 

14  But  I  have  a  few  things 
against  thee,  because  thou  hast 
there  them  that  hold  the  doctrine 
of  Balaam,  who  u  taught  Balak  to 
cast  a  stumbling-block  before  the 
children  of  Israel,  to  eat  v  things 
sacrificed  unto  idols,  and  to  commit 
w  fornication. 

15  So  hast  thou  also  them  that 
hold  the  doctrine  of  the  Nicolai- 
tans,  which  thing  I  hate. 

16  Repent;  or  else  I  will  come 
unto  thee  quickly,  and  1  will  fight 
against  them  with  the  sword  of 
my  mouth. 

17  He  r  that  hath  an  ear,  let  him 
hear  what  the  Spirit  saith  unto  the 

r  c  1:16.  a  Nu.  31:16.  x  Is.  11:4. 

s  ver.  9.  v  Ac.  15:29.  y  ver.  7. 

I  2  Ti.  2:12.  w  1  Co.  6:13,18.  c.  3:6,13,52. 

He  ciTmforts  them,  how  He  reproves  their 
failures,  how  He  rewards  their  fidelity  ;  it 
concerns  all  the  inhabitants  of  the  world  to 
observe  God’s  dealings  with  his  own  people; 
all  the  world  may  learn  instruction  and 
wisdom  thereby.  2.  With  a  gracious  prom¬ 
ise  to  the  conquering  Christian,  v.  11.  Ob¬ 
serve,  There  is  not  only  a  first,  but  a  second 
death;  a  death  after  the  body  is  dead.  This 
second  death  is  unspeakably  worse  than  the 
first  death,  both  in  the  dying  pangs  and  ago¬ 
nies  of  it, — agonies  of  the  soul,  without  any 
mixture  of  support,  and  in  duration  eternal; 
this  is  hurtful,  indeed,  fatally  hurtful  to  all 
who  fall  under  it.  From  this  hurtful,  this 
destructive  death,  Christ  will  save  all  his 
faithful  servants;  thesecond  death  shall  have 
no  power  over  those  who  are  partakers  of 
the.  first  resurrection  ;  the  first  death  shall  not 
hurt  them,  and  the  second  death  shall  have  no 
power  over  them. 

V.  12—17.  Here  also  we  are  to  consider, 

I.  The  inscription  ;  to  the  angel  of  the 
church  of  Pergarnos;  whether  a  city  raised 
up  out  of  the  Ruins  of  old  Troy,  or.  some 
other  city  of  the  same  name,  is  neither  cer¬ 


tain  nor  material.  In  the  message  sent,  the 
same  Jesus  describes  Himself  as  one  that 
hath  the  sharp  sword  with  two  edges,  ch.  1:16. 

Some  have  observed,  that,  in  the  several 
titles  of  Christ  prefixed  to  the  several  epis¬ 
tles,  there  is  something  suited  to  the  state 
of  those  churches  ;  as,  in  that  to  Ephesus, 
what  could  be  more  proper  to  awaken  and 
recover  a  drowsy  and  declining  church,  than 
to  hear  Christ  speaking  as  one  that  held  the 
stars  in  his  hand,  and  walked  in  the  midst  of 
the  golden  candlesticks  ?  &c. 

The  church  of  Pergarnos  was  infested  with 
men  of  corrupt  minds,  who  did  what  they 
could  to  corrupt  both  the  faith  and  manners 
of  the  church  ;  and  Christ,  being  resolved 
to  fight  against  them  by  (he  sword  of  his 
Word,  takes  the  title  of  Him  that  hath  the. 
sharp  sword  with  two  edges.  The  Word  of 
God  is  a  sharp  sword,  offensive  and  defen¬ 
sive;  a  sword  with  two  edges,  the  edge  of  the 
law  against  transgressors  of  that  dispensa¬ 
tion,  and  the  edge  of  the  gospel  against  the 
despisers  of  that;  an  edge  to  make  a  wound, 
and  an  edge  to  open  a  festered  wound,  in  or¬ 
der  to  its  healing;  an  edge,  if  ye  turn  aside 
to  the  right  hand,  6n  that  side  ;  if  on  the 
left  hand,  an  edge  on  that  side  ;  it  turns 
every  way. 

II.  F  rom  the  inscription  we  proceed  to 
(lie  contents  of  this  epistle,  in  which  the 
method  is  much  the  same  as  in  the  rest. 
Here, 

1.  Christ  notices  the  trials  and  difficulties 
this  church  encountered,  v.  13.  The  cir¬ 
cumstance  which  added  very  much  lustre  to 
the  good  works  of  this  church,  was,  that  of 
the  place  where  it  was  planted,  a  place 
where  Satan’s  seat  was.  As  our  great  Lord 
notices  all  the  advantages  and  opportunities 
we  have  for  duty  by  the  places  we  dwell  in, 
so  He  notices  all  the  temptations  and  dis¬ 
couragements  we  meet  with  from  them,  and 
makes  gracious  allowances.  This  people 
dwelt  where  Satan’s  sent  was,  where  he  kept 
his  court  ;  some  think  the  Roman  governor 
in  this  city  was  a  most  violent  enemy  to  the 
Christians  ;  and  the  seat  of  persecution  is 
Satan’s  seat. 

2.  He  commends  their  steadfastness,  v.  13. 
These  two  expressions, — holdest  fast,  and 
hast  not  denied, — are  much  of  the  same  sense  ; 
the  former  may  signify  the  effect,  and  the 
latter  the  cause  or  means.  Our  faith  will 
have  a  great  influence  on  our  faithfulness  ; 
it  has  been  seldom  known  that  those  who 
let  go  the  true  faith,  retain  their  fidelity  ; 
usually,  on  that  rock  on  which  men  make 
shipwreck  of  their  faith,  they  make  ship¬ 
wreck  of  a  good  conscience  too  :  and  here 
our  blessed  Lord  aggrandizes  (he  fidelity  of 
this  church,  from  the  circumstance  of  the 
times,  as  well  as  of  the  place  where  they 


lived  ;  they  had  been  steadfast  even  in  those 
days  wherein  Antipas  his  faithful  martyr  was 
slain  among  them.  Who  this  person  was, 
anti  whether  there  be  anything  mysterious  in 
his  name,  we  have  no  certain  account  ;  he 
was  -a  faithful  disciple,  and  sealed  his  faith 
and  fidelity  with  his  blood,  in  the  place  where 
Satan  dwelt  ;  and  though  the  rest  of  the  be¬ 
lievers  there  knew  this,  and  saw  it,  yet  they 
were  not  discouraged  nor  drawn  away  from 
their  steadfastness  ;  this  is  mentioned  to 
their  honor. 

3.  He  reproves  them  for  their  sinful  fail¬ 
ures,  v.  14.  There  were  some  who  taught, 
that  simple  fornication,  and  to  eat  things  sac¬ 
rificed  to  idols,  was  no  sin  ;  they,  by  an  im¬ 
pure  worship,  drew  men  into  impure  prac¬ 
tices,  as  Balaam  the  Israelites.  Observe, 
The  filthiness  of  the  spirit  and  of  the  flesh  often 
go  together  ;  corrupt  doctrines  and  corrupt 
worship  often  lead  to  corrupt  conversation, 
[‘  every  doctrine  makes  its  own  nest.’]  It 
is  very  lawful  to  fix  the  name  of  the  leaders 
of  any  heresy  on  those  who  follow  them  ;  it 
is  the  shortest  way  of  telling  whom  we  mean. 
To  continue  in  communion  with  persons  of 
corrupt  principles  and  practice,  is  displeas¬ 
ing  to  God,  draws  a  guilt  and  blemish  on  the 
whole  society  ;  and,  though  the  church,  as 
such,  has  no  power  to  punish  the  persons  of 
men,  either  for  heresy  or  immorality,  with 
corporal  penalties  ;  yet  it  has  power  to  ex¬ 
clude  them  from  their  holy  communion;  and 
if  it  do  not  so,  Christ,  the  Head  and  Law¬ 
giver  of  the  church,  will  be  displeased 
with  it. 

4.  He  calls  them  to  repentance,  v.  16. 
Observe,  here.  Repentance  is  the  duty  of 
saints  as  well  as  sinners ;  the  duty  of  churches 
and  communities  a3  well  as  particular  per¬ 
sons;  Christian  societies,  even,  must  repent 
of  other  men’s  sins,  as  far  as  they  have  been 
accessary  to  them,  though  but  so  much  as  by 
connivance.  When  God  comes  to  punish 
the  corrupt  members  of  a  church,  He  re¬ 
bukes  that  cliurch  itself  for  allowing  such  to 
continue  in  its  communion,  and  some  drops 
of  the  storm  fall  on  the  whole  society.  No 
swmrd  cuts  so  deep,  nor  inflicts  so  mortal  a 
wound,  as  the  sword  of  Christ’s  mouth  ;  let 
but  tire  threatenings  of  the  Word  beset  home 
on  the  conscience  of  a  sinner,  and  he  will 
soon  be  a  terror  to  himself;  let  these  threat¬ 
enings  be  executed,  and  the  sinner  is  utterly 
cut  off  :  the  Word  of  God  will  take  hold  of 
sinners,  sooner  or  later,  either  for  their  con¬ 
viction  or  their  confusion. 

III.  We  have  the  conclusion  of  this  epis¬ 
tle,  where,  after  the  usual  demand  of  uni¬ 
versal  attention,  there  is  the  promise  of  great 
favor  to  those  that  overcome,  v.  17.  1.  The 

hidden  manna,  i.  e.  the  influences  and  com¬ 
forts  of  the  Spirit  of  Christ  in  communion 


V.  12,  13.  Pergarnos  was  a  city  north  of  Smyrna.  Where  Satan’s 
seat  is  must  denote,  that  Pergarnos  was  not  only  a  very  wicked  city,  hut 
also  that  it  was,  as  it  were,  the  head  quarters  of  both  persecution  and 
heresy;  the  two  principal  engines  of  the  devil,  in  opposing  the  pure 
Gospel  of  Christ;  and  that  from  thence  these  dire  evils  diffused  their 
baleful  influence  to  other  cities.  Acts  20:29 — 31.  Antipas,  probably,  was 
a  pastor  of  the  church.  Scott. 

(13.)  Martyr.  ‘  Martus:  rather,  witness,  (and  so  Newc.)  Cor  martyr 
would  involve  an  incongruity.  The  phrase  oc.c.  often,  as  Ps.  89:17. 
Prov.  14:5.  Jer.  42:5.  Rev.  1:5.  3:14.  Antipas  is  supposed  to  have 
suffered  in  the  recent  persecution,  under  Diorlesian.’  Hl. — ‘The  primi¬ 
tive  Galilean  martyrs  were  unwilling  to  take  the  name,  considering  it 
belonged  peculiarly  to  the  Lord  Jesus.  1:5.’  Woonn. 

V.  14 — 16.  Hence  it  is  evident,  that  the  teachers  of  this  sect,  [Nicol- 
aitans,]  sought  1  the  wages  of  unrighteousness,’  by  endeavoring  to  cor¬ 
rupt  and  pervert  professed  Christians;  and  that,  in  order  to  obtain 
them,  they  laid  ‘stumbling-blocks  ’  in  their  way,  and,  on  some,  pretence 
or  other,  encouraged  and  enticed  them  to  join  iu  the  idolatrous  feasts  of 
their  neighbors  ;  and  on  those  occasions,  and  at  other  times,  to  commit 
fornication.  Num.  25:  1  Cor.  8:7 — 13.  10:23 — 28.  They  might,  per¬ 
haps,  inculcate  the  lawfulness  of  dissembling  their  religion  to  escape 
persecution,  which  is  an  occasion  of  falling  to  numbers  in  circumstances 
which  expose  men  to  it ;  and  joining  in  the  idolatry  and  excess  of  the 
heathen  worship  would  effectually  answer  this  end.  They,  however, 
certainly' grafted  this  prevarication  on  more  general  principles;  and  an 
erroneous  and  perverted  view  of  the  evangelical  doctrine  of  ‘salvation 
by  grace,’  and  concerning  Christian  liberty,  constituted  ‘  the  root  of 
bitterness,’  from  which  their  evil  practices  naturally  grew.  ‘They 
turned  the  grace  of  God  into  lasciviousness,’  and  taught  others  to  do  the 
same,  and  were  the  Antinomians  of  the  primitive  church  ;  a  heresy, 
Which,  in  one  form  or  other,  has  always  hitherto  sprung  up,  when  the 
N.  T.  VOL.  V.  85 


true  Gospel  of  Christ  has  been  successfully  preached  ;  being  a  kind  of 
tare,  which  the  enemy  will  at  all  times  sow  among  the  good  seed,  as  far 
ns  he  is  permitted. — Many  have  supposed,  that  this  sect  derived  its 
name  from  Nicholns,  one  of  the  primitive  deacons;  and  such  a  tradi¬ 
tion  prevailed  early  in  the  church.  Yet  the  name  was  then  so  common, 
and  might  be  given  to  the  sect  on  so  many  other  accounts,  that  there  is 
no  certainty  in  it.  We  read  nothing  of  Nicholas  in  Scripture,  to  war¬ 
rant  so  unfavorable  an  opinion  of  him;  neither  Peter  nor  Jude,  who 
opposed  heretics  of  the  same  stamp,  called  them  by  this  name;  and  it 
may  thence,  almost  with  certainty,  be  concluded,  that  it  was  afterwards 
given  them.  Some  have  noted,  that  Nicolaus ,  in  Greek,  signifies  the 
same  as  Balaam  does  in  Hebrew,  namely,  ‘  the  conqueror  of  the  people 
and  have  thence  inferred,  that  they  were  so  called  from  the  influence 
which  they  obtained  over  men’s  minds,  and  the  fatal  use  which  they 
made  of  it,  as  Balaam  had  done  before  them. — Pergarnos  is  at  present 
in  a  very  ruinous  condition;  very  few  professed  Christians  are  found  in 
it,  and  they  are  wholly  dependent  on  the  church  at  Smyrna;  being  in  a 
most  abject  state,  and  having  scarcely  anything  of  our  holy  religion, 
except  the  empty  name.  [The  reader  is,  once  for  all,  referred  to  the 
Pref.  to  Rev.  for  an  account,  with  engravings,  of  these  places,  as  they 
noware.  Ed.]  (14)  Them  that  hold.}  13,25.  3:11.  Mark  7:3.  2Thes. 
2:15.  ‘Holding,  i.  e.  strictly,  studiously,  and  with  all  their  might,  the 
traditions  of  the  elders.’  Leigh,  on  Mk.  7:3.  Sc ott. 

(15.)  Whom  I  hate.]  llo  misO  :  rather  homoiSs,  ‘likewise.  HI. 
after  Beng.,  Wets.,  Griesb.,  Mat.,  Tittm.,  and  Vater.  Ed. 

V.  17.  What  the  Spirit  spake  by  John,  to  the  church  at  Pergarnos, 
was  meant  for  the  instruction  of  all,  xvho  should  ever  hea^°'‘  reah  ,l  ’ 
for  whilst  judgments  impended  over  the  head  of  the  imp  l  ,  - 

ings  were  prepared  for  those,  who  overcame  the  multipli  P  ‘ 

to  which  they  were  exposed.-The  expression,  [No  man  knoweth,  &C.1 
may  also  signify,  that  the  felicity  which  awaits  the  children  of^God, 


A.  D.  95. 


REVELATION,  II. 


The  message  sent  to  Thyatira. 


churches;  To  him  that  overcometh 
will  I  give  to  eat  of  the  hidden 
x  manna,  and  will  give  him  a  white 
stone,  and  in  the  stone  a  new  ‘name 
written,  which  no  man  knoweth  b 
saving  he  that  receiveth  it. 

18  And  unto  the  angel  of  the 
church  in  Thyatira  write  ;  These 
things  saith  the  Son  of  God,  who 
hath  his  eyes  c  like  unto  a  flame  of 
fire,  and  his  feet  are  like  fine  brass; 

19  I  d  know  thy  works,  and  char¬ 
ity,  and  service,  and  faith,  and  thy 
patience,  and  thy  works ;  and  the 
last  to  he  more  than  the  first. 

20  Notwithstanding,  1  have  a  few 
things  against  thee,  because  thou 
sufferest  that  woman  '  Jezebel, 
which  calleth  herself  a  prophetess, 
to  teach  and  to  seduce  my  servants 
to  commit  fornication,  and  to  feat 
things  sacrificed  unto  idols. 

21  And  I  gave  her  space  *  to 
pent  of  her  fornication  ;  and 
repented  h  not. 

22  Behold,  I  '  will  cast  her  into  a 
bed,  and  them  that  commit  adultery 
with  her  into  great  tribulation,  ex¬ 
cept  they  repent  of  their  deeds. 

23  And  I  will  kill  >  her  children 
with  death;  and  all  the  churches 
k shall  know  that  I 'am  he  which 
searcheth  the  reins  and  hearts;  and 
I  m  will  give  Tinto  every  one  of  you 
according  to  your  works. 


this  jay;  and  it  is  laid  up  in  Christ,  the  Ark  fiuith,  which  was  the  grace  that  actuated 
of  the  covenant,  in  the  holy  of  holies.  2.  both  their  charity,  and  their  service.  (4.) 
The  white  stone,  with  a  new  name  engraven  Their  patience;  for  those  that  are  most  char- 
on  it,  is  absolution  front  the  guilt  of  sin,  al-  itable,  and  most  faithful,  must  yet  expect  to 
luding  to  the  ancient  custom  of  giving  a  white  \  meet  with  that  which  will  exercise  their 
stone  to  persons  acquitted  on  trial, and  a  black  |  patience.  (5.)  Their  growing  fruitfulness  ; 

their  last  works  were  better  than  the  first :  it 
should  he  the  ambition  and  earnest  desire 
of  all  Christians,  that  they  may  he  better 
and  better  every  day,  and  best  at  last. 

2.  A  faithful  reproof  for  what  was  amiss  ; 
this  is  not  so  directly  charged  on  the  church 
itself,  as  on  some  wicked  seducers  among 
them  ;  these  wicked  seducers  are  compared 
to  Jezebel,  a  great  patroness  of  idolaters 
and  false  prophets,  and  called  by  her  name: 
their  sin  was,  they  attempted  to  draw  the 
servants  <fi  God  into  fiornication,  and  to  offer 
sacrifices  to  idols;  they  call  themselves  proph¬ 
ets,  and  so  would  claim  a  superior  authority 
and  regard  to  the  ministers  of  that  church. 
Two  things  aggravated  their  sin  :  they  made 
use  of  the  name  of  God  to  oppose  the  truth 
of  his  doctrine  and  worship  ;  and  they 
abused  the  patience  of  God  to  harden  them¬ 
selves  in  their  wickedness.  God  gave  them 


re¬ 

sile 


stone  to  those  condemned.  The  new  name 
is  the  name  of  adoption  ;  adopted  persons 
took  the  name  of  the  family  into  which  they 
were  adopted  :  none  can  read  the  evidence 
of  a  man’s  adoption  but  himself ;  he  cannot 
always  read  it  ;  but,  if  he  persevere,  lie 
shall  have  both  the  evidence  of  sonship  and 
the  inheritance. 

V.  18 — 29.  The  form  of  each  epistle  is 
much  the  same  ;  and  in  this,  as  the  rest, 
we  have  to  consider  the  inscription,  contents, 
and  conclusion. 

I.  The  inscription; 

To  the  angrl  of  the  church  of  Thyatira,  a 
city  of  the  proconsular  Asia,  bordering  on 
Mysia  on  the  N.  and  Lydia  on  the  S.,  a  town 
of  trade  ;  from  whence  came  the  woman 
named  Lydia,  a  seller  ofi  purple;  whether  by 
her  means  the  Gospel  was  brought  here,  is 
not  certain  ;  but  that  it  vvas  successful  to 
the  forming  of  a  gospel-church,  this  epistle  (  space  for  repentance,  but  they  repented  not  ; 
assures  us.  j  and,  where  the  space  for  repentance  is  lost, 

The  Son  ofi  God,  who  sent  the  epistle,  is  :  the  sinner  perishes  with  a  double  destruc- 
here  described  in  two  characters:  1.  His  j  tion. 

eyes  are  like  unto  a  flume  of  fire,  signifying  Now  the  wickedness  of  this  Jezebel  is 
hispiercing,  penetrating,  perfect  knowledge,  charged  on  the  church  of  Thyatira  ;  not  that 
a  thorough  insight  into  all  persons,  and  all  as  a  church,  they  had  civil  power  to  banish 
things,  v.  23.  2.  His  feet  are  like  fine  brass;  1  or  imprison  her  ;  but  they  had  ministerial 
that  the  outgoings  of  his  providence  are  power  to  censure  and  to  excommunicate 
steady,  awful,  and  all  pure  and  holy  :  as  lie  her;  and  it  is  probable,  that  their  neglect  to 


z  TV  95:14. 
a  Is.  56:4.  65: 15. 

c  3:12.  19:12,13. 
b  1  Co.  2:14. 
c  c.  1:14,15. 
cl  ver.  2. 
e  I  K.  16:31. 

with  Him 
the  world  ; 


f  Ex.  3-1:15. 

1  Co.  10:20,28. 
g  Ro.  2:4. 

2  Pe.  3.9. 
h  c.  9:20. 

i  Eze.  15:37.23:r.9. 
j  c.  6.8. 


k  Zep.  1:1 1. 

1  1  Ch  28:9. 
2  Ch.  6:30. 
Pi.  7:9. 

Jti.  17:10. 
m  Ps.  62:12. 


judges  with  perfect  wisdom,  so  He  acts  with 
perfect  strength  and  steadiness. 

II.  The  contents  of  this  epistle. 

1.  The  honorable  character  and  com¬ 
mendation  Christ  gives  of  this  church,  min¬ 
istry,  and  people.  (1.)  Of  their  charity; 
either  more  general,  a  disposition  to  do  good 
to  all  men;  or  more  special,  to  the  household  ho  hope  of  future  life,  but  only  shame  and 
ofi faith.  There  is  no  religion  where  there  everlasting  contempt 


use  the  power  they  had,  made  them  sharers 
in  her  sin. 

3.  The  punishment  of  this  seducer,  this 
Jezebel,  v.  22,  23.  In  these  words  is  couch¬ 
ed  a  prediction  of  the  fall  of  Babylon  :  the 
bed  is  a  bed  of  pain,  not  of  pleasure  ;  and 
the  death  is  the  second  death,  which  leaves 


this  is  hidden  from  the  rest  of 
a  stranger  intermeddles  not  with 


is  no  [I ,:ve  in  action,  or]  charity.  (2.) 
Their  service,  or  ministration  ;  this  respects 
chiefly  the  officers  of  I  he  church,  who  had 
labored  in  the  Word  and  doctrine.  (3.)  Their 


4.  The  design  of  Christ  in  the  destruction 
of  these  wicked  seducers  ;  and  that  vvas, 
the  instruction  of  others,  especially  of  his 
churches  ;  All  the  churches  shall  know,  &c. 


when  they  shall  have  obtained  a  complete  victory  over  all  their  ene¬ 
mies,  can  never  he  understood,  but  by  die  enjoyment  of  it ;  yet  I  appre¬ 
hend,  that  present  consolations,  as  the  gracious  recompense  of  victory 
over  particular,  urgent  temptations,  were  principally,  though  not  ex¬ 
clusively  intended.  Scotc. 

(17.)  Manna.]  ‘That,  hidden  and  laid  up  in  the  tabernacle,  free  from 
corruption,  was  considered  a  type  of  the  spiritual  bread  of  life,  John  4: 
26,  See.  namely,  the  benefits  derived  to  die  faithful  by  Christ’s  offering, — 
forgiveness,  and  eternal  life.  So  Woodh.  It  was  never  seen  but  by  the 
high  priest,  says  Schoettgen  ;  and  the  spiritual  manna  may  be  said  to 
be  hid  ten,  ns  being  enjoyed  in  die  heart  of  the  true  Qhrislian.  Comp. 
John  6:32 — 3-5.  1  Pet.  3:4.’  Bl. —  Stone.]  ‘  Many  consider  the  allusion 
here  is,  to  the  stones  used  for  balloting  ill  judicial  proceedings,  to  de¬ 
clare  guilt  or  innocence;  but  T.  H.  Horne  thinks  a  tessara  is  alluded 
to,  which  was  a  stone,  shaped  in  the  form  of  all  oblong  square,  divided 
into  two  parts,  upon  each  of  which,  one  of  two  parties  wrote  his  name, 
and  exchanged  it  with  the  other.  [Cut,  Gal.  2:0.  So  Dr.  Ward,  Hein¬ 
richs,  Prof.  Lee,  and  lit.  think,  there  is  nllusion  to  these  tesserae  hospi- 
talitatis  ;  ‘  a  sort  of  carte  blanche,  entitling  the  person  who  showed  it, 
lo  ask  for  and  receive  what  he  might  want.’]  Each  party,  and  their 
descendants,  on  producing  these  at  the  house  of  die  other,  were  recog¬ 
nised  and  hospitably  received.  These  tokens  were  kept  with  much  care 
and  privacy,  that  they  might  not  be  used  by  others.  This  practice,  it  is 
known,  prevailed  among  the  ancient  Christians.  Halpy  thinks,  it  re- 
_ (erred  to  the  judges,  who  presented  to  conquerors  in  the  games,  a  white 
stone,  assigning  and  containing  the  name  and  the  prize  of  him  that 
conquered.’  Henry,  abr. — ‘As  God’s  favored  servants  in  the  O.  T.  are 
frequently  honored  with  new  names,  [comp,  die  oriental  custom,]  this 
new  name,  is  a  token  of  spiritual  benefit,  so  surpassing,  it  can  be  known 
only  by  being  enjoyed.’  Woodh. — JYo  man  knoweth.]  Is  this  an  allu¬ 
sion  to  the  anagrainmatic  method  of  writing  names  on  seals,  <Scc.,  which 
is  now  and  has  ever  been  common  in  the  E.,  and  to  counterfeit  which 
is  capital  ?  The  Sultan  of  Turkey  has  a  secretary,  whose  sole  business  it 
is  to  write  the  Sultan’s  taoghra,  or  cypher  containing  his  name,  and 
numerous  titles.  Ed.--1  Princes  sometimes  gave  particular  names,  ex¬ 
pressing  familiarity  and  delight,  to  distinguish  favorites,  by  which  to  call 
them  in  the  greatest  intimacy  of  converse.’  Donun.  *  I  incline  to  think 
“new  name”  merely  figurative,  importing  a  title  to  heaven,  and  thus 
agreeing  to  the  “  white  stone  ”  on  which  it  is  written.  As  the  .alter  in¬ 
dicates  an  acquittal  from  guilt,  or  die  blessing  of  justification  ;  the  for¬ 
mer  may  denote  the  believer’s  tide  to  life,  or  blessing  of  adoption  into 
the  family  of  God,  and  a  right  to  all  the  privileges  and  immunities  con¬ 
nected  with  being  sons  and  heirs  of  God,  and  joint  heirs  of  the  eternal 
inheritance  with  Christ. — The  hidden  manna,  ivhitc  stone,  and  new 
name,  imply  privileges  of  the  same  nature  with  “  the  fruit  of  the  tree  of 
life  but  the  style  may  be  varied  to  teach  us,  that  though  spiritual  bless¬ 
ings  are  all  the  same  in  kind,  they  are  adapted  to  the  diversified  wants 
and  capacities  of  men.’  W.  Joxes. 

[b74] 


V.  is.  Son  of  God.]  Comp.  1:13,  14.  Scott. 

V.  20 — 23.  It  is  not  agreed,  whether  1  that  woman  Jezebel,’  is  a  lit¬ 
eral  or  figurative  expression.  From  the  rending  in  some  manuscripts  it 
has  been  thought,  that  the  wife  of  the  presiding  minister  was  intended  ; 
that  she  had  obtained  great  influence  in  the  affairs  of  the  church,  and 
made  t  bad  use  of  it ;  that  she  pretended  to  prophetic  gifts,  and  under 
that  sanction  propagated  abominable  principles,  and  though  her  conduct 
was  disapproved  by  many,  yet  no  proper  decision  wits  used  in  censuring 
her,  or  preventing  the  mischiefs  which  she  occasioned. — The  figurative 
meaning,  however,  scents  more  suited  to  the  style  and  manner  of  this 
hook  ;  and  in  this  sense,  xve  may  understand  it  to  denote  a  company  of 
persons,  of  the  spirit  and  character  of  Jezebel,  within  the  church,  under 
one  principal  deceiver;  as  the  Roman  antichrist  is  represented  by  I  tie 
emblem  of  an  abandoned  harlot.  17:1 — 5.  Jezebel,  a  Zidonian,  and  a 
zealous  idolater,  being  married  to  the  king  of  Israel,  contrary  to  the  di¬ 
vine  law,  used  all  her  influence  to  seduce  the  Israelites  from  the  wor¬ 
ship  of  Jehovah  into  idolatry,  with  which  the  vilest  licentiousness  xvas 
connected  ;  and  this  greatly  aided  the  temptation.  (M.  R.  a.)  Titus 
these  persons  at  Thyatira,  having,  through  the  fault  of  the  pastors  and 
members  of  tile  church,  found  admission  among  them,  and  by  their  ar¬ 
tifices  mid  blandishments  attached  a  party  to  their  cause,  employed 
their  whole  influence  to  draw  men  from  the  pure  religion  of  Christ,  into 
carnal  and  spiritual  fornication  and  adultery,  and  to  poison  their  minds 
witlt  abominable  doctrines.  Yet  they  had  not  been  duly  censured  and 
opposed  ;  and  it  is  evident,  that  neither  the  fatal  tendency  of  their  opin¬ 
ions.  nor  the  atrociousness  of  their  conduct,  had  been  fully  noticed  and 
understood,  till  this  epistle  was  sent.  1  Cor.  5:  All  the  churches ,  Ac.] 
Here  again  the  peculiar  style  of  Deity  is  employed  by  ‘the  Son  of  God.’ 
It  is  far  more  expressive  to  say,  ‘  I  am  He,  who  searcheth  the  heart,’ 
than  *  I  search  ;’  nor  can  such  language  be  accounled  for,  on  any  other 
ground  than  the  trinitarian  doctrine,  whatever  pains  nnd  ingenuity  may 
be  employed  in  the  attempt.  M.  R.—Note,  Jer.  17:9,  10.  In. 

(20.)  Jezebel.]  ‘  Grot.,  &c.  understand  a  person  of  rank  nnd  in¬ 
fluence,  who  seduced  them  to  join  heathen  impurities  in  their  worship. 
But  itt  scripture  allegory,  the  body  of  a  nation  is  often  designated  under 
the  name  of  a  woman.  Therefore,  Ham.,  Durham ,  Vitr.,  Sec.,  following 
Andreas  Cesariensis,  (who  professes  to  give  the  explications  of  I’apias, 
IrentEUs,  Methodius,  Sec.,)  Arclhas  and  Bede,  understand  a  sect  or  body  of 
misleading  teachers,  harbored  in  the  church  at  Thyatira.  It  was,  doubt¬ 
less,  clear  to  the  church  addressed  :  at  v.  23.  children  are  spoken  of, 
which  confirms  the  idea,  that  a  sect  and  its  proselytes  are  meant.  For 
the  innocent  children  of  a  bad  woman  might  justly  he  spared.’  Woodh. 

(20,  21.)  Fete.]  OUga  :  this  is  marked  as  spurious  by  HI.,  as  also  ek 
tits  porneias  autss  (of  her  fornication,  i.  e.  heresy),  in  v.  21.  1  liaUein 

epi  klin  n  [throw  upon  a  bed],  is,  as  Heinr.  observes,  a  Svriac  phrase, 
for,  to  bring  sickness  upon,  morbum  immitlere,  2  S.  13:5.’  BL  Ed. 

(21.)  Bl.  reads,  ‘and  wills  not  torepent  of  her  prostitution  .*  In. 

(22.)  Their.]  Rather,  ‘Iter.’  Bloojik. 


A.  D.  95. 


REVELATION,  III. 


The  message  sent  to  Sardis. 


24  But  unto  you  I  say,  and  unto 
the  rest  in  Thyatira,  as  many  ns 
have  not  this  doctrine,  and  which 
have  not  known  the  depths  "of  Sa¬ 
tan,  as  they  speak;  I  will  put  upon 
you  none  other  burden. 

25  But  that  0  which  ye  have  al¬ 
ready,  hold  fast  till  I  come. 

2(i  And  he  that  p  overcometh,  and 
keepeth  my  works  u n to  the  end, 
to  him  will  I  give  power  over  the 
nations : 

27  And  rhe  shall  rule  them  with 
a  rod  or  iron  ;  as  the  vessels  of  a 
potter  shall  they  be  broken  to  shiv¬ 
ers  :  even  as  I  8  received  of  my 
Father. 

23  And  I  will  give  him  the  1 
morning  star. 

29  He  that  bath  an  ear,  let  him 
hear  what  the  Spirit  saitli  unto  the 
churches. 


CHAP.  III. 

£  The  Angel  of  the  church  of  Sardis  is  reproved,  3  exhorted 
to  repent,  and  Ihientenet!  if  he  do  not  repent.  8  The 
angel  of  the  church  of  Philndelfdria  10  is  approved  for  his 
diligence  and  patience.  15  The  angel  of  Laodicea,  rebuk¬ 
ed,  for  being  neither  hot  nor  cold,  19  and  admonished  to 
he  more  zealous.  20  Christ  Btandeth  at  the  door  and 
knocketh. 


AND  unto  the  angel  of  the  church 
in  Sardis  write  ;  These  things 
saith  he  that  hath  the  seven  a  Spir¬ 
its  of  God 3  and  the  seven  stars;  1 
know  b  thy  works,  that  thou  hast 
a  name  that  thou  livest,  c  and  art 
dead. 


n  2  Th.  2:9—12. 
c.  3:11. 

p  ver.  7,11,17. 
c.  3:5,12,21. 
21:7. 


q  Jn.  6:29. 

Ja.  2:20. 
r  Ps.  <19:1-1. 

119:5—9. 
s  Ps.  2:9. 


t  c.  22:16. 
a  c.  5:6. 
b  c.  2:2,  &c. 
c  1  Ti.  5:6. 


God  is  known  by  the  judgments  that  He  exe¬ 
cute!  h  ;  and,  by  this  revenge  taken  on  se¬ 
ducers,  He  would  make  known  his  infallible 
knowledge  of  the  hearts  of  men,  and  his  im¬ 
partial  justice,  in  giving  every  one  according 
to  his  work,  that  the  name  of  Christians 
should  he  no  protection,  their  churches 
should  be  no  sanctuaries,  for  sin  and  sinners. 

5.  The  encouragement  given  to  those  who 
kept  themselves  pure  and  undefiled,  v.  24. 
Observe,  The  seducers  called  their  doctrines 
depths,  profound  mysteries  ;  amusing  the 
people,  and  endeavoring  to  persuade  them 
they  had  a  deeper  insight  info  religion  titan 
their  own  ministers  had.  But  Christ  called 
them  depths  of  Satan,  satanical  delusions 
and  devices,  diabolical  mysteries;  for  there 
is  a  mystery  of  iniquity,  as  well  as  the  great 
mystery  of  godliness.  How  tender  Christ 
is  of  his  faithful  servants,  v  25.  Christ  is 
coming  to  put  an  end  to  all  the  temptations 
of  his  people  ;  and  if  they  hold  fast  faith 
and  a  good  conscience  till  He  comes,  all 
the  difficulty  and  danger  are  over. 

III.  We  now  come  to  the  conclusion  of 
th i s  message,  v.  26 — 29.  Here  we  have, 
1.  The  promise  of  an  ample  reward  to  the 
persevering,  victorious  believer,  in  two 
parts  :  (1.)  Very  great  power  and  domin¬ 
ion  over  the  rest  of  the  world  ;  power  over 
the  nations  ;  which  may  refer  either  to  the 
empire’s  turning  Christian,  as  in  Constan¬ 
tine’s  time  ;  or  to  believers  sitting  down 
with  Christ  on  his  tlirope  of  judgment,  in 
trying,  and  condemning,  and  consigning 
over  to  punishment,  the  enemies  of  Christ 
and  the  church.  The  upright  shall  have  do¬ 
minion  in  the  morning.  (2.)  Knowledge  and 
wisdom,  suitable  to  such  power  and  domin¬ 
ion;  Christ  is  the  Morning  Star  ;  He  brings 
day  with  Him  into  the  soul,  the  light  of 
grace  and  of  glory  ;  and  He  will  give  his 
people  that  perfection  of  light  and  wisdom 
requisite  to  the  stale  of  dignity  and  doinin- 


|  ion  they  shall  have  in  the  morning  of  the  res¬ 
urrection.  2.  This  epistle  ends  with  the 
usual  demand  of  attention  ;  in  the  foregoing 
epistles,  it  comes  liefore  the  concluding 
promise  ;  but  in  this,  and  all  that  follow,  it 
conies  after,  and  tells  us,  that  we  should  all 
attend  to  the  promises  as  well  as  to  the  pre¬ 
cepts  that  Christ  delivers  to  the  churches. 


Chap.  III.  V.  1 — 6.  Here  is, 

I .  The  preface  ;  to  the  angel  of  the  church 
of  Sardis,  an  ancient  city  of  Lydia,  on 
the  banks  of  the  mountain  Tmolus,  said  to 
have  been  the  chief  city  of  Asia  the  Less, 
and  the  first  city  in  that  part  of  the  world 
converted  by  the  preaching  of  John  ;  and, 
some  say,  the  first  that  revolted  from  Chris¬ 
tianity,  and  one  of  the  first  laid  in  ruins,  in 
which  it  still  lies,  without  any  church  or 
ministry. 

This  message  was  sent  by  the  Lord  Jesus, 
who  here  assumes  tiie  character  of  Him  that 
hath  the  seven  Spirits  of  God,  and  the  seven 
stars,  as  ch.  1 :  4.  where  the  seven  Spirits  are 
said  to  be.  before  the  throne.  1.  He  hath  the 
seven  Spirits,  i.  e.  the  Holy  Spirit  with  his 
various  powers,  graces,  and  operations  ; 
for  He  is  personally  one,  though  efficacious¬ 
ly  various  ;  and  may  be  said  here  to  be  sev¬ 
en,  which  is  the  number  of  the  churches,  and 
of  the  angels  of  the  churches,  to  show  that  to 
every  minister,  and  to  every  church,  there 
is  a  dispensation  and  measure  of  the  Spirit 
given  for  them  to  profit  withal.  2.  He  hath 
the  seven  stars,  the  angels  of  the  churches  ; 
they  are  disposed  of  by  Him,  and  accounta¬ 
ble  to  Him;  which  should  make  them  faith¬ 
ful  and  zealous.  He  has  ministers  to  em¬ 
ploy,  and  spiritual  influences  to  communi¬ 
cate  to  his  ministers,  for  the  good  of  his 
church  ;  the  Holy  Spirit  usually  works  by 
the  ministry,  and  the  ministry  will  be  of  no 
efficacy  without  the  Spirit;  the  same  divine 
hand  holds  them  both. 


PRACT.  OB8.  The  Lord  Jesus  alone  can  uphold  and  prosper  his 
ministers  ;  it  therefore  behooves  all  those,  who  are  favored  with  able  and 
faithful  teachers,  to  be  thankful  for  them,  to  walk  in  the  light  thus 
vouchsafed  them,  and  to  be  careful  that  they  do  not  provoke  the  Lord 
to  remove  it.  And  all,  who  sustain  that  important  and  arduous  office, 
should  remember  their  dependence  on  Christ,  and  their  nccountable- 
ness  to  Him  ;  and  1  take  heed  to  themselves,  and  to  their  doctrine,’  1  and 
to  all  the  flock,  over  the  which  the  Holy  Ghost  has  made  them  over¬ 
seers;  to  feed  the  church  of  God,  which  He  hath  purchased  with  bis 
own  blood  ’  Acts  20:28.  1  Tim.  4:11 — 16. — The  manifold  evils,  which 
abound  in  every  part  of  the  church,  in  a  very  great  degree,  arise  from 
the  misconduct  and  negligence  of  its  rulers  and  pastors,  who  ought  es¬ 
pecially  to  weigh  with  great  seriousness,  and  much  self-examination,  as 
in  the  prospect  of  the  last  decisive  day,  the  import  of  these  epistles  of 
Christ;  and  frequently  they  will  And  cause  to  apply  to  themselves  a 
great  part  of  the  reproof  and  warning,  which  they  contain. — Surely  this 
single  mention  in  Scripture,  of  Christians  ‘  forsaking  their  first  love,’ 
when  the  context  and  consequences  are  well  considered,  most  awfully 
reproves  those  numbers,  who  speak  of  this  as  a  common  case;  who  ex¬ 
cuse  lukewarmness  and  sloth,  in  themselves  and  others,  as  a  tiling  of 
course, by  words  to  this  effect;  3:14 — 16.  and  who,  speaking  of  Chris¬ 
tians  as  ‘  in  their  first  love,’  mean  that  this  is  a  low  attainment ;  ami 
that  they  will,  as  a  tiling  of  course,  grow  ‘  less  fervent  in  spirit,  fo  serv¬ 
ing  the  Lord,’  as  they  get  above  the  infancy  of  Christianity!  When  the. 


majority  in  any  church  adopt  such  notions,  and  accustom  themselves 
and  each  other  to  such  expressions,  it  is  a  certain  sign,  that  they  will 
speedily  provoke  Christ  to  ‘remove  their  candlestick,  unless  they  repent:’ 
nay,  it  is  the  natural  language  of  stony  ground  hearers,  whose  joy  and 
affection  have  subsided,  and  who,  ‘  having  no  root  in  themselves,’  are 
gradually  withering  away.  Mat.  13:20 — 22.  P.  O.  18 — 23.  For,  though 
the  aged  flourishing  Christian  may  feel  less  vigor  of  aflection,  than  he 
did  .at  some  times,  soon  after  his  conversion,  in  wiiich  novelty  and  self- 
love  had  no  small  share  ;  yet  there  is  far  more  constancy  and  energy  in 
his  love,  influencing  him  to  habitual  self-denying  obedience,  and  exer¬ 
tion  in  the  cause  of  God,  apart  from  all  selfish  motives,  than  there  was 
before.  The  former  resembles  the  transient,  noisy  flame  of  thorns;  the 
latter  is  like  the  constant,  vehement,  penetrating,  ami  efficacious  heat 
of  a  fire  made  by  substantial  fuel. — As  <  the  First  and  the  Last,  who  was 
deail  and  is  alive,’  is  the  believer’s  Brother  and  Friend  ;  he  must  be  rich 
in  the  deepest  poverty,  honorable  amidst  the  lowest  abasement,  and 
happy  under  the  heaviest  tribulations.  Mat.  12:46  —  50.  25:34  —  40. 
John  15:12  — 16.  But  this  confidence  cannot  be  supported,  without 
steady  obedience.  When  we  are  tempted  to  sin,  let  us  recollect  what 
consolations  He  has  promised  to  the  victorious  comhatant ;  and,  looking 
to  Him  for  help,  let  us  aspire  to  ‘  the  hidden  manna,’  <  the  joy  that  a 
stranger  intermeddleth  not  with,’  the  assurance,  of  acceptance,  the  Spir¬ 
it  of  adoption,  and  the  earnest  of  eternal  glory.  Scott. 


V.  21 — 28.  It'ith  a  rod  of  iron.]  The  quotation  is  as  nearly  from  the 
Sept.  (Ps.  2:9.)  as  the.  applicat  ion  of  the  passage  will  admit.  'Phr.  morn¬ 
ing  star  may  mean,  either  the  earnests  of  the  Spirit,  as  humble  tor;,  to 
the  felicity  of  heaven,  ns  the  morning-star  to  the  rising  of  the  sun,  2  Pet. 
1:19 — 21.  or  the  -ineffable  glory,  with  which  He  will  invest  his  victo¬ 
rious  disci  pies,  in  the  presence  and  enjoyment  of  Him,  their  Lord  and 
Savior,  and  in  conformity  to  his  glory.  22:16,  17.  Scott. 

(26.)  Power.]  ‘Not  temporal  dominion.’  Donna. — ‘I.  e.  to  con¬ 
vert  :  and  those  who  teach  Christ’s  Gospel,  by  word  and  example,  a3 
these,  will  be  favored  by  being  selected  as  the  instruments  of  this  saving 
power.  All  worldly  and  abused  power  shall  fall  before  Christ.  Is.  40:1!.’ 

WoODH. 

(27.)  1  This  is  predicted  of  Christ,  in  Ps.  2:  relative  to  the  heathen  : 
which  has  a  special  allusion  to  “  the  battle  of  that  great  day  of  God 
Almighty,”  which  shall  sink  the  antichristian  world.  And  litis  event 
Christ  sees  fit  to  ascribe  to  the  persevering,  triumphant  saints.  They 
are  noted  as  doing  this  work  of  judgment,  in  the  same  sense  in  which 
they  are  to  “judge  the  world.”  They  will  have  perfect  fellowship  with 
Christ  in  those  mighty  operations;  and  He  will  do  these  things  in  an¬ 
swer  to  their  prayers  for  the  salvation  of  Zion.  Christ  thus  puts  upon 
his  children  tile  honor  of  his  operations  of  judgment,  even  as  the  two 
witnesses  are  said  to  have  the  power  to  shut  heaven,  and  smite  with 
plagues,  &.c.  The  psalmist  gives  the  same  view  of  this  “linnor  all  the 
saints  have,”  Ps.  149.  Received.]  I.  e.  officially.’  E.  Smith. 

(28.)  ‘Since  Christ,  22:16.  calls  Himself  the  bright  morning  star, 
some  (as  Woodh.  and  Burton)  assign  the  same  sense  here,  q.  d.  “  that  He 
will  give  Himself,  i.  e.  his  fight  and  truth.”  It  is,  however,  the  general 
opinion  of  learned  comtrs.,  that  the  sense  is,  “  I  will  give  Him  glories 


of  which  that  Star  is  ail  emblem,”  Dun.  12:3.  See  Sc.’  Bl.  Morning  Star .) 
— ‘  A  Star  is  a  teacher,  1:16.  our  Lord  is  eminently  such,  and  so  entitles 
Himself,  22:16.  “  the  shining,  morning  Star;”  as  such  He  was  foretold, 
Num.  21:17.  and  a  star,  in  the  eastern  or  morning  quarter,  preceded  his 
birth.  “He  was  the  true  light,  (Jn.  1:9.)  to  lighten  the  Gentiles,”  Lu. 
2:32.  and  of  this  light  which  was  in  Him,  He  imparted  a  share  to  the  first 
preachers  of  his  Gospel,  for  converting  the  nations.  Taken  in  this  sense, 
the  gift  of  the  morning  star,  is  in  connexion  with  the  “power  over  the 
nations,”  which  is  mentioned  before  it.  Some  refer  it  to  a  future  life  ; 
because  to  obtain  it  the  Christian  must  keep  his  Lord’s  works,  “even 
unto  the  end.”  But  all  the  prospects  of  a  Christian  will  have  reference 
to  eternal  life,  as  promised  to  the  faithful  ;  and  the  dawnings  and  first 
light  of  such  splendid  blessings,  taking  possession  ofliis  mind,  even  du¬ 
ring  his  abode  here,  will  be  a  source  of  infinite  delight,  “  shining  more 
and  more  unto  the  perfect  day.”  Prov.  4:18.’  Woodh. 

V.  29.  This  concerned  all  other  professed  Christians,  as  much  as 
those  to  whom  it  was  immediately  written.  (M.  R •) — This  church  is 
at  present  wholly  extinct,  and  the  city  is  in  a  very  desolate  condition. 
[See  Pref.] — Each  epistle  begins  with  ‘These  things  saith  the  Son  of 
God,  &c.’  and  each  ends  with  the  call,  ‘Let  him  hear  what  the  Spirit 
saith  to  the  churches.’ — What  ‘Christ  saith,’  that  ‘  the  Spirit  saith ; 
the  same  individual  words  and  works  are  ascribed  to  each  ;  as  in  many 
instances  to  the  Father  and  to  the  Son.  ‘For  the  Father^the  Son,  and 
the  Holy  Spirit’  are  three;  and  ‘  these  three  are  one.  acotT- 

NOTES.  Ciixr.  III.  V.  1—3.  Sardis  lay  to  the  S.  of  Th> aura,  and 
was  once  the  renowned  capital  of  Lydia,  the  kingdom  o  ”  •  - 

bishop,  or  presiding  minister,  [but  see  notes,  2:1.  and  1  Pet.  5.2  ]  w 
probable,  had,  by  Uis  misconduct,  his  bad  example,  or  want  of 


A.  D.  95. 


REVELATION,  III.  The  message  sent  to  Philadelphia. 


2  Be  watchful,  and  strengthen 
d  the  things  which  remain,  that  are 
ready  to  die  :  for  I  have  not  found 
thy  works  perfect  e  before  God. 

3  Remember  Therefore  how  thou 
hast  received  and  heard;  and  hold 
fast,  and  s  repent.  If  therefore  thou 
shalt  not  watch,  I  will  come  on  thee 
as  a  h  thief,  and  thou  shalt  not 
know  what  hour  1  will  come  upon 
thee. 

4  Thou  hast  a  few  names  even 


in  Sardis,  which  have  not  defiled 
their  garments  ;  and  they  shall 
walk  with  me  in 'white:  for  they 
are  worthy. 

5  He  that  overcometh,  the  same 
shall  be  clothed  in  white  raiment ; 
and  I  will  not  blot  out  his  name  out 
of  the  J  book  of  life,  but  I  will  con¬ 
fess  k  his  name  before  my  Father, 
and  before  his  angels. 

6  He  that  hath  an  ear,  let  him 
hear  what  the  Spirit  saith  unto  the 
churches. 

7  And  to  the  angel  of  the  church 
in  Philadelphia  write;  These  things 
saith  he  that  is  'holy,  he  that  is  “ 
true,  he  that  hath  the  "key  of  Da¬ 
vid,  he  that  openeth,  and  no  man 
shutteth;  and  “shutteth,  and  no  man 
openeth  ; 


tl  c  2:4 
e  Da.  5:27. 
f  He.  2:1. 
g  vet*.  19. 


h  c.  16:15. 
i  c.  7:9.  19:8. 
c.  17:8. 

Lu.  12:8. 


i 


1  Ac.  3:14. 
m  1  Jo.  0. 

n  Is.  22:22. 

u  Job  12:14. 


II.  Tlie  body  of  this  epistle;  there  is  this 
observable  in  it,  that,  whereas,  in  the  other 
epistles,  Christ  begins  with,  commending 
what  was  good  in  the  churches,  and  then 
proceeds  to  tell  them  what  was  amiss  ;  in 
this  (and  in  the  epistle  to  Laodicea)  He  be- 
gins, 

1.  With  a  very  severe  reproof;  I  know 
thy  works,  &c.  This  church  had  gained  a 
great  reputation  ;  we  read  not.  of  any  un¬ 
happy  divisions  among  themselves  ;  every¬ 
thing  appeared  well,  as  to  what  falls  under 
the  observation  of  men.  But  it  was  not  re¬ 
ally  what  it  was  reputed  to  be  ;  they  had  a 
ncune  to  live,  but  were  dead  ;  had  a  form  of 
godliness,  but  not  the  power;  there  was  a 
great  deadness  in  their  souls,  [in  their  spir¬ 
itual  affections,]  and  in  their^pervices  ;  a 
great  deadness  in  the  spirits  of  their  minis¬ 
ters,  and  in  the  people,  in  hearing,  prayer, 
and  conversation  ;  what  little  life  was  yet 
left  among  them,  was,  in  a  manner,  expiring, 
ready  to  die. 


2.  Our  Lord  proceeds  lor  give  this  degen¬ 

erate  church  the  best  advice,  v.  2.  (1.)  He 
advises  them  to  watch  ;  whenever  we  are 
off  our  watch,  we  lose  ground,  and  therefore 
must  return  to  our  watchfulness  against  sin 
and  Satan,  and  whatever  is  destructive  to 
the  life  and  power  of  godliness.  (2.)  To 
strengthen  the  things  that  remain,  and  that 
are  ready  to  die.  Some  understand  this  of 
persons;  there  w’ere  some  few  who  had  re¬ 
tained  their  integrity,  but  they  were  in  dan¬ 
ger  of  declining  with  the  rest.  Or  it  may 
be  understood  of  practices,  as  it  follows, — I 
have  not  found  thy  works  perfect  before  God, 
not  filled  up  ;  there  is  something  wanting  in 
them  ;  the  kernel,  the  soul,  the  substance, 
the  inward  thing, — thy  works  are  hollow 
and  empty  ;  prayers  are  not  filled  up  with 
holy  desires,  almsdeeds  with  true  charity, 
sabbaths  with  suitable  devotion  of  soul  to 
God  ;  there  are  not  inward  affections  suit¬ 
able  to  outward  acts  and  expressions  ;  now 
when  the  spirit  is  wanting,  the  form  cannot 
long  subsist.  (3.)  To  recollect  themselves, 
and  remember  how  they  have  received  and 
heard,  v.  3.  not  only  to  remember  what  they 
had  received  and  heard,  what  messages  from 
God,  what  tokens  of  his  favor,  what  ser¬ 
mons  ;  but  what  impressions  the  mercies  of 
God  bad  made  on  their  souls  at  first,  what 
affections  they  felt  working  under  the  Word 
and  ordinances,  the  love  of  their  espousals, 
the  kindness  of  their  youth,  how  welcome 
the  Gospel  and  the  grace  of  God  were  to 
them  when  they  first  received  them  ;  where  is 
the  blessedness  they  then  spake  of  1  (4.)  To 

hold  fast  what  they  had  received,  that  they 
might  not  lose  all,  and  repent  sincerely  that 
they  had  lost  so  much  of  the  life  of  religion, 
and  had  run  the  risk  of  losing  all. 

3.  Christ  enforces  his  counsel  with  a 
dreadful  threatening,  in  case  it  should  be  de¬ 
spised,  v.  3.  Observe,  When  Christ  leaves 
a  people  as  to  his  gracious  presence.  He 
comes  to  them  in  judgment  ;  and  his  judi¬ 
cial  presence  will  be  very  dreadful  to  those 
who  have  sinned  away  his  gracious  pres¬ 
ence  ;  lo  a  dead,  declining  people,  it  will 
be  surprising  ;  their  deadness  will  keep 
them  in  security,  and,  as  it  procures  an  an¬ 
gry  visit  from  Christ  to  them,  it  will  pre¬ 
vent  their  discerning  it,  and  preparing  for 
it.  Such  a  visit  from  Christ  will  be  to  their 
loss  ;  He  ‘will  come  as  a  thief,  to  strip  them 
of  their  remaining  enjoyments  and  mercies, 
not  by  fraud,  but  in  justice  and  righteous¬ 
ness;  taking  the  forfeiture  they  had  made  of 
all  to  Him. 

4.  Our  blessed  Lord  does  not  leave  this 
sinful  people  without  some  comfort  and  en¬ 
couragement,  v.  4.  and  here,  (1.)  He  makes 
honorable  mention  of  the  faithful  remnant  in 
Sardis,  though  hut  small  ;  they  had  not  giv¬ 
en  into  the  prevailing  corruptions  and  pol¬ 


lution  of  the  day  and  place  in  which  they 
lived.  God  notices  the  smallest  number  of 
those  who  abide  with  Him  ;  the  fewer  the 
more  precious.  (2.)  He  makes  a  very  gra¬ 
cious  promise  to  them  ;  the  white  robes  of 
justification  and  adoption,  and  comfort  ;  or 
the  white  robes  of  honor  and  glory  in  the 
other  world  ;  they  shall  walk  with  Christ  in 
these,  in  the  pleasant  walks  of  the  heavenly 
paradise  ;  and  what  delightful  converse  will 
there  he  between  Christ  and  them  when 
they  thus  walk  together  !  This  is  an  honor 
proper  and  suitable  to  their  integrity  ;  not 
a  legal,  but  a  gospel  worthiness,  is  asei  ibed 
to  them;  not  merit  but  meetness  ;  .they  w  ho 
walk  with  Christ  in  the  clean  garments  of 
real,  practical  holiness  here, 'and  keip  them¬ 
selves  unspotted  from  the  world,  shall  walk 
with  Christ  in  the  white  robes  of  honor  and 
glory  in  the  other  world  ;  this  is  a  suitable 
reward. 

III.  The  conclusion  of  this  epistle  ;  I.  A 
great  reward  promised  to  the  conquering 
Christian,  v.  5.  much  the  same  with  what 
has  been  already  mentioned  ;  the  purity  of 
grace  shall  be  rewarded  with  the  perfect 
purity  of  glory  ;  holiness,  when  perfected, 
shall  he  its  own  reward  ;  glory  is  the  per¬ 
fection  of  grace,  differing  not  in  kind,  hut 
in  degree  ;  now  to  this  is  added  another 
promise  very  suitable  to  the  case  ;  I  will  not 
blot  his  name  out  of  the  book  of  life,  but  will 
confess  his  name  before  my  Father,  and  before 
his  angels.  Observe,  Christ  has  his  book  of 
life,  a  register,  a  roll  of  all  who  shall  inherit 
eternal  life.  Men  may  be  enrolled  in  the 
registers  of  the  church,  as  baptized,  as 
making  a  profession,  as  having  a  name  to 
live,  and  that  name  may  come  to  be  blotted 
out  of  the  roll,  when  it  appears  it  was  but  a 
name,  a  name  to  live,  without  spiritual  life. 
Christ  will  produce  this  bonk  of  life,  and 
confess  the  names  of  the  faithful  who  stand 
there,  before  God  and  all  the  angels  ;  He  will 
do  this  as  their  Judge,  when  the  bocks  shall 
be  opened  ;  do  it  as  their  Captain  and  Head, 
leading  them  with  Him  triumphantly  to  heav¬ 
en,  presenting  them  to  the  Father  ;  Behold 
Me,  and  the  children  that  Thou  hast  given 
Me.  How  great  will  this  honor  and  reward 
be!  2.  The  demand  of  universal  attention 
finishes  the  message  :  every  word  from  God 
deserves  attention  from  men  ;  that  which 
may  seem  more  particularly  directed  to  one 
body  of  men,  has  something  in  it  instructive 
to  all. 

V.  7 — 13.  In  this  6th  letter,  observe, 

I.  The  inscription  ;  to  the  angel  of  the 
,  church  of  Philadelphia,  a  city  in  Asia  the 
Less,  seated  on  the  borders  of  Mysia  and 
Lydia  ;  it  had  its  name  from  that  brotherly- 
love  for  which  it  was  eminent  ;  we  suppose 
it  was  its  ancient  name,  before  it  received 
the  Gospel  ;  such  love  and  kindness  was 


and  activity,  greatly  contributed  lo  reduce  tlie  church  ton  very  declined 
mill  withering  condition,  (t  He  that  hath  the  seven  spirits  of  God.) 
This  accords  with  the  several  texts,  in  which  our  Ford  promises  lo  send 
the  Holy  Spirit  to  his  disciples ;  tint  who  is  He  tiiat  has  the  Spirit  of 
Ood,  and  sends  Him  to  men,  even  as  lie  Himself  was  Sent  by  the  Father? 
(2)  lie  watchful  |  ISecome  watchful,  though  now  on  watchful.  Sc. 

(I.)  ‘Sardis  had  great  natural  advantages  for  acquiring  riches;  hut 
riches  are  corruptive,  and  lead  to  that  supineness  in  religion,  and  profli¬ 
gacy  of  morals,  in  this  address  so  alarmingly  rebuked.’  U'oodh. —  Vet 
what  town,  what  individual,  fears  being  too  rich  ?  F,n. — Eivest,  Ac.] 
‘  liv  a  frequent  scripture-metaphor,  a  person,  living  in  the  defilements  of 
this  world,  and  neglectful  of  preparation  for  another,  is  said  to  be  “  tlcad 
■while  he  liveth,”  while  he  who  meets  death  in  the  discharge  of  his 
Christian  duty,  is  pronounced  “living  though  he  die.”  .In.  11:25,26.  1 
Tim.  5:6.  1  .In.  3:11.  Jude  12.  Thus  Christ  commanded,  to  “let  the 
dead  bury  the  dead,”  Mat.  8:22.’  Woonti. 

V.  4 — 6.  F.ven  at  Sardis  there  were  a  few  Christians,  whose  names 
would  be  at  length  mentioned  witlt  distinguished  honor,  on  account  of 
their  holy  singularity  :  as  they  had  not  ‘defiled  their  garments,’  or  dis¬ 
graced  their  profession  by  the  worldly  lusts,  and  sinful  practices,  to 
which  the  rest  were  addicted.  And  Christ  assured  them,  that  they 
‘should  walk  with  Him  in  white,’  the  emblem  of  perfect  purity,  triumph 
ami  joy;  and  so  be  his  accepted,  holy,  ami  honored  companions,  in’ 
heavenly  felicitv.  Holes,  6:9 — 11.  7:3—17.  19:7,8,11  —  16.  Esth.  8:15. 
Ec  9:7—9. — All  this  related  to  otherbishops,  pastors,  and  churches  also 

w  ho  were,  or  should  hereafter  he  placed  in  similar  circumstances. _ This 

once  flourishing  city  now  lies  in  ruins  :  a  few  persons  railed  Christians 
are  found  there;  but  they  are  reduced  to  the  most  ahject  slavery,  and 
have  neither  church  nor  minister  among  them.  Scott. 

(4.)  Garments.]  ‘  fly  an  obvious  metaphor,  what  raiment  is  to  the 

[67  6 J 


body,  namely,  its  covering  and  ornament,  such  is  the  habit  of  practice 
to  the  soul.’  IVoodh. — While.]  ‘  White  robes  were  worn  on  occasion 
of  great  joy,  and. sometimes  in  triumphant  processions.  Some  see  an 
allusion  to  the  Sanhedrim’s  giving  a  white  garment  to  a  candidate  for 
the  high-priesthood,  if  found  worthy  when  examined;  if  unqualified, 
he  was  sent  out  from  them  in  mourning.  L’Eufanf.’  Donna. 

(5.)  lliol  oat.]  1  Spoken  after  the  manner  of  men,  hut  the  literal  fact 
is,  apostates  discover  only  that  they  never  were  truly  of  the  righteous ; 
ami  their  names  were  never  in  tlie  hook  of  life.  Had  they  been  there, 
they  never  would  have  been  suffered  fatally  to  apostatize,  l’rov.  24:16. 
Horn.  8:35,39.’  E.  Smith.  ‘Ill  states  and  cities,  they  who  obtained 
freedom  and  fellowship,  were  enrolled  in  the  public  register,  and  thence 
proved  their  title  lo  citizenship.’  U'oodh. — ‘Others  think  the  allusion 
is  to  names  of  the  cashiered,  expunged  from  the  military  muster-roll.’ 

■  Bi.oomf. 

(6.)  He  that  hath,  &c.]  ‘This  is  the  form  of  bespeaking  spiritual  at¬ 
tention  to  figurative  language,  so  frequently  used  by  our  l.ord  in  the 
Gospels.  It  is  used  for  the  same  purpose  at  the  close  of  all  the  7  ad¬ 
dresses  ;  in  that  particular  pari  of  them  where  the  language  changes 
from  plain  to  figurative;  where  attention  is  required  to  gain  and  apply 
the  spiritual  knowledge  conveyed  hy  symbols.’  Woodh. 

V.  7.  ‘  He  that  is  holy,’  ‘  He  that  is  true.’  or  ‘  the  Holy  One.’  and  the 

‘  True  One,’  are  words  which  contain  a  very  conclusive  proof  of  the  De¬ 
ity  of  Christ;  for  what  mere  creature  can  with  propriety  speak  of  him¬ 
self  in  this  language?  4:6 — 8.  6:9 — 11.  15:1  —  4.  Is.  6:1 — t.  30:8 — 14. 
57:15,  16.  It  was  also  sent  in  the  name  of  Him,  “  that  hath  the  key  of 
David.”  1:18.  Holes,  8,9.  51  —  10.  Is.  22:20— 25.  Scott. 

(7.)  Holy,  &c.]  ‘  This  is  so  peculiarly  the  prerogative  of  God,  I  am 

surprised,  no  greater  stress  has  been  laid  upon  it,  in  proof  of  Christ’s 
Deity.  Openeth.]  The  office  of  lord  steward  of  the  household,  who 


A.  D.  95. 


REVELATION,  III. 


The  message  sent  to  Philadelphia , 


8  I  know  thy  works  :  behold,  I 
have  set  before  thee  an  open  p  door, 
and  no  man  can  shut  it  :  for  thou 
hast  a  little  strength,  and  hast  kept 
my  word,  and  hast  not  denied  my 
name. 

9  Behold,  I  will  make  them  of 
the  synagogue  of  Satan,  which  say 
i  they  are  Jews,  and  are  not,  but  do 
lie  ;  behold,  I  will  make  them  to 
rcoine  and  worship  before  thy  feet, 
and  to  know  that  1  have  loved  thee. 

10  Because  thou  hast  kept  the 
word  of  my  patience,  I  *  also  will 
keep  thee  from  the  hour  of  tempta¬ 
tion,  which  shall  come  upon  all  the 
world,  to  try  them  that  dwell  upon 
the  earth. 

11  Behold,  I  come  'quickly:  " 
hold  that  fast  which  thou  hast,  that 
no  man  take  thy  crown. 

12  Him  that  ovcrcometh  will  I 
make  a  pillar  in  the  temple  of  my 
God;  and  he  shall  go  no  more  out: 
and  I  will  write  upon  him  the  name 
of  my  God,  and  the  name  of  the  city 
of  my  God,  which  is  new  v  Jerusa¬ 
lem,  which  cometh  down  out  of 
heaven  from  my  God  :  and  I  will 
write  upon  him  my  new  name'. 

p  1  Co.  16:9.  l-  Is.  60:14.  l  Zep.  1:14.  v  c.  21:2,  10. 
•1  c.  2:9.  s  2Pe.  2:9.  u  ver.  3. 

excellent,  and,  when  sanctified  by  the  grace 
of  the  Gospel,  would  render  them  an  excel¬ 
lent  church,  as  indeed  they  were;  for  here  is 
no  one  fault  found  with  this  church;  and  yet, 
doubtless,  it  had  faults  of  common  infirmity  ; 
but  love  covers  such  faults.  This  letter  was 
signed  by  the  same  Jesus,  who  is  alone  the 
universal  Head  of  all  the  churches.  Observe, 
by  what  title  He  represents  Himself;  He 
that  is  holy.  He  that  is  true,  He  that  hath  the 
key  of  David,  &c.  You  have  his  personal 
character,  holy,  and  true  ;  holy  in  his  na¬ 
ture,  and  therefore  true  to  his  Word  ;  you 
have  also  his  political  [governmental]  char¬ 
acter,  lie  hath  the  key  of  David,  He  openeth, 
and  no  man  shutteth  ;  He  hath  the  key  of  the 
house  of  David,  the  key  of  government  and 
authority  in  and  over  the  church. 

1.  Observe,  the  acts  of  his  government  ; 


He  opens,  opens  a  door  of  opportunity  to  his 
churches,  of  utterance  to  his  ministers, — of 
entrance  to  the  heart,  of  admission  into  the 
visible  church,  nav,  into  the  church  trium¬ 
phant.  lie  shuts  the  door,  shuts  it  when  He 
pleases;  He  leaves  obstinate  sinners  shut  up 
in  the  hardness  of  their  hearts  J  He  shuts  the 
door  of  church-fellowship  against  unbeliev¬ 
ers  and  profane  persons;  the  door  of  heaven 
against  the  foolish  virgins  who  have  slept 
away  their  day  of  grace  ;  and  against  the 
workers  of  iniquity,  how  vain  and  confident 
soever  they  may  be. 

2.  The  way  and  manner  in  which  He 
performs  these  acts,  that  is,  absolute  sover¬ 
eignty,  independent  on  the  will  of  men,  and 
irresistible  by  the  power  of  men  ;  He  open¬ 
eth,  and  no  man  shutteth  ;  He  shutteth,  and 
no  man  opens.  These  were  proper  charac¬ 
ters  for  Him,  when  speaking  to  a  church 
that  had  endeavored  to  be  conformed  to 
Christ  in  holiness  and  truth,  and  that  had 
enjoyed  a  wide  door  of  liberty  and  opportu¬ 
nity  under  his  care  and  government. 

ll.  The  subject-matter  of  this  epistle  : 

1.  Christ  puts  them  in  mind  of  what  He 
had  done  for  them,  v.  8.  Learn  here,  Christ 
is  to  be  acknowledged  as  the  Author  of  all 
the  liberty  and  opportunity  his  churches  en¬ 
joy.  He  notices,  and  keeps  account,  how 
long  He  lias  preserved  their  spiritual  liber¬ 
ties  and  privileges  for  them.  Wicked  men 
envy  the  people  of  God  their  door  of  liberty, 
and  would  be  glad  to  shut  it  against  them. 
If  we  do  not  provoke  Christ  to  shut  this 
door  against  us,  men  cannot  do  it. 

2.  This  church  is  commended,  v.  8.  In 
this  there  seems  to  be  couched  a  gentle  re¬ 
proof  ;  ‘  Thou  hast  a  little  strength,  a  little 
grace,  not  proportionate  to  (he  wide  door  of 
opportunity  I  have  opened  to  thee,  vet  true, 
and  that  hath  kept  thee  faithful.’  True 
grace,  though  weak,  has  the  divine  appro¬ 
bation,  and  will  do  more  than  the  greatest 
gifts,  or  highest  degrees  of  common  grace, 
for  it  will  enable  the  Christian  to  keep  the 
Word  of  Christ,  and  not  to  deny  his  name. 
Obedience,  fidelity,  and  a  free  confession  of 
the  name  of  Christ,  are  the  fruits  of  true 
grace,  and  pleasing  to  Christ  as  such. 

3.  The  great  favors  God  would  bestow 
on  this  church,  v.  9,  10.  They  consist  in 
two  things  : 

(1.)  Christ  would  make  this  church’s 
enemies  subject  to  her.  They  are  described 
to  be  such  as  said  they  were  Jews,  but  lied  in 


saying  so  ;  being  really  the  synagogue  of 
Satan.  Their  subjection  to  the  church  is 
described  ;  They  shall  worship  at  thy  feet  J 
shall  lie  convinced  they  have  been  in  the 
wrong,  and  the  church  in  the  right,  beloved 
of  Christ,  and  they  shall  desire  to  he  taken 
into  communion  with  her,  that  they  may 
worship  the  same  God  after  the  same  man¬ 
ner.  How  shall  this  great  change  he 
wrought  1  By  the  power  of  God  on  the 
hearts  of  his  enemies,  and  by  signal  discov¬ 
eries  of  his  peculiar  favor  to  his  church  ; 
They  shall  know  that  I  have  loved  thee.  Ob¬ 
serve,  [1.]  The  greatest  honor  and  happi¬ 
ness  any  church  can  enjoy,  consist  in  the 
peculiar  love  and  favor  of  Christ.  [2.] 
Christ  can  discover  this  his  favor  to  his  peo¬ 
ple,  in  such  a  manner,  that  their  very  ene¬ 
mies  shall  see  it,  and  lie  forced  to  acknow  I- 
edge  it.  [3.]  This  will,  hv  the  grace  of 
Christ,  soften  the  hearts  of  their  enemies, 
and  make  them  desirous  to  be  admitted  into 
communion  with  them. 

(2.)  Another  instance  of  favor  that  Christ 
promises  to  this  church  is,  persevering  grace 
in  the  most  trying  times,  v.  10.  and  this  as 
the  reward  of  their  past  fidelity  ;  To  him 
that  hath,  shall  be  given.  Observe,  T  lie 
Gospel  of  Christ  is  the  Word  of  his  pa¬ 
tience;  the  fruit  of  God’s  patience  to  a  sin¬ 
ful  world  ;  sets  before  men  the  exemplary 
patience  of  Christ  in  all  his  sufferings  for 
men  ;  it  calls  those  who  receive  it  to  the  ex¬ 
ercise  of  patience  in  conformity  lo  Christ. 
This  Gospel  should  be  carefully,  kept  by  all 
that  enjoy  it;  in  doing  which  they  must  ex¬ 
pect  an  hour  of  temptation  ;  and  this  some¬ 
times  is  more  general,  it  comes  on  all  the 
world,  and  when  it  is  so,  it  is  usually  the 
shorter.  They  who  keep  the  Gospel  in  a 
time  of  peace,  shall  be  kept  by  Christ  in  an 
hour  of  temptation  ;  by  keeping  the  Gospel 
they  are  prepared  for  the  trial  ;  and  the 
same  divine  grace  that  has  made  them  fruit¬ 
ful  in  times  of  peace,  will  make  them  faith¬ 
ful  in  times  of  persecution. 

4.  Christ  calls  the  church  to  that  duty 
which  He  before  promised  He  would  enable 
her  to  do,  and  that  is,  to  persevere,  to  hold 
fast  that  which  she  had.  The  motives  are 
taken  from  the  speedy  appearance  of  Christ; 
‘  Behold,  I  come  quickly.’ 

III.  The  conclusion  of  this  epistle,  v.  12, 
13.  Here,  after  his  usual  manner,  our  Sav¬ 
ior  promises  a  glorious  reward  to  the  vic¬ 
torious  believer,  in  two  things  : 


hath  the  power  of  openir.g  and  shutting  what  apartments  of  the  palace 
he  pleaseth,  is  described  by  these  terms.’  Donna. 

V.  8,  9.  Perhaps  the  unexpected  success  of  the  Gospel,  in  Philadel¬ 
phia  ami  the  neighborhood,  rendered  the  Christians  so  powerful,  that 
tlie  Jews  and  their  adherents  were  glad  lo  seek  their  protection,  from 
tile  rage  of  the  multitude,  by  which  vast  numbers  of  them  were  fre¬ 
quently  massacred  in  those  turbulent  times.  The  language  leads  us  al¬ 
so  to  conclude,  that  many  were  converted  to  Christianity  by  means  of 
those  events.  Some  indeed  think,  that  Judaizing  Christians  were 
meant  ;  but  it  is  far  more  natural  to  understand  the  word  ‘Jews’  in  its 
ordinary  sense;  and  to  consider  them  as  open  opposers,  rather  than  as 
false  professors  of  the  Gospel.  Scott. 

(8.)  Voor.]  For  spreading  the  Gospel  by  preaching,  &c.  1  Cor.  1G:9. 
2  Cor.  2:12.  Little  strength.]  Has  not  numbers,  wealth,  and  power 
to  repel  persecution,  say  Newc.  and  Itloomf.  But  faith,  nearness  to 
God,  constancy,  purity,  and  singleness  of  heart,  are  a  greater  ‘strength’ 
than  all  the  other  three  against  persecution,  and  increased  hy  it  where 
they  really  exist.  En. 

(9)  Make,  &c.]  ‘  Cause  some  of  litem  to  come  over  to  Christiani¬ 

ty,  and  so  honor  thee.  Burton.  See  Rom.  11:1.  And  Prof.  Lee  savs, 
lite  v.  is  a  remarkable  instance  of  the  language  used  under  the  old  dis¬ 
pensation,  being  applied  even  to  the  neto  ;  for  it  is  taken  from  Is.  49:23.  or 
60:14.  which  belongs  exclusively,  from  first  lo  last,  to  the  times  of  the 
Christian  dispensation.’  Bloomf. 

V.  10,  11.  The  hour  of  temptation.]  This  relates  to  some  remarka¬ 
ble  season  of  persecution,  heresy,  or  apostasy,  which  was  about  to  come 
on  all  the  churches  in  the  world,  especially  through  the  whole  Roman 
empire,  to  try  and  prove  the  sincerity  and  strength  of  their  faith  and 
love.  On  this  trying  occasion,  the  Lord  Jesus  would  shelter  the  church 
at  Philadelphia  from  the  fury  of  the  storm,  and  not  let  them  be  so  sharp¬ 
ly  tried  or  tempted,  >is  other  churches  were  ;  which  might,  in  some  re¬ 
spects,  have  more  strength,  but  had  also  more  need  of  correction,  and 
of  being  proved  and  purified.  It  is  generally  supposed  to  refer  to  Tra¬ 
jan’s  persecution,  which  was  more  general  and  violent,  than  the  perse¬ 
cutions  under  Nero  and  Domitian.  But,  a  this  city  was  the  last  of  all 
the  seven,  which  was  taken  hy  the  Mohammedans;  and  as  there  has 
been  a  succession  of  Christians  there,  in  every  generation,  to  this  time  ; 
some  have  applied  this  to  their  preservation  from  that  awful  delusion, 
which  almost  extirpated  Christianity  in  those  regions. — It  is  indeed  to  be 


feared,  that  the  professed  Christians  at  Philadelphia,  have  at  present  but 
little  of  the  power  of  godliness :  yet  we  may  hope,  that  Christ  has  had 
a  few  real  disciples  in  every  age,  and  has  some  even  at  present  in  this 
city. — ‘The  captivity  or  ruin  of  the  seven  churches  of  Asia  was  con¬ 
summated,’ (viz.  by  the  Ottomans,)  ‘A.  D.  1312;  and  the  barbarous 
lords  of  Ionia  and  Lydia  still  trample  on  the  monuments  of  classic  and 
Christian  antiquity.  In  the  loss  of  Ephesus,  the  Christians  deplored 
the  fall  of  the  first  angel,  the  extinction  of  the  first  candlestick  of  the 
Revelation:  the  desolation  is  complete;  and  the  temple  of  Diana, 
or  the  church  of  Mary,  will  equally  elude  the  search  of  the  curious 
traveller.  The  circus,  and  three  stately  theatres  of  Laodicea,  are 
now  peopled  with  wolves  nnd  foxes;  Sardis  is  reduced  to  a  miserable 
village;  the  God  of  Mohammed,  without  a  rival,  ...  is  invoked  in 
the  mosques  of  Thyatira  and  Pergainos ;  and  the  populuusuess  of 
Smyrna  is  supported  by  the  foreign  trade  of  the  Franks  and  Armenian- 
Philadelphia  alone  had  been  saved  by  prophecy  or  courage.'  (Such  .3 
the  insidious  language  of  this  infidel  writer,  who  sneers  at  the  prophe¬ 
cy,  while  he  records  its  accomplishment  !)  ‘At  a^distance  from  the  sea, 
forgotten  by  the  emperors,  encompassed  on  all  sides  by  the  Turks,  her 
valiant  sons  defended  their  religion  and  freedom,  above  fourscore  yes  s, 
and  at  length  capitulated  with  the  proudest  of  the  Ottomans.  Among 
the  Greek  colonics,  and  churches  of  Asia,  Philadelphia  is  still  erect  :  x 
column  in  a  scene  of  ruins  ;  a  pleasing  example,  that  the  paths  of  honor 
and  safety  may  sometimes  he  the  same.’  Gibbon. — Some  readers  may 
need  to  be  informed,  that  Gibbon  xvrote  a  much  admired  history  of  ‘  The 
Decline  of  the  Roman  Empire,’  in  which  he  has,  with  great  skill,  infused 
an  abundant  proportion  of  infidelity  and  impiety,  in  a  peculiarly  plausi¬ 
ble  and  imposing  manner.  [See  the  above,  in  part,  p.  664.]  Scott. 

V.  12.  Pillar.]  ‘  Few  texts  in  the  N.  T.  are  more  illustrated  hy  an¬ 
tiquity  than  this.  Many  inscriptions  commemorating  victories,  have 
come  down  to  us.  Some  were  placed  near,  others  inside  the  temples, 
to  be  under  the  protection  of  the  gods,  whose  names,  as  well  as  the 
conqueror’s,  were  inscribed  on  them  ;  also  the  names  of  their  cities  and 
generals.  Much  more  do  these  circumstances  suit  the  victories  obtained 
in  the  games.  See  West.'  Doddr. — ‘On  the  columns  of  temples  it 
was  the  ancient  custom  to  inscribe  names,  the  honorable  names  of  ben¬ 
efactors,  and  of  their  cities.’  Woodh.— Perhaps  there  is  allusion  to  the 
columnar  images  of  men  supporting  the  ancient  temples.  Cut,  VoL  I  I. 
r,  non  Ed. 


A.  D.  95. 


REVELATION,  III. 


The  message  se?it  io  Laodicea. 


13  He  that  hath  an  ear,  let  him 
hear  what  the  Spirit  saith  unto  the 
churches. 

14  And  unto  the  angel  of  the 
church  w  of  the  Laodiceans  write  ; 
These  things  saith  the  x  Amen,  the 
faithful  and  true  witness,  the  begin¬ 
ning  of  the  creation  of  God  : 

15  1  know  thy  works,  that  thou 
art  neither  cold  nor  hot  :  I  -would 
y  thou  wert  cold  or  hot. 

16  So  then  because  thou  art  luke¬ 
warm,  and  neither  cold  nor  hot,  I 
will  spew  thee  out  of  my  mouth. 

17  Because  thou  sayest,  I  z  am 
rich,  and  increased  with  goods,  and 
have  need  of  nothing;  and  knowest 
not  that  thou  art  wretched,  and  mis¬ 
erable,  and  poor,  and  blind,  and 
naked  : 

18  I  counsel  thee  to  buy  a  of  me 
gold  tried  in  the  fire,  that  thou  may- 
est  be  rich;  and  white  raiment,  that 
thou  mayest  be  clothed,  and  that  the 
shame  of  thy  nakedness  bdo  not  ap¬ 
pear  ;  and  anoint  thine  eyes  with 
eye-salve,  that  thou  mayest  see. 

19  As  'many  as  I  love,  I  rebuke 
and  chasten  :  be  zealous  therefore, 
and  repent. 

\v  or, in  Laodicea.  i  Ho.  12:8.  b  c.  15:15. 

x  Is.  65:16.  a  Is.  55:1.  c  He.  12:5,6. 

y  1  K.  18:21. 

1.  He  shall  he  a  monumental  pillar  in  the 
temple  of  God  ;  a  monument  of  the  free  and 
powerful  grace  of  God,  a  monument  that 
shall  never  be  defaced  nor  removed. 

2.  On  this  there  shall  be  an  honorable 
inscription  ;  The  name  of  God,  in  whose 
cause  lie  engaged,  and  the  name  of  the  city  of 
God,  the  church  of  God,  the  new  Jerusalem , 
which  came  down  from  heaven;  on  this  pillar 
shall  be  recorded  all  the  services  the  be¬ 
liever  did  to  the  church  of  God.  And  then 
another  part  of  the  inscription  is,  The  new 
name  of  Christ,  the  Mediator,  the  Redeemer, 
the  Captain  of  our  salvation  ;  by  this  it  will 
appear  under  whose  banner  this  conquering 
believer  was  enlisted,  under  whose  conduct 
he  acted,  by  whose  example  he  was  encour¬ 
aged,  and  under  whose  influence  he  fought 
the  good  fight,  and  came  off  victorious.  The 
epistle  is  closed  with  the  demand  of  atten¬ 
tion  ;  He  that  hath  an  ear,  let  him  hear  what 
the  Spirit  saith  unto  the  churches,  how  Christ 
loves  and  values  his  faithful  people,  how  He 
commends,  and  how  He  will  crown  their 
fidelity. 

V.  14 — 22.  We  are  now  come  to  the,  last 
and  worst  of  all  the  seven  Asian  churches. 


the  reverse  of  the  church  of  Philadelphia  ; 
for  as  there  was  nothing  reproved  in  that, 
here  is  nothing  commended  in  this;  and  yet 
this  was  one  of  the  seven  golden  candlesticks ; 
for  a  corrupt  church  may  be  still  a  church. 
Here  we  have,  as  before, 

I.  The  inscription  ;  to  the  angel  of  the 
church  of  Laodicea,  once  a  famous  city  near 
the  river  Lvcus  ;  it  had  a  wall  of  vast  com¬ 
pass,  and  three  marble  theatres,  and,  like 
Rome,  was  built  on  seven  hills.  It  seems, 
Paul  was  very  instrumental  in  planting  the 
Gospel  in  this  citv,  and  from  hence  he  wrote 
a  letter,  which  he  mentions,  Col.  4:  16.  and 
sends  salutations  to  them,  as  being  not 
above  20  miles  distant.  In  this  city  was 
held  a  council  in  the  4th  century;  but  it  has 
been  long  since  demolished,  and  lies  in  its 
ruins  to  this  day,  an  awful  monument  of  the 
wrath  of  the  Lamb. 

Here,  as  the  one  who  sends  the  message, 
our  Lord  Jesus  styles  Himself  the  Amen,  the 
faithful  and  true  Witness,  the  Beginning  of 
the  creation  of  God.  As  such  He  is  steady 
and  unchangeable  in  all  his  purposes  and 
promises  ;  his  testimony  of  God  to  men 
ought  to  be  received  and  fully  believed,  and 
his  testimony  of  men  to  God  will  be  so  be¬ 
lieved  and  regarded,  and  will  be  a  swift  but 
true  witness  against  all  indifferent,  luke¬ 
warm  professors.  As  The  Beginning  of  the 
creation  of  God,  He  is  either  of  the  first  cre¬ 
ation,  and  so  the  Beginning,  i.  e.  the  first 
Cause,  the  Creator,  and  the  Governor  of  it; 
or  of  the  second  creation,  the  church  ;  and 
so  He  is  the  Head  of  that  body,  the  First¬ 
born  from  the  dead,  as  ch.  1:  5.  whence 
these  titles  are  taken. 

II.  The  subject-matter  ;  in  which  ob¬ 
serve, 

1.  The  heavy  charge  against  this  church, 
ministers  and  people,  v.  15.  Lukewarmness 
or  indifference  in  religion  is  the  worst  tem¬ 
per  in  the  world.  If  religion  be  a  real 
thing,  it  is  the  most  excellent  thing,  and 
therefore  we  should  be  in  good  earnest  in 
it  ;  if  it  be  not  a  real  thing,  it  is  the  vilest 
imposture, and  we  should  be  earnest  against 
it;  indifference  is  inexcusable.  Christ  ex¬ 
pects  that  men  should  declare  themselves  in 
earnest  either  for  Him  or  against  Him. 

2.  A  severe  punishment  threatened  ;  I 
will  spue  thee  out  of  my  mouth.  As  lukewarm 
water  turns  the  stomach,  and  provokes  to  a 
vomit,  lukewarm  professors  turn  the  heart 
of  Christ  against  them;  therefore  they  shall 
be  rejected,  finally  rejected  ;  far  be  it  from 
the  holy  Jesus  to  return  to  that  which  has 
been  thus  rejected. 

3.  We  have  one  cause  of  this  indifferency 
and  inconsistency  in  religion  assigned,  and 
that  is,  self-conceitedness  and  self-delusion, 
v.  17.  Here  observe,  what  a  difference  there 
was  between  the  thoughts  they  had  of  them¬ 
selves,  and  the  thoughts  Christ  had  of  them. 


(1.)  They  had  high  thoughts  of  them¬ 
selves  ;  Thou  sayest,  I  am  rich,  &c.  rich, 
and  growing  richer,  and  increased  to  that 
degree,  as  to  be  above  all  want  or  possibility 
of  wanting.  How  careful  should  we  be  not 
to  cheat  our  own  souls  !  Doubtless,  many 
are  in  hell,  that  once  thought  themselves  in 
the  way  to  heaven.  Let  us  daily  beg  of  God, 
that  we  may  not  be  left  to  flatter  and  de¬ 
ceive  ourselves  in  the  concerns  of  our  souls. 

(2.)  Christ  had  mean  thoughts  of  them  ; 
and  He  was  not  mistaken.  He  knew'  they 
were  wretched  and  miserable,  &c.  their  state 
was  such  as  called  for  pity  and  compassion 
from  others.  They  were  poor;  really'  poor, 
when  they  said  and  thought  they  were  rich  ; 
they  had  no  provision  for  their  souls.  They 
were  blind  ;  they  could  not  see  their  state, 
way,  nor  danger  ;  yet  they  thought  they 
saw  ;  the  very  light  that  was  in  them,  was 
darkness  ;  and  then  how  great  must  that 
darkness  be  !  They  could  not  see  Christ, 
though  evidently  set  forth,  and  crucified, 
before  their  eyes  ;  they  could  not  see  God 
by  faith,  though  always  present  in  them  ; 
they  could  not  see  death,  though  just  before 
them  ;  they  could  not  look  into  eternity, 
though  they  stood  on  the  very  brink  of  it 
continually.  They  were  naked ;  without 
clothing,  house,  or  harbor  for  their  souls  ; 
had  neither  the  garment  of  justification,  nor 
of  sanctification  ;  their  nakedness  both  of 
guilt  and  pollution  had  no  covering  ;  they 
were  without  God,  and  He  has  been  the 
Dwelling-place  of  his  people  in  all  ages;  in 
Him  alone  the  soul  of  man  can  find  rest  and 
safety,  and  all  suitable  accommodations  ; 
the  soul  is  different  from  the  body,  and  must 
have  accommodation  suitable  to  its  nature, 
or  else,  in  the  midst  of  bodily  prosperity,  it 
will  be  wretched  and  miserable. 

4.  We  have  good  counsel  given  by  Christ 
to  this  sinful  people,  and  that  is,  that  they 
drop  their  vain  and  false  opinion  of  them¬ 
selves,  and  endeavor  to  be  that  really  which 
they  would  seem  to  be,  v.  18.  Observe,  Our 
Lord  continues  to  give  good  counsel  to  those 
who  have  cast  his  counsels  behind  their 
backs.  These  people  were  poor ;  Christ 
counsels  them  to  buy  of  Him  gold  tried  in  the. 
fire,  that  they  might  be  rich  ;  He  lets  them 
know  where  they  might  have  true  riches, — 
from  Himself.  But  they  must  buy  it,  Is. 
55:1.  Something  indeed  must  be  parted 
with,  but  it  is  nothing  valuable,  it  is  only 
sin  and  self-sufficiency.  These  people  were 
naked  ;  Christ  tells  them  where  they  might 
have  clothing,  and  such  as  would  cover  the 
shame  of  their  nakedness.  This  they  must 
receive  from  Him  ;  his  own  imputed  right¬ 
eousness  for  justification,  and  the  garments 
of  holiness  and  sanctification.  They  were 
blind  ;  and  He  counsels  them  to  give  up 
their  own  wisdom  and  reason,  which  are 
but  blindness  in  the  things  of  God,  and  re- 


V.  H — 16-  I.nodicea  lay  to  the  S.  of  Philadelphia,  and  in  the  road 
from  that  citj'  to  Ephesus,  for  the  seven  churches  were  situated  in  a 
kind  of  circle;  and  the  progressive  journey  from  one  to  another  of  them, 
in  rotation,  might  be  made  in  the  order  of  these  epistles.  He  sent  to 
the  Laodiceans  also,  under  the  title  of  1  the  Beginning  of  the  creation  of 
God,’  or  the  Origin,  Author,  and  Ruler  of  the  whole  universe,  who  has 
authority  and  power  to  dispose  of  ail  things  as  He  sees  good.  Col.  1:15 
—17. — While  they  were  called  by  his  name,  and  reluctantly  performed 
a  scanty  measure  of  external  duties,  with  an  evident  indifference,  and 
weariness  in  them,  their  evil  tempers,  unholy  actions,  and  attachment 
to  the  world,  and  to  its  pleasures,  company,  and  interests,  dishonored 
Him  more  than  their  apostasy  could  do;  and,  in  the  event,  it  would  be 
equally  fatal  to  their  own  souls.  Because  in  this  manner  they  would 
give  numbers  an  unfavorable  opinion  of  Christianity,  as  if  it  had  been 
an  unholy  religion;  while  others  would  conclude  that  it  could  afford  no 
real  satisfaction,  otherwise  its  professors  would  not  have  been  so  heart¬ 
less  in  it,  or  so  ready  to  seek  pleasure  or  happiness  from  the  world  ;  or 
that  it  was  not  of  much  value,  seeing  they  would  not  give  up  anything 
of  supposed  value  for  the  sake  of  it.— In  short,  professed  Christians  of 
this  character  are  traitors  in  the  camp,  who  are  always  more  dangerous 
than  open  enemies  ;  or  wicked  servants,  who  disgrace  and  rob°  their 
masters  more,  than  they  can  do  after  they  quit,  or  are  turned  out  of,  the 
family. — Unless,  therefore,  they  became  more  ‘fervent  in  spirit,  in 
serving  the  Lord,’  He  was  determined  to  show  his  contempt  and  abhor¬ 
rence  of  them,  by  rejecting  them  ;  even  as  a  man,  whose  stomach  nau¬ 
seates  water  which  is  lukewarm,  casts  it  out  of  his  mouth  with  loath¬ 
ing  and  disgust.  Jer.  14:19 — 22.  15:1 — 4.  Zee*.  11:7— 9.  Scott. 

(15.)  Would,  &c.l  ‘  It  simply  expresses  great  dislike.’  Lowman. 

[678] 


(15,  16.)  ‘True  religion,  which  God  requires  and  will  accept,  does  not 
consist  in  weak  and  lifeless  inclinations,  raised  a  little  above  a  state  of 
indifference.  God,  in  his  Word,  insists  upon  it,  that  we  should  be  in 
earnest,  “fervent  in  spirit,”  having  our  hearts  vigorously  engaged  in 
religion.  Without  this,  we  are  nothing  as  to  religion.  The  things  of 
religion  are  so  great,  that  there  can  be  no  suitableness,  in  the  exercises 
of  our  hearts,  to  their  nature  and  importance,  unless  they  are  lively  and 
powerful.  In  nothing  is  lukewarmness  so  odious.  Religion  is  frequently 
compared  to  those  exercises  in  which  the  mind  and  strength  are  much 
engaged,  as  running,  wrestling,  and  fighling.’  I’res.  Edwards. 

(16.)  Persons  whose  spiritual  affections  are  deadened  after  being 
once  excited,  are  less  likely  to  have  them  excited,  than  those  who  have 
never  been  aroused  ;  perhaps,  because  spiritual  truths  and  feelings  will 
not  then  have  to  them  the  additional  charm  and  power  of  novelty.  Ed. 

V.  17.  Thou  art  wretched,  <fcc.)  The  original  is  peculiarly  emphat- 
ical ;  for  the  article  is  prefixed  to  the  first  epithet,  so  that  the  passage 
may  be  thus  rendered,  ‘Thou  art  the  wretched  one,  the  miserable  one, 
&c.’  and  thus  alone  were  they  distinguished  from  all  the  other  churches. 

Scott. 

V.  18,  19.  The  counsels  of  Christ  are  commands,  invitations,  and 
promises. — These  warnings  and  exhortations  were  not  given  them  in 
indignation,  but  in  mercy  ;  for  it  was  the  general  rule  of  his  conduct,  to 
‘rebuke  and  chasten  those  whom  He  loved.’  Notes,  Ileb.  12:4 — 11.  and 
they  might  consider  these  rebukes  as  tokens  of  his  favor,  for  such  they 
would  prove  if  properly  attended  to.  Id. 

(18.)  ‘  This  7th  church  cannot  symbolize  the  last  glorious  state  of 
Christianity,  nor  can  the  sad  state  of  the  Christian  church  in  the  mid¬ 
dle  ages,  answer  to  the  description  of  Pergamos  and  Thyalira.’  Doddr. 


A.  D.  95. 


REVELATION,  III. 


The  message  sent  to  Laodicea. 


20  Behold,  I  stand  at  the  door, 
and  d  knock:  'if  any  man  hear  my 
voice,  and  open  the  door,  I  will 
come  in  to  him,  and  will  sup  with 
him,  and  he  with  me. 

21  To  him  that  overcometh  f  will 
I  grant  to  sit  g  with  me  in  my 
throne,  even  as  I  also  h overcame, 
and  am  set  down  with  my  Father 
in  his  throne. 

22  He  ’  that  hath  an  ear,  let  him 
hear  what  the  Spirit  saith  unto  the 
churches. 

d  Ca.  5:2.  f  1  Jn.  5:4,5.  g  Lu.  22:30. 

Lu.  I  2:33.  c.  Bill.  I.  Jn  16:33. 

e  Jn.  14:’4o.  i  c.  2:7. 

sign  themselves  to  his  Word  and  Spirit;  and 
their  ej'es  shall  be  opened  to  see  their  way, 
their  end,  their  duty,  their  true  interest,  and 
this  light  would  be  marvellous  to  them  who 
were  but  just  now  delivered  from  the  powers 
of  darkness.  This  is  the  wise  and  good 
counsel  Christ  gives  to  careless  souls  ;  and 
if  they  follow  it,  He  will  judge  Himself 
bound  in  honor  to  make  it  effectual. 

5.  Here  is  added  great  and  gracious  en¬ 
couragement  to  this  sinful  people,  to  take  the 
admonition  and  advice  well  that  Christ  had 
given  them,  v.  19,  20.  He  tells  them,  it  was 
given  them  in  true  and  tender  affection, 


Whom  I  love,  1  rebuke,  and  chasten.  Sin¬ 
ners  ought  to  take  the  rebukes  of  God’s 
Word  and  rod,  as  tokens  of  his  good-will  to 
their  souls,  and  should  accordingly  repent, 
and  turn  to  Him  that  smites  them  ;  better 
are  the  frowns  and  wounds  of  a  friend,  than 
the  flattering  smiles  of  an  enemy.  If  they 
would  comply  with  his  admonitions,  lie  was 
ready  to  make  them  good  to  their  souls, 
v.  20.  Brh>ld,  I  stand  at  the.  door  and  knock, 
Ike.  Here,  observe,  Christ  is  graciously 
pleased  to  come  to  the  door  of  the  heart  of 
sinners,  to  make  them  a  kind  visit  ;  and, 
though  He  finds  the  heart  is  by  nature  shut 
against  Him,  by  ignorance,  unbelief,  and 
sinful  prejudices  ;  yet  He  does  not  immedi¬ 
ately  withdraw,  but  waits  to  be  gracious, 
uses  all  proper  means  to  awaken  them,  calls 
by  his  Word,  and  knocks  by  the  impulses 
of  his  Spirit  on  their  conscience.  They 
who  open  to  Him,  shall  enjoy  his  presence, 
to  their  great  comfort  and  advantage.  Alas! 
what  do  careless,  obstinate  sinners  lose,  by 
refusing  to  open  the  door  of  the  heart  to 
Christ ! 

III.  We  now  come  to  the  conclusion  of 
this  epistle  ;  and  here,  as  before,  is  the 
promise  to  the  overcoming  believer.  It  im¬ 
plies,  that,  after  all,  it  was  possible,  that,  by 
the  reproofs  and  counsels  of  Christ,  they  j 
might  be  inspired  with  fresh  zeal  and  vigor,  i 
and  might  come  off  conquerors  in  their  spir-  ! 
itual  warfare  ;  and  that,  if  they  did  so,  all  | 


former  faults  should  be  forgiven,  and  they 
should  have  a  great  reward,  v.  21.  Here  it 
is  intimated,  that  Christ  Himself  had  met 
with  his  temptations  and  conflicts;  that  He 
overcame,  and,  as  the  reward  of  his  conflict 
and  victory,  is  set  down  on  his  throne,  to 
appear  in  his  divine  glory  equal  to  the  Fa¬ 
ther  ;  while  those  also  who  are  conformed 
to  Christ  in  his  trials  and  victories,  shall 
likewise  be  conformed  to  Him  in  his  glory, 
shall  sit  down  with  Him  on  his  throne  ;  on 
his  throne  of  judgment  at  the  end  of  the 
world,  on  his  throne  of  glory  to  all  eternity; 
shining  in  his  beams  by  virtue  of  their  union 
with  Him,  and  relation  to  Him,  as  the  mys¬ 
tical  body  of  which  He  is  the  Head.  All  is 
closed  up  with  the  general  demand  of  atten¬ 
tion,  v.  22.  putting  all,  to  whom  these  epis¬ 
tles  shall  come,  in  mind,  that  what  is  con¬ 
tained  in  them  is  not  of  private  interpreta¬ 
tion,  but  intended  for  all  the  churches  of 
Christ  in  all  ages  and  parts  of  the  world  ; 
so  that  they  may  expect  God  will  deal  with 
them  as  He  dealt  with  these  ;  yea,  that 
God’s  dealings  with  his  churches  may  afford 
useful  instruction  to  the  rest  of  the  world, 
to  put  them  on  considering.  If  judgment  be¬ 
gin  at  the.  house  of  Gad,  what  shall  the.  end  of 
them  be  that  do  not  obey  the  Gospel  of  Christ? 
1  Pet.  4:17..  Thus  end  the  messages  of 
|  Christ  to  the  Asian  churches;  the  epistolary 
!  part  of  this  book.  We  now  come  to  the 
|  prophetical  patt. 


I’RACT.  OBS.  When  He,  who  has  ‘  the  fulness  of  the  Spirit,’  and 
who  rules  over  all  means  and  instruments,  reproves,  counsels,  or  com¬ 
mands ;  his  words  imply  the  promise  of  all  needful  assistance,  to  those 
who  obediently  attend  to  them.  But  how  many  professed  Christians 
does  that  heart-searching  Judge,  who  ‘knoweth  our  works,’  behold, 
1  who  have  a  name  that  they  live,’  and  perhaps  much  celebrity  in  the 
church,  and  ‘yet  are  dead  in  trespasses  and  sins!’  Alas!  it  is  to  be 
feared,  that  in  some  cases  both  national  establishments,  regularly  con¬ 
stituted,  with  rulers  and  teachers,  but  many  more  select  religious  soci¬ 
eties,  who  have  exact  forms  and  notions,  and  who  profess  the  truths  of 
the  Gospel  with  some  reputation,  consist  almost  entirely  of  such  per¬ 
sons,  and  have  very  little  vital  godliness  among  them.  We  should, 
therefore,  be  very  diligent  and  impartial  in  examining  ourselves  by  the 
rules  of  Scripture,  very  earnest  in  prayer  to  the  Lord  to  show  us  what 
we  are.  and  very  careful  not  to  rest  satisfied  with  the  opinion  of  men, 
even  of  the  wisest  and  most  discerning  of  the  human  race,  respecting 
us. — In  seeking  a  revival,  in  our  own  souls,  or  in  those  of  others,  it  is 
incumbent  on  us,  ‘to  remember  what  we  have  received  and  heard;’ 
that,  try  comparing  our  advantages  and  profession  with  our  proficiency, 
we  may  lie  humbled  and  quickened,  and  so  excited,  ‘  to  hold  fast’  what 
we  retain,  and  to  ‘repent  and  do  our  first  works.’ — If  we  would  escape 
those  severe  corrections  and  violent  temptations,  which,  from  time  to 
time,  are  permitted  to  try  the  churches  throughout  the  earth;  "we  mast 
patient !v  ndhere  to  the  truth  and  will  of  Christ,  and  shrink  from  no 
cross,  with  which  we  meet,  when  following  his  example;  for  an  un- 
watchful  conduct  makes  way  for  temptation,  and  unfits  tnen  to  resist  it. 
Alas  !  how  many  are  there  of  the  Laodicean  stamp  in  every  place  ! 
Did  vve  suppose  these  epistles  to  be  prophetical,  ns  to  the  church  in  gen¬ 
eral,  vve  might  be  induced  to  conclude,  that  the  end  of  the  world  was 
nigh  ;  for  amidst  the  abounding  of  iniquity  and  infidelity,  1  the  love  of 
many  waxes  cold;’  and  the  state  of  religion,  Mat.  24:9 — 14.  even  in 
this  highly  favored  nation,  too  much  resembles  that  of  this  7th  church. 
The  Lord  knows,  that  very  many  professors  of  evangelical  doctrine  at 


present  are  ‘neither  cold  nor  hot;’  except  as  their  indifference  ines¬ 
sential  matters  is  strangely  counterpoised  by  a  hot  and  fiery  spirit  of 
disputation  about  things  of  far  inferior  moment  !  No  doubt,  the  Laodi¬ 
cean  stale  of  the  Christian  churches,  in  most  parts  of  the  world,  is  one 
grand  hindrance,  nay,  the  grand  hindrance  of  all,  to  the  propagation  of 
the  C-iospel  among  the  nations;  who  e an  scarcely  conceive  that  religion 
to  be  from  heaven,  the  professors  of  which  are  so  ‘  earthly,  sensual,  dev¬ 
ilish;  ’  and  certainly  the  state  of  those  who  ‘hold  the  truth,’  too  often 
‘  in  unrighteousness,’  and  generally  in  a  lukewarm  manner,  forms  one 
grand  objection  and  prejudice  against  the  Gospel,  in  the  minds  of  num¬ 
bers  in  this  land  ;  anil  gives  moral  and  decent  Infidels,  Socinians,  and 
Arians,  their  chief  advantage  against  us.  Yet  the  persons,  who  are 
chiefly  reprehensible,  are  least  likely  to  regard  such  admonitions;  for 
whilst  the  Lord  is  saying,  1 1  would  thou  wert  cold  or  hot  ;  but  because 
thou  art  lukewarm,  and  neither  cold  nor  hot,  I  will  spue  thee  out  of  my 
mouth;’  they  are  boasting  ‘that  they  are  rich,  and  increased  with 
goods,  and  have  need  of  nothing  !  The  Pharisaical  spirit  is  indeed  al¬ 
ways  odiuns  and  dangerous ;  whilst  it  renders  men  ignorant  of  their 
wretchedness,  poverty,  nakedness,  and  blindness,  and  insensible  of  the 
precioiisne.-s  of  Christ  and  his  salvation;  yet  the  legal  Pharisee  is  a 
hopeful  character,  compared  with  those,  who  graft  the  Pharisee  on  an 
evangelical  profession,  and  strangely  connect  it  with  Antinomian  prin¬ 
ciples  and  laxity  of  morals  !  The  gracious  Savior,  however,  still  con¬ 
tinues  to  declare  to  ail  men  their  lost  estate  [and  to  counsel  them]  ; 
may  we  then  hear  the  voice  of  his  Word  and  his  rod,  while,  with  infi¬ 
nite  compassion  and  condescension,  He  continues  to  stand  waiting  and 
knocking  at  the  door  of  our  hearts;  that  He  may  enter  in,  and  bring  sal¬ 
vation  with  Him.  Let  ns  earnestly  beseech  Him  to  put  forth  his  al¬ 
mighty  power,  mid  lints  break  down  all  obstacles  to  his  own  admission; 
and  so  take  entire  possession  of  our  whole  souls;  that  we  may  be 
ashamed  of  cur  folly  and  ingratitude,  in  allowing  any  creature  to  rival 
Him  in  our  affections,  or  attempting  to  divide  our  hearts  between  Him 
and  worldly  objects.  Scott. 


V.  20 — 22.  In  short,  to  every  conqueror  over  such  strong  temptations 
as  the  Laodieeans  were  exposed  to,  the  Lord  promised  a  blessing  pro¬ 
portioned  to  the  difficulty  of  the  conflict  ;  for  He  engaged  to  ‘grant  him 
to  sit  with  Him  in  his  throne;’  and,  by  an  inconceivable  union  and  fel¬ 
lowship  with  Him  in  nil  his  glory,  and  an  interest  in  all  the  benefits  of 
his  mediatorial  authority  and  power,  to  possess  an  honor  ami  felicity 
which  can  never  be  explained  or  conceived,  except  by  these  who  expe¬ 
rience  it.  The  same  inexpressible  dignity  would  also  lie  bestowed  on 
other  conquerors  in  like  difficult  circumstances,  for  the  warnings  and 
instructions  were  intended  for  the  benefit  of  all  who  heard  them,  in  ev¬ 
ery  age  and  nation. — The  ruins  of  this  city  show  that  it  once  was  most 
magnificent;  but  at  present  no  human  creature  dwells  there.  So  that 
the  state  of  these  seven  cities,  both  respecting  Christianity,  and  their 
outward  prosperity,  exactly  accords  to  the  commendation  or  rebuke, 
which  were  given  to  the  churches  established  there,  by  the  Spirit  of 
prophecy,  near  1800  years  ngo  !  which  remarkable  coincidence  con¬ 
tains  nn  instructive  lesson,  and  a  solemn  warning  to  all  other  cities  and 
nations  fivored  with  the  Gospel,  and  to  their  rulers  ecclesiastical  and 
civil,  not  to  neglect  or  trifle  with  so  great  a  blessing.— Nothing,  in  these 
short  epistles,  is  said,  concerning  distinct  congregations  in  any  of  the 
cities  mentioned;  though  some  time  before,  there  were  several  elders 
( preshuteroi  or  episcopoi)  at  Ephesus ;  on  the  other  hand,  nothing  is 
introduced  respecting  any  dependent  churches  in  the  neighboring  towns, 
or  villages,  as  under  the  authority  of  the  angel,  or  presiding  minister,  in 
each  of  these  churches.  Hence  it  appears,  that  men  of  discordant  sen¬ 
timents,  on  the  subject  of  ecclesiastical  government,  in  vain  attempt  to 
support  their  several  systems,  in  every  part,  by  this  portion  of  Scripture. 

Scott. 

(20.)  The  kingdom  of  Christ  is  described  as  1  a  feast  to  all  people,’ 
Is.  25:6.  Mat.  8:11.  He  is  the  Bread  of  life,  and  none  who  come  to  Him 
shall  hunger  or  thirst,  Jn.  6:35.  Rev.  7:10.  Yet,  if  Christ  prepares  the 


Supper,  it  rnav  he  said,  why  is  He  represented  as  standing  at  the  door 
and  knocking  for  admittance  ?  This  is  agreeable  to  the  office  lie  bears 
in  the  allegory,  or  j*q  able,  Lu.  12:36 — 33.  lie  is  the  Bridegroom,  and 
his  servants  sit  in  his  house  lo  a  late  hour,  waiting  his  arrival  ;  when, 
after  the  eastern  customs,  ‘He  cometh  and  Itnocketh,’  and  they  open 
to  Him,  and  He  maketh  them  to  sit  down  lo  meat  with  Him.  See  Jn. 
14:23.  Ed. 

(21.)  Sit  with  i\/r.]  ‘  The  throne  of  eastern  potentates  is  so  ample, 

as  to  admit  persons  highly  favored  to  sit  upon  it  beside  their  king.’ 

De  Dieu. 


Concluding  Note.  With  this  chap,  closes  that  part  of  the  Apocalypse,  in  the  ex¬ 
planation  of  which,  as  to  the  chief  matters,  most  are  agreed.  ‘  The  letters  are  address¬ 
ed  to  the  7  Asiatic  churches  in  particular  ;  and  through  them  to  the  universal  Chris¬ 
tian  church,  in  all  times  and  places.  Such  is  the  figurative  import  of  7  ;  and  in  this 
sense,  tliis  pnrt  of  Rev.  was  understood  and  applied  by  the  most  ancient  expositors,  who 
have  been  followed  byGrotius,  Hammond,  Daubuz,  Bengal,  Bp.  Newton,  &c.  A  few, 
Hinnnz  whom  are  l lie  respectable  names  of  Henry  More,  and  Vitringa,  have  thought, 
that  they  have  discovered  a  yet  deeper  prophetical  mystery  in  these  addresses,  yiz. 
the  stale  of  the  church  to  the  end  of  t lie  world,  divided  into  7  successive  and  similar 
periods.  Vitringa  has  discussed  this  mystical  interpretation,  with  superior  learning, 
and  ability  ;  but  it  has  insuperable  difficulties.  No  description  of  any  of  the  7  will 
ire  fount!  to  quadrate  with  lire  long  period  of  Gothic  darkness  preceding  tire  Reforma¬ 
tion.  Nor  do  any.  especially  the  last,  contain  aught  applicable  to  that  victorious  and 
purerperiod,  which,  from  the  prophecies  of  this  sacred  book,  wc  arc  entitled  to  look 
forward  to  in  (lie  latter  days.  Besides.  Vitringa  closes  the  draft  with  his  own  times,  as 
fulfilling  tile  type  of  Laodicea,  but  ages  on  ages  of  the  Christian  church  are  vet  to 
come,  before  its  end  nn  earth. — Bede,  and  some  others,  further,  fancifully  find  the  suc¬ 
cessive  character  of  the  universal  church  to  lie  hidden  beneath  the  Greek  name  of 
each  ;  thus  he  finds  myrrh  in  Smyrna,  and  so  applies  ils  quality.  Ac.  .  ,  00 

The  same  careful  and  sober  author  makes  the  following  important  remark :  —  The 
greater  part  of  the  comtrs.  have  entirely  disregarded,  or  very  little  noticed  the  first  3 
chs.  In  these,  as  the  productions  of  a  divine  interpreter,  I  expected  to  find  such. pe- 
cimensof  the  symbols  und  language  of  the  Apoca.ypse.  as  might  material  y  lead  to 
the  interpretation  of  the  remainder.  I  studied  them  accordingly,  as  the  meananf  ob¬ 
taining  a  *afe  C  lav  it  Apicalyplica,  and  was  not  disappointed. 


Ed. 


A.  D.  95. 


REVELATION,  IV. 


John’s  second  vision, 


CHAP.  IV. 

2  John  seeth  the  throne  of  God  in  heaven.  4  The  four  and 
twenty  elders.  .  6  The  four  beasts  full  of  eyes  before  and 
behind.  10  The  elders  lay  down  their  crowns,  and  wor¬ 
ship  Him  that  sat  on  the  throne. 

A  FTER  this  I  looked,  and,  bc- 
-CV  hold,  a  door  was  opened  in 
heaven  ;  and  the  first  voice  a  which 

a  c,  1:10.  si 


Chap.  IV.  V.  1 — 7.  Here  is  an  account 
of  a  second  vision,  with  which  the  apostle 
John  was  favored.  Observe, 

I.  The  preparation  for  the  apostle’s  hav¬ 
ing  this  vision,  1.  A  door  was  opened  in 
heavm.  Whence,  we  learn,  (1.)  Whatever 
is  transacted  on  earth,  is  first  designed  and 
settled  in  heaven.  There  is  the  model  of  all 
the  works  of  God  ;  all  of  them  are  there¬ 


fore  before  his  eye,  and  he  lets  the  inhabit¬ 
ants  of  heaven  see  as  much  of  them  as  is  fit 
for  them.  (2.)  We  can  know  nothing  of 
future  events  but  what  God  is  pleased  to  dis¬ 
cover  to  us  ;  they  are  within  the  veil,  till 
God  opens  the  door.  But,  (3.)  So  far  as 
God  reveals  his  designs,  we  may  and  ought 
to  receive  them,  and  not  pretend  to  be  wise 
above  what  is  revealed.  2.  To  prepare  John 


NOTES.  Chat.  IV.  Prefatory  Remarks  on  this  2d  part  of  the 
Apocalypse.  ‘After  the  first  terrestrial  vision,  others  still  more  amaz¬ 
ing  were  vouchsafed  to  the  enraptured  apostle  by  successive  openings  in 
heaven,  affording  new  and  more  extended  prospects  of  futurity  :  (1.)  A 
door  was  opened  in  heaven,  which  gave  him  a  view  of  the  spiritual 
church  and  worship,  4:1.  (2.)  The  spiritual  sanctuary  was  opened,  11: 
19.  (3.)  Again,  15:5.  (4.)  Heaven  itself  was  fully  opened,  19:11.  Hence, 
the  remainder  of  the  book  naturally  resolves  itself  into  4  celestial  vis¬ 
ions.  The  first  and  grand  division,  ell.  4:— 11:18. ;  2d,  11:19.  to  14:20.; 
3d,  ch.  15  to  19:10. ;  4th,  19:11.  to  22:5.’  Hales.  Bloomf. 

Explication.  Woodhouse  seems  to  have  pursn  d  the  best  course;  in 
‘  taking  care  to  fix  the  precise  import  of  the  symbols  from  their  use  by 
the  old  prophetical  and  other  writers  of  the  O.  and  N.  T.  ;  also,  in  un¬ 
derstanding  them,  for  the  most  part,  in  a  spiritual ,  not  a  literal  sense.’ 
Bp.  Hurd ;  who  gives  these  as  the  chief  reasons  why  Woodhouse  s  book 
is  tile  best.  Woodhouse  adopts  the  following  rules  : 

1.  As  in  inspired  writings  a  mutua!  relation  must  exist,  we  should 
compare  the  language,  symbols ,  predictions,  of  Rev.  with  those  of  for¬ 
mer  revelations  ;  and  admit  only  such  interpretation,  as  should  appear 
to  have  the  sanction  of  divine  authority. 

2.  Unless  the  language  and  symbols  of  Rev.  should  in  particular 
passages  direct,  or  evidently  require  another  mode  of  application,  the 
predictions  are  to  be  applied  to  events  occurring  in  the  progressive 
kingdom  of  Christ.  For  whenever  sacred  prophecy  is  seen  to  deviate 
from  its  peculiar  object,  it  is  in  such  instances  only,  wherein  the  for¬ 
tunes  of  God's  people  have  become  necessarily  involved  with  those  of 
the  heathen  nations  ;  and  thus  xve  find  in  the  boundless  mass  of  history 
lo  what  kind  of  history  prophecy  is  to  be  applied.  When  the  people  of 
God  were  to  become  subservient  to  the  four  monarchies,  the  character 
and  succession  and  fates  of  these  monarchies  were  predicted  :  but  the 
main  object  continually  kept  in  view  in  the  sacred  history,  was  their 
deliverance  from  these  successive  yokes  by  the  superseding  dominion  of 
the  Messiah.  This  supreme  and  universal  dominion,  gradually  and  final¬ 
ly  to  prevail,  appears  to  he  the  grand  object  of  all  sacred  prophecy  :  and 
revolutions  of  worldly  power,  among  the  Gentiles,  seem  noticed  only  at 
those  times  when  they  impede  or  promote  it.  See  Hurd,  serm.  2.  3. 
And  the  extension  of  divine  prophecy  to  the  nations,  may  be  observed 
to  take  place  in  exact  proportion  to  their  increasing  connexion  with  the 
Jews.  First  Moab,  Edom,  Atnalek,  the  Philistines,  &c.  are  noticed; 
then  Nineveh,  Babylon,  Tyre,  Egypt,  <fcc.  ;  afterwards  the  4  great  mon¬ 
archies  ;  lastly,  the  Gog  and  Magog,  the  distant  and  barbarous  nations. 

3.  As  Christ’s  kingdom,  the  object  of  the  apocalyptic  prophecies,  is 
spiritual,  so  they  are  to  be  understood  in  a  spiritual  sense.  Spiritual 
are  lo  be  compared  with  spiritual,  as  says  Paul,  1  Cor.  2:13.  It  is  a  king¬ 
dom  not  of  tli is  world,  John  18:36.  not  established  by  the  means  and  ap¬ 
paratus  of  worldly  power  and  pomp,  Lu.  17:20.  not  with  observation, 
nor  bearing  the  external  ensigns  of  royalty  ;  but  governing  the  inward 
man,  by  possessioir  of  the  ruling  principles;  the  kingdom  of  God,  says 
our  Lord,  Lu.  17:21.  is  within  you. 

‘Such  a  kingdom,’  continues  Woodh.,  (and  it  is  an  admirable  remark,) 
‘may  be  in  a  great  degree  independent  of  the  fates  and  revolutions  of 
empires;  affected  only  by  those  changes  in  the  political  world  which 
are  calculated  to  produce  the  increase  or  decline  of  religions  knoxviedge, 
and  of  pure  profession  and  practice.  Wars,  therefore,  and  conquests, 
and  revolutions  of  vast  extent,  and  of  great  political  import,  may  be 
supposed  to  take  place,  even  in  the  Christian  world,  without  becoming 
the  proper  object  of  Christian  prophecy.  The  inhabitants  of  the  Chris¬ 
tian  world  may  be  subdued  by  a  ferocious  conqueror  ;  the  sufferings  of 
the  vanquished  may  be  such  as  result  from  ferocious  conquest :  the  faith¬ 
ful  servants  of  Christ  may  undergo  their  common  share  in  this  calami¬ 
ty,  may  suffer  grievously  in  their  property  and  persons;  yet,  in  such 
times  of  general  distress,  if  their  religion  be  not  denied  them;  if  they 
enjoy  those  consolations,  which,  under  such  afflictions,  their  religion  is 
designed  to  bestow;  if,  corrected  by  the  awful  visitation,  not  only  they, 
but  Christians  of  looser  practice,  and  the  inhabitants  of  the  earth  in 
general,  shall  he  seen  to  turn  to  their  God,  and  allow  to  his  purifying  re¬ 
ligion  its  divine  influence  on  their  hearts  and  lives  :  — shall  we  expect, 
that  such  a  revolution  should  he  predicted  as  a  calamity,  as  a  woe  ?  Our 
conception  of  the  nature  of  Christ’s  kingdom,  ( the  object  of  such  proph¬ 
ecy,)  will  determine  us  to  answer  in  the  negative.  But  if  such  a  con¬ 
queror,  after  having  subdued  tiie  bodies  of  men,  should  proceed  to  ex¬ 
tend  his  usurped  dominion  over  their  souls;  should  require  them  to  re¬ 
nounce  their  allegiance  to  the  heavenly  King  ;  to  deny  their  God  and 
Redeemer, — then  will  succeed  a  conflict  of  another  nature,  and  a  resist¬ 
ance  deserving  the  notice  and  interference  of  divine  prophecy.  Then 
will  be  employed  those  arms,  which  properly  belong  to  this  spiritual 
warfare,  Eph.  6:1B.;  then  will  the  kingdom  of  God  be  truly  advanced  or 
diminished.’ 

‘In  adopting  the  rule,  I  have  obeyed  the  Scripture  ;  which  requires  a 
spiritual  interpretation  of  its  mysteries,  1  Cor.  2:12 — 15.;  they  are  not 
to  he  taken  according  to  the  bare  letter,  2  Cor.  3:6.  nor  in  a  carnal  or 
worldlv  acceptation,  jn.  6:26 — 63.  The  warfare  of  the  Christian  king¬ 
dom.  (the  subject  of  these  prophecies,)  is  not  to  he  carried  on  by  world¬ 
ly  arms  and  battles,  Jn.  18:36.  they  who  entertain  such  notions  of  this 
religion,  “  know  not  what  manner  of  spirit  it  is  of,”  Lu.  9:55.  As  the 
Captain  of  our  salvation  conquered  by  suffering,  and  refused  the  sword 
of  Peter,  and  the  legions  of  angels,  ready  for  his  defence,  Ileb.  2:10.  Mat. 
27:52 — 55.  so  neither  by  external  force  must  his  followers  expect  to  pre¬ 
vail.  The  kingdom  of  God  is  not  advanced  hv  crusades  ;  nor  is  the  sword  « 
of  man  employed  successfully  to  seat  the  Messiah  on  his  throne.  To 
obtain  his  destined  dominion,  Christ  must  reign  in  the  hearts  and  con¬ 
sciences  of  his  far-extended  subjects.  II is  reign  is  advanced  when 
Christian  principles,  when  faith,  and  righteousness,  and  charity,  abound. 

It  is  retardeil  when  [selfishness.]  ignorance,  impurity,  idolatrous  super¬ 
stition,  infidelity,  and  wickedness  prevail.’ 

As  the  prophecies  of  the  O.  T.,  interpreted  carnally  by  the  Jews,  to 

[630] 


designate  a  worldly  conqueror,  have  been  seen  to  lead  that  infatuated 
people  into  egregious  error;  so,  in  these  days  of  superior  lighi,  when, 
by  experience,  as  well  as  divine  direction;  a  spiritual  interpretation 
is  so  clearly  recommended  and  enforced,  it  seems  extraordinary  that  any 
sober  and  well-informed  Christian  can  look  to  any  other.’  Woodh.  In¬ 
deed,  principles  are  eternal,  and  infinite,  while  occurrences  are  but  for 
a  moment,  and  many  a  year  may  pass  over  a  nation,  as  over  an  individ¬ 
ual,  while  not  one  hour  of  spiritual  progress  is  made.  Christians,  how¬ 
ever,  are  beginning  to  view  in  prophecy,  and  record  in  history,  not  bat¬ 
tles  and  pomps,  but  the  silent  march  of  principles,  giving  (a  thing 
hitherto  the  reverse)  lines  (o  one,  and  pages,  as  is  fit,  to  the  olher. 

4.  The  4th  rule  adopted  by  IPoodh.,  is,  Hot  to  attempt  the  particular 
explanation  of  those  prophecies  which  remain  yet  to  be  fulfilled. 

Rev.  E.  Smith  remarks,  ‘  One  thing  is  found  in  the  prophetic  part  of 
the  Rev.  of  essential  interest  in  its  correct  exposition.  It  is  this,  that 
the  prophetic  part  is  found  In  two  great  and  general  divisions  ;  each 
having  a  plan  peculiar  to  itself.  After  a  notable  preparation,  in  chs.  4 
and  5.  for  an  unfolding  of  the  events  of  futurity,  prophecies  in  the  first 
division  commence,  inch.  6.  with  the  opening  of  the  1st  seal,  giving  an 
event  near  the  commencement  of  the  Christian  era.  It  thence  moves 
onward  Ihrongh  a  period  of  about  2000  years,  and  closes  in  the  end  of 
ch.  11.  in  presenting  the  battle  of  the  great  day  of  God,  under  the  7th 
trumpet,  and  the  millennial  kingdom  of  Christ. 

‘A  second  general  division  then  commences,  like  the  first,  with  a  plan 
peculiar  to  itself,  —  commencing  with  the  Christian  era,  and  passing 
onward,  as  did  the  first  division,  and  others,  not  there  noted.  When  it 
reaches  the  millennium,  where  the  first  division  closes,  ami  gives  the 
battle  of  the  great  day  of  God,  and  the  millennium;  it  thence  proceeds 
to  describe  that  happy  period  ;  an  apostasy  at  the  close  of  it ;  the  gene¬ 
ral  judgment ;  and  heaven. 

‘This  duality  of  courses  over  the  same  period,  affords  a  most  happy 
facility  in  the  exposition  of  the  book-  Place  the  two  courses  of  the 
divisions  side  by  side ;  and  place  by  them,  as  a  third  column,  the  histo¬ 
ry  of  the  church,  internal  and  externa],  during  the  same  period;  add 
these,  with  the  knowledge  of  the  prophetic,  figurative  language  of  the 
Rev.,  together  xvith  the  aid  furnished  in  the  prophecy  of  Daniel,  of  which 
a  portion  of  the  Rev.  is  but  an  inspired  exposition,— and  a  pious,  intelli¬ 
gent  expositor  is  happily  prepared  for  li is  work.  E.  Smith:  whern  see, 
on  the  ‘  duty,  benefits,  and  encouragement  of  a  devout  and  diligent 
study’  of  Rev.  pp.  23 — 29. 

The  same  writer  pertinently  asks  . .  ‘  May  one  decide  .  . .  that  no  no¬ 
tice  is  taken  in  Rev  ..  of  the  flight  of  our  pilgrim  fathers  [&c.j  to  this 
new  xvorld,  and  planting  here  a  cause  of  salvation,  which  was  to  con¬ 
vert  the  world  ?  no  notice  taken  of  the  flight  of  the  present  missionary 
angel  round  the  earth  to  preach  the  Gospel  to  all  nations?’  ...To  which  xve 
may  add,  that  expositors  seem  also  tohave  quite  overlooked  another  com¬ 
bination  of  the  beast  and  dragon,  a  union  of  oppressive  civil  power  with 
ecclesiastical  despotism,  which  compels  idolatrous  regard  to  its  ‘auto¬ 
cratic’  temporal  head,  crushing  civil  liberty  and  freedom  of  conscience 
together, — we  mean  the  portentous  poxver  of  that  vast  northern  empire 
which  overhangs  the  west  and  east,  xvhose  imperial  will  may  soon  be 
able  to  dictate  lo  Europe,  on  the  one  hand,  and  China  on  the  other!  Why, 
too,  forget  China,  containing  from  a  third  to  a  half  of  the  population  of 
the  earth  ?  Ed. 


Vocabulary  of  the  Symbol.  Language  of  Prophecy ;  (from  IIenry,  abr.) 

The  natural  world  temporally  considered. 

The  natural  world  denotes . A  secular  empire. 

The  sun — The  moon — The  stars  ....  Degrees  of  authority  in  a  family  or  state. 

The  earth . .  The  terrestrial  domain  of  the  empire. 

Mountains — Islands . Kingdoms — Smaller  kingdoms. 

rp ?  Men  of  eminence— Men  of  humble  condi- 
i  rees-Lrr..»s . }  ,jon. 

Waters . The  body  of  the  people. 

Seas — Rivers  and  fountains . Nations — Communities. 

Floods . Bodies  of  men  in  motion. 

Blackening  of  the  sun,  the  turning  of  the  I 

moon  fnlo  blood,  the  falling  of  (lie  stars,  >  Great  political  revolutions. 

See . . . J 

Part ial  calamities. 

Downfall  of  a  sovereign  prince. 

A  grievous  tyranny. 

A  revolution. 

Subversion  of  kingdoms. 

Sanguinary  revolutions. 

Great  wars. 

>  Making  bitter  with  some  natural  or  moral 

>  evil. 

Subversion  of  a  kingdom. 


Eclipses  of  the  heavenly  bodies  .  .  . 

Shooting  of  a  star . 

Scorching  of  men  with  the  sun  .  .  . 

An  earthquake . 

Removal  of  islands  and  mountains 

The  sea  turned  into  blood . 

Turning  rivers  and  fountains  into  blood 

Tingingwith  wormwood . 

Drying  up  a  river . *  .  . 


The  natural  world  ecclesiastically  considered. 

The  natural  world  denotes . The  complete  body  politic  of  the  church. 

The  sun . Christ  the  supreme  Ruler. 

The  moon . Ordinances  of  Christ  in  his  church. 

The  stars . Pastors. 

The  earth . The  platform  or  territory  of  the  church. 

The  passing  away  of  heaven  and  earth —  ^  A  cessation  of  n  church,  or  n  transition  of 

Introduction  of  a  new  heaven  and  a  new  >  the  same  church  from  one  state  to  a  bet- 

earth  . J  ter. 

Bringing  down  fire  from  hen ven  .  .  .  Ecclesiastical  censures. 

Signs  among  the  celestial  bodies  .  .  .  Ecclesiastical  changes. 

An  earthquake . Ecclesiastical  convulsion. 

The  fall  of  a  star  from  heaven  ....  The  apostasy  of  an  eminent  pastor. 

Thenvcnent  °f  d°W  <‘nd  fr°m  |  ’rhe  sanctifying  grace  of  the  Holy  Spirit. 

•  A  wild  beast  temporally  considered. 

A  wild  beast  denotes . A  great  persecuting  empire. 

The  head  or  hends . Forms  of  government. 

His  horns  and  wings — Tusks . Kingdoms — Dynasties. 

Teeth  and  claws — Tail . The  soldiery — Antichristian  superstition. 

Plucking  of  the  wings . Diminution  of  strength. 

The  rise  or  breaking  of  a  horn  ....  The  rise  or  dissolution  of  a  state. 

The  failin'  of  a  heap,  and  its  healing  .  [Abolition  .»  f°nn  of  government,  »nd 
®  5  its  restoration. 

The  life  of  a  beast — The  death  of  a  beast  .  Political  existence — Political  dissolution. 


A.  D.  95. 


REVELATION,  IV. 


i  throne  is  seen  in  heaven. 


I  heard  was  as  it  were  of  a  trumpet 
talking  with  me;  which  said,  Come 
b  up  hither,  and  I  will  shew  thee 
things  which  must  be  hereafter. 

2  And  immediately  I  was  in  c  the 
Spirit:  and,  behold,  a  throne  d  was 
set  in  heaven,  and  one  'sat  on  the 
throne. 

3  And  he  that  sat  was  to  look 
upon  like  a  jasper  and  a  sardine- 
stone  :  and  there  was  a  rainbow 
round  about,  the  throne,  in  sight 
like  unto  an  emerald. 

4  And  round  about  the  throne 
were  four  and  twenty  f  seats  :  and 
upon  the  seats  I  saw  lour  and  twen¬ 
ty  elders  sitting,  clothed  in  white 
*  raiment ;  and  they  had  on  their 
heads  crowns  h  of  gold. 

b  c.  11:12.  d  It.  6:1.  Je.  17:  f  c.  11:16. 

c  E7.e.3:li— 14.  12.  Eze.  1:26, ‘48.  g  c.  3:4,5. 

c.  17:3.  21:10.  e  Da.7:9.  He.8:l.  b  ver.  10. 

for  the  vision,  a  trumpet  was  sounded,  and  he 
was  called  up  into  heaven,  to  have  a  sight  of 


the  things  to  be  hereafter:  into  the  third  heavens. 
3.  To  prepare  for  this  vision,  the  apostle  was  j 
in  the  Spirit  ;  in  a  rapture,  as  before,  ch.  1 :  ; 
10.  all  bodily  actions  and  sensations  were  1 
for  a  time  suspended,  and  his  spirit  was 
possessed  with  the  spirit  of  prophecy,  and  | 
wholly  under  a  divine  influence.  The  more 
we  abstract  ourselves  from  all  corporeal 
things,  the  more  fit  we  are  for  communion 
with  God.  We  shqukl,  as  it  were,  forget 
the  body,  when  we  go  in  before  the  Lord  in 
duty,  and  be  willing  to  drop  it,  that  we  may 
go  up  to  Him  in  heaven.  This  was  the 
apparatus  to  the  vision.  Now  observe, 

II.  The  vision  itself ;  it  begins  with  the 
strange  sights  the  apostle  saw,  such  as  these. 
1.  A  throne  set  in  heaven,  the  seat  of  honor, 
and  authority,  and  judgment.  2.  A  glori¬ 
ous  One  on  the  throne  ;  One  who  filled  it, 
God,  who  is  here  described  by  those  things 
that  are  most  pleasant  and  precious  in  our 
world;  not  by  any  human  features,  so  as  to 
be  represented  by  an  image,  but  only  by  his 
transcendent  brightness.  The  jasper  is  a 
transparent  stone,  which  yet  otters  to  the 
eye  a  variety  of  the  most  vivid  colors,  sig¬ 
nifying  the  glorious  perfections  of  God;  the 


sardine-stone  is  red,  signifying  the  justice 
of  God  j  that  essential  attribute  which  He 
never  divests  Himself  of,  but  gloriously  ex¬ 
erts  in  the  government  of  the  world,  and 
especially  of  the  church,  through  our  Lord 
Jesus  Christ.  3.  A  rainbow  about  the  throne, 
like  unto  an  emerald,  v.  3.  The  rainbow 
was  the  seal  and  token  of  the  covenant  of 
providence  God  made  with  Noah  and  his 
posterity,  and  is  a  fit  emblem  of  that  cove¬ 
nant  of  promise  God  lias  made  with  Christ 
as  the  Head  of  the  church,  and  all  his  peo¬ 
ple  in  Him  ;  which  covenant  is  as  the 
waters  of  Noah  unto  God,  an  everlasting 
covenant  ordered  in  all  things,  and  sure. 
This  rainbow  looked  like  the  emerald  ;  the 
most  prevailing  color  was  a  pleasant  green, 
to  show  the  reviving  and  refreshing  nature 
of  the  new  covenant.  4.  He  saw  four  and 
twenty  seats  round  about  the  throne,  not 
empty,  but  filled  with  four  and  twenty  elders, 
presbyters,  representing,  very  probably,  (lie 
whole  church  of  God,  both  in  the  Old 
Testament  and  in  the  New  Testament  state; 
not  the  ministers  of  the  church,  but  rather 
the  representatives  of  the  people.  Their 
sitting  denotes  their  honor,  rest,  and  satisfac- 


A  wild  beast  ecclesiastically  considered. 

A  wild  heart  denote.  .  . . |A  °hurch  h!'vin?  Ump°Tal 

A  horn  of  such  a  beast . Temporal  or  spiritual  power. 

)  A  church  having  temporal  and  spiiitual 
Iwo-homed  beast . j  power. 

The  head . The  governing  polity. 

The  body . The  constituents  of  such  an  empire. 

A  city,  «fcc. 

.  ti  u  i  j  }  The  Roman  enipiie.  secular  and  eccle- 

The  great  city  Babylon  denotes  .  .  .  .  £  6iastical. 

The  streets  ....  * . Kingdoms. 

.  >  The  ten  kingdoms  of  the  modom  Roman 

TenBlr"1 . :  •  }  empire. 

.,  >  The  tyrannical  domination  of  the  reigning 

Thethrone . \  head. 

The  merchants  and  shipmasters  ....  The  great  men  of  the  earth. 

The  articles  of  trade,  such  as  gold,  silver,  )  Spiritual  traffic  in  relics,  masses,  absolu¬ 
te . )  tions,  &c. 

The  holy  city  denotes . The  church  of  Christ. 

The  temple  with  its  inner  courts  .  .  .  The  spiritual  church. 

The  daily  sacrifice . The  prayers  and  praises  of  God’s  people. 

.  .  >  Christians  in  name,  but  Gentiles  in  prac- 

Thc  outer  court . >  tjce  * 

Treading  it  under  foot . .  .  Introducing  pagan  heresies  and  apostasies. 

Profaning  the  sanctuary,  and  abolition  of  >  Setting  up  the  apostasy  of  desolation,  or 

the  daily  sacrifice  .  .  . . $  of  pagan  abominations. 

An  olive  tree,  or  a  candlestick  ....  A  church. 

Oil,  lamps . The  graces  of  the  Holy  Spirit. 

T  J  The  merits  of  Christ  giving  efficacy  to 

incense . $  prayer. 

The  ark  of  the  testament . The  holy  Scriptures. 

A  woman. 

A  woman  denotes . A  community,  or  body  politic. 

A  chaste  woman . The  true  church,  or  Lamb’s  wife. 

A  harlot  or  adulteress . An  apostate  or  idolatrous  church. 

The  flesh  of  such  a  harlot . . Her  temporal  possessions. 

Her  intoxicating  cup . Her  seducing  arts. 

Her  riding  a  wild  beast . Her  influence  over  the  temporal  empire. 

A  woman  drunken  with  the  blood  of  the  )  ecuti  church. 

saints . > 

A  vine  and  com. 

A  vine  denotes . The  church. 

A  vine  bearing  good  fruit . A  faithful  church. 

A  vine  bearing  sour  grapes . A  corrupt  church. 

m l  r  .u  •  «  *  l  The  effusion  of  God’s  wrath  upon  npos- 

The  treading  of  the  wine-press  .  .  .  .  >  tates  $c 

A  vineyard  enclosed . A  church  hedged  in  from  the  world. 

A  vineyard  with  broken  enclosures  .  .  .  A  degenerate  church. 

A  wilderness . Spiritual  barrenness,  ora  state  of  affliction. 

Th.jl1d.me-.nd  aolitary  place  matf.  |  Conreniro  and  prosperity. 

Corn  denotes . The  seed  of  the  gospel-kingdom. 

A  field  of  corn  • . The  church. 

)  Mercy  or  wrath,  according  to  circumstan- 
A  harvest . ]  ce8f 

The  harvest  of  the  earth  being  ripe  .  .  The  time  of  judgment  or  mercy  being  come. 

A  sickle . Judgments. 

Various  symbols. 

Thunder  and  lightning  denote  ....  Wars  and  hostile  invasions. 

Locusts  and  caterpillars . Destroying  armies. 

Tempestuous  winds  ........  Wars  and  invasions. 

White  and  clean  robes . Righteousness  and  prosperity. 

Sackcloth . Humiliation  and  persecution. 

Nakedness . .  Dishonor. 

A  yoke— A  famine . Spiritual  boodage— Spiritual  sterility. 

A  day  . A  year. 

A  year .  360  years. 

A  week— A  month . Seven  years— Thirty  years. 

Angels . Divine  agents,  celestial  or  terrestrial. 

The  two  witnesses . The  true  church. 

Dragon . The  devil. 

Red  dragon,  having  seven  heads  and  ten  The  devil,  influencing  the  councils  of  the 

horns .  empire. 

A  Time _ Times .  360  years — The  double  of  a  time. 

Time,  times,  and  half  a  time . 1260  years. 

Rainbow . God’s  faithfulness  ana  mercy. 

„  '  )  The  birth  of  a  community,  civil  or  eccle- 

Parturition . $  .iartical. 

Life  .  .  . . Moral  or  political  existence. 

Sore . Calamity,  natural  or  moral. 

Sickness . A  low  state  of  moral  or  political  health. 

Death . Extinction  of  moral  or  political  existence. 

Slaying . The  infliction  of  moral  or  political  death. 

_  ,  )  The  recovery  of  moral  or  political  life, 

R«vlTal . j  once  lost. 

.  i  The  resuscitation  of  a  body,  moral  or  poli- 

Resurrection . .  tic. 

N.  T.  VOL.  V.  86 


The  lying  unbuiied  for  a  short  time  .  .  Its  being  dead  or  subdued  for  a  short  time. 

Ascension  to  heaven . Power  and  authority. 

To  measure  the  temple  of  God  ....  To  take  it  under  protection. 

To  seal  or  set  a  mark . Separation  to  his  service  who  seals. 

To  devour  flesh . Plundering  of  substance. 

To  eat . To  meditate. 

To  seal  up  a  prophecy . |  A  a°^m|lished  rema‘n  uninteUisibU  til1 

Third  part — Fourth  part . Limitation,  in  opposition  to  universal. 

Frum  Daubuz ,  Faber ,  T.  H.  Hoihxe,  Hutcheson ,  and  Wernyss. 

V.  1 — 3.  When  the  Lord  Jesus  had  dictated  to  hia  apostle  the  preceding 
epistles,  and  thus  instructed  him  to  write  ‘  the  things  which  then  were;’ 
a  short  interruption  of  his  visions  seems  to  have  taken  place.  But  af¬ 
terwards,  looking  and  waiting  for  further  discoveries,  lie  beheld  ‘  n  door 
opened  in  heaven,1  the  holy  habitation  of  God  ;  and  then  another  vision 
was  introduced,  which  made  way  for  his  being  shown  1  things  which 
must  be  lierealter.’  1:12 — 20.  For  this  ch.  and  the  next  constitute  an 
introduction  to  the  prophetical  part  of  the  hook,  especially  to  the  ‘open¬ 
ing  of  the  seals,’  in  chs.  6  and  7.  In  the  spirit .]  It  is  not  to  be  supposed, 
that  any  external  objects  were  presented  to  the  senses  of  the  prophets, 
on  such  occasions  :  but,  the  natural  use  of  all  their  faculties  being  sus¬ 
pended,  their  minds  were  supernaturally  impressed  with  the  ideas  of 
such  things,  ns  were  particularly  suited  to  illustrate  the  subjects,  which 
they  were  employed  to  reveal.  Ez.  1:1 — 3.  8:1 — 4.  11:22—25.  Acts  22: 
17 — 21.  2  Cor.  12:1 — 6.  It  should  not  therefore  be  supposed,  that  the 
objects,  afterwards  mentioned,  have  a  real  existence  in  heaven  :  hut 
they  were  visionary  emblems,  suited  to  give  proper  instruction  to  the 
apostle,  and  to  his  readers  :  and  the  chief  business  of  the  expositor  is 
to  develope  the  meaning  of  them,  and,  as  it  were,  to  read  the  hierogly¬ 
phics.  This  [the  throne  and  He  that  sat  upon  it]  was  emblematical  of 
the  universal,  absolute,  and  eternal  dominion  of  Jehovah  ;  and  of  his 
exaltation  far 'above  all  creatures,  as  their  great  Creator  and  Sovereign 
Lord.  4 — 11.  5:  7:9—17.  Is.  G:l— 4.  Ez.  1:26—28.  There  is  throughout 
these  visions  an  allusion  to  the  temple,  its  furniture,  and  services.  ‘The 
rainbow  ’  was  a  well-known  emblem  of  the  covenant  of  grace.  On  [the 
signification  of  these  emblems]  the  author  writes  with  great  diffidence. 
He  conceives,  that  all  the  scriptural  emblems  have  some  distinct  mean¬ 
ing,  especially  those  of  this  book  :  but,  whether  he  has  pointed  out  that 
meaning,  or  not,  in  general,  and  in  particular  instances,  forms  another 
question.  Scott. — See  the  ‘Symbolical  Dictionary,’  given  in  the ‘Sup¬ 
plement  >  to  this  Commentary.  Ed. 

(1.)  After  this.}  ‘Rather,  after  these  things:  comp,  on  1:19.  A 
new  inspiration  is  here  mentioned,  as  it  is  a  new  vision  ;  as  the  best 
comtrs.  are  agreed.  Door  opened.}  Comp.  Ez.  1:1.  10:1.  Mat.  3:16. 
Ac.  7:56.  Daubuz.'  Woodh. 

(2.)  In  the  spirit  signifies,  to  be  under  a  strong  and  supernatural  im¬ 
pulse,  caused  by  the  miraculous  operation  of  the  Spirit  of  God  acting 
on  the  imagination  in  such  a  manner,  as  to  open  extraordinary  scenes, 
which  had  not  any  exact  external  archetype.  It  is  much  illustrated  hv 
Ezekiel’s  trance,  ( Ez.  8:1 .)  during  which  lie  was  insensible  to  all  that 
passed  around  him.  Ed.  ‘To  the  visions  by  Moses,  Ex.  14:9,  10  by 
Isaiah,  6:1,  2.  by  Ezekiel,  1:1,  26.  by  Daniel,  7:9.  this  has  a  general  re¬ 
semblance,  but  such  a  dissimilarity,  as  shows  they  are  not  copied  from 
each  other,  but  from  one  common  original,  varied  by  circumstances,  ns 
portraits  of  the  same  person  will  appear,  when  drawn  by  different  hands 
and  in  varied  attitudes.  Jasper.]  A  pellucid,  watery  gem,  so  Pliny  .-  it 
has  at  21:11.  the  epithet,  crystal-like,  which  Schl.  refers  to  the  diamond. 
The  clear  brilliancy  of  the  divine  appearance,  seems  to  have  suggested 
this  likeness  at  first  to  the  prophet’s  mind ;  but  there  was  a  fiery  tinge 
in  it,  ns  Ez.  1:27.  so  he  adds,  perhaps,  the  sardine,  which  (so  Pliny)  has  a 
fiery  glow.’  Woodh. — ‘  We  are  not  to  suppose  these  are  real,  existing 
beings,  though  represented  as  such.’  Doddr. 

(3.)  ‘  The  rainbow  would  be  seen  in  a  circular  form,  could  the  whole 

of  it  come  into  view  at  the  same  time  in  our  hemisphere.’  Vitr.  Such 
circular  halos  nre  sometimes  seen  around  the  moon  in  our  climate.  The 
‘bow,’  as  at  Ez.  1:27.  indicates  a  brightness  too  great  to  be  transmitted 
by  the  atmosphere  around  it,  and  thus  compelled  to  add  to  its  beauty 
and  glory.  Ed. — ‘  The  circular  session  of  the  24,  is  entirely  new,  ( Kirr. ) 
though  there  is  an  intimation  of  it,  Is.  24:23.  where  for  “  ancients,  the 
Sept,  has  the  word  of  the  text,  presbuteroi,  elders.  1  erhaps  tn e y  rep¬ 
resent  the  spiritual  priesthood  of  both  Testaments,  and  so  • 

Woodh.  Comp.  1:5.  Ps.  8:5.  Rev.  2:10.  S:5,  12,  21.  Mat.  19:28.  Dan.^12: 

V  4  5  1’he  24  seats  or  thrones  of  an  inferior  order,  on  which  were 
seated  24  elders,  nre  generally  allowed  to  have  been  the  emblematic  rep- 


REVELATION,  IV. 


A.  D.  95. 


The  four  living  creatures. 


5  And  out  of  the  throne  proceed¬ 
ed  '  lightnings  and  thunderings  and 
voices:  and  there  were  seven  >  lamps 
of  fire  burning  before  the  throne, 
which  are  the  seven  k  Spirits  of  God. 

6  And  before  the  throne  there 
was  a  sea  'of  glass  like  unto  crystal: 
and  in  the  midst  of  the  throne,  and 
round  about  the  throne,  were  four 
“beasts  full  of  eyes  before  and  be¬ 
hind. 

7  And  the  first  beast  was  like  a 
lion,  and  the  second  beast  like  a 
calf,  and  the  third  beast  had  a  face 
as  a  mini,  and  the  fourth  beast  was 
like  a  flying  eagle. 

8  And  the  four  beasts  had  each 
of  them  six  n  wings  about  him;  and 
they  were  full  of  eyes  within  :  and 
they  "rest  not  day  and  night,  say¬ 
ing,  Holy,  holy,  holy,  Lord  God 
Almighty,  which  was,  and  is,  and 
is  to  come. 

i  c.  8:5.  16:18.  k  c.  1:4.  10:14. 

j  Ge.  15:17.  1  c.  15:2.  n  Is  6:2,  &c. 

Ex.  37:23.  tu  Eze.  1:5,  &c.  o  have  no  real. 

Zee.  4:2. 


tion  ;  tlieir  sitting  about  the  throne,  signi¬ 
fies  their  relation  to  God,  tlieir  nearness  to 
Him,  the  sight  and  enjoyment  I  hey  have  of 


Him,  and  tlieir  continual  regard  to  Him. 
They  are  clothed  in  white  raiment,  the  right¬ 
eousness  of  the  saints,  both  imputed  and  in¬ 
herent  ;  they  had  on  their  heads  crowns  of 
gold,  signifying  the  honor  and  authority 
given  them  of  God,  and  the  glory  they  have 
with  him.  All  these  may  in  a  lower  sense 
be  applied  to  the  gospel-church  on  earth,  in 
its  worshipping  assemblies  ;  and  in  the 
higher  sense,  to  the  church  triumphant  in 
heaven.  5.  He  perceived  lightnings  and 
voices  proceed  out  of  the  throne  j  i.  e.  the 
awful  declarations  God  makes  to  his  church 
of  his  sovereign  will  and  pleasure.  6.  He 
saw  seven  lamps  of  fire  burning  before  the 
throne,  which  are  explained  to  be.  the.  seven 
Spirits  of  God,  v.  5.  Sec  on  1:4.  7.  He 

saw  before  the  throne  a  sea  of  glass,  like  unto 
crystal.  In  the  temple  there  was  a  great 
vessel  of  brass  filled  with  water,  in  which 
the  priests  were  to  wash  when  they  went  to 
minister  before  the  Lord,  called  a  sea;  so 
in  the  gospel-church,  the  sea  or  laver  for 
purification  is  the  blood  of  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ,  who  cleanses  from  all  sin,  even  from 
sanctuary-sins.  8.  He  saw  four  animals, 
living  creatures,  between  the  throne  and  the 
circle  of  the  elders,  (as  seems  most  proba¬ 
ble,)  standing  between  God  and  tile  people; 
these  seem  to  signify  the  ministers  of  the 
Gospel,  not  only  because  of  this  their  situa¬ 
tion  nearer  to  God,  and  between  Him  and 
the  elders  or  representatives  of  the  Chris¬ 
tian  people,  and  because  fewer  in  number 


than  the  people  ;  but  as  they  are  here  de¬ 
scribed,  (1.)  By  tlieir  many  eyes,  denoting 
sagacity,  vigilance,  and  circumspection. 
(2.)  By  their  lion-like  courage,  their  great 
labor  and  diligence,  in  which  they  resemble 
the  ox  ;  their  prudence  and  discretion  be¬ 
coming  men,  and  tlieir  [moving  on  God’s 
errands,  with  alacrity,  as  well  as  tlieir] 
sublime  affections  and  speculations,  by  which 
they  mount  up  with  wings  like  eagles  toward 
heaven,  v.  7.  and  these  wings  full  of  eyes 
within,  to  show  that  in  all  their  meditations 
and  ministrations  they  are  to  act  with 
knowledge,  and  especially  should  be  well 
acquainted  with  themselves  and  the  state  of 
their  own  souls,  and  see  their  own  concern 
in  the  great  doctrines  and  duties  of  religion, 
watching  over  tlieir  own  souls  as  well  as  the 
souls  of  the  people.  (3.)  By  their  contin¬ 
ual  employment,  and  that  is,  praising  God, 
and  no!  ceasing  to  do  so  night  and  day.  The 
elders  sit  and  are  ministered  unto  ;  they 
stand,  and  minister,  they  rest  not  night  and 
day.  This  now  leads  to  the  other  part  of 
the  representation. 

V.  8 — 11.  We  have  considered  the  sights 
the  apostle  saw  in  heaven  :  now  let  us  ob¬ 
serve  the  songs  he  heard  there.  1.  He 
heard  the  song  of  the  four  living  creatures, 
of  the  ministers  of  the  church,  which  refers 
to  the  prophet  Isaiah’s  vision,  ch.  6.  And 
here,  tliev  adore  (1.)  One  God,  the  One 
only ,  the  Lord  God  Almighty.  (2.)  The  three 
Holies  in  this  one  God,  the  Holy  Father, 


resentatives  of  the  whole  church  of  God.  Iwth  under  the  old  and  the 
new  dispensation.  The  number  of  these  elders  may  refer  to  the  24 
courses,  into  which  the  priests  were  divided,  1  C 'hr.  24:  or  to  the  12 
patriarchs,  and  12  apostles,  as  the  heads  of  ihc  Old  and  the  New  Test, 
churches.  Scott. — ‘There  were  also  24  courses  of  sacred  J.evite  musi- 
ciccs.’  E.  Smith. 

(5.)  Lamps .]  Not  lamp-stands,  as  before  ;  these  are  explained,  Zecb. 
4:1,  7 — 10.  as  the  Holy  Spirit;  of  this  the  antitypes  of  the  lamp-bearers 
are  the  receptacles.  See  IVoodh.  En. 

V  6 — 8.  Various  opinions  have  been  held  concerning  1  the  four  beasts,’ 
or  ‘living  creatures;’  as  it  certainly  ought  to  have  been  tr.,  in  order  to 
adhere  to  the  exact  meaning  of  the  original,  and  to  preserve  the  truth 
of  the  emblem.  The  unaccountable  notion,  that  the  Trinity  of  Persons 
ill  ihe  Godhead  was  represented  by  them,  while  two  emblems  were  giv¬ 
en  of  tile  Son,  because  of  his  incarnation  and  sacrifice,  can  have  no  oth¬ 
er  support,  than  the  names  which  have  sanctioned  it  ;  for  this  plain  rea¬ 
son;  that  ‘  these  living  creatures’  are,  throughout,  represented  as  the 
principal  worshippers,  not  as  the  Object  of  worship.  Nor  can  the  far 
more  general  and  plausible  opinion,  that  they  were  representatives  of 
the  angels,  as  the  cherubim  in  Ezekiel’s  vision  evidently  were,  be  sup¬ 
ported  by  any  sufficient  proof.  Ez.  1:5 — 14.10:1,  2.  Angels  indeed  are 
personally  introduced,  in  the  subsequent  part  of  this  vision  ;  but  ‘  these 
living  creatures '  are  spoken  of,  as  adoring  ‘the  I.amb  that  was  slain, 
who  had  redeemed  them  to  God  with  his  blood.’  5:3 — 10.  They  must 
therefore,  undeniably,  represent  some  part  of  the  church  of  redeemed 
sinners,  of  ihe  human  race.  Perceiving  litis,  some  expositors  have  sup¬ 
posed  them  to  be  representatives  of  the  whole  church,  and  the  24  elders 
of  its  rulers  and  pastors  :  but  it  is  surely  far  more  reasonable  to  reverse 
this  arrangement,  and  to  conclude  that  ‘  the  four  living  creatures’  rep¬ 
resent  ft  part,  the  24  elders  the  whole,  of  the  church,  than  that  the  larg¬ 
er  number  should  represent  only  a  part,  and  the  smaller  the  whole.  In 
short,  it  seems  evident  that  they  were  emblems  of  ihe  true  ministers  of 
Christianity,  in  the  different  parts  of  the  earth,  through  successive  gen¬ 
erations. — Ezekiel,  being  about  to  predict  providential  dispensations  re¬ 
specting  the  nation  of  Israel,  had  a  vision  emblematical  of  the  ministry 
of  angels,  by  which  those  events  would  he  accomplished  :  but  John’s 
predictions  relating  chiefly  to  the  church  in  the  different  regions  of  the 
earth,  and  to  the  affairs  of  nations  only  in  subserviency  to  it,  he  had  a 
vision  emblematical  of  the  ministers  of  religion,  by  whom  the  interesis 
of  the  church  would  principally  be  maintained.  As  the  heavenly  tem¬ 
per  of  mind,  and  the  spiritual  endowments  which  qualify  men  for  this 
arduous  work,  accord  in  great  measure,  though  in  a  far  lower  degree,  to 
the  affeciinns  and  endowments  of  angels  ;  it  is  not  at  all  wonderful  to 
find  a  coincidence  in  the  hieroglyphics,  bv  which  they  were  represented, 
lint  each  cherub,  in  Ezekiel’s  vision,  had  four  faces ;  while  John’s  ‘  liv¬ 
ing  creatures  ’  had  the  same  four  appearances,  divided  among  them  ;  for 
angels  may  be  supposed  to  possess  singly  the  several  excellences,  which 
are  given  to  many  of  the  most  eminent  ministers. — In  various  particu¬ 
lars,  the  emblem  teaches  what  true  and  able  ministers  are  and  do  :  and 
thus  it  serves  to  instruct  and  remind  them  of  tlieir  important  duties. — 
(6)  Of  s-to«s.]  Hualine.  15:2.  Hualos,  21:18,21.  The  laver  at  the  tab¬ 
ernacle  was  formed  of  the  brass,  which  had  been  used  as  mirrors  by  t lie 
women  ot  Israel.  Ex.  33:8. — The  brazen  sea  was,  no  doubt,  highly  pol¬ 
ished  ;  but  this  sea  was  formed  of  materials  transparent  as  crystal  ;  for 
the  vessel  seems  here  to  be  intended  — Beasts.]  Zba.  Any  living 
creatures  may  be  intended.  Beast,  Therion.  Dan.  7-3.  Sept  Sc. 

(6.)  A  sea.]  The  best  MSS.  add  hos,  as  ;  and  so  Griesh.  As  it  were, 
a  sea,  glassy,  like  unto  crystal.  [‘  It  seems  to  refer,’  says  Scott,  ‘to  the 
“  Fountain  opened  for  sin  and  unoleanness,”  [represented  by  the,  waler 
of  baptism,]  in  which  all  the  spiritual  priesthood  must  wash,  previously 
to  their  acceptable, spiritual  sacrifices.’]  Vilr.  refers  it  to  the  pavement, 
Ez.  1 22.  Ex.  24: 10.  Rev.  1 5:2.  hut  St.  John  calls  it  here  a  sea,  and  not  a 
pavement ;  before,  not  under  the  throne  ;  and,  at  22.1.  water  is  also  rep¬ 
resented,  as  here,  by  crystal.  Four  beasts.]  ‘1.  e.  living  creatures. 
No  part  of  the  Apocalypse  has  afforded  a  greater  variety  of  opinions,’ 
says  IVoodh,  whom  see,  pp.  Ill — 113.  ‘By  referring  to  other  passages 
rfi.831 


in  this  sacred  hook,  where  mention  is  made  of  these  zba,  (5:6,  14.  6:1, 
ifcc.  7:11. 15:7.)  it  plainly  appears,  that  iheir  station  is,  as  in  part  here  de¬ 
scribed,  “  round  about  the  throne.”  They  encompassed  it  on  every  side, 
and  are  within  the  encircling  body  of  the  elders.  But  in  this  passage, 
they  are  said  also  to  be  “  in  the  midst  of  the  throne,” — the  position  of 
the  great  Father,  and  afterwards  (ch.  5.)  of  the  Lamb,  in  union  with 
Him  ;  and  it  can  only  be  applied  to  the  zba,  as  expressing  their  very  near 
approach  to  the  throne.  Like  the  cherubim,  in  the  midst  of  which  the 
God  of  Israel,  under  the  O.  T.,  is  represented  as  sitting,  they  seem  to 
occupy  a  part  of  the  throne. — But  this  passage  can  be  understood  only 
by  comparing  it  with  similar  descriptions  of  the  appearance  of  the  di- 
vine  glory  to  mortal  eyes,  as  delivered  in  the  prophecies  of  Is.  6.  and  Ez.l. 
In  Is.  angelic  beings,  called  by  him  seraphim,  surround  the  divine  lltrone, 
and  each  of  them  has  6  wings,  like  those  in  the  Apocalypse,  and  they  sing 
Holy,  Holy,  Holy ,  in  the  same  manner.  In  the  vision  of  Ez.,  the  angel¬ 
ic  beings  are,  like  them,  4  in  number;  and,  together  with  one  human  ap¬ 
pearance,  they  have  the  faces  of  the  4  animals  to  which  these  in  Rev. 
are  likened.  And  Ez.  has  pronounced  that  the  zba  he  saw  and  describ¬ 
ed,  were  cherubim ,  and  that  he  knew  them  to  be  such. — These  two  de¬ 
scriptions,  (hough  differing  from  each  other  in  the  name,  and  in  some 
few  particulars,  are  of  the  same  divine  original.  The  variety  is  because 
the  throne  in  Is.  is  stationary ,  in  Ez.  movable.  But  in  Rev.  they  are 
brought  to  a  closer  similitude,  by  a  common  measure  of  comparison 
resembling  them  both.  This  comparison  of  the  3  visions,  so  necessary 
to  a  right  understanding  of  the  zoa  in  Rev.,  may  be  seen  to  advantage 
in  Vitr. — As  to  the  objection  to  consider  them  thus, — ns  cherubim  or 
seraphim ,  Ihe  most  exalted  of  created  beings,  the  nearest  to  the  throne 
of  the  Almighty  King,  his  inseparable  attendants,  not  angels  (messen¬ 
gers’1,  but  superior  beings,  of  angelic  nature, — drawn  from  Ihe  express¬ 
ion  5:9.  we  must  restore  the  text  from  the  MSS.  of  highest  authority, 
which  rend,  5:10  them ,  instead  of  us.  Besides,  they  sing  tlieir  song  in 
behalf  of  the  universal  church,  uniting  with  the  elders,  to  whom,  as 
ministers  from  the  Christian  church  on  earth,  this  song  more  peculiar¬ 
ly  belongs.  4:9.  5:8 — 14.’  Woodh. — Newc.  explain},  ‘  the  whole  body 
of  the  church,  who  serve  God  in  heaven,  with  th e  strength  of  ojfection, 
perseverance,  reason,  swiftness .’  It  is  the  hypothesis  of  I)r.  J.  R. 
Parle,  that,  in  these  ‘living  creatures,’  the  Hon  is  symbolical  of  the 
Hebrew  race,  from  which  the  Messiah  was  Himself  descended,  styled, 
ch.  5.  ‘  the  Lion  of  the  tribe  of  Judah.’  The  calf  he  applies  to  the  Pagan 
race,  as  a  noted  object  of  Egyptian  worship.  The  3d  creature,  repre¬ 
sents,  he  thinks,  the  race  of  Ishnmel  -,  and  the  eagle,  the  Romans.  See 
his  book.  Ed. 

(7.1  ‘  The  ancients  dealt  much  in  hieroglyphics  :  Middleton  gives  a 

gem,  having  a  man’s  face,  an  elephant’s  head,  a  peacock  and  a  sceptre 
joined  together.  This  he  thinks  symbolized  Socrates,  whom  the  man’s 
face  resembled  ;  while  the  other  figures  showed  the  beautiful  and  divine 
images  in  his  mind.  The  peacock  would  mean  the  beauty  of  his  virtue  ; 
the  sceptre,  his  majesty  and  authority;  the  elephant,  the  strength  and 
fortitude  of  li is  mind.  Or,  it  may  express  the  philosopher,  especially 
the  Stoic’s  wise  man,  who  was  furnished  with  all  kinds  of  virtues  and 
perfections,  being  the  only  beautiful  and  valiant  man,  and  a  king,  what¬ 
ever  his  circumstances  might  happen  to  be.’  Doddr. — Comp,  the  1  Symbol 
Dictionary,’  given  in  the  ‘  Supplement ;’  also  the  list  of  scripture-symbols 
prefixed  to  the  notes  on  this  ch. ;  and  compare  the  engraving  there  giv¬ 
en  of  the  famous  Zodiac  of  Dendera,  which  contains  a  large  proportion 
of  the  symbols  in  use  in  the  apostolic  age,  especially  in  Eg\  pt.  the  moth¬ 
er  of  mysteries.  This  tablet  was  taken  from  the  ceiling  of  a  temple  in 
Dendera,  the  ancient  Tentyris,  in  Egvpt,  and  is  supposed  to  represent 
the  horoscope  of  Octavius  Cesar.  Much  controversy  was  nronsed  on 
its  removal  to  the  ball  of  the  great  French  Library  at  Paris,  where  it 
now  is  ;  and  some,  taking  it  for  a  zodiac,  made  out  by  labored  calcula¬ 
tions,  that  the  date  of  its  drawing  must  overturn  the  Bible  account  of 
the  deluge.  The  premature  triumph  of  the  infidel  was  checked,  how¬ 
ever,  when  Champollioii  read  the  name  of  the  Cesar,  'seen  repeated  again 
and  again  in  our  cut.)  who  caused  his  own  nativity  to  be  cast. 'and 
here  drawn  cut.  See  the  Er.cyc.  Am.  &c.  Id. 


A.  D.  95. 


REVELATION,  V. 


Counsels  of  God  set  before  the  apostle. 


9  And  when  those  beasts  give 
glory,  and  honor,  and  thanks  to  him 
that  sat  on  the  throne,  who  liveth 
for  ever  and  ever, 

10  The  four  and  twenty  elders 
fall  down  before  him  that  sat  on  the 
throne,  and  worship  him  that  liveth 
for  ever  and  ever,  and  cast  their 
crowns  q  before  the  throne,  saying, 

1 1  Thou  art  r  worthy,  O  Lord,  to 
receive  glory  and  honor  and  power: 
’for  thou  hast  created  all  things, 
and  for  thy  pleasure  they  are  and 
were  created. 

CHAP.  V. 

I  The  book  sealed  with  seven  seals :  9  which  only  the 
Lamb  that  was  slain  is  worthy  to  open.  12  Therefore 
the  elders  praise  Him,  9  and  confess  that  He  redeemed 
them  with  his  blood. 

A  ND  I  saw  in  the  right  hand  of 
W  him  that  sat  on  the  throne  a 
book  ’written  within  and  on  the 
backside,  b sealed  with  seven  seals. 

2  And  I  saw  a  strong  angel  pro¬ 
claiming  with  a  loud  voice,  Who  is 
worthy  to  open  the  book,  and  to 
loose  the  seals  thereof? 

5  And  no  man  in  heaven,  nor  in 
earth,  neither  under  the  earth,  was 
able  to  open  the  book,  neither  to 
look  thereon. 

4  And  I  wept  much,  because  no 
man  was  found  worthy  to  open  and 
to  read  the  book,  neither  to  look 
thereon. 

p  c.  5:14.  r  c.5:12.  a  Eze.  2:9,10. 

<3  ver.  4,  s  Cot.  1:16.  b  Is.  29:11. 

tiie  Holy  Son,  and  the  Holy  Spirit  ;  and 
these  are  one  infinitely  Holy  and  Eternal 
Being,  who  sits  upon  the  throne,  and  lives 
far  ever  and  ever.  In  this  glory  the  prophet 
saw  Christ,  and  spake  of  Him.  2.  He 
heard  the  adorations  of  the  24  elders,  that  is, 
of  the  Christian  people  represented  by  them ; 
the  ministers  led,  and  the  people  followed, 
in  the  praises  of  God,  v.  10,  II.  Here, 
observe,  (1.)  The  Object  of  their  worship. 
Him  that  sat  on  the  throne,  the  eternal,  ever- 
living  God.  (2.)  The  acts  of  adoration. 
They  fell  down  before  Him  that  sat  on  the 
throne;  they  discovered  the  most  profound 
humility,  reverence,  and  godly  fear.  They 
cast  down  their  crowns  before  the  throne;  they 
gave  God  the  glory  of  the  holiness  where¬ 
with  He  had  crowned  their  souls  on  earth, 
and  the  honor  and  happiness  with  which  he 
crowns  them  in  heaven.  (3.)  The  words 
of  adoration  :  Thou  art  worthy,  O  Lord,  to 
receive  glory,  and  honor,  and  power,  v.  1 1 . 


Observe,  They  do  not  say,  We  give  Thee 
glory,  and  honor,  and  power  ;  for  what  can 
any  creature  pretend  to  giv.e  unto  God!  But 
they  say.  Thou  art  worthy  to  receive  glory. 
In  this  they  tacitly  acknowledge,  that  God 
was  exalted  far  above  all  blessing  and 
praise  ;  He  was  worthy  to  receive  glory, 
hut  they  were  not  worthy  to  praise,  nor  able 
to  do  it  according  to  his  infinite  excellences. 
(4.)  We  have  the  ground  and  reason  of  their 
adoration,  which  is  threefold.  He  is  the 
Creator  of  all  things,  the  first  Cause  ;  and 
none  but  the  Creator  of  all  things  should  he 
adored.  He  is  the  Preserver  of  all  things, 
and  his  preservation  is  a  continued  creation. 
He  is  the  final  Cause  of  all  things;  for  thy 
pleasure  they  are  and.  were  created.  It  was 
his  will  and  pleasure  to  create  all  tilings  ; 
He  was  not  put  on  it  by  the  will  of  another; 
there  is  no  such  thing  as  a  subordinate  cre¬ 
ator,  that  acts  under,  and  by  the  will  and 
power  of  another  ;  and  if  there  were,  he 
ought  not  to  be  worshipped.  As  God  made 
all  things  at  his  pleasure,  He  made  them  for 
his  pleasure  ;  to  deal  with  them  as  He 
pleases,  and  to  glorify  Himself  by  them  one 
way  or  other.  Though  He  delights  not  in  the 
death  of  sinners,  but  rather  that  they  should 
turn  and  live,  yet  He  hath  made  all  things 
for  Himself,  Frov.  16:4.  Now-if  these  be 
true  and  sufficient  grounds  for  religions  wor¬ 
ship,  as  they  are  proper  to  God  alone,  Christ 
must  needs  he  God,  one  with  the  Father  and 
Spirit,  and  be  worshipped  as  such  ;  for  we 
find  the  same  causality  ascribed  to  Him, 
Col.  1  :  16,  17.  All  things  were  created  by 
Him,  and  for  Him,  and  He  is  before  all 
things,  and  by  Him  all  things  consist. 


Chap.  V.  V.  1 — 5.  Hitherto  the  apostle 
had  only  seen  the  great  God,  Governor  of 
all  things  ;  now,  1.  He  is  favored  with  a 
sight  of  the  model  and  methods  of  his  gov¬ 
ernment,  as  written  in  a  book  He  holds  in 
his  hand  ;  and  this  we  are  now  to  consider 
as  shut  up  and  sealed  in  the  hand  of  God. 
Observe,  (1.)  The  designs  and  methods  of 
Divine  Providence  toward  the  church  and 
the  world  are  stated  and  fixed  ;  as  that 
which  is  written  in  a  book.  The  great  de¬ 
sign  is  laid,  every  part  adjusted,  ail  deter¬ 
mined,  and  everything  passed  into  decree, 
and  made  a  matter  of  record.  The  original 
and  first  draft  of  this  book,  is  the  book 
of  God’s  decrees,  laid  up  in  his  own  eter¬ 
nal  mind  :  but  there  is  a  transcript  of  so 
much  ns  was  necessary  to  be  known,  in  the 
book  of  the  Scripture  in  general,  in  the  pro¬ 
phetical  part  of  Scripture  especially,  and  in 
this  prophecy  in  particular.  (2.)  God  holds 
this  hook  in  bis  right  hand,  to  declare  the 
authority  of  the  book,  and  his  readiness  and 
resolution  to  execute  all  the  counsels  and 
purposes  therein  recorded.  (3.)  This  book 


in  the  hand  of  God,  is  shut  up  and  sealed  ; 
it  is  known  to  none  but  Himself,  till  He  al¬ 
lows  it  to  be  opened.  (4.)  It  is  sealed  with 
seven  seals.  I  his  tells  us  with  what  inscru¬ 
table  secrecy  the  counsels  of  God  are  laid, 
and  also  points  to  us  seven  several  parts  of 
this  hook  of  God's  counsels;  each  of  which 
seems  to  have  its  particular  seal,  and,  when 
opened,  discovers  its  proper  events  ;  these 
seven  parts  are  not  unsealed  and  opened  at 
once,  hut  successively,  one  scene  of  Provi¬ 
dence  introducing  another, and  explaining  it, 
till  the  whole  mystery  of  God’s  counsel  and 
conduct  be  finished  in  the  world. 

2.  He  heard  a  proclamation  made  con¬ 
cerning  this  sealed  book.  (1.)  The  crier 
was  a  strong  angel;  who  seems  to  come  out 
not  only  as  a  crier,  but  as  a  champion,  with 
a  challenge  to  any,  or  all  the  creatures,  to 
try  the  strength  of  their  wisdom  in  opening 
tlie  counsels  of  God  ;  thus  he  cried  with  a 
loud  voice,  that  every  creature  might  hear. 
(2.)  The  challenge  proclaimed,  was,  v.  2. 
‘  If  any  creature  thinks  himself  sufficient 
either  to  explain  or  execute  the  counsels  of 
God,  let  him  stand  forth,  and  make  the  at¬ 
tempt.’  (3.)  None  could  accept  the  chal¬ 
lenge;  none  in  heaven;  none  of  the  glorious, 
holy  angels,  though  before  the  throne  of 
God,  and  the  ministers  of  his  providence  ; 
none  on  earth  ;  no  man,  none  of  the  magi¬ 
cians  and  soothsayers;  none  of  the  prophets 
of  God,  any  further  than  He  reveals  his 
mind  to  them  :  none  under  the  earth  ;  none 
of  the  fallen  angels,  none  of  the  spirits  of 
men  departed,  though  they  should  return  to 
our  world,  can  open  this  book.  Satan  him¬ 
self,  with  ail  his  subtlety,  cannot  do  it  ;  the 
creatures  cannot  open  it,  nor  look  on  it  ; 
they  cannot  read  it,  God  only  can  do  it. 

3.  He  felt  a  great  concern  about  this  mat¬ 
ter,  so  that  he  wept  much;  it  was  a  great 
disappointment  to  him.  Observe,  Those 
who  have  seen  most  of  God  are  most  de¬ 
sirous  to  see  more;  those  who  have  seen  his 
glory,  desire  to  know  his  will  ;  and  they 
may  be  too  eager  and  too  hasty  to  look  into 
the  mysteries  of  divine  conduct  ;  so  much 
so,  as  to  be  greatly  grieved  that  their  desires 
are  not  presently  answered. 

4.  The  apostle  was  comforted,  and  encour¬ 
aged  to  hope  this  sealed  book  should  yet  be 
opened.  God  had  revealed  it  to  his  church  ; 
one  of  the  ciders.  God  can  make  his  people 
to  instruct  and  inform  their  teachers  when 
He  pleases.  It  was  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ 
who  would  do  the  thing;  called,  the  Lion  of 
the  tribe  of  Judah,  according  to  bis  human 
nature;  alluding  to  Jacob’s  prophecy,  Gen. 
49:  10.  and  the  root  of  David,  according  to 
his  divine  nature,  though  a  branch  of  David, 
according  to  the  (lesh.  He  who  is  a  middle 
Person,  God  and  Man,  and  bears  the  office 
of  Mediator  between  God  and  man,  is  fit 


PRACT.  OBS.  The  Lord  Jesus,  ‘  having  overcome  the  sharpness  of 
death,  hath  opened  the  kingdom  of  heaven  to  all  believers;’  ami  if  we 
look  unto  Him  by  faith,  and  obediently  attend  to  his  voice,  whilst  He 
calls  us  to  ‘  set  onr  affections  on  things  above  we  shall,  by  the  teach¬ 
ing  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  behold  the  glory  of  our  reconciled  Ood  on  his 
1  throne  of  grace;’  be  encouraged  by  the  engagements  of  his  everlasting 
covenant,  and  draw  nigh  in  humble  boldness  with  our  worship ;  not¬ 
withstanding  the  terrors  of  his  justice,  and  t lie  awful  curses  of  his  brok¬ 


en  law.  For  blessed  are  all  they  who  belong  to  his  church,  in  heaven, 
or  on  earth.  If  we  are  baptized  with  the  illuminating,  purifying,  and 
transforming  influences  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  washed  in  the  pure  fountain 
of  tlie  Redeemer’s  blood,  and  clothed  in  t lie  sacerdotal  robe  of  his  right¬ 
eousness;  we  shall  ere  long  have  done  with  conflict  and  suffering,  re¬ 
ceive  the  victor’s  honorable  crown,  and  join  in  the  rapturous  adoration 
of  the.heavenly  worshippers.  ( Note ,  7:13 — 17.  i’.  O.  9 — 17.)  Scott. 


V.  9 — 11.  In  the  next  ch.  we  shall  find  the  same  company,  worship¬ 
ping  the  Son,  as  the  Redeemer  of  sinners,  and  joined  by  the  angels  in 
that  sacred  service.  4:8 — 11.  Scott. 

NOTES.  Chap.  V.  V.  1 — 4.  A  book.]  Ez.  2:9,  10.  It  appeared 
as  a  roll,  consisting  of  several  parchments,  according  to  the  custom  of 
those  times :  and  though  it  was  supposed  to  be  written  within,  yet  no¬ 
thing  could  be  read  till  the  seals  were  loosed.  It  was  afterwards  found 
to  contain  7  parchments,  or  small  volumes,  each  of  which  was  separately 
sealed  :  hut  if  all  the  seals  had  been  on  the  outside,  nothing  could  have 
been  read  till  they  had  all  been  loosed  ;  whereas  the  loosing  of  each  seal 
was  followed  by  some  discovery  of  the  contents  of  the  roll:  yet  the  ap¬ 
pearance  on  the  outside  seems  to  have  indicated,  that  it  consisted  of  7, 
or  at  least  of  several  parts.  In. 

(1.)  ‘  The  most  judicious  comtrs.  are  generally  agreed  on  this  ch.’ 
Woodh.  Right,  1  As  being  of  divine  original,  and  infallibly  true.’ 

Bl.  Book.]  Most  of  these  volumes,  or  books  (for  the  ancients  arranged 
them  both  in  leaves  and  rolls,  note  end  of  Jer.)  were  only  written  in¬ 
side,  those  written  outside  also  were  called  opisthogrophoi ,  as  here.  So 
Bl. ;  who  thinks  the  notice  of  its  being  written  on  both  sides ,  is  to  inti¬ 
mate  ‘  the  copiousness  of  the  matter.’  Sealed.]  Mede  supposes  them  to 


have  been  arranged  somewhat  as 
given  in  tlie  cut.  Seven.]  ‘I.  e.  an 
abundance  of  seals  showing  the  dif¬ 
ficulty  of  arriving  at  the  knowledge 
within  it.’  Woodh.  Ed.  ‘The  6 
first  seals  give  a  course  of  judgments  on  Pagan  Rome,  from  the  last 
quarter  of  the  1st  cent.,  till  about  the  close  of  the  1st  quarter  of  the  4lh. 
The  4  first  trumpets  then  commence  a  following  course  of  judgments  on 
the  Christian  empire,  after  the  revolution  under  Constantine,  from  Pa¬ 
ganism;  fulfilled  in  the  northern  invasions  of  the  empire,  till  the  de¬ 
throning  of  its  last  emperor  Momylns.  The  1st  of  the  3  woe-trumpets 
then  sounded,  in  the  rise  of  Mohammedism,  the  2d,  in  the  rise  of  the 
grand  supporter  of  it, — the  Turkish  empire.  The  3d  will  destroy  Anti¬ 
christ.  And  the  vials  of  the  7  last  plagues,  in  the  2d  division,  [see  preL 
note  to  ch.  4,  near  the  end,]  will  occupy  the  spnee  between  the  2d  and 
3d  woe-trumpets  ;  the7lhof  which,  and  the  3d  woe-trumpet,  wul  be  the 
same,  as  has  been  seen.’  ,  ,  •  » 

(4.)  Wept.]  ‘A  tenderness  agreeable  to  the  character  of  John. 
Woodh.  Bl.  marks  ‘and  to  read’  as  spurious  ;  so  he marks,  m  v.  6. 
the  words  for  ‘loose,’  and  ‘and  Io;’  as  also  ‘the  book,  in  v.  7.  Ed. 


A.  D.  95. 


REVELATION,  V. 


A  song  of  praise  lo  the  Lamb. 


5  And  one  of  the  elders  saith  un¬ 
to  me,  Weep  not:  behold,  the  Lion 
c  of  the  tribe  of  Juda,  the  Root J  of 
David,  hath  prevailed  to  open  the 
book,  and  to  loose  the  seven  seals 
thereof. 

6  And  I  beheld,  and  lo,  in  the 
midst  of  the  throne  and  of  the  four 
beasts,  and  in  the  midst  of  the  el¬ 
ders,  stood  a  'Lamb,  as  it  had  been 
slain,  having  seven  horns  and  sev¬ 
en  *  eyes,  which  are  the  seven  Spir¬ 
its  of  God  sent  forth  into  all  the 
earth. 

.  7  And  he  came  and  took  the  book 
out  of  the  right  hand  of  him  that  sat 
upon  the  throne. 

8  And  when  he  had  taken  the 
book,  the  four  s  beasts  and  four  and 
twenty  elders  fell  down  before  the 
Lamb,  having  every  one  of  them 
h  harps,  and  golden  vials  full  of 
‘odors,  which  are  the  prayers  >  of 
saints. 

9  And  they  sung  a  new  k  song, 
saying,  Thou  art  worthy  to  take  the 
book,  and  to  open  the  seals  there¬ 
of:  for  thou  vvast  slain,  and  hast  re¬ 
deemed  us  to  God  by  thy  1  blood, 
out  of  every  "“kindred,  and  tongue, 
and  people,  and  nation  ; 

10  And  hast  made  us  unto  our 
God  "kings  and  priests:  and  we 
shall  "reign  on  the  earth. 

11  And  I  beheld,  and  I  heard  the 
voice  of  many  angels  round  about 
the  throne,  and  the  beasts,  and  the 
elders  :  and  p  the  number  of  them 
was  ten  thousand  times  ten  thou¬ 
sand,  and  thousands  of  thousands ; 


c  Ge.  49:9,11). 
Nil.  94:9. 
He.  7:14. 
d  Is.  11:1,10. 

c.  29:16. 
e  U.  53:7. 
in.  1:29,36. 


f  Zee.  4:10. 
g  c.  4:4.8,10. 
h-  c.  15:2. 
i  or,-  incense . 
j  Ps.  141:2. 
k  c.  14:3. 

1  Ac.  20:28.-  Fp. 


1:7.  lie  -  9:12. 
1  Pe.  1:13,19. 
m  c.  7:9. 
n  c.  1:6. 
o  c.  22:5. 
p  Da.  7:10 
He.  12:22. 


and  worthy  to  open  and  execute  all  (lie 
counsels  of  God  toward  men.  And  this  He 
does  in  his  mediatorial  state  and  capacity, 
as  the  King  and  Head  of  the  Israel  of  God  ; 
and  He  will  do  it,  to  the  consolation  and 
joy  of  all  his  people. 

V.  6—14.  Here, 

I.  The  apostle  beholds  this  book  taken 
into  the  hands  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  in 
order  to  its  being  opened  and  executed  by 
Him.  Where  Christ  is  described,  1.  By 
his  place  and  station  ;  in  the  midst  of  the 
throne,  and  of  the  four  beasts,  and  of  the  el¬ 
ders  ;  on  the  same  throne  with  the  Father; 
Christ,  as  Man  and  Mediator,  is  subordi¬ 
nate  to  God  the  Father,  but  nearer  to  Him 
than  all  the  creatures,  for  in  Him  all  the 
fulness  of  the  Godhead  dwells  bodily.  The 
ministers  stand  between  God  and  the  peo¬ 
ple;  Christ,  as  Mediator,  between  God  and 
both  ministers  and  people.  2.  The  form  in 
which  He  appeared.  Before,  He  is  called  a 
Lion  ;  here.  He  appears  as  a  Lamb  slain  : 
a  Lion,  to  conquer  Satan  ;  a  Lamb,  to  sat¬ 
isfy  the  justice  of  God.  He  appears  as  a 
Lamb,  having  seven  horns  and  seven  eyes  ; 
perfect  power  to  execute  all  the  will  of  God, 
and  perfect  wisdom  to  understand  it  all, and 
to  do  it  in  the  most  effectual  manner  ;  for 
He  hath  the  seven  Spirits  of  God,  He  has  re¬ 
ceived  the  Holy  Spirit  without  measure,  in 
all  perfection  of  light,  and  life,  and  power, 
by  which  He  is  able  to  teach  and  rule  all 
parts  of  the  earth.  3.  lie  is  described  by 
his  act  and  deed  ;  He  came  and  took  the  book , 
&c.,  v.  7.  not  by  violence,  nor  by  fraud,  but 
prevailed  to  do  it,  as  v.  5.  prevailed  by  his 
merit  and  worthiness;  He  did  it  by  authority, 
and  by  the  Father’s  appointment. 

II.  The  apostle  observes  the  universal" 
joy  and  thanksgiving  that  filled  heaven  and 
earth  on  this  transaction.  And,  indeed,  it 
is  just  matter  of  joy  to  all  the  world,  to  see 
that  God  does  not  deal  with  men  in  a  way 
of  absolute  power  and  strict  justice,  but  in  a 
way  of  grace  and  mercy  through  the  Re¬ 
deemer. 

The  song  of  praise  offered  on  this  occa¬ 
sion,  consists  of  three  parts  ;  one  sung  by 
'the  church,  the  other  by  the  church  and  the 
angels,  the  third  by  every  creature. 

1.  The  church, as  being  more  immediate- 


I  Iv  concerned,  v.  8.  the  four  living  creatures, 
and  the  24  elder*,  the  Christian  people,  under 
their  minister,  they  lead  up  the  chorus  ; 
where,  observe,  (1.)  The  object  of  their 
worship, — the  Lamb,  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ ; 
a  II  men  should  honor  the  Son  as  they  honor  the 
Father  ;  for  He  has  the  same  nature.  (2.) 
Their  posture  ;  they  fell  down  before  Him  ; 
gave  Him  not  an  inferior  worship,  but  the 
most  profound  adoration.  (3.)  The  instru¬ 
ments  used  in  their  adorations  ;  harps  and 
vials;  the  harps,  instruments  of  praise,  the 
vials  full  of  odors  or  incense,  which  signify 
the.  prayers  of  the  saints.  (4.)  The  matter 
of  their  song;  suited  to  the  new  state  of  the 
church,  the  gospel-state  introduced  by  the 
Son  of  God.  They  acknowledge  the  infi¬ 
nite  fitness  and  worthiness  of  the  Lord  Jesus 
for  this  great  work  of  opening  and  executing 
the  counsel  anil  purposes  of  God,  v.  9. 
They  mention  the  grounds  and  reasons  of 
this  worthiness  ;  and  though  they  do  not 
exclude  tire  dignity  of  his  Person  as  God, 
without  which  He  bad  not  been  sufficient 
for  it,  vet  they  chiefly  insist  on  the  merit  of 
his  sufferings,  which  He  had  endured  for 
them  ;  these  more  sensibly  struck  the'rr 
souls  with  thankfulness  and  joy.  Here, 
They  mention  his  suffering  ;  Thou  wast  slain, 
and  the  fruits  of  his  sufferings  ;  Thou  hast 
made  us,  &c.  redemption  to  God,  from  the 
bondage  of  sin,  guilt,  and  Satan;  and  high 
exaltation,  kings  and  priests,  and  we  shall 
reign  on  the  earth,  v.  10. 

2.  The  angels;  they  take  the  second  part, 
in  conjunction  with  the  church,  v.  11.  they 
are  said  to  be  innumerable,  and  to  be  the  at¬ 
tendants  on  the  throne  of  God,  and  guardi¬ 
ans  to  the  church  ;  though  they  did  not  need 
a  Savior  themselves,  yet  they  rejoice  in  the 
redemption  and  salvation  of  sinners  ;  and 
they  agree  with  the  church  in  acknowledg¬ 
ing  the  infinite  merits  of  the  Lord  Jesus,  as 
dying  for  sinners  ;  that  He  is  worthy  to  re¬ 
ceive  power,  and  riches,  end  wisdom,  and 
strength,  and  honor,  and  gl  n y,  and  blessing. 

3.  This  doxology,  thus  begun  by  tlm 
church,  and  carried  on  by  ihe  angels,  is  re¬ 
sounded  and  echoed  by  the  whole  creation; 
v.  13.  the  whole  fares  the  better  for  Christ, 
by  Him  all  things  consist ;  and  that  part  that 
(by  a  prosopopoeia)  is  made  for  the  whole 


V.  5 — 7.  The  elders  [were]  the  emblematical  representatives  of  the 
church.  A  Lion,  &c.]  Sum.  2:2.  A  Lamb  slain,  &c.]  This  was  an 
emblematical  representation  of  the  Savior’s  High  Priesthood,  before 
God,  in  our  nature,  ns  risen  from  the  dead,  through  the  merit  of  his  sa¬ 
crifice,  in  behalf  of  ‘  all  who  come  to  the  Father  through  Him:’  so  that 
it  was  in  consequence  of  that  atonement,  which  the  sacrificing  of  spot¬ 
less  lambs  had  prefigured  from  the  beginning,  lhat  lie  prevailed  to  open 
tiie  book.  Seven  Spirits,  &c.]  Notes ,  1:4 — 6.  4:4,  5. — Several  emi¬ 
nent  expositors  suppose,  that  7  superior  angels,  or  archangels,  are 
meant;  hut  the  texts  referred  to,  and  ihe  emblematical  style  of  the  book, 
are  inconsistent  with  that  interpretation.  2  C/ir.  10:7 — 10.  Zech.  3: 
9,10,4:8—10.  6:1—8.  SCOTT. 

(fi.)  And  lo.]  ‘Probably  interpolated.’  Til.  As  it,  Sec. ]  ‘The  Or. 
implies,  that  the  Lamb  appeared  with  a  wounded  neck  and  throat,  as  if 
smitten  at  the  altar,  as  a  Victim.  Seven  is  a  number  expressive  of  uni¬ 
versality,  fulness,  and  perfection,  fl:  4.)  and  ns  a  horse  is  power,  so  the 
7  horns  signify  omnipotence,  as  the  7  eyes  do  his  omnipresence  and  om¬ 
niscience.  “All  power,”  says  our  Lord  to  his  disciples,  “  is  given  to 
Me  in  heaven  and  in  earth.”  And  this  fie  said  immediately  after  lie 
had  vanquished  the  formidable  enemies  of  man,  3in  and  Death,  under 
this  form  of  a  victim.  Mat.  28:19.’  Woonu. 

V.  8 — 10.  When  Christ,  as  ‘  the  Lamb  which  bad  been  slain/  had  re¬ 
ceived  the  book,  and  was  preparing  to  loose  1  the  seals,’  the  ‘  four  living 
creatures,  and  the  elders,’  who  hail  before  prostrated  themselves  in  ado¬ 
ration  of  the  great  Creator,  4:9 — 11.  now  fell  down  in  like  manner  to 
worship  the  Lamb,  or  ihe  incarnate  Son,  as  the  Savior  of  sinners  ;  thus 
rendering  Him  divine  honor,  even  in  the  presence  of  ihe  Father’s  man¬ 
ifested  glory.  Harps,  golden  via/s.  &e.)  Though  heaven  is  Ihe  scene  of 
these  visions,  yet  they  had  continual  reference  lo  the  temple  and  its 
worship  ;  anti  the  state  of  the  church  on  earth  is  throughout  particularly 
adverted  to:  harps  were  emblems  of-praise  and  thanksgiving ;  and  the 
golden  vials,  or  small  censers,  or  cups,  represented  the  acceptabloness 
of  the  prayers  of  the  saints,  through  the  intercession  of  Christ,  ami  by 
the  influences  of  his  sanctifying  Spirit.  Moreover,  they  all  joined  in  a 
song  of  praise,  which  was  not  only  most  excellent,  but  it  was  nlso 
ttete,  in  respect  of  the  occasion  anti  composition:  for  the  O.  T.  church 
celebrated  the  praises  of  Jehovah,  their  Redeemer  from  Egypt,  and 
anticipated  the  coming  of  the  expected  Messiah  ;  but  the  N.  T.  church 
adored  Christ,  as  actually  come,  as  having  finished  his  work  on  earth 
by  his  sacrifice  on  the  cross,  and  as  entered  into  his  mediatorial  glorv. 
M.  R.  z. — Notes,  7-9 — 12.  14:1—5.  15:1 — 4.  It  is  indisputably  man¬ 

ifest,  that  the  ‘four  living  crentures’  join  in,  or  rather  lead,  the  worship 
of  the  Lamb,  as  ‘having  redeemed  them  to  God:’  and  this  proves,  be- 
x  nml  controversy,  that  part  of  the  redeemed  church  is  meant  bv  this 

U>S4| 


emblem  ;  and  not  angels,  whose  worship  is  next  described,  but  in  lan¬ 
guage  evidently  different.  11 — 14.  4:4—  -11.  Scott. 

(8.)  Vials.]  ‘  Phialas:  rather,  cups, pateras,  something  like  our  dishes/ 

Bl.  Comp,  the  cut 
of  a  classical  pale- 
ra,  for  sacrificial  li¬ 
bations.  Prayers.] 
‘  This  denotes  that 
the  prayers  ofGod’a 


true  worshippers  are  highly  acceptable  spiritual  sacrifices.’  Bl.  Ed. 

‘  How  delightful  to  contemplate  the  honors  which  encircle  the  Lamb 
of  God  in  t  he  midst  of  his  Father’s  throne  !  We  will  embalm  his  name 
in  our  grateful  hearts.  We  will  embalm  it  by  our  praise,  which  shall 
live  while  we  have  breath,  and  sink  away  upon  our  dying  lips.  And  we 
will  embalm  it  among  the  songs  of  the  upper  worM.  If  we  are  permit¬ 
ted  to  come  anti  stand  where  the  elders  how,  how  w ill  we  bow  nnd  sing. 
Wtien  we  shall  look  down  to  hell,  and  see  our  old  companions  there, 
and  thetl  back  to  Calvary,  anti  then  look  up  and  read  the  touching  traces 
of  love  in  those  melting  eyes,  and  among  Ihe  prints  of  the  nails  ami 
thorns,  we  will  embalm  his  name,  if  love  and  songs  can  do  it.  If  ever 
new  inhabitants  should  come  is  from  other  worlds,  they  shall  hear  the 
story  of  Calvary.  If  commissioned,  in  remote  ages  of  eternity,  to  visit 
other  systems,  we  will  carry  the  amazing  tidings  tn  them.  While  grar- 
itttdc  and  truth  remain,  the  name  and  love  of  Jesus  shall  never  he  Ibr- 
gotten,’  Rev.  Dr.  Griffin. 

(9.)  ‘‘Thou  art.  worthy,  axios  ei,  was  a  sort  of  acclamation,  usual  in 
ancient  times,  and  often  employed  to  hail  a  newly  elected  emperor.’ 
Ifn. — -‘  Redemption  by  the  blood  of  Christ,  (mark  it  well,  Oh  ray  soul!) 
is  the  ground  work  of  the  majestic,  triumphant  song  of  praise  in  heaven  ; 
ami  a  disposition  to  join  in  it,  our  chief  capacity  for,  and  actual  happi¬ 
ness  in  time  and  eternity.’  Adams. 

(10.)  (/*.]  Rather,  ‘them.’  Bi.oomf. 

V.  11 — 14.  While  these  adoring  praises  were  rendered,  by  the  repre¬ 
sentatives  of  the  church  of  redeemed  sinners,  to  their  divine  Savior  ;  the 
apostle  heard  likewise  ‘  the  voice  of  many  angels  round  abont  tiie 
throne,’  and  encircling  without  the  living  creatures  and  elders,  whose 
number  amounted  lo  many  millions,  and  couid  not  be  ascertained.  Vet 
they  all,  in  perfect  harmony,  with  a  loud  voice  of  adoration  confessed, 
that  ‘  the  I.amb,  who  had  been  slain/  for  tiie  redemption  of  sinful  men, 
was  ‘  worthy  to  receive  power/  in  his  mediatorial  character,  and  in  hu¬ 
man  nature,  over  all  creatures  in  heaven  nnd  earth  ;  and  ‘  riches,’  even 
all  the  treasures  of  grace  and  glory,  for  the  benefit  of  his  people,  and 
that  ‘  wisdom,  strength,  honor,  glory,  and  blessing,’  should  be  vested  in 
him,  and  ascribed  to  Him,  ns  the  Object  of  universal  adoration,  praise. 


A.  D.  95. 


REVELATION,  VI. 


The  opening  of  the  first  seal. 


12  Saying  with  a  loud  voice,  q 
Worthy  is  the  Lamb  that  was  slain 
to  receive  power,  and  riches,  and 
wisdom,  and  strength,  and  honor, 
and  glory,  and  blessing. 

13  And  r  every  creature  which  is 
in  heaven,  and  on  the  earth,  and 
under  the  earth,  and  such  as  are  in 
the  sea,  and  all  that  are  in  them, 
heard  I  saying,  *  Blessing,  and  hon¬ 
or,  and  glory,  and  power,  he  unto 
him  that  sitteth  upon  the  throne, 
and  unto  the  Lamb  for  ever  and 
ever. 

14  And  *  the  four  beasts  said, 
Amen.  And  the  four  and  twenty 
elders  fell  down  and  worshipped 
him  that  liveth  for  ever  and  ever. 

CHAP.  VI. 

T lie  opening  of  the  seals  in  order,  and  what  followed  there¬ 
upon,  containing  a  prophecy  to  the  end  of  the  world. 

AND  I  saw  when  the  Lamb 
opened  one  of  the  “seals  ;  and 
I  heard,  as  it  were  the  noise  of 
thunder,  one  of  the  four  beasts, 
saying,  Come  and  see. 

2  And  I  saw,  and  behold  a  white 
b  horse:  and  he  that  sat  on  him  had 
a  bow;  and  a  crown  was  given  unto 
him:  and  he  went  forth  'conquer¬ 
ing,  and  to  conquer. 

q  c.  4:11.  1  1  Ti.  6:16,  a  c.  5:3. 

rPhi.il:!’).  1  Pe.  4:11.  b  Zee.  6:3,  tc. 

a  !01i.29:ll.  t  c.  19:4.  c  Ps.  45:3— 5. 


creation,  is  a  song  of  blessing,  and  honor, 
and  glory,  and  power;  (1.)  To  Him  that  sits 
on  the.  throne,  to  God,  as  God  ;  or  to  God 
the  Father,  as  the  first  Person  in  the  Trin¬ 
ity,  arid  llie  first  in  the  economy  of  our  sal¬ 
vation;  and,  (2.)  To  the  Lamb,  as  the  sec¬ 
ond  Person  in  the  Godhead, and  the  Media¬ 
tor  of  the  new  covenant  ;  not  that  the  wor¬ 
ship  paid  to  the  Lamb  is  of  another  nature, 
an  inferior  worship,  but  their  parts  in  the 
work  of  our  salvation  being  distinct,  they 
are  distinctly  adored.  We  worship  and 
glorify  one  and  the  same  God,  for  our  crea¬ 
tion,  and  for  our  redemption. 

We  see  how  the  church  that  began  the 
heavenly  anthem,  finding  heaven  and  earth 
join  in  the  concert,  closes  all  with  their 
Amen,  and  -end  ns  they  began,  with  a  low- 
prostration  before  the  eternal  and  everlasting 
God.  Thus  we  have  seen  this  sealed  book, 
passing,  with  groat  solemnity,  from  the 
hand  of  the  •Creator,  into  the  hand  of  the 
Redeemer. 

Chap.  VI.  The  book  of  the  divine  coun¬ 
sels  being  thus  lodged  in  the  hand  of  Christ, 
He  immediately  enters  on  the  work  of 
opening  the  seals,  and  publishing  the  con¬ 
tents;  but  this  is  done  in  such  a  manner,  as 
still  leaves  the  predictions  very  abstruse, 
and  difficult  to  be  understood  :  now,  there¬ 
fore,  we  are  to  hunch  into  the  deep;  and 
our  business  is,  not  so  much  to  fathom  it,  as 
to  let  down  our  net  to  take  a  draught.  We 
shall  only  hint  at  what  seems  most  obvious  ; 
the  prophecies  of  this  book  aie  divided  into 
7  seals  opened,  7  trumpets  sounding,  and  7 
vials  poured  out.  It  is  supposed  that  the 


opening  of  the  7  seals  discloses  those  provi¬ 
dences  that  concerned  the  church  in  the 
first  three  centuries,  from  the  ascension  of 
our  Lord  and  Savior  to  the  reign  of  Con¬ 
stantine  ;  this  was  represented  in  a  book 
rolled  up,  and  sealed  in  several  places,  so 
that  when  one  seal  was  opened,  you  might 
read  so  far  of  it,  and  so  on,  till  the  whole 
was  unfolded.  Yet  we  are  not  here  told 
what  was  written  in  the  book,  but  what 
John  saw  in  figures  enigmatical  and  hiero¬ 
glyphic  ;  and  it  is  not  for  us  to  pretend  to 
know  the  times  and  the  seasons,  which  the 
Father  has  put  in  his  own  power. 

V.  1,2.  Here,  1.  Christ,  the  Lamb, opens 
the  first  seal  ;  He  now  enters  on  the  great 
work  of  opening  and  accomplishing  the  pur¬ 
poses  of  God  toward  the  church  and  the 
world.  2.  One  of  the  ministers  of  the  church 
calls  on  the  apostle,  with  a  voice  like  thun¬ 
der,  to  come  near,  and  observe  what  then 
appeared.  Whereupon,  3.  We  have  the 
vision  itself,  v.  2.  White  horses  are  gener¬ 
ally  refused  in  war,  because  they  make  the 
rider  a  mark  for  the  enemy  ;  but  our  Lord 
Redeemer  was  sure  of  the  victory  and  a  glo¬ 
rious  triumph,  and  He  rides  on  the  white 
horse  of  a  pure  but  despised  Gospel,  wiili 
great  swiftness  through  the  world.  The  bow 
in  his  hand  may  denote  convictions  impress¬ 
ed  by  the  Word  of  God,  which  are  as  shaipr 
arrows  ;  ministers  of  the  Word  may  draw 
the  bow,  but  it  is  God  who  directs  it,  and 
makes  it  effectual.  When  Christ  was  going 
to  war,  one  would  think  a  helmet,  had  been 
more  proper  than  a  crown  ;  but  a  crown  is 
given  Him  as  the  earnest  and  emblem  of 
victory.  So  He  went  forth  conquering  and  to 


PRACT.  OBS.  How  vain  and  presumptuous  must  all  man’s  endeav¬ 
ors  be,  to  discover  future  events,  beyond  the  discernment  of  a  sagacious 
probable  conjecture,  or  ns  instructed  by  ‘the  sure  word  of  prophecy;’ 
seeing  that  all  things  respecting  the  future  are  sealed  up  in  impenetra¬ 
ble  secrecy  ;  and  no  creature  in  heaven,  earth,  or  hell,  is  able  or  worthy 
to  disclose  the  least  tittle  of  them,  except  the  incarnate  Son  of  God 
alone!  We  need  not  indeed  weep,  that  we  cannot  foresee  the  future 
events  respecting  ourselves  in  this  world  ;  as  the  ea-jer  expectation  and 
prospect  of  distant  prosperity  would  unfit  us  for  present  duties  and  con¬ 
flicts  ;  and  the  foresight  of  future  calamities  would  render  our  most 
prosperous  days  distressing.  Yet  in  this  distracted,  evil  world,  we  may 
properly  desire  to  learn,  from  the  promises  and  prophecies  of  Scripture, 
what  will  be  the  final  event  to  believers,  and  to  the  church  ;  and  in  both 

gratitude,  and  admiring  love.  Thus  ‘  the  innumerable  company  of  an¬ 
gels,’  though  they  do  not  stand  related  to  the  Savior  as  partakers  of  the 
same  nature,  and  have  no  immediate,  concern  in  his  redemption,  are  yet 
represented,  as  beholding  sucli  divine  excellency  and  glory  in  Him,  and 
his  mediatorial  work,  (for  ‘  into  these  things  they  desire  to  look,’)  that 
they  adore  and  honor  Him  with  most  rapturous  ascriptions  of  praise; 
rejoice  in  his  exaltation  ‘far  above  all  principality  and  power,’ and  his 
authority  in  human  nature  over  all  of  them,  and  seem  to  vie  with  re¬ 
deemed  sinners  in  his  worship  !  Notes,  Eph.  3:9 — 12.  1  Pet.  1:10 — 12. 
— In  this  they  were  immediately  joined  by  all  the  inhabitants  of  heaven 
and  earth,  and  the  souls  of  those  in  the  separate  state,  whose  bodies 
were  under  the  earth,  or  in  the  sea ;  or  by  all  creatures  in  the  universe, 
according  lo  their  several  capacities,  with  the  exception  of  none  but  the 
determined  enemies  of  God.  (.Notes,  Ps.  148: )  These,  indeed,  the  na¬ 
ture  of  the  case,  and  the  whole  tenor  of  Scripture,  as  well  as  other  vis¬ 
ions  in  this  book,  necessarily  exclude  ;  yet  they  too,  though  reluctantly, 
shall  bow  to  Christ,  and  be  put  under  his  feet.  (Notes,  Is.  45:20 — 25. 
Rom.  14:10 — 12.  1  Cor.  15:20— 28.  Phil.  2:9 — 11.)  All  the  rest,  how¬ 
ever,  rendered  and  ascribed  ‘  blessing,  and  honor,  and  glory,  to  Him  that 
sat  on  the  throne,  and  to  the  Lamb,  for  ever  and  ever,’  to  which  ‘  the 
four  living  creatures’  joined  a  cordial  ‘Amen.’  Thus  the  whole  church, 
by  its  representatives,  fell  down  and  worshipped  the  eternal  God.  1:8 
— 11.  4:9 — 11.  John  5:20 — 23.  1  John  5:20,  21. — What  words  could 
more  fully  and  emphatically  declare,  that  Christ  is  and  ought  lo  be  wor¬ 
shipped,  equally  with  the  Father,  by  all  creatures,  to  all  eternity? 
Will  any  one,  alter  reading  this,  assert,  that  He  is  a  mere  Man,  or  a  cre¬ 
ated  Being  ?  or  that  it  is  idolatry  lo  worship  Him  ?  Or  will  such  per¬ 
sons  profess  to  believe,  that  this  book  is  th a  unerring  Word  o  f  God  l 
If  they  waver  as  to  this  point,  can  they  disprove  the  divinity  of  a  book, 
the  prophecies  of  which  have  already  been  so  remarkably  accomplished  ? 
Or  can  any  man,  who  opposes  the  worship  of  Christ,  or  the  doctrines 
of  his  Deity  and  atonement,  and  of  salvation  through  faith  in  his  Mood, 
suppose  that  he  can  ever  enter  heaven  ?  or,  if  this  might  lie,  that  he  could 
join  in  the  work  and  worship  of  that  blessed  world,  or  even  so  much  as 
endure  it? — But  there  can  be  no  dissentients,  no  discordant  voices,  in  that 
world  of  light  and  love  !  (Note,  Cot.  1:9 — 14.) — (11)  Ten  thousand,  &c.] 
Not  ‘  ten  thousand  times  ten  thousand  ;  ’  but  ‘  ten  thousands  of  ten 
thousands,’  both  being  plural.  9:10. — (14)  Him  that  liveth  for  ever  and 
ever.]  1:18.  4:9.  Here  the  same  language  is  undeniably  used  of  Jesus 
Christ,  along  with  the  Father.  Scott. 

(12.)  1  This  seven-fold  praise  is  supposed  to  correspond  to  the  seven¬ 
fold  attributes  above.’  Bloomf. 

(13.)  Blessing,  <fcc.]  1  Rather,  the  blessing,  or  praise,  <kc.  i.  e.  the 
particular  and  supreme  praise,  &c.  In  the  Lord's  prayer,  the  article  is 
tr.  with  proper  effect.’  Woodii. 

(14.)  Bl.  marks  as  spurious  the  Gr.  for  ‘24,’  and  for  ‘Him  that  liv¬ 
eth  for  ever  and  ever.’  Ed. 


respects,  the  Incarnate  Son  has  prevailed  to  procure  us  all  the  informa¬ 
tion  which  our  circumstances  need.  May  we  then  value,  and  study  to 
become  acquainted  with,  every  part  of  that  revelation,  which  He  has 
given  us. — The  xvhole  universe  could  never,  in  any  other  instance,  show 
such  a  union  of  unsearchable  riches  and  deep  poverty,  of  sovereign  au¬ 
thority  and  willing,  entire  subjection,  of  divine  dignity  and  immense  hu¬ 
miliation  and  condescension,  of  majesty  and  meekness,  of  holiness  and 
love  of  sinners,  of  justice  and  mercy,  of  desert  of  honor  and  happiness, 
with  patient  endurance  of  most  complicated  sufferings.  In  these,  ami 
various  other  respects,  He  is  altogether  worthy  of  our  admiration,  con¬ 
fidence,  and  imitation,  as  far  as  it  is  possible  for  us  to  be  placed  in  sim¬ 
ilar  circumstances.  Scott. 


NOTES.  Chap.  VI.  V.  1,  2.  Upon  the  establishment  of  Constantine 
the  Great  on  the  Imperial  throne,  as  the  first  Christian  emperor,  (lie 
persecutions  of  Pagan  Rome  ceased,  and  Christianity  became  the  estab¬ 
lished  and  favored  religion,  throughout  the  empire. — When  the  Lord 
Jesus,  as  ‘  the  Lamb  that  had  been  slain,’  ‘opened  t he  first  seal,’  the 
apostle's  attention  was  excited,  by  a  voice  like  thunder,  and  one  of  ‘  the 
four  living  creatures  ’  called  on  him  to  come  and  see  what  passed.  This 
was  the  voice  of  him  who  xvas  ‘  like  a  lion  ;  ’  and  the  same  took  place, 
respecting  the  other  living  creatures  in  their  order,  after  the  opening  of 
the  next  three  senls  ;  but  the  meaning  of  the  emblem  does  not  clearly 
appear.  4:6 — 3. — Those  who  suppose  the  apostle  to  have  had  this  vis¬ 
ion  in  the  reign  of  Nero,  about  A.  D.  68,  explain  this  emblem  (the 
‘  white  horse.’  <fcc  ]  of  the  victories  gained  by  Vespasian  and  Titus, 
among  which  the  taking  and  destruction  of  Jerusalem  was  most  consid¬ 
erable.  But  it  is  almost  incredible,  that  this  most  important  event 
should  be  only  thus  obscurely  hinted  at,  if  it  had  been  then  in  futurity  ; 
and  it  is  far  more  likely,  that  the  apostle  wrote  this  hook  a  considerable 
time  nfl  or  that  event.  Others,  therefore,  explain  this  discovery,  of  some 
victories,  obtained  by  the  Emperor  Trajan,  over  the  surrounding  na¬ 
tions  ;  but  these  events  had  no  immediate  connexion  with  the  affairs  of 
the  church,  and  Trajan,  who  was  a  persecutor,  however  celebrated  in 
other  respects,  xvas  not  aptly  described  by  one  mounted  ‘on  awhile 
horse.’  Zeeh.  1:7 — 11.  6:1—8.  This  emblem  rather  denotes  righteous¬ 
ness  and  purity;  and  the  mild,  beneficent  victories  of  Christ,  by  his  Word 
and  Holy  Spirit,  in  the  conversion  of  sinners  lo  1  the  obedience  of  faith,’ 
seem  to  have  been  thus  predicted.  Alter  his  advancement  to  his  medi¬ 
atorial  throne,  He  had  gone  forth,  as  a  merciful  and  beneficent  Conque¬ 
ror,  and  had  obtained  many  victories ;  but  both  Jews  and  Gentiles  op¬ 
posed  the  progress  of  his  Gospel;  yet  the  opening  of  this  seal  showed, 
that  He  would  still  go  on  with  his  conquests,  and  more  widely  than 
ever  extend  his  spiritual  dominion.  Accordingly,  accurate  historians 
are  of  opinion,  that  Christianity  spread  more  rapidly  and  extensively 
among  the  Gentiles  just  after  this  time,  than  it  had  before  done.  Sc. 

(1.)  Doddr.  in  general  adopts  Lowman's  scheme,  (see  ‘Tabular 
View,’  fee.  Rev.,  end,)  and  remarks,  ‘  I  am  vastly  more  obliged  to.that  in¬ 
genious  and  excellent  commentator,  for  what  I  understand  of  this  book, 
than  to  any  other  writer  whatsoever;  ’  while  Woodhouse  entertains  the 
same  high  opinion  of  Vitringa's  work.  Ed. 

(1,  2.)  One.]  ‘Put,  by  a  common  Heb.  idiom,  for  first.  Some  have 
supposed  a  reference  of  or  mystical  connexion  betxveen  t lie  character¬ 
istics  of  each  living  creature,  and  the  scene  it  summons  the  apostle  to 
behold.  The  Ijow,  white  horse,  and  crown,  are  emblems  ol  victory, 
triumph,  and  royalty.  Come  and  see.]  A  form  of  speaking  to  excite 
any  one  to  attention,  occurring  Ez.  8:9.  and  often  in  the  Rabbins.’  Bl. 

‘  At  Christ’s  death,  (when  He  said,  “  Lo,  I  am  with  you  always,”  &c.) 
the  divine  religion,  in  primitive  purity,  goes  out  (comp.  19:11 — 17.) 
crowned,  having  the  divine  favor  resting  upon  it,  armed  spiritually 


REVELATION,  VI. 


A.  D.  95. 


The  second  and  third  seals  opened. 


3  And  when  he  had  opened  the 
second  seal,  I  heard  the  second 
beast  say,  Come  and  see. 

4  And  there  went  out  another 
horse  that  was  red:  and  power  was 
given  to  him  that  sat  thereon  to 
take  peace  from  the  earth,  and  that 
they- should  kill  one  another:  and 
there  was  given  unto  him  a  great 
sword. 

5  And  when  he  had  opened  the 
third  seal,  I  heard  the  third  beast 
say,  Come  and  see.  And  I  beheld, 
and  lo,  a  black  horse;  and  he  that 
sat  on  him  had  a  pair  of  balances  in 
his  hand. 

6  And  I  heard  a  voice  in  the 
midst  of  the  four  beasts  say,  d  A 
measure  of  wheat  for  a  penny,  and 
three  measures  of  barley  for  a  pen¬ 
ny;  and  see  thou  e  hurt  not  the  oil 
and  the  wine. 

d  The  word  ChcE-  taining  one  wine  a  quart. 
nix  signified!  a  quart,  and  the  e  c.  9;4. 
measure  con-  twelfth  part  of 


conquer.  As  long  as  the  church  continues 
militant,  Christ  will  be  conquering ;  He  con¬ 
quers  his  enemies  in  his  people,  in  the  pro¬ 
gressive  work  of  sanctification  ;  and  He 
conquers  them  in  the  world,  wicked  men, 
some  by  bringing  them  to  his  fuot,  others 
by  making  them  his  footstool.  Observe, 
From  this  seal  opened,  the  successful  pro¬ 
gress  of  the  Gospel  of  Christ  in  the  world  is 
a  glorious  sight.  Whatever  convulsions  and 
revolutions  happen  in  states  and  kingdoms, 
tlte  kingdom  of  Christ  shall  be  established 
and  enlarged,  in  spite  of  all  opposition. 

V.  3 — 8.  The  next  three  seals  give  us 
a  sad  prospect  of  the  great  and  desolating 
judgments  with  which  God  punishes  those 
who  either  refuse  or  abuse  the  everlasting 
Gospel  :  some  understand  them  of  the  per¬ 
secutions  that  befel  the  church  of  Christ, 
and  others  of  the  destruction  of  the  Jews  ; 
but  they  rather  represent,  more  generally, 
God’s  terrible  judgments,  by  which  He 
avenges  the  quarrel  of  his  covenant  on  those 
who  make  light  of  it. 

1.  Who  thi  s  was,  that  sat  on  the  red  horse, 
whether  Christ  Himself,  as  Lord  of  hosts, 
or  the  instruments  He  raised  up  to  conduct 
the  war,  is  not  clear  ;  but  this  is  certain, — 


those  who  will  not  submit  to  the  bow  of  the 
Gospel,  must  expect  lo  be  cut  in  sunder  by 
the  sword  of  divine  justice  ;  for  Jesus  Christ 
rules  and  commands,  not  only  in  the  king¬ 
dom  of  grace,  but  of  providence  ;  and  the 
sivord  of  war  is  a  dreadful  judgment. 

2.  The  black  horse  signifies  famine,  and 
the  pair  of  balances  signify,  that  men  must 
now  eat  their  bread  by  weight,  as  threatened, 
Lev.  26:  26.  What  follows  in  v.  6.  has  made 
some  expositors  think  this  was  not  a  \ision 
of  famine,  but  of  plenty;  but  if  we  consider 
the  quantity  of  their  measure,  and  the  value 
of  their  penny,  at  the  time  of  this  prophecy, 
the  objection  will  be  removed  ;  their  meas¬ 
ure  was  but  a  single  quart,  [‘  rather  more,’ 
Scot/,]  and  their  penny  our  sevenpence-half- 
penny,  and  that  is  a  large  sum  to  give  for  a 
quart  of  wheat;  however,  it  seems  this  fam¬ 
ine,  as  all  others,  fell  most  severely  on  the 
poor  ;  whereas  the  oil  and  the  wine,  which 
were  dainties  of  the  rich,' were  not  hurt; 
hut  if  bread,  the  stuff  of  life,  be  broken ,  dain¬ 
ties  will  not  supply  the  place  of  it.  Here, 
observe,  When  a  people  loathe  their  spir¬ 
itual  food,  God  may  justly  deprive  them  of 
their  daily  bread.  One  judgment  seldom 
comes  alone,  and  the  judgment  of  war  natu- 


against  its  foes,  and  destined  to  he  victorious  in  the  end.  So  nearly, 
Andr.  Ctes.,  Methodius,  Arethas,  Viet.,  Primasius,  Grot.,  Ham.,  Mede, 
Durham,  Forbes,  Daubuz,  Vitr.,  Hales,  Lowman,  Faber.’  This  state 
lasted,  perhaps,  for  3  centuries.  Two  periods  seem  designated  :  the  1st 
when  the  Christian  religion,  preached  in  purity  by  its  apostles,  overcame 
the  powers  of  darkness  and  all  human  opposition.  The  2d,  when,  after 
a  long  warfare,  during  which  this  holy  religion  has  been  corrupted  and 
debased,  it  will  at  length  be  seen  to  overcome  all  opposition,  and  to  con¬ 
quer.  These  two  periods  are  plainly  distinguished  in  Dan.  2:34,  35.’ 

WOODH. 

(2.)  It  is  impossible  to  enumerate  any  considerable  part  of  the  very 
numerous  interpretations  of  the  symbolic  horses.  Mede,  Newton,  and 
many  others,  consider  they  point  out  four  periods  in  the  latter  history 
of  l lie  Roman  empire,  and  select  successive  events  which  they  consider 
to  correspond  with  the  personifications.  Keith  applies  them  respec¬ 
tively  to  the  four  religious  systems;  Christianity,  Mnhatnmedism, 
Popery,  Infidelity.  That  of  Woodh ■  is  adopted  by  Cuninghame,  W. 
Jones ,  and  others.  This  idea  seems  also  to  have  been  long  since  rec¬ 
ommended  by  Pareus.  See  the  general  [tabular]  note,  Ibr  further  par¬ 
ticulars  of  the  views  of  the  leading  modern  commentators  on  this  and 
the  other  symbolical  representations.  Ed. 

V.  3,  4.  The  Lord  Jesns,  in  his  righteous  providence,  seems  to  be 
here  represented,  as  commissioning  and  employing  the  executioners  of 
his  vengeance  on  his  obstinate  enemies.  {Mars.  Ref.  i — 1.)  Accord¬ 
ingly  historians  record,  that  insurrections,  bloody  battles,  massacres, 
and  devastations  of  a  most  extraordinary  kind,  took  place,  between  A. 
D.  100,  and  A.  D.  13S.  580,000  Jews  are  computed  to  have  been  slaugh¬ 
tered,  in  different  places,  during  that  period  ;  and  even  a  larger  number 
of  the  Romans  and  Greeks  seem  to  have  been  butchered  by  them,  in  the 
most  barbarous  manner  imaginable.  So  that  the  two  parties  of  the 
enemies  of  Christ  and  the  Gospel,  the  Jews  and  idolaters,  seemed  to 
vie  with  each  other,  in  executing  his  righteous  vengeance  on  their  com¬ 
petitors.  Notes,  Is.  10:5 — 15.  Jer.  27:4 — 9.  51:20 — 24.  Ez.  30:20 — 26. 
— Some  make  this  period  to  have  lasted  longer  than  is  above  stated  y 
but  such  difficult  questions  cannot  be  particularly  discussed,  in  this 
compendious  view  of  these  comprehensive  prophecies.  Scott. 

(4.)  ‘  The  second  delineation,  unrolled  by  the  breaking  of  tile  seal, ex¬ 
hibits  afire-colored  horse,  12:3.  9:17.  Zech.  1:8.  Take  peace.)  Rather, 
the  peace  of  the  earth,  see  on  v.  1,  2.  and  to  place  in  its  stead  hatred, 
variance,  wrath,  strife,  bloodshed,  (not  of  nations,  hut  of  “brethren  and 
companions,”  among  themselves,  for  such  is  the  force  of  the  Gr.)  the 
effects  of  a  fiery  zeal,  without  knowledge  and  charity,  the  bond  of 
peace  :  to  this,  had  the  pure,  and  loving,  and  unselfish  Christianity  de¬ 
generated  in  that  age.  [Perhaps  the  great  sword  denotes  civil  power,  and 
nothing  is  more  disastrous  to  the  purity  of  the  church  than  this  union.] 
Shall  we  date  this  period  from  the  close  of  the  2d  century  ;  when  the 
rulers  of  the  western  church,  and  the  wise  and  moderate  Irentcus,  were 
seen  to  interpose  in  tumults  of  this  tendency,  and  to  exhort  the  furious 
bishop  of  Rome  to  cultivate  Christian  peace?  ( Euseb .)  The  fiery,  in¬ 
tolerant  character  which  marks  this  seal,  was  indeed  too  visible  in  these 
transactions;  but  the  hue  from  white  to  fire  color,  changed  gradually. 
The  persecuting  hand  of  the  common  enemy,  of  the  heathen  still  in 
power,  restrained  this  factious  spirit  for  a  time  ;  and  although,  previous 
to  the  Dioclesian  persecution,  in  302,  there  were  shameful  divisions 
among  the  Christians,  which  Euseb.  mentions  with  a  becoming  mixture 
of  indignation  and  tenderness,  (Ecci.  Hist.  8.  1.)  yet  the  change  cannot 
be  deemed  complete,  so  as  to  produce  the  full  character  of  this  2d  seal, 
till  n  later  period.  But,  when  the  Roman  empire  became  Christian  ; 
when  a  Christian  emperor  bore  [that  powerful]  “  sword ;  ”  when,  re¬ 
lieved  from  the  terrors  of  Pagan  persecution,  the  Christians  became 
possessed  of  civil  influence,  their  animosities  increased.  Worldly  pros¬ 
perity  is  corruptive;  and,  instead  of  those  halcyon  days  of  peace  and 
happiness,  which  the  church  promised  to  itself  from  the  acquisition  of 
power,  a  period  succeeded  from  which  history  is  seen  to  date  its  degen¬ 
eracy  and  corruption ;  (see  on  last  vs.  of  ch.  7.)  at  this  time  manifested 
in  the  mutual  enmity  and  feuds  of  Christians ;  which  were  so  notorious 
in  the  4th  century,  that  a  contemporary  author  reports  of  them,  (with 
some  hyperbole,  perhaps,  for  he  was  a  Pagan,)  that  “  the  hatred  of 
Christians  to  each  other,  exceeded  the  fury  of  wild  beasts  against  men.” 
A  mm.  Marcel.  22:5.  This  wras  a  great  change  from  the  times  of  Tertul- 
lian,  in  the  2d  cent. ;  when  the  Pagans  said,  “  See,  how  these  Christians 
love  one  another.”  Tertull.  Apol.  c.  39.  It  is  a  change  powerfully 
expressed  by  fire-color  succeeding  to  white.  The  contests  for  power 
[686] 


and  promotion  among  Christian  bishops,  and  rulers,  were  not  con¬ 
cluded  without  mutual  slaughter;  (see  the  sneering  Gibbon;]  and  in 
the  controversies  occasioned  liv  the  schisms  of  the  Donatists,  and  of  the 
Arians,  many  thousands  of  Christians  perished  by  the  weapons  of  each 
other.  See  Mosheim,  cent.  4,5.  The  evil  continued  to  increase  until  it 
produced  a  further  change,  from  had  to  worse,  which  will  appear  under 
the  next  seal.’  Woodh. 

V.  5,  6.  ‘The  black  horse’  was  a  proper  emblem  of  calamity  and 
mourning;  and  the  balances  in  the  hand  of  the  rider  denoted,  that,  in  the 
times  referred  to,  there  would  be  a  great  scarcity  of  provisions  ;  so  that 
men  would  have  their  food  weighed  out  to  them,  with  great  exactness, 
as  it  is  done  when  any  company  is  reduced  to  short  allowance.  Lev. 
26:26.  Note,  Ez.  4:9 — 17.  The  voice,  also,  which  proclaimed  the  price 
of  corn,  has  the  same  meaning;  though,  to  an  English  reader,  it  seems 
to  denote  the  contrary. — Yet  the  orders  given  to  the  emblematical  ex¬ 
ecutioner  of  this  sentence,  to  ‘spare  the  oil  and  the  wine,’  may  imply, 
that  there  should  not  be  a  total  failure  of  the  fruits  of  the  earth.  Per¬ 
haps  the  luxuries  were  not  so  much  injured  ns  the  bread-corn.  Gen. 
43:11,  12. — This  seal  is  supposed,  by  some  expositors,  to  have  reached 
from  A.  D.  138,  to  A.  D.  193 ;  though  others  state  it  differently.  There 
is,  however,  no  material  disagreement  between  them  ;  and  there  are 
accounts,  in  the  history  of  those  years,  of  long-continued  scarcities, 
through  the  whole  Roman  empire  ;  during  which,  all  the  care  of  the 
emperors,  and  their  ministers,  could  only  just  prevent  the  horrors  of 
entire  famine.  —  This  was  another  method,  by  which  Christ  fought 
against  the  persecutors  of  his  church.  Scott. 

(5.)  Black.]  Denoting  mourning,  woe,  darkness,  and  ignorance. — 
Balances.]  Zugos  :  the  cut  is  of  an  an¬ 
cient  Egyptian  balance  :  but  as  the  bal¬ 
ance  was  precisely  like  a  yoke,  which  was 
simply  a  stick,  passing  over  the  neck,  with 
a  chain  to  its  middle,  &c.  Woodh.  tr.  yoke, 
and  refers  it  to  slavery,  and  subjugation  ; 
as  Gen.  27:40.  Nah.  1:13,  &c.  Ed. — ‘In 
the  N.  T.,  zugos  is  used  metaphorically, 
to  signify  the  burden  of  slavery,  1  Tim.  6: 
1.  and  more  especially  to  represent  the 
burden  some  ceremonies  enjoined  by  the 
law  of  Moses,  from  the  observance  of 
which  the  Christian  “  law  of  liberty,”  had 
delivered  the  converts.  Ac.  15:10.  Gal.  5: 
1.  ,1a.  1:25.  2:12.  Col.  2:16.  1  Pet.  2:16. 
The  same  application  of  zugus,  in  the 
Greek  fathers,  and  of  jugum.  in  the  Latin, 
was  hv  them  continued.  See  Socrat.,  Eu¬ 
seb.,  Grabe,  Augustin.  From  the  history 
of  the  church,  we  learn,  that  attempts 
were  made,  at  different  times,  to  put  a 
yoke  of  superstitious  observances  on  the 
necks  of  the  disciples  ;  and  every  attempt 
seems  to  have  made  some  little  progress 
towards  the  system  of  [spiritual]  slavery.  As  the  stream  of  Christian¬ 
ity  flowed  further  from  its  pure  fountain,  it  became  more  and  more  cor¬ 
rupt ;  as  centuries  advanced,  ignorance  and  superstition  increased;  and 
unauthorized  mortifications  and  penances,  rigorous  fastings,  vows  of 
celibacy,  monkish  retirement  and  austerities,  stylitism,  the  jargon  and 
repetition  of  prayers  not  understood,  tales  of  purgatory,  pious  frauds, 
and  the  worship  of  saints,  relics,  and  images,  took  the  place  of  pure  nml 
simple  Christianity  :  till  at  length,  the  Book  of  God  being  laid  aside  for 
legendary  tales,  and  the  “  traditions  of  men,”  all  these  corruptions  were 
collected  into  a  regular  system  of  superstitious  oppression,  well  known 
by  the  name  of  the  Papal  yoke.  The  Eastern  church  kept  pace  with  the 
Western  for  some  time,  in  the  introduction  of  burdensome  and  unau¬ 
thorized  observances ;  and  the  Mahometan  religion,  derived  from  the 
corrupted  Jewish  and  Christian,  has  imposed  a  similar  kind  of  yoke  on 
its  numerous  followers,  in  those  extensive  regions  of  the  world  where  it 
prevails.’  Woodh. 

(5,  6.)  1  The  proportion  between  the  bread-corn,  i.  e.  wheat,  and  bar¬ 
ley  was,  it  seems,  the  usual  one.  It  is  not  agreed,  if  the  command  is,  not 
to  injure  the  wine  and  oil,  or  not  to  do  wrong  in  [selling]  them.  The 
latter  seems  best,  and  so  Mede,  Daubuz,  Juspis,  and  Heinr.  Perhaps  it 
means,  do  not  adulterate  it.  The  four  articles  mentioned,  then  formed 
the  main  support  of  life.’  ^  Bloomf. 


A.  D.  95. 


REVELATION,  VI. 


7  And  when  he  had  opened  the 
fourth  seal,  I  heard  the  voice  of  the 
fourth  beast  say,  Come  and  see. 

8  And  I  looked,  and  behold  a 
pale  horse;  and  his  name  that  sat 
on  him  was  Death,  and  Hell  follow¬ 
ed  with  him:  Ami  power  was  giv¬ 
en  funto  them  over  the  fourth  part 
of  the  earth,  to  kill  e  with  sword, 
and  with  hunger,  and  with  death, 
and  with  the  beasts  of  the  earth. 

9  And  when  he  had  opened  the 
fifth  seal,  I  saw  under  the  altar  h  the 
souls  ‘of  them  that  were  slain  for 
1  the  word  of  God,  and  for  the  tes¬ 
timony  which  they  held  : 

f  o r,  to  him.  Ii  c.  8:3  j  c.  1:9.  12:17. 

gK  -e.  14:21.  i  c.  20:4. 


The  fourth  and  fifth  seals  opened. 


tremble,  that  eternal  damnation  immediate¬ 
ly  follows  on  the  death  of  an  impenitent  sin¬ 
ner.  Observe,  There  is  a  natural  as  well 
as  judicial  connexion  between  one  judgment 
and  another  :  war  is  a  wasting  calamity, 
and  draws  scarcity  and  famine  after  it ;  and 
famine,  not  allowing  men  proper  sustenance, 
and  forcing  them  to  take  that  which  is  un¬ 
wholesome,  often  draws  the  pestilence  after 
it.  God’s  quiver  is  full  of  arrows  ;  He  is 
never  at  a  loss  for  ways  and  means  to  pun¬ 
ish  a  wicked  people.  In  the  book  of  his 
counsels  He  has  prepared  judgments  for 
scorners,as  well  as  mercy  for  returning  sin¬ 
ners;  threatenings  against  the  wicked,  as 
well  as  promises  to  the  righteous  ;  and  our 
duty  is  to  observe  and  believe  the  threaten¬ 
ings  as  well  as  the  promises. 

4.  After  the  opening  of  these  seals  of  ap¬ 
proaching  judgments,  and  the  distinct  ac¬ 
count  of  them,  we  have  this  general  obser¬ 
vation,  that  God  gave  power  to  them,  v.  8. 
that  is,  those  instruments  of  his  anger,  or 
those  judgments  themselves  ;  to  these  He 
gave  power.  And  here  to  war,  famine, 
and  pestilence,  isadded,  the  beasts  of  the  earth, 
another  of  God’s  sore  judgments ;  Ezek.  14: 
21.  mentioned  here  last  ;  because,  when  a 
nation  is  depopulated  by  the  sword,  famine, 
and  pestilence,  the  small  remnant  that  con¬ 
tinued  in  a  waste  and  howling  wilderness, 
encourage  the  wild  beasts  to  make  head 
against  them,  and  they  become  an  easy  prey. 
Others,  by  the  beasts  of  the  field,  understand 
brutish,  cruel,  savage  men,  who,  having  di¬ 
vested  themselves  of  all  humanity,  delight 
to  be  the  instruments  of  the  destruction  of 
others.  . 


V.  9 — 17.  In  the  remaining  part  of  this 
ch.  we  have  the  opening  of  the  fifth  and  the 
sixth  seals. 

I.  The  fifth  seal  ;  no  mention  is  made  of 
any  who  called  the  apostle  to  make  observa¬ 
tion,  either  because  the  decorum  of  the  vis¬ 
ion  was  to  be  observed,  and  each  of  the  four 
living  creatures  had  discharged  its  duty  of 
a  monitor  before  ;  or  because  the  events 
here  opened  layout  of  the  sight,  and  beyond 
the  time,  of  the  present  ministers  of  the 
church  ;  or  because  it  does  not  contain  a 
new  prophecy  of  any  future  events,  but  rath¬ 
er  opens  it  spring  of  support  and  consolation 
to  those  who  had  been,  and  still  were,  under 
great  tribulation  for  the  sake  of  Christ  and 
the  Gospel.  Here  observe, 

1.  The  sight  this  apostle  saw  at  the  open¬ 
ing  of  the  fifth  seal  J  a  very  affecting  sight, 
v.  9.  the  souls  of  the  martyrs  under  the  altar  ; 
at  the  foot  of  the  altar  of  incense,  in  the  most 
holy  place  ;  in  heaven,  at  the  fool  of  Christ. 
Note,  Persecutors  can  only  kill  the  body,  and 
God  hath  provided  a  good  place  in  the  bet¬ 
ter  world  for  those  who  are  faithful  to  death, 
and  are  not  allowed  a  place  any  longer  on 
earth.  Holy  martyrs  are  very  near  to  Christ 
in  heaven  ;  they  have  the  highest  place  there ; 
not  their  own  death,  but  the  sacrifice  of 
Christ,  gives  them  reception,  and  a  reward 
there  ;  they  do  not  wash  their  robes  in  their 
own  blood,  but  in  the  blood  of  the  Lamb. 
The  cause  they  suffered  in  was,  the  Word  of 
God ,  arid  the  testimony  they  held;  for  believ¬ 
ing  the  Word  of  God,  and  attesting  or  con¬ 
fessing  the  truth  of  it  ;  this  profession  of  their 
]  faith  they  held  fast  without  wavering,  even 
I  though  they  died  for  it.  A  noble  cause  ; 


rally  draws  after  it  that  of  famine.  The 
famine  of  bread  is  a  terrible  judgment  ;  but 
the  famine  of  the  Word  is  more  so,  though 
careless  sinners  are  not  sensible  of  it. 

3.  Upon  opening  the  fourth  seal,  there  ap¬ 
pears  another  horse,  of  a  pale  color ;  the  name 
of  the  rider.  Death,  the  king  of  terrors  ;  the 
pestilence,  which  is  death  in  its  empire, 
death  reigning,  death  on  horseback,  march¬ 
ing  about,  and  making  fresh  conquests  every 
hour.  The  attendants,  or  followers,  of  this 
king  of  terrors  are, — hell,  a  state  of  eternal 
misery  to  all  those  who  die  in  their  sins  ; 
and,  in  times  of  such  a  general  desolation, 
multitudes  go  down  unprepared  into  the  val¬ 
ley  of  destruction.  It  is  an  awful  thought, 
and  enough  to  make  the  whole  world  to 

(6.)  ‘From  Tacitus,  and  Mat.  20:2.  a  penny, (1%  pence,)  [1 2  to  15 
cents]  appears  to  have  been  the  daily  wages  of  a  laborer-  From  Herod., 
l)iog.  Laert.,  Hippocr.,  Athen.,  it  seems  the  measure  here  was  no  more 
than  was  allowed  to  the  slave  for  his  daily  food.  What  would  become 
of  families,  when  a  man  by  his  labors  could  gain  no  more,  and  that  only 
of  bread,  than  might  suffice  for  his  own  subsistence  ?’  Doddr. — ‘During 
the  progress  of  this  black  horse,  the  necessaries  of  life  should  be  attain¬ 
able,  though  at  an  excessive  price,  and  the  more  costly  commodities 
should  not  be  injured.  According  to  the  tenor  of  prophetic  language, 
these  articles  signified  that  food  of  religious  knowledge,  (Am.  8:11.)  by 
which  the  souls  of  men  are  sustained  unto  everlasting  life;  such  we  are 
invited  to  buy,  Is  55:1.  Comp.  Rev.  3:18.  Rut  when  the  dark  clouds 
of  ignorance  and  superstition,  denoted  by  the  black  horse,  spread  over 
the  face  of  the  Christian  world,  the  knowledge  and  practice  of  true  reli¬ 
gion  became  scarce.  Yet,  during  the  long  continuance  of  these  dark 
times,  the  prophetical  command  has  always  been  fulfilled,  there  always 
has  been  some  spiritual  food,  however  scanty  the  supply  ;  and  that  in¬ 
valuable  repository  of  Divine  knowledge,  of  spiritual  wine  and  oil,  the 
Word  of  God,  has  been  accessible  to  some,  and  wonderfully  preserved 
uninjured,  and  by  the  art  of  printing  will  thus  be  delivered  to  posterity.’ 
Woodh. — A  chcenix,  or  measure  of  wheat,  was  just  enough  for  the  daily 
food  of  a  poor  family,  [Herod.  7.  186.]  and  the  price  of  it  is  here  stated  as 
a  denarius,  the  whole  amount  of  a  day’s  wages.  Mat.  20:2.  But  in 
times  of  plenty  a  denarius  would  usually  purchase  from  16  to  20  meas¬ 
ures  of  wheat.  In  Cicero’s  day,  16,  in  Trajan’s,  20.  Expositors  have 
written  much  upon  this  head.  Cuninghame  censures  the  expositions 
which  would  apply  these  seals  to  certain  vicissitudes  of  no  great  mo¬ 
ment  in  the  secular  affairs  of  the  Roman  empire,  during  the  first  three 
centuries.  He  asks,  in  terms  which  might  be  used  in  reference  to  other 
literal  and  individual  applications  of  the  symbols  of  this  book,  ‘Was  it 
then  for  the  purpose  of  .discovering  to  the  church,  the  state  of  the  Ro¬ 
man  markets  for  corn  and  oil,  or  the  efficiency  of  its  police  in  appre¬ 
hending  thieves,  that  all  these  mighty  preparations  were  made  in  heav¬ 
en  ?  ’  Vitringa,  in  reference  to  Me.de,  made  similar  remarks.  ‘This 
spiritual  famine  shall,  notwithstanding,  be  accompanied  with  great 
fleshly  pleasures  and  commodities,  represented  by  wine  and  oil.— Dio- 
dati.  He  considers  this  seal  to  denote  spiritual  hunger,  after  the  bread 
oflife,  which  is  the  true  and  pure  Word  ofGod.’  Henry,  abr.  En. 

V'.  7,  8.  The  pale  horse,  on  which  Death  rode  as  a  terrific  conqueror, 
followed  by  hell,  (or  the  grave,  and  the  state  of  departed  souls,)  was  an 
apt  emblem  of  the  several  divine  judgments,  which  are  afterwards  enu¬ 
merated  ;  and  through  which,  it  is  said,  that  ‘  power  was  given  to 
death  and  hell,’  over  the  fourth  part  of  the  earth  ;  or  a  large  proportion 
of  its  inhabitants,  especially  throughout  the  whole  Roman  empire. 
Some  expositors  make  this  seal  to  reach  from  A.  I).  193,  to  A.  D.  270. ; 
others  include  only  50  years  of  that  time  under  it.  However,  within 
the  shorter  period,  there  were  more  than  20  Roman  emperors,  who  for 
a  time  ruled  with  great  power,  and  most  of  them  with  great  tyranny 
and  cruelty,  as  long  as  their  dominion  continued  ,;  there  were  also  above 
30  usurpers  in  different  parts  of  the  empire,  who  supported  their  claims 
by  war,  and  perished  with  multitudes  of  their  adherents.  Amidst  such 
intestine  convulsions  and  fierce  contests  uiithin  the  several  provinces 
of  the  empire,  ‘death  on  his  pale  horse,’  must  have  destroyed  immense 
numbers  with  the  sword.  This  universal  war  and  confusion,  hv  taking 
men  off  from  the  cultivation  of  the  earth,  and  destroying  the  fruits  of  it 
when  produced,  naturally  made  way  for  famine;  which  grievously  pre¬ 
vailed  in  every  place.  The  scanty,  low,  and  unwholesome  diet,  occa¬ 
sioned  by  hunger  or  famine,  naturally  introduced  pestilence,  which  is 
often  called  death  hy  the  eastern  writers  ;  and  the  most  learned  men 
have  declared,  that  so  extensive  and  destructive  a  pestilence,  as  that 
which  during  this  period  wasted  the  empire  for  15  years  together,  is 


not  met  with  in  universal  history.  These  desolations  must  also  have 
given  opportunity  to  wild  beasts  to  increase  on  the  residue  of  the  inhab¬ 
itants  ;  and  accordingly  xve  read,  that  they  were  forced  to  wage  war 
with  wolves,  lions,  and  tigers,  and  that  many  were  devoured  by  them. 
Ez.  5:14 — 17.  14:13 — 21.  Scott. — ‘One  account  records  the  entrance 
of  500  wolves  at  once  into  a  depopulated  city.’  Bl.  Comp,  note,  Jer. 
5:6.  Ed. — '8)  Vale .]  ChlOros.  8:7.  9:4.  Mark  6:39. —  The  word  more 
generally  signifies  green  ;  but  the  meaning  of  pale  is  also  of  full  author¬ 
ity,  and  must  be  here  intended. — Death.]  Thanatos.  Note,  20  11  — 15. 
1  Cor.  15:55— 58 Hell.]  Hades.  Note,  Ps.  16:8— 11.  Scott. 

(8.)  ‘  The  period  of  the  4th  seal  is  one  of  great  slaughter  and  devasta¬ 
tion,  but  not  confined  to  the  lives  of  men  ;  these  extend  their  destruc¬ 
tive  influence  over  whatever  may  tend  to  make  life  happy,  making  rav¬ 
ages  on  the  spiritual  lives  of  men.  When,  under  the  2d  seal,  uncharita¬ 
ble  controversies  and  ambitious  animosities  bad  banished  that  peace 
which  true  religion  cannot  fail  to  promote  ;  and  dark  ignorance  and  su¬ 
perstition,  and  domineering  priestQ'aft  (under  the  3d  seal)  had  fixed  a 
burdensome  yoke  on  the  necks  of  the  disciples,  and  made  pure  Christian 
knowledge  of  difficult  attainment,  then  greater  evils  naturally  ensued. 
Ignorance  became  blind  submission,  and  priestcraft  advanced  into  civil 
tyranny.  Thus  the  mystery  of  iniquity  was  completed,  and  the  usur¬ 
pation  extended  both  over  the  lives  and  consciences  of  Christians.  To 
profess  pure  religion  became  a  crime.  Severe  and  murderous  laws 
were  enacted  against  those  who  deviated  from  the  standard  of  doctrine 
established  hy  corrupt  rulers.  Whole  nations  of  Christians,  under  the 
name  of  heretics,  xx'ere  subjugated  or  extirpated.  Thus,  under  the  au¬ 
spices  and  direction  of  the  professed  ministers  and  rulers  of  the  Chris¬ 
tian  church,  death  and  hell  were  seen  to  devastate  a  great  part  of  the 
Christian  world,  destroying  the  lives  of  men,  both  literally  and  spirit¬ 
ually,  and  rooting  out  the  pure  doctrines  of  the  Gospel.  The  precise 
periods  of  these  4  seals,  cannot  be  exactly  ascertained,  for  the  changes 
were  gradual.— Pale.]  ChlOros  :  here  is  a  sublime  climax,  or  seal  of 
terrific  imagery  in  the  colors  of  the  horses.  From  the  application  of 
the  imagery  ofhorses  in  Scripture  (comp.  Zech.  chs.  1  and  6.  Rev.  19: 
11 — 17, &c.)  it  may  appear,  that  a  man  on  horseback,  in  scriptural  vis¬ 
ion,  represents  the  going  forth  of  some  power  divinely  commissioned  to 
efl’ect  changes  upon  earth  :  and  that  the  character  of  the  change  is  to 
he  collected  from  the  color  of  the  horse;  the  red,  denoting  war  and 
slaughter;  the  black,  mourning  and  woe;  the  white,  victorious  inno- 
cencv  and  blissful  peace.  The  seals  denote  the  progressive  character 
of  the  Christian  times,  from  its  pure  beginning,  to  its  greatest  cor:  op¬ 
tion.  It  begins  with  pure  white  ;  then  changes  io  fiery  and  vengeful ; 
then  to  black,  or  mournful  ;  and  when  xve  suppose  that  nothing  more 
dreadful  in  color  can  appear,  then  comes  another  gradation  still  more 
ghastly  and  terrific,  even  this  deadly  pale,  the  livid,  greenish  hue  of 
corruption.  The  number  four  implies  universality  or  completion.’ 

Woo  PH. 

V.  9 — 11.  Under  the  attar.]  Continual  reference  [is  had]  to  the  ap¬ 
pearance  of  the  divine  glory  in  the  sanctuary,  and  to  the  peculiarities 
of  the  Jewish  worship;  Is.  6:1—8.  ‘the  souls  of  those’  persons,  ‘  who 
had  been  slain  ’  for  believing  and  obeying  the  W ord  of  God,  and  ‘  for  the 
testimony  which  they  ’  had  borne  to  the  truth  of  the  Gospel, — these  ap¬ 
peared  as  sacrifices,  which  had  newly  been  offered ;  to  show  their  fel¬ 
lowship  with  Christ  in  his  sufferings,  Note,  5:5 — 7.  and  the  accep t able¬ 
ness  of  Lheir  faithfulness  unto  death,  through  his  propitiatory  oblation: 
for  it  is  probable,  that  the  altar  of  burnt-offering  is  intended  ;  though 
some  understand  it  of  the  golden  altar  tor  incense,  within  the  sanctuary. 
These  souls  appear  to  have  represented,  not  only  such  persons  as  had 
suffered  martyrdom  before  the  apostle  had  this  vision  ;  but  the  whole 
multitude,  who  were  slain  previous  to  the  prophetical  period  referred  to, 
beginning  about  \.  D.  270.  They  however,  with  one  consent  and  a  loud 


A.  D.  35. 


REVELATION,  VI. 


10  And  the}'  cried  with  a  loud 
voice,  saying,  How  k  long,  0  Lord, 
holy  and  true,  dost  thou  not  judge 
and  avenge  'our  blood  on  them  that 
dwell  on  the  earth? 

11  And  white  “robes  were  given 
unto  every  one  of  them;  and  it  was 
said  unto  them,  that  they  should 
rest  “yet  for  a  little  season,  until 
0  their  fellow-servants  also  and  their 
brethren,  that  should  be  killed  as 
they  were ,  should  be  fulfilled. 

12  And  I  beheld  when  he  had 
opened  the  sixth  seal,  and,  lo,  there 
was  a  great  p  earthquake;  and  the 
sun  *  became  black  as  sackcloth  of 
hair,  and  the  moon  became  as 
blood  ; 

13  And  the  stars  r  of  heaven  fell 
unto  the  earth,  even  as  a  fig-tree 
casteth  her  s  untimely  figs,  when  she 
is  shaken  of  a  mighty  wind. 

14  And  the  heaven  'departed  as 
a  scroll  when  it  is  rolled  together  ; 
and  every  “mountain  and  island 
were  moved  out  of  their  places: 

15  And  the  kings  of  the  earth, 
and  the  great  men,  and  the  rich 
men,  and  the  chief  captains,  and 
the  mighty  men,  and  every  bond- 
man,  and  every  freeman,  hid  them¬ 
selves  v  in  the  dens  and  in  the  rocks 
of  the  mountains  ; 

16  And  said  w  to  the  mountains 
and  rocks,  Fall  on  us,  and  hide  us 
from  the  face  of  him  that  sittcth  on 
the  throne,  and  from  the  wrath  of 
the  Lamb  : 


k  Zee.  1:12. 

1  De.  32:41—43. 

c.  1 1:18 
m  c.  7:9,14. 
n  c.  14:13. 
o  He.  11:40. 
p  c.  16:18. 


q  Joel  2:10,31. 

S:15.  Mat.  24:29. 
r  c.  8:10. 


s  or,  green. 
t  Ps.  102:26. 

Is.  3-1:4. 
u  Je.  4:23,24. 


Ha.  3:6,10. 
c.  16:20. 
v  Is.  2:19. 
w  Ho.  10:8. 
Lu.  23:30. 
c.  9:6. 


the  best  that  any  man  can  lay  down  bis  life 
for, — faith  in  God’s  Word,  and  a  confession 
of  that  faith. 

2.  The  cry  he  heard  ;  it  was  a  loud  cry, 
and  contains  a  humble  expostulation  about 
the  long  delay  of  avenging  justice  against 
their  enemies,  v.  10.  Observe,  Even  the 
spirits  of  just  men  made  perfect : retain  a  prop¬ 
er  resentment  of  the  wrong  they  have  sus¬ 
tained  by  their  cruel  enemies  ;  though  they 
die  in  charity,  praying,  as  Christ  did,  that 
God  would  forgive  them.  They  commit 
their  cause  to  Him  to  whom  vengeance  be- 
longeth,  and  are  not  foravenging  themselves. 
There  will  be  joy  in  heaven  at  the  destruc¬ 
tion  of  the  implacable  enemies  of  Christ,  as 
well  as  at  the  conversion  of  other  sinners. 
When  Babylon  falls,  it  will  be  said,  Rejoice 
over  her,  thou  heaven,  and  ye  holy  apostles 
and  prophets,  for  God  hath  avenged  you  on 
her.  Rev.  18:  20. 

3.  He  observed  tlie  kind  return  made  to 
this  cry,  i>.  11.  botli  what  was  given  them, 
and  what  was  said  to  them.  There  were  giv¬ 
en  them  white  robes,  the  robes  of  victory  and 
of  honor  ;  their  present  happiness  was  an 
abundant  recompense  of  their  past  sufferings. 
It  was  said  to  them,  they  should  be  satisfied, 
easy  in  themselves,  for  it  would  not  be  long 
but  the  number  of  their  fellow-sufferers  shoidd 
be  fulfilled  ;  this  is  a  language  rather  suited 
to  the  imperfect  state  of  the  saints  in  this 
world,  than  to  the  perfection  of  their  state 
in  heaven  ;  there  is  no  impatience,  no  unea¬ 
siness,  no  need  of  admonition  ;  hut  in  this 
world  there  is  great  need  of  patience. 

II.  We  have  here  the  sixth  seal  opened, 
v.  12.  Some  refer  this  to  the  great  revolu¬ 
tions  in  the  empire  in  Constantine’s  time, 
the  downfall  of  paganism  ;  others,  with 
great  probability,  to  the  destruction  of  Je¬ 
rusalem,  as  an  emblem  of  the  general  judg¬ 
ment,  and  destruction  of  the  wicked,  at  the 
end  of  the  world  ;  and,  indeed,  the  awful 
characters  of  this  event  are  so  much  the 
same  with  those  signs  mentioned  by  our  Sav¬ 
ior,  as  foreboding  the  destruction  of  Jerusa¬ 
lem,  that  it  hardly  leaves  any  room  for  doubt¬ 
ing  but  that  the  same  thing  is  meant  in  both 
places  ;  though  some  think  that  event  was 


The  sixth'seal  opened. 

past  already.  See  Mat.  24:  29,30.  Here 
observe, 

1.  The  tremendous  events  that  were  has¬ 
tening  ;  several  occurrences  contribute  to 
make  that  day  and  dispensation  very  dread¬ 
ful  :  (1.)  A  great  earthquake  ;  it  may  be 
taken  politically ;  the  very  foundations  of  the 
Jewish  church  and  state  would  be  terribly 
shaken,  though  they  seemed  to  be  as  stable 
as  the  earth  itself.  (2.)  The  sun  became 
black  as  sackcloth  of  hair  ;  either  naturally, 
by  a  total  eclipse,  or  politically,  by  the  fall 
of  the  chief  rulers  and  governors  of  the  land. 
(3.)  The  moon  should  become  as  blood  ;  the 
inferior  officers,  or  their  military  men,  they 
should  be  all  wallowing  in  their  own  blood. 
(4.)  The  stars  of  heaven  should  fall  to  the 
earth,  v.  13.  The  stars  may  signify  all  the 
men  of  note  and  influence  among  them, 
though  in  lower  spheres  of  activity  ;  there 
should  he  a  general  desolation.  (5.)  The 
heaven  should  depart  as  a  scroll,  when  it  is 
rolled  together.  Their  ecclesiastical  state 
shall  perish  and  be  laid  aside  for  ever.  (6.) 
Every  mountain  and  island  shall  be  moved 
out  of  their  places.  The  destruction  of  the 
Jewish  nation  should  affect  and  affright  till 
the  nations  round  about,  a  judgment  that 
should  astonish  all  the  world.  This  leads  to, 

2.  The  dread  and  terror  that  would  seize 
on  all  sorts  of  men  in  that  great  and  awful 
day,  v.  15.  Neither  authority,  nor  gran¬ 
deur,  nor  riches,  nor  valor,  nor  strength, 
would  be  able  to  support  men  at  that  time  ; 
yea,  the  very  poor  slaves,  who,  one  would 
think,  had  nothing  to  fear,  because  they  had 
nothing  to  lose,  would  be  all  in  amazement 
at  that  day.  Observe,  The  degree  of  their 
terror  and  astonishment  ;  it  should  prevail 
so  fdr  as  to  make  them  like  distracted,  des¬ 
perate  men  ;  they  would  be  glad  to  be  no 
more  seen  I  yea,  to  have  no  longer  any  he- 
ing.  The  cause  of  their  terror  was,  the 
angry  countenance  of  Him  that  sits  on  the 
throne,  and  the  wrath  of  the  Lamb.  Observe, 
That  which  is  matter  of  displeasure  to  Christ, 
is  so  to  God  ;  they  are  so  entirely  one. 
Though  God  be  invisible.  He  can  make  the 
inhabitants  of  this  world  sensible  of  his  aw¬ 
ful  frowns.  Though  Christ  be  a  Lamb,  yet 


voice,  inquired  of  the  Lord,  as  ‘  holy  and  faithful,’  or  1  the  holy  and  the 
true  One,’  (.Note,  3:7.)  how  long  He  would  endure  the  provocations  of 
the  persecutors,  before  He  proceeded  to  judge  their  cause,  and  avenge 
their  blood  on  the  inhabitants  of  the  earth,  by  the  subversion  of  the  per¬ 
secuting  power  of  Pagan  Rome.  This  was  the  language  of  their  zeal  for 
the  honor  of  God,  and  their  desire  of  the  prevalence  of  the  Gospel.  18: 
20.  Deut.  32:34,35.  Ps.  94:1 — 7.  Rom.  12:17— 21.  The  ‘  white  robes 
given  ’  to  each  of  them  denoted,  that  they  were  immediately  admitted 
into  a  state  of  felicity,  as  accepted  and  holy:  hut  they  were  required  to 
‘  rest,’  and  wait  a  short  space  for  ‘  the  avenging  of  their  blood  as  there 
were  many  others  of  their  brethren,  who  would  sutler  death  in  the  same 
cause,  before  the  purposes  of  God  respecting  the  destruction  of  their 
persecutors  were  fulfilled.  7:13—17.  12  7—12.  12:20.  19:1—6.  ‘Mr. 

bowman  observes  very  well,  that  this  representation  seems  much  to 
favor  the  immediate  happiness  of  departed  saints,  and  hardly  to  consist 
with  that  uncomfortable  opinion,  the  insensible  state  of  departed  souls, 
till  after  the  resurrection.’  15]).  Newton. — This  seal  seems  to  have  been 
a  prediction  of  the  terrible  persecution  of  the  church,  under  Dioclesian, 
which  reached  much  further,  and  was  far  more  bloody,  than  any  of  those 
that  had  preceded  it.  The  fury  of  it  lasted  for  ten  \  ears,  which  was  cal¬ 
led  by  Christians, ‘The  Era  of  Martyrs;’  but  Ibis  seal  is  supposed  by 
some  expositors  to  relate  to  the  whole  time  between  A.  D.  270,  and  30!. 
— Here  also  there  are  immaterial  differences  of  opinion  among  learned 
men  :  and,  ns  so  many  interesting  events  are  hinted  at  in  a  few  vs.,  it 
can  scarcely  be  supposed  that,  after  so  many  centuries,  we  should  be  aide 
to  determine  these  matters  with  exactness;  especially  as  the  historians 
of  those  times  were  uncommonly  inaccurate  and  confused  in  their  writ¬ 
ings.  Scott. 

(9.)  Altar.]  ‘  Perhaps  the  brazen  altar  of  burnt  sacrifice,  was  pic¬ 
tured  on  the  roll,  and  so  unfolded  when  the  5th  seal  was  broken.’ 

Woodh. 

(10.)  ‘  There  seems  no  reason  why  this  seal  should  be  restricted  to 

any  particular  body  of  martyrs  of  any  particular  period.  All  are  to  be 
avenged:  and  it  may,  perhaps,  be  most  fitly  understood  to  comprehend 
all  the  martyrs  to  the  Christian  cause,  from  the  apostolical  age  to  the 
happy  time  when  such  sufferings  shall  finally  cease.’  Id. 

(II.)  ‘  Nothing  could  more  encourage  Christians  to  endure  their  suf¬ 
ferings  with  steady  patience  than  this,  that  it  was  appointed  of  God, 
that  a  certain  number  of  martyrs  should  be  pul  to  death,  and  that  the 
season  of  their  triumph  was  [as  certainly]  to  succeed.’  IloDnn. 

V.  12 — 14.  The  great  earthquake,  <Scc.,  was  emblematical  of  extraor¬ 
dinary  revolutions,  in  the  civil  and  religious  state  of  the  world,  attended 
with  vast  commotions  of  every  kind,  [and  resulting  in)  the  total  subver¬ 
sion  of  the  Pagan  persecuting  dominion,  by  the  victories  of  Constantine, 
and  by  his  accession  to  the  imperial  throne;  and  the  entire  and  univer¬ 
sal  change,  which  took  place  at  that  time.  ‘  The  great  lights  of  the  hea- 

[6S8] 


then  world,  the  powers  civil  and  ecclesiastical,  were  all  eclipsed  ami 
obscured,  the  heathen  emperors  and  Cajsars  were  slain,  the  heathen 
priests  and  augurs  were  extirpated,  the  heathen  officers  and  magistrates 
were  removed  ;  the  heathen  temples  were  demolished,  and  their  reven¬ 
ues  were  appropriated  to  better  uses.’  Up.  Newton. — M.  R.  i. — Is.  13: 
9,  10.  Jet.  4:19—27.  Ez.  33:7,  8.  Mat.  24:29—3 5.  Such  bold  meta¬ 
phorical  descriptions  of  great  revolutions  abound  in  the  prophecies  of 
Scripture  ;  for  these  events  are  emblems  and  anticipations  of  the  end  of 
the  world,  and  the  day  of  judgment:  nor  could  any  revolution  be  more 
properly  represented  by  this  language,  than  the  entire  and  final  subver¬ 
sion  of  the  greatest  fabric  of  Pagan  idolatry,  tyranny,  and  persecution, 
which  ever  existed  on  earth.  20:11 — 15.  (12)  Earthquake.]  See  on  Mat. 
8  24.  The  similitude  of  the  figs,  in  a  strong  wind,  falling  from  the  fig- 
tree,  is  highly  energetic.  Scott. 

(12 — 17.)  ‘The  earthquake,  and  other  natural  commotions,  and  phe¬ 
nomena,  as  they  often  denote  revolutions  and  changes,  so  they  are  here 
generally  supposed  to  mark  the  violent  commotions,  which  agitated  the 
empire,  from  the  reign  of  Maximum,  to  that  of  Constantine.  [Sec 
Scott.]  JVoodh..  and  Burton,  however,  suppose  this  vision  to  relate  to 
the  end  of  the  world,  and  the  final  triumph  of  the  Gospel  over  its  ene¬ 
mies.  Comp.  Mat.  24:29.  Prof.  Lee  is  of  opinion,  that  the  whole  man¬ 
ifestly  relates  to  the  progress  of  the  persecutions,  and  the  judgments, 
poured  out  and  witnessed  during  the  first  ages  of  the  church.  Sack¬ 
cloth]  The  coarse  hair- cloth,  of  a  blackish  color,  then  in  common  use.’ 

Bloomf. 

(14.)  As  they  read  their  scrolls,  by  unrolling  one  end  as  they  rolled 
up  the  other,  (cut  Jer.:  end,)  it  would  happen,  that  in  the  middle  of  the 
roll,  if  it  was  cut  across,  tho  parts  would  each  curl  over  its  respective 
roll.  This  consideration  renders  the  simile  peculiarly  lively  and  mag¬ 
nificent.  Ed. 

V.  15 — 17.  This  unexpected  change  would  throw  all  the  persecuting 
and  opposing  party  into  the  utmost  consternation  and  despair:  and  the 
apostle,  in  his  vision,  saw  them  all,  even  the  slaves  and  freed-men,  as 
well  as  the  kings,  captains,  and  great  or  rich  men,  endeavoring  to  shel¬ 
ter  themselves  in  dens  and  caverns,  and  vehemently  wishing  to  be  crush¬ 
ed  by  rocks  and  mountains ;  if  that  might  hut  cover  them  from  the 
power  and  manifested  presence  of  God,  nnd  from  ‘  the  wrath  of  the 
Lamb,’  whose  Gospel  they  had  opposed,  and  whose  servants  they  had 
persecuted.  For  the  prevalence  of  Christianity,  and  the  accession  of  a 
Christian  emperor,  would  lead  them  to  conclude  with  desperation,  that 
Jesus  was  indeed  the  I.ord  ;  that  the  time  was  come  when  He  would 
take  full  vengeance  on  his  enemies ;  nnd  that  none  could  resist  Him,  es¬ 
cape  from  Him,  or  pacify  Him.  9:6.  Josh.  10:16 — 18.  Is.  2:19 — 22. 
IIos.  10:7,  8.  Luke  23:26 — 31.  The  series  of  prophetic  events  requires 
us  to  interpret  this  seal,  of  the  victories  and  accession  of  Constantine  ; 
when  the  Christian  church  gained  a  complete  triumph  over  the  perse- 


REVELATION,  VII. 


A.  D.  95. 

17  For  xthe  great  day  of  his 
wrath  is  come  ;  and  who  y  shall  be 
able  to  stand? 

CHAP.  VII. 

3  An  •inc'd  sealeth  the  servants  of  God  in  their  foreheads. 
4  The  number  of  them  that  were  sealed:  of  the  tubes  of 
Israel  a  certain  number.  9  Of  all  other  nations  an  in¬ 
numerable  multitude,  which  stand  before  the  throne,  clad 
in  white  robes,  and  palms  in  their  hands.  14  Their  robes 
were  washed  in  the  blood  of  the  Lamb. 

AND  after  these  things  I  saw 
four  angels  standing  on  the 
four  corners  of  the  earth,  holding 
the  four  winds  *of  the  earth,  that 
the  wind  should  not  blow  on  the 
earth,  nor  on  the  sea,  nor  on  any 
tree. 

2  And  I  saw  another  angel  as¬ 
cending  from  the  east,  having  the 
seal  b  of  the  living  God:  and  he 
cried  with  a  loud  voice  to  the  four 
angels,  to  whom  it  was  given  to 
hurt  the  earth  and  the  sea, 

3  Saying,  Hurt  cnot  the  earth, 
neither  the  sea,  nor  the  trees,  till 
we  have  d  sealed  the  servants  of  our 
God  iu  their  e  foreheads. 

4  And  I  heard  the  number  of 
them  which  were  sealed:  and  there 
were  sealed  an  hundred  and  forty 
and  four  thousand  of  all  the  tribes 
of  the  children  of  Israel. • 

5  Of  the  tribe  of  Juda  were  seal¬ 
ed  twelve  thousand.  Of  the  tribe 
of  Reuben  were  sealed  twelve  thou¬ 
sand.  Of  the  tribe  of  Gad  were 
sealed  twelve  thousand. 

6  Of  the  tribe  of  Aser  were  sealed 
twelve  thousand.  Of  the  tribe  of 
Nephthalim  were  'sealed  twelve 


thousand.  Of  the  tribe  of  Manas- 
ses  were  sealed  twelve  thousand. 

7  Of  the  tribe  of  Simeon  were 
sealed  twelve  thousand.  Of  the 
tribe  of  Levi  were  sealed  twelve 
thousand.  Of  the  tribe  of  Issachar 
were  sealed  twelve  thousand. 

x  Is.  13:6,  &c.  «  Ds.  7:2.  d  E?e.  9:4. 

Zep.  1:14,  &e.  b  2  Ti.  2:19.  e  c.  22:4. 

c.  16:14.  c  c.  6:6.  f  c.  14:1. 

}•  Pa.  76:7. 

He  can  be  angry,  even  to  wrath,  and  the 
wrath  of  the  Lamb  is  exceeding  dreadful  ; 
for  if  the  Redeemer,  that  appeases  the  wrath 
of  God,  Himself  be  our  wrathful  enemy, 
[through  our  rejection  of  his  atonement,] 
where  shall  we  have  a  friend  to  plead  for 
us  1  They  perish  without  remedy,  who  per¬ 
ish  by  the  wrath  of  the  Redeemer.  As  men 
have  their  day  of  opportunity,  and  their  sea¬ 
sons  of  grace,  so  God  has  his  day  of  right¬ 
eous  wrath  ;  and  when  that  day  comes,  the 
most  stout-hearted  sinners  will  not  be  able  to 
stand  before  Him  :  all  these  terrors  actually 
fell  on  the  sinners  in  Judea  and  Jerusalem, 
in  the  day  of  their  destruction  ;  and  they  will 
all,  in  the  utmost  degree,  fall  on  impenitent 
sinners,  at  the  general  judgment  of  the  last 
day .  _ 

Chap.  VII.  The  things  contained  in 
this  ch.  come  in  after  the  opening  of  the  6 
seals,  which  foretold  great  calamities  in  the 
world  ;  and  before  the  sound  of  the  7  trum¬ 
pets,  which  gave  notice  of  great  corruptions 
arising  in  the  church  ;  between  these  comes 
in  this  comfortable  cli.  which  secures  the 
graces  and  comforts  of  the  people  of  God  in 
times  of  common  calamity. 

V.  1 — 3.  By  these  winds,  v.  1.  we  sup¬ 
pose  are  meant  those  errors  and  corruptions 
in  religion  which  would  occasion  great 
trouble  and  mischief  to  the  church  of  God  : 
they  are  four,  and  contrary  one  to  another, 


The  scalifig  of  God's  servants. 

doing  much  hurt  to  the  garden  and  vineyard 
ol  God,  breaking  the  branches,  and  blasting 
the  fruits  of  his  plantation  :  the  devil  is  call¬ 
ed  the  prince  of  the  power  of  the  air  ;  he,  by  a 
great  wind,  overthrew  the  house  of  Job’s 
eldest  son  j  errors  are  as  wind,  by  which 
they  who  are  unstable,  are  shaken,  and  car¬ 
ried  to  and  fro,  Eph.  4:14.  Observe,  I. 
These  are  called  the  winds  of  the  earth,  be¬ 
cause  they  blow  only  in  these  lower  regions ; 
heaven  is  always  clear  and  free  from  them. 
2.  They  are  restrained  by  the  ministry  of 
angels,  standing  on  the.  four  corners  of  the 
earth;  intimating,  that  the  spirit  of  error 
cannot  go  forth  till  God  permits  it,  and  that 
the  angels  minister  to  the  good  of  the  church 
by  restraining  its  enemies.  3.  Their  re¬ 
straint  was  only  for  a  season,  till  the  servants 
of  God  were  sealed.  God  has  particular  care 
and  concern  for  his  own  servants  in  times 
of  temptation  and  corruption,  and  He  has  a 
way  to  secure  them  from  the  common  infec¬ 
tion  ;  He  first  establishes  them,  and  then 
He  tries  them  ;  He  ha(s  the  timing  of  their 
trials  ih  his  own  hand. 

V.  4 — 8.  We  have  here  an  account  of 
the  sealing  of  the  servants  of  God  ;  some  take 
these  to  be  a  select  number  of  the  Jews  who 
ware  reserved  for  mercy  at  the  destruction 
of  Jerusalem  ;  others  think  that  time  was 
past,  and  therefore  it  is  to  be  more  general¬ 
ly  applied  to  God’s  chosen  remnant  in  the 
world  ;  but  if  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem 
was  not  yet.  over,  (and  I  think  it  hard  to 
prove  it  was,)  it  seems  more  proper  to  un¬ 
derstand  this  of  the  remnant  of  that  people 
which  God  had  reserved  according  to  the 
election  of  grace  ;  only  here  we  have  a  def¬ 
inite.  number  for  an  indefinite.  Those  saved 
out  of  other  nations,  v.  9.  though  not  said 
to  be  sealed,  yet  were  selected  by  God  out 
of  all  nations,  and  brought  into  his  church, 
and  there  stood  before  the  throne.  Observe, 
1.  God  will  have  a  greater  harvest  of  souls 
among  the  Gentiles  than  He  had  among  the 


PRACT.  OBS.  The  ministers  of  the  Gospel  ought  to  cal!  men’s  at¬ 
tention  to  the  prophecies  of  Scripture,  and  to  the  events  in  Providence, 
which  accomplish  them. — Our  prayers  should  continually  be  presented 
before  ‘  the  throne  of  grace,’ that  our  exalted  Redeemer  may  still ‘go 
forth,  conquering  and  to  conquer.’ — But  He  fights  in  another  manner 
against  the  despisers  of  his  salvation,  and  the  opposers  of  his  glory  :  He 
can  raise  up  and  employ  sanguinary  potentates,  or  insurgents,  to  exe¬ 
cute  his  vengeance  on  his  enemies,  Mat.  22:1 — 10.  and  when  He  gives 
them  power,  and  leaves  them  to  their  ‘  own  hearts’  lusts,’  they  soon  ex¬ 
cite  multitudes  to  kill  one  another  by  ‘  the  force  of  the  sword.’  He  cun 
also  withhold  the  influences  of  the  heavens,  and  restrain  the  earth  from 
yielding  its  increase  ;  and  so  visit  the  nations  with  distressing  scarcity, 

cuting  power  of  Rome  Pagan:  but  the  passage  may  profitably  beaccom- 
modated  to  the  day  of  judgment.  Ps.  2:7 — 12.  21:S — 12.  Scott. 

(17.)  ‘  Vitringa  considers,  that  the  6th  seal  foretells,  that  great  com¬ 

motions  would  suddenly  arise,  both  in  the  empire  of  papal  Rome,  and 
in  the  other  kingdoms  and  states  of  Europe, — that,  in  common  with  the 
7th  vial,  it  foretells  the  destruction  of  the  antichristian  empire.  This 
was  the  opinion  of  several  early  writers.  Daubuz  applies  it  to  the 
downfall  of  paganism.  .  Henry,  abr. 

NOTES.  Chap.  VII.  V.  1 — 3.  This  ch.  Is  a  continuation  of  the 
sixth  seal.  (Notes,  6:12 — 17.  8:1 — 6.) — The  ‘four  angels,  standing  on 
the  four  corners  of  the  earth,’  and  their  ‘  restraining  the  winds,’  that  no 
destructive  tempests  might  be  excited  by  land  or  sea,  is  supposed  to  be 
an  emblem  of  the  tranquillity  of  the  Roman  empire,  and  of  all  nations, 
subsequent  to  Constantine’s  accession  to  the  imperial  throne,  which  was 
the  more  delightful,  as  it  succeeded  such  long-continued  and  terrible 
convulsions  and  desolations. — At  the  same  time  ‘  another  angel  came 
up  from  the  ea*.’  This  angel  seems  to  have  been  an  emblem  of  Christ 
Himself;  Sir  who  else  could  have  ‘  the  seal  of  the  living  God,’  even  ths 
Holv  Spirit,  by  which  his  people  are  ‘sealed  unto  the  day  of  redemp¬ 
tion?’  2  Cor.  1:21,  22.  Eph.  1:13,  14.  4:30— 32.— By  his  Gospel,  He 
came  from  the  eastern  nations,  where  his  religion  was  first  published; 
as  the  rising  sun  proceeds  from  the  east  to  west  :  and  He  diffused 
that  heavenly  light  to  the  western,  or  European,  provinces  of  the  em¬ 
pire,  and  accompanied  it  by  his  new-creating  Spirit ;  and  thus  ‘  sealed  ’ 
great  numbers  as  ‘  the  servants  of  God.’  This  great  ‘Angel  of  the  cov¬ 
enant,’  as  one  having  sovereign  authority,  called  to  the  other  angels,  to 
whom  a  commission  bail  been  given,  to  bring  calamities  on  mankind  by 
land  and  sea ;  ordering  them  not  to  execute  it,  till  He  and  his  ministers, 
as  the  instruments  of  his  grace,  had  sealed  the  ‘servants  of  God  in  the 
forehead;’  that  they  might  be  evidently  distinguished  from  others,  and 
so  he  preserved  during  the  approaching  calamities.  This  signified,  that 
great  numbers  would  be  baptized,  and  profess  themselves  disciples  of 
Christ,  during  the  happy  tranquillity  which  followed  Constantine’s  ac¬ 
cession  ;  and  that  very  many  would  be  really  converted,  and  renewed 
to  the  image  of  God,  by  the  sanctification  of  the  Holy  Spirit. — The  Gos¬ 
pel  was  very  extensively  preached  during  this  period,  and  immense 
multitudes  embraced  Christianity.  The  fuvor,  indeed,  shown  to  the 
converts  to  Christianity,  in  an  indiscriminate  and  injudicious  manner, 
induced  numbers,  from  secular  motives,  to  protess  themselves  Christians  ; 

N.  T.  VOL.  V.  87 


or  destructive  famine ,  and  death,  when  commissioned  by  Him,  and  pes¬ 
tilences,  sweep  away  millions  into  the  grave,  and  their  eternal  state; 
till  at  length  the  beasts  of  the  earth  seem  to  acquire  the  dominion  of 
the  desolated  lands,  and  add  to  the  miseries  of  the  few  remaining  inhab¬ 
itants.  How  mad  must  it  then  he  for  the  potsherds  of  the  earth  to  con¬ 
tend  against  his  iron  rod! — But  let  us  lie  thankful  Sbr  our  exemption,  in 
■this  highly  favored  land,  from  these  dire  calamities,  and  for  ottr  peace, 
liberty,  plenty,  and  manifold  advantages;  and  let  the  rich  be  reminded, 
even  in  times  of  comparative  scarcity,  to  give  more  liberally  to  the  re¬ 
lief  of  their  poor  neighbors,  and  needlessly  spend  much  less  on  them¬ 
selves.  Scott. 


and  thus  tended  greatly  to  fill  the  church  with  hypocrites,  which  intro¬ 
duced  a  worldly  spirit,  and  at  length  caused  manifold  evils  :  yet  this 
prophecy  fully  proves,  that  real  religion  wns  at  first  greatly  promoted 
by  the  advancement  of  a  Christian  emperor;  and  that  it  obtained  an 
establishment  in  many  places,  which  before  had  little  regarded  it. — ‘I 
saw  another  Angel,  even  the  great  Angel  of  the  covenant,  Christ  Jesus, 
ascending  up  from  the  eastern  coasts,  where  Jerusalem  stood ;  who,  by 
virtue  of  his  Mediatorship,  had  in  his  hand  that  Seal,  or  mark  of  the 
living  God,  which  in  his  eternal  decree  is  set  upon  his  elect,  whereby 
they  are  sealed  both  to  salvation  in  the  end,  and  to  a  gracious  protec¬ 
tion  till  then:  who  did,  by  the  mighty  voice  of  his  word,  command 
these  four  angels,  ..  .  saying,  Hold  your  hands,  &c.’  Bp.  Hall. — 9:3 — 5. 
Ez.  9:1—7.  "  "  Scott. 


(1.)  For  epi  pan,  ‘nor  on  any,’  Bl.  suggests  the  reading,  episeien ,  ‘  to 
stir.’  See  his  reasons,  N.  T.  vol.  2,  p.  578.  Ed. 

(2.)  ‘Omens  from  the  E.  were  thought  favorable;  for  the  E.  was 
reckoned  the  chief  cardinal  point,  as  being  the  quarter  where  the  heav¬ 
enly  luminaries  rise.’  IPoodli.  Bl.  Seals,  among  the  ancients,  were 
used  to  designate  property,  to  mark  for  each  his  own.  2  Tim.  2:12.  Id. 

V.  4 — 8.  This  account  of  the  numbers  sealed  from  the  12  tribes,  can¬ 
not  be  understood  in  a  literal  sense;  ..  .  the  times  of  Constantine  seem 
intended.  6:12—14.  As  therefore  the  tribes  of  Israel  were  numbered, 
after  they  were  formed  into  a  nation,  so  the  numbers  added  to  the 
church,  in  consequence  of  this  establishment,  w ere  figuratively  declar¬ 
ed  to  tie  144  thousand,  or  12  times  12  thousand;  a  large  definite  num¬ 
ber,  probably,  being  put  for  an  indefinite:  and  this  being  divided  into 
12  parts,  one  of  them  was  assigned  to  each  of  the  tribes  of  Israel ;  inti¬ 
mating,  that  these  persons  succeeded  to  their  privileges,  and  occupied 
their  place:  for,  I  apprehend,  the  Gentile  converts,  as  well  as  those  of 
Israel,  were  intended,  Note,  9 — 12.  since  none  else  are  mentioned  as 
having  been  sealed.  The  tribes  are  here  arranged  differently  than  in 
any  other  place.  Judah  is  placed  first,  in  honor  of  Christ,  who  sprang 
from  him  :  Dan  is  wholly  omitted,  perhaps  because  idolatry  was  first 
publicly  established  by  that  tribe.  Judg.  18:  Others,  however,  think 
that  the  tribe  of  Dan  had  long  before  become  nearly  extinct  :  and,  in¬ 
deed,  the  tribe  is  not  expressly  mentioned  in  the  genealogies  contained 
in  the  first  of  the  Chronicles.  Levi  is  numbered  with  the  rest  :  and  Jo¬ 
seph  is  placed  instead  of  Ephraim,  while  Manasseh  is  likewise  contin¬ 
ued.  The  order  of  primogeniture  is  neglected  ;  nor  is  any  regard  shown 

[699] 


A.  D.  93. 


REVELATION,  VII.  Honor  and  happiness  of  Christ’s  servants. 


8  Of  the  tribe  of  Zabulon  were 
sealed  twelve  thousand.  Of  the 
tribe  of  Joseph  were  sealed  twelve 
thousand.  Of  the  tribe  of  Benja¬ 
min  were  sealed  twelve  thousand. 

9  After  this  I  beheld,  and  lo,  a 
great  multitude,  which  no  man 
could  number,  of  s  all  nations,  and 
kindreds,  and  people,  and  tongues, 
stood  before  the  throne,  and  before 
the  Lamb,  clothed  h  with  white 
robes,  and  palms  'in  their  hands; 

10  And  cried  i  with  a  loud  voice, 
saying,  Salvation  k  to  our  God 
which  sitteth  upon  the  throne,  and 
unto  the  Lamb. 

11  And  all  the  angels  stood  round 
about  the  throne,  and  about  the 
elders  and  the  four  beasts,  and  fell 
before  the  throne  on  their  faces, 
and  worshipped  God, 

12  1  Saying,  Amen :  Blessing,  and 
glory,  and  wisdom,  and  thanksgiv¬ 
ing,  and  honor,  and  power,  and 
might,  be  unto  our  God  for  ever 
and  ever.  Amen. 

13  And  one  of  the  elders  answer¬ 
ed,  saying  unto  me,  What  are  these 
which  are  arrayed  in  white  robes  ? 
and  whence  came  they? 

14  And  I  said  unto  him,  Sir,  thou 
knowest.  And  he  said  to  me, 
These  are  they  which  came  out  of 
great  “tribulation,  and  have  wash¬ 
ed  D  their  robes,  and  made  them 
white  in  the  blood  °of  the  Lamb. 

15  Therefore  are  they  before  the 
throne  of  God,  and  serve  him  day 
and  night  in  his  temple:  and  he  that 
sitteth  on  the  throne  shall  dwell 


r  among  them. 

S  Ro  11:85.  c.5:9.  c.  19:1. 

h  c  6ill.  1  Jude  25. 

i  Le.  23:40.  c.  5:13,11. 

\  Zee  4:7.  m  Jn  16:33. 

k  Is.  43:11.  c.  6:9. 


n  1  Co.  6:11. 

He.  9:14. 
o  l  Ju.  1:7.  c.l:5. 
p  c.  21:3,4. 


Jews  ;  more  are  the  children  of  the  desolate 
than  of  the  married  woman.  2.  The  Lord 


knows  who  are  his,  and  lie  will  keep  them 
safe  in  times  of  dangerous  temptation. 

V.  9 — 12.  Here  we  have  the  songs  of 
saints  and  angels  on  this  occasion  ;  where 
observe, 

1.  The  praises  offered  up  by  the  saints, 
(as  it  seems  to  me,  Gentile  believers,)  for 
the  care  of  God  in  reserving  so  large  a  rem¬ 
nant  of  the  Jews,  and  saving  them  from  in¬ 
fidelity  and  destruction.  Observe,  (1.)  Their 
posture  ;  they  stood  before  the  throne,  and  be¬ 
fore  the  Lord  ;  before  the  Creator,  and  the 
Mediator.  In  acts  of  religious  worship,  we 
come  nigh  to  God,  and  we  must  come  by 
Christ  ;  the  throne  of  God  would  be  inac¬ 
cessible  to  sinners,  were  it  not  for  a  Medi¬ 
ator.  (2.)  Their  habit  ;  they  were  clothed 
with  while  robes,  were  invested  with  the  robes 
of  justification,  holiness,  and  victory,  and 
they  had  palms  in  their  hands,  as  the  con¬ 
querors  used  to  appear  with  in  triumphs  ; * 
such  a  glorious  appearance  will  the  faithful 
servants  of  God  make  at  last,  when  they 
ha fought  the  good  fight  of  faith,  and  finish¬ 
ed  their  course.  (3.)  Their  employment  ; 
they  cried  with  a  loud  voice,  &c.  This  may 
be  understood  either  as  a  hosannah,  wishing 
well  to  the  interest  of  God  and  Christ  in  the 
church,  and  in  the  world  ;  or  as  a  hallelu¬ 
jah,  giving  to  God  and  live  Lamb  the  praise 
of  the  great  salvation  ;  both  the  Father  and 
the  Son  are  joined  together  in  these  praises; 
the  Father  contrived  this  salvation,  the  Son 
purchased  it  ;  and  they  who  enjoy  it,  must 
and  will  bless  the  Lord  and  the  Lamb  ;  and 
they  will  do  it  publicly,  and  with  becoming 
fervor. 

2.  The  song  of  the  angels,  v.  11, 12.  Ob¬ 

serve,  (1.)  Their  station, — before  the  throne 
of  God,  attending  on  Him,  and  about  the 
saints,  ready  to  serve  them.  (2.)  Their 
posture  ;  very  humble,  and  expressive  of 
the  greatest  reverence  ;  they  fell  before  the 
throne  on  their  faces,  and  worshipped  God. 
Behold  the  most  excellent  of  all  the  crea¬ 
tures,  who  never  sinned,  who  are  before 
Him  continually,  not  only  covering  their 
faces,  but  falling  down  on  their  faces  before 
the  Lord  !  What  humility,  then,  and  what 
profound  reverence,  become  us  vile,  frail 
creatures,  wdien  we  come  into  the  presence 
of  God  !  (3.)  Their  praises  ;  they  con- 

*  Comp,  cut,  under  the  word  ‘gird,’  in  the  Concordance, 
given  in  the  ‘Supplement’  to  this  Commentary.  Ed. 


sented  to  the  praises  of  the  saints,  said  their 
Amen  thereto  ;  there  is  in  heaven  a  perfect 
harmony  between  the  angels  and  saints;  and 
then  they  added  more  of  their  own,  saying. 
Blessing,  and  glory,  and  wisdom,  and  thanks¬ 
giving,  and  honor,  and  power,  and  might,  be 
unto  our  God  for  ever  and  ever.  Amen.  Here 
they  acknowledge  the  glorious  attributes  of 
God, — his  wisdom,  his  power,  and  his  might, 
— declare  that  for  these  his  divine  perfec¬ 
tions  He  ought  to  be  blessed,  and  praised, 
and  glorified,  to  all  eternity  ;  and  then  they 
confirm  it  by  their  Amen.  We  see  w  hat  is 
the  work  of  heaven,  and  we  ought  to  begin 
it  now,  to  get  our  hearts  tuned  for  it,  to  be 
much  in  it,  and  to  long  for  that  world  where 
our  praises,  as  well  as  happiness,  w  ill  be 
perfected. 

V.  13 — 17.  Here  we  have  a  description 
of  the  honor  and  happiness  of  those  who 
.have  faithfully  served  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ, 
and  suffered  for  Him  ;  where  observe,  1. 
A  question  asked  by  one  of  the  elders,  for 
John’s  instruction.  Now  the  question  has 
two  parts  :  What  are  these  ?  and  Whence 
came  they  ?  It  seems  to  be  spoken  by  way 
of  admiration,  as  Cant.  3:  6.  The  apostle 
tacitly  acknowledges  his  own  ignorance,  in 
the  answer,  and  sues  to  this  elder  for  infor¬ 
mation  ;  Thou  knowest.  Those  who  would 
gain  knowledge,  must  not  be  ashamed  to 
own  their  ignorance,  nor  to  desire  instruc¬ 
tion  from  any  able  to  give  it.  The  elder 
informs;  where  notice,  1.  The  low  and  des¬ 
olate  state  these  now  so  arrayed  bad  former¬ 
ly  been  in  ]9great  tribulation ,  persecuted  by 
men,  tempted  by  Satan,  sometimes  troubled 
in  their  own  spirits  ;  they  had  suffered  the 
spoiling  of  their  goods,  the  imprisonment  of 
their  persons,  yea,  the  loss  of  life  itself. 
The  way  to  heaven  lies  through  many  tribu¬ 
lations  ;  but  tribulation,  when  gone  through 
well,  will  make  heaven  more  welcome  and 
more  glorious,  [exercising  to  that  charac¬ 
ter,  which  is  lo  be  ours  there.]  2.  The 
means  by  which  they  had  been  prepared 
for  the  great  honor  and  happiness  they  now 
enjoyed,  v.  14.  It  is  not  the  blood  of  the 
martyrs  themselves,  hut  the  blood  of  the  Lamb, 
that  can  wash  away  sin,  and  make  the  soul 
pure  and  clean  in  the  sight  of  God  ;  other 
blood  stains  ;  this  only  makes  white  and 
clean.  3.  The  blessedness  to  which  they 
are  now  advanced,  being  thus  prepared  for 


to  the  children  of  the  free-women,  above  those  of  the  bond-women,  as 
both  are  alike  in  Christ. — No  satisfactoty  reason  for  these  variations  can 
be  assigned.  Gen.  29:32 — 35.  30:1 — 22.  49:  Num.  1:23.  Deut.  33.  So. 

(5 — 8.)  llan,  early  apostatizing,  became  a  common  receptacle  of 
idolatry,  and  thus  the  means  of  corruption;  therefore,  it  is  thought,  the 
tribe  (as  that  of  Ephraim,  for  a  similar  reason)  is  omitted.  Levi  is  sub¬ 
stituted,  who,  being  dispersed  among  the  other  tribes  us  ministers,  re¬ 
ceived  no  allotment  in  Canaan.  But  now,  being  to  enter  on  the  heaven¬ 
ly  Canaan,  where  there  is  tin  temple,  mid  ail  are  priests  to  (foil  ;  (21:22. 
v.  10.)  the  service  of  this  tribe,  as  priests,  is  no  longer  needed  ;  and 
therefore  it  resumes  its  ancient  station  among  the  brethren.*  Woodii. 

V.  9 — 12.  Many  suppose  the  preceding  vs.  relate  exclusively  to  t he 
Jewish  converts,  who  were  at  this  time  added  to  the  church  ;  and  that 
these  refer  to  the  Gentiles  who  embraced  the  Gospel  during  the  same 
period  ;  and  others  explain  them  of  die  peace  mid  prosperity  of  the 
church  during  those  days.  But  it  appears  to  me  evident,  that  the  hap¬ 
py  estate  of  those,  who  had  adhered  to  Christ  during  the  preceding  ca¬ 
lamities,  and  had  been  ‘  faithful  unto  death,’  was  intended  :  for  though 
they  had  been  slain,  or  had  otherwise  been  removed,  before  the  favora¬ 
ble  change  look  place;  they  were  by  this  no  losers,  nay,  exceedingly 
benefited:  and  the  language  of  the  subsequent  verses  is  so  energetic, 
that  nothing  short  of  heavenly  felicity  can  answer  to  it.  (Note,  13 — 
17.) — A  multitude  so  large,  that  no  man  could  number  it,  collected  from 
the  several  nations  of  the  earth,  known  in  those  days,  appeared  to 
‘stand  before  the  throne,’  ns  accepted  worshippers  of  God;  and  ‘before 
the  Lamb,’  as  his  redeemed  people.  5:8 — 10.  19:1 — 6.  This  view  and  in¬ 
terpretation  give  us  enlarged  conceptions  of  the  success  of  the  Gospel, 
during  the  first  three  centuries;  and  may  encourage  the  hope,  that  vast, 
numbers  lived  by  obedient  faith,  and  died  in  Christ ,  unknown  to  histo¬ 
ry  ;  notwithstanding  the  lamentable  account  transmitted  to  us,  of  the 
heresies,  contentions,  and  corruptions  whicti  prevailed  at  that  early  pe¬ 
riod.  For  these  form  by  far  the  most  prominent  subjects  in  the  ecclesi¬ 
astical  records  of  those  times.— [As  to  their  habit,  and  the  concurrence 
of  the  angels  in  their  praise,  Scott  writes  as  in  Henry.)  Scott. 

(9.)  These  palm-bearers  cannot  denote  that  race  of  degenerate  and 
nominal  Christians  in  Constantine’s  times,  of  whom  Bp.  Newton  says, 
‘  though  Constantine’s  success  (the  “  tittle  help")  added  much  to  the 
temporal  prosperity,  yet  it  contributed  little  to  the  spiritual  graces 
and  virtues  of  the  Christians.  It  enlarged  their  revenues,  and  increas¬ 
ed  their  endowments,  but  proved  the  fatal  mean  of  corrupting  the  doc¬ 
trine  and  relaxing  the  discipline  of  the  church.  No  sooner  were  thev 
delivered  from  heathen  fury,  than  [for  alas,  it  seems  a  .  if  ail  of  »  ■  must 


needs  hate  something]  they  began  to  quarrel  among  themselves,  and  to 
persecute  one  another.’  IVoodh. — Why  will  Christians  prefer  to  carry 
scourges  for  one  another,  rather  than  the  palm-branches  of  joyful  victo¬ 
ry  over  our  common  enemy  ?  Ed. 

(10.)  ‘  It  should.be  tr.  uth.e  salvation.”  Thus  it  expresses  that  pe- 
cu liar. deliverance,  and  state  of  safety,  which  this  palm-hearing  multi¬ 
tude  of  Gentile  converts,  together  with  the  chosen  Israelites,  now  expe¬ 
rienced  from  the  great  tribulation.  IVoodh. — Some  suppose,  the  144,000 
represent  Jewish  converts;  the  great  multitude,  Gentile  believers  — 
See  the  general  note.  Guyse  considers  the  1st  to  be  converts,  both 
Jews  and  Gentiles;  the  2d, 'the  martyrs.  Vilr.  considers,  that  the  full 
accom;  lishment  is  yet  to  come,  as  no  period  can  be  assigned  when  the 
destruction  of  Christ’s  enemies,  and  the  exaltation  of  his  servants  in 
perfect  purity  and  happiness,  have  borne  a  satisfactory  resemblance  lo 
what  is  here  depicted.’  Hen  by,  abr. 

V.  13 — 17.  The  scene,  thus  presented  to  the  apostle’s  mind,  related 
to  events  which  did  not  occur  till  above  200  years  afterwards,  namely, 
in  the  time  of  Constantine  :  as  he  was,  therefore,  receiving  prophetical 
information,  one  of  the  representatives  of  the  universal  church  [to  fix 
his  attention)  inquired  of  him,  whether  he  knew  who  they  were,  thus 
‘arrayed  in  white  robes,’  or  whence  they  came.  And  the  apostle  hav¬ 
ing  respectfully  replied,  that  he  was  persuaded  the  elder  well  knew,  thus 
intimating  li  is  desire  of  instruction  ;  he  was  shown,  that  ‘these  were 
persons  who  had  come  out  of  great  tribulation.’ — This  could  not  lie 
meant  of  the  Gentiles,  converted  to  Christianity  nfter  t lie  accession  of 
Constantine  ;  for  they  had  come  out  of  no  great  tribulation,  peculiar  to 
them  rather  than  others  :  and  though  it  might  he  accommodated  to  tlin 
state  of  the  church  at  large  in  those  peaceful  days,  which  had  succeeded 
to  a  season  of  extreme  tribulation  ;  yet  it  far  more  aptly  and  emphati¬ 
cally  represented  the  case  of  those  multitudes,  who  had  been  ‘faithful 
unto  death,’  amidst  the  harassing  persecutions  of  the  foregoing  ages. 
6:9—11.  dots  14:19—23.  1  Thes.  3  1—5.  2  Thes.  1:5—10.  2  Tim.  3:10— 
12. — Nothing  on  eartii  can  fully  answer  to  such  language  as  this  :  ami 
indeed  the  prosperity  of  the  church  at  the  time  predicted  very  soon  ter¬ 
minated  as  a  dream  ;  (Notes,  12.)  and  cannot  he  reasonably  considered, 
as  exclusively,  or  primarily,  nor  indeed  at  ail  intended,  by  this  most 
energetic  and  rapturous  language.  But  such  a  view  of  the  immediate 
felicity  of  those,  who  followed  Christ  faithfully  in  the  predicted  season 
of  persecution,  was  very  proper  to  reconcile  the  minds  of  Christians  to 
their  trials,  and  to  animate  them  to  face  death  in  its  most  terrifying 
forms.  Accordingly,  the  church,  during  these  times,  seems  ro  have 
studied  this  book  more,  and  even  to  have  understood  this  first  par!  of 


A.  D.  95. 


REVELATION,  VIII. 


The  first  trumpet  is  sounded. 


16  They  shall  hunger  q  no  more, 
neither  thirst  any  more  ;  neither 
shall  the  sun  light  on  them,  nor  any 
r  beat. 

17  For  the  Lamb,  which  is  in  the 
midst  of  the  throne,  shall  ‘feed  them, 
and  shall  lead  them  unto  living 
fountains  of  waters:  and  God  shall 
wipe  'away  all  tears  from  their 
eyes. 

CHAP.  VIII. 

1  At  the  opening  of  the  seventh  aeol,  2  seven  angels  had 
•even  trumpets  given  them.  6  Four  of  them  sound  their 
trumpets,  and  great  jdngues  follow.  3  Another  angel 
putteth  incense  to  the  prayers  of  the  saints  on  the  golden 
altar. 

\  ND  when  he  had  opened  the 
seventh  *seal,  there  was  silence 
in  heaven  about  the  space  of  half 
an  hour. 

2  And  I  saw  the  seven  angels 
which  stood  b  before  God;  and  to 
them  were  given  seven  c  trumpets. 

3  And  another  angel  came  and 
stood  at  the  altar,  having  a  golden 
censer;  and  there  was  given  unto 
him  much  incense,  that  he  should 
d  offer  it  with  the  e  prayers  of  all 
saints  upon  the  golden  f altar  which 
was  before  the  throne. 

4  And  the  smoke  of  the  s  incense, 
which  came  with  the  prayers  of  the 
saints,  ascended  up  before  God  out 
of  the  angel’s  hand. 

5  And  the  angel  took  the  censer, 
and  filled  it  with  fire  of  the  altar, 
and  cast  it  h  into  the  earth:  and 
'  there  were  voices,  and  thunder- 
ings,  and  lightnings,  and  an  i  earth- 
q  uake. 

G  And  the  seven  angels  which 
had  the  seven  trumpets  prepared 
themselves  to  sound. 


7  The  first  angel  sounded,  and 
k  thei’e  followed  hail  and  fire  min- 


q  fs.  49:10. 
r  P».  121:6. 

Is.  4:6. 

s  I  s.  23:1,2,5. 

36:8.  Is.  40:11. 
t  Is.  25:8. 


a  c.  5:1.  g  Ex.  30:1. 

b  Lu.  1:19.  h  or,  upon. 

c  2  Ch.  29:25— 28.  »  c.  16:18. 

d  or,  add  it  to.  )  2  Sa.  22:3. 
e  c.  5:8.  k  Ere.  o8:22. 

f  c.  6.9. 


it.  They  are  happy,  (1.)  In  their  station, 
before  the  throne  of  God  night  and  day,  in 
that  presence  where  there  is  fulness  of  joy. 
(2.)  In  their  employment  ;  for  they  serve 
God  continually  ;  heaven  is  a  state  of  ser¬ 
vice,  though  not  of  suffering  ;  of  rest,  hut 
not  of  sloth  ;  it  is  a  praising,  delightful  rest. 
(3.)  In  their  freedom  from  all  the  inconven¬ 
iences  of  this  present  life  ;  from  all  want, 
and  sense  of  want  ;  They  hunger  and  thirst 
no  more  ;  from  all  sickness  and  pain  ;  The 
heat  of  the  sun  shall  no  more  scorch  them. 
(4.)  In  the  love  and  conduct  of  the  Lord 
Jesus  ;  He  shall  feed  them,  He  lead  them  to 
living  fountains  of  waters  ;  put  them  in  pos¬ 
session  of  everything  pleasant  and  refresh¬ 
ing  to  their  souls  ;  therefore  they  shall  hun¬ 
ger  and  thirst  no  more.  (6.)  In  being  deliv¬ 
ered  from  all  sorrow,  or  occasion  of  it  ; 
God  shall  wipe  away  all  tears  from  their  eyes. 
They  have  formerly  had  their  sorrows,  and 
shed  many  tears,  both  on  account  of  sin  and 
of  affliction  ;  but  God  Himself,  with  his 
own  gentle  and  gracious  hand,  will  wipe  those, 
tears  aivay,  and  they  shall  return  no  more 
for  ever  ;  this  should  moderate  the  Chris¬ 
tian’s  sorrow  in  his  present  state,  and  sup¬ 
port  him  under  all  its  troubles. 


Chap.  VIII.  We  now  come  to  the  open¬ 
ing  of  the  7th  seal,  which  introduced  the 
sounding  of  the  7  trumpets  ;  a  direful  scene 
now  opens.  Most  expositors  agree,  that  the 
7  seals  represent  the  interval  between  the 
apostle’s  time  and  the  reign  of  Constantine, 
hut  that  the  seven  trumpets  are  designed  to 
represent  the  rise  of  antichrist,  some  time 
after  the  empire  became  Christian. 

V.  1 — 6.  In  these  vs.  we  have  the  pre¬ 
lude  to  the  sounding  of  the  trumpets  in  several 
parts:  1.  The  opening  of  the  last  seal  ;  this 


was  to  introduce  a  new  set  of  prophetical 
icon  isms,  images,  and  events.  2.  A  pro¬ 
found  silence  in  heaven  for  the  space  of  half 
an  hour,  which  maybe  understood  either,  of 
the  silence  of  peace,  that  for  this  time  no 
complaints  were  sent  up  to  the  ear  of  the 
Lord  God  of  sabaoth  ;  or,  of  expectation  ; 
great  tilings  were  on  the  wheel  of  Provi¬ 
dence,  and  the  church  of  God,  both  in  heav¬ 
en  and  earth,  stood  silent,  ns  became  them, 
to  see  what  God  was  doing,  Zech.  2:13. 
3.  The  trumpets  were  delivered  to  the  angels, 
who  were  to  sound  them.  As  the  angels  of 
the  churches  are  to  sound  the  trumpet  of  the 
Gospel,  the  angels  of  heaven  arc  to  sound  the 
trumpet  of  Providence,  and  ev  ery  one  has  his 
part  given  him.  4.  To  prepare  for  this, 
another  angel  must  first  offer  incense,  v.  3. 
very  probably  this  other  angel  is  the  Lord 
Jesus,  the  High  Priest  of  the  church,  here 
described  in  his  sacerdotal  office,  having  a 
golden  censer,  and  much  incense,  a  fulness  of 
merit  in  his  own  glorious  Person,  and  this 
incense  He  was  to  offer  up,  with  the  prayers  of 
all  the  saints,  upon  the  golden  altar  of  Ids  di¬ 
vine  nature.  Observe,  All  the  saints  are  a 
praying  people  ;  and  times  of  danger  should 
be  praying  times  ;  yet  the  prayers  of  the 
!  saints  themselves  stand  in  need  of  the  incense 
and  intercession  of  Christ  to  make  them  ac¬ 
ceptable  and  effectual,  and  He  has  his  in¬ 
cense,  his  censer,  and  his  altar  ;  so  that  no 
prayer,  thus  recommended,  was  ever  denied 
audience  and  acceptance.  These  prayers, 
’  thus  accepted  in  heaven,  produced  great 
changes  on  earth,  in  return  to  them  ;  the 
same  angel  that  in  his  censer  offered  up  the 
prayers  of  the  saints,  in  the  same  censer  took 
of  the  fire  of  the  altar,  and  cast  it  into  the  earth, 
and  this  presently  caused  strange  commo¬ 
tions,  twees,  and  thunderings ,and  lightnings, 
and  an  earthquake  ;  these  were  the  answers 
God  gave  to  the  prayers  of  the  saints,  and  to¬ 
kens  of  his  anger  against  the  world,  and 
that  He  would  do  great  things  to  avenge 
H  imself  and  his  people  of  their  enemies  ; 
and  now  all  things  being  thus  prepared,  the 
angels  discharge  their  duty. 

|  V.  7 — 13.  Observe,  1.  The  first  angel 


PRACT.  OBS.  The  intervals  of  pence  on  earth  are  caused  by  a  pos¬ 
itive  divine  interposition,  to  restrain  the  furious  [selfishness]  of  men,  and 
the  agency  of  Satan  ;  which  at  all  times  naturally  tend  to  confusion, 
discord,  mischief,  and  misery. — When  the  Lord  Jesus  sees  good  to  grant 
his  church  seasons  of  rest,  and  to  raise  up  men  endued  with  authority, 
to  countenance  and  concur  in  promoting  the  Gospel ;  He  commonly 
‘seals’ many  by  his  converting  grace, ‘unto  the  day  of  redemption;’ 
Acts  9:31.  But  human  depravity,  and  the  artifices  of  Satan,  often  per¬ 
vert  peaceful  and  prosperous  days  into  an  occasion  of  negligence  and 
hypocritical  profession  ;  and  this  makes  way  for  the  ministering  angels, 
being  again  commissioned  to  bring  calamities  upon  the  earth. — It  is  en¬ 
couraging  to  those,  who  are  decidedly  on  the  Lord’s  part  in  this  evil 
world,  to  hear  of  the  increase  of  ‘  the  true  Israel  of  God  and  they  will 
pray  Hint  to  add  to  their  numbers  ‘a  hundred-fold  more,  how  many  so¬ 
il  far  better,  than  Christians  in  succeeding  generations  have  generally 
done. — ‘  With  God  is  the  fountain  of  life  :  ’  but  it  is  ‘the  Lamb  that 
was  slain,’  who  Meads  sinners  unto  that  fountain  of  living  waters.’ 
f Note. ,  22:1.) — (14)  Washed,  &c.]  How  could  such  an  idea  ever  enter 
the  human  mind,  as  washing  linen  garments  in  blood,  and  so  rendering 
them  white  ;  apart  from  the  doctrine  of  the  atonement,  and  the  efficacy 
of  faith  in  that  atonement,  to  cleanse  the  soul  from  sin  ?  1:4 — C.  1  Pet. 
1:17 — 21.  1  John  1:5 —  1.  Scott. 

(14.)  ‘Such  passages  as  this  and  1:5.  and  5:9.  are  so  strong  for  the 
atonement  of  Christ,  that  they  cannot  be  invaded.’  Gilpin. 

(17.)  ‘  Divine  prediction  often  sketches  out  in  one  prophecy,  and 

then  fills  up  the  outline  in  another.  Comp,  those  of  Dan.  The  6  seals 
may  synchronize  with  the  latest  prophecies  of  Rev.  and  Christ’s  final 
coming.’  Woodii. 

NOTES.  Chap.  VIII.  V.  1 — 6.  The  last  of  the  7  seals  contains 
under  it  far  more  than  all  the  others ;  as  it  introduces,  and  indeed  in¬ 
cluded  that  period  which  fell  under  the  7  trumpets.  ‘The  placing  of 
th is  circumstance  [the  silence  and  the  other  angel  coming  and  having 
a  censer,  &c.]  immediately  before  the  sounding  of  the  trumpets,  sug¬ 
gests,  that  the  suhject  of  these  prayers  was  the  occasion  of  something 
to  be  called  for  by  these  trumpets ;  and  what  could  this  be,  but  that  of 
the  destruction  of  the  Roman  empire  ?  It  is  plainly  suggested,  that  the 
petition  for  some  delay  would  be  accepted  ;  yet  all  further  applications, 
on  that  head,  are  discouraged  by  a  most  significant  emblem,  the  censer 
being  cast  away.’  Whitaker.  Ez.  27:1 — 8.  30:1 — 8.  Lev.  10:1,  2.  1G: 
11 — 14.  Scott. 

(1.)  ‘  Is  not  the  silence,  to  prepare  for  a  change  in  the  mode  of  exhi¬ 
bition  and  series  of  events  ?  So  of  the  change  from  4  to  7  angels. 
Throughout  the  scenery  of  the  trumpets,  heaven  is  kept  wholly  distinct 
from  the  earth..'  Woodh.  'Keith,  with  some  others,  considers  that  the 
7th  seal  is  manifestly  of  a  different  character  from  the  6  that  preceded. 
He  thinks,  that  the  spiritual  state  of  the  world  was  described  previous 
to  the  political ;  and  that]  as  the  outline  of  the  former  is  contained  in 


ever  they  be ;’  and,  though  they,  who  offer  these  fervent  prayers,  may 
not  live  to  witness  this  blessed  change,  they  must  exult  to  recollect 
what  multitudes  are  gone  before  them  to  heaven  ;  and  what  accessions 
are  daily  making  to  the  number  from  all  the  nations  of  the  earth  :  and 
what  glorious  times  are  coming,  according  to  the  sure  word  of  prophe¬ 
cy. — Could  we  ascend  into  heaven,  and  inquire,  ‘  who  they  are  that  are 
arrayed  in  white  robes,  and  whence  they  came amidst  ten  thousand 
differences  in  other  matters,  we  should  learn,  that  every  one  of  them 
had  come  out  of  sorrow,  and  out  of  sin  ;  that  they  had  all  been  in  conflict 
and  tribulation ;  and  that  they  had  all  ‘  washed  their  robes,  and  made 
them  white  in  the  blood  of  the  Lamb.’ — Not  one  discordant  voice  will 
be  heard  in  heaven  forever;  nor  could  those  who  expect  salvation  in 
any  other  way,  join  the  praises  of  that  blessed  world,  or  even  say, 
Amen,  to  them.  Scott. 

the  first  6  seals,  the  7tli  seal,  under  the  7  trumpets,  begins  to  open  up  the 
latter.  It  does  not  follow,  that  what  is  recorded  under  each  successive 
seal,  can  only  refer  to  events  that  follow  in  order  of  time.’  Henry,  abr. 

(5.)  ‘  Three  earthquakes  are  mentioned  in  the  Apocalypse  : — 1.  Ch. 
8:5.  Cuninghame  refers  this  to  the  downfall  of  paganism,  in  the  time 
of  Constantine.  2.  Precedes  the  passing  away  of  the  second  woe,  and 
is  identified  with  the  period  of  the  Reformation.  3.  That  of  the  day  of 
wrath.  6:12 — 17.  11:18,19.  16:18.  The  first  shock  of  this  he  con¬ 

siders  to  be  the  French  revolution,  in  1792;  but  that  its  most  tremen¬ 
dous  concussions  are  yet  future.’  Henry,  abr.  ‘  The  scene  is  in  hea¬ 
ven,  to  which  John  was  called  up,  4:1.  and  the  earth  is  in  view  below. 
The  significant  action,  here,  prepares  us  for  the  kind  of  history  to  follow. 
The  Christian  worship  and  religion,  pure  and  heavenly  in  its  origin  and 
nature,  represented  by  the  incense  thus  burning,  when  sent  down  to 
earth,  and  conflicting  with  the  passions  and  worldly  projects  of  sinful 
men,  produces  signal  commotions,  expressed  in  prophetical  language, 
(here  generally,  afterwards  particularized,)  as  our  Lord  Himself  declared, 
that,  in  sending  forth  his  holy  religion  to  the  earth,  He  had  cast  fire 
thereon,  i.  e.  divisions  and  discords,  Lu.  12:49.’  Woodh. 

(6.)  ‘  The  best  meaning  given  to  these  disputed  trumpets,  seems  that 

of  hostile  attacks,  and  so  Woodh.,  who  thinks,  ‘  that,  throughout,  the  ob¬ 
ject  is  the  same, — the  pure  Christian  Church-,  and  that  the  assailants 
are  not  only  its  infidel -and  acknowledged  foes,  but  also  those,  its  most 
formidable  enemies,  who,  professing  to  belong  to  its  body,  have  taught 
doctrines,  and  pursued  measures,  contrary  to  its  purity,  destructive  of 
its  peace,  and  almost  of  its  existence,  the  heretics  and  antichrist  inn 
corrupters.  For  in  those  visions  of  the  trumpets  whose  meaning  can  be 
most  accurately  ascerlained,  ns  the  5,  6,  and  7th,  the  church  is  evident¬ 
ly  the  object  of  assault.  Woodh.’  Bl.  ‘They  designate,!.  Persecution 
in  Judea  ;  2.  the  Pagan,  designated  by  a  burning  mountain  ;  3.  heresies, 
«fec. ;  4.  the  consequent  failure,  in  part,  of  the  light  originally  beaming 
from  the  Gospel.’  „  lD- 

V.  7.  The  emblematical  predictions,  following  the  first  4  trumpets, 


A.  D.  95. 


REVELATION,  VIII. 


The  second  and  third  trumpets  sound. 


gled  with  blood,  and  they  were  cast 
upon  the  earth:  and  the  third  part 
of  trees  1  was  burnt  up,  and  all 
green  grass  was  burnt  up. 

8  And  the  second  angel  sounded, 
and  as  it  were  a  great  mountain 
"  burning  with  fire  was  cast  into 
the  “sea:  and  the  third  part  of  the 
sea  became  0 blood; 

9  And  the  third  part  of  the  crea¬ 
tures  which  were  in  the  sea,  and 
had  life,  died:  and  the  third  part  of 
the  ships  were  destroyed. 

10  And  the  third  angel  sounded, 
and  there  fell  pa  great  star  from 
heaven,  burning  as  it  were  a  lamp, 
and  it  fell  upon  the  third  part  of 
the  rivers,  and  upon  the  fountains 
of  waters  : 

1  Is.  2:12.  n  Am.  7:4.  c.  16:3,  &c. 

m  Je.  51:25.  o  Ex.  7:19—21.  p  Is.  14:12.  c.9;l. 

sounded  the  first  trumpet,  and  the  events 
which  followed  were  very  dismal,  v.  7. 

Here  was  a  terrible  storm,  whether  of  her¬ 
esies,  a  mixture  of  monstrous  errors  falling 

principally  related  to  the  gradual,  but  complete  subversion  of  the  Ro¬ 
man  empire,  in  the  western  part  of  the  world  ;  though  this  was  con¬ 
nected  with  multiplied  calamities  in  the  eastern  provinces,  which  are 
also  implied.  Constantine  the  Great  built  Constantinople,  and  made 
it  his  residence,  and  the  metropolis  of  the  empire;  and,  by  a  concur¬ 
rence  of  circumstances  some  time  after  his  death,  that  vast  fabric,  the 
Roman  empire,  was  divided  into  two  parts,  governed  by  two  distinct 
successions  of  emperors.  But  the  western  and  eastern  empires,  when 
thus  separated,  were  not  wholly  unconnected  :  so  that  the  ruin  of  the 
western  empire  was  attended  by  great  convulsions  in  the  eastern  ;  and 
the  subsequent  subversion  of  the  latter  occasioned  manifold  evils  in  the 
countries,  which  had  constituted  the  former.  As  therefore  the  events, 
which  related  to  the  two  divisions  of  the  empire,  were  thus  involved 
with'  one  another,  it  was  proper  that  the  predictions  of  them  should  be 
so  likewise:  yet  the  residue  of  the  ch.  primarily  predicts  the  subversion 
of  the  western,  and  the  next  ch.  that  of  the  eastern  empire.  {Notes,  90 
— The  calm,  which  followed  Constantine’s  accession  to  the  throne,  did 
not  last  long  :  even  the  latter  part  of  his  life  was  far  from  being  undis¬ 
turbed;  and  after  his  death  many  bloody  wars  were  waged  within  the 
empire,  by  his  sons  with  each  other,  and  other  competitors,  for  the  im¬ 
perial  authority :  whilst  the  church  was  disturbed  by  various  descrip¬ 
tions  of  heretics;  and  unnatural  persecutions  were  raised,  by  men  who 
calleil  themselves  Christians.  These  and  other  evils  weakened  both 
the  church  and  the  state;  and  after  a  time,  the  Huns  and  Goths  from 
the  northern  regions  of  Europe,  broke  in  upon  the  distracted  empire, 
and  made  terrible  ravages  in  many  of  its  provinces.  The  latter  events 
seem  to  have  been  especially  intended  by  the  storm  of ‘hail  and  fire 
mingled  with  blood,’  by  which  a  third  part  of  the  productions  of  the 
earth  were  destroyed  ;  i.  e  multitudes  were  killed,  both  high  and  low, 
grown  persons  and  infants,  through  the  whole  Roman  empire,  which 
might  be  deemed  a  third  part  of  the  earth,  as  discovered  at  that  time. 
{Ex.  9:22 — 25.  M.  R.  — This  period  is  supposed  by  some  approved  ex¬ 
positors,  to  reach  from  A.  L).  338,  to  412:  but  others  explain  it  princi¬ 
pally  of  the  incursions  of  the  Goths  under  Alaric,  who  entered  the  em¬ 
pire  A  D.  395;  and  aSter  spreading  desolation  by  fire  and  sword  through 
the  provinces,  A.  D.  410,  look  and  plundered  Rome,  with  circumstances 
of  barbarity  very  correspondent  to  these  emblems,  as  contemporary 
writers  have  testified:  especially  in  that  he  slew  without  distinction,  prin¬ 
ces,  nobles,  priests,  and  people,  and  showed  no  mercy  even  to  the  tender 
infants  ;  thus  destroying  *  the  trees  and  the  green  grass,’  or  smaller  veg¬ 
etable  productions,  indiscriminately. — ‘The  first  four  trumpets  describe 
the  removal  of  that  power,  which,  in  the  days  of  Raul,  ...prevented 
the  developement  of  “  the  man  of  sin:”  namely,  the  western  imperial 
dignity  of  Rome.’  Faber. — ‘  On  the  decease  of  Theodosius,  that  great 
prince,  A.  1>.  395,  the  northern  cloud,  which  had  been  so  long  gathering, 
discharged  itself.  He  died  in  the  month  of  January,  and,  before  the  end 
of  the  same  year,  the  Gothic  nation  was  in  arms. — The  barriers  of  the 
Danube  were  thrown  open  ;  the  savage  warriors  of  Scythia  issued  from 
their  forests;  and  the  uncommon  severity  of  the  winter,  (the  season  in 
which  natural  hail  and  show  are  generated,)  allowed  the  poet  to  re¬ 
mark,  that  they  rolled  their  ponderous  wagons  over  the  broad  and  icy 
back  ot  the  indignant  river.  The  fertile  fields  of  Phocis  and  Breotia 
were  covered  with  a  deluge  of  barbarians,  who  massacred  the  males,  of 
an  age  to  bear  arms,  and  drove  away  the  beautiful  females,  with  the 
spoil  and  cattle  of  the  flaming  villages.’  Gibbon. — I  have  adopted  the 
language  ol  the  historian.  Unconscious  that  he  was  bearing  his  testi¬ 
mony  to  the  truth  of  prophecy,  he  has  used  the  same  allegorical  lan¬ 
guage,  as  that  employed  by  St.  John.  The  correspondence  of  nations, 
says  he,  ‘  was  in  that  age  so  imperfect  and  precarious,  that  the  revolu¬ 
tions  of  the  N.  might  escape  the  knowledge  of  the  Court  of  Ravenna; 
till  the  dark  cloud,  which  was  collected  along  the  coasts  of  the  Baltic, 
burst  in  thunder  upon  the  banks  of  the  upper  Danube.’  Faber.— The 
nature  of  this  publication  must  exclude  most  of  the  quotations,  which 
might  be  made  from  Gibbon,  the  elegant  and  infidel  historian  of  the  de¬ 
cline  of  the  Roman  empire:  but  he  has  certainly,  without  intending  it, 

shown  the  exact  completion  of  these  prophecies,  in  many  instances. _ 

Different  opinions  prevail,  as  to  the  duration  of  the  events,  predicted  by 
the  sounding  of  the  first  trumpet ;  but  it  cannot  be  expected,  that  these 
topics,  which,  after  all,  very  slightly  affect  the  main  subject,  should  be 
here  particularly  noticed.  Some  think,  that  all  the  calamities  brought 
on  the  empire,  by  the  northern  invaders,  and  especially  those  of  Attiln, 

[692] 


Goths  and  Vandals,  within  the  compass  of 
137  years  ;  first  by  Alaric,  in  the  year 
410,  with  great  slaughter  and  cruelty.  In 
these  calamities,  a  third  part  of  the  people 
(called  here  the  sea,  or  collection  of  waters) 
were  destroyed  :  here  was  still  a  limitation 
to  the  third  part,  for,  in  the  midst  of  judg - 
ment,  God  remembers  mercy.  This  storm 
fell  heavy  upon  the  maritime  and  merchan¬ 
dising  cities  and  countries  of  the  Roman 
empire. 

3.  The  third  angel  sounded,  and  the  alarm 
had  the  like  effects  as  before,  v.  10.  Some 
take  this  star  to  be  a  political  star,  some 
eminent  governor,  and  they  apply  it  to  Au- 
gustulus,  who  was  forced  to  resign  the  em¬ 
pire  to  Odoacer,  in  the  year  480.  Others, 
to  be  an  ecclesiastical  star,  some  eminent 
person  in  the  church,  compared  to  a  burning 
lamp,  and  they  fix  it  on  Pelagius,  who  prov¬ 
ed,  about  this  time,  a  falling  star,  and  great¬ 
ly  corrupted  the  churches  of  Christ.  Ob¬ 
serve,  Where  this  star  fell,  and  its  effect  ; 
on  a  third  part  of  the  rivers,  and  upon  the  foun¬ 
tains  of  waters,  v.  10.  turning  those  springs 
and  streams  into  wormwood  j  either  the  laws, 
which  are.  the  springs  of  civil  liberty,  prop¬ 
erty,  and  safety,  were  poisoned  by  arbitrary 
power  ;  or  the  doctrines  of  the  Gospel,  the 

mentioned  in  the  ensuing  note,  were  intended  by  the  general  language 
of  this  v.  ;  though  other  eminent  expositors  place  a  part  of  them  under 
the  second  trumpet.  Scott. 

(7.)  ‘  The  land,  (or  earth,)  as  opposed  to  the  sea,  frequently  signifies 
the  holy  land,  the  people  of  Israel ;  while  the  Gentiles,  especially  those 
of  the  W.,  are  spoken  of'  by  the  word  sea.  Is.  ch.  24.  Gen.  10:5.  Mat. 
12:21,  &c.  Between  these,  there  was  early  a  marked  line  of  distinction. 
See  Gal.,  also  Ac.  4:7.  Rom.  15:10,  11.  Upon  the  Christian  Israelites, 
therefore,  we  may  suppose,  came  the  storm  of  hail,  fire,  and  blood ;  i.  e. 
persecutions  even  unto  death.’  IVoodh.  Bl.  inserts,  ‘and  a  third  of 
the  earth  was  burnt  up.’  Ed. 

(7 — 12.)  Recent  foreign  conitrs.  say,  ‘  in  all  this,  the  extreme  calamity 
simply  is  meant,  in  an  ornamented  and  amplified  diction  ;’  but  this 
course,  properly  adds  Bl.,  too  common  with  them,  though  it  saves 
much  trouble,  in  general,  tends  to  anything  but  real  and  sound  knowl¬ 
edge;  only  summarily  despatching  matters  we  are  unable  to  explain. 
By  the  frees,  Woodh.  understands,  genuine  Christians,  Is.  61:8.  Eph.  3: 
17.  many  of  them  {a  third,  i.  e.  a  considerable  part)  destroyed  by  the  fire 
of  persecution  :  by  green  grass,  Mk.  4:17.  those  Christians  who  make  a 
fair  show,  but  in  time  of  persecution  fall  away.  Heresies,  and  their  con¬ 
sequences,  darkness  and  ignorance,  he  thinks  meant  in  the  rest  of  this 
ch.;  which  Bl.  thinks  less  probable  than  other  views.  Id. 

v.  8,  9.  ‘  A  great  burning  mountain’  is  an  emblem  of  a  mighty  de¬ 
structive  warrior,  and  has  been  so  used  by  the  most  celebrated  poets. 
Jer.  51:25.  The  Roman  empire,  with  its  vast  multitude  of  people  and 
nations,  might  be  aptly  compared  to  the  sea.  (17:15.) This  ‘great  moun¬ 
tain,  burning  with  fire,’  therefore,  being  ‘cast  into  the  sea,’  with  the  ef¬ 
fects  produced  by  it,  represented,  most  emphatically,  the  irruption  of  the 
barbarous  nations,  under  ferocious  leaders,  into  the  Roman  empire,  and 
their  shedding  of  the  blood  of  immense  multitudes,  and  destroying  the 
cities,  or  desolating  the  country  with  fire  and  sword.  After  Alaric,  with 
his  Goth's,  had  finished  his  depredations,  Attila,  at  the  head  of  ar  vast 
nrmv  of  H uns,  ravaged  the  empire  during  the  space  of  14  years,  destroy¬ 
ing  all  before  him,  in  the  most  barbarous  manner;  nor  did  any  part  of 
the  empire  wholly  escape  his  fury.  These  events  seem  to  have  been 
principally  intended  ;  but  we  may  include  under  this  trumpet  the  vari¬ 
ous  calamities,  which  tiefel  the  empire  from  A.  D.  412,  to  450.  If  these 
devastations  under  Attila  from  the  N.,  belong  to  the  first  trumpet,  those 
tinder  Genserick,  king  of  the  Vandals,  from  Africa,  to  the  S.  must  be 
here  intended.  (Note,  10,  II.)— But,  whether  Attila  or  Genserick  were 
meant,  it  is  manifest,  that  the  ‘third  part  of  the  sea  turned  into  blood,’ 
is  the  emblem  of  the  Roman  empire,  supposed  to  contain  a  third  part  of 
the  world  ;  and  the  burning  mountain  must  consequently  mean  the  con¬ 
queror,  who  produced  these  effects,  and  not  the  conquered ;  else  in  the 
same  v.,  there  are  two  emblems  of  the  latter,  and  none  of  the  former. 
{Notes,  16:3—7.  Ex.  7:15—21.)  Scott. 

V.  10,  11.  The  ‘great  star  falling  from  heaven,’  is  explained  by  some, 
of  the  Arian  and  Pelagian  heresies,  and  the  contests  and  persecutions 
connected  with  them.  And,  no  doubt,  such  events  might  very  aptly  be 
represented  by  ‘  the  falling  of  a  star,’  and  rhe  church  was  miserably  cor¬ 
rupted,  and  deformed  by  heresy,  during  that  period.  Ex.  15:22 — 24.  2 

Ks.  2:19 — 22. — Yet  the  series  of  the  prophecy  favors  the  interpretation 
of  tiiose,  who  explain  these  vs.  to  predict  tile  continuation  of  those  ca¬ 
lamities,  which  subverted  the  empire.  An  eminent  prince,  suddenly  ap¬ 
pearing  in  the  heart  of  the  empire,  and  conspicuous  even  in  the  mis¬ 
chiefs  which  he  occasioned,  might  be  aptly  represented  by  ‘  a  great  star,’ 
or  luminous  meteor,  shooting  1  from  heaven,  and  burning  as  a  lamp.’ 
The  name  ‘  Wormwood,’  and  the  effect  of  its  falling  on  the  waters,  de¬ 
noted  the  further  desolations  of  the  einpiw,  and  the  ruin  of  the  remain¬ 
ing  comforts,  which  were  left  to  the  relics  of  the  miserable  inhabitants  ; 
who  were  so  harassed  and  afflicted,  that  they  could  not  seek  for  the  ne¬ 
cessary  support  of  life,  without  exposing  themselves  to  the  fury  of  the 
invaders.  Judg.  5:11.  Lam.  5:8 — 10.  Thus  she  imbittering  and  poison¬ 
ing  of  the  rivers  and  fountains,  completed  the  former  judgment  of  turn¬ 
ing  the  sea  into  blood. — Accordingly,  very  soon  after  Attila’s  retreat, 
Genserick  unexpectedly  invaded  the  empire  with  300,000  Vandals  and 
Moors  from  Africa;  besieged  and  took  Rome,  and  abandoned  that  city 
to  the  cruelty,  avarice,  and  licentiousness  of  his  troops;  and  by  this  suc¬ 
cess  he  so  weakened  the  empire,  that  it  was  soon  after  subverted.  As 
this  assault  was  made  at  the  very  source  of  the  Roman  power  and  pros¬ 
perity,  it  might  on  this  account  likewise  be  represented,  as  poisoning 


on  the  church,  (for  in  that  age  Arianism 
prevailed,)  or  of  war  falling  oil  tire  civil 
state,  expositors  are  not  agreed.  Mr.  Mede 
takes  it  to  be  meant  of  the  Gothic  inunda¬ 
tion,  that  broke  in  on  the  empire  in  the  ! 
ypar  395,  the  same  year  that  Theodosius 
died,  when  the  northern  nations,  under  Alar-  j 
ic,  the  king  of  the  Goths,  brake  in  on  (lie  1 
western  parts  of  the  empire.  However,  here  i 
we  observe,  (1.)  It  was  a  very  terrible 
storm, — -fire,  and  hail,  and  blood  ;  a  strange 
mixture  !  (2.)  The  limitation  of  it  ;  it  ' 

fell  on  the  third  part  of  the  trees,  and  on  the 
third  part  of  the.  grass  ;  that  is,  say  some, 
oil  the  third  part  of  the  clergy,  and  the  third  ! 
part  of  the  laity  ;  or,  as  others,  who  take  it 
to  fall  on  the  civil  state,  on  the  third  part  of 
the  great  men,  and  on  the  third  part  of  the  \ 
common  people ;  either  on  the  Roman  empire 
itself,  which  was  a  third  part  of  the  then  ! 
known  world,  or  on  a  third  part  of  that  em-  ! 
pire.  The  most  severe  calamities  have  their 
bounds  and  limits  set  them  by  the  great  God. 

2.  The  second  angel  sounded,  and  the 
alarm  was  followed,  as  in  the  first,  with  i 
terrible  events,  v.  8.  By  this  mountain  some 
understand  the  leader  or  leaders  of  the  her- 
elics  ;  others,  as  Mr.  Mede,  the  city  of 
Rome,  which  was  five  times  sacked  by  the  ' 


A.  D.  95. 


REVELATION,  IX. 


The  fourth  and  fifth  trumpets  sound. 


11  And  the  name  of  the  star  is 
called  *i  Wormwood  ;  and  the  third 
part  of  the  waters  became  r  worm¬ 
wood  ;  and  many  men  died  of  the 
waters,  because  they  were  made 
bitter. 

12  And  the  fourth  angel  sounded, 
and  the  third  part  of  the  sun  5  was 
smitten,  and  the  third  part  of  the 
moon,  and  the  third  part  of  the 
stars  ;  so  as  the  third  part  of  them 
was  darkened,  and  the  day  shone 
not  for  a  third  part  of  it,  and  the 
night  likewise. 

13  And  I  beheld,  and  heard  an 
angel  flying  '  through  the  midst  of 
heaven,  saying  with  a  loud  voice, 
Woe,  woe,  woe,  to  the  inhabiters 
of  the  earth,  by  reason  of  the  other 
voices  of  the  trumpet  of  the  three 
angels,  which  are  yet  to  sound. 

CHAP.  IX. 

1  At  the  sounding  of  the  fifth  engel,  a  star  falleth  from 
heaven,  lo  whom  i?  given  the  key  of  the  bottomless  pit. 
2  He  openeth  the  pit,  and  there  come  forth  locusts  like 
scorpions.  12  The  first  woe  past.  13  The  sixth  trumpet 
Bonndeth.  14  Four  angels  are  let  loose,  that  were  bound. 

AND  the  fifth  angel  sounded, 
and  I  saw  a  star  “fall  from 
heaven  unto  the  earth  :  and  to  him 


was  given  the  key  of  the  bottomless 
b  pit. 

q  Dv.  29:18.  Jc.  9:15.  23:15.  1  c.  14:6 

Am.  5:7.  s  Is.  13:10  Je.  4:  a  Lu.  10:18 

He.  1*2:15.  23  Ere.  32:7,8.  c.  8:10. 

r  Ex.  15:23.  Joel  2:10.  Am.  8:9.  b  c.  17:8.  20:1. 

springs  of  spiritual  life,  refreshment,  and 
vigor,  were  so  corrupted  and  imbittered  by 
a  mixture  of  dangerous  errors,  that  tile  souls 
of  men  fonnd  their  ruin  where  they  sought 
for  their  refreshment. 

4.  The  fourth  angel  sounded ,  and  the  alarm 
was  followed  with  further  calamities.  Ob¬ 
serve,  (1.)  The  nature  of  this  calamity, — 
darkness  ;  it  fell  on  the  great  luminaries 
of  the  heaven,  that  gave  light  to  the  world, 
— the  sun,  and  the  moon,  arid  the  stars  ;  either 
the  guides  and  governors  of  the  church,  or 
of  the  state,  who  are  placed  in  higher  orbs 
than  the  people,  and  are  to  dispense  light 
and  benign  influences  to  them.  (2.)  The 
limitation  ;  it  was  confined  to  a  third  part 
of  these  luminaries  ;  there  was  some  light 
of  both,  but  it  was  only  a  third  part  of  what 
they  bad  before.  Without  determining  what 
is  matter  of  controversy  in  these  points 
among  learned  men,  we  rather  choose  to 
make  these  plain  and  practical  remarks  : 
[1.]  Where  the  Gospel  comes  to  a  people, 
and  is  but  coldly  received,  and  lias  not  its 
proper  effects  on  their  hearts  and  lives,  it  is 
usually  followed  with  dreadful  judgments. 
[2.]  God  warns  men  of  his  judgments  before 
He  sends  them  ;  so  that  if  a  people  be  sur¬ 


prised,  it  is  their  own  fault.  [3.]  The  an¬ 
ger  of  God  against  a  people  makes  dreadful 
work  among  them  ;  iuihitters  all  their  com¬ 
forts,  makes  even  life  itself  bitter  and  bur¬ 
densome.  [4.]  God  does  not  in  this  world 
stir  up  all  his  wrath,  but  sets  bounds  to  the 
most  terrible  judgments.  [5.]  Corruption 
of  doctrine  and  worship  in  the  church,  are 
themselves  great  judgments,  and  the  usual 
causes  and  tokens  of  other  judgments  coming 
on  a  people. 

5.  Before  the  other  three  trumpets  are 
sounded,  here  is  solemn  warning  given  to 
*he  world,  how  terrible  the  calamities  would 
be,  that  should  follow  them,  and  how  mis¬ 
erable  those  times  and  places  would  be,  on 
which  they  fell,  v.  13.  Here  are  three  woes, 
to  show  how  much  the  calamities  coining 
should  exceed  those  that  had  been  already, 
or  to  hint  how  every  one  of  the  three  suc¬ 
ceeding  trumpets  should  introduce  its  par¬ 
ticular  and  distinct  calamity.  If  less  judg¬ 
ments  do  not  take  effect,  hut  the  church  and 
the  world  grow  worse  under  them,  they  must 
expect  greater  ;  and  God  will  be  known  by 
the  judgments  that  He  executes. 


Chap.  IX.  V.  1 — 12.  Upon  the  sounding 
of  this  trumpet,  the  things  to  be  observed 
are,  1.  A  star  falling  from  heaven  to  the  earth. 
Some  think  this  star  represents  some  eminent 
bishop  in  the  Christian  church  ;  but  who 
this  is,  expositors  do  not  agree.  Some  un¬ 
derstand  it  of  Boniface,  the  3d  bishop  of 


PRACT.  OBS.  The  intervals  of  peace,  which  the  church  has  hither¬ 
to  enjoyed,  have  commonly  been  of  short  continuance. — Amidst  the 
confusion  occasioned  by  the  vices  of  ninnkind,  we  should  rejoice  that 

1  the  Lord  reigneth ;’  and  that  the  prayers  of  all  true  believers,  being 
presented  through  the  meritorious  intercession  of  our  great  High  Priest, 
will  surely  be  accepted  and  answered. —  While  the  present  wrath  of  God 
and  of  the  Lamb,  through  those  executioners  of  vengeance  who  mean 
not  so,  fills  countries  with  misery',  destroys  the  wretched  inhabitants, 

the  rivers  and  fountains  of  waters. — Genserick  was  also  a  bigoted  Arian, 
and  a  cruel  persecutor  of  the  orthodox  Christians  ;  and  in  this  sense,  too, 
he  poisoned  the  fountains.  These  events  occurred  between  A.  D.  450, 
and  456.  Scott. 

10,  11.  ‘  A  star ,  in  prophetic  language,  signifies  a  prince,  or  eminent 
leader, — a  leader  in  doctrine,  Num.  24:14.  Mat.  2:2.  Rev.  2:28.  22:16. 
1:16.  Such  an  one  falling  from  heaven,  as  did  Satan,  (Lu.  10:18.  2  Pet. 
2:4.  Jude  6.  and  Rev.  12:4.  9:1 — 12.  when  he  and  his  fallen  angels  are 
thus  symbolized,)  corrupts  the  third  part  of  the  rivers  and  fountains  of 
waters  ;  i.  e.  the  streams  and  sources  of  pure  doctrine,  thus  expressed 
by  our  Lord,  Jn.  4:10.  Ac.  7:37 — 39.  The  corruption  of  pure  doctrine 
and  introduction  of  heretical  tenets  are  commonly  attributed  in  Scrip¬ 
ture  to  Satan  and  his  angels,  (Mat.  13:29.  2  Cor.  il:14, 15.  Eph.  2:2.  2 
Th.  2:9.  1  Tim.  5:15.)  and  the  corrupting  doctrine,  producing  heresies, 
is  expressed  by  the  metaphors  wormwood,  gall,  bitterness,  (De.  29:18. 
Am.  5:7.  6:12.  Ac.  8:23.)  and  the  death  there  described  is  spiritual. 
Note,  3:1. —  Under  this  trumpet,  therefore,  we  seem  to  obtain  a  general 
description  of  those  corruptions,  which,  at  the  instigation  of  Satan, 
were  seen  to  invade  and  subvert  a  great  part  of  the  Christian  church  by 
tbe  preaching  of  splendid  heretics.  Such,  in  the  early  times,  were  Simon, 
Menander,  Cerinthus,  ifcc.  The  corruption  of  Christianity  produced 
Gothic  darkness  and  superstition  ;  and  no  greater  calamity  than  the  cor¬ 
ruption,  rejection,  and  loss  of  true  and  saving  religion,  can  happen  to 
man.  Antichrist,  nlready  come  when  tilts  vision  was  seen,  (1  Jn.  2:18, 
22.  4:3.  2  Jn.  7.  beginning  to  work,  2  Th.  2:7.  waxing  worse  and  worse, 

2  Tim.  3:13.)  now  the  warfare  eomes  («h.  9.)  to  be  exhibited  more 

openly,  will  soon  stand  confessed.’  Woodh. 

V.  12.  Under  the  4lh  trumpet,  Ihe  sun,  moon,  and  stars,  or  the  great 
luminaries  of  the  Roman  empire,  were  eclipsed  and  darkened  :  (Notes, 
6:12 — 14.  Mat.  24:29 — 31.)  for  the  third  part,  though  spoken  of  the  lu¬ 
minaries,  or  the  time  of  their  shining,  seems  still  to  refer  to  the  extent 
of  cite  empire,  as  containing  one  third  of  the  then  known  world.  While 
the  splendor  of  the  eastern  empire  was  greatly  tarnished,  and  it  shone 
but  with  a  feeble  and  almost  expiring  light  ;  that  of  the  western  was 
gradually  extinguished.  1  Genserick  left  it  in  a  weak  and  desperate  con- 
dilicjt :  it  struggled  hard,  and  as  it  were  gasped  for  breath,  during  8  short 
and  turbulent  reigns,  for  the  s'pace  of  20  years,  till  at  length  it  expired, 
A.  I).  476,  under  Motnyllus,  who  was,  in  derision,  called  Augustulus,  or 
the  diminutive  Augustus.’  Bp.  Newton.  Still,  however,  though  the  Ro¬ 
man  sun  was  extinguished,  its  subordinate  luminaries  faintly  shone, 
while  the  senate  and  consuls  continued.  But,  after  several  other  chan¬ 
ges,  at  length,  A.  D.  566,  the  whole  form  of  the  ancient  government  was 
sxtbverted,  and  Rome  itself  was  reduced,  from  being  the  empress  of  the 
world,  to  be  a  poor  dukedom,  tributary  to  the  Exarch  of  Ravenna. — The 
events  of  above  200  years  are  here  predicted  in  6  vs. ;  events  peculiarly 
important  in  themselves,  and  in  their  consequences,  yet  recorded  by 
historians  in  the  most  disorderly  and  intricate  manner.  However 
therefore  it  may  suit  the  design  of  those,  who  confine  their  labor  to  this 
one  part  of  Scripture,  to  enter  into  particulars,  or  to  argue  either  for  or 
against  any  interpretation,  it  cannot  fall  itl  with  the  design  of  a  practi¬ 
cal  exposition  of  the  whole  Word  of  God.  The  author  observes,  with 
satisfaction,  that  the  interpreters  agree  in  the  grand  outline;  and  even 
the  testimony  of  infidels,  when  writing  the  history  of  these  times,  de¬ 
monstrates  Ihe  exact  accomplishment  of  the  prophecy. — ‘  I  have  now 
accomplished  the  laborious  narrative  of  the  decline  and  fall  of  the  Ro¬ 
man  empire,  from  the  fortunate  age  of  Trajan  and  the  Antonines,  to  its 


and  imbitters  and  poisons  all  the  comforts  of  life,  till  tiie  greatest  pros¬ 
perity  is  totally  darkened  and  extinguished,  and  all  ranks  and  orders  of 
men  involved  in  one  common  and  dire  calamity ;  the  messengers  of  the 
Lord  are  ordered  to  proclaim  aloud,  in  all  the  world,  that  still  more 
dreadful  woes  are  in  reserve  for  all  the  impenitent  ‘  workers  of  iniqui¬ 
ty  ;’  for  what  are  all  temporal  evils,  compared  with  ‘the  destruction  of 
body  and  soul  in  hell  ?’  Scott. 


utter  extinction  in  the  west,  about  5  centuries  after  the  Christian  era. 
At  that  unhappy  period,  the  Saxon's  fiercely  struggled  with  the  natives 
for  the  possession  ofBritain  ;  Gaul  and  Spain  were  divided  between  the 
powerful  monarchies  of  the  Franks  and  the  Visigoths,  and  the  depend¬ 
ent  kingdoms  of  the  Sttevi  and  Burgundians;  Africa  was  exposed  to  the 
cruel  persecution  of  the  Vandals,  and  lo  the  savage  instills  of  the 
Moors  ;  Rome  and  Italy,  as  far  as  the  banks  of  the  Danube,  were  afflict¬ 
ed  by  an  army  of  barbarian  mercenaries,  whose  lawless  tyranny  was 
succeeded  by  the  reign  of  Theodorick  the  Ostrogoth.  All  the  subjects 
of  the  empire,  who,  by  the  use  of  the  Latin  language,  more  particularly 
deserved  the  name  anti  privileges  of  Romans,  were  oppressed  by  the 
disgrace  and  calamities  of  foreign  conquest ;  and  the  victorious  nations 
of  Germany  established  a  new  system  of  manners  and  government,  in 
the  western  countries  of  Europe.’  Gibbon. — Can  there  now  be  the 
shadow  of  a  doubt,  concerning  the  exact  accomplishment  of  these  com¬ 
pendious  prophecies,  some  hundreds  of  years  after  they  were  written  ? 
And  who  can  then  hesitate  to  say,  that  John  wrote  by  the  inspiration 
of  that  God,  who  sees  the  end  from  the  beginning?  Scott. 

V.  13.  Angel.]  Bl.  reads,  eagle,  aetou  ;  pat  for  ‘angel  like  an  eagle.’ 
Midst  of  heaven.]  Rather,  between  the  heavens  and  the  earth,  in  the 
sky.  So  IVoodh.  and  Bl.  ‘  Under  the  first  4  trumpets,  which  have  their 
beginning  from  this  period,  the  storm  increases,  (says  IVoodh.)  and  tin¬ 
der  the  last  3,  it  advances  to  its  maturity,  and  produces  the  most  special 
and  desolating  effects,  by  3  distinct  explosions.  The  3  wars  correspond 
to  Ihe  last  3  trumpets,  which,  or  the  ir jc-trutn pets,  are  generally  re¬ 
garded  as  predicting  the  miserable  state  of  the  church  in  the  dark  ages. 
See  also  Bp.  Newton.'  BL  Ed.  ‘  Keith  says,  comtrs.  with  consider¬ 
able  variance  in  the  details,  are  mostly  of  one  mind,  that  the  first  4 
trumpets  denote  the  successive  events  which  caused  the  downfall  of 
Rome,  and  the  5th  and  6lh  characterize  the  Saracen  and  Turkish  [tower. 
Authority  here,  in  some  measure,  supersedes  the  necessity  of  length¬ 
ened  discussion,  and  few  could  elucidate  the  texts  more  clearly,  or  ex¬ 
pound  them  more  fully,  than  has  been  done  by  the  skeptical  philosopher, 
Gibbon  !  Keith  follows  other  writers  in  extracting  largely  from  the 
“  History  of  the  Decline  and  Fall  of  the  Roman  Empire,”  and  notices  the 
manlier  in  which  all  the  industry  and  genius  of  Gibbon  were  unconsci¬ 
ously  devoted  to  the  task,  of  showing  the  form  in  xvhiclra  portion  of  the 
revelation  of  Jesus  Christ  was  developed.  He  who  strove  to  shoxv,  that 
the  Gospel  was  propagated  by  secondary  causes,  has  himself  proved,  by 
the  toil  of  20  years,  and  by  numbers  of  accumulated  facts,  that  such 
causes  hold  hut  a  subordinate  rank  even  in  the  revolutions  of  earthly 
kingdoms  !  To  the  purposes  of  the  Most  High,  the  labors  of  skeptics,  as 
well  as  the  ravages  of  heathens,  may  all  he  made  alike  subservient. 
Anil  they  who,  following  Gibbon,  would  consign  the  work  that  was  of 
God  to  the  sole  agency  of  secondary  causes,  and  think  that  the  Gospel 
of  his  Son  was  the  device  of  human  xvisdom,  and  its  propagation 
through  the  world  the  mere  effect  of  human  means,  may  look  to  the 
result  of  all  this  skeptic’s  labors,  which  fix  him  for  ever  as  a  commen¬ 
tator  on  the  Apocalypse  !’  Henry,  abr. 

NOTES.  Chap.  IX.  V.  1,  2.  (Note,  8:10,  II.)  There  can  scarcely 
remain  a  doubt,  that  these  vs.  predict  the  rise  and  progress  of  Moham¬ 
med  [the  great  destroyer  of  idols,  and  asserter  of  God’s  unity]  and  his 
successors,  as  ruling  over  the  Arabians  or  Saracens.  Early  in  the  7th 
century,  (about  A.  1).  606—608,)  Mohammed  began  to  aver  a  very  extra¬ 
ordinary  intercourse  xvith  God;  declaring,  that  the  angel  Gabriel  was 
frequently  sent  to  him,  lo  teach  a  religion,  which  he  was  to  propagate 

[693] 


A.  D.  95. 


REVELATION,  IX. 


The  bottomless  pit  opened. 


7  And  the  shapes  1  of  the  locusts 
were  like  unto  horses  prepared  un¬ 
to  battle  ;  and  on  their  heads  were 
as  it  were  J  crowns  like  gold,  and 
their  faces  k  were  as  the  faces  of 
men. 

8  And  they  had  hair  as  the  hair 
of  women,  and  their  teeth  1  were  as 
the  teeth  of  lions. 

c  Joel  2:2. 

d  Ex.  10:4,  &c.  9:4.  c.  7:3. 

e  ver.  10.  h  Job  3:21. 

f  c.  6:6.  Je.  8:3. 

g  Ex.  12:23.  i  Joel  2:4. 


i 


Da.  7:4,8. 
I  Pa.  57:4. 
Joel  1:6. 


Rome,  who  assumed  the  title  of  universal 
bishop,  by  the  favor  of  the  emperor  Phocas, 
who,  being  a  usurper  and  tyrant  in  the  state, 
allowed  Boniface  to  be  so  in  the  church,  as 
the  reward  of  his  flattery.  2.  To  this  fallen 
star  was  given  the  key  of  the  bottomless  pit. 
Having  now  ceased  to  be  a  minister  of 
Christ,  he  becomes  the  antichrist,  the  minis¬ 
ter  of  the  devil,  and  his  turnkey,  to  let  loose 
the  powers  of  hell  against  the  churches  of 
Christ.  3.  Upon  the  opening  of  the  bottomless 
pit  there  arose  a  great  smoke,  which  darkened 
the  sun  and  the  air.  The  devils  are  the 
powers  of  darkness,  hell  is  the  place  of  dark¬ 
ness.  The  devil  carries  on  his  designs  by  I 


blinding  the  eyes  of  men,  by  extinguishing 
light  and  knowledge,  and  promoting  ignor¬ 
ance  and  error  ;  he  first  deceives,  then  de¬ 
stroys  ;  wretched  souls  follow  him  in  the 
dark,  or  they  durst  not  follow  him.  4.  Out 
of  this  dark  smoke  there  came  a  swarm  of 
locusts,  one  of  the  plagues  of  Egypt,  the 
devil’s  emissaries  headed  by  antichrist,  all 
the  rout  and  rabble  of  antichristian  orders, 
to  promote  superstition,  idolatry,  error,  and 
cruelty  ;  and  these  had,  by  the  just  permis¬ 
sion  of  God,  power  to  hurt  those  who  had 
not  the  mar.k  of  God  in  their  foreheads.  5. 
The  hurt  they  were  to  do  to  them  was  not  a 
bodily,  but  a  spiritual  hurt  ;  they  should  not, 
in  a  military  way,  destroy  all  by  fire  ami 
sword  ;  the  trees  and  the  grass  should  be 
untouched,  and  those  they  hurt  should  not 
be  slain  ;  it  should  not  be  a  persecution, 
but  a  secret  poison  and  infection  in  their 
souls,  which  should  rob  them  of  their  purity, 
and  afterward  of  their  peace.  6.  They  had 
no  power  so  much  as  to  hurt  those  w  ho  had 
the  seal  of  God  in  their  foreheads.  God’s 
electing,  effectual,  distinguishing  grace  will 
preserve  his  people  from  total  and  final  apos¬ 
tasy.  7.  The  power  given  to  these  factors 
for  hell  is  limited  in  point  of  time, — ; jive 
months,  a  certain  season,  and  but  short, 
though  how  short  we  cannot  tell  :  gospel- 


2  And  he  opened  the  bottomless 
pit;  and  there  arose  a  smoke  out  of 
the  pit,  as  the  smoke  of  a  great  fur¬ 
nace;  and  the  sun  and  the  air  were 
darkened  c  by  reason  of  the  smoke 
of  the  pit. 

3  And  there  came  out  of  the 
smoke  locusts  d  upon  the  earth:  and 
unto  them  was  given  power,  as  the 
scorpions  'of  the  earth  have  power. 

4  And  it  was  commanded  them 
fthat  they  should  not  hurt  the  grass 
of  the  earth,  neither  any  green 
thing,  neither  any  tree  ;  but  only 
those  men  which  have  not  the  seal 
s  of  God  in  their  foreheads. 

5  And  to  them  it  was  given  that 
they  should  not  kill  them,  but  that 
they  should  be  tormented  live 
months:  and  their  torment  was  as 
the  torment  of  a  scorpion,  when  he 
striketh  a  man. 

6  And  in  those  days  shall  men 
hseek  death,  and  shall  not  find  it; 
and  shall  desire  to  die,  and  death 
shall  flee  from  them. 

in  the  world,  being  an  improvement  and  a  perfecting  both  of  the  reli 
gion  of  Moses  and  of  Jesus,  as  at  first  delivered,  and  a  reformation  of 
them  from  subsequent  perversions  and  corruptions.  1 1  is  fabled  journey  to 
heaven  was  announced  some  yrs.  after.  He  pretended,  that  he  had  been 
predicted  in  the  books  ofMoses  ;  but  that  the  Jews  had  expunged  these 
predictions.  He  also  declared,  that  Jesus  had  foretold  his  coming,  under 
the  name  of  Ahmed,  which  signifies  Paraklitos,  very  illustrious,  and  is 
nearly  allied  to  Mohammed.  (It  is  supposed  that  he  mistook  Parakle- 
tos,  the  Comforter,  for  Periklutos.very  illustrious.)  These  pretences  are 
here,  as  it  is  generally  agreed,  described  by  ‘a  star  falling  from  the 
heaven  to  the  earth;’  and  the  emblem  is  the  more  appropriate,  be¬ 
cause  he  shone  with  a  very  conspicuous,  though  pestiferous  light.  The 
key  given  to  him,  to  ‘open  the  bottomless  pit,’  or  the  abyss  of  hell, 
was  a  very  suitable  emblem  of  the  power  and  influence  God  was  pleased 
to  permit  him  to  acquire,  for  the  propagation  of  his  satnnical  delusions. 
3:7.  For  this  most  artful,  politic,  and  prosperous  impostor  gradually  ac¬ 
quired  such  ascendency  among  the  Arabians,  or  Saracens,  to  whom  he 
belonged,  that  they  not  only  received  his  religious  system,  but  enlisted 
under  his  banner,  and  he  led  them  forth  to  conquest,  that  they  might 
by  this  method  compel  others  to  receive  his  doctrine.  In  this  enter¬ 
prise,  he  and  his  successors  were  so  prosperous,  that  the  light  of  Chris¬ 
tianity  was  obscured  ;  and  many  nations,  where  once  it  had  shone,  were 
almost  totally  darkened,  and  infected  with  this  smoke  from  the  abyss. 
Or,  since  the  emblem  of  ‘ a  star’  marks  out  the  ministers  of  Chris¬ 
tianity;  (Note,  1:12 — 20.)  and  so  cannot  apply  to  Mohammed:  and 
since  the  apostate  Nestorian  monk,  Sergius,  or  Baheira,  cannot  on  ac¬ 
count  of  his  obscurity,  be  meant,  as  some  have  supposed,  if  ‘the  fallen 
star,’  &c.  means  some  agent  distinct  from  Mohammed,  who  was  his  fore¬ 
runner,  as  I  conceive  it  does;  I  should  fix  on  the  western  corrupter  of 
Christianity,  whose  ‘  mystery  of  iniquity’  had  been  long  working,  but 
burst  forth  almost  at  the  same  time  with  the  imposture  of  Mohammed. 
2  Thes.  2:3 — 7.  The  worship  of  images,  saints,  and  angels,  prayers  for 
the  dead,  and  many  other  of  the  corruptions  of  popery,  had  at  this  lime 
made  very  great  progress  in  Christendom.  These  corruptions,  of  which 
the  bishop  and  church  of  Rome  were  the  source,  centre,  or  principal 
support,  evidently  prepared  the  way  for  Mohammed,  in  connexion  with 
the  wickedness  of  the  professors  and  ministers  of  Christianity;  and 
furnished  him  with  his  most  plausible  pretexts  ;  and  so  the  ‘  fallen  star,’ 
the  western  antichrist,  (if  that  name  may  for  brevity’s  sake  be  used,) 
opened  the  door  for  Mohammed  and  his  imposture,  i.  e.  for  the  eastern 
antichrist.  It  appears  clearly,  that  not  an  individual,  no,  not  Moham¬ 
med,  as  considered  apart  from  the  Caliphs  his  successors,  is  meant,  ei¬ 
ther  by  ‘  the  fallen  star,’  or  ‘  the  angel  of  the  abyss  ;  ’  but  a  succession 
of  men,  or  associated  bodies  of  men,  carrying  on  from  generation  to 
generation  the  same  design.  And,  as  the  corrupters  of  Christianity 
made  way  for  the  imposture  of  Mohammed,  and  the  apostasy  which  it 
occasioned;  who  can  more  properly  he  designated  by  ‘the  star  fallen 
from  heaven  to  earth,’  ‘and  opening  the  abyss,’  than  they  ?  (See  Fa¬ 
ber,  Vol.  II.  29 — 33.) — ‘  The  Christians  of  the  7th  century  relapsed  into 
a  semblance  of  Paganism  ;  their  public  and  private  vows  were  addressed 
to  the  relics  and  images,  that  disgraced  the  temples  of  the  east.  The 
throne  of  the  Almighty  was  darkened  by  a  crowd  of  martyrs,  and  saints, 
and  angels,  the  objects  of  popular  veneration  ;  and  the  Collyridian  her¬ 
etics,  who  flourished  in  the  fruitful  soil  of  Arabia,  invested  the  Virgin 
with  the  name  and  honors  of  a  goddess.’  Gibbon. — (1)  Bottomless  pit.] 
Gr.  The  pit,  or  well,  of  the  abyss.  11.  11:7.  17-.8.  20:1,3.  Luke  8:31. 
Gen.  1:2.  Ps.  106:9.  Sept.  Scott. 

(1.)  Bottomless  pit.)  That  part  of  Hades  or  hell,  called  Gehenna, 
the  place  of  prison  and  punishment  for  wicked  angels  and  men.  This 
key,  its  Master  (1:18.)  commits  to  him  for  a  time,  for  a  special  purpose 
only.  Ed. 

V.  3 — 5.  ‘Out  of  the  smoke’  above  mentioned,  ‘came  locusts;’  i.  e. 
great  armies  of  Arabians,  or  Saracens,  were  raised,  by  means  of  Moham¬ 
med’s  imposture,  to  spread  desolations  through  the  nations.  E v.  10:6, 
13.  Joel\  A — 7.  2:4,  5,  7 — 9,18 — 20.  They  resembled  locusts  in  their 
numbers,  and  they  came  from  the  same  regions,  whence  the  largest 
swarms  of  those  destructive  insects  have  in  all  ages  arisen.  I.ocusts  are 
said  to  be  bred  in  pits  and  caverns,  and  these  proceeded  from  ‘  the 
smoke,  which  came  out  of  the  bottomless  pit.’  Yet,  at  the  same  time, 
they  also  resembled  scorpions,  the  sting  of  which  gives  extreme  pain, 

[694] 


and  often  proves  mortal.  Thus,  whilst  locusts  destroy  the  fruits  of  the 
earth,  yet  do  not  hurt  the  bodies  of  men  ;  these  mystical  locusts  were 
commanded  not  ‘to  hurt  the  grass,’  or  other  vegetable  productions; 
but  only  ‘  those  men,  who  had  not  the  seal  of  God  upon  their  foreheads; 
and  it  is  remarkable,  that  the  Saracen  armies  were  expressly  laid  tinder 
a  similar  injunction. — When  Yezed  was  marching  xvilh  his  army  to 
invade  Syria,  Abubeker  charged  him  with  this,  among  other  orders,  De¬ 
stroy  no  palm  trees,  nor  burn  any  fields  of  corn  ;  cut  down  no  fruit- 
trees,  nor  do  any  mischief  to  cattle,  only  such  as  you  kill  to  eat.’  Bp. 
Newton.  Corrupt  and  hypocritical  professors  of  Christianity  were  es¬ 
pecially  meant  by  ‘  those  men,  who  had  not  the  seal  of  God  in  their 
foreheads;’  which  fully  proves,  that  something  wholly  distinct  from 
outward  baptism,  and  exclusively  belonging  to  true  Christians,  is  de¬ 
noted  by  that  emblem.  6:5,6.  7:1 — 3. — Now,  it  is  well  known,  that 
the  Saracens  extended  their  conquests  principally  in  those  countries, 
where  the  worship  of  saints  and  angels,  and  other  corruptions  of  Chris¬ 
tianity,  prevailed  ;  whilst  the  places  where  religion  was  preserved  more 
pure,  were  sheltered  from  their  fury;  and,  no  doubt,  God  permitted  this 
scourge  to  come  on  the  nations,  where  his  Gospel  was  perverted,  fur 
their  correction  or  punishment. — It  was  also  predicted,  that  thev  would 
be  restrained  from  killing  those,  whom  they  were  commissioned  to  tor¬ 
ment;  but  as  immense  multitudes  were  slain  by  these  cruel  victors, 
this  cannot  with  propriety  be  interpreted  literally-,  and  it  evidently 
means,  that  they  would  be  empowered  durably  to  ravage,  harass,  and 
disturb  the  nations  and  the  church  ;  but  not  utterly  to  destroy  them. — 
‘They  might  kill  them  as  individuals,  but  still  they  should  not  kill  them 
as  a  political  body,  as  a  state,  or  empire.’  Bp.  Newton.— Accordingly, 
they  miserably  desolated  and  oppressed,  both  the  Greek  and  Latin 
churches,  and  the  nations  in  which  they  were  established,  but  they 
could  not  totally  extirpate  them ;  they  repeatedly  besieged  Constanti¬ 
nople,  but  were  always  repulsed  ;  they  even  plundered  Rome,  but  they 
could  not  make  themselves  permanently  masters  of  it ;  they  took  from 
the  eastern  empire  many  of  its  richest  provinces,  but  they  could  not 
utterly  subvert  it.— Moreover,  it  was  predicted,  that  they  should  distress 
and  torment  mankind,  during  ‘five  months,’  according  to  the  term  of 
life,  which  naturalists  assign  to  locusts  (10).  These  months  consisting 
of  30  days,  and  each  day  denoting  a  year,  amount  to  150  years ;  and 
Mohammed  first  began  publicly  to  propagate  his  imposture,  A.  D.  612; 
and  A.  D.  762,  (just  150  years  afterwards,)  the  city  of  Bagdad  was 
builded,  the  Saracens  ceased  from  their  ravages,  and  became  a  settled 
people;  they  made  no  more  rapid  conquests,  and  obtained  no  further 
accession  to  their  power,  which  thenceforth  began  to  decline.  They 
then  ceaseil  to  he  locusts ;  though  this  ‘woe-trumpet’  continued  much 
longer,  as  it  will  presently  he  seen. — These  invaders  speedily  conquered 
Palestine,  Syria,  Armenia,  almost  all  Asia  Minor,  Persia,  India,  Egypt, 
Nuinidia,  Barbary,  Spain,  Portugal,  part  of  Italy,  and  the  principal 
islands  in  the  Mediterranean  sea.  Scott. 

(3.)  Locusts.]  See  a  full  account  of  these  in  Rob.  Calm.  Ed. 

(5.)  Five  months.]  ‘  With  allusion,  it  is  supposed,  to  the  very  period 
of  locusts,  which  are  hatched  in  spring,  and  die  at  the  end  of  summer.’ 
Bl. — Not  kill  ]  ‘  The  whole  description  is  highly  metaphorical,  and  so, 
as  it  may' reasonably  appear,  is  this  death.  Why  not  here  as  well  as  at 
11:7 — 9,  <fcc.  The  persons  who  suffer  under  this  plague,  do  not  die 
spiritually.  They  lose  not  altogether  their  life  in  Christ,  whose  name 
they’  profess,  although  they  have  renounced  his  purer  doctrines  and 
laws  :  they  may  yet  repent,  and  return  to  Him  and  live.  But  the  hor¬ 
rible  superstitions  they  adopt,  under  the  influence  of  their  hellish  teach¬ 
ers,  take  away  from  them  the  comforts  of  pure  Christianity,  and  render 
the  religion  that  is  left,  though  it  may  perchance  be  nominally  Christian, 
a  torment,  from  which  they  wish  to  be  relieved,  but  in  vain.’  IFoodh., 
who  differs  from  others  as  to  these  ‘  locusts.’  Id. 

V.  7 — 10.  The  shape  of  these  figurative  ‘  locusts,’  was  next  de¬ 
scribed.  Now  the  Arabians  were  remarkable  for  their  skill  in  horse¬ 
manship,  and  their  chief  force  lay  in  cavalry.  Joel.  2:1 — 6.  The 
‘crowns  on  t heir  heads  like  gold,’  may  denote  the  turbans,  xvhich  the 
Arabians  have  always  worn  ;  or  it  may  refer  to  the  many  kingdoms 
they  subjected  to  their  dominion.  They  had  ‘  faces,  like  men,’  but  they 
wore  their  hair  like  women,  plaited,  or  flowing  down  their  hacks  ;  and 
the  Arabians  are  known  to  have  done  this.  The  ‘  teeth,  as  of  lions,’ 
which  are  ascribed  to  them,  represented  their  strength  and  fury  to  de- 


A.  D.  95. 


■REVELATION,  IX. 


The  sixth  trumpet  sounded. 


9  Ami  they  had  breastplates,  as 
it  were  breastplates  of  iron  ;  and 
the  sound  of  their  wings  teas  as  the 
sound  of  “chariots  of  many  horses 
running  to  battle. 

10  And  they  had  tails  like  unto 
scorpions,  and  there  were  stings  in 
their  tails:  and  “  their  power  was  to 
hurt  men  five  months. 

11  And  they  had  a  king  0  over 
them,  xohick  is  the  angel  of  the  bot¬ 
tomless  pit,  whose  name  in  the  He¬ 
brew  tongue  is  Abaddon,  but  in  the 
Greek  tongue  hath  his  name  r 
Apollyon. 

1-2  One'' woe  is  past;  and,  behold, 
there  come  two  woes  more  here¬ 
after. 

13  And  the  sixth  angel  sounded, 
and  1  heard  a  voice  from  the  four 
horns  of  the  golden  altar  which  is 
before  God, 

14  Saying  to  the  sixth  angel 
which  had  the  trumpet,  Loose  the 


four  angels  which  arc  bound  in  the 
great  river  r  Euphrates. 

m  Na.  2:4.  p  That  is,  a  de-  r  fie.  2:14.  Je. 

n  vcr.  5.  tlroytr.  51:63.  c«  16:12. 

o  Kp.  2:2.  q  c.  8:13. 

seasons  have  their  limits,  and  times  of  se¬ 
duction  a  limit  too.  8.  Though  short,  it 
would  ho  very  sharp,  insomuch,  that  those 
who  were  made  to  feel  the  malignity  of  this 
poison  in  their  consciences,  would  he  weary 
of  their  lives,  v.  6.  9.  These  locusts  were  of 
a  monstrous  size  and  shape,  r.7,S,  &c.  They 
were  equipped  for  their  work  like  horses 
prepared  to  battle  ;  had  crowns  like  gold  on 
their  heads,  indicative  of  assumed  authority 
and  seeming  victory  ;  had  the  show  of  wis¬ 
dom  and  sagarity,  the  faces  of  men,  though 
the  spirit  of  devils  ;  had  all  the  allurements 
of  seeming  beauty,  to  ensnare  and  defile  the 
minds  of  men,  hair  like  women  J  their  way 
of  worship  was  very  gaudy  and  ornamental  : 
though  they  appeared  with  the  tenderness 
of  women,  they  had  the  teeth  of  lions,  were 
really  cruel  ;  they  had  the  defence  and  pro¬ 
tection  of  earthly  powers,  breastplates  of  iron ; 
they  made  a  mighty  noise  in  the  world,  from 
one  country  to  another,  like  that  of  an  army 


with  chariots  and  horses  ;  at  first  they  sooth¬ 
ed  and  .flattered,  but  there  was  a  sting  in 
their  tails  ;  the  cup  of  their  abominations, 
though  luscious  at  first,  would  at  length  bite 
like  a  serpent,  and  sting  like  an  adder. 
The  king  and  commander  of  this  hellish 
squadron  is  here  described  as  an  an»el  ;  so 
he  was  by  nature,  once  an  angel  of  heaven  ; 
and  he  is  an  angel  still,  but  a  fallen  angel, 
fallen  into  the  bottomless  pit,  vastly  large, 
and  out  of  which  there  is  no  recovery.  In 
these  infernal  regions  he  is  a  sort  of  prince 
and  governor,  and  has  the  powers  of  dark¬ 
ness  tinder  his  rule  and  command.  His 
true  name  is  Abaddon,  Apollyon,  a  destroyer, 
for  that  is  his  successful  business,  in  which 
he  takes  a  horrid,  hellish  pleasure  ;  about 
this  destroying  work  he  sends  out  his  emis¬ 
saries  and  armies  to  destroy  the  souls  of 
men.  And  now  here  we  have  the  end  of 
one  woe  ;  and  where  one  ends,  another 
begins. 

V.  13—21.  I.  The  preface,  v.  13,  14. 
The  power  of  the  church’s  enemies  is  re¬ 
strained,  till  God  gives  the  word  to  have 
them  turned  loose.  When  nations  are  ripe 
for  punishment,  those  instruments  of  God’s 
anger,  before  restrained,  are  now  let  loose 


stroy  ;  whilst  their  1  breastplates  of  iron,’  [in  which  their  artists  hail 
great  skill,]  showed  their  care  to  protect  themselves,  by  defensive  ar¬ 
mor,  i.  e.  by  the  most  effectual  public  measures.  The  sound  of  their 
wings  prefigured  the  fury  with  which  they  assaulted  their  enemies,  and 
the  rapidity  of  their  conquests.  Hut  though  they  devoured  and  caused 
desolations,  like  locusts,  yet  the  principal  mischief  which  they  did  was 
effected  by  their  tails,  in  which  they  had  1  sl  ings  like  those  of  scorpions 
for,  wherever  they  extended  their  conquests,  they  left  behind  them  the 
poison  of  their  abominable  religion  ;  so  that  the  consequences  of  their  vic¬ 
tories  were  fir  more  mischievous,  than  the  slaughter  made  by  them.  Sc. 

(7.)  Faces  of  men.]  ‘  Ignatius,  who  wrote  at  the  time  the  Gnostic 
heresy  began  to  prevail,  calls  these  deceivers  thSria  anthropomorpha, 
wild  beasts,  under  Hie  appearance  of  men.’  *  Such  invaders,  led  on  by 
an  evil  angel,  (probably  Satan,)  from  the  depths  of  hell,  must  have 
for  their  object  the  Christian  church,  the  heritage  of  Christ.  If  they  as¬ 
sail  by  force  of  arms,  how  can  the  sealed  escape  ?  Under  such  circum¬ 
stances,  the  faithful  undergo  their  share  of  common  calamity,  but  from  a 
pestilential  heresy  they  might  and  would  be  secure.  Their  principles 
and  practice,  and  the  seal  of  God,  would  save  them.  We  collect  from 
Scripture,  that  such  heresies  were  pre-ordained  to  try  and  prove  the 
Christians,  1  Cor.  11:19.  And  we  find  early  writers,  who  plainly  refer 
this  to  the  first  great  host  of  corrupters  who  overspread  the  Christian 
church.’  Woodh. 

(7 — 10.)  1  Niebuhr  remarks,  “  an  Arab  of  the  desert,  near  Hassorah, 

informed  of  a  singular  comparison  of  the  locust  with  other  animals. 
The  terrible  locust  of  Rev.  9.  not  then  occurring  to  me,  1  regarded  the 
comparison  as  a  jest  of  the  Redouin  Arab,  and  paid  no  attention  to  it, 
till  it  was  repeated  by  another  from  Hagdad.  It  was  thus  : — he  com¬ 
pared  the  locust’s  head  to  that  of  a  horse  ;  its  hreast  to  that  of  a  lion  ; 
its  feet  to  those  of  the  camel ;  its  body  to  that  of  the  serpent ;  its  tail  to 
that  of  the  scorpion  ;  its  horns,  (antenna,)  1  think,  to  the  locks  of  hair 
of  a  virgin,  &c.  The  Italians  call  them  cavallettc,  little  horses  ;  and 
the  Germans,  Heupferde.'  Robinson’s  Calmet.  Ed. 

(10.)  ‘The  face  in  its  perfection  is  peculiar  to  man,  the  tail  to 
brutes  :  the  brutal  part  is  employed  to  overthrow  pure  religion,  by  the 
indulgence  of  brutal  passions.  Sheltered  under  the  Gnostic  doctrines, 
the  most  loose  and  debasing  morality  prevailed  in  a  great  part  of  the 
world,  professedly  Christian.’  Woodh. 

V.  11.  The  king  over  these  locusts,  who  was  ‘the  angel  of  the 
abyss,’  or  a  messenger  from  the  abyss,  may  signify  their-Caliphs  in  suc¬ 
cession,  who  were  the  chief  priests  of  their  religion,  the  commanders  of 
their  armies,  and  their  emperors.  The  name  of  this  king,  even  ‘  the  de- 
strover,’  (for  so  the  word  means  in  both  languages,)  was  peculiarly 
suitable  to  a  succession  of  rulers,  who  murdered  both  the  bodies  and 
souls  of  men,  by  the  same  malignant  expeditions,  as  they  seemed  to  be 
Satan  the  first  murderer’s  vicegerents  and  visible  representatives  upon 
earth. — pverv  circumstance  of  this  emblematical  prediction  so  exactly 
accords  to  the  Saracens,  and  so  little  suits  the  church  or  hierarchy  of 
Rome,  or  any  of  their  religious  orders,  (who  gained  their  advantage  by 
priestcraft,  not  by  arms,)  that  there  can  be  no  propriety  in  attempting 
to  explain  it  of  them,  especially  as  they  are  described  witli  sufficient 
precision  in  what  follows.  Prophecies  have  a  determinate  moaning,  and 
by  giving  loose  to  a  lively  imagination,  to  find  distant  resemblances,  we 
are  more  like  to  perplex,  than  to  satisfy  the  inquirer.  Scott. 

(11.)  1  Woodh.  considers,  that  the  prophetic  representation  of  the  lo¬ 
custs,  was  probably  fulfilled  by  the  first  general  and  extensive  apostasy, 
that  of  the  Gnostics.  He  enters  into  the  particulars,  showing  their  ful¬ 
filment  in  some  striking  instances.  [See  note,  end  of  ch.]  [but  with  less 
success  than  usual,  says  Bl.]  Horsley  considers,  that  the  apocalyptic 
locusts  represent-  heretics,  not  soldiers.  The  generality  of  the  com¬ 
mentators,  however,  apply  the  Sth  trumpet  to  the  Saracens,  restricting 
the  6th  to  the  Turks.  Woodh.  considers,  that  the  6lh  includes  the  rav¬ 
ages  of  Mohammedistn  generally.  A  few  of  the  commentators  refer 
these  trumpets  to  the  monastic  orders,  but  almost  all  the  writers  of  the 
middle  ages,  and  many  in  the  reformed  churches,  understood  the  swarms 
of  locusts  as  denoting  swarms  of  heretics.  Mede  seems  to  have  been  the 
first  expositor  of  note  who  interpreted  the  5th  trumpet  of  Mohammed. 
Hutcheson  would  still  apply  it  to  the  pope.’  Henry,  abr. 

V.  12.  After  the  apostle  had  seen  these  things,  he  was  informed, 
that  ‘one  woe  was  past,  and  two’  others  were  coming. — ‘This  is 
added,  not  only  to  distinguish  the  woes,  and  to  mark  more  strongly 
each  period,  but  also  to  suggest,  that  some  time  will  elapse  between 


this  first  woe  of  the  Arabian  locusts,  and  the  next  of  the  Euphratean 
horsemen.’  Bp.  Newton.  13 — 15.  It  also  serves  to  fix  the  order  of 
time,  in  respect  of  the  predicted  events.  Scott. 

V.  13 — 15.  Tile  ‘voice  from  the  horns  of  the  altar,’  on  which  incense 
used  to  be  burned,  strongly  indicated,  that  the  judgments  about  to  be 
predicted,  were  appointed  to  punish  men  for  corrupting  the  Gospel,  and 
so  turning  it  into  ‘  the  savor  of  death’  and  condemnation.  8:1 — 6.  2  Cor. 
2:14 — 17. — After  the  6th  angel  had  sounded  his  trumpet,  he  was  ordered 
to  ‘  loose  the  4  angels,  who  had  been  bound  near  the  Euphrates  ;’  which 
was  done  accordingly.  This  is  explained,  by  the  most  approved  inter¬ 
preters,  according  to  the  emblematical  style  of  the  prophecy,  to  he  a  pre¬ 
diction,  that  the  Turks,  or  Othmans,  who  had  hitherto  been  restrained 
beyond  the  Euphrates,  would  be  released  from  that  restraint,  and  pro¬ 
ceed  to  make  conquests  to  the  W.  of  that  river.  The  only  material 
objection  to  this  interpretation  is  drawn  from  thedistance  of  time,  which 
intervened  between  the  events  before  predicted,  and  the  victorious  inva¬ 
sions  of  the  Turks.  But  this  is  readily  answered,  by  observing,  that 
‘  the  3  woe-trumpets’  must  necessarily  take  in  all  the  intervening  time, 
between  the  subversion  of  the  western  empire,  and  the  destruction  of 
the  beast,  which  is  yet  to  be  expected.  Note,  11:13,14.  The  Saracens 
continued  to  possess,  though  they  did  not  extend,  their  dominions,  till 
the  Turks  supplanted  them,  and  all  this  time  properly  belongs  to  the  1st 
woe-trumpet.  Indeed,  no  other  events  can  be  found  in  history,  satisfac¬ 
torily  correspondent  to  the  discoveries  made  after  this  2d  woe-trumpet ; 
nor  any  other,  which  will  not  leave  a  far  greater  distance,  between  it  and 
the  3d  woe-trumpet,  than  this  interpretation  leaves  between  the  1st  and 
the  2d.  (Note,  11 :15 — 1 8.) — The  Turks  pouring  into  Persia,  and  the  re¬ 
gions  bordering  on  the  Euphrates,  in  the  11th  century,  established  4sul- 
tanies,  or  kingdoms,  in  those  parts  :  but  they  were  prevented  from  mak¬ 
ing  further  conquests;  especially  by  the  Croisades,  or  religious  wars, 
waged  in  that  and  the  2  following  centuries,  by  the  western  Christians, 
who  attempted  to  wrest  Palestine  out  of  the  hands  of  the  infidels.  But 
when  these  ruinous  projects  were  finally  abandoned,  the  ‘  4  angels  which 
had  been  bound  in  the  Euphrates,’  who  were  emblems  of  these  4  sulla- 
nics,  ‘were  loosed.’  Then  the  Turks,  uniting  together,  began  their  rav¬ 
ages  and  victories;  and  made  great  havoc  among  the  inhabitants  of  that 
part  of  the  world,  which  had  constituted  the  Roman  empire,  and  which 
we  have  often  read  of,  as  ‘  the  third  part  of  men.’  (Note,  8:7.)  The 
western  empire  had  been  broken  to  pieces  under  the  first  4  trumpets , 
(Notes,  8:)  the  eastern  had  been  nearly  ruined  under  the  5th  ;  and  under 
the  6th  it  was  finally  subverted.  The  Turks  conquered  all  the  countries, 
which  had  belonged  to  it.  A.  I).  1453  thev  took  Constantinople,  and 
thus  brought  to  an  end  the  whole  Imperial  power,  which  originally  be¬ 
longed  to  Rome. — These  powers  were  prepared  for  a  certain  fixed  time, 
which,  being  computed  by  a  year  for  each  day,  according  to  the  prophet¬ 
ic  manner,  and  12  months,  of  30  days  each,  being  allowed  to  the  year 
here  mentioned,  i.  e.  360  days,  or  years;  30  more  being  added  for  the 
month,  and  1  for  the  day  ;  the  whole  amounts  to  391  years  and  15  days. 
Now  the  first  conquest  of  the  Turks  over  the  Christians  look  place, 
A.  D.  1281  :  and  the  last  success,  by  which  they  extended  their  domin¬ 
ions,  xvas  A.  D.  1072  ;  being  exactly  391  years  from  the  one  to  the  oilier. 
So  that  one  of  their  historians  (Prince  Cantemir)  here  divides  his  narra¬ 
tive,  calling  the  former  part  ‘The  growth  of  the  Othman  Empire,’  the 
latter,  ‘  The  decay  of  the  Othman  Empire.’  Since  that  period,  they  have 
had  little  success  in  any  of  their  wars ;  and  their  power  is  so  much 
weakened  and  straitened  at  present,  by  the  rival  power  of  Russia,  that  it 
is  not  at  all  probable,  they  will  ever  recover  their  ascendency,  or  renew 
their  conquests.  Had  we  records  of  these  events  sufficiently  exact,  we 
should  no  doubt  find,  that  the  half  hour,  or  15  days,  was  fixed  with  the 
same  punctuality  by  the  Spirit  of  prophecy. — Though  the  term  of  their 
‘slaying  the  3d  part  of  men,  or  that  during  which  they  would  extend 
their  ravages  and  conquests,  was  predicted ;  yet  that  of  the  duration  of 
their  empire  was  not ;  but  it  will  end  after  the  sounding  of  the  third  woe- 
trumpet.  (11:14.) — ‘Ur.  Lloyd, ...  bishop  of  Worcester,  who  baa  now  for 
above  twenty  years,  been  studying  the  Revelations  with  an  amazing 
diligence  and  exactness,  had  long  before  this  year  said,  The  peace  be¬ 
tween  the  Turks  and  the  papal  Christians,  was  certainly  to  be  made  in 
the  year  1698,  which  he  made  out  thus;  the  4  angels  mentioned  in  . .  . 
Rev.  that  were  bound  in  the  river  Euphrates,  which  he  expounds  to  be 
the  captains  of  the  Turkish  forces,  that  till  then  were  subject  to  the  sul¬ 
tan  at  Babylon,  were  to  be  loosed,  and  freed  from  that  yoke,  and  set  up 
for  themselves.  And  these  were  prepared  to  slay  the  third  part  of  men, 

[695] 


A.  D.  95. 


REVELATION,  IX. 


The  Euphratean  horsemen. 


wood:  which  neither 
hear,  nor  walk: 

w  c.  7:4. 


s  or,  at. 
t  c.  8:7 — 0. 
u  E'.e.  38:4. 

Da.  11:40. 
▼  P«.  68:17. 


1  Ch  12:8. 
Is.  5  28,29. 
y  Is.  9:15. 
Ep.  4:14. 


on  them,  v.  14.  The  instruments  God 
makes  use  of  to  punish  a  people,  may  some¬ 
times  lie  at  a  great  distance  from  them,  so 
that  no  danger  may  be  apprehended  from 
them.  These  four  messengers  of  divine 
judgment  lay  bound  in  tlve  river  Euphrates, 
a  great  way  from  the  European  nations. 
Here,  the  Turkish  power  had  its  rise,  which 
seems  to  be  the  story  of  this  vision. 

II.  The  vision  itself,  v.  15,  16.  The 
time  of  their  military  operations  and  execu¬ 
tions  is  limited  to  ail  hour,  and  a  day,  and 
a  month,  and  a  year.  Prophetic  characters 
of  time  are  hardly  to  be  understood  by  us  ; 
but  in  general  the  time  is  fixed  to  an  hour, 
when  it  shall  begin,  and  when  it  shall  end  ; 
and  how  far  the  execution  shall  prevail, 
even  to  a  third  part  of  the  inhabitants  of  the 
earth.  The  army  to  execute  this  great  com¬ 
mission,  is  mustered,  and  the  number  of 
horsemen  found  ;  but  we  are  left  to  guess 
what  the  infantry  must  be.  In  general,  it 
tells  us,  the  armies  of  the  Mahometan  em¬ 
pire  should  be  vastly  great;  and  so  it.  is  cer¬ 
tain^  they  were.  We  have  their  formidable 
equipage  and  appearance,  v.  17.  horses 
fierce,  like  lions,  and  eager  for  the  battle  ; 
riders  clad  in  bright  and  costly  armor,  with 
all  the  ensigns  of  martial  courage,  zeal, 
and  resolution.  They  make  vast  havoc  and 


15  And  the  four  angels  were 
loosed,  which  were  prepared  •  for 
an  hour,  and  a  day,  and  a  month, 
and  a  year,  for  to  slay  the  third  1 
part  of  men. 

16  And  the  number  of  the  army 
u  of  the  horsemen  were  two  hundred 
thousand . v  thousand  :  and  I  heard 
the  w  number  of  them. 

17  And  thus  I  saw  the  horses  in 
the  vision,  and  them  that  sat  on 
them,  having  breastplates  of  fire, 
and  of  jacinth,  and  brimstone:  and 
the  heads  of  the  horses  were  as  the 
heads  of  x  lions  :  and  out  of  their 
mouths  issued  fire,  and  smoke,  and 
brimstone. 

18  By  these  three  was  the  third 
part  of  men  killed,  by  the  fire,  and 
by  the  smoke,  and  by  the  brimstone, 
which  issued  out  of  their  mouths. 

19  For  their  power  is  in  their 
mouth,  and  in  their  tails  :  for  their 
tails  y  were  like  unto  serpents,  and 
had  heads,  and  with  them  they  do 
hurt. 

20  And  the  rest  of  the  men,  which 
were  not  killed  by  these  plagues,  yet 
*  repented  not  of  the  works  of  their 
hands,  that  they  should  not  worship 
‘devils,  and  b  idols  of  gold,  and  sil¬ 
ver,  and  brass,  and  stone,  and  of 

for  tin  hour,  a  day,  a  month,  and  a  year'.  Ife  reckons  the  year,  in  St. 
John,  as  the  Julian  year  of  365  days  :  a  month  is  30  of  these  days,  and  a 
day  makes  one  :  which,  added  to  the  former  number  makes  396.  Now, 
he  proves,  from  historians,  that  Ottoman  came,  and  began  his  conquests 
at  Prousse,  in  the  year  1302 ;  to  which  the  former  number,  in  which  they 
were  to  slay  the  third  part  of  men,  being  added,  it  must  end  in  the  year 
1693.  And  though  the  historians  do  not  mark  the  hour,  or  the  12lh  part 
of  the  day,  or  year;  yet  he  is  eonfident,  if  that  ever  is  known,  that  the 
prophecy  will  be  found,  in  that,  to  be  punctually  accomplished.  After 
this,  he  thinks,  their  time  of  hurting  the  papal  Christians  is  at  an  end. 
They  may,  indeed,  still  do  mischief  to  the  Muscovites,  or  persecute  their 
own  Christian  subjects,  but  they  can  do  no  more  hurt  to  the  papalins.’ 
Bp.  Burnet's  Hist,  of  his  own  Time.—  In  several  subordinate  particulars, 
this  statement  differs  from  thnt  above  given;  which  seems  to  be  the 
more  exact,  both  as  to  llte  beginning  of  the  Othman’s  successes,  and 
the  close  of  them ;  and  also  of  the  method  hy  xvhich  the  time  should  be 
computed.  Yet  the  grand  outline  of  interpretation  is  the  same:  and, 
considering  the  date  of  Bishop  Lloyd’s  conclusions,  which  preceded  the 
final  successes  of  the  Othmans,  but  which  have,  for  substance,  been  ver¬ 
ified  for  much  above  100  years,  they  may  justly  be  considered  as  extra¬ 
ordinary  ;  and  as  an  important  proof  of  the  true  meaning  of  the  proph¬ 
ecy,  and  of  its  exact  accomplishment.  tNote,  16:12 — 16.)  Scott. 

(13,  14.)  ‘The  voice  passed  from  the  throne,  through  the  horns  of  the 
altar  :  it  bespeaks  the  wrath  of  God,  kindling  on  a  religious  account,  and 
a  severe  visitation  on  the  Christian  church.’  IVoodh.  Four  angels.]  ‘  De¬ 
noting  four  governments  of  Turks,  located  near  Euphrates.  Four  gov¬ 
ernments  of  Seljukian  Turks  were  indeed  found  there;  at  Aleppo,  Iconi- 
ttm,  Damascus,  Bagdat.’  jE.  Smith.  But,  says  Vitr.,  the  leaders  are 
meant,  as  in  the  foregoing  trumpet-woe,  when  ’lie  host  of  assailants 
have  an  evil  angel  for  their  leader  or  king.  Bound..]  I.  e.  not  permitted 
to  move  in  the  execution  of  the  commission,  till  a  certain  hour,  day, 
month,  year,  when  the  iniquity  of  the  men  should  be  ripe  for  such  a 
punishment.  The  number  four  is  used  in  prophecy  indefinitely  for  a 
large  and  perfect  number.  Dan.  11:4.  Mat.  24:31.  Rev.  7:1.  The  decree 
was  full,  and  not  a  horn  of  the  altar  left  on  which  to  make  an  expiation 
for  its  reversal.’  Woodh. 

V.  16.  The  number  of  the  army  of  horsemen  was  declared  to  be 
200,000,000,  twice  ten  thousand  times  ten  thousand;  i.  e.  an  immense 
multitude,  a  very  large  definite  number  being  put  for  an  indefinite. 
(.Vote,  5:11 — 14.)  Accordingly,  the  Turks  brought  vast  armies  into  the 
field,  often  to  the  amount  of  4,  5,  6,  or  700,000  men,  chiefly  cavalry  :  and 
when  the  whole  multitude  of  those  is  considered,  who  were  employed  in 
this  manner  during  the  conquests  of  391  years,  we  shall  see  the  propri¬ 
ety  of  the  apostle’s  strong  prophetical  language.  Scott. 

V.  17 — 19.  The  apostle  likewise  saw  both  ‘  the  horses  and  their  riders,’ 
in  his  vision,  as  having  ‘breastplates  of  fire,  hyacinth,  and  brimstone;’ 
which  may  be  considered  as  representing  the  scarlet,  blue,  and  yellow 
colors,  for  which  they  have  always  been  remarkable.  The  horses’  heads, 
like  those  of  lions,  denoted  their  strength,  courage,  and  fierceness  :  and 
‘  the  fire,  smoke,  and  brimstone,  which  issued  out  of  their  mouths,  and 
killed  the  third  part  of  men,’  appears  to  me  an  evident  and  most  aston¬ 
ishing  prediction  of  the  use  of  gunpowder  and  of  artillery,  which  were 
first  invented  about  this  period,  and  which  the  Turks  employed  with 
great  success  in  their  wars,  especially  in  the  siege  of  Constantinople; 
when  immensely  large  guns  were  used,  so  that  one  of  them  is  said  to 
have  carried  a  stone  of  300  pounds  weight.  By  these,  the  walls  of  that 
city  were  at  length  battered  down,  which  made  way  for  the  final  de¬ 
struction  of  that  empire. — These  tremendous  conquerors,  before  whom 
desolation  marched,  and  from  whose  mouths  ‘  fire,  and  smoke,  and 
brimstone  issued,’  not  only  slew  men  in  battle,  when  they  faced  them; 
but  they  had  tails  like  serpents,  with  heads  on  them,  with  which  they 
hurt  men,  as  bv  an  envenomed  bite.  That  is,  the  Othmans  or  Turks  left 

[696] 


can  see,  nor 


z  Je.  5:3.  8:0. 
n  Le.  17:7. 

1  Co  10:70. 
b  Ps.  135:15. 
Is.  40:19,20. 


desolation  in  tlte  Roman  empire,  now  be¬ 
come  antichristian  ;  a  third  part  were 
killed.  The  artillery,  by  which  they  made 
such  slaughter,  is  described  by  fire,  smoke, 
and  brimstone,  issuing  out  of  the  mouths  of 
their  horses,  and  stings  in  their  tails.  Mr. 
Mede’s  opinion  is,  that  this  is  a  prediction 
of  great  guns,  those  instruments  of  cruelty, 
which  make  such  destruction  :  he  observes, 
These  were  first  used  by  the  Turks  at  the 
siege  of  Constantinople,  and,  being  new  and 
strange,  were  very  terrible,  and  did  great 
execution.  However,  here  seems  to  be  an 
allusion  to  what  is  mentioned  in  the  former 
vision,  that,  as  antichrist  had  his  forces  of 
a  spiritual  nature,  like  scorpions,  poisoning 
the  minds  of  men  with  error  and  idolatry; 
so  the  Turks,  who  were  raised  up  to  punish 
the  antichristian  apostasy,  had  their  scor¬ 
pions  and  their  stings  too,  to  hurt  and  kill 
their  bodies,  who  had  been  the  murderers  of 
so  many  souls.  Lastly,  Observe  the  itnpen- 
itency  of  the  antichristian  generation  under 
these  dreadful  judgments,  v.  20.  the  rest  of 
the  men  who  were  not  killed,  repented  not, 
they  still  persisted  in  those  sins  for  which 
God  was  so  severely  punishing  them:  Their 
idolatry ;  they  would  not  cast  away  their  im¬ 
ages  :  Their  murders,  v.  21.  committed  on 
the  saints  and  servants  of  Christ.  Popery 
is  a  bloody  religion,  and  seems  resolved  to 
continue  such.  Their  sorceries  ;  they  have 
their  charms,  and  magic  arts,  and  rites  in 
exorcism,  and  other  things.  Their  fornica¬ 
tion  ;  they  allow  both  spiritual  and  carnal 
impurity,  and  promote  it  in  themselves  and 
others.  Their  thefts  ;  they  have,  by  unjust 


behind  them,  wherever  they  went,  the  same  poisonous  and  ruinous  reli¬ 
gion,  which  the  Saracens  had  done  before  them  ;  and  this  proved  more 
durably  mischievous  than  their  most  bloody  conquests.  So  that  the  re¬ 
mains  of  the  Greek  church,  and  of  Christianity  in  those  countries,  were 
almost  wholly  extirpated ;  and  Mohammedism  became  universally  prev¬ 
alent,  and,  indeed,  continues  so  to  this  day,  in  that  part  of  the  world,  in 
which  the  Gospel  had  been  for  a  long  time  most  signally  successful.  Sc. 

(18,  19.)  Mouths.]  ‘  Indicating  doctrine,  Is.  11:4.  49:2.  Rev.  2:16.  13: 
2,5.  12:15,16.  16:13.  So  that  corrupt  and  blasphemous  doctrine  joins 
with  armies  in  this  warfare.  By  fire ,  in  the  figurative  language  of  Scrip¬ 
ture,  devastating  warfare  is  denoted  ;  by  smoke ,  (see  under  the  5th 
trumpet,)  dark  ignorance,  covering  dangerous  doctrine;  and  brimstone, 
in  union  with  fire ,  implies,  an  infernal  origin  of  the  mischief  Rev.  19:20. 
21:8.  As  it  issues  from  brutes,  we  infer,  that  the  doctrine  is  founded, 
not  so  much  on  rational  arguments,  as  on  promises  of  animal  gratifica¬ 
tions,  which  is  the  motive  of  beasts.  The  tail,  too,  in  prophetic  Scrip¬ 
ture,  denotes  baseness,  degradation,  and  subjection  to  impure  passions, 
Is.  9:15.  Deut.  28:13.  Rev.  12:4.’  Woodh. 

V.  20,  21.  ‘The  rest  of  the  men,’  who  were  not  destroyed,  or  com¬ 
pelled  to  become  Mohammedans,  by  the  above  mentioned  calamities, 
did  pot  repent  of  their  evil  works.  The  Latin  nr  Roman  church,  which 
escaped  this  destruction,  still  persisted  in  the  idolatrous  worship  of  de¬ 
mons,  or  angels,  arid  departed  saints,  real  or  fictitious,  by  which  devils 
are  virtually  worshipped;  (Notes,  Dan.  11:38.  1  Tim-  4:1—5.)  in  their 
stupid  adoration  of  senseless  images,  for  which  they  have  no  better  plea 
to  use  than  the  Pagans  had;  in  their  ‘murders,’  massacres,  and  bloody 
wars  with  heretics ,  so  called,  and  their  execrable  persecutions  ;  in  their 
‘  sorceries,’ or  pretended  revelations  and  miracles:  and  in  ‘  their  forni¬ 
cation  ;’  forbidding  marriage,  yet  conniving  at  concubinage  in  the  clergy  ; 
binding  numbers  by  vows  to  a  single  life,  and  yet  licensing  brothels  by 
public  authority  of  the  Pope,  in  Rome  itself:  and  in  ‘  their  thefts,’  nr 
those  exactions  and  impositions,  by  which  they  fraudulently,  oppres¬ 
sively,  and  iniquitously  drew  immense  treasures  from  the  nations. 
( Notes ,  13:11 — 17.  16:10,11.  17:1 — 6.  The  eastern  church,  in  which 
many  corruptions  first  prevailed,  was  punished  by  the  first  woe  of 
the  Saracens;  and  as  this  dkl  not  bring  them  to  repentance,  the  sec¬ 
ond  woe  of  the  Turks  or  Othmans  completed  its  ruin.  But  the  western 
church,  not  repenting  of  her  abominations,  will  at  length  be  over¬ 
whelmed  with  the  third  won.  For  the  reformation  from  popery,  and  all 
that  has  hitherto  taken  place  in  these  western  regions,  has  amounted 
only  to  the  ‘  two  witnesses,’  'Note,  11:3 — 6.)  protesting-against  the  pre¬ 
vailing  abominations:  ami  the  prevalence  of  infidelity,  skepticism,  and 
heresy,  in  proportion  to  the  supposed  decline  of  popery  ami  superstition, 
gives  no  just  room  to  suppose,  that  matters  are  very  much  improved  in 
the  western  church.  In  this  skeptical,  profane,  licentious,  and  superfi¬ 
cial  age,  indeed,  Satan  has  evidently  changed  his  ground  ;  but  the  scrip¬ 
tural  Christian  will  readily  perceive,  that  he  has,  hitherto,  in  great  meas¬ 
ure,  maintained  it. — The  persevering  idolatry  in  the  remains  of  the 
Greek  church  and  elsewhere,  and  the  iniquity  of  professed  Christians, 
notwithstanding  the  desolations  made  among  them  by  the  Saracens  and 
Turks,  renders  the  prophecy  more  circumstantial,  ami  the  exact  accom¬ 
plishment  of  it  more  xvonderful.  The  very  things  which  infidels  urge, 
as  objections  to  the  divine  original  of  Christianity,  are  expressly  pre¬ 
dicted  in  the  N.  T.  and  demonstrate  its  divine  inspiration.  Scott. 

(20,  21.)  ‘  The  sins  are  :  1.  worship  of  daimonia,  dtemons,  shown  hy 
Vitr.  4c.  to  be  fictitious  gods,  and  deified  mortals  ;  2.  idols;  3.  all  man¬ 
ner  of  impurity,  injustice,  and  immorality,  under  the  scriptural  designa¬ 
tions  of  “  murders,  sorceries,  fornication,  and  thefts.”  Thi9  was  not  the 
character  of  the  Christian  man  in  the  first  3  centuries.  The  degeneracy 
began  then,  but  was  of  slow  proceednre.  The  low  estate  of  the  church 
in  temporal  enjoyment,  and  it s  exposure  to  frequent  and  severe  persecu¬ 
tions,  preserved  it,  in  a  eopstderahle  degree,  from  the  intrusion  of  the 


A.  D.  95. 


REVELATION,  X. 


21  Neither  repented  they  of  their 
murders,  nor  of  their  '  sorceries, 
nor  of  their  fornication,  nor  of  their 
thefts. 

CHAP.  X. 

1  A  mighty  strong  nngel  appeared)  with  a  book  open  in  Ms 
hand.  6  He  swcareth  by  Him  that  lirt-ih  for  ever,  that 
•here  shall  be  no  more  time.  9  John  is  commanded  to 
take  and  eat  the  book. 

AND  I  saw  another  mighty  angel 
come  down  from  heaven,  cloth¬ 
ed  with  a  cloud;  and  a  rainbow 
*  was  upon  his  head,  and  his  face 
b  was  as  it  were  the  sun,  and  his 
feet,  as  pillars  of  fire: 

2  And  he  had  in  his  hand  a  little 
book  open:  and  he  set  his  right  foot 
upon  the  sea,  and  his  left  foot  on  the 
earth, 

3  And  cried  with  a  loud  voice,  as 
when  a  lion  roareth  :  and  when  he 
had  cried,  seven  thunders  'uttered 
their  voices. 

c  c.  22:15.  b  Mat.  17:2.  c  c.  8:5.  14:2. 

a  Eze.  1:23.  c.  1:15,16. 


means,  heaped  together  vast  wealth,  to  the 
injury  and  impoverishing  of  families,  cities, 
princes,  and  nations.  These  are  the  fla¬ 
grant  crimes  of  antichrist  and  his  agents  ; 
and  though  God  has  revealed  his  wrath  from 
heaven  against  them,  they  are  obstinate, 
hardened,  and  impenitent,  and  judicially  so, 
for  they  must  he  destroyed.  From  this 
sixth  trumpet  learn,  1.  God  can  make  one 
enemy  of  the  church  to  he  a  scourge  and 
plague  to  another.  2.  He  who  is  the  Lord 
of  hosts,  has  vast  armies  at  his  command, 
to  serve  his  own  purposes.  3.  The  most 
formidable  powers  have  limits  set  them, 
which  they  cannot  transgress.  4.  When 
God’s  judgments  are  in  the  earth,  He  ex¬ 
pects  the  inhabitants  thereof  should  repent 
of  .via,  nnd  learn  righteousness.  5.  Impeni- 
tency  under  divine  judgments  is  an  iniquity 
that  will  be  the  ruin  of  sinners  ;  for  where 
God  judges  He  will  overcome. 

Chap.  X.  This  c.h.  is  an  introduction  to 
the  latter  part  of  the  prophecies  of  this 
book.  Whether  what  is  contained  between 
this  and  the  sounding  of  the  7th  trumpet, 
ch.  11:15.  be  a  distinct  prophecy  from  the 


John  is  favored  with  another  vision. 

other,  or  only  a  more  general  account  of 
some  of  the  principal  things  included  in  the 
other,  is  disputed  by  our  curious  inquirers 
into  these  abstruse  writings. 

V-  1—7.  Here  we  have  an  account  of  an¬ 
other  vision  the  apostle  was  favored  with, 
between  the  sounding  of  the  6th  and  of  the 
7th  trumpet.  And  we  observe, 

1.  The  person  principally  concerned  in 
communicating  this  discovery  to  John, — an 
angel  from  heaven,  another  mighty  angel,  so 
set  forth  as  would  induce  one  to  think  it 
could  be  no  other  than  our  Lord  dud  Savior 
Jesus  Christ.  For,  He  was  clothed  with  a 
cloud;  He  veils  his  glory,  and  his  dispensa¬ 
tions  ;  A  rainbow  was  upon  his  head  ;  He  is 
always  mindful  of  his  covenant  ;  and  when 
his  conduct  is  most  mysterious,  yet  it  is  per¬ 
fectly  just  and  faithful.  His  face  was  as  the 
sun,  till  bright,  and  bill  of  lustre  and  maj¬ 
esty,  ch.  1 :  16.  His  feet  were  as  pillars  of 
fire;  all  his  ways,  both  of  grace  and  provi¬ 
dence,  are  pure  and  steady. 

2.  His  station  and  posture ;  his  right  foot 
on  the  sea,  and  his  left  on  the  earth  ;  to  show 
the  absolute  power  and  dominion  He  had 
over  the  world.  And  He  held  in  his  hand  a 


PRACT.  OBS.  The  Lord  [punishes]  the  abuse  of  spiritual  advan¬ 
tages,  by  spiritual  judgments,  leaving  the  word  of  the  Gospel  to  be  with¬ 
drawn,  or  corrupted,  by  the  artifices  of  Satan;  because  men  would  not 
walk  in  the  light,  while  they  enjoyed  it.  ‘  A  fallen  star,’  some  apostate, 
endued  with  abilities  and  possessed  of  influence,  often  proves  Satan’s 
instrument  in  blinding  nnd  deceiving  mankind.  This  judgment,  howev¬ 
er,  would  for  the  present  be  little  regarded,  if  other  visitations  were  not 
connected  with  it ;  but,  sooner  or  later,  the  prevalence  of  false  religion 
against  the  truth  of  Christ  will  make  way  for  such  calamities  on  guilty 
nations,  as  may  render  life  itself  a  burden,  and  death  the  only  apparent 
and  desired  relief. — As  we  ought  to  ‘fear  Him,  who  is  able  to  destroy 

worldly,  who  afterwards  made  it  subservient  to  their  ambition.  And 
in  the  two  centuries  preceding,  the  lamentable  change  from  divine 
knowledge  to  ignorance,  and  from  purity  to  corruption,  was  gradual,  so 
that  one  cannot  fairly  apply  a  general  character  of  so  deep  a  dye  to  the 
Christian  church,  before  the  6th  cent. ;  but  at  the  latter  part  of  this,  and 
beginning  of  the  7th,  the  measure  of  this  iniquity  came  to  its  full. — And 
at  this  time  history  records  a  dreadful  invasion  of  the  Christian  world, 
by  numerous  armies  assailing  it  at  once,  by  corrupt,  blasphemous  doc¬ 
trines,  and  by  the  terror  of  their  arms ;  and  with  such  amazing  success, 
as  to  cut  off,  from  the  hope  and  comfort  of  Christianity,  and  from  the 
communion  of  the  church,  so  large  a  body  of  Christians  as  may  fairly  be 
accounted  one  third,  yet  leaving  the  remaining  parts  idolatrous,  impure, 
nnd  unrepentant. — But  as  Mohammedism  enlarged,  the  Christian  powers 
made  corresponding  acquisitions  in  the  West.’  Woodh. 

NOTES.  Chat.  X.  V.  1.  In  the  conclusion  of  the  former  ch.,  the 
apostle  had  received  some  intimations,  concerning  the  pertinacious  cor¬ 
ruptions  of  the  western  church,  and  other  professed  Christians,  during 
the  period  of  the  two  preceding  trumpets  :  hut  before  he  was  made  ac¬ 
quainted  with  the  events  which  would  follow  the  sounding  of  the  7th 
trumpet,  he  was  shown  something  more  of  the  state  of  that  church,  in 
the  ages  previous  to  this  grand  event.  This  mighty  Angel  must  be 
either  Christ  Himself,  or  an  emblematical  display  of  his  glory.  Scott. 

(1.)  ‘In  8:13.  3  grand  woes,  3  distinct  periods  of  successful  attack 
upon  the  church  by  the  antir.hristian  powers,  are  announced.  The  1st 
of  these  takes  place  immediately,  and  in  9:12.  is  said  to  be  past,  and  the 
2d  follows  :  but  this,  though  it  begins,  like  the  first,  with  an  hostile  in¬ 
vasion,  does  not  end  in  like  manner.  No  period  (ns  in  the  1st  woe  of 
150  years)  is  assigned  for  its  continuance  ;  and  when  the  description  of 
the  invasion  is  finished,  no  similar  notice  is  given  that  the  woe  is  ended. 
On  the  contrary,  it  seems  to  continue  till  the  7th  trumpet  sounds,  (11: 
14.)  when  it  is  declared  to  lie  past.  The  whole  prophecy  had  now  be¬ 
gun  to  appear  as  drawing  to  its  close,  fur  (he  7th  and  last  trumpet  was 
expected.  But  a  new  and  enlarging  scene  opens  under  the  remains 
of  this  Gth  trumpet,  and  before  the  end  of  the  2d  woe.  The  famous  pe¬ 
riod  of  42  months,  or  1260  days,  is  here  presented  to  view  ;  the  usurped 
dominion  of  the  Mahometans  continues  with  it.  But  there,  is  another 
antichristian  usurpation,  belonging  to  the  same  period,  which  is  now 
to  be  prefigured. — Angel.]  This  appearance  was  pronounced  by  Sir  W. 
Jones,  to  equal  in  sublimity  any  description  to  be  found  in  the  inspired 
writers,  and  to  be  far  superior  to  anything  of  the  kind  produced  hv  hu¬ 
man  composition.  This  messenger  has  now  a  new  commission ;  it  is 
another  angel,  not  the  Son  of  God,  for  He  is  already  upon  the  scene  in 
his  emblem  of  the  Lamb  of  God,  on  the  great  Father’s  throne,  where  He 
continues  even  to  ch.  14:  and  before  the  throne  is  the  Holy  Spirit,  4:5. 
It  is  now  generally  allowed,  that  the  prophecies  of  the  little  book  be¬ 
long  in  a  great  measure  to  the  6th  trumpet.  S  eeVitr.'  Woodh. 

V.  2 — 4.  The  Angel,  thus  introduced,  held  in  his  hand  ‘  a  little  book,’ 
as  containing  the  Revelation  of  the  purposes  of  God,  which  he  was 
about  to  communicate  to  his  servant.  This  was  distinct  from  the  larg¬ 
er  book  before  mentioned,  being  a  kind  of  appendix  or  codicil  to  it. 
(Note,  5:1 — 4.)  Or  it  might  be  one  of  the  7  parts  of  that  book,  which, 
as  some  think,  might  each  be  called  1  a  little  book.’  It  had  been  sealed, 
but  appeared  as  having  been  opened :  and  contained  a  part  of  ‘  the 
book  before  spoken  of,’  though  thus  introduced  separately,  to  call  and 
fix  the  attention.  At  least,  it  perfectly  coincided  with  the  contents  of  it. 
Several  respectable  interpreters  suppose  this  little  book  to  have  con¬ 
tained  all  the  following  parts  of  ‘  the  Revelation  ;  ’  and  thus  they  make 
it  much  greater  than  all  the  rest  of  the  book,  of  which  Christ  opened 
the  seals  ;  containing  (as  some  of  them  suppose)  all  which  should  take 
place  after  the  sounding  of  the  7th  trumpet :  whereas,  the  former  part 
of  the  next  ch.  and  all  the  two  following  chs.  at  least,  belong  to  the  6th 
trumpet.  These  are  objections  against  that  arrangement,  to  which  I 
N.  T.  VOL.  V.  88 


both  body  and  soul  in  hell,’  far  more  ‘  than  them  that  can  only  kill  the 
body;’  so  those  destroyers  are  most  to  be  dreaded,  who  act  as  ‘  angels 
of  the  bottomless  pit,’  nnd  vicegerents  of  Satan,  by  diffusing  pernicious 
heresies  and  impostures,  contrary  to  the  pure  doctrine  of  Christ.  For 
that  grand  deceiver,  which,  ‘transformed  into  an  angel  of  light,’  and  his 
ministers,  when  they  appear  to  be  teachers  of  righteousness,  do  far  more 
mischief  to  mankind,  than  the  most  barbarous  and  successful  warriors 
could  ever  accomplish  ;  but  he  who  murders  at  once  both  the  souls  and 
bodies  of  men,  most  completely  merits  the  title  of  Abaddon,  Apollyon, 
the  Destroyer.  Scott. 


could  never  find  a  satisfactory  answer :  besides,  the  great  book  would 
end  abruptly  in  the  middle  of  the  6th  trumpet;  and  the  same  subject 
would  be  as  abruptly  taken  up  in  ‘  the  little  book.’  It  therefore  appears 
to  me,  that  this  little  book  contained  no  more,  than  the  former  part  of 
the  next  ch.  ;  (Notes,  11:1 — 14.)  which  was  an  important  appendix  to 
ch.  9.  as  it  gives  a  general  account  of  the  state  of  the  western  church, 
and  all  connected  with  it,  during  the  period  of  the  5th  and  6th  trumpets. 
Then  the  former  subject  proceeds,  the  7th  trumpet  is  sounded,  and  a 
compendious  view  is  given  of  the  subsequent  events  to  the  end  of  the 
world.  (11:15—18-)  After  this,  the  second  part  of  the  book  is  introduced  ; 
(11:19.)  and  the  apostle  is  shown  a  great  variety  of  events,  tending  to 
explain  those,  which  had  before  been  predicted,  in  a  more  summary 
manner,  but  chiefly  relative  to  the  state  of  the  church,  as  the  former 
part  had  been  to  those  which  concerned  the  empire.  This  arrangement 
which  is  nearly  the  same  with  that  adopted  by  Bp.  Newton,  makes  no 
material  alteration  in  the  plan  of  the  celebrated  Mr.  Mede,  and  those 
who  have  followed  him  ;  while  it  avoids  the  difficulty  of  making  the  lit¬ 
tle  book  by  far  the  largest,  and  the  necessity  of  dividing  the  6th  trum¬ 
pet  between  the  two  books.  Still,  every  event  is  referred  to  the  times, 
to  which,  according  to  the  synchronisms  of  that  able  and  laborious 
writer,  it  belongs,  and  which  are  evidently  deduced,  not  from  vague  hy¬ 
potheses,  but  from  the  internal  construction  of.the  prophecy  itself.  And 
the  observation  of  another  learned  writer,  Bp.  Hurd,  stands  equally 
good  :  ‘The  knowledge  of  this  order  is  a  great  restraint  on  the  fancy  of 
an  expositor,  who  is  not  now  at  liberty  jo  apply  the  prophecies  to  events 
of  any  time  to  which  they  may  appear  to  suit ;  but  to  events  only  falling 
within  that  time,  to  which  they  belong  in  the  course  of  this  predeter¬ 
mined  method  :  and  if  to  this  restriction  we  add  another ,  xvhich  arises 
from  the  necessity  of  applying  not  one,  but  many  prophecies,  to  the 
same  time ;  we  can  hardly  conceive  how  an  interpretation  should  keep 
clear  of  all  these  impediments,  and  make  its  way  through  so  many  in¬ 
terfering  checks,  unless  it  were  the  true  one.  Just  as  when  a  lock  (to 
use  Mr.  Mede’s  allusion)  is  composed  of  many  and  intricate  wards;  the 
kev  that  easilv  turns  within  them,  and  opens  the.  lock,  can  be  that  only 
which  properiy  belongs  to  it.’— Since  I  first  wrote  these  remarks,  expos¬ 
itors  have  arisen,  (especially  the  pious  nnd  learned  Mr.  Faber,)  who 
suppose,  that  the  little  book  contained  the  11th,  12th,  13th,  and  14th  chs. 
of  Rev.  But,  after  very  much  consideration,  1  teel  constrained  to  dissent 
from  this  opinion,  however  respectably  supported.  (1.)  Because  it 
makes  the  little  book,  or  codicil,  bear  a  too  great  proportion  to  the  whole 
prophecy.  The  prophetical  chs.  properly  speaking,  are  only  12  ;  nanie- 
lv,  the  6  th,  8th,  9th,  11th,  to  the  14th  inclusive;  nnd  the  16th  to  the 
20th  inclusive;  for  the  7th,  10th,  and  15th,  contain  not  much  explicit 
prediction  ;  and  the  last  two  chapters,  succeeding,  as  it  appears  to 
me,  the  day  of  judgment,  are  rather  descriptive  of  the  heavenly 
state,  than  prophetical,  in  the  ordinary  sense  of  the  word.  Now 
the  four  chapters  assigned  to  the  little  book,  not  being  very  short, 
yet  crowded  with  most  important  predictions,  contain  at  least  a 
third  of  the  whole  prophecy ;  which  is  more  than  can  properly  be  as¬ 
signed  to  ‘the  little  book.’  (2.)  The  11th  ch.  evidently  carries  on  the 
prediction,  in  a  general  manner,  to  the  millennium,  and  indeed  to  the 
end  of  the  world.  (Note,  11:15. — 18.)  Now,  the  succeeding  chs.  to  the 
20th,  plainly  treat  of  times  previous  to  the  millennium.  Tne  prop  ic 
must,  therefore,  somewhere  go  back,  to  take  a  more  particular  view  o 
his  subject,  than  he  at  first  gave  :  but  no  place  can  be  assigne  or  tis, 
so  satisfactorily,  as  the  close  of  ch.  11.  The  course  of  pvcdic  e  ®  . 

cannot  be  successive,  in  those  chs.;  therefore  some  »f  th™  ™,  “ 
coincident.  (3.)  No  interpretation  of  the  former  vs.  of  ch.  1 12 -  gives  the 
least  satisfaction,  except  that  which  recalls  the  reader  s  *  ,  .. 

events,  which  took  place  when  Pagan  persecution  terminated,  the  Ro¬ 
man  emperors  professed  Christianity ;  and  further  c  P  ’  , 

ties,  and  persecutions,  sprang  from  that  very  source,  which  see^7‘J 


A.  D.  95. 


REVELATION,  X. 


He  receives  1  the  little  book.’ 


4  And  when  the  seven  thunders 
had  uttered  their  voices,  I  was  about 
to  write  :  and  I  heard  a  voice  from 
heaven  saying  unto  me,  Seald  up 
those  things  which  the  seven  thun¬ 
ders  uttered,  and  write  them  not. 

5  And  the  angel  which  I  saw 
stand  upon  the  sea  and  upon  the 
earth  'lifted  up  his  hand  to  heaven, 

6  And  sware  by  him  fthat  liveth 
for  ever  and  ever,  who  created 
heaven,  and  the  things  that  therein 
are,  and  the  earth,  and  the  things 
that  therein  are,  and  the  sea,  and 
the  things  which  are  therein,  ?  that 
there  should  be  time  no  longer: 

7  But  in  the  days  of  the  voice  of 
the  seventh  h  angel,  when  he  shall 
begin  to  sound,  the  mystery  '  of  God 
should  be  finished,  as  he  hath  de¬ 
clared  to  his  servants  the  prophets. 

8  And  the  voice  i  which  I  heard 
from  heaven  spake  unto  me  again, 
and  said,  Go  and  take  the  little  book 
which  is  open  in  the  hand  of  the 
angel  which  standeth  upon  the  sea 
and  upon  the  earth. 

9  And  I  went  unto  the  angel,  and 
said  unto  him,  Give  me  the  little 
book.  And  he  said  unto  me,  Take 
k  it,  and  eat  it  up;  and  it  shall  make 
thy  belly  bitter,  but  it  shall  be  in  thy 
mouth  sweet  as  honey. 

10  And  I  took  the  little  book  out 
of  the  angel’s  hand,  and  ate  it  up  ; 
and  it  was  in  my  mouth  sweet  as 


TRACT.  OBS.  The  divine  Surety  of  the  new  covenant,  who  1  pur¬ 
chased  the  church  with  his  own  blood,’  manages  all  things  in  heaven  and 
earth  with  uncontrollable  authority. — The  final  salvation  of  the  righte¬ 
ous,  and  the  final  prevalence  of  true  religion  on  earth,  are  engaged  for 
by  the  same  unfailing  Word  of  the  Lord;  and,  though  ‘the  time  shall 
not  be  yet,’  we  have  solid  ground  to  conclude,  that  1  the  sounding  of  the 


Angel  Himself,  to  eat  the  book ;  hinting  to  the 
apostle,  that,  before  he  should  publish  what 
he  had  discovered,  he  must  more  thoroughly 
digest  the  predictions,  and  be  in  himself 
suitably  affected  with  them. 

2.  We  1  lave  an  account  of  the  taste  and 
relish  this  little  book  would  have,  at  first, 
while  in  his  mouth,  sweet.  All  persons  feel 
a  pleasure  in  looking  into  future  events,  and 
in  having  them  foretold  ;  and  all  good  men 
love  to  receive  a  word  from  God,  of  what 
import  soever  it  be.  But  when  this  book  of 
prophecy  was  more  thoroughly  digested  bv 
the  apostle,  the  contents  would  be  bitter  ; 
these  were  tilings  so  awful  and  terrible,  such 
grievous  persecutions  of  the  people  of  God, 
and  such  desolation  made  in  the  earth,  that 
the  foresight  and  foreknowledge  of  them 
would  not  he  pleasant,  but  painful  to  the 
mind  of  the  apostle  :  thus  was  Ezekiel’s 
prophecy  to  him,  ch.  3;  3. 

3.  The  apostle’s  discharge  of  the  duty  lie 
was  called  to,  v.  10.  He  took,  ate,  and 
found  as  was  told  him.  It  becomes  God’s 
servants  to  digest,  in  their  own  souls,  the 
messages  they  bring  to  others  in  his  name, 
and  to  be  suitably  affected  therewith  them* 
selves;  also,  to  deliver  every  message  with 
which  they  are  charged,  whether  pleasing  or 
unpleasing  to  men. 

4.  The  apostle  is  made  to  know,  that  this 
book  of  prophecy  was  not  given  merely  to 
gratify  his  own  curiosity,  or  to  affect  him 
with  pleasure  or  pain,  but  to  be  communi¬ 
cated  to  the  world  ;  here  his  prophetical 
commission  seems  to  be  renewed,  and  he  is 
ordered  to  prepare  for  another  embassy,  to 
convey  those  declarations  of  the  mind  and 
ivill  of  God,  which  are  of  great  importance 
to  all  the  world,  and  to  the  highest  anti 
greatest  uien  in  the  world,  and  such  should 
be  read  and  recorded  in  many  languages; 

7th  trumpet’  is  near  at  ham],  when  glorious  scenes  will  be  exhibited. 
Very  soon,  however,  to  us,  '■lime  shall  be  no  more;’  but,  if  we  are  be¬ 
lievers,  a  happy  eternity  will  follow  ;  anti  we  shall  look  down  from 
heaven,  to  behold  and  rejoice  in  the  triumphs  of  Christ,  and  his  cause 
on  earth.  Scott. 


honey:  and  as  soon  as  I  had  eaten 
it,  my  belly  was  bitter. 

11  And  he  said  unto  me,  Thou 
must  prophesy  again  before  many 
peoples,  and  nations,  and  tongues, 


and  kings. 

d  On  8:2G. 

12:4,9. 
e  Ex.  6:8. 

De.  32:40. 


f  Ne.  9:6. 

c.  14:7. 
g  Da.  12:7. 
h  c.  11:15. 


i  Ro.  11:25. 

Ep.  3.5 — 9. 
j  vet*.  4. 

k  Eze.  3:1—3,14. 


little  book  opened,  probably  the  same  before 
sealed,  but  now  opened,  and  gradually  ful¬ 
filled  by  Him. 

3.  His  awful  voice,  v.  3.  a  voice  as  ech-  { 
oed  bv  seven  thunders,  seven  solemn  and  ter¬ 
rible  ways  of  discovering  the  mind  of  God. 

4.  The  prohibition  given  to  the  apostle, 
that  he  should  not  publish,  but  conceal,  what 
he  had  learned  from  the  seven  thunders, 
v.  4.  the  time  was  not  yet  come. 

5.  The  solemn  oath  taken  by  this  mighty 
angel  ;  He  lifted  up  his  hand  to  heaven,  and 
sware  by  Him  that  liveth  for  ever  ;  by  Him¬ 
self,  as  God  often  has  done  ;  or  by  God,  as 
God,  to  whom  lie,  as  Lord,  Redeemer,  and 
Ruler  of  the  world,  now  appeals.  The  mat¬ 
ter  of  the  oath  was,  there  shall  be  time  no 
longer;  either,  (1.)  There  shall  be  now  no 
longer  delay  in  fulfilling  the  predictions  of 
this  book,  than  till  the  last  angel  should 
sound  ;  then  everything  should  he  put  into 
speedy  execution,  v.  7.  Or.  (2.)  When 
this  mystery  of  God  is  finished,  time  itself 
shall  be  no  more,  as  being  the  measure  of 
things  mutable,  blit  all  tilings  shall  be  at 
length  for  ever  fixed,  and  so  time  itself 
swallowed  up  in  eternity. 

V.  8 — 11.  Here,  1.  The  apostle  is  charged 
by  the  same  voice  from  heaven,  to  go  and  take 
the  Little  book  out  of  the  hands  of  that  mighty 
angel  mentioned  before;  and  then,  by  the 


promise  far  happier  days.  I  therefore  am  most  decidedly  of  opinion, 
that  ‘  the  little  book  ’  contains  only  the  first  14  vs.  of  the  next  ch.  to  the 
close  of  the  6th  trumpet ;  being  coincident,  as  to  the  state  of  things  in 
tlie  VV.,  with  that  of  the  eastern  empire,  as  predicted  in  ch.  9.  I  am 
not,  however,  unwilling  to  concede,  that  the  following  vs.,  to  the  close 
of  the  18th,  may  be  assigned  to  it,  as  a  general  pre-intimation  of  t lie  fi¬ 
nal  success  of  that  cause,  which  had  so  long  been  trampled  under  foot. 
Several  objections  to  this  interpretation  will  he  obviated  as  we  proceed. 
The  mighty  Angel,  above  described,  ‘set  his  right  foot  on  the  sea,  and 
his  left  on  the  dry  land,’  to  denote  his  sovereign  authority  over  the 
whole  terraqueous  globe ;  and  perhaps  intimating  his  determination  of 
spreading  the  Gospel  through  every  part  of  it :  and  he  demanded  atten¬ 
tion  with  aloud  voice  like  the  roaring  of  a  lion  ;  to  show  the  power  and 
terror  of  his  word  to  his  obstinate  enemies.  After  this  7  thunders  were 
heard,  which,  in  the  most,  majestic  manner,  uttered  intelligible  voices: 
these  either  related  to  matters  proper  for  the  apostle  to  know,  but  not 
proper  to  be  published  ;  or  else  they  are  coincident  with  some  things, 
which  are  afterwards  more  clearly  revealed.  They  were,  however,  or¬ 
dered  to  he  sealed  up,  and  it  does  not  become  us  to  inquire  any  further 
concerning  them.  (2 )  Little  book. \  8,9,10.  '  A  very  tittle' book.' — 
(3)  Roareth.]  '  It  is  used  without  distinction,  of  a  lion,  an  ox,  a  camel, 
or  an  ass.’  Leigh.  Scott. 

(2.)  Little.}  '  Not  as  to  its  contents,  but  so  that  it  might  he  eaten, 
and  digested  spiritually;  unsealed,  5:9.  probably  a  part  of  the  larger 
sealed  book,  for  it  comes  under  the  yet  unemptied  seals.  It  may  he 
the  same  with  Dan.  12:4,  9.  The  scene  is  in  heaven,  the  earth  being 
visible  below,  extended  as  a  plain,  and  containing  tbe  divisions  before 
marked  of  land,  sea,  and  rivers.  The  right  foot’s  being  placed  on 
the  sea,  seems  to  intimate,  that  (as  before  the  eastern,  so  now)  the  west¬ 
ern  nations,  or  Gentiles,  are  to  be  a  principal  object  of  the  remaining 
prophecy,  under  this  trumpet.’  JVoodh . — ‘There  is  much  difference  of 
opinion  ns  to  the  contents  of  this  little  book.  Most  commentators  sup¬ 
pose  that  it  contained  a  part  of  the  prophecies  of  the  Apocalypse.  Some 
suppose  it  one  of  the  7  parts  of  the  sealed  hook,  others  that  it  contain¬ 
ed  all  the  rest  of  the  apocalyptic  visions.  Faber  thinks  the  contents 
were  ch.  11  to  14.  Scott  considers  it  included  only  ch.  11.  1  —  11.  Oth¬ 
ers  have  thought,  that  the  little  hook  did  not  contain  anv  of  the  apoca¬ 
lyptic  prophecies,  but  was  itself  an  emblem.’  Henry,  abr. 

(4.)  ‘All  we  can  fairly  collect  from  the  transaction  is  this,  that  there 
are  great  events  in  history,  and  probably  relating  to  the  Christian  church, 
which  are  not  made  the  subject  of  open  prophecy.’  Woodh. 

v  5—7.  Time  no  longer  .-  or,  as  it  may  be  rendered,  *  the  time  should 
not  he  yet :  ’  i.  e.  the  time  of  those  glorious  things,  with  which  ‘  the 
nivsterv  of  God  would  be  finished.’  Further  delays  must  be  expected  : 
till  at  length,  in  ‘  the  lays  of  the  7th  angel,’  after  iie  had  begun  to  sound 
liis  trumpet,  that  would  be  accomplished,  according  to  the  predictions 
of  former  prophets;  namely,  as  it  may  be  supposed  from  the  subse¬ 
quent  part  of  the  book,  in  the  destruction  of  every  opposing  power,  and 
the  universal  prevalence  of  true  religion,  which  would  continue,  with 
ffiOSl 


little  interruption,  to  the  consummation  of  all  things,  and  so  terminate 
in  the  eternal  state.  (Notes,  11:15 — 13.  18: — 20.)  But  before  those 
events  began  to  take  place,  other  preparatory  transactions  must  occur; 
and  this  solemn  declaration  seems  to  have  been  intended  to  teach  Chris¬ 
tians,  in  the  intervening  ages,  to  wait  with  patience,  and  lo  expect  a 
happy  event  of  the  calamities  of  the  church,  though  the  time  of  it  seem 
long  delayed.  (Notes,  Dan.  7:9—14,  23—27,  8:13,  14.  12:5— 13.)— If  we 
adhere  to  our  tr.  the  meaning  must  be,  that  all  the  subsequent  events, 
to  the  end  of  time,  would  fall  under  the  period  of  the  7th  trumpet.— 
(7)  Declared.]  Proclaimed  the  Gospel,  referring  to  the  glad  tidings  of 
the  millennium.  Scott. 

(5.)  This  ancient  mode  of  swearing  (Gen.  14;22.  Ez.  20:5.)  is  still  in 
use  in  Scotland  and  America.  Ed. 

(6.)  For  ouk  estai  eti,  81.  reads  ouketi  eslai,  and  understands,  ‘  there 
should  he  no  more  delay.’  Time  no  longer.]  See  Doddr.  Id. 

(7.)  ‘  Bp.  Middleton  proves,  that  the  words  should  be  rendered,  “  and 
(rather  than)  the  mystery  of  God  shall  be  finished.  This,  lie  shows,  is 
according  to  the  I  lei),  idiom  of  giving  to  a  past  tense  the  sense  of  a  fu¬ 
ture,  [with]  a  Vau  Conversive.  [Nothing  is  more  common  in  the  E. 
now.  See  Roberts  j  Thus  Jud  4:3.  “  If  thou  wilt  go  with  me,  then  I 
will  go,”  lit.  “and  I  went.’”  Woodh.  lit.  Ed. — Mystery  of  God.]  '  Bp. 
ltutter  understands,  the  great  mystery  of  Providence,  in  suffering  vice 
and  confusion  to  prevail  so  much  in  the  wot  Id.’  Doddr. 

V.  8—11.  F.z.  3:1 — 3,  12 — 15.  The  apostle,  by  publishing  the  contents 
of  this  little  book,  and  the  rest  of  the  predictions  tie  was  about  to  receive, 
has  indeed  ‘  prophesied  before  many  peoples,  and  nations,  and  tongues, 
and  kings,’  and  does  so  to  this  very  day,  in  all  the  languages  into  which 
the  Scriptures  have  been,  or  shall  he,  translated  ;  and  in  all  the  countries 
in  which  they  are  circulated.  (9)  Make  bitter.]  8:11.  Col.  3:19.  It  is 
used  figuratively  for  whatever  excites  uneasy  and  painful  sensations.  Sc. 

(10.)  'Forbes  supposes  the  little  book  is  the  Scriptures,  and  its  be¬ 
ing  open,  denotes  the  bold  and  powerful  preaching  of  the  Word.  It  is 
open  for  that  clear  understanding  of  holy  Scripture  which  now  Christ 
should  bring ;  whereas,  in  antichrist's  darkness,  the  same  was  buried  in 
ignorance,  it  being  held  a  capital  crime  for  common  laymen  to  read  the 
Scripture  in  the  vulgar  tongue.  Qu.esnel  refers  v.  9.  to  the  understand¬ 
ing  the  truths  of  the  Divine  Word.  Keith  considers  this  vision  as  pointing 
to  the  Reformation.  The  open  book  he  refers  to  the  Bible.  And  that 
the  translation  or  opening  of  it,  especially  of  the  N.  T.,  unfolding  the 
precepts  of  Jesus,  and  the  doctrines  of  the  Gospel,  gave  a  character  to 
the  time,  which,  in  respect  to  the  widely  extended  diffusion  of  the  Scrip¬ 
tures  by  the  then  recent  art  of  printing,  the  days  of  the  apostles  scarcely 
equalled.  The  Gospel,  as  a  book,  may  be  said  to  have  been  for  the  first 
time  open  to  the  world.  The  7  thunders  he  considers  to  be,  7  wars 
which  succeeded  the  Reformation,  and  which  fill  up  the  chasm  after  it, 
till  the  pouring  out  the  vials  of  the  wrath  of  God.  But  it  is  at  least  use¬ 
less  to  speculate  upon  a  point  which  the. Divine  Word  expressly  states 
is  not  lo  he  investigated.  When  the  apostle  tasted  the  good  Word  of 
God,  and  knew  the  meaning  of  Lite  descent  of  the  angel,  it  was  sweet  to 


A.  D.  05. 


REVELATION,  XI. 


The  command  to  measure  the  temple. 


CHAP.  XI. 

3  The  twj  witnesses  prophesy.  6  They  have  power  to  shut 
heaven,  that  it  rain  not.  7  The  beast  shall  finht  against 
them,  and  kill  them.  8  They  lie  unburied,  11  and  after 
three  d.»v*  and  a  half  rise  again.  14  The  second  woe  is 
past.  15  The  seventh  trumpet  soundeth. 

AND  there  was  given  me  a  reed 
“like  unto  a  rod:  and  the  angel 
stood,  saying,  Rise,  and  measure 
b  the  temple  of  God,  and  the  altar, 
and  them  that  worship  therein. 

2  But  the  court  c  which  is  with¬ 
out  the  temple  d  leave  out,  and 
measure  it  not;  for  cit  is  given  unto 
the  Gentiles:  and  the  holy  city  shall 
they  tread  under  ffoot  forty  and 
two  months. 

8  And  I  will  sgive  power  unto 
my  h  two  ‘witnesses,  and  they  shall 
prophesy  a  thousand  two  hundred 
and  threescore  days,  clothed  in  j 
sackcloth. 

4  These  are  the  two  k  olive-trees, 
and  the  two  candlesticks  1  standing 
before  the  God  of  the  earth. 


a  Zee.  2:1. 

c  21:15. 
b  E/.e.  4i):43. 
r  Eze.  40:17 — 20. 
d  cast  out. 
e  Lu.  21:24. 


f  Da.  7:25. 
g  or,  give  unto 
my  l too  witness¬ 
es  that  they  may 
prophesy. 
b  Mat.  18:16. 


i  c.  20:1. 
j  Is.  22:12. 
k  Je.  11:16. 

Zee.  4:3,11,14. 
1  c.  1:20. 


this,  indeed,  is  (lie  case  ;  we  have  them  in 
our  language,  and  are  all  obliged  to  attend 


to  them,  humbly  to  inquire  into  the  meaning 
of  them,  and  lirmly  to  believe  that  every¬ 
thing  shall  have  its  accomplishment  in  the 
proper  time  ;  and  when  the  prophecies  are  j 
fulfilled,  the  sense  and  truth  of  them  will 
appear,  and  the  omniscience,  power,  and 
faithfulness  of  the  great  God  will  be  adored. 

Chap.  XI.  V.  1,  2.  This  prophetical 
passage  about  measuring  the  temple,  is  a 
plain  reference  to  what  we  find  in  Ezekiel’s 
vision,  Ez.  40:  3,  &c.  Observe, 

1.  IIow  much  was  to  he  measured.  (1.) 
The.  temple  ;  the  gospel-church  in  general. 
(2.)  The  altar.  That  which  was  the  place 
of  the  most  solemn  acts  of  worship,  may  be 
put.  for  religious  worship  in  general ;  whether 
the  church  has  the  true  altars,  whether  they 
take  Christ  for  their  Altar,  and  whether  the 
Altar  be  in  the.  holiest;  that  is,  whether  they 
worship  God  in  the  Spirit  and  in  truth. 
(3.)  The  worshippers,  too,  must  be  meas¬ 
ured;  whether  they  make  God’s  glory  their 
end,  and  his  Word  their  rule;  whether  they 
come  to  God  with  suitable  affections,  and 
whether  their  conversation  be  as  becomes  the 
Gospel. 

2.  What  was  not  to  be  measured,  v.  2. 
The.  court  without  the  temple.  Why  was  not 
the  outer  court  mentioned  1  This  was  no 
part  of  the  temple,  according  to  the  model 
either  of  Solomon  or  Zerubbabel,  therefore 
God  would  have  no  regard  to  it.  Both  that 
and  the  city  were  trodden  under  foot  42 
month v :  which  some  would  have  to  be,  the 


whole  time  of  the  reign  of  antichrist.  They 
who  worship  in  the  outer  court,  are  either 
such  as  worship  in  a  false  manner,  or  with 
hypocritical  hearts  ;  and  these  are  rejected 
of  God,  and  will  be  found  among  his  ene¬ 
mies.  h  rorn  the  whole,  observe,  God  will 
have  a  temple  and  an  altar  in  the  world,  till 
the  end  ol  time.  The  holy  city,  the  visible 
church,  is  very  much  trampled  on  in  the 
world  ;  but  the  desolations  are  for  a  limited, 
short  time,  and  she  shall  be  delivered  out 
of  all  her  troubles. 

V.  3 — 13.  In  this  time  of  treading  down, 
God  has  reserved  to  Him  his  faithful  wit¬ 
nesses,  who  will  not  fail  to  attest  the  truth 
of  his  Word  and  worship,  and  the  excellen¬ 
cy  of  his  ways.  Here,  observe, 

1.  The  number  of  these  witnesses;  small, 
yet  sufficient  :  many  will  own  Christ  in 
prosperity,  who  will  desert  Him  in  persecu¬ 
tion  ;  one  witness,  when  the  cause  is  on 
trial,  is  worth  many  at  other  times  :  suffi¬ 
cient  ;  in  the  mouth  of  two,  every  cause 
shall  be  established  :  these,  some  think,  are 
Enoch  and  Elias,  who  are  to  return  to  the 
earth  for  a  time  :  others,  the  church  of  the 
believing  Jews,  and  that  of  the  Gentiles  : 
they  should  rather  seem,  God’s  eminent 
faithful  ministers,  who  shall  not  only  con¬ 
tinue  to  profess,  but  to  preach  the  Gospel, 
in  the  worst  of  times. 

2.  The  time  of  their  prophesying,  or  bear¬ 
ing  their  testimony  for  Christ,  1260  days, 
i.  e.  (as  many  think)  to  the  period  of  tile 
reign  of  antichrist;  and  if  the  beginning  of 


his  heart ;  yet  when  he  knew  the  ungodly  rancor,  murderous  wars,  and 
fierce  animosity  which  would  follow',  grief  succeeded  to  his  joy, — his 
heart  was  hitter,  was  afflicted.’  Henry,  abr. 

(11.1  ‘  Mede  infers,  that  the  apostle  is  about  to  go  again  over  the  same 
period  lie  had  before  discoursed  of,  giving  an  account  of  the  state  of  the 
church  ns  he  had  done  of  the  empire;  hut  the  new  descriptions  and 
new  events  to  which  they  refer,  which  follow,  may  be  sufficient  to  ex¬ 
plain  Hie  expression.’  Doddr. 

NOTES.  Chap.  XT.  V.  l,  2.  It  has  before  been  supposed,  that  the 
former  part  of  this  ch.  exhibits  the  contents  of  the  little  book ;  (Notes, 
10:2 — 4.)  which  represents  the  state  of  the  western  church,  during  the 
two  preceding  woe-trumpets,  and  before  the  sounding  of  the  7th  trumpet 
(15) ;  and  this  fixes  the  chronology  of  it. — The  discoveries  of  this  little 
hook  are  related  under  emblematical  appearances  and  actions,  as  before. 
The  scene  is  the  temple  ;  nnd  ‘a  reed,’  like  a  1  measuring  rod,’  being  giv¬ 
en  to  the  apostle,  he  was  ordered  to  measure  the  temple,  the  altar,  and 
t lie  worshippers  in  the  inner  court.  (Notes,  Ex.  27:0 — 19.  Ez.  40:3.) 
This  denoted  that,  in  the  predicted  period,  there  would  he  a  small  num¬ 
ber,  whose  doctrine,  worship,  and  behavior,  would  bear  measuring  by 
the  Word  of  God  ;  and  that  these  only  would  he  acceptable,  interior  wor¬ 
shippers;  whereas,  ‘  the  outer  court  ’  being  left,  by  express  command, 
unmeasured,  and  ‘given  unto  the  Gentiles,'  emphatically  showed,  that 
the  greatest  number  of  professed  Christians  would  be  formal,  supersti¬ 
tious,  and  idolatrous  worshippers ;  Christians  only  in  name,  hut  Gentiles 
in  wickedness,  and  even  in  idolatry.  The  1  holy  city  ’  also,  being  ‘  trod¬ 
den  under  foot’  by  them,  implied  that  the  church  at  large,  and  its  most 
lucrative  and  eminent  places,  would  he  filled  with  idolaters,  infidels, 
and  hypocrites,  nnd  that  true  Christians  would  he  oppressed  in  a  griev¬ 
ous  manner.  The  duration  of  these  evil  times  was  fixed  to  42  months, 
or  1260  days,  which,  by  prophetical  computation,  are  so  many  years. 
(Notes,  Dan.  7-23—27.  8:9—14.  12:5—13.)  The  whole  of  Daniel’s 
prophecies  should  he  compared  with  the  subsequent  parts  of  this  hook, 
as  the  same  events  and  dates  are  intended  in  belli;  and  this  gives  a 
measure  of  certainty  to  the  interpretation.  Daniel  also  fixes  these  events 
to  the  remains  of  the  fourth  monarchy,  after  it  was  broken  to  pieces, 
and  formed  ten  kingdoms;  and  this  determines  the  geography  of  them, 
especially  to  the  western  empire,  which  was  properly  the  seat  of  that 
monarchy.  So  that  the  outlines,  noth  of  the  time  and  place.,  to  which 
these  prophecies  belonged,  are  unalterably  determined,  by  the  prophets 
themselves;  nor  can  the  accomplishment  of  them  he  referred  to  any 
other  times  or  places,  without  doing  t lie  most  manifest  violence  to  them 
la  both  respects.  Indeed,  the  prophecies  of  Daniel,  and  those  of  the 
apostle,  when  properly  explained,  and  compared  with  each  other  and 
with  their  accomplishment,  constitute  the  fullest  imaginable  demonstra¬ 
tion  of  the  truth  of  the  Scripture.  Hut  demonstration  itself  earmot  con¬ 
vince  those,  who  will  not  bestow  due  pains  to  examine  it. — The  begin¬ 
ning  of  these  1260  years  must  be  placed  subsequent  to  the  first  four  trum¬ 
pets,  on  the  subversion  of  the  Western  empire,  which  was  completed 
A.  I).  566.  This  made  way  for  the  pope,  in  process  of  time,  to  acquire 
n  vast  accession  of  ecclesiastical  dominion.  (Note,  2  Tiles.  2:3 — 7.) 
lie  became  universal  bishop,  A.  D.  C06  ;  and  was  fully  established  ns  a 
temporal  prince,  A.  D.  750.  Did  we  know  exactly  at  what  lime  to  date 
the  beginning  of  the  1260  years,  we  might  show  with  certainty  when 
they  would  terminate;  but  this  would  not  consist  with  that  wise  obscu- 
ritv.  which  always,  in  some  respects,  rests  on  prophecies,  before  they 
are  fulfilled.  Till  the  event,  therefore,  shall  explain  this  matter,  it 
must  be  left  undetermined;  but  perhaps  the  beginning  of  the  rise  and 
of  the  full  of  this  antichristian  tyranny,  and  the  completion  of  them, 
may  both  he  at  the  distance  of  1260  years  from  each  other;  as  in  more 
than  one  way  the  Hahylonish  captivity  lasted  70  years.  (Notes,  2  K. 
21:1,8 — 16.  Ezra  1:1 — 4.  Dan.  1:1,  2.)  The  beginning,  however,  of 
these  years  cannot  well  he  fixed  sooner  than  A.  D.  606,  nor  later  than 
A.  I).  756.  It  is,  indeed,  far  from  probable,  that  the  beginning  fell  so 
late  as  this;  hut  that  it  did  not  much  precede  GOG,  will,  I  think,  after¬ 


wards  appear.  (Note,  7 — 12.) — ‘ Measuring  the  servants  of  God,  is  equiv¬ 
alent  to  sealing  them. — Tlie  unmeasured  tenants  of  the  outer  court,  and 
the  unsealed  men  throughout  the  Roman  empire,  are  alike  the  votaries 
of  the  apostasy  ;  while  they  that  were  measured,  and  they  that  were 
sealed,  are  the  saints  who  refused  to  be  partakers  of  his  abominations.' 
Faber.  Scott. 

(1,  2.)  And  the  angel  stood .]  ‘  The  best  authorities  (from  the  most 

authentic  MSS.)  reject  these  words  from  the  text.  The  temple  of  God, 
after  the  coming  of  the  Messiah,  and  the  rejection  of  the  Jews,  is  the 
Christian  church,  (1  Cor.  3:16.  2  Cor.  6:15.  1.  Tim.  3:16.  Ileb.  pas¬ 
sim.)  The  altar  represents  the  worship  therein  duly  performed  ;  and  by 
those  who  dwell  therein,  we  must  understand  the  true  worshippers.  And 
bv  comparing  Ez.  40:3,  4.  and  Zecli.  2:1 — 5.  with  this  passage,  we  may 
deduce,  that,  hy  such  appointed  mensuration,  the  places  measured  are 
appropriated  to  the  worship  of  God.  Tread  under  foot.]  This  tr. 
would  require  katapatSsousi,  hut  the  Gr.  is  simply  patesousi,  which 
means  tread,  i.  e.  hy  frequenting,  for  the  purpose  of  worship  ;  so  the 
Sept,  in  Is.  1:12.  25:10.  l’s.  65:4.  not  trample  in  contempt.  And  we 
learn  from  history,  that  the  treading  of  the.  Gentiles  in  the  Christian 
church,  though  marked  with  ignorance  and  superstition,  has  not  been 
vindictive  or  contemptuous.’  [But  see  Bloomf.]  Woodii. 

V.  3 — 6.  It  would  be  tedious  even  to  mention  the  conjectural  expli¬ 
cations,  which  have  been  given  of  this  prophecy  concerning  the  wit¬ 
nesses;  hut  they  generally  and  notoriously  violate  the  apostle’s  rule; 
(Notes,  2  Pet.  1:20,  21.)  not  proceeding  on  a  large  and  comprehensive 
view  of  the  subject,  hut  confining  the  interpretation  to  private,  and  com¬ 
paratively  Utile  events.  A  ‘king,’  in  prophetical  language,  commonly 
-means  a  succession  of  monarchs  :  a  ‘witness,’  tiierefore,  must  be  ex¬ 
plained  by  the  same  rule  ;  and  not  individuals,  hut  a  succession  of  men, 
who, during  the  period  referred  to,  bore  testimony  to  the  truth,  must  be 
intended  by  the  prophecy.  ‘  Two  witnesses’  were  mentioned,  because 
one  was  insufficient  for  the  legal  proof  of  any  fact.  (Notes,  Deut.  17;2 — 7, 
v.  6.  19:15 — 21.  v.  15.)  For  -these  ‘  witnesses  ’  would  be  as  few  as  could 
suffice  to  attest  the  true  Gospel,  and  to  enter  a  public  protest  against 
the  antichristian  perversions  of  it :  perhaps  Moses  and  Aaron,  Elijah  and 
Elisha,  and  the  apostles  and  70  disciples,  sent  forth  ‘two  and  two,’ 
might  he  alluded  to.  All  real  Christians,  who  boldly  professed  their  re¬ 
ligion,  may  he  considered  as  uniting  in  this  testimony  ;  yet  ministers, 
and  especially  hold  nnd  zealous  men,  who  attempted  reformation,  were 
‘  the  witnesses  ’  primarily  intended.  The  Angel  before  mentioned  (1 ), 
even  the  Lord  Jesus,  declared,  that  He  would  ‘  give  them  power,’  or  au¬ 
thority,  ‘to  prophesy,’ during  the  assigned  lime;  yet  ‘in  sackcloth,’  as 
expressive  of  their  afflicted,  persecuted  state,  and  of  their  deep  concern 
and  sorrow  of  heart,  on  account  of  the  abominations  against  which  they 
protested. — It  has  been  shown,  hy  many  writers,  that,  during  the  dark¬ 
est  ages  of  popery,  men  were  raised  up,  who  bore  a  decided  testimony 
against  the  prevailing  corruptions  of  the  Roman  church,  and  for  the 
leading  doctrines  of  the  Gospel.  It  was,  indeed,  the  interest  and  the 
constant  practice  of  llieir  opponents,  to  silence  their  testimony,  to  black¬ 
en  their  characters,  or  to  destroy  them  as  heretics;  yet,  after  all  their 
endeavors  to  suppress,  misrepresent,  and  mutilate  their  writings,  enough 
remains  to  show,  that  Christ  had  a  remnant  of  faithful  witnesses  ana 
disciples,  through  all  the  ages  intended,  even  to  this  day.  From  the  2th 
to  the  11th  century  inclusive,  we  find  accounts  of  individuals,  or  collec¬ 
tive  bodies,  who,  under  the  brand  of  heresy,  and  in  the  face  ol  persecu¬ 
tion,  evidently  held,  and  openly  professed,  the  great  doctrines  of  salva¬ 
tion  hy  faith  in  Christ,  and  through  his  mediation,  merits,  and  grace; 
and  protested  against  the  abuses  of  popery;  and  these,  who  just  pre¬ 
vented  the  total  darkness  of  that  gloomy  period,  could  by  no  means  ie 
extirpated.  On  the  contrary,  they  continued  to  increase  in  many  places  : 
in  the  vallevs  of  Piedmont,  especially,  vast  multitudes  were  collected, 
ami  called  tValdenses  and  Albigenses,  who  were  evidently  Calvinists, 
(to  sneak  in  modern  language,)  more  or  less  moderate,  and  consistent  in 
their  views  ;  and  their  lives  were  generally  exemplary,  as  some^nlic 


A.  D.  95. 


5  And  if  any  man  will  hurt  them, 
n‘fire  proceedeth  out  of  their  mouth, 
and  devoureth  their  enemies  :  and 
if  any  man  will  hurt  them,  hB  must 
j-n  this  manner  he  n  killed. 

6  These  0  have  power  to  shut 
heaven,  that  it  rain  not  in  the  days 
of  their  prophecy:  and  have  power 
over  waters  p  to  turn  them  to  blood, 
and  to  smite  the  earth  with  all 
plagues,  as  often  as  they  will. 

7  And  when  they  shall  have  fin¬ 
ished  their  testimony,  the  beast 
that  ascendeth  out  of  the  bottomless 
pit  shall  make  r  war  against  them, 
and  shall  overcome  them,  and  kill 
them. 

8  And  their  dead  bodies  shall  lie 
in  the  street  *  of  the  great  city, 
which  spiritually  is  called  ‘Sodom 
and  u  Egypt,  where  also  our  Lord 
was  crucified. 

m  Ps.  18:8.  p  Ex.  7:19.  n  lie.  13:12. 

n  Nu.  16:35.  q  c.  17:8.  t  Is.  I:lo. 

Ho.  6:5.  r  Ha.  7:21.  u  Ex.  20:2. 

o  IK.  17:1.  Zee.  14:2,  &c. 


REVELATION,  XI. 

lliat  interval  cotikl  be  ascertained,  this  num¬ 
ber  of  prophetical  days,  taking  a  day  for  a 
year,  would  give  us  a  prospect  when  the 
end  shall  lie. 

3.  Their  habit  and  posture  ;  they  proph¬ 
esy  in  sackcloth,  as  those  that  are  deeply 
affected  with  the  low  and  distressed  state 
of  the  churches  and  interest  of  Christ  in  the 
world. 

4.  llovv  they  were  supported  and  supplied 
during  the  discharge  of  their  great  and  hard 
work  ;  they  stood  before  the  God  of  the 
whole  earth,  and  lie  gave  them  power  to 
prophecy,  made  them  like  Zerubbabel  and 
Joshua,  the  two  olive-trees  and  candlestick 
in  the  vision  of  Zechariah,  ch.  4  :  3,  &c. 
gave  them  the  oil  of  holy  zeal,  courage, 
strength,  and  comfort ;  oil,  not  only  in  their 
lamps,  but  in  their  vessels  ;  habits  of  spir¬ 
itual  life,  light,  and  zeal. 

5.  Their  security  and  defence  dining  the 
time  of  their  prophesying,  v.  5.  Some 
think,  this  alludes  to  Elias’s  calling  for  fire 
from  heaven,  to  consume  the  captains  and 
their  companies  that  came  to  seize  him, 
2  Kings  1 :  12.  God  promised  the  prophet 
Jeremiah,  ch.  5:  14.  Behold,  I  will  make  my 
words  in  thy  mouth  fire,  and  this  people  shall 
be  ivood,  and  it  shall  devour  them.  By  their 


Concerning  God's  two  witnesses. 

praying  and  preaching,  and  courage  in  suf¬ 
fering,  they  shall  gall  and  wound  the  very 
hearts  and  consciences  of  many  of  their 
persecutors,  who  shall  go  away  self-con¬ 
demned,  and  be  even  terrors  to  themselves  ; 
like  Pasluir,  at  the  words  of  Jeremiah, 
ch.  20:  4. 

G.  The  slaying  of  the  witnesses,  to  make 
their  testimony  more  strong;  they  must  seal 
it  with  their  blood.  Observe,  (1.)  The 
lime  when  they  shall  be  killed  ;  when  they 
have  finished  their  testimony.  Some  think  it 
ought  to  be  rendered,  when  they  were  about  to 
finish  their  testimony;  when  they  had  proph¬ 
esied  in  sackcloth  the  greatest  part  of  the 
1260  years,  then  they  should  feel  the  last 
effect  of  antichristian  malice.  (2.)  The 
enemy  that  should  overcome  and  slay  them; 
the  beast  that  ascendeth  out  of  the.  bottomless 
pit.  Antichrist,  the  great  instrument  of  the 
devil,  should  make  war  against  them,  not 
only  with  the  arms  of  subtle  and  sophistical 
learning,  but  chiefly  with  open  force  and  vi¬ 
olence  ;  and  God  would  permit  his  enemies 
to  prevail  against  his  witnesses  for  a  time. 
(3.)  The  barbarous  usage  of  these  slain 
witnesses;  the  malice  of  their  enemies  was 
not  satiated  with  their  blood  and  death,  but 
pursued  even  their  dead  bodies.  They  would 


papists  themselves  have  allowed.  These  subsisted  during  the  12th  and 
13th,  and  the  following  centuries,  though  they  were  persecuted  with 
such  unrelenting  fury,  and  pursued  with  such  cruel  and  destructive  wars, 
that,  in  France  alone,  a  million  of  them  are  computed  to  have  been  slain, 
for  the  sole  crime  of  protesting  against  the  tyranny  of  the  pope,  and  the 
corruptions  of  tlje  church  of  Rome  !  They,  however,  continued  to 
‘prophesy  in  sackcloth;’  and,  when  driven  from  Piedmont,  they  settled 
In  other  places,  propagated  their  religion,  and  prepared  the  way  for  the 
Reformation.  Connected  with  them,  and  agreed  in  their  leading  doc¬ 
trines,  and  in  opposition  to  the  church  of  Rome,  were  the  Lollards  in 
England  ;  and  the  Bohemians,  from  among  whom  arose  John  IIuss  and 
Jerom  of  Prague,  who  were  burnt  in  the  15th  century,  by  the  council  of 
Constance.  Multitudes  embraced  the  doctrines  of  the  Gospel  in  differ¬ 
ent  places,  during  those  times,  and  professed  or  preached  it  at  the  haz¬ 
ard  of  their  lives  ;  and  great  numbers  were  burnt  or  put  to  death  in  the 
most  cruel  maimer,  for  so  doing. — ‘  The  visible  assemblies  of  the  Pauli- 
cians,  or  Albigeois  were  extirpated  by  fire  and  sword;  and  the  bleeding 
remnant  escaped  by  flight,  concealment,  or  Catholic  conformity.  But 
the  invincible  spirit  which  they  had  kindled  still  lived  and  breathed  in 
the  western  world.  In  the  state,  in  the  church,  and  even  in  the  cloister, 
a  latent  succession  was  preserved  of  the  disciples  of  Paul,  who  protest¬ 
ed  against  the  tyranny  of  Rome,  embraced  the  Bible  as  the  rule  of  faith, 
and  purified  their  creed  from  all  the  visions  of  the  Gnostic  theology. 
The  struggles  of  WicklifT  in  England,  and  of  IIuss  in  Bohemia,  were 
premature  and  ineffectual ;  but  the  names  of  Zuinglius,  Luther,  and  Cal¬ 
vin,  are  pronounced  with  gratitude,  as  the  deliverers  of  nations  1  ’  Gib¬ 
bon- — ‘How  striking  a  testimony  is  here  given,  by  an  enemy  of  Chris¬ 
tianity,  to  the  fulfilment  of  prophecy  1  Gibbon,  writing  an  involuntary 
comment  on  St.  John  !  ’  Cuninghame.  At  length  Luther  arose,  and 
the  Reformation  took  place  ;  since  which  lime,  the  same  testimony  for 
the  truth  of  Christ,  and  against  the  errors  of  antichrist,  has  been  main¬ 
tained.  Nor  does  it  appear,  that  the  term  is  yet  expired  ;  for  ‘  they  shall 
prophesy  1260  days  clothed  in  sackcloth.’  The  term  of  their  ‘  prophe¬ 
sying  in  sackcloth,’  before  they  ‘are  slain  and  rise  again,’  (Note,  7 — 12.) 
must  extend  through  the  whole  of  the  42  months,  and  cannot  terminate 
till  these  are  ended.  This  is  wonderfully  overlooked  by  many  exposi¬ 
tors,  who  inconsistently  suppose  the  witnesses  to  have  finished  their 
‘  testimony  in  sackcloth,’  and,  having  been  slain,  to  have  risen  again, 
at  a  time,  when,  by  their  own  computation,  tile  1260  years  were  not 
closed.  The  witnesses  are  not,  indeed,  at  present  exposed  to  such  ter¬ 
rible  sufferings,  as  in  former  times;  but  those  scenes  may  be  reacted 
before  long,  for  what  any  man  can  foreknow  ;  and  they  have  abundant 
cause  ‘to  prophesy  in  sackcloth,’  on  account  of  the  declined  state  of 
religion  even  in  the  Protestant  churches. — However,  though  men  de¬ 
spised  and  hated  the  witnesses,  they  were  in  reality  ‘  the  two  olive-trees,’ 
endued  with  spiritual  gifts  and  grace,  tint,  through  their  instrumentali¬ 
ty,  others,  also,  might  receive  ‘  the  unction  from  the  Holy  One;’  and 
‘  the  two  candlesticks,’  to  hold  forth  the  light  of  divine  truth  in  this  be¬ 
nighted  world  :  they  stood  to  minister,  with  acceptance.  ‘  before  the  God 
of  the  earth,’  the  Proprietor  and  Governor  of  all  mankind  ;  and  were  the 
champions,  as  it  were,  of  his  cause,  and  the  heralds  of  his  glory,  in  the 
countries  where  they  lived.  (Notes,  1:12— 20.  Zec.’i.  4:2,  3,' 1 1—11.) 
Moreover,  if  any  man,  being  enraged  by  their  testimony,  and  embolden¬ 
ed  by  their  apparent  weakness,  should  attempt  to  injure  them,  ‘  fire  pro¬ 
ceedeth  from  their  mouths,  and  devoureth  their  enemies,’  who  would  in 
this  manner  be  slain  ;  that  is,  t lie  Lord  would  certainly  plead  and  avenge 
their  cause,  pud  resent  the  injuries  done  to  them,  ns  done  against  Him¬ 
self.  (Notes,  Zech.  2:6 — 9.  Acts  9:3 — 6.)  Their  warnings  and  Instruc¬ 
tions  would  tend  to  the  condemnation  of  those,  who  hated  ’them  on  that 
account :  the  denunciations  of  divine  vengeance,  uttered  by  them,  would 
infallibly  be  accomplished  ;  and  even  their  prayers  would  be  answered 
In  judgments  on  those,  who  persisted  in  their  enmity.  For,  in  this  re¬ 
spect,  they  would  have  power,  like  Elijah,  4  to  Shut  heaven,  and  to  re¬ 
strain  the  rain  from  falling,’  during  ‘  the  three  years  and  a  half’  of  their 
prophesying;  (Notes,  1  K.  17:1.  Jam.  5:16—18.)  or  to  prevent  bles¬ 
sings  coming  from  above  on  those,  who  rejected  their  testimony,  and 
persecuted  them  for  it ;  as  well  as  to  ‘turn  the  waters  into  blood,’  or  to 
inflict  all  other  plagues  at  their  pleasure,  as  Moses  did  upon  the  Egyp¬ 
tians.  (Notes,  Ex.  7:15 — 25.)  That  is,  they  would  have  as  great  an 
interest  in  heaven,  as  the  most  eminent  of  the  prophets  ;  and  God  would 
as  surely  punish  those  nations,  princes,  or  persons,  who  injured  them, 

[700] 


ns  He  did  those  who  had  formerly  oppressed  his  people,  or  murdered  his 
messengers.  Scott. 

(3.)  ‘  1  will  give  unto  my  two  witnesses  that  they  may  prophesy.’ 

ScHOLEFlELD. 

(3,  4.)  ‘  The  true  spiritnal  church  of  Christ,  or  collective  body  of  the 
faithful,  is  here  presented  to  our  view,  under  3  different  emblems.  1. 
That  of  2  witnesses  prophesying  in  sackcloth,  the  garb  of  mourning, 
during  the  period  of  1260  days,  and  testifying  against  the  general  cor¬ 
ruption  and  degeneracy  of  the  professing  church.  2.  Under  the  symbol 
of  the  2  candlesticks,  as  holding  forth  the  light  of  truth  to  a  xvorld  in¬ 
volved  in  spiritual  darkness.  3.  As  two  olive  trees,  to  denote  the 
abundant  supplies  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  at  all  times  given  to  the  trne 
church.  The  meaning  of  the  whole  passage  seems  to  be,  that  in  the 
midst  of  the  general  corruption  of  the  visible  church,  God  would  raise 
up  a  small  number  of  faithful  men,  a  truly  spiritual  church,  who  should 
witness  for  the  truth,  during  the  whole  1260  days,  which  is  the  same  as 
the  42  months,  when  the  Gentiles  were  to  occupy  the  holy  city. — Cun- 
inghamc.  This  is  the  view  of  many  of  the  old  commentators,  but  Faber 
adopts  that  of  Bp.  Lloyd,  that  the  Waldenses  and  Albigenses  are  speci¬ 
ally  meant,  and  their  slaughter  in  1686.  Vitringa,  Fleming,  and  others, 
thought  that  interpretation  worthy  of  attention. — The  number  “two” 
does  not  relate  to  their  number,  biit  to  their  witness-bearing  ;  two  being 
the  number  God  ordained  as  sufficient  to  establish  evidence.  We  must 
not  think  any  particular  church  intended  here. — Poole's  Annotations. 

Henry,  abr. 

(4.)  God.]  ‘  Rather,  Lord,  Kurios.'  Bloomf. 

V.  7— 12.  When  these  witnesses  ‘shall  have  finished,’  or ‘shall  be 
about  to  finish,’  their  testimony  ;  ‘  the  beast  that  ascendeth  out  of  the 
bottomless  pit,’  i.  e.  the  persecuting  power,  which  will  afterwards  he 
more  fully  described,  Notes,  13:1—7.  17:7,8.)  shall  fight  against  them, 
and  ‘kill  them.’  Many  private  interpretations  (for  so  they  appear  to 
me)  have  been  given  of  this  passage,  as  if  it  related  to  the  martyrdom 
of  individuals,  or  partial  persecutions,  in  past  times ;  and  some  strangely 
imagine,  that  it  only  denotes  the  constant  persecution  of  true  Chris¬ 
tians,  through  the  whole  period  of  1260  years  ;  I  cannot,  however,  but 
think,  that  it  relates  to  events  yet  future  ;  and  the  fulfilment  ot  it  must 
he  nearly  at  the  same  time,  as  the  sounding  of  the  7th  trumpet. — ‘  The 
great  city,’  in  the  street  of  which  the  dead  bodies  of  the  witnesses  shall 
lie  unburied,  does  not  seem  to  mean  either  Rome  or  Jerusalem  literally  ; 
but  Jerusalem  mystically  ;  i.  e.  the  professing  church  of  God,  as  pos¬ 
sessed  by  Gentiles  (2) ;  and  so  become  the  rival  of  ‘  Sodom  ’  in  lewd- 
ness ;  of ‘Egypt’  in  cruelty  to  the  children  of  God;  and  ol  ‘Jerusa¬ 
lem  ’  at  the  time  when  Christ  was  there  crucified,  in  general  enmity  to 
Him,  and  his  cause.  Vet  the  arrangement  of  the  prophecy  in  other  re¬ 
spects  shows,  that  the  countries,  which  belonged  to  the  church  of 
Rome,  when  at  the  height  of  its  power,  and  most  prosperous  in  its  rage 
‘  for  crucifying  our  Lord  afresh’  in  his  people,  were  principally  intend¬ 
ed  ;  and  indeed  it  is  worthy  of  notice,  that  though  our  Lord  personally 
was  crucified  at  Jerusalem,  it  was  by  the  authority  of  the  Roman  em¬ 
peror,  when  Judea  was  a  province  of  that  empire.  Present  appearan¬ 
ces,  indeed,  in  some  degree  may  seem  to  favor  the  opinion,  that  this 
general  and  successful  war  of  the  beast  against  the  witnesses  of  C  hrist, 
will  be  conducted  under  another  form,  and  other  pretences,  and  pertmps 
by  other  instruments  and  means,  than  former  assaults  have  been.  Pa¬ 
pal  persecutors  were,  often  concealed  infidels;  and  infidels  concealed 
under  any  other  mask,  and  so  opposing  vital  Christianity  within  the 
same  district,  may  perhaps  equally  answer  to  the  prediction  ;  for  the 
peculiar  opinions  of  this  antichristian  power  are  not  here  specified,  and 
the  apostle  elsewhere  speaks  of  antichrist  as  one  who  opposes  the  doc¬ 
trine,  the  authority,  or  glory  of  Christ.  (Notes,  1  John  2:13 — 25.  4: 
1 — 3.)  The  prevalence  of  infidelity  in  different  forms,  throughout  Eu¬ 
rope,  and  the  zeal,  with  which  principles  of  that  tendency  are  every¬ 
where  propagated,  when  contrasted  with  the  declining  state  of  popish 
superstition,  renders  it  not  wholly  improbable,  that  ‘the  beast’  may 
change  his  ground  and  method  of  attack,  before  he  thus  prevails  against 
the  witnesses ;  for  that  time  approaches;  though  popery  itself  is  far 
more  deeply  rooted  in  a  vast  proportion  of  professed  Christians,  than  is 
generally  supposed;  and  seems  at  present  (1815)  greatly  prevailing 
against  open  infidelity,  nay,  I  fear,  nominal  Protestantism.  (Noxv,  1838, 
the  ease  is  greatly  altered,  and  appears  more  in  accordance  with  the 
suggestion  of  the  author  in  the  preceding  paragraph.  Eo.]  It  likewise 


A.  D.  05. 


REVELATION,  XI. 


Concerning  Cod’s  two  witnesses. 


9  Anil  they  of  the  people,  and 
Kindreds,  and  tongues*  and  nations, 
shall  see  their  dead  bodies  three 
days  and  an  half,  and  shall  not  suf¬ 
fer  their  dead  bodies  to  be  put  in 
v  graves. 

10  And  they  that  dwell  upon  the 
earth  shall  rejoice  over  them,  and 
make  merry,  and  shall  send  gifts 
one  to  another  ;  because  these  two 
prophets  tormented  them  that  dwelt 
on  the  earth. 

11  And  after  three  days  and  an 
half  the  Spirit  'r  of  life  from  God 
entered  into  them,  and  they  stood 
upon  their  feet ;  and  great  fear  fell 
upon  them  which  saw  them. 

12  And  they  heard  a  great  voice, 
from  heaven  saying  unto  them, 
Come  up  hither.  And  they  ascend¬ 
ed  up  to  heaven  in  a  x cloud;  and 
their  enemies  y  beheld  them. 

V  Pi.  79:3.  x  1  Th.  4:17.  y  M  il.  3:18. 

w  Ere.  37:5—14. 


not  allow  them  a  quiet  grave  ;  their  bodies 
were  cast  out  in  the  open  street  of  Baby  Inn; 
sjiiritually  called  Sodom,  for  monstrous  wick¬ 
edness  ;  and  Egypt  for  idolatry  and  tyranny  ; 
and  here  Christ,  in  his  mystical  body,  has 
suffered  more  than  in  any  place  in  the  world. 
Their  dead  bodies  were  insulted  by  the  in¬ 
habitants  of  the  earth,  and  their  death  w>as 
a  matter  of  mirth  and  joy  to  the  antiehris- 
tian  world,  v.  10.  They  were  glad  to  be 
rid  of  these  witnesses,  who,  by  their  doc¬ 
trine  and  example,  had  terrified  and  tor¬ 
mented  the  consciences  of  their  enemies  ; 
these  spiritual  weapons  cut  wicked  men  to 
the  heart,  and  fill  them  with  the  greatest 
rage  and  malice  against  the  faithful. 

7.  The  resurrection  of  these  witnesses, 
and  the  consequences  thereof.  Observe, 
(1.)  The  time  of  their  rising  again  ;  after 
they  had  lain  dead  three  days  and  a  half, 
v.  11.  a  sho  i  t  time,  in  comparison  of  that  in 
which  they  had  prophesied.  God’s  witness¬ 
es  may  be  slain,  but  they  shall  rise  again  : 
not  in  their  persons,  till  the  general  resur¬ 
rection  ;  but  in  their  successors.  God  will 
revive  his  work,  when  it  seems  to  be  dead 
in  the  world.  (2.)  The  power  by  which 


they  were  raised  ;  The  spirit  of  life  from. 
Crud  entered  into  them,  and  they  stood  on  their 
feet.  I  he  Spirit  of  life  from  God  quick¬ 
ens,  shall  quicken,  his  dying  interest  in  the 
world.  (.1.)  1  lie  effect  of  this  on  their  en¬ 
emies;  Great  fear  fell  upon  them.  The  re¬ 
viving  of  God’s  work  and  witnesses  will 
strike  terror  into  the  souls  of  his  enemies. 
Where  there  is  guilt  there  is  fear  ;  and  a 
persecuting  spirit,  though  cruel,  is  not  a 
courageous,  but  a  cowardly  spirit.  Herod 
feared  John  the  Baptist. 

8.  The  ascension  of  the  witnesses  into 
heaven,  and  the  consequences  thereof,  v.  12, 
13.  (1.)  By  heaven,  understand,  either  some 
more  eminent  station  in  the  church,  the 
kingdom  of  grace  in  this  world,  or  a  high 
place  in  the  kingdom  of  glory  above.  The 
former  seems  to  be  the  meaning  ;  They  as¬ 
cend  to  heaven  in  a  cloud,  in  a  figurative,  not 
in  a  literal  sense,  and  their  enemies  saw  them. 
(2.)  The  consequences  of  their  ascension  ; 
a  mighty  shock  and  convulsion  in  the  anti- 
christian  empire,  and  the  fall  of  a  tenth  peat 
of  the  city.  Some  refer  this  to  the  begin¬ 
ning  of  the  reformation  from  popery;  when 
many  princes  and  states  fell  off  from  their 


appears  from  the  prediction,  that  the  temporary  victory  of  this  enemy 
over  the  truth  will  be  so  entire,  throughout  the  extent  of  the  western 
church,  that  there  will  be  scarcely  any  open  profession  or  preaching  of 
tlie  true  Gospel,  or  steady  opposition  to  the  prevailing  antichristianity, 
in  all  that  part  of  the  world  ;  so  that  the  different  nations  of  Europe, 
and  others  as  connected  with  them,  will  have  nothing  to  do,  but  to  con¬ 
template  and  insult  ‘over  the  dead  bodies  of  the  witnesses,’  which  they 
will  not  suffer  lobe  buried.  This  may  signify,  that  they  will  revile  and 
deride  all  those,  who  before  had  professed  and  preached  the  truth;  and 
thus  preserve  them  from  oblivion,  by  exposing  them  to  ignominy.  At 
the  same  time,  they  will  use  the  customary  methods  of  mutual  congrat¬ 
ulation  on  an  event,  which  they  deem  so  joyful;  supposing  that  they 
have  at  last  finally  extirpated  a  race  of  men,  whose  examples,  doctrines, 
warnings,  and  reproofs,  alarmed  and  disquieted  their  minds,  and  pre¬ 
vented  them  from  proceeding,  without  disturbance,  in  their  ungodliness 
and  iniquity.  {Notes,  Judg.  16:23 — 31.  Mic.  7:8— 10.  Mat.  27:39 — 44. 
John  7:3 — 10.)  But  the  ‘triumphing  of  these  wicked  men’  shall  be 
short;  for  ‘after  three  days  and  a  half,’  prophetically  computed,  the 
witnesses  shall  rise  again  from  the  dead,  to  the  great  consternation  of 
their  insulting  murderers.  I.  e.  the  Lord  will  speedily  raise  up  a  com¬ 
petent  number  of  witnesses,  to  stand  up  for  his  pure  Gospel;  to  the  ter¬ 
ror  of  its  opposers,  who  hoped  that  it  xvas  filially  extirpated.  {Note, 
20:4 — 6.)  Nay,  these  witnesses  will  be  called  by  ‘  a  voice  from  heaven, 
to  ascend  thiiher,1  which  they  will  accordingly  do,  in  the  sight  of  their 
enemies.  I.  e.  the  apparent  extirpation  of  genuine  Christianity  in  the 
western  church,  (the  bounds  of  which  are  considered  in  their  largest  di¬ 
mensions;  for  all  true  protestants  are  only  ‘witnesses’  for  the  truth, 
within  tlie  dominions  of  the  beast,)  will  make  way  for  more  glorious 
times,  when  tlie  ministers  and  professors  of  the  Gospel  shall  be  far  more 
zealous,  honored,  and  prospered,  than  before ;  even  as  the  ascension  of 
Christ  to  glory  was  subsequent  to  his  death  and  resurrection,  and  pre¬ 
paratory  to  the  success  of  the  Gospel.  [Does  not  the  present  state  of 
Mohammedism,  popery,  and  infidelity,  respectively,  strikingly  cor¬ 
respond  to  the  representation  in  this  paragraph  ?  Ed.]  Tite  outline  of 
tlie  above  interpretation  was  given  in  the  first  edition  of  this  work; 
and  since  that  time,  during  24  years,  the  author  has  had  ahtnidant  op¬ 
portunity  of  reconsidering  his  interpretation  ;  and  of  comparing  it  with 
those  of  many  other  commentators,  and  xvith  events  which  have  occur¬ 
red  in  Providence.  He  must,  however,  still  avow  his  full  conviction, 
that  the  transactions,  predicted  under  the  emblems  of  these  vs.,  have 
not  hitherto  taken  place. — It  is  generally  agreed,  that  this  ch.  coincides 
in  time  with  ch.  9.;  {Notes,  9.)  and  that  the  state  of  tlie  church,  and 
of  tlie  nations  in  the  western  empire  is  here  predicted,  as  that  of  the 
eastern  empire  had  before  been.  Tlie  whole  testimony,  therefore, 
against  idolatry  and  popery,  in  the  ten  kingdoms,  during  ‘the  1200' 
years,’  must  be  intended;  and  till  that  testimony  is  generally  suppres¬ 
sed,  the  witnesses  are  not  slain.  Tlie  triumphs  of  the  persecutors,  in 
Germany,  Bohemia,  Spain,  or  Italy,  did  not  amount  to  anything,  which 
can,  with  tlie  least  propriety,  be  called  ‘the  slaying  of  tlie  witnesses;’ 
so  long  as  a  public  testimony  against  papal  corruptions,  and  for  the  true 
Gospel,  was  borne  in  any  other  parts  of  the  western  empire. — However 
we  explain  the  expression,  ‘  when  they  shall  have  finished  their  testi¬ 
mony,’  we  must  make  it  agree  with  tiiis  part  of  the  prediction  ;  ‘  they 
shall  prophesy  1260  days,  clothed  in  sackcloth.’  Now,  if  the  witnesses 
were  slain  at  the  council  of  Constance,  or  liythe  total  ruin  of  the  league 
at  Smalcalde,  or  at  any  of  the  times,  which  difieient  expositors  fix  upon, 
it  inevitably  follows,  that  they  prophesied  one,  two,  or  three,  ‘hundred 
days  in  sackcloth  ’  less  than  the  predicted  period  ,  except  any  will  sav, 
that  they  ‘prophesied  in  sackcloth,’  after  their  resurrection  and  ascen¬ 
sion  into  heaven. — Tne  different  opinions  of  eminently  learned  and  able 
men  on  the  subject,  and  the  extreme  difficulty  which  they  all  seem  to 
find,  in  making  one  part  of  their  interpretations  consistent  with  the 
others,  are  powerful  arguments  in  my  mind,  that  they  have  not  fact  and 
truth  to  bear  them  out. — The  fulfilment  of  the  prophecy  seems  to  me 
indispensably  to  require  the  following  particulars  :  1st.  The  general 
suppression  of  the  public  testimony  for  the  troth,  and  against  tlie  gros¬ 
ser  perversions  of  Christianity,  in  doctrine  and  worship,  throughout  all 
the  kingdoms  of  the  western  empire;  but  no  such  general  suppression 
has  taken  place,  especially  in  the  latter  ages  of  the  period  in  question. 
2dly.  The  open,  avowed,  and  general  triumph  of  enemies,  however  dis¬ 
tinguished  ;  as  if  the  hated  cause  of  true  Christianity  were  finally  ruin¬ 
ed  ;  but  this  has  never  yet  been  the  case,  throughout  the  ten  kingdoms, 
however  a  part,  and  comparatively  a  small  part,  vainly  exulted  in  some 
of  them.  3dly.  The  very  speedy  and  unexpected  ‘  revival  of  the  wit¬ 


nesses  ;  and  the  immediate,  general,  and  extraordinary  triumphs  of  the 
Gospel,  in  all  those  countries,  where  it  was  supposed  to  be  extirpated. 
Whether  this  will  be,  as  some  with  much  probability  think,  the  last 
persecution  before  the  millennium,  the  event  must  determine;  but  the 
war  of  the  beast  against  the  witnesses,  is  surely  a  widely  different 
thing,  from  the  war  of  Christ  against  the  persecutors,  which,  I  appre¬ 
hend,  is  meant  by  the  pouring  out  of  the  vials,  at  the  opening  of  the  7th 
trumpet.  (Notes,  16  :)  During  the  former,  the  enemy  triumphs,  and 
‘the  witnesses  prophesy  in  sackcloth,’  till  slain  ;  during  the  latter,  the 
witnesses  and  their  cause  triumph,  and  their  enemies  are  destroyed  by 
tremendous  judgments.  Yet  these  distinct  events  have,  by  some  re¬ 
spectable  expositors,  been  apparently  confounded. — ‘The  death  and 
resurrection  of  the  xvitnesses,  whatever  events  may  be  intended  there¬ 
by,  happen,  as  we  learn  from  the  concluding  clause  of  the  above  pas¬ 
sage,  before  tlie  end  of  the  second  woe,  and  before  the  coming  of  the 
third  woe.’  Cuninghame.  Had  this  writer,  in  company  witli  many 
others,  forgot  v.  3.  when  he  wrote  this,  and  when  lie  dates  the  slaying 
of  the  witnesses  A.  D.  1546  ?  Were  the  1260  days  of  ‘  their  prophesying 
in  sackcloth  ’  terminated  at  that  time  ?  Or  from  what  year  does  he  date 
the  beginning  of  the  1260  years  l  Certainly  this  calculation  dates  it  from 
A.  D.  286  ;  earlier,  by  several  centuries,  than  the  date  hitherto,  by  almost 
general  consent,  assigned  to  it;  or  by  himself  in  olher  places.  (Notes, 
1,2.  Dan.  7:23—27.  8:13,14.  12:5 — 9.)  Indeed,  it  makes  it  precede 
the  times  of  Constantine.  (Note,  I4e3 — 6.) — If  the  slaj  ing  of  the  wit¬ 
nesses  lie  future,  it  is  of  vast  importance  that  Christians  should  be 
aware  of  it,  and  act  accordingly.  It  does  not  follow,  from  the  suppres¬ 
sion  of  the  public  testimony,  viz.  the  general  silencing  of  faithful  minis¬ 
ters,  and  inhibiting  the  public  administration  of  ordinances,  in  tlie  pu¬ 
rity  and  simplicity  of  Christian  worship,  through  the  ten  kingdoms,  that 
.there  xviil  be  no  true  Christianity  in  those  kingdoms.  Nay,  it  is  not 
improbable,  that  the  prevalence  of  true  Christianity  will  provoke  this 
persecution;  that  there  will  be  thousands,  and  tens,  nay  hundreds  of 
thousands,  who  secretly,  at  the  hazard  of  their  lives,  will  meet  together, 
for  the  worship  of  God  ;  that  books,  previously  circulated,  containing 
clear  and  practical  religious  instruction,  will  in  a  very  great  degree  sup¬ 
ply  the  want  of 'public  ordinances,  during  this  short  interruption  ;  that 
the  persecution  itself,  and  the  suppression  of  the  testimony,  will  so  show 
the  odiousness  of  the  persecutors,  and  the  excellency  of  true  Christians, 
as,  by  the  divine  blessing,  exceedingly  to  multiply  real  believers,  during 
the  interdiction  ;  and,  in  short,  that  the  means  previously  used,  nay,  the 
seed  which  we  are  now  sowing,  may  tie  abundantly  prospered,  in  bring¬ 
ing  forward  the  glorious  times  which  shall  succeed  this  event.  Tlie 
term  of  three  years  and  a  half,  according  to  the  prophetical  calculation 
of  the  days,  in  which  the  testimony  shall  be  suppressed,  and  the  energy 
and  success  with  which  it  shall  then  burst  forth,  from  the  ashes  under 
which  it  had  been  smothered,  and  this,  through  nil  the  ten  kingdoms, 
appear  to  me  to  give  an  astonishing  interest  to  this  view  of  the  subject  ; 
as  well  as  most  animating  motives,  now  to  sow  to  the  utmost  that  seed, 
which  will  then  produce  the  glorious  harvest.  In  many  other  cases,  we 
should  ‘  rejoice  wftli  trembling  ;’  but  in  this,  while  we  cannot  but  trem¬ 
ble,  at  the  prospect  before  us,  we  should  tremble,  with  rejoicing.  Like 
tlie  believer's  death,  it  will  be  a  dark  and  painful  entrance  on  scenes  in¬ 
expressibly  delightful:  and  the  approach  of  it,  if  perceived,  will  assure 
tlie  intelligent  Christian,  that  the  final  triumphs  of  the  church  are  at 
hand,  even  at  the  door. — In  what  way  the  accomplishment  will  take 
place,  the  evert  must  show  ;  and  it  is  in  vain  to  argue  against  the  im¬ 
probability  of  it;  for  the  dispensations  of  Providence  commonly  subvert 
all  our  preconceptions  of  probability. — It  should  also  be  noted,  that  this 
exceedingly  depressed  state  of  real  Christianity  seems  only  to  relate  to 
the  western  church  exclusively  :  and  probably  in  America,  in  Africa,  in 
the  East  Indies,  or  other  parts  of  Asia,  there  may  be  very  flourishing 
churches  at  the  same  time.  Scott. 

(11,  12.)  ‘  We  must  not  look  for  a  literal  accomplishment  of  this  pro¬ 

phecy  ;  but  bear  in  mind,  that  these  things  area  “  mystery,"  1:2-  17: 
which  word  teaches  us  to  look  for  a  hidden  and  allegorical  meaning.’ 
IVoo'lh.  See  this  meaning  beantifnilv  drawn  out  in  his  Annott.  (1S28,) 
PI).  229—236.  ‘.Of  the  3  scenes  of^re,  rain,  and  blond,  the  1st  may  be 
deemed  essentially  (spiritually)  fulfilled,  if  the  enemies  of  the  witnesses, 
and  of  their  pure  religion,  arc  in  many  instances  dismayed,  confounded, 
frustrated,  and  subdued  by  tlie  heavenly  words  of  their  mouth.  The  2d, 
if  the  rain  from  heaven,  which,  spiritually  interpreted,  is  the  blessing 
from  heaven  upon  the  growth  of  true  religion  generally  in  the  world, 
(Ps.  68:9.  72:6.  Is.  55:10.  Has.  GO.  Ez.  31:26.  Ileb.  6:7.)  is  sus¬ 

pended  during  their  prophery.  Tite  3d,  if,  In  the  contest,  the  enemies 


A.  D.  95. 


REVELATION,  XI. 


The  seventh  trumpet  sounded. 


13  And  the  same  hour  was  there 
a  great  earthquake,  and  the  tenth 
part  of  the  city  zfell,  and  in  the 
earthquake  were  slain  a  of  men  sev¬ 
en  thousand:  and  the  remnant  were 
affrighted,  and  gave  b  glory  to  the 
God  of  heaven. 

14  The  second  c  woe  is  past  ; 
and,  behold,  the  third  woe  comcth 
quickly. 

15  And  the  seventh  d  angel  sound¬ 
ed;  and  there  were  great  voices  in 
heaven,  saying,  The  kingdoms  e  of 
this  world  are  become  the  kingdoms 
of  our  Lord,  and  of  his  Christ;  and 
lie  f  shall  reign  for  ever  and  ever. 

16  And  the  four  and  twenty  =  el¬ 
ders,  which  sat  before  God  on  their 
seats,  fell  upon  their  faces,  and 
worshipped  God, 

17  Saying,  We  give  thee  thanks, 
O  Lord  God  Almighty,  which  h  art, 
and  wast,  and  art  to  come;  because 
thou  hast  taken  to  thee  thy  great 
power,  and  hast  'reigned, 

13  And  the  nations  were  1  angry, 
and  thy  wrath  is  come,  and  the  time 
k  of  the  dead,  that  they  should  be 
judged,  and  that  thou  shouldest  give 
reward  1  unto  thy  servants  the 
prophets,  and  to  the  saints,  and 
them  that  fear  thy  name,  “small 
and  great ;  and  shouldest  destroy 
them  which  "destroy  the  earth. 

19  And  the  temple  0  of  God  was 
opened  in  heaven,  and  there  was 
seen  in  his  temple  the  ark  of  his 
testament:  and  there  were  Plight- 


nings,  and  voices,  and  thunderings, 
and  an  i  earthquake,  and  great  hail 

k  c.  16:19.  f  Pa.  2:44.  1  c.  22:12. 

a  names  of  men.  7:14,18,27.  m  c.  19:5, 

b  Is.  26:15,16.  g  c.  4:4.  n  or,  corrupt. 

C.  14:7.  h  c.  16:5.  o  c.  15:5,8. 

c  c.  8:13.  i  c.  19:6.  p  c.  8:5. 

cl  c.  10:7.  j  ver.  9.  q  c.  16:13.21. 

c  c.  12:10.  k  He.  9:27. 


subjection  to  Rome  ;  all  the  western  world 
felt  a  great  concussion,  the  antichristian 
interest  received  a  great  blow,  and  lost  a 
great  deal  of  ground  and  interest,  [1.]  By 
the  sword  of  war,  which  was  then  drawn  ; 
and  many  of  those  who  fought  under  the 
banner  of  antichrist,  were  slain  by  it.  [2.] 
Bv  the  sword  of  the  Spirit  ;  The  fear  of  God 
fell  upon  many.  They  were  convinced  of 
their  errors, superstition,  and  idolatry;  and, 
by  true  repentance,  and  embracing  the  truth, 
they  gave  glory  to  the  God  of  heaven.  Thus, 
when  God’s  work  and  witnesses  revive,  the 
devil’s  work  and  witnesses  fall  before  Him. 

V.  14 — 19.  We  have  here  the  sounding 
of  the  7lh  and  last  trumpet.  Observe  the 
effects  and  consequences. 

1.  Loud  and  joyful  acclamations  of  the 
saints  and  angels  in  heaven.  Observe,  The 
manner  and  matter  of  their  adorations;  they 
rose  from  their  seats,  and  fell  on  their  faces, 
and  worshipped  God;  they  did  it  with  rev¬ 
erence  and  humility.  They  thankfully  re¬ 
cognise  the  right  of  our  God  and  Savior,  to 
rule  and  reign  over  all  the  world,  v.  15. 
They  give  Him  thanks  because  He  had  as¬ 
serted  his  rights,  exerted  his  power,  and  so 
turned  his  title  into  possession.  They  re¬ 
joice  that  this  his  reign  shall  never  end,  and 
that  all  enemies  shall  be  put  under  his  feet. 

2.  Angry  resentments  in  the  world,  at 
these  just  appearances  and  actings  of  the 
power  of  God,  v.  18.  The  nations  were  an¬ 
gry  ;  not  only  had  been  so,  but  were  so 
still.  It  vyas  a  time  when  God  was  taking 
a  just  revenge  on  the  enemies  of  his  people, 


and  beginning  to  reward  his  people’s  faith¬ 
ful  services  and  sufferings  ;  and  their  ene¬ 
mies  could  not  bear  it,  they  fretted  against 
God,  and  so  increased  their  guilt,  and  has¬ 
tened  their  destruction. 

3.  The  opening  of  the  temple  of  God  in 
heaven.  By  this  may  be  meant,  that  here  is 
now  a  more  free  communication  between 
heaven  and  earth  ;  but  it  rather  seems  to 
intend  the  church  of  God  on  earth,  a  hea¬ 
venly  temple.  It  is  an  allusion  to  the  vari¬ 
ous  circumstances  of  things  in  the  time  of 
the  first  temple;  under  idolatrous  and  wick¬ 
ed  princes,  it  was  shut  up  and  neglected  ; 
but  under  religious  and  reforming  princes, 
opened  and  frequented.  So,  during  the 
power  of  antichrist,  the  temple  of  God 
!  seemed  to  be  shut  up,  and  was  so  in  a  great 
!  degree  ;  but  now  it  was  opened  again.  At 
this  opening  of  it,  Observe, 

(1.)  What  was  seen  there;  the  ark  of  God’s 
testament.  As,  before  Josiah’s  time,  the  law 
of  God  had  been  lost,  but  was  then  found  ; 

I  so,  in  the  reign  of  antichrist,  God’s  law  was 
made  void  by  their  traditions  an  1  decrees; 
the  Scriptures  were  locked  up  from  the  peo¬ 
ple,  and  they  must  not  look  into  these  divine 
oracles;  now  they  are  opened,  now  they  are 
brought  to  the  views  of  all.  _  This  was  an 
unspeakable  and  invaluable  privilege  ;  and 
this,  like  the.  ark  of  the  testament,  was  a  token 
of  the  presence  of  God  returned  to  his  peo¬ 
ple,  and  his  favor  toward  them  in  Jesus 
j  Christ,  the  Propitiation. 

(2.)  What  was  heard  and  felt  there  ; 
j  Lightnings,  voices,  thunderings ,  an  earth- 
|  quake,  and  great  hail.  1'lie  great  blessing  of 
j  the  Reformation  was  attended  with  very 
;  awful  providences  ;  and  by  terrible  things 
j  in  righteousness  God  wouid  answer  those 
l  prayers  that  were  presented  in  his  holy  tem¬ 
ple,  now  opened.  All  the  great  revolutions 
j  of  the  world  are  concerted  in  heaven,  and 
1  are  the  answers  of  the  prayers  of  the  saints. 


I’RACT.  OBS.  The  Lord  measures  his  professed  worshippers  by 
tlie  rule  of  his  Word,  and  weighs  them  in  his  balance.  His  ministers 
must  also  use  the  same  standard  ;  for  mere  nominal  professors  are  ac¬ 
counted  Gentiles  before  God;  and  ‘the  holy  city’ has  frequently  been 
trodden  under  foot  by  such  enemies  of  the  Lord,  in  the.  habit  of  wor¬ 
shippers! — Indeed,  for  many  ages,  a  small  number  of  ‘  witnesses,  proph- 
cs'  ing  in  sackcloth,’  have  appeared  on  the  part  of  Christ  and  tiie  truth; 
whilst  multitudes,  in  great  splendor  and  power,  have  been  ranked  on 
the  side  of  antichrist,  in  one  form  or  another.  But  it  is  most  honorable 
to  unite  with  these  witnesses,  however  few,  despised,  or  persecuted 
they  may  be  ;  and  to  enter  a  public  protest,  connected  with  a  holy  and 
exemplary  conduct,  against  the  prevailing  corruptions  of  the  age  and 
place  in  which  we  live.  Yet  we  cannot  obtain  this  honor,  without 


courage,  self-denial,  and  patience.  Many  woes  await  the  impenitent  in 
this  world  ;  but  the  most  dreadful  woe  will,  as  it  were,  cause  all  the 
rest  to  he  forgotten  ;  and  it  will  arrive  quickly.  For  the  7th  angel  shall 
sound;  and  the  inhabitants  of  heaven  will  rejoice,  because  ‘the  king¬ 
doms  of  the  earth  shall  become  the  kingdoms  of  the  Lord  and  of  his 
Christ,  and  He  shall  reign  for  ever.’  At  present,  prayer  for  that  blessed 
revolution  in  the  state  of  the  world,  is  the  duty  of  till  real  Christians; 
but  shortly,  they  will  he  called  to  join  in  songs  of  loud  thanksgiving,  and 
humble  adoration,  ‘to  the  Lord  God  Almighty,  who  is,  and  was,  and  is 
to  come.’  Oh  may  the  name  of  our  ‘  heavenly  Father  be  thus  hallowed; 
may  his  kingdom  thus  come,  and  may  his  will  be  done  inearth,  as  it 
is  in  heaven.’  Scott. 


of  the  witnesses, 'instead  of  the  peaceful  enjoyment  expected  to  accrue 
from  their  apparent  destruction,  behold  their  tenets,  and  the  open  pro¬ 
fession  of  them,  revive  with  power  irresistible.’  IVootlh.  Ed.  ‘  Mede 
co  aiders,  that  the  slaughter  of  the  witnesses  can  only  be  referred  to 
about  the  end  of  the  1260  days,  and  that  it  will  not  be  such  as  to  extin¬ 
guish  the  persons,  or  whole  materials,  of  the  reformed  churches,  but  only 
tire  public,  fabric  of  the  Reformation.’  Hunky,  a  hr. 

V  IS,  14.  Immediately  after  the  events,  intended  by  the  resurrection 
and  1  ascension  of  t he  witnesses,’  some  terrible  judgment  will  befall  a 
largl*  part  of  the  antichristian  city,  in  which  they  were  slain  and  lay 
unhuried,  especially  some  one  of  the  ten  kingdoms ;  which  will  destroy  a 
great  number  of  persons,  and  so  alarm  others,  as  to  tend  to  their  con¬ 
version,  and  to  ‘the  glory  of  God,’  in  it. — The  original  expression, 
‘seven  thousand  names  of  men,'  Note ,  Acts  1:15.  induces  many  to 
think,  that  this  refers  to  the  degradation  and  destruction  of  the  most  re- 
ii owned  and  powerful  supporters  of  the  papal  antichrist ;  but  the  event 
alone  can  determine  the  precise  meaning  of  this.  Thus  the  2d  woe,  or 
the  6th  trumpet  will  terminate;  and  behold,  the  3d  woe  will  speedily 
approach. — Whether  the  revolutions  and  desolations  in  France,  and  on 
the  Continent,  during  the  last  20  years,  are  specially  meant,  (as  some 
expositors  confidently  decide,)  our  descendants  will  be  more  competent 
to  determine,  than  we  are.  But  if  the  whole,  concerning  the  slaying  of 
the  witnesses,  lie  yet  unfulfilled,  as  I  decidedly  think,  that  cannot  be.- — 
(131  Same,  hour.]  The  destruction  implied  in  this  v.  must  be  coincident 
with  the  ascension  of  the  witnesses,  at  the  very  same  time,  or  when  the 
prophecy  is  fulfilled.  Scott. 

V.  15 — 18.  ‘  The  little  book’  has  been  shown  to  contain  such  exten¬ 

sive  and  important  predictions,  as  abundantly  to  account  for  the  sblem- 
nity  with  which  it  was  delivered  to  the  apostle.  (Note,  1Q-.2 — 4.)  If 
this  be  not  addressed  to  Christ  personally,  (ns  some  think,)  it  ntusi  he 
allowed  to  include  Him,  as  One  with  the  Father  and  the  Holy  Spirit,  in 
the  Unity  of  the  Godhead.  (Note,  1:3,8 — 11.)  What  follows,  is  ex¬ 
plained  by  some  persons,  to  relate  to  the  execution  of  the  wrath  of  God 
on  the  nations  before  the  millennium,  (Notes,  18:  19:  20.4 — 6.)  but 
others  suppose  it  to  refer  to  the  temporary  opposition  raised  against  the 
Gospel,  after  the  millennium,  and  just  before  I  lie  general  resurrection, 
and  the  final  judgment.  (Notes,  20:7 — 10.)  The  account,  however,  in 
this  place  is  very  brief;  for  it  will  be  explained  and  dilated  on  after¬ 
wards,  in  several  chs. :  and  perhaps  both  events  are  compendiously 

[7071 


hinted  at..  (M.  R.  a,  In—  Notes,  Dan.  2:34,  35,  44,  45.  7:9—14,  19—27.) 
— ‘  Thus  we  are  arrived  at  the  consummation  of  all  things,  through  a 
series  of  prophecies,  extending  from  the  apostle’s  days  to  the  end  of  the 
world.  This  series  lias  been  the  clue  to  conduct  us  in  our  interpreta¬ 
tion  of  these  prophecies:  and  though  some  of  them  may  he  dark  and  ob¬ 
scure,  considered  in  themselves,  yet  they  receive  light  and  illustration 
from  others,  preceding  and  follow  ing.  Altogether  they  are,  ns  it  were,  a 
chain  of  prophecies,  whereof  one  link  depends  cm  and  supports  another. 
If  any  parts  remain  yet  obscure  and  unsatisfactory,  they  may,  perhaps, 
he  cleared  up,  by  what  the  apostle  has  added  by  way  of  explanation. 
Newton.  Scott. 

(15.)  1  Vitringa  and  others  trace  an  analogy  between  the  effects  of 
the  seals  and  the.  siege  of  .lericho:  as  that  city  fell  after  7  times  sound¬ 
ing  a  trumpet,  which  7th  time  of  sounding  was  made  up  of  7  blasts;  so 
they  consider,  that  the  mystical  Babylon,  the  great  oppressing  city  of 
these  days,  is  to  fall  tit  the  sound  of  the  7th  trumpet,  which  contains  the 
pouring-out  of  the  X  vials.  Thus  the  7th  trumpet  may  be  considered  as 
sounding  at  the  1st  vial,  as  well  as  at  the  last.’  Henry,  abr. 

(17.)  Ari  to  come.]  ‘  Bl.  marls*  this  clause  as  doubtful.’  En. 

(IS.)  ‘  Bowman  considers,  that  the  word  rendered  “judged.”  is  rather 
to  be  understood  to  mean  a  vindication  of  t He  cause  of  the  martyrs  for 
the  Christian  religion,  by  some  act  of  providence  in  its  lavor.  It  is  fre¬ 
quently  used  in  this  sense,  and,  according  to  t  lie  order  of  the  prophecies, 
the  general  judgment  was  not  till  afterwards.’  Henry,  ahr. 

V.  19.  This  v.  introduces  anew  subject,  and  should  have  been  placed 
at  the  beginning  of  the  next  ch.  (Notes,  4:1 — 3.  15:5 — S.  16:17 — 21. 

Is.  6-.1 — 4.)  The  scene  of  the  vision  was  laid  at  the  temple,  which  was 
so  far  opened,  that  ‘  the  ark  of  the  covenant  ’  became  visible  :  this  de¬ 
noted,  that  further  discoveries  were  about  to  lie  made,  relating  to  the 
interior  parts  of  religion;  for  the  preceding  chs.  chiefly  referred  to  the 
affairs  of  the  empire,  and  the  external  concerns  of  the  church.  ‘The 
lightnings,  and  voices,  and  thunderings,’  w  ere  tokens  of  the  special  di¬ 
vine  presence  ;  ami  emblems  of  the  terrible  judgments,  which  were  about 
to  be  revealed.  (M.  R.  q.  r.)  The  next  ch.  seems  to  go  back  to  the 
primitive  ages  of  the  church  ;  and  we  must  pass  a  second  time  through 
many  of  the  succeeding  periods  as  before:  though  principally  with  rela¬ 
tion  to  the  times  of  the  S  last  trumpets,  culled  the  woe-trumpets.  (Note, 
12:1,2.)  Scott. 


A.  D.  95. 


REVELATION,  XII. 


The  woman  and  the  red  dragon* 


CHAP.  XII. 

1  A  woman  clothed  with  the  son  travaileOi.  4  The  great 
red  dragon  stiuuleth  before  her,  ready  to  devour  her  child. 

6  When  *hc  was  delivered  she  fleeth  into  the  wilderness. 

7  Michael  and  his  angels  fight  with  the  dragon,  and  pre¬ 
vail.  13  The  dragon  being  cast  down  into  the  earth  per¬ 
secuted)  the  woman. 

AND  there  appeared  a  great  a 
wonder  in  heaven;  a  woman 
6  clothed  with  the  csun,  and  the 
moon  under  her  feet,  and  upon  her 
head  a  crown  of  twelve  stars: 

2  And  she  being  with  child  cried, 
travailing  in  birth,  and  pained  to  be 
delivered. 

3  And  there  appeared  another 
a  wonder  in  heaven;  and  behold  a 
great  red  d  dragon,  having  seven 
heads  and  ten  horns,  and  seven 
crowns  upon  his  heads. 

4  Anil  his  tail  'drew  the  third 
part  of  the  stars  of  heaven,  and  did 
cast  them  to  the  earth  :  and  the 
dragon  stood  before  the  woman 
which  was  ready  to  be  delivered, 
for  to  devour  her  child  as  soon  as  it 
was  born. 

5  And  fshe  brought  forth  a  man 
child,  who  5  was  to  rule  all  nations 
with  a  rod  of  iron  :  and  her  child 
was  caught  up  unto  God,  and  to  his 
throne. 

a  or,  sigti.  Mai.  4:2.  f  Is.  7:14. 

b  Is.  51:6-  a  ver.  9.  e  Ps.  2:10. 

C  Ps.  84:11.  e  Is.  9:15. 


Chap.  XII.  It  is  generally  agreed  by  the 
most  learned  expositors,  that  the  narrative 
we  have  in  this  and  the  two  following  chs., 


from  the  sounding  of  the  7th  trumpet  to  the 
opening  of  the  vials,  is  not  a  prediction  of 
things  to  come,  but  rather  a  recapitulation 
and  representation  of  tilings  past;  which,  as 
God  would  have  the  apostle  to  foresee  while 
future,  He  would  have  him  to  review  now 
that  they  were  past,  that  he  might  have  a 
more  perfect  idea  of  them  in  his  mind,  and 
might  observe  the  agreement  between  die 
prophecy  and  that  Providence  that  is  al¬ 
ways  fulfilling  the  Scriptures.  In  this  ch., 
we  have  an  account  of  the  contest  between 
the  church  and  antichrist  ;  the  seed  of  the 
woman,  and  the  seed  of  the  serpent, 

V.  1 — 11.  Here  v\e  see  that  early  pro* 
phecy,  Gen.  3:  15.  eminently  fulfilled,  Ob¬ 
serve, 

I.  The  attempts  of  Satan  and  his  agents 
to  prevent  the  increase  of  the  church,  by  de¬ 
vouring  her  offspring  as  soon  as  it  was  lorn; 
of  this  we  have  a  very  lively  description  in 
the  most  proper  images, 

1.  The  church  is  represented,  (1.)  As  a 
woman,  the  weaker  part  of  the  world,  hut 
the  spouse  of  Christ,  and  [he  mother  of  the 
saints.  (2.)  As  clothed  with  the  sun,  the 
imputed  righteousness  of  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ,  who  is  the  Sun  of  righteousness.  (3.) 
As  having  the  moon  under  her  feet  ;  that  is, 
the  world  ;  her  heart  and  hope  set  not  on 
sublunary  things,  hut  on'  heaven  ;  [or,  as 
Scott,  1  to  denote  her  superiority  to  the  re¬ 
flected  and  feebler  light  of  the  Mosaic  dis¬ 
pensation.’]  (4.)  As  having  on  her  head  a 
crown  of  12  stars,  i.  e.  the  doctrine  of  the 
Gospel,  preached  by  the  12  apostles,  which 
is  a  crown  of  glory  to  all  true  believers. 
(5.)  As  in  travail,  crying  out,  and  pained 
to  be  delivered  ;  desirous  that  what  was  be¬ 
gun  in  the  conviction  of  sinners,  might  end 
in  their  conversion  ;  [or,  as  in  Scott,  it 


seems  to  be,  ‘  ail  emblem  of  ihe  afflicted 
st  ile  of  the  church  in  the  first  three  centu¬ 
ries.’] 

2.  i  he  grand  enemy  of  the  church  is  re¬ 
presented,  (1.)  As  a  great,  red  dragon  ;  cl 
dragon,  for  strength  and  terror  ;  a  red  dm* 
gon,  for  fierceness  and  cruelty.  (2.)  As 
having  7  heads,  i.  e.  placed  oil  7  hills,  U3 
Rome  was  ;  therefore  probably  pagan  Rome 
is  meant.  (3.)  As  having  ten  horns,  divided 
into  ten  provinces,  as  the  Roman  empire 
was  by  Augustus  Cesar.  (4.)  As  having  7 
crowns  upon  his  heads,  which  is  after  ex¬ 
pounded  lo  be  7  kings,  ch,  17:  10.  (5.)  As 
drawing  with  his  tail  a  third  part  of  the  stars 
in  heaven,,  and  casting  them  down  to  the  earth  l 
turning  the  ministers  and  professors  of  the 
Christian  religion  out  of  their  places  and 
privileges,  and  making  them  as  weak  and 
useless  as  he  could  ;  [or,  as  in  Scott,  it 
‘  represented  the  power  of  the  Romans, 
which  had  cast  down  the  princes  of  one 
third  part  of  the  earth,  and  reduced  their 
countries  to  subjection,  8:7.’]  (6.)  As 

standing  before  the  woman,  to  devour  he.r  child 
as  soon  as  it  should  be  born  ;  verv  vigilant  to 
crush  the  Christian  religion  in  its  birth,  ami 
entirely  to  prevent  the  growth  and  Continu¬ 
ance  of  it  in  the  world. 

II.  The  uhsuccessfulness  of  these  attempts 
against  the  church  ;  for,  1.  She  was  safely 
delivered  of  a  man  child,  v.  5.  by  which 
some  understand  Christ,  others  Constan¬ 
tine  ;  but  others,  with  greater  propriety,  a 
race  of  true  believers,  strong  and  united,  re¬ 
sembling  Christ,  and  designed,  under  Him, 
to  rule  the  nations  with  a  red  of  iron  ;  i.  e.  to 
judge  the  world  by  their  doctrine  and  lives 
now,  and  as  assessors  with  Christ  at  the 
great  day.  2.  Care  was  taken  of  this  child  ; 
it  was  caught  up  to  God,  and  to  his  throne  ; 


NOTES.  Chap.  XII.  V.  l,  2.  Tlie  prophecies  of  this  book,  as  it 
appears  to  rue,  naturally  divide  themselves  into  two  parts;  the  second 
oi  which  begins  with  the  last  v.  of  the  preceding  ch.:  though  some  be¬ 
gin  it  with  v.  1  of  this  ch.  So  that  we  are  here  brought  back  to  the 
primitive  ages  of  the  church  ;  though  they  are  far  more  briefly  mention¬ 
ed,  than  those  are  which  followed.  Inattention  to  this  circumstance 
lias  occasioned  much  perplexity,  in  many  attempts  to  explain  these  pre¬ 
dictions  :  for  if  we  do  not  keep  hold  of  the  clue,  which  lias  properly  been 
called  tlie  internal  geography  and  chronology  of  the  book,  imagination 
will  rove  at  large;  and  supposed  allusions  to  detached  events,  in  differ¬ 
ent  ages  and  places,  will  disjoint  the  interpretation,  and  render  the  whole 
ambiguous  and  suspicious.  (2)  Pained.]  9:5.  14:10.  20:10.  Mat. 

8:29.  2  Pet.  2:8.  The  word  shows  the  extreme  sufferings,  or  tortures, 
hv  which  the  faith  and  patience  of  the  church  were  proved,  previously 
lo  her  deliverance,  especially  immediately  before  it.  Scott. 

(1.)  ‘  The  sounding  of  the  7th  trumpet  has  now  prepared  us  to  ex¬ 
pect  a  figurative  exhibition  of  that  great  conflict  and  victory,  by  which 
the  Christian  church  will  at  length  be  placed  in  security  from  her  ene¬ 
mies.  To  describe  this,  in  all  its  parts,  and  to  enable  us  to  understand 
the  conflict,  by  ascertaining  the  combatants,  the  Hol^ Spirit  begins  Ihe 
figurative  history  from  the  earliest  times  of  the  church  ;  and  past  events 
are  represented  in  the  same  allegory,  which  is  continued  to  foretell 
those,  which  are  to  come.  ‘The  church  (arrayed  in  pure  and  heavenly 
light)  was  placed  upon  earth  in  her  infant  form,  when  it  pleased  God 
to  bless  with  religion  our  first  parents.’  Woomr. 

X  3 — 1  Red,’  purple,  or  scarlet,  xvas  the  distinguishing  color  of  life 
Roman  emperors,  consuls,  and  generals;  even  as  it  has  been  since  of 
the  popes  and  cardinals.  (Note.  17:3—5. )  1  The  7  crowns  on  the  drag¬ 
on's  heads,’  and  not  ‘  10  crowns  on  his  horns,’  showed,  that  the  whole 
power  was  yet  vested  in  the  emperors  and  senate,  at  Rome;  and  not, 
as  afterwards,  in  the  monarchs  of  the  10  kingdoms.  This  circumstance, 
■which  many  have  not  observed,  precisely  fixes  the  date  of  the  prophecy, 
and  undeniably  proves,  that  it  related  to  the  pagan  emperors,  and  not  to 
(lie  antichristian  power  afterwards  mentioned.  (Note,  13:1.) — The  Ro¬ 
man  emperors  and  magistrates  jealously  watched  the  progress  of  Chris¬ 
tianity  from  the  first,  and  harassed  the  church  with  constant  persecu¬ 
tions. — But,  at  length,  the  woman  was  delivered  of  a  male  child.  Dur¬ 
ing  (he  time  of  the  persecuting  emperors,  tlie  church  was  greatly  in¬ 
creased  ;  until  one  sprang  front  her,  who  ascended  the  imperial  throne, 
being  appointed  to  be  the  vicegerent  of  Christ,  in  ruling  the  nations,  and 
crushing  the  enemies  of  tile  Gospel,  ‘  as  with  a  rod  of  iron.’ — (Notes,  2: 
21 — 23.  6:12 — 17.  Ps.  2:7 — 9.)  Thus  the  offspring  of  tlie  church,  even 
Christians  in  general ;  and  Constantine,  with  the  Christian  emperors, 
who  succeeded  him  in  particular,  escaped  the  rage  of  the  red  dragon; 
and  the  latter  was  exalted  to  very  great  honor  and  authority,  under  the 
immediate  protection,  and  by  the  special  favor  of  God.— New  trials, 
however,  awaited  the  woman;  ...the  termination  of  pagan  persecu¬ 
tion  made  way  for  those  events,  which  at  length  terminated  in  the  an- 
tichristiun  power,  tlie  continuance  of  which  was  fixed  to  1260  years. 
(Notes,  11:1 — 14.  2  Thes.  2:5 — 7.)  But  God  had  provided  aplace  where 
He  would  sustain  the  church  when  the  time  arrived  :  and  her  flight  into 
the  wilderness  is  here  mentioned  by  way  of  anticipation. — This  inter¬ 
pretation  has  been  objected  to,  because  v.  6.  is  supposed  to  be  introduced 
by  anticipation:  but,  in  fact,  it  is  manifest,  that  the  apostle  thus  intro¬ 
duces  it;  else,  why  does  he  resume  it,  with  some  additional  circumstan¬ 
ces,  after  several  vs.  predicting  most  important  events  ?  (14)  Yet  even 
then,  the  church  is  represented  only  as  prepared  to  fly,  not  as  yet  actu¬ 


ally  fled — The  author  has  before  shown  his  decided  opinion, — and  stated 
his  reasons  for  it,  that  ‘  the  little  book’ — contained  no  more  than  part 
of  11  ch.  :  that  the  slaying  of  the  witnesses  is  yet  future  :  and  that  the 
concluding  part  of  the  preceding  ch.,  to  tlie  end  of  v.  10.  brings  the  se¬ 
ries  of  predicted  events  to  the  millennium,  and  indeed  to  the  end  of  the 
world.  (Notes,  10:  11.)  If,  then,  this  and  the  following  chs.  relate, 
as  undoubtedly  they  do,  to  events  preceding  the  millennium  ;  the  sacred 
writer  must  in  some  place  go  hack,  and  resume  his  subject :  and  no  part 
can  be  selected,  in  which  this  can  so  naturally  be  fixed,  ns  the  last  v.  of 
the  preceding  ch.,  which  introduces  tlie  beginning  of  this. — ‘  We  would 
also  divide  the  Revelation  into  two  parts;  or  rather  the  book  so  divides 
itself.  For  tlie  former  part  proceeds,  as  we  have,  seen,  in  a  regular  and 
successive  series,  from  tlie  apostle’s  days  to  . the  consummation  of  all 
tilings.  Nothing  can  be  added,  hut  it  must  fall  somewhere  or  other 
within  the  compass  of  this  period  ;  it  must  be  a  resumption  of  the  same 
subjects-,  and  this  latter  part  may  most  properly  be  considered  as  an 
enlargement  and  illustration  of  the  former.  Several  tilings,  which  be¬ 
fore  were  only  touched  upon,  required  to  be  more  copiously  handled, 
and  placed  in  a  stronger  light.  It  was  said,  that  the  beast  should  make 
war  against  the  witnesses,  and  overcome  them  and  who  or  what  the 
beast  is,  we  may  reasonably  conjecture;  but  the  apostle  himself  will 
more  surely  explain.  The  transactions  of  the  7th  trumpet  are  all  sum¬ 
med  up  and  comprised  in  a  lew  vs. ;  but  we  shall  see  the  particulars 
branched  cut  and  enlarged  on  into  as  many  chs.  In  short,  this  latter 
part  is  designed,  as  a  supplement  to  the  former,  to  complete  what  was 
deficient,  to  explain  what  was  dubious,  to  illustrate  what  was  obscure: 
and  as  the  former  described  more  the  destinies  of  the  Roman  empire,  so 
this  latter  relates  to  the  fates  of  the  Christian  church.’  Bp.  Newton. — 
Nothing  more  fully  confirms  my  opinion,  that  Bp.  Newton’s  outline  is 
the  true  interpretation,  than  tlie  dissatisfaction  which  permanently  rests 
on  my  mind,  after  carefully  considering  those  expositions,  which  have 
been  substituted  in  the  place  of  it.  While  objections  are  stated,  I  hesi¬ 
tate,  not  at  once  perceiving  how  they  can  he  answered  ;  hut  when  the 
interpretation,  substituted  in  its  place,  lias  excited  my  attention,  still 
more  insuperable  objections  crowd  on  my  mind. — ‘  Tlie  man  child  is  tlie 
mystic  Word  of  God,  which  is  described  as  the  Son  of  the  church,  lie- 
cause  it  is  the  incorruptible-seed,  from  which  all  true  believers  are 
born.’  Faber.  The  ‘  mystic  Word,’  according  to  this  statement,  is  in 
fact  tlie  parent,  not  the  son,  of  tlie  church :  but  waiving  this,  if  the  re¬ 
spectable  writer,  here  cited,  could  not  make  out  his  system,  without 
having  recourse  to  so  indefinite  and  allegorical  an  interpretation,  of  an 
event  evidently  most  important  in  the  prophecy,  I  cannot  but  conclude, 
that  his  plan  of  interpretation  is,  in  this  respect,  erroneous:  and  I  must 
give  that  of  Bp.  Newton  the  decided  preference.  Most  certainly,  the 
subversion  of  the  pagan  persecuting  Roman  empire,  and  that  of  the  im¬ 
mense  ancient  system  of  idolatry,  as  supported  by  all  the  genius,  in¬ 
fluence,  and  power  of  Greece  and  Rome,  was  no  inconsiderable  event,  in 
the  prophetical  history  of  the  Christian  church:  and,  had  it  not  been  spe¬ 
cially  and  prominently  marked,  it  might  have  been  thought  an  extraor¬ 
dinary  omission.  (Note,  6:11 — 14.)  Whatever  the  character  of  Con¬ 
stantine  or  that  oi  his  successors  was,  the  revolution  was  wonderful, 
and  indeed  one  of  tile  most  extraordinary  recorded  in  universal  history. 
(Note,  Zech.  8:20 — 23.)  The  whole  pagan  system  was  cast  down  from 
its  ‘heaven,’  its  authority  and  persecuting  domination  ;  and  the  ruler,  or 
rulers,  of  the  nations  professed  Christianity,  and  protected  tlie  church. 
Subsequent  corruptions,  terminating  in  still  more  dire  and  destructive 
persecutions,  indeed  followed,  and  are  particularly  foretold  :  hut  surely. 


A.  D.  95. 


REVELATION,  XII. 


The  dragon  cast  down  by  Michael. 


and  of  the  sea!  for  the  devil  is  come 
down  unto  you,  having  great  wrath, 
because  q  he  knovveth  that  he  hath 
but  a  short  time. 

h  c.  11:3.  I  c.  11:15. 

i  Ge.  3:1,4.  m  Ro.  8:33.37. 

Jn.  8:44.  n  Lu.  14:26. 

Zee.  3:1.  o  Ps.  96:11. 

i.  e.  taken  into  his  special,  powerful,  and 
immediate  protection.  The  Christian  re¬ 
ligion  lias  been  from  its  infancy  the  special 
care  of  the  great  God  and  our  Savior  Jesus 
Christ.  3.  Care  was  taken  of  the  mother 
as  well  as  of  the  child,  v.  6.  She  fled  into 
the  wilderness,  a  place  prepared,  both  for  her 
safety  and  her  sustenance  ;  the  church  was 
in  an  obscure  state,  dispersed  ;  and  this 
proved  her  security,  through  the  care  of 
divine  Providence  ;  this  her  obscure  and 
private  state  was  for  a  limited  time,  not  to 
continue  always. 

III.  The  attempts  of  the  dragon  not  only 
prove  unsuccessful  against  the  church,  but 
fatal  to  his  own  interests;  for,  upon  his  en¬ 
deavor  to  devour  the  man  child,  he  engaged 
all  the  powers  of  heaven  against  him,  v.  7. 
heaven  will  espouse  the  quarrel  of  the 
church.  Here  observe,  1.  The  seat  of  this 
war, — in  heaven ;  in  the  church, the  kingdom 
of  heaven  on  earth.  2.  The  parties, — Mi¬ 
chael  and  his  angels,  on  one  side  ;  and  the 
dragon  and  his  angels,  on  the  other;  Christ, 
the  great  Angel  of  the  covenant,  and  his 
faithful  followers ;  and  Satan  and  all  his  in¬ 
struments.  3.  The  success  of  the  battle  : 
there  was  a  great  struggle,  but  the  victory 
fell  to  Christ  and  his  church,  and  the  dragon 


and  his  angels  were  cast  out ;  the  pagan 
idolatry,  which  was  worshipping  devils,  was 
extirpated  out  of  the  empire  in  the  time  of 
Constantine.  4.  The  triumphant  song  that 
was  composed,  and  used  on  this  occasion, 
v.  10,  11.  Here  observe, 

(1.)  How  the  Conqueror  is  adored;  Now 
is  come  salvation,  and  strength,  and  the  Jcing- 
■  dom  of  our  God ,  and  the  power  of  his  Christ J 
Now  God  has  showed  Himself  to  be  a 
mighty  God;  now  Christ  Inis  showed  Him¬ 
self  to  he  a  strong  and  mighty  Savior. 

(2.)  How  the  conquered  enemy  is  des¬ 
cribed  ;  [1.]  By  his  malice;  as  the  accuser 
of  the  brethren,  he  accused  them  before  their 
God  night  and  day;  continually  bringing  in 
indictments  and  accusations  against  them, 
whether  true  or  false;  thus  he  accused  Job, 
and  tlms  lie  accused  Joshua  the  high  priest, 
Zecb.  3:  1.  [2.]  By  bis  disappointment  and 
defeat,  be,  and  all  bis  accusations,  are  cast 
out,  the  indictments  quashed,  and  the  accuser 
turned  out  of  the  court,  with  just  indignation. 

(3.)  How  the  victory  was  gained;  the 
servants  of  God  overcame  Satan,  By  the 
blood  of  the  Lamb,  as  the  meritorious  cause; 
By  the  worrl  of  their  testimony,  as  the  great 
instrument  ;  the  sword  of  the  Spirit,  which  is 
the  Word  of  God  ;  by  a  resolute,  powerful 
preaching  of  the  everlasting  Gospel,  by  their 
courage  and  patience  in  sufferings  ;  when 
the  love  of  life  stood  in  competition  with 
their  loyalty  to  Christ,  they  could  give  up 
their  lives  ;  and  this  their  courage  and  zeal 
helped  to  confound  their  enemies,  to  con¬ 
vince  many  of  the  spectators,  to  confirm  the 
souls  of  tlte  faithful,  and  so  contributed 
greatly  to  this  victory. 


H.  49:13. 
p  c.  8:13. 
q  c.  lU;6. 


6  And  the  woman  fled  into  the 
wilderness,  where  she  hath  a  place 
prepared,  of  God,  that  they  should 
feed  her  there  h  a  thousand  two 
hundred  and  threescore  days. 

7  And  there  was  war  in  heav¬ 
en  ;  Michael  and  his  angels  fought 
against  the  dragon;  and  the  dragon 
fought  and  his  angels, 

8  And  prevailed  not  ;  neither 
was  their  place  found  any  more  in 
heaven. 

9  And  the  great  dragon  was  cast 
out,  that  old  ‘serpent,  called  the 
3  Devil,  and  k  Satan,  which  deceiv- 
eth  the  whole  world  ;  he  was  cast 
out  into  the  earth,  and  his  angels 
were  cast  out  with  him. 

10  And  I  heard  a  loud  voice  say¬ 
ing  in  heaven,  Now  'is  come  salva¬ 
tion,  and  strength,  and  the  kingdom 
of  our  God,  and  the  power  of  his 
Christ:  for  the  accuser  of  our  breth¬ 
ren  is  cast  down,  which  accused 
them  before  our  God  day  and  night, 

11  And  they  overcame  “'him  by 
the  blood  of  the  Lamb,  and  by  the 
word  of  their  testimony  ;  and  they 
loved  not  their  lives  n  unto  the 
death. 

12  Therefore  “rejoice,  yc  heav¬ 
ens,  and  ye  that  dwell  in  them. 

Woe  p  to  the  inhabiters  of  the  earth, 

it  is  natural  to  suppose,  that  the  prophet,  if  indeed  he  resumed  his  sub¬ 
ject,  to  give  a  more  particular  account  of  the  periods  which  he  had 
compendiously  mentioned,  should  go  back  to  the  first  ages,  and,  in  a  few 
words,  mark  the  deliverance  of  the  church  from  pagan  persecution,  and 
the  revolution  in  the  empire  from  pagan  to  Christian.  I  by  no  means 
think,  with  IJp.  Newton,  that  Galerius,  or  any  personal  enemy  to  Con¬ 
stantine,  is  meant,  by  the  red  or  fiery  dragon ;  but  the  whole  pagan  au¬ 
thority  and  influence,  instigated  by  the  devil,  (as  the  papai  power  and 
influence  afterwards  was,)  and  seeking  the  destruction  of  Christianity, 
and  of  the  Christian  rulers  aud  princes  who  supported  it.  So  that  we 
may  understand  as  literally,  as  we  choose,  t lie  language  concerning  ‘  the 
old  dragon  only  remembering,  that  he  ‘works  in  ’  and  by  ‘  the  children 
of  disobedience.’  (Notes,  Eph.  2:1,  2.  1  John  4:4—6.  5:19.) — Chris¬ 
tians  are  spoken  of,  as  exercising  the  authority  of  Christ,  and  ruling  tiie 
nations  with  a  rod  of  iron:  (2:27.)  it  can  therefore  he  no  objection,  that 
the  same  allusion  is  made,  in  respect  of  the  first  Christum  emperors, 
under  whom  the  most  entire  revolution,  from  persecuting  idolatry,  in  full 
domination,  to  the  establishment  of  Christianity,  as  the  religion  of  the 
Roman  empire,  took  place. — Some  commentators,  indeed,  would  inter¬ 
pret  this  man  child  to  he  Christ  Himself;  but  this  cannot  be  meant,  for 
lie  was  born  of  the  church  of  Israel,  not  of  the  Christian  church;  nor 
is  He  ever  spoken  of  as  ‘  the  Son  of  the  church,’  but  rather  as  the  Hus¬ 
band,  or  even  the  Father  of  it.  (Notes,  Ps.  22:30,  31.  Is.  9:6,7.  53:9, 
10.  54:4,5.  59:20,21.  John  3:27 — 36.)  The  apostle  also  spake  as  a 

prophet ,  not  as  a  historian  ;  therefore,  events,  future  to  him,  must  ex¬ 
clusively  be  intended.  (3)  Red.]  6:4.  Fiery  red.]  Red  like  fire,  Mat. 
16:2.  3.— Dragon.]  DrakOn.  4,7,9,13,16,17.  13:2,4,11.  16:13.  20:2. 
(Notes,  Is.  27:1.  51:9,11.  Jer.  51:34— 37.  Ez.  30:3—5.)  The  largest 

and  most  terrible  of  the  species  of  serpents. — (5)  Man  child.]  A  son, 
a  male.  This  repetition  of  the  same  idea  seems  to  imply  the  vigor  and 
manliness ,  so  to  speak,  of  this  son  of  the  church.’  Scott. 

(5.)  Man  child.]  ‘  Allwood  makes  this  to  be  the  English.’  Ed. 

(6.)  ‘  Wilderness  denotes  a  place  of  habitation  scanty  of  sustenance, 

where  food  miraculously  given  is  necessary  for  support  of  life  ;  but 
where  such  support,  united  with  the  correction  which  is  the  effect  of  a 
desolate  and  perilous  situation,  produces  excellent  fruits  of  religious 
improvement.  Is.  41:17 — 20.  Ex.  20:35 — 39.  IIos.  2:14 — 20.  Mat.  4: 
1 — 11.  Thus  the  church  xvas  40  years  in  the  wilderness  of  Sinai ;  and 
fled  again  to  the  wilderness  with  Elijah.  1  K.  17:  18.’  Woodh. 

V.  7 — 12.  The  events  here  foretold,  preceded,  and  made  way  for  the 
flight  of  tlte  church  into  the  wilderness;  (Note,  13— 17.)  and  therefore 
cannot  possibly  mean  the  Reformation,  which  took  place  many  ages 
after  that  event.  The  strenuous  and  combined  efforts  of  tlte  pagans 
against  the  establishment  of  Christianity,  and  the  destruction  of  their 
idolatrous  worship,  was,  as  I  apprehend,  represented  by  1  the  dragon  and 
his  angels  ’  warring  in  heaven  against  ‘  Michael  and  his  angels  perhaps 
with  some  reference  to  the  expulsion  of  Satan  and  his  adherents  from 
heaven,  on  their  original  apostasy.’  (Luke  10:17 — 20.  John  12:27 — 33. 
2  Vet.  2:4 — 9.)  Michael  may  represent  Christ ;  (Marg.  Ref.  u  ;)  and  ‘  the 
Devil,  and  Satan,’  the  old  slanderer,  adversary,  and  murderer  of  mankind, 
was  the  invisible  commander  of  the  opposite  army.  The  former  em¬ 
ployed  as  his  instruments  Christian  magistrates,  faithful  ministers,  and 
believers,  as  well  as  holy  angels ;  the  latter  fought  by  persecuting  empe¬ 
rors,  such  as  Julian  the  apostate,  idolatrous  priests,  and  heathen  philos¬ 
ophers.  (Note-,  Gen.  3:14, 15.)  The  total  defeat  of  Satan  was  repre¬ 
sented,  by  the  devil  being  cast  out  of  heaven :  for,  by  the  power  of  idol¬ 
atrous  emperors  and  magistrates,  lie  had  maintained  that  false  religion, 
by  which  he  had  deceived  all  the  world,  and  seduced  them  to  be  his  sub¬ 
jects  and  worshippers;  but,  by  the  subversion  of  that  authority,  and  the 
subsequent  demolition  of  idolatry,  he  was  east  down  from  his  dignity, 

[704] 


as  ‘god  and  prince  of  this  world,’  for  a  time  and  in  a  measure.  When 
the  pagan  emperors  were  dethroned.  Satan’s  angels  were  cast  out  with 
jtirn  :  for  both  the  instruments  and  ministers  of  idolatry  were  laid  aside, 
and  even  their  very  idols  were  destroyed  witli  contempt  and  execration. 

—  It  is  remarkable,  that  Constantine  himself,  and  others  of  his  time,  de¬ 
scribe  these  events  under  the  same  image  of  the  dethroning  of  the  dragon. 
‘  Moreover,  a  picture  of  Constantine  was  set  up  over  the  palace-gate, 
with  a  cross  over  his  head  ;  and  under  his  feet,  the  great  enemy  of  man¬ 
kind,  (who  persecuted  tlte  church  by  means  of  impious  tyrants,)  in  the 
form  of  a  dragon,  transfixed  with  a  dart  through  the  midst  of  its  body, 
and  falling  headlong  into  the  depth  of  the  sea.’  Bp.  Newton.  This 
shows,  how  Christians  then  understood  the  prophecy  ;  and,  no  doubt, 
they  rightly  interpreted  it. — Upon  litis  great  victory,  the  apostle  heard 
songs  of  praise  in  heaven  ;  because  ‘  salvation  and  strength  were  come,’ 
tlte  church  was  delivered  from  persecution,  mid  its  friends  advanced  to 
authority  ;  the  kingdom  of  God  was  openly  established,  and  the  power 
of  his  anointed  Son  most  gloriously  displayed.  (Note,  19:1 — 6.)  But 
this  victory  was  not  ascribed  to  the  sword  of  war,  which  was  only  a 
subordinate  mean,  when  matters  were  brought  to  a  crisis:  for  it  was 
acquired  through  the  merit  and  efficacy  of  the  atoning  sacrifice  of  Chrisf, 
by  faith  in  itis  blood,  and  a  bold  aud  holy  profession  of  his  Gospel ;  and 
if  Christians  had  continued  to  light  with  these  weapons,  and  such  as 
these,  their  victories  would  have  been  more  numerous  and  glorious,  and 
tlte  effects  of  them  more  durable.  But  at  the  same  time  a  woe  was 
denounced  on  the  inhabitants  of  the  earth  and  the  sea,  or  the  nations  in 
general ;  because  the  devil,  and  his  dethroned  agents,  would  not  rest  in 
their  disgraced  condition-,  though  idolatry  was  suppressed,  it  was  not 
destroyed,  and  its  partisans  would  surely  excite  fresh  commotions. — 
(9)  His  angels,  &c.]  Note,  Mat.  25:41 — 46. — (12)  A  short  time.]  This 
is  made  an  objection  to  interpreting  the  prophecy  of  the  ruin  of  pagan 
idolatry  -.  hut  any  limited  time  is  short,  compared  with  the  eternal 
doom  awaiting  tlte  great  enemy  of  tlte  church  and  all  its  coadjutors. — 
They  who  interpret  it  of  the  Reformation,  strangely  forget,  that  the 
dragon  had,  at  the  time  of  his  being  cast  out,  ‘  the  crowns  on  his  seven 
heads,'  and  not  on  his  ten  horns:  (Notes,  3 — 6.  13:1.)  and  that  this 
event  pi  eceded  the  1260  years  of  the  church’s  abode  in  the  wilderness. 
(9)  That  old  serpent  called  the  devil.]  20:2.  2  Cor.  11:3.  A  learned 
commentator  has  lately  endeavored  to  prove,  that  the  animal,  by  which 
the  devil  deceived  Eve,  was  an  ape ,  or  some  animal  of  tlte  ape  species. 

—  It  is,  however,  evident,  that  the  Hebrew  word,  used  Gen.  3:1.  never 

means  an  ape,  in  the  O.  T.  The  Arabic  word,  adduced,  is,  indeed,  one 
name  of  the  devil ;  anti  some  words,  from  the  same  root,  signify  an  ape ; 
but  they  also  signify  a  lion,  a  wild  cow,  or  any  animal,  with  a  peculiar 
kind  of  nose.  (Richardson's  Arabic,  Persian ,  and  English  Diet.) — Waiv¬ 
ing  this,  however,  are  we  to  suppose,  that  tlte  inspired  writers  of  the 
N.  T.  kept  up,  by  express  words,  when  not  quoting  from  the  Sept,  the 
false  opinion,  derived  from  that  version,  that  Satan  deceived  Eve,  as 
concealed  in  a  serpent,  when  in  fact  he  was  concealed  in  an  ape  1  Is  this 
our  reverence  for  tlte  words  of  the  living  God  ! — (10)  Now.]  Arti.  Mat. 
3:15.  26:29.  Hitherto.  ‘Hitherto  the  Lord  has  helped  ns.’  (Note, 
1  S.  7:12.) — The  church,  and  all  her  friends,  might  praise  God,  very 
properly,  for  deliverance  from  pagan  persecution,  though  oilier  trials 
still  awaited  her.  Scott. 

(7 — 13.)  ‘  This  passage  should  be  read  as  in  a  parenthesis,  because  it  is 
plainly  no  part  of  the  prophecy,  but  of  a  date  far  prior  to  the  history  re¬ 
lated  therein,  such  as  is  alluded  to  in  Jude  6,  and  2  Pet.  2:4.;  for  v.  6.  and 
14.  contain  the  same  matter,  and  give  the  same  information,  showing  the 
junction  to  he  complete.  It  is  a  warfare  or  rebellion,  of  which  Satan 
was  the  leader  in  heaven,  whence,  being  expelled,  he  attempts  to  pur¬ 
sue  the  same  course  on  earth. — He  made  use  of  the  Roman  empire,  its 


A.  D.  95. 


REVELATION,  XII. 


The  flight  of  the  woman. 


13  And  when  the  dragon  saw 
that  he  was  cast  unto  the  earth, 
he  persecuted  the  woman  which 
brought  forth  the  man  child. 

14  And  to  the  woman  were  given 
two  wings  'of  a  great  eagle,  that 
she  might  fly  into  the  wilderness, 
into  her  place,  where  she  is  nour¬ 
ished  for  a  time,  and  times,  and 
half  a  time,  from  the  face  of  the 
serpent. 

15  And  the  serpent  cast  out  of 
his  mouth  water  as  a  flood  'after 
the  woman,  that  he  might  cause  her 
to  be  carried  away  of  the  flood. 

r  Is.  40:31.  s  Is.  59:19. 


V.  12 — 17.  We  have  here  an  account  of 
this  war,  so  happily  finished  in  heaven,  or  in 
the  church,  as  it  was  again  renewed  and 
carried  on  in  the  wilderness,  (lie  place  to 
which  the  church  was  fled,  and  where  she 
had  been  for  some  time  secured  by  ihe  spe¬ 
cial  care  ofJier  God  and  Savior.  Observe, 

I.  The  warning  given  of  the  distress  and 
calamity  that  should  fall  upon  the  inhabit¬ 
ants  of  the  world  in  general,  through  the 
wrath  anil  rage  of  the  devil.  His  malice  is 
chiefly  bent  against  the  servants  of  God, 
yet  he  is  an  enemy  and  hater  of  mankind  as 
such  ;  and,  being  defeated  in  his  designs 
against  the  church,  he  is  resolved  to  give  all 
the  disturbance  he  can  to  the  world  in  oen- 
eral,  v.  12. 

II.  His  second  attempt  on  the  church, 
now  in  the  wilderness,  v.  13.  Observe, 


1.  The  care  God  had  taken  of  his 
church  ;  he  had  conveyed  her,  as  on  eagles' 
icings,  into  a  place  ot  safety  provided  for 
hei ,  where  she  was  to  continue  for  a  certain 
space  of  time;  couched  in  prophetic  charac¬ 
ters,  taken  from  Dan.  7:  25. 

2.  The  continual  malice  of  the  dragon 
against  the  church  ;  her  obscurity  could  not 
altogether  protect  her  ;  the  old,  subtle  ser¬ 
pent,  which  at  first  lurked  in  paradise,  now 
follows  the  church  into  the  wilderness,  and 
casts  out  a  flood  of  water  after  her,  to  carry 
her  away.  This  is  thought  to  be  meant  of 
a  flood  of  error  and  heresy,  which  was 
breathed  by  Arius,  Nestorius,  Pelagius,  and 
many  more,  by  which  the  church  of  God 
was  in  danger  of  being  overwhelmed  and 
carried  away.  The  church  of  God  is  in 
more  danger  from  heretics,  than  from  perse- 


capital  city,  and  kingdoms,  as  instruments  of  his  successful  attack  on 
the  Christian  church.’  Woodh. 

(12.)  The  inhabiters. )  Bl.  rejects  these  words.  Ed. 

V.  13 — 17.  While  the  idolatrous  party,  who  were  the  agents  of  the 
devil,  were  constrained  to  submit  to  the  power  of  Christian  rulers,  they 
still  persisted  in  their  persecuting  enmity  to  Ihe  church,  and  tried  vari¬ 
ous  methods  of  re-establishing  their  ancient  worship.  Several  attempts 
were  made  of  this  kind,  during  the  reign  of  Constantine.  Julian,  after¬ 
wards  the  apostate,  left  no  method  untried,  bv  which  he  could  hope  to 
effect  it.  lie  endenvored  to  hinder  the  liberal  education  of  the  Chris¬ 
tians,  that  their  ignorance  might  expose  them  to  contempt,  and  render 
them  incapable  of  defending  or  propagating  their  religion  :  he  employed 
writers,  of  great  learning  and  ingenuity,  to  ridicule,  revile,  and  reason 
against  Christianity  :  he  excited  Arian  princes  to  persecute  their  ortho¬ 
dox  subjects;  and  in  many  other  ways  he  attempted  to  undermine  the 
cause  of  Christ.  At  the  same  time,  the  devil,  and  his  agents,  prevailed 
to  corrupt  the  church  with  manifold  heresies,  to  deform  it  with  various 
scandals,  and  to  rend  it  in  pieces  with  fierce  contentions  ;  and  these  evils 
grew  worse  and  worse,  during  the  period  of  the  first  4  trumpets.  (Notes, 
8.)  Thus  the  way  was  preparing  for  the  erection  of  another  idolatrous, 
persecuting  power,  which  will  be  shortly  considered.  In  the  mean  time, 
‘two  wings,  as  of  a  great  eagle,  were  given  to  the  woman;’  that  she 
might  be  ready  to  fly  to  her  pluce  in  the  wilderness,  when  the  time  came. 
(Note,  Ex.  19:4.)  These  nre  supposed  by  some  writers  to  refer  to  the 
eastern  and  western  empires,  the  standard  of  which  was  an  eagle,  and 
the  protection  afforded  by  them  was  the  means  of  preservation  to  the 
church,  till  the  prefixed  lime  of  her  obscurity  arrived.  In  the  midst  of 
the  preceding  convulsions  and  heresies,  t he  church  was,  as  it  were,  pre¬ 
paring  to  flee  away  to  her  retreat,  from  the  fury  of  her  opposers  :  where 
she  was  nt  length  to  he  nourished,  ‘  for  a  time,  and  times,  and  half  a 
lime,’  or  3L  years,  42  months,  or  1260  days  :  but  her  flight  was  not  com¬ 
pleted,  till  the  establishment  of  the  antichristian  power  spoken  of  in  the 
next  ch.  (Notes,  13:1.)  Her  continuance  in  the  wilderness,  therefore, 
exactly  accords  to  the  time  during  which  the  ‘  two  witnesses  prophe¬ 
sied  in  sackcloth  :’  both  relate  to  the  same  events,  and  both  began  and 
must  end  together.  (.Vole,  11:3— 6.)  If  the  beginning  of  this  term  of 
time  he  fixed,  A.  I).  606,  it  will  terminate  A.  D.  1 866  :  and,  whatever 
dates  ‘  the  slaying  of  the  witnesses’  earlier  than  that  time,  removes  pro¬ 
port  innably  backward  Ihe  commencement  of  this  term.  (Note,  3— 6.) 
If  this  event  took  place  in  1546,  as  Mr.  Faber  and  Mr.  Cuninghame 
suppose;  t lien,  beyond  all  controversy,  the  1260  years  began  about  A.  1). 
286:  yet  Mr  C.  afterwards  dates  them  A.  D.  533.  Ido  not  presume  to 
say,  when  it  began;  but  consistency  is  essentially  requisite  in  our  inter¬ 
pretations.  (Note,  11:1 ,2.) — To  prevent  the  escape  of  the  woman,  1  the 
dragon  cast  out  of  his  mouth  a  flood  of  water,’  to  carry  her  away.  This 
is  explained  by  many  expositors,  with  great  propriety,  of  the  inunda¬ 
tion  of  the  Huns,  Goths,  Vandals,  and  other  barbarous  nations,  by  which 
the  western  empire  was  overwhelmed  :  (Notes,  8:)  for  it  is  known,  that 
the  strenuous  adherents  to  paganism  encouraged  these  irruptions,  in 
hopes  of  subverting  Christianity  by  their  means;  and  no  doubt  Satan 
expected  to  overwhelm  the  church,  when  idolaters  overturned  the  em¬ 
pire.  But  the  event  proved  entirely  contrary  to  all  their  expectations. 

‘  The  earth  helped  the  woman,  and  swallowed  up  the  flood  :’  the  victo¬ 
rious  barbarians  united  themselves  to  the  vanquished  Romans,  and 
formed  one  people  with  them,  in  the  several  provinces  of  the  empire; 
they  even  embraced,  in  form,  at  least,  the  Christian  religion.  Ungodly 
men,  of  various  descriptions,  from  regard  to  their  secular  interests,  pro¬ 
tected  the  church  amidst  these  convulsions:  and  the  subversion  and 
dismembering  of  the  western  empire  did  not  at  all  help  the  cause  of 
idolatry;  nay,  it  tended  to  the  propagation  of  Christianity  !— But  the 
dragon  being  disappointed  in  this  attempt,  was  the  more  enraged,  and 
took  another  method  of  making  war  against  true  Christians,  as  ‘the 
seed  of  the  church.’  (Note,  Gen. .3:14,  15.)  These  were  but  ‘a  rem¬ 
nant:’  for  superstitions  and  heresies  of  various  kinds,  and  corruptions, 
had  long  before  this  increased  exceedingly,  which  afforded  Ihe  enemy  his 
opportunity  for  the  assault  anil  success  predicted  in  the  next  ch. — If  the 
plan  of  interpretation,  before  laid  down,  be  well  grounded,  Ihese  verses 
must,  as  has  been  stated,  predict  the  events  which  made  way  for  the  es¬ 
tablishment  of  the  persecuting  domination  of  nominal  Christians;  ihe 
flight  of  the  church  into  the  wilderness,  and  the  prophesying  of  the 
witnesses  in  sackcloih,  during  1260  days.  The  particulars  of  these  lat¬ 
ter  events  are  predicted  in  the  two  following  chs  ;  with  several  things 
relating  to  the  npproaeh  and  earnests  of  the  church’s  delivery,  and  the 
destruction  of  her  grand  enemy.  In  ch.  15:  there  is  a  solemn  pause,  as 
introductory  to  the  subsequent  events;  and  then  the  prediction  proceeds, 
in  regular  order,  to  the  millennium,  the  day  of  judgment,  and  the  heav¬ 
enly  world.  Thus,  from  the  beginning  of  this  ch.  where  the  prophet 
resumes  his  subject,  a  series  of  events,  succeeding  to  each  other,  is  pre¬ 
dicted  ;  and  every  part  casts  light  on  all  lhat  which  precedes  or  follows. 
But,  if  the  predictions  of  these  vs.  lie  referred  to  any  part  of  the  1260 
years,  or  to  the  end  of  them  ;  this  order  is,  as  it  appears  to  me,  xvilhout 
necessity,  and  without  proof,  disturbed  and  deranged  ;  and,  indeed,  an  en¬ 
tirely  new  interpretation  of  all  the  subsequent  chs.,  showing  that  they 
N.  T.  VOL.  V.*  89 


relate  to  future  events,  seems  indispensably  necessary  to  preserve  the 
consistency  of  the  interpretation.— As  I  am  full v  persuaded,  that  the 
transactions  predicted  in  the  next  two  chs.  (the  concluding  part  of  ch.  14: 
alone^  excepted)  are  already  fulfilled,  I  must  adhere  to  the  outlines  of 
Bp.  Newton’s  interpretation,  in  preference  to  later  systems.  Scott. 

(13,  14.)  The  following  is  a  new  and  reasonable  view,  in  the  main,  of 
this  important  escape  of  pure  principles  to  a  new  world  of  trial,  action, 
and  triumph  :  for  the  colonization  of  America  may  he  regarded,  as  the 
most  important  event  since  the  Christian  era. 

‘  Satan,  in  the  events  of  the  antecedent  vs.,  found  himself  and  his  le¬ 
gions  cast  out,  by  the  Reformation,  from  the  symbolic  heaven  of  high 
prosperity  in  the  Romish  church,  to  Ihe  earth  of  open  opposition  to 
Christ.  Thi^forced  upon  him  a  keen  conviction,  that  his  remaining 
lime  on  earth  was  short  ■.  and  he  therefore  sets  himself  to  invent  new 
forms  of  opposition.  And  his  infernal  court  soon  gave  birth  to  that  most 
detestable  order,  Ihe  Jesuits,  who  proved  powerful  supporters  of  the 
sinking  popery.  This  code  of  imposition,  was  the  masterpiece  of  the 
kingdom  of  darkness,  till  the  deeper  scheme  ofiliuminism  arose,  as  cop¬ 
ied  from  it  with  vast  improvements,  and  having  infidelity,  instead  of 
popery,  for  its  latent  object.  By  the  aid  of  the  dragon,  he  now  instigated 
new  and  horrid  persecution;  to  which  the  first  v.  of  our  text  alludes. 
He  ‘-persecuted  the  woman,”  the  Protestant  church  [see  \cott] .  Her 
flight  followed,  v.  14.,  1000  years  after  her  being  depressed  to  a  wilder¬ 
ness  stale,  at  the  rise  of  popery.  The  account  of  the  duration  of  the  2d 
flight,  must  be  elliptically  expressed.  It  is  as  though  the  writer  had 
said,  thus  flew  to  her  new  retreat,  for  the  1260  years,  i.  e.  the  remaining 
part  of  that  well  known  period  :  for  this  flight  is  near  the  close  of  this 
noted  period.  And  we  find  language  similar,  as  to  the  1260  years  in 
Hail.  12:6.  Rev.  13:5.  ’ 

‘  What  then  was  this  2d  flight  ?  — Suppose  a  new  continent  had  been 
lately  discovered,  where  these  Protestants  were  Unis  persecuted  ;  a  con¬ 
tinent  [nearly  uninhabited,  and  in  all  the  wildness  of  nature]  far  from 
the  face  of  the  old  papal,  Roman  earth  ;  a  wilderness  9000  miles  in  length, 
embracing  all  the  climes,  fertilities  of  soil,  beautiful  varieties,  and  nat¬ 
ural  conveniences,  desirable  for  the  habitation  of  the  greatest,  and  most 
happy  people  on  earth.  Suppose  it  to  have  been  put  into  the  minds  of 
the  best  of  tile  Protestants,  under  their  cruel  persecutions,  [from  tem¬ 
poral  power  united  with  spiritual,  the  beast  and  the  dragon,]  to  flee 
over  a  vast  ocean,  to  form  their  sei  dement  in  this  new  world,  in  order 
to  find  a  peaceful  asylum  for  the  rights  of  conscience,  and  the  rights  of 
man.  Suppose  them  entering  on  the  flight,  and,  by  the  signal  protection 
of  heaven,  safely  reaching  that  far  distant  continent.  Suppose  God  then 
protects  them,  increases  them,  ami  causes  them  to  become  an  [active], 
great,  and  renowned  nation;  [having  the  freest  intercourse  with  every 
corner  of  the  globe;]  established  in  the  enjoyment  of  [a  church  sep¬ 
arated  from  civil  power,]  the  rights  of  conscience,  and  civil  liberty, 
[setting  examples  of  reform  to  nations.]  Suppose  their  descendants 
soon  to  multiply  into  a  great  nation,  to  become  the  [hope  of  the  op. 
pressed]  of  all  other  nations,  and  to  bid  fair  to  be  [a]  great  mean  of  the 
conversion  and  bliss  of  the  world.  Suppose  the  church  of  Christ  there 
to  flourish  far  beyond  all  other  churches  on  earth,  and  to  form  there  a 
seat  for  die  commencement  of  the  special  showers  of  idle  Spirit  of 
grace  in  the  last  days,  nnd  to  seem  to  he  clearly  destined  to  give  a  new 
and  correct  model  to  the  whole  militant  church  of  Christ.  I.et  ihese 
things  be  supposed,  and  then  let  the  question  be  asked,  What  and 
whither  is  the  second  flight  of  the  woman  in  Rev.  ?  Would  you  not 
immediately  point  to  this  new  region  of  the  church,  arid  say,  ih i t her  was 
her  flight,  and  there  is  her  gracious  lodgment,  assigned  by  propitious 
heaven  ?  This  is  all  reality,  as  the  American  [branch  of  Christ’s] 
church  can  testify.’  The  above  is  from  the  ‘Key  to  the  Rev  in  36 
Lectures,  by  Rev.  Eihan  Smith;  which  see,  for  iiis  arguments,  since 
they  cannot  he  quoted  here,  for  want  of  space.  Ed. 

It  was  currently  said,  by  the  pious  in  England,  at  the  time  New  En¬ 
gland  was  settled,  that  ‘God  had  sifted  three  kingdoms  to  plant  his 
wheat  in  America.’  See  this  proved  in  ‘  Bancroft’s  History  of  the  U.  8.’ 
where  will  be  seen  the  other  principles  (of  free  trade  in  New  York,  of 
civil  liberty  in  Virginia,  toleration  in  Maryland,  the  peace  principle  in 
Pennsylvania,  <tc.)  which  colonized  N.  America.  Id. 

‘No  other  considerable  place  remains  on  the  globe  where  a  second 
effort  [in  the  cause  of  social  progress]  can  [ever]  be  made  under  like 
auspices.’  Id. 

‘  Could  so  vast  an  event  [of  this  kind]  be  overlooked  ?  and,  too,  when 
things  far  less  interesting  are  detailed  in  Rev.  ?  Edwards  was  confident 
(see  his  Hist,  of  Redemption),  that  the  churches  in  America  must  have 
a  place  among  the  prophecies  And  we  have,  in  one  of  his  volumes,  a 
labor  of  7  pages,  to  find  something  in  the  prophecies  clearly  alluding  to 
it.  But  he,  and  all  oiliers,  strangelv  failed  of  fixing  iheir  eye  upon  our 
text  as  a  striking  prediction  of  it.  Rev.  12:  which  sketches  Ihe  course 
of  the  most  interesting  events,  for  the  part  of  the  Christian  era  antece¬ 
dent  to  tlie  millennium,  is  the  part  of  this  hook  where  this  prediction 
might  be  expected.  And  it  is  found  in  Ihe  very  part  of  this  ch.  where  it 
might  have  been  expected an  event  following  and  occasioned  by  the 
persecution  which  followed  the  Reformation  in  the  16th  century.  Fix 

[705] 


A.  D.  95. 


REVELATION,  XII. 


%  % 

Satan's  hatred  of  God's  people. 


1G  And  tho  earth  helped  the  wo¬ 
man,  and  the  earth  opened  her 
mouth,  and  swallowed  up  the  flood 
whffch  the  dragon  cast  out  of  his 
mouth. 

17  And  the  dragon  was  wroth 
with  the  ‘woman,  and  went  to  make 
war  with  the  remnant  of  her  seed, 
which  keep  the  commandments  of 
God,  and  have  the  testimony  of 
Jesus  Christ.  t  gc.  3us. 


cutors  ;  anti  heresies  are  as  certainly  from 
the  devil,  as  open  force  and  violence. 

3.  The  seasonable  help  provided  for  the 
church  in  this  dangerous  juncture,  v.  16. 
Some  think,  we  are  to  understand  the 
swarms  of  Goths  and  Vandals  that  invaded 
the  Roman  empire,  and  found  work  for  the 
Arian  rulers,  who  otherwise  would  have 
been  as  furious  persecutors  as  the  pagan 
had  been,  and  had  exercised  great  cruelties 
already. 

4.  The  devil,  being  thus  defeated  in  his 


PRACT.  OBS.  True  Christians,  being  of  heavenly  birth,  and  expec¬ 
ting  a  heavenly  felicity,  have  ‘  put  on  Christ,’  are  ‘clothed  in  his  righte¬ 
ousness,’ irradiated  by  his  light,  beautified  by  his  image,  and  taught  to 
put  earthly  things  beneath  their  feet;  and  they  deem  it  their  honor  to 
profess,  adorn,  and  recoin  mend  the  doctrine  of  the  holy  apostles.  All 
who  are  thus  minded  should  pray  fervently,  and  labor  diligently,  in  their 
several  places,  for  the  increase,  prosperity,  and  purity  of  the  church  ; 


designs  on  the  universal  church,  now  turns 
his  rage  against  particular  persons  and  pla¬ 
ces  ;  his  malice  against  the  woman  pushes 
him  on  to  make  war  with  the  remnant  of  her 
seed.  Some  think  hereby  are  meant  the  Al- 
bigenses,  who  were  first  by  Dioclesian  driv¬ 
en  up  into  barren  and  mountainous  places, 
and  afterward  cruelly  murdered  by  popish 
rage  and  power,  for  several  generations  ; 
and  for  no  other  reason,  than,  because  they 
kept  the  commandments  of  God ,  and  held  the 
testimony  of  Jesus  Christ. 


and  ministers  should  especially  abound  in  these  holy  employments. 
For  the  devil  and  his  instruments  are  vigilant,  united,  bold,  and  unwea¬ 
ried,  in  their  efforts  to  destroy  the  religion  of  Christ ;  and  too  generally 
the  ‘  kingdoms  of  the  world  ’  have  been  seduced  into  their  service  :  sure¬ 
ly,  then,  the  servants  of  God  ought  not  to  be  timid,  heartless,  [disunited,] 
or  negligent,  in  opposing  their  designs  !  Scott. 


your  eye,  then,  as  I  attempted  to  do,  on  the  places  and  time  when  the  Pu¬ 
ritans  were  driven  to  extremities  by  the  persecutions  of  Jesuits,  [a  church 
with  temporal  power,]  and  other  enemies  of  the  pure,  evangelical  truth  ; 
and  see  to  what,  region  the  body  of  the  best  of  that  people,  did  in  fact 
flee  from  the  face  of  the  papal  dragon,  [and  those  who  exerted  the  spir¬ 
itual,  selfish  tyranny  denoted  by  dragonism,]  in  some  far  distant  realm. 
And  this  great  event,  then  occurring,  does  most  fully  accord  with  the 
prediction  in  our  text.  “  The  church  of  the  exiles,”  says  Mather,  “  were 
driven  out  into  the  horrible  i vi/derness,  merely  for  being  well-wishers 
to  the  Reformation.  ..  .Our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  carried  some  thousands 
of  reformers  into  the  retirements  of  the  American  desert ,  that  He  might 
give  a  specimen  of  good  things  to  which  He  would  have  his  people  else¬ 
where  aspire  and  rise [and  their  European  brethren  often  looked  to 
them  for  counsel  and  example  in  spiritual  matters,  as  the  annals  of  those 
limes  fully  show,  their  sufferings  for  truth  having  made  them  clear¬ 
sighted  in  it.  ‘Out  of  small  beginnings, said  the  pilgrim  Bradford, 
‘great  things  have  been  produced  ;  and  as  one  candle  may  light  a  thou¬ 
sand,  so  the  light  here  kindled  hath  shone  to  many,  yea,  in  some  sort  to 
our  whole  nation.’]  “  This  is,  at  last ,  the  spot  of  the  earth,  which  the 
I.ord  of  heaven  spied  out,  for  the  seat  of  such  transactions  as  require  to 
be  noted  in  history.  Here  it  was,  that  our  Lord  intended  a  resting- 
place  for  the  reformed  church.”  And  that  great  observer  of  divine  Prov¬ 
idence,  adds,  “198  ships  were  employed  in  their  passing  the  perils  of 
the  seas,  in  the  accomplishment  of  this  renowned  settlement;  and  but 
one  miscarried.”  ’  E.  Smith. 

Three  several  attempts  of  French  Catholics  were  ineffectually  made 
to  settle  Massachusetts  Bay ;  and  at  last  the  natives  were  cleared  off  by 
Providence,  to  give  room  for  the  Plymouth  colony.  ‘  Had  New  En¬ 
gland,’  remarks  Bancroft ,  ‘been  colonized  immediately  on  the  discovery 
of  the  American  continent,  the  old  English  constitutions  would  have 
been  planted  under  the  powerful  influence  of  the  Roman  Catholic  reli¬ 
gion ;  had  the  settlement  been  made  under  Elizabeth,  it  would  have 
been  before  activity  of  the  popular  mind  in  religion  had  conducted  to  a 
corresponding  activity  of  mind  in  politics.  ...  Who  will  venture  to 
measure  the  consequences  of  actions,  by  the  apparent  humility  or  the 
remoteness  of  their  origin  ?  [The  kingdom  of  God,  the  great,  theme  of 
prophecy,  cotneth  not,  indeed,  with  observation.]  The  mysterious  in¬ 
fluence  of  that  Power  which  enchains  the  destinies  of  states,  overruling 
the  decisions  of  sovereigns,  and  the  forethought  of  statesmen,  often  de¬ 
duces  the  greatest  events  from  the  least  commanding  causes.  A  Gen¬ 
oese  adventurer,  discovering  America,  changed  the  commerce  of  the 
world;  an  obscure  German,  inventing  the  printing  press,  rendered  pos¬ 
sible  the  universal  diffusion  of  increased  intelligence;  an  Augustine 
monk,  denouncing  indulgences,  introduced  a  schism  in  religion,  and 
changed  the  foundations  of  European  politics  ;  a  young  French  refugee, 
skilled  alike  in  theology  and  civil  law,  in  the  duties  of  magistrates,  and 
the  dialectics  of  religious  controversy,  entering  the  republic  of  Geneva, 
and  conforming  its  ecclesiastical  discipline  to  the  principles  of  republi¬ 
can  simplicity,  established  a  party  of  which  Englishmen  became  mem¬ 
bers,  and  New  England  the  asylum.  The  enfranchisement  of  the  mind, 
front  religious  despotism,  led  directly  to  inquiries  into  the  nature  of  civil 
government ;  and  the  doctrines  of  popular  liberty,  which  sheltered  their 
infancy  in  the  wilderness  of  the  newly-discovered  continent,  within  the 
short  space  of  two  centuries,  have  infused  themselves  into  the  life-blood 
of  every  rising  state,  from  Labrador  to  Chili,  have  erected  outposts  on 
the  Oregon,  and  in  Liberia,  and,  making  a  proselyte  of  enlightened 
France,  have  disturbed  all  the  ancient  governments  of  Europe,  by  awak¬ 
ening  the  public  mind  to  resistless  action,  from  the  shores  of  Portugal  to 
the  palaces  of  the  czars.’  Bancroft.  Ed. 

‘  A  church  in  the  West,  then,  was  to  be  planted,  to  commence  the 
millennium.  ..  .Great  is  our  debt  of  gratitude  to  God  1  Surely,  then, 
such  a  people  should  attempt,  bv  prayers,  alms,  and  all  their  talents  and 
influence,  great  things  in  behalf  of  the  kingdom  of  the  Redeemer.  Great 
things  are  to  be  accomplished  for  the  “conversion  of  the  world,”  [at 
last  acknowledged  as  the  comprehensive  aim  of  the  Christian.]  And 
great  should  be  the  zeal,  piety,  faithfulness,  and  perseverance  of  the 
seed  of  the  woman  here,  to  have  a  most  exalted  agency  in  the  great 
work  of  salvation  at  this  momentous  period.’  E.  Smith. 

(14.)  ‘This  prophecy  shows,  that  the  true  church  of  Christ  would  be 
invisible,  as  a  community,  for  a  period  of  1260  days;  and  during  all  that 
time  a  harlot,  pretending  to  be  the  spouse  of  Jesus  Christ,  was  to  prop¬ 
agate  her  idolatries  successfully  and  extensively  throughout  the  world. 
The  several  Protestant  churches,  having  no  connexion  with  each  other 
in  government  ordinances,  like  the  ancient  church,  constitute  only  indi¬ 
vidual  members  of  the  universal  church,  which,  as  a  hody  politic  is  as 
invisible  now  ns  it  was  in  the  tenth  century.  Fraser.'  Henry,  ahr. 
‘This  is  the  same  narration  with  v.  6.  varied  only  by  the  difference  of 
mood  and  teuse.’  Woodh. 

(15.)  Flood.]  Rev.  E.  Smith  refers  this  to  ‘  that  masterpiece  of  infi¬ 
delity,  first  known  to  the  world  under  the  name  of  Uluminism;  the  sys¬ 
tem  of  Voltaire,  Wcishaupt,  <&c.  Their  dependence  was  on  poisoning 

[706] 


the  sentiments  of  mankind,  obtaining  the  management  of  the  means  of 
education,  of  governments,  and  of  armies,  to  promote  their  designs. 
They  managed  the  French  revolution.  Its  professed  object  was  to  ren¬ 
der  the  human  race  happy,  by  freeing  them  from  all  restraints  upon 
their  lusts  and  pnssions.  But  the  real  object  of  this  horrid  scheme  was 
cautiously  concealed  from  their  candidates,  and  men  of  the  lower  orders 
of  their  system  ;  and  it  was  gradually  revealed  to  candidates  for  the 
higher  degrees,  as  it  was  found  they  could  endure  it  without  alarm. 
They  labored  with  sly  intrigue  to  fill,  with  men  of  their  own  order,  all 
places  of  trust  and  of  interest.’  The  attempt  was  made,  and  is  noxv 
making,  in  this  country,  it  is  thought ;  and  certainly,  where  opinion  has 
such  free  scope,  it  becomes  the  church  here  to  know  these  serpent  de¬ 
vices,  and  to  pray  God  to  enlighten  their  minds,  and  warm  their  hearts 
with  pure  principles  and  godly  affections ;  directing  them  how  best  to 
meet  the  wiles  of  the  adversary, — with  whom  a  fearful  struggle  is  yet  to 
be  had  !  Ed. 

(16.)  The  earth  helped  the  woman.]  ‘In  the  W.  division  of  the  Ro¬ 
man  empire  allotted  to  Constantine  Ohlorus,  the  father  of  Constantine, 
the  Christians  obtained  an  earlier  respite  from  the  severities  of  this  per¬ 
secution  [by  the  heathen  emperors,  and  those  opposed  to  Constantine’s 
succession]  than  in  the  other  divisions,  inconsequence  of  which  they 
had  greatly  increased  in  estimation  and  influence,  at  the  time  when 
Constantine  succeeded  to  that  throne;  (Euseb.  de  Martyr.  Pal.  c.  3;) 
and,  being  joined  by  those  who  had  taken  shelter  among  the  barbarians, 
they  formed  a  large,  united,  and  resolute  body,  which  it  was  the  interest 
of  the  new  emperor,  now  saluted  as  such  by  his  army,  to  conciliate  and 
attach:  such  an  edict  in  their  favor  followed  this  transaction;  and  a 
standard  of  the  cross  was  carried  before  his  victorious  army.  But  wheth¬ 
er  this  conduct  of  Constantine,  which  delivered  the  Christians  from  ap¬ 
parent  destruction,  was  the  result  of  his  political  interest  only,  or  of  a 
miraculous'  vision  of  a  cross,  followed  by  a  dream,  in  which  Christ  ex¬ 
horted  him  to  this  measure  ;  whether  it  was  of  earthly  or  heavenly  pro¬ 
duction,  has  been  a  subject  of  historical  debate,  from  that  time  to  this. 
(See  it  ably  and  candidly  discussed  by  Mosheim,  and  his  learned  trans¬ 
lator.)  I  will  avow  myself  satisfied  on  this  head,  by  a  perusal  of  Euse¬ 
bius’s  “  Life  ofConstantine.”  This  was  written  by  a  Christian  bishop,  and 
is  professedly  a  panegyric,  at  the  beginning  of  which  the  writer  an¬ 
nounces,  that  he  will  omit  the  mention  of  the  greater  part  of  his  actions, 
confining  his  narration  to  those  which  lead  to  piety  and  virtue.  Yet  it 
is  very  extraordinary,  that,  in  this  narration,  we  very  seldom  meet  with 
any  examples  of  the  emperor’s  faith  in  Christ,  or  of  such  virtues  as  are 
accounted  purely  Christian,  and  these  only  in  the  latter  period  of  his 
life.  And  referring  to  the  edicts,  speeches,  and  letters  of  the  emperor, — 
a  man  supposed  to  have  been  favored  with  personal  communication 
from  Christ, — we  are  surprised,  at  the  rare  mention  of  his  Savior’s  name  ; 
though  he  frequently  magnifies,  with  great  piety  and  zeal,  the  only  su¬ 
preme  God,  in  opposition  to  the  pagan  deities.  So  that  his  religion  ap¬ 
pears,  at  the  time  of  his  supposed  conversion,  to  be  that  of  Deism,  with 
little  or  no  addition  of  Christian  belief.  But,  is  this  consistent  with  the 
profession  of  one  who  had  formed  his  religion  on  a  miraculous  inter¬ 
course  with  the  Redeemer  ?  Or,  can  we  suppose  otherwise  than  that 
he  made  this  profession  to  be  believed  by  others,  though  he  had  no  con¬ 
viction  of  it  himself?  This  will  account  for  his  deferring  the  sacrament 
of  baptism  to  the  latest  period  of  his  life,  when  it.  is  not  improbable 
that  he  may  have  died  a  convert  to  the  faith.  His  own  words,  ad¬ 
dressed  to  the  bishops,  will  show  that,  before  that  period,  he  had  not 
accounted  himself  a  true  member  of  the  church,  (b.  4.  c.  62.)  Here  is 
sufficient  proof,  that  the  relief  of  the  Christians,  from  the  overwhelming 
violence  of  imperial  persecution,  was  the  result  rather  of  earthly  poli¬ 
tics ,  than  immediate  heavenly  interference,  and  that,  in  this  respect,  it 
has  fulfilled  that  purl  of  prophecy  now  under  our  consideration.  The 
arch  fiend,  thus  foiled  in  his  attempts  against  the  church,  renews  the 
war  against  the  remnant  of  the  woman’s  seed,  as  will  be  detailed  in  the 
ensuing  chapters.’  Woodii. 

(17.)  ‘As  this  alludes  to  things  future,  time  will  best  unfold  them.’ 
Smith. — ‘  Popery  is  a  system  in  which  science  and  ignorance,  refinement 
and  barbarism,  xvisdom  and  stupidity,  tasie  and  animalism,  mistaken 
zeal  and  malignant  enmity,  mny  sanctimoniously  pour  out  their  viru¬ 
lence  against  the  Gospel,  and  cry,  Hosanna,  while  they  go  out  to  shed 
the  blood  of  the  saints.  And  though  by  revolutions  it  has  been  shaken, 
and  compelled  by  motives  of  policy  to  cense  a  little  from  blood,  not  a 
principle  of  this  system  has  been  abandoned.  All  the  wiles  of  ages  past 
are  put  in  requisition  now,  to  heal  the  fatal  wounds  the  beast  has  re¬ 
ceived,  and  to  render  the  system  still  more  powerful  and  terrific.  The 
leaven  is  in  secret  and  open  operation  in  this  country ;  and  the  quick 
action  of  the  beast  to  the  touch  of  the  spear  in  Palestine,  shows,  that  he 
is  neither  dend  nor  asleep.  And,  considering  the  civilization,  wealth,  and 
science,  which  the  system  comprehends,  it  is  from  popery,  that  the 
Gospel  is  destined  to  experience  the  last  and  most  determined  resis¬ 
tance.’  Beecher. — Bloomf.  rejects  (17)  the  word  1  Chris tou,'  and  marks 
‘  tou  ’  as  doubtful.  Ed. 


A.  D.  95. 

CHAP.  XIII. 

1  A  beaat  riscth  out  of  the  sea  with  seven  heads  and  ten 
horns,  to  whom  the  dragon  giveth  his  power.  11  Anoth¬ 
er  Least  cometh  up  out  of  the  earth  :  14  causeth  an  image 
to  be  made  of  the  former  beast,  15  and  that  men  should 
worship  it,  16  and  receive  his  mark. 

AND  I  stood  upon  the  sand  of 
the  sea,  and  saw  a  beast  a  rise 
up  out  of  the  sea,  having  b  seven 
heads  and  ten  horns,  and  upon  his 
horns  ten  crowns,  and  upon  his 
heads  the  'name  of  blasphemy. 

2  And  the  beast  which  I  saw  was 
d  like  unto  a  leopard,  and  his  feet 
were  as  the  feet  of  a  bear,  and  his 
mouth  as  the  mouth  of  a  lion  :  and 
the  dragon  'gave  him  his  power, 
and  his  fseat,  and  great  authority. 

3  And  I  saw  one  of  his  heads,  as 
it  were  s  wounded  to  death;  and  his 
deadly  wound  was  healed:  and  all 
the  world  wondered  h  after  the 
beast. 

4  And  they  worshipped  the  dra¬ 
gon  which  gave  power  unto  the 
beast  :  and  they  worshipped  the 
beast,  saying,  Who  is  like  unto  the 
beast?  who  ‘is  able  to  make  war 
with  him? 

5  And  there  was  given  unto  him 


REV  ELAT  ION,  XIII.  Description  of  the  Church's  enemies. 


Chap.  XIII.  Wc  have,  in  this  cli. ,  a 
further  discovery  and  description  of  the 
church’s  enemies  ;  not  other  enemies  than 
are  mentioned  before,  but  described  after 
another  manner,  that  the  methods  of  their 
enmity  may  more  fully  appear.  They  are 
represented  as  two  beasts.  Bv  the  first  some 
understand  Rome  pagan,  and  by  the  second, 
Rome  papal  ;  but  others  understand  Rome 
papal  to  be  represented  by  both  ;  by  the  first 
in  its  secular  power,  by  the  second  in  its  ec¬ 
clesiastical. 

V.  1 — 10.  We  have  here  an  account  of 
the  rise,  figure,  and  progress  of  the  first 
beast;  and  observe, 

1.  From  what  situation  the  apostle  saw 
this  monster;  though  probably  still  in  a  rap¬ 
ture,  he  seemed  to  himself  to  stand  on  the 
seashore,  in  the  island  Patinos,  but  whether 
in  the  body,  or  out  of  the  body,  he  could  not 
tell. 

2.  Whence  this  beast  came, — out  of  the 
sea  ;  yet,  by  the  description,  it  should  be 
more  like  a  land  monster  ;  but  the  more 
monstrous  everything  about  it  was,  the  more 
proper  an  emblem  it  would  be  to  set  forth 
the  mystery  of  iniquity  and  tyranny. 

3.  The  form  and  shape  of  this  beast  ;  it 
was  for  the  most  part  like  a  leopard,  but  its 
feet  were  like  the  feet  of  a  bear,  and  its  mouth 
as  the  mouth  of  a  lion  i  it  bad  seven  heads, 
and  ten  horns,  and  upon  its  heads  the  name 
of  blasphemy  ;  a  most  horrid,  hideous  raon- 


a  UlOUth  1  speaking  great  things  and  ster  !  Ill  some  part  of  this  description  here 
n  Da.  7:2,  Ac.  d  Dn.  7:4— 7.  h  c.  17:8.  seems  to  he  an  allusion  to  Daniel’s  vision  of 

the  four  beasts,  which  represented  the  four 
monarchies,  Dan.  7:  1 — 3,  &c.  This  beast 


e  c.  12:9. 
f  c.  16:10. 
g  slain. 


i  c.  17:14. 
j  Da.  7:8,11,25. 
11:36. 


b  c.  12:3. 

17:3,9,12. 
c  or,  names. 

NOTES.  Chap.  XIII.  V.  1.  The  apostle  saw  a  savage  1  beast,’ 
i.  e.  a  tyrannical,  idolatrous,  and  persecuting  power,  springing  up  out 
of  the  commotions  which  took  place  in  the  world.  All  interpreters 
agree,  that  the  Roman  empire,  in  one  lorm  or  other,  was  here  intended  : 
and  papists,  continuing  such,  must  contend,  though  against  the  most 
conclusive  evidence  which  can  be  imagined,  that  pagan  Rome  was 
meant.  Rut  Rome  pagan  had  existed  many  hundred  years,  when  I  lie 
apostle  had  this  vision,  and  yet  he  saw  ‘  the  rise  of  this  beast.’ — It  may 
indeed  be  said,  that  Daniel,  in  vision,  saw  the  rise  of  t lie  Babylonian 
empire,  though  the  ris&of  it  preceded  ills  prophecy  ;  {Notes,  Dan.  7:1 — 

3.)  so  that,  this  circumstance  alone  may  not  be  altogether  conclusive  in 
the  argument :  but  the  reign  of  this  beast,  during  1260  years,  from  what¬ 
ever  period  it  be  dated,  must  be  conclusive;  for  the  pagan  Roman  em¬ 
pire,  properly  speaking,  did  not  continue  300  years,  from  tile  time  when 
this  prophecy  was  delivered,  and  the  very  last  remains  of  it  were  sub¬ 
verted  in  about  400  years.  Indeed,  the  whole  time,  from  the  building 
of  Rome,  to  the  time  of  Constantine,  the  first  Christian  emperor,  was 
considerably  less  than  1100  years  ;  and  even  to  Augtistulns,  t he  last  em¬ 
peror,  A.  D.  476,  i.  e.  from  its  birth  to  its  death,  it  lasted  at  the  most 
only  1228  years ;  and  for  the  first  5  or  600  years  of  this  term,  the  Romans 
had  not  the  smallest  concern  in  anything,  which  respected  i lie  church 
of  God.  It  is  therefore  absolutely  certain,  that  the  Roman  power,  as 
professing  Christianity,  and  not  lhat  of  pagan  Rome,  is  meant.  The 
dragon,  before  mentioned,  had  ‘7  crowns  on  his  heads,’  but  this  ‘beast 
has  10  crowns  on  his  horns.’  I  Note,  12:3 — 6.)  This  plainly  showed, 
that  a  revolution  would  take  place  before  the  time  predicted  should 
arrive,  and  that  the  dominion  would  he  removed  from  the  imperial  city, 
and  divided  among  10  kingdoms. — The  7  heads  had  indeed  lost  their 
crowns,  but  they  had  preserved,  or  acquired,  a  name,  or  names,  ‘of 
blasphemy.’  Dan.  2:40 — 43.  7:6 — 8,  19 — 27.  8:9 — 12.  Imperial  Rome 
was  often  called  the  ‘eternal  city,’. and  the  ‘goddess  of  the  earth,’  with 
other  blasphemous  titles  ;  and  altars,  temples,  and  sacrifices  were  as¬ 
signed  to  her,  as  a  deity;  and  it  will  appear  in  the  sequel,  how  anti- 
christian  Rome,  after  the  loss  of  the  imperial  dignity,  obtained  or 
resumed  similar  names  of  blasphemy.  {Note,  2  Thes.  2:3,  4. — Out  of 
the  sea.]  11:7.  Notes,  17:7,8.  Dan.  7:23.  Scott. 

V.  2 — 4.  This  beast  was  the  same  with  Daniel’s  fourth  beast,  the  same 
empire,  but  in  one  special  form  ;  for  ‘  the  dragon  had  now  given  his 
power,  throne,  and  great  authority,’  to  tile  beast.  The  dragon  may  here 
mean,  either  the  devil,  or  his  vicegerent,  the  idolatrous  Roman  empire. 
{Notes,  12:3 — 12.)  So  that,  when  another  idolatrous  persecuting  power 
had  succeeded  to  that  of  the  heathen  emperors,  then  ‘  the  dragon  ’  had 
transferred  his  dominion  to  ‘  the  beast,’  or  the  devil  had  appointed 
another  vicegerent ;  and  all  the  world  knows,  that  this  accords  to  the 
history  of  the  Roman  empire,  pagan  and  papal. — The  project  of  re-estab¬ 
lishing  the  old  idolatry  having  failed,  a  new  species  was  invented  ;  saints 
and  angels  succeeded  to  gods  and  demi-gods,  and  persecution  was  the 
mean  employed  for  supporting  it.  (AWe,  12:13 — 17.)  ‘The  head  of 
the  beast,  wounded  to  death,’  represented  the  entire  subversion  of  Hie 
imperial  authority  in  the  time  of  Augustulits,  or  when  Rome  became  a 
dukedom  to  the  Exarchate  of  Ravenna.  (8:12.)  Five  of  the  heads  of  the 
beast,  or  the  dragon,  (for  in  this  respect  they  are  the  same,)  wore  super¬ 
seded,  before  the  apostle’s  time,  namely,  kings,  consuls,  dictators,  de¬ 
cemvirs,  and  military  tribunes,  but,  at  the  time  above  mentioned,  Ibe 
sixth  received  a  deadly  wound.  {Note,  17:9 — 14.)  It  was,  however, 
afterwards  healed,  by  the  revival  of  the  imperial  name  and  dignity,  in 
the  person  of  Charlemagne,  or  Charles  the  Great,  who  was  proclaimed 
Augustus,  A.  D.  800;  and  this  head  subsisted  ever  since  in  the  emperors 
of  Germany,  or  of  ‘  (he  holy  Roman  empire,’  till  subverted  by  recent 
revolutions.  For  the  emperor  of  Austria,  doubtless  by  constraint ,  lias 
resigned  the  title:  ami  the  present  ruler  of  France  fI813)  lias  usurped 
it  for  a  season.  Rut  many  things  seem  now  (1815)  to  be  reverting 


was  a  sort  of  composition  of  tliose  tlireo, 
lion,  bear,  and  leopard,  with  the  fierceness, 
strength,  and  swiftness  of  them  all  ;  the 
seven  heads  and  the  ten  horns  seem  to  design 
its  several  powers;  the  ten  crowns,  its  tribu¬ 
tary  princes  ;  the  word  blasphemy  on  its 
forehead,  proclaims  its  direct  enmity  and 
opposition  to  the  glory  of  God,  hy  promot¬ 
ing  idolatry. 

4.  The  source  and  spring  of  his  authori¬ 
ty, — the  dragon ;  he  was  set  up  by  the 
devil, and  supported  by  him  to  do  his  work, 
and  promote  his  interest;  he  lent  him  all  the 
assistance  he  could. 

5.  A  dangerous  wound  given  him,  and 
yet  unexpectedly  healed,  v.  3.  Some  think, 
by  this  wounded  head  wc  are  to  understand 
the  abolishing  of  pagan  idolatry  ;  and  by 
the  healing  of  the  wound,  the  introducing  of 
the  popish  idolatry,  the  same  in  substance 
with  the  former,  only  in  a  new  dress,  and 
which  as  effectually  answers  the  devil’s  de¬ 
sign  ns  that  did. 

6.  The  honor  and  worship  paid  to  this 
infernal  monster;  all  the  world  wondered  after 
the  beast,  they  all  admired  his  power,  and 
policy,  and  success,  and  they  worshipped  the 
dragon  that  gave  power  to  the  beast,  and  they 
worshipped  the  beast,  they  paid  honor  and 
subjection  to  the  devil  and  his  instruments, 
and  thought  there  was  no  power  able  to 
withstand  them  ;  so  great  were  the  dark¬ 
ness,  degeneracy,  and  madness  of  the  world! 

7.  IIow  he  exercised  his  infernal  power, 
and  policy  ;  he  had  a  mouth  speaking  great 
things,  and  blasphemies ;  he  blasphemed  God, 
the  name  of  God,  the  tabernacle  of  God,  and 


into  their  former  channel ;  and  it  is  too  early  to  judge  how  this  revolu¬ 
tion  may  terminate.  Afler  Charles  had  been  thus  proclaimed  emperor, 
the  temporal  and  ecclesiastical  rulers  mutually  strengthening  each 
other,  the  Roman  power  became  again  formidable,  and  ‘all  the  world,’ 
or  all  tlie  earth,  was  astonished  to  behold  that  empire  revived,  xvliich 
seemed  tQ  be  totally  extinct ;  so  that  a  superstitious  and  idolatrous  obe¬ 
dience  was  rendered  to  this  temporal  authority,  as  engaged  to  support 
the  ecclesiastical  tyranny  of  the  Romish  church.  Thus  they  virtually 
‘worshipped  the  dragon,  who  gave  his  power  to  the  beast;’  hy  sub¬ 
mitting,  without  reserve,  to  the  same  idolatrous,  persecuting  power  as 
before,  only  in  another  form  ;  and  they  ‘  worshipped  the  beast  ’  as  one, 
xxlio  never  had  his  equal  on  earth,  or  in  heaven,  and  who  would  surely 
crush  all  that  presumed  to  oppose  him.  Thus  the  old  idolatry  was 
fully  re-established,  with  new  names;  and  the  worship  of  idols,  or  crea¬ 
tures,  is  in  effect  worshipping  the  devil. — Some  explain  ‘  the  deadly 
wound,’  inflicted  on  one  head  of  the  beast,  to  mean  the  revolution  which 
took  place,  when  Christian  emperors  succeeded  the  pagan,  persecuting 
emperors,  and  the  healing  of  this  deadly  wound,  the  subsequent  estab¬ 
lishment  of  another  idolatrous,  persecuting  power,  bearing  the  Christian 
name.  The  two  interpretations  agree  in  the  grand  outline,  and  the  na¬ 
ture  of  this  work  precludes  the  particular  consideration  of  subordinate 
questions.  Scott. 

(2.)  ‘  We  must  look  out  for  the  heast,  to  find  him  by  the  properties 

of  his  nature,  and  by  the  effects  of  his  government  upon  earth.  The 
beast,  or  brutal  nature  of  the  life  of  man,  is  what  the  dragon  exalts  and 
empowers  with  all  his  might,  as  his  vicegerent,  to  have  dominion  over 
the  inhabitants  of  the  earth,  for  bv  this  nature  only  lie  can  have  access 
now  to  us,  and  power  Aver  us.  The  general  properties  of  this  nature, 
as  here  personified,  are,  to  be  led  without  reason,  hy  mere  sense,  to  sat¬ 
isfy  the  sensual  imaginations  and  lusts  of  the  flesh,  and  to  do  all  hy 
brutish  violence  and  force,  and  to  destroy  all  that  opposes  its  selfish 
will.  The  government  this  nature  allcots  is  absolute,  to  have  all  in 
subjection  to  its  will :  so  it  rules  over  others,  as  men  rule  over  beasts, 
guiding  them  by  mere  sensual  and  imaginary  inducements,  which  have 
no  relation  to  the  will  of  God.  [Notes,  Jude  10.  1  John  5:4.]  How 
many  rulers  have  made  these  properties  of  their  way  to  be  their  glory, 
is  apparent.  Rut  the  lamb-like  nature  of  the  [renewed]  life  of  man,  and 
the  way  of  government  suitable  thereto,  is  what  Christ,  as  spiritual,  ex¬ 
alts  In  the  societies  of  men.’  Doric.  Henri;,  abr. 

(3.)  His  deadly  wound  was  healed  ]  ‘  The  Christian  leaders,  [when 

the  head  of  Daniel's  4th  heast,  become  John’s  persecuting  power,  was 
smitten  by  Constantine’s  accession,]  seizing,  too  eagerly,  the  power  and 
riches  of  the  world,  and  ensnared  in  the  temptation,  contributed  most 
ctTectuallv  to  heal  the  deadly  wound  of  the  beast;  they  restoreil  him 
again  to  life  and  to  power;  to  a  power  tenfold  more  dangerous  than 
before,  when  a  corrupt  administration  ofeivil  tyranny  began  to  be  sup¬ 
ported,  and  abetted,  by  ecclesiastical  authority:  under  which  new  form 
he  became  an  object  of  wonder,  and  of  worship,  to  the  deluded  inhabi¬ 
tants  of  the  world.’  Woodh.  Let  those,  then,  who  would  unite  church 
and  state,  be  warned  from  it,  for  they  do  the  work  of  the  beftst.  En. 

(4.)  ‘  Whoever,  to  attain  worldly  eminence,  relinquishes  his  trust  in 

God,  and  deviates  from  the  path  of  the  divine  laws,  withdraws  his  alle¬ 
giance  from  God,  and  transfers  it  to  the  devil.  Mat.  4:8,  9.’  Woodh. 

V.  5 — 7.  To  this  monstrous,  savage  heast  ‘  was  given  a  mouth  speak¬ 
ing  great  tilings  and  blasphemies. — It  will  soon  lie  stated  as  the  author  s 
Opinion,  that  the  ecclesiastical  power  of  Rome  was  the  agent,  and  the 
pope  the  speaking  image  of  this  beast ;  {Notes,  11—17. )  and  every  on*, 
knows  what  blasphemous  and  enormous  claims  of  His  Ho  mess,  n 
fallibilitv,  Sovereign  of  kings  and  kingdoms  ’  Christ  s  vicegerent  oil 
earth,’  Vea,  ‘  God  upon  earth,’  have  been  spoken  hy  this  month  of  the 
beast.  Power  also,  or  authority,  even  the  secular  empire,  was  given 
him,  to  continue,  or  rather  to  practise,  or  to  prosper  in  his  undertak- 


REVELATION,  XIII. 


The  Church’s  enemies  described. 


A.  D.  95. 


blasphemies;  and  power  was  given 
unto  him  to  k  continue  'forty  and 
two  months. 

G  And  he  opened  his  mouth  in 
blasphemy  against  God,  to  blas¬ 
pheme  his  name,  and  his  m  taber¬ 
nacle,  and  them  that  n  dwell  in 
heaven. 

7  And  it  was  given  unto  him  to 
make  war  “with  the  saints,  and  to 
overcome  them  :  and  power  p  was 
given  him  over  all  kindreds,  and 
tongues,  and  nations. 

8  And  all  that  dwell  upon  the 
earth  shall  worship  him,  whose 
names  are  not  written  in  the  book 
*•  of  life  of  the  Lamb  slain  from  r  the 
foundation  of  the  world. 

9  If  any  man  have  an  ear,  let 
him  hear. 

10  He  'that  leadeth  into  captivi¬ 
ty  shall  go  into  captivity:  he  ’that 
killeth  with  the  sword  must  be  killed 
with  the  sword.  Here  is  the  "  pa¬ 
tience  and  the  faith  of  the  saints. 

11  And  I  beheld  another  T  beast 
coming  up  out  of  the  earth;  and  he 
had  two  horns  like  a  lamb,  and  he 
spake  as  a  dragon. 

k  or,  t hake  war.  o  Da.  7:21.  ^  r  c.  17:8. 

1  c.  11:2,3.  12:6.  c.  11:7.  12:17.  8  Is  33:1. 

m  Col.  2:9.  p  Lu.  4:6.  t  Ge.  9:6. 

He.  9:11,24.  q  Da.  12:1.  u  He.  6:12. 

n  He.  12:22,23.  c.  21:27.  v  c.  11:7. 

all  them  that  dwell  in  heaven  ;  and  he  made 
war  with  the  saints,  and  overcame  them,  and 
gained  a  sort  of  universal  empire  in  the 
world.  His  malice  was  principally  levelled 


at  the  God  of  heaven,  and  liis  heavenly  at¬ 
tendance  ;  at  God,  in  making  images  of  Him 
that  is  invisible,  and  in  worshipping  them 
[and  setting  self  in  God’s  place];  at  the  tab¬ 
ernacle  of  God,  that  is,  say  some,  at  the  hu¬ 
man  nature  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  in 
which  God  dwells  as  in  a  tabernacle  ;  this 
is  dishonored  by  their  doctrine  of  transub- 
stantiation,  that  will  not  suffer  his  body  to 
be  a  true  body,  and  will  put  it  in  the  power 
of  every  priest  to  prepare  a  body  for  Christ; 
and  against  them  that  dwell  in  heaven.,  the 
glorified  saints,  by  putting  them  into  the 
place  of  the  pagan  demons,  and  pray  ing  to 
them  ;  which  they  are  so  far  from  being 
pleased  with,  that  they  truly  judge  them¬ 
selves  wronged  and  dishonored  by  it.  Thus 
the  malice  of  the  devil,  shows  itself  against 
heavdn,  and  the  blessed  inhabitants  of  hea¬ 
ven  ;  these  are  above  the  reach  of  his 
power  ;  all  be  can  do,  is,  to  blaspheme 
them  ;  but  the  saints  on  earth  are  more  ex¬ 
posed  to  his  cruelty,  and  he  sometimes  is 
permitted  to  triumph  over  them,  and  tram¬ 
ple  upon  them. 

8.  The  limitation  of  the  devil’s  power 
and  success,  and  that  both  as  to  time  and 
persons.  (1.)  Time  ;  his  reign  is  to  con¬ 
tinue  42  months,  v.  5.  suitable  to  the  other 
prophetical  characters  of  the  reign  of  anti¬ 
christ.  (2.)  Persons;  it  will  be  only  those 
whose  names  are  not  written  in  the  Lamb’s 
book  of  life.  Christ  had  a  chosen  remnant, 
redeemed  by  his  blood,  recorded  in  his  book, 
sealed  by  his  Spirit  ;  and  though  the  devil 
and  antichrist  might  overcome  their  bodily 
strength,  and  take  away  the  natural  life, 
they  could  never  conquer  their  souls,  nor 
prevail  with  them  to  forsake  their  Savior, 
and  revolt  to  his  enemies. 

9.  We  have  a  demand  of  attention  to  what 
is  here  discovered  of  the  great  sufferings 


and  troubles  of  the  church  ;  and  an  assur¬ 
ance  given,  that  when  God  has  accomplished 
his  work  on  mount  Zion,  his  refining  work, 
then  He  will  turn  his  hand  against  the  ene¬ 
mies  of  his  people,  and  they  who  have  killed 
with  the  sword,  shall  themselves  fall  by  the 
sword,  v.  10.  and  they  who  led  the  people 
of  God  into  captivity,  shall  themselves  be 
made  captives.  Here  now  is  that  which  will 
be  proper  exercise  (or  the  patience  and  faith 
of  the  saints  ;  patience  under  the  prospect  of 
so  great  sufferings,  and  faith  in  the  prospect 
of  so  glorious  a  deliverance. 

V.  11 — 18.  Those  who  think  the  first 
beast  signifies  Rome  pagan,  by  this  second 
understand  Rome  papal  ;  those  that  under¬ 
stand  the  first  beast  of  the  secular  power  of 
the  papacy,  take  the  second  to  intend  its 
spiritual  and  ecclesiastical  powers,  which 
act  under  the  disguise  of  religion  and  char¬ 
ity  to  the  souls  of  men. 

1.  All  agree  it  must  be  some  great  impos¬ 
tor,  who,  under  a  pretence  of  religion,  shall 
deceive  the  souls  of  men  :  the  papists  would 
have  it  to  be  Apollonius  Tyantcus  ;  but  Dr. 
More  fixes  it  on  the  ecclesiastical  powers  of 
tl’.e  papacy.  The  pope  shows  the  horns  of  a 
lamb,  pretends  to  be  live  vicar  of  Christ  on 
earth,  and  so  to  be  vested  with  his  power 
and  authority  ;  but  bis  speech  bewrays  him  ; 
for  be  gives  forth  those  false  doctrines,  and 
cruel  decrees,  which  show'  him  to  belong  to 
the  dragon,  and  not  to  the.  Lamb. 

2.  The  power  he  exercises  ;  all  the  power 
of  the  former  beast,  v.  12.  he  promotes  the 
same  interest,  pursues  the  same  design  in 
substance,  which  is,  to  draw  men  off  from 
worshipping  the  true  God,  to  worship  those 
who  by  nature  are  no  gods,  and  subject  the 
souls  and  consciences  of  men  to  tiie  [selfish] 
will  and  authority  of  men,  in  opposition  to 
the  [love  and]  will  of  God  ;  this  design  is 


ings,  for  42  months,  or  1260  years.  Some  copies  read,  ‘make  war’ 
(7);  and  no  doubt  tlmt  is  included.  This  term  coincides  exactly  with 
that  during  which  ‘  the  two  witnesses  prophesied  in  sackcloth.’  (Notes, 
11:3 — 12.)  This  beast  would,  during  this  period,  ‘open  his  mouth  in 
blasphemies  against  God;’  combining  with  the  ecclesiastical  power  in 
its  usurpations,  and  in  entrenching  on  the  peculiar  honors  and  preroga¬ 
tives  of  God  Himself.  ‘  He  would  blaspheme  the  name  of  God,’  by  re¬ 
quiring  all  men,  at  the  instigation  of  the  ecclesiastical  power,  to  tender 
that  worship  to  creatures,  which  belongs  to  God  alone,  ‘and  his  tnher- 
nacle,’  or  true  Christians,  by  stigmatizing,  anathematizing,  and  murder¬ 
ing  them,  as  heretics  ;  ‘  and  them  that  dwell  in  heaven,’  by  scandalizing 
angels  and  departed  saints,  as  if  they  sacrilegiously  sought  and  were 
pleased  with  the  idolatrous  worship  rendered  to  them,  and  by  ascribing 
to  the  saints  a  variety  of  ridiculous  actions,  which  they  never  did. 
(Note,  18.20.)  It  was  also  ‘given  to  the  beast  to  wage  war  against  the 
saints,  and  to  overcome  them;’  anil  no  computation  can  reach  the 
numbers  who  have  been  put  to  death,  in  different  ways,  on  account  of 
their  maintaining  the  profession  of  the  Gospel,  and  opposing  the  corrup¬ 
tions  of  the  church  of  Rome.  1,000,000  of  the  poor  Waldenses  perished 
in  France;  900,000  orthodox  Christians  were  slain,  in  less  than  30  years 
after  the  institution  of  the  Jesuits  ;  the  duke  of  Alva  boasted  of  having 
put  36,000  to  death  in  the  Netherlands,  by  the  hands  of  the  common  ex¬ 
ecutioner,  during  the  space  of  a  few  years:  and  the  Inquisition  destroyed 
by  various  tortures  150,000  Christians,  within  30  years.  These  are  a 
few  specimens,  and  but  a  few,  of  those  which  history  lias  recorded  ;  but 
the  total  amount  will  never  be  known,  till  ‘  the  earth  shall  disclose  her 
blood,  and  shall  no  more  cover  her  slain.’  (Note,  Is.  26:20,  21  )  These 
were  put  to  death  by  tile  secular  arm  ;  by  that  power,  of  which  the 
empire  was  the  head,  and  which  subsisted  in  ten  kingdoms;  for  the  per¬ 
secuting-,  ecclesiastical  power,  condescended  to  employ  kings  and  em¬ 
perors,  as  the  executioners  of  its  murderous  decrees  ! — Mr.  Faber  has 
here  very  justly  pointed  out  an  inaccuracy  in  Bp.  Newton,  who  seems 
to  confound  this  beast,  or  the  secular  empire,  in  all  the  ten  kingdoms, 
with  the  little  horn  predicted  by  Daniel,  which  accords  to  the  second 
beast,  afterwards  mentioned.  (Note,  11,  12.)  Yei,  as  tile  secular  power 
executed  the  persecuting  decrees  of  the  ecclesiastical,  and  gave  ils  pow¬ 
er  to  that  beast ;  the  things,  stated  by  Bp.  Newton  as  accomplishments 
of  this  prophecy,  were  evidently  such;  though  he  lias  not,  with  his 
usual  nccuracy,  marked  the  manner  in  which  ibis  took  place.  (Notes, 
Dan.  7:7,8,23—27.  11:36.)  Scott. 

(5.)  ‘  Whitaker  and  others  roily  expose  these  blasphemies.  Doddridge 

says,  they  must  have  very  little  acquaintance  with  the  blasphemous  ti¬ 
tles  assumed  or  admitted  by  the  popes,  who  discern  not  in  them  a  very 
remarkable  illustration  of  this  circumstance  of  the  prophecy.’  Henry, 
abr. — Bl.  marks  ‘  war ,’  as  probably  spurious.  En. 

V.  8—10.  By  the  means  above  mentioned,  the  beast  maintained  his 
dominion  over  the  inhabitants  of  the  western  world,  and,  indeed,  in 
many  other  places;  and  all  worshipped  him,  by  the  most  abject  submis¬ 
sion  of  body,  soul,  and  conscience,  except  ‘  the  remnant  according  to 
the  election  of  grace,’  (Note,  Rom  11:1  — 6.)  ‘  whose  names  were  writ¬ 
ten  in  the  book  of  life,’  belonging  to  ‘  the  Lamb  that  hail  been  slain,  from 
tiie  foundation  of  i lie  world.’ — It  is  not,  indeed,  quite  clear,  whether 
Christ  be  here  said  to  ‘  have  been  slain  from  the  foundation  of  the  world  ;’ 
i.  e.  in  the  purpose  of  God,  and  the  eiilcacy  of  his  blood  to  the  salvation 
of  all  believers ;  or  whether  the  names  of  the  persons  spoken  of  were 
‘  written  in  the  book  of  life,  from  the  foundation  of  the  world,’  as  the 

[708] 


elect  of  God  :  but  the  language  is  in  a  parallel  text  more  explicit.  (17:8. 
—Notes,  20:11—15.  21:22—27.  1  Pet.  1:17—  21 .)— 1 This  prophecy  was 
of  that  importance,  to  the  encouragement  and  direction  of  believers, 
during  ‘  the  reign  of  the  beast,’  as  well  as  lor  the  due  understanding  of 
the  greatest  part  of  this  hook,  that  the  attention  of  every  one  was  espe¬ 
cially  called  to  it.  (Notes,  2:10,1 1.  Mat.  18:9. — Marg.  Ref.  f.)  Fertile 
persecutors  would  assuredly  be  destroyed,  in  the  same  manner  as  they 
had  destroyed  others:  (Notes,  17: — 19:)  yet  here  would  be  the  trial  of 
‘  the  faith  and  patience  of  the  saints;’  to  bear  up  under  such  complica¬ 
ted  dangers  and  sufferings,  and  of  so  long  continuance,  beyond  the  ex¬ 
ample  of  all  former  times;  and  to  persevere  in  faith  and  obedience 
through  them. — Faith  and  patience  would  be  more  wanted  by  the  saints, 
and  have  more  to  try  and  exercise  them,  and  for  a  longer  time,  than  in 
any  oilier  persecution  whatever.  Scott. 

(10.)  Kilielh,  &e.]  ‘  See  this  exemplified  in  the  sufferings  and  dealh  of 
the  most  noted  persecutors,  by  Dr.  Jorlin,  in  his  Remarks  on  Eccl.  Hist, 
vol.  3.  pp.  246 — 322.’  WoODH. 

V.  11,  12.  This  second  ‘  beast’  did  not  come  tip  out  of  the  sea,  or  from 
wars  and  tumults,  as  the  first  did;  (Note,}.)  but  ‘  out  of  the  earth,’ 
silently  and  gradually,  as  plants  spring  up:  (Note,  2  Pet.  2:1 — 3.)  and 
it  ‘had  horns  like  unto  a  lamb  ;’  denoting  that  it  was  a  spiritual  domin¬ 
ion,  professedly  derived  from  Christ,  and  exercised  in  a  gcmle  manner. 
It  was,  therefore,  the  emblem  of  the  Roman  hierarchy;  and  his  two 
horns  have,  very  probably,  been  supposed  to  signify  the  regular  and  sec¬ 
ular  clergy  of  liiat  church  :  as  the  other  ‘  beast’  was  tiie  emblem  of  the 
temporal  authority  exercised  in  the  ten  kingdoms  of  the  empire,  in  sup¬ 
port  of  that  spiritual  tyranny.  The  second  beast  is  elsewhere  called 
*  ihe  false  prophet;’  (16:13.  19:20.)  which  abundantly  confirms  this  in¬ 
terpretation.  1  In  the  language  of  symbols,  horns  arc  Kingdoms  ;  conse¬ 
quently  the  horns  of  an  ecclesiastical  beast  must  lie  ecclesiastical  king¬ 
doms.  Now  I  know  not  what  idea  we  can  annex  to  an  ecclesiastical 
kingdom,  subservient  lothe  head  of  an  ecclesiastical  empire, except  that 
of  a  regularly  organized  body  of  ecclesiastics,  subject  primarily  to  their 
own  immediate  superior,  and  ultimately  to  the  head  of  the  whole  em¬ 
pire.’  Faber.  Thus  the  regular  clergy,  or  Ihe  different  orders  of 
monks,  are  subject  each  to  the  principal  of  his  order,  who  himself  is 
subject  to  the  church  and  bishop  of  Rome  :  and,  in  like  manner,  the  sec¬ 
ular  clergy,  or  parochial  ministers  and  others  connected  with  them,  are 
subject  primarily  to  their  ordinary,  or  diocesan  bishop;  he,  to  Ihe  arch¬ 
bishop,  primate,  metropolitan,  or  patriarch;  but  all  to  the  church  and 
bishop  of  Rome.  Anil,  ns  they  are  enjoined  celibacy,  ibis  subjection,  and 
their  devotedness  to  the  common  cause  of  that  church,  are  most  entire 
and  efficacious  — But  though  the  beast  ‘  bad  two  horns,  like  a  lamb,’  yet 
‘he  spake  ns  a  dragon,’  or  with  all  the  tyranny  and  cruelty  of  the  per¬ 
secuting  Roman  emperors.  (Note,  12:3—6  )  And  the  high  claims  cf 
authority,  and  the  peremptory  commands,  menaces,  nnd  decisions  of  ihe 
Roman  hierarchy,  are  well  known.  The  second  1  beast’  is  likewise  the 
minister,  adviser,  or  agent,  of  the  first  beast,  and  ‘exerciselh  all  his 
power  before  him.’  Accordingly,  the  different  orders  of  monks,  ns  well 
as  the  secular  clergy  of  Rome,  have  always  possessed  immense  influ¬ 
ence  in  the  affairs  of  the  kings  and  nations,  belonging  to  that  commun¬ 
ion  :  their  principal  ministers  of  state  have  generally  been  cardinals,  or 
other  ecclesiastics  :  the  magistrate  lias  been  engaged  to  use  his  sword  to 
enforce  their  decrees,  or  execute  their  sentences  against  heretics;  and 
bloody  wars,  without  number,  have  been  waged  in  support  of  their  aini- 
christian  domination.  In  return  fur  these  services,  they  ‘cause  the  earth 


A.  D.  95. 


REVELATION,  XIII. 


The  description  continued. 


12  And  he  exerciscth  all  the  pow¬ 
er  of  the  first  beast  before  him,  and 
cnuseth  the  earth  and  them  which 
dwell  therein  to  worship  the  first 
beast,  whose  deadly  wound  was 
w  healed. 

13  And  he  doeth  great  1  wonders, 
so  that  he  rnaketh  fire  come  down 
from  heaven  on  the  earth  in  the 
sight  of  men, 

14  And  deceiveth  them  that  dwell 
on  the  earth  by  the  means  of  those 
miracles  which  he  had  power  to  do 
in  the  sight  of  the  beast ;  saying  to 
them  that  dwell  on  the  earth,  that 
they  should  make  an  image  to  the 
beast,  which  had  the  >'  wound  by  a 
sword,  and  did  live. 

15  And  he  had  power  to  give 
Mile  unto  the  image  of  the  beast, 
that  the  image  of  the  beast  should 
both  speak,  and  cause  that  as  many 


as  would  not  ’worship  the  image 
of  the  beast  should  be  killed. 

w  ver.  3.  2  Th.  5:9,10.  z  breath, 

x  Mat.  24:C4.  y  ver.  3,12.  a  c.  16:2. 

promoted  by  popery  as  well  as  by  paganism, 
and  by  the  crafty  arts  of  popery  as  well  as 
by  the  secular  arm,  both  serving  the  inter¬ 
ests  of  the  devil,  though  in  a  different  man¬ 
ner. 

3.  The  methods  by  which  this  second  beast 
carried  on  his  interests  and  designs  ;  they 
are  of  three  sorts  ;  (1.)  Lying  wonders,  pie- 
tended  miracles,  by  which  they  should  be 
deceived,  and  prevailed  with  to  worship  the 
former  beast  in  this  new  image  or  shape 
now  made  for  him  ;  God  sometimes  per¬ 
mits  his  enemies,  as  He  did  the  magicians 
of  Egypt,  to  do  things  that  seem  very  won¬ 
derful,  and  by  which  unwary  persons  may 
be  deluded  :  it  is  well  know  n  that  the  papal 
kingdom  has  been  long  supported  by  pre¬ 
tended  miracles.  (2.)  Excommunications, 
anathemas,  severe  censures  ;  by  which  they 
pretend  to  cut  men  off  from  Christ,  and  cast 
them  into  the  pow'er  of  the  devil,  but  do, 


indeed,  deliver  them  over  to  the  secular 
power,  that  they  may  be  put  to  death  ;  and 
thus,  notwithstanding  their  vile  hypocrisy, 
they  are  justly  charged  w  ith  killing  those 
whom  they  cannot  corrupt.  (3.)  By  dis¬ 
franchisement  ;  allow  ing  none  to  enjoy  nat¬ 
ural,  civil,  or  municipal  rights,  who  will  not 
worship  that  papal  beast,  i.  e.  the  image  of 
the  pagan  beast.  It  is  made  a  qualification 
for  buying  and  selling  the  rights  of  nature, 
as  well  as  for  places  of  profit  and  trust,  that 
they  have  the  mark  of  the.  beast  in  their  fire- 
head,  and  in  their  right  hand  ;  and  that  they 
have  the  name  of  the  beast,  and  the  number  of 
his  name  :  it  is  probable,  that  the  mark,  the 
name,  and  the  number  of  the  beast,  may  all 
signify  the  same  thing, — that  they  make  an 
open  profession  of  their  subjection  and  obe¬ 
dience  to  the  papacy,  which  is  receiving  the 
mark  in  their  forehead,  and  that  they  oblige 
themselves  to  use  all  their  interest,  power, 
and  endeavor,  to  promote  the  papal  author¬ 
ity,  which  is  receiving  the  mark  in  their  right 
hands.  We  are  told,  that  pope  Martin  V. 
in  his  bull,  added  to  the  council  of  Constance, 
prohibits  Roman  Catholics  to  suffer  any  her- 


to  worship  the  first  beast;’  they  have  always  been  the  enemies  of  civil 
liberty,  and  the  supporters  of  tyranny,  and  even  of  the  unlawful  and 
most  iniquitous  commands  of  those  princes  who  supported  their  author¬ 
ity  ;  which  is  a  kind  of  idolatry,  as  it  exalts  the  will  of  man  above  that 
of  God.  So  that  tyranny  upholds  them,  and  they  uphold  tyranny  ;  they 
enslave  men’s  consciences,  and  help  kings  to  enslave  their  persons ;  and 
in  both  respects  enforce  idolatry.  The  ecclesiastical  power  ‘is  the  com¬ 
mon  centre  and  cement,  which  unites  all  the  distinct  kingdoms  of  the 
Homan  empire,  and,  by  joining  with  them,  procures  them  a  blind  obe¬ 
dience  from  their  subjects  ;  and  so  it  is  the  occasion  of  the  preservation 
of  the  old  Roman  empire,  in  some  kind  of  unity,  and  name,  and  strength.’ 
IVhiston. — Implicit  obedience,  however,  to  the  authority  of  the  beast,  as 
supporting  idolatry,  and  requiring  men  to  worship  creatures  and  images, 

under  heavy  penalties,  must  be  especially  meant _ ‘  Here  we  have  a  plain 

prediction  of  some  spiritual  power,  . .  .  which  should  arrogate  to  itself 
universal  or  catholic  authority  in  religious  matters;  which  should  co¬ 
exist  upon  the  most  friendly  terms  with  the  ten-horned  temporal  empire, 
instigating  it  to  persecute,  during  the  space  of  42  prophetic  months,  ..  . 
all  such  as  should  dare  to  dispute  its  usurped  domination  ;  and  which,  in 
short,  should  solve  the  symbolical  problem  of  two  contemporary  beasts, 
by  exhibiting  to  the  world  the  singular  spectacle  of  a  complete  empire 
within  an  empire.  Where  we  are  to  look  for  this  power,  since  the  great 
Roman  beast  was  divided  into  ten  horns,  ...  let  the  impartial  voice  of 
history  determine.  ..  .  Daniel,  who  fully  delineates  the  character  of  the 
little  horn,  is  entirely  silent  respecting  the  two-horned  beast.  John, 
who  as  fully  delineates  the  character  of  the  two-horned  beast,  is  entirely 
silent  respecting  the  little  horn. — The  little  horn,  and  the  two-horned 
beast,  act  precisely  in  the  same  capacity  :  each  exercising  the  power  of 
the  first  beast  before  him;  and  each  perishing  in  one  common  destruc¬ 
tion  with  him.’  Faber.  (Notes,  Dan.  7:7 — 14,  19 — 27.  8:9—12.  Scott. 

(11.)  ‘  The  generality  of  interpreters  confine  this  2d  beast  to  the  papal 
power,  and  consider  the  2  horns  as  symbolical  of  the  regular  and  secular 
clergy,  or  of  the  spiritual  and  temporal  power  of  the  papacy.  Cuning- 
hame  considers  it  is  evidently  an  ecclesiastical  character,  and  the  same 
personage  who  is  afterwards  described  as  the  false  prophet.  Crcsscner 
says,  “  It  is  a  succession  of  persons,  having  the  supreme  power  iu  eccle¬ 
siastical  affairs. ”  Daubuz  says,  “As  the  former  wild  beast  denotes  the 
antichristian  civil  powers,  which  were  to  be  in  the  Roman  Empire  du¬ 
ring  the  2d  general  period  of  the  church,  so  the  antichristian  ecclesiasti¬ 
cal  powers,  in  the  said  empire,  during  the  said  space  of  time,  are  the 
beast  here  intended  ;  and,  consequently,  the  2  horns  are  the  successive 
lines  of  the  bishops  of  Rome  and  Constantinople,  having  under  them  the 
whole  body  of  the  corrupted  clergy,  as  the  former  beast  had  that  of  the 
laity,  both  these  bishops  having  pretended  to  be  universal  monarchs  of 
the  church.  Gill  has  the  same  view.  tFoodh.  agrees,  that  the  2  horns 
denote  t lie  division  of  the  professedly  Christian  world  into  2  portions,  the 
western  and  the  eastern  ;  hut,  as  the  power  of  the  patriarch  of  Constan¬ 
tinople  began  to  fail  at  an  early  period,  he  considers  that  its  place  was 
supplied  by  the  religion  of  Mohammed,  which,  founding  its  pretensions 
on  the  O.  and  N.  T.,  and  armed  with  ecclesiastical  and  secular  power,  at 
that  time  began  to  apostatize  and  subdue  the  east,  and  formed  the  true 
eastern  horn,  the  western  horn  also  being  to  be  dated  from  the  same  era; 
and  that,  from  the  origin  of  the  Mohammedan  religion,  it  may  he  es¬ 
teemed  a  Christian  apostasy  or  a  Christian  heresy,  and  he  draws  a  paral¬ 
lel  between  Molmmmedism  and  the  papacy.’  IIsNnY,  abr .  A  power 
is  rising,  however,  from  the  ruins  of  the  eastern  church,  which  may 
soon,  from  its  seat  at  Constantinople,  give  civil  and  ecclesiastical  law, 
with  despotic  will,  to  a  large  portion  of  the  east.  Ed. 

(12.)  In  the  contest  for  ‘  catholic  ’  spiritual  and  civil  power,  between 
the  hierarchs  of  Constantinople  and  Rome,  Pope  Gregory  the  Great 
declares,  of  his  rival  John,  patriarch  of  Constantinople,  who  assumed  the 
envied  title,  ‘whoever  calleth  himself  universal  [catholic,  oecumenical] 
bishop,  doth  forerun  antichrist.’  See  iFoodh.  and  Dp.  Newton.  Id. 

V.  13— 17.  The  second  beast  maintains  his  power,  by  ‘  doing  great 
wonders.’  Note,  2  Thes.  2:8 — 12.  These,  whether  they  be  human  im¬ 
postures,  or  wrought  by  the  agency  of  Satan,  1  he  doeth  in  the  sight  of 
men  to  deceive  them,’  and  ‘  in  the  sight  of  the  first  beast  ’  to  serve  him  ; 
but  they  are  not  performed  either  by  the  power,  or  for  the  glory  of  God. 
(Notes,  Ex.  7:22,23.  8:7,  8._  Deut.  13:1—5.  Mat.  24:23—25.  2  Tim. 
3:6 — 9.)  The  fire  may  allude  to  the  miracles  wrought  by  Elijah  ;  (Notes, 
1  K.  18:36 — 39.  2  K.  1:9 — 12.  Luke  9:51—56.)  and  predict  the  vain 
pretences  of  the  beast  to  miracles  of  that  kind.  Rut  some  interpret 
it  thus:  ‘  Heaven  is  a  symbol  of  the  church  ;  and  the  earth,  of  the 
Roman  empire.  The  darting  forth  of  fire  out  cf  the  church  on  the  sec¬ 
ular  empire,  must  mean,  solemn  iutcrdicts  and  excommunications,  pro¬ 


nounced  against  those  who  dared  to  oppose  the  authority  of  (he  beast. 
Faber.  The  miracles,  however,  of  which  the  advocates  for  popery 
boast,  as  certain  marks  of  a  true  church,  are  here  shown  to  he  the  dis¬ 
tinguishing  stigma  of  antichrist:  i.  e.  such  ambiguous  and  suspicious 
miracles  ;  or,  indeed,  any  miracles,  if  wrought  in  support  of  idolatry,  in 
opposition  to  the  doctrines  of  Scripture,  and  to  justify  the  persecuting 
cruelty  of  those  who  profess  them.  By  these  means  ‘ibe  two-horned 
beast,’  or  the  regular  and  secular  clergy,  deceived  the  inhabitants  of  the 
earth,  and  induced  them  to  make  ‘an  image  of  the  beast,’  or  the  tempo¬ 
ral  authority  of  the  empire,  as  it  formerly  subsisted  in  the  reigning  em¬ 
peror  at  Rome.  This  image  has  been  variously  interpreted.  But  is  not 
the  pope,  as  a  temporal  prince,  the  very  image  of  the  ancient  emperors  ? 
Is  he  not,  as  the  pretended  infallible  head  of  the  church,  the  great  idol 
of  all  zealous  papists  ?  and  is  he  not,  in  both  respects,  the  representa¬ 
tive  of  the  whole  antichristian  tyranny  ?  Can  we  then  doubt  who  this 
‘image ’is?  Or  can  we  help  being  amazed  at  this  exact  and  circum¬ 
stantial  prediction  of  such  improbable  events,  so  many  hundred  tears 
before  they  took  place  ?  The  two-horned  beast,  or  the  Roman  clergy, 
as  represented  by  the  consistory  of  cardinals,  which  assembles  at  the 
death  of  a  pope,  with  the  full  concurrence  of  the  rulers  and  people  at 
large,  through  the  papal  dominions,  ‘  makes  the  image,’  when  they  elect 
a  private  person  to  that  exalted  station  ;  ami,  by  putting  him  in  posses¬ 
sion  of  the  supreme  authority,  they  ‘  give  life  to  him  ’  as  ‘  the  image  ’  of 
the  ten-horned  beast,  and  ‘  enable  him  to  speak,’  by  uttering  his  hulls 
and  mandates,  os  well  as  to  use  the  names  of  blasphemy  before  men¬ 
tioned.  (Note,  5 — 7.)  But  before  this,  they  robe  and  crown  the  image 
which  they  have  made ;  they  place  him  on  an  altar,  and  kips  his  feet, 
and  they  call  this  ceremony  adoration  !  Like  other  idolaters,  they  make 
their  idol,  and  then  worship  him  :  and  an  ancient  medal,  struck  on  that 
occasion,  has  this  motto,  Quem  creant,  odorant,  '  whom  they  create, 
they  adore  !’  Then  they  use  all  their  power  and  influence  to  support 
his  authority,  through  all  the  nations  of  their  communion  :  and  concur 
in  persecuting,  even  unto  death,  all  those  who  will  not  join  in  the  same 
idolatrous  observance  of  it.  ‘The  pope  is  the  principle  of  unity  to  the 
ten  kingdoms  of  the  beast ;  and  he  cnuseth,  as  far  as  he  is  able,  all  who 
will  not  acknowledge  his  supremacy  to  be  put  to  death.  In  short,  he 
is  the  most  perfect  resemblance  of  the  ancient  Roman  emperors  ;  is  as 
great  a  tyrant  in  the  Christian,  as  they  were  in  the  heathen  world  ;  pre¬ 
sides  in  the  same  city,  usurps  the  same  powers,  affects  the  same  titles, 
and  requires  the  same  homage  and  adoration.  So  that  the  prophecy 
descends  more  and  more  into  particulars,  from  the  Roman  state,  or  the 
ten  kingdoms  in  general,  to  the  Roman  clergy  in  particular;  and  then 
to  the  pope,  the  head  of  the  state  as  well  as  of  the  church,  the  king  of 
kings,  as  well  as  the  bishop  of  bishops.’  Bp.  Newton. — The  two-horned 
beast,  likewise,  performs  other  offices  to  tite  first  beast  ;  hv  excommuni¬ 
cating  all  those  who  refuse  subjection  to  its  usurped  dominion,  and  con¬ 
formity  to  the  established  worship  ;  and  thus  exposing  them  to  various 
temporal  incapacities  and  punishments,  ns  outlawed  persons.  So  that, 
of  whatever  rank  they  he,  they  must  either  be  marked  in  tluir  right 
hands  and  their  foreheads,  with  ‘the  mark,  name,  and  number  of  the 
beast,’ as  slaves  and  cattle  arc  branded  and  numbered;  i.  e.  they  must 
openly  profess  tho  religion  of  the  church  of  Rome,  and  conform  to  its 
ioolutries  ami  superstitions,  as  the  bond-slaves  of  .the  beast  and  his  im¬ 
age,  in  body,  soul,  and  conscience,  and  so  be  ‘marked  with  the  name  i  f 
the  beast ;’  or  they  must  be  inhibited  from  all  commercial  dealings,  and 
even  excluded  from  the  most  needful  intercourse  with  mankind.  Very 
many  instances  of  this  sort  are  recorded  in  history  ;  and  indeed  the  spirit 
of  it  pervades  tile  whole  system.  Thus  the  second  beast,  though  ap¬ 
pearing  ‘  as  a  lamb,  spake  like  a  dragon.’ — By  the  mark  of  the  beast, 
some  understand  the  sign  of  the  cross,  which  is  used,  not  only  in  a  most 
superstitious,  but  even  an  idolatrous  manner,  continually,  as  discrimina¬ 
ting,  and  as  required  by  authority  in  the  church  of  Rome. — Some  ex¬ 
plain  the  making  of  the  image,  to  mean  the  establishment  of  imnge- 
worsllip :  and  the  various  impostures,  by  which  the  deluded  votaries 
were  induced  to  suppose,  that  the  images  lived,  moved,  and  spoke. 
But,  whoever  consults  the  marginal  references  (u — f.)  will  perreive  such 
a  difference,  and  even  contrast,  between  this  image,  and  all  others  men¬ 
tioned  in  the  whole  Scripture,  (and  doubtless  oilier  priests  have  posses¬ 
sed  ingenuity,  and  bestowed  pains,  in  deluding  the  people,)  that  he  will 
hesitate  at  a  conclusion,  which  makes  this  imnge  in  no  respect  essen¬ 
tially  different  from  the  others.  If,  however,  life,  and  speaking,  might 
be  interpreted  to  mean  the  priestcraft,  which  made  the  people  think  the 
images  lived  and  spoke ;  surely  what  follows  must  be  interpreted  in  a 
most  unnatural  manner,  when  the  occasion  taken  by  the  priests  to  per¬ 
secute,  is  spoken  of  in  this  language,  ‘  and  the  image  of  the  beast  shall 

[703] 


A.  D.  95. 


REVELATION*  XIII.  The  beast's  mysterious  number. 


16  And  he  caused  all,  both  small 
and  great,  rich  and  poor,  free  and 
bond,  to  b receive  a  mark  in  their 
right  hand,  or  in  their  foreheads: 

17  And  that  no  man  might  buy 
or  sell,  save  he  that  had  the  mark, 
or  the  name  of  the  beast,  or  the 
number  c  of  his  name. 

18  Here  is  wisdom.  Let  him 
that  hath  understanding  count  the 
number  of  the  beast:  for  it  is  the 
number  of  a  man  ;  and  his  num¬ 


ber  is  Six  hundred  threescore  and 

SIX.  b  give  them.  c  c.  15:2. 

etics  to  dwell  in  their  countries,  or  to  make 
any  bargains,  use  any  trades,  or  bear  any 
civil  offices  ;  which  is  a  very  clear  inter¬ 
pretation  of  this  prophecy. 

4.  We  have  here  the  number  of  the  beast, 
given  in  such  a  manner,  as  shows  the  infin¬ 
ite  wisdom  of  God,  and  will  sufficiently  ex¬ 
ercise  all  the  wisdom  and  accuracy  of  men; 
The  number  is  the  number  of  a  man,  comput¬ 
ed  after  the  usual  manner  among  men,  and 
it  is  666.  Whether  this  bo. the  number  of 


the  errors  and  heresies  that  are  contained  in 
popery,  or  rather,  as  others,  the  number  of 
the  years  from  its  rise  to  its  fall,  is  not  cer¬ 
tain,  much  less  what  that  period  is,  which  is 
described  by  these  prophetic  numbers  ;  the 
most  admired  dissertation  on  this  intricate 
subject,  is  that  of  Dr.  Potter,  where  the  cu¬ 
rious  may  find  sufficient  entertainment  :  it 
seems  to  me  to  be  one  of  those  seasons  which 
God  has  reserved  in  his  own  power  ;  only 
this  we  know, — God  has  written  Mene,  Te- 
kel,  on  all  his  enemies  ;  lie  has  numbered 
their  days,  and  they  shall  be  finished  ;  but 
his  own  kingdom  shall  endure  for  ever. 


PRACT.  OBS.  The  enemies  of  the  church  carry  on  their  designs, 
under  a  variety  of  odious  and  terrifying  forms  :  but  if  it  will  answer 
their  purpose  better,  they  appear  as  gentle  ‘  lambs,’  in  order  that,  when 
they  have  opportunity,  they  may  speak  ‘as  dragons,’  and  ‘lord  it  over 
God’s  heritage’  with  cruel  tyranny.  (Notes,  Mat.  7:15 — 20.  1  Pet. 
5:1 — 4.)  They  have  commonly  possessed  great  power:  and  when  any 
of  the  heads  of  this  Leviathan  seemed  to  be  broken  in  pieces,  they  have 
been  again  healed;  and  in  another  form  they,  even  to  this  day,  return 
to  the  combat. — Ungodly  priests,  and  tyrannical  rulers,  support  each 


other’s  usurpations,  iniquities,  exactions,  and  oppressions,  whilst  the 
one  by  war,  or  cruel  executions,  destroy  all  opposers ;  and  the  other  de¬ 
ceive  or  terrify  men  by  lying  miracles,  false  doctrines,  anathemas,  and 
ecclesiastical  censures.  But  all  these  evils  should  be  considered  as  illus¬ 
trative  of  the  deceitfulness  and  desperate  wickedness  of  the  human 
heart,  (Note,  Jer.  17:9,  10.)  and  as  endearing  to  us  the  love  of  God  in 
Christ  Jesus.  The  review  ought  also  to  make  us  thankful  for  our  civil 
and  religious  liberties,  in  this  highly  favored  land.  Scott. 


He  sets  up  a  way  of  government,  as  absolute  as  that  of  the  first  beast, 
who  is,  in  conformity  thereto,  to  establish  it ;  and  has  power,  by  the  first 
beast’s  permission,  to  give  life  to  the  image  of  his  absoluteness,  and  to 
give  the  exercising  of  his  power  into  the  hands  of  the  second  beast,  to 
make  his  power  give  sentence  of  death,  and  to  cause  sentence  to  be  exe¬ 
cuted  against  all  that  would  not  acknowledge  his  authority.  Durie .’ 
Henry,  abr.  ‘  The  image  of  the  beast,  we  apprehend  to  be  a  counterpart 
of  that  system  of  idolatry  and  intolerance  which  prevailed  in  ancient 
Rome.  To  this  system,  popery  has  given  life,  and  caused  it  to  speak  so 
loud,  that  all  were  compelled  to  obey  its  power.  Hutcheson.'  Any  tyran¬ 
nous  spirit  of  ecclesiastical  dominion,  conforms  to  the  description  ;  let 
us  be  warned  from  thus  uniting  beast  and  dragon,  a  selfish  spiritual,  and 
ajesuilical  temporal  power.  Ed. 

(14,  15.)  ‘To  make  an  image  to  the  beast,  whose  deadly  wound  was 
healed,  would  be,  to  give  visibility  and  authority  to  his  worship,  or  to 
require  implicit  obedience  to  his  commands.  To  give  life  unto  an  image 
is, to  convert  it  into  a  living  agent ;  and  so  this  image  is  said  to  speak  and 
to  act,  and  with  such  effect,  as  to  cause  that  as  many  as  would  not  wor¬ 
ship  the  image  of  the  beast,  should  be  destroyed.  To  worship  the  im¬ 
age  of  the  beast,  implies  deference  and  subjection  to  those  things  which 
stamp  the  character  of  the  picture,  and  render  it  the  image  of  the  beast.’ 

A.  Fuller. 

(15.)  Worship.']  ‘What  less  was  the  humiliating  practice  of  princes 
and  nobles  leading  the  horse's  on  which  these  ecclesiastical  tyrants  were 
mounted,  or  the  yet  more  degrading  custom  of  kissing  the  caliph’s 
sleeve  (daily,  by  all  the  nobles),  or  the  feet  of  the  Roman  pontiff?” 

WOODH. 

(17.)  Forbes  says,  ‘All  that  follow  antichrist  have  his  name,  but  in 
diverse  manner.  Some  have  the  character  thereof,  that  is,  the  name, 
imprinted,  and  are  his  proper  goods,  as  having  his  brand  and  mark. 
Some  have  his  name,  yet  so  as  they  have  not  his  mark,  who  have  not 
learned  the  deepness  of  Satan,  neither  are  antichrist’s  sworn  bondmen. 
And  some  have  but  the  numher  of  his  name, — are  not  his  sworn,marked 
slaves,  but  are  counted  to  be  so,  and  are  numbered  amongst  his.  He  de¬ 
sires  to  have  all  men  in  one  of  these  sorts,  and  within  these  who  have 
the  number  of  his  name,  both  the  other  sorts  are  included.’  Henry,  abr. 
Or.]  This  word  Bl.  rejects.  Ed. 

V.  18.  Mention  having  been  made  of  ‘  the  number  of  the  beast,’  or 
that  ‘of  his  name,’  the  apostle  next  proposed  to  men’s  consideration 
the  number  itself;  introducing  it  by  saying,  ‘  Here  is  wisdom,’  or  inti¬ 
mating,  that  the  discovery  of  the  name  of  the  beast  from  the  number, 
would  be  a  proof  of  a  man’s  discernment.  ‘Let  hint,’  therefore,  ‘that 
hath  understanding,  count  the  number  of  the  beast ;  ’  who  then  shall 
censure  or  ridicule  those  who  attempt  to  do  it  ?  (Note,  1:3.)  For  it 
was  ‘  the  number  of  a  man.’  either  such  a  number  as  men  use,  or  a 
number  implying  in  it  the  name,  title,  or  distinguishing  characteristic 
‘of  a  man.’  Now  the  Greek  word  Lateinos  signifies  the  Latin  man ; 
or  the  man  of  Latium ,  from  which  city  the  Romans  derived  their  orig¬ 
inal  and  their  language;  and  this  word,  according  to  the  genuine  orthog¬ 
raphy,  contains,  in  numerical  letters,  exactly  the  ‘number  660.’  The 
church  of  Rome  is  properly  the  Latin  church,  and  they  use  the  Latin 
language  in  everything.  The  beast,  therefore,  or  the  authority  exer¬ 
cised  through  the  ten  kingdoms  in  support  of  tit  at  church,  of  which  the 
pope  is  the  living  image,  may  well  be  called  LATEINOS.  But,  though 
the  apostle  wrote  in  Greek,  he  yet  used  a  few  Hebrew  names  in  this 
book  ;  so  we  may  perhaps  think  he  alluded  to  a  name  in  that  language; 
and  it  is  most  astonishing,  that  the  word  Romiith  in  Hebrew,  which  an¬ 
swers  to  Lateinos,  signifying  Roman,  contains  in  numerical  letters  ex¬ 
actly  666.  Nor  can  any  oilier  two  words  he  produced  from  two  different 
languages,  which  so  nearly  agree  together  in  meaning,  and  exactly 
stand  for  the  same  number  in  numerical  letters  ;  the  coincidence  is 
really  most  surprising.  As  John  could  only  refer  to  t he  Greek  or  the 
Hebrew  language  in  this  matter  ;  and  as  the  number  o t'  the  mime  of  the 
Latin  man,  or  the  Roman,  in  both  languages  is  exactly  the  numher  of 
the  beast;  I  see  no  occasion  to. doubt,  either  about  the  beast  or  his 
numher,  especially  as  Irenaeus,  in  the  second  century,  put  the  same  con¬ 
struction  on  it. — Romiith  is  indeed  feminine;  but  it  may  signify  either 
the  Roman  church ,  or  kingdom,  the  Heb.  words  for  both  which  are  fem¬ 
inine.  The  word  Latinus,  or  Lateinos,  is,  however,  in  all  respects  by 
far  the  most  satisfactory,  notwithstanding  this  coincidence.  —  ‘No 
name,  though  it  may  possibly  comprehend  the  number  666,  can  be  the 
name  of  the  beast,  unless  it  equally  answers  in  every  other  particular  to 
the  prophetic  description  of  that  name. — Lateinos  is  at  once  the  name 
of  a  man,  (the  ancient  king  of  Latium.  whence  Rome  had  its  origin,) 
the  title  of  an  empire,  and  the  distinguishing  appellation  of  every  indi 
vidual  in  that  empire;  and  when  the  sum  of  its  ntfmerica!  letters  is 
taken  in  the  Greek  language, ...  it  amounts  to  666.  On  these  grounds, 
then,  I  do  not  hesitate  to  assert,  that  Latinus,  and  nothing  hut  Latinus, 
is  the  name  of  the  beast  ;  for  in  no  other  word,  descriptive  of  the  re- 


both  speak,  and  cause  that  as  many  as  would  not  worship  the  image  of 
the  beast  should  be  killed,  &c.’  It  is  indeed  argued,  that  the  original 
should  be  rendered,  ‘  made  an  image  to  the  beast,  or  for  his  use  ;’  and  not 
of  him  :  but  instances  may  be  brought  from  the  Greek  writers  of  exact¬ 
ly  similar  expressions,  where  the  meauing  is  indisputably  according  to 
our  tr.  of  this  passage.  Indeed,  if  a  literal  image,  or  literal  images, 
be  meant;  and  yet  tile  beasts  are  not  supposed  to  be  literal  beasts,  or 
the  horns  to  be  literal  horns  ;  this  blending  of  the  literal  with  the  figu¬ 
rative,  in  the  same  prophecy,  is  not  only  contrary  to  the  rules  of  sound 
interpretation,  but  a  direct  violation  of  that  laid  down  by  the  respecta¬ 
ble  writer,  wlio  has  adopted  this  interpretation.  ‘The  whole  book,  ex¬ 
cepting  those  few  passages  which  are  avowedly  descriptive,  must  be 
understood  either  literally  throughout,  or figuratively  throughout :  oth¬ 
erwise  it  will  be  impossible  to  ascertain  the  meaning  designed  to  be 
conveyed.’  Faber.  On  the  other  hand,  if  the  pope  be  really  this  im¬ 
age,  the  language  is  both  natural,  and  extremely  expressive  ;  and  it  has 
been  fully  verified  in  numerous  instances,  by  papal  interdicts,  excom¬ 
munications,  and  similar  measures.  The  objections  of  late  brought 
against  this  interpretation,  have  led  me  to  perceive,  that,  if  preceding 
expositors  could  have  foreseen,  what  their  successors  would  have  ob¬ 
jected  to  their  statement,  they  would  hnve  expressed  themselves  more 
cautiously  and  accurately;  but  tliey  have  produced  no  hesitation  as  to 
the  meaning  of  the  emblem. — It  is  true,  that  the  pope  may  be  consider¬ 
ed  as,  in  some  sense,  the  head  also  of  the  txvo-horned  beast :  yet,  that 
beast  continues  to  exist,  when  there  is  no  pope:  and  the  cardinals,  as 
representing  the  whole  ecclesiastical  power,  are,  during  that  vacancy, 
the  head  of  the  beast;  and  in  that  character  they  create  the  pope,  to  be 
the  image  both  of  the  secular  and  the  ecclesiastical  idolatrous  persecut¬ 
ing  power,  the  representative  of  the  whole.  He  dors  not  derive  his 
dominion  from  any  hereditary  right,  or  from  popular  election,  or  from 
regal  appointment ;  but  he  is  Lite  creature  of  the  Romish  Clergy  :  yet, 
being  created  by  them,  he  is  the  object  of  their  worship,  and  exercises, 
or  at  least  claims  a  right  to  exercise,  absolute  authority  over  both  them 
and  the  kings  of  the  earth.  Indeed,  this  claim  was  long  generally  ad¬ 
mitted  by  the  ten  horns  of  the  beast,  though  in  some  instances  it  was 
disputed.  (Notes,  17:9 — 18.)  This  seems  sufficient  for  the  purpose, 
and,  amidst  so  many  emblems,  it  could  hardly  he  supposed,  that  no 
shallow  of  coincidence  should  appear. — ‘  It  tnay  he  observed,  that  when 
the  first,  or  secular  beast  is  represented,  as  making  war  with  the  saints, 
and  overcoming  them  ;  it  is  nowhere  said,  t Hat  tiie  second,  or  ecclesi¬ 
astical  beast,  should  do  more  than  cause  them  to  be  killed.  The  little 
horn  has  always  worn  out  the  saints,  by  delivering  them  over  to  t He 
secular  arm,  not  by  slaying  them  himself.  The  inquisitors,  with  a  dis¬ 
gusting  affectation  of  lamb-iike  meekness,  are  wont  to  beseech  the  civil 
magistrates  to  show  mercy  to  those  unfortunate  victims,  whom  they 
themselves  have  given  up  to  he  consigned  to  the  flames.’  Faber.  (Note, 
5—7.' — There  are  various  other  interpretations,  by  different  writers,  of 
several  tilings  hi  these  chs.,  chieflv  explaining  them  of  recent  events  in 
France;  but,  not  judging  any  of  them  either  well  grounded,  or  even 
supported  by  probable  arguments,  I  did  not  think  it  needful  to  introduce 
litem  in  this  work.  The  books,  written  expressly  on  the  subject,  must 
be  referred  to:  and,  in  general,  the  writers  succeed  better  in  attempting 
to  refute  each  other’s  interpretation,  than  in  establishing  their  own  ; 
where  they  materially  differ  from  the  expositors,  who  wrote  before  these 
late  transactions. — Mr.  Cttninghame,  if  I  rightly  understand  him,  sup¬ 
poses  the  corrupt  church  itself  to  lie  the  image  ;  as  formed  by  the  joint 
consent  of  the  clergy  and  laity  :  but  of  what  is  the  corrupt  church  i He 
image  ?  It  cannot  be  the  image  of  the  beast,  or  i He  secular  idolatrous 
persecuting  power,  (Notes,  1  —  7.)  as  this  image  is  expressly  said  to  be 
(11);  nor,  as  it  appears  to  me,  of  anything,  except  itself,  or  of  those 
who  made  it,  who  are  nearly  or  quite  the  same  persons.  *  It  was  a 
common  fashion  in  St.  John's  time,  for  every  heathen  god  to  have  a 
particular  society  or  fraternity  belonging  to  him  :  and  the  way  of  ad¬ 
mitting  any  into  these  fraternities  was:  1.  By  giving  him  some  hiero¬ 
glyphic  mark  in  the  head,  or  forehead,  [cuts,  Deut.  32:5.  Ps.  18:5.]  which 
was  accounted  sacred  to  that  particular  god  ;  as  that  of  an  ivy-leaf  to 
..  .  the  fraternity  of  Bacchus  :  2.  by  sealing  themselves  with  the 
name  of  that  god  :  and,  3.  with  that  number  which  the  Greek  let¬ 
ters  of  their  name  did  make  up.’  Grotius,  in  Cressener.  I  suppose, 
the  name  of  their  idols.  Slaves  also  were  generally  branded  with 
the  name  of  their  owners.  Scott.  Animals  sacred  to  the  Hindoo 
god  Siva,  are  marked  with  his  trident,  or  branded  with  the  Tamul 
letter  S  ;  some  have  the  weapons  of  their  gods.  Cows  that  belong 
to  a  Pandaram,  have  a  figure  like  that  annexed.  The  heathens 
print  marks  on  their  bodies  (by  puncturing  the  skin),  so  as  to 
represent  birds,  trees,  and  the  gods  they  worship.  Ed. 

(14.)  ‘  The  image  of  the  beast,  which  is  to  be  worshipped,  seems 
to  be  that  absolute  greatness  which  the  second  beast  attributes  to  itself, 
and  exercises  over  the  subjects  of  the  first  beast  in  his  presence  as  v.  12. 

[710] 


A 


A.  D.  95. 


REVELATION*  XIV. 


Christ  at  the  head  of  the  faithful. 


CHAP.  XIV. 

1  The  Lamb  standing  on  mount  Sion  with  his  company.  6 
An  angel  preacheih  the  Gospel.  8  The  fall  of  Babylon. 
15  The  harvest  of  the  world,  and  pulling  in  of  the  sickle. 
‘20  The  vintage  and  wine-press  of  the  wrath  of  God. 

AND  I  looked,  and,  lo,  a  Lamb 
“stood  on  the  mount  Sion,  and 
with  him  an  hundred  forty  and  four 
b  thousand,  having  his  Father’s 
name  c  written  in  their  foreheads. 

2  And  I  heard  a  voice  from  heav¬ 
en,  as  the  voice  d  of  many  waters, 
and  as  the  voice  of  a  great  thunder: 
and  I  heard  the  voice  of  harpers 
"harping  with  their  harps: 

3  And  they  sung  as  it  were  a 
1  new  song  before  the  throne,  and 
before  the  four  beasts,  and  the  el¬ 
ders:  and  no  man  could  learn  that 
song  but  the  « hundred  and  forty 
and  four  thousand,  which  were  re¬ 
deemed  from  the  earth. 

4  These  are  they  which  were  not 
defiled  with  women;  for  they  are 
h  virgins.  These  are  they  which 
follow  1  the  Lamb  whithersoever  he 
g-oeth.  These  were  j  redeemed 
from  among  men,  being  the  first- 
fruits  k  unto  God  and  to  the  Lamb. 

5  And  in  their  mouth  was  found 
no  ‘guile:  for  they  are  without  m 
fault  before  the  throne  of  God. 

6  And  I  saw  another  angel  fly  in 
the  midst  of  heaven,  having  the 


“everlasting  gospel  to  preach  unto 
them  that  dwell  on  the  earth,  and 
to  every  0  nation,  and  kindred,  and 
tongue,  and  people, 


a  c.  5:12. 
b  c.  7:4. 
c  c.  3:12. 
d  c.  19:6. 
e  c.  5:8,9. 
f  c.  15:3. 


h  Ca.  1:3.  6:8. 

2  Co.  11:2. 
i  Jn.  10:27. 
j  bought.  1  Co.  6:20. 
k  Ja.  1:18. 


1  Ts.  32:2. 
m  Ep.  5:27. 

Jude  24 
n  2  Sa.  23:5. 

Is.  40:8. 
o  Ep.  3:9. 


Chap.  XIV.  V.  1 — 5.  1.  Here  we  have 
one  of  the  most  pleasing-  sights  that  can 
be  viewed  in  this  world, — the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ  at  the  head  of  his  faithful  adherents 
and  attendants. 

Mount  Sion  is  the  gospel-church.  Christ 
is  with  his  church,  in  the  midst  of  her, 
therefore  she  is  not  consumed.  Here  Christ 
appears  as  the  true  paschal  Lamb,  to  show 
that  his  mediatorial  government  is  the  fruit 
of  his  sufferings,  and  the  cause  of  his  peo¬ 
ple’s  safety  and  fidelity. 

2.  His  people  appear  very  honorably  : 
(1.)  In  numbers,  they  are  many,  even  all 
who  were  sealed.  (2.)  Their  distinguish¬ 
ing  badge  ;  the  name,  of  God  written  in  their 
foreheads  :  they  made  a  bold  and  open  pro¬ 
fession  of  their  faith  in  God  and  Christ  ; 
and  this  being  followed  by  suitable  actings, 
they  are  known  and  approved.  (3.)  Their 
congratulations  and  songs  of  praise,  which 
were  peculiar  to  the  redeemed,  v.  3.  their 
praises  were  loud  as  the.  thunder,  or  as  the 
voice  of  many  waters ;  melodious,  as  of  harp¬ 
ers  ;  heavenly,  before  the  throne  of  God  ;  the 
song  new,  suited  to  the  new  covenant,  and 
a  secret  to  others;  none  could  learn  it.  (4.) 
Their  character  and  description  :  They  are 


described,  [1.]  By  their  chastity  and  puri¬ 
ty  ;  they  had  not  defied  themselves,  either 
with  corporal  or  spiritual  adultery  ;  they 
had  kept  themselves  clean  from  the  abomi¬ 
nations  of  the  antichristian  generation.  [2.] 
By  their  loyalty  and  steadfast  adherence  to 
Christ  J  they  follow  the  Lamb  whithersoever 
He  goes.  [3.]  By  their  former  designation 
to  this  honor,  v.  4.  Here  is  plain  evidence 
of  a  special  redemption  ;  redeeming  mercy 
distinguished  them  from  others  ;  they  were 
his  choice  ones,  eminent  in  every  grace,  and 
the  earnest  of  many  more  who  should  be  fol- 
j  loivers  of  them,  as  they  were  of  Christ.  [4.J 
By  their  universal  integrity  and  conscien¬ 
tiousness,  v.  5.  they  were  freely  pardoned  in 
Christ  ;  this  is  the  happy  remnant  who  at¬ 
tend  on  the  Lord  Jesus  as  their  Head  and 
Lord  ;  He  is  glorified  in  them,  and  they  jn 
Him. 

V.  C — 12.  In  this  part  of  the  ch.  we  have 
three  angels  or  messengers  sent  from  heav¬ 
en,  to  give  notice  of  the  fall  of  Babylon,  and 
of  those  things  that  were  antecedent  and 
consequent  to  that  great  event. 

1.  The  first  angel  was  sent  on  an  errand 
antecedent  to  it,  and  that  was,  to  preach  the 
everlasting  Gospel,  v.  6,  7.  Observe,  The 
Gospel  is  everlasting  ;  is  so  in  ils  nature, 
and  shall  be  so  in  its  consequences.  It  is  a 
work  fit  for  an  angel,  to  preach  this  enrlast- 
ing  Gospel;  such  is  the  dignity  and  difficul¬ 
ty  of  that  work  !  Yet  we  have  this  treasure 
in  earthen  vessels.  The  everlasting  Gospel 
is  of  great  concern  to  all  the  world,  every 
nation,  kindred,  tongue,  and  people.  It  is  t lie 
great  mean  by  which  men  are  brought  to 
fear  God,  and  to  give  glory  to  Him.  \\  hen 


vived  temporal  beast,  or  the  papal  Roman  empire,  can  such  a  fatal  con¬ 
currence  of  circumstances  be.  found.’  Faber. — The  mark  of  the  beast  is 
the  sign  of  the  cross,  used  in  endless  superstitions,  and  even  idolatries.  S. 

(18.)  ‘  From  the  definition  of  antichrist,  1  John  4:3.  it  appears,  that 
the  antichrist  cannot  be  a  man,  or  a  single  person,  but  a  moral  body  ; 
which,  in  the  time  of  the  apostles,  had  begun  to  constitute  itself  by  the 
side  of,  and  along  with  the  mystical  body  of  Christ ;  and  which,  from 
that  time,  began  to  exist  in  the  world,  of  which  the  apostle  said,  “  The 
mystery  of  iniquity  doth  already  work ;  ”  which  has  existed  till  our 
limes  ;  which  exists  at  present,  well  grown  and  robust,  and  which,  in 
llie  end,  will  let  itself  be  seen  in  the  world,  perfect  and  entire  in  all  its 
parts,  when  the  mystery  of  iniefuity  is  entirely  accomplished. — Ben 
Ezra.’ — ‘  Although  himself  a  Romanist  and  a  Jesuit,  Ben  Ezra  considers 
that  the  beast  with  two  horns  is  the  Romish  priesthood.’  Henry,  abr. — 
‘  The  common  method  of  interpretation  has  been  that  of  ascertaining 
names,  which  contain  the  numeral  letters  of  the  Greek  alphabet, 
amounting  to  the  number  666.  But  this  method  of  calculation  has  fallen 
into  discredit,  by  the  fact,  resulting  from  experience,  that  there  is  no 
end  to  the  multitude  of  names,  which  may  be  thus  composed.  “  Scarce¬ 
ly  has  a  single  conlroversy  started  up  to  which  this  number  may  not  be 
applied,”  and  it  may  reasonably  be  doubted,  whether  the  true  mode  of 
calculation  has  yet  been  discovered.  No  conjecture  is  such  as  to  flash 
conviction  on  the  mind  like  truth.’  Woodh. 

NOTES.  Chap.  XIV.  V.  1 — 5.  T-he  apostle,  having  been  shown  the 
foregoing  particulars  concerning  papal  Rome,  the  antichristian  secular 
and  ecclesiastical  domination  of  the  Beast,  and  its  image,  with  all  idol¬ 
atry  and  tyranny  connected  with  them  ;  had  next  a  vision  of  the  true 
‘church  in  the  wilderness,’  during  the  same  period  :  which  had  special 
reference  to  the  darkest  times,  previous  lo  the  dawning  of  the  Reforma¬ 
tion.  The  144,000  seems  a  mystical  number,  the  12  patriarchs  multi¬ 
plied  by  the  12  apostles,  and  both  multiplied  by  a  thousand  ;  as  if  the  144 
were  leaders  of  thousands  ;  so  that  there  was  a  considerable  number  of 
true  Israelites,  and  of  those  who  held  the  apostle’s  doctrine,  and  marched 
under  their  banner,  in  the  most  degenerate  times  ;  being  the  successors 
of  that  remnant,  which  was  found,  in  the  first  three  centuries,  during 
the  persecutions  of  the  heathen  emperors.  (7:9 — 17.  Rom.  11:1 — 6.)  As 
the  worshippers  of  the  beast  1  were  marked  with  his  name  and  number 
(Note,  13:13 — 17.)  so  these  disciples  of  Christ  had  ‘the  name  of  his 
Father’  written  in  legible  characters  on  their  foreheads. — It  is  evident 
from  history,  that  there  were  such  persons,  in  the  darkest  times,  who 
ventured  and  laid  down  their  lives  for  the  truth  and  worship  of  the  Gos¬ 
pel.  Indeed,  these  were  the  same  as  the  two  witnesses  during  the  times 
in  which  they  lived,  only  represented  under  another  emblem.  {Notes, 
1 1 : 1 — 14.) — The  new  song  was  sung  in  the  presence  of  the  emblematical 
representatives  of  the  church  and  its  ministers,  4:6 — 8.  and  none  could 
learn  it,  but  the  redeemed.  (Note,  2:17.)  For,  as  it  related  immediate¬ 
ly  to  redemption  ;  the  proud,  the  impenitent,  the  unbelieving,  ami  the 
carnal,  could  not  understand  the  nature  or  the  glory  of  this  subject : 
nor  could  angels  join  in  it,  not  being  ‘  redeemed  lo  God  by  the  blood  of 
the  Lamb  ;’  though  they  unite  in  worshipping  Him,  as  worthy  to  receive 
all  honor  and  blessing.  5:11 — 14. — The  antichristian  church  at  an  early 
period  discouraged  arid  reviled  marriage,  enjoined  celibacy  on  priests, 
immured  numbers  of  both  sexes  in  convents,  extolled  virginity  as  al¬ 
most  essential  to  piety  and  purity,  and  ranked  its  virgins  with  the  saints 
and  martyrs  of  the  primitive  times.  (Note,  1  Tim.  4:1 — 5.)  But  these 
unnatural  restrictions,  and  attempts  to  introduce  a  kind  of  life  on  earth, 
which,  in  general,  only  suits  the  inhabitants  of  heaven,  made  way,  not 
only  for  exorbitant,  spiritual  pride,  but  also  for  the  most  unnatural  and 
detestable  licentiousness,  and  for  crimes  too  horrid  to  be  specified  :  and 
at  the  same  time,  the  church  was  polluted  with  the  most  manifest  and 
nbominable  idolatry,  or  spiritual  fornication.  (Notes,  17:1—  6.)  But, 


says  the  apostle  by  the  Spirit  of  prophecy,  these  true  Christians  ‘  are 
they  who  are  not  defiled  with  women.’  ‘  Marriage  being  honorable  in 
all,  and  the  bed  undefiled the  clause  may  be  understood  in  the  literal 
sense,  and  also  figuratively  :  ‘  For,’  says  he,  ‘  they  are  virgins,’  even 
suclr  as  the  Scripture  commends,  who  are  espoused  to  Christ,  and  un- 
feignedly  love  Him,  who  are  faithful  and  obedient  to  Him  ;  and,  deeming 
themselves  his  alone  and  wholly,  wait  for  the  completion  of  their  sacred 
union  with  Him  ;  and  in  the  mean  time  prefer  suffering  and  deatli  to  the 
spiritual  fornication  and  adultery  to  which  all  others  are  given  up. 
(Notes,  19:1 — 6.  Cant.  1:3.  2  Cor.  ll-.l — 6.)  They,  therefore,  ‘  followed 
Ilim,  whithersoever  tie  went,’  through  persecutions  and  tribulations,  into 
obscurity,  or  into  prisons,  witli  self-denial,  obedient  faiih,  and  patient 
hope;  ‘taking  up  their  cross,’ and  copying  his  example  of  meekness, 
purity,  and  love.  (Notes,  John  10:26 — 31.  12:23 — 26.1  These  were  the 
persons,  ‘who  had  been  redeemed  from  among  men,’  being  actually  in¬ 
terested  in  the  atonement  of  Christ ;  and  they  were  consecrated  to 
God  ‘  as  first-fruits,’  (for  whose  sake  He  spared  others,)  and  to  the  Lamb, 
‘  as  purified  unto  Him,  to  be  his  peculiar  people,  zealous  of  good  works.’ 
(Notes,  Tit.  2:14.)  They  were  not  hypocrites,  but  upright  in  their  re¬ 
pentance,  faith,  and  love.  ‘By  these  144,000,  I  understand  peculiarly  the 
depressed  churchcin  the  ivilderness,  previous  to  the  time  of  the  Refor¬ 
mation  ;  for  history  sufficiently  demonstrates,  that  there  have  been,  in 
every  age,  some  faithful  worshippers,  who  consented  not  to  the  general 
apostasy,  but  who  prophesied,  although  in  sackcloth,  against  its  abomi¬ 
nations.’  Faber. — They  who  object  to  this,  saying,  that  the  church  was 
then  in  a  depressed  state,  but  here  exulting  and  triumphing  with  joyful 
praises,  seem  to  forget  the  Christian’s  motto,  ‘  sorrowful,  but  always  re¬ 
joicing.’  ‘We  glory  in  tribulations  also,’  &c.  (Notes,  Is.  24:13 — 15. 
Rom.  5:3 — 5.  8:32 — 39.) — Zion  [shone,]  as  indeed  a  conspicuous  place  in 
the  church  ;  but  not  like  the  celebrated  cities  of  Greece  and  Rome.  It 
is  very  obscure,  and  little  noticed  in  profane  history.  Scott. 

(3.)  Bl.  rejects  ‘as  it  were.’  En. 

(5.)  Bl.  rejects  ‘  before  the  throne  of  God.’  In. 

V.  C,  7.  It  is  generally  admitted,  by  the  best  interpreters,  that  the 
three  angels,  introduced  in  these  and  the  following  vs.  were  etnblemati- 
cahheralds  of  the  p'rogressive  reformation  from  popery.  Some  explain 
the  proclamation  of  the  1st  nngel,  of  the  9th,  10th,  or  11th  centuries; 
and  no  doubt  there  were,  even  then,  princes,  and  bishops,  and  councils, 
who  struggled  against  the  worship  of  images,  and  the  other  grosser 
abominations  of  the  church  of  Rome.  Yet  they  generally  concurred  in 
supporting  the  dominion  of  the  beast ;  though  they  were  earnest  that  it 
should  be  exercised  in  a  different  manner  as  to  some  particulars.  Such, 
however,  as  were  real  Christians,  and  entered  a  proper  protest  against 
the  prevailing  corruptions  of  the  church,  whether  in  the  imperial  pal¬ 
ace,  or  in  the  conclave,  (if  that  was  ever  done,)  may  properly  be  ranked 
in  the  number  mentioned  in  the  preceding  vs. ;  for  these  evidently  relate 
to  a  later  and  more  public  and  general  protestation.  Others,  however, 
seem  lo  fix  the  time  of  their  accomplishment  too  late ;  and  so  leave  a 
large  vacant  space  in  the  series  of  predicted  events;  and  then  crowd  too 
many  into  the  remaining  periods.  We  may,  therefore,  I  apprehend,  in¬ 
terpret  this  ‘first  angel,’  messenger,  or  herald,  to  be  an  emblem  of  those 
who  first  publicly  erected  the  standard  of  reformation,  and  who  contend¬ 
ed  for  ‘  the  everlasting  Gospel  ’  of  Christ,  in  opposition  to  all  the  inno¬ 
vations  and  usurpations  of  the  beast,  his  image,  and  the  false  prophet. 
This  honor  seems  to  belong  to  the  Waldenses  and  Albigenses,  who  had 
the  true  Gospel  among  them ;  avowed  its  everlnsting  obligation  and  ex¬ 
cellency  ;  opposed  it  to  the  authority  of  popes,  councils,  and  persecut¬ 
ing  princes;  declared  the  pope  to  lie  antichrist;  and  propagated  their 
doctrines  with  zeal  and  success,  and  multiplied  into  a  vast  number  of 
churches.  And,  after  immense  slaughter  had  been  made  of  them  by  per¬ 
secutions  and  bloody  wars,  the  residue  still  returned  their  tenets,  and, 

[711] 


A.  D.  95. 


REVELATION,  NIV. 


The  Gospel  preached  :  Babylon  falls. 


7  Saying  with  a  loud  voice,  Fear 
God,  and  give  glory  to  him;  for  >’ 
the  hour  of  his  judgment  is  come: 
and  worship  him  that  made  heaven, 
and  earth,  and  the  sea,  and  the 
fountains  of  waters. 

8  And  there  followed  another 
angel,  saying,  Babylon  T*  is  fallen,  is 
fallen,  that  great  city,  because  she 
made  all  nations  drink  of  the  wine 
of  the  wrath  of  her  fornication. 

p  c.  15:4.  q  Is.  21:9.  Je.  51:  7.  8.  c.  18:2,3. 

idolatry  creeps  into  the  churches  of  God,  it 
is  by  the  preaching  of  the  Gospel ,  attended  by 
the  power  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  that  men  are 
turned  front  id'ds  to  serve  the  living  God,  as 
the  Creator  of  the  heaven  and  the  earth ,  and 


the  sea,  and  the  fountains  of  waters,  v.  7. 
To  worship  any  God  beside  Him  who  cre¬ 
ated  the  world,  is  idolatry. 

2.  Tlie  second  angel  follows  the  other, 
and  proclaims  the  actual  fill  of  Babylon. 
The  preaching  of  the  everlasting  Gospel  had 
shaken  the  foundations  of  antic.hristianism 
in  the  world,  and  hastened  its  downfall.  By 
Babylon  is  generally  understood  Rome,  which 
was  before  called  Sodom  and  Egypt,  for 
wickedness  and  cruelty  ;  and  is  now  first 
culled  Babylon,  for  her  pride  and  idolatry. 
Her  crimes  are  recited  as  the  just  cause  of 
her  destruction. 

3.  A  third  angel  follows  the  other  two, 
and  gives  warning  to  all  of  that  divine  ven¬ 
geance  which  would  overtake  all  those  that 
obstinately  adhered  to  the  antichristian  in¬ 
terest,  after  God  had  tints  proclaimed  its 
downfall,  v.  9,  10.  If  after  this,  any  should 


persist  in  their  idolatry,  professing  subjec¬ 
tion  to  the  beast,  and  promoting  his  cause, 
they  must  expect  to  drink  deep  of  the  wine  of 
the  wroth  of  God;  they  shall  be  for  ever  mis¬ 
erable  in  soul  and  body  ;  Jesus  Christ  shall 
inflict  this  punishment  on  them,  and  the  ho¬ 
ly  angels  shall  behold  it,  and  approve  of  it. 
Idolatry,  both  pagan  and  papist,  is  a  damn¬ 
ing  sin  in  its  own  nature,  and  will  prove 
fatal  to  those  who  persist  in  it,  after  fair 
warning  given  by  the  word  of  Providence  ; 
they  who  refuse  to  come  out  of  Babylon, 
when  thus  called,  and  resolve  to  partake  of 
her  sins,  must  receive  of  her  plagues  ;  and 
the  guilt  and  ruin  of  such  incorrigible  idola¬ 
ters  will  serve  to  set  forth  the  excellency  of 
the  patience  and  obedience  of  the  saints  ; 
these  graces  shall  he  rewarded  with  salva¬ 
tion  and  glory  ;  when  the  treachery  ami  re¬ 
bellion  of  others  shall  he  punished  with  ei- 


being  dispersed  into  other  countries,  they  rapidly  carried  ‘the  everlast¬ 
ing  Gospel  ’  with  them  ;  as  an  angel,  a  messenger  of  peace  to  men,  fly¬ 
ing  through  the  midst  of  heaven;  so  that  the  Lollards  in  England,  and 
the  Bohemians  in  Bohemia,  and  the  adjacent  regions,  and  many  others 
in  different  places,  seem  to  have  principally  learned  the  Gospel  from 
them  ;  nay,  the  Reformation  itself  appears  to  have  sprung  from  the  seed 
which  they  sowed,  and  watered  with  rivers  of  their  blood.  So  exact 
was  the  prophecy,  that  they  had  ‘  the  everlasting  Gospel  to  preach  to 
tlie  inhabitants  of  the  earth  !  ’  (Note,  11:3 — G.)  They  also  loudly  called 
on  men  to  fear  and  glorify  God,  as  the  hour  of  his  judgment  was  at  hand  ; 
and  to  worship  the  Creator  of  all  things,  as  revealed  in  the  Gospel,  by 
refusing  to  join  the  worship  of  idols,  and  that  of  the  beast  and  his  image. 
{Totes,  19:9,  10.  Acts  14:11 — 18.  17:22 — 29.) — Some  respectable  com¬ 
mentators  explain  these  vs.  of  Luther,  almost  exclusively  ;  ami  suppose, 
that  many  things,  in  his  situation,  character,  and  testimony,  remarkably 
answered  to  it.  I  cannot,  however,  think,  that  the  previous  public  tes¬ 
timonies  against  the  beast  are  wholly  passed  over,  or  that  an  individual. 
however  illustrious ,  occupies  so  conspicuous  a  station  in  this  concise 
prophecy.  But  I  am  much  farther  from  being  convinced,  that  more 
modern  events,  or  the  present  zeal  for  missions,  is  meant ;  because  the 
testimony  of  the  angel,  or  messenger,  was  evidently  borne  against  pope¬ 
ry ,  not  heathen  idolatry;  and  the  worship  of  saints  and  angels,  and  of 
images  of  God,  is  as  real  idolatry,  as  that  of  the  pagans. — It  is  objected, 
that  the  reformers  did  not  ‘preach  to  every  nation,  kindred,  and  tongue;’ 
and  it  may  be  answered,  thal  neither  did  the  apostles,  in  the  strict,  lit¬ 
eral  import  of  the  words  ;  (Col.  1:6,  23.)  nor  have  any  others  to  this  day. 
But  it  was  the  doctrine  and  desire  of  the  reformers,  that  the  Gospel 
should  be  preached  throughout  the  earlh. — The  angel  ‘had  the  everlast¬ 
ing  Gospel.’  This  is,  by  Mr.  Cuninghame,  supposed  to  be  the  book 
containing  the  Gospel,  and  he  seems  principally  to  explain  it  of  the  Brit¬ 
ish  and  Foreign  Bible  Society. — Far  be  it  from  me  to  withhold  or  deduct 
from  the  honor  justly  due  to  that  Society;  when,  by  tue  astonishing 
success  of  atheists  and  infidels,  'the  enemy  came  in  like  a  flood,’  ‘  the 
Spirit  of  God  has’  surprisingly  ‘lifted  up  a  standard  against  him;’ 
and  the  Bible  Society  has  been  honored,  in  this,  as  in  no  small  degree 
the  standard-iie vaER.  But  we  must  not  interpret  prophecy  by  our 
partialities ,  or  even  most  legitimate  affections;  and  the  order  of  events, 
in  the  whole  arrangement  of  the  prophecy,  requires  a  far  different  inter¬ 
pretation.  Scott. 

(6. )  ‘  What  an  interesting  scene  is  opening  upon  earth  !  It  is  more 

than  30  years  (1826)  since  Christians  in  Great  Britain  awoke,  and  that 
little  island  now  bestows  more  than  a  million  of  dollars  upon  strangers. 
It  is  14  years  since  New  England  broke  her  slumbers,  and  now  the  mass 
of  her  (Christian)  population,  seems  drenched  in  the  missionary  spirit. 
I  saw  the  day  cover  the  plains  of  Europe.  I  saw  the  westward  travel¬ 
ling  light,  spread  itself  over  the  eastern  states.  Nine  years  ago,  I  saw 
the  rays  of  morning  tip  the  Presbyterian  horizon.  I  saw  the  dawn 
blush  deeper  and  deeper.  Already  the  influence  of  heaven  has  dropped 
upon  the  wilderness,  and  changed  the  war-whoop  to  notes  of  praise. 
Many  prophets  and  kings  desired  to  see  this  day.  One  spirit  has  seized 
tlie  Christian  world,  to  send  the  Gospel  to  all  the  nations.  Missionary 
and  Bible  Societies  have  risen  so  rapidly,  that,  in  contemplating  them, 
we  are  “like  them  that  dream.”  They  have  accomplished  wonders. 
On  the  burning  sands  of  Africa ,  where  Christian  feet  never  trod,  there 
is  the  holy  band  of  missionaries,  struggling  amidst  dangers  and  death,  to 
lead  the  sahle  sons  of  Ethiopia  to  stretch  out  their  hands  to  God.  On 
the  plains  of  Hindnstan ,  a  consecrated  host  are  translating  the  S3,  into 
more  than  30  different  languages.  Oil  the  borders  of  China,  they  have 
produced  a  version,  which  will  give  the  oracles  of  God  to  one  quarter 
of  the  population  of  the-globe.  In  the  southern  islands,  a  nation  is  born 
in  a  day.  From  the  hill  of  Zion, — from  the  top  of  Calvary, — they  are 
freighting  every  caravan  of  pilgrims  with  Billies,  for  all  the  countries 
of  the  east.  Certainty  the  angel  has  begun  his  flight .’  Griffin. 

The  circumstances  attending  the  production  of  the  specimen  of 
Japanese  writing  (from  the  farthest  verge  of  the  earth',  given  on  the 
colored  page,  opposite,  deserve  commemoration,  and  will  he  regarded  as 
appropriate  to  the  missionary  text,  we  are  now  considering.  When 
about  two  days’  sail  from  Jeddo,  Dr.  Parker,  a  beloved  Missionary,  who 
recently  accompanied  Mr.  Gntzlaff  and  his  seven  Japanese  pupils  on 
their  benevolent,  but  perilous  and  abortive  errand  to  that  capital,  ad¬ 
dressed  a  letter  to  the  Ed.  lie  stated  that,  having  mentioned  to  Mr.  G. 
the  fact,  that  a  female  association  existed  in  Boston,  formed  for  the  pur¬ 
pose  of  seeking  the  conversion  of  Japan  to  Christ,  he  proposed  giving 
the  information  to  their  Japanese  fellow-passengers.  It  was  done,  and 
produced  the  annexed  letter,  with  their  signatures.  The  letter  is  written 
in  the  Merakana  alphabet.  The  signatures  have,  besides,  the  explana¬ 
tion  in  the  Katakana.  As  the  translation  given  is  perfectly  literal,  the 
meaning  is  also  given  in  ordinary  English.  No  friend  of  God,  and  of 
man,  can  rend  this  Macedonian  call  without  emotion,  nor,  it  is  hoped, 
without  some  renewed  excitement  and  exertion  in  behalf  of  evangelical 
missions.  God  grant,  that  its  design  and  object  be  speedily  answered, 
in  the  opening  of  Japan  to  the  Gospel  of  Christ  ! 

[712] 


Bostonno  Tenjeyodomo 
Boston's  ladies 

tanonde  ogamoo  nowo 
beseechingly  pray  it 
wagakooninomono  shakae 
our  countrymen  world 


atszmate  wagakooninomonono  tnmeni 
assemble  our  countrymen  for 

kii'te  shiteoroo  hanaliada  yorokobe 
hear  understand  very  glad 

no  monowo  skoou  stono  Jesus 
’s  inhabitants  Redeemer’s  Jesus 
Christosno  ohositskeno  tayori  yorokobi  mada  shiranu  sore  yuye. 

Christ’s  doctrines  tidings  glad  not  yet  know  therefore 
Tenjeyo  kiyamnte  idzsdemo  ogamao  Ten  jeno  Skasano  mosko 
ladies  ought  always  pray  heaven's  earth’s  Lord's  Son 
wagakooninomono  tenkara  kakavaku  kiyo  monno  liunwo 
our  countrymen  from  heaven  enlighten  holy  matter's  book 
osoiete  tamashimvo  skoounowo  koodasareto  koou. 

teaching  soul  redemption  grant  (this)  is  (our)  request. 

‘  [We]  hear  [and]  understand,  [that]  the  ladies  of  Boston  earnestly 
pray  for  our  countrymen.  (We  are]  very  glad  [of  it  [  Our  countrymen 
do  not  yet  know  the  doctrines  of  the  Gospel  of  Jesus  Christ,  the  world’s 
Redeemer;  therefore  the  ladies  ought  always  to  pray  the  Son  of  the 
Lord  of  heaven  [and]  earth,  to  enlighten  our  countrymen  from  heaven 
[in]  the  sacred  Book,  teaching  the  redemption  [of  the]  soul.  [That  lie 
may]  grant  [this]  is  [our]  request.’ 

Mr.  Gntzlaff,  as  is  well  known,  lmd  translated  into  Japanese,  by  the 
aid  of  these  men,  and  caused  to  be  printed,  the  Gospel  of  John  ;  a  copy 
of  which  is  in  the  hands  of  the  Ed. 


(6,  7.)  See  E.  Smith’s  Key,  <fcc.  pp.  247 — 251.  ‘  The  progress  of  the 

Reformation  seems  here  prefigured.’  TVoodh. — *  Especially  that  most  de¬ 
sirable  part  yet  to  come  ;  ’  when,  the  missionary  spirit,  which  has  so 
long  slumbered  among  protestants,  shall  he  aroused  in  everv  church, 
and  every  individual.  And,  thanks  be  to  God  !  it  is  now  waking  up, — 
the  angel  is  now  oil  the  wings  of  every  wind,  and  many  a  ship  is  bear¬ 
ing  angels,  messengers,  or  missionaries, -to  ‘  kindreds,  and  tongues,  and 
peoples:  ’  and  into  many  a  language  is  the  Gospel  translated,  and  many 
a  press  is  scattering  its  precious  seed.  ‘  May  every  ship  tlint  leaves  the 
crowded  ports  of  Christendom,  bear  these  messengers,  and  this  message, 
to  the  two  thirds  of  our  race  vet  in  heathen  darkness  !  See  Rev.  Dr. 
Cogswell's  ‘  Harbinger  of  the  Millennium.’  In. 

V.  8.  If  we  explain  the  first  angel,  as  the  herald  of  the  dawning  of  the 
Reformation,  in  the  12th,  13th,  and  14th  centuries,  we  may  properly  ex¬ 
plain  this  of  the  Bohemians  anil  others  in  the  15th,  who  were  their  gen¬ 
uine  offspring  and  successors.  Some  of  these  persons,  with  still  greater 
confidence  and  vehemence,  than  the  Albigenses,  declared  Rome  to  he 
mystical  Babylon,  and  the  pope  and  church  there  to  be  antichrist; 
and  they  endured  severe  persecutions  for  these  protestations,  and  for 
their  profession  of  the  Gospel.  John  Hnss  and  Jerom  of  Prague,  espe¬ 
cially,  were  perfidiously  and  cruelly  burned  by  the  council  of  Constance  ; 
which  council  was,  in  fact,  the  united  poxver  of  the  whole  antichristian 
beast.  These  heralds  announced  the  fall  of  mystical  Babylon,  as  the 
ancient  prophets  had  done  that  of  literal  Babylon,  long  before  the  evert. 
( Notes ,  Is.  21:6 — 9.  Jer.  50:2,  3.  51:7 — 9.)  Neither  was  this  doom 
more  certain,  than  it  would  be  just;  as  she  had  corrupted  and  intoxi¬ 
cated  the  nations,  not  only  with  her  love-potions,  as  a  seducing  harlot, 
lull  by  the  wine  of  the  wrath  of  her  fornications,  terrifying  men  into 
idolatry  by  fierce  persecutions.  (Notes,  17:  l — 6.  Jer.  25:15 — 26.  51: 
7.)  As  Rome  was  mentioned  under  the  name  and  emblem  of  a  Gentile 
city,  so  her  idolatry  was  called  fornication  rather  than  adultery  :  as  it 
generally  is  in  Scripture,  when  committed  by  the  professed  worshippers 
ofGod.  (17:2.) — Bp.  Newton  explains  this  v.  of  the  Waldenses,  and 
the  foregoing  vs.  of  more  ancient  events;  on  the  contrary,  Mr.  Faber 
interprets  those  vs.  of  Luther,  and  this  of  Calvin  and  his  associates. 
This,  however,  seems  to  me,  to  render  individuals  far  too  prominent  in 
ro  concise  a  prophecy.  Nor  should  I  have  mentioned  the  names  of  John 
H  uss  and  Jerom  of  Prague,  except  as  they  were  the  month,  or  voice,  of 
a  very  large  body  of  men,  delivering  its  testimony  in  the  most  public 
manner  conceivable,  and  sealing  it  by  martyrdom. — Still,  I  observe,  that 
the  grand  outlines  are  clear :  and  commentators  in  general  are  agreed 
about  them  ;  so  that  the  subordinate  differences  of  opinion  do  not  affect 
the  main  argument. — Some,  indeed,  would  explain  this  v.  of  future 
times,  becquse  Babylon  is  not  yet  totally  fallen  ;  but  this  deranges  the 
whole  plan  of  interpretation,  adopted  by  the  ablest  expositors,  which  is 
the  only  clue  that  can  lead  us  through  its  mazes;  and  this  would  intro¬ 
duce  perplexity  and  uncertainty.  Nothing  is  more  common,  in  prophe¬ 
cy,  than  for  future  events,  ns  absolutely  determined,  to  be  spoken  of  in 
tlie  present  or  past  time;  and  the  same  words  were  spoken  of  literal 
Babylon,  long  before  her  destruction.  (Marg.  Ref.  h.) — ‘The  clue  that 
has  principally  conducted  me  through  both  parts  of  the  Revelation,  is 
following  the  series  of  history,  and  the  successive  order  of  events.  After 
the  description  of  the  two  beasts,  secular  and  ecclesiastical,  whose  pow¬ 
er  was  established,  according  to  niv  hypothesis,  in  the  8lli  eentury,  hut, 
according  to  most  commentators,  much  sooner;  there  would  be  a  very 
large  chasm,  without  the  prediction  of  any  memorable  event,  if  these 
prophecies  relate  to  the  time  immediately  preceding  the  fall  of  antichrist, 
and  the-  millennium. — What  a  long  interval  would  there  be  without 


I 


Kikimatz,  or  Strong  Fir,  is  16  years  old,  from  lha  principality  of  Hisen,  town  of  Simabara. 


REVELATION,  XIV. 


£)  Q5  HU.  V  H.JLjA  i  iurs ,  Aiv. 

9  And  the  third  angel  followed  Yea,  saith  the  Spirit,  that  they  may 
them  saying  with  a  loud  voice,  If  rest  from  their  labors  ;  and  their 
r  any  man  worship  the  beast  and  his  works  do  follow  them. 

ima-e,  and  receive  his  mark  in  his  14  And  I  looked,  and  beho  d  a 
forehead,  or  in  his  hand,  white  cloud,  and  upon  the  cloud 

10  The  same  shall  drink  sof  the  one  sat  y  like  unto  the  Son  ot  man, 
wine  of  the  wrath  of  God,  which  is  having  on  his  head  a  golden  crown, 
poured  out  without  mixture  into  the  and  in  his  hand  a  sharp  sickle, 
cup  of  his  indignation;  and  he  shall  15  And  another  angel  came  out 
be  tormented  with  ‘fire  and  brim-  of  the  temple,  crying  with  a  loud 
stone  in  the  presence  of  the  holy  voice  to  him  that  sat  on  the  cloud, 
aneels,  and  in  the  presence  of  the  Thrust  *  in  thy  sickle,  and  reap-,  for 

_  °  fin'll  nmno  tni*  tnPP  tfl  t*  P  J4  T1  ! 

Lamb: 

1 1  And  the  smoke  u  of  their  tor¬ 
ment  asc.endeth  up  for  ever  and  ev¬ 
er:  and  they  have  no  rest  v  day  nor 
night,  who  worship  the  beast  and 
his  image,  and  whosoever  receiveth 
the  mark  of  his  name. 

12  Here  is  the  patience  of  the 
saints:  here  are  they  that  keep  the 
commandments  ol  God,  and  the 
faith  of  Jesus. 

13  And  I  heard  a  voice  from 
heaven,  saying  unto  me,  Write, 

are  the  dead  which  die 
Lord  x  from  henceforth  : 


the  time  is  come  for  thee  to  reap  : 
for  the  harvest  ‘of  the  earth  is  b 
ripe. 

r  o.  13:14—16. 

8  Ps.  75:8. 
t  c.  19:20. 
u  Is.  34:10- 
v  Is.  57:20,21. 


w  1  Th.  4:14,16. 
x  or,  from  hence¬ 
forth  saith  the 
Spirit ,  yea. 
y  Eze.  1:26. 


Da.  7:13. 

7.  Joel  3: 13. 
a  Je  51:33. 

Mat.  13:39. 
b  or,  dried, 


Blessed 
w in  the 


erlasting  destruction,  then  it  will  be  said,  to 
the  honor  of  the  faithful,  (v.  12.)  Here  is 
the  patience  of  the  saints  ;  you  have  before 
seen  their  patience  exercised,  now  you  see  it 
rewarded. 

V.  13 — 20.  Here  we  have  the  vision  of 
the  harvest  and  vintage,  introduced  with  a 
solemn  preface. 

I.  What  it  principally  intended,  is,  to 
show  the  blessedness  of  all  the  faithful  saints 


'The  vision  of  the  harvest. 

and  servants  of  God,  both  in  death  and  after 
death  ;  Blessed  are  the  dead  that  die  in  the 
Lord  from  henceforth ,  &c.  Here  observe, 
The  description  of  those  that  are,  and  shall 
be,  blessed  ;  such  as  die  in  the  Lord,  either 
die  in  the  cause  of  Christ,  or  rather  die  in  a 
state  of  vital  union  with  Christ,  such  as  are 
found  in  Christ  when  death  comes.  The 
demonstration  of  this  blessedness  is, — they 
rest  from  their  labors,  and  their  works  do  fol¬ 
low  them.  They  are  blessed  in  their  rest, 
they  rest  from  all  sin,  temptation,  sorrow, 
and  persecution.  They  are  blessed  in  their 
recompense,  their  works  do  not  go  belore 
them,  as  their  title,  or  purchase,  but  they 
follow  them,  AS  their  evidence  of  having  lived 
and  died  in  the  Lord  ;  and  the  memory  of 
them  will  be  pleasant.  They  are  happy  in 
the  time  of  their  dying  ;  they  have  lived  to 
see  the  cause  of  God  reviving,  the  peace  of 
the  church  returning,  and  the  wrath  of  God 
falling  on  their  idolatrous,  cruel  enemies 


such  times  are  good  times  to  die  in  ;  they 
have  Simeon’s  desire.  And  all  this  is  rati¬ 
fied  and  confirmed  by  the  testimony  of  the 
Spirit  witnessing  with  their  spirits,  and  with 
the  written  Word. 

II.  The  vision  itself, — a  harvest  and  a 
vintage. 

1.  A  harvest,  v.  14,  15.  an  emblem  that 
sometimes  signifies  the  cutting  down  ol  the 
wicked,  when  ripe  for  ruin,  by  the  judg- 


,„v  nronheev  •  and  how  thick  would  the  events  follow  afterwards  ! 
For  all  the  particulars.  .  .  to  the  end  of  ch.  19:  must  be  fulfilled  before 
the  millennium.’  Bp.  Newton—  It  is  also  worthy  of  notice,  that  about 
the  era  above  mentioned,  the  opinion  began  to  be  publtely  avowed,  by 
several  persons,  that  the  church,  court,  and  city  of  Rome,  were  Babj  >on> 
and  so  inevitably  doomed  to  destruction.  ,  .  -  ,  3C‘ 

C8  1  Bl.  marks  1  the  city,’  and  of  the  wrath,’  as  doubtful.  Ed. 

V  9—11  This  third  angel,  and  his  proclamation  with  a  loud  voice, 
may  be  explained  of  Luther,  and  his  loud,  rough,  and  vehement •  protes- 
tatLon  against  the  idolatries  of  the  church  and  bishop  of  Rome,  and  that 
whole  anTichristfau  fabric  ;  yet  we  must  also  take  in  all  his  coadjutors 
and  successors,  and  all  the  effects  of  this  combined  and L’er^enng  pro¬ 
testation,  to  this  day,  and  even  beyond  it.  His_  voice  with  that  ot  those 
who  were  raised  up  in  divers  countries  to  join  him,  and  to  follow  up i  the 
assault  was  indeed  very  ‘  loud.’  They  attacked  the  beast  with  far  more 
vehemence  than  any  who  went  before  had  done.  They  not  only  de¬ 
clared  him  to  be  antichrist  ,  but  they  carried  their  researches  into  the 
idolatries,  iniquities,  and  impostures  of  the  whole  papal  system,  and 
showed  that  it  was  utterly  incompatible  with  the  religion  of  the  Scrip¬ 
tures  and  founded  in  ignorance,  usurpation,  avarice,  and  hypocrisy, 
and  they  insisted  strongly  on  the  necessity  of  separating  from  so  corrupt 
a  church  ;  boldly  retorting  the  charge  of  heresy  and  schism,  which  the 
popish  party  brought  against  them,  and  fully  proving  it  against  their 
opponents.  Thus  they  induced  whole  nations  to  cast  off  all  regal d  to 
the  church  of  Rome,  and  engaged  vast  multitudes  to  protest  against 
popery,  as  a  damnable  religion,  not  only  in  the  persecuting  tyrants  who 
imposed  it,  but  in  all  who,  even  from  dread  of  persecution,  or  from  more 

corrupt  motives,  conformed  toil;  and  this  was  exactly  the  purport  of 

the  third  angel’s  proclamation..  They  loudly  insisted  on  it,  that  all  who 
adhered,  with  a  blind  and-  devoted  attachment,  to  the  beast  and  his 
jma«e  :  (Notes,  13:11—17.)  professing  their  abominable  doctrines,  con¬ 
forming  to  their  idolatries,  concurring  in  their  cruelties,  and  reducing 
their  principles  to  practice,  (being  intoxicated  with  the  wine  of  the 
wrath  ot  her  fornications,’)  would  drink  of  the  unmingled  wine  oi 
God’s  wrath,  from  the  cup  of  his  indignation.  (Notes,  to-17  -21.  Jr's. 
•75-8  Is.  51:17—20.  Jer.  25:15—17.)  Yea,  that  they  would  be  tormented 
with  fire  and  brimstone,  or  be  cast  into  hell,  to  be  tormented  in  that 
flame  ;  that  this  would  be  ‘  in  the  presence  of  the  holy  angels,'  who 
would  applaud  the  justice  of  their  punishment;  and  in  the  presence  of 
the  Lamb,’  who  would  pronounce  and  execute  the  sentence  on  them, 
for  their  opposition  to  his  Gospel,  and  for  giving  his  mediatorial  glory  to 
saints  and  angels  ;  and  ‘  that  the  smoke  of  their  torment  would  ascend 
up  for  ever  and  ever.’  The  words  tr.  « for  ever  and  ever  ’  are  the  most 
energetic  which  are  found  iir  the  whole  Greek  language,  to  signify  eter¬ 
nity,  seem  incapable  of  any  other  meaning.  (Note,  7’9->2->  1 

passage,  therefore,  evidently  predicts  the  clear  arid  strong  manner,  n 
which  these  reformers  would  protest  and  argue  against  purgatory  , ,  and 
insist  on  it,  that  the  wicked  will  be  ‘  tormented  m  hell  for  ever,  and  a 
subsea  cent  v.  evidently  opposes  the  same  doctrine,  by  showing  the  im¬ 
mediate  happiness  of  believers  after  death,  (Note,  12,  13.)— Every  one, 
who  is  at  all  conversant  with  the  writings  of  the  reformers  and  their 
successors,  knows  that  they  generally  declared,  without  hesitation,  that 
popery  was  a  damnable  religion.  Mr.  Hooker,  in  Queen  Elizabeth’s 
time,  brought  himself  into  suspicion,  and  was  engaged  in  a  controversy , 
because  he  asserted,  with  much  caution,  and  many  distinctions,  that  pa¬ 
pists  might  be  saved ;  and,  whatever  contempt  may  be  cast  on  their 
bin-otry,  in  this  day  -of  false  candor,  liberality,  and  disregard  to  the 
Scriptures,  it  is  xvorthv  of  serious  consideration,  whether  tins  passage 
do  not  warrant  by  far  the  greatest  part  of  what  these  reformers  ad¬ 
vanced  on  that  subject;  though  they  might  not  always  exactly  distin¬ 
guish  between  those  ‘  who  hated  the  light,’  and  those  whose  eyes  wete 
loo  weak  to  endure  its  effulgence,  when  it  broke  in  on  them  all  at  once. 

_ To  explain  this  most  energetic  passage,  (which  beyond  doubt  Pjedim 

a  general  and  most  awful  protestation  against  the  leading  tenets  of  pop¬ 
ery  as  damnable ,  in  all  who  embrace  and  adhere  to  them,  as  well  as  m 
the  inventors  and  imposers  of  them,)  to  signify  any  testimony,  or  pro¬ 
test  made  in  a  single  kingdom,  as  for  instance  in  England,  seems  to  me 
a  total  departure  from  the  grand  scale,  on  which  these  prophecies 
N.  T.  VOL.  V.  90 


should  be  interpreted  ;  and  as  in  all  respects  inadmissible.  Nor  can 
any  temporal  judgments  on  collective  bodies,  be  the  fulfilment  of  the 
awful  denunciation,  which  evidently  relates  to  individuals,  and  to  each 
individual  xvho  is  guilty  ;  and  if  words  can  convey  the  idea  of  eternal 
punishment,  it  is  here  denounced.  ( Marg .  Ref.p—i.— Notes.  19:17— 
21.  20:7—10,  11—15.  Mat.  25:41— 46.)— It  may  also  be  very  well  worth 
inquiring,  whether  there  be  not  some  remains  of  the  papal  superstition 
and  corruption,  even  in  protestant  churches  ?  And  how  far  they,  whose 
grand  object  it  seems  to  be,  to  contend  most,  and  most  vehemently ,  not 
to  say  virulently ,  for  that  which  admits  of  the  least  scriptural  proof,  or 
no  scriptural  proof,  keep  at  a  proper  distance  from  this  tremendous 

warning.  ,  ,  ScoyJ‘ 

(10  )  ‘  A  third  angel  proclaims  just  and  eternal  vengeance  upon  those 

who  “  worship  the  beast ;  ”  who,  knowing  their  duty  and  allegiance  to 
God,  sacrifice  them  to  their  worldly  views  and  interests.  The  wine 
which  is  at  first  strong  of  itself,  unmixed,  ( akraton ,)  has  no  diluting  li¬ 
quor  put  to  it  to  reduce  its  strength,  as  was  common  in  the  eastern  na¬ 
tions  of  antiquity.  But,  2dly,  it  is  kekerasmenon ,  rendered  still  stronger 
by  the  mixture  of  powerful  intoxicating  ingredients  ;  as  Is.  51:17—23. 
Ps.  75:8,  <fcc.’  Woodh. 

V.  12.'  BL  rejects ‘Acre  are,’ also ‘unto  me,’ v.  13.  Ed. 

V.  13.  This  v.  has  much  perplexed  many  commentators,  tn  respect 
of  its  prophetical  meaning  and  connexion  :  but,  on  the  plan  we  are  no  w 
pursuing,  nothing  can  be  more  obvious.  The  doctrine  of  purgatory,  with 
indulgences,  human  merits  to  be  sold  by  the  church,  masses,  and  prayers 
for  the  dead ;  was  one  principle  source  of  wealth,  influence,  and  authority 
to  the  clergy  of  the  church  of  Rome.  This  also  first  stirred  up  the  spirit 
of  Luther, who  began  his  attack  by  protesting  against  these  atrocious  prac¬ 
tices  :  and.  by  examining  the  Scriptures,  he  and  his  followers  establish¬ 
ed  it  as  a  certain  truth,  in  the  judgment  of  immense  multitudes,  that 
there  was  no  such  place  as  purgatory  ;  hut  that  the  wicked,  when  tl  ey 
die  go  directly  to  hell,  and  believers  immediately  enter  heaven.  Now 
what  words  could  more  aptly  predict  this  change  in  the  sen  timents  of  a 
large  proportion  of  professed  Christians,  than  these  do  ?  It  is  evident, 
from  the  internal  chronology  of  the  book,  and  from  the  senes  of  pr  - 
dieted  events,  that  the  Reformation  was  here  intended  ;  and  the  apostle 
was  ordered  to  write,  just  in  this  place,  (probably  he  knew  not ton  what 
account  )  ‘  Blessed  are  the  dead  who  die  in  the  Lord,  from  henceforth  . 
i.e.  from  this  period  believers  will  generally  understand  that  encour 
aging  truth  ;  and  not  have  to  encounter  the  fears  of  purgatory,  or  to  ap¬ 
prehend  a  delay  of  their  felicity,  when  seized  with  the  agon.es  of  death, 
or  called  to  suffer  martyrdom  for  Christ’s  sake.  Indeed,  it  is  ^  unde¬ 
niable  fact,  that  the  expectation  of  immedrate  happtness,  was  the  joy 
and  support  of  those  numbers,  who  were  burned  alive,  or  otherwise 
cruelly  martyred,  during  those  times.— This  ‘  voice  frotn  heaven  w  as 
attested  by  an  internal  suggestion  of  the  Holy  Sp'rit,  who  assured  the 
apostle,  that  believers  rested  after  death  from  all  their  labors  tu'f  their 
ings,  and  consequently  could  have  no  purgatory  to  fern  ,  and  'hat  their 
works  followed  them,  to  prove  the  sincerity  of  their  faith,  and I  to > ensure 
a  gracious  reward.  (Notes,  Mat.  25:54— 40.  Rom.  2N  11-2  •  • 

12  Marg.  Ref.  f.)— TS)  Rest  ]  11.  Note,  Heb.  4: o— 11  .—To  explain 
this  of  any  state  of  the  church  on  earth,  is  doing  the  greatest  violence 
imaginable  to  the  words  of  the  apostle.—1  Dying  in  the  Lord,  and  bei  g 
immediately  happy,  must  refer  to  individuals,  and  to  anoth|rc(^°rld’ 

(Notes, ^Cor.  5T  ^  ^  ^  |lave  generally  proceeded,  by  the  emdance 
of  past  events,  and  considerable  satisfaction  seems  to  haw j  been  obta.m 
ed  in  explaining  these  prophecies  ;  but  here,  I  apprehe »d.  d,er“J‘°n“ 

almost  wholly  fails  us.  This  supposition  is  confirmed  by  *»® 
inability  of  expositors  to  make  any  regular  and  consiste  PI  1  a 
of  the  subsequent  clrs.,  except  as  coincident  further 

have  been  already  considered.  Under  th'8  °/e  ^re  conjee- 

reasons  will  be  afterwards  assigned,!  ?.h-  not  seen  as  yet.’ 

tures  on  the  reader,  nor  attempt  to  pry  into  g  (he  roaj  in  a 
Hitherto,  «8  well  as  used  caution 

measure  plain  j  and  I  h  .  almost  mv  only  companion  and 

in  the  progress  :  but  caution  must  be  almost  my  only  cc ^  P  anJ  „„ 
monitor  in  what  now  remains:  toi  the  counrrj  u  un*.  ’  jjjgj 


A.  D.  95. 


REVELATION,  XV. 


16  And  he  that  sat  on  the  cloud 
thrust  in  his  sickle  on  the  earth  ; 
and  the  earth  was  reaped. 

17  And  another  angel  came  out 
of  the  temple  which  is  in  heaven, 
he  also  having  a  sharp  sickle. 

18  And  another  angel  came  out 
from  the  altar,  which  had  power 
over  fire:  and  cried  with  a  loud  cry 
to  him  that  had  the  sharp  sickle, 
saying,  'Thrust  in  thy  sharp  sickle, 
and  gather  the  clusters  of  the  vine 
of  the  earth  ;  for  her  grapes  are 
fully  ripe. 

19  And  the  angel  thrust  in  his 
sickle  into  the  earth,  and  gathered 
the  vine  of  the  earth,  and  cast  it  in¬ 
to  the  great  wine-press  d  of  the 
wrath  of  God. 

20  And  the  wine-press  was  0  trod¬ 
den  without  fthe  city,  and  blood 
scatne  out  of  the  wine-press,  even 
h  unto  the  horse-bridles,  by  the 
space  of  a  thousand  and  six  hun¬ 
dred  furlongs. 

CHAP.  XV. 

1  The  seven  angels  wilh  the  seven  last  plagues.  3  The 
sons  of  them  that  overcome  the  beast.  7  The  seven  vials 
lull  of  the  wrath  of  (Joel. 

A  ND  I  saw  another  sign  in  heav- 
•V.L  cn,  great  and  marvellous,  sev¬ 


The  seven  angels  with  the  seven  plagues. 


en  angels  having  the  seven  last 

O  O 

plagues;  for  in  them  is  filled  up  the 
wrath  *  of  God. 

2  And  I  saw  as  it  were  a  sea  bof 
glass  mingled  with  *  fire:  and  them 
that  had  gotten  the  victory  over  d 
the  beast,  and  over  his  image,  and 
over  his  mark,  and  over  the  num¬ 
ber  of  his  name,  stand  on  the  sea  of 
glass,  having  the  harps  e  of  God. 


c  ver.  15. 
d  c.  19:15. 
e  Is.  63:3. 
f  lie.  13:11,12. 


g  Is.  34:7. 
h  c.  19:14. 
a  c.  14:10. 
b  c.  4:6. 


c  Is.  4:1,5. 
cl  c.  13:15—17. 
e  c.  14:2. 


merits  of  God  ;  and  sometimes  die  gather¬ 
ing  in  of  the  righteous,  when  ripe  for  heav¬ 
en,  hy  the  mercy  of  God.  This  seems  rather 
to  represent  God’s  judgments  against  the 
wicked. 

2.  A  vintage,  v.  17.  Some  think  these 
two  are  only  different  emblems  of  the  same 
judgment  ;  others,  that  they  refer  to  distinct 
events  of  Providence  before  the  end  of  all 
tilings.  But  here  we  are  left  to  doubtful 
conjectures  ;  perhaps  this  great  event  has 
not  yet  had  its  accomplishment,  but  the  vis¬ 
ion  is  for  nil  appointed  time.  ;  and,  therefore, 
though  it  may  seem  to  tarry,  we  are  to  wait 
for  it. 

Chap.  XV.  Hitherto,  according  to  the 
judgment  of  very  eminent  expositors,  God 
had  represented  to  his  servant  John  the  state 
of  the  church  under  the  pagan  powers,  in 


the  six  seals  opened  ;  ils  state  under  the 
papal  powers,  in  the  vision  of  the  six  trum¬ 
pets  that  began  to  sound  on  the  opening  of 
the  seventh  seal  ;  then  a  more  general  and 
brief  account  of  its  past,  present,  and  future 
state,  in  the  little  book,  &e.  Now  lie  pio- 
ceeds  to  show  him  how  antichrist  should  lie 
destroyed,  in  the  vision  of  the  seven  vials. 

This  ch.  contains  an  awful  introduction 
or  preparation  for  the  pouring  out  of  the 
vials  ;  in  which  vve  have,  1.  A  sight  of 
those  angels  in  heaven,  who  were  to  have 
the  execution  of  this  great  work,  and  with 
what  acclamations  of  joy  the  heavenly  hosts 
applauded  the  great  design,  v.  1 — 5.  2.  A 

sight  of  these  angels  coining  out  of  heaven, 
to  receive  those  vials  which  they  were  to 
pour  out,  and  the  great  commotions  that 
this  caused  in  the  world,  v.  5.  &c. 

V.  1 — 4.  The  work  they  had  to  do  was, 
to  finish  the  destruction  of  antichrist.  The 
spectators  and  witnesses  of  this  their  com¬ 
mission  were, — all  that  had  gotten  the  victory 
over  the  beast,  fcc.  The  sea  of  glass  repre¬ 
sents  this  world,  as  some  think,  a  brittle 
tiling,  that  shall  be  broken  to  pieces;  or,  as 
otliers,  the  gospel-covenant,  alluding  to  the 
brazen  sea  in  the  temple,  in  which  the  priests 
were  to  w  ash  ;  or,  as  others,  the  Red  Sea, 
that  stood,  as  it  were  congealed,  while  the 
Israelites  went  through  ;  and  the  pillar  of 
fire  reflecting  light  on  the  waters,  they  would 
seem  to  have  fire  mingled  with  them  ;  and 
this  to  show,  that  the  fire  of  God’s  wrath 
against  Pharaoh  and  ids  horses  should  dis¬ 
solve  the  congealed  waters,  and  destroy 


Pit  ACT.  DBS.  The  Lord  reserves  a  remnant  to  Himself  in  the  worst 
of  times,  who  dissent  front  the  prevailing  idolatries  and  abominations; 
who  profess  his  truth  and  bear  iiis  image;  who  sing  the  praises  of  re¬ 
deeming  grace,  in  strains  which  none  else  can  learn. — May  it  lie  our 
prayer,  our  endeavor,  yea,  our  ambition,  to  he  found  in  this  honorable 
company!  If  we  have  a- good  hope,  that  we  are  thus  distinguished  ;  we 
ought  to  do  everything  in  our  power,  as  well  as  beseech  the  Lord  con¬ 
tinually,  that  faithful  ministers,  like  beneficent  angels,  ‘  flying  through 
the  midst  of  heaven,* 1  may  carry  ‘  the  everlasting  Gospel,’  and  preach  it 
to  ‘  all  people,  nations,  anti  languages:’  that  so  sinners  may  fear  and 
glorify  God  ;  and  turn  from  all  their  idols  and  iniquities,  to  worship  the 

guide  is  to  be  found,  who  understands  anything  with  certainty  concern¬ 
ing  the  road.  The  exact  and  surprising  fulfilment  of  many  and  compli¬ 
cated  predictions, through  the  course  of  about  1700  years,  has  been  shown; 
which  is  a  rea!  demonstration  of  the  truth  of  the  Scriptures  :  but  we 
must  bequeath  to  posterity  the  satisfaction  of  understanding,  and  being 
filled  with  adoling  wonder  at  witnessing  the  accomplishment  of  the  re¬ 
mainder.  The  prophecy  has  been  evidently  traced  down  to  the  Reform¬ 
ation  ;  and  this  may  include  all,  which  has  intervened  to  this  day,  or 
shall  intervene,  till  ‘  the  slaying  of  the  witnesses,’  and  their  resurrec¬ 
tion;  if  these  gvents  be,  as  1  firmly  believe,  yet  future.  (Antes,  11:7 — 
11.)  Whether  the  events  here  predicted  precede  or  follow  the 
sounding  of  the  7 1 h  trumpet,  or  the  3d  woe-trumpet,  I  cannot  absolutely 
determine  :  hut  they  seem  evidently  to  relate  to  the  fall  of  popery  ;  and 
perhaps  give  a  succinct  intimation  of  what  is  more  fully  predicted  in 
the  next  and  following  chs.  [Notes,  16: — 19:) — The  preceding  judg¬ 
ments  and  transactions  not  having  produced  a  voluntary  and  effectual 
reformation  in  the  kingdom  of  the  beast ;  the  iniquity  of  the  nations  of 
which  it  is  constituted  is  filled  up,  and  thev  become  ripe  for  judgments. 
(Notes,  Gen.  IS. IS.  Zeeh.  5:6—11.  Mat.  23:29 — 39.  1  The*.  2-13—16.) 
These  judgments  are  emblematically  described  as  a  harvest  and  a  vint¬ 
age  :  and,  as  the  latter  succeeds  to  the  former  in  the  course  of  nature, 
so  it  is  subsequent  to  it  in  the  prophecy,  and  will  he  by  far  the  most 
terrible.  (Note,  Joel  3:9—17.) — Christ  appeared  to  the  apostle  in  vis¬ 
ion,  ‘  like  unto  the  Son  of  Man,’  in  human  nature;  on  ‘  a  white  cloud,’ 
the  emblem  of  his  holy,  righteous,  and  mysterious  dispensations;  his 
‘  golden  crown  ’  signifies  his  supereminent  authority,  and  ‘his  sharp 
sickle ’  his  terrible  vengeance  on  his  enemies.  ‘The  angel  out  of  the 
temple’  may  signify  the  ministers  of  the  Gospel,  as  employed  to  an¬ 
nounce  the  approach  of  these  judgments  :  and  ‘the  second  angel  com¬ 
ing  out  of  Hie  temple,’  to  reap  the  vintage,  may  represent  some  execu¬ 
tioner,  or  succession  of  executioners,  of  the  wrath  of  Christ  on  the  op- 
posers  ot  his  authority  :  while  the  third  angel  from  the  altar,  who  had 
power  over  tire,  giving  orders  to  the  second  angel  to  reap  the  vintage, 
implies,  that  these  judgments  would  constitute  a  sacrifice  to  divine  jus¬ 
tice,  and  consume,  as  with  fire,  those  who  had  despised  or  perverted  the 
atoning  sacrifice  of  Christ.  (Notes,  8:1—6.  Ez.  9:1—7.)  The  ‘casting 
of  file  vintage  into  the  wine-press  of  God’s  wrath,’  and  the  ‘treading  of 
it  without  the  city,’  (as  being  no  part  of  the  true  church.)  can  only  he 
explained  by  the  event.  (Note,  11:1,  2.)  But  it  is  remarkable,  that 
'‘16-0  furlongs,  or  200  miles,  is  exactly  the  length  of  the  papal  dominions 
in  Italy;  and  probably  these  will  be  deluged  with  blood,  in  a  most  aw- 
ful  manner,  which  is  represented  hy  language  tremendously  hyperboli¬ 
cal.  (ISntfs,  Is.  3-i:  63:1 — 6.  Jer.  51:33.  Mat.  13:36 — 43.) — Snmeexpos- 
i'ors,  who  have  written  since  this  interpretation  was  first  made,  (A.  D. 
1791,!  decide  with  confidence,  that  the  bloody  scenes,  lately  exhibited 
in  France  and  on  the  Continent,  are  the  fulfilment  of  t he  prophecy  con¬ 
cerning  ‘the  harvest;’  though  the  vintage  may  he  yet  future;  nor  do  I 
at  all  doubt,  posterity  will  clearly  see,  that  these  events  began  to  ac¬ 
complish  the  prediction-  I  cannot  however  think,  either  that  at  so 
early  a  stage  we  are  capable  of  determining  on  the  subject:  or  that  a 
more  general  and  almost  universal  displav  of  divine  vengeance,  on  all 

\J  141 


great  Creator,  and  to  wait  for  his  Son  from  heaven,  who  shall  speedily 
come  to  be  our  Judge.  These  events  faith  anticipates,  as  if  they  were 
already  accomplished.  The  modern  quietus  of  a  purgatory,  after  the 
day  of  judgment,  is  as  destitute  of  scriptural  foundation,  as  the  purgatory 
before  that  awful  season,  which  i--  maintained  bv  the  church  of  Rome; 
and  they  who  die  in  their  sins,  will  too  late  find,  that  the  punishment 
of  hell  will  endure  ‘  for  ever  and  ever.’  ‘Here  then  is  the  patience  of 
the  saints,’  to  venture  or  suffer  anything,  in  ‘obeying  the  command¬ 
ments  of  God,’  and  prolessing  ‘  the  faith  of  Jesus;’  may  God  bestow  this 
patience  on  us,  that  we  may  be  ready,  should  times  of  persecution  over¬ 
take  us !  Scott. 

the  kingdoms  of  the  heast,  ( those  perhaps  excepted,  but  those  only,  who 
have  fully  and  decidedly  cast  off  its  dominion,)  is  intended  by  the  har¬ 
vest;  as  well  as  still  more  tremendous  scenes  hy  1  the  vintage.’  19:17 
—21.  Ps.  149:7—9.  Ez.  39:1—20.  Mic.  7:14—17.  Scott. 

(18.)  ‘The  symbolical  reaping  of  the  harvest,  appeals  to  signify  the 
gathering  together  the  elect:  see  Mat.  24:31.  The  action  of  reaping 
is,  in  the  gospels,  more  than  once  used  as  a,  symbol  of  the  gathering  in 
of  Christ’.'  elect,  but  not  of  the  execution  of  Divine  judgments,  while 
the  vintage  everywhere  in  the  prophetical  writings  is  used  as  a  symbol 
of  the  wrath  of  God. — Cuninghame.  Herein  he  takes  this  view  with 
Sir  I.  Newton  and  Horsley,  Pareus  says,  the  harvest  shall  not  only 
gather  the  wheat  out  of  the  Lord’s  field  into  the  garner,  but  also  burn 
the  tares  that  are  gathered.  But  the  vintage  shall  cast  and  tread  all  the 
graces  in  the  lake  of  God’s  wrath.  Therefore,  by  the  vintage,  the  pun¬ 
ishment  of  the  wicked  scents  only  to  be  represented. — The  bare  reaping 
of  tile  corn,  which  is  a  good  fruit,  seems  to  denote  no  more  than  the 
separation  of'  it  from  the  earth. —  Dauhuz.  So  Gill.'  Henry,  abr. 

NOTES.  Chap.  XV.  V.  1 — 4.  This  ch.  introduces  the  7  vials,  all 
of  which  fall  under  the  7th  trumpet,  ns  the  7  trumpets  were  included 
under  the  7th  seal :  for  they  contain  ‘  the  7  last  plagues,’  in  which  the 
wrath  of  God  is  filled  up,  or  accomplished,  on  the  persecuting  idolatrous 
power,  assuming,  and  disgracing,  beyond  expression,  the  sacred  name 
of  Christian.  These  plagues  must,  therefore,  be  coincident  with  the 
last  woe-trumpet,  in  great  measure  at  least.  (Note,  11:15 — 18.)  The 
2d  part  of  this  prophecy,  has  been  traced  from  the  latter  years  of  the 
6th  trumpet,  to  the  Reformation,  nay,  to  the  present  era:  and.  to  go 
back  into  former  ages,  to  find  out  events  which  may  answer  to  the  sub¬ 
sequent  predictions,  deranges  the  whole  plan  of  the  book,  and  reduces 
the  interpretation  to  ambiguity  and  uncertainty.  Our  key  has  hitherto 
opened  the  most  intricate  wards  of  these  predictions,  without  violence; 

i.  e.  as  far  as  to  the  latter  part  of  the  6th  trumpet  :  but  no  writer,  ns  it 
appears  to  me,  lias  yet  (A.  D.  1815)  succeeded  in  what  follows.  For  the 
commencement  of  it  is,  according  to  my  view,  precisely  the  time  in 
which  we  live;  as  appears  from  a  due  consideration  of  the  1260  years 
of  ihe  reign  of  the  beast. — Different  computations,  indeed  have  been 
made  of  the  period,  when  these  years  will  end  :  yet  none  seem  to  have 
proved  that  they  will  te-rminate  more  early  than  A.  D.  1840:  while 
many  think  they  wiil.not  end  till  A.  D.  2000.  But,  whether  sooner  or 
later,  it  seems  probable,  that  the  time  is  not  arrived:  and,  therefore, 
that  ‘  the  pouring  out  of  the  vials’  has  not  yet  begun. — Some  indeed, 
of  late,  have  fixed  the  beginning  of  this  periodvthe  1260  days)  to  A.  D. 
633;  when  the  emperor  Justinian  issued  certain  edicts,  acknowledging 
and  supporting  the  pope,  or  the  bishop  of  Rome,  head  of  the  whole 
church  :  and  thus  they  compute,  that  they  terminated  A.  D.  1792,  the 
era  of  the  French  revolution. — If  they  be  correct,  of  which  I  presume 
not  to  judge,  then  the  pouring  out  of  the  vials  has  indeed  begun  :  hut 
thev,  who  shall  live  at  the  latter  end  of  this  century,  or  the  beginning 
of  the  next,  will,  I  have  little  doubt,  know,  that  it  has  but  just  begun. 
— The  apostle  had  mentioned  great  woes,  which  would  come  under  the 
3  last  trumpets  :  3:13.  10:7.  14:19,  20. '  xet  when  the  7th  trumpet  was 

sounded,  he  mentim  .  utmost  exclusively,  the  happy  effects  of  it,  to 


A.  D.  05. 


REVELATION,  XVI. 


The  pouring  out  of  the 


vi 


ctls. 


S  And  they  sing  the  song  of 


song  of  the  s  Lamb,  saying, 
and  marvellous  are  thy  work 


ses  f  the  servant  of  God,  and  the 

Great 
vs,  Lord 

God  Almighty  :  just  and  true  are 
thy  h  ways,  thou  King  of ‘saints. 

4  Who  J, shall  not  fear  thee,  O 
Lord,  and  glorify  thy  name  ?  for 
ihou  only  k  art  holy:  for  all  1  nations 
shall  come  and  worship  before  thee; 
for  thy  judgments  are  made  mani¬ 
fest. 

5  And  after  that  I  looked,  and, 
behold,  the  temple  n‘ of  the  taberna¬ 
cle  of  the  testimony  in  heaven  was 
opened: 

G  And  the  seven  angels  came  out 
of  the  temple,  having  the  seven 


thereby  ;  to  which  there  seems  to  be  j  creature,  but  much  more  an  angel,  when 
an  allusion,  by  their  singing  the  song  of  Mo-  !  armed  with  the  anger  of  God,  will  he  too 
srs  ;  in  which  they  extol  the  greatness  of  j  hard  for  any  man  in  the  world.  This  wrath 
God’s  works  and  the  justice  and  truth  of  j  of  God  was  not  to  he  poured  out  all  at  once, 
his  ways,  both  in  delivering  his  people,  and  but  was  divided  into  seven  parts, 
destroying  their  enemies;  while  they  cal' 
all  nations  to  render  unto  God  lire  fear 


on  - 

glory,  and  worship,  which  were  due  to  such 
a  discovery  of  his  truth  and  justice,  v,  4. 
Who  shall' not  fear  Thee  ? 

V.  5— S.  Here  we  have  a  sight  of  these 
angels  coining  out  of  heaven  to  execute  their 
commission,  v.  5.  Allusion  is  had  to  the 
holiest  of  all,  in  the  tabernacle  and  temple, 
where  was  the  mercy-seat,  covering  the  ark 
of  the  testimony ,  where  tile  high  priest  made 
intercession,  and  God  communed  with  his 
people,  and  heard  their  prayers.  Ry  this 
we  may  understand  how,  in  the  judgments 
God  was  now  about  to  execute  on  the  anti- 
christian  interest.  He  was  fulfilling  tire 


plagues,  clothed  in  pure  and  white  prophecies  and  promises  of  his  Word  and 
-  ■  ■  ...  -i  covenant,  which  was  there  always  before 

Him,  and  of  which  He  was  ever  mindful ; 


linen,  and  having  their  breasts  gird¬ 
ed  with  golden  girdles. 

7  And  one  of  the  four  beasts  gave 
unto  the  seven  angels  seven  golden 
vials,  full  of  the  wrath  of  God,  who 
liveth  for  ever  and  ever. 

8  And  the  temple  was  filled  n  with 
smoke  from  the  glory  °of  God,  and 
from  his  power;  and  no  man  was 
able  to  enter  into  the  temple,  till  the 


that  in  this  work  He  was  answering  the 
prayers  of  the  people,  which  were  offered  to 
Him  by  their  great  High  Priest;  that  He 
was  herein  avenging  the  quarrel  of  his  own 
Son,  and  our  Savior,  Jesus  Christ,  whose 
offices  and  authority  had  been  usurped,  his 
name  dishonored,  and  the  great  designs  of 
hi s  death  opposed,  hy  antichrist  and  his  ad¬ 
herents  ;  and,  finally,  that  He  was  opening 
a  wider  door  of  liberty  for  his  people  to  wor- 
in 


seven  plagues  of  the  seven  angels  ship  Him  in  numerous,  solemn  assemblies 

without  the  fear  of  their  enemies.  Observe, 
1.  How  they  are  equipped  and  prepared 
for  their  work”;  they  were  clothed  with  pure 


were  fulfilled. 

CHAP.  XVI. 


12  The  angels  pour  out  their  vials  full  ol  wrath.  6  The 
plagues  that  follow  thereupon.  15  Christ  cometli  as  a 
thief.  Blessed  are  they  that  watch. 

AND  I  heard  a  great  voice  out  of 
the  temple  saying  to  the  seven 
1  angels,  Go  your  ways,  and  pour 
out  the  vials  of  the  wrath  of  God 
upon  the  earth. 


f  Ex.  15:1 — 19.  a^es.  c.  17:14.  m  c.  11:19. 

De.  32:1—43.  }  Je.  10:7.  n  Is.  6:4. 

p  c  L4;3.  k  1  8a.  2:2.  o  Ps.  29:9. 

h  Ho.  14  .9.  1  Is.  45:23.  a-c.  15:1,7. 

j  or,  nations ,  or, 

PR  ACT.  OBS.  The  fuller  knowledge  we  acquire  concerning  the 
wonderful  works  of  God,  the  more  zealously  we  shall  celebrate  Ins  in¬ 
finite  greatness  and  excellency,  as  ‘the  Lord  God  Almighty,1  the  Creator 
mid  Ruler  of  all  worlds:  but  his"  title  of  Emrtianuel,  the  ‘King  of  saints,1 
will  peculiarly  endear  Him  to  us.  May  ‘  all  nations,1  therefore,  ‘  come 
and  worship  before  Him,1  and  accept  of  his  salvation!  This  prayer 


and  white  linen ,  and  had  their  bieasts  girded 
with  golden  girdles,  v.  6.  This  was  the 
habit  of  the  high  priests  when  they  went  in 
to  inquire  of  God,  and  came  out  with  an  an¬ 
swer  from  Him  ;  this  showed  that  these 
angels  were  acting  in  all  things  under  the 
divine  appointment  anti  direction,  and  that 
they  were  going  to  prepare  a  sacrifice  to  the 
Lord,  called  the  supper  of  the  great  God,  ch. 
19: 17.  Their  artillery, by  which  they  were 
to  do  this  great  execution,  was  seven  vials 
filled  with  the  wrath  of  God ;  the  meanest 


which 

should  successively  fall  oa  the  anlichristian 
party.  Now  from  whence  did  the  angels 
receive  these  vials  1  From  one  of  the  four 
living  creatures,  one  of  the  ministers  of  the 
true  church,  i.  e.  in  answer  to  the  prayers 
of  the  ministers  anti  people  of  God,  and  to 
avenge  their  cause,  in  which  the  angels  are 
willingly  employed. 

2.  The  impressions  these  things  made 
on  all  who  stood  near  the  temple  ;  all  were, 
as  it  were,  wrapped  up  in  clouds  of  smoke, 
which  filled  the  temple,  from  the  glorious  and 
powerful  presence  of  God  ;  so  that  no  man 
was  able  to  enter  into  the  temple,  till  the  work 
was  finished.  The  interests  ol  antichrist 
were  so  interwoven  with  the  civil  interests 
of  the  nations,  that  he  could  not  he  destroyed 
without  giving  a  great  shock  to  all  the  world ; 
and  tl-.e  people  of  God  Would  have  but  little 
rest  and  leisure  to  assemble  themselves  be¬ 
fore  Him,  while  this  great  work  was  do¬ 
ing  ;  for  the  present,  their  sabbaths  would 
be  interrupted,  ordinances  of  public  worship 
intermitted,  and  all  thrown  into  a  general 
confusion.  God  -Himself  was  now  preach¬ 
ing  to  the  church,  and  to  all  the  world,  hy 
terrible  tilings  in  righteousness  ;  but  when 
this  work  was  done,  then  the  churches 
would  have  rest,  the  temple  would  be  opened 
and  the  solemn  assemblies  gathered,  edified, 
and  multiplied.  The  greatest  deliverances 
of  the  church  are  brought  about  by  awful 
and  astonishing  steps  of  Providence. 


Chap.  XVI.  V.  1—7.  We  had,  in  the 
foregoing  ch.,  great  and  solemn  preparation 
made  for  the  pouring  out  ol  the  vials  on  an- 
tichristianism  ;  now,  we  have  the  perform¬ 
ance  of  that  work.  Where,  observe, 

I.  That  though  everything  was  made 
ready  before,  yet  nothing  was  to  be  put  in 
execution  without  an  immediate,  positive 
order  from  God  ;  and  this  He  gave  out  of 
the  temple,  answering  the  prayers  of  his 
people,  and  avenging  their  quarrel. 


Hie  eiul  of  time,  without  speaking  particularly  about  the  woes.  (Note, 

11:15 _ is.)  But  here  he  resumes  that  subject,  and  prophetically  shows 

what  woes  would  follow  the  sounding  of  that  trumpet.  Nothing  is 
more  important,  in  explaining  prophecies,  than  to  determine,  as  far  as 
we  can,  which  events  are  past,  ami  which  are  to  come  :  under  this  con¬ 
viction,  1  must  proceed  to  consider  what  follows,  in  general,  as  in  futu¬ 
rity  ;  and  shall,  therefore,  not  detail  nny  of  the  interpretations,  or  con¬ 
jectures.  which  have  been  made  of  them,  with,  relation  to  past  events  ; 
Because  1  cannot  myself  find  any  satisfaction  from  them.— The  ‘sea  of 
glass,  mingled  with  fire,1  (Note,  4:6—8.)  is  very  differently  explained : 
but,  as  the  persons  referred  to,  stood  upon  it,  we  cannot  so  well  under¬ 
stand  it  of  the  Fountain,  in  which  they  had  Washed  away  their  sins. 
Perhaps  it  was  emblematical  of  the  tempestuous  times,  during  which 
believers  then  lived  ;  the  slippery  and  fragile  nature  of  their  standing, 
considered  in  itself,  and  the  fiery  trials  which  they  endured.  Some  think 
that  epi  (tr.  on)  may  be  tr.  at  :  and  that  being  ‘  mingled  with  fire,1  de¬ 
notes  the  purifying  influences  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  Mat.  3:11,  12.  Sc. 

(2.)  ‘  This  glassy  sea  has  been  already  displayed  as  standing  befpre 
the  throne  of  God,  (4:6.)  where  it  was  seen  to  represent  the  purifying 
blood  of  the  Redeemer;  the  price  of  human  redemption,  in  which  alone 
the  vestments  cau  be  washed  white  ;  by  which  alone  the  Christian  can 
be  presented  pure  before  God.  But  the  Redeemer  lias  two  characters, 
conformably  to  his  offices  on  earth;  the  one  of  meekness,  in  which  He 
came  to  suffer  ;  the  other,  of  exaltation,  in  which  He  returns  to  reign, 
and  to  pour  out  vengeance  on  his  enemies.  We  are  now  arrived  at  that 
point  of  the  prophetic  history,  in  which  this  vengeance  begins  to  be 
poured  out.  We  therefore  see  the  glassy  sea  mingled  with  fire  ;  its 
waves  flashing  flame;  symbolically  expressive  of  anger  and  vengeance.1 
iVoodh.  131.  marks  ‘over  his  mark,1  as  doubtful;  and,  with  Schole- 
field,  tr.  cv  the  sea.  Ed. 

V.  5— 8.  (Note,  11:19.)  The  appearance  of  glory  above  the  mercy- 
seat  in  the  most  holy  place,  ‘  the  temple  of  the  tabernacle  of  the  testi¬ 
mony  in  heaven,1  was  an  emblem  of  the  appearance  of  God  in  heaven 
as  reconciled  to  sinners,  through  Jesus  Christ.  ‘  The  7  angels,1  coming 
forth  thence,  showed,  that  these  judgments  would  he  executed  on  the 
enemies  of  the  church,  in  mercy  to  the  people  of  God  ;  while  the  white 
clothing  and  golden  girdles,  worn  hy  these  ministers  of  vengeance,  rep¬ 
resented  their  holiness,  and  the  righteousness  and  excellency  of  these 
awful  dispensations.  ‘The  living  creature,’  1  of  the  4,  an  emblem  of 


will  he  answered,  when  his  tabernacle  shall  be  opened,  the  executioners 
of  his  vengeance  on  obstinate  rebels  shall  have  executed  theii  commis¬ 
sion,  and  the  seven  vials  have  been  poured  out.  In  the  mean  time,  let 
us  adore  his  justice  and  truth,  and  not  dare  to  object  to  his  deep  designs: 
tor  when  we  shall  witness  the  completion  of  the  whole,  we  shall  see 
Him  perfectly  glorious  both  in  mercy  and  in  judgment. _ ac0TT- 

the  gospel-ministry,  (Note,  4:6 — 8.)  giving  the  vials  to  the  angels,  im¬ 
plied  that  the  preaching  of  t lie  truth  would  be  instrumental  in  bringing 
the  judgments,  which  were  written,  upon  anlichristian  opposers:  an« 
the  temple  being  filled  with  smoke,  showed  the  darkness  of  those  dis¬ 
pensations,  and  the  horror,  which  would  envelope  the  enemies  of  God, 
whilst  these  plagues  were  executing.  (Notes,  Ex.  40:34,  35.  Eev.  fi 
22—24.  1  K.  8:10—14.  2  Chr.  5:12— 14.)— It  is  also  highly  probable, 
that  the  same  judgments,  tiy  which  the  anlichristian  power,  and  other 
enemies  of  the  church,  shall  be  destroyed,  will  be  employed  to  purity 
even  the  less  corrupt  parts  of  it :  and  in  proportion  to  the  degree  in 
which  unscriptural  usages  are  contended  for  and  imposed,  or  scriptural 
truths  and  duties  are  neglected,  even  professed  protestant  churches  will 
drink  of  the  cup.  (Notes,  Is.  59:— 1,  2.)  ‘God  will  purify  his  church 
bv  such  signal  judgments,  as  shall  arouse  the  attention  of  the  whole 
w-orld.1  Bp  .Horsley.  So  that  the  happy  estate  of  the  true  church,  as 
perhaps  implied  by  ‘ entering  into  the  temple;1  will  not  commence, 
till  bv  the  same  awful  dispensations,  obstinate  enemies  shall  be  de¬ 
stroyed;  and  lukewarm,  superstitious,  or  formal  Christians,  shall  tie 
purified.  Thus  whatever  is  antiscriptural  or  unscriptural  in  every  com¬ 
pany  being  purged  away,  the  whole,  brought  to  purity,  unity,  and  spirit¬ 
uality,  in  worship,  discipline,  doctrine,  and  practice,  shall  be  firmly  es¬ 
tablished.  Zeph.  3:9-17.  , 

NOTES.  Chap.  XVI.  V.  1,  2.  The  angels  were  next  ordered,  hy  a 
voice  from  the  temple,  to  pour  out  the  contents  of  ‘  the  vials,1  cense™, 
or  cups,  which  they  had  received  ;  and  which  were  emblems  of  the 
wrath  of  God  1  to  he  poured  out  on  the  antichrislian  empire,  and  on  all 
who  adhered  to  it;  and,  indeed,  on  all  the  opposers  of  pure  Christianity. 
—As  the  first  4  trumpets  were  so  many  stages  in  the  destruction  of  the 
western  empire,  and  the  5lh  and  6th  showed  the  extinction  o '  he  east  t  « 
empire :  so  these  vials  mark  the  gradual  desolation  of  the  Rom*"  c  ’ 
and  the  antichrislian  tyranny  of  the  kingdoms  which  siippo  t  it  .  the 
one  being  the  pagan,  idolatrous  persecuting  power 

idolatrous  persecuting  power,  the  beast  to  whom  the  drago  © 
laoiairous  persecuting  ju  ,  circumstance  occasions  a 

his  seat  and  empire.  (Note,  13.2—4.)  inis  cir  *  the  noisome 

similarity  of  some  of  the  vials  to  the  trumpets.  _  is  to  be 

and  grievous  sore,1  produced  by  the  pouring  0 “k  or  i .7 a  fi -ur-nUv e 

understood  literally,  with  respect  to  terrdde  pest  ence^or  n 
meaninv  the  event  must  determine.  But  the  plague  will  he  peculiar  to 
the  avowed  and  devoted  adherents  of  the  beast  and  his  image ;  whtch 


A.  D.  95. 


REVELATION,  XVI. 


The  pouring  out  of  the  seven  vials. 


2  Anil  the  first  went,  and  poured 
out  his  vial  upon  the  b earth;  and 
there  fell  a  noisome  and  grievous 
csore  upon  the  men  which  had  the 
mark  d  of  the  beast,  and  upon  them 
which  worshipped  his  image. 

3  And  the  second  angel  poured 
out  his  vial  upon  the  esea;  and  it 
became  as  the  blood  rof  a  dead 
man:  and  every  living  soul  died  in 
the  sea. 

4  And  the  third  angel  poured  out 
his  vial  upon  the  rivers  and  foun¬ 
tains  of «  waters  ;  and  they  became 
blood. 

5  And  I  heard  the  angel  of  the 
waters  say,  Thou  art  h  righteous,  O 
Lord,  which  art,  and  wast,  and 
shalt  be,  because  thou  hast  judged 
thus. 

6  For  they  have  shed  the  blood 
of  saints  and  prophets,  and  '  thou 
hast  given  them  blood  to  drink;  for 
they  are  worthy. 

7  And  I  heard  another  out  of  the 
altar  say.  Even  so,  Lord  God  Al¬ 


mighty,  j  true  and  righteous  are  thy 
judgments. 

8  And  the  fourth  angel  poured 
out  his  vial  upon  the  11  sun;  and 
power  was  given  unto  him  to  scorch 
men  with  1  fire. 

9  And  men  were  “scorched  with 
great  heat,  and  blasphemed  "  the 
name  of  God,  which  hath  power 
over  these  plagues:  and  0  they  re¬ 
pented  not,  to  give  him  glory. 

10  And  the  fifth  angel  poured  out 
his  vial  upon  the  seat  p  of  the  beast; 
and  his  kingdom  was  full  of  i dark¬ 
ness;  and  they  gnawed  their  tongues 
for  pain, 


b  c.  8:7. 
t  Ex.  9:8—11. 

>t  c.  13:13 — 17. 
e  c.  9:8 

f  Ex.  7:17—20. 
g  c.  8:10. 


h  ver.  7. 
i  De.  32:42,43. 

Is  49:26. 
j  c.  15:3.  19:2. 

k  c.  8:12. 

1  c.  9:17. 


m  or,  burned , 
n  ver.  1 1,21 . 
a  Da.  5:22,23. 

c.  9:29. 
p  c.  13:2—4. 
q  c.  9:2. 


II.  No  sooner  was  the  command  given, 
than  obeyed  ;  no  delay,  no  objection  made. 


Some  of  the  best  of  men,  as  Moses  and  Jer¬ 
emiah,  did  not  so  readily  comply  with  the 
call  of  God  to  their  work;  but  angels  excel 
not  only  in  strength,  but  in  a  readiness  to  do 
his  will.  We  are  taught  to  pray,  that  the 
will  of  God  may  be  done  on  earth  as  in 
heaven. 

And  now  we  enter  on  a  series  of  very  ter¬ 
rible  dispensations  of  Providence  ;  of  which 
it  is  difficult  to  give  the  certain  meaning,  or 
to  make  the  particular  application.  But  in 
the  general  we  may  observe, 

1.  An  allusion,  here,  to  several  of  the 
plagues  of  Egypt,  such  as  turning  their 
waters  into  blood,  and  smiting  them  with 
boils  and  sores.  Their  sins  were  alike,  and 
so  were  their  punishments. 

2.  A  plain  reference  to  the  seven  trum¬ 
pets,  which  represented  the  gradual  rise  of 
antichrist  ;  learn,  hence,  that  the  full  of  the 
church’s  enemies  shall  bear  some  resem¬ 
blance  to  their  rise;  and  that  God  can  bring 
them  down  in  such  ways  as  they  chose  to 
exalt  themselves. 

3.  This  gradual  fall  of  the  antichristian 
interest  shall  be  universal.  Everything  that 
anyways  belonged  to  them,  or  could  be  ser¬ 
viceable  to  them,  their  earth,  air,  sea,  rivers, 
cities,  all  are  consigned  over  to  ruin,  all 
accursed  for  the  sake  of  the  wickedness  of 
that  people.  Thus  the  creation  groans  and 
suffers  through  the  sins  of  men. 

(1.)  The  first  angel  poured  out  his  vial 
on  the  earth,  v.  2.  i.  e.  say  some,  on  the 
common  people;  others,  on  the  body  of  the 
Romish  clergy,  who  were  the  basis  of  the 
papacy,  and  of  an  earthly  spirit,  all  carry¬ 
ing  on  earthly  designs.  The  effect  was, 
noisome  and  grievous  sores  on  all  who  had  the 
mark  of  the  beast.  This  sore,  some  think, 
signifies  some  of  the  first  appearances  of 
Providence  against  their  state  and  interest, 
which  gave  them  great  uneasiness,  as  it  dis¬ 
covered  their  inward  distemper,  and  was  a 
token  of  further  evil  ;  the  plague-tokens 
appeared. 

(2.)  The  second  angel,  who  poured  out  his 
vial  on  the  sea,  v.  3.  i.  e.  say  some,  on  the 
jurisdiction  and  dominion  of  the  papacy  ; 
others,  on  the  whole  system  of  their  reli¬ 
gion,  false  doctrines,  corrupt  glosses,  super¬ 
stitious  rites,  idolatrous  worship,  pardons, 
indulgences,  a  great  conflux  of  wicked  in¬ 
ventions  and  institutions,  by  which  they 
maintain  a  trade  and  traffic  advantageous  to 
themselves,  but  injurious  to  all  who  deal 


with  them.  The  effect  was,  it  turned  the 
sea  into  blood,  as  the  blood  of  a  dead  man,  and 
every  living  soul  died  in  the  sea.  God  dis¬ 
covered  not  only  the  vanity  and  falsehood 
of  their  religion,  but  the  pernicious  and 
deadly  nature  of  it, — that  the  souls  of  men 
were  poisoned  by  that  which  was  pretended 
to  be  the  sure  means  of  their  salvation. 

(3.)  The  next  angel  poured  out  his  vial 
on  the  rivers  and  fountains  of  waters;  i.  e.  say 
some  very  learned  men,  on  their  emissaries, 
and  especially  the  Jesuits,  who,  like  streams, 
conveyed  the  venom  and  poison  of  their 
errors  and  idolatries  from  the  spring-head 
through  the  earth.  The  effect  was,  it  turned 
them  into  blood;  some  think,  it  stirred  up 
Christian  princes  to  take  a  just  revenge  on 
them  that  had  been  the  great  incendiaries 
of  the  world,  and  had  occasioned  the  shed¬ 
ding  of  the  blood  of  armies,  and  of  mar¬ 
tyrs  :  the  following  doxology  favors  this 
sense,  v.  5,  6.  The  instillment  that  God 
makes  use  of  in  this  work,  is  called  the 
angel  of  the  waters,  who  extols  the  right¬ 
eousness  of  God  in  this  retaliation.  They 
have  shed  the  blood  of  thy  saints,  and  Thou  hast 
given  them  blood  to  drink  ;  for  they  are  wor¬ 
thy  :  to  which  another  angel  answered  by 
full  consent,  v.  1. 

V.  8 — 11.  The  work  goes  on  in  the  ap¬ 
pointed  order. 

The  fourth  angel  poured  out  his  vial  on 
the  sun  ;  i.  e.  say  some,  on  some  eminent 
prince,  of  popish  communion,  who  should 
renounce  their  false  religion  a  little  before 
its  utter  downfall  ;  some  expect  it  wilt  be 
the  German  emperor.  The  consequence 
will  be,  that  sun,  which  before  cherished 
them  with  benign  influences,  shall  now 
grow'  hot,  and  scorch  them.  Princes  shall 
use  their  power  and  authority  to  suppress 
them  ;  which  yet  w’ould  be  so  far  from 
bringing  them  to  repentance,  that  it  should 
cause  them  to  curse  God  and  their  king, 
and  look  upward,  throwing  out  their  blas¬ 
phemous  speeches  against  the  God  of  heav¬ 
en ;  lltey  were  hardened  to  their  ruin. 

The  fifth  angel  poured  out  his  vial  on  the 
seat  of  the  beast;  on  Rome,  itself,  the  mysti¬ 
cal  Babylon,  the  head  of  the  antichristian 
empire.  The  effect  was.  the  whole  king¬ 
dom  of  the  beast  was  full  of  darkness  and 
distress;  that  very  city,  which  was  the  seat 
of  their  policy,  the  source  of  all  their  learn¬ 
ing,  and  all  their  pomp  and  pleasure,  is  now 
become  a  source  of  darkness,  pain,  and  an- 


seetns  to  be  intended  of  the  others,  though  not  so  expressly  mentioned. 
(AT.  R.) — Mr.  Faber,  without  hesitation,  interprets  this  plague,  of  the 
atheistical  spirit,  which  has  long  secretly  pervaded  the  nations,  adher¬ 
ing  to  the  Roman  church;  and  which  broke  out  so  extensively  and  fa¬ 
tally  about  the  time  of  the  French  revolution.  I  am  by  no  means  dis¬ 
posed  to  argue  against  this  interpretation  :  yet  I  am  not  able  to  adopt  it, 
as  a  probable  opinion;  even  if1  the  pouring  out  of  the  vials’  may,  in 
the  order  of  the  predicted  events,  be  allowed  to  begin  at  so  early  a  peri¬ 
od  ;  which  seems  to  me  inadmissible.  Many  others,  besides  devoted 
papists,  were  involved  in  the  effects  of  this  atheism  and  infidelity  :  hut 
the  predicted  judgment  is  stated  as  selecting  them  for  its  exclusive 
objects.  -  Scot  r. 

(2.)  ‘The  vials  probably  date  from  the  7th  trumpet,  which  contains 
them.  It  is  a  general  fault  to  accumulate,  on  the  first  4  vials,  too  great 
a  weight  of  particular  interpretation;  whereas,  as  the  symhols  are,  so 
should  the  interpretation  be,  general.’  Woodk. 

V- 3 — 7.  ( Note ,  8:8 — II.)  ‘Seas,  rivers,  and  fountains,’  turned  into 
Mood,  are  proper  emblems  of  vast  slaughter  and  devastation.  Yet  ‘  the 
angel  of  the  waters,’  who  was  appointed  to  preside  over  them,  or  to  be 
‘ a  ministering  spirit’  in  these  dispensations,  celebrated  the  justice  of 
the  eternal  I.ord,  who  had  determined  to  punish,  witlt  such  calamities, 
the  blood-thirsty  murderers  of  saints  and  prophets;  and  in  appointing 
them,  as  it  were,  ‘blood  to  drink.’  (Notes.  17:3 — 6.  18:20.  19:1—6.  Ex. 
1:22.  7:21 — 23.)  And  another  angel, ‘from  under  the  altar,’  (Note,  6: 
9 — 11.)  as  speaking  in  the  name  of  the  holv  tnartvrs,  concurred  in  these 
praises ;  and  also  declared  the  truth  of  ‘  the  Ford  God  Almighty,’  in  thus 
fulfilling  his  ancient  predictions,  and  his  promises  to  his  church. — If  the 
events  here  predicted  be  still  future,  the  fulfilment  of  the  prophecy 
alone  can  clearly  explain  it.  Mr.  Faber,  however,  interprets  the  whole 
passage,  of  the  bloody  transactions  in  France  and  on  the  comment, 
■which  have  occurred  during  these  last  20  years.  I  presume  not  to  de¬ 
cide,  whether  his  opinion  be  well  grounded  or  not :  yet  I  object  to  it  for 
these  reasons  :  1st.  The  stage,  on  which  these  tragedies  have  been  ncted, 
seems  by  no  means  large  enough  for  the  completion  of  the  prophecy. 
France,  anil  the  countries  connected  with  it,  form  only  part  of  the  king¬ 
dom  of  the  beast ;  ami  several  countries  belonging  to  it,  have  hitherto 
been  little  affected  by  these  sanguinary  measures,  though,  perhaps,  they 
may  ere  long  be  involved  in  them  :  in  fact,  many,  since  the  time  when 
tliis  was  first  written,  have  been,  though  not  in  that  degree,  or  to  that 

[716] 


extent,  which  the  prophecy  seems  to  require.  2dly.  The  term,  since  the 
commencement  of  the  French  revolution  seems  too  short,  to  answer  to 
the  idea,  excited  by  this  prophecy,  of  the  judgments  to  be  inflicted  : 
when  it  is  considered,  in  how  few  vs.  the  most  interesting  events  per¬ 
haps  of  2  or  300  years  are  comprehended.  3dty.  I  doubt,  whether  the 
time  for  the  pouring  out  of  the  vials  is  arrived  ;  and  whether  it  will  ar¬ 
rive,  till  after  the  middle  of  this  century. — It  seems,  however,  still  more 
improper  to  suppose  all  the  7  vials  coincident,  and  all  as  having  been 
begun  already  to  be  poured.  Scott. 

(3.)  lit.  rejects  ‘living;’  also  ‘  Ford,’  at  v.  5.  Ed. 

(7.)  Another  out  of.)  Bl.  marks  these  words  as  doubtful.  Id. 

V.  8,  9.  (Note,  8:12.)  Whether  burning  seasons,  producing  drought 
and  famine,  or  some  other  judgment,  figuratively  described  by  the 
scorching  beat  of  the  sun,  be  intended,  the  event  in  list  show.  These  vs. 
are  interpreted  by  Mr.  Faber,  to  mean  the  present  tyranny  of  the  ruler 
of  France,  over  that  nation,  and  t lie  other  kingdoms  of  the  beast,  on  the 
continent.  Not  being  disposed  to  controvert  this  interpretation,  and  much 
less. to  subscribe  to  it,  I  only  again  observe  that,  in  my  view,  our  pos¬ 
terity,  at  the  end  of  this  century,  will  be  more  competent  judges  of  this 
subject,  than  we  can  be.  Scott. 

(9.)  1  Divine  judgments  alone,  do  not  reclaim  ungodly  men.  But  their 
hardening  effect  on  men  left  to  themselves,  and  given  up  to  suffer  them 
without  remedy,  is  strikingly  represented  in  this  text.  They  produce  no 
godly  sorrow, — no  repentance  unto  life  ;  hut  rather  increase  the  enmity 
of  the  heart  against  God.  The  conscience  is  convinced  of  his  right¬ 
eousness,  hut  the  heart  is  enraged  to  greater  madness.  This  must  be 
the  effect  of  the  curse  of  the  law  in  hell,  where  the  hope  of  the  ungodly 
is  turned  into  endless  despair.’  Rev.  Dr.  Church. 

V.  10,  11.  This  predicts  some  great  calamity  to  Rome  itself,  yet  of 
such  n  nature  as  will  darken  the  whole  antichristian  empire.  (Notes,  18:) 
But  it  will  only  excite  tile  sufferers  to  more  horrid  blasphemies,  and 
more  desperate  defiance  of  God. — Interpreters  of  these  prophecies  in 
general  allow,  that  this  vial  is  not  yet  poured  out ;  and  this  is  a  suffi¬ 
cient  reason,  why  a  commentator  should  decline  giving  any  conjecture, 
in  what  manner  so  compendious  and  so  obscure  a  prediction  will  be 
fulfilled.  When  fulfilled,  it  will  cease  to  be  obscure.  Scott. 

(10.)  ‘  Ttie  throne  of  the  beast  is  the  seat  of  diabolical  artifice  and  an- 
tirhristfan  iniquity;  and  wheresoever  these  are  arrayed  against  the 
kingdom  of  Christ,  there  is  to  be  seen  a  portion  of  the  kingdom  of  the 


•» 


>■ 


t* 


A.  D.  95. 


REVELATION,  XVI. 


The  pouring  out  of  the  seven  vials. 


11  And  blasphemed  the  God  of 
heaven  because  of  their  pains  and 
their  r  sores,  and  repented  not  of 
their  deeds. 

12  And  the  sixth  angel  poured 
out  his  vial  upon  the  great  river 
•Euphrates  ;  and  the  water  thereof 
was  dried  ‘up,  that  the  way  of  the 
kings  of  the  east  might  be  prepared. 

18  And  I  saw  three  unclean  spir¬ 
its  like  frogs  come  out  of  the  mouth 
of  the  “  dragon,  and  out.  of  the 
mouth  of  the  v  beast,  and  out  of  the 
mouth  of  the  false  w  prophet. 

14  For  they  are  the  spirits  of 
*  devils,  working  v  miracles,  which 
go  forth  unto  the  kings  of  the  earth 
and  of  the  *  whole  world,  to  gather 
them  to  the  battle  1  of  that  great  day 
of  God  Almighty. 

15  TT  Behold,  I  come  as  a  b  thief. 
Blessed  is  he  that  watcheth,  and 
keepeth  his  garments,  lest  he  walk 
c  naked,  and  they  see  his  shame. 

16  And  he  gathered  them  togeth¬ 
er  into  a  place  called  in  the  Hebrew 
tongue  Armageddon. 

r  xer.  2.  v  c.  13:2.  z  1  Jn.  5:19. 

r  c  9:14.  w  c.  19:21).  a  c.  19:19 

1  Is.  41:3  Je.50:  x  1  Ti.  4:1.  b  2  Pe.  3:10. 

38.  51:36.  y2Th.  2:9.  c  c.  3:4,18. 

u  r.  12:3,9. 

guish.  Darkness  was  one  of  the  plagues 
of  Egypt,  and  it  is  opposed  to  lustre  and 
honor,  and  so  forebodes  the  contempt  and 
scorn  to  which  the  antichristian  interest 
should  be  exposed. 

V.  12 — 16.  The  sixth  angel  poured  out  his 
vial  on  the  great  river  Euphrates.  Some  take 
it  literally,  for  the  place  where  the  Turkish 
power  and  empire  begun  :  and  they  think 


this  is  a  prophecy  of  the  destruction  of  (he 
Turkish  monarchy  and  [delusion],  which 
they  suppose  will  lie  effected  about  the  same 
time  with  that  of  the  papacy,  as  another 
antichrist,  and  that  thereby  a  way  shall  be 
made  for  the  conveniency  of  the  Jews,  those 
princes  of  the  east.  Others  take  it  for  the 
river  Tiber;  for,  as  Rome  is  mystical  Ba¬ 
bylon,  Tiber  is  mystical  Euphrates.  And 
wheii  Rome  is  destroyed,  her  river  and  mer¬ 
chandise  must  sufl'er  with  her. 

But  what  did  this  vial  produce  1  1.  The 
drying  up  of  the  river,  which  furnished  the 
city  with  wealth,  provisions,  and  all  sorts 
of  accommodations.  2.  A  way  prepared 
for  the  kings  of  the  east.  The  idolatry  of 
the  church  of  Rome  had  been  a  great  hin¬ 
drance,  both  to  the  conversion  of  the  Jews, 
who  have  been  long  cured  of  their  inclina¬ 
tion  to  idids,  and  of  the  Gentiles,  who  are 
hardened  in  their  idolatry,  by  seeing  that 
which  so  much  symbolizes  with  it,  among 
those  called  Christians.  It  is  therefore  very 
probable,  that  the  downfall  of  popery,  re¬ 
moving  these  obstructions,  will  open  a  way 
for  both  the  Jews  and  other  eastern  nations 
to  come  into  the  church  of  Christ.  And  if 
we  suppose  that  Mohammedism  shall  fall 
at  the  same  time,  there  will  be  still  a  more 
open  communication  between  the  western 
and  eastern  nations,  which  may  facilitate 
the  conversion  of  the  Jews,  and  of  the  ful¬ 
ness  of  the  Gentiles.  And  when  this  work 
of  God  appears,  and  is  about  to  be  accom¬ 
plished,  no  wonder  if  it  occasion  another 
consequence,  which  is,  3.  The  last  effort  of 
the  great  dragou  ;  he  is  resolved  to  have 
another  push  for  it,  that,  if  possible,  he  may 
retrieve  the  ruinous  posture  of  his  affairs  in 
the  world.  He  is  now  rallying  his  forces, 
re-collecting  all  his  spirits,  to  make  one 
desperate  sally  before  all  be  lost.  This  is 
occasioned  by  the  pouring  out  of  the  sixth 
vial. 

Here,  observe,  1.  The  instruments  he 


makes  use  of  to  engage  the  powers  of  the 
earth  in  his  cause, — three  unclean  spirits  like 
frogs,  one  out  of  the  dragon's,  another  out  of 
the  beast's,  and  a  third  out  of  the  false  proph¬ 
et's  mouth.  Hell,  the  secular  power  of  an¬ 
tichrist,  and  the  ecclesiastical,  all  combined 
to  send  their  several  instruments,  furnished 
with  hellish  malice,  with  worldly  policy,  and 
with  religious  falsehood  and  deceit  ;  and 
these  should  muster  up  the  devil’s  forces  for 
a  decisive  battle. 

2.  The  means  these  instruments  would 
use  to  engage  the  powers  of  the  earth  in  this 
war, —  they  should  work  pretended  miracles; 
the  old  stratagem  of  him  whose  coming  is  af¬ 
ter  the  working  of  Satan,  with  all  power,  and 
signs,  and  lying  wonders,  and  with  all  deceiv- 
ableness  of  unrighteousness,  2  Thess.  2:  9,10. 
Some  think,  that,  a  little  before  the  fall  of 
antichrist,  the  popish  pretence  of  power  to 
work  miracles  will  be  revived,  and  will  very 
much  amuse  and  deceive  the  world. 

3.  The  field  of  battle, — a  place  called 
Armageddon J  i.  e.  say  some,  the  mount  ot 
Megiddo,  near  to  which, .by  a  stream  issuing 
from  thence,  Barak  overcame  Sisera,  and 
all  the  kings  in  alliance  with  him,  Judges 
5:  19.  And  in  the  valley  of  Megiddo  Josiah 
was  slain.  This  place  had  been  famous 
for  two  events  of  a  very  different  nature,  the 
first  very  happy  for  the  church  of'God,  the 
latter  very  unhappy  ;  but  it  should  now  be 
the  field  of  the  last  battle  in  which  the 
church  shall  be  engaged,  and  she  shall  be 
victorious.  This  battle  required  time  to 
prepare  for  it,  and  therefore  the  further  ac¬ 
count  of  it  is  suspended  till  we  come  to  ch. 
19:  19,  20. 

4.  The  warning  God  gives  of  this  great 
and  decisive  trial,  to  engage  his  people  to 
prepare  .for  it,  v.  15.  It  would  be  sudden 
and  unexpected  ;  therefore,  Christians  should 
be  clothed,  and  armed,  and  ready  for  it,  that 
they  might  not  be  surprised  and  ashamed. 
When  God’s  cause  comes  to  be  tried,  and 


beast ;  and  commensurate  with  his  power  and  authority  are  his  throne 
and  sceptre.  It  is  difficult,  therefore,  to  fix  upon  any  local  and  perma¬ 
nent  station  for  the  throne  of  this  tyrannical  power,  which  extends  over 
all  people,  ch.  13:8.  At  some  eras,  and  in  some  particular  places,  the 
spirit  and  power  of  tyranny,  cruelty,  and  oppression,  have  been  pecu¬ 
liarly  prominent.  And  the  eastern  apostasy  is  subjected  to  the  same 
power,  as  the  western.’  Woodh. 

V.  12—16.  If  the  river  Euphrates  is  here  to  be  understood  literally, 
some  eastern  nation  or  nations  may  be  expected  to  invade  Europe,  or  to 
meet  the  forces  of  the  antichristian  power,  in  the  western  parts  of  Asia, 
perhaps  in  Palestine,  as  the  executioner  of  the  Lord’s  vengeance  on  the 
kingdom  of  the  beast.  (Notes,  Ps.  149:7 — 9.  Is.  34:  63:1 — G.  Ez.  38: 
39:  Dan.  2:44,  45.  7:9-12.  11:40—4.5.  Mic.  5:10— 15.  7:14—17.  Zech. 
14:12 — 19.)  But  as  Rome  is  mystical  Babylon,  and  as  Babylon  stood 
on  the  river  Euphrates,  and  was  both  enriched  and  protected  by  it :  per¬ 
haps  we  may  understand,  bv  the  drying  up  of  the  Euphrates,  such  an 
enfeebling  of  the  power  of  Rome,  and  increase  of  that  of  its  enemies,  as 
shall  embolden  and  excite  the  nations  to  attack  her.  These  events, 
however,  will  threaten  the  destruction  of  that  whole  kingdom  and  dom¬ 
ination  :  so  that  ‘three  unclean  spirits,  like  frogs,  will  come  out  of  the 
mouth  of  the  dragon,’  as  representing  Satan,  who  gave  his  power  to  the 
beast;  ‘out  of  the  mouth  of  the  beast,’  or  antichristian  empire;  and 
‘out  of  that  of  the  false  prophet,’ or  the  antichristian  church  and  clergy. 
{Notes,  13:1 — 12.)  That  is,  emissaries,  commissioned  by  them,  and  in¬ 
stigated  by  unclean  spirits,  being  loathsome,  and  croaking,  and  intrud¬ 
ing  themselves  into  every  place,  to  the  mischief  of  all,  (Note,  Ex.  8:1 — 6.) 
will  go  forth  to  promote  idolatry',  pretending  to  work  miracles  in  sup¬ 
port  of  their  doctrine  ;  and  to  collect  ‘  the  kings  of  the  earth,  and  of  the 
whole  world,’  even  all  in  every  place  who  favor  that  design,  that  they 
may  make  one  united  effort  against  the  cause  of  God  :  and  thus  they 
will  be  ‘gathered  for  the  battle  of  the  great  day,’  in  which  the  Almighty 
God  intends  to  destroy  them. — Some  have  imagined  these  three  mystical 
frogs,  to  be  the  Dominicans,  the  Franciscans,  and  the  Jesuits  ;  and  the 
description  given  of  them  would  agree  well  enough  with  the  character 
of  those  Janizaries  of  the  church  of  Rome :  but  the  predicted  events 
must  fall  much  later  than  the  founding  of  those  orders;  and  Satan  will 
no  doubt  be  able  to  excite  men  of  the  same  stamp,  for  similar  services 
wilh  those  performed  by  them  in  former  ages. — These  will  be  times  of 
great  temptation;  and  therefore  Christ,  by  his  apostle,  called  on  his 
professed  servants,  to  expect  his  sudden  coming,  and  ‘  to  watch,’  that 
they  might  retain  and  be  found  in  the  garments  of  salvation,  and  not 
‘  walk  naked,’  and  so  be  put  to  shame,  as  apostates  or  hypocrites  :  for 
the  blessing  would  belong  only  to  the  watchful.  This  parenthesis  in¬ 
terrupts  the  prediction;  which  proceeds  to  show,  that  He,  even  the 
Lord,  gathered  together  the  kings  of  the  earth,  in  his  righteous  provi¬ 
dence,  to  a  place  called  Armageddon,  or  the  mountain  of  destruction, 
with  reference  to  Megiddo.  (Judg.  5:19.  2  K.  23:29,  30.  Note,  Joel  3: 
9 — 17.). — The  coincidence  between  this  prophecy,  and  those  referred  to 
in  the  notes,  ns  unfulfilled  prophecies  in  the  O.  T.,  is  worthy  of  special 
notice,  by  all,  who  would  patiently  investigate  the  true  meaning  of 
them,  and  not  run  away  with  hasty,  and  crude,  and  partial,  though  plau¬ 
sible  interpretations,  grounded  on  incidental  resemblances.— (14)  False 


prophet.]  The  same  as  the  second  or  two-horned  beast.  (Note,  13: 
11,  12.)  Scott. 

(12.)  ‘  Vitr.  brings  many  arguments  to  show,  that  “  the  kings  from 

the  rising  of  the  sun,”  do  not  mean  the  Jews,  either  converted  or  uncon¬ 
verted.  Pareus,  and  J.  Edwards,  are  among  those  who  apply  this  vial 
to  the  destruction  of  the  mystical  Babylon.  Fleming  considers,  that, 
as  the  6th  trumpet  brought  the  Turks  from  beyond  the  Euphrates,  so 
the  Cth  vial  exhausts  their  power,  as  the  means  and  way  to  prepare  and 
dispose  the  eastern  kings  and  kingdoms  to  renounce  their  heathenish 
and  Mohammedan  errors,  and  to  receive  Christianity.’  Henry,  abr. 
Beyond  the  Euphrates,  E.,  is  an  immense  extent  of  nations  and  tribes. 
As  i he  power  of  the  Persians  is  nearly  effete,  many  have  looked  for 
‘the  kings  of  the  East’ to  the  next  nation,  directly  E.,  the  bold,  en¬ 
terprising,  and  powerful  Afghans,  thought  to  he  the  descendants  of  the 
10  lost  tribes.  The  Jews  have  retained  their  peculiar  and  striking  phys¬ 
iognomy  to  the  present  day,  and  certainly  the  cut  (from  [colored  page, 
ch.  14.]  Elphinstone’s  Caulml)  of  one  of  the  Afghaun  nation,  has  a  pe¬ 
culiarly  Jewish  physiognomy,  and  patriarchal  bearing.  Ed. 

(13.)  Three  .  .frogsi]  ‘  That  from  the  mouth  of  the  dragon,  (the  devil.) 
means  a  general  spirit  of  licentiousness,  either  in  sentiment  or  practice, 
or  both,— nnv  or  all  kinds  of  blasphemy,  and  abomination.  That  from 
the  month  of  the  beast,  is  the  scheme  of  infidelity,  known  by  the  name 
of  illuiuiuisrn ;  which  is  the  beast  from  the  bottomless  pit,  full  of  the 
names  of  blasphemy.  And  the  spirit  from  the  mouth  of  the  false  pro¬ 
phet,  is  popery  in  its  falling  state  in  Europe,  since  the  afore-noted  revo¬ 
lution  in  France.  Agents  anil  subtle  efforts  from  these  three  sources, 
the  devil  will  seek  to  perfect,  and  to  bring  into  operation.  This  he  may 
be  expected  to  do  in  America;  and  thence  to  give  a  new  impulse  to 
them  over  the  world.  The  church  in  our  States,  has  much  to  fear  from 
these  three  systems  of  infidelity.’  E.  Smith.  ,(13)  Dragon  ..  beast  . . 
false  prophet.]  ‘  The  first  is' the  author  of  all  [spiritual]  wickedness; 
the  second,  under  his  direction,  is  the  inflicter  of  all  political  misery, — 
of  tyranny,  injustice,  oppression,  slavery,  and  cruelty,  under  every  form 
of  government,  whether  despotic  or  republican,  and  at  all  times  of  the 
world.  The  third  is  the  hypocritical  arch-minister  of  religion,  [of  what¬ 
ever  sect,]  which  he  first  corrupts  and  debases,  and  then  derives  ft-om  it 
a  sanction  for  all  the  wickedness  devised  and  perpetrated  [forj  himself 
and  his  coadjutors.’  Woodh. 

(14.)  Dl.  marks  ‘  of  the  earth  ’  and  ‘  of  the,’  as  doubtful.  Ed. 

(16.)  ‘  This  war  shall  take  the  xvorld,  as  the  siege  of  Jerusalem  took 

the  Jews,  by  surprise.  It  is  announced  by  the  same  terms,  see  Mat.  24: 
42,  43.  Yet,  as  in  the  instance  of  the  siege,  it  will  he  no  surprise  but  to 
the  negligent,  the  adherents  of  the  idolatrous  church,  and  the  general 
worldly  and  irreligious  portion  of  mankind.  To  those  whose  eves  are 
fixed  in  humility  upon  the  signs  of  the  great  coming,  there  will  be,  in 
the  circumstances  of  the  times,  warning  sufficient,  if  not  to  enable  them 
to  anticipate  the  precise  steps  by  which  the  universal  convulsion  will 
arrive,  at  least  to  ascertain  its  approach,  and  to  feel  the  solemn  neces¬ 
sity  of  preparing  bv  a  renewed  spirit,  by  a  purer  morality,  and  mote 
anxious  study  of  the  Gospel,  for  a  trial  in  which  all  the  earth  has  of 

strength  or  greatness  will  be  utterly  shaken.  Croly .’  Henry,  ahr. 

[7171 


A.  D.  95. 


REVELATION,  XVII. 


17  Anti  the  seventh  angel  poured 
out  his  vial  into  the  air  ;  and  there 
came  a  great  voice  out  of  the  tem¬ 
ple  of  heaven,  from  the  throne,  say¬ 
ing,  It  d  is  done. 

18  And  there  were  voices,  and 
thunders,  and  lightnings;  and  there 
was  a  great  'earthquake,  such  fas 
was  not  since  men  were  upon  the 
earth,  so  mighty  an  earthquake,  and 
so  great. 

19  And  the  great  city  ®  was  divid¬ 
ed  into  three  parts,  and  the  cities  of 
the  nations  fell:  and  great  Babylon 
came  in  remembrance  before  God, 
to  give  unto  her  the  cup  h  of  the 
wine  of  the  fierceness  of  his  wrath. 

20  And  '  every  island  fled  away, 
and  the  mountains  were  not  found. 

21  And  there  fell  upon  men  a 
great  hail  out  j  of  heaven,  every 
stone  about  the  weight  of  a  talent  : 
and  men  blasphemed  God  because 
of  the  plague  of  the  hail  ;  for  the 
plague  thereof  was  exceeding  great. 

CHAP.  XVII. 

3,  4  A  woman  arrayed  in  purple  and  scarlet,  with  a  golden 
cup  in  her  hand,  sitteih  upon  the  beast,  5  which  i3  great 
Babylon,  the  mother  of  nil  abominations.  9  The  inter¬ 
pretation  of  the  seven  heads,  12  ami  the  ten  horns.  8 
The  puuishment  of  the  whore.  14  The  victory  of  the 
Lamb. 

AND  there  came  one  of  the  sev¬ 
en  angels  which  had  the  seven 
vials,  and  talked  with  me,  saying 
unto  me,  Come  hither;  1  will  shew 


unto  thee  the  judgment  of  the  great 
whore  a  that  sitteth  upon  many  b 
waters: 

d  C.  21:6.  li  Is.  51:17.23.  j  c.  11:19. 

e  c.  11:13.  Je.  '25:15,16.  a  Na.  3:4.  c.19:2. 

f  Da  12:1.  i  c.  6:14.  LJe.  51:13. 

g  c.  14:8.  _ 

his  battles  to  lie  fought,  all  his  people  should 
he  ready  to  stand  up  for  his  interest,  and  he 
faithful  and  valiant  in  Ids  service. 

V.  17 — 21.  Here  we  have  an  account,  of 
the  7th  and  last  angel  pouring  forth  his  vial 
on  the  air,  on  the  prince  of  the  power  of  the 
air,  i.  e.  die  devil.  His  powers  were  re- 
strained,  his  policies  confounded,  he  was 
bound  in  Go  i’s  chain,  the  sword  of  God  was 
on  his  eye  and  on  his  arm.  He  had  used 
all  possible  means  to  preserve  the  antiehris- 
tian  interest,  and  to  prevent  the  fall  of  Bab¬ 
ylon  ;  but  now  here  is  a  vial  poured  out  on  ! 
Ids  kingdom,  and  he  is  not  able  to  support 
his  tottering  cause  any  longer. 

The  effect  was,  1.  A  thankful  voice  from 
heaven,  pronouncing  that  now  the  work  was 
done.  The  church  triumphant  in  heaven 
saw  it,  and  rejoiced;  the  church  militant  on 
earth  saw  it, and  became  triumphant.  It  is 
fin i sited .  2.  A  mighty  commotion  on  the 

earth, — an  earthquake,  so  great  as  never  was 
before,  shaking  the  very  centre  ;  and  this 
ushered  in  by  the  usual  concomitant  of  thun¬ 
der  and  lightnings.  3.  The  fall  of  Babylon, 
which  was  divided  into  three  parts,  called 
the  cities  of  the  nations,  v,  19.  having  had 
rule  over  the  nations,  and  taken  in  the  idol¬ 
atry  of  the  nations,  incorporating  into  her 
religion  something  of  the  Jewish,  some¬ 
thing  of  the  pagan,  and  something  of  the 
Christian  religion,  and  so  was  three  cities 
in  one.  And  this  downfall  extended  further 


The  seventh  vial  poured  out . 

than  to  the  seat  of  antichrist  ;  it  reached 
from  the  centre  to  the  circumference  ;  and 
every  island,  and  ever}'  mountain,  that 
seemed  by  nature  and  situation  the  most  se¬ 
cured,  were  carried  away  in  the  deluge  of 
this  ruin. 

Tiie  antichristian  party  were  affected 
with  it  also  ;  though  it  fell  on  them  as  a 
dreadful  storm,  as  if  t he  stones  of  the  city, 
tossed  up  into  the  air,  came  down  on  their 
heads,  like  hail  stones  of  a  talent  weight 
each,  yet,  so  far  from  repenting,  they  blas¬ 
phemed  that  God  who  thus  punished  them. 
Here  vvas^i  dreadful  plague  of  the  heart,  a 
spiritual  judgment  more  dreadful  and  de¬ 
structive  Ilian  all  the  rest.  Observe,!.  The 
greatest  calamities  that  can  befal  men,  w  ill 
not  bring  them  to  repentance  without  the 
grace  of  God  working  with  them.  2.  Those 
that  are  not  made  better  by  the  judgments 
of  God,  are  always  the  worse  for  them. 
3.  To  be  hardened  in  sin  and  enmity  against 
God  by  his  righteous  judgments,  is  a  cer¬ 
tain  token  of  utter  destruction. 


Chap.  XVII.  V.  1 — 6.  Here  we  have 
a  new  vision,  not  as  to  matter,  for  that  is 
contemporary  with  what  came  under  the 
last  three  vials  ;  but  as  to  manner  of  de¬ 
scription,  &c. 

1.  The  apostle  is  invited  to  view  What 
was  to  be  represented,  v.  1.  Here  is  a  name 
of  great  infamy,  that  of  one  that  is  married, 
and  has  been  false  lo  her  husband’s  bed  ; 
she  had  been  a  prostitute  to  the  kings  of  the 
earth,  whom  she  had  intoxicated  with  the 
wine  of  her  fornication. 

2.  The  appearance  she  made  was  gay 
and  gaudy,  like  such  sort  of  creatures,  v.  4. 
Here  were  all  the  allurements  of  worldly 


PRACT.  OBS.  How  infatuated  lntfst  men  be,  to  set  at  defiance  the 
power  of  God,  who  can  fight  against  them  by  such  varied  means,  and 
with  such  irresistible  weapons!  No  wonder  that  angels,  who  witness 
or  execute  his  vengeance  on  the  implacable  haters  of  God,  of  Christ,  and 
of  holiness,  loudly  celebrate  the  praises  of  his  justice  and  truth;  and 
adore  his  awful  dispensations,  when  lie  brings  on  bloody  persecutors 
the  tortures,  which  they  had  inflicted  on  his  saints  and  prophets.  But 
‘  the  heart  ’  of  man  is  so  ‘  desperately  wicked,’  that  the  most  complicat¬ 
ed  miseries  will  never  induce  any  one  to  repent,  without  the  special, 
.preventing  grace  of  God  :  nay,  if  men  are  left  to  themselves,  they  will 
‘  blaspheme  the  name  of  God,’  even  in  the  intervals  of  ‘gnaxving  their 
tongues  with  pain  !’  It  is  vain,  therefore,  to  expect  that  purgatory,  or 

V.  17 — 21.  How  this  [of  the  hail  stones]  is  to  be  understood,  the 
event  must  show.  (Note,  11:15— 13.)— It  would  be  very  easy  to  give 
an  opinion,  or  lo  quote  from  those  who  have  done  this  :  but  the  author 
would  refer  the  reader  to  those,  xvho  have  purposely  written  on  the  sub¬ 
ject.  It  is  however  clear,  beyond  doubt,  that  convulsions,  revolutions, 
and  the  wreck  of  nations,  to  a  degree  and  extent  never  hitherto  wit¬ 
nessed  or  recorded,  are  yet  to  be  expected,  before  1  the  mystery  of  God 
is  finished.’ — The  opinion,  also,  that  the  land  of  Canaan  will  be  the 
stage,  on  which  the  last  grand  conflict  shall  be  decided,  is  highly  proba¬ 
ble  :  (Notes,  20:7—10.  Ez.  38:9—23.  Dan.  11:10—45.)  but  whether  that 
country,  or  the  papal  dominions,  he  meant,  by  the  1000  furlongs,  to  lie 
drenched  with  blood,  must  be  left  undecided.  (Note,  11:14 — 20.)  The 
dimensions  may  suit  either  one  or  the  other  :  and  it  is  not  certain, 
whether  particular  dreadful  judgments,  on  the  immediate  seat  of  the 
beast,  or  tremendous  vengeance  on  all  his  remaining  adherents,  be  there 
foretold. — It  may  be  observed,  by  some  readers,  that  I  have  not  at  all 
noticed  the  interpretations  of  those,  who  consider  several  of  the  vials 
as  long  since  poured  cut.  This  has  resulted  from  a  full  conviction,  that 
these  interpretations  are  absolutely  inconsistent  with  the  chronology  of 
the  prophecy,  and  the  whole  clue  which  must  direct  ns  in  expounding 
it;  and  that  they  are  altogether  unsatisfactory,  eveit  as  insulated  ac¬ 
commodations.  Tlte  opinion  of  those,  who  explain  the  former  of  the 
vials  of  recent  events,  which  hnve  occurred  within  these  last  29  years, 
whether  well  grounded  or  not,  may  he  allowed  to  be  consistent  with 
the  chronology  of  the  book,  and  with  these  vinls,  containing  a  predic¬ 
tion  of  1  the  last  plagues.’  (Notes,  15:1 — 4.)  The  grand  question  to  be 
decided,  in  this  respect,  relates  to  the  sounding  of~the  7th  trumpet.  If 
that  event  be  past,  the  vinls  have  begun  to  be  poured  out ;  if  it  be  future, 
none  of  them  have  been  poured  out.  For  it  seems  to  me  clear,  that  as 
the  7th  seal  includes  all  the  7  trumpets;  so  the  7th  trumpet  includes 
all  the  7  vials.  Nor  do  I  think  it  possible  for  human  sagacity  to  deter¬ 
mine,  t"fi  some  considerable  time  has  elapsed,  at  what  precise  period 
events  of  such  immense  magnitude,  as  those  here  predicted,  began  to 
be  accomplished.  Scott. 

(17.)  ‘No  scheme  for  applying  the  vials,  as  yet  offered,  appears  to  he 
satisfactory.  Interpreters  usually  have  applied  them  to  the  times  in 
which  they  have  lived,  and  each  has  been  more  successful  in  pointing 
out  the  errors  of  others,  than  in  making  a  satisfactory  arrangement. 
These  effusions  are  now  generally  applied  more  or  less  to  events  con¬ 
nected  With  the  French  revolution.  Hutcheson  distributes  them  as  fol¬ 
lows  :  1.  The  Reformation.  2.  Wars  consequent  oil  the  Reformation 
to  1790.  3.  French  revolution.  4.  The  sun  of  despotism.  5.  The  re¬ 

action  in  a  struggle  for  civil  and  religious  liberty.  B.  The  defection  of 
the  kingdoms  of  the  pope.  7.  Final  overthrow  of  the  western  aposta¬ 
sy.  The  course  pursued  bv  If'oodh.  lo  view  the  pouring  forth  of  the 

[718] 


hell-fire,  will  ever  bring  men  to  glorify  God  in  true  repentance,  or  in 
any  sense  purge  away  their  sins.  Hell  itself  is  filled  with  blasphemies: 
determined  and  horrid,  in  proportion  to  the  degree  of  its  torments  :  and 
they  are  as  ignorant  of  the  history  ofhurnan  nature,  as  of  the  Bible  and 
of  their  own  hearts,  who  do  not  know,  that  the  more  men  suffer,  and 
the  more  plainly  they  see  the  hand  of  God  in  their  sufferings,  the  more 
furiously  they  often  rage  against  Him.  Let  then  sinners  now  seek  re¬ 
pentance  from  Christ,  and  the  grace  of  the  Holy  Spirit;  or  they  will 
hereatler  have  the  anguish  and  horror  of  an  unhnmbled,  impenitent,  and 
desperate  heart,  burning  with  enmity  against  God,  as  well  as  tortured 
by  the  fire  of  his  indignation  ;  and  thus  augmenting  guilt  and  misery  to 
all  eternity.  Scott. 

vials,  ns  the  commencing,  continued,  and  universal  punishment  of 
the  followers  of  antichrist,  without  attempting  any  minute  application, 
seems  at  present  tiie  only  sale  course  for  the  commentator.’  Henry,  abr. 

(20.)  1  Mountains,  in  a  spiritual  sense,  are  strongholds  of  antichris¬ 

tian  idolatry  ;  the  islands  or  isles  of  the  sea,  represent  the  heathen  na¬ 
tions  of  the  Western  [Europenn]  world.’  Woodh. 

(21.)  Men.]  ‘  The  men,  as  it  should  he  tr.  here  and  elsewhere.’  In. 

NOTES.  Chap.  XVII.  V.  1,2.  This  chapter  contains  a  digression 
from  the  main  subject,  and  a  kind  of  parenthesis  in  the  course  of  the 
prophecy  ;  to  show  more  precisely  what  was  meant  hv  ‘great  Babylon,’ 
the  ruin  of  which  had  been  so  tremendously  predicted.  (Note,  1 C:  1 7  — 
21.)  No  one  can  doubt,  but  Rome  is  meant  in  this  ch.,  nay,  the  most 
zealous  papists  allow  it  ;  and  indeed,  it  would  not  have  been  made  so 
undeniable  by  being  expressly  named,  as  it  is  by  this  description.  The 
only  question  then,  is,  whether  Rome  pa"an,  or  Rome  papal  is  meant. 
Hut  pagan  Rome  never  seduced  the  kings  of  the  earth  to  join  in  her 
idolatries,  she  never  intoxicated  the  inhabitants  ‘with  the  wine  of  her 
fornication  ;  ’  she  subdued  and  ruled  them  with  an  iron  rod,  and  not  by 
artifices  and  blandishments;  she  left  them  in  general  to  their  ancient 
usages  and  worship ;  nay,  she  imported  the  idols  and  vices  of  the  con¬ 
quered  nations,  and  thus  became  fatally  corrupted.  Even  when  the 
Roman  emperors  persecuted  the  Christians,  they  did  it  rather  from  a 
desire  of  crushing  innovations,  which  threatened,  as  they  supposed,  the 
peace  of  the  state,  connected  with  enmity  against  God,  and  truth,  and 
holiness,  than  from  zeal  for  any  particular  form  of  idolatry.  On  the 
other  hand,  it  is  well  knoxvn,  by  what  subtle  insinuations,  and  politic 
management,  ‘with  all  the  deceivableness  of  unrighteousness,’  Rome 
papal,  without  any  adequate  temporal  force,  has  obtained  and  preserved 
an  ascendency  over  kings  and  nations:  attaching  them  to  her  usurped 
dominion  in  blind  submission,  and  inducing  them  to  conform  to  her 
idolatries,  and  corruptions  of  Christianity.  So  that  Hie  authority  of 
powerful  kings,  and  the  forces  of  mighty  nations,  hnve  repeatedly  been 
employed  in  defence  of  her  tyranny  ;  and  multitudes  have  been  intox¬ 
icated,  and  infuriated,  by  their  zeal  for  that  church,  to  murder  their  un¬ 
offending  neighbors,  by  tens  of  thousands,  and  at  the  same  time  to 
enslave,  weaken,  and  impoverish  themselves  !  9 — 14.  14:8.  18:1 — 3. 
Jer.  51:7.  Scott. 

(2.)  ‘  Hurd  shows  why  this  term,  and  not  that  of  adultery,  is  here 
used,  and  points  out  papal  Rome,  contrary  to  those  who  would  assume 
that  the  lighter  term  denotes  pagan  Rome.  The  emblem  is  Babylon,  a 
pagan  idolatrous  city,  which  never  entered  into  any  close  contract  with 
Jehovah.  That  cify  being  noted  as  the  first  of  idolatrous  cities,  was  the 
fittest  to  be  an  emblem  of  the  enormous  guilt  and  extensive  influence 
of  idolatrous  Rome.  Pagan  idolatry  also  is,  for  the  most  part,  exposed 
by  the  ancient  prophets,  under  the  term  of  lying  vanities.  Hurd  fully 


A.  D.  95. 


REVELATION,  XVII. 


Vision  of  a  woman  silling  on  a  beast. 


2  With  whom  cthe  kings  of  the 
earth  have  committed  fornication, 
and  the  inhabitants  of  the  earth 
have  been  made  drunk  with  the 
wine  of  her  fornication. 

3  So  he  carried  me  away  in  the 
Spirit  into  the  wilderness:  and  I 
saw  a  woman  sit  upon  a  d  scarlet- 
colored  beast,  full  of  names  of 
blasphemy,  having  e  seven  heads 
and  ten  horns. 

4  And  the  woman  was  arrayed 
in  purple  and  scarlet  color,  and 
f  decked  with  gold  and  precious 
stones  and  pearls,  having  a  golden 
cup  in  her  hand  full  of  abominations 
and  filthiness  of  her  *  fornication. 

5  And  upon  her  forehead  was  a 
name  written, h  MYSTERY,  BAB¬ 
YLON  THE  GREAT,  THE 
MOTHER  OF  *  HARLOTS, 
AND  ABOMINATIONS  OF 
THE  EARTH. 

6  And  I  saw  the  woman  J  drunk¬ 
en  with  the  blood  of  the  saints,  and 
with  the  blood  of  the  martyrs  of 
Jesus  :  and  when  I  saw  her,  I 
wondered  with  great  admiration. 

7  And  the  angel  said  unto  me, 
Wherefore  didst  thou  marvel  ?  I 
will  tell  thee  the  mystery  of  the 


k  woman,  and  of  the  beast  1  that  oar- 
rieth  her,  which  hath  the  seven 
heads  and  ten  horns. 

8  The  beast  that  thou  sawest 
was.  and  is  not;  and  shall  ascend  1 
m  out  of  the  bottomless  pit,  and  go 
into  n  perdition :  and  they  that  dwell  j 
on  the  earth  shall 0  wonder,  whose 
names  were  not  written  in  the  book 
of  life  from  the  foundation  of  the 
world,  when  they  behold  the  beast 
that  was,  and  is  not,  and  yet  is. 

9  And  here  is  the  mind  which  | 
hath  wisdom.  The  seven  heads  i 
p  arc  seven  mountains,  on  which  j 
the  woman  sitteth. 

10  And  there  are  seven  kings  :  j 
fi/e  are  fallen,  and  one  is,  and  the  ! 
other  is  not  yet  come;  and  when  he  I 
cometh,  he  must  continue  a  short! 
space. 

c  C.  18  3.  h  a  Til  2:7.  roc.  U:7. 

d  c.  w-,3.  I  or,  FnmutUions.  11  ver.  II. 

e  c.  13:1.  J  c.  16:6.  o  c.  12:3  8. 

f  Billed.  k  ver.  I.  p  c.  13:1. 

(•  Je.  5l:7t  1  ver.  3. 


honor  and  riches,  pomp  arid  pride,  suited 
to  sensual  and  worldly  minds. 

3.  Her  principal  seat  and  residence, — 
upon  the  boost  that  had  7  heads  and  10  horns; 
i.  c.  Rome,  the  city  on  7  hills,  infamous  for 
idolatry,  tyranny,  and  blasphemy. 

4.  ller  'name',  which  was  written  on  her 


forehead.  It  was  the  custom  of  impudent 
harlots  to  hang  out  signs,  with  [impure  em¬ 
blems,  and]  their  names,  that  all  might  know 
what  they  were.  Now,  in  this,  observe, 
(1.)  She  is  named  from  her  place  of  resi¬ 
dence,  Babylon  the  great.  But  that  we 
might  not  take  it  for  the  old  Babylon,  lite¬ 
rally  so  called,  we  are  told  there  is  a  myste¬ 
ry  in  thgjiame  ;  it  is  some  other  great  city 
resembling  tile  old  Babylon.  (2.)  She  is 
named  from  her  infamous  way  and  practice; 
not  only  a  harlot,  but  a  mother  of  harlots  ; 
breeding,  and  training  them  up  to  idolatry, 
and  all  sorts  of  lewdness  and  wickedness  ; 
the  parent  and  nurse  of  all  false  religion 
and  filthy  conversation. 

5.  Her  diet;  she  satiated  herself  with  the 
blood  of  the  saints  and  martyrs  of  Jesus.  She 
drank  their  blood  with  such  greediness,  that 
she  intoxicated  herself  with  it  ;  it  was  so 
pleasant  to  her,  that  the  could  not  tell  when 
she  had  enough  of  it  :  satiated,  but  never 
satisfied. 

V.  7 — 13.  Here  we  have  the  mystery  of 
this  vision  explained:  hot  it  is  so  explained, 
as  still  to  need  further  explanation.  1.  This 
beast  was,  and  is  not,  and  yet  is;  i.  e.  it  was 
a  seat  of  idolatry  and  persecution  ;  and  is 
iv  t,  i.  e.  not  in  the  ancient  form,  which  was 
pagan  ;  and  yet  it  is,  it  is  truly  the  seat  of 
idolatry  and  tyranny,  though  of  another  sort 
and  form.  It  ascends  out  of  the  bottomless 
pit  ;  idolatry  and  cruelty  are  the  issue  and 
product  of  hell,  and  it  shall  return  thither, 
and  go  into  perdition.  2.  This  beast  has  7 
heads,  which  have  a  double  signification. 


meets  the  objections  of  Romanists,  and  shows  that  the  terms  here  used 
are  especially  applicable  to  papal  Rome.’  Henry,  abr. 

V.  3 — 5.  The  angel  then  carried  John,  ‘in  the  Spirit,’  (i.  e.  being  un¬ 
der  the  influence  of  the  prophetic  Spirit,  he  seemed  to  himselt  to  be 
conveyed,)  *  into  the  wilderness  ;’  for  the  antichrislian  tyranny  and  se¬ 
ductions  had  reduced  the  church  into  a  most  desolate  stale,  and  made 
it  like  a  desert.  (Notes.  12:13—17.)  There  he  saw  ‘  a  woman  seated 
on  a  scarlet-colored  beast.’  This  ‘  wohian  ’  was  the  emblem  of  the 
church  of  Rome,  and  ‘the  beast’  was  the  emblem  of  the  temporal 
power,  by  which  it  has  been  supported,  and  the  latter  was  ‘full  of 
names' of  blasphemy,’  which  we  have  had  repeated  occasions  to  men¬ 
tion.  (Notes,  12.3 — 6.  13:1 — 7.  2  Thes.  2:3,  4.)  ‘  The  7  heads  and  10 

horns  ’  are  afterwards  explained.  ( Notes ,7 — 14.  12:3 — 6.  13:1.)  The 
woman  was  ‘arrayed  in  purple  and  scarlet-color;’  for  these1  have  al¬ 
ways  been  the  distinguishing  colors  of  popes  and  cardinals,  as  well  as 
of  the  Roman  emperors  and  senators  ;  nay,  by  a  kind  of  infatuation,  the 
mules  and  horses  on  which  they  rode,  have  been  covered  with  scarlet 
cloth  ;  as  if  they  were  determined  to  answer  this  description,  and  even 
literally  to  ride  ou  a  scarlet-colored  beast  ! — ‘The  woman’  was  also 
most  superbly  decorated  with  gold  and  jewels;  and  who  can,  in  ade¬ 
quate  language,  describe  the  pride,  splendor,  and  magnificence  of  the 
church  of  Rome,  in  her  vestments  and  ornaments  of  every  kind  ?  riven 
papists  have  gloried  in  the  superiority  of  their  church  in  this  species  of 
magnificence,  ahove  ancient  Rome  when  at  the  height  of  her  prosperity. 
This  appears  in  all  things  relating  to  their  public  worship,  and  in  the 
papal  court,  even  beyond  what  can  be  conceived  ;  and  external  pomp 
attaches  carnal  men  to  a  religion,  which  excessively  interests  and  grat¬ 
ifies  them,  and  may  even  be  said  to  intoxicate  them;  whilst  they  de¬ 
spise  the  simplicity  of  spiritual  worship.— ‘  This  is  beyond  description, 
and  as  much  surpassed  my  expectation,  as  other  sights  have  generally 
fallen  short  ofit.  Silver  can  scarce  find  an  admittance;  and  gold  itself 
looks  but  poorly,  among  such  an  ineredihle  number  of  precious  stones.’ 
Addison. —  In  the  woman’s  hand,  likewise,  there  ‘  was  a  golden  cup  full 
of  abominations;’  this  alludes  to  the  practice  of  harlots,  in  inflaming 
their  paramours  with  love  potions  ;  and  represents  the  various  fasci¬ 
nating  allurements,  the  impostures,  delusions,  promises  of  impunity, 
indulgences,  absolutions,  with  hopes  of  worldly  interest  and  preferment, 
by  which  that  church  has  always  obtained  and  preserved  her  influence, 
and  seduced  men  to  join  in  her  spiritual  fornication,  the  other  abomina¬ 
tions  of  her  corrupt  worship,  and  the  unholiness  connected  with  it. 
(Notes,  18:4—3.  19:1—6.)  [How  many  poor  young  men  of  talents,  have 
been  lints  seducer!  even  from  Protestantism,  nnd  in  countries  boasting 
of  light  I  Bo.)  This  name  [the  woman’s]  was  ‘  Mystery,  Babylon  the 
Great.’  Her  religion  was  ‘a  mystery  of  iniquity,’  (Notes,  2  Thes.  2:5 — 
7.  1  Tim.  3:16.)  and  she  herself  was  mystically  ‘  Babylon  ihe  Great.’ — 
Now  there  was  nothing  in  pagan  Rome,  to  which  this  title  was  more 
proper,  than  to  any  other  city  ;  nor  would  it  have  been  anything  very 
mysterious  to  have  substituted  one  pagan  city  for  another;  but  it  was 
indeed  a  ‘great  mystery,’  that  the  professed  metropolis  of  the  Christian 
church  should  he  another  Babylon,  in  idolatry,  iniquity,  and  cruelty  to 
the  people  of  God  ;  and  her  very  title  of  ‘  the  Roman  Catholic,’  or  uni¬ 
versal  <  church,’  entitles  her  to  the  name  of  ‘  Mystery,  Babylon  the 
Great.’  She  affects,  indeed,  the  character  of  ‘our  holy  mother,  the 
church  ;  ’  but  she  is  in  fact,  ‘  the  mother  of  harlots  and  abominations  of 
the  earth  ;  ’  the  inventor,  source,  promoter,  and  principal  example,  of 
idolatries,  and  all  kinds  of  abominable  abuses  and  perversions  of  Chris¬ 
tianity,  with  which  the  nations  of  the  earth  have  been  corrupted. — It  is 
asserted  by  writers  of  good  authority,  that,  before  the  Reformation,  the 
word  mystery  was  written  in  letters  of  gold,  on  the  front  of  the  pope's 
mitre;  but  the  fact  has  been  controverted,  and,  therefore,  though  the 
affirmative  evidence  vastly  preponderates,  we  cannot  be  absolutely  cer¬ 
tain  of  it.  Scott. 

V.  6.  The  woman  was  as  notorious  for  cruelty  and  persecution,  as 


for  idolatry  and  profligacy  ;  and  the  apostle  saw  her  ‘  drunken  with  the 
blood  of  the  saints. and  martyrs  of  Jesus.’  (Notes,  1G-.3 — 7.  18-.20.  Dan. 
7:19 — 27.)  In  this  respect  Rome  pagan  and  Rome  papal,  were  both 
criminal ;  but  the  latter  has  probably  slain  more  thousands,  than  the 
tiirmer  did  individuals,  and  the  apostle  would  not  have  been  greatly 
astonished  to  see  a  heathen  city  persecuting  Christians,  having  wit¬ 
nessed  and  experienced  such  persecutions  during  many  years,  before  lie 
had  this  vision  ;  but  that  a  city,  professedly  Christian,  and  the  metrop¬ 
olis  of  tile  Christian  church,  should  thus  wanton  arid  riot  in  the  blood 
of  the  saints,  might  well  excite  his  highest  amazement.  ‘All  this  is 
very  plain;  hut  papists  wonder  by  what  figure  of  speech  lien  tics  are 
called  “saints,”  and  rebels  against  the  pope,  “martyrs  of  Jesus.”’  Bp. 
Hurd.  .  Scott. 

V.  7,  8.  I.est  nnv  one  should  mistake  or  hesitate  concerning  the 
meaning  of  these  emblems,  the  angel  became  the  interpreter  of  the  vis¬ 
ion.  As  the  apostle  had  seen  and  heard  very  much  on  the  same  subject 
before,  the  angel  inquired  into  the  reason  of  lbs  excessive  amazement  ; 
(Notes,  12:3—  6.  13:1— 17.)  and  he  then  showed  to  him  ‘the  mystery 
of  the  woman,  riding  on  the  beast.’  A  beast  is  the  emblem  of  an  idola¬ 
trous  and  oppressive  empire  ;  the  Roman  empire  was  ‘  the  beast  ’  under 
the  pagan  emperors ;  it  ceased  to  be  so,  when  it  became  Christian,  with 
reference  to  which  the  angel  says,  by  way  of  anticipation,  ‘It  is  not.’ 
Yet  it  would  afterwards  ‘  ascend  out  of  the  abyss  ;  ’  i.  e.  when  the  anti- 
christian  empire  became  idolatrous  and  persecuting,  and  the  dragon 
gave  his  power  to  the  tubist,  it  seemed  to  arise  out  of  the  sea,  the  tem¬ 
pestuous  state  of  the  nations,  hut  it  was  in  fact  front  hell,  being  Satan’s 
grand  scheme  for  opposing  the  Gospel  :  (Notes,  9:1,  2.  11:7 — 12.  13:1  — 
4.)  mid  therefore  after  a  time  it  would  go  into  perdition,  and  be  destroyed 
finally  and  for  ever. — ‘The  empire  was  idolatrous  under  the  heathen 
emperors,  and  then  ceased  to  be  so  under  the  Christian  emperors,  and 
then  became  idolatrous  again  under  the  Roman  pontiff's,  and  hath  so 
continued  ever  since. — But  in  this  lust  form  it  shall  go  into  perdition  : 
it  shall  not,  as  it  did  before,  cease  for  a  time,  and  revive  again,  but  shall 
he  destroyed  for  ever.’  Bp.  Newton.  (Note,  Dan.  7:9 — 14,  23 — 27.  11: 
44,  45.)  In  the  mean  while,  however,  it  is  foretold,  it  would  deceive 
into  a  stupid  admiration,  nnd  blind  submission,  ‘  all  the  inhabitants  of 
the  earth,’  within  the  sphere  of  itB  influence,  except  the  remnant  of  the 
elect.  (Note,  13:8 — 10.)  (8 )  Shall  ascend.]  is  about  to  ascend.  This 

determines  the  rise  of  the  beast  to  a  period  subsequent  to  the  prediction 
being  delivered,  and  consequently  Rome  pagan  cannot  be  meant,  for 
that  had  risen  long  before.  If- 

(8.)  Not  written,  &.C.]  ‘  This  expression  shows,  that  this  revival  of 

a  persecuting  power,  should  he  greatly  owing  to  some  members  of  the 
church  itself,  who  had  lost  the  spirit  and  temper  of  true  Christianity, 
and  were  led  by  what  they  thought  their  worldly  interests.’  I.owman. 

V.  9 — 14.  Seven  mountains.]  This  is  the  well-known  situation  of 
Rome;  Constantinople  is  also  built  on  7  hills,  but  they  are  compara¬ 
tively  obscure,  and  no  other  mark  of  the  beast  answers  to  it.  For  ‘  the 
seven  heads’  of  the  beast  had  another  enigmatical  meaning,  and  signifi¬ 
ed  seven  ‘kings,’  or  successions  of  rulers,  according  to  the  usual  pro¬ 
phetical  meaning  of  the  word  ‘kings.’  Some  explain  the  7th.  of  the 
Christian  emperors  ;  but  their  power  must  either  he  included  in  the  sixth 
head ;  or  it  could  not  he  a  head  of  the  beast  at  all,  not  being  idolatrous. 
Others  explain  it  of  the  Exarch  of  Ravenna,  the  deputy  of  the  emperor 
of  the  East,  under  which  government  this  proud  city,  Rome,  continued 
as  a  dukedom  for  above  a  hundred  years.  Others  explain  it  of  the  usur¬ 
pations  of  the  pope,  before  he  became  a  temporal  prince,  or  the  prescrib¬ 
ed  ‘  1260  years’  of  the  reign  of  the  beast  had  entered  ;  but  that  of  the 
Exarch  of  Ravenna  seems  most  clear.  Many  other  interpretations  have 
been  given,  and  especially  the  dominion  of  Charlemagne  and  his  suc¬ 
cessors,  during  several  generations,  has  been  fixed  upon.  In  general, 
however,  it  related  to  the  intervening  space  between  the  subversion  of 
the  empire,  and  the  establishment  of  papal  tyranny  ;  during  which  time 


A.  D.  95. 


REVELATION,  XVII. 


The  vision  explained. 


11  And  the  beast  that  was,  and  is 
not,  even  he  is  the  eighth,  and  is  of 
the  seven,  and  goeth  into  perdition. 

12  And  the  9  ten  horns  which 
thou  sawest  are  ten  kings,  which 
have  received  no  kingdom  as  yet  ; 
but  receive  power  as  kings  one 
hour  with  the  beast. 

13  These  have  one  mind,  and 
shall  give  their  power  and  strength 
unto  the  beast. 

14  These  shall  make  war  r  with 
the  Lamb,  and  the  Lamb  shall  5 
overcome  them:  for  he  is  Lord  ‘of 
lords,  and  King  of  kings  :  and  they 
“that  are  with  him  are  “called,  and 
'“chosen,  and  “faithful. 

15  And  he  saith  unto  me,  The 
y  waters  which  thou  sawest,  where 
the  whore  sitteth,  are  2  peoples, 
and  multitudes,  and  nations,  and 
tongues. 

16  And  the  ten  horns  which  thou 
sawest  upon  the  beast,  these  “shall 
hate  the  whore,  and  shall  make  her 
desolate  and  b  naked,  and  shall  eat 
her  flesh,  and  c  burn  her  with  fire. 

17  For  God  dhath  put  in  their 
hearts  to  fulfil  his  will,  and  to  agree, 
and  give  their  kingdom  unto  the 
beast,  until  the  words  of  God  shall 
be  e  fulfilled. 


13  And  the  woman  which  thou 
sawest  is  that  great  fcity,  which 
rei'meth  over  the  kings  of  the  earth. 

o  a 


q  Da.  7:20. 

Zee  1:18 — 21. 
r  c.  19.19. 
s  Je  5(J;44. 
t  He.  10:17.  I  Ti 
6:15.  c.  19:19. 


u  Mi.  5:8,9 
v  Ro.  8:30,37. 
w  Jn.  15:16. 
x  c.  2:10. 
y  Is.  8:7.  ver.  1. 
z  c.  13:7. 


a  Je.  50:41.42. 
b  Eze.  16:37—44. 
c  c.  18:8,18. 
cl  Ac  4:27,28. 
e  c.  10:7. 
f  c.  16:19. 


(1.)  Seven  mountains, — the  seven  hills  on 
which  Rome  stands;  and  (2.)  Seven  kings, 
— seven  sorts  of  government.  Rome  was 
governed  by  kings,  consuls,  tribunes,  de¬ 
cemviri,  dictators  ;  emperors  who  were 
pagan,  and  emperors  who  were  Christian  ; 
live  of  these  were  extinct  when  this  proph¬ 
ecy  was  written  ;  one  was  then  in  being, 
i.  e.  the  pagan  emperor;  and  the  other,  i.  e. 
the  Christian  emperor,  was  yet  to  come, 
v.  10.  This  beast,  the  papacy,  makes  an 
8th  governor,  and  sets  up  idolatry  again. 
3.  This  beast  had  ten  horns;  which  are  said 
to  be  ten  kings  which  have,  as  yet,  received,  no 
kingdoms  ;  as  yet,  i.  e.  as  some,  shall  not 
rise  up  till  the  Roman  empire  be  broken  in 
pieces;  or,  as  others,  shall  not  rise  up  till 
near  the  end  of  antichrist’s  reign,  and  so 
shall  reign  but  as  it  were  one  hour  with  her, 
but  shall  for  that  time  be  very  unanimous 
and  very  zealous  in  that  interest, and  entire¬ 
ly  devoted  to  it,  divesting  themselves  of 
their  prerogatives  and  revenues,  (things  so 
dear  to  princes,)  out  of  an  unaccountable 
fondness  for  the  papacy. 

V.  14 — 18.  Here  we  have  some  account 
of  the  downfall  of  Babylon,  to  be  more  fully 
described  in  the  following  chapter. 


1.  Here  is  a  war  begun  between  the  beast 
and  his  followers,  and  the  Lamb  and  his  fol¬ 
lowers.  iThe  beast  and  his  army,  to  an  eye  of 
sense,  appear  much  stronger  than  the  Lamb 
and  his  army  :  one  would  think  an  army 
with  a  Lamb  at  the  head  of  them  cotdd  not 
stand  before  the  great  red  dragon.  But, 

2.  Here  is  a  victory  gained  by  the  Lamb; 
The  Lamb  shall  overcome ;  Christ  must  reign 
till  all  enemies  be  put  under  his  feet. 

3.  Here  is  the  ground  and  reason  of  the 
victory  assigned  ;  taken,  (1.)  From  the 
character  of  the  Lamb  ;  King  of  kings,  and 
Lord  of  lords.  He  has,  both  by  nature  and 
by  office,  supreme  dominion  and  power  over 
all  things  ;  all  the  powers  of  earth  and  hell 
are  subject  to  his  check  and  control.  (2.) 
From  the  character  of  his  followers  ;  they 
are  called,  chosen,  faithful  ;  called  bv  com¬ 
mission  to  this  warfare,  chosen  anil  fitted 
for  it,  and  will  be  faithful  in  it.  Such  an 
army,  under  such  a  Commander,  will  at 
length  carry  all  the  world  before  them. 

4.  The  victory  is  justly  aggrandized,  (1.) 
By  the  vast  multitude  who  paid  obedience 
and  subjection  to  the  beast  and  to  the  whore 
She  presided  over  many  waters  ;  these  were 
so  many  multitudes  of  people,  and  nations, 
of  all  languages  ;  yea,  she  reigned  not  only 
over  kingdoms,  but  over  the  kings,  and  they 
were  tributaries  and  vassals,  v.  15,  18. 
(2.)  By  the  powerful  influence  God  hereby 
show'ed  He  had  over  the  minds  of  great  men ; 
their  hearts  He  turned  as  He  pleased  ;  for, 
it  w'as  of  God,  and  to  fulfil  his  will,  that 
these  kings  agreed  to  give  their  kingdom  unto 
the  beast  ;  they  w.ere  judicially  blinded  and 


PRA.CT.  OBS.  The  Lord  takes  pleasure  in  satisfying  his  people, 
concerning  the  reasons  and  equity  of  his  judgments  on  his  enemies; 
that  they  may  not  be  intimidated  by  the  severity  of  them,  or  fail  to 
adore  and  praise  Him  on  that  account. — Great  prosperity,  pomp,  and 
splendor,  commonly  feed  the  pride  and  lusts  of  the  human  heart ;  yet 
they  form  no  security  against  divine  vengeance. — Those  who  allure  or 
tempt  others  to  sin,  must  expect  more  aggravated  punishment,  in  pro¬ 
portion  to  the  degree  of  the  mischief  done  by  them. — The  worst  abomi¬ 
nations,  idolatries,  filthinesses,  cruelties,  and  blasphemies,  have  been 
perpetrated  within  the  professing  church  :  and  a  magnificent  religion, 
[arrogating  political  power,  Ed.]  adorned  with  purple,  and  decked 
with  gold  and  jewels,  is  generally  antichristian.  But  ‘the  golden  irn- 

Rome  was  under  the  temporal  jurisdiction  of  the  Exarch  of  Ravenna, 
and  the  spiritual  rule  of  the  pope,  who  had  already  introduced  the  wor¬ 
ship  of  saints  and  images,  and  many  other  gross  abuses.  If  this  be  reck¬ 
oned  a  distinct  form  of  government,  then  the  beast,  as  it  subsisted  when 
the  woman  sat  on  it,  was  ‘the  eighth,’  but,  if  it  is  deemed  too  inconsid¬ 
erable  to  be  reckoned  a  distinct  head,  ‘he  was  one  of  the  7;’  but, 
whether  the  7th  or  the  8th,  he  would  he  the  last  form  of  government  in 
that  idolatrous  empire  ;  and  ‘  goeth  into  perdition.’  ‘  The  beast,  there¬ 
fore,  on  which  the  woman  rideth,  is  the  Roman  government  in  its  last 
form;  and  this,  all  must  acknowledgers  papai,  not  imperial.’  Bp.  New¬ 
ton.  For  the  last  head  was  the  only  one,  which  existed  when  the  wo¬ 
man  sat  on  the  beast,  and  was  therefore  spoken  of  as  the  beast  itself. — 

‘  The  ten  horns  ’  (which  seem  to  have  all  grown  on  the  last  head)  were 
‘ten  kings,’ or  successions  of  kings;  who  had  ‘received  no  kingdom’ 
•when  John  had  this  vision;  but  they  would  ‘receive  power  as  kings 
one  hour  with  the  beast,’  or  at  the  same  time,  and  for  the  same  period. 
This  points  out  the  division  oflhe  Roman  empire  into  ten  distinct  king¬ 
doms,  yet  all  united  in  one  design  to  support  the  idolatry  of  the  church 
of  Rome;  and  it  is  wholly  incompatible  with  pagan  Rome.  They  might 
be  kings;  but  they  were  not  horns  of  the  beast,  till  they  embraced  that 
religion,  and  both  strengthened  the  hands  of  the  pope  and  church  of 
Rome,  and  were  sirengthened  by  them.  These  were  contemporary,  not 
successive  princes,  as  the  7  kings  before  mentioned  were  ;  and,  not¬ 
withstanding  the  continual  interference  of  their  several  political  inter¬ 
ests  and  measures,  and  their  contests  in  other  things,  they  were  ‘of  one 
mind  to  give  their  power  to  the  beast,’  implicitly  submitting  to  that 
idolatrous  religion;  defending  its  tyranny  and  usurpations;  enduring  its 
exorbitant  exactions;  and  obeying  its  mandates  to  make  war,  in  oppos¬ 
ing  the  cause  of  Christ,  and  in  order  to  extirpate  his  disciples.  But  it 
was  predicted,  that  they  would  all  be  finally  defeated  in  that  war,  by 
‘the  Lamb  of  God;’  as  He  is  ‘Lord  of  lords,  and  King  of  kings,’  as 
many  vain  mortals  have  affected  to  cal!  themselves;  [Notes,  1  Kings 
20:1.  Ezra  7-.12.  Dan.  2  S7.)  and  his  followers  are  effectually  called 
to  enlist  under  his  standard,  in  consequence  of  his  special  choice  of 
them;  and  therefore  they  are  true  believers,  faithful  to  his  cause,  and  to 
their  own  engagements.  (iVofes,  19:11 — 21.  Mat.  22:11 — 14.)  Scott. 

(12.)  ‘  When  the  Roman  empire  declined,  under  the  invasions  of  the 
Goths,  and  other  barbarians,  ten  kingdoms  arose,  which  are  enumerated 
by  different  writers.  Though  much  varied  in  respect  to  the  people  of 
which  they  were  composed,  their  number  has  been  nearly  the  same; 
and,  on  an  average,  in  the  long  course  of  1400  years,  reaching  to  our 
times,  the  number  ten  would  be  found  to  predominate.  Considering  the 
changes  to  which  all  nations  are  exposed,  and  which  have  prevailed  in 
other  quarters  of  the  globe,  it  is,  indeed,  a  wonder,  that  the  ten  Euro¬ 
pean  kingdoms  should  subsist  as  they  have  done.  Their  character  and 
designation  has  been  exactly  fulfilled.  They  have  imbibed  the  doctrines 
ot  the  harlot,  and  have  executed  her  bloody  decrees.  But  the  time 
seems  already  to  have  dawned,  when  they  shall  perform  their  appoint¬ 
ed  part  in  her  downfall  and  disgrace.  Woodh. — Are  not  the  annals  of 

[720] 


age,’ or  '■golden  cup,’  in  the  hand  of  Babylon  and  her  daughters,  will 
reconcile  most  men  to  ‘the  mysteries  of  iniquity’  connected  with  it; 
and  make  them  willingly  swallow  down  the  wine  of  their  fornications ; 
and  even  induce  them  to  join  in  making  themselves  ‘drunken  with  the 
blood  of  the  saints  and  martyrs  of  Jesus.’  [Notes,  Dan.  3:1 — 12.)  Let 
all  then  beware  of  a  splendid,  a  lucrative,  or  a  fashionable  religion:  let 
us  avoid  ‘  the  mysteries  of  iniquity,’  and  study  diligently  ‘  the  great 
mystery  of  godliness ;’  that  we  may  learn  humility,  simplicity,  self-deni¬ 
al,  and  gratitude,  in  the  stable  at  Bethlehem,  in  the  carpenter’s  shop  at 
Nazareth,  by  the  side  of  the  well  at  Sychar,  in  the  garden  of  Gethsemane, 
and  on  mount  Golgotha:  for  the  more  we  resemble  Christ,  the  less  shall 
we  be  liable  to  be  deceived  by  antichrist.  Scott. 

every  country,  and  of  almost  every  period,  stained  by  the  blood  of  the 
disciples  of  the  Lamb  ?  and  has  not  the  bitterest  opposition  of  the  ruling 
powers  been  levelled  against  those  distinguished  for  purity  of  faith,  of 
practice,  and  of  outwar-d  worship  ?  Towers .’  Henry,  abr. 

V.  15 — 18.  The  angel  next  explained  to  the  apostle  ‘the  many  wa¬ 
ters,  on  which  the  woman  sat,’  in  regal  dignity.  Four  distinct  words, 
all  in  the  plural  number,  aptly  describe  the  extensive  dominion  of  the 
church  of  Rome,  not  only  over  those  within  the  territories  belonging  to 
the  papacy,  but  over  all  the  kingdoms  of  that  communion,  and  in  their 
remote  dependencies,  in  the  East  Indies,  in  South  America,  and  other 
places.  Indeed,  the  pope  has  claimed  the  riirh t  over  all  nations,  to  dis¬ 
pose  of  crowns,  and  depose  princes,  at  his  pleasure,  as  if  he  were  ‘  Lord 
of  lords,  and  King  of  kings  !  ’  and  the  very  titles  of  ‘  universal  bishop,’ 
and  ‘  the  Roman  Catholic  church,’  fully  accord  to  this  description.  This, 
however,  will  not  always  be  the  case  ;  for  the  ‘  ten  horns,’  or  kingdoms, 
which  once  exalted  and  supported  the  ecclesiastical  tyranny,  will  at 
length  ‘ hate,  desolate,’ strip,  devour,  and  destroy  it.  (Even  Austria  is 
beginning  afresh  to  confiscate  church  property.  Ed.]  Most  of  them  will 
be  the  principal  instruments  in  the  destruction  of  popery,  and  the  ruin 
ufRnnte  itself;  though  some  will  lament  over  these  events.  (Note,  18: 
9,  10.) — How  far  some  late  revolutions  may  lend  to  this  crisis  we  can¬ 
not  tell,  but  present  appearances  render  it  not  improbable,  that  the  last 
victory  of  the  beast  over  tlie  witnesses  of  Christ,  will  be  obtained  in 
some  other  way,  than  directlv  by  papal  delusions.  Yet  these  appear¬ 
ances  are  continually  changing.  (Note,  11:7 — 12.)  God  lias  so  influ¬ 
enced  the  hearts  of  these  kings,  by  bis  power  over  them,  and  by  the  dis¬ 
pensations  of  his  providence,  that  they  fulfilled  his  will,  or  did  those 
things,  without  intending  it,  which  He  had  purposed  and  predicted. 
(Notes,  Ezra  1:1 — 4.  Ps.  105:23—25.  Ez.  14:9—11.  38:10.  2  Thes.  2: 
10 — 12.)  Thus  they  had  agreed  together  to  ‘give  their  kingdom  to  the 
beast;’  to  make  him,  as  it  were,  their  liege  lord;  and  to  reign  over 
others,  only  in  order  to  render  them  subservient  to  him.  But  they  will 
at  length  better  understand  their  oxvn  interest,  and  their  duty  to  God 
and  their  subjects,  than  thus  any  longer  to  prostitute  their  power. — To 
terminate  the  description  of  the-jvoman,  who  sat  on  this  symbolical 
beast,  she  was  declared  to  be  ‘  that  great  city,  which  reigned  over  the 
kings  of  the  earth,’  when  John  had  his  vision;  and  everybody  must 
know  Rome  to  be  that  city.  Indeed,  this  was  the  avowed  object,  aim, 
and  ambition  of  Rome,  from  its  foundation;  and,  in  different  ways,  it 
has  accomplished  its  purpose,  with  little  interruption,  even  to  this  pres¬ 
enttime. — (16)  Eat  her  flesh.}  (Notes,  Job  31  29 — 32.  Ps.  27:1 — 3.  Dan. 
7:5.) — Burn  her.}  The  punishment  of  a  priest’s  daughter,  who  commit¬ 
ted  whoredom.  (Note,  Lev.  21:9.) — (17)  Put  it  in  her  heart.}  Marg. 
Ref.  c.—  Until,  Ac.]  With  what  frequent  repetition  is  this  idea  brought 
before  the  reader;  the  ‘counsel  of  the  Lord  shall  stand,  and  He  will  do 
all  his  pleasure  1’  (Notes,  Ps.  33:10— 12.  19:21.  Is.  14:24— 27.  46:10, 
11.  Dan.  4:34 — 37.  Mat.  26:21—24.  Acts  2:22—24.  4:23—28.  Eph. 
1:9—12.  3:9—12.)  SCOTT. 

(16.)  For  ‘  upon,’  Bl.  reads  ‘  and.’  Ed. 


A.  D.  95. 

CHAP.  XVIII. 

2  Babylon  is  fallen.  4  The  people  of  Gofl  commanded  to 
depart  out  of  her.  9  The  kings  of  the  earth,  11  With  the 
merchants  and  mariners,  lament  over  her.  WO  1  he 
saints  rejoice  for  the  judgments  of  God  upon  her. 

\  ND  after  these  things  I  saw 
A  another  ange^  come  clown  from 
heaven,  having  great  power  ;  and 
the  earth  was  lightened  with  his 
*  glory. 

2  And  he  cried  mightily  with  a 
strong  voice,  saying,  Babylon  b  the 
great  is  fallen,  is  fallen,  and  is  be¬ 
come  'the  habitation  of  devils,  and 
the  hold  of  every  foul  spirit,  and  a 
cage  of  every  unclean  and  hateful 
bird. 

3  For  all  nations  have  drunk  d  of 
the  wine  of  the  wrath  of  her  forni¬ 
cation,  and  the  kings  of  the  earth 
have  committed  fornication  with 
her,  and  e  the  merchants  of  the  earth 
are  waxed  rich  through  the  fabun- 
dauce  of  her  delicacies. 

4  And  I  heard  another  voice  from 
heaven,  saying,  Come  out  e  of  her, 
my  people,  that  ye  be  not  partakers 
of  her  sins,  and  that  ye  receive  not 
of  her  plagues. 

5  For  her  sins  have  reached  h  un¬ 
to  heaven,  and  God  hath  remem¬ 
bered  ‘  her  iniquities. 

6  Reward  her  j  even  as  she  re¬ 
warded  you,  and  double  unto  her 
double  according  to  her  works:  in 
the  cup  which  she  hath  filled,  fill  to 
her  double. 

7  How  much  she  hath  glorified 


REVELATION,  XVIII. 

who  leave  committed  fornication 
and  lived  deliciously  with  her,  shall 
bewail  her,  and  lament  for  her, 
when  they  shall  see  the  smoke  ot 
her  burning, 

10  Standing  afar  off  for  the  fear 
of  her  torment,  saying,  Alas,  alas, 
that  great  city  Babylon,  that  mighty 
city!  for  in  one  hour  0  is  thy  judg¬ 
ment  come. 


a  Eze.  43:2. 
b  Is.  13:19.  21:9. 

Je.  51:8.  c.  14:8. 
c  Is.  34:11,14. 

Je.  50:39.  51:37. 
c.  17:2. 
d  Is.  47:15. 
e  ver.  11,15. 


f  or,  power. 
g  Is.  48:‘20.  52:11. 
Je.  50:8.  51:6, 
45.  2  Co.  6:17. 
h  Je.  51:9. 
i  c.  16:19. 
j  Ps.  137:8. 

Je.  5U:15 — 29. 


fc  Is.  47:7-11. 

Zep.  2:15. 

1  c.  17:6 
m  Pb.  62:11. 

Je.  50:34. 
n  E?.e.  26:16,17. 
o  ver.  17,19. 


hardened  to  do  so  ;  and  it  was  of  God,  that 
afterward  their  hearts  were  turned  against 
the  whore,  to  hate  her,  and  to  make  her  des¬ 
olate  and  naked,  and  to  eat  her  flesh,  and  burn 
her  with  fire. ;  they  shall  at  length  see  their 
folly,  and  how  they  have  been  bewitched 
and  enslaved  by  the  papacy,  and,  out  of  a 
just  resentment,  shall  not  only  fall  off  from 
Rome,  but  shall  be  made  the  instruments  of 
God’s  providence  in  her  destruction. 

Chap.  XVIII.  V.  1— 3.  The  downfall 
and  destruction  of  Babylon  form  an  event  so 
fully  determined  in  the  counsels  of  God, and 
of  such  consequence  to  his  interests  and  glo¬ 
ry,  that_the  visions  and  predictions  concern¬ 
ing  it  are  repeated. 

1.  Here  is  another  angel  sent  from  heav¬ 
en,  attended  with  great  power  and  lustre, 
v.  1.  He  had  not  only  light  in  himself,  to 
discern  the  truth  of  his  own  prediction,  but 
to  inform  and  enlighten  the  world  about  that 
great  event  ;  and  not  only  light  to  discern 
it,  but  power  to  accomplish  it. 

2.  This  angel  publishes  the  fall  of  Baby¬ 

lon,  as  a  thing  already  come  to  pass  ;  and 
this  be  does  with  a  mighty  strong  voice, 
that  all  might  hear,  and  see  how  well  he 
was  pleased  to  he  the  messenger  of  such 
tidings.  Here  seems  to  be  ail  allusion  to 
the  prediction  ot  the  fall  of  pagan  Babylon,  I 
Is.  21  '•  1  !  ‘  - - -  "" 


The  downfall  of  Babylon. 

from  Is.  21 :  9.  and  seems  to  describe,  not  so 
much  her  sin  of  entertaining  idols,  which 
are  truly  called  devils,  as  her  punishment  ; 
it  being  a  common  notion,  that  unclean  spir¬ 
its,  as  well  as  your  ominous  and  hateful 
birds,  used  to  haunt  a  city  or  house  that  lay- 
in  its  ruins. 

3.  The  reason  of  this  ruin  is  declared  ; 
for  so  God  is  pleased  to  do,  especially  in 
those  dispensations  of  Providence  that  are 
most  awful  and  tremendous.  The  wicked¬ 
ness  of  Babylon  had  been  very  great  ;  for 
she  had  not  only  forsaken  the  true  God  her¬ 
self,  and  set  up  idols,  but  had,  with  great 
art  and  industry,  drawn  all  sorts  of  men  into 
the  spiritual  adultery,  and  by  her  wealth 
and  luxury  had  retained  them  in  her  interest, 
v.  3. 

V.  4 — 8.  Here  is  fair  warning  given  to 
all  that  expect  mercy  from  God,  that  they 
should  not  only  come  out  of  her,  but  be  assist¬ 
ing  in  her  destruction,  v.  4,  5.  Here  ob¬ 
serve,  1.  God  may  have  a  people  even  in 
Babylon,  some  who  belong  to  the  election 
of  grace.  2.  God’s  people  shall  he  called 
out  of  Babylon,  and  called  effectually.  3. 
Those  that  are  resolved  to  partake  with 
wicked  men  in  their  sins,  must  receive  of 
their  plagues.  4.  When  the  sins  of  a  peo¬ 
ple  reach  up  to  heaven,  the  wraih  of  God 
will  reach  down  to  the  earth.  5.  Though 
private  revenge  is  forbidden,  yet  God  will 
have  his  people  act  under  Him,  when  called 
to  it,  in  pulling  down  his  and  their  invete¬ 
rate  and  implacable  enemies,  v.  6.  6.  God 

will  proportion  the  punishment  of  sinners  to 
the  measure  of  their  wickedness,  pride,  and 
security,  v.  7.  7.  When  destruction  comes 

on  a  people  suddenly,  the  surprise  is  a  great 
aggravation  of  their  misery,  v.  8. 

V.  9 — 19.  Here  we  have  a  doleful  lam¬ 
entation  made  by  Babylon’s  friends,  for  her 


- -  .  ^  c.  mis  ciugci  |juuiioiico  .no  icii  u .  fa  1 1  observe, 

herself,  anti  lived  deliciously,  SO  ]orl)  as  a  thing  already  come  to  pass;  and  1.  The  mourners,  who  they  are  ;  those 
much  torment  and  sorrow  give  her:  this  he  does  with  a  mighty  strong  voice,  who  had  been  bewitched  by  her  fornication, 
for  she  saith  in  her  heart,  I  sit  a  that  all  might  hear,  and  see  how  well  he  sharers  in  her  sensual  pleasures,  and  gain- 
rmppn  and  am  no  widow,  and  was  pleased  to  he  the  messenger  of  such  ers  by  her  wealth  and  trade,  v.  9.  whom  she 

queen,  ana  am  no  ,  tidin4  Here -seems  to  be  an  allusion  to  had  flattered  into  idolatry,  by  allowing  them 

shall  see  no  sorrow.  „  ,  the  prediction  of  the  fail  of  pagan  Babylon,  to  be  arbitrary  and  tyrannical  over  their 

8  Therefore  Shall  nei  plagues.  21:9.  where  the  word  is  repeated,  as  j  subjects,  while  they  were  obsequious  to  her ; 

come  in  one  day,  death,  and  mourn-  |lere) _ is  fallen,  is  fallen.  Some  have  thought  and  the  merchants,  i.  e.  those  who  trafficked 

ino-,  and  famine  ;  and  she  shall  be  a  double  ffill  is  hereby  intended,  first  her  j  with  her  for  indulgences,  pardons,  dispen- 

Utterlv  1  burned  with  fire:  for  strong  apostasy, and  then  her  ruin  ;  and  they  think  sationssand  preferments  ;  these  will  mourn, 
“  is  till*  Lord  God  who  iudgeth  her.  die  word,  immedi.fely  following  ftvof  dieir  because  by  thu  emft  ih-y  got  Hn,  mall/,. 

9  I'd  the  kings  “  Of  the  earth,  opinion,  „  2.  Bill  thi.  i>  nl.0  borrowed  ,  2.  The  manner  of  d.eir  Mf-llW 

NOTES.  Chap. 


_ _  _  XVlIt.  V.  1—3.  (Note,  16:17—21.)  After  the 

apostle  had  been  certified  who  'Babylon  the  Great’  was,  and  what  she 
had  done,  he  had  the  vision  of  her  destruction  continued.  •Another  ali¬ 
en.]  '  distinct  from  those  who  1  poured  out  the  vials,’  came  down  from 
heaven  possessing  great  power,  and  illuminating  the  earlh  with  his  glo¬ 
ry.  This  was  either  Christ  Himself,  or  an  emblematical  representation 
of  his  coming  to  destroy  his  enemies,  and  to  diffuse  the  light  of  his 
Gospel  through  all  nations;,  to  which  events  the  language  naturally  di¬ 
rects  our  thoughts.  (Note,  2  Then.  2:8-12.)  He  thcretore  repeatedly 
proclaimed  ‘  with  a  strong  voice,’  which  all  might  hear,  and  ''hich  un- 
died  "rent  power  and  authority,  that  ‘  Babylon  the  Great  is  fallen,  to- 
allv  and  finally.  (Notes,  14:8.  Is.  21:6-9.1  It  was  become  not  only 
desolate,  but  a  kind  of  hell  upon  earth.  Some  think,  that  the  words 
mav  refer  to  the  discoveries  which  will  then  be  made,  of  the  diaboli- 
r  il  ambition,  impostures,  lies,  murder,  and  horrible  uncleanness,  with 
which  the  city  is  filled,  under  the  mask  of  religion  5  but  the  expressions 
are  figurative,  and  borrowed  from  the  O.  T.  (Notes,  Is.  43:19  -2.  34:.. 

_ ,7  c’/er.  .51,61 _ 64.)  It  is  most  manifest,  that  no  desolations  have  hith¬ 
erto  left  Rome  in  this  condition  ;  unless  any  choose  to  say,  that  it  hath 
been  the  habitation  of  devils,  and  the  hold  of  every  foul  spirit,  and  a 
ra-e  of  everv  uncleaa  and  hateful  bird,’  ever  since  popes  and  cardinals 
have  made  it  their  residence:  for,  unless  this  be  admitted,  it  must  be 
manifest  to  all  men,  that  the,  prophecy  is  not  vet  fulfilled  —To  he  rea¬ 
son*  before  assigned  for  the  ruin  of  tins  city,  it  is  here  added,  that  he 
merchants  of  the  earth  are  waxed  rich,  through  the  abundance  of  her 
delicacies  ’  Her  outward  magnificence,  luxury,  and  excess,  have  proved 
a  source  of  immense  wealth  to  vast  multitudes;  and  the  various  arts, 
trades,  manufactures,  and  species  of  commerce,  which  flourish  by  means 
of  her  pompous  religion,  have  always  helped  to  support  it :  for  by  that 
craft  vast  multitudes  have  their  wealth.’  Painting,  sculpture,  architec¬ 
ture,  mas™  and  all  the  fine  arts,  have  also  met  with  the  most  ample 
encouragement,  and  been  cultivated,  in  l'j'  f '  V  “ 
splendid  church.  (Notes,  13:3-5.  Acts  19:23-31.  P.  O.  21— 31.)  But 

the  spiritual  merchandise,  by  which  unnumbered  multitudes  ha  e  n 

ediy  lived  in  affluence,  and  enjoyed  abundant  delicacies,  by  the  sms  anu 
follies  of  mankind,  seem  principally  intended.  Scott. 

(j  x  bi.  reads,  ‘  and  he  cried  with  a  strong  voice.’  c*0- 

y  4 _ 3.  As  Lot  was  called  forth  out  of  Sodom,  before  it  was  de¬ 

stroyed  bv  fire  and  brimstone ;  (Notes,  Gen.  19:14—22,  27—29.)  so  the 
people  of  God  are  directed,  by  a  voice  from  heaven,  to  come  out  ot  uao- 

K.  T.  VOL..  V.  91 


in  Christ,  and  ‘worship  God  m  the  Spirit,’  snomu  sepataie  non; 
runt  a  church,  and  from  all  others  which  copy  her  example  ot  it. 
persecution,  cruelty,  and  tyranny;  and  avoid  ‘being  partakers 
sins ’even  if  they  have  renounced  her  communion:  or  else  thi 

,  •  .  ..  „1 .  ..  tA.Tr.lr.  l.I.Q  n't  A  C  T?  n  I 


y  1  on  before  her  fall.  (Notes,  Is.  52:11,  12.  Jer.  50:7.  8.  51:6. ,7,  45,  46.) 
This  summons  concerns  all  persons  in  every  age.  Tlio.se  who  believe 
in  Christ,  and  ‘worship  God  in  the  Spirit,’  should  separate  from  so  cor- 
.  ,  i  n. -  it  _.i - ...v,  onnn  ovtimtiie  of  idolatry, 

takers  of  her 

. .  hey  may 

expect  to  he  involved  in  her  plagues.  (Note,  14:9—11.)  As  Rome  has 
never  hilherto  been  ‘  utterly  burned  with  fire,’  it  is  undeniable  that 
events  yet  in  futurity  are  predicted.  Scott. 

(6.)  Bl.  rejects  ‘  you.’  ,  ‘  , 

V.  9  10.  Some  of  the  kings,  xvlio  had  previously  supported  the  church 
of  Rome,  will  adhere  to  her,  even  when  the  rest  of  them  will  unite  in 
destroying  her ;  (Note,  17:15—18.)  and  they  will  lament  her  fall,  having 
been  bigoted  to  her  idolatries,  anil  having  lived  in  more  abundant  and 
excessive  luxury  and  magnificence,  through  their  alliance  xvith  her. 
Thev  will,  therefore,  bewail  at  a  distance,  beholding  ‘  Hie  smoke  of  her 
burning’  and  torment,  xvithout  being  able  to  quench  the  one,  or  relieve 
the  other  :  so  that  they  most  either  at  length  renounce  her,  or  share  her 
doom  (Notes,  11—19 ■  ■  Ez.  28:16—23.)  In  this  situation  they  will 
sav  ‘  Alas  1  alas  '  ’  Or,  ‘  Woe  !  xvoe  !  ’  for  this  will  he  the  third  woe  be¬ 
fore  mentioned.  (Note,  11:13,  14.)  Not  that  the  fall  of  Rome  will  ter¬ 
minate  that  woe;  (though  it  will  end  with  the  pouring  out  of  the  7th 
vial,  and  its  immediate  consequences  ;)  for  the  events  predicted  in  the 
following  ch.  will  form  a  very  considerable  part  of  it.  Nor  is  there  any 
satisfactory  proof,  though  it  has  generally  been  supposed,  that  the  2d 
woe-trumpet  will  end  in  the  destruction  of  theOthman  empire.  (Note, 

9.13 _ 21.)  On  the  contrary,  it  may  perhaps  subsist,  in  an  enfeeble 

stale,  till  after  the  fall  of  the  western  antichrist.  This  may  be  one 
grand  mean  of  the  national  conversion  of  the  Jews  ;  and  nthmaifem" 
tion  to  their  own  land  may  produce  the  subversion  of  the  0lh™" 
pire,  the  destruction  of  the  Mohammedan  delusion^imd  the 
the  other  Gentiles:  (Notes,  Ez.  38:  39:  Dan 

not  indeed  to  be  confident  in  such  matters ;  yet  lhe  ^r  ^f  e"'  s'“I  ;  (,e_ 
and  the  two  following  chs.  seerns  to  favor  the  supposition  .  as  he  c  e 
■traction  of  all  Christ’s  implacable  enemies  '.  '’  e  l(  '  l  f 
lions,  and  the  binding  of  Satan,  are  predicted  m  order,  after  ttie^hm  m 

RTun  ‘ThTthkd  woe  is  announced,  but  is  never  described.  It  comes 

secreilv.  U  may  perhaps  he  seen ,  pRed * wSoJh! 

final  fall  of  antichrist ;  perhaps  before  the  1260  )  rs.  art  expired,  vvoooh. 


A.  D.  95. 


REVELATION,  XVIII.  Lamentation  for  Babylon. 


11  And  the  merchants  p  of  the 
earth  shall  weep  and  mourn  over 
her;  for  no  man  buyeth  their  mer¬ 
chandise  any  more  ; 

12  The  merchandise  of  ‘’gold, 
and  silver,  and  precious  stones,  and 
of  pearls,  and  fine  linen,  and  pur¬ 
ple,  and  silk,  and  scarlet,  and  all 
r  thyine  wood,  and  all  manner  ves¬ 
sels  of  ivory,  and  all  manner  ves¬ 
sels  of  most  precious  wood,  and  ot 
brass,  and  iron,  and  marble, 

13  And  cinnamon,  and  odors, 
and  ointments,  and  frankincense, 
and  wine,  and  oil,  and  fine  flour, 
and  wheat,  and  beasts,  and  sheep, 
and  horses,  and  chariots,  and  3 
slaves,  and  souls  ‘of  men. 

14  And  the  fruits  that  thy  soul 
lusted  after  are  departed  from  thee, 
and  all  things  which  were  dainty 
and  goodly  are  departed  from  thee, 
and  thou  shalt  find  them  no  more 
at  all. 

15  The  merchants  of  these  things, 
which  were  made  rich  by  her,  shall 
stand  afar  off  for  the  fear  of  her 
torment,  weeping  and  wailing, 

16  And  saying,  Alas,  alas!  that 
great  city,  that  was  clothed  u  in  fine 
linen,  and  purple,  and  scarlet,  and 
decked  with  gold,  and  precious 
stones,  and  pearls ! 

17  For  in  one  hour  so  great  rich¬ 
es  is  come  to  nought.  And  every 
ship-master,  and  all  the  company  in 
v  ships,  and  sailors,  and  as  many  as 
trade  by  sea,  stood  afar  of}’, 

18  And  cried  when  they  saw  the 


smoke  of  her  burning,  saying,  What 

city  is  like  unto  this  great  city  ! 

19  And  they  cast  dust  1  on  their 
heads,  and  cried,  weeping  and  wail¬ 
ing,  saying,  Alas,  alas,  that  great 
city,  wherein  were  made  rich  all 
that  had  ships  in  the  sea  by  reason 
of  her  costliness!  for  in  one  hour  is 
she  made  desolate. 

20  Rejoice  y  over  her,  thou  heav¬ 
en,  and  ye  holy  apostles  and  proph¬ 
ets;  for  God  hath  avenged  zyou  on 
her. 

21  And  a  mighty  angel  took  up  a 
stone  like  a  great  millstone,  and  cast 
it  into  the  sea,  saying,  Thus  ‘with 
violence  shall  that  great  city  Baby¬ 
lon  be  thrown  down,  and  shall  be 
found  no  more  at  all. 

22  And  the  voice  of  harpers,  and 
musicians,  and  of  pipers,  and  trum¬ 
peters,  shall  be  heard  no  more  at 
all  in  thee  ;  and  no  craftsman,  of 
whatsoever  craft  he  be,  shall  be 
found  any  more  in  thee  ;  and  the 
sound  of  a  millstone  b  shall  be  heard 
no  more  at  all  in  thee. 

23  And  the  light  of  a  candle  shall 
shine  no  more  at  all  in  thee  ;  and 
the  voice  of  the  c  bridegroom  and  of 
the  bride  shall  be  heard  no  more  at 
all  in  thee:  for  thy  merchants  d  were 
the  great  men  of  the  earth  ;  for  by 
thy  sorceries  e  were  all  nations  de¬ 
ceived. 


p  Eie.  27:27 — 3G. 
q  c.  17:4. 
r  or,  sweet. 
s  or,  b  jdics. 
t  E'.e.  *27:13. 
u  Lu.  16: 19,  &c. 
v  Is.  23:14. 


w  Je.  51:37. 
x  Jos.  7:6. 

Job  2:12. 

Eze.  27:30. 
y  Jc.  51:48. 
z  De.  32:43.  Lu. 
18:7,8.  c.  19:2. 


a  Je.  51:64. 
b  Je.  25:10. 
c  Je.  7:34.  16:9. 

33:11. 

(1  b.  23:8. 
e  2  K.  9:22. 

Na.  3.4. 


They  stood  afar  off  ;  even  Bahy Ion’s  friends 
will  stand  at  a  distance  from  her  fall ;  though 
they  had  been  partakers  with  her  in  her  sins, 
and  in  her  sinful  pleasures  and  profits,  they 
were  unwilling  to  bear  a  share  in  her  plagues. 
(2.)  They  made  a  grievous  outcry, — Alas, 
alas,  that  great  cil y  Btibylon,  that  mighty  city! 
(3.)  They  wept,  and  cast  dust  upon  their 
heads,  v.  39.  The  pleasures  of  sin  are  but  for 
a  season,  and  will  end  in  dismal  sorrow. 

3.  What  was  the  cause  of  their  mourn¬ 
ing  ;  not  their  sin,  but  their  punishment. 
They  did  not  lament  their  fall  into  idolatry, 
and  luxury,  and  persecution,  but  their  fall 
into  ruin  ;  the  loss  of  their  traffic,  and  of 
their  wealth  and  power.  The  spirit  of  an¬ 
tichrist  is  a  [selfish,]  worldly  spirit,  and 
their  sorrow  a  mere  worldly  sorrow  ;  they 
do  not  lament  for  the  anger  of  God,  that 
was  now  fallen  on  them,  but  for  the  loss  of 
their  outward  comforts.  We  have  a  large 
schedule  and  inventory  of  the  wealth  and 
merchandise  of  this  city,  all  which  was  sud¬ 
denly  lost,  v.  12, 13.  and  lost  irrecoverably, 
v.  14.  The  church  of  God  may  fall  for  a 
time  ;  but  she  shall  rise  again  :  but  the  fall 
of  Babylon  will  be  an  utter  overthrow,  like 
that  of  Sodom  and  Gomorrah.  Godly  sor¬ 
row  is  some  support  under  affliction,  but 
mere  worldly  sorrow'  adds  to  the  calamity. 

V'.  20 — 24.  We  have  here  an  account 
of  the  joy  and  triumph  there  was  both  in 
heaven  and  earth  at  the  irrecoverable  fall  of 
Babylon  :  while  her  own  people  were  be¬ 
wailing  her,  the  servants  of  God  are  called 
to  rejoice  over  her,  v.  20.  Here  observe. 
How  universal  this  joy  would  be,  how  just 
and  reasonable  ;  and  that,  because  the  fall 
of  Babylon  was  an  act  of  God’s  vindictive 
justice,  and  irrecoverable  ;  and  of  this  they 
were  assured  by  a  remarkable  token,  v.  21. 
An  angel  from  heaven  takes  up  a  stone  like  a 
great  millstone,  and  casts  it  into  the  sea,  say¬ 
ing,  Thus  shall  Babylon  be  thrown  down  with 
violence,  and  be  found  no  more  at  all the 


V.  11—19.  (17:3—5.  Ez.  26:  27:12—25.)  This  lamentation  of  these 

‘  merchants’  over  Rome,  coincides  in  many  respects  with  that  of  the  mer¬ 
chants  over  Tyre.  The  various  articles  of  commerce  enumerated  do  not 
require  particular  consideration  :  the  whole  is  calculated  to  convey,  in 
the  most  impressive  manner  imaginable,  some  idea  of  the  splendor,  lux¬ 
ury,  excess,  and  self-indulgence  of  all  kinds,  which  have  so  long  tri¬ 
umphed  in  the  powerful,  magnificent,  elegant,  luxurious,  and  licentious 
metropolis  of  popery  ;  and  which  have  always  enriched  a  vast  number 
of  individuals,  in  different  ways,  by  impoverishing  the  nations  belonging 
to  that  communion.  Neither  is  it  requisite  to  accommodate  the  vari¬ 
ous  particulars,  to  the  several  kinds  of  spiritual  merchandise,  by  which 
the  popes,  cardinals,  bishops,  abbots,  priests,  and  other  retainers,  have 
been  enriched,  at  the  expense  of  the  people.  These  are  indeed  evident¬ 
ly  alluded  to ;  when  not  only  ‘  slaves,’  but  ‘  the  souls  of  inen,’  are  men¬ 
tioned  as  articles  of  commerce;  which  is, beyond  comparison,  the  most 
infamous  of  all  traflics  that  the  deirron  of  avarice  ever  devised  ;  even 
almost  infinitely  more  atrocious,  than  the  infamous  slave-trade.  Yet, 
alas,  it  is  very  far  from  uncommon.  The  sale  of  indulgences,  dispensa¬ 
tions,  absolutions,  masses,  and  bulls,  has  always  enriched  the  Romish 
clergy  and  their  dependents,  to  the  deceiving  and  destroying  of  the  souls 
of  millions  ;  and  thus  1  by.  feigned  words,  they  made  merchandise  of 
them  :  ’  nor  has  the  management  of  church-preferments,  and  many  oth¬ 
er  things,  been  any  better  titan  trafficking  in  souls  ;  and  it  would  be  high¬ 
ly  gratifying  to  Protestants,  if  we  could  say,  that  this  merchandise  has 
been  peculiar  to  the  Roman  antichrist,  and  exclusively  llie.ir  guilt  ;  and 
that  none  among  us  were  ‘  partakers  of  their  sins.’  (Note,  Is.  56:9 — 12. 
P.  O.  9—12.  Note ,  Mat.  21:12,  13.  P.  O.  12 — 16.)  In  general,  however, 
all  this  will  at  length  come  to  nothing,  and  no  man  will  ‘buy  t he  mer¬ 
chandise  ’  of  Rome  tiny  more  :  but  all  who  have  shared  the  gains  of  her 
commerce,  temporal  or  spiritual,  will  stand  afar  off,  for  fear  of  her  tor¬ 
ment,  and  ‘behold  the  smoke  of  her  burning, ’  as  that  of  Sodom  was 
seen  at  a  distance.  (Gen.  19:28.  Notes,  Dent.  29:20— 25.  Is.  34:9— 15. 
Dan.  7:9,  14.) — Probably,  the  destruction  of  Rome  will  be  finished  by 
some  immediate  judgment  of  God  :  and  the  nature  of  the  soil  in  the  vi¬ 
cinity,  [where  some  geologists  assert,  that  the  crust  of  the  earth,  which 
incloses  the  central  lire,  is  thinnest ;  see  Cordier.  Ed.]  the  frequent  erup¬ 
tions  of  subterraneous  fires,  and  terrible  earthquakes,  which  have  often 
occurred,  seem  to  point  out  the  method  :  the  combustibles  arc  provid¬ 
ed,  and  the  train  is  already  laid;  there  only  wants  the  ‘breath  of  the 
Almighty  to  kindle  it.’  (Note,  Is.  30:33.)  Scott. 

(12.)  Fine  linen.)  ‘  Russos  ;  perhaps  cotton.  Silk  was  then  a  rare 
and  dear  commodity.  See  its  history  in  Gibbon’s  “  Decline  and  Fall  of 
Roman  Empire,”  ch.  40.’  IFoodh.  Thyine  wood.)  The  cut,  in  the  oppo¬ 
site  column,  shows  the  tree  meant :  it  is  thirty  feet  high,  with  horizon¬ 
tal  branches,  crossing  each  other  at  right  angles  ■.  its  hard,  durable  wood 
receives  a  fine  polish.  Ed. 

(17.)  III.  rejects  ‘  the  company.’  Id. 

V.  20.  While  united  numbers  whose  hopes  of  further  gains  will 
be  gone,  or  whose  vain  confidence  in  superstition  ami  idolatry  will  l,e 
ruined,  shall  lament  most  dolefully,  and  with  anguish  and  trembling  of 
heart,  over  the  fall  of  Rome;  the  inhabitants  of  ‘  heaven,’  and  espe¬ 
cially  the  ‘holv  apostles  and  prophets,’  are  called  on  to  rejoice  over 

[722] 


it :  as  God  had  ‘  avenged  them  ’  on  that  idolatrous  and  persecuting 
city ;  as  well  as  made  way  for  the  preaching  of  his  Gospel  to  all  na¬ 
tions.  (Notes,  6:9 — 11.  12:7 — 12.  16:4 — 7.) — It  is  peculiarly  worthy 
of  observation,  that  ‘  the  apostles,’  who  are  idolatrously  honored  at 

Rome,  and  daily  worshipped, 
should  be  specially  mentioned  as 
rejoicing  in  her  fall  ;  as  if  it  ‘  aveng¬ 
ed  them  ’  on  her,  for  the  dishonor 
cast  on  their  characters,  while  it 
vindicated  thegiory  ofGod.  (Note, 
13:5 — 7.) — There  could  be  no  rea¬ 
son  why  Christians  should  rejoice 
in  the  judgments  inflicted  on  an¬ 
cient  Rome,  by  the  Huns,  Goths, 
Vandals,  and  other  idolatrous  na¬ 
tions;  for  the  Christians  were  pe¬ 
culiarly  sufferers  in  those  calami¬ 
ties.  The  judgments  on  papal 
Rome  must  therefore  be  exclusive¬ 
ly  intended.  Scott. 

V.  21 — 24.  As  a  stone  was  tied 
to  a  book,  and  cast  into  the  Eu¬ 
phrates,  by  Serai  ah,  in  token  of  literal  Babylon’s  fall ;  (Note,  Jer.  5 1:61  — 
61.)  so  ‘  a  mighty  angel  ’  here  cast  a  large  millstone  into  the  sea,  to  rep¬ 
resent  the  violence  of  mystical  Babylon’s  fall,  and  to  show  that  she 
would  never  rise  again.  This  event  is  further  illustrated  by  varied  em- 
pliatical  expressions  taken  from  the  ancient  prophets.  (Notes,  Is.  34  8 
— 15.  Jer.  25: 10.  33:10,  11.  Marg.  Ref.  c — g.) — ‘  But  Rome  is  still  stand¬ 
ing.  and  flourishing,  and  is  honored  by  many  nations,  as  the  metropolis 
of  the  Christian  world  ;  site  still  resounds  with  singers  and  musicians  ; 
she  still  excels  in  arts,  which  serve  to  pomp  and  luxury;  she  still 
abounds  with  candles ,  and  lamps,  and  torches,  burning  even  by  day,  as 
well  as  by  night  ;  and  consequently  this  prophecy  hath  not  been,  but 
remains  yet  to  be  fulfilled.’  Bp.  Newton.  Her  merchants  bring  said 
to  he  ‘  the  great  men  of  the  earth,’  in  connexion  with  ‘  all  nations  being 
deceived  by  her  sorceries,’  plainly  refers  to  the  infamous  traffic  before 
mentioned.  (21)  No  more  at  all  )  11.  14.  22,  23.  These  repeated, 

varied,  and  emphatical  negatives,  should  not  pass  unnoticed.  (Notes, 
Is.  13:18 — 22.  14:21 — 23.)  Of  what  other  city,  literal  Babylon  alone 
excepted,  is  such  decisive  language  used,  concerning  its  absolute  and 
final  destruction  !  In. 

(23.)  ‘  Fire,  in  prophetic  language,  implies  utter  destruction  :  Rome 
is  Babylon  ;  in  a  spiritual  sense  it  is  that  she  is  to  be  burned  and  con¬ 
sumed  in  her  corruption,  superstition,  and  usurped  dominion  ;  not  her 
buildings.’  Woodh. 

Concluding  Note.  1  The  denunciation  of  the  judgment  of  Babylon,  contained  in 
the  speech  of  the  angel,  and  continued  in  the  heavenly  voice,  seems  principally  in¬ 
tended  for  the  support  and  comfort  of  the  poor,  persecuted  Christian  church,  timing  the 
high  zenith  of  the  ant ichriatian  usurpation.  To  answer  this  purpose  the  more  effectual¬ 
ly,  almost  every  part  of  the  prophecy  is  taken  from  the  prophetical  denunciations  of  the 
U.  T.,  against  Babylon,  Tyre,  &c.,  which  were  known  to  be  liltt ally  fulfilled  No  oth¬ 
er  method  could  afford  such  perfect  confidence  to  those,  who,  »n  the  new  Babylon, 
clearly  discovered  (and  this  happened  in  the  12lh  century  as  to  papal  Rome)  the  ty¬ 
ranny  and  wickedness  of  the  old  one.’  Id, 


A.  D.  95. 


REVELATION,  NIX.  Praises  of  angels  and  saints. 


24  And  in  her  was  found  the 
blood  of  prophets,  and  of  saints, 
and  of  all  that  were  slain  f  upon  the 
earth. 

CHAP.  XIX. 

1  God  Is  praised  in  heaven  for  judging  the  great  whore,  and 
avenging  the  blood  of  his  saints.  7  The  marriage  of  the 
Lamb.  10  The  angel  will  not  be  worshipped.  17  The 
fowls  called  to  the  great  slaughter. 

AND  after  these  things  I  heard 
a  great  voice  *of  much  people 
in  heaven,  saying,  b  Alleluia  ;  c  Sal¬ 
vation,  and  glory,  and  honor,  and 
power,  unto  the  Lord  our  God: 

2  For  d  true  and  righteous  are  his 
judgments  :  for  he  hath  judged  the 
great  whore,  which  did  corrupt  the 
earth  with  her  fornication,  and  hath 
avenged  e  the  blood  of  his  servants 
at  her  hand. 

3  And  again  they  said,  Alleluia. 
And  her  smoke  'rose  up  for  ever 
and  ever. 

4  And  the  four  and  twenty  elders 
and  the  four  beasts  fell  down  and 
worshipped  God  that  sat  on  the 
throne,  saying,  Amen  ;  Alleluia. 

5  And  a  voice  came  out  of  the 
throne,  saying,  Praise  s  our  God 
all  ye  his  servants,  and  ye  that  fear 
him,  both  small  and  great. 

6  And  I  heard  as  it  were  the 
voice  of  a  great  multitude,  and  as 
the  voice  of  many  waters,  and  as 
the  voice  of  mighty  thunderings, 
saying,  Alleluia;  for  h  the  Lord  God 
omnipotent  reigneth. 

7  Let  us  be  glad  and  rejoice,  and 
give  honor  to  him:  for  the  marriage 
5  of  the  Lamb  is  come,  and  his  wife 
hath  made  herself  ‘  ready. 

8  And  to  her  was  granted  that 
she  should  be  arrayed  k  in  fine  lin- 


jen,  clean  and  'white:  for  the  fine 
linen  is  the  righteousness  m  of  saints. 


f  Je.  51:49. 
a  c.  11:15. 
b  vet.  3:4,6. 
c  c.  7:10,12. 
d  c.  16.7. 


e  c.  18:20. 
f  fs.  34:10. 

c.  18:9,18. 
g  Ps.  135:1. 
h  P.s.  97:1,12. 


i  Mat.  25:10. 
j  Is.  52:1. 
k  Is.  61:10.  c.3:4. 
1  or,  bright. 
m  Ps.  132:9, 


place  should  he  no  longer  habitable  by  man, 
no  work  should  be  done  there,  no  comfort 
enjoyed,  no  light  seen  there,  hut  utter  dark¬ 
ness  and  desolation,  as  the  reward  of  her 
great  wickedness  ;  first,  in  deceiving  the  na¬ 
tions  with  her  sorceries,  and,  secondly,  in  de¬ 
stroying  and  murdering  those  whom  she 
could  not  deceive,  v.  24.  Snell  abominable 
sins  deserved  so  great  a  ruin. 


Chap.  XIX.  V.  1—4.  The  fall  of  Bab¬ 
ylon  being  fixed  and  declared  irrecoverable, 
in  the  foregoing  ch.,  this  begins  with  a  holy 
triumph  over  her,  in  pursuance  to  the  order 
there  given,  ch.  18:20.  They  now  gladly 
answer  the  call  ;  and  here  you  have,  1. 
The  form  of  their  thanksgiving,  in  that 
heavenly  and  most  comprehensive  word. 
Alleluia,  praise  ye  the  Lord  ;  with  this 
they  begin,  with  this  they  go  on,  and  with 
this  they  end,  v.  4.  their  prayers  are  now 
turned  into  praises,  their  hosannas  end  in 
alleluias.  2.  The  matter  of  their  thanks¬ 
giving  ;  they  praise  Him  for  the  truth  of 
his  Word,  and  the  righteousness  of  his 
providential  conduct,  especially  iu  this 
great  event, — the  ruin  of  Babylon,  v.  2. 
3.  The  effect  of  these  their  praises  ; 
when  the  angels  and  saints  cried  Alleluia, 
her  fire  burned  more  fiercely,  and  her  smoke 
ascended  for  ever  and  ever,  v.  3.  The 
surest  way  to  have  our  deliverances  con¬ 
tinued  and  completed,  is,  to  give  God  the 
glory  of  what  He  has  done  for  us.  -4.  The 
blessed  harmony  between  the  angels  and 
the  saints  in  this  triumphant  song,  v.  4. 
the  churches  and  their  ministers  take  the 
melodious  soiled  from  the  angels,  and  repeat 
it  ;  falling  down,  and  worshipping  God, 
they  cry,  Amen,  Alleluia. 

V.  5 — 10.  The  triumphant  song  being 
ended,  an  epithalamium,  or  marriage-song, 
begins,  v.  6. 


The  chorus  is  large  and  loud,  as  the.  voice 
of  many  waters,  and  of  mighty  thunderings. 

The  occasion  is,  the  reign  and  dominion 
of  that  omnipotent  God  who  has  redeemed 
his  church  by  his  own  blood,  and  is  now  in  a 
more  public  manner  betrothing  her  to  Him¬ 
self,  v.  7.  The  marriage  of  the  Lamb  is  come. 
Some  think  this  refers  to  the  conversion  of 
the  Jews,  which  they  suppose  will  succeed 
the  fall  of  Babylon  ;  others,  to  the  general 
resurrection  :  the  former  seems  more  prob¬ 
able.  Now, 

1.  You  have  a  description  of  the  bride, 
how  she  appeared  ;  not  in  the  gay  and  gau¬ 
dy  dress  of  the  mother  of  harlots,  but  in  fine 
linen,  clean  and  white,  which  is  the  right¬ 
eousness  of  saints  ;  in  tire  robes  of  Christ’s 
righteousness,  both  imputed  for  justification, 
and  imparted  for  sanctification  ;  she  had 
washed  her  robes,  and  made  them  white  in  the 
blood  of  the  Lamb;  and  these  her  nuptial  or¬ 
naments  she  did  not  purchase  by  any  price 
of  her  own,  hut  received  them  as  the  gift 
and  grant  of  her  blessed  Lord. 

2.  The  marriage-feast,  which,  though  not 
particularly  described,  as  Mat.  22:  4.  yet 
is  declared  to  be  such  as  would  make  them 
all  happy,  who  were  called  to  it,  so  called 
as  to  accept  the  invitation,  a  feast  made  tip 
of  the  promises  of  the  Gospel,  the  true  say¬ 
ings  of  God,  v.  9.  These  promises  opened, 
applied,  sealed,  and  earnested  by  the  Spirit 
of  God,  in  holy,  eucharistical  ordinances, 
are  the  marriage-feast  ;  and  the  whole  col¬ 
lective  body  of  all  those  who  partake  of  this 
feast,  is,  the  bride,  the  Lamb’s  wife  ;  they 

j  eat  into  one  body,  and  drink  into  one  Spir- 
\  it,  and  are  not  mere  spectators  or  guests, 

I  but  coalesce  into  the  espoused  party,  the 
|  mystical  body  of  Christ. 

3.  The  transport  of  joy  which  the  apos- 
J  tie  felt  in  himself  at  this  vision  ;  he  fell  down 

at  the  feet  of  the  angel,  to  worship  him  ;  sup- 
S  posing  him  to  be  more  than  a  creature,  or 
i  having  his  thoughts  at  the  present  overpow¬ 
ered  by  the  veliemency  of  his  affections  ; 
i  where  observe,  How  the  angel  refused  it, 
!  and  that  with  some  feeling  ;  ‘  See  thou  do  it 
not.’  And  he  gave  a  very  good  reason  for 
i  his  refusal ;  1 1  am  a  creature,  thine  equal  in 


PRACT.  OBS.  When  collective  bodies  are  ripe  for  vengeance,  their 
sins  will  be  punished  in  this  world  ;  but  individuals  are  reserved  unto 
Mile  wrath  to  come.’ — Alas  !  too  often,  injustice,  oppression,  fraud,  ava¬ 
rice,  or  excessive  indulgence,  are  connected  with  extensive  commerce: 
and  to  number  ‘  the  persons  of  men,’  with  oxen,  asses,  sheep,  and  horses, 
as  the  stock  of  a  farm,  or  with  hales  of  goods,  as  the  cargo  of  a  ship,  is 
no  doubt  a  most  detestable  and  antichristian  practice,  fit  only  for  1  Bab¬ 
ylon  the  Great.’  Yet  even  this,  cruel,  unrighteous,  and  hateful  as  it  is, 
must  not  be  considered  as  the  worst  traffic,  even  of  this  our  land  :  for 
tile  souls  of  men  are  traded  for  by  those,  who  take  the  cure  of  them  for 
the  sake  of  the  emolument,  and  tile  abundance  of  the  delicacies  obtained 
by  it ;  and  then  either  leave  them  to  perish  in  ignorance,  or  poison  them 
by  heresy,  or  lead  them  on  the  road  to  hell  by  a  profligate  example: 
strenuously,  and  by  every  calumny,  if  stronger  means  arc  withheld,  op¬ 
posing  all,  who  attempt  to  prevent  the  dire  effects  of  their  vile  conduct. 
Many  of  these  spiritual  wickednesses,  and  this  merchandise  of  souls,  by 
feigned  words,  equivocating  subscriptions  and  declarations,  nay,  wor¬ 
shipping  God  in  expressions,  which  are  avowedly  deemed  false  by  those 
who  use  them,  and  all  this  ‘  for  filthy  lucre’s  sake,’  will  be  found,  under 


Afferent  forms,  evpn  in  the  protestant  churches:  and  perhaps  no  denom- 
nation  is  quite  free  from  the  guilt  of  rendering  religious  profession,  and 
sacred  functions,  subservient  lo  worldly  interest,  credit,  ease,  and  lndul- 
rencc.  These  are  the  remains  of  the  antichristianity  derived  from 
Rome,  which  most  need  protesting  against  and  removing;  in  these 
things  we  ought  to  1  come  out  and  separate  from  Babylon,  if  we  would 
not  partake  of  her  plagues.  Compared  with  such  evils,  a  posture,  a 
rarb,  nr  a  ceremony,  through  perhaps  inconvenient  in  itself,  and  derived 
from  Rome,  is  scarcely  worth  noticing:  yet  bigotry  exerts  itself  princi¬ 
pally  the  other  way  ;  and  externals  are  decried  against  with  great 
warmth,  while  the  spiritual  pride,  avarice,  worldly  indulgence,  and  in¬ 
tolerance  of  Rome  are  not  so  much  disliked!  But  the  vengeance  of 
heaven  is  coming  on  Rome,  not.  for  gestures,  garbs,  and  ceremwiies, 
though  multiplied,  ridiculous,  and  of  bad  consequence  m  themselves; 
hut  for  idolatry,  ambition,  oppression,  cruelty  to  the  people  of  God; 
imposture,  avarice,  licentiousness,  and  spiritual  tyranny.  Lilt  we  must 
needs  to  out  of  the  world,  find  the  church  too,  if  we  renounce  every  re¬ 
ligious' society,  because  some  of  the  members  or  leaders  of  it  are  crimi¬ 
nal  in  such  matters.  Scott.. 


NOTES.  Chap.  XIX.  V.  1—6.  The  repeated  use  of  the  word 
‘Alleluia,’  or  Ha/lelujah,  which  is  Heb.  (P.s.  106:1.  149:)  is  supposed 
by  some  persons  to  he  an  intimation,  that  the  Jews  will  he  converted 
about  the  time,  of  the  destruction  of  Rome  ;  and,  whatever  may  be 
thought  of  this,  it  is  exceedingly  probable  that  the  accomplishment  of 
the  N.  T.  prophecies,  in  this  respect,  will  he  one  principal  mean  of  ef¬ 
fecting  that  happy  change,  if  it  have  not  previously  taken  place.  Sc. 

V.  7,  8.  Christ  is  the  Bridegroom  of  his  ransomed  church;  this  sa¬ 
cred  union  will  he  fully  completed  in  heaven  ;  hut  the  beginning  of  the 
glorious  millennium  may  lie  considered  as  a  remarkable  celebration  of 
his  espousals  on  earth.  (Notes.  21:1 — 4,9 — 21.  Ps.  45:9 — 17.  Cant.  1:2. 
3:11.  John  3:27—36.  2  Cor.  11:1—  6.  Eph.  5:22—27.)  All  that  has 
hitherto  been  done  seems  to  be  merely  an  introduction  to  that  happy 
era,  when  innumerable  multitudes  will  be  converted  all  over  the  earth, 
and  the  state  of  the  church  will  greatly  resemble  heaven  itself.  Then 
‘  the  marriage  of  the  Lamb  ’  will  come  ;  and  his  espoused  church,  being 
purified  from  heresies,  divisions,  and  antiehristian  corruptions,  in  doc¬ 
trine,  discipline,  worship,  and  practice,  will  be  ‘  made  ready,"  and  meet 
to  be  publicly  owned  by  Him,  as  his  delight  and  his  beloved.  Then  to 
her  it  will  he  granted  to  ‘  be  arrayed  in  fine  linen,  clean’and  white,’  or 
pure  and  shining,  ‘  which  is  the  righteousness  of  the  saints.’  The  word 
is  plural,  and  some  would  render  it,  1  the  righteous  acts  of  the  saints  ;  ’ 
but  the  word  raiment,  in  this  meaning,  seems  generally  to  signify,  either 
the  righteousness  of  Christ  imputed  (o  them,  or  the  image  of  Christ  re¬ 
newed  in  them,  by  the  sanctification  of  the  Spirit,  of  which  their  right¬ 
eous  acts  are  effects  and  evidences ;  and  indeed  both  senses  may  here 


!  intended.  (Notes,  7:13— 17.  Rom.  13:11— 14.  Gal.  3:26— 29.  ‘  That 
those  good  works,  which  are  the  certain  evidences  of  a  living  faith. 
e~a  '  Scott. 

(8.)  1  This  fine  linen  is  both  pure  and  bright.  Pure,  in  regard  ofjusti- 

;ation,  because  it  presents  us  unblamable  and  unreprovable  before  God, 
ee  from  any  spots  or  blot.  Bright,  in  respect  of  the  glory  which  it 
■ings  a  man,  both  before  God,  who  makes  us  heirs  of  his  eterna  king- 
jin,  because  of  this  purity  of  his  love,  which  is  made  ours,  as  also  he¬ 
re  men,  to  whom  it  shows  forth  our  adoption  by  those  most  good  y 
id  glistering  fruits  thereof,  which  it  makes  to  offer  themselves  readily 
i  the  view  of  men,  bv  means  of  the  Holy  Ghost  wonting  together  wi 
3,  and  within  us.  And  see  how  distinctly  the  Holy  Ghost  speaks  i 
iis  place;  for  He  sailh,  not  that  the  justifications  of  the  saints  are  n me 
nen,  hut  contrnrily,  that  fine  linen  are  the  justifications,  and  'hat  not 
f  the  wicked,  as  a  man  is,  when  he  is  first  converted  to  God,  but  ot  ne 
lints  ;  i.  e.  all  justifications,  even  of  those  in  whom  piet>  mo. 
irih,  flow  not  from  a  man’s  self,  and  from  inherent  m  Ue rs  of  h*  own 
ut  abide  in  the  outward  garment  that  comes  unto  him  ffom  without, 
amely,  in  Christ  and  his  righteousness,  whom  we  put  in  « 
lone.  It  is  a  plain  and  unanswerable  l),ac.e.of  Sc”p  f {iouI)le  nroof 

n d' e v'i d mice  of ^our1  'jus t i fica t i o n^o: n e  &  ?  & 

^  ^S80Fo/t^  as  ihev  ar 


A.  D.  95. 


REVELATION,  NIX.  Expedition  of  the  Head  of  the  Church. 


9  And  he  saith  unto  me,  Write, 
»  Bl  essed  are  they  which  are  called 
unto  the  marriage-supper  °  of  the 
Lamb.  And  he  saith  unto  me, 
These  p  are  the  true  sayings  of  God. 

10  And  9  I  fell  at  his  feet  to  wor¬ 
ship  him.  And  he  said  unto  me, 
See  thou  do  it  not:  I  am  thy  fellow- 
servant,  and  of  thy  brethren  that 
have  the  testimony  of  Jesus:  wor¬ 
ship  God  :  for  the  testimony  of  r 
Jesus  is  the  spirit  of  prophecy. 

11  And  1  saw  heaven  opened, 
and  behold,  a  white  s  horse;  and  he 
that  sat  upon  him  was  called  1  Faith¬ 
ful  and  True,  and  in  righteousness 
u  he  doth  judge  and  make  war. 

12  His  ''eyes  ivere  as  a  flame  of 
fire,  and  on  his  head  were  many 
w  crowns ;  and  he  had  a  name  % 
written,  that  no  man  knew  but  he 
himself. 

13  And  he  was  clothed  with  a 
vesture  dipped  in  blood  :  and  his 
name  i^  called  The  }r  Word  of  God. 

14  And  the  armies  which  ivere  in 
heaven  followed  him  upon  white 
horses,  clothed  2  in  fine  linen,  white 
and  clean. 

15  And  out  of  his  mouth  agoeth 
a  sharp  sword,  that  with  it  he 
should  smite  the  nations  :  and  he 
shall  rule  them  with  a  rod  b  of  iron: 
and  he  c  treadeth  the  wine-press 
of  the  fierceness  and  wrath  of 
Almighty  God. 

16  And  he  hath  on  his  vesture 
and  on  his  thigh  a  name  written, 
d  KING  OF  KINGS,  AND  LORD 
OF  LORDS. 

17  And  I  saw  an  angel  standing 
in  the  sun  ;  and  he  cried  with  a 
loud  voice,  saying  to  all  the  fowls 
that  fly  in  the  midst  of  heaven, 
e  Come  and  gather  yourselves  to¬ 
gether  unto  the  supper  of  the  great 
God  ; 

18  That  ye  may  eat  the  flesh  of 
kings,  and  the  flesh  of  captains,  and 
the  flesh  of  mighty  men,  and  the 
flesh  of  horses,  and  of  them  that  sit 
on  them,  and  the  flesh  of  all  men, 
both  free  and  bond,  both  small  and 
great. 

19  And  I  saw  the  beast,  and  the 


kings  of  the  earth,  and  their  armies, 
gathered  together  to  make  war  1 
against  him  that  sat  on  the  horse, 
and  against  his  army. 

20  And  the  beast  B  was  taken,  and 
with  him  the  false  prophet  that 
wrought  miracles  before  him,  with 
which  he  deceived  them  that  had 
received  the  mark  of  the  beast,  and 
them  that  worshipped  his  image. 
These  both  were  cast  alive  into  a 
h  lake  of  fire  burning  with  brim¬ 
stone. 

21  And  the  remnant  were  slain 
with  the  sword  ‘  of  him  that  sat  up¬ 
on  the  horse,  which  sword  proceed¬ 
ed  out  of  his  mouth:  and  all  the 
fowls  J  were  filled  with  their  flesh. 


n  La.  14:15. 
o  c.  3:20. 
p  c.  22:6 
q  c.  22:8,9. 
r  Ac.  10:43. 

I  Pe.  1:10,11. 
s  c.  6:2. 

.  3:14. 


v  c.  1:14.  2:18.  c  Is.  G3:3. 
w  Ca.  3:11.  Is.  d  c.  17.14. 

02:3.  Zee.  9:16.  e  Bze-  39:17— 20. 
lie.  2:9.  c.  6:2.  f  c.  16:14,16. 


x  c.  3:12. 

V  Jn.  1:1. 

/.  Mai.  28:3 
h  c.  1:16 


u  Ps.45:3,4.  Is. 11:4.  b  Ps.  2:9 


g  c.  16:13,14. 

1.  On.  7:11. 
c.  20:10. 

i  c.  1:16.  ver.  15. 
j  ver.  17,18. 


office,  though  not  in  nature  ;  I,  as  an  an¬ 
gel  and  messenger  of  God,  have  the  testimo¬ 
ny  of  Jesus,  a  charge  to  be  a  witness  for 
liim,  and  to  testify  concerning  Him  ;  and 
thou,  as  an  apostle,  having  the  Spirit  of 
prophecy,  hast  the  same  testimony  to  give  in  ; 
therefore  we  are  in  this  brethren,  and  fellow- 
servants.’  He  directs  him  to  the  true  and 
oidy  Object  of  religious  worship  ;  and  that 
is,  Goil  ;  ‘  Worship  God,  and  Him  alone.’ 
This  fully  condemns  the  practice,  both  of  the 
papists  in  worshipping  the  elements  of  bread 
and  wine,  and  saints  and  angels  ;  and  the 
practice  of  the  Socinians  and  Arians,  who 
do  not  believe  that  Christ  is  truly  and  by 
nature  God,  and  yet  pay  Him  religious  wor¬ 
ship  ;  [the  Socinians  of  the  present  age  are 
not  generally  chargeable  with  this  inconsis¬ 
tency  ;]  and  this  shows  what  wretched  fig- 
leaves  all  their  evasions  and  excuses  are, 
which  they  offer  in  their  own  vindication  ; 
they  stand  hereby  convicted  of  idolatry  by  a 
messenger  from  heaven. 

V.  11 — 21.  No  sooner  was  the  marriage 
solemnized  between  Christ  and  his  church, 
by  the  conversion  of  the  Jews,  than  the  glo¬ 
rious  Head  and  Husband  of  the  church  is 
called  out  to  a  new  expedition  ;  which 
seems  to  be  the  great  battle  that  was  to  be 
fought  at  Armageddon,  foretold  ch.  16:  16. 
Observe, 

1.  The  description  of  the  great  Com¬ 
mander  ;  his  empire  is  in  heaven  :  and  l!e 
is  again  described  as  sitting  a  white  horse, 
to  show  the  equity  of  the  cause,  and  cer¬ 
tainty  of  success  :  in  his  attributes  He  is 


faithful  and  true  :  Iris  armor  is  a  vesture  dipt 
in  blood  :  either  his  own  Idood,  by  which  He 
purchased  this  mediatorial  power  ;  or  the 
blood  of  Itis  enemies,  over  whom  He  has 
always  prevailed.  His  name  is  The  Word 
of  God, — a  name  none  fully  knows  but  Him¬ 
self:  only  this  we  know,  that  this  Word  was 
God  manifest  in  the  flesh  :  but  his  perfec¬ 
tions  are  incomprehensible  by  any  creature. 

2.  The  army  He  commands,  v.  14.  very 
large,  made  up  of  many  armies  :  angels  and 
saints  followed,  resembling  Him  in  their 
armor  of  purity  and  righteousness;  chosen, 
called,  and  faithful. 

3.  The  weapons  of  his  warfare, — a  sharp 
sword  proceeding  from  his  mouth,  v.  15.  ei- • 
ther  the  threaienings  of  the  written  Word, 
or  rather,  his  word  of  command,  calling  on 
his  followers  to  take  a  just  revenge  oir  his 
and  their  enemies,  who  are  now  put  into  the 
wine-press  of  the  wrath  of  God,  to  be  trodden 
under  foot  by  Him. 

4.  The  ensigns  of  his  authority,  his  coat 
of  arms, — a  name  written  on  his  j vesture  and 
thigh.  King  of  kings,  and  Lord  of  lords:  as¬ 
serting  his  authority  and  power,  and  the 
cause  of  the  quarrel,  v.  16. 

5.  Ail  invitation  given  to  the  fowls  of  heav¬ 
en,  that  they  should  come  and  see  the  battle, 
and  share  in  the  spoil  and  pillage  of  the  field, 
v.  17,  IS.  intimating,  that  this  great,  de¬ 
cisive  engagement  should  leave  the  enemies 
of  the  church  a  feast  for  the  birds  of  prey, 
and  that  all  tile  world  should  have  cause  to 
rejoice  in  the  issue  of  it. 

6.  The  battle  joined  ;  the  enemy  falls  on 
with  great  fury,  headed  by  the  beast,  and  the 
kings  of  the  earth  :  the  powers  of  earth  and 
hell  gathered,  to  make  their  utmost  effort, 
v.  19. 

7.  The  victory  gained  bv  the  great  and 
glorious  Head  of  the  church  ;  the  beast  and 
the  false  prophet,  the  leaders  of  the  army, 
these  are  taken  and  cast  into  the  burning  lake, 
made  incapable  of  molesting  the  church  of 
God  any  more;  and  their  followers,  wheth¬ 
er  officers  or  common  soldiers,  are  given  up 
to  military  execution,  and  made  a  feast  for 
the  fowls  of  heaven.  Though  the  divine  ven¬ 
geance  will  chiefly  full  on  the  beast,  and  the 
false  prophet,  yet  it  will  be  no  excuse  to 
those  who  fight  under  their  banner,  that  they 
only  followed  their  leaders,  and  obeyed  their 
command  ;  since  they  would  fight  for  them, 
they  must  fall  and  perish  with  them.  Be 
wise  NOW ,  therefore,  0  ye  kings,  be  instruct¬ 
ed,  ye  riders  of  the  earth;  hiss  the  Son,  lest  He 
be  angry,  and  ye  perish  from  the  way,  Ps.  2: 
10, 12. 


Chap.  XX.  This  ch.  is  thought  by  some, 
to  lie  the  darkest  part  of  all  this  prophecy  : 
it  is  very  probable  the  things  contained  in  it 
are  not  yet  accomplished  ;  therefore,  it  is 


TRACT.  OBS.  All  heaven  resounds  with  llie  high  praises  of  God, 
whenever  He  executes  his  ‘true  and  righteous  judgments’  on  those  who 
corrupt  the  earth  with  pernicious  principles  and  ungodly  practices,  and 
when  He  avenges  the  blood  of  his  servants  on  their  persecutors.  Who 
then  are  they,  that  throw  out  insinuations,  or  openly  speak  of  cruelty 
and  tyranny,  on  hearing  of  these  ‘  righteous  judgments,’  but  rebels,  who 
blasphemously  take  part  with  the  enemies  of  God,  and  plead  against  his 
dealings  towards  them  ?  Let  all  beware  of  every  approach  to  such  im¬ 
piety  and  presumption;  for  ‘the  Lord  God  omnipotent  reigneth.’ — As 
‘justice  and  judgment  are  ihe  basis  of  his  throne,’  the  earth  has  cause 
to  tremble;  but,  as  it  is  established  in  mercy,  also,  tile  penitent  may  re¬ 
joice  in  hope,  {dotes,  Ps.  97:1 — 7.  9£>:1 — 3.) — if  created  angels  are  so 

severed  from  the  righteousness  of  faith,  are  not  pure;  or  if  the  right¬ 
eousness  of  faith  lie  considered  npnrt  from  works  of  holiness,  it  is  not 
bright  or  shining  forth  :  for  it  is  hidden  within,  far  from  the  eyes  of 
men.’  Brightman. 

V.  9,10.  An  angel,  either  lie  from  whom  the  voice  is  supposed  to 
have  come  (5),  or  rather  the  angel  who  interpreted  the  foregoing  vision, 
(17:7.)  informed  the  apostle  on  ttiis  occasion,  that  those  persons  would 
be  happy,  in  a  peculiar  manner  and  degree,  who  were  ‘invited  to  the 
marriage-supper  of  the  Lamb.’  (Mat.  22:1—14.  Luke  14:15—24.)  This 
seems  especially  to  refer  to  the  more  abundant  grace  and  consolation, 
that  Christians  will  receive  in  those  happy  days  which  are  coming.  Sc. 

(10.)  ‘This  text  supplies  a  principle  of  divine  authority,  that  Jesus, 
whose  Person,  and  character,  and  history,  are -known  from  the  books 
of  Scripture,  is  the  end  and  object  of  the  prophetic  system  contained  in 
those  books.’  Henry,  abr. 

(16.)  Thigh.}  Symbolizing  strength  and  lawful  rule;  see  cut,  under 
the  word  1  thigh,’  in  the  Concordance  :  thus  the  first  ‘fruit  of’  Jacob’s 


glorious,  as  to  surprise  even  the  aged  apostle  into  a  purposed  adoration ; 
how  glorious  must  the  Lord  of  angels  he  !  And  if  the  highest  of  holy 
creatures  greatly  fear ,  and  decidedly  refuse,  undue  honor,  how  humbly 
should  we  sinful  worms  of  the  earth  behave  ourselves  ! — It  behooves  us 
to  rejoice,  and  praise  the  Lord,  when  opposing  tyrants  are  crushed,  and 
false  prophets  are  put  to  silence  in  darkness;  and  we  should  not  scruple 
to  add,  ‘  So  let  all  thine  enemies  perish,  O  Lord.’  Nevertheless,  it  is 
our  part  to  aim  at  more  peaceful  and  gentle  victories;  and,  by  our 
prayers,  example,  and  improvement  of  talents,  to  seek  the  conversion 
of  sinners,  and  the  salvation  of  the  souls  even  of  our  most  cruel  enemies 
and  persecutors;  while  we  constantly  declare,  that, ‘except  they  re¬ 
pent.  they  will  all  likewise  perish.’  Scott. 

‘loins,’  is  called  the  ‘  beginning  of  his  strength.’  Gen.  49:3.  A  little 
observation  will  show,  that  scarce  any  labor  is  performed,  without  the 
aid  of  the  thigh  muscles,  the  strongest  in  the  body.  Er>. 

V.  17 — 21.  The  ‘  angel  standing  in  the  sun,’  emblematically  denoted, 
that  the  predicted  judgments  would  lie  rendered  conspicuous  to  all  the 
world,  and  his  proclamation  showed  the  immense  slaughter  which 
would  be  made  of  the  enemies  of  God.  To  this  place  may  tie  referred 
Ezekiel’s  prophecy  of  Gog  and  Magog  ;  as  the  subsequent  visions  seem 
to  relate  to  the  millennium  ;  ((Votes,  20:7 — 10.  Ez.  33: — 48:)  for  the 
total  ruin  of  the  eastern  antichrist,  and  of  all  the  opposers  of  the  Gospel 
in  Asia  and  elsewhere,  seems  to  tie  intimately  connected  with  the  fall 
of  the  western  antichrist. — Though  Rome,  ‘  the  seat  of  the  beast,’  was 
destroyed,  yet  *  the  beast  ’  himself  is  supposed  still  to  subsist ;  for  the 
spirit  of  antichrist  will  survive  that  antiehristiati  city. — ‘  The  false  proph¬ 
et  ’  evidently  denotes  the  same  power,  before  designated  as  ‘  the  two¬ 
horned  beast  ;’  and  this  effectually  confirms  the  interpretation  whiclt  has 
been  given  of  that  great  enemy  of  God  and  his  church.  Scott. 


A.  D.  95. 


REVELATION,  XX. 


The  binding  of  Satan. 


CHAP.  XX. 

2  Satan  bound  for  n  thousand  years.  6  The  first  resurrec¬ 
tion  :  they  blessed  that  have  part  therein.  7  Satan 
let  loose  again-  8  Gog  and  Magog.  10  I  he  devil  cast 
into  the  lake  of  fire  and  brimstone.  12  The  la3t  and  gen¬ 
eral  resurrection. 

AND  I  saw  an  angel  come  down 
from  heaven,  having  the  key 
*  of  the  bottomless  pit  and  a  great 
chain  in  his  hand. 

2  And  he  laid  hold  on  the  b  drag¬ 
on,  that  old  serpent,  which  is  the 
Devil,  and  Satan,  and  bound0  him 
a  thousand  years, 

3  And  cast  him  into  the  bottom¬ 
less  pit,  and  shut  him  up,  and  set  a 
seal  d  upon  him,  that  he  should  de¬ 
ceive  the  nations  no  more,  till  the 
thousand  years  should  he  fulfilled  : 
and  after  that  he  must  be  loosed  a 
little  season. 

•  4  And  I  saw  e  thrones,  and  they 
sat  upon  them,  and  f judgment  was 
given  unto  thei^i  anti  d  saw  ^ie 
k  souls  of  them  that  were  beheaded 
for  the  witness  of  Jesus,  and  for  the 
word  of  God,  and  which  had  not 


worshipped  the  beast,  neither  his 
image,  neither  had  received  his 
mark  upon  their  foreheads,  or  in 
their  hands  ;  and  they  lived  and 
reigned  h  with  Christ  a  thousand 
years. 

a  c.  1:13.  9:1.  d  Da.  6:17.  f  1  Co.  6:2,3. 

b  c.  12:9.  c  Da.  7:9  22:27.  g  c.  6:9. 

c  2  Pe.  2:4.  Jude  6.  Lu.  22:30.  li  c.  5:10. 

wiser  to  content  ourselves  with  general  ob¬ 
servations,  than  to  be  positive  and  particu¬ 
lar  in  our  explications. 

V.  1 — 3.  We  have  here  a  prophecy  of  the 
binding  of  Satan  for  a  certain  term  of  time, 
in  which  he  should  have  much  less  power, 
and  the  church  much  more  peace  than  be¬ 
fore.  Observe,  1.  To  whom  this  work  of 
binding  Satan  is  committed, — to  an  angel 
from  heaven,  very  probably  no  other  than 
the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  ;  the  description  of 
him  will  liardly  agree  with  any  other.  2. 
The  means  He  uses  in  this  work,  a  chain, 
and  a  key ,*  a  great  chain  to  bind  baton,  and 
the  key  of  the  prison  in  which  he  was  to  be 
confined.  3.  The  execution  of  this  work, 
v.  2,  3.  Neither  the  strength  of  the  dragon, 
nor  the  subtlety  of  the  serpent,  was  sufficient 
to  rescue  him.  And  He  cast  him  down 


j  with  force,  and  with  a  just  vengeance,  to 
his  own  place  and  prison,  from  which  he 
had  been  permitted  to  break  out,  and  dis¬ 
turb  the  churches,  and  deceive  the  nations  ; 
now  he  is  brought  back,  and  there  laid  In 
chains.  He  is  shut  up,  and  a  seal  set  upon 
him  ;  and  Christ’s  lock  and  seal  even  the 
devils  themselves  cannot  break  open.  We 
have  the  term  of  this  confinement  of  Satan, 
— a  thousand  years  ;  after  which,  he  was  to 
be  loosed  again  for  a  little  season.  The 
church  should  have  a  considerable  time  of 
peace  and  prosperity,  but  all  her  trials  were 
not  yet  over. 

V.  4 — G.  We  have  here  an  account  of  the 
reign  of  the  saints  for  the  same  time  Satan 
continued  bound  ;  and  here, observe,  1.  Who 
they  were,  that  received  such  honor, — those 
who  had  suffered  for  Christ,  and  all  who  had 
faithfully  adhered  to  Him,  not  receiving  the 
mark  of  the  beast,  nor  worshipping  his  image  j 
all  who  had  kept  themselves  clear  of  pagan 
and  papal  idolatry.  2.  The  honor  bestowed 
on  them;  (1.)  They  were  raised  from  the 
dead,  and  restored  to  life,  either  literally,  or 
figuratively;  they  were  in  a  civil  and  polit¬ 
ical  sense  dead,  and  had  a  political  resur¬ 
rection  ;  their  liberties  and  privileges  were 
I  revived  and  restored.  (2.)  Thrones,  and 


NOTES.  Chap.  XX.  V.  2— 5.  1  Jones  and  Park  have  made  good  ob¬ 
servations  on  the  happy  state  to  which  the  world  may  attain  on  the  prev¬ 
alence  of  true  religion.  Even  the  cessation  of  war,  oppression,  and  mis¬ 
rule,  with  their  attendant  miseries,  would  have  limited  influence,  in  com¬ 
parison  with  the  wide  diffusion  of  happiness  which  would  ensue,  from  the 
improvements  in  private  life,  from  the  banishment  of  vice,  ambition,  and 
idleness;  litigation  and  crime  ceasing,  and  kindness  and  brotherly-love 
prevailing.  This  note  cannot  he  closed  more  appropriately  than  in  the 
words  ol?Bp.  Hall — “  Oh,  blessed  Savior,  what  strange  variety  of  con¬ 
ceits  do  1  find  concerning  thy  thousand  years’  reign  !  What  riddles  are 
there  in  that  prophecy  which  no  human  tongue  can  read  !  Where  to 
fix  the  beginning  of  that  marvellous  millenary,  and  where  the  end,  and 
■what  manner  of  reign  it  shall  be, — whether  temporal  or  spiritual,  cm 
earth  or  in  heaven,  undergoes  as  many  constructions  as  there  are  pens 
that  have  undertaken  it ;  and  vet  when  all  is  done,  I  see  thine  apostle 
Speaks  only  of  the  souls  of  the  martyrs  reigning  so  long  with  Thee,  not 
of  thy  reigning  so  long  on  earth  with  those  martyrs.  Ilow  busy  are  the 
tongues  of  men, — how  are  their  brains  taken  up  with  the  indeterminable 
construction  of  this  enigmatical  truth,  when,  in  the  mean  time,  the  care 
of  thv  spiritual  reign  in  their  hearts  is  neglected.”  ’  Henry,  abr. 

V.  ’4—5.  I  am  induced  to  understand  it  figuratively ,  by  the  following 
considerations:  1st.  The  whole  hook  is  enigmatical,  and  full  of  em¬ 
blems  :  so  that  a  literal  exposition  would  often  imply  absurdity  :  and 
the  interpreter’s  business  and  skill  consists  principally  in  explaining 
emblems,  or  hieroglyphics.  A  succession  of  kings  is  constantly  spoken 
of,  as  if  they  were  individually  the  same  persons  :  the  two  witnesses 
who  were  slain,  were  ‘  raised  again,  and  ascended  into  heaven  when 
others  were  sent  forth  of  the  same  spirit,  and  to  bear  the  same  testimony 
with  greater  encouragement  and  success.  [Notes,  11:3 — 14.)  Rome  is 
called  Egypt,  Sodom,  Jerusalem,  Babylon;  and,  in  short,  this  is  the 
style  and  manner  of  the  whole  prophecy,  which  no  man  could  possibly 
explain  on  any  other  principle.  As,  therefore,  the  Jews  expected  Elijah 
to  come  personalty ,  and  knew  him  not  when  he  came  mystically,  in 
John  the  Baptist;  [Notes,  Mat.  17:10—13.  Luke  1:11—17.)  so,  I  appre¬ 
hend,  many  Christians,  and  men  of  the  utmost  respectability  for  piety 
and  learning,  have  fallen  into  the  same  mistake,  itt  expecting  a  literal  and 
personal  resurrection  of  the  martyrs,  at  the  opening  of  the  millennium  ; 
and  they  would  not  know  them  at  first,  when  they  arose,  (as  the  wit¬ 
nesses  did,)  in  a  numerous  race  of  Christians,  resembling  them  in  all 
their  most  eminent  graces.  2dly.  It  is  unaccountable,  that  1  the  souls  ’ 
of  the  persons  raised  should  be  exclusively  mentioned,  if  the  literal  res¬ 
urrection  of  their  bodies  was  meant  :  for  this  rather  implies,  according 
to  the  enigmatical  sty  le  of  the  book,  that  their  souls  re-animated  other 
bodies  ;  i.  e.  they  appeared  to  live  again,  in  Christians  ol  the  same  spir¬ 
it.  (Note,  6:9 — 11.)  3dly.  Some  have  imagined,  that  the  resurrection  of 
all  the  righteous  will  precede  the  millennium;  because  ‘the  dead  in 
Christ  will  rise  first.’  (Note,  1  Cor.  15:20—23.)  But  what  do  they  sup¬ 
pose  the  state  of  the  earth  will  be  during  that  period  ?  Will  no  inhabit¬ 
ants  dwell  on  earth  exeept  the  risen  saints?  Or  will  all  the  olher  in¬ 
habitants  be  wicked  ?  Or,  being  righteous,  will  they  not  die  ?  Or,  if 
they  die,  will  there  be  three  resurrections ;  one,  of  the  righteous  before 
the  millennium,  and  another  of  the  righteous  after  it,  and  one  of  the 
wicked?  These  questions  are  not  easily  resolved  on  that  hypothesis : 
yet,  till  they  are  satisfactorily  resolved,  the  sentiment  is  wholly  inad¬ 
missible.  The  resurrection  is  always  spoken  of,  as  one  grand  event,  oc¬ 
curring  nearlv  at  the  same  time;  except,  that  the  righteous  will  be  fust 
raised, "and  so’ he  prepared  to  sit  with  Christ  in  judgment  on  the  wicked  : 
and  it  is  imp-lied  in  every  one  of  those  declarations,  that  all  the  dead  in 
Christ,  will  rise  together,  before  the  living  shall  be  changed.  (Notes, 
John  5:28,29.  1  Cor.  15:20—28.  1  Thes.  4-.13— 1 8.)  4thly.  We  cannot 
conceive,  that  it  could  add  to  the  felicity  of  those,  who,  being  ‘absent 
from  the  body,  are  present  with  the  Lord,’  (Notes,  2  Cor.  5:1  8.  Phil. 

1:21 — 26.)  to  come  again  to  dwell  on  the  earth;  which  must  be  in  some 
degree  a  scene  of  pain,  suffering,  imperfection,  and  death,  till  the  pres¬ 
ent  state  of  things  is  fully  ended  :  and  this  will  not  he  1*11  the  general 
resurrection;  ns  it  sufficiently  appears  from  the  loosing  of  Satan,  and 
the  effects  of  it,  after  the  millennium.  (Note,  7 — 10.)  5thly.  This  is  the 
only  place,  in  which  anything  like  such  a  literal  resurrection,  previous 
to  the  end  of  the  world,  is  intimated;  whereas,  there  are  numerous 
prophecies  of  an  universal  prevalence  and  triumph  of  true  religion 
throughout  the  earth.  Now,  is  it  most  reasonable,  to  interpret  so  many 


Bain  predictions  by  one  expression  in  this  enigmatical  book  ;  or,  to  ex¬ 
plain  that  one  expression  by  the  many  clear  predictions,  which  give  an- 
Blier  view  of  it  ?  Or,  why  should  the  literal  sense  be  here  insisted  on, 
when  in  so  many  places  it  must,  in  that  case,  be  departed  from  ?  But 
why  speak  of  the  literal  sense  ?  I  cannot  see,  how  the  resurrection  oi 
souls  can  literally  mean  the  resurrection  of  bodies.  Now,  if  the  resur- 
■ection  here  spoken  of  be  not  a  literal,  but  a  figurative  resuriection; 
:lie  same  reasons  lead  us  to  conclude,  that  Christ  will  not  come  dnxvn 
rom  heaven  personally  to  reign  on  earth  ;  hut  that  He  will  reign  spirit - 
i.ally  in  the  prevalence  of  his  Gospel,  and  by  his  Holy  Spirit  m  the 
reacts  of  men  in  general.  The  Scriptures  speak  of  his  sitting  on  l he 
-ight  hand  of  God’  in  heaven,  till  He  shall  come  again  to  judge  the 
world.  (Notes,  1:7.  Mat.  25:31—33.  Acts  1:9— 12.  3:19—21.  2  Dies. 

I:5 _ jo.  Heb.  9:27,23.)  Observe,  that,  in  the  last  quotation,  the  comm, 

nf  Christ  to  judge  the  world,  is  expressly  called  ‘  the  second  time,  hut 
on  the  supposition  which  we  combat,  his  coming  to  judgment  will  be  the 
third  time.  The  expressions  concerning  his  coming  to  destroy  Jerusa¬ 
lem,  (Notes,  Mat.  24:29 — 31;  Mark  13:24— 31.)  and  those  that  relate  to 
his  presence  with,  and  coming  to,  his  people,  are  stronger  than  any  here 
used  ;  yet  no  good  expositor  interprets  them  of  his  personal,  presence  as 
Man,  in  the  primary  meaning  of  them.  (]\otes,  Jn.  14:18  24.)  Some 

expositors  compute  the  thousand  years,  after  the  same  manner,  as  the 
<  three  years  and  a  half,’  or  ‘1260  days,’  have  been  reckoned,  each ids) 
to  signify  a  vear ;  which  would 'extend  this  happy  period,  to  o60,000 
years  at’least :  this,  however,  seems  so  much  beyond  all  proportion  to 
the  past  duration  of  the  world,  and  so  different  from  a  1  the  yews  eke- 
where  given  of  the  speedy  approach  of  the  day  ol  judgment,  that  it  is 
not  generally  regarded.  So  that,  on  the  whole,  we  may  expect,  that  a 
thousand  vears  will  follow  the  final  destruction  of  all  the  [selfish,]  antt- 
christian,  idolatrous,  persecuting  powers  ;  (luring  which,  Pure  Chnsti- 
anitv,  in  doctrine,  worship,  and  universal  holiness,  will  he  diffused  all 
over  the  earth  ;  and  that  all  idolatry,  infidelity,  impiety,  superstition, 

heresy,  false  religion,  injustice,  fraud,  oppression,  cruelty,  war  murder, 
intemperance,  licentiousness,  with  all  other  evils,  which  now  ha  ass 
and  desolate  the  earth,  will  be  restrained  by  the  omnipotent  opeiat  on 
of  the  Holy  Spirit ;  and  that  godliness,  righteousness,  peace,  truth,  puri¬ 
ty.  ami  love,  will  render  tho  earth  in  some  measure  like  heaven  itself. 
—Hitherto,  the  depravity  of  human  nature,  and  the  malignant  agency  of 
apostate  angels,  have  been  illustrated  am!  displayed,  in  the  state  of  the 
world:  and  the  inefficacy  of  all  human  inventions  and  even  of 
Word  of  truth,’  without  the  new-creating  Spirit  of  truth,  to  remedy 
these,  evils,  has  been  demonstrated,  in  opposition  to  man  a  Proud  reason¬ 
ings.  The  event  of  the-  trial  lias  shown,  that  nothing,  hut  the  power  o. 
God  Himself,  can  prevent  men  from  listening  to  the  temptations  of  bfllcn 
angels;  or  from  despising,  opposing,  neglecting  or  perverting  "'gos¬ 
pel  of  salvation  itself.  But  at  length  the  Lord  will  arise ;  by  ti  e  al¬ 
mighty  power  of  his  providence,  He  will  confine  fallen  angers  ,  and  by 
the  omnipotent  operation  of  his  Spirit,  He  will  new-create  Mien  men, 
generally  all  over  the  earth:  and  then  repentance,  faith,  and  holiness, 
will  as  certainly  prevail,  us  impenitence,  unbelief,  and  uiiholincss  now 
do.  Still,  however.  Christianity  will  he  the  religion  of  sinners,  ami 
there  will  he  defects  and  sins  in  believers,  and,  doubtless,  some  uncon¬ 
verted  persons,  for  a  short  part  of  their  lives,  at  least  :  for  men  will  he 
made  holy  bv  regeneration,  not  bom  holy:  and,  therefore,  they  will 
still  continue ’liable  to  many  natural  evils,  and  to  death.  \e  that  meas¬ 
ure  of  righteousness,  which  such  a  prevalence  ol  true  Chnstmmty  must 
produce,  will  immensely  lessen  the  quantity,  even  of  natural  evil,  v 
may  easily  perceive,  what  a  variety  of  dreadful  pains,  dise  - ,  ■  . 

grievous  calamities,  must  cease,  were  all  men  true  and  muM  t  ‘ 

tians.  All  the  evils  of  public  and  private  contention  will  he  term 
ted:  domestic,  relative,  and  social  felicity  must  be  exceed 
hanced.  Industry  in  useful  things,  with  frugality  and  temp  > 
would  prevent  that  pinching  poverty*  and  distress,  reason- 

multitudes  wretched  :  and  a  greater  fertility  °f  J'1  ‘  Canaan  con- 

ably  be  expected  ;  according  to  the  former  fruitf  V  '  m  '  tjis  neigh- 
trasted  with  its  present  sterility.  Every  man  '  :h  tin(iVoithiT>Io 

bor  as  himself,  and]  try  to  alleviate  instead  of  ‘o,  theunavomame 


A.  D.  95. 


REVELATION,  XX. 


Satan  is  loosed  for  a  season. 


5  But  the  rest  of  the  dead  lived 
not  again  until  the  thousand  years 
were  finished.  This  is  the  first 
resurrection. 

G  Blessed  and  holy  is  he  that 
hath  part  in  the  first  resurrection: 
on  such  the  second  death  'hath  no 
power,  but  they  shall  be  priests  3  of 
God  and  of  Christ,  and  shall  reign 
with  him  a  thousand  years. 

7  And  when  the  thousand  years 
are  expired,  Satan  shall  be  loosed 
out  of  his  prison, 

8  And  shall  go  out  to  deceive  the 
nations  which  are  in  the  four  quar¬ 
ters  of  the  earth,  k  Gog  and  Magog, 
to  1  gather  them  together  to  battle: 
the  number  of  whom  is  as  the  sand 
of  the  sea. 

9  And  01  they  went  up  on  the 
breadth  of  the  earth,  and  compass¬ 
ed  the  camp  of  the  saints  about, 
and  the  beloved  city  :  and  fire  came 
down  from  God  out  of  heaven,  and 
devoured  them. 

10  And  the  devil  that  deceived 


them  was  cast  into  the  lake  "  of  fire 
and  brimstone,  where  the  beast  and 
the  false  prophet  are,  and  shall  be 
tormented  day  and  night  for  ever 
and  ever. 

i  c.  2:11.  21:8.  k  Ere.  38:2.  39:1.  Ere.  38:9,16. 
j  Is.  61:6.  1  c.  16:14.  n  c.  19:20. 

c.  1:6.  m  Is.  8:8. 

power  of  judgment  were  given  to  them;  they 
were  possessed  of  great  honor,  interest, and 
authority  ;  I  suppose,  rather  of  a  spiritual, 
than  of  a  secular  nature.  (3.)  They  reigned 
with  Christ  1000  years,  in  his  spiritual 
and  heavenly  kingdom,  in  a  glorious  confor¬ 
mity  to  Him  in  wisdom,  righteousness,  and 
holiness,  beyond  what  had  been  known  be¬ 
fore  in  the  world  ;  this  is  called  the  first  res¬ 
urrection.  As  for  the  wicked,  they  shall  not 
be  raised  up,  and  restored  to  their  power 
again  till  Satan  be  let  loose  ;  this  may  be 
called  a  resurrection,  as  the  conversion  of  the 
Jews  is  said  to  be  life  from  the  dead.  3. 
The  happiness  of  these  servants  of  God  is 
declared.  (1.)  They  are  blessed  and  holy , 
v.  6.  None  can  be  blessed  but  they  that  are 
holy  ;  and  all  that  are  holy  shall  be  blessed. 
These  were  holy,  a»  a  sort  of  first-fruits  to 
God  in  this  spiritual  resurrection,  and,  as 
such,  blessed  by  Him.  (2.)  They  are  se¬ 


cured  from  the  power  of  the  second  death ;  this 
is  the  death  of  the  soul,  eternal  separation 
from  God.  The  Lord  grant  we  nmy  never 
know  what  it  is  by  experience  !  They  who 
have  had  experience  of  a  spiritual  resurrec¬ 
tion,  are  saved  from  the  power  of  the  second 
death. 

V.  7 — 10.  Here  we  have  an  account  of  the 
return  of  the  church’s  troubles,  and  another 
mighty  conflict,  very  sharp,  but  short  and 
decisive.  Satan’s  last  efforts  seem  to  be  the 
greatest  ;  the  power  now  permitted  to  him, 
more  unlimited  than  before,  v.  8.  We  need 
not  be  too  inquisitive  as  to  what  particular 
powers  are  meant  by  Gog  and  Magog,  since 
the  army  was  gathered  from  all  parts  of  the 
world.  The  camp  of  the  saints  about,  and  the 
beloved  city,  is  the  spiritual  Jerusalem,  in 
which  the  most  precious  interests  of  the 
people  of  God  are  lodged.  The  army  of 
the  saints  is  described  as  drawn  forth  out 
of  the.  city,  and  lying  under  the  walls  of  it, 
to  defend  it  ;  they  were  encamped  about 
Jerusalem  ;  but  the  army  of  the  enemy  was 
so  much  superior  to  that  of  the  church,  that 
they  compassed  them  and  their  city  about. 
God  would,  in  an  extraordinary  and  more 
immediate  manner,  fight  this  last  and  deci¬ 
sive  battle  for  his  people.  The  devil  is  now 
cast  into  hell,  with  his  two  great  officers,  the 


erable  than  at  present:  ‘while  communion  with  God,’  and  ‘  the  com¬ 
munion  of  the  saints,’  all  being  of  one  heart  in  the  worship  and  service 
of  God,  will  make  religion  a  constant  feast  to  their  souls  ;  and  only  in¬ 
ferior  to  heavenly  felicity,  because  not  absolutely  perfect.  Every  one 
must  likewise  perceive,  how  immensely  the  human  species  would  be  in¬ 
creased,  if  wars,  many  destructive  employments,  and  intemperance 
were  put  an  end  to;  and  God’s  ordinance  of  marriage  were  generally 
substituted,  instead  of  that  compound  of  licentiousness  and  selfishness, 
which  constitute  a  vicious  celibacy,  at  least  till  the  prime  of  life  is  past ; 
or,  that  forced  and  prudential  celibacy,  which  comparative  or  real  pov¬ 
erty,  united  with  distrust  of  Providence,  often  occasions;  things  which 
exceedingly  tend  to  corrupt  the  morals  of  the  human  species;  and  to 
destroy  the  lives  of  both  sexes  in  youth,  almost  as  much  as  wur  itself. 
We  may,  therefore,  readily  allow,  that  the  number  of  persons,  who 
shall  live  on  earth,  during  the  millennium,  may  be  immensely  greater, 
than  the  whole  multitude  of  all  the  preceding  ages;  and,  consequently, 
that  far  more  of  the  human  race  may  yet  be  saved  than  shall  perish  ; 
even  though  we  do  not  agree  to  the  computations  which  have  been 
made  concerning  it. — The  wild  notions  and  extravagant  practices,  graft¬ 
ed  on  the  belief  of  a  millennium,  have  long  rendered  the  name  of  it 
contemptible  or  hateful  to  numbers  ;  yet  we  have  as  just  grounds  to  ex¬ 
pect  such  a  happy  event,  as  the  Jews  had  to  look  for  a  Messiah ;  but 
those  who  suppose  it  will  be  a  carnal  millennium,  are  ns  much  mistaken, 
as  the  Jews  were  in  waiting  for  a  temporal  Deliverer.  It  is  our  duty  to 
pray  for  the  promised  glorious  days,  and  to  do  everything,  in  our  pri¬ 
vate  or  public  situations,  which  can  be  instrumental  in  preparing  the 
way  for  them;  even  as  David  made  abundant  provision  for  the  temple, 
which  Solomon  was  to  build. — Whether  the  general  opinion,  that  this 
thousand  years  will  be  the  seventh  thousand  from  the  creation,  or  the 
sabbatical  millenary,  the  event  must  determine  :  it  is  evident,  however, 
that  the  dawn  of  ibis  glorious  day  cannot  be  very  distant. — (5)  The 
rest  of,  <fcc.]  ‘The  dead  church  lives  again,  in  the  same  metaphorical 
sense,  in  which  the  rest  of  the  dead,  the  enemies  of  the  church,  live 
again  at  the  end  of  the  thousand  years,  when  Satan  is  loosed,  and  gath¬ 
ers  them  to  battle  against  the  church.  The  “souls  of  them,  who  were 
slain  for  the  testimony  of  Jesus,  and  for  the  Word  of  GodJ”  are  those 
Christians,  who  were  slain  in  the  time  of  the  ten  persecutions;  ( Note , 
6.9 — 11.)  and  the  souls  of  them,  who  worshipped  not  the  beast,  are  those 
Christians,  who  chose  rather  to  die, ...than  to  be  guilty  of  Romish 
idolatry  :  and  they  are  said  to  live  again;  as  the  beast  who  had  receiv¬ 
ed  the  wound  of  death,  lived  again,  in  the  succession  of  the  antichristian 
beast, ...who  exercised  the  power  of  the  heathen  emperors  over  the 
earth,  and  revived  the  idolatry  of  the  heathen  empire:  and,  as  the  two 
witnesses,  when  slain,  are  said  to  live  again;  . . .  because  a  succession  of 
men  of  the  same  faith,  and  the  same  opposition  to  the  beast,  revive  and 
flourish,  after  they  are  slain.’  tPhit.  (Is.  26:19.  Ez.  37:1 — 14  ) — It  appears 
to  me  undoubted,  that  the  fathers  or  early  writers  of  the  Christian  church 
in  general  expected  a  millennium,  and  several  of  them  a  millennium  not 
materially  differing  from  that  above  described.  Others,  gradually  follow¬ 
ing  the  impulse  of  imagination,  speculation,  and  carnal  passions,  ad¬ 
vanced  sentiments  on  the  subject,  so  extravagant,  ridiculous,  and  even  li¬ 
centious,  that  sober,  yet  injudicious  men,  became  ashamed  of  the  general 
doctrine.  Thus  it  was  disgraced,  and  almost  forgotten,  during  many 
centuries  :  but,  about  the  era  of  the  Reformation,  it  was  again  revived  ; 
and  again  still  more  deeply  disgraced,  by  the  wild  reveries  and  practical 
atrocities  of  those  who  maintained  it,  and  rendered  it  subservient  to  re¬ 
bellions,  insurrections,  and  every  abomination.  But,  for  some  consider¬ 
able  time  past,  the  question  concerning  a  millennium  has  been  brought 
forward  and  discussed  in  a  more  sober  and  holy  manner.  Further,  the 
restoration  to  purity,  [love,]  and  peace,  of  the  Christian  church,  will  be 
connected  with  the  conversion  of  the  Jews,  as  a  nation,  and  their  rein¬ 
statement  in  their  own  land  -.  and  this  will  introduce  the  conversion 
of  the  nations,  in  which  the  converted  Jews  will  be  most  diligent 
and  successful  instruments.  This  seems  to  be  foretold  in  many  proph¬ 
ecies  already  considered  :  yet  the  event  alone  can  fully  show  the  order, 
manner,  and  instruments  of  their  accomplishment.  Scott. 

V.  7 — 10.  God  will  remove  the  restraint  which  had  been  laid  on  Sa¬ 
tan  and  his  angels,  perhaps,  among  other  reasons,  to  show  that  the  long 
continued  happy  estate  of  the  world,  was  not  the  effect  of  any  amelior¬ 
ation  of  human  nature,  as  descended  front  fallen  Adam,  but  of  an  im- 

[726] 


mediate  divine  influence  on  the  minds  of  men  by  regeneration,  ‘  to  the 
praise  of  the  glory  of  his  grace.’ — It  is  in  vain  to  inquire,  who  Gog  and 
Magog  will  be,  or  whence  they  will  come:  for  this  also  must  be  under¬ 
stood  figuratively,  to  denote  enemies  fierce  and  numerous,  as  Gog  and 
Magog  had  been  before  the  millennium  ;  and  it  is  expressly  said,  that 
they  ‘were  the  nations  in  the  four  quarters,’  or  corners  ‘of  the  earth.’ 
— When  Satan  and  his  angels  shall  be  loosed,  a  few  years  will  suffice  to 
seduce  multitudes  into  [selfishness!  idolatry  or  infidelity;  and  then  per¬ 
secutions  and  massacres  of  Christians  will  be  as  natural  as  ever,  and 
as  readily  resorted  to;  so  that  it  will  probably  appear  to  the  pious  rem¬ 
nant,  as  if  the  cause  of  Christ  was  about  to  be  altogether  ruined.  The 
opinion,  that  some  remote  nations  will  continue  idolaters,  during  the 
whole  term  of  the  millennium,  and,  at  the  close  of  it,  come  forward  as 
persecutors  of  the  church,  which  some  respectable  writers  have  ad¬ 
vanced,  and  almost  taken  for  granted,  seems  to  have  no  scriptural  sup¬ 
port,  except  that'Gog  and  Magog  are  mentioned  both  -by  Ezekiel  and 
John.  (Notes,  Ez.  38:39.)  It  is,  however,  indisputable,  that  Ezekiel’s 
prophecy  relates  to  events  previous  to  the  millennium  ;  and  John’s,  to 
transactions  subsequent  to  it.  Magog  is  generally  supposed  to  have 
been  the  progenitor  of  the  nations  formerly  called  Scythians,  and  in 
modern  times,  Tartars  ;  but  not  of  them  exclusively;  and  Gog  may  be 
considered  as  the  name,  or  title,  of  their  king.  But,  if  the  same  nation 
be  literally  and  exclusively  meant,  it  may  apply  to  the  descendants  of 
Magog,  as  well  after  the  millennium,  as  before;  and  Gog  (as  Pharaoh, 
Ptolemy,  Ac.)  may  be  still  considered,  as  the  title  of  their  prince.  This, 
however,  can  hardly  be  allowed  ;  because  Gog  and  Magog,  in  Ezekiel, 
come  exclusively  from  ‘  the  north  quarters;’ — Gog  and  Magog,  in  John, 
come  ‘  from  the  four  quarters  of  the  earth.’ — The  supposition  of  whole 
nations  continuing  idolaters,  throughout  the  millennium,  cannot  be  made 
consistent  with  the  general  tenor  of  prophecy ;  or,  in  particular,  with 
these  predictions ;  ‘The  kingdoms  of  this  world  are  become  the  king¬ 
doms  of  our  Lord  and  his  Christ.’  (Note,  11:15 — 18.)  ‘  All  k'mgs  shall 
fall  down  before  Him,  all  nations  shall  do  Him  service.’  (Note,  Ps.  72: 
8 — 11.)  ‘  The  earth  shall  be  filled  with  the  knowledge  of  the  glory  of 
the  Lord,  as  the  waters  cover  the  sea.’  (Note,  Hub.  2:12 — 14.)  ‘And 
there  was  given  Him  dominion,  and  glory,  and  a  kingdom ;  that  all  peo¬ 
ple,  nations,  and  languages  should  serve  Him.’  (Notes,  Dun.  2:34 — 36, 
44,  45.  7:9 — 14.)  Many  others  to  the  same  effect  might  be  adduced. — It 
cannot  reasonably  be  supposed,  that  when  Satan,  with  the  beast  and  the 
false  prophet,  is  removed,  and  prevented  from  deceiving  the  nations; 
that  whole  nations  should  still  continue  under  the  gross  deception  of 
open  idolatry  :  and  if  humnn  depravity  alone  be  sufficient  (as  indeed  it 
is;  to  account  for  this,  how  can  it  be  conceived,  that  the  same  depravi¬ 
ty  should  fail  to  stir  up  the  idolaters  to  war  against  the  church  ?  Will 
then  n  perfect  neutrality  prevail  l  Will  the  zealous  Christians  of  the 
millennium,  during  ten  whole  centuries  at  least,  make  no  efforts  to 
convert  the  idolatrous  nations  ?  Or,  will  these  nations  adhere  to  their 
idolatry,  and  yet  show  no  enmity  against  those  who  zealously  and  per- 
severingly  attempt  their  conversion  ?  All  this  is  so  contrary  to  scrip¬ 
tural  Statements,  and  to  the  known  and  experienced  propensities  of  hu¬ 
man  nature,  that  it  is  wonderful  it  should  have  been  overlooked  on  this 
argument. — All  over  the  earth,  I  apprehend,  men  will  generally  be 
changed  by  divine  grace  :  but  they  will  be  holy,  not  by  natural  birth, 
but  by  regeneration.  Their  children  will  have  the  same  fallen  nature 
as  ours  have  :  and,  if  left  unregenerate,  and  exposed  to  Satan’s  tempta¬ 
tions  and  delusions,  a  few  years  will  suffice  to  raise  up  Gog  and  Magog 
from  the  dead.  (5.)  The  same  causes  will  produce  the  same  effects  ;  en¬ 
mity  against  God  will  express  itself  by  enmity  ngainst  his  people;  the 
old  scenes  will  be  acted  over  again,  and  religious  wars,  pcisecutions,  and 
massacres,  with  attempts  to  exterminate  the  hated  company,  must  fol¬ 
low  more  and  more  ;  did  not  God  at  once  interpose  to  protect  his  friends, 
to  destroy  his  enemies,  and  to  bring  forward  the  solemn  and  long  ex¬ 
pected  day  of  judgment.  Scott. 

(8.)  (Tog  and  Magog.]  I.  e.  so  some,  the  barbarians,  or  savage  na 
tions.  Judge  IVinthrop  makes  the  contest  between  the  northern  and 
southern  nations,  to  finish  in  2001  ;  and  Gog,  or  the  land  of  Magog,  to 
extend  from  Norway  to  Kamtschatka.  En. 

(10.)  ‘  This  description  is  conformable  to  other  ancient  prophecies 
still  unfulfilled,  or  which  have  received  only  a  partial  or  typical  com¬ 
pletion.  Such  are  Is.  63:  66.  Joel  3.  Ez.  38:  39. ;  of  them  little  can  be 


A.  D.  95. 


11  And  I  saw  a  great  white 
throne,  and  him  that  sat  on  it,  from 
whose  face  the  “earth  and  the  heav¬ 
en  fled  away;  and  there  was  found 
no  place  for  them. 

12  And  I  saw  the  dead,  small  and 
great,  stand  before  God  :  and  the 
books  p  were  opened  ;  and  another 
book  ’was  opened,  which  is  the 
book  of  life  :  and  the  dead  were 
judged  out  of  those  things  which 
were  written  in  the  books,  accord¬ 
ing  r  to  their  works. 

13  And  the  sea  gave  up  the  dead 
which  were  in  it  ;  and  death  and 
•hell  delivered  up  the  dead  which 
were  in  them:  and  they  were  judged 
every  man  according  to  their  works. 

14  And  'death  and  hell  were  cast 
into  the  lake  of  fire.  This  is  the 
second  death. 

15  And  whosoever  was  not  found 
written  in  the  book  of  life  was  cast 
into  the  lake  of*“  fire. 

CHAP.  XXI. 


REVELATION,  XXI. 

g  tears  from  their  eyes  ;  and  there 
shall  be  no  more  h death,  neither 
‘sorrow,  nor  crying,  neither  shall 
there  be  any  more  pain:  for  the 
former  things  are  passed  away. 


o  2  Pe.  3:10,12. 
p  Da.  7:10. 
q  Dn.  12:1. 

c.  21:27. 
r  Je.  32:19. 

Mat.  16:27. 
s  or,  the  grave. 


t  Ho.  13:14. 

1  Co.  15:26,54. 
u  Mat.  25:41. 
a  Is.  65:17—19. 

6S:22  2  Pe.3: 13. 
b  Is.  52:1.  He.  11: 
10.  12:22. 


c  Is.  54:5. 
d  Fs.  45:9—14. 
e  2  Co  6:16. 
f  Zee.  8:8. 

U  Is.  25:8  c  7:17. 
h  1  Co  15:26,54. 
i  Is..  35:10. 


1  A  new  hftaven  and  a  new  earth.  10  The  heavenly  Jeru¬ 
salem,  with  a  full  description  thereof.  23  She  needeth 
no  sun,  the  glory  of  God  is  her  light.  24  The  kings  of 
the  earth  bring  their  riches  unto  her. 

ANDI  saw  a  new  a  heaven  and 


ND  I  saw  a  new 
a  new  earth  :  for  the  first  heav¬ 
en,  and  the  first  earth  were  passed 
away  ;  and  there  was  no  more  sea. 

2  And  I  John  saw  the  holy  b  city , 
new  Jerusalem,  coming  down  from 
God,  out  of  heaven,  prepared  as  a 
“bride  d adorned  for  her  husband. 

3  And  I  heard  a  great  voice  out 
of  heaven,  saying,  Behold,  the  6 
tabernacle  of  God  is  with  men,  and 
he  will  dwell  with  them,  and  they 
shall  be  his  people,  fand  God  him¬ 
self  shall  be  with  them,  and  be 
their  God. 

4  And  God  shall  wipe  away  all 


beast  and  the  false  prophet,  tyranny  and  idol¬ 
atry,  to  be  there  tormented  night  and  day, 
for  ever  and  ever. 

V.  11 — 15.  The  utter  destruction  of  the 
devil’s  kingdom  very  properly  leads  to  an  ac- 
countof  the  day  of  judgment,  which  will  soon 
determine  every  man’s  everlasting  state  ; 
and  we  may  be  assured  there  will  be  -a  judg¬ 
ment,  when  we  see  the  prince  of  this  world  is 
judged,  John  16:11.  Here  we  have  a  de¬ 
scription  of  it  ;  where,  observe,  1.  The 
throne,  And  tribunal  of  judgment,  great  and 
white,  very  glorious,  and  perfectly  just  and 
righteous.  2.  The  appearance  of  the  Judge, 
that  is,  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  who  then 
put  on  such  majesty  and  terror,  that  the 
earth  and  the  heaven  fled  from  his  face,  and 
there  was  no  place  found  for  them,  2  Pet.  3: 
10  3.  The  persons  to  be  judged,  v.  12.  the 

dead,  smalt  and  great  ;  both  young  and  old, 
low  and  high,  poor  and  rich.  4.  The  rule 
of  judgment  settled;  the  books  were  opened : 
the  book  of  God’s  omniscience,  the  book  of 
the  sinner’s  conscience,  formerly  secret,  now 
open  ;  and  another  book, —  the  book  ot  the 
Scriptures,  the  statute-book  of  heaven,  the 
rule  of  life;  this  book  is  opened,  as  con¬ 
taining  the  law  by  which  the  hearts  and 
lives  of  men  are  to  be  tried  ;  this  book  de¬ 
termines  matter  of  right,  the  other  books 
give  evidence  of  matters  of  fact  ;  some,  by 
the  other  book,  called  the  book  of  life,  under¬ 
stand  the  book  of  God’s  eternal  counsels  ; 
but  that  does  not  seem  to  belong  to  the  affair 
of  judgment  ;  in  eternal  election  God  does 
not  act  judicially,  but  with  absolute,  sove¬ 
reign  freedom.  Let  it  be  our  great  concern 
to  see  on  what  terms  we  stand  with  our 
Bibles. 


Vision  of  the  New  Jerusalem. 

hap.  XXI.  Hitherto,  the  prophecy  of 
this  book  has  presented  a  very  remarkable 
mixture  of  light  and  shade,  in  the  conduct 
of  Divine  Providence  toward  the  church  in 
the  world:  now,  at  the  close  of  all,  the  day 
breaks,  and  the  shadows  flee  away  ;  a  new 
world  now  appears,  the  former  being  passed 
away.  Some  are  willing  to  understand  all 
that  issaid  in  these  last  two  chs.  of  the  state 
of  the  church  even  here  on  earth,  in  the 
glory  of  the  latter  days  ;  but  others,  more 
probably,  take  it  as  a  representation  of  the 
perfect  and  triumphant  state  of  the  church 
in  heaven.  Let  but  the  faithful  saints  and 
servants  of  God  wait  a  while,  and  they  shall 
not  only  see,  hut  enjoy,  the  perfect  holiness 
and  happiness  of  that  world. 

V.  1 — 8.  1.  A  new  world  now  opens  to 
our  view,  v.  1.  a  new  heaven  and  a  new  earth  ; 

i.  e.  a  new  universe  ;  and  the  new  heaven, 
and  the  new  earth,  will  not  then  be  distinct; 
the  very  earth  of  the  saints,  their  glorified 
bodies,  will  now  be  spiritual  and  heavenly, 
and  suited  to  those  pure  and  bright  man¬ 
sions.  To  make  way  for  the  commence¬ 
ment  of  this  new  world,  the  old  world,  with 
all  its  troubles  and  commotions,  passed  away. 

2.  In  this  new  world  the  apostle  saw  the 
holy  city,  the  new  Jerusalem,  coming  down 
from  heaven,  not  locally,  but  as  to  its  origi¬ 
nal  :  this  new  Jerusalem  is  the  church  of 
God,  in  its  new  and  perfect  slate,  prepared 
as  a  bride  adorned  for  her  husband,  beautified 
with  all  perfection  of  wisdom  and  holiness, 
meet  for  the  full  fruition  of  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ  in  glory. 

3.  The  blessed  presence  of  God  with  his 
people  is  here  proclaimed  and  admired, 
v.  3.  Observe,  God  with  his  church  is  the 
glory  of  the  church  ;  but  it  is  a  wonder  a 
holy  God  should  ever  dwell  with  men  :  God’s 
presence  with  his  people  in  heaven  will  not 
be  interrupted  as  it  is  on  earth,  but  He  will 
dwell  with  them  continually.  The  present 
covenant,  interest,  and  relation,  between 
God  and  his  people,  will  be  filled  up  and  per¬ 
fected  in  heaven.  They  shall  be  his  people  ; 
their  souls  shall  be  assimilated  to  Him, 
filled  with  all  the  love,  honor,  and  delight  ill 
God,  that  their  relation  to  Him  requires  ; 
this  shall  be  their  perfect  holiness,  and  He 


conjectured  with  safety.  They  are  to  be  handed  down  to  the  church  of 
the  latter  davs,  even  as  the  prophecies  we  see  fulfilled  have  been  deliv¬ 
ered  to  us,  and  with  this  consolation,  that  this  overflowing  of  iniquity 
shall  l>e  miraculously  and  completely  terminated.  And  it  is  the  last 
successful  effort  of  Satan  against  the  church.  He  is  then  consigned  to 
his  eternal  prison.  IVoorth.'  Henry,  abr. 

V.  u _ 1.5.  After  the  events  above  predicted,  the  end  will  speedily 

come;  and  there  are  no  prophetical  intimations  of  anything,  which 
shall  intervene,  before  the  appearing  of  Christ  to  raise  the  dead,  and  to 
judge  the  world.  ‘It  [the  idea  of  the  final  judgment  as  here  presented]  is 
so  plain,  that  it  does  not  need,  so  majestic  and  grand  that  it  exceeds, 
commentary  and  paraphrase.’  Blackwalt,  in  Scott — Beyond  doubt, 
it  is  the  grandest  idea,  which  ever  was  expressed  in  human  language ; 
unless  some  verses  in  -the  first  of  Genesis  may  he  thought  to  rival  it. 
i And  tlie  books  were  opened.’  This  figuratively  represents  the  dis¬ 
coveries,  which  will  be  made  of  all  the  thoughts,  words,  actions,  mo¬ 
tives,  intentions,  dispositions,  obligations,  advantages,  and  talents,  of 
all  men,  by  the  divine  omniscience ;  and  the  comparison  of  the  whole 
with  I  lie  hoiv  law  of  God  ;  and  the  recollection  and  consciousness,  which 
every  man  will  have  of  all  his  past  actions,  though  he  had  long  forgotten 
many  of  them,  till  thus  brought  to  light  and  to  remembrance.  Thus  an 
exact  estimate  will  lie  made  of  every  person’s  character;  of  the  evidence 
and  degree  or  his  grace,  and  of  his  fruitfulness  in  good  works,  or  of  the 
awravations  or  alleviations  of  his  sins  ;  and  tile  final  award  will  be  made 
in  ^perfect  justice  and  impartiality,  connected  with  truth  and  mercy. 
For  ‘another  book  was  opened,  which  is  the  book  of  life;’  otherwise, 
all  must  have  been  condemned.  This  is  the  emblem  of.  the  Lord’s 
knowledge  of  his  people;  and  his  declaration  of  their  repentance,  faith, 
love,  and  good  works,  as  evidential  of  their  election,  redemption,  regen¬ 
eration,  and  interest  in  his  righteousness,  and  the  blessings  of  the  new 
covenant.  Then  death  and  hell,  the  grave,  and  the  separate  state,  (rep¬ 
resented  as  two  persons,)  will  ‘  he  cast  into  the  lake  of  fire;’  i.  e.  they 
shall  subsist  no  longer,  to  receive  the  bodies  and  souls  of  men  ;  there 
shall  he  no  death  in  heaven  ;  and  all  the  wicked  will  be  cast  into  the 
place  of  torment,  in  which  death  and  the  separate  state  will  be  swallowed 
up  ;  for  ‘  this  is  the  second  death,1  the  final  separation  of  sinners  from 
God,  without  hopes  of  being  restored  to  iiis  tavor,  or  delivered  from  his 
wrath.  ,  Scott. 

(12.)  ‘  Here  is  evidently  an  allusion  to  the  proceedings  of  human  courts 
of  judicature,  as  in  Han.  7:9,  10.  To  illustrate  this  striking  imagery, 
remark,  1.  The  hook  of  God’s  remembrance  will  he  opened,  Mai.  3:16. 
An  exact  register  of  every  man’s  state  before  God.  Here  are  recorded 
all  his  thoughts,  words,  and  actions.  A  most  awful  book  to  ail  who  die 
in  their  sins.  2.  The  book  of  conscience, — an  exact  counterpart  of  the 
former.  3.  The  book  of  the  law.  The  law  of  nature  will  be  the  canon 


for  those  who  have  had  no  other ;  and  the  law  of  revelation  for  those  to 

whom  it  has  been  manifested  Bui  by  the  law  cun  no  flesh  be  justified. 

4.  The  book  of  the  Gospel.  While  this  will  be  an  awfully  tremendous 
record  against  all  who  have  died  in  impenitence  and  unbelief,  it  will  be 
a  blessed  book  to  every  true  believer  in  Christ  Jesus..  5.  The  book  of 
life.  In  Ibis  book  will  he  found  recorded  the  names  of  all  those  who 
xvill  actually  be  saved,  and  brought  to  the  possession  of  eternal  glory  and 
happiness;  the  chosen  of  the  Father,  the  redeemed  of  the  Son,  and  the 
sanctified  of  the  Holy  Ghost.  This  book  shows  the  perfect  knowledge 
tlie  omniscient  God  has  of  all  those  on  whom  lie  intends  to  bestow  etei- 
nnl  life,  and  whom  He  has  registered  as  members  of  the  general  assem¬ 
bly  and  church  of  the  first-born,  whicli  are  written  in  heaven.  Gauntlett. 
The  same  ideas  are  partly  expressed  by  GUI.'  Henry,  abr. 

NOTES.  Chip.  XXI.  V.  1—4.  Some  interpreters,  especially 
among  those  who  hold  a  literal  resurrection  at  the  beginning  of  the 
millennium,  and  the  personal  reign  of  Christ  on  earth  for  a  thousand 
years,  (Note.  20:4— 6.)  understand  these  concluding  chs.  principally  of 
the  state  of  the  church  on  eartli  at  that  time.  But  they  come  in  order 
subsequent  to  the  account  of  the  general  judgment  ;  and  we  can  never 
attain  to  a  satisfactory  understanding  of  prophecy,  if  imagination  or 
conjecture  be  allowed  to  carry  us  backward  or  forward,  without  any 
fixed  principles.  For  example,  there  was  a  necessity  of  returning,  at  the 
beginning  of  the  12th  ch.  to  the  primitive  times  of  Christianity  ;  because 
another  regular  series  of  predictions  is  there  evidently  begun,  after  the 
other  had  been  completed.  {Notes,  10:2 — 4.  11:15 — 19.  12:1,2  )  This 
creates  a  proper  degree  of  prophetical  obscurity  ;  and  when  the  key  is 
found,  it  adds  to  the  consistency,  energy,  and  beauty  of  the  whole.  But, 
having  now  traced  both  parts  of  the  book  to  the  end  of  the  world,  and 
the  final  judgment  with  its  consequences,  it  must  introduce  much  per¬ 
plexity,  and  occasion  an  appearance  of  uncertainty  and  ambiguity,  to 
return  hack,  without  any  necessity,  to  the  preceding  millennium.  ‘  I  he 
holy  city,  coming  down  from  heaven;1  the  whole  church  triumphant 
was  shown  to  him  under  this  emblem  ;  that  he  might  perceive  and 
report  something  of  its  glory  and  felicity,  according  to  man  s  capac¬ 
ity  of  apprehending  heavenly  things:  and  he  thus  learned,  tna 
blessedness  came  wholly  from  God,  and  depended  on  Him.  (1)  1  ier 
was  no  more  sea .1  ‘Therefore  this  new  heaven  and  new  earth  are 
not  designed  to  take  place,  till  after  the  general  judgment :  lor  at 
the  general  judgment,  “  the  sea  gave  up  the  dead  which  we  e  ■ 
(20:13.)  Gog  and  Magog,  the  nations  in  the  four  corners  of  the  earth, 
are  deceived  by  Satan,  after  the  expiration  of  the  millennium  , ,  but  Gog 
and  Magog  are  not  inhabitants  of  “  the  new  hdaven  and  the  ne  • 

Bp.  Newton.  (4)  No  more  death.]  M.  R.  m -No  etpre-aiofl l  equally 
strong  on  this  particular,  occurs  in  any  part  of  scripture,  except  where 
the  heavenly  state  is  evidently  intended.  •  £7^7] 


A.  1).  95. 


REVELATION.,  XXL 


Vision  of  the  New  Jerusalem. 


5  And  he  that  sat  upon  the  throffe 
said,  Behold,  1  make  all  things  new. 
And  he  said  unto  me,  Write  ;  for 
these  words  are  true  and  faithful. 

6  And  he  said  unto  me,  It  is 
j  done.  k  I  am  Alpha  and  Omega, 
the  beginning  and  the  end.  I  will 
give  unto  him  that  is  'athirst  of  the 
fountain  of  the  water  of  life  freely. 

7  He  that  overcometh  shall  in¬ 
herit  "“all  things;  and  I  will  be  his 
God,  and  he  shall  be  my  son. 

8  But  the  "fearful,  and  "unbe¬ 
lieving,  and  the  p  abominable,  and 
q  murderers,  and  "whoremongers, 
and  "sorcerers,  and  ‘idolaters,  and 
all  “liars,  shall  have  their  part  in 
the  lake  which  burneth  with  fire 
and  brimstone:  which  is  the  second 
death. 

[Practical  Observations .] 

9  And  there  came  unto  me  one 
of  the  seven  v  angels  which  had  the 
seven  vials  full  of  the  seven  last 
plagues,  and  talked  with  me,  say¬ 
ing,  Come  hither,  I  will  shew  thee 
the  bride,  the  Lamb’s  Wwife. 

10  And  he  carried  me  away  in  the 
Spirit  to  a  great  and  high  mountain, 
and  shewed  me  that  great  “city,  the 
holy  Jerusalem,  descending  out  of 
heaven  from  God, 

11  Having  the  glory  ?  of  God: 
and  her  light  was  like  unto  a  stone 
most  precious,  even  like  a  jasper 
stone,  clear  as  crystal  ; 

12  And  had  a  wall  great  and 
high,  and  had  twelve  "gates,  and  at 
the  gates  twelve  angels,  and  names 
written  thereon,  which  are  the 
names  of  the  twelve  tribes  of  the 
children  of  Israel : 

13  On  the  east  three  gates;  on  the 
north  three  gates;  on  the  south  three 


gates;  and  on  the  west  three  gates. 

14  And  the  wall  of  the  city  had 
twelve  foundations,  and  “in  them 
the  names  of  the  twelve  apostles  of 
the  Lamb.. 

15  And  he  that  talked  with  me 
had  a  golden  reed  b  to  measure  the 
city,  and  the  gates  thereof,  and  the 
wall  thereof. 

j  c.  16:17.  p  1  Co.  6:9,10.  w  c.  19:7. 

k  c.  1;8.  22:13.  q  I  Jn.  3:15.  x  Eze.  40:48. 

1  Is.  55:1.  Jn.  r  He.  13:4 .  y  Is.  60:1,2. 

4:10,14.  7:37.  a  Mai.  3:5r  z  Eze.  48:31,34. 

c.  22:17.  t  1  Co. 10:20,21.  a  Ep.  2:20. 

m  or,  these.  u  Pr.  19:5,9.  b  Eze.  40:3. 

u  Lu.  12:4—9.  c.  22:15.  Zee. 2:1.  c.lLl. 

o  1  Jn.  5:4,10.  v  c.  15:1,6,7. 


will  be  their  God ;  God  Himself  will  be  their 
God ;  his  immediate  presence  with  them,  his 
love  fully  manifested  to  them,  and  his  glory 
put  upon  them,  will  be  their  perfect  happi¬ 
ness;  then  He  will  fully  answer  the  charac¬ 
ter  of  the  relation  on  his  part,  as  they  shall 
do  on  their  part. 

4.  This  new  and  blessed  state  will  be  free 
from  all  trouble  and  sorrow,  v.  4.  all  the  ef¬ 
fects  of  former  trouble  shall  be  done  away; 
all  the  causes  of  future  sorrow  shall  be  for 
ever  removed  ;  therefore.  There  shall  be  no 
more  sorrow  nor  crying. 

5.  The  truth  and  certainty  of  this  blessed 
state  are  ratified  by  the  Word  and  promise 
of  God,  and  ordered  to  be  commited  to 
writing,  as  matter  of  perpetual  record, 
v.  5,  6.  The  subject-matter  of  this  vision 
is  so  great,  and  of  so  great  importance  to 
the  church  and  people  of  God,  that  they 
have  need  of  the  fullest  assurairces  of  it  ; 
and,  indeed,  it  would  be  inconsistent  with 
the  goodness  of  God,  and  his  love  to  his 
people,  to  create  in  them  holy  and  heavenly 
desires,  after  this  state,  and  then  deny  them 
their  proper  satisfaction. 

6.  The  greatness  of  this  future  felicity  is 
declared  and  illustrated,  (1.)  By  its  free¬ 
ness  ;  He  gives  of  the  water  of  life  freely. 
(2.)  The  fulness  of  it;  they  inherit  all  things, 
v.  7.  enjoying  God,  they  enjoy  all  things,  He 
is  All  in  all.  (3.)  By  the  tenure  and  title 
by  which  they  enjoy  this  blessedness;  as  the 
sons  of  God;  a  title  of  all  others  the  most 


honorable,  as  resulting  from  so  near  and  en¬ 
deared  a  relation  to  God  Himself,  and  the 
most  sure  and  indefeasible,  that  can  no  more 
cease  than  the  relation  from  which  it  results. 
(4.)  By  the  vastly  different  state  of  the 
wicked  ;  their  misery  helps  to  illustrate 
the  glory  and  blessedness  of  the  saints,  and 
the  distinguishing  goodness  of  God  toward 
them,  v.  8.  Here,  observe,  The  sins  of  those 
who  perish,  among  which  are  first  mention¬ 
ed  their  cowardliness  and  unbelief :  they 
durst  not  encounter  the  difficulties  of  reli¬ 
gion,  and  their  slavish  fear  proceeded  from 
their  unbelief.  Their  punishment  ;  They 
have  their  part  in  the  lake  that  burns  with  fire 
and  brimstone  :  which  is  the  second  death. 
They  could  not  burn  at  the  stake  for  Christ, 
but  they  must  burn  in  hell  for  sin.  They 
must  die  another  death  after  their  natural 
death  ;  the  agonies  and  terrors  of  the  first 
death,  will  consign  them  over  to  the  far 
greater  terrors  and  agonies  of  eternal  death  ; 
to  die  and  to  be  always  dying.  This  misery 
will  be  their  proper  pait  and  portion,  what 
they  have  justly  deserved,  what  they  have,  in 
effect,  chosen,  and  what  they  have  prepared 
themselves  for  by  their  sins. 

V.  9 — 21.  We  have  already  considered 
the  introduction  to  the  vision  of  the  new  Je¬ 
rusalem  in  a  more  general  idea  of  the  heav¬ 
enly  state  ;  we  now  come  to  the  vision;  — 
the  bride,  the  Lamb’s  wife,  v.  10.  i.  e.  the 
church  of  God  in  her  glorious,  perfect,  tri¬ 
umphant  state,  under  the  resemblance  of 
Jerusalem,  having  the  glory  of  God  shining 
in  its  lustre,  as  the  bride,  comely  through  the 
comeliness  put  on  her  by  her  Husband  ;  glori¬ 
ous  in  her  relation  to  Christ,  in  his  image 
now  perfected  in  her,  and  in  his  favor  shin¬ 
ing  upon  her;  see,  in  this  new  Jerusalem, 

1.  The  wall  for  security.  Heaven  is  a  safe 
state.  The  height  of  it,  is  very  great,  v.  1 7. 
sufficient  both  for  ornament  and  security, 
all  built  of  the  most  precious  stones,  for  firm¬ 
ness  and  lustre,!’.  11.  The  form  four-square , 
the  length  as  large  as  the  breadth,  equal  in  pu¬ 
rity  and  perfection;  there  shall  be  an  abso¬ 
lute  uniformity  in  the  church  triumphant. 
The  measure  gives  room  sufficient  for  all  the 
people  of  God  ;  many  mansions  in  their  Fath¬ 
er’s  house.  The  .foundation  is,  the  promise 


PRACT.  OBS.  V.  1  —  8.  ‘  There  remaineth  a  rest  for  the  people  of 
God  ;  ’  and  when  the  idolized  objects  of  worldly  men’s  affections  and 
pursuits  shall  ‘pass  away,  and  be  no  more’  for  ever,  believers  shall 
enter  ‘  the  new  heaven  and  the  new  earth,’  ‘  in  which  dwelleth  right¬ 
eousness,’  and  where  no  tumultuous  passions,  anxious  cares,  or  chang¬ 
ing  dispensations,  shall  disturb  their  repose  to  all  eternity.  What  then 
should,  for  a  single  moment,  divert  us  from  seeking  so  vast  a  blessing  ? 
Or  what  words  can  suffice  to  express  our  admiring  gratitude? — But 
surely,  the  curse  is  also  set  before  us,  in  this  scripture,  as  well  as  the 
blessing;  and  most  loudly  does  Christ  say  to  all,  who  hear  his  Word, 
‘  Fear  not  them  who  can  kill  the  body,  but  after  that  have  no  more 

(2.)  Bl.  rejects  ‘  I  John.’  Ed. 

V.  7.  For  ‘all  things,’  Bloomf.  reads  ‘  these  things.’  Id. 

V.  8.  ‘  There  is  then  a  fearfulness  which  alone  is  sufficient  to  cause  our 
condemnation,  as  well  as  the  other  crimes  here  mentioned.  It  is  not 
only  that  fear  which  causes  us  to  deny  and  to  abandon  the  faith;  but 
that  also  which  causes  us  to  be  wanting  to  important  and  essential  du¬ 
ties,  through  fear  of  hurting  our  fortunes,  our  ease,  and  even  our  tem¬ 
poral  and  spiritual  interests,  and  of  creating  ourselves  enemies.  True 
courage  is,  to  fear  nothing  but  God  and  displeasing  Him.  Real  coward¬ 
ice  is,  not  to  have  courage  to  overcome  self,  nor  renounce  the  creature, 
through  the  hope  of  enjoying  the  Creator.  Quesnel.'  Henky,  abr. 

V.  9 — 21.  This  city  was  illuminated,  beautified,  and  rendered  illus¬ 
trious  beyond  expression,  by  ‘  the  glory  of  God,’  beaming  full  upon  it ; 
which  shows  that  the  happiness  of  heaven  consists  in  immediate  com¬ 
munications  from  God,  and  in  conformity  to  Him.  ( Note ,  22 — 27.) 
Thus  the  light,  which  shone  on  the  city,  was  like  the  refulgency  of  the 
most  admired  jewels  ;  the  whole,  as  it  appeared  pendent  in  the  air,  shone 
with  surprising  lustre  and  beauty,  and  was  ‘  transparent  as  crystal  :  ’ 
which  may  intimate,  that  our  knowledge  in  heaven  will  be  intuitive, 
certain,  and  productive  of  the  most  satisfying  delight.  The  ‘twelve 
foundations,  inscribed  with  the  names  of  the  twelve  apostles,’  and 
formed  of  twelve  precious  stones,  might  show,  that  all  who  belonged 
to  that  holy  city  obtained  their  citizenship,  by  receiving  and  obeying  the 
doctrine  of  the  apostles  respecting  Christ  and  his  salvation,  as  ‘  the 
Lamb  of  God  that  taketh  away  the  sin  of  the  world.’  The  whole  city 
rests  primarily  od  Christ  Himself,  ‘the  tried  Foundation;’  and,  in  a 
subordinate  sense,  on  those  who  published  and  attested  the  true  doc¬ 
trine  concerning  Him,  who  will  be  honored  there  in  a  peculiar  manner: 
nor  will  any  person  enter  thither,  who  does  not  hold  the  doctrine  of  the 
apostles,  in  its  grand  outlines;  for  thus  it  has  been  believed  by  the 
church,  ever  since  the  first  promise  to  fallen  man.  [Notes,  Gen.  3:14, 
15.  Ej/h.  2:19 — 22.)  The  precious  stones  may  denote,  that  all  earthly 
splendor  is  mean  and  contemptible,  compared  with  that  of  heaven  ;  and 

[7-3] 


that  they  can  do ;  ’  when  such  cowards,  as  dare  not  own  Christ  on 
earth,  are  ranked  with  the  most  abominable  sinners,  as  ‘cast  into  tke 
lake  of  fire  and  brimstone.’  Should  the  Lord  speak  in  thunder  from 
heaven,  and  protest  to  sinners  by  name,  that  they  were  in  the  way  to 
hell,  it  could  not  be  more  manifest  than  it  is  at  present,  if  men 
would  but  notice  it ;  for,  while  they  live  in  infidelity,  impiety,  or  any  of 
the  sins  here  or  elsewhere  enumerated,  does  not  God  say  expressly  to 
them,  ‘  Except  ye  repent,  ye  shall  all  likewise  perish  ?’  But,  blessed 
be  his  name,  He  says  also  to  life  vilest,  ‘  Repent  and  be  converted,  that 
your  sins  may  be  blotted  out.’  ‘  Believe  on  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and 
thou  shall  be  saved.’  Scott. 

that  all  possible  excellency  and  glory  will  there  combine,  abound,  and 
centre  for  ever.  (Notes,  Ex.  28:15 — 29.  Is.  54:11 — 14.)  The  vast  di¬ 
mensions  of  the  city,  being  an  exact  square,  fifteen  hundred  miles  on 
each  side,  might  be  emblematical  of  magnificence,  and  of  room  for  all 
the  multitude  of  inhabitants,  which  should  ever  enter  it,  however  im¬ 
mense  and  innumerable.  As  it  is  inconceivable  how  a  city  could  be  fif¬ 
teen  hundred  miles  high,  when  it  is  said,  that  ‘  the  length,  breadth,  and 
height  were  equal ;  ’  some  conclude  that  no  more  is  meant,  than  that 
the  height  was  proportionable  to  the  other  dimensions.  The  whole, 
however,  is  enigmatical :  and  as  a  cube  seems  a  kind  of  perfect  form, 
perhaps  the  language  is  to  be  understood  according  to  its  obvious  mean¬ 
ing  ;  and  then  we  may  consider  it  as  an  intimation,  that  the  reader  is 
not  allowed  to  form  any  gross  conceptions  of  the  city  in  his  imagina¬ 
tion,  but  to  deduce  instruction  from  it,  as  an  emblem.  It  may  also  im¬ 
ply  the  stability,  proportion,  and  uniformity  of  heavenly  things,  and  the 
incomprehensible  nature  and  glory  of  them.  (Note,  Eph.  3:14 — 19.) — 
The  city,  and  the  street  of  it,  being  ‘of  pure  gold,  as  it  were  transpa¬ 
rent  glass,’  may  be  an  emblem  of  the  union  in  heaven  of  those  excel¬ 
lences,  which  seem  here  to  be  incompatible.  ‘They  will  be  splendid, 
durable  as  the  purest  gold  ;  clear  and  transparent  as  the  finest  glass.  In 
that  happy  world,  the  beauties  and  advantages,  which  are  here  divided 
and  incompatible,  will  unite  and  agree.  Our  glass  is  clear  but  brittle; 
our  gold  shining  and  solid,  but  opaque,  and  discovers  only  a  surface. 
And  thus  it  is  with  our  minds.  The  powers  of  the  imagination  are  live¬ 
ly  and  extensive,  but  transient  and  uncertain.  The  powers  of  the  un¬ 
derstanding  are  more  solid  and  regular,  but  at  the  same  time  more  slow 
and  limited,  and  confined  to  the  outside* properties  of  the  few  objects 
around  us.  but  when  we  arrive  within  the  veil,  the  perfections  of  tho 
glass  and  gold  will  be  combined,  and  the  imperfections  of  each  will  en¬ 
tirely  cease.  Then  we  shall  know  more  than  we  can  now  imagine. 
The  glass  will  be  all  gold.  And  then  we  shall  apprehend  truth  in  its 
relations  and  consequences,  not,  as  at  present,  by  that  tedious  and  falli¬ 
ble  process  which  we  call  reasoning,  but  bv  a  single  glance  of  thought, 


A.  D.  95. 


REVELATION,  XXII. 


Vision  of  the  New  Jerusalem. 


16  And  the  city  lietli  four-square, 
and  the  length  is  as  large  as  the 
breadth:  and  he  measured  the  city 
with  the  reed,  twelve  thousand  fur¬ 
longs.  The  length,  and  the  breadth, 
ami  the  height  of  it  are  equal. 

17  And  he  measured  the  wall 
thereof,  an  hundred  and  forty  and 
four  cubits,  according  to  the  meas¬ 
ure  of  a  man,  that  is,  of  the  angel. 

18  And  the  building  of  the  wall 
of  it  was  of  jasper:  and  the  city 
teas  pure  gold,  like  unto  clear  glass. 

19  And  the  foundations  c  of  the 
wall  of  the  city  were  garnished  with 
all  manner  of  precious  stones. 
The  first  foundation  was  jasper ; 
the  second,  sapphire  ;  the  third,  a 
chalcedony  ;  the  fourth,  an  emer¬ 
ald  ; 

20  The  fifth,  sardonyx;  the  sixth, 
sardius  ;  the  seventh,  chrysolite  ; 
the  eighth,  beryl  ;  the  ninth,  a  to¬ 
paz;  the  tenth,  a  chrysoprasus;  the 
eleventh,  a  jacinth;  the  twelfth,  an 
amethyst. 

21  And  the  twelve  gates  lucre 
twelve  pearls  ;  every  several  gate 
was  of  one  pearl:  and  the  street  of 
the  city  ivas  pure  gold,  as  it  were 
transparent  glass. 

22  And  I  saw  no  temple  therein: 
for  the  Lord  God  Almighty  and  the 
Lamb  are  the  temple  of  it. 

23  And  the  city  had  no  need  of 
the  dsun,  neither  of  the  moon,  to 
shine  in  it:  for  the  glory  of  God  did 
lighten  it,  and  the  Lamb  is  the  light 
*  thereof. 

24  And  the  nations  fof  them 
which  are  saved  shall  walk  in  the 
light  of  it:  and  the  kings  gof  the 
earth  do  bring  their  glory  and  hon¬ 
or  into  it. 


25  And  the  gates  of  it  s 

for 


hall  not  ’ 
b  there 


be  shut  at  all  by  day: 
shall  be  no  night  there. 

26  And  they  shall  bring  the  glory 
and  honor  of  the  nations  into  it. 

27  And  'there  shall  in  no  wise 
enter  into  it  any  thing  that defileth, 
neither  whatsoever  worketh  abomi¬ 
nation,  or  makelh  a  lie  :  but  they 
which  are  written  in  the  Lamb’s 
book  j  of  life. 

CHAP.  XXII. 

1  The  river  of  the  water  of  life.  2  The  tree  of  life.  5  The 
light  of  the  city  of  God  is  Himself.  9  The  angel  will  not 
be  worshipped.  18  Nothing  maybe  added  to  the  Word 
of  God,  nor  taken  therefrom. 

ND  he  shewed  me  a  pure  river 
of  water  of  life,  clear  as  crys¬ 
tal,  proceeding  out  of  the  throne 
of  God  and  of  the  Lamb. 


A 


c  Ts.  54:11. 
d  Is.  60:19,20. 

c.  22:5. 
e  Jn.  1:4. 
f  is.  60.3—11. 


66:10 — 12. 
g  Pr.  72:11. 
h  Zee.  14:7. 
i  Is.  35:8.  52:1. 
60:21.  Joel  3:17. 


Mat.  13:41.  1 

Co.  6:9,10.  Ga. 
5:19—21.  Ep. 
5:5.  He.  12:14. 
c.  13:8. 


and  power  of  God,  and  the  purchase  of 
Christ;  as  to  matter,  various  and  precious, 
set  forth  by  12  sorts  of  precious  stones, 
denoting  the  variety  and  excellency  of  the 
doctrines  of  the  Gospel,  or  of  the  graces  of 
the  Holy  Spirit,  or  the  personal  excellences 
of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ. 

2.  The  gates  for  entrance;  there  is  a  free 
admission  to  all  that  are  sanctified  : — i.  e. 
from  all  quarters  of  the  earth  there  shall  he 
some  who  shall  get  safe  to  heaven,  and  be 
received  there,  and  there  is  as  free  entrance 
from  one  part  of  the  world  as  the  other,  Ga. 
3:  28.  The  Pearl  of  great  price  (Christ)  is 
our  Way  to  God.  Nothing  is  magnificent 
enough  in  this  world  fully  to  set  forth  the  glory 
of  heaven.  Could  we,  in  the  glass  of  a  strong 
imagination,  contemplate  such  a  city  as  is 
here  described,  even  as  to  the  exterior  part 
of  it,  such  a  wall,  and  such  gates,  how 
amazing,  how  glorious,  would  the  prospect 
be  !  And  yet  this  is  but  a  faint  and  dim 
representation  of  what  heaven  is  in  itself. 

V.  22-27.  The  new  Jerusalem  has  its  sev¬ 
eral  streets,  in  most  exact  order;  every  saint 


his  proper  mansion.  There  is  converse  in 
heaven;  the  saints  are  at  rest  [from disturb¬ 
ing  thoughts]  ;  but  not  passive  ;  not  in  a 
state  of  sleep,  but  of  delightful  motion  ;  the 
nations  that  are  saved  walk  in  the  light  of  it  ; 
with  Christ,  and  God,  and  one  another  , 
and  all  their  steps  are  firm  and  clean. 

1.  The  temple  of  the  new  Jerusalem  ;  not 
material,  made  with  men’s  hands,  but  alto¬ 
gether  spiritual  and  divine  ;  for  the  Lord 
God  Almighty,  and  the  Lamb,  are  the  temple 
thereof.  There  the  saints  are  above  the  need 
of  ordinances ;  when  the  end  is  attained,  the 
means  are  no  longer  useful. 

2.  The  light  of  this  city.  -Where  there 
is  no  light,  there  can  be  no  lustre  nor  pleas¬ 
ure.  What  a  dismal  world  would  this  be, 
if  it  were  not  for  the  light  of  the  sun  !  Heav¬ 
en  is  the  inheritance  of  the  Saints  in  light  yet 
there  is  no  sun  nor  moon  shining  there, 
v.  23.  but  the  glory  of  God  lightens  that  city, 
and  the  Lamb  is  the  Light  thereof.  God  in 
Christ  will  be  an  everlasting  Fountain  of 
knowledge  and  joy  to  the  saints  in  heaven. 

3.  The  inhabitants  of  this  city  ;  describ¬ 
ed  by  their  numbers, —whole  nations  of  sav¬ 
ed  souls  ;  some  out  of  all  nations,  and  many 
out  rf  some  ;  by  their  dignity, — some  of  the 
kings  and  princes  of  the  earth  ;  by  their 
continual  accession  and  entrance  into  this 
city,  some  one  or  other  coming  in  every 
hour  and  moment,  at  the  always  open  gates. 

4.  The  accommodations  of  this  city  ;  all 
tile  glory  and  honor  of  the  nations  shall  be 
brought  into  it  ;  whatever  is  excellent  and 
valuable  in  this  world,  shall  be  there  enjoy¬ 
ed  in  a  more  refined  kind,  and  to  a  far  great¬ 
er  degree. 

5.  And,  lastly,  the  unmixed  purity  of  all 
who  belong  to  the  new  Jerusalem,  v.  27. 
Hypocrites,  such  as  make  lies,  say  they  are 
Jews,  and  are  not,  will  creep  into  the  churches 
of  Christ  on  earth,  and  may  lie  concealed 
there,  perhaps  all  their  days  ;  but  they  can¬ 
not  intrude  into  the  new  Jerusalem. 


Chap.  XXII.  V.  1—5.  The  heavenly 
state,  before  described  as  a  city,  and  called 
the  new  Jerusalem,  is  here  described  as  a 
paradise  ;  alluding  to  the  earthly  paradise 
w  hich  was  lost  by  the  sin  of  the  first  Adam  ; 


PRACT.  OBS.  V.  9 — 27.  The  way  in  which  the  Lord  teaches  us 
the  nature  of  heavenly  glories,  implies  that  we  are  poor,  ignorant  chil¬ 
dren,  too  apt  to  be  pleased  with  trifles  and  externals  ;  who  must  be 
spoken  to  in  our  own  language  ;  not  being  capable  of  knowing  things  as 
they  are,  or  of  fully  relishing  t lie  pure  and  spiritual  felicity  of  the  celes¬ 
tial  world.  Yet,  if  anything  draw  off  our  affections  from  earthly  ob¬ 
jects,  to  seek  ‘a  treasure  in  heaven,’  and  a  permanent  mansion  in  that 
blessed  world,  it  will  be  well.  ‘Glorious  tilings  are’  indeed  here 
‘spoken  of  the  city  of  God  ;  ’  (Note,  Ps.  87:3.)  and  the  whole  is  well 
suited  to  raise  our  expectations,  and  enlarge  our  conceptions,  of  its  se¬ 
curity,  peace,  splendor,  purity,  and  felicity  ;  but,  in  proportion  to  our 


spirituality,  we  shall  be  more  and  more  led  to  contemplate  heaven,  as 
filled  with  ‘  the  glory  of  God,’  and  enlightened  by  the  presence  of  the 
Lord  Jesus,  ‘  the  Sun  of  righteousness,’  and  the  Redeemer  of  lost  sin¬ 
ners,  knowing  that  ‘in  li is  presence  is  fulness  of  joy,  and  pleasures  at 
his  right  hand  for  evermore.’  As  nothing  unclean  can  enter  thither,  let 
ns  be'stirred  up,  by  these  glimpses  of  heavenly  things,  in  giving  diligence 
to  ‘  cleanse  ourselves  from  all  fllthiness  ot  flesh  and  spirit,  perfecting 
holiness  in  the  fear  of  God  ’  that  we  may  be  approved  as  ‘Israelites 
indeed,  in  whom  there  is  no  guile,’  and  have  a  sure  evidence  that  we 
are  written  in  the  ‘  book  of  life  oi  the  Lamb  that  was  slaiil,  from  the 
foundation  of  the  world.’ 


Scott. 


as  the  sight  pierces  in  an  instant  through  the  largest  transparent  body. 

The  gold  will  be  all  glass.1  Newton's  Cardipkonia.— The  twelve  gates, 
made  of  as  many  vast  pearls,  may  denote,  that  everything  will  be  super¬ 
latively  glorious,  beyond  all  compar-  [ 
ison  with  anything  ever  seen  on 
earth. — The  marg.  ref.  will  show  the 
reader,  in  a  manner  suited  to  excite 
a  peculiar  interest,  that  even  in  those 
things,  which  are  stated  as  the  glory 
of  the  antichristian  harlot,  the  true 
spouse  of  Christ  will  infinitely  ex¬ 
ceed  her.  (Notes,  17:3 — 5.)  Scott. 

(9.)  Bl.  rejects  ‘  unto  me.’  Ed. 

(10.)  Bl.  marks  ‘  great  ’  as  doubt¬ 
ful.  iu. 

(12.)  The  cut  shows  an  Egyptian 
gate  or  door  of  the  earliest  historical 
ages,  bearing  the  hieroglyphic  name  of 
its  owner, a  king,  three  times  repeated. 

Private  gentlemen  had  also  their 
names  on  the  doors  and  gates  of  their 
houses  or  country  villas,  in  ancient 
Egypt.  See  Wilkinson.  1[)- 

V.  22—27.  The  temple  was  essential  to  Jerusalem,  the  holy  city  in 
Judea,  as  its  great  ornament  and  honor,  and  it  made  a  prominent  part 
in  Ezekiel’s  vision  of  the  church,  as  I  suppose,  during  the  millennium, 
under  the  emblem  of  the  holy  city.  (Notes,  Ez.  40: — 48:)  But  ‘  there 
was  no  temple’  in  the  mystical  city  that  John  saw  ;  which  is  a  demon¬ 
stration,  that  the  heavenly  state  was  exclusively  meant.  In  heaven 
there  will  be  no  need  of  external  symbols  of  the  Lord’s  presence. 
Neither  will  this  holy  city  need  ‘  the  sun  or  moon  to  lighten  it,’  or  any 
of  the  things  which  outwardly  contribute  to  our  comfort,  and  are  suited 
to  our  state,  on  earth  ;  for  ‘  the  glory  of  God  will  lighten  it,’  yea,  the 
N.  T.  VOL.  V.  92 


Lamb  ‘  will  be  the  Light  ’  and  Felicity  of  it.  (Notes,  Ps.  36:5—9.  81:8 
—12.  Is.  30:26.  60:15—22.  Mai.  4:2,3.  2  Cor.  4:3—6.)  What  words 
can  more  fully  express  the  mysterious  union  and  co-equality  of  the  Son 
with  the  Father,  in  the  Godhead  ?— Let  the  reader  also  compare  care¬ 
fully  the  language  with  that  of  those  scriptures,  which  describe  in  most 
emphatical  terms  the  most  happy  and  glorious  state  of  the  church  on 
eartli ;  and  while  he  perceives  some  of  the  same  figures  employed,  he 
will  likewise  perceive  that  this  passage  is  far  more  energetical  titan  any 
of  them.— The  gates  ‘not  shut  by  day,’  and  there  being  ‘no  night 
there,’  emblematically  and  affectingly  show  the  liberty,  peace,  security, 
and  uninterrupted  enjoyment  of  that  blessed  state;  (Note,  7:13  17.) 

and  as  believers  are  ‘  the  excellent  of  the  earth,’  and  enter  thither  from 
every  nation  ;  so  it  may  literally  be  said,  thru  ‘  they  bring  the  glory  and 
honor  of  the  nations  into  it  ;  ’  as  well  as  figuratively,  in  respect  of  its 
incomparable  splendor  and  excellency.  All  the  inhabitants  are  abso¬ 
lutely  perfected  in  holiness,  and  all  increase,  share,  and  rejoice  in  each 
other’s  felicity  :  being  excellent,  loving,  and  lovely,  beyond  expression 
or  imagination.  (Is.  52:1.  2  Pet.  3:10 — 13.)  Scott. 

NOTES.  Chat.  XXII.  V.  1.  ‘The  river  clear,’  or  transparent, 
‘as  crystal’  may  intimate,  that  the  happiness  of  heaven  greatly  con¬ 
sists  in  a  full,  clear,  and  intuitive  knowledge  of  God,  and  his  glorious 
perfections  and  works,  constantly  exciting  all  tiolv  and  delightful  allec- 
tions  in  the  heart.  This  river,  ‘proceeding  out  of  the  throne  of  Goa  ami 
of  the  Lamb,’  especially  points  to  the  quickening  and  sanctifying  in¬ 
fluences  and  consolations  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  as  given  to  sinners  through 
Jesus  Christ,  to  be  the  Author  of  spiritual  and  eternal  life  to  ttieir 
souls.  (Ex.  17:5,  6.  Is.  12  3.  Jn.  4:10— 15.  7:S7— 39.)  This  mterpre- 
tation,  which  coincides  with  so  many  other  scriptures,  gn  sap 
interesting  view  of  the  sacred  Trinity  ;  the  lather,  who  sent  h..  only 
begotten  Son  to  be  our  Savior;  the  Son  who,  having  finished  his  work 
on  earth,  rose  and  ascended,  and  ‘sat  down  with  Ihc  FaU.er  mi  s 
throne,  and  ever  liveth,’  as  Emmanuel,  our  divine,  our  incarnate  Medi¬ 
ator,  and  the  Holy  Spirit,  as  ‘proceeding  from  the  Father  and  tlie  um 


A.  D.  95. 


REVELATION,  XXII. 


Jl  vision  of  paradise. 


2  In  1  the  midst  of  the  street  bof 
it,  and  on  either  side  of  the  river, 
was  there  the  tree  c  of  life,  which 
bare  twelve  manner  of  fruits,  and 
yielded  her  fruit  every  month:  and 
the  leaves  of  the  tree  were  for  the 
healing  of  the  nations. 

3  And  there  d  shall  be  no  more 
curse:  but  the  throne  of  e  God  and 
of  the  Lamb  shall  be  in  it;  and  his 
servants  f shall  serve  him: 

4  And  s  they  shall  see  his  face; 
and  his  name  h  shall  be  in  their  fore¬ 
heads. 

5  And  ‘  there  shall  be  no  night 
there  ;  and  they  need  no  candle, 
neither  light  of  the  sun  ;  for  the 
Lord  God  giveth  them  }  light  :  and 
they  shall  reign  k  for  ever  and  ever. 

6  And  he  said  unto  me,  These 
sayings  are  faithful  and  true  ;  and 
the  Lord  God  of  the  holy  prophets 
sent  ‘his  angel  to  shew  unto  his 
servants  the  things  which  must 
shortly  be  done. 

7  Behold,  I  come  m  quickly: 
blessed  is  he  that  keepeth  the  say¬ 
ings  of  the  prophecy  of  this  book. 

8  And  I  John  saw  these  things, 
and  heard  them.  And  when  I  had 
heard  and  seen,  I  fell  down  to  wor¬ 
ship  before  the  feet  of  the  angel 
which  shewed  me  these  things. 

9  Then  saith  he  unto  me,  See 
thou  do  it  not:  for  I  am  thy  fellow- 
servant,  and  of  thy  brethren  the 
prophets,  and  of  them  which  keep 
the  sayings  of  this  book  :  worship 
God. 

[Practical  Observations.] 

10  And  he  saith  unto  me,  Seal 
not  n  the  sayings  of  the  prophecy  of 
this  book:  for  the  time  is  at  hand. 

11  He  °that  is  unjust,  let  him  be 
unjust  still:  and  he  which  is  filthy, 


let  him  be  filthy  still:  and  he  that  is 
p  righteous,  let  him  be  righteous 
still:  and  he  that  is  holy,  let  him  be 
holy  still. 

12  And,  behold,  I  come  q  quickly; 
and  my  reward  is  with  me,  to  give 
every  man  according  ras  his  work 
shall  be. 

a  Eze.  47:1,12. 
b  c.  21:21. 
c  c.  2:7. 
d  Zee.  14:11. 
e  E lc.  48:1-15. 
f  c.  7:15 
g  Mat.  5:8.  Jn. 

12.-c6.  17:24 

1  Co.  13:12. 

here  is  another  paradise  restored  by  the  sec¬ 
ond  Adam.  And  here  observe, 

1.  The  river  of  paradise  :  the  earthly 
paradise  was  well  watered  ;  no  place  can 
be  pleasant  or  fruitful  that  is  not  so.  This 
river  is  described,  (1.)  By  its  fountain¬ 
head, —  the  throne  of  God,  and  the  Lamb. 
All  our  springs  of  grace,  comfort,  and  glory, 
are  in  God  ;  and  flow  from  Him,  through 
the  mediation  of  the  Lamb.  (2.)  By  its 
quality', — pure,  and  char  as  crystal.  All  the 
streams  of  earthly  comfort  are  muddy  ;  but 
these  are  clear,  salutary,  and  refreshing, 
giving  anil  preserving  life,  to  those  who 
drink  of  it. 

2.  The.  tree  of  life,  in  this  paradise.  Such 
a  tree  there  was  in  the  earthly  paradise, 
Gen.  2:  9.  This  far  excels  it.  And  ob¬ 
serve,  (1.)  Its  situation, — in  the  midst  of  the 
street,  and  on  either  side  of  the  river ;  or,  as  bet¬ 
ter  rendered,  in  the  midst  between  the  terrace- 
walk  and  the  river.  This  tree  of  life  is  fed 
by  the  pure  waters  of  the  river  that  comes 
from  the  throne  of  God.  The  presence  and 
perfections  of  God  furnish  out  all  the  glory 
and  blessedness  of  heaven.  (2.)  Its  fruit¬ 
fulness  ;  many  sorts  of  fruit,  suited  to  the 
refined  taste  of  all  the  saints  ;  fruit  8t  all 
times, — every  month  ;  this  tree  is  never  emp¬ 
ty,  never  barren.  In  heaven  there  is  not 
only  a  variety  of  pure  and  satisfying  pleas¬ 
ures,  but  a  continuance  of  them,  and  always 
fresh.  The  fruit  is  not  only  pleasant,  but 
wholesome.  The  presence  of  God  in  heav¬ 
en  is  the  health  and  happiness  of  the  saints. 

3.  The  perfect  freedom  of  this  paradise 


1  Ju.  3:2. 
h  c.  3:1-2. 
i  c.  21:23,25. 

I  Pi.  36:9. 
k  Ro.  5:17. 

1  c.  1:1. 
m  ver.  10:12,20. 
n  Da.  8:26. 


o  Pr.  1:24—33. 
Ec.  11:3. 
Mat.  25:10. 

2  Ti  3:13. 
p  Pr.  4:18 
Mat.  5:6. 
q  2ep.  1:14. 
r  c.  20:12. 


from  everything  evil,  v.  3.  There  shall  be  no 
more  curse;  no  accursed  one,  no  serpent  there, 
as  in  the  earthly  paradise.  They  shall  reign 
with  Him  for  ever;  their  service  shall  he  not 
only  freedom,  but  honor  and  dominion. 

V.  6 — 19.  We  have  here  a  solemn  rati¬ 
fication  of  I  he  contents  of  this  book,  partic¬ 
ularly  of  this  last  vision;  though  some  think 
it  may  not  only  refer  to  the  whole  book,  but 
to  the  whole  New  Test,  yea,  to  the  whole 
Bible,  completing  and  confirming  the  canon 
of  Scripture.  And  here,  1.  This  is  con¬ 
firmed  by  the  name  and  nature  of  that  God 
who  gave  out  these  discoveries  ;  He  is  the 
Lord  God,  faithful  and  true,  and  so  are  all 
his  sayings.  2.  By  the  messengers  lie  chose 
to  reveal  these  things  to  the  world  ;  the  ho¬ 
ly  angels  showed  them  to  holy  men  of  God; 
and  God  would  not  employ  his  saints  and 
angels  in  deceiving  the  world.  3.  They 
will  soon  be  confirmed  by  their  accomplish¬ 
ment  ;  they  are  things  that  must  shortly  be 
done  ;  Christ  will  come  quickly,  and  put  all 
things  out  of  doubt  ;  and  then  they  will 
prove  the  wise  and  happy  men,  who  have 
believed  and  kept  his  words.  4.  By  the  in¬ 
tegrity  of  that  angel  who  had  been  the  apos¬ 
tle’s  guide  and  interpreter  in  these  visions  ; 
he  not  only  refused  to  accept  religious  ado¬ 
ration  from  John,  but  once  and  again  re¬ 
proved  him  for  offering  it.  He  who  was  so 
tender  of  the  honor  of  God,  and  so  displeas¬ 
ed  with  what  was  a  wrong  to  God,  would 
never,  in  bis  name,  lead  the  people  of  God 
into  mere  dreams  and  delusions  :  and  it  still 
is  a  further  confirmation  of  the  sincerity  of 
this  apostle,  that  lie  confesses  bis  own  sin 
and  folly,  into  which  he  bad  now  again  re¬ 
lapsed,  and  he  leaves  this  his  failing  on  per¬ 
petual  record  ;  this  shows  he  was  a  faithful 
and  an  impartial  writer.  5.  By  the  order 
given  to  leave  the  book  of  the  prophecy 
open,  to  be  perused  by  all,  that  they  might 
labor  to  understand  it,  that  they  might  make 
their  objections  against  it,  and  compare  the 
prophecy  with  the  events.  God  here  calls 
everyone  to  witness  to  the  declarations  here 
made,  v.  10.  0.  By  the  effect  this  book, 

thus  kept  open,  will  have  on  men  ;  those 
that  are  filthy  and  unjust,  will  take  that  oc¬ 
casion  from  thence  to  be  more  so  ;  hut  it 
will  confirm,  strengthen,  and  further  sancti- 


PRACT.  OBS.  V.  1 — 0.  May  the  Lord  show  us  the  streams  of  ‘  the  ‘  clear  as  crystal,’  without  alloy  or  interruption,  for  evermore.  1  These 
pure  river  of  the  water  of  life,  which  proceed  out  of  the  throne  of  God,  are  true  and  faithful  sayings;’  but  they  are  so  vast,  that  we  need  to 
and  of  the  Lamb;’  that,  receiving  the  precious  gift  of  the  life-giving  pray  continually,  ‘  Lord,  increase  our  faith,’  or  we  shall  not  be  able  to 
Spirit,  we  may  be  made  meet  for  ‘  the  inheritance  of  the  saints  in  light.’  receive  them,  however  attested  to  us.  Scott. 

All  oilier  streams  are  polluted,  or  will  soon  dry  up;  but  this  will  flow, 


to  apply,  by  his  new-creating  love  and  power,  this  salvation  to  our 
souls  :  that  ‘Glory  may  he  to  the  Father,  and  to  the  Son,  and  to  the 
Holy  Ghost;  as  it  was  in  the  beginning,  is  now,  and  ever  shall  be, 
world  without  end.’  {M.  II.  d.)  Scott. 

(1.)  Bl.  rejects  ‘  a  pure.’  En. 

V.  2— 5.  Tree,  of  life.]  {Notes, ft-.  6,  7.  Gen.  2:8,  9.  3:22— 24.)  This 
seems  not  here  to  mean  a  single  tree,  but  a  species  of  trees,  which 
grew  in  the  places  of  puldic  resort,  for  the  common  benefit  of  all  the 
inhabitants. — It  is  remarkable,  that  ‘God  and  the  Lamb,’  are  here 
spoken  of  as  One,  in  such  a  manner,  that  we  cannot  determine  to  which 
of  them  the  singular  personal  pronoun  belongs.  (Note,  John  10:23 — 31.) 
— In  that  world  of  fight  and  glory  there  will  ‘  be  no  night,’  no  affliction, 
or  dejection,  no  intermission  of  service  and  enjoyment ;  they  will  need 
no  candle ;  no  diversions  or  pleasures  of  man’s  devising  will  there  be  at 
all  wanted  ;  and  even  the  outward  comforts  which  God  has  provided, 
suited  to  our  state  in  this  world,  will  no  longer  be  requisite.  {Notes, 
21:22—27.  Mat.  22  23— 33.  1  Cor.  15— 39— 49.  Phil.  3:20,  21.)  How 
very  different  is  this  view  from  a  Mohammedan  heaven,  which  could 
only  please  gross,  sensual,  and  carnal  men,  if  it  were  real  !  But  indeed 
this,  and  various  other  notions  of  heavenly  happiness,  springing  up,  as 
new  revelations  from  time  to  time,  willtou'  excepting  even  the  hope 
of  philosophers,  of  enjoying  the  pleasure  of  learned  society,  an  increas¬ 
ing  knowledge  of  nature,  and  discoveries  in  science,  beyond  expression 
many  and  great,  are  mere  delusions  of  the  enemy,  to  soothe  men  into 
the  opinion,  that  they  inav  be  happy  without  submission  to  the  Gospel, 
and  without  the  special  favor  and  enjoyment  of  God,  and  without  a  re¬ 
newal  unto  holiness;  till  the  event  shall  awfully  convince  them  of  the 
fatal  delusion.  It  is  indeed  most  evident,  that  man,  without  revelation 
and  regeneration,  cannot  conceive  in  what  happiness  consists.  The 
most  ingenious  writers,  of  the  pagans,  fail  in  nothing  more,  than  in  de¬ 
scribing  the  condition  of  their  gods ;  who  are  represented  as  Gir  removed 
from  true  happiness  as  from  holiness,  and  liable  to  all  the  vexations  of 
sinful  men,  with  scarcely  any  peculiar  satisfactions  superior  to  what 
they  erj  y  ;  indeed  differing  little  from  them,  except  in  power,  knowl¬ 
edge,  and  exemption  from  death. — In  the  282  opinions  mentioned  by 
Va.-ro  concerning  the  chief  good,  I  apprehend  that  view  here  given  of 
it  by  the  apostle  did  not  form  one. — ‘  Eye  hath  not  seen,  nor  ear  heard, 


neither  have  entered  into  the  heart  of  man,  the  things  which  God  hath 
prepared  for  them  that  love  Him.’  1  Except  a  man  be  born  again,  he 
cannot  see  the  kingdom  of  God.’  Scott. 

V.  6,  7.  (21-.5.)  The  angel’s  declaration  in  this  passage,  that  the 

Lord  God  had  sent  him,  compared  with  what  follows  (16',  has  been  ad¬ 
duced  as  a  conclusive  proof  of  the  Deity  of  Christ.  Indeed,  we  meet 
with  this  doctrine,  in  one  form  or  other,  continually  ;  and  t here  is  no 
way  of  avoiding  it,  but  by  rejecting,  wholly  or  in  part,  the  divine  inspi¬ 
ration  of  those  books  in  which  it  is  so  undeniably  contained.  In. 

(6.)  Bl.  rejects  ‘holy,’  and  inserts  ‘  spirits  of  the.’  Ed. 

V.  8,  9.  {Note,  19:9,  10  )  While  we  are  surprised,  that  the  apostle 
should  again  fall  into  his  former  mistake,  and  need  repeatedly  the  same 
admonition,  we  may  observe  the  great  wisdom  of  God  in  leaving  him  to 
do  so.  It  has  been  remarked,  that  the  idolatrous  worship  of  saints  and 
angels  was  one  great  abomination  of  that  antichristian  system,  against 
which  this  whole  prophecy  is  principally  levelled;  and  here  all  pallia¬ 
tions  of  that  enormity  are  answered  at  once;  for  the  most  exalted  and 
beneficent  creature,  when  visibly  present,  would  not  allow  the  least 
appearance  of  adoration  to  be  rendered  to  him  ;  whereas,  the  papists 
worship  creatures  when  not  visibly  present,  and  thus  ascribe  omni¬ 
presence  and  omniscience  to  them,  as  well  as  other  divine  honors  !  It 
also  shows  the  weakness  of  the  Socinian  way  of  accounting  for  Ste¬ 
phen’s  adoration  of  Christ,  because,  say  they,  He  was  visibly  present  ; 
iiut  if  He  had  not  been  also  truly  God,  the  martyr  would  nevertheless 
have  been  an  idolater.  Yet  Christ  neither  reproved  hint,  nor  any  other 
person,  for  showing  Him  this  kind  of  honor,  orany  other,  but,  directly 
tlie  contrary,  He  always  honored  those  in  a  peculiar  manner  who  thus 
honored  Him.  {Jn.  5:20—23.  20:24—29.  Ac.  7:54—60.  10:24—26.)  Sc. 

V.  10 — 12.  The  Lord  .lesus  is  undoubtedly  the  Speaker  in  these  vs. : 
again  appearing  in  vision  to  his  apostle,  to  close  the  prophecy,  as  He 
had  done  at  the  opening  of  it.  {Notes,  1:9 — 20.)  Id. 

(11.)  ‘  What  God  permits,  is  often  expressed  in  Holy  Writ,  by  terms 
which  imply  commands,  and  of  that  which  He  says,  It  is  done,  the  ex¬ 
ecution  will  follow,  as  if  He  had  commanded  it  to  be  done.  In  the  pro¬ 
phetical  st>le,  whether  a  tiling  be  uttered  in  the  past,  the  future,  or  in 
the  imperative,  it  is  equal ;  the  imperative  being  really  a  future,  and  the 
future  has  frequently  the  force  of  an  imperative.  Daubuz.'  Hen  it y,  abr. 


A.  D.  05. 


REVELATION,  XXII.  Confirmation,  learning,  and  invitation. 


13  I  ‘am  Alpha  ami  Omega,  the 
be<»imiinc  and  the  end,  the  first  and 
the  last. 

14  Blessed  1 are  they  that  do  his 
commandments,  that  they  may  have 
right  to  the  tree  of  life,  and  may 
enter  in  through  the  gates  into  the 
city. 

15  For  without  u  are  vdogs,  and 
Sorcerers,  and  whoremongers,  and 
murderers,  and  idolaters,  and  who¬ 
soever  loveth  and  maketh  a  lie. 

16  I  Jesus  have  sent  mine  angel 
to  testify  unto  you  these  things  in 
the  churches.  I  am  the  w  root  and 
the  oilspring  of  David,  and  the 
bright  and  morning  star. 

17  And  the  Spirit  and  the  bride 
*say,  tCome.  And  let  him  that 
heareth  say,  Come.  And  2  let  him 
that  is  athirst,  come.  And  whoso¬ 
ever  will,  let  him  take  the  water  of 
life  freely. 

13  For  I  testify  unto  every  man 
that  heareth  the  words  of  the  proph¬ 
ecy  of  this  book,  If  any  man  shall 
add  1  unto  the§e  things,  God  shall 
add  unto  him  the  plagues  that  are 
written  in  this  book: 

19  And  if  any  man  shall  take 
away  from  the  words  of  the  book 
of  this  prophecy,  God  shall  take 
away  b  his  part  cout  of  the  book  of 
life,  and  out  of  the  holy  city,  and 
from  the  things  which  are  written 
m  this  book. 

20  He  which  testificth  these 
things  saith,  Surely  d  I  come  quick¬ 
ly;  Amen.  eEven  so,  come,  Lord 
Jesus. 


s  Is.  4-1:8. 
t  l.ti.  1^:37,33. 
u  c.  21:8,-,7. 
v  Phi.. 3:2. 
vv  c.  5:3. 

fv  those  that  are  upright  with  God  ;  it  will 
he  a  savor  of  life  to  some,  and  of  death  to 
others,  and  so  will  appear  to  he  from'  God,  t 
v.  12.  7.  It  will  he  Christ’s  rule  of  judg¬ 

ment  at  the  great  day  ;  lie  will  dispense 
rewards  and  punishments  to  men  according 
as  their  works  agree  or  disagree  with  the  | 
Word  of  God  ;  therefore  that  Word  itself  j 
must  needs  he  faithful  and  true.  8.  It  is  j 
the  Word  of  Him  who  is  the  Author,  Fin¬ 
isher,  and  Rewarder  of  the  faith  and  holi¬ 
ness  of  his  people,  v.  13,  14.  the  First  and 
the  Last,  He  who  will  give  a  right  to  the  tree 
of  life,  and  an  entrance  into  heaven  ;  and 
this  will  be  a  full  confirmation  of  the  truth 
and  authority  of  his  Word,  since  it  contains 
the  title  and  evidence  of  that  confirmed  state 
of  holiness  and  happiness  that  remains  for 
his  people  in  heaven.  9.  It  is  a  book  that  i 
condemns  and  excludes  from  heaven  all 
wicked,  unrighteous  persons,  and  particu¬ 
larly  those  that  lore  and  make  lies,  v.  15.  and 
therefore  can  never  be  itself  a  lie.  10.  It 
is  confirmed  by  the  testimony  of  Jesus,  who  is 
the  Spirit  of  prophecy.  And  this  Jesus,  as 
Got],  is  the  Root  of  David,  though,  as  Man, 
his  Offspring  ;  a  Person  in  whom  all  uncre¬ 
ated  and  created  excellences  meet;  ton  great 
and  too  good  to  deceive  his  churches  and  I 
the  world.  He  is  the  Fountain  of  all  light, 
the  bright  and  the  morning  Star;  and  as  snch 
lias  given  to  his  churches  this  morning  light 
of  prophecy,  to  assure  them  of  the  light  of 
that  perfect  day  that  is  approaching.  11. 
It  is  confirmed  by  an  open  and  general  invi¬ 
tation  to  all,  to  come  and  partake  of  the 
promises  and  privileges  of  the  Gospel,  those 
streams  of  the  water  of  life.  12.  It  is  con¬ 
firmed  by  the  joint  testimony  of  the  Spirit 
of  God,  and  that  gracious  Spirit  that  is  in 
all  the  true  members  of  the  church  of  God  ; 
the  Spirit  and  the  bride  join  in  testifying  the  | 


c  or,  from  the 
tree. 

<1  vcr.  7,12. 
e  lie.  9: -H, 

Is  i3:9. 


truth  and  excellency  of  the  Gospel.  13. 
Lastly,  It  is  continued  by  a  most  solemn 
sanction,  condemning  and  cursing  all  who 
should  dare  to  corrupt  or  change  the  Word 
of  God,  either  by  adding  to  it,  or  taking 
from  it,  v.  18, 19.  Such  a  fence  as  this,  God 
set  about  the  law,  Dent.  4:  2.  and  the  whole 
Old  Test.  Mai.  4:  4.  and  now  in  the  most 
solemn  manner  about  the  whole  Bible  ;  as¬ 
suring  us  that  it  is  a  book  of  the  most  sacred 
nature,  divine  authority,  and  of  the  last  im¬ 
portance,  and  therefore  the  peculiar  care  of 
the  great  God. 

V.  20,  21.  1.  Christ’s  farewell  to  his 

church.  If  any  say,  ‘Where  is  t  he  promise 
of  his  coming,  when  so  many  ages  are  now 
past  since  this  was  written  1’  let  them 
know,  his  coming  will  be  sooner  than  they 
are  aware,  sooner  than  they  are  prepar¬ 
ed,  sooner  than  they  desire  ;  and  to  his 
people  it  will  be-  seasonable  ;  I  he  vision  is 
for  an  appointed  time,  and  will  not  tar¬ 
ry  ;  He  will  come  quickly;  let  this  word  lie 
always  sounding  in  our  ear,  and  let  us  give 
all  diligence,  that  we  may  he  found  of  Him 
in  peace,  without  spot,  and  blameless.  2. 
The  clutrch’s  hearty  echo  to  Christ’s  prom¬ 
ise  :  what  comes  from  heaven  in  a  promise, 
should  lie  sent  back  to  heaven  in  a  prayer. 
The  apostolical  benediction  closes  the  whole ; 
The  grace  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  be  with 
you  all.  Amen.  The  Bible  ends  with  a 
clear  proof  of  the  Godhead  of  Christ,  since 
the  Spirit  of  God  teaches  the  apostle  to  bless 
his  people  in  tlie  name  of  Christ,  and  to  beg 
from  Christ  a  blessing  for  them  ;  this  is  a 
proper  act  of  adoration.  It  is  by  his  grace 
that  we  must  be  kept  in  a  joyful  expectation 
of  his  glory,  fitted  for  it,  and  preserved  to  it; 
and  his  glorious  appearance  will  be  welcome 
and  joyful  to  those  that  are  partakers  of  lib 
grace  and  favor  here;  therefore  to  this  most 
comprehensive  prayer  we  should  all  add  our 
hearty  Amen;  most  earnestly  thirsting  after 
greater  measures  of  the  gracious  influences 
of  the  blessed  Jesus  in  our  souls,  and  his 


V.  is.  M.  R. — [Notes,  1:8 — 11.)  Scott. 

(13.)  Alpha  and  Omega,  &c.]  ‘This  and  other  like  passages  incon- 
trovertihly  refer  to  Christ,  and,  according  to  the  known  signification  of 
the  Jewish  expressions,  they  declare  his  absolute  perfection,  li is  perpet¬ 
ual  presence  and  protection  ;  and  that  lie  is  the  Author,  the  effective 
Agent,  and  the  End  of  the  scheme  of  providential  government  with  re¬ 
spect  to  the  church,  which  forms  the  subject  of  the  prophetic  hooks. 
To  perceive  their  force,  we  should  compare  them  with  the  like  terms  in 
theO.  T.,  applied  to  Jehovah.’  Pve  Smith. 

V.  1 1,  15.  In  through  the  gates  and  without .]  No  middle  place,  or 
condition,  is  so  much  as  intimated.  (14)  /light.]  Rendered  power,  in 
another  remarkable  declaration.  (John  1:10 — 13.)  Scott. 

(14.)  ‘Ail  spiritual  obedience  is  tile  fruit  of  fail!'. ;  we  have  no  strength 
for  it  till  we  have  believed  in  Christ.  It  is  only  by  grace  received  from 
Christ  that  we  can  perform  anything  truly  acceptable  to  God.  Till  we 
have  obeyed  this  command,  1  John  3:22.  we  are  under  a  sentence  of 
condemnation  which  can  never  lie  reversed,  but  through  faith  in  Christ. 
If  we  truly  believe  in  Him,  we  shall  not  wish  any  demand  of  the  law  to 
be  reversed,  but  sliall  labor  after  a  perfect  conformity  lo  its  every  re¬ 
quirement.  At  the  same  time  our  pardon  will  not  be  on  our  own  obe¬ 
dience,  Imt  on  the  finished  work  of  Christ.  Simeon.'  Henry,  ahr. 

V.  1(5,17.  ‘  Christ’s  rising,  in  his  incarnation,  introduced  t he  gospel-day: 
his  rising  in  power  introduced!  the  millennial  day;  his  rising  ill  the  saving 
influences  of  his  Spirit,  infroduceth  the  spiritual  day  of  grace  and  com¬ 
fort  ;  and  his  appearance  to  judge  the  world,  will  introduce  the  eternal 
day  oflight,  purity,  and  joy.’  lirown.  (Note,  2:24 — 23.) — ‘The  Spirit, ’ 
by  tlie  sacred  Word,  and  by  his  convictions  and  influence  in  the  sinner’s 
conscience,  says,  ‘  Come’  lo  Christ  for  salvation  :  (Notes,  John  16:8 — 
15  '  ‘  the  Bride,’  or  the  whole  church  militant  and  triumphant,  says, 
‘Come,’  and  share  our  felicity.  It  therefore  behooves  every  mail,  who 
hears  the  invitation,  to  call  on  others  to  ‘come.’  (Notes,  Is.  2:2 — 5. 
Jer.  50:4 — 0.  Mic.  i  l — 3.)  In  fine,  ‘let  every  man,’  throughout  the 
earth,  who  ‘thirsts’  for  salvation,  ‘  come  ’  to  Christ.  Nay,  lest  any 
should  hesitate,  us  not  able  to  determine  whether  their  thirst  lie  spir¬ 
itual  or  not,  it  is  added,  ‘  I.et  whosoever  will,’  (or  is  willing,)  ‘  come,  and 
take  of  the  water  of  life  freely,’  as  lie  would  take  water  from  a  well, 
which  belonged  in  common  to  him  and  to  all  his  neighbors  :  nor  ought 
he  think  of  paying  for  these  blessings;  except  as  lie  throws  away  his 
poison' to  receive  food,  or  his  dross  to  receive  gold  (Notes,  21:5 — 8. 
Is.  55:1—  3.  John  7:37—39.  2  Cor.  5:13—  21 .  G:l,2.)  Scott. 

V.  18 — 21.  As  the  Lord  doubtless  intended  this' for  the  conclusion  of 
the  sacred  canon;  and  as  the  crime  [of  adding  to,  or  taking  away  from, 
the  Word  of  God]  is  similar,  in  respect  of  all  other  parts  of  the  Word 
of  God;  it  may  fairly  he  applied  to  the  whole  written  Word;  and  it 
xvarns  every  man,  in  the  most  awful  manner,  to  ‘  add  nothing  to,  and 
take  nothing  from,’  what  God  has  revealed,  of  doctrine,  ordinance,  or 
commandment;  the  standard  of  truth,  the  way  of  acceptance,  the  evi¬ 
dence  of  conversion,  or  the  rule  of  duty.  (Rotes,  Deul.  4:2.  Prov.  30: 
5,  6.  Mat.  15:3 — 14.  Luke  IT-62.)  Enthusiasts,  pretenders  to  new 
revelations,  bigoted  sectaries,  and  imposing  churchmen,  on  the  one 


hand,  with  infidels  and  skeptics  on  the  other;  and  all  who,  to  maintain 
their  unscriptural  tenets,  or  to  exclude  those  mysteries  which  they  re¬ 
ject,  would  either  expunge  part  of  tlie  sacred  canon,  or  invalidate  its 
divine  authority;  with  all  those,  who  ihinli  or  say,  that  it  is  of  no  con¬ 
sequence  what  men  believe,  (which  takes  away  all  doctrinal  truth  at 
once,)  have  abundant  cause  to  tremble  at  this  solemn  warning.  Critics, 
xvho  are  continually  proposing  conjectural  alterations,  or  expunging 
from  the  text  of  Scripture,  and  adding  to  it,  often  on  frivolous  grounds, 
on  slight  authority,  and  in  a  dogmatical  and  self-confident  spirit,  I  had 
almost  said,  in  a  wanton  manner,  are  in  no  small  danger;  and  exposi¬ 
tors  in  general  have  abundant  cause  to  be  cautious  and  humble.  Indeed, 
I  am  ready  to  tremble  at  the  awful  responsibility  to  which  1  have  sub¬ 
jected  myself,  when  I  write  on  this  testimony  of  Christ,  and  think  of 
the  wosk  in  which  1  have  been,  during  so  many  years,  engaged.  Rut 
tlie  merciful  Savior  will  no  more  condemn  unintentional  mistakes,  in 
the  honest  writer,  who  desires  to  help  men  to  understand  his  Word, 
and  proceeds  in  simple,  humble  dependence  on  bis  teaching,  than  lie 
xvill  [in]  the  honest  preacher  ;  and  I  trust  this  effort  to  explain  his  Holy 
Scriptures;  though  feeble  and  defective,  has  been  conducted  from  proper 
motives,  and  in  dependence  oil  the  Lord.  I  can  confidently  appeal  to 
my  heart-searching  Judge,  that  I  have,  as  far  as  I  know,  written,  word 
for  word,  what  I  supposed  He  would  have  me  write;  xxdihout  adding, 
altering,  or  keeping  back,  tlie  sense  of  any  passage,  willingly,  lo  serve 
any  personal  end,  or  party-interest,  from  fear  of  incurring  reproach  or 
opposition,  or  desire  of  conciliating  the  favor  of  any  man  or  set  of  men 
whatever;  and  that  tlie  mistakes  which  have  been  made,  were  involun¬ 
tary,  the  effects  of  ignorance  and  error,  and  not  of  design.— ‘  Men  are 
sometimes  apt  to  think,  that  if  they  couid  but  see  a  miracle  wrough  t  in 
favor  of  religion,  they  would  readily  resign  all  their  scruples,  believe 
xvithout  doubt,  nnd  obey  without  reserve.  The  very  thing  that  you  de¬ 
sire,  you  have.  You  have  the  greatest  and  most  striking  of  miracles,  in 
the  series  of  scripture-prophecies  accomplished  ;  accomplished,  as  we 
see,  in  the  present  state  of  almost  all  nations, — tlie  Africans,  the  Eg\  p- 
tians,  tlie  Arabians,  the  Turks,  the  Jews,  the  Papists,  tlie  Protestants, 
Nineveh,  Rabvlon,  Tyre,  t lie  seven  churches  of  Asia,  Jerusalem,  and 
Rome.  And  this  is  not  a  transient  miracle,  ceasing  almost  us  soon  as 
performed  ;  but  is  permanent,  and  protracted  through  tlie  course  of 
many  generations.  It  is  not  a  miracle  delivered  on  the  report  of  others, 
but  it  is  subject  to  your  own  inspection  and  examination.  It  is  not  a 
miracle,  exhibited  only  before  a  certain  number  of  xvitnesses ;  but  is 
open  to  the  observation  and  contemplation  of  all  mankind  ;  and,  after  so 
many  ages,  is  still  growing,  still  improving  to  fulure  ages.  v\  tint 
stronger  miracle,  therefore,  can  you  require  for  your  conviction  .  ur, 
what  will  avail,  if  this  be  found  ineffectual?  Alas  I  if  you  rejec  le 
evidence  of  prophecy,  ‘  neither  would  you  be  persuaded,  though  one 
l  the  dead.’  ‘  What  can  be  plainer  ?  You  see,  or  may  see,  with 


rose  from  the  dead.’  ....... ...... —  , . -- -  ■  .  -  .  . 

your  own  eves,  the  scripture-prophecies  accomplished  ;  and  it  me 
scripture-prophecies  are  accomplished,  the  Script  ure  must  he  the  Word 
of  God;  and  if  the  Scripture  is  the  Word  of  God,  the  Christian  religion 
must  be  true.’  Up.  Newton. 

L/31  J 


A.  D.  95. 


REVELATION,  XXII. 


Benediction  and  conclusion. 


gracious  presence  with  us,  till  glory  lias  per-  i  thing  will  He  withhold  from  them  that  walk 
reeled  all  his  grace  towards  us;  and  no  good  |  uprightly. 


91  The  f  grace  of  our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ  be  with  you  all.  Amen. 

f  i  Tb.  3:18. 

PRACT.  OB3.  V.  10— 21.  Soon  will  our  Savior  and  .Judge  come  to 
determine  our  eternal  state;  but  how  dreadful  will  it  lie  to  the  impeni¬ 
tent  and  polluted  sinner,  to  be  consigned  to  eternal  unrighteousness  and 
filthiness;  and  to  tie  left  ‘without,  among  dogs  and  sorcerers,  whore¬ 
mongers,  murderers,  idolaters,  and  all  liars  !  ’  Oh,  may  we  be  found 
‘righteous  anil  holy,’  and  be  confirmed  in  his  holy  favor  and  service,  as 
our  eternal  and  unchangeable  felicity,  when  He  shall  ‘come,  and  his  re¬ 
ward  with  Him,  to  render  to  every  man  as  his  work  shall  be  1  ’  Never 
let  us  think,  that  a  dead  or  disobedient  faith  will  save  us  ;  when  the 
‘Alpha  and  Omega,  the  First  and  the  Last,’  has  declared  them  alone 
‘  blessed,  who  do  Ins  commandments,’  and  thus  prove  their  ‘  right  to  the 
Tree  of  life,  and  to  enter  in  by  the  gates  into  the  holy  city.’ — If  sinners 
be  alarmed,  and  begin  to  desire  his  salvation,  let  them  remember,  ‘  that 
the  Spirit  and  the  bride  say,  come ;  ’  and  all  that  hear  should  say  to  ev- 

(18.)  Testify .]  Summirturou mai.  I  bear  witness  along  with.  (Rom. 
2:15.  8:16.  9.1.) — The  apostle  testified,  and  Jesus  testified,  by  and  with 


ery  one  of  their  relations,  friends,  and  neighbors,  ‘  Come  ;  ’  yea,  ‘  who¬ 
soever  will,  let  him  come,  and  take  of  the  water  of  life  freely.’  Nay,  we 
should  all  endeavor,  as  much  as  possible,  to  cause  the  gracious  invita¬ 
tion  to  sound  through  every  land,  and  to  every  human  being. — Ought 
not,  then,  the  ministers  and  professors  of  the  Gospel,  to  beware  of  add¬ 
ing  anything,  as  a  restriction  on  these  large  and  open  invitations,  or  of 
deducting  anything  from  them,  or  of  altering,  in  any  way,  the  terms  of 
a  sinner’s  acceptance  and  salvation  !  The  Lord  deliver  ns  from  litis 
condemnation  !  And  may  the  writer,  and  all  the  readers,  of  these  ob¬ 
servations,  have  a  well-grounded  confidence  in  Christ,  and  be  of  that 
number,  who  love  and  long  for  his  appearing,  saying,  ‘Amen,  even  so 
come,  Lord  Jesus.’  And  ‘  may  the  grace  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  be 
with  us  all,  now,  and  for  ever.  Amen.’  Scott. 


him.  Scott. 

(21.)  Bl.  rejects  ‘  our  ’  and  ‘  you,’  and  reads  ‘  all  the  saints.’  Ed. 


TABULAR  VIEWS  OF  SEVERAL  SCHEMES  OF  INTERPRETING  REVELATION. 


Woodhouse. 

1  The  annotations  of  Woodhouse  are  justly  considered  as  among;  t lie  most  valuable 
of  the  numerous  works  on  the  Apocalypse.  Reference  has  already  been  made  to  the 
admirable  principles  upon  which  he  has  proceeded ,  and  a  brief  sketch  of  his  views, 
with  respect  to  the  principle  features  gf  this  book,  in  ay  be  desirable  to  the  reader. 

1  The  4  horses  of  the  first  4  seals,  represent  the  going1  forth  of  some  power  divinely 
commissioned  to  effect  changes  upon  the  earth  ;  the  character  of  the  change  is  to  be 
collected  from  the  color  of  the  horse.  See  the  comment.  The  5th  seal  he  applies  to 
Christian  martyrs,  not  restricting  it  to  those  of  any  particular  period.  In  the  6th  seal, 
the  earthquake  denotes  dreadful  judgments,  pointing  ultimately  and  emphatically  to 
the  great  day  of  the  Lord’s  wrath.  The  144, U00  sealed ,  lie  hesitates  whether  to  ap¬ 
ply  to  the  Jews  restored  and  adopted  into  the  Christian  church,  or  to  pious  Christians 
of  all  denominations,  the  first-fruits  to  Christ  ;  while  the  Gentiles  of  lai er  conversion 
follow  as  the  palm-bearing  multitude,  and  the  sealed  delivered  out  of  great  tribula¬ 
tion,  when  the  enemies  of  Christ  are  left  to  their  terrible  fate. 

‘  He  then  proceeds,  in  accordance  with  the  scheme  of  interpretation  adopted  by 
Vitringa ,  which  distinguishes  the  prophetic  history  of  the  seals  from  that,  of  the  trum¬ 
pets.  It  considers  the  emblems  under  the  seals  as  exhibiting  a  general  history  of  the 
greater  changes  to  take  place  in  the  world,  more  especially  in  the  Christian  church, 
until  the  end  ;  while  those  under  the  trumpets  are  supposed  to  foretell  and  recount 
the  history  of  the  same  times,  hut  more  particularly  and  minutely,  and  under  differ¬ 
ent  characters.  In  details  VV.  differs  more  or  less  from  the  preceding  expositors,  but 
considers,  that  all  the  seals  foretell  the  history  of  the  Christian  church  ;  the  first  6  ex¬ 
tending  from  the  fiist  establishment  of  Christianity,  to  the  final  coming  of  Christ,  the 
7lh  seal  retracing  the  same  period,  also  containing  all  the  prophecies  remaining,  and 
supplying  many  events  reset  ved  for  particular  notice. 

‘  The  silence,  3:1.  is  preparatory  to  a  change  in  the  mode  of  exhibition,  and  in  the 
series  of  the  events,  and  the  effects  of  the  fire  cast  upon  the  earth  are  the  commotions 
resulting  from  the  reception  of  the  Christian  religion.  The  trumpets  designate  at¬ 
tacks  of  heretics,  and  antichristian  corrupters,  on  the  pure  Christian  church.  1.  The 
storm  of  persecution  in  Judea.  2.  The  persecution  of  the  Gentile  Christians  arising 
from  the  pagan  religion,  designated  by  a  burning  mountain.  3.  The  corruption  of 
the  waters  of  life  by  early  heretics  and  false  teachers.  4.  The  consequent  failure,  in 
part,  of  that  bright  and  glorious  light,  which  beamed  originally  from  the  Christian 
revelation.  5.  The  Gnostic  heresy,  [note,  end  of  3  John,]  the  first  general  and  ex¬ 
tensive  apostasy.  6.  The  Mohammedan  powers,  of  whatever  tribe  or  origin,  invad¬ 
ing  and  overturning  the  Christian  worship  and  profession. 

‘The  mighty  angel,  ch.  10:  is  a  created  angel,  an  J  the  book  in  his  hand  a  portion 
of  the  larger  sealed  one,  and  possibly  the  same  in  part  with  the  prophecies  of  Daniel, 
which  were  sealed  in  his  time  for  a  distant  period.  The  temple,  in  ch.  11:  represents 
the  Christian  church,  the  inner  court  the  few  who  worshipped  in  spirit  and  in  truth, 
the  outer  court  the  Christians  by  name  and  profession  only,  who  shall  tread  and  wor¬ 
ship  in  the  courts  of  the  Lord’s  temple,  1260  years,  answering  to  the  same  period  de¬ 
signated  by  Daniel.  In  the  prophecy  respecting  the  two  witnesses,  we  are  not  to  ex¬ 
pect  any  literal  accomplishment,  but  are  to  look  fora  bidden  and  allegorical  meaning, 
lie  considers  them  as  a  successive  train  6f  professors  and  pr  itcheru  of  pure  biblical 
religion,  raised  up  m  many  pi.  is  of  the  great  Ch  istian  republic.,  and  at  various  peri¬ 
ods,  especially  through  the  different  stages  of  the  Reformation,  but  that  it  is  to  future 
time  only  we  can  look  with  safety,  for  the  exposition  of  a  prophecy,  whose  complete 
histOly  may  yet  remain  to  be  unfolded.  Such  a  dark  interval  preceded  the  Reforma¬ 
tion,  when  agai  i  set  on  foot  by  the  preaching  of  Luther.  The  rulers  of  the  darkness 
of  this  world  had  then,  to  all  human  appearance,  extinguished  the  light  of  evangel¬ 
ical  truth.  But,  while  they  were  celebrating  their  triumph,  the  holy  light  re-kindled, 
and  it  arose  as  it  were  from  the  deal.  By  Luther,  Mebmcthon,  Calvin,  Zuinglius, 
and  their  followers,  <b^e  religion  of  the  Bible,  the  Gospel  of  Christ,  was  reproduced 
in  t lie  Christian  world,  and  perpetuated  by  the  then  newly-invented  art  of  printing; 
and  agiin  became  the  rule  of  worship  and  duty,  the  sure  gui  le  to  heaven.  The  Re¬ 
formation  may  be  considered  to  amount  nearly  to  the  fulfilment  of  the  earthquake,  11: 
13.  Then  the  great  city,  or  community  professing  itself  Chri*U  ian,  renounced  obedi¬ 
ence  to  the  Roman  pontiff,  though  a  considerable  number,  who  weie  C’hdsiians  in 
name  and  profession,  fell  from  the  life  which  is  in  Christ.  The  fulfilment  of  the  7th 
t  umpet,  with  Vitringa,  refers  to  times  yet  to  come  in  this  p  e  ent  worl  I,  when 
the  reign  ot  Christ’s  pure  religion  shall  he  exiende  l  far  beyond  any  limits  which  have 
yet  contained  it. 

1  As  to  the  woman  and  the  dragon,  ch.  12:  almost  all  agree,  that  the  former  repre¬ 
sents  the  church  of  ( Ihrist.  Methodius,  who  wrote  as  early  ns  A.  D.  220,  applies  it 
thus.  The  dragon  is  identified  with  Satan,  lii- 7  crowned  beads  express  vast  world¬ 
ly  power  and  exaltation.  With  his  tail  he  dra  s  a  third  part  of  the  stars  to  tin*  earth, 
the  apostate  angels  or  men,  or  rather  both.  The  kv  mbol  cf  the  new- Worn  child,  the 
hope  of  the  church,  belongs  to  the  Messiah,  nut  only  protected  at  the  throne  of  Go  l, 
but  taking  his  seat  there.  The  church  is  preserved  miraculously  in  obscure  retreats, 
escaping  the  calamities  raise. 1  hv  the  great  adversary  against  the  church  cf  Christ,  in¬ 
timated  by  the  torrent  or  Hood  <>f  water. 

‘  The  beast,  ch.  13:  rising  out  of  the  sen,  or  the  Gentile  world,  represents  an  op¬ 
pressive  and  persecuting  power,  renewed  and  continued  for  ages,  during  1260  yens, 
even  after  the  Roman  empire  had  been  divi  !e  1  into  its  ten  ho  ns  or  kingjoms.  This 
beast  succeeds  to  the  dragon,  and  promotes  the  interests  of  his  master,  and  the  wor¬ 
ship  of  him  in  this  world.  The  deadly  wound  seems  to  have  been  received  at  the  ac¬ 
cession  of  the  Christian  emperors,  but  the  Chiistian  leaders  cage. Iv  seizing  the  power 
and  riches  of  the  wo, Id,  and  ensnared  by  the  temptation,  restored  the  beast  to  life 
again,  under  a  more  dangerous  power,  when  »  corrupt  system  of  civil  tyranny  began 
to  be  supported  by  ecclesiastical  authority.  The  7  heads  represent  7  secular  powers 
reigning  in  succession  to  each  other.  'Plus  secular  beast  seem*  to  have  been  in  action 
from  the  earliest  times  of  government,  even  from  the  time  of  Nimrod,  Gen.  10:3,  9. 
but  its  enormities,  as  displayed  in  the  prophecies  of  Daniel  and  the  Apocalvp.sc,  are 
to  be  dated  only  from  his  Junction  and  co-operation  with  the  ecclesiastical  beast.  These 
hear  the  princip.il  pnris  in  the  warfare  of  Satan  against  the  church.  W.  considers 
that  4  periods  of  1260  years  are  indicate  1  in  the  Apocalypse,  but  their  commencements 
appear  to  he  involve  1  in  obscurity  which  events  only  can  clear  ;  these  periods  do  not 
appear  to  synchronize  in  nil  their  parts. 

‘  The  beast  from  the  bind,  or  false  p-ophet,  appears  to  denote  a  wide  display  of  an* 
tich  istian  enormities  in  the  who'e  Cli'istian  world,  both  West  and  Hast,  verified  in 
the  papacy  of  the  one  part,  and  the  Mohaintnelism  of  the  other.  And  taking  ad¬ 
vantage  of  the  tu. bid  and  degenerate  state  of  the  church,  Mohammed  and  the  popes 
established  thoir  respective  apostasies  ;  and  thus,  Lom  the  combination  of  the  dragon 
or  ancient  serpent  with  the  1st  and  2d  wild  beasts,  or  secular  and  hierarchical  powers, 
arose  that  spiritual  and  temporal  despotism,  which,  under  the  emblem  of  *  the  im¬ 
ago,’  has  indicted  so  much  calamity  on  the  Christian  world.  With  respect  to  the 
number  of  the  beast,  W.  confesses  his  inability  to  solve  1  lie  enigma.  The  144,000  of 
ch.  14:  are  the  true,  persecuted,  and  suffering  church,  tmeorrupfed  by  false  doctrinal, 
•md  evil  practices.  The  Is:  proclaiming  angel  refers  to  the  progress  of  the  Re  form  a- 

[733] 


tion.  The  2d  relates  to  its  further  progress,  and  prophetically  anticipates  the  fall  of 
Babylon.  The  3  1  warns  uf  (lie  Divine  wrath.  Both  the  harvest  and  the  \  intnge  sym¬ 
bolize  the  final  vengeance  of  the  Almighty  upon  his  enemies,  evidently  not  yet  ful¬ 
filled. 

*  With  respect  to  the  vials,  the  number,  7,  denotes  a  complete  visitation.  The  ob¬ 
jects  of  the  Divine  vengeance  me  the  enemies  of  the  Latnb,  and  the  persecutors  of 
h;s  lollowers  ;  the  article,  in  the  original,  shows,  that  ‘  the  men  ’  designated  as  anti¬ 
christian,  are  intended  ;  and  the  pouring  out  the  vials  could  not  begin,  till  after  the 
deadly  wound  was  healed.  W.  objects  to  the  particular  interpretations  assigned  to 
these  symbols,  and  appears  inclined  to  consider  the  first  lour  us  indicating  that  every 
part  of  the  bestial  dominions  is  to  sutler,  instead  of  confining  our  views  to  exclusive 
portions  of. history  arbitrarily  assumed.  The  last  3  he  considers  ns  still  enveloped  in 
futurity.  II is  view  of  the  seal  of  the  beast  has  been  noticed  in  the  comment,  and 
the  6th  vial  he  does  not  consider  applies  to  the  Jews,  but  leads  us  to  expect  that 
all  hindrances  will  be  removed,  and  the  passage,  from  eastern  Mohammedism,  nnd 
idolatry,  to  pure  and  saving  faith  effected.  The  three  evil  spirits  at  work  upon  the  na¬ 
tions,  may  probably  have  some  reference  to  the  French  revolution,  though  he  thought 
that  had  passed  by,  leaving  us  to  look  for  some  more  complete  fulfilment  of  t  he  proph¬ 
ecy.  The  7th  vial  is  poured  out  upon  the  air,  which  pervades  all  parts  of  the  world, 
and  is  the  region  of  which  Salon  is  denominated  the  prince,  implying,  that  the  anti¬ 
christian  powers  arc  attacked  in  the  strongest  hold,  and  in  every  part.  The  inflictions 
are  symbolical,  nnd  are  to  be  considered  in  a  spiritual  sense. 

*  The  great  harlot,  the  Mystical  Babylon,  is  referred  to  the  apostate  Christian  Rome. 
Her  beast,  like  that  of  ch.  13:  is  the  secular  power,  which  has  at  all  times  persecuted 
the  saints,  but  the  fiist  had  dominion  both  over  the  E.  and  the  W.,  the  second  is  con¬ 
fined  to  the  W,,  to  the  remains  of  the  Roman  empire  ;  both  the  woman  and  her  beast 
are  entirely  Roman.  The  10  horns  are  expicssly  stated  to  be  10  kings  or  kingdoms, 
and  7  kings  or  kingdoms  in  succession  can  only  be  found  in  Rome,  and  we  shall  look 
in  vain  to  other  quarters  of  the  globe  for  the  completion  of  this  prophecy.  In  the  de¬ 
struction  of  the  mystical  Babylon  we  have  events  for  which  we  search  in  vain  in  the 
records  of  past  ages,  and  a  particular  application  of  the  symbols  to  future  events, 
such  as  may  be  pictu.ed  only  in  our  own  imaginations,  is  not  to  be  indulged.  Rome 
never  vet  has  so  tiered  the  utter  desolation  here  described. 

‘The  white  horse,  ch.  19:  Woodhouse  identifies  with  the  same  emblem  under  the 
first  seal,  whose  rider  went  forth  conquering  and  to  conquer,  and  has  been  pursuing 
his  destined  course,  though  not  always  equally  in  sight.  The  Chiistian  church  again 
pure,  in  white  garments,  sees  her  Messiah,  in  person,  leading  her  forces  in  the  grand 
and  decisive  combat,  wherein  the  antichristian  powers  shall  be  utterly  destroyed. 
After  the  appearance  of  the  Messiah  and  his’arrnies,  the  worldly  powers,  mustered 
by  the  spirits  of  demons,  15:14.  come  in  view.  The  conflict  is  finished  in  an  instant. 
The  kingdom  of  the  beast  nnd  the  false  prophet,  tho  civil  and  ecclesiastical  power, 
administered  so  long,  and  with  so  many  abuses,  comes  to  its  end  ;  the  kingdom  of  the 
Messiah,  and  of  righteousness,  is  established.  This  is  that  happy  period,  the  theme  of 
many  prophecies,  which,  being  slid  fuiute,  it  is  presumptuous  to  attempt  to  explain 
particularly  ;  yet  thus  far  may  bo  safely  concluded,  that,  as  v  e  have  already  seen  the 
reign  of  the  beast  and  false  p.ophet,  the  mystery  of  iniquity,  so  exactly  foretold,  and 
the  prophecy  so  wonderfully  fulfilled, — tyranny,  irretfgion,  hypocrisy,  and  immorali¬ 
ty,  triumphant  and  oppressive,  by  means  of  pretended  commissions  from  heaven,— so 
this  usurpation  will  be  utterly  destroyed  ;  and  pure  religion,  anil  peace,  and  happi¬ 
ness  w  ill  succeed.  This  is  symbolically  displayed.  The  influence  of  Satan  upon  ea rth 
is  wonderfully  diminished.  The  author  of  all  iniquity  is  confined  for  a  time,  niter 
which  he  is  permitted  to  come  forth  again  for  a  season,  and  to  deceive  the  nations. 
But  the  beasts  rice  up  no  more.  This  blissful  season,  during  which  Satan  continues 
bound,  is  called  a  thousand  yeais.  The  prophecies  dclivei ed  by  Daniel,  and  alluded 
to  by  Paul,  1  (  'or.  f:2.  3.  and  by  om  Lord  in  his  promise,  Mat.  19:58.  Lu  22:3U.  dark  in 
themselves,  till  ihe  event  and  completion  shall  illustrate  them,  ate  here  repeat¬ 
ed.  The  faithful  sons  and  champions  of  the  church  are  described  as  livingand  reign¬ 
ing  with  Christ,  during  Ihe  tty  usnnd  years. 

‘After  the  grand  period  of  the  millennium,  another  period  of  apostasy  shall  take 
place,  but  different  from  the  former,  as  the  same  instruments  are  not  employed.  But 
i  be  extinction  of  the  enemies  of  Christianity  shall  be  sudden,  miraculous,  nnd  com¬ 
plete. 

‘The-church  of  f’h  ist  being  at  length  triumphant  over  its  enemiqs,  and  Satan  eter¬ 
nally  banished,  nothing  remains  to  describe  but  the  general  judgment,  the  process  of 
which  is  shortly  and  sublimely  related  in  figurative  language,  similar  to  what  is  used 
in  other  passages,  foretelling  this  g. eat  event.  Then,  under  images  accordant  w  ith 
many  other  texts  id’  Pcripture,  is  ^presented  the  assembly  of  the  saints  purified  Lorn 
sin,  tlip  glorious  church  without  spot,  and  all  things  made  new.  In  conclusion,  the 
apostle  is  favored  with  a  near  view  of  the  Christian  church,  upon  a  now  ea;th,  per¬ 
fect  and  triumphant,  after  the  renovation  of  all  things,  described  in  te: ms  which  rep¬ 
resent  :i  as  glorious  beyond  human  imagination.’  Henry ,  abr. 

Cuninghame . 

‘  His  writings  on  prophecy  have  lately  engaged  much  attention.  He  differs  consid¬ 
erably  from  Faber  and  others  j  and  writing  later,  can  avoid  some  of  their  difficulties 
and  mistakes. 

*  Ho  considers  the  events  under  the  first  6  seals,  as  extending  fmm  the  promulgation 
of  Christianity  to  the  consummation  of  all  things.  Those  of  the  Till  «eal  he  consid¬ 
ers  (with  Vitringa  and  others)  to  include  a  new  series  of  prophecies  :  indicated  hy  the 
silence  in  heaven,  S.l.  which  disunites  the  succeeding  scries  from  those  before, 
and  unfolds  n  new  chain  of  predictions,  having  the  same  commencement  nnd  ter¬ 
mination  as  the  series  which  preceded. 

‘The  mighty  Angel,  ch.  10:  is  our  Lord  Himself,  and  the  little  book  given  to  the 
prophet  to  ent,  signifies  that  the  time  is  arrived  when  the  obscure  prophecies  of  Dan. 
should  he  fully  understood  by  the  servants  of  the  Lord.  Ilisdescent  is  the  time  of  the 
end.  The  Angel  sets  one  foot  upon  the  sea.  and  the  oilier  on  the  earth,  to  signify  II n 
is  now  about  to  take  possession  of  his  kingdom.  The  little  hook  itself  is  considered 
to  be  that  part  of  the  book  with  7  seals  which  was  under  the  7th  seal,  not  the  same 
volume  as  that  of  Daniel,  but  the  same  in  substance,  ns  referring  to  the  same  events. 

‘  The  annexed  table,  taken,  with  some  explanatory  additions,  from  a  diagram  pre¬ 
fixed  to  his  w'Oik,  gives  Cuninghame**  view  of  the  first  5  seals,  and  of  the  former 
part  of  the  7th  seal,  which  he  consider*  is  parallel  with  them.  Those  under  the  6th 
seal,  and  the  latter  part  of  the  7th,  are  also  jepresented  in  his  diagram,  but  will  be 
here  best  stated  in  a  brief  summary.  It  is  desirable  again  to  state,  that  he  makes  the 
1st  seal  and  the  7th  commence  about  the  same  period,  and  the  events  under  the  7th 
seal  parallel  w  ith  those  of  nil  the  other  6  seals. 

4  The  events  under  the  6th  seal -briefly  describe  the  great  revolution  in  the  latter 
days,  to  precede  the  establishment  of  the  kingdom  of  God.  This  commenced  A.  D. 
1792,  with  the  French  revolution,  indicate  1  hv  the  great  earthquake,  6:12.  but  that  an 
inte.Vrtl  of  calm,  perhaps  not  of  rest,  is  afforded  previously  to  the  last  dreadful  shock, 


TABULAR  VIEWS  OF  REVELATION. 


which  is  to  bring  utter  destruction  upon  the  wicked.  The  4  angels  holding  the  w-iuds, 
it- present  the  4  poweis  employed  as  instruments  to  procure  this  interval-.  'Hie  scaled, 
7:4. appear  to  he  the  true  members  of  Christ,  set  apaitand  saved  f.om  the  general  de¬ 
struction  of  the  ungodly,  and  the  interval  of  peace  has  given  occasion  to  new  activity 
and  more  widely  extended  exertions  in  circulating  the  sacred  Scriptures,  The  puliu- 
bearin'T  multitude  he  refers  to  the  illustrious  appearance  and  establishment  of  the 
kingdom  of  our  Lord,  described  Dan.  7:13*  14,  27.  being  a  portion  of  the  professing 
church,  left  in  the  midst  of  the  great  tribulation,  to  be  united  to  the  faithful  part, 
counted  worthy  of  escaping  the  troubles  which  should  come  to  puss. 


Cuninghxtme* 8  Tabular  View. 


The  first 
f’lM  Seals. 


Seal  I. 

White  hoise  & 
crowned  rider. 
A.  I).  33  to  312. 
Triumphs  of 
Gospel, 


Seal  II. 
Fire-colored 
hoise,  his  rider 
with  a  great 
sword,  begins 
about  319. 
Discord  &  dis¬ 
sension  in  the 
church. 


The  Seventh  Sent  includes  the  events  in  these  columns,  as  parallel 
with  those  in  the  fi.et  5  Seals,  and  also  those  subsequent,  which 
are  parallel  with  the  events  of  the  Sixth  S.eal. _ 


Silence  in  heaven, 
cb. 

(indicating  new  se¬ 
ries  of  prophecies.) 
Incense  offered,  3, 
4,  (the  prayers  of 
the  saints.) 
Fire  cast  on  earth, 
(wrath  of  God  on 
Roman  empire.) 
Earthquake, 

A.  D.  312—324. 
Paganism  ceased. 


Seal  III. 
Black  horse, his 
rider  with  a 
yoke,  begins 
"about  A.  D. 
500. 

Papal  yoke 
during  dark 
ftgea. 

Seal  I V. 
Pule,  livid- 
green  hoise, his 
rider  death, fol¬ 
lowed  by  hell, 
begins  about 
A.  D.  1200. 

Papal  persecu¬ 
tions. 


Seal  V. 
Souls  of  slain 
martyrs  (the 
church,  appa¬ 
rently  extirpat¬ 
ed)  cry  for  ven¬ 
geance,  about 
A.  D.  1500. 
While  robes 
given  them 
about  1552.  Im¬ 
proved  state  of 
church  in  con¬ 
sequence  of 
Reformation. 


The  Trumpets. 

1  Visigoths,  A,  D.  376 

2  Alario  .  .  395 

3  Attila  .  .  441 

4  Genseric  .  455 

Odoacer  .  476 

Irrruptions  of  Goths 
and  Vandals. 


This  space  repre¬ 
sents  A.  D.  533. 


Fifth  trumpet, or 
woe  I. 

Fallen  star  opens  pit 
(bishop  of  Rome) 
about  A.  D.  533. 

Locusts  about  622. 


Sixth  trumpet, 
or  woe  2. 

Euphratian  angels 
loosed,  prepared  to 
slay  3d  part  of  men. 


(The  Turks,) 


begins  about  A.  D. 
1302,  ends  (at  peace 
Carlowit/)  A. D.  1699, 
(since  which  peiiod 
Turkish  empire  has 
been  on  decline.) 


Woman  clothed  with 
sun  (is  the  church), 


has  a  man  child  (Christ 
formed  in  his  members). 
About  313 — 324. 


The  woman  flies  into  the 
wilderness. 

(The  church  is  concealed 
and  invisible,  and  no 
longer  has  spiritual  chil¬ 
dren.) 


Edict  of  Justinian  ac¬ 
knowledging  the  pope. 


Temple 
measured. 
(Invisible 
church.) 
Outer  court 
left  out, and 
iven  to  the 
Gentiles, 
who  occupy 
it  during 
the  1260  yrs. 
(Visible 
professing 
church  oc¬ 
cupied  by 
degenerate 
professors.) 
Temple  in 
heaven,  or 
holy  of  ho¬ 
lies,  (signi¬ 
fying  heav¬ 
en,)  shut 
during  the 
1260  years. 
Also  a  sym¬ 
bol  of  future 
and  glorious 
kingdom  of 
Christ  on 
earth,  when 
tabernacle 
of  God  shall 
be  with 
men. 


The  2  wit¬ 
nesses  (true 
spiritual 
church)  pro¬ 
phesy  in 
sackcloth 
1260  years, 
(testify 
against  cor¬ 
ruptions.) 
Slain,  A.  D. 
1513.  (The 
interim  in 
Germany.) 
Rise,  1551. 
Ascend  to 
symbolical 
heaven, 1552 
(Security 
from  peace 
of  Passau). 
The  earth¬ 
quake, 
which  over¬ 
throws  a 
tenth  part 
of  city,  be¬ 
gins,  A.  D. 
1507,  ends 
A.  D.  1638. 
(Reforma¬ 
tion  &  sepa¬ 
ration  of 
Engl,  from 
papalyoke.) 


War  of  Michael  & 
dragon,  who  is  cast 
out  of  heaven. 


About  A.  D.  313-324 
(Contest  between 
Christianity  arid 
heathenism,  and 
triumph  of  Gospel). 

Dragon  (devil)  per¬ 
secutes  woman, and 
casts  out  flood  of 
waters  after  her. 
(Hosts  of  enemies 
ami  bitter  afflictions 
and  sufferings  of 
the  church.) 


The  1260  years 

begin. 

The  w'o- 

The  Ten- 

man  is 

horned 

nourished 

beast 

in  wil- 

(Roman 

derness, 

empire 

and  her 

after  its 

seed  is 

division) 

persfccut- 

has  pow- 

ed  by 

or  to  con- 

Dragon 

tinue 

during 

1260  yrs. 

the  1260 

Co  tern- 

years. 

porary 

(T.ue 

with  it  is 

Chiis- 

two-horn- 

tians. 

ed  beast 

sought 

(papacy) 

out  and 

and  ira- 

pevsecut- 

ed  with 

(church 

malig- 

deformed 

nant  ac- 

and  cor- 

livity.) 

rupted.) 

This  line  represents  A.D.  1792,  (French  revolution,)  end  1260  yrs. 


Seal  VI. 


Seventh  Trumpet,  &c.  see  the  following  summary. 


‘The  preceding  table  represents  his  views,  with  reference  to  that  part  of  the  events 
under  the  7th  seal,  prior  to  A.  D.  1792,  when  he  considers  that  the  Ancient  of  days 
carne,  and  the  judgment  began  to  sit,  to  take  away  the  dominion  of  the  little,  horn,  to 
eonsume'il  unto  the  end,  Dan.  7:21.  It  remains  to  state  his  views  as  to  the  latter  part 
of  this  seal.  We  now  enter  upon  Rev.  14:  The  144,000  sealed  being  placed  on 
Sion,  indicates  the  security  and  final  salvation  of  the  true  church  during  the  awful 
convulsions  of  the  great  earthquake,  the  fust  shock  of  which  took  place  at  the  French 
revolution  in  1792,  when  the  7th  trumpet  began  to  sound.  Although  believers  may 
suffer  many  things  as  individual  persons,  the  church,  as  a  body,  shall  be  saved.  The 
first  proclaiming  angel,  v.  6.  is  supposed  to  represent  a  preaching  of  the  Gospel  much 
more  extensive  than  any  that  preceded  it,  and  a  diffusion  of  the  written  Word  through¬ 
out  the  world,  in  a  manner  and  with  a  rapidity  before  unexampled.  These  events  are 
now  receiving  their  accomplishment.  The  going  forth  of  the  2d  and  3d  angels  are 
vet  future,  though  already  preparing  ;  and,  when  Babylon  is  fallen  and  the  beast 
slain,  the  church  will  enter  into  the  glorious  state  of  test.  The  advent  of  Christ  is 
next  referred  to,  with  the  gathering  in  of  his  elect,  symbolized  by  the  harvest  and  the 
treading  of  the  wine  press,  which  prefigure  the  dreadful  destruction  of  the  nations  as¬ 
sembled  toget her  against  the  people  of  God. 

‘The  pouring  foi  th  of  the  vials  or  bowls,  he  also  refers  to  the  period  of  the  French 
revolution.  Vial  1  signifies  the  diffusion  of  the  principles  of  anarchy  and  insubordi¬ 
nation,  which  accompanied  the  national  avowal  of  atheism  at  that  period.  These 
principles  of  irreligi<m  and  insubordination  have  been  the  germ  and  fruitful  source 
of  all  the  fearful  calamities  since  poured  forth  on  Europe.  2.  The  destruction  of  human 
life  in  massacres  and  campaigns,  among  the  French  nation,  as  the  most  numerous 
body  of  people  in  the  Roman  world.  3.  The  loss  of  life  in  the  other  smaller  nations 
and  states.  4.  The  symbolical  sun  represents  the  government  of  France,  whether  re¬ 
publican  or  imperial,  ruining  by  ravages  and  exactions,  and  tormenting  the  men  of 
the  Roman  earth  yet  they  make  no  attempt  to  avert  the  wrath  of  God  by  timely  re¬ 
pentance.  5.  The  scat  of  the  beast  is  considered  to  denote  successively  Austria  and 
France,  distressed  during  the  revolutionary  and  imperial  wars,  and  since  then  the  vial 
is  poured  upon  England  ;  the  counsels  of  the  kingdom  on  which  it  descends  being 
smitten  with  blindness  and  foolishness.  6/ The  Euphrates  is  considered  to  denote  the 
Ottoman  empire,  hastening  to  decay  ;  the  Kingsof  the  East  probably  denote  the  Jews, 
but  the  accomplishment  of  the  events  heie  shadowed  forth,  is  yet  future.  The  3  un¬ 
clean  spirits  are  now  manifestly  at  work, — the  spirit  of  atheism,  or  infidelity  and  gri- 
nrchy,  from  the  mouth  of  the  dragon  or  Satan  himself;  the  spirit  of  despotism  from 
the  mouth  of  the  beast  ;  and  the  spirit  of  poperv  from  the  mouth  of  the  false  proph¬ 
et.  7.  The  symbolical  air  represents  the  political  and  ecclesiastical  constitutions  of 
the  states,  agitated  throughout  the  bestial  empire,  the  earthquake  of  the  6th  seal,  nnd 
that  of  the  7th  trumpet  and  the  7th  vial,  being  the  same,  all  these  passages  affording 
different  views  of  the  last  great  revolution,  which  immediately  precedes  the  2d  ad¬ 
vent.  Ami  the  vision  of  the  4  angels  holding  the  4  winds  of  the  earth,  relates  to  an 
interval  of  peace  in  the  midst  of  the  earthquake,  granted  for  the  purpose  of  sealing 
the  elect,  typifying  the  mighty  confederacy  led  on  by  4  great  powers  which  lately  gave 
peace  to  Europe.  Thus  the  pouring  out  the  7th  vial  is  for  the  present  (1832)  suspend¬ 
ed.  The  division  into  three  parts  probably  will  be  religious  or  political,  or  it  may  be¬ 
token  a  3-fold  division  of  the  states  under  the  3  unclean  spirits.  Great  Babylon  beto¬ 
kens  the  Roman  church,  and  the  islands  and  mountains  removed  mean  3tate9  and 
kingdoms,  overthrown  and  disappearing  ;  the  great  hail,  the  fierce  and  relentless  wars 
since  1792. 

‘  lie  says,  “  The  effects  of  the  7th  vial  are  detailed  more  fully  in  chs.  17,  18,  19,  but 
rs  the  greater  part  are  still  future,  we  must  wait  patiently  until  events  throw  light 
upon  them.  But  all  the  revolutionary  changes  which  take  place  in  consequence  of 
the  effusion  of  this  vial  into  this  symbolical  air,  will  tend  to  prepare  the  Roman  em¬ 


pire  for  that  lust  blasphemous  opposition  to  the  Lamb,  in  which  it  shall  perish. tj  He 
does  not  consider  any  national  letuimation  is  likely  to  take  place  in  the  Western  em¬ 
pire.  Many  individuals  will  probably  be  awakened  to  ttue  repentance,  but  the  great 
majority  will  wax  worse  and  worse,  and  bringdown  upon  themselves  the  signal  ven¬ 
geance  of  the  Almighty  Word  of  Jehovah,  in  the  day  of  Aimageddon.  But  it  would 
be  very  rush  to  form  conjectures  with  regard  to  the  shape  the  empire  will  assumfe  pre¬ 
paratory  to  that  event.  That  day  is  also  mentioned  under  the  6ih  vial  as  the  object 
of  the  lust  confederacy,  which  may  be  to  oppose  the  purposes  of  God  with  respect  to 
the  Jews,  whose  conversion  will  proceed  with  accelerated  velocity  during  the  remain¬ 
der  of  the  period  of  the  pouring  forth  of  the  vials  ;  some  being  converted  at  their  res¬ 
toration,  but  the  greater  part  still  remaining  unconverted. 

‘  Thus  he  supposes  the  7  vials  are  contemporaneously  poured  out  on  the  different 
parts  of  the  same  symbolical  world.  1.  Affects  the  political,  religious,  and  moral 
principles  of  the  people.  2  and  3.  Causes  the  slaughter  of  its  inhabitants.  4.  Affects 
the  imperial  power  in  its  influential  effects  Upon  human  happiness.  5.  Affects  the 
same  as  to  its  authority  and  stability.  6.  Destroys  the  Ottoman  power.  7.  Dissolves 
the  whole  frame  of  the  political  and  ecclesiasticaj  government  ot  the  empire. 

‘  In  reference  to  the  destruction  of  Babylon  by  fiie,  by  whatever  means  it  is  effected, 
the  incorrigibly  wicked  will  be  exterminated  from  the  earth  before  the  millennium, and 
amidst  these  dark  scenes  of  deepening  .judgments,  he  thinks  .the,  future  lates  of  Eng¬ 
land  will  be  unfavorable.  . 

‘  Scripture  shows  the  advent  of  our  Lord  will  take  place,  before  the  loosing  of  the 
winds,  or  the  outbreak  of  desolations,  while  men  are  saying  peace  and  safety,  busily 
occupied  with  the  affairs  and  even  the  frivolities  of  the  world,  yet  in  a  season  of  shak¬ 
ing,  and  alarm,  and  fear,  when  the  hearts  of  men  are  filled  with  dismay.  Both  those 
states  of  mind  he  considers  us  exhibited  in  the  events  ot  the  times  wherein  we  LTe, 
and  that  we  have  entered  into  t lie  last  period  of  awlul  expectation,  during  which  the 
church  "is  likened  to  the  ten  virgins,  Mat.  25.  He  considers,  that  the  coining  ot  our 
Lord  is  just  at  hand,  when  the  dead  saints  will  spring  from  the  dust,  and  the  living 
saints  in  a  moment  be  changed,  and  both  together  will  be  rapt  up  above  the  clouds,  to 
meet  Him  long  before  He  is  seen  by  the  inhabitants  of  the  earth.  He  does  not  con¬ 
sider  that  tli c  restoration  of  the  Jews  will  precede  this  advent,  but  that  it  will  begin 
just  at  the  rapture  of  the  saints,  and  that  they  are  to  be  led  through  the  wilderness  as 
formerly,  by  the  pillar  of  a  cloud  by  day,  and  of  fire  by  night,  without  knowing  their 
conductor  us  the  crucified  Nazarene,  their  discovery  of  Him  belonging  to  a  later  pe¬ 
riod..  At  ibis  time  the  whirlwind  of  wrath  will  go  forth  against  the  Roman  earth,  tue 
political  heavens  will  pass  away  as  a  scroll,  the  war  ot  Armageddon  will  commence, 
and  in  its  progress  make  the  world  a  wilderness,  probably  beginning  as  an  intestine 
war  of  the  nations  against  themselves.  A  long  interval  is  to  elapse  between  the  first 
appearance  of  our  Lord  above  the  clouds,  and  the  descent  mentioned,  Zecn.  14.4,  5, 
ami  Rev.  19:11.  During  the  whole  of  this  interval  the  glorified  church  shall  be  with 
our  Lord  in  the  air,  in  the  higher  region  of  the  atmosphere  above  the  clouds  ;  a  pait  ot 
the  church,  however,  being  left  in  the  midst  of  the  great  tribulation,  to  form  the  nu¬ 
cleus  of  the  innumerable  company  of  palm-bearers.  But  heie  we  may  stop;  Uun- 
inghame  himself  st  ates,  that  he  wishes  his  further  views  respecting  this  multitude  to 
be  considered  simply  as  conjecture.”  ’  Henry ,  abr. 


Mede . 

1  He  is  considered  the  father  of  modern  interpreters,  from  his  ability  in  advocating- 
synchronizations  ;  of  which  he  makes  7.  A  Diagram  of  his  interpretation  is  given. 

The  first  prophecy,  or  the  Seven  Seals. 


The  Seventh  Scat, including  Seven  Trumpets. 


Seats. 

The  first  Sia:,  d  istinguished  pe-  y 
riods  of  the  Roman  empire.^  Trumpets The  Roman 
'  empire  declining  &  falling* 


§•§ 

*  e 

es 

OJH 

o 

!s 


SdQ 

3  . 
<< 


-*  * 
—  o 
O  Cu 


"3  S' 

o  fcj 


Trumpet  7,  or 
third  woe. 

r - A - 

The  mystery  of 
God  is  finished,  as 
He  hath  declared 
to  his  servants  the 
prophets. 

An  innumerable 


The  company  of  144,000  pro¬ 
tected  l>v  the  mark  of  God. 

The  Vials.* 

1.  to  6.  7. 

multitude  of  all  | 
nations,  kindreds,  ! 
and  tongues,  hav-  ^ 
ing  palms  in  their  j 
hands.  j 

The  temple  and  altar  meas¬ 
ured. 

The  first  state  of  the  church 
proved  to  be  holy. 

The  outer  court,  not  meas¬ 

ured,  trodden  down  by 
the  Gentiles  42  months. 
The  Christian  church  giv¬ 
en  up  to  now  idolatries, 

The  kingdoms  of 
this  world  are 
made  kingdoms  of 
our  Lord,  and  ol 
his  Christ. 

The  2  witnesses  prophesy. 
Interpret,  of  divine  truth. 

The  dragon’s  war  with 
Michael. 

The  woman,  the  church; 
flies  into  the  wilderness. 
Floods  of  heresies  remov¬ 
ed  by  the  orthodox. 

Satan  bound,  and 
t lie  just  reign  with 
Christ  1000  years. 

Persecutions  under  the  Ro¬ 
man  emperors  till  Constan¬ 
tine  attains  the  imperial 

Eeast  recovers,  after  his 
deadly  wound,  bl  asp  he  rues 
and  conquers  the  saints. 
Secular  Roman  empire. 

The  wife  of  the 
Lamb, new  Jerusa- 
lemjdescends  from 
heaven. 

power. 

'Hie  two -horned  beast,  oi 
false  prophet. 

The  Roman  pontiff  and  his 
clergy. 

The  founder  of  ten  homed 
beast  exercises  his  power 
of  warring  with  the  saints. 

The  144,000,  the  church 
faithful  to  the  Lamb. 

The  worshippers  of  the 
beast  warned  by  3 angels. 

Great  city  of  Babylon  sil¬ 
ting  on  the  beast,  makes 
the  ks.  of  the  earth  drunk. 
The  Roman  or  papal  see. 

the  lake 
of  fire, 
the  End, 
the  par¬ 
adise  of 
the  just. 


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The  little  open  book,  or  the  latter  series  of  prophecy.’ 

henry,  abr. 

Croly, 

‘  His  view  differs  from  others.  He  considers  Rev.  a  collection  of  Divine  visions, 
seen  probably  at  different  times, and  divides  the  contents  into6  portions.  1.  t  *  . , 

the  Asiatic  persecution,  1: — 3:  IT.  Vision  of  the  seals,  or  general  view  o  p  * 

in  governing  the  church  and  world,  4: — 7:  III.  Vision  of  1  h rum P  *  Vision  of* 
Vision  of  the  vials,  chs.  15,  16,  with  the  connected  chapters  17,  18,  19.  V  .  v  si 
the  church,  distinguished  into  3  eras,  pagan  persecution,  papa  P  phr’istianit 

catastrophe  of  .he  persecutors,  12:— 14:  VI.  Vision  of  the  triumph .  of  Chnst  unit 
20: — 22:  But  if  Mede' s  interpretation  is  justly  considered  J  JJutproba- 

great  prominence  it  gives  to  secular  events  of  the  Roman  empt  »  J  1 

Ely  be  disapproved,  from  its  being  as  restricted  in  i  [  application,  nlth«bph  to  a  K- 
man  empire  more ’spiritual  in  its  nature.  Nearly  the  who  •  < >f  the 
and  vials  are  referred  by  him  exclusively  to  the  papacy  and  the  French  rcvolutmn 


the 

*7. 


TABULAR  VIEWS  OF  REVELATION. 


Faber. 

*  fit's  scheme  is  the  most  elaborate,  and  deserves  special  notice,  ns  it  purports  to  be 
the  most  complete,  embracing;  and  harmonizing  the  prophecies  of  Daniel  and  John. 
Townsend.  says,it  solves  more  difficulties,  answers  more  objections,  and  throws  a  bright¬ 
er  lustre  on  some  of  the  more  involved  passages  of  Revelation,  than  any  other  ;  though 
of  course  it  fails  in  some  points,  and  from  lack  of  judgment.  We  abridge  from  Faber's 
B.  C.  *  Chronology  of  the  Sacred  Calender  of  Prophecy 1828. 

2325  Foundation  of  the  Babylonian  empire,  Dan.  7:4.  >  P  * 

83  i  It  is  b. ought  down  to  the  ground.  $  11  1,1 

784  Foundation  of  the  Persian  empirei  Dan.  7:5.  8:3,  20.  Second  beaet. 

Commencement  of  the  2300  days,  Dan.  8;14. 

763  Foundation  of  the  Macedonian  empire,  Dan.  7:6.  Third  beast. 

753  Foundation  of  the  Roman  empire,  Dan.  7:7.  Fourth  beast. 

First  head  of  the  Roman  beast,  Rev.  13:1.  17:3,  9,  10. 


657  Era  of  the  metallic  image,  Dan.  2:31 ,  32,  33. 

Commencement  of  the  seven  prophetic  times,  Dan.  4:32. 

Birth  of  Nebuchadnezzar,  the  golden  head. 

Opening  of  the  first  seal,  Rev.  6:1, 2. 

606  Commencement  of  the  Babylonish  captivity  of  seventy  years. 

563  The  heart  of  a  man  given  to  the  Babylonian  lion. 

556  The  Persian  ram  begins  to  push,  Dan.  8:4.  Cyrus’  conquests. 

538  Junction  of  the  Persian  empire,  or  silver  breast  and  arms,  Dan.  2;32,  39, 
Opening  of  the  second  apocalyptic  seal,  Rev.  6:3,  4. 

53S  End  of  the  Babylonian  captivity,  side  becomes  higher,  Dan.  7:5.  Horn  becomes 
higher,  Dan.  8:3. 

503  Dormancy  of  imperial  kingship,  or  first  head  of  Roman  beast  begins  ;  rise  of  the 
consulate,  or  second  head,  Rev.  17:10. 

497  Dictatorship,  or  third  head,  Rev.  17:10. 

458  Commencement  of  Daniel’s  seventy  weeks,  Dan.  9:24. 

451  Decemvirate,  or  fourth  head. 

444  Military  tribunes,  or  fifth  head. 

834  Macedonian  iroat  comes  from  the  west,  Dan.  8:5. 

331  Junction  of  Grecian  empire,  or  brazen  belly  and  thighs. — Opening  of  the  third 
seal,  Rev.  6:5,  6. 

59  Triumvirate,  or  sixth  head. 

30  Junction  of  the  Roman  empire,  or  iron  legs  and  iron  clay  feet. — Opening  of  the 
fourth  seal,  Rev.  6:7,  8. 

27  Expergefuction  of  Roman  imperial  kingship,  or  first  head,  fall  of  the  2d,  3d, 
and  6th  heads,  Rev.  17:10. 

A.  C. 

33  End  of  Daniel’s  seventy  weeks,  Dan.  9:24.  Death  of  Cluist. 

70  Daniel's  129)  days  begin,  Dan.  11:32,  33.  Persecution  of  Christians  begins. 

311  Opening  of  (he  5th  seal,  Re.  6:8 — 11. — Short  and  imperfect  rest  from  persecution. 
313  Opening  of  the  sixth  seal,  Dan.  11:34.  Help  from  Constantine  begina. 

324  The  subversion  of  paganism;  Sealing  of  the  144,000  mystic  Israelites  ;  Measur¬ 

ing  the  temple  ;  Taking  an  exact  account  of  the  faithful  worshippers;  Con¬ 
stantine’s  separation  of  Christians. 

Commencement  of  the  figurative  gestation,  Rev.  12:2.  —  Opening  seventh  seal. 

325  First  germination  of  little  western  horn,  or  spiritual  kingdom  of  the  papacy  be¬ 

gins,  Dan.  7:8. 

361  End  of  the  short  silence,  Rev.  8:1.  ;  Accession  of  Julian. -^Seven  angels  prepare 
to  sound. 

395  First  Trumpet.  Invasion  of  Goths,  Germans,  Vandals,  and  Huns,  by  Alaric, 
Rbadagant,  Genseric,  and  Attila. 

406  Rise  of  first,  or  Vandalic  horn,  Dan.  7:7.  Rev.  12:1.  17:3,  12.  —  Junction  of  iron 

and  clay  toes. 

407  Rise  of  21  or  Suevic  horn,  3d  or  Alaric,  4th  or  Burgundian,  5th  or  Francic. 

408  Sixth  or  Visigothic  horn. 

439  Second  trumpet.  Invasion  of  Genseric. 

449  Seventh,  or  Anglo-Saxon  horn. 

452  Third  trumpet.  The  star  cast  down.  Odoacer.  Wormwood. 

476  Eighth,  or  Herulic  horn,  —  wars  and  desolations,  extinction  of  Roman,  western 
empire. 

493  Ninth,  or  Ostrogothic,  eradication  of  eighth  or  Herulic. 

553  Eradication  of  ninth,  or  Ostrogothic  before  the  papal  horn. 

668  Tenth,  or  Lombardic  horn,  eradicated  774. 

603  Fourth  trumpet.  Commencement  of  eclipse  of  the  western  empire  by  Chosroes 

and  the  Persians. 

604  Expiration  of  the  first  period  of  three  and  a  half  times ,  or  1260  years.  The  lat¬ 

ter  period  begins. 

Fifth,  or  first  woe-trumpet.  — The  star  ecclesiastical  of  Rome  completes  its  fall, 
Rev.  9:1. 

Mensuration  of  temple  and  altar,  &c.  Rev.  11:1. 

Two  witnesses  (two  faithful  churches)  begin  to  prophesy  in  sackcloth,  Rev,  11:3. 
The  woman’s  (the  faithful  church  of  Christ)  flight  into  the  wilderness,  Rev.  12. 
Fall  of  the  stars  (bishops  or  pastors)  through  the  agency  of  superstitions  fostered 
by  the  dragon,  Rev.  12. 

The  ten-horned  beast  becomes  the  tool  of  persecution  42  months,  the  unfaithful 
worshippers,  or  secular  powers  of  the  Roman  empire,  Rev.  13. 

Rise  of  the  second  apocalyptic  beast,  or  papal  empire,  Rev.  13:11. 

T en  horns,  or  Roman  kings,  give  their  power  to  the  beast,  Rev.  17. 

Saints  thereby  delivered  into  the  hand  of  the  little  Roman  horn,  Dan.  7:25. 
Completion  of  the  demonolatrous  apostasy,  by  the  revelation  of  the  man  of  sin, 
the  Roman  empire  being  removed,  Dan.  8.  2  Thess.  2. 

Termination  of  the  period,  Dan.  11:35. 

D  >or  of  the  abyss  opened,  Rev.  9:2. 

608  Smoke  from  the  abyss,  the  Mohammedan  imposture,  or  the  little  horn  of  Grecian 
ir9  he  gnat  stands  up,  Dan.  8:9,  23. 

512  The  Mohammedan  locusts  issue  forth  for  five  months. 

628  End  of  eclipse  of  eastern  empire  ;  defeat  of  the  Persians  ;  battle  of  Nineveh. 
762  End  of  five  months  of  the  locusts  ;  passing  away  of  first  woe  ;  Bagdad  founded  ; 

the  Saracens  become  a  settled  people. 

890  Restoration  of  Roman  emperorship  in  the  west. 

1301  Sixth  trumpet.  Second  woe. 

Liberation  of  the  four  Turcomanic  angels. 

Day,  month,  and  year,  or  396  1-4  years  of  Euphratian  horsemen  begin. 

1360  Expiration  of  Daniel’s  1290  years,  Dan.  12:11.  ;  Wickliff  begins  to  preach. 

1453  Roman  emperorship  extinguished  in  the  east.  „ 

1517  Termination  of  Daniel’s  2300  clays. 

Sanctuary  begins  to  be  cleansed,  Dan.  8:13,  14.  Rev.  11:2. 

Flesh  of  the  harlot  begins  to  be  eaten,  or  the  papacy  begins  to  be  consumed  by 
the  secular  power,  Rev.  17:16. 

Commencement  of  the  Reformation. 

1685  The  two  witnesses  (Waldenses  and  Aibigenses)  slain. 

1688  Great  earthquake  ;  Tenth  part  of  the  city  falls  ;  Revolution  in  England. 

1699  Witnesses  (the  Waldenses)  revive,  but  their  testimony  finished. 

1697  21  woe  passes  away  ;  Battle  of  Zenta  ,  Turks  defeated.  The  396  1-4  yrs.  expire. 
The  dragon  begins  to  cast  out  a  flood.  Rev.  12:9. 

Termination  of  period,  Da.  11:35.  ;  Commencement  of,  Da.  11:36 — 39,  infidelity. 
1739  Seventh  trumpet.  Third  woe  commences;  Revolutionary  France. 

The  figurative  judgment  of  the  Roman  empire  begins,  Rev.  11:15.  Dan.  7:9. 

The  stone  begins  to  smite  the  image. 

The  flood  rises  to  its  height. 

The  spirit  of  the  Treat  antichrist,  which  denies  the  Father  and  the  Son,  is  diffus¬ 
ed,  and  constitutes  the  third  woe. 

The  papal  harlot  made  desolate  and  naked,  Rev.  17:16. 

1792  First  vial  poured  out  .  .  Aug.  25.  Sore  of  avowed  infidelity. 

Second  vial  poured  out  .  Sept.  2.  Reign  of  terror. 

Third  vial  poured  out  .  .  Nov.  19.  War  with  nations. 

1804  Fourth  vial  poured  out . Imperial  military  despotism. 

Ri«e  of  Francic  emperorship,  or  short-lived  and  slain  head  (7th)  of  Roman  beast. 
1806  Fall  of  the  Roman  imperial  kingship,  or  long-lived  first  head. 

1808  Fifth  vial  poured  on  the  throne  of  the  beast.  The  decline  and  fall  of  the  Fran- 
cic  emperorship. 

The  termination  of  the  period,  Dan.  11:36 — 39. 

1815  Political  slaughter  of  Francic  emperorship,  or  seventh  head  ;  consequent  politi¬ 
cal  death  of  the  Roman  bea^t.  Rev.  17:8. 

Sixth  vial.  The  downfall  of  the  Ottoman  empire,  probably  began  with  the  Greek 
insurrection  in  1821  ;  The  kings  of  the  east,  perhaps  the  Jews. 

Revival  of  the  Francic  emperorship  will  be  subsequent  to  the  fall  of  the  Ottoman 
empire.  Rev.  17:8. 

Going  forth  of  the  three  unclean  spirits  ;  The  kings  of  the  earth  wrought  up  to 
fury  by  the  political-theological  agents  of  the  dragon,  the  beast,  and  the  false 

[734] 


A.  C.  prophet;  The  gathering  togelhcr  an  unseemly  mixture  of  blaspheming  infi¬ 
dels  and  bigoted  Romanists. 

1864  Exjnraliun  of  the  seven  prophetic  times,  oi  2520  years ,  and  of  the  times  of  the 

four  great  Gentile  empires. 

Seventh  vial. 

Commencement  of  Daniel's  time  of  end,  11:40 — 45.  and  of  the  restoration  of  his 
people  the  Jews,  Dan.  12:1.  L.  21:24. 

Marriage  of  the  Lamb,  or  conversion  of  Judah. 

Rev.  19;6.  Is.  60:  66:5—24.  Dan.  12:1.  Joel  3:16.  Zech,  12:14.  Rom.  U. 

1865  Expiration  of  Daniel’s  time  of  end.  The  end  of  the  third  woe;  Burning  the 

harlot  ;  Battle  of  Armageddon  ;  Figurative  coming  of  the  Son  of  man  ,  De¬ 
struction  of  antichrist  in  Palestine  ;  Dissipation  of  the  great  image  ;  Moham¬ 
medan  horn  brqken  ;  The  Stone  fills  the  whole  earth  ;  Figuiative  resurrection; 
Binding  ihe  dragon  ;  The  1335  days  begin,  Dan.  12:12.  ;  St.  John’s  1000  years 
of  blessedness,  Rev.  20:2,  3.  begin  ;  not  a  literal  reign  of  Christ,  but  an  effu¬ 
sion  of  the  Holy  Ghost. 

2865  Second  figurative  resurrection  of  the  wicked  ;  termination  of  the  1000  years. 
3200  The  termination  of  the  1335  years,  destruction  of  Gog  ami  Magog,  Ezek.  38. 

The  consummation  of  all  things. 

Of  that  day  and  hour  knoweth  no  man,  no,  not  the  angels  in  heaven ,  but  my  Fa¬ 
ther  only.  Mat.  24:36.’  Henry,  abr. 

A  scheme  modified  from  Whitaker  ;  and  see  Bp.  Neiolon. 

*  Perhaps  the  render  would  refer  the  seals  to  the  Roman  empire.  Then,  the  1st  seal 
is  applied  to  that  era  which  commenced  from  t lie  death  of  Domitian,  A.  D.  96,  and 
extended  to  the  accession  of  Commodus,  A.  D.  130,  a  period  happy  and  prosperous  as 
to  public  events.  Thus  the  first  spectacle  revealed  to  the  prophet  would  be  the  com¬ 
mencement  or  going  forth  of  an  era  of  prosperity  and  beneficent  government,  which 
then  actually  began  in  the  Roman  empire,  and  continued  under  5  successive  empe¬ 
rors,  for  nearly  a  century,  in  which  time  also  the  empire  was  enlarged  by  distant  con¬ 
quests.  (In  Poole's  Annotations ,  the  1st  seal  is  also  considered  as  referring  to  the 
Roman  emperors,  armed  with  power.)  The  red  horse  of  civil  war,  and  the  great 
sword  wherewith  men  should  kill  one  another,  mark  the  period,  from  A.  D.  ISO  to 
378,  during  which  there  were  38  emperors,  not  to  mention  pretenders,  of  whom  32  per¬ 
ished  by  the  sword  of  conspiracy  or  war.  The  3d  and  4th  seals  may  represent  the 
state  of  the  empire  from  A.  D.  376  to  A.  D.  456,  as  over-ridden  and  enslaved  by  the 
rider  on  the  black  horse,  the  barbarians,  Goths,  and  Germans,  bringing  bondage  and 
famine  upon  the  land  ;  and  the  pale  or  livid-colored  horse,  maiking  the  period  when 
the  ruin  of  the  empire  wns  sealed  by  the  ravages  of  the  Huns  and  Vandals,  when  the 
miserable  countries  of  the  Roman  world  were  exhausted  by  war,  pestilence,  and  fam¬ 
ine,  and  in  some  provinces  the  human  species  was  almost  extirpated. 

‘  Of  this  interval  Robertson  speaks,  as  ihe  period  in  the  world’s  history,  during  which 
the  condition  of  the  human  race  was  the  most  calamitous  and  affiicted.’  Id. 

More. 

The  following  is  the  description  of  the  curious  diagram  we  have  given  on  the  color¬ 
ed  page,  opposite,  from  the  rare  work  of  Henry  More,  D.  D.,  entitled  ‘  Apocalypsis 
Apocalypseos.’  1680. 

1  Let  A D  be  the  principal  line  of  the  Apocalyptic  scheme,  divided  into  3  parts,  AB, 
BC,  CD,  and  let  t lie  whole  semicircle  AZD,  contain  the  prophecy  of  the  Sealed  Book , 
but  the  semicircle  AND,  the  prophecy  of  the  Opened  Book.  But  of  those  two  particu¬ 
lar  semicircles  ALB,  and  BRD,  the  former  contains  the  first  6  Seals,  the  latter  the  7th, 
which  comprehends  the  7  Trumpets .  The  6  first  of  which  trumpets  the  semicircle 
BMC  includes,  and  the  semicircle  CDN  the  7th,  distributed  into  7 Tnundcrs,  1 ,  II,  III, 
IV,  &c.  as  are  the  seals  and  trumpets.  To  this  line  of  Seals,  Trumpets,  and  Thunders, 
all  the  rest  of  the  visions,  not  only  of  the  Opened  Book,  but  of  the  seven  churches, 
may  some  way  be  annexed  ami  applied  by  synchronisms,  either  proper  and  perfect,  or 
imperfect  and  partial,  as  we  shall  advertise  as  we  go  through  them. 

‘  AEB  is  the  Woman  in  travail,  12:1.  ;  AFB,  the  Court  of  the  Temple  and  Altar, 
commensurate,  11:1.;  AGB,  the  fight  of  Michael  with  the  Dragon  about  the  Wo¬ 
man,  12:4,  7,  8.;  AIR,  the  church  of  Ephesus,  or  the  Ephesine  interval,  contemporiz¬ 
ing  in  part  with  the  1st  Seal,  2:1.  ;  R1IK,  Smyrnean  do.,  wdiich  contemporizes  with 
the  latter  part  of  the  1st  Seal,  and  with  the  2d,  3d,  4th,  and  5th  Seals,  and  with  the 
fore  part  of  the  6th, -2:8. 

‘  The  medial  visions  now  follow,  where  BC  is  the  company  of  the  144.000  servants  of 
God,  sealed,  7:3.  ;  BDC,  the  out  wart  Court  trodden  dowrn,  ch.  II.  ;  EEC,  the  2  Wit¬ 
nesses  in  sackcloth,  prophesying  1260  days,  ch.  11.  ;  B  e  C,  the  same  slain,  and  lying 
in  the  great  city  3  1-2  days  ;  EFC,  the  Woman  in  the  wilderness,  1250  days,  12:6,  14  ; 
BGC,  the  7  headed  10  horned  Beast,  whose  deadly  wound  is  healed,  13:3.  ;  BHC,  the 
2  horned  Beast,  or  false  Prophet,  the  lestorer  or  healer  of  the  Beast,  13:11.  ;  BIC,  the 
Virgin  company  of  144,000,  sealed  of  the  Lamb,  14:1.  ;  BKO,  that  great  City,  the 
Whore  of  Babylon,  17:3,  8.  ;  KPR,  the  Pergamenian  interval,  containeth  the  latter 
part  of  the  6th  seal,  and  with  the  5  first  trumpets.  RQC  is  the  Thyatirian  interval, 
synchronizing  with  some  small  part  of  ihe  5th  and  with  the  whole  6th  trumpet  !  As 
for  LNC  and  MQ,  in  these  visions,  and  CEH  and  gH,  in  the  following,  thpy  respect 
the  voices  of  the  3  angels,  the  1st  is  assigned  to  the  times  of  the  Tuiks  taking  Con¬ 
stantinople,  the  2d  to  the  appearing  of  the  Reformation,  the  3d  to  about  the  times  of 
the  4th  Vial. 

‘  Ofthe  post-medial  visions  :  CAH,  IIYP,  PZQ,  Q  q  R,  R  r  S,  S  p  T.  and  T  o  D,  are 
the  7  antisynchronnls  of  the  7  Thunders  ;  CAH,  the  interval  of  the  7  Vials,  ch.  16.  ; 
CFII,  the  compendium  of  the  vials,  11:16.  & c .  CBO  is  the  interval  of  the  Sardian 
church,  contemporizing  with  the  interval  of  the  6  first  vials,  3:1.  GII  comprehends  3 
combinations  of  svnchronal  Visions,  the  vision  of  the  Harvest  nnd  the  Wine-press,  14: 
15,18.  ;  of  the  6th  and  7th  Vial,  16:12.;  of  the  preparation  of  the  Bride,  and  of  the 
battle  of  the  Rider  of  the  White  Horse,  1P:7",  11. 

‘  HYP  is  the  New  Jerusalem  descending  from  heaven  ;  IDP,  the  laying  hold  of  Sa¬ 
tan  ;  PZQ,,  the  thousand  years’  reign  of  Christ  on  earth  ;  PLQ,  the  imprisoning  of 
Satan  during  it,  ch.  20.  ;  HMQ,  the  palm  bearing  Company,  7:9.  ;  OWQ,  the  inter¬ 
val  of  the  Philadelphian  church,  3:7.  beginning  with  the  7th  vial,  and  ending  nt  the 
commencement  of  the  4t h  antisynrhronn  1  Q  q  R  .  which  is  the  loosing  of  Satan ,  20:3.  ; 
R  rS,  the  besieging  of  the  holy  city  by  Gog  and  Magog,  20:7.  ;  S  p  T,  the  coming  of 
Christ  to  judgment,  20:11.  ;  PVT.  a  continuance  of  the  New  Jerusalem,  or  holv  city, 
contemporizing  with  the  3d,  4th,  5tb,  and  6th  antisynchronnls.  PNT.  the  wicked  rab¬ 
ble  (contemporizing  w  ith  the  same  antisynchronnls)  excluded  out  of  the  holy  city,  22: 
15.  ;  QXT,  the  interval  of  the  church  of  Laodicea,  3:14.  ;  ToD,  the  conflagration  of 
the  earth,  20:14.  ;  T  e  D,  the  consummate  bippine3sof  the  Saints. 

‘This  is  the  description  of  nil  my  synchronisms  belonging  to  the  Apocalyptic 
Visions,  which  differ  from  the  synchronisms  of  Mr.  Mode,  (besides  that  he  meddled 
not  w'ith  the  7  churches,. nor  made  the  3  1-2  days  the  same  with  the  1260.)  only  in  this, 
that  I  place  all  the  Vials  after  the  middle  synchronals  under  the  1st  Thunder  of  the 
7th  Trumpet,  he,  6  of  them  before  the  7th  Trumpet,  and  that  he  does  not  distinguish 
the  7th  Trumpet  into  7  Thunders,  in  hi9  table,  ns  I  have  done,  and  therefore  makes 
the  binding  of  Satan  and  millennial  reign  of  Chiist,  Ac.  to  commence  immediately 
(and  consequently  the  reign  of  the  henstquite  to  expire)  at  the  beginning  of  that  trum¬ 
pet ,  whereas,  in  truth,  the  entireness  of  his  kingdom  only  then  expires.  ’  Ed. 

*  It  would  not.  be  difficult  to  add  29  other  schemes  of  interpretation  to  those  already 
given, and  for  the  most  part  differing  widely  from  them. but  the  reader  probably  is  alrea¬ 
dy  more  than  satisfied.  We  may  however  remark,  in  reference  to  these,  th.it,  although 
each  is,  and  must  l*e  incorrect  in  some  respects,  yet  they  maybe  considered  to  include 
among  them  the  soundest  and  best  interpretations  which  have  been  given,  and  those 
which  it  may  be  believed,  will  be  found  to  approximate  nearly  to  the  truth  in  many 
respects,  when  it  shall  please  the  Most  High  to  lift  the  remainder  of  the  veil  which 
yet  divers  a  large  portion  of  this  book. 

‘  Durham  cautions  to  avoid  those  expositors,  who  enervate  the  scope  nnd  ground  of 
the  book,  whiefi  is,  to  show  things  belonging  to  the  church  and  Christ’s  servants  pe¬ 
culiarly,  nnd  especially  to  show  the  trials  of  the  church  from  inward  enemies,  and  me 
spiritual  hurt  and  defection  that  is  to  mine  on  the  church. 

‘One  valuable  feature,  common  to  Alede,  Faber ,  Cuninghame ,  and  Woodhoufc.  is, 
that  they  seldom  attempt  to  make  any  individual  application  of  the  symbol*  ;  nnd  it 
may  be  remarked,  that  wherever  they  have  so  done,  their  interpretation  will  be  found 
the  least  satisfactory,  and  the  most  easily  set  aside  by  their  opponents.  The  commen¬ 
taries  of  Vitrinsa  [whom  Woodhouse  says,  he  found  by  far  the  most  useful  of  all]  and 
Gill  will  be  found  to  contain  much  that  is  valuable,  nnd  notice  most  of  the  vie s  giv¬ 
en  by  the  leading  commentators  of  recent  date,  expressed  in  term?  free  from  a  dictato¬ 
rial  spirit,  nnd  void  of  censure  towards  those  who  may  differ.  The  readers  of  these, 
and  some  other  older  commentators,  will  be  surprised  to  find  how  few  ideas,  really 
novel  and  original,  have  of  late  been  brought  forward,  even  by  the  wilder  theorists, 
excepting  in  their  application  to  events  of  very  recent  date,  in  which  many  have 
been  so  much  inclined  to  indulge,  but  here  the  expositor  always  treads  upon  danger¬ 
ous  ground.  Eventaof  our  own  times  present,  themselves  in  such  strong  points  of 
view,  and  appear  in  such  glowing  colors,  that  it  is  difficult  to  avoid  the  temptation  to 
apply  them  to  some  symbolical  representations  in  this  mysterious  book.  Ilenry,  abr. 


SUPPLEMENT 


TO  THE 

COMPREHENSIVE  COMMENTARY. 


To  render  the  Comprehensive  Commentary  the  most  complete  work  of  the  kind  in  the  English 
language,  and  as  perfect  a  help  to  the  study  of  the  Bible  as  possible,  the  publishers  have  issued  a  supple¬ 
mentary  volume,  uniform  in  size,  paper,  binding,  and  price,  with  the  regular  volumes,  and  superintend¬ 
ed  by  the  same  editor.  Its  principal  contents  are  as  follows  •: 

I.  A  VERY  FULL  AND  COMPLETE  ALPHABETICAL  INDEX  OF  ALL 
the  matters  discussed  in  the  Commentary. 

The  importance  of  this  must  be  obvious.  It  will  enable  any  one  to  turn,  readily  and  without  delay, 
to  every  passage  in  the  Bible  and  Commentary  where  any  given  fact,  opinion,  or  sentiment  is  touched 
upon  ;  thus  bringing  together,  for  comparison,  on  each  topic,  all  the  different  remarks  scattered  through 
more  than  4000  pages  ;  saving  much  time,  which  must,  for  want  of  such  a  help,  be  consumed  in  tedious 
researches,  oftentimes  in  a  great  degree  fruitless*  In  this  respect,  there  is  a  great  deficiency  in  the  works 
of  Henry,  Scott,  Clarke,  and  others,  which  any  person  who  has  had  occasion  to  consult  them  exten¬ 
sively,  must  have  frequently  felt.  In  such  extended  works,  an  Index  of  this  kind  is  invaluable,  not  only 
to  the  Minister  and  Sabbath  School  Teacher,  but  to  every  student  of  the  Bible.  How  often  indeed  does 
it  happen,  that  one  wishes  to  consult  the  Commentary  on  some  subject,  and  to  examine  it  fully  and  in 
detail,  when  the  remarks  upon  it  maybe  scattered  through  all  the  volumes,  and  based  perhaps  upon 
twenty  different  passages  of  Scripture,  to  find  which  would  require  much  time  and  careful  attention. 
Such  an  Index  would  at  once  place  them  all  as  it  were  under  the  eye'. 

II.  A  NEW,  FULL,  AND  COMPLETE  CONCORDANCE;  ILLUSTRATED  WITH 

monumental,  traditional,  and  oriental  engravings,  founded  on  Buttenvorth’s,  with  Cruden’s  Definitions  ; 
forming,  it  is  believed,  on  many  accounts,  a  more  valuable  work  than  either  Butterworth,  Cruden,  or 
any  other  similar  book  in  the  language. 

The  value  of  a  Concordance  is  now  generally  understood,  and  those  who  have  used  one,  consider  it 
indispensable  in  connexion  with  the  Bible. 

III.  A  GUIDE  TO  THE  READING  AND  STUDY  OF  THE  BIBLE;  BEING  CAR¬ 
PENTER’S  valuable  Biblical  Companion,  lately  published  in  London,  containing  a  complete  History 
of  the  Bible,  and  forming  a  most  excellent  introduction  to  its  study.  It  embraces  the  Evidences  of 
Christianity,  Jewish  antiquities,  manners,  customs,  arts,  Natural  History,  &c.,  of  the  Bible,  with 
Notes  and  Engravings  added. 

IV.  COMPLETE  BIOGRAPHIES  OF  HENRY,  BY  WILLIAMS;  SCOTT,  BY 

his  Son  ;  Doddridge,  by  Orton  ;  with  sketches  of  the  lives  and  characters,  and  notices  of  the  works, 
of  the  writers  on  the  Scriptures,  who  are  quoted  in  the  Commentary,  living  and  dead,  American  and 
foreign. 

This  part  of  the  volume  not  only  affords  a  large  quantity  of  interesting  and  useful  reading  for  pious 
families,  but  will  also  be  a  source  of  gratification  to  all  those  who  are  in  the  habit  of  consulting  the  Com¬ 
mentary, —  every  one  naturally  feeling  a  desire  to  know  some  particulars  of  the  lives  and  characters  of 
those  whose  opinions  he  seeks.  Appended  to  this  part  will  be  a  Bibliotheca  Biblica,  or  list  of  the  best 
works  on  the  Bible,  of  all  kinds,  arranged  under  their  appropriate  heads. 

V.  A  COMPLETE  INDEX  OF  THE  MATTER  CONTAINED  IN  THE  BIBLE 
TEXT. 

VI.  A  SYMBOL  DICTIONARY.  A  VERY  COMPREHENSIVE  AND  VAL- 

uable  Dictionary  of  Scripture  Symbols,  (occupying  about  fifty-six  closely  printed  pages,)  by  Thomas 
Wemyss,  (author  of  ‘Biblical  Gleanings,’  &c.)  Comprising  Daubuz,  Lancaster,  Hutcheson,  &c. 

VII.  THE  WORK  CONTAINS  SEVERAL  OTHER  ARTICLES,— INDEXES,  TABLES, 
Sic.  &c.,  and  is, 

VIII.  ILLUSTRATED  BY  A  LARGE  PLAN  OF  JERUSALEM,  IDENTIFYING,  AS 
far  as  tradition,  &c.  go,  the  original  sites,  drawn  on  the  spot  by  F.  Catherwood,  of  London,  architect. 
Also,  two  steel  engravings  of  Portraits  of  seven  foreign  and  eight  American  Theological  writers, 
and  numerous  wood  engravings. 

The  whole  forms  a  desirable  and  necessary  accompaniment  to  the  original  work,  and  affords  a  great 
fund  of  instruction  for  the  use  not  only  of  Clergymen  and  Sabbath  School  Teachers,  but  also  for 
Families.  When  the  great  amount  of  matter  it  must  contain  is  considered,  it  will  be  deemed  exceed¬ 
ingly  cheap,  and  could  not  be  afforded,  at  the  price  proposed,. except  in  connexion  with  the 
Commentary,  the  value  of  which  it  greatly  enhances. 

DO”  The  work  is  bound  and  lettered  exactly  to  match  the  Commentary,  forming  a  sixth  volume. 

Some  copies  are  also  bound  without  the  Index  to  the  Commentary,  and  published  under  the  title  of 

‘A  COMPANION  TO  THE  BIBLE,’ 

designed  to  accompany  the  Family  Bible,  or  Henry’s,  Scott’s,  Clarke’s,  Gill’s,  or  other  Commentaries. 


RECOMMENDATIONS 


OF 

BUSH’S  ILLUSTRATIONS  OF  SCRIPTURE. 


From  Rev.  H.  Humphrey,  I).  D  ,  rres.  of  Amherst  Col. 

‘  I  have  spent  some  time  in  examining  Hush's  Illustrations,  and  I 
think  them  an  exceedingly  valuable  addition  to  the  department  of 
Biblical  illustration.  The  work  contains  a  vast  amount  of  informa¬ 
tion,  in  regard  to  the  habits,  manners,  and  customs  of  eastern  nations, 
which  everywhere  shed  light  upon  the  sacred  text,  and  make  a  great 
many  passages  very  plain,  that,  to  the  common  reader  of  the  Bible, 
without  some  such  help,  must  always  remain  extremely  obscure. 

‘11.  HUMPHREY. 

‘  Amherst  College,  June  16,  1E37.’ 

From  Rev.  A.  Alexander,  I).  11.,  Prof,  at  Princeton  (N.  J.)  Theol. 

Seminary. 

‘I  am  prepared  to  express  a  very  favorable  opinion  of  the  work.  It 
will  prevent  the  necessity  of  turning  over  the  pages  of  many  volumes 
where  they  are  accessible,  and  will  be  a  good  substitute  for  them, 
when  they  are  not.  What  is  needed  for  the  illustration  of  the  Sacred 
Scriptures  is  here  placed  immediately  under  the  text  ;  so  that  the 
reader  is  put  to  no  trouble  to  look  after  it  ;  and,  uniformly,  due  credit 
!  is  given  to  the  authors  from  whom  the  remarks  have  been  borrowed, 
and  to  whom  the  inquisitive  reader  can  have  recourse  for  further  de¬ 
tails.  Tite  Biblical  student,  as  well  as  the  common  reader  of  the  Bi¬ 
ble  are,  in  my  opinion,  much  indebted  to  the  Rev.  Mr.  Bush,  for  sup- 
1  plying  this  desideratum ;  and  to  the  enterprising  publishers,  for  this 
j  addition  to  the  valuable  works  which  have  heretofore  passed  through 
|  their  press.  A.  ALEXANDER.’ 

From  Hon.  J.  S.  Buckingham,  of  England ,  Member  of  Parliament, 
and  a  celebrated  oriental  traveller. 

'  1  have  examined  it  with  great  care,  and  I  can  say  with  the  utmost 
confidence,  that  it  is,  in  every  respect,  entitled  to  the  highest  commen¬ 
dation.  The  requisites  for  the  execution  of  such  a  work  were  many 
and  unusual, — but  the  profound  and  distinguished  editor  seems  to  me 
to  have  possessed  them  all.  Deep  learning,  extensive  general  knowl- 
s  edge,  nice  discrimination,  exact  judgment,  power  of  condensation, 
!  refined  taste,  and  pure  and  unostentatious  piety,  are  all  evident  in  the 
!  labors  of  his  pen  ;  and  my  sincere  hope  is,  that  iiis  countrymen  at  large 
will  appreciate  the  high  advantage  of  possessing  one  among  them 
who  has  drank  so  deeply  at  the  sacred  fount  of  Biblical  lore  himself, 
and  who,  in  the  volume  he  has  produced,  pours  forth  copiously  the 
streams  at  which  others  may  freely  slake  their  thirst.  Signed, 

‘J.  S.  BUCKINGHAM.’ 

From  Rev.  C.  C.  Colton  of  the  Episcopal  Ch.  New  York. 

‘This  volume  must  prove  an  acceptable  present  to  every  one  who 
occupies  (he  important  station  of  an  interpreter  of  the  Bible,  whether 
as  Pastor  or  Sunday  School  Teacher,  'l'o  those  who  know  the  editor, 
and  the  facilities  he  enjoys  for  the  execution  of  such  a  work,  no  addi¬ 
tional  recommendation  is  needed.  Prof.  Bush  is  fully  competent  for  a 
work  of  this  kind,  both  from  his  genera!  habits  of  study,  and  from  his 
particular  devotion  to  the  criticism  of  the  Bible.’ 

From  Rev.  Wm.  Jenus,  D.  D.,  Editor  of  the  Comprehensive 
Commentary. 

‘I  have  examined  the  Illustrations  of  the  Scriptures,  edited  by  Rev. 
Prof.  Bush,  with  some  care.  It  being  published  by  the  same  compa¬ 
ny  from  whose  press  the  Comprehensive  Commentary  is  issued,  and 
being  intended  by  litem  for  a  companion  to  that  work,  I  have  had  it 
before  me  in  my  labors  as  the  Editor  of  the  Commentary,  and  have 
made  frequent  reference  to  it  in  the  latter  volume  for  the  illustration 
of  many  passages  where  the  limits  of  the  Commentary  would  not  ad¬ 
mit  of  a  long  quotation.  I  regard  it  as  a  valuable  help  in  the  depart¬ 
ment  which  it  fills,  to  every  reader,  whether  general  or  critical,  in  un¬ 
derstanding  many  portions  of  the  Bible,  and  should  be  gratified  to 
have  it  stand  side  by  side  with  the  Commentary'  in  the  library  of  every 
subscriber  for  the  latter.  WM.  JENKS.’ 


‘  The  subscribers  having  examined  a  work  entitled, — “  Illustrations 
of  the  Sacred  Scriptures,”  cheerfully  express  our  opinions  of  its  great 
value  and  importance  to  ministers,  families,  and  especially  to  the 
■  Sabbath  School  Teachers.  It  embraces  a  distinct  department  of  Bib- 
I  lical  illustrations,  which  is  of  great  importance  in  elucidating  a  large 
portion  of  the  sacred  volume;  many  passages  indeed  can  be  correctly 
understood,  only  by  a  reference  to  oriental  manners,  customs,  idioms, 
Ac.  The  labors  and  researches  of  modern  travellers  in  the  east, 
where  the  Scriptures  were  written,  have  illustrated  and  rendered  clear 
many  passages  which  were  before  obscure  or  unintelligible.  The 
work  in  question  contains  a  vast  amount  cf  illustrative  matter  of  the 
description  referred  to,  affording  a  fund  of  entertainment  and  instruc¬ 
tion.  We  cheerfully  commend  it  to  all  who  love  the  sacred  volume, 
and  should  consider  it  a  highly  valuable  addition  to  every  family  li¬ 
brary. — Its  design  precludes  the  necessity  of  its  embracing  controver¬ 
sy,  and  it  will  not  therefore  be  found  to  contain  anything  objection¬ 
able  to  any  denomination  of  evangelical  Christians.’ 

(Signed  by  Hie  lollowing  pastors  and  rectors  of  churches  in  Boston 
and  vicinity.) 


Artemas  Boies,  Pine  st.  Boston. 
John  S.  Stone,  St.  Paul's. 

Wm.  M.  Rodgers,  Franklin  st. 
Daniel  M.  Lord,  Mariners'. 
Charles  Fitch,  First  Free. 
Hubbard  Winslow,  liowdoin  st. 
Sebastian  Streeter,  First  Univer- 
salist. 

N.  Adams,  Union,  Essex  st. 
Warren  Fay,  Charlestown. 

Otis  A.  Skinner,  Third  Univer- 
sa/ist. 

M.  J.  Mott,  South,  Unitarian. 


J.  II.  Fairchild,  Philips,  South 
Boston. 

Benj.  Whittemore,  Univcrsalist, 
South  Boston. 

Silas  Aiken,  Park  st. 

Paul  Dean,  Central  Universal¬ 
is t. 

Wm.  Croswell,  Christ's  Ch. 
Chandler  Robbins,  JIanover  st. 
Unitarian. 

Joseph  II.  Towne  (Pastor  elect), 
Salem  st. 


‘Dear  Sir, — I  have  examined,  at  your  request,  Bush’s  Illustrations 
of  Scripture.  I  think  it  a  very  valuable  book,  calculated  to  be  very 
useful  in  families  and  to  Sunday  School  Teachers,  though  some  of  the 
expressions,  and  often  the  general  phraseology  are  based  upon,  and 
imply  the  doctrinal  views  of  the  editor.  The  work  is  yet  free  from 
any  sectarian  purposes,  or  direct  doctrinal  expositions.  It  can  be  used 
witli  pleasure  and  profit  by  all  denominations  of  Christians  ;  and,  in¬ 
dependent  of  the  light  its  illustrations  throw  upon  many  passages  of 
Scripture,  it  embodies  a  vast  amount  of  interesting  and  accurate  in¬ 
formation,  relating  to  eastern  nations,  manners,  and  customs.  I  sin¬ 
cerely  hope  tlie  work  may  have  an  extensive  circulation. 

‘Yours,  S.  K.  I.OTIIROP, 

‘  Pastor  of  Brattle  st.  ( Unitarian )  Church.' 

‘  I  concur  in  the  main  in  the  above. 

‘  SAM’L.  BARRETT,  Pastor  of  Chamber  st.  ( Unitarian )  Church.' 

From  the  Biblical  Repository,  October  1837,  edited  by  Prof.  B.  B. 

Edwards. 

‘  Tite  numerous  highly  finished  engravings,  executed  by  distinguished 
artists,  from  sketches  taken  on  the  spot,  and  accompanied,  for  the 
most  part,  with  letter-press  descriptions  by  the  Rev.  T.  IT.  Horne, 
originally  published  in  Finderi’s  Landscape  Illustrations,  greatly  en¬ 
hance  the  value  of  this  portion  of  the  Illustrations.  The  number  of 
engravings,  maps,  profiles,  &c.  is  forty-five. 

‘The  xvhole  work  is  well  executed.  The  texts  illustrated  are 
printed  in  a  larger  type  than  the  Illustrations,  and  with  considerable 
space  intervening.  The  arrangement  is  orderly,  commencing  with 
the  first  verse  in  Genesis,  and  proceeding  to  the  Apocalypse,  l’rofes- 
snr  Bash  had  excellent  opportunities,  by  his  previous  studies,  to  exe¬ 
cute  the  undertaking  to  great  advantage;  and  he  has  performed  the 
labor  accordingly.  He  will  have  the  grateful  acknowledgments  of  all 
lovers  of  the  Bible.  The  book  is  adapted  to  be  a  companion  to  the 
“  Comprehensive  Commentary  ;”  it  may,  however,  be  used  with  ad¬ 
vantage  separately.  We  commend  it,  with  entire  confidence,  to  our 
readers.’ 

From  the  N.  Y.  Evangelist. 

‘  This  work  is  calculated  to  be  of  great  practical  benefit  to  the  Chris¬ 
tian  household.  Its  title-page  is  sufficient  to  assure  us,  that  the  sub¬ 
jects  of  which  it  treats  are  important  for  the  illustration  of  Scripture. 
Its  size  assures  us,  that  its  editor  has  taken  time  and  room  in  which 
to  treat  them.  The  learning  and  diligence  of  Prof.  Bush  are  evi¬ 
dence  that  the  attempt  has  not  been  unsuccessful.  From  such  exam¬ 
ination  as  we  have  been  able  to  give  the  work,  after  having  it  in  our 
possession  a  number  of  days,  we  have  been  led  to  consider  it  a  very 
great  auxiliary  in  the  study  of  the  Sacred  Scriptures.’ 

From  the  Vermont  Chronicle. 

‘  We  hold  this  book  in  the  highest  estimation.  A  vast  number  of 
passages,  by  themselves  of  difficult  interpretation,  at  least  to  the 
common  reader  of  the  Bible,  are  illustrated  by  copious  extracts  from 
the  best  travellers  in  the  East.  This  source  of  illustration  has  always  ' 
been  highly  prized,  and  to  the  community  generally  is  highly  interest-  I 
jng.  Bat  to  how  small  a  portion  are  the  numerous  volumes  of  good  : 
travels  in  the  East  accessible?  Chiefly  they  are  confined  to  village 
libraries,  and  those  of  ministers.  Here,  in  the  compnss  of  one  vol¬ 
ume,  and  at  the  small  expense  of  five  dollars,  is  presented  to  the  pub¬ 
lic,  we  may  say,  the  cream  of  eastern  travels,  in  reference  to  Scripture 
illustration. 

‘This  work,  as  an  accompaniment  of  the  Comprehensive  Coinmen-  j 
lary  and  the  Encyclopedia  of  Religious  Knowledge,  by  the  same  pub-  : 
Ushers,  is  particularly  valuable.  These  three -works  form  a  library, —  j 
a  comprehensive  library.  They  contain,  for  a  small  sum,  as  much  1 
pertinent  matter, — pertinent  for  illustrating  the  Bible, — as  could  have 
been  purchased,  separately,  for  hundreds  of  dollars.  The  publishers 
deserve  the  thanks  of  the  Christian  public,  and  should  continue  to  re¬ 
ceive,  ns  they  have,  their  generous  encouragement. 

‘  Of  tite  “Scripture  Illustrations”  we  may  say,  that,  independently 
of  its  relations  to  its  predecessors,  it  will  prove  a  most  interesting 
and  useful  book  to  any  body.  It  is  exclusively  a  compilation,  and 
entirely  free  front  anything  sectarian.’ 

From  the  N.  Y.  Observer. 

‘  WTe  always  wait  with  some  impatience,  for  the  appearance  of 
books  prepared  with  the  industry  and  ability  of  those  by  Professor 
Bush.  The  subject  of  this  work  is  happily  one  of  the  most  important 
to  those  who  love  to  understand  the  Bible,  the  beauty  and  force  of 
which  are  lost  in  many  portions  of  it,  from  ignorance  of  oriental  man¬ 
ners,  customs,  &c. 

‘  In  the  preparation  of  this  work,  Prof.  Bush  has  availed  himself  of 
the  best  works  of  oriental  travellers  and  writers,  both  ancient  and 
modern  ;  among  whom  he  has  enumerated  over  forty,  whose  writings 
comprise  more  than  90  large  volumes.  The  only  recommendation  the 
book  requires,  is  the  mention  of  its  object,  the  "name  of  its  compiler, 
and  a  knowledge  of  the  materials  from  which  it  has  been  prepared. 
We  wish  for  it,  and  .are  sure  it  will  find,  an  extensive  circulation.’ 

From  the  N.  Y.  Commercial  Advertiser. 

‘  This  work,  replete  with  the  results  of  all  the  latest  and  moat  x-alua- 
ble  discoveries  in  the  East,  which  can  be  made  tributary  Jo  the  eluci¬ 
dation  of  the  Scriptures,  will  form,  with  its  predecessors,  the  Com¬ 
prehensive  Commentary,  and  Encyclopedia  of  Religious  Knowledge,  ! 
a  very  considerable  library  of  themselves, — one  which  will  be  invalu¬ 
able  to  the  Ministers  of  the  Gospel,  and  Sabbath  School  Teachers;  and 
which,  we  trust,  will  long  remain,  a  monument  of  the  enlightened  and 
Christian  enterprise  of  the  publishers. ’ 


ILLUSTRATIONS  OF  THE  HOLY  SCRIPTURES, 

DERIVED  PRINCIPALLY  FROM  THE  MANNERS,  CUSTOMS,  ANTIQUITIES,  TRADITIONS,  AND  FORMS  OF  SPFFrH  rttvs 
CLIMATE,  WORKS  OF  ART,  AND  LITERATURE,  OF  THE  EASTERN  NATIONS;  EMBODYING  ALL  THAT  IS  VAT  T I A  rtf  in 
THE  WORKS  OF  ROBERTS,  HARMER,  BURDER,  PAXTON,  CHANDLER,  AND  THE  MOST  CELEBRATED  ORIENTAL TR  A vft 
LERS;  EMBRACING  ALSO  THE  SUBJECT  OF  THE  FULFILMENT  OF  PROPHECY,  AS  EXHIBITED  BY  KEITH  AND  OTHERS 
WITH  DESCRIPTIONS  OF  THE  PRESENT  STATE  OF  COUNTRIES  AND  PLACES  MENTIONED  IN  THE  SACPFD  WRITINGS 
ILLUSTRATED  BY  NUMEROUS  LANDSCAPE  ENGRAVINGS,  FROM  SKETCHES  TAKEN  ON  THE  SPOT  WKUINGS, 

EDITED  BY  REV.  GEORGE  BUSH,  PROFESSOR  OF  HEBREW  AND  ORIENTAL  LITERATURE  IN  THE  NEW  YORK  CITY  UNIVERSITY 


Next  in  worth  and  importance  to  the  possession,  is  doubtless  to  be  esti¬ 
mated  the  correct  interpretation  of  the  sacred  volume.  Indeed,  it  is  the 
latter  which  gives  its  value  to  the  former.  A  revelation  not  understood, 
or  not  intelligible,  is  no  revelation,  as  far  as  its  recipients  are  concerned. 
The  position,  therefore,  that  the  meaning  of  the  Bible  is  the  Bible,  we 
consider  as  unquestionably  true,  and  consequently  any  new  accession  of 
light,  which  goes  to  clear  up  its  obscurities,  and  cause  its  genuine  sense 
to  stand  forth  in  bolder  relief  upon  the  inspired  page,  is  in  reality  enrich¬ 
ing  us  with  a  larger  amount  of  its  treasures,  and  virtually  bestowing  upon 
us  added  communications  of  the  Divine  will.  In  this  view,  the  progressive 
elucidation  of  the  scriptures,  whether  by  the  expository  labors  of  critics, 
the  researches  of  travellers,  or  the  fulfilments  of  prophecy,  may  be  com¬ 
pared  to  the  gradual  rolling  away  of  the  morning  mist  from  a  splendid 
landscape.  As  the  sun  advances,  the  shades  retire,  and  new  and  inter¬ 
esting  features  of  the  prospect  are  continually  opening  upon  the  delighted 
eye  of  the  spectator.  Or,  it  may  be  said  to  resemble  the  slow,  but  mo¬ 
mentous  process  of  unfolding  the  ancient  papyri,  which  the  ravages  of 
time  and  fire  have  spared  among  the  ruins  of  Pompeii  and  Herculaneum. 
Here,  as  every  successive  word  and  letter,  which  can  be  redeemed  from 
the  crisp  and  crumbling  texture  of  the  blackened  parchment,  is  noted 
down  with  the  most  scrupulous  care,  as  forming  a  part  of  the  continuous 
record,  and  going  to  make  out  its  entire  sense ;  so  the  sense  of  the  sacred 
volume  is  gradually  elicited,  item  by  item,  and  needs  only  to  be  collected 
and  treasured  up  with  equal  solicitude,  in  order  to  constitute  a  possession 
of  infinitely  more  value  than  the  choicest  literary  relics  of  antiquity. 
Perhaps  it  may  safely  be  affirmed,  that  the  materials  are  at  this  moment 
in  existence,  for  the  satisfactory  solution  of  nearly  every  obscure  passage 
of  holy  writ :  but  the  great  desideratum  is  to  have  them  brought  together— 
to  collect  them  from  their  wide  dispersion  over  a  countless  multitude  of 
writings,  in  various  languages,  which  the  great  majority  of  Christians 
can  neither  procure  nor  understand.  It  is  only  in  this  way  that  they  can 
be  made  really  available  to  the  great  end  which  they  are  calculated  to 
subserve;  and  far  from  idle  are  the  claims  of  any  one  who  professes  to 
bring  from  scattered  sources  a  new  quota  to  the  general  stock  of  biblical 
illustration. 

As  the  Bible,  in  its  structure,  spirit,  and  costume,  is  essentially  an 
Eastern  book,  it  is  obvious  that  the  natural  phenomena,  and  the  moral 
condition  of  the  East,  should  be  made  largely  tributary  to  its  elucidation. 
In  order  to  appreciate  fully  the  truth  of  its  descriptions,  and  the  accuracy, 
farce,  and  beauty  of  its  various  allusions,  it  is  indispensable  that  the 
reader,  a3  far  as  possible,  separate  himself  from  his  ordinary  associations, 
and  put  himself,  by  a  kind  of  mental  transmigration,  into  the  very  cir¬ 
cumstances  of  the  writers.  He  must  set  himself  down  in  the  midst  of 
oriental  scenery — gaze  upon  the  sun,  sky,  mountains,  and  rivers  of  Asia — 
go  firth  with  the  nomade  tribes  of  the  desert — follow  their  flocks — travel 
with  their  caravans — re3t.  in  their  tents — lodge  in  their  khans — load  and 
unload  their  camels — drink  at  their  watering-places — pause  during  the 
heat  of  the  day  under  the  shade  of  their  palms — cultivate  the  fields  with 
their  own  rude  implements — gather  in  or  glean  after  their  harvests — beat 
out  and  ventilate  the  grain  in  their  open  thrashing-floors — dress  in  their 
comime— note  their  proverbial  or  idiomatic  forms  of  speech,  and  listen  to 
tin  strain  of  song  or  story,  with  which  they  beguile  the  vacant  hours.  In 
a  word,  he  must  surround  himself  with,  and  transfuse  himself  into,  all 
the  forms,  habitudes,  and  usages  of  oriental  life.  In  this  way  only  can 
he  catch  the  sources  of  their  imagery,  or  enter  into  full  communion  with 
the  genius  of  the  sacred  penmen. 

While,  therefore,  we  readily  concede  the  very  high  importance  of  criti¬ 
cal  and  philological  research  in  dissipating  the  obscurities  of  the  scrip¬ 
tures,  and  fixing  their  exact  sense,  we  cannot,  at  the  same  time,  but  think 
that  the  collateral  illustrations  derived  from  this  source,  are  deserving  of 
at  lent  equal  attention  from  the  student  of  revelation.  The  truth  is,  the 
providence  of  God,  which  is  never  more  worthily  employed  than  about 
liis  Word,  seems  now  to  be  directing  the  eyes  of  his  servants,  as  with 
p  unted  finger,  to  the  immense  stores  of  elucidation  constantly  accumu¬ 
lating  from  this  quarter.  The  tide  of  travel  within  a  few  years  has 
turned  remarkably  to  the  East  Animated  either  by  the  noble  spirit  of 
missionary  enterprise,  of  commercial  speculation,  of  military  adventure, 
or  laudable  curiosity,  men  of  intelligence  and  observation  have  made 
their  way  into  every  region  on  which  the  light  of  revelation  originally 
shone;  exploring  its  antiquities,  mingling  with  its  inhabitants,  detailing 
its  manners  and  customs,  and  displaying  its  physical,  moral,  and  political 
circumstances.  From  these  expeditions  they  have  returned  laden  with 
the  rich  results  of  their  industry,  and  the  labors  of  the  pen  and  the  pencil 
hive  made  thousands  partakers  of  the  benefits  of  their  toils.  Little  more 
than  half  a  century  ago,  when  the  justly  celebrated  Observations  of 
Harmer  wore  given  to  the  public,  the  range  of  materials  to  which  he  had 
access  was  comparatively  limited.  The  travels  of  Chardin,  Pococke. 
Shaw,  Manndrell,  Pitts,  D’Arvieux,  with  Russel’s  Natural  History  of 
Aleppo,  were  his  principal  authorities — authorities,  it  is  true,  which  have 
not  yet  been  wholly  superseded.  But  since  his  time,  what  an  immense 
accession  has  the  department  of  oriental  travels  received  !  The  names 
of  Volpey,  Niebuhr,  Mariti,  Clarke,  Chateaubriand,  Porter,  Burckhardt, 
Buckingham,  Morier,  Seetzen,  De  Lamartine,  Laborde,  exhaust  but  a 
small  part  of  the  list  of  eastern  tourists,  whose  labors  have  gone  to  make 
in  familiarly  acquainted  with  the  land  ef  patriarchs,  prophets,  and 
ap  >stle3.  How  desirable  that  the  scattered  gleams  of  illustrative  light, 
which  shine  in  their  works,  should  be  concentrated  into  one  focus  of 
illumination!  This  is  the  task  which  we  have  essayed  in  the  present 
volume. 

In  entering  upon  and  advancing  in  this  task,  we  have  been  more  and 
more  impressed  with  the  remarkable  fact  of  the  permanence  of  eastern 
unpu  To  the  question,  therefore,  whether  the  state  of  things  in  the 
EiU,  as  described  by  modern  travellers,  really  coincides  with  that  which 
existed  at  the  time  the  scriptures  were  written,  so  that  one  may  be  cited 
as  coiveying  a  correct  idea  of  the  other:  we  may  reply,  in  the  words  of 
Sir  J>hn  Chardin,  one  of  the  most  respectable  and  authentic  of  the 
nu  nher : — “  The  language  of  that  divine  book  (especially  of  the  Old 
To  sum  s  it)  being  oriental,  and  very  often  figurative  and  hyperbolical, 
th  >ss  parts  of  scripture  which  are  written  in  verse,  and  in  the  prophecies, 
are  full  of  figures  and  hypirboies,  which,  as  it  is  manifest,  cannot  be  well 
understood  without  a  knowledge  of  things  from  whence  such  figures  are 


taken,  which  are  natural  properties  and  particular  manners  of  the  coun¬ 
tries  to  which  they  refer.  I  discerned  this  in  my  first  voyage  to  the 
Indies:  for  I  gradually  found  a  greater  sense  and  beauty  in  divers 
passages  of  scripture  than  I  had  before ,  by  having  in  my  view  the 
things,  either  natural  or  moral,  which  explained  them  to  me ;  and  in 
perusing  the  different  translations  which  the  greatest  part  of  the  transla¬ 
tors  of  the  Bible  had  made,  I  observed  that  every  one  of  them  (to  render 
the  expositions,  as  they  thought,  more  intelligible)  used  such  expressions 
as  would  accommodate  the  phrase  to  the  places  where  they  writ :  and 
which  did  not  only  many  times  pervert  the  text,  but  often  rendered  the 
sense  obscure,  and  sometimes  absurd  also.  In  fine,  consulting  the  com¬ 
mentators  upon  such  kind  of  passages,  I  found  very  strange  mistakes  in 
them,  and  that  they  had  long  guessed  at  the  sense,  and  did  but  grope  (as 
in  the  darkl  in  search  of  it.  And  from  these  reflections  I  took^a  resolu¬ 
tion  to  make  my  remarks  upon  many  passages  of  the  scriptures;  per¬ 
suading  myself  that  they  would  be  equally  agreeable  and  profitable  for 
use.  And  the  learned,  to  whom  I  communicated  my  design,  encouraged 
me  very  much,  by  their  commendations,  to  proceed  in  it:  and  more 
especially  when  I  informed  them,  that  it  is  not  in  Asia,  as  in  our 
Europe,  where  there  are  frequent  changes,  more  or  less,  in  the  form 
of  things,  as  the  habits,  buildings,  gardens,  and  the  like.  In  the 
East  they  are  constant  in  all  things  ;  the  habits  are  at  this  day  in  the 
same  manner  as  in  the  preceding  ages;  so  that  one  may  reasonably 
believe,  that  in  that  part  of  the  world,  the  exterior  form  of  things  (a's 
their  manners  and  customs)  are  the  same  now  as  they  were  two  thousand 
years  since,  except  in  such  changes  as  have  been  introduced  by  religion, 
which  are,  nevertheless,  very  inconsiderable.”— (Preface  to  Travels  in 
Persia,  p.  6.)  Morier,  an  eastern  traveller,  says,  “The  manners  of  the 
East,  amid  all  the  changes  of  government  and  religion,  are  still  the 
same;  they  are  living  impressions  from  an  original  mould:  and  at  every 
step,  some  object,  some  idiom,  some  dress,  or  some  custom  of  common 
life,  reminds  the  traveller  of  ancient  times,  and  confirms,  above  all,  the 
beauty,  the  accuracy,  and  the  propriety  of  the  language  and  the  histo¬ 
ry  of  the  Bible.”  *  *  * 

This  steadfast  resistance  to  the  spirit  of  innovation  and  change,  which 
thus  remarkably  distinguishes  the  nations  of  the  East,  will  probably,  in 
the  providence  of  God,  remain  unsubdued,  till  it  shall  have  answered  all 
the  important  purposes  of  biblical  elucidation,  when  it  will  give  way  to 
the  all-pervading,  all-regenerating  influence  of  the  Bible  itself,  borne  upon 
the  bosom  of  a  new  tide  of  civilization  and  improvement,  which  shall,  ere 
long,  set  in  upon  the  East  from  the  nations  of  Europe,  and  the  great  con¬ 
tinent  of  the  West. 

In  the  mean  time,  while  the  inevitable  doom  of  revolution  and  transfor¬ 
mation  that  awaits  the  East,  lingers,  it  behooves  us  to  make  the  most,  for 
useful  purposes,  of  that  state  of  society  which  still  exists,  but  which,  ere 
long,  will  have  passed  away.  With  this  view,  we  have  endeavored  to 
embody  in  the  present  volume  a  large  mass  of  oriental  illustration.  The 
work  is  strictly  of  an  eclectic  character.  Postponing  the  claims  of 
originality  to  those  of  practical  utility,  the  Editor,  after  arraying  before 
him  the  amplest  store  of  materials  which  he  could  command,  set  himself 
to  the  task  of  selecting  and  arranging  the  most  valuable  portions  which 
he  could  bring  within  the  limits  of  his  plan.  The  kindred  works  of  Har¬ 
mer,  Burder,  Paxton,  Taylor’s  edition  of  Calmet,  (five  vols.  4to.,)  scarcely 
any  of  which  are  in  common  accessible  to  the  majority  of  biblical  stu¬ 
dents,  have  been  diligently  gleaned,  and  ail  their  important  contents 
transferred  to  our  pages.  As  these  works  are  not  likely  ever  to  be  re¬ 
printed  in  this  country,  there  appeared  no  other  way  to  arrest  their  pro¬ 
gress  to  oblivion,  and  to  secure  a  larger  and  wider  circulation  to  the 
valuable  matter  which  they  contain. 

But  the  range  of  selection  has  been  by  no  means  confined  to  the  works 
now  mentioned.  So  prolific  has  been  the  press  within  the  last  twenty  or 
thirty  years,  of  books  of  eastern  travels,  illustrative  of  manners,  customs, 
and  religion,  that  otir  resources  in  this  department  have  been  almost  in¬ 
definitely  multiplied. 

As  the  present  work  is  designed  to  be  marked  by  somewhat  of  the 
same  Comprehensive  character  which  distinguishes  the  other  biblical 
works  lately  issued  from  the  press  of  the  Publishers,  the  illustrations  bear 
upon  numerous  other  points  than  those  relating  to  manners  and  customs. 

The  subject  of  the  Fulfilment  of  Prophecy  cannot  well  be  lost  sight  of 
by  any  one  conversant  at  once  with  the  scriptures  and  the  reports  of 
modern  travellers.  The  topographical  descriptions  of  many  of  the  most 
noted  places  of  scripture,  a  department  to  which  particular  attention  has 
been  given  in  the  ensuing  pages,  suggests  at  once  the  divine  predictions 
bearing  upon  their  future  doom.  The  researches  of  tourists,  both  skeptics 
and  Christiahs,  have  poured  a  flood  of  light  upon  this  subject.  It  is  per¬ 
fectly  astonishing,  to  one  who  has  never  examined  the  subject,  to  find 
how  literally  and  minutely  the  prophetic  declarations  of  scripture  have 
been  fulfilled,  so  that  even  infidel  travellers  and  historians,  as  Volney  and 
Gibbon,  in  their  accounts  of  nations  and  countries,  have  unwittingly  used 
for  descriptioti,  almost,  the  words  of  scripture  in  which  the  events  are 
foretold.  Volney,  particularly,  (one  of  the  bitterest  opposers  of  Christi¬ 
anity.)  in  his  published  travels  in  the  East,  has  afforded,  unwillingly  and 
unthinkingly,  a  wonderful  attestation  to  the  truth  of  the  Bible,  in  the 
relation  of  facts  which  came  under  his  own  eye.  There  needs  no  better 
witness.  Indeed,  it  is  impossible  for  the  most  determined  infidel  carefully 
to  examine  and  weigh  this  subject,  and  not  be  forced  to  feel  that  the 
Bible  is  divine :  or,  in  the  words  of  Bishop  Newton,  “  he  is  reduced  to 
the  necessity,  either  to  renounce  his  senses,  deny  what  he  reads  in  the 
Bible,  and  what  he  sees  and  observes  in  the  world,  or  acknowledge  the 
truth  of  prophecy,  and  consequently,  of  divine  revelation.”  Tbe  re¬ 
searches  6f  travellers  in  Palestine  have  been  abundant,  and  the  prophecies 
thereby  verified  are  numerous  and  distinct,  so  that  the  facts  may  be  re¬ 
lated  literally  in  the  language  of  the  prophecy.  To  use  the  words  of  a 
late  writer  iu  the  London  Quarterly  Review,  “we  confess  that  we  have 
felt  more  surprise,  delight,  and  conviction,  in  examining  the  ac-ornts 
which  the  travels  of  Burckhardt,  Mangles,  Irby,  Leigh,  ar.d  I 
have  so  race  itlv  given  of  Judea,  Edom,  &e.  than  we  have  ever  '  ud 
from  anv  similar  inquiry.  It  seems  like  a  miracle  in  our  own  three 
Twenty  years  ago  we  read  certain  portions  of  the  prophetic  scrip1  urea, 
with  a  belief  that  they  were  true,  because  other  simitar  passages  had  in 
the  course  of  ages,  been  proved  to  be  so,  and  we  had  an  indistinct  notion. 


that,  all  those  (to  us)  obscure  an  indefinite  denunciations  had  been- — we 
knew  not  very  well  when  or  how — accomplished  :  but  to  have  graphic  de¬ 
scriptions,  ground  plans,  and  elevations,  showing  the  actual  existence  of 
a  'l  the  heretofore  vague  and  shadowy  denunciations  of  God  against  Edom, 
does,  we  confess,  excite  our  feelings,  and  exalt  our  confidence  In  prophe¬ 
cy,  to  a  height  that  no  external  evidence  has  hitherto  done .  Here 

we  have — bursting  upon  our  age  of  incredulity,  by  the  labors  of  accidental, 
impartial,  and  sometimes  incredulous”  (infidel)  “  witnesses— the  cer¬ 
tainty  of  existing  facts,  which  fulfil  what  were  considered  hitherto  the 
most  vague  and  least  intelligible  of  the  prophecies.  The  value  of  one 
such  contemporaneous  proof  is  immense.”  Indeed,  it  would  seem  that 
in  regard  to  such  places  as  Babylon,  Nineveh,  Tyre,  Moab,  Edom,  and 
others,  the  providence  of  God  was  no  less  conspicuous  in  bringing  to 
light,  in  these  latter  ages,  the  evidence  of  the  accomplishment  of  those 
prophecies,  than  formerly  in  working  the  accomplishment  itself.  The 
valuable  labors  of  Keith  in  this  department,  arranged  in  accordance  with 
our  general  plan,  so  as  to  exhibit  the  commentary  under  its  appropriate 
text,  will  be  found  to  have  added  much  to  the  interest  and  profit  of  the 
reader  in  perusing  our  pages. 

The  numerous  highly  finished  engravings,  executed  by  distinguished 
artists,  from  sketches  taken  on  the  spot,  will  go  also  greatly  to  enhance 
the  value  of  this  portion  of  the  illustrations. 

A  critical  note  i3  occasionally  thrown  in,  where  the  point  of  a  passage 


Harmer’s  Observations  on  various  Passages  of  Scripture,  with  addi¬ 
tions  by  Adam  Clarke ,  LL.  D.  Charlestown,  1811. 

Paxton’s  Illustrations,  3  vols.  8vo.  Edinburgh,  1825. 

Burder’s  Oriental  Customs,  2  vols.  8vo.  London,  1816. 

“  Oriental  Literature,  with  Itosenmuller’s  Additions,  2  vols. 
Svo.  London,  1822. 

Roberts’  Oriental  Illustrations,  Svo.  London,  1835. 

Calmet’s  Dictionary,  Taylor’s  Edition,  5  vols.  4to.  London,  1829. 
Shaw’s  Travels  through  Barbary  and  the  Levant,  folio.  London,  1738. 
Maundrell’s  Journey  from  Aleppo  to  Jerusalem,  Svo.  Oxford,  1749. 
Volney’s  Travels  through  Egypt  and  Syria,  Svo.  New  York,  1798. 
Mariti’s  Travels  through  Cyprus,  Syria,  and  Palestine,  2  vols.  8vo. 
Dublin,  1793. 

Baron  De  Tott’s  Memoirs  on  the  Turks  and  Tartars,  3  vols.  12mo. 
Dublin,  1785, 

Russel’s  Natural  History  of  Aleppo,  2  vols.  4to.  London,  1794. 
Clarke’s  Travels  in  the  Iloly  Land,  12mo.  Philadelphia,  1817. 
Tournefort’s  Voyage  to  the  Levant,  3  vols.  Svo.  London,  1741. 
Buckingham’s  Travels  in  Mesopotamia,  2  vols.  8vo.  London,  1827. 

“  Travels  among  the  Arab  Tribes,  4 to.  London,  1325. 

Burckhardt’s  Travels  in  Arabia,  4to.  London,  1829. 

“  Travels  in  Nubia  and  Egypt,  4to.  London,  1322. 
Madden’s  Travels  in  Turkey,  Egypt,  and  Palestine,  2  vols.  12mo. 
Philadelphia,  1S30. 

Madox’s  Excursions  in  the  Holy  Land,  Egypt,  Nubia,  Syria,  kc., 
2  vols.  8vo.  London,  1834. 

Callaway’s  Oriental  Observations,  12mo.  London,  1S25. 

Campbell’s  African  Light,  12mo.  London,  1835. 

Anderson’s  Tour  through  Greece,  12mo.  Boston,  1831. 

Hardy’s  Notices  of  the  Holy  Land,  12mo.  London,  1835. 
Chateaubriand’s  Travels,  Svo.  New  York,  1814. 


seemed  capable  of  a  happy  explication,  especially  from  a  more  exact 
analysis  of  the  import  of  the  original  terms. 

As  a  prominent  object  aimed  at  throughout  has  been,  not  only  to  in¬ 
crease  the  facilities  lor  a  complete  understanding  of  the  inspired  volume, 
but  also  to  multiply  the  evidences,  and  vindicate  the  claims  of  its  divine 
original,  a  portion  of  our  pages  has  been  allotted  to  the  direct  considera¬ 
tion  of  infidel  objections  and  cavils.  The  most  important  extracts  of  this 
description  have  been  taken  from  the  valuable  and  now  rare  “  Life  of 
David,”  by  Chandler,  in  which  the  insinuations  of  Bayle  against  the 
character  of  David,  are  canvassed  and  refuted  with  distinguished  ability, 
though  perhaps  somewhat  more  verbosely  than  is  consistent  with  the 
taste  either  of  modern  writers  or  readers. 

The  original  and  acute  remarks  of  Michaelis,  on  many  points  of  the 
Mosaic  laws  and  ritual,  though  sometimes  bordering  upon  the  fanciful, 
disclose  a  profound  acquaintance  with  the  genius  of  the  East,  and  are 
generally  entitled  to  deep  attention. 

As  the  authorities  employed  in  the  preparation  of  the  ensuing  pages 
are  usually  quoted  in  a  very  general  way — for  the  most  part  merely  by 
citing  the  writer’s  name — it  will  probably  be  rendering  an  important 
service  to  many  of  our  readers,  to  give  a  more  ample  conspectus  of  the 
sources  upon  which  we  have  drawn  for  materials.  The  list  is  by  no 
means  complete,  nor,  as  many  have  served  us  at  second  hand,  is  it  per¬ 
haps  practicable  or  necessary  that  it  should  be. 

Keppel’s  Narrative  of  a  Journey  from  India  to  England,  8vo.  Phila¬ 
delphia,  1827. 

Morier’s  Journey  through  Persia,  8vo.  Philadelphia,  1816. 

Smith  and  Dwight’s  Researches  in  Armenia,  2  vols.  12mo.  Boston, 
1833. 

Jowett’s  Christian  Researches  in  Syria  and  the  Holy  Land,  8vo. 
London,  1825. 

Modern  Traveller,  Palestine,  Syria,  and  Asia  Minor,  3  vols.  12mo. 
Boston,  1830. 

Heeren’s  Asiatic  Nations,  3  vols.  Svo.  Oxford,  1833. 

Waddington’s  Travels  in  Ethiopia,  4to.  London,  1827. 

Hoskin’s  Travels  in  Ethiopia,  4to.  London,  1S35. 

Burnes’s  Travels  in  Bokhara,  2  vols.  12mo.  Philadelphia,  1835. 
Munroe’s  Summer  Ramble  in  Syria,  2  vols.  3vo.  London,  1835. 
Hogg’s  Visit  to  Alexandria,  Damascus,  and  Jerusalem,  2  vols.  12mo. 
London,  1835. 

Wilkinson’s  Thebes,  and  General  View  of  Egypt,  Svo.  London,  1835. 
Armidell’s  Discoveries  in  Asia  Minor,  2  vols.  8vo.  London,  1834. 

De  Lamartine’s  Pilgrimage  to  the  Holy  Land,  2  vols.  12mo.  Phila¬ 
delphia,  1835. 

Stackhouse’s  History  of  the  Bible,  2  vols.  folio.  London,  1755. 
Chandler’s  Life  of  David,  2  vols.  8vo.  London,  1766. 

Michaelis’s  Commentaries  on  the  Laws  of  Moses,  4  vols.  8vo.  London, 
1814. 

Gleig’s  History  of  the  Bible,  3  vols.  12mo.  New  York,  1831. 

Horsley’s  Sermons,  8vo.  London,  1830. 

Pococke’s  Theological  Works,  2  vols.  folio.  London,  1740. 

Xeweoui(U3  Minor  Prophets,  8vo.  Pontefract,  1809. 

Keith's  Evidence  of  Prophecy,  12mo,  New  York,  1833. 

Good’s  Translation  of  Job,  Svo.  London,  1312. 

Finden’s  Landscape  Illustrations.  London,  1835. 


D3=-  The  importance  of  tile  present  work  must  be  obvious,  and  being  altogether  illustrative,  without  reference  to  doctrines,  or  other  points  in 
which  Christians  differ,  it  is  hoped  it  will  meet  with  favor  from  all  who  love  the  sacred  volume,  and  that  it  will  he  sufficiently  interesting  and 
attractive  to  recommend  itself,  not  only  to  professed  Christians  of  all  denominations,  but  also  to  the  general  reader.  The  arrangement  of  the 
texts  illustrated  with  the  notes,  in  the  order  of  the  chapters  and  verses  of  the  authorized  version  of  the  Bible,  will  render  it  convenient  for  reference 
to  particular  passages,  while  the  copious  Index  at  the  end,  will  at  once  enable  the  reader  to  turn  to  every  subject  discussed  in  the  volume. 


PUBLISHERS’  ADVERTISEMENT. 

Is  presenting;  the  public  with  another  of  their  Comprehensive  volumes,  the  publishers  take  the  opportunity  to  acknowledge  the 
favor  which  their  efforts  to  circulate  useful  and  religious  knowledge  in  a  condensed  and  cheap  form  have  hitherto  met  with. 
“  The  Comprehensive  Commentary  on  the  Bible,”  “  The  Encyclopedia  of  Religious  Knowledge,”  and  “  The  Polyglott 
Bible”  edited  by  the  Rev.  Mr.  Warne,  have  met  with  a  sale  far  surpassing  that  of  any  other  work  of  equal  magnitude  in  the 
United  States,  or  in  the  icorld,  in  the  same  length  of  time.  The  Vermont  Chronicle  well  remarks,  that  they  might  be  all  bound 
to  match,  and  appropriately  entitled, 

“  THE  COMPREHENSIVE  LIBRARY  OF  RELIGIOUS  KNOWLEDGE.” 

Encouraged  by  the  great  popularity  of  those  works,  the  same  publishers  ha’-e  been  induced  to  bring  forward  the  present  volume, 
in  the  hope  that  it  may  find  equal  favor  with  the  public,  as  they  have  no  doubt  that  it  is  equally  deserving  of  it. 

It  will  he  seen  from  a  slight  examination,  that  this,  like  its  predecessors,  is  comprehensive  in  its  character,  embracing  the  sub¬ 
stance  and  value  of  more  than  fifteen  octavo  volumes,  together  with  a  great  amount  of  matter  illustrative  of  the  Scriptures,  drawn 
from  biblical  writers,  the  accounts  of  oriental  travellers,  periodicals,  &c.  &c.  (See  the  Preface  for  an  explanation  of  the  plan  and 
a  list  of  authors  quoted.)  The  value  of  the  materials  of  which  the  volume  is  composed,  will  be  readily  seen,  and  it  would  he 
superfluous  to  remark  upon  the  peculiar  qualifications  of  the  editor. 

LV’  This  volume  is  not  designed  to  take  the  place  of  commentaries,  hut  is  a  distinct  department  of  biblical  illustration ,  and  may 
be  used  as  a  companion  to  the  Comprehensive  or  any  other  Commentary,  or  the  common  Bible 

THE  ENGRAVINGS 

in  the  volume,  it  is  believed,  will  form  no  small  part  of  its  attractions.  No  pains  have  been  spared  to  procure  such  as  should 
embellish  the  work,  and  at  the  same  time  illustrate  the  text.  Objections  that  have  been  made  to  the  pictures  commonly  introduced 
into  the  Bible,  as  being  mere  creations  of  fancy  and  the  imagination,  often  unlike  nature,  and  frequently  conveying  false  impres¬ 
sions,  cannot  be  urged  against  the  pictorial  illustrations  of  this  volume.  Here  the  fine  arts  are  made  subservient  to  utility,  the 
landscape  views  being,  without  an  exception,  matter  of  fact  vieics  of  places  mentioned  in  Scripture,  as  they  appear  at  the  pre¬ 
sent  day ;  thus  iu  many  instances  exhibiting  iu  the  most  forcible  manner  to  the  eye,  the  strict  and  literal  fulfilment  of  the  remark¬ 
able  prophecies  ;  “  the  present  ruined  and  desolate  condition  of  the  cities  of  Babylon,  Nineveh,  Selali,  &c.,  and  the  countries  of 
Edom  and  Egypt,  are  astonishing  examples,  and  so  completely  exemplify,  in  the  most  minute  particulars,  every  thing  which  was 
foretold  of  them  in  the  height  of  their  prosperity,  that  no  better  description  can  now  be  given  of  them  than  a  simple  quotation  from 
a  chapter  and  verse  of  the  Bible  written  two  or  three  thousand  years  ago.”  The  publishers  are  enabled  to  select  from  several 
collections  lately  published  in  London,  the  proprietor  of  one  of  which  savs,  that  “several  distinguished  travellers  have  afforded 
him  the  use  of  nearly  Three  Hundred  Original  Sketches ”  of  Scripture  places,  made  upon  the  spot.  “  The  land  of  Palestine,  it  is 
well  known,  abounds  in  scenes  of  the  most  picturesque  beauty.  Syria  comprehends  the  snowy  heights  of  Lebanon,  and  the  majestic 
ruins  of  Tadmor  and  Baalbec.”  _ _ 


LIST  OF  THE  ENGRAVINGS. 


1. 

ROMB.  The  Forum. 

Frontispiece. 

16. 

Ihex  or  Wild  Goat.  .  . 

32. 

575 

o 

HAGAR  AND  ISHMAEL. 

Vignette  Title. 

Gen.  21. 

17. 

Coney . 

ii  it  ii 

* 

IX 

33. 

Nazareth . 

“  2: 23. 

576 

3 

Gopher  Wood . 

.  .  Gen.  6:  14- 

Page  13 

18. 

No  Anton  (Thebes.)  .  . 

.  Jer.  46:  25. 

Page  503 

34 

Street  in  Jerusalem . 

“  27:2 

n 

5  2 

4 

Mount  Ararat.  .... 

.  .  “  8: 4. 

19. 

504 

35 

Tiberias  and  Sea  of  Galilee.  . 

John  6:  1,2- 

it 

612 

5 

Syrian  Dove . 

“  8:8,9 

“ 

20. 

Entrance  to  Petra.  .  .  . 

.  .  “  49:  17. 

«» 

511 

36. 

Pool  of  Silo&m . 

“  9:  7 

i< 

613 

6 

Olive . 

“ 

21. 

Babylon . 

516 

37. 

Ephesus . 

Acts  18:  19. 

n 

620 

7 

M  »unt*  Sinai  anti  Horeb. 

.  F.xod.  19:  1. 

“ 

22. 

Bdoin . 

.  .  «  49:  7 

i< 

5*.)9 

38. 

Rev.  2:  8. 

it 

643 

8 

Summit  ot  Mount  lior. 

Numb-  20:  22. 

ii 

28 

23. 

Ruined  Temples- 

Kick.  30:  6—13- 

535 

39 

Pergamug.  ...  .  .  ,  . 

“  2:  12 

it 

644 

9 

V alley  of  Ajalou.  .  .  . 

.  Josh.  10:  12 

“ 

131 

24 

Ruined  Temple  of  Isis.  .  . 

U  II  II 

536 

40 

“  3.  1. 

it 

615 

10 

Eastern  Posture  of  Submission.  1  Chr.  29:  24. 

End  vol. 

25. 

Ashkelon . 

566 

41 

“  3: 7. 

it 

11 

Funeral  Chariot.  .  .  .  . 

2  Kings  9:  23. 

•• 

it 

26. 

Nineveh . 

Nahum  1:  8. 

563 

42. 

14  3:  14 

it 

ii 

12- 

Captivity . 

“  “  17:6 

ii 

ci 

27. 

Petra.  Triumphal  Arch. 

.  .  Joel  3:  19. 

554 

43- 

Patinos. . 

it 

656 

13. 

Kneading-Trough*.  .  . 

ExoU.  1*  34. 

n 

28. 

Petra.  Ruins  of  the  City.  . 

Mai.  1:  4. 

570 

44. 

<i 

.519 

14. 

The  Stocks,  or  Eastern  Mode  of 

29. 

Petra.  Tonibs.  .  Jer.  49 

16.  Mai.  1:  4. 

513 

45. 

PROFILE  of  our  savior. 

1  umshmeut . 

Job  13;  27. 

30. 

Petra.  General  View.  “  1 

II  II 

572 

15. 

\S  ild  Ass.  . . 

.  ‘  39:5,8 

it 

ii 

31-  Babylon.  Birs  Nimrod.  . 

.  Jer.  •  ZH. 

ii 

519 

THE  ENCYCLOPEDIA  OF  RELIGIOUS  KNOWLEDGE; 

OR, 

DICTIONARY  OF  THE  BIBLE,  THEOLOGY,  RELIGIOUS  BIOGRAPHY,  ALL  RELIGIONS,  ECCLESIASTICAL  HISTORY,  AND  MISSIONS;  CONTAIN. 
ING  DEFINITIONS  OF  ALL  RELIGIOUS  TERMS;  AN  IMPARTIAL  ACCOUNT  OF  THE  PRINCIPAL  CHRISTIAN  DENOMINATIONS  THAT  HAVE 
EXISTED  IN  THE  WORLD  FROM  THE  BIRTH  OF  CHRIST  TO  THE  PRESENT  DAY,  WITH  THEIR  DOCTRINES,  RELIGIOUS  RITES  AND  CERE¬ 
MONIES,  AS  WELL  AS  THOSE  OF  THE  JEWS,  MOHAMMEDANS,  AND  HEATHEN  NATIONS;  TOGETHER  WITH  THE  MANNERS  AND  CUS¬ 
TOMS  OF  THE  EAST,  ILLUSTRATIVE  OF  THE  HOLY  SCRIPTURES,  AND  A  DESCRIPTION  OF  THE  Q.UADRUPEDS,  BIRDS,  FISHES,  REP¬ 
TILES,  INSECTS,  TREES,  PLANTS,  AND  MINERALS,  MENTIONED  IN  THE  BIBLE;  A  STATEMENT  OF  THE  MOST  REMARKABLE  TRANS¬ 
ACTIONS  AND  EVENTS  IN  ECCLESIASTICAL  HISTORY;  BIOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES  OF  THE  EARLY  MARTYRS  AND  DISTINGUISHED  RELI¬ 
GIOUS  WRITERS  AND  CHARACTERS  OF  ALL  AGES.  TO  WHICH  IS  ADDED  A  MISSIONARY  GAZETTEER,  CONTAINING  DESCRIPTIONS 
OF  THE  VARIOUS  MISSIONARY  STATIONS  THROUGHOUT  THE  GLOBE;  BY  REV.  B.  B.  EDWARDS,  EDITOR  OF  QUARTERLY  OBSERVER. 
THE  WHOLE  BROUGHT  DOWN  TO  THE  PRESENT  TIME,  AND  EMBRACING,  UNDER  ONE  ALPHABET,  THE  MOST  VALUABLE  PART  OF 
CALMET’S  AND  BROWN’S  DICTIONARIES  OF  THE  BIBLE;  BUCK'S  THEOL.  DICTIONARY;  ABBOTT'S  SCRIPTURE  NATURAL  HISTORY; 
WELLS'  GEOGRAPHY  OF  THE  BIBLE;  JONES’  CHRISTIAN  BIOGRAPHY;  AND  NUMEROUS  OTHER  SIMILAR  WORKS.  DESIGNED  AS  A  COM¬ 
PLETE  BOOK  OF  REFERENCE  ON  ALL  RELIGIOUS  SUBJECTS,  AND  COMPANION  TO  THE  BIBLE  ;  FORMING  A  CHEAP  AND  COMPACT 
LIBRARY  OF  RELIGIOUS  KNOWLEDGE.  EDITED  .BY  REV.  J.  NEWTON  BROWN.  ILLUSTRATED  BY  WOOD  CUTS,  MAPS,  AND  ENGRA¬ 
VINGS  ON  COPPER  AND  STEEL. 


PUBLISHERS’  ADVERTISEMENT. 


The  present  is  an  age,  and  ours  is  a  country,  demanding  great  condensation  and  brevity  in  writers  who  would  secure  attention.  So  active  and 
busy  are  the  habits  of  the  mass  of  our  countrymen,  that  they  have  neither  time  nor  patience  to  turn  and  peruse  the  pages  of  the  cumbersome 
quartos  and  folios  of  the  17th  century  ;  while  a  tolerable  competency  would  scarcely  suffice  for  the  purchase  of  the  numerous  works  of  which  the 
modern  press  is  so  fruitful,  on  the  subjects  embraced  in  this  volume.  The  work  then,  combining  and  condensing  the  most  valuable  results  of  the 
researches  of  the  best  writers  on  any  subject,  while  it  will  be  most  likely  to  he  received  with  favor,  will  at  the  same  time  be  best  calculated  to 
facilitate  the  acquisition,  and  consequently  the  diffusion  of  knowledge.  With  these  views  the  “Comprehensive  Commentary  on  the  Bible 
was  projected  ;  and  its  unprecedented  sale  has  encouraged  the  same  publishers  to  offer  to  the  public  the  present  volume.  The  subjects  embraced  in 
this  work  are  interesting  to  all,  and  as  it  is  not  designed  to  be  in  the  least  sectarian,  or  denominational,  it  cannot  fail  to  be  desirable  J  or 
all ,  whether  professedly  religious  or  not,  at  hast  as  a  book  of  reference. 

The  following  are  some  of  the  peculiarities  of  the  plan  : — 

1.  It  is  designed  to  be  a  standard  and  permanent  work;  and  here  it  is  believed  will  be  found  collected  and  compressed  In  one  super-royal 
octavo  volume  of  upwards  of  twelve  hundred  pages,  in  a  shape  combining  convenience  and  cheapness,  and  in  a  style  blending  the  sweetness  of 
the  popular  with  the  richness  of  the  profound,  what  has  heretofore  been  scattered  through  more  than  fifty  volumes,  and  mixed  with  much  of 
little  or  no  value.  Among  the  works,  all  the  valuable  matter  of  which  will  be  found  in  this,  together  with  some  from  which  copious  extracts 
have  been  made,  are  the  following  : — 


BIBLICAL  II,  LUST  RATION. 
Calmet’s  Dictionary  of  the  Bible  ;  Brown’s 
do.  ;  Barr’s  do.  ;  Wells’  Scripture  Geo¬ 
graphy  ;  Horne’s  Introduction  ;  Harris’ 
Scripture  Natural  History ;  Abbott’s  edi¬ 
tion  of  Carpenter’s  do-  ;  Paxton’s  Illus- 
'.ratioris  j;  iScripture;  Draper’s  do. ;  Har- 
rr.er’s  Observations  :  J aim’s  Archeology  ; 
Mrs.  Sherwood’s  Dictionary  of  Types  and 
Emblems  ;  Border’s  Oriental  Customs  ;  Jo¬ 
sephus’ Jewish  Customs ;  Keith’s  .Evidence 
of  Prophecy  ;  Cogswell’s  Harbinger  of  the 
Millennium  :  Robinson’s  Biblical  Reposi¬ 
tory  ;  Crabbe’s  English  Synonymes. 


ECCLESIASTICAL  HISTORY. 
Mosheim’s  Historyof  the  Christian  Church; 
Milner’s  do.  ;  Jones’  do.  ;  Waddington’s 
do.;  Neander’s  do.  ;  Murdock’s  Elements 
of  Dogmatic  History  ;  Lord  King’s  His¬ 
tory  oi  the  Primitive  Church  ;  Robinson’s 
History  of  Baptism  ;  Sismondi’s  History 
of  the  Crusades  against  the  Albigenses. 

RELIGIOUS  BIOGRAPHY. 

Fox’s  Lives  of  the  Martyrs;  Middleton’s 
Evangelical  Biography  ;  Jones’  Christian 
Biog.  ;  Davenport’s  Dictionary  of  Biogra- 

Shy  ;  Universal  Biographical  Dictionary  ; 
elham’s  Female  Biography ;  Clissold’s 


Last  Hours  of  Eminent  Christians;  Ivi- 
mey’s  History  of  the  Baptists;  Benedict’s 
do.;  Mather’s  Magnalia  ;  Elliot’s  Ameri¬ 
can  Biography;  Allen’s  do.;  Memoirs 
of  American  Missionaries  ;  Encyclopedia 
Americana. 

THEOLOGY. 

Buck’s  Theological  Dictionary,  enlarged 
by  Dr.  Henderson;  Jones’  Biblical  Cy¬ 
clopedia  ;  Hawker’s  Biblical  Dictionary  ; 
Watson’s  Biblical  and  Theological  Dic¬ 
tionary;  Christian  Examiner;  Campbell’s 
Dissertations  ;  Dwight’s  Theology  ;  Spirit 
of  the  Pilgrims  ;  Works  of  Andrew  Fuller  ; 
do.  of  Robert  Hall ;  Douglas  on  the  Ad¬ 


vancement  of  Society  in  Knowledge  and 
Religion. 

CHRISTIAN  DENOMINATIONS. 
Evans’  Sketch  of  Religious  Denomina¬ 
tions ;  Jones’  Dictionary  of  Religious 
Opinions  ;  Hannah  Adams’  do.  ;  Robbius’ 
do.  ;  Douglas  on  Errors  regarding  Reli¬ 
gion  ;  Benedict’s  History  of  All  Religions  ; 
Williams’  Dictionary  of  do.  ;  Ward’s  Fare¬ 
well  Letters  ;  Edwards’  Quarterly  Regis¬ 
ter. 

MISSIONS. 

Edwards’  Missionary  Gazetteer ; 


Many  articles  are  original,  especially  those  relating  to  the  principal  denominations  in  this  country,  as  will  bo  6een  on  reference  to  the 
fourth  paragra]  h  below. 

2.  It  is  designed  for  a  complete  book  of  reference  on  all  religious  subjects  ;  to  which  a  person  can  turn  when  any  thing  occurs  in  reading 
or  conversation  connected  with  Religion  which  he  does  not  understand,  or  in  regard  to  which  he  wishes  to  refresh  his  memory,  as  he  would  to 
a  dictionary  for  a  definition  of  a  word.  Nearly  every  subject  treated  in  the  books  which  form  the  basis  of  this,  is  touched  upon  ;  but  those 
which  are  of  minor  importance  are  very  brief,  and  those  of  greater  utility  handled  more  at  length.  Articles  rarely  recurred  to  will  be  found 
here  ;  but  it  is  n  >t  burdened  with  any  thing  that  is  altogether  useless. 

3.  In  Theolog  j,  the  general  plan  of  Buck’s  Dictionary  is  followed ;  especially  in  its  evangelical  cast  and  Christian  candor,  in  its  copious 

illustrations  of  important  topics,  and  its  valuable  references  to  the  best  works  on  both  sides  of  the  question.  Watson,  Jones,  and  others,  how¬ 
ever,  have  suppied  us  occasionally  with  articles  of  superior  value.  . 

D3—  The  edi  ion  of  Buck  which  has  been  used  is  the  new  one  lately  published  in  England,  edited  by  Prof.  Henderson,  who  has  added 
nearly  five  hurulred  new  articles,  which  will  be  found  incorporated  in  this. 

4.  The  accounts  of  the  History,  Doctrines,  <j-c.  of  different  denominations,  have  been  prepared  with  ar.  aim  at  the  strictest  impartiality. 
Where  it  was  practicable  some  leading  man  of  the  principal  sects  existing  in  this  country  has  been  employed  to  prepare  the  article  relat¬ 
ing  to  it  ;  and  where  it  has  not  been,  the  matter  has  been  drawn  from  some  one  or  more  prominent  writer  of  the  denomination,  of  acknow¬ 
ledged  authority.  The  work  does  not  aim  to  effect  a  compromise  of  opinions  among  the  different  denominations  of  Christians,  but  to 
present  the  views  of  each  fully,  and  in  their  own  words,  leaving  the  reader  to  form  his  own  conclusions  as  to  which  is  most  correct.  This 
must  be  a  truly  acceptable  course  to  all  who  can  respond  to  the  sentiment  quoted  by  Robert  Hall,  11  Amicus  Plato ,  amicus  Socrates,  sed 
magis  arnica  veritas.” 

The  following  are  some  of  the  contributors  under  this  head : — 


Baptism.  Pedobaptist  Views,  Rev.  J.  Tracy, 
Editor  of  the  Boston  Recorder.  Baptist 
Views,  Rev.  J.  D.  Knowles.  Professor  in  the 
Newton  Theological  Institution. 

Baptists.  Prepared  under  the  revision  and 
sanction  of  Rev.  Dr.  Sharp,  Boston. 

Congregationahsts.  Prepared  by  a  mem¬ 
ber,  and  revised  and  sanctioned  by  Rev.  Prof. 
Emerson,  of  Andover  Theological  Seminary, 
and  Rev.  Dr.  Wisner,  of  Boston. 


Christians.  Rev.  J.  V.  Himes,  Boston. 

Disciples  of  Christ,  or  Reformers.  Alex¬ 
ander  Campbell,  of  Bethany,  Virginia. 

Free  Will  Baptists.  Rev.  S.  Beede,  Editor 
of  the  Morning  Star,  Dover,  N.  II. 

Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  Rev.  S.  W. 
Willson,  Editor  of  Zion’s  Herald,  Boston. 

Presbyterians.  Rev.  Dr.  Miller,  of  Prince¬ 
ton  Theological  Seminary. 


Protestant  Episcopal  Church.  Rev.  Mr. 

Boyle,  presbyter,  of  Boston. 

Protestant  Methodist  Church.  Rev.  T.  F. 
Norris,  President  of  the  New  England  Con¬ 
ference. 

Unitarians.  Rev.  Prof.  Palfrey  . 

Universalirts.  Rev.  L.  R.  Paige. 
Universal  Restoratignists.  Rev.  Paul 
Dean. 


5.  To  adapt  it  to  popular  use,  all  words  in  foreign  languages  have  been  emitted ;  or  where  Hebrew,  Chaldee,  and  Greek  terms  unavoidably 
occur,  they  are  given  in  English  characters.  .  .  .  , 

3.  Scripture  Biography,  which  occupies  a  large  space  in  most  Bible  Dictionaries,  is  hand, eel  here  in  the  briefest  manner  possible  giv¬ 
ing  only  the  characteristic  outlines,  except  wrhen  difficulties  occur  which  require  to  be  cleared  np.  ... 

7.  In  consequence  of  the  space  thus  gained,  the  new  department  of  Religious  Biography  is  made  full  and  extensive ;  embracing,  it  is 
believed,  every  distinguished  religious  writer  preacher,  and  character,  including  the  most  distinguished  females,  and  those  philanthropists  who 
were  actuated  by  religious  principles.  Every  denomination  will  find  here  notices  of  its  most  illustrious  men,  especially  such  as  have  lived  and 
died  in  this  country,  from  its  settlement  to  this  time.  To  every  notice  of  an  author  a  list  of  his  principal  writings  (30  far  as  possible)  is  given,  with 
a  reference  to  the  best  biographies  of  the  individual. 

8.  As  a  Dictionary  and  Gazetteer  of  the  Bible,  the  work  will  be  found,  it  is  believed,  more  copious  and  accurate  than  any  other  now  in  use, 

adapting  it  to  the  wants  of  the  Pulpit  and  of  Sabbath  Schools.  In  the  notices  of  the  various  cities  and  countries  mentioned  in  the  Bible,  the 
fulfilment  of  the  Prophecies  regarding  them,  so  far  as  developed,  are  particularly  noticed.  j 

9.  The  object  of  the  Encyclopedia  being  to  do  good  on  evangelical  principles,  the  work  preserves  throughout,  as  far  as  possible,  a  devotional 
and  practical,  as  well  as  a  critical,  picturesque,  and  popular  character,  that  it  may  minister  to  the  heart,  no  less  than  to  the  judgment  and  the  | 
imagination. 

10.  Maps  and  Engravings,  as  well  as  Wood  Cuts,  have  been  added  to  enrich  and  adorn,  as  well  as  illustrate,  the  work. 

On  the  whole,  the  amount  of  information  embodied  hi  this  work  is  immense,  and  it  is  hoped  the  matter,  by  collation,  arrangement,  abridgment,  j 
and  addition,  has  been  very  greatly  improved;  and  while  it  will  be  found  interesting  and  valuable  to  Families,  and  those  individuals  wno  only 
desire  to  acquire  general  knowledge,  to  the  Sabbath  School  Teacher  and  Bible  Class  Leader  it  can/.ol  but  prove  an  invaluable  treasure. 


CONDITIONS. 

This  volume  will  contain  about  1250  pages,  Super  Royal  octavo,  be  neatly  printed,  and  durably  bound.  II  will  be  afforded 
to  subscribers  at  the  low  price  of  Any  clergyman  or  other  person  becoming  responsible  for  six  subsrri.  ^ 

bers,  th~.ll  be  entitled  to  a  seventh  copy  gratis. 


J 


NOTICES  AND  RECOMMENDATIONS 

OF  THE! 

ENCYCLOPAEDIA  OF  RELIGIOUS  KNOWLEDGE. 


‘  The  Encyclopaedia  of  Religious  Knowledge  is,  upon  the  whole,  a  valu¬ 
able  book  of  reference,  and  the  theological  articles  are,  in  the  main,  good. 
The  work  is  rich  in  biographical  notices,  and  contains  much  useful  infor¬ 
mation  respecting  the  tenets  of  different  sects,  which  in  most  cases  is 
supplied  by  their  own  writers.  The  theological  student  trill  find  it  ci 
convenient  and  useful  companion.  A.  ALEXANDER,  D.  D. 

Princeton  Theol.  Sem.,  N.  J.’ 

‘  I  regard  the  Ency.  of  Rel.  Knowledge  as  a  very  valuable  book  of  re¬ 
ference.  While  it  is  particularly  convenient  and  useful  to  ministers  of 
the  gospel,  it  will  be  found  to  be  very  entertaining  and  instructive  to 
others,  and  is  well  worthy  of  a  place  in  every  family  library. 

’  E.  TYLER,  D.  D. 

Pres,  of  E.  Windsor  Theol.  Institute ,  Conn.' 

1 1  have  examined  the  Ency.  of  Rel.  Knowledge  in  sundry  of  its  arti¬ 
cles  ;  and  holding  in  my  library  its  principal  authorities,  I  am  ready  to  say 
that  I  much  approve  it.  We  have  no  work  which  contains,  and  judi¬ 
ciously  contains,  so  much  informing  matter  at  so  moderate  a  price. 

Rev.  JONATHAN  HOMER,  D.  D. 

Newton,  Mass.’ 

j  1  This  volume  is  certainly  an  exception  to  the  general  style  in  which 
i  compends,  summaries,  and  Encys.  are  manufactured  among  us.  It 
bears  the  marks  of  care,  honest  research,  and  accurate  statement.  The 
commendable  practice  is  followed  of  giving  the  authorities  at  the  close  of 
each  article. 

It  is  not  a  bookselling  expedient,  prepared  in  the  haste  of  a  plagiary 
from  English  works ;  taut  in  part,  original,  id  in  part  condensed,'  and  ac¬ 
commodated  to  suit  the  general  intention  oi  .be  volume.  The  department 
of  religious  biography  is  very  complete ; — a  field  of  labor  in  which  the 
American  Encyclopaedia  is  notoriously  deficient.  Candor  and  good  judg¬ 
ment  are  here  manifested. 

On  the  whole,  we  heartily  commend  this  publication  to  our  readers. 
It  will  repay  many  fold  the  cost  of  its  purchase.  No  single  volume  in 
the  language,  so  far  as  we  know,  contains  a  larger  amount  of  valu¬ 
able  knowledge.’'  [ Biblical  Repository  and  Quarterly  Observer. 

‘  We  are  are  confident  that  this  must  be  a  valuable  acquisition  to  any 
man’s  library  ;  and  one  who  expects  to  purchase  and  use  much  literature 
of  this  sort,  we  are  equally  confident,  will  save  both  money  and  time  by 
subscribing  for  this. 

We  have  Encys.  in  other  departments  of  science;  but  we  do  not 
know  that  any  thing  in  the  form  of  a  Religious  Ency.  has  ever  been 
published  in  this,  or  any  other  country.  A  work  of  this  kind  has  there¬ 
fore  been  a  great  desideratum  in  the  religious  and  reading  community. 

So  far  as  we  have  examined  it — and  we  have  devoted  some  time  and 
care  to  the  subject— the  book  fulfils  the  large  promise  of  the  title  quite  as 
well  as  could  reasonably  be  expected.  It  is  a  vast  storehouse  of  informa¬ 
tion  all  the  subjects  indicated,  judiciously  selected — condensed,  perspicu¬ 
ous,  and  well  arranged ;  and,  what  is  of  great  importance,  with  references, 
at  tiie  end  of  the  more  important  articles,  to  works  from  which  more  par¬ 
ticular  information  may  be  obtained.  The  work  is  handsomely  printed,  on 
good  paper;  the  type  is  clean  and  fair,  and  sufficiently  large.  On  the 
whole,  it  is  entirely  beyond  any  thing  else  extant  as  a  convenient  book 
of  reference  for  clergymen,  teachers  of  Bible  classes  and  Sabbath  schools, 
and  all,  in  fact,  who  wish  for  any  book  of  reference  of  the  kind  to  assist 
them  in  their  biblical  and  religious  reading.  It  is  marvellously  cheap. 
We  recommend  it  confidently.  It  will  not  disappoint  any  reasonable 
expectations.’  1  Vt.  Chronicle. 

‘A  very  useful  work,  1300 imp.  8vo  pages.  Its  usefulness  in  the  fami¬ 
ly,  in  reading  religious  intelligence  and  other  publications,  and  in  writing 
on  religious  subjects,  is  obvious.  The  price,  for  so  large  a  volume,  pre¬ 
pared  with  so  much  labor,  must  be  acknowledged  very  reasonable — 
cheap.'  [ N. .  Y.  Evangelist. 

‘The  editorial  execution  altogether  surpasses  my  expectations,  and  I 
am  persuaded  the  work  will  be  extensively  popular. 

Rev.  GEO.  BUSH, 

Prof,  of  Ori.  Lit.  in  N.  Y.  City  University.’ 

‘  Its  plait  is  very  comprehensive,  and  embraces  a  variety  of  information 
respecting  the  state  of*  religion  throughout  the  world,  which  cannot  be 
obtained  except  by  recourse  to  a  great  number  of  original  sources. 

In  regard  to  the  different  denominations  in  our  own  country,  it  is  ne¬ 
cessary  only  to  recur  to  the  names  of  the  gentlemen  who  furnish  the  ac¬ 
counts  of  them,  to  obtain  full  confidence  in  the  fidelity  with  which  those 
accounts  may  be  expected  to  be  composed.’ 

[ Boston  Christian  Register. 

This  icork  contains  in  itself  a  religious  library  ;  and  as  such  we 
consider  it  one  of  great  value  to  the  Christian  public. 

The  plan  of  it  is  happily  adapted  to  make  it  a  book  of  reference,  a  con¬ 
venient  substitute,  and  more  than  a  substitute  for  many  volumes  which 
Christian  readers  have  heretofore  had  occasion  to  consult.  And  from  an 
examination  of  a  large  number  of  articles,  tile  plan  appears  to  have  been 
well  executed.  Many  of  the  original  articles  are  ably  written.  Those 
condensed  from  other  works  were  evidently  prepared  with  great  care  and 
attention,  and  show  the  result  of  extensive  reading  and  patient  research. 

Its  cheapness  strongly  commends  it  to  public  favor.’ 

[ Southern  Rel.  Telegraph,  Richmond,  Va. 

‘  The  Encyclopedia  of  Religious  Knoicledge  is  deservedly  having 
a  large  sale.’  [ Boston  Recorder. 

‘  Though  it  is  a  large  volume,  yet  in  view  of  its  variety  and  compre¬ 
hensiveness,  it  is  multum  in  parvo, — much  in  a  small  space, — an  ocean 
of  matter  in  a  drop  of  words.  The  work  has  been  compiled  with  im¬ 
mense  labor,  with  great  accuracy  and  uncommon  impartiality.  Mr. 
Brown  has  performed  his  difficult  and  delicate  task  in  a  judicious  manner 
— in  a  manner  to  highly  promote  the  public  benefit,  and  to  entitle  him  to 
the  approbation  and  gratitude  of  the  community.  We  are  happy  to  add, 
that  the  work  has  been  got  up  in  a  handsome  style,  .and  in  good  taste. 


We  should  sincerely  hope,  that  the  cause  of  truth  and  the  interest  of  the 
religious  public  may  be  promoted  by  its  extensive  circulation.  It  should 
be  a  companion  to  the  Bible  in  every  family  ;  it  should  find  a  place  in 
the  library  of'every  Sunday  school  teacher:  and  we  venture  little  in 
saying  that,  as  a  work  of  reference,  the  minister  of  the  gospel  would  find 
it  convenient  and  useful.’  [ American  Baptist  (New  York.) 

‘The  object  of  the  work  is  to  condense  into  one  volume  the  most  im¬ 
portant  matter  now  scattered  throughout  many  expensive  publications. 
The  compiler  appears  to  ltave  executed  his  task  with  commendable  dili¬ 
gence  and  good  judgment.  It  requires  more  than  ordinary  wisdom,  in 
compiling  such  a  work,  to  determine  what  to  reject  and  what  to  retain. 
As  far  as  we  have  been  able  to  examine  the  work,  we  think  the  author 
deserves  the  credit  of  a  faithful  and  judicious  compiler. —  We  deem  the 
work  worthy  of  extensive  patronage.  It  is  well  executed,  on  good  paper, 
and  illustrated  with  engravings  and  wood  cuts;  and  we  hope  the  enter¬ 
prising  publishers  will  be  well  repaid  for  their  expenditure  on  this  praise¬ 
worthy  and  expensive  work.’  i Richmond  Rel.  Herald. 

‘The  general  execution  of  the  work  is  decidediy  good.  We  recoin 
mend  it  for  its  general  excellence,  as  a  most  useful  book  of  reference,  to 
families  which  desire  information  on  religious  subjects.’ 

[ Presbyterian  ( Philadelphia ) 

‘This  work  is  emphatically  what  its  title  imports,  a  repository  of  every 
description  of  religious  knowledge,  alphabetically  arranged,  for  easy  and 
familiar  reference.  It  seems  to  embrace  just  that  kind  of  knowledge 
which  the  ministers  of  the  gospel,  and  the  curious  and  enlightened  Chris¬ 
tian  of  every  denomination,  requires,  relative  to  the  Bible,  theology,  reli¬ 
gious  biography,  ecclesiastical  history,  missions  and  all  religions.  The 
amount  of  matter  embraced  in  about  1300  large  octavo  pages  on  these 
subjects  is  incalculable — enough,  we  should  think,  to  fill  15  or  20  volumes 
of  the  Family  Library.  We  consider  it,  in  fact,  if  not  the  only,  the 
most  recent,  comprehensive,  illustrative,  and  trustworthy  work  of  refer¬ 
ence  on  all  denominational  points,  and  topics  adverted  to  above,  extant. 
It  is  designed  as  a  complete  book  of  reference  on  ail  religious  subjects, 
and  companion  to  the  Bible,  forming  a  compact  library  of  religious 
knowledge :  and  when  its  excellence  is  fully  known,  it  will,  we  doubt 
not,  find  a  place  in  almost  every  Christian  family.’ 

[W.  Y.  Weekly  Messenger. 

‘We  have  recently  procured  a  copy  of  this  excellent  work  ; — it  is  just 
such  a  work  as  the  religious  public  have  long  needed.  It  Jills  a  place 
that  is  not  occupied  by  any  other  work  in  the  English  language. 
We  wish  one  could  be  placed  in  the  hands  of  every  minister  of  the  gospel 
throughout  our  country.  This  one  volume  would  be  to  him  a  valuable 
library  of  religious  knowledge;  he  might  accumulate  a  great  variety  of 
books  before  he  could  otherwise  obtain  the  information  whicli  lie  needs 
upon  various  points,  and  which  would  be  directly  available  in  the  great 
work  in  which  he  is  engaged.  Here  lie  has  a  condensed,  but  accurate 
and  satisfactory  view  of  the  religious  customs  and  sentiments  of  the  dif¬ 
ferent  denominations  of  Christians;  and,  notwithstanding  their  number 
and  diversity,  he  can  in  this  volume  hear  them  nearly  all  speak  their 
own  language  and  assign  their  own  reasons. 

But  besides  information  with  regard  to  different  religions,  and  tile  dif¬ 
ferent  denominations  of  the  Christian  religion,  the  minister  of  Christ  may 
here  find  a  distinct  and  evangelical  statement  of  the  great  leading*doc- 
trines  of  the  Scriptures  i  which  will  be  no  small  advantage  to  any  who 
may  have  had  to  enter  upon  the  ministry  with  but  little  preparation. 

On  the  same  account,  this  work  recommends  itself  as  a  most  important 
help  to  every  Bible  class  and  Sabbath  school  teacher.  Indeed,  every 
head  of  a  family,  who  wishes  to  acquire  and  impart  to  his  children  cor¬ 
rect  and  enlightened  views  upon  religious  subjects  in  general,  should 
have  in  his  library  this  Encyclopaedia.  Were  this  generally  the  case,  we 
might  soon  expect  to  see  a  higher  degree  of  religious  knowledge  in  circu¬ 
lation,  and  fewer  misconceptions  and  misrepresentations  respecting  the 
sentiments  of  different  religious  denominations.’ 

[ Zion’s  Advocate  (Portland.) 

‘Few  works  of  more  value  can  he  named,  even  in  this  time  of  con¬ 
densing  books.  For  theological  students  as  a  book  of  reference,  and  as  a 
family  book  for  youths,  to  which  they  may  devote  their  evenings,  and 
imbibe  correct  information  upon  the  almost  boundless  field  of  survey 
whicti  is  connected  with  the  moral  and  religious  condition  of  mankind,  it 
is  unequalled  in  variety  and  amplitude  of  knowledge.  We  have  exten¬ 
sively  searched  the  articles  of  which  it  is  composed  ;  and  ran  attest  to  the 
general  fidelity  with  which  the  work  has  been  compiled.  We  have  ascer¬ 
tained  that  the  Ency.  of  Rel.  Knowledge  comprehends  the  substance  of 
FIFTY  valuable  works;  all  of  which  formerly  were  considered  necessary 
to  the  library  not  only  uf  a  scholar,  but  also  of  all  Christians  who  were 
anxious  to  obtain  accurate  and  enlarged  information  of  scriptural  truth  and 
ecclesiastical  history.  We  can  conceive  of  nothing  more  beneficial  to  t  he 
American  churches  than  this  laborious  and  grand  scheme  for  the  diffusion 
of  religious  knowledge.’  | N.  Y.  Protestant  Vindicator. 

(From  the  Literary  and  Theological  Review,  (New  York.)  edited  by 
Rev.  Leonard  Woods,  Jr.) 

‘  It  is  enough  to  say  in  commendation  of  it,  that  it  fulfils  the  promise 
set  forth  in  its  long,  descriptive,  comprehensive  title.  The  original  arti¬ 
cles  contained  in  it  are  numerous,  and  of  great  value.  The  mechanical 
execution  i3  excellent,  and  the  whole  constitutes,  we  have  no  doubt,  the 
completest  and  most  valuable  book  of  reference,  adapted  to  the  use  of 
families,  Sunday  school  teachers,  and  ministers  of  the  gospel,  that  has 
ever  been  prepared  and  published  in  this  country.’ 

(From  the  Netc  York  Observer.) 

‘This  volume  is  on  a  plan  which  we  believe  to  be  original,  and  which 
cannot  fail,  if  its  execution  be  judicious  and  faithful,  to  secure  to  the 
work  extensive  popularity  and  usefulness.  So  far  as  we  have  examined 
the  articles  in  the  work,  with  a  few  exceptions  we  think  favorably  of  the 
skill,  judgment  and  fidelity  with  which  it  has  been  executed.  The 
names  of  several  of  the  original  contributors  are  sufficient  to  warrant  the 
highest  expectations  concerning  the  articles  which  they  have  prepared.' 


FESSENDEN  &  CO.’S 

POLYGL O  T  T  B  I  B L E 

FOR  FAMILIES. 


THE  ENGLISH  VERSION  OF  THE  POLYGLOTT  BIBLE,  in  one  royal  octavo  volume  cf  1300  {ages 
on  large  type,  embellished  with  Maps  and  Plates  on  steel,  forming  an  elegant 

FAMILY  BIBLE, 

superior  to  any  one  ever  published  in  this  country,  and  suited  to  all  denominations. 


THE  WORK 

I.  The  Old  and  New  Testaments,  according  to  the  common 

and  authorized  version. 

II.  Upwards  of  60,000  Marginal  References  and  Readings, 

arranged  in  a  most  convenient  manner  in  a  middle 
column,  between  the  two  of  text. 

III.  The  Concordance  of  the  Rev.  John  Brown. 

IV.  An  Introduction  to  the  Holy  Scriptures,  giving  a  brief 

history  of  the  Bible,  and  a  compendious  view  ol  the 
evidences  that  the  Holy  Scriptures  and  every  part  of 
them  were  given  by  inspiration  of  God. 

V.  A  concise  Introduction  to  each  book  of  the  Old  and  New 
Testaments,  showing  when,  and  by  whom,  and  under 
what  circumstances  they  were  written,  their  genuine¬ 
ness,  authenticity,  &c. 

VI.  An  Essay  on  the  right  interpretation  of  the  writings  in 
which  the  revelations  of  God  are  contained,  by  James 
Macknight,  D.  D. 

V II.  Three  Sermons  on  the  Evidences  of  Christianity,  by  Rev. 
Philip  Dbddridge,  D.  D. 

VIII.  A  valuable  Geographical  and  Historical  Index,  arranged 


CONTAINS. 

in  a  new  and  peculiar  manner,  exhibiting  at  one  view 
all  that  is  interesting  on  those  subjects  in  the  Holy 
Scriptures,  with  references  to  the  maps,  and  forming  a 
complete  Bible  Gazetteer. 

IX.  A  new  and  complete  General  Index,  and  a  concise  Dic¬ 
tionary  of  the  Bible,  in  which  the  various  persons 
places,  and  subjects  mentioned  in  it  are  accurately 
referred  to,  and  every  difficult  word  briefly  explained. 

X.  A  number  of  usef'  and  interesting  Tables. 

XI.  A  plate  exhibiting  side  by  side  the  genealogy  of  our  Sav¬ 

ior,  as  given  by  St.  Matthew  and  St.  Luke,  and  recon¬ 
ciling  their  seeming  discrepancies. 

XII.  A  handsome  Family  Record,  engraved  on  wood. 

XIII.  It  is  embellished  and  illustrated  by  fourteen  beautiful 

Engravings  and  Maps,  done  on  steel,  in  the  best 
manner. 

XIV.  There  are  also  in  the  work  a  considerable  number  of 

Wood  Cuts,  illustrative  of  scripture  manners,  customs, 
natural  history,  scenery,  &c. ;  connected  with  which  are 
brief  explanations,  extracted  from  various  authors. 


The  following  are  some  of  the  principal  advantages  of  the  English  version  of  the  Polyglott  Bible,  over  other  Editions  of  the 
Holy  Scriptures,  with  references. 


I.  Its  originality  will  preeminently  be  found  to  consist  in  a 
laborious  and  entirely  new  selection  and  arrangement  of  Refer¬ 
ences,  in  which  it  has  been  endeavored  faithfully  to  exhibit  the 
Scripture  as  its  own  Expositor.  The  advantages  to  the  sincere 
reader  of  the  sacred  pages,  of  having  constantly  before  him 
M i.rsrinal  References  to  similar  and  illustrative  passages,  are 
obvious,  and  fully  appreciated  by  all.  ‘  It  were  to  be  wished,’ 
says  bishop  Horsley,  ‘  that  no  Bibles  were  printed  wiliior.t  Re¬ 
ferences.  Particular  diligence  should  be  used  iu  comparing 

the  parallel  texts  of  the  Old  and  New  Testaments . It  is 

incredible,’  he  adds,  1  to  any  one  who  has  not  made  the  experi¬ 
ment,  what  a  proficiency  may  he  made  in  that  knowledge  which 
maketh  wise  unto  salvation,  by  studying  the  Scriptures  in  this 
manner,  without  any  other  commentary,  or  exposition, 
than  what  the  different  parts  of  the  sacred  volume 
mutually  furnish  to  each  other.’  References  have,  how¬ 
ever,  heretofore  generally  been  confined  either  to  Bibles  of  large 
and  unwieldy  size,  or  to  those  so  small  as  to  be  useless  or  incon¬ 
venient  to  people  advanced  in  life.  Here  is  an  Edition  with 
References,  which,  while  it  is  not  liable  to  the  objection  now 
almost  universally  felt,  against  the  inconvenient  size  and  weight 
of  the  quarto  editions,  yet  offers  in  a  convenient  shape  and  size, 
by  a  judicious  arrangement  and  plan,  a  type  as  easily  read  as 
that  of  our  largest  editions,  in  the  form  of  an  elegant  and  conve¬ 
nient  Family  Bible. 

II.  The  References  and  Readings  have  been  prepared  with  a 
strict  attention  to  two  things — 1.  That  they  should  not  he  mere¬ 
ly  repetitious,  but  illustrative, — and,  2.  That  they  should  not  be 
complex  and  crowded,  and  so  numerous  as  to  he  tedious  and 
forbidding,  a  fault  with  those  of  Scott  and  others,  but  that  they 
should  he  as  full  as  should  be  deemed  useful  and  necessary,  and 
a  more  appropriate  and  accurate  selection,  adaptation, and 
arrangement,  than  those  in  any  other  edition.  So  that,  while  no 
superfluous  ones  have  been  admitted,  the  most  material  purposes 
to  he  answered  by  references  have  been  effectually  secured. 

III.  These  References  have  the  advantage  of  being  selected 


from  many  valuable  editions  and  commentaries  in  different 
languages. 

IV.  All  the  Marginal  Readings  contained  in  the  folio  and 
quarto  Bibles  are  introduced;  the  idioms  of  the  original  lan¬ 
guages,  and  also  the  various  senses  of  particular  words  or 
phrases,  being  instructive  and  worthy  to  be  known. 

V.  The  advantages  of  the  present  arrangement  of  the  refer¬ 
ences  in  a  middle  column,  are,  that  they  are  more  condensed,  and 
yet  are  plain  and  easy  to  he  referred  to.  and  are  not  liable,  as 
those  in  other  editions  are,  to  be  cut  in  binding  or  worn  away  by 
use,  nor  to  be  bound  so  into  the  back  of  the  book  as  not  to  be 
easily  read. 

VI.  The  Concordance  will  he  found  highly  convenient,  ena¬ 
bling  any  oufe  by  looking  for  a  word  iu  a  verse  or  chapter,  to  turn 
immediately  to  it. 

VII.  The  value  of  the  Introductions  to  the  Bible,  and  the 
several  books,  i\\c  Indexes,  Gazetteer ,  the  new  Tables,  Maps,  &c. 
will  be  readily  seen,  as  they  all  tend  to  assist  the  sincere  searcher 
of  the  Scriptures,  iu  his  inquiries.  The  Wood  Cuts  and  Engrav¬ 
ings  are  valuable,  not  merely  as  embellishing  the  work,  but  espe¬ 
cially  as  illustrating  scripture  manners,  customs,  phrases,  &c.  and 
as  attracting  the  attention  of  the  young.  An  engraving  as  i.ius- 
trative  of  a  particular  passage,  conveys  at  once  to  the  eye,  and 
more  readily  and  permanently  fixes  upon  the  mind,  the  meaning 
of  that  passage,  than  a  page  of  comment  or  explanation. 

On  the  whole,  the  several  advantages  of  the  present  Edition 
commend  it  to  the  patronage  of  the  community  as  the  best  of  the 
publications  of  the  Bible  ever  offered  to  them,  for  compactness 
and  combination  of  useful  matter.  Its  medium  size,  not  too 
large  for  handling  with  convenience,  with  large  type  for  the  eves 
of  the  aged,  are  judged  to  he  no  trifling  recommendations.  The 
Publishers,  therefore,  look  for  some  considerable  portion  of  pub¬ 
lic  favor  towauls  this  enterprise:  and  they  indulge  the  hope  and 
expectation  of  obtaining  for  the  Word  of  God  an  increased  circu¬ 
lation,  and,  of  course,  ah  increased  influence. 


Containing  no  comments  on  the  meaning  of  the  sacred  text,  but  yet  combining  a  vast  amount  or  assistance 
fo"r  its  study,  executed  in  a  beautiful  style,  it  cannot  but  be  an  acceptable  edition  for  the  use  OF  INDIVIDUALS, 
AND  AN  ORNAMENT  FOR  THE  TABLE  OF  EVERY  FAMILY. 

It  has  been  highly  recommended  bymiuent  ministers  of  all  denominations. 

5jJ*  1  Tie  Polyglott  Bible,'  with  the  1  Encig.bpce  lia  of  Religious  Knowledge'  and  1  Bush’s  Illustrations  of  the  Scriptures,’  form 
together  a  very  complete  apparatus  for  studying  the  Bible  for  all  who  cannot  afford  or  do  not  desire  a  Commentary. 

JjT  Inquire  for  ‘  Fessenden  &  Co.’s  Edition.’ 


NOTICES  AND  RECOMMENDATIONS  OF  THE 

COMPREHENSIVE  COMMENTARY. 

The  Publishers  select  the  following,  from  the  testimonials  they  have  received  as  to  the  value  of  the  work: — 

We  the  Subscribers  having  examined  the  volume  of  the  Comprehensive  Commentary,  just  issued  from  the  press  of  Messrs. 
Fessenden  &  Co.,  and  highly  approving  its  character,  would  cheerfully  and  confidently  recommend  it  as  containing  more  matter  and 
more  advantages  than  any  other  with  which  we  are  acquainted;  and,  considering  the  expense  incurred,  and  the  excellent  manner  of 
its  mechanical  execution,  we  believe  it  to  be  one  of  the  cheapest  works  ever  issued  from  the  press.  We  hope. the  publishers  will  be 
susta  ned  by  a  liberal  patronage,  in  their  expensive  and  useful  undertaking.  We  should  be  pleased  to  learn  that  every  family  in  the 
Unila.  States  had  procured  a  copy. 


B.  B.  \\  ISNER,  D.  D.  Secretary  of  Am.  Board,  of  Com.  for  For.  Missions. 
WM,  COGSWELL,  D.  D.  “  “  Education  Society. 

JOHN  CODMAN,  D.  D.  Pastor  of  Congregational  Church,  Dorchester. 
WARREN  FAY,  D.  D.  “  “  “  Charlestown. 

Rev.  G.  W.  BLAGDEN,  “  “  “  Salem-sl.  Boston. 

Rev.  HUBBARD  WINSLOW,  “  “  Boiodoin-st.  “ 

Rev.  SEWALL  HARDING,  Pastor  of  T.  C.  Church,  Waltham. 

Rev.  J.  H.  FAIRCHILD,  Pastor  of  the  Cong.  Church,  South  Boston. 
GARDINER  SPRING,  D.  D.  Pastor  of  Presb.  Chh.  Mew  York  city. 
CYRUS  MASON,  D.  D.  “  “  “  “  “ 

THOS.  McAULEY,  D.  D.  “  “  “  “  “ 

JOHN  WOODBRIDGE,  D.  D.  “  “  “  “  “ 

THOS.  DEWITT,  D.  D.  “  DutchR<f.“  «  “ 

E.  W.  BALDWIN,  D.  D.  “  “  “  “  « 

Rev.  J.  M.  McKREBS,  “  Presb.  “  “  “ 

Rev.  ERSKINE  MASON,  “  “  “  “  “ 

Rev.  J.  S.  SPENCER,  “  “  “  Brooklyn. 

EZRA  STILES  ELY,  D.  D.  Stated  Clerk  of  Gen.  Assem.  of  Presb.  Chh. 
JOHN  M’DO  WELL,  D.  D.  Permanent  “  “  “  “  “ 

JOHN  BRECKENRIDGE,  Cor.  Sec’y  of  Assembly’s  Board  of  Education. 
SAMUEL  B.  WYLIE,  D.  D.  Pastor  of  the  Reformed  Presbyterian  Chh. 


N.  LORD,  D.  D.  President  of  Dartmouth  College. 


JOSHUA  BATES,  D.  D. 

H.  HUMPHREY,  D.  D.  “ 
E.  D.  GRIFFIN,  D.  D.  “ 
JOHN  WHEELER,  D.D.“ 
J.  M.  MATTHEWS,  D.D.  “ 
GEO.  E.  PIERCE,  D.  D.  “ 
Rev.  Dr.  BROWN, 


Middlebury 
Amherst  “ 
lVdliamstown  “ 

University  of  Vermont,  at  Burlington. 
Mew  York  city  University. 

Western  Reserve  College,  Ohio. 

Jefferson  College,  Penn. 

LEONARD  WOODS,  D.  D.  Prof,  of  Theology,  Andover  Seminary. 
THOS.  H.  SKINNER,  D.  D.  “  Sac.  Met.  “  “  late  of  Phil. 

Rev.  RALPH  EMERSON,  “  Feel.  Hist.  “  “ 

Rev.  JOEL  PARKER,  Pastor  of  Presb.  Church,  Mew  Orleans. 

JOEL  HAWES,  D.  D.  “  Cong.  “  Hartford,  Conn. 

N.  S.  S.  BEAMAN,  D.  D.  “  Presb.  “  Troy,  M.  Y. 

MARK  TUCKER,  D.  D.  “  “  “  “  “ 

Rev.  E.  N.  KIRK,  “  “  “  Albany,  “ 

Rev.  B.  B.  EDWARDS,  Ed.  of  Quarterly  Observer. 

Rev.  STEPHEN  MASON  Pastor  1st  Cong.  Church,  Mantucket. 

Rev.  ORIN  FOWLER,  “  “  “  “  Fall  River. 

WILLIAM  M.  ENGLES,  Editor  of  the  Presbyterian. 

GEORGE  W.  BETHUNE,  Pastor  of  the  First  Reformed  Dutch  Church. 


The  following  are  Extracts  from  Letters  to  the  Publishers,  and  Notices  in  Periodicals. 


Dr.  Humphrey,  President  of  Amherst  College.  ‘The 
execution  of  the  plan  thus  far  exceeds  my  high  expectations;  I 
have  Henry,  Doddridge,  and  Scott,  and  admire  them  all;  but  to 
say  that  your  great  work  promises,  when  completed,  to  be  more 
valuable  than  either,  would  be  little  more  than  saying  that  the  best 
things  in  the  three  combined  must  be  better  than  any  one  of  them 
alone.’ 

Dr.  Lord,  President  of  Dartmouth  College.  ‘  I  have  made 
considerable  examination  of  the  Comprehensive  Commentary,  and 
am  satisfied  of  its  superiority  over  all  others  which  I  have  seen  for 
the  purposes  intended.’ 

Dr.  Griffin,  President  of  Williams  College.  ‘  The  Com¬ 
prehensive  Commentary  appears  to  be  on  a  plan  better  than  any 
other  which  I  have  seen,  and,  judging  from  a  short  examination, 
and  from  the  strong  testimony  of  the  ministers  of  Boston  and  vi¬ 
cinity,  I  have  no  doubt  the  execution  is  as  good  as  the  design.’ 

Dr.  Hawes,  Hartford.  ‘  The  plan  and  execution,  so  far  as 
I  have  been  able  to  examine,  I  highly  approve.  *  *  *  I  sincerely 
hope  that  the  work  may  have  a  wide  circulation,  and  anything  I 
can  do  to  aid  it,  shall  be  done  cheerfully.’ 

Dr.  Wisnep.,  Secretary  of  American  Board  of  Foreign 
Missions.  ‘  I  am  exceedingly  pleased  with  the  volume  published 
of  the  Comprehensive  Commentary.  I  have  all  along  had  strong 
confidence  that  it  would  be  well  done,  but  my  expectations  arc 
more  than  realized.’ 

Dr.  Matthews,  Chancellor  of  New  York  city  University. 
‘  1  had  expected  that  the  Comprehensive  Commentary  would  be  a 
valuable  work ;  but,  judging  from  the  volume  on  the  Gospels,  it 
exceeds  my  expectations.  It  gives  us  Henry  nearly  at  large;  and 
superadds  a  synopsis'of  what  is  important  in  many  of  the  other 
most  eulightened  Commentaries  on  the  Bible.  I  have  no  hesita¬ 
tion  in  saying,  that  I  shall  esteem  it  the  most  valuable  Commentary 
in  our  language,  should  it  be  finished  as  it  has  been  commenced.’ 

New  York,  Aug.  2.9,  1834.  J.  M.  MATTHEWS. 

Dr.  Bates,  President  of  Middlebury  College.  ‘  I  am  free 
to  express  my  entire  approbation  of  the  work,  both  in  respect  to 
the  editorial  labors,  and  the  mechanical  execution.  Notwithstand¬ 
ing  my  previous  high  opinion  of  the  Editor,  the  present  specimen 
of  the  work  altogether  exceeds  my  high  expectations.  Most  sin¬ 
cerely  do  I  hope  that  it  will  obtain  an  extensive  (and  I  might  say 
universal)  circulation  through  our  country  and  in  England.  Be¬ 
sides  the  other  qualities  which  recommend  it,  it  possesses  one  of 
great  importance  to  English  Literature,  viz.  that  of  possessing  the 
same  Saxon  purity,  both  as  to  the  choice  of  words,  and  to  idiom¬ 
atic  arrangement  in  the  Commentary  (Henry)  as  characterises  the 
1  ext  of  the  Bible,  which  Fisher  Ames  used  to  say  had  done  more 
to  guard  against  the  corrupting  influence  of  foreign  words  and 
idioms,  and  thus  to  preserve  the  purity  and  simplicity  of  the  En¬ 
glish  language,  than  all  other  causes  combined.’ 

From  Rev.  Lyman  Beecher,  D.  D.  Pres,  of  Lane  Theol. 

Seminary,  Ohio. 

‘  Of  evangelical  Expositors  of  the  Bible,  Henry  and  Scott  are 
among  the  best  for  family  use.  The  Comprehensive  Commentary 
is  intended  to  include,  in  a  condensed  form,  the  excellences  of 
both,  with  copious  explanatory  notes  from  all  the  best  critics  and 
commentators.  From  what  I  know  personally  of  the  publishers 
and  the  editor  of  the  work,  and  from  what  I  know  of  its  execution, 
I  am  persuaded  it  will  meet  the  expectation  of  subscribers,  and  be 
cheaper  and  better  for  Family  use  than  any  other;  and  that  it  will 


Dr.  Woods,  Professor  of  Theology  in  Andover  Seminary. 

‘  I  hope  it  will  be  extensively  circulated,  and  doubt  not  that  it  will 
be  very  useful  in  Bible  Classes,  as  well  as  in  the  study  of  Minis¬ 
ters,  and  the  closets  of  private  Christians.’ 

Rev.  Asa  Cummings,  Editor  of  Christian  Mirror,  and 
author  of  Memoir  of  Payson.  ‘  It  is  with  no  ordinary  degree 
of  pleasure  that  I  can  express  myself  satisfied  with  the  Comprehen¬ 
sive  Commentary — it  is  far  superior  to  what  I  had  dared  to  expect.’ 

From  the  Professors  at  Princeton  Theol.  Seminary. 

‘  The  Comprehensive  Commentary  contains  the  whole  of  Henry’s 
Exposition  in  a  condensed  form,  Scott’s  Practical  Observations 
and  Marginal  References,  and  a  large  number  of  very  valuable 
philological  and  critical  notes,  selected  from  various  authors. — 
The  work  as  far  as  it  has  proceeded  appears  to  be  executed  with, 
judgment  and  fidelity  and  care;  and  will  furnish  a  ricli  treasure 
of  scriptural  knowledge  to  the  Biblical  student,  and  to  the  teach¬ 
ers  of  Sabbath  Schools  and  Bible  Classes.’ 

A.  ALEXANDER,  D.  D. 
SAMUEL  MILLER,  D.  D. 
CHARLES  HODGE,  D.  D. 

From  the  Professors  at  Bangor  Theological  Seminary,  8,-c. 

‘  This  certifies  that  we  have  examined  to  some  extent  the  volume 
of  the  Comprehensive  Commentary,  recently  issued  from  the  press; 
and  although,  from  our  knowledge  of  the  design  and  plan  of  the 
publication,  and  of  the  qualifications  and  character  of  the  gentle¬ 
men  concerned  in  it,  we  had  no  doubt  as  to  its  general  interest  and 
importance,  we  must  say  that  our  expectations  are  more  than  real¬ 
ized.  The  work  is  altogether  one  of  great  value,  and  merits 
the  attention  and  patronage,  not  only  of  private  Christians,  and 
those  concerned  in  Sabbath  Schools,  but  of  the  public  teachers  of 
religion  also.’ 

ENOCH  POND,  Prof,  of  Theology,  Theol.  Seminary,  Bangor. 
ALVAN  BOND,  “  Biblical  Lit.  “  (t  “ 

L.  S.  POM  ROY,  Pastor  of  1st.  Congregational  Church,  “ 
JOHN  MALTBY,  “  Hammond-st.  “  “  “ 

American  Quarterly  Observer.  *  We  have  looked 
over  the  first  volume  of  this  long  expected  work,  with  great  satis¬ 
faction.  *  *  *  Henry  is  permitted  to  speak  his  own  sentiments  in 
his  own  quaint  and  admirable  manner.  The  notes  are  selected 
with  taste  and  judgment.  *  *  *  We  are  well  satisfied  that  it  has 
been  done  judiciously  and  faithfully.’ 

Boston  Recorder.  ‘We  are  glad  to  learn  that  the  publish¬ 
ers  have  received  many  names  as  patrons  of  the  work  from  various 
portions  of  the  Lbiited  States;  we  think  now  that  they  can  present 
a  volume  liberally  “got  up”  as  this  is  in  respect  to  engravings, 
paper,  printing  and  binding,  and  combining  so  many  advantages, 
their  list  will  receive  daily  additions,  and  the  cheapness  of  the  work 
is  such  that  they  can  only  be  remunerated  from  extended  sales.’ 

New  Hampshire  Observer.  ‘  The  excellence  of  the  de¬ 
sign  is  too  obvious  to  be  mentioned.  To  bring  together  in  one 
work  what  is  most  valuable  in  all  our  Commentaries,  for  about  the 
price  of  one  of  them,  is  certainly  doing  the  public  a  great  service, 
riuch  a  work,  tolerably  executed,  must,  we  think,  take  the  place 
of  all  other  Comma  juries  for  general  reading.’ 

New  York  Observer.  Whoever  desires  to  obtain  the  ex¬ 
position  of  Matthew  Henry,  along  with  the  better  part  of  Scott 
and  Doddridge,  and  the  most  valuable  criticisms  on  the  English 
text,  of  Adam  Clarke,  Gill,  Burderand  others,  will  do  well  to  sub¬ 
scribe  for  the  Comprehensive  Commentary.  The  character  of  the 
.  -  editor  is  a  sufficient  guaranty  for  the  remaining  volumes,  that 

be  a  treasure  to  any  family  who  shall  obtain  it:  and  I  cordially  neither  learning,  integrity  nor  industry,  will  be  wanting  to  render 
recommend  it  for  universal  family  use.’  LYMAN  BEECHER.  them  worthy  of  the  most  extensive  patronage. 


COMPREHENSIVE  COMMENTARY  ON  THE  BIBLE. 


New  York  Evangelist.  ‘The  Editor  is  well  known  as  a 
gentleman  of  extensive  learning  and  deep  research,  and  in  this 
work  he  has  displayed  a  good  judgment  in  the  selection  of  notes. 
It  is  handsomely  printed,  well  bound,  and  on  good  paper.  We 
hope  the  publishers  will  take  special  pains  to  gain  the  assistance  of 
American  ministers.  The  note  from  Dr.  Wisner,  on  Luke  xxiv. 
36 — 48,  is  a  sample  of  what  might  be  done  by  American  writers 
in  making  portions  of  Scripture  tell  upon  the  Christian  action  of 
the  church.  The  work  has  been  unusully  fortunate  in  obtaining 
the  commendation  of  ministers.’ 

Conn.  Observer.  Comprehensive  Commentary.  ‘  The  pub¬ 
lishers  of  the  Comprehensive  Commentary,  seem  determined  to  make 
it  as  near  perfect  as  it  can  be  made  by  care,  and  labor  and  expense. 
It  bears  examination  well,  and  the  attentive  reader  after  a  thorough 
perusal  will  doubtless  assent  to  the  correctness  of  the  remark,  that 
aside  from  all  its  other  excellences  it  presents  the  commentaries 
on  which  it  is  based  in  a  better  shape  thah  the  originals.’’ 

Vermont  Chronicle.  ‘  We  have  examined  parts  of  it  with  a 
good  deal  of  care;  and  can  assure  subscribers  and  others,  that  the 
work  is  in  all  respects  faithfully  done.  Having  taken  pains  to  com¬ 
pare  the  abridgements  of  Henry,  and  the  extracts  from  Scott  with  the 
originals,  to  considerable  extent,  and  looked  critically  at  the  notes 
from  other  sources,  we  have  no  hesitation  in  saying  that,  in  our  opin¬ 
ion,  it  is  very  decidedly  superior,  in  many  important  respects,  to  any 
Commentary  ever  published  in  this  country.  The  admirers  of 
Henry  have  the  substance  of  his  Commentary  faithfully  before  them, 
in  his  own  language,  and  fitted  to  be  more  generally  useful  by  the 
removal  of  repetitions  and  other  redundances,  and  the  omission  of 
words  and  phrases  that  are  ill-judged  and  in  bad  taste.  The  se¬ 
lections  from  Scott  and  Doddridge  have  been  carefully  and  judi¬ 
ciously  made.  The  miscellaneous  notes  from  other  sources  are  the 
result  of  extensive  reading,  and  furnish  a  great  mass  of  illustrative 
facts  and  hints  that  can  be  found  together  nowhere  else.  Large 
libraries,  accessible  only  to  the  few,  have  here  been  laid  under 
contribution  for  the  service  of  all.  The  whole  has  been  prepared 
for  popular  use,  and  is  conveniently  arranged.  As  to  its  orthodoxy, 
and  the  spirit  that  it  breathes,  we  need  only  say  that  Henry,  Scott, 
and  Doddridge,  are  permitted  to  speak  out  their  view’s  and  feelings 
fully,  and  that  with  these,  the  other  materials  are  in  harmony. 
The  price  is  very  low — so  low  as  to  place  the  work  within  the 
means  of  almost  every  one.  Many  thousands  of  copies  of  Henry 
and  Scott  have  been  sold  among  us  at  a  higher  price.  Can  pas¬ 
tors  do  a  better  service  to  the  interests  of  religion,  in  any  similar 
way,  than  by  exerting  themselves  to  introduce  this  work  among  the 
people  of  their  charge!  ’ 

From  the  Literary  and  Theological  Review,  New  York, 
Edited  by  Rev.  Leonard  Woods,  Jr. 

‘  While  the  standard  Commentaries  in  our  language  certainly 
have  great  excellences,  they  also  have  glaring  defects,  and  it  was 
a  good  thought  to  form  a  commentary  which  should  combine  the 
excellences  and  exclude  the  defects  of  our  most  approved  interpre¬ 
ters  of  the  Bible.  Such  is  the  object  of  the  Comprehensive  Com¬ 
mentary.  The  task  wras  certainly  a  difficult  one,  and  failure  would 
not  have  been  strange.  But  it  has  been  accomplished  thus  far, 
under  the  auspices  of  the  learned  and  able  editor,  in  such  a  way  as 
to  realize  the  expectations  of  the  public.  We  have  no  doubt  that 
the  best  and  only  way  of  promoting  a  thorough  knowledge  of  the 
Scriptures,  is  for  writers  to  devote  themselves  to  the  more  careful 
study  of  particular  books.  The  whole  Bible  is  too  large  a  field  to 
be  successfully  cultivated  by  a  single  hand,  hence  we  think  the 
labors  of  Prof.  Stuart,  Robinson,  Bush  and  others,  are  far  more 
wisely  directed  in  being  employed  on  particular  portions  of  the 
sacred  Word,  than  in  being  extended  like  those  of  some  others 
over  the  whole  Bible. 

This  opinion,  however,  does  not  diminish  our  approbation  of  the 
attempt  to  render  the  riches  of  scripture  knowledge  and  particular 
instruction  already  existing  in  the  language,  more  available  by 
the  great  mass  of  the  community.  The  one  is  an  effort  to  elevate 
the  standard  of  Biblical  learning — the  other  to  disseminate  the 
knowledge  already  accumulated;  and  for  the  latter  object  no  work 
on  the  Scriptures  which  we  have  seen  is  better  calculated  than  the 
Comprehensive  Commentary.’ 

From  the  Portland,  (Me.)  Christian  Mirror,  Edited  by  Rev. 

Asa  Cummings,  author  of  Life  of  Pay  son. 

‘  When  the  first  volume  of  this  work  made  its  appearance,  we 
spoke  with  a  measure  of  caution,  as  to  its  merits.  From  the  time 
of  issuing  the  Prospectus,  we  have  heard  good  men  express  fears, 
that  it  was  to  favor  a  mitigated  theology,  and  weaken  the  hold  of 
the  Churches  upon  “  the  faith  once  delivered  to  the  saints.”  We 
of  course  felt  it  incumbent  on  us  to  wait  till  we  could  examine  it 
with  some  care  before  expressing  a  full  aud  decided  judgment  of 
its  merits.  We  have  accordingly  made  it  a  part  of  the  business 
of  every  week  to  consult  the  Comprehensive  Commentary,  and  the 
examination  has  afforded  us  a  degree  of  satisfaction  which  we  did 
not  anticipate.  So  far  from  commending  it  with  reluctance,  we 
feel  that  we  should  do  wrong  to  withhold  an  expression  of  appro¬ 
bation. — This  we  give  in  the  language  of  the  Editors  of  the  Pro¬ 
testant  Vindicator, — and  we  could  not  use  stronger.’ 

New  York  Protestant  Vindicator.  ‘  Having  devoted 
nearly  a  whole  day  to  a  close  scrutiny  of  its  contents,  we  are  able 
to  express  a  decisive  opinion  respecting  its  merits  and  its  claims 
to  public  patronage.  Of  the  quantity  of  matter  contained  in  this 
volume  an  accurate  idea  may  be  formed  from  one  remark.  The 
Commentary  of  Henry,  and  the  practical  observations  of  Scott,  are 


published  nearly  entire.  The  additional  notes  are  selected  from  a 
regiment  of  authors,  for  we  ascertained  that  there  are  nearly  fifty 
different  writers  quoted  in  the  first  four  chapters  only  of  the  gos¬ 
pel  by  Matthew.  The  decorations  are  fine  specimens  of  the  artists 
skill  and  are  judiciously  selected.  As  printers,  we  pronounce, 
that  the  mechanical  execution  of  this  volume  cannot  be  surpassed 
until  some  additional  discovery  in  the  typographical  art  gives  more 
accuracy  of  composition  and  lucidness  to  ink,  for  we  have  not  en¬ 
countered  one  literal  error  or  a  stray  “  Monk  or  Friar,”  through 
any  of  the  “forms,”  which  we  have  deliberately  perused.  These 
topics,  however,  although  they  comprise  economy,  taste  and  even 
the  multiplication  of  books  at  a  price  so  low  that  there  is  not  a 
Christian  parent  in  this  republic  “  Glory  to  God  in  the  highest,” 
who  cannot  procure  them;  yet  these  attractions  are  “altogether 
lighter  than  vanity,”  when  placed  in  competition  with  the  momen¬ 
tous  inquiry, — Does  the  Comprehensive  Commentary  on  the 
Holy  Bible  speak  “  as  the  truth  is  in  Jesus 1”  To  this  ineffably 
important  inquiry,  we  give  a  deliberate  answer.  As  we  have  already 
stated  we  have  extensively  searched  the  volume  which  comprises  the 
four  Gospels.  We  have  amply  scrutinized  its  pages  in  reference  to  the 
fundamental  doctrines  of  Christian  theology,  and  our  examination 
has  been  very  gratifying.  The  passages  which  we  most  inquisitively 
explored  included  the  topics  to  which  the  principal  modern  con¬ 
troversies  advert,  and  especially  the  cardinal  points  “  of  the  faith 
which  was  once  delivered  to  the  saints.”  We  have  not  stumbled 
upon  a  comment  that  in  our  opinion  is  contrary  to  “  that  which  is 
noted  in  the  Scriptures  of  truth.” — We  therefore,  most  conscien¬ 
tiously  avow  our  preference  of  the  “  Comprehensive  Commentary 
on  the  Holy  Bible,”  to  any  others,  or  rather  we  say  all  others. 

It  must  be  remembered  this  is  notan  ephemeral  publication.  A 
sum  of  money  the  ordinary  interest  of  which  is  amply  sufficient  to 
support  any  temperate  family  in  comfort,  must,  be  expended  and 
laid  up  only  in  the  Stereotype  plates,  which  are  requisite  to  com¬ 
plete  the  work.  We  have  often  recommended  books  to  the  perusal 
of  our  brethren  and  friends,  but  never  have  we  performed  that  duty 
with  such  deep  solicitude;  as  we  now  advise  all  who  duly  value 
the  “  one  pearl  of  great  price,”  to  buy  this  most  “  goodly  pearl.”  ’ 

Salem,  (Mass.)  Landmark.  ‘  We  have  no  hesitation  of  giv¬ 
ing  it  as  our  opinion,  that  for  the  greater  portion  of  readers,  this 
work  will  be  more  valuable  than  the  separate  Commentaries  of 
the  various  eminent  men  who  have  just  been  named.  The  most 
important  matter  that  these  severally  contain  is  here  collected  to¬ 
gether,  and  the  reader  can  be  furnished  with  it  without  looking 
through  a  number  of  volumes. 

There  is  a  rich  variety  of  notes  supplying  abundant  information 
respecting  the  geography,  and  the  manners  and  customs  of  the 
country  in  which  the  writers  of  the  Bible  lived.  *  *  *  The  Sab¬ 
bath  School  teacher  will  find  it  an  able  coadjutor  in  the  instruction 
of  his  class.’ 

Christian  Intelligencer.  (New  York  city .  From  the 
pen  of  the  Rev.  W.  C.  Brownlee,  D.  D.)  ‘  The  able  Editor 

is  the  Rev.  Dr.  Jenks,  of  Boston;  one  in  whom,  the  evangelical 
community  have  full  and  unshaken  confidence.  We  call  the  atten¬ 
tion  particularly  of  young  clergymen,  and  of  all  lovers  of  sound  and 
practical  truth,  to  this  great  work.  Were  I  again  to  select  my 
books  of  this  character,  and  were  I  to  have  my  choice  of  this  work 
on  the  one  hand,  and  of  Henry,  Scott,  and  Doddridge,  I  would  de¬ 
cidedly  choose  this  work.  Besides  the  choice  being  one  suggested 
by  economy,  which  is  always  something  to  young  clergymen,  I 
should  in  that  case  have  every  leading  sentiment  and  valuable  idea 
of  these  favorite  Commentators  set  down  together  on  the  same  page 
before  me,  and  therebv  save  much  time  and  trouble  in  examining 
each  of  them  apart.  I  have  had  this  volume  under  examination 
for  several  months,  and  for  one  1  say  deliberately  that  the  more  I 
examine  it,  the  more  I  am  convinced  of  its  intrinsic  value  and  su¬ 
perior  excellence.  It  appeal's  evident  to  us  that  the  able  and  truly 
estimable  Editor  has  faithfully  exhibited  the  doctrinal  sentiments 
of  Henry,  Scott,  and  Doddridge.  It  would  be  extremely  difficult 
to  detect  a  single  omission  of  any  real  consequence.  And  the  labor 
and  industry  of  Dr.  Jenks  in  quoting  and  culling  valuable  senti¬ 
ments  from  such  a  host  of  writers,  is  really  astonishing.  The  grand 
and  precious  doctrines  of  the  gospel  are  carefully  exhibited  in  this 
work.  And  we  must  add,  that  we  have  not  yet  met  with  one  sen¬ 
timent  which  the  devout  and  intelligent  Christian  who  embraces 
the  doctrines  in  the  standard  of  the  Reformed  Churches  can  with 
any  show  of  justice  find  fault  with.  Hence  it  is  a  work  of  exceed¬ 
ing  great  value  to  the  private  Christian,  and  to  the  heads  of  families. 

It  exhibits  a  most  correct  and  truly  beautiful  specimen  of  print¬ 
ing.  *  *  *  Here  is  an  honest  appeal  to  every  patriot,  who  is  call¬ 
ed  on  to  encourage  domestic  enterprise,  and  the  arts  and  manufac¬ 
tures  among  us;  and  to  every  lover  of  the  gospel  ol  Jesus,  to  pat¬ 
ronise  the  excellent  Editor  and  enterprising  publishers,  who  are 
undertaking  such  a  laborious  work,  and  embarking  such  immense 
capital  in  the  laudable  endeavor  to  promote  evangelical  truth  and 
diffuse  the  knowledge  of  our  Savior  throughout  the  land. 

We  conclude  by  earnestly  recommending  this  work  to  our  breth¬ 
ren  and  friends.  It  is  indeed  “a  goodly  pearl,”  which  every  de¬ 
vout  and  good  man  should  seek  to  possess  in  his  family,  for  his 

own  benefit  and  that  of  his  children. 

The  Philadelphian.  (Edited  by  Rev.  Ezra  Stiles  Ely, 
D  D  )  ‘  Th»  work  we  confidently  expect  will  be  as  valuable  as 

any  two,  if  not  three,  of  the  Commentaries  from  which  extracts 
are  made,  and  all,  we  repeat  it,  for  fifteen  dollars.  We  like 
the  plan  and  execution  of  the  work.’ 


4  COMPREHENSIVE  COMMENTARY  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

4  Having  so  far  examined  the  Comprehensive  Commentary  now  in  course  of  publication  by  Fessenden  fy  Co.,  and  edited  by 
Rev  Dr.  Jenks,  as  to  be  satisfied  of  its  great  advantages  over  those  of  any  other  work  of  the  kind  extant;— in  addition  to  the  already 
copious  recommendations,  fronva  large  number  of  highly  distinguished  clergymen,  Presidents  of  Colleges  and  other  literary  gentlemen 
in  the  Northern  and  Middle  Stales,  we  would  cheerfully  commend  the  work  to  the  Southci'n  community  as  one  of  great  and  permanent 

value _ highly  worthy  the  patronage  of  all — especially  heads  of  Families  and  Bible  Class  and  Sunday  School  Teachers;  and  we  cannot 

but  cherish  the  hope  that  it  will  be  received  with  the  favor  and  patronage  which  its  merits  deserve,  and  which  are  so  indispensable  to 
the  arduous  and  expensive  enterprise  of  publishing  so  extensive  and  valuable  a  work.’ 

Rev  STEPHEN  TAYLOR,  Pastarof-2d  Presb.  Church  Richmond,  Va.  I  Rev.  A.  CONVERSE,  Editor  of  So.  Ret.  Telegraph,  Richmond,  Va. 
Rev.  H.  KEELING,  “  3 d  Baptist  “  “  “  |  Rev.  WAL  S.  WHITE,  Gen.  Agent  of  Virginia  Tract  Society. 

Rev'.  GEO.  WOODBRIDGE,  Rector  of  Christ  “  “  “  I 

Rev.  JAME3  B.  TAYLOR,  Pastor  of  2d  Baptist  “  “  “  ] 


From  Clergymen  in  Baltimore. 

•  I  cordially  approve  of  the  plan  and  design  of  the  Comprehen¬ 
sive  Commentary,  and  of  the  execution  of  the  work,  so  far  as  a 
cursory  examination  of  the  volume  published  qualifies  me  to  judge 
of  it,  and  I  recommend  it  to  the  people  of  my  pastoral  charge  and 
others,  as  a  work  well  deserving  of  their  patronage.’ 

WILLIAM  NEV'INS, 

Pastor  of  the  First  Presb.  Chh.  Baltimore. 

4  The  commentaries  intended  to  be  comprised  iu  the  work  for 
which  you  propose  to  solicit  subscribers  are  too  well  known  and 
too  generally  appreciated  to  require  commendation.  The  plan,  as 
set  forth  by  the  prospectus,  is  a  very  good  one,  and  if  the  whole 
execution  proves  to  be  in  keeping  with  the  specimen  which  you 
have  sent  me  for  inspection,  the  work  will  well  deserve,  and  I  have 
no  doubt  will  receive,  the  liberal  patronage  of  the  Christian  com¬ 
munity-’  J.  JOHNS, 

Rector  of  Christ's  Church,  Baltimore. 

4 1  entirely  concur  in  the  recommendations  of  the  Comprehensive 
Commentary,  given  liy  Drs.  Johns  and  Nevins.’ 

J.  P.  K.  HENSHAW, 

Rector  of  St.  Peter’s  Church,  Baltimore. 

‘If  my  opinion  is  considered  of  any  value  by  any  one,  I  very 
readily  say,  that  I  should  consider  the  “  Comprehensive  Commen¬ 
tary,”  when  faithfully  completed  on  the  plan  laid  down  in  the 
prospectus,  by  far  the  most  valuable  work  of  the  kind  to  be  found 
in  any  language,  for  the  common  reader.  Matthew  Henry  is  before 
all  men  as  an  expositor,  and  Dr.  Scott’s  Practical  Observations 
are  scarcely  equalled;  while  those  two,  with  Doddridge,  are  of  all 
doctrinal  guides  the  safest  amongst  commentators,  to  say  nothing 
of  others.  Such  a  work  ns  the  one  proposed,  if  fairly  executed 
upon  the  basis  of  the  labors  of  these  holy,  wise,  and  I  will  add 
learned  men,  must  be  above  price.’ 

J.  R.  BRECKENR1DGE, 

Pastor  of  the  York-st.  Presb.  Church,  Baltimore . 

From  Clergymen  in  Washington  City,  D.  C. 

4  To  those  who  are  at  all  acquainted  with  the  character  and  stand¬ 
ing  of  the  distinguished  men  who  liave  recommended  this  work,  no 
other  recommendation  can  be  necessary.  The  undersigned  fully  j 
accords  with  them  in  their  opinion,  and  believes  that  they  have  j 
not  rated  its  merits  too  high.  To  Families,  Bible  Classes,  and 
Sabbath  School  Teachers,  it  must  be  an  invaluable  help  to  the 
■correct  understanding  of  the  sacred  Scriptures.  All,  indeed,  who 
wish  to  have  an  excellent  Commentary  on  the  Bible — even  the  ex¬ 
cellences  of  the  best  Commentaries  in  one  single  work — will,  if 
possible,  possess  themselves  of  this.  It  is  handsomely  executed, 
and  offered  on  very  reasonable  terms.  R.  POST, 

Pastor  1st  Pres.  Church ,  Washington  City.' 

‘  I  cheerfully  concur  in  the  views  and  recommendations  expressed 
above.  JAMES  LOWR1E,  D.  D. 

Pastor  F  street  Church.’ 

‘  The  high  recommendation  given  to  the  work  above  referred  to, 
by  the  Reverend  Gentlemen  whose  names  are  well  known  to  the 
public,  induces  me  to  believe  that  it  is  entitled  to  the  approbation 
and  patronage  of  all  who  are  desirous  of  rightly  understanding  the 
Scriptures  of  Divine  Revelation,  which  are  able  to  make  them 
wise  unto  salvation.  WILLIAM  HAWLEY, 

Rector  of  St.  John’s  Chh.  Washington  City.’ 

‘  After  such  an  inspection  of  tire  first  volume  of  this  work  us  my 
time  has  permitted  me  to  make,  iu  the  space  of  three  or  four  days, 

I  freely  add  my  suffrage  to  tliat  of  many  ollters,  that  it  is  a  publi¬ 
cation  well  worthy  the  title  which  it  bears.  It  is  “  a  Comprehen¬ 
sive  Commentary.”  Whoever  possesses  it,  will  be  able,  without 
reference  to  other  books,  to  make  himself  acquainted  with  the  lead¬ 
ing  opinions  of  the  best  and  most  approved  Commentators,  both 
critical  and  practical,  on  the  four  Evangelists.  If  the  subsequent 
volumes  shall  be  pre|xired  with  the  same  care,  judiciousness  and 
talent,  which  are  exhibited  in  the  one  already  published — and  this 
it  seems  reasonable  to  presumo — the  work  will  be  one  of  great 
value  to  young  clergymen,  to  Sabbath  school  teachers,  and  to  heads 
of  families;  and  indeed,  to  all  who  love  the  study  of  the  Bible,  not 
excepting  those  who  are  already  provided  with  other  expositions 
of  the  sacred  text.  ASHBEL  GREEN,  I).  D. 

Philadelphia,  Nov.  23,  1S34.’ 

National  Intelligencer,  Washington  City ,  D.  C.  ‘The 
first  volume  of  this  long  expected  work  is  just  published  in  royal 
octavo,  in  a  very  superior  style,  on  a  beautiful  clear  type  and  fine 
paper.  The  price  of  this  valuable  work  is  only  three  dollars  per 
volitate.  .Tibs*;  *:e!(v  boutvl-  and  ■  rhea ner  work  has  perhaps  never 
'Yijuo!  (rota  tin  pres#  ’ 


Norfolk  Beacon.  ‘An  agent  of  Messrs.  Fessenden  &  Co., 
Publishers,  is  now  in  our  town,  soliciting  subscriptions  to  a  work 
of  manifestly  great  merit,  under  the  above  title.  The  work  is 
intended  to  be  completed  in  five  volumes,  royal  octavo,  (nearly 
as  large  as  quarto,)  of  about  800  pages  each,  at  the  low  price  of 

3  per  volume,  payable  on  delivery.  At  least  one  volume  per  year 
will  be  issued  to  subscribers,  embellished  with  superb  engravings, 
maps,  and  other  illustrative  cuts.  We  have  the  first  volume  before 
us,  which  is  a  beautiful  specimen  of  printing  and  engraving,  and 
the  respectability  of  the  Editor,  Rev.  Dr.  Win.  Jenks,  Pastor  of 
Green-street  Church,  Boston,  with  the  high  testimonials  in  his 
favor,  from  distinguished  presidents  of  Colleges,  and  a  number 
of  eminent  clergymen,  are  a  strong  assurance  that  there  will  be  no 
disappointment  either  in  the  ability  or  style  of  its  execution.’ 

Richmond  Religious  Telegraph,  Oct.  31, 1834.  ‘  One 

volume  of  this  work  is  now  before  the  public,  and  we  doubt  not 
will  lie  highly  valued  and  extensively  patronised.  The  good  and 
handsome  style  in  which  the  mechanical  pari  is  executed,  and  the 
moderate  terms  on  which  it  is  offered,  strongly  commend  it  to  the 
favor  and  liberal  patronage  of  the  public.’ 

Richmond  Religious  Telegraph,  Nov.  6,  1834.  The 
recommendations  of  many  of  the  most  distinguished  clergymen  in 
this  country,  which  accompany  it,  are  explicit  and  ample;  and 
from  such  examination  as  we  have  been  able  to  give  the  first  vol¬ 
ume  during  the  week  it  has  been  before  us,  we  cannot  doubt  that  it 
will  meet  the  expectations  of  ttie  Christian  public. 

Richmond  Compile r.  ‘We  have  hastily  looked  over  the 
first  volume  of  this  valuable  work,  and  would  call  the  attention  of 
such  of  our  readers  as  may  desire  to  possess  themselves  of  the  mass 
of  Biblical  information  which  it  contains,  to  a  publication  having 
high  claims  to  their  notice.  The  typographical  execution,  the 
copper  plate  and  wood  cuts,  and  the  general  plan  of  the  illustra¬ 
tions,  entitle  the  enterprising  publishers  to  much  credit;  and  the 
cheapness  at  which  the  work  is  offered  to  the  pnblie  will,  we  are 
confident,  insure  it  a  wide  and  useful  circulation.’ 

‘It  really  deserves  the  encouragement  of  the  public.  The 
amount  of  capital  employed  in  getting  up  the  first  volume,  and 
making  the  necessary  arrangements  for  carrying  on  the  publication, 
has  induced  the  proprietors  to  offer  it  for  sale,  before  the  comple¬ 
tion  of  the  others,  that  they'  may  avoid  the  heavy  and  ruinous  loss 
of  the  interest  that  must  accumulate  on  the  stun  invested,  which 
would  otherwise  he  kept  idle  till  the  whole  work  was  completed 
and  ready  for  delivery  sometime  hence.  Tlie  individual  subscriber 
will  be  put  to  little  inconvenience  from  paying  live  cost  of  each 
volume  as  it  is  delivered,  while  the  publishers  would  be  subjected 
to  a  heavy  loss  if  compelled  to  wait  for  the  whole  till  the  five  vol¬ 
umes  were  finished.’  (It  may  also  be  added,  in  the  words  of  the 
editor  of  Zion’s  Advocate,  4  We  shall  have  more  leisure,  and  be 
more  likely  to  give  it  a  thorough  examination,  on  receiving  it  in 
successive  volumes,’  while  lire  use  of  the  several  volumes  up  to  the 
time  of  completion,  will  be  worth  as  much  in  proportion  to  the 
cost,  as  the  whole  would  be.) 

Herald  of  the  Times,  ( North  Carolina.)  ‘  We  do  no 
more  than  justice,  when  we  recommend  it  to  our  citizens,  as  a 
work  which  cannot  hut  be  highly  desirable,  not  only  to  every 
Christian  reader,  but  to  all  others  who  wish  to  obtain  light  and 
knowledge  on  the  volume  of  inspiration.’ 

Statesman.  (  Washington ,  North  Carolina.)  ‘  Wc  are 
confident  it  is  a  work  of  very  great  merit,  and  for  beauty  of  its 
typography  and  engravings,  surpasses  anything  we  have  seen  on 
the  same  subject.  This  work  is  edited  by  Dr.  Win.  Jenks,  of 
Boston,  and  professedly  combines  the  labors  and  learning  of  those 
great  lights  in  the  Christian  world,  llcnry,  Clarke,  Scott,  Lovvth, 
Doddridge,  Gill,  and  others,  and  will  bind  up  in  five  volumes  of 
about  800  pages  each,  in  quarto  form,  embellished  with  superb  en¬ 
gravings,  at  the  astonishing  low  price  of  three  dollars  per  volume. 
The  high  recommendations  of  the  work  by  distinguished  Clergy¬ 
men  conclusively  attest  its  value.’ 

The  Presbyterian.  ( Philadelphia .)  ‘We  have  heard 
this  work  highly  commended  by  competent  critics.  *  *  *  The 
volume  containing  the  Evangelists  lias  been  submitted  to  ns,  and 
we  are  decidedly  of  opinion,  that  if  (he  other  volumes  are  equal  to 
this  in  point  of  execution,  it  will  be  a  work  every  way  worthy  of 
patronage,  as  comprehending  for  family  use,  a  larger  amount  of 
valuable  matter  than  any  Commentary  extant.  To  such  as  are  not 
furnished,  we  would  recommend  an  examination  of  this  work,  as 
containing  a  vast  fund  of  matter,  and  at  a  reasonable  price.’ 

Petersburg  (Virginia)  Constellation.  ‘  The  price 
is  low,  we  think,  for  the  splendid  manner  in  which  this  edition  of 
the  sacred  writings  is  gotten  tlD.’ 


